Donate your gently used outdoor gear and clothing for a good cause!

Support Clean Water!

 

Mary Beth Sutton (on the left above), a long time friend of mine heads up a group which promotes clean water, both locally and in the Caribbean area (http://www.caribbean-sea.org/). This flyer advertises a fundraising activity for her excellent organization. So, if you find any ski gear or surfboards or other outdoor stuff that you've, ahem, grown out of, here's your chance to put it to a good cause. Here is a link to an article about her: http://nooga.com/153115/local-nonprofit-teaches-volunteers-how-to-test-streams-for-pollution/ 

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Looking for work

I received the following request from Anthony and Barb Amabile who I mentioned recently were closing CLS Lighting: 

Paul, 

As you know we’re closing the retail store and I will continue with the Electrical business. 

Barb on the other hand is actively seeking a full time position of employment and can do just about anything from outside field sales to inside sales or management office /clerical.  She has held numerous sales positions, customer service and secretarily and has a lot of hands on experience with running  a business.

If you could put the word out if anyone knows of any positions that she may be well suited for.  She has been self-employed for the past 8 years and has extensive knowledge in technical areas like electrical, electronics, communications, etc.

Thanks very much!

Anthony Amabile

Electrician

Signal Mountain Electric, LLC

TN State License  #00064329

Hamilton County Electrical License # C-477

Main Offices:  423-591-1632

Electrical Service Emergency: 423-838-9220

1238 Taft Highway, Suite 112, Signal Mountain, TN  37377

Or Visit us on the web:  www.signalmountainelectric.com

Now Serving all of Chattanooga TN and we’re in the Yellow Pages and YP.com

Licensed and certified area dealer, installer and service provider for Kohler and Generac Generators!

 

I am concerned about the future of Signal Mountain business. Most of you have probably heard that Seventeen Ninety, the excellent new restaurant recently opened by Rick and Nancy Adams of Southern Star fame has closed. I have just found out that another business, CLS Lighting is also closing. Anthony and Barb Amabile moved to this community and opened this business, but have been unable to attract enough customers to keep it open. Fortunately, in both cases these business owners have alternatives. Southern Star will continue to serve excellent sandwiches and salads. Anthony is a Master Electrician and also runs Signal Mountain Electric Service. He is available for electrical work and also specializes in generator installation. You can reach Anthony at 591-1632 or his cell at 838-9220. Snoda and I have had Anthony work on some things at our house and we can vouch for his quality and integrity. As they close the retail shop, I understand they will be selling lightbulbs at 15% discounts, so drop by and wish them well and stock up on bulbs.

http://www.signalmountainelectric.com/ 

 

I don't have any magic answers, but clearly we can all try harder to patronize our local businesses. Perhaps you can save a few dollars at Walmart, but giving your business to your friends and neighbors pays dividends for your extra investment. As a town, I have long been concerned that we are not friendly enough to businesses. Many of you know that I have had concerns about our Design Review Commission. Everyone wants our town to be attractive, but empty store fronts are pretty ugly, too. If no one can see your sign and don't know what your business is, it is hard to make a go of it. I have seen the amount of harassment our town has given to new businesses in town (on top of WWTA and other regulatory agencies). I think this needs to be seriously looked at.

I have heard rumors of other businesses teetering on the edge of closing, too. I urge all my fellow Signal Mountain residents to check local before going "off the mountain". We have some excellent restaurants up here, but we won't if they don't have customers. Check out the Mountain Business Associations website http://signalmba.com/ to find out about some of our businesses. Obviously there are many more who aren't members of the MBA, also. All of our businesses are important, check 'em out! If any local businesses would like for me to mention them in a blog, I am happy to do so. Just send me a brief write-up and an image if you'd like and I'll put it on here. My rates are cheap (free!). Just doing what I can to help.

Songwriter Concert at the MACC this weekend

This Friday night, March 9 there will be a concert at the MACC featuring several excellent singer songwriters. This is a preview of the songwriting workshop being held Saturday and will feature many of the writer's/singers who will be leading the workshop. Robert and Alice and I (The Orchard Band) will be opening with a few original compositions of our own. Those of you who came to the Karen Shropshire Memorial Fund Concert at the shopping center last May heard several of these folks perform. This will be a great show. I hope we can fill the hall! Be sure to call ahead to the MACC for the "cheap seats"!