News - Friday, July 10, 2015

If the measure of a man’s worth is in the number of tears shed on his behalf, then the Honorable William L. Brown is a man of great merit. Many tears were shed Wednesday, July 1 during the unveiling of his portrait in the courtroom where he served as Hamilton County Circuit Court judge in the ‘80s and ‘90s. Nearly all of the tears were born of laughter, but they were tears nonetheless.

Signature Brokers has announced the addition of Kyle Barels to the Ooltewah-based real estate firm. Barels joins as the latest of several new hires for the real estate company. He’s involved in giving back to the community, and was instrumental in organizing and performing in last month’s Dancing with the Chattanooga Stars.

The City of Chattanooga/Hamilton County Mental Health Court Planning Committee has been meeting over the last year to develop a specialized court in Hamilton County. Set to open in late July, the new Mental Health Court will operate in the General Sessions Court – Criminal Division and Criminal Court of Hamilton County.

Russ Elliott, a respected commercial real estate broker with 30 years of experience, has joined the principals of Pointe Property Group (PPG) to form Pointe Commercial Real Estate and become its managing broker.

Serving the Chattanooga market for more than two decades, PPG has several prominent commercial developments in the Chattanooga market, including The Pointe Centre and Lee Pointe. Elliott will be responsible for leasing and managing these and other notable properties, as well as handling marketing for third-party clients.

Lee Greenwood at Barnes & Noble Hamilton Place

On Friday, July 10 from noon to 2 p.m., country music legend Lee Greenwood will be signing his new children’s book at Barnes & Noble Hamilton Place. “Proud to Be an American” is based on Greenwood’s popular patriotic ballad, “God Bless the USA.” Greenwood’s signing will also be used as a book fair fundraiser for the Want To Foundation, a local organization that works with at-risk teens. The public is invited to attend this free event.

On June 30, the Chattanooga Bar Association presented a seminar on the new Mental Health Court (MHC). Speakers included: the Hon. Don Poole; the Hon. Gary Starnes; Public Defender Steve Smith; Dr. Luke Queen, director of clinical services at Health Connect America; Assistant Public Defender Anna Protano-Biggs; and Samantha Bayles, sentencing advocate in the public defender’s office.

Eleven attorneys have applied in a second round of interviews for the Hamilton County Criminal Court judge position that became vacant June 1 upon the retirement of the Hon. Rebecca Stern.

The Governor’s Council for Judicial Appointments previously met on April 9 and considered seven applicants, three of whom were submitted to Gov. Bill Haslam for his consideration. Pursuant to an executive order signed last fall, the governor requested the Council submit a second panel of three nominees for his consideration.

Recently I wrote a song titled “Some Change.” Literally, the song is about a guy whose gal has not come home: “Thirty minutes past midnight. Where could you be?” Apparently, something like this has happened before: “On one of your road trips, from sea to shining sea?” When she still has not come back the next day, a mysterious third party makes the first of two appearances in the song: “Bubba said, ‘She’s gone and done it. She finally got out of this town. Just sayin’, she needed some change’.”

Contributing to an IRA can help you build some of the resources you will need to enjoy a comfortable retirement. But what happens to your IRA if you don’t use it up in your lifetime?

You can still put the IRA’s assets to good use — as long as you’ve made the right moves and communicated your wishes clearly to your family.

One of the remarkable things about art is how it has been passed down intact through time. Like artifacts of ancient civilizations, a painting by a master provides a direct link to a time and place in history. The brush strokes of Rembrandt contain all we need to know about the past.

I normally start my reviews of sequels by offering commentary about the original film, but I can’t do that for “Ted 2” because I never saw “Ted.” I wasn’t gung-ho to watch the sequel, either, but I’d seen everything except “Magic Mike XXL,” and I wasn’t in the mood to watch Channing Tatum strut his washboard abs for two hours.

People buy and sell homes for many reasons. Perhaps they need to relocate for a job, or maybe they simply want a change of scenery. However, according to the National Association of Realtors’ “2015 Home Buyer and Seller Generational Trends Report,” if you’re 50 years old or older, chances are you’re selling your home to downsize.

For the last several years, I’ve spent a lot of time studying the Here After. Since reaching the wonderful age of 65, it seems every time I walk into a room, I have to ask myself, “What in the world am I here after?”

Last week, I wrote about two websites, BlueApron.com and HelloFresh.com, that deliver ready-to-cook meals to your doorstep. Curious as I am, I ordered from both of them to see what they’re like. There’s also one other such service called Plated, which I used just the other day; however, I haven’t received my order yet.

In Austin we had arrived at the airport with over two hours to kill before we could board. KM and our daughter, Alexis, went looking for shops while I went in the other direction, looking for a sports bar, which could be a metaphor for my life.

“We’re in preservation mode, trying to keep as many barns as possible for nostalgic purposes as well as for advertising,” said Roy Davis, manager of SRC’s R&R Hospitality. “Unfortunately, we can only maintain the paint on the barn and not the structure itself. If the barn becomes in total disarray or is taken out by a storm, then we lose it and cannot replace it due to highway laws.”

Last week I wrote about creating an all-natural mosquito repellant cream. I really hope my readers venture out and make it; I know you will not be disappointed. Continuing with the mosquito subject, I have decided to take it a step further and talk about ways to combat these annoying bugs in the yard. This will help to further ensure a fun, mosquito-free outdoor gathering space. 

Saturday, July 10, 1965

A building permit was obtained at the City Hall Thursday for an eight-story Holiday Inn of 155 units in the Golden Gateway on the west side of the freeway between Sixth and Ninth Streets.

Saturday, July 10, 1915

The big coast liner being constructed by the Ocean Steamship Co. will be named “City of Chattanooga” due to the efforts of local businessmen. G.H. Evans received an official letter Friday from the steamship company.