News - Friday, July 8, 2011

A poster on the wall behind Tim Kelly’s desk speaks volumes about the car dealership owner’s personality: “The beatings will continue until morale improves,” it reads.

Kelly sets down his coffee mug, which sports a skull and crossbones, and laughs.

For some people, history is a dusty book, a dull classroom lecture, or a boring documentary on cable TV. But for Ashton Banta, a 2011 graduate of Red Bank High School, it’s a stimulant for the mind. The past intrigues her, piques her interest, and gives birth to ideas that sometimes take the form of words on a page.

Monday, July 10

An estimated 1,163 citizens of metropolitan Chattanooga will have jobs because of the investment of more than $8,500,000 in new and expanded manufacturing plants during the first six months of 1961. Earl J. Platt, chairman of the Industrial Committee of 100 of the Chattanooga Chamber of Commerce, said today. Fourteen new industries were established here since January 1.

The Levison Towers emptied early on Friday to start to celebrate Independence Day. When I finally got down to the kitchen on the 20th floor, the red white and blue birthday cake for America was half eaten. The 235 candles had burned down to nubs, and I cut a corner piece full of icing. Happy birthday America.

“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. That to secure these rights, governments are instituted among men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed. That whenever any form of government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the right of the people to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their safety and happiness.”  – From The Declaration of Independence

In Hollywood, performers oftentimes find their paths crossing professionally while never actually meeting one another. Actors can perform in films or TV shows on different days, musicians and singers can record on the same song in different studios in different cities.

Two people I spoke with last week mentioned the year 1963. The first was Perrin Jones, the retired newspaperman and former Arkansas legislator. I was telling Perrin of my daughter’s recent trip to Europe and he recalled being in Berlin, in 1963behind the Iron Curtain and the relatively new Berlin Wall. He was there with dozens of reporters from around the United States, covering the Cold War.

Thus far, I’ve avoided writing about the politician with the big hair and the name I can’t spell. But his recent 17-count corruption conviction causes me to relent. Charged with attempting to trade on the prestige of his office, he was found guilty by a jury who wish he was not their peer.

For months after Rockpoint Books on Broad Street closed their doors, I speculated what new shop or eatery would replace the quiet, local bookstore. Knowing my hopes for a downtown grocery store would not be fulfilled in this location, my curiosity turned to other possibilities for something new and exciting.

Usually when I go to Snap Fitness, the gym where I’ve been a member for over a year, I have a clear plan. I jump on the treadmill for about 20 or 30 minutes, lift weights for about 10 minutes and then ride the stationary bike or do some abs.

This column originally ran in the July 10, 2010 edition of the Daily Record.

1. Who was the first explorer to reach the South Pole? Ronald Amundsen; Robert Falcon Scott; Ernest Shackleton; Richard Evelyn Byrd

2. What animals might be found at the South Pole? None; Polar bears; Penguins; Seagulls

Your mother said you should be ashamed of yourself. And you were. Call it a rite of passage. Call it a dare, peer pressure, wanting to seem cool, or just because you were a dumb kid, but when you wrapped your fingers around that first shiny item, palmed it, and walked away, the heart-pounding thrill of stealing from a store was incredibly powerful. So was the embarrassment of getting caught.

Common fashion sense dictates that no outfit is complete without the perfect pair of cute, stylish shoes to bring it all together. High quality designer shoes is what the “Embellish” boutique located in Warehouse Row specializes in, shoes in mind specifically to accompany the Carlisle and Per Se clothing lines that consultant and owner Terri Holley truly believes in.

When it comes to man versus nature, few challenges are as thrilling as scaling a rock wall, says Trevor Childress, an experienced climber. The combination of physical prowess, mental concentration, and sheer exhilaration put the sport head and shoulders above other outdoor pursuits.

The truth may be painful, but having a Realtor who is able to give it to their clients straight is a valuable asset, Realtor Bev-erly Langley with The James Company says.

She says this unique and uncertain market, which is unlike anything she has ever seen in her 35 years as a Realtor, makes it all the more relevant to have a good Realtor on hand.

The corner of McCallie and Spruce is home to a small structure that’s easy to miss. Painted grey and located next to a taller brick building, it’s likely hundreds of people drive by it every day and never see it. Even its name, Metropolitan Ministries, is painted onto the side of the brick edifice rather than the facility in which the charity is housed.

In spite of the real estate roller coaster of the last few years, homeownership remains the bedrock of financial and familial security. Having a long-term investment that provides the satisfaction and pride of ownership beats just about anything else you can do with your savings.

This column originally ran in the July 10, 2010 edition of the Daily Record.

Watermelons and summertime. I don’t know about you, but as far as I’m concerned, summertime would not be the same without watermelons. I get started on eating one and can hardly stop – that goes the same for cantaloupes.

I’ve been reading Roger Ebert’s movie reviews since the early ’80s. While my desire to see a picture increases tenfold when he gives it his trademark thumbs up, I especially enjoy his reviews of zero- and one-star films, as his writing can slice open a movie at midsection and then leave it bleeding on the ground.