When I took the helm ofCityviewmagazine as publisher in 2001, I never dreamed that what was then a print magazine would become a multimedia company. But it is 2019, and to survive and thrive in today’s world you have to provide information in a timely fashion, in a way that appeals to how the contemporary “reader” accesses and enjoys media. By no means is our flagship print magazine going anywhere anytime soon—it will always be at the heart of our endeavors. But we have grown so that our magazine now serves as the foundation for a multitude of new ventures. To ensure the success of this transformation from print to multimedia we first had to recenter ourselves on our “why,” our central purpose.
We believe that our purpose is to inform our readers and viewers about some of the most important things in their communities and in their lives. We’re not here to give you our opinion disguised as objective truth, as seems to be the case so often these days. No, we’re here to tell stories, and investigate, and celebrate, and inform, and educate. If we have an opinion we’d like to share, we’re up front about it.
Any media worth its name must be trustworthy. In the current environment, with the advent of unreviewed content on social media, it can be hard to connect an idea to its source. If you aren’t able to identify who’s writing it or saying it, it’s hard to distinguish between what’s real and what’s fake. That’s why we find it important forCityviewto expand its brand in order to serve as a trusted voice across a number of platforms, not just in print.
We believe that we owe our readers and viewers a sparklingly clear perspective on the topics most important to Knoxvillians, from lifestyle to people to politics. And we believe that it is our responsibility to seek out the very best companies as advertising partners to support this vision across multiple platforms.
Our vision starts with being the best, most informative, most beautifully designed magazine in the marketplace. Our print magazine serves as the anchor for all of our other endeavors, and we have striven to make it something Knoxville anticipates as each issue appears on the newsstand, in the mailbox, or on the waiting room table.
We want our magazine to be fresh and engaging, from our briefest dining guide entry to our longest feature. This month, we enjoyed getting out to the best coffee shops in town, and we are simply thrilled to bring you the story of Emily Andzulis, who dug deep and worked hard with the best trainers in Knoxville to compete at the highest level. We love bringing you theCityviewtreatment of her story, with a lively interview by Cait McMahan and fantastic photography by Bryan Allen. We do that in a way no one else in town can.
We’ve built upon our strong magazine foundation by upgrading our web presence to include video in most areas, including short featurettes and social media teasers—check out our fun video short on the Emily Andzulis photo shoot as an example. We produce high quality informative video content for our editorial stories. We offer that same quality of video to our advertisers as well, at a price anyone can afford. That is what it’s going to take to continue to reach the consumer. Whether we are calling out a politician for not keeping a promise or sharing one of our advertisers’ new products, we are committed to providing top notch editorial and sponsored content.
We know that the community has come to expect a certain level of excellence from our publication. We’re ready to share that excellence across a variety of platforms. Look for our online magazine, videos, podcasts, and social media. We want to reach you where you live, work, and play. We want to give all of Knoxville’s best stories theCityviewtreatment. And we want to give you the real deal.
We’re keeping you informed about what to expect and when to expect it.
We’re not fake. We’reCityview.
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PoliticsMARCH APRIL 2019
The Return of Metro Government
Rising from the Dead?
Story by George Korda
The idea of metro, or unified, government is akin to the character of Jason in the Friday the 13th movies: regardless of how many times or in what exotic ways he’s killed off, it just won’t die.
In 1959, 1978, 1983, and 1996, voters went to the polls to decide on Knoxville/Knox County metro government; and each time it went down in the flames of voter-disapproval. The calendar alone suggests that a future push for metro, consolidated, or unified government (pick your description) is as inevitable for Knoxville and Knox County as it is for Jason Voorhees to again trod the earth seeking victims.
Here’s why: it seems rational. A single government seeing to the needs of all county residents. No more duplication of services. A streamlined government. Lower costs and taxes. Governmental nirvana.
How could it lose? Because voters don’t believe the pitch, have their own reasons for living where they live, and reject the idea that a larger, more expansive government somehow transforms into a more responsive, economical government.
For years, local pols bowed toward metro government in campaigns, speeches, interviews, debates, and other forums. To happen sometime. In the future. It pleased many in the business community and the news media, but it was going nowhere.
That doesn’t mean there won’t at some point be a real or de-facto unified government, but if so, it will be because of financial pressures on the city rather than voters embracing the concept.
There have always been excuses given for its failure. The city’s separate school system was typically cited as an impediment, but that was dealt with in the July 1, 1987 merger of city and county schools into one structure.
The 1996 campaign was dominated by two issues: who would be the top law enforcement officer, the county sheriff or city police chief; and if it really would be more cost-efficient to have one government? The outcome? Down. In. Flames.
There are differences between local government and the following entities, but it’s not unlike saying that citizens would receive better service if counties were eliminated and all governmental responsibilities were handed off to a bigger, yet more streamlined, state government.
The fact is that metro government just doesn’t sell well. Its most recent Tennessee failure occurred in Nov. 2018, when an effort to combine the Clarksville and Montgomery County governments lost by daunting margins, as the Clarksville Leaf-Chronicle explained after Election Day, “An overwhelming 87.9 percent of voters in unincorporated Montgomery County voted against it, with just 12.1 percent for it.
“In the Clarksville city limits, the margin was closer, but it was still failed at 58.8 percent against, 41.2 percent in favor.”
Among the reasons it will not happen in Knoxville and Knox County:
Very few in government want to run the risk of losing paychecks, authority, perks, or power, though they might be willing to let the people who come after them give up their paychecks, authority, perks or power.
If there is a constituency elected officials can be sure will vote, it’s government employees, their families, and possibly their friends. Fighting for “streamlining” that could cost paychecks, authority, perks, or power, is not typically a support motivator. They’ll work tirelessly to kill it.
Questions about city or county residents being responsible for costs, debt, and other financial factors incurred by each government.
As mentioned, a majority of voters don’t believe the “bigger government is better government” line.
Over the long term, the city’s financial situation could induce some form of unified government. The city is a finite geographical entity. It has significant debt issues. It’s not annexing. There’s only so far that the city can in coming years raise taxes to meet its needs and obligations.
Apart from that, the push for metro government will inevitably make a comeback in any case, because there are inevitably adherents who are convinced it’s more efficient, avoids duplication, etc., etc., etc. And it will be killed, as surely as Jason Voorhees in the next Friday the 13th movie sequel.
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DepartmentsMARCH APRIL 2019
Sunup & Sundown
Some of our best spots for seeing a colorful show.
Story by Emily Stevens
Whether you’re fond of shooting photographs, an aficionado of watching colors explode across the East Tennessee landscape, or taking your coffee or ending a Spring picnic as the sun rises in the East or sets in the West, finding the right spot to watch the show is as important as having the desire. With our hills and trees, here in Knoxville we have to either get near the water or above the trees to experience the full beauty of the sun on the horizon. Here are six spots sure to produce an extravaganza.
Sunrise
35.957865, -84.245780
Grab a biscuit or bagel on the way, take a seat at one of the picnic tables, and watch the show explode over McCoy Branch off Melton Hill Lake.
The Cove at Concord Park
35.846547, -84.155314
Out on the point looking back toward the marina and watching the sun rise over the masts is a great place to take your morning coffee.
Sharp’s Ridge Memorial Park
36.005389, -83.939397
The morning is wide open here, with views of the North Knoxville, downtown, and the sun coming up over the mountains. Bring a thermos and a friend.
Sunset
35.850057, -84.096498
The sunset here can be stunning, reflected in the wide angle of the lake you’ll get from one of the best park benches in Knox County.
Riverside Landing
35.962796, -83.897441
Tucked under the James White Parkway is a nifty little space that allows you to look back across the city as the sun sets. Get out on the rowing dock for the best view
Louisville Point Park
35.828223, -84.047485
A picnic under the pines is a perfect way to watch the colors as the calendar turns to Spring and the sunset moves out into the main channel of Fort Loudon Lake.
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DepartmentsMARCH APRIL 2019
Mediterranean Flavors in the Old City
Story by N. Brooks Clark
“Food for the Gods” and a cocktail laboratory in a haute cuisine hideaway.
Building on their successes with Kalamata Kitchen in Homberg and Café 4 on Gay Street, owners Jim and Lori Klonaris named their Old City restaurant Kefi, after a Greek expression that translates roughly as “profound passion.” They drew on their respective Greek and Lebanese heritage in creating a Mediterranean menu that they call “Food for the gods—expert crafted, made with love.”
With their trademark élan, the Klonarises used high-concept design in remodeling a Jackson Avenue antiques gallery to create the refined atmosphere of a Manhattan lounge. Contemporary pinpoint lights in ceiling panels provide dramatic pools of light, perfect for a romantic tête-à-tête. The exposed brick wall is lined with circular booths, each separated by gold chain and lit with Poul Henningsen-inspired layered shade fixtures which soften and spread the light. In the center of the dining area you’ll see the large Yin-shaped bar with plenty of seating. A dramatic circular glass shelf runs above the bar and allows the varied colors and shapes of the liquor bottles to become part of the decor. On the far wall, abstract impressionistic paintings by local artist Mark Carson English evoke Renoir’s Bal du Molin de la Galette. We must admit that we felt a little more sophisticated just being here.
Members of the wait staff are both warm and knowledgable. They explain that much of the menu comprises small plates for tables to share and introduce the extensive, innovative cocktail menu. “Kefi is a cocktail laboratory,” explained Chazis, who also deftly described the highlights of the menu.
The Greek theme starts out strong with Pikilia bread, with a sampling of three spreads, including several hummuses (try the spiced lamb and sumac, or perhaps the fava beans and wasabi microgreens), spicy feta (with chili peppers and herbs), muhammara (red pepper, walnut, and pomegranate molasses) and baba ghannouj (eggplant, tahini, olive oil).
Saganaki—pan-sautéed kesseri cheese with fig and lemon, served flambé—headlines the cheese courses. The flames are entertaining and add the liquor’s flavor to the kesseri. Be sure to have Keftedes’ beef meatballs with creamy white tzatziki for a fresh take on this Greek classic. Our favorite was the Païdákia—roasted lamb chops served with grilled apricots and a tart cherry demi-glace sauce. They were tender, savory and cooked to a perfect medium-rare.
Kokinisto, beef short ribs, is Kefi’s most-ordered and, at $40, the most expensive dish on the menu. The ribs are slowly braised in St. George wine sauce and presented atop fluffy feta polenta and garnished with roasted tomatoes and arugula. The are melt-in-the-mouth tender.
You might complete the evening with a Greek Yogurt Bowl of fig, candied orange peel, chia seeds, toasted almonds, and tart cherry preserves, or with Kokakia, Greek cream puffs with chocolate glaze and raspberry sauce.
From the blue flames of the Saganaki to the red of the roasted tomatoes paying homage to the Kokinisto short ribs, Kefi reaches for sophisticated ambiance, focusing on careful preparation and creative presentation.
The prices are exactly in line with the aspirations of this restaurant. Sometimes you leave a restaurant thinking about the check, but we left Kefi dreaming of roasted lamb, kasseri cheese, and figs.
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Dining GuideMARCH APRIL 2019
Coffee Shops
Story by Emily Stevens
According to a study by Harvard University, 54% of Americans drink coffee daily at an average of 3 cups per day. Hailing as one of the most widely consumed beverages, there is certainly more than one way coffee can be prepared. From traditional black coffee to iced down espressos to fancy flavored indulgences, we have crafted a list of Knoxville’s most popular coffee shops in 5 areas of the city.
Coffee & Chocolate
While dashing in and out of Market Square stores, stop by Coffee & Chocolate for a mid-shopping trip snack. With local artwork lining the walls, the cute shop serves coffee brewed by Golden Roast. The sweet treats that give them their namesake are created from handmade custom chocolate molds. The chocolates are carefully airbrushed with colored cocoa butter and delicately decorated, with the most popular flavor being caramel turtle.
A Knoxville staple since the 1990s, current owners Shaun and Meg Parrish have been serving a cup of joe for the last 11 years. The historic building has an assorted past and housed many businesses in its life. Old City Java uses beans from Counter Culture Coffee—a USDA certified-organic sustainable coffee roaster from Durham, North Carolina.
A popular spot among college students and professors, Golden Roast is a UT campus staple. Patrons can sip on a cup of coffee and munch on pastries, soups, and salads, while socializing with friends or enjoying one of the shop’s many books. In addition to roasting coffee for use in their shop, they also package and distribute to local businesses.
Also owned by the Parrishes, Wild Love Bakehouse is a newer, hip location on the North Central Street coffee scene. Modern white walls illuminate the bakery, which is filled with tasty treats created by Meg. The shop offers pastries, sandwiches, and other snacks that pair perfectly with a latté created by Colton, the lead barista.
“Coffee & Conversation” is what you are greeted with at Remedy—no really, it’s on the wall. Located in North Knoxville, their goal is to be the coffee shop for everyone. Serving a variety of caffeinated beverages with personalities to match, you will commonly see students, artisans, employees from local businesses, and many more enjoying their cup of joe. The chic industrial setting provides a chill atmosphere for studying or catching up with old friends.
Knoxville is waking up from its winter slumber and festival season is upon us. To kick off the spring, Shamrock Fest will be held on March 15-16 in Market Square. Staying true to the St. Patrick’s Day theme, there will be authentic Irish food and drink, Celtic music, dance performances, cultural activities and the Lucky Kidney 6K run/walk. All proceeds benefit the East Tennessee Kidney Foundation. For more information visit knoxshamrockfest.com.
The following week from March 21-24, the Big Ears Festival will bring the arts scene alive with music, film, and interactive experiences. The festival was founded in 2009 and aims to create, nurture, and support artistic expression and cultural education across communities. Alex Ross ofThe New Yorkerhas called it “the most open-minded music gathering in the country.” For a list of performances and events, visit bigearsfestival.org.
To wrap up spring, Rossini Festival will hit Knoxville on April 13 to benefit the Knoxville Opera. This celebration of the performing arts features a bounty of live entertainment up and down Gay Street, accompanied by over 100 food vendors and artisans. This event is free to attend. For more information visitknoxvilleopera.com.
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DepartmentsMARCH APRIL 2019
How To Fake Sick
Story by Cityview
Dear Knoxonomist:
The other day, my 12-year-old daughter pretended to be sick to avoid school. She’s a good kid so I took her at her word and let her stay home. That night I overheard her on the phone telling a friend that she had conned me. What should I do?
— Maggie from Mechanicsville
Dear Maggie,
Your kid made a rookie mistake, and unless you take action now, she may screw up worse as an adult. It’s the equivalent of staying home from work because of “sickness” and then posting Instagram photos of yourself paddle boarding under the Henley Street Bridge.
The technical term for feigning illness to avoid work, school, or anything else is “malingering.” Malingering with impunity is a crucial life skill, one that is important to develop early.
When the Knoxonomist was a wee lad, he decided one morning that he didn’t want to go to school. So he told his dad that he was sick. Dad, doing what he considered was his due diligence, fetched the thermometer and went back to reading his newspaper and drinking his coffee. The Knoxonomist was in a pickle; he knew he didn’t have a fever, so he lit a candle and heated up the thermometer, which he promptly showed to his dad. That worked …until the Knoxonomist’s mom got involved.
Mom took one look at the thermometer, shook it down, and then jabbed it under the Knoxonomist’s tongue and sat there watching her watch. Sure enough, no fever, and the Knoxonomist was told to get his butt out of bed and get ready for school.
Two important lessons were learned that day. The Knoxonomist learned his lessons: wait until mom is not around before getting “sick,” and keep your temperature between 100 and 101°F.
The Knoxonomist’s advice? Make it more difficult for your daughter to malinger. If she says she is sick, grab the thermometer and take her temperature. Threaten to take her to the doctor. Remind her that she can’t hang out with friends in the evening if she is sick in the morning. You need to make it far more difficult for your daughter to feign illness. How else is she going to learn the necessary skills and techniques to fool her boss when she’s older? Not teaching your daughter to successfully malinger is as bad as not teaching her how to balance a checkbook or to drive a stick shift.
The Knoxonomist wants to make it clear that while malingering is perfectly reasonable, being a hypochondriac or Munchausen is not. Both of those are, in the Knoxonomist’s opinion, unreasonable. Hypochondriacs believe they are sick when they are not, and Munchausens just lie about being sick without any specific reason. For those a bit shaky on their 18th Century German literature, Baron Munchausen’s Narrative of his Marvellous Travels and Campaigns in Russia was inspired by the unbelievably outrageous stories about his life that the actual Baron Munchausen delighted in telling anyone he could corner.
Maggie in Mechanicsville, don’t let your daughter be a Munchausen. It is a mark of integrity not to lie without good reason. If you catch your daughter lying about being sick, ask yourself, was she trying to get out of school or chores? Was she trying to gain some type of advantage? If so, relax. She’s just a malingerer, and it is your job to make sure she perfects her malingering skills.
(To the editor: here you go. Sorry this is late. I’ve had a bad cold the last few days… *cough*.)
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JurisprudenceMARCH APRIL 2019
Something About Marye
A Knoxville Elegy
Story by Gary Wade
J.D. Vance’s best-selling bookHillbilly Elegyis a fascinating rendition of how the author, during his youth, somehow survived a family background of alcoholism, drug addiction, violence, and failed relationships to graduate from Yale Law School and engage in a career as a writer and social commentator. In 2009, Lincoln Memorial University opened the Duncan School of Law. The hope of the law school has been to identify not only the gifted students, but also those students with a strong work ethic and a passion to enter the legal profession.
Although LMU’s Duncan School of Law is not yet on par with the reputation of Yale, at least one of our recent graduates has overcome a family background remarkably similar to the one Vance describes in his autobiography. Let’s call her Marye. She grew up in rural East Tennessee. Her mother, who was pregnant by the time she graduated from high school, married her father, a high school dropout. When Marye was five and her older sister 10, the marriage, marked by verbal and physical abuse, came to an end. As in the case of Vance, Marye’s maternal grandparents became the stabilizing forces in her life. They took Marye to a church she eventually joined, attending every Wednesday night and Sunday morning.
After the divorce, the father paid a modest child support, but otherwise failed to establish a meaningful relationship with his daughters. When Marye became an adult, he dismissively wished her “to have a nice life.” Although Marye continues her efforts to establish a relationship with her father through birthday and Christmas cards, thus far he has not responded.
Within a year of her parents’ divorce, Marye’s mother remarried a man who had two children of his own. A truck driver, he sustained a back injury which led to surgery. A Social Security disability check became a supplemental means of support for the family during Marye’s childhood. His prescription pills for pain, however, led to addiction. This marriage was also plagued by instability, contentious relationships, and poor health. At the death of her second husband, Marye’s mother, who had until then been a steady source of support, began to suffer from depression and became dependent on prescription drugs, which ultimately led to her abuse of other drugs—prescribed and illegal. From these family experiences, Marye says, she “mostly learned what not to do.”
During these years, Marye, a good student from the start, had changed schools three times between kindergarten and junior high school. As a youth she enjoyed sports, playing soccer, softball, and basketball. By her junior year in high school, she became the team’s post player. Her season was interrupted, however, when she became pregnant by a student from another school. Marye chose to give birth. She knew that some looked down on her for her decision and, as a result, she lost many of her friends. Home schooled for the last four months of her junior year, Marye received encouragement from her Algebra teacher and a Spanish teacher, who helped her maintain good grades during her absence. She was able to finish high school, but gave up athletics her senior year to concentrate on her studies and to spend as much time as possible with her new little girl. By then, Marye had graduated magna cum laude, and the University of Tennessee awarded her a full academic scholarship.
The move to Knoxville was not easy. Marye, on her own for the first time, worked at a restaurant and then in child care to help cover expenses for her and her daughter. The father of her child offered no support, and so she relied on student loans. At the same time, Marye’s mother’s life began to fall apart. Fortunately, Marye eventually developed what has become a long-term relationship with a man who helped her and her daughter throughout most of Marye’s undergraduate years. Although an honors graduate at UT, she was denied admission to its law school because of her mediocre LSAT score. Determined to become a lawyer, she applied to Charlotte School of Law, an aggressive for-profit institution, which readily agreed to accept her as a student.
She made good grades there, but was disappointed with the quality of her education. Moreover, she missed the emotional support her boyfriend provided. Marye lost credit hours by her transfer to LMU, but when the Charlotte school closed, she knew she had made the right choice. Continuing to work part-time and a source of support for her daughter’s education, she took four more years to graduate. A solid student, Marye received her diploma in December of 2017. Determined to sit for the bar but constrained by her work schedule, she prayed about whether to take the February bar exam or to wait until the July exam, when her daughter’s school year ended and Marye had more time to study. To this day, Marye believes that God provided the answer by sending a rock through her car windshield as she drove away from campus after a meeting with her academic dean. With the time to commit to LMU’s preparatory classes, she passed the exam on her first try.
Abraham Lincoln practiced law for twenty years and yet never spent a day in law school. Born into poverty and having lost his mother at a young age, he overcame these obstacles by learning to read, cherishing books, and adopting a remarkable work ethic. Eventually, he studied the law. In an 1860 letter to John M. Brockman, he advised, “The mode [for success] is very simple, though laborious, and tedious.... Work, work, work, is the main thing.” Marye agrees. In November, she appeared before the Tennessee Supreme Court, took the oath of office, and was admitted to practice law. Her grandparents, joined by her mother, sat proudly on the front row. Naturally, Marye wants to practice family law. With her life experiences, no one could be better prepared to understand the kind of domestic troubles Vance so aptly described in his book. Marye’s educational costs, especially during her time at Charlotte, have been substantial. But like Lincoln, she has no fear of hard work, and is driven by her past experiences. “God has a way of working things out for His glory and our good,” she says, “and I plan to start reading Hillbilly Elegy today.” I expect this story to have a happy ending.
Editor’s Note: In February, Marye accepted a position with the Department of Homeland Security.
“The mode [for success] is very simple, though laborious, and tedious…Work, work, work, is the main thing.” —Abraham Lincoln , in an 1860 letter to John M. Brockman
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InsightsMARCH APRIL 2019
Grouchy Old Men
Story by Robert Pryor, Sr.
If you’ve been around any old men lately, you may have noticed that they can be exceedingly grouchy. What it is about old guys? The older they get, the harder they are to get along with. They complain about everything and everybody, and I fear that it’s beginning to rub off on me.
As a lawyer, I spend a lot of time around grouchy old men, and I believe that when they get older they reach a tipping point when they have seen so much everything becomes a “been there, done that” moment causing them to reject anything that’s new or unfamiliar.
Now, I might be considered old by some people, but I have a sweet and charming personality. I’ve always tried to be patient and understanding of life’s annoyances and tolerant of my fellow man—and woman. I’ve always enjoyed the diversity of people and their habits and love to laugh at awkward situations and the nuisances of daily living—that is, until lately.
I’ve been compiling a list of things I’ve come to despise and that I try to avoid at all costs. Kind of the opposite of a bucket list. I know you can’t wait to learn what drives me up the wall.
Nonsensical Expressions:I don’t like people who say “tipping point” and things like “been there, done that.” Does it bother you when you tell somebody something and they reply with “no problem”? But the worst of all is people who say “…and then we’ll go from there.” It occurs to me that these people have no earthly idea what the plan should be “going forward” (that means in the future). They just know that something will be tried and what happens next is anybody’s guess. And have you noticed people trying to soften an offensive statement or rude remark by adding “just sayin’”? There’s nothing more irritating unless it’s one of those political apologies that is so insincere it belies all responsibility—“you know what I mean”?
Self-Checkout:It seems to me that stores are trying to force us to shop without assistance and then check ourselves out. The number of cashiers is dwindling and the number of lanes for self-checkout is growing. Don’t think I haven’t noticed. Soon there will be no employees in the stores, just customers roaming around helping each other and answering each others’ questions. I am against scanning my own purchases and paying without human interaction. If a store expects me to check myself out, I’m entitled to a paid training class and an employee discount. I need a cashier to entertain me with their personal observations and analysis of my life based purely on my purchases. “Looks like somebody’s going to have a picnic,” or “ole lady must be out of town” (I bought one steak and a potato). You’d be shocked at the speculations I get from the cashier at the drugstore.
Little Black Cars:Have you noticed that loud little black cars are taking over the roadway? They zip by going twice the speed limit and then cut you off when they jump in the lane in front of you. Where are these cars coming from? Most of them are real loud with large exhaust pipes, and when you pull up beside them at the next red light to see what the idiot looks like, the windows are all tinted black and you can’t see the driver. These black bugs, and potholes from 1995, are making my commute miserable.
Waiters:I keep getting waiters who feel they should reinforce my menu choices. If I order a hamburger and fries, they apparently feel they have a responsibility to reassure me by telling me what a great choice I’ve made. Actually, it’s not a stroke of genius on my part, there were three sandwiches on the menu and fries and onion rings were the only sides. Recently, at a Chinese restaurant, the waiter announced that everyone’s choice was amazing! When fortune cookies were offered, I took one, which he again thought was amazing!
Just Let Me Get Close:Okay, sometimes I have trouble remembering names. Who doesn’t? But when I’m struggling to recall a name, I need people around who will reinforce me and accept my effort if I just get close. My wife understands that when I say “like Huckleberry in the movie,” I’m trying to remember Forrest Gump. Everybody should know that when I say Al Pacino, I really mean Robert Di Niro, and that the lady in that tower in our kitchen is Alexa and not Elaina. I’m sorry, but I still call the microwave a radar oven. It just feels more natural to me.
Product Confusion:Stores could make it easier on everyone by helping us find what we need. Why don’t grocery stores put Jiffy Cornbread Mix with the cornmeal and flour? They put it somewhere else and call it Jiffy Muffin Mix and don’t even mention the word “cornbread.” My wife sends me after Jiffy Cornbread Mix, and I’ve had to call her from the store twice in the last year to ask where to find the Jiffy and can the muffin mix be used to make cornbread. I’ve learned there’s no such thing as Jiffy Cornbread Mix. Oh yeah, and what about Velveeta cheese? I eat a lot of that, but I can never find it in the store. I begin at the cheese counter and walk aimlessly through the aisles. Last time I found it somewhere near the pastas. Do you know where to find bread crumbs? Well, don’t waste your time looking in the bakery or in the bread department.
Drive-Thrus:Does every drive-thru in Knoxville have a broken speaker? I can’t understand the person trying to take my order, but it sounds like they might be trying to suggest what I should eat, probably because they are overstocked in that item. It’s hard for me to make myself understood talking into a speaker that was last repaired by Colonel Sanders himself. Every time I drive to the serving window, there has to be a great order clarification.
Loud Commercials:Did you ever notice that commercials on TV are recorded about six decibels above the show you are watching? I’m told I play TV loud, but when a commercial comes on it even blows me out of the room. There ought to be a law against car dealers who scream about the cars and their prices in TV commercials. My TV blares out, “When they’re gone, they’re gone.” Now, what does that mean? (See “Nonsensical Expressions” above.)
Waiting to Park:Does it bother you when you are trying to find a parking spot in a crowded lot and a driver gets in his car and won’t start it up and back out? You know they’re going to leave, and they know you’re waiting, but they torment you by making you sit and wait. It should be understood by everyone that when you get behind the wheel, you have to leave. Actually, on second thought, there is really no reason to be in a hurry to park in commercial lots around town because the lanes are so narrow the car next to you prevents you from opening your door to exit. I try to park with a vacant spot on my left so I can get out of the car. Of course, when I return I may not be able to open my door to reenter.
Movies:What has happened to movies? I can’t seem to find one calculated to appeal to me. Every movie is filled with what my grandson explained are Transformers—giant metal robots that turn into pickup trucks. Everything blows up. And when I do find what I expect will be a good one, the story, or the acting, or both are lousy. Bull Durham is the last movie I really understood.
Doctor’s Offices:Why in the world do you have to repeatedly fill out all those forms at the doctor’s office? They ask for the same information on each form, and they don’t ever read them anyway. I can understand forms on the first visit, but why do you have to do it over and over again? I used to complain about never being seen by the doctor and only by his or her assistants. Lately, I have learned that many nurse practitioners and physician’s assistants know more than the doctor anyway, and they have a far better sense of humor.
Breaking News:Allow me to explain something to the news networks. It is no longer “breaking news” when the story has been on the air since yesterday.
“If a store expects me to check myself out, I’m entitled to a paid training class and an employee discount.”
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TravelMARCH APRIL 2019
Berea
Story by Stuart Holland Photography by Micheal Mathews
Just two hours drive up I-75, on the southern edge of Madison County, sits the town of Berea, Kentucky. It is a charming place, where you can find great people, fine conversation, a nice meal, and one of the most vibrant crafts communities in the region. Indeed, the town overflows with such artisan skill that top-notch handcrafted work isn’t just available, it’s affordable. A day trip to Berea is worth it: body, soul, and pocketbook.
The town grew around Berea College, which was founded as the first interracial co-ed school in the South before the Civil War. It was started in 1855 as a cooperative effort between missionary John G. Fee and abolitionist landowner Cassius Marcellus Clay, with the purpose to educate blacks and whites, women and men together in the same room. They would live, work, and learn side-by-side. Aerial photo of Berea College pictured above.
After the Civil War, the college continued to educate folks, and today they cater to students with high academic potential, but challenging economic circumstances. The interesting thing is that you cannot pay to go to Berea College; you have to work. This creates a self-starting, entrepreneurial ethos within the college, one which translates into the community.
This spirit of unity and togetherness has remained as a belief buried deep in the psyche of the place, and held openly in the speech of its people. The Rashids, owners of the Knights Inn just off the interstate, are a fine example of how the town, arts community, and college come together. On one exterior wall of the inn, a large mural of wings greets visitors—a reminder and reinforcement that, even on a budget, the traveler will encounter the artisan soul of Berea in nearly every business they visit. The mural is part of the “Murals for Berea” project by “Let’s Grow Berea,” a local, member-led group devoted to promoting the town as a vibrant, welcoming place.
Once you’ve taken the Exit 76/Chestnut Street, you’re just a couple minutes’ drive from the areas where you’ll probably spend most of your time: Artisan Village, Chestnut Street, and College Square. Kentucky Artisan Center pictured above.
Artisan Village is located on a section of Broadway, a block off Chestnut Street on the left as you’re driving into town. Google the Berea Welcome Center and you’ll find yourself standing in the middle of the village. Artisan Village is a relatively recently moniker; the area used to be called Old Town. Either phrasing will get you there.
Connie Mondine, Berea’s Director of Tourism, notes that the building the Welcome Center is in, the old L & N Railroad train station, has been central to the Old Town Artisan Village since its rise in the 70s and 80s. “When passenger service quit in 1968,” she says, “the area just sat idle, until a blacksmith came in and said ‘I want to revitalize this area into an artist village.’ So he set up shop and other folks continued from there.”Welcome Center/L&N Station pictured above.
A little time in the Welcome Center/L&N Station will give you a proper feel for things—then you can roll on out onto North Broadway and take a long tour of the shops. You could easily spend a half a day here, roaming in and out of the various storefronts devoted to a melange of craftworks, including soap, candles, fiber arts, pottery, woodwork, furniture, fine art, jewelry, and on and on. Many of the stores also feature on-site artisans. Some even offer lessons.
Anchoring the street is the Kentucky Guild of Artists and Craftsmen, an organization started in 1961 out of a relationship between the state and Berea College. As Jeannette Rowlett, Executive Director of the Guild, tells it, “There was a lady who was a ceramicist out of Louisville by the name of Virginia Minish and she knew the people from L&N Railroad. She had always wanted to get some kind of mobile art vehicle to travel the state. So when she was talking to some of these folks, the guy who owned L&N at the time said why not a train? So that was the seed that brought about the two train cars that L&N Railroad gave to the Guild.”
For six years, L&N carried those train cars all over the state, wherever they could “find a spur to drop it,” as Rowlett says. “One was a demonstration car, and one was an exhibition car. The community and the school kids came out and they taught them a craft. They showed it, taught it, and let the kids participate. Every time that train went out it was something else. It could have been blacksmithing, pottery, quilting, basket making….”Stool Weaving Workshop pictured above.
In the early days, the Guild was the only game in town if an artist wanted to be part of a premier group. Now, there’s arts on every corner in town. The Guild has played no small part in that, keeping the arts alive in the town and sharing its mission to succeeding generations.
There is plenty to keep you busy in Old Town, enough to head into an afternoon, especially if you duck down Adams Street and have lunch at Apollo Pizza. The crust is fantastic, the topping combinations inventive and tasty. The Green Hippie is a fine creation of pesto, chicken, and feta. It’s a great spot to get a pint of Country Boy beer without heading all the way into Lexington. A little further down Adams you can find evidence of Berea urban farming, a project of local non-profit Sustainable Berea.
After some time in the Village, you should head on down Chestnut toward the College. You’ll pass some great antique shops and a bookstore favorite: Robie Books. And a couple of doors down, one of the best restaurants in town: Noodle Nirvana, where you can find some incredible Indian, Chinese, and Thai noodle dishes. It’s a made-from-scratch noodle bowl restaurant that both highlights and hosts a local non-profit each year. It tastes good and feels good to eat here. The historic Boone Tavern on College Square.
College Square itself is a combo of college buildings, offices, college-owned business, restaurants and artist shops and galleries. Boone Tavern, built in 1909 by the college’s woodworking department using bricks crafted by Berea students, is owned by the college and features many furnishings made by students over the years. A night or two in the Tavern is exceedingly comfortable. The hospitality is warm and inviting, and the dining outstanding, with menu items featuring ingredients from Berea College Farm. Tucking into the Sunday brunch buffet is a luxury.
On the square, Log House is the oldest craft gallery in town, coming in at just over 100 years old. It serves as the premier showcase for Berea college student crafts and also displays work from other regional artists. Across Main Street is the Berea College Farm Store, where you can shop for meat, dairy, and produce from one of the oldest student educational farms in the country.
At the intersection of Center and Short streets on College Square, hangs a simple sign that reads “Warren A. May—Woodworker.” The sign is an exercise in understatement. It denotes the facts, yes, but it misses the essentials you understand upon entering the shop. For 40 years, Warren May has been making furniture and dulcimers from native Kentucky woods. The majority of the work is done at the workshop on his farm, but some of the finish work is done in the store here on the square. You should really schedule your visit for the afternoon, when Warren is in the store cutting dulcimer sound holes and stringing the instruments. It is a special experience, and it’s not too difficult to get him to play. Woodworker Warren May demonstrates his dulcimer crafting skills in his shop on College Square.
Berea is a hard town to leave. As I was heading out toward Lexington after a stop at the Kentucky Artisan Center, an excellent gallery just off the interstate at Exit 77, I was feeling peckish and decided to investigate a recommendation: Hitz BBQ. Close by a Motel 6, it doesn’t look like much. But the food? Oh my. It’s the kind of place you time your travels to. Don’t miss the pig candy.
And don’t miss Berea. It’s not a place you visit just once.
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FeatureMARCH APRIL 2019
5 Health Trends for 2019
What’s New for the New You
Story by Hannah Middleton
The concept of what it means to be healthy is constantly evolving. Every physical body is unique, with its own specific needs, there is almost a never one-size-fits-all treatment for any illness, condition, or issue. The field of medicine and what we consider to be healthy changes as we learn more through research and new discoveries, including the possibility that what we may have historically and traditionally practiced as a society for our health may not have been the most effective treatment or practice. Many patients, physicians, and medical researchers and professionals are taking the approach of finding integrative methods and treatments that simply work. Whether western or eastern, traditional or integrative, in the exam room or from a distance, the important thing is that it successfully treats the patient.
Today we are exploring five different methods and practices that are quickly gaining practice and popularity. These specific innovations target conditions and issues that have become common: an increasing incidence of depression or a growing need to communicate with the medical profession from a distance. On a lifelong journey toward health and wellness, we could do worse than to take a look at the most recent developments and see whether they have some relevance to us, or to our loved ones. Our health is, after all, up to us.
Hypoglossal Nerve Stimulation
Sleep apnea affects more than 21 million Americans. You probably have known at least one person in your life who suffers from it and possibly uses a C.P.A.P. machine to help them breathe through the night. When used correctly, C.P.A.P.’s are usually effective, but there those for whom it hasn’t been effective. A potential response to the risks of the C.P.A.P., and a hopeful future for those who suffer from sleep apnea, is a revolutionary breakthrough called neurostimulation.
While neurostimulation has been used to treat other medical conditions, such as Parkinson’s, for those who suffer with sleep apnea it would be used in the form of an implant surgically placed in a patient. The implant itself measures and recognizes breathing patterns during the patient’s sleep and uses stimulation to keep the patient’s airways open. If it sounds similar to a pacemaker, that’s because it is! Neurostimulation keeps breathing regulated, just like a pacemaker helps regulate a person’s heartbeat.
The specific device that’s been formulated is controlled by a remote control. The user simply has to turn it on with a remote before they go to sleep, and they can turn it off when they wake up in the morning. While the implant is turned on and working, a hypoglossal nerve stimulation works to keep your tongue moving forward, creating an open airway while you sleep. Consistent data shows that this can be a proven solution for someone with sleep apnea who struggles with the use of a C.P.A.P machine. The procedure for the implant is a simple outpatient procedure.
Dr. Kevin Martinolich, Division Chief of Sleep Medicine at UT Sleep Disorders Center, says that “It could be beneficial to the right patient, one who is not severely overweight, who has been evaluated with an endoscopy, who has an airway collapsing in a particular way, and for whom other treatments have failed.” It is important to consider all of this criteria before making the decision to pursue the neurostimulation implant, as it is an expensive option. However, peace of mind and true rest when you sleep is priceless. With the success rate and testimonies of these neurostimulation devices, and the high number of people who battle sleep apnea, it’s an investment well worth making.
If you or someone you love suffers from sleep apnea and you think that neurostimulation could be the best option for them, you can check if you qualify for the implant at inspiresleep.com. If you find that you do qualify for the procedure, you can search for a doctor near you that offers it as a treatment, and also read more about coverage options and financing.
Pulsed Electromagnetic Therapy
There are many conditions that people suffer from every day that target your body’s ability to function due to chronic fatigue, inflammation, and pain. While chronic symptoms like these can be hard and frustrating to manage through medication, there has recently been a new wave of efforts in finding an alternative therapy. Pulsed electromagnetic field (PEMF) therapy targets the issues in question through magnets and cellular repair.
PEMF therapy was first registered with the FDA as a way to help heal fractures. Since then, PEMF therapy has been used for that exact purpose by both medical professionals and veterinarians (specifically in equine care). Currently it is being used as a treatment for far more than just bone repair, addressing such ailments as anxiety, IBS, Parkinson’s, arthritis, and varicose veins. Cellular repair and PEMF therapy may sound too good to be true, but many who suffer from chronic pain have found it to be helpful. PEMF therapy works by emitting targeted Burts of low-level electromagnetic radiation. This can be done throughout your body through the use of a mat you can lay on top of, or PEMF therapy can target sources of pain through coils hidden inside of tube loops that can be put on different parts of the body.
Carrie Wagner with Knoxville Reflexology Group, Inc. explains that the reason PEMF can help so much with symptoms associated with chronic illnesses, such as pain and inflammation, is that the therapy “works the blood supply and the nerve supply through all of the [muscle] tissues. So it’s helping oxygenate the body. Wherever it’s pulsing through you, it’s helping to heal. One minute on this machine is like two minutes in the gym.”
The folks at Knoxville Reflexology Group, Inc. take PEMF therapy one step further and have coupled it with their therapeutic reflexology services. The two therapies combine to provide an intense way to stimulate circulation, relieve tension, and provide relief. Wagner reassures that “this is very safe, very effective. I use it for all of my autoimmune clients and cancer patients… We [Knoxville Reflexology Group, Inc.] specialize in pain relief and detoxification.” These PEMF therapy appointments often are done in either 15-minute or 30-minute appointments. Because of the EMFs pulsing into the body, it can be quite a lot for some who have more severe symptoms or illnesses. For those who might physically be more sensitive, the 15-minute session is recommended, whereas the 30-minute session is often used by athletes or those who are typically active.
If you think PEMF therapy might be an option for you, contact Knoxville Reflexology Group, Inc. by visiting their website atknoxvillereflexology.comwhere they have a comprehensive menu of services they provide, details and information about the various therapies they provide.
Intermittent Fasting
Intermittent fasting. This has been a buzzword topic in health and wellness conversations a lot lately. I know I’ve heard about it from many friends and family members who are trying it. Intermittent fasting itself is essentially the concept that, like our natural sleeping cycle, our bodies should adhere to a certain cycle for eating at specific times in order to get maximum nutritional benefit.
Lee Murphy, a Nutritionist with the University of Tennessee, explains: “The basic idea of this type of eating plan is to allow cellular insulin levels to go down far enough and for a long enough period of time that you burn stored fat.” The way that people go about intermittent fasting can look different, even though the basic idea is the same. There are three different types of intermittent fasting: whole-day fasting, alternate-day fasting, and time-restricted fasting. “Initial human studies that have compared fasting every other day to eating less every day showed that both worked about equally for weight loss, though people struggled with the fasting day,” continues Murphy.
Intermittent fasting may be a hot topic right now, but Murphy emphasizes the importance of doing your research and consulting with a professional before taking the plunge into this newest fad. Although she agrees that it could help relatively healthy individuals who need to lose a little weight shed the extra pounds, she cautions that “negatives could include reduced available energy for active individuals and athletes, potential digestive issues, and mood swings from intermittent eating. If you have a medical condition, it is also best to avoid this type of fasting because it may have the opposite effect on your health. For instance, those who have diabetes or hypoglycemia need glucose throughout the day and going without can have dangerous effects.”
While intermittent fasting can definitely help someone lose some extra weight, Murphy reminds everyone that there is no one-size-fits-all diet or weight loss plan. “In the end, each person has their own way of eating that suits them best.” She further encourages that “what’s most important is that you assess your own eating habits and find out what approach works best for you. If you find that fasting sounds appealing as a method for health and weight loss, then it may be worth researching and trying out; however, if you are an active exerciser athlete and/or need steady blood glucose supplies for other reasons (like diabetes or hypoglycemia), you should consider other nutritional options.”
For more information on how intermittent fasting might help your nutritional journey, or for other potential options, you can find some reputable research online. However, at the end of the day, the best option is to consult with a professional nutritionist or dietician when making these decisions.
Ketamine
Ketamine isn’t a stranger in the medical field. This drug has been used commonly as a a sedative since it was approved by the FDA in 1970. And while it’s still dependable in the hospital setting as a sedative or surgical anesthesia, more recent research has been done to explore how it might help in treating mental health issues.
Research done by Yale University shows that low doses of ketamine in intervals can successfully help treat depression. Experts at Yale have claimed that this is one of the most important discoveries for the battle against depression.
To better understand how exactly ketamine works, and why it might help someone with depression, we consulted the experts at Knoxville Revitalist Clinic. Jennifer Hultz and Kathryn Walker, both Nurse Anesthetists at Revitalist Clinic, explain that “Ketamine infusions allow the brain to desensitize itself, and help patients to focus on the root cause of their condition… Patients will often get a sense of a ‘reboot’ of their brain. The effect of ketamine is rapid, with patients noting improvement often with their first infusion.” Because of how it works with the human body, ketamine can be used to treat more than just depression. Studies have shown it can be helpful to treat anxiety, PTSD, migraines, and more.
Ketamine treatments are administered in conjunction with a patient’s own mental health providers, and/or primary care providers. Often times, during ketamine treatments, there is even a licensed counselor present in case they are needed. Hultz and Walker also emphasize the importance of the treatment being given intravenously. It’s been proven to be the best and most effective way of administering the drug to ensure 100% absorption by the body.
While recent studies are promising in the treatment of depression, ketamine may not be the right treatment for everyone. Hultz and Walker explain that “persons with ongoing addiction to or misuse of drugs or alcohol, women who are pregnant or breastfeeding, persons suffering from uncontrolled hypertension, raised intracranial or intraocular pressure, or a history of a prior adverse reaction to ketamine” are NOT good candidates for ketamine treatments. In order to ensure that you are a good candidate, an initial patient consultation, to discuss the issues you might be experiencing and the specific mechanics of ketamine therapy, is a mandatory step before seeking treatment.
If you feel like ketamine treatments might be a good option for you or a loved one, Hultz and Walker suggest that doing some online research might help educate you on the treatment, as long as the information comes from a reputable source. However, they strongly urge you to take advantage of a free consultation. You can visit them atrevitalistclinic.com.
Distance Health
Our lives aren’t slowing down or getting less busy. I know I have a bad habit of simply going and going until I can’t go anymore, and usually the only thing that truly knocks me down is when I’m sick. While there’s a walk-in clinic or two that I have used in the past, technology and the world of medicine have partnered up in the last few years to offer an even more convenient option for our busy lives: distance health.
Distance health is the concept of communicating with a licensed doctor about your illness or injury while they are in a separate location. With the use of Bluetooth technology and medical equipment, doctors can even listen to your heartbeat, or look at the inside of your ears, all while they are miles away from you. This has become an excellent option for those seeking opinions of the best experts in specific medical fields, especially concerning fields such as oncology. As Drs. Jonathan L. Schaffer, Peter A. Rasmussen, and Matthew R. Faiman write inThe Journal of Arthroplasty, “While the world around us is changing quickly, health care is one of the last bastions of analog transactions. Patients are demanding the same ease of access, precision, and automation value as they get in every other part of their modern lives, and they want it on their phone.”
The ability to consult the nation’s, maybe even the world’s, best expert on a serious health concern would save many traveling expenses to get to where these doctors practice daily. Schaffer, Rasmussen, and Faiman agree that “removing the geographic barriers to [health]care can provide more efficient, timelier, and more optimal outcomes while also leading to significant cost savings.” Technology has revolutionized every other major part of our world. Retail and banking will never be the same again with the changes smartphones have ushered into our lives. Why not healthcare too?
While not every hospital or medical provider has adopted a distance health service, there are studies that show those who have adopted it have been able to lower their annual death rate. I’ve been able to appreciate distance health technological services to an extent. In the past I have successfully been treated for the flu, a sinus infection, and more minor illnesses through a service I subscribe to where I can speak to a licensed doctor over the phone. I’ve been fortunate enough to speak to the same doctor almost every time, and if I ever need a prescription, they have the power to call that in as well.
Technology is not going to begin to slow down any time soon. As more and more technological advances are made in areas of our lives that are not crucial, the idea that the medical field is catching up to the concept is hopeful and encouraging. More healthcare available to more people in more areas at more times sounds like a solution many have wanted and needed for quite some time.
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FeatureMARCH APRIL 2019
Financial Wellness
Story by Jon Hersey
One of my resolutions for 2019—and perhaps one of yours—is to establish a long-term financial plan and get situated for greater independence down the road. So, throughout the year, I’ll be speaking with some of the area’s leading experts and sharing their best, most useful lessons. Here’s to financial freedom!
Build a Solid Foundation
Jeff Hall was captain of the UT football team when they won the national championship in 1998 and still holds the state record for longest field goal at sixty-two yards. He was drafted into the NFL, which needless to say pays well. “Then, over the next three years, I made all of these awful decisions with money,” he says. “I wasn’t spending money on drugs or alcohol or women or anything like that. I just mismanaged my finances because I never really had any good training in it.” With no trace of longing or self-pity, he tells me that there are coffee breaks that last longer than his NFL career did and that by the end of it, he was broke.
His voice slows and softens when he says that, in 2002, Lytle Rather and Chris Kittrell, founders Rather and Kittrell Capital Management, made him their first hire. “I said, ‘I’m going to commit myself to a career of helping other people make good decisions with their money so they don’t disappoint those they care about most’.”
Today, the Volunteer State is one of only a few that requires a personal finance course in high school. “Tip of the hat to the state of Tennessee,” says Paul Fain, owner and president of Asset Planning Corporation, which his late father opened in 1975, shortly after becoming the first man in the world to earn the “Certified Financial Planner” designation. “The cash management skill, mastered young, unleashes a person’s power to grow wealth,” he says.
Many financial planners have learned as did Thomas Edison, who famously said that he never failed but rather learned ten thousand ways that didn’t work. “I was like any other college student,” Fain recalls. “I thought, ‘I barely have any money, so why have a budget?’” Having walked in those shoes, he now calls this thinking “a fallacy,” adding, “Whatever money you have, you can budget how to spend it.” He says matter-of-factly, “Our appetite for things is rarely satiated. If we can build and maintain a spending plan, it can create some boundaries.”
Daniel Messing, a tax expert at Pugh CPAs, echoes the point: “The first thing to do is to come up with some type of budget.” Start by nailing down your net pay. “People often don’t think about social security and federal income taxes,” says Messing. “They think, I make X dollars, so that’s what I’m going to bring home.”
Then, develop a bucket strategy by dividing your total budget into categories and determining the max you plan to spend on each: home repairs, car maintenance, groceries, dining, entertainment, pets, etc. Apps like Mint, Truebill, and Clarity Money make it easy to create “buckets,” set monthly budgets, and get notifications when you get close to or exceed them.
Fain points out that it’s not enough merely to set up your budgets—you’ve got to monitor them and adjust accordingly. “You can find a bankrupt brain surgeon and a financially independent plumber. Our needs, wants, and wishes always expand to our income capacity.” It’s both healthy and a testament to free markets that most of us want and can have more than ramen noodles and bologna sandwiches. “But if you’re not developing good savings habits early and you’re just participating in what they call ‘lifestyle creep,’” says Hall, “then at some point when your income levels off, you’re basically going to hit a wall.” Many people earn big salary gains until they reach about thirty-five or forty. A person’s earnings plateau, but unless he or she has developed good habits and sticks to his budget, spending is liable to continue rising.
Messing says, “establish early on that you’re not necessarily going to always have all of this cash.” Set a dollar amount to live on, save some, and invest the rest.
Develop Your Human Capital
Hall loves speaking to student athletes about the “two types of capital”: human capital and investment capital. Whereas investment capital consists of the typical stocks, bonds, small business ownership, real estate, etc., “human capital is your skill set and your relationships.” He holds that becoming a functional adult means developing skills and building relationships—then using those skills to help those you’ve befriended. “The best investment anybody can make is in themselves,” he says. Sometimes, that’s done in a classroom—but not always. “Fifteen years ago, I started going to folks here in town that are a generation, maybe two generations older than me, and I would ask them, ‘Mr. so-and-so, I’m 27, you’re 65. What would you tell yourself at 27 knowing what you know now?’ And there’s so much wisdom there. That is part of developing your human capital: Learn from people who have a lot more life experience than you do.”
Many people default to pursuing a college degree (or several) as the only means of investing in themselves—and for a lot of people, it is the gateway to a better life. As Messing says, “You can never have too much education, but at the same time, it’s not the be all, end all.” He tells me about his brother with a journalism degree who made a living doing photography, and about the creative entrepreneurs he’s met started their endeavors at a young age and soon had their own flourishing businesses.
Fain likewise puts great value on a college education but says, “we would be doing our children and these young students a great service to help them—pre-enrollment and during their first year—to really explore why they’re there.”
Regardless of age, developing human capital is not about exploring enough to know what draws you. Fain thinks of this as figuring out where to start. What types experiences do you want as the foundation for your work life? If you’re mid-career, are you following the directions of your interests or borrowing someone else’s map? It’s difficult to care much about delivering skills to those with whom you’ve built relationships if neither is based in your values.
Invest in Your Future
“I don’t know if a person is missing anything if they focus their investment strategy on employer-sponsored retirement plans, personal IRAs, or the like,” says Fain. According to Hall, “A well-run 401k plan that has good oversight and good management is the greatest investment vehicle that most of us will ever have access to.” When you consider that employers commonly match a certain percentage of 401k contributions, this position becomes even more sound.
Contributions to a 401k come out of your paycheck pre-tax, but you pay taxes on the money once you begin taking it out. A traditional IRA works the same.
The money in your account grows tax-free but is taxed when you take it out. However, with a Roth IRA, you pay taxes on the front end, not the back end when you begin taking money out in retirement. As with everything, there are tradeoffs, and figuring out which is best for you—or if you should have both—is tricky. The most important factor is your current tax rate versus your likely tax rate in retirement, which is tied to your income bracket. Messing points out that if you have high earnings now but plan to live on less in retirement, then you’ll probably fall into a lower tax bracket and so will likely pay less in taxes. In that case, it’s advantageous to invest in the tax-deferred options: the 401k and traditional IRA.
Whichever you choose, it’s important to save something and to start early. Messing says, “If you actually look at the numbers, it’s exponential. Let’s say you start at 35 or 40, which is when most people begin to have more disposable income. You can’t make up the difference in the returns that you’ve lost over a ten, fifteen, twenty-year period—not even if you maximize your savings all the way until you’re sixty-five.” In fact, those who invest a smaller percentage of their income but start at an earlier age are typically far better off than those who invest larger percentages later on in life.
Although laying the groundwork for financial freedom requires some discipline, it’s not overly complex. If you’re passionate about achieving your best possible life, then you can set and stick to budgets, cultivate skills and relationships, and invest in your future. Nonetheless, the more you accumulate, the more complex it can become. Check out the next issue for tips from the experts, and get prepared for success.
“The best investment anybody can make is in themselves.” – Jeff Hall , Partner & Senior Advisor, Rather & Kittrell
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FeatureMARCH APRIL 2019
To Be Who They Are
Story by Rebecca Whalen
On any given day of the week, you can find Harold Chandler spending time with his friends doing just about everything that makes him happy. It’s not unusual to find him singing, playing cards, doing crafts, or enjoying music. And you almost certainly will find him socializing, something he has always been known for.
“Everyone loves him,” says his daughter, Brenda Chambers. “He’s just got a presence when he walks in.”
And because of a close-knit community that Chambers introduced him to, for the foreseeable future Chandler will both have the opportunity to make an impact on those around him and have the opportunity to be himself.
“My father and his friends have fun and relax and just be who they are,” she says.
While her beaming description of her father’s quality of life might not reveal it, Chandler is one of 110,000 people, age 65 or older, in the state of Tennessee living with Alzheimer’s, a progressive brain disease affecting parts of the brain that control thought, memory, and language. The disease can make it difficult to carry out normal, everyday tasks, and while there are treatments, there is no cure.
Which is why spaces like Alzheimer Tennessee’s Howard Circle of Friends, where Chandler spends much of his week, can be so critical to a person living with the disease. It can provide a level of support for those affected by Alzheimer’s, and can ultimately help to improve their quality of life when so much else is in flux.
“The people embraced him and make him feel like he has some worth,” Chambers says. “He’s comfortable. He’s inspired. It gets him out of the house and gives him a sense of purpose.”
This is the hope many have for loved ones living with Alzheimer’s. And thanks to Alzheimer’s Tennessee and its programs like Howard Circle of Friends, thousands of people across the state are being supported during their difficult journey.
A Three Pronged Approach
The organization’s mission tackles the trifecta of Alzheimer’s-specific needs: support for patients and families, promotion of brain health, and the push for research.
“Our scope and depth of services and programs and advocacy is really significant,” says Janice Wade, Chief Executive Officer of Alzheimer’s Tennessee. “We are looking ahead in terms of a vision that would hopefully stop Alzheimer’s, but people in critical need? They need an intervention now. We always say that until there is a cure, there needs to be care.”
Howard Circle of Friends falls within the first sector of the organization’s mission. To some it is an adult daycare, but for those there, like Chandler, it’s simply a safe space to experience a better quality of life—to be positively challenged in their cognition.
“I think he liked it, but acted like he didn’t,” Chambers says, recalling her father’s first introduction to the space. “But when he went back and came home, he was a different person just after his first day. He had something to look forward to.”
Aside from adult day services, Alzheimer’s Tennessee helps individuals through gatherings called Memory Cafes, support spaces that allow individuals to talk about the disease. There is even a 24-hour health line for people to call in day or night.
“Many times, people are just starting this journey and don’t know what they need, they don’t know how to make their home more adaptable and supportive,” Wade says. “We go out into homes to work with them.”
The services are also for the care partners, to provide relief, knowledge, encouragement, and comfort as they navigate the regression of a loved one’s cognition and health.
“One of the saddest things I hear is someone say, ‘I wish I knew about your work eight years ago because I walked this journey alone’,” Wade says. “Sometimes you hear about organizations, but until you’re faced with that need, a lot of times it’s not top of mind, so we try to create awareness throughout the year.”
Seventy percent of folks with the disease have care partners still in the workplace, Wade says, which is why programs like Howard Circle of Friends is equally as critical to family as it is to those with the disease. “They have a therapeutic day with us, and it allows care partners to stay active in their workplace.”
Community workshops, support groups, online programs like Caregiver Academy, and the annual Caring and Coping Conference, also allow care partners to learn on a variety of topics related to the disease and find refuge in a community of people going through similar life experiences.
Promoting and Researching Brain Health
The organization’s services don’t necessarily start and end with those currently facing the disease or those caring for them. With a roughly $1.3 million budget, the work actually begins much earlier in the process.
“We do cognitive screenings,” Wade says. “This is an educational tool that allows folks to look at the six different cognitive domains and take those findings back to their primary care doctor.” Each screening report includes strategies the individual can work on to help strengthen those domains.
And to take that preventative work one step further, the organization supports the research of brain health. This year, Alzheimer’s Tennessee is funding a specific study at the University of Tennessee that will look at folks with mild cognitive impairment or mild, early stage Alzheimer’s and research the potential to strengthen pathways of attention.
“Those types of strategies we like because it’s key to the future. What can we do to stop Alzheimer’s? And for the 110,000 Tennesseans living with Alzheimer’s, what can we do to help those individuals as well?”
Each year in June, the organization also hosts a research symposium. “Research only has application if people know about it,” Wade says. Current research is shared, but scientists also share what is coming through the pipeline.
In September, organization staff attended a public policy summit on Alzheimer’s, spending time working with a congressional delegation to increase funding for this type of work. “It’s been a remarkable three years in terms of increasing funding for Alzheimer’s research,” she says. “We are very encouraged in that the wheels are certainly beginning to move forward in terms of investment, and it can’t happen soon enough.”
Making It All Happen
With a staff of just 15, it’s hard to imagine this much work getting done in one place. But like many nonprofits in the region, it’s the helping hands of volunteers that create its backbone. A local Board of Directors, an army of advocates who share their stories, these are what it takes, Wade says. “They give a voice to the Alzheimer’s and related dementias community.”
Flexibility is key; they aim to work with volunteers to fit opportunities into their lifestyles, interests, and skills. That’s how it happened for Christina Askren, a local police officer turned realtor. “I lost three family members to Alzheimer’s,” she says. “It is something so near and dear to me…and it’s something I don’t want other people to face alone.”
After losing both grandmothers to Alzheimer’s, she learned about caregiver support meetings and was asked to be a guest speaker. Her relationship with Alzheimer’s Tennessee grew from there. She encouraged her company to hop on board for the local walk to support those close to home “that are fighting the fight,” and next year will co-chair the five-county walk.
“It hits a nerve,” she says. “I’ve been there. They don’t know what to expect yet, so hopefully I can help create an understanding.”
The memories of her loved ones are what keep her engaged: “The next day can never be given to us, so every minute, every second, every moment is to make a memory with loved ones.”
With Mom in Mind
As Wade enters her 27th year at the helm of Alzheimer’s Tennessee, there is one person that is often at the front of mind: her mom. Wade was living in Nashville at the time she found out her mother’s Alzheimer’s was progressing. She came home to help, and for the next six years managed her mother’s care.
Like many, she felt ill-equipped to be a caregiver at first, but with Alzheimer’s Tennessee training, she was able to create her own toolkit and support system.
“It drew me closer to my mom, but at the same time it was heartbreaking and challenging,” she recalls, admitting that when the opportunity to be at the helm came up, she wondered if it would be too much. But what she found was that the immersion helped her transition the hurt into empowerment. “It encouraged me to make a change in the way services were provided and create a better situation for my mother.”
Wade lost her mother at age 77, after living with the disease for nearly a decade. It was a pivotal point in both life and career.
“Her journey was the pathway that led me to Alzheimer’s Tennessee,” she says.
Today, Wade is an advocate for not only the memory of her mother, but so many others living each day with Alzheimer’s and related dementias. “I see her face in the people we serve, and I’m proud of what we offer to the community.”
“The next day can never be given to us, so every minute, every second, every moment is to make a memory with loved ones.”
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Top DocsMARCH APRIL 2019
Top Docs 2019
Story by Cityview
Here in Knoxville, our Top Doctors are just that impassioned, and just that prepared.Cityviewis proud to honor the men and women in our medical community whose dedication and skill have earned the respect of both their patients and peers. Every year, we ask the area’s physicians to tell us whom they would choose if they, or a patient, or a loved one needed care. This is not a popularity contest or a paid survey. Rather, these results are the opinions of practicing physicians. Of course, this is not to say that those not listed in our survey results are not also excellent physicians in their own right. This survey simply recognizes those who have earned the utmost regard of their colleagues and peers.
For the past 11 years,Cityviewhas recognized the hard work and dedication put in by these individuals. In order to give you the best information we can, we try to keep our listings current and accurate. We afford all hospital groups and larger medical practices the opportunity to provide updated information on practitioners so each can participate in the most meaningful way.
In keeping with our long-standing practice of transparency with our readers, it saddens us to note that this year some of the major groups declined to provide current information to augment what we receive from the state on licensed physicians in each medical group. We offer everyone the opportunity to refresh their records, and we heartily thank those who did.
Choosing the right medical professional is extremely important. Our listing is based on what practitioners say about their peers, but what about you? We would love to hear about the excellent physicians in your life. Drop bycityviewmag.comand leave a note in the comments telling us why your doc is tops!
Judson R. Gash MD Accepting Patients Referral Required 28 yrs in Practice
Peter Kvamme MD Accepting Patients Referral Required 25 yrs in Practice
Sidney Charles Roberts III MD Not Accepting No Referral Required 24 yrs in Practice
Kenneth A. Rule MD Accepting Patients Referral Required 33 yrs in Practice
John D. Simmons MD Accepting Patients Referral Required 34 yrs in Practice
Donna Kathryn Culhane MDAccepting Patients Referral Required 26 yrs in Practice
Andrew M. Evancho MD Accepting Patients Referral Required 32 yrs in Practice
JohD. Simmons MD Accepting Patients Referral Required 34 yrs in Practice
Laura Katherine Findeiss MD Accepting Patients Referral Required 19 yrs in Practice
Christopher Stephens MD Accepting Patients Referral Required 9 yrs in Practice
Britton K. Woodward MD Accepting Patients Referral Required 21 yrs in Practice
James L. Burns Jr. MD Accepting Patients Referral Required 37 yrs in Practice
Robert J. Capps MD Accepting Patients Referral Required 35 yrs in Practice
Kenny R. Sizemore MD Accepting Patients Referral Required 32 yrs in Practice
Jay H. Warrick MD Accepting Patients Referral Required 32 yrs in Practice
Rosanne S. Barker MD Accepting Patients No Referral Required 32 yrs in Practice
Kevin M. Martinolich MD Accepting Patients No Referral Required 26 yrs in Practice
Dewey Young McWhirter MD Accepting Patients No Referral Required 16 yrs in Practice
Phillip Lynn Nichols II MD Accepting Patients Referral Required 23 yrs in Practice
Christopher M. Nolte MD Accepting Patients No Referral Required 14 yrs in Practice
James W. Baker MDAccepting Patients Referral Required 36 yrs in Practice
Mark A. Casillas Jr. MD Accepting Patients Referral Required 11 yrs in Practice
Gregory P. Midis MD Accepting Patients Referral Required 31 yrs in Practice
Andrew J. Russ MD Accepting Patients Referral Required 12 yrs in Practice
John L. Bell MDAccepting Patients Referral Required 38 yrs in Practice
Lytle Brown IV MD Accepting Patients Referral Required 35 yrs in Practice
Brian H. Garber MD Accepting Patients Referral Required 37 yrs in Practice
Keith D. Gray MD Accepting Patients Referral Required 19 yrs in Practice
David J. Harrell MD Accepting Patients Referral Required 26 yrs in Practice
James Michael Lewis MD Accepting Patients Referral Required 18 yrs in Practice
J. Mancini MD Accepting Patients Referral Required 18 yrs in Practice
Gregory P. Midis MD Accepting Patients Referral Required 31 yrs in Practice
David H. Hauge MD Accepting Patients Referral Required 32 yrs in Practice
James A. Killeffer MD Accepting Patients Referral Required 21 yrs in Practice
Joshua A. Miller MD Accepting Patients Referral Required 13 yrs in Practice
Joel B. Ragland MD Accepting Patients Referral Required 28 yrs in Practice
William E. Snyder Jr. MD Accepting Patients Referral Required 22 yrs in Practice
Eric R. Carlson MD Accepting Patients Referral Required 32 yrs in Practice
Theodore A. George DDS Accepting Patients Referral Required 31 yrs in Practice
Jack E. Gotcher Jr. DMD Accepting Patients No Referral Required 43 yrs in Practice
Michael D. Wooten DDS Accepting Patients Referral Required 36 yrs in Practice
George R. Baddour Jr. MD Accepting Patients Referral Required 38 yrs in Practice
Russell A. Betcher MD Accepting Patients No Referral Required 26 yrs in Practice
Robert E. Ivy MD Accepting Patients No Referral Required 29 yrs in Practice
Paul H. Johnson MD Accepting Patients No Referral Required 28 yrs in Practice
Gregory M. Mathien MD Accepting Patients No Referral Required 32 yrs in Practice
Matthew C. Nadaud MD Accepting Patients No Referral Required 18 yrs in Practice
Edwin E. Spencer Jr. MD Accepting Patients No Referral Required 21 yrs in Practice
Freddie T. Barron MD Not Accepting No Referral Required 42 yrs in Practice Semi Retired
Stephen M. Becker MD Accepting Patients No Referral Required 21 yrs in Practice
E. Edward Breazeale Jr. MD Accepting Patients No Referral Required 23 yrs in Practice
Joseph T. Chun Accepting Patients No Referral Required 33 yrs in Practice
Tom Gallaher MD Accepting Patients No Referral Required 28 yrs in Practice
Jason Hall MD Accepting Patients No Referral Required 16 yrs in Practice
Kathleen S. Herbig MD Accepting Patients No Referral Required 13 yrs in Practice
Dean Kleto MD Accepting Patients No Referral Required 38 yrs in Practice
Stephen M. Lazarus MD Accepting Patients No Referral Required 37 yrs in Practice
Jay H. Lucas MD Accepting Patients No Referral Required 18 yrs in Practice
David B. Reath MD Accepting Patients No Referral Required 38 yrs in Practice
Steven J. Smith MD Accepting Patients No Referral Required 35 yrs in Practice
Timothy Scott Wilson MD Accepting Patients No Referral Required 28 yrs in Practice
Richard M. Briggs MD Not Accepting No Referral Required 40 yrs in Practice Semi Retired
Raymond A. Dieter III MD Accepting Patients Referral Required 26 yrs in Practice
Thomas E. Gaines MD Accepting Patients Referral Required 37 yrs in Practice
John W. Mack Jr. MD Not Accepting No Referral Required 46 yrs in Practice
Michael L. Maggart MD Accepting Patients Referral Required 38 yrs in Practice
Thomas R. Pollard MD Accepting Patients Referral Required 28 yrs in Practice
William Walker MD Accepting Patients No Referral Required 36 yrs in Practice
Christopher S. Callicutt MD Accepting Patients Referral Required 21 yrs in Practice
Willard B. Campbell MD Accepting Patients Referral Required 29 yrs in Practice
Michael D. Kropilak MD Accepting Patients Referral Required 35 yrs in Practice
George Pliagas MD Accepting Patients Referral Required 34 yrs in Practice
Scott L. Stevens MD Accepting Patients Referral Required 34 yrs in Practice
Robert F. Elder MD Accepting Patients No Referral Required 33 yrs in Practice
C. Bryce Bowling MD Accepting Patients No Referral Required 15 yrs in Practice
Gregory L. Glover MD Accepting Patients No Referral Required 34 yrs in Practice
Lee Congleton III MD Accepting Patients No Referral Required 28 yrs in Practice
Paul A. Hatcher MD Accepting Patients Referral Required 34 yrs in Practice
Garrett Henry Lischer MD Accepting Patients No Referral Required 18 yrs in Practice
Ryan Baird Pickens MD Accepting Patients No Referral Required 15 yrs in Practice
Christopher E. Ramsey MD Accepting Patients No Referral Required 21 yrs in Practice
Edward B. Tieng MD Accepting Patients Referral Required 23 yrs in Practice
William Bedford Waters MD Accepting Patients No Referral Required 38 yrs in Practice
Wesley M. White MD Accepting Patients No Referral Required 15 yrs in Practice
John D. Carroll MD Accepting Patients No Referral Required 14 yrs in Practice
Jay Hammett Jr. MD Accepting Patients No Referral Required 34 yrs in Practice
Robin A. Huskey MD Accepting Patients No Referral Required 12 yrs in Practice
John Sanabria MD Accepting Patients No Referral Required 22 yrs in Practice
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Non-ProfitMARCH APRIL 2019
Kids in the Community
Story by Valerie Lick Photography by Hobe Brunson
Whether you’re a parent or not, whether you’ve got an empty nest or a full house, whether you work with children or just remember being a child, you know one thing: every child has a lifetime of potential.
It takes a village to raise a child to that potential. Every parent wants to give his or her children the necessary tools to grow up strong and successful in the world, but they need support from their community. That’s where nonprofit organizations come in.
Knoxville’s nonprofits offer an overwhelming show of support to local families. That support is everywhere. That support is in schools, medical programs, youth sport and leadership and art organizations, and in all the dozens of faith and family-focused nonprofits in Knoxville.
And what better way to prove it than by looking at those organizations’ success stories?
Joy of Music School, Knoxville Inner City Kids’ Outreach, and Shangri-La Therapeutic Academy of Riding help kids in vastly different ways. One thing that they have in common, however, is that they’ve changed children’s lives for the better. Here are three Knoxville kids organizations achieving excellence.
Reaching Young People Where They Live: Knoxville Inner City Kids’ Outreach
The Knoxville Inner City Kids’ Outreach non-profit (KICKO) goes into Knoxville’s underserved communities and reaches children, the vast majority of whom are not be able to travel elsewhere, where they live—lifting them up and giving them the tools they need to succeed and ultimately to transition to adulthood.
The genesis of the organization has multiple points The concept is modeled after a program KICKO’s founders, Bill and Janice Clark, were introduced to at a world evangelization in the late 80s. After hearing a dynamic speaker on an another inner city program elsewhere, Janice felt she should go back to school to study missions. She did, and by the early 90s, KICKO was up and running in two of Knoxville’s neighborhoods that were most notorious for gang violence. This is their mission: to reach kids who are “left behind” by other programs and to meet them “in their neighborhoods,” as current director Michael Clark says.
In an age of video games and instant messaging, KICKO builds lifelong interpersonal connections. One of those connections is a multi-generational legacy. Jourdan Elder-Richardson, who made her first Knoxville friends as a child at KICKO’s activities, now brings her son Malachi to the organization’s meetings every week.
“I was one of their students, one of the kids that they welcomed into their ministry,” she says. Jourdan, then only 8 years old, was a recent transplant to Knoxville. Awakened one day by loud music, she left her house to see colors, games, and–most of all–other kids.
“Everybody was on the same page, it was a common energy,” she says. “I think that KICKO helped me think about more than myself; think of myself as a member of a community rather than me against other people.”
Years later, when she had a child of her own, Jourdan saw a face from her past: Bill Clark, the founder of KICKO.
“I was telling him, ‘You definitely look like a man who used to minister to me,’” Jourdan says. “He said, ‘Yes! That’s me, and I know my wife is going to remember you when I tell her about you.’”From left to right:Michael Clark (current director of KICKO), Bill Clark (founder of KICKO), and Jourdan Elder-Richardson stand behind Malachi (10).
The memories all came flooding back. Bill invited Jourdan to bring her child to a KICKO meeting, where another generation was dancing, singing, and learning.
Immediately, Jourdan’s son Malachi fell in love with the organization. While he enjoys meeting new kids and dancing, his favorite activities are the games. Through memory games, kids learn Bible verses with the goal of applying the lessons to their lives.
“It’s to help kids believe in God,” Malachi says. The usually-exuberant 10-year-old enunciated this point clearly and solemnly. “And help kids make good decisions.”
Like many kids his age, Malachi has some electronic pastimes. But more and more, he spends time playing football and basketball and bouncing on the trampoline. He thinks that KICKO’s active, outdoor enthusiasm has helped him and other kids be healthier. “You get fresh air,” he says wisely.
Creativity and Community: Joy of Music School
For many kids, music is pure joy. At Joy of Music School, over 100 local musicians encourage and nurture that joy by giving free private lessons.
Through Joy of Music School, kids are able to learn, grow, and challenge themselves without the often-prohibitive cost of private lessons.
Since 2013, Caleb and Chloe Weaver have been a weekly presence at the school. The twins, who are now high school seniors, say that the organization made huge experiences possible in their lives.
“A little before seventh grade, my dad lost his job with the company he worked with. So the first thing we had to cut was our music lessons,” Caleb says. But everything changed when the twins’ family found out about Joy of Music School’s free music lessons for school-age children. “So we came here,” he continues, “and we’ve been here ever since.”
While both Weavers had taken piano lessons since age five, the duo branched out into different instruments with the aid of their instructors. Caleb took up bass guitar, while Chloe found her rhythm in drums.
With the school’s help and their own passion and energy for music, the twins soared to great musical heights. In the summer of 2018, they each won full-ride scholarships to a five-week program at Berkeley College’s School of Music. “It was only possible through Joy of Music,” Caleb says.
The twins feel that Joy of Music School is a positive, happy environment for kids to keep learning even outside of their regular classrooms. “I guess when you walk in here, you can tell that there’s good work being done,” Chloe says. “You can tell that the kids are happy to be here, they’re happy to be learning… it’s just fun to them.”
More than anything, the Weaver twins feel that music is an important mental and emotional outlet. “If a kid takes up a musical instrument and he likes it, then that means he has an outlet and he can connect with other people through it; he can do whatever he wants with it,” Caleb says.
Skills for Special Needs Students: Shangri-La Therapeutic Academy of Riding
At Shangri-La Therapeutic Academy of Riding (STAR), lessons aren’t just about riding. It’s about learning and strengthening skills that will serve special-needs students all their lives.
Through weekly therapeutic riding, kids and seniors with physical, mental, or neurological disabilities can improve in diverse areas–some of them unexpected. Jackson Miller is the most cheerful 12-year-old in the world. He’s also one of the hundreds of students who learn in unexpected ways at STAR.
A student on the Autism spectrum, Jackson has to put in extra work to improve his spatial awareness, balance, and fine motor skills. “He can do higher level math, but he struggled to tie his shoelaces,” his mother Jennie Miller explains. After standard therapy did not have the results that Jackson and his family hoped for, Jennie got in contact with STAR. “I started thinking about what else I could do. So I called them and asked if they could help. They said yes.”
And help they did. After weeks of grooming horses, using tack, and navigating equine obstacle courses, Jackson found his skills improving. He and his family were surprised and delighted. “I never even thought that equine therapy could help with that kind of stuff,” Jennie says. Before she continues, Jackson chimes in. “It’s helping with all of it, really!”
Before coming to STAR with Jackson, Jennie had only a vague idea of what sort of special needs the program served. “I don’t think I understood the diversity of struggles riders have,” she says, explaining that STAR served everyone from deaf students to disabled veterans.
“It’s not just about physical challenges. It’s about mental challenges, learning self-control, and learning to be aware of yourself. There’s so many things I didn’t think about,” she continues. “It really is helpful in a lot of ways.”
In fact, when STAR put on its annual summer show, Jackson won third place in the obstacle course. He had come a long way–equine obstacle courses would be difficult even for a 12-year-old without spatial awareness issues.
“I’m happy about myself. Or proud,” Jackson says, smiling broadly. “I can’t wait to do it next year. Maybe I’ll get first.”
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FeatureMARCH APRIL 2019
Behind the Cover
FEATURED: EMILY ANDZULIS
Story by Emily Stevens
Featured on the cover of this issue is Emily Andzulis, the first female Titan on NBC’sThe Titan Games. Through years of dedication to martial arts, Emily had prepared herself physically and mentally for the competition. Flip to page 114 to read her exclusive interview withCityview.
Former Lady Vol, local business owner and DJ for ESPN College Game Day, Cait McMahan conducted an engaging interview with Emily about her training,The Titan Games, and what’s next for the athlete. Head to our website to view the complete video interview.
With over thirty years of experience, Bryan Allen’s creative passion has always been photographing people and telling authentic stories through his imagery. Through his award-winning skills, he helped us capture Emily’s story and her passion for fitness. He is Managing Partner and Photographer for PopFizz, which was voted Best Of in Video Production this year.
Styling for the photoshoot was provided by the 2018 Best Salon Winner, Grow: A Shane Archer Concept. Savannah Bruno and Brooke Peterson styled Emily using Glo Minerals makeup and L’ANZA hair products. They gave her a natural look with an edgy ponytail.
Clothing and styling were provided by lululemon on Kingston Pike. Special thanks to Sydney and Julie for helping us select the best pieces. Emily is pictured here wearing the Free To Be Bra in Blue Haze/Carbon Blue and the In Movement 7/8 Everlux 25’’ Tight in Black.
Sound technology and coordination was provided by Paul Jones at Auralation. He assisted us with the recording all of interviews. Auralation has two recording studios in Knoxville and provides many services including podcasting and educational workshops.
Hope Reneau, Director of The Middle Path IOP, believes that Knoxville is opening up to the idea of dialectical behavior therapy (DBT). DBT is a therapy central to the mission of The Middle Path, which works with clients who are struggling with major symptoms of depression, bipolar disorder, generalized anxiety disorder, or personality disorders. Over the course of six and a half weeks, clients in a group therapy session learn how to incorporate DBT into their daily lives. A prime skill associated with DBT is mindfulness, which is learning how to stay in the present rather than dwelling on the past or anticipating the future.
It saddens me, because I know that there is treatment out there. Often there is still a stigma attached to mental illness, but there are treatment options available. It saddens me that our numbers continue to climb, especially in the teen population.
How does what you practice address some of that?
One of the big things about group is that people join and realize they’re not alone because with suicidal ideation people often feel very isolated. They can’t talk to anyone about this; people are scared. They don’t know what to do and it’s very overwhelming.
What our program does is we completely wrap around the client and their family. We provide effective therapy that is based in mindfulness and skill based on how to live your life with a new set of lenses. Often times people become very polarized in their thinking, so what dialectical behavior therapy does is teaches you how to regulate your emotions more in a middle zone, where you can tolerate the stress and discomfort instead of giving in.Tell me about the interaction between new members of the group and those who have been attending for a while.
We think of it almost as a Montessori education process, where some of the experienced students would help the clients that are just starting out. The beginner clients have the opportunity to see people who have been here longer and how high functioning they are. The purpose of DBT is to teach you how to be your own therapist.
“What’s happening is that they are missing the present, and the present is the only thing that we have control over.” – Hope Reneau, Director of the middle pAth
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FeatureMARCH APRIL 2019
When “Medicine” Quacks Like a Duck
Story by Keith Norris
It happens a couple of times a year. Just when I’ve become comfortable with the idea that some “alternative medicines” can have value for certain particular purposes, I encounter a product that leaves my scientific, rational self enraged. Why? Because often what I’ve found is a panacea promoted as effective treatment. Most of the time, what I’ve found isn’t regulated by the FDA and so has no oversight by a government agency. Some see this as a good thing. I do not. If there is a scientific, rational basis for a certain treatment, by all means it should be submitted to the FDA for evaluation. If, however, it is based upon wish fulfillment, subjective “proof,” or anecdotal evidence (and thus could not pass the rigors of an evaluation process or double-blind testing), it should be banished to the realm of quackery.
One particular remedy, however,ismarketable as a medicine: homeopathy. This is because it has a protected status. The 1938 Food and Drug Act was pushed through Congress by a senator and homeopathic doctor. This, however, doesn’t keep it from being quackery. The FDA has never subjected homeopathic medicine to the same rigor of testing that it has other things that can be marketed as medicine. It is, in short, snake oil.
Why? Because it relies upon subjective, untestable assertions rather than evidence-based science. In the late 18th century, at a time when leeching and bloodletting were the order of the day, the founder of homeopathic treatments, Samuel Hahnemann, simply proclaimed that disease is a result of the body’s inability to heal. Thus, he asserted, the need for a substance that could jumpstart the body’s inclination to heal. Such substances often have a “correlation” to a particular ailment, by shape, size, or alliteration. How were these relationships determined? By “provings”—non-scientific, anecdotal observations in a non-controlled environment.
Hahnemann later established the “law of infinitesimals,” a counter-intuitive assertion that claims that smaller amounts of medicine have larger effects. To achieve these small amounts, the substances are diluted many, many times. Far beyond, in fact, the ability to dilute.
Which leads to an even more ridiculous assertion: homeopathy suggests that something like an essence or imprint of the original material survives the process, and thus, somehow, works.
To take the argument into your local drug and grocery store, Oscillococcinum, a product developed using a process similar to that of homeopathic medicine and which is marketed to relieve cold and flu symptoms, has as its active ingredients freeze-dried duck’s liver and heart that have been “diluted” to an impossible concentration No hint of duck survives. Except the quack.
These nonsense treatments and cures play upon the naiveté of the easily fooled, appeal to the mindless followers of false prophets, and give succor to the village idiot.
This is shameful. It is a willful manipulation of the credulous, a condition best treated, I suppose, by megadoses of Vitamin C.
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FeatureMARCH APRIL 2019
The Power of Positivity
Story by Emily Stevens
wp:paragraphInterview by: Cait McMahan | Story by: Emily Stevens /wp:paragraph
wp:paragraphPhotography by: Bryan Allen /wp:paragraph
wp:paragraphOne minute she’s bopping her head to Drake, the next she’s swaying her hips to Tennessee Whiskey. If you ask her to do one more rep, she’ll happily oblige. If there is one outstanding trait of Emily Andzulis, it’s that her positivity never quits—and neither does she. Hailing from Powell, Tennessee, Andzulis recently achieved the status of first female Titan on NBC’s new competition show The Titan Games, hosted by Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson. She sat down with Cait McMahan for Cityview to discuss her experience and how she accomplished it.
wp:paragraphCait:You have been nicknamed ‘The Pitbull.’ Why? Emily:I am very small and very muscular. When I was a white belt starting off, I was easily underestimated by bigger guys. Once I learned what a choke was, I was like ‘this is how I’m going to get people.’ There’s a way to be sneaky about it. There have been times when I choked some people out because they underestimated my choke. From a white belt on I was known as The Pitbull. /wp:paragraph
wp:paragraphCait:You’ve been doing martial arts since you were 5 years old. It takes a lot of discipline for that. What about that type of discipline intrigued you Emily:My parents put me in at 5 years old. It just looked fun to go. I think the first day I beat up a little boy. It was just meant to be. But to continue it as a young martial artist and wanting to continue all the way up through adult hood is really rare. /wp:paragraph
wp:paragraphCait:You are also an MMA fighter. Tell me how you got into that. Emily:I wanted to escalate my training so I started with taekwondo then Brazilian jiu-jitsu. I did that for years. Then when I went to Shield Systems here in Knoxville I was like ‘I want to get in the cage,’ because I felt like that was the next step to my training.
wp:paragraphCait:When did you decide that you wanted to bean MMA fighter’? Emily:Actually, not too long ago. It’s one thing to train your whole life and it’s one thing to actually do something with it. I just wanted to see how I would do. /wp:paragraph
wp:paragraphCait:That’s perfect. What strives you? What would you say keeps you grounded and focused? Emily:I just want to be the best well-rounded athlete. I have my hands, I just want to be the best and the hardest worker. Grinding is part of who I am. It’s just in my blood. /wp:paragraph
Cait:When you heard The Titan Games were coming out, did you see it on the internet? Walk us through how that came about. Emily:I was watching Jimmy Fallon actually, and The Rock was on there talking about it. My sister and I were messing around and thought that would be so cool to meet The Rock. He just said fill out an application and try for it, so I did. /wp:paragraph
wp:paragraphCait:What was your first impression when you met Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson?Emily:Of course, I was super nervous but within the first second of talking to him he was so nice and so down to earth. /wp:paragraph
wp:paragraphCait:Great guy, I’ve met him myself. People think that everything happens in the gym, such as working out and cardio. But as an athlete myself, I know that everything happens in the kitchen. Can you walk us through what you eat and what you like to stay away from?Emily:I don’t drink. I feel like alcohol just completely dehydrates you and really takes a toll on cardio. I just eat clean; I don’t follow a certain plan or anything. Whatever helps my performance because I know if I have a crappy day it’s usually because of what I ate. /wp:paragraph
wp:paragraphCait:How long were you able to prepare for The Titan Games once you knew you were on the show?Emily:Not long. Maybe over a month. /wp:paragraph
wp:paragraphCait:During your training process before The Titans Games and MMA, has there ever been a moment in your career where you thought you couldn’t do it?Emily:Like you said before, you have to work and pay the bills; life gets thrown at you. You’re trying to do all of these different things. You go through struggles just like anybody else. I think what separates you is embracing the bad days and trying to move on.
wp:paragraphCait:Character strength. That is awesome. So, you are from Powell, Tennessee. Tell us about the gym you work out at. How did you meet THE Charlie Petrone? Great guy, man.Emily:I’ve known Charlie for 8 years now. I work at Pure Luxe Salon and Spa, and he comes there all the time and we just had an awesome relationship. He works me so hard and challenges me. I needed help with speed and agility so I went to him. /wp:paragraph
wp:paragraphCait:You’ve got a great team behind you, including Charlie. Can you give us a couple other people who have influenced how great you are today?Emily:To get ready for my fight and jiu-jitsu, Ben Harrison, Amy Coleman, and Matt Coleman. When I came to Shields, on my first day I got hook punched and I was like ‘Whoa! What is this?!” I have never been challenged in martial arts like I have been there. I also have a boxing coach, Ben Foust, who has a heart of gold and he’s one of those old-school Rocky-type coaches. He’s a great guy. I’m grateful that I have all of these people to lean on. You become super grateful once you start getting out there and trying new things. It’s pretty emotional. /wp:paragraph
wp:paragraphCait:Definitely. I fell in love with you right when you walked in the door because I can tell you’re a down-to-earth girl. One of the things about the show that I loved is that you had your sister on the sidelines cheering for you. Tell me how that made you feel. Emily:Crazy thing that I don’t think anybody knows is that she actually surprised me. Because Los Angeles is so far from here, I wasn’t expecting my family to come out. To have her there, because she’s been through so much, to witness it was awesome. /wp:paragraph
wp:paragraphCait:During the Herculean pull, girl you had me throwing stuff at the TV. One of the things that stuck with me is Dwayne Johnson said ‘she’s digging deep.’ Can you tell me what was going through your mind?Emily:There was a moment when I thought I lost it. Honestly, it was flashbacks to things that I failed at before, things that haven’t worked out…it was just a weird moment. I just took a moment and paused. I just held on and I thought ‘no, absolutely not.’ I remember holding on and thinking ‘this is not over.’ And that’s when you saw me pulling like crazy. They didn’t show the whole thing, but I was up there for about 5 minutes playing tug of war. /wp:paragraph
wp:paragraphCait:He also said whoever wins this wanted it more. After you pulled it through, what were your thoughts?Emily:I was thinking about all of the competitions I’ve lost and the cage fight last year that I didn’t win. Losing sucks—but that’s when you learn. But to win something, it does so much for someone just to be able to win something that you worked hard at. To win that, it was probably one of the greatest moments of my life. /wp:paragraph
Cait:We’re all so proud of you here back home. Can you tell us what’s on your agenda in the future? You’ve won The Titan Games and you’re still bossing.Emily:There’s a lot brewing right now. Just keep an eye on me because I feel like there’s a lot of stuff. Not sure what direction yet, but some good stuff. /wp:paragraph
wp:paragraphCait:There are a lot of people around the world that have fallen in love with your story. I feel like you’re the comeback kid. What would you tell a little girl watching this interview that feels like giving up?Emily:Gosh, because I’ve given up before. When life hits you hard and you don’t want to keep going, that’s the greatest comeback. For young girls, even teenage girls, that’s probably the hardest time of life. Just working through it, staying consistent, and not giving up. It’s all worth it in the end, trust me. /wp:paragraph
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FeatureMARCH APRIL 2019
Train Like A Titan
Charlie Petrone – Petrone Training
Story by Emily Stevens
Shadow-boxed jerseys, collage frames, and inspirational quotes line the plywood walls of Charlie Petrone’s gym. Accurately dubbed “The Wood Gym,” it has been a training center for many professional and amateur athletes of all ages. The bold and energetic Charlie Petrone doesn’t shy away from teaching and getting hands on with his clients. After all, he has created some of the best. In his 28 years as a trainer, Petrone has worked with world-class athletes in college, the NFL, MLB, and even an international paintball champion. Petrone first met Emily seven years ago through Pure Luxe Salon and Spa. She came to him about a year and a half ago to train for an upcoming MMA fight. To advance her training forThe Titan Games, Petrone had her come to the gym twice a day and drilled in on strength, rather than endurance. Because of her small build, they focused on fast twitch muscle fiber exercises and explosive moves. Petrone believed that she had the character to be successful and challenged her with workouts that he gives to professional athletes. He says Emily has the heart of a lion and could outwork anybody.
Ben Harrison – Shield Systems Academy
A large part of martial arts is the mindset. You have to believe in yourself and what you are capable of. Fortunately, Emily’s positive attitude allowed her to fully immerse herself in the world of competitive martial arts. After taekwondo, her next step was to learn the art of jiu-jitsu. Luckily, she had a local expert: Ben Harrison. Owner of Shield Systems Academy in Hardin Valley, Harrison has ten years as a black belt in jiu-jitsu and has worked with Emily on her technique for the past 2-3 years. He says that because she insists on positivity, she is a fierce competitor. Harrison, a former MMA fighter himself, says that growing up he saw a lot of people who couldn’t defend themselves, and he never wanted to be one of those people. He began martial arts in the fourth grade and continued into Brazilian jiu-jitsu. He enjoys teaching at Shields because although everyone comes in with a different goal in mind, he does whatever he can to empower their lives by providing the best learning atmosphere. Shield Systems Academy offers classes in Brazilian jiu-jitsu, boxing, mixed martial art, and other self-defense disciplines.
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VeteranMARCH APRIL 2019
Into the Eye of the Storm
Story by Stuart Holland Photography by Hobe Brunson
Paul Soares spent 25 years hunting hurricanes & Soviet submarines
Knoxville resident Paul Soares served 3 tours of duty in naval aviation. He spent one year as a command center information officer on a WC Superconstellation, where he operated radar systems to guide pilots into storms or, as he says, wherever they needed to go. Later in his career, during two tours as tactical coordinator on the P3C Orion, he began guiding pilots to observe other threats, like Soviet submarines.
When Soares was in school at Providence College, the draft was in place and he had a decision to make. As Soares notes, “where I grew up in Rhode Island was very close to Newport, which had a big naval base where I had a lot of friends. It was kind of a foregone conclusion that I was going into the Navy.” After a time in the reserve training program, he met a recruiter for aviation, and, having decided to become an officer, applied to and was accepted into the program. Soares graduated from Providence College in 1966, then went to Aviation Officer Candidate school in Pensacola, receiving his wings in 1967. He was off to chase the weather.
Keeping track of the weather and searching for storms that may threaten shipping or the coast is, as Soares says, “boring interrupted by a lot of turbulence.” Which wasn’t so bad, notes Soares, “because you’re down below the cloud base and a lot of the turbulence is above you. You get a ground effect where the winds would push you up, not pull you down. We would also penetrate a storm by circling into the eye, looking for the lightest rain bands and where the eye was open.”
The WC-121-N “Super Connie,” flown by the Navy Hurricaine Hunters
As a hurricane hunter, Soares was in charge of all radar systems on board, where he assimilated data that came into his radar scope. When approaching a storm, the onboard meteorologist, who manned a bubble in the back of the plane and was always looking at the surface water, was key to making decisions. They would determine the diameter of the storm and if it looked like they could penetrate, the pilot would drop down to less than 1000, below the clouds, and, Soares relates, “the meteorologist would be hanging out and giving info to the pilot and guide him into the storm. If we were in heavy clouds and I couldn’t see a clear way to go around, we would coordinate that with the pilot to get into the storm. You go into the eye of the storm, circle around, get information, and then punch out at 10,000 feet.”
In August 1969, Soares experienced what at the time was the most destructive storm to strike the gulf coast: Hurricane Camille.
The storm developed as hurricanes typically do, as a tropical wave coming across the Atlantic. After it began to form into a more structured storm, the first crew of hurricane hunters were sent to investigate. Near the Cayman islands, they discovered how intense and how fast it was developing. “It developed probably faster than any storm I can remember,” Soares says. “It grew so intense that when we [Soares’ crew] got down there, six hours later, the winds were in excess of 120 mph, and the eye was so small we couldn’t penetrate. It acts just like a giant tornado. None of the other storms that we penetrated that year were anywhere near that.”
Soares’ crew couldn’t measure the actual barometric pressure of the center of the eye, so they dropped buoys around it to measure surface winds, temperature, and other critical data.
Originally, the National Hurricane Center in Miami predicted the storm was going to track toward Apalachicola, Florida. However, from their perspective, the hunters saw that it wasn’t bending or turning westward. It took hours for the hurricane center to catch up to what the hunters were seeing. “At the time they were using maps to predict the track of storms,” says Soares. “Now their predictions are much more accurate because of all the data that they’ve compiled over the years. I guess you might say computer tracking was in its infancy back then.”
At the end of their tour, Soares’ squadron received an air medal for penetrating so many storms.
After his tour of sea duty as a hurricane hunter, and a stint of shore duty as an instructor, he began training on the P3C Orion, first as a navigator then as a tactile coordinator, in control of everything from the cockpit back, including personnel operating radar, conducting surface searches, and monitoring sonobuoys for sonar evidence of submarines. “All those people back there I coordinate with,” Soares says. “If we hear a noise, we drop sonobuoys, try to locate what it is, try to see what depth it is, what speed it’s at, if it’s Soviet or if it’s something else, and so forth.”
Soares and his crew with the P3C Orion submarine hunter
Sub hunting wasn’t the only thing Soares did when on the P3C. “We did a lot of other airborne early warning stuff too, like fleet exercises,” Soares notes, “We worked with the Apollo missions on booster recovery.”
However, tracking the Soviet submarines was “pretty intense,” Soares says. “We didn’t want to be the crew that lost them. You would try to drop a sonobuoy on top of them: a Lofar buoy, to give general area, and then a Difar buoys to give you direction. Then you would try to cross them. When you get a cross sound, and this is all by sound, you could discover the track. You would start dropping buoys they would have to drive through. We were confirming other information, but I can’t get into details.”
The US Navy tried to keep track of all of Soviet submarines on the oceans at all times. If you lost it, you had to find it. And to find it, Soares say, “you would get down low, really low. I’m talking 100 feet above the water. We had a magnetic anomaly detector like a stinger off the back of the P3. If you went over the top of a submarine, that thing went crazy. During the Cold War, that was a “kill.”
Soares didn’t actually see a Soviet sub, “but you heard a lot of them and tracked a lot of them. Let’s put it that way,” he says. “The most exciting thing during that time period was the Yankee submarine that surfaced in the middle of the Atlantic. It had a radiation leak.”
The squadron would track the Soviet fleet as well. “I can picture it to this day,” Soares details. “My bubble was right behind the cockpit on the left side. We would do a complete aircraft box around the ship and take photographs. Then we had these big guns following us. It was not a good feeling.”
The submarines knew they were looking too. “And they would do crazy stuff,” Soares says. “They would do crazy Ivans,” a maneuver popularized by Tom Clancy’sHunt for Red October, where a submarine makes a sudden turn to face any followers.
When asked how close Soviet submarines got to the continental U.S., Soares gives a slight smile and says, “too close.”
Promoted to lieutenant commander before his third sea tour, and to commander during his final years of shore duty, Soares has pursued a variety of interests after his 25 years in service. He keeps up with current hurricane tracking activity and aviation developments. But a love of cars and a history of building models for his father’s camera and hobby shop came together to lead him to his current fascination: collecting Matchbox and Tonka toys. Currently, he has half a garage and an attic full.
He has a real collector car as well, a 1979 Cadillac Seville. “It’s fire-mist green with a green vinyl roof and a dark green leather interior,” Soares says with the same smile and glint in his eye that he has when talking about flying into a hurricane.
