News - Friday, December 23, 2011

Heather DeGaetano did not want to see the century-old building her husband, Joe, was in the process of purchasing. She knew if she saw the dilapidated structure at 50 Frazier Street, she’d tell her husband to back out of the deal. “He’d described it to me, and I told him if I saw it, then I’d probably tell him he couldn’t buy it,” she says.

Brian Frye is a man on a mission. Or rather, a lawyer on a mission. One could even get more specific and say he’s a litigator on a mission. Frye is the president of the Chattanooga Trial Lawyers Association, an organization that has existed for about four decades, if his estimation is correct.

Tammy Babb has a full plate in front of her. It’s piled high with soup, bread, side dishes and a hearty main course. Yet, as the saying goes, there’s room for dessert.

As the lease administrator at Luken Holdings, Babb is responsible for making sure property mogul Henry Luken’s commercial interests are leased and his tenants are happy.

Denise Tipton is the Realtor Store Coordinator and the receptionist at the Greater Chattanooga Association of Realtors. Her cheerful smile is the first thing visitors see upon entering the building. (Susanne Reed)

As women gravitate away from science and engineering toward other professions, experts say employment in STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) fields will continue to grow.

The Girl Scout Council of the Southern Appalachians and AT&T have launched an initiative to spark interest in STEM careers in 250 Chattanooga-area high school girls. Girl Scout volunteers will deliver the program, called “IMAGINE: Your STEM Future,” free of charge in select high schools.

Now through January 1

EPB Holiday Window Displays

A Chattanooga tradition continues with the animated holiday windows at EPB.  View animated displays from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m. at 10 West MLK Boulevard.

December 31

Karen Lawrence Run for St. Jude

Before the New Year’s Eve party, grab your running shoes and join the annual Karen Lawrence Run to benefit St. Jude, beginning at 5 p.m. in downtown Chattanooga. Runners can choose to run or walk a two-mile course or run a four-mile course, starting and ending at the Sports Barn. Online registration is open through December 28. Early registration ends December 24. For more information, email benjicordell@yahoo.com.

This column originally ran in the Daily Record on December 10, 2010.

I’ve often said my only regret in life is I wasn’t Rod Stewart.  Part of the reason I have only one regret is life as a lawyer has been great. 

Still, if any of us spends enough time contemplating what might have been, we can imagine other paths, and I admit the thought of being paid to play my guitar, sing and have girls scream when I wink has real appeal.

I still remember his first practice. I recognize that stories are often exaggerated, but I believe this to be true: It was 105 degrees when the practice started. Even though he was big for his age, the helmet and the shoulder pads seemed to swallow him up. I made him wear a yellow practice jersey so he would stand out and I could easily find him on the field.

I bet more than one of you readers out there heard an upstream relative say to you when you were a kid, “What do you say?” This, of course, was an effort to get you to remember to say the two magic words. Which were … “Thank you.”

You probably think you know what this week’s column is about. You likely took one look at the robe decorated with plastic bubbles, the baskets packed with bath products and the party table and decided this week’s River City Roundabout is for the ladies.

Kathy and I drove up Highway 10 a few Saturdays ago to escape the crowding of the crowds. Our destination was Petit Jean. It was around noon when we got to Perryville, and we were both a bit hungry but didn’t feel like Sonic or Pizza Hut so we headed up the mountain. “There is a little store that makes good ham sandwiches and homemade fudge,” I told her.

By Mass. Lawyers Weekly Staff

The Daily Record Newswire

Clinic accused of misdiagnosing rare eye disorder

Over the first six weeks of 2005, the previously healthy plaintiff, a 24-year-old obese woman, visited her local health clinic on four separate occasions with various symptoms, including intermittent blurred vision, swishing/drumming sounds in both ears, torso pain, headache, vomiting and nasal congestion.

Christine Mirzayan was the last known victim of the Potomac River Rapist. On the evening of August 1, 1998, the 29-year-old had walked to a friend’s cookout in the Georgetown area of Washington, D.C. Recently married, Mirzayan had come to Washington from San Francisco for an internship at the National Academy of Sciences and was living in student housing at Georgetown University.

Bill Dietzen was presented the 2011 T.C. Thompson Award by Chattanooga Civitan Club president Mike Newton at Friday’s meeting.  Dietzen received the award for his work as Chairman of the club’s Civitan Child Welfare Auxiliary

Terry McDougal of McDougal Design in Cleveland, Tennessee, presents the final of a three-part continuing education class entitled Build Your Own Web; How to Catch a Customer offered by the Greater Chattanooga Association of Realtors.

1. What is the Jewish New Year called? Hanukkah; Yom Kippur; Rosh Hashanah; Bar Mitzvah.

2. How is the new year festival of Songkran celebrated in Thailand? By visiting family; parading statues of Buddha; throwing water at passers-by; all of the above.

When I was growing up, one of my very favorite dishes was the Chicken-a-la-King my mom would make. I loved the flavor of the vegetables and chicken together, and then once piled on top of fluffy, hot rice made it hard to beat!

Today, I have a recipe for Turkey a-la-King. This will help you get rid of some of the left-over turkey around your house in the most delicious way possible. It is similar to Chicken a-la-King, and it too, is delicious.

I’ve read several reviews of the new Sherlock Holmes movie, “A Game of Shadows,” and many of the critics complain about a lack of classic Holmes sleuthing. Having seen the sequel twice, I can only assume they weren’t paying attention.

“Shiny Objects: Why We Spend Money We Don’t Have in Search of Happiness We Can’t Buy” by James A. Roberts

c.2011, HarperOne           $25.99 / $28.99 Canada       353 pages, includes index

As fall turned quickly into winter recently, people all across the state hurried to switch on their heat and immediately started complaining about how cold it was. Forgetting that we just had one of the hottest summers in a long time, most of us reverted back to our usual selves of not being satisfied and seeking the need to gripe about something. We are either too hot or too cold, too fat or too thin, too tall or too short, don’t have enough money, pay too much taxes, work too much, and the list can go on forever. Are we ever going to be satisfied?

It’s three a.m. in the morning, and groggy with sleep, you get up from bed, grab your pillow, and clumsily make your way to the spare bedroom or couch. Sound familiar?

Unfortunately, for millions of people, this is a nightly routine. Why? You share a bedroom with a snorer. Many jokes are made about snoring; however, having to sleep beside a snorer is not a laughing matter!

Many agents have more buyer leads than they are able to convert effectively.  They generate them in large volume from the Internet, ad calls, sign calls, and floor time.  Currently, the Internet is the largest producer of leads.  The problem with Internet leads is the conversion rate on them is less than 1 percent.  Agents invest a tremendous volume of time working to convert buyer leads with a very limited return.

Saturday, December 23

Busses, trains and planes taking Chattanoogans home for the holidays were crowded Friday afternoon and night.  The highways were busy and the state highway patrol is working overtime to check accidents the holidays always bring.

Blood Assurance, a regional blood center, is issuing a critical appeal for A+ and A- blood donations due to a shortage of these types. When separated into components, one donation can benefit up to three patients at more than 50 hospitals and healthcare facilities throughout the region, a representative for the center said. Approximately 36 percent of the donor population has type A+, while only 6 percent of the population has type A- blood. Previous donors who are unsure of their blood type can visit any Blood Assurance location or blood drive and show a photo ID to learn their type. Donors who are interested in finding a blood drive can visit www.bloodassurance.org/blooddrives. For other questions, call 800-962-0628 or visit www.bloodassurance.org, where visitors can chat with a representative.