The Knoxville News-Sentinel from Knoxville, Tennessee • 4

Tlaireilay July 1 2010 Local A4 Editor: Jolm North I Plione: 865-342-6397 I I peks unanimously for Watson asashow ofunity Should Watson decline the job council voted to offer the post to Ray Gosack currently the deputy administrator for Fort Smith Jane Miller said during discussion was just right on Hensley Watson "seemed excited about building a consensus among Council members interviewed all four finalists Monday and the 1 candidates appeared that night in a public forum and answered questions Beehan now has the task ofham-TTvring nut a contract with Watson should he accept the offer That pact would be similar to the contract council inked with James who resigned as Oak Job will be offered to former city chief of Yuma Arizona BY BOB FOWLS fowWbknoxnwxorn It took two informal ballots and an hour of talk before Oak Ridge City Council in special session voted 7-0 to offer the dty post to Mark Watson former dty manager ofYhma Ariz Watson 55 said in a phone interview shortly after Wednesday aftenxxm decision that htfs being courted by another dty of similar size but likely makeadecision on the Oak Ridge offer within the next 72 hours "I want to move very quickly and I want to be fair to the city of Ode said Watson who is married and has four grown children Watson emerged as choice after the pair of straw votes and a general discussion of the candidates He initially received three top votes and two second-dace finishes on first-round balloting Watson nabbed four votes in the second round when council voted only an their top choices Councilman Anne Garcia Garland backed offher initial two candidates and threw her support to Watson instead then When the formal vote was taken council members followed Mayor Tbm urging and voted i Howto a mountain (TOP ML Left hope scientists in the distant future have equally keen senses of suspicion and humot Jto rewrite geologic history of the Southern -Appalachians I think about this truism every time I add to the large pile of stones an HighTbpi Asks nameimolies Highlbpis the absolute uppermost tippy-top point on Mount LeCante It rises 693 feet above sealeveL Way up there for sure And in good company took The entire -stretch akmg the Tfennessee-Nbrth Carolina banter represents some of the loftiest real estate east of the Mississippi According to the National Fuk Service this -results inanunbroken chain of peaks that rise more than £000 leet for 36 But for all its irethe-clouds glory poor High Tbp comes a distant third among tallest peaks in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park For umpteen years hikers have been trying to change that by the summit with a rock or two from the traiL Ift all in jest of course Tbngue-of-boot-in-chedcyou might say An engineering miracle would be required to extend High'Ibp beyond the lag boys Mount Guyot and Clingmans Dome (6643) But that doesn't keep folks from trying Based on my annual eyeball -inspection ofthe High Tqp cairn it rises an extra 6 8or 10 feet give or take before stones slough off and the builds anew What I realize was how many practical jokers were in on this action Last July Zl I wrote about collecting five Atlantic Ocean shells from the coast ofNorth Carolina At the time I said I was goingtoput them on High'Ibp in the summer of2010 in the hope of causing scientific head-scratching thousands of years down the pike rd taken this impish cue from the late Ed Wright a veteran LeConte hiker and trail volunteer who once told me he had added red cliffrocks from Utah and foafcgoldfromColoradotothe mixture little did I know others were doing the gamp thing -Afier that enhimn ran heard from several including Phyllis Mason of Gatlinbuig and Steve and Linda KoUeofBtoaqungtonIiid Phyllis admitted die had deported rocks from Lake round of balloting with three votes The other candidates were William Shanahan city manager of St Mary5Ga and Jim Zumwalt former city manager ofPaducahKy Watson was asked to resign from the Yuma dty job in Manh after a new dty council refused to renewhis contract According to rimMercei the headhunter hired by Oak Ridge to recruit applicants and winnow the field down to finalists Thenew (Yuma) council wanted total just think he (Watson) is the man for Oak Ridge" Vice Mayor Drivers were directed toade-tour using Murdock Drive during the ramp closure By widening the overpass drivers are no longer required to merge with southbound traffic before the overpass as theprevi- in itpggn maidalwt About 24000 vehicles a day travel on the southbound lanes ofPellissfopi Parkway Not only do the renovations lessenthe conflict with traffic on Pellissippi Parkway but workers also extended the merge lane saulyounivnewssentinel ATDOT read ramp closure sign has been moved to the shoulder as a vehicle merges onto the ramp leading from Lovell Road to south- bound Pellissippi Parkway on Wednesday The exit opened Wednesday and had been closed since December The work was done because drivers on southbound Pellissippi Parkway had to go around slow-merging traffic post in January in Winchester Va Bob Fber News Sentinel Anderson County edKor may be reached at 865-403625 from 375 feet tolOOO feet The interchange qualified for federal funding through the Noimprovements were made on the ramp to northbound iParkwaybecauseitis 700 feet Jong and has not exhibited the craw issues seen on the southbound ramp Don Jacobs may be reached at 8653426345 similarly tothe Alert to help locate missing individuals who have disease or related dementias The measure removes the age requirement to include any citizen with Alzheimert dementia or a physical impairment Previously the law was limited to those 60 years of age or older Approximately 100000 Ttennes-seans and as many as 52 million the Alghrimart Assoriafinn are glad the Legislature is taking this issue seriously" said Karin Miller spokeswoman for truly amat-ter of life or death Minutes count when someone with Alzheimert disease or any fijrm of dementia is i i 1 j'- regional construction supervisor for the Tennessee Depart-mentoflkansportation said the $878789 upgrade was finished onits scheduled cranpletion date ofjune30 Workers on Dec 2 2009 closed the ramp that averages 400 vehicles a day Crews from Charles Blalock and Sons worked to widen the Lovell Road overpass extend the the offramp for southbound traffic robbery Daw takes effect TDOT project to rework overpass ready on time BY DON JACOBS Officials on Wednesday opened the reconfigured Lovell Road ramp to southbound Pellissippi Parkway that should provide enough room to safely merge into traffic Duane Manning assistant AnntetS Offenders now must serve 70 percent of their sentence IY LUCAS JOHNSON Associated Pres NASHVUE Legislation that requires people convicted of armed robbery to serve most of their sentences prison is among a number of measures that will becoax law today The measure would increase the minimum time served for aggravated robbery with a weapon from 30 percent of the sentence to 70 percent Supporters have said the change would mean offenders would serve at least six years up from the current minimumof about two years Hbosier stones for 16 years time to markafamily milestone "We commemorated my wifek 93 in 2000 and my own monrt a year later" Steve wrote me There is an Indiana rock for a dear friend who died a year or two after that This year we havea solemn oocaskmtD observe buta joyous one: the births of our first So we added one fix Jenna and another for Normally rtn a stickler for protocol I have no patience with poachers tree-carvers graffiti artists and others who leave a foul mark on these mountains Bullhave to think even alike would get alack out of visitors who go to the trouNe ofbringing a rock (or seashelD from hunmeds of miles away and straight up Thaft Sam Wnablrt column appears on Sundays Tuesdays Thursdays and Fridays He may be reached at 865-342272 or WnaUeSknooarews nessee to carry their weapons while big game bowhunting and another makes it clear ammunition can be transported alongside riffesc shotguns as long as not loaded Legislation allowing handgun carry permit holders to bring weapons into bars and alcohol- restaurants became law voted overwhelmingly last month to override the governor veto of the legislation The measure applies to the stated handgun carry permit holders Bar and restaurant owners maintain the power to ban all weapons from their establishments Another measure taking effect today seeks to improve the stated Akrt whidr MORE Arnnl the ration: New laws target gin control smoking and drinking A6 prison time by transferring sentences for first-time convictions for 19 nonviolent felonies to community corrections programs The measure was supported by the stale's police chiefs and by prosecutors niirlirnitipd number ofjail cells will be available to house our most violent said House Minority Leader Gary OdomaNashviHe Democrat and sponsor of the measure There are a few gun bills that will also become law One allows handgun permit holders in Tfen- 5ZST aasma: rr V- 1.