By JEFF FARRELLStaff Writer

SEVIERVILLE — While he’s never been a full-time officer, the sight of Arnold Whaley in a police uniform has been a familiar thing to generations of Sevierville residents, especially people who frequent Sevier County High School football games.

Whaley is stepping down as a reserve officer after 37 years on the force. The day has passed when part-time officers such as Whaley could come in and fill most of the duties that a full-time officer could but, more importantly, he’s reached the age where he just doesn’t like sitting in a car for such long

By ELLEN BROWNStaff Writer

NATIONAL PARK — There were still a couple of snowballs on the ground Saturday at Great Smoky Mountains National Park’s Sugarlands Visitor Center, but tourists were enjoying the warmer and sunnier weather.

“The weather is per-fect!” said Karen Ford-Eickhoff, who was visit-ing from Ringgold, Ga., with her husband, Hank Eickhoff.

“We come five or six times a year, mostly to hike,” Hank said. “We got in Thursday. Today, we’re going to hike Sugarland Trail, and we’ve packed a lunch.”

Brad Free, volunteer coordinator for resource education at GSMNP, said he and other park

employees were excited to see the early signs of spring as well.

“February was the snowiest month I’ve ever seen,” Free said. “We’ve

been having a lot of road closures, and there was still 51 inches of snow on Mount LeConte yester-day morning. A lot of our visitors this time of year

come from the South who don’t see a lot of snow, and they want to see the

By DEREK HODGESStaff Writer

SEVIERVILLE — Developer Ron Ogle’s effort to get property he owns in Wears Valley rezoned for commercial uses moves back to a familiar battle-ground this week as he returns to pitch his case to the Sevier County Planning Commission.

The group, which meets at 5:30 p.m. Tuesday in the courthouse, has already twice shot down Ogle’s plans to build a retail development on the site at the corner of Valley View and Wears Valley roads, but a change to the request Ogle’s making has it back before the board.

The previous vote to recommend the County Commission reject the petition was made on the understanding Ogle want-ed the county’s second-highest zoning, C-2 (gen-eral commercial), for the lot. That has since been amended to C-1 (rural com-mercial), the designation considered last month by the County Commission.

Officials in that body were reluctant to vote on the changed request, given that the planning group had not yet weighed in on it. Those concerns prompt-ed the county leaders to vote to send the matter back to the planners for consideration of the C-1 request.

Ogle has sparred over the issue with County Planner Jeff Ownby, whom

The Mountain Press■ Sevier County’s Daily Newspaper ■ Vol. 26, No. 67 ■ March 8, 2010 ■ www.themountainpress.com ■ 50 Cents

Monday

INSIDE

World

PAGE A5

Iraqi votersignore attacksInsurgents’ bombs kill 36 people on election day

Local & State . . A1-A4,A6Calendar . . . . . . . . . A13Opinion . . . . . . . . . . . . A7Sports . . . . . . . . . . . . . A8Business . . . . . . . . . A2,A3Advice . . . . . . . . . . . A17Comics . . . . . . . . . . . . A17Classifieds . . . . . A13-A16Nation . . . . . . . . . . . . . xxWorld . . . . . . . . . . . . . xx

Index

The Mountain Press is committed to accuracy. Please report factual errors by calling 428-0748 Ext. 214.

Corrections

Weather

TodaySunny

High: 62°

TonightPartly cloudy

Low: 37°

DETAILS, PAGE A6

5Lady Volsplay for titleTennessee women take on Kentucky in SECtourney finale

SPORTS, PAGE A8

Doris Trentham, 88“Jack” Sarten, 79Kim Jenkins, 41Jerry Hayes, 75Mary Jo Forrester, 77“Marty” Rogers Jr., 56

Obituaries

DETAILS, PAGE A4

5ChamberFriend of YearABWA’s Rhonda Milliam wins coveted award

BUSINESS, PAGE A2

See OGLE, Page A5See SPRING, Page A4

See NEIGHBOR, Page A4

Skeletal remains uncoveredGatlinburg PD believes bodies those of missing Russians

Staff report

GATLINBURG — No new details were expected until at least today after the the Gatlinburg Police Department announced it recovered the skeletal remains of two people near U.S. 321 on Saturday.

Attempts to reach the chief or department detectives through

the police department were unsuccessful Sunday. A spokes-woman said no one would be in before this morning.

According to a press release, the police department believes the remains are those of Vladimir Yemelyanov and Sufiya Arslanova, two Russian nationals who lived in Gatlinburg and were reported missing in July 2002.

Authorities are still testing the remains to confirm the identi-ties of the deceased individuals.

In May of 2004 a Sevier County Grand Jury indicted Yuriy Solovyev with the two counts of first- degree murder and two counts of felony mur-der.

The three Russian immigrants were roommates at an apart-

ment complex in Gatlinburg at the time of their disappearance. They reportedly operated an employment service that pro-vided foreign workers to sea-sonal employers in the tourist city.

Blood was found splattered on the walls and furniture of the motel efficiency apartment where they lived.

‘Hungry for spring ... ’Locals, tourists enjoying sunnier, warmer weather

Ellen Brown/The Mountain Press

Sugarlands1: Alexis White, 3, of Knoxville, is amazed to see a lone snowball outside of Sugarlands Visitor Center Saturday morning.

Ellen Brown/The Mountain Press

Sugarlands2: Hank Eickhoff and Karen Ford-Eickhoff of Ringgold, Ga. enjoyed Saturday’s sunny weather at Sugarlands Visitor Center.

M E E T YO U R N E I G H B O R

Jeff Farrell/The Mountain Press

Sevierivlle Police Chief Don Myers, left, talks with reserve officer Arnold Whaley about Whaley’s 37 years of service. Myers is retiring from the department.

End of an eraArnold Whaley retiring after 37 years as an Sevierville Police reserve officer

Ogle setto take fight toplannersWears Valley battle resumes on Tuesday

The Mountain Press ◆ Monday, March 8, 2010

Submitted report

SEVIERVILLE — Citizens National Bank recently hosted a free lunch and seminar on “Building Wealth, Not Debt,” in recognition of Tennessee Saves Week.

Joel Brannon, branch manager at CNB, spoke to a group of more than 30 people about the impor-tance of saving money,

ways to save money, and how to reduce debt. This event was held next door to CNB’s main office at the Courthouse Plaza.

Citizens National Bank is a supporter of Tennessee Saves, part of America Saves, an initia-tive to provide consum-ers with more opportuni-ties to save and to raise awareness about the importance of saving.

For more information,

visit www.cnbtn.com or www.tennesseesaves.org.

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Submitted

Rhonda Milliam, representing American Business Women’s Association, earned the Sevierville Chamber of Commerce Friendship Award during the annual membership breakfast.

ABWA’s Rhonda Milliam winsChamber Friend of Year Award

Submitted Report

SEVIERVILLE — The Sevierville Chamber of Commerce has award-ed the Chamber Friend of the Year Award to Rhonda Milliam, who rep-resents American Business Women’s Association.

She was honored for her support and promotion of the Chamber. The award was presented during the annu-al membership breakfast held Feb. 23.

Milliam earned the award by accu-mulating more Friendship Award points than any other member. These points were earned by attending net-working functions, ribbon cuttings, volunteering at special events and recruiting new members.

“This morning I asked God to give me a great day and he did,” MIlliam said in accepting the award.

Milliam received a trophy from Sign

Master and a stay at Wilderness Resort at the Smokies.

Membership coordinator Jim McGill said, “Rhonda is very proactive and sees the benefit of being a Chamber member. She is constantly encourag-ing someone to join, which is why she won this award.”

Friendship awards are based on points accumulated monthly from attending Chamber functions and vol-unteering as well as bringing inactive members and potential new members to Chamber events. Monthly points will go towards determining the Friend of the Year Award recipient.

The next Friendship Award will be presented during Coffee Talk on March 16, sponsored by Dollywood. Doors open at 8 a.m. and Coffee Talk begins at 8:30 a.m. at the Civic Center. Guests may attend.

For more information, contact McGill at 453-6411.

Citizens National plays host bank seminar

Bigg Bear Media earns2010 Silver Telly Awardfor band documentary

Submitted Report

KODAK — Bigg Bear Media received a 2010 Silver Telly Award for the documentary “From the Basement to Bonnaroo,” about East Tennessee band The Dirty Guv’nahs.

The project, directed and produced by Greg Rains, documents the band through its rise on the local music scene.

“This is the first Telly award for Bigg Bear Media and this was really the first major project that we completed as a company so it’s pretty exciting,” said Rains.

The idea for the docu-mentary came after Rains met the band at Sundown in the City in 2008.

“I had never really heard of them before, but their performance grabbed the crowd and really sparked my interest,” said Rains. “I had a conversation with Justin Hoskins and James Trimble from the Guv’nahs about doing a short video piece that they could use for publicity and that eventually evolved into ‘From the Basement to Bonnaroo.’”

Rains shot footage of per-formances and rehearsals in 2008 and 2009, culmi-nating in the band’s show at the Bijou Theater in Knoxville to debut its first album. Rains shot it with six cameras to produce a live concert DVD and the documentary included on

that disc.The Telly Awards honor

cable TV commercials and programs, video and film productions, and online film and video.

Bigg Bear Media was founded in 2008 and has produced documentaries, commercials and other projects. Visit www.bigg-bearmedia.com.

“From the Basement to Bonnaroo” is a selection of the Gatlinburg Screenfest Film Festival at the River Terrace Resort. Tickets are available at www.gatlin-burgscreenfest.com.

We Connect you to your neighborhood, this region,

and the world.

Two morephysiciansoffices openat LeConte

Submitted report

Two more physician prac-tices have relocated their offices into the Dr. Robert F. Thomas Professional Building on the LeConte Medical Center campus.

Dr. Francisco Moreno, an ear, nose and throat special-ist (otolaryngology), has relo-cated to 744 Middle Creek Road, Suite 200. The office phone number remains the same: 428-0960.

The office of Drs. John T. Dawson and Grover C. Robinson IV, ophthalmolo-gists, has also relocated to Suite 200. The office phone number remains the same: 908-7008.

The professional build-ing is located adjacent to the medical center. Patients see-ing physicians in the profes-sional building are invited to park in guest lot B in front of the professional building.

For more information about physicians practicing at LeConte, or to request a copy of the physician direc-tory, call 453-9355.

All physicians are inde-pendent contractors and are not subject to the control and supervision of the medical center.

Crafts, hobbystore opensin Seymour

Submitted Report

SEYMOUR — Country Crafts & Hobbies has opened at 12917 Chapman Highway, Suite C. The own-ers are Angel and Bryan Bathon.

“Right in our hometown of Seymour we have opened a craft and hobby store, for the young and young at heart,” said Angel Bathon.

The store is open Monday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. and Sunday from 1-6 p.m.

The store sells car, truck and military models, train sets and accessories, leath-er kits, bead and jewelry needs, and hand-dipped wax scented bears. They also sell a vafiety of chil-dren’s crafts and stock than 150 birdhouses — most handmade in the South.

Country Crafts & Hobbies carries yarn marionette puppets and cross stitch, crochet thread (yarn and model rockets coming) and quilting squares.

“We are very avid Seymour supporters. We live in the area and try to support all local teams, especially Seymour High football. We have always wanted to bring this kind of activity to our area, get to meet and greet our neigh-bors and offer great items for everyone at a very affordable price,” Bathon said.

For more information call 286-9799.

NASHVILLE (AP) — The so-called complimentary breakfasts at many hotels in Tennessee have stirred the appetite of state revenue offi-cials.

The state wants to tax the lodging businesses for the food they offer as part of free breakfasts that are included in their room rate.

The budget-strapped state hopes to get an estimated $10 million for its coffers from the sweet rolls, coffee and such that hotel patrons enjoy at no charge from the Smoky Mountains to Graceland.

The proposal is pending in committees in the General Assembly. The tax would be the prevailing sales tax rate in the county involved — up to 9 3/4 percent.

The Tennessee Hospitality Association, representing hotels, believes the plan is unfair.

State tries to tax hotels for ‘free’ breakfasts

Monday, March 8, 2010 ◆ The Mountain Press

Editor’s Note: The follow-ing information was taken from the intake reports at the Sevier County Jail. All people listed within this report are presumed inno-cent unless proven guilty in a court of law.

◆ Juan Carlos Mendez, 31, of 509 Reagan Dr., Apt. 204, was charged March 5 with public intoxication. He was released on $250 bond.

◆ Joshua Todd Ogle, 34, of 4425 Chester Mtn. Rd., Sevierville, was charged March 5 with driving on suspended license. He was released on $2,500 bond.

◆ Craig Ryan Reynolds, 49, of 126 Connley St., Apt. 2, Sevierville, was charged March 6 with domestic violence assault. He was being held on $2,500 bond.

◆ Robert Travis Shular, 32, of 604 Briar Way, Pigeon Forge, was charged March 6 with DUI, speeding and traffic violations. He was released on $500 bond.

◆ William Edward Stafford, 37, of Sweetwater, was charged March 5 with a misde-meanor warrant from gen-eral sessions court. He was being held.

◆ Kathy Regina Stiltner, 43, of 1209 West New Era Rd., Sevierville, was charged March 5 with pub-lic intoxication and unlaw-ful drug paraphernalia use and activities. She was being held on $1,500 bond.

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Submitted report

SEVIERVILLE — Following a successful first Business 2 Business Speed Networking ses-sion in January, the Sevierville Chamber of Commerce is hosting another of the events.

The next Business 2 Business Speed Networking Event will be held March 31 at 1 p.m. at the Civic Center. This event is open only to Sevierville Chamber

members. There are 30 spaces

available, so members must reserve spots by calling 453-6411.

“Our first speed net-working event went very well,” said membership coordinator Jim McGill. “This type of event gives our members another chance to connect with one another, make valu-able contacts and gener-ate leads for their busi-nesses.”

The event, which is akin to speed dating, gives members a few minutes to meet one another face to face and

tell who they are, what they do and what con-stitutes a good lead for their business. Then a bell rings and they meet someone new, repeating the process.

The Sevierv i l le Chamber plans to hold these events regularly throughout the year.

Business 2 Business Speed Networkingsession is set by Sevierville Chamber

Submitted report

GATLINBURG — The next meet-ing of the Smoky Mountain Wedding Association will be on March 16 from 5:30 to 7:30 pm, at Flapjacks Restaurant just off the Spur in Gatlinburg. The cost is $10 per person.

The Smoky Mountain Classical Trio, with Kent Voisin on the violin, Christine Voisin on the cello, and John Celestin on the clarinet, will perform. Collier Restaurant Group is preparing the food.

The topic for the evening: “Selecting the best entertainment for your wed-ding.” There will have a panel dis-

cussion with representatives from live and recorded musical entertain-ment, including Brian Graham, presi-dent of the National DJ Association’s Knoxville chapter; Kent and Christine Voisin, part of the Smoky Mountain Classical Trio; and Rex Gibson with Bearfoot Entertainment.

Graham will show a video that will go into detail on how to find a pro-fessional DJ, the difference between a DJ and an MC, and how to make sure that wedding guests enjoy the celebration and leave happy.

To attend e-mail to smweddingas-so@gmail.com or call 800-627-5813. RSVP by March 12.

Smoking Mountain Weddinggroup to meet on March 16

Civic Center to host event on March 31

“I can unlock great information with my finger”

Submitted

Duan Hua of Zhengzhou, China, speaks to the Seymour Breakfast Rotary Club about her roles at Johnson Bible College and as a teacher at The King’s Academy.

Teacher brings her Chineseculture to King’s Academy

Submitted Report

SEYMOUR — Duan Hua would nor-mally be teaching middle school students halfway around the world from Sevier County in Zhengzhou No. 47 Middle and High School.

Instead of being along the Yellow River in Henan Province, People’s Republic of China, she can be found these days teach-ing students at The King’s Academy.

Hua is the central component of a partnership among Johnson Bible College, No. 47 and The King’s Academy. The relationship is fostered under the umbrella of the Confucius Institute based in Hanban, China. The institute fosters understanding and appreciation of Chinese culture through educational programs in centers presently located in Italy, Australia and the United States.

Hua teaches TKA upper school stu-dents Chinese language and culture, and middle school students are learning Chinese culture, customs and crafts. An upcoming series of evening classes on Chinese cooking, culture and language will be offered to the public.

Hua discussed her current experiences for the Seymour Breakfast Rotary Club. The program was presented in Clark Library on the campus of The King’s Academy where the Rotary club con-ducts its weekly meetings.

Hua contrasted family relationships in China with her impressions of American family systems.

“In China, families take care of their children without government help,” she said. “The poor in China do not have welfare, medical insurance and no retirement.”

She said that a person must be com-pletely self-sustaining or work for the government. “Aging parents are the responsibility of the adult children, par-ticularly the sons.”

Regarding economics, “Chinese people like saving a lot,” Hua said.

Chinese people save money for many reasons, she said. First, they are saving for their children’s education. The cost of a nine-year compulsory education in China is quite inexpensive, but high-er education is very expensive. College expenses are the burden of the parents.

Second, parents save for the marriage of their children. In China, the groom’s family pays the bill.

Third, Chinese save money for old age. Eighty percent live in the countryside, and only those who have government jobs have a retirement system. All others must save for themselves.

Fourth, medical expenses come out of the pockets of the Chinese people. Unless they work for the government, they have no health insurance.

Hua also discussed differences in the Chinese and American education sys-tems. In China, she said, all students are expected to meet high standards.

“There may be 50 students in a class,” she said, so discipline is essential.

“There is less pressure on students in the U.S.,” Hua told the Rotarians. “In China, middle school students have the most pressure.”

“Duan Hua has been a wonderful addition to our faculty this year,” said Academy President Walter Grubb. “She is a focused and determined teacher whose loving, sweet spirit endears her to students and her peers alike.”

The Mountain Press ◆ Monday, March 8, 2010

NASHVILLE (AP) — The CEO of the state’s hospital-ity industry is apologizing for sending a joke e-mail to a group of public figures that compares first lady Michelle Obama to a chim-panzee.

The Tennessean reports Tennessee Hospitality Association CEO Walt Baker’s e-mail compares the first lady to Tarzan side-kick Cheeta. At the bottom of the e-mail is a photo of Michelle Obama, caught in an awkward moment with her lips pursed, and one of a chimpanzee wearing a similar expression.

The e-mail opens with the words, “I don’t care who you are, this is funny.”

But not everyone who received the message on Thursday found it humor-ous, and news of the e-mail, which many found to be racist, soon began to cir-culate.

On Saturday, Baker apologized in an e-mail to

Nashville Metro Council members, saying the mes-sage was not intended to be malicious.

“Thursday night I spon-taneously forwarded — to a small group of people — an e-mail that had been sent to me as political humor,” he wrote. ... “I am saddened that anyone misinterpreted the sentiments behind the e-mail. I deeply apologize to anyone who is offended by this action.”

Despite the apology, the Nashville Convention and Visitors Bureau, which receives most of its funding from Metro, said it would drop its contract with Baker’s marketing firm, Mercatus Communications.

Bureau President Butch Spyridon, who is one of the

people who received Baker’s e-mail, called it an “embar-rassment” and “appalling.”

“Nashville’s hospitality industry has worked tire-lessly to create a welcoming environment for our visi-tors and this behavior dis-credits the work done by so many,” Spyridon said in a statement.

South who don’t see a lot of snow, and they want to see the snow. With I-40 closed and other detours, though, it kind of messes with folks from coming up.”

Free added that GSMNP staff is cautious of visitors hiking some of the high-er elevations’ back trails because of the remaining snow. In the meantime, they’ve been busy working on alternative hikes and ranger programs.

“Our public relations department has been doing an awesome job get-ting the word out on road closures,” he said. “People are disappointed about

the Cades Cove loop being closed, but the Cades Cove campground and horse stables are still open.”

Three-year-old Alexis White of Knoxville, who was joined by mother Nikki White and grandfa-ther Jim White, seemed fascinated by a remain-ing snowball outside of Sugarlands Visitor Center.

“We get up here quite often since we live in Knoxville,” Nikki said. “It’s nice to just get away. We’re going to Alum Cave today.”

Paul and Sandy Flinker of Florence, Ky., have been visiting the Smoky Mountains for 40 years.

“We come for every-thing,” Paul said. “The shopping, the people and

getting away into the park. We don’t hike as much as we used to, but we like to drive around and sight-see.”

“We’re taking a break for the weekend,” said Gayle Davison, who trav-eled from Birmingham, Ala., with her husband and 3-year-old granddaughter, Isabella. “She (Isabella) loves to see and do every-thing.”

Free understands the attraction of the area, which he discovered as a senior in high school in 1980. The Alabama native has been with GSMNP for 10 years.

“Everybody’s hungry for spring here,” he said.

n ebrown@themountainpress.

hours.“I’m just getting too

old,” he said.Some other officers

might dispute that. Whaley might not be able to chase down miscre-ants, or feel like sitting in a cruiser for long hours, but the wisdom he gained over long experi-ence has been invaluable to many of the full-time and part-time officers that have come after him.

Chief Don Myers said when he joined the police department, the train-ing requirements weren’t nearly as high as they are today. They also didn’t have enough full-time officers to pair rookies with veterans for long. He depended on veterans like Whaley to help him learn the ins and outs of the job and the neighbor-hoods they patrolled.

“I depended on the reserves,” he said. “That was the only option.”

Public Information Officer Bob Stahlke has also served as a reserve officer, and he had simi-lar things to say about the Whaley. The reserves choose their supervisors, and Whaley has served as a sergeant and captain with the unit, Stahlke

said.“The wisdom Arnold

had gained over the years was invaluable,” he said.

Capt. Terry Bryan also said Whaley had a big influence.

“He’s probably the first police officer I remember from Sevierville,” he said. “I was ’bout 7 years old.”

But Whaley said things have changed from the days when he would patrol the city. Back then, he said, officers didn’t have to worry nearly so much about the people they apprehended being armed. Fist fights, though, were common.

He could remember one man who was a regular target of arrest warrants. The man would watch as a group of offi-cers approached, fold his arms and stare at them defiantly.

“He’d say, ‘You ain’t taking me unless you whip me,’” Whaley recalled, “And he meant it. He’d fight us.”

Whaley can tell stories like that with a chuckle and a grin, but he also knows the days of dealing with a man that way have passed. Officers today

would never approach a suspect — even a familiar one in a small town like Sevierville — the way they did then.

That’s not generally an issue anymore, anyway. The days of reserve offi-cers fulfilling the duties of regular officers have also passed.

Now, reserve officers such as Whaley help dur-ing events when officers need more manpower, like parades — and high school football games.

Whaley likes being around kids, and he really likes Sevier County High School football games.

“I don’t know if I’ve missed over five foot-ball games the whole time,” he said. “I love to be there for football games.”

He retired from his full-time job years ago, but now he’s ready to retire from the job and the work he’s enjoyed for almost 40 years.

“It’s been enjoyable,” he said. “I wouldn’t trade nothing for it.”

n jfarrell@themountainpress.com

A4 ◆ Local/State

Doris Blackwell Trentham

Doris Blackwell Trentham, 88, of Sevier County died Friday, March 5, 2010. She was a member of First Baptist Church, Sevierville.

Survivors: daughter, Carolyn Fine and husband Darius; son, Bruce M. Trentham, Jr., and wife Nancy; six grandchildren; six great grandchildren; three step-grandchildren; five step-great grandchildren; brothers, David Blackwell and wife Betty, Ron Blackwell and wife Ruth; sister, Aileen Ogle; many nieces and nephews; her beloved dog, Lucy.

In lieu of flowers memorials may be made to First Baptist Church, Sevierville TV Ministry, 317 Parkway, Sevierville, TN 37862.

The family received friends Sunday at Atchley Funeral Home before proceeding to Shiloh Cemetery for graveside service and interment with Rev. Randy Davis officiating.

n www.atchleyfuneralhome.com

James Perl(Jack) Sarten

James Perl (Jack) Sarten, 79, died Saturday, March 6, 2010, at his home in Sevier County surrounded by his family after a brief battle with pancreatic cancer.

James was born June 16, 1930 in the Parrotts Chapel community of Jefferson County, TN. He moved to Sevier County with his parents after the con-struction of Douglas Dam forced their relocation in 1942. He graduated from Sevier County High School and became a lifelong farmer residing in the Mt. Zion Community of Sevier County. He was a member of Middle Creek United Methodist Church, where he had served as Sunday School Superintendant, Council Chairperson, Trustee, and served on other various committees. He also was a member and served as a director of the Farm Bureau and Sevier Farmers Co-Op, a member of the Sevier County Livestock Association, and served on the Farm Service Agency as an elected committee member to oversee FSA opera-tions and services in the Sevier County area.

He is survived by his wife of 56 years, Geneva Cardwell Sarten; his sons and daughters-in-law, David J. and Susan Sarten, Eric D. and Candice Sarten, Joe R. and Tammie Sarten; and grandson, Jairus C. Sarten; brothers-in-law and wives, Jim and Belva Cardwell, Rex and Anna Lee Cardwell,

Jack and Connie Cardwell, Bill and Nancy Cardwell, and Ernest Jackson; sisters-in-law and husbands, Wanda and LeRoy Rogers, Mary Lou and Wayne Blalock; and many nieces and nephews.

Services were Sunday March 7, 2010, at at Rawlings Funeral Home with Rev. Jerry Page and Rev. Steve Pross officiating.

Burial will be at Middle Creek Cemetery Monday March 8, 2010 at 11 a.m., followed by a time for celebration of his life at Middle Creek United Methodist Church, 1828 Middle Creek Road, Pigeon Forge, TN. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Middle Creek United Methodist Church build-ing repair fund, C/O Tom Ricker, 439 Ledo Dr., Sevierville, TN 37862. Rawlings Funeral Home of Sevierville is in charge of arrangements.

n www.rawlingsfuneralhome.com

Kimberly “Kim” Holbrook Jenkins

Kimberly “Kim” Holbrook Jenkins, 41. of Scottsville, Ky., formerly of Sevier County, died Thursday, March 4, 2010, at Vanderbilt Hospital.

Survivors: husband, Dennis Jenkins; daughters and sons-in-law, Aaron Nakole and husband Joey Scott; Felicia Marie Fine and boyfriend, Zach Higdon; son, Jacob Edgar Fine; one grandchild and two on the way; mother, Deana Holbrook Fleming; sisters and brothers-in-law, Kelly Ogle and husband, Bruce; Krystal Knight and hus-band, Steve; a host of nieces, nephews, aunts, uncles, and cousins; three special friends.

In lieu of flowers memorial donations may be made to ben-efit the family.

Funeral service was Sunday in the Chapel of Atchley Funeral Home with Pastor Billy Gower and Rev. Danny Sizemore offi-ciating, with interment following in Green cemetery.

n www.atchleyfuneralhome.com

Jerry L. HayesJerry L. Hayes, 75, of

Sevierville, died Friday, March 5, 2010. He was a veteran of the U.S. Army and served his country during the Korean War.

Survived by, sons & daughters-in-law, Jerry L. & Melissa Hayes, Jr., and Jeffrey L. & Mary Hayes; daughter & son-in-law, Joyce & Doug Hughes; three grandchildren; brothers, Bill, Tom, Richard and Charlie Hayes.

Funeral service 7 p.m. Monday

in The Chapel of Atchley Funeral Home with Rev. Curtis Wells officiating. Interment 1 p.m. Tuesday in Rest Haven Memorial Gardens, Dandridge. The fam-ily will receive friends 5-7 p.m. Monday at Atchley Funeral Home, Sevierville.

n www.atchleyfuneralhome.com

Mary Jo Forrester Mary Jo Forrester, 77, of

Seymour, died Friday, March 5, 2010 at the family home after a long illness.

Mary took pride in her grand-kids and loved cooking, planting & gardening, and even fishing. She was a member of First Apostolic Church of Maryville.

Survivors include her hus-band, Alse Forrester; daughter, Brenda Queen; daughters and sons-in-law, Marci and Jim Goodman, Juanita and Phil Webb, Cissy and Mark Garner; daughter, Patty King; son, David Hannah; sons and daughters-in-law, Gary and Marilou Hannah, Bobby and Diane Forrester, Billy and Sandra Forrester, Terry and Angie Bledsoe; 28 grandchildren, many great-great grandchildren, cousins, Joe and Fred Spurling; 1 niece, 4 nephews, and a host of family and friends.

Funeral service will be 2 p.m. Sunday, March 7, 2010 at First Apostolic Church, 1723 William Blount Drive, Maryville, with the Rev. Kenneth Carpenter officiating. Interment will be 10 a.m. Monday, March 8, 2010 at Pleasant Hill Cemetery in Sevierville. The family will receive friends from 1 until 2 p.m. Sunday at the church.

Arrangements by Dotson Funeral Home, Maryville/Seymour.

William “Marty” Martin Rogers Jr.

William “Marty” Martin Rogers Jr., age 56, of Knoxville, died March 6, 2010.

Survivors: Wife: Karen Rogers; son and daughter-in-law: Christopher and Jennifer Rogers; Grandson: Logan Rogers; Parents: William Sr. and Edith Rogers; Brother: Gary Rogers; Special Uncle: David Brewer; Special Cousin: Michael Cook.

In lieu of flowers. memorial donations may be made to the charity of your choice.

Memorial visitation 6-8 PM Tuesday at Atchley Funeral Home, Seymour. Cremation arrangements by Atchley Funeral Home, Seymour, 122 Peacock Court, Seymour, TN 37865. (865) 577-2807.

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O B I T U A R I E S

NEIGHBOR3From Page A1

SPRING3From Page A1

Ellen Brown/The Mountain Press

Sugarlands3: Gayle Davison of Birmingham, Ala. was joined by her grand-daughter, Isabella, 3, for a trip to the Smoky Mountains on Saturday.

Hospitality industry CEO apologizes for e-mail

Monday, March 8, 2010 ◆ The Mountain Press Nation/World ◆ A5

he accused several times in the County Commission meeting of lying to him while Ownby denied the charge, and Commissioner Ben Clabo, who has been the main critic of the request.

Clabo, who serves on both the planning and county boards, has said he’s worried the property isn’t suited for a higher use than its current A-1 (agricultural) distinction because it is frequently flooded by Cove Creek, which forms one of the property’s boundaries. Ownby said C-1 would be the “highest” suitable zon-ing for the lot, stopping short of recommending county officials adopt the move because of his own reservations about Ogle’s plan.

Ogle, meanwhile, insists he’s done everything he needs to in order to meet state and county regula-tions to develop the lot. He has presented county officials with a site plan,

a step not required for a rezoning request, showing his proposed use of the lot, maintaining it reflects he will “have no encroach-ment” on anyone else’s property.

Also on the agenda for Tuesday’s meeting is:

Rezoning Requestsn Marty Marine for prop-

erty at 126 and 128 Marine Way in Seymour from C-2 to R-1 (rural residential) to assist with a refinance

n Paul Maples, prop-erty in the 4100 block of Wears Valley Road and on

the new street Wilderness Mountain Road in Wears Valley from A-1 to C-1 for a bed and breakfast lodge

Concept Plat Reviews

n Joshua Landing, a 20-lot development on 5.51 acres off North Rogers and Wade roads

n Douglas Lake revised PUD, a new map for an existing development off Black Oak Ridge Road

Final Plat Reviewn Timber CoveSite Plan Reviewsn Paul Maples Lodge

PUD, a retail store and bed and breakfast on property off Wears Valley Road and on Wilderness Mountain Road

n Dollar General, a retail location on Boyds Creek Highway across from the intersection with Payne School Drive.

n dhodges@themountainpress.

5 Monday

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OGLE3From Page A1

Associated Press

Mourners gather around the coffin of Ali Yahya, 20, who was killed in one of the blasts in north-eastern Baghdad earlier in the day, at his funeral in Najaf, Iraq, on Sunday. Insurgents bombed a polling station and lobbed grenades at voters Sunday, killing 36 people.

Iraqi voters undaunted by deadly attacksBAGHDAD (AP) — Iraqis defied

insurgents who lobbed hand gre-nades at voters and bombed a poll-ing station Sunday in an attempt to intimidate those taking part in elec-tions that will determine whether their country can overcome deep sectarian divides as U.S. forces pre-pare to leave.

The conclusion of the vote, however, did not spell an immediate end to polit-ical uncertainty. It could be days until results come in and with the fractured nature of Iraqi politics, it could take months to form a government.

Sunnis and Shiites seemed united in one way Sunday — defiance in the face of violence. Many came out of polling booths waving fingers dipped in purple

ink in a now-iconic image synonymous with Iraq’s democracy. In one Baghdad neighborhood, relatives who had just lost a family member in a bombing walked down to the polling booth to vote.

The violence was a direct challenge to Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki who has gained popularity as violence across the country has plummeted.

“I voted for Nouri al-Maliki because I trust him as a man who succeeded in getting rid of militias and building a strong state,” said Saadi Mahdi, a 43-year old engineer in the southern oil city of Basra. It was there that al-Maliki first established himself as a leader will-ing to go against his fellow Shiites when he routed militias aligned with anti-

American cleric Muqtada al-Sadr.It was an election day that demon-

strated starkly how far the country, a rare democracy in the Middle East, has come since the last nationwide parlia-mentary vote in December 2005 and how much still holds it back.

Instead of unified sectarian parties playing strictly to their Shiite, Sunni and Kurdish voters, the political blocs contesting the election were much more fractured and made at least some effort to cross over into other sects. Whereas only party names were known in the 2005 ballot — in order to protect can-didates from assassination — this time cities were plastered with candidates’ faces on posters as Iraqis voted for indi-vidual people.

Researchers: AIDS virus can hide in bone marrow

WASHINGTON (AP) — The virus that causes AIDS can hide in the bone marrow, avoiding drugs and later awakening to cause illness, according to new research that could point the way toward better treatments for the disease.

Finding that hide-out is a first step, but years of research lie ahead.

Dr. Kathleen Collins of the University of Michigan and her colleagues report in this week’s edition of the journal Nature Medicine that the HIV virus can infect long-lived bone marrow cells that eventually convert into blood cells.

The virus is dormant in the bone marrow cells, she said, but when those progenitor cells develop into blood cells, it can be reactivated and cause renewed infection. The virus kills the new blood cells and then moves on to infect other cells, said.

“If we’re ever going to be able to find a way to get rid of the cells, the first step is to understand” where a latent infection can continue, Collins said.

In recent years, drugs have reduced AIDS deaths sharply, but patients need to keep tak-ing the medicines for life or the infection comes back, she said. That’s an indication that while the drugs battle the active virus, some of the disease remains hidden away to flare up once the therapy is stopped.

One hide-out was found earlier in blood cells called macrophages. Another pool was discov-ered in memory T-cells, and research began on attacking those.

But those couldn’t account for all the HIV virus still circulating, Collins said, showing there were more locations to check out and leading her to study the blood cell progenitors.

Finding these sources of infection is important because eliminating them would allow AIDS patients to stop taking drugs after their infection was over. That’s critical in countries where the treatment is hard to afford and deliver.

“I don’t know how many people realize that although the drugs have reduced mortality we still have a long way to go,” Collins said in a telephone interview. “That is mainly because we can’t stop the drugs, people have to take it for a lifetime.”

The research was funded by the National Institutes of Health, Burroughs Wellcome Foundation, University of Michigan, Rackham Predoctoral Fellowship, National Science Foundation and a Bernard Maas Fellowship.

The Mountain Press ◆ Monday, March 8, 2010A6 ◆

6 Monday

Departments:News: Ext. 214; e-mail: editor@themountainpress.comSports: Ext. 210; e-mail: mpsports@themountain-press.comClassifieds: Ext. 201 & 221Commercial Printing: Ext. 229

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Evening: 3-3-5-2 13

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Evening: 0-9-8 17

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■ober ski report:

Base: 52 to 86 inches

Primary surface: Machine groomed

Trails open: All (Mogul Ridge not groomed)

toDAy’SbriefiNg

CeLebritieSiN the NewS

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The Mountain PressStaffPublisher: Jana Thomassoneditor: Stan VoitProduction Director: Tom McCarterAdvertising Director: Joi Whaleybusiness manager: Mary OwenbyCirculation Distribution manager: Will Sing

SubscriptionsCarrier Delivery (where Available): $11.60 per 4 weeksin-County mail: $13.08 per 4 weeksout-of-County mail: $19.60 per 4 weeksPostmaster: Send address changes to The Mountain Press, P.O. Box 4810, Sevierville, TN 37864

(ISSN 0894-2218) Copyright 2008 The Mountain Press. All Rights Reserved. All property belongs to The Mountain Press and no part may be reproduced without prior written consent. Published daily by The Mountain Press. P.O. Box 4810, Sevierville, TN, 37864, 119 River Bend Dr., Sevierville, TN 37876. Periodical Postage paid at Sevierville, TN.

how to reach us:Phone: (865) 428-0746Fax: (865) 453-4913

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quote rouNDuP

■ brad PaisleyCHARLESTON, S.C.

(AP) — Brad Paisley is recovering after he tripped on stage and took a tumble during a concert in South Carolina.

Spokes-w o m a n D a r l e n e Bieber said in a news release that the coun-try star was s i n g i n g his encore finale — “Alcohol” — when he fell Saturday night, but he got back up and finished his show. He was checked out at a Charleston hospital and released early Sunday morning.

Paisley, 37, was left with only some bad bruises, but he wrote on his Twitter page that he “hit hard. And I mean freaking hard.”

“The Senate has given us a lot of reason not to trust them. Certainly, that’s a key component of the dynamic of getting the votes ... there has to be some certainty that the Senate is going to follow through

on their part.”— u.S. rep. Jason Altmire, D-Pa., who is considered a top

prospect for changing his “no” vote on health care.

“We need good people, honest people, people who are greatly respected, people who are not out for them-

selves.” — New u.S. Sen. Scott brown, r-mass., campaigning for Sen.

John mcCain, r-Ariz., in Phoenix.

“We have come here looking for change. We hope that Iraqis will elect qualified people who will salvage us from the miserable situation we are living in. We want better services, and we want construction and

this is the reason we are voting.”— Jaman Khalf, the first person to cast his ballot in the iraqi

elections in the southern port city of basra.

LOCAL:Sunny

High: 62°Low: 37°

Winds to 5 mph

Chance of rain 0%

■ Lake Stages:Douglas 955.1 D0.1

© 2010 Wunderground.com

Today's ForecastMonday, March 8

City/RegionHigh | Low tempsForecast for

Chicago43° | 36°

Washington56° | 34°

Miami76° | 54°

New Orleans67° | 49°

Atlanta68° | 34°

Raleigh65° | 34°

Memphis70° | 45°

Showers Rain T-storms Flurries Snow Ice Sunny Pt. Cloudy Cloudy

Weather Underground • AP

toDAy’SforeCASt

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■ tuesdayPartly cloudy high: 62°Low: 42°■ wednesdayShowershigh: 58°Low: 51°

Local■ PigeoN forge

Quiltfest to beheld at 2 sites

A Mountain Quiltfest celebrates its 16th year March 10-14.

Quilters and crafters from across the U.S. gather for a show and more than 70 classes and seminars.

A Mountain Quiltfest in Pigeon Forge features vendor malls and shows displaying more than 300 quilted pieces, locat-ed at Smoky Mountain Convention Center and Music Road Convention Center. Quilted items at the show will be compet-ing in 10 categories for $20,000 in cash and prizes.

Detailed information regarding classes, semi-nars and the challenge is available at www.moun-tainquiltfest.com.

■ SeVierViLLe

Goodwill storerecycles computers

Residents can recycle their computers and computer equipment to Goodwill stores free of charge.

The program allows allow consumers to drop off their computers and computer equipment at any Goodwill retail loca-tion or attended donation center for recycling.

The Goodwill store in Sevier County is on the Parkway in Sevierville across from Smoky Mountain Children’s Home.

It is each individual’s responsibility to delete all private and personal information.

■ SeVierViLLe

Special educationmeetings scheduled

The Sevier County Department of Special Education invites persons associated with students with disabilities to attend monthly parent support and advisory group meet-ings.

The meetings are held at 5 p.m. the second Tuesday of the month in the library of Sevierville Middle School. If school is not in session, meetings are not held.

For questions, con-tact Linda Tilson at the Department of Special Education, 453-1037.

State■ memPhiS

Sheriff’s caninenears retirement

Each day brings him closer to his last day on the job.

His supervisor, Shelby County Sheriff’s Office Sgt. Ricky McCoy, says the officer still does great work, but that he has lost a step.

His partner, Detective Troy Simmons, prays for him each morning before their shift starts and is saddened at the thought of retirement later this year.

Plus, Simmons will miss those wet kisses in the squad car.

“Dodger, this is his last hurrah, so to speak,” the detective says.

That Dodger is a dog only makes their bond stronger — man’s best friend having spent eight years as the part-ner that Simmons trusts with his life.

Simmons has a remote-control button inside the squad car, and one on his belt, that he can push to open the right rear passen-ger door. When Dodger hears that “click,” he knows, Simmons says, “Daddy needs me; I’m coming.”

thiS DAy iN hiStory

Today is Monday, March 8, the 67th day of 2010. There are 298 days left in the year.

■ Locally a year ago: Sevier County Bank

has survived the Great Depression and two world wars, and is older than the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, of which it is a charter member. SCB celebrates its 100th anniversary this year.

■ today’s highlight:On March 8, 1862, dur-

ing the Civil War, the iron-clad CSS Virginia (for-merly USS Merrimack) rammed and sank the USS Cumberland and heavily damaged the USS Congress, both frigates, off Newport News, Va.

■ on this date:In 1960, Democrat

John F. Kennedy and Republican Richard M. Nixon were the victors of the New Hampshire presidential primary.

In 1965, the United States landed its first combat troops in South Vietnam as 3,500 Marines were brought in to defend the U.S. air base at Da Nang.

■ ten years ago: President Bill Clinton

submitted to Congress legislation to establish permanent normal trade relations with China. (The U.S. and China signed a trade pact in Nov. 2000.)

■ five years ago: President George W.

Bush said authoritarian rule in the Middle East had begun to ease, and he insisted anew that Syria had to end its nearly three-decade occupation of Lebanon.

■ thought for today: “In every person,

even in such as appear most reckless, there is an inherent desire to attain balance.” — Jakob Wassermann, German author (1873-1934).

NASHVILLE (AP) — U.S. Rep. Zach Wamp ruf-fled the normally docile birding community when he said in a recent candi-date forum that coal min-ing is good for the state’s feathered flocks.

“I sat around a campfire in Campbell County with all the experts — biolo-gists, geologists, fishing and wildlife,” Wamp said at a Feb. 18 forum of Republican candidates running for governor hosted by the Brentwood-Cool Springs Chamber of Commerce.

Coal mining is “actually good for the birds, and good for the environment. ... to actually mine coal in a responsible way.”

Melinda Welton, a bird specialist, is among those who reacted to the state-ment with dismay.

“I wish that were true, but it is not,” said Welton, of BirdWorks Consulting in Franklin. “There are no current surface coal mining prac-tices that are beneficial to the birds that depend on the forested slopes of the Cumberland Mountains

of Tennessee.”The Tennessean made

three separate requests for the names of the experts Wamp had spo-ken to, and after the third, aide Sam Edelen said the conversation took place a while ago. Wamp recalled that they were with people from the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency and the Tennessee Wildlife Federation, and a University of Tennessee biologist.

TWRA, which oversees oversee hunting, fishing

and wildlife, has an orni-thologist who was out of town and could not be reached Friday afternoon for comment. Wamp did send an e-mail statement earlier in the week about his comment.

“Coal is a vital energy source that is available in only a few counties of our state, and today, 95 per-cent of all coal mining in Tennessee is taking place in old abandoned mines being reclaimed with new, modern and respon-sible mining techniques,” Wamp wrote.

Wamp ruffles bird lovers’ feathers

Paisley

S u N r i S e i N t h e S m o K i e S

7 Opinion Mon.

It appears that spring is just around the corner and it feels good.

Eleven-year-old Paul Trentham summed up the feelings of many of us on Facebook last week. His post was; “Dear snow: i don’t think its gonna work out between us. You were gr8 at first but now im over you. I’ve found some1 else, Her name is spring.”

This is a time of rebirth and refresh-ment. The flowers come back, the temperature gets warmer and our guests come to enjoy the mag-nificent Smoky Mountains and our terrific brand of southern hospitality.

Gas prices are on the rise, which means we cannot settle for customer satisfac-tion, we must provide “guest astonish-ment.” Remember, your team members, or employees, will only treat the guests as well as they are treated and never any better.

It is really not difficult to astonish our guests; it takes some training and setting expectations. Also, you should hire for attitude and teach skills.

Dollywood is expanding. There is more to see and do in our area than there is around any other national park in America. We have the only national park that does not charge admission, and our lodging prices are lower that almost anywhere in the country. We have great shopping, golf, a tremendous variety of restaurants, friendly people, one of the finest event centers in the world, more attractions than anyone could every expe-rience in one place and some of the great-est craftsman in the world.

One of the very best examples of a master craftsman is Robert Alewine at Alewine Pottery in the Glades. His work is in every state in America and almost every country in the world. On top of that, he is a showman, and every guest that visits his shop remembers him and tells others about their experience. (I am not hung up on being politically correct, so craftsmen includes women as well.)

We have really gotten crazy about this politically correct stuff. There is a new Bible that refers to God with no gender. Our Lord sent His Son, Jesus Christ, to walk with us and talk with us so that we could come to know Him. He was a man! Facts are facts.

All right, that is the end of my sermon for now. Any more and we will have to take a collection.

Speaking of collections, I had an expe-rience a few weeks back that needs to be shared. As I was going to my favorite supermarket, Food City, I decided to buy an extra Mountain Press and I put two quarters in the machine in front of the store. When I opened the door of the machine, a man grabbed for it to get another paper out. I slammed the door and explained to him that the machines were operated by individuals and he was stealing from someone.

The words he used were not very nice and he put two more quarters in to get the paper.

As I was paying for my groceries, the cashier almost charged me for the paper again. I explained what had happened and the customer service associate, who was providing “guest astonishment” while packing my groceries, looked at me and said, “Thank you, sir, that is my machine.”

This gentleman works two jobs and mainatains a few machines so that he can provide for his family. When someone takes a newspaper, they are stealing from a hardworking, honest person.

Although times are challenging for many people, money is tight, prices keep rising, etc., there is no reason to be dis-honest. The fact is, there are jobs available if you are willing to work.

We live in a magnificent place, we have no state income tax and we are blessed in many ways. If we will follow the golden rule, we will all succeed.

Over the past several weeks, I have been telling you about the case of a 15-month-old child who is in danger and has become a victim of the system. The situation is being dealt with and I hope and pray to share good news with you next time.

Share a smile with someone this week. Life is like an echo, you get back what you send out.

— Dave Gorden of Sevierville is a member of the Speakers Hall of Fame, past president of the National Speakers Association and one of the Authors of “Chicken Soup For the Adopted Soul.” E-mail Dave@davegorden.com.

Mountain Views■ The Mountain Press ■ Page A7 ■ Monday, March 8, 2010

c o m m e n ta ry e d i t o r i a l

P o l i t i c a l v i e w

P u b l i c f o r u m

editorial board:◆ Jana Thomasson, Publisher◆ Stan Voit, Editor◆ Bob Mayes, Managing Editor◆ Gail Crutchfield, Community News Editor

State legislators:◆ rep. richard montgomery

1-800-449-8366 Ext. 1-5981; 207 War Memorial Bldg., Nashville TN 37243rep.richard.montgomery@capitol.tn.gov

◆ rep. Joe mccord1-800-449-8366 Ext. 1-5481; 207 War Memorial Bldg., Nashville TN 37243rep.joe.mccord@capitol.tn.gov

◆ Sen. doug overbey1-800-449-8366 Ext. 10981; 320 War Memorial Bldg., Nashville TN 37243sen.doug.overbey@capitol.tn.gov

federal legislators:◆ u.S. Sen. bob corker

(202) 224-3344; 185 Dirksen Senate Office Bldg., B40A, Washington, D.C. 20510

◆ u.S. Sen. lamar alexander(202) 224-4944; S/H 302, Washington, D.C. 20510

◆ u.S. rep. Phil roe(202) 225-6356; 419 Cannon House Office, Washington, D.C. 20515

◆ u.S. rep. John J. duncan Jr.(202) 225-5435; 2267 Rayburn Office Bldg., Washington, D.C. 20515

letters to the editor policy and how to contact us:◆ We encourage our readers to send letters to the editor. Letters must contain no more than 500 words. No more than one letter per person will be published in a 30-day period. Letters must be neatly printed or typed and contain no libel, plagiarism or personal attacks. All letters are subject to editing for style, length and content. Statements of fact must be attributed to a source for verification. All letters must be signed and contain a phone number and address for verification purposes. No anonymous or unveri-fied letters will be printed. No letters endorsing candidates will be considered. The Mountain Press reserves the right to refuse publication of any letter. E-MAIL LETTERS TO: edi-tor@themountainpress.com or MAIL LETTERS TO: Editor, The Mountain Press, P.O. Box 4810, Sevierville, TN 37864. For questions, call (865) 428-0748, ext. 214. The Mountain Press and its publishers do not necessarily agree with the opinions expressed in letters and columns on this page.

“Congress shall make no law respecting an establish-ment of religion or prohibiting the free exercise thereof;

or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peacably to assemble and to petition

the government for a redress of grievances.”—united States constitution, amendment one

Bible itself contains someanti-Catholic material, tooEditor:

A little touchy aren’t we, Pastor Flaherty? Being reared a Roman Catholic, if the FBI were called every time that I heard a fellow Catholic say something hateful about a Protestant or the other religions outside of “The Mother Church,” J. Edgar Hoover would have spent his entire life in my hometown.

So now we should ban Chick Publications because you state that they are “well-known for being anti-Catholic.” With that reason-ing, I suppose the next step will be to ban the Bible also. For you see, as a 26-year-old Catholic I purchased a Bible, read it, and found it to be pretty anti-Catholic also.

We have a thing in this country known as freedom of speech, and when the dust settles on an issue, truth usually rises to the top. Those who want to stifle truth often do so by trying to create a smoke-screen to hide their error. This was masterfully performed in the O.J. Simpson trial.

His attorneys also cried “hate crime” while O.J. got away with murder. Me thinks that you are traveling the same road. Let me give you a good recipe to get over this whole upsetting ordeal. Take two extra strength Excedrin, two stiff belts of your Crown Royal, and go to bed.

By the way, if you find Jack Chicks publi-cations too offensive for your taste, I wrote

a book years ago entitled “Why I left the Church of Rome.” You’ll find it factual, scriptural, truthful, and to the point. Your parishioners can feel free to send for one. So can the FBI.

Pastor Bob CreelSevierville

Little knowledge, ignorance ofthe truth is a dangerous thingEditor:

With sorrow and great disappointment I read the March 3 article, “Battle Over Religion.” In this day and age of so much evil surrounding us in this culture, you would think that all those striving to be good Christians would pull together in the fight against evil, not add more to it.

The devil is laughing his wicked head off because it makes his day when these things happen. No more prayer in school, now, try-ing to stop the County Commission from say-ing the Lord’s Prayer before meetings, and so on and on and on ad nauseum.

A little knowledge and a lot of ignorance of truth is very dangerous — to everyone. Faith without works and works without faith are equally foolish. Atheists may do all kinds of good deeds, which is well and good, but only on a natural level.

If you have faith in God but do no good works — that does not compute. If we have grace we will do good works because that is

what grace compels us to do — even if it is just praying for others.

I pray that Pastor Hatcher study a little more and obtain, through the grace of God, a lot more knowledge. Read the early church fathers found on your computer.

Naomi R. RadkaPigeon Forge

Prayer foes have no ideait’s a foundation to nationEditor:

Regarding County Mayor Larry Waters’ confrontation with the do-gooders from up north: My hat is off to you, mayor. We stand with you in your practice of the Lord’s prayer before the commission meetings.

Do these outsiders not know that we have a paid chaplain in our nation’s capitol who leads prayer before a session of Congress? (Not that it has done much good.) We have some connections with some legal forces that will take this on, if it comes to trial.

These people have no idea as to the foun-dations of our nation, and what time in prayer (on their knees), our founding fathers spent in seeking God’s blessing and leader-ship in forming our founding documents: Constitution, Bill of Rights, and others.

Hang in there, Mr. Waters, and call if you need someone to carry your briefcase.

Walt RiceSevierville

Abraham Lincoln envisioned “a great university for the people of this area,” referring to the Cumberland Gap. Lincoln Memorial University’s thousand-acre campus at the Tennessee-Kentucky line is the result of that vision. But Lincoln didn’t expect education to be limited by coun-ty or state lines. Like so many great thinkers, he wanted it made accessible to as many people as possible.

In the 21st century, it is. You don’t have to live near a college or even a high school in order to get an educa-tion. You can take classes online and earn degrees from accredited institu-tions online. But for some curricula and advanced degrees, spending time in the classroom and getting hands-on instruction just can’t be duplicated on the Internet or from a CD you put into your computer.

Lincoln Memorial already reached out to Walters State Community College by offering classes in Sevierville that could lead to a four-year degree, Now LMU is planning a new venture in Sevier County: a sat-ellite campus housing a permanent presence. The parties are in early talks, but it appears headed to fruition, if the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools will allow master’s level edu-cation classes. The association is the accrediting agency for schools.

It appears the parties are zero-ing in on property next to the soon-to-open county library behind the Sevierville Municipal Complex. Allen Newton of the Sevier County Economic Development Council thinks the library site is best, but other sites may come into play.

No final decisions have been

made on how to pay for the build-ing, but one option being discussed is to have the county finance it and let LMU pay back the county through lease payments.

It all sounds good, giving a county of 80,000 even more options for higher education. And as with so much good that happens here, Gary Wade is a behind-the-scenes figure helping to make it happen.

Wade, former Sevierville mayor and current Tennessee Supreme Court jus-tice, spearheaded the effort that has brought the situation to its current stage. He can’t make it become a real-ity, but at least he has both sides talk-ing seriously.

A greater presence for LMU in Sevier County would be welcome. Now we have to do what needs to be done to ensure it occurs.

This is timeof rebirth,refreshment

Better accessLincoln Memorial campus in Sevier would be a great addition

By PAUL NEWBERRYAP Sports Writer

HAMPTON, Ga. — Kurt Busch won again at Atlanta Motor Speedway, pulling away on a second restart Sunday after a couple of wild wrecks to capture the Kobalt Tools 500.

Busch won the spring race at the 1.54-mile trioval for the second year in a row, beating Matt Kenseth to the line by nearly half a second. Juan Pablo Montoya was third, followed by Kasey Kahne and Paul Menard.

The race went 16 laps past its scheduled 325 because of two big crashes. The first came when Carl Edwards, running 156 laps behind, clipped Brad Keselowski and sent him flying toward the grandstands upside down. Keselowski was OK, but NASCAR ordered Edwards to park his car and sum-moned him to its trailer for a tongue-lash-ing.

On the first attempt at a green-white-checkered finish, another crash took out seven cars coming through turns three and four. Finally, they got in two clean laps, and it was Busch all the way for his third career win in Atlanta.

“Even with all the restarts, I thought we had the strongest car,” said Busch, who claimed his 21st career win and snapped Jimmie Johnson’s two-race winning streak.

Keselowski clipped Edwards early in the race, which sent him smashing into Joey Logano. Edwards spent much of the day in the garage, but returned to take out his frustration in what appeared to be an inten-tional tap on Keselowski coming across the start-finish line.

Keselowski’s car spun and flipped upside down, striking the barrier in front of the grandstand with a hard smash to the roof. After Edwards was ordered off the track, he drove defiantly around the quarter-mile track in front of the stands and went back-ward down the pit lane.

“To come back and just intentionally wreck someone, that’s not cool,” Keselowski said. “He could have killed someone in the grandstands.”

Edwards hardly issued a denial after-ward.

“Brad knows the deal between him and I,” Edwards said. “The scary part was his

car went airborne, which was not what I expected at all. At the end of the day, we’re out here to race and people have to have respect for one another and I have a lot of respect for people’s safety.”

Johnson, the four-time defending Sprint Cup champion, was coming off wins at California and Las Vegas. He climbed into contention again, getting as high as third, but a bad pit stop and a scrape with Ryan Newman cost Johnson a chance to become the first driver since 2007 to make it three in a row. He finished 12th.

Denny Hamlin cut a tire with 36 laps to go — one of about a dozen drivers taken

out by tire problems — and Busch emerged from the pits out front.

As the race headed into its final laps, Montoya was cutting some big chunks out of Busch’s lead. Then things really got inter-esting.

The Edwards-Keselowski scrap with three laps to go forced the first attempt at an over-time finish. Busch came to the restart trail-ing a couple of drivers who took only two tires in the pits, but a brilliant move shot him right back to the front.

Busch hugged the rear bumper of Clint Bowyer’s car, then dipped to the inside and split both him and Menard heading through the first turn. Busch appeared to be pulling away, but Jamie McMurray got into Bowyer before the field could take the white flag, leading to a seven-car pileup and another try for a clean finish.

“We’ve got to win this race three times, maybe even four times,” a frustrated Busch said on his radio.

There wasn’t much drama on the next restart. Busch got away cleanly, zipped around the track two more times at more than 190 mph and took the checkered flag. He then returned to the flagstand, grabbed the symbol of his win and headed off on a victory lap in reverse.

Pole winner Dale Earnhardt Jr. lost the lead on the very first lap but was running near the front when a mysterious tire prob-lem sent him to the pits on lap 114 under a green flag. He radioed that a tire felt loose, but the crew found it fully inflated after making the change. It wasn’t immediately clear what caused the problem, though the No. 88 team was able to rule out another problem with the axle, the issue that ruined Earnhardt’s day at California two weeks ago.

8 Sports Mon.

Sports■ The Mountain Press ■ A8 ■ Monday, March 8, 2010

Visit: The Mountain Press.comView/Purchase Sports & News Photos

Kurt Busch wins on 2nd restart in very hot-’Lanta

Associated Press

Kurt Busch does a burnout after winning the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series’ Kobalt Tools 500.

Associated Press

Mark Martin (5), Greg Biffle (16), David Gilliland (38) and Jamie McMurray (1) crash during the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series’ Kobalt Tools 500 auto race at Atlanta Motor Speedway on Sunday.

No. 3 Kentucky tops Gators to cap 18-0 home seasonLEXINGTON, Ky. (AP) —

On a day freshman-dominat-ed Kentucky was honoring its seniors, sophomore Darius Miller was most responsible for making sure the Wildcats fin-ished their season with a perfect home record.

The No. 3 Wildcats saw a big early lead slip away against Florida, but Miller got most of his 14 points in the clutch to help pull out a 74-66 victory and possibly cement a top seed in the NCAA tournament.

Afterward, Miller warned that

these close calls have got to stop with the postseason about to begin.

“That’s happened to us a few times this year,” Miller said. “We really need to take care of that. It might not work against some other team.”

The Wildcats (29-2, 14-2) had already clinched their 44th Southeastern Conference title outright with Vanderbilt’s loss to South Carolina on Saturday night. Florida (20-11, 9-7) may need to win a few games in this week’s SEC tournament in

Nashville, Tenn., to reach the NCAAs.

Kentucky coach John Calipari said he thinks the Gators belong there.

“I’m rooting for them,” Calipari said. “They played hard, never quit. They went right at us.”

Kentucky’s 18-0 home record ties the 1985-86 team for the best in program history. The last time the Wildcats reached 14 league wins was 2005.

Although there were plenty of standouts in this one for the Wildcats, who had five double-

digit scorers, Miller made some of the most meaningful baskets, going 5 for 7 from the field, including three 3-pointers. He matched Eric Bledsoe as the game’s top scorers.

Miller’s third 3 early in the second half stopped a 9-1 run by Florida that had helped cut into a large early deficit.

He credits his more highly touted teammates, who some-times will draw double-teams and give him better looks.

“Everybody’s focusing on them, so that gives me a little

space to roam and be aggres-sive,” Miller said.

Kentucky led by as many as 18 late in the first half, but Florida got a slew of uncontested bas-kets and cut it to 57-54 mid-way through the second after a 3-pointer by Alex Tyus, who led Florida with 12 points.

The Gators pulled within two when a layup by Vernon Macklin made it 60-58 with seven min-utes left. Patrick Patterson answered with a dunk and John Wall followed with a 3 to give the Wildcats some breathing room.

Stricklen leads Lady Vols back to Rocky Top

By CHARLES ODUMAP Sports Writer

DULUTH, Ga. — Shekinna Stricklen scored 20 points and No. 4 Tennessee beat No. 19 Kentucky 70-62 on Sunday to win the SEC tournament and possibly wrap up a No. 1 seed in the NCAA tourna-ment.

Coach Pat Summitt was so please she brought down the house with a postgame song.

Tennessee completed its first sweep of the Southeastern Conference’s regular-season and tournament championships in 10 years. In each case, the decisive win came against Kentucky, which improved from a .500 finish a year ago to play in its first tournament final in 28 years.

Tennessee (30-2) earned its 14th straight win to give Summitt her 19th 30-win season.

Kentucky (25-7) played tough in its first championship game appearance since winning its only title in 1982. The Wildcats, led by Victoria Dunlap’s 21 points, played even with the Lady Vols until mid-way through the second half.

Tennessee players celebrated

at midcourt before starting to cut down the nets. Summitt then stole the microphone — and the show — when she started singing “Rocky Top.”

“You are the best fans! We love you!” Summitt said after her song.

Tennessee fans dominated the Gwinnett Arena crowd of 5,854. The orange-clad fans were espe-cially loud when the Lady Vols took control with an 11-3 run for a 61-53 lead following a 50-50 tie.

Tennessee set a school record with 15 blocks when it clinched the SEC regular-season title with its 81-65 win over Kentucky on Feb. 25. The Wildcats showed no sign of intimidation in the rematch, even after Tennessee took an early 19-9

lead.Kentucky answered to take its

first lead with 5 minutes remaining in the half.

A layup by A’dia Mathies cut the Tennessee lead to 23-22. Amber Smith then stole the ball, drove toward the basket and made a behind-the-back pass to Dunlap, who was fouled as she scored. Dunlap’s free throw gave Kentucky a 25-23 lead.

Freshman Kamiko Williams, who didn’t score in Tennessee’s first two tournament games, answered Dunlap’s three-point play with four straight baskets, helping the Lady Vols lead 35-29 at halftime.

Tennessee center Kelley Cain picked up two quick fouls and

played only three minutes in the first half. The Lady Vols’ depth showed as they held a 31-14 advantage in rebounds even playing most of the half without the 6-foot-6 Cain.

Cain had 11 points, all in the sec-ond half.

Kentucky opened the second half with an 13-3 run for a 42-38 lead. Stricklen’s three-point play and 3-point shot helped Tennessee pull even at 46-46.

Following the last tie at 50-all, Tennessee took the lead for good with an 11-3 run, which included another 3-pointer from Stricklen.

Tennessee’s Alyssia Brewer, who had eight points, was named tournament MVP.

Summitt leads fansin song after UTwins SEC title

Monday, March 8, 2010 ◆ The Mountain Press

EAST LANSING, Mich. (AP) — Raymar Morgan scored 13 of his 22 points in the first half, helping No. 11 Michigan State build a big lead it used to beat Michigan 64-48 on Sunday and win a piece of the Big Ten title.

The Spartans (24-7, 14-4 Big Ten) shared the conference champion-ship with Ohio State and Purdue, winning their sec-ond straight title and sixth under coach Tom Izzo.

The Wolverines (14-16, 7-11) have to make a stun-ning appearance in the Big Ten tournament to avoid a losing record and would have to win the champion-ship game to earn a con-secutive bid to the NCAA tournament.

Michigan’s Manny Harris and DeShawn Sims made only one shot each in the first half — as their team matched a Big Ten-low with 14 points — and finished with a combined 13 points.

The Wolverines, who were No. 15 in The Associated Press pre-season poll, failed to live up to high expectations. Michigan was .500 after six games and, after a promis-ing win over then-No. 15 Connecticut two months ago, closed the regular sea-son 4-9.

Michigan State, mean-while, was the preseason pick to win the Big Ten. Izzo became the first coach to win six conference titles in his first 15 seasons since Bob Knight did it at Indiana.

The Spartans looked like they were going to run away with the champion-ship after a school-record 9-0 start in the conference, but lost four of the next six to allow the Buckeyes and Boilermakers to get into the race.

Michigan State will be the third-seeded team at this week’s Big Ten tour-nament behind top-seeded Ohio State and Purdue. The Wolverines will be seeded eighth.

If Morgan plays like he has lately, the Spartans will be tough to beat in Indianapolis and perhaps beyond. Michigan State has advanced to the Final Four a nation-best five times in the previous 11 NCAA tournaments.

Morgan was averaging 13.7 points and 11 rebounds in the three games leading up to the regular-season finale. Then, he almost matched that scoring out-put in the decisive first half and finished with 10 rebounds.

The senior forward scored eight of 10 points for the Spartans midway through the half, turning a five-point lead into a 17-point cushion.

Morgan made six shots in the first half — one more than Michigan’s team had on 23 attempts.

The Spartans led 32-14 at the half, holding them to a meager scoring total that only one Big Ten team had this season. Illinois scored 14 in the first half against Minnesota last month.

Delvon Roe scored all of his 10 points in the first half as he and Morgan made up for Kalin Lucas making only one shot and scoring just four points. Lucas finished with 10 points.

Harris was 1 of 7 in the

first half and Sims was 1 of 4, and none of their team-mates picked up the slack, scoring no more than three points at the half.

Michigan State quickly ended any comeback hopes Michigan might’ve had in the second half.

Morgan ended a well-executed play with a shot on the opening possession and the Spartans scored

10 points — including an alley-oop dunk from sel-dom-used senior Isaiah Dahlman — before the Wolverines had scored.

Michigan coach John Beilein benched Sims and Harris 2 1/2 minutes into the second half, with the score 40-14, then put them back in a game that had only the final score in doubt.

PALM BEACH GARDENS, Fla. (AP) — Camilo Villegas’ week started with one celebra-tion, then ended with another.

Villegas shot a final-round 68 to win the Honda Classic by five shots Sunday over Anthony Kim, giving the Colombian his third PGA Tour victory.

He finished at 13-under 267, the lowest 72-hole score since the Honda moved to PGA National in 2007, four shots better than Y.E. Yang’s winning total a year ago.

And Villegas made it look easy most of the way, too, capping his day with a 20-footer for birdie, then raising both hands sky-ward.

“It’s been a long week, man,” Villegas said. “But man, it’s been a good one. I just loved every second of it.”

Midway through his round, it seemed like Villegas could waltz to the win. He led by only two after Vijay Singh made a 45-foot birdie putt at the par-3 fifth, but three straight birdies — starting with a 25-footer on No. 8 — sent Villegas to 15 under and six shots clear of the field.

Good thing he had that cushion, because the putter stopped working after that.

Fortunately for Villegas, no one made much of a run.

He missed short par putts on 11 and 12, three-putted from 50 feet on the par-3 15th for another bogey, but never lost con-trol of the lead and ended up pocketing the $1.008 million winner’s share. The outcome, if any doubt actually existed, was sealed when Villegas’ approach from 184 yards on the par-4 16th stopped 15 feet from the pin, setting up a routine par.

Steely eyed for most of the day, Villegas finally acknowledged the crowd as he walked up 18, waving and secure in the knowl-edge that he was getting his first victory since the Tour Championship in 2008.

“Fair play to him,” Justin Rose said. “It was nice to even be in a position to kind of think that way, no doubt.”

Kim shot 67 and Rose had by far the best round of the day, a 64 that was three shots better than anyone else. Paul Casey (67) and Vijay Singh (72) tied for fourth, seven shots back.

“I hung in there,” said Kim, who got his best finish since tying for second at the season-opening Mercedes-Benz Championship in 2009. “I still haven’t put four good ones together but I’m trying as hard as I can to get there. I’m work-ing on the right things and I’m sure it will come.”

Villegas didn’t even play a practice round at PGA National this week, after a travel schedule that he somehow found exhilarat-ing.

After finishing tied for eighth at the Phoenix Open, Villegas head-ed back to his native Colombia on Monday for a slew of events — spon-sor dinner, youth clinic, pre-tournament party, all within about a 36-hour window — to help open the Nationwide Tour’s Pacific Rubiales Bogota Open, the first PGA Tour-sanctioned event in South America.

He showed up in South Florida on Wednesday, rolled out of his own bed to start the tournament on Thursday, and just kept rolling. An opening-round 66 had him tied

for second, another 66 on Friday earned him a share of the lead, and he left the course Saturday night up by three after shooting 67.

Villegas is now the fourth player who’s still under 30 with at least three PGA Tour wins, joining Adam Scott (three) and Dustin Johnson and Sean O’Hair (three each).

“Tournaments are four rounds and I played three pretty good ones,” Villegas said. “I was lucky in one. It’s never as easy as you think. I played great the front nine, then I made a couple hiccups and missed some putts, but I stayed patient.”

Rose is still looking for win No. 1 in the U.S., though he feels like he’s getting closer.

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Associated Press

Camilo Villegas tees off at the first hole dur-ing the final round at the Honda Classic golf tournament in Palm Beach Gardens, Fla., on Sunday. Villegas beat Anthony Kim by five shots.

Revved-up Villegas runs away to win the Honda Classic

Spartans top Michigan for Big 10 title

U.S. bounced from Davis Cup in the first round

BELGRADE, Serbia (AP) — The Davis Cup run for the United States is over in the first round.

Novak Djokovic with-stood 24 aces and out-lasted John Isner 7-5, 3-6, 6-3, 6-7(6), 6-4 on Sunday, giving Serbia a clinching 3-1 lead against an American team look-ing for its 33rd Davis Cup title. In the last rubber, Sam Querrey beat Viktor Troicki 7-5, 6-2 to make the final score 3-2.

It’s the first time since 2005 the Americans were eliminated in the first round, while Serbia advances for the first time in the World Group and next plays bitter Balkan rival Croatia in the quar-terfinals.

Djokovic, ranked No. 2, needed 4 hours and 16 minutes to outlast the 20th-ranked Isner, who was making his Davis Cup debut. The U.S. team played without both Andy Roddick and James Blake for the first time since 2000.

“Isner fought like crazy, and his serve was unbe-lievable,” Djokovic said of the 6-foot-9 American. “His serves are coming like from the fourth floor, and I had no idea where they would go.”

Struggling to contain Isner’s booming serve, Djokovic smashed his racket in the second set and received a ball viola-tion penalty in the fourth set tiebreaker. The Serb then wasted three match points while leading 5-3 in the fifth set before con-verting his sixth match point after Isner netted a forehand.

“I knew I had to play my best tennis to have a chance against Djokovic,” Isner said. “He returns

the serve real well, and my hat is off to him for the victory.”

“I double-faulted on two important break points and that’s what probably cost me the match,” Isner said. “Four hours is a lot of tennis, and I’m proud how I played.”

Viktor Troicki defeated Isner in the opening sin-gles Friday and Djokovic beat Sam Querrey to give Serbia a 2-0 lead. Isner and Bob Bryan pulled one back for the U.S. by defeating Nenad Zimonjic and Janko Tipsarevic in Saturday’s doubles.

In other first-round matches, two-time defending cham-pion Spain defeated Switzerland 4-1. The Spaniards advanced to the July quarterfinals against France, which beat Germany 4-1. Russia defeated India 3-2 and will meet Argentina, a 3-2 winner over Sweden.

Croatia swept Ecuador 5-0 and the Czech Republic downed Belgium 4-1 and will play either Chile or Israel. Israel’s doubles team of Jonathan Erlich and Andy Ram defeated Chile’s Paul Capderville and Jorge Aguilar on Sunday, nar-rowing Chile’s lead to 2-1 in the best-of-five Davis Cup tie.

The tie began a day late after the Israeli team had trouble traveling to the venue in the aftermath of the earthquake in the South American country.

“I can unlock great information with my finger”

The Mountain Press ◆ Monday, March 8, 2010

By JIM ABRAMSAssociated Press Writer

WASHINGTON — The current partisan divide is as stark and nasty as any in recent history and on almost every issue — from health care to energy inde-pendence to reviving the economy — there’s little or no effort to find com-mon ground.

But fierce political battle is also a tradition ingrained in American history. If today’s hostile environment is particular-ly intense, it’s downright genteel compared to many battles of the past.

The Civil War, when anti- and pro-slavery forc-es split the nation, is the most extreme example. But there’s also the begin-ning of the 20th century, when the country was becoming more urban and trust-busting Teddy Roosevelt was redefining the role of government.

The current economic troubles have collided with President Barack Obama’s efforts to change government amid waves of public anger and pro-test movements like the tea party.

The angry mood was so discouraging for Indiana Sen. Evan Bayh that the Democrat recently said “I do not love Congress” as he announced he would not run for re-election.

His sentiments have been heard before.

Party politics, President George Washington said in his farewell address in 1796, “agitates the com-munity with ill-found-ed jealousies and false alarms.” It “kindles the animosity of one part against another (and) foments occasionally riot and insurrection.”

After two centuries, the nation continues to ignore its founding father’s mes-sage.

“We’ve had partisanship ever since we’ve had fed-eral government,” Senate historian Donald Ritchie said. “Bipartisanship is really the exception to the rule.”

Partisanship got off to a raucous start in the presi-dential election of 1800 when the incumbent, John Adams, a Federalist, faced his vice president, Thomas Jefferson, a Democrat-Republican. Adams’ supporters portrayed Jefferson as a libertine who would bring French Revolution-style anarchy to the country. Adams was branded a monarchist and characterized as toothless and senile.

The election’s reper-

cussions were deadly. Jefferson beat Adams, but under the electoral sys-tem at the time the House had to decide between Jefferson and his run-ning mate Aaron Burr, who received the same number of electoral votes. Federalist Alexander Hamilton helped sway the vote to Jefferson, a source of personal animosity that led to a duel in 1804 where Burr shot and killed Hamilton.

But it wasn’t until the 1830s — when populist Democrats led by Andrew Jackson took control of the government — that party politics as we know it today really began to take shape, says Sarah Binder, a political science profes-sor at George Washington University. Jackson’s opponents referred to him as “jackass,” often cred-ited as the source of the donkey as the Democratic Party’s symbol.

Binder said waves of partisanship tend to coin-cide with major changes to the nation as a whole.

The most dramatic exam-ple came in the middle of the 19th century. In 1856, Republican abolitionist Sen. Charles Sumner, in a Senate speech, accused a Democratic colleague, Andrew Butler of South

Carolina, of taking an ugly mistress, “the har-lot, slavery.” Rep. Preston Brooks of South Carolina, Butler’s relative, entered the Senate chamber and beat Sumner with a cane, nearly killing him.

The redefinition that developed under Teddy Roosevelt became even more pronounced dur-ing the Depression, when Franklin Roosevelt’s Democrats and the Republicans debated big government and fought over the creation of Social Security.

The golden age of bipar-tisanship, to the extent it existed, came in the 1940s through the 1960s, when politicians united behind World War II and the Cold War and neither party had a clear-cut ideol-ogy. Democrats had their Northern liberals and Southern conservatives, while the GOP was divid-ed between Goldwater Republicans and Rockefeller Republicans.

That all began to change with the civil rights move-ment and the Republican takeover of the South.

After that, said Ritchie, “the Democrats became the liberal party and Republicans the con-servatives. There just aren’t that many people in the middle who can be persuaded to break rank.”

The Congressional Quarterly, which tracks voting trends, says that in 2009 both House and Senate Democrats voted with their party 91 percent of the time on votes where the two parties were at

odds. That was at or near record levels of unity for both. House and Senate

Republicans were nearly as unified.

That’s a sharp contrast to 1968, when only 51 per-cent of Senate Democrats backed their party on so-called party unity votes, or 1970, when only 56 per-cent of Senate Republicans fell in line with their party position.

“Clearly you see the country moving into rival camps much more readily and that filters through to the Congress in a hurry,” said Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., who has served in the House and Senate for nearly three decades and is known for working well with Republicans.

In the 1980s, he said, there were sharp philo-sophical differences but it was still possible for President Ronald Reagan and his main antago-nist in Congress, House Speaker Tip O’Neill, to work together on Social Security reform.

Voters are disgusted that the two sides increas-ingly are unable to work together, Wyden said. But he acknowledged it’s not going to change until more voters convey that to their representatives in Congress.

According to Wyden:“It’s a lot easier for peo-

ple to say, ’Look I’m going to go with my partisan friends and try to avoid the shrapnel.”’

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Partisanship bad now in Washington? Think again

Associated Press

Visitors look around an exhibit in the new visitor center at Thomas Jefferson’s home Monticello in Charlottesville, Va. Party politics “agitates the community with ill-founded jealousies and false alarms.” It “kindles the animosity of one part against another (and) foments occasionally riot and insurrection.” The words of Indiana Sen. Evan Bayh, who announced with much fanfare that he’s not running for re-election because he’s fed up with the Senate’s partisan battles? Try George Washington.

Monday, March 8, 2010 ◆ The Mountain Press

Editor’s Note: The com-munity calendar is printed as space permits. Only noncommercial, public events held in Sevier County will be considered. They are listed by date. To place an item phone 428-0748, ext. 214, or e-mail to editor@themountainpress.com. Items may be faxed to 453-4913.

MONDAY, MARCH 8Cancer Support

Smoky Mountain Cancer Support Group meets at 6 p.m. at new Thompson Cancer Center. Ann Henderlite, VP and chief nursing officer, to give tour. Bring food. 428-5834 or 654-9280.

Women’s Bible StudyGarlands of Grace

Women’s Bible study:n Noon, Seymour Heights

Christian Church, Chapman and Boyds Creek Highway

n 1 p.m. Gatlinburg Inn

Angel FoodAngel Food orders:n 2-5 p.m., Gum Stand

Baptist Church. 429-2508.n 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. and

4 to 7 p.m., First Smoky Mountain Church of the Nazarene, 2652 Upper Middle Creek Road. 908-1245.

n 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., Kodak UMC, 2923 Bryan Road. 933-5996. Credit card and EBT orders may be submitted online at www.angelfood-ministires.com.

DAR Daughters of American

Revolution, Spencer Clack chapter, meets at 7 p.m., Sevier County Library. Program by Judy Morgan, Sonya Nave and Tammy Sturdivant.

Seymour Story TimePreschool story time, 11

a.m., Seymour Library, with the Puppet Lady. 573-0728.

TuesDAY, MARCH 9S.I.T.

Seniors In Touch (S.I.T.) meets 5-6 p.m. at MountainBrook Village, 700 Markhill Drive, Sevierville. 428-2445.

Hot MealsHot Meals for Hungry

Hearts served from 5:30-6:30 p,m. Second Baptist Church, Pigeon Street off Chapman Highway.

Al-Anon FamilyAl-Anon Family Group

meets 11 a.m. First United Methodist Church, Pigeon Forge. 428-7617 or 680-6724.

Women’s Bible StudyGarlands of Grace wom-

en’s Bible study:n 1 p.m. Foxtrot Bed

and Breakfast, Garrett, Gatlnburg

n 6:30 p.m. Pigeon Forge UMC

GatekeepersGatekeepers men’s Bible

study:n 6:30 p.m., 1328

Old Newport Highway, Sevierville. 908-0591.

n 6:30 p.m., 2445 Scenic Mt. Drive, Sevierville. (865) 310-7831.

Blood DriveMedic blood drive 10

a.m. to 6 p.m., Kroger in Sevierville.

Angel FoodAngel Food orders:n 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.,

Gum Stand Baptist Church. 429-2508.

n 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. and 4 to 7 p.m., First Smoky Mountain Church of the

Nazarene, 2652 Upper Middle Creek Road. 908-1245.

n 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., Kodak UMC, 2923 Bryan Road. 933-5996. Credit card and EBT orders may be submitted online at www.angelfood-ministires.com.

Celebrate RecoveryWomen’s Celebrate

Recovery step study 5:30 p.m., Seymour UMC. 573-9711 or www.semourumc.org.

Little League BoostersPigeon Forge Little

League Booster Club meets 6 p.m., Pigeon Forge High School Cafeteria.

WeDNesDAY, MARCH 10First Presbyterian

Traditional Lent Services 6:30 p.m. Wednesdays through March 24, First Presbyterian Church Sevierville, featuring music. prayer and mes-sage. Offering collected will go to help Haiti. 453-2971.

Women’s Care CenterWomen’s Care Center

20-year anniversary ban-quet 6 p.m. March 18 at Wood Grill Buffet, Pigeon Forge. $25. Mail payment or call by today to 428-4673.

Garden Club Sevierville Garden Club

meets at noon, Sevierville Senior Center. Speaker: Alan Bruhin of Extension on pruning trees and shrubs. Officers to be installed. Board meets at 11.

Sevierville Story TimePreschool story time

10:30 a.m.. Sevier County Main Library, with The Puppet Lady. 453-3532.

Middle Creek UMCWorship services at 6:30

p.m., Middle Creek United Methodist Church, 1828 Middle Creek Road, Pigeon Forge. 216-2066.

Seymour Lent ServicesHoly Communion cel-

ebrated 6:15 p.m. and on Thursdays at 7 a.m. and noon at Seymour UMC. 573-9711.

Young At Heart Seniors A new social group for

lunches, conversation, movies, light hikes, book exchanges meets for lunch, 1 p.m at IHOP, Sevierville.

Angel FoodAngel Food Orders taken

8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., Kodak UMC, 2923 Bryan Road. 933-5996. Credit card and EBT orders at www.angelfoodministires.com.

THuRsDAY, MARCH 11Hot Meals

Smoky Mountain Area Rescue Ministries provides hot meals 5:30-6:30 p.m., First United Methodist Church in Sevierville and Kodak United Methodist Church in Kodak.

Women’s Bible StudyGarlands of Grace wom-

en’s Bible study:n 9 a.m. UMC Pigeon

Forgen 2 p.m. Blue Mountain

Mist B&B, Pullen Road n 6:30 p.m. Sevierville

UMC, Conference Room

TOPSTOPS weight loss chap-

ter meets at 6 p.m., Parkway Church of God in Sevierville. 755-9517 or 429-3150.

Angel FoodAngel Food orders:n 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.,

Gum Stand Baptist Church. 429-2508.

n 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. and 4 to 7 p.m., First Smoky Mountain Church of the Nazarene, 2652 Upper Middle Creek Road. 908-1245.

n 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., Kodak UMC, 2923 Bryan Road. 933-5996. Credit card and EBT orders may be submitted online at www.angelfood-ministires.com.

Women’s ConferenceSonshine’s Ministries

women’s conference today-Saturday, 1393 Denton Road, Sevierville. Speakers: 7 p.m. today, Cathy Tarwater; 10 a.m. and 7 p.m. Friday, Pastor Barb Lay; 10 a.m. Saturday, Brenda Crumley; singers, Ray Morris and Tommi Lami. 705-9030.

fRiDAY, MARCH 12Angel Food

Angel Food orders:n 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.,

Gum Stand Baptist Church. 429-2508.

n 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. and 4 to 7 p.m., First Smoky Mountain Church of the Nazarene, 2652 Upper Middle Creek Road. 908-1245.

Kodak Story TimePreschool story time 11

a.m., Kodak Library, with The Puppet Lady. 933-0078.

sATuRDAY, MARCH 13Gun Permit Class

Handgun carry permit class 8:30 a.m., Dandridge Police Department. Register by calling (865) 397-8862, ext. 26, or (865) 356-7423.

Angel FoodAngel Food orders:n 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.,

Gum Stand Baptist Church. 429-2508.

n 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. and 4 to 7 p.m., First Smoky Mountain Church of the Nazarene, 2652 Upper Middle Creek Road. 908-1245.

n 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., Basic Life Ministries, formerly TFH. 286-9784.

St. Patrick’s Dinner/Auction

St. Patrick’s Day Dinner and Auction hosted by Sevierville Sunrise Rotary 5:30-7 p.m., Smoky Mountain Children’s Home Dining Hall. Tickets $5.

suNDAY, MARCH 14Sunday Night Alive

Gatlinburg First UMC, 6 p.m., fellowship of contemporary music and worship followed by a hot meal. 436-4691.

Local ◆ A13

13 Monday

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Dr. Lane’s Payless Optical

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C O M M U N I T Y C A L E N D A R

(or of the posting, asthe case may be) ofthis notice, otherwisetheir claim will be for-ever barred.

All persons indebtedto the above Estatemust come forwardand make proper set-tlement with the under-signed at once.

This 24 day of Feb-ruary, 2010.

(Signed)Ralph Huskey

LEGALS

LYDIA MAPLES HUS-KEY deceased, were issued to the under-signed by the County Court Clerk of Sevier County, Tennessee.

All persons, resident and non-resident, hav-ing claims, matured or unmatured, against her Estate are required to file the same in tripli-cate with the Clerk of the above named Court within four months from the date of the first publication

LEGALSLEGALS

NOTICE TOCREDITORS

Estate ofLYDIA MAPLES

HUSKEY

Late of Sevier County,

Tennessee

Notice is Hereby Given that on the 24 day of FEB 2010,Let-ters Testamentary, of Administration, in re-spect to the Estate of

Executor

Estate ofJEAN ADELEBIRCHFIELD

By:noneAttorney

By: Joe Keener County Clerk

03-08-1003-15-10

LEGALS

(or of the posting, as the case may be) of this notice, otherwise their claim will be for-ever barred.

All persons indebted to the above Estate must come forward and make proper set-tlement with the under-signed at once.

This 23 day of Feb-ruary, 2010.

(Signed)John H. Fowler

LEGALS

FIELD deceased, were issued to the un-dersigned by the County Court Clerk of Sevier County, Ten-nessee.

All persons, resident and non-resident, hav-ing claims, matured or unmatured, against her Estate are required to file the same in tripli-cate with the Clerk of the above named Court within four months from the date of the first publication

LEGALS

NOTICE TOCREDITORS

Estate ofJEAN ADELEBIRCHFIELD

Late of Sevier County,

Tennessee

Notice is Hereby Given that on the 23 day of FEB 2010,Let-ters Testamentary, of Administration, in re-spect to the Estate of JEAN ADELE BIRCH-

LEGALS

Legals

100 Announcements

200 Employment

300 Services

400 Financial

500 Merchandise

600 Rentals

700 Real Estate

800 Mobile Homes

900 Transportation

Cor rec t i onsOn l i ne After the first insertion, want ads scheduled to be published again on Tue., Wed., Thu., or Fri. may be canceled or corrected between 8 a.m. and 10 a.m. on the day prior to publication. For ads on Sat., due Thu., prior to 3 p.m., for Sun., Fri., prior to 10 a.m. and Mon., prior to 11 a.m.

Notice of typographical or other errors must be given before 2nd insertion. The Mountain Press does not assume responsibility for an ad beyond the cost of the ad itself and shall not be liable for failure to publish an ad for a typographical error.

http://www.themountainpress.com OR, www.adquest.com

All line ads published in The Mountain Press are placed FREE on a searchable network of over

500 newspapers’ classifieds located at http://www.themountainpress.com

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Go to http://www.adquest/request/ to register your request and we will notify you by e-mail when it

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Dead l i nes Edition Deadline

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A publication from The Mountain Press

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B Gin the in the in the Classifieds.Classifieds.Classifieds.

T r a s h i t , S E L L I T . ... give the Classifieds a try.

428-0746 Classifieds 428-0746

Monday, March 8, 2010 ◆ The Mountain Press Comics ◆ A17

17 Comics

Dear Annie: My neighbors, “The Smiths,” are new members in the community. Recently, their 8-year-old son went to play at a classmate’s home. The classmate, “Johnny,” closed his bed-room door and then told Mrs. Smith’s son to take his pants off, threatening him if he told anyone. The Smith boy told his parents anyway, and they went to speak to Johnny’s parents, who denied everything and refused to accept that the incident ever happened.

Johnny’s mother is the school mouthpiece and is telling every parent in the class that my neighbor’s son is a pedophile. Now everyone avoids them. The Smiths love this area, have spent tens of thousands in renovations and just want this woman to stop lying. They have tried to talk to other par-ents, but apparently, the damage has been done.

I know the Smiths’ son needs counseling, but they seem to be paying a high price for his vic-timization. How can you convince such a big group of people that someone is lying? Is there anything she can do legally? Please help them. Every day seems to get worse. -- Shocked in Saskatoon

Dear Saskatoon: A certain amount of “exper-imentation” is normal with children that age, but having an adult label the Smith boy a pedo-phile is extremely dam-aging. Suggest to your neighbor that she speak to an attorney about suing Johnny’s mother for defamation. Even if

the case never goes to court, a strongly worded letter from a lawyer can make the woman think twice about spreading more lies. Your neighbor should also speak to the principal of the school, as this is a form of bullying and the school should put a stop to it immediately.

Dear Annie: I have a strong and constant fear that my house will be broken into. It’s so bad that I cannot live alone. I lock all the doors and shut all the windows, but I haven’t gotten a good night’s sleep in weeks.

When I’m alone, I tend to hear things that don’t exist -- like someone breathing or a window breaking. It frightens me so severely that my body becomes incredibly heavy and I cannot move. Why is this happening? Please help. -- Scared To Be Alone

Dear Scared: You seem to have developed a debilitating phobia, which can often be helped through therapy and/or medication. Talk to your doctor about this and ask for a refer-ral. You also can contact the Anxiety Disorders Association of America (adaa.org), 8730 Georgia Ave., Silver Spring, MD 20910, for additional information and assis-tance.

Dear Annie: This

is in response to “Don’t Want To Be a Sailor,” who tends to blurt out swear words at the drop of a hat and wanted to stop.

Years ago, I had to have a hot water tank replaced. The work space was very small, and the repairman constantly scraped his knuckles on the plaster. Every time this happened, he spat out the word “sugar.” I asked him why he did that, and he replied that ladies don’t like to hear the four-letter alternative, and “sugar” works just as well. I have discov-ered that “phooey” and “Christopher Crunch” also do the trick. -- No Sailor Talk Around Me, Please

Dear No Sailor: Substituting another, more acceptable word and using it with regu-larity can help break the swearing habit. Although one of us rather takes exception to using “sugar,” we think the basic idea is a good one.

Annie’s Mailbox is written by Kathy Mitchell and Marcy Sugar, longtime edi-tors of the Ann Landers column. Please e-mail your questions to annies-mailbox@comcast.net, or write to: Annie’s Mailbox, c/o Creators Syndicate, 5777 W. Century Blvd., Ste. 700, Los Angeles, CA 90045. To find out more about Annie’s Mailbox and read features by other Creators Syndicate writ-ers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate Web page at www.cre-ators.com.

A d v i c e

t o d Ay ’ s p u z z l e

Family Circus Close to Home

Zits

Blondie

Baby Blues

Beetle Bailey

Garfield

Barney Google and Snuffy Smith

For Better Or Worse

Tina’s Groove

Incident between children sullies new neighbors’ reputation in area

The Mountain Press ◆ Monday, March 8, 2010A18 ◆

18 Monday

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