Happenings in and around Old North Knoxville

First County-Wide Neighborhood Conference Set for March 13th

Would you like to learn about zoning and codes? How about web site or newsletter development? Neighborhood safety and crime prevention? Creative partnerships and problem solving? If so, mark your calendar. On Saturday, March 13th, Knox County and the city of Knoxville will be hosting the very first Neighborhood Conference.

The conference will run from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. and will be held in the new downtown convention center in Knoxville. There will be eight workshop sessions covering a variety of topics. Four sessions will run concurrently in the 8:45 to 10 a.m. workshop time period and four sessions will run concurrently in the 10:15 to 11:30 a.m. time period. That means you can attend two workshops on the topics that are important to you. Registration for each workshop session is limited to 50 people. A luncheon and keynote speaker is planned after the workshops. There will also be booths where you can get information from organizations that serve neighborhoods, such as the Center for Neighborhood Development or the city fire department.

The purpose of the conference is to help neighborhoods and residents both in the city and in the county better understand the workings of local government, and to provide information and tools so that both the local governmental bodies and the neighborhoods in the city and county can work to make neighborhoods better and stronger. Successful neighborhoods are a vital component to a successful city and county.

For more information, call 865-215-HELP (4357) or e-mail at neighborhoods@knoxcounty.org. Online registration available at www.knoxcounty.org/oon/neighConf.php. There is no cost to register.

Old North Names in the News

Several Old North Knoxville (ONK) residents were recently in the news. Greg and Rena Webb were on WATE-TV in mid-November, speaking of the efforts in Old North Knoxville to keep crime down through the Neighborhood Watch program, the National Neighbors Night Out, and by meeting regularly with police department representatives. Rena is also the Old North Knoxville Neighborhood Watch president. 

Also in the news were ONK president Tomica Miller and her husband, David Whaley.  They were profiled in the November 30, 2003, edition of the News Sentinel. They are working toward opening a bed and breakfast by March 1st. It would be the first B&B in a Knoxville historic district. 

Candidates for School Board 

You may have not heard of all of them, and there almost as many people seeking the 2nd District School Board position as there are Democrats seeking the U.S. presidency, but just so you know, there are 5 people running. They are retired teacher Don Akers, Project Grad employee Dennis "D.J." Cright, community volunteer Indya Kincannon, contractor Dennis Seal, and retired school administrator Patsy Vittetoe. 

Since moving to 4th & Gill several years ago, Indya Kincannon has served as vice president of the 4th & Gill Neighborhood Organization, chair of the North Zone Advisory Council, for the Knoxville Empowerment Zone, editor of the 4th and Gill neighborhood newsletter, and webmaster for the 4th & Gill web site. Indya Kincannon is also a former school teacher and has a masters in Public Policy and Urban and Regional Planning from Princeton University. She has also worked as a budget analyst for the Arizona State Legislature. She is married with two young daughters. Her campaign web site is www.voteforkincannon.com. 

Patsy Vittetoe has served 32 years as a teacher, principal, supervisor, and director in the school system. She is also an executive board member of the Metropolitan Planning Commission, graduate of Knoxville Citizens Police Academy, and has an M.S. in Educational Administration and Supervision. "Having spent most of my adult life working in various roles in the school system, " Patsy Vittetoe says, "I feel I can make a positive contribution in moving our schools forward." Her campaign web site is www.patsyvittetoe.com.

Dennis "D.J." Cright started off his campaign with a listening tour, going to schools in the 2nd district and speaking with teachers, administrators, cafeteria, and janitorial workers. He says he wants to be an advocate for "all certified and non-certified employees." He says he also wants to be a mobilizer and facilitator for parents, students, teachers, and administrators. Dennis Cright is a board member of Directors of Urban Families Outreach, a board member of Community Shares, a member of the Martin Luther King, Jr. Commission, and a member of the North Hills Neighborhood Association. His campaign web site is www.djcright.com.

Early voting is now until Feb. 5th. The two closest places to early vote are the Knoxville Center, next to J.C. Penny's, and downtown in the Old Court House. Primary voting is Feb. 10th. If no candidate gets over 50% if the vote, the top two candidates will move on to the general election in August. 

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