Business Pulse: Offering PE online not so smart
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Then there’s the city of Minneapolis, which is always thinking of creative ways to educate its students, like allowing them to fulfill their PE credits online. This could quite possibly be the most ridiculous thing I’ve ever heard.
And here’s the scary part. Jan Braaten, one of the lead educators who helped develop the online PE program, says it’s drawing interest from around the state. Braaten said she’s proud of her creation but also admitted, “It’s kind of an oxymoron to have online PE.”
I’d say it’s an oxymoron. By its very title, PE stands for physical education. In my PE classes we played basketball and volleyball, ran track, did jumping jacks, and generally did a variety of physical activities.
I guess nowadays, thanks to “cutting-edge” educators, PE means sitting at a computer. From TV remotes to power windows in cars, it won’t be long before we don’t have to do anything. I’m waiting for the device which can pick up a fork and stuff food in our mouths.
As for other things of the odd, strange and curious nature, the latest trend in huge urban areas like New York City and Houston is to have daycares for dogs. This can be a very comforting service for pet owners.
For families where both the man and woman work, this can mean little Fido is left alone at home for long stretches. Well worry no more because now Fido can go to his own daycare.
However, as some pet owners have found, some of these doggie daycares have become snobby. In fact, Urban Tails in Houston requires a four-page dog personality profile, and a peer session with other dogs to be admitted.
In Boston, Dog Day Afternoons requires two letters of reference, a seven-page application, and then the dog must come for a personal interview. I’m not really sure how much quality information is exchanged during these interviews, but some dogs have been rejected. And don’t even ask me how to write a letter of reference for a dog. “Buster the dog always seems to wag his tail ?”
Dr. Good says good-bye
Good doctors are hard to find. That’s why it’s sad news for Warren County that Dr. Michael Good is moving his OB/GYN practice to Savannah, Tenn., which is in the western part of the state.
Dr. Good’s last day to see local patients will be July 15. Then he’ll spend the last part of the month packing up his office and preparing to move.
“This was a hard-fought decision,” said Dr. Good, who has operated his practice here for 12 years. “I love this place and the people here. But I’ll have more time with my family and it’s a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to start a new practice the way I want to start it.”
Dr. Good will be working through a government program to establish a women’s health center in Savannah. He says he will be granted a great deal of freedom to set up the health center the way he wants.
He said a driving force behind the decision was the chance to have more family time to spend with his 12-year-old son. His current schedule is a 24-hour-a-day, seven-day-a-week responsibility. Those type of hours don’t allow for much free time.
“Of the patients coming through, everybody has been real supportive,” said Good. “The hardest part is leaving my patients.”
Good encourages his patients to pick up a copy of their records at his office until July 15. He says patients who don’t get their records from him soon can still track him down in Savannah.
“The way the law reads, I always have to keep a copy,” said Good. “The information is the patient’s, but the records are mine.”
A.O. Smith job cuts could be this week
In a letter sent out to its employees, massive job cuts could begin at A.O. Smith as early as this Friday.
The letter said, in part: “In 2003, A.O. Smith announced plans to reposition a significant amount of production from the McMinnville facility ? We are now moving forward with the previously announced plans and expect this repositioning activity to be completed by the end of 2005 with a reduction in our workforce occurring between July 1, 2005 and July 14, 2005. We anticipate approximately 135 positions will be permanently affected ?”
Obviously this is more terrible news at a time when terrible news seems to be the norm. The moral of this story is if you have a job, be thankful that you do.
Sam Shull service station not getting much interest
I’ve heard rumors that Tietgen’s Super Rama is very close to buying the historic Sam Shull service station which is located on the adjacent property. Since I don’t like to print unfounded rumors (except on rare occasions), I decided to go straight to the source and ask Tietgen’s owner Ed Tietgen if he was interested.
What I found is Ed has no interest in buying the property at its current asking price of $199,000. He said when the property was initially for sale, he entertained the idea of being a “good neighbor” and buying the lot so he could clean it up. But Ed stressed $199,000 is more of a cleanup bill than he could ever afford.
“Since we’re right next door, that property is probably worth more to us than anybody else,” said Ed, who has owned the downtown grocery store for 21 years. “And it’s not worth that much to us.”
Personally, I don’t see how that property could support hardly any business other than the garage that’s currently operating there. It’s a long and narrow piece of property that’s surrounded by a road on three sides. With building restrictions regulating how close a structure can be built to the road, it makes the property even smaller.
With the city of McMinnville injecting an estimated $5 million into downtown renovation, it doesn’t make sense to have a large eyesore on one end of Main Street. I realize it is a garage, which is grimy in nature, but perhaps something could be done to spruce the place up a bit.
Grasshopper Lawn Care springs into action
If you’re sick and tired of mowing your grass, Randy and Eva Dodson have a business for you. The husband and wife have formed Grasshopper Lawn Care — and Eva is the one who does most of the mowing.
“I think she’s even more particular about it than I am,” said Randy, who handles the bulk of the trimming, mulching and landscaping. “I’m not going to leave a yard until I’m satisfied that it looks right. I know if I’m satisfied, the customer will be satisfied.”
Randy says he has always enjoyed lawn maintenance and landscaping work. That’s evident by his day job where he is the fertilizer and crop department manager at Warren Farmers Co-op.
Randy has top-notch equipment, including a Hustler mower recently purchased from McMinnville Lawn and Garden, so your yard can be mowed quickly. His motto is, “If you can grow it, we can mow it.”
Grasshopper Lawn Care can be contacted by calling 607-6837.
Ryan Moore honored as Young Retailer of the Year
I think we should all give a big round of applause to Ryan Moore for winning the Young Retailer of the Year Award in the over $2 million sales category. The award is coordinated by the North American Retail Hardware Association, which recognizes outstanding achievement by six hardware retailers age 35 and younger.
“I have a great organization to work with,” said Ryan, who is vice president of Supreme Building Products. “We take such good care of our customers and we sell so many products.”
After his father, David, took full ownership of Supreme in 1994, Ryan began helping him with marketing efforts. From the start, Ryan distinguished himself as an unstoppable public relations machine.
Moore has been involved in all areas of the business. Since he became involved in the building supply, he has expanded its customer base to five surrounding counties. Outside sales have increased by 50 percent and, since he’s been full-time at the store, overall business has increased 40 percent.
That’s all folks
I have more news but no more space. Give me a call with tips at 473-2191.