News - Friday, May 30, 2014

Napoleon “Donut” Williams came by his nickname honestly: his high school football coach told him he was so skinny, the other team could run through him like a donut hole.

In the years that followed, he also earned the honor the Chattanooga Bar Association bestowed on him during its annual observance of Law Day Thursday, May 15 at the Marriott at the Chattanooga Convention Center: The Liberty Bell Award.

The Tennessee Legislature last year passed Workers’ Compensation legislation that created a new administrative Workers’ Compensation Court within the Workers’ Compensation Division.

Workers’ Compensation Division Administrator Abbie Hudgens has appointed Thomas Wyatt, a partner with Summers & Wyatt in Chattanooga, as a judge in the court.

Juvenile Court Judge Robert Philyaw with attorneys from Blue Cross Blue Shield and Miller & Martin and the members of the new Hamilton County Youth Court this month.

Forty students from five county high schools dedicated the time and level of commitment necessary to become full members of the Court.

Legal Aid of East Tennessee (LAET) this month received the American Red Cross’ Hometown Heroes Award for its work on the Patten Towers disaster last year, which left over 240 low-income persons instantly homeless after an electrical fire.

Emily O’Donnell (pictured below with Metropolitan Ministries Executive Director Rebecca Whelchel) accepted the award on behalf of LAET.

“When You Become 18 in Tennessee: A Survival Guide For Young Adults,” a project initiated by the CBA Auxiliary in 1996, is dedicated to the memory of Flo Summitt.

The “18” booklet was originally developed in 1993 by the California Law Advocates of the Foundation of the State Bar of California. In 1996, with the vision and dedication of Summitt, it became the project of the CBA Auxiliary. However, in 2011, the Auxiliary dissolved, and it’s now a permanent project of the Chattanooga Bar Association.

The latest version of the Little Rock Film Festival was the best yet. Ask anyone who gathered at the Old Statehouse Sunday, May 18, for the Awards Gala. The enthusiasm of the filmmakers was infectious.

Though a disproportionate number of local directors are thirty-somethings, in the mix is retired circuit judge David Bogard. His short narrative, “A Matter of Honor,” depicts Confederate and Union soldiers being neighborly to each other between battles. Ed Lowry received the Best Performance Award for his role. Grats, Ed, and thumbs up, David!

My Partner, Murray, just returned from vacation in the Dominican Republic. Murray is a mergers and acquisitions megastar, and focuses on business development and sales. He’s always worked hard and expected the most from those around him. The many hours he puts in every day have gained him the name “El Toro,” because he moves forward, unrelenting, like a bull. It always seems like Murray has a plan – that he’s on a road, or a path, of his own design, heading toward a destination of success of his own creation.

The Northwest Georgia Council of the Greater Chattanooga Area of Realtors this month welcomed Tom Gillette, real estate trainer, as the guest speaker at its May meeting.

Gillette discussed the Seller’s Property Disclosure Statement, and why Georgia does not allow a Disclosure Exemption.

Housing and private property issues were top of mind for more than 8,500 Realtors who convened in Washington, D.C., this week during the 2014 Realtor Party Convention & Trade Expo.

Nearly a dozen representatives from Greater Chattanooga Association were among fellow Realtors from across the country who attended the meetings and visited lawmakers on Capitol Hill.

Why is the garage the most prominent part of the house?

I agree an automobile is necessary for many in our mobile, fast-paced world, especially if you live in a suburban area without access to mass transit.

As a result, many home buyers purchase a dwelling that most closely resembles a large, two-car garage with an attached home. Should we let our transportation dominate how our homes are planned?

In many areas of your life, you’re probably aware that it’s useful to keep emotions out of your decision-making — and that’s certainly the case with investing.

However, it can be difficult to keep your feelings from influencing your investment decisions. But you may find it easier to invest with your head, rather than your heart, if you know a little something about two different cycles: the market cycle and your emotional cycle.  

Biotechnologist Corrie Van Sice will share her perspectives in Chattanooga on June 3 at The Church on Main. The event will take place from 6 to 9 p.m. Her discussion will highlight the intellectual tradegrounds emerging around 3D printing, as well as the changing landscape of engineering innovation.

Where to begin? Perhaps with “X-Men” and “X2,” through which director Bryan Singer defined the modern comic book movie: the action should mean something; the characters should have gravitas; and the special effects should be spectacular.

Bill Thompson has been named the new executive chef of Porter’s Steakhouse, located at the historic Sheraton Read House. He brings a fresh perspective and over two decades of experience to one of the city’s most distinguished fine dining restaurants.

For the past 15 years, Public Education Foundation (PEF) has partnered with the Hamilton County Department of Education (HCDE) to train aspiring instructional leaders.

The year-long, 20-day Leadership Fellows program is designed to give emerging school leaders the skills and knowledge needed to participate in decision-making and school improvement.

Every time I visit my hairdresser to get my hair trimmed (along with gray covered), she turns her TV to the Food Network Channel. She knows I write about, cook, and eat a lot of food, and that I’ve been cooking since I was able to reach the stove by standing on a chair alongside my mom and granny. Well, maybe some of that is a little exaggerated, but some of it is true.

As the end of May approaches, so does my awareness about my little red head fair skinned child, my 8th anniversary and Memorial Day weekend.  

Memorial Day is known for great celebration into the summer. Usually this is the weekend that you will notice all the beaches, lakes and rivers packed with boaters and swimmers. Along with all that boating, swimming, tubing and sun bathing comes sun burns. 

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

1. Good writers know that all writing can be improved upon after the first draft. What’s the most important aspect of revision? Re-examining your ideas; reviewing capitalization; looking for subject-verb agreement; checking grammar usage.

Hospitals are a good place to try to keep a sense of humor. KM and I spent a lot of time with my mom in the last half of 2011 and the early months of 2012, until we lost her in May of that year. It’s hard to believe it’s been two years since I’ve seen her.

A couple of weeks ago, I received an envelope in the mail. My name and address were written in block print, and there was no return address on the envelope. Inside, I found a card that said “This card has no purpose.” On the inside it said, “but I sent it anyway.” There was no hand writing on the inside of the card. There was nothing to indicate who sent the card with the exception of the postal stamp on the envelope indicating it had been sent from Tampa, Fla.

With National Dairy Month quickly approaching in June, a major celebration is planned in the Volunteer State, and it’s been that way for a lot of years. The dairy industry has generated billions of dollars to our state’s economic activity for years and continues to do so even though the number of dairy farms you see along the roadsides has dwindled over the years. Last year, more than $157 million was put back into Tennessee’s economy by Tennessee’s dairy production.