My job could be outsourced to India
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The city of McMinnville?s Historic Zoning Commission has decided to put on the gloves and do battle with New York Grill owner Scott Garing. Now there?s a great way to thank a guy for making a huge investment downtown. Punch him in the gut.
The source of controversy stems from a wooden fence Scott was in the process of building atop his fine restaurant. Apparently, this wooden fence high above Main Street doesn?t meet historical guidelines so Scott must halt construction until it?s determined if such a fence fits into the grand scheme of downtown revitalization, whatever that is.
Here are my thoughts. The city should focus on things that really matter like the fact the building next to First National Bank has been boarded up with plywood for years. Or does rotting plywood meet historical guidelines?
Perhaps the Historic Zoning Commission would like to enlighten the good folks of McMinnville as to how a boarded-up storefront next to the largest bank in town is acceptable while a roof-top fence that?s hard to even notice is forbidden.
What I like least of all is the message this sends to downtown businesses in general ? and to New York Grill in particular. The city wants business owners to flock to a ?revitalized? downtown, then it wants to control their every move.
Just look at Junior Medley. Junior buys a downtown building, fixes it up, and in return the city gives him a big headache.
I think the city is picking fights with the wrong people. I know Scott Garing has made a tremendous monetary investment in downtown and received little help. He?s been hung out to dry on the end of Main Street that I call the black hole because there are precious few businesses there.
There?s no doubt in my mind New York Grill is an asset to downtown. It would certainly hurt the so-called downtown ?vision? if New York Grill decided to leave Main Street, so our city officials should show some gratitude.
Better yet, Historic Zoning Commission members could channel some of that energy into something productive ? like getting all the plywood removed from Main Street storefronts.
As for things that can make us feel a little better about our fine city, I think the cameras monitoring downtown McMinnville are spooky. But that?s nothing compared to Great Britain which now has some 4.2 million cameras monitoring public places around their nation.
If that?s not enough, it was just announced that the government will attach loudspeakers to cameras in 20 districts to deter wrongful behavior. I can hear it now.
?Hey you, don?t throw that trash on the ground,? or ?Would the gentleman in the green shirt quit spitting on the sidewalk.?
And last but not least, I?ve been fairly confident as a newspaper reporter that my job could never be outsourced to China or India. But wait, apparently it could.
A city hall reporter covering town politics in Pasadena, Calif., has seen his or her job disappear. The reporter was told that the local beat could be very well handled from India by using phone interviews and by watching live city council coverage broadcast over the Internet. To sum up my feelings: ?Noooooo!?
Capitol Hill spies claim promising news
The great part of having Business Pulse spies is they?re always eager to provide information. The bad part is when they speak on the condition of anonymity, they?re not accountable for their information.
Anyway, the word that?s coming this way from Capitol Hill is there will be a ?big announcement? pertaining to McMinnville and it could very well come later this week.
My advice is to keep your ears open and see what happens. Just remember to keep quiet. You didn?t hear this from me. Shhhh!!
Paul Holder to take over Centertown School
Now that the school year is officially over, I suppose the longtime Centertown School should now be called the old Centertown School. As most of us are aware, a new school has been built in Centertown and will be open in August.
So what happens to the old school building? I?m glad you asked. If you recall, Paul Holder bought the property and he will soon assume ownership.
?I haven?t made up my mind exactly what I?m going to do with it,? said Paul. ?It can be used for quite a few things. I have some thoughts, but I don?t know yet.?
A few factors that make things interesting is that Paul owns 600 acres on the backside of the old school. And when the four-lane eventually gets to Centertown, it should open up that side of the county to what some people would call ?progress.?
I tried to get Paul to elaborate on whether the old school building would stay or go, but he wouldn?t reveal too much. ?It could be used for quite a few things,? he said. ?And it?s got a good gym.?
New leadership at First National Bank
The bad news is that lovable Chico Jacobs retired from First National Bank earlier this year. The good news is the bank is in the capable hands of Tom D. Vance, who met with me Thursday to announce his new senior leadership team at First National.
One big story is that Levoy Knowles was elected as the First National board chairman earlier this month. I should make it clear Levoy is not leaving Ben Lomand Telephone where he has served as general manager and CEO since 1989. This is an added responsibility like his duties on the Industrial Development Board.
?What impresses me about Levoy is he?s also a CPA and he has a great business mind,? said Tom.
When Tom came on board at First National in August 2006, it was as bank president. Now he is also CEO. Other senior leadership team members include Phil Whisenhunt, senior vice president and chief credit officer; Diane Bogle, senior vice president and manager of private banking; and Kenny Neal, senior vice president and chief financial and investment officer.
?This nucleus is the senior management at First National,? said Tom. ?One thing I wanted to establish was a clear line of communication about who is to report to who. It gives younger people a career path and it makes people accountable. And I think people want to be held accountable for the job they do.?
First National is the largest hometown bank in Warren County with $320 million in assets and $55 million in capital. The bank has 72 employees at five branches.
First National also recently opened a loan office in Murfreesboro to capitalize on the tremendous residential and commercial growth in that area.
?We have named a full-time strategic planning committee to develop strategies for the future and the loan office in Murfreesboro is a perfect example of how we?re trying to grow the bank,? said Tom.
It seems clear to me First National Bank is headed in the right direction.
New dog groomer has her shears running
Bridgette Eckert has opened a new dog grooming business called Polished Pooch that specializes in small dogs. It?s located a few minutes outside McMinnville city limits on Salem Road, which is in the direction of Dibrell.
?I work by appointment only and that helps me get your dog in and out of here a lot faster,? said Bridgette. ?All I need is two or two and a half hours and you can pick your dog back up.?
Polished Pooch is operating at the longtime location of Classy Lassie, which was owned by Bridgette?s stepmother, Tanis McCormick. Tanis has 30 years of grooming experience and she?s passed that along to Bridgette who has learned the tricks of the trade rather nicely.
?We had a booming business at one time,? said Tanis. ?Sometimes we would have a two-week wait.?
Bridgette works well with miniature schnauzers but she can groom any dog that?s under 35 pounds. She?s not set up for larger dogs.
Since she doesn?t have a set schedule, Bridgette can come in early in the morning or later in the evening if it fits your schedule better. She can be reached at 668-3080.
Former resident gets national recognition
James Pack has made a living selling trees at Pack Nursery. One of his daughters, Brenda Pack Blisk, has gone off to McLean, Va., to make a name for herself as the CEO of her own wealth management firm.
Local folks may remember Brenda as a former Fairest of the Fair (although there?s no need to say what year). She?s been in the financial planning business for 22 years and went independent with Blisk Financial Group in 1997.
Earlier this month, Brenda traveled to Del Mar, Calif., to receive the Charlie Eisenmann Client First Award from a national company named Dunham & Associates.
Brenda and her team were chosen for the award on the basis of her over 20-year record of providing clients with caring, holistic financial advisory services, personal attention and her exemplary efforts in putting the client?s interest first. Brenda was selected from a list of financial advisors nominated from across the country by her peers.
?You can think of us as coaches,? said Brenda during a phone interview Thursday. ?We provide a road map to help people build wealth. I have clients in around 20 states and several clients in McMinnville. I oversee and manage over $250 million in assets.?
That?s impressive stuff. I have a hard enough time managing money when I have $250 in my pocket.
Brenda?s goal is to simplify the complexities of wealth accumulation, wealth management and distribution. Whether you?re just beginning to accumulate wealth or already have significant assets which may require sophisticated planning strategies, Blisk Financial Group can help.
?We put a lot of effort into making sure our clients have financial security,? she said.
The Blisk Financial Group can be reached at 1-800-262-3458.
Ironman to visit local dialysis clinic
I just love stories of hope and inspiration and here?s one now. Shad Ireland, an ironman triathlon competitor originally from St. Paul, Minn., will be at McMinnville Dialysis Clinic on June 4 to present a patient of the clinic with a Peg Smythe Fitness Grant.
So what?s so great about Shad?s story? He is the first dialysis patient to compete in the grueling Ironman Triathlon.
Shad has faced numerous challenges on his way to becoming a world-class athlete. He has undergone multiple surgeries, hospitalizations, two failed kidney transplants, and at one time had become so emaciated that his weight was down to 75 pounds.
?Living with a chronic illness is not a limitation but a special invitation to those who are willing to accept the challenge,? said Shad, who is instant motivation for dialysis patients who may be feeling depressed about their current situation.
McMinnville Dialysis Clinic is located at 1524 Sparta Street. Shad will be there from 10:30 a.m. to noon. Everyone is encouraged to come hear Shad?s inspirational message. Dr. R.P. Sabo practices at the clinic, which is located in the shadow of The Birthing Tree.
That?s all folks
I don?t have any business news left to tell. If you have information you would like included in this column, call 473-2191 ? at least until this job is outsourced to India. After that, good luck on finding out who to call.