http://www.blounttoday.com/staff/sherri-gardner-howell/<P>When you sit around and play the "Chat Room" game -- where you ask yourself and your friends the questions Blount Today puts in the Chat Room each week -- the "Why did you choose the career you did?" question is a little hard for Blount Today publisher Sherri Gardner Howell to answer. <P>Not that there isn't a perfectly good, truthful answer. It's just that the answer is soooo embarrassing! <P>Truth is, Sherri became a journalist because she's lousy in math. What she intended to do when she came all the way from Lexington, Tennessee, to Knoxville (300 miles, step-to-step because you had to get off at Rockwood), was major in English, write the great American novel and win a Pulitzer by the time she was 30. <P>But English majors at the University of Tennessee have to take a full year -- 3 quarters, at the time -- of math. Journalism majors didn't have to take any, nada, zippo. <P>Welcome to Journalism, Ms. Gardner. <P>Luckily, it was a good fit. Journalism is fast-paced, populated with interesting people on both sides of the notebook and challenging. <P>Sherri's career centered around the Knoxville News Sentinel for almost 30 years where she was an obit writer, feature writer, entertainment editor, features editor and assistant managing editor. <P>Although she has always considered her most important job to be that of raising two wonderful sons and being a supportive wife, career has always been a driving force, and journalism a white-hot passion. <P>Then, in 2004, a strange thing happened. News Sentinel publisher Bruce Hartmann asked Sherri to set up shop in Blount County, where Scripps was beginning a brand new weekly newspaper that Mr. Hartmann would oversee. <P>Sherri said OK, but only for four months, just for the challenge of helping get a new paper started. She didn't know anything about Blount County, felt quite at home in Knox County, and, besides, there would be math involved in being a publisher. <P>Blount Today was born on Aug. 26, 2004, and Sherri has never looked back. Community journalism done right, the way it is at Blount Today, has always had her heart, and she loves her team, loves the community and really, really loves OUR newspaper. <P>Blount Today is Committed to Community. Sherri Gardner Howell, publisher of Blount Today, is so committed to Blount Today that she daily punches up her calculator, pours over budgets and does the math. en-ushttp://www.blounttoday.com/photos/2011/jun/29/24748/Representing the Parton’s Smokin’ Butz barbecue team at the 2011 Big BBQ Bash are Kristie Parton, JeWed, 29 Jun 2011 19:51:00 -0000http://www.blounttoday.com/photos/2011/jun/29/24748/http://www.blounttoday.com/photos/2011/may/18/24011/Maryville police officer Gary Nitzband readies to lead riders in the Tour de Blount bicycle rally frWed, 18 May 2011 17:50:00 -0000http://www.blounttoday.com/photos/2011/may/18/24011/http://www.blounttoday.com/photos/2011/apr/13/23426/And 1 minute after the “official” Relay Roast picture was taken…Wed, 13 Apr 2011 20:38:00 -0000http://www.blounttoday.com/photos/2011/apr/13/23426/http://www.blounttoday.com/photos/2011/apr/13/23423/Having a good time under Relay Roast Media Sponsor Blount Today’s banner are Jay Lindsay, Debbie StaWed, 13 Apr 2011 20:37:00 -0000http://www.blounttoday.com/photos/2011/apr/13/23423/http://www.blounttoday.com/photos/2011/apr/13/23424/Lining up at the Capitalist Pigs Relay Roast for a party shot are Angie Kirby, Bill Kilgore, Vickie Wed, 13 Apr 2011 20:37:00 -0000http://www.blounttoday.com/photos/2011/apr/13/23424/http://www.blounttoday.com/photos/2011/apr/13/23425/Andrea and Chris Crawford fill their plates with Capitalist Pigs barbecue and all the fixings.Wed, 13 Apr 2011 20:37:00 -0000http://www.blounttoday.com/photos/2011/apr/13/23425/http://www.blounttoday.com/photos/2011/apr/13/23420/Tony and Phyllis Crisp chat with Tara and Mike Rasher at the Capitalist Pigs Relay Roast.Wed, 13 Apr 2011 20:36:00 -0000http://www.blounttoday.com/photos/2011/apr/13/23420/http://www.blounttoday.com/photos/2011/apr/13/23421/Relay for Life chair Debby Curtis and husband, Jeff, enjoy a beautiful night at Smithview Pavilion fWed, 13 Apr 2011 20:36:00 -0000http://www.blounttoday.com/photos/2011/apr/13/23421/http://www.blounttoday.com/photos/2011/apr/13/23422/A night of music and barbecue brought friends Danielle and David Holp, Mandy Sitzlar, Ashli ChristenWed, 13 Apr 2011 20:36:00 -0000http://www.blounttoday.com/photos/2011/apr/13/23422/http://www.blounttoday.com/photos/2011/apr/13/23418/Friends and co-workers from Kroger came to help the Capitalists Pigs raise money for Relay for Life.Wed, 13 Apr 2011 20:35:00 -0000http://www.blounttoday.com/photos/2011/apr/13/23418/