Metro Pulse/Ear to the Ground

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Moving On

Erstwhile sheriff's candidate J.J. "Jimmy" Jones, who lost the Republican primary to incumbent Tim Hutchison, got a publicity infusion last week for endorsing Hutchison's Democrat opponent Jim Andrews. Not as publicized was another Jones move—to the office of Knox County District Attorney General Randy Nichols. Jones, a former county deputy who was working on the Knoxville Police Department's Cold Case File during his run for public office, says he is going to work for Nichols as an investigator. Democrat Nichols is a bitter foe of Hutchison, whose supporters have long maintained that Jones' KPD job would last as long as his candidacy for sheriff.

Graduation Blues

Last week's Leadership Knoxville graduation at the Marriott (which used to be the Hyatt), was a thirsty affair, since the Marriott organization saw fit to set up only three cash bars for 400 Leaders of Knoxville, and compounded the problem by making them buy drink tickets. "There was one elderly lady selling drink tickets for 400 people," grumbled on attendee. "Evidently they don't trust the employees to take money, and the line was a mile long..."

Don Parnell suggested that the Marriott was "following the Russian model," but found a way to circumvent the human thirst chain. "Most of us started going to the real bar," he said.

Let My People Drink

The drink lines at the Leadership Knoxville function are causing some consternation among the organizers of the upcoming Front Page Follies, which is also set for the Marriott. "I'm worried about that long line" said one Follies honcho. "We're going to have to pay for extra ticket sellers—a bunch of journalists and politicians waiting in line to buy drinks? Puhleeze—I may be misjudging them, but I don't think so." The headline skit of the event, by the way, may well be the song and dance routine celebrating Cherokee Country Club's recent admission of its first African-American member, Knoxville College President Barbara Hatton, who will be portrayed by a character singing the old standard: "Let My People Golf."

Talkin' to Tootie

Tootie Haskins, Sen. Ben Atchley's redoubtable secretary, is no stranger to lines—telephone lines. Atchley's office has been flooded with calls during the recent legislative unpleasantness, and even dignitaries like Lt. Gov. John Wilder have been having trouble getting through to GOP Leader Atchley. The other day, Wilder was able to dial through and had a suggestion for Haskins:

"Miss Tootie," he said. "You need to add some phone lines."

"No thank you," said the ever-polite Haskins.

Second Second Saturday Scores

Let's say you stayed out too late last Friday night (maybe at the 25th anniversary party for Mike Bowman and Lydia Lekich at the Laurel Theatre, with music by Smokin' Dave and the Premo Dopes), and you happened to stumble bleary-eyed onto Market Street Saturday morning. You probably would have had to rub your eyes a couple of times to figure out where you were. First, there was the techno music thumping from the vicinity of Market Square. Then there were the vendors along the sidewalk and in Krutch Park. And hey, where did all these people come from? It was the second monthly Second Saturday market, an event organized by Market Square property owner Andie Ray and featuring local vendors selling produce, art, jewelry, and assorted other goods. The Square itself was occupied by the annual Gay Pride celebration (hence the techno), so the Second Saturday vendors relocated to the lovely but under-utilized Krutch Park and the adjacent sidewalks. Macleod's restaurant even opened for breakfast. All of which meant that, for one morning in downtown Knoxville, you could buy a copy of, say, the collected works of Rilke from a sidewalk bookseller (in this case, John Coleman of the Book Eddy), and read it over eggs and coffee on the outdoor patio while Europop divas wailed in the background and everyone from young gay couples to grandmothers to parents pushing prams wandered by in the June sunshine. For the calendar-challenged among you, the next Second Saturday will be July 13.

Tidiness is Next to Nothing

First it was the pint of liquor in the bottom drawer, next it was smoking in the building. Now, its staff members complain, the News-Sentinelwants to ban food from the newsroom and has issued an edict limiting working journalists to two pictures in their new cubicles when the company occupies its shiny new quarters off Western Avenue. No eating at your desk? No posting of pet picture galleries? Some staffers were burned up. In the words of one, "The smoke and flames could be seen from Black Oak Ridge."