05.01.2024

Today’s Forecast

84º | 9% chance of precipitation
Sunrise 6:49 a.m. | Sunset 8:26 p.m.

St. Elmo’s fire and where it began

Meet the Community Association of Historic St. Elmo

Learn about one of Chattanooga’s oldest neighborhoods. | Photo by NOOGAtoday

At the base of Lookout Mountain sits one of Chattanooga’s oldest suburbs with a rich history. So, sit back and get ready to meet your neighbors, because we’re diving into the Community Association of Historic St. Elmo (CAHSE).

Current President Nathan Bird (who some of you might recognize from Chattanooga Civics) said that the beginning of an association in St. Elmo began back in the 1970s. Let’s take a look at a quick timeline.

Late ‘70s
Originally known as the St. Elmo Improvement League, an interest in starting a neighborhood association was driven by folks who saw the disinvestment as the once vibrant area declined.

“Talking to people who lived here at the time, it was not the best place to be,” Bird said. “But people recognized the charm of the neighborhood, the historic value of the neighborhood.”

A white historic home in the St. Elmo neighborhood. — Fun fact: St. Elmo began as an independent municipality before being incorporated into the city in 1929.
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Photo by NOOGAtoday

In the ‘90s
Around this time, CAHSE was helping the effort of designating St. Elmo as a historic zoning district. Bird said that this was the beginning of the area becoming a premier neighborhood again.

“People really invested in these historic homes, bringing them back to life,” he said.

Bird also said CAHSE would invite people to tour the historic homes in the neighborhood — something they are hoping to bring back.

Early 2000-2010s
Major focus points for the association during these years included working with the city to preserve Hawkins Ridge from development + turning an abandoned lot into the neighborhood’s playground.

Bird said CAHSE raised the money to build the park which has since been renovated by BlueCross BlueShield in recent years + serves as a community hub.

In 2015, CAHSE also built the branding package and logos you see around the neighborhood to help build its identity + unity.

Folks walking in the Hello, St. Elmo! Corgi Parade — After neighbors spearheaded the Corgi Parade and Hello, St. Elmo, CAHSE adopted the responsibilities of the events.
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Photo provided by CAHSE

Present day
Bird (who moved to the neighborhood around three years ago) said that CAHSE was in the process of trying to revamp after the COVID-19 pandemic + that he immediately began helping.

Want to learn about how CAHSE is operating now + how to get involved?

See what's in the works

Events

Wednesday, May 1

Horticulture | Wednesday, May 1 | 5:30-7 p.m. | Tennessee Riverpark Pavilion, 4301 Amnicola Hwy., Chattanooga | Free | This interactive educational program is open to those 13+ with disabilities and will teach you gardening skills.
Junior Brown | Wednesday, May 1 | 7-11:55 p.m. | Barrelhouse Ballroom, 1501 Long St., Chattanooga | $30-$100 | Enjoy a seated performance from this country guitarist + singer known for his signature “guit-steel” double neck guitar.
Flora Luna | Wednesday, May 1-Sunday May 12 | Rock City Gardens, 1400 Patten Rd., Lookout Mountain, GA | $23-$33 | Enjoy an enchanted experience with artful installations, an original musical score, and elevated culinary offerings.

Thursday, May 2

Photography Walk & Talk | Thursday, May 2 | 6-7:30 p.m. | Renaissance Park Pavilion, 100 Manufacturers Rd., Chattanooga | $28.52 | Learn basic techniques while on a “photography hunt” of everyday objects found around Renaissance Park.

Friday, May 3

“Ain’t Misbehavin” | Friday, May 3-Saturday, May 4 | 7:30 p.m. | Chattanooga Theatre Centre, 400 River St., Chattanooga | $27-$32 | Step back in time with a local production of this Tony Award-winning musical that captures the spirit and tunes of the Harlem Renaissance.
Ain’t It Funky Now? | Friday, May 3 | 9-11:55 p.m. | Wanderlinger Brewing Co., 1208 King St., Chattanooga | Free+ | Sip on local brews while enjoying funky tunes played by local artists Adam Stone, Alex Keiss, Noah Prince, and Yattie Westfield.

Saturday, May 4

Soddy-Daisy Market Saturdays | Saturday, May 4 | 7-11 a.m. | Poe’s Tavern Park, 9817 Dayton Pk., Soddy-Daisy | Free+ | Come out to the opening weekend of this local market featuring local artisans, farmers, and crafters.
Free Comic Book Day | Saturday, May 4 | 9 a.m.-6 p.m. | Infinity Flux, 3643 Hixson Pk., Chattanooga | Free+ | Get double the free comics, including a signed copy of “Star Wars: Young Jedi Adventures” from the artist, Andy Duggan.
Warner Park Spring Carnival | Saturday, May 4 | 10 a.m.-3 p.m. | Warner Park, 301 N. Holtzclaw Ave., Chattanooga | Free+ | The whole family is invited to enjoy lawn games, bouncy castles, music + a screening of the live-action “The Little Mermaid.”

Events calendar here

Click here to have your event featured.

News Notes

Traffic

A new four-way stop has been implemented at the intersection of Davidson and Julian Roads. The change is effective immediately + comes from the result of a traffic study to enhance the overall safety within the area. Pro tip: Drivers should use caution while adapting to the new traffic pattern. (Chattanoogan.com)

Health

The Speech & Hearing Center recently announced it will merge with Signal Centers on Monday, July 1 to provide services for children + adults with speech and hearing challenges. Note: Current clients at The Speech & Hearing Center should not see any changes or interruptions in their services.

Cause

In honor of its 20th anniversary + the work that has been done to protect watersheds, WaterWays has established a new endowment fund. The WaterWays Sustainability Fund will be housed with the Community Foundation of Greater Chattanooga to sustain future endeavors.

Biz

Local equipment supply company Sherman + Reilly announced it has been acquired by Quanta Services, Inc. Quanta will invest to “optimize existing operation, expand future capacity, and product lines” at the company’s facility in Chattanooga.

Try This

In honor of Teacher Appreciation Week, educators can receive free admission to the National Medal of Honor Heritage Center on Saturday, May 4 + Sunday, May 5. Note: You must show your school ID or badge.

Outdoors

Interested in taking part in the Five Points 50/25 race on Saturday, June 22? Lula Lake Land Trust is hosting a course preview event on Thursday, May 23, allowing folks to ride a 5-7 mile section of the race course. Sign up for free.

Edu

What do May 6, May 28, and July 2 all have in common? That’s when ChattState’s summer classes begin. Bonus: The TN Promise scholarship now covers summer classes, too.*

Job

We want you. Yes, you: The curious-about-the-world person who is a creative thinker, passionate writer, big reader, hard worker, and organized desk-haver. If these traits describe you, see if you’d be a fit for our Junior Branded Copywriter role. We’re hiring now.

Ranked

No. 1 in the country and our hearts

Tennessee Aquarium ranks No. 1 in the country

An aerial shot of the Tennessee Aquarium with its pyramid rooftops and the Tennessee River landscape.

There’s plenty of fish in the river, but only one Tennessee Aquarium. | Photo by Doug Strickland via Tennessee Aquarium

Chattanooga’s very own Tennessee Aquarium was ranked No. 1 in the country by Newsweek Magazine’s readers. To celebrate, we’re here to tell you some of our favorite things about the aquarium.

The pyramid rooftops are a major part of the city’s skyline + a true identifier for the downtown area.
From reintroducing 250,000+ Lake Sturgeons to the Tennessee River to projects for five other species, there is a continued effort to restore freshwater ecosystems.
We love seeing all of the seasonal fun the aquarium gets up to — you don’t want to miss seeing the scuba divers carving pumpkins or dressed as Santa underwater.
And of course, seeing our fish friends. Editor Haley could personally stand in front of the jellyfish wall for hours.

Bonus: The Tennessee Aquarium is also in the running for USA Today’s Readers’ Choice for the “Best Aquarium” list.

Help the aquarium just keep swimming towards the top by casting a vote now through Monday, May 13.

Asked

Water your favorite things about the Tennessee Aquarium?

Fish it out

The Buy

A summer sip. Prepare for a summer by the pool or on the porch with these iced coffee and sparkling tea options.

The Wrap

Today’s edition by:
Haley

From the editor

In case you missed it, the Houston Museum of Decorative Arts is undergoing a major renovation project, and I got to take a sneak peek at the “pop-up museum” over at the Back Inn Cafe. Let’s just say they’ve uncovered some new treasures during the move that you don’t want to miss once they open to the public on Tuesday, May 7.

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