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Check back often for up-to-date news, events and article previews between issues of the monthly Lookout Mountain Mirror.

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Georgia Council Issuing RFP for Town Center

3/29/2016

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by Gail Perry
After a series of public meetings to get input from the citizens, the city of Lookout Mountain, Ga., is close to issuing a Request for Proposal (RFP) for the new Town Center. “This is the biggest project to take place in the community in years,” said Mayor David Bennett at the March 24 council meeting.

The RFP will be published by the city next week. Interested bidders have until June 30, approximately 90 days, to submit bids. Information regarding the city’s requirements will be available at the city hall. There will also be a pre-bid conference scheduled for April 28, during which town officials will talk to prospective bidders about proposals and requirements.
 
The RFP mentions the fact that the design guidelines have been developed by the town and they will be available to the prospective bidders. Proposals will have to include the design agreement to comply.
 
A letter of interest from prospective developers must be submitted 30 days before the bid opening on June 30 or at the time a bid is made. This document will provide information about the company and proof of financial ability.
 
Sewer Board Representative Jimmy Campbell and Town Attorney Bill Pickering met with the developer of Brow Wood, Duane Horton, and have reached an agreement that the contract regarding the sewer system will combine Covenant College, Brow Wood and Thrive and will have a five-year renewal. The town will buy the sewer lines for these facilities for $350,000. Covenant, Brow Wood and Thrive will pay Lookout Mountain, Ga., a $31,000 yearly user fee. Some of this money will go into a maintenance account for those lines.
 
Statistics from the fire and police departments from February were compiled by Chief Todd Gann. The police patrolled 2,916 miles, made 11 traffic stops, issued two citations, gave 13 warnings and handled two auto accidents. Four city ordinance warnings were also given during the month. Investigations were made of four suspicious vehicles and two suspicious persons. During the month, there were two medical calls, two assist-motorist calls and four assist-citizen calls. There were no thefts or burglaries and no fire calls.
 
Councilmember Taylor Watson announced that because of some residents’ lack of attention to their property the town is starting to enforce its nuisance ordinances. This includes houses with garbage and junk in yards, uncut grass and overgrowth of invasive plants. She said that the city is aware of just four or five properties with these conditions.
 
There is a push to rid the mountain of invasive plants, and all of the mountain’s garden clubs, the Lookout Mountain Conservancy, Lula Lake Land Trust, the National Park Service and Tennessee River Gorge Trust are working together to remove them. She said that landowners are responsible for removing kudzu from their property and will face penalties if it is not removed. If the property owners opt not to remove their kudzu, the town will remove it and charge for the chemicals and labor.
 
Councilmember Caroline Williams provided an update from Fairyland Elementary School. The fifth grade field trip will be the first week in May when the students will go to a 4-H facility in North Georgia and camp out. Graduation is May 20 and school is back in session again on August 3. She said that the next step concerning the aquaponics project is to structure a campaign to raise money.
 
The city has submitted an annual stormwater report and is in good shape in that department, said City Manager Brad Haven. Next month’s council meeting will include a presentation about stream buffers by a biologist who is developing a map to tell the buffer sizes along every stream. This will help when making infrastructure improvements to pipes and ditches that handle stormwater.
 
Mayor Bennett said that asbestos found in a house that the town purchased at the entrance of the commercial district has now been removed; the next step will be to tear the house down.

The speed limit on Lula Lake Road has officially been reduced to 25 miles per hour along the entire length. The road also needs to be repaved, said the mayor. The cost estimate for resurfacing it is $230,000 to $250,000. Road striping will begin when the weather warms up.

Rick Collett, a resident of Lookout Mountain, Ga., asked the council for permission to claim his house address as a home office. This would enable him to get certification from the state of Georgia for his home healthcare business that is based on Shallowford Road in Tennessee. Attorney Pickering recommended approving Mr. Collett for the license.

The next council meeting is April 21 at 5:30 p.m. at City Hall.
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Local Author Has Publishing Opportunity With Kindle Scout

3/28/2016

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PictureYou can vote for Ferris Robinson's book to be published by Kindle Scout.
Everyone knows Amazon sells more than books. Lots of people check with Amazon before they buy anything, from electronics to running shoes to disposable mouth guards. And even if they don’t end up clicking the buy button, chances are they checked out the reviews of the product they were considering.

Some products have thousands of reviews; others have none. Both are telling.
Amazon has not only revolutionized online shopping, but it’s turned the publishing industry on its ear. Anyone who can download a file can also publish a book, which can be unsettling for the book buyers. Amazon is actually making those book buyers into publishers in a sense, or at least “board members” of the publishing empire, although it takes a lot of book buyers to count as one vote.

Introduced just over a year ago, Amazon Scout lets readers weigh in on the books they want to see published. Authors submit complete manuscripts, which are professionally edited with eye-catching book covers, and Amazon Scout chooses which are suitable for campaigning. Once selected for the Kindle Scout campaign, authors have 30 days to get votes, or nominations, for their books. Anyone with an Amazon account can vote, but they can only vote for three books during the 30-day period. If a book they nominated wins, everyone who voted for it gets a free copy.
Intensely selective, Amazon Scout has only published 100 books in the past 17 months.

Ferris Robinson, editor of The Lookout Mountain Mirror and The Signal Mountain Mirror, hopes that the odds are in her favor. She decided to submit her debut novel, “Making Arrangements,” to Kindle Scout last month, despite having procured an agent previously.

“I had a wonderful agent, but she left the publishing industry before she sold my book. (I prefer not to think that dealing with me and my novel were the last straws in her career.) I put ‘Making Arrangements’ away for a couple of years, then after some encouragement from a friend, I rewrote it.”

Ferris considered trying to procure another literary agent, but decided to investigate Kindle Scout. “It’s so quick! I found out within two days of submission that ‘Making Arrangements’ was live, so I am scrambling around trying to get folks to vote! I am mortified at how aggressive I am, but if my novel is chosen for publication, everyone who nominated it will get a free copy. So I console myself with that somewhat,” she said.

Her novel is set outside of Chattanooga, in the fictional town of Barrington, which may be vaguely familiar to Chattanooga residents. Characters in “Making Arrangements” include a little stray dog that leaves masses of soft white fur everywhere, a grammar-butchering fashion plate, and a heavy-hipped protagonist who has her fit husband on a pedestal.

 “Making Arrangements” is described as: “Against all odds, cancer survivor Lang Eldridge is celebrating the one-year anniversary of her ‘death sentence’ when her beloved husband drops dead on the tennis court. Devoted to him, she reels from the loss, focusing on her precious granddaughter but struggling with her bossy only child, Teddy, and his aloof girlfriend, Sarah. With her beloved family home in jeopardy, Lang realizes her husband wasn’t as perfect as she thought. The secret he carried to his grave can ruin her life. If she lets it.”

The campaign for “Making Arrangements” runs through April 9, and you can read the first few chapters and nominate it at www.ferrisrobinson.com, or vote on the Kindle Scout website.

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Local Family Raising Funds to Find a Cure for CF

3/28/2016

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PictureGinger and Alex Birnbaum with their children, Kenneth "King" and Emma Virginia
You may remember reading about the Birnbaum family -- dad Alex, mom Ginger, and children Emma Virginia and Kenneth "King" --  in past issues of The Lookout Mountain Mirror. Little King was diagnosed with cystic fibrosis (CF) shortly after his birth in December 2011.

Since then, the Birnbaums have been actively raising money to find a cure for CF, and the Lookout Mountain community has been a big help. This year, Ginger has written a letter, published in entirety below, asking for help and community participation. You can join the Kenneth King's Believers (KKB) team during the Great Strides Walk for the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation on April 17 or make a financial contribution to help find a cure for CF.


Dear Friends and Family,
I hope that you are having a great week! It is my fifth year of coming to friends, family, and community for help in the fight against cystic fibrosis. THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU for continuing to support us in our efforts to make CF stand for Cure Found! Every day, every month, every year we continue with the mission of Kenneth King's Believers. We know that it takes the hands and helping hearts of many to reach our goal. CF does not stop, but neither do we.  Our commitment to raising awareness and funding has never been stronger.  We want King to have a long life, and we want that life to be full of all of the good stuff!  

Kenneth "King" Birnbaum is a bright and happy four-year-old little boy. He is a son, brother to Emma Virginia, grandson, nephew, cousin, friend, playmate and neighbor. He is a lover of Batman and Legos. He is also living with cystic fibrosis.

This year, King started nursery school! Due to cycles of sickness and hospitalizations, we were not comfortable putting him in groups of children previously. It has been the most precious experience to see him bond with other children, learn their names and to watch him run with free abandon on the playground. As my parents would say, "He's exploding!" They are right: we can see the thoughts and emotions firing rapidly in his precious body.  

This letter is my personal request for you to join me in the fight against CF, so I want to share some of my personal experience in raising a little boy living with CF. It is my deepest desire that I can, one day, hand my son a pill that will change his life!  One thing that I have not spoken widely about is the emotional roller coaster, the ups and downs, the positive and the negative of CF. It is real, and it is hard.

This year, although largely positive, has been the most emotional for me. Maybe it is that I was finally able to step back long enough to take it all in? I will never know, but I can tell you that CF is part of my life at every level. This CF Family is my family. I hurt with them when their children are ill, I cry with the families who have lost someone, I cheer with the scientists that make grand discoveries, I applaud legislative efforts that work more closely with our mission, I stand in amazement at the Foundation staff who work tirelessly toward a cure, and I am in awe of the innumerable volunteers who have made CF their passion. On top of that, I watch my own son live with this disease. I would never say that there is not beauty in CF. I can't separate the disease from the wonder that is King, and I would not change a hair on his head. Like so many parents, I just want him to have the best life possible. I believe a cure for CF is possible!  

We continue to raise awareness and funding to move toward a "daily cure" for King!

And where does this money go, really?

In the past year, Orkambi was approved for people living with CF who have two copies of the F508Del mutation. This is excellent news because so many people in my CF Family are able to be treated with this drug, and it is making a big difference in their lives.  n fact, it has been beautiful for me to hear my friends tell of the first time they gave their child the drug that could ultimately save their lives. King still awaits a time when he can take a pill to change his life. His mutations (F508Del and W1282X) are more difficult to correct, and this puts him in 5 percent of CF patients that we know will be more difficult to treat. The Cystic Fibrosis Foundation and scientists everywhere are working feverishly to treat 100 percent of patients, and for that we are forever grateful!  

Due to the commitment of CFF and subsequent drug discoveries, King takes lots of other medications to treat the symptoms of his disease. He does 2 hours of respiratory therapy daily, unless he is acutely ill and then that is doubled. He inhales medications that help to thin the mucus in his lungs. He takes medications to aid in digestion since his pancreas does not work effectively. He takes medications to keep MRSA at bay. He takes medications to keep his sinuses clear of polyps. Even as he sleeps, King is fed via feeding tube to optimize calorie intake. King works hard to stay healthy!  

And how will we get there?

In the last four years, through grassroots efforts, National Family Team KKB has raised over $130,000 with the help of team leaders across the country. Our friends and family shared the message of the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation and King's story. In return, their friends and family responded with overwhelming support! These leaders, their teams, and their friends have given us hope as we continue the fight against CF.

In 2016, our fifth year, we hope that you will make the commitment to join us at the Chattanooga walk on Sunday, April 17 and/or make a donation to our team! King's big sister, Emma Virginia, also has a team this year for children. The Biggest Stars is her way of working toward a cure for her brother.  Let us know if your child would like to join this team!

Do you believe in a cure? Join Team KKB by signing up to walk with us on Sunday, April 17 or by making a donation! 
We have lots of fun events coming up in Chattanooga for Team KKB. Follow us on Facebook at Kenneth King's Believers to keep up!

With Love and Hope,
Ginger Birnbaum




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Meet a Hang Gliding Eagle This Saturday

3/23/2016

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Picture
Osceola, a one-winged eagle, soars in a special harness made for her by hang glider and caretaker John Stokes.
PictureJohn Stokes of Wings to Soar is presenting a raptor program at Reflection Riding this Saturday, March 26.
This Saturday, March 26, you have the chance to get up close and personal with raptors at Reflection Riding Arboretum and Nature Center's birds of prey educational program.

John and Dale Stokes of Wings to Soar will present the program, in which audience members can interact with birds of prey. Shows are at 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. For more about the program, visit the Reflection Riding website.


Mirror editor Ferris Robinson is impressed with  Osceola, a one-winged bald eagle. Here is her story, which was printed in the March 2016 paper.

by Ferris Robinson

Majestic bald eagles are meant to soar and belong in the sky. The national symbol of the United States of America, these birds glide across the wide-open sky at up to 44 miles per hour and can live almost 40 years in the wild. Eagles’ talons can exert almost 100 pounds of pressure per square inch; humans’ hands exert 80 pounds of pressure per square inch. Their eyesight is the keenest in the animal kingdom, four to eight times stronger than that of a human.
Eagles were only recently taken off the endangered species list, but it is still a felony to shoot a bald eagle, punishable with up to a $250,000 fine and a two-year prison sentence. However, these resplendent birds are still hunted by stupid people, as Osceola can attest.

Osceola was found in a field in Arkansas by two rabbit hunters. Terribly wounded, he was hopping over the ground, trying to fly despite the pain from his dangling left wing. The hunters called the game warden, as well as John Stokes, who ran the Raptor Rehab program at the Memphis Zoo. After surgery, the wing not only failed to heal, but became so infected the life of the bird was threatened. The wing was amputated, and the bird healed beautifully.

Bonding with Mr. Stokes, Osceola became a star in Mr. Stoke’s raptor education shows in the Mid-South and beyond. Folks were awed by the magnificent creature, but saddened that he could no longer fly. An avid hang glider, Mr. Stokes came up an ingenious idea.  

“I had been a hang glider pilot for about nine years. Maybe I could construct a harness for him and take him flying with me. Pilots took their dogs with them, why not an eagle?”

The idea may have been ingenious, but the implementation was problematic. First off all, Mr. Stokes was transferred to another wildlife facility shortly after his brainstorm. Determined to continue his efforts with Osceola, he ensured the bird was moved to the Cumberland Wildlife Foundation, where Mr. Stokes joined him a year later, in early 1986. Beloved by all exposed to him, the bald eagle’s fame grew, and this honorary citizen of Nashville, a titled bestowed on him by the governor, ultimately appeared on “Good Morning, America.” The famous eagle’s photo gallery includes pictures with Dolly Parton, Garth Brooks, Bill Murray and Cindy Crawford.

Determined to get the bird back in the air via hang gliding, Mr. Stokes began the arduous process of logistics. First he contracted a harness-maker in Arkansas to engineer the harness. Three tries later, just when it looked like the perfect device had been created, the money for the Cumberland Wildlife Foundation dried up, and hang gliding with injured eagles was not a priority.

Resilient, Mr. Stokes contacted Dollywood and the Foundation’s birds were relocated there and housed in an outstanding facility. However, Osceola was yet to wear his special harness, which was determined to be lacking. Matt Taber at Lookout Mountain Flight Park had a new harness constructed and it fit the bird like a glove.
“The next problem was to isolate his 2 1/2-inch talons from my harness and me. I didn’t not want his talons scraping my harness or him grabbing something and becoming entangled,” Mr. Stokes said.

He invented a foot shield, but when the bird’s foot snagged on the shield, it panicked. They finally designed a bungee system that worked, but there was yet another snag. They had to get permission from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, which was an arduous process.

After a few more glitches with the harness system, Osceola was finally ready to fly. Hovering inches from Mr. Stokes’ head, Osceola moved his gigantic talons as they were in the air, making Mr. Stokes a little nervous. “As we started to gain altitude and the ground dropped away, he settled down. He began looking around, perhaps realizing he was in the air again,” Mr. Stokes said.

After 13 years, Osceola was back in his element, soaring high in the sky. He turned his head in every direction, surely taking in the mountains and valley and river, training his eagle eye on prey. They flew over a pair of red-tailed hawks and Osceola was transfixed, watching them intently as the hawks flew past them. Osceola moved his talons as the glider turned, guiding his flight innately.

Osceola is the only eagle that is also a hang glider, and John Stokes and his wife, Dale Kernahan, co-directors of Wings to Soar, a raptor educational program, take him all over the country to raise awareness for these magnificent birds. Clearly, Osceola is both resilient and determined, not unlike his human, John Stokes.


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Churches Plan Easter Week Services

3/21/2016

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PictureArea churches have many Easter week events planned.
From an Easter sunrise service at Point Park to a mid-morning brunch to an Easter egg hunt at Coolidge Park and various Good Friday services, a full schedule for Holy Week (March 20-27) is set for Lookout Mountain churches.

Our Lady of the Mount Catholic Church (OLMCC): There are several events during Holy Week, including: Holy Thursday (March 24) Mass, 7 p.m.; Good Friday Stations of the Cross, 3 p.m.; Saturday (March 27) Easter Vigil Mass, 8 p.m.; and Easter Sunday Mass, 9 a.m. OLMCC will also host a St. Patrick’s Day Family Celebration Saturday, March 12 at 6:30 p.m.

Church of the Good Shepherd: Three services will be held at Good Shepherd on Easter Sunday: 7:30 a.m. - Holy Eucharist, Rite I; 9 a.m. - Holy Eucharist II (Flowering of the Cross, Releasing of the Alleluias, music led by the Adult Choir, Youth Chorale and Brass); and 11 a.m. - Holy Eucharist II (music by the Adult Choir, Youth Chorale and Brass)

Rock Creek Fellowship: A Good Friday service will be held at the Lula Lake Land Trust at 6 p.m. On Easter Sunday, the church will host a brunch prior to the 9:30 a.m. service at the 2008 Durham Rd. location.

Lookout Mountain Presbyterian Church: The annual Easter Sunrise Service takes place at 7 a.m. at Point Park and will be followed by a pancake breakfast in the LMPC fellowship hall beginning at 7:30. Church services on Easter Sunday will be the usual times of 8:10, 9:30 and 11 a.m. A Maundy Thursday communion service is at 7 p.m. and the Good Friday Tenebrae Service is also at 7 p.m.

Lookout Mountain United Methodist Church (LMUMC): LMUMC has a Maundy Thursday service planned for March 24 at 7 p.m. The church invites you to worship with them as they remember what Jesus said and did on this special evening. On Sunday, March 27 at 7 a.m., LMUMC will have an Easter Sunrise Service at Rock City Gardens. Celebrate Easter with a sunrise service on the bluff. There is no admission fee into the park for this service. The church is located at 1300 Lula Lake Rd. Find out more on the church's website.

Other services around town: Silverdale Baptist Church in St. Elmo is having special Easter services, "Risen" on March 27 at 9 a.m. and 11 a.m.

Another option for your Sunday, March 27 Easter celebration is the eighth annual Easter at Coolidge, a community event with a worship service, a huge Easter egg hunt (with more than 100,000 eggs, free face painting and a puppet show. There will also be free coffee and doughnuts. The Easter egg hunt begins at 9 a.m., but guests are encouraged to arrive early to get set up for the service. Live music from the Stuart Heights Worship choir and the Mt. Canaan Baptist Church choir begins at 9:30 a.m. After the music, Stuart Heights' Senior Pastor Gary Jared will deliver the service. Find out more at Easter at Coolidge's website.


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Help LMS Gym Get a Facelift

3/17/2016

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PictureDonate now to help improve the LMS gym!
In case you missed this opportunity at Night Out for Lookout, you can still make a donation to the Lookout Mountain School (LMS) gym's facelift project! Donations can be dropped off in the LMS Office, or sent to:LMS Gym Renovation Project, 321 N Bragg Ave., Lookout Mountain, TN 37350
 
The gym needs improvements. From a leaky roof to the warped, rotten ceiling and bleachers below, it is time to give the gym a little TLC. This year, the LMS PTA is raising both awareness and funds to make the necessary repairs to bring the gym back to its former splendor. These efforts include:
  • Repairing or revising the roofing structure that is susceptible to water leakage due to its design
  • Repairing or replacing warped and nail riddled seating in the bleachers
  • Refinishing the worn hardwood surfaces of the bleachers
  • Freshening up the paint on the walls
  • Replacing the basketball goal height adjustment brackets
  • Updating gym security

The LMS gymnasium is more than just an elementary school gym, as it services the recreational needs of the entire community. By making a donation, you can help ensure that the gym is able to service the needs of the school and the community.


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Dogs Welcome at Reflection Riding

3/14/2016

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PictureBring your dog to Reflection Riding Arboretum and Nature Center this Saturday!
by David Fields
Beginning March 19, Reflection Riding Arboretum and Nature Center is going to the dogs. Beginning with the inaugural Tails on the Trails event, you and your furry family members are welcome to explore the 317 acres that make up the arboretum and nature center together.

"One of the questions I'm asked most often when telling people about all our property has to offer is whether or not we are dog-friendly. We recognize that dogs are such an important part of people's lives, and we want them to be part of their experience here on our property as well," said Laura Stephenson, development and marketing manager at Reflection Riding.

While the majority of Reflection Riding will be open to dogs, there are a few areas where they will be restricted. These areas include the Native Animal Exhibit area, the Boardwalk and the Visitor Center. However, there are plans to provide a "dog parking" area so guests who would like to explore the Visitor Center can do so.

Tails on the Trails is sponsored by Nooga Paws, which has provided multiple waste stations outside the Visitor Center, along the driving loop and throughout the hiking trails. "Nooga Paws is very excited about sponsoring Reflection Riding Arboretum and the Nature Center's Tails on the Trails event in March. These are the opportunities Nooga Paws loves to be a part of within our community," said Nooga Paws owner Bob Poore.

"Thanks to Nooga Paws, we are able to make Reflection Riding Arboretum and Nature Center a dog-friendly property," said Stephenson. "We ask folks to keep our property beautiful and enjoyable to all by utilizing the waste stations (bags are provided) and keeping their pets on a leash during their visit."

There will be several events throughout the day, including prize drawings for paying visitors, and the Humane Educational Society and McKamey Animal Center will have pets on-site available for adoption.

"We love to partner with other organizations to help make Chattanooga more pet-friendly, especially if it means being active with our four-legged family members," said Poore. "Nothing beats the outdoors with your best furry friend!"

For more information about Reflection Riding Arboretum and Nature Center, visit its website at www.reflectionriding.org.


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