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Ear to the Ground

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Sequoyah Hills to South Knoxville: Take our cell phone tower. Please. South Knoxville to Sequoyah Hills: Take your cell tower and shove it.

A flurry of letters ensued when that Baron of South Knoxville, Nookie Pinkston, learned there was a move afoot to plant the dreaded Sequoyah Hills telecommunications tower South of the River. Pinkston and his Southside County Commission seatmate Larry Clark let their feelings be known to Knox County Parks and Recreation director Doug Bataille, Senators Bill Frist and Fred Thompson, Congressman Jimmy Duncan and County Exec Tommy Schumpert.

"Hell no," said Pinkston when asked if he was thrilled with the notion of being gifted with the tower. "Not today, not ever."

This, of course, is the continuing saga of the little tower that couldn't keep its permit to get built in the heart of the Sequoyah Hills business district after Mayor Victor Ashe instructed his staff to find some kind of way to stop it.

In the meantime, Community Forum members John Bynon and Sue Mauer were working to help their beleaguered Sequoyah Hills neighbors by looking for a suitable location elsewhere. They hit on the idea of putting it at the Marine base on Alcoa Highway and ran headlong into Nookie.

Here are excerpts from the Pinkston/Clark letters:

(To Bataille)

"We are deeply opposed to having the Sequoyah Hills cellular telephone tower anywhere within the confines of South Knoxville."

(To Thompson, Frist, and Duncan)

"Apparently some residents of Sequoyah Hills have concluded the cellular tower can be removed to South Knoxville and thereby still receive the benefit of cellular service. As you might imagine, this logic is highly obnoxious to the people of South Knoxville and to us."

(To Schumpert)

"...There are doubtless more cellular phone users in Sequoyah Hills than in all of South Knoxville. We presently have two towers in place and another is being constructed as this is being written. We see absolutely no reason why the people of South Knoxville should bear a burden simply because the folks in Sequoyah Hills find it inconvenient or unsightly. We wish the residents of Sequoyah Hills had a similar regard for the people of South Knoxville... We will do everything within our power to block placing the cellular tower in South Knoxville."

Rasslin' for Votes

The youngest mayoral candidate says he's getting some interesting offers of help along the campaign trail. Danny Mayfield reports that erstwhile candidate, wrestler Terry "Who's Your Daddy" Landell, offered him a sure-fire way to get publicity—a shot at being a guest referee.

"He said 'I could hit you with a chair, and you could get mad...' and he was talking about some pink tights."

So far, Mayfield has ruled against going the Jesse Ventura route.

Dream Palace Megaplex

Can Knoxville possibly support yet another giant movie theater? Muvico Theaters thinks so. The Fort Lauderdale, Fla.-based theater chain has announced that it will be erecting "the most innovative entertainment venue in Tennessee," a 24-screen complex that will anchor The Pavillion at Turkey Creek, the controversial retail development project between Lovell and Campbell Station roads near I40. If it wasn't daring enough to invade industry giant Regal Cinemas' home turf, Muvico is also fashioning the new theater with an Ancient Egyptian theme that promises to transport moviegoers "back to the mysterious days of the Pharaohs." Look to be transported in the year 2000.