His family has lived on Signal Mountain for five generations and he bought his dry-cleaning business from his parents. To say that Rob Whitmire was born into this locally owned business is an understatement.

“That’s me playing baseball as a White Star baseball player,” said Rob. “My parents started the business in 1960. I got into the business because I grew up in it and saw the advantages it would offer for family life.” Sixty years later, he and his wife of 28 years, Lois, have nurtured their business into a nationally award-winning company.

The Award of Excellence is the premier recognition program for professional members of the Drycleaning and Laundry Institute. To achieve the award, White Star Dry Cleaners must prove it meets rigorous, objective standards in cleaning and service. Most importantly, the company must clean and return a specialized Cleaning Performance Evaluation to prove their cleaning quality is among the best. In addition, the company must successfully remove six common, but difficult, stains on a silk swatch and return it for evaluation.

Four times - that’s how many times White Star has entered and won. “The stain swatch is very difficult; they do tell you what the stains are and that helps. The contest has helped us become a better dry cleaner,” Rob said.

The Whitmires purchased White Star from Rob’s his parents, Joann and Ralph, in 2015. Rob is proud to tout the modifications and modernization White Star has undertaken. “We have gone to heat seal barcode production system to streamline production and auto bagging machine to speed up production. We have added 24-hour drop off at most locations, added 24-hour pickup at the Signal Mountain store, purchased new delivery vans and added free home and office pickup and delivery,” Rob said.

Rob and Lois raised their family on Signal, very close the Sequatchie County line. “We have three children, Hogan, Marie and Brooke. They all graduated from Signal Mountain High School, starting in 2011.The experience we have had at Signal Mountain High School was surreal. It was like living our old Red Bank High School days - I graduated in 1987. An incredible community-supported high school, success in academics, State Champion level sports programs,” Rob said.

Hogan graduated from Samford University and is now finishing up his third year of dental school. Marie also graduated from Samford and is working in marketing. Brooke, the youngest, is finishing up her third year at Samford and hopes to pursue a career in physical therapy or as a physician’s assistant.

Rob is grateful this business has afforded him and his family a wonderful quality of life. “It is a great family business, not requiring me to travel or sell a product, which I would not be good at, but instead provide a much-needed service where quality and service sells itself. I am much more of a worker and prefer the production side of things, while my wife Lois does an awesome job in the office and takes a lot of pressure off me there,” Rob said.

In these uncertain times, Rob and Lois have worked hard to keep the company running.

“COVID-19 has really changed our business. We have gone to drive-thru-only service at all locations and ask customers to take advantage of our 24-hour drop boxes. We are asking customers for credit card only transactions and not to sign receipts. We have segregated incoming orders completely from any area that has cleaned processed orders,” Rob said, adding that employees’ temperatures are checked before they are allowed to work and dirty garments are kept in quarantine until they can be processed by trained personnel in protective gear.
​
by Michelle Michaud ​

When the good news broke in mid-March, the effect on our collective mood was positively therapeutic - the beginning of a turn away from fear and toward resilience. We’d been gobsmacked by the reality of how unprepared our institutions were to handle the novel virus, COVID-19. Quarantine, the novel solution, was still being robustly resisted, and discouragement about the future was widespread. The biggest issue was determining how many people were positive for the disease; insufficient testing and delays in processing them were creating a bottleneck. Without this information, containing and treating the pandemic seemed insurmountable. Everyone felt helpless.

Throughout the country, most hospitals and local labs don’t have the equipment to carry out the testing, so all the specimens from our region were being shipped to a lab in North Carolina, necessitating packing, shipping, checking in, testing, then reversing the process to return. There was also a shortage of the necessary chemical reagents. The backlog was increasing daily.   

Scientists/teachers Dr. Elizabeth Forrester and Dr. Dawn Richards had been “following the story from its inception,” out of concern for their students at Baylor School, especially those who board, said Forrester. They and their colleague, Dr. Mary Loveless, teach advanced science courses, such as molecular method, biomedical research, and engineering design, at Baylor, and thanks to an endowment from the estate of Elizabeth Weeks, the school has an astoundingly well-equipped laboratory. (The credentials of these exceptional teachers are listed at the end of the article).

Forrester, recognizing they already had the equipment needed to test for the virus, called Richards, the chairperson of Baylor Research, and said simply, “We can do this.” Richards agreed. “We wanted to help,” Forrester said, and because they’re local, she knew it would really speed up the process. At the same time, their students were watching as they carried out practice testing. “Our students realize[d] we had the capabilities in the laboratory. They’re smart! We knew they’d figure it out,” said Richards.

Baylor had to become certified by CDC, sort out legal issues, and comply with federal and state regulations. Due to the crisis, some regulations had been relaxed or ceded to the states, which created more confusion. The school was equipped to process about 65 tests a day, but if they could obtain the resources to “scale up” (add more equipment) they could increase that number considerably. Countless conversations and piles of paperwork followed. There were “lots of obstacles, roadblocks, long days, and late nights to figure it out,” Richards recalled, and Forrester added, “When we hit one roadblock, we would just problem-solve around it.”  

They wanted to “have the largest impact on the entire community” if possible, said Richards, and Mary Catherine Robbins, director of Baylor’s Health Center, was instrumental in establishing a partnership with Hamilton County. That was their goal - they all wanted to do as much as they could to help. Forrester put it this way: “The question wasn’t, ‘How can we do this?’ It was, ‘How can we NOT do this.’” 

Baylor possesses very sophisticated equipment (a nucleic acid extractor, an RNA transcriber, a biological safety cabinet, laminar flow hoods) that is used to process test specimens. They carry out an assay - an analysis to determine if a specific substance is present. For COVID-19, the first step is to extract the RNA from the specimen. Using a specific protocol, reagents (chemical compounds) are used to transcribe the RNA into DNA, which allows detection of coronaviruses. Specimens are picked up by a medical courier from doctors’ offices and hospitals, then delivered to Baylor. “Processing is less than four hours,” said Forrester, so the results can be returned the same day.

To accomplish this, a zealous team supported the women.  “So many people around us have said ‘how can I help?’ and got right to work,” said Richards. One of them is Dr. Loveless, a PhD in biomedical engineering. “I am supporting Dawn and Elizabeth in their efforts by continuing manufacturing effort,” Loveless said. Because Baylor has a Form2 3D printer, she is “seeking approval to manufacture [an FDA-approved ND swab] to prevent a shortage in test kits.”  She is also discussing future projects with her students for model design for swab sample capture, material selection for personal protection equipment (PPE), and processes for medical devices.

Like all teachers, these three continue during this crisis to work with students via technology, so this work is in addition to their regular duties. They are all wives and mothers, as well. “Our families are really stepping up,” said Forrester. Richards’ daughters “have been doing the laundry for weeks. They know we are leaving the house each day because we’re trying to help.” Forrester lives on Lookout and has three sons who attend Baylor and St. Nicolas. Richards’ daughter also attends Baylor; her son is in third grade at Nolan Elementary on Signal. And Loveless has two children, ages 5 and 7.

Recently, Grace McKenney, a Baylor alum and current premed student at University of Pennsylvania, volunteered to serve as “director of operations, working with onsite Health Department volunteers to coordinate patient information and reporting,” said Richards, and Forrester added, “She has been a godsend.” As they waited for one last instrument, two other scientists, Dr. Clint Smith and Dr. Alyssa Summers, have also been there, helping them prepare to increase capacity for testing to 300-plus.

As the news spread of their efforts, people came forward to contribute in whatever way possible. “The whole community is supporting us, offering to bring lunch, make dinner for our families,” said Forrester. They’ve received scores of emails and even got a call from someone offering to donate his stimulus check.  “That almost brought us to tears,” she said.

Their initiative and willingness to serve was just what the doctor ordered: an injection of hope, that local testing would enable health professionals to deal with the virus more quickly, with a booster of pride, that our city has such capable and creative educators who will step up on our behalf. What role models they are, for their students and for all of us. Elizabeth Forrester summed it up perfectly: “We are all doing our part.”  So must we.

Dr. Dawn Richards has an M.S. in Oceanography: Biogeochemical cycling and a Ph.D. in Microbial Ecology. Her interests include microbial community composition in soil, water, and biological systems and antibiotic resistance in the environment.

Dr. Mary Loveless has a B.S. in Computer Science: Computer Engineering and M.S./Ph.D. degrees in Biomedical Engineering. Her interests include embedded systems, mathematical modeling, and imaging.

Dr. Elizabeth Forrester has a B.S. in Chemistry from the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga and a Ph.D. in Cancer Biology from Vanderbilt University. Her interests include mammary tumorigenesis and metastasis, molecular genetics and epigenetics. 
​
by Carol Lannon

Erlanger Health System is accepting donations from the community of homemade masks to supplement current personal protective equipment (PPE) needs.  
 
Currently, Erlanger has an adequate supply of PPE on hand to protect its staff and patients. However, the global supply for this equipment continues to be uncertain and the hospital is actively taking steps to secure more supplies.
 
“We are moved by the outpouring of support from our community,” said Liz Hedges, director of business development at Erlanger Health System. “Our community has rallied around the health system and our staff and we couldn’t be more touched by all your messages and desire to help. From the bottom of our hearts we truly appreciate all of you.”
 
Donations will be accepted Monday through Thursday from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m. at Kennedy Outpatient Center located at the corner of East Third Street and Palmetto Street. The donation cart will be placed in the valet area outside of the building with signs directing donors to the drop-off location.
 
Daily, the masks will be collected and laundered then given to our Emergency Preparedness Team for distribution. The masks will be distributed to all of our facilities throughout the region.
 
A recommended sewing pattern can be found below. Note versions with and without elastic are included. Also, it is required that the fabric is 100% cotton.
 
Resources for how to make a homemade mask:
Video from Deaconess Health
https://www.deaconess.com/How-to-make-a-Face-Mask

Joann Fabrics
https://www.joann.com/make-to-give-response/

​As you all are aware, Covid-19 has impacted each and every business on Signal Mountain, as well as our entire community.  While many of you have seen firsthand the impact, the Mountain Business Association has decided to assist in any way that we can, whether a small token or a large token. 

The MBA has launched a GoFundMe page to assist and aid in funding the Signal Mountain Businesses.  I have added a link below that will allow each of you to donate, if possible. Please understand that any donation, whether large or small, will go a long way to keep Signal Mountain businesses strong in the wake of all that has happened and all that we each are facing daily in light of Covid-19. 

​
https://www.gofundme.com/f/signal-stimulus-pakage?utm
 
The campaign will run through April 17.  What this will do is allow donations to be distributed directly to the business owners located in the Signal Mountain footprint.  We at the MBA believe in your business, and in you, and want to do anything that we can to help minimize any revenue losses at this time. 
 
We have added an application for those businesses that may need the assistance on the Mountain Business Association Facebook page. All funds collected will be distributed evenly between the applicants. 
 
Again, I want to emphasize that the MBA is strong and so is the business community here on Signal Mountain. We love you, the business owners, and we are here to help in any way that we can.  #SignalStrong.

If possible, please share this link with all of your friends and family.  Together we can all achieve more!

Gretchen Richards
President
Mountain Business Association

The Library’s building campaign, Expanding Our Story, is in full swing. Our goal is becoming more attainable, but we need your help. If you haven’t contributed yet, please do so soon. And come by and see the bookstack thermometer that shows our progress!

Also, check out the home page of our website (signalmountainlibrary.com) for a virtual tour of the proposed addition. There you can see just how perfectly the new space fits into our present one.

Part of our 50th anniversary celebration, this expansion will serve all of our patrons and provide roomy places for community gatherings, children’s programs, book club meetings, picnics and much more. Please join us in this exciting project and help us open a new chapter for the Signal Mountain Library.

Brief Reviews of Some of Our New Nonfiction

“Race Against Time: A Reporter Reopens the Unsolved Murder Cases of the Civil Rights Era” by Jerry Mitchell is a fascinating look at four cases from the early days of the civil rights movement and how the perpetrators were finally brought to justice. One case is particularly interesting because the victim, Medgar Evers, was killed in June of 1963 in Jackson, Miss., by Byron De La Beckwith, who later became a resident of Signal Mountain.

Beckwith had moved here after being acquitted in his first trial for Evers’ murder and after his second trial ended in a hung jury. Author Mitchell unearthed clues that lead him to suspect that Beckwith was truly guilty. He came to the mountain to interview Beckwith, a KKK member, and his investigation prompted more scrutiny that was eventually instrumental in Beckwith being tried again and, this time, found guilty of Evers’ murder.

This case and the others included in the book are compellingly related by Mitchell, who was an investigative reporter for Jackson’s Clarion-Ledger for more than 30 years. He has won many awards, including a MacArthur “Genius Grant,” and was a finalist for a Pulitzer. In 2019 he founded the Mississippi Center for Investigative Reporting. “Race Against Time” received starred reviews from Kirkus, Publishers Weekly and Booklist.

“You Never Forget Your First: A Biography of George Washington” by Alexis Coe delves into the private life of our first president, relying on extensive research to present him in an engaging and clever light. “Every now and then a fresh, new biography by a gifted storyteller on a familiar figure captures our imagination,” said historian Doris Kearns Goodwin about the book. Coe hosts the popular podcasts “Presidents Are People, Too” and “No Man’s Land” and is the author of “Alice + Freda Forever: A Murder in Memphis,” currently being made into a movie.

“Elderhood: Redefining Aging, Transforming Medicine, Reimagining Life” by Louise Aronson, a geriatrician and professor of medicine at UCSF, looks at old age and sees a time of both frustration and a time of joy. She calls for empathy for those who are aging, a condition that everyone hopes to experience someday, and suggests ways in which society can readjust to help make our last years more comfortable and enriching. She urges medical professionals to refrain from treating old age as a disease and see elders as meaningful contributors, worthy of compassion and hope.

“Author in Chief: The Untold Story of Our Presidents and the Books They Wrote” by journalist and historian Craig Fehrman looks at our presidents through the pages of the books they wrote about themselves and their times. Providing access to lesser-known stories of these leaders, the book is full of anecdotes and insights that will absorb and enlighten. Said Chattanooga native Jon Meacham of the book, “[It] should have been written and should surely be read. By looking at presidents through the prism of their published writings, Fehrman throws new light on what John F. Kennedy - himself an author-president - called ‘the vital center of action.’” It has garnered starred reviews in Publishers Weekly and Booklist.

“Counterpoint: A Memoir of Bach and Mourning” by Pulitzer Prize-winning critic Philip Kennicott relates how listening to Bach helped the author deal with the death of his mother. Kennicott found Bach’s music to be the perfect catalyst for him because it encompassed both despair and joy. He describes how he spent five years learning to play Bach’s “Goldberg Variations” and how this mastery helped him deal with his loss. But it is his explanations of the music that are so enthralling and memorable. Three starred reviews - BookPage, Booklist and Kirkus - concur. It will appeal to every music lover, especially those who have tackled Bach.

“Falcon Thief: A True Tale of Adventure, Treachery, and the Hunt for the Perfect Bird” by Joshua Hammer is a truth-is-stranger-than-fiction tale that follows British agent Andy McWilliam who is on the trail of Jeffrey Lendrum, a smuggler who makes his money capturing and then selling the eggs of wild peregrine falcons. Prized for their speed, the birds are worth millions of dollars to the men who race them, and this story takes readers around the globe on McWilliams’ quest to thwart the bad guys. Reminiscent of Susan Orlean’s book “The Orchid Thief,” it is a thrilling story that you could never imagine.

“The Man in the Red Coat” by Booker Prize winner Julian Barnes is an elegant look at Belle Epoque Paris in the summer of 1885. The title refers to Samuel Pozzi, a surgeon who was famously painted by artist John Singer Sargent and who rubbed elbows with such literati as Henry James, Sarah Bernhardt, Oscar Wilde, and Proust. According to an NPR review, the book shows “some interesting parallels with our own times.”
​
“Splendid and Vile: A Saga of the Churchill Family, and Defiance During the Blitz” by Erik Larson, also author of “The Devil in the White City,” was named one of the most anticipated books of 2020 by numerous news outlets. The book covers the year from May 1940 until May 1941 when Churchill, as Britain’s Prime Minister, led his nation during the Blitz, Hitler’s bombing campaign that killed 45,000. Larson relied on diaries and historical documents, as well as intelligence reports, to describe the day-to-day lives of Churchill and his family during this dangerous year. Readers will be captivated by the author’s skill at creating a fast-moving and gripping work, even though we know the outcome. A review on Lit Hub says it all: “… it makes one long powerfully for real leadership.”