25 films get a “Close Encounter” with historic film registry

By David W. Shelton | December 27, 2007 |

The United States National Film Preservation Board announced today that 25 new films would be added to the historic film registry begun in 1989. To date, 475 films have been added to the list. The new additions include Stephen Spielberg’s classic Close Encounters of the Third Kind and the 1985 hit Back to the Future.

The US National Film Preservation Board was established by the National Film Preservation Act of 1988 by Congress. Each year, 25 new films are added to the National Film Registry of films for preservation in the Library of Congress.

Today’s additions also include the Steve McQueen classic Bullitt, which fully propelled the star to iconic status, and Kevin Costner’s historical opus, Dances with Wolves. Grand Hotel, 12 Angry Men, and Wuthering Heights are also among the additions. «Read the rest of this article»

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Another look at the “blight” debate: videotape of Property Rights Coalition Forum at the train station

By Christine Anne Piesyk | December 27, 2007 |

Last week Clarksville Online offered you, our readers, the complete content of the Dec. 14 HOPE-sponsored meeting to review the “blight” designation applied to downtown Clarksville via Ordinance 73-2005-06.

That first meeting was called in response to a City Council voted that placed two square miles, and 1800 homes and business under a “blighted property” designation to facilitate a Downtown Redevelopment Plan. It is the largest “blanket blighting” in the country and has raised the ire of virtually all the homeowners and many of the businesspeople who reside in or own property in that area. In addition to the start of a postcard and petition drive, the Coalition called for a repeal of the new ordinance, which many property owners say “blindsided” them, signs have also been popping up as a show of protest. The City Council is planning a forum to respond to citizen concerns but have not yet announced a date, time, place, or list of speakers.

Today we present a second tape, this one of the Dec. 17 Clarksville Property Rights Coalition meeting held at the historic L&N Train Station in the heart of what is quickly becoming referred to as “Blightsville” USA.

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=1928894363612156727

«Read the rest of this article»

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