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Mud Bowl 2008: It’s all about the MUD!

By Christine Anne Piesyk | October 4, 2008 |

The story and photo galleries are a combined effort by Turner McCullough Jr., Bill Larson and Christine Piesyk.

The Clean Dude. the Baby Bugs. The Bone Crushers. Pinky and the Brains. Peay Brains. Those were just a few of 70 teams competing in the non-traditional and decidedly non-varsity Mud Bowl 2008 at Austin Peay State University on October 2.

Gingerly stepping into the playing field...

Shortly after 4 p.m., as the warming sun sank softly behind the treeline, male, female and co-ed teams gathered at the intramural field for a whole new kind of volleyball: a game played in a foot deep pool of slick, non-spa-like mud, courtesy of the APSU staff and the local Fire Department. The balance of this hilarious, fun-filled afternoon was consumed by rotating volleyball teams playing in a contained mud bowl. The operative word here being M-U-D! MUD! ’nuff said! «Read the rest of this article»

Sections: Arts and Leisure, Education, Sports | No Comments

Empty Bowls: Hunger is a fact of life for many Clarksville residents

October 3, 2008 |

The statistics showing the extent of hunger in the United States are grim but, worse yet, the faces behind those statistics are often not visible to us. If we don’t feed our neighbors the cost to our community is great.

Did you know that:

• Every day in Clarksville more than 225 persons rely on local hunger relief agencies for a noon meal.
• More than 200 persons rely on local congregations for their Sunday Lunch!
• Hundreds of children in our schools rely on the F.U.E.L program for food on week-ends.
• Hundreds of families visit local churches for food donations every month.

Several local organizations have joined hands to raise awareness and funds to feed our neighbors. Empty Bowls 2009 is scheduled to be held on February 12, 2009 with all proceeds benefiting local food banks and feeding agencies.    Empty Bowls is a nationally recognized event to help eliminate hunger and raise public awareness of hunger problems in communities across the U.S. and around the world. «Read the rest of this article»

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Biden/Palin debate: Biden takes it, Palin “better than expected” but no home run

By Christine Anne Piesyk | October 3, 2008 |

Montgomery County Democratic Party

Montgomery County Republican Party

The Joe Biden/Sarah Palin debate is over and history. The verdict: Biden held his own, scored particularly well in areas of foreign policy, and, I believe, won the debate. Palin, after a spate of blundered interviews and disingenuous flubbed questions from “Katie” (Couric) and “Charlie” (Gibson), did better than expected but still managed at best a break even score, up from her previous level — which was sounding ridiculous.

Watching the man/woman voter scrolling scoreboard at the bottom of the TV screen, a tally of sorts based on Ohio voters, both candidates managed to find sharp and prolonged spikes of interest, catching the attention of listeners not by political affiliation but rather by the issues that were being discussed. What were those topics: the economy, the war in Iraq and Afghanistan, the economy, the economy and the economy. The Economy encompassed middle class tax relief, health care/insurance, jobs, gas prices, and the high cost of higher education. «Read the rest of this article»

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Clarksville Academy sponsors “spirit week”, “homecoming”

September 30, 2008 |

The Clarksville Academy Homecoming Bonfire will be held at the CA Sports Complex at 6:00 P.M. on Thursday. There will be one area for PK-5 and one area for 6-12.  There will be hayrides around the complex and the Float Boat competition for grades 7-12.

The Homecoming game vs. Community High School will take place at 7:30 P.M. on Friday, October 3.  The court will be presented at half-time and this year’s Homecoming Queen will be announced.

Homecoming dances for Intermediate and Upper School students will be held on Saturday.  The Intermediate School dance will be held in the foyer from 6:00 – 8:30 P.M. and is for students in grades 6-8 only.  Admission is $5.00 per person.  If you have questions, please contact Mrs. Burkhart.

The Upper School dance will be held from 9:00 P.M. until midnight in the Auxiliary Gym and is open for students in grades 9-12 only.  Admission is $10.00 per person.  Questions may be directed to Mrs. White. Attire for both dances is semi-formal.  No jeans allowed.  Gentlemen must wear collared shirts and khaki or dress slacks.

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S.O.A.R.E. explores the hidden destruction of mountaintop removal

September 30, 2008 |

On Thursday, October 2, at 7:30 p.m., the hidden destruction of the Appalachian Mountains will be revealed via the Mountaintop Removal Road Show. This program features a beautiful and thought-provoking multimedia show with traditional Appalachian music and culture.  The “roadshow” takes place at the APSU Sundquist Science Building Room E106B and is free and open to the public. It is presented by S.O.A.R.E., Students Organized to Advance Renewable Energy.

Mountaintop removal. Photo by Viv Stockman @ www.ohvec.org.

Lexington, Kentucky environmental activist Dave Cooper will explain what it is like to live near a mountaintop removal mine, and answer questions. «Read the rest of this article»

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Our quest for spiritual nourishment

By Rev. Charles Moreland | September 28, 2008 |

For spiritual nourishment, I attend public worship services, view given religious programs, and read uplifting literature.

A few words about uplifting literature: In my spiritual pilgrimage I am discovering my faith rekindled through reading newspapers, magazines, books (fiction and non-fiction), and The Upper Room, a daily devotional guide published by the United Methodist Church.

Today, through prayer and thought the conclusion of the Upper Room devotional energized and encouraged my faith in our Lord.

The prayer is as follows:

“All caring God, we rejoice in being your children. Help us to feel your comfort, your love, your joy, your peace, and above all, your presence.  Amen.”

The thought for the day, inspired by Psalm 139:1-12, is: “God’s presence is a glorious and comforting gift.” «Read the rest of this article»

Sections: Arts and Leisure, Education, Opinion, Spirituality | No Comments

Paddling your child? Corporal punishment in schools still legal in Tennessee

By Christine Anne Piesyk | September 25, 2008 |

A collection of Classroom Paddles (www.corpum.com)

Spare the rod, spoil the child? It’s an axiom many of us grew up with. It’s in the news again, though, sparking controversy over the application of corporal discipline to children by school teachers and administrators.

Nearly half of our states, including Tennessee, still allow and use corporal punishment in schools. Tennessee is among thirteen states reportedly using corporal punishment “frequently,” according to the Office for Civil Rights at the U.S. Department of Education. The group said Wednesday that some 200,000 children were subjected to this practice (spanking or paddling) in the 2007-08 school year.

Surprised? Many people were. Angry? Even more people were.

In the 125-page report, “A Violent Education: Corporal Punishment of Children in U.S. Public Schools,” the ACLU and Human Rights Watch found that in Texas and Mississippi children ranging in age from 3 to 19 years old are routinely physically punished for minor infractions such as chewing gum, talking back to a teacher, or violating the dress code, as well as for more serious transgressions such as fighting. Corporal punishment, legal in 21 states, typically takes the form of “paddling,” during which an administrator or teacher hits a child repeatedly on the buttocks with a long wooden board. The report shows that, as a result of paddling, many children are left injured, degraded, and disengaged from school. «Read the rest of this article»

Sections: Business, Education, Issues, News, Politics | 2 Comments

Local women to address women’s suffrage celebration

By Turner McCullough Jr. | September 24, 2008 |

Cindy Pitts, motivational speaker, leads list of esteemed speakers for Women Suffrage 88th Anniversary Commemoration

Clarksville Women for Obama will mark the 88th anniversary of the passage of the 19th Amendment, which gave American women the right to vote , with a commemoration program on Friday, September 26, at 7 PM at the Montgomery County Democratic Party headquarters, 534 Madison Street. The program features a roster of local women speakers.

Terry McMoore chats with Cindy Pitts at a recent meeting

Cindy Pitts, motivational speaker and wife of State Representative Joe Pitts, will headline the anniversary commemoration. Other esteemed speakers joining this event are LaVerne Walker, Equal Opportunity Activist and Elizabeth Adamski of H.O.P.E. (Hispanic Organization for Progress and Education).

The commemoration anniversary is open to the public. This event is the forerunner to the University of Mississippi Presidential Debate Watch Party. For more information, call 931-552-9076 or visit the website at: <www.ClarksvilleForObama.com> Refreshments will be served. Volunteer food and soft drink donations will be appreciated.

Sections: Education, Events, Issues, News, Politics | No Comments