April 16, 2012 www.knoxfocus.com PAGE A1 INSIDESpecial Dogwood Edition of the Knoxville Focus F1 b l oKnoxville o m in 2012 Dogwood Edition | The Knoxville Focus MONDAY April 16, 2012 FREE- Take One! Safety, recreation discussed at Mechanicsville Night Out FOCUS By Sarah Baker [email protected] Watch Association, the responsibility in your own Weekly Poll* Mechanicsville Community neighborhood, and then working Mayor Madeline Rogero held Association and the Old together in partnership with the In your opinion, her first “Night Out” meeting with Mechanicsville Neighborhood city,” said Mayor Rogero. should the Knox members of the Mechanicsville Interest Group all participated Some members of the County School community on Tuesday April in the discussion which ranged community expressed 10 at Clinton Chapel AME Zion from drug problems to traffic concerns about safety. Brian Superintendent Church. The mayor was just issues to dog waste left by Tillery became emotional when be elected by one member of an expert team unleashed pets. explaining how his thirteen the people or who was available to hear from The mayor is hoping that year old has to sleep in the appointed by and offer encouragement to the these “Night Out” meetings middle room instead of his own the school board? residents. will help neighbors and the bedroom because his bedroom The meeting was facilitated city work together. “We want is at the front of the house. PHOTO BY SARAH BAKER. by R. Bentley Marlow, neighborhoods to be organized, “Bullets don’t have eyes,” said ELECTED 71.31% Pictured are Jean Davis-James, Secretary/ Mechanicsville Neighborhood to work on issues themselves, Tillery. “We have to lock down. APPOINTED 28.69% Treasurer of the Mechanicsville Neighborhood Association President. The and it really starts with a We have to work together.” Survey conducted Association, and Mayor Madeline Rogero. Mechanicsville Neighborhood certain expectation and taking Continue on page 2 April 12, 2012. * Focus Weekly Polls are conducted by an independent, professional polling company. Knox Countians Strongly Favor Elected Superintendent By Focus Staff This week’s Focus poll asked registered voters, “In your opinion, should the Knox County Superintendent of Schools be elected by the people or appointed by the school board?” More than 70% of respondents favored an elected Superintendent of Schools; only 28.69% favored the current system where the Board THE CAST OF CENTRAL HIGH SCHOOL’S “LES MISERABLES.” PHOTO BY SARAH BAKER of Education appoints the school chief. Central delivers stunning production The strongest support By Sarah Baker for appointing the Miserables” takes place in nineteenth century and challenging songs. That is probably why Superintendent of Schools [email protected] France over a 17 year period and focuses mainly CHS choral director Beckye Thomas decided came from the Fourth The Central High School Choral Music on the redemption journey of ex-convict Jean to do it. “Go big or go home,” said Taylor and Fifth Commission Department is presenting the famous Broadway Valjean. It is a story of courage and romance Bransen explaining a philosophy she learned districts, although almost musical Les Miserables Friday, April 13 through which made famous such songs as “I Dreamed from Thomas. Bransen, a psychology major at 60% favored an elected Sunday, April 22 in the Central High School a Dream” and “Master of the House.” Pellisippi State, is working as her former chorus Superintendent in the auditorium. Most performances will be at 7 “Les Miserables” is not small potatoes in the teacher’s assistant during the production of “Les Fourth District, while p.m., but the Sunday performance will be at theatre world. It is the second longest running Miserables.” approximately 55% of 2:30. Based on the novel by Victor Hugo, “Les musical on Broadway with a complicated plot Continue on page 2 those polled in the Fifth District favored an elected Superintendent. More than 80% of New Harvest Park Farmers Market now open voters favored an elected Superintendent of Schools Knox County’s New served by other markets. in the Seventh, Eighth Harvest Park Farmers With the playground and Ninth Districts. An Market opened for the and splashpad, New astonishing 87.50 of season on Thursday, April Harvest Park is a natural voters in the Seventh 12 at the park located at gathering place, and District preferred an 4775 New Harvest Lane in adding the opportunity to elected Superintendent northeast Knox County. purchase healthy foods to an appointed Though early in the at the market is a benefit Superintendent. season, several vendors to that community and Almost 80% of voters brought spring produce the local economy,” said in the 30-49 age range including strawberries, Knox County Mayor Tim favored an elected tomatoes, asparagus, Burchett. Superintendent; those in lettuce and a variety In addition to the market the 50 – 65 age range of greens, along with vendors, Pellissippi State were slightly less in favor of perennial favorites Culinary Institute in an elected Superintendent, selling freshly baked conjunction with UT cooked with just over 69% of those goods, homemade salsa, up some fresh new recipes in favor of an elected fresh meats, local dairy for folks to try. The chefs Superintendent. Voters products and ice cream, used produce available 65 or older registered over PHOTO BY DAN ANDREWS. natural soaps, candles from the vendors. 70% in favor of an elected and bedding plants. The New Harvest Park Chefs from the UT Culinary Institute, Tyler White and Latoya McKoy, show visitors Superintendent. “The New Harvest Park Farmers Market accepts to the Farmer’s Market ways to utilize fresh ingredients. Almost an identical Farmers Market is a great SNAP benefit cards. number of women and place to get fresh and local The market is open November. Information County website at www. please contact Knox men favored electing fruits and vegetables in every Thursday, from about becoming a vendor knoxcounty.org/parks. County Parks and the Superintendent of an area of the county not 3 until 6 p.m. through may be found on the Knox For more information, Recreation, 215-6600. Schools. Expires 04-20-12 PAGE A2 The Knoxville FOCUS April 16, 2012 Superintendents Get Super Pay By Focus Staff Cuomo is a highly respected layoffs,, but pointedly said, the salaries paid to All across the country, the liberal Democrat. Cuomo has Cuomo believed, “school superintendents stalled in highest paid public officials perhaps the highest favorable districts have numerous ways the New York Assembly, but FOCUS Weekly Poll seem to be invariably the rating of any governor in the they can bring down costs and has been reintroduced. It In your opinion, should Superintendent of Schools. country currently. Incidentally, be more efficient, including was later learned that the the Knox County School Most Superintendents, Cuomo’s own salary as New a reining in of salaries of highest paid superintendent Superintendent be including Knox County’s Dr. York’s chief executive is superintendents and other in the State of New York, Dr. elected by the people or James McIntyre, earn more $179,000. administrative personnel.” Carole Hankin, had already appointed by the school board? than Congressmen, U. S. Governor Cuomo did the The national average outwitted Governor Cuomo. Senators, Chief Justice of unthinkable and proposed salary for a Superintendent She had signed a legal the Supreme Court John reducing state support to of Schools in 2011 was contract establishing that her Roberts and Vice President education by some $2.85 $160,000. School Boards salarywould never dip below Joe Biden. billion. The teachers’ unions who typically appoint $405,244. Dr. Carole Hankin, and local superintendents superintendents make Those arguing for increased Superintendent of the went ballistic, especially salaries that frequently raise pay for superintendents affluent Syosset Central when the liberal New Yorker eyebrows and the traditional usually present much of School District in New York, lent his support to a bill that argument in favor of highly the same argument, but earns more than $500,000 would effectively cap the paid Superintendents of the media rarely focuses in salary and perks. The Long salaries paid to local school Schools is that it is a stressful on education and meetings Island school district she superintendents. Cuomo job, oftentimes thankless, of the Board of Education supervises is a posh suburb had the temerity to point with excessively long hours receive scant attention full of expensive homes out, “I understand that they and apparently truly good from TV stations and local crowd repeatedly singing President. with a tax rate to go with it. sometimes have to manage superintendents are hard newspapers. In Knoxville, the siren song of “we want Many states in the United In 2011, there were 6,687 budgets, and sometimes the to find, so they must be the Knox County Board of the best for our children” States are tottering on the children in the ten schools budgets are difficult, but why compensated accordingly. Education has never received overlook the fact that many edge of bankruptcy; local that comprise Dr. Hankin’s they get paid more than the Knox County’s own the same scrutiny as the local superintendents’ taxes are pushed higher by jurisdiction. Dr. Hankin’s governor of the state I really Superintendent of Schools, County Commission and the compensation has zoomed state governments passing salary is $386,868 and she don’t understand.” Later Dr. Jim McIntyre, earns City Council. past their superiors in the unfunded mandates without receives $67,454 in fringe in a public appearance in more than both Tennessee’s The rallying cry for extremely state capitols. Governors sending along a single dime benefits. Superintendent Dr. Hankin’s school district, Commissioner of Education well paid Superintendents yearly struggle with budgets to offset the expense.