Fun size is more than one bite
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I don?t know who dreamed up this concept, but getting a candy bar I can eat in one bite is not my idea of fun. A more descriptive name would be calling those tiny little bars ?annoying size? because eating one is just enough to make me mad.
Since I?m in the business of tossing out ideas, I?ve created my own version of what I consider ?fun size? and that would be a candy bar roughly the size of a small surf board. Give me a glass of milk and about a half hour to dig in and that?s more what I would consider fun.
As for other things odd, strange and curious, I?ve been following a couple news stories over the past week. One of those is the decision made by President Bush and Congress to build a 700-mile fence along the U.S. and Mexican border.
I don?t mean to undermine U.S. efforts to keep illegal immigrants out of this country, but I can?t shake one thought. Once the fence is complete, I expect the production of ladders to dramatically increase in Mexico. A close second will be the increased production of fence cutters.
Another story of significance comes from Columbia, Tenn., where members of Trinity Family Church are calling for a boycott of Wal-Mart because the retail giant has recently become a member of the National Gay and Lesbian Chamber of Commerce. Church members say if Wal-Mart supports gays, then they don?t want to support Wal-Mart.
My biggest concern is that church members may have bitten off more than they can chew. They already have to look around to make sure no one sees them buying beer. Now they?re going to have to sneak in and out of Wal-Mart. Another boycott or two and life really gets tricky.
And last but not least, I?m sure we are all aware there is an election coming up Nov. 7 and that day can?t arrive soon enough for me. We may have the greatest political system in the world, but we have the worst commercials promoting our candidates.
As bad as our candidates may appear in Tennessee, it?s even worse in California where an adult video star is once again running for governor ? yes governor. Naturally the fine members of the media don?t like our political system being disgraced in such a way so they have asked Mary Carey some tough question. But Carey insists she has changed since her last run for governor.
?Now I?ve got brown in my hair,? she said, ?because brunettes are taken more seriously than blondes.?
Upon further questioning, Carey also revealed that since her last run for governor she has: lost weight, had breast implants, given up smoking and all forms of alcohol. ?I?ve been sober for five days,? she said in August. For some reason, I doubt that five-day streak is still active.
County unemployment rate takes dramatic drop
I don?t make it a habit to lead off Business Pulse with unemployment figures, but I?m pleased to report the county?s unemployment rate has dropped dramatically.
In the most recent figures released by the state, Warren County?s unemployment rate is now 7.4 percent, down from 10 percent the month before. This is great news.
I?m not exactly sure where 457 people got jobs over the past month but they are apparently working somewhere. Maybe it?s the hiring that continues to take place at Morrison Tool & Fab.
I hate to bring false hope, but Warren County may finally be turning our bad fortunes around. A portion of the Carrier building has been leased by Store Opening Solutions and I understand there is potential for that project to really grow. There also continues to be other prospects interested in the Carrier building so we can all cross our fingers and hope for more announcements in the near future.
Larry Terry opens deer processing center
Most folks around these parts know Larry Terry, a man who needs no introduction. After nearly 35 years in law enforcement and a lifetime of hunting, Larry opened TTT Processing yesterday to process your deer meat this winter.
?We?ve been doing this for the past four or five years for friends and everyone tells us the meat is so good we ought to go into business,? said Larry, who owns TTT Processing with his son, Monty Terry, and daughter-in-law, Melissa Terry. ?This is not a spur-of-the-moment thing. We?ve been looking for a while to find the right place.?
That right place is in the Blues Hill community just past Vinson?s Crossroads, which is the intersection of Short Mountain Road and Green Hill Road. TTT is set up to handle 125 to 150 deer at a time and Larry estimates they can completely process 40 deer in a day.
?We don?t do cattle and we don?t do hogs,? said Larry. ?We?re strictly deer processing.?
TTT Processing is open seven days a week from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. each day, but only during deer hunting season which lasts until early January. You can drop off your dead deer and have it completely processed for as little as $50 if you want a regular cut.
When a deer is dropped off, it will go immediately to a skinning and cleaning room. From there it will go to a cooler where it will hang for a minimum of three days. From the cooler it goes to a cutting table or grinder, and from there it goes to a deep freeze cooler with temperatures 30 degrees below zero.
All deer are required to have a TWRA tag to be processed.
?Before we opened, people had to go outside the county to have their deer processed,? said Larry, who indicated customers will be well pleased with the amount of meat they receive. He said a 100-pound, field-dressed deer will produce about 40 pounds of meat.
To get in touch with TTT Processing, the phone number is 939-0888 (0TTT). The business is located at 5882 Short Mountain Road, about a quarter mile past Vinson?s Crossroads.
Economist says America has reasons for optimism, concern
It?s not everyday a renowned economist visits McMinnville but that?s exactly what happened Thursday when Dr. Bill Ingram came to town as part of a business and economic conference held by Citizens Tri-County Bank.
Dr. Ingram, who is a professor at Lipscomb, said positive factors influencing the U.S. economy are the dropping price of oil and the low level of inflation (2.8 percent). Ingram also noted the national unemployment rate has been dropping for three years straight.
Reasons for concern, Ingram said, are the rising national debt (now at $8.5 trillion), the foreign trade deficit, and the long-term impact of the war in Iraq.
?The United States is the largest importer and exporter in the world,? said Ingram. ?But we?re importing far more than we?re exporting.?
Ingram said India and China have by far the fastest growing economies in the world and that the U.S. economy is about average compared to other modernized nations.
So what sort of economic times can Americans expect over the next year? While it?s certainly not an exact science, Ingram said it could come down to one single factor.
?The price of crude oil has a strong impact on our overall economy,? said Ingram. ?I think that?s one of the reasons for optimism. The trend for oil prices is down.?
Danny Scoggins back working in McMinnville
Local residents who enjoy going out to eat are likely familiar with Danny Scoggins, who was the area supervisor for the Shoney?s restaurant in Warren County for 15 years. Danny left the area to open a restaurant in Manchester for three years, but now he?s back as the general manager of Captain D?s.
?Having a restaurant in Manchester, it?s just 25 miles down the road but it?s different when you?re in a different town,? said Danny, who was the owner of Emma?s Family Restaurant. ?It?s been fun being back here and seeing a lot of people I haven?t seen in five or six years.?
During his years at Shoney?s, Danny was over 17 restaurants at one point, including 13 in Tennessee. He?s proud of the fact his stores in McMinnville and Cookeville were the most profitable stores in the entire chain for several years.
That got me thinking about the old days when Shoney?s was THE restaurant in McMinnville. I guess we all know those days are long gone. But Danny has landed on his feet and he joins a strong restaurant in Captain D?s.
?We have some long-time employees here who know their job well,? said Danny. ?When you have that, you have a lot.?
Danny is a proud Viola resident who has two grown children, Casey and Sarah, and four grandchildren.
New antique store opens downtown
Sherrill and George Bull have opened Antiques and The Arts on Main Street next to New York Grill. The opening now gives downtown four antique stores, which I think is a strong number. For folks who want to ?go antiquing,? they now have a variety of stores to visit in beautiful downtown McMinnville.
Sherrill says she has designed her store to create an inviting atmosphere and she offers a selection that?s second to none.
?I really wanted an eclectic shop that would pull not one, but a bunch of people?s work together,? said Sherrill, whose shop features items from 12 people. ?My store is a mix of rare antiques, vintage jewelry and apparel, hard-to-find dolls and toys, original art and high-quality instruments. It?s a store that celebrates the arts in all of its forms.?
Iris Walker, who operated Iris? Collectibles at The Collection for eight years, says she loves being back downtown in Sherrill?s store.
?I?ve done really well since I?ve been here and I?m glad she talked me into coming back downtown,? said Iris.
Antiques and The Arts offers a variety of merchandise ? antique furniture, glassware, clothing, hats, pottery, lamps and rugs.
?Maybe this will encourage more people to locate downtown,? said Sherrill. ?People want to locate their business where there is business.?
Antiques and The Arts is open Monday thru Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. The phone number is 507-9811.
That?s all folks
Since it is the witching season and the time for mischief, I want to warn all you goblins out there not to roll the yard of Standard publisher Patricia Zechman. That?s right folks. Do not (wink, wink) roll Pat?s yard.
For business tips, give me a call at 473-2191.