News - Friday, January 25, 2013

The Honorable Shelley Rucker, U.S. Bankruptcy Court, swears in M. Craig Smith as the 2013 Chattanooga Bar Association President of the Board during the 115th Annual Meeting of the CBA at Read House on Wednesday, January 23. The 2012 award winners were also announced during the meeting, including: YLD Volunteer of the Year Award, Barret S. Albritton; Harry Weill Zealous Practice of Law Award, Chancellor W. Frank Brown III; Albert L. Hodge Volunteer Award, Barry L. Abbott; Jac Chambliss Lifetime Achievement Award, Paul Campbell, Jr., posthumously; President’s Award, B. Paul Hatcher; and the Ralph H. Kelley Humanitarian Award, Marcia Meredith Eason.  Additional photos will be published in next week’s edition. (David Laprad)

Each day Hamilton County Juvenile Court is in session, young children, sometimes numbering in the dozens, spend untold hours in the lobby. Their stories are varied: Some are there because a sibling will be appearing before a judge, and their mother or father was unable to arrange for daycare. Others are present to testify in cases of abuse. Whatever their reasons for being in the building, their experiences are rarely positive, and their unbounded energy can make the lobby a noisy cacophony.

The Chattanooga Fire Department last week announced there were no fire-related deaths in Chattanooga for 2012. “We always strive to prevent fire fatalities in Chattanooga,” said Fire Chief Randy Parker, “but we’re usually disappointed. This is good news for us and the city we serve.”

There are fewer bamboo reeds, honeysuckle vines and weeds along the Reflection Riding portion of the Chattanooga Nature Center thanks to Chambliss, Bahner & Stophel employees.

In celebration of Dr. Martin Luther King’s legacy, employees of the law firm volunteered their time at the Chattanooga Nature Center on Monday, January 18. Employees worked on three main projects, including clearing an area for an azalea garden along Reflection Drive, cleaning the greenhouse and prepping for the Chattanooga Nature Center’s annual plant sale and removing bamboo from the Siren’s Pool area.

Notwithstanding the common meaning given to the term “Player,” one of the ways I have come to classify the people of this world is either as a “Player” or a “Worker Bee.” The differentiation of the two is as complex as it is simple. The designation is not permanent and it is possible for a person to be both at the same time, although not usually in the same area. Being a Player is not easy, on the other hand to most Players it comes naturally.

The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation is calling all fifth graders from across the state to participate in the United States Department of Justice 2013 National Missing Children’s Day poster contest by entering at the state level for a chance to be selected as the national winner and awarded a free trip to Washington D.C. The purpose of the contest is to demonstrate America’s united effort to bring missing children home safely, highlighting the importance of education programs.

The holidays might be gone, but winter is just getting its mojo going. Break out the oatmeal and earmuffs! Temperatures that don’t move the thermometer and the biggest cold and flu months lie ahead.

Relax. If you winterize your body the YOU Docs way (www.realage.com), you’ll protect yourself and your family against cold weather’s often-underrated health hazards: Seasonal affective disorder (SAD), hypothermia, too much snow shoveling, spikes in LDL cholesterol, and more.

How could I not read the latest David Rosenfelt novel, “Airtight?” How could I not?!

The author’s very publicist himself sent me an advance reading copy, asking that I do so. That, plus the book starts out with the murder of a judge, and I obviously want that case cracked, right?

I sat in my den with Kathy, by the warm fire, thankful for her and for our home, and that we still enjoy each other’s company. We were reading to each other back and forth when I started “Kay’s Cooking Corner,” from my favorite newspaper. Kay began her column – “I usually don’t make New Year’s resolutions…”

Tired of the cold weather? I am! I’m ready for spring – for flowers, green grass and a clean car. However, I still have a while before all of that becomes reality.

How about soup? Tired of trying to find a soul-warming, hearty new soup or chili recipe for you or your family to have that perfect “comfy” meal during this cold weather? Well, I’m not tired of soup and chili yet, because I love soup and chili, but I am in the mood for a slight change, and I’ve found the perfect casserole: Mexican lasagna!

Crye-Leike Chattanooga Realtor Preston Brown is on a mission to help people participate in the American dream of homeownership.

Brown on January 22 teamed up with Becca Pool of Mortgage Investors Group to host a free homebuyer’s seminar. The seminar was held at Crye-Leike’s Ooltewah branch office.

According to the RE/MAX National Housing Report, 2012 was the long hoped-for turnaround year for the housing market.

The report shows a broad recovery across the country, with both home sales and prices rising almost every month of the year. For December, the number of home sales was up 3.8 percent and the median price of those homes rose 7.6 percent. Throughout the year, a favorable combination of record low interest rates, affordable prices and a shrinking inventory created opportunities many consumers could not resist. The inventory of homes for sale fell each month of the year, ending the year at a level 29.1 percent below the inventory of December 2011. A reduced inventory helped home prices rise, but also made it difficult for many buyers to find the home of their dreams. The New Year should see the same trends continue.

Dear EarthTalk: 

Why is airplane exhaust so much worse for the environment than engine emissions on the ground?  

– Winona Sharpe, New York, N.Y.

While air travel today accounts for just three percent of worldwide greenhouse gas emissions, the carbon dioxide and other pollutants that come out of jet exhaust contribute disproportionately to increasing surface temperatures below because the warming effect is amplified in the upper atmosphere.

This is a mixed bag of trivia – maybe some you know; maybe some you don’t know! Have fun!

1. According to legend, what did Archimedes have in common with Lady Godiva? Both invented military machines; both were expert equestrians; both created exquisite chocolates; both went running down the street nude.

If there’s one thing about movies I dislike more than seeing a bad one, it’s seeing a good one go awry. For most of “Mama,” I was thrilled to be watching a horror movie of substance. There were no Texas chainsaws, pale vampires, or paranormal activities; rather, two women struggled with the burdens of being a mother. That one of them was dead was beside the point. Here was a scary movie about something! And then...

Saturday, January 26

Councilmen David M. Eldridge, Jr., Jim Turner and Jack Mayfield will accompany County Judge Frost and County Manager Raymond Proctor to the second annual County Urban Congress in Washington February 6 through 9.

Final plans for a $3,000,000 office building and shopping center in the Golden Gateway will be submitted to the Chattanooga Housing Authority by February 10. Construction will begin about March 1, Earle W. Kozis, vice-president of Helmsley-Spears in New York said Friday.

Saturday, January 25

At a meeting of the National Lumber Exporters, Fred Arn of Chattanooga was unanimously elected president of the organization, which is one of the most prominent and exclusive of its kind in the United States. The meeting was held at Hotel Patten.

Every Monday

Learn to line dance!

Learn to line dance every Monday at 5:30 p.m. at Allemande Hall, located at 7400 Standifer Gap Road in Chattanooga. No partner required or experience necessary. The group dances to all genres of music including pop, hip-hop, country and more. The cost is $7 per person. For more information, contact Vicki Pierson at www.linesinmotion.net or 423-309-6842.