Metro Pulse/Ear to the Ground

Comment
on this story

Talk About Your Lawn Ornaments

The ink was still wet on the Wednesday morning paper when Mayor Victor Ashe hopped on the K2K Internet group to respond to the latest set of "justice center" plans. The proposal by County Exec Tommy Schumpert and Sheriff Tim Hutchison (working apparently in tandem, for a change) calls for a new intake center on the lawn outside the City County Building assembly room. But Ashe—who has played footsie with this issue before, first offering and then withdrawing the Safety Building site—will also have to OK the deal. So far, he sounds typically non-commital: "the city has not signed off on the use of green space there on Hill Avenue," he wrote. "....I told Tommy Schumpert the city would consider it but a final decision awaits the actual drawings and a precise indication of how much green space would in fact be taken." Meanwhile, there's been no mention of the "public hearing" on the jail that was ordered by Commission and promised by Schumpert back in January.

Sore Winners?

Incumbent state Rep. Jim Boyer survived a stiff challenge from former Sheriff's Deputy Scott "Scoobie" Moore, who made Boyer's life miserable in the weeks before the election, particularly when he accused Boyer supporters of paying kids to swipe Moore's campaign signs (a charge Boyer vehemently denied). The returns were slow coming in on election night, and the GOP faithful gathered in the Radisson ballroom waited vainly for the Boyer entourage to come down for the traditional victory lap. When they finally emerged, the Boyerites were not in the best of moods.

"Where's Tim Hutchison?" demanded Boyer daughter-in-law Teresa Boyer, an employee of county Trustee Mike Lowe. "I want to spit in his face! " That would have been an interesting turn of events, since the Sheriff's Department also employs at least one Boyer.

Well, You Can Quote Us

Last Friday, Knox Heritage met with developer Ron Watkins to talk about Worsham Watkins International's controversial plans for downtown.

At the meeting, Watkins struck a nerve with board member Andie Ray, who owns a building in Market Square. She vented with a post on email group K2K. Ray wrote that Watkins was insistent that all Market Square property be taken through eminent domain, would not assure the board that the Square would remain uncovered, was not supportive of historic overlay for the Square (see the Citybeat section for more on this), and was uninterested in a proposal by architect Randall De Ford to build condominiums along 11th Street without moving the Victorian Houses.

Ray's post rattled even more nerves, including fellow Knox Heritage board members, who had apparently agreed the meeting would be "off the record."

But just what "off the record" means is often unclear, and it's especially confusing in the context of a private meeting with no acting reporters present (Metro Pulse contributor Matt Edens was at the meeting as a board member, but he declined to tell MP's editorial staff what happened). Were Knox Heritage and WWI to deny the meeting ever took place? Were they forbidden to talk about anything discussed at the meeting? More troubling is why Watkins would ask that the meeting be kept secret in the first place. He couldn't be reached for comment.

But Can He Take It to the Bridge?

Knox County school board member Tommy Prince, who just completed his second and last term (he lost a re-election bid to Brian Hornback this spring), might have bigger things in mind. Like the county executive seat, for example. "People have asked me to consider it," says the Cedar Bluff-based career consultant (and only funk drummer on the school board). Prince says the encouragement is not coming from his circle of friends—which includes former PBA head Mike Edwards, possible gubernatorial candidate Bob Corker, and Holrob Leasing honcho Bob Talbott—but acknowledges they wouldn't hurt his chances. What could hurt is the perceived strength of former County Commissioner Mike Ragsdale, who considered a run against incumbent Tommy Schumpert in 1998 and has been positioning himself as Schumpert's successor ever since. Ragsdale, who works for architectural powerhouse Barber & McMurry, is close with Sheriff Tim Hutchison but doesn't want to be seen as the sheriff's guy. A Prince run might try to force him more into that role. It would also create the entertaining spectacle of two polished West Knox guys trying to out-good-ol'-boy each other.

It's New Knoxville Time!

By Monday, New Knoxville Brewing Company will have kegs ready to ship to bars and restaurants, and by week's end, the company's India Pale Ale and XX Pale Ale should be in stores, says president Ed Vendely.

The shipments end a hiatus that threatened to become permanent. So what are you waiting for? Get out there and drink some beer.