Metro Pulse/Ear to the Ground

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Wal-Mart Owns Its Own 'Homeowner'

Community Forum is an umbrella group formed primarily to give homeowners additional political clout in preservation issues, so its president, Mark Williamson, startled his usual political allies when he made an appearance at County Commission Monday to urge approval of a controversial rezoning for a Wal-Mart development in Halls. The plans, presented by developers Budd Cullom and Mark Tarver, had been rejected by the Metropolitan Planning Commission staff and voted down 14-1 by the MPC board, primarily because they did not comply with the county's Sector Plan, which envisions the area remaining residential.

Cullom and Tarver covered all their lobbying bases by way of Republican lawyer Arthur Seymour Jr. and Democratic lawyer John Valliant, as well as lobbyist Joe May, who organized a letter-writing campaign. On the other side, some 250 Halls residents showed up to oppose the shopping center on the grounds that it will bring intolerable levels of noise, traffic and light pollution into their neighborhoods. Williamson, who is also president of the pro-homeowner's group Fountain City Town Hall, was the prize witness for the developers, and he had several sharp clashes with Commissioners Leo Cooper and Mark Cawood, who pointed out that Williamson is a partner in a construction company that has built Wal-Marts. Williamson said his company is not involved in the Halls project. The project was approved by Commission on a 10-9 vote.

Getting Away and Getting Away with (It)

County Commissioner Cawood had a hard day's night sitting through Monday's Commission meeting, when a contentious zoning issue dragged the evening session out until nearly 11 p.m. Cawood, a Democrat who is known for his wit and for his penchant for extended road trips, couldn't wait for the fight to end, because he was set to hit the road as soon as the meeting was gaveled to a close. Usually, he heads West. But this time, he was going South to Florida. How come?

"I'm going to count votes," Cawood said. "It'll be a blast!" He spiedJohn Valliant and invited him to call (political boss) Bobby Toole, another Democrat, and go along for the ride. Valliant grinned. "I never stole an election after it was over," he said. (We promised to make it clear that he was kidding, only kidding.)

Ah, yesssh, Elvish is in Parish, ishn't he?

The East Tennessee Film Commission kick-off soiree at Regal Cinemas' West Town outpost last Thursday was well worth attending, if for no other reason than for the complimentary airplane-sized bottles of Jack Daniels included in the promotional materials. (We didn't ask; we just grabbed extra press kits.)

It was also notable for the announcement of a new film project to be shot mostly in East Tennessee this spring; an alleged comedy that (and we swear we are not making this up) plays off the notion that Elvis Presley never died, but rather faked his demise, moved to Paris and lives in anonymity, earning a living as his own impersonator.

The project—entitled, subtly, Elvis Is Alive—is the first effort of the new Cinnamon Moon Productions, a company that has as its goal the production of 10 films in the East Tennessee region over the next five years. The company was co-founded by former Oscar nominee and Knots Landing television actor Don Murray, who will also star in the new film (he plays the Colonel, not the Man). Elvis himself wasn't available for comment.

Ouster Ousts Ouster of Ousted, and...

The battle over the hearts and minds and checkbook and mailbox and membership list of Citizens for Home Rule rages on. Chancellor Daryl Fansler has appointed attorney Tim Houser to sort it all out. The anti-annexation group currently has two boards of directors and two sets of officers, each existing in parallel universes, each contending that the other is illegitimate.

Last month, postal officials grew weary of being caught in the crossfire over who was entitled to custody of the CHR mailbox, and locked everyone out. Houser's first order of business will likely be to get into the mailbox, distribute the mail and figure out who the CHR members are. Meanwhile, the faction led by Patra Rule was to take John Emison to court on Thanksgiving eve to force him to quit calling himself the CHR president. Rule's faction ousted Emison in October. Emison's faction ousted Rule in November.