News - Friday, August 1, 2014

Early in his college days, Al Secor learned the hard way he’s not supposed to be an engineer. Accepting this simple fact cleared the way for him to become a tax attorney, which he seems to have been made to be.

Secor was born in Watertown, N.Y., a city on the edge of Lake Ontario notable only for its vulnerability to the massive snow storms that come off the water. He didn’t live there long, though, as his father moved the family several times for work before settling in Birmingham, Ala. Secor completed high school there, and then set off for Georgia Tech to become an engineer.

The Greater Chattanooga Assoc. of Realtors and the Home Builders of Greater Chattanooga on August 12 will co-host the annual Economic Update Luncheon. This year’s guest speaker is Dr. Lawrence Yun, chief economist for the National Association of Realtors. The event will take place from 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Chattanoogan Hotel located at 1201 Broad Street. 

Police Chief Fred Fletcher last week made his picks for top leadership, releasing the names of 15 newly promoted individuals from within the Chattanooga Police Department (CPD). This announcement comes several weeks after Chief Fletcher was appointed.

Attorney David Hensley of Chattanooga is one of three new Workers’ Compensation Appeals Board judges appointed by Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam. The appointment was effective Aug. 1. Hensley, 60, will begin with a four-year term.

“Tennessee will see a workers’ compensation system that operates with clarity and fairness,” Haslam said. “These are important positions in our new workers’ compensation system, and I’m grateful for their willingness to serve.” The workers’ compensation appeals board reviews interlocutory and final orders entered by workers compensation judges.

A Hamilton County woman is charged with TennCare fraud and identity theft for obtaining medical treatment and using a TennCare member’s benefits to pay for them.

The Office of Inspector General (OIG) today announced the arrest of Deborah Faye Ellis, also known as Deborah Hanes, Deborah F. Lee, and Deborah Faye Lee, 58, of Chattanooga. Ellis was being held at the Lee Arrendale State Prison in Georgia, and has been transported to Hamilton County, where she was served with the indictment.

Richard P. Jahn, an attorney by trade, is also something of an amateur historical detective. He enjoys digging into the past, solving the puzzle each relic presents, and shining light on the shadows cast by the passage of time.

Ten years ago, Jahn found a few items in a shoebox sitting on a shelf in his Signal Mountain home that set him on one such voyage of discovery. Today, the results of his journey are contained within the pages of a book titled “Called to the Prairie: Life in McKenzie County, North Dakota 1915-1916.” If the title doesn’t grab the attention of history buffs, the contents will.

With severe weather events causing economic losses across the country, local business leaders joined Mayor Andy Berke and Heather McTeer Toney, southeast regional administrator for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, for a roundtable Monday to discuss the impact of climate change on Tennessee businesses. The event was organized by Business Forward and took place at 212 Market Restaurant.

The Chattanooga Choo Choo is planning an $8 million renovation and restoration project. The complex will include a comedy club, a 500-capacity music and entertainment venue, retail space, and two new restaurants with outdoor patio seating off of Market and 14th streets. The project will also include $1 million to be invested in renovating the hotel rooms in Building One.

J. Crew Factory will open a 5,652 square foot store on the lower level of Hamilton Place later this year. The new addition will feature ready-to-wear pieces, basics and casual classics for men and women. The store will also feature crewcuts, the brand’s children’s line featuring “mini me” looks in sizes 2 to 14.

Artist Anna Carll does detail work on “The House of Wisdom,” her contribution to the McCallie Walls Mural Project.

The painting depicts the Spirit of Wisdom inviting people to step through a portal to deeper understanding and insight. “I saw this anonymous wall and this anonymous door, and I wanted to do something profound with them,” she said of her work.

There sat my friend, his face beet red, beads of moisture covering his bald dome, and big drops of sweat rolling down his cheeks. His wife looked at him with concern. She’d come there to make sure he didn’t die, and I was wondering if she thought she’d made a mistake in letting him go as far as he did.

Traditionally, spring and summer are the peak times for real estate transactions. But don’t let the upcoming start of the 2014-2015 school year cause you to sit tight until next year. Numerous factors go into the best time to enter the real estate market. While some might choose to be in their new home in time to accommodate school-aged children starting at a new school, that concern is not the case for all sellers and buyers. 

^“Hercules” opens with scenes of the Greek hero performing feats of superhuman strength: killing a three-headed Hydra with a few glistening arcs of his sword; defeating a massive wooly boar by plunging his blade into its head; and defeating a ferocious lion with his bare hands. Each of these violent vignettes is narrated in dramatic fashion, with an animated voice proclaiming the invincibility of the son of Zeus.

The WE | women entrepreneur symposium (formerly named Women At The Top Symposium, or W.A.T.T.S) will be held on Tuesday, Aug. 5, from 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at Stratton Hall at Chattanooga State Community College. The symposium will feature Sloane Scott, a.k.a. the “Digital Diva” of FLO Thinkery, as the keynote speaker, and a panel discussion led by women in business.

Unless you keep close track of obscure holidays and observances, you probably didn’t know that August is “What Will Be Your Legacy? Month.” Still, you might want to use this particular month as a useful reminder to take action on what could be one of your most important financial goals: leaving a meaningful legacy. 

(Ed. note: First of a three-part series.)

If you’re passing through Aberdeen, N.C., you should have no trouble finding Railhouse Brewery on East South Street. Moore County’s only microbrewery stands in the middle of downtown, just a few feet from the train track.

If you follow my column, you know I love to grill out. If you don’t read it often, I’ll tell you now: I LOVE to grill out! I recently went to Ken Rash’s Outdoor Furniture in the Little Rock area. Ken Rash’s is locally owned and has been around since... Well, since before I lived here.

The highlight of the recent PCBF tournament was probably the snapping turtle near the culvert on number 17. He was slimy and fierce-looking, but I moved in anyway with the stealth of a 10-handicapper, iPhone camera ready to snap the varmint into Pulitzer lore.

It may be fashionable to say lawyers are a bunch of abrasive, rude, arrogant know-it-alls. It may even be true at some point for most of us. But you know lawyers are people, and as a species, none of us are perfect. In fact, we never get close to perfect. We all have pluses and minuses. Still, by my measure, lawyers have more pluses than most others. That’s not all lawyers, that’s just as a group. There may be other groups that are better: perhaps teachers or clergymen or car salesmen. But I still love lawyers, and am not ashamed to admit it.

As summertime begins to go into its hottest period of discomfort for southern man and beast alike, I’m reminded of the days when air conditioning was found only at J.C. Penney’s, and it would give you an ice cream headache due to you not being used to it.

Saturday, August 1, 1914

Due to the threat of war in Europe, passenger ships sailing from New York are suspended. The President Grant, which is on its way to Hamburg, has been recalled by wireless.

The latest addition to honor the 97th Ohio Volunteer Infantry, the first to arrive before the battle of Chickamauga, will be a new monument placed near Bragg’s Headquarters’ tower on Missionary Ridge. This will be the 67th marker placed in memory of the Buckeye soldiers.

I recently (and begrudgingly) had to take a driving school class. I say “begrudgingly” because I felt like I had better things to do with my time. I was wrong. This course was taught so well, and I learned quite a bit. I think everyone should be required to take it at least every ten years to keep up with the current laws.

Fill in the blanks in the quote using the following words:

           let, help, trust, more, place, know, him, things,

                         responsiblity, individual

Saturday, August 1, 1964

The City Water Co. is constructing a 30-inch, $420,000 submarine pipeline under the Tennessee River to improve service and prevent interruption of North Chattanooga’s water supply should the water mains on Walnut Street Bridge fail. E.S. Tiltotson, company vice president and manager, said this will be the first underground water main across the river here.

Cool off with Elsa and Olaf at Barnes & Noble

Friday, Aug. 1

On Friday, Aug. 1 at 7 p.m., Elsa from Disney’s “Frozen” will be chilling out at Barnes & Noble Hamilton Place. The children’s section will become a Winter Wonderland where children can meet, have their picture taken with Elsa, and join in a sing-a-long her and other “Frozen” fans. This event is part of the Barnes & Noble Get Pop-Cultured Celebration taking place through Sunday, Aug. 10. It’s also a fundraising opportunity to allow the community to support READ20 Chattanooga, the local non-profit organization that promotes reading to children for 20 minutes a day, and gives free books to underprivileged children in the Chattanooga area. The public is invited to this free event.