News - Friday, March 15, 2013

In Ketchikan, Alaska, there are waters on which a 14-year-old boy can spend his summer commercial fishing on an old wooden skiff for five days at a stretch, just him, the captain, and their catch swimming in the dark depths beneath them. There are forests that support a construction industry that will pay a 17-year-old boy nearly $30 an hour to do backbreaking labor for 10 hours without taking lunch. And there are tiny islands without roads on which a boy can grow up in a 900-square foot log cabin set well above the water on pilings, traveling to and from school on a 13-foot boat.

The Southern Lit Alliance’s signature event, the Celebration of Southern Literature, will return to Chattanooga for its seventeenth year on April 18-20, with events based around the works of world-renowned Southern writers.

This year’s schedule for the Celebration of Southern Literature, described by writer and critic Louis D. Rubin as “the leading literary event of the South,” has an impressive lineup of literary greats, such as Richard Bausch, Ron Rash, Roy Blount, Jr. and a keynote address by award-winning playwright Beth Henley.

Special to the Hamilton County Herald

State Sen. Jim Kyle (D-Memphis), the Democratic leader of the Senate, sees things at the legislature these days he does not like.

But he knows there is not much he can do, other than raise public attention.

Any battle to remove required government public notices from newspapers is an assault on government transparency.

Compromising government transparency is a full-out assault on the citizens of Tennessee. 

Government belongs to the governed, not the governing. 

The court system of New York, pushed by Mayor Bloomberg, put the first dagger into the law to limit the amount of soft drink that could be sold in a cup. The reality that a movie-goer or a shopper at a local 7-11 would not be allowed to buy a 32-, 44-, or even a 64-ounce “coke” almost came to be. Thanks to a court decision this week, the freedom to drink all you want out of the same container is still intact. Bloomberg was quoted as telling the press that it’s not uncommon for good ideas to be challenged.

Warmer weather has finally arrived, and as I have said many times before – this is my time of year! I’m so happy to have some warmer weather so I can get outside without my nose running, my eyes watering, and my fingers and toes freezing! I know all of you are thinking it doesn’t even really get that cold in Little Rock, but I’m telling ya – it doesn’t take a whole lot for me!

BROOKLYN, N.Y. — The American Crossword Puzzle Tournament is like an annual meeting for the cruciverbalism industry. At the 36th installment of this event, the three-peat crown wearer, Dan Feyer, a pianist from Manhattan, pretty much went wire to wire.

The first time I described Brush, Paint & Sip to someone, they didn’t think I was serious. I repeated myself: “You drink wine and then paint something.” They laughed, still thinking I was joking.

Then I realized my error. I was making Brush, Paint & Sip sound akin to the schoolyard game in which you spin around a baseball bat for 30 seconds and then try to run in a straight line. But it’s not like that. You don’t get inebriated and then try to paint inside the lines. Rather, you spend 30 minutes with friends tasting a variety of wines, then you filter into a room in which easels and paint supplies are already set up, and follow the instructions of your host as you reproduce a simple painting.

In honor of the recent marathon that I somehow managed to sleep through again, and the fact that I’ve still got the Academy Awards on my mind, how about a quote from Mickey (played by Woody Allen in his film, “Hannah and her Sisters”) as he watches all those joggers passing by in Central Park - Look at all these poor people, trying to stave off the inevitable decay of their bodies.

This week, I have two great and very easy recipes to share with you. One main dish (a one-pot entrée) and a desert.

The dessert comes from Karen Brown, who’s on the Arkansas Newspaper Foundation Board. She shared this candy during their last meeting, and Jay, our managing editor, loved it. I have assurances from him that it’s very good. I have made a candy similar to this using graham crackers; I’m anxious to try it with saltines.

The recession did a number on Assist 2 Sell, like it did on a lot of real estate companies. In its heyday, the business supported about two dozen agents at its office on Brainerd Road. Today, it’s down to four. But like a fighter that’s been knocked down but not out, the company is standing to its feet, shaking off the blows, and preparing to take advantage of the reviving health of the real estate industry.

After making her own dream of homeownership come true, Chattanooga resident Nakia Singleton decided she wanted to help other people realize their real estate goals and dreams are achievable.

When Nakia was in the process of buying her home, she had to put a lot of trust in her Realtor and finance company which gave her the desire to learn everything about the real estate industry. Nakia’s search to buy her first home sparked her passion for real estate and led her to the decision to start a new career as a Realtor.

Dear EarthTalk: 

I’d like to have a garden that encourages bees and butterflies. What’s the best approach?

~ Robert Miller Bakersfield, Calif.

Any garden, whether a window box on a balcony or a multi-acre backyard, can be made friendlier to pollinators. Xerces recommends providing a range of native flowering plants that bloom throughout the growing season to provide food and nesting for bees, butterflies, and other pollinators. Xerces also says clustering flowering plants together in patches is preferable to spacing individual plants apart: “Creating foraging habitat not only helps the bees, butterflies, and flies that pollinate these plants, but also results in beautiful, appealing landscapes.”

1. Of the following colors, which is NOT found on an original Starbursts package? Red; Orange; Yellow; Green; Pink.

2. What college did Abraham Lincoln attend? Harvard; Yale; William & Mary; none of the above.

3. True or False: Astronauts Gus Grissom, Roger Chaffee, and Ed White were killed when the Saturn IB rocket exploded on the launch pad.

There is no yellow brick road in “Oz the Great and Powerful,” nor are Dorothy’s ruby red slippers on display. But I didn’t miss them. The new “Oz” movie is terrific, captivating entertainment in its own right.

That’s not to say “Great and Powerful” doesn’t feel like a return to the world that has enchanted millions since L. Frank Baum penned his books, and the classic “Wonderful Wizard of Oz” movie first graced theaters in 1939. Plenty of Oz iconography and characters are on display, though sharing which ones will spoil some of the film’s best surprises.

Saturday, March 16

Memorial Auditorium and the Tivoli Theater will be managed by Ben S. Landress, who recently was named assistant manager of the auditorium and manager of the theater. He will fill the vacancy created March 11 by the death of Tommy Thompson, manager of the auditorium for 31 years.

Saturday, March 15

A relic from the battleship Maine, a valuable gift, has reached Chattanooga. The gun carriage and armor, which was recovered from the sea, was covered with barnacles and clogged with mud. Temporarily, it will be placed in Union Station. Senator Newell Sanders secured the relic for the city.

Saturday, March 16

Ready to Garden Workshops, Part 1

Crabtree Farms will offer two Ready to Garden workshops to teach the basics of spring vegetable gardening. Topics will range from preparing garden soil to companion planting. Beginners as well as experienced gardeners are welcome. On Saturday, March 16, from 10 a.m. to noon, students will leave how to prep a site to be a healthy garden. Topics will include soil testing, fertilizing, understanding soil pH, turning the ground over, and planning a garden. On Saturday, April 6, from 10 a.m. to noon, students will learn about the best vegetables to plant, when and how to plant, watering properly, successions, fertilizing, overview of pests and diseases, and companion planting. Each workshop will cost ten dollars for non-members. Registration is required. Call Andrea at 423-493-9155, extension 13, or email ajaeger@crabtreefarms.org to register.