A Hairy Encounter with G.W. Bush

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http://www.thedailytimes.com/sited/story/html/158876

Maryvillian has `hairy' encounter with Bush
2004-03-17
by Robert Norris
of The Daily Times Staff

Not everybody gets kidded by the president of the United States and laughs about it. Not in an election year, anyway.

But a Maryville man was and did Tuesday.

``That audience liked it,'' said Roman Botcharnikov, speaking by phone from Washington after his meeting with President Bush at a meeting of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.

At the national chamber meeting, the president noted Botcharnikov's accent didn't sound like he came from Tennessee.

``Well, yes. I'm from Russia originally,'' Botcharnikov explained.

Botcharnikov was in Washington at the invitation of the White House to speak about health care access.

He lives in Maryville and has a business in Knoxville, Salon Azure in Homberg Place.

``Yes, I was wondering about that hair design thing,'' Bush said, eliciting laughter from the audience.

``Is it wigs, or ... what is your business?'' the president asked, again to the amusement of the chamber members.

As they say, you had to be there. The humor was visual. The Maryville man owns a hair design studio, but, as the president noticed, Botcharnikov is bald.

Then they got down to business. Botcharnikov explained how he lowered the monthly cost of his family's health insurance from $485 to $177.

There were two elements to the reduction: high-deductible health insurance and a product made available under the new Medicare law, a health savings account.

Blount Countians may know Botcharnikov more for his coaching than for his hair business. He's coached two Maryville High School students to state pole vault championships. First, Jeff Trembley, and now his younger brother, Lee, current MHS track and field team member and state champion. He also coaches Lawrence Johnson, silver medal winner for the United States at the Sydney Olympics.

Botcharnikov's son, Devon, is a freshman at MHS and a pole vaulter on the team. Devon was in Washington with his dad Tuesday, much to his surprise.

``He didn't believe me at first,'' Botcharnikov said. ``Devon said, `Everybody's going to Florida for spring break.' I said, `Let's see the president instead.'''

How it happened

The Washington trip came about because Botcharnikov's family health insurance jumped from $385 to $485. He started shopping around, and ended up with a new health insurance plan through ehealthinsurance.com.

A company official recently contacted Botcharnikov and asked permission for the firm to give out his name to others. Not long afterward, Sen. Bill Frist's office contacted him. Then came the White House call. Today, Botcharnikov is invited to Sen. Lamar Alexander's Washington office.