News - Friday, October 19, 2012

For over 20 years, the Chattanooga office of Legal Aid of East Tennessee has annually honored a Scenic City attorney who has gone above and beyond the call of duty to provide equal access to justice through pro bono work. While the firm has given its “Pro Bono Attorney of the Year” award to many deserving individuals, the honor did not allow them to recognize the long distance runners – those attorneys who had, in the words of Pro Bono Project Director Charlie McDaniel, “stuck with us for decades through thick and thin.” From the desire to remedy this limitation, the Pro Bono Hall of Fame was born.

This month, Chattanooga has been shining brightly with numerous festivals and events going on all at once. We want to devote space to where these events took place. You’ve likely heard the saying, “If you build it, they will come,” a line from the film “Field of Dreams,” many times. This is especially true of Chattanooga. Ross’s Landing, Coolidge Park, Walnut Street Bridge, Heritage Park, Summit of Softball - all once a vision or a dream - were the center of Chattanooga’s renaissance this month. RiverRocks, Wine over Water, 3 Sisters Festival, Bark in the Park, BSC Softball Tournament and National Night Out, to name a few, brought thousands of people to our parks and facilities. Could this have happened 10 or 20 years ago? Because of the leaders, citizens and believers who took a chance to build up this city, “they” are now coming in droves. (Photo by Dianna Blankenbaker.)

Francie Ryder didn’t know she was going to be called to the front of the County Commission meeting room in the Hamilton County Courthouse on the morning of Thursday, October 11. She was sitting in the back of the room, watching the Tennessee Real Estate Commission begin its monthly two-day meeting – a rare treat for Chattanooga, as the state regulatory agency meets only occasionally in the Scenic City. But before the commission dug into the business at hand, Chairman “Bear” Stephenson called her name.

Both home prices and home sales in September continued at levels higher than last year, according to the RE/MAX National Housing report, a survey of MLS data in 52 metropolitan areas. For the eighth consecutive month, September’s median home price was higher than the previous year. Median prices rose 7.8 percent from September 2011. Home sales followed a seasonal pattern and dropped lower than levels seen in August, but maintained a level 0.5 percent higher than sales last year. Inventory was 29.1 percent below September 2011 and may have contributed to the drop in sales from August. While low inventories are creating bidding wars in some markets, they also have resulted in prices moving higher.

There I was, holding a bean curd sandwich and about to explore the personally uncharted realms of vegetarian cuisine, when I received a text message from the GM of this newspaper. I put down the sandwich, picked up my phone and read a cruel grouping of words:

When I tell my friends in the midwest about Chattanooga, the Walnut Street Bridge comes up in every conversation.  I think of the Walnut Street Bridge as a centerpiece, a gathering place, a tourist attraction, a route, and, most of all, a symbol of Chattanoogan culture.

This article was originally published in the Daily Record on Nov. 4, 2011.

I flew to San Diego this weekend. Patti and William went with me. What I should say is that Patti and I went with William. William spoke at a dinner party/fund raiser for an organization that is producing a video to be used by the schools in California. The video will help young athletes and coaches understand the warning signs associated with heat stroke, head and neck injuries, and sudden cardiac arrest.

The Infield Fly Rule is neither a rule of law nor one of equity; it is a rule of baseball,” wrote William S. Stevens in “The Common Law Origins of the Infield Fly Rule,” Univ. of Penn. Law Review, vol. 123, p. 1474.

The IFR was invoked in the Octover 5 wild card playoff game between the Braves and Cardinals when a pop-up landed between St. Louis’ shortstop and left fielder, due to their miscommunication. The umps called the batter out. Atlanta’s fans threw garbage onto the field.

My daughter Alexis moved to Gotham in August and started a blog called “Brand New Yorker.” Her last post is called “Pumpkin Spice and Horror (The Most Wonderful Time of the Year).” She begins with two photos comparing the changing leaves in Central Park to the U of A at Fayetteville, her alma mater. Both are well represented.

Spring sprang, summer sizzled and now fall has fallen, and it’s feeling good! I sometimes wish we could have these beautiful autumn days year-round. Cool, crisp mornings and short-sleeve, sunny afternoons... For me, that’s a perfect combination.

We have had some unusual weather over the last decade, and it’s getting more and more unusual as the years go by. Scientists are in the labs with weather tracking systems and high-tech instruments to help us try to understand what is happening and when it will happen. All of this got me to thinking about the solar system – which I know very little about. After hours of reading, I decided to write about the planets – something we know about, but then a lot has changed since our science classes in school. See how much of this you can remember and then how much you know because you keep up with new findings.

Can a horror film stumble over its own logic but still be effective? In the case of “Sinister,” yes.

“Sinister” stars Ethan Hawke, an actor who elevates every movie he’s in, as Ellison, a true crime writer desperate for a hit. He had one ten years ago, but since then has written only pale shadows of his masterpiece. He’s so desperate, he’s willing to move into the house in which a quadruple homicide has just taken place. “Sinister” opens with an 8mm short of four members of a family of five hanging from a tree in the backyard, and then segues to Ellison moving in his family.

The Starting point of all achievement is desire. Keep this constantly in mind. Weak desires bring weak results, just as a small amount of fire makes a small amount of heat.” Napoleon Hill, American author, 1883–1970.

Is it time to face reality? Do you and your business have problems that require solutions? Very simply, you can’t change what you do not openly acknowledge. Identifying and admitting a problem goes a long way toward solving it. 

My grandmother lived to the very privileged old age of 105. She was a rarity among people in America, where the average life expectancy at the time of her death (2005) was 78.24 years – 75.78 years for men and 80.81 years for women. I don’t think I want to live to be that old unless someone invents an energy drug that makes you feel 40 all over again. Oh – and that’s safe and LEGAL!

More rigid lending practices have led to an increased number of closings on property purchases being delayed or not occurring on the scheduled date.

As a result of these common delays, the practice of a seller occupying the property after closing has also become more common and is now being negotiated into contracts from the onset. Occupancy after closing is not a bad practice as long as the terms of the occupancy are agreed to by all parties in writing to avoid any misunderstandings or complications.

Saturday, October 20

The Tennessee Association of Real Estate Boards, meeting in connection with a national association convention of realtors in Lexington, Ky., named Fletcher Bright of Chattanooga as president of the state organization.

Saturday, October 19

Today will tell the story for Chattanooga men who have been working hard to establish a half-million dollar endowment fund for the University of Chattanooga. Only $39,959 is still needed, and it is expected they will reach the goal. Those who have been working especially hard are John Stagmaier, Z.W. Wheland and Spencer McCallie.

Monday, October 22

Dual Exhibits at the Jewish Cultural Center

Two exhibits, “Interpretations: Contemporary Jewish Art” and “Windows of Identity,” will be open to the public at the Jewish Cultural Center from October 22 through November 30.  Each exhibit proclaims the unique visual dimensions of religion. A reception to meet the artists and view both exhibits will take place on Thursday, October 25 at 5:30 p.m. at the Jewish Cultural Center, located at 5461 North Terrace Road.