News - Friday, March 9, 2012

The Chattanooga Bar Association on March 5 honored its members that passed away over the last year with a memorial service in the County Commission Room of the Hamilton County Courthouse. The Honorable Jacqueline Bolton presided over the sometimes moving, sometimes humorous proceeding.

The Honorable Clarence Shattuck swears in David Wilson Norton (left) as General Sessions Court judge. The ceremony took place March 6 at the Hamilton County Court House. Norton grew up in Red Bank, attended law school at Memphis State University, and began his general law practice in Chattanooga in 1977. Hamilton County hired him as an assistant county attorney in 1984. Norton was appointed to the bench as City Judge of Soddy Daisy in 1985, was elected in 1990, and re-elected in 1998 and 2006. (He will be stepping down as he takes on the responsibilities of the new judgeship.) On the state level, the last four governors have appointed him to the Utility Management Review Board. Norton and his wife, Cathy, reside in Middle Valley, where they share five children. They are members of Dallas Bay Baptist Church. Norton replaces the Honorable Robert Moon, Jr., who passed away unexpectedly in January 2012. (Photo by David Laprad)

Three Chattanooga Rotary Clubs are teaming up to sponsor the 2012 Gourmet Guys Food Tasting Gala on March 24. The event will take place from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. at the First Tennessee Pavilion. The entrance fee is $15 per person. Family tickets are available for $50, and kids under 10 will eat free.

The Craniofacial Foundation of America will host Palate 2 Palette on April 14. Palate 2 Palette is an evening dedicated to celebrating the arts in the historic Southside District. The event kicks off Saturday at 5 p.m. with the Gallery Stroll. Guests will stroll through the Southside Galleries viewing fine art while meeting featured artists and enjoying fine wine and cuisine at each location. In addition, a Youth Gallery Exhibit will feature art from high school students from Chattanooga and the surrounding areas.

The billboard on Dayton Boulevard in Red Bank, Tenn., contains an ominous message: “This year, thousands of men will die from stubbornness.” The billboard was clearly designed to send men to the Internet to search for the reason for the alarming message, as the Web address at the bottom, AHRQ.gov, is hard to see when driving past the billboard. Even a visit to the site might leave most visitors scratching their heads, as the national billboard campaign is not featured on the main page. A little digging brings up www.ahrq.gov/healthymen/, a page that cites data about the surprising ways in which men are neglecting their health and the dire consequences. More than anything else, the campaign appears to be aimed at encouraging men to see their doctor, and then continue to see their doctor on a regular basis. The sign does get one’s attention, and its message, however inaccessible, is a good one. (Photo by David Laprad)

On April 28, people in the Greater Chattanooga Area will recognize Oral Cancer Awareness Month by bringing attention to a disease that has long needed a voice. The third Chattanooga Oral Cancer Awareness Walk is being organized by local oral cancer survivor, Jeanna Richelson. The annual event, which she spearheads, will feature free oral cancer screenings, prizes, a silent auction, refreshments, and a special appearance by Sweet Georgia Sound. Once again, the event will be emceed by Mrs. Tennessee International 2008 and 2010, Cydney Miller. All proceeds benefit the Oral Cancer Foundation to raise awareness of the need for early detection and prevention.

Saturday, March 10

Plans for Bowling Green Broadcasters of Bowling Green, Ky., to purchase WDOD Broadcasting were announced Thursday, and are subject to approval by the Federal Communications Commission.

Some 235 practicing attorneys of Chattanooga endorsed Circuit Court Clerk Lucile Hixson and recommended that she be elected Democratic Nominee May 29 for a full four-year term. Mrs. Hixson was appointed last September by Judges John T. Mahoney, Joe N. Hunter, James F. Morgan and David Tom Walker to succeed the late Mrs. Zelma Brading. She had served in the Circuit Court Clerk’s office more than 20 years.

March 10

Traffic Skills 101

Outdoor Chattanooga will offer the League of American Bicyclists’ Traffic Skills 101 course from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Outdoor Chattanooga in Coolidge Park. Students will learn bicycle safety checks, fixing a tire, lane positioning, on-bike skills and emergency maneuvers. Classroom instruction in the morning will be combined with parking lot drills and on-road training in the afternoon. Adults and children age 16 and older may attend. Cost is ten dollars. Pre-registration is required. Limit: 10 students. Email or call Ruth Thompson at 423-643-6889 to register or learn more.

For many years, January was widely considered “Divorce Month” by divorce attorneys who experienced a dramatic uptick in business immediately following the holiday season. But, according to a new analysis of divorce filings and searches for divorce-related information on the Internet, March is the true “Divorce Month.”

Realtors who begin their career in their twenties are getting a late start, says Re/Max agent Billy Weathers, who sold his first house at the age of 12. His commission was a great view of Chattanooga.

“I talked my parents into moving to Missionary Ridge. I had gone home with some people from church, and when I saw the lights of the city, I said, ‘That’s awesome!’ I had never seen a view like that. They said, ‘The house next door is for sale.’ When my parents picked me up, I said, ‘We need to move here,’” Weathers says.

Crye-Leike Chattanooga Realtor Debra Loomis knows the importance of keeping her knowledge of the housing market current and up-date, especially in a housing market as challenging as the current one. That’s why Loomis decided to earn her professional real estate designation as a Certified Distressed Property Expert.

What is the most important tool in the lawyer’s arsenal? Is it the suit? The favorite tie or scarf accessory? The cool sportscar or the beat up sedan? Is it the ability to speak clearly, to audiences of any level? Is it the ability to draft concisely worded letters, or obtusely complex documents? Is it the ability to smile in the face of disaster, or to rant when not actually upset? Is it to be part actor or actress and part teacher or parent? Or is it simply the ability to put two thoughts together and to focus on a concept, for better or for worse?

Why is it that the older we get, the faster time seems to move? The summers of my youth were much longer than the summers I get now. The time between Thanksgiving and Christmas seemed to last an eternity, and now it goes by in the blink of an eye. Sometimes, it seems like as soon as I finish a weekly column, I have to start on the next one. Now that I am surely on downhill side of this journey, I need to find a way to slow things down.

One of my friends I’ve known since college, Melanie McClure Gibson, recently posted a photo of her and some of her Pi Phi buddies from when we were in college, probably 1977-ish. It was a photo I keep returning to, and not just because of the Daisy Dukes. It brings back memories, all good now, even though if I think really hard, I can come up with a few not so pleasant ones – one of which happened early on, in my first semester when I was a student in Yocum Hall. In those days, the boys stayed in Yocum and the girls next door in Humphries.

The closest my hometown in Alabama ever came to having a zoo was in the mid ’70s in my backyard where I had everything from bottle-feeding calves, a raccoon, rabbits, chickens, turkeys, ducks, quail (Bob White and California varieties) and dogs (of no particular variety). There was also a bevy of unwanted guests that stayed around the pens because of the feed as well as some critters that wanted to feast upon those feasting on the spilled feed.

The theme of the Thursday, Jan. 5 New York Times crossword, which ran in syndication Feb. 9, was: 14A “That was funny!” GOODALL; 59A Jane who wrote “In the Shadow of Man” GOOD ONE; 24A Captivates ENTHRONES; 47A Crowns ENTHRALLS; 3D Set up, as software IN STONE; 41D Fixed INSTALL; 4D Schoolyard game T-BONE; 49D Certain steak T-BALL. 34A/21D Catchphrase that provides a hint to eight answers in this puzzle ALL FOR ONE, ONE FOR ALL.

Living in Chattanooga, it can be easy to forget that the Tennessee Aquarium is here. That’s the tourist attraction! But the release of a new IMAX film, “The Last Reef 3D: Cities Beneath the Sea,” provides a good reason for locals to visit the entertainment hub at 1 Broad Street.

In this recovering economy, local food banks face the dual challenge of diminished contributions and an increased number of individuals in need of food not only for themselves but also for their pets. Through March 27, the “Feed the Love” pet food drive will help those already receiving assistance from Chattanooga Area Food Bank to care for their pets as well. Pre-packed “Feed the Love” bags are now available for purchase at all BI-LO locations, and can be placed in specially marked donation carts at the entrances of the stores. Chattanooga Area Food Bank will pick them up and distribute them to needy households in the community. Each “Feed the Love” bag sells for five dollars when purchased with the MY BI-LO BONUSCARD and contains a week’s worth of dry and canned packages of PAWS Premium, BI-LO’s own brand of cat and dog food. (Photo provided)

Two trucks loaded with water left Cartersville, Ga., arrived March 6-7 at the local Budweiser wholesaler, Perry Distributing in Allen, Ky., with 4,312 cases of water (or 103,488 cans) to assist the Red Cross. Another truck will arrive at Budweiser of Cookeville in Cookeville, Tenn., with 2,156 cases of water (or 51,744 cans) to assist area relief workers and agencies.

Menchie’s, a chain of self-serve frozen yogurt stores, announced it will be celebrating the grand opening of its seventh Menchie’s location in Tennessee. Known as The Shoppes at Hamilton Place, the new Menchie’s store is located at 2040 Hamilton Place Boulevard in Chattanooga.

I love American history. Below is a quiz on our early American history. See how many you remember.

1. In 1803, the United States purchased a large amount of land from the French. President Jefferson needed experienced people to explore this land then report to him about their findings. Who were the explorers he chose? DeSoto and Cartier; Lewis and Clark; Crockett and Bowie; Austin and Decatur.

Hubby and I are at a newspaper convention in San Antonio, Texas. We were looking so forward to a break in the wet, cool weather at home to the warm, sunny weather in San Antonio. However, that didn’t happen. So far, we have had one foggy wet day after another. Hopefully, it will clear up tomorrow, which has been the forecast since we arrived.

Sometimes, a movie comes out that receives a lot of praise, but for whatever reason, I can’t get excited about seeing it. Case in point: “The Artist.” As it slowly released across the country and then gained momentum in the weeks leading up to the Academy Awards, I could not bring myself to buy a ticket. Then it won the Best Picture Oscar, and I decided to get off my duff and see what the fuss was about.

It seems each year, as I place a new calendar on the wall, there are new days marked in red to honor something none of us has ever thought about. Of course, this month is National Nutrition Month, which we all need to be involved in since we celebrated Pancake Day last month, which may have pushed our nutrition to a lower level. Share A Smile Day was March 1, and I hope all of you got in a good grin somewhere. Johnny Appleseed Day is March 11, and if you eat one of his apples, you might keep the doctor away on Doctor’s Day March 30.

The tornadoes that stretched from northern Kansas to southern Alabama amassed a death toll of 39 people, with Kentucky sustaining the greatest loss of life with 21.  After the chaos, there was some happy news for a North Carolina family, where a 7-year old boy who was sucked out of his house by a twister and dropped 350 feet away by the side of a road has returned to his parents from the hospital.