Body of War, an award-winning film which opened May 9, is the story of Tomas Young, 25 years old, paralyzed from a bullet to his spine, wounded after serving in Iraq for less than a week. This coming home war story is about the evolution of one man who life was changed with a single bullet to the spine; he must re-invent himself in light of a permanent disability and as a powerful voice against the War [in Iraq]. The film, produced and directed by Phil Donahue and Ellen Spiro, features original music by Eddie Vedder; it is a naked, honest portrayal of what it’s like inside the body, heart, and soul of this extraordinary and heroic young man. Showtimes, Trailer and Tickets at Belcourt.Org.

From soldier to anti-war activist, Body of War takes an unflinching view of the physical and emotional aftermath of war through the eyes of an American soldier. As Tomas’s journey unfolds, the film cuts back and forth to Congressional proceedings in Washington DC. Footage includes passionate speeches by Senator Robert Byrd as well as a running tally of how each US Congress member voted regarding the decision to go to war in Iraq.

The National Board of review named Body of War Best Documentary of 2007.

Boarding Gate also opened Friday. This erotic noir-thriller by French filmmaker oOivier Assayas, tells the story of a sexy ex-prostitute Sandra, who is forced to flee London after a steamy S&M encounter with a debt ridden ex-lover (Michael Madsen) ends in violence. Fleeing to Hong Kong in search of a fresh start, she becomes involved with an attractive young couple, Lester (Carl Ng) and Sue (Kelly Lin), who promise to help her obtain papers and money. But nothing turns out as expected for Sandra, and she finds herself trapped in a sordid game of manipulation.

The Belcourt also offers weekend classics and midnight movies. This week’s feature is Star Trek : The Wrath of Khan (to be screened May 11 at noon). This throwback sci-fi flick assembles a stellar cast of good and evil characters.: the venerable Captain Kirk, his trusty logical sidekick Spock, and a well-armed villain [Khan] bent on revenge named Khan. At the midnight screenings: Look-a-Like Contest (dress as your favorite Star Trek character or Khan himself) / KHAN-test (see if you have the best Shatner scream in this contest) / Mutara Nebula drink special (this multi-colored drink is gonna make your shields collapse–prepare to get boarded).

Coming soon to the Belcourt: Planet B-Boy, with compelling characters and vibrant dance sequences, Planet B-Boy is set in the International world of B-boying - the urban dance more commonly known as “breakdancing.” Weaving between the vivid backdrops of Osaka, Paris, Seoul and Las Vegas, unforgettable images frame the intimate stories of dancers who struggle for their dreams despite being misunderstood by larger society and even their own families. An American dancer in Vegas looks for his big break; a Korean son seeks his father’s approval; a twelve-year-old boy in France confronts his family’s racism - all the b-boys’ lives collide in Germany where their skills are put to the ultimate test: the “Battle of the Year” finals, with crews from 18 nations vying for the title of World Champion. PLANET B-BOY features electrifying dance performances and astonishing displays of power and grace, showing how a street dance from New York has evolved into an inspiring art form for a new generation around the world. This film will show May 16-18 only.

Coming soon to the Belcourt: Son of Rambow. This is a nostalgic trip back to the 1980s, an inventive valentine to an era where, for the first time in history, young minds had access to technology that allowed them to create their own stories while paying homage to their larger-than-life heroes from the movies that inspired them. Will, who isn’t allowed to watch TV or go to the movies, expresses himself through his drawings and illustrations until he finds himself caught up in the extraordinary world of Lee Carter, the school terror and crafter of bizarre home movies. Carter exposes Will to a pirated copy of the first Rambo film, First Blood, which blows his mind wide open.

Showtimes change daily and performance schedule subject to change without notice, stay up to date at Belcourt.Org.

Brother Andrew was identified as “God’s Smuggler” in the 70s, and his objective was the distribution of the Bible to communist countries, an unpopular move with officials in these sanctuaries of atheism.

Brother Andrew dropped out of the media limelight for years, but his efforts today are receiving renewed attention. He is a Dutch-born evangelist with a spirit-directed mission now concentrated on the Muslims of the Middle East and the broader Islamics of the world. Islam is now his mission.

Brother Andrew enjoys unique relationships with the Muslim leaders of Hamas, the Taliban and the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO). In summarizing his political correctiveness, one writer said “In the course of his work Brother Andrew befriended the founder of Hamas. This relationship subjected him to criticism and ridicule by political and church leaders of the world. he is unconditionally open to dialogue with Muslim leaders.”

Brother Andrew shares the faith and conscientiously strives to view Muslims simply as people. he is the organizer and supporter of a hospital, recruits doctors and nurses, and solicits medical equipment for a medical center at the heart of the Muslim world.

The response to his socially oriented ministry is mixed and critical. In evaluating his work and reading accounts of his contributions, he says “some Israeli friends hate me now.”

Is this prophet pro-Israel or Pro-Arab? Brother Andrew view that choice as a trap. He again gives us insight into how we can personally respond to what seems an unsolvable conflict between cultures. I appreciate his balancing act, which deserves emulating. Brother Andrew said “…just because I am for the Palestinians doesn’t mean I am against Israel — it is not about taking sides.”

In the American appreciation of Christianity and politics, there is a seemingly eternal need to have an enemy. With the interjection of the communist empire, America has held firs place on the enemies list to Islam. Brother Andrew is aware that many Christians and non-Christians in the West see Islam as “the great enemy.”

“This demonization of Muslims and Islams is particularly common among evangelized Christians.” writes Dr. Chapman. Brother Andrew’s strong faith and enthusiasm for the gospel continues to open doors to Islam. But why is he so accepted by members of that faith?

I believe the answer is in part because he respects their life and theology; he honors Jesus with his life and work; he is compassionate and non-threatening; he is admired for his honesty; he willingly criticizes the injustice in both Western and Islamic culture and politics.

Welcome back, brother Andrew. You are a role model in your quest to change the world. ‘ While meditating on this narrative, it is my goal to inspire at least a few readers to review, reexamine, and even reform their personal views and attitudes toward people of other faiths.

Brother Andrew’s commitment to dialogue and respect with Islam is in keeping with the latest thinking of a chorus of Israeli officials, academies and dissenting faiths in Arab-Israeli conflict.

Brother Andre’s tireless efforts inspire unconditional negotiations. Such dedication to this change is an option too for our own country and our personal convictions. Brother Andrew’s example is a challenge, but with spiritual strength we can alter our negative and prejudicial thinking toward people of the Islamic faith.

Brother Andrew’s strong faith and enthusiasm for the gospel

With the Summer Blockbuster season of 2008 in full swing, Speed Racer spins the wheels of the typical action film in every bad way possible. I actually lost count at the number of times I actually rolled my eyes — I think they were moving faster than the iconic Mach Five at some points.

Speed Racer stars Emile Hirsch in the title role (that was rumored to have been offered to Charlie Sheen at one point). I really don’t know how Hirsch managed to pull it off, but his Speed was actually more two-dimensional than the original cartoon. A true accomplishment. John Goodman, no stranger to cartoons-turned-into-bad-movies, fills the very large shirt of Pops Racer, and probably has the best and most sentimental lines of the film. Trust me, that’s not saying much.

Susan Sarandon and Christina Ricci are Mom and Trixie respectively, and I really can’t help but to think that they actually had to shut off their brains to say some of the lines in the film. Surely, someone said to the Wachowskis what Harrison Ford said to George Lucas at one point during the filming of another, far-more-successful summer film: “You can write this s…, George, but you can’t say it.”

Speaking of excrement, it manages to work its way into the script, literally in the form of “chim-chim cookies,” which probably goes over the head of its target audience. We saw it with “A Night at the Museum,” and for some reason, it’s supposed to be funny. Maybe we need to contact Andy and Larry Wachowski and politely say, “You can throw this s…, guys, but you can’t write it.”

Seriously, The Wachowski Brothers are better than this. They really are. Unfortunately, this film reveals many of the same faults that were seen throughout the two Matrix sequels. Some films are built around great stories. Other films are built around great scenes. Sadly, films like Speed Racer are built around great concepts, and nothing more. No, wait. It’s not concepts. It was built around a visual idea.

Alas, it’s this visual theme that will appeal to boys under 12 and anyone whose exposure to anime is limited to the Speed Racer cartoon, which was an English adaptation of Mach GoGoGo. Even with Space Cruiser Yamato (later Americanized into Star Blazers) had more depth than Speed Racer ever did. Of course, Gatchaman is what really turned anime onto its heels during those days. (Do yourself a favor and bypass the Battle of the Planets DVDs and go straight for the original Japanese subtitled Gatchaman.) Speed Racer was the first anime to gain popularity in the United States, and literally broke ground for the series to follow.

A few years ago, Speed Racer was played on MTV and created a whole new legion of fans - or did it? This isn’t exactly a rabid following. A true test of a cartoon—er, excuse me—anime’s longevity is how well the stories hold up when we return to watch them as adults. As much as I regret saying it, Speed Racer didn’t hold up to that very simple test. It was built around the ludicrous, but that’s part of what made it work.

Sadly, the film version of Speed Racer is so over-the-top with its myriad of flybys, twists, turns, flashes, and color streaks, that the viewer is so overwhelmed with visual candy that it begins to feel like a sugar rush. Also like a sugar rush, it eventually makes the stomach churn. Throw in a few monkey-throwing-feces jokes and boy-flipping-off-the-bad-guy jokes, and we have the the true target audience of this film: Everyone under ten.

Much press had been made how the Wachowskis wanted to make a family film that everyone could enjoy. Well, I’m still waiting to see it. Speed Racer has none of the depth, grit, passion, or wonder that we saw in The Matrix. It tries to be subversive like V for Vendetta, but in the end, the only subversion is against anything and everything that makes for a good film.

In a May 8 letter written on behalf of the CPRC, Becky McMahan first thanked “those members of the City Council who have given us the courtesy of meeting with us to discuss the Redevelopment Plan,” then presented a number of points for the council to consider the all but pre-ordained vote.

McMahan’s points were and continue to be the following:

• There is wide-spread opposition to this Plan throughout the greater Clarksville/Montgomery County community. The CPRC has collected signatures from over 350 property owners representing over 400 parcels in the Plan area in opposition to enactment of the Plan. There is little support for the Plan outside of the development community, who hope to financially benefit from enactment of the Plan.
• No other redevelopment plan in the country includes the entire central business district of a city. The Clarksville Plan does. And most cities do not include residential neighborhoods in their redevelopment plans. For example, in Nashville only one redevelopment plan includes any residentially zoned properties and the plan’s provisions specifically do not apply to those residential properties.
• This Plan authorizes $41.5 million in tax increment financing, or tax breaks for developers.This significant point has not been openly discussed by this Council or presented clearly to the community. With the city facing a tight budget this year, the long-term impact of these tax breaks need to be discussed more thoroughly with the community for an understanding of their full impact.
• Because the City of Clarksville’s current historic zoning ordinance is ineffective containing little, if any, protections for our historic properties and neighborhoods, this Redevelopment Plan places historic properties in the Plan area at greater risk. Clarksville’s has lost so much of its historical fabric as a result of the 1999 tornado, preservation efforts should be strengthened, not weakened.
• This Plan is subject to legal challenge on a number of points and in all likelihood will ultimately involve the City in expensive litigation. The process by which this Plan has been approved has serious due process flaws. A public hearing where the public is not allowed to speak does not meet the legal requirements of a public hearing.
• This Plan potentially violates the Voters Rights Act and the civil rights of the minority residents of Clarksville. The Plan boundaries encompass the only majority minority Council district. The Plan puts the integrity of this district at risk. This is another point of possible litigation for the City of Clarksville.
• This issue has long-term political consequences for the City of Clarksville. Despite what some may hope, this issue is not going to quietly fade away. The majority of the public does not believe that government should have the power to condemn private property and then sell that property to another party for private development.

McMahan continued:

“This issue will be played out in the city elections this November and in 2010. The public is well aware of how the residents and the property owners in the Plan area have been treated by this Administration. The CPRC is not opposed to development. We believe there are areas of Clarksville where a redevelopment plan would be appropriate. But we do not believe the current Plan before you is appropriate.

“The rights and concerns of the affected residents and property owners are being ignored. This Administration has treated the individuals who have raised concerns and objections to this Plan with disdain and contempt. The disrespect shown to these citizens and taxpayers is inexcusable conduct for an elected official.

“This issue is still too divisive for our community. More time, more effort needs to be invested to find greater consensus before a Plan of this impact and consequence for so many residents and property owners is approved.

“I urge you to put the interests of the citizens of our community ahead of those few who are promoting this Plan. This ordinance is flawed. It is not the tool needed to improve our community. We can develop a better alternative, if the community is allowed to participate in a meaningful manner.

McMahan concluded by urging councilors to not support the ordinance in its final reading.

Rejection of resident participation on redevelopment review board slams public demand for representation.

The Clarksville City Council returned to its Council Chambers, delivering two thunderous slaps to the public’s collective face in a single meeting.

Before delivering the back-to-back punches, and with the smell of fresh paint still lingering in the air, city departments, staff and council members were praised for their response to the recent tornado touchdowns in our community. Mayor Pro Temp Barbara Johnson gave city certificates to Council Members Deanna McLaughlin, Geno Grubs and Bill Summers for their personal efforts in aiding with the clean-up.

City Hall security package felt to be urgent! Security concerns came unannounced to Council agenda

Moving to the meeting’s agenda. the council approved a budget amendment of $620,000 for city hall security upgrades. The upgrades would institute rigid controlled access to city hall, cameras in elevators, restricted access to stairways (for exit only) for the public and limited access to city departments. The printed agenda only listed an additional $96,000 for unanticipated maintenance to Public Square properties. The mayor insisted that this action should not be put off until the new fiscal year budget cycle, even though admittedly it will be at least 14 to 16 weeks before actual implementation could begin.

Mayor declares, “No property or development interest in redevelopment area!”

Mayor Piper made a strenuous declaration that he has no property in the redevelopment area. He acknowledged owning a business office property in the area, which is up for sale. He stated he owned no development property in the area, had no stake or interest in any developments in the redevelopment area, in any way, and that stories to contrary were false.

Appointed Review Board to replace residents election of representatives

The Council also approved on second reading the much debated redevelopment ordinance. Discussion was again heated, intense and filled in petty vitriol by some. Bill Summers, Ward 10, offered amendments to clarify resident membership and business owner participation on the review board. Bill Forrester, Ward 11, offered an amendment to eliminate resident participation by election on the review board altogether. Deanna McLaughlin, Ward 2, noted that resident elected participation was included at the behest of “adamant public demand.” Ward 5 Diane Ward questioned the resident election component of the ordinance. The Co-City Attorney clarified that the resident elected participation format was untested in any court review while an appointed board format had been tested and passed court review.

A motion to postpone the vote on the matter was rejected . Only Ward 6 representative Marc Harris and Ward 12 representative Wayne Harrison voted ‘NO’ on the ordinance passage. Jim Doyle and Richard Swift were absent.

Clarksville NAACP President Jimmie Garland, who earlier this week announced he asked requested a review of the new development ordinance by HUD and the Justice Department, said:

“The properties of the affected areas are now in dire jeopardy. Conditions created last evening by eight council members who believe their obligation to the elitist is more of a priority than that of looking out for the residents of wards that do not affect them. We should thank Councilmen, Harris, Harrison, and Doyle in his absence for their compassion for the citizens of Clarksville versus loyalty to the status quo. I wish each of them much success in their future endeavors. By no means…. is this over. Keep the faith!!!”

[Show as slideshow]

The event is part of a series of activities celebrating National Police Week., a designation that began in 1962 when President John F. Kennedy signed a Presidential Proclamation that set aside May 15th as National Peace Officers’ Memorial Day and the week of May 15th as National Police Week. This year, National Police Week will run from Sunday, May 11th through Saturday, May 17th.

The Clarksville Police Department has organized several events beginning with the Top Gun Competition. Everyone present on the range for that event will be required to wear ear and eye protection during the competition and with safety in mind, no small children will be allowed on the range while the competition is taking place.

After completion of the range competition, (around 2:00 pm), police will re-assemble at Billy Dunlop Park for the presentation of the Top Gun Award and the Officer Yamil Baez-Santiago Rookie of the Year Award and family day activities.

A Memorial Service will be held on Tuesday, May 15th at 12 noon at Police Headquarters, 135 Commerce Street.

The Clarksville Police Union will also be be hosting the Officer Jason Herman Memorial Softball Tournament on Saturday, May 17th, 2008, beginning at 0800 hrs, at the Swan Lake Softball Complex on Saunders Road.

COPS, (Concerns of Police Survivors, Inc), provides resources to assist in the rebuilding of the lives of surviving families of law enforcement officers killed in the line of duty. Ms. Trina Scott, wife of Officer David Scott, is the President of the Middle and East Tennessee COPS Chapter.

COPS asked that you “FLY THE BLUE” during National Police Week. The organization has distributed over 1,000,000 blue ribbons this year to be flown from police cars and personal vehicles. The ribbons are flown in remembrance of those who have made the supreme sacrifice and to say thank you to those who still serve and protect us.

During National Police Week officers show support by wearing Mourning Bands on our badges. These bands are worn for the entirety of Police Week.

May is Renaissance Fest time in Tennessee! The annual Renaissance Festival in Triune runs every weekend in May. Mother’s Day weekend has a special souvenir for the first 500 mothers who attend. Military personnel receive a discounted admission.

Minstrels and characters in costumes, a royal court of lords and ladies, merry maidens and the ever watchful Sheriff and his men looking for that “Axel the Sot” enliven Covington Glen, as Triune is known during the festival’s run. There’s the Procession of the Royal Court with the King, Queen and attendants promenading through the village - always a colorful happening.

The Merchants’ Lane is where village commerce takes place. Clothing for youngsters and adults, steins and goblets, jewelry, oils, gemstones, soaps, family coats of arm, Celtic kilts, footwear and and other merchandise are available. The fair also offers a bounty of succulent foods including the Knight’s Club (Roasted Turkey Leg), Soup Bread Bowls, Italian Canoli, Friar’s Bread (funnel cakes), roasted pecans, walnuts and almonds — all awaiting your sampling!

Storytellers and minstrel performers populate the banquet halls and taverns with all manner of entertain and trickery to delight all ages. Sprites, faeries and wood nymphs with gossamer wings and other mystical creatures have been spotted in times past. There’s even an ogre’s den said to be somewhere on the grounds.

Man-powered festival rides, camel and elephant rides and birds of prey displays are also items of entertainment and enlightenment to be found in the shaded realm of Covington Glen. Daily tours of Castle Gwynn, a real 15th century castle are included in the cost of admission. There’s are medieval swords and suits of armor displays on the first floor.

The Living Chess Game is always a lively encounter. This year’s jousting will be especially exciting as there will be an International Joust Tournament May 25-26. Pageantry aplenty for all to see!!

RenFest is slightly more than an hour’s drive from Clarksville, going past Nashville and Cool Springs Galleria to Franklin, TN. For more information, go to <www.tnrenfest.com> or Phone (615) 395-9950

(Photos by Chip Curley at <www.pbase.com/deadelvis/renfest>

Jimmy Garland Sr., president of the Clarksville Chapter of the NAACP, has contacted the Justice Department in Washington, D.C., and the HUD (Housing and Urban Development) office in Nashville, charging that the controversial Clarksville Downtown Redevelopment and Urban Renewal Plan does not adhere to Tennessee Codes and will have a detrimental effect on “mostly the poor, elderly and minorities residents of this inner city community.” The plan has been highly touted by city officials, Mayor Johnny Piper, and the Downtown Business Partnership (DDP).

Garland further charges that the plan is a possible “civil rights infraction” by the Clarksville City Council. The Council is scheduled to hold a second reading and a final vote on the ordinance Thursday evening during a special session scheduled for 7:30 p.m. in City Council Chambers at 108 Public Square.

“No real plan has been introduced that will define the actual areas to be redeveloped and which properties are actually blighted within the targeted area,” Garland said.

Clarksville NAACP President Jimmie Garland Sr. [center] stands with irate property owners outside a “public” hearing on the “blight” bill.

In an April 24 letter to HUD Field Office Director William H. Dirl, Garland wrote:

“The plan is supposed to be based upon section 13-20-203 of the Tennessee Code Annotated (TCA), but the template outlined in the TCA documents is not being followed. The Mayor of Clarksville and the city council have cherry picked through the code, and are on schedule to implement a blatant racist policy that has a detrimental affect on “mostly the poor, elderly and minorities residents of this inner city community.’ The language in the TCA clearly states, “A plan must be in place prior to any redevelopment plan being adopted”.

According to Garland, the city’s legislative branch of government has adopted an ordinance and a map of our inner city, “with no clear plan.” He cites Section 13-20-203 (1) (A) (i), (ii), (iii) of TCA, which clearly states the redevelopment plan must:

(i) Indicate its relationship to definite local objectives as to appropriate land uses and improved traffic, public transportation, public utilities, recreational and community facilities and other public improvements;

(ii) Indicate proposed land uses and building requirements in the area; and

(iii) Indicate the method of the temporary relocation of persons living in such areas, and also the method of providing (unless already available) decent, safe and sanitary dwellings substantially equal in number to the number of substandard dwellings to be cleared from the area, at rents within the financial reach of the income groups displaced from such substandard dwellings.

Last Saturday, the Clarksville Property Rights Coalition ran a 1/2 page advertisement in the Leaf Chronicle re-iterating their opposition to this plan, which would impact 1800 homes and small businesses across the two-square mile area which has been dubbed “Blightsville” based on the potential for blight designations and property takings under an “assemblage” clause in the ordinance.

The ad was initially rejected by the Chronicle, which charged that it contained errors in fact. After legal wrangling and persistence by the CPRC, the ad, which was supposed to run in the news section, appeared buried in the last few pages of the Saturday paper in much the same way city officials apparently want to bury opposition to this ordinance.

Joyce Vanderbilt, owner of Kelly’s on Riverside Drive, with the CPRC ad

John Summers, counsel for the CPRC, wrote the following to the Chronicle:

“I specifically asked for placement in a news section, preferably the front section. You stated it would be on page 4. I conveyed that information to my client. There was not reason for me to have convey that information to my client … I was given that information. And I understand that placement is in the discretion of the newspaper. I have never had a newspaper interject itself in the composition of a political advertisement before, nor have I ever had a publisher involved in determining an advertisement’s content. I understand better now the reputation of the Leaf-Chronicle has earned among its residents.”

Leaf Chronicle publisher Gene Washer is a member of the DDP, the business development organization spearheading the redevelopment action.

Possible civil rights infraction by city council, Clarksville, TN

In presenting his case, Garland states:

“The NAACP is very concerned about the possibility that many of our elderly citizens, who subsist on a fixed income, may fall victim to a flawed ordinance created to help advance inner-city growth and upgrade of properties located in the areas targeted to be redeveloped. Our concerns are further enraged because many of the elderly will not be financially stable to comply with the standards the are to be used to allow them to remain in homes they acquired over their lifetime. Lastly, we are concerned because the areas targeted to be redeveloped under this ordinance is predominantly comprised of minority (black) residents who make up the only Majority-Minority council Ward (53%) within the city. According to the voting manual of the state of Tennessee, the city or county can not take any action that would cause a Majority-Minority Ward to be dissolved unless the leaders of the municipalities are willing to create a similar ward in another area of the voting district.”

Garland included letters from residents of the targeted areas that address the concerns of the citizens who are being affected by the proposed ordinance. Many meetings have been held, and letters written to local city council members, expressing the objections to the ordinance as written and compelling the council to repeal the current ordinance and start anew, ensuring the public is allowed to be active participants in the development thereof. He noted that there has been “no positive response from anyone associated with our local governing body except for Councilmen Marc Harris, Jim Doyle, and Wayne Harrison. The remaining members of the council have resolved to ignore the will of the residents of the affected area.”

Hundreds of property owners queue up to sign petitions against the redevelopment ordinance at a standing room only December 2007 grassroots meeting at the L&N Train Station

Garland writes further:

“None of these actions has been done; there is simply no redevelopment plan nor is there an urban renewal plan. The redevelopment plan is simply an attempt by the local legislative body to wipe out low to moderate-income neighborhoods through the Housing Authority’s power to eliminate blight. As written, the language within the redevelopment plan is egregious and the effects on the mental and social demeanor of the elderly residents of the affected communities, Red River District, Emerald Hill and Brandon Hill communities are most traumatic.

“The Clarksville Branch of the NAACP is seeking your assistance in ensuring the Tennessee Code Annotated section 13-20-203 and 13-20-211 will be used as intended, not as a tool for racism. Local citizens are very concerned that the local authority has the power to condemn their properties and release them to local developers. The cause of their concerns is evident throughout the recent Redevelopment Plan and Urban Renewal Plan presented to the citizens during a town-hall meeting on March 21, 2008.

“As president to the Clarksville Branch of the NAACP #5582, I am requesting that a representative from your Department of HUD, be dispatched to evaluate the effect this redevelopment plan will have on the livelihoods of the members of the communities targeted for redevelopment in Clarksville, TN, in particular, residents residing in the Red River District, Emerald Hill, New Providence area and Brandon Hill communities. Many of the citizens of these communities are not in a position to challenge the local leadership because of lack of knowledge, and failure of the local leadership to allow competent representatives to speak out on their behalf when and where it matters.”

Garland included a of attachments to the letter and asked for an expedited review of the request and the documents in response to “the dire situation here in Clarksville” Garland requested on site visits to the areas and residents that will be affected upon implementation of this redevelopment ordinance.

“The sanctity of the elderly population of the majority-minority community rests in your hands.” - Jimmie Garland Sr.

Garland forward copies of the letters and documents to the NAACP Tennesse State Conference and National Headquarters Civil Rights Division, The Department of Justice in Washington D.C., the State Attorney General’s Office in nashville, and General Counsel for the NAACP in Baltimore, Maryland.

In his supporting dicumentation, Garland cited a report, Victimizing the Vulnerable, by Dick M. Carpenter II, Ph.D. and John K. Ross of the Institute for Justice [06.07], which reads:

“As the numbers in the table indicate, the predictions of Justices O’Connor and Thomas held true: Losses from eminent domain abuse “fall disproportionately on the poor,” and particularly on minorities.35 Eminent domain project areas include a significantly greater percentage of minority residents (58%) compared to their surrounding communities (45%). Median incomes in project areas are significantly less ($18,935.71) than the surrounding communities ($23,113.46), and a significantly greater percentage of those in project areas (25%) live at or below poverty levels compared to surrounding cities (16%).”

From Garland’s Letters:

Background:
An organization, called the Downtown District Partnership (DDP) was established in 1999 to help revitalize the intra-city of Clarksville, Tennessee. Their mission was to ensure the uniformity of the reconstruction of our town following a disastrous tornado that hit our inner city in January of 1999. Since its inception, ordinances have been created to specify how signs are tobe displayed, where trees must be planted within an area, as well as other deliberate controls. In September of 2007, members of the Clarksville, TN city council approved an ordinance that allows the DDP, in concert with other arms of the local legislative body, to declare areas within the City limits of Clarksville to be blighted properties. (See App 02) The document authorizes the city council to take ownership of properties using the eminent domain clause and turn the property over to private contractors to make improvement under a tax incentive finance provisions umbrella.

During the past several weeks/months, residents of the affected communities have been very vocal in their opposition concerning the proposed ordinance. They cited the lack of proper notification of the pending ordinance, timing of the ordinance implementation, and the fact that their homes being part of the historic district does not garner their properties to be designated areas of blight. Residents residing in the historic district have acquired an attorney to assist them in their attempt to have the ordinance repealed. (See letters at APP 26).

Angry residents face off against the City Council (02/08)

The city council along with the DDP planned and hosted a meeting to receive input from residents of the areas designated as blighted. The public forum was held on March 21, 2008 at the Burt Elementary School located adjacent to the Austin Peay State University Campus, Clarksville, Tennessee. The purpose of the forum was to try to quell the concerns that currently exist throughout those communities, i.e. Red River District, Brandon Hill, Emerald Hill, and the downtown business and other properties., as they relate to the ordinance. The meeting was held in the cafeteria of the school, which limited the participation of not only residents of the targeted area, but inhibited the participation of concerned citizens from outside the district. (See App 27, Remarks by City Councilman Jim Doyle, and Marc Harris,).

The group of concerned citizens asked that their legal representative be allowed to speak on their behalf. Their attorney, Attorney John Summers, submitted the request to Mayor Johnny Piper on March 19, 2008. There was a prompt reply from the mayor’s office stating that no one would be allowed to speak at the public forum but concerned citizens were invited to submit written comments for council’s consideration.

Branch Concerns:
The local branch of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) major concern is that Ward 6 is the only majority-minority ward that exist in the city of Clarksville, Tennessee. During our last census cycle, year 2000, we attempted to have an additional city ward designated as a majority minority ward but failed. Our requests failed because the lone minority representative serving on the city council voted against our requests for the declaration.

The current ordinance, as written, leaves very little speculation on what the outcome of the redevelopment of the areas targeted to be redeveloped would be if the ordinance were implemented as written. Several paragraphs throughout the document outline scenarios where properties do not have to be in a substandard state to be seize under the umbrella of eminent domain to complete a project. That is the most detrimental part of the ordinance. It leaves citizens without any real sense of protection concerning the status of their property, plighted or not, once developers express an interest in redeveloping the areas. The ordinance does not take into account the fact that many of the residents living in the targeted redevelopment areas are elderly minority residents, who are living on fixed incomes. If their properties are identified as unsuitable, they would not have the funds to make the necessary corrections. Therefore; establishing a policy and implementing the same to require them to return and/or maintain their properties to standards that are yet to be defined by the DDP, would be detrimental to their welfare and place an unethical burden on their meager means of survival.

Residential Concern:
In an article entitled, “Victimizing the Vulnerable”, prepared by Dick M. Carpenter II, Ph.D., and John K. Ross, of the Institute for Justice ,June 2007, it has been substantiated that, “trend among urban redevelopment strategies is to attract wealthier middle classes back to the inner city, typically resulting in the replacement of one population with another. Much of the research focuses on urban renewal, which generally refers to the set of redevelopment policies and projects used during the 1950s and 1960s to make room for downtown commercial development activities, more upscale residents, or both, by leveling “blighted” neighborhoods and displacing existing populations from central-city areas. Demographically, these displaced populations were disproportionately ethnic or minority Communities and/or low-income.”

Several residents of the affected areas have stopped me and inquired about the proposed plan. To date, my response has been that the document does not appear to be written to protect the owners of properties. Neither is its intent to assist residents in returning their properties to standards to be determined by appointed members of the board that has been created to monitor the areas targeted for redevelopment.

Coupled with the fact that the piece of legislation framed by the DDP and presented to the council for approval, a map distributed at a meeting held at Burt Elementary school during the month of August 2007, clearly shows APSU does have an interest in acquiring the properties in question. The fact that the ordinance declares all properties in the vicinity, with the exception of properties owned by APSU, as blighted also make the purpose of the ordinance suspect. (See App 06) In speaking with a resident from the Red River District, Reverend George Forte, “APSU acquired 75% of that community to complete it last campus redesign”. The belief of some of the residents of the Red River District is that they are now coming back to acquire the remaining 25%.

If this ordinance is permitted to remain in place, and if developers realize the sweetheart deal they are getting for investing in this area, it would gravely dilute the voting strength of the only majority-minority district within the city of Clarksville, TN. Regardless of whether or not the citizens vote, they will at that point not be able to elect candidates of their choice to represent the minority citizens of that ward. If the citizens vote, they will at that point not be able to elect candidates of their choice to represent the minority citizens of that ward.

Bottomline:

As president to the Clarksville Branch of the NAACP #5582, I am requesting that a representative from the Department of Justice be dispatched to evaluate the effect this redevelopment plan will have on the livelihoods of the members of the community targeted for redevelopment (Red River District, New Providence area and Brandon Hill communities. Many of the citizens are not in a position to challenge the local leadership because of lack of knowledge, and failure of the local leadership to allow competent representatives to speak out ontheir behalf when and where it matters. I have several attachments related to the information contained in this document that could be used as reference data. I am more than willing to send this resource disk to you for your information. Request your review of this document be expedited and we hope your response to the dire situation here in Clarksville TN includes an onsite visit of the areas and residents that will be affected upon its implementation. The sanctity of our elderly population of the majority- minority community rests in your hands.

Enclosed:

Copy of St & Gen Election Ward 6 ‘94
Copy of St & Gen Election Ward 6 ‘98
Copy of St & Gen Election Ward 6 ‘02
Copy of St & Gen Election Ward 6 ‘06
Resident Letter, Martha Hendricks
Resident Letter, Patricia Sharpe
Resident Letter, Walter & Cindy Marczak
Resident Letter, Lynne Garite
Resident Letter, Debbie Hunter
Resident Letter, Joyce V.
A Study Victimizing the Vulnerable, Dick M. Carpenter II, Ph.D., John K. Ross,
Institute for Justice ,June 2007

Additional Enclosures listed below are available at (the agencies contacted) request:
Resource Disc
App 01 Cover letter
App 02 Community Dev Changes Redev Plan 04-08
App 03 Clarksville TN Land Use Master Plan
App 04 LC article, on forum, 20 Mar 08
App 05 Clarksville Center Redev Plan
App 06 Austin Peay State University Master Plan
App 07 Austin Peay State University Maser plan Composite
App 08 Eminent Domain in TN ‘92
App 09 Eminent Domain, what is and how will it be applied
App 10 MTAS Advisory-CCRP
App 12 Montgomery County Voting Precincts
App 13 CCRP Letter
App 14 CCRP Letter 2, Final
App 15 LC_Mayor’s Game Plan article
App 16 Public Hearing Postcard
App 17 LC Ad, Block Grant Workshop
App 18 KCDC fieldtrip report-Rev.
App 19 Clarksville Redev Final Plan 04-08
App 20 Ordinance 73-2005-06
App 21 Timeline for Clarksville Center Redev Plan
App 22 Redev Area Districts 2006
App 23 Frequently Asked Questions_ District Ordinance
App 24 Clarksville City Wards
App 25 TN Redistricting Manual, 2000
App 26 Letters for residents of Emerald Hill
App 27 DVD, Public Hearing, 040508

Cassie, our healthy 15-year-old Pug, is a supportive companion and she is challenging this ancient and trite platitude. Cassie, even though she has exceeded the age expectancy for her breed, is either an exception or the disproving of the trite saying.

Cassie, in the human equivalent of 105 years of age, is more mentally active than ever. Even in her senior years she is demonstrating an alertness, a “brain receptiveness” to new tricks, many of which are beneficial to the household. She is more effective than ever in communicating her needs to us with a bark, or by sitting in front of us and staring us in the eyes. For 14 years, she never barked except when visitors arrived at our door. Now she barks like clockwork at 10 p.m. or 2 a.m., whenever she need to go out and relieve herself. At this stage, she may have a gland problem that pushes her to more frequent needs to relieve her kidneys. Just like many of us senior citizens.

Only in the past year has she assumed the sentry mode in staring at us or following us throughout the house. She is completely in control of when she needs to be let outside and we are appreciative that her “accidents” are as rare as hen’s teeth — another axiom. She is learning to control us and get our attention with enough confidence to have us jump out of bed to assist her. She’s also learned to communicate with the neighbor’s Shih-tzu, Campbell, with a series of barks.

What can I learn from this adorable pet that speaks to me of my own aging process?

First, make the most of what I can. Maintain a measure of intellectual curiosity. In high school, I studied Julius Caesar but didn’t understand it. Reading this icon of literature was an insurmountable obstacle. I hated the class; it was too much of a challenge for this country boy. Now, 50 years later, I saw Julius Caesar at the Roxy Regional Theatre. In preparation for this adventure, I read a critique of this Shakesperean drama and carefully studied the plot. Though aging and so much older, I still have a passion to learn, cultivated over years of maturation, and know it wasn’t my fault for not understanding this play when I was in school.

Secondly, I am learning from Cassie that with aging there are inevitable physical changes in us. her gait is slower and her steps shorter now; she sleeps 20 hours a day and prefers staying at home to visiting grandchildren in Indiana. It takes her longer to find her food and water dishes.

Thirdly, Cassie’s physical prowess is restricted. She will not climb stairs to the bonus room where I have an office. Perhaps she’s experiencing discomfort from arthritis, or a newly developed fear of heights. She is demonstrating some of my bodily symptoms — slowing down. In the last local road race I finished near the end; I’ve never done that before. My defense mechanisms automatically blink and flashes “you’re losing your endurance.” I resist admitting that my prowess in racing is declining.

Our pets have much to teach us about living and aging gracefully and learning even as we move through our remaining years. I hope Cassie remains healthy. As long as she is she will bring a sense of encouragement, and will l serve as my teacher.

Pool passes go on sale Monday. The pricing structure for pool passes has changed this season. Pool passes are now priced based on the number of people you have on your pass: 1 person-$60; 2 people-$100; 3 people-$110; 4 people-$120; 5 people-$130, and 6 people-$140. If you have more than 6 people, you must purchase an additional pass. A non-resident fee of 10% will be added to the season passes for those living outside the Clarksville city limits. Utility bills must be provided as proof of residence. Non-residents cannot be added to a city resident’s pool pass. Daily Admission to the pools is $5 per person before 3 pm and $3 per person after 3 pm.

Swim lessons are also offered at an additional charge of $15 per person with a pool pass purchase. Session One begins June 16 and ends June 27. Session Two begins July 7 and ends July 18. If you prefer a smaller class, semi-private lessons are offered for $25 per person with a pool pass purchase. Classes are limited to 5 participants and will be offered Monday-Thursday at 8 a.m. at Smith Pool. Lifeguard training will be offered May 26-30 this year. You must be at least 15 years of age and pass a pre-course exam. Books and CPR masks must be purchased through the Red Cross. Applications are being accepted for lifeguards who are already certified. You can apply in person at the Parks and Recreation office.

Upcoming events:

The Parks and Recreation Department is hosting a Hershey Track and Field local meet next Saturday (May 10) at Kenwood High School’s Track. Competitions are held in the standing long jump, track, and a softball throw. The event is open to boys and girls ages 9 through 14 and you can register at the event on Saturday. Everything kicks off at 9 a.m. and registration will be open a half hour prior to the event. Athletes may be able to advance to the regional, state, and national competitions based on their performance at this meet.

The Clarksville Senior Games are set to kick off May 19. This weeklong event will celebrate the past twenty years of Senior Games competitions as well as the next 20 years of games. It will all conclude with a fish fry and 50’s themed dance at Crow Community Center on the evening of May 22. For more details or to learn how to register, please call the Parks and Recreation Department. The registration deadline is May 12.

Arts and Concerts In the Park will be the official kick-off event for the Parks After Dark series on May 17th at McGregor Park. Willie Crespo’s Salsa Rengue band will perform as well as Natalie’s Dance Network. The concert begins at 5 p.m. and should end around 10 p.m. Admission is free.

The first Movies In the Park of the season will be held May 31 at Heritage Park. The Clarksville Jaycees will lead the pre-show activities with the Jaycees’ Kid Day events beginning at 5:30 p.m. and the movie will begin around 7:30 p.m. This is also an admission free event.

The 2nd Annual Doggiepalooza event will be held at the Fairgrounds Bark Park on May 17 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Several pet-friendly businesses will have booths set up to share information and product demonstrations and several contests will be held throughout the day for man’s best friend. Contests include a dog and owner “look-a-like” competition, a costume contest, and categories for the best groomed pet and best fetch player. An amateur agility contest will round out the day’s events. For more information about setting up a booth or event details, please call 645-7476.

For more information about Parks and Recreation activities and events, please call 645-7476.

The Disproportionate Minority Contact (DMC) Task Force was put together by a Tennessee executive order to look at the overrepresentation of minority youth in secure confinement and to come up with ways to reduce these numbers as well as reducing the numbers of all juveniles that come into the system as a hold.

The Clarksville-Montgomery County DMC Task Force is one of only 5 task forces that exist throughout the state of Tennessee.

• Did you know that 3 out of every 5 kids are in the Juvenile Justice system?
• Why are so many youths getting into trouble?
• Is Your Child Taking Drugs?
• Gang Problems?
• Single Parent Need Help?

This program will explain what services are available to help parents before kids get into the system and much more.

The DMC Task Force has formed partnerships with the following service organizations that will have display tables at this forum and will be on hand to provide information and support to parents and all concerned citizens.

Tabernacle Church, Big Brother Big Sister, Hispanic Organization for Progress & Education (HOPE), S.E.C.U.R.E., Clarksville Police Department Explores and Gang Unit Special Agent, Center Stone Mental Health, Tennessee Voices for Children, Regional Intervention Center (RIP), NAACP Youth Council, Clarksville Parks & Recreation, Club Delta and more.

Refreshments will be served. For information & assistance, please call (931) 551-8300

Visit the state DMC website: www.tennessee.gov/tccy/dmc.html

Recently I had such an experience with an unknown, unfamiliar chronic pain in my right side. After two weeks of this nagging pain, I went to my doctor. Two referrals and various tests later, Dr. Patel in five minutes not only identified the problem but prescribed a medication that brought immediate relief. Before his treatment, my imagination had conjured up thoughts of a gall bladder attack or kidney stones or even cancer.

It’s one thing to suffer from an unknown ailment; it’s another to suffer in silence. In II Corinthians 8-11, the Apostle Paul is described with an illness which he kept to himself. I recommend that this testimonial and self-revelation be read.

The most extraordinary thing about this passage is that there is no information at all about this terrible experience. I speculate this was a medical malady which was plentiful in his day due to poor diet, polluted water and lack of medical care. It seems that this malady was emotional or psychological. Paul suffered but kept the details to himself. Suffering in silence is a common choice, even today.

Veterans seldom talk about their experiences in war, especially those personally involved in carnage. While in Vietnam I saw the bodies of our soldiers in body bags, stacked up next to the [emergency room] like cords of wood. A week later no one talked about those conditions, but the memory of this loss of life remains with us.

King George the fifth voiced one of his rules of life: “If I have to suffer …. let me suffer in silence and close.”

Doug Kevilus in a devotional shared the catastrophic effects of his own suffering.

“My doctor called to tell me I had an advanced stage of cancer. My God, I thought, I’ve got young kids, a loving wife, and a rising career … At first, like Paul, I felt so unbearably crushed that I despaired of life itself; I could not even pray.”

Whatever destiny is in our tomorrow, we can be assured suffering in some form will attack us; it’s the nature of the world. It happens to the child who loses a parent in Iraq; by the high school graduate who isn’t accepted at the Air Force Academy; by the teens confronted with unwanted pregnancy… Things happen.

There are long nights of the soul, but there is are also spiritual strengths for coping and choosing the right path to follow. Contributing to Paul’s recovery were the prayers of the Corinthians. We may have little to give our friends and little we can do for the friends who are suffering, yet we can give them the priceless treasure of our prayers, understanding, and moral support, respecting their choice to suffer in silence. God our protector walks in the shadows with us.

Curbside piles of brush, branches, and chunks of chain-sawed trees are piling up with each passing hour.

In an effort to assist residents with the clean-up efforts, the City of Clarksville will pick up yard debris from the recent storms beginning Monday, May 5th. Citizens are asked to put the items that they would like to have picked-up close to the road.

If you have yard debris that you would like to have picked up, or for further information, please call the Clarksville Street Department at 645-7464.

As I browsed the 1000+ photos taken by Clarksville Online photographer Bill Larson at Rivers and Spires 2008, I was impressed with the event and the attendance, weather notwithstanding. Still recovering from an illness, I was unable to attend such a big event, but my eyes scanned the images — just about all of them — one by one. In the interests of fair coverage, I included several shots I personally found to be repugnant . (The children are cute; it’s the context that’s debatable).

Despite my opposition to the Iraq war and my personal distaste for the Bush administration tactics and policies, I have every respect for our military, who are doing what they promised with less than optimal help from our Washington bureaucrats. Our soldiers are the front lines; we wish them no harm and want them back, whole in body and spirit.

At Rivers and Spires, our troops were amply and ably represented. But it was “too much information” for some of us. I scanned a photo of sandbags, a high powered weapon of some sort (machine gun), and a young child taking aim at the crowd with parent and siblings watching. My stomach turned. Technically it was a great shot. But do we really need to be placing our children’s hands on the trigger of such a gun? Another shot, well angled, beautifully lit, shows a small child perched on a tank with the gun barrel from the turret over her shoulder. I flinched, again. Stomach lurched. I didn’t have any Pepto Bismol handy. Darn!

I called Mr. Larson, to tell him that while I would use the shots because they are part of a true and accurate depiction of what was showcased there, I found the photos offensive and disturbing. He agreed, and expressed the same reaction. I floated a query seeking reactions to the shot; the dial-a-thon and flurry of e-mails began. Apparently friends who had attended Rivers and Spires and had seen this display and the many youngsters there, had the same or greater visceral reactions to the children and the weapons of war.

We acknowledge that many children in attendance are affiliated with Fort Campbell, and many have husbands, wives, fathers, mothers or other family in Iraq. And yes, these are the tools war those soldiers use every day. And yes, children probably see a lot of that on the base — the camouflage vehicles, the choppers, the tanks or guns.

The base, the Army, the Airborne, are part of our community. And maybe such a display is warranted at such festivals, in the shadow of the eternal flame that honors the dead. But while it is one thing to see such weapons, it is another entirely to put your hands on the trigger.

“Kit was going to throw up,” one friend said. She had to leave, couldn’t watch anymore.

Deb also felt repulsed, unsettled and had a similar reaction of disgust.

I recalled walking down the streets of Cuzco in the Peruvian Andes, where police walk the streets with automatic rifles and tanks sit outside the police department. The era of the revolutionary Shining Path made that necessary, or perhaps the memory had yet to fade to the recesses of the national consciousness. That was unsettling. I had the same reaction to the image of a tank downtown. That reaction worsened with the images of children with the weapons of war.

As the author of a “Don’t Buy War Toys” editorial for Clarksville Online, as a peace activist, an anti-war protester, a human being, a mother, and grandmother, I was repulsed. Okay, there is a war. It is real. So is murder, rape, domestic violence, animal cruelty, and host of “evils” all around us. Do we willingly and with forethought put them on display for our children? Let them hold a handgun or a stiletto blade?

Our children are already exposed at varying levels to violence, rage and war through television, film, music, video and arcade games, and gangs, to say nothing of what can happen in our schools, on our streets and even in the supposed sanctity of our churches. We try to protect our children from such things, we try to foster a healthy innocence, try to keep them from growing up to fast, to let them have some time as a child in relative innocence, so why let them handle and celebrate the tools of war as if it were a game or a celebration?

To so easily promote the acceptance of the weapons of war, especially in a festive atmosphere, by our youngest and most innocent children is irresponsible and ill-advised. With such hands on displays akin to violence, what are we really saying to our children?

The day after a night of storms dawned with many families still without power and emergency response teams pouring into Montgomery County to undertake the task of restoring power, removing downed trees from power lines and roadways, and setting the process of recovery in place. Weather officials estimate that four F-1 tornadoes touched down across the county, three hitting the Palmyra area. The fourth hit Clarksville. F-1s have winds ranging from 86-110 miles per hour.

No place was the pressure felt more than at the Clarksville-Montgomery County Chapter of the American Red Cross, which just two weeks ago sustained a disaster of their own when an arsonist torched the agency’s Emergency Response Vehicle [ERV] filled with disaster response equipment. Faced with the devastation of a tornado, its victims, and a horde of emergency responders to assist, Red Cross volunteers rallied, utilizing many of their own resources in the first hours after the disaster.

Emergency Services Director Cecil Stout was at the Red Cross office within minutes of the storm report, facing the challenge of no power, no computers, no working phones, and no way to easily find the supplies and equipment needed to respond. Stout found himself literally feeling his way in the dark, hand over hand, as he located a battery-operated power source and tapped into that, ultimately using a projector as the main light source.

The midnight tornado was a reality check, Stout said, noting that the absence of the ERV created some delays in responding to this crisis, just as its presence would have made the delivery of services “much easier and more efficienct.” Stout said Nashville was sending a truck to Clarksville “for two days” to assist in recovery efforts. “But this shows us just how desperately we need a fully equipped ERV.”

In the back rooms of the Red Cross, volunteers were assembling “comfort kits” for victims, pulling together first aid and other supplies, and handling the flow of victims and survivors in need of assistance.

“They can’t wait until we have a truck or get our power back on,” Stout said. “They [victims] need us now.”

Volunteer Sharon Black noted that despite the challenges, the Red Cross had served over 100 meals and provided services to three families by morning. Red Cross is now asking for volunteers with chain saws to help residents clear debris, since power company crews will clear power lines but will not cut away the hundreds of trees and limbs covering homes and yards.

As the Red Cross seeks to both replace its ERV and meet this newest demand for assistance from disaster victims, it is asking the community for help. Donations can be made to the Clarksville Chapter of the American Red Cross for either general operating funds [which includes funds for direct assistance to victims] or for the needed Emergency Response Vehicle by making a check to the agency. Checks can be mailed to the Red Cross at 585 S Riverside Drive, Clarksville TN 37040. For more information, call 645-6401.

~~ The Storm ~~

With forecasters eyeing a strong front that ran from Chicago to Texas, it was no real surprise that severe weather would eventually land in Tennessee. Throughout the day the news was full of reports from Missouri and Arkansas of killer storms. Severe thunderstorms began in this area by late day with a tornado watch issued through midnight Friday (May 2). The storm front slowed, seemed to stall at the Mississippi River and over Land Between the Lakes, before sliding into Middle Tennessee.

Once here, it began to wreak its fury, first with fiery bursts of lightning and blasts of wind, then long rumbling rolls of thunder. A few “meso cyclonic” indicators were noted, and the tornado watch was extended a half hour to 12:30 a.m. At three minutes past midnight, the sirens wailed and the storm was already here. The front itself was stuck fast, dumping more and rain before finally sliding east after 2 a.m. So much for the “storm moving at ‘xxx’ miles per hour.” It was, but then it hit the brakes. Over Clarksville.

~~ Palmyra ~~

As for the storm, it first hit on Harris Circle in Palmyra, a winding hillside road that today was littered with debris from a skyline of shredded trees and badly damaged mobile homes.

Jeremy Durkin never heard it coming. Asleep in his bed at midnight, he never heard the wind. His girlfriend, Jennifer Rewczuk did. She bolted from her bed and raced to her son’s room, throwing herself over him as the tornado struck, tumbling the mobile home from its foundation, rolling it across the road, where it came to land on its side against two trees. Jeremy was able to crawl from the trailer, but Jennifer and her two-year-old son “J” ["just "J"] were trapped. The bedroom windows were crushed against the ground; the door leading out to the hall was now the ceiling. Jeremy had to demolish the wall of the trailer to get them out. Apart from bumps, bruises and scratches, they were relatively uninjured.

“Jeremy just kicked the wall out,” Jennifer said. “But we had no warning. Nothing. It happened so fast, and it was over in a minute.”

For Jennifer, this is the second disaster in two years; in 2006 her home was completely destroyed by fire. “We lost everything in that fire,” she recalled, adding that she almost feels like an expert in disaster. That doesn’t keep her from feeling “numb,” for stepping back and look at the remnants of her home with a dazed, disbelieving stare. In the neighbor’s driveway, a few bags and boxes hold all that was recoverable from the wreckage, all that is left of their lives. Their family cat was (as of 2 p.m. Saturday) still trapped in the wreckage. Amid fears that the rest of the mobile home would collapse, it was deemed too dangerous to try and reach the animal.

Next door, Cody Lasley was stading inside what was left of his home, his blond head clearly visible where things like a wall, a ceiling, and a roof should be. Instead, the home was in sections, sliced in half by a tree trunk that cut through his bedroom. The mobile home was surrounded and all but covered by debris.

From inside, Cody simply shook his head, slowly picking through the pieces in search of something to salvage. The pickings were slim.

~~ The Fairgrounds ~~

Splinters. That just about all that’s left of the pavilion at the Clarksville Fairgrounds. At one corner, a two story chunk of storage and office space stands roofless and open to the elements, a stairway now wide open and rail-less, coming and going nowhere. The parking lot is cordoned off for utility vehicle only: phone, electric, and assorted repair and or demolition crews with cherry pickers for high wire work.

Pieces of the building have been pushed into a pile not unlike a tossed up package of children’s “pick up sticks.” Lumber littered the roadside and a good portion of the pavilion was blown across the street, pieces blended in a Cole Slaw mix with tree limbs and downed power lines. The finely shredded roofing shingles were generously laced throughout the chain link fence at both the fairgrounds and the neighboring Clarksville Jaycees.

The Kiwanis Rodeo was curtailed Friday because of the pending line of severe thunderstorms approaching the region; it was lucky break for rodeo fans who would otherwise have been caught in heavy thunderstorms and possibly the tornado itself, with potentially fatal implications. The bleachers in which fans would have been sitting sustained considerable damage, though the livestock brought in for the rodeo, huddled in pens beyond the pavilion area, were unharmed. On Saturday, in light of the destruction and lack of power, a convoy of trucks was loading up the horses and bulls, heading out to their next location.

At the duck pond, the deck designed for handicapped accessibility to the water was damaged, some of its railings ripped apart. One portable toilet sat at a 45 degree angle on the water’s edge, while another appeared to be submerged mid-lake with a dozen turtles happily sunning themselves on its roof. The ducks and geese waddled their way through debris, oblivious to the chaos all around them.

On the highway, hundreds of cars passed by with area residents wanting a peek at the damage.

A new mini mall under construction a few lots down from the fairground had most of its tin roofing twisted up pretzel-fashion, hanging from its roof line to the ground. A power pole and three transformers at Gary Matthews Motors were blown down, draping hot wires over 2008 SUVs. On Saturday, Pike Co. drilled the old post from the ground and replaced it with new transformers. One of the old transformers had split apart; when asked about the potential for PCB contamination, it was learned the new transformers use a soybean oil rather than PCBs.

~~ Hickory Ridge ~~

Driving through Hickory Ridge was a challenge, since several streets were still completely obstructed by downed trees or trees suspended in the hammock of power, cable and phone lines on Saturday.

Shaun Azlin walked along one road, working with the buzz of his leaf blower in his ear, sweeping the nozzle from side to side, blowing smaller pieces of debris from the road. Trees took out power to his home, but the gas-fired tool gave him other clean-up options for his neighborhood.

For Johnny Keykendahl, it was another story: he was watching TV, watching the storm line “move toward us.”

“I just heard a roaring sound, and as I watched the rain went from straight down to coming in sideways,” he said. “From somewhere outside it sounded like someone was shooting machine guns…”

Keykendahl looked out his back window and saw, “well, I’m not sure what I saw. Maybe a funnel. Blue, with lightning… I didn’t waste anytime figuring it out.” Within a matter of minutes, his trees tumbled through his roof and into his home, followed by torrents of rain that left three inches of water in his home. “It all happened within five minutes,” he said, still visibly shaken, but grateful to be alive. “The [tornado] lasted just a minute, then it was gone,” he said. Leaning against the tailgate of a pick-up truck, he spoke with animated hands and a tired look on his face as his sons and neighbors moved about. “I just couldn’t believe it.”

Alan Goldstein, the vision behind Photography by Alan, fare better than many of his neighbors; his home had little structural damage, just a lot of debris to be racked up or bundled up. Cable lines hung loosely at the edge of the road by his driveway. “I just heard an enormous noise,” Goldstein said. “And then it was over.”

His neighbor Doris Hodess wasn’t as lucky.

Doris was at work when the storm hit, and was met halfway home by a friend who wanted to “prepare her” for the destruction on her property.

My whole [chain link] fence is down with a tree in,” she said, noting that a neighbor’s tree now covered her back yard. Another tree straddled her garage. Cracked and broken tree limbs were scattered everywhere and both home and property sustained far more significant damage than Goldstein, who voiced support for his distressed neighbor.

“I have no power, I don’t know if I can sleep here tonight,” Hodess said. “There’s a tree on my house.”

We found Sherry Nolen outside her daughter’s home, where their gas grill had been effectively relocated to a neighbor’s yard along with a basketball hoop. “There’s quite a lot of damage behind the houses,” she said, noting that she was originally planning to help her daughter, Tina Milton, move this weekend, since the house had been sold. behind the home, the heavily wood land was a tangled mire of wood shards and vines.

Apart from the obvious streetside damage, the view in the heavily wooded backyards of the Hickory Hills neighborhood was a spectacular display of Mother Nature run amok. Many trees were sheered off halfway up, with branches of different trees tangled together in a chaotic web.

~~ High Street - Madison Street - Downtown ~~

The last area to sustain significant damage was the High Street area and sections around Crossland and Madison. As the storm blew through, sirens wailed but with barely enough lead time to wake residents, many of whom said they “never heard the sirens.”

“What sirens,” said CO Publisher Bill Larson, who dropped work to dive under his computer desk as the roaring wind passed overhead. “Then the power went out.” Across the street, Greg Schlanger’s children popped bike helmets on the heads and dove into the cellar. A few blocks away, this writer, who couldn’t keep her eyes open, awoke from sleep and flew out of bed at the howling wail of the tornado siren, hitting the floor of the hall closet/shelter at a dead run. The storm took out a number of trees but left the homes unscathed. Larson and Schlanger were just one street away from much heavier damage. [In the absence of power, Larson and I opted to survey the damage, posting our first report at 4:30 a.m. Saturday morning -- with photos.]

In those first minutes after midnight, it was a different story one street over, where felled trees blocked roads and punched holes in roofs, where power lines looked like spaghetti on a plate. The music of the day Saturday was the buzz of chain saws, the sound of rakes and shovels, and not a little groaning from people with increasingly achy backs.

Barbette Norfleet and her daughter Rebekah, 12, were cleaning up their yard.

“I never heard it,” said Rebekah, who slept through the storm. Barbette did, though, and for her it was a scary night. As she worked to clear her home of rubble Saturday, she was very careful of her hands, which, as a massage therapist, are her stock in trade. “I have to make a living with my hands,” she said, using caution as worked. While the storm was severe, Barbette said that “after [the tornado in] 1999, this was a lot easier.”

The tornadic activity stopped just short of the downtown district.

Photos by Bill Larson, Aerial photos by Bobby Melton

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