News - Friday, May 1, 2015

Whoever said the sixties are the new forties must have seen attorney Wayne Peters in action. With his stand-up desk and his keen interest in new technology, the 69-year-old lawyer is walking, and talking, circles around his colleagues at Gearhiser, Peters, Elliot & Cannon.

Blue and white balloons abounded on mailboxes and for sale signs throughout Hamilton County last weekend as the Greater Chattanooga Association of Realtors celebrated the second annual Open House Weekend in style.

According to the MLS, Realtors throughout the region hosted just over 200 open houses on Saturday and Sunday, giving buyers a chance to find their dream home early in the most active season for the real estate market.

Citizens across the community attended Mayor Andy Berke’s second annual State of the City address Monday in the ballroom of the Chattanoogan Hotel.

During the address, Mayor Berke announced several new initiatives including the Auto Work Force Development Task Force, which will hammer out a plan to prepare Chattanoogans for jobs in the automotive industry, and the Mayor’s Council on Women, which he has given the task of opening doors for women in the public and private sectors.City Council Chairwoman Carol Berz will lead the council.

Bunny Hop!

Tickets are on sale for the 15th annual Bunny Hop event to benefit Chambliss Center for Children, to be held on Friday, May 1 in the First Tennessee Pavilion from 6 to 8:30 p.m. Parents can enjoy an evening with friends and festivities while their kids take advantage of the numerous activities for children, including arts and crafts, a bunny petting station, a balloon artist, a photo booth, and a sports zone. Adults will enjoy live music, a silent auction, and a buffet dinner catered by Events with Taste. Food provided for the children will include Zaxby’s chicken fingers, macaroni & cheese from 1885, and treats from other local businesses. Parking is free. The event entrance is off of Carter Street, where attendees can sign in and pay if tickets were not pre-purchased. Reservations are requested ahead of time. To make a reservation, visit www.bunny-hop.org.

Eliza Epps has joined the law firm of Luther Anderson.

Epps graduated from Sewanee: The University of the South magna cum laude, and earned her Juris Doctor from William & Mary Law School.  As a law student, she served as the deputy chief justice of the Honor Council, staff member of the Journal of Women and the Law, funding chair of the Public Service Fund, and academic chair of the Black Law Students Association.

^“I want to throw my mercy on the court.” Twice from the bench I’ve heard a defendant say that. The first time, my initial thought was, “What a great start to a heroic couplet!” It’s iambic: “I WANT to THROW my MER-cy ON the COURT.” I did not have a good line ready with which to respond.

Fairy tales are wrong; there is no happily ever after. Instead, love burns brightly for a moment and then dies, the heart that held it having yeilded to the ravages of time. I know this because I’ve seen my share of movies based on Nicholas Sparks novels.

This column was originally published on May 2, 2014. 

May 5th is Cinco de Mayo, a Spanish holiday celebrating the freedom and democracy during the first years of the American Civil War, and today the date is observed in the United States as a celebration of Mexican heritage and pride. So this also makes it a great time to eat guacamole and tamales! And don’t forget the enchiladas.

Before April comes to a close, it’s important to take note that this month marks the 47^th anniversary of the 1968 Fair Housing Act. Passed at the urging of President Lyndon Johnson following the assassination of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., the Act prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, national origin, religion, sex, familial status, or disability when renting, buying, or securing housing financing.

I’m a “Walking Dead” junkie. I didn’t want to be. I blame Alexis, my lovely daughter, who’s a horror fan like her old man. 

When “The Walking Dead” first came out, I watched the pilot. If memory serves, which is always a 50-50 shot, I stumbled onto it that first night while randomly flipping for something to watch. I’m bad about that. Drives KM crazy.

Whenever I meet up with a group of friends, someone will ask about how I’m enjoying being a county commissioner. I don’t know if the word “enjoying” is proper to describe an elected office, but many times, I get the feeling most individuals think there’s something acutely wrong with me when I answer that it’s everything I thought it would be. It requires long meetings, missed meals, phone calls about interesting concerns, and expectations of magic wands that make everyone live happily ever after without leaving payment in kind.

The Conasauga River, which snakes along the Tennessee and Georgia border about 1.5 hours from downtown Chattanooga, is incredibly alive. Within its crystal clear waters lives 76 native fish species, which is more than the Colorado and Columbia Rivers combined.

The spring and summer months are commonly thought to be the best time to sell a home and move into a new one. People want to be settled into their new abode before kids head back to school and cooler seasons begin.

If you are like me, and most of my friends, you’ve probably helped someone move or vice-versa. Therefore, this week’s column is devoted to the best moving tips I know that should make moving much easier on everyone involved.

This column was originally published on May 2, 2014. 

More and more people are writing their memoirs these days. There are certain “rules to writing” you must know if you plan on doing the same. Take this quiz and see how effectively you can write.