News - Friday, October 16, 2015

Attorney Janie Parks Varnell believes the schools she attended did a good job of teaching her how to practice law. But they didn’t tell her one of the most important things she needed to know on her first day in court.

At Girls Preparatory School (GPS), which she attended from seventh grade through high school, Varnell learned to form an opinion about a topic, and to present her thoughts in a well-written manner. This served her well when she moved on to college. The all-girls school also encouraged Varnell to have confidence in herself.

The Women’s Council of Realtors held its first Bras for the Cause on Friday, Oct. 9 at the Choo-Choo Hotel.

The proceeds from the fundraiser benefitted the MaryEllen Locher Foundation, which provides scholarships to students who have either lost a parent to breast cancer or are children of breast cancer survivors.

HarvestFest at Harvest Grocery

Harvest Grocery in Hixson will host its first HarvestFest on Saturday, Oct. 17 from 11 a.m. - 4 p.m. Over 25 local vendors and artisans will set up booths around the Harvest Grocery parking lot at 5414 Hixson Pike. Free to attend, HarvestFest will include: a beer garden, a petting zoo, face painting, yard games, and live music. Certified Piedmontese will be providing $1 Piedmontese beef sliders, while Harvest Grocery will be providing $1 brats. For more information about HarvestFest, visit HarvestGrocery.com or follow Harvest Grocery on social media.

Attorney Laura F. Ketcham has joined the Chattanooga office of Miller & Martin.

Ketcham is a member of the firm’s Commercial Department, focusing her practice in the areas of bankruptcy and creditors’ rights, commercial finance, and providing general business counsel. She has represented various stakeholders in commercial bankruptcy cases across the country. She also has represented parties in a variety of financial transactions, loan workouts, foreclosures, actions asserting the breach of loan documents, and distressed asset sales.

Best Lawyers in American has selected Mike Richardson of the Chattanooga law firm of Tidwell, Izell and Richardson for inclusion in the 2016 version of The Best Lawyers in America.

Best Lawyers selected Richardson for his work in three practice areas: Legal Malpractice Law, Defendants and Litigation, and Labor and Employment.

So, I was in Northwest Arkansas a couple weeks ago for a golf tournament. On Friday night I swung by Penguin Ed’s, bought a mess of barbecue, and took it to the home of Sam and Pat Perroni, long-time friends who used to live in Little Rock. They have a beautiful spread a few miles outside Fayetteville, a picture-perfect spot for grandparenting.

Tea Hoffman, Esq., Law Strategy Corporation

Kurtis J. Winstead, Partner/Rudy, Wood &Winstead, PLLC

Thursday, October 29, 2015

8:00 am - Registration

Now that we’re well into autumn, the days are getting noticeably shorter. The change in seasons reminds us that time is passing – and it’s important to use that time wisely. When used well, in fact, time can be your greatest gift in many walks of life – and that’s certainly true when you invest. 

The American Institute of Real Estate Professionals (AIREP) has chosen Chattanooga Realtor Nathan Torgerson as one of the “2015 10 Best Real Estate Professionals for Client Satisfaction.”

Those chosen for the honor must pass a selection process based on client and peer nominations, research, and an independent evaluation by AIREP. Some of the selection criteria includes a perfect ten out of ten in client satisfaction, no negative feedback or complaints, recognized industry leadership, sales volume, and previous awards.

The third quarter of 2015 has come to a close, with all signs pointing toward normalcy. Across the country, there are pockets of interesting fluctuations, including some within the same state or city. However, the overall pace of real estate is marked with positive indications. The job market has shown continual improvement, jobless rates are down, real average hourly and weekly earnings have been up, and there has

It’s that time of year again – the time when ghouls, goblins, superheroes, and tiny Darth Vaders descend on the Greater Chattanooga Association of Realtors (GCAR) looking for hotdogs, hamburgers, games, and treats.

On Tuesday, Oct. 20, GCAR will host its annual fall festival featuring food, prizes, games, and activities, including a bounce house, hand pedal cars, a photo booth, skee-ball, t-ball, and more.

As the housing market continues its gradual recovery, who are today’s home buyers, and what motivates them to make a purchase? Recent analysis from the National Association of Home Builders of the latest American Housing Survey provides insight into recent home buyers and the home buying process.

On Oct. 19, the Chattanooga Housing Authority will create a new waiting list for the

Housing Choice Voucher Program through the use of an online lottery system. The preliminary application will be available online Monday, Oct. 19 from 12:01 a.m. to 11:59 p.m. The link to the application will be posted at www.chahousing.org.

People are always complaining about how movies based on books are never as good as the source material. Well, they can stop their grousing, because the movie version of “The Martian” is not only as good as the book, I think it’s better.

Eleven Hamilton County Mayors joined together Monday, Oct. 12 at the Tennessee Riverpark to launch a major health initiative.

All ten of Hamilton County’s municipal mayors joined Hamilton County Mayor Jim Coppinger to launch a Smoke Free Community initiative intended to improve the health and economy of the county. The mayors are asking citizens and visitors to not smoke in parks and public spaces, especially around children and those with health conditions that might be aggravated by tobacco smoke.

October marks Breast Cancer Awareness Month, an annual campaign to increase awareness for a disease that impacts millions of people. To show support in the fight against breast cancer, FIVE and the Plastic Surgery Group have joined together to launch #DrinkPink.

Although there is a band called Smashing Pumpkins, that’s not what I’m referring to in this week’s column. I’m thinking more along the lines of the British term, and decorating an awesome looking pumpkin door display. A smashing display of autumn!

Nothing ever becomes real till it is experienced.

John Keats

There are single words that create a bond between two people; words that have different meanings to only them because of associated memories. Like when I hear the name “Keats,” I’m taken back 40 years to Father Tribou’s English class. It was there we studied the odes of the famous poet who died at 25 from tuberculosis, that strangulating disease infamous enough to be known only by its initials, and which probably kept kids named Thomas Benjamin or Toby Bartholomew from getting the similar cool nicknames that DJ or RW enjoy.

The Better Business Bureau (BBB) will expand its annual Secure Your ID Day to two days this weekend: Friday, Oct. 16 at Scenic Community Credit Union (located at 4503 Hixson Pike) and Saturday, Oct. 17 at Lee Corners (located at the intersection of Lee Highway and Highway 153).

Saturday, Oct. 16, 1965

A $2-million subdivision, Brookhaven Heights, is being completed on a 40-acre tract at the intersection of Hickory Valley and Shallowford Roads, it was announced by Elbert K. Scholze of Scholze Realty Agency.

Sunday, Oct. 17

Nearly 500 Hixson youngsters staged a neighborhood demonstration in support of U.S. policy in Viet Nam and as a personal tribute to their own hero, Marine PFC James Jones, who was wounded Oct. 3 while on patrol in Viet Nam and is now in the Naval Hospital in Japan. Jones, 18-year old son of Mrs. Joyce Kelley, joined the Marine Corps in August 1964.

Saturday, Oct. 16, 1915

Presidents Day, observed at the Kosmos Club yesterday, was attended by more than 100 women. Receiving were Mrs. M.N. Whitaker, president, and the executive board members. A musical program was given by Dr. and Mrs. C.A. Garrett.

Unfortunately this last week I was summoned to my couch for multiple days in a row because I caught the flu. Obviously not the way I wanted to start out the wonderful weather that comes with fall, but on the positive side, it allowed me and my body much needed rest.