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Poke a DOT
Mayor Victor Ashe made it clear at Tuesday night's City Council meeting that his baiting and bashing of the Tennessee Department of Transportation will keep rolling in 2002. After new Councilman Joe Hultquist announced a special Council meeting for today (Jan. 11) to propose a year's delay in any action on completing the controversial South Knoxville connector (a.k.a "the road to nowhere"), Ashe jumped in to not only applaud Hultquist but take a few more whacks at TDOT. "Their track record of listening to anyone is pretty dim," hizzoner said of the state's asphalt warriors, "but it doesn't hurt to speak out and try." Noting that he only learned of TDOT's plans to ressurrect the previously stalled connector project via newspaper articles, Ashe added, "I'm under no illusion and no one else should be under any illusion that [TDOT] Commissioner [Bruce] Saltsman will listen to what you have to say." Council will meet to consider Hultquist's resolution at 4 p.m. at the current dead-end of the connector, under the Sevierville Pike overpass.
Plebe-esse Oblige?
This Monday, 51 firefighters, some of whom had been hanging around on the eligibility list for years, were pleased to learn that they'd all been promoted. The sudden mass-promotion was a surprise to many, and sources say the word is that "[Chief Gene] Hamlin's just doing the right thing" in promoting them to master firefighter status.
Others, however, are more cynical, and point out that Mayor Victor Ashe is still under a federal court order not to interfere with the civil rights of firefighters, and that civil service grievance hearings that proceeded over the holidays may have had more influence on these decisions than anyone's prickling conscience. For example, one of the aggrieved firefighters, Robert Crisp, has charged that he was denied promotion for years because of his political support for Ivan Harmon, who unsuccessfully challenged Ashe in the mayoral election of 1995.
Another who testified was Cecil Risden, who has an upholstery business as a side job. Risden said that he was told that his chances for promotion had been damaged by an exchange with Ashe's mother, Martha Ashe.
Risden said in a legal deposition that Mama Ashe wanted some upholstery work done and seemed startled when he gave her an estimate.
"Aren't you a fireman?" she asked.
"Yes ma'am," Risden said.
"And you mean you're going to charge me for this?"
Make Contact
Remember how September 11 was supposed to make everybody think more, volunteer more, care more? Well, here's a chance to show it. Contact of Knoxville, Inc., which has run a 24-hour-a-day crisis and suicide prevention phone line for more than 25 years, is running short of people to man (and woman) the phones. Through October of last year, the agency had handled nearly 13,000 incoming calls during 2001, and made about 21,000 "reassurance calls" to homebound individuals. All volunteers are guaranteed confidentiality and must complete an extensive training program (with a $25 fee). The next program starts Thursday, Jan. 17. For information or to register, call 523-9108. You can get more information at www.korrnet.org/helpline.
Take One
It was klieg lights and clapper boards as a trio of Moxley Carmichael Communications clients threw a Hollywood-esque fete Tuesday at the Tennessee Theatre for Bill Baxter,( whose patriarch Jim Haslam was rumored to be instrumental in securing the appointment of Baxter over early frontrunner Bud Gilbert) the newest TVA board member. KUB, Pilot Oil and First Tennessee Bank footed the bill for the event, which was attended by 300 of Baxter's friends.
The invitations were entitled "How green is my Tennessee Valley," and the theater's Gay Street marquee announced that the event would be "Premiering a new director." Baxter's new colleagues, Glenn McCullough and Skila Harris, carried on the movie theme by being spotlighted while seated on-stage in (what else?) directors' chairs. Although Mayor Victor Ashe had five newbie City Council members of his own to break in, he took a few minutes out of their first meeting to speak about the importance of having a Knoxvillian on the TVA board.
January 10, 2002 * Vol. 12, No. 2
© 2002 Metro Pulse
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