Knoxville Neighborhood Advisory

Neighborhood Advisory – Tuesday, Nov. 3, 2015

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David Massey <[email protected]>	4:01 PM (3 hours ago)
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Knoxville Neighborhood Advisory – Vol. 8, No. 38 – Tuesday, Nov. 3, 2015

 

PDF Version: http://bit.ly/NeighborhoodAdvisory2015-11-3

 

1. Parkridge Elects Board Members, Officers
2. Fountain City Town Hall to Host Medical Center Security Dogs
3. Nominate the Good Neighbor of the Year
4. Home for Sale in Homemaker Program
5. Thursday Session Aims to Enhance Broadway Corridor
6. Mayor Encourages Citizens to Consider Health Insurance Options
7. Summit to Address Accessibility, Mobility, Livability
8. City, Partners to Offer Resources for Landlords
9. Reminder: Check Your Smoke Alarms
10. South Knoxville Alliance sponsors Micro Fundraising Event
11. Neighborhood and Government Calendar

 

Published by the City of Knoxville’s Office of Neighborhoods to report news important to Knoxville’s residential neighborhoods. News & calendar deadline: 5 p.m. Mondays.

 

1. Parkridge Elects Board Members, Officers

 

Parkridge Community Organization (PCO) held its annual elections this week and returned eight board members to subsequent one-year terms.

 

Returning board members are David Anderson, Tanner Jessel, Jennie Mezick, Jennifer Montgomery, David Nix, Seanna Rupe, Zachary Smith and Lynne Sullivan. Christopher Salmons was elected to the ninth board post.

 

David Anderson and Seanna Rupe were reelected president and secretary, respectively. Jennifer Montgomery succeeds Calvin Chappelle as vice president. Chappelle stepped down from the board but said he will remain active in the organization. Lynne Sullivan was elected treasurer, succeeding Zachary Smith, who remains on the board but was term limited as treasurer.

 

A representative of the Office of Neighborhoods conducted the election for the organization.

 

In addition, PCO celebrated another successful Tour of Homes, which was held last Sunday. Chappelle said the group will continue to hold the event each fall around Halloween.

 

2. Fountain City Town Hall to Host Medical Center Security Dogs

 

Security dogs will be the featured attraction at Fountain City Town Hall’s general membership meeting at 7 p.m. this coming Monday, Nov. 9, at Church of the Good Shepherd, 5337 Jacksboro Pike.

 

The dogs are members of the K-9 security unit at the University of Tennessee Medical Center, which introduced the program last year to help address security needs at the sprawling facility. Medical Center officers will discuss aspects of the training for the canine unit as well as the unit’s importance at the hospital.

 

The Fountain City Town Hall board meets at the church on the second Monday of every month starting at 6 p.m. General membership meetings are held at 7 p.m. on the second Monday of February, April, September and November. For more, contact Jamie Rowe at[email protected] or 688-9525.

 

3. Nominate the Good Neighbor of the Year

 

Nominations are now being accepted for the Diana Conn Good Neighbor of the Year Award, which is presented annually to a City of Knoxville resident who — in the spirit of cooperation and with commitment to inclusive community — has devoted time and talent in service to his or her neighbors and neighborhood.

 

A committee made up of Neighborhood Advisory Council members will select the winner, who (along with other finalists) will be announced at the 2016 Neighborhood Awards and Networking Luncheon on Saturday, March 5, 2016, at the Knoxville Convention Center.

 

Who in your neighborhood deserves this award?

 

To learn more about the award, visit www.knoxvilletn.gov/neighborhoods and click on Good Neighbor of the Year Award. Or just download the form.

 

The deadline for nominations is Friday, Dec. 18, at 4:30 p.m.  The nominations can be sent to Debbie Sharp by email to[email protected] or by mail to Office of Neighborhoods – Room 528, City of Knoxville, P.O. Box 1631, Knoxville, TN 37901.

 

The award was named for the late Diana Conn and was presented to her posthumously at the 2013 Neighborhood Conference. The next two winners were Betty Jo Mahan in 2014 and Rita Schwartz in 2015.

 

4. Home for Sale in Homemaker Program

 

The City of Knoxville has recently listed another home for sale in the Community Development Department’s Homemaker Program.

 

The ranch style single family home is located at 177 Chickamauga Avenue in the Oakwood- Lincoln Park neighborhood near Sharp’s Ridge Memorial Park. The 3-bedroom, one-bath, 880-square-foot house was built in 2004.

 

Under the Homemaker Program, the City offers vacant lots and lots with substandard structures for sale to individuals, non-profit organizations and businesses. These properties were identified by the City for acquisition to further its mission to remove blight, redevelop neighborhoods and provide affordable housing opportunities.

 

The purchaser will be required, in almost all cases, to construct a new dwelling on vacant parcels or rehabilitate existing structures.

 

Individuals can make an offer on a property by submitting an application. The sales agreement includes a provision that allows the City to take the property back if the new owner fails to make improvements to the property per guidelines.

 

For a copy of the application, along with other details about the program, see:

http://knoxvilletn.gov/government/city_departments_offices/community_development/homemaker_program/

 

5. Thursday Session Aims to Enhance Broadway Corridor

 

A “design charrette” organized by the East Tennessee Community Design Center will be held from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. this coming Thursday, Nov. 5, in the fellowship hall of St. James Episcopal Church, 1101 North Broadway.

 

Participants will include Broadway property owners, businesses, and other stakeholders, as well as residents of neighborhoods bordering Broadway between Fifth Avenue and I-640, designers, planners and government officials.

 

Seating is limited. If you wish to participate, please contact Leslie Fawaz, studio design director at the Design Center, at 525-9945 or[email protected].

 

At the charrette, there will be a 30-minute input period followed by a 90-minute break-out session. Designers and planners will work with North Broadway stakeholders to address challenges such as parking problems and the lack of any unifying landscaping along the corridor. The break-out groups will then get back together to share their findings.

 

The results of the charrette will influence the Broadway Corridor Enhancement Plan that will be developed through the Design Center and that will analyze existing conditions, assess shortcomings, and develop demonstrative solutions that can be implemented throughout the corridor.

 

6. Mayor Encourages Citizens to Consider Health Insurance Options 

 

Knoxville Mayor Madeline Rogero is urging citizens who need health insurance to check out their options under the Affordable Care Act. Open enrollment began November 1 and will run through January.

 

Locally, the Tennessee Health Care Campaign is hosting events where trained volunteers help citizens with the enrollment process. This applies not only to those who have no health insurance currently, but also to those who want to compare current coverage with options that may be available to them in the Health Insurance Marketplace.

 

Sign-up events will be held at South Knoxville Community Center and Cherokee Health System on Martin Luther King Jr. Avenue. For appointment or best walk-in time, call (844) 644-5443.

 

For more details, see these web sites: www.knoxvilletn.gov/affordablecareact/, http://www.getcoveredtenn.org/, andhttps://www.healthcare.gov/.

 

7. Summit to Address Accessibility, Mobility, Livability

 

The upcoming Knoxville Livability Summit has been designed to appeal to seniors, persons with disabilities, family members or friends; members of design,  construction, and business firms; government officials and other community leaders.

 

Livable communities allow all people to maintain independence and quality of life through economic prosperity, built and natural environments, affordable and accessible housing, adequate mobility options and engagement in civic and social life.

 

The Knoxville Livability Summit, sponsored by the City of Knoxville, the Knoxville-Knox County CAC Office on Aging, and the Tennessee Commission on Aging and Disability (TCAD), will be held on Thursday, Nov. 12, from 8 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. at Rothchild Conference Center, 8807 Kingston Pike. The cost is $25 per person.

 

Click here to register and to read more about the workshops. For more, call Nancy Lofaro at 524-2786 or Stephanie Cook at 215-2034, or email Cook at [email protected].

 

8. City, Partners to Offer Resources for Landlords

 

The City of Knoxville and other partners have scheduled a “Landlord Summit” to provide landlords with information on topics ranging from weatherization and lead testing to Section 8 rental assistance and affordable housing for veterans.

 

The free gathering will be held from 8 a.m. until 11 a.m. Thursday, Nov. 19, at O’Connor Senior Center, 611 Winona Street. A continental breakfast will be served at 7:30 a.m., and no registration is necessary. Mayor Madeline Rogero will make opening remarks.

 

Various presenters will discuss the new program to weatherize rental housing; how to get rental units tested, abated and certified as lead free; ways to house homeless veterans; details about participation in the Section 8 rental program and other social services; and need-to-know details about fair housing regulations and the state’s landlord/tenant act.

 

In addition to the city, partners in this event include CAC (Knoxville – Knox County Community Action Committee), Legal Aid of East Tennessee, KCDC (Knoxville’s public housing agency), the Tennessee Human Rights Commission, the Knoxville Knox County Homeless Coalition, and Volunteers of America.

 

For more, contact Michael Dunthorn at 215-3103 or [email protected].

 

9. Reminder: Check Your Smoke Alarms

 

The Tennessee State Fire Marshal’s office suggests using this past weekend’s change from daylight savings to standard time as a reminder to check your smoke alarms.

 

It is suggested that you test your alarms monthly, but with hectic schedules that can be hard to remember. So, use this time now and then again in the spring as a reminder to test your alarms and replace the batteries. If the detector is more than 10 years old, the whole unit should be replaced.

 

Every home, the fire marshal says, should have a smoke alarm on each floor and in living quarters to be most effective in notifying residents of a fire. Also, make sure everyone in the home knows what the alarm sounds like and what the plan is, should it ever go off.

 

The Knoxville Fire Department has a Smoke Alarm Program for those in single family homes who need assistance installing alarms. Visithttp://knoxvilletn.gov/kfd and click on ‘Smoke Alarm Program’ — or call 311 or 865-215-4311.

 

10. South Knoxville Alliance Sponsors Micro Fundraising Event

 

South Knoxville Alliance (SKA) — a business and professional association — will hold its third Knoxville SOUP, a micro-funding event and dinner, starting at 6 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 5, at Woodlawn Christian Church, 4339 Woodlawn Pike.

 

The suggested donation is $5.00, but more can be given. All donations go to the project winner at the end of the evening. Proposals will be presented at 6:30 p.m., followed by dinner and then the announcement of the winner.

 

The project presenters will be Vestal School Pottery, Family Friendly Drum Circle at Ijams, South Knoxville Elementary Scientists in the Library, and Joe Hill Roadshow.

 

Previously this event has supported the rejuvenation of the Mary Vestal Park and Greenway Extension, and the South Knox Food Co-op. For more, email [email protected] or call 865-309-4020.

 

11. Neighborhood and Government Calendar

 

Include your neighborhood-related event or meeting in this space. Call 215-4382.

 

Visit http://knoxvilletn.gov/calendar for a complete list of meetings of various city boards and commissions.

 

There has been a large black dog with long hair wandering around the Maloney Road end of Timberlake Drive for five or six days. If this dog belongs to you, please come and retrieve it. If you know who it belongs to, please tell them about its whereabouts so they can come and get it.

John Rennie

3715 Timberlake Drive

Update:I am sad to report that Rocky was killed in our yard by another animal. A coyote or stray dog could be possible culprits. FYI-for others with small animals. Keep them safe. Andrea and Gary

Our cat, Rocky, is lost. He is an orange tabby cat with white paws. He has a white collar, and weighs about 13 pounds.  Last seen around 8:00 p.m. last night.  We live on McCarrell Lane and he usually does not leave our property.  Please call us at either 865-405-5283 (Andrea Wirth) or 865-235-2750 (Gary Monroe) if you have seen him or know where he might be.  Thanks.  Andrea Wirth and Gary Monroe

Knoxville Neighborhood Advisory – Vol. 8, No. 37 – Tuesday, Oct. 27, 2015

 

PDF Version: http://bit.ly/NeighborhoodAdvisory-2015-10-27

 

1. Last Days of Early Voting Winding Down
2. New Neighborhood Group Forms Downtown
3. Neighborhoods to Meet with Businesses to Improve Broadway Corridor
4. First Neighborhood Small Grants Cycle Underway
5. Beardsley Farm Harvest Festival
6. America Recycles Day Celebration
7. Local Emergency Preparedness Class Seeks Input
8. Neighborhood and Government Calendar

 

 

Published by the City of Knoxville’s Office of Neighborhoods to report news important to Knoxville’s residential neighborhoods. News & calendar deadline: 5 p.m. Mondays.

 

 

1.  Last Days of Early Voting Winding Down

 

The last three days of early voting are today, October 27, through Thursday, October 29.  For information about where to vote, visithttp://knoxcounty.org/election/.  If you are not able to go any of these days, Election Day is on Tuesday, November 3.

 

Remember, local government has a large impact on your daily life.  Let your voice be heard by voting for the candidates you support. Your vote does matter.

 

2. New Neighborhood Group Forms Downtown

 

It’s a long way from Oak Ridge in Tennessee, to Malawi in East Africa, to Hill Avenue in downtown Knoxville, but it is a journey that has ended with Kaye Bultemeier and her husband Noel Kuck spearheading the formation of Knoxville’s newest neighborhood organization — theRiverHill Gateway Neighborhood Association.

 

After raising a family and retiring from successful careers in Oak Ridge, Bultemeier and Kuck joined the Peace Corps and were placed in Malawi, where she taught graduate nursing students and he worked on food security in rural areas.

 

When they returned to Knoxville in 2012, Bultemeier said, “We wanted to live somewhere where we could walk. In the Peace Corps, we couldn’t drive. We walked everywhere. We were accustomed to using our legs.” They chose one of the most walkable neighborhoods in town — the Riverside Condos on East Hill Avenue, across the street from the Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame.

 

Walking around downtown, “we started to notice that South Gay Street has fewer planters and less artwork than the north end. We wanted to get some vitality that we see on the north end down to the south end. That was the motivation: how can we be a part of this?”

 

Bultemeier and others began discussing the need for a formal organization that would bring together the residents of the area, various nonprofits and businesses. “It’s not that something is terribly wrong,” she explained. “People are just ready to have a voice. When we have an issue, let’s all talk together, because if you call as one person, you’re just one person.”

 

Bultemeier gives much credit to the staff at the Hall of Fame and to Ellen Johnston at Legacy Parks Foundation. “Ellen was just wonderful. She said sure, let’s create an organization. She allowed us to hold our meetings at the Legacy Parks office.”

 

At the first meeting, the group decided on the name and on the boundaries that would include all residents in the Promontory Point Condos, Riverside Condos and The Landings; the four major nonprofits along East Hill (Blount Mansion, Legacy Parks Foundation, James White’s Fort, and Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame); and businesses such as Ruth’s Chris Steakhouse, the Marriott, Volunteer Marina and the Three Rivers Rambler.

 

Until more people can be brought in and formal elections held, temporary officers were elected. They are Bultemeier, chair; Dana Dalton, also a resident of Riverside Condos, vice chair; Ellen Johnston of Legacy Parks, secretary; and Noel Kuck, treasurer. And a Promontory Point resident, Dee Pierce, who serves on the residential committee of the Central Business Improvement District (CBID), will voice concerns and share activities of the new neighborhood at the residential meetings.

 

The group is getting organized quickly. For example, they decided to combine two goals — select a logo for the organization and attract the interest of students who live in The Landings — by offering a cash prize to the Landings resident who comes up with the best logo.

 

But perhaps the group’s most ambitious project is its proposal to install, over time, a multi-piece sculpture at the intersection of East Hill Avenue and Volunteer Landing Lane. Conceived by the artist Derek White, silhouette sculptures of runners, canoers, a person fly fishing, a great blue heron and children playing in a fountain would be placed in front of an abstract water screen to mimic the activities found in Volunteer Landing Park.

 

The new organization will meet from 5-6:30 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 1, at the Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame. They will discuss KAT’s trolley schedule and forming a neighborhood watch. Pizza, drinks and a door prize will be offered.

 

Welcome to the family of Knoxville neighborhood organizations!

 

3. Neighborhoods to Meet with Businesses to Improve Broadway Corridor

 

Six neighborhood organizations and members of the North Knoxville Business and Professional Association will join forces with businesses and property owners next month along North Broadway to envision a more appealing corridor for residents, businesses, customers and other stakeholders.

 

They will meet in a “design charrette” organized by the East Tennessee Community Design Center.  A design charrette is defined as a period of intense discussion among stakeholders and designers to develop solutions to defined problems.

 

For this work, the Design Center was retained by the City of Knoxville’s Community Development Department and has been meeting monthly with the Broadway Corridor Task Force along with the Office on Neighborhoods. The task force is composed of representatives from the six neighborhood groups and the North Knoxville Business & Professional Association.

 

“North Broadway has potential to become a highly successful corridor connecting Downtown Knoxville to Fountain City,” the Design Center stated in a recent announcement. “It has wonderful assets such as long-standing businesses and strong neighborhoods. However, its current streetscape could be improved to the benefit of businesses, customers and residents.”

 

At the charrette, there will be a 30-minute input period followed by a 90-minute break-out session. Designers and planners will work with North Broadway stakeholders to address challenges such as parking problems and the lack of any unifying landscaping along the corridor. The break-out groups will then get back together to share their findings. A dozen staff members from city departments and the Metropolitan Planning Commission will participate.

 

The results of the charrette will influence the Broadway Corridor Enhancement Plan that will be developed through the Design Center and that will analyze existing conditions, assess shortcomings, and develop demonstrative solutions that can be implemented throughout the corridor.

 

The charrette will begin at 5:30 p.m. and end no later than 8:30 p.m. on Thursday, Nov. 5, in the fellowship hall of St. James Episcopal Church, 1101 North Broadway. Seating is limited. If you think you may be able to attend, please contact Leslie Fawaz, studio design director at the Design Center, at 525-9945 or [email protected].

 

The Broadway Corridor Task Force meets from 5-6 p.m. on the fourth Monday of each month at KCDC (Knoxville’s Community Development Corp.) at 901 Broadway.

 

4. First Neighborhood Small Grants Cycle Underway

 

Several of the city’s neighborhoods that applied for grants with the Neighborhoods Small Grant Program (NSGP) last spring, are well underway in utilizing grant money to make change happen.

 

Lindberg Forest is purchasing and installing neighborhood signs for their Neighborhood Watch.  Mechanicsville is also having a sign made and installed.  They are working with departments within the city for help with placement in their neighborhood.

 

Eastport/Lee Williams has gotten out several newsletters that have increased their attendance to monthly meetings.  What is their secret?  They take pictures of residents at their monthly meetings, and then the next newsletter will feature a selected neighbor of the month.  To get the first peak, you must attend the neighborhood meeting to see who won.

 

Oakwood Lincoln Park has cleaned up their clubhouse and has made it into a much more usable space for neighborhood meetings, events, gatherings, etc.  In the future, they hope to find other groups to make use of the space as they would like to see activities for the neighborhood.

 

Historic Fourth and Gill partnered with the Birdhouse for their grant.  They are honing their planning skills from their ARToberfest, which happened this past weekend with great success.  In addition, they will hold workshops to share this information and help other neighborhoods plan events.  The Birdhouse, a community gathering space where the neighborhood meets, is installing a new shed to hold tools and supplies; previously they had no storage space.

 

Keep an eye out for future articles updating city residents on the NSGP.  Or feel free to call Debbie Sharp at 215-4382 or[email protected] if you would like more information.

 

5. Beardsley Farm Harvest Festival

 

Come celebrate the fall harvest at CAC Beardsley Community Farm with a free, family-friendly community event on Saturday, October 31, from 1 to 5 p.m.

 

Harvest Festival will celebrate the farm, the community, and all things fall. Parking will be available at the Wesley House, Mobile Meals, and the Ed Cothren Pool. Enjoy free food, children’s activities, live music, garden classes, and tours of the farm and Habitat Urban Garden nurseries. Come dressed in your Halloween costumes!

 

Children’s activities will include paper hats, face painting, ring toss, nature crafts, a puppet parade by the Cattywampus Puppet Council, and more!

 

This year’s performances include: Beat Scandal, Daniel Scott, Joseph Gillenwater, the Barbershop quartet, and AmeriBand. Knoxville Girls Rock Camp will lead both children and adults in a fun drumming circle!

 

Master Gardeners will be leading workshops on Composting, Preparing your Garden for winter, and Gardening in Raised Beds.

 

Please check www.beardsleyfarm.org or the event Facebook page for updates. Call 865-546-8446 or email [email protected] with questions.

 

6. America Recycles Day Celebration

 

The City of Knoxville and Knox County are teaming up with Keep Knoxville Beautiful to celebrate America Recycles Day throughout the coming month.

 

America Recycles Day, a program of Keep America Beautiful, is a nationally recognized day dedicated to promoting and celebrating recycling in the United States every year on or around Nov. 15.

 

The group will have information booths displayed throughout the community at the following locations and times: Tuesday, Nov. 17 from 4 to 7 p.m., Food City, 7350 Clinton Highway or Thursday, Nov. 19 from 4 to 7 p.m., Food City, 284 Morrell Road or Monday, Nov. 23 from 4 to 7 p.m., Food City, 9565 Middlebrook Pike.

 

During the events, there will be a mercury thermometer exchange where a free digital thermometer will be swapped for every old unwanted mercury thermometer turned in by residents of Knoxville and Knox County, while supplies last. Information about recycling options in Knoxville and Knox County will also be available.

 

For more information contact: John Homa, City of Knoxville, 865-215-2872, Zach Johnson, Knox County, 865-215-5871, or Patience Melnik, Keep Knoxville Beautiful, 865-521-6957.

 

7. Local Emergency Preparedness Class Seeks Input

 

Knoxville-Knox County Emergency Management Agency (KEMA) is looking to start an emergency preparedness class in the upcoming months and seeks input from interested citizen on their availability.

 

KEMA, the local office of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), is trying to help educate locals on how to respond in case of an emergency. One way they do this is through the Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) Program. This program educates people about disaster preparedness for hazards that may impact their neighborhood.  It also trains them in basic disaster response skills, such as fire safety, light search and rescue, team organization, and disaster medical operations.

 

CERT usually lasts 3 hours once a week for 8 weeks followed by a half day simulation. For more information about this national program, looking to be offered locally, please check out the following link: http://www.fema.gov/community-emergency-response-teams/about-community-emergency-response-team.

 

If you are interested in participating in the class and want your input heard during the planning process please contact Rebecca McIver 215-3456 or [email protected].

 

8. Neighborhood and Government Calendar

 

Include your neighborhood-related event or meeting in this space. Call 215-4382.

 

Visit http://knoxvilletn.gov/calendar for a complete list of meetings of various city boards and commissions.

 

The Fall Festival at Lake Hills Presbyterian Church on this past Sunday was great fun!  It was a wonderful opportunity to enjoy fellowship with our neighbors and church members, choose from at least 20 delicious pots of chili, along with all the fixings, and participate in the many fun activities to include “trunk or treat”, a cake walk, and bingo to mention a few. We also joined in the church’s birthday celebration, complete with a scrumptious cake. As residents of Lakemoor Hills, we are so very fortunate to have such a welcoming church in our neighborhood and appreciate so much being included in this fun-filled afternoon.  It was very obvious that a lot of planning and hard work went into putting on such an successful event!   A huge “thank you” also goes to all of you in our neighborhood who participated by decorating their trunks, bringing chili and cakes and especially for supporting this opportunity to get to know each other better.   See you at the next meeting!  Diane de Ropp – Social Chairman

If you like Food and Fellowship, then you’ll not want to miss the Fall Festival at Lake Hills Church this Sunday, October 25 from 4 to 6 PM.  There will be “Trunk or Treat”, games, cakewalk and bingo, followed by a chili dinner.  Contributions of chili or a cake would be greatly appreciated!

We look forward to seeing you there!

Diane DeRopp

Hi everyone,

If you are looking for a reliable and thorough housekeeper, I’ve had a great experience with Jeanna Stott/Keep It Fresh who has been working for me the past year. Her number is (608) 369-0256.

Best,

Ashley Maynor

3409 Montlake Drive

The house next to the house across Maloney from us was broken into this morning.  They took jewelry and ransacked the house.

I thought you might want to post something on the Lakemoor Hills site.

​Suzan​ Bowman

We found a beautiful male BASSET HOUND at 11:00 this morning wandering down Maloney Road between Raines and McCarrell Rd, right in front of the new home construction site. We knocked on a couple of doors nearby but no one was home. No collar, so we brought him home with us. Please call the Ryans 577-8224 or 607-0001.

Thanks, Wendy Ryan