News - Friday, December 12, 2014

The American Lung Association last week announced its 2015 Tennessee Women of Distinction, which include 12 of the Chattanooga area’s most accomplished ladies. The women will be recognized at the 30th annual Women of Distinction awards luncheon Friday, April 24 at the Chattanooga Convention Center Ballroom.

Realtor Regina Ragon is a woman of many pursuits but a single heart: helping others. She doesn’t believe in handouts, though, but hand-ups.

Growing up in Chattanooga, Ragon watched her parents give beyond measure to those in need. Their selflessness impacted her in a big way. “They were the most wonderful people in the world,” she says, leaning on hyperbole for effect, but only slightly. “There wasn’t a time when I didn’t see them giving, giving, giving to anyone they could. When other people would reject someone, they would welcome them with open arms and do what they could.”

To be thankful.

As I look back over the year here at the Bar Association, we have a lot to be thankful for. In no particular order...

I’m thankful for Sam Elliott, who assists our office with requests from the Board of Professional Responsibility.

I’m pleased to announce COS Business Products & Interiors as a 2015 CBA sponsor. COS is well known throughout our local legal community, and many of our members currently use them for a variety of business products and services, including office supplies and furniture.

A judge and a lawyer are among the ten women Girls Inc. has selected to be honored at the 11th annual UnBought and UnBossed Awards luncheon. Named for the phrase coined by Shirley Chisholm during her run for the 1972 Democratic presidential nomination, the UnBought & UnBossed Awards honor local women who through their career and community involvement have made a significant impact on the lives of women and girls. Community members submit nominations of women residing in Hamilton County, and the ten honorees are chosen by ten high school-aged girls participating in Girls Inc.’s Women History Project.

Mina Phelps, a 100-year-old resident of Life Care of Red Bank, conducts a choir of Realtors, mortgage people, home inspectors, insurance folks, and office staff as they sing, “Silent Night.”

The group walked the halls of Life Care Thursday, Dec. 4 singing Christmas carols and visiting with the residents. When asked if the carolers could sing to her, the spunky Phelps said, “Sure, if it’ll make them feel better,” which triggered tremendous laughter from everyone in the room. 

Selling your home during the winter months can be a daunting task. The holiday season is already a hectic time of year, and selling a house can be stressful. However, there are distinct advantages to selling your home this time of year.

The housing inventory is always lower in the winter months, meaning fewer listings and less competition. By taking just a few simple steps to prepare and stage your home, you can sell it sooner rather than later.

Like everyone else, you have financial goals. To help achieve these goals, you may need to invest — and when you invest, you’ll need to take on some risk. But the more you understand this risk, and the better you are at managing it, the greater your potential for staying invested for the long term. 

CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Friday night after Thanksgiving. Stephen Curry’s at the charity stripe. Swish! Golden State 18, Charlotte 10.

Curry ranks third in NBA free-throw percentage – .931. He’s made more foul shots than the two guys ahead of him combined.

Is Ferguson a turning point,

or just another burning point?

Will Staten Island’s choking gasp,

Put us on a better path?

In our zeal to protect our land,

Have we lost sight of founding fathers’ plan?

Our system must provide the means,

In an iconic scene in “A Charlie Brown Christmas,” the Peanuts gang ice skates to the music of jazz pianist Vince Guaraldi.

The scene perfectly portrays the romance of ice skating during the holiday season. Now Chattanooga residents can enjoy an afternoon or evening on the ice with family and friends, courtesy of Ice on the Landing.

The Tennessee Supreme Court has determined that Tennessee Human Rights Act claims against local governmental entities are not governed by the Governmental Tort Liability Act (GTLA). The Court has also determined that Rights Act claims filed in chancery court include a statutory right to trial by jury.

What’s the chance the high school you graduated from 30 years ago and the high school your children attend three hours from where you grew up would be competing in the state football championships in separate games, but on the same day? In most cases, the chances would be astronomical. In my particular situation, the chances are substantially better than most because of where I come from and where my children go to school. In this particular year, lightning struck, and that very thing happened. Last week, I spent all day at War Memorial Stadium watching Bentonville and Pulaski Academy win State Championships in their respective divisions.

Hamilton County Mayor Jim Coppinger and The Partnership for Families, Children and Adults invited the community to A Season of Remembrance on Dec. 4 at the Arboretum of the Hamilton Country/Chattanooga Courts Building. The courthouse is located at 600 Market Street with the public entrance on the Cherry Street side of the building.

The Chattanooga Bar Association is seeking nominations for the 22nd recipient of the Ralph H. Kelley Humanitarian Award for community service. The award is to be given to a member of the legal profession or a judicial officer who, in the opinion of the Board of Governors, has displayed exemplary service to the community of Chattanooga by civic, professional, or other activities directed toward improvement and preservation of the lives, property, and dignity of its citizens.

Chambliss, Bahner & Stophel has been ranked on the BTI Client Service A-Team for the fifth consecutive year. The list identifies, through interviews with corporate counsel, law firms around the country that excel in client service. Chambliss was ranked in the top eight percent of 650 firms listed.

Growing local startup Bellhops is moving shop to Warehouse Row’s Class A office space. Offering services in more than 120 markets in 42 states across the country, Bellhops connects customers planning moves with the manpower they need, logging close to 10,000 moves in this past year alone.

SmartFinancial, Inc. (SmartFinancial), parent company of SmartBank, and Cornerstone Bancshares, Inc. (Cornerstone), parent company of Cornerstone Community Bank, this week jointly announced the signing of a definitive agreement to merge, creating a combined company that will operate under the name SmartFinancial, Inc.

I have found out that when something ends, something else begins. At least that’s how it’s worked in my life. Over the years, I’ve held numerous titles - some given, some won, and many just because I showed up. One such title happened because I began something over 36 years ago, and was the one still there at a most inopportune time.

Jerusalem: sacred to half the people on earth; fought over more than any other place in history; conquered, destroyed, rebuilt, and reinvented repeatedly over 5,000 years. The Tennessee Aquarium IMAX 3D Theater will offer special screenings of “Jerusalem 3D,” a new film that explores the intersection of history, religion and archaeology in the city, Friday, Dec. 26 through Sunday, Dec. 28

Instead of skewering “Horrible Bosses 2,” the only major new release this week, I’m going to offer up some well-timed advice. This time of year can be stressful as we try to balance parties, family time, the financial pinch, and the mentally taxing process of trying to figure out what to buy for the special people in our lives. I’m here to offer relief with regard to the last one – at least when it comes to film lovers.

In honor of the sacrifices local military veterans made in service to their country, American flags will now fly on Veterans Bridge in Chattanooga year-round.

Thirty flags were raised Thursday, Dec. 4 during a ceremony at the Bluff View Art District Sculpture Garden, which overlooks the bridge. The flags replaced the 30 raised on May 15, 2014, which will be folded and presented to the families that donated them.

I received an email not long ago talking about teaching cooking skills to children with special needs. It was written by Beverly Palomba, a teacher for pre-K through high school for more than 20 years.

During the past 11 years, she’s worked exclusively in special education, and four years ago, created a life skills cooking class at the local high school especially to meet the needs of her students. In addition, Beverly provides cooking workshops at local community centers. This program inspired her first book, “Special Day Cooking: A Life Skills Cookbook.” For more information, visit www.specialdaycooking.com.

^“A school without football is in danger of deteriorating into a medieval study hall.” -Frank Leahy

Late December and early January bring one last great fix for college football addicts. I will definitely need a good detox program after Jan. 12.

Holiday Starlight Parade cancelled

The annual Holiday Starlight Parade, downtown Chattanooga’s traditional Christmas parade, will not happen this year due to lack of financial support. Typically scheduled on the second Saturday of December, The Holiday Starlight Parade has been known as an evening parade that features lights as its main theme on floats, bands, and other entries. Although this parade has been a staple of entertainment during the holidays downtown for over 20 years, this is not the first year that the parade has taken a hiatus due to lack of funding. It does have the potential of occurring in the future if a sponsor is found.

The other day a project for some sunburst mirrors came to me through my email. When I saw the mirrors I thought of my best friend, who not too long ago pointed out gold sunburst mirrors in Hobby Lobby. With a bit of spray paint, mirrors, and wooden sticks I knew I could make these mirrors very cheaply, and create a great addition to her décor. 

In my younger years, I was addicted to The Beatles (as were most teens); however, as I got older, and so did The Beatles, my tastes changed, and so did theirs. In fact, after the band broke apart, I pretty much quit following them.

I know millions of people were not at all like me, and they’re still pretty much like “Elvis” fans – in their minds, he will NEVER die, even though he did. And so did John Lennon. In fact, Dec. 8, 2014 was the 36th anniversary of his death at just 40 years old.

Fill in the blanks in the quote using the following words:

stupid, tree, you, live, fish, believing, climb, life

 judge, whole, genius, ability, everybody

“_____ is a _____. But if _____ _____ a _____ by its _____ to _____ a _____, it will _____ its _____ _____ _____ that it is _____.”

Saturday, December 12, 1914

Mr. and Mrs. J.I. Carter and Mrs. W.A. Jones are home from Sweetwater.

Miss Leonora Miller, who’s studying voice at the New England Conservatory, will spend Christmas in Bridgeport, Conn.

Mr. and Mrs. T.W. Miller of Columbia, S.C. will come next week to spend the Christmas holidays with Dr. and Mrs. N.J. Mayes.

Saturday, December 12, 1964

A group of Chattanooga’s leading businessmen Thursday visited the Koehring Southern Division Plant on Manufacturer’s Road after a luncheon at Pan-O-Ram Club given by Koehring officials. The reopened plant will mean upward of $2 million in payrolls and another million in items purchased from Chattanooga dealers in a year.