Send your name (or a child's name) to the moon!

Join NASA's Return to the Moon! Names will be collected and placed onboard the LRO spacecraft for its historic mission bringing NASA back to the moon. You will also receive a certificate showcasing your support of the mission.

The deadline is June 27, 2008 for the submission of names.

LRO's objectives are to find safe landing sites, locate potential resources, characterize the radiation environment, and demonstrate new technology.

Add your name here

An investigative report by Channel 5 in Nashville has revealed that the 74,000 acre Sundquist state wildlife area, which cost Tennessee taxpayers $40 million dollars to purchase, is now being mined by Knoxville-based National Coal.

All Tennessee taxpayers should watch this 5 minute investigative report (15 second commercial first) and then take action below to put an end to the destruction.

NC5 Investigates Strip Mining In Tennessee

According to the report, mountaintop removal is just now really getting cranked up in Tennessee. Now that 2,000 acres of Zeb Mountain have been pretty much reduced to just a big pile of rubble, the coal companies are moving on to assault other mountaintops in Tennessee. There are several pending mining permits just north of Knoxville, especially in Grainger County.

We can still stop it - if you will take just 5 minutes to contact the representatives below to keep the Tennessee Scenic Vistas Act alive!

Scenic Knoxville is a citizen action group whose mission is to help preserve and protect the scenic beauty surrounding our city. More information about our mission and other goals can be found on our website, www.scenicknoxville.org.

Currently, we are focused on City Council’s consideration of digital billboards. City Council is having a workshop tonight, May 1st, at 5:00 pm, and the issue may be up for vote as soon as Tuesday, May 6.

In 2001, Knoxville enacted a ban on billboard construction at new locations within the City. In 2006, one of the billboard companies attempted to convert two traditional billboards to digital. This action was halted in court with an injunction filed by the City, and the City decided to revisit the billboard ordinance and decide whether or not digital billboards should be allowed. Scenic Knoxville believes that a decision to allow digital billboards in the City will have a far-reaching negative impact on the visual quality of our city and, to our knowledge, offers no benefit to the community.

CITY COUNCIL WANTS TO KNOW IF CITIZENS WANT DIGITAL BILLBOARDS IN KNOXVILLE

Please act today. Citizen input is the key element to influence our Council members. Thank you for your help.

Today's News-Sentinel has a great editorial on three bills that are pending in the state legislature.

One of the bills, Sentate bill SB4119 and House bill HB4185, is not so good. It tries to remove protection from wetlands and "ephemeral streams" that are often the headwaters of rivers in mountainous areas, and also removes the protections from adjacent lands. Wetlands serve as a habitat for aquatic life and protect surrounding areas from flooding, and they provide a filtration system for surface waters. If these wet weather streams are polluted, they carry the pollutants to other water bodies and contaminate them as well.

The other two bills, "Stop Work Orders Bill" (HB3521 and SB3651) and "Green Design Incentives Bill" (HB3965 and SB3956), provide the "carrot and the stick" tools for cities and counties to protect their water resources.

We have an obligation to our children and grandchildren to protect our clean water resources, and I'm so glad to see the News-Sentinel take a stand on this important legislation.

Contact your legislators and let them know you oppose SB4119 and HB4185 and that you support HB3521 and SB3651 and HB3965 and SB3956.

sen.tim.burchett@legislature.state.tn.us
rep.bill.dunn@legislature.state.tn.us
sen.jamie.woodson@legislature.state.tn.us
rep.harry.tindell@legislature.state.tn.us
rep.park.strader@legislature.state.tn.us
rep.joe.armstrong@legislature.state.tn.us
rep.frank.niceley@legislature.state.tn.us
rep.stacey.campfield@legislature.state.tn.us
rep.harry.brooks@legislature.state.tn.us

From the drought to the new study on pharmaceuticals in our waters, water is a hot topic in East Tennessee!

Tune into WBIR at 9:30am Sunday (3⁄16) and watch Tennessee Clean Water Network's Executive Director, Renée Hoyos, discuss regional topics of interest about water quality.

Renée and the Inside Tennessee panel will discuss:

* Pharmaceuticals in our water
* State's list of most polluted and impaired waters
Link...
* #1 threat to our waters, changing the definition of water in Tennessee to remove protections from 30,000 miles of streams.

See the TCWN fact sheet:

Link...

I think most people would agree that the appointments meeting yesterday was very well done and that Commissioner Strickland did a great job chairing the meeting. It was relatively short, sweet, and to the point, yet everyone who wanted to speak was able to, and there was opportunity for discussion of the issues, etc.

Why can't it always be this way? The rules for this meeting were:

1. No lobbying - No one could approach the commisioners once the meeting started.

2. No cell phones - Commissioners could not take phone calls on their cell phones during the meetings.

3. No recesses - There was no going into the back room to discuss a vote.

4. No votes while absent - Bathroom breaks were one-at-a-time, and while a commissioner was absent, there was no voting.

5. No private discussions - Commissioners were not allowed to talk to each other privately during the meeting.

I liked it and I think the general public felt that the meeting was very above-board and open, the way it should be. I think it also made the meeting go much quicker than it would have otherwise.

I think Commission should seriously consider adopting these rules for all future meetings. Not necessarily workshops, committee meeting or agenda meetings, but at the regular monthly meetings, these rules sure would make things go faster and remove the perception that things are going on outside of the public's view.

I'm here live blogging the historic appointment meeting today.

Congratulations to new 2nd District appointee Mark Campen and 9th District appointee Victoria DeFreese, both of which will be EXCELLENT commissioners!

This place is pretty full, a few empty seats and a whole string of folks lined up against the back windows. Lots of familiar faces.

Pretty impassioned discussion going on here about the possible appointment of someone (Sam McKenzie) who is still in the election.

A reminder that the forum for the 1st, 2nd and 4th District appointees will be held tonight, February 11th at 6:00 pm. in the Main Assembly Room.

Other forums will be held this week and next before the appointments next Wednesday, February 20th.

* 5:30 p.m. Wednesday in the Small Assembly Room of the City County Building for the 6th, 8th and 9th Commission Districts

* 10 a.m. Feb. 16 in the Main Assembly Room for sheriff, trustee, county clerk and register of deeds

* Feb. 19 following the 8:30 a.m. County Commission committee meetings in the Main Assembly Room for candidates who cannot attend an earlier workshop

It's 2008 and I can't understand why we don't have online access to local campaign contributions.

In the last election, I could hardly believe it when I went to get the campaign contribution records for local races and found out that they were stored in a decidedly low-tech metal filing cabinet in the election commission offices in the old courthouse.

Yes, the patient election commission employee fingered through the manila files, looking for the individual folders for each officeholder I requested. He brought the file(s) - I actually wanted them all - one at a time, over to where I was standing behind the counter. I flipped through the pages of contributions for each candidate, putting a stickynote marker on each page I wanted. The election commission employee then took the file over to the copy machine, and slowly and tediously copied each page I marked.

All in all, it cost me $75 and the better part of a day. It took the election commission worker the better part of a day, too, to find my requests and make my copies.

I have been told that the problem is that the election commission doesn't have the money to computerize the records or make them available digitally.

What I don't understand is why the candidates can't submit their reports in a spreadsheet - or better yet, file their reports online at the election commission's web site.

Surely in the year 2008, we can find a way to make these records available. Or maybe it's not a priority because some officials would prefer that it not be so easy for the public to follow the money?

If Knox County would provide the secure web space, I know a programmer or two that could make a secure web submission form for the candidates to upload their records into a database. It wouldn't cost that much or be that hard. Call me.

It seems to me that if the election commission doesn't have the resources to make this information available, then finding a way to get those resources should be a priority. This is some of the most valuable information about a candidate and the public shouldn't have to work so hard to get to it.

One day only event - free recycling of selected electronics
Drive Through, Drop Off, Leave
That's how easy it is!

Behind STAPLES & BEST BUY
Town & Country Cir
Knoxville, TN 37922
Saturday
January 12, 2008
9 a.m. - 3 p.m.
Snow, Rain or Shine

Ed. Note and update: Reports from the meeting in comments by Rikki and Lisa Starbuck.

As the meeting to discuss the South Knox watertower blight approaches, I would like to encourage everyone to attend whether or not you live in South Knoxville or care about the view from downtown, because ridgetop protection is something we must all fight for, and the developers won't give in easily.

Below are just two examples of ridgetop desecration that is happening right now in the Ritta community. The first photo is a "barrow" operation that is located right next door to the brand new $2 million New Harvest Park on Washington Pike. This is the view from the road. Anyone who visits the new shopping center or the park can't help but see this ugliness. The ridge is being dug out by the landscaping company (Eastwood Landscaping) and most of the dirt was sold to fill in the wetlands beside the Walmart for their expanded parking lot. The Walmart project is finished but the digging continues.

Don't forget to attend the superintendent search forums tonight (11/26) at either Austin East or Central High School auditoriums, beginning at 7:00 pm.

The search firm will be conducting a survey of residents to see what the community feels are important qualities for the new superintendent.

Additional forums will be held Tuesday, 11/27/07, at South Doyle and Bearden High School auditoriums, also at 7:00 pm.

Click here or here for more information.

See you there!

According to a news story on WVLT-TV, Senator Randy McNally, who is the chair of Tennessee's Open Government Committee, OPPOSES the proposed changes to the Sunshine Law that would allow up to a quorum of legislators to meet in secret.

Selected quotes from the article:

"A state panel appointed to improve the state's open meetings laws last week recommended weakening a provision that prohibits two or more members of a local government panel from meeting privately to deliberate on public issues. The panel instead voted to allow up to a quorum of a body to meet for discussions closed to the public."
. . .
"Senator Randy McNally of Oak Ridge says it isn't something he favors."
. . .
"The Tennessee County Commissioners Association supports the proposed change."

THANK YOU, SENATOR MCNALLY! Send an email to your state legislator today to let them know you support Senator McNally and that you oppose the proposed changes to the Sunshine Law! Click here to find your Senator and here to find your state Representative.

And while you're at it, send an e-mail to County Commissioner Mike Hammond, who was on the subcommittee and voted for the changes, and the other Knox County Commissioners to let them know you don't want the Tennessee County Commissioners Association to support the changes either!

Did anyone see today's editorial from the News-Sentinel about the committee's recommendation to gut the sunshine law? I'd agree that the law does need some clarification as to deliberation vs. discussion, but to say that the solution is to allow up to a quorum to discuss, deliberate, lobby or whatever else is just wrong. This would mean that 9 commissioners could legally get together privately, without any press notification and totally outside the public's view, and decide how to vote on an issue! I can't believe Mike Hammond voted for this!

Do something about this today before it's too late! Send an email to the following four Tennessee legislators . . .

sen.randy.mcnally@legislature.state.tn.us
sen.joe.haynes@legislature.state.tn.us
rep.steve.mcdaniel@legislature.state.tn.us
rep.ulysses.jones@legislature.state.tn.us

. . . and ask them to please dismiss the committee's recommendation to allow up to a quorum to meet privately, and let's get some actual clarification of the law instead of just gutting it.

You are cordially invited to the Ribbon Cutting and Grand Opening of New Harvest Park on the site of the former Farmers Market property, 4700 New Harvest Lane, on Thursday, October 25, 2007 from 5:00 p.m. until ?

Everyone is welcome - tell your friends and neighbors about this great new community resource. Bring your children and let them enjoy the new playground! There will be music provided by The Bluegrass Five and the Knoxville Area Dulcimer Association.

The new park is almost 43 acres and has several unique design features, including a "splash pad" shaped like a riverboat and a playground designed to look like a farm. There is a community building and a covered picnic/amphitheater area, as well as walking trails.

We plan to start a "park Vols" program and want to continue to add features and amenities to the park. Please contact me if you are interested in being a volunteer or have a donation or park idea. Remember - this is YOUR park!

Hope to see you there!

Lisa Starbuck
Northeast Knox Preservation Association

Directions: From I-640, take the Washington Pike exit (8), and turn northwest. Travel three-tenths of a mile and turn right on Washington Pike. Go one-half mile and turn left onto New Harvest Lane.

Over at School Matters, I did a post on how urban sprawl negatively impacts our schools in Knox County and why unplanned development is one of the main reasons why we had to go through the controversial rezoning of high schools last year. Now the school board is getting ready to face middle and elementary school rezonings.

From the post:

"Why is rezoning necessary? Historically, there have been a number of reasons: school overcrowding, economic disparities between school populations, attempt to achieve racial balances, etc."

"However, one of the main reasons why our current school rezoning is happening is because of the lack of thoughtful planning and management by our Knox County government. Developers are allowed to create new housing stock anywhere in the county without regard to the impacts it has on our school system. We are constantly playing 'catchup' with our schools, trying to place educational facilities wherever the whims (or the cheap land) of the development community takes us."

Indya Kincannon responded with a question about the power of MPC and Commission to limit development based on school capacity. She says that she has been told in the past that "the legal options for rejecting a proposed development are very narrow."

I think I have answered her correctly that the only test I've ever heard is the "arbitrary or capricious" test - in other words, a local legislative body can pretty much do anything with regard to zoning and development as long as it follows its own rules and applies them to everyone.

Anybody know something about this that I don't know? Feel free to jump in here or there with an opinion, legal or otherwise!

The News-Sentinel has a story on a recall amendment to the Knox County Charter that is being proposed by some citizens. The proponents are asking County Commission to add it as a referendum to the ballot to allow recall of county officials under certain conditions. It would take 2/3 of Commission (2/3 of the 11?) to place it on the ballot, or alternatively, a petition drive with 15% of Knox County's 250,000 registered voters could place it on the ballot.

Seems like a good idea to me - I don't know why it wasn't included in the charter to begin with. Check it out at www.recallamendment.com

Cortney Piper sent out a press release today saying that she would not seek an appointment to County Commission, but would only serve if elected by the voters to the 2nd District seat. Refreshing, eh?

While everyone is all worked up over the P-cards and the non-profit grant scandals, the dollar amount involved is peanuts compared to the $$$ going for corporate welfare in Knox County.

Between handing out TIF's like candy to developers, to government funded initiatives disguised as economic development such as the proposed Midway Road Industrial Park, millions of dollars of tax money is wasted or redirected to the private pockets of insiders.

Read more...