News - Friday, April 29, 2011

Everyone knows that time flies when you are having fun, but time also flies when you’re hard at work in a career you enjoy. Stephen Powers can attest to this phenomenon, as he says his 31 years in practice have “gone rather quickly.”

March 2011 marked the one-year anniversary of Tennessee’s Race to the Top win and of the state’s sweeping school reforms, collectively known as First to the Top. Tennessee was one of just two states selected on March 29, 2010 to receive millions for education reform in the first round of the federal Race to the Top competition. Since then, the state has made substantial progress toward its goal of developing the strongest and most responsive education system in America.

The April series of storms that swept across five Southern states left hundreds dead and many more without the basic necessities such as shelter, water and power. The body count in Alabama alone was over 248 by May 2. In Tennessee, 34 have been reported dead, 35 in Mississippi, 15 in Georgia, 13 in Arkansas, 11 in Virginia and one in Kentucky by April 29. In Chattanooga, 474 homes were seriously damaged. In addition to Alabama, Mississippi and Georgia have declared states of emergency.

I was in the county court a few times last week. Their weapons screening procedure is particularly rigorous. It may be because in 1992, the first work day after I was sworn in as president of the local bar association, a divorce court litigant opened his briefcase in the courtroom, pulled out two guns, killed his wife as she sat on the witness stand, and then shot her lawyer, his lawyer, the bailiff and a security officer.

This spring has been one of some unusual weather in the Volunteer state, as well as the rest of the continental United States. Snow continues to fall in parts of the country and record warmth has shown up in some parts of Tennessee over the last few weeks, but going right back to requiring us to switch the heat back on for a few nights to knock the chill off.

I have often wondered what makes an enduring television show. One of my all-time favorite shows was “The Waltons.”

Growing up, that show reflected most closely the South of my parents and grandparents. I related to John and Olivia, John-Boy, Jason, Mary Ellen, Ben, Erin, Jim-Bob and Elizabeth, Esther and Zeb as if they were part of my own family. Earl Hamner Jr. created this masterpiece of Americana based on his life growing up during the Depression and World War II.

Alicia Mathes, et al v. DRD Knoxville Medical Clinic, et al.

Knox County – This is an appeal from the trial court’s grant of separate motions to dismiss for failure to state a claim upon which relief can be granted.

I have attempted in this column, over the past five years or so, to lean toward the humorous, or lighter occurrences in life. At least that’s the way I saw them. I understand that sometimes people don’t get what I’m talking about; but that’s OK, as long as too many aren’t offended. I guess when you write two columns a week with some 1,400 words, there will be some sentences that might come out a bit nasty, so someone is bound to, from time to time, get their feathers ruffled.

On May 4, I get to be the luncheon speaker at LifeQuest of Arkansas. I can’t wait to hear what I have to say.

I already know one of my lines: “Happy birthday to you!”

I will be trying to educate, enlighten and entertain on the topic of cruciverbalism, aka crossword puzzling.

Just when we thought spring was in full swing and it was time to pull out the flip-flops, old man winter has come tromping back into town with heavy rain, cold winds and cloud cover. Sadly, it’s not park weather yet, but there are still delicious restaurants and indoor activities to try out around the parks just in case a spot of sunshine comes through.

Facebook is much more than a virtual world consisting of people posting pictures of their teacup-sized terrier or what they recently ingested for dinner.

Recently, I’ve found there are some great volunteer opportunities on the site as well. In fact, a couple months ago, I read a posting from Arkansas Community Foundation. They needed people to read scholarship applications and since I enjoy both reading and helping people, I responded to the posting.

Cinco De Mayo is coming up soon, and there will be several celebrations surrounding that Mexican event. How much do you know about our neighbors in Mexico and the history of the country?

1.You’re strolling in any plaza (town square) on a Sunday afternoon. Along comes a group of musicians, playing and singing, dressed in fancy, tight-fitting suits and large sombreros. What are these musicians called? Maracas; Marimbas; Manzanas; Mariachis.

Your assistant puts up with a lot.

She (and it’s almost always “she”) deals with grumpy customers and grouchy clients. She pretties up paperwork and prints presentations.  When you can’t find things, she preternaturally knows where they are. She has the organization skills of a drill sergeant, the patience of a kindergarten teacher, and she speaks fluent you.

Four local celebrities are competing for Chattanooga’s votes in a contest that will allow them to conduct a musical selection at the July 3 “Pops on the River” concert under the direction of the Chattanooga Symphony and Opera’s Maestro Robert Bernhardt. Jeff Styles, Carolyn Thompson, Jim Catan-zaro and Linda Friberg are each vying for this honor in the first ever Celebrity Conductor Contest, and are employing everyone within their sphere of influence to give them the vote.

As Dr. Sherry Hoppe grieved her husband’s death, the most important thing she learned is just because a person has faith, grieving is not easy. This lesson is one of many that Hoppe passes on to readers in her new book: “Sips of Sustenance: Grieving the Loss of Your Spouse.”

Realtor Kristy Fairchild appears to be under the impression that real estate is fun. No one has told her that listing and selling properties is grueling work, especially in a down economy. She even claims to have become from friends with most of her clients.

When someone climbs into a taxi, he’s usually in a hurry to get somewhere. There’s no time to give the tires a once over, inspect the interior, make sure the meter is working properly, and do a background check on the driver. But that’s OK, because Chattanooga police officer Chuck Topping takes care of those details before a cabbie ever hits the streets.

As we see some market recovery, the scales become a little more balanced between buyers and sellers. However, if you’re a buyer moving out of the area, local conditions here aren’t relevant. You need to investigate whether it’s still a strong buyer’s market in the area where you are relocating.

Cinco De Mayo …

Que comience la fiesta!

One of my and my husband’s favorite places to visit is Cabo San Lucas, Mexico. We love the ocean (of course), but also we love the language, the history, the beautiful old buildings, and the food!

Robert isn’t your garden-variety movie serial killer. Sure, he has the characteristic impulse to kill nearly everyone who crosses his path. And, yes, other movie maniacs have used their telekinetic powers to dispatch their victims. But, unless my memory is failing me, I can’t recall any other mad killer being made of an elastic polymer.

Here is one strategy for the seller and buyer on why they should hire you. You can prove this through client surveys, true closing percentages, and communication systems that you use to keep all parties in the transaction informed. The goal is to save your client stress and money; the stress of not knowing the agent has done their job, and money being delayed in closing fees, extra moving costs, interim rentals, and double living expenses. Studies show that less than 16 percent of consumers return to their previous agents; that stat demonstrates the client isn’t overwhelmingly thrilled with most agents’ service. It also speaks to agents’ after sale service. Most consumers are merely satisfied with our service as agents.

Saturday, April 29

Schroeder’s Landscap-ing Firm submitted the low bid for planting trees and shrubs at the Ninth and Fourth Street interchanges on the Interstate Freeway System. This is the first Tennessee landscaping job on interstate highways.