Listening to lifeUnion County native Bill

Monroe is keen on listening. He says it’s a trait learned from his dad Roy “Peanut” Monroe.

“My dad told me you never get anything from an argu-ment,” said Monroe. “He said when someone wants to argue with you just listen to what they have to say. When they are done, give them the facts.”

➤ Read Cindy Taylor on page 2

Smooch and Shine“I think I was the only

person on Thunder Road old enough to remember the White Lightening runs,” writes Bon-nie Peters, “but an evening of good eating and good fun took place on Thunder Road at the historic Carr house in May-nardville when Preservation Union County held its fund-raiser Sweetheart Dinner with the theme “Smooch and Shine on Thunder Road.”

➤ Story and pictures on page 3

‘Chicken luck’Pauline Smith phoned

Bonnie Peters to “tell me one I hadn’t heard before about chicken luck.

“If you raise chickens, the fi rst person who comes to your door on New Year’s Day brings your chicken luck and deter-mines the sex of your chick-ens,” writes Bonnie. Find her in a new home inside.

➤ Bonnie Peters and more on page 6

POSTAL CUSTOMER

VOL. 11 NO. 8 February 24, 2016www.ShopperNewsNow.com | www.facebook.com/ShopperNewsNow

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Friday, Feb. 26, is the second annual “Community-Supported Agriculture (CSA) Sign-Up Day,” and the family-run Seven Springs Farm in Maynardville is offering a special gift to celebrate this unique relationship between farmers and the families they feed.

Customers who come out to the farm Feb. 26 or 27, and pay for a CSA membership upfront, will re-ceive a $20 gift certifi cate to the farm’s store or on-site winery. The farm store is located at 1474 High-way 61 East, Maynardville, and is open 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.

In a typical CSA, the customer buys a “share” of the harvest, re-ceiving a box of predetermined vegetables. But the CSA program at Seven Springs Farm is unique because customers have a choice

of what is in their box. Don’t like kale? That’s OK. Custom-

ers can log into the farm’s web-site and choose from a wide vari-ety of premium, all natural meats and ultra-fresh fruits and vegeta-bles, eggs, pastas, handmade soaps, cheeses, honey,

fl owers, plants and more.This wide range of products is

available because Seven Springs Farm partners with a number of small farms nearby. All its part-ners meet the farm’s standards of 100 percent non-GMO products and no synthetic pesticides.

“Rest assured that you’re feed-

ing your family the most nutri-tious produce in town,” said Donna Riddle, co-owner of Seven Springs Farm.

Customers may pick up their weekly CSA boxes on the farm, or get convenient and free delivery at New Harvest Park, Union County or the UT farmers markets.

“Our CSA is unique in that we are both consumer- and farmer-focused,” said Riddle. “We strive to provide choice for consumers while supporting young and be-ginning farmers here in East Ten-nessee.”

Seven Springs Farm CSA ben-efi ts:

■ Receive the freshest and best the farm has to offer.

■ Choose items from a weekly list of products in season via the

farm website, www.SevenSpring-sFarmTN.com

■ Attend special events at thefarm just for CSA members. This is especially fun for families with children.

■ Receive greater variety ofproducts through Seven Springs Farm’s partnerships with other lo-cal small farms – everything from produce, meat and eggs, to nurs-ery plants and bakery items.

■ Skip up to two weeks duringthe season (May through Octo-ber).

■ Continue ordering after theseason with no commitment.

Seven Springs Farm is the only farm-direct store in Union County. It is open seven days a week. Info: mail@SevenSpringsFarmTN.com or 865-745-2902.

Donna Riddle

Know who grows your food: CSA signup

Union County Commission is considering pursuing a matching grant for a splash pad in Wilson Park. This rendering

of a “nature pond” theme splash pad from Vortex Aquatic Structures is one possibility.

Splash pad for Wilson Park?By Shannon Carey

Union County Commission has set its sights on fun, as it consid-ered pursuing a grant to build a splash pad in Wilson Park.

Mayor Mike Williams said the proposal is aimed at getting more amenities into the county park, giving families something fun to do, and maybe draw business to the county.

“No one really has a splash pad close to us,” he said.

Jim Howlett of Howlett Equip-ment in Powell explained that splash pads are better options than swimming pools. They’re easier to maintain, don’t require lifeguards and are less expensive to build.

UCHS students stump the school

board with science projects

By Sandra ClarkScience students from Union

County High School stole the show at the February school board meeting, presenting three projects that far surpassed the usual fare of school experiments.

Presenters were poised, prepared and confi dent in their work. Their chief problem seemed to be concern that the school board “got it.”

Kaitlyn Motes, who wants to be a medical microbiologist when she’s older, talked about her ex-periments with stem cells from a horse. She talked about extract-ing the cells from the horse’s bone marrow and subsequent challeng-es of keeping the cells alive. “Once they’re out of the horse, they have no food or anything.”

Kaitlyn’s scientifi c methods were sound and she found that most cells grew at a normal rate in a “medium” and incubator. She plans further experiments as part of her “generational therapy” re-search.

Science scholars

Hunter Beeler, Matthew Woods and Krystal Hawk read from an overhead

screen to describe their complex experiment into teaching methods and

learning. Photos by S. Clark

In response to a question, Kai-tlyn credited Upward Bound and STRIDE programs for encourag-ing her interest in science.

The duo of Sabrina Boggs and Kelsey Albright tackled the age-old question of “brand name” versus generic. They opted to compare Germ-X, an antibacte-rial soap, with plain soap. They described capturing bacteria by swabbing door knobs and counter surfaces around the school.

“We would wash our hands after every swab,” said Sabrina. The girls maintained the bacte-ria, treating them with “quarter-sized” drops of soap and watching them grow.

Director of Schools Dr. Jimmy Carter asked what they would rec-ommend the schools do to avoid

passing contagious diseases.“Your best option is soap,” said

Sabrina. “Anti-bacterial soap,” added Kelsey. “Wash your hands a lot and disinfect counter surfaces every day.”

Krystal Hawk, Hunter Beeler and Matthew Woods explored the interplay of teaching methods and learning styles to see their effects on test scores. Woods said their sample size was too small (fi ve stu-dents), but their research methods seemed sound and produced a pre-dictable result: Teaching methods do impact outcomes since some students are auditory learners, some are visual and others are kin-esthetic (hands-on).

Carter quizzed them on their own learning styles and their rec-ommendations for teachers.

Pick up extra copies atUnion County Senior Citizens Center

298 Main St. Maynardville(865) 922-4136

NEWS (865) 661-8777

news@ShopperNewsNow.comSandra Clark | Shannon Carey

ADVERTISING SALESads@ShopperNewsNow.com

Patty Fecco | Tony Cranmore

Beverly Holland | Amy Lutheran

Kaitlyn Motes talks about her re-

search with stem cells.

Kelsey Albright watches Sabrina

Boggs show samples of the soap

used in their experiment.

Survey resultsRonnie Mincey actually won

the readers’ poll of favorite Shopper writers, leading San-dra Clark to charge, “He must have contacted relatives far and near.”

Jared Effl er tied Bernie Sanders for “favorite political leader” with Mike Williams, Gina Buckner and Sheriff Billy Breeding in hot pursuit.

We also asked for “best hair-cut” and “favorite place to eat.”

➤ Read Sandra Clark on page 4

Drenched“My umbrella proved com-

pletely worthless as protection from the vicious elements,” Ronnie Mincey writes.

“The wind immediately blew it inside out, and I calculated that it was only to serve as a lightning rod that would con-duct deadly electricity through my body at any moment.

“Nevertheless, I clung to it for dear life as it seemed to be my only remaining tie to previ-ous serenity.”

➤ Read Ronie Mincey on page 4

2 • FEBRUARY 24, 2016 • UNION COUNTY Shopper news

Honor Guard presents rifl eThe Tri-County Veterans Honor Guard presented Union County Commission with an M-1 rifl e to

display in the large courtroom. Pictured during the presentation are Commander Harold Miller,

Mayor Mike Williams, Vice Commander Earl J. Loy, and commission vice chair Gary England. Photoby S. Carey

WEDNESDAY, FEB. 24Big Read: Spiritual Songs – “The History of the

Negro Spiritual,” 6 p.m., Beck Cultural Center, 1927 Dandridge Ave. A musical lecture/concert presented by Dr. Naima Johnston Bush. Info: beckcenter.net, knoxlib.org.

Big Read book discussion: “A Lesson Before Dy-ing,” noon, YWCA, 420 Clinch Ave. Hosted by YWCA and Union Ave Booksellers. Bring bag lunch. Facilitat-ed by Avice Reid. Info: ywcaknox.com, knoxlib.org.

The Bits ’N Pieces Quilt Guild meeting, 1 p.m., Community Center, Norris. Program: “Favorite Quilting Tips” presented by the members. Visitors and new members welcome. Info: Mary Jane Berry, 494-7841.

Computer Workshops: Internet and Email Basics, 2 p.m., Burlington Branch Library, 4614 Ashe-ville Highway. Requires “Introducing the Computer” or equivalent skills. Info/registration: 525-5431.

International Folk Dance Class, 7:30-10 p.m., Claxton Community Center, 1150 Edgemoor Road, Clinton. Info: Paul Taylor, 898-5724; oakridgefolkdancers.org; on Facebook.

THURSDAY, FEB. 25Big Read book discussion: “A Lesson Before

Dying,” 5 p.m., Beaumont Elementary, 1211 Beaumont Ave. Dinner followed by discussion. Facilitated by Indya Kincannon. Info: knoxlib.org.

THURSDAY-FRIDAY, FEB. 25-26AARP Driver Safety class, noon-4 p.m., Halls

Senior Center, 4410 Crippen Road. Info/registration: Carolyn Rambo, 382-5822.

FRIDAY, FEB. 26 Film Night: “Making of North America: Ori-

gins,” 7-9 p.m., Narrow Ridge Mac Smith Resource Center, 1936 Liberty Hill Road, Washburn. Popcorn and hot beverages provided. Info: Mitzi, 497-2753 or community@narrowridge.org.

SATURDAY, FEB. 27Ballroom dance, 7-9 p.m., Halls Senior Center,

4405 Crippen Road. Live music by the David Correll Band. Admission: $5. Info: 922-0416.

Final day of sign-ups for spring league baseball and softball for ages 4-14u, 10 a.m.-1 p.m., Holston Ball Park, 5900 Asheville Highway. League fees: $60. Teams will play at several locations around Knoxville. Info: Julie Townsend, 659-6989; Randy Geames, 525-5275.

Fourth Saturday Jam Session, 7 p.m., old Rush Strong School, Leadmine Bend Road, Sharps Chapel. Country, bluegrass and gospel music. Free admission, donations appreciated.

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.

Saturday Stories and Songs: David Blivens, 11 a.m., Powell Branch Library, 330 W. Emory Road. Info: 947-6210.

Saturday Stories and Songs: Sarah Rysewyk, 11 a.m., Fountain City Library, 5300 Stanton Road. Info: 689-2681.

SUNDAY, FEB. 28Silent Meditation, 11 a.m.-noon, Narrow Ridge Mac

Smith Resource Center, 1936 Liberty Hill Road, Washburn. Info: Mitzi, 497-2753 or community@narrowridge.org.

Yoga, 9:30-10:45 a.m., Narrow Ridge Mac Smith Re-source Center, 1936 Liberty Hill Road, Washburn. Bring yoga/Pilates mat, towel and water. Info: Mitzi, 497-2753 or community@narrowridge.org.

MONDAY, FEB. 29QED Experimental Comedy Lab, 7:30-9:30 p.m.,

The Pilot Light, 106 E. Jackson Ave. Free comedy show blending stand-up, improv, sketch and other perfor-mance styles. Donations accepted.

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 2International Folk Dance Class, 7:30-10 p.m.,

Claxton Community Center, 1150 Edgemoor Road, Clin-ton. Info: Paul Taylor, 898-5724; oakridgefolkdancers.org; on Facebook.

THURSDAY, MARCH 3Big Ridge 4th District Neighborhood Watch

meeting, 7 p.m., Big Ridge Elementary School library. Info: 992-5212.

FRIDAY, MARCH 4Adrian Burnett Elementary’s Hoopalooza

basketball game, 7 p.m., Halls High Gym. School staff vs WBIR Heartbreakers. Info: 689-1474.

SATURDAY, MARCH 5Free beginning beekeeping class, 9:30 a.m.-2

p.m., First Avenue Meeting Hall (across from Duncan Lumber) in New Tazewell. Presented by Bee Friends in Claiborne County. Guest presenter: John Hamrick, UT Extension agent and bee specialist. Lunch provided. Info/registration: Julianne Behn, 617-9013.

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.

Weed Wrangle, 9 a.m. Volunteers needed to help remove invasive plants in Knoxville’s Urban Wilderness, at the Knoxville Botanical Gardens and Arboretum, Ijams Nature Center, and Lakeshore Park. Info/volun-teer registration: weedwrangle.com and click on the photo of Knoxville.

MONDAY, MARCH 7American Legion meeting, 7 p.m., 140 Veteran

St., Maynardville. All veterans are invited. Info: 387-5522.

TUESDAY, MARCH 8Paulette 6th District Neighborhood Watch

meeting, 7 p.m., Paulette Elementary School cafeteria. Info: 992-5212.

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 9The 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, klassenbob0619@gmail.com, or Ken Shipley, shipleyk@apsu.edu.

International Folk Dance Class, 7:30-10 p.m., Claxton Community Center, 1150 Edgemoor Road, Clin-ton. Info: Paul Taylor, 898-5724; oakridgefolkdancers.org; on Facebook.

THURSDAY, MARCH 10VFW meeting, 7 p.m., 140 Veteran St., Maynard-

ville. All veterans are invited. Info: 278-3784.

THURSDAY-FRIDAY, MARCH 10-11AARP Driver Safety class, 11:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m.,

Karns Senior Center, 8032 Oak Ridge Highway. Info/registration: Carolyn Rambo, 382-5822.

Send items to news@ShopperNewsNow.com

ShoppernewseVents

Union County native Bill Monroe is keen on listening. He says it’s a trait learned from his dad Roy “Peanut” Monroe.

Cindy Taylor

Bill Monroe welcomes visitors to Historic Maynardville. Monroe’s family donated the land oc-

cupied by the courthouse. Photo by Cindy Taylor

Listening for

life’s lessons

“My dad told me you nev-er get anything from an ar-gument,” said Monroe. “He said when someone wants to argue with you just listen to what they have to say. When they are done, give them the facts.”

Monroe has been a com-munity activist for years. He

has been heavily involved with the Chamber of Com-merce as both vice chair and chair. This required assist-ing in updating the Website, working closely with Coun-ty Commission and helping establish the Governor’s ThreeStar Program.

The ThreeStar program focuses on fi ve major ar-eas; Jobs and economic de-velopment, fi scal strength and effi cient government, public safety, education and workforce development and health and welfare. To par-ticipate counties must be evaluated annually and show a valid activity plan. Monroe was privileged to make the trip to Nashville to accept the ThreeStar award from then Gov. Phil Bredesen once the

county had accomplished all ThreeStar requirements.

A strong work ethic is an-other part of his character Monroe attributes to his Dad.

“My dad didn’t miss a day of work in more than 30 years. When my grandfather passed my dad had to go to work right after the funeral.”

Monroe recalls growing up in a time when he knew

everybody who lived around Maynardville by name. He remembers a festival in front of the old courthouse and seeing Roy Acuff come in to play.

“These days you still wave at everyone and most of the time you get a wave back.”

Growing up in Union County Monroe saw many changes take place. One

change in the 1970’s had a negative impact on Main Street businesses.

“When the fi rst highway came through it changed the layout of businesses around the courthouse. The center of the city had always been busy with the court-house, bank, post offi ce, barber shop and drug store. Bypassing Main Street took

away much of the small business.”

Monroe was part of the community leadership that presented the need for the current highway to the gov-ernor. He also believes that to survive the coming years broadband throughout the county is a must. For the most a part he sees a bright future for Union County.

“I believe our county will fl ourish when the new high-way is complete from Halls to the Maynardville city limits. We offer a low tax base and some of the best workers in the area.”

Monroe has been with Clayton Homes for 28 years in safety and in Human Re-sources. He has a background in martial arts and says that his martial arts teachers in-fl uenced him greatly.

“I was taught that you will always continue to learn life’s lessons if you are willing to listen.”Contact Cindy Taylor at ctaylorsn@gmail.

com

Splash pad From page 1

“Splash pads are prob-ably the fastest-growing amenity nationwide,” he said.

Howlett is responsible for many regional splash pad projects, including the splash pad near the giraffe exhibit at the Knoxville Zoo and the one at Powell Sta-tion Park. Splash pads can range from small to large, with or without elaborate features. Howlett said he builds with expansion in mind, laying infrastructure that can later host added equipment.

“The only complaint we really get is that we didn’t make it big enough,” he said. “It gives a nice, safe place for families to have fun. They’re really terrifi c for the community.

Cost depends on what

the county decides to build. Howlett said the splash pad he is installing in Clinton is $78,000, while the one in Farragut is $538,000.

Nichole Britt, a grant writer with East Tennessee Development District, said the county could apply for a 50/50 matching grant to build the splash pad. She recommended applying for $250,000. Matching can be done with property, in-kind

Jim Howlett Nichole Britt

vice chair Mayme Taylor met with Williams.

“Mayme and others have asked for additional time before we take any action,”

said Williams. “Cooler heads always prevail, and I think all parties will be bet-ter served.”

“The nasty things that

have been said are not the belief of the Chamber of Commerce offi cers,” said Taylor.

donations of labor or ma-terials, or with designated funding. Other projects at Wilson Park that could be covered under the grant include replacing the play-ground equipment and im-proving the walking trail. Applications are due in April.

“I think it would have a really good shot at getting funded,” said Britt.

Commissioners will choose a course of action in the March meeting.

■ Chamber talk postponed Williams said all discus-

sion of the Union County Chamber of Commerce and the Tennessee Tourism De-velopment Authority Act would be postponed until the March meeting.

After the abrupt resigna-tion of new Chamber presi-dent Carl Nichols, Chamber

UNION COUNTY Shopper news • FEBRUARY 24, 2016 • 3 community

By Bonnie PetersI think I was the only

person on Thunder Road old enough to remember the White Lightening runs, but an evening of good eating and good fun took place on Thunder Road at the historic Carr house in Maynardville when Preservation Union County held its fundraiser Sweetheart Dinner with the theme “Smooch and Shine on Thunder Road.”

Several of us dressed up as “Moonshiners” in our overalls. Ronnie Mincey did a great job as server while his wife, Mary Ann, and Wayne Toppins, husband of Marilyn, acted as photogra-phers to record the memo-ries of a wonderful evening.

Preservation Union County president Betty Bullen and her husband, Stan, brought a moonshine still and had it set up in the dining room for photo ops. Volunteer chefs and serv-ers were Ellen Perry, Pat Campbell, Susan Boone, Jeff Chesney, Pat and Don Bridges, Bonnie Peters, Marilyn Toppins and Vickie Bruce. Michelle Liford did a great job coordinating the silent auction.

More than 50 people dined on roast pork, green beans, slaw, potato casserole, deviled eggs, apples, rolls and butter and ice cream sundaes. Water, tea and cof-fee were the beverages.

Mary and Alan Solocin-ski came from South Knox-ville and Jeannie and Ray Hinton came from Powell.

Gary and Diane England provided music from the ’50s. Other attendees were Judy, Jim and Anthony George, Jim and Judy Sex-ton, Michael Bailey, Mayor Mike Williams, Ruth Mi-halthian and Jim Kissinger, Linda and Theo Coppock, Teresa and Mark Turner, Danny Martin, Rhonda and Randy Turner, Martha War-wick, Ruth Cooke, Mayme Taylor and Jody Smith, Te-resa and Charles Coones, Louisa and Damon Ristoli, Phyllis Chesney, Gwen and Dennis Johnson, Linda and J. V. Waller, Donna and Michael Kelly, Glenda and Richard Phillips, Libby Morgan and Buddy Bruce.

Preservation Union County would like to thank its sponsors, without whose help this event would not have been possible: Midway IGA and the Longmire fam-ily, B. Bruce Carpetry, Attor-ney K. David Myers, Glenda and Richard Phillips, and the Winery at Seven Springs Farm and the Riddle Family. Betty Bullen announced the Riddles’ gift of a percentage of the proceeds from the sale of their Heritage Wine Series sales to Preservation Union County.

Dr. Ronnie Mincey was

Smooch and Shine guests enjoy the appetizers and order

beverages.

Sweetheart Dinner 2016

welcomed to the Boards of Preservation Union County and East Tennessee Preser-vation Alliance in 2016. To learn more about the proj-

ects and future events of Preservation Union County, “like” Preservation Union County on Facebook, Twit-ter and Instagram.

Luttrell’s Jody Smith and Mayme Taylor collect the “shine” at

PUC Dinner. It’s just water, folks. Photos by Wayne Toppins

Betty and Stan Bullen get ready to dine. Photo by Mary Mincey

Richard Phillips, vice mayor of Plainview, shares a moment with

his wife, Glenda, at the Preservation Union County dinner.

Bonnie Peters and Libby Morgan share a laugh with Diane and

Gary England as they prepare the music for the Smooch and

Shine Sweetheart Dinner.

Mayor Mike Williams checks the moonshine still under the

gaze of a poster of Popcorn Sutton.

Happy birthday,

Mayor MikeMembers of the Mayor’s

offi ce staff and main-

tenance staff surprised

Mayor Mike Williams

with a birthday cake

and candles during the

Feb. 18 Union County

Commission meeting.

Williams declined to

state his age, claiming

he was celebrating age

39 again. Photo by S. Carey

4 • FEBRUARY 24, 2016 • UNION COUNTY Shopper news

Sandra Clark

opinion

Ronnie Mincey

TEACHER TIME

No pain, you gain.

You don’t have to live with back pain.Find a chiropractor at TNChiro.com.

Union CountyChiropractic Clinic

Dr. Darrell Johnson, DC865.992.7000

110 Skyline Dr., Maynardville, TN 37807

The adage says, “If you don’t like the weather in Tennessee just stick around. It will change.” Certainly the weather extremes of February 2016 prove the point.

Lincoln Memorial Uni-versity’s proximity to Cumberland Gap makes it particularly susceptible to extreme weather changes. I stood in my West Dorm room window during my freshman year and in the

Drenched

space of 30 minutes saw sunshine followed in order by wind, rain, sleet, hail, snow, calm and sunshine again.

On another day at LMU it had rained, so I took my umbrella with me to work study in Farr Hall. As I walked from Farr to sup-per in the Campus Center (across the quadrangle and down the hill, probably no more than 200 yards), the sun had peeked from be-hind the clouds. Each step saw the clouds lower and turn darker.

Then there arose a great storm of wind, accompa-nied by horrifi c thunder, lightning, and the hardest rainfall I had ever seen. I

was terrifi ed, knowing at any moment that I was go-ing to die either by drown-ing or electrocution.

My umbrella proved completely worthless as protection from the vicious elements – the wind imme-diately blew it inside out, and I calculated that it was only to serve as a lightning rod that would conduct deadly electricity through my body at any moment. Nevertheless, I clung to it for dear life as it seemed to be my only remaining tie to previous serenity.

After stumbling through the deluge to the Campus Center, the force of the wind made moving a brick wall seem easier than open-ing the lobby door. A break in the wind allowed me a second to jerk open the door. I barely got my ankle through the door before the returning force of the wind slammed it forcefully closed with a loud BANG!

There I stood sopping wet before an indeterminate number of LMU’s fi nest stu-dents. All seemed to stare openmouthed at me, though not one soul commented upon my plight. I do remem-

ber how quiet it seemed in-side the lobby compared to the tumult outside.

I was always a light trav-eler when I was a college student. As it was not the last day of the school week, I did have dry clothes to change into, although I was wearing the only pair of tennis shoes I owned. I left them on top of the air con-ditioner vent to dry. In my desperation, I borrowed a pair of my roommate’s ten-nis shoes.

The problem was that my roommate’s shoes were sev-eral sizes larger than mine. There was an abundance of string available in his shoes, though not enough to secure the sled runners to my feet. While I almost fell down several fl ights of steps going to supper, another challenge altogether presented itself when having to climb those same steps to return to my dorm room.

This drenching was due to the force of nature. Next week I’ll share a soaking that was the result of a per-sonal choice. Dr. Ronnie Mincey is supervisor of fed-

eral program for Union County Schools.

Reach him at minceyr@ucps.org

Bill Battle was on SEC TV the other day in his role as athletic director at Alabama. His silver white hair reminded me that God works in mysterious ways, His miracles to perform.

Amazing that an Ala-bama man, at age 28, could be-come head coach of Ten ne s se e f o o t b a l l . Strange that seven years later, with a 59-22-2

record, this still young man faced a multitude clamoring for change and godfathers pointing him to the nearest exit.

That was 1976. Battle’s productivity had declined, almost year by year, from 11 victories to 10 to eight, seven and fi nally six. His continued leadership was no longer in the best inter-ests of the university. The solution was warming up in Pittsburgh.

To some, who failed to see the trend, it was a sur-prising turn of events. What

Marvin West

What a blessing!

Bill Battle

became Battle’s last team was supposed to be good. It fi nished 6-5.

Battle, class act from start to fi nish, lashed out at critics at mid-season but left Knoxville with mini-mum fuss and a short res-ignation speech. He said the Tennessee family needed unifi cation and he couldn’t do it. As an aside, he smiled and explained how to soften the spectacle of getting run out of town: Make it look like you’re leading a parade.

What happened wasn’t entirely Bill Battle’s fault. Promoting him, without co-ordinator experience, from end coach to the top job was Bob Woodruff’s worst mistake. It was not a world record. Notre Dame once hired a high school coach.

Battle appeared to have necessary basics. He had the

clean-cut look of a football champion. He was certainly smart enough. He was a man of character, honest to a fault. He had a rich back-ground and competitive zeal. He was creative as an assistant on Doug Dickey’s staff.

With near-perfect hind-sight, I now believe he was miscast as captain of jungle warfare. He was too nice a guy.

Battle had played for Paul “Bear” Bryant. The old coach was still there when Bill needed a little help. A Bryant associate found him a real job, vice president of aluminum windows in Sel-ma, Ala. The business pros-pered. Others were created or purchased. One involved the marketing of Jack Nick-laus socks, golf gloves and eyewear. Another involved Disney characters.

In time, Battle moved up to president of Golden Eagle Enterprises. It evolved into Collegiate Licensing, serv-ing a couple of hundred schools. Alabama was his fi rst client.

Organizing the autho-rized marketing of sports merchandise featuring team names and logos was a pure stroke of genius.

“Authorized” was the

key word. Battle saw to it that manufacturers paid a royalty. Colleges learned to love the new money he pro-duced.

During 25 years of spec-tacular success, Battle became very wealthy. He eventually sold Collegiate Licensing to marketing gi-ant International Manage-ment Group and became more very wealthy.

Many others cashed in because of Bill’s licensing concept and oversight – the PGA tour, Indy Racing, Churchill Downs, NASCAR and Olympic boxing, swim-ming, diving, rowing and gymnastics. There were more.

Fans were and are ab-solutely determined to buy golf shirts, caps and coffee mugs with favorite team colors and emblems. Battle saw the future and all con-cerned benefi tted.

Now we know what a blessing it was for Bill Battle to sink to 6-5, walk away from Tennessee football with his head up, and go in a different direction.

After his second career, he went in another direc-tion, back to Alabama just to have something to do.Marvin West invites reader reaction. His

address is westwest6@netzero.com

Survey resultsThanks to everyone who

took time to answer our recent readership survey. We actually use this input in deciding what to publish.

Favorite writer?We got votes for Ronnie

Mincey, Sandra Clark, Bon-nie Peters, Libby Morgan and Melanie Dykes.

Mincey got the most votes. He must have con-tacted relatives far and near.

Comments?A discerning soul wrote

that she likes my stuff be-cause I “tell the truth.”

Melanie Dykes is a new contributor, submitting pictures from the various senior events across the county. Glad to see she’s building a fan base.

We need more ...Local news; stories about

folks in Union County and not the STP (same 10 people). We hear you.

Someone said we need more church happen-ings; someone else said we should feature old country stores that are still in busi-ness. What a great idea!

We need less ...Misspellings got the

most votes. Now I can’t say we never misspell a word or misplace a modifi er, but I’ll argue till the cows come home that these readers are confusing us with some other paper.

Two folks said every-thing we print is “good,” and somebody else said

we need “less unnecessary gossip.”

The necessary gossip shall remain.

Favorite place to eat?Votes came in for Mc-

Donalds (“we have grand-kids”), Subway, Shabby Chic Tea Room, Li’l Jo’s, Pete’s Place and Booker’s One Stop Market and Deli.

Pete’s and Subway tied for fi rst place.

Best haircut?Votes came for Hidden

Potential with Tina Tudor Huiting, Cutting Crew, Ja-net’s Hair and Tan, A Line Boutique and Salon and City Barber Shop.

Cutting Crew claimed fi rst place.

Favorite politician?Readers mentioned

Jared Effl er, Sanders (which I assume means Bernie), Mike Williams, Gina Buckner and Sheriff Billy Breeding.

A couple were left blank, three actually, and another mentioned an “anybody but.”

The best, though, was the reader who wrote: “Mike Williams – some say he’s not doing the job, but to me he is. He’s a lot like his mother.”

Union County’s big-gest need?

Animal control offi cer; places and activities for young people; restaurants; more businesses; motel; a gathering place for meet-ings; information booklet and ways to disseminate information to show new-comers what’s available. Not all have Internet; fast food – chicken or fi sh.

Want to react?Write to P.O. Box 18295,

Knoxville 37928 or email sclark426@aol.com

UNION COUNTY Shopper news • FEBRUARY 24, 2016 • 5

CrossCurrents

LynnPitts

My mother read to me before I can remember. Even after I could read, I would ask her to read to me because I loved the sound of her voice.

There were always books in our house, shelves of them, and to this day, if I have a book, I can be happy in any wait-ing room, on any f light, on any quiet evening.

So, herewith are some fabulous quotes about reading; I hope these will encourage you to read to your children, for your own pleasure, or for the good of your soul.

“Children are made readers on the laps of their par-ents.”

– Emilie Buchwald

“Always read something that will make you look good if you die in the middle of it.” – P. J. O’Rourke

“I see all of us reading our-selves away from ourselves,

straining in circles of light to fi nd more light,

until the line of words be-comes a trail of crumbs

that we follow across a page of fresh snow.”

– Billy Collins

WORSHIP NOTES

The benefi ts of readingThen the king commanded … saying, “Go, inquire

of the Lord for me, for the peop le, and for all Judah, concerning the words of this book that has been found. …

(2 Kings 22:12a, 13a NRSV)

“Wear the old coat and buy the new book.” – Austin Phelps

“There is no frigate like a bookTo take us lands awayNor any coursers like a pageOf prancing poetry.” – Emily Dickinson

“Tolle, lege.” (“Take up and read.”) – Augustine

“We read to know we are not alone.” – C. S. Lewis

“That is a good book which is opened with expectation and closed with profi t.”

– Amos Bronson Alcott

“Everywhere I have sought peace and no found it, except in a corner with a book.”

– Thomas a Kempis

“A good book has no end-ing.”

– R. D. Cummings

Community services ■ Hansard Chapel Methodist

Church, located on Highway

33 across from Tolliver’s

Market, hosts a food pantry

6-7 p.m. each third Saturday.

Gently used clothing is also

available. Info: the Rev. Jay

Richardson, 776-2668.

Fundraisers ■ Alder Springs Baptist

Church, Hickory Star Road,

will host a pancake breakfast

7-10 a.m. Saturday, March 12.

Includes: pancakes, sausage,

juice and coff ee. Donations

will fund WMU projects.

Meetings/classes ■ Alder Springs Baptist

Church, Hickory Star Road,

will host a Men’s Retreat 7

p.m. Friday, March 4, and 9:30

a.m. Saturday, March 5. Min-

isters: the Rev. Mike Viles and

the Rev. Jerry Vittatoe.

■ First Comforter Church,

5516 Old Tazewell Pike, hosts

MAPS (Mothers At Prayer Ser-

vice) noon each Friday. Info:

Edna Hensley, 771-7788.

■ Powell Church, 323 W. Emory

Road, hosts Recovery at Pow-

ell at 6 p.m. Tuesdays. The

program embraces people

who struggle with addiction,

compulsive behaviors, loss

and life challenges. Info: re-

coveryatpowell.com or info@

powellchurch.com.

■ West Haven Baptist Church,

5651 Matlock Drive, will host

VBS FunShop, a VBS train-

ing and networking event,

Saturday, March 5. Group

Publishing VBS expert will

provide hands-on training on

its “Cave Quest VBS.” Registra-

tion: group.com/vbsfunshop.

Info: Elizabeth, 237-4090.

Revivals ■ Mount Harmony Baptist

Church, 819 E. Raccoon Val-

ley Road, will hold revival 6

p.m. Sunday, March 6, and

7 p.m. through the week.

Evangelists: Louis Branch,

pastor of Bethlehem Baptist

Missionary Church; and

Randy Carver, pastor of

Heavenly View Missionary

Baptist Church.

Youth programs ■ Beaver Ridge UMC, 7753 Oak

Ridge Highway, is seeking a

part-time Children’s Director.

Send resume to: Staff -Pastor

Parish Relations Committee

(SPPRC), % Beaver Ridge UMC,

7753 Oak Ridge Highway,

Knoxville, TN 37931; or

pastor@beaverridgeumc.com

faith

Wendy Smith

Afghanistan native An-gela Niazmand was a good student who dreamed of be-ing a doctor. But her stud-ies were interrupted when the Taliban gained control of her country in 1996. Un-der their regime, women couldn’t attend school or work.

She was married at age 15, a mother at 16 and a widow at 17. She rebelled against the regime by teach-ing elementary school stu-dents, primarily girls, in her basement.

Today, Niazmand is a Hu-bert H. Humphrey Fellow. The Fulbright Humphrey Program brings young and mid-career professionals from designated countries to the U.S. for a year of non-degree graduate-level study, leadership development, and professional collabora-tion. She spoke to students and faculty while visiting Pellissippi State Commu-nity College last week.

She doesn’t remember a time when there was peace in Afghanistan. The Soviet War and resulting civil wars lasted from 1979 to 1992. But the fi ve-year Taliban regime brought the darkest days for women in the coun-try’s history, she said.

In addition to restric-tions on work and school, women were required to

Pellissippi State President Emeritus Allen Edwards, right, pres-

ents a shirt to Hubert H. Humphrey Fellow and Afghan native

Angela Niazmand, who visited campus. Photo by Wendy Smith

Education is a way out of darkness

wear burkas that covered from head to toe. Niazmand was beaten by a stranger in front of her young daugh-ter for wearing sheer socks with her burka.

The decision to go back to school was hard, she says. She had to complete her up-per grades before attend-ing Kabul University. She graduated in 2006, learned English in 2007 and received a second bachelor’s degree from American University of Afghanistan (AUAF) in 2013.

She was acting registrar at AUAF for 10 years before being named a Humphrey Fellow last year. At the uni-versity, she worked to in-crease the number of female students by chairing the Fe-male Enrollment Task Force.

In the future, she hopes to complete a master’s de-gree and doctorate in higher education with the ultimate goal of becoming a higher education leader in Af-ghanistan. She thinks she can help her country by en-couraging the education of women and children.

“I have come to the con-clusion that education is the only way out of the dark-ness,” she said.

Her passion has infl u-enced her daughter, who recently completed a bach-elor’s degree and plans to go to graduate school.

She shared a newspaper interview from a few years ago in which she spoke of her desire to study in the U.S.

“If you can dream it, you can do it.”

Afghan women are vic-tims of their gender, Ni-azmand said. While gender equality has yet to be fully achieved in the U.S., it’s dif-

fi cult for American women to imagine a world where we could be denied the op-portunity go to school, work or show our faces because of our sex.

But that continues to be the reality for women around the world and we should never forget it.

Our country has its fair share of darkness, and edu-cation is our light, too. We are fortunate that Tennes-see provides an opportunity for high school graduates to attend community college at no cost. It’s a rare privilege that should not be taken for granted.

Beth Green

Holston UMC plans special weekendBy Carol Z. Shane

The United Methodist Women of the Holston Con-ference are gearing up for a very special weekend.

On March 12 and 13, they’ll be attending a “Sis-ters in Service” contem-porary worship retreat in Sevierville. The theme is “Service with a Smile: Ex-periencing Joy in the Midst of the ‘Everyday.’ ”

“Happiness is an out-side job. Joy is an inside job,” states the brochure for the event. “You probably learned that a long time ago. But there are questions: How do you and I live a life of joy and service when ‘life’

gets in the way? Am I expected to serve God daily when my life seems like a series of cartwheels, t r a p e z e s and the bal-

ance beam with no net be-low to catch me when I fall/fail?”

Special guest for the weekend will be Beth Green of Kingsport, author of the blog “Life in the ‘Green-house.’” A United Methodist minister’s wife, she is known as an inspirational singer,

songwriter and comedian. “She plays the guitar and is so fl exible in terms of what we want,” says Peggy Dal-ton, the UMW conference membership nurture and outreach chair.

“We will have a good time. It’s going to be ‘wow!’”

In addition to inspira-tional songs and stories, there will be “hands-on” time for activities such as making prayer bracelets, shopping or just getting to know new friends.

Dalton says that though the event features topics of interest to the young work-ing woman, “it’s intergen-erational. We take people

from 13 to 103.” According to the bro-

chure, anyone “young and young at heart” will experi-ence “a marvelous time for women of every generation to fi nd joy in the company of each other while hearing from Beth how to experi-ence joy in everyday life.”

And “you don’t have to be a Methodist to come,” adds Dalton. Interested women are invited to contact Dal-ton at hpdalton@musfi ber.com or 423-581-4743

“Let’s come together and fi nd out how God expects us to experience joy in every-day life,” says the brochure. “It can happen!”

Churches join for Ash WednesdayCongregations from Colo-

nial Heights United Method-ist, Lake Forest Presbyterian and Graystone Presbyterian churches joined Feb. 10 for a combined Ash Wednesday service.

Participants collected an offering for Family Promise Ministry, which helps local homeless families.

The Rev. Jim Lunde of Graystone preached the sermon titled, “Sound the Alarm.”

The Rev. Daniel Ogle of Colonial Heights said, “The mark of the cross that we have on our foreheads re-minds us of our need for God and God’s longing to lead us back to Him.

“May we all experience a holy Lent.”

Taylor

Lawhorn

wears

the mark

of the

cross.

Katie and Scott Montgomery

Adam Montgomery and son

Finley , taking an incoming

call.

TennCare Kids provides services

TennCare Kids is a free program of check-ups and health care services for those birth to age 21 who are TennCare eligible. It is the state’s effort to see a healthy start for children and teens.

Services include health history, complete physical exam, lab tests as appropri-ate, immunizations, vision and hearing screening, developmental and behav-ior screenings as appropri-ate, and advice on healthy living.

Info: Pam Williams, 992-3867, ext. 131.

6 • FEBRUARY 24, 2016 • UNION COUNTY Shopper news

SENIOR NOTES ■ Union County Senior

Citizens Center298 Main St.Monday-Friday8 a.m.-4 p.m.Info all seniors groups: Melanie Dykes992-3292/992-0361

■ Plainview SeniorsPlainview City Hall1037 Tazewell PikeMeets each fi rst Monday10 a.m.-12:30p.m.

■ Luttrell SeniorsLuttrell Community Center115 Park RoadMeets each third Monday10 a.m.-12:30 p.m.

■ Sharps Chapel SeniorsSharps Chapel Commu-nity Bldg.1550 Sharps Chapel RoadMeets each fi rst and third Wednesday10 a.m.-12:30 p.m.

Shirley McMurtrie told me a new one: If you fi nd a fi ve-leaf clover, it surely means bad luck; however, if you keep hunting until you fi nd a four-leaf clover that will redeem you and then you will have good luck.

Bonnie Peters

How’s your chicken luck?

Carson “Eddie” Thomp-son shared his experience with “witching” for water. Some years ago when the Thompsons built their home on Bull Run Road, they needed a well. Carson tried

“witching” with coat hanger wire. Sure enough, the wire bent at three sites near the house.

When the well driller came, they checked the sites again, and at one particular

site the wire bent down-ward more forcefully. The driller agreed that this spot is where the drill should begin. He told Carson that he would need to drill 145 feet down for a good supply.

Guess what! When the drill got to 145 feet, water was fl owing at 15 gallons p er minute, and the man told Carson that was suffi cient water so that they should

never run out.To this day, they have not run out

of water.P a u l i n e

Smith also called to tell me one I hadn’t heard

before about “chicken luck.”

If you raise chickens, the fi rst

person who comes to your door on New Year’s

Day brings your chicken luck and determines the sex of your chickens!

If a girl or woman comes to the door, all the chickens will be hens – a good thing. If a boy or man comes to your door, all the chickens

will be roosters.Additionally, Pauline

told me when she was in high school New Year’s Day was not a holiday, and chil-dren had to attend school. Pauline had to walk a little ways to catch the bus. A neighbor, Gladys Welch, saw her and asked her to come in to bring her chick-en luck.

Pauline went in, and Gladys asked her to sit down. Gladys told her that if she would sit down that meant the setting hen would do a good job of setting on her nest and all the eggs would hatch and bring her a big fl ock of pullets.

Obviously, it is too late to determine your chicken luck for 2016; but be sure to mark your calendar for 2017 and see if chicken luck works for you. Contact Bonnie Peters at bhpeters@att.

net or 687-3842

James Israel enjoys a

little banjo pickin’ by

Randy Zilz.

Plainview seniors celebrate

The seniors are ready to eat! 

Plainview volunteer Paris McBee and senior center

director Melanie Dykes with their birthday gifts from

Flowers by Bob.

Plainview seniors

Kay Jones and Betty

Satterfi eld made sure

the hot tamales and

chili are just right.

UNION COUNTY Shopper news • FEBRUARY 24, 2016 • 7 kids

UNION COUNTY SERVICE GUIDE

4626 Mill Branch Ln. • Knoxville, TN 37938

Halls Halls Vision ClinicVision ClinicDr. Tommy Louthan

Dr. Adam ReachOptometric Physicians

Complete Vision ExamsContact Lenses

Management & Treatment of Ocular DiseasesLarge Selection of Frames & Sunglasses

We Accept Most Insurance Plans

922-7765922-7765www.hallsvisionclinic.com

Whiplash is the aptly named term for the vio-lent snapping of the head that can occur in certain types of automobile colli-sions, the rear-end hit in particular. Car accidents obviously are dangerous for all involved. Infants and children in particular, however, are susceptible to serious whiplash injury.

An infant has very little control of the muscles in the neck. This is why it’s so important that, just as you should wear a seat belt, infants and children are properly restrained in a seat. Otherwise the violent tossing of their heads could produce serious neck injury. Just having the child in a car seat is not enough. The seat that is appropriate for an infant is not going to be the right fi t for a three-year-old, and vice versa.

So make sure you have the appropriate seat for your child and make sure it is installed properly, whether it be front- or rear-facing. Follow the manufacturer’s instruc-tions precisely.

If you are in an acci-dent, you should see a chi-ropractor as soon as pos-sible. Whiplash symptoms often don’t appear until days after the incident. Timely chiropractic treat-ment can be effective in heading off the pain, stiff-ness and headaches that can result from whiplash. Talk with your chiroprac-tor about other ways to protect yourself and your precious passengers when driving.

Presented as a community service by Union County Chiropractic; 110 Skyline Drive, Maynardville, Tenn.992-7000.

Chiropractic OutlookBy Dr. Darrell Johnson, DC

Buckle everyone up for safety

Head Start accepting applicationsDouglas Cherokee Head Start is accepting applications

for the 2016-2017 school year. The child must turn 3 or 4 by Aug. 15. Info/application: Corryton/Luttrell or Pau-lette/Big Ridge, 992-4155; Maynardville or Rutledge area, 992-8146; Central Point and Bean Station area, 828-6123.

Boy Scouts in the Echota District, which serves Fountain City, Halls, Gibbs Corryton, Luttrell, Maynardville, Big Ridge and Sharps Ridge, gave numerous awards at the recent banquet. R. Larry Smith presented highlights of the recent Great Smoky Mountain Council Eagle banquet.

The district executive is Zach Ross, district chair is Dwight Van de Vate and district commissioner is Randol Waters. The district had a 12 percent growth last year, and seven new organizations sponsored scouting units.

Awards included: Boy Scout Training Award: Jim Marshall, Troop 55; Kari Allen, Troop 213; Den-nis Childress, Troop 213; Thomas Johnson, Troop 238, and Tommy White-head, Troop 238;

Cub Scout Training Award: Bernice Borg, Pack 238; Jeremy Jones, Pack 238; Linda Myers, Pack 401, and Chris White, Pack 401;

Den Leader Award: Bernice Borg, Pack 238; Sarah Reed, Pack 238; Brittany Hancock, Pack 401; David Patterson, Pack 401; Linda Myers, Pack 401; Chris White, Pack 401; Jim Searcy, Pack 451; Clay Ven-able, Pack 451, and Saman-tha Van Why, Pack 451;

Unit Leader Award of Merit: Mark Smith, Troop 55, and Missy Campbell, Pack 238

Three Special District Awards were presented: District Award of Merit, Missy Campbell, Pack 238; George Johnstone Award, Dan Jarvis; and Jimmy Coppock Award, Scott Newby, Troop 448.

– Reported by Ted Hatfi eld

MILESTONE ■ Burl Hutchison will celebrate his

90th birthday Feb. 26. Family celebrating with

him are wife, Ruth Hutchison; children: Jim

and Amy Hutchison; Bob and Karen Hutchison;

Vickie and Chuck Wilhite; Gail and Mike Ander-

son; nine grandchildren and 10 great grand-

children. He was born in Union County and

attends Beaver Dam Baptist Church in Halls.

Echota Scouts recognize achievers

Paulette excels in heart promotion Paulette Elementary School held its fi fth annual American Heart Association kickoff Feb. 5. It

was dedicated to Glena Beeler, who passed away last fall. The picture in the background is a drawing in honor of Glena. “Team

Milah” helped with the kickoff . Pictured are (adults) Madeline Hall, Joslyn Hyde, Michelle Branscomb, Karen Peace, Annie How-

ard, Cora Miller, Robin Sturgeon, Stacie Meek, Kim Goforth; (students) Sydney Defoe, Brooklyn Martin, Danyell Middleton, Cole

Williams, Madison Cole, Tucker Day, Teyannah Meltenbarger, Alyssa Clabo, Makenzie Staley, Lathan Garner, Daniel Bailey, Hadlie

Defoe, Madison Heath, Andrew Daniels, Abbie Chadwell, Madison Reagan, Molly Day; (sitting) Milah and Nicole Hickle-Shoff ner.

This photo, shot on the day following the kickoff , shows

students lined up to donate money to the American Heart

Association. This picture won fi rst place in the AHA Jump for

Hearts kickoff contest and Paulette Elementary won a $50

gift certifi cate to buy new gym equipment.

Paulette excels in heart

promotion

Fort Sumter Cemetery newsThe annual meeting of the Fort Sumter Community

Cemetery and the community will be 7 p.m. Thursday, March 17, at the Cemetery offi ce, 4828 Salem Church Road, Knoxville. The annual report will be provided and discussed. The community is encouraged to attend. The Cemetery is accepting bids for seasonal mowing until 5 p.m. Tuesday. March 15. Info/bid forms: 660-6949.

Maynardville Public Library news ■ Herb class, 11 a.m. each fi rst Saturday. ■ One-on-one classes are available by appointment

for those wanting to learn how to use computers and other devices. For appointment: 992-7106.

The Maynardville Public Library is located at 296 Main St. Info: 992-7106, maynardvillepubliclibrary.org or on Facebook.

Veterans soughtUnion County Mayor’s Offi ce is currently accepting

applications for plaques to be placed on the veterans’ wall. Info: 992-3061.

Delivering more …

(865) 922-4136

(865) 218-WEST (9378)

Reaching 11,000of your closest friends and neighbors by U.S. Mail

8 • FEBRUARY 24, 2016 • UNION COUNTY Shopper news