Yes folks, Oktoberfest which is brought to you by the Clarksville Edelweiss Club is a grand event held in the best old world German traditions. Oktoberfest was created to recognize German heritage and culture. This year marked the 29th year the festival has been held.

The atmosphere was filled with plenty of song and dancing, including the always popular chicken dance. The person wearing the chicken outfit was something of an instant celebrity with people posing for pictures throughout the night with the famous chicken All evening the dance floor was so crowded we were packed in elbow to elbow; the sweet sounds of the band, the laughing and friendly mood of all in attendance made for a great time

Dancers at the 2009 Clarksville Edelweiss Club's Oktoberfest

One can not talk about Oktoberfest without discussing the wonderful  food and drinks!  The Chicken and Schnitzel was very tasty and was seasoned  just right. The Bratwurst booths to take care of the hungry attendees and all of the lines remained full all night long. Whatever choice you made it was complimented nicely by whatever variety of beer, coffee, or soft drink that you were drinking.

For those over 21, there was a selection of twelve different German and American brews each served in a souvenir Oktoberfest mug.

The busiest lines of the evening seemed to be the dessert section of the festival.  Adults and kids a like feasted on German baked favorites like Black Forrest Cake, Chocolate Cake, German Cheese Cake, Apple Strudel, Carrot Cake, and moist Cupcakes or Brownies. Also available were giant Funnel Cakes served piping hot one covered in powder  sugar. The funnel cakes  were cooked by Rob Brown, the general manager of the Clarksville Fox Woman’s Full Contact Football Team.

For those looking for a more excitement, there was a carnival with rides and other activities that gave the kids both young and old something to get the heart moving.

Security at the event was strictly enforced, but the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Deputies were very courteous and extremely polite, even with some of the attendees that might have had just a little to much brew.

This writer who is an advent beer drinker and connoisseur, was in seventh heaven, and enjoyed the entire event so much that I gave it a rating of five mugs and a giant Wunderbar!

[Show as slideshow]

1234►

Van transportation to the center was provided by Faith Mission Ministries Church Clarksville, Pastors Harold and Gwen Browning. The trip was also made possible by the generous donations and support from Leonard and Michael Tharpe from Brandon Technologies Incorporated, Tennessee State Representative Joe Pitts, the local chapter of the Triple Nickel, Tennessee State Senator Tim Barnes, Terry & Wanda McMoore of the Urban Resource Center, Vision Construction Company, Sergeant Major Sidney Brown, along with several anonymous donors.

In a letter to the parents Mr. Kenneth Albritton reminded them of the accomplishments of Muhammad Ali, and stressed the mission statement of his organization LIFE.

As you may already know, Mr. Ali was not just a great boxer, but a man who respected himself as well as others, but who more importantly depended on “A Higher Power” to guide his life., Depending on that “Higher Power” for guidance is at the foundation of what we do at LIFE Inc.

LIFE Inc’s aim is to teach these young people about being real young men and young women, instead of thugs, to have respect for themselves as well as respect for others, and learning the importance of education and applying that education in their lives.

It is my belief that we have a responsibility to step in for ALL absent parents and encourage our young people to be whatever they desire to be in life, and that they can aspire to be more than just basketball players, football players, singers and entertainers; they can become lawyers, doctors, police officers, teachers, firemen, scientist and whatever else their little hearts desire.

Life Inc. is the same organization that takes the youth to extreme Ministries for karate and boxing lessons and hope to expand it trips to other regions of the country though out the year.

[Show as slideshow]

Clarksville for Obama will meet on Saturday, December 13, from 5-7 p.m. at  G’s Pancake House Restaurant, 803 South Riverside Dr., in Clarksville.

While President Obama and the key members of his White House economic team help him tackle serious challenges and bring the change we need to Washington, we must tackle the problems that challenge our community and bring change to Clarksville.Now is the time to put aside partisanship and politics, find common ground, and work together. Please invite those who might not have been involved in the campaign, even those who might have supported our opponent. The challenges we face demand we be as inclusive as possible. It’ll take the whole country working together to get our country back on track. Your continued involvement is crucial to the future of this movement.

As Barack said on Election Night, “This victory alone is not the change we seek — it is only the chance for us to make that change.” The grassroots organization you built to win the election will continue to set our country on a new path.

No RSVP required to attend.  Join our eGroup to receive all Presidential news, information and updates at: http://my.barackobama.com/page/group/ClarksvilleforObama. The grassroots organization you built to win the election will continue to set our country on a new path.

For the Clarksville city government, meaning the elected mayor and the elected city council, building a water park, placing cameras on traffic lights, and building a separate city council structure violates Jeffersonian democracy to the point that we should vote them all out.

Foremost is that the city does not adequately provide the essential services. The police and fire departments are under budgeted, understaffed, and underpaid. Public education and public libraries, although Montgomery County’s responsibilities, are similarly under budgeted, understaffed, and underpaid, to the point where, if the city government had surplus funds, it would behoove the city to contribute more to their support.

A water park would be a major improvement for us, but not at taxpayer expense. To refinance the city’s debt structure to include an additional $32,000,000, which may or may not be enough to build a water park, equates with refinancing one’s home mortgage to pay for improvements, and we see how that has contributed to the nation’s economic crisis. A water park built by private industry, and run, not by a bureaucracy, but by experienced water park managers is what Clarksville needs. In addition, elected officials should not benefit financially due to the proximity of its location to their land holdings.

The city should not install cameras on traffic lights, mainly because they cause accidents. Clarksville Online Bill Larson, and others featured as guest commentators on this site, previously and adequately addressed this, but the mayor, the city council, and the local newspaper decided to ignore all opposition to the city’s greedy plan.

A separate structure for the city council, proposed recently by the mayor, is unnecessary, considering the infrequent usage.

In November 2010, we should vote the mayor, and city council members not independent of him, out of office.

Clarksville-Montgomery County “League Of Voter Empowerment” (L.O.V.E.)

The League’s mission statement says the group “will endorse and vote for the candidates that we believe best support our agenda and we will work to vote out the elected officials that we know do not have the best interest of their constituents in mind.

During the last election season, nine candidates on the ballot endorsed by L.O.V.E. won their races and are still representing their constituency today. The League encourages everyone to cast your their vote on Election Day; “your vote is your voice!”

The League Of Voter Empowerment endorsements are:

• President of the United Sates: Barack Obama
• United States Senate: Robert D. Tuke
• United States House Of Representatives 7th congressional district: Randy G. Morris
• United States House Of Representatives 8th congressional district: John Tanner
• Tennessee Senate 22nd senatorial district: Tim Barnes
• Tennessee House Of Representatives 67th representative district: Joe Pitts
• Tennessee House Of Representatives 78th representative district: David W. Davidson
• City Judge: Charles Smith
• City Council Ward 3: Vincent S. Kruk
• City Council Ward 4: Edward Fowler
• City Council Ward 5: Candy Johnson
• City Council Ward 8: David Cutting
• City Council Ward 9: Joel Wallace
• City Council Ward 12: Jeff Burkhart

The League Of Voter Empowerment does not support the following referendum question:

REFERENDUM: Shall Resolution 08-7-2, which increases the local Motor Vehicle Privilege Tax for Education from Thirty Dollars ($30.00) to Fifty Dollars ($50.00) to be appropriated to the Clarksville Montgomery County School System’s Transportation Fund be approved?

For information contact Pastor Jerkins at 931-552-6480 or Terry McMoore at  931-378-1999

Your vote is your voice; attend this rally and be heard. Listen as the candidates address the issues.

35 days and counting until Election Day!

The Montgomery County Democratic Party and Clarksville for Obama encourage everyone age 18 and up to register to vote and to encourage their friends to register, by either going to the Election Commission of on Pageant Lane or by registering online  at www.ClarksvilleForObama.com .

The last day to register to be eligible to vote in the general election is OCT. 6^th.

The MCDP and Clarksville for Obama are also seeking volunteers to work in the Madison Street office. if you are interested, please call 552-5523.

Join Obama eGroup: http://my.barackobama.com/page/group/ClarksvilleforObama

The following is a list of upcoming events:

Mass Voter Registration Drive and Rally will be held October 4 at Montgomery County Democratic Party Headquarters at 534 Madison St. from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. We will have plenty of food and guest speakers at this event. This will be our last push to register people before the last day to register to vote Oct 6^th.

RSVP: http://my.barackobama.com/page/event/detail/voterregistrationdrive/gshf75

Latinos for Obama House Party will be held October 7 at Montgomery County Democratic Party Headquarters at  534 Madison St. at 6:00 p.m.  Guest speaker for the event Fabian Bedne, chairman of the Middle Tennessee Hispanic Democratics. Join Latino Leaders, Pastors, Community Leaders and concerned citizens for a get together of Barack Obama supporters.

RSVP: http://my.barackobama.com/page/event/detail/meeting/gs78dj

2^nd Presidential Debate Watch Party will be held October 7 at 8 p.m. at Montgomery County Democratic Party Headquarters 534 Madison St.. The debate will be broadcast live from Belmont University Nashville TN.

RSVP: http://my.barackobama.com/page/event/detail/debatewatchparty/gsh884

An Early Voting Rally will be held October 18 at Veterans Plaza Parking Lot (located near the Public Library) at 10 a.m.. Join all Democrat candidates at a rally setup to encourage early voting and to energize all Democratic Party members. After the rally we will all go inside the Election Commission to vote as a group!

We encourage you to come out and participate in all the election season campaign events. RSVP not required to attend events but all eGroup members should RSVP online to these events.

]]> http://www.clarksvilleonline.com/2008/10/01/montgomery-county-voters-call-to-action/feed/ 0 http://www.clarksvilleonline.com/2008/09/30/get-it-done-register-to-vote/ http://www.clarksvilleonline.com/2008/09/30/get-it-done-register-to-vote/#comments Tue, 30 Sep 2008 17:00:45 +0000 Terry McMoore http://www.clarksvilleonline.com/?p=9834

Terry McMoore

The last day to register to vote in Montgomery County is October 6.Early voting begins October 15.

The right to vote and exercising your right to vote is the most valuable constitutional right we have. It is both a right and a privilege.

If you don’t vote, you deserve the government you get. It doesn’t matter which side of the political fence you’re on, because all Americans have the same issues and concerns for their families and their country.

The economy, the war, taxes, education, health care, social security, women rights and, especially in our community, veteran’s rights are at the top of the list in every household.

Many people over the centuries have fought, marched and even died so we could have the right to vote, yet many still don’t vote. In the August primary election in Montgomery County, fewer than 12 percent of voters participated. With this kind of turn out how do we expect to ever hold our elected officials accountable to the public?

Some say the system is broken, so that is why they don’t vote. There is some truth about the broken part, but by not voting we allow the same governmental practices to continue regardless of which party is in power.

Your vote is your voice. I am starting to take the same position as most politicians: If you don’t vote then I don’t want to hear your complaining. Ever wonder why your calls, letters and e-mails to your local, state, and national representatives don’t ever get answered? It’s because any smart politician checks to see if you are a registered voter first, then your voting record over the years and how you voted.

This information is public record and if I have it — which I do — then you can bet the politicians have it, too.

Another excuse I hear for not voting is the claim that “my vote does not count or does not matter.” Well, let me give you a little history lesson.

In 1800, when the results of the electoral college votes were opened by both Houses of Congress, there was a tie vote for President between Thomas Jefferson and Aaron Burr. That threw the election of president into the House of Representatives where Thomas Jefferson was elected our third president by a one vote margin.

In 1824, the House of Representatives defeated front runner Andrew Jackson by one vote and elected John Quincy Adams as the nation’s sixth president.

In a 1999 city election in Hillsborough County, Fla., one of the city council candidates won by a single vote.

And in 2000 the U.S. presidential election was decided by less than 1 percent of the vote.

Even felons don’t have an excuse for not getting registered to vote.

In 2006 our Tennessee state legislators passed a bill that specified the following: If you are off of parole and have paid all your fines and restitution to the courts and state, and if your child support payments are up to date then you can apply at your local election commission to have your voting rights restored.

Folks, it does not get any simpler than that.

Many election commissions allow you to register to vote online, but personally I prefer that you visit the election commission in person or just drop by the headquarters of the political party headquarters of your choice.

Either way you need to get it done! Register to vote by the Oct. 6 deadline. It sets a good example for our youth and it’s your personal responsibility!

Incumbent Senator Roslaind Kurita campaigns outside St. Bethlehem Methodist Church Thursday, August 7.

Nineteen votes. That narrowest of margins gave victory in the District 22 Senate race to incumbent Rosalind Kurita, who spent election day campaigning at wards across Montgomery County and the rest of the district that continues to support her. District 22 includes Montgomery, Houston and Cheatham counties. Sen. Kurita was unable to be reached prior to posting the election result.

Kurita defeated challenger Atty. Tim Barnes by 19 votes, a true “horse race” as elections go, with each candidate taking turns at the lead post until the final count gave victory to Kurita. Barnes has said that due to the closeness of the race, he will request a recount.

Voter turnout, including both early voting and the actual Thursday primary, was 11.86%. A total of 5238 Montgomery County voters cast ballots in the two-week early voting period, while another 4486 voted in the August 7 primary.

According to the Montgomery County Election Commission website (10 p.m. 8/7/08), Montgomery County voters favored Barnes 52.02% to 47.96% or 3369 to 3106. District wide, the numbers were Kurita 4477 (50.1%) to Barnes 4458 (49.89%).

Tim Barnes and supporters campaign at St. Bethlehem School on Wilma Rudolph Boulevard

At the Riverview Inn in downtown Clarksville, Barnes and his supporters waited for two and a half hours as the tally trickled in, first with a victory in Houston County. As the numbers were crunched in Montgomery County, though, the range between the two candidates was at most a one percentage point difference. Kurita ahead by 64. Barnes ahead by 110. Kurita trailing by 20 votes. Barnes ahead by 10. A true horse race between veteran campaigner and the new kid on the political block.

As the final numbers trickled in, victory was momentarily declared in the Barnes stronghold, but moments later a re-check of the numbers brought defeat by the slimmest of margins: 19 votes. A collective exhale sent the air from the room and the initial euphoria of victory died.

This young lady watches as the intricacies of a voting machine are explained

Challenger Tim Barnes, a local attorney, ran a challenging campaign that came to a head earlier this week when a series of controversial oversized postcard ads began arriving at the homes of local voters. The ads challenged Barnes’ legal practice and said he worked on behalf of criminals (drunk drivers, domestic abusers) via his representation of the defendents in such cases. Thirty-eight local attorneys came to his defense (and the defense of a Constitution that guarantees fair and equal treatment under the law), citing Barnes work as an adoption attorney and the rights of all people to a legal  defense.

In other races, 7th district incumbent Rep. Marsha Blackburn won an easy victory over opponent Tom Leatherwood, 1880 to 330, while incumbent John Tanner, 8th district representative, retained his seat with a 1590-5 vote.

Mission Statement: We will endorse and vote for the candidates that we believe best support our agenda and we will work to vote out the elected officials that we know do not have the best interest of their constituents in mind.

During the last election season nine candidates on the ballot endorsed by L.O.V.E. won their races and are still representing their constituency today. We encourage everyone to register to vote and then to cast your vote on Election Day because your vote is your voice!

Our endorsements are:

United States Senate: Robert D. Tuke

United States House Of Representatives 7th congressional district: Randy G. Morris

United States House Of Representatives 8th congressional district: John Tanner

Tennessee Senate 22nd senatorial district: Tim Barnes

Tennessee House Of Representatives 67th representative district: Joe Pitts

Tennessee House Of Representatives 78th representative district: David W. Davidson

Assessor of Property: Robert Wayne Hunt

Highway Supervisor: Mike Frost

School Board Member School District 2: Morris N. Stevens

School Board Member School District 6: Eula Gardner Dowdy

Judicial Retention Question Court Of Appeals: “Shall RICHARD H. DINKINS be elected and retained in office as Judge, Court of Appeals, Middle Division?” YES

Clarksville Online author Terry McMoore, politically active citizen, activist, and businessman, speaks out on the balance of personal rights and public responsibilities.

I wear many hats in my life from being a father, husband, civil rights activist, author, music producer, campaign chairman and motivational speaker. With all this activity in my life it is virtually impossible to remain neutral or non-partisan in everything. I often tell my friends in the NAACP who have executive positions that they are being too politically correct on to many issues.

For instances, some will not attend a candidate rally because they might get accused of supporting that person. I tell them you are still a voter who needs to hear where a candidate stands. Just because you hold some position, you do not lose your rights as a concerned voter.

Being able to balance the many hats of my personal life with my political life has never been a problem for me, so why is it so difficult for some in the community? My recent letter to the editor, which appeared in local print and online media, sent the bloggers into frenzy. The bloggers were more concerned with my personal life and passing moral judgment on me and my family than the content of the letter.

Don’t get me wrong: I am all for freedom of speech, or in this case freedom of opinion, and I have learned over the years to have tough skin when you are in the public eye, but to also to at least talk about the subject at hand and pay attention to the facts (off-site link). This way, we all might learn something. Here is my letter for the Clarksville Online readership to view, and this time around, please pay attention — you just might learn something.

Letter:

I am very disappointed with Sen. Rosalind Kurita for casting the key vote that helped elect Republican Ron Ramsey as Senate speaker and lieutenant governor.

The benefit that seems to have been gained by crossing party lines was Sen. Kurita’s appointment as the new speaker pro tem; which happens to be the Senate’s No. 2 leadership position. Although this was publicized in the news, there just seems to be very little discussion about this among those of us in Montgomery County.

Under the current Republican leadership, people are losing homes, gas and the unemployment rates are sky high. The economy is in shambles, our education system is underfunded, and many are without health insurance.

My family and I voted for Sen. Kurita in the past believing her to be a true blue blooded Democrat and a woman of her word. With all that is going wrong in the world today, people need more than ever to be able to trust their elected officials. When a candidate crosses party lines, that completely destroys our trust in that candidate.

If I wanted the Republicans to be in charge of the Senate, I would have voted for a Republican, but I didn’t, I voted for a Democrat, who seems to have failed to represent me and the rest of the Democratic constituency.

One must exercise the right of the voting constituency to make it known that when we vote for you, you represent us.

But you know what they say: “Politicians are like diapers: when they become full, change ‘em!”

Right now, the person who seems to be willing to uphold the trust that our votes represents in them is Tim Barnes. My family and I will be voting for Tim Barnes for state senator — someone we can trust to keep his word.

Tennessee State Senator Thelma Harper

Tennessee State Senator Thelma Harper will be the featured guest speaker at a fund raising and organizational event for Tim Barnes, Democratic candidate for State Senate, District 22.

The event is scheduled for this Thursday July 17, 2008 at the First Missionary Baptist Church Immanuel Family Life Center 303 Fairview Lane Clarksville, Tennessee starting at 6:00 pm.

Senator Harper is considered one of the most powerful senators to represent the state of TN. State Senator Thelma Harper, has for many years been a prominent and highly influential figure in the political, social, and civic lives of many.

She has served in the Tennessee State Senate for fourteen years and is the first African American female ever elected to the Tennessee State Senate.

State Senator Thelma Harper serves as Chair of the Senate Government Operations Committee; in addition she serves as the Vice Chair of the State and Local Government Committee; member of the Select Committee on Children and Youth; member of the Corrections Oversight Committee; member of the Veterans Affairs Oversight Committee; President of the Tennessee Women’s Suffrage Commission; Vice Chair of the Tennessee Black Health care Commission; a member of the Tennessee Economic Council on Women; member of the Tennessee Sports Hall of Fame Board of Directors and Member of the Nashville Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc.

State Senator Beverly Marrero is also scheduled to attend along with several prominent democratic elected officials and Democratic Party leaders.

For more information please contact Kim Smith Campaign Manager for Tim Barnes for senate at Phone: (931) 648-9400 or (931) 801-4821 Email:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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