Business Pulse: City pool just not the same this summer
Maybe it’s because I’m getting older. Maybe it’s because I can’t do as many neat tricks off the diving board as I could in my teen-age years. Whatever the reason, my trip to McMinnville City Pool last week just wasn’t as much fun as in previous summers.
Something seemed strangely different this year and I’m still trying to put my finger on exactly what.
I brought my favorite beach towel with me, the extra long one that keeps most of my body off the ground. Made sure to apply a thick coat of sun screen because you never can be too careful nowadays. I did forget my trusty pool radio but I don’t believe that could make much of a difference.
So there I laid by the side of the pool, gazing at clumps of red clay and working on my tan. Talk about a life of luxury, I thought to myself.
It was at that point it finally hit me. Gazing over at 1-year-old Benjamin, buried to his neck in dirt, I realized the little terror on two feet wasn’t even wet. A closer inspection revealed there was no water in the pool – and there was no pool either.
I was in fact laying in nothing more than a field of dirt. There was no snack bar, no water slide and no lifeguards. It was just me, Benjamin and the earthworms.
So I gathered up my stuff, pulled Benjamin from the dirt and headed home. We’ve got a sprinkler that works pretty well in the backyard.
As for this week’s Business Pulse, that’s still very much on the agenda. Since I can’t swim, I might as well bring you business news.
But before I do, I thought I’d make brief mention of the latest bandit on the loose in the Southeast. Anyone who regularly reads newspapers knows how reporters like to give catchy names to robbers. Here in Warren County, we’ve recently had the Rush Hour Bandit and then later the Bologna Bandits. Those are fairly cool nicknames, but a criminal in Atlanta, Ga., can’t be too pleased to his moniker. Police have dubbed him the Dork Bandit for his dumb demeanor while committing robberies.
New clothing chain locates in McMinnville
For shoppers looking for name-brand clothing at bargain prices, your search has gotten easier. Factory Connection has located a store in Northgate Shopping Center which is scheduled to open Monday.
Some of you may be familiar with Factory Connection, which has a store in Manchester. The discount clothing retailer also has stores in Cookeville, Tullahoma, Shelbyville and Deckerd, to name a few locations, and has 146 stores in the chain.
“We carry brand-name merchandise at discount prices,” said Heather Pedigo, who is the assistant manager of McMinnville’s new store.
Because of some sort of legal technicality I don’t really understand, I’m not allowed to list the name brands Factory Connection has for sale. I’m not going to speculate on the reasons for this so I’ll simply say you might want to stop by the store, located at the end of Northgate Shopping Center, sometime this week.
The store carries men’s and women’s clothing, along with plus and junior sizes. It doesn’t, however, have an abundance of children’s clothes. Based on the Manchester store, there are already a number of McMinnville customers who are familiar with Factory Connection.
“I have a lot of customers from McMinnville and I’m afraid I’m going to lose them now,” said Ginger Keelinger, who manages the Manchester store.
Aquatech building may soon be sold
For all the folks concerned about the number of empty factory buildings in Warren County, hope may be on the horizon. I understand Floyd Bouldin has come to an agreement on the purchase price and now only has a few details to hammer out in his quest to purchase the old Aquatech building.
Floyd is owner of Bouldin & Lawson, which is on the verge of some pretty incredible projects. The newly formed WastAway company, a subsidiary of Bouldin & Lawson, may change the way trash is collected not only in this county, but across the nation. Bouldin & Lawson is also producing a piece of equipment called The Tank, which is useful for the nursery industry.
As I’ve learned since covering business news, nothing is final until it’s signed on the dotted line. This deal certainly appears close, so I’ll have my fingers crossed.
Care Plus offers new service
If you are elderly, handicapped or chronically ill and would like a little extra help around the house, Care Plus has a new service just for you.
Care Plus is now offering personal in-home care at the affordable rate of $10 an hour. The service was designed to assist older or disabled residents, who can still get around pretty well but might need a little extra help around the house once a week.
“We’re not going to be mowing the lawn or cleaning out a garage, but if we can help out with getting the groceries, cooking dinner or vacuuming, light housekeeping chores, that’s what we’ll do,” said Care Plus administrator Liz Hillis.
Liz also stressed that the Care Plus assistants will be reliable, courteous, and most of all, professional. By working for Care Plus, these employees must be CPR certified, undergo a criminal background check and also pass a drug test.
Brenda Hines is overseeing the new program and said gift certificates are available. If you’d like to treat your parents, or grandparents, with an extra hand around the house, you can call Care Plus at 473-9556. Care Plus recently relocated its McMinnville office about three months ago and is now on Chancery Street next to the district attorney’s office.
That’s all folks
Remember to give me a call with those business tips. The phone number is 473-2191.