Metro Pulse/Ear to the Ground

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Politics as Comedy

Channel 10 ("The News Starts Now") began its Tuesday 6 p.m. telecast with the stop-the-presses bulletin that Randy Tyree is going to run for mayor. The announcer said something to the effect that Tyree says he's been out of public life so long that he should be looked upon as "a fresh face with new ideas," prompting one wag to ask, "In what world?" Another answered, "Jurassic Park," allowing on further reflection that a Tyree-free election would be bigger news than a Tyree candidacy.

Politics as Sport

Not all the politicos were present for the mayoral forum starring candidates Bill Haslam and Madeline Rogero Monday night at the O'Connor Senior Center. A bunch of Republicans were attending the West Knox Republican Club meeting at the Copper Cellar West, where former Southeastern Conference Commissioner Roy Kramer was holding court. Kramer, who retired last year, had been invited in by program chairman Haywood Harris, and was astounded when GOP Chairman-to-be Chad Tindell introduced himself and said he was running for county party chair "with no opposition."

"I've never played a game with no opposition," said the venerable Kramer.

Double Dribble

On Saturday night, local basketball fans settled in for a night of hoops, expecting to see the semi-finals of the SEC Women's Basketball Tournament, which was being played in Little Rock. Imagine their surprise and disappointment when they tuned in at the appointed time and found a bunch of tattooed adolescents demonstrating their skateboarding prowess. Calls flooded the ComCast switchboard, and the disgruntled fans were given a variety of explanations—most of which blamed Fox Sports South for the snafu. Some of the complainers were given a phone number to call to register their opinion of the arbitrary programming decision. Those who dialed in were told to "Call the Talkline to meet exciting people nationwide...." Those who followed up on the instructions received the following recorded message: "Hi guys. Welcome to an exciting new way to go live and one-on-one with hot horny girls waiting right now to talk to you. Get ready to get off with real working girls...housewives, students and fantasy girls..."

More Library Turmoil

The Knox County Library System, still under the guidance of the controversially appointed interim director Charles Davenport, is under new attacks concerning the back-door hiring of a new staff member without the usual prior job postings. According to library sources, the new hire is a full-time staffer in the Branch Services department who had failed to obtain employment through the usual channels. Librarians have been warned not to discuss administrative problems with the public, but local businessman Wayne Prichard, leader of the Public Library Advocates Network is freer to speak out about the matter. On March 8, Prichard sent a strongly worded letter to members of the library board, Knox County Commission, and County Executive Mike Ragsdale, calling for an investigation of what he believes to be inappropriate and politically motivated maneuvering. Citing Knox County policy to announce all job openings, Prichard says he's been told that the new hire was an "emergency" hire. However, he says the nature of the "emergency" has not been clarified. In his letter, Prichard writes, "This looks like more of the inappropriate political behavior the public has come to expect from Davenport...the library provides a vehicle for his participation in local politics." Prichard requested that the matter come before the library board at its March 24 meeting.