Metro Pulse/Ear to the Ground

News: Ear to the Ground

So Gay or No Gay?

In New York, the area South of Houston (pronounced House-ton) Street, is abbreviated as SoHo and is one of Manhattan’s more famous neighborhoods. In the early days of Knoxville’s renaissance of downtown residential development, two entrepreneurs (in their cups one night at Macleod’s) discussed how to market the fledgling urban residential experience. They were discussing that addresses south of the viaduct are on South Gay Street and addresses north of the viaduct are North Gay. Inspiration hit. Two neighborhoods: SoGay and NoGay. The next morning, sober heads decided to go a different direction. Back in the 1980s there was a movement to rename Gay Street. A theory was advanced that the lack of business on Gay Street was because people were reluctant to put Gay Street on letterheads as their business address. The re-naming effort was greeted with horselaughs, mercilessly attacked by the old Knoxville Journal and it died a quiet death.

Summit Not a Vision Thing

If you plan to go to the Downtown Summit Thursday (Sept. 16) be advised that it is not a charette, and it isn’t a visioning process. City officials stress that it’s about answering questions and providing information about the direction of downtown and services the city provides. After an introduction by Mayor Bill Haslam there will be break-out sessions on Quality of Life, Downtown Development, Public Projects and Special Events and Tourism. The summit will be at the Radisson, from 5 to 7 p.m.

Park It, Parkey?

Parkey Strader wrecked his motorcycle this week, breaking his collarbone and several ribs. The 59-year-old former property assessor (for 28 years) was involved in an accident on Labor Day and missed Tuesday’s “unity” breakfast with the other Knox County Republican candidates for the Legislature. Strader won the 14th District Republican primary in his bid to replace long-time Rep. H.E. Bittle in deep West Knox County. What is it with Republicans and motorcycles? Law Director Mike Moyers took a spill and broke his leg. Other frequent riders include GOP Chair Chad Tindell and Billy Stokes, a candidate for the state senate this year. Strader faces Democrat Chris Oldham in the general election. Oldham’s status vis-a-vis motorcycle riding was unknown at press time.

Bush Team Gears Up

When local Republicans learned that Adam Groves, partner in National Public Strategies with Tyler Harber, would be named to staff the Knox County effort for President Bush’s re-election they went ballistic. At least two Republican officeholders burned up phone lines to the state party. Groves and Harber managed the campaign of Billy Stokes against state Rep. Jamie Hagood for the open Knox County senate seat. Hagood won by a lopsided margin. It has now been announced that the Bush effort for the 2nd Congressional District (chaired by Knoxville Councilman Joe Bailey) will be headed by Gary Drinnen, Hagood’s campaign manager.