Topic: NAACP

The ultimate political heavyweight prize: Presidency of the United States of America

By Terry McMoore | January 30, 2008 |

While others look at candidates in this year’s Presidential Primary as individuals competing against each other, I prefer to look at politics as the ultimate team competition. Presidential hopeful Barack Obama best illustrates this analogy. Right out of the box his competitors only concerns were how much of the black vote he could get, how well spoken he was and what his educational back ground was. Since then, many of them have been scrambling to play catch up based on their assumption that he was not a great team strategist.

For years, less privileged Americans have had to read about the triumphs and victories of selected famous elected politicians in our history books. Each and every ingredient required to run for office is well documented and available to the people via internet, written publications, and media sources. But the right combination on how to apply those ingredients and how much to use for political success has always been the missing link among candidates struggling for local office — and the ultimate political heavyweight prize of them all, the Presidency of the United States of America.

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Sections: Opinion, Politics | 1 Comment »

A letter from Clarksville NAACP President, Jimmie Garland

By Jimmie Garland, Sr. | January 23, 2008 |

Thanks Clarksville Online for your support. Your devotion to covering events hosted by the Clarksville Branch of the NAACP throughout the city of Clarksville this weekend was unparallel. We, as the sponsor of the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. commemorative celebration, salute you and your staff on making our programs more available to those who desired to partake.

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. «Read the rest of this article»

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In honor of Reverend Martin Luther King Jr.

By Debbie Boen | January 22, 2008 |

Yesterday several hundred people of all ages filled Burt School’s auditorium and classrooms for workshops and  seminars before the annual NAACP Martin Luther King Day march. Children worked on projects and learned more about the civil rights movement and Rev Martin Luther King Jr.   Director of Schools Michael Harris spoke to adults about their children’s education. Vanderbilt University Professor Wanda Snead addressed issues of  domestic violence, and Valerie Hunter-Kelly of Keller Williams Realty spoke about mortgages and personal finances.

Several elected officials attended today’s event, including State Representative Joe Pitts, County Commissioner Lettie Kendall, and City Council members Barbara Johnson and Marc Harris. «Read the rest of this article»

Sections: News | 3 Comments

Martin Luther King Jr. Day events

By Jimmie Garland, Sr. | January 18, 2008 |

The Clarksville Branch of the NAACP #5582 will host its annual Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. commemorative celebration starting with a Sunday January 20th worship service, which will be held 5:00 pm, at Greater Missionary Baptist Church.

The guest speaker will be Chaplain Alvin Miller, Pastor of the South Chapel located on the Fort Campbell, KY military base. Both churches’ choirs will be combined for this occasion in order to perform the music for the service. Refreshments will be served.

On Monday January 21st from 9am-noon will feature a poster contest, educational classes, and informative seminars for all ages, starting at 9am at Burt Elementary School located in downtown Clarksville. These programs are sponsored by local sororities and other civic organizations.

The annual Martin Luther King Jr. Day commemorative march through the city will leave Burt School around noon.

The NAACP extends an open invitation to everyone regardless of their ethnicity to participate in these events.

The mission of the NAACP is to ensure the political, educational, social and economic equality of rights of all persons and eliminate racial hatred and racial discrimination. For questions or more information please call Elder Frank E. Washington at (931) 980-1918.

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DDP redevelopment meeting canceled; Piper to recommend amendment

By Christine Anne Piesyk | January 9, 2008 |

Failure to use due diligence, failure to follow state law cited…tumbles “blight” ordinance…

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. «Read the rest of this article»

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Piper denies Property Rights group “air time” in “blight” hearing at APSU

By Christine Anne Piesyk | January 9, 2008 |

The issue is redevelopment, but the word that triggers the wrath of downtown property owners is “blight.” To shed light on this controversial issue the city will hold a public meeting and present its take on the redevelopment plan on Thursday.

However, Mayor Johnny Piper has denied a request by the Clarksville Property Rights Coalition for equal time to air their view of the “blight bill” during a hearing to be held at Austin Peay State University’s Clement Auditorium Thursday at 6 p.m.

Atty. John Summers requested a time equal to the that of the city’s presenters to offer the concerns of the affected residents. Since the Downtown District Partnership is presenting a 15-minute program, that would have given property owners their own 15-minute voice on the issue before the question and answer session begins.

Ordinance 73-2005-06, passed in November, 2007, designates two square miles and 1800 homes and businesses in downtown Clarksville as “blighted” and potentially subject to eminent domain as the Downtown District Partnership’s Clarksville Redevelopment Plan and Land Use Master Plan are implemented over the next several years. «Read the rest of this article»

Sections: Issues | 1 Comment »

Property Rights Coalition seeks equal time to air information at “blight” hearing

By Christine Anne Piesyk | January 8, 2008 |

The Steering Committee of the Clarksville Property Rights Coalition has requested that the CPRC, and the groups who are working with us, the Tennessee Preservation Trust and the Clarksville NAACP, be afforded the same opportunity as the Downtown District Partnership to make a presentation to the City Council at the June 10th Informational Meeting on the Clarksville Center Redevelopment Plan.

That meeting will be held at 6 p.m. at Clement Auditorium as Austin Peay State University, which is the only downtown property not affected by the redevelopment plan’s “blight” designation.

In November, 2007, the City Council passed an ordinance declared two square miles of downtown Clarksville as “blighted” for purposes of redevelopment. Homeowners caught unaware by the ordinance and its implications in terms of eminent domain and “blight” form a quick and fast protest and have called for the rescinding of that ordinance.

The CPRC, the TPT, and the NAACP requested a minimum of 30 minutes to address the Council on June 10th, time to be allocated among our three organizations, or an equal amount of time as provided to the DDP (Downtown Development Partnership), if they are given more than 30 minutes. «Read the rest of this article»

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Residents enraged at ‘blight’ designation, seek repeal of redevelopment plan

By Christine Anne Piesyk | December 15, 2007 |

Audacious. Over the top. Unprecedented. A developer’s “fantasy come true.”

All words used Friday evening to describe the Clarksville Center Redevelopment Plan that deems 1800 parcels of lands and two square miles of the city as “blighted,” a move that would allow the city to take property designated as blighted and “redevelop” it to its maximum potential. Read “profit.”

Terry McMoore of the Urban Resource Center sponsored a community meeting at the HOPE Center on Legion Street to present a panel of speakers on this issue and to field questions from a worried public.

One phrase in the ordinance that concerned panelists and residents alike reads as follows:

“…the Plan for the project area will afford maximum opportunity consistent with the sound needs of the locality as a whole, for redevelopment of the area by private enterprise.” [Ordinance 73-2005-06, Section 7]

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Sections: Issues, News | 7 Comments