News - Friday, April 24, 2015

The online home of the Chattanooga Bar Association (chattanoogabar.org) has a spanking new look. But the website’s beauty is more than skin deep. The CBA and site developer Williams Web have also made the site easier to use and more informative.

Jason Lehn, affiliate broker at Herman Walldorf Commercial Real Estate, has been awarded the Certified Commercial Investment Member (CCIM) designation by the CCIM Institute. The designation was awarded during the Institute’s Midyear business meetings on March 24 in Chicago.

The Governor’s Council for Judicial Appointments met on April 9 in Chattanooga to hold a public hearing and conduct interviews of candidates for the upcoming criminal court vacancy in the 11th Judicial District, which serves Hamilton County. After interviewing the candidates and conducting a vote, the Commission submitted three as nominees to Gov. Bill Haslam for the vacancy: Mike A. Little, deputy public defender, district public defender’s office, 11th Judicial District; Leslie Anne Longshore, assistant district attorney, sex crimes unit, Hamilton County District Attorney’s office; and Boyd M. Patterson, Jr., assistant district attorney general, 11th Judicial District.

Annual Palate 2 Palette

The Craniofacial Foundation of America (CFA) will host its 8th Annual Palate 2 Palette event on Saturday, April 25. The event will begin at 5 p.m. with the Gallery Stroll. The Bubbles and Sweets after party will take place at Track 29 from 8 to 10 p.m. Proceeds from the event will benefit the CFA, a non-profit organization that supports the work of the Tennessee Craniofacial Center at Children’s Hospital at Erlanger and Erlanger Health System. For tickets or information, visit www.p2pchattanooga.com.

On Monday, I received a call about our Law Day speaker. My contact at the Professional Education Group, Henry Lake, informed me that “unavoidable circumstance will prevent Bud Krogh from being in Chattanooga on May 1st. But fear not. One of our great attributes is our ability to fill in such unfortunate occurrences with equally able, crowd-pleasing speakers. In this case, I present to you former Congressman Brian Baird of Washington.”

Community members are encouraged April 27 through May 2 to become a hero for local area hospital patients by making a critical blood donation during Blood Assurance’s first-ever “Hero Week.” All donations will be sent to local hospitals. As a thank you for each donation, all heroes will receive a free movie ticket to the movie of their choice in celebration of the Marvel movie premiere of “The Avengers: Age of Ultron,” opening May 1. In response to the rising blood demand from the more than 75 regional healthcare facilities supported by Blood Assurance, the blood center aims to see 3,800 blood donors during Hero Week. Over 540 volunteer blood donors are needed every day in order to adequately supply these hospitals.

The Board of Directors of Legal Aid of East Tennessee last week announced that David R. Yoder, the organization’s long-time executive director, will retire Dec. 31, 2015. Yoder arrived in Knoxville in August 1993 to head the former Knoxville Legal Aid Society, and steered the 2002 consolidation of programs and staff into what is now the 26-county Legal Aid of East Tennessee (LAET).

May is National Physical Fitness and Sports Month. This “month” is designed to encourage people to follow a healthy, active lifestyle. You can take steps toward this goal, of course, but why not carry the concept of improving health to other areas of your life – such as your investments?

Unnecessary regulatory burdens are preventing qualified, credit-worthy borrowers from obtaining the American Dream of homeownership. That’s according to testimony last week from the National Association of Realtors before the U.S. Senate Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs Committee.

All expectations in 2015 are for a healthy and energetic selling season. National stories have been highlighting an increase in new construction sales and pending sales, but national stories are not always readily applied to the local scene. All the same, if ever there was a year to list or purchase a home, wider economic factors seem to indicate this is the one.

^“Unfriended” is a movie unlike any I’ve seen. It’s also a superb horror film.

The entire movie takes place in real time on the computer screen of a high school girl named Blaire. It begins with her connecting to YouTube to watch a video of her best friend, Laura, committing suicide a year earlier. She then clicks on another video, the release of which caused her friend to take her own life. A few seconds later, Blaire’s boyfriend, Mitch, Skypes her.

Citizens across the community are invited to attend Mayor Andy Berke’s second annual State of the City address, which will be held Monday, April 27, at 5:30 p.m. in the ballroom of the Chattanoogan Hotel. The event is free and open to the public.

As cold-pressed juice and raw foods café Southern Sqweeze approaches one year of being in business at their Tremont Street location, a second location at Miller Plaza is set to open this month.

Southern Sqweeze was the first Chattanooga establishment to provide fresh cold-pressed juices using a hydraulic press. In their first year of business, they have expanded beyond cold-pressed juices, raw foods and smoothies, providing cleanses and one-on-one health coaching. They also provide a variety of classes, sharing their knowledge of nutrition and tips for a healthy lifestyle.

The Nightfall Concert Series begins its 27th year of summer musical programming for 19 weeks straight, running each Friday night from May 1 through Sept. 4 at Miller Plaza on Market Street.

Presented and produced by Chattanooga Presents, Nightfall is a free outdoor concert series featuring headline performances by a broad spectrum of music performed by national and international artists. In keeping with tradition, Nightfall also has a strong commitment to the local music scene by featuring Chattanooga bands as opening acts each week. Openers begin at 7 p.m., followed the headliner at 8 p.m.

Nikki Ellis performs at Miller Plaza on Friday, April 17 as part of Jazzanooga’s Brown Bag Lunch Music series.

The final free concert in this series will take place Friday, April 24 in the Waterhouse Pavilion from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Shane Morrow is scheduled to perform. 

As Cabela’s approaches it grand opening on May 13, its employees are working hard to stock shelves and set up displays. Already in place are a number of taxidermy exhibits featuring local wildlife. While they don’t come to life like the creatures in “Night at the Museum” (as far as we know), they do create a sense of atmosphere and authenticity within the store.

It just doesn’t pay for me to watch the Food Network. I get so inspired by the food the chefs prepare that I immediately go running to the store and buy all the ingredients. Not for just one particular recipe – but for many. Oops! There goes the grocery budget! Down the tube... (Pun intended!)

William Earl “Billy” Casper” died this past Feb. 7. In memory of the Hall of Famer and his 1970 Master’s win, we reprint this column from 2006.

There are stories from the year’s first major golf tournament which stay with you forever if you have ever loved the game of golf. One of the best that has withstood the test of time was when Gene Sarazen (born Eugenio Saraceni) hit “The shot heard ‘round the world” in the 1935 Masters. It was a final round 225-yard four-wood on the par-five 15th hole that went in, giving him a very rare double eagle two on the hole, and led to him later winning the tournament in a playoff.

With spring days being as wet as they have been lately, the activity in gardens has been mighty slow. Uncle Sid always told me that if you wait until right after tax time to start putting out your crop, both you and the taxman would be better off next year.

^“When is the law that is the law not the law? And vice versa.”

Yeah, I know, that was last week’s column. But it’s apropos of the rash of laws that have been bandied about, and passed in some states, recently. They’re called Religious Freedom Restoration Acts.

Decorating can be a daunting task, and it takes a certain skill level to execute it properly in the home. There are many elements to take into consideration, such as paint colors, window treatments, furniture placement, and the list goes on.

This puzzle is about real estate. But it has a twist – it’s not about your everyday real estate issues. Check it out and see how you do.

1. Who is the world’s largest landowner? The Australian government; the Alaskan government; the United States government; the United Arab Emirates government.