News - Friday, June 3, 2016

As a Realtor, Dan Griess spends his days overseeing the details of an array of business transactions. But he works with sharks just once a month.

Griess is a volunteer diver for the Tennessee Aquarium. One Wednesday a month, he takes off his Realtor hat, slips on his SCUBA gear, and descends into the blue depths of the Aquarium’s exhibits. There, he keeps an eye on the Aquarium’s sharks as his fellow divers scrub algae off rocks.

The theme of managing clients well emerged during the Ladies of Justice panel SETLAW (Southeast Tennessee Lawyer’s Association for Women) hosted last week in the City Courthouse.

During the open-ended discourse, Judge Flossie Weill, Judge Lila Statom, Judge Christie Sell, Chancellor Pamela Fleenor, Magistrate Marsha Smith, and Judge Marie Williams also discussed other topics, some of which concerned the enduring topic of courtroom protocol.

This profile of the Hon. Abe Fortas, former associate justice of the U.S. Supreme Court, was written by Jac Chambliss and published in the Hamilton County Herald Friday, June 10, 1966. That week, the Herald published a special edition covering the Tennessee Bar Association Convention in Chattanooga. The Tennessee Judiciary Conference also met in Chattanooga that week. The Hon. Fortas was to speak at the conference, but was held up in Puerto Rico by Hurricane Alma. This article will be of interest to family, friends, and associates of Chambliss, as it contains details of his early life and his life-long friendship with the Hon. Fortas.

In response to the death of Bianca Horton last week, Bishop Adams of Olivet Baptist Church and Dr. Mitchell, vice principal of Brainerd High School, released this statement:

"Today, there are four children without their mother. Bianca Horton, mother of four, was killed yesterday. In a few weeks, she was to testify in the shooting of her infant daughter. This cycle of violence is unacceptable.

On Friday, May 27, Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam joined Tennessee Department of Veterans Services Commissioner Many-Bears Grinder and Major General Terry “Max” Haston of the Tennessee Military Department at the War Memorial Plaza in Nashville to pay tribute to the four Marines and one sailor killed in Chattanooga on July 16, 2015.

On the heels of the grand opening for the St. Jude Dream Home, Realtor Jeremy Callahan this week announced via video that he will donate $500 to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital for each new family he helps buy or sell real estate between now and Aug. 31.

“How are the schools?” is among the top questions asked of Realtors. And this question is not isolated to residential real estate. Commercial real estate also is impacted by the quality of schools. Businesses seek to grow where schools perform well, and they value the importance of educational offerings to their employees and their families.

The Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Realty Center scoreboard will be a reality this fall when Chattanooga’s Miracle Field opens at Warner Park.

Miracle League Baseball began in 1998 in Conyers, Ga., when the Rockdale Youth Baseball League invited children of all abilities to join them in the game of baseball. That first year, 140 kids came out to play.

The Land Trust for Tennessee’s board of directors voted to appoint Liz McLaurin as CEO at the board’s annual meeting on May 5. McLaurin adds the duties of CEO to her current role as president – an office she has held since July 1, 2015. The Land Trust’s founder, Jeanie Nelson, announced her plan to step down as CEO in April 2015.

Not all homebuyers in Chattanooga and the surrounding areas are looking for a house with a massive floor plan – and a massive price tag. In fact, a variety of lifestyle changes motivate many home owners to downsize to something more manageable.

Identity theft is a big problem. How big? Consider this: In 2015, about 13 million Americans were victimized, with a total fraud amount of $15 billion, according to Javelin Strategy & Research. That’s a lot of victims, and a lot of money. How can you protect yourself from becoming a statistic?

As I write this, the Rotten Tomatoes score for “X-Men: Apocalypse” is holding fast at 48 percent.

That means half the critics liked it and half didn’t, which is like Gene Siskel giving the film a thumbs up and Roger Ebert giving it a thumbs down back in the day. (I miss those guys.) My thumbs are also at odds, with one pointing up and the other pointing down. You’re probably thinking, “That’s not helpful,” but it’s where I am.

I was 50 when I died. April 21, 2002. I can’t forget the date.

A few weeks earlier, I saw an old friend, Cotton, at a memorial service for a mutual friend. In the early 1980s, Cotton and I were in the same golf group. After the service, we reminisced about a golf outing that no one involved could forget. 

Mark Craven, the Tennessee Aquarium’s dive safety officer, has been working with the Diving Equipment and Marketing Association (DEMA) to bring a 15,000 gallon mobile pool to Chattanooga.

The Go Dive Now Pool travels the U.S. to give the public the chance to try SCUBA diving in a safe environment – free of charge.

Join Outdoor Chattanooga for Ready to Rock: Introduction to Rock Climbing at the Walnut Wall in Coolidge Park on Sunday, June 5 and Sunday, June 19 from 5:30-8 p.m.

No experience necessary; all equipment will be provided.

Outdoor Chattanooga’s Rapid Learning Program will take place at Chester Frost Park every Wednesday from 6-7 p.m. and 7-8 p.m. through June 29.

Participants will learn the basic skills of whitewater kayaking from experienced instructors.

As a follow-up to National Foster Care Month in May, Chambliss Center for Children will host a Foster Care Info Night on Monday, June 6 from 6:30-8 p.m.

With an estimated 750 to 800 children in the Tennessee Valley in state care at any given time, there is a critical need for quality foster homes in this area, Chambliss Center said in a news release.

The Chattanooga Zoo this week announced the continued growth of its animal collection and offerings to the community. The recent animal acquisitions have grown the Zoo’s animal ambassador collection, increased the Zoo’s involvement in other conservation organizations, and added to the number of the Zoo’s Species Survival Plans (SSP).

Saturday, June 4, 1966

Col. James Scott, Jr., ROTC Third Army, has notified Supt. Bennie Carmichael of the city school system that the Federal government will pay for the full costs of ROTC at Chattanooga High School for the next year if the school board requests it with no obligation to the city for continuing beyond next year.

Saturday, June 3, 1916

Mr. and Mrs. Harry L. McFarland announce the engagement and approaching marriage of their daughter, Edith Hunter McFarland, to Mr. Archie Marion Day. The wedding will take place the middle of June.

This column was originally published in the Hamilton County Herald on June 5, 2015.

This week, I decided to write about a little of this and a little of that. You know, tips on foods, a little trivia, etc. Maybe you’ll learn something you didn’t know. And the recipe is super healthy, tasty, and fast!

I called Fred on Tuesday morning, on my way into work after a three-day weekend that had left me wanting more. 

“Should they have shot that gorilla?” I asked, baiting him.

“No, I don’t think so,” Fred answered. “The kid was OK, he had already survived a 15-foot drop.”