farragutpress

2020

Reviewing an historic, tragic, life-altering year — with growth, rays of hope

December 31, 2020 by Alan Sloan

Of all the years to enjoy a rare White Christmas?

With COVID-19 pandemic darkness covering Farragut, Tennessee, the entire nation and much of the world during the last nine-plus months of 2020, the first year of the new millennium’s third decade essentially concluded in Town with a bright, peaceful, snow-covered landscape adding even more sentiment to outdoor Nativity scenes on Christ’s birthday, and more authenticity to Santa-related outdoor decorations.

• As for celebrations, the year 2020 added up to 40 in the Town of Farragut, observing its 40th anniversary in January — with surviving Town founders the stars — while simultaneously celebrating the opening of Farragut Community Center and a new Knox County Senior Center, both at 239 Jamestowne Blvd.

• Growth was most prominent on the northern side of the Campbell Station Road-Kingston Pike intersection with the end-of-year opening of 35 North inside the eye-catching architecture of Admirals Corner, and the late fall opening of Mayor Ralph McGill Plaza behind and beside Campbell Station Inn.

• Meanwhile, one area of required growth according to Town leaders was met with opposition: most notably in the first half of 2020, as 5G antennas mandated for placement throughout Town due to state and federal law — pending provider applications — were fought by outspoken citizens due to aesthetic issues and questions of possible harmful effects on health. The first 5G antennas began to be installed in the fall.

• In the last half of 2020, a proposed Town Center on the so-called Biddle Farms property (former Kroger location) along Brooklawn Street just off of Kingston Pike was fought, for the most part, by citizens fearing severe traffic issues, apartment inclusion and the horizontal versus vertical make-up of the center.

• A second possible Town Center site became known late in the year: on the property fronting the home of former Town Mayor Eddy Ford along Kingston Pike, with developer Doug Horne (owner of Republic Newspapers, Inc., parent company of farragutpress) leading the way.

• Pecos Road residents in Saddle Ridge subdivision, many of whom expressed their displeasure that a planned connector road between it and the under-construction Ivey Farms development still was moving forward, also expressed dismay to Town officials about flooding caused by grading at the Ivey Farms construction site.

• State Sen. Dr. Richard Briggs (R-District 7) spoke against attempts by state Rep. Jason Zachary (R-District 14) to pass legislation giving county mayors, not health department leaders, final authority over public health orders. This disagreement began in June. Zachary introduced a caption bill in November.

• Tennessee State Capital Commission voted July 9 to move the bust of Adm. David Glasgow Farragut from the state Capitol to Tennessee State Museum, along with the bust of Confederate Lt. Gen. Nathan Bedford Forrest — the target of protest groups saying Forrest was among the founders of the Ku Klux Klan. Moving the Admiral’s bust prompted about 25 residents to gather in protest in Admiral Farragut Plaza July 11.

• While the Concord Road widening project progressed (estimated completion in fall of 2021), Virtue Road improvements are ready for implementation — preparing to close the road to through traffic — until spring of 2022. A $2.865 million construction contract will bring improvements to about 4,200 feet of Virtue Road.

• More than a decade after leaving Farragut at its 11130 Kingston Pike location, Food City announced plans late in the year to build a new grocery store to anchor a shopping center within Kingston Pike Village near the corner of South Watt Road and Kingston Pike. This second phase of Planned Unit Development also includes 230 apartments.

• Merit Construction began grading McFee Park Phase 3 last summer; cost is just under $8 million. Completion is expected in late summer 2021.

• In the realm of increased social justice sensitivity being felt, and displayed, in Town in the wake of African-American George Floyd’s murder by police in Minnesota, one prominent display was during Farragut High School’s Class of 2020 Commencement exercises on FHS’s Bill Clabo Field Friday evening, June 19.

More than a dozen graduates chose to take a knee during the National Anthem to protest racial injustice.

• A 3 percent Hotel/Motel Occupancy Tax was approved by a 4-1 BOMA vote on second reading Thursday, Jan. 23. Due to the pandemic, though, implementation of the tax was delayed until June 1.

• Tragedy struck the Lovell Woods neighborhood when Boyd and Doris Beets, both 67, were found dead from gunshot wounds Saturday, March 21, allegedly murdered by Ronnie Edward Johnson, 31, of Alcoa, as his battered girlfriend sought refuge at their home.

• Election year highlights: New to running for political office, Hardin Valley resident Betsy Henderson was sworn in as new Knox County Board of Education rep for District 6 Dec. 2. She replaced Terry Hill, who was elected as 6th District County Commissioner.

• In sports, Knoxville Catholic High School’s boys basketball team won the program’s first state crown after edging Briarcrest 50-47 in the Division II-AA state title game in Nashville March 7.

• Meanwhile, boys golf hit the jackpot at FHS, while CAK easily made it four straight Division II-A state championships — seventh in program history — led by individual champ Kaleb Wilson, a junior, at 2-under par (36 holes) at Willowbrook Golf Club in Manchester ending Oct. 13.

Jon Higgins’ Admirals rolled to an easy Division I Large boys state crown, seventh in school history, led by senior Lance Simpson, who was on fire (13-under, 36 holes) — one stroke from a state record — at Willowbrook ending Oct. 7.

• Hardin Valley Academy, Division I-Large, and Webb School of Knoxville, Division II-A, captured state crowns in boys cross country in the fall.

• Two previous national champion dance team programs, Farragut Middle School and Bearden High School, were crowned No. 1 coast-to-coast at the Universal Dance Associations’ National Dance Team Championships in Orlando in early February.

• Jeff Woody of Farragut, 56, “made hay” in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park late last summer. This nuclear safety engineer set the record for fewest days to complete the GSMNP Trail system: 33 days and nine hours.

• Plans were under way in September for a long-awaited indoor/outdoor sports complex just off Watt Road near Interstate 40/75.