Topic: Opinion

Succulent berries, fresh veggies and fruit in abundance at roadside stand

By Christine Anne Piesyk | May 3, 2008 |

On our way from point A to point B, riding along Madison Street this afternoon, I did a double take at the sight of a roadside vegetable stand. Basically, a small table laden with okra, beans, strawberries and succulent tomatoes. We continued on to our destination, but hurried back to check it out.

I’ve suffered roadside fruit stand deprivation since I left New England, where it seems we could buy garden fresh produce on every other corner in town, walk or take a bus to the farmers markets, and never have to buy produce from a grocery store in summer. My favorite was fresh still-damp-with-dew butter and sugar corn (bi-colored corn), driven to the stand straight from the field. And yellow beans (which barely seem to exist here in the south). «Read the rest of this article»

Sections: Arts and Leisure, Business, Opinion | No Comments

Crossing lines between church and state

By Christine Anne Piesyk | April 27, 2008 |

Controversy erupted last week in one South Carolina town over the posting of a politically-based query on the Church’s outdoor sign, a sign usually oriented to the more generic posting of denomination-sponsored events or church services.

Did Pastor Robert Byrd of the Jonesville Church of God step over the line in Jonesville, South Carolina, when he posted the following words outdoors on a church sign for all to see: “Obama, Osama, hmm, are they brothers?” Pastor Byrd maintained it was not intended to be racial or political and claims it was meant to foster thought about having a non-Christian, non-Christ follower, leading the country. Byrd says he doesn’t know if Obama is Muslim or not but wanted to pose the question. Quite frankly, I don’t see what spiritual direction or choice has to do with one’s ability to run the business that is the United States of America. I wasn’t a Romney fan for many reasons, but his Mormon faith was a non-issue. Funny how no one questions religious affiliation to Christian candidates such Mike Huckabee, who is now out of the race too. «Read the rest of this article»

Sections: Opinion | 1 Comment »

‘Blight’ ordinance should be repealed

January 11, 2008 |

The Clarksville City Council should rescind the “blight” ordinance. Start over. Make it right for the city and its residents.

Mayor Johnny Piper made the right decision in opting to cancel the public meeting on Ordinance 73-20050-06, acting on suspicion and subsequently on information that the the Downtown District Partnership and the City Council did not practice “due diligence” or follow state law in preparing, submitting and approving this plan. Over the past six weeks, Piper fired salvos toward former DDP members, stating there “may have been instances that they [DDP] did not follow state law.”

That was one of the questions raised by members of the grassroots citizen group comprised of property owners and taxpayers, Clarksville Property Rights Coalition, who challenged the legality and the morality of the ordinance and have been proved right.

We had the opportunity to listen to residents from the affected area in a meeting last month. After reading the bill in depth and listening to everyone involved, We are fully convinced that this ordinance needs to be abjectly rejected by the County Commission and immediately repealed by the City Council. It’s a rotten piece of legislation that has the danger of being precedent setting. If it sticks, then it will be even more dangerous. Hundreds of people have been attended various meetings in the last two months regarding the ordinance. Even more have been outspoken against it, including City Mayor Johnny Piper.

«Read the rest of this article»

Sections: Opinion | No Comments

Fuel the flame; honor our soldiers

By Christine Anne Piesyk | November 13, 2007 |

World war I officially ended on June 28, 1919, with the signing of the Treaty of Versailles. The actual fighting between the Allies and Germany, however, had ended seven months earlier with the Armistice, which went into effect on the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month in 1918. Armistice Day, as November 11 became known, officially became a holiday in the United States in 1926, and a national holiday 12 years later. On June 1, 1954, the name was changed to Veterans Day to honor all U.S. veterans.

Saturday, November 10, was a day of parades, ceremonies, and memorials, flags, uniforms and speeches honoring the veterans of American wars, including the current conflict in Iraq. Sunday, November 11, was the actual holiday, the Holy Day of Days for veterans across the country. So what happened in Clarksville on this Veteran’s Day?

The light went out. An unheralded extinguishing of eternal flame in downtown Clarksville, a flame that is supposed to be a blaze of flame in the night sky over the city. This darkening should be considered an insult to every person serving in the military today, and to every citizen of this country. The darkening of the flame (which has happened before with no fanfare) is also a slap in the face to the vets of Vietnam, Korea, both world wars, and every other war in our history. The fact that it happened on Veteran’s Day and as Christmas lights are being illuminated citywide just magnifies the force of that slap. «Read the rest of this article»

Sections: Issues, News, Politics | 1 Comment »

At what point intervention?

By Christine Anne Piesyk | April 18, 2007 |

As officials dissect the events leading up to the massacre at Virginia Tech that claimed 32 lives this week, an alarming number of prior warning signs are emerging: prior incidents of stalking, fire setting, hospitalization for mental health issues, a pattern of bizarre and violent writing severe enough to concern professors and counselors … any one of these should have been a wake-up call. But was anybody listening hard enough to take action? Was the fear of civil repercussion (lawsuits) floating under the surface. Who was connecting the dots? Anybody?

I have questions dancing in my head about the rising tide of shape-shifting information that is emerging. As a liberal, I grapple with issues of gun control (right to bear arms vs do we really need automatic weapons in every home?), rights to privacy (medical records, mental health records), and even the freedom of speech to write bizarre and violent scenarios (look at the crazy and horrific tales spun by best-selling authors Stephen King, John Saul, Dean Koontz and such, who seem a long way from killing anybody in real life) . «Read the rest of this article»

Sections: News, Opinion | No Comments

No excuses: your vote does count

By Christine Anne Piesyk | November 4, 2006 |

Every vote matters.

When I first moved to Tennessee, early in 2004, I was barely walking with the aid of crutches. But it was a presidential year: 2004. I did two things as soon as I could: I registered to vote and I got a library card.

It was six months more before I was finally able to move around enough to volunteer at Democratic headquarters. I couldn’t stand up and hold signs, so I brought my folding chair and sat holding up signs at “honk and waves.” I made phone calls, and took phone calls and did odd jobs. I convinced people to register to vote. One was a friend who, at 35+ years of age had never registered to vote. My daughter and I got her registered.

I watched as the battle for Florida ebbed and flowed, finally falling asleep exhausted and dismayed with the questionable Bush victory and the unexpected Kerry concession. «Read the rest of this article»

Sections: Politics | No Comments

What’s next? Where will the discrimination end?

By Michael Covington | September 19, 2006 |

My life is not that different than yours. I get up (usually quite some time after the alarm has gone off); grab a quick shower and a bite to eat before dashing off to work or school (usually unbelievably late). I work in customer service for a major cell phone corporation as an extension of the management team and take escalations from customers all day.

Overall, I enjoy my job. I come home, eat dinner, watch my DVR recorded TV shows (The West Wing, The Simpsons, and Eureka), read a chapter or two from a book, and fall asleep until the next day. I truly hope that my “gay lifestyle” is not offending anyone reading this quite yet. I have a townhouse near the hospital, a loving partner (Whom I don’t see enough of as I’d like.), and a kitchen table that has more paperwork than the IRS director’s desk. «Read the rest of this article»

Sections: Issues, Politics | No Comments

Déjà vu

By Christine Anne Piesyk | July 2, 2006 |

On a cool September morning in 1966, I stood outside my Catholic high school, waiting for my best friend to hop off the bus. She did, crying.

“Jim died.”

My eyes welled up, and I marked the day in my mind as the one on which I lost my first friend to Vietnam. «Read the rest of this article»

Sections: Opinion, Politics | No Comments