Opinion

Everywhere I look in Hixson, there are empty storefronts and abandoned lots. These shells of former commercial and office spaces are sad reminders of failed endeavors.…

I have a confession to make that might surprise you—but it probably won’t. I’m not a sports guy. It’s not that I don’t understand the complicated rules and various hand signals involved in, for example, football and basketball. It is just that I don’t really care. Those sports don’t get me excited and really just make me feel isolated and alone. The one sport I CAN get behind—and I so, so do—is hockey. This is a game for those who enjoy the spirit of a game well-played but also enjoy a 60-minute contest that is easily as violent as a football game, as fast-paced as a basketball game and as psychologically interesting as the best baseball game could hope to be. The question is: Would you go to games?…

We are concerned with the proposed 190 acre Chattanooga Village development. Hixson has an excessive amount of unoccupied commercial property that should be responsibly developed before entire hilltops are leveled. The infrastructure of the highway does not have the capacity to handle a significant increase in traffic. There is also concern with the value of the residential property surrounding the development dropping dramatically.…

I am not a sniper. In fact, I hate handling guns or being around people who are handling them. There isn't a deeply harbored psychological reason for this feeling, I just haven't ever felt comfortable around firearms, and I doubt that will change . What I do enjoy doing is watching my younger, cooler little brother play his first-person shooter video games. My brother and I recently had a discussion about "real life," which included the following hypothetical "If you were going to attempt to snipe someone , what location in Chattanooga would you use as your post?" You're right about it being a morbid proposition to shoot anybody. Still, I think it might be fun to discuss, so don't blast me with uptight emails. Here are my five choices, with defenses.…

Kickstarter.com has been a godsend for many struggling artists, entrepreneurs and anybody who considers themselves or their business grassroots. I know Nooga.com’s own Mary Barnett used the site this past year to find monetary support for a documentary called "And the Iron Did Swim" about former ironworkers in Chattanooga. Using Kickstarter, the project was funded by 94 backers and raised $6,242, which Mary will use to purchase recording equipment and much-needed time away from work to work on her endeavor. I thought it might be a good idea to highlight some more local projects in need of a support. And believe it or not, just a $5 donation can go a long way to help these creative endeavors get off to a good start. By the time of this article’s release, I will have donated to each. Won’t you join me?…