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Firefights
Mayor Victor Ashe got a good PR hit last week when he showed up at the Baxter Avenue fire hall and was presented a petition signed by 201 of the city's 330 firefighters endorsing his re-election effort. But what remains to be seen is whether the petition drive will ultimately prove to be a political asset. Firefighters say the petition drive was spearheaded by fire department media spokesman Charlie Barker, who one fireman says "...gave people who hadn't signed it a second opportunity to do so."
Apparently, the process wasn't entirely a happy one: "Charlie took several good cussings," another source said. (Barker could not be reached for comment at presstime.)
Ashe, who defended having a political event at a fire hall by comparing it to a public park available for any citizen's use, has acknowledged in federal court depositions that he took action against several firefighters who supported his opponent Ivan Harmon in the last election. Their major offense? Politicking in the fire halls.
That suit, delayed by multiple unsuccessful lower court appeals on behalf of Ashe and the other defendants, is set for trial in December—after the mayoral election. Their attorneys, who are being paid by the city, have now asked the U.S. Supreme Court to consider overturning the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals rejection of their contention that the plaintiffs haven't suffered enough to claim that their constitutional rights have been violated.
Runnin' With Randy
The politically hopeful were mixing and mingling on Market Square when Randy Tyree announced that he would be running for mayor. There was Knoxville attorney Jim Andrews, who is exploring the possibility of running for U.S. Congress next year against incumbent Jimmy Duncan. When asked about a potential campaign platform, Andrews "praised" Duncan by saying he is "half a great Congressman—tremendous on constituent services, but short on leadership." Standing on the back row of the crowd was Mark Cawood, who says he is nearing a decision to run for property assessor.
Hey, Not Such a Bad Idea...
County Law Director Richard Beeler is in the seemingly peculiar position of defending Sheriff Tim Hutchison in court at the same time one of the sheriff's chief deputies, Mike Ruble, is gearing up to run against Beeler in next year's county election.
Beeler insists there's no merit to County Commissioner Wanda Moody's suit trying to block Hutchison from overseeing construction of the new jail and sheriff's headquarters that's in the works. County Commission, with Moody as the sole dissenter, handed over control of the $90 million project to the sheriff in April. And Beeler contends that "County Commission could assign Mickey Mouse to oversee this work." It's not a matter of defending his political foe Hutchison, Beeler allows. "We'll be defending the county and all of its component parts."
Prairie Home Companions
We figured Prairie Home Companion, to be broadcast live from Knoxville for the first time on June 25, would have an impressive lineup of regional bluegrass folks, and they do. Among the local talent that will join host Garrison Keillor on the show are the Lantana Drifters, starring Charlie Acuff, "newgrass" mandolin virtuoso Sam Bush—and 99-year-old fiddler Bob Douglas, who wowed a crowd at the Laurel Theatre earlier this year. The show at the Civic Auditorium has been sold out practically since tickets went on sale last month, but you can hear it live on WUOT-FM 91.9 next Saturday evening from 6 to 8.
Good Sports
If any of you sports fans spot a family of large, good-looking people checking out K-town this weekend, be sweet—because it will probably be the Mu�oz family, of Cincinnati, Ohio, here to deliver daughter Michelle, a rising junior and one of the country's top basketball prospects, to Pat Summitt's elite basketball camp. Accompanying Michelle will be her father, NFL Hall of Famer Anthony Mu�oz, her mom DeDe and her brother Michael, a rising high school senior whose gridiron services are coveted by Phillip Fulmer.
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