Ellington

It can be fun to shop with local merchants and sad when we don’t! In this issue you’ll fi nd a list of very good reasons to patronize neighborhood businesses, starting with our local economy. A dollar spent at one of our independent stores ripples through the community, helping everyone. You may not realize Chatter is owned and operated by the Chattanooga Publishing Company which takes a great deal of pride in supporting Chattanooga’s economy. Our president constantly reminds us to patronize local businesses when it won’tcompromise our products or customers, or place us at a competitive disadvantage. And we’re proud of the fact our company’s payroll alone exceeds $17 million while 1,500 employee or contractor families in Chattanooga enjoy the direct benefits.

Besides its unique shops and boutiques, you can discover an array of other treasures in Chattanooga as well. Our special 12-page section inside highlights one of them: the Chattanooga Zoo. In our companion cover story, the Friends of the Zoo organization is saluted on its Silver Anniversary for transforming the Animal Ghetto of yesteryear into the intimate attraction it has become today—a special place referred to as “the best little zoo in the nation.” Visiting the Chattanooga Zoo today is a delightful adventure, and watching children experience its many diverse “residents,” up close and personal, is enormously entertaining.

You’ll also find inside a delightful report from writer Drew Streip about his very first hula hoop workout. Hooping is for everyone else, he jokes. We caught up with Mayor Ron Littlefield who, despite his many impressive contributions to our city, prefers to chat about hot rods. And since the most rudimentary form of local shopping will occur this month along a few of Chattanooga’s primary roadways, we have also included useful tips that could help you score that incredible bargain at The World’s Longest Yard Sale.

Thank you for spending time with us! We appreciate your calls, emails and subscriptions, and hope you enjoy this issue, too!