January 14, 2012
Writers’ Guild President to Speak at Torch Club

by Martha Rose Woodward

Sunspherebook@aol.com

Stephen Levy, president of Knoxville’s Torch Club, invites everyone to the club’s January 19th meeting at noon at the Orangery Restaurant. The guest speaker for this month is Terry Shaw, president of the Knoxville Wrtiers’ Guild. Shaw will speak about his career as a reporter and author and discuss his activities while president of the Knoxville Writers’ Guild. Entry to the meeting is free and you are on your own for lunch which can be ordered from the menu.

Shaw’s latest book, The Way Life Should Be, is a novel published by Touchstone-Simon & Schuster in 2007. It’s the story of a smalltown Maine newspaper editor who seeks to find the truth behind a married politician’s brutal murder in a gay pick-up spot. The mystery was chosen as winner of the Gather.com First Chapters Contest out of more than 2,600 entries.

A native of Corry, Pa., Shaw has worked as a newspaper reporter and editor in several states. He graduated from Penn State with a bachelor’s degree in political science and English.

He is currently serving as the president of the Knoxville Writers’ Guild, a group of over 230 local writers who seek to learn more about the craft.

He, his wife Beth and standard poodle Zoe live in Knoxville’s Parkridge neighborhood.
He’s putting the finishing touches on a crime novel set in Niagara Falls, N.Y.

 The Torch Club is an international association of local clubs in which respected persons practicing recognized professions enjoy the cultural interchange of knowledge. Established in 1924, Torch Club now operates in 75 locations in the United States and Canada. Each has a monthly meeting that is highlighted by the presentation of a paper by a member or guest on a topic of concern to modern society. Following the presentation, the members discuss the subject. It is through this sharing of knowledge and points of view that Torch becomes a unique and beneficial experience.

Call 865 951 0319 for more details.

2:38pm  |   URL: http://theknoxvillejournal.tumblr.com/post/15840261710/writers-guild-president-to-speak-at-torch-club
Filed under: Terry Shaw Torch Club 
November 1, 2011
Torch Club Announces Guest Speaker

from Stephen Levy

submitted by Martha Rose Woodward

Sunspherebook@aol.com

Our speaker for the November 17th luncheon meeting of the Torch Club will be John Prados who will be speaking on the “History of the Chemical Engineering Department at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville”.  The Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering (CBE) is celebrating its 75th anniversary in 2011. The department was established by the UT Board of Trustees in 1936, and its original home was Estabrook Hall.  Early leaders and innovators in the department included the first department head, Dr. Robert M. Boarts; Dr. Homer F. Johnson; Dr. Fred Peebles; Dr. John Prados; Dr. George Frazier; and Dr. Charles Moor.  The Chemical Engineering Department is celebrating its 75 year anniversary and John has been with the department for 50 of those years in one position or another.  John is Vice President and University Professor Emeritus here at the University and has been a loyal member of the Torch Club for as long as I can remember.

During Professor Ferris’ tenure as dean (Charles Edward Ferris: 1907 – 1940), the Department of Chemical Engineering was established and Dean Ferris gained national prominence by founding one of the country’s first cooperative engineering programs that offers a specialization in chemical engineering.  The Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering is one of the oldest engineering programs in the South. It was included as an option in Chemistry as early as 1905 and became a separate department in 1936. The Masters program was begun in 1935 and the Ph.D. program in 1949. The University of Tennessee’s Ph.D. program was the first doctoral program in engineering offered by any institution in Tennessee, public or private. The undergraduate program in Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering has been continuously accredited since 1939, making it one of the four oldest accredited Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering programs in the South.  The undergraduate program in chemical engineering received its initial accreditation from the Engineers’ Council for Professional Development (now known as ABET) in 1939, making it one of the first four chemical engineering programs in the South to receive accreditation. (Programs at Georgia Tech and Virginia Tech were accredited in 1938, while those at Tennessee and Louisiana State were accredited in 1939). The program has been continuously accredited since that time. It is currently accredited by the Accreditation Commission of ABET, http://www.ABET.org. The Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering Department has had only seven Heads in its 58-year including Dr. John W. Prados (1990-1993).

12:31pm  |   URL: http://theknoxvillejournal.tumblr.com/post/12199850924/torch-club-announces-guest-speaker
Filed under: torch club John Prados Stephen Levy Martha Rose Woodward 
October 10, 2011
Stan Johnson Featured Speaker for Torch Club

By Martha Rose Woodward
Sunspherebook@aol.com

Stan Johnson will be the featured speaker for the Torch Club on Thursday, October 20th beginning at 11:45. Everyone is invited to hear the presentation about clean energy and how to create and sustain jobs for Knoxville’s urban youth.

Stan Johnson is the Director of SEEED. Stan is CEO of S & J Ventures, Inc., a development company. A long-time resident of Knoxville, he earned a B.S. in business administration from Knoxville College. He is a member Metropolitan Planning Commission of Knoxville, a member of the Masonic Lodge and Omega Psi Phi Fraternity. His goal as commissioner is to help citizens understand the process of planning and zoning in our community. 

SEEED is a Socially Equal Energy Efficient Development is a green community development non-profit focusing on creating and sustaining jobs for Knoxville’s urban young people, and ensuring clean energy and conservation technologies are available for low income residents. Ours is a movement that grew out of kitchen table conversations in 2009, where residents (a mix of young people and adults) of Knoxville’s Empowerment Zone talked about the opportunities that were developing with green jobs and how these opportunities could be used to transform the community. Young and old alike developed the idea of SEEED.  SEEED prepares at-risk young people for good paying, sustainable green jobs in Knoxville’s emerging green economy.  SEEED participants are low-income young people 16-28 years old from the heart of Knoxville.  Youth who apply and are accepted into the program participate in a 90-day pre-apprenticeship, which includes basic life skills training, mentoring, and 50 hours of community service. After the 90-day period, 18-24 year old participants can apply for an intensive residential 12-month green job education, apprenticeship, and placement program.

4:58pm  |   URL: http://theknoxvillejournal.tumblr.com/post/11286289833/stan-johnson-featured-speaker-for-torch-club
(Notes: 2)
  
Filed under: torch club stephen levy martha rose woodward stan johnson SEEED Socially Equal Energy Efficient Development 
September 6, 2011
Torch Club’s September Speaker—Interior Designer Ryann Aoukar

submitted by Martha Rose WoodwardSunspherebook@aol.com

The Torch Club To Hear From World-renowned Interior Designer 

Who: Associate Professor Ryann Aoukar from Canada

 What: Presentation at the Orangery for the Knoxville Torch Club 

When: September 15th noon until l:30 p.m. 

Where: Kingston Pike; Organery Restaurant

 Why: Aoukar will speak about his exciting career in interior design

 MEETING FREE TO THE PUBLIC BUY YOUR OWN LUNCH 

CALL  S. Levy at 865 805 2313 FOR DETAILS

10:19am  |   URL: http://theknoxvillejournal.tumblr.com/post/9877297222/torch-clubs-september-speaker-interior-designer-ryann
Filed under: Ryann Aoukar Steve Levy Torch Club martha rose woodward 
April 24, 2011
Talk of the Town by Martha Woodward April 23

　Sunspherebook@aol.com

Greg Mackay was fired as Knox County Election Commissioner this week after serving for nearly a decade in the position. Three Republicans on the Knox County Election Commission voted to replace Mackay at their commission meeting late Friday afternoon. Voting went clearly along party lines as Republican Commissioners Bob Bowman, Rob McNutt and Chairman Chris Heagerty voted to fire Mackay. Democratic Commissioners Cameron Brooks and Secretary Cassandra Stuart voted against the move.

Commissioner Cassandra McGee-Stuart said, “Greg didn’t deserve this. He’s worked extremely hard during his 10 years as election administrator.” Cameron Brooks told the media that he thinks Mackay got a bum deal.

Mackay, who was first hired by a commission controlled by Democrats, was nearly voted out in 2009, but then election commissioner Paul Crilly voted to keep him. Crilly was recently replaced and the new commission under Republican control ousted Mackay.

Mackay had no comment on the decision.

Applications and resumes for the position are being sought until April 26.

Scott Frith, who is currently the Deputy Director, will serve in the interim election administrator’s position until a permanent administrator is voted into place. It is not known if Frith, a full-time student, is planning to apply for the job. Rumors are going around that Frith could become the Election Commissioner and turn around and appoint Mackay as the Deputy, but this idea has not been confirmed.

Emily DeVillers was the speaker for the Torch Club’s Aril meeting. Her topic was electric vehicles and charging stations. Emily graduated from Ripon College in Ripon, Wisconsin with a BA in Environmental Studies and a BA in Politics and Government. Her senior thesis was on the effects of climate change on the Amazon Rainforest. After graduating, she volunteered (through AmeriCorps) to work with the East Tennessee Clean Fuels Coalition, serving as the Education Coordinator. She taught 5,000 students during 09-10 school year about alternative fuels.

The Torch Club is an international association of local clubs in which respected persons practicing recognized professions enjoy the cultural interchange of knowledge. Established in 1924, Torch Club now operates in 75 locations in the United States and Canada. Each has a monthly meeting that is highlighted by the presentation of a paper by a member or guest on a topic of concern to modern society. Following the presentation, the members discuss the subject. It is through this sharing of knowledge and points of view that Torch becomes a unique and beneficial experience.
Membership in the Knoxville Torch Club is open to anyone with an interest in learning, please contact

by e-mail (coffeyd@utk.edu) or by phone (865-974-8829).

The City of Knoxville Primary Election will be held on September 27, 2011. The

City of Knoxville General Election will be held November 8, 2011.

5:34pm  |   URL: http://theknoxvillejournal.tumblr.com/post/4906904290/talk-of-the-town-by-martha-woodward-april-23
Filed under: martha rose woodward torch club city elections greg madkay fired 
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