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Smokin'

The June 5 opening of the Women's Basketball Hall of Fame had Gloria Ray walking the floor, and worse. While trying to sit through a long-winded budget hearing at the City County Building recently, the antsy Ray, president and CEO of the Knoxville Sports Corporation, pulled something out of her purse and darted for the door. But even the nimble-footed Ray couldn't move fast enough to avoid being busted by a nosy bystander who spied a pack of cigarettes in her hand.

"I didn't know you smoked," the busybody said.

"I don't," Ray replied. "This is temporary."

"Temporary? Till when?" the busybody asked.

"Until June 6," Ray said.

The Hall of Fame festivities begin Thursday, June 3 with a pre-season WNBA exhibition game with the league champion Houston Comets facing off against Chamique Holdsclaw's Washington Mystics. There's a street party Friday and the grand opening Saturday.

Hot Air Festival

It was hot at Honor Fountain City Day, the annual Memorial Day celebration in the park. As in hot air, which was at least as abundant as the helium mayoral candidate Randy Tyree was using to fill his blue balloons. The festivities were, as one observer tactfully noted, "really extended" by the speechifying that accompanied the long list of awards given out. The major honor was something called the "Chairman's Award," bestowed by Fountain City Town Hall chair Mark Williamson, who has, as they say, political aspirations. That award went to Knoxville's hyperactive mayor, Victor Ashe, who was forced to sit quietly as Williamson praised him.

Tyree had pitched a tent directly in front of the podium, where his firemen supporters gave Ashe the evil eye during the proceedings. Also present was a third mayoral candidate, Danny Mayfield, accompanied by his wife Missy.

The highest-ranking politico on hand received a special award of his own. In celebration of Jimmy Duncan's 25th HFC Day, he was presented a flag that had flown above the gazebo in Fountain City Park. Duncan, whose specialty is handing out flags that have flown over the capitol, said it was the first time he'd ever been on the receiving end of Old Glory, and promised to fly it upon his return to Washington.

Lighten Up, News-Sentinel

For those who read Knoxville's daily paper daily, it's sometimes striking (not to say bewildering) what the paper's editors consider news. There was, for example, the May 20 front-page story about McDonald's new line of Teenie Beanie Babies. Or how about Tuesday's hard-hitting piece on the national spelling bee, which not incidentally is sponsored by the Sentinel's owner, Scripps-Howard? Which is why it surprised us to see Andy Rooney holding up a copy of the News-Sentinel on 60 Minutes last month to illustrate a complaint about negativity in the press, of all things. "Look at this on just one page of the Knoxville News-Sentinel: `Symphony Official Killed in Wreck,' `Homeless Man Guilty in Slaying,' `Jefferson Man Charged in Child's Death.' Makes us look like a nation of bad people, doesn't it?" Rooney grumped. "The fact is, though, this is what makes news, people doing things that most of us don't do." Send that man a Teenie Beanie.

Knoxville's Loss

Courtney Pearre paid a surprise visit to County Commission the other day, but hardly anyone paid any attention to the high-powered GOP politico and recently-resigned advisor to the Guv. He was there to escort his wife, Carolyn Pearre, who was receiving an award for her long years of service to Knox County schools. Carolyn has been the driving force behind the Center School, where adults who missed out on a high school diploma the first time around get another shot. She and Courtney are moving to Nashville, where he has taken a position with a law firm. Carolyn, whose dedication, empathy, skill and compassion have made her one of the most respected educators in this city, says she will be looking for a job in Nash-Vegas.