The second annual Three Sisters Music Festival was held this past Friday and Saturday. The festival is held in downtown Chattanooga, right on the River at Ross' Landing. Friends and family spread out on the grass lawn, just across from the Tennessee Aquarium.
There were 10 acts over the two days, all top quality bluegrass.
The festival is sponsored by the Downtown Partnership, and is one of the great music venues that the Partnership brings to Chattanooga each year.
Dismembered Tennesseans at Three Sisters Music Festival
Chatham County Line
Rhonda Vincent, video uploaded to YouTube by Mark from Dalton, GA
Morning Pointe Assisted Living and Alzheimer's Memory Care Center held a well attended ground breaking this week. the facility will be constructed in 3 phases on 20 acres on the site of the Hixson family farm, next to the new Hixson Middle School and the Hixson High School.
The facility will cost $75 million to construct and should be open in Spring 1009.
The land has been in the Hixson family since the early 1800's when Ephraim and Houston Hixson settled near North Chickamauga Creek.
Several local dignitaries spoke at the ground breaking. They spoke about the great need for quality retirement assisted living centers and for alzheimer's facilities. Additionally they spoke about the growing recognition of Chattanooga as a preferred home for the active retired community, and their large economic impact.
Mayor Claude Ramsey praised the Choose Chattanooga program for its success in establishing Chattanooga as a city of choice for retirees. Mayor Ramsey described the active retirees as "educated, and having good disposable income."
Tom Edd Wilson, President of the Chamber of Commerce, praised the developer, Independent Healthcare Properties, LLC (IHP), a Chattanooga based company founded by Greg Vital and Franklin Farrow. The company has developed more than 30 assisted living communities in the Southeast.
The entire campus is called Greenbriar Cove agt North Chickamauga Creek. Morning Pointe will be an assisted living residence and an Alzheimer's care center. Two other phases will be a 120 bed skilled nursing and rehagilitation center, and a 150 apartment independent living retirement complex on the bluff overlooking North Chickamauga Creek. The entire campus will be surrounded by a greenway and walking trails.
Sally Brewer from the Alzheimer's Association spoke at the ground breaking. She said that Alzheimer's has now become the 6th leading cause of death in the US, surpassing diabetes. In Tennessee, there are 20,000 new Alzheimer's patients each year. The new facility will help families deal with the care giving and emotional demands that can be so overwhelming for families.
Last weekend Ms Brewer and the Alzheimer's Association held its annual Memory Walk at AT&T Field.
The Hixson family was well represented by Carol Hixson and her father Sherman Hixson and several other members of the Hixson family. Carol Hixson spoke for the family about their memories living on the family site. She said they are excited about the vision for the retirement campus.
One of the concessions that the new owners have made is to maintain the old Hixson barn on the site. It was carefully taken down and will be reassembled on the site to maintain a tie to the history of the area and to the family that gave its name to the Hixson community.
The Hixson High School band played the National Anthem and performed the Hixson High Wildcats fight song.
Greg Vital President of Independent Healthcare Properties, LLC speaks at Morning Pointe groundbreaking.
Richard Smith
American Acceptance Mortgage, Inc
Toll Free 888-474-9920 Cell 423-280-0345
Home financing in Tennessee, Georgia, and Alabama.
Experience matters when it is your home loan.
|
|
|
|
|
FHA, VA, Rural Development, Reverse Mortgages, Construction Permanent, Renovation, FHA Renovation
Mortgage lending offices located in Chattanooga, TN
rsmith@aamonline.com
Nancy Franks, the President of Volunteers in Medicine of Chattanooga, spoke this morning at the Downtown Branch of the Chattanooga Chamber. This is a free clinic that provided qualty health care for qualified persons in Hamilton County.
Mrs Franks spoke about the medical crisis in the US where 1 out of 7 people do not have health care. The clinic has been opened for over three years and has treated over 3500 patients. It currently has 900 active patients.
The clinic uses volunteer medical services and assistance to provide top qualify, primary care for Hamilton County residents who do not have insurance and who make less than 200% of the federal poverty level income. For a single person this is $20,800 annually.
The first VIM was started by Dr Jack McConnell, a Hamilton County native who retired to Hilton Head SC. Dr Jack, in his retirement, recognized the lack of medical care that many people living in poverty suffered. He asked himself "Why?" And he could not ignore the problem. The first volunteer clinic opened in 1992 in Hilton Head.
There are 66 VIM clinics in the US. Since it has opened, the Chattanooga clinic has provided the equivalent of $13 million of treatment (using emergency room rates). The actual cost has been approximately $1 million. This cost savings is brought about by the power of volunteerism and the culture of care in the volunteer clinic.
The medical director is Dr Robert Bowers, MD FACS. He is a past president of the Hamilton County Medical Society and was named the Physician of the Year in Tennessee in April 2005.
The clinic provides a full range of primary and preventitive care. The clinic assists patients to obtain advanced treatment when needed. There are many opportunities to volunteer .
Here is a patient brochure.
The website also has a terrific video to describe the extent of the problems caused by the lack of health care.
The phone number for the clinic is 423-855-8220.
The VIM clinic is one of two free clinics serving Hamilton County. The Chattanooga Community Kitchen offers free medical services to homeless persons.
Richard Smith
American Acceptance Mortgage, Inc
Toll Free 888-474-9920 Cell 423-280-0345
Home financing in Tennessee, Georgia, and Alabama.
Experience matters when it is your home loan.
|
|
|
|
|
FHA, VA, Rural Development, Reverse Mortgages, Construction Permanent, Renovation, FHA Renovation
Mortgage lending offices located in Chattanooga, TN
rsmith@aamonline.com
Chattanooga's 9th annual Susan G Komen Race for the Cure was held this past Sunday. The race grossed $240,000 in donations. Almost 6,000 people participated in the 5k race/walk.
The feature event is a sanctioned 5k road race. The winner was Brandon Perterson, time 18:10. The top woman was Gina Krabbendam, time 19:57.
The top survivor runners were Badnki Donan, 24:31; Melingd Ellis, 26:04; and Cindy Hannnah, 27:31.
Most of the participants have a family member or friend who has been effected by breast cancer. This makes the event have such a powerful impact.
Most of the runners are part of different teams that are formed in honor of a cancer victim.
The race generates funds for cancer awareness and research. The Chattanooga race has made almost $2 million in the last 9 years. The Times Free Press reports that over 75% of the money stays local.
The list of programs funded by last year's race is impressive. Taken from the Times Free Press article:
Source: Chattanooga affiliate of Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation
Additional programs funded by the Race for the cure are: Access to Mammograms, administered by Memorial Health Care System Breast Services; Breast Cancer Emergency Fund, administered by Breast Cancer Network of Strength; Breast Health Outreach Program, administered by Erlanger.
Race for the Cure starting line.
Race for the Cure runners in the pack.
Team Margie was the team my wife and I joined. The team formed in honor of Margie Booth. The people in the picture are from Margie's family.
Richard Smith
American Acceptance Mortgage, Inc
Toll Free 888-474-9920 Cell 423-280-0345
Home financing in Tennessee, Georgia, and Alabama.
Experience matters when it is your home loan.
|
|
|
|
|
Tuesday Mona Gobalek gave a one woman show to a packed auditorium at Chattanooga City High School 
Center for Creative Arts. She combined her Emmy nominated talent as a classical pianist and her vividly emotional monologue from her book Children of Willesden Lane.
The evening was part of the Facing History curriculum that is taught at the Center for Creative Arts high school. Facing History program has been operating since 1976. Its approach is to" offer an interdisciplinary approach to citizenship education that connects the history of the Holocaust and other examples of genocide to the moral questions young people face in their own lives.
This program is part of the Community Conversations series sponsored by Allstate Foundation, which brings "prominent scholars, authors, filmmakers, and policy leaders to speak." The goal is to explore issues of civic responsibility.
Mona Golabek's mother was a child refuge from Nazi Germany. Her book The Children of Willesden Lane is her account of her mother's story.
It is a story of a Jewish family living in Germany during World War II who has the opportunity to send one of their three teenage children on the Kinder Transport to safety out of Germany. The other two were to stay in Germany with the parents to face the Nazi threat.
It is a story of a 14 year old girl put on a train to leave her family and home, to travel with complete strangers, afraid, uncertain, alone.
It is a story of that girl rising out of a life as a boarder in a Jewish hostel with dozens of other children refuges.
It is a story of these children supporting each other through nights of German bombing in London.
It is a story of hope and love, and the gift of music.
Richard Smith
American Acceptance Mortgage, Inc
Toll Free 888-474-9920 Cell 423-280-0345
Home financing in Tennessee, Georgia, and Alabama.
Experience matters when it is your home loan.
|
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
The right Home Loan for you. American Acceptance Mortgage. Chattanooga, TN. Conventional and government home loans and mortgages in Tennessee, Georgia, and Alabama. Purchase, refinance, renovation.
Home purchases and home refinances for Tennessee, Georgia, and Alabama. The right real estate loan for you. That is 
what American Acceptance Mortgage is all about. Each mortgage loan officer at American Acceptance is focused on providing the service you need. I have over 20 years experience as a mortgage loan officer. We have been making mortgage loans in Chattanooga, TN since 1994.
We know real estate finance. And we provide top service to each locality in our 3 state service area of Tennessee, Georgia, and Alabama.
Purchase Loans - We offer loans designed to keep your down payment low. These include conventional, FHA, VA, and Rural Development loans. We participate in the FHA approved down payment assistance programs and other nonprofit grant programs. By offering loan programs from several top national lenders, you can be sure that you can get the best approval terms around. Our promise is to get you to the closing table on time and with no surprises. We have real estate agent contacts in every area and can recommend agents that provide you with excellent service.
Refinance Loans - Understanding your refinance objectives is critical to obtaining just the right loan terms. Making certain that your goals are achievable before we even begin the process saves time and money. Working with me means that you will be fully informed at each step of the process.
Construction Permanent - With builders finding construction lines getting tight, experienced construction permanent lending is needed to get you your new custom home. We offer construction permanent loans through 5 different national lenders. This means that you get to choose the best options for you - fees, draws, construction interest, permanent lock in terms.
FHA Renovation - In today's market, you may find that a renovating your home is a good option. With an FHA renovation loan you get excellent terms. Also the FHA loan amount calculations typically allow you to receive more money for your renovations, meaning that you may very well get all the work you want.
If you are interested in a government loan, FHA, VA, or Rural Development, go to an experience lender. We have offered government loans since 1994. Our lender relationships and experience will make a difference for you. We close many loans that others cannot.
We are experienced with HUD foreclosures, and working with other foreclosure companies.
Relocation is made smooth with our local contacts and use of internet technology - secure online applications, toll free fax number, secure website user accounts, daily status reports, and the informative lock recommendation. Your move will be the happy experience it should be, because you will not be worrying over the financing of your new home.
Local focus - you can find ready resources to learn about the local communities in our service area.
Credit repair - You will not find better credit consultation anywhere. If you need professional assistance to repair your credit, you will know exactly what they need to do for you. For the most part you and I can work through credit issues. We even offer a service to help you build a credit file from scratch.
American Acceptance Mortgage, Inc
Home Office
I am active with the Red Bank Lions club and have served serveral terms on the board of my church, the Chattanooga Community Kitchen, and the Episcopal Commission of South East Tennessee. I am active with the Chattanooga Chamber of Commerce, and serve proudly as one of their ambassadors.
Currently, I am a committee chair with the Women's Council of Realtors, a member of the Chattanooga Association of Realtors, the Home Builders Association of Southern Tennessee, the mortgage brokers association,and the mortgage bankers association.
My goal is to WOW you.
We specialize in FHA, VA, and Rural Development mortgage loan programs. We offer these programs along with the traditional conventional mortgage programs. We are experienced FHA lenders, with proven results in credit repair and credit building. We take pride in serving our customers and have developed excellent reputations and relationships with our lender partners.
My real estate agents know they receive my full commitment and the commitment of my staff. I stay fully accessible. I return phone calls. I tell the truth. My clients and partners are kept fully informed of the status. My experience both as a mortgage loan officer and as a mortgage lender helps me to identify potential loan approval issues early in the process. This allows my clients to have right expectations about their home financing transaction. I know the financial goals of my clients and work hard to develop a lasting relationship with them.
Recently I have become involved with the Chattanooga Office of Multi Cultural Affairs. This is a group of local 
professionals from government, private, and industry entities who are working to educate consumers and businesses about discrimination and minority opportunity. I am very excited about this effort as a way to increase home ownership potential in Chattanooga.
Credit repair and credit building have become increasingly important in today's market. We have demonstrated results for many of our clients in helping them improve their credit histories without using for fee credit repair companies. In fact, we have been helping our customers with their credit for several years. In today's market, good credit management can have a significant impact on loan approval and loan terms. We are credit management experts, and we take the time to review, explain, evaluate, and advise.
FHA home loans have always been a specialty of our company. Even when FHA was losing market share to subprime and Alt A mortgages, we were closing FHA mortgage loans. Other brokers steered borrowers into subprime loans. We worked with borrowers to get an FHA home loan approved. We gained considerable processing experience with the art of manual underwriting and full documentation. Processing can make all the difference in getting a loan approved.
We are closing FHA loans that other lenders cannot. We prove that every day.
We put technology to work for you. This makes your loan process smooth. You know the status. You have the information. You can make the informed decision. Lending is local. We use technology to give you local service - right where you are.
"Richard is a professional and I would recommend him to anyone needing sound advice about their mortgage." BH Chattanooga, TN
"This is my first purchase. We just had a baby last year. And we are so excited. Richard has keep us informed of the status with daily emails. He always makes sure that we know what to expect next. On top of that, during the loan, my wallet was stolen. Richard came in over the weekend to help with all things I needed to do about indentity theft and to notify the charge card companies and the credit bureaus. He really helped." CK East Ridge, TN.
"My loan went well, really quickly. But there was a problem with the lender taking the appraisal. Richard stayed in touch continuously. I always new what was next. He worked with the realtor and with the appraiser and got the loan done. Even going to another lender, he kept my rate and still closed quickly. " RH Chattanooga, TN
"Richard is one of the most professional and knowledgeable broker/bankers I have had the pleasure of working with, it is refreshing to see his commitment and dedication to our industry." ST Nashville, TN
"I needed to purchase the salon where I worked. It was a great opportunity. Richard told me what needed to be done, but another lender kept making promises. Those promises were never kept. Richard was patient. He told me to keep working with the other company as long as I thought things were going to go through. He would keep my loan ready if I needed it. Well, I needed it. Now I have my salon and it is going well. Richard knew how to get it through." Cleveland
"Richard has been great to work with. I love it when my clients take charge of their advertising campaigns and want to be personally involved to really make it their own. He worked hard to personalize his commercial and has worked to keep his website up-to-date. Thanks Richard for making it easy to work with you and being a man of integrity. If you're interested in making your dreams come true and having financial freedom, Richard is the man to talk to to!" GH Chattanooga, TN
"Richard works hard for my buyers. I know that. He calls me before I call him most of the time. I love the daily updates. He sends weekly articles about changes and other news. I really feel like I know the status. And when something comes up, I know he is giving me the right information. That really is important to me." LP, Chattanooga
ActiveRain Corp. is not responsible for the accuracy of the site's content (which is written by members of the ActiveRain Real Estate Network) and does not endorse the views of the real estate agents, mortgage brokers, and others listed here.
Powered by the ActiveRain Real Estate Network
© 2008 ActiveRain Corp. All Rights Reserved
