SAY THANK YOU

 Believe it or not, the next phase of the Schaad Road extension is in its last days. Paving have been completed on most of the road. After first deciding not to place a redlight at Andes Road, Knox County discovered what a dangerous intersection existed there, and as of today, the light is in operation. Residents who have lived through this three-year project are more than a little unhappy that a strip of between Fitzgerald Road and the construction project and another strip on Byington Solway Road from Boss Road to the new lanes have been left unpaved. After all that residents have put up with over the last few years, expecting those areas to be resurfaced is not such a big request. We’ll have to see what the folks at the highway department have to say. 

This project was a huge undertaking for the county. Two bridges were constructed to go over the railroad tracks, and a few miles of pastureland was converted to road. The work was slow and tedious as mountains of dirt were hauled to both places. The sound of beeping trucks backing up to dump their loads went on all day long. Good weather prevailed most of the time, but some weeks turned the construction area into a soupy swamp. In the end, however, this new road has taken a flood of cars that often sat in place as trains passed or as turn lanes filled up.  

All of us complain too much. I freely admit that my patience is short and that my ire arises when things don’t seem to run efficiently. What I realized yesterday as I talked to Kyle, who works for West Knox Utilities, is that hundreds of employees from several companies have toiled in freezing cold and blistering heat to make this new road possible. When the county decides to take on a project like the Schaad Road Extension, several things must occur first. Utilities have to be moved. West Knox Utilities had to move water and sewer lines so that they were aligned with the new pipes they installed. Digging those trenches and making things fit are laborious tasks. Telephone poles had to be removed and replaced so that the lines could be re-routed.  

I was thankful that the paving on the new road occurred during the cool weather of early spring. The tar was still steaming, but at least the temperatures weren’t as sweltering as they might soon become with summer. Such hard, hot, and sometimes boring work was completed rather quickly once it started. I am also thankful that workers with stop signs stood at end points to direct traffic. How many accidents they prevented is anyone guess. My entire body aches, especially my legs, when I think about having to stand in place for an entire workday to direct traffic. Boredom and an aching back would overcome me before much time had passed.  

I’m sure I’ve left out other groups of workers who participated on this project. It began with the extension at Oak Ridge Highway in the early 2000’s. In 2025, this phase will be finished. Then the next stage, either the widening of Schaad Road to Pleasant Ridge Road or Lovell Road to Shaffer Road, will be underway. I have no doubt that I’ll be long gone from this world before the projects are finished. So, I’ll say thank you to all who work on them and the recently completed section. We know how hard you have worked and appreciate your efforts to make traveling the roads easier. If we could just convince MPC and other folks to quit turning every empty parcel of land into a subdivision, life would be peachy. Otherwise, in no time at all, the same traffic snarls will once again gridlock our communities.  

The next time you have a crew working in your neighborhood, speak kindly to them. Maybe you can even offer them something cold to drink. Remember, they are trying to make things better for you.  

DON'T PICK ON OLD PEOPLE

 The weather has been perfect this week. In fact, all over the country people have taken to the outside, even where the cold weather still tightly areas. Nothing seemed to stop people from leaving their homes to join others in protests. Sure, some of the topics of discontent were questionable. However, one topic has the support of a majority of Americans: social security.  

We should all know that social security was the brainchild of President Roosevelt in 1935. Its purpose was to serve as a safety net for elderly citizens. Unlike so many other programs, this one was funded by deductions from employees’ paychecks and their employers.  

Over its 90-year life of the program, social security has often been the only source of income for the poorest of our older citizens. As of February 2025, the average monthly income for social security recipients is $1,976. How difficult life must be for those whose income is that little. How does one pay rent, buy groceries, pay the utilities, and put gas in a car on that amount? The choice between medicine or food is a real-life decision for too many Americans.  

As of February 2024, 67 million persons received social security benefits. Yes, most recipients are senior citizens. When the program was initiated, the life expectancy for Americans was 61.7 years. In 2025, the average life expectancy is 77.5 years. So, when the program began, many of the people died before ever drawing the first check. Now, the system pays seniors an average of 8-12 years.  

Social security deductions have been taken from workers’ paychecks each pay period. No one has a choice about paying the tax. The government takes that money and is supposed to make sure it is there for individuals when they reach retirement age. Unless those funds have been raided by the government, plenty of money should be available to pay those entitled.  

Now, those in power want access to personal data held by the social security system. They claim massive amounts of fraud are occurring and that the agency is overstaffed. Plans to fire thousands of employees and to shut many offices are being plotted. The results will be inconveniences for elderly who, often times, who are too frail or too remote to make journeys to offices to spend hours in line for assistance.   

Social Security recipient s have worked hard through most of their lives. Many have bravely served the country during times of war. Others have toiled for small paychecks that they, in some way, stretched to cover the bare necessities of life. Anyone, regardless of party affiliation or station in life, has no right to withhold the money that citizens contributed over a lifetime.  

All hope that the weather continues to improve so that the months ahead will be enjoyable. At the same time, Americans hope that some kind of common sense prevails so that social security checks continue to be mailed. Privatization might be a possibility for future recipients, but for us old codgers, the status quo is preferable. We are in the twilight of our lives, and we ask that you leave us alone for the few years we have left. That means that we receive the money which we are owed and that we have a fully functional agency to help those with questions. That’s the American way of handling things.

TRUTH, NOT GLITZ AND GLAMOUR

 Television programming at 7:00 in the evening is less than stellar. In fact, the choice of shows is limited to and made up of court shows and re-runs. Of course, some stations punish viewers with an extra half-hour local news. In fact, the news programs aired on most stations, including the national ones, are more production than information, and that annoys me. 

For one thing, I’m over the new way stations choose to work with their staff. News reporters now stand in front of giant screens with vivid pictures of some place or person connected to the story being presented. These presenters then walk to a table or dais in the middle of the set to turn over the next story to a cohort. I’m sure they are exhausted by the time the thirty-minute show is over.  

I’d suggest that anchors others on air “sit down.” Report the news and move on. So many more stories can be presented when those who give the news stay still. Besides, all that movement in more than a little distracting to viewers. Walter Cronkite became a voice on whom Americans could depend, and he never trotted around a set filled with large screens and a chyron constantly running across the screen. The public wants the news, not a show.  

Another thing that irritates viewers is the small talk that goes on between the team that is in front of the camera. Chit-chat between segments rarely is interesting or humorous. The babble only makes the news, weather, and sportscasters look and sound silly. Most local announcers are recent graduates from programs at UT or another college. Some of their attempts at small talk loser older viewers who have no idea about what they are talking. Additionally, older folks are suspect of such young people in charge of presenting the news.  

On the national scene, every story is presented as a crisis. Few rarely rise to that level. One of the most ridiculous thing is the making a crisis of the weather. Throughout my life, the winter has always been harsh in parts of the country. However, now the national news stations make the situation sound worse by saying that “millions of lives are at risk” due to the approaching weather front. Nothing has changed over the years except for the drama that the news has included.  

I’m a fussy old guy. What I expect in the news coverage is a presentation of the facts, not conjecture or other biased words. Here in Knoxville, we have had some good, “down-to-earth" news folks. Bill Williams will forever be a standard bearer for good news presentation. I also remember a young woman who came to work at a local station, and she made an impression for her work ethic and hard questioning. Carol Utley Marin. Her career led her to work in Chicago and also with national news organizations. Even earlier, I recall Doc Johnston giving the news at 6:00 p.m.  

These days, Americans need the news presented simply and truthfully. The glitz and glamour and new sets aren’t needed. What is most important is that those who report the stories daily do so in an honest, journalistic manner. We don’t need entertainment; we need the truth. Let’s encourage all who produce and present television news to make a commitment to it.   

GROWING OLD

A few weeks ago, I discussed my severe case of car fever. Well, I am healed! Yes, I took the dive and bought a new ”used” car. It’s my brother’s fault. He asked me on a Saturday to ride with him as he completed some errands. When I told him I hadn’t decided to by a car yet, he replied that there was no harm in looking.  

That drive to Rusty Wallace Nissan did me in. Upon arriving at the dealership, I immediately saw the vehicle in which I was most interested. Jim led me to the salesman with whom he’d dealt, and before long I was sitting in a cubicle talking about that car and the deal it would be. To be honest, the vehicle was spot on. It was the color I wanted, and it had plenty of bells and whistles, something my other cars never had.  

I drove the car home, but I called Amy to prepare her for what I was doing. She looked at the car and liked it. However, she wanted to know how we would pay for it. We had agreed to wait until April before shopping, but I told her that this car was a 2024 with only 2914 miles on it. That meant it was virtually new. Additionally, the dealership was running a sale, and the first payment wasn’t due until May.  

The salesman, David Bonah, made the experience the best one I’ve ever had. Usually, I leave car buying to Amy. She’s a tough negotiator and has no qualms about walking out if things don’t work right. David was forthcoming and helpful, and I felt that he was honest in his work with me. A few days later, he even helped me to sell my 2011 Pathfinder on the day it was listed for sale. David has also made himself available to answer questions that I have had.  

This new car scares me. I don’t like for things to be smarter than I am. However, this Pathfinder has heated seats and steering wheel, all sorts of driving aids, a wonderful sound system, and charging portals. Best of all, the car has Apple Play, which allows me to listen to my own music. Understanding how to set to door locks took some time, but I am a fan of how they work without fumbling with the key fob all the time. 

I’ve had a trailer hitch added and have hauled mulch for landscaping at the house. The muck from the mulch place dirtied up my new ride, so I cleaned it. The passage of time will be necessary before the “I can’t stand for my car to be dirty” feelings to subside. Of course, I dread the first ding from another car’s door hitting or a gravel chipping the paint, but once that happens, I’ll settle down. 

The first Pathfinder I bought in 1987. It was brand new, but the car had not back seat, radio, or air conditioning. Adding them afterward was more economical. The 2011 model that I was driving had some features that were nice. Now I have a car that’s smarter than I am, I don’t understand all the features that are offered, and I’m nervous about the first ding. Isn’t grand to live in this age? Maybe the best thing of all is that I bought this new Pathfinder before tariffs raise prices by several thousands of dollars.