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Wonderful Walks

2010-03-19T10:15:38-04:00

There are days I would like to live downtown, mostly so owning a car would be unnecessary. I like walking, biking and even the communal feeling of riding the bus. Living on Signal Mountain makes having a car a requirement.

Besides making vehicle ownership obligatory, living on a mountain has some other unfavorable aspects. The power goes out a few times every year. Travel is difficult or impossible during inclement weather. Cell phone coverage is spotty. You may ask, "Why would anyone make such a life choice?"

I spent a fair part of my childhood tromping through the woods behind my grandparents' house on Sawyer Road on the mountain. Those woods cover the mostly undeveloped, rough, rocky terrain on the "back" of the mountain. To this day, I love the almost wild places on the mountain. The beauty of the rushing creeks and streams, the silent pathways and the towering, secretive fir trees call to me throughout the spring and summer.

Yes, the commute can be a pain. But, the vistas during evening walks make up for it.

All of the photos, below, were taken by Gary Hamilton. They are of Shoal Creek, in the Town of Signal Mountain and of Marshall Creek in Hamilton County.

Preview | Palate 2 Palette

2010-03-19T08:45:00-04:00

Dancers at the 2009 Palate 2 Palette celebration. By Quiddity Entertainment.

Chattanooga's Southside will be swinging this weekend during the third annual Palate 2 Palette fundraiser for the Craniofacial Foundation of America. Described as a "celebration of the visual, culinary and floral arts," attendees will enjoy fine art, fine cuisine and unique atmospheres as they walk through the historic neighborhood.

Area high school students from 14 participating schools will have their works on display at the Youth Gallery Exhibit, which opens with a reception from 7:00 to 9:00 p.m on Friday night. The Youth Gallery, located at 12 W. 13th St., will include live music and refreshments both Friday and Saturday night during the gallery stroll.

Saturday night from 5:00 to 8:00 p.m., nine galleries—each paired with a restaurant or chef, a floral designer and a wine sponsor—will offer a unique experience for visitors. Highlights include the Living Art Gallery, a showcase for live music and performance art and the Photography Gallery.

Featuring noted photographers Rick Lucas, Ed Rode and Bob Schellhammer, the Photography Gallery will be held at 1423 Market St.. The Living Art Gallery, at 1427 Williams St., will feature the work of award-winning artist Casey Baugh and include musical performances by Christie Burns and 2009 Hammer Dulcimer Champion, Lisa Ferguson.

Additional galleries include Area 61, CreateHere, Gallery 1401, Ignis Glass, Studio 2 and Thomas Mann. A map of participating galleries is available at the event website.

After the gallery stroll, Loose Cannon will host a Warhol-themed "Bubbles and Sweets" celebration.

Benefiting the Craniofacial Foundation of America

Tickets for Palate 2 Palette are $75 per person, and all proceeds will benefit the Craniofacial Foundation of America, a nonprofit dedicated to assisting those with facial differences. CFA supports the work of the Tennessee Craniofacial Center at T.C. Thompson Children’s Hospital by providing families with financial support for non-medical expenses, support services and educational resources.

School Board Upholds Normal Park's Current Zone

2010-03-19T08:29:22-04:00

The debate over Normal Park Museum Magnet's zone came to a head Thursday evening when the Hamilton County School Board voted 6 to 3 to maintain the school's current zone and pre-K program, both of which have become the subject of controversy over the past three months.

Since the Normal Park program expanded into Chattanooga Middle School (now Normal Park Upper School) in 2007, the Normal Park zone and outlying areas have experienced concentrated growth, causing school officials to revamp a 2007 decision to eventually expand the magnet school's zone.

In January, Superintendent Jim Scales proposed a plan to expand Normal Park's zone westward one street to Spears Avenue. That expansion, however, fell short of the 2007 school board decision to include residents from the Bell–Spears area (the area encompassed by Bell Avenue, Spears Avenue and Cherokee Boulevard). According to Scales, the 2007 plan would increase the school's enrollment by approximately 105 students, causing overcrowding at Normal Park.

But the proposal to scale back the anticipated zone has stirred controversy among some North Chattanooga residents, many of whom were promised that their children would be able to attend Normal Park. Scales explained that in 2007, Normal Park Lower School enrolled 300 students. Now, Normal Park Lower and Upper schools enroll 800 students combined.

"At that same time [that the Normal Park program was expanded], we voted to bring in the Bell–Spears area," Scales said. "But because of the growth that has taken place inside the current Normal Park zone we have seen a real escalation in the enrollment there."

Since January, school officials have met with members from both the Normal Park zone and the Bell–Spears area to garner community feedback. As a result of those meetings, Scales revised his plans in order to maintain Normal Park's current zone. However, the administration mailed surveys to residents of the Bell–Spears area, allowing those who returned the survey by Friday, March 19 to enroll their children at Normal Park.

The administration sent out 90 surveys, and it has since received 51 responses, according to Scales. From the 51 responses, 38 students have indicated plans to enroll at Normal Park next year. Those students, along with their siblings, will be allowed to enroll at Normal Park every year despite being zoned for Red Bank Elementary and Middle Schools. No similar provisions will be made in the future, Scales said.

The Role of Pre-K

As part of Scales's proposal, Normal Park's pre-K program—a $5,000 program that serves approximately 40 students—will also remain intact, but the program will no longer enroll out-of-zone students who have, in the past, been guaranteed automatic entry into the magnet school. "Out of the 40 students enrolled in the pre-K program in 2010–2011, 12 are out of zone," Principal Jill Levine said.

Board members Rhonda Thurman and Everett Fairchild raised objections to Scales's proposed continuance of the pre-K program.

"By law, we do not have to provide a pre-K program," said Thurman. "Pre-K classes are taking up classes that we need for students that by law we have to educate. We have to educate K through 12, and we are taking up those classroom spaces with pre-K that by law we do not have to have."

Fairchild said, "I feel like what we are doing with a program that people have to pay $5,000 to get into is discriminatory. It limits the number of people who can get into that program."

"It narrows down to an easy decision," Fairchild said. "We got 38 kids in the Spears Avenue area who have indicated that they would like to go to Normal Park. We're taking up 38 spaces with these pre-K kids."

Fairchild added that the projected enrollment for Normal Park next year is 834 students, including the 38 students from the Bell–Spears area, and that by discontinuing the pre-K program, it would bring the enrollment to 796 students—four students shy of "ideal enrollment" at Normal Park.

Despite concerns with the program, the board voted 6 to 3 to approve Scales's proposal to maintain Normal Park's zone and its pre-K program. School board members Kenny Smith, Linda Mosely, George Ricks, Janice Boydston, Chester Bankston and Chip Baker voted yes.

Board members Jeffery Wilson, Thurman and Fairchild voted no.

A Room With a View. And Some Antlers.

2010-03-18T14:00:48-04:00

It wasn’t advertising or word of mouth that brought me to Joe Friday’s Alaskan Café. It was, rather, luck (a walk-by) and a healthy dose of depraved curiosity (there are antlers and fireplaces visible from the street). Tucked behind JJ’s Bohemia with a Houston Street address, the building itself is a recently renovated labor of love: a two-story house with porches top and bottom that once suffered from significant structural damage. Today, it’s tidy, and a worthy home for a buttoned-up theme café. Enter the bears.

For whatever reason, Alaskan cuisine hasn’t hit it big, nor has true Alaskan culture. To this, Joe Friday’s turns up its well-kempt nose. The narrow, impressively furnished and perfectly situated space is packed with antlers, vintage outdoor photography, snow shoes and bear memorabilia. On the first floor, decked out with bar stools and high tables, the Alaskan-ness is secondary to the place’s slickness, but up a spiral staircase to the second floor, full of low, plump loungers, it’s a little more apparent that some significant theme injections have been made.

The pièce de résistance, the thing that makes the theme bearable, however, is just outside: a porch with a view down East M.L. King. Imagine your favorite Alaskan tree house. Welcome to Joe Friday’s upstairs deck.

But the food is what matters, no? Joe Friday’s offers some decent weekly specials: $5 sandwiches on Monday; $2.50 breakfast sandwiches on Wednesday, and on Thursdays, (this being Alaska) there’s $6 sushi—a dubious, though admittedly unexplored option. The full menu is less than courageous, but good nonetheless: a nice smoked salmon and bagel plate, homemade soups, and a long list of fancy coffee drinks. Avalanche smoothies (we tried Pineapple) are not necessarily worth the $4.25 in taste, but their presentation is only just shy of that.

Apparently Joe Friday’s is on a well-endowed trajectory to success. Its got an amazing location that’s comfortable if distracting, with a reasonable menu and a killer view. And it inspires the restaurant-frontierism we all get in new, unexplored joints; it’s still got that new car smell. So what’s the catch?

It’s a college dig, no question about it, and the hours are a testament to that: 7:30 a.m. to 6 p.m., Monday through Friday only. While a casual lunch is a noble way to honor this place, the special pleasure of setting up camp in the Alaskan frontier is reserved for the part-timers, students and telecommuters among us. Or perhaps you could pencil in some time to meet the bears? Give them my best, and enjoy.

Robin Smith Earns Endorsement of Prominent House Republican

2010-03-18T09:56:55-04:00

Eric Cantor, the House Minority Whip, endorses TN03 candidate Robin Smith. In a statement announcing the endorsement, Smith calls Cantor "a hero to the conservative cause."

Via timesfreepress.com

'Between Space' to Lift the Eyes of 4 Bridges Attendees

2010-03-18T09:00:00-04:00

'Between Space' installation By Jamey Grimes.

As art lovers from around the region enter this year's 4 Bridges Arts Festival, the first place they'll want to look is up. Complimenting the works of 150 local and regional artists, a signature installation piece by Alabama-based Jamey Grimes will hang overhead, greeting visitors at the main entrance of the First Tennessee Pavilion.

Typically mounted from a ceiling, Between Space is a flowing, cloud-like structure comprised of white corrugated plastic that uses lighting, shadows and translucent materials to spark the imaginations of its viewers. Grimes says in his artist's statement that his work is "fueled by encounters with nature and playful experimentation with synthetic materials."

Between Space has been installed at museums, galleries and festivals around the country, including Sculpture Key West 2009, where reviewer Christina Kee described it as "set to magical effect under the latticework of a bower where it is forced to do all-out battle with the brilliance and shadow-silhouette of tropical light."

Grimes earned a B.F.A. from Birmingham-Southern College and an M.F.A. at the University of Alabama, where he now serves as a full-time professor. He will be on hand as a special guest for the 4 Bridges Patron Preview Party on Friday, April 16.

4 Bridges Arts Festival

2010 marks the 10th anniversary of the 4 Bridges Arts Festival, which began as an outdoor art and music event at Coolidge Park in 2001. This year's festival, set for April 17–18, will include exhibits by 150 artists as well as musical performances, children's art activities and local food.

For more information, visit www.4bridgesartsfestival.com

Chattarati is a media sponsor of the 2010 4 Bridges Arts Festival.

Your Response Is Required by Law

2010-03-18T07:50:04-04:00

My heart skipped a beat when I saw the envelope in the mailbox. It wasn't the latest Netflix deliveries or the cascade of catalogs my wife receives. And it certainly wasn't the phone bill that got me excited, but rather a white, 6- by 10-inch envelope marked by bold, uppercase type, "Your response is required by law."

Under most circumstances those words would sound all kinds of alarm bells. Maybe I'm being notified of a backlog of overdue parking tickets or an IRS audit. Worse yet, what if it's jury duty?

Thankfully, I knew beforehand it was none of these. This envelope I had anticipated for many months. It was from the U.S. Census Bureau and inside, there was a 10-question form, another postage-paid envelope to mail the form back and a brief disclaimer informing me that the census is safe and required by law (again), and that the answers remain confidential for 72 years.

After carefully organizing the white envelope's contents, I quickly assured my wife that we would get to fill out our census form "very soon." To which, she looked up from a new catalog, rolled her eyes and shrugged, "OK."

Most people feel that way about the census. To the vast majority of Americans, it's just another form to fill out, stuff into an envelope and mail off. A few claim the questionnaire is a massive intrusion of privacy, and an even smaller group, of which I'm a card-carrying member, revel in a process that occurs only once every 10 years.

To allay concerns about the census, local governments in and around Hamilton County have busied themselves with resolutions and announcements supporting the process.

In February, the Chattanooga City Council approved a resolution encouraging residents to participate fully in the census. Last week, a press release from city hall listed some of the benefits of participation. Officials in Whitfield County, not to be outdone, declared March 15–19 as "Census Week." But the city of East Ridge takes the gold. Like me, officials in East Ridge have anticipated the census for almost a year. The city signed off on a 2010 Census Complete Count Committee last July.

The benefits of a complete count, while not instantly recognizable to the naked eye, are important for all of us. Based on the 2010 results, legislative districts will be redrawn next year for the U.S. House of Representatives; the General Assembly; and, on the local front, the Chattanooga City Council, the Hamilton County Commission and the Hamilton County School Board.

Federal funding for the next 10 years will be determined by this count as well. Funds for public infrastructure—hospitals, schools, roads, public housing and emergency response—are apportioned according to the number of people living in a given area. Becoming the third largest city in the state is more than just a badge of honor. It opens a door to tangible resources that can improve our city in substantial ways.

Some of the information gathered in the process provides important insight into the composition of our communities, cities and state. Both the Chattanooga-Hamilton County Regional Planning Agency and the Ochs Center—two of my favorite light, local reads—frequently draw from census data like housing and race to better understand and recommend public policy and planning. And from time to time, Chattarati writers consult data sets, freely available to all at census.gov, to get a clearer picture of how an initiative or legislation affects the population at large.

The long-term value of objective data is quite a commodity when it comes to understanding and improving our communities—not to mention writing about them. From census data, we can determine metrics like the number of minority residents that live inside the city limits (63,082, or 39 percent of the total population, according to the 2008 American Community Survey), which directly impacts City Council boundaries; or we can better understand the density and type of housing within a given census tract, which will help shape land-use patterns and development for the next 10 years.

Admittedly, my interest in this process stems from somewhat selfish motives. More than the census itself though, I anticipate diving into all that new information—the mother lode of all data sets—learning what progress the city has made in the last decade, and getting better insight into where it's going for the next one.

Census forms are being mailed out this week. When you fill out your form, savor the once-in-a-decade opportunity and mail it back to the U.S. Census Bureau. The process is easy, safe and, to me at least, fun.

Following the release of 2010 census data, Chattarati will publish charts and graphs of some of the results. If you have a suggestion or idea you want to see implemented, please let us know in the comments below.

Water Quality Plan Passes With Tough Council Vote

2010-03-17T09:00:48-04:00

The Chattanooga City Council unanimously approved a water quality budget of approximately $12 million Tuesday evening after months of public debate and deliberation by city officials. For weeks, council members have wrestled with two proposals: one proposed by the council-appointed Blue Ribbon committee and one proposed by the administration's Department of Public Works.

With Tuesday's vote, and assuming passage on final reading on April 20, an amended version of the administration's proposal will be adopted.

Council members passed two amendments to the proposal before voting on the overall ordinance. The first amendment raises the maximum amount of credits that a ratepayer can use for fee exemptions up to 65 percent. The second lowers the equivalent residential unit (ERU) per month to $6.15 for nonresidential users in the first year. That rate is expected to increase in the next five years to $9.60 per month. Under the proposal, the residential rate will be $9.60 per ERU per month.

The vote brings a five-month debate within closing distance. After rates tripled in October, a public backlash ensued, pitting angry residents and business owners against city officials. In response, the council appointed a nine-member panel to study water quality fees. The Blue Ribbon committee submitted a $10 million budget to the council in February—cutting the existing budget of $21.5 million roughly in half. The administration submitted its own $12 million budget to the council in early-March.

Bill Raines, chairman of the Blue Ribbon committee, said the recent dialog on water quality was a positive step forward for the city. "I am so glad that the administration did come down $10 million," he said Tuesday. "That's a relief. That's an adjustment, and it's spreading the costs out over time. And that's appreciated."

Over the last three weeks, council members sought to move the two different proposals closer together in Legal and Legislative committee meetings. And in some respects, they accomplished that goal.

The council's slightly lower nonresidential ERU rate will provide some relief for businesses. Under the new rate, a 100,000-square-foot parcel (31 ERUs) would cost $2,288 a year instead of $2,418 as originally proposed by the administration. Under the Blue Ribbon committee's plan, the same area of impervious land would result in $2,232 in annual storm water fees. Currently, fees for the area would be $3,571. The rate for nonprofit organizations, however, is the same as the rate for businesses and significantly higher than the Blue Ribbon committee's proposal.

Both Bill Payne, city engineer, and Mike Price, a member of the Blue Ribbon committee, advocated splitting the difference on fee credits between the two proposals. (The Blue Ribbon committee's proposal originally had the credit ceiling at 75 percent; the administration's proposal had it at 50 percent).

"We both would be happy at 65 percent," Price said Tuesday. "We're in agreement. We're holding hands as far as that goes."

The ordinance will receive a final reading and vote on Tuesday, April 20 at 6:00 p.m. during the City Council's regular meeting. The meeting is open to the public.

Music Review | Washed Out, Small Black at the Club Formerly Known as Fathom

2010-03-16T16:09:55-04:00

On Saturday, March 13, the fairly progressive, electronic music project of Ernest Greene, Washed Out, played at 412 Market (also known as Fathom, also known as Mosaic). The definition of “fairly progressive” could have multifarious sonic implications, but in a Washed Out live show at 412 Market-Fathom-Mosaic, it is a special blend of noise, synthetic vocals, neon lights and diluted rhythms. This may sound like a swipe at the young Georgian’s aesthetic, but rather, it is more of a diagnosis of a confusing performance at a difficult venue.

"Glo-fi" and "chill-wave" are possibly satirical terms that have been slapped onto a strange and unique sound that began developing post-2008. In a genre that is so far removed from the bounds of the ordinary, the struggle of these bands is to find some sort of inimitable qualifier that distinguishes them from their cohorts and will push them above the upstarts. Such facts may be less than compelling, possibly even lost on the average listener, which is why perhaps the two bands that resemble each other the most within this genre playing back to back at the same venue on the same night is a problematic idea.

This was what took place on the 13th, and unfortunately, the setting did not soften the blow. Staying objective was made even more difficult by the fact that Small Black, the penultimate act, came on stage for the last half of Washed Out’s set to function as a backing band, or at least that’s what seemed to be taking place. Washed Out was headlining, but when Small Black joined him on stage, Greene took his microphone and was standing a few steps behind the Small Black lead singer for the duration of their collaborative set. The confusing stage charisma was uncomfortable to watch and slightly amusing. From the crowd's perspective, it seemed that Washed Out and Small Black, together, were the headlining event, when the seven-dollar entrance fee was primarily doled out to see Washed Out. It left a feeling of disappointment, but mostly just confusion about whether or not these two groups had been getting any feedback about their tour so far. It could have been worse, but their bush-league performance-syntax was debilitating at the least.

Despite the obvious challenge facing these acts for the rest of their tour, their challenges were not entirely their own. The 412 Market performance space is one of the largest in town, with concrete floors, brick walls and a high ceiling. The stage is situated at the back of the room, and the speaker towers blast indiscriminately at the audience, with most of the finer detail being lost in the back of the empty room over the listener’s head. For music as breezy, warm and loose as Washed Out’s, you need all the sharp details to be present for the listener, because so much of the artistry is wrapped up in the subtlety of the beats, keyboard sounds and vocal effects. As a venue, 412 Market-Fathom-Mosaic could use a bit of honing as far as overall aesthetic goes. It presents the attendee with the feeling of being dwarfed; as a result, unless you are standing in the tight nugget of dancing co-eds in front of the stage, you feel peripheral. The potential for that room to be used effectively is there, but, as it stands, it needs work. Along with the physical changes that could improve the venue, the stigma surrounding its former life—latent with non-musical, non-local and ulterior motives marketed towards tweens—needs to be combated as well.

Regardless of the effectiveness of the sound guy or the performance space, something needs to be done to sharpen the sound of this live show. The program needs to be better thought out, and shaving off a bit of the reverb wouldn’t hurt. Washed Out’s latest EP, "Life of Leisure," is very, very good, and a more truthful performance of it would have been appreciated. Similar to the Washed Out-Small Black identity crisis, it would seem that 412 Market, Fathom or Mosaic could stand to do some soul searching as well.

Howard School of Academics and Technology Targeted for State Takeover

2010-03-15T12:21:07-04:00

Was Race to the Top legislation passed at the expense of Howard School of Academics and Technology? Kelli Gauthier reports that the school is being targeted for state takeover as part of the Tennessee First to the Top Act, and prominent Howard alumni are challenging the state's actions.

Via timesfreepress.com

Community Organizations Worth Noting

2010-03-12T09:04:55-04:00

While this blog is one of several neighborhood blogs, in actuality Signal Mountain is made up of three distinct communities, each with multiple neighborhoods. Most Chattanoogans are familiar with the Town of Signal Mountain, as it is the largest of the three and it is the first area of the mountain you encounter when driving up Highway 127. Traveling north, you will next come to the Walden's Ridge community, and, just before heading down the mountain into Dunlap, you will drive through the community of Lone Oak.

Each of these communities has a distinct character, positive attributes and issues and problems. Each also has a community center run by and serving citizens. Coincidentally, all three centers are housed in former school buildings.

The Mountain Arts Community Center (MACC) is located in the building that was once Signal Mountain Grammar School. The building was constructed in 1926, and in 2002 it was placed on the National Register of Historic Places. The MACC is "committed to bringing the best of the fine arts to Signal Mountain." Classes in everything from beer brewing to yoga are offered at reasonable tuition rates at MACC. The facility is available for rental and may be the site of a community garden in 2011.

The Bachman Community Center states: "Our mission is to foster a sense of community by supporting programs and events that reflect the needs of all residents of Walden's Ridge, while continuing to preserve our historic building as a community resource." Organizations of all sorts make use of the Center, and the Bachman Bargain Barn Resale Shop is open on the first and third Saturdays of each month, from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. Lucky shoppers can find deals on all sorts of items, from housewares to clothing.

Lone Oak is the smallest, both in population and in size, of the three communities and is also located in Sequatchie County. The Lone Oak Community Center is housed in what was once Lone Oak Elementary School. The Lone Oak Fire Hall is in the same building. The Community Center does not have a website, but it provides a range of vital services from free monthly medical clinics to weekly GED classes to providing space for a community senior citizens' group. A quiliting group meets regularly and sells beautiful quilts to raise money for the Center. You may reach the Lone Oak Community Center at (423) 886-7250.

Washed Out Brings 'Glo-Fi' to Chattanooga

2010-03-12T08:57:38-04:00

Ernest Greene, aka Washed Out, will perform at 412 Market Street on Saturday. By The Windish Agency via Web.

This Saturday night, rising chill-wave pop star, Washed Out, will be playing at 412 Market with Small Black, Pictureplane and Purple Asia. Washed Out is the new wave electro-groove project of Ernest Greene from Perry, Ga. (via Columbia, S.C.). The sound of Washed Out has been dubbed anything from “glo-fi bedroom” to “hypnagogic pop”, but don’t let those terrifying descriptors deter you from catching this splendid $7.00 show on Saturday. Washed Out is pioneering a “new” genre in electronic music that combines warm pads, smooth samples, and ethereally altered vocal tracks along with bands like Toro y Moi and Dog Bite. Check out selected tracks from Washed Out’s latest EP, “Life of Leisure,” in the sidebar.

Who: Washed Out with Small Black, Pictureplane, Purple Asia
Where: 412 Market Street (formerly Fathom)
When: Saturday, March 13. Doors open at 8:00 p.m.
Cost: $7

Corker Drops Out of Financial Reform Talks

2010-03-11T13:50:01-04:00

As Senate Democrats plan to unveil a proposal next week, Sen. Bob Corker drops out of negotiations on financial reform. Read Corker's statement.

Via nytimes.com

Preview | 'Police, Adjective'

2010-03-11T13:00:00-04:00

Christi (Dragoş Bucur) is an undercover cop being pressured by his superior officer, Anghelache (Vlad Ivanov), to arrest a Romanian teenager who gives pot to his classmates. Torn between ruining the teen's life over a trumped-up dealing charge and appeasing the bureaucracy of his law enforcement division, Christi faces a crisis of conscience during a three-day period in post-Soviet Romania.

Police, Adjective was directed by Corneliu Poromboiu (12:08 East of Bucharest) and won the Jury Prize in the Un Certain Regard section at the 2009 Cannes Film Festival.

Police, Adjective opens March 12 at the Majestic 12 as part of the Arts & Education's Independent Film Series and plays until March 18. For showtimes and tickets, visit carmike.com.

Chattooga County Hopes to Buy Finster's Paradise Gardens

2010-03-11T12:20:10-04:00

Chattooga County officials are looking to purchase Paradise Gardens Park and Museum, which belonged to the late folk artist, Howard Finster, with grant funding. See also: The Public Interest.

Via timesfreepress.com

Take Root in Highland Park

2010-03-11T11:00:00-04:00

Over 20 volunteers from Volkeswagen, along with representatives from Take Root planted seven Lacebark Elm trees in the Highland Park neighborhood this past Saturday. The trees were planted near Tatum Park on South Holly Street between Bailey Avenue and Union Avenue.

This was the last phase in a multi-stage effort to bring more trees to Highland Park. The initiative was started last fall and throughout the season, Highland Park residents and other volunteers planted trees on both the east and south sides of Highland Park. Overall, around 30 trees, including Black Tupelos and Trident Maples, were planted.

Visit takerootchattanooga.com to see how they can beautify your neighborhood.

New 'Guns in Bars' Bill Clears First Hurdle

2010-03-11T09:02:20-04:00

After a Davidson County court overturned similar legislation last year, a new bill passed a House Criminal Practice and Procedure Committee vote on Wednesday.

Via timesfreepress.com

Zoning Out Former Plans

2010-03-11T09:00:27-04:00

The recent debate over Normal Park Museum Magnet's zone involves a 2007 decision by the Hamilton County School Board, which voted to ultimately expand the zone to include the area encompassed by Bell Avenue, Spears Avenue and Cherokee Boulevard. Since that time, more families than expected have moved into the North Chattanooga area, and school officials worry that expanding the zone as planned may now cause overcrowding at the school.

According to Superintendent Jim Scales, the new expanded zone would increase Normal Park's enrollment by approximately 105 students. The school would have to take on portable classrooms or significantly decrease its lottery enrollment in order to accommodate the new students. The lottery system, however, is a key component to the magnet program.

In January, Scales proposed a significantly reduced expansion that would include only a portion of the originally agreed upon zone—the area east of Spears Avenue and north of Cherokee Boulevard—in order to salvage Normal Park's magnet program and prevent the need for portable classrooms. Furthermore, his proposal would prevent Red Bank Elementary School, a Title I school that has made strides in academic achievement, from losing 80 students—students that would be rezoned to Normal Park if the district follows through with the original plan.

"It would cause them [Red Bank Elementary] to lose an assistant principal and possibly some staff members," Scales said in January at a School Board work session. "We wouldn't want to do harm to that particular program."

Scales also said that Red Bank Elementary had already lost 13 students by the 20-day count (marking official enrollment numbers) this year. His new proposal, though, would allow the school to maintain its current staffing levels.

If passed by the School Board, the superintendent's proposal will come as tough news for families that moved into the Bell and Spears Avenue area with the expectation that their children would be able to attend Normal Park, a locally esteemed and nationally recognized magnet program.

The Hamilton County School Board is expected to vote on Scales's proposal this month. Both Normal Park and Red Bank Elementary are in the 2nd District, represented by School Board member Chip Baker.

Debate Narrows on Water Quality Budgets

2010-03-10T12:45:00-04:00

The debate over water quality fees could be resolved within two weeks once the Legal and Legislative committee reconvenes to bring two different proposals closer together, Councilman Jack Benson said Tuesday evening.

Chattanooga City Council members spent part of Tuesday hashing out differences between two plans: one from a council-appointed Blue Ribbon committee and another from the mayor's office. The two plans differ primarily in the number of fee credits users are allowed and the overall fee structure and budget that will be put in place.

Both plans lower water quality fees from present levels, which tripled in October 2009. The Blue Ribbon committee's plan would be more affordable for ratepayers, but its budget doesn't include costs for the infrastructure needed to satisfy federal and state regulators. (The city was notified of 57 water quality violations last year and, as a result, faces threat of legal action from the Tennessee Department of Environment & Conservation and the Environmental Protection Agency.)

The administration's budget begins at $12 million and goes up to $16.7 million in five years. Accordingly, nonresidential rates for businesses and nonprofits increase during that time. The Blue Ribbon committee's budget stays flat at $10 million every year. In that proposal, nonresidential rates also increase, but not by as much. Residential rates remain relatively flat under both proposals.

The current budget, following the October rate increase, is $21.5 million. Both proposals cut the budget roughly in half.

During Tuesday's discussion, Benson joked that Bill Raines and Mike Price from the Blue Ribbon committee should be locked in a padded room with Lee Norris, Deputy Administrator for the Department of Public Works, to work out a compromise, according to chattanoogan.com.

Earlier that day, an anonymous, full-page advertisement appeared in the Chattanooga Times Free Press urging residents to contact council members to support the Blue Ribbon committee's plan. The ad argues that businesses will be tempted to move out of Chattanooga if the City Council adopts the administration's plan.

The Legal and Legislative committee will meet on Tuesday, March 16 at 2:00 p.m. to discuss the water quality budget.

Corker Comes Under Fire for Payday Lender Exemptions

2010-03-10T11:51:58-04:00

A payday lender based in Cleveland, Tenn. could be exempt from a Senate proposal to regulate consumer finance.

Under the proposal, which is being negotiated by Sens. Christopher Dodd, D-Conn., and Tennessee Republican, Bob Corker, a proposed consumer protection agency would have difficulty enforcing new regulations on nonbank financial companies, including payday lenders like Jones Management LLC, the New York Times reports.

The Times reports that Corker has been instrumental in scaling back the power that the consumer protection agency would have over payday lenders.

Earlier this morning, a Bloomberg report shows that Corker has received $17,325 in campaign donations from executives with Jones Management and an additional $1,000 from a political action committee with ties to the payday lending industry:

Executives of Jones Management Services LLC, based in Cleveland, Tennessee, and its loan companies contributed $17,325 to Corker’s 2006 and 2012 Senate campaigns, according to the Center for Responsive Politics, a Washington-based research group.

Corker has also received $1,000 from the political action committee of the payday lenders’ trade group, the Community Financial Services Association, based in Alexandria, Virginia.

Corker denied allegations that he advocated for special treatment for the payday lending industry. From Reuters:

Amid reports that he has pressed in negotiations for special treatment in legislation for payday lenders, Senator Bob Corker said, "There are no carve outs for anybody."

The first-term Republican also reiterated, in remarks at a conference, that consumer protection should not be allowed to trump supervision of bank safety and soundness—a position Republicans have held consistently through months of debate.

Via Post Politics.