Can Farragut Change?

Turkey Creek Road Drag Racing

2006-05-08T22:45:00.000-04:00

There was some life and death drama in the Brixworth subdivision in South Farragut last Friday night. I received an email describing what occurred that included the pictures you see here. The writer of the email requested that no names be mentioned, as they were not sure of the age of the two young drivers.

A black Honda and a black Lexus were drag racing down Turkey Creek Road heading west towards the Brixworth subdivision entrance. There was a screech of tires as both cars went into the subdivision at a high rate of speed. They continued up the hill and around the cul-de-sac and then went speeding down the Brixworth Blvd hill.

The driver of the Honda was going too fast to stop at the stop sign at the base of the Brixworth subdivision. Even though the driver tried to stop he could not and went across Turkey Creek Road, jumped the curb, and collided with a tree. That tree saved his life.

If he had gone just to the left of the tree he would have gone over the small hill down to the railroad tracks. The train came just a few minutes after his wreck.

As the residents of Brixworth came to give aid and assistance to the driver who wrecked the other driver in the Lexus got in his car, gave the one finger salute and drove away. It is not known if he was arrested by the Sheriff's Department.

This is a heavily traveled road and it is fortunate there was not a car on Turkey Creek Road when this out of control car shot across the road. The most popular walking trail in Farragut is on Turkey Creek and many people walk across this intersection.

What is Farragut High School doing about the wreckless driving of its students? What is the Town of Farragut doing about the ever-growing problem of wreckless driving in Farragut? Most importantly what are the parents of these young drivers doing?

How many young people must die before our community decides there is a problem?

Shoppers, start your engines

2006-04-12T12:32:00.000-04:00

From the Knoxville News Sentinel:

$80 million Colonial Pinnacle officially opens

By ROGER HARRIS, harrisr@knews.com April 12, 2006

Colonial Pinnacle at Turkey Creek officially opened today with a ceremonial ribbon-cutting and welcoming speeches by the mayors of Knoxville, Knox County and Farragut.

The 485,000-square-foot, $80 million "lifestyle center" has approximately 70 upscale businesses, including national retailers like Belk, Ann Taylor Loft, Talbots and Jos. A. Bank’s and restaurants such as Bonefish Grill and Panera Bread.

Several locally owned businesses are part of the retail mix, too, including Apricot Lane, International Flair and Natural Alternatives. Regal Entertainment Group has already opened its Pinnacle Stadium 18 movie theater in the development.

read more

Is Metro Government good for Farragut?

2006-04-12T09:00:00.000-04:00

On three separate occasions Knox County and the City of Knoxville have voted on Metro Government. Each time the majority of voters have decided Metro is not a good deal. After each failed Metro vote the City of Knoxville has gone on an annexation binge.

Metro Government is controversial. One of the key selling points is the common sense logic that duplication of services cost more money. In the post Mike Hammond researches Metro Government for Knox County it has been pointed out by several commenters that our past history in Knox County does not prove that when consolidation of services occur that costs are reduced. In the case of the Knox County Schools and the Knox County Library system the costs went up and budgets expanded greatly.

Farragut was formed because the people here wanted more control over zoning and had no desire to pay Knoxville City property taxes. Some consider Metro as a form of annexation. When Knoxville City and Knox County public expenditures are compared one thing is clear. The City of Knoxville has a spending problem. Why should the people of Farragut have to pay for the mistakes made by the City of Knoxville?

Some people say that there are ways to have Metro Government and not penalize the taxpayers in Knox County. The urban services fee is one example. The problem with the urban services fee is that it only addresses the current debt of the City of Knoxville. It offers no protection from future foolish spending decisions for downtown projects. Knox County government has not been perfect. The Knox County Farmers Market was a mistake. On total when you compare the two governments Knox County has a much better track record on spending.

Both Knox County Mayor Mike Ragsdale and Knoxville City Mayor Bill Haslam have publicly discussed Metro Government. Mayor Ragsdale has a project to study consolidation of services such as the codes department. Knox County Commissioner Mike Hammond is one of seven people involved with the study.

Should Mayor Ragsdale openly discuss what plans exist for Metro Government before the election? Is there a responsibility for him to do so? Some say that after Mayor Haslam's reelection that the City of Knoxville may surrender its Charter and force Metro Government without a referendum.

Former Mayor Don Sundquist told the people of Tennessee that he would not push an income tax in his second term. He did push for an income tax in his second term. Before you cast your vote in early voting shouldn't you find out what Mayor Ragsdale and the prospective Knox County Commissioners will do about Metro Government in their next term? Don't you have the right to know before you vote?

Knox County Election update news

2006-04-11T22:15:00.000-04:00

Popular Knox County School Board candidate Thomas Deakins has added a blog.

You can find it here.

There have been many updates at the Knox County Voters Guide at the Knoxville News Sentinel. You can see the changes here.

District Five candidate Kyle Phillips has a blog at the KNS site and Knox County Mayor Mike Ragsdale has both a video and a MP3 file.

Long-time Farragut principal dies

2006-04-11T15:40:00.000-04:00

From WBIR television news:

Knox County Schools has lost one of its long-time principals. 62-year-old Robert Frazier, Farragut Intermediate School's principal, died suddenly at his home early Tuesday morning.Dr. Frazier was the only principal in the history of Farragut Intermediate School, and he will not soon be forgotten.

After a school-wide announcement relaying the sad news Tuesday morning, school counselors went to each classroom to talk to the students."There's a mixture of reaction. Some kids I don't think know what to feel. I think a lot of it is shock. Some are sad and are crying, but for the most part very quiet," said Farragut Intermediate School counselor Amy Kroninger.

read more

Mike Hammond researches Metro Government for Knox County

2006-04-10T10:32:00.000-04:00

Knox County Commissioner Mike Hammond revealed Knox County Mayor Mike Ragsdale has asked him to be on a committee with seven other people to "look at combining services between the city and the county". Hammond goes on to say that they are not looking at combining governments but are looking to find efficiencies.

Some people say that Metro is goal number one for both Mayor Ragsdale and Knox County Commissioner Mike Hammond. What do you think? Why is it so difficult to get a straight answer from any local elected representative about whether they support Metro Government? Is it because Metro Government has failed three times in Knox County and is radioactive?

Just as Don Sundquist refused to talk straight about the State Income Tax our leaders in Knox County refuse to talk straight about Metro Government.

If it is so great why not have the courage to stand up and tell the voters what you stand for?

Roller coaster school bus ride in Farragut

2006-04-10T10:28:00.000-04:00

From WATE television news:

Officials: Knox school bus driver takes kids on wild, drunken ride

April 10, 2006

FARRAGUT (AP) -- A school bus driver was allegedly drunk as she drove her afternoon bus route.44-year-old Jennifer Reddy sideswiped a car Friday afternoon before responding to the children's pleas to return them to school.

The children used cell phones to call their parents to inform them of their driver's behavior. None of the children were injured.

Knox County Schools spokesman Russ Oaks says school security officers gave Reddy a breath-alcohol test.

She allegedly registered a .26, more than three times the legal limit.

Reddy was charged with drunken driving and hit and run. She was jailed in lieu of a $1,000 bond.

People make the community they live in

2006-03-30T22:23:00.000-05:00

For a long time I have written about the importance of being a good neighbor and understanding that how you drive in your neighborhood has a huge contribution to the safety of your neighborhood and the quality of life.

A Fox Den resident expresses this better than I can. I hope you will think about how good a neighbor you are when you drive through your neighborhood.

From the Farragut Press:

letter to the editor
- Thu, Mar, 30, 2006

Picture this – it’s a sunny day and you take your dogs out for a walk in your neighborhood. Most cars when they see you, slow down, move away from you and wave as they go by. Not today however. A van is coming in front of you – they don’t appear to be slowing down or making a move away from you. You get scared, grab the dog leashes and move as close to the curb as possible. Scared, you yell out “slow down!” The van just keeps going and you continue your walk.

A few minutes later, a van slows down and stops. The woman driving the van yells out: “I was going the speed limit.” You are amazed that someone would actually drive back through the neighborhood and confront someone for yelling slow down.

Now, picture this — you are in a wheelchair. Yes, that’s right. I suffer from multiple sclerosis and take my dogs out using a jogging leash. I have never, never had someone be so “rude” and inconsiderate as this woman was. I can only hope and pray that she never has to use a wheelchair to get around.

In closing, even if you are driving the speed limit, when you see someone walking with children or dogs, slow down so that neither the dogs or the children get scared. Try to visualize how a van looks to a little child or to a dog.

Remember, driving the speed limit is one thing everyone should do. But use common sense when you are in a neighborhood. Going 25 mph does not actually give you enough time to react to a child or a family pet from darting out into the street. Better to drive slowly in a neighborhood and keep everyone safe.

Thank you,

Barbara Wyman

Fox Den

Candidate roundup for Farragut voting NEW UPDATES

2006-03-30T09:34:00.000-05:00

In future posts I will give my recommendations and my analysis of the best candidates for local public office. For now I want to give you as much information as I can so you can learn about the candidates for public office.

Candidate website has been added for Thomas Deakins. Radio interviews have been added for Craig Leuthold and Kyle Phillips. Knoxville News Sentinel Blogs added for Randy Sadler and Kyle Phillips. Podcast added for Lee Martin. John Griess will be removed from the ballot due to term limits.

Any candidate may email me at Farragut_Republican@yahoo.com and enclose a bio and platform, limit is 500 words. I will post these in separate posts here on Can Farragut Change. If you know of a candidate website that is not listed please email me or leave it in the comments section.

District Five County Commission Candidates:

County Commission Seat 5-A

Mike Hammond incumbent

Randy Sadler challenger
Randy Sadler Knoxville News Sentinel Blog

County Commission Seat 5-B

Craig Leuthold incumbent
Farragut Press article
Craig Leuthold Radio interview with Lloyd Daugherty

Kyle Phillips challenger
Kyle Phillips website
Kyle Phillips Knoxville News Sentinel Blog
Farragut Press article
Kyle Phillips Radio interview with Lloyd Daugherty

County Commission Seat 5-C

John Griess incumbent no challenger (Removed from ballot due to term limits)

School Board race Farragut Schools

School Board District 6

No incumbent, current School Board member Chuck James has left the School Board to run for County Commission.

Thomas A. Deakins
Thomas Deakins website
Farragut Press article

Fred Dillon
Farragut Press article

H. Lee Martin
H. Lee Martin website
Lee Martin podcast
Farragut Press article

Can Farragut Change Most Viewed

2006-03-23T09:38:00.000-05:00

From time to time I show the most popular posts. Since this is campaign time for candidates I hope both they and the voters will consider how important public safety is to our community.

Let's have a debate on the proposed roundabout

It is time to address the safety issues at Kingston Pike and Lovell Road?

Civil disobedience; drive the speed limit

Is it true?

Leuthold takes credit for roundabout at Northshore Drive and Concord Road

2006-03-17T12:19:00.000-05:00

Knox County District 5 B Commissioner Craig Leuthold was quoted in the Farragut Press giving his excuse that the roundabout was the only solution for the intersection of Northshore Drive and Concord Road.

What Mr. Leuthold did not say was that the community had no chance to give input for this County Commission vote. The Knox County Commission website did not post the agenda and none of the local newspapers printed any information about this vote until the vote was held in County Commission.

Voters will decide if this omission of a major public safety issue is grounds to seek a new commissioner.

From the Farragut Press:

Leuthold was also a driving force behind the creation of a roundabout at the intersection of Northshore Drive and Concord Road.

Leuthold said he tried to get a stoplight at that intersection, but Northshore Drive is considered a state highway by the Tennessee Department of Transportation.

“That’s a case where Knox County can’t tell the state what to do,” he said.

The TDOT officials said a light wasn’t an option because of the lack of land required to install turn lanes. Leuthold said the roundabout was the only option.

Leuthold said he supported the creation of a wheel tax for Knox County. In fact, he had proposed making the wheel tax $41 instead of the current $36, with the extra $5 being designated for school construction funding. An increase in the wheel tax in the future, he said, isn’t something that’s on the table.

From our school board correspondent Karen Carson

2006-03-17T12:15:00.000-05:00

Good Afternoon All,

Last year the Tennessee legislators were charged with the task of creating a uniform grading scale in answer to questions about achieving a 3.0 for purposes of distributing lottery funds. As a result of this the Tennessee grading scale was established. This stipulates that an A is 93-100, B is 85-92, etc. The other thing that was changed is that AP and Honors courses were no longer considered on a 5.0 scale.

In Knox County we have acknowledged the increased difficulty of the AP and Honors courses and students were given an additional 1.0 for each AP course and 0.5 for each honors course. The state last year changed this to offering an additional 5 POINTS to the Letter Grade for AP Courses and 3 points to the letter grade for honors. For example, if a student received an 87 in an AP Biology course, his grade would be adjusted to a 92 (5 points). The impact of this is to move the student from a grade of B to a grade of B! Not really an incentive.

All of this has been the long way of letting you know that there are two Bills being considered this year that would allow us to go back to the 0.5 and 1.0 additions for these classes. I ask that you consider contacting our state representatives and letting them know you support this change. I am attaching 3 documents. The first one is a copy of the proposed Bill. The second is a copy of the letter the Board of Education is sending our state representatives. The third is a list of our representatives and their contact numbers

Please consider supporting this change. As always, if you have any questions, please feel free to contact me. Also, please feel free to forward this to neighbors/friends.

Thank you,

Karen Carson

Overnight car crash knocks out power for 1,000 in Farragut

2006-03-08T10:24:00.000-05:00

From WATE television news:

March 8, 2006

KNOXVILLE (WATE) -- An overnight car crash in Farragut knocked out power for 1,000 LCUB customers Wednesday.

A man lost control of his car on Grigsby Chapel Road near Smith Road around 4:00 a.m. The collision totalled the car, but the driver has only minor injuries.

The car hit a 50-foot power pole which knocked out power. It took more than three hours to restore electricity to the homes.

Driving awareness program teaches students to stay safe

2006-03-07T11:48:00.000-05:00

From WBIR television news:

Recent accidents have taken the lives of five young people over the past two weeks. Tragedies that are familiar to one community. But, a program in place is encouraging drivers to be careful and it seems to be working.

Matthew Derrick doesn't remember much about his accident, but it has had lasting effects.

"I may have dozed off for just a quick second, but that's all it takes," Matthew says. He lost most of his arm in that accident two years ago.

"It's been a roller coaster ride. Up and down, up and down, up and down. I get better one week and the next week I get knocked right back down," he says.

A trying experience that he and his doctor, Diane Rourke, now use to teach others. A type of presentation that fit perfectly into Powell High School's new driving awareness program.

"Being able to present Matt at the end of the presentation, have them see him not just as a picture on the slide, but the real thing, I think brought the message home to them," Dr. Rourke says.

An important message that strikes a chord with Powell students. Starting in 1999, a series of wrecks left more than a dozen Powell students dead.

read more

Another tragic teenage car crash

2006-03-06T13:12:00.000-05:00

From WBIR television news:

Family and friends remember two teenagers killed in weekend accident

A car accident Friday night took the lives of two Lenoir City teenagers.

When 18-year-old Zachary Robinson merged on to Pellissippi Parkway from Lovell Road his Honda Prelude slid under a semi-truck. Lynsey Ford, who was 16-years-old, was a passenger in Robinson's car.

Knox County Sheriff's deputies say Robinson was speeding and alcohol was in the vehicle, but none of the containers were open.

Friends and family who knew them best say Zach and Lynsey were special people.

A friend of the two, Wende Moore, says, "They were dating, but I mean they were best friends. They just loved each other's company and just to hang out and have fun together."

read more

Lindsey loses Hamilton County bid

2006-03-06T13:07:00.000-05:00

From the Knoxville News Sentinel:

Search committee took less than 10 minutes to narrow list of candidates

By ERICKA MELLON, mellone@knews.com

March 5, 2006

CHATTANOOGA - Knox County Schools Superintendent Charles Lindsey lost his bid Saturday to become the superintendent of Hamilton County Schools.
It took the county's Superintendent Search Advisory Committee less than 10 minutes Saturday afternoon to eliminate Lindsey and two other candidates.

The reasons the candidates were eliminated is unclear. The committee members did not make any comments about the rejected candidates during a public meeting Saturday afternoon.

The committee members simply circled the names of their three favorite candidates and handed the sheets of paper to Bill Attea, a partner with Hazard, Young, Attea & Associates, the Illinois-based firm hired to oversee the nationwide search.

read more

More from WATE television news

From our school board correspondent Karen Carson

2006-03-06T13:05:00.000-05:00

Good afternoon everyone,

Just wanted to update you on the results of the school Board
meeting on Wed. March 1st. As you are probably aware, the Board of
Ed. did approve the capital plan (it wasn't pretty!) Now this
proposed plan will be presented to the County Commission for
approval. If approved, we will then need to find land and begin
construction on a new West Knox Elementary school next year. As you
all know, that is never a quick process!

The Board also approved the first draft of the general operating
budget. We will be asking for an increase in funding to support two
new, and I think vital, programs. One will be foreign languages at
the elementary level. We are asking for 18 positions to begin this
process. If anyone has any knowledge of any innovative ways to
introduce foreign language at the elementary level utilizing today's
technology, please pass it on to me. The second new program will be
the introduction of a technology position at each of the 12 high
schools. Currently Knox County spends about 1% of its operating
budget on technology , well below state and national averages. Our
plan will be to expand this program to all schools over the next few
years.

On a separate note, I will let you all know -as soon as I
become aware of what will happen with Dr. Lindsey and the position in
Chattanooga. (though I am sure you'll hear it on the news first!)

Teens facing severe driving penalties

2006-03-01T20:00:00.000-05:00

Too many teenage traffic accidents and deaths have moved the State of Tennessee to change the state’s graduated license program. Associated with this will be changes in insurance rates for those teenagers who have traffic accidents.

What can you as a parent do? First, require your child to turn off the cell phone and prohibit its use when the car is in motion.

Second, require that your child not have passengers unless they have your specific approval.

Third, let your child drive the family car or purchase them a family sedan. Save the sports car purchase for when they graduate from college.

Fourth, get involved and teach your child that tailgating and speeding reduce reaction time and cause accidents.

Fifth, make sure your child has the best driver training you can afford.

From the Knoxville News Sentinel:

By BETH RUCKER, Associated Press
March 1, 2006

NASHVILLE — Teenagers convicted of even a small number of traffic violations could face losing their driving privileges under changes to the state’s graduated license program that took effect Wednesday.

Drivers younger than 18 who accumulate three points on their driving records within a year will be required to attend a hearing with a parent or legal guardian to discuss the traffic violations. They also must take an eight-hour defensive driving course.

If the violation is severe, the license could be suspended.

Previously, a teen did not face punishment until he or she had accumulated 12 points.

"Teenage drivers must realize that driving a car is serious business," said Lt. Phil Hardin, director of the Department of Safety’s Driver Improvement Program.

The changes to the graduated program, known as Hayden’s Rule, were initiated by a Knoxville family who were victims of a February 2003 vehicle crash involving a teen driver.

Hayden Maple was born premature by emergency C-section after the teen driver crossed a double yellow line to pass another vehicle and hit Hayden’s mom, Robin Maple. Hayden, who doctors said before the crash would be a healthy baby, now suffers from daily seizures and must take more than 10 medications per day.

High drama on Turkey Creek Road

2006-03-01T10:03:00.000-05:00

I received a phone call last night about some high drama on Turkey Creek Road on Tuesday. Around 3:15 PM my friend was traveling west on Turkey Creek Road approaching the sharp turn at the end of Turkey Creek. He could see two Sheriff’s cars over at the railroad bridge where people park to go fishing. There was a white van with a ladder on top of it. The Sheriff’s helicopter was overhead circling.

In the rearview mirror three Sheriff’s cars with lights were approaching. My friend pulled over. Four more Sheriff’s cars came by. My friend backed up as the road was completely sealed now. A white man was being led up from the lake in handcuffs. Many more Sheriff’s cars and motorcycles came. My friend spoke of the precision with which this happened. At the time my friend had not heard the news so he turned on the radio and heard the story. It wasn’t until later in the evening that he learned that the van and occupants were still at large.

This is a good time to remind people how important it is to pull over and allow emergency vehicles to pass. Keep in mind that if you see one Sheriff’s patrol car or fire engine there may be more on the way. Pull over and stop.

Our community extends our thanks to the Sheriff’s department for all that was done yesterday. Our thoughts and prayers go out to Knox County Sheriff's Office Patrol Officer Cory Johnson. Your service is greatly appreciated.

Knox County Sheriff’s Office Deputy wounded

2006-02-28T21:59:00.000-05:00

From the Knoxville News Sentinel

Search under way for deputy's assailants

By DON JACOBS, jacobs@knews.com
February 28, 2006

Knox County Sheriff’s Office Deputy Cory Johnson was wounded by a shotgun blast today while on undercover patrol in West Knox County.

Johnson, the 2003 Patrol Officer of the Year, was shot as he approached a van at Cove Park off Northshore Drive about 12:45 p.m.

Sheriff Tim Hutchison said Johnson was in an SUV with blue lights in the grill when he came upon a white van parked on an eastbound pulloff near Cove Park.

An occupant in the van apparently waved Johnson off, Hutchison said, but then the officer heard a woman scream "as if she were being held down."

About that time, a man exited the van and fired a shotgun round at Johnson, Hutchison said.

The round struck the window and driver’s door of the black SUV and at least one pellet struck Johnson in the left shoulder in the lung area, Hutchison said. The driver’s window did not shatter but sustained at least seven pellet holes, the sheriff said.

Johnson was not wearing a vest.

Johnson returned fire.

"We think he got off eight to 10 rounds," Hutchison said.

Lindsey applies for Hamilton County superintendent job

2006-02-28T07:08:00.000-05:00

What happens when communication issues cannot be resolved? Something has to give.

Have you noticed that the job of Knox County School Superintendent is a little like the job of the University of Tennessee President? It seems that it is not possible to satisfy every political nuance of the powers that be. Talk about thankless jobs. I wonder someday if the trend continues if anyone will apply for either job.

Do we do ourselves any favors by allowing this impossible atmosphere to exist where good people cannot do their jobs? A year ago many people would have been saddened by the departure of Dr. Charles Lindsey. Today there is not the same amount of support. So was this a political win for County Mayor Mike Ragsdale? Few will discuss the matter but there is some joy in Mudville tonight. There is also some sadness.

What is clear is that no one gets a gold star for playing well with others. What a poor example for the children of this community.

From the Knoxville News Sentinel:

By ERICKA MELLON, mellone@knews.com
February 28, 2006

Knox County Schools Superintendent Charles Lindsey revealed Monday he has applied for the superintendent's job in Hamilton County, but he was tight-lipped on details.

"Beyond that, it really is inappropriate for me to make any further comments," Lindsey said.

Russ Oaks, the spokesman for Knox County Schools, said further questions should be addressed to the Hamilton County school system in Chattanooga or to the Illinois-based firm handling the search: Hazard, Young, Attea & Associates Ltd.

The firm is the same one that helped bring Lindsey to Knox County in 1999.

Pat Bowers, director of communications for Hamilton County Schools, said the search firm is expected this week to give a list of the top five candidates to the district's Superintendent Search Advisory Committee.

read more

Are Knox County Schools underfunded?

2006-02-25T09:50:00.000-05:00

Since Knox County is in an election cycle it might be helpful to look at both the Knox County Schools budget and the Knox County budget.

If you have not seen either of these you may be surprised. They are both large budgets. Depending on who you listen to you will hear that these budgets are the pinnacle of financial management or exactly the opposite.

You can find the Knox County Schools budget here. You can find the Knox County budget here.

Much has been made of the wheel tax and where that money is going. This is a good question. It was sold as a tax to fund the school system but in reality over 84% of the wheel tax goes into the general Knox County budget. School board member Robert Bratton says that adjusted for inflation the school board is going backwards and receiving less money year to year. Some taxpayers say the school system receives too much money and is wasteful.

What is the real answer? Over the next few months I invite you to explore these issues here on Can Farragut Change. Candidates for School Board or County Commission may send an email to Farragut_Republican@yahoo.com if they wish to have their bio or a letter to the community posted here.

Lindsey considering Chattanooga school system

2006-02-25T09:44:00.000-05:00

From the Knoxville News Sentinel:

Monday deadline to apply for Chattanooga school post

By ERICKA MELLON, mellone@knews.com
February 25, 2006

Knox County Schools Superintendent Charles Lindsey said Friday he has been asked to apply for the open superintendent's job in Hamilton County, and he is considering it.

"I've been asked to consider the position, but I have not made any applications at all," Lindsey said in an interview Friday afternoon.

The deadline to apply for the job in Chattanooga is Monday, Lindsey said.

"I will consider it as I have other offers," he said. "It's a good school system. It would be an attractive school system for any superintendent to try their hand at."

Lindsey, who was hired in Knox County in 1999 and whose current contract runs through 2008, said he is "happy" in his job now.

"At this point I'm very happy in Knox County," Lindsey said. "We've done some great things. We've made some progress on the world-class school system template."

read more

From our school board correspondent Karen Carson

2006-02-25T09:36:00.000-05:00

School Board Notes

As you are all probably aware, the Board of Education has begun discussion on next year's capital and operating budgets for Knox County Schools. Throughout these discussions you will hear about potential cuts to student services—driver's education and foreign language at the Middle School were recently in the news. The Board has a responsibility to prepare and submit the budget to the appropriate legislative body. The Board of Education also has a primary duty to provide the opportunity for the best and most appropriate education for all children entrusted to its care. It appears that the responsibility to prepare the budget and the duty to provide for the best and most appropriate education for our children are in conflict. We need to increase our revenue and we need to look at each level of government.

At the Federal level: Four years after the enactment of the No Child Left Behind Act, Congress has continued a steady decline in fully funding the law, shifting a greater portion of the cost of compliance with adequate yearly progress and supplemental services to local school districts and states. Under the IDEA (Individuals With Disabilities Education Act) mandate of 1975, the federal government committed to funding 40% of the cost per pupil for special education. However, the federal government has met less than one-half of this commitment, creating a cumulative funding gap of more than $50 billion over the last four years!

At the State level: The state determines how much money it sends to a school system using the Basic Education Program (BEP) formula. The BEP funding formula is flawed and discriminatory in a number of ways. The differences in this funding formula create a funding shortfall for Knox County of $17.4 million.

At the Local level: While total dollar funding has increased, the percentage of money allocated from Knox County, for our schools, has decreased. Additionally, new residential construction has place a tremendous burden on our schools.

What can you do? Become involved. Write or call you elected officials, at all levels, and let them know your concerns about the needs in educational funding. Let's work together with our local officials to explore methods of increasing revenue. Let's fully explore "impact fees". What are the pluses and minuses of this method of creating new revenue?

At every level of government, education is recognized as "The Key" to the future of our Country. The President's State of the Union address, the Governor's State of the State address, and every candidate running for local office refer to the importance of education. It's time that we all not only "talk the talk" but also "walk the walk".

Karen Carson

School Board Representative

5th District

Tragic automobile crash in Farragut

2006-02-20T17:52:00.000-05:00

From Wate news:

Man facing charge for death in Kingston Pike crash

February 20, 2006
KNOXVILLE (WATE) -- A man is facing a vehicular homicide charge after the state highway patrol says he ran a red light on Kingston Pike Sunday night, killing another man.

According to the highway patrol, 33-year-old Martin Smith was driving a Toyota Tercel when he ran the light at the Kingston Pike and Campbell Station Road intersection.

Smith hit a Geo Tracker with three people inside. Thirty-two-year-old Edward Cates was killed. A woman and her four-year-old daughter who were in the Tracker were injured.

The child, who was in a car seat, had only minor injuries.

The accident, which happened before 10:30 p.m. Sunday night, shut down part of Kingston Pike.

Martin Smith is facing a charge of vehicular homicide. He also had some injuries.

Why does this keep happening?

UPDATE:

More from the Knoxville News Sentinel

Charles Lindsey spares Drivers Education

2006-02-17T10:15:00.000-05:00

Knox County Superintendent Charles Lindsey said Thursday he would not push to cut driver's education next year.

From the Knoxville News Sentinel:

As far as driver's education classes in high school, Lindsey said he realized he didn't have enough support from board members to eliminate it.

read more

Fortunately the leadership of board members like Karen Carson spared this important program.

Carson and James defends Drivers Education

2006-02-16T22:33:00.000-05:00

From the Farragut Press:

Driver Ed junked?

Knox County Schools, School Board mull program future

Carolyn Evans - Thu, Feb, 16, 2006

Driver education may be at a dead end in Knox County. Knox County Schools superintendent Dr. Charles Lindsey has recommended cutting the program that serves about 3,000 students a year in order to help balance the school system’s budget. The Knox County Board of Education is looking to make a decision by Feb. 28.

During the School Board budget meeting Monday, Feb. 6, preliminary figures estimated the school system could save $900,000 by eliminating driver education.

School officials aren’t all on the same page, however.

“It’s still out there on the chopping block,” said Charles “Chuck” James, 6th District Board representative. “I was surprised to see it still out there. I think we have enough [Board of Education] votes to keep it.”

Karen Carson, 5th District representative, said she’s in favor of keeping the program and is not convinced it is as expensive as schools officials say it is.

“The nine hundred thousand dollars we will save by eliminating driver ed, I question,” she said.

“I’d be in favor of upping the cost to parents a little more,” Carson added. The class fee is currently $100 per student across the county, and Carson said she thought it could be increased to $150. “I think the potential harm is greater by cutting it.”

“The most dangerous thing that can be in a child’s hand is a set of car keys,” said Farragut High School principal Michael Reynolds.

read more

Missing desks for the new West Knox high school and now Drivers Education hangs in the balance. Also at risk is the foreign language program.

Why is this school system under-funded after two new wheel taxes? What else is going on in the Knox County budget?

A reader shares their views

2006-02-12T17:45:00.000-05:00

Do you know what the funds generated from the wheel tax are supposed to support?

In fiscal year 2003-2004, the County Commission added a $6 wheel tax to the existing $24 vehicle registration fee, bringing the cost per vehicle to $30. The County Mayor recommended that half of the revenue collected from this $6 additional tax be used for improving teacher salaries and the other half be used for improving the salaries of sheriff’s deputies. The anticipated annual revenue from this tax was estimated to be roughly $3 million. The actual amount received that year by the schools was about $1.2 million. Last year (2004-2005), school operations received $1.5 million from this particular tax.

In fiscal year 04-05, County Commission approved a resolution to raise the wheel tax from $6 to $36 (an increase of $30), bringing the cost per vehicle to $60 ($30 vehicle registration fee + $30 wheel tax). Of the anticipated $12 million in annual revenue expected to be generated from this additional $30 wheel tax, none was recommended by the County to be budgeted for direct use into school operations. None of that tax revenue has been deposited into school operations. Part of this money, however, is funding the Great School Partnership initiatives which include the new Pre-K program in 10 schools and the new high school and/or school physical plant upgrades that are being funded directly by the county.

Of the roughly $17-$18 million generated so far by the wheel tax (first the $6 tax: $2.4 million in FY03-04; $3 million in FY04-05/ second the $36 tax: $12 million in FY04-05), school operations (where our major programs are funded) has received about $2.7.

With School Board and County Commission elections soon, find out how where your elected officials stand and use that knowledge to vote.

Editors note: This came from an email from a reader that requested to be anonymous. While I rarely post emails that this blog receives I feel this question has merit.

Knox School Board talks budget woes

2006-02-12T17:18:00.000-05:00

From the Farragut Press:

Knox County Board of Education members met Monday night at West High School, hoping to get some feedback from school patrons on how best they might handle knotty budgeting issues.

At a public forum that exceeded two hours, the board may have gotten all that it bargained for. And more.

Pamela Tracy of Farragut reflected the sentiments of many parents and teachers at the meeting when she told Board Chairman Dr. Dan Murphy and other board members she considered it “a shame to go to Knox County Commission and seek school funding that doesn’t meet the needs of students” in the school district.

Schools Superintendent Dr. Charles Lindsey had outlined a series of proposed cuts that he said might keep the district within its projected revenue of $326.5 million for fiscal 2007. The estimate includes $8.4 million in projected property tax and state revenue growth. Lindsey said the district, to balance the budget it will submit to Knox County Commission, must “back out” about $5 million cut from the district’s proposed budget.

read more

As I have written before, this problem stems from a lack of communication between the County Mayor, County Commission, and the Knox County School Board. The greatest example of this lack of communication is the low ball 40 million dollar figure for the new West Knox High School that was plucked out of the air. A new high school in Oak Ridge will cost 56 million dollars. Are we to believe that a new high school in Knox County will cost 40 million dollars?

How serious is the County Mayor about this new and desperately needed high school when he keeps talking about a new downtown library that will cost over 40 million dollars? Is there any doubt that if a contender runs against the County Mayor and the race is close, that the County Mayor will not miraculously find another 10 or 12 million dollars to make this new high school viable?

Too much politics and too little representation.

Out of touch Editorial in the Knoxville News Sentinel

2006-02-08T09:52:00.000-05:00

Today the Knoxville News Sentinel has a disappointing and out of touch Editorial which advocates the end of Drivers Education in Knoxville public schools.

I disagree and question whether this Editorial represents what is best for the children of Knox County.

I can tell you that Drivers Education was one of the most important courses I ever studied. My high school did not have Drivers Education so I took the course at the University of Tennessee. Very few of my classmates took this course. As I compare the results over time it is clear I was very fortunate.

Some of my classmates died in traffic accidents. My closest friends all had major accidents while still in high school. To date I have not had a serious traffic accident. I have never had an accident that was my fault. The three minor accidents I have had were two hit from behind accidents and one accident where a neighbor backed into the side on my car.

I have had countless near accidents. A few would have been serious and possibly fatal. Drivers Education has made a significant difference in my life. Encourage the Knox County School Board to find a way to keep Drivers Education.

The Knoxville News Sentinel writes:

"At the same time, studies have found that formal instruction has yielded few benefits, and a number of school systems have eliminated the program. A spokesman for the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, for example, said it is often a surprise when people learn that "research shows driver education has been a total bust when it comes to making teens safer behind the wheel."

Certainly there is a public safety interest in teaching teens to drive safely and responsibly, but is it the duty of the school systems to offer the courses? The schools have done their part admirably. Now, with tighter budgets and the dim prospect of tax increases to support education, it is time to look beyond the status quo.

Driver's education should not be retained if it means academic programs must be trimmed. Even if it is kept in the curriculum for another year or two, alternatives should be considered, perhaps including representatives of the state Department of Safety, insurance companies and local law enforcement along with educators to make the courses - whether in school of not - as relevant, instructive and affordable as possible."

Teenage driver dies in Halls area in tragic car wreck

2006-02-02T17:09:00.000-05:00

As reported on WBIR Channel 10 television news:

Teen killed, two injured in Halls wreck

The wreck happened just past 9:00 p.m. on Mynatt Road in the Halls area. The car left the road, went through one yard, crossed over West Garwood Circle and finally crashed into a tree in another yard.

The driver, 19-year-old Ted Ward, Jr. of Knoxville, died at the scene. The passengers, 18-year-old Dustin Hunter and 16-year-old Christopher Atkins, both of Corryton were taken to the University of Tennessee Medical Center. Atkins has been discharged from the hospital and Hunter remains hospitalized in serious condition.

Police say speeding played a role in the deadly accident, which came in the same 24 hour period as another accident in West Knoxville that killed a junior at Webb School.

KCS News Release - School Board to hold special budget

2006-02-02T13:42:00.000-05:00

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

NO: 06-008 February 1, 2006

School Board to hold special budget meeting

The Knox County Board of Education will conduct a work session dedicated to the Board's fiscal 2007 General Purpose School Fund Budget beginning at 5:00 p.m. February 6 in the large auditorium at West High School.

The meeting is intended to be easily accessible and provide interested citizens the opportunity to provide their insights to the School Board as its members discuss the operating budget for fiscal 2007, which begins in July.

"I think it is very important that we reach out to the community as we go through the budget process," said Board Chairman Dr. Dan Murphy.

"This will be a very difficult budget. We expect very austere revenue growth, and it is invaluable to the Board to have public input as the Board looks to where it can gain operational efficiency or reduce expenditures."

The work session agenda is continued discussion of the Budget recommendation submitted by Superintendent Dr. Charles Lindsey during the Board's Jan. 23 work session. The superintendent's proposal based on preliminary revenue and expenditure information is available at www.kcs.k12tn.net.

"We have started the budget process much earlier this year than we have in the past," said Murphy, who also represents the citizens of the Fourth District. "This is so we can have more options and greater public input as we try to balance resources and needs. Most Board members have some very definite feelings about various parts of the budget and the superintendent's proposal. This process allows use to look thoroughly at all the options and ask the superintendent some very hard questions. It also provides more time to understand the concerns of our community."

Citizens who wish to speak at the session should arrive at the meeting early and sign up with the board secretary.

West High School is located at 3300 Sutherland Ave.

Preliminary Revenue & Expense Projections

Preliminary Budget Information

special thanks to Karen Carson for this information

Farragut residents speak about traffic safety

2006-02-02T12:11:00.000-05:00

As reported in the Farragut Press:

FBMA quizzed on traffic

Brian Cox - Thu, Feb, 2, 2006

Farragut residents sought answers for their traffic woes during the regular Thursday, Jan. 26, meeting of the Farragut Board of Mayor and Aldermen.

Residents packed into the room seeking answers for what they perceived as issues that should have been handled more than a year ago. They said the creation of new subdivisions is creating an increased traffic flow. Mike Merginio, president of the Farragut Commons Homeowners Association, told board members the traffic situation at Grigsby Chapel Road is potentially life threatening. “We have a growing concern about the Grigsby Chapel Road area,” he said. “We are asking that a three-way stop sign be placed in front of our district.”

Merginio said there have been several occasions when residents have barely avoided accidents turning on to Kingston Pike. Mayor W. Edward “Eddy” Ford III made some inquiries of Merginio, such as time of worst traffic congestion, how the situation has changed in the past year and what suggestions he had to offer on the matter. Michael Cain, another resident of the area, told of visibility problems on Windham Hall Lane. He also wanted to see the speed limit dropped along Grigsby Chapel Road.

read more

more at the Farragut Independent

MetroPulse Editorial supports Driver Education

2006-02-02T10:46:00.000-05:00

Don’t cut foreign-language education or driver’s training, please

Superintendent Charles Lindsey says the Knox County Schools budget for 2006-07 may experience a $5 million shortfall. That ugly prospect was met last week by Lindsey’s suggestions to the school board for cuts in operating costs. None of the proposed cuts, except one that would create more efficient allocation of teachers and staff among the schools, seemed palatable. That one recommendation, though, would save nearly half of the money needed to offset the shortfall.

Two of the other cost-saving measures, the elimination of foreign-language instruction in middle schools and driver’s training in high schools, were met with skepticism by the school board. Good for the board members who objected.

Foreign-language instruction at the earliest possible school level is among the most foresighted of curriculum options, and driver’s ed may be the most practical course taught in public high schools. Where to begin in defending these educational essentials?

Teaching as many young people as possible the elements of safe operation of motor vehicles has a profound effect on traffic safety in any community. Witness the insurance industry’s discounting of premium rates for young drivers who have passed a driving course in school.

The insurance industry doesn’t do so on faith. The insurers rely on statistics that show that school-educated drivers have fewer accidents, thereby costing the companies fewer claims. The upshot of driver education offerings across the board is that, with fewer accidents in a community, all vehicle owners’ insurance rates are lower. To take away the option of driver training as a budget concession would be tantamount to increasing the risk to motorists as well as hiking their auto insurance rates over the next several years. Ironically, the superintendent’s suggestion comes at a time when fatal accidents involving high-school students here have drawn a great deal of attention.

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Another tragic teenage car crash

2006-02-02T10:42:00.000-05:00

As reported in the Knoxville News Sentinel:

Webb student, 16, dies in wreck

By DON JACOBS, jacobs@knews.com February 2, 2006

A 16-year-old high school junior died Wednesday in a crash in West Knoxville when the car carrying him went out of control and entered the oncoming lanes of traffic.

Eric Encarnacion of Knoxville was declared dead upon arriving at the University of Tennessee Medical Center after the 7:47 a.m. crash, said Darrell DeBusk, spokesman for the Knoxville Police Department.

Encarnacion was a junior at Webb School of Knoxville in West Knoxville, according to school president Scott Hutchinson.

DeBusk said Encarnacion was a passenger in a Honda Civic driven by Benjamin Prichett, 17, also of Knoxville. Prichett also is a junior at Webb School, Hutchinson said.

DeBusk said the Civic was eastbound on Sherrill Boulevard near the intersection with Park West Boulevard when the car went out of control. The Civic slid for several hundred feet, DeBusk said, before it jumped the 6-inch-high concrete curb, traversed the grassy median and ran into the westbound lanes.

A westbound 1997 Nissan Maxima then slammed into the passenger side of the Civic, DeBusk said. The Maxima driver, Ashlyn Knight, 21, of Knoxville was not injured by the impact.

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Rezone schools inward some say

2006-01-31T12:15:00.000-05:00

Here at CFC we get many comments about suburban sprawl and recently we have received many comments about rezoning schools inward so the new West Knox High School will not be needed.

I have disagreed with this rezoning inward idea from day one. I now find myself in agreement with Brian Hornback about the needs of West Knoxville schools, a situation which does not happen often.

Brian has written a post about how the children of West Knoxville have been shortchanged for a very long time. You can read his post here.

I am going to disagree with Brian in that I hold Mayor Ragsdale responsible for much of this mess. There are many fine people on the School Board that have been forced to become Alchemists so they can turn lead into gold to solve these budget problems. The School Board cannot do this alone it must have help from Mayor Ragsdale and County Commission.

I do not want to hear anything about a downtown library until the children in West Knoxville have decent schools to learn in and do not have to eat their lunch in the hallways. Stop the political posturing and work this out.

I open the floor to all comments. I suggest you read this Capital Improvement Plan from Knox County Schools.

More on Driver's Education in Knox County Schools

2006-01-31T12:08:00.000-05:00

As reported in the Knoxville News Sentinel

Driver's ed: Detour ahead?

With budget tight, Knox County schools may cut program

By ERICKA MELLON, mellone@knews.com January 29, 2006

Frank Kobosky, a former police officer who teaches driver's education at Central High School, had a message for his students last week: "Never get in a car with a drunk guy," he told them, and then posed a question.

"But whose responsibility is it if you get in the car?" he asked.

"Mine," mumbled a few female students.

Kobosky, who has taught driver's education classes for about 20 years, said he tries to train his students to make good choices.

"I am, and I think every driver's education teacher in Knox County is, interested in keeping kids alive," said Kobosky, whose 29-year-old daughter recently was in a serious motorcycle accident with an elderly man.

About 75 percent of all Knox County students take the driver's education elective during their high school careers, according to the district.

That could change next school year.

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Keep Drivers Education

2006-01-30T09:33:00.000-05:00

Have I written about how some of the members of the Knox County School Board don't have walking around sense? Meet three board members that don't think that Drivers Education is crucial to the community. As you can see by their own statements there is a serious disconnect between what happens in the community and the thought process of these people.

We have had three tragic teenage car fatalities in Farragut in less than two years.

Would you take a moment and give these people a call?

Cindy Buttry (Karns High) (H) 584-6155 mailto:cbuttry8@hotmail.com
"In my opinion, driver's ed is a joke. I'd rather have astronomy as an elective than driver's ed."

Indya Kincannon (Fulton High) (H) 546-7098 mailto:indyak@hotmail.com

"I think learning about driver safety is important, but you could do that in a five- or six-week component of wellness or (physical education)."

Dan Murphy (West High) (H) 523-0511(O) 974-1752 mailto:dmurphy@utk.edu

"My feeling is, if you're going to have driver's ed, it's the responsibility of the parents who are going to realize the private benefit to pay the market price to achieve that benefit."

read more

Huge opportunity for Farragut

2006-01-29T14:25:00.000-05:00

There is finally hope for the old K-Mart building in the heart of Farragut. The Kroger company has come forward with a plan to build a super Kroger store as part of a large retail development.

If there has ever been a time for the Town of Farragut to work with an open mind this is that time. You can watch the MPC and Board of Aldermen meetings on Charter Cable television channel 3 on Thursday nights at 7:00 PM. Encourage our Town representatives to work with the Kroger Company to make this development a reality.

Comments from the MPC cause concern.

Commissioners said the plan has merit, but also pointed out a couple of traffic issues need to be taken into consideration by the developers. “We’ve got to get the traffic right because if we don’t, nobody is going to be happy with it including the developers,” said Commission Chairman Robert Hill.

Commissioners concern centered around the variances for large truck access and that a stop light on Kingston Pike might hamper access to the businesses across from the development.

See the story in the Farragut Press

Karen Carson holds ‘town meeting’ at Lotts

2006-01-18T20:47:00.000-05:00

From the Farragut Press:

When “Hardin Valley High School” opens in 2008, West Knox’s long-awaited new school will ease crowding and be “adequate to meet pupils’ needs,” Knox County Board of Education representatives told parents at a Jan. 10 community meeting.

Karen Carson, representing District 5, told parents at A.L. Lotts Elementary School that rising construction cost estimates meant the “northwest sector” high school might lack frills. But she predicted the Board, by school opening, will find enough revenue to ensure pupils have such necessities as desks, lockers, computers and communications gear.

Carson conceded she was “not thrilled” at the site chosen, near Hardin Valley Elementary, and she agreed with parents who predicted resulting school traffic congestion along Hardin Valley and Campbell Station roads. But the growth already has occurred, she said. So Knox County must fund and build the school now, although funds for furniture, fixtures and equipment remain uncertain.

Carson, who represents Cedar Bluff and Bearden schools, held a two-hour dialogue with 30 people, mostly parents, in hopes of easing confusion caused by recent revisions in “northwest sector” school plans. Knox County Commission-ers Craig A. Leuthold and Mike Hammond, both of the 5th District, attended.

continue

What is wrong at FUD?

2006-01-18T20:30:00.000-05:00

For years the people of old Concord have had to live with the smell from the First Utility District Wastewater Treatment off Concord Road. But since last December residents across South Farragut near the lake have had to experience a very unpleasant smell.

FUD manager Ralph McCarter was quoted as saying, “We believe an illegal pollutant was dumped into the sewer collection system. When the unidentified pollutant reached the plant, the biological system was seriously impacted resulting in an odor being discharged from the plant. We immediately began to search for the cause of the upset and to re-establish the biological system.”

In the Farragut PressTalk callers shared their viewpoints:

What a coincidence that all the odor is coming now from the waste[water] area down on Concord Road, when just before Christmas they wanted to have a larger facility built there, and people balked, because really it needs to be done towards Loudon County where all of the need is. And now, suddenly, it smells bad. Isn’t that a coincidence? They’re doing that so that they can show people that there’s something wrong and they need to have a larger facility here. It seems very strange to me, and it just seems that they’re trying to force their issue, and remember it’s a privately-owned company, and they’re going to do what they want to, anyway. So, it’s funny, I’ve lived here five years and there’s never been any problem with odor, and suddenly now, it’s terrible.

I’d like to comment on the First Utility District sewage treatment plant on Concord Road. My wife and I have lived about a quarter of a mile from that plant over off of Red Mill, for 15 years. And up until last summer we never smelled an odor from that plant one time. And now it’s beginning to be a regular thing in our neighborhood. Plus, [you can smell it] as you drive down Concord Road in front of the plant. So, if they can’t handle the sewage they’re already processing down there without creating that kind of odor, I don’t know why they want to expand and start taking Loudon County’s sewage in? It’s just going to make people living out here in this part of Farragut, make it just impossible to have good, clean air or to be able to sell your homes with having to smell the sewer plant all the time.

While researching the claims that FUD would start processing Loudon County Sewage at the Concord Road plant I found a website that details a history of problems with FUD.

http://savefortloudonlake.com/

Why would anyone in their right mind want to pump sewage uphill from Loudon County to be treated in Farragut?

Thank you for your service to our nation

2005-12-15T14:52:00.000-05:00

I received an email from Captain Seth A. Owen stationed in Iraq at LSA Anaconda also known as "Mortaritaville". Seth shared his remembrance of Farragut where he grew up and his appreciation that people here still care about our town.

Today as the world watches the elections in Iraq I cannot help but think of the image in the picture above. Seth, there are not words I can find to thank you for your service to our nation. Just know that you are in our thoughts and prayers. Godspeed and good luck in your mission.

FR

From our school board correspondent Karen Carson

2005-12-07T12:17:00.000-05:00

Board Notes:

First a few updates on construction. The plan for Cedar Bluff K-5 School has been approved by the Board of Education and the County Commission! Construction will begin soon. Look for notice of a groundbreaking ceremony in the first 2 weeks of January, 2006. Groundbreaking for the new West Knox High School was held on December 2, 2005. Work is still being done on the design to try to come within the 40 million dollar budget. Through value engineering, we have been able to get some of the estimates lowered, but, I believe that the Board will soon be forced to address the possibility of needing more than what is currently budgeted. I, at this point, believe that we need to look at some alternative funding sources (but realize this is my opinion-not necessarily that of the Board). I am working with the school system to try to get a "construction zone" on the Knox County Schools website so that design plans, budgets, and schedules will be available to the entire community. Stay tuned!

Finally, I will be scheduling a community meeting on January 10th at 6:30 pm at A. L. Lotts Elementary School to discuss construction issues/concerns, small learning academies, zoning rumors, and any other issues within our district. This will just be an open forum allowing for exchange of ideas, concerns, and suggestions. Please come by and let me know what you think.

Wishing you and your family a peaceful and happy holiday season,

Karen Carson
School Board Representative
5th District

Farragut needs new traffic lights

2005-12-06T11:09:00.000-05:00

Having watched the Farragut Board of Mayor and Aldermen during its meeting Thursday, Nov. 10 on Channel 3 on the local Charter cable television I was disappointed in the prospects for badly needed traffic signals in West Farragut.

From the presentation by TDOT in the BOMA it appears that Everett Road will be the next intersection on Kingston Pike to receive a traffic signal but this is many years away. First the Town of Farragut must build a turn lane on Everett Road, which is not scheduled to begin until summer of 2006 with completion in 2007. Darryl Smith the Farragut Town Engineer was quoted in the Farragut Press, "he’s confident of having signal light there within the next couple of years after that".

Just great.

Wonderful.

It is clear that there is no sense of urgency by the Town of Farragut to accelerate the process to get the traffic light at Everett Road. However, there is a sense of urgency to create the Watt Road connector. This road will extend Watt Road past the Icearium and Little Joe's Pizza and connect to Old Stage Road. It is not wanted by the residents that live in the Old Stage Road community. They have protested this road for years. Months ago this community was told it would be years before the Watt Road Connector would be considered. Then very quietly funds were approved to do the engineering study. Why does Mayor Eddy Ford want to build so many expensive roads?

The creation of the Watt Road connector will also doom any chance of a traffic light at Kingston Pike and Old Stage Road. The Watt Road Connector is said to be the answer to moving traffic from McFee Road and Old Stage Road. It is simple, to go east you must first go half a mile west and then drive down Watt Road past all the truck stops and get onto the Interstate to go east to Knoxville.

This is the same thinking that was used to create the 9.2 million dollar Campbell Station Bypass, er, Connector. To go east first you must go west and then go through two school zones. This is the only logic that supports the tens of millions of dollars Farragut spends on roads. In Farragut if you want to go east first you must go west.

Do these new roads make travel in Farragut any safer? Not really.

What could be done to make road travel safer in the Town of Farragut?

First, do what I recommended four months ago. Build a second left turn lane at Kingston Pike and Lovell Road. Second, find someone that can provide some leadership in the Farragut Board of Mayor and Aldermen. This town is suffering from a leadership vacuum.

This Town needs traffic lights at Everett Road, Old Stage Road, and Virtue Road. We need them today. Not years from now.

'Confident' but Not Careful

2005-12-06T10:49:00.000-05:00

From ABC television news:

Putting the Brakes on Reckless Teen Driving

Study Uses Cameras in Car to Show What Teens Are Really Doing

MANAKATO, Minn., Dec. 5, 2005 — New teenage drivers are the most risky drivers on the road, studies show. They are four times as likely as an adult to have an accident. Studies show 16-year-olds are the worst. They crash twice as often as teens with just a couple of years of driving experience.

But what if their parents could watch them behind the wheel? A study conducted by a San Diego-based company called DriveCam, in conjunction with the Mayo Clinic, showed the camera's presence can make a difference.

DriveCam installed one camera to record inside the car and another to record the outside road. Over six months, 12 16-year-olds were caught on camera doing everything from running stop signs to chancing a risky left turn.

The idea behind the project: If parents and teens could see what was happening on the road, they could intervene to change it.

more

When will we have the courage to act?

2005-11-28T12:31:00.000-05:00

A 17-year-old teenager in Highlands Ranch, Colorado allegedly lost control of his car while text messaging on his cell phone and hit a bicyclist, Jim R. Price, who died two days later. Bicyclists have the same rights as the drivers of cars and trucks but because of their small size and reduced visibility they must rely on the thoughtfulness of other drivers to watch for them. The time has come to deal with this issue.

"We do not believe it was an intentional act, but it was inattentiveness to the roadway," said Lt. Alan Stanton, spokesman for Douglas County Sheriff's Office. "The investigation showed that he was text-messaging on his cell phone" at the time of the accident, said Stanton.

I have written about this here and here. Too many young people are driving without paying attention to the highway. You may recall when I wrote about my nephew. He had had his second wreck from not paying attention while driving. Sadly, in his third wreck last week he totaled the family car and risked the safety of three teenage passengers when he hit a concrete structure on the Interstate. Fortunately no one was hurt. The cause was his inattention to the highway. The excuse was another car cut in front of him. Both of his parents drive over the speed limit and tailgate. Is it any wonder he drives the same way?

His parents do not understand their behavior is part of the problem. What did my nephew say after the accident? He wanted a safer vehicle so he has asked his parents for a large pickup truck. Does it occur to him to modify his driving behavior? No, his thoughts are just get me a heavier vehicle so I can be safer.

How many people must die before we as a society have enough courage to act?

The penalty for causing the death of Jim R. Price will be a misdemeanor charge. Does that seem fair to you?

Special Feature Websites

2005-11-22T11:02:00.000-05:00

A new addition to the Can Farragut Change blog is the "Special Feature Websites" section. You can find the latest restaurant menus in the Knoxville area and also check the TDOT Interstate cameras to see if you need an alternate route on your way to dinner. Using the Knoxville Gas Prices you can also fill up your tank with the best gas value.

Farragut Your Hub is a feature from the Knoxville News Sentinel that is a community based Internet forum where you can be the writer, photographer, and editor of your own virtual newspaper.

Watch this section of the blog for new entries that can save you time and help you reach out to your community.

Can Farragut Change Sampler

2005-11-18T16:25:00.000-05:00

A brief review of posts that readers here cared about.

Is it time to ban cell phones in cars and trucks in motion in Knox county?

Civil disobedience; drive the speed limit

Should you buy your teenager a SUV for High School Graduation?

Drive Now Talk Later

Is it true?

This may be the single most stupid thing I have ever heard

Let's have a debate on the proposed roundabout

It is time to address the safety issues at Kingston Pike and Lovell Road?

From our school board correspondent Karen Carson

Modern day pamphleteers

2005-11-16T12:41:00.000-05:00

Michael Silence has found the best description of what anonymous blogs are, they are modern day pamphleteers. Say Uncle and Joe Powell have more detailed examination of this topic. This all started when a letter from Kim Stout was printed in the Tennessean which claimed there was no difference between anonymous bloggers and terrorists. Say Uncle has more here and here.

Isn't what is written more important than who writes it? Not everyone seems to understand that. Being compared to a terrorist makes me long for the good old days when commenters that disagreed with me just called me a coward. At Say Uncle commenter Ravenwood said it best, "It’s simple really. They hate your anonymity because it makes it that much harder to silence you. "

Joe Powell writes, "Speech must be controlled, seems to be the opinion. That, as I said, it is an idea that ignores history, limits personal freedom and the First Amendment, and marginalizes the fact that citizens rights are vital to our nation."

From Say Uncles blog, "Keep it up pesky anonymous bloggers. We are the new press. Somebody had to step up because the politicians took over the old press. Remember the lesson learned by South Knox Bubba, the politicos will lean on you if they can."

Michael Silence writes, "I’m missing something in all this. When did personalities trump policies and ideas? (Did cable TV do that?) What is there to fear from anonymous blogging? One can read those blogs and weigh them on their content. I’ve read SayUncle for more than three years and find it to be one of the best in the area. I don’t need to know him, although I do, to know where he’s coming from. Agree or disagree, his arguments are clear and concise."

Silence ends with, "Anonymous or not, I think Thomas Paine would be proud of these modern-day pamphleteers."

You only get one chance when you build a high school

2005-11-14T10:44:00.000-05:00

I may have opened a can of worms when I posted, "The new High School must be built for 2000 students". Since then all kind of politics have been whipped up concerning the new West Knox County High School. I did not know this until I read Michael Silence's blog No Silence Here and found out that every time I made a post on the new West Knox County High School so did Brian Hornback the Chairman of the Knox County GOP. I had not seen Mr. Hornback's blog before this so I starting reading it.

I was surprised when I saw the letter from District Five Knox County Commissioner Mike Hammond to Chairman Dan Murphy of Knox County Schools on Mr. Hornback's blog. I thought the District Five commissioners were attending School Board meetings and were also getting emails from School Board members. So what is this letter to the School Board all about? It looks like politics and I don't see what it accomplishes.

Recently Knox County Mayor Mike Ragsdale was granted authority over Knox County Libraries by the County Commission. Like many people I thought that was over reaching. The sudden micro-management of the School Board by Knox County Commission is also over reaching. County Commission and the School Board need to sit down in one room and work this out.

Yes, the school will cost more than the 40 million dollars budgeted. The school in Oak Ridge has the same problems. The families that need this school need to see a unified County Commission and School Board working together instead of pointing fingers. We do not need excuses. We need a quality high school and we need it to serve the needs of 2000 students.

You only get one chance when you build a high school. It has to be done right the first time. It cost what it costs. No one knew that two monster hurricanes would drive up building prices. But things like that happen. Many opportunities have been missed to build this school sooner. Now is not the time for hindsight. It doesn't matter what happened in the past. We all share the responsibility for the current state of affairs. So stop the political spin and work together. Get this done.

Be careful at the new subdivision on Turkey Creek Road

2005-11-10T19:32:00.000-05:00

The folks at CCRGD warn people about a blind entrance to a new subdivision under construction on West Turkey Creek Road.

Keep your eyes open as you round the last S-turn going towards the bridge at Turkey Creek Road and Virtue Road. Heavy equipment and road construction equipment will be using Turkey Creek Road.

Will Farragut get three new traffic lights?

2005-11-10T19:04:00.000-05:00

The Town of Farragut has money in place for three new traffic lights for Virtue Road, Old Stage Road, and Everett Road. All that is needed now is TDOT approval. Stay tuned for more developments.

Oak Ridge High School has cost overruns also

2005-11-10T12:25:00.000-05:00

The new high school in Oak Ridge is 10 million dollars over budget. Very close to the cost overruns experienced in Knox County. I point this out because some people are taking pleasure in the difficulty of making the hard decisions faced by both Knox County Schools and Knox County Commission.

Like most people in West Knoxville I don't find any humor in jokes about Polo Fields for the new West Knox high school. The people here want to be treated fairly and expect the same type of high school as the people in Karns, Bearden, and Farragut. It is distressing to families that have fought for years to have a high school where their children do not have to eat lunch in the hallways to have to tolerate the never-ending jokes and taunts about this new high school.

One thing that is happening in Oak Ridge that is not happening in Knoxville is a greater community involvement. From the Knoxville News Sentinel, "The importance of this new school to growing future scientific and technical talent in our own back yard far outweighs the short-term cost increases that the project faces," Oak Ridge National Laboratory Director Jeff Wadsworth said. UT-Battelle, the Department of Energy contractor that operates ORNL, launched the lobbying effort for the new high school by announcing in September 2003 that it would bankroll a study of the proposed project. The contractor has also pledged $2 million toward the redo. With donations from other DOE contractors and local businesses and families, the foundation has raised more than $7 million."

How can our community help bridge the gap? Should a fund raising campaign be started just like those for the Knoxville Symphony and the Knoxville Museum of Art?

The new High School must be built for 2000 students

2005-11-07T08:56:00.000-05:00

Rumblings about cost overruns from the twin hurricanes have caused concern over the enrollment of the new West Knox County High School. It is imperative that this new school stay on track for an enrollment of 2000 students. If this new school must cost more than originally planned it is a serious issue that must be dealt with. This is why the wheel tax was past. It costs what it costs. It must be of the same quality and have the same features as other high schools.

School board representatives are now discussing whether to lower the enrollment to 1300 students or to sacrifice athletics. The answer to both of these issues is no. This school could have been built a long time ago and it will not be a red headed stepchild. The people were given the Hobson’s choice of a wheel tax or a property tax and this school will be built as planned or there will be new representation in both the School Board and the Knox County Commission.

Alan Childers of Cannon & Cannon talks about the roundabout

2005-11-04T20:38:00.000-05:00

Alan Childers asked some interesting questions before the FBMA at the regularly scheduled meeting Oct. 27, at Town Hall. Childers represented Cannon & Cannon the civil engineering firm that did the design for the proposed roundabout at Northshore Drive and Concord Road. Childers ask the Mayor and Alderman, "It is very true that people will drive how they feel comfortable”, Childers said. “But there are a few questions we need to ask ourselves: why do people feel comfortable driving on residential streets as fast as they do, is it possible the fundamental problem is really engineering which has resulted in an enforcement problem? Have we mistakenly been designing miniature highways when the context within which residential streets exist justify a different approach?"

Is Childers criticizing the design or the behavior of the drivers? Or more importantly is the problem that the design was wrong to begin with and that altered the behavior of the drivers?

So why is Childers talking about residential streets when Northshore Drive and Concord Road are state roads? Why is the roundabout now being touted as a traffic-calming device? Who puts a traffic-calming device in the middle of a state road?

As the explanations for this become more tortured the simple question remains, why not install a traffic signal, which is what is desired by 98 percent of the residents?

More roundabout comments from the Farragut Press

2005-10-30T11:16:00.000-05:00

This week in the Farragut Press local people respond to the proposed roundabout sheduled for summer 2006 at Northshore Drive and Concord Road.

letters to the editor- Thu, Oct, 27, 2005 Concord reader opposes roundabout

I have read with interest the current farragutpress front-page article headlined “Concord Road signal nixed.”

The intersection involved carries vastly increasing volumes of traffic reflecting huge development of upscale, high-tax-income homes in the area. These new citizens, and existing residents, deserve some relief from the potentially fatal traffic conditions at Concord Road and Northshore Drive. In fact, we have already paid handsomely.

The traffic circle plan appears to resemble those that appeared in New England back in Model T Ford days. As automotive technology advanced, the circles became obsolete.

The need for relief is now. Surely, we can afford the expense of STOP signs and enforcement.

I thank the farragutpress for bringing this important matter to our attention.

John P. Ascher
Concord

presstalk 671-TALK- Thu, Oct, 27, 2005

• I’m totally against the roundabout at Northshore and Concord roads. Please have them do anything but put a roundabout there. A red light or leave it as it is would be much better.

• I am calling to comment on the roundabout at Concord [Road] and Northshore [Drive] and the headaches it will cause. Get out your Oct. 20 issue of the [farragut]press and read along. County Commissioner [Craig] Leuthold states that Northshore is a state highway and doesn’t warrant a traffic signal. However, there are traffic signals on the Oak Ridge Highway in Karns, and if that isn’t considered a state highway I would like to know what they consider it? Secondly, Leuthold adds that the problem with stoplight is additional lanes have to be added, but there’s not enough room. There is a stoplight at Ball Camp and Amherst, which doesn’t have any turn lanes, and that is just one of many examples I can think of. On page 8 it says that the roundabout will be expandable if Northshore is ever widened to four lanes. If they can’t find the real estate to add a turn lane, where are they going to get the room to do this? Also, why do they need to widen east bridge when cars have basically made two lanes at the stop sign anyway? Finally, do they really think people will learn to slow down and be more careful around the roundabout? Think of all the tailgaters, people who run red lights, those who speed through subdivisions. Are these people really going to care about this roundabout? I for one will not drive around this death trip. How many people have to die in crashes before road crews realize they need to think through their plans more carefully?

• As far as the roundabout goes, I think it’s ridiculous. Most people don’t understand how roundabouts work. I think it will cause accidents. What we need is a traffic light on Concord and Northshore.

• In regards to the roundabout at the end of Concord Road and Northshore, how about a three-way stop sign if they can’t afford a stoplight? But a three-way stop sign works well in other places and I think that might be better than a roundabout. I don’t think the space is big enough for a roundabout, you’d be making your turn too quickly.

• I live in Farragut and I was calling in having seen the suggestion for a roundabout at Concord and Northshore. I think that is absolutely the wrong decision at that location, and to think that all the traffic, with all of the new projects going on at Northshore, will be less of a traffic hazard there with a roundabout is pretty ridiculous. I don’t know who came up with that one, but he needs to go to school.

• About the roundabout at Concord Road and Northshore Drive, we are being sold a big lie. That a traffic light would take more room than this proposed roundabout? Look at the drawing in the farragutpress, that’s ridiculous. It’s taking five times more space than putting a traffic light in would take. Yes, turn lanes would help, but you can put a traffic light in without turn lanes and if they’re saying that [Tennessee Department of Transportation] doesn’t think it is warranted, TDOT hasn’t looked at it.

Roundabout questions asked by the Farragut Press

2005-10-20T11:07:00.000-04:00

In a new article about the proposed roundabout for Northshore Drive and Concord Road the Farragut Press's editor Dan Barile writes that this roundabout, "has led some community leaders to question, why?"

Why indeed?

This is very interesting because the West District 5 commissioners are now scrambling for cover as the residents of West Knoxville have been calling and emailing them asking why this was done without the advice and consent of the local community. The people that will have to use the proposed roundabout want to know why they were not consulted. They are upset and angry.

Compare the statements from the Knoxville News Sentinel article of August 8th to the quotes from the October 20th Farragut Press. In the KNS article of August 8th Craig Leuthold says, "Because of growth in the area, that intersection gets congested every afternoon, said Commissioner Craig Leuthold, who represents the area and travels through the intersection every day."It is a bad intersection. Something needs to be done," Leuthold said." The same KNS article state that, "About 10,000 vehicles a day pass through that intersection, according to the Tennessee Department of Transportation. TDOT estimates that number will grow to 16,000 in the next 15 years, Childers said."

Compare that to the October 20th Farragut Press article where Leuthold says, "Leuthold added that the intersection has been a topic of discussion for years and residents in the area questioning why a traffic signal could not be installed at the intersection had approached him. Leuthold said he turned to Knox County engineer Bruce Wuethrich for answers. I spoke with Bruce Wuethrich and he said that Northshore Drive is a state highway and according to T-DOT doesn't warrant a traffic signal, Leuthold said. Leuthold added that the problem with a turn signal is that additional lanes have to be constructed for turning lanes and that there is simply not enough real estate available to do that job. "

Stop the presses, an intersection with 10,000 vehicles a day does not warrant a traffic signal? Since when? A roundabout was the ONLY solution. Does it seem to you that a rapid response CYA campaign is under way?

But wait, there's more, "Leuthold added that the problem with a turn signal is that additional lanes have to be constructed for turning lanes and that there is simply not enough real estate available to do that job. Cindy Pionke, Knox County director of planning and development, said a roundabout was the best solution for the intersection in that area. There are several factors that rule out a turn signal at that intersection, Pionke said. The length of the turn lanes, the cost of expanding the east bridge that would support one of the turn lanes, right of way acquisition and a sink hole are a few of the issues that would have to be overcome. Leuthold said information that he had gathered indicated installing a turn signal would compound the problem at Northshore and possibly cause lengthy backups during high traffic periods.

That is simply not the case. You do not have to have the turning lanes referenced above. This is one way of designing a traffic signal at this intersection not the ONLY way. If the "sinkhole" prohibits a turnlane how can it not interfere with the roundabout? Is it one of those "turnlane specfic" sinkholes?

West District Five commissioner Mike Hammond recently, "penned a letter to TDOT head Gerald Nicely addressing the future of Northshore Drive".

"In the letter, Hammond asked Nicely to “intensify [TDOT’s] dialogue with Knox County officials regarding the future of Northshore Drive,” stating that “substantial traffic increases are projected for this two-lane road during the next five years. … There is still land to be developed in these areas, which will add more vehicles to Northshore Drive, raising safety issues along with traffic counts."

Leuthold agreed, "I’m concerned about the intersection at Northshore and Westland, about the housing and business development coming in at Northshore and Pellissippi and about a proposed Y[MCA] coming in at Concord Park across from the boat ramps,” he said."

The piece de la resistance comes from Cindy Pionke, "Currently, Pionke said, the county is moving “cautiously. We want to see how well this goes."

Did I mention that this project has been voted on and approved by Knox County Commission?

Moving "cautiously"?

Here is an idea, how about involving the local community? Would that be too much trouble?

From our school board correspondent Karen Carson

2005-09-16T08:46:00.000-04:00

School Board Notes

I thought that I would start off this school year by updating everyone on the construction projects in this area. Please understand that the dates I am giving you are always changing so most are "target" dates of when we realistically expect things to happen.

Cedar Bluff Elementary School: Civil Engineers were dealing with some very complex issues with the recently adopted site and storm water drainage requirements now being enforced by the county. The documents did go out to bid on September 12th and bids will be received prior to the School Board workshop on October 31, 2005. Then the project will have to go before the County Commission meeting on November 28, 2005. Hopefully the construction contract will be signed to get started in late November/early December and if all goes well, still meet our original construction schedule.

Karns High School: Documents for the renovations/additions which are out for bid will close on September 20th. They will then be presented to the Board of Education and the County Commission in October. Construction will start near the end of November.

New High School: I have been participating in weekly meetings since July. There have been some issues with the land (rocks, springs, old slaughter houses!) that have created some delays in ground breaking. The scheduled completion date remains April, 2008 with the school opening in August of 2008. Zones will be drawn next fall (2006) though we hope to have a community meeting this fall to present the plans and discuss zoning issues as well as receive input from those who will be affected.

Despite the focus of this month's topic, we are doing more than build new buildings. I will try to focus on other issues in the upcoming months. If there is an area you would like to know more about, please contact me at 675-0236 or via e mail at carsonk@tds.net.

Karen Carson

School Board Representative, 5th District

Another look at the Development Review Process Evaluation Committee

2005-08-31T15:03:00.000-04:00

Leslie Tucker of the Farragut Press gives another perspective of the Development Review Process Evaluation Committee.

From the Farragut Press:

Town engineer Darryl Smith addressed the DRPEC asking the town to consider reducing the number of FMPC meetings from two to one a month.

“[Developers and staff] could work a lot of things out before they even get to the Planning Commission,” Smith said.

The group chose not to make that recommendation but did suggest adding to the number of meetings requested in the review process.

“Having that required meeting, [the developers we spoke to] felt this would be an opportunity to speed up the process in the long run. . . . What we may lose in time in the first meeting, we’re gonna gain tenfold back in the process,” Honken said.

The Commission also recommended that an additional meeting be held following the staff’s initial review prior to the project being brought to the FMPC. The Commission felt that this meeting would help to answer developers’ questions and resolve issues informally.

It seems that Personnel Committee member Ron Honken does not understand that there are only so many work hours in one week. Darryl Smith’s recommendation to consider reducing the number of FMPC meetings from two to one a month makes more sense than anything that has come out of this committee. If there is not enough staff today to handle the load how does suggesting more meetings with existing staff as Ron Honken has suggested make any sense?

Why have the recommendations of the Town staff been overlooked? Should this be sent back to committee for further review?

Politics infect Development Review Process Evaluation Committee

2005-08-31T14:34:00.000-04:00

Angela Patterson of the Knoxville News Sentinel has a second article in today’s paper about the Town of Farragut’s Development Review Process Evaluation Committee. The committee's recommendations were briefly reported to the Board of Mayor and Aldermen at their Aug. 25 meeting and will appear on the agenda at their Sept. 8 meeting.

One part of the article focuses on Personnel Committee member Ron Honken’s pursuit of the Town of Farragut’s Community Development Director Ruth Hawk.

Angela Patterson writes, “When discussing the areas of concern, however, there was some debate over whether certain language should be left in the document. One section regarding customer service issues made reference to a certain staff member, albeit by position only. Committee member Joel Garber wanted to take out the reference, citing that it pointed to an individual when the comment should reflect an overall management problem. Ron Honken said he was opposed to eliminating the reference because he thought it was true that a majority of the customer service issues related to this one individual.

"To remove this language would water down the report and misdirect the message we're trying to share," Honken said.

Bob Markli agreed with Honken, saying that the job of the committee was to point out areas of concern in the process, and if they took the reference out, then it would simply appear they were skirting the issue. The committee voted 2-6 to keep the language in the document, without ever naming the person.

The report cited activities of the Community Development Director, a position held by Ruth Hawk.

" 'Customer service' issues have become an increasing area of concern," the report states. "A majority of the comments received have focused on (a) the site development aspects of projects (as opposed to the building review and approvals); and (b) the activities by the town's upper administrative positions, particularly that of the community development director, associated with the site development reviews and approvals."

A review of the final report shows that Honken has been persistent in his approach that Ruth Hawk is the nexus of the perceived customer service issues described by the developers. Ron Honken ran for North Side Alderman in the spring Farragut Town election losing to Tom Rosseel by a margin of 61 % to 39 %. Other more seasoned members of the committee advised against this pursuit. Committee member Joel Garber wanted to take out the reference, citing that it pointed to an individual when the comment should reflect an overall management problem. Ironically Alderman Joel Garber’s seat will be up for election in 2006 as Joel Garber is stepping down to devote more time with family and his new seat on the Farragut MPC. Honken is expected to run again for the North side Alderman position.

It is unfortunate that the final result of the committee has veered off into politics. Hopefully on September 8th the Mayor and Board of Aldermen will get back on the right track.

A kick the cat story?

2005-08-31T13:09:00.000-04:00

The Town of Farragut has gone through a lengthy review process and it is confusing what has been learned. For a while it looked like real progress was be made. Now it is hard to tell. While the developer community was listened to it is hard to tell if the Town of Farragut staff was.

Everyone agrees that the process to plan, have approved, and build a building in the Town of Farragut takes longer compared to building the same building in Knox County but it is not clear why that is. Is it because there is not enough staff? Is it because two Farragut MPC meetings per month do not allow enough time for the staff to work on current projects while preparing for MPC meetings on future projects? Knox County MPC meets once a month. Is it because the Town of Farragut has stringent and more thorough ordinances than Knox County and developers are not used or aware of these ordinances?

Is this a case of the “Emperor wears no clothes”? Much attention has been directed at the Town of Farragut staff but none to the actual ordinances or those that were responsible for those ordinances being passed. The Mayor and Board of Aldermen formulate and pass these ordinances so why has that not been reflected in the discussion?

The look of this exercise reminds me of the kick the cat story. The boss chews out Joe at work. Joe comes home and yells at his wife Jane, then later Jane yells at their young child Ron, and then an angry little Ron kicks the family cat Snowflake. Poor Snowflake didn’t do anything but in the end he gets kicked.

Angela Patterson has an article in today’s Knoxville News Sentinel that is worth reading. See what you think.

Suggestions for roundabout signage if County Commission will not reconsider

2005-08-29T15:08:00.000-04:00

I hope Knox County Commission will reconsider the roundabout. Until that happens we should assume the project will go forward as approved. Signage will be very important and I thought I would ask you to help suggest what kind of signage would best protect the public. Place your comments in a post and I will make a sign with the best suggestions.

Roundabout issues for our community

2005-08-29T08:45:00.000-04:00

The newly approved roundabout costs five times as much as a traffic light and takes four months to do the construction. A traffic light is installed in one day. Why should we have to wait in four months of road construction when there is no benefit? Is this about vanity? Unnecessary and expensive road projects are the last thing we need in West Knox County.

The roundabout is dangerous for any long truck with a length of 35 feet or more like a moving van or earthmoving equipment on a long trailer. This is one of the fastest growing areas of Knox County. That brings a lot of tractor trailer traffic. There are two access points for this area for large trucks. The first is Concord Road at Northshore Drive. The second is Martel Road in Loudon County that connects to Choto Road that connects to Northshore Drive. So truck traffic will have to be detoured to Loudon County to come to the Choto area. The Virtue Road access has a train trestle with a nine foot ceiling. No big trucks allowed.

There are curves both east and west just before the proposed roundabout. The curve going west is above on the left. The curve going east is above on the right. What happens when people that are new to the area encounter this roundabout for the first time? Do we need to have roundabout training every few weeks over and over again? How is that fair to the people that have to use this thing?

Roundabouts are unsafe for bicyclists compared to traffic lights. There are many people that ride bicycles in this area. Did anyone think about that? They should have. Bicyclists have the same rights on the road as the driver or a car or truck. That is Tennessee State law. It is difficult to understand how this is a progressive idea. I thought bicycle safety was a progressive idea.

Taxpayers should not have to watch County Commission like a hawk. Where was the notice of this? I understand it was posted on the Knox County website and it was in the News Sentinel once or possibly twice in a small article in the traffic section. There was one sentence about it in Metro Pulse several weeks ago. It is bad enough we cannot park at the City County building, to have a project like this be approved without citizen review or comment shows a serious problem with our representative leadership. This is the first roundabout that Knox County has done and there should have been a public meeting at Farragut High School. County Commission needs to do some outreach. That means coming out into the community and finding out how the taxpayers feel about a project of this importance. TDOT had many public meetings on the Orange Route. It shows consideration for the community.

Was Knox County School Board invited to the County Commission meeting when this was discussed? Since it is the first one of these roundabouts in the County and school buses use this heavily traveled intersection daily the school board should have had the opportunity to provide their input as they are responsible for the children that ride the bus to school. As a taxpayer I would be interested in the school boards position on this roundabout.

Safety studies in Europe and the US show roundabouts are safer than traffic lights with one exception, for bicyclists. Does that mean that bicyclists will be forbidden to ride on Northshore Drive? What is not known is how dangerous these roundabouts are during the learning curve. Since the learning curve happens every time a new driver goes through the roundabout how can we be sure it is really safer? Do the studies reflect only experienced drivers?

The public did not have a fair and reasonable opportunity to be heard. This is happening too often with Knox County Commission. How do we as a community solve this problem?

Let's have a debate on the proposed roundabout

2005-08-27T08:30:00.000-04:00

Roundabouts have some positive attributes. For some locations they provide a safer and lower cost means to move traffic. In a rural setting they can be superior to stop signs. Aesthetically some think they look better than the normal traffic lights and multiple turn lanes we are used to in Knox County. On paper I can see how they could have been appealing to those that voted on this decision. My hopes are that County Commission will review this decision and make a site visit to this intersection. I hope common sense prevails and this decision is reversed.

Having lived in this area for many years I am convinced that this is possibly the worst location a roundabout could be located and I am further convinced that people will be hurt as a result of this decision. Anyone that has spent any time reading this blog understands I am concerned about public safety. That is one of the main themes of this blog.

Let’s open up a forum for debate on this roundabout. I hope those that made this decision will join in and those that support the roundabout will also comment on why they feel this is the right decision for the families that travel these two roads.

I have posted two pictures of the roundabout. One is the engineering drawing from WBIR. The other is a rough sketch that is not to scale but demonstrates one of the dangers of this location in respect to the roundabout. One of the dangers is a school bus (or any large top heavy vehicle) traveling from the Montgomery Cove direction east along Northshore that has to turn north on Concord Road. As the bus rounds the roundabout and encounters "yielding" traffic traveling west along Northshore the bus could be collided with. Anything from a t-bone broadside to being pushed through the intersection and down to the train tracks is possible. The collision of a school bus and dump truck (any vehicle with large mass) would be catastrophic.

Someone that is visiting from out of town or a serviceman on a call in a new area might not know of the roundabout as they travel past Concord Park going west towards Concord Road. A moment of inattention to look at the lake or answer a cell phone and a vehicle traveling 55 miles per hour could enter the roundabout without control. Neither picture I have posted shows the short distance from the bridge over Fort Loudon Lake. Most people look out over the lake as they pass over the bridge. The question is where do you place the signage for the roundabout where it will be seen in time?

This is a compilation of ideas from people that have comment on this topic:

The location is not suitable for this design

It is too dangerous for school buses

The construction takes too long

A traffic signal is much cheaper and installs in one day

Future work on Concord Road may mean re-doing the roundabout at additional expense

School buses, moving vans and heavy equipment trucks are not suited to the roundabout

Cyclists will be endangered

It would require special guardrails

There is no good place for signage for traffic traveling from the east to the west

Roundabout update

2005-08-26T10:37:00.000-04:00

I wish that local newspapers and television had covered this issue before it was approved by Knox County Commission. The people that use this road had little opportunity to attend the County Commission meetings because this issue was unknown to them.

Farragut has plans to five lane Concord Road sometime in the future. This would mean either adding on to the existing bridge over the railroad or building a new bridge. If this were to be approved this roundabout would have to be redone at some point in the future.

Bruce Wuethrich, director of the county's Engineering and Public Works Department, stated the reason for the roundabout is the intersection does not have room to support a traditional intersection with turn lanes because of a nearby bridge. The simplest answer is usually the best answer but that does not seem to apply to traffic engineering. In traffic engineering the most complicated and expensive solution that has to be redone in the future is the best solution.

You have to wonder if the Knox County Engineering and Public Works Department ever talks with the Farragut Traffic Engineering Department. This looks like the same results we get from TDOT.

After doing some research on the Internet I found some information on the roundabout that will be constructed on Northshore Drive and Concord Road.

On August 8th there was a column in the Knoxville News Sentinel by Michael Silence. From that article:

Work is scheduled to begin in the spring of next year and should take three or four months, said Alan Childers, vice president of Cannon & Cannon, the firm planning and designing the project.

About 10,000 vehicles a day pass through that intersection, according to the Tennessee Department of Transportation.

TDOT estimates that number will grow to 16,000 in the next 15 years, Childers said.
Because of growth in the area, that intersection gets congested every afternoon, said Commissioner Craig Leuthold, who represents the area and travels through the intersection every day.

"It is a bad intersection. Something needs to be done," Leuthold said.

The county is funding 20 percent of the project, and the state, which will do the work, is funding the remaining 80 percent. The project is expected to cost about $300,000.

Bruce Wuethrich, director of the county's Engineering and Public Works Department, said the intersection does not have room to support a traditional intersection with turn lanes because of a nearby bridge.

So, "we said let's do something out of the box," he said, and the idea of a roundabout came up.

Roundabouts are not new to Tennessee. Knoxville has two or three of them, said Bob Whetsel, director of the city's Public Service Department. But, he said, they are in low-traffic neighborhoods.

It is time to address the safety issues at Kingston Pike and Lovell Road?

2005-08-25T16:11:00.000-04:00

I have written before on two issues that affect the safety of everyone that travels through the intersection of Kingston Pike and Lovell Road. The first issue is the length of the yellow light and the hold time of the cross traffic signal. The yellow light is not long enough to safely clear the intersection. The hold time is not long enough to ensure safety for cross traffic in either direction.

The second issue is the lack of a second left turn lane for Eastbound traffic from Kingston Pike turning left to Lovell Road. The lack of this second left turn lane means that drivers wanting to turn left into the YMCA/Walgreens must share a single turn lane with drivers wanting to turn left at the traffic light onto Lovell Road and also share this same turn lane with drivers wanting to turn right into the Rush Fitness Center. I wrote about this turn lane safety issue on April 15th.

What are the priorities of the Knox County Engineering department? A serious safety issue has not been addressed at Kingston Pike and Lovell Road. Each day students and parents must confront a challenging intersection where traffic from three different sources and two different directions must share a single turn lane. Yet an ambitious road project is approved for a $500,000 roundabout at Northshore Drive and Concord Road an intersection that has much less traffic than Kingston Pike and Concord Road.

Cindy Pionke, Director of Planning and Development for Knox County was quoted by WBIR on the new roundabout at Northshore Drive and Concord Road, "It's pretty much residential and park land in that area of the county. We figured if there was a place to try one this was the location." Why should Knox County be “trying” any new traffic-engineering concept where school buses and dump trucks have to share a turn lane?

What basis does the Knox County Engineering department use to assign priorities to road projects? Do they look at the number of vehicles that use the intersection each day or is some other basis used? It is time to have a Town Hall type of meeting where the public and our elected representatives can discuss the issues at hand.

Please join me in contacting Mayor Mike Ragsdale, County Commissioners John Griess, Craig Leuthold, Mike Hammond, and Knox County Engineering Department Director Bruce Wuethrich and requesting that a public meeting be held to address the safety issues of the two intersections at Kingston Pike and Lovell Road and Northshore Drive and Concord Road. I suggest that this meeting be held at Farragut High School so the public may attend. Since there is no parking at the City County building this will make it easier for all parties to attend.

You can write Mayor Ragsdale at county.mayor@knoxcounty.org
Phone: 215-2000

You can write Bruce Wuethrich at bruce.wuethrich@knoxcounty.org
Phone: 215-5800

You can write Commissioner John Griess at john.griess@knoxcounty.org
Phone 637-3770 or 966-3311

You can write Commissioner Craig Leuthold at craig.leuthold@knoxcounty.org
Phone 215-2534 or 694-8671

You can write Commissioner Mike Hammond at mike.hammond@knoxcounty.org
Phone 212-4516

Gomer Pyle and friends bring the latest traffic design to West Knoxville

2005-08-25T08:44:00.000-04:00

~~Surprise, surprise. The Gomer Pyle School of Traffic Design has been hard at work.~~ I read today that Knox County has decided to install a roundabout at Northshore Drive and Concord Road. I didn't see that one coming. Never heard one word about this on television or radio until today. Never read about it in the paper. So I am very surprised.

Oh, you probably don't know anything about this. A roundabout is what is used in England instead of a traffic light. It is a circular design of asphalt that causes traffic accidents and injuries but it is very urban and considered an exciting way to move traffic without a traffic light. You normally see these in Italian movies where the cars go around in circles very fast. This will be so much fun watching the Nascar contingent of West Knoxville and Loudon County try to coexist on this car mangling conveyance.

It is the single most stupid dangerous idea to happen in West Knoxville ever. You say you are not sure about that statement? Try the roundabout out on McFee Road in Farragut and then make your judgment. How many cars go through the Northshore Road and Concord Road intersection each day? Too many for this ridiculous idea.

But the beauty of this idea is that it cost only $500,000. But the Federal Government pays for 80% of this. So the net cost is only $100,000. That is only $25,000 more than a traffic light. Can we just save the money and go with what people are familar with?

What to do what to do? Would this be a good time to look into recall papers for County Mayor Mike Ragsdale and the three Knox County commissioners in District Five? That would be John Griess, Mike Hammond, and Craig Leuthold.

Cindy Pionke, Director of Planning and Development says, "Studies have shown roundabouts have less accidents. They are essentially safer. Our problem will be educating people on how to drive through them and use them correctly."

Some studies, not all. Other studies show they do not perform well in America, where we live. We do not need to try a social experiment in West Knoxville trying to "educate" people on how to drive through them. That is exactly what will happen, they will drive straight through them and people will be hurt.

Mayor Ragsdale you need to deal with this. The people have a right to be heard and like so many issues in Knox County we learn about this at the last moment. This issue is not known to the majority of taxpayers that use this road.

Make this right Mr. Mayor. This is not acceptable. You must communicate better with the people of Knox County.

Is it time to admit what we already know?

2005-08-25T08:14:00.000-04:00

Cell phones and cars are a dangerous combination. We all know this but somehow we choose not to act. Does each person that uses a cell phone think that because of their superior reflexes and coordination that they will be immune to what is becoming a new category in vehicle crashes?

Is it time to admit what we already know? Just let it ring and go to voice mail. Why risk becoming a statistic?

From Karen Carson: Our new West Knox High School; What's the real story?

2005-08-15T15:17:00.000-04:00

The new West Knox High School will be built on land adjacent to Hardin Valley Elementary. The school will have a core capacity of 2000, with a projected enrollment of 1600 students. The zone lines are not drawn at this time. We plan to have a community meeting sometime this fall to get input on the possible zoning. The superintendent's staff will then develop a zone, understanding the need to pull at least 600 students out of the Farragut zone. It is my hope that the zones will be determined by December, 2005 thereby providing ample time for relocation for all who choose that route. I am also pushing to have the principal of the new school named sometime this year.

As far as the completion date, I participated in every interview ( 7 in all ) to determine the architectural firm that would build the new school. 6 of the 7 gave a completion date of August, 2008. We had never used August 2007 until the bids were put out by the county for the selection of the contractor. There seemed to be much confusion as to what was the "real" projected completion date and we felt that it was important to set a realistic goal for the full completion of the new high school. That date is set firmly for August, 2008. It is our plan to have construction completed by March, 2008 so that we can begin to work through the punch list prior to opening in August.

As far as the questions about lack of communication with county commission, I can only say that I was as surprised as anyone to see that quote in the paper. Currently I attend weekly meetings with the architect, contractor, and PBA for the new high schools. Our commissioners are welcome to join me in that meeting. I also send Craig Leuthold and Mike Hammond copies of all the minutes from each of those meetings. Finally, I did speak with Craig Leuthold last Tuesday, and made him aware of the August 2008 completion date. While I agree, communication could always be improved, I will also tell you that I believe that the commissioners and the school board representative from the 5th district are working together to achieve improvements for the children and youth of this area.

As always, I welcome any calls or e mails from anyone who has ideas, concerns, or questions. My home number is 675-0236 and my e mail is carsonk@tds.net

Karen Carson

Editors Note on comments

2005-08-15T14:57:00.000-04:00

Up until now I have allowed great leeway on comments. CFC is here to have a discussion on community issues.

The basics (thanks to Bill Hobbs and Donald Sensing for their ideas):

No - means no - profanity! No personal attacks on me or any other commenter or author. No commercial commenting, but links to your own blog site or relevant other web pages are fine.

Your comment is subject to deletion if it is off-topic or includes foul language or personal attack. Readers, please email me if you find comments that include egregious violations of this policy.

Name-calling or insults are not part of discussion. I will delete comments that cross the line. I may also lock a topic so comments are not available.

Let's have a good discussion and work together to make our community a better place.

Thanks,

FR

Welcome our new school board correspondent Karen Carson

2005-08-15T14:54:00.000-04:00

I am Karen Carson, the Knox County School Board Representative for the fifth district (there are nine members on the Knox County Board of Education). I am a pediatric nurse who works in the Emergency Department at East Tennessee Children's Hospital. I have lived in Knox County for 15 years. My husband Joe and I have been married for 20 years.

We have three children, TJ , a senior at Farragut High School, Doug, a freshman at West High School, and Rebeka, a 5th grader at A. L. Lotts Elementary School. When TJ started kindergarten at A. L. Lotts, the year it opened, I became a PTA volunteer. Through a variety of PTA volunteer positions, including serving as the Knox County Council PTA president for two years, I became knowledgeable of the Knox County School system.

In late 2003, a number of people I respect urged me to run for the fifth district school board seat. I decide to run because I thought my experience as a mom, a pediatric nurse, and a community volunteer would prove to be beneficial to our school board. I am now completing my first year of service on the school board. . I continue to look for ways to better communicate with the people of this community and hope that my occasional posts on this blog will provide another mode which increases two way communications.

Knox County school board delays opening date of the new West Knox County high

2005-08-14T11:08:00.000-04:00

Frustrated parents and Knox County commissioners learned Thursday August 11th that the new West Knox county high school will not open until 2008. School board member Karen Carson was quoted in the Knoxville News Sentinel, "I just want to be as straight with the public as we can, and to even pretend 2007 just didn't make sense. It just sets people up for disappointment."

From the KNS:

Sue Edwards, the president of the Parent Teacher Association at Farragut Middle School, wasn't pleased.

"I'm greatly disappointed," said Edwards, who has a son in eighth grade at Farragut Middle School. "I understand money issues, but oh, my goodness, we need it today. We don't need it three years from now."

Commissioner Mike Hammond, who represents West Knox County, said Friday he was frustrated to learn about the delay from a newspaper reporter and not from a school board member or a PBA official.

"We really went to bat for this school, and we feel like we should be kept informed," Hammond said, referring to all the West Knox County commissioners.

"The fact that we were not even given the courtesy of a phone call or an e-mail or anything illustrates to me that once again we really need to improve our communication with one other," he said. "How long does it take to send an e-mail or a phone call?"

Maybe the Knox County school board should set up a blog so it and the Knox County commission can communicate better. Of course the school board meetings are open to the public, so maybe the county commission members should attend the school board meetings? Maybe this game of political football should end between the Knox County school board and the Knox County commission? Do the voters need to set up an intervention?

Chronology: New West Knox High School

2005-08-13T19:09:00.000-04:00

The time line of the new West Knox High School as listed in the Knoxville News Sentinel (registration required).

How can this process be improved?

Knox County Schools passes budget

2005-08-12T09:08:00.000-04:00

In a 7-2 vote The Knox County school board approved Thursday a final $320 million budget.

From the Knoxville News Sentinel:

THE BUDGET CUTS*
Four instructional supervisors - $310,000
Eleven central office secretaries and support staff - $310,000
Fifteen educational assistants - $240,000
Five middle school talented-and-gifted positions - $200,000
Discovery Center, 2 positions - $100,000
Center School, 2 positions** - $90,000
Replace vacant elementary assistant principal spots with administrative interns - $80,000

*Does not include all cuts
**School also will be combined with adult evening high school program

Source: Knox County Board of Education

What is sprawl?

2005-08-11T11:44:00.000-04:00

What is sprawl?

It depends on who you ask. Ask the builder and you may get a different answer than if you ask the banker. Most people would think that Los Angles is a prime example of sprawl but by the USA Today standard Nashville is rated much higher for sprawl. On the USA Today scale Los Angles scores a low 78 and Nashville scores a high 478. On the USA Today list Knoxville is number 17 with a score of 464.

For the people who study sprawl the one thing that is agreed on is that Interstate Road projects create sprawl. I would like to point out to the small chorus of people that frequently comment on Farragut’s two hyperlocal blogs you would be better served to try to stop the Orange Route if you are genuine in your concerns about sprawl. The proposed I-3 will also create large sprawl issues for South Knoxville. People buying homes do not create sprawl. The horse is out of the barn by the time those homes are ready for sale. Someone will buy them.

Is there a way that sprawl could be stopped even if the Orange Route is built? Yes, limit the interchanges to two. Knoxville/Knox county MPC can stop sprawl before it starts if it has the will and the wisdom to act. There have been suggestions by developers that the optimum number of interchanges for the Orange Route is six. If MPC fails in it’s responsibly to the people of this county and allows those six interchanges Knox County will move up the sprawl list. Are we hoping for the number one spot? One new school will not be enough.

So what can you as a private citizen do? Write the members of the MPC, City Council, and County Commission. Write all three Mayors in Knox County. If you want to stop sprawl you have to understand what causes sprawl.

From Vermont Forum On Sprawl:

Sprawl is dispersed, auto-dependent development outside of compact urban and village centers, along highways, and in rural countryside.

Excessive land consumption
Low densities in comparison with older centers
Lack of choice in ways to travel

Fragmented open space, wide gaps between development and a scattered appearance
Lack of choice in housing types and prices

Separation of uses into distinct areas
Repetitive one story development
Commercial buildings surrounded by acres of parking

Lack of public spaces and community centers

From USA Today:

Nashville has the highest sprawl index score among big metros: 478. Anti-sprawl activists have been battling to block the construction of a beltway around Nashville. There are worries over environmental impact and concern that a belt- way will encourage more sprawl.

Some planners call for more roads as a way to ease traffic congestion. Others say building or widening roads creates a bigger traffic mess and encourages even more development. Some advocate single-family houses on big lots. Others insist the solution is more apartments and small homes to accommodate more people on less land.

Some say housing should be built close to mass transit and within walking distance of stores, schools and other services to get cars off the road. Others argue that Americans don’t want to live in a more crowded urban setting or give up their cars.

Some want strict growth boundaries. Others say that limiting development pushes up housing prices and reduces the stock of affordable housing.

They agree on one thing, though: Municipalities must plan better.

The Farragut 500 opens today

2005-08-11T10:50:00.000-04:00

Friday is the first full day of school. Please keep an eye out for students as they drive to and from school. Be patient and remember that when Farragut High School lets out at 3:30 PM the Farragut 500 will be open.

Let Farragut High School lead by example

2005-08-08T11:53:00.000-04:00

I would like to make a suggestion to the people of Farragut. In the past ten months there have been three teenage driving fatalities in our town. It is clear that parents and teenage drivers in our town need to work together to prevent any more tragic teenage driving accidents.

The I Promise program has shown success in reducing teenage driving accidents. After Knox County Schools Superintendent Dr. Charles Lindsey suggested cutting drivers education to help balance the Knox County Schools budget it became clear to everyone that the school board does not recognize it's responsibility to the young drivers that drive to school each day.

I hope Farragut High School will lead the way and adopt the I Promise pledge. Every day across the nation teenage drivers have automobile accidents. It is everyone's responsibility to help these young drivers learn to become safe drivers. Our schools must do more to address this responsibility.

Is Farragut the poster child for sprawl?

2005-08-03T12:00:00.000-04:00

In the thread on traffic cameras a Jim wrote, "In other words, sprawl is once again the culprit and Farragut is its poster child." This is a recurring theme not only on "Can Farragut Change" but also on another Farragut blog "Farragut Independence".

Why not have a discussion on this topic? If you think Farragut is the poster child for sprawl please explain why rather than the usual one line hit and run. If you think it is not tell us why you feel that way.

Is sprawl the way businesses are laid out on Kingston Pike or does it refer to the way a subdivision is designed? Is it the number of subdivisions and how close they are together? How do green space and buffers affect sprawl? Many of those that cry sprawl suggest the solution is more density. Instead of subdivisions Farragut needs high rises? Maybe part of the solution is to save some of the remaining farms?

What is sprawl? Is Farragut really the poster child for sprawl?

Traffic lights are not programmed for safety

2005-08-01T08:53:00.000-04:00

From the Knoxville News Sentinel, "A city-appointed selection committee has chosen Scottsdale, Ariz.-based Redflex Traffic Systems for exclusive contract negotiations to install an automated camera system to catch Knoxville's red-light-running drivers."

Traffic lights in Knox County are not programmed for driver safety they are programmed to move traffic. Here is a way you can found out. Count one Tennessee, two Tennessee seconds during the yellow light duration. You will find our yellow traffic lights are from three to four seconds in duration. While this may move traffic it is not a sufficient amount of time for drivers. Yellow lights need to be five seconds in duration with two to three seconds to hold cross traffic.

This is the wrong way to address the problem. The cameras are not needed. So why has this decision be made? There is still time to contact Knoxville City Council members.

Quality of life and the air you breathe

2005-07-30T22:38:00.000-04:00

It is said when you have your health you have everything. Loudon County tops Tennessee in cancer rates and respiratory diseases. Through my work I have visited the Trigen,Viskase and AE Staley plants. Are these plants worth the employment and taxes they provide to the local community? Don't the people that live in Loudon County deserve the same quality of life other Tennesseans have?

You do not have to be a chemist, doctor, or rocket scientist to see something is very wrong in Loudon County. I remind those that choose to live in West Knox County that the air you breath comes from the East.

Spend a few moments and look at this:

http://www2.state.tn.us/health/CEDS/PDFs/ha-e-loudon-pc.pdf

If you are wondering why this is important AE Staley makes ethanol for cars to use as fuel. Are you an ethanol supporter?

NEW UPDATE:

Loudon plant to get $75M infusion

From the Knoxville News Sentinel, "Tate & Lyle will invest $75 million to expand production capacity and install pollution controls at its Loudon plant in Blair's Bend Industrial Park, a company official and community activists announced Friday."

"In addition, the project will allow the plant to increase production of ethanol by 37 million gallons per year.
The installation of pollution controls is the result of a previously announced agreement between Tate & Lyle and a group of Loudon County environmental activists. The Loudon County citizens had challenged the Tennessee Air Pollution Control Board's approval of a construction permit needed by the joint venture."

PREVIOUS UPDATE:

A new study shows that more energy is used to create ethanol than is saved by its use as a fuel additive to cars. For the people of Loudon County and West Knox County this is a bitter pill. Dangerous fumes and foul smelling air for no good purpose.

http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=1894&e=1&u=/ap/20050718/ap_on_bi_ge/ethanol_study

TOF Review committee seeks public comment

2005-07-30T22:17:00.000-04:00

From the Farragut Press, "At its meeting July 19, members of the Development Review Process Evaluation Committee continued to hear public comment regarding — essentially — how Farragut does business with the business community."

Multi-tasking drivers-beyond cell phones

2005-07-30T10:21:00.000-04:00

Most people think of mulit-tasking and driving an automobile as a bad idea. The joke you hear is talking on the cell phone while applying makeup or eating a juicy cheeseburger. Not to be outdone John Wall has come up with a new idea for driving and multi-tasking. He broadcasts his own podcast Internet broadcast while he drives to work along interstate 95 in Waltham, Mass. Is he a poster child for the modern idiot?

Don Lindsey of AAA gives his thoughts in a letter to the editor in the Knoxville News Sentinel.

July 30, 2005

Podcasting makes_for dangerous driving The story in the July 18 edition about podcasting highlights two things: a new and possibly useful technology and how such things can distract us in the most dangerous way.

The picture and description of a motorist reading notes and recording a podcast while driving on Interstate 95 is one of the more flagrant examples of what not to do. For most of us, driving is our riskiest activity. Adding distractions - spilling coffee cups, long looks at passengers, items sliding off seats, using cell phones (even hands-free), or podcasting - takes our minds off the one thing we should be thinking about: driving.

Depending on which research you read, driver inattention leads to as many as 1 million crashes and $40 billion in damage each year in the United States. That's more than 2,700 crashes and $109 million in damages - each day.

Just keeping up with traffic can provide all the distractions we can handle. There's no need to add more.

DON LINDSEY
Director, Public Affairs
AAA East Tennessee
Knoxville

Regal 10 Cinemas at Farragut Towne Square closed its doors permanently

2005-07-24T22:07:00.000-04:00

A new challenge has come forward. The Regal 10 Cinemas at Farragut Towne Square has closed its doors permanently. Even though it has a lease through 2013 there will be no more movies unless another theater chain purchases the building. A large part of the Farragut Sales Tax base has been lost.

Farragut is changing

2005-07-24T21:56:00.000-04:00

Vice Mayor Mike Haynes has been chairing a Town of Farragut appointed committee to look into the way the Town of Farragut does business. More meetings are scheduled and the Farragut Press has been covering the story. Positive steps are being made to improve both the flow of Town related business and the relationship with businesses that work with the Town of Farragut.

Can Farragut Change Wins Blogging Award

2005-07-24T20:20:00.000-04:00

Can Farragut Change won the Best Local/Regional Topics with eleven other Tennessee Blogs from TennesseeBloggers.com.

Disturbing cuts planned for Knox County Schools

2005-07-11T11:34:00.000-04:00

Knox County Schools Superintendent Dr. Charles Lindsey has proposed cutting Drivers Education and Languages in Knox County High Schools and Middle Schools. Is this a sincere proposal or is it a political football?

As quoted from the Knoxville News Sentinel, “Lindsey's proposal still would eliminate the drivers' education program in high school, foreign language in elementary and middle school and the talented-and-gifted program in middle school.”

Lindsey requested a huge increase over last years budget and when he was rebuffed he chose to play hardball. Chairman Dan Murphy was quoted in the KNS, “"I don't think we're deadlocked. We're having an exhaustive discussion," board Chairman Dan Murphy said near the end of a nearly three-hour work session during which board members criticized some of Lindsey's ideas and offered their own suggestions for reducing a requested $347.2 million budget to the approved $320 million.”

Isn’t it finally time for Knox County Schools, Knox County Commission, and Mayor Ragsdale to show the taxpayers they can work together to create and fund a realistic school budget?

Should any of these people get a Gold Star for "playing well with others"?

Police piece together mystery, charge man with murder

2005-06-29T23:06:00.000-04:00

Update:

Police piece together mystery, charge man with murder

http://www.wate.com/Global/story.asp?S=3546267

http://www.volunteertv.com/Global/story.asp?S=3546495&nav=4QcHbgbl

Original Post:

From WVLT TV:

Farragut, Knox County (WVLT) - Knox County Sheriff's deputies still aren't saying much about a mysterious situation on Virtue Road in West Knox County Tuesday night.

Deputies say they found a man covered in blood, his car also had blood on the passenger side. We do know that the blood is not his.

But police are baffled as to what happened because the unidentified man says he doesn't remember anything that happened.

Police say he does admit to smoking crack cocaine.

Do laws apply to everyone?

2005-06-24T10:17:00.000-04:00

Do you know why people drive over the speed limit? Because they see other people do it. We live in a monkey see monkey do world. After repeatedly being caught for speeding Gov. Bill Richardson of New Mexico has admitted that he breaks the law. And what does he say he will do in the future? Gov. Richardson said, "I'm not going to stand here and say we'll never speed again. There may be exceptional circumstances. But we are going to slow down."

How much worse can it be when the Governor of a state orders police drivers to break the law? Rep. Bill Janklow of South Dakota was convicted of manslaughter for speeding through a stop sign and colliding with a motorcyclist. The motorcyclist Randy Scott died at the scene. Rep. Janklow later resigned from Congress.

What can you as one person do? Set an example. Drive the speed limit and don’t speed. I am not suggesting you get in the left lane on I-40 and do 55 mph. On secondary roads like Kingston Pike and Northshore drive the speed limit. Maybe you can save a life. Maybe your own life.

Do we have this problem here in Knox County? Do you see police cars without their lights or siren on breaking the speed limit? Do you see delivery drivers and service vehicles break the speed limit? If you do tell your story here.

Excerpt from the newspaper The New Mexican

Governor vows to slow down his SUV

Steve Terrell The New Mexican June 24, 2005

Stung by criticism over his latest speeding incident in Albuquerque, Gov. Bill Richardson said Thursday that he intends to slow down.While carefully not apologizing for breaking speed limits, the governor said he has instructed his state police drivers to obey posted limits except under "exceptional circumstances.""

Was this Metro Pulse cover story responsible journalism?

2005-06-19T12:14:00.000-04:00

Being young is very difficult today. Social pressures and the need to fit in put a lot of pressure on young people. It doesn’t help when a local newspaper publishes an article about drunken driving being harmless. Knox County has had at least four DUI fatalities in the past five months. One of these tragic deaths was in Farragut.

Metro Pulse has been a good newspaper for many years but recently has made a decision to adjust their format. According to Publisher Brian Conley, “We're making a bit of an effort to appeal to a younger audience, which is something we felt Metro Pulse needed. Still, the front of the paper is populated by Joe Sullivan, Frank Cagle, Jack Neely, Barry Henderson and Matt Edens, quite a heady - and experienced - group.”

In the cover story of this week’s Metro Pulse Molly Kincaid and Ellen Mallernee feature the article “Pressing Against the Glass, Two Knoxville party girls peer into Nashville’s nightlife”. Excerpts from the article include, “On the way to Nashville, the sky’s filled with gorgeous, cotton-candy clouds in Rorschach shapes. We stop only once, at a gas station in Cookeville, where we make what will be the most important discovery of the trip: a sleeve of coconut scented rolling papers. We’ll need them later.” Most parents will not find the humor in that but it gets worse. “By this time, we’d employed former Metro Pulse intern, Kevin, as our chauffeur. What are interns for anyway? Turns out, Kevin takes the term “designated driver” relatively lightly, but we’re in no position to be picky.” Unfortunately there is more, "We make like a Snoop video and perch on the arms of one of those big rapper-style armchairs, offering Kevin the throne. He feels like a pimp. Until I fall off the chair, alighting right square on my tail. I save my drink, if very little face.Our chances of fitting in at the Bound’ry go from slim to zilch thanks to my careening off the chair, and we make for the exit after gulping the dregs of our drinks."

Was this cover story responsible journalism? Is the new concept at Metro Pulse to glorify public intoxication, getting high, and drinking and driving? There has to be other and better ways to reach the younger audience. Metro Pulse started as a publication promoting local music events. Over many years it became Knoxville’s second newspaper and was well respected. There is another furor over this article concerning the Publisher of the Metro Pulse that you can read in Michael Silence’s blog or over at SKB’s blog.

If you have a teenage driver in your family take some time to talk with them about ways they can handle social situations where other friends are not using common sense. The advertising geared to the 18 to 35 year market says buy a case of Bud Light, drive this really cool SUV, and invite your friends out to party. Even though your teenager may abstain or act responsibly it is a team effort. It only takes one person to cause an accident. Explain to your teenager how they can be a good friend. Sometimes it only takes one person with common sense to defuse a situation about to go bad.

Most common final words, hey watch this

2005-06-16T13:11:00.000-04:00

The final words from pilot Capt. Jesse Rhodes, "Aw (expletive), We're gonna hit houses, dude." Three seconds later the jet they were flying crashed.

It's all a lot of fun until someone gets hurt. Capt. Jesse Rhodes, 31, and First Officer Peter Cesarz, 23, were just having some fun in a passengerless jet last fall as they flew to 41,000 feet in a jet that was not rated to fly at that altitude. First one engine failed and then the second engine failed. For twenty minutes they tried to restart the two engines as the jet descended.

The pilots just wanted to have some fun. The jet crashed into a house 2 1/2 miles short of the runway they were attempting to land on. No one on the ground was hurt. Both pilots perished in the crash.

Yesterday in Utah some teenage friends were having fun driving around in a pickup truck throwing water balloons at other drivers. It was really great fun until one of the other drivers turned around and chased the teenagers. "Investigators are not sure whether the victim tried to pass the teens or if he rammed the back of their pick-up, but the truck rolled and pinned 17-year-old Jason Christensen underneath", as reported by local TV station KUTV. Today Jason Christensen is in critical condition with serious head and face injuries.

It is finally summer and like every summer someone will say, "Hey, watch this"! Be a good friend and try to talk them down. That's what friends do. They help each other.

Where is law enforcement in Tennessee?

2005-06-14T11:24:00.000-04:00

Breaking news. WATE now reports that Tennessee is indeed a very safe state to drive in. Apparently the Tennessee Highway Patrol has increased the number of speeding tickets written by one-third from 2001 to 2004. WATE reports that the number of "highway" traffic accidents in Tennessee fell 86 percent from 2001 to 2004.

How can this be? The key is to read very carefully. This is about the number of "highway" accidents. Get it? If you get killed on Virtue Road or Northshore Drive you are not really dead in this statistical report. Also understand that all of these studies are on the entire State of Tennessee. So your mileage may vary. Memphis and Nashville might be seeing a dramatic improvement in safety while Knoxville is getting worse. That is how averages work. Lets not pat ourselves on the back just yet.

Even with the increased number of speeding tickets written and the state wide reduction in accidents the same number of people die each year. Doesn't make much sense does it?

So here is a question, every see a speeding ticket written in Knox County? Every wonder how that compares to Memphis and Nashville? Maybe WATE will dig a little deeper and let us know.

IF this is such a safe place then why do we need traffic cameras?

Which future do you choose?

2005-06-14T09:52:00.000-04:00

A week after the ground breaking study from Allstate Insurance Company that suggested that Knoxville is the fifth safest driving city in the country we now learn that are eyes have not deceived us and that the majority of motorists drive 8 to 10 miles per hour over the speed limit. Welcome to the wonderful world of statistics and law enforcement.

According to a report from the Governors Highway Safety Association (GHSA) 42 states have police that allow drivers to exceed the speed limits. Of course modern technology may provide an answer. Why have people enforce the law when cameras and computers can do it for you?

I am not suggesting that police have allowed a crisis to develop just so they can create a revenue producing scheme where cameras and computers do the hard work and the police departments reap huge sums of money to expand their budgets. Others have suggested this very idea but I do not think that is what happened. I think it is dangerous and unpleasant work to have to manually ticket people for speeding. Every time a policeman is injured while ticketing a speeding motorist the police department is involved in a major lawsuit. My opinion is the litigation of these injuries has discouraged the law enforcement of speeding motorists.

First the cameras for the red light runners will be implanted. Then the cameras for the speeders. Ironically the police departments we have a budget windfall. What do you think they will do with all that money? I suppose if you have a camera on every light pole outside of every house then you could really protect the public.

Just think how much fun the family barbecue will be. Your family and your brother’s family and the police department enjoying a hot Saturday evening barbecuing some St. Louis ribs and having a couple of cold ones.

When the police start putting loud speakers on the light pole we will really be safe. As the sound come over the speaker, “Winston Smith, turn down the music, the neighbors don’t like Toby Keith. You have already had two beers, that is enough. Watch those kids and put on some Shania Twain.”

Of course you could just slow down and drive the speed limit. Which future do you want?

Is it true?

2005-06-10T09:46:00.000-04:00

The Knoxville News Sentinel has printed today the third article about the claim made by Allstate Insurance Company that Knoxville is the 5th safest driving city in the country. The second KNS article had a poll and over 72 percent of the people that responded did not agree that Knoxville was a safe driving city. So the KNS thought a third article and a second poll would be appropriate. So far 88 percent of the people responding do not agree that Knoxville is a safe driving city.

Consider this an as letter to the editor of the KNS.

Mr Editor,

You are stating an opinion as a fact. There is no basis to make this claim. All the insurance companies would need to be polled plus the traffic accident information from the police department. Then you would have to add the hit and run statistics. Then you would have to add the number of people that decide not to report the accident because they do not have insurance or do not want their insurance rates to go up. Many people drive cars with body damage because they decide not to report the accident. Just look around you.

Allstate is just one insurance company in Knoxville. 12 months is too short a time frame to derive this conclusion. The Knoxville Police department said that over a 5-month period that accidents were down 5 percent. This is even a shorter time frame. Is it due to more police patrols or is it due to higher gas prices and road construction?

I appreciate your trying to find the good. I only wish the article, Allstate’s claims, and the claims of the KPD were correct.

You deliver a false sense of hope when you state an opinion as a fact. You also give comfort to those drivers that choose to ignore the speed limit talk on their cell phones and run red lights.

I would rather you use your paper to educate people on driving safety. For example you could have an article about how dangerous tailgating is. Professional driving courses advise that you keep a three second space between you and the car in front of you. Simply look at a landmark and count to three. Keep that space between you and the car in front of you. Most people do not understand how long it takes to stop a car traveling 60 mile per hour. According to Edmonds it takes 4.5 seconds and a distance of 271 feet.

Why? From Edmonds, "Because there's more involved in braking than the actual time your brakes are applied to the wheels (called "effective braking"). In particular, "perception time" and "reaction time" add considerable distance to stopping your car. Perception time is the three-quarters of a second it takes for you to realize that you need to brake. Reaction time is the three-quarters of a second it takes to move your foot to the brake pedal. When you combine perception and reaction time, a full 132 feet will pass before your car even begins to slow down from 60 mph. So from the time you perceive a braking situation until the time your car comes to a complete stop, a total of 4.6 seconds elapses. During that time your car travels — it bears repeating — a total of more than 270 feet. That's almost the length of a football field. Of course, the faster you go, the more time and distance it takes to stop."

I wish you would do more to help the community than trying to spin a positive message out of a faulty opinion. The KNS can do better than this and I look forward to a time when you will. I challenge you to write articles that will help local drivers understand how they can be better drivers.

Is this another case of cell phone blindness?

2005-06-09T11:09:00.000-04:00

This week I read in another blog the phrase “cell phone blindness”. That is the best description for what happens when people attempt to have a conversation on a hand held cell phone while driving.

Three people were injured by a hit and run driver while they were helping a woman who had run off the road in East Knox County. The Allstate Insurance Company will not report this because the driver of the white four-door sedan fled the scene. Since it happened in Knox County it will not hurt the City of Knoxville’s improved driving record.

The people of this community say it the way it is. "It's just like a race track up and down East End Road," nearby resident Wilma Hicks explains. "I don't know how many have gotten killed, plus wrecks."

If you know who the hit and run driver is then do the right thing and contact the Sheriff’s Department.

There is only one way for this to get better and that is for you as an individual to make the decision to change your habits. Can you set aside your own selfish wishes to take the extra time to drive safely? You can be part of the solution or you can be part of the problem. What will you choose to do?

This may be the single most stupid thing I have ever heard

2005-06-07T23:43:00.000-04:00

As I was on the slow moving parking lot we know as I-40 East I heard this tidbit on the 6:00 PM WATE news on my car radio about Knoxville being the safe driving capital of East Tennessee. I got a good laugh on this story. Traveling towards West Town Mall I felt safe because I had not exceeded 15 mph in the last fifteen minutes. Of course the 18-wheeler that pushed me into the left hand emergency lane would not be part of this study because we did not collide. He probably has Allstate insurance. You know what they say; a miss is as good as a mile.

In Farragut we have had three fatal traffic accidents in the last six months. Last week in Farragut I watched a young woman aggressively weave through traffic on Kingston Pike in Farragut while talking on her cell phone. At first I thought it was a young man because of the very aggressive driving and high rate of speed. As she turned into the Hollywood Video Store at about 6:00 PM I was puzzled. This Jessica Simpson look alike was not late she just had a "need for speed". Probably another Allstate customer. I would like to congratulate the ten cars that avoided her on her important errand. Good work, Allstate would like to have your insurance business. I sincerely hope you are not Allstate customers.

This will be a lot of fun. Every aggressive driver will now believe there never was a problem. Allstate Insurance Company said so. So now the "Kingston Pike 500" is officially open. Time to swap a little paint. It really is a lot of fun until someone gets hurt or killed.

This might be a good time to remember what Mark Twain once said, "There are three kind of lies, Lies, Damned Lies, and Statistics".

This Allstate study probably means that locally there are more accidents where people leave the scene of the accident than there is safe driving occurring in our fair town. This may be the single most stupid thing I have ever heard. It is in the top five at the very least.

Why is it I think this is just a marketing ploy?

Do you really believe that Knoxville is the fifth most safe city in the entire country for driving safety?

A reader shares their views

2005-05-29T13:00:00.000-04:00

I knew when I picked the name Farragut Republican I would get some comments like this. Try reading the posts again Mr. Henderson. I do not know if you have figured out what this blog is about. It is about making our community a better safer place and it has nothing to do with hate. As a native East Tennessean I disagree strongly with your comments.

FR

Email from a reader of Can Farragut Change?

Subject: "Farragut Republican!!" hahahahaha!!!

Date May 25

Hey Repug, Let me say first of all that I hate, loathe, and despise Repugnicans/ Rightwingers. I find your name here "Farragut Republican" hilarious!! You have no idea how much that tags you as the west Knox stereotype we natives have always laughed at. I live in Knox and I'm fed up with listening to complaints about local drivers, schools, roads, etc. from you yankee boat people. You always have the option of returning to the land of cold, rudeness, crime, snobbery, high taxes, etc. that you came from. Can't get a"good bagel" or "eggs benedict eh? Ain't that a bitch!? What primitives these "inbreds" and "rednecks" are right? So you are another northern immigrant who loves the South and East Tennessee's mountains and beauty etc. but just can't stand the Southerners right?

I live in WestKnox surrounded by a great many just like you. You are the Yankee Repugnican trash types who keep stealing my Democratic campaign signs. Last Nov. I guarded my sign with my aluminum baseball bat in hand. Next campaign I will beat senseless any Yankee immigrant Republican snob bastard I catch stealing my signs!! Now, hop in that"Bimmer" or Landrover and head on back to babylonyank. Most of us native Knoxvillians dislike YOU just as much as you dislike us. We need no more Repugnicans around here!! Repugnicans have always been a severe social, political, and economic hindrance on East Tennessee. Escape these terrible drivers, schools, roads, etc.. Go home now to all that "better food." Why stay insuch a goddamn awful place as "backward" Tennessee?

- L Henderson, West K-town

Should you buy your teenager a SUV for High School Graduation?

2005-05-22T15:38:00.000-04:00

Many parents will make an important decision at this time of year. What should they get for High School Graduation? Number one on the list would be a set of wheels. What do young drivers want? Most want SUVS. They are fun and they are cool. Most parents remember the trauma and stigma of have to drive a square car when they were young and do not wish for their children to experience the same nightmare.

The majority of SUVS are not as stable as a conventional car. The combination of a high center of gravity and massive weight combined with large wheels and tire treads designed for both on road and off road driving create longer braking distances and greater vehicle rollover opportunities.

Studies show that in SUV and car collisions the occupants of the SUV fair better. The problem is that this small safety factor is over whelmed by the rollover and loss of control risk posed by SUVS. The best indicator is to look at fatalities by number of miles driven. SUVS perform poorly compared to regular sedans. There are safe SUVS. Unfortunately they are expensive compared to regular sedans. Many parents will look at a used SUV thinking they are purchasing a safe vehicle for their children. In the majority of cases they are mistaken.

If you are a parent in this situation take a moment and look at your options. Drivers under 25 experience a much higher percentage of traffic fatalities when compared to other drivers. Does it make sense to give these drivers the most difficult to control vehicles? Experts recommend the safety of a large or mid-sized sedan for inexperienced drivers.

http://www.smartcarguide.com/exp/intro/idx.htm

http://www.smartcarguide.com/exp/safety/idx.htm

If you have already purchased a SUV for your teenager look for warning signs. I use a young family member as an example. My nephew claimed he was run off the road when he returned home one day with scratches from a barbed wire fence on the driver’s side of the SUV. I asked my sister if he was driving in England. The scratches were on the wrong side of the SUV for his story to hold water.

The next story I heard was when my nephew received a ticket for driving 70 miles an hour in a 30 mile per hour zone. His claim was the cop was a redneck who had it out for him. This was in a neighborhood. My nephew plans to contest the ticket in court. I am very concerned about this young man.

Just two weeks ago my nephew had his second wreck. He was passing by an accident scene when he supposedly dropped a tire off the road and spun the SUV 180 degrees. He struck a large rock on the side of some construction and that is all that kept him from going off the road into a twenty-foot drop off. When asked if he was speeding he said he was going twenty miles per hour. When asked how the SUV could spin around and crush the back bumper at such a low speed he said there was oil on the road.

At this time I do not know if my nephew will be allowed to drive the SUV any more. Don’t let this happen with your family. If you see warning signs then take action.

Are SUVS safer than passenger cars?

2005-05-22T13:17:00.000-04:00

In Knox County the Town of Farragut may be the SUV capital. I personally have never owned an SUV but I did rent one several years ago because I was curious why SUVS were so popular. I rented the Ford Expedition on a one-week business trip in Florida. The first thing I noticed was how high up the drivers perspective was. I thought this was fine until I took the first curve at about 55 mph. I did not care for the lack of driving feedback. The vehicle felt top heavy and there was excessive body roll and a feeling of uncertainty.

I was impressed with the straight-line acceleration with the Ford Expedition. It was quicker than I would have thought. The greatest shock was the brakes. They were beyond pathetic. I had more empathy for SUV owners as I tried to stop this crate. I would keep pushing on the brake pedal and I thought I would hit the car in front of me; at the last moment the Expedition came to a stop less than one half car length behind the car in front of me. I was relieved to return the Expedition unharmed at the end of the week and my curiosity was satisfied on whether I would ever own a SUV.

So why do people purchase SUVS instead of 4 door sedans, mini-vans, or station wagons? I would think convenience, the perception of safety, and ego. For large families there is a convenience of comfortably transporting 5 people on a long trip. Getting children in and out of child safety seats is easier than a four-door sedan. Collisions with SUVS do have safety aspects to consider. They actually are not as safe as other vehicles.

http://www.hwysafety.org/vehicle_ratings/ratings.htm

Is the safety of SUVS an urban legend? If you look at the Ford Excursion you find it is very dangerous due to roll over and loss of control accidents. The most dangerous SUVS studied are the Chevrolet Blazer 2 door, Kia Sportage 4 door, and Ford Explorer 2 door SUVS. There are safe SUVS. The Toyota 4Runner, Lexus RX300, Toyota RAV4, and Nissan Pathfinder have good safety records equal to those of 4 door sedans.

http://www.hwysafety.org/srpdfs/sr4003.pdf

For families I would recommend a minivan like the Honda Odyssey as an alternative to a SUV. With one of the best safety rates of any vehicle the Honda Odyssey provides acceleration, comfort, and cargo space that exceeds that of SUVS.

http://www.caranddriver.com/article.asp?section_id=19&article_id=8520&page_number=1

I recommend if you do have a SUV that you fit it with a backup camera so you can see what is behind the vehicle when you back up. Last week on ABC news I saw a segment that made me wonder why people purchase SUVS. This was a tragic story of a father who ran over his daughter with the SUV because he did not see her behind the vehicle. If you cannot purchase a backup camera walk around the SUV before you get in to make sure nothing is behind you.

http://www.keepkidshealthy.com/welcome/safety/suv_dangers.html

If you do drive an SUV recognize the limitations of the vehicle. Drive the speed limit and avoid tailgating. Start braking sooner than you would with a car. Limit or avoid cell phone use that could cause a roll over accident. Most importantly check your tire pressure every two to three weeks. SUVS are very dangerous when driven with under inflated tires.

When you drive imagine your Mom is in the car in front of you and your daughter is in the car behind you. Each of these people are someone’s Mom, Dad, Son or Daughter.

Drive Now Talk Later

2005-05-16T16:02:00.000-04:00

Today we learn that the driver of the pickup truck in Halls that ran a fire truck off the road was talking on a hand held cell phone at the time of the accident.

If this driver is arrested do you feel there should be extra charges for driving while distracted?

http://www.wate.com/global/story.asp?s=3349154

http://www.wate.com/Global/story.asp?S=3342409

http://www.knoxnews.com/kns/local_news/article/0,1406,KNS_347_3780865,00.html

Deputies still looking for pickup that caused fire truck crash

May 16, 2005
KNOXVILLE (AP) -- Knox County sheriff's deputies continue looking for the driver of a pickup truck who caused a crash that injured firefighters and destroyed a fire engine.The crash occurred May 13th in Halls and sent two firefighters to a hospital with what are described as muscle and bone injuries. They were released about 12 hours later.

Witnesses say the driver of the pickup crossed a double yellow line to get around a vehicle that was turning and found himself staring at the oncoming fire engine.

Rural/Metro Fire Department Captain Jeff Devlin says the driver of the fire engine had to turn off the road to keep from sending the heavy vehicle into the pickup.

The engine snapped off a utility pole and struck several trees, leaving the quarter-million-dollar fire truck a total loss.

Witnesses say the pickup driver was talking on a cellular phone when the crash occurred and took off when he saw the fire engine crash.

Source: http://www.wate.com/global/story.asp?s=3349154

POLL UPDATE:

The poll today at WVLT currently shows that 63 % of respondents favor a law to prohibit cell phone use while driving.

http://www.volunteertv.com

Cell Phone Update

2005-05-10T10:12:00.000-04:00

This morning on the WNOX Hallerin Hill radio program guest host Angie Wilson discussed driving while talking on a hand held cell phone. Angie recounted the day when she was at a traffic light at Northshore and Westland Drive. A Ford Excursion blew through the red light while a woman driver chatted away on her cell phone.

Dave Foulk of WNOX told the story of almost being run over in downtown Knoxville as a woman ran a red light while talking on her hand held cell phone. We all know that this affects men and women equally but where are the stories about the male drivers running red lights while talking on cell phones?

Various callers gave their experiences but the interesting part is when Angie asked if the callers used their cell phones when they drive. Most said they continue to use their cell phones while driving. It seems that each person believes that this only affects other drivers and they are some how immune to the distraction of using a cell phone while driving.

The most interesting fact I have learned researching this is that using a cell phone while driving increase your chances of an accident by 400 percent. Incoming cell phone calls account for 42 % of cell phone related accidents.

Many large companies like Exxon prohibit cell phone use while driving for employees and contractors while on company business.

http://www.cartalk.com/content/features/Drive-Now/exxon.html

Many websites are dedicated to the loss of a family member who died because of a cell phone caused car accident.

http://www.morganlee.org/

http://www.drivenowchatlater.com/

The most interesting part of today's WNOX radio program was the recounting of a phone call to "Cartalk" the very popular radio talk show on PBS. Ray and Tom were talking live on the radio with a legislator who was pushing a bill to ban cell phone use of hand held cell phones in moving vehicles. Another legislator from another state called in while driving to give her opinion that cell phones did not cause accidents and that banning them was unneeded. While taking she said an expletive and then the sound of a crash was heard on live radio. She had a traffic accident while talking on her cell phone on a national radio program. Ironic isn't it? You can hear "Cartalk" on Saturday morning on 91.9 at 10:00 AM.

The best weblink I have found for this topic is:

http://www.cartalk.com/content/features/Drive-Now/articles.html

Even though there is no law at this time for hand held cell phone use in a moving vehicle I offer the following suggestions. Most importantly pull over to make your cell phone call. Buy either an ear bud or a hands free kit. Use you cell phone as little as you can when you drive. Answer your call and tell them you will call them back or let your cell phone voicemail take the call. Use the voice activated dialing feature if you must make a cell phone call while driving. If the conversation becomes heated or you have to remember something complex tell the caller you will call them back later.

This is a decision each driver must make. What will you decide to do?