When bubbles lead to police standoff
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But first, I have a bunch of built-up foolishness. When you take a week off, that foolishness just stores up inside you and you have to get it out.
As it turns out, I returned from my happy-go-lucky vacation to discover McMinnville police had been asking about my whereabouts. And yes this is a true story.
The way I hear it, Standard executive editor Pat Zechman had been asked rather pointedly if members of the newsroom had anything to do with putting bubbles in the Court Square fountain. It seems police officers still consider us the prime suspects when city hall was rolled several years back, although we have never officially accepted responsibility for that prank.
Personally, I have no desire to put bubbles in a fountain. However, considering how serious police are taking this prank (threatening to charge the people responsible with felonies) I can?t shake this image of what might happen if I ever tried to launch a bubble attack.
Police through a bullhorn: ?All right Clark. We have you surrounded. Put the bubbles down and step away from the fountain.?
Me: ?Not a chance, coppers! Get back or you?re going to have bubbles everywhere!?
Police: ?What are your demands?
Me: ?I want $20,000 in unmarked bills and a car waiting to take me to the airport. There you will have a small plane fueled and ready to take me to Bermuda. And paint over that ugly gold paint on Hebe.?
OK, so maybe I?m getting a little carried away with this bubble thing. Perhaps it?s best for me to move on now.
Speaking of bad jokes, Williston, North Dakota is the site of our dumb criminal of the week ? an honor that currently belongs to Ryan Wright, 20.
For his official defense, Wright says he was only joking when he walked into a bank wearing a ski mask and demanding money. Wright contends police should drop the charges because when bank tellers resisted his request, he said ?just kidding? and left. If I?m sitting on the jury, I don?t buy that defense.
And since this week?s column has a police theme, I have to give a shout out to Wisconsin jailer Howard Sawyers, who holds the coveted title as World Champion Doughnut-Eating Officer.
Sawyers won the championship last month at a law enforcement convention by wolfing down 13 doughnuts in three minutes. However, in a cruel twist of fate, Sawyers says since stuffing his face at the contest, he hasn?t wanted another doughnut since. Is it legal to be a police officer and not eat doughnuts?
Sawyers? winning strategy has become a familiar one among competitive eaters. He says he first soaked the doughnuts in water and said he didn?t mind that the soaked doughnuts lost their flavor.
?When you have 13 doughnuts in three minutes, you’re not worried too much about taste,? Sawyers said.
The lowdown on Roses
One of my super secret Business Pulse sources gave me a hot tip about Roses being interested in the big, empty space at one side of Three Star Mall. If you recall, the space was last occupied by U.S. Factory Outlets (a bomb of a store) and is best known as the old Kmart.
As it turns out, the Business Pulse tip is accurate. Regional Roses officials are very much interested in opening a store at Three Star Mall. It?s now up to corporate officials to make the final call.
To get the lowdown, I talked to Tim Walker, the manager of the Roses store in Murfreesboro. And here?s a piece of trivia for you. Name the only town in Tennessee that has a Roses. The answer of course is Murfreesboro.
Anyway, Tim was very forthcoming with his information. He said his district manager evaluated the Three Star Mall location personally and sent a glowing recommendation to corporate headquarters in Raleigh, N.C.
Two new Roses stores are on the verge of being approved for Memphis, however the district manager believes McMinnville would be a more strategic location considering its proximity to Murfreesboro.
When I talked to district manager Ron O?Connell, he was much more guarded with his information. That?s usually the way it goes. The higher up the ladder you go, the less information you receive.
However, O?Connell did tell me he was well impressed with the Three Star Mall location.
?I looked at the building myself,? said O?Connell. ?And I?ve talked to people on the corporate level about it. McMinnville seems like a nice town and that looks like a good location. But I can?t say on a corporate level if we?d be interested in going there. I don?t know if there have been negotiations or not.?
Walker said a lot would probably depend on the lease structure mall officials have in mind and how much the space costs per square foot.
As for general information, there are currently around 100 Roses operated throughout the U.S. Roses is part of four discount chains operated by parent company Variety Wholesalers.
From a Business Pulse standpoint, I think Roses would be a great fit for the mall. What the mall needs more than anything else is a solid general retailer. The problem is outside of Wal-Mart and Target, there aren?t many general retail chains out there. Because of McMinnville?s size, Target is out of the question so a store like Roses might be the next best thing.
If Papa John?s can come back to town, Roses can too.
CiCi?s Pizza still on track
I?ve been fielding several questions about CiCi?s Pizza because people are wondering if the restaurant still has plans on locating in Cumberland Plaza. The answer is CiCi?s is still coming, but there have been a few unexpected delays.
?There have been a lot of little kinks in the road,? said local CiCi?s owner Bill Nelson. ?But we?re ready to go and the ball is rolling. We?ll probably put a sign up in a week or so to tell people we?re coming.?
Nelson was in town Friday to meet with contractors and go over construction plans. He expects remodeling to start in about two weeks and the current timetable is for CiCi?s to be open at the end of August.
On a side note, I happened to eat at a CiCi?s Pizza during my trip to Hilton Head and from what I ate, it was pretty good pizza.
However, it?s not the best pizza you?ve ever eaten in the world. When you?re offering people all they can eat for around $5, there?s only so good you can make it.
There was a guy a couple tables over from us who probably ate close to 20 pieces. I don?t know how anyone could still be hungry after 15.
Wholesale Tools & More to find new home
Most folks who have made the trip out to Wholesale Tools & More on Pigeon Hill Road in Centertown have been well pleased with the store that offers name brands at reduced prices. But even with a faithful customer base, there?s only so much business the store is going to do located so far off the beaten path.
That?s why owner Earnest Martin has decided to remedy his problem. He?s moving Wholesale Tools & More across from the airport on Nashville Highway.
?We?ve done good where we are, but I?d like to get a little more traffic,? said Earnest. ?Everybody seems to like the store. They like getting name-brand tools at discount prices.?
Wholesale Tools & More has been open about two years and offers a wide variety of tools, power tools, mowers, air compressors and just about everything else you need around the house.
And here?s the thing I didn?t know about the business. Since I did my original report, the store has expanded to include items for women.
?I found out the women were waiting outside in the car,? said Earnest. ?Finally one of them asked me ?Why don?t you have some stuff for us too?? So that?s when I decided to add a women?s place.?
The business has added lamps, comforters and other things women enjoy. ?When I added this new line, I found something else out,? said Earnest. ?It?s the women who have the money.?
Earnest says it will probably be a month or so before he?s up and running at his new location.
New hair salon at old Tanner?s Market
By my best count, there have been around five businesses at the store known as the old Tanner?s Market since Tanner?s Market operated there over a dozen years ago. But the little store located on the left as you?re leaving McMinnville and driving to Newtown is still called the old Tanner?s Market.
Natasha Elrod hopes the store will one day be known for her newly opened hair salon called Hair Satisfaction.
?A lot of people live near the Civic Center and a lot of people live in Forest Park and this is close to both,? said Natasha, who bought the building with her husband, Derek. ?So far it?s been a good location for walk-ins. Last Saturday we had seven walk-ins and that?s almost unheard of for a salon.?
Natasha said she?d also like to fix up the building and since she?s the first (or last) business on W. Main Street, she is hoping she might be able to get some financial support. She?s hoping to start with a nice awning on the front.
Natasha wants to stress Hair Satisfaction offers $10 haircuts for guys and gals, and is a full service barber shop and cosmetology shop. That means facials, body waxing, manicures and pedicures are available.
In addition to Natasha, Beth Bouldin brings 30 years of hair cutting experience to the staff. They are joined by newcomer Kelly Conner and Tim Tompkins, who is about to graduate from Georgia Career Institute here in town.
Hair Satisfaction is open every day but Sunday. The easy-to-remember phone number is 473-HAIR (4247).
When it comes to signs, Diamond Graphics is ready
Few people may know this but a Warren County company, Golf Classics, is the largest golf tee marker sign company in the U.S. Owner Ken Whipple has been in the sign business for 25 years so it?s safe to say he knows what he?s doing.
Now Ken has teamed with Debbie Murray to form Diamond Graphics located on Chancery Street. When it comes to any type of sign, poster, collage, decal or sticker, Diamond Graphics can do it all.
?We have all the equipment to make the golf course signs, but sometimes there is some down time,? said Ken. ?These two businesses kind of meld together and when one is slow, we can do work for the other.?
Diamond Classics can do vinyl signs, wood signs and little plastic signs like those campaign signs that are so popular in yards right now. If you have several photos, Debbie can blow them up and make a collage. Or if you just have one photo, Debbie can blow that up too.
?We?re capable of doing things no one else in town can do.? she said.
For more information, the business can be reached at 474-8400. It?s open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday.
Old Noland Building getting new look
With 9,000 square feet available, Waymon Hale was having trouble finding a tenant for the old Noland building on Sparta Street. So Waymon has decided to split up that 9,000 square feet into six offices with 1,500 square feet.
Waymon says he is going to move his office into the building to leave five available spaces. The Tennessee Department of Children?s Services will be moving into Waymon?s current office, which is located one door down from the old Noland building.
?We?ll probably be looking to put retail on the front two stores,? said Waymon. ?And the three remaining spaces we?ll lease out.?
Waymon says he?s had some pretty good interest in his new office space but as of Friday morning no one has committed to leasing a space. I don?t think it should take too terribly long for tenants to surface because 1,500 square feet seems to be the amount of space a wide range of businesses can utilize.
If you are interested in leasing office space on Sparta Street, call Waymon at 473-8074.
That?s all folks
Provided I don?t get tossed in jail for pouring bubbles in a fountain, I want to know about your business news. Even if I do get thrown in jail, I still want to know your news. Think I could write this column from Warren County Jail?
Give me a call with business news at 473-2191.