IN THIS ISSUE

Briggs is betterNever say there’s not a

dime’s worth of difference between state Sen. Stacey Campfi eld and his challenger, County Commissioner Richard Briggs.

Shopper publisher San-dra Clark makes the case for Briggs.

➤ Read Clark on page 4

Meet candidatesThe South Knoxville Repub-

lican Club occasionally puts politicians’ feet to the fi re, but on Thursday, July 17, they’ll be in total welcome mode as members hold their annual community picnic.

➤ Read Betsy Pickle on page 3

Better togetherA somewhat interesting

couple is approaching their 60th wedding anniversary. They tell each other they are better together than they could have possibly been as individu-als, says Marvin West.

➤ Read his salute to Sarah on page 5

Comics ExchangeComics Exchange offers

comic books, collectibles, T-shirts, toys and statues for customers from 8 to 80. Prices vary greatly for the new and vintage comics.

Owner Bill Langford has lived in Knoxville 19 years. Originally from Nashville, he attended the University of Tennessee, where he graduated from law school. His hobby became a business 15 years ago when he opened Comics Exchange.

➤ Read Nancy Whittaker on page 7

VOL. 2 NO. 1 July 29, 2013www.ShopperNewsNow.com | www.facebook.com/ShopperNewsNow

7049 Maynardville Pike 37918(865) 922-4136

NEWS

news@ShopperNewsNow.comSandra Clark | Betsy Pickle

ADVERTISING SALESads@ShopperNewsNow.com

Shannon CareyJim Brannon | Tony Cranmore

Patty Fecco

VOL. 2 NO. 28 July 16, 2014www.ShopperNewsNow.com | www.facebook.com/ShopperNewsNow

SOUTH KNOX

By Betty BeanIt’s been a year or so

since Bob Thomas and Ed Brantley worked togeth-er, but the two longtime morning-drive radio stars will be colleagues again once they’re sworn in as Knox County Commission-ers Sept. 2.

In the meantime, they’ve had a couple of dinners with the other two new commissioners-elect (Charles Busler and Ran-dy Smith), and they plan another in August, which they know is perfectly le-gal now, although come September, sunshine laws will come into play and put constraints on their get-togethers.

But they are adamant about one thing:

“If the two of us are at

Ed Brantley and Bob Thomas Photo by Betty Bean

The Ed and Bob show comes to County Commission

the Vol Market No. 3 hav-ing a hot dog, which we do every week, and some-body calls in (to complain), or if somebody sees us at Wright’s Cafeteria, where we take my mom for lunch, well, that’s not going to stop,” Thomas said. “That’s

silly. We’re going to stop being friends? Not going to happen.”

Thomas and Brantley will represent the 10th and 11th at-large districts, respectively (a distinc-tion without a difference, since at-large commis-

sioners represent the en-tire county). Thomas ran unopposed; Brantley was victorious over a primary opponent. Neither is op-posed in the August gen-eral election.

In addition to being on-air personalities, both have run businesses, both are grandfathers and both want to attract more and better jobs to Knox County for the sake of their grand-children (Ed has fi ve; Bob has three).

“To me, the biggest pri-ority in this county other than supporting the school system is getting some jobs in here,” Brantley said. “Chattanooga is ahead of us in manufacturing, and our surrounding counties are ahead of us, too, to some degree, in other ar-

eas. When I used to go in to work in the early morn-ing, Pellissippi Parkway was a constant stream of headlights going to Oak Ridge where they have the national lab and all that high-tech industry.

“Knox County is at a disadvantage, but there are good ideas coming out of Anderson and Blount counties, and the boom-ing tourist trade in Se-vier County. Can we share some more of those things? Yes, I think we can.”

Thomas agrees.“A lot of people have

asked me, what do you want to accomplish? I per-sonally am not coming in with something in my back pocket I’ve got to get done. I don’t have an agenda. I want

To page 3

By Betsy PickleThe South Knoxville Al-

liance is throwing a party with a purpose.

The SKA’s fi rst-ever Networking Mixer is hap-pening from 5 to 7 p.m. to-morrow (July 17) at Labor-Exchange, 2623 Chapman Highway. Yes, there will be tasty hors d’oeuvres. And of course there will be re-freshing adult libations.

But as far as the SKA events committee is con-cerned, the best part of the mixer will be getting to interact with business and civic leaders and demon-strate the value of belong-

ing to the South Knoxville Alliance.

“It’s a way to get busi-nesses and other organi-zations together here in South Knoxville,” says co-chair Antoinette Fritz. Em-phasis on “other.”

“The South Knoxville Alliance is not just for businesses,” says commit-tee member Janice Toch-er. “People like Candoro, churches, Ijams Nature Center, the Appalachian Mountain Bike Club and the Boys & Girls Club are also members.

“It’s people representing organizations and busi-

nesses who want to have input on the direction of South Knoxville.”

The SKA formed when the closing of the Henley Bridge ostracized South Knoxville and dampened the spirits – and viability – of many entities south of the river. By coming to-gether, members were able to help each other devise strategies to combat the effects of the long-term problem.

The SKA is working on a business directory, and at the mixer they’ll announce several initiatives that will be good for business and

e f f

South Knoxville Alliance members display their motto. From left are Antoinette Fritz, Bobbye Edwards, Bill Pe-terson, Rebecca Husain, Debra Bradshaw, Patrick Mi-chael, Sharon Davis and Janice Tocher. Photo by Betsy Pickle

Alliance looks to build bonds, community

the community as a whole.One of the most exciting

projects is a South Knox-ville calendar featuring photos of scenic SoKno. The pictures will be chosen through a photo contest, which will encourage resi-dents to get out into neigh-borhood parks and the Ur-ban Wilderness to capture nature’s beauty.

Each month will be “auctioned off” to a South Knox business, which gets to choose its photo as well

as put a coupon on the bot-tom of the page.

The fundraiser will help support other SKA outreach programs such as Saturday South, an event intended to drum up excitement about South Knoxville.

One of the features of Saturday South will be the “K-Town Races.”

“It’s our own twist on the ‘Amazing Race’ format,

To page 3

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‘Not-metro’ is all about the money, says Burchett

Tim Burchett ends his talk in Fountain City.

By Sandra ClarkAnnouncing his up-

coming nuptials was not the news nugget of Knox County Mayor Tim Bur-chett’s speech to a business group in Fountain City, yet that announcement got all the media play.

Much more impact-ful was his endorsement of unifi ed government for Knoxville and Knox Coun-ty and his pledge to work for the merger during his upcoming four-year term.

“Yes, I’m serious,” he said. “We have two govern-ments because of fi efdoms. … Just don’t call it metro.”

Burchett wants to re-duce, not enlarge, the size of local government. He wants to eliminate duplica-tion but is not about to sug-gest the hot-button issues that have doomed previous votes. (State law requires unifi cation to be approved by voters in both the city and the county balance.)

“We’re not taking away

anybody’s right to elect offi cials. We’re not raising taxes.” He proposes ser-vice zones in which resi-dents could choose (and pay for) enhanced services such as garbage pickup and fi re protection.

“It’s bad for business,” he said, citing awkward-ness in explaining local government to companies seeking to locate here.

“And it’s bad for your tax dollars,” he said.

County Commissioner

R. Larry Smith agreed. “If elected offi cials put their egos aside, it would hap-pen. It just makes sense.”

Knox County’s debt has been reduced by $59 mil-lion in three years, Bur-chett said.

As for that marriage, Burchett said he will wed Kelly Kimball on July 26 at an undisclosed location.

“We’ve both got enough stuff,” he said, requesting no gifts. “Make a contribu-tion to HonorAir.”

Shopper internsFirst Presbyterian Church

is considered “Knoxville’s fi rst church,” founded in 1792 and built in 1812 on James White’s fi eld of turnips.

Church member Pat Armstrong gave the interns a behind-the-scenes look and a peek inside the adjacent graveyard.

The building has undergone several renovations throughout the years, but there have been only 15 ministers since the church began. During the Civil War, the Union army occupied the building – letting their horses graze in the graveyard – for three years.

The interns also visited Temple Beth El and St. George Greek Orthodox Church.

Lunch speaker was Holo-caust survivor Sonja DuBois.

➤ Read the interns’ reports on 6

2 • JULY 16, 2014 • Shopper news

health & lifestyles

EXTRAORDINARY CARE FOR KNOXVILLE’S ACTIVE FAMILIES

3 Convenient locations:Downtown Knoxville

Halls

Powell

For more information please call (865) 541-1300

Ice or heatHow do you choose?

Which is better on an injury, ice or heat? According to Stephen Karp, manager of the Fort Sanders Therapy Center, that depends on what you’re treating, for how long and what you hope to achieve.

Heat before exercise Heat improves blood fl ow to tissues, so it can relax tight muscles and

reduce a muscle spasm. It’s best to use heat before exercise to increase the fl exibility of stiff joints and muscles. Heat therapy can also help ease the pain of chronic arthritis, as long as the joint is not swollen.

Heat after injury Don’t apply heat directly after an injury or exercise, as that can make

swelling and pain worse. When your initial pain has subsided, apply heat for about 15 to 20 minutes at a time, but be careful to buffer your skin with clothing to prevent burns. “And don’t use a heating pad while sleeping,” adds Karp. “People have suffered serious burns to their skin from heating pads left unmonitored.”

Ice after exercise or injury Using an ice pack is best immediately after an injury or the overuse

of joints and muscles during a workout or run. Cold reduces swelling and pain by causing the blood vessels to constrict and narrow.

Apply an ice pack to an injury for about 10 minutes at a time, but let the skin warm up again before applying another ice pack. This can be repeated several times each day for three days.

“Overusing an already aggravated muscle or joint can lead to more serious damage,” adds Karp. “If you have any persistent pain in a joint or muscle for more than several days, you should see your doctor.”

Your physician may suggest that you alter your activities to provide relief to the joint or muscle affected. Or, you may be referred to a physi-cal therapist for more targeted treatment.

Physical therapist Jennifer Templeton addresses lower back pain on patient Tim French at Fort Sanders Therapy Center-Downtown.

The McKenzie Method® for back pain now available close to home

Imagine a life without crip-pling back pain. The proven success of the McKenzie Meth-od® at Covenant Therapy Cen-ters provides a non-surgical op-tion for many of the 20 percent of adults enduring chronic back pain. “It gave me back the life I thought I’d lost forever” said one recent patient.

Also known as Mechanical Diagnosis and Therapy (MDT), the McKenzie Method® has superior functional outcomes for back, neck and extremity problems. It emphasizes educa-tion and active patient involve-ment to decrease pain quickly,

restore normal function, pre-vent recurrence and minimize dependence on medical inter-vention.

As with most things, a suc-cessful solution depends on properly identifying the prob-lem. Pain is a symptom, not a diagnosis. The certifi ed McKen-zie therapist utilizes a compre-hensive process to fi nd the un-derlying cause. In fact, research has shown the initial McKenzie assessment to be as reliable as costly diagnostic imaging (i.e., X-rays, MRIs) to determine the problem and quickly identify responders and non-respond-

ers. “Even if you have to crawl in to see her, you can walk out be-cause she determines where the pain’s coming from and what to do about it” said a patient of certifi ed McKenzie physical therapist Mary Satterfi eld, with Fort Sanders Regional Therapy Center in Powell.

Certifi ed McKenzie thera-pists are available at four Cov-enant Therapy Center locations in three counties.

For more information about

this or any of the other physical,

speech & occupational therapy

programs call (865) 541-1300.

Physical TherapyThe ins and outs to make it work for you

At Fort Sanders Therapy Cen-ters, educating patients about the benefi ts of treatment from a physi-cal therapist is a yearly process for the staff, with a focus on the best course of action to make sure ther-apy will accomplish realistic goals for the patient, according to physi-cal therapist Jennifer Templeton.

But for potential patients look-ing for the relief of pain, is physi-cal therapy right for you? Here’s a look at what physical therapists can do and why it might be the right fi t.

What is physical therapy?

Physical therapy focuses on rehabilitating a patient’s impair-ments or disabilities by promot-ing increased mobility, strength and function in order to improve quality of life. Physical therapy is performed by licensed Physi-cal Therapists (PTs) and Physical Therapist Assistants (PTAs).

Who are physical therapists and physical therapy assistants?

Physical therapists are trained movement specialists. They have advanced degrees and licenses cer-tifying their knowledge on how the human body works and moves. All physical therapists have earned at least a bachelor’s degree in physi-cal therapy; recent graduates have obtained clinical doctorate degrees.

Therapists’ specialized training allows them to examine, evaluate, diagnose and set a treatment plan for movement disorders. Physical therapist assistants have an associ-ate’s degree in treating movement disorders and are licensed to follow the plan of care set by the PT.

What is a movement disorder and what kinds of disorders do physical therapists treat?

Movement disorders are medi-cal issues that limit a person’s abil-

ity to get out of bed, stand, walk, reach or perform other daily tasks. Therapy focuses on four systems of the human body:

■ Musculoskeletal – the bones, joints and muscles that move your body.

■ Neurological – the brain, spinal cord and nerves that carry signals from your brain to the body to tell it what actions to perform; nerves also carry information (such as sensation or pain) from the body to the brain.

■ Cardiovascular/ Pulmo-nary – the heart, lungs and blood vessels that supply blood and oxy-gen to working muscles.

■ Integumentary – the skin and lymphatic systems that fi lter out unwanted germs and fl uid.

Where do physical therapists work?

Physical therapists work in many settings, including hospitals, reha-bilitation centers (includ-ing Fort Sanders Therapy Center’s sister clinic at Patricia Neal Rehabilita-tion Center), skilled nurs-ing facilities, outpatient centers and even a pa-tient’s home.

Is physical therapy right for you?

If you are having joint pain, lim-ited motion or strength, or diffi cul-ties when performing the activities you like to do because of pain, then physical therapy may be able to help. You will need a doctor’s order to begin physical therapy, so talk to your primary care pro-vider or specialist to see if physical therapy could help you. Physical therapy is covered by most insur-ance plans.

At Fort Sanders Therapy Cen-ters, therapists have specialized training in treating orthopedic and sports injuries, chronic headaches and neck pain, back pain, and pel-vic fl oor dysfunction.

Helping patients to reach their goals is what makes the work so rewarding, according to physical therapist Jennifer Templeton, PT, DPT, OCS.

“It’s great to watch the patient progress from being unable to do an activity to no longer needing help,” said Templeton.

“If you’re looking for a therapy center, fi nd one that encourages its therapists to pursue continuing education and learn the newest techniques,” Templeton suggests. “At Fort Sanders, we are encour-aged to attend specialty courses in advanced techniques.”

Along with one-on-one treat-ment, she says, “this emphasis oncontinuing education sets us apartby raising our quality of care andimproving patient outcomes.”

Tim French, 35, chose FortSanders Therapy Center after hav-ing back surgery in 2005. French struggled with back and leg pain,in addition to having balance is-sues due to leg weakness.

As he worked with Templeton, French experienced less pain andimproved leg strength he neverthought he would see.

“I used to struggle with signifi -cant weakness in my left calf, but now I’m doing things that I neverthought possible,” French ex-plained. “I’ve also seen my balancecome back, and slowly the pain inmy back and legs has decreased.”

At a normal therapy session,French will do numerous leg and back strengthening exercises, with Templeton supervising him.

“The therapists are really good about isolating the injury and fo-cusing on making it better,” said French. “I trust Jennifer and her colleagues so much because Iknow they have my best interests in mind and want to do what it takes to continue my improve-ment.”

For more information

about physical therapy,

call 865-541-1300.

SOUTH KNOX Shopper news • JULY 16, 2014 • 3

Alliance to build bonds From page 1

without the intense physi-cal nature or the big hurry,” says events co-chair Debra Bradshaw. “It will be a fun introduction to businesses.”

Saturday South plans are still being developed, says Bradshaw, but “all the activi-ties will be free.” That’s one reason the SKA hopes to ex-pand its membership base at the mixer. They need more members to support their

community-building events.Membership is open

to retail, services, profes-sional, civic, academic and nonprofi t entities. Among the many benefi ts are co-ordinated and cost-reduced marketing and advertising campaigns and the oppor-tunity to improve the busi-ness climate and quality of life in South Knoxville.

Just this year, SKA has

supported the community by paying for a parking shuttle bus for Vestival and donating food and money to help children attending the Ijams summer camps.

South Knoxville is on the upswing, and the SKA wants to help lead the way.

Thursday’s mixer is free, but RSVPs would be appre-ciated. Email RSVP@south-knoxvillealliance.org.

Ed and Bob show From page 1

to make sure we’re tracking business and that we are fi s-cally responsible and good decision makers. Ed and I had lunch the other day, and somebody told us, ‘They ought to let you two guys go out and talk to businesses.’

“I’m not afraid to stand up to people, and I’m sick and tired of minimum-wage jobs coming to town and us thinking that’s a big victory. I’d like to fi nd jobs that give people a career – the kind of jobs that attract 20- and 30-year-olds who want to have a family to come here and stay here.”

Brantley has promised not to vote for any new taxes and says that he will stick by that pledge.

“I’m taking a stand on not voting for any new taxes. People are taxed to death,” he said. He sees no confl ict between this stance and his promise to push for a new Gibbs Middle School.

Thomas said he wants a strong infrastructure but at the same time intends to be fi scally responsible. He ap-proves of the way the county is being managed.

“Knox County is paying

down debt, and our bond rating is going up. A lot of counties around the state would like to be in the situ-ation we’re in.”

Both are extremely in-terested in Knox County Schools but have questions about the relationships be-tween the school board and the commission.

“Things are at a stand-still,” Brantley said. “Why can’t the chair of the school board and the chair of com-mission get together and say, ‘What can you live with?’ ”

Both Thomas and Brant-ley laugh at suggestions that they’ll vote in “two-for-one” fashion.

“Obviously, you never lis-tened to our show. We dis-agree on a lot of things, but at least we can tell each oth-er how we feel. After spend-ing three years together ev-ery day on the radio, there’s not been an issue comes through this town we did not discuss in depth. I don’t care about politics. I just want to see some progress,” Thomas said.

“No offense to who’s sit-ting there now, but we want to take it u p a level.”

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TREK South members make their way toward a spectacular fi eld of sunfl owers. Photo submitted

Hot dogs, warm vibesThe South Knoxville Re-

publican Club occasionally puts politicians’ feet to the fi re, but on Thursday, July 17, they’ll be in total wel-come mode as members hold their annual commu-nity picnic.

Everyone is invited to the event from 6-8 p.m. at Gary Underwood Park. In addi-tion to the franks, there will be savory sides, delicious desserts and refreshing cold drinks.

With election season in full swing, there likely will be some pols strolling around, making nice with constituents, but there’s no formal program. The agenda is fun, so bring the family!

■ Getting lost – together South Knoxville can’t be

topped when it comes to op-portunities for getting out-side and enjoying nature, whether it’s a casual eve-ning dip at Fort Dickerson’s quarry lake or something more organized.

The latter is where TREK South comes in. The hik-

South-Doyle High School assistant principal Sherry Smith re-ceives a Global Education Excellence Award from Lendelle Clark. Photo submitted

Nearly two weeks after Independence Day, some South Knox-villians are still setting off fi reworks (your neighbors thank you – yeah, right). Here’s one (silent) fi reworks display we’re happy to see – the seasonal hay-bale display at McLemore Florist.Photo by Betsy Pickle

The view from the Harold Lambert Overlook at Fort Dickerson shows a few lingering swimmers (bottom left) at the quarry lake at sunset. The lake has been a popular destination since late spring and is a pleasant place to cool off during the hot summer days. Photo by Betsy Pickle

ing group’s next adventure will be from 10 a.m. to noon this Saturday, July 19, at Forks of the River Wildlife Management Area, starting

from the parking lot on Mc-Clure Lane.

Co-organizer Debbie Sharp advises attendees to bring plenty of drinking

water, and she says a hiking stick might be handy if the trails are wet.

TREK South (Traverse, Ride & Explore Knoxville South) has already had one memorable outing this month. Their hike of the Will Skelton Greenway and into Forks of the River

brought them spectacular views of sunfl owers. Their June hike at Ijams Nature Center yielded close en-counters with some of the park’s smallest residents.

Info on Saturday’s hike at the TREK South Face-book page or email Sharp at dspuravida@yahoo.com.

■ LEGO time at Pinkston library Bricks 4 Kidz will offer a

program for kindergartners through fi fth-graders at 1 p.m. Saturday, July 19, at the Howard Pinkston Branch Library, 7732 Martin Mill Pike.

Bricks 4 Kidz uses LEGOs to introduce kids to the basics in engineering, architecture, science, math and technology in fun ways.

Space is limited, and registration is required. Call 573-0436 to sign up.

■ South-Doyle gets global award South-Doyle High School

has been honored for its commitment to internation-al understanding and global awareness by the EF High School Exchange Year.

Lendelle Clark, who with wife Sue coordinates the exchange program locally, presented the Global Edu-cation Excellence Award to Sherry Smith, assistant principal at South-Doyle. For the 2013-14 school year, South-Doyle hosted two exchange students, Javier Guerrero from Spain and Niklas Wisler from Ger-many.

“By welcoming exchange students into the class-rooms, South-Doyle has cre-ated new and unique learn-ing opportunities not just for the exchange students, but for the American stu-dents and faculty as well,” Dan Sodervall, president of EF High School Exchange Year, said in a press release.

Info on the exchange program: call the Clarks, 691-0627, or visit www.ef-exchangeyear.org.

4 • JULY 17, 2014 • Shopper news government

Betty Bean

Sandra Clark

By Cindy TaylorFriends and family gath-

ered with the Northwest Democratic Club to honor three favorites who are moving on to a different phase of life.

Indya Kincannon, Mary Beth Leibowitz and Randy Nichols were thanked by club members for their will-ingness to speak at meet-ings and help out in other

ways whenever they were asked.

“Randy and Mary Beth have always been so gra-cious to come and speak to our club,” said treasurer Nancy Stinnette. “We want-ed to do a little something to show our appreciation.”

Nichols leaves his posi-tion as district attorney gen-eral for Knox County at the end of August. After holding

the position for 22 years, Nichols says he is retiring but not stopping.

“I haven’t looked for work in 40 years,” said Nichols. “I don’t know if I can fi nd any-body to hire me or not.”

Leibowitz was the fi rst female Democratic judge in Knox County and held the seat more than 25 years.

“No one thought I could get reelected,” said Leibow-

itz. “This club stood by meand supported me. I havelearned a lot from thesefolks. As for retirement,my plan is to do whatever Iwant.”

Leibowitz said her par-ents told her that their ob-ligation was to educate hersuffi ciently, and her job wasto make a living.

Kincannon was on vaca-tion but sent her regards.

Knox County DA Randy Nichols talks with Northwest Demo-cratic Club treasurer Nancy Stinnette at the club’s July meeting.

Mary Beth Leibowitz and Hubert Smith at the Northwest Dem-ocratic Club Photos by Cindy Taylor

Leaving for the next adventure

Barack Obama is the worst president in U.S. his-tory, according to a recent poll.

LarryVan

Guilder

Things could be worse

We know polls don’t lie, except when taken in Eric Cantor’s congressional dis-trict, but this one seems to have drawn heavily on folks just rousing from a fi ve-year nap under a pile of rocks.

On Obama’s watch: A few days ago the Dow-

Jones Industrial Average topped 17,000. On Jan. 20, 2009, Obama’s inaugura-tion day, the Dow-Jones closed at 7,949.

In January 2009, the U.S. unemployment rate stood at 7.70 percent and would rise to 9.70 percent a year later. Last month, the U.S. De-partment of Labor reported the rate as 6.10 percent.

Nationally, 288,000 jobs were added in June, the most since May 2007.

The percentage of unin-sured adults peaked at 18 in the third quarter of last year. With the passage of

the Affordable Care Act that number has dropped to 13.4 percent and continues to de-cline.

Domestic oil production is up and imports are down.

American combat troops returned from Iraq, and Osama bin Laden met jus-tice.

Not bad for the worst president in history.

Speaking of history, the president’s critics in the poll seem to be as defi cient of knowledge in that area as they are in current events.

An aggregate of 17 polls conducted between 1948 and 2011 that included his-torians, political scientists,

Republicans, Democrats, liberals, conservatives and even celebrities in some cases awarded the “worst” distinction to President Warren G. Harding.

James Buchanan was ranked one notch above Harding, and Andrew John-son made the list as third worst.

Harding is the Homer Simpson of presidents, mi-nus the blue-haired spouse. If “Doh!” wasn’t ringing through the corridors of the White House during his ten-ure it should have been.

Until Watergate came along, the Teapot Dome affair was the scandal by which all others were mea-sured in the administrative branch of the government.

Albert Fall, Harding’s

Secretary of the Interior, accepted a bribe from oil company pals and gave them leases to drill without competitive bidding. Fall served a year in a jail after the scandal came to light in 1922.

Another Harding appoin-tee, Charles Forbes, spent two years in jail for shady deals when he headed the Veterans Bureau, forerun-ner of today’s Veterans Ad-ministration.

Harry Daugherty was Harding’s attorney general. The corruption in Daugh-erty’s Justice Department would have made Nixon’s attorney general, John Mitchell, blush.

James Buchanan’s miser-able ranking stems from his unwillingness (or inability)

to stop the march toward civil war. A death toll of 620,000 is a rough legacy to overcome.

Andrew Johnson was the fi rst president to be im-peached. The Senate acquit-ted him by a single vote.

Johnson’s ideas for re-habilitating the South after the Civil War clashed with the Radical Republicans in Congress.

His opposition to the 14th Amendment, which gave citizenship to African-Americans, helped seal his low standing in the polls.

Facts can be inconve-nient.

A poll that rates Barack Obama the worst president refl ects the political and ra-cial divide in this country at the expense of history.

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Last week, John McKa-mey made a 200-mile round trip to Knoxville from his home in Piney Flats to talk to the Central City Demo-crats about why he’s run-ning for governor. He’s pret-ty much going it alone, and his short-term objective is to save the Tennessee Dem-ocratic Party from itself.

He doesn’t want another national embarrassment like the one they suffered through two years ago when part-time fl ooring installer/Tea Party supporter Mark Clayton took advantage of his superior alphabetical position on the ballot and beat opponent Park Overall to become the Democratic nominee for U.S. Senate, facing Republican Bob Corker. The Washington Post, among others, named

McKamey seeks to save Democrats from themselves

Clayton, whose most promi-nent supporter was Repub-lican Stacey Campfi eld, the worst Senate candidate in the country, and the Ten-nessee Democratic Party became a national laugh-ingstock.

With this in mind, McKa-mey is acutely aware of the perils of low name recogni-tion and inferior ballot posi-tion, and points out that two of his opponents have catchy names – Charlie Brown and Kennedy Johnson.

“None of the other can-didates are campaigning,

to my knowledge, but I’ve been trying to point out that alphabet issue every time I speak,” he said.

McKamey spent 23 years as a Sullivan County com-missioner and four years as county executive. He gets real serious when he talks about the issues, explain-ing that he spent 50 years in public schools as a student, teacher and coach, and he strongly disagrees with what’s happening in Ten-nessee’s public schools. He got tired of waiting for his party to produce a serious opponent to challenge Gov. Bill Haslam.

“The party did not re-cruit me. I did it on my own. I called the state chair and asked Mr. (Roy) Herron if they had anybody in mind. He said they were searching

for someone.“I started two days before

the deadline. Somebody has got to stand up for educa-tion and for women and for people who are being denied health insurance,” he said.

He’s not a supporter of the Common Core State Standards, which he labels as “test, test test.”

“Teachers want to teach the student – not to the test. They’re making robots out of teachers and robots out of students, and all they’re talking about is numbers and statistics.”

He’s not a fan of vouch-ers and charter schools and says he’d hire an experi-enced classroom teacher as commissioner of education.

He says his concern for women’s rights has been sharpened by experience.

“When I was a county commissioner, there was a lady who applied for a raise, and county commission, including me, kept turning her down. When I was coun-ty executive, she sued, and won. And she was right. I’ve been to court and I always remember the 14th Amend-ment. It means equality for everybody.”

And he has an even more personal reason:

“My wife had rheumatic fever in high school that damaged her heart severely. When we got married in 1960, her doctor told us she couldn’t stand a pregnancy. He told her, ‘If you get preg-nant, you come here and we will take it,’ so we never had children. I trusted the doctor’s and my wife’s judg-ment, and we never did have

to make that decision.”So for now, he’s criss-

crossing the state, fi rm in his belief that once he sur-vives the primary, statewide media will start paying at-tention, fi nancial help will fl ow his way and it’ll be a whole new race.

Briggs vs. Campfi eldNot a dime’s worth of diff erence?

John McKamey speaks to the Center City Democrats.

Never say there’s not a dime’s worth of difference between state Sen. Stacey Campfi eld and his challeng-er, County Commissioner Richard Briggs.

Briggs has a medical de-gree and a real job: heart sur-geon for over 30 years. He’s been president of the Knox-ville Academy of Medicine.

Briggs is a combat vet-eran of Desert Storm, Iraq and Afghanistan, retiring as a U.S. Army colonel.

He’s served on County Commission since 2008, tackling complex issues like billboards, pension reform

and economic development.Stacey Campfi eld, on the

other hand, served in the House and Senate for al-most a decade before pass-ing a bill. He’s marginally self-employed, “rehabbing” and renting run-down real estate. His college experi-ence was online, and his ex-perience in uniform is lim-ited to Halloween.

Campfi eld, 46, is old enough to act better.

He likes to blame the “liberal media” for his bad press, but he’s been sued for defamation, booted from the Duncan Family Barbe-cue for his antics, and es-corted out of a UT football game for failing to remove a mask when asked to do so.

Let’s elect a serious sena-tor – Dr. Richard Briggs – and watch him effectively serve in Nashville. There’s a world of difference.

Shopper news • JULY 17, 2014 • 5

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FRATERNAL ORDER OF POLICE

VOLUNTEER LODGE #2

Endorses and supports these candidates in the

AUGUST 7, 2014KNOX COUNTY GENERAL ELECTION

Greg McMillanCircuit Court Judge, 6th Judicial District, Division IV

Leland PriceCriminal Court Judge, 6th Judicial District, Division III

Charme KnightDistrict Attorney General, 6th Judicial District

Jimmy “J.J.” JonesSheriff

Wm. Mike PadgettCounty Clerk

Sherry WittRegister of Deeds

We encourage voters to VOTE for these candidates!

Paid for by FOP PAC, Volunteer Lodge #2, Carl McCarter Treasurer

Marvin West

A somewhat interesting couple is approaching their 60th wedding anniversary. They tell each other they are better together than they could have possibly been as individuals.

They are not at all fa-mous, but there are historic combinations that convey that same message of better together: Mantle and Maris, Sonny and Cher, Hewlett and Packard, Rodgers and Hammerstein, Huntley and Brinkley, Johnson and Johnson, Romeo and Juliet – you get the idea.

Lasting linkage extends to Tennessee sports. Ernie and Bernie come to mind fi rst.

Bernard King was Ten-nessee’s best-ever basket-ball player. Ernie Grunfeld

Better together

was very, very good. They were great together.

Both made individual impacts. King was an NBA superstar. Grunfeld contin-ues as an executive. Ber-nard is in the pro hall of fame. Ernie has an Olympic gold medal.

As Volunteers together, they were the best show of Ray Mears’ many color-ful years. You don’t hear much about it anymore, but Stu Aberdeen coaxed them from New York City to

Knoxville. It was a recruit-ing miracle, two superstars forever linked.

The best football combo is Kiner and Reynolds.

Steve Kiner and Jack Reynolds are linked line-backers from 1967 to 1969. Jack manned the middle. There never was a day when football was too tough for Hacksaw. Steve chased from sideline to sideline with in-tent to infl ict bodily harm.

They produced similar results but were very differ-ent. Kiner was a fi rst-game starter as a sophomore. Reynolds had to be con-vinced he was good enough to play.

Kiner was an extro-vert, confi dent, aggressive. He talked. Sportswriters quoted him, sometimes correctly. He was twice an all-American. He became really famous as the fi rst Volunteer linebacker in the

college hall of fame.The Dallas Cowb oys

signed Kiner in 1970 and took him to Super Bowl V. He was a Redskin for Super Bowl VII. Later, he was New England’s defensive MVP. He had a good closing run with the Oilers.

I remember the day he formally introduced me to coach Bum Phillips. He re-called some little things I had done for him. Bum’s response: “That was an im-pressive presentation.”

Kiner did not take good care of his body, but he re-bounded, enjoyed a profi t-able period as a real-estate broker, went back to school, at West Georgia and earned two degrees in psychology. Just for fun, he coached linebackers as a graduate assistant. His fi erceness and passion seemed trans-ferable. He could have been good at that.

In a strange move, this man who hurt people on football fi elds became a health-care professional. He is assessment coordina-tor for psychiatric services at Emory University Hospi-tal in Atlanta. He remains interested in old teammates and UT functions.

Reynolds was cut from different cloth. He was for-ever motivated by fear of failure. Even late in his NFL days, after many accomplish-ments, under his uniform he still wore a tattered T-shirt that said, “Too old, too short, too slow and can’t cover.”

He had heard those criti-cisms and used them as fi rewood. His persona was built on the underdog myth. He was always grumbling, about weather, the high cost of Pepsis and how much his back hurt. He worked at be-ing unhappy. Teammates called him Crazy Jack. He

wasn’t.Reynolds had a long pro

career and saved his money from 11 years with the Los Angeles Rams and four with the San Francisco 49ers. He earned two Super Bowl rings. He was a John Mad-den favorite, an example of “Boom!”

Reynolds was and is a recluse, on an island some-where in an ocean.

That vague reference is unfair. I know where he is, San Salvador in the Baha-mas – unless he is at his Mi-ami home. He chooses pri-vacy. I haven’t seen him in a decade. He has no need for applause, but he is linked with Kiner, whether he likes it or not.

Regarding the fi rst para-graph, thanks sincerely for all 60, Sarah. You are very special.Marvin West invites reader reaction. His address is westwest6@netzero.com.

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With the death of former Tennessee Sens. Howard Baker and Harlan Mathews this year, there are now only fi ve living former U.S. sena-tors from Tennessee.

MPC staff morale pointing south

They are, in order of age: Bill Brock, 83; Jim Sasser, 77; Fred Thompson, 72; Al Gore, 66; and Bill Frist, 62.

Brock calls Annapolis, Md., home, but he and his wife, Sandy, spend most of the year on a yacht now, cruising from Maine to Florida according to the time of the year. Thompson lives in northern Virginia and is currently acting on

Broadway. Sasser lives in the District of Columbia, while Gore and Frist both live in Nashville.

Of the living former U.S. senators (there are 165 of them) the oldest is Edward Brooke, the fi rst African-American popularly elected to the U.S. Senate. He is 94 and was elected the same year Howard Baker was also fi rst elected to the Senate in 1966. Elected from Mas-sachusetts, he now lives in Washington, D.C.

The next oldest senators are former astronaut John Glenn of Ohio at 92; Ernest Hollings, 92, of South Caro-lina; Jocelyn Burdick, 92, of North Dakota; Paul Laxalt, 91, of Nevada (now living in Washington, D.C.); James Buckley of New York, 91 (now living in Connecticut); and Bob Dole, 90, of Kan-sas, now living in Washing-ton, D.C. Hollings is also the

second-oldest living former governor. John Patterson of Alabama is the oldest at 92. Tennessee’s own for-mer Gov. Winfi eld Dunn is 87 and in excellent health, living in Nashville with his wife, Betty.

■ Mark Donaldson, director of MPC, must be wondering if his sudden hir-ing of Dave Hill was worth the controversy it has gener-ated. The 15 MPC commis-sioners must be wondering when this will all go away. Probably not until they rein in Donaldson, who appar-ently considers fair employ-ment practices a nuisance to ignore. No one was inter-viewed for the job Hill got.

After he gave the job to his longtime friend Hill without advertising the po-sition or allowing anyone else to apply, Donaldson told this writer he consulted with deputy city mayor Bill

Lyons on the Hill hire, but it seems he only advised Ly-ons he had done it and did not seek his advice. After all, Lyons’s boss, Mayor Rogero, had fi red Hill upon becom-ing mayor. It is unlikely she would be enthused by his return to the City County Building.

Now the only woman in a management position at MPC has been fi red by Don-aldson without explanation. Do not be surprised if Dee Anne Reynolds fi les a law-suit to get her job back plus extra pay.

Taxpayers will pay for this one. A lawsuit could drag on for over a year with frequent news stories. MPC staff morale is at an all-time low.

At some point the 15 MPC commissioners will have to step in and take charge of a situation that is quickly go-ing south. Right now they

say they leave personnel issues to Donaldson. The commissioners bear ulti-mate responsibility for what he does. This may be a case where Mayors Burchett and Rogero have to tell the 15 commissioners (whom they appointed) that enough is enough. They did this a few years back when they jointly told Gloria Ray to depart the former Sports Corporation.

■ When Commission-er Richard Briggs and Sen. Stacey Campfi eld spoke to the Knox County Repub-lican Women in Bearden, few differences emerged from their remarks.

Campfi eld spoke well and benefi ted by Briggs failing to outline differences between the two. Only soft questions were thrown from the au-dience. A guest without a background in Knox politics could be forgiven for think-ing the two opponents were ideologically identical.

■ Gordon Ball, Demo-cratic candidate for U.S.

Senate, who says his net worth is between $10 mil-lion and $20 million (but probably higher), had failed as of July 11 to fi le a person-al fi nancial statement with the U.S. Senate Ethics Com-mittee.

He asked for a 60-day ex-tension on May 15. All other serious candidates such as Terry Adams, Lamar Al-exander and Joe Carr have fi led disclosure forms. Me-dia have given Ball a pass. His principal primary op-ponent, Terry Adams, has not raised this issue either, which is amazing.

Education meetingBig happenings at 6 p.m.

Tuesday, July 22, at Central High School. Seems school board member Mike McMil-lan has arranged for state Rep. Harry Brooks and oth-ers to meet with teachers to discuss state education policy.

6 • JULY 16, 2014 • Shopper news interns

Paid for by the Committee to Elect Leland Price, Brent R. Watson, Treasurer

Early Voting Begins July 18 General Election on August 7

lelandpricefor judge.com

Leland Price joined the Tennessee Army National Guard in 1999 as a JAG officer in the 278th Armored Cavalry Regiment headquartered in Knoxville.

He deployed with the 278th to Iraq as part of Operation

Iraqi Freedom III in 2004 and 2005, acting as the

regiment’s Administrative Law Officer. He received the

Army Commendation Medal for exemplary service

during his deployment. While working with local

officials in Iraq, Leland learned first hand how important

it was to have local leaders with integrity who seek to

promote the interests of the entire community and not

just themselves or their extended clan.

Leland Price was a member of the Army National Guard. Use of his military rank, job titles, and photographs

in uniform does not imply endorsement by The Department of the Army or the Department of Defense.

ENDORSED BY THE FRATERNAL ORDER OF POLICE VOLUNTEER LODGE #2

Pat Armstrong stands in the sanctuary of First Presbyterian Church. In the background is a mosaic of Christ.

Shopper interns Abbey Underwood, Zoe Risley, Katie Sasse, Lakin Scott and Charlie Hamiltonlisten as Rabbi Mathew Michaels describes how the Torah is written out by hand. Photos by R. White

A rare photo of Sonja DuBois as a child.

The interns met Holocaust survivor Sonja DuBois and learned of her incredible life story. Pic-tured are: (front) Abbey Underwood, Kaila Bond, DuBois, Donna Mitchell, Charlie Hamilton; (back) Katie Sasse, Lakin Scott, Zoe Risley and Joshua Mode.

A day of faithBy Sara Barrett

First Presbyterian Church is considered “Knoxville’s fi rst church,” founded in 1792 and built in 1812 on James White’s fi eld of turnips. Church member Pat Armstrong gave the in-terns a behind-the-scenes look and a peek inside the adjacent graveyard.

The building has under-gone several renovations throughout the years, but there have been only 15 ministers since the church began. During the Civil War, the Union army occu-pied the building – letting their horses graze in the graveyard – for three years.

Armstrong likened the

church’s infrastructure to that of our nation’s govern-ment. “The deacons look after operations sort of like Congress, and the elders would be the senators,” said Armstrong. The interns learned that seven U.S. presidents were Presbyte-rian, and the only minister who signed the Declaration of Independence was Pres-byterian.

In keeping with the theme of the day, Arm-strong discussed the beliefs of the Presbyterian Church and the change in atten-dance at FPC. He said he and his wife have lived in the same house since 1969, and he used to look out his

Sonja DuBois: SurvivorBy Zoe Risley

Sonja DuBois is a Holo-caust survivor. It may be a simple sentence, but it holds so much meaning.

DuBois showed the Shop-per interns a photo of Ney-land Stadium, which has approximately 100,000 seats. Fill the stadium up 60 times. That’s how many

Jews died in the Holocaust. Six million people. To not be one of those people is amaz-ing.

When most people tell their story of the Holocaust they tell what happened during the war. She did tell us all that, but she took it further. She told us how the policies of Nazi Germany

impacted her life long-term.DuBois was born in 1940

in Holland, just months after the war had started. When her parents regis-tered as Jews, they didn’t register her.

She was barely two when her parents boarded a train and left without her. They had entrusted their daugh-

■ Inspired at Temple Beth ElRabbi Mathew Michaels

met with the interns at Temple Beth El Synagogue and gave us a crash course on the Jewish culture and customs.

Intern Kaila Bonds asked why Jewish men wear the yamaka, and the Rabbi ex-plained it was to show hu-mility. “What does a man do with his hat when he enters a church?” asked the Rabbi. The interns said men re-

move their hats upon enter-ing to show reverence.

“We cover our heads for the same reason,” he said. “All these religions you’re looking at, the themes are the same. The motifs may be different, but the rea-sons are the same. Just because something is dif-ferent, doesn’t mean it’s bet-ter or worse, right or wrong … it just means it’s not the same.”

Rabbi Michaels showed the group what a torah looks like, and explained why the

pointer tool used to follow along while reading is made of silver. Only soft metals can touch the torah, noth-ing hard that could be used to make a weapon of war. He also explained when a reli-gious item is no longer us-able it is customary to bury the item as a human would be buried upon death.

The Rabbi invited the interns back for service on Friday evening, and a few of them were planning to at-tend. Info: tbeknox.org.

Coexisting in Knoxville

By Donna MitchellLast week I wrote about

how boring I felt Knoxville was. And then I was proven wrong again by digging a little deeper into the history of the city.

The interns visited three houses of worship located within a few miles of one an-other. Our fi rst stop was the oldest church in Knoxville, First Presbyterian Church. This church houses the Community School of the Arts program (though it is not a part of the church) and relics from a member’s time in Africa. It has the founder of Knoxville, James White, buried in the graveyard.

Next, we visited the Temple Beth El where we saw original handwritten Hebrew scrolls adorned in silver and walls lined with amazing stained glass win-dows. Our last visit was to the Saint George Greek Or-thodox Church. The sanctu-ary is covered from wall to wall with beautiful images of Jesus, the apostles, and St. George.

As Rabbi Michaels from Temple Beth El put it, “di-versity should be celebrat-ed.” That is the real message behind any religion; we are all different, but still wor-ship for the same purpose.

At lunch, Holocaust sur-vivor Sonja DuBois looked at us around the table with solemn eyes and pleaded we make a difference. “Hate is a lack of knowledge,” she said.

“You are the leaders of tomorrow; the popular way is not always the right way. “

It really is such a great thing that not only Knox-ville, but the country we live in allows us to have as many places of worship as we please. Kingston Pike, commonly known as “the church street,” is home to a mosque, a Greek Orthodox Church, and a Unitarian church right next to one an-other.

The best part of it all is that they can coexist next to each other. That’s the way it should be. Embrace the di-versity.

window and know which church each family on his street attended. Nowadays, not so much.

“I guess it is just a cultur-al change, and there are a lot of independent churches starting up,” he said.

A walk through the graveyard shows sunken tombstones and trees so old and fragile they are held to-gether with cables.

The oldest marked grave is William Blount’s from 1800. An inviting concrete bench is tucked in a corner where passersby may be tempted to rest a while.

“We encourage people to come in and walk around,” said Armstrong of the yard holding about 240 graves. “We’re located right on the corner of Church (Avenue)and State (Street). How ironic is that?” Info: www.fpcknox.org.Sara Barrett coordinates the intern pro-gram for Shopper-News. Info: barretts@ShopperNewsNow.com

ter to a family friend. Both were murdered in Aus-chwitz that same year. Both were just 29.

Sonja became a hidden child, putting everyone who gave her sanctuary at risk.

She lived with a childless Christian couple and moved with them whenever some-one questioned them about their daughter, the only girl in her class with dark hair. She was kept well hidden.

Since Sonja was an un-documented child, a pe-diatrician gave her secret checkups and a woman with a cow brought her cooked milk (which DuBois said she absolutely hated). She attributes her survival to the lack of communication at the time and the Lord’s value on her life.

Even though Sonja sur-vived one of the darkest times in history, she still felt she was in the dark. She didn’t know much about her birth parents and didn’t have any memories of them. She had always had a sense of emptiness about where her parents were.

When Sonja and her foster parents prepared to emigrate, they needed her to sign a passport. Her real name was Clara. She didn’t know her real name until she was 12. She only saw a picture of her parents once when she was 6 and from then until 1999, when she contacted one of her distant relatives, she knew little about her parents and that haunted her for a long time. She met with her aunt Alice who told her about her fam-ily.

Sonja DuBois doesn’t just share her story for kicks.

I asked if she thought telling her story would help prevent racial hatred and genocides in the future. She said, “If two people in a group of people I’m talking to realize when they have to make a tough decision, that what is popular is not always right.”

She wants people to be advocates for racial equal-ity. “It is your job, when you see someone being bullied or shunned, to let an adult know or to get to know the person being picked on.

Most of racial hatred comes from a lack of knowledge.”

People talk about what they lose when they go through a horrible circum-stance. Sonja DuBois gained thankfulness. She says out loud everyday “Thank you

Lord.” Sonja is so grateful to have her life. She is g rateful to be a survivor.

To invite DuBois to speak to your club or organization, email her at ronson@knol-ogy.net.

SOUTH KNOX Shopper news • JULY 16, 2014 • 7 business

Duncan for Congress

Conservative Leadership for East Tennessee

Working on Issues that Matter to YouA Personal Message from Congressman Duncan

Paid for by Duncan for Congress, Jason Brown, Treasurer

Congressman John J. Duncan Jr.

Early voting: July 18-Aug. 2Primary Election Day: Aug. 7

Defending the Constitution I took an oath to uphold and defend the Constitution, and that is exactly what I work to do each day. I especially focus on protecting our Second Amendment rights and securing our borders against illegal immigration.

Balanced Budget I don’t believe in spending money we don’t have. With one of the most fiscally conservative voting records in Congress, I consistently vote to reduce government spending in order to protect Social Security and control the federal debt.

Growing our Economy I want to eliminate government over-regulation so more businesses can open and expand, creating better jobs for Americans. The U.S. Chamber of Commerce endorsed my re election, saying it will “produce sustained economic growth, help create jobs and get our country back on track.”

Repealing Obamacare I believe the biggest problem with the so-called Affordable Care Act is that it is unaffordable already. I will continue to speak out against it at every opportunity, and I believe our federal dollars are better spent on things like improving care for our nation’s veterans.

America First I oppose spending billions of dollars on people in foreign countries who hate us. We need to stop trying to take care of the whole world and start taking care of our own country and putting the American people first, once again.

■ K12 Inc. opens in Blount CountyK12 Inc., the mega edu-

cation technology company, will open today (July 16) a family support campus in Blount County at the Tyson Center Building, 110 Mc-Ghee Tyson Blvd., in Alcoa, next to McGhee Tyson Air-port.

K12 holds the contract to operate the Tennessee Vir-tual Academy, administered by Union County Public Schools.

The Blount County facil-ity will employ 300 with a capital investment of more than $2.4 million within fi ve years, according to a press release from the Blount Partnership.

■ Road forumThe city of Knoxville Re-

development and Engineer-ing departments will host a forum on I-275 business park access road improve-ments at 5:30 p.m. Wednes-day, July 16, at All Occasions Catering, 922 N. Central. St.

City offi cials will present detailed design plans for the project.

The city’s professional engineering design con-sultant, CDM Smith, will discuss recommended road improvements to extend

Blackstock Avenue from Fifth Avenue to Bernard Av-enue.

The project will also in-clude improvements along Marion Street from Bernard Avenue to Baxter Avenue.

Minor intersection im-provements are proposed for Fifth Avenue at Black-stock Avenue; for Blackstock Avenue at Bernard Avenue and Marion Street; and for Marion Street at Baxter Av-enue. Info: 521-1300.

■ National suit driveVolunteer Ministry Cen-

ter and Men’s Wearhouse have launched a monthlong initiative that encourages donations of gently used suits and professional at-tire.

Clothing collected from the drive will be distributed to VMC and over 180 other local nonprofi t organiza-tions that provide job-ready skills and training to unem-ployed and underemployed men in Knoxville and across the United States.

Through July 31, resi-dents can donate men’s and women’s suits, ties, jack-ets, shirts, pants, belts and shoes at 7818 Kingston Pike and 7600 Kingston Pike.

Info: www.vmcinc.org or www.nationalsuitdrive.com.

Comics Exchange offers comic books, collectibles, T-shirts, toys and statues for customers from 8 to 80. Prices vary greatly for the new and vintage comics.

Owner Bill Langford has lived in Knoxville 19 years. Originally from Nashville, he attended the Univer-sity of Tennessee, where he graduated from law school. His hobby became a busi-ness 15 years ago when he opened Comics Exchange.

Langford says he was re-ally lucky. He opened the store about the same time superhero movies became popular. This introduced an entire new generation to characters he learned to love as a kid. Langford says he has been interested in comic books since he fi rst learned to read.

Kids love the store, espe-cially the room where comic books on the fl oor sell for 25 cents and those on the table for $1.

Parker

Bill Langford, owner of Com-ics Exchange, has loved com-ics since he was a kid. Photo by Nancy Whittaker

Super heroes rule Comics Exchange

Nancy Whittaker

Then there is the other end of the spectrum. Lang-ford sold one vintage comic for $4,000 and helped negotiate another sale of $12,000. Wow! And where are those comic books I read as a kid?

If you are in the market for any type of superhero ac-tion fi gure, this is the place to shop. Langford says kids today are smarter about the value of collectibles than when he was growing up. Today’s generation will pur-chase two identical items and leave one unopened in the original packaging, which increases the value tremendously.

Comics Exchange, 3711 Chapman Highway, buys, sells and trades. It is open 11 a.m.-8 p.m. Monday-Sat-urday and 1-6 p.m. Sunday. For new inventory items, check out the store’s Face-book page. Products are also available online through the eBay store. Info: 573-2280.

■ South Alliance plans mixerThe South Knoxville Al-

liance is hosting a Network-ing Mixer from 5-7 p.m. Thursday, July 17, at Labor-Exchange, 2623 Chapman Highway.

This is a great opportu-nity to network with area businesses and organiza-tions, as well as discover how your business may be-come involved in Saturday

South.Participation will pro-

vide your business with an opportunity to gain recog-nition, draw new customers and give back to the com-munity in a way that fosters fun for all ages.

■ Parker joins Moxley CarmichaelHannah Parker, a native

of Knoxville and former aide to Gov. Bill Haslam, has joined Moxley Carmi-chael as an account execu-tive.

Parker most recently served as deputy for op-erations, managing inter-nal communications for the governor’s staff while providing oversight of Haslam’s schedule, travel and advance team. During Haslam’s tenure as mayor, Parker served as policy ana-lyst and downtown coordi-nator in the mayor’s offi ce of Policy and Communica-tions. Her primary role was acting as a liaison between downtown businesses, de-velopers, residents and city

government and also as-sisting with c om mu n i -cations and redevelop-ment initia-tives.

“ H a n -nah’s ex-perience in

working with state and local government will be a valu-able asset to our account team,” Moxley Carmichael CEO Cynthia Moxley said.

Parker earned bachelor’s degrees in political science and English from the Uni-versity of Tennessee and then went on to earn a mas-ter of arts in civic leadership from the Nelson and Sue Andrews Institute for Civic Leadership at Lipscomb University in Nashville.

June data comparable to last year

News From The Register Of Deeds

By Sherry WittJune was a relatively

good month for real es-tate activ-ity in Knox County, as both sales and lend-ing fi gures closely re-s e m b l e d those re-

corded during June 2013. This June produced 978 property transfers while 2013 – a good year for local markets – June produced 1,039 transfers.

While the total number of parcels sold fell just short of last year’s levels, the aggre-gate value of property trans-ferred was slightly more. The total market value of property sold in June was just under $207 million, compared to $195.7 million last June.

Land sales were also up some $20 million over the May totals. So far in 2014, the total value of prop-erty sold in Knox County is running about $87 mil-lion ahead of the pace set in 2013. The fi rst half of this year has produced total land sales of just over $981 million.

Perhaps the most encour-

aging signs in June were in mortgage lending. For the month, nearly $302 million was loaned against real es-tate in Knox County, an im-provement of more than $50 million over May’s numbers. While last month’s activity did slightly underperform that of June 2013, it none-theless indicated a notable surge in mortgage markets. In the fi rst six months of 2014, mortgage lending in the county has been run-ning over half a billion dol-lars behind the pace set last year, with about $1.38 bil-lion being loaned against real property between Jan. 1 and June 30.

The largest property sale involved a single waterfront parcel on Houser Road in West Knox County which sold for $2.94 million. The most noteworthy mortgage transaction was a Deed of Trust fi nancing the Walnut Street Garage in the amount of $17,750,000.

I hope everyone had a safe and happy F ourth of July weekend, celebrating the freedoms we enjoy, and remembering how blessed we are to live in the greatest nation on earth. Please do not forget to exercise your sacred right to vote in the Aug. 7 elections.

Sherry Witt

8 • JULY 16, 2014 • SOUTH KNOX Shopper news

THROUGH SUNDAY, JULY 27“Thumbelina” presented by the Knoxville Chil-

dren’s Theatre, 109 E. Churchwell Ave. Performances: 7 p.m. Thursdays and Friday; 1 and 5 p.m. Saturdays; 3 p.m. Sundays. Info/reservations: 208-3677 or www.knoxvillechildrenstheatre.com.

WEDNESDAY, JULY 16Zumba® Kids class, 10-10:45 a.m., Community

Room of Farragut Town Hall, 11408 Municipal Center Drive. For ages 7-11. Theme: Luau. Instructor: Gina Guider. Cost: $3 per class. No registration required. Info: Lauren Cox, lauren.cox@townoffarragut.org or 966-7057.

Books Sandwiched In – A Lunch & Learn Se-ries, noon, East Tennessee History Center auditorium, 601 S. Gay St. Dr. Edward Caudill will discuss “The Infl uencing Machine” by Brooke Gladstone. The public is invited. Info: 215-8801.

Bottle of Stars Craft, 2 p.m., Farragut Branch Library, 417 N. Campbell Station Road. Info: 777-1750.

THURSDAY, JULY 17Knox County Veterans Services Outreach

program, 9-10 a.m., South Knoxville Senior Center, 6729 Martel Lane. One-on-one assistance to veterans and family members; explain VA benefi ts, answer questions, and assist veterans and family member with fi ling for VA benefi ts.

Exploring the Senses, 11 a.m., Bearden Branch Library, 100 Golf Club Road. Info: 588-8813.

FRIDAY, JULY 18Sunset Music Series presents WestWend,

7 p.m., Great Smoky Mountains Heritage Center’s covered outdoor amphitheater, Townsend. Country, Americana music. Admission: $5. Info: 448-0044.

Knox Heritage’s Lost & Found lunch, 11:30 a.m., Historic Westwood, 3425 Kingston Pike. Speak-ers: Bradley Reeves and Louisa Trott presenting a fas-

cinating look at historic Knoxville, via vintage fi lm and video. Free lunch buffet. Reservations required: Hollie Cook, 523-8008 or hcook@knoxheritage.org.

Canning Techniques and Home Food Pres-ervation, 3:15-4:30 p.m., Humana Guidance Center, 4438 Western Ave. Presented by UT Extension Service. Free and open to the public. Info/schedule of activities: 329-8892.

FRIDAY-SUNDAY, JULY 18-20“The Secret Garden” musical presented by The

WordPlayers at the U.S. Cellular Stage at the Bijou, 803 S. Gay St. 7:30 p.m. Friday; 2:30 and 7:30 p.m. Saturday; 3 p.m. Sunday. Tickets: 684-1200 or www.wordplayers.org.

SATURDAY, JULY 19Cades 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.

Traditional Stenciling Techniques for Interior Design workshop, 10 a.m.-2 p.m., Knox Heritage, located at Historic Westwood, 3425 Kingston Pike. Speaker: Derick Tickle. Cost: $75. Advance reservations required. Info/reservations: Hollie Cook, 523-8008 or hcook@knoxheritage.org.

Saturday Stories and Songs: Charlene Ellis, 11 a.m., Cedar Bluff Branch Library, 9045 Cross Park Drive. Info: 470-7033.

Saturday Stories and Songs: David Claunch, 11 a.m., Lawson McGhee Library, 500 W. Church Ave. Info: 215-8750.

Bricks 4 Kidz: LEGOs fun at the Library, 1 p.m., Howard Pinkston Branch Library, 7732 Martin Mill Pike. Free library program for elementary age children from kindergarten through 5th grade. Space limited; registration required. Info: 573-0436.

Shakesology: “Much Ado About Nothing,” “Titus Andronicus,” 2 p.m., Lawson McGhee Library, 500 W. Church Ave. Members of the Tennessee Stage Company provide a lively discussion of the plays being performed during this summer’s Shakespeare on the Square. Info: 215-8750.

SATURDAY-SUNDAY, JULY 19-20Harvey Broome Group – Backpack: Snowbird

Creek Wilderness Study Area, N.C. Hiking distance is about 10.7 miles total and is rated moderate. To prereg-ister: Will Skelton, 523-2272, 742-7327 or whshome@bellsouth.net.

Kitten and cat adoption fair, noon-6 p.m., West Town PetSmart adoption center, 214 Morrell Road. Host-ed by the Feral Feline Friends of East Tennessee every

Saturday and Sunday. Info: www.feralfelinefriends.org.

MONDAY, JULY 21 Summer Family Programming: Load a Wagon,

10 a.m.-noon, Great Smoky Mountains Heritage Center, 123 Cromwell Drive, Townsend. Info: 448-0044.

Amazingly Awesome Science with Dr. Al Hazari, 3 p.m., Bearden Branch Library, 100 Golf Club Road. Info: 588-8813.

MONDAY-FRIDAY, JULY 21-25Summer camp at Knoxville Children’s Theatre, 109

E. Churchwell Ave. “Thespians in Training” for ages 4-5; “Understanding ‘The Method’ ” for ages 12-18, 1-4 p.m. Info: 208-3677; knoxvillechildrenstheatre.com; info@childrenstheatreknoxville.com.

TUESDAY, JULY 22Einstein Simplifi ed Comedy Improv troop

performance, 8 p.m., Scruffy City Hall on Market Square. Free admission.

Summer Family Programming: Build a Cabin, 10 a.m.-noon, Great Smoky Mountains Heritage Center, 123 Cromwell Drive, Townsend. Info: 448-0044.

Harvey Broome Group business meeting, 7 p.m., Tennessee Valley Unitarian Universalist Church, 2931 Kingston Pike.

Summer Library Club presents the Zoomo-bile, 10:30 a.m., Sequoyah Branch Library, 1140 South-gate Road. Info: 525-1541.

Summer Library Club presents the Zoomo-bile, 1 p.m., Cedar Bluff Branch Library, 9045 Cross Park Drive. Info: 470-7033.

Computer Workshops: Excel, 5:30 p.m., East Tennessee History Center, 601 S. Gay St. Requires “Word 2007 Basics” or equivalent skills. Info/to register: 215-8700.

STFK Science Café meeting, 5:30 p.m., Knoxville Zoo. Topic: “Bog Turtle” presented by Brad Moxley, the lead keeper in the Department of Herpetology at the Knoxville Zoo. Kids ages 5-12 invited to the Kid’s Café during the presentation. Space limited. RSVP to rsvp@knoxsciencecafe.org. Info: http://sciencecafe.spirit-and-truth.net.

WEDNESDAY, JULY 23Knoxville Writers’ Group meeting, 11 a.m.-1

p.m., Naples Italian Restaurant, 5500 Kingston Pike. KWG members Wanda Moore, Jeanne Ridley and Mau-reen Weber will read from their recent works. All-inclu-sive lunch: $12. RSVP by Monday, July 21: 983-3740.

Sean McCullough’s Song Games, 11 a.m., Karns Branch Library, 7516 Oak Ridge Highway. Info: 470-8663.

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