Nashville Past And Present

More Tennessee Titan's Commentary from the archives of sports writer Chris Lambos

2011-08-30T09:52:00.003-05:00

The following excerpt was taken from a December 15, 2009 post.

"How bad is it being a St. Louis Rams fan these days? Well, it wasn't too long ago the Titans found themselves at 0-6, so we probably have an idea of what 1-12 feels like. But by watching this game, I decided that Titans fans really have a lot to be thankful for this holiday season! For those who feel less than blessed, consider this timeless adage handed down through the generations:

'Enjoy your entire football season! There are
starving fans in Missouri!'

Check back here on Friday to read another commentary gleaned from the sports archives of columnist Chris Lambos.

Sports Writer Chris Lambos Ready For The New Season and To Cover The Tennessee Titans

2011-08-24T08:56:00.004-05:00

Our favorite sports writer, Nashville's own Chris Lambos, is sharpening his pen and honing his wit as he prepares to cover the Tennessee Titan's this year.

On September 11 the Titans will open their new season when they face the Jaguars in Jacksonville in what promises to be an exciting match up. Following the game Chris Lambos will report to us and post his thoughts on the game here. Until that time Nashville Past and Present will be sharing excerpts taken from some of his most memorable commentaries. We know you will enjoy them.

Titans Week 12 November 28, 2010 Houston 20 Titans 0

"The Titans are doing everything well accept playing football. After the past two games, I wondered if I should be writing team recaps for this blog or team scripts for Reality TV. I mean, there is so much drama around this team, I hear TMZ now has a beat writer. "

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Check back on Monday to read another quote gleaned from the sports archives of columnist Chris Lambos

Recalling The Legacy Of Dr. Martin Luther King

2011-04-04T08:11:00.006-05:00

Today, on the anniversary of his assassination, many will recall the words and deeds of Dr. Martin Luther King. He will be especially remembered in cities like Nashville where his presence was real and the results of his sacrifices are still evident. Today I will honor his legacy by taking time to notice how culture and values have changed and how many of the changes he struggled for have come to pass. I will also give thanks for the movement he lead and for the inspiration he brought to a divided nation.

Hellhound On His Trail, The Stalking of Martin Luther King, Jr. and the International Hunt for His Assassin

2011-04-04T07:01:00.013-05:00

April 2, Author Hampton Sides reads a passage of his book, "Hellhound On His Trail The Stalking of Martin Luther King, Jr. and the International Hunt for His Assassin" " in the Courtyard of the Nashville Public Library. Sides was the first guest Author in this years 615 Salon author series. .

"Hellhound On His Trail; The Stalking of Martin Luther King, Jr.and the International Hunt for His Assassin" is a 2010 best selling historical narrative by Hampton Sides. In "Hellhound On His Trail" Sides offers a bold look at the events leading up to and following the assassination of Dr.King. Dispelling the conspiracy theories that abounded following Dr. Kings murder Sides traces the steps of James Earl Ray as he plans and executes the assassination and gives a detailed account of the police investigation that eventually led to his arrest. In "Hellhound On His Trail" Sides paints a portrait of characters who are complex and the story he tells is riveting.

My Dutchman's Curve book is still untitled but it now has a storyline!

2011-03-22T00:51:00.004-05:00

I am making progress. Finally!

The first time I heard the story of the Great Nashville Rail Disaster, my imagination was captured by the tragic tale. Now, four years and hundreds of research hours later, the events surrounding the incident still captivate me and I am compelled to tell the following story.
Betsy Thorpe
March 21, 2011

Shortly after 7 am on July 9, 1918, Mary Daugherty Kennedy’s quiet life was shattered when news arrived that two powerful steam locomotives on the Nashville Chattanooga & St Louis Railway line had crashed in a corn field less than five miles from her Nashville home. The head-on collision caused the deadliest rail disaster in U.S. history and claimed the life of Mary’s beloved husband, veteran engineer David Kennedy. A hasty investigation conducted by government and railroad officials soon determined that engineman Kennedy was responsible for the calamity. Despite being “stone deaf,” and disregarding the nervous depression she suffered following the shock of her losing her husband, Mary Kennedy set out to restore his name. She spent the next two years in a legal battle that eventually landed her in front of the Tennessee State Supreme Court.

This tragic tale, set against a backdrop of wartime urgency and human error, unfolds in the midst of the racial and societal divisions of the early twentieth century, when segregation and cultural mores helped decide who would perish and who would survive this cataclysmic event.

To receive notification of the books publishing date email
dutchmanscurve@gmail.com

Jaguars ‘Run’ in 17-6 Victory over Tennessee Titans

2010-12-05T23:12:00.001-06:00

By Chris Lambos

Trying to snap a four-game losing streak and stay alive in the AFC South standings, the Tennessee Titans fell short to it’s divisional rival Jacksonville Jaguars by a score of 17-6 before a less-than-capacity crowd at LP Field.

Jacksonville set the tone early in the first half with a relentless running attack that found the visitors gaining 146 yards on the ground by halftime. For every 17 plays called by the Jaguars, 15 of them were runs – and the Titans D was clueless on how to stop them.

In his post-game press conference, Tennessee Titans Head Coach Jeff Fisher gave a succinct summary of today’s outing:

“Yeah, this Jaguar-Titan matchup over the years comes down to who runs it and who doesn’t. Today, they ran it and we didn’t. They ran it and we didn’t stop it…and they stopped our run and that’s the difference in the ball game”.

Jaguars RB Maurice Jones-Drew had the best day of his five year career, compiling 186 yards on 31 carries.

By looking close at the halftime stats, one could say that things could have been a lot worse on this cold and cloudy afternoon. I mean, it could have been a paralyzing blizzard for both the offense and defense. Case in point, the Jaguars produced 219 yards compared to just 74 yards by the Titans. They controlled the ball for 21 mins. 29 seconds vs. our 8 mins. 31 seconds of ownership. In the First Downs category, the Titans could only manage 2 while the Jags accumulated 15.

That was one nasty half of football!

The team made a few adjustments at the half, not only to avoid another loss, but to spare the organization and the city of Nashville from further embarrassment after they laid the proverbial ‘goose egg’ against the Houston Texans and their 31st ranked defense the previous weekend.

Though at times the offense seemed to rally in the second half, any hint of a comeback fell short as dropped balls and a rusty quarterback (no, not Rusty Smith) doomed the now 5-7 Titans.

Speaking of rust, Kerry Collins started for the first time in 4 week and it showed, throwing 14 of 32 for 169 yards and 2 interceptions – obviously not one of his more productive days under Center.

Chris Johnson was held to just 5 yards in the first half but finished the afternoon with 53 yards on 13 carries.

On defense, then Titans welcomed back a few players from injuries including DT Jason Jones but you would have never guessed they were back from today’s performance. The Jags had 15 first-half runs that went for 5 yards or more (8 in the second-half). QB David Garrard added insult to injury by throwing 14 of 19 (73.6% completion rate) for 125 yards and running for a TD.

When the dust cleared, Jacksonville produced 377 yards of total offense.

What’s next for the Titans? Well, it’s hard to imagine things getting any worse but Indianapolis is coming to town in 4 days and they just lost to Dallas today (Peyton Manning usually regroups after a 4-interception Sunday). With the season winding down and Jacksonville now atop of the AFC South standings, you can expect Peyton to come out slinging it Thursday evening.

First order of business for the Titans come Monday practice is to figure out some way of crossing the goal line – not in practice, but in games. For those of you who are not counting, Tennessee has gone 13 quarters of football without an offensive TD. That leaves some Titans fans feeling worrisome - including this Titans fan!

What Did We Learn From This Game?
That there is no refund policy stated on the back of the Titans tickets.

Tennessee Titans Lay Goose Egg for Houston Texans in 20-0 Loss

2010-11-29T07:59:00.001-06:00

Tennessee Titans quarterback Rusty Smith (11) is sacked by Houston Texans defensive end Mario Williams.

By Chris Lambos

Some London sorts might refer to it as a ‘Sweet Fanny Adams’ after a scoreless Rugby match…but when the home team at Reliant Stadium pitches one to a visiting football team known as the Tennessee Titans, the Harris County translation may very well be ‘Sweet Buddy Adams’.

This is ugly and absolutely no fun to write about. The Titans were held scoreless. I repeat, “Scoreless”. You know, NFL players train, condition and get paid to score points on a football field and our guys make it seem impossible. Makes you now sympathize with the neutered dog next door.

The last time this happened to a Tennessee Titans football team, we have to go way back to… No, not 1969…not ’79 or ’89. No, we must journey all the way back to 2009. That’s right - just when you thought that last season’s Foxborough Massacre changed the course of Tennessee football history for the better, the dreaded goose egg rears it’s ugly head. The fact that it was handed to us by a 4-6 team reminds us all that we are closer to mediocrity than denial allows us to ascertain.

“Injuries on defense…insult on offense”. I heard that after the game and it’s sticking with me, folks!

I’m not here to complain about injuries…that’s part of the game. But somebody has got to give me a halfway reasonable excuse as to why we stuck with Rusty Smith for four quarters of football? The rookie out of Florida Atlantic generated a whopping 26.7 passer rating for the game, completing 17 of 31 passes for 138 yards and 3 interceptions. Don’t you think Simms could have done better? A hobbling Collins surely could have done better. This wasn’t the Purple People Eaters or the Steel Curtain we were facing today – this Texan unit was ranked 31 in the NFL going into today’s contest. Every offensive unit that has lined up across from them this season has scored 24 points of more.

We managed only 54 yards of total offense by halftime. For the game, the Titans tallied 162 total yards versus the Texan’s 346.

Chris Johnson had his worst performance of his career rushing for negative yards (7 rushes for 5 yards).

For the Texans, Tennessee Vol standout Arian Foster rushed for 143 yards on 30 carries. He also led all Texans receivers with 9 catches for 75 yards.

The low point of the game came when Titans S Courtland Finnegan and Texans WR Andre Johnson began to rip each other’s helmets off and exchange blows resulting with both players being ejected.

Stop there!

What Have We Learned From This Game?

1) I write 30% less when the Titans lose games they should win, but I write 50% less when they get shut out by 4-6 teams.

2) The Titans are doing everything well accept playing football. After the past two games, I wondered if I should be writing team recaps for this blog or team scripts for Reality TV. I mean, there is so much drama around this team, I hear TMZ now has a Titans beat writer.

One day (if not today), this organization is going to get serious about football. It starts at the top and works itself down to the players on the bench. Change comes after shutouts…will it be lasting change? Or do we need to start bracing ourselves for next season’s ‘Sweet Buddy’?

Next Stop On Grandpa's Road, new book by Terry L Coats

2010-11-23T22:34:00.010-06:00

Author, Terry L Coats
2010

“‘From the trains, onto the station platform stepped the backbone of American culture: the teacher and the students, the minister and the sinner, the farmers and the construction worker, the accountant and the drummer with his wares. Each person had his or her own story, each one using the train as transport to the next great adventure or maybe even the next phase of life.”
Excerpt from "Next Stop on Grandpa’s Road"
By Terry L Coats

Boundless paths of steel move across the landscape of America, they pass through cities, towns and farm lands; they wind around imposing mountains and stretch through wide open spaces. At one time they formed the roads that helped build the nation, as trains transporting agriculture and manufactured goods thundered over their tracks, delivering freight and passengers to the countless depots and terminals spread along their lines.

For more than a century railroads ruled supreme and throughout the country scattered depots and terminals bustled with activity as both railroad operators and customers conducted business inside. Many of the structures have been razed; in many instances overgrown tracks and crumbling platforms are the only reminders that a railroad station ever existed. Many have just disappeared; leaving no evidence of the status they held in their community or of the trains that once rumbled past their doors.

Nashville historian Terry L Coats has a keen understanding of how the early railroads helped develop communities and of the significant position stations and depots held in their communities. In his book, “Next Stop On Grandpa’s Road” Coats relates many aspects of Tennessee’s colorful history as he takes his readers on a journey through the past by visiting more than three hundred stops on the state’s first operating railroad, the historic Nashville Chattanooga & St. Louis Railway line.

“Next Stop on Grandpa’s Road,” starts with the founding of the Nashville & Chattanooga Railroad, as Coats expounds on the impact railroads had on the antebellum south. The book then explores the railroad’s commercial development and place in local society, as Coats ably uses the history of the N&C to relate contemporary events. “Next Stop on Grandpa’s Road” gives the reader a candid look at a world gone by. It contains over five hundred historic photographs, illustrations and drawings. The images include photographs of railroad workers, locomotives, trains and trackage as well as photos and illustrations of the architecture and locales of the various depots and terminals on the N&C line.

Coats writes with the authority and confidence that comes from years of research and a passion to know his subject. He is known as the “go to guy” for those interested in Tennessee railroad history and is involved in several historical research projects. He is a popular public speaker. In addition to speaking on the history of the N&C, Coats is also sought as an expert speaker on railroad activity during the Civil War, on the famous story of “The General” (the notorious locomotive chase), and on the 1918 Nashville train wreck,( the worst rail disaster in U.S. history). He is the president of the Nashville Chattanooga Preservation Society, a group he helped found in the interest of promoting and preserving history and information related to the NC&StL Railway.

I recommend "Next Stop On Grandpa's Road" to anyone interested in history or in railroads. Readers will definitely find it a substantial and fascinating book.

Go here to learn more about author Terry L Coats and his book "Next Stop on Grandpa's Road."

Tennessee Titans Lose to Redskins in OT (But Vince Young Loses More than Game)

2010-11-22T06:50:00.002-06:00

Vince Young-- Before The Drama
By Chris Lambos

The 5-Year Vince Young experiment might be coming to an end. The so-called Titans ‘quarterback of the future’ gambled with his NFL future in today’s 19-16 OT loss to the Washington Redskins in Nashville.

What happened?

Take one less than mature QB – Add a more than peevish crowd; a first possession turnover; a thumb with a torn flexor tendon and you have all the makings of a ‘Mid-Fall Meltdown’ the size of Texas:

First, Young addressed the onslaught of ‘booing’ fans by motioning with his hands to them as to ‘bring it on!’…then there was supposedly some gesture to the ear hole of the helmet encouraging them to boo with more volume.

Secondly, Young injured his thumb at the 3:55 mark of the third quarter on a pass play to Nate Washington for 37 yards. He was replaced by third stringer Rusty Smith, a rookie out of Florida Atlantic University (Kerry Collins is still nursing a strained calf muscle and was unavailable)

Then, Young was expecting to come back in the OT but Fisher stuck with the rookie Smith. It is reported that Young became angered with the Coach’s decision. But according to Coach Fisher, Young never came up to him to say that he was good to go in.

But whether it be miscommunication or something deeper, there is absolutely no excuse that justifies what Vince Young is guilty of doing at the end of the game: Slinging his jersey and shoulder pads into the crowd.

Fisher was not happy about Young’s display when asked to comment on it during the post-game press conference. “I am very disappointed. I think his teammates are disappointed. You know, there is going to be frustration in losses. There is going to be, you know, there are times when you have to dig deep and fight and turn to one another. I don’t think you run and so I am disappointed.” said Fisher

Fisher also made it known that Vince Young was not the starting quarterback, whether he requires surgery on his thumb or not.

The Titans (5-5) have now lost two games that they were expected to win. Considering Washington was plagued with eight injuries during the game (I saw a water boy warming up on the sidelines). This game should have never been close.

For the record, Young posted typical VY numbers with his completion rate a little better than usual. His final tally was 12 of 16 for 165 yards, 0 TDs and 0 Ints. His best pass might have been his last one.

Rusty Smith threw 3 of 9 for 62 yards and 1 Int. He did heave a nice long ball to Randy Moss that appeared to be a touchdown but Moss was flagged for pushing off.

Randy Moss was quiet again (0 catches) in his second week as Titans QBs looked at other targets. Nate Washington led all receivers with 5 catches for 117 yards.

Chris Johnson rushed for over 100 yards as the presence of Moss continues to give a boost his running game. CJ finished with 130 yards on 21 carries and 0 TDs.

The defense struggled to put any consistent pressure on Donovan McNabb. It seemed like they were one step or a half-step away from making big plays in the backfield. McNabb was usually able to find an open tight end for 20 yards here and 30 yards there – especially on third downs. Veteran TE Chris Cooley made 7 catches for 91 yards but Santana Moss led all Redskin receivers with 6 receptions for 106 yards and a first quarter TD.

Like I said, this game could have been won but the defense committed some real bonehead penalties during OT that all but put the Redskins in FG range. First of the penalties was an unnecessary roughness call on Jason Babin on the Washington 27 yard line. The second was a roughing the passer call on Will Witherspoon on the Washington 42 yard line which made it 1st and 10 Washington on the Titans 43 yard line.

After missing a game winning 47-yard FG in regulation, Washington K Graham Gano booted a 48 yarder to finish off the Titans.

Next week, we will most likely see some drama…hopefully no Police calls to the Young household. But as the week unwinds, you can probably expect some changes other than the QB position…maybe some changes on the defensive side of the ball will be made. Let’s hope Rusty Smith catches on to the speed of the NFL game fairly quickly as the team prepares for a visit to Reliant Stadium in Houston, Texas to play an important Divisional game with the (4-6) Texans.

What Did We Learn From This Game?There is one thing Bud Adams likes more than Texas Orange – Tennessee Green.
Expect a change before Titans Boos create Fiscal Blues.

Thanksgiving Turkey Song, I Will Survive

2010-11-19T09:04:00.003-06:00

SHE'S BACK!

Turnovers Costly in 29-17 Loss to 'Fins

2010-11-15T07:41:00.001-06:00

Tennessee Titans quarterback Vince Young prepares to pass against the Miami Dolphins in the fourth quarter of an NFL football game in Miami, Sunday, Nov. 14, 2010. Miami won 29-17.
By Chris Lambos

Wasn't there supposed to be a ‘Welcome to the Titans, Randy!’ victory party in honor of newcomer WR Randy Moss? Well, there was no victory…and there was no Randy Moss (unless you categorize 1 catch for 26 yards at the 4:42 mark of the fourth quarter a ‘will attend’ RSVP.

The Tennessee Titans were physically on the field at Sun Life Stadium this afternoon to take on the (4-4) Miami Dolphins, but mentally, they might as well have been at Sea World with Flipper.

Though Tennessee was leading at the end of the first quarter 10-7, it was actually the their first possession that might have served as a clue as to how the final three quarters were to play out. In that first possession, Bo Scaife fumbled the ball shortly after making his first reception of the game. The turnover gave Miami the ball 1st and 10 at the Titans 31 yard line, setting up the home team’s first score of the day.

For the day, the Titans were guilty of two turnovers – both deep in Titans territory – all leading to Dolphin scores. As Jeff Fisher put it after the game, “When you give them the ball twice inside the 30-yard line or thereabouts…. I think really sums up our day”.

Kerry Collins started at QB but pulled a leg muscle near the end of the first half and was replaced by Vince Young. Collins pre-injury performance was less than mediocre as he completed 9 of 20 passes for 51 yards, 0 TDs 0 Ints. Young passed the ball a bit better (9 of 18 for 92 yards and 1 TD) but lost a costly fumble at the Titans 10 and threw and Int. late in the game. Young’s lone TD pass was to Nate Washington for 14 yards at the 1:20 mark of the third quarter.

Today was Game 1 for Randy Moss as a Tennessee Titan after being cut by the Minnesota Vikings on November 2nd. Moss was covered fairly well most of the afternoon, but when he wasn’t, the Titans QBs threw elsewhere.

Not only did the Titans have a quarterback leave the game with an injury, the Dolphins had two quarterbacks that sustained injuries. ‘Fins starter Chad Pennington, getting the nod for the first time in 18 months, went down after the first play of the game. Chad Henne lasted longer but finally had to hand over the reigns to third stringer Tyler Thigpen who was effective in the final quarter leading his team on an 85 yard scoring drive to seal the victory.

But there is no doubt that TE Anthony Fasano was given the game ball in the Dolphins locker room after the game. Fasano posted a career best 107 yards on 5 receptions and scored a TD.

On a positive note, Chris Johnson rushed over the century mark. His final tally was 117 yards on 17 carries and a TD.

The Titans fall to 5-4 and are now a full game behind the Indianapolis Colts, who lead the AFC South. Next week, the Washington Redskins (4-4) visit LP Field to take on the Titans at 12 Noon.

What did we learn from this game?We learned that I will write 30% less words when the Titans lose to teams they should beat. Sorry, folks!

Free Admission To Cheekwood November 2, Chihuly Exhibit Extended

2010-11-01T15:43:00.004-05:00

Photo Courtesy Paula Underwood Winters and Lori Massaro

CHIHULY AT CHEEKWOOD**EXTENDED** Through November 7, 2010

CHIHULY ENCORE WEEK
Tuesday, November 2, FREE Community Day 9:30 am - 4:30 pm
Wednesday - Saturday, November 3 - 6, 9:30 am - 10:00 pm
Sunday, 11:00 am - 4:30 pm

Injuries/ Mistakes 'Haunt' Titans

2010-11-01T07:13:00.008-05:00

Tennessee Titans quarterback Vince Young throws a touchdown-pass while rolling out in the second quarter against the San Diego Chargers, Sunday, Oct. 31, 2010, in San Diego.

By Chris Lambos

The San Diego Chargers broke a spell on this Halloween edition of Sunday NFL action, proving that their many team strengths and talents are no trick – even on ‘special teams’. Unfortunately for the Tennessee Titans, this game was no treat.

Titans fans watched a few injuries and a host of mistakes take the Pacific winds out of the team’s 5-2 sales at Qualcomm Stadium this afternoon. They also watched an underachieving AFC West team perform an on-field exorcism of ‘blundering spirits’ in order to regroup from a 19-7 second quarter deficit. Fighting off a late Titans rally in the fourth quarter, the Chargers went on to post a 33-25 victory, breaking the teams three game losing streak.

The now 3-5 Chargers had lost five of their first seven games, mostly due to special teams gaffes. The team as well as their coach, Norv Turner, has been under intense pressure by fans and local media to come up with one reasonable explanation as to why a franchise with so much talent could have such a poor record (this side of Dallas, Texas). After all, this team led the NFL in offense and defense going into today’s matchup. But most thought it was just a matter of time before the team would win again. With so many assets on offense and defense, they really don’t have to rely on the Halloween holiday to ‘spook’ the opponent into the loss column.

San Diego beat the Titans two ways today: 1) A punishing physical running game. Mike Tolbert is a human bowling ball. Darren Sproles is as fast as a CAT and as strong as a CAT BULLDOZER. Ryan Mathews, the Rookie out of Fresno State is averaging 4.4 yards per carry. This might be the best trio of running backs in professional football. 2) Antonio Gates The Titans did not have answer on how to contain one of the league’s best tight ends as he generated 123 yards on 5 catches and scored on a 48-yard TD.

Worth noting here that Philip Rivers threw for over 300 yards today – his fifth 300 yard game of the season. Rivers also passed Dan Fouts in the NFL record books for the most yards passed in 8 seasons

For Tennessee, it was the Tale of Two Titans: The cast members are naturally the ones that play great football, and the ones that don’t. After scoring a safety by blocking a Chargers punt out of the their end zone on the games first series, the Titans went to work on offense, scoring points on three of their first four possessions. But dropped balls and penalties would dictate the outcome for the Titans.

Vince Young was putting together one of his best passing games in recent memory. He ended the day going 10 of 21 for 253 yards and 2 TDs. Yes, he completed less than 50% but this was a game of multiple dropped passes (last I counted was ‘six’). Vince was on-th- money most of the time, and should have posted a better passer rating than the 123.7 he finished with. One of his most beautiful passes of the day was a deep ball intended for Kenny Britt on the Titans second possession of the day. The pass seemed catchable but Britt pulled a hamstring muscle on the play and never returned to the game. The pass that will make the highlight reel was a deep 71-yard TD strike to a streaking Nate Washington at the 11:53 mark in the fourth quarter. The score put the Titans within the 2 points of the Chargers. Coach Fisher went for two points but came up short on a poorly thrown ball to Chris Johnson outside the left hash marks. Washington led all Titans receivers with 117 yards.

Chris Johnson was relatively quiet today rushing 15 times for 59 yards. He did score a TD on a nifty 29-yard change-of-direction run where he weaved against the grain and navigated into the end zone at the 4:58 mark of the second quarter.

Young injured his foot in the fourth quarter while sliding to avoid a hit after a short scramble. He was replaced by Kerry Collins who’s sporting an injured finger on his throwing hand. Like Young, Collins had to deal with drop passes. One dropped pass on a critical fourth down pass to Chris Johnson at the San Diego 15 yard line proved to be the nail in the coffin for the Titans this Halloween – denying them any chance of a score and possible 2-point conversion to send the game into OT.

The Titans have a bye week coming up which will give them some time to heal from mid-season injuries. The following week finds them on the road at Miami (4-3)

What did we learn from this game?The Titans helped Norv Turner save his job!

Titans Turn the Tables

2010-10-25T10:16:00.002-05:00

Tennessee Titans safety Michael Griffin (33) runs back an intercepted pass that was intended for Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver Jeremy Maclin (18) in the second quarter of an NFL football game on Sunday, Oct. 24, 2010, in Nashville, Tenn.

By Chris Lambos

"Whosoever thou art that dost another wrong, do but turn the tables ...”
- Robert Sanderson, The XII Sermons, 1634

“What goes up must come down…”
- Blood, Sweat & Tears, Spinning Wheel, 1969

“Tennessee comes from behind to beat Philadelphia…”
- Chris Lambos, Titans Week 7 Recap, 2010

Alright, humanity will most likely forget this article through the ages, but this game will prove to be as relevant as the season unwinds. How relevant? Well, let’s just say that the following words are as profound as any you will come across in 2010:

The Titans just beat the NFC Champions of the 2010 season and will meet them again in the Super Bowl.

Tall order? Maybe not! But hey, that’s February - let’s get back to October:

At home against the Philadelphia Eagles, the Titans got off to a slow start against the league’s #4 offense and #11 defense (now #5 and #10 respectively after Week 7), but like an automobile transmission, the Titans had to ‘downshift’ to get up the hill. They switched to the passing lane just over the top and hit ‘overdrive’ on the way to a 37-19 come-from-behind victory.

Backup QB Kerry Collins got the starting job this week as Vince Young is still bothered with a sprained knee injury he sustained in last week’s game. As mentioned, there are really not a lot of first half stats to talk about other than he hit Kenny Britt on a 26-yard touchdown strike at the 6:35 mark of the second quarter. Britt, who did not start this week as punishment from Coach Jeff Fisher for being involved in some bar room altercation, scored his first of three touchdowns on his very first play upon entering the game. It turned out to be a career day for our 2009 first-round draft pick out of Rutgers. He’s the first WR to top 150 or more yards since Drew Bennett did so in 2003. Britt finished the day with 225 yards. Collins churned out respectable numbers going 17 of 31 for 276 yards, 3TDs and 2 Ints.

RB Chris Johnson was shut down this afternoon, gaining only 66 yards on 24 carries.

For the Eagles, it was just another day of football in the first half. QB Kevin Kolb was making some plays through the air – spreading the ball around among WRs Jason Avant, Jeremy Maclin and Riley Cooper as well as RB LeSean McCoy out of the backfield (WR standout DeSean Jackson was placed on IR with a concussion from last week’s jarring helmet-to helmet hit from Atlanta Falcons Cornerback Dunta Robinson).

The Eagle Defense was causing problems for the Titans other than shutting down the running game. They logged two sacks, two interceptions and recovered a forced fumble.

At the 5:58 mark of the third quarter, many of Titans fans were thinking about changing the TV channel. The Eagles had just picked up a first down at the Titans 3-yard line. Leading 16-7, the Eagles go to the run but the play was disrupted on the handoff by DT Jason Jones, forcing a fumble that was recovered by Titans Rookie CB Alterraun Verner.
This was the turning point of the game. The Titans took over at their own 4-yard line and marched down the field far enough for Rob Bironas to kick a 41-yard FG to close the gap to six points.

By the end of the third quarter, the Titans had compiled 144 yards of total offense. They put on an unbelievable offensive display in the fourth quarter. They scored on 4 of their 5 possessions, setting a franchise record for 27 unanswered points in a quarter of play. The quarter’s highlight came on a 1st and 10 when Collins connected with Kenny Britt for 80 yards – Britt’s second score of the afternoon (he later logged an 18-yard TD for his third and final score).

When the final second ticked off the clock, the Titans had generated 184 yards of fourth quarter offense and finished with a game total of 328.

The Titans (5-2) go on the road next week to face QB Philip Rivers and the San Diego Chargers. We know Dallas in the best 1-4 team in the NFL, right? Well, the Chargers are the best 2-5 team as they have lost their past 3 games to above average competition by a combined total of 14 points. Look for another tough test as the Titans try to extend their undefeated road record to 4-0

What did we learn from this game?At 5-2 and with Indy limping, there isn’t a table that can’t be turned by determined Titans in 2010!

VY Out Early-CJ In Late As Titans Top Jags

2010-10-20T18:08:00.001-05:00

By Chris Lambos

What was believed to be a running back shootout soon turned into a ‘battle of backups’. With both starting quarterbacks from the Tennessee Titans and the Jacksonville Jaguars going down early in the game, veteran Kerry Collins and fourth-year Stanford product Trent Edwards were both called to duty. But once both sides disarmed, the Titans marched away with a 30-3 victory, extending their overall record to 4-2 and stretching their undefeated road record to 3-0.

The Titans attacked early and quickly. On their first possession of the game, Vince Young engineered a 6-play 79 yard touchdown drive, hooking up with second-year WR Kenny Britt on a short pass left for 23 yards. Britt is slowly turning the corner, demonstrating to both supporters and naysayers why the Titans made him their #1 draft pick in 2009. Keep it up, Kenny!

Young went down on the fifth play of the Titans second possession. He fumbled a bad snap from Center and before he could improvise on the busted play, he was swarmed by a host of Jaguar defenders from different angles, twisting his left leg in multiple directions – ultimately spraining his knee. Young finished the outing completing 3 of 5 for 61 yards and 1 TD.

Jacksonville’s quarterback David Garrard went down at the 7:00 mark of the 2nd Qtr sustaining a concussion from a devastating blow delivered by Titans LB Will Witherspoon. His numbers totaled 7 of 12 for 49 yards 0 TDs and 1 Int. Trent Edwards was ineffective as a backup going 14 of 24 for 140 yards 0 TDs and 2 Ints.

Kerry Collins posted good numbers and overall had a good game as he directed 5 consecutive scoring drives. Most of Collins’ passes flew in the direction of USC rookie WR Damian Williams and TE Bo Scaife. Scaife led all Titans receivers with 4 catches for 53 yards and 1 TD. Collins’ final stats were 11 of 16 for 110 yards, 1 TD and 0 Int.

Chris Johnson was shut down for almost three quarters of football. Though he rushed for over 100 yards, most of his production took place in the fourth quarter. After losing some carries to Javon Ringer in the second and third quarters. Ringer rushed the ball ten times effectively - averaging 4.2 yards per carry. CJ scampered 35 yards for a TD with 1:37 left in the game, putting him over the century mark and drastically increasing his yards per carry average (which was a dismal 1.7 after his first 17 carries).

I rarely question Jeff Fisher, but leading 23-3 with less than two minutes remaining in the game, was it more important to keep CJ on the field to get his 100 yards rushing than safeguarding the team’s most valuable offensive asset from an unnecessary injury – all while your ‘second’ most valuable offensive asset is limping around on the sidelines???? C'Mon, Coach! I think you want Javon Ringer on the field in that situation. But hey, what do I know - I sell real estate!

Chuck Cecil’s ‘No-Name’ defensive unit continues to deliver solid performances. This is the best 23rd ranked NFL defense that I have ever seen. They kept pressure on the QB, garnering a pair of sacks (both on Edwards) and forcing four turnovers. Most importantly, they held Jacksonville's explosive RB Maurice Jones-Drew to 57 yards on 17 carries.

The Titans 'D' leads the NFL with 22 sacks – an amazing turnaround from last season. Congrats, Coach Cecil!

As mentioned, the Titans are now 4-2 and are in a three-way tie for first place in the AFC South with Indianapolis and Houston. The Jaguars dropped to 3-3.

Sunday, the Titans host the Philadelphia Eagles at LP Field. The Eagles rank 4th in Total Offense and 11th in Total Defense. Good luck, Titans!

What Did We Learn From This Game?
'Titans' is spelled with a 'D'.

By Chris Lambos

What was believed to be a running back shootout soon turned into a ‘battle of backups’. With both starting quarterbacks from the Tennessee Titans and the Jacksonville Jaguars going down early in the game, veteran Kerry Collins and fourth-year Stanford product Trent Edwards were both called to duty. But once both sides disarmed, the Titans marched away with a 30-3 victory, extending their overall record to 4-2 and stretching their undefeated road record to 3-0.

The Titans attacked early and quickly. On their first possession of the game, Vince Young engineered a 6-play 79 yard touchdown drive, hooking up with second-year WR Kenny Britt on a short pass left for 23 yards. Britt is slowly turning the corner, demonstrating to both supporters and naysayers why the Titans made him their #1 draft pick in 2009. Keep it up, Kenny!

Young went down on the fifth play of the Titans second possession. He fumbled a bad snap from Center and before he could improvise on the busted play, he was swarmed by a host of Jaguar defenders from different angles, twisting his left leg in multiple directions – ultimately spraining his knee. Young finished the outing completing 3 of 5 for 61 yards and 1 TD.

Jacksonville’s quarterback David Garrard went down at the 7:00 mark of the 2nd Qtr sustaining a concussion from a devastating blow delivered by Titans LB Will Witherspoon. His numbers totaled 7 of 12 for 49 yards 0 TDs and 1 Int. Trent Edwards was ineffective as a backup going 14 of 24 for 140 yards 0 TDs and 2 Ints.

Kerry Collins posted good numbers and overall had a good game as he directed 5 consecutive scoring drives. Most of Collins’ passes flew in the direction of USC rookie WR Damian Williams and TE Bo Scaife. Scaife led all Titans receivers with 4 catches for 53 yards and 1 TD. Collins’ final stats were 11 of 16 for 110 yards, 1 TD and 0 Int.

Chris Johnson was shut down for almost three quarters of football. Though he rushed for over 100 yards, most of his production took place in the fourth quarter. After losing some carries to Javon Ringer in the second and third quarters. Ringer rushed the ball ten times effectively - averaging 4.2 yards per carry. CJ scampered 35 yards for a TD with 1:37 left in the game, putting him over the century mark and drastically increasing his yards per carry average (which was a dismal 1.7 after his first 17 carries).

I rarely question Jeff Fisher, but leading 23-3 with less than two minutes remaining in the game, was it more important to keep CJ on the field to get his 100 yards rushing than safeguarding the team’s most valuable offensive asset from an unnecessary injury – all while your ‘second’ most valuable offensive asset is limping around on the sidelines???? C'Mon, Coach! I think you want Javon Ringer on the field in that situation. But hey, what do I know - I sell real estate!

Chuck Cecil’s ‘No-Name’ defensive unit continues to deliver solid performances. This is the best 23rd ranked NFL defense that I have ever seen. They kept pressure on the QB, garnering a pair of sacks (both on Edwards) and forcing four turnovers. Most importantly, they held Jacksonville's explosive RB Maurice Jones-Drew to 57 yards on 17 carries.

The Titans 'D' leads the NFL with 22 sacks – an amazing turnaround from last season. Congrats, Coach Cecil!

As mentioned, the Titans are now 4-2 and are in a three-way tie for first place in the AFC South with Indianapolis and Houston. The Jaguars dropped to 3-3.

Sunday, the Titans host the Philadelphia Eagles at LP Field. The Eagles rank 4th in Total Offense and 11th in Total Defense. Good luck, Titans!

What Did We Learn From This Game?
'Titans' is spelled with a 'D'.

Celebrating John Lennon's 70th Birthday, Centennial Park, Nashville, October 9, 2010

2010-10-10T10:58:00.003-05:00

Yesterday was a busy and fun day here in Nashville.

Video Courtsey Chip Curley

Hiroshi Motomura--Southern Festival Of Books

2010-10-09T23:17:00.028-05:00

Following his presentation inside the Sentate Chambers author Hiroshi Motomura signed copies of book,"Americans in Waiting: The Lost Story of Immigration and Citizenship in the United States" at the Southern Festival of Books, in Nashville, October 9, 2010

With the controversy surrounding the question of immigration, and the appropriate directions U.S. and state policies should follow, a hot political topic, today's presentation by author Hiroshi Motomura was both timely and significant. Speaking inside the Tennessee State Senate Chamber, Motomoru discussed recent developments affecting immigration law as he expounded on excerpts from his book, "Americans in Waiting: The Lost Story of Immigration and Citizenship in the United States." As a guest speaker at the 16th annual Southern Festival Of Books, Motomura shed valuable light and insight on this divisive and confusing subject.

Hiroshi Motomura is a professor at UCLA. He is an influential scholar and teacher of immigration and citizenship law. His work is known and respected by law makers across the country and in the nation's capitol. Following the 2006 publication of "Americans in Waiting" Senator Edward Kennedy stated "Hiroshi Motormura's portrait of immigration history in the United States is as poignant as it is precise." Senator Kennedy went on to say that Motomura's book "emphasizes the need to treat lawful immigrants more inclusively, and welcome them as future citizens who will help revitalize the American Dream for future generations, as they have done throughout history.

"Americans in Waiting" by Hiroshi Motomura is available here for online purchase and review.

Team Shoots Foot - Coach Shoots Finger

2010-10-04T18:57:00.004-05:00

By Chris Lambos

This week, the game plan was pretty simple - simple enough to condense the entire strategy into three words: 'Pressure Kyle Orton'. And that they did from the get-go as the Tennessee Titans took on the 'mile high'-flying Denver Broncos at LP Field this afternoon.

In what might have been their finest quarter of defense in recent memory, the Titans applied enough pressure on the NFL-leading signal caller to literally disrupt most passing plays called by Broncos Head Coach Josh McDaniels. The entire offense found themselves in a hostile, chaotic environment. How successful were the Titans in 'busting' the Broncos 'O'? Here are just a few 'first quarter' stats that stand out:

1. Out of the first twelve plays Denver ran, seven of them were for zero or negative yards.
2. Though Denver had only allowed five sacks in the first three games of 2010, Tennessee had registered three

The Titans ended up with six sacks and one interception in the game.

But as the afternoon progressed, it was apparent that Denver was not going to rollover and play dead - with the exception of their running game which compiled a whopping 19 yards in four quarters of play. Orton, who completed 35 of 50 passes for 341 yards, 2 TDs and the lone interception, got things going at the 13:47 mark of the second quarter with a pass over the middle to Brandon Lloyd for 23 yards. Lloyd finished with a team high 115 yards in 11 catches. With a little help from a Titans neutral zone infraction and a roughing the passer call against Sen'Derrick Marks, Orton found Eddie Royal on the same drive for a 2 yard TD strike to put the Broncos on the scoreboard.

The Titans quickly answered back on 1st and 10 with Javon Ringer running left for 54 yards to the Denver 17. Three plays later, Vince Young threw an 8 yard touchdown strike to Kenny Britt to tie the ball game at 7-7. Young on the day was 17 of 28 for 173 yards and 1 TD. After exchanging field goals during the closing minute of the second quarter, both teams found themselves in a 10-10 tie at halftime.

The second half highlight for the home team came from their special teams. After Matt Prater put the Broncos up 13-10 on a 36-yard FG at the 10:36 mark of the third quarter, Marc Mariani went 98 yards untouched on the following kickoff return. Moments later, I was thinking about all those great Italian names enshrined at the Hall of Fame in Canton: "Marchetti, Montana, Marino.....MARIANI???". It sounded good to me!

I now see why Jeff Fisher stuck with this kid.

But when I say that was the second half highlight for the home team , I meant it. THAT WAS IT! The penalty-plagued Titans (10 flags for 111 yards) seemed to shoot themselves in the cleats at every turn and had multiple opportunities to 'close the deal'. Chris Johnson was ineffective with 53 yards on 19 carries. I guess the Broncos had a similar three-word strategy: 'Stop Chris Johnson'.

After the 2:00 warning, the Titans Chris Hope got flagged for an interference call on a deep Kyle Orton pass to Jabar Gaffney. This proved to be the game changer as the penalty advanced the ball to the Tennessee 1 yard line. After an illegal formation call backed the Broncos to the 6 yard line, Kyle Orton found RB Correll Buckhalter 2 plays later for a 6-yard TD pass, putting the Broncos up 23-20.

Time was of the essence with only 1:38 left on the game clock, and even though Tennessee trailed by 3 points, there was a safe feeling amongst the Titans faithful as our future Hall of Famer Marc Mariani was back to field the kickoff. But the kick was high and short...it took a bounce. On a kick that Mariani should have let bounce again, he jumped in the air to field it and was hit simultaneously as he grabbed for the ball. Mariani muffs the catch and Denver recovers all but sealing their victory.

Did Mariani go from special teams 'hero' to special teams 'zero' all in one half of play? Is the word 'Mariani' the Italian definition of 'Ying Yang'? Is this just a remake of the classic spaghetti-horror flick "Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Mariani"? OK, I'm just blowing off a little frustration with a little humor (as I did with mathematical jokes after Vols loss). Marc Mariani is young and makes very few mistakes. I'm sure he will entertain us with more spectacular returns in the not too distant future.

The Titans did have a few seconds for VY to throw a couple of long balls, one being a perfect pass to Kenny Britt, but the ball fell right through Britt's hands.

The final score: Denver 26 Tennessee 20.

Next week, the Titans play a hungry (1-2) Dallas Cowboys team. Kickoff is at 3:15 PM CDT

What Did We Learn From This Game?

Chris Johnson won't surpass 2500 yards but Chuck Cecil will surpass 2500 dollars (You can't point at refs with that finger, Coach C!)

Titan Thunder or Giant Blunder?

2010-09-27T07:50:00.005-05:00

By Chris Lambos

After committing a host of mistakes at home against the defense-oriented Pittsburgh Steelers last week, the Tennessee Titans traveled to New Meadowlands Stadium in East Rutherford, NJ to rumble with a mistake-prone New York Giants squad. I use the word 'rumble' because from the overly aggressive play displayed by the likes of Cortland Finnegan and other Titans defenders during the first quarter, you would think they were auditioning for a Broadway matinee of 'West Side Story' - sans switchblades.

But what might have been construed as 'physically negative' on the TV screen proved to be 'mentally positive' on the field for the visitors. From that point on, it seemed that the New York Giants had been rattled - The Titans were in their heads, and NY logged enough turnovers on the stat sheets to prove it.

Speaking of stats, at first glance, you would think that the Titans were slain by the Giants. For instance, the Titans finished the day with 271 yards or total offense vs. the 471 yards compiled by New York. The Giants ran 20% more offensive plays in the contest. The Titans averaged 3.9 yards per rush where the Giants averaged 5.4. Eli Manning threw for 386 yards compared to Vince Young's 118. Such numbers usually spell 'victory' in the Land of the Giants.

But it was the costly mistakes committed by the Giants that set the tone and the outcome of this event. Manning threw two 1st Qtr. interceptions, one when the team was down to the Titans 2 yard line, which Jason McCourty caught in the end zone for a touchback.

New York RB Amhad Bradshaw had a fumble to his credit plus was guilty of a chop block in the Giants end zone which resulted in a safety. Topping off the gaffes were 2 missed field goals by Lawrence Tynes.

With all that was going wrong for the Giants, it's was difficult to tell what was going right for the Titans. As mentioned, VY threw for 118 yards. He did throw a 13-yard TD strike to Kenny Britt at the 7:55 mark of the 3rd Qtr. No interceptions might be Young's best stat of the day.

The running game was a huge part of the Titans offensive strategy as Chris Johnson rushed 37 times in the game for 125 yards and 2 TDs. He now has 301 yards on the season and needs 2199 yards to reach his 2500 yard goal. CJ will need to average 157 yards per game for the remainder of the season to get there.

After the game, I found myself wondering: "Did the Titans earn this victory or was it served to them on a 'giant blue' platter?"

Week 4 finds the Titans at home against the (1-2) Denver Broncos, who's quarterback Kyle Orton threw for 476 yards today.

What did we learn from this game?
Chris Johnson has become Tennessee's franchise player - the designation no longer applies to Vince Young.

Michael McDonald Opens New Season Pop Series With The Nashville Symphony

2010-09-23T23:05:00.034-05:00

Resident Conductor Albert-George Schram led the Nashville Symphony Orchestra in an energetic and lively performance tonight, launching this season's Bank of America Pops Series. The evening began with the orchestra's lively presentation of Dvorak's Carnival. The ten minute overture, composed in 1892, includes a stirring march, a peaceful interlude of strings and woodwinds and an overriding movement punctuated by moments of dramatic percussion. The orchestra closed the first hour with a moving rendition of Leonard Bernstein's Westside Story overture, bringing the audience out of the nineteenth century and into the age of pop music.

Special guest artist, seventies rock icon, Michael McDonald, opened the evenings second hour with "Love Letters," a 1960 'era orchestra ballad. Although McDonald is a five time Grammy winning songwriter, his performance tonight included many tunes composed by other writers. He said the songs he chose are "the ones I can remember where I was when I first heard them." Not only were the songs meaningful to McDonald, they also showcased his wide range of vocal styles and he easily adapted his soulful baritone to suit the various genres. He romantically crooned Brenda Lee's "Someday", powerfully belted out Aretha Franklin's "Aint No Way" and rocked his way through The Band's "Rag Mama Rag." In answer to the crowds resounding cry of encore he delighted the audience with a rocking rendition of Chuck Berry's "You Never Can Tell." Following tonight's performance one fan said that "his voice is as smooth and rich as it ever was."

The Schermerhorn Symphony Center suffered serious damage during the flood in early May. Repairs on the building are expected to continue through December and the Bank of America Pop Series concerts will be held inside the Allen Arena at David Libscomb University until the Schermerhorn reopens. Upcoming performances of this season eight-part Pop Series include Gershwin “Here to Stay” (October 14-16, 2010), an evening highlighting George Gershwin’s most popular tunes, including his song collaborations with brother Ira; Jewel (November 11-13, 2010), featuring the singer-songwriter performing her pop and country hits of the past two decades; Peter Cetera (January 13-15, 2011), presenting the legendary lead-singer of the group Chicago and successful solo artist; Broadway Rocks! (February 24-26, 2011), a collection of high-energy rock and pop songs originally featured on the Broadway stage; The Sound of Philadelphia (March 31, April 1-2, 2011), featuring the dynamic group Spectrum in a look back at the signature sound of Philadelphia soul as created during the 1970s; Michael Cavanaugh Sings the Music of Bill Joel (May 5-7, 2011), an evening with the GRAMMY-nominated star of Billy Joel’s Broadway musical Movin’ Out; and Lorrie Morgan (May 26-28.

Titans Got 'Cursed' Out

2010-09-20T08:09:00.003-05:00

Tennessee Titans fullback Ahmard Hall (45) leaps over Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker Lawrence Timmons (94) in the first quarter of an NFL football game on Sunday, Sept. 19, 2010, in Nashville, Tenn

By Chris Lambos
9/19/2010

As you might guess from the headline, the Titans suffered their first loss of the season, falling to the Pittsburgh Steelers this afternoon by a score of 19-11 at LP Field. Today's spectators were as rowdy and ready to go as any crowd I've seen gather there in quite some time, however soon after Rob Bironas booted the football on the kickoff, fear silenced the Titans faithful as Steelers WR Antonio Brown took the ball 89 yards to the house. The kickoff was actually fielded by veteran RB Mewelde Moore at the 3-yard line, but he advanced it to the 8 where he handed off to Brown on a reverse. The kickoff return goes down in the books as a 97-yard TD.

What fear could silence an undefeated team at home so early in a football contest?

Well, some of the less confident Titans fans might tell you the game was lost after the initial kickoff return, and some will tell you it was any combination of interceptions and/or fumbles at certain points of the game, but there are many fans dressed in black and gold and a growing number wearing the blue and white that will tell you that this game was lost in the 4th Qtr. of Week 16, December 21, 2008.

What happened on that day? The Titans had to beat the Steelers in order to secure a home field advantage during the playoffs. They stomped Pittsburgh 31-14, but it's what else they stomped that has negatively affected the Titans in many ways since that victory. A few players stomped on the Steeler's sacred 'terrible towel' and grinded it into the turf with their cleats. Now, I don't have time to tell you what a terrible towel is, so if you don't know, please visit Wikipedia after reading this post. History has proven that when this towel is disrespected in any fashion by opposing teams, those opponents become vulnerable to:

The Curse of The Terrible Towel

How hearty of a hex are we talking about? Well, the Titans went on to lose Week 17 to the Colts 23-0 and lost their first Divisional playoff game to the Ravens 13-10.

For those of you who don't believe in curses, the Titans lost this game because of turnovers and mistakes. Yes, the Steelers defense is as tough as they come and they consistantly add enough pressure to throw any offense off-course. Even with run-stopping Casey Hampton out of the lineup, Pittsburgh removed any hope of Chris Johnson having a 100-yard outing by stuffing all aspects of the running game. Whether it be Johnson behind FB Hall, or VY/CJ option right or left, they gave the Titans absolutely zilch to work with 99% of the afternoon. To his credit, CJ reeled off an 85 yard TD run at the 4:11 mark of the 2nd Qtr, but it was called back on a holding penalty (THIS, my friends, is the point in the game where the Titans really started to fall apart).

When the Steeler 'D' was not zeroing in on Johnson, who finished the day with 34 rushing yards on 16 attempts (a dismal 2.1 yards per carry average), they were wreaking havoc on the Titans passing game. OLB James Harrison was creating all sorts of problems for Vince Young, who stank up the joint with his 7 of 9 for 66 yards passing and 2 interceptions. Harrison made 3 sacks on the day and forced 2 fumbles. He was a big factor in the '7-turnover' Titans performance. All-Pro SS Troy Palamalu help set the tone early by picking off a VY pass in the Steelers end zone at the 5:53 mark of the 1st Qtr. Timmons and Woodley also deserve recognition is this forceful defensive effort

After Young committed his last turnover late in the 3rd Qtr, veteran backup Kerry Collins was brought in to give what Jeff Fisher described as "a spark" early in the 4th. Unfortunately, there was no such flicker as Collins threw an interception on his first series. He did manage 1 touchdown this afternoon, but there just wasn't enough time to play catch-up.

You may be wondering why I have not mentioned anything about the Steelers offense. Well, there is really not a lot to report other than RB Rashard Mendenhall rushing for 69 yards on 23 carries. No other player on offense racked up more than 28 yards...including 2 QBs. Speaking of QBs, Ben Roethlisberger is still serving a 4 game suspension and Byron Leftwich was cut to make salary cap room for defensive line reinforcements, so inexperienced Dennis Dixon got the starting call. Early in the game, Dixon went down with a sprained knee, leaving 4th string QB Charlie Batch to run the Steeler offense for most of the game. Batch completed just 5 of 11 passes for 25 yards, 0 TDs 0 Int. (Like I said, not much to report on that side of the ball).

Next week, the Titans travel to the Meadowlands (actually New Meadowlands Stadium) to take on the NY Giants. This should be a high scoring affair as CJ looks to make up lost yardage on his journey to his 2500 yard rushing mark and both Vince Young and Eli Manning will be trying to shake off the 'Week 3 Funk' they both contracted.

What did we learn from this game?

Keep your feet to yourselves!

Extreme Makeover Nashville Episode To Air November 7

2010-09-20T08:05:00.010-05:00

Commenting on the state of the art facility provided by ABC and the Extreme Makeover crew, Headmaster Sweatt said, "It is very cool that Nashville's premier pre-school is in Antioch. What a blessing for our community."

Two days after the Extreme Makeover "Reveal" Lighthouse School Headmaster Bryan Sweatt sits on the steps of the new pre-school with his son Kobe and two neighborhood children.

Last week the Extreme Makeover crew worked round the clock with more than fifteen hundred local volunteers to rebuild the flooded out Lighthouse Christian Pre school. At the same time Lighthouse School headmaster Bryan Sweatt and his family enjoyed a "sta-cation" courtesy of the show. Nashville is a popular tourist destination and producers of the show sent the Sweatt family on a week long Nashville adventure to promote and showcase the city. The family was filmed enjoying some of Nashville's finest entertainment and amenities.

Their "sta-cation" adventures included a back stage visit to the Grand Ole Opry ,personal serenades by some of country music's biggest stars and a Sunday afternoon visit to LP Field where they witnessed the Ttitan's win over last years Super Bowl champions, the New Orlean's Saints.

The Nashville episode of Extreme Makeover will on November 7th and will include appearances by the TSU marching band, Tennessee Titans Cheerleaders, Congressman Cooper, and Nashville Mayor, Karl Dean.

Titans 'Shine' in Season Opener

2010-09-13T09:02:00.004-05:00

Tennessee Titans quarterback Vince Young reacts in the first half of their NFL football game against the Oakland Raiders

By Chris Lambos
Sunday, September 12, 2010

So, was it just me or did you have a feeling by looking at today's weather forecast that the Titans were going to chalk one up in the win column? I'm not sure what the connection is between meteorology and professional sports, but when I stepped outside this morning, I could feel a massive high pressure system forming over LP Field.

Under mostly 'Titan Blue' skies, the chance of any afternoon 0-6 start soon dissipated as the Tennessee Titans beat the visiting Oakland Raiders 38-13 in their 2010 season debut. If I can be so expedient as to sum up today's performance with one word, I would throw 'balance' out there. The Titans could pass, catch, run, tackle, blitz (yes, blitz), sack, intercept...by far one of their best performances in recent memory.

Take Vince Young for instance: He showed poise in the pocket and managed the ball quite well in his 40th start as an NFL quarterback. His numbers for the day were13 of 17 passes for 154 yards and 2 TDs. Sounds mediocre to you? Think again! VY logged a 142.8 passing rating with those stats (the highest passing rating of his career). Young's contribution to this week's highlight reel includes a play action fake rollout pass, hooking up with Nate Washington for a 56-yard TD at the 1:38 mark of the 1st Qtr. Young's other touchdown was a 1-yard toss to fellow Longhorn Bo Scaife early in the 4th Qtr.

Then there was Chris Johnson. After a slow start in the first 1.5 quarters of play, CJ started to gradually build up steam, culminating with a 76-yard scamper to pay dirt late in the first half. Johnson finished the day with 142 yards rushing on 27 carries and 2 TDs. For those of you who are closely following CJ's trek to 2500, he was off 5 yards from the 147 ypg average needed to reach his mark. He now needs just 2358 yards to complete the journey. Good luck, CJ!

As a team, the Titans rolled up 345 yards of total offense - 205 of those being on the ground.

On the other side of the ball, the Titan 'D' that coins itself the 'no-names' is making quite a name for itself just 4 Qtrs. into the season. They kept pressure on QB Jason Campbell and the rest of the Raiders offense 'til the final horn. All offseason additions along the defensive front and linebacker corps (Babin, Witherspoon and Morgan) registered a sack. The team had a total of 4 sacks for the afternoon.

Campbell ended up completing 22 of 37 passes for 180 yards and a TD but threw an interception late in the 3rd Qtr to Chris Hope at the Oakland 35 yard line. Hope returned it 32 yards down to the Oakland 3, setting up a Titan TD in the opening minutes of the 4th Qtr.

Oakland RB Michael Bush is nursing an injury, so former Arkansas Razorback Darren McFadden carried the load for the Raiders, leading the team not only in rushing (95 yards on 18 carries) but in receiving as well (6 catches for 55 yards and a TD).

So what's next for the Titans? The schedule suddenly becomes turbulent as they find themselves hosting the Pittsburgh Steelers next week. They also pack their bags and travel to New York (Giants) and Dallas in upcoming weeks. But if the Titans shine as bright in the next 3 weeks as the Sun did on LP Field this afternoon, I'm prepared to give you a 15-Week extended forecast that will turn even Al Roker's barometer 'blue'!

WHAT DID WE LEARN FROM THIS GAME?

Titans Defensive Coordinator Chuck Cecil now knows that 'Blitz' is not a cheap beer.

Former President Bill Clinton Joins "I Like Mike" Rally at Hall of Fame Park

2010-09-10T09:20:00.011-05:00

President Bill Clinton, Hall of Fame Park, Nashville Tennessee September 9, 2010

In spite of the threat of rain thousands of Democratic Party supporters gathered in Nashville's Hall of Fame Park last night to hear President Bill Clinton endorse their gubernatorial candidate, Mike McWherter.

WE LIKE MIKE!

The Golden Age Of Couture, Frist Art Center, Ends September 12

2010-09-08T00:02:00.002-05:00

The Golden Age of Couture: Paris and London 1947–1957 is an exhibition that transports visitors to the most glamorous fashion houses of Paris and London in the years after WWII. This exhibition was organized by the Victoria & Albert Museum (V&A) in London, which possesses one of the finest costume collections in the world. Following record breaking attendance at its launch in London and its subsequent presentations in Australia, Hong Kong and Canada, The Golden Age of Couture continues its international tour at the Frist Center, the exhibition’s only venue in the United States, before traveling to Museums Sheffield in 2011.

Engineer John Nolan, Victim Of America's Worst Train Wreck, July 9, 1918

2010-07-09T08:35:00.009-05:00

Pictured in this undated photo is NC&Stl Engineer John J Nolan and his wife Letitia.

July 9, 2010, Calvary Cemetery, Nashville Tennessee, The grave is one of many graves in the historic Nolan family plot located on Priests Circle.

Happy Birthday Ringo

2010-07-07T12:00:00.001-05:00

Peace and Love!

Happy Fourth Of July!

2010-07-04T00:39:00.001-05:00

Finale, Nashville Fourth Of July Fireworks Display
River Front Park
(2008)

Weekly Address By President Barack Obama, July 3, 2010

2010-07-03T22:00:00.003-05:00

Weekly Address: A Solar Recovery

As part of the explosion of Recovery Act projects this summer and as a move towards a clean energy future, the President announces nearly $2 billion in conditional commitments to key solar companies.

President Obama Touts Nearly $2 Billion in New Investments to Help Build a Clean Energy Economy
WASHINGTON – In this week’s address, President Barack Obama announced that the Department of Energy is awarding nearly $2 billion in conditional commitments from the Recovery Act to two solar companies. Abengoa Solar has agreed to build one of the largest solar plants in the world in Arizona, which will create about 1,600 construction jobs with over 70 percent of the construction components and products manufactured here in the USA. When completed, this plant will provide enough clean energy to power 70,000 homes. And, Abound Solar Manufacturing is building two new plants, one in Colorado and one in Indiana. These projects will create more than 2,000 construction jobs, and over 1,500 permanent jobs as the plants produce millions of state of the art solar panels each year

Remarks of President Barack Obama
Saturday, July 3, 2010
Weekly Address
Washington, DC

This week, I spent some time in Racine, Wisconsin, talking with folks who are doing their best to cope with the aftermath of a brutal recession.

And while I was there, a young woman asked me a question I hear all the time: “What are we doing as a nation to bring jobs back to this country?”

Well, on Friday, we learned that after 22 straight months of job loss, our economy has now created jobs in the private sector for 6 months in a row. That’s a positive sign. But the truth is, the recession from which we’re emerging has left us in a hole that’s about 8 million jobs deep. And as I’ve said from the day I took office, it’s going to take months, even years, to dig our way out – and it’s going to require an all-hands-on-deck effort.

In the short term, we’re fighting to speed up this recovery and keep the economy growing by all means possible. That means extending unemployment insurance for workers who lost their job. That means getting small businesses the loans they need to keep their doors open and hire new workers. And that means sending relief to states so they don’t have to lay off thousands of teachers and firefighters and police officers.

Still, at a time when millions of Americans feel a deep sense of urgency in their own lives, Republican leaders in Washington just don’t get it. While a majority of Senators support taking these steps to help the American people, some are playing the same old Washington games and using their power to hold this relief hostage – a move that only ends up holding back our recovery. It doesn’t make sense.

But I promised those folks in Wisconsin – and I promise all of you – that we won’t back down. We’re going to keep fighting to advance our recovery. And we’re going to keep competing aggressively to make sure the jobs and industries of the future are taking root right here in America.

That’s one of the reasons why we’re accelerating the transition to a clean energy economy and doubling our use of renewable energy sources like wind and solar power – steps that have the potential to create whole new industries and hundreds of thousands of new jobs in America.

In fact, today, I’m announcing that the Department of Energy is awarding nearly $2 billion in conditional commitments to two solar companies.

The first is Abengoa Solar, a company that has agreed to build one of the largest solar plants in the world right here in the United States. After years of watching companies build things and create jobs overseas, it’s good news that we’ve attracted a company to our shores to build a plant and create jobs right here in America. In the short term, construction will create approximately 1,600 jobs in Arizona. What’s more, over 70 percent of the components and products used in construction will be manufactured in the USA, boosting jobs and communities in states up and down the supply chain. Once completed, this plant will be the first large-scale solar plant in the U.S. to actually store the energy it generates for later use – even at night. And it will generate enough clean, renewable energy to power 70,000 homes.

The second company is Abound Solar Manufacturing, which will manufacture advanced solar panels at two new plants, creating more than 2,000 construction jobs and 1,500 permanent jobs. A Colorado plant is already underway, and an Indiana plant will be built in what’s now an empty Chrysler factory. When fully operational, these plants will produce millions of state-of-the-art solar panels each year.

These are just two of the many clean energy investments in the Recovery Act. Already, I’ve seen the payoff from these investments. I’ve seen once-shuttered factories humming with new workers who are building solar panels and wind turbines; rolling up their sleeves to help America win the race for the clean energy economy.

So that’s some of what we’re doing. But the truth is, steps like these won’t replace all the jobs we’ve lost overnight. I know folks are struggling. I know this Fourth of July weekend finds many Americans wishing things were a bit easier right now. I do too.

But what this weekend reminds us, more than any other, is that we are a nation that has always risen to the challenges before it. We are a nation that, 234 years ago, declared our independence from one of the greatest empires the world had ever known. We are a nation that mustered a sense of common purpose to overcome Depression and fear itself. We are a nation that embraced a call to greatness and saved the world from tyranny. That is who we are – a nation that turns times of trial into times of triumph – and I know America will write our own destiny once more.

I wish every American a safe and happy Fourth of July. And to all our troops serving in harm’s way, I want you to know you have the support of a grateful nation and a proud Commander-in-Chief. Thank you, God Bless You, and God Bless the United States of America.

Weekly Address By President Barack Obama June 26, 2010

2010-07-03T21:59:00.002-05:00

Weekly Address: Finishing the Job on Wall Street Reform

With Congress having finalized a strong Wall Street reform bill, the President urges Congress to finish the job and send the bill to his desk. The legislation reflects 90% of what the President originally proposed, including the strongest consumer financial protections in history with an independent agency to enforce them. It ensures that the trading of derivatives, which helped trigger this crisis, will be brought into the light of day, and enacts the “Volcker Rule,” which will make sure banks protected by safety nets like the FDIC cannot engage in risky trades. It also creates a resolution authority to wind down firms whose collapse would threaten the entire financial system. Wall Street reform will end taxpayer funded bailouts and make sure Main Street is never again held responsible for Wall Street’s mistakes.

For Immediate Release June 26, 2010
Weekly Address: President Obama Urges Congress to Complete Work on Wall Street Reform Bill
WASHINGTON – In this week’s address, President Barack Obama asks Congress to pass historic Wall Street reform which will make the toughest financial reforms since the Great Depression the law of the land. The Wall Street reform bill, which reflects 90 percent of what the President originally proposed, includes the strongest consumer financial protections in history with an independent agency to enforce them. It ensures that the trading of derivatives, which helped trigger the crisis, will be brought into the light of day, and enacts the “Volcker Rule,” which will make sure banks protected by safety nets like the FDIC cannot engage in risky trades. And, this bill will create a resolution authority to wind down firms whose collapse would threaten the entire financial system. Wall Street reform will end taxpayer funded bailouts and make sure Main Street is never again held responsible for Wall Street’s mistakes.

Remarks of President Barack Obama
Saturday, June 26, 2010
Weekly Address
Washington, DC

This weekend, I’m traveling to Toronto to meet with members of the G20. There, I hope we can build on the progress we made at last year’s G20 summits by coordinating our global financial reform efforts to make sure a crisis like the one from which we are still recovering never happens again. We’ve made great progress toward passing such reform here at home. As I speak, we are on the cusp of enacting the toughest financial reforms since the Great Depression.

I don’t have to tell you why these reforms are so important. We’re still digging ourselves out of an economic crisis that happened largely because there wasn’t strong enough oversight on Wall Street. We can’t build a strong economy in America over the long-run without ending this status quo, and laying a new foundation for growth and prosperity.

That’s what the Wall Street reforms currently making their way through Congress will help us do – reforms that represent 90% of what I proposed when I took up this fight. We’ll put in place the strongest consumer financial protections in American history, and create an independent agency with an independent director and an independent budget to enforce them.

Credit card companies will no longer be able to mislead you with pages and pages of fine print. You will no longer be subject to all kinds of hidden fees and penalties, or the predatory practices of unscrupulous lenders.

Instead, we’ll make sure credit card companies and mortgage companies play by the rules. And you’ll be empowered with easy-to-understand forms, and the clear and concise information you need to make the financial decisions that are best for you and your family.

Wall Street reform will also strengthen our economy in a number of other ways. We’ll make our financial system more transparent by bringing the kinds of complex trades that helped trigger this crisis – trades in a $600 trillion derivatives market – finally into the light of day.

We’ll enact what’s called the Volcker Rule to make sure banks protected by a safety net like the FDIC can’t engage in risky trades for their own profit. We’ll create what’s called a resolution authority to help wind down firms whose collapse would threaten our entire financial system. Put simply, we’ll end the days of taxpayer-funded bailouts, and help make sure Main Street is never again held responsible for Wall Street’s mistakes.

Beyond these reforms, we also need to address another piece of unfinished business. We need to impose a fee on the banks that were the biggest beneficiaries of taxpayer assistance at the height of our financial crisis – so we can recover every dime of taxpayer money.

Getting this far on Wall Street reform hasn’t been easy. There are those who’ve fought tooth and nail to preserve the status quo. In recent months, they’ve spent millions of dollars and hired an army of lobbyists to stop reform dead in its tracks.

But because we refused to back down, and kept fighting, we now stand on the verge of victory. And I urge Congress to take us over the finish line, and send me a reform bill I can sign into law, so we can empower our people with consumer protections, and help prevent a financial crisis like this from ever happening again.

Weekly Address By President Barak Obama, June 19, 2010

2010-07-03T21:58:00.003-05:00

Weekly Address: Finishing the Job on Wall Street Reform

With Congress having finalized a strong Wall Street reform bill, the President urges Congress to finish the job and send the bill to his desk. The legislation reflects 90% of what the President originally proposed, including the strongest consumer financial protections in history with an independent agency to enforce them. It ensures that the trading of derivatives, which helped trigger this crisis, will be brought into the light of day, and enacts the “Volcker Rule,” which will make sure banks protected by safety nets like the FDIC cannot engage in risky trades. It also creates a resolution authority to wind down firms whose collapse would threaten the entire financial system. Wall Street reform will end taxpayer funded bailouts and make sure Main Street is never again held responsible for Wall Street’s mistakes.

In this week’s address, President Barack Obama asks Congress to pass historic Wall Street reform which will make the toughest financial reforms since the Great Depression the law of the land. The Wall Street reform bill, which reflects 90 percent of what the President originally proposed, includes the strongest consumer financial protections in history with an independent agency to enforce them. It ensures that the trading of derivatives, which helped trigger the crisis, will be brought into the light of day, and enacts the “Volcker Rule,” which will make sure banks protected by safety nets like the FDIC cannot engage in risky trades. And, this bill will create a resolution authority to wind down firms whose collapse would threaten the entire financial system. Wall Street reform will end taxpayer funded bailouts and make sure Main Street is never again held responsible for Wall Street’s mistakes.

Remarks of President Barack Obama
Saturday, June 26, 2010
Weekly Address
Washington, DC

This weekend, I’m traveling to Toronto to meet with members of the G20. There, I hope we can build on the progress we made at last year’s G20 summits by coordinating our global financial reform efforts to make sure a crisis like the one from which we are still recovering never happens again. We’ve made great progress toward passing such reform here at home. As I speak, we are on the cusp of enacting the toughest financial reforms since the Great Depression.

I don’t have to tell you why these reforms are so important. We’re still digging ourselves out of an economic crisis that happened largely because there wasn’t strong enough oversight on Wall Street. We can’t build a strong economy in America over the long-run without ending this status quo, and laying a new foundation for growth and prosperity.

That’s what the Wall Street reforms currently making their way through Congress will help us do – reforms that represent 90% of what I proposed when I took up this fight. We’ll put in place the strongest consumer financial protections in American history, and create an independent agency with an independent director and an independent budget to enforce them.

Credit card companies will no longer be able to mislead you with pages and pages of fine print. You will no longer be subject to all kinds of hidden fees and penalties, or the predatory practices of unscrupulous lenders.

Instead, we’ll make sure credit card companies and mortgage companies play by the rules. And you’ll be empowered with easy-to-understand forms, and the clear and concise information you need to make the financial decisions that are best for you and your family.

Wall Street reform will also strengthen our economy in a number of other ways. We’ll make our financial system more transparent by bringing the kinds of complex trades that helped trigger this crisis – trades in a $600 trillion derivatives market – finally into the light of day.

We’ll enact what’s called the Volcker Rule to make sure banks protected by a safety net like the FDIC can’t engage in risky trades for their own profit. We’ll create what’s called a resolution authority to help wind down firms whose collapse would threaten our entire financial system. Put simply, we’ll end the days of taxpayer-funded bailouts, and help make sure Main Street is never again held responsible for Wall Street’s mistakes.

Beyond these reforms, we also need to address another piece of unfinished business. We need to impose a fee on the banks that were the biggest beneficiaries of taxpayer assistance at the height of our financial crisis – so we can recover every dime of taxpayer money.

Getting this far on Wall Street reform hasn’t been easy. There are those who’ve fought tooth and nail to preserve the status quo. In recent months, they’ve spent millions of dollars and hired an army of lobbyists to stop reform dead in its tracks.

But because we refused to back down, and kept fighting, we now stand on the verge of victory. And I urge Congress to take us over the finish line, and send me a reform bill I can sign into law, so we can empower our people with consumer protections, and help prevent a financial crisis like this from ever happening again.

Weekly Address By President Barack Obmam June 12, 2010

2010-06-08T15:08:00.006-05:00

Weekly Address: Fair Pay for Doctors

With doctors facing deep cuts in their reimbursements from Medicare unless Congress acts to correct long-standing problems, the President calls on Senate Republicans to stop blocking the remedy and pledges to work toward a permanent solution. The cuts would potentially mean widespread trouble for seniors getting needed care.

Weekly Address: President Obama Calls on Senate Republicans to Allow a Vote to Protect Medicare Reimbursements
WASHINGTON – In this week’s address, President Barack Obama called on Senate Republicans to stop blocking a vote to prevent a 21 percent pay cut for doctors who see Medicare patients – a pay cut that will hurt America’s seniors and their doctors. Since 2003, Congress, under Republican and Democratic leadership, has deferred these cuts in Medicare reimbursements from going into effect. The President is committed to finding a responsible, long term solution to this problem, but it is not acceptable to punish America’s seniors or the physicians who treat them. If Congress does not act, then doctors will start receiving lower Medicare reimbursements next week, which could lead to seniors losing their doctors.

Remarks of President Barack Obama
Saturday, June 12, 2010
Weekly Address
Washington, DC

More than a decade ago, Congress set up a formula that governs how doctors get paid by the Medicare program. The intent was to slow the growth of Medicare costs, but the result was a formula that has proposed cutting payments for America’s doctors year after year after year. These are cuts that would not only jeopardize our physicians’ pay, but our seniors’ health care.

Since 2003, Congress has acted to prevent these pay cuts from going into effect. These votes were largely bipartisan, and they succeeded when Democrats ran Congress and when Republicans ran Congress – which was most of the time.

This year, a majority of Congress is willing to prevent a pay cut of 21% -- a pay cut that would undoubtedly force some doctors to stop seeing Medicare patients altogether. But this time, some Senate Republicans may even block a vote on this issue. After years of voting to defer these cuts, the other party is now willing to walk away from the needs of our doctors and our seniors.

Now, I realize that simply kicking these cuts down the road another year is not a long-term solution to this problem. For years, I have said that a system where doctors are left to wonder if they’ll get fairly reimbursed makes absolutely no sense. And I am committed to permanently reforming this Medicare formula in a way that balances fiscal responsibility with the responsibility we have to doctors and seniors. In addition, we’re already taking significant steps to slow the growth of Medicare costs through health insurance reform – not by targeting doctors and seniors, but by eliminating 50% of the waste, fraud, and abuse in the system by 2012. This not only strengthens Medicare, it saves taxpayer dollars.

I’m absolutely willing to take the difficult steps necessary to lower the cost of Medicare and put our budget on a more fiscally sustainable path. But I’m not willing to do that by punishing hard-working physicians or the millions of Americans who count on Medicare. That’s just wrong. And that’s why in the short-term, Congress must act to prevent this pay cut to doctors.

If they don’t act, doctors will see a 21% cut in their Medicare payments this week. This week, doctors will start receiving these lower reimbursements from the Medicare program. That could lead them to stop participating in the Medicare program. And that could lead seniors to lose their doctors.

We cannot allow this to happen. We have to fix this problem so that our doctors can get paid for the life-saving services they provide and keep their doors open. We have to fix this problem to keep the promise of Medicare for our seniors so that they get the health care they deserve. So I urge Republicans in the Senate to at least allow a majority of Senators and Congressmen to stop this pay cut. I urge them to stand with America’s seniors and America’s doctors.

Thanks.

Weekly Address By President Barack Obama, June 5, 2010

2010-06-06T00:09:00.002-05:00

Weekly Address: Speaking from Louisiana on the Oil Spill

Speaking from Grand Isle, Louisiana, the President discusses the hardships local residents and small business owners are facing as a result of the BP oil spill. He pledges to make sure those responsible do not shortchange them.

President Obama Outlines Administration Response Efforts to the BP Oil Spill from Grand Isle, LA
WASHINGTON- In his weekly address, President Barack Obama underscored his commitment to helping the people of the Gulf Coast recover and rebuild from the BP oil spill that has threatened their livelihoods. On Friday, the President heard from local residents and small business owners about the hardships that they are facing as a result of this catastrophe. The Administration has mobilized the largest response to an environmental disaster of this kind in the history of our country to clean up the BP oil spill. Additionally, the federal government is working to ensure that BP and other companies are held accountable for damages and that aggressive new standards are put into place to avoid a disaster in the future.

Remarks of President Barack Obama
Saturday, June 5, 2010
Weekly Address
Grand Isle, Louisiana

I’m speaking to you from Caminada Bay in Grand Isle, Louisiana, one of the first places to feel the devastation wrought by the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. While I was here, at Camerdelle’s Live Bait shop, I met with a group of local residents and small business owners.

Folks like Floyd Lasseigne, a fourth-generation oyster fisherman. This is the time of year when he ordinarily earns a lot of his income. But his oyster bed, along the north side of Grand Isle, has likely been destroyed by the spill. Terry Vegas had a similar story. He quit the 8th grade to become a shrimper with his grandfather. Ever since, he’s earned his living during shrimping season – working long, grueling days so that he could earn enough money to support himself year round. But today, the waters where he’s spent his years are closed. And every day, as the spill worsens, he loses hope that he’ll be able to return to the life he built. “You can put a price on a lost season,” he’s said. “But not a lost heritage.”

The effects of the spill reach beyond the shoreline. I also spoke with Patti Rigaud. For 30 years, she’s owned a small convenience store – a store opened by her father. She depends on the sales generated by tourism each summer. But this year, most of the boats that would line these docks are nowhere to be seen. Dudley Gaspard, who owns the Sand Dollar Marina and Hotel, has been hit hard as well. Normally, this time of year, rooms are filling up and tackle is flying off the shelves. But he too has been devastated by the decline in tourism and the suspension of fishing in the waters off the Louisiana Coast.

Their stories are familiar to many in Grand Isle and throughout the Gulf region. Often families have been here for generations, earning a living, and making a life, that’s tied to the water – that’s tied to the magnificent coasts and natural bounty of this place. Here, this spill has not just damaged livelihoods. It’s upended whole communities. And the fury people feel is not just about the money they’ve lost. They’ve been through tough times before. It’s about the wrenching recognition that this time their lives may never be the same.

These folks work hard. They meet their responsibilities. But now because of a manmade catastrophe – one that’s not their fault and that’s beyond their control – their lives have been thrown into turmoil. It’s brutally unfair. It’s wrong. And what I told these men and women – and what I have said since the beginning of this disaster – is that I’m going to stand with the people of the Gulf Coast until they are made whole.

That’s why from the beginning, we’ve mobilized on every front to contain and clean up this spill. I’ve authorized the deployment of 17,500 National Guard troops to aid in the response. More than 20,000 people are currently working around the clock to protect waters and coastlines. We’ve convened hundreds of top scientists and engineers from around the world. More than 1,900 vessels are in the Gulf assisting in the clean up. More than 4.3 million feet of boom have been deployed with another 2.9 million feet of boom available – enough to stretch over 1,300 miles. And 17 staging areas are in place across Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, and Florida to rapidly defend sensitive shorelines. In short, this is the largest response to an environmental disaster of this kind in the history of our country.

We’ve also ordered BP to pay economic injury claims, and we will make sure they pay every single dime owed to the people along the Gulf Coast. The Small Business Administration has stepped in to help businesses by approving loans and allowing deferrals of existing loan payments. And this week, the federal government sent BP a preliminary bill for $69 million to pay back American taxpayers for some of the costs of the response so far. In addition, after an emergency safety review, we’re putting in place aggressive new operating standards for offshore drilling. And I’ve appointed a bipartisan commission to look into the causes of this spill. If laws are inadequate –laws will be changed. If oversight was lacking – it will be strengthened. And if laws were broken – those responsible will be brought to justice.

Now, over the last few days BP has placed a cap over the well, and it appears they’re making progress in trying to pump oil to the surface to keep it from leaking into the water. But as has been the case since the beginning of this crisis, we are prepared for the worst, even as we hope that BP’s efforts bring better news than we’ve received before. We also know that regardless of the outcome of this attempt, there will still to be some spillage until the relief wells are completed. And there will continue to be a massive cleanup ahead of us.

So we will continue to leverage every resource at our disposal to protect coastlines, to clean up the oil, to hold BP and other companies accountable for damages, to begin to restore the bounty and beauty of this region – and to aid the hardworking people of the Gulf as they rebuild their businesses and communities. And I want to urge all Americans to do what you can as well – including visiting this area. The vast majority of beaches are pristine and open for business.

These are hard times in Louisiana and across the Gulf Coast, an area that has already seen more than its fair share of troubles. But what we have also seen these past few weeks is that – even in the face of adversity – the men and women of the Gulf have displayed incredible determination. They have met this terrible catastrophe with seemingly boundless strength and character in defense of their way of life. What we owe the people of this region is a commitment by our nation to match the resilience of all the people I’ve met along the Gulf Coast. That is our mission. And it’s one we will fulfill.

Thank you.

Weekly Address By President Barack Obama, May 29, 2010

2010-06-02T01:23:00.002-05:00

Weekly Address: Honoring the Fallen

Ahead of Memorial Day, the President asks all Americans to join him in remembering and honoring our men and women in uniform who have died in service to the country.
WASHINGTON – In this week’s address, President Barack Obama asked all Americans to join him in remembering and honoring our men and women in uniform who have died in service to the country. The commitment these heroes have demonstrated – the willingness to lay down their lives so the rest of us might inherit the blessings of this nation – has helped make America the most prosperous, most powerful nation on earth and it is what we honor on Memorial Day.

Remarks of President Barack Obama
Saturday, May 29, 2010
Weekly Address
Washington, DC

This weekend, as we celebrate Memorial Day, families across America will gather in backyards and front porches, fire up the barbeque, kick back with friends, and spend time with people they care about. That is as it should be. But I also hope that as you do so, you’ll take some time to reflect on what Memorial Day is all about; on why we set this day aside as a time of national remembrance.

It’s fitting every day to pay tribute to the men and women who wear the uniform of the United States of America. Still, there are certain days that have been set aside for all of us to do so. Veterans Day is one such day – when we are called to honor Americans who’ve fought under our country’s flag.

Our calling on Memorial Day is different. On this day, we honor not just those who’ve worn this country’s uniform, but the men and women who’ve died in its service; who’ve laid down their lives in defense of their fellow citizens; who’ve given their last full measure of devotion to protect the United States of America. These are the men and women I will be honoring this weekend, and I know many of you are doing the same.

There are any number of reasons America emerged from its humble beginnings as a cluster of colonies to become the most prosperous, most powerful nation on earth. There is the hard work, the resilience, and the character of our people. There is the ingenuity and enterprising spirit of our entrepreneurs and innovators. There are the ideals of opportunity, equality, and freedom that have not only inspired our people to perfect our own union, but inspired others to perfect theirs as well.

But from the very start, there was also something more. A steadfast commitment to serve, to fight, and if necessary, to die, to preserve America and advance the ideals we cherish. It’s a commitment witnessed at each defining moment along the journey of this country. It’s what led a rag-tag militia to face British soldiers at Lexington and Concord. It’s what led young men, in a country divided half slave and half free, to take up arms to save our union. It’s what led patriots in each generation to sacrifice their own lives to secure the life of our nation, from the trenches of World War I to the battles of World War II, from Inchon and Khe Sanh, from Mosul to Marjah.

That commitment – that willingness to lay down their lives so we might inherit the blessings of this nation – is what we honor today. But on this Memorial Day, as on every day, we are called to honor their ultimate sacrifice with more than words. We are called to honor them with deeds.

We are called to honor them by doing our part for the loved ones our fallen heroes have left behind and looking after our military families. By making sure the men and women serving this country around the world have the support they need to achieve their missions and come home safely. By making sure veterans have the care and assistance they need. In short, by serving all those who have ever worn the uniform of this country – and their families – as well as they have served us.

On April 25, 1866, about a year after the Civil War ended, a group of women visited a cemetery in Columbus, Mississippi, to place flowers by the graves of Confederate soldiers who had fallen at Shiloh. As they did, they noticed other graves nearby, belonging to Union dead. But no one had come to visit those graves, or place a flower there. So they decided to lay a few stems for those men too, in recognition not of a fallen Confederate or a fallen Union soldier, but a fallen American.

A few years later, an organization of Civil War veterans established what became Memorial Day, selecting a date that coincided with the time when flowers were in bloom. So this weekend, as we commemorate Memorial Day, I ask you to hold all our fallen heroes in your hearts, and if you can, to lay a flower where they have come to rest.

Paul McCartney Live In Nashville, July 26!

2010-05-27T15:54:00.012-05:00

The rumor that Paul McCartney's 2010 concert tour would include a stop in Music City has confidently circulated among Nashville's most knowledgeable Beatles fans for more than a year. Seems they knew what they were talking (or whispering) about, because today it was confirmed that Paul McCartney will appear at the Bridgestone Arena (Sommet Center) on Monday July 26. Tickets will go on sale on June 7.

I appreciate my buddy Chip, a Beatles fan extraordinaire, for letting me know about this Mc- concert. I am glad I didn't sleep through his announcement.

The July concert will be McCartney's first public Nashville performance.

Don't you just love it when a good rumor turns out to be true?

Weekly Address By President Barack Obama, May 22, 2010

2010-05-23T17:42:00.005-05:00

The President announces that the independent commission he created for the BP Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill and Offshore Drilling will be chaired by former Florida Governor and Senator Bob Graham and former EPA Administrator Bill Reilly. He promises accountability not just for BP, but for those in government who bore responsibility.

Remarks of President Barack Obama
Saturday, May 22, 2010
Weekly Address
Washington, DC

One month ago this week, BP’s Deepwater Horizon drilling rig exploded off Louisiana’s coast, killing 11 people and rupturing an underwater pipe. The resulting oil spill has not only dealt an economic blow to Americans across the Gulf Coast, it also represents an environmental disaster.

In response, we are drawing on America’s best minds and using the world’s best technology to stop the leak. We’ve deployed over 1,100 vessels, about 24,000 personnel, and more than 2 million total feet of boom to help contain it. And we’re doing all we can to assist struggling fishermen, and the small businesses and communities that depend on them.

Folks on the Gulf Coast – and across America – are rightly demanding swift action to clean up BP’s mess and end this ordeal. But they’re also demanding to know how this happened in the first place, and how we can make sure it never happens again. That’s what I’d like to spend a few minutes talking with you about.

First and foremost, what led to this disaster was a breakdown of responsibility on the part of BP and perhaps others, including Transocean and Halliburton. And we will continue to hold the relevant companies accountable not only for being forthcoming and transparent about the facts surrounding the leak, but for shutting it down, repairing the damage it does, and repaying Americans who’ve suffered a financial loss.

But even as we continue to hold BP accountable, we also need to hold Washington accountable. Now, this catastrophe is unprecedented in its nature, and it presents a host of new challenges we are working to address. But the question is what lessons we can learn from this disaster to make sure it never happens again.

If the laws on our books are inadequate to prevent such an oil spill, or if we didn’t enforce those laws – I want to know it. I want to know what worked and what didn’t work in our response to the disaster, and where oversight of the oil and gas industry broke down. We know, for example, that a cozy relationship between oil and gas companies and agencies that regulate them has long been a source of concern.

Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar has taken steps to address this problem; steps that build on reforms he has been implementing since he took office. But we need to do a lot more to protect the health and safety of our people; to safeguard the quality of our air and water; and to preserve the natural beauty and bounty of America.

In recent weeks, we’ve taken a number of immediate measures to prevent another spill. We’ve ordered inspections of all deepwater operations in the Gulf of Mexico. We’ve announced that no permits for drilling new wells will go forward until the 30-day safety and environmental review I requested is complete. And I’ve called on Congress to pass a bill that would provide critical funds and tools to respond to this spill and better prepare us to confront any future spills.

But we also need to take a comprehensive look at how the oil and gas industry operates and how we regulate them. That is why, on Friday, I signed an executive order establishing the National Commission on the BP Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill and Offshore Drilling. While there are a number of ongoing investigations, including an independent review by the National Academy of Engineering, the purpose of this Commission is to consider both the root causes of the disaster and offer options on what safety and environmental precautions we need to take to prevent a similar disaster from happening again. This Commission, I’d note, is similar to one proposed by Congresswoman Capps and Senator Whitehouse.

I’ve asked Democrat Bob Graham and Republican Bill Reilly to co-chair this Commission. Bob served two terms as Florida’s governor, and represented Florida as a United States Senator for almost two decades. During that time, he earned a reputation as a champion of the environment, leading the most extensive environmental protection effort in the state’s history.

Bill Reilly is chairman emeritus of the board of the World Wildlife Fund, and he is also deeply knowledgeable about the oil and gas industry. During the presidency of George H.W. Bush, Bill was Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency, and his tenure encompassed the Exxon Valdez disaster.

I can’t think of two people who will bring greater experience or better judgment to the task at hand. In the days to come, I’ll appoint 5 other distinguished Americans – including scientists, engineers, and environmental advocates – to join them on the Commission. And I’m directing them to report back in 6 months with recommendations on how we can prevent – and mitigate the impact of – any future spills that result from offshore drilling.

One of the reasons I ran for President was to put America on the path to energy independence, and I have not wavered from that commitment. To achieve that goal, we must pursue clean energy and energy efficiency, and we’ve taken significant steps to do so. And we must also pursue domestic sources of oil and gas. Because it represents 30 percent of our oil production, the Gulf of Mexico can play an important part in securing our energy future. But we can only pursue offshore oil drilling if we have assurances that a disaster like the BP oil spill will not happen again. This Commission will, I hope, help provide those assurances so we can continue to seek a secure energy future for the United States of America.

Thanks so much.

Saddle Up!

2010-05-21T08:47:00.002-05:00

Having grown up in the saddle and with a driving force to serve and broaden the horizons of challenged children, Saddle Up! co-founder Alton Kelley worked with Nancy Wennberg, Charles Crafton and Lynne Evans to establish one of the nation's first recreational therapeutic horseback riding programs. Designed specifically for children and in compliance with the North American Riding for the Handicapped Association (NARHA) Saddle Up! was founded in 1989 to provide services to local disabled children and youths. With a stable of twenty specially trained horses, Saddle Up! served one hundred and eighty seven challenged riders last year, providing them the opportunity to grow and develop through recreational activities with horses.

Accepting of devices and equipment and forgiving of inexperienced or unbalances riders, the program's therapy horses are all obedient to both voice and leg signals and are comfortable with a variety of handlers and experiences. The abilities of each individual child is the focus of all that happens at Saddle Up! but it is the power of the horse, whose movements, emotional connections and spirit, that forms the foundation of the program.

In November of 2009 the relationship, that rider Andrew W had formed with his horse Elvis, brought national attention to Saddle Up! Recipient of the prestigious NARHA Independent Youth Equestrian Of The Year Award, Andrew W was recognized not only for the special relationship he had with his horse , but also for representing the power of equestrian assisted activities to improve lives.

Almost exclusively relying on donations and grants to cover their direct program cost, Saddle Up! operates with a full-time staff of eight, a part-time staff that averages twenty and close to three hundred volunteers who all work to serve the program's young riders. Co-founder and regular volunteer Alton Kelly, spoke for both the staff and volunteers when he stated that working with the children at Saddle Up! is a fulfilling and inspiring experience.

Saddle Up! is located at 1549 Old Hillsboro Road, Franklin. To learn more about Saddle Up! or to inquire about volunteer opportunities please call 794-1150 or visit their web site at http://www.saddleupnashville.org/

I Didn't Want To Write This

2010-05-20T10:51:00.013-05:00

For more than three weeks the spirit of compassion and concern has prevailed throughout this city. Neighbors are reaching out as strangers work together to help others reclaim their lives and restore their homes. Shortly after arriving in Nashville, one FEMA official expressed that she was impressed by the magnitude of work being done by local volunteers, stating that she has never visited a city that was so stricken, yet required so little outside help.

With an estimated ratio of four volunteers to every one victim remaining on the scene and with food and shelter readily available to displaced home owners and renters, I was disturbed by the public complaints of one local individual, who after claiming to have lost everything to the flood (including a home,) lashed out out at the community with a forceful negativity that threatened to diminish the tales of survival and gratitude expressed by other flood victims.

Armed with facts that will hold up in any court of law, it is with regret that I must state that the stories being circulated by this person are untrue. The claim to being homeless could very well be true, but the alleged homelessness was not a result of the flood or it's aftermath.

This individual was my friend for more than two decades, and at times was a dear companion and trusted confidante, so it is out of consideration for all the tragedies and good times that we once shared that I am withholding the name of my former friend. However, it is my respect for Jack and Sue Spence who truly lost everything, and my concern for my buddy Chris Lambos who lost a lot, and the sorrow I feel over the death of Joe and Bessie Formossa, that compels me to expose this fraud.

In the days following the flood I was an eyewitness to the strength of character and dignity shown by dozens of displaced residents from the Nations, an impoverished neighborhood hit hard by the disaster. Their losses are so real and their desire to overcome and rebuild is so strong,that it is impossible for me to stay quiet and allow someone, especially someone that I know, to falsely and publicly represent their cause.

In closing I would like to say this to my ex-friend: in the aftermath of Katrina it was reported that certain unethical people received money and aid from FEMA and other organizations by fraudulently claiming to be hurricane victims. Later many of those false claims were revealed and the claimants are paying dearly for their actions. I am confident that you are not as foolish as they were.

Bellevue Groups Displaced By Flood Announce New Meeting Places

2010-05-18T11:27:00.005-05:00

Listed among Bellevue's most seriously damaged commercial buildings, Shoney's Restaurant on Highway 70 South has been closed to the public since flood waters overtook it on May 1st. A popular and consistent meeting place for numerous church based, civic, political and private groups the restaurant's temporary closure has displaced these groups, forcing them to either find alternate meeting locations, or cease meeting until the restaurant reopens.

The Bellevue Exchange Club is now meeting at Tee's Fireside Cafe on Tuesday mornings.

The Edwin Warner Model Aviators will meet at the park Pavilion near the flying field on the second Tuesday of each month.

The status of the Bellevue Of Church Christ Thursday breakfast meeting is yet to be determined. Pastor Steve Blackman will notify members when a decision regarding the group's new meeting place is reached.

Group coordinator Betty Hood will soon announce where the Bellevue Republican Breakfast Club will hold their June meeting.

We were unable to confirm where the River Plantation Alley Kats, Bellevue's United Methodist Veterans Group, The Barbi Club or The Kingston Springs Seniors plan to hold their future meetings. According to the official Shoney's Facebook page the company is planning on reopening their restaurant on Highway 70 South very soon and representatives of the Edwin Warner Model Aviators, the Bellevue Church Of Christ and the Bellevue Republican Breakfast Club, all stated that their groups will resume meeting at Shoney's once the store is reopened.

President Kennedy, Vanderbilt University May 18, 1963

2010-05-18T00:08:00.002-05:00

Courtesy, JFK Library And Archives

In a spirited and eloquent speech before an estimated crowd of 30,000 people in the stadium at Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tennessee on May 18, 1963, President Kennedy reminded his listeners that it falls to the educated man to assume the greater obligations of citizenship—for the pursuit of learning, to serve the public and to uphold the law.

President John Kennedy
Dudley Field
Vanderbilt University
Nashville Tennessee
May 18, 1963

THE RESPONSIBILITIES OF CITIZENSHIP

President John F. Kennedy
Nashville, Tennessee
May 18, 1963

Mr. Chancellor, Mr. Vanderbilt, Senator Kefauver, Senator Gore, Congressman Fulton, Congressman Evins, Congressman Bass, Congressman Everett, Tom Murray, distinguished guests, members of the judiciary, the Army Corps of Engineers of the Tennessee Valley:

I first of all want to express my warm appreciation to the Governor and to the Mayor of this State and city and to the people for a very generous welcome, and particularly to all those young men and women who lined the street and played music for us as we drove into this stadium. We are glad they are here with us, and we feel the musical future of this city and State is assured.

Many things bring us together today. We are saluting the 90th anniversary of Vanderbilt University, which has grown from a small Tennessee university and institution to one of our Nation's greatest, with 7 different colleges, and with more than half of its 4200 students from outside of the State of Tennessee.

And we are saluting the 30th anniversary of the Tennessee Valley Authority, which transformed a parched, depressed, and floodravaged region into a fertile, productive center of industry, science, and agriculture.

We are saluting--by initiating construction of a dam in his name--a great Tennessee statesman, Cordell Hull, the father of reciprocal trade, the grandfather of the United Nations, the Secretary of State who presided over the transformation of this Nation from a life of isolation and almost indifference to a state of responsible world leadership.

And finally, we are saluting--by the recognition of a forthcoming dam in his name-J. Percy Priest, a former colleague of mine in the House of Representatives, who represented this district, this State, and this Nation in the Congress for 16 turbulent years--years which witnessed the crumbling of empires, the splitting of the atom, the conquest of one threat to freedom, and the emergence of still another.

If there is one unchanging theme that runs throughout these separate stories, it is that everything changes but change itself. We live in an age of movement and change, both evolutionary and revolutionary, both good and evil--and in such an age a university has a special obligation to hold fast to the best of the past and move fast to the best of the future.

Nearly 100 years ago Prince Bismarck said that one-third of the students of German universities broke down from overwork, another third broke down from dissipation, and the other third ruled Germany. I do not know which third of the student body of Vanderbilt is here today, but I am confident we are talking to the future rulers of Tennessee and America in the spirit of this university.

The essence of Vanderbilt is still learning, the essence of its outlook is still liberty, and liberty and learning will be and must be the touchstones of Vanderbilt University and of any free university in this country or the world. I say two touchstones, yet they are almost inseparable, inseparable if not indistinguishable, for liberty without learning is always in peril, and learning without liberty is always in vain.

This State, this city, this campus, have stood long for both human rights and human enlightenment--and let that forever be true. This Nation is now engaged in a continuing debate about the rights of a portion of its citizens. That will go on, and those rights will expand until the standard first forged by the Nation's founders has been reached, and all Americans enjoy equal opportunity and liberty under law.

But this Nation was not founded solely on the principle of citizens' rights. Equally important, though too often not discussed, is the citizen's responsibility. For our privileges can be no greater than our obligations. The protection of our rights can endure no longer than the performance of our responsibilities. Each can be neglected only at the peril of the other. I speak to you today, therefore, not of your rights as Americans, but of your responsibilities. They are many in number and different in nature. They do not rest with equal weight upon the shoulders of all. Equality of opportunity does not mean equality of responsibility. All Americans must be responsible citizens, but some must be more responsible than others, by virtue of their public or their private position, their role in the family or community, their prospects for the future, or their legacy from the past.

Increased responsibility goes with increased ability, for "of those to whom much is given, much is required."

Commodore Vanderbilt recognized this responsibility and his recognition made possible the establishment of a great institution of learning for which he will be long remembered after his steamboats and railroads have been forgotten. I speak in particular, therefore, of the responsibility of the educated citizen, including the students, the faculty, and the alumni of this great institution. The creation and maintenance of Vanderbilt University, like that of all great universities, has required considerable effort and expenditure, and I cannot believe that all of this was undertaken merely to give this school's graduates an economic advantage in the life struggle. "Every man sent out from a university," said Professor Woodrow Wilson, "Every man sent out from a university should be a man of his Nation, as well as a man of his time."

You have responsibilities, in short, to use your talents for the benefit of the society which helped develop those talents. You must decide, as Goethe put it, whether you will be an anvil or a hammer, whether you will give to the world in which you were reared and educated the broadest possible benefits of that education. Of the many special obligations incumbent upon an educated citizen, I would cite three as outstanding: your obligation to the pursuit of learning, your obligation to serve the public, your obligation to uphold the law.

If the pursuit of learning is not defended by the educated citizen, it will not be defended at all. For there will always be those who scoff at intellectuals, who cry out against research, who seek to limit our educational system. Modern cynics and skeptics see no more reason for landing a man on the moon, which we shall do, than the cynics and skeptics of half a millennium ago saw for the discovery of this country. They see no harm in paying those to whom they entrust the minds of their children a smaller wage than is paid to those to whom they entrust the care of their plumbing.

But the educated citizen knows how much more there is to know. He knows that "knowledge is power," more so today than ever before. He knows that only an educated and informed people will be a free people, that the ignorance of one voter in a democracy impairs the security of all, and that if we can, as Jefferson put it, "enlighten the people generally ... tyranny and the oppressions of mind and body will vanish, like evil spirits at the dawn of day." And, therefore, the educated citizen has a special obligation to encourage the pursuit of learning, to promote exploration of the unknown, to preserve the freedom of inquiry, to support the advancement of research, and to assist at every level of government the improvement of education for all Americans, from grade school to graduate school.

Secondly, the educated citizen has an obligation to serve the public. He may be a precinct worker or President. He may give his talents at the courthouse, the State house, the White House. He may be a civil servant or a Senator, a candidate or a campaign worker, a winner or a loser. But he must be a participant and not a spectator.

"At the Olympic games," Aristotle wrote, "it is not the finest and strongest men who are crowned, but they who enter the lists-for out of these the prize-men are elected. So, too, in life, of the honorable and the good, it is they who act who rightly win the prizes."

I urge all of you today, especially those who are students, to act, to enter the lists of public service and rightly win or lose the prize. For we can have only one form of aristocracy in this country, as Jefferson wrote long ago in rejecting John Adams' suggestion of an artificial aristocracy of wealth and birth. It is, he wrote, the natural aristocracy of character and talent, and the best form of government, he added, was that which selected these men for positions of responsibility.

I would hope that all educated citizens would fulfill this obligation--in politics, in Government, here in Nashville, here in this State, in the Peace Corps, in the Foreign Service, in the Government Service, in the Tennessee Valley, in the world. You will find the pressures greater than the pay. You may endure more public attacks than support. But you will have the unequaled satisfaction of knowing that your character and talent are contributing to the direction and success of this free society.

Third, and finally, the educated citizen has an obligation to uphold the law. This is the obligation of every citizen in a free and peaceful society--but the educated citizen has a special responsibility by the virtue of his greater understanding. For whether he has ever studied history or current events, ethics or civics, the rules of a profession or the tools of a trade, he knows that only a respect for the law makes it possible for free men to dwell together in peace and progress.

He knows that law is the adhesive force in the cement of society, creating order out of chaos and coherence in place of anarchy. He knows that for one man to defy a law or court order he does not like is to invite others to defy those which they do not like, leading to a breakdown of all justice and all order. He knows, too, that every fellowman is entitled to be regarded with decency and treated with dignity. Any educated citizen who seeks to subvert the law, to suppress freedom, or to subject other human beings to acts that are less than human, degrades his heritage, ignores his learning, and betrays his obligation.

Certain other societies may respect the rule of force--we respect the rule of law.

The Nation, indeed the whole world, has watched recent events in the United States with alarm and dismay. No one can deny the complexity of the problems involved in assuring to all of our citizens their full rights as Americans. But no one can gainsay the fact that the determination to secure these rights is in the highest traditions of American freedom.

In these moments of tragic disorder, a special burden rests on the educated men and women of our country to reject the temptations of prejudice and violence, and to reaffirm the values of freedom and law on which our free society depends.

When Bishop McTyeire, 90 years ago, proposed it to Commodore Vanderbilt, he said, "Commodore, our country has been torn to pieces by a civil war .... We want to repair this damage." And Commodore Vanderbilt reportedly replied, "I want to unite this country, and all sections of it, so that all our people will be one." His response, his recognition of his obligation and opportunity gave Vanderbilt University not only an endowment but also a mission. Now, 90 years later, in a time of tension, it is more important than ever to unite this country and strengthen these ties so that all of our people will be one.

Ninety years from now I have no doubt that Vanderbilt University will still be fulfilling this mission. It will still uphold learning, encourage public service, and teach respect for the law. It will neither turn its back on proven wisdom or turn its face from newborn challenge. It will still pass on to the youth of our land the full meaning of their rights and their responsibilities. And it will still be teaching the truth--the truth that makes us free and will keep us free.

Thank you.

Go here to hear the speech titled "The Responsibilities Of Citizenship" delivered by President Kennedy at Nashville's Vanderbilt University on May 18, 1963.

To read more about President John F Kennedy and Vanderbilt University go here.

Known As The State's Attic, The Tennessee State Library And Archives Holds Hidden Treasure Waiting To Be Discovered

2010-05-17T08:15:00.000-05:00

Unlike many states, the official state library and permanent repository for Tennessee's archived original documents and materials, are all housed in one building. Often referred to as the "The State's Attic" the Tennessee State Library and Archives serves the State's Legislature and state agencies as well as scholars, lawyers, researchers and genealogists and all members of the general public.

A non-lending library located in the facility's Tennessee Room, the bound books and periodicals that make up the State Library's catalog cover a broad spectrum of subjects and interest. First housed inside the State Capitol building, the State Library was established in 1854, with Return Johnathon Mieggs serving as Tennessee's first State Librarian. Today the library holds a rich and varied collection of books by Tennessee authors as well as volumes of historic city directories, published Supreme Court cases,and the Journals of Tennessee's Constitutional Conventions. Also on the library shelves are more than ten thousand books relating to Tennessee's culture, natural resources, geography, music, art, industry and history.

In addition to permenant state records , papers from all of Tennessee's governors as well as the Tennessee Historical Society's collections are held in the archives and manuscripts holding stacks. Dating back as far as the 1790's, historic materials such as maps, land grants, letters, post cards, journals, broadsides, and photos are accessible to State Archives visitors.

It is believed that around 1955, Tennessee became the first state to record meetings of the State's General Assembly and those audio recordings are available to the public in the Legislative History Area. Micro-filmed copies of all Tennessee's historic and current newspapers in addition to filmed copies of many archived original documents, vital records, and personal and official papers, are accessible to State Library and Archives visitors.

The Tennessee State Library and Archives is located in Nashville at 403 7th Avenue North. The Tennessee State Library is open Monday through Saturday from 8:00-6:00. The Manuscripts Services area is open Monday through Friday 8:00-4:30 and on Saturday's by appointment. For more information on the Tennessee State Library and Archives please visit www.tennessee.gov/tsla/

2010-05-16T20:53:00.003-05:00

My friend David Ewing is a superb researcher and talented writer. I admire his ability to bring various and seemingly unrelated historical facts together, offering readers insight based on his unique perspective of his subject. The following article written by David was published in yesterday's Sunday edition of the Tennessean.
We appreciate you David!

When James Robertson and John Donelson traveled to Middle Tennessee and founded what is today Nashville in 1779, they selected a choice spot on the bend of the Cumberland for their new settlement. The first commercial and residential buildings of Nashville were built in the area of the long, powerful river.

Before this month, Nashville saw nine other major floods since the days of Robertson and Donelson, when the Cumberland reached more than 52 feet or higher. The greatest started on Christmas Day 1926. That week, Nashville had 8.39 inches of rain, with another 2 inches in the few days after Christmas. The rain pushed the Cumberland River to 56.2 feet — the highest on record — which is 4 feet over the crest of the Cumberland this month.

In 1926 older citizens still remembered the last time Nashville had a big flood, in January 1882. This flood brought great human suffering to the river city, which was still scarred from the Civil War.

By David Ewing

In the 1880s Nashville was a mill and manufacturing town, and many of these businesses were on the east bank of the Cumberland River, on First and Second avenues off of Broadway and in the Sulphur Dell area, which is where Bicentennial Mall now stands. The 1882 flood caused almost 30 homes to float down the river, and even more were toppled. Wood and logs by the thousands floated away from lumberyards, and one of the city’s largest employers, Tennessee Iron Works, was almost completely submerged. Hundreds of people were cast out of work and had no money, food or place to live.

As the water rose and displaced people and businesses, then as now, citizens were unified in helping those in need. The Daily American newspaper said it was “one proud reflection about the flood is that the humanity of Nashville rises with the tide of misfortune and the brisk energies of our townsmen in the work of relief seconded by the active and substantial aid of all classes of the community.”

The Women’s Relief Fund immediately started to raise money for victims and make sure they had proper shelter, food and clothes. Shelters were established and food and funds were quickly distributed. One man who was one of 500 people waiting in line for assistance said he had “five mouths to feed and not a bite in the house.” The treasurer of The Women’s Relief Fund, Fannie Battle, acknowledged the efforts of everyone that donated but pleaded with citizens to continue to give toward the effort, and money continued to pour in from local businesses, churches and citizens.

10,000 people displaced

During the 1926 flood, water made its way to buildings on Fifth Avenue downtown. First and Second avenues were hit hardest, and water almost reached the second floor of many buildings. The American Stream and Feed Building on Second Avenue collapsed after the water rose, and its owner, former Nashville Mayor William Gupton, estimated he lost $50,000 in the value of the building and another $20,000 in stock that was inside. When the building collapsed, hundreds of bags of feed and seed floated down Second Avenue. At another nearby building, Reeves & Company Produce, the water caused all of the chickens to drown, but the ducks escaped and were seen swimming away down the street.

Most merchants did not carry flood insurance. A leading Nashville merchant, Robert Orr, said at the time, “So far as I know, not a penny of flood insurance is carried here.”

Nashville Mayor Hilary Howse, who previously had operated a furniture store on Lower Broadway that was also flooded, ordered all city trucks to be under the direction of the police chief. City workers were sent to rescue those stranded and to notify people of the rising water and tell them to immediately leave their homes.

The 1926 flood drove almost 10,000 people from their homes, mainly in the East Nashville and Jefferson Street areas. The Nashville Real Estate Board quickly provided a list of vacant homes where people could stay. The areas hardest hit by the 2010 flood — Bellevue, Bordeaux, Antioch and Donelson — were not heavily populated in 1926 and were mainly farmland.

WLAC which had just started broadcasting in Nashville the month before the 1926 flood, immediately suspended regular programming to alert Nashvillians of the rising waters. When conditions started to worsen and people had to leave their homes, the station asked for help and money.

Fifty individuals and businesses offered vacant rooms or homes and $50,000 was quickly raised due to the nonstop efforts of the radio station.

Blues singer Bessie Smith, a Tennessee native, wrote a song called “Backwater Blues” that was recorded Feb. 17, 1927, just six weeks after the flood. It became a huge hit when other parts of the South flooded later that year.

Mayor Howse had a quick response to the flood. Even though 10,000 people were displaced out of a population of about 150,000, the newspapers reported that there was no loss of life. The Nashville Banner editorialized that “the people of Nashville will respond speedily and generously” and “that Nashville always takes care of its own.”

Nashville’s local support of the flood victims was so overwhelming that Howse turned down federal financial support offered from Washington and from the national Red Cross.

Everyone wants to compare this recent flood to previous ones in Nashville. Clearly the $1.56 billion in damages outweighs the $5 million cost of the 1926 flood or the $50,000 cost of the 1882 flood. The recent flood caused more property damage and greater loss of life than the previous big floods, but Nashville’s response to these disasters keeps getting better.

This month proved that citizens’ aid and compassion to their city, friends, neighbors and strangers has never been better. Nashville does take care of its own.

To My Readers

2010-05-16T15:42:00.051-05:00

Sadly neglected for more than a month, Nashville Past And Present is now active. Contracted to write a series of articles for a large regional project I remained focused on that task throughout the month of April. Further delayed by flood related issues I failed to report on many of the interesting events that I attended during that time. In the spirit of trying to restore order to my life and to bring Nashville Past And Present up to date, I will now attempt to render a brief description of some of the notable local events that I should have covered in April and early May.

I appreciate my readers and want to thank you all for continuing to visit Nashville Past And Present.

Sincerely,
Betsy Thorpe

The futuristic "Urban Species" by Korean artist U-Ram Choe remained on display at the Frist Center through last Saturday. Feeding the imagination, Choe's set of mechanical sculptures were displayed complete with the written history of how each of these new species evolved and adapted to our future urban world. It was the most interesting and intriguing exhibit of modern art I have ever viewed.

Opening the Nashville Film Festival the British made feature film "Nowhere Boy," is a coming of age story. Focusing on the angst of adolescence, this excellent film introduces John Lennon as a troubled 15 year old living in the British working class city of Liverpool. Following his evolution from an aimless teenager to a locally successful Teddy Boy musician, "Nowhere Boy" concludes with Lennon and his band headed to Hamburg. With the word Beatle omitted from the movie's dialogue, director Sam Taylor-Wood, adeptly utilized the early life of John Lennon to present an ageless and universal tale of transition and growth. With an audience largely comprised of self proclaimed Beatle's experts and historians it was inevitable that following the film's opening, criticism of minute points of accuracy would erupt throughout the theatre's lobby, however the majority of the movie goers enjoyed the showing and agreed that "Nowhere Boy" is an exceptional and excellent film.

The Nashville Film Festivals screening of the controversial documentary "Southern Belles" attracted a large audience, many dressed in period costume. Offering a rare inside look into Columbia Tennessee's 1861 Athenaeum Girls’ School , a week long summer camp where young girls are taught the customs and etiquette of the antebellum South , this documentary produced by Nashville's Kathy Conkwright and Mary Makley drew strong reacations from the audience. Following the film's local premier, many attendees expressed delight in the movie, while others noted a specific outrage brought on by the documentary's opening antebellum commentary supporting the institution of slavery. Also vocal was an elite group of viewers, who by relating their superior sense of tolerant amusement, acknowledged that their presumed knowledge of Southern culture and mores had been artfully confirmed.

Weekly Address By President Barack Obama May 15, 2010

2010-05-15T19:41:00.003-05:00

Weekly Address: Wall Street Reform & Main Street

The President explains how Wall Street Reform will not only end bailouts and bring accountability for big banks, but empower consumers, shareholders and community banks.

In his weekly address, President Barack Obama discussed how reforming Wall Street will strengthen Main Street. The reform bill moving through Congress will empower and protect American families with the strongest consumer financial protections in history, level the playing field for community banks by making sure all lenders are subject to tough oversight, and strengthen small businesses by curbing excessive risk taking on Wall Street, which will help protect credit for our small businesses. As the economy recovers in the short term, we need to build a new foundation for growth and prosperity for the long term. This bill helps to do just that.

Remarks of President Barack Obama
Saturday, May 15, 2010
Weekly Address
Washington, DC

On Thursday, I paid a visit to a small business in Buffalo, New York, a town that’s been hard hit in recent decades. I heard from folks about the struggles they’ve been facing for longer than they care to remember. And I talked with them about what my administration is doing to help our families, our small businesses, and our economy rebound from this recession.

Jumpstarting job creation in the private sector and fostering a climate that encourages businesses to hire again is vitally important – and I’ll continue working hard to make sure that happens. But my responsibility as President isn’t just to help our economy rebound from this recession – it’s to make sure an economic crisis like the one that helped trigger this recession never happens again.

That’s what Wall Street reform will help us do. In recent weeks, there’s been a lot of back and forth about the reform bill currently making its way through Congress. There’s been a lot of discussion about technical aspects of the bill, and a lot of heated – and frankly, sometimes misleading – rhetoric coming from opponents of reform.

All of this has helped obscure what reform would actually mean for you, the American people. So, I just wanted to take a few minutes to talk about why every American has a stake in Wall Street reform.

First and foremost, you have a stake in it if you’ve ever been treated unfairly by a credit card company, misled by pages and pages of fine print, or ended up paying fees and penalties you’d never heard of before. And you have a stake in it if you’ve ever tried to take out a home loan, a car loan, or a student loan, and been targeted by the predatory practices of unscrupulous lenders.

The Wall Street reform bill in Congress represents the strongest consumer financial protections in history. You’ll be empowered with the clear and concise information you need to make the choices that are best for you. We’ll help stop predatory practices, and curb unscrupulous lenders, helping secure your family’s financial future.

That’s why families have a stake in it. And our community banks also have a stake in reform. These are banks we count on to provide the capital that lets our small businesses hire and grow.

The way the system is currently set up, these banks are at a disadvantage because while they are often playing by the rules, many of their less scrupulous competitors are not. So, what reform will do is help level the playing field by making sure all our lenders – not just community banks – are subject to tough oversight. That’s good news for our community banks, which is why we’ve received letters from some of these banks in support of reform.

What’s true for our community banks is also true for small businessmen and women like the ones I met in Buffalo. These small businesses were some of the worst victims of the excessive risk-taking on Wall Street that led to this crisis. Their credit dried up. They had to let people go. Some even shut their doors altogether. And unless we put in place real safeguards, we could see it happen all over again.

That’s why Wall Street reform is so important. With reform, we’ll make our financial system more transparent by bringing the kinds of complex, backroom deals that helped trigger this crisis into the light of day. We’ll prevent banks from taking on so much risk that they could collapse and threaten our whole economy. And we’ll give shareholders more of a say on pay to help change the perverse incentives that encouraged reckless risk-taking in the first place. Put simply, Wall Street reform will bring greater security to folks on Main Street.

The stories I heard in Buffalo this week were a reminder that, despite the progress we’ve made, we need to keep working hard, so we can build on that progress and rebound from this recession in the short-term. But even as we do, we also need to lay a new foundation for growth and shared prosperity over the long-term.

Next week, we have a chance to help lay a cornerstone in that foundation. The reform bill being debated in the Senate will not solve every problem in our financial system – no bill could. But what this strong bill will do is important, and I urge the Senate to pass it as soon as possible, so we can secure America’s economic future in the 21st century.

Volunteer Spirit Of Nashville Is Evident In Disaster

2010-05-11T02:44:00.003-05:00

Volunteers Serve A Hot Meal Provided By Wendell Smith's To Flood Victims At St. Luke's Y.E.S Center

The overriding story that emerged in the aftermath of last week's devastating flood, was of the volunteer spirit that swept across the city like a cloud of hope. Reporting on the generous outpouring of service and donations offered by both local individuals and corporations, Nashville attorney, David Ewing stated that "We are lucky to live in a town with great people and businesses who care about our community and its citizens." Sue Spence of Bellevue who lost everything she owned in the disaster said "it's not what I lost that I want to talk about, I want to talk about the people, not just friends and my church, but strangers too. You might expect help from your family, but so many people offered to do whatever was needed, I've never seen anything like it."

More than two hundred homes were damaged or destroyed when the flood waters overtook West Nashville's Nations neighborhood, leaving hundreds of local residents without cooking facilities and sanitation. Responding to the community's need for hot meals, Wendell Smith's worked with Saint Luke's Community House, and the West Nashville branch of Youth Encouragement Services to provide lunch and dinner for flood victims all last week.

Following a visit to Saint Luke's on Thursday, Metro Councilman Jason Holleman said "The organized effort to address the needs of flood victims has been impressive, but what has been even more impressive is the way that area non-profits, like St. Luke's Community House, have risen to the occasion to be a real force in responding to the needs on the ground." Throughout Holleman's visit numerous donations of food and cleaning supplies were delivered to the center and he later stated that "This disaster has demonstrated that we, in Tennessee, continue to deserve the title of "The Volunteer State. The dedication that people in this community have shown to their friends, to their neighbors, and to complete strangers has been inspiring."

It is unknown the long term affect the flood will have on the city's commerce and industry or how it will impact the future of the individual victims who all suffered great personal loss, but the disaster's lasting legacy of community service and compassion is already established and will be long remembered. And for that we can all take pride.

Weekly Address By President Barack Obama, May 8, 2010

2010-05-09T12:52:00.003-05:00

Weekly Address: Health Reform Starts to Kick In
The President goes through the benefits in health insurance reform that are already kicking in for young adults, retirees, and families, and says more benefits are coming down the pike.

Weekly Address By President Barack Obama, May 1st 2010

2010-05-05T13:30:00.003-05:00

As the President beats back lobbyists seeking to weaken Wall Street Reform, he talks about an even broader threat that would vastly expand the influence of massive industries and their lobbyists in Washington. A recent Supreme Court decision opened the floodgates for corporations, including foreign corporations, to spend endless money on political ads that would give them even more power at the expense of American families – the President pledges to fight for reforms to stem that influence.

WASHINGTON – In the wake of a recent Supreme Court ruling, which gives special interests, corporations – and potentially foreign nationals – the power to spend unlimited money to influence the outcome of elections, President Barack Obama called on Congress to enact reforms to limit this power and protect the integrity of our democracy. With these reforms, campaign committees will have to reveal who is funding them, and their leaders or financers will have to claim responsibility for their ads. Also, the reforms will restrict foreign corporations and foreign nationals from spending money in American elections. These reforms will help ensure the government works for the American people, not the special interests.

Remarks of President Barack Obama
Saturday, May 1, 2010
Weekly Address
Washington, DC

Over the past few weeks, as we’ve debated reforms to hold Wall Street accountable and protect consumers and small businesses in our financial system, we’ve come face-to-face with the great power of special interests in the workings of our democracy. Of course, this isn’t a surprise. Every time a major issue arises, we’ve come to expect that an army of lobbyists will descend on Capitol Hill in the hopes of tilting the laws in their favor.

That’s one of the reasons I ran for President: because I believe so strongly that the voices of ordinary Americans were being drowned out by the clamor of a privileged few in Washington. And that’s why, since the day I took office, my administration has been taking steps to reform the system. Recently, however, the Supreme Court issued a decision that overturned decades of law and precedent – dealing a huge blow to our efforts to rein in this undue influence. In short, this decision gives corporations and other special interests the power to spend unlimited amounts of money – literally millions of dollars – to affect elections throughout our country. This, in turn, will multiply their influence over decision-making in our government.

In the starkest terms, members will know – when pressured by lobbyists – that if they dare to oppose that lobbyist’s client, they could face an onslaught of negative advertisements in the run up to their next election. And corporations will be allowed to run these ads without ever having to tell voters exactly who is paying for them. At a time when the American people are already being overpowered in Washington by these forces, this will be a new and even more powerful weapon that the special interests will wield.

In fact, it’s exactly this kind of vast power that led a great Republican President – Teddy Roosevelt – to tackle this issue a century ago. He warned of the dangers of limitless corporate spending in our political system. He actually called it “one of the principal sources of corruption in our political affairs.” And he proposed strict limits on corporate influence in elections. “Every special interest is entitled to justice,” he said. “but not one is entitled to a vote in Congress, to a voice on the bench, or to representation in any public office.”

In the wake of the recent Supreme Court ruling, we face a similar challenge. That’s why it’s so important that Congress consider new reforms to prevent corporations and other special interests from gaining even more clout in Washington. And almost all of these reforms are designed to bring new transparency to campaign spending. They are based on the principle espoused by former Supreme Court Justice Louis Brandeis – that sunlight is the best disinfectant.

Shadowy campaign committees would have to reveal who’s funding their activities to the American people. And when corporations and other special interests take to the airwaves, whoever is running and funding the ad would have to appear in the advertisement and claim responsibility for it – like a company’s CEO or an organization’s biggest contributor. This will mean citizens can evaluate the claims in these ads with information about an organization’s real motives.

We know how important this is. We’ve all seen groups with benign-seeming names sponsoring television commercials that make accusations and assertions designed to influence the public debate and sway voters’ minds. Now, of course every organization has every right in this country to make their voices heard. But the American people also have the right to know when some group like “Citizens for a Better Future” is actually funded entirely by “Corporations for Weaker Oversight.”

In addition, these reforms would address another troubling aspect of the Supreme Court’s ruling. Under the bill Congress will consider, we’ll make sure that foreign corporations and foreign nationals are restricted from spending money to influence American elections, just as they were in the past – even through U.S. subsidiaries. And we’d keep large contractors that receive taxpayer funds from interfering in our elections as well, to avoid the appearance of corruption and the possible misuse of tax dollars.

Now, we can expect that these proposed changes will be met with heavy resistance from the special interests and their supporters in Congress. But I’m calling on leaders in both parties to resist these pressures. For what we are facing is no less than a potential corporate takeover of our elections. And what is at stake is no less than the integrity of our democracy. This shouldn’t be a Democratic issue or a Republican issue. This is an issue that goes to whether or not we will have a government that works for ordinary Americans – a government of, by, and for the people. That’s why these reforms are so important. And that’s why I’m going to fight to see them passed into law.

Thanks so much.

Words From My Friend Geneologist and Bellevue Exchange Member, Bob Allen

2010-05-05T11:34:00.005-05:00

For many years, this Shoney's located on Highway 70 South was home to the Bellevue Exchange Club
Photo courtesy Chip Curley, Mary 3, 2010

Middle Tennessee History & Genealogy Enthusiasts,

Bellevue Recovery and Cleanup

Wow! At 6 am last Saturday when the Bellevue Exchange Club and Bellevue Chamber of Commerce were poised to begin their 3rd Annual Cleanup Day we had no idea that the day’s washout and cancellation of events and activities would lead to Bellevue’s most massive rescue, recovery, and cleanup in history. Bellevue (and all of middle Tennessee) has been beaten and battered by mother nature and the Floods of 2010 will be remembered like the Blizzard of 1951 as the weather story of the century. Our children and grandchildren will be telling flood stories to their children and grandchildren for many years to come. Now that we are entering the Cleanup Phase we are gaining national recognition for volunteerism and showing our best side and the outpouring of support from everyone is astounding and to be commended. We will ultimately be fine and our thoughts and prayers are with everyone who has been affected by the floods and storms.

…What we know from Mayor Dean’s office and our Bellevue leaders:

1) Nashville and surrounding areas are under a mandatory water conservation plan where we are all being asked to only use half the water we would normally use.

2) Businesses and residences may amass trash piles for “curb side” pick up by separating trash into three (3) different sections … a) consumer goods (i.e., metal appliances), b) demolition and construction waste, and c) vegetation waste (i.e., brush, limbs, etc.)

3) The owners of the Bellevue Center Mall will be opening up the old Dillard’s area as a drop-off and pick-up location for clothes and supplies. The location will also have large roll-off trash bins.

4) There is going to be a Bellevue community meeting in the auditorium of Bellevue Middle School at 7 am on Thursday, May 6th with more information.

5) A number of organizations in the Bellevue community are reaching out to those in need and … you may call me at 218-4580 or email me at rvallen@comcast.net representing the Bellevue Exchange Club or Tonya Robbins at 662-2737 or email info@thebellevuechamber.com representing the Bellevue Chamber of Commerce.

6) AT&T authorities are working diligently to replace the Bellevue phone transmission equipment that was destroyed and, hopefully, phone service to the Bellevue area will be restored by the weekend. Cell phone service is still sketchy and is gradually being improved. NES officials have indicated that all power to Bellevue residents should be restored within the week or so.

7) The Bellevue Baptist Church on Hwy 70 is offering 3-day food packages and other critical items.

8) An information center is being set up at the Bellevue Community Center on Collice Jeanne Road (between Red Caboose Park and the Fire Station) and will be in operation from noon to 8 pm.

Saint Lukes Community House And Y.E.S. Serving Displaced West Nashville Residents, Volunteers Needed

2010-05-05T11:24:00.003-05:00

The St. Luke Youth Encouragement Services Center is partnering with St. Luke's Community Center in efforts to provide relief to the many families that are suffering from the flood damage in West Nashville. Plans are being made on an ongoing basis to respond to the many needs.

Meals Served: Beginning tonight, Tuesday May 4th through Sunday, May 5th the Y.E.S Center will be the host site for meals for an estimated 300-800 people. I am asking each Board member and staff to contact their churches, work places and other contacts in an appeal to enlist volunteers to serve and clean-up during these meal times. Contact David Estes at (615) 587-6282 mobile with your volunteer information in order for him to coordinate with the St. Luke's Community Staff.
- Serving slots needed: Volunteers are needed at the Center from 11:00 am to 1:00 pm for lunch and 5:00 to 8pm for dinner. The most needed time will be the supper meal times. Tues 4th - Dinner; Wed 5th - Lunch & Dinner; Thur 6th - Lunch & Dinner; Fri 7th - Lunch & Dinner; Sat 8th - Lunch & Dinner; Sun 9th - Lunch & Dinner.
- Food & Snacks: Along with food (pre-cooked, ready to serve) snack bars, etc. are needed. Also, they will provide breakfast items during the supper serving (bananas, cereal bars, etc.)

Community involvement: If you have contacts with local restaurants or other food suppliers who can "sponsor" a meal or provide food items for the families please enlist their help now.

Shower Times: Y.E.S. will also make the showers at the Center available before and after the feeding times for families. Towels, toiletry items (toilet paper, soap, shampoo, tooth brushes/paste, etc.) are needed.

Other items needed: Cleaning supplies, bottled water, Walmart/Target, restaurant or other gift cards, diapers/pull-ups and wipes for babies

In addition to the above, the Red Cross, counseling help, and the Health Department will be involved in the efforts.

Weekly Address By President Barack Obama April 25, 2010

2010-04-30T08:43:00.004-05:00

Weekly Address: Good News from the Auto Industry

As the auto industry and financial markets begin to stabilize, the President says the government’s emergency interventions are now winding down. He pledges that real reform, particularly on Wall Street, must now begin.

West Nashville Students Honored For Academic Excellence

2010-04-27T09:03:00.007-05:00

Nashville Judge Bill Higgins With West Nashville Y.E.S. Straight A Students, At Honors Dinner

On April 15th, more than forty students from West Nashville's "Nations" neighborhood were recognized for Academic, Excellence, Achievement, Improvement, and Diligence at an Honors Dinner hosted by the staff of West Nashville's Youth Encouragement Service (YES). The honored students, all participate in the daily after school tutoring program offered by Y.E.S.

Nashville Judge and West Nashville native, Bill Higgins who serves on the Board of Youth Encouragement Services attended the dinner. Serving a community where almost half the adults have not obtained a high school diploma, and where the current drop out rate at the local high school is twice the county average, Higgins said that he "was proud to be small part of this wonderful organization that helps lift up West Nashville's children." Active in the local community Judge Higgins is committed to serving West Nashville and was instrumental in establishing the YES center four years ago.

West Nashville's Y.E.S. center directors Dave and Suzie Estes work daily with their students and provide innovative methods to inspire and encourage the children in their program. In February the center hosted fifteen Fulbright scholars from fourteen different countries. Representing multiple fields of study including engineering, archaeology, architecture, and political science , the visiting scholars met the center's high school students and discussed the importance of setting and fulfilling educational goals.

To learn more about Youth Encouragement Services visit www.youthencouragement.org. The center is located at Saint Lukes Community House at 1605 56th Avenue North.

Roots Music At It's Finest, Cherryholmes With The Nashville Symphony

2010-04-20T11:16:00.046-05:00

On April 18th the Grammy award winning Nashville Symphony joined neo-traditional Bluegrass family ensemble, Cherryholmes, inside the Laura Turner Concert Hall closing three nights of informal and lively Roots themed music, part of the Bank Of America Pops Series.

Under the energetic direction of resident Conductor George Schram, the orchestra opened with a selection of European folk influenced music that included an outstanding presentation of Georges Enesco's Romanian Rhapsody. Reminiscent of traditional Gypsy music the piece led the audience on a syncopated journey through Romania's colorful cultural landscape. Segueing into American folk based music, Shrachm surprised and impressed the audience by delivering a vocal a duet with eleven year old Jake Moor. The contrasting tones of Schram's mature raspy voice coupled with Moor's warm and bright timbre gave emotion and depth to their rendition of David Frost's, "I Love This Land." When closing the evening's first half, Shchram offered a playful apology to Vanderbilt's fans and alumni before exuberantly leading the orchestra in a rousing performance of "Rocky Top."

Molly Cherryholmes arrival in front of the Nashville Symphony Orchestra announced the beginning of a remarkable and versatile performance by Cherryholmes, a four time Grammy nominated band. Joined by her sister Cia, brothers Skip and B.J. and her parents Sandy and Jere Cherryholmes, Molly took the stage first, giving the audience a preview of her fierce and driving instrumental style and beautiful voice.

First noted for their authentic Bluegrass sound, Cherryholmes is now also known as a group of innovative and able songwriters. With a talent for composing diverse songs that combine the complicated components of Jazz and Celtic music with traditional Appalachian musical elements, the Cherryholmes Band continues to creatively evolve and mature.

Delivering one the evening's most memorable performances, Cia Cherryholmes sang "Weaver of Lies, " an original song featured on the band's upcoming CD, "Common Threads." Accompanied by her sister Molly on fiddle and symphony cellist Julia Tanner, "Weaver Of Lies," exemplifies Cia's outstanding lyrical sophistication and her musical virtuosity.

Following their opening night performance with the Nashville Symphony Orchestra Sandy Cherryholmes stated that performing with Nashville's prestigious Symphony was a tremendous honor. Noting that the orchestra adds a new and exciting dimension to their music, she also went on to say that "The blending of classical and acoustic, shows that downhome music can also have an artistic, beautiful side."

On May 6th, 7th and 8th, contemporary 80's recording artist, Christopher Cross will join the Nashville Symphony Orchestra in the next Bank Of America Pop Series program.
On June 2nd the Cherryholmes Band will release their new CD "Common Threads" at the Loveless Cafe Barn, where they will perform on "Music City Roots" a weekly radio show. The live show will also feature a performance by Bluegrass legend Ricky Skaggs.

A-Me-Oh-Mio, Hank Williams Awarded Special Citation By Pulitzer Prize Board

2010-04-12T14:40:00.010-05:00

Today the Pulitzer Prize Board awarded Nashville's Hank Williams a special citation for "transforming country music into a major musical and cultural force in American life." The citation praises Williams for his "craftsmanship as a songwriter who expressed universal feelings with poignant simplicity" and recognizes his lasting impact and influence on a "wide range of musicians and performers."

In 2008 the board awarded a similar citation to singer songwriter Bob Dylan.

2010-04-12T14:18:00.006-05:00

“Quilts of Tennessee: what they Can Tell Us About Our Ancestors.’’ Workshop, At Tennessee State Library And Archives, April 17

2010-04-09T12:52:00.007-05:00

The Tennessee State Library and Archives will host a free workshop at 9 a.m. Saturday, April 17, titled, “Quilts of Tennessee: what they Can Tell Us About Our Ancestors.’’

The session is in the State Library and Archives building, at 403 Seventh Avenue North. Lori D. Lockhart, M.A. Ed., a fourth generation Tennessee quilter and archivist at TSLA, will conduct the workshop.

Please visit Gordon Belt's Posterity Project to read more about this event.

Juvenile Court Clerk Candidate Eric Crafton, Guest Speaker At April Bellevue Republican Breakfast Club Meeting

2010-04-09T11:45:00.007-05:00

Bellevue Republican Breakfast Club, April 3, 2010

On Saturday April 3rd the Bellevue Republican Breakfast Club held their monthly meeting. Led by speaker Eric Crafton ( who is currently running for the office of Juvenile Court Clerk) the meeting was well attended and the club's visitors included a number of candidates hoping to gain support in the upcoming Metro and State elections.

Crafton , who stated that he feels the degrees in math and economics he earned at Vanderbilt, coupled with his public service as a metro councilman makes him the most qualified candidate for Juvenile Court Clerk , is a long time member of the Bellevue Republican Breakfast Club. Following the meeting he praised club coordinator Betty Hood, for her ability to find interesting guest speakers and to lead lively discussions.

The Bellevue Republican Breakfast Club meets on the first Saturday of every month in the private dining room at the Shoney's located on Highway 70 South. The meeting is open to the public and anyone interested in learning more about the candidates in the upcoming election cycle is encouraged to attend. The dining room opens at 7:15 AM and the meeting starts at 8 :00 AM.

Weekly Address By President Barack Obama, April 3, 2010

2010-04-09T11:30:00.003-05:00

In this week of Easter, Passover, and faithful celebration, the President offers a holiday greeting and calls on people of all faiths and nonbelievers to remember our shared spirit of humanity.

In this week of faithful celebration, President Barack Obama used his address to offer his holiday greeting and to call on people of all faiths and nonbelievers to remember our shared spirit of humanity. All people know the value of work, health, education, and community.

This week is a time to be mindful of this common bond which is at the heart of all the world’s great religions.

Remarks of President Barack ObamaWeekly AddressThe White HouseApril 3, 2009

This is a week of faithful celebration. On Monday and Tuesday nights, Jewish families and friends in the United States and around the world gathered for a Seder to commemorate the Exodus from Egypt and the triumph of hope and perseverance over injustice and oppression. On Sunday, my family will join other Christians all over the world in marking the resurrection of Jesus Christ. And while we worship in different ways, we also remember the shared spirit of humanity that inhabits us all – Jews and Christians, Muslims and Hindus, believers and nonbelievers alike. Amid the storm of public debate, with our 24/7 media cycle, in a town like Washington that’s consumed with the day-to-day, it can sometimes be easy to lose sight of the eternal. So, on this Easter weekend, let us hold fast to those aspirations we hold in common as brothers and sisters, as members of the same family – the family of man. All of us know how important work is – not just for the paycheck, but for the peace of mind that comes with knowing you can provide for your family. As Americans, and as human beings, we seek not only the security, but the sense of dignity, the sense of community, that work confers. That is why it was heartening news that last month, for the first time in more than two years, our economy created a substantial number of jobs, instead of losing them. We have begun to reverse the devastating slide, but we have a long way to go to repair the damage from this recession, and that will continue to be my focus every single day. All of us value our health and the health of our loved ones. All of us have experienced an illness, a loss, a personal tragedy. All of us know that no matter what we’re doing or what else is going on in our lives, if the health of someone we love is endangered, nothing else matters. Our health is the rock upon which our lives are built, for better and for worse. All of us value education. We know that in an economy as competitive as ours, an education is a prerequisite for success. But we also know that ultimately, education is about something more, something greater. It is about the ability that lies within each of us to rise above any barrier, no matter how high; to pursue any dream, no matter how big; to fulfill our God-given potential. All of us are striving to make a way in this world; to build a purposeful and fulfilling life in the fleeting time we have here. A dignified life. A healthy life. A life, true to its potential. And a life that serves others. These are aspirations that stretch back through the ages – aspirations at the heart of Judaism, at the heart of Christianity, at the heart of all of the world’s great religions. The rites of Passover, and the traditions of Easter, have been marked by people in every corner of the planet for thousands of years. They have been marked in times of peace, in times of upheaval, in times of war. One such war-time service was held on the black sands of Iwo Jima more than sixty years ago. There, in the wake of some of the fiercest fighting of World War II, a chaplain rose to deliver an Easter sermon, consecrating the memory, he said “of American dead – Catholic, Protestant, Jew. Together,” he said, “they huddled in foxholes or crouched in the bloody sands…Together they practiced virtue, patriotism, love of country, love of you and of me.” The chaplain continued, “The heritage they have left us, the vision of a new world, [was] made possible by the common bond that united them…their only hope that this unity will endure.” Their only hope that this unity will endure. On this weekend, as Easter begins and Passover comes to a close, let us remain ever mindful of the unity of purpose, the common bond, the love of you and of me, for which they sacrificed all they had; and for which so many others have sacrificed so much. And let us make its pursuit – and fulfillment – our highest aspiration, as individuals and as a nation. Happy Easter and Happy Passover to all those celebrating, here in America, and around the world.

Springfield Oregon, My Hometown

2010-04-01T20:08:00.028-05:00

Two weeks ago I returned from a visit to my hometown, Springfield Oregon. A small city situated on the banks of the Willamette River, Springfield recently celebrated it's 150th "birthday", and throughout my short visit I took time to explore and examine some of the region's history.

I arrived in Oregon with a mission. Shortly before my trip I attended a lecture by Tennessee pre-history archaeologist Aaron Deter-Wolf, who stated that an archaeological find in Paisley Caves Oregon has led some experts to discount the long held view that Tennessee's first human inhabitants arrived from Asia. Many now believe that the first Tennesseans arrived from the Pacific Northwest. Also a few weeks before attending the lecture I learned of the 1,000 emigrants who, on the advice of their leader Elijah Elliot, took a "short cut," wandering off the well traveled Oregon Trail, and almost perished from starvation before being rescued by the residents of Lowell, a small community southeast of Springfield. Determined to learn as much as I could in a short period of time, I was pleased and surprised to find that one of my oldest friends was a descendant of a member of the "Lost Wagon Train."

After visiting several local museums and reading articles relating Springfield's interesting past, I left my hometown with a desire to know more about it's history and heritage, and in the future, Nashville Past And Present will include articles on Springfield, and Oregon history.

Where Are The Law Students And History Majors?

2010-04-01T20:03:00.000-05:00

Photo below shows page one of the original hand written Charter of incorporation for Tennessee's first operating railroad, The Nashville Chattanooga Railroad ( later known as the Nashville Chattanooga & St Louis Railway). The charter was signed by Speaker of the House of Representatives, Campbell,and Speaker of the Senate, Watterson on December 11 1845, and is one of thousands of historic and original documents housed inside the Tennessee State Library and Archives.

Visiting the Tennessee State Library and Archives is my favorite past time. I am in awe of the number of original documents, photographs, maps, and manuscripts that are available for me to review and study. I also appreciate how familiar the librarians and archivists are with Tennessee's stored historic materials and how willing they are to help patrons like me locate and access rare and scholarly resources.

Nashville is home to two law schools and at least seven colleges and universities so I often wonder why I seldom encounter a law or college student during my frequent visits to the State Library and Archives. Shouldn't law students have a desire to understand the circumstances surrounding the establishment ( and in some cases the dis-establishment) of our state's laws? Don't college students have research papers to write? Are they unaware of the tremendous number of resources available to them at the State Library and Archives? Are they solely relying on secondary information quickly gleaned from the Internet? Do they know how intellectually satisfying it is to discover an un-cited historical fact? Why aren't their instructors and professors "encouraging" them to dig deeper into their subjects?

With so many documents and manuscripts available at the Tennessee State Library and Archives I encourage any Nashville student who has a research paper or project due this semester to utilize TSLA resources. I am confident that with a little digging most students will discover original documents relating to their assigned topic and that by reviewing those documents they will develop a fresh and unique view of their subject.

The Tennsee State Library and Archives is located in Nashville at 403 7th Avenue North.

Weekly Address By President Barack Oabama, March 27, 1010

2010-04-01T13:49:00.002-05:00

The President looks back on a week that saw the passage of two major sets of reforms: one putting Americans in control of their own health care, and one ensuring student loans work for students and families, not as subsidies for bankers and middlemen.

In this week’s address, President Barack Obama praised the bold reforms to the higher education system passed by Congress this week. These reforms save the taxpayers $68 billion over the next decade by ending the subsidies given to banks and middlemen who handle student loans. The money saved will help expand and strengthen the federal Pell Grant program. The reforms will also cap college graduates’ annual student loan repayments at 10% of their income, revitalize community colleges, and increase support for Minority Serving Institutions.

Remarks of President Barack Obama
Weekly Address
The White House
March 27, 2009

This was a momentous week for America. It was a week in which together, we took bold new steps toward restoring economic security for our middle class and rebuilding a stronger foundation for our future. It was a week in which some of the change that generations have hoped for and worked for finally became reality in America.

It began with the passage of comprehensive health insurance reform that will begin to end the worst practices of the insurance industry, rein in our exploding deficits, and, over time, finally offer millions of families and small businesses quality, affordable care – and the security and peace of mind that comes with it.

And it ended with Congress casting a final vote on another piece of legislation that accomplished what we’ve been talking about for decades – legislation that will reform our student loan system and help us educate all Americans to compete and win in the 21st century.

Year after year, we’ve seen billions of taxpayer dollars handed out as subsidies to the bankers and middlemen who handle federal student loans, when that money should have gone to advancing the dreams of our students and working families. And yet attempts to fix this problem and reform this program were thwarted by special interests that fought tooth and nail to preserve their exclusive giveaway.

But this time, we said, would be different. We said we’d stand up to the special interests, and stand up for the interests of students and families. That’s what happened this week. And I commend all the Senators and Representatives who did the right thing.

This reform of the federal student loan programs will save taxpayers $68 billion over the next decade. And with this legislation, we’re putting that money to use achieving a goal I set for America: by the end of this decade, we will once again have the highest proportion of college graduates in the world.

To make college more affordable for millions of middle-class Americans for whom the cost of higher education has become an unbearable burden, we’re expanding federal Pell Grants for students: increasing them to keep pace with inflation in the coming years and putting the program on a stronger financial footing. In total, we’re doubling funding for the federal Pell Grant program to help the students who depend on it.

To make sure our students don’t go broke just because they chose to go to college, we’re making it easier for graduates to afford their student loan payments. Today, about 2 in 3 graduates take out loans to pay for college. The average student ends up with more than $23,000 in debt. So when this change takes effect in 2014, we’ll cap a graduate’s annual student loan repayments at 10 percent of his or her income.

To help an additional 5 million Americans earn degrees and certificates over the next decade, we’re revitalizing programming at our community colleges – the career pathways for millions of dislocated workers and working families across this country. These schools are centers of learning; where students young and old can get the skills and technical training they need for the jobs of today and tomorrow. They’re centers of opportunity; where we can forge partnerships between students and businesses so that every community can gain the workforce it needs. And they are vital to our economic future.

And to ensure that all our students have every chance to live up to their full potential, this legislation also increases support for our Minority Serving Institutions, including our Historically Black Colleges and Universities, to keep them as strong as ever in this new century.

Education. Health care. Two of the most important pillars of a strong America grew stronger this week. These achievements don’t represent the end of our challenges; nor do they signify the end of the work that faces our country. But what they do represent is real and major reform. What they show is that we’re a nation still capable of doing big things. What they prove is what’s possible when we can come together to overcome the politics of the moment; push back on the special interests; and look beyond the next election to do what’s right for the next generation.

That’s the spirit in which we continue the work of tackling our greatest common tasks – an economy rebuilt; job creation revitalized; an American Dream renewed – for all our people.

Thank you.

EXIT 196

2010-04-01T11:48:00.003-05:00

Songwriter, Author, Emerging Youtube Personality, and Nashville resident, David Olney

Last week we were informed that a new album by songwriter David Olney, will soon be available. The title of his new album, "Dutchman's Curve," acknowledges a set of West Nashville railroad tracks where, more than ninety years ago, the deadliest train wreck in American passenger train history occurred. At Exit 196 we have spent countless hours sifting through the facts and folklore surrounding that 1918 head on collision and we were interested and pleased to hear that Mr. Olney chose to name his latest album after the tragedy's unfortunate site.“There are, maybe, 20 interesting people in the world,” says legendary Folk-performer songwriter, published author & rising YouTube star David Olney, and they all seem to exist somewhere within his music. On his new album, "Dutchman's Curve," David continues to cultivate his own multi-dimensional character studies with unparalleled perspective. That perspective finds David Olney writing songs and prose about characters who encounter interesting people and experience unusual events. Many of the songs on "Dutchman's Curve," including "Train Wreck" were inspired by history and reality.

On Wednesday , April 7, Kosher Taco will present a free show and preview of David Olney's new album "Dutchman's Curve. The show starts at 2:00 PM and will be held at Manuel's located at 1922 Broadway. The public is invited to attend. We plan to be there and we hope you will join us there also!

Exit 196

2010-04-01T11:44:00.002-05:00

Dozens of travelers leave Interstate 40 at Exit 196 everyday, some to visit friends and family, others for fuel, refreshment or lodging. They all have a story to tell and we are here to share a tale or two that we heard at Exit 196.

Last Saturday spring made it's annual debut. With the new season officially here we asked some local farmers about this year's growing season and we are happy to report that seedlings for cool weather vegetables such as onions , potatoes, peas, broccoli and cabbage are almost ready for planting and that by early summer fresh produce will be available at Exit 196. Many of our local farmers utilize sustainable agricultural practices and we listened closely as they discussed how through the use of sustainable growing methods they are able to produce food that is healthy for people and animals without harming the environment.

At Exit 196 we are proud of our communities long agricultural heritage and of how working neighborhood farms like the Buffalo Valley Farm continue on in the traditions of our region's first settlers. We are also proud of how the area's farmers are working hard to protect the local environment and to produce food that is not only safe and healthy but also tasty and flavorful. We look forward to reaping the benefits of their labor throughout the upcoming growing season and will hope for a bountiful harvest.

EXIT 196

2010-04-01T11:35:00.004-05:00

Dozens of travelers leave Interstate 40 at Exit 196 everyday, some to visit friends and family, others for fuel, refreshment or lodging. They all have a story to tell and we are here to share a tale or two that we heard at Exit 196.

This week Nashville students are celebrating spring break and some of us at Exit 196 are using our vacation time to travel and explore America with our children and or grandchildren. Last week after arriving in Denver from Nashville, one adventurous local family boarded a United Airlines flight, bound for Portland Oregon. By the end of the two hour flight the children (who had never flown before) were well acquainted with the friendly flight attendants who delivered an invitation from the aircraft's Captain to join him inside the cockpit after the plane had safely landed. Once inside the children learned that the cockpit is where the aircraft's
controls, instruments, electronic communication and navigation equipment is located. The Captain explained how before departure, pilots check their aircraft to make sure that the engines, controls, instruments, and other systems are functioning properly and that they talk to flight dispatchers to find out about weather conditions on their route and at their destination. Relating how take-offs and landings require close coordination between the pilot and co pilot, the Captain explained how the pilot concentrates on the runway while the copilot, scans the instrument panel.

Long after we return home to Exit 196 we will remember the vacation we took in March 2010 and the flight we took from Denver to Portland and we will always appreciate the kind services offered to little first time flyers by the experienced and kind United Airlines staff and crew.

EXIT 196

2010-04-01T08:56:00.007-05:00

Dozens of travelers leave Interstate 40 at Exit 196 everyday, some to visit friends and family, others for fuel, refreshment or lodging. They all have a story to tell and we are here to share a tale or two that we heard at Exit 196.

Last week, at Exit 196 we heard that Mayor Karl Dean and The Conservancy for the Parthenon & Centennial Park announced that Seattle based landscape architects would lead the design team for the Centennial Park Master Plan. Sylvia Rapoport, President, of The Conservancy for the Parthenon and Centennial Park told us that "Mayor Dean charged the Centennial Park Master Plan Committee with one overarching purpose: to revitalize a park that is at once a prime player in Metro Nashville’s network of greenspaces while also serving as Nashville’s central park. This revitalization involves much more than a general sprucing up. The committee’s objective is a long range plan that acknowledges past and future simultaneously, respecting the tradition of Centennial Park as a showcase for Nashville’s culture, arts and history, while transforming the park into a model of sustainable ecological practice and horticultural excellence."

The Conservancy for the Parthenon & Centennial Park was first established in 1982 as the Athena Fund. Its original purpose was to raise funds to recreate the statue of Athena, which once stood in the ancient Greek Parthenon. They later worked to gain further funding for the gilding of Athena. The Conservancy supports the Parthenon educational programs, symposia speaker series, ongoing exhibits, Greek theatre and other special projects. In 2006, The Conservancy began a cultural exchange with Greece to connect Nashville's Parthenon with the ancient Parthenon, the New Acropolis Museum, Benaki Museum and the city of Athens. The Conservancy mission has now expanded to include a commitment to enhancing, restoring and preserving Centennial Park and it's monuments. In 2008 the Conservancy succeeded in having Centennial Park placed on the National Registry of Historic Places.

At Exit 196 we have confidence in the Conservancy's ability to oversee the maintenance of Centennial Park's historic integrity of and we look forward to learning more about the proposed plans to improve the sustainability of one Nashville's greenest and historic places.

Weekly Address By President Barack Obama

2010-03-24T08:49:00.004-05:00

Time for Action on Financial Reform for the Economy
As a key committee in the Senate takes up reforming the ways of Wall Street, the President lays down a marker: “I urge those in the Senate who support these reforms to remain strong, to resist the pressure from those who would preserve the status quo, to stand up for their constituents and our country. And I promise to use every tool at my disposal to see these reforms enacted: to ensure that the bill I sign into law reflects not the special interests of Wall Street, but the best interests of the American people.”

In this week’s address, President Barack Obama reiterated his call for comprehensive reforms to the financial system including commonsense rules of the road and a Consumer Financial Protection Agency that will advocate for everyday Americans. The President also urged the Senate to remain strong and resist the pressure of those who wish to preserve the status quo.

Remarks of President Barack Obama
As Prepared for Delivery
Weekly Address
March 20, 2010

On Monday, the Banking Committee of the United States Senate will debate a proposal to address the abuse and excess that led to the worst financial crisis in generations. These reforms are essential. As I’ve urged over the past year, we need common-sense rules that will our allow markets to function fairly and freely while reining in the worst practices of the financial industry. That’s the central lesson of this crisis. And we fail to heed that lesson at our peril.

Of course, there were many causes of the economic turmoil that ripped through our country over the past two years. But it was a crisis that began in our financial system. Large banks engaged in reckless financial speculation without regard for the consequences – and without tough oversight. Financial firms invented and sold complicated financial products to escape scrutiny and conceal enormous risks. And there were some who engaged in the rampant exploitation of consumers to turn a quick profit no matter who was hurt in the process.

Now, I have long been a vigorous defender of free markets. And I believe we need a strong and vibrant financial sector so that businesses can get loans; families can afford mortgages; entrepreneurs can find the capital to start a new company, sell a new product, offer a new service. But what we have seen over the past two years is that without reasonable and clear rules to check abuse and protect families, markets don’t function freely. In fact, it was just the opposite. In the absence of such rules, our financial markets spun out of control, credit markets froze, and our economy nearly plummeted into a second Great Depression.

That’s why financial reform is so necessary. And after months of bipartisan work, Senator Chris Dodd and his committee have offered a strong foundation for reform, in line with the proposal I previously laid out, and in line with the reform bill passed by the House.

It would provide greater scrutiny of large financial firms to prevent any one company from threatening the entire financial system – and it would update the rules so that complicated financial products like derivatives are no longer bought and sold without oversight. It would prevent banks from engaging in risky dealings through their own hedge funds – while finally giving shareholders a say on executive salaries and bonuses. And through new tools to break up failing financial firms, it would help ensure that taxpayers are never again forced to bail out a big bank because it is “too big to fail.”

Finally, these reforms include a new Consumer Financial Protection Agency to prevent predatory loan practices and other abuses to ensure that consumers get clear information about loans and other financial products before they sign on the dotted line. Because this financial crisis wasn’t just the result of decisions made by large financial firms; it was also the result of decisions made by ordinary Americans to open credit cards and take on mortgages. And while there were many who took out loans they knew they couldn’t afford, there were also millions of people who signed contracts they didn’t fully understand offered by lenders who didn’t always tell the truth.

This is in part because the job of protecting consumers is spread across seven different federal agencies, none of which has the interests of ordinary Americans as its principal concern. This diffusion of responsibility has made it easier for credit card companies to lure customers with attractive offers then punish them in the fine print; for payday lenders and others who charge outrageous interest to operate without much oversight; and for mortgage brokers to entice homebuyers with low initial rates only to trap them with ballooning payments down the line.

For these banking reforms to be complete – for these reforms to meet the measure of the crisis we’ve just been through – we need a consumer agency to advocate for ordinary Americans and help enforce the rules that protect them. That’s why I won’t accept any attempts to undermine the independence of this agency. And I won’t accept efforts to create loopholes for the most egregious abusers of consumers, from payday lenders to auto finance companies to credit card companies.

Unsurprisingly, this proposal has been a source of contention with financial firms who like things just the way they are. In fact, the Republican leader in the House reportedly met with a top executive of one of America’s largest banks and made thwarting reform a key part of his party’s pitch for campaign contributions. And this week, the allies of banks and consumer finance companies launched a multimillion dollar ad campaign to fight against the proposal. You might call this ‘air support’ for the army of lobbyists already arm twisting members of the committee to reject these reforms and block this consumer agency. Perhaps that’s why, after months of working with Democrats, Republicans walked away from this proposal. I regret that and urge them to reconsider.

The fact is, it’s now been well over a year since the near collapse of the entire financial system – a crisis that helped wipe out more than 8 million jobs and that continues to exact a terrible toll throughout our economy. Yet today the very same system that allowed this turmoil remains in place. No one disputes that. No one denies that reform is needed. So the question we have to answer is very simple: will we learn from this crisis, or will we condemn ourselves to repeat it? That’s what’s at stake.

I urge those in the Senate who support these reforms to remain strong, to resist the pressure from those who would preserve the status quo, to stand up for their constituents and our country. And I promise to use every tool at my disposal to see these reforms enacted: to ensure that the bill I sign into law reflects not the special interests of Wall Street, but the best interests of the American people.

Thank you.

Weekly Address By President Barack Obama March 13. 2010

2010-03-24T08:40:00.003-05:00

Weekly Address: Education for a More Competitive America & Better Future

The President discusses his blueprint for an updated Elementary and Secondary Education Act to overhaul No Child Left Behind, the latest step from his Administration to encourage change and success in America’s schools at the local level.

Weekly Address: President Obama to Send Updated Elementary and Secondary Education Act Blueprint To Congress on Monday

In his weekly address, President Barack Obama announced that on Monday, his administration will send to Congress the blueprint for an updated Elementary and Secondary Education Act that will overhaul No Child Left Behind. The plan will set the ambitious goal of ensuring that all students graduate from high school prepared for college and a career, and it will provide states, districts and schools with the flexibility and resources to reach that goal.

Remarks of President Barack Obama
As Prepared for Delivery
Weekly Address
March 13, 2010

Lost in the news of the week was a headline that ought to be a source of concern for every American. It said, “Many Nations Passing U.S. in Education.” Now, debates in Washington tend to be consumed with the politics of the moment: who’s up in the daily polls; whose party stands to gain in November. But what matters to you – what matters to our country – is not what happens in the next election, but what we do to lift up the next generation. And the fact is, there are few issues that speak more directly to our long term success as a nation than issues concerning the education we provide to our children.

Our prosperity in the 20th century was fueled by an education system that helped grow the middle class and unleash the talents of our people more fully and widely than at any time in our history. We built schools and focused on the teaching of math and science. We helped a generation of veterans go to college through the GI Bill. We led the globe in producing college graduates, and in turn we led in producing ground-breaking technologies and scientific discoveries that lifted living standards and set us apart as the world’s engine of innovation.

Of course, other nations recognize this, and are looking to gain an edge in the global marketplace by investing in better schools, supporting teachers, and committing to clear standards that will produce graduates with more skills. Our competitors understand that the nation that out-educates us today will out-compete us tomorrow. Yet, too often we have failed to make inroads in reforming and strengthening our public education system – the debate mired in worn arguments hurled across entrenched divides.

As a result, over the last few decades, we’ve lost ground. One assessment shows American fifteen year olds no longer even near the top in math and science when compared to their peers around the world. As referenced in the news report I mentioned, we’ve now fallen behind most wealthy countries in our high school graduation rates. And while we once led the world in the proportion of college graduates we produced, today we no longer do.

Not only does that risk our leadership as a nation, it consigns millions of Americans to a lesser future. For we know that the level of education a person attains is increasingly a prerequisite for success and a predictor of the income that person will earn throughout his or her life. Beyond the economic statistics is a less tangible but no less painful reality: unless we take action – unless we step up – there are countless children who will never realize their full talent and potential.

I don’t accept that future for them. And I don’t accept that future for the United States of America. That’s why we’re engaged in a historic effort to redeem and improve our public schools: to raise the expectations for our students and for ourselves, to recognize and reward excellence, to improve performance in troubled schools, and to give our kids and our country the best chance to succeed in a changing world.

Under the leadership of an outstanding Education Secretary, Arne Duncan, we launched a Race to the Top, through which states compete for funding by committing to reform and raising standards, by rewarding good teaching, by supporting the development of better assessments to measure results, and by emphasizing math and science to help prepare children for college and careers.

And on Monday, my administration will send to Congress our blueprint for an updated Elementary and Secondary Education Act to overhaul No Child Left Behind. What this plan recognizes is that while the federal government can play a leading role in encouraging the reforms and high standards we need, the impetus for that change will come from states, and from local schools and school districts. So, yes, we set a high bar – but we also provide educators the flexibility to reach it.

Under these guidelines, schools that achieve excellence or show real progress will be rewarded, and local districts will be encouraged to commit to change in schools that are clearly letting their students down. For the majority of schools that fall in between – schools that do well but could do better – we will encourage continuous improvement to help keep our young people on track for a bright future: prepared for the jobs of the 21st century. And because the most important factor in a child’s success is the person standing at the front of the classroom, we will better prepare teachers, support teachers, and encourage teachers to stay in the field. In short, we’ll treat the people who educate our sons and daughters like the professionals they are.

Through this plan we are setting an ambitious goal: all students should graduate from high school prepared for college and a career – no matter who you are or where you come from. Achieving this goal will be difficult. It will take time. And it will require the skills, talents, and dedication of many: principals, teachers, parents, students. But this effort is essential for our children and for our country. And while there will always be those cynics who claim it can’t be done, at our best, we know that America has always risen to the challenges that we’ve faced. This challenge is no different.

As a nation, we are engaged in many important endeavors: improving the economy, reforming the health care system, encouraging innovation in energy and other growth industries of the 21st century. But our success in these efforts – and our success in the future as a people – will ultimately depend on what happens long before an entrepreneur opens his doors, or a nurse walks the rounds, or a scientist steps into her laboratory. Our future is determined each and every day, when our children enter the classroom, ready to learn and brimming with promise.

It’s that promise we must help them fulfill. Thank you.

Weekly Address By President Barack Obama March 6, 2010

2010-03-24T08:31:00.002-05:00

Weekly Address: What Health Reform Will Deliver – This Year

In this week’s address, President Obama describes how American families will have more control over their health care this year, after health reform passes.

Hold Insurance Companies Accountable:

Eliminate lifetime limits and restrictive annual limits on benefits in all new plans;
Prohibit rescissions of health insurance policies in all individual plans;
Prohibit pre-existing condition exclusions for children in all new plans;
Require premium rebates to enrollees from insurers with high administrative expenditures and require public disclosure of the percent of premiums applied to overhead costs;
Establish a process for the annual review of unreasonable increases in premiums, requiring State insurance commissioners to work with the HHS Secretary and States.

In his weekly address, President Barack Obama said that Congress owes the country an up-or-down vote on health reform and he described how more American families will have more control over their health care this year after health reform passes. The proposal the President has put forward includes tax credits for small businesses to purchase coverage, making it possible for people with pre-existing conditions to purchase coverage, and stopping insurance companies from imposing lifetime caps or annual limits to the amount of care people receive, among other reforms.

Remarks of President Barack Obama
As Prepared for Delivery
Weekly Address
March 6, 2010

This week, I asked Congress to schedule a final vote on reform that will give families and businesses more control over their health care by holding insurance companies more accountable. This comes after nearly a year of debate, as well as a seven hour summit with Democrats and Republicans where we had a public and substantive discussion on health care. Since then, I’ve said that I’m willing to incorporate some ideas offered by Republicans, and we’re eliminating special provisions that had no place in health care reform.

Now, despite all the progress and improvements we’ve made, Republicans in Congress insist that the only acceptable course on health care is to start over. But you know what? The insurance companies aren’t starting over. I just met with some of them on Thursday and they couldn’t give me a straight answer as to why they keep arbitrarily and massively raising premiums – by as much as 60% in states like Illinois. If we do not act, they will continue to do this. They will continue to drop people’s coverage when they need it. They will continue to refuse coverage based on pre-existing conditions. These practices will continue.

That’s why we must act now. That’s why the United States Congress owes the American people an up-or-down vote on health insurance reform.

The proposal we’ve put forward would end the worst practices of the insurance industry, lower costs for millions of Americans, and give uninsured individuals and small businesses the same kind of choice of private health insurance that Members of Congress get for themselves. And while it will take a few years to fully implement these reforms, there are numerous protections and benefits that would start to take effect this year.

This year, small business owners will receive tax credits to purchase health insurance.

This year, thousands of uninsured Americans with pre-existing conditions will finally be able to purchase coverage. Insurance companies will no longer be allowed to deny coverage to children with pre-existing conditions. And they will no longer be allowed to drop your coverage when you get sick.

This year, all new insurance plans will be required to offer free preventive care to their customers – so that we can start catching preventable illnesses and diseases on the front end. There will no longer be lifetime limits or restrictive annual limits on the amount of care you receive. Young adults will be able to stay on their parents’ insurance policy until they’re 26 years old. And there will be a new, independent appeals process for anyone who feels they were unfairly denied a claim by their insurance company.

Finally, seniors who fall into the gap in coverage known as the donut hole will receive $250 to help them pay for their prescriptions.

What won’t change when this bill is signed this: if you like the insurance plan you have now, you can keep it. If you like your doctor, you can keep your doctor. Because nothing should get in the way of the relationship between a family and their doctor.

If we act now, all of this will happen this year. Millions of lives will improve. Some will be saved. Many families and small business owners will have health insurance for the very first time in their lives. Doctors and patients will have more control over their health care decisions, and insurance company bureaucrats will have less. This future is within our grasp.

But we also know what the future will look like if we don’t act – if we let this opportunity pass for another year, or another decade, or another generation. More Americans will lose their family’s health insurance if they switch jobs or lose their job. More small businesses will be forced to choose between health care and hiring. More insurance companies will raise premiums and deny coverage. And the rising cost of Medicare and Medicaid will sink our government deeper and deeper into debt.

I don’t accept that future for the United States of America. I know it has been a long and hard road to this point. And we are not finished with our journey just yet. But we are close. We are very close. And so I ask Congress to finish its work. I ask them to give the American people an up or down vote. And let’s show our citizens that it’s still possible for Washington to look out for their interests and their future. Thanks for listening.

Nashville Selected to Host the National Folk Festival, 2011 – 2013

2010-03-10T22:17:00.003-06:00

The National Council for the Traditional Arts announced today with Mayor Karl Dean and Compass Records Group that Nashville has been selected as the host city for the National Folk Festival in 2011, 2012 and 2013. The “National” is the oldest and longest-running multi-ethnic traditional arts festival in the nation. This moveable exposition of traditional music and culture will be presented in downtown Nashville for three consecutive years, with the final year in Nashville marking the Festival’s 75th anniversary. Nashville won this honor in a competitive process involving 40 cities across the nation. “No city in the United States can match the raw talent, creativity, and long history of making music like we have here in Nashville. You combine that with our growing international diversity and growing recognition and appreciation for the arts, and you have a city that is well primed to host the National Folk Festival and to create an event of a caliber worthy of serving as the celebration of its 75th anniversary,” Mayor Dean said.

The National Folk Festival effort in Nashville will involve the entire community and bring together many diverse groups to work toward the common goal of building the festival. An estimated 800 volunteers will work with festival planners, city employees and community leaders, creating an event that will bring the region numerous benefits. The festival is expected to draw upwards of 80,000 attendees in its first year, increasing to over 150,000 by year three and is expected to have an estimated $10-15 million in economic impact per year. The National’s stay is also intended to lay the groundwork for a new annual festival that will continue in Nashville after the National moves on in 2014.

For over 70 years, the National Folk Festival has provided a way for people to embrace the cultural traditions that define us as Americans. This three-day free, public outdoor event celebrates the roots, richness and variety of American culture through music, dance, traditional craft, storytelling, food and more. With downtown Nashville as the backdrop, audiences can expect a diverse array of continuous music and dance performances by the finest traditional artists from all parts of the Nation, a Tennessee Folklife Area with craft demonstrations, exhibits and stage presentations focused on the heritage of the region and state, a Family Area, regional and ethnic food courts, and a festival marketplace offering fine handmade regional crafts.

Excavation of Music City Center Site To Begin This Week

2010-03-08T06:00:00.001-06:00

This week the six month long excavation process of the Music City Center site will begin. With the task of removing more 360,000 tons of rock and dirt from the property workers will be blasting and drilling six days a week, (Monday - Saturday) until the job is completed. To ensure public safety, vehicular and pedestrian traffic will be stopped along the perimeter of the site approximately 5 minutes before a blast occurs, affecting traffic near the site on Demonbreun Street and Fifth Avenue South.

Weekly Address By President Barack Obama February 27, 2010

2010-03-05T18:28:00.005-06:00

The President takes a moment to congratulate our Olympic athletes. Discussing the unity and pride Americans feel in cheering them on, the President relates that sentiment to his own desire for bipartisanship in Washington. He praises the recent bipartisan meeting and talks about moving forward on health reform.

Remarks of President Barack Obama
As Prepared for Delivery
Weekly Address
February 27, 2010

As the Winter Olympics draw to a close this weekend, I just want to take a minute to congratulate all the athletes who competed in these games. And I especially want to say how proud I am of all the American men and women have achieved over the last few weeks.

Whether it was the men’s hockey team’s stunning upset of the Canadians on their way to the gold-medal game, Lindsey Vonn’s heroic gold-medal comeback from a shin injury, or Apolo Ohno becoming the most decorated American winter Olympian of all time, you can’t help but be inspired by the sheer grit and athletic prowess on display in Vancouver.

And it’s not just the medal count that’s inspiring – though we’ve certainly done great on that score. What’s truly inspiring is the character of the men and women who have won those medals. The sacrifices they’ve made. The integrity they’ve shown. The indomitable Olympic spirit that says no matter who you are or where you come from or what difficulties you may face, you can work hard and train hard and still triumph in the end. That is why we watch. That is why we cheer. That is why in the middle of an extremely challenging time for America, we’ve been able to come together as one nation for a few weeks in February and swell with pride at what our citizens have achieved.

Now, when it comes to meeting the larger challenges we face as a nation, I realize that finding this unity is easier said than done – especially in Washington. But if we want to compete on the world stage as well as we’ve competed in the world’s games, we need to find common ground. We need to move past the bickering and the game-playing that holds us back and blocks progress for the American people.

We know it’s possible to do this. And we were reminded of that last week when Democrats and Republicans in the Senate came together to pass a jobs bill that will give small businesses tax credits to hire more workers. We also saw it when Democrats and Republicans in the House came together to pass a bill that will force insurance companies to abide by common-sense rules that prevent price-fixing and other practices that drive up health care costs.

We need that same spirit of cooperation and bipartisanship when it comes to finally passing reform that will bring down the cost of health care and give Americans more control over their insurance. On Thursday, we brought both parties together for a frank and productive discussion about this issue. In that discussion, we heard many areas of agreement. Both sides agreed that the rising cost of health care is a serious problem that plagues families, small businesses, and our federal budget. Many on both sides agreed that we should give small businesses and individuals the ability to participate in a new insurance marketplace – which members of Congress would also use – that would allow them to pool their purchasing power and get a better deal from insurance companies. And I heard some ideas from our Republican friends that I believe are very worthy of consideration.

But still, there were differences. We disagreed over whether insurance companies should be held accountable when they deny people care or arbitrarily raise premiums. I believe they should. We disagreed over giving tax credits to small businesses and individuals that would make health care affordable for those who don’t have it. This would be the largest middle class tax cut for health care in history, and I believe we should do it. And while we agreed that Americans with pre-existing conditions should be able to get coverage, we disagreed on how to do that.

Some of these disagreements we may be able to resolve. Some we may not. And no final bill will include everything that everyone wants. That’s what compromise is. I said at the end of Thursday’s summit that I am eager and willing to move forward with members of both parties on health care if the other side is serious about coming together to resolve our differences and get this done. But I also believe that we cannot lose the opportunity to meet this challenge. The tens of millions of men and women who cannot afford their health insurance cannot wait another generation for us to act. Small businesses cannot wait. Americans with pre-existing conditions cannot wait. State and federal budgets cannot sustain these rising costs.

It is time for us to come together. It is time for us to act. It is time for those of us in Washington to live up to our responsibilities to the American people and to future generations. So let’s get this done.

Thanks for listening.

Where Are The Law Students And The History Majors?

2010-03-05T12:17:00.032-06:00

Union Dress Parade, March 4, 1862, Nashville Tennessee

2010-03-04T00:00:00.005-06:00

Engraved print depicting the first Union dress parade (51st Regiment Ohio Volunteers) on the Public Square in Nashville under the command of Colonel Stanly Matthews on Tuesday, March 4th, 1862.
Courtesy Tennessee State Library And Archives

In 1861 Colonel Stanly Matthews was the Union provost marshal of Nashville. He later became s brigade commander at the Battles of Lookout Mountain and Chickamauga.

In 1881 Stanley Matthews was confirmed to the United States Supreme Court, where he sat until 1888.

John Lennon Biopic "Nowhere Boy" To Open Nashville Film Festival

2010-03-03T19:39:00.002-06:00

Information Courtesy Chip Curly at Nashlinks.com

NOWHERE BOY" TO OPEN 2010 NASHVILLE FILM FESTIVAL

"Nowhere Boy," a biopic exploring the childhood of a creative, spirited and curious John Lennon growing up in post-war Liverpool, will officially kick off the Nashville Film Festival when it takes place April 15-22, 2010 at Regal Green Hills Cinema. Directed by Sam Taylor-Wood in her feature-film debut, the film stars the Oscar-nominated Kristin Scott Thomas ("The English Patient," "Gosford Park," "Four Weddings and Funeral"), as Lennon's Aunt Mimi, and Aaron Johnson as the young Lennon. The film has already picked up significant acclaim in Great Britain, including several nominations for London Critics Circle Awards, British Independent Film Awards and BAFTA Awards. It had its International Premiere in January at the Sundance Film Festival.

EXIT 196

2010-02-26T19:31:00.002-06:00

By Betsy Thorpe

Dozens of travelers leave Interstate 40 at Exit 196 everyday, some to visit friends and family, others for fuel, refreshment or lodging. They all have a story to tell and we are here to share a tale or two that we heard at Exit 196.

It recently came to our attention that the actions taken by Nashville students during the 1960 Sit-in Movement were covered in part by Douglas Underwood, news photographer for Nashville's CBS affiliate, WLAC TV. Working from the basement of the L&N building in downtown Nashville Mr. Underwood had easy access to the lunch counter demonstrations and was a witness to many of the historic Civil Rights events that occurred in the city that year--- from February through May.

Nashville was a principal training ground for some of the nation’s most influential leaders in the civil rights movement, many of whom were schooled in the techniques of nonviolent protest. Along with the Nashville community, a group of young Nashville college students organized the Nashville sit-ins, city marches, and an effective downtown store boycott that led to the desegregation of public accommodations in the city. The Nashville protests came to serve as models for later protests throughout the South, and its leaders went on to make pivotal contributions to the success of the civil rights movement, including the Freedom Rides of 1961, the formation of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee and the Southern Student Organizing Committee, historic protests in Selma, Alabama, and the 1963 March on Washington.

In commemoration of the 50th anniversary of the Nashville Sit-in Movement, a special exhibit titled "Visions & Voices: The Civil Rights Movement in Nashville & Tennessee" will be on display in the Courtyard Gallery of the downtown branch of the Nashville Public Library through May 22.]

In 1963 the Douglas Underwood family moved to a farm located near what is now Exit 196. He later founded the Westview News a family owned weekly newspaper that he operated until his untimely death in 1995. The memory of Douglas Underwood remains strong at Exit 196 and we are very proud that he chose to call our community home. We look forward to hearing more about the events he witnessed and documented throughout his life as an esteemed local journalist.

Weekly Address By President Barack Obama February 20, 2010

2010-02-26T19:23:00.002-06:00

The President points to outrageous premium hikes from health insurance companies, especially those already making massive profits, as further proof of the need for reform. Looking ahead to the coming bipartisan meeting on reform, the President urges members of Congress to come to the table in good faith to address the issue.

Remarks of President Barack Obama
Weekly Address
February 20, 2010

The other week, men and women across California opened up their mailboxes to find a letter from Anthem Blue Cross. The news inside was jaw-dropping. Anthem was alerting almost a million of its customers that it would be raising premiums by an average of 25 percent, with about a quarter of folks likely to see their rates go up by anywhere from 35 to 39 percent.

Now, after their announcement stirred public outcry, Anthem agreed to delay their rate hike until May 1st while the situation is reviewed by the state of California. But it’s not just Californians who are being hit by rate hikes. In Kansas, one insurance company raised premiums by 10 to 20 percent only after asking to raise them by 20 to 30 percent. Last year, Michigan Blue Cross Blue Shield raised rates by 22 percent after asking to raise them by up to 56 percent. And in Maine, Anthem is asking to raise rates for some folks by about 23 percent.

The bottom line is that the status quo is good for the insurance industry and bad for America. Over the past year, as families and small business owners have struggled to pay soaring health care costs, and as millions of Americans lost their coverage, the five largest insurers made record profits of over $12 billion.

And as bad as things are today, they’ll only get worse if we fail to act. We’ll see more and more Americans go without the coverage they need. We’ll see exploding premiums and out-of-pocket costs burn through more and more family budgets. We’ll see more and more small businesses scale back benefits, drop coverage, or close down because they can’t keep up with rising rates. And in time, we’ll see these skyrocketing health care costs become the single largest driver of our federal deficits.

That’s what the future is on track to look like. But it’s not what the future has to look like. The question, then, is whether we will do what it takes, all of us – Democrats and Republicans – to build a better future for ourselves, our children, and our country.

That’s why, next week, I am inviting members of both parties to take part in a bipartisan health care meeting, and I hope they come in a spirit of good faith. I don’t want to see this meeting turn into political theater, with each side simply reciting talking points and trying to score political points. Instead, I ask members of both parties to seek common ground in an effort to solve a problem that’s been with us for generations.

It’s in that spirit that I have sought out and supported Republican ideas on reform from the very beginning. Some Republicans want to allow Americans to purchase insurance from a company in another state to give people more choices and bring down costs. Some Republicans have also suggested giving small businesses the power to pool together and offer health care at lower prices, just as big companies and labor unions do. I think both of these are good ideas – so long as we pursue them in a way that protects benefits, protects patients, and protects the American people. I hope Democrats and Republicans can come together next week around these and other ideas.

To members of Congress, I would simply say this. We know the American people want us to reform our health insurance system. We know where the broad areas of agreement are. And we know where the sources of disagreement lie. After debating this issue exhaustively for a year, let’s move forward together. Next week is our chance to finally reform our health insurance system so it works for families and small businesses. It’s our chance to finally give Americans the peace of mind of knowing that they’ll be able to have affordable coverage when they need it most.

What’s being tested here is not just our ability to solve this one problem, but our ability to solve any problem. Right now, Americans are understandably despairing about whether partisanship and the undue influence of special interests in Washington will make it impossible for us to deal with the big challenges that face our country. They want to see us focus not on scoring points, but on solving problems; not on the next election but on the next generation. That is what we can do, and that is what we must do when we come together for this bipartisan health care meeting next week. Thank you, and have a great weekend.

Exit 196

2010-02-23T19:58:00.001-06:00

Dozens of travelers leave Interstate 40 at Exit 196 everyday, some to visit friends and family, others for fuel, refreshment or lodging. They all have a story to tell and we are here to share a tale or two that we heard at Exit 196.

Last week, at Exit 196 we heard that Mayor Karl Dean and The Conservancy for the Parthenon & Centennial Park had announced that Seattle based landscape architects would lead the design team for the Centennial Park Master Plan. Sylvia Rapoport, President of The Conservancy for the Parthenon and Centennial Park told us that "Mayor Dean charged the Centennial Park Master Plan Committee with one overarching purpose: to revitalize a park that is at once a prime player in Metro Nashville’s network of greenspaces while also serving as Nashville’s central park. This revitalization involves much more than a general sprucing up. The committee’s objective is a long range plan that acknowledges past and future simultaneously, respecting the tradition of Centennial Park as a showcase for Nashville’s culture, arts and history, while transforming the park into a model of sustainable ecological practice and horticultural excellence."

The Conservancy for the Parthenon & Centennial Park was first established in 1982 as the Athena Fund. Its original purpose was to raise funds to recreate the statue of Athena, which once stood in the ancient Greek Parthenon. They later worked to gain further funding for the gilding of Athena. The Conservancy supports the Parthenon educational programs, symposia speaker series, ongoing exhibits, Greek theatre and other special projects. In 2006 the Conservancy began a cultural exchange with Greece to connect Nashville's Parthenon with the ancient Parthenon, the New Acropolis Museum, Benaki Museum and the city of Athens. The Conservancy mission has now expanded to include a commitment to enhancing, restoring and preserving Centennial Park and it's monuments. In 2008 the Conservancy succeeded in having Centennial Park placed on the National Registry of Historic Places.

At Exit 196 we have confidence in the Conservancy's ability to oversee the maintenance of Centennial Park's historic integrity and we look forward to learning more about the proposed plans to improve the sustainability of one Nashville's greenest spaces, but most of all we appreciate our city's leaders commitment to preserving this magnificent park for the enjoyment of Nashville's future generations

Weekly Address By President Barack Obama, February 13, 2010

2010-02-23T19:48:00.002-06:00

Weekly Address: Pay As You Go
February 13, 2010
The President, having just signed the "Pay As You Go" law, discusses the importance of this fundamental rule to getting budget deficits in check. Ensuring that new spending and tax cuts are offset was a important factor in creating the budget surplus of the late 1990’s.

Weekly Address: President Obama Praises Restoration of Pay-As-You-Go

Hours after signing pay-as-you-go legislation into law, President Barack Obama praised this step towards restoring fiscal responsibility and called for both parties to set aside politics and do the hard work of addressing the deficit. To this end, since the proposed Fiscal Commission was recently blocked in the Senate – by a handful of Republicans who had previously backed the idea -- the President will create this commission by executive order. The President believes it is time for Washington to once again take responsibility for every dollar it spends.

Remarks of President Barack Obama
Weekly Address
February 13, 2010

All across America, people work hard to meet their responsibilities. You do your jobs, take care of your families, pay your bills. Sometimes, particularly in tough times like these, you have to make hard choices about where to spend and where to save. That’s what being responsible means. That’s a bedrock value of our country. And that ought to be a value that our government lives up to as well.

Yet, over the past decade, this hasn’t always not been the case. Ten years ago, we had a big budget surplus with projected surpluses far into the future. Ten years later, those surpluses are gone. In fact, when I first walked through the door, the government’s budget deficit stood at $1.3 trillion, with the budget gap over the next decade projected to be $8 trillion.

Partly, the recession is to blame. With millions of people out of work, and millions of families facing hardship, folks are paying less in taxes while seeking more services, like unemployment benefits. Rising health care costs are also to blame. Each year, more and more tax dollars are devoted to Medicare and Medicaid.

But what also made these large deficits possible was the end of a common sense rule called “pay as you go.” It’s pretty simple. It says to Congress, you have to pay as you go. You can’t spend a dollar unless you cut a dollar elsewhere. This is how a responsible family or business manages a budget. And this is how a responsible government manages a budget, as well.

It was this rule that helped lead to balanced budgets in the 1990s, by making clear that we could not increase entitlement spending or cut taxes simply by borrowing more money. And it was the abandonment of this rule that allowed the previous administration and previous congresses to pass massive tax cuts for the wealthy and create an expensive new drug program without paying for any of it. Now in a perfect world, Congress would not have needed a law to act responsibly, to remember that every dollar spent would come from taxpayers today – or our children tomorrow.

But this isn’t a perfect world. This is Washington. And while in theory there is bipartisan agreement on moving on balanced budgets, in practice, this responsibility for the future is often overwhelmed by the politics of the moment. It falls prey to the pressure of special interests, to the pull of local concerns, and to a reality familiar to every single American – the fact that it is a lot easier to spend a dollar than save one.

That is why this rule is necessary. And that is why I am pleased that Congress fulfilled my request to restore it. Last night, I signed the “pay as you go” rule into law. Now, Congress will have to pay for what it spends, just like everybody else.

But that’s not all we must do. Even as we make critical investments to create jobs today and lay a foundation for growth tomorrow – by cutting taxes for small businesses, investing in education, promoting clean energy, and modernizing our roads and railways – we have to continue to go through the budget line by line, looking for ways to save. We have to cut where we can, to afford what we need.

This year, I’ve proposed another $20 billion in budget cuts. And I’ve also called for a freeze in government spending for three years. It won’t affect benefits through Medicare, Medicaid, or Social Security. And it will not affect national security – including benefits for veterans. But it will affect the rest of the budget.

Finally, I’ve proposed a bipartisan Fiscal Commission to provide recommendations for long-term deficit reduction. Because in the end, solving our fiscal challenge – so many years in the making – will take both parties coming together, putting politics aside, and making some hard choices about what we need to spend, and what we don’t. It will not happen any other way. Unfortunately this proposal – which received the support of a bipartisan majority in the Senate – was recently blocked. So, I will be creating this commission by executive order.

After a decade of profligacy, the American people are tired of politicians who talk the talk but don’t walk the walk when it comes to fiscal responsibility. It’s easy to get up in front of the cameras and rant against exploding deficits. What’s hard is actually getting deficits under control. But that’s what we must do. Like families across the country, we have to take responsibility for every dollar we spend. And with the return of “pay as you go,” as well as other steps we’ve begun to take, that is exactly what we are doing.

Thanks.

Surprising fact regarding Nashville Civil Rights Movement revealed to Pat Nolan on "Inside Politics"

2010-02-18T09:35:00.007-06:00

"My guests on INSIDE POLITICS are three of Nashville's lunch counter sit-in protestors now being honored for their courageous acts of 50 years ago. Watch at 5AM Sunday on WTVF as well as on NewsChannel5 Plus, Comcast and Charter Cable channels 250 at 7PM Friday, 5AM & 5:30 PM Saturday, 5AM and 12:30 PM Sunday."

"One surprise: the famous and climatic confrontation with Mayor Ben West: He may have known what questions were coming."

Pat Nolan

Black History Month Resources Available at Tennessee State Library and Archives

2010-02-17T13:51:00.004-06:00

Unidentified Woman In A House Located On Kensington Street
Nashville Tennessee, 1918
Courtesy Tennessee State Library And Archives

In celebration of Black History Month, the Tennessee State Library and Archives (TSLA) is highlighting two collections relating to the state’s African-American history that have been added within the last year.

Last fall, TSLA added a collection called Guide to African-American Genealogy-Related Documents Prior to 1865, which includes a large selection of Supreme Court cases, state acts from 1796 through 1850, legislative petitions from 1799 to 1861, church records, correspondence, diaries, memoirs and other documents.

TSLA also added a new collection, Reconstruction and the African-American Legacy in Tennessee, to the Tennessee Virtual Archive (TeVA) within the last year. That collection, which includes photographs, scrapbooks and other images, can be found on the web at: http://teva.contentdm.oclc.org/cdm4/reconstruction.php

“We are very fortunate to have a wide selection of resources about African-American history at the State Library and Archives,” said Secretary of State Tre Hargett. “These resources are available and intended for use by Tennesseans year-round. However, due to the heightened interest of researchers during Black History Month, we want to call attention to some of the newer materials we have available. Researchers may also find many of our older collections of interest, including This Honorable Body, which recounts the story of 14 African-American legislators, many of them former slaves, who served in the Tennessee General Assembly between 1873 and 1889.”

TSLA also added a new collection, Reconstruction and the African-American Legacy in Tennessee, to the Tennessee Virtual Archive (TeVA) within the last year. That collection, which includes photographs, scrapbooks and other images, can be found on the web at: http://teva.contentdm.oclc.org/cdm4/reconstruction.php

Zach Wamp To "Kick Off" Gubernatorial Campaign In Nashville February 16

2010-02-12T16:01:00.005-06:00

Historic Supreme Court Chambers Inside Tennessee State Capitol Building

Republican Congressman, Zach Wamp will officially announce his candidacy in Tennessee's upcoming gubernatorial race at an event held on February 16, in the historic Supreme Court Chambers. Wamp is scheduled to make his announcement at 10:00 am. The old Supreme Court Chambers are located on the first floor of the State Capitol Building.

Community Offers Aid To Of Vandalized South Nashville Mosque

2010-02-12T15:45:00.020-06:00

Vandalized Mosque In Nashville

Responding to Wednesday's act of vandalism against the Al-Farooq mosque in South Nashville a group of more than 30 people came together this morning to remove graffiti, and to reaffirm our collective spirit as a welcoming city, by repainting the building's walls.

A helping hand reaches out to members of South Nashville's Al Farooq Mosque

One long time member of Nashville's Islamic community (who was not present at this morning's event) stated that until this week his family has always felt safe and welcome in Nashville. He said "not even after 9/11 did we feel like targets, just this week after Inside Islamville aired did we feel that some people who have been friends to us and known our family and business for years, watched the children grow together, are now looking at us with suspicion in their eyes." Elias Feghali,of the Tennessee Immigrant and Refugee Rights Coalition said that “While the events of this week certainly shocked Tennesseans of all creeds and colors, Muslims in our state have been on the receiving end of hatred and violence before." Feghali also related how the individuals who vandalized Al-Farooq are examples of a dwindling extremist minority and that their acts tarnish the name of the vast majority of Tennesseans who reject intolerance and welcome newcomers regardless of their faith.

Yesterday Mayor Dean and Metro Police Chief Serpas, visited the mosque to express their concern over the crime and to assure the community that this incident will be fully investigated. The act of vandalism is now being treated as a hate crime by both the Metro Police Department and the FBI.

Tomorrow The Islamic Center of Nashville will host an open house featuring an interfaith discussion panel titled “Nashville Stands with the Muslim Community: Why Violence Against One Community Hurts Us All.” The open house will begin at 11:00 am. Ethnic foods will be available and the public is invited to attend. The Islamic Center of Nashville is located at 2515 12th Avenue South.

Weekly Address By President Barack Obama, February 6, 2010

2010-02-12T13:52:00.002-06:00

Opening Doors for Small Business

Reiterating once again his commitment to small business as the engine of our economy, the President urges Congress to move forward immediately on steps to help them expand and create jobs. These proposals include using $30 billion in TARP funds to create a new Small Business Lending Fund to provide capital to community banks to increase lending to small businesses, offering a new tax credit for over one million small businesses that hire new workers or raise wages, and providing targeted support for the most innovative small businesses with the potential to export new goods and products.

In this week’s address, President Barack Obama said that America’s small businesses are key to rebuilding the economy on a new, stronger foundation and creating jobs. He called on Republicans and Democrats in Congress to pass – without delay – a series of proposals that will help American small businesses thrive. These proposals include using $30 billion in TARP funds to create a new Small Business Lending Fund to provide capital to community banks to increase lending to small businesses, offering a new tax credit for over one million small businesses that hire new workers or raise wages, and providing targeted support for the most innovative small businesses with the potential to export new goods and products.

Remarks of President Barack Obama
As Prepared for Delivery
Weekly Address
February 6, 2010

Even though our economy is growing again, these are still tough times for America. Too many businesses are still shuttered. Too many families can’t make ends meet. And while yesterday, we learned that the unemployment rate has dropped below ten percent for the first time since summer, it is still unacceptably high – and too many Americans still can’t find work.

But what we must remember at a time like this is that we are not helpless in the face of our difficulties. As Americans, we make our own destiny. We forge our own path. And I am confident that if we come together and put aside the politics that keeps holding us back, we can do that again. We can rebuild this economy on a new, stronger foundation that leads to more jobs and greater prosperity.

I believe a key part of that foundation is America’s small businesses – the places where most new jobs begin.

These companies represent the essence of the American spirit – the promise that anyone can succeed in this country if you have a good idea and the determination to see it through. And every once in awhile, these ideas don’t just lead to a new business and new jobs, but a new American product that forever changes the world. After all, Hewlett Packard began in a garage. Google began as a simple research project.

Government can’t create these businesses, but it can give entrepreneurs the support they need to open their doors, expand, or hire more workers. And that’s what we’ve always done in this country. The folks at Southwest Windpower in Flagstaff, Arizona started their company in a small home. Since getting a loan from the Small Business Administration, they’ve sold 160,000 wind turbines to about 90 different countries, and are hiring even more workers today. When Sam Ko walked into one of the SBA’s small business development centers in Illinois, he didn’t have any business experience at all – just a patent for a new metal manufacturing technology. He was given a loan and a business plan, and today his company is still growing, with offices all over the Midwest.

Last year, the steps we took supported over 47,000 loans to small businesses and delivered billions in tax relief to small business owners, which helped companies keep their doors open, make payroll, and hire workers. But we can and must do more. That’s why I’ve proposed a series of steps this week to support small business owners and the jobs they create – to provide more access to credit, more incentives to hire, and more opportunities to grow and sell products all over the world.

Because financing remains difficult for good, credit-worthy small businesses across the country, I’ve proposed that we take $30 billion from the TARP fund originally used for Wall Street and create a new Small Business Lending Fund that will provide capital for community banks on Main Street. These are the small, local banks that will be able to give our small business owners more of the credit they need to stay afloat. We should also continue to waive fees, increase guarantees, and expand the size of SBA-backed loans for small businesses. And yesterday, I proposed making it easier for small business owners to refinance their mortgages during these tough times.

To give these companies greater incentives to grow and create jobs, I’ve proposed a new tax credit for more than one million small businesses that hire new workers or raise wages, as well as the elimination of all capital gains taxes on small business investment.

Finally, we should provide targeted support to the most innovative small businesses – the ones with the greatest potential to export new goods and products all over the world. A lot of these companies – like the wind turbine manufacturer I mentioned – are the foundation on which we can rebuild our economy to compete in the 21st century. They just need a little help securing the financing they need to get off the ground. We have every incentive to help them do that.

Next week, Congress will start debating many of these proposals. And if anyone has additional ideas to support small businesses and create jobs, I’m happy to consider them. My door is always open. But I urge members of both parties: do not oppose good ideas just because it’s good politics to do so. The proposals I’ve outlined are not Democratic or Republican; liberal or conservative. They are pro-business, they are pro-growth, and they are pro-job. Leaders in both parties have supported similar ideas in the past. So let’s come together and pass these measures without delay. Let’s put more Americans back to work, and let’s give our small business owners the support to do what they’ve always done: the freedom to pursue their dreams and build our country’s future. Thanks for listening.

Inaugural National Tea Party Convention "Sold Out" At Nashville's Opryland Hotel

2010-02-07T19:49:00.017-06:00

Nashville's Opryland Hotel and Convention Center, site of this weekend's Inaugural Tea Party Convention, boasts the "largest non-gaming, in-hotel exhibition space in the world," making the event's organizers claim to a sold out convention sound impressive. However, with only 600 available tickets the claim assumes an almost deceptive tone. One would think that a national "grass roots" movement aiming to change the social and political course of our nation could, and would, accommodate more than 600 delegates to an event held in one of the world's most commodious meeting places, a locale that often hosts national conferences attracting tens of thousands participants.

The decision by Tea Party leaders to deny local (Nashville) media access to the convention was surprising to say the least. I consider myself a "grass roots" reporter, often relating my common thoughts about significant events that occur within in my community and I was a bit disgruntled when I was denied press credentials to the Tea Party Convention. But when I learned that all local media, including the city's corporate newspapers and television affiliates we were banned I was surprised and offended. I was surprised that the leaders of a movement that hopes to gain "grass roots" support would deny media access to reporters at the "grass roots" level. I was offended by the idea that the Tea Party felt Nashville's local media was not qualified or important enough to cover their small event. However, after giving the issue some careful thought I decided the reason the Tea Party snubbed the local Nashville press was to "punish" us for our city's part in electing Barack Obama president. That is a reason I proudly embrace.

My Thoughts on The National Tea Party Convention...They Are All Mad

2010-02-06T21:38:00.002-06:00

Alice: But I don't want to go among mad people.
The Cat: Oh, you can't help that. We're all mad here. I'm mad. You're mad.
Alice: How do you know I'm mad?
The Cat: You must be. Or you wouldn't have come here.

Weekly Address By President Barack Obama, January 30, 2010

2010-02-05T17:15:00.003-06:00

Weekly Address: Reining in Budget Deficits

The President pledges to rein the deficit, citing three specific steps to this end. He praises the Senate for restoring the pay-as-you-go law, discusses his proposal for a freeze in discretionary spending, and calls for a bipartisan Fiscal Commission to hammer out further concrete deficit reduction proposals.

President Obama Pledges to Rein in Budget Deficits

In his weekly address, President Barack Obama promised to rein the deficit, citing three specific steps to this end. He praised the Senate for restoring the pay-as-you-go law, which in the 1990’s contributed to the $236 billion surplus at the end of the decade. It is no coincidence that after ending PAYGO, that surplus became a $1.3 trillion deficit. He has also proposed a freeze in discretionary spending, which will increase investments in jobs creation and middle class tax cuts while cutting spending for redundant or ineffective programs. And finally, the President called for a bi-partisan Fiscal Commission to hammer out concrete deficit reduction proposals.

Remarks of President Barack Obama
As Prepared for Delivery
Weekly Address
January 30, 2010

At this time last year, amidst headlines about banks on the verge of collapse and job losses of 700,000 a month, we received another troubling piece of news about our economy. Our economy was shrinking at an alarming rate – the largest six-month decline in 50 years. Our factories and farms were producing less; our businesses were selling less; and more job losses were on the horizon.

One year later, according to numbers released this past week, this trend has reversed itself. For the past six months, our economy has been growing again. And last quarter, it grew more quickly than at any time in the past six years.

This is a sign of progress. And it’s an affirmation of the difficult decisions we made last year to pull our financial system back from the brink and get our economy moving again.

But when so many people are still struggling – when one in ten Americans still can’t find work, and millions more are working harder and longer for less – our mission isn’t just to grow the economy. It’s to grow jobs for folks who want them, and ensure wages are rising for those who have them. It’s not just about improvements we see in quarterly statistics, but ones people feel in their daily lives – a bigger paycheck; more security; the ability to give your kids a decent shot in life and still have enough to retire one day yourself.

That’s why job creation will be our number one focus in 2010. We’ll put more Americans back to work rebuilding our infrastructure all across the country. And since the true engines of job creation are America’s businesses, I’ve proposed tax credits to help them hire new workers, raise wages, and invest in new plants and equipment. I also want to eliminate all capital gains taxes on small business investment, and help small businesses get the loans they need to open their doors and expand their operations.

But as we work to create jobs, it is critical that we rein in the budget deficits we’ve been accumulating for far too long – deficits that won’t just burden our children and grandchildren, but could damage our markets, drive up our interest rates, and jeopardize our recovery right now.

There are certain core principles our families and businesses follow when they sit down to do their own budgets. They accept that they can’t get everything they want and focus on what they really need. They make tough decisions and sacrifice for their kids. They don’t spend what they don’t have, and they make do with what they’ve got.

It’s time their government did the same. That’s why I’m pleased that the Senate has just restored the pay-as-you-go law that was in place back in the 1990s. It’s no coincidence that we ended that decade with a $236 billion surplus. But then we did away with PAYGO – and we ended the next decade with a $1.3 trillion deficit. Reinstating this law will help get us back on track, ensuring that every time we spend, we find somewhere else to cut.

I’ve also proposed a spending freeze, so that as we increase investments in things we need, like job creation and middle class tax cuts – we cut spending on those we don’t, like tax cuts for oil companies and investment fund managers, and programs that are redundant, obsolete, or simply ineffective. Spending related to Medicare, Medicaid, and Social Security will not be affected – and neither will national security – but all other discretionary government programs will.

Finally, I’ve called for a bi-partisan Fiscal Commission – a panel of Democrats and Republicans who would sit down and hammer out concrete deficit-reduction proposals by a certain deadline. Because we’ve heard plenty of talk and a lot of yelling on TV about deficits, and it’s now time to come together and make the painful choices we need to eliminate those deficits.

This past week, 53 Democrats and Republicans voted for this commission in the Senate. But it failed when seven Republicans who had co-sponsored this idea in the first place suddenly decided to vote against it.

Now, it’s one thing to have an honest difference of opinion about something. I will always respect those who take a principled stand for what they believe, even if I disagree with them.

But what I won’t accept is changing positions because it’s good politics. What I won’t accept is opposition for opposition’s sake. We cannot have a serious discussion and take meaningful action to create jobs and control our deficits if politicians just do what’s necessary to win the next election instead of what’s best for the next generation.

I’m ready and eager to work with anyone who’s serious about solving the real problems facing our people and our country. I welcome anyone who comes to the table in good faith to help get our economy moving again and fulfill this country’s promise. That’s why we were elected in the first place. That’s what the American people expect and deserve. And that’s what we must deliver.

Thank you.

EXIT 196

2010-02-05T17:11:00.003-06:00

By Betsy Thorpe

Dozens of travelers leave Interstate 40 at Exit 196 everyday, some to visit friends and family, others for fuel, refreshment or lodging. They all have a story to tell and we are here to share a tale or two that we heard at Exit 196.

Last fall on November 24, two days before Thanksgiving, Jimmy Johnson and Woodrow Luttrell, both of Bellevue were enjoying their evening "supper snack" at a local restaurant located near Exit 196 when, as was his custom, Mr. Johnson struck up a conversation with a family seated nearby. The family, consisting of a mother and three young children, were from Dickson and they happily conversed with Mr. Johnson throughout their meal time. Johnson , designated "Friendly Jimmy Johnson" by his friend, 93 year old Lutrell , is an outgoing fellow who is admired around Exit 196 for his congenial ways, and according to Lutrell, strikes up conversations with strangers where ever they dine because Johnson believes "people, especially children, like attention, and most people eating at these places usually enjoy conversation," however, the two men were very surprised to learn how much the family from Dickson enjoyed their conversation with Mr. Johnson. After the family left the restaurant Johnson and Lutrell were "floored" to learn that both their meals had been quietly taken care of by the woman from Dickson.

Lutrell said that after the two friends each lost their spouses in 2004 they " began chumming together a great deal and often travel to various Bellevue fast food places to eat what we call “supper snacks”.

On February 1st a celebration in honor of Jimmy Johnson's 90th birthday was held during lunch at Bellevue's Lakeshore Estates. In attendance were many residents of Lake Shore Estates including Mr. Johnson's good friend Mr.Woodrow Luttrell. Special guests included Jimmy Johnson's daughter Jo Ann Brooks and her husband Charlie, both of Hot Springs, Arkansas, and their daughter, Costa Morgan, of Franklin, Tennessee. Also present was Mr. Johnson's friend Dorene DuCharme who served cake and ice cream to the celebrants.

We want to wish Mr. "Friendly" Jimmy Johnson a very happy birthday and we hope he will continue to share "supper snack" conversation with all the local families and individuals that are fortunate to make his acquaintance at Exit 196.

Seattle Firm selected to design Centennial Park Master Plan

2010-02-05T16:36:00.008-06:00

"Mayor Dean charged the Centennial Park Master Plan Committee with one overarching purpose: to revitalize a park that is at once a prime player in Metro Nashville’s network of greenspaces while also serving as Nashville’s central park. This revitalization involves much more than a general sprucing up. The committee’s objective is a long range plan that acknowledges past and future simultaneously, respecting the tradition of Centennial Park as a showcase for Nashville’s culture, arts and history, while transforming the park into a model of sustainable ecological practice and horticultural excellence."
Sylvia Rapoport, President,
The Conservancy for the Parthenon and Centennial Park

Mayor Karl Dean and The Conservancy for the Parthenon & Centennial Park announced today that landscape architects Gustafson Guthrie Nichol have been selected to lead the design team for the Centennial Park Master Plan. The firm was selected through a competitive process led by the Mayor’s Centennial Park Committee, which was appointed in November 2008 to oversee restoration of the park and its historical monuments and features. The development of the Centennial Park Master Plan is supported by private donations from HCA, Vanderbilt University and Shoney’s and will be completed over the next 10 months. “Gustafson Guthrie Nichol designs have enhanced signature public spaces across the country – from Millennium Park in Chicago to the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston,” Dean said.

Typical Tea Party Dialogue

2010-01-26T19:31:00.003-06:00

"Adopt A Meter" Program Will Benefit Nashville's Homeless Community

2010-01-26T13:50:00.002-06:00

Mayor Karl Dean today announced the launch of the Adopt A Meter program in Nashville, an innovative awareness campaign that places specially marked refurbished parking meters throughout the city where people can deposit change and dollar bills that will benefit the city’s homeless outreach efforts.

The program is being coordinated by the Metropolitan Homelessness Commission with assistance from Public Works. The Homelessness Commission is seeking private donations to cover the cost of the signage and the program startup. Sponsoring businesses will have their logo displayed on a meter.

“Homelessness is not a government issue. It is not a nonprofit issue. Homelessness is a community issue,” Dean said. “The Adopt A Meter program is a way for citizens to channel funding directly toward the outreach efforts that benefit homeless individuals and families in our city.”

The City of Denver implemented a similar meter program in 2007 and now has 86 meters displayed that generate more than $100,000 annually. The meters have effectively educated the public about the need to support the city’s solutions to end homelessness and have reduced the occurrence of panhandling downtown.

Howard Gentry, CEO of the Nashville Chamber Public Benefit Foundation and a member of the Metropolitan Homelessness Commission, said Mayor Karl Dean approached the Commission after a Chamber-sponsored leadership trip to Denver last spring.

“Several business leaders expressed their interest in getting involved in homelessness initiatives after they saw Denver’s programs,” Gentry said. “The Adopt A Meter program is a great way to start because it is financed through sponsorships from local businesses.”

Donations deposited in the meters will benefit the city’s homeless outreach programs. This fundraising strategy will be coordinated by the Key Alliance, an initiative of the Metropolitan Homelessness Commission that brings together nonprofit, faith-based, government, and for-profit organizations to create more low-income housing opportunities for the homeless.

“Nashville currently has six full-time outreach workers assisting the roughly 4,000 individuals and families who are homeless on any given night,” Clifton Harris, director of the Metropolitan Homelessness Commission, said. “Street outreach workers are essential to building relationships with homeless individuals and families, and connecting them to services that remove barriers to housing.”

Harris explained that Housing First, which is permanent housing coupled with intensive case management, is the solution to homelessness. “However, without the outreach programs needed we are unable to reach the most vulnerable individuals and families in our midst,” Harris said. “Through the Adopt A Meter program the entire Nashville community will be able to help us move toward our goal of ending chronic homelessness and reducing overall homelessness in Nashville.”

Meters in Nashville will be placed in prominent city locations that have a high volume of pedestrian traffic. The Key Alliance is working closely with Public Works to designate the sites. Public Works has donated 30 meters to start the program. The meters will be installed as the Homelessness Commission receives sponsorships for them.

Mayor Dean announced the program and called for area businesses to participate during the Arts & Business Council of Greater Nashville’s inaugural Bowtie Awards ceremony today, where businesses were honored for their support of the arts. Several hundred business people attended the awards luncheon. The first meter sponsored by Southwest Airlines was on display to demonstrate the sponsorship opportunities for businesses.

“We are excited to be working with The Key Alliance on a special arts element for the Adopt a Meter program,” said Connie Valentine, CEO of the Arts & Business Council. “The adopting companies will eventually have opportunity to sculpt or display art on or around their adopted meter – creating a powerful combination of arts and business in support of this important initiative.”

Exit 196

2010-01-26T13:23:00.003-06:00

Bruce Zupa In Haiti, Following The Tropical Storms And Hurricans That Devasted The Country In 2008

Dozens of travelers leave Interstate 40 at Exit 196 everyday, some to visit friends and family, others for fuel, refreshment or lodging. They all have a story to tell and we are here to share a tale or two that we heard at Exit 196.

For the past two weeks, we spent a lot of time talking about the devastation that followed the earthquake in Haiti. Our hearts go out to the victims of the tragedy and we want to offer them help and hope.

Since 1995 the Bellevue Church of Christ has partnered with "Hope For Haiti's Children" to help support the Cazeau Christian Orphanage, a facility that prior to the earthquake housed 48 children ranging in age from 4 to 22 years old. Fortunately the orphanage is located about ten miles from the earth quake's epicenter and the building suffered little or no structural damage. Also none of the orphanage's children or workers were killed or injured in the disaster. Immediately after the quake, the Cazeau Christian Orphanage opened it's doors to receive and offer assistance to survivors of the calamity providing them with a safe place to rest and be cared for.

In 2008, following the series of tropical storms and hurricanes that devastated Haiti's crops and caused catastrophic flooding throughout the nation, Bruce Zupa of the Bellevue Church of Christ visited the tiny country, representing his local church to bring encouragement to the challenged workers and to deliver much needed supplies. Regarding the current situation in Haiti Zupa said "the Bellevue Church of Christ will be involved in assisting with the needs of the earthquake victims and that aid will most likely be directed through Hope for Haiti's Children". He also stated that "we have complete confidence in their ability to identify and fund the greatest need."

During services on Sunday January 31 the Bellevue Church of Christ will take up a special collection to assist the victims of the earthquake. The funds will be donated to Help for Haiti's Children and to Healing Hands International a Nashville based church associated agency that is also providing aid to Haiti.

At Exit 196 we are happy that we belong to a community that has a global heart and to know that we are working together to help Haiti and it's children, who hold the hope for that nation's future. On January 20th, desiring to be part of this community effort and to assist the Bellevue Church of Christ's missionary vision, donation jars were placed inside Shoney's restaurant at Exit 196 where they will remain through February 6th. Please stop by to say hello and drop some change in the jars, there is important work to be done and we know our community will do it's part.

Free Income Tax Preparation Services Available At West Nashville's St. Lukes Community House

2010-01-26T09:58:00.009-06:00

Saint Luke's Community House is offering free income tax preparation services to local residents with less than a $49,000 annual household income. Working with the IRS sponsored Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program, trained community volunteers help tax payers with special credits, such as Earned Income Tax Credit, Child Tax Credit, and Credit for the Elderly or the Disabled. In addition to free tax return preparation assistance, the program also offers free electronic filing (e-filing). Individuals taking advantage of the e-file program will receive their refunds in half the time compared to returns filed on paper, and clients who have their refunds deposited directly into their bank account typically receive their refund in seven to ten days.

Last year the VITA volunteers at Saint Luke's Community House served more than 300 clients and helped the collective local community save approximately $70,000 dollars in income tax preparation fees. VITA services at Saint Luke's are available to anyone living in Davidson County, residents from communities such as White Bluff and Pegram are also welcome at the site. VITA services are offered to Williamson County residents at the Fairview Public Library.

To find out more about VITA or to make a free income tax preparation appointment at Saint Luke's Community House, call Jessica Brady at 350-1134. For information on the VITA program at the Fairview Public Library call 799-0235.