Snakes don’t need to walk in park
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But that’s exactly what happened about two weeks ago when wildlife officers confiscated over 100 snakes in Memphis ‘ some of them the most poisonous in the world like the monocled cobra.
I don’t know about you, but I have enough trouble with dogs running loose in my neighborhood. Is it really necessary to introduce deadly vipers and western diamondback rattlesnakes into our environment?
I understand these snakes are probably considered exotic animals that would command top dollar. And most of them would probably be confined to an aquarium. But knowing the law of averages, a few are bound to slither away to freedom, if for no other reason than the ignorance of their owners. It stands to reason that a person who would own a Gaboon viper or Chinese cobra can’t be that smart.
Case in point: Last month in England, a man was told by authorities to stop walking his two snakes in a public park. No, this is not a joke.
Timothy Fry had been letting his two snakes, a corn snake and a rat snake, roam free to get exercise in a park in Ledbury, England. While dogs are certainly allowed to exercise in the park on a leash, Fry did not have a leash for his snakes, although you could make a strong argument a leash wouldn’t work on a snake.
As you might expect, this habit drew considerable attention and it wasn’t long before Fry found himself in front of the town council. Fortunately, town officials ruled this practice was not the smartest thing to do and told Fry to stop bringing his snakes to the park. I can only hope it was a unanimous vote.
And in today’s final tidbit of odd information, the Polish people often get a bad name for less-than-intelligent behavior. In some cases, such a label is hard earned.
Last month, 1,200 Polish soldiers were deployed to Afghanistan to help search for Taliban forces. After the troops and equipment arrived, commanders had to make the awkward announcement that the soldiers were not yet combat ready because the keys to all their Humvees could not be found.
Homes under construction at The Reserve at Collins River
Last year the big news was that Dwight and Hannah O’Neal had opened a public golf course in Warren County. This year the excitement continues to grow as four homes are currently under construction in their golf course community called The Reserve at Collins River.
The construction shows the O’Neal’s dream of turning a nursery field at the foot of Harrison Ferry Mountain into an impressive development is becoming a reality. The goal is to have all 54 lots in phase one sold in the next 24 to 36 months.
From there the attention will turn to phase two, which Dwight says will bring the total number of lots between 125 and 150. Phase two also includes building another nine holes to make an 18-hole golf course.
‘On the golf end, it’s done well,’ said Dwight. ‘Now we’re getting the housing up.’
Added Hannah, ‘The first family hopes to be moved in before school.’
You don’t have to golf or own a home in the development to reap its benefits. Every property taxpayer in Warren County stands to come out on top when farm land is replaced by luxurious homes bordering a golf course.
‘This helps split the load and take it away from manufacturing,’ said Dwight. ‘You’d be surprised what a few homes will do to the tax base.’
So who will be purchasing these upscale homes? I’m glad you asked. So far Tennessee residents top the list as far as the number of inquires go. Coming in a surprising second is California with third going to Michigan. Dwight said Florida was a stunning No. 12 on the list.
‘There’s a tremendous amount of continual migration to this area,’ said Rock Island resident Ed Wilhite who is handling the marketing for The Reserve at Collins River. Ed says above everything else, he is proud of the sense of community that’s being established at The Reserve.
‘It’s a very family and community oriented atmosphere at a golf club, not an exclusive or restrictive atmosphere,’ said Ed. ‘People who come to Tennessee want Southern hospitality and there’s a difference in living in the South and Southern living. We want to have a real sense of community and the golf course is the focal point that brings people together.’
One neat aspect of the community is it’s an easy 55-minute drive to downtown Chattanooga. And Hannah points out the trip doesn’t have a single traffic light.
Dwight and Hannah say just because they are marketing to faraway places doesn’t mean folks from right here at home can’t take advantage of their unique community. If you would like more information on available property the Web site is www.collinsriver.com and the phone number is 668-7749.
Sweetons hammer away at home improvements
Kenny Sweeton spent 24 years as a senior engineer at Nissan and played a major role in opening the plant in Mississippi. So what does he do after his retirement from the automotive industry? He opens his own home improvement business.
‘This isn’t work for me,’ said Kenny, who just opened Sweeton’s Home Improvement and Property Management with his son, Mike. ‘This is pleasure.’
Both Kenny and Mike have considerable experience in the construction industry. In fact, one of Kenny’s first jobs was building garages. As an employee of Bridge Builders, Mike helped do the concrete work on the off-ramps of Highway 111 to Chattanooga when that road was widened to four lanes.
When you combine their skills, the two can do pretty much anything when it comes to home repairs, from laying tile to remodeling kitchens and bathrooms. They also can do outside work such as guttering, building a deck, or landscaping work with water features.
‘If the customer is happy, then we’re happy,’ said Mike.
Added Kenny, ‘Our work is satisfaction assured. If we’re not proud of it, we don’t expect our customers to be either. We want people to say we do good work and tell other people about us through word of mouth.’
For just starting out and barely having their phone line connected, the Sweetons are already getting a pretty sizeable workload. They are currently doing extensive renovations to a church, and have two kitchens, one bathroom and a sunroom to build in the future.
Kenny says he doesn’t plan on using one of the most common contractor tricks in the book ‘ showing up to start a job then disappearing for days at a time.
‘We want to provide homeowners with quality and prompt service,’ said Kenny. ‘And sometimes people have a small job they can’t get anyone else to do and we’ll do that.’
The business will be listed in the upcoming phone book in the yellow pages under two listings ‘ home improvement and property management. If you don’t want to wait until that phone book is published in October to get the number, I’ll give it to you now, 815-8288.
Things still up in the air at McMinnville Molding
Owner Rickey Northcutt says he’s still trying to assess the fire damage done to his business, McMinnville Molding, and he still doesn’t know if he’ll be able to reopen.
‘We’re in a holding pattern right now,’ said Rickey. ‘There are so many details you have to go through in a situation like this. We have to see what happens with our insurance companies before we do anything else.’
Rickey said it will probably take a couple more weeks before it gets to the point where he can make a decision on the future of McMinnville Molding. The final decision is fairly significant since McMinnville Molding employed 55 people before the fire.
I’ll keep you posted as more information becomes available.
Bargains to be found at Habitat Restore
Gene Money says he’s been amazed at some of the things he’s sold while working at the Habitat Restore.
‘One time a fellow brought in four SCUBA diving harnesses that you use to fascine the oxygen tank to the suit,’ said Gene. ‘I thought never in the world would I sell four of those things in Warren County, but it was about a week later that a guy came in and bought all four. I was shocked.’
Habitat Restore is a store that sells new and used household items that have been donated. All proceeds benefit Habitat for Humanity, which just recently completed its 14th and 15th homes in Warren County. The store is open two days a week, Thursday and Saturday, in the back of the old cheese plant located near the intersection of Red Road and the bypass.
‘One of the reasons we started this store was because Carrier was one of our most generous givers,’ said Gene. ‘When they left, they took their pocketbook with them.’
If you’re looking for clothes, don’t shop the Habitat Restore. But if you’re looking for other household items, you’re in business. There are items like used furniture, light fixtures, doors, dishwashers, plumbing supplies, stoves and shower heads. It’s certainly worth the trip.
‘We have some doors that were donated to us from High’s when they did their remodeling,’ said Gene. ‘And some chandeliers that were donated from Riverview Terrace. One lady came in and donated a dishwasher because she said she was buying a new one to match her new refrigerator.’
If you’re thinking about making a donation to the Habitat Restore, just make sure it’s something with at least some value.
‘We’re happy to have stuff that’s sellable,’ said Gene. ‘We don’t want stuff that has to go to the dump.’
Habitat Restore is open on Thursdays from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. and on Saturdays from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. The phone number is 474-9000.
Speaking of used merchandise
The Thrift Store on Sparta Street is ending a two-year run and going out of business Saturday, Aug. 25. Store owner Elizabeth Myers says it’s simply not possible to compete with yard sales anymore.
‘Those yard sales, they seem to come by the hundreds,’ said Elizabeth. ‘That makes it tough for us because we have rent and utility bills to pay. We have some great customers but we have to sell too much stuff just to break even.’
The Thrift Store specializes in clothing and there are still racks overflowing with merchandise. That’s why Elizabeth says she wants to get the word out about her going-out-of-business sale where everything in the store is marked down to half price. Many items are as low as 60 and 70 cents.
The Thrift Store is located next to the Pool Shop. The phone number is 474-5011.
That’s all folks
I don’t want poisonous snakes, just business news. Give me a call at 473-2191.