The parental understanding was that by CMCSS decree  “unless the inauguration was directly related to what was being taught in a given class” the inauguration would not be watched. “Are you kidding me?” was quickly followed by feelings that  can best be described as “appalled, irate, embarassed…”

I, as a writer, history lover, activist, parent and grandparent, was, well,  stunned.

“Classroom teachers were not allowed to show the inauguration unless it dealt specifically with curriculum.” The parents in question said their understanding was that some parents did not want their children “to be ‘exposed’” to the  views of the candidate.” Candidate. First of all, Barack Obama stopped being a candidate when he won the election in November, 2008. Having taken the oath of office, he IS the President.

But let’s backtrack: this morning I called the CMCSS and spoke with Elise Shelton of the Communications office, who said she had fielded numerous calls on both sides of this issue, and that “some callers”  did not want these political “views” presented to their children. Shelton said that no school was specifically told that they could not present inaugural viewing, but said that teachers could link viewing to their (subject matter).

Subsequently, I spoke with Dr. Roz Evans, Director of CMCSS high schools, who also stated that no order was given to the schools, but that teachers “were very creative” in finding ways to link their subjects to the inauguration and that in some classes where this connection was not made, students did not watch the events in Washington unfold. Evans said that there were multiple ways that teachers in a variety of subject areas could make the connection: math students could calculate attendance, English classes could study the speeches, government classes had the obvious links, and so on. Evans had no numbers to indicate how many students or classes did or did not view the inauguration.

Rossview High School principal Frank Myers said that many students at his school watched the inauguration as part of history and government classes, but that “turning on the TV just to turn it on” was not something he encouraged. Teachers had “to tie (inauguation viewing) to some sort of curriculum.” Some classes did not watch it. Myers noted that two teachers and some 20 Rossview students went to Washington to view the inauguration.

Jimmie M. Garland Sr.

School Board member and local NAACP president Jimmie Garland was caught off guard Inauguration night by the reported  discrepancy in viewing access in CMCSS schools.

“I thought we were more progressive than that,” he said.  His CMCSS inquiry today found that many students were afforded a view of history as it happened. He said that  “a few” teachers did not  show the inauguration and that may have started the controversy. He was informed that the  district did not put out any instructions to not view the programming, he said, noting that the event came down to about “18 minutes of air time” showing the actual oaths of office taken by President Obama and Vice President Joe Biden. Nonetheless, he was disturbed by the fact that this obvious opportunity for a lesson  in American history was overlooked by any teacher.

“In past (election) years, there’s been nothing like this,” one unhappy mother said, voicing concern over the fact that parents were not notified that this possibility might happen, and that their children, in AMERICAN schools where AMERICAN HISTORY is taught, might not be allowed the opportunity to view this historic event.

Across America there has been a cry to “register to vote” (it’s your civic right and responsibility) and to cast that vote on election days  (it’s your civic right and responsibility). Virtually all of our students at some point in their tenure in CMCSS schools  are urged in their  History, Civics, Debate  and Contemporary issues classes to study the issues, understand their government, and apply critical thinking to the issues. Many of these same young people registered to vote as soon as they were eligible (age 18), which means many new registered voters are  still in high school. This wishy-washy undefined now-you-see-it, now-you-don’t action denies these same students  an equal opportunity to view the end result of their vote. Most students are required to take American History and Civics/Government; what better way to teach than to let all of them see the election process through to its conclusion. After all, it only happens once every four years — the length of time it takes to go through all those high school subjects.

On the Clarksville-Montgomery County School System website, viewers are greeted with a slide show that opens with a soldier (Fort Campbell connection?) and a child. Children, lots of children whose parents are soldiers,  attend CMCSS schools.  Guess what? Barack Obama is now their Commander-in-Chief, the top gun overseeing the military and the War in Iraq.

And then there is the simple fact of history, unless  some staff of the CMCSS system want to  rewrite it, or pretend it doesn’t exist, or cater to one set of adults (be it parents or teachers) who want to selectively hide history from their children.

America had a Revolutionary War,  Abe Lincoln freed the slaves,  and Martin Luther King Jr. marched for civil rights and spoke of a dream in a historic speech. Desegregation happened, which allows our city’s black and ethnic students to share classes with “the white folks’ children” after centuries of discrimination. And the dream came true for millions as an African-American man became educated, became a senator, maintained an intact family structure, changed the face of political campaigning,  and won the hearts of enough Americans to become their President …  our children are not supposed to watch that part of history as it happens? Shame! What’s next? Cutting out the pages on President Obama’s Inauguration from next year’s textbooks because one group of parents might not approve?

Whatever happened to “inquiring minds…” and “political discourse” and “critical thinking” as part of the learning  process?

The eyes of the world were on Washington.  The eyes of too many students were not. We should all be ashamed.

Fort Defiance Park, located at 120 A Street in New Providence, is the site of a Civil War-era fort used by the and later occupied by the Union Army. Today the earthworks (mounds) of the original fort are all that remain. The new interpretive center will illustrate through images and artifacts the story of Fort Defiance and the significance of the fort’s position as a controlling point on the Cumberland River.

The interpretive center will also feature exhibits depicting the history of the New Providence area starting with the Frontier Era (1780-1819), to the Steamboat Era (1819-1843), The Civil War Era (1861-1864), and through the Reconstruction Era (1865-1876).

On a moonlit Lantern tour of Historic Port Royal, you can find the answers to these questions and more, including a first hand account of the Cherokee traveling the Trail of Tears, what really happened during the Tobacco Wars, and the theories surrounding the end of the Silk Mill.

On Thursday, October 23, at  6 p.m., tours will step into Port Royal’s past, with groups leaving the Port Royal State Historic Park Interpretive Center every twenty minuets until 9 p.m. Each stop along the way will be 8-10 minutes long, for a total of an hour long tour. The tours are free and open to the public.

Afterwards, on your way out, be sure to stop by the bonfire for refreshments and more historic tales as told by local residents in the Port Royal community. This event is an ideal Autumn evening for the whole family. The tour is not frightening, nor meant to be scary; it  revisits some of Port Royal’s most famous notables, but may send a bit of a chill up your spine.

For more information and directions, contact Port Royal State Historic Park at 931-358-9696.

Austin Peay State University is proud to include portions of its Special Collections in the Volunteer Voices online database.

The Special Collections-stored, maintained and displayed at the APSU Felix G. Woodward Library-include the original manuscripts, journals and photographs of Dorothy Dix. Dix was the forerunner of today’s advice columnists and was America’s highest paid and most widely read female journalist at the time of her death.

The archives also include the Larson Drawing Collection and the Clarksville Photographs, which document the rich past of Clarksville and Montgomery County. Digital copies from these collections are now accessible through the Library’s digital collection located on APSU’s library Web site.Volunteer Voices is a collaborative effort made possible by the contributions of libraries and history departments throughout Tennessee. APSU’s library was a significant contributor to the Web site’s creation supplying much of the content. Volunteer Voices is a great resource for teachers, students or anyone interested in exploring the history of Tennessee.

For more information, visit Volunteer Voices at www.volunteervoices.org or contact APSU digital services librarian, Gina Garber, (931) 221-7028.

Ranger Dave Britton demonstrates the art of "Knapping"

If you missed it, last Saturday the 16th was a perfect day for an outing. There was a slight breeze that seemed to nod at the upcoming Autumn season. I don’t know about you, but days like that make me want to get out and see what’s going on in my area and the surrounding towns.

So I found myself at Dunbar Cave State park where they were hosting Early Native American Skills Day. Now when I hear the words Early Native American I tend to think of Pow-Wows, Cherokee Indians, Trail of Tears,and bearskins. This event however introduced me to the world of the original settlers the earliest “Americans” the Southeastern Prehistoric Native Americans. That’s right, we’re talking old. Very old. Way back. 6,000 BC

Some of the demonstrations by the staff of Dunbar Cave that I participated in were , demonstrated to me by Ranger Neblett. Atlatl throwing is where you take your spear, which in my case was over half of my height, place it inside of the Atlatl, which resembles a long pipe of sorts, then send it hurling across a distance toward the ‘prey’ that you would be having for dinner that night. Unfortunately all I killed was by chance an unlucky cricket passing by in the grass, for my spear did not ‘hurl’ very far.

Next I tried my hand, or rather my lungs at Blow Darts, set up in a booth on the Dance Floor preceding the cave. It had the feel of a local carnival, but with a hunting lodge flair. Before me was a display of colorful balloons and pictures of small prey that would have been killed using such weaponry. The blowguns appeared to be made from Bamboo and the staff were ever so thoughtful to provide sanitary wipes to clean off the previous ‘warriors’ germs before you placed your mouth on the blow gun. This event was a lot of fun for everyone in the family.

Speaking of Family oriented, the big kid friendly activity of the day was Ranger Wallace’s demonstration of Basket Weaving. Some 25-30 captivated kids gathered in the cool shade of the cave bluff very eager to learn this new skill. I saw many great little creations that kids were able to make right there that afternoon.

While the children’s little fingers were busy weaving grape vines the parents had lots of opportunities to take in informative talks and demonstrations on Prehistoric Indians.

Also on the day’s agenda were Cave/Archeology tours, Interpretive talks with artifacts, Flint Knapping demonstrations, and a very professional exhibit in the museum.

So now you’re bummed that you missed the challenge of Atlatl throwing and the fun of blow darts?

Cheer up! The museum located inside of the Visitors Center will continue to display an exhibit on Prehistoric Native Americans as well as the Prehistoric Cave Art that has been found inside of the cave itself! Its supposed to rain the next few days anyways, so get out, get in the cave and get educated!

For more information, click on this Dunbar Cave website.

The premier holiday of the summer symbolizes more than a time for grilling, fireworks and road trips and just general fun stuff!

The 4th of July is widely acknowledged as “THE Summer Holiday” here in the United States. The traditional events of the day are well enshrined in our popular culture. People are planning big family cookouts, grilling, barbecuing, pool parties, sports events of all kinds- baseball, soccer, softball, badminton, volleyball, swimming, bicycling and small and super fireworks displays – all typical holiday celebration activities.

Yet there is far more to this holiday of holidays, this one uniquely American blowout. Sacrifices have been made that allow us to engage in these festivities. The lives which have been been laid down that allow us these exercises of indulgence also need to be acknowledged. There are so many individual sacrifices that have occurred in the course of our history that have received little, if any, recognition. What follows is a somewhat skewered collection of notable moments that have added to our American story.

From the early settlement attempts in the colonies to the successful establishments of Plymouth Colony, Virginia Colony and Charleston, South Carolina, Native Americans aided settlers in a myriad of ways. With the turf wars of the French, Spanish and English, lives were upended with sometimes tragic results, many Northeast tribes lost their ancestral lands and independence.

The continued advance of the emerging nation came at the expense of the native people who already resided in these fertile soils. As the American nation continued to grow and expand, the Native American peoples found themselves at odds with the European settlers. The western expansion saw former slaves and freedmen serving in the segregated US Army Cavalry. These men served proudly facing hostile Native Americans, segregation and racial prejudice and hatred from within the Army structure itself as well as the settlers and townspeople they guarded and escorted to and on the western frontier.

From Crispus Attucks falling in the opening volley in the preclude of the American Revolution, through the full blown agony of the Civil War, or as some would call it, The War Between the States, to the sacrifices made by the brave and gallant men Native Americans called “Buffalo Soldiers” in opening up the American Western Frontier, to the many who came forward in World War I and again in World War II, the Korean War, Vietnam. Even now Afghanistan and Iraq claim American military servicemembers lives on a weekly, if not daily, basis. Significant achievements are lost in the haze of our smoke-filled celebratory night skies and patriotic band music.

Here then are a few of the little notes which have also played a part in America’s story and should be honored:

From the very start, Native Americans did not reject the new arrivals upon their shore, those New World colonists who would decimate their world, population and culture in later years to come. Lewis and Clark’s Corps of Discovery Expedition was greatly enhanced by their guide, Sacajawea, the Native American woman of the Lemhi Shosone nation.

Africans brought to this country as human chattel became skilled craftsmen and professionals and built much of America’s treasures. Even before slavery, Chicago and Washington D.C. were both designed by skilled engineers who were of African descent. Many scientific advances which have greatly improved and enhanced our lives can be traced back to African Americans:

• George Washington Carver and his myriad of inventions from peanuts, sweet potatoes, soybeans and pecans include a rubber substitute, adhesives, foodstuffs, dyes, pigments, and many other products;
• Dr. Charles R. Drew and his advances in plasma led to today’s storage of blood and use of plasma;
• Elijah McCoy, a mechanical engineer and inventor, invented the steam engine lubricator, air-brakes for trains, and an automatic train coupler. His high-quality inventions were the source of the expression ‘the real McCoy’, meaning the real, authentic, or high-quality thing;
• George Crum invented the potato chip;
• Garrett Morgan invented the gas mask and the traffic signal light.

Despite Hollywood’s depiction to the opposite, America’s wars have seen her all of people step forward. Native Americans and African Americans, and other minorities have all fought for this nation and shed their blood. During World War II, the language of the Native Americans became a tool of the war, the “Wind Talkers” used their native language as code to confound the Japanese as they relayed instructions and battlefield information by radio.

Guion Bluford (l) became NASA’s first African American astronaut, and Mae Jemison (r) became the first African American female astronaut. Fred Gregory was the first African-American Space Shuttle pilot. Gregory also became the first African-American to command a spaceflight when he led the STS-33 mission of Discovery in 1989. After his third and final flight in 1991, Gregory has worked his way up through the management at NASA to become Deputy Administrator. Since 2005, he has served as NASA’s Chief Administrator, leading our nation’s space flight program.

Among NASA’s greatest heroes is astronaut Mike Anderson, (l) who perished in February 2003 in the loss of the Space Shuttle Columbia on its STS-107 mission. Anderson was serving as the payload commander on the mission, his second spaceflight, when the Shuttle and its seven member crew was lost during re-entry.

America’s story is best reflected through the lives of those not so celebrated but noteworthy for their individual achievements. As such, may we offer Lt. Emily Perez for your reflection. This West Point Graduate was the first African American female to achieve the rank of Corps Command Sergeant Major. She served in Iraq, where she died in service to her country.

As we rejoice and celebrate this holiday weekend, let us be mindful that America’s story truly is a tapestry of many colors, colors that are not monotone, but vivid and diverse. Let us be mindful that truly, “This land is your land, This land is my land. This land was made for you and for me!”

It’s past time to look at all the pages of America’s family album!

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.

Cannon fire [Photo by Mark Haynes]

A highlight of the day was cannon fire; In the heat of the afternoon, soldiers tamped the powder into the cannon and loaded it, pulling the trigger from a short distance away, flinching from the boom and the smoke as each shot was fired.

Canvas tents were tucked into the landscape, taking advantage of a bit of shade under the trees. In the shelter of a tarp, “Abe Lincoln” (above) sat a small table littered with papers. The camp doctor’s case of apothecary items was open for display, as were the elements for cooking over open fires.

Set apart from the battlefield, visitors could watch wool being spun, samples of women’s clothing from the Civil War era, and myriad items from our collective history were on display. There was no shortage of Civil War enthusiasts ready to discuss this vital part of American History.

A Civil War symposium was held from 11-2 on Saturday, with a number of speakers addressing wartime issues, local history and chronology of the Civil War.

The four acre Fort Defiance park features earthen fort and walking trails. The Fort is located at 120 A Street in Clarksville.

We offer a glimpse of history revisited in the following photos:

Photos by Mark Haynes

Though day was ghastly hot, well over 100 Clarksville residents came to “Cooling at the Cave” for that natural air conditioning to be found at the mouth of Dunbar Cave. Some tables had to be moved away from the cave entrance because guests were freezing there (due to the 58 degree air coming out of the cave!).

Many people began playing board games just as soon as they found a nice table to claim for their own for the day. They knew what they were doing because they’d done it before. People played games, listened to the band and socialized. The cookies were wonderful, the lemonade great and the helpers (Friends of Dunbar Cave) attentive, refilling my cup if I even looked like I was a bit thirsty.

It was a day of nostalgia for many folks; organizer Barbara Wilbur was right when she thought that this would attract a lot of people. I heard stories about how Dunbar Cave used to be. Many visitors remember the days when Roy Acuff owned Dunbar Cave and they came to the swimming pool, bowling alley, the lake with its paddle boats, and the sounds of music at the cave.

This event wasn’t planned as a fund raiser, but the volunteers were so generous in their cookie making, music playing and sweet smiles that the visitors donated generously to the Friends of Dunbar Cave. Special thanks was offered to Barbara Wilbur for organizing the event, Suva and Jack Bastin for the ice, lemonade and food set up, and the volunteers who set up chairs & tables. Kudos to the staff and Park Manager at Dunbar Cave who are committed to protecting the resources.

As for the band, they don’t have to and don’t usually play for free, but they did for us. Some came great distances and gave up their day to be with us. The music was excellent.

Special special thanks to Bill Larson of Clarksville Online, who asked Swan Lake Golf course for the loan of a golf cart, which they offered with a “Sure! No charge!” Bill then spent his time driving people out to the cave and back. Everyone who got a ride and respite from the hot muggy weather really appreciated it. Extra special thanks to Swan Lake Golf Course for loaning the golf cart.

This event was created with Dunbar Caves enthusiast Marguerite Rubel in mind. A guest told me that you can’t talk with Marguerite for five minutes without her bringing up Dunbar Cave. Marguerite used to play piano and sing at the Hotel that was on the property. She is an active member of Friends of Dunbar Cave. Sorry you missed the event, sweet lady, and hope you feel better soon.

Thanks to all who came. It really makes the effort worthwhile when so many people come to enjoy it. All day long I heard this question repeated: “When are you going to do this again?”

This cutting-edge event melding art and activism will take place at Futureman’s studio in Bellevue.

It will consists of a talk by Futureman about the Black Mozart, a 18th century genius whom history has overlooked, followed by a multi-media performance of Futureman’s original music and a conversation circle facilitated by Michele Flynn.

Tickets are $30. Reservations are required. Directions will be sent to you when we receive your registration. Please go to http://www.rondiane.org to hear the music, for more information and to register.