Gayle Balaban/Norris Lake Tn. Real Estate

Since the recent announcement that Volkswagon is coming to Enterprise South, it seems that there is a buzz of activity locally. For those of you thinking about relocating to the Chattanooga, Tennessee area, there will be many new things to look forward to and an electricity in the air.

I have seen that the local universities in and around Chattanooga, Tennessee, have begun ramping up their curriculum to accomodate Volkswagon's need for trained employees. This is not only good for Volkswagon, but, for anyone seking a diverse educational experience and coming to the Chattanooga area.

Rental investments are alive and well here in the Chattanooga area as well. I know of several investors who are busy sprucing up their properties and looking for others to purchase. Realtors are all a flutter trying to figure out how to get in on the "gold rush" so ancillary services; printing, advertising, sign making, have all got to benefit.

The construction industry has been infused with new blood as well. Big contracts are going out for the actual building of the Volkswagon plant as well as the roads to service it. I can't help but believe that single family house construction will also increase shortly.

Aside from the immediately recognizable benefits, there will certainly be so bleed over into cultural and philanthropic areas too. I am sure that Volkswagon will want to sponsor and donate to local events and groups and I am sure that there will be a carry over in increased attendence at events and cultural activities.

All in all, the Chattanooga, Tennessee area is a great place to live; housing is still affordable, taxes remain low, and there is an abundance of places to go and things to do from a very convenient location. We look forward to welcoming all of the new arrivals and hope that you will choose us to serve you for your housing needs.

Map 1910 showing ethnic distribution in Newark, N.J.

Map from 1966 of Newark, N.J.

As many of you know I am a native of New Jersey and I was born in Newark in the 1950's. My parents were raised in Newark and lived there when they were first married. Many of my relatives stayed there well into the 1970's. My paternal grandmother immigrated here from Poland when she was only 17 and went from New York to Newark as did many in the Polish community. My maternal grandparents immigrated here also from the Ukrane. There were gypsies in my mother's family background. All of them came in through Ellis Island and I have copies of the records. As a child I remember visiting my grandmother in Irvington which borders Newark and was the home of Olympic Park which I had the privilege of visiting.

My grandmother's heart was still in Newark and thus we visited the downtown shopping area to buy school clothes and ethnic delicasies such as Polish Kielbasa and pot cheese. We had moved first to Union, N.J. and then to Tinton Falls, N.J. Newark was a booming town back then with an active rail terminal, a large Greyhound bus station and big department stores in the downtown area. It was quite a nice place to go as an alternative to New York City.

And then it burned!!! ........................................................ 1967

It was then that the famous Newark riots occured. I was there. We went to get my grandmother out of Irvington but unbeknownst to us, she had walked into Newark to get her cheese. It was surreal driving down the Garden State Parkway and seeing National Guard personnel posted and armed at every exit. Well, to make this a short story we got my grandmother out and as best that I know and is reported, Newark has been on a decline ever since and has never recovered despite multiple attempts at redevelopment.

It really was such a nice town with all sorts of immigrants rich with their culture and I never felt unsafe. It was a haven for all nationalities and they each had their neighborhoods. There wasn't talk of segregation; they liked it that way with their shops that carried their cultural selections located in the neighborhood. There are so many that grew up there and are slowly dying off that wish it could regain it's charm. I just thought that some of you might find it interesting to know a little about the rich history of Newark, N.J. nd for Realtors, it would be very difficult back until the 70's to comply with the fair housing laws because people were very adamant about being in their cultural enclave and do you know what? I am not so sure that it might not have been o.k. then and enriched history, not blighted it.

This is the scene as you drive into Collegedale, Tennessee down Apison Pike. Apison Pike intersects with Interstate I-75 and leads you right into scenic Collegedale. The Bradford pears line the road and are in full bloom today.

Twinkle romps at the Collegedale Airport!

A row of Tulip treess lines another area of Apison Pike.

The ducks are all out at the duck pond by McKees bakery and people are out on the lawn flying kites nd feeding the ducks.

Collegedale is beautiful place to be in Spring. The ball teams start playing nightly at the fields behind the Villge Market and the soccer players t Southern University start their practices.

If you are looking for a great place to live and work, check out Collegedale, Tn. And, of course, call ,e for help locating your dream spot!

The state of Tennessee has a bill pending that would require all those convicted of ggravated animal abuse or bestiality to register with the state. Penalties would be imposed for failing to register or update their file if they moved.

This will be almost identical to most state's sex registries. The state will maintain a web site with pictures and other relevant data just like the sex registration sites.

This bill has passed in the state house but is hung up in the state senate. This sounds as if it would be an excellent attempt to minimize animal abuse and make people aware before placing pets with individuals. It would be great if all animal lovers would write the Tennessee legislatures to encourage them to pass this bill

The Collegedale, Tennessee is a small, but, an active little airport located on the corner of Apison Pike and Bess Moore Road in Collegedale, right on the Apison border. It caters to the Southern University, McKee Foods (Little Debbie); the Seventh Day dventist Church and local enthusiasts.

For a small are this is a very active airport. You may have read about tragic crsh after tkeoff about 12/3 years ago when four people were killed including the regional head of the Seventh Day Adventist Church. You will see mostly small single engine planes but there are few antiques and a few twin engines also.

The airport boasts a nice little cafe the Sky View Cafe which features burgers and sandwichs as well as country home cooking features t dinner time.

It was a beautiful but chilly day. Temperature around 59 with a slight breeze.

Twink went with me and she seemed to enjoy herself. She is such a good dog. We rode with the sunroof open.

There are lots for sale, roughly 1 acres, which are "hanger lots". Each owner has access to the runway and the right to construct a hanger. These lots average about $70,000.

Once a year the airport hosts a Fly-In and the whole community is invited for demonstrations and tours.

If you re in the area, drop by the Sky View Cafe and have a bite. Even better, if you are a flying enthusiast, fly in and pay us a visit. If you are looking to relocate to the area why not fly in and let me meet you at the airport and we'll look around at real estate. Hope that I see you soon!

marinabroker@aol.com 423-785-7768