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By David E. Booker
By unanimous approval of the Knoxville City Council at its July 10th meeting, Old North Knoxville, Inc. was granted $5,000 in 202 funds to pay for banners and poles to be erected at six entrances to Old North Knoxville. This money will cover almost the entire cost of the project. The banners will have a symbol of Old North Knoxville on them and will tell visitors that they have indeed entered the historic Old North Knoxville neighborhood. The poles will be replicas of Victorian era lamp poles. According to meeting minutes posted on the city web site, the original “Emergency Ordinance appropriating the sum of $2,000 from the Community Improvement (202) Fund and donating same to Old North Knoxville, Inc.” was requested by Council members Jack C. Sharp and Carlene Malone. This ordinance was amended four times to increase the funds to the final total of $5,000. The first amendment was from Council member Raleigh Wynn for an additional $500 “from his portion of the Community Improvement (202) Fund.” The second amendment, from Council member Larry Cox was for an additional $1,000 from his funds. The third and fourth amendments, for $750 each, came from Council members Nick Pavlis and Ivan Harmon from their funds. All amendments passed unanimously, as did the ordinance itself. Plans are underway to have the banners and poles in place by the time of the Holiday Home Tour this December. Banners are slated to be located at Scott and Central, Oklahoma and Central, Glenwood and Broadway, Grainger and Broadway, Kenyon and Woodland, and Glenwood and Woodland. A dedication, similar to the one for the brown directional signs (See related story.), is planned. The banners and poles are part of an overall scheme to guide people to the Old North Knoxville neighborhood. The beautification of the brick markers (See story in the last issue of Old North News.) and the erection of the brown direction signs are also part of this scheme. Look in future issues of Old North News for further details about the banners and poles. Thank you to the Mayor Victor Ashe and the members of the Knoxville City Council for their support in this project. It is greatly appreciated. “The Council’s generosity has certainly made this project more feasible,” Dave Palmer, president of Old North Knoxville, said. |
