The Knoxville News-Sentinel from Knoxville, Tennessee • 15

0 Sunday Awe 9 1996 Tlic Knoxville News-Sentinel East Tennessee Section Weather B6 Small towns call: Medical school graduates respond Hunt said Tennessee was slow compared to Borne states in settingup such a program But it is expected to make major strides toward reducing the shortage of rural physicians in Tennessee by the year 2000 In Johnson City the mission of the Quillen College of Medicine at East Tennessee State University includes providing primary care doctors for rural areas Through grant money from the WK Kellogg Foundation the college has also pressed for physicians have to be comfortable going to a small town" Mitchell said as he prepared for graduation ceremony not for everyone but it was ideal for The rural physician program at the University of Tennessee Memphis' began four years ago and now includes 144 students Their tuition fees and living expenses about $20000 a year are paid by local sponsors generally hospitals or medical centers By Woody Baird AwoclahJ a MEMPHIS Gregory Mitchell wanta to live in a email town when he finishes medical training and jiUiHiiMMnth the folks rural West In fact they paid his way through medical school Mitchell and 15 classmates are the first to graduate from a University of Tennessee program designed to send family doctors to parts of the state hard planning on these two replacing the physicians who are on up in age" Tyler said Mitchell a native of nearby Savannah said he always planned on settling in a small town out was worried that medical school debts would make setting up a rural practice difficult Because of the UT program he has no debts from medical school Dr James Hunt the director said the average debt last year for graduates of UT-Memphis was $50000 The new graduates still have two to three years of training as hospital residents but when finished will move to the communities sponsoring them They must stay for four years but most are expected to settle In for the long haul Mitchell and classmate John Vinson were sponsored by McNairy County Hospital in Selmer JRosamond Tyler the administrator said his county of 22000 now has five doctors in family practice One is 70 years old and another is 62 Please see DOCTORS page B6 Holcomb supports move to recognize Creator Amendment is goal of drive By Tom Humphrey and Michael Slenco State Sen Jim Holcomb R-Bluff City who is seeking the US House seat of Rep Jimmy Quillen R-KingBport said last week he endorses a Quillen-proposed constitutional amendment recognizing God as a guiding force in the nation The amendment developed by named Unfortunately the existing interchange at 1-4075 oily accommodates parkway motorists on the north Bide of the interstate That led the Federal Highway Administration to tell the state tin 1-140 designation could not be in effect until the route was completed through to 1-4075 The new interchange will complete that link and allow for the 1-140 designation because it will tie the two legs of the parkway together and provide a Btraight Bhot into Blount County Construction cost: $107 million Construction could be completed by Sept 1 By Skip Lackey Stfsfitter In about 90 days motorists who travel Interstate 4075 and Pellissippi Parkway could get a much-needed break a state Department of Transportation official Baid last week According to Luanne Grandinetti state DOT spokeswoman mid-September is the estimated completion date of the Pellissippi Parkway interchange at 1-4075 Said Grandinetti: of having to go to downtown Knoxville and fight the frame all the way motorists west of the city can use the parkway as a direct route between Oak Ridge and McGhee Tyson Airport The wait has been a long one and a headache for motorists Over the past year for example motorists have endured delays caused by lane shifts lane closures and rolling road blocks on the interstate and the 1 Hood Road In addition the prqject haB dumped volumes of traffic on surrounding roads that must absorb the congestion until construction of the interchange is Grandinetti said the state also will be delighted when the interchange is completed has been a long prqject and one that will really provide a lot of access for people in Oak Ridge Alcoa on the west side of Knoxville and those en route to the Smoky Mountains she said you finish something that becomes a large part of your transportation network in the city you are very proud of it and satisfied with your Grandinetti said the following projects comprise construction now under way for the parkway sDpsiinwnKiTinipoiWlon I POLITICAL NOTEBOOK 3 In Blount County from toCusfckRoad Construction under way will cost about $25 nullum Completed date is July 15 the United Prayer Fellowship reads: in the Constitution shall prombit either public or private acnowledgement of Goa the Creator and neither the United States nor any state shall make any law nor any judicial system issue any judgment which restricts the recognition of the Almighty God and our individual and Joint dependence of The measure Holcomb said stemmed from the Greene County adoption last year of a resolution urging Congress to amend the Constitution to "formally recognize God and his values as the guiding force of our nation" It was intro- State Highway 33 in Maryville This prqject is in the planning stage July 1998 is the earliest date construction could begin State Highway 33 to UJS Highway 821 south ofUJSb Highway 411 between MaiyviDe and Walland This prqject is a long-range plan No estimated Hate for the planning phase has DutchtownRoad The parkway north of I-4Q75 to Dutchtown Road has long be in need of reconstruction to accommodate the volume of traffic that travels it Reconstruction is under way to widen the parkway to install new access ramps to the interstate to modify the intersection at Mabry Hood Road and redesign the existing Dutchtown Road interchange Construction cost: $14-6 million The prqject could be completed by May 11997 see CREATOR page B3 Study of development impact on Knox schools sought By Fox Mayshark rsaid "I feel the board would receptive to any idea that would help us" School board member Diane Jablonksi said the plans produced by MPC for each sector of the county currently look at the impact of development on roads and parks but not schools "We need to have someone going to look and use the data in a totally inclusive When Knox County school officials announced last month they planned to rezone some students from Halls High School to Gibbs High School it came as an unwelcome surprise to Halls residents Jerry Saia thinks it have Saia vice president of the Halls Neighbors Association said he have a good solution to the current problem of in Halls schools But he a plan to the school board last week that could give advance warning of similar problems in the future proposal actually came from asking how it is that we did not know four or five proposal came from it is that know four ago the impact of on our Jerry Saia Unification commission sets meetings The Charter Commission is writing the document outlining a unified Knoxville-Knox County government The charter must be done by July 1 and voters will decide whether to approve it in November two meetings scheduled this week: Wednesday June 12 11:30 am The Cost Benefit Analysis Committee meets in Room 640 of the City County Building 400 Maui St Friday June 14 2 pm The Charter Commission meets in the Main Assembly Room of the City County Building 400 Main St them expect to see for example the (school) superintendent tell the MPC that if this development is approved have to change tne design of an elementary school we have on the a i board an add three classrooms" Saia said That could avoid space crunches like the one currently hitting the Halls schools Because of rapid development Halls High School is expected to have an enrollment of 1400 within two years The school currently has about 1110 students and was built to hold 1200 think an outstanding Superintendent Allen Mor- flhis actually asking how we did not or five years qualitative development schools CWy SnnMnrt mff Jerry Saia vice president of the Halls Neighbors Association stands near Moss Creek development on Pleasant Ridge Road said wqy st MPC "she Executive Director Norman Whitaker said the planning commission gives the school system quarterly reports on tne number of developments ap- ments and preparing for their impacts By looking at the number type and cost of homes planned in a subdivision Saia said planners can predict the number of school-age children likely to move into calls for a planner to assess the impact of each new development on surrounding schools The Metropolitan Planning Commission and Knox County Commission could use that information in approving develop the qualitative impact i ment on our schools" he said The proposal which has been endorsed by the Halls Neighbors Association and will also be submitted to the countywide Neighborhood Network see REZONE pfge B6 UT hits fund-raising high extends its goal "Private monies let us do innovative programs that we do otherwise" said Bill Snyder chancellor of Knoxville campus Campaign chairman Bill Stokely who heads the volunteer group of UT alumni and friends conducting the drive said he was the results He said the new goal is attainable especially because the final phase of the campaign contacting 230000 UT alumni for donations even Inner-city picnic encourages togetherness State Rep Joe Armstrong D-Knoxville center and Charles Frazier right help serve up hot dogs as Leroy Thompson left waits for some food during Saturday's Family Unity Day picnic at Harriet Tubman Park in East Knoxville The event held to celebrate the black family featured food athletic activities arts and crafts and music The picnic was me of four held simultaneously In the major metropolitan areas of Tennessee Byron tSKmUMt By Jesse Fox Mayshark 8taRwiS Three years into a five-year fund-raising campaign the University of Tennessee is raising its goal from $250 million to $308 million "We all started and strained and after two years and 11 months into a five-year campaign we have raised $248 UT President Joe Johnson said The 21st Century Campaign largest campaign ever has so for generated 76165 donations including 41 gifts of $1 million or more The gifts will fond student scholarships faculty salary supplements and UT partnerships wish schools and businesses across the state begun still a big numb think the by is mentum going and Not goi Please see FUNDS page B3.