Forget a hotel room; sleep in a tube
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Hartselle, Ala., resident Daniel Brown is the perfect example. According to police reports, good ol? Daniel was a little down on his luck so he decided the best way to get money fast was by committing a robbery. And he figured the safest bet would be his very own grandfather, who he knew had plenty of money around the house.
As you might expect, Daniel?s plan hit a snag. Despite wearing a full ski mask to hide his identity, Daniel made the mistake of bursting into the home and yelling, ?I need your money ? and I mean it Papa.? Daniel was arrested a short time later.
Staying in the great state of Alabama, Dan Gulley, 70, and David Brooks, 62, recently made the news when the two engaged in a heated argument. The argument ultimately ended when Gulley pulled out a gun and shot Brooks twice in the stomach.
An investigation revealed the gunshots stemmed from what started as a simple disagreement. The two were arguing about the height of the ?Godfather of Soul,? the late singer James Brown.
I realize folks in Alabama struggle with basic things like intelligence and shoes, but shooting a man over James Brown trivia is stunning for even that state. And police do not think alcohol was involved.
For the record, Brown?s height was said to be 5-foot-6 or 5-foot-7. An exact measurement is not known because the rather short singer was said to wear lifts to increase his height.
As for other odds and ends, I want to mention a little bit of off-the-wall business news that could one day gain popularity in America. The concept of sleeping modules is one that has become embedded in Japanese culture where around 100 capsule hotels have been constructed.
People who rent a room at these super budget hotels don?t get a room at all. They get a capsule that?s 4 feet wide, 8 feet long, and 4 feet tall. Despite their tiny size, the capsules contain a color TV and a telephone. And they rent for a fraction of the price of an entire hotel room. It can be a great money-saving venture for folks who plan to spend most of their time out and about ? not in their hotel room.
?You go to Vail to ski, not pay $120 a night to sleep in a king-sized bed,? said Texas businessman Charles McLaren who is trying to make sleep modules more prevalent in America. ?If you stay in a module for even $30 a night, you have a lot left over for ski tickets.?
While thrifty Japanese businessmen may flock to the capsules to save a dime, I don?t know how well these claustrophobia-inducing capsules will go over in the United States. For starters, I don?t know how well some Americans will fit in the boxes. More importantly, I think I speak for most people when I say I don?t want to sleep in a coffin when I go on a trip.
Willie Boren wins $10,000
from Regions Bank
The recent merger of Regions Bank and AmSouth has led to the creation of a new promotion called ?Make Life Interesting.? And what better way to make life interesting than with cold cash.
It?s with that in mind the two banks are in the midst of the 19-week promotion that will result in one Regions Bank customer and one AmSouth customer getting $10,000 a week. This week, the lucky winner was none other than Warren County?s Willie Boren, who was presented his ceremonial check Friday afternoon at Regions Bank.
Willie and his wife, Rachel, are now in the running for the grand prize of $1 million. Since the promotion is 19 weeks, and one winner is picked from each bank each week, the Borens will have a 1-in-38 chance of winning the $1 million.
?I was probably a little rude when they called me on the phone,? said Willie. ?With all the hoaxes going around, I didn?t know what to think.?
Added Rachel, ?I heard him say he?s not interested in any promotion. That?s about the time he handed the phone to me.?
When the confusion finally settled, the Borens won $10,000 and the charity of their choice, the March of Dimes, was also given $1,000. By also donating money to a local charity, it allows the Make Life Interesting promotion to impact more than one family.
?We wanted to make this sweepstakes special for the communities where our winners live and bank,? said Regions Bank chief marketing officer Scott Peters.
Personally, I think Willie was awarded the $10,000 prize because he works for the Warren County Highway Department and has to put up with Harold Glenn. Shouldn?t that be worth $10,000?
There?s a marriage
on Main Street
The coffee man has married the soap lady. You heard me correctly.
Brad Kaplan, the proud owner of Capalano?s, has married Karen Parisi, the proud owner of The Lathers? Lair, who is now Karen Kaplan. Fittingly enough, the two got married at Capalano?s, which is strangely developing a reputation as a wedding chapel. It was the second wedding held there.
?We had candlelight in the back and it was beautiful,? said Karen of her wedding night. She and Brad then honeymooned at Rock Island State Park with their two 6-year-olds.
The marriage has other implications other than uniting two Main Street merchants in holy matrimony. ?We?ve gotten married so we decided to marry our businesses,? said Karen.
Added Brad, ?I always intended to have retail in here from the start. That?s why I called it an emporium. This allows Cap?s customers to be exposed to The Lathers? Lair and vice versa. Plus we?re trying to upscale the business and it makes it nicer having this stuff in here.?
A big plus for Lathers? Lair customers is expanded business hours because Capalano?s is open early in the morning and late at night. A big plus for Capalano?s customers is they can grab coffee and a sandwich while also having easy access to neat products like homemade lotion and soap.
The Lathers? Lair fits right in to the mello and unique atmosphere of Capalano?s, which is not getting a name change with the recent merger. Although I think a nice touch would be to call it Capalano?s Coffee, Cafe, Emporium and Wedding Chapel.
Capalano?s is located at 117 E. Main Street. The phone number is 507-2233.
Joy Tubb will deliver
lunch for just $5
If you?ve dreamed of having a homemade lunch delivered to your business for a mere $5, your dream has come true. Joy Tubb has started The Lunch Lady Catering which delivers exactly such a meal every Wednesday and Friday.
?This is something this county really needs,? said Joy while making a Philly cheesesteak sandwich Friday afternoon. ?Everybody has times when they?re at work and they just can?t get away and they would love a homemade meal delivered to them.?
Joy has been testing the waters on a limited basis and has already been making some deliveries. On Friday for example, she delivered 75 meals across Warren County with the help of her husband, John. Since Joy does all the cooking, it makes for a hectic schedule, but she thinks she can handle up to 150 lunches a day.
?The main thing is to give a healthy portion and deliver good, quality food,? said Joy. ?I make sure I have a good product.?
I can verify that statement. I chowed down on the mouth-watering cheesesteak but it wasn?t nearly as memorable as Joy?s millionaire brownie, which can best be described as a rich chocolate sensation that sends your taste buds on a trip to Space Mountain.
Joy has all different types of menu items like chicken teriyaki, taco salad, and a ham and cheese sandwich served on a croissant. There?s also a variety of homemade desserts served with every lunch along with chips.
The way the system works is Joy e-mails or faxes her menu out every Monday and Wednesday for the lunches on Wednesday and Friday. All orders must be reserved by 4 p.m. the day before delivery so Joy can get a grasp on how much food to prepare. Joy said her food delivery service has been extremely popular for teachers who don?t have time to leave school for lunch.
In addition to lunches, she?s also available to cater receptions, luncheons, weddings, or just about any event where good food is needed.
To get on the mailing list, call Joy at 212-7303 or e-mail [email protected].
More news about
Regions Bank, AmSouth
I don?t want to go overboard on the banks in this week?s column, but a fairly significant development has been announced on the AmSouth and Regions Bank front.
As expected, the three branches on Main Street will be trimmed down to two and the current AmSouth branch on W. Main Street is the location to get the proverbial ax. That branch will be closed in October and the property put up for sale.
The big Regions Bank branch that?s on Court Square will remain, even though the bank will only occupy the first floor of that building when renovation work is complete. The other Regions Bank location next to First United Methodist Church will also stay open ? although that building will be remodeled and more square footage will be added.
?We?re freeing up this building but we?re not losing any jobs and that?s what I was concerned about the most,? said AmSouth branch manager Michael Griffith. ?We?re renovating a building and not losing jobs so we?re looking at this as a win-win situation.?
I?m not a bank executive, but if I were to slip inside a bank executive?s head I?d say there are two reasons for closing the AmSouth location: 1) The parking situation is abysmal. 2) There?s a good chance Westwood Bridge could be closed for two years.
Nicki Lawrence moves
her massage studio
I remember when Nicki Lawrence first opened her massage business, Healing Hands, in the back of V?s Salon in Plaza Shopping Center. That was over seven years ago.
Now Nicki has a new home at The Atrium, which is the office building located next to Super Rama on Morford Street. Nicki is glowing about her new place.
?Now I have a window and available light so I?m able to have live plants,? said Nicki. ?For me, it?s more convenient and now I?m a lot closer to Main Street. It?s a nicer building and I?ll be able to better serve my clients.?
The phone number remains the same, 473-9220.
That?s all folks
Give me a call with business tips at 473-2191.