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A great community newspaper serving South Knoxville and the surrounding area
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(865) 922-4136
NEWS (865) 661-8777
[email protected] Clark | Betsy Pickle
ADVERTISING SALES(865) 342-6084
Patty Fecco | Tony Cranmore
Beverly Holland | Amy Lutheran
CIRCULATION(865) 342-6200
March 1 election winners, losers
Sandra Clark makes the case for winners and losers who were not on the March 1 ballot:
Winners: Tim Hutchison, Tim Burchett, Scott Moore.
Losers: Gov. Bill Haslam, Laurens Tullock.
➤ Read Clark on page 5
To page 3
VOL. 2 NO. 1 July 29, 2013www.ShopperNewsNow.com | www.facebook.com/ShopperNewsNowVOL. 4 NO. 10 March 9, 2016www.ShopperNewsNow.com | www.facebook.com/ShopperNewsNow
SOUTH KNOX
BUZZ
History awardsThe East Tennessee His-
torical Society (ETHS) invites nominations from across East Tennessee for Awards of Excel-lence in the fi eld of history.
The annual awards recognize individuals and organizations that have made signifi cant con-tributions to the preservation, promotion, programming and interpretation of the region’s history. The postmark deadline for award applications is April 8.
Info/nomination form: 215-8824; eastTNhistory.org; East Tennessee Historical Society, PO Box 1629, Knoxville, TN 37901.
By Sandra ClarkHonors and recognition keep
on coming for South Knoxville.
Keep Knoxville Beautiful has an-nounced that its 2016-2017 Com-munity of the Year will be South Knox-ville, for which it is planning mul-tiple litter pickups,
“Trash Runs” (fun runs combined with litter pickups), Goose Creek cleanups, a Tennessee River cleanup,
school visits, graffi ti-abatement ef-forts and “Beautifi cation Mobs.”
The organization will focus many of its beautifi cation efforts on South Knoxville while still act-ing as a resource to other areas of the city and county. The new ex-ecutive director is Patience Mel-nik. The organization held its 34th awards dinner March 1.
Keep Knoxville Beautiful has renamed the Evergreen Award to the Mary Lou Horner Beautifi ca-tion Award, given this year to the Knoxville Museum of Art.
The award recognizes a former
orchid winner whose property has been beautifully maintained for at least 10 years since its original recognition. The late Mary Lou Horner, a longtime county com-missioner, was a founding mem-ber of Keep Knoxville Beautiful and its biggest champion.
Other winners are: ■ New Architecture: Contem-
porary Women’s Health ■ Redesign/Reuse: Oakwood
Senior Living Center and White Lily Flats
■ Restaurant/Cafe/Bar/Brew-ery: Babalu
■ Public Art Project: BringingTap Back Water Refi ll Stations
■ Outdoor Space: SansomSports Complex and Town of Far-ragut Outdoor Classroom
■ Environmental Stewardship:WROL Building
The East Tennessee Commu-nity Design Center judged the awards. Attendees enjoyed mu-sic by the Old City Buskers. The event was sponsored by WUOT, Pilot Flying J, Bojangles, Lamar Advertising, the Knoxville Hilton and the Knoxville TVA Employees Credit Union.
SoKno gets beautifi cation boost
Horner
By Wendy SmithOffi cer Keith Lyon, a 23-year
veteran of the Knoxville Police De-partment, witnesses violence and trauma on a regular basis, like all other experienced offi cers. But he leaned most heavily on the KPD Chaplain Corps when his infant son had brain surgery in 2001.
He met Thomas Cook when the chaplain rode along with Lyon during his volunteer shift. Over the next year, Cook always rode with Lyon, and their time together became an outlet for the offi cer.
“I had to be strong at home,” ex-plains Lyon.
The primary purpose of the KPD chaplain program is to be a source of support and encourage-ment to police offi cers, says chap-
KPD Chaplain Mike Buckley talks to Offi cer James Hunley outside the Safety
Building at 800 Howard Baker Jr. Blvd. Buckley, an associate minister at the
Laurel Church of Christ, was trained as a chaplain in 2015. Photo by Wendy Smith
KPD chaplains help offi cers stay stronglain coordinator Pam Neal. They counsel and pray with offi cers who have been involved in trag-edies, and accompany them when they make death notifi cations. The chaplains also offer support to the community during a crisis, like the December 2014 school bus crash that killed two students and a teacher’s aide. But their main task is serving offi cers.
Lyon also utilized the chaplain corps when he arrived at Inskip Elementary School after principal Elisa Luna and assistant princi-pal Amy Brace were shot. He held Luna’s hand until medical help ar-rived.
By Betsy PickleMary Thom Adams has just
taken over the reins of the East Tennessee Technology Access Center, but already she’s set to leave for Havana.
Figuratively speaking.ETTAC’s fi rst fundraiser since
Adams joined as executive direc-tor on Feb. 8 is the center’s fi fth “A Night in Old Havana,” a fun event featuring authentic Cuban cuisine, a Latin dance showcase, a casino, a high spirits bar, cigars, coffee and dessert. The “Night” will be 6:30-10 p.m. Saturday, March 19, at the Lighthouse Knoxville Event Center, 6800 Baum Drive.
“And for those who need to see March Madness, they also will be able to do that,” says Adams.
ETTAC is a change from Ijams Nature Center, where Adams worked the past fi ve years. She served as development director and assistant executive director there. Though just a 10-minute drive from each other, Ijams has been in the spotlight as a main
By Betsy PickleKnox County Schools has es-
tablished an in-terim administra-tive team to guide South-Doyle High School while prin-cipal Tim Berry and assistant principal, athletic director and head football coach Clark Duncan are
on administrative leave.Assistant principal Sherry
Smith, who has been with Knox County Schools since July 2012, has been appointed acting princi-pal.
Daryl Chandler, sixth-grade principal at South-Doyle Middle School, will put in dual service at SDMS and SDHS through the end of the school year. He has been with KCS since April 1984.
Gibbs High School assistant principal Scott Reed, who has been with KCS since August 2004, has been reassigned to South-Doyle as an assistant principal.
Robby Howard, a math teacher at South-Doyle who has been with KCS since August 1980, is acting athletic director at SDHS until further notice.
Knox County Schools placed Berry and Duncan on administra-tive leave with pay in early Febru-ary “pending further investiga-tion into allegations of failure to perform essential responsibilities and duties associated with” their positions, according to KCS.
Assistant football coach Justin McCarter, who also served as an
instructional aide, resigned days before Berry and Duncan were put on leave.
Berry, a Loudon County native, spent 21 years as a teacher and ad-ministrator in Loudon County be-fore joining KCS in July 2011.
Duncan, a native of Unicoi County, has been with KCS since August 1981. He spent fi ve years as a teacher/assistant football coach at Fulton High and 17 years as head coach at Powell before start-ing as SDHS head coach seven seasons ago.
Mary Thom Adams, new executive director of the East Tennessee Technol-
ogy Access Center, right, chats with Joel Simmons, “the face of ETTAC.” Photo by Betsy Pickle
Adams fi nds inspiring work at ETTAC player in the Urban Wilderness initiative, while ETTAC has lived a quiet existence since 2010 on tiny Childress Street, just off Chapman Highway between Martin Mill Pike and Moody Avenue.
Founded in 1988, ETTAC is a nonprofi t agency that connects people with disabilities to assis-tive technology devices that help them live more independently and with dignity. It serves 24 counties in East Tennessee.
Adams fi rst learned of ETTAC while working as a consultant to nonprofi ts. It was one of her cli-ents.
“I thought the work that they did was really phenomenal,” she says.
When she heard in late Novem-ber that the center was looking for a new director, she put her name out there.
“I loved my job at Ijams, so this was a surprise to me in many ways,” she says. “But I really want-
To page 3
Interim leaders step up at South-Doyle
Sherry Smith
Ed and Bob target Fountain City
Ed and Bob’s next Night Out will be in Fountain City.
Knox County’s at-large com-missioners Ed Brantley and Bob Thomas will be at Sam & Andy’s at 2613 West Adair Dr. just off of North Broadway from 5-7 p.m. Tuesday, March 22. All residents are invited to discuss concerns.
‘Shrek Jr.’ at SDMS“Shrek Jr., the musical” will
be performed by the Cherokee Singers at 7 p.m. Thursday and Friday, March 10-11, at the South-Doyle Middle School auditorium.
Admission is $5 for adults, $3 for school-age kids and students. Souvenir Shrek Ears will be sold for $5.
OMG, I won!Jennifer Owen got so many
votes in her race for an open seat on the school board that she surprised even herself.
➤ Read Betty Bean on page 5
Teacher of the yearCynthia Thornburg has
had many professions over the years, but she knew she needed to be a teacher after being asked to tutor a friend’s students years ago.
Now she’s been named teacher of the year at Mt. Olive.
➤ Read Sara Barrett on page 8
2 • MARCH 9, 2016 • Shopper news
health & lifestyles
Fort Sanders Regional Medical Center is a regional referral hospital where other facilities
REGIONAL EXCELLENCE.
4400949494949444449449499009-007-0070707--777
0080-0869
ALLERGIES!SPRING
Do some old-fashioned spring cleaning. The lack of fresh air during the winter allows dust to collect in corners and closets.
Make your bed an allergy-free zone. Use the hot cycle to wash your bedding and, if you are severely allergic, buy special allergen-proof pillows, mattresses and box springs that have tight fabric weaves to keep out dust mites.
Wash towels and linens in hot water.
Use the air conditioner when you’re in a car. Riding with the windows down lets allergens blow into the vehicle.
Don’t smoke, and insist that smokers in your household smoke outside the house and car. If you or someone you know wants to quit smoking, visit covenanthealth.com/stopsmoking
Consider designating certain rooms in your house as “pet-free” areas where you can breathe easily.
Buy throw rugs even if you have carpeted rooms. Throw rugs will help the carpet stay allergen free.
Minimize clutter in order to minimize the dust in your house.
Buy a dehumidifi er. Dust mites don’t do well in humidity below 45 percent.
Install new air fi lters or invest in an air purifi er.
10 Tips to Help You CombatSniffl es this Season
Preparing for
Fort Sanders Regional ear, nose and throat physicians Dr. Mark Gurley, Dr. William Merwin, Dr. Clyde Mathison and Dr. Leon-
ard Brown work to manage patient’s allergies on a case by case basis to discover eff ective treatments for each individual.
While the sunshine is refreshing, one thing that the spring season brings is not welcomed – allergies. Allergies are perhaps one of the most under diagnosed problems in America today, and in East Tennessee in particular. When looking at the yearly pub-lished lists of the worst allergy cities in the United States, invariably, many of the top cities will be in East Tennessee.
While allergies in our area are common, appropriate diagnosis and treatment of them is no easy task. It is important to iden-tify what is causing an allergic reaction to develop effective allergy management and in many cases, patients are not receiving the best treatment.
“There are many people who have been tested and treated with shot therapy for 10 to 15 years who are still suffering from symptoms,” states Fort Sanders Regional ear, nose and throat physician Mark Gurley.
Covenant Health Knoxville Marathon races set for April 2-3
Mark your calendars for the 2016 Covenant Health Knoxville Marathon events – and lace up your running shoes! The races are set for Saturday, April 2 (5K race and the popular Covenant Kids Run) and Sunday, April 3 (half-marathon, 2- and 4-per-son relays, and full marathon).
The Covenant Health Knox-ville Marathon has grown to become the larg-est competitive road race in East Tennessee. As in previous years, all races will have an exciting fi nish on the 50-yard line inside Neyland Stadium. For many, it is the thrill of seeing themselves on the JumboTron as they cross the fi nish line that inspires them to participate in the events.
But the best reward may be what runners gain by the entire experience, according to Tony Spezia, president and CEO of Covenant Health.
“We can point with pride to many people who have been mo-tivated by the marathon to start exercising and to improve their health,” Spezia said. “The event raises public awareness of the importance of physical fitness and supports our organization’s
mission to im-prove the health and quality of life in our commu-nity.”
Proceeds from the mara-thon benefit the Knoxville Track
Club’s youth athletic program as well as Covenant’s Patricia Neal Rehabilitation Center Innovative Recreation Cooperative (IRC), which encourages people with disabilities to pursue leisure an d sports activities.
To learn more or to register, go to www.knoxvillemarathon.com. Covenant Health employees may get 50 percent off the registration fee by using the entry code COVENANT2016.
Surviving spring allergies
RAST test. ■ Intra-Dermal is a less common
form of allergy testing where a small amount of the suspected allergen is placed just beneath the patient’s skin. The skin is then examined for any reactions. This test is more sensitive than either RAST or multi-test.
■ IDT (intra-dermal titration) is where an actual level of response to an al-lergen is obtained, similar to RAST, but the patient is directly tested with a suspected allergen as described in the intra-dermal method. This is arguably the most accurate method of diagnosing inhaled allergies, the kind most commonly associated with upper respiratory symptoms.
Allergy treatments ■ Avoidance: In some instances avoid-
ance of the offending allergen may be all that is needed. In all allergy cases, avoid-ance is recommended.
■ Allergy Desensitization: Shots, sub-lingual drops or other methods of grad-ual exposure of the patient to the allergens to which they react. This allows the body to
eventually recognize the offending allergen as a normal part of the environment, ratherthan as an attacking entity.
■ Antihistamines: Histamines are justone of many substances released during anallergic reaction. They are usually associat-ed with swelling, redness and itching. Anti-histamines prevent or counter the release and effects of histamines.
■ Steroids: Steroids are administeredin many different forms. Topical steroidsare creams used on the skin to reduce itch-ing, redness and rashes. Nasal steroids areadministered in a nose spray and are used todecrease irritation and reaction in the noseand ears. Inhaled steroids are administeredthrough an inhaler or nebulizer to reduce in-fl ammation and reactions in the lungs. Sys-temic steroids are given by injection, mouthor intravenously and are usually reserved forrecalcitrant or severe allergic reactions.
If you are suffering from allergies andneed treatment from an ear, nose and throatphysician, visit your primary care doctor andask for a referral. For more informationabout ENT physicians at Fort SandersRegional visit www.fsregional.com
He assures that using dif-ferent types of testing re-sults in forming the best treatment plan for allergy sufferers.
Allergy symptoms
■ Fatigue - Although most people do not re-alize it, fatigue is one of the most common symp-toms of allergies and of-ten results in diminished academic or work perfor-mance.
■ Itching or Rash ■ Runny Nose – Clear nasal drainage is a
common report with allergies. ■ Restless sleep patterns – Dust or feath-
er allergies can fl are up due to the exposure to an allergen in your bed.
■ Itchy, watery eyes ■ Gastrointestinal dis-
tress – Allergies can cause nausea, irritable bowel symp-toms or diarrhea.
Types of testing ■ RAST is a safe, simple
blood test with no risk of al-lergen exposure to the pa-tient. All testing is done in a laboratory where the pa-tient’s blood is exposed to different allergens.
■ Multi-test is a com-mon test performed by plac-ing drops of allergen serum on the patient’s skin and exposing the patient with a small skin prick. This test is equal in sensitivity to the
SOUTH KNOX Shopper news • MARCH 9, 2016 • 3 community
Betsy Pickle
The Appalachian Moun-tain Bike Club knows what’s what when it comes to mountain-biking trails. So it’s only natural that the lo-cal offi ce of the American Diabetes Association would turn to them for help in planning a very special trail ride.
Luke Grieve of Fountain City Pedaler and Wendi Mullins of the
American Diabetes Association – whose businesses are neigh-
bors on Old Broadway – chat after the AMBC meeting.
Dogwood prepIf you’re thinking pink and green, you’re thinking Dogwood Trails. At Stanley’s Greenhouse to make bows that will decorate mail-
boxes along Dogwood Trails are Pat Shivers and Ann Graf of Lakemoor Hills; Vicki Baumgartner, program manager for Dogwood
Arts Trails and Gardens; Beth Wolf of Deane Hill; Nancy Campbell of Island Home Park; Lloyd King, Trails chairman; Jim Richards,
executive director of the Knoxville Botanical Gardens; and Dianne Forry of the Chapman Highway Garden Club. Photos by Betsy Pickle
All trails lead to AMBC
For the 25th anniversa-ry of the Tour de Cure, the association is planning a multi-sport “tour.” Wendi Mullins, the local associ-ate director, came to the AMBC’s February meeting at Sweet P’s Downtown Dive to plug the event and recruit some riders with vision to help defi ne the trail ride.
Mullins said this year’s Tour will include four ad-ventures: mountain biking, paddling/kayaking, a trail run or guided hike, and the traditional road race. The mountain-bike portion will be at Ijams Nature Center. The Tour de Cure will take place June 11.
Another event the AMBC is looking forward to is Wild Knoxville, the reincarna-tion of the 4-year-old Out-door Knox Fest, which is set for Saturday, May 7. The main event area is World’s Fair Park, but there will be group greenway rides, kay-ak demonstrations on the riverfront, and rides and trail running in the Urban Wilderness.
The festival will have mer-chandise, food and brews from local purveyors.
This week, Knoxville is
hosting the Professional Trail-Builders Association’s na-tional conference, and AMBC members were encouraged to attend a social event with the group on Monday.
On Saturday, AMBC is having a workday at Baker Creek Preserve, formerly re-ferred to as the Wood Prop-erty, on Taylor Road. The trail-builders group always gifts its conference host city with a “legacy trail project,” and it chose to connect Bak-er Creek Preserve to South-Doyle Middle School with a trail that includes a small bridge over Baker Creek.
In addition to augment-ing the trail system, the project will create a safe walkway for students. AMBC will polish off the work on the trail and make other preparations for the upcoming springtime open-ing of Baker Creek Preserve.
On Wednesday, March 23, Sweet P’s Downtown Dive will offer a special meal from 4 p.m. on and donate part of the charge for each meal to AMBC.
On Sunday, May 15, AMBC will take part in the city’s second Open Streets event on Central Avenue.
■ Waterfront updateDawn Michelle Foster, di-
rector of the city’s Offi ce of Redevelopment, is a familiar face at Old Sevier Commu-nity Group meetings thanks to her oversight of the South Waterfront redevelopment. Sometimes she has to deal with hot grilling, but her lat-est visit seemed not to gener-ate any fl ames.
Foster provided an up-date on several aspects of the wide-ranging project. She said the River’s Edge apartment complex on Is-
land Home Avenue will wrap up by late spring or early summer. Utility lines have been buried, and now that the poles have been removed work on the river-walk can begin.
She said the roadway will be in good shape in time for the Knoxville Marathon on April 3.
Work on the sidewalks at Suttree Landing Park and Waterfront Drive has been delayed by wet weather, but it will be done by sum-mer. The park’s concrete bleachers and the riverwalk should be done by fall.
The Arts & Culture Alli-ance and the South Knox-ville Foundation are part-nering to guide aesthetics at the park.
The city is fi nalizing plans on the Sevier Avenue Streetscape project to sub-mit to the Tennessee De-partment of Transportation. There are some issues with fi re hydrants and parking.
Foster said it would be at least three years before the roundabout at Sevier Avenue and Foggy Bottom would be fi nished, but Wa-terfront Drive will be fi n-ished this summer.
The city is still negotiat-ing with Regal Entertain-ment Group on the purchase of the tower at the old Bap-tist Hospital site. The build-ing is being refaced.
KPD chaplains From page 1
“That kind of thing, espe-cially when it’s a young lady, makes you angry,” he says.
Retired KPD Captain Gerald King and FBI chap-lain Jake Popejoy were asked by Knoxville Police Chief Phil Keith to create the chaplain program in 1993, and the fi rst class completed its training in 1994. Three of the 18 original chaplains still serve − King, Glenn Sullivan and Bob Cowles.
Chaplains are credentialed by the International Con-ference of Police Chaplains. Volunteers must have a mini-mum of fi ve years of ministry or counseling experience and complete a 60-hour train-ing academy. The program is non-denominational.
Chaplains commit to be-ing on call for one 24-hour shift per month and com-pleting a four-hour ride along with a police offi cer. King likes to ride with an offi cer when he’s on call.
Before Keith started the
program, the KPD had one chaplain whose role was mostly ceremonial. King re-members making a death no-tifi cation as a young offi cer.
“There was no one to walk with you through the devastation you may have witnessed.”
Police offi cers experience trauma similar to combat when they respond to car accidents or violent crimes, he says. He’s glad that KPD offi cers have support during traumatic situations, and he’s happy to provide it.
“For me, it’s a very re-warding time. I love on the guys, work alongside them, let them know I care.”
Sometimes, what offi cers need most is for chaplains to provide spiritual support to grieving families or vic-tims of crime.
“When you think about it, they’re not just helping families. They’re allowing offi cers to continue to do what they need to do,” Neal
says.She calls the KPD Chap-
lain Program one of Knox-ville’s best-kept secrets.
“It benefi ts the entire city.”
Even police offi cers need help sometimes, and chap-lains make an offi cer’s job easier, says Lyon.
“People think we’re ro-botic − not human. We’re fl esh and blood, like every-one else. We need time to decompress.”
The KPD is currently recruiting new chaplains. Info: 740-7716 or [email protected]
Work at ETTAC From page 1
ed to do this work. I wanted to be involved in this orga-nization and to support the people that ETTAC helps. I really wanted to do this. I’m very glad I did. I’m inspired every day.”
Adams says she’s still learning about her job.
“One of the things that was going to give me great pleasure about this work is the amount that I will learn,” she says.
“What I bring to the table is that I’m an administra-tor. I understand how non-profi ts work. I understand how to manage them. And I know how to raise money. And that’s the part that I can bring here that they need.”
Adams majored in Eng-lish at Warren Wilson Col-lege in Asheville, N.C., but says, “I knew from a very young age that I wanted to raise money for organiza-tions.”
Her father, Frank Ad-ams, was the director of the Highlander Center, fi rst in Knoxville and then in Jef-ferson County, so she was familiar with nonprofi ts.
“I thought that money was the place that I could make an impact. I saw organiza-tions struggle so much with money, not having enough
of it, so I set my sights on learning to be a fundraiser.” She spent 10 years as devel-opment director at the High-lander Center.
She says fundraising is “about building relation-ships, honest relationships – ones that have depth. And about understanding who the person is that you’re working with. You’ve got to know where their heart is.
“It’s just like any other relationship of importance and depth – it’s meeting them where they are and be-ing willing to give of your-self as well.”
Adams was happy to help bring improvements for people with disabilities to Ijams, and to witness the work of ETTAC is “remark-able.”
The staff can take a child born with severe disabilities and teach that child “to use a fi nger or just a minimal movement to learn to com-municate, to be outside a body that isn’t working, and to have a life.”
“To get to work with peo-ple who know how to do that and to support them, that’s an honor.”
“A Night in Old Havana” tickets are $25. To pur-chase, call ETTAC, 219-0137, or visit ettac.org
EASTER EGG HUNTS ■ Bells Campground Baptist Church Easter Event, 10 a.m.-noon
Saturday, March 26, 7816 Bells Campground Road. Includes: skits,
singing, craft, an egg hunt for ages 0-fi fth grade, refreshments
and door prizes. Info: 947-6254.
■ Big Ridge State Park Easter egg hunt, Saturday, March 26. Rain
or shine. Schedule: 10 a.m., 2 years old and younger; 10:30 a.m.,
3-4 years old; 1 p.m. 5-7 years old; 1:30 p.m., 8-10 years old. Bring
your basket. Prizes; Easter Bunny. Meet at the Park offi ce. Info:
992-5523.
■ First Farragut United Methodist Easter Eggstravaganza, 3
p.m. Saturday, March 20. Birth to fi fth grade. Free. First Farragut
UMC, 12733 Kingston Pike.
4 • MARCH 9, 2016 • Shopper news
Wendy Smith
Marvin West
I have been remiss in holding back the Jani Tru-povnieks story . Last week was a start but, borrowing from song, fi lm and politi-cians, “You ain’t seen noth-in’ yet.”
Trupovnieks: Roots, Vol memories, Rhonda
The former Tennessee tackle, largest director of the UT lettermen’s club, is in the midst of a satisfy-ing career in international sales. He has come far from Hopedale, Ohio, but that trip does not compare to his roots.
His father, Janis, was born in rural Latvia in 1919. In an upset of tradition, he was allowed to leave the family farm at age 12 for ad-vanced study and a chance at a better life. He beat long odds and was admitted for university pre-med.
When World War II broke out, Latvia was caught in the middle. Germans threat-ened but the Soviet Union occupied his country. When ordered into that army, Ja-nis fl ed, 300 miles on foot through Lithuania and Po-land, then as a stowaway on a small freighter across the Baltic Sea to Germany.
He was caught but his medical training saved his life. He was assigned to fi eld hospitals.
When Hitler’s Germany
fell, Janis became a dis-placed person. He boarded a crowded train for Göttin-gen with the idea of finally becoming a full-f ledged doctor. All along the way, thousands of other refu-gees tried to climb aboard, even when the train was moving.
Janis Trupovnieks, stand-ing in a coach doorway, held on with one hand and reached the other out to clasp the hand of a young woman. He pulled Ingeborge Matilda Altmann aboard. She was from East Germany, on her way to be a Red Cross nurse. She never made it.
Gottingen orphanages needed nurses.
Three days later, she ac-cepted Janis’ marriage pro-posal.
“I recently found the manifest showing their pas-sage into the United States, at Ellis Island,” said Jani. “My father had made ar-rangements for them to stay with a Latvian couple in Quincy, Ill.”
The young doctor did an internship in Cleveland. He heard about an opportu-nity in Hopedale. He stayed there all his working life. He became a legend of kind-ness, for giving back, for caring even for those who couldn’t pay.
Young Jani grew tall and strong. He was going to play college football at Notre Dame (father’s choice) or Pittsburgh, 45 min-utes away, mom’s prefer-ence. Alas, the Pitt coaches moved to Tennessee. Jim
Dyar turned Jani into a Vol-unteer.
“Jim Dyar was and al-ways will be the greatest in-fl uence in my life. Jim was a fantastic coach and recruit-er, but an even better man.”
Jani’s parents moved to Knoxville to see him play for the famous John Ma-jors. Phillip Fulmer was line coach. Trupovnieks was in-jured as a junior. He started as a senior. Without mean-ing to, he helped Reggie White refi ne his swim move in daily practices.
Trupovnieks, James Berry, Bill Bates and other teammates endured the opening 44-0 loss to Geor-gia and the 43-7 loss to Southern Cal but eventually made it to the Garden State Bowl.
Highlight of his time at Tennessee came before that, in the summer of ’79.
He and other Vols were on Cherokee Lake, in a friend’s boat, “admiring the shore scenery and not paying a lot of attention to what was in front of us.”
Jani heard a scream but it was too late. The boat struck a raft. Rhonda Brimer was aboard.
“Once we made sure she was OK, I got her in the boat, begging her not to sue me. After that, I never let her out of my sight.
“I really impressed her on our fi rst date. It was quarter beer night at a Knoxville baseball game.”
OK, so Jani crashing into Rhonda’s fl oat as an introduction to an eventual marriage wasn’t as good as his dad helping Ingeborge Matilda Altmann onto the train but it’s the best I can do for now.Marvin West invites reader reaction. His
address is [email protected]
Proactive planning safeguards neighborhoodsAnyone who’s ever won-
dered how an auto repair shop or an apartment com-plex could spring up next to a subdivision of single-family homes (and that’s ev-eryone who pays attention) should understand sector plans.
Sector plans are born af-ter Metropolitan Planning Commission staff collects information like current land use, population, trans-portation and utilities for a chunk of the city or county. Then, using public feedback, they come up with 15-year plan to guide growth. After it’s adopted, they use it to make decisions about what should be allowed where.
Things change, so sector plans get updated regularly. Once again, citizens are en-couraged to participate.
It’s a good process, ex-cept for the fact that every month, developers request sector plan changes that will
allow them to rezone prop-erty so they can build what they want. There are six re-quested sector plan changes on this week’s MPC agenda, and staff recommends ap-proval on all but one.
County Commissioner John Schoonmaker, a for-mer chair of the Knox Coun-ty Board of Zoning Appeals, always has eye on the MPC agenda. Each month, he makes a report to the Coun-cil of West Knox County Homeowners on agenda items that may be of inter-est.
He thinks sector plan changes are becoming more frequent because most eas-
ily developable land is gone, which encourages develop-ers to build on less appro-priate sites.
MPC Executive Director Gerald Green has an idea that could reduce the num-ber of sector plan changes. Developers could leave those oddball greenfi elds alone and use underutilized commercial land instead.
Green chatted about development while driv-ing down Broadway, where there are numerous ex-amples of under-developed commercial properties. Some are small buildings with large parking lots, oth-ers are simply unattractive.
“That’s our challenge – to use what’s not completely developed.”
Developers like to start from scratch, so they’d pre-fer to rezone empty land, if it’s easy. It takes a com-munity that stands fi rm on rezoning to get them to con-
sider existing commercial property, he says.
That shift in perspective can be slow, but Green wit-nessed such a change while serving as a city planner in Asheville in the 1990s. The city examined the require-ments for rezoning to com-mercial use, and evaluated property along major cor-ridors. They found that the land was worth more than the buildings, which en-couraged redevelopment.
To bring about a simi-lar shift in Knoxville, the community needs to attend planning meetings and talk to elected offi cials about taking a fi rm stance against rezoning to commercial. MPC staff wants to hear from the public, too.
“They’d rather talk to (residents) than see their plans overturned,” Green says.
Another idea is to use neighborhood plans rather
than sector plans to guide development. Neighborhood plans allow citizens to work together to decide how they want an area to look and put necessary development guidelines in place. The Bearden Village Opportuni-ties Plan and the Broadway-Central-Emory Place Small Area Plan are examples within the city. The county doesn’t have any existing neighborhood plans.
Guiding development is hard because it requires a proactive, rather than re-active, approach. It doesn’t work to fi ght development that’s already underway. Residents who want to limit commercial development in their backyard need to get involved today. MPC meets at 1:30 p.m. on Thursday, March 10, in the Large As-sembly Room at the City County Building.
QUOTABLES ■ Hillary Clinton, asked if
she’s ever told a lie, said she
tries not to. “She’s no George
Washington,” said Powell guy
Bill Vaughan.
■ Sam McKenzie, nearing the
end of his term on County
Commission, voted against
everything associated with
a new Gibbs Middle School.
Most votes were 9-1.
■ Ed Brantley just didn’t want
to give a tax break to the
Tombras Group to buy the
old KUB building downtown.
His was the sole no vote,
triggering a comment from
McKenzie: “It’s a lonely feel-
ing, isn’t it, Ed?”
■ Donald Trump says his
hand size doesn’t mean he’s
lacking in other anatomical
areas. “You just can’t watch
these GOP debates with small
children,” said a blogger.
–S. Clark
w o r k e d in Knox-ville and Spring City for Bechtel P o w e r Corp., an internation-al engineer-ing and con-s t r u c t i o n
company.Prior to Bechtel, she
worked for Lenoir City as a certifi ed building inspector.
She will report to Peter Ahrens, director of Plans Review and Inspections.
He said one of her fi rst projects will be managing and improving the current form districts section of the zoning code.
These are land develop-ment regulations focused on physical form as com-pared to joint use. Knox-ville’s South Waterfront and Cumberland Avenue project areas are both based on form-based code.
Shopper news • MARCH 9, 2016 • 5 government
VictorAshe
Betty Bean
Sandra Clark
Jennifer Owen
Owen’s big win surprises even herselfNo one was more sur-
prised by the margin of Jennifer Owen’s victory over Grant Standefer in the District 2 school board race than Jennifer Owen.
“Going into Election Day, I was torn between ‘I might
win by a little bit, or I might lose by a little bit,’” Owen said. “When the polls closed, I had people at each loca-tion who got
the totals and were texting them to me, and I was just shocked. I won every one of them, and thought. ‘Surely that’s not right.’”
Owen went to Shannon-dale School at closing time, expecting to be wiped out, since that’s Standefer’s and incumbent Tracie Sanger’s home precinct. Sanger cam-paigned for Standefer.
“I looked at the Shan-nondale numbers and said, ‘Wow! I’m winning every precinct!’”
So how did she pull off the biggest upset of the campaign season against an opponent who probably had seven times the money plus the endorsement of the daily newspaper and the support of Knoxville’s elite? These were the same advan-tages Sanger enjoyed when she was elected two years ago over Jamie Rowe.
Owen said she believes the effects of the Sanger/Rowe race and Sanger’s performance as a board member played a role in this year’s win.
“A lot of people really thought Jamie was going to
win her race, so they didn’t work very hard for her. That mistake may have helped me more than we will ever know. People who are never involved were asking how to help. I think there was a lot of, ‘We screwed up last time and it can’t happen again.’
Owen credits Standefer for running a very civil cam-paign.
“He was supported by the same people who supported Sanger, and even though he had a very different per-sonality, I was still running against that same big mon-ey. I totally believe things would have been a whole lot meaner if I’d been run-ning against Sanger. Maybe (Standefer) made me a nicer candidate. He’s a really nice guy, even though he didn’t have a clue about the is-sues. His niceness may have helped me.”
Owen is a former teacher who has deep subject mat-ter knowledge of education
issues. She designed her own direct mail and spent around $7,000, which she believes was far too much. She also believes Stand-efer’s money wasn’t spent wisely:
“I have a post offi ce box, and I kept getting Grant’s mailers at my house and at the box. It was ‘Oh, there’s another one!’ From the fi rst day, I got two. I was won-dering ‘Can nobody sort out this database?’ They should have taken out my name and the names of people they knew were supporting me. And they should have been taking out the early voters, but they didn’t take out anybody. It was very wasteful.
“I kept thinking, ‘How is this marketing company doing all this?’ All I can assume is the more they spend, the more they get. They wasted money on me, because I wasn’t going to change my vote.”
Lord, send us a signTeam Rogero still has not
erected any signs pointing the way to the new Blount Knox greenway from Buck Karnes Bridge to Marine Park next to the naval sta-tion adjacent to Alco a High-way. City spokesperson Eric Vreeland months ago said signs would be installed, but apparently the memo directing this has not been received. There was great fanfare when this greenway was offi cially opened but not much follow up.
The Rogero Administra-tion has had a tardy record in building greenways in-cluding the one along First Creek and Broadway which was promised by the mayor in her fi rst budget message some four years ago.
One has to wonder what is really happening in the greenway program.
■ State Sen. Dolores Gresham has introduced legislation to alter the makeup of the UT Board of Trustees by reducing its size and dividing the appointments between the two speakers, currently Ron Ramsey and Beth Har-well, and the governor.
The current board and Gov. Bill Haslam oppose the legislation and it may not pass. However, its in-troduction does focus atten-tion on the current board and its role in running the university. Sen. Gresham is a retired lieutenant colonel and an active lawmaker.
Much of the criticism of the board – which include Knoxvillians Raja Jubran, Charles Anderson and Sharon Pryse – has been the board’s refusal to hear public discussion on the Lady Vols name change despite 25,000 signatures on a petition. Other points include little discussion or deliberation at the actual board meetings which are not shown on public televi-sion as the Legislature is.
Gov. Haslam chairs the board by election of the board. He is a board mem-ber by law and appoints the trustees. Haslam does not regularly attend and Jubran as vice chair then chairs the
meetings. There needs to be more actual discussion of items on the agenda at regular board meetings.
The board can change many of the points of criti-cism if it chooses to do so. Otherwise, there will be more annual attempts to alter the board’s makeup. Hopefully, board members will be more proactive than they have been in the past.
■ The Legislature has named the new high school being built at the Tennessee School for the Deaf for Alan Mealka, the recently retired superintendent.
■ State Sen. Brian Kelsey and state Rep. Mary Littleton have intro-duced legislation to have a special election to fi ll any vacancy in the U.S. Senate from Tennessee. This would not often come into play as Tennessee has only had two vacancies in the U.S. Senate since 1960. The fi rst was Estes Kefauver who died in offi ce and then Albert Gore Jr. resigned to become vice president in 1993. Kefauver was replaced by Hub Walters of Morristown and Gore was followed by Harlan Mathews.
Under this legislation, the governor will still ap-point a new senator but he/she would only serve until the special statewide elec-tion was held. Vacancies in Congress are now fi lled by special election and this bill would extend that practice to the U.S. Senate.
■ Knoxville-based Tennessee Clean Water Network headed by Renee Hoyos has criticized the state Department of Envi-ronment and Conservation for cutting the issuance of enforcement orders by 90 percent since 2007. An explanation has not been forthcoming.
Potholes!The city’s Public Service Department is heading
into “pothole season” with 129 service requests pend-ing since January.
The city’s policy is to address service requests for pothole repairs within 48 hours during the business week. This is in addition to regularly scheduled road inspections in which potholes are patched. To report a pothole, just call the 311 city information line or submit a report on 311’s web page at knoxvilletn.gov/pothole.
Last year, the city spent more than $200,000 com-pleting repairs with an estimate of 1,800 potholes patched.
The good ol’ boys are backLet’s review local winners
and losers on March 1.Winners have to in-
clude former Sheriff Tim Hutchison. He stepped out for Donald Trump when nobody else would. Trump’s Tennessee win puts Hutchi-son in the spotlight and he will make the most of it.
Tim Burchett called Bud Armstrong his friend three times in a 30-second TV spot. Bud rolled over the well-funded Nathan Rowell on his way to a second term as county law director.
Scott Moore (and his father-in-law John White-head) survived efforts by Jim Weaver to link White-head to Moore and the Black Wednesday shenanigans. Whitehead’s win, though
narrow, will clear the way for Moore to resume leadership roles in GOP politics.
A notable loser was Com-missioner Jeff Ownby who polled under 16 percent as an incumbent seeking re-elec-tion. Ownby ignored sugges-tions that he step down after his arrest for misdeeds in a public park.
Gov. Bill Haslam didn’t help Marco Rubio with his late endorsement (half of the primary voters had already
voted in early voting), leav-ing politicos wondering why Haslam didn’t just sit it out.
And how can Haslam’s own poll numbers remain so strong when he’s clearly out of step with voters on many key issues?
The biggest loser, how-ever, is Laurens Tullock. His email soliciting funds for Nathan Rowell, Grant Standefer and Buddy Pelot netted considerable cash but no winners, although Pelot will advance to an August runoff with Susan Horn.
■ Looking aheadVictor Ashe will be at-
tending the GOP conven-tion in Cleveland, putting a Shopper columnist on the convention fl oor.
Teachers and their allies are quickly taking over the Knox County Board of Edu-cation.
After September, only two of the fi ve board members who voted to extend Super-intendent Dr. Jim McIntyre’s contract and then voted to give him a quarter-million-dollar buyout will remain.
Ironically, many of the people who support an ap-pointed superintendent are appalled. But without an election for superintendent, the only way teachers or oth-ers can register an opinion is through the school board elections.
And, as non-partisan, district elections without party primaries, the path is clear for teachers to win.
This week, Knoxville is hosting a week-long nation-al conference – the Sustain-able Trails Conference – for the Professional TrailBuild-ers Association. The confer-ence offers trail profession-als the opportunity to build skills, discover the best tools and techniques avail-able in the industry and net-work with others.
“This amazing city is quickly becoming a trail mecca for hikers and moun-tain bikers alike,” said PTBA executive director Michael Passo on selecting Knoxville for the confer-ence. “The amazing public-private partnership that helped create the Urban Wilderness is unlike any we have found in other great trail cities.”
The PTBA also is an-nouncing a new partnership program called the “Lega-
cy Trail,” which will leave Knoxville with a sustain-ably and professionally built trail segment connecting South-Doyle Middle School to an adjacent neighbor-hood and the Urban Wilder-ness. The major portion of the trail building will take place Thursday, March 10, and Friday, March 11, as part of the conference.
The Legacy Trail is being built following last week’s announcement from the Legacy Parks Foundation to name and develop the 100-acre property that had been donated by the Wood family in 2013, which will now be known as Baker Creek Pre-serve.
Construction began on the property last week for the competition-style downhill mountain bike trail. It’s being funded by the $100,000 Bell Helmets
grant awarded to the Appa-lachian Mountain Bike Club last year after a nationwide competition. It adds to the seven additional trails also under construction funded by a $200,000 RTP grant to Legacy Parks from the state of Tennessee.
“It’s great to see increas-ing momentum for the Ur-ban Wilderness and our reputation as an outdoor tourism city,” said Mayor Madeline Rogero. “We’re grateful to Legacy Parks and everyone involved for their part in enhancing the Urban Wilderness.”
City hires inspectorRogero also announced
the hiring of DeAnn Bogus as deputy director for the city’s Plans Review and In-spections Department.
Since 2008, Bogus has
DeAnn Bogus
Trailbuilders in Knoxville this week
6 • MARCH 9, 2016 • SOUTH KNOX Shopper news
SENIOR NOTES ■ South Knox Senior
Center
6729 Martel Lane573-5843knoxcounty.org/seniorsMonday-Friday7:30 a.m.-4 p.m.
Off erings include:
dulcimer and guitar lessons;
arts and crafts classes;
dance classes; exercise
programs; Tai Chi; card
games; Joymakers practice;
free swim 7:30 a.m.-3:30
p.m. Monday-Friday. Senior
Meals program noon each
Wednesday and Friday.
AARP Taxaide free income
tax preparation and
electronic fi ling available
Mondays through April 14;
appointment: 521-5569.
■ South Knox Commu-nity Center
522 Old Maryville Pike573-3575Monday-Friday
Off erings include a vari-
ety of senior programs.
■ John T. O’Connor Senior Center
611 Winona St.523-1135knoxseniors.org/oconnor.
htmlMonday-Friday8 a.m.-4:30 p.m.
Off erings include: Card
games, billiards, senior fi t-
ness, computer classes, bin-
go, blood pressure checks
10:30-11:30 a.m. Monday-
Friday. Free tax preparation
available 9 a.m. Wednesdays
through April 13.
Register for: Lunch and
Learn: “Aging and your Oral
Health, noon Monday, March
14; register by March 10.
■ CAC Offi ce on Aging
2247 Western Ave.524-2786knoxooa@knoxseniors.
org
■ Knox County Senior Services
City County Building400 Main St., Suite 615215-4044 Monday-Friday
Showandtell at Sherrill Hillsand
Evelyn Smith’s repertoire is varied.
By Sandra ClarkFor “show and tell” at
Sherrill Hills Retirement Community, several resi-dents displayed their art-work. It was varied and quite impressive. And then there was the potato jewelry …
Marty Sanders origi-nated the event last year. A retired teacher, Sanders has lived in nine states and overseas. Her specialty is embroidery, a craft she’s enjoyed since she was a kid. She displayed 12 framed pieces – one for each month of the year – and said she changes them on her door each month. Each features a fl ower.
Growing up in Detroit, Sanders vacationed with family in the Smokies where she “fell in love with the mountains.” Her husband’s career in the U.S. Air Force took them to several states and abroad. After retire-ment, they spent winters at an RV camp in South Texas. The camp had a carpentry shop, ceramics with a kiln, wood carving and quilting. At the fi rst of March, before folks went home, they held a show and tell.
“I knew (at Sherrill Hills) people were doing lots of things. There’s nothing in the show for sale. We just wanted to show each other how we spend our time and what we enjoy doing.”
Evelyn Smith retired to Knoxville to be near family. Originally from Missouri, her family moved a lot be-cause of her husband’s work. They raised three boys.
“I’ve always been in-volved in art,” she says. Her work ranges from vel-vet painting (think Elvis) to theorem painting using
patterns of Mylar. She’s also got cross-stitch and blocks she cut with a handsaw. Her prize piece, however, is a quilt in perfect geometric designs.
Harold Hahn displayed wood carving, a hobby he’s practiced over 15 years. “It’s extremely time consuming,” he said. “You need to be re-tired!”
Hahn carves a bit in his room at Sherrill Hills, say-ing it’s not a messy hobby. Originally from Pennsyl-
vania, Hahn worked as an architect while raising four sons. He says Christmas is fun because he makes a spe-cial carving for each one. He’s especially proud of his carving of the Hahn family crest. “We’re German.”
More next week.
Harold Hahn shows his carvings.
Marty Sanders
organized the
show.
Sanders’ embroidery
The Hahn family crest
Smith’s geometric quilt
SOUTH KNOX Shopper news • MARCH 9, 2016 • 7 faith
CrossCurrents
LynnPitts
The word remember ap-pears 115 times in the King James Version of the Bible, an indication that maybe memory is important!
I admit that until I began to consider the importance of the concept, I had failed to see the full import of the word.
If dismember means to take apart, then logically, to re-member must mean put-ting back together.
And that is exactly what we do when we remember. We re-call, re-think, re-see, re-consider, and re-under-stand a comment or a quote or even an event or a scene.
Some memories are hap-py and healing. Others are sad and depressing. But all memories are part and par-cel of who we are, who we have become over the span of years we have lived. And, it seems to me, the longer we live, the better our per-spective on those memories.
Looking back, I remem-ber things I wish I had not done. I remember words
Looking back – moving forward
Do you have eyes, and fail to see? Do you have ears, and fail to hear? And do you not remember?
(Mark 8: 18 NRSV)
Those who cannot remember the past are con-demned to repeat it.
– George Santayana
I wish I had not said. But those things are irretriev-able, irreversible. I can’t un-say, or un-do, or even un-think those things.
All I can do is learn to do better. To remember more carefully what I need to remember. To let go more quickly the things that I need to let go.
So, when Jesus said “Re-member me,” he was saying two things to his followers: Don’t forget what I have taught you, and remember what you have seen and heard.
Those words still apply to his disciples – us! Remem-ber him. Remember what you have learned. Keep him whole in your heart and mind.
St. Mark UMC celebratesBy Carol Z. Shane
There were smiles, hugs, good food and a festive mood when St. Mark Unit-ed Methodist Church on Northshore Drive celebrat-ed its 60th anniversary on Feb. 28.
Church members old and new – some who had grown up there – gathered together for lighthearted fellowship and fun. “We are a joyful and fun-loving church,” said Sue Biggerstaff, a member since 1971. “Laughter is al-ways within these walls.”
Biggerstaff was one of several church members recognized during the ser-vice, which featured a ser-mon by former St. Mark pastor the Rev. Larry Car-roll, who served the church from 1986-1991. Financial minister Carroll Hewit, who retires this year after serv-ing, in her words, “for de-cades,” was honored with a plaque and grateful thanks from current minister the Rev. Kenny Faught and the congregation.
Dave Stott, who’s raised three sons in the church since he joined 26 years ago, spoke of how active SMUMC is in the commu-nity. “Over the last 10 years, we’ve donated $200,000 to the FISH food pantry through a golf tournament that one of our members sponsors,” he said. Among other organizations receiv-ing support from St. Mark are Knox Area Rescue Min-istries, Habitat for Human-
ity and Wesley House.After the service, church
members moved to the fel-lowship hall where several long tables groaned with delicacies such as ham bis-cuits, sandwiches and lots of sweets, including home-made cookies and colorful
petit fours. Displays set up around the room chroni-cled the history of St. Mark through photos and memo-rabilia.
As the church’s historian, Sue Biggerstaff has cata-logued a lot of that memo-rabilia. “We are a pilgrim
people,” she said in her remarks to the congrega-tion. “We, like our spiritual ancestor Israel, are always moving, growing, changing, becoming.
“We are here to serve God’s people through the name of Jesus Christ.”
Several longtime St. Mark United Methodist Church members have raised their families there. Pic-
tured are (back) David Biggerstaff , the Rev. Kenny Faught, Lucas and Josh Biggerstaff , Fred Carter,
Bryan Biggerstaff ; (front) Kelly, Dan and Sue Biggerstaff and Mary Ruth Carter. Photos by Carol Z. Shane
Financial minister Carroll
Hewit, (at right) who is retiring
this year, has served the church
“for decades,” she says. With
her is the Rev. Kenny Faught.
Burchard Jones joined the church in 1957. He’s shown with his
daughter Kathy Robertson. Photo by Larry Mauldin
By Carolyn EvansA local church is doing its
part to help students have academic success. After a group of volunteers from Two Rivers Church adopted a nearby elementary school, the school saw standardized test scores go up.
Two Rivers Church mem-bers work with students at Eaton Elementary School, located just four miles from the church, and have for many years. Church mem-bers do all sorts of things: tutor, mentor, sponsor coat and shoe drives, bring school supplies and provide food boxes for the needy at Easter, Christmas and Thanksgiv-ing. The mentoring program is through a national group called Kids Hope USA.
When church member Jan Barton left her job, she knew she wanted to be a part of the efforts. She be-came a mentor at Eaton through Kids Hope in 2009, and she began working an hour each week with a child who needed encourage-ment. Some children need help with their school work, and some just need an adult friend with whom to talk.
“It’s about these kids hav-ing somebody who believes in them, having somebody cheer them on,” Barton says. “The relationships to me are just really rich. The children look forward to the mentors coming every week. I don’t have any chil-dren of my own, but I joke that I have 25 children out there at Eaton.”
The Kids Hope program at Eaton is one of about 19 from Murfreesboro to Mountain City – all partner-ships between schools and churches. Barton became the director of the Kids Hope chapter that serves Eaton a couple of years ago, and there are now 25 volun-teers who work there each week.
“The motto is ‘One child, one hour, one school, one church,’” she says.
Although new mentors are needed sporadically throughout the year, the biggest need is in August. Volunteers take a three-hour class and undergo a
Two Rivers pastor David Gruhn helps an Eaton Elementary
School student at a coat drive.
When Ethan Wallace attended Eaton Elementary School, Jan
Barton of Two Rivers was his mentor. They still stay in touch
today.
School/church partnership impacts students
background check. Barton still has a rela-
tionship with the fi rst stu-dent she ever mentored. He was in second grade when they fi rst met and is now fi nishing middle school. They still have lunch togeth-er once a week, and Barton and her husband, Chris, even go to his basketball games and sometimes take him to movies.
Eaton principal Ashley Talley says the school ben-efi ts from the commitment of Two Rivers and its mem-bers. “We feel richly blessed by Two Rivers Church and
their continuous striving to support our community,” says Talley. “They support our school in many avenues and touch not only our stu-dents, but our staff as well. The Kids Hope mentoring program is just one way they love our school. Our students receive an extra supportive adult who is in-vested in their lives both academically and in their overall well-being.
“I’ve been witness to the transformation brought by this amazing program …, and it’s extremely impact-ful.”
COMMUNITY NOTES ■ Colonial Village Neighbor-
hood Association. Info: Terry
Caruthers, 579-5702, t_ca-
■ Knoxville Chapter of the Tennessee Firearms Association meets 6 p.m.
each fi rst Tuesday, Gondolier
Italian Restaurant, Chapman
Highway, 7644 Mountain
Grove Drive. The public is
invited. Info: Liston Matthews,
316-6486.
■ Knoxville Tri-County Lions Club meets 7 p.m.
each second and fourth
Monday, Connie’s Kitchen,
10231 Chapman Highway,
Seymour. Info: facebook.com/
TriCountyLions/info.
■ Lake Forest Neighborhood Association. Info: Molly
Gilbert, 209-1820 or
■ Lindbergh Forest Neighbor-hood Association meets 6:30
p.m. each third Wednesday,
Graystone Presbyterian
Church, 139 Woodlawn Pike.
Info: Kelley DeLuca, 660-4728,
■ Old Sevier Community Group meets 7 p.m. each
third Thursday, South
Knoxville Elementary School
library, 801 Sevier Ave. Info:
Gary E. Deitsch, 573-7355 or
■ South Haven Neighborhood Association meets 10 a.m.
each third Saturday, Hillcrest
UMC, 1615 Price Ave. Info: Pat
Harmon, 591-3958.
■ South Knox Republican Club meets 7 p.m. each
third Thursday, South Knox
Optimist Club, 6135 Moore
Road. Kevin Teeters, kev
■ South of the River Demo-crats (9th District) meet
6:30 p.m. each third Monday,
South Knoxville Community
Center, 522 Maryville Pike.
Info: Debbie Helsley, 789-
8875, or Brandon Hamilton,
809-3685.
■ South Woodlawn Neigh-borhood Association. Info:
Shelley Conklin, 686-6789.
■ South-Doyle Neighbor-hood Association meets
7 p.m. each fi rst Tuesday,
Stock Creek Baptist Church
fellowship hall, 8106 Martin
Mill Pike. Info: Mark Mugford,
609-9226 or marksidea@aol.
com.
■ Vestal Community Orga-nization meets 6 p.m. each
second Monday, South Knox-
ville Community Center, 522
Maryville Pike. Info: Katherine
Johnson, 566-1198.
HEALTH NOTES ■ “Caring & Coping” Caregiv-
ing Conference, 8 a.m.-3:30
p.m. Tuesday, March 29,
Rothchild Conference Center,
8807 Kingston Pike. Presented
by Alzheimer’s Tennessee.
Info/registration: 544-6288 or
alzTennessee.org.
■ PK Hope Is Alive Parkinson
Support Group of East Ten-
nessee meeting, 11:30 a.m.
Tuesday, March 15, Kern UMC
Family Life Center, 451 East
Tennessee Ave., Oak Ridge.
Speaker: Margaret Keele,
physical therapist with Park
West. Info: pkhopeisalive.org;
Karen Sampsell, 482-4867;
pk_hopeisalive@bellsouth.
net.
■ Peninsula Lighthouse Group of Families Anony-mous meetings, 6:15-7:15
p.m. each Tuesday, 1451 Dow-
ell Springs Blvd. Newcomers
welcome; no dues/fees; no
sign-up; fi rst names only.
Info: Barbara L., 696-6606 or
■ UT Hospice Adult Grief Sup-port Group meeting, 5-6:30
p.m. Tuesday, March 15, UT
Hospice offi ce, 2270 Suther-
land Ave. A light supper is
served. Info/reservation:
Brenda Fletcher, 544-6277.
fi eld. I’ve had students say they want to get a job work-ing construction with their parents and I tell them to go to college for two years after high school and they can own the construction company.”
Thornburg says seeing what interests her students
and what they grasp in the class-room always interests her.
“ S o m e -times, these are brand-new chil-dren when they come
into class in the morning,” she says. “Sometimes a whole lot has happened to them since they left school the day before. And that’s OK. Every day is a new day.”
By Sara BarrettFourth-grade 4-H mem-
bers at South Knoxville El-ementary School displayed their cooking and photog-raphy talents last week dur-ing one of the club’s regular competitions held through-out the school year.
Guest judge and 4-H member Lydia McCurdy talked to students about their entries and shared tips for the next talent competi-tion.
For the cooking category, students brought the recipe they used and three samples of the fi nished product.
McCurdy said students’ baking would be judged on whether all three samples were uniform, if they were cooked thoroughly on the inside and how easily they crumble. McCurdy put con-testants at ease, though, when she shared her own experiences in the same competition when she was in the fourth grade.
By Ruth WhiteChristenberry Elementary
teacher Jennifer Stewart was r e c o g n i z e d as the Knox County El-e m e n t a r y Teacher of the Year at the recent ban-quet to honor c ou nt y w ide award win-ners.
Stewart has been with KCS for four years and believes that every child has the po-
tential to learn and holds the capacity to grow, experiment, achieve, think and reason. She was commended by a colleague for her extraordi-nary character and leadership qualities, devotion to teaching students and unselfi sh service to others.
Each semester Stewart devotes a week of after-school workshops called “Open Art Studio” and staff members are able to come and create a clay work of art, in a fun and relaxing envi-ronment.
8 • MARCH 9, 2016 • SOUTH KNOX Shopper news
Thornburg
kids
THROUGH SUNDAY, MARCH 13
Knoxville Children’s Theatre presents “To Kill A Mockingbird,” Knoxville Children’s Theatre, 109 E. Churchwell Ave. Performances: 7 p.m. Thursdays and Fridays, 1 and 5 p.m. Saturdays, 3 p.m. Sundays. Info/tickets: 208-3677; knoxvillechildrenstheatre.com; [email protected].
THROUGH SUNDAY, MARCH 20
Tennessee Stage Company New Play Festival, Theatre Knoxville Downtown, 319 N. Gay St. Perfor-mances: 8 p.m. Thursdays-Saturdays, 3 p.m. Sundays. Info/tickets: 546-4280.
THROUGH FRIDAY, APRIL 15
Selected works by artist Kay List on exhibit, Envision Art Gallery, 4050 Sutherland Ave. Hours: 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Wednesday-Thursday, 11 a.m.-7 p.m. Friday. Info: kaylistart.com; envisionartgallery.com; 438-4154.
WEDNESDAY, MARCH 9
Clarence Brown Theatre: Season For Youth Student Matinees, 9:30 a.m., Ula Love Carousel Theatre, UT campus. Performance of “A Lesson Before Dying.” Recommended for mature middle schoolers and up. Info: clarencebrowntheatre/season-for-youth.
The Foothills Craft Guild JuryFest. Membership applicants must reside in Tennessee, and crafts must be of original design produced within the past two years. Info: foothillscraftguild.org; Bob Klassen, [email protected], or Ken Shipley, [email protected].
“Getting Your House in Order” seminar, 2-3 p.m., Turkey Creek Medical Center, 10820 Parkside Drive, classroom #1. Free; registration required. Info/registration: 1-855-TENNOVA (836-6682) or Tennova.com.
“The Legacy and Challenge of Suffrage: Votes for Women in Tennessee” Brown Bag Lecture, noon, East Tennessee History Center, 601 S. Gay St. Speaker: Wanda Sobieski. Free and open to the public. Info: 215-8824 or EastTNHistory.org.
WEDNESDAY-THURSDAY, MARCH 9-10
AARP Driver Safety class, 9 a.m.-1 p.m., Fort Sanders Senior Center, 1220 W. Main St., Sevierville. Info/registration: Carolyn Rambo, 382-5822.
THURSDAY, MARCH 10
Appalachian family square dance, 8 p.m., Lau-rel Theater, 1538 Laurel Ave. Sponsored by Knoxville Square Dance. Music by The Hellgramites. Callers: Leo Collins, Stan Sharp and Ruth Simmons. No experience necessary. Admission: $7, $5 students and JCA mem-bers. Info: jubileearts.org.
CAC AmeriCorps Opportunity Fair, 1-5 p.m., John T. O’Connor Senior Center, 611 Winona St. For students/adults ages 18-25 interested in a year of na-tional service. Positions include: Great Smoky Mountain National Park, Ijams Nature Center, city of Knoxville, University of Tennessee and more.
“Ready, Set, Sow: Don’t Jump the Gun,” Hu-mana Guidance Center, 4438 Western Ave. Presented by Master Gardener Barb O’Neil. Free and open to the public. Info: 329-8892.
THURSDAY-FRIDAY, MARCH 10-11
AARP Driver Safety class, 11:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m., Karns Senior Center, 8032 Oak Ridge Highway. Info/registration: Carolyn Rambo, 382-5822.
THURSDAY-SUNDAY, MARCH 10-13
The Downtown Knoxville Boat Show, Knoxville Convention Center, 701 Henley St. Doors open: 2-9 p.m. Thursday; noon-9 p.m. Friday; 10 a.m.-9 p.m. Saturday; 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Sunday. Admission: $9, children under 10 free. Info/schedule: downtownknoxvilleboatshow.com or on Facebook.
FRIDAY, MARCH 11
Clarence Brown Theatre: Season For Youth Student Matinees, 9:30 a.m., Ula Love Carousel Theatre, UT campus. Performance of “A Lesson Before Dying.” Recommended for mature middle schoolers and up. Info: clarencebrowntheatre/season-for-youth.
Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) Fair, 11 a.m.-2 p.m., Knox County Health Department Community Room, 140 Dameron Ave. Info: Katheryne Nix, [email protected] or 215-5170.
The Gibson Brothers and Lonesome River Band, 7 p.m., Bijou Theatre, 803 S. Gay St. Info/tickets: 684-1200; Tennessee Theatre box offi ce; all Ticketmas-ter outlets; KnoxBijou.com.
SATURDAY, MARCH 12
Knoxville Symphony Orchestra and The 5th Dimension in concert, 8 p.m., Civic Auditorium, 500 Howard Baker Jr. Ave. Tickets start at $35. Info/tickets: knoxvillesymphony.com.
SATURDAY, MARCH 12
Cinderella Project of TN Glam Day, 10 a.m.-4 p.m., St. John Nuemann School Gym, 625 St. John Court. Open to all high school girls who are in need of the per-fect prom dress. All dresses fi rst come, fi rst served. No fees or soliciting. Info: Kelly DuCote, 304-1090 or [email protected]; Leea DeWitte, 941-224-5520.
The Freight Hoppers Old-Time String Band, 8 p.m., Laurel Theater, 1538 Laurel Ave. Rescheduled from Jan. 23. Tickets: $14, some discounts available. Info/tickets: www.jubileearts.org.
Happy Travelers trip: Powell Playhouse produc-tion of “Harvey,” 2 p.m., Jubilee Banquet Hall, Callahan Road. Bus leaves North Acres Baptist Church, 12:45 p.m.; Expo Center, 1:15 p.m. Info/reservations: Derrell Frye, 938-8884 or 254-8884.
Ijams Creative Series: Making a Gourd Bird-house, 1-3 p.m., Ijams Nature Center, 2915 Island Home Ave. Ages 10 and up. Fee: $20; includes all materials. Info/registration: 577-4717, ext. 110.
Kitten and cat adoption fair, noon-6 p.m., West Town PetSmart adoption center, 214 Morrell Road. Sponsored by Feral Feline Friends of East Tennessee. Info: www.feralfelinefriends.org.
National Girl Scout Day, 10 a.m.-3:30 p.m., Amer-ican Museum of Science and Energy, 300 S Tulane Ave., Oak Ridge. Free admission to AMSE and the Children’s Museum of Oak Ridge for Girl Scouts in uniform and their families. Info: 576-3200 or amse.org.
“Pruning Roses” hands-on workshop, 10:30 a.m.-noon, All Saints Catholic Church, 620 N. Cedar Bluff Road. Presented by Master Gardeners Carolyn Kiser, Carolyn Noey and Marsha Lehman. Bring pruners, gloves and kneeling pads. Info: knoxcountymastergardener.org or 215-2340.
Saturday Stories and Songs: Brianna Hanson, 11 a.m., Cedar Bluff Branch Library, 9045 Cross Park Drive. Info: 470-7033.
Scavenger Hunt, Great Smoky Mountain National Park. Cost: $50/team. Proceeds benefi t Great Smoky Mountain Institute at Tremont. Info/registration: 448-6709; gsmit.org/hunt.html.
The Smoky Mountains Songwriters Festival featuring Darryl Worley, 8 p.m., Dollywood’s Dream-More Resort, 2525 Dreammore Way. Info/tickets: SMSWF.com or 604-9066.
SATURDAY-SUNDAY, MARCH 12-13
“Raw Material” – Living Art workshop, 3-5 p.m., Emporium Annex Studio, 100 S. Gay St. Info: circlemoderndance.com.
SUNDAY, MARCH 13
Clarence Brown Theatre: Sunday Symposium with Dr. Michelle D. Commander, 2 p.m., Ula Love Car-ousel Theatre, UT campus. Post-performance discus-sion on “A Lesson Before Dying” and its themes. Info: clarencebrowntheatre.com.
Sing Out Knoxville folk singing circle, 7-9 p.m., Tennessee Valley Unitarian Universalist Church, 2931 Kingston Pike. Open to everyone.
Send items to [email protected]
ShoppernewseVents
Stewart
Stewart named Knox CountyElementary Teacher of the Year
Cooking and photography in 4-H
Thornburg is Mount Olive’s teacher of the year
Cynthia Thornburg has had many professions over the years, but she knew she needed to be a teacher af-ter being asked to tutor a friend’s students years ago.
Sara Barrett
“She was teaching third grade at Norwood, and as I was tutoring these kids they were saying, ‘Wow, I get it!’ and I knew then it’s what I wanted to do,” says Thornburg. She went back to school to earn her teaching certifi cation.
Fast forward several years, and Thornburg has been named teacher of the year at Mount Olive Ele-mentary School. She has her own fourth-grade class and says teaching students is the easiest part of her job.
“If I give them things to explore and things to keep them busy, I don’t have be-havioral problems in here,” she says. “The challenge is fi tting in everything they are required to learn nowadays.”
Some of Thornburg’s fa-vorite lesson plans include Fresh Bread Fridays during which her students learn fractions by measuring ingredients for the class-room’s bread machine.
“They get to taste it, too, so if it tastes bad, well, that’s part of the experience.”
“Education is the great equalizer,” says Thornburg. “If you have an education in anything, it levels the playing
Guest 4-H judge Lydia McCurdy
discusses an upcoming talent
competition with students.
Guest judge Lydia McCurdy
and Kaylee Galyon discuss the
subject of Kaylee’s photogra-
phy entry: her dog, Cooper.
Danielle Lowe and Makayla
Clark anxiously await the
judge’s opinion of their
homemade goods. Photos by S.Barrett
WWE superstar Kane reads Dr. Seuss’s fi rst book, “And To Think That I Saw It
on Mulberry Street,” to fourth- and fi fth-graders at New Hopewell Elementary
School in honor of the beloved writer’s birthday. Seuss died in 1991, a year before
Kane (aka Glenn Jacobs) made his wrestling debut. The school had several guest
readers, but Kane was the only three-time world and 12-time world tag-team
champion wrestler. Kane was happy to provide his services: “Green eggs and
ham are good for everybody, is what I understand.” Photo by Betsy Pickle
“I dropped my muffi ns, so it’s OK if yours have crumbled a bit,” she said with a smile.
Contestant Danielle Lowe said she made corn muffi ns because she can’t make biscuits. Peanut but-ter cookies are her favorite recipe, and she enjoys cook-ing because it is very fun and very messy.
Contestant Makayla Clark made Mexican muf-fi ns for her entry and said she’s been baking at home with her mom for a long time.
Makayla’s favorite reci-pes are cakes, but she chose to make her mom’s muffi ns for the contest because they taste so good.
Makayla and Danielle tied for fi rst place.
Kaylee Galyon submitted a photo of her dog, Cooper.
“I like him a lot,” says Kaylee. “I was going to do one on my Elf on the Shelf, Jingle, but I don’t have
enough photos of him. He destroyed my gingerbread house at Christmastime because I didn’t clean my room.”
Kaylee also received fi rst place.
Kane vs. Dr. Seuss
The Knoxville Symphony League invites you to take part in “Spring Inspirations,” a luncheon featuring food columnist and Southern hospitality expert Ginny McCormack as guest speaker. Attendees will hear mu-sic by KSO concertmaster Gabriel Lefkowitz.
“The KSO musicians and I are so, so grateful to have the wonderful ladies of the Knoxville Symphony Orchestra League as some of our biggest supporters and fans!” Lefkowitz says. “Their incredible work keeps us doing what we do, bringing music to the com-munities of East Tennessee in concert halls, schools, libraries, hospitals, places of worship and more. We just couldn’t do it without them!”
Joining Lefkowitz in a sampling of music from the upcoming Merchant & Gould Concertmaster Series “Gabriel Lefkowitz & Friends,” to be presented at the Knoxville Museum of Art April 6 and 7, is pianist Kevin Class, professor of collaborative piano at the University of Tennessee. The event begins at 10:30 a.m. on March 16 at Cherokee Country Club. Tickets: 765-1660.
Shopper news • MARCH 9, 2016 • 9 weekender
By Betsy PickleWhat would convince you
to hike 100 miles? Money? The allure of the outdoors? A bet? Burning calories?
How about a lapel pin or a patch?
The National Park Ser-vice turns 100 this year, and to celebrate, parks across the country are chal-lenging visitors to hike – or jog, ride (bikes or horses) or paddle – 100 miles by December. While some might consider the achieve-ment their reward, others might like picking up some physical recognition at the culminating events in early December.
Close at hand, Superin-tendent Cassius Cash of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park has issued the “Hike 100” challenge. If you log 100 miles on any of the Smokies’ maintained trails by Dec. 6, you can at-tend the Hike 100 Celebra-tion on Thursday, Dec. 8, and receive a “Smokies Cen-tennial Challenge – Hike 100” lapel pin.
Big South Fork National
By Carol Z. Shane“He fl ies through the air
with the greatest of ease – that daring young man on the fl ying trapeze!” Even if you don’t know the old song, you’ve undoubtedly seen aerial artists. These days the skill encompasses not only trapeze, but silks – long, colorful banners that hang from on high and sup-port “fl ying” acrobats in diz-zying routines.
Now’s your chance to see local artists display aerial grace when Dragonfl y Aer-
ial Arts Studio presents its fi fth annual “Circus Extrav-aganza.”
Billed on its website as “Knoxville’s Hometown Circus,” the studio annu-ally presents the big show in order to fund educational efforts throughout the year. According to instructor Jill Scheidt, audiences can expect “a two-hour circus with an intermission. Our acts include trapeze, rope, three-dimensional cube, steel circle and ground acts such as unicycle, stilt walk-
ing, ribbon dancing and partner acrobatics.
“The theme this year is a ‘Fantastical Journey.’ We will be asking our audiences to let their imaginations go crazy with our interpreta-tion of giant-sized bugs, hu-man-sized animal puppets, an enchanted tea party and more. This is a great expe-rience that everyone in the family can enjoy.”
Proceeds from the show go toward “Circus for Ev-eryone,” a scholarship pro-gram enabling at-risk youth
to participate in classes and circus camps. Dragonfl y has also worked with Boys and Girls Club, the Community Law Offi ce’s “Summer at the CLO” youth program, Pond Gap Elementary School and Breakthrough Corporation of Knoxville, which pro-vides programs for those on the autism spectrum.
Activities at such events include not only aerial arts but juggling and stilt walk-ing. “We try to provide cir-cus arts for all who want to try,” says Scheidt.
Beautiful Laurel Falls awaits visitors 1.3 miles from the trailhead. Photo by Betsy Pickle
Challenge yourself, celebrate park servicecan couch potato, I am not by nature a hiker. How-ever, I accidentally did a few hikes last year, all con-nected to writing stories, so when I read about the Smokies’ Hike 100, it struck me as doable – 10 miles per month for 10 months (Feb-ruary-November).
Coming from a highly competitive family, I enjoy a challenge. And I’m a sucker for lapel pins. So I contacted a hiker friend, Cindy Span-gler, who has hiked the entire length of the Appa-lachian Trail, and asked if she’d be interested in slow-ing her pace to go on some hikes with me.
She thought it was such a great idea that she invited a whole bunch of people from her church, so there were eight of us who set out for Laurel Falls on the chilly morning of Feb. 20.
Laurel Falls is considered one of the easiest hikes in the park. It’s paved, though the asphalt is broken and uneven in places, and it’s only 1.3 miles to the falls. By the time we reached the .2
mile marker, I was wonder-ing if it would be too humili-ating to ask for the car keys so I could go back and wait for everyone.
For those of the seden-tary persuasion, the incline is taxing. But I soldiered on, primarily because most of my comrades were sev-eral years older, and they showed no signs of strain. One woman with bad knees kindly brought up the rear with me.
I stopped a few times – to take pictures, of course – but I fi nally made it, and the falls were beautiful. A light rain discouraged us from lingering, but it’s a trip I’d like to make again on a pret-tier day.
The challenges are on an honor system. You can download mileage logs from the parks’ websites. I have only 97.4 miles to go.
Info: http://www.nps.gov/grsm/planyourvisit/gsmnp-hike-100.htm and http://www.nps.gov/biso/learn/news/big-south-fork-centennial-challenge-100-miles-for-100-years.htm.
Knoxville’s Dragonfl y Aerial Arts Studio will present its fi fth annual “Circus Extravaganza” this weekend. Shown are Jill Scheidt,
Maria McGuire, Lissa McLeod, Amber Winters, Christy Muecke and David Stewart. Photo submitted
Symphony League to host Ginny McCormack
Knoxville’s hometown circus And adults get to play, too.
“Most of what we do every day involves adult instruc-tion. We have classes six days a week. We meet you where you are in terms of strength and fi tness, and build upon that,” says Scheidt.
“Overall we try to work with groups in any way we can. We can travel to anoth-er site or a group can come to us. We provide shows or lessons and work with in-dividuals with whatever capabilities they have. If someone is interested they just need to email or give us a call, and we can work to-gether to fi nd a way to incor-porate circus arts into their group activities.”
For this weekend’s event, she says, “we offer discount-ed tickets to various non-profi t groups.”
The Dragonfl y Aerial Arts Studio presents “Cir-cus Extravaganza” at 7:30 p.m. Friday, March 11, 2 and 7:30 p.m. Saturday, March 12, and 2 p.m. Sun-day, March 13, at the Pellis-sippi State Community Col-lege location of the Clayton Performing Arts Center, 10915 Hardin Valley Road in Knoxville.
Tickets/info: dragon-fl yaerialartsstudio.com or 865-609-2012 or [email protected] story suggestions to news@
shoppernewsnow.com
River and Recreation Area on the Cumberland Plateau is sponsoring the “Centen-nial Challenge: 100 Miles for 100 Years.” Participants can hike, ride and/or pad-dle. The park has 500 miles of multisystem trails in-
cluding more than 70 miles of the Big South Fork River and its tributaries. Those who complete 100 miles by Friday, Dec. 2, are eligible to receive a specially designed patch at the grand fi nale on Saturday, Dec. 3.
January and February were a little tricky for mak-ing outdoor plans, but now that the weather is improv-ing, it should be easy to rack up miles in a Centennial Challenge.
Being a common Ameri-
10 • MARCH 9, 2016 • SOUTH KNOX Shopper news business
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By Betty BeanA few hours after
20-year-old Bill Pittman w a l k e d across the stage in D e c e m -ber 1984 to claim his UT diploma (Marketing, with hon-ors), he was unpack ing
his sample bag in Colum-bus, Ohio, as the new re-gional sales representative for DeRoyal.
He’d been hired four months earlier, on the day DeRoyal expanded its mar-ket access by signing its fi rst national contract with the buying group HGA. He spent one more quarter fi nishing up his degree and learning the medical supply business under the watchful eye of DeRoyal founder Pete DeBusk, to whom he says he will be forever grateful “for taking a chance on a kid from North Knoxville.”
He’s thinking a lot about those days as he prepares to retire from his position as DeRoyal president and chief operating offi cer at the end of March.
Young as he was when he started at DeRoyal, it wasn’t his fi rst job. He’d grown up helping his father (who is also named Bill Pittman) in the vending machine busi-ness he ran during his off-time as a city fi refi ghter. The younger Pittman worked his way through college at St. Mary’s Medical Center, fi rst washing dishes and chauf-feuring nuns under the watchful eye of Sister Mary Ethel O’Shaughnessy, then in materials management where he started learning about the medical device industry from a hospital’s point of view.
“I was working night shift when the fellow I worked for said, ‘You need to meet Pete DeBusk.’ I said, ‘Sounds good,’ and then he told me he’d gotten me an interview the next morning at 8.”
Researching the com-pany on such short notice was impossible those pre-Internet days, but Pittman had a bit of an additional ‘in’ because his father had al-ready met DeBusk at a facil-ity opening in Maynardville and wrangled a promise of an interview for his son.
DeBusk fi nished up the interview with what Pittman
calls “the assumptive close:”“He said, ‘I can’t tell you
where you’re going to be, but you’re not going to be in Knoxville.’”
Pittman had to remind DeBusk that he hadn’t quite fi nished school yet, so De-Busk instructed him to come out to the DeRoyal campus that afternoon to start learn-ing the business from the ground up. Pittman spent his fi rst day labeling prod-ucts, his day second loading trucks. The next week he was on a sewing machine. At the end of fall quarter, he got his degree and hit the road for DeRoyal.
“I really enjoyed Colum-bus, and learned a lot. My manager gave me real good piece of advice: ‘You see those blue signs with the white H? That’s where you pull off the road and try to sell something.’ We cap-tured all the business with burn centers in the terri-tory, and after four and a half years I was asked to move back to Knoxville to be a sales specialist in that area. Burn care became the wound care division. I saw some terrible burns, and to this day, I always remind people to turn their pot han-
dles inward on the stove.”Pittman continued his
upward progression by be-coming DeRoyal’s fi rst prod-uct manager. He enrolled in an in-house MBA program with Lincoln Memorial University DeBusk started for his employees, got his master’s and acquired seven patents along the way. He was named president and COO in 2010, and would have been happy to stay on the job for years to come, but has decided that it was time to go to work with his father at Pittman Proper-ties, a rental business they started in North Knoxville that has grown to nearly 100 single family homes and du-plexes from Fourth & Gill to Fountain City.
He knows he’ll miss De-Royal, but he’s looking for-ward to spending time with his dad and seeing where they can take their business, which he says is in “expan-sion mode.”
“I’ll always be loyal to DeRoyal, and fi rst and fore-most to Pete, who expects a lot out of people, but more of himself,” Pittman said. “A lot of the good deeds Pete has done are common knowl-edge. Many more are not.”
DeRoyal president takes early retirement to join dad in business
Bill Pittman
News from the Rotary Guy
Tom King
By Tom KingPeter Shaffer is 7,901
miles from home in Tai-pei, Tai-wan, while F o r e n t i n “Flo” Kunz is on the other side of the world, and he’s “only” 4,720 miles from home in
Kotka, Finland.Here are a few similari-
ties between these two:Both are from Knoxville.Both are Rotary Youth
Exchange (RYE) students.Both will have been gone
for a year this summer.Both could not speak
the languages of their host countries.
Both live with three host families during the Ex-change.
Both are sponsored by the Rotary Club of Farragut.
Flo Kunz, 16, is the son of Christian and Brigitte Kunz and attends Webb School. Flo was born in Liechten-stein and has lived in Aus-tria, Japan, New York and Tennessee. His native lan-guage is German. Prior to his year in Finland, he had visited Switzerland, Italy, Spain, The Netherlands, In-
dia, China, V i e t n a m , Indonesia, M e x i c o , Canada and Hawaii.
Peter, 18, is the son of Mark and C h r i s t i a n Shaffer of the Carter communi-ty in Knox County. He attended Carter High School. He’s learn-ing Manda-rin while in Taiwan and is an Eagle Scout and has worked at Camp Buck Tom.
These two young men are the only RYE students from Knoxville this year. It takes a special kind of student to leave home for a year, relocate to a foreign country with a different culture, and not speak that language.
Rotary’s Youth Exchange program actually began with a few clubs in Europe in the 1920s. These Euro-pean exchanges continued until World War II and re-sumed in 1946. In 1972, the RI Board of Directors agreed to recommend Youth
Peter Shaff er Flo Kunz
Two teens overseas as RYE students
mmuniunty.rter
ol.
p
By Sherry WittComing on the heels of a
rather typical beginning to 2016, local real estate and lend-ing mar-kets expe-rienced an earlier than e x p e c t e d surge dur-ing the month of
February. The month pro-duced 843 property trans-fers in Knox County, easily surpassing January’s total of 661, and besting last Feb-ruary’s number by more than 250. It was the largest number of February trans-fers since 2007.
The total value of prop-erty sold during the month was just under $180 mil-lion, comparing quite fa-vorably to last February when about $148 million was transferred. It must be noted that while the num-bers are encouraging, they are still not back to Febru-ary 2007 levels when the total value of transfers in
Knox County reached near-ly $250 million.
On the lending side, there was defi nitely good news as about $280 million was loaned in mortgages and refi nancing. This fi gure was up from $220 million in January, and far outpaced last February’s total mort-gage loan amount of $194 million.
The largest property transfer of the month was the sale of a medical facil-ity located at the intersec-tion of Hall of Fame Drive and James White Parkway. The parcel was sold to MPA Imaging Associates for $4.5 million. The largest mort-gage recorded was a loan for $28.6 million, fi nanc-ing a proposed develop-ment known as Aventine Northshore Apartments, located near the 9700 block of Northshore Drive.
This new burst of activ-ity reminds us that spring is indeed just around the cor-ner, and with that in mind, I would like to wish each of you a very blessed Easter and Passover season.
February brings early spring to local markets
Sherry Witt
News from Offi ce of Register of Deeds
Residents and commu-nity organizations in east-
ern Tennes-see received $969,175.91 in as-s i s t a n c e t h r o u g h M o d e r n Wo o d m e n of America’s f r a t e r n a l m e m b e r
benefi ts and outreach proj-ects in 2015, according to recently released results from the fraternal fi nan-cial services organization. These dollars support so-cial, educational and volun-teer activities in the region.
“I’m proud of what ourlocal members have accom-plished,” said Ben W. Foote,regional director with of-fi ces in Knoxville.
“Their efforts really makean impact in our region.”
Modern Woodmen mem-bers in the area are partof 76 chapters, 11 Summitchapters (for members 55and older) and 46 youth ser-vice clubs.
Service projects includecollecting and donatingitems to local food banks,raising money to support in-dividuals in need, beautify-ing local parks and helpingrepair homes for those lessfortunate.
Ben Foote
Modern Woodmen contributes
E x c h a n g e to clubs worldw ide as a worth-while in-ternational activity. To-day, more than 8,000 Youth Ex-c h a n g e
students travel abroad each year to live and study in about
80 countries. Many of these students are Inbounds to the U.S. from
other coun-tries.
Dr. Bill Nich-ols, a member of
Farragut Rotary, is the District 6780 Outbound chair. He handles the nuts and bolts of all of the Out-bound Exchange students in the district and works with the students and their fami-lies and their overseas hosts.
This year he has seven East Tennessee students abroad and already has eight lined up for next year. The stu-dents must be age 15 to 18 1/2 at the time of departure.
“Rotary Youth Scholar-ships provided by Rotary clubs are valued at $24,000, which covers room, board, tuition and monthly sti-pend for a high school year abroad,” Nichols explains. “It’s a great deal for these students. The student’s fam-ily pays for airfare, insur-ance and some other fees. The Youth Exchange Schol-arships are made possible by our overseas partners and local Rotary clubs.”
Rotary also offers a short-term, 2-month exchange be-tween two families in sepa-rate countries.
Info: Bill Nichols at 865-567-1119 or www.rye6780.org Tom King is a retired newspaper editor,
a 28-year Rotarian and past president of
the Rotary Club of Farragut. He can be
reached at [email protected]
BIZ NOTES■ Sara Fulton has joined Sum-
mit Medical Group as director
of operations. Prior to joining
Summit, Fulton served as vice
president of operations for
TeamHealth. She previously
worked for 10 years with
Community Health Systems
in hospital and physician
practice administration and
at the corporate offi ce as
regional director of medical
staff development. A gradu-
ate of Webb School, she holds
a bachelor’s degree and MBA
from UT Knoxville.
■ Glenn Leland is the chief
growth offi cer for Prior-
ity Ambulance, tasked with
overseeing the company’s
national expansion. The
Knoxville-based company,
founded in 2014, now oper-
ates more than 250 emer-
gency vehicles and employs
more than 1,000 in six states.
Leland began his EMS career
as an EMT and paramedic and
was subsequently promoted
into teaching, operations and
marketing leadership roles.
He holds an MBA from Kel-
logg School of Management
at Northwestern University.
■ Home Federal Bank will
accept nominations through
March 25 for its sixth
Hometown Heroes commu-
nity service awards program,
which to date has contributed
$125,000 to nearly 40 area
nonprofi t organizations in
honor of outstanding com-
munity volunteers. Potential
honorees include those who
mentor children, support
seniors, advocate for the most
vulnerable, care for animals,
expand the region’s cultural
opportunities, and serve in
other ways to make East
Tennessee a great place to
live. Details and a nomina-
tion form are available at
homefederalbanktn.com or at
any of the bank’s 23 offi ces.
■ The Trucking Chef, the tour
catering division of Knoxville
Catering, announces newly
won contracts to provide
tour catering and backstage
hospitality for Fall Out Boy
and Florida Georgia Line on
their 2016 tours.
Shopper news • MARCH 9, 2016 • 11
12 • MARCH 9, 2016 • Shopper news
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