Pecans

There are a few bags of pecans remaining after our best pecan year yet. Thanks to those of you who ordered. If your order has not been delivered yet, a garden club member is on her way to you. The crop was especially delicious this year. One pound bags of pecan halves or of pieces are now $15 each. Call Mary Cartwright at 579-5617 and get your pecans before Thanksgiving.

I retrieved a tube from the river. It’s large yellow 2 person type. Call or text 406-3934 if it is yours.

Neighbors-

Medium/Large sized dog seen wandering along Maloney.  Invisible fence collar?  Maybe broke out of yard.  No ID.  Black head/shoulders with sort of spotted grey body.  First seen Maloney & Lakecrest, next seen Maloney & Circle Lake.

The daytime garden club in our neighborhood has been working with a landscape architect to develop gardens on two pieces of Knox County Highway Dept. property within Lakemoor Hills.  One is the 1/10th mile median strip along Bluff Point and the other is the circular property in the cut-de-sac at the end of  Circle Lake.  These two designs will be on display at the LHHA meeting on Nov. 17 at 7 PM at Lake Hills Church.  The gardens are designed to be demonstration areas using plants that are native to our area and attract birds and butterflies.  They also incorporate rain garden designs that will help mitigate storm water issues along certain properties.  Knox County Stormwater Department has worked with us to develop the ideas and is providing some of the funding through a grant program for the plant acquisition and installation.  There will be seating areas, walking paths, a small gathering area for music or storytelling, and beauty for all seasons.  Development of the gardens will happen over a period of time and there will be many opportunities for neighbors to become involved.  Come Tuesday night to see the designs and hear more about our plans.

Join Jim Gray for a discussion of Too Much Magic: Wishful Thinking, Technology and the Fate of the Nation by James Howard Kuntsler in the East Tennessee History Center auditorium on Wednesday, November 18 at noon in the East Tennessee History Center auditorium at 601 South Gay Street.

Gray says “Too Much Magic is the latest in James Howard Kunstler’s effort to understand American life and to look into our future. It is an update of his best-selling The Long Emergency and a continuation of work that dates back to the early 1990s in The Geography of Nowhere.”

“Too much magic” is what Kunstler sees in the bright visions of a future world dreamed up by optimistic souls who believe technology will solve all our problems. Their visions remind him of the flying cars and robot maids that were the dominant images of the future in the 1950s. Kunstler’s image of the future is much more sober. With vision, clarity of thought, and a pragmatic worldview, Kunstler argues that the time for magical thinking and hoping for miracles is over, and the time to begin preparing for the long emergency has begun.

“Too Much Magic is essentially about the need to get the facts—and our thinking—straight about America’s (and the world’s) future,” Gray says.

Gray is co-founder and Executive Director of the East Tennessee Permaculture Research Institute. Since coming to Knoxville in 1995 Gray has worked at a variety of positions including Operations Supervisor for the United States Census, chair of the Knox County Democratic Party, and Operations Manager of Socially Equal Energy Efficient Development. He has also produced—and sometimes hosted—Democratic TeleVision, a weekly talk and call-in program on Community Television, for eleven years. Gray is developing a book proposal based on a recent essay entitled “Farming as an Act of Rebellion.”

Knoxville Neighborhood Advisory – Vol. 8, No. 39 – Tuesday, Nov. 10, 2015

 

PDF Version: http://bit.ly/NeighborhoodAdvisory2015-11-10

 

1. Mayor Rogero to Meet with Neighborhood Advisory Council
2. Community Meeting to Focus on Paul Hogue Park
3. Workshop Next Week: What Makes a Great Neighborhood?
4. City Seeks Slide Shows for 2016 Neighborhood Luncheon
5. Broadway Stakeholders Grapple with Corridor Challenges
6. Plans for Central Street to be Unveiled Thursday
7. BZA Decisions Can Impact Your Neighborhood
8. Advocate to Address Effects of Domestic Violence on Children and Youth
9. Use Your Driving Skills to Assist Seniors
10. 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. Mayor Rogero to Meet with Neighborhood Advisory Council

 

Mayor Madeline Rogero will meet with the Neighborhood Advisory Council (NAC) beginning at 4:30 p.m.Wednesday, Nov. 11, at the Cansler Family YMCA, 616 Jessamine Street.

 

The Mayor will make some brief remarks and then discuss neighborhood issues and concerns with the NAC members. Neighborhood leaders and other members of the public are invited to attend.

 

Appointed by the Mayor, the NAC includes a total of 15 members — two from each City Council district and three at large. The NAC’s mission is to 1) give advice and feedback on the programs and policies of the Office of Neighborhoods,  2) bring neighborhood issues and concerns to the attention of the city administration, 3) propose responses and solutions to address these concerns; and 4) serve as a sounding board for city initiatives and proposals affecting neighborhoods.

 

For more, see www.knoxvilletn.gov/neighborhoods and click on Advisory Council.

 

2. Community Meeting to Focus on Paul Hogue Park

 

A community meeting for residents in the Five Points community will be held at 6 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 12, at St. Luke’s Episcopal Church, 600 S. Chestnut Street.

 

The meeting will focus on safety and security issues at Paul Hogue Park (known locally as Chestnut Street Park), and the surrounding area.

 

Several city officials will be on hand, including Captain Kenny Miller, commander of East District Patrol for the Knoxville Police Department; Ernie Pierce, a traffic engineer in the city’s Engineering Department; and Joe Walsh, director of Parks & Recreation.

 

The meeting has been organized by members of the immediate community, including Chelle Neal, who can be reached at 313-4368 or [email protected].

 

3. Workshop Next Week: What Makes a Great Neighborhood?

 

The Office of Neighborhoods and the Knox County Health Department are partnering to host a community workshop next week, focusing on what makes a great and healthy neighborhood.

 

In addition, the workshop will show how community members can work with available resources to create places of beauty and pride in their own neighborhoods.

 

During the workshop, residents will learn about strategies to work on these efforts and brainstorm together to come up with innovative ideas of their own. Presenters will include Sarah Bounse, Public Health Educator from the Knox County Health Department, and Susan Shin, AmeriCorps member at the City of Knoxville’s Office of Neighborhoods.

 

The workshop is open to everyone and will be held Thursday, Nov. 19, from 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. at the Cansler YMCA, 616 Jessamine Street. Light refreshments will be provided. Please RSVP by contacting Susan Shin at 215-3077 or [email protected].

 

4. City Seeks Slide Shows for 2016 Neighborhood Luncheon

 

The Office of Neighborhoods is seeking slide show presentations to be made at the Neighborhood Awards and Networking Luncheon on March 5, 2016.

 

Presentations can focus on a creative neighborhood project or event, a program that addressed a neighborhood challenge, or a larger community project that benefitted nearby neighborhoods. Proposals will be considered from individuals, neighborhood groups, governmental agencies, civic groups, nonprofits and businesses.

 

Preference will be given to presentations that have been successful and have inspired others to improve their neighborhoods and community.

 

Please submit a brief description of your proposed presentation to Debbie Sharp no later than Monday, Nov. 16. Send to [email protected] or Office of Neighborhoods, City of Knoxville, P.O. Box 1631, Knoxville, TN 37901. If you need more time to submit your ideas, just call Debbie at 215-4382.  (Actual slide shows will be due at a later date.)

 

A committee of neighborhood leaders will review the proposals and select the winning ideas.

 

5. Broadway Stakeholders Grapple with Corridor Challenges

 

Over 70 neighborhood leaders, property owners, and business representatives last week huddled with government officials and other stakeholders to re-imagine the Broadway Corridor between Fifth Avenue and I-640.

 

For details about this three-hour event, see www.knoxvilletn.gov/neighborhoods and click on the Office of Neighborhoods Blog.

 

6. Plans for Central Street to be Unveiled Thursday

 

The City of Knoxville will hold a public meeting at 5:30 p.m. this Thursday, Nov. 12, to discuss a $3.3 million infrastructure upgrade project for a 12-block section of North Central Street between Magnolia Avenue and Woodland Avenue.

 

All stakeholders, including businesses and nearby neighborhoods, are invited to attend the meeting at All Occasion Catering, 922 N. Central Street.

 

The project, which will begin next spring, will include the repair and replacement of sections of sidewalks, new curbs, “bulb outs” and other features to improve pedestrian safety; better-defined on-street parking; better-marked bike lanes; storm water and utility improvements; resurfacing; and landscaping.

 

The work — funded jointly by the City, the Tennessee Department of Transportation and the Federal Highway Administration — is scheduled to be completed by the end of 2017.

 

“One unique aspect will be a linear park at Baxter Avenue and Central Street, which will serve as a gateway to Historic Happy Holler,” said Redevelopment Deputy Director Anne Wallace.

 

“Central will truly be a ‘complete street’,” Wallace added. “We’ll be reducing the amount of asphalt in favor of increasing green space. These improvements will make the corridor more inviting and create safer options for people who are walking, parking vehicles or bicycling.”

 

7. BZA Decisions Can Impact Your Neighborhood

 

Nine properties are on the agenda for next week’s meeting of the Board of Zoning Appeals (BZA).

 

Established by city ordinance, BZA hears appeals of denials of building permits by the city’s Building Inspections Department. The board, consisting of five citizens appointed by the Mayor, meets at 4 p.m. on the third Thursdayof each month in the Small Assembly Room of the City County Building.

 

BZA meets next Thursday, Nov. 19. Addresses on the agenda include 5800 Clinton Highway, 1421 Southgate Road, 1612 Elm Street, 227 E. Anderson Avenue, 6215 Enterprise Drive, 6909 Quail Drive, 209 E. Anderson Avenue, 714 W. Hill Avenue, and 2701 Spence Place.

 

Keep up with how the BZA might impact your neighborhood. Watch for the black and white signs indicating that there is a pending decision on a particular piece of property. Most signs are for Metropolitan Planning Commission issues — which are also important — but signs with the word “variance” are BZA items.

 

The BZA agenda is posted on the city website. Browse to www.knoxvilletn.gov/boards and click on Board of Zoning Appeals. The agenda is posted no later than the Monday prior to the BZA meeting each month.

 

A neighborhood group that keeps track of BZA will call the Plans Review & Inspections Department at 215-3669 to request and study the paperwork on a particular appeal, decide whether to take a position on the appeal, and then attend the BZA meeting to voice the group’s support or objections. A group can also request a postponement to allow time to meet with the applicant.

 

Decisions of the BZA can be appealed within 15 days of the BZA decision to Knoxville City Council. Appeals of a City Council decision are made to Chancery Court within 60 days of a City Council decision related to BZA.

8. Advocate to Address Effects of Domestic Violence on Children and Youth

 

Jennifer Rose, MSW — a national and international advocate for ending violence against women and children — will speak in Knoxville on Friday, Nov. 20, from 8:30 a.m. until 11:30 a.m. at the Phyllis Wheatley Center, located at 124 South Cruze Street in East Knoxville.

 

This training is being presented by Game Changers, a YWCA program geared toward middle school boys that teaches about domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking, and about how they can help prevent violence against women and girls.

 

Register here for this free event. If you have questions or have trouble getting

registered, contact Hanna Brinson at 523-6126 or [email protected].

 

9. Use Your Driving Skills to Assist Seniors

 

CAC — the Knoxville/Knox County Community Action Committee — is seeking volunteer drivers in its “Volunteer Assisted Transportation” program, which assists Knox County seniors and people with disabilities who require aid and assistance to travel safely.

 

Volunteers transport seniors to medical appointments, shopping trips, beauty appointments, and other activities. They also assist with communication challenges, filling out paperwork, helping the rider in and out of the vehicle, etc.

 

Volunteers drive agency-owned, hybrid sedans or wheelchair accessible mini-vans and receive training to include First Aid & CPR certification.  Volunteers are needed for weekdays, evenings and weekends.  For more information, please call 865-673-5001 or email [email protected].

 

10. Neighborhood and Government Calendar

 

I have heard that there are door-to-door sales people working our neighborhood. No criminal or intimidating conduct has been reported, but please be cautious about to whom you open your doors. One neighbor called the sheriffs office but got little positive response.

Forrest Orr

2025 W. Velmetta Cr.

 

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