Two large columns serve as the gateway into Rugby Gates, a public art project in Memphis designed by Gregg Schlanger. Photo provided by Gregg Schlanger.

In the last two years, Gregg Schlanger, professor of art at Austin Peay State University, has processed 75,000 pounds of Memphis mud to make 7,000 bricks for a community-based public art project he was commissioned to build.

And after countless trips to Memphis for research, meetings and hard labor, the effort – which proved to be a true example of community involvement – is complete.

At 3 p.m., Dec. 13 in Memphis, a dedication ceremony will unveil Rugby Gates, a series of brick gateways along a main road in the Rugby neighborhood of Memphis. Schlanger will be among Memphis dignitaries and local residents to attend the event.

Rugby Gates marks a neighborhood where the original brickyards of Memphis were located. The project was commissioned by The Urban Art Commission, which administers the public art program for the city of Memphis. The concept for the project developed following several meetings with city officials, neighborhood organizers, local schools and extensive research on the history of the area.  

“Many people attached to this area helped me to put together the project,” Schlanger said. “Community involvement was displayed at all stages of this.”

The construction of Rugby Gates involved 26 Memphis high school students hired to assist in making bricks during a five-weeklong after-school program. Also, students went door to door, handing out 2,500 fliers informing the neighborhood about the project and receiving names to be carved into the bricks.

The final piece consists of 12 brick columns with carved relief depicting images relating to the area’s history. Two large columns serving as the gateway into the neighborhood, approximately the same location where the original stone gateway into Rugby was, are 4 feet by 20 feet. Another 10 columns, measuring 2 feet by 5 feet, serve as five small gateways.

“The history of Rugby as a brick-making area intrigued me,” Schlanger said.

The project began in November 2006. Schlanger transported 80,000 pounds of Memphis clay by trucks to his studio in Clarksville, where the clay was processed and the bricks were made and carved.

In addition to his ongoing work with Rugby Gates, Schlanger was involved in two other public art projects. He created a dozen digital print collages for the Daviess County Public Library in Owensboro, Ky., two of which were chosen to flank the entrance to the history wing of the library.

And in 2007, he spent five weeks in Germany, researching issues on global water consumption. His research culminated into an installation, titled “B.W.R. (basic water requirements) 50 Liters,” at Kunsthaus Potsdam, a nonprofit arts organization in Potsdam, Germany.

For more information about Rugby Gates or Schlanger’s previous work, contact Schlanger by telephone at (931) 221-7789 or by e-mail at .

Founder/Director & Episcopal Priest Becca Stevens

The spirit of the “holiday season,” which is kicked off by Thanksgiving, is buoyed by hopeful, upbeat music and encouragement to express good will to all, but is often squelched by frenetic desires to do too much. That overwhelming energy zap can be circumvented in at least three inspirational ways by the women of Magdalene House, who will speak on Sunday, December 7 at 10:30 a.m. at the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Clarksville.

What can this program do for you?

1. You’ll give yourself the gift of absorbing astonishing stories of hope and even self-redemption. Even though I contend personally that we’re all already “redeemed” just as we are, I’ve noticed that a process of self-acceptance (“love” if you will) must be honored. Magdalene House offers women who have fallen into prostitution and drug abuse the opportunity to change those influences through group support. In a November 3 Nashville City paper article, Nate Rau quotes a Magdalene House participant, “. . . it’s the love, the support. . . They’re not judgmental.” The success rate of approximately ¾ of graduates never returning to prostitution or drugs speaks for itself. Founder/Director and Episcopal priest Becca Stevens told Rau, “We ask people to give in gratitude for all they have been given.”

2. You can give to this wonderful program by simultaneously enjoying Thistle Farms pampering products, made by women in the program, which include: candles, room spray, multi-fragranced or non-fragranced lotions and soaps, mini-sachets, salt scrubs and body and lip balms.

3. You can buy these excellent-quality products for others in the true spirit of the season, thereby radiating your generosity out even further.

After hearing two women share their heart-rending stories to our teary-eyed congregation last year, I strongly recommend that you join us in person, but if you can’t, you can order from this extraordinary organization at www.thistlefarms.org.

Stevens, who started “Thistle Farms” in 2002, has written two books. “Hither & Yon” is Stevens’ latest book encompassing her thoughts on steps you can take and preparations you can make on your own spiritual journey. “Sanctuary,” is about some unexpected places where she has encountered God – a trail in the Andes, her son’s bathtub, a Kroger parking lot. The book written by the Magdalene women – “Find Your Way Home” – sounds intriguing to me.

Hope to see you Sunday, December 7 at 3053 41-A South (Madison Street) about two miles from K-Mart and Walmart on the left (next to a horse pasture).

The Montgomery County Disproportionate Minority Contact (DMC) Task Force will sponsor a juvenile justice community forum on Monday, October 27th, at the Montgomery County Public Library from 6:00 – 8:00 p.m..

• FACT: 3 out of every 5 kids are in the Juvenile Justice system.
• Why are so many of our youths getting into trouble?
• Is your child taking drugs?
• Are you concerned about gang problems?
• Are you a single parent that needs help?

The DMC invites you to attend and learn what services are available to help parents before their children get into the system, and much more. The event will host several guest speakers and exhibits from a variety of community organizations that offer services and programs for youth.

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

]]> http://www.clarksvilleonline.com/2008/10/24/dmc-task-force-to-host-juvenile-justice-forum/feed/ 0 http://www.clarksvilleonline.com/2008/08/17/24th-annual-kiwanis-lone-star-rodeo-hits-town/ http://www.clarksvilleonline.com/2008/08/17/24th-annual-kiwanis-lone-star-rodeo-hits-town/#comments Sun, 17 Aug 2008 21:00:09 +0000 Turner McCullough Jr. http://www.clarksvilleonline.com/?p=7567 Downtown Kiwanis Club and Lone Star Rodeo Tour bring two days of excitement to Fairgrounds Park. 

Wild west Chuck wagon Race at Kiwanis Rodeo

This weekend brought two days of rodeo excitement to Clarksville at the Fairgrounds Park. Friday was the opening night and Wendy’s Restaurants sponsored it’s Kids Night at the Rodeo.

Kiwanis Chairman Glenn Childers

Glenn Childers, 2008 Downtown Kiwanis Club Chair, gave a brief rundown of this year’s rodeo, adding that the Kiwanis Club, with its 128 members, are proud that this was their 24th year bringing the rodeo to the Clarksville community. This rodeo was a very family-oriented and family-friendly happening, with the proceeds the Downtown Kiwanis Club raise dedicated to aid children and youth programs.

The pageantry of rodeo is colorful, dramatic, patriotic and exciting. Mark North, rodeo announcer, does an excellent job of informing the crowd of what is going on in the arena and encouraging everyone’s participation and appreciation for the athletes’ performances on display, both human and animal. Livestock takes on an entirely new meaning when 3,000 pounds of bucking steer animal is in your face !

All American: Carrying the colors

There are chuck wagon races, Children’s “Lost Shoe Match Up” competitions, “Gold in the Haystack” searches for the younger set as well as the grown-ups. Trick riding, rodeo clowns, shooting demonstration are all part of the rodeo show.

A Cowboy waits ready at the gate

The rodeo, though, at its most basic, is about the true life western cowboy skills of herding cattle, developed by those early cattle herders. Those men were mostly former Buffalo Soldiers and freed slaves from South seeking to better their lives and put distance between themselves and their past lives of bondage. Popularized in the late 19th century with Wild West shows, these rodeo skills, which now recognize the skills of women as well, have come to be known as calf roping, steer wrestling, barrel racing, team roping, breakaway roping, saddle bronc roping, bareback roping and bull riding. All of these skill sets are on display and vetted nightly at the Clarksville Rodeo.

Young cowboy gets ready to test his new skills

Food vendors offered cotton candy, funnel cakes, nachos snow cones, popcorn, and hot dogs. Wayne Abrams, barbecue specialist extraordinaire worked his ‘Applewood Magic,’ with Bubba’s Tennessee Smokers creating barbecue sandwiches, and Wendy’s Frosties to cool the fire from all that barbecue. Tastebuds were bound to be sated. Six lanes of inflatable slides and jumping castle in Kids Playland Adrenolin Rush II, sponsored by the F&M Bank, was a real bargain at five dollars per child for unlimited playtime.

Youngsters have a chance to explore tractors, backhoes and other equipment

Business sponsor Joe Heitz Toyata hosted a static display of Tacoma and Tundra V-8 trucks. Thompson Equipment had a static display of CAT machinery on hand, allowing youngsters to have a picture taken in the cab of the big rig. Bikers Who Care conducted ticket sales for their motorbike give-a-way. Raffle tickets were five dollars for the chance to win a Harley Davidson Sportster 1200 beauty. During the rodeo, five tickets were only $20.00. Proceeds benefit Camp Rainbow, Buddy Ball and other children charities. Bill Roberts’ Thunder Road had a static display of pleasure boats for viewing.

Other attractions included a petting zoo and pony ride, the livestock pens. Lindsey Haliburton is on hand, signing personal portraits and circles the corral in the Joe Heitz Chuck Wagon. The Clarksville Police Department Mounted Patrol are also to be seen. The local business community support of this event is impressive: local banks, storage operations, construction, veterinary care, certified accountants, auto repair to car sales, pleasure watercraft sales, radio media, web design, printers, lodging, livestock, restaurants of all genre, lawyers and law firms, concrete products,commercial real estate, architectural firms, communications and insurance firms — virtually every sector of the local business community was involved in some way with this rodeo.

Some of the results of Friday night include: Bareback Riding, sponsored by Legends Bank, won by Zach Holston; Saddle Bronc Riding, sponsored by Joe Heitz Toyota, won by Peter Fowlkes; Barrel Racing, sponsored by Budweiser, won by Jessica Moore; and Breakaway Roping, sponsored by Grandpas, won by Julie Ennis.

For the uninitiated, it was a chance to get acquainted with the real living tradition of the American West. Cowboys, Cowgirls, horses and cows — “That’s American!”

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The local phenomenon known as ‘Jazz On The Lawn” rolls on, to great appreciation! Beachaven Winery plays hosts during the summer and early fall to a series of free music concerts on its back lawn, as it were. People of all stripes, shapes and divergent humanity find their way to the soft lilting sounds of music flowing from Dunlop Lane. They come with an immense array of cultural delicacies and favorites to share with friends, along with blankets, lawn chairs and an equally immense appetite to enjoy conversation, friendship and music. Saturday’s concert featured the big brass sounds of Hypertension.

This is Clarksville as few get the opportunity to see her people: a sea of humanity enjoying itself and each other. The music is invariably good and long lasting. The vibes abound throughout the evening and wondrous things occur: a marriage proposal may be presented, old friendships rekindled, and many new ones are fostered.

Beachaven Winery

Beachaven Winery is to be thanked for providing the backdrop for this great community commune to take place. They open “their home’ to all for the evening’s repast. Attendees are admonished not to harm the vines, nor pick the grapes. After all, we are guests in their home and livelihood. If you have never attended, watch the media and start your plans now. August 30th will be here before you know it. The music always starts at 6:30 pm and goes until 9:30 pm. Because seating is “general admission”, it pays to get there around 5 pm to get both a good parking spot and a good viewing spot on the lawn. Our concerts are free admission with free parking.

As always, there are some terms and conditions. Beachaven’s are few and simple; they are called the Rules of the Beach: Please bring with you: your friends, a picnic, and a blanket and/or lawn chairs. Please DO NOT bring with you: pets, grills, and outside alcohol. Also, please pick up your trash! We provide dozens of trash receptacles around the lawn

This is Clarksville’s Summer-long ‘Music Festival Among the Vines!’ “Come, Hear the Music Play!”

Upcoming Concerts

• August 30 – Tim Gonzalez & Friends
• September 20 – The Dean Martinis
• October 4 – Joel Brown
• October 25 – Tina Brown

Photo gallery

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The display on the river includes is choreographed to a patriotic soundtrack and will be broadcast on Q108, The Beaver 100.3 FM, Z 97.5 and Eagle 94.3 radio stations during the show.

Performing for this event are the 100th Division Rock Band (US Army Reserves) from Ft. Knox, KY; Hypertension, and Chris Robertson & The Country Music Band.

For more information or for ADA assistance with this event, please call (931) 645-7444.

On the Road in America is an occasional and serendipitous column about people, places and observations, with publishing predicated on the random availability of internet access or lack thereof.

Being On the Road in America can sometimes be a bore.

Oh, there’s a great deal of beauty to be seen, from the Green Mountains of Vermont to the rolling farmlands across Ohio, from the rugged Rockies and the dramatic coastline of California’s 17-mile drive. That’s not the issue.

As implied in Josh Neuman’s Lemmings (right) ,what is troubling is the growing lack of identity, of uniqueness, of individuality, as one moves from state to state. North, south, east or west makes not a whit of difference. Commerce in America is cloning itself at breakneck pace, mass-producing blueprints for hotels, motels, box stores, shopping malls and restaurants that increasingly lack a sense of their own identity and certainly have no ties to community heritage or culture.

I’m on the road again, as Willie Nelson would sing, and I am heading for one of the few bastions of non-traditional development — via the central midwest to the rural northeast, home of green mountains, clothing optional backwoods beaches, interstate bike paths, and those perpetual golden arches relegated to the outermost borders of some cities.

The “Main Street” of Norman Rockwell fame in Stockbridge MA (Pine is the cross street). Photo by Christine Anne Piesyk

Travelers seeking “something different” often have to search out small little “Main Streets” in small little cities and towns, taking that “road less traveled” literally, if they hope to find any sense of the individuality that America was once famous for. Yes, Norman Rockwell’s Main Street in Stockbridge remains essentially the same — I’ve had mulled cider at the Red Lion Inn there many times, and sat beside their fireplace with its chain of antique keys hanging from the mantle. Some small towns retain and cultivate their Main Streets specifically to draw in tourists and travelers with unique architecture and themes that either reflect their history or re-create themselves as a new destination, as a place people WANT to be. Paducah, Kentucky, just a few hours from Clarksville, has done this, and done it well, redefining itself and its development with art. Yet today, in most cases, moving from point to point across America is to journey through a litter of mass produced economy.

Day by day, America’s unique local vistas are being enveloped in rubber-stamped malls with the same rubber-stamped stores: JC Penney’s, Sears, Blockbuster, Circuit City, Best Buy, Avenue, Gap (and Baby Gap), Macy’s, Kohl’s, Fashion Bug, Foot Locker, and such. It’s not just the Smiths keeping up with the Jone’s anymore; we can’t tell the Smiths from the Joneses.

Not that you can’t find good merchandise or big sales in these stores; bulk buying and and blockbuster sales can produce great deals. It is the lack of uniqueness, the absence of originality and creativity, that quickly becomes boring. This lack of diversity in the cloning of America converts shoppers into clones of one another. My own take on this: if everybody has it, I don’t want it.

It’s the same with eateries; McDonald’s, Burger King, Wendy’s, Subway (I do favor Subway), and Arby’s are epidemic. Applebees, Cracker Barrel, Pizza Hut, Ruby Tuesday, Chicago Pizza, Pizzaria Uno and others in a slightly higher price range are everywhere. When I travel, I don’t opt for a sure thing — I know what I have had. If I wanted more of the same I could stay home.

I deliberately seek out the non-chains, the mom-and-pop hole-in-the-wall places where the locals eat, a long narrow diner, or a small country inn with unique menus and local foods. It’s why I’ve bought lobsters directly off the boat on Cape Cod, savored deep fried wild turkey tenders, Moose steak, caught my own 23 pound catfish on Lake Champlain, mulled over the taste of venison in a hunter’s stew in northern New England, and savored clam chowder on (again) Cape Cod.

It’s why I like those funky purple potatoes that now grow abundantly in Maine (I first tried them in the Andes of Peru), and the taste of Hadley (MA) asparagus fresh picked from the field. And then there is French Onion soup dressed with fresh apples, or sea scallops on the pier in Monterey Bay (CA). Or chunks of cheddar cheese cut off huge aged rounds (at the Granville Country Store in the Berkshires) as I watch.

Besides grabbing some locally grown fresh fruit for the road, Atkins Fruit Farm also has home-baked goods such as warm Apple Cider Donuts, pure Maple Syrup, and a selection of goodies from regional farms. (Photo by Christine Anne Piesyk.

Loca’Vore (commonly spelled “localvore”) is the Oxford University word of the year, a term coined in San Francisco that defines a commitment to consuming only foods grown within a hundred miles radius. Now that easier to achieve in some parts of the country than others, but where there is an abundance of local produce (including jams, jellies, breads, cheeses, meats) it is a also a strategy for supporting local growers and farmers in a local economy. The products used are always unique to the region. It’s what I look for wherever and whenever I travel. Long trips, regional trips, or just ambling around town.

As for chain hotels and motels, they assure a fairly certain standard of comfort, and for those who need that kind of security or standardization, by all means be their guest…but checking into Red Roof Inn is not half as much fun as walking through a small Canadian village pool hall, paying ten dollars for a third floor walk up room (upstairs from that French-speaking pool hall/country store/post office/feed store) — a fine old room with a bath down the hall, latched but not locked doors, handmade rag rugs, feather quilts and pillows on a an old iron bed and a view of the St. Lawrence River from my window. It is not the same as finding that little cluster of cottages with a lake view to the east and a mountain view to the west and home-cooked community meals with fellow fishermen on the great lakes. It’s not as good an seaside inn on the California coast. Or a rooming house in old Quebec City. Or any small locally owned motel or bed and breakfast.

Along America’s highways, the view is increasingly the same: Motel 6, Red Roof Inn, Hometown Suites, Holiday Inn (not from the Bing Crosby musical), Hyatt, … you get the idea. Get out that rubber stamp.

I see these cloned hotels, malls and eateries as dots on the corporate maps, bottom lines on the corporate profit statements, a push toward standardization that saps individuality from the highways and main streets of America communities, funneling the competition of small business into oblivion.

Don’t “reach out.” Hang up!

It’s hard for some people to get a handle on traveling without a cell phone, not having access to internet, not being connected. It’s hard for some to get a handle on not accessing “the familiar,” not constantly being able to “reach out and touch someone.” It’s hard for some to step back from the manic pace of modern living, to turn off the music and the television and simply be, or be silent. It’s hard for some to turn the key to a hotel or hostel or cabin door and commit themselves the unfamiliar. It’s hard for some to imagine the night without a backlit afterglow of streep lamps, to imagine that the only light on a moonless night comes from the stars, that there is such a thing as “nightblack” — a completely black night.

These cloned corporate chains, this connectedness to technology, this fierce need to be bigger, faster, better, and perpetually linked are ties that bind us to work and home, precluding the kind of getaways in which we really “get away.” It isolates us, and keeps us from experiencing something new. Something different. It keeps us from knowing ourselves, and getting to know the people in other parts of our world.

As I move about the country, I become increasingly determined (moving quickly into adamant) to skip the mainstream, refuse the redundant, and seek out those places and people I don’t know yet … but want to meet. I want to slow down long enough to experience the heritage, the local color and culture,the values, the texture and taste of community. No spoon-fed culture, thanks. I like that “road less traveled.”

We cannot and probably should not always retain or re-create yesterday’s atmosphere exactly as it was. We can take the best of our history, or traditions, our cultural quirks and with careful planning redefine them in a way that anchors us to our heritage and history while moving us forward. That heritage is what gives our cities and towns solidity, and a “destination”stamp that actually means something.

Every day in America, 540 children are arrested for various crimes, though in many cases there are mitigating situations that cause these children to come in contact with the system. Ms. Stafford suggests that we must not be “in such a hurry” to just lock up a child.

One major finding by juvenile justice professionals is that more attention should be paid to the mental heath of the child. Children in juvenile justice often have mental health and substance abuse problems, have a higher percentage of learning disabilities, have frequent histories of trauma abuse/neglect, violence in the home, and/or have parents with substance abuse problems.

We are not saying that detention is not needed, states Ms. Stafford. If a youth is deemed to be a threat to society, then detention might be needed, but children should not be locked up for status offences such as truancy, running away and being unruly. The present detention practices are contributing to overcrowding and an overrepresentation of minority youth in detention centers.

Minority youths make up about 23 percent of the population of Tennessee, yet they make up close to 53 percent of the detention population, according to a recent Juvenile Justice report. Montgomery County numbers are also very disturbing.

Ms. Stafford went on to say that “all is not lost” and we all can make difference in reversing this trend by doing our part. Check and see what a child needs first; a child should not have to be remanded to state custody to receive effective counseling. Early identification and intervention, positive advocacy, system accountably and culturally competent services are a must if we are to help today’s youth.

The program was followed by an overview of the many community-based organizations , each with table displays for the eager crowd of parents, elected officials, law enforcement officers and educators packed with information and educational materials about services that are available locally to help keep our youth out of trouble, and keep them mentally and physically healthy, motivated and encouraged.

Dr. Merriel Bullock Neal, Esq. Chair of the local DMC Task Force reiterated the message and the mission of the local task force and that is “It is easier to build a child than repair an adult”

We offer this final collection of Rivers and Spires photos for your enjoyment.

All photos by Bill Larson/Clarksville Online

In a well-attended reception on the fifth floor of the new Farmers and Merchants Bank Tower, Clarksville Mayor Johnny Piper jubilantly invited the guests to witness the unveiling of the city’s new brand. Branding is a marketing term that encompasses a municipality’s slogan and logo as a unified identity characteristic. The invited audience was filled with luminaries of all stripes, to include Jim Durrett, the Mayor’s Chief of Staff, State Senator Rosalind Kurita, Mayor Pro Temp Barbara Johnson, APSU President Tim Hall, City Council members Geno Grubbs, Deanna McLaughlin, Jim Doyle and Wayne Harrison, Arthur Bing of the Clarksville Transit Systems, C-MC Schools System Director Michael Harris, CPD Deputy Chief Frankie Gray, as well as Interim Co-City Attorney Tim Harvey.

Mayor Piper opened the reception with welcoming remarks and thanks to the members of the City Council’s Communications Committee which had worked so diligently on this project. Council members Deanna McLaughlin and Geno Grubbs gave the story of the development of this new brand. McLaughlin spoke of how the idea of a new brand came to be and development of the concept and focus which it should address. Grubbs added that committee members had worked through an extensive amount of public comment and input and then reviewed that data with the marketing firm of MMA Creative. Mayor Piper he was confident everyone would be impressive with the new brand/logo.

Council members Geno Grubs and Deanna McLaughlin address reception guests.

Mayor Piper introduced MMA Creative President/CEO Mike McCloud (above), who guided the audience through the unveiling. He spoke of how the Council’s Communication Committee’s focus research had resulted in the criteria that was pursued in creating this new brand for Clarksville. That research showed that our strong points, according residents input, centered on a ideal location and accomplishments of our people. From there, it was determined that the final brand/logo had to be Authentic – distinctive and true to our community and our objectives as a community on the move; Creative- visually eye catching, with a message that covers many important thematic bases; Easy to Adapt- readily workable and easily incorporated alongside all city promotional efforts, including economic and community development, tourism and public events; Memorable- its look and message should be easy to member and leave a lasting impression. McCloud said that he and the Committee believe that this new brand meets all of these criteria.

Now the concentration will shift to prioritizing and assessing how best to roll out the new brand/logo in a cost-effective and efficient manner. Incorporating it onto a re-design of the City Website and determining how to use it and its message at the City’s promotional booth at an upcoming major retail business trade show in May are already being discussed, according to a press kit handout. (Above- MMA Creative’s McCloud addresses reception guests.)

Additionally, City signage and promotional materials will have to be updated with the new brand/logo, to include promotional material for public events. McCloud stated that a realistic timeframe for full implementation can be as long as two years. Gathering cost estimates for replacing current signage and all existing promotional materials will begin soon. Meanwhile, the City will begin encouraging businesses and local community groups to start using the new City brand/logo where and when appropriate in promoting their own respective events or activities.

(Mike Kopp, MMA Creative VP of Public Affairs Strategy displays the City’s new Brand.)

The technical development aspects having been dispensed with, McCloud began the unveiling. From his laptop he opened a projected animation which displayed the city’s name in large blue lettering against a white background. Then in the lower right-hand corner a small compass dial appeared and started to spin. Finally, a red compass needle materializes, rotates and settles True North, representing the “I” in Clarksville, as red lettering materializes below the city’s name, proclaiming, “Tennessee’s Top Spot!”. With that, a large easel billboard was turned around to show the new brand in hard copy. See photo above. “Clarksville – Tennessee’s Top Spot!” was launched. Commemorative key chains emblazoned with the new brand/logo in white lettering on a blue background, were then made available to the guests.

There was no media coverage from Nashville; only local media outlets were present.

Faces at the reception

Business seminar

• HR Certificate—Part 3 will meet from 6–8 p.m., Thursdays, April 17–May 15 in APSU’s Clement Building, Room 157. (course $120, supply $8)

Languages

• Japanese Language and Culture—Part 2 will meet from 6–8 p.m., Mondays, April 14–May 19 at a location to be determined. (course $135, supply $10)

Computer software applications

• MS Excel Intermediate will meet from 6–8 p.m., Mondays and Wednesdays, April 21–May 5 at 106 Public Square, Clarksville. (course $122, lab $5, text $34)

• MS Access Basics will meet from 6–8 p.m., Tuesdays and Thursdays, April 22–May 6 at 106 Public Square, Clarksville. (course $122, lab $5, text $34)

Test preparation

• ACT Prep will meet from 9 a.m.–noon, Saturdays, April 19–May 17 at 106 Public Square, Clarksville. (course $141, lab $5, text $32)

TSBDC

• Business Bookkeeping will meet from 6–8 p.m., Tuesdays and Thursdays, April 22–May 1 in APSU’s Claxton Building, Room 113. (course $95, text $11)

• Building Your Business Foundation will meet from 10 a.m.–noon, Tuesday, April 29 at Fort Campbell, Ky., ACAP Center. (free)

Parenting, health and safety courses

• Parents, Children and Divorce, the court-mandated seminar for divorcing parents, will meet in Montgomery County from 9 a.m.–1 p.m., Saturday, April 19 in APSU’s Claxton Building, Room 116. (course $35, text $15)

• STEP Light – For Women will meet from 6–8 p.m., Mondays, April 21–June 2 at the Family Guidance Training Institute Inc., Clarksville. (course $174, text $25)

• Parents, Children and Divorce, the court-mandated seminar for divorcing parents, will meet in Dickson County from 9 a.m.–1 p.m., Saturday, April 26 at the Renaissance Center, Room 220. (course $35, text $15)

New online classes start every month. For details about online classes, visit the Web site at http://www.ed2go.com/apsu.

The Center also offers year-round online certificate programs in administrative medical specialist, advanced medical coding for the physician’s office, medical transcription, Cisco, CCNA, travel agent and paralegal training. Financial aid is available. For more information, contact the Center by telephone at (931) 221-7816 or visit http://www.apsu.edu/ext_ed.

Precious Metals Theft Bill Overwhelmingly Passes Out of House
New Legislation brings much needed regulation and tougher penalties

NASHVILLE (Mar. 20) – This week the House of Representatives overwhelmingly passed a bill that brings new regulations to the scrap metal industry and tougher penalties on violators.

“With the price of copper going up over 400% in just five years, scrap metal theft has become the new way to score big bucks,” said Chairman Mike McDonald (D-Portland), prime sponsor of the legislation. “This new legislation will significantly limit a thief’s ability to sell the metal he’s stolen and, if he still tries to do it, we’ll be able to track him down pretty quickly.”

Under the new legislation, scrap metal dealers who buy and sell in precious metals may not buy or otherwise acquire metal from anyone who does not present a valid state or federally issued photo ID and may not sell to anyone under 18. Dealers must also require a thumbprint record of a person who wishes to sell scrap metal to the dealer, and a record of that transaction with detailed information must be kept on site for at least three years. Dealers will also need to register with the Department of Commerce. First and second violations will result in a Class A misdemeanor charge, with a third violations resulting in a Class E Felony.

“These new regulations mean law enforcement can now aggressively track stolen copper and other precious metals,” McDonald said. “Thieves wanting to sell their loot will have to register with the dealer, which I’m fairly sure isn’t something they will want to do.”

HB2433 passed with a vote of 90-0-2, with two members present not voting. The bill will now be sent to the governor for his signature and will take effect on October 1 of this year.

Education Bills On Calendar for Full Committee This Week

A number of bills focusing on the spending of lottery surplus dollars are expected to be heard in the full House Education Committee this week. One of the primary bills House Democrats are supporting is a bill that would reduce the retention requirement for the HOPE Lottery Scholarship from a 3.0 to 2.75. Currently over 70% of incoming freshman who qualify for the HOPE Scholarship lose the funding after the first year.

“Hope is what this lottery scholarship is supposed to bring to thousands of Tennesseans trying to achieve the American dream of a college degree,” said Education Chairman Les Winningham (D-Huntsville). “How are we bringing hope to our students when more than two-thirds are not able to maintain the required GPA? It doesn’t add up.”

Two other bills also expected to be presented this week are the Helping Heroes Act and the Rural Health Act. The Helping Heroes Act specifically targets Tennessee’s Iraq and Afghanistan veterans who are returning from service overseas and finding that the current GI Bill only covers about 65% of the total cost of college.

“It is unbelievable that our fighting men and women, who already sacrifice so much in their service to this country, are coming home to find out that college is just not possible like it was for the greatest generation coming home from World War II,” Winningham said. “We must do better for our veterans, and this bill helps bridge a gap that the federal government has been unwilling to pay for.”

Under the terms of the bill, Tennessee’s military veterans who qualify for the GI Bill would receive an additional $1,000 per semester for up to the four-year period required to graduate.

The Rural Health Act of 2008 looks to fix a problem that is plaguing many of Tennessee’s rural counties. Every year it becomes increasingly harder to find medical professionals willing to come out to rural communities and practice medicine. With medical school so expensive and the healthcare industry in such turmoil, future doctors and nurses have little incentive to give up the high-paying city life.

“People in rural parts of this state shouldn’t be forced to drive two and three hours just to get to the nearest medical professional,” said Representative Eddie Yokley (D-Greeneville). “We need to give our doctors and nurses more incentive to seek out careers beyond the major cities.”

With the Rural Health Act, for every year that a medical student commits to practicing medicine in a designated rural community in Tennessee, that student would receive one year of tuition funding. The bill provides a win-win for the community and for the students. Students can receive the funding that many so desperately need, while rural communities can have access to some of the best and brightest doctors and nurses available without the long commute into town.

“The more we work towards improving our education system, from pre-K to college, the better the long-term prognosis of our state,” Yokley said. “It all starts with education.”

Both bills are slated to be heard next week.

The organization, Power to the People, in a complaint to the special litigation section of the DOJ, charges that children detained at the Chad Youth Enhancement Center are subjected to “horrid” conditions and “cruel mistreatment.” Located in Ashland City, the juvenile prison houses about 90 troubled youth between the ages of 7 and 17, a large number of whom are black.
Universal Health Care of King-of-Prussia, PA, owns and operates the Chad facility and Hermitage Hall in Nashville for 100 mentally disabled youth. Both facilities are licensed by the state of Tennessee, but youth from the state have not been sent to either of the juvenile prisons since the deaths at Chad.

The Chad Youth Enhancement Center and Hermitage Hall have been the subjects of recent exposes written by Nashville Scene reporter Elizabeth Ulrich in articles published Nov. 8 and Dec.13 of last year.

According to Ulrich, a counselor at Hermitage Hall used excessive force against a boy in 2006. Staff pulled the counselor off the boy before the child was injured. The counselor was later fired, but he was not prosecuted for battery, nor was Hermitage Hall punished or fined by state regulators.

In its complaint against Chad, Power to the People maintains that Linda Harris, a 14-year-old black girl from New York, was brutally beaten and choked to death in 2005 by counselors within a week of her arrival at the facility. A similar case occurred in 2007, according to Power to the People, in the fatal choking of Omega Leach III, a 16-year-old boy from Philadelphia, who died after he was attacked by counselors within a month of his arrival at Chad.

Among the allegations listed in Power to the People’s complaint against the Chad Youth Enhancement Center are:

• Excessive use of force by staff constituting “cruel and unusual punishment.”
• Cover-up or refusal by state officials to take the necessary action against Chad officials.
• Forced drugging and behavior modification of children by counselors.
• Excessive use of force with the controversial “Handle With Care” choke-hold restraint method, which has caused other deaths in addition to the ones cited in the complaint.
• Creating a climate of fear and intimidation to rule over the youth.
• Unlawful use of choking and other violence as a punitive device.

Power to the People has asked the Justice Department to:

1. suspend or end all federal funding to the Tennessee Departments of Mental Health and Developmental Disabilities and Children’s Services, which license Chad and Hermitage Hall;
2. sue Universal Health Care for “operating unsafe, abusive and criminal operations” at both facilities in violation of the U.S. Civil Rights of Institutionalized Persons Act, and
3. initiate criminal prosecutions for the deaths of the two children.

These complaints against mistreatment of juveniles at detention facilities were discussed at a community forum on the mass criminalization of black youth sponsored by Power to the People on Jan. 19 in Nashville.

Note: The Nashville Scene articles about Hermitage Hall and the Chad Youth Enhancement Center may be found on the Internet at:

* http://www.nashvillescene.com/Stories/News/2007/12/13/Bad_Medicine/
* www.nashvillescene.com/Stories/Cover_Story/2007/11/08/Handle_With_Care/

Power to the People! can be contacted at P.O. Box 60251, Nashville, TN 37206 or by e-mailing

This article was redistributed by Terry McMoore of the Urban Resource Center.

The MLK holiday for some was just a day-off, but for members of the NAACP, it was a day-on. By this I mean a day set aside to pay homage to a man who made a tremendous difference in the way we live today. Believe it or not, there were some who chose simply to forget the contributions he made to freedom irregardless of race, creed or national origin.

We, the NAACP, chose to devote quality time to keep the dream alive by attending religious services, preparing and presenting workshops and marching. Although the march was symbolic, it had its relevance to society as we know it today.

As some of us reflect back to the days of the 60’s, we know the meaning behind the marches and the songs we sung. During that period, each song carried a distinct meaning and each step symbolized moving just a little closer to realizing the goal of equality; equality in education, economics, politics, as well as social recognitions.

We have not made it to the mountaintop yet, but we still strive. We strive to be the best citizens, best employees, best neighbors and best friends to members of our community. We strive to make sure our children get the best possible education, healthcare, and are equipped to assimilate into the spheres of adulthood. We strive to live our life in a way that serves as an icon to our peers as well as our subordinates. We strive to hold those accountable who are elected to represent our best interest.

The holiday has ended but our commitment to fight the fight of justice for all continues. It continues because we still have flaws in our fabrics. The fabric of democracy is going through a process of renewal. If she is to successfully complete that cycle, each of us have a role to play in mending it. As we look forward to the rest of 2008, let us focus on the greatness of the deeds done by Dr. King. His sacrifice, commitment and willingness to go to jail to help right the wrongs that were being inflicted upon the poor.

We are a great nation, great state, great city and most of all a great people. May God truly bless America in 2008.

Jimmie Garland, Sr.

Editor’s Note: Jimmie Garland is a contributor for Clarksville Online.

Coalition group to meet 6 p.m. today in APSU’s Clement Auditorium, in lieu of the previously planned city meeting…City Council members invited to attend…

Clarksville Mayor Johnny Piper, has taken a bold step and reversed direction on the “blight” ordinance. He has decided to cancel a community meeting that was scheduled for Thursday evening at Austin Peay State University, where members of the Downtown District Partnership were to review the Clarksville Center Redevelopment Plan. The meeting was planned to allow the DDP the opportunity to inform property owners in the redevelopment area about the plan that they developed and recommended to the City Council.

“I have great concerns about how this was handled and presented to the City Council by the DDP,” Mayor Piper

The Mayor’s office has received many phone calls and comments from concerned residents over the past few weeks on this issue. In addition, the formation of the Clarksville Property Rights Coalition (CPRC), fueled by angry residents of the downtown area, and two standing room-only grassroots public meetings, provided a highly visible evidence of public discontent with the ordinance and the way it was developed and presented.

Piper had been asked to allow a statement of concerns from affected property owners to be read at that hearing but denied that request. Tonight he announced the cancellation of the meeting and suggested errors in the planning and the passage of this ordinance:

“I began studying this issue when the concerns from the property owners were first raised. I looked at other redevelopment districts across the state and today I visited with government leaders in Knoxville, where over 20 redevelopment plans have been created and adopted, to discuss how theirs were created.” — Mayor Piper

The Mayor’s research shows that the previous leadership of the DDP and other participants did not follow due diligence in the way they prepared and presented the Clarksville Center Redevelopment Plan. In addition, there may be some instances where they did not follow state law. Tennessee state law requires that a public hearing be held on all redevelopment districts and that property owners be notified in advance and in writing.

Speaking on behalf of the Clarksville Property Rights Coalition, Atty. John Summers (seen below right speaking with residents at the 12.17.07 CPRC meeting) said:

“The members of the Steering Committee of the Clarksville Property Rights Coalition feel somewhat vindicated by the Mayor’s admission that the Clarksville Center Redevelopment Plan as adopted is legally flawed, something they have been stating for weeks.”

Summers said “the claims by the Downtown District Partnership that the information put forth by the CPRC was “blatantly false and misleading” have been proven to be inaccurate” and the CPRC was justified in its concerns.

“But the responsibility for enacting the Redevelopment Plan falls squarely on this Mayor and this Council, because they were the ones that enacted the ordinance. It is their responsibility to enact ordinances that comply with state law and protects the rights of citizens and they did neither in this case.”

“Once enacted it became the city’s plan and their plan. They have a duty to ensure that the plan meets the requirements from the state and protects the citizens of the city. We strongly urge the council to repeal this plan, as soon as possible, in it’s entirety. There is no justification for leaving it on the books as it is null and void. What needs to occur before any other redevelopment plan is considered is to have a full and open and thorough discussion of all of its aspects.” — John Summers

Mayor Piper said he will make a recommendation to the City Council to amend the ordinance and to also hold a public hearing so that those affected can voice their opinions and concerns.

Summers, stating that the “only fair way to solve this divisive issue is to repeal the current Plan in its entirety,” rebutted the idea of amending the plan. He said:

“Consideration of any new redevelopment proposal should only occur after there has been open and extensive community meetings where the impact, boundaries, and other issues are relating to the Plan have been fully presented and some consensus has been reached in support of it by those directly impacted by the Plan. To try to simply patch up the current Plan ordinance in a effort to correct its legal flaws will only increase the distrust and anger in the community and will result in costly litigation. “

NAACP President and civil rights advocate Jimmie Garland, a panelist at the first grassroots meeting [HOPE Center] organized around this issue, said he was pleasantly surprised to hear that Mayor Piper had canceled the meeting and said “there should not have been a need to meet in the first place. Ever since I became aware of this issue I have sensed the flaws associated with both the authoring and implementation of the PLAN.” He also made clear that the Clarksville NAACP had their own issues with the plan as codified:

“…felt the plan would be devastating to the minority population of Ward 6. Why? Because the PLAN, as written and approved, would have ultimately rendered the downtown void of a large percentage of its current minority population. Especially since it is the only super minority majority Ward within the city of Clarksville. That being so, it would be unethical for our city leaders to allow personal greed to pre-empt their responsibility to protect the voting rights citizens of Lincoln Homes, Red River District and select portions of Dog Hill communities.

Garland (at left) expressed relief that the process is being placed in a position of reconsideration and voiced hope that the City Council will rescind the biased ordinance and focus on other areas within the city that truly needs their attention. He cited crime, homelessness, and bringing more diversity into city government.

“If Clarksville intends to measure up to our slogan, “The Gateway to the New South”, she needs to start by becoming inclusive,” Garland concluded.

Terry McMoore (right), Director of the Urban Resource Center and sponsor of the Dec. 14 HOPE Center meeting, said “the community response has been very strong and I am sure that the high percentage of bloggers on various media outlets local and statewide sent a message to City Hall that the people won’t be intimidated into turning over their property rights.”

McMoore urged caution, though:

“…let’s not start the celebration too soon. Let’s not forget that this is the same administration that accused the people of putting out misleading information and that they, the City, were abiding by all state laws when they voted for this ordinance.

“Are they, the city, willing to take this small defeat in hopes that we, the people, will put down our guards, stop fighting, go home and sit in front of the TV eating ice cream while they come around the corner on us with a new plan that still takes our property rights away. The battle is still on people, so we don’t have time to sleep.”

The issue of redevelopment is not over, CPRC spokesman John Summers cautioned. The Coalition (CPRC) will conduct their own informational and organizational meeting in place of the DDP meeting and urges all residents to attend and become better informed about the issue, its potential impact, and what may transpire as the ordinance is reviewed, amended or rescinded. (at left, photo of Train Station hearing, 12.17.07)

The CPRC meeting will be held 6 p.m. today in APSU’s Clement Auditorium