Can Farragut Change?

Michael Silence in the KNS blog had an interesting post last week where he shared an experience he had at a traffic light in Knoxville.

Michael wrote, "Driving home yesterday evening I witnessed one of most brain-dead driving examples I have ever seen. I was sitting at an intersection facing west and waiting to turn left. After my light turned green two SUVs, one from the north and one from the south, bolted through the intersection. In both cases, the drivers were on their respective cell phones. In order to avoid a being called sexist, I will pass on identifying the gender of the two drivers."

I asked Michael if both women had run the red light at the same time. He wrote, "Yes. With both of them just chatting away on their cell phones."

Today I was lucky enough to narrowly escape a head on traffic accident. Most of that luck came from driving the speed limit and some defensive driving on my part. Even though my driving lights were on and I have a light colored 4 door sedan an adult pulled from the turn lane directly towards me, I swerved to the right and he stopped his car in the first lane allowing me to escape. The cars behind me slammed on their brakes and swerved into the turn lane, which he no longer occupied. He was screaming into his cell phone and either did not see me or did not care.

I have a question if any law enforcement people read this post. Could I have called the Sheriffs Department and filed a complaint? No damage was done but I would take the time to go to court and testify against this wreckless driver. Does there have to be a fatality or bodily injury to press charges against idiots like this?

Is it time to ban cell phone use in moving vehicles in Knox County? We have laws that require seat beat use for vehicle occupants and children’s seats for small children. There are fines and penalties for those that break these laws. It is time to have a law that protects all drivers and riders from the insanity of cell phone use in moving vehicles.

Study after study shows that most drivers who use cell phones in moving vehicles are impaired to the same degree as an intoxicated driver. Why allow the hypocrisy to continue any longer? Must we have more fatalities before we develop the courage to enact a law that protects all drivers and vehicle occupants?

Do you drive and use your cell phone at the same time? If so, then why?

http://www.iii.org/media/hottopics/insurance/cellphones/

http://www.nsc.org/library/shelf/inincell.htm

http://www.sciencentral.com/articles/view.php3?type=article&article_id=218392289

http://www.motorway.com/Stories/0,1413,243~32656~2814458,00.html

http://edition.cnn.com/2000/US/06/27/distracted.drivers.03/

Holly Clancy tragically lost her life in a single car traffic accident April 23rd on Snyder Road.

In the last six months this is the third teenage fatality in Farragut.

Greg Palmer tragically lost his life October 1st 2004 at Turkey Creek Road and Redmill Lane in a two-car accident.

Megan Birkel tragically lost her life in a single car accident on Virtue Road on February 1st 2005.

When will we as a community make the decision that speeding and wreckless driving are the greatest problems in our community?

What are you doing as a resident to solve this problem? Do you set a good example by driving the speed limit? Are you part of the problem?

What is our town government doing to make this problem better? Should they take a second look at older roads and redesign them if they are not safe?

What is the Knox County Sheriffs Department doing to enforce traffic laws? Is traffic enforcement a high enough priority?

What is Farragut High School doing to address this serious problem? Does the high school have a role in reaching out to teenagers concerning traffic safety?

Every two weeks on Thursday night at the 7:00 PM meeting of the Farragut Board of Mayor and Aldermen there is a Citizen's Forum at the beginning of the evening. Each citizen can address the Mayor and Aldermen for five minutes on any subject. This meeting is broadcast on Charter Cable Channel Three. The next meeting is Thursday April 28th.

Is it time for you to get involved?

More details on this latest accident are available here:
http://www.wbir.com/news/news.aspx?storyid=25147
http://www.wate.com/Global/story.asp?S=3252226

What a change has happened since daylight savings time has come around. Normal people now drive like they are trying to win the Daytona 500. Have you ever noticed that some of the best people in your neighborhood, people you would trust under almost any circumstance , have a Jeckel and Hyde personality when they leave their driveway? Your friend Mr. or Mrs. Jeckel walks to their car and says, "Good morning neighbor" and the second the key turns they transform into a Dale Earnhart-Mr. Hyde on steroids. As they careen down the main street in your neighborhood you can see they are ready to trade paint.

Is this just a Farragut phenomenon? I travel all over Knox County and it seems worse here. Of course no one speeds in front of Sam and Andy's because that might as well be the Farragut Police station. You might say the yellow flag is out on that stretch of Kingston Pike.

Myself and some of my neighbors have started our own act of civil disobedience. We drive the speed limit. The strange thing is that it is catching on. When ever you do something so different from everyone else it is immediately cool. It is kind of like saying, "Yeah I will get there when I feel like it." Modern day James Dean.

An interesting item from the Farragut Press Talk on the same subject:

Today, Wednesday, April 6, I prevented a serious T-bone crash when a teenager pulled out in front of me in his black SUV at the west end of Concord Park on Northshore Drive. I had to swerve twice to avoid him, risking danger to myself. I had to swerve a second time to avoid the guardrail at the bridge. I righted my vehicle and I traveled on my way down west Northshore Drive.

By then my adrenaline was pumping and I was smelling the burned rubber from my tires. But the teenager escaped and I escaped, and everyone else in our pathway escaped injury. I was driving 40 mph, the speed limit. I get down to the intersection of Choto Road and south Northshore, close to it, when I notice a blond adult in a small white SUV with the big tire on it flashing her lights. I thought she was a helpful, kind woman who had seen the accident and she wanted to offer some information, and I waved at her. But that was not the case; she was angry because I was not traveling at the speed she wanted, which would be over 40 mph. I was still shook up. I made my left turn to go onto Choto Road at that flashing light and she blew.

Still being shook up, I looked back at her and I pulled into the neighborhood there … and the guy behind her was shaking his head like I was an idiot. … I’m just sorry that I have neighbors like that in West Knoxville. … I’m sorry I was driving so slow if I offended them, but if I hadn’t been there it could have been their turn with that young man, and perhaps they would learn to be a little more appreciative of people who follow the speed limits around here. I am known as a good driver, I have good reflexes … the affluence side isn’t worth a dime when it comes to their character, a lot of ’em aren’t worth a dime.

I have had several dinners at El Mezcal which is in the same shopping center as Sam and Andys and Supercuts. This is an upscale Mexican Restaurant with great prices. The regular Margarita is outstanding.

I have had the Quezadilla Cancun, Quezadilla Fajita with chicken, Pollo Jalisco, and the Chiles Rellenos. All were excellent. First time diners should try the Quezadilla Cancun as it is special and unique.

I like this restaurant. The food, service, and atmosphere is top shelf.

For some time the proposed second left turn lane for Kingston Pike at Lovell Road for Eastbound traffic has been waiting on Knox County to approve engineering funds. What can be done to speed up this process?

You can write Mayor Ragsdale at county.mayor@knoxcounty.org

Where are Farragut's most dangerous intersections?

I nominate:

Kingston Pike at Lovell Road for the single turn lane that the traffic light, the Walgreens, and the Rush must share.

Kingston Pike at Smith Road for the turn lane that the traffic light and Weigels must share.

Kingston Pike at Virtue Road for the turn lane turning left onto Virtue Road where on coming traffic on Kingston Pike crosses the centerline at speeds up to seventy mile per hour.

Virtue Road at the Turkey Creek Road bridge where you have to swing wide because of the narrow bridge and cars almost slam into the rear of your vehicle.

Old Stage Road at Kingston Pike where the left hand turn is almost impossible.

Everett Road at Kingston Pike where the left hand turn onto Kingston Pike is almost impossible due to the curve and the speed of oncoming traffic.

Turkey Creek Road at Redmill Lane where there has been one fatality and a car pushed into the lake.

Are there any others?

One of the main issues in the Farragut Mayoral campaign was whether Farragut is in the school business. Mayor Ford said no, candidate Bill Johns said yes.

Lets go back in time to May 2004 and get the opinion of the Knox County School Board. The school board passed a resolution (see below) asking the Town of Farragut for more money. Let me be clear that Farragut is contributing to the Knox County School Board the amount that the State of Tennessee determined in a state court case.

Since the election is over why is this important now? Knox County Schools has just requested from Knox County commission an additional 32 million dollars above and beyond the 40 million dollars already approved for the new West Knox County high school.

Mayor Ford never addressed the Knox County Schools resolution of last May. At some point this needs to be discussed. Today many people in Knox County look at the residents of Farragut with disdain because they feel that the Town of Farragut is "short-changing" the Knox County Schools. This is not true and there needs to a a frank discussion about this issue. It was improper for Knox County Schools to pass this resolution but should the Mayor of Farragut ignore the issue? There is a perception that the residents of the Town of Farragut are affluent that they should do more.

Let me share with you a suggestion that was discussed in the "Meet the Candidates" forum at the town hall. The Town of Farragut has 26 acres of land on McFee Road that is scheduled to become a town park. The suggestion was that part of this land would be donated to Knox County Schools under the provision that a new school be built on the property within 3 to 5 years. This would be a substantial contribution to Knox County Schools and could help heal the bad feelings that some Knox Countians have towards the residents of Farragut. Some of the land could be used a park for weekend and evening use.

Would this compromise help everyone? Share your thoughts here.


May 10, 2004 resolution from Knox County Schools:

Requesting the Town of Farragut's Support of the Knox County Public School System

Whereas, The Knox County Board of Education provides educational services to in excess of 52,000 students situated in more than 80 buildings for children enrolled in the Knox County Public School System.

Whereas, The Knox County Board of Education must provide these services by utilizing Federal, State and local funds. The Knox County Board of Education must also adhere to federal and state requirements, which includes but are not limited to the Tennessee BEP for student- teacher class ratio standards.

Whereas, the Town of Farragut and the City of Knoxville are located within the boundaries of the County Of Knox.

Whereas, the Knox County Board of Education receives 61 % of the local option sales tax collected in the County of Knox, receives 61% of the local option sales tax collected in the City of Knoxville and receives 44% of the local option sales tax collected in the Town of Farragut for the purpose of school operations.

Whereas, the Knox County Board of Education receives 11 % of the local option sales tax collected in the County of Knox, 11 % of the local option sales tax collected in the City of Knoxville and only 6% of the local option sales tax collected in the town of Farragut for the purpose of school capital.

Whereas, the Farragut Forum in January, 2004, which included representatives of the Town of Farragut, Knox County Government, Knox County Commission, Knox County School Board and Knox County Schools Administration and a representative of the community all agreed that there was an urgent need for a solution to the overcrowded condition at Farragut High School.

Now Therefore Be It Resolved .that the Town of Farragut provides assistance to the Knox County Board of Education by committing the monetary funds to purchase the land that the Knox County Board of Education selects as the site for the New West Knox County High School.

Be it Further Resolved that the Town of Farragut beginning July 1, 2004 provides assistance to the Knox County Board of Education by committing the same percentage of the local option sales tax to the Knox County Public School System as the City of Knoxville and the County of Knox.

This Resolution is hereby adopted on the 10th day of May 2004

This is being discussed in more detail at:

South Knox Bubba

People outside of Farragut are surprised and amused with our Town Election.

Sadly we learn that GOPGate has spread to the University of Tennessee student elections. Has Tyler Harber become a visiting professor?

This behavior is the last thing we need at this time. It is a shame to see this mentality replicated at UT. Of course since there was no recourse against the Ragsdale administration for the same behavior I guess it is now accepted that the ends justify the means in local politics.

Is this one of the reasons people refuse to vote?

Ironically retarding the voting percentage favors incumbents. An election is supposed to be a level playing field but it has become a race to see who can raise the most money by what ever means and get access to email lists by what ever means.

This combined with less debate and less local television and radio coverage equals incumbent insurance. I am opposed to term limits but I am beginning to see that with an unlevel playing field in local elections that term limits may be required.

What do you think?

Is there less coverage of local elections on local television and radio because less people vote? Or does the reduction in local television and radio coverage of local elections contribute to less voter turnout?

There have been a few comments in presstalk indicating the town of Farragut needs it’s own police department. This would assure constant police presence. There are two major factors against a Farragut police department.

First, based upon the police reports in the farragutpress the crime rate is very low. Few of the reported incidents could be prevented by constant police presence. Most of the reported crimes are domestic disturbances, theft of gas by not paying, shoplifting, assault and car burglaries.

The primary function of the Farragut police would be traffic law enforcement. Yes, better traffic law enforcement would increase safety. But that is no assurance it would decrease the accident rate as people drive differently when police are not visible and police cannot be everywhere at all times.

Second, the town of Farragut cannot afford its own police department. A bare bones department could cost as much as $1 million a year. That does not include investigators for follow-up investigations, holding cells for those arrested, crime scene technicians, etc., etc. Once a department is established the Knox County Sheriff’s Department would have less responsibility in Farragut and those functions may not be readily available.

Should Farragut decide to have constant police presence then an approach used some time ago in Southern California could be considered. As towns around Los Angles were developing they contracted with the Los Angles Sheriff’s Department for the dedicated service. Note, no sheriff’s department is financially capable of providing constant, dedicated presence to only one area, especially an area with a very low crime rate such as Farragut. Resources have to be assigned to higher crime areas.

Contracting would provide the sheriff’s department financial resources to hire and maintain the extra personnel and equipment needed. It would also assure all resources of the sheriff’s department would be available as needed with little or no cost to Farragut.

Jim Rich Woodland Trace

Out of 14,780 registered voters only 2,459 voted in the Farragut 2005 Mayoral Race. Why? That is only 16.6 % of the registered voters.

So basically 16.6 % of the people in Farragut control who represents our Town. If you did not vote in this election take a moment and comment why.

Wnat could be done to get you to vote in the next election?