Al and Emily Cantrell

Contra dance refers to several partnered folk dance styles, in which couples dance in two facing lines. A caller guides new and experienced dancers through a variety of dances. A dancer and his or her partner dance a series of figures, or moves, with each other and with another couple for a short period of time. They then repeat the same figures with the next couple. In the late 17th century, English country dances were introduced to French court dancing. The merging of the two styles resulted in contra dance. Eventually, it was westernized in the United States, giving way to the popular square dance.

Click here to view the embedded video.

The Cantrells in the Robert Redford film "A River Runs Through It"

The Cantrells have been touring their original folk and bluegrass music in concerts and festivals since 1985. They have recorded CD’s with Bela Fleck, Jerry Douglas and Mark Schatz of Nickel Creek. Emily and Al were hand-picked by Robert Redford for his film A River Runs Through It. Previously, the Cantrells instructed a workshop at the Customs House on the history of Tennessee music.

Susan Kevra began calling and teaching traditional dances in 1991. She has worked throughout America and across the Atlantic. She is a member of the English Country Dance Band and author of “Trip to Phan Reel” and “The Country of Marriage.” Susan resides in Nashville, where she teaches at Vanderbilt University.

The Customs House Museum’s Harvest dance is funded in part from a Tennessee Arts Commission grant. Ticket prices are $25 for couples and $15 for individuals. Tickets for the event can be purchased at the door on the night of the dance. The Customs House Museum is located at 200 South Second Street in historic downtown Clarksville. Museum hours are 10 am to 5 pm Tuesday through Saturday and 1 pm to 5 pm on Sundays. Admissions for entry are $5 adults, $4 Senior citizens, $2 college students, $1 ages 6 – 18, and free under age 6.

Yousuf Karsh was known as the master of studio lighting. He had a gift for capturing the essence of his subject. Throughout his career, Karsh used a 1940’s 8 x 10 bellows Calumet camera. One of his trademark techniques was to light the subject’s hands separately.

Picasso - Karsh Yousuf

His portrait of Winston Churchill catapulted Karsh to fame when it was sold to Life magazine. This portrait is included in the museum’s exhibit. Also included are Albert Einstein, Pablo Picasso, Muhammad Ali, and others. At first glance, the images staring back you appear more as charcoal renderings than photographs. Yousuf Karsh went on to win numerous awards and publish fifteen books of his work. His photographs can be found in such collections as the Art Institute of Chicago, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, and the International Museum of Photography. In 2000, Karsh was named as one of the 100 most notable people of the century by the International Who’s Who.

In conjunction with the exhibit, the museum will offer programming through November and December, including two opportunities to enjoy your lunch while screening the films Picasso: Magic, Sex, Death and Masters of Photography: Andre Kertesz. The adjacent Bruner gallery hosts an interactive portrait exhibit during the run of the Karsh collection.

The exhibit will run through January 4, 2010.

About the Customs House Museum

The Customs House Museum is the second largest general museum in the state of Tennessee, located at the corner of Second and Commerce Streets. Regular museum hours are 10 am to 5 pm Tuesday through Saturday, and 1 to 5 pm on Sundays. Adult admission is $5, Sr. Citizens $4, College ID $2, Ages 6 to 18 $1, and under six is free. For more information on above events, or interest in purchasing all or part of the collection, contact Terri Jordan, Community Relations Director, at 931-648-5780 or .

“Milking the Rhino” tells a nuanced tale of human-wildlife coexistence in post-colonial Africa. The Maasai tribe of Kenya and Namibia’s Himba—two of Earth’s oldest cattle cultures—are in the midst of upheaval. Emerging from a century of “white man conservation,” which turned their lands into game reserves and fueled resentment towards wildlife, Himba and Maasai communities are now vying for a piece of the wildlife-tourism pie. Community-based conservation, which tries to balance the needs of wildlife and people, has been touted by environmentalists as “win-win.” The reality, however, is more complex. “A rhino means nothing to me! I can’t kill it for meat like a cow.” And when drought decimates the grass shared by livestock and wildlife, the community’s commitment to conservation is sorely tested.

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David E Simpson reviewing footage

David E. Simpson has crafted award-winning films for 25 years. As a producer, director and editor he plies his trade in the belief that a well-told story can move viewers’ hearts and minds regarding crucial, human issues. David co-produced and directed “When Billy Broke His Head,” a documentary about disability culture that won the Sundance Film Festival’s Freedom of Expression Award. David directed “Refrigerator Mothers,” about a generation of mothers who raised autistic children under the shadow of professionally-promoted mother-blame. The film won top honors at the Florida, Indiana, and Sedona film festivals and aired on the PBS series P.O.V. David also produced and directed “Halsted Street, USA,” a multi-award-winning snapshot of America through the prism of one multicultural street. His experimental narrative, “Dante’s Dream,” a re-working of Dante’s cosmology, earned five 1st place festival awards.

The Southern Circuit Tour of Independent Filmmakers is a program of the Southern Arts Federation, a not-for-profit regional arts organization making a positive difference in the arts throughout the South since 1975. Southern Arts Federation is supported by funding and programming partnerships with the National Endowment for the Arts and the state arts agencies of Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Tennessee. Special support for Southern Circuit is provided by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. For more information on the Southern Arts Federation and its programs visit www.southarts.org.

About the Customs House Museum

The Customs House Museum is located in downtown historic Clarksville. Hours are 10 am to 5 pm Tuesday through Saturday, and 1 to 5pm on Sundays. Admission fees are $5 adults, $4 Senior citizens, $2 college ID, $1 ages 6 to 18. Children under 6 are free. The museum is free on Sundays

]]> http://www.clarksvilleonline.com/2009/11/02/%e2%80%9cmilking-the-rhino%e2%80%9d-chronicles-the-struggles-of-wildlife-conservation-in-africa/feed/ 0 http://www.clarksvilleonline.com/2009/09/25/%e2%80%9cpants-on-fire%e2%80%9d-shares-the-humorous-misadventures-of-struggling-actor-in-l-a/ http://www.clarksvilleonline.com/2009/09/25/%e2%80%9cpants-on-fire%e2%80%9d-shares-the-humorous-misadventures-of-struggling-actor-in-l-a/#comments Fri, 25 Sep 2009 22:55:06 +0000 News Staff http://www.clarksvilleonline.com/?p=25977 The Customs House Museum and Austin Peay State University present “Pants on Fire” with Producer/Director Colin Campbell as part of the Southern Arts Federation’s Southern Circuit Tour of Independent Filmmakers in the museum’s theater on October third at 2 pm. Admission to the screening is free. Following a screening of his feature film, “Pants on Fire,” Campbell will engage the audience in a discussion about the film and his work as a filmmaker,

“Pants on Fire” tells the story of Brad Spoofer, a pathological liar on a quest for glory. Brad quit the Feed Barn Etc. back in Nebraska and moved to L.A. to become a movie star. His Hollywood career, however, has been a dismal failure. He’s the guy on the street corner dressed like a pirate and hawking mattresses. To save face, he’s been telling his naïve friends back home that he’s a movie star whose blockbusters are all about to be released in theaters. When his buddies decide to surprise him with a road trip to L.A., he has to scramble to prop up the illusion. Luckily, he scores a house-sitting gig for a wealthy couple in Bel Air and is able to keep the lie going, until he foolishly claims to be friends with the guy who played Pedro in “Napoleon Dynamite.” His awed buddies clamor to meet their idol. In the meantime, Brad has fallen for Lucy, a cute painter who decorates trash cans for a living and who mistakenly assumes Brad is a rich actor living in the hills. As his lies multiply and his checks bounce, he has to dodge the thug who took his headshots and never got paid, woo the girl, keep his job and, somehow, deliver Pedro.

A scene from Pants on Fire

Colin Campbell

Colin Campbell is a writer and director for theater and film. He was nominated for an Academy Award for his short film, “Seraglio,” which he wrote, directed and produced with his wife, Gail Lerner. “Seraglio” also won Deauville’s Grand Prix and First Place Audience Award at Algarve International Film Festival and the New Haven Film Festival, and ran for two years on HBO. His screenplay, “Harrow Lake,” was chosen for Film Independent’s 2005 Screenwriters Lab and was recently optioned by Paranormal Media. Colin regularly writes and directs for Instant Films, where he’s won Best Writer, Best Director and numerous Best Film Awards. “Pants on Fire” is his feature directing debut.

The Southern Circuit Tour of Independent Filmmakers is a program of the Southern Arts Federation, a not-for-profit regional arts organization making a positive difference in the arts throughout the South since 1975. Southern Arts Federation is supported by funding and programming partnerships with the National Endowment for the Arts and the state arts agencies of Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Tennessee. Special support for Southern Circuit is provided by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. For more information on the Southern Arts Federation and its programs visit www.southarts.org.

The Customs House Museum is located in historic downtown Clarksville. Museum hours are 10 am to 5 pm, Tuesday through Saturday, and 1 to 5 pm on Sundays. Admission fees are adults $5, Sr. citizens $4, college ID $2, 6 to 18 years $1, and free for those under 6 years.

Alan LeQuire's Dream Forest (Photo by: Amy Anderson)

The Fall Equinox Writers Hour is in conjunction with artist Alan LeQuire’s installation Dream Forest. LeQuire is an international artist whose work is highly sought after. LeQuire is best known for creating Athena, one of the largest indoor sculptures in the western world, located in Nashville’s Parthenon. Alan’s work includes Tennessee’s Vietnam Veterans’ Memorial and a large bronze relief for the Tennessee State Capitol. Included in his many awards and commendations are a Tennessee Governor’s Citation in 1987 and the American Institute of Architects Design Award for Athena Parthenos.

With this exhibit, Alan LeQuire has merged environmental beauty with the human form, something he believes all viewers respond to as far as subject matter in art. The large textured forms of “Dream Forest” morph gracefully into classical Italian torsos reminiscent of the works LeQuire apprenticed under in his early years. The sculptures flow into the forest floor with poetic narration. The vision completes with eight-foot woodcut prints and a suspended forest ceiling.

“Dream Forest” has made its debut in the transformed Crouch Gallery of the museum.

LeQuire has designed his newest works specific to this space. He says of the show “My goal is to take my usual concrete concerns such as form, texture and spatial relationships, and to place them in a setting that conveys a dreamlike state of consciousness, where ideas are born and all is in a state of flux. I want to explore how this environment changes and affects solid form. I want the viewer to experience something more than sculpture as object. These sculptures will convey a living presence within a space that is deeply significant.”

The exhibit will run through September 27, 2009. The Customs House Museum is the second largest general museum in the state of Tennessee, located at the corner of Second and Commerce Streets. For more information on above event, or if you are interested in reading your works, contact Terri Jordan, Community Relations Director, at 931-648-5780 or .

On June 18, 1964 a white hotel owner in St. Augustine, Florida, poured acid in a swimming pool filled with black and white youth conducting a civil rights demonstration. Photographs of this horrific incident were on the front page of every major newspaper around the world and broke the filibuster in the Senate allowing President Johnson to sign the Civil Rights Act into law. With rarely seen news footage and revealing interviews, “Dare Not Walk Alone” uncovers the untold story of the St. Augustine movement that led to this historic legislation. But far from a history lesson, the film also looks at the aftermath of desegregation and the grim realities of life today on streets where those campaigns were fought, in a place that symbolizes what Barack Obama has called “the gap between the promise of our ideals and the reality of our time.” This film has been called the “Civil Rights film for the modern age” and in the end we see signs of hope and reconciliation as well as a challenge to take the next step forward.

Click here to view the embedded video.

An award-winning film, “Dare Not Walk Alone” has screened at numerous festivals, including the Atlanta Film Festival, Cinequest Film Festival, Fort Lauderdale International Film Festival, Florida Film Festival, Jacksonville Film Festival, Sarasota International Film Festival, Connecticut Film Festival, San Francisco Black Film Festival, and the Western New York Black Film Festival. The film received the Audience Award from Deep Focus Film Festival in Columbus, Ohio.

The Southern Circuit Tour of Independent Filmmakers is a program of the Southern Arts Federation, a not-for-profit regional arts organization making a positive difference in the arts throughout the South since 1975.  Southern Arts Federation is supported by funding and programming partnerships with the National Endowment for the Arts and the state arts agencies of Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Tennessee. Special support for Southern Circuit is provided by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. For more information on the Southern Arts Federation and its programs visit www.southarts.org.

The film is the first in the series. Addition films will be shown at the museum in October and November. The spring tour will take place at Austin Peay University. While all films are free, donations will be accepted for this and other film programming. Vanderbilt University is also participating in the Southern Circuit Tour. Their first screening is September 17th at 7 pm with the film “Let Them Know: The Story of Youth Brigade and B.Y.O. Records.”

The Customs House Museum is located at 200 South Second Street in Historic downtown Clarksville. Museum hours are Tuesday through Saturday, 10 am to 5 pm. Admission to the museum is $5 adults, $4 senior citizens, $2 college students, $1 ages 6 to 18, and under 6 free. Information on exhibits and events can be found at www.customshousemuseum.org.

The evening’s activities will include a silent auction and following the dinner, a live auction with items that include art by Suta Lee and Olen Bryant, a Titans “Weekend for Two,” and a Big Green Egg grill. The signature piece for this year’s auction was created by David Redmond, who is a retired dentist living in the Memphis area with ties to Clarksville. Redmond recently exhibited his watercolors at the Customs House Museum.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Dinner will be provided by Passport Catering of Nashville, with music by Floyd the Barber.

Tickets are $100 for museum members; $150 for non-members. Further information, contact: Linda Maki, 648-5780.

The Lewis publication is the third exhibit catalog produced by BLF Marketing and Customs House Museum to win top TAM honors. The catalog Olen Bryant: A Retrospective Reelfoot Lake: Tradition, Mystery & Lore won the top award in 2006.

TAM awards are intended to recognize, encourage, and promote excellence within the Tennessee museum community. The Lewis catalog won in the category of publications produced by medium-sized museums. Factors considered by TAM included content, design, writing, art/photos, appeal, quality, concept, originality and successfulness, as measured in published reviews or other documentation.

Lewis’ woodcarvings and stone sculptures have made him one of Kentucky’s most celebrated folk artists. The Folk Art Society of America named Lewis their Artist of the Year in 2007.

The Customs House Museum is located in Clarksville’s historic downtown district, and is the second largest general museum in Tennessee.

About BLF Marketing

BLF Marketing focuses its strategic, analytical and creative expertise in the industries of banking, business-to-business, home building, healthcare, economic development and tourism. Founded in 1978, this 20-person firm orchestrates successful marketing endeavors for clients in six states.

The Customs House Museum’s Women’s History Month has been extended through June 28th. This special collaborative exhibit, Underneath and Overcoming, is a three part installation created by the museum’s Community Relations Director, Terri Jordan. The exhibit meshes together a visual interpretation of where woman have come from in dress and attitude. Working with poet and author R. MonaLeza and photojournalist David Farmerie, the installation can be summarized as what happens when you put an artist, a writer, and a photographer together in one room. As viewers peruse pieces from the museum collection and the images of Farmerie’s Seven Deadly Sins series, they can read the edited poetic writing of Mona’s on the coordinating panels.

David Farmerie’s documentary and humanistic work is at the core of his profession as a photographer. In 1990 he decided to engage, predominantly, in photographic projects that add to the ‘greater good’ of humanity. Through his documentary images David explores the mysteries and stories of the world’s cultures and people. Through his humanistic images, he captures moments in order to teach, and to gain understanding through the frozen moments of the images, allowing for introspection and ponder. David’s recent work has included a photographic story entitled Roadside Redemption and the documentary Tobacco Farming: An American Tradition. The Customs House Museum exhibit, Underneath and Overcoming, is his first exhibition of the Seven Deadly Sins series.

The Customs House Museum is the second largest general museum in Tennessee. The museum is located at the corner of Commerce and Second Streets, in historic downtown Clarksville.

This is the fifth year of the festival that celebrates the history and traditions of railroading in Montgomery County.  Saturday admission is $5.00 for adults, $2 for students 6-18 and college students with ID. Children 5 and under, as well as members of the museum and the Montgomery County Historical Society, will be admitted free. Admission tickets can be purchased at either location that Saturday. 

Visitors are invited to wear railroad attire. Hours at both locations for Saturday events are 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. “Saturday Only” events at the museum include: model train workshops, movies and videos, and a test track for visitors to use for their engines.

On Saturday only, members of the Montgomery County Historical Society will be at the depot to explain and answer questions about railroad history. Costumed story-tellers will share stories about local rail happenings. The depot features a real engine and caboose, which are available for viewing on both days. The refinished ticket master’s office will also be open both days. On hand will be a paper model displays of railway artillery from the Civil War to the World War Two German 36 inch behemoth Dora, also known as Big Bertha, and a Civil War railroad display of Clarksville. On Sunday, both locations will be open from 1 – 4 p.m. and admission will be free.

Several running layouts will be featured at both sites on Sunday, as well as on Saturday. The train theme at the museum continues on May 7th with the “Let’s Find” monthly program for preschoolers, moms’ clubs, and daycare groups searching the building for locomotives. An added bonus is a visit from the volunteer train engineers. “Let’s Find” is free to museum members. Non-members can participate by paying the regular museum admission plus one dollar per child. Reservations are requested for this event.

The Customs House Museum is the second largest general museum in the state of Tennessee. Located at the corner of Second and Commerce Streets, it is open to the public Tuesday through Sunday.

For more information on above events, contact Sue Lewis, Curator of Education, at 931-648-5780 or

The proceeds go to the Arts and Heritage Development Council in Clarksville.  These calendars are very popular, and make lovely Christmas gifts that last the entire year.

This coming Monday, the Seasons Gift Shop (in Museum) has a 20% off sale on any one item.  The sale runs from 11 AM to 2 PM.

Evening Light by Heidi Hopkins

The Friends of Photography’s current show, Spirit of Light, will be exhibited through February 15. 

'Old Friends' watercolors by David Redmond

'Doorways' by Shana Thornton - Morris

Located in the heart of historic downtown Clarksville, Tennessee, the Customs House Museum and Cultural Center is the State’s second largest general museum, with over 35,000 square feet of the exhibition space for both hands-on activities and special events.

Open to the public Tuesday through Saturday from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. and Sundays from 1:00 to 5:00 p.m.  Closed on Mondays and major holidays.

Please note: on Sundays, the Bubble Room and Explorer’s Floor will close at 4:00 p.m. The Galleries remain open until 5:00 p.m.

Admission is free to Museum members. Adults $5.00; seniors (55+) $4.00; college students with picture ID $2.00; children ages 6 through 18, $1.00; no charge for children under age 6. Every Sunday is free general admission! Children under age 14 must be accompanied by an adult at all times and in all areas of the Museum.

Free parking for Museum visitors is available behind the Museum at the top of the hill.

For more information, call the museum at 931-648-5780.

'Allosaurus' photo by Carl Wilson

Arts Build Communities (ABC) is a program funded by the Tennessee General Assembly and administered by the Clarksville Arts & Heritage Development Council (AHDC) in cooperation with the Tennessee Arts Commission (TAC). ABC grants offer financial support for arts projects in all disciplines such as dance, music, opera/musical theater, theater, visual arts, design arts, crafts, photography, media arts, literature, interdisciplinary, and folk arts. Funds awarded to a single organization in this grant category range from $500 to $3,000. Eligible organizations in the counties of Montgomery, Dickson, Houston, Humphreys and Stewart can apply for these grant funds. In order to be eligible, applicants must be state-recognized non-profit (501c3) organizations or government entities (including public schools and libraries) and must be able to provide a dollar-for-dollar match toward the single proposed project. In addition, the proposed project or program must occur between October 15, 2008, and June 15, 2009.

Interested applicants can download grant guidelines and an application form on TAC’s website at www.arts.state.tn.us/community_arts_abc.htm.

Completed ABC applications can be either mailed or hand-delivered to the Clarksville Arts & Heritage Development Council; mailed applications must be postmarked by 4:30 pm on Friday, August 29, 2008. A representative from the applying organization should be present at an open panel review on Thursday, October 2, 2008, at the Customs House Museum in Clarksville to answer questions that may arise about the application or proposed project. Awards will then be announced in mid-October.

Last year, twelve groups in Montgomery, Dickson, Houston, Humphreys and Stewart counties received some $16,159 in funding through these grants (although the Arts & Heritage Development Council received nearly $30,000 in requests, making it a very competitive year). Since ABC awards are not restricted to arts organizations, this grant program brings the arts to a larger segment of the community through arts projects at public schools, libraries, and other service organizations.

For more information, please contact Diane Batson-Smith, Executive Director of the Clarksville Arts & Heritage Development Council, at (931)551-8870 or .

Help is needed to bag seedlings at the Museum on Thursday, March 6th, from 3 to 5 pm to prepare for the Seedling Give-a-Way.

Then on March 15, an Official Arbor Day Ceremony will be held at Barkers Mill Elementary School from 1-4 pm . Bring your shovels, rakes, gloves & wheel-barrows and volunteer for tree planting & mulching.

For more information or to volunteer contact Dottie Mann, the Tree Board Chair at

The Clarksville, Tennessee City Council met yesterday in an executive session that was led by Mayor pro tem Barbara Johnson. The meeting covered a variety of topics ranging from flood plain issues, zoning and even touched on eminent domain while not specifically addressing the recent blight declaration controversy. Some agenda items did not generate discussion and these are not covered in this report.

To view the full agenda, please see: The City Council’s agenda page.

Ordinance 68-2007-08

First on the agenda was the first reading of Ordinance 68-2007-08 which was to bring the city code into compliance with the new FEMA insurance rate maps. The changes are intended is to allow the city to continue participating in the national flood insurance program which is administrated by FEMA. Many of the changes are already in place in other sections of the city code such as the storm water plan.

Ordinance 67-2007-2008

There was one zoning change covered this evening. Ordinance 67-2007-08 was a request by Twosome Partners GP to amend property located at the intersection of Tiny Town road and Needmore road from R-1a Single family residential district to O-1 Office-Medical-Institutional-Civic District. The recommendation was to reject the change requested. There were two comments by the public which discussed resident concerns about worsening traffic issues already present on Tiny Town road. Twosome Partners GP did submit a traffic study which suggested that there would be no worsening of traffic issues. Twosome Partners originally requested a R-4 Multiple Family Residential District for an Apartment development, city council members noted that the O-1 zoning would still allow that use.

Ordinance 55-2007-08

Would allow the city attorney to use legal means to remedy ongoing code violations, the location of which was not discussed. This is related to code violations which have been outstanding for several years, covering three properties owned by two separate individuals. During the discussion it was mentioned that the individuals in question have ignored several summonses, and that this ordinance would allow the city to take them to a “bigger court.”

Ordinance 54-2007-08

The Customs House Museum had several issues before the council relating to repairs to the roof of the city owned facility, and repairs of their HVAC system:

HVAC is an acronym that stands for “heating, ventilation, and air conditioning.” HVAC is sometimes referred to as “climate control” and is particularly important in the design of medium to large industrial and office buildings such as sky scrapers and in marine environments such as aquariums, where humidity and temperature must all be closely regulated whilst maintaining safe and healthy conditions within. – The Wikipedia

The measure has been approved and recommended by the finance and Administration Committee. City council members expressed concerns relating to the possibility of using a Trane HVAC system on the museum. They also expressed a distinct lack of desire for doing the job piecemeal.

The costs broken down are approximately: $90k for the roof repairs, $30k for re-insulation of the roof, and $223k for the HVAC system.

This is an urgent issue and one that the city should rapidly approve. The Clarksville Fire Department was already dispatched on at least one occasion relating to the system.

Ordinance 56-2007-08

Deals with amending the operating budget for the golf courses to cover additional expenses related to the watering of the courses during last summers extreme heat and drought conditions. Broken down the amounts are $20k for the Swan Lake course and roughly $8k for the Mason Rudolph course. The city golf courses are open to the public used by both private individuals and Austin Peay State University’s golf team.

Ordinance 57-2007-08

Amends the operating budget to reflect approximately a $9,750 donation for the Independence Day city fireworks display.

Ordinance 42-2007-08

This appoints an interim city attorney which will be Mr. Tim Harvey of the firm Harvey and Silvus. A benefit of this appointment is the fact that if for some reason Mr. Harvey is unavailable, his partner David Silvas would be able to fill in.

The firm has defended the city in several of the racial discrimination lawsuits filed against the Clarksville police department.

Ordinance 59-2007-08

Is an amendment to the city fireworks code which would prevent people 16 years old or younger from being able to purchase certain types of fireworks, they would still be able to use fireworks under the supervision of a parent or guardian. This brings the city code into compliance with Tennessee state code.

Ordinance 66-2007-08

This is the item on the agenda I was most interested in as it covers eminent domain. The city wishes to bury power lines along Legion street and improve the side walks. They stated that the improvements would be similar to the improvements made on 1st street. This authorizes use of eminent domain to obtain rights of way and or easements, which is “not likely to be used.” Ward 2 Council Member Deanna Mclaughlin commented, “After all, who wouldn’t want buried power and better sidewalks?”

Ordinance 64-2007-08

Another eminent domain issue was raised in relation to sewer main improvements in the Hazelwood sewershed. This is another urgent issue and should be a priority for the council as it was behind the recent moratorium on new constructions in the exit 1 area.

Mayor Piper, in reporting to the Committee, said that the Hazelwood lift station, which serves 4500 homes, is overloaded; it’s running at 100% capacity and has overflowed five times in the past year. Now the problem has become an issue with the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation – Sewer Problems Plague Hazelwood Area: Moratorium on New Construction.

Fixing the sewershed issues is expected to cost between five and ten million dollars. A substantial portion of this expense is likely to be passed on to the developers responsible for the out of control growth in that area.

Board appointments

The city council were informed of covered board appointments:

• Susan Thomas to the audit committee 01/08-12/08
• Pat Hickey to the Natural Gas Acquisition Board 01/08-12/10,
• Lane Lyle’s appointment to the parking authority was corrected. The term is now set for 01/08-12/10.
• Bryce Powers was reappointed to the Storm Water Board of Appeals from 01/08-10/09

Roxy Regional Theatre

The Roxy Regional Theatre’s new arts center plan was brought up with council members making arrangements for representatives from the regional theater to appear at a future council meeting to show the council a visual walk through of the proposed arts center. The representative from the theatre will likely need longer than the standard five minutes allocated for members of the public to address the council. This item was not on the agenda. The city council has a direct interest in the planned development as they transferred the city parking lot located next to the theatre for $100 to allow for the expansion of the existing theatre.

Public Comments

No public comments were made at the meeting.