Metro Pulse/Ear to the Ground

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The 'American' Elephant

We always hear superlatives about one thing or another here, and nod and smile, but don't always fully believe it. The new Smithsonian, which includes a feature about elephants in America, outlines the history of American elephant breeding and confirms that Little Diamond, who was born at the Knoxville Zoo in 1978, is, indeed, known as the first African elephant born on this continent. However, the article raises the question of whether raising elephants in America is necessarily a good thing. As it turns out, the most outspoken opponent of domestically bred elephants is also in Tennessee. Carol Buckley, of the famous Elephant Sanctuary in Hohenwald, called it "irresponsible" to breed elephants in captivity.

The interesting article doesn't even get into the Knoxville vs. Los Angeles controversy about Ruby, the middle-aged African elephant who arrived at the zoo last week to join the Knoxville herd.

Hanging Garden of Knoxville

These days, everybody's a gossip columnist. Politico Lynn Redmon, who used to be a pretty fine source before he started writing his own stuff in the Powell Post, has floated a suggestion so good that we wish we'd written it ourselves. So we're borrowing it, and giving him all due credit, of course (hey, we ain't the New York Times here). Redmon has figured out a use for the telecommunications tower currently under construction atop Sharp's Ridge west of I-275. The monster tower will top out at 1,400 feet, and he thinks it has the potential to become a tourist attraction:

The world's tallest botanical garden.

"A unique, one-of-a-kind, world-class, internationally-renowned, botanical garden. Then you add a telescope, a few aquariums, and a wedding chapel, and you will have what some folks in Knoxville and Knox County have been yearning for—an all-in-one, take-it-to-the-next-level, world-class attraction."

He claims it can be done for peanuts. "As the self-appointed developer of this attraction, I will first go to City Council and ask for a half-million dollar grant. I will promise to spend it lobbying Council and Commission to approve the whole deal."

Once he gets the city's money, Redmon says he'll hit up County Commission, where he will of course stress the educational aspects of the sky-high botanical gardens, which he plans to call "Petunia-on-a-Stick Gardens."

"I will have complete figures on the cost of maintaining the gardens on top of the tower. It will not cost much. Just a few hundred dollars each month for new potted plants and a smidgen for a management fee for yours truly. The gift shop, the snack bar, and the very expensive pay bathrooms, all located at the top of the tower, will easily recoup any operating expenses. If not, I will get Council and Commission to kick in even more money."

Redmon plans to foil any taxpayer mistrust the old-fashioned way — with snappy slogans like "Look Up Knoxville!" or "Knoxville's Future is Up in the Air;" or " or "Join the Quarter-of-a-Mile High Club;" or "Making Knox County Grow Taller and Better Every Day."

"If I get the slogan right, the money will follow," he says.

Damn the Firehall

Is there much brother-/sisterhood these days between Knoxville's Finest and Knoxville's Bravest? Police and firefighters seem to be scrapping for their respective slivers of the city budget pie. Members of City Council have been peppered with a form letter from police officers urging Council to quit trying to prevent the closing of the historic Burlington Fire Hall, which "... the fire chief has proposed closing due to its structural age and lack of usefulness... if the fire chief in his wisdom and tenure believes that the citizens of this fine city will not suffer by closing of this location, surely we will not question his judgment."

The letter declares that the Council members should "show more empathy for the workers than for a structure that has seen the end of its days."

It's fair to say that the arguments would have been more warmly received if a good number of the letters that contained them had not come from officers who make their homes outside the city limits.

Running Jean

Last week, we reported that the Election Commission had voted not to consider Citizens for Home Rule's challenge to the candidacy of former 2nd District City Councilwoman Jean Teague, who was term-limited out of office two years ago and plans to seek an at-large seat in this year's elections. That was incorrect, since no vote was taken, and Teague's name, at this point, is still slated to appear on the ballot. The anti-annexation CHR, as we reported, plans to challenge Teague's right to run, since the term limits referendum, which passed by an overwhelming majority, seemed made for the 28-year incumbent Teague. Polite letters stating contrary opinions have been exchanged between CHR lawyer David Buuck and Knox County Law Director Mike Moyers, and CHR officials seem determined to proceed, since, as one said, "CHR's got 28 years of bad history with Jean Teague, who never saw an annexation she didn't like. And meanwhile, Victor's got 100 more annexations on the agenda."

Another Garden

While well-connected patrons of another, sexier garden project have lined up to muscle their way toward public matching funds in the millions of dollars recently, tree guy Jim Cortese has been working to gain support for the Knoxville Botanical Gardens and Arboretum on Wimpole Street in East Knoxville (formerly the site of the Howell Nurseries, and home to priceless, century old trees and stacked-stone fences). Although long-range plans are apparently going well, there is a great need to raise some money for maintenance over the summer, and Town Hall East and other community groups in the area are trying to help Cortese get up the $15,000 that will be necessary to pay groundskeepers. They're asking for contributions of any size to Knoxville Botanical Gardens & Arboretum, P.O. Box 14156, Knoxville, TN 37914. Cortese says this is a section 501(c)(3) charitable organization, so gifts are tax deductible. For more information, call Cortese at 522-0533 or e-mail him at [email protected].

$niff for $cratch

A breath of fresh air is no longer out of question, despite recent reports of the city's pollution ranking. Where Buds 'N' Suds once stood at 2114 Cumberland Ave., O2 Airheads, Knoxville's first oxygen bar opened this week. Gaining prominence in the 1990s, oxygen bars boast great health benefits—that is if customers are up to paying $1 a minute to stick plastic tubes (cannulas) up their nostrils. This trendy practice is said to alleviate stress, increase energy and alertness, decrease debilitating hangovers and reduce sinus problems, among other things. At O2 Airheads the mood is light; cheerful lights dangle in rows from the ceiling and massage chairs line the aisle to the bar. A first time customer inevitably feels a bit foolish sitting at a bar with a tube up his nose. The oxygen is pumped through an aroma so that by the time it reaches his nose it is lightly scented. Different scents are said to evoke different emotions. The aroma choices are many, but owners Derrick Winters and Tonya Eldridge will gladly let you sniff around before choosing. Death By Chocolate, Watermelon, Vanilla Bean, Pina Colada, Mountain Berry and Tranquillity are among the offered "flavors." First time customers may opt for a five minute session, though 20 minute sessions are offered. Anything exceeding this amount is said to be risky healthwise. Don't let the "bar" part of this establishment mislead you. There is no alcohol served here, and smoking is strictly prohibited. In fact smoking while on oxygen can be deadly. UT students get a 25% discount. Ahhh.