News - Friday, October 25, 2013

The morning of October 17 had looked like rain, but by the time golf carts carrying members of the Chattanooga Bar Association rolled out across the course at Black Creek Golf Club, the low-lying clouds that had clung to the surrounding mountains had lifted, and participants were afforded an afternoon of sunshine in which to compete for bragging rights.

Legal Aid of East Tennessee on Thursday, October 17 hosted a Pro Bono Hall of Fame reception to honor the attorneys who have gone above and beyond the call of duty in assisting the firm in helping clients who need a lawyer but can’t afford to pay for one, and in promoting equal access to justice across the state. Pictured are five of the 12 attorneys Legal Aid honored that night, including (from L-R): Sam Elliott, Bill Carriger, Joe Simpson, Bruce Bailey, Dick Crotteau, and Charlie McDaniels, director of the Pro Bono project at LAET. Full story beginning on page 3. More photos beginning on page 13. 

The highest ranked judge in the State of Tennessee, Chief Justice Gary Wade, graciously attended the Pro Bono Attorneys Hall of Fame Reception at Legal Aid of East Tennessee on Thursday, October 17. The reception honored attorneys who over the years have consistently supported LAET with pro bono work and advocated for equal access to justice. Justice Wade spoke with warm gratitude, humility, and humor to a small gathering at Legal Aid’s downtown office about the importance of pro bono work.

I am embarrassed to say that, until last week, I wasn’t completely aware of the origin of the term “bucket list.” I understood the concept that comes along with it as a list of things you want to do before you die, but I never recognized that “bucket” came from the age-old analogy to one’s death. This admission highlights the fact that I have never seen the movie by the same title, and am sometimes not quite as aware of pop culture as I should be.

Two of the three Chattanooga firefighters who were injured in a structure fire on Oct. 7, 2013 spoke with reporters last week about their experience. With burns clearly visible on their necks and ears, and their hands and arms covered in bandages, they described what happened that day.

Rotary Club of Chattanooga Hamilton Place in 2012 began honoring select firefighters once a year to thank the men and women of the Chattanooga Fire Department for their hard work, dedication, and the risks they take in protecting the city and its people. This year, the Club bestowed the honor on two firemen – Senior Firefighter Kyle Duggan and Captain Dean Rogers – for their efforts to save two children in a deadly house fire in April. Pictured with Rogers (right) and Duggan (left) at Embassy Suites on October 23 are Rotarians Rick Carlson, Stan Russell, and Gina Crumbliss. 

Every October, when Halloween comes around, no matter how careful we are, we still hear news of a tragedy that has happened. A child was lost, or injured, or hit by a vehicle. Our local American Red Cross posts a few safety tips on their website for us parents, as does the Center of Disease Control. 

A while back, I cited a sports item in which two coaches were, respectively, if not respectfully, cited as having said that a matter was “between he and I” and “between me and him.” I asked which coach was correct, pronoun-wise. Boy-oh-boy, did I ever get viewer mail in response!

Enter, stranger, but take heed

Of what awaits the sin of greed,

For those who take, but do not earn,

Must pay most dearly in their turn.

~ J.K. Rowling, “Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone”

This past week, Don and I dined at one of our favorite restaurants. In honor of autumn, I had to have a “fall food” dish. I chose Butternut Squash Cannelloni in Saffron Cream Sauce. In my opinion, I made an excellent choice.

So, as you can probably guess, that’s the recipe I have for this week. Butternut Squash Cannelloni in Saffron Cream sauce. Yes, it’s lengthy, and uses ingredients you don’t normally have on hand, but it’s fun and rewarding!

The Jolly Green Giant, a.k.a. Greater Chattanooga Association of Realtors president Mark Blazek, making the rounds at GCAR’s annual Fall Fest. The event is held to thank the families of association Realtors for their support of the profession, which requires a lot of time, attention and hard work. Proceeds from renting the vendor booths are donated to Widows Harvest Ministries. Here, Blazek is pictured with (L-R) Crye-Leike broker Vickie Trapp, Cathy Gibson of Title Guaranty & Trust Company, and Marlyn Gadd of Realty Title. More photos on page 16.

When a client meets with McCoy Homes, there’s no mistaking the quality of what they’re going to get, as the builders at McCoy have put their talents on display for all to see at their East Brainerd Road location.

Instead of a blasé office space, McCoy has transformed its headquarters into a glossy showcase of home furnishings, complete with two kitchens, two bathrooms, a living room, and a design center where clients can work with a full-time interior designer to choose everything that will define the look and functionality of their home.

Not long ago, we had a Miss America Pageant. That was a huge thing when I was growing up; now I find it hard to tell you who won. I don’t know what has changed so that not as many people keep up with Miss America anymore - unless she does something stupid during her reign. Then we know about it!

The notion of remaking a classic is not unheard of in Hollywood. But when you re-do a movie as revered as director Brian DePalma’s “Carrie,” you need to bring something new and remarkable to the table to make it worth seeing. Director  Kimberly Pierce and her three (!) writers had an opportunity to offer something the original movie didn’t, but instead delivered a nearly beat-for-beat retread, only with a scrap of the cinematic power.

I don’t know if you have ever tried to trace your ancestry, but it can get really interesting at times. A lot of people are involved in ancestry tracking; I once heard of a fellow who spent $1,000 to uncover his ancestors. After doing so, it cost him another $5,000 to cover some of them back up.

At church, we’re going through a small group study titled “One Month to Live.”

Written by Kerry Shook, it’s not a book about dying; it’s all about living. There are six short vignettes with these titles:

Living the dash – Simply put, our lives are summarized on a head stone with a birth date, a dash, and an end date. The dash represents our life.