News - Friday, March 22, 2013

State Rep. Kevin Brooks, (R-Cleveland), sees a simple, biblical guidepost for the lopsided Republican majority in the state House.

“To whom much is given, much is required,” says Brooks, the assistant majority leader.

Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam, Economic and Community Development Commissioner Bill Hagerty, and Don Lepard, president and CEO of Global Green Lighting, this week announced the company’s plans to hire as many as 250 people at a newly established lighting assembly facility in Chattanooga. The move is creating jobs for Tennesseans by bringing subcontracted production back from China.

By the time you read this, many of you will have busted brackets. The sports gurus are expecting this to be a unique college basketball championship. They’re saying any number of teams could win it all. They’re saying no one team is a sure thing. They’re saying... Well, who cares what they’re saying? In the end, one team is going to win. If any one of us really knew how it was going to happen, that person would have a chance to be a lot richer.

I’m sure you’ve seen the commercials. There are many of them by the Wriggly Gum Company in which a young woman, without warning, sprays the mouth of someone in an attempt to clean it. They are commercials geared to make the audience laugh; unfortunately, bad bread is no laughing matter.

Since writing about magician David Kwong last November, I’ve been waiting for The Incredible Burt Wonderstone to come out. David’s listed as one of the film’s two magic consultants at IMDB, though I saw three names in the film’s credits. I enjoyed the film on the day it was released, and now I’m watching the reviews roll in on Rotten Tomatoes. As of this column’s deadline, its audience rating was 63 percent, with its Tomatometer rating hovering around 40 percent. The latter number is the one that Wordplay finished its run at 95 percent, though its final audience rating was 57 percent. Go figure!

Nothing piques my interest in going out to eat like the launch of a new pizzeria. Judging by the crowd at Community Pie last Saturday night, I’m not the only one who feels this way. As my wife and I approached the newly opened restaurant, we saw a line out the door, and people occupying every seat along the windows, which were raised to afford a view of Market Street and Miller Plaza. The weather was pleasant, so we were happy to check in and watch people while we waited.

Someone commented recently that he thought it was the fault of computers, video games and cell phones for all of the deadly gun violence at schools across the land. So I thought I’d see if I could support his theory through a little fact checking. I couldn’t.

This past week, hubby and I ate at a restaurant where the soup of the day was Garlic. This has always sounded like an overwhelming soup to me, so I’ve always passed on it; however, for some reason, this night was different. I ordered the Garlic Soup.

The Lawrence Team of Prudential RealtyCenter.com received the Legend Award this month at Prudential Real Estate’s annual sales convention. The award recognizes producers who have won the Chairman’s Circle Award five times during their association with Prudential Real Estate. As a Legend Award winner, Doug and Sherry Lawrence join sales professionals consistently ranked in the top two percent of Prudential Real Estate’s network, said Ben Kelly, owner of Prudential RealtyCenter.com. Doug and Sherry entered the real estate field with Prudential RealtyCenter.com in 2003. In addition to winning the Legend Award, they have also won several Team of The Year Awards and Corporate Relocation Honors. (David Laprad)

Collier Construction broke ground on a new Sandhill Crane enclosure at the Chattanooga Arboretum & Nature Center on Thursday, March 7. The local general contractor has also volunteered to repair the Nature Center’s existing eagle enclosure.

Dear EarthTalk: 

How toxic is chlorine? My well water was chlorinated just yesterday, and today, the smell is still strong. I have a 4-year-old daughter, and I’m concerned. ~ Rose Smith, via e-mail

My husband and I recently made a trip to Mexico. It’s my favorite place to travel to during whale season. I snapped some good pictures, and our guide gave us a lot of whale facts. I’ve based this week’s game on some of what I learned. See if you can find something new.

In The Call, Halle Berry plays Jordan Turner, a veteran 911 operator who makes a grievous error during an abduction attempt that costs a teenager her life. Unable to accept her failure or allow herself to be in a position to handle life or death situations again, she takes a job training newcomers. Months later, she’s showing a group of greenhorns the ropes when a call comes in about another abduction. The operator at the station where the group is standing panics, and Turner takes over. During the ensuing call, she hears something that tells her the man abducting the girl is the same one as before.

The Chattanooga Department of Public Works will conduct a wood lottery on Thursday, March 28th, 2013 at 10 a.m. This event will take place on Moccasin Bend at the Waste Water Treatment Plant. The entrance to the wood storage area is located off Moccasin Bend Road just south of Hamm Road before you get to the golf course. Directional signs will be posted. “This lottery will work the same as the ones conducted in the past announced City Forester Gene Hyde, “We do have some nice pieces of black cherry, boxelder, walnut and possibly other woods.” These pieces came from trees that either fell into a street right-of-way or were removed to make way for another project. 

Success is not a place at which one arrives but rather the spirit with which one undertakes and continues the journey.” – Alex Noble, author

It’s been said that managers do things right and leaders do the right things. The former is about efficiency; the latter is about effectiveness. It’s easy to be busy but hard to work on the right things. Leaders must focus on doing the right things – those things that matter the most to the success of the company. In short, effective leaders must drive the focus of the organization. Leaders must channel the time, talent, energy, and resources of the organization toward tackling key priorities and goals. Owners must ask constantly, “What’s Important Now (WIN)?”

Saturday, March 23

S.V. O’Lenic, president of Chattanooga Gas, has been appointed by Mayor Olgiati as civilian chairman for Chattanooga’s 14th annual Armed Forces Week May 12-18. Ray Evans will serve as chairman of the steering committee.

Saturday, March 22

Mrs. James Gager and baby will go to Atlanta to visit Mrs. Milton Jarnigan.

Miss Margaret Birdie McBroom entertained with a luncheon at her home on Missionary Ridge during which she announced her engagement to Adrian Wilbourne Graves. Miss McBroom is the popular daughter of Mr. and Mrs. W.P. McBroom. Mr. Graves is connected with Volunteer State Life Insurance, and has been in Chattanooga five years since coming here from Louisiana.

Friday, March 22

Cumberland Trail Suite

Cumberland Trail Suite will bring together an array of musicians to play music native to the Cumberland Plateau at 7:30 p.m. at the Tivoli Theatre. Grammy winners Tim O’Brien and Rhiannon Giddens (of the Carolina Chocolate Drops) will host this benefit for Friends of the Cumberland Trail. Other performers will include Fletcher Bright, Earl T. Bridgeman, Clyde Davenport, and the Chattanooga Choral Society for the Preservation of African American Song. Purchase tickets at friendsofthecumberlandtrail.org.