Earlier this year, Luther Masingill's hat was ceremoniously hung on the wall in the back room at Wally's Restaurant in East Ridge. David Carroll spearheaded the effort, and Alan Pressley made the shadow box for the hat.
Barry CourterThe two have done it again, this time honoring Bob Elmore, one of Chattanooga's earliest and more tireless promoters of the things we like about our city. In some ways, we act like we've only recently discovered the mountains, rivers and lakes and the great many things we can do outdoors in our area, but Elmore was pitching it back in the '70s and '80s.
Folks who've been around for a while will remember Elmore and his "Backyard Safari" show and the pith hat he always wore on the show. Pressley made a box for the hat, and Gary Meadows at Wally's Restaurant on McCallie Avenue readily agreed to find a place of honor to display it. A framed photo of Elmore on the set of the show accompanies the hat in the shadow box.
Elmore served as director of the Convention & Visitors Bureau for many years, and he used the show to promote the city at every turn. "Backyard Safari" aired on Sunday afternoons, and on it Elmore encouraged people to get out and explore their own city and surroundings. His guests often included outdoorsmen, elected officials and anyone else who had a story to tell about "our backyard."
* Gene Lovin's friends and co-workers at Cumulus Broadcasting have set up a GoFundMe campaign to help him cover his medical bills after he suffered a massive heart attack almost three weeks ago.
Lovin has worked in radio and provided music as a party DJ in this area for years. He is recovering from open heart surgery, which means the bills are piling up. If you want to help, go to www.gofundme.com/k8tkxfy4.
* Caroline Mescon, daughter of Jed and Phyllis Mescon, continues to find work in Hollywood. Her latest gig is as production secretary on a new NBC show called "Heartbeat," which premiered Wednesday night.
Before that, she was assistant production coordinator on "Girlfriends' Guide to Divorce, and production assistant for an episode of "Telenova" and key set production assistant on "Oh, You Pretty Things!"
"Heartbeat" is based on the real life of Dr. Kathy Magliato, one of the few female heart transplant surgeons.
Contact Barry Courter at bcourter@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6354.