RCWA needs volunteers for stream bank stabilization August 15

The Richland Creek Watershed Alliance is looking for volunteers to help stabilize an area of stream bank on Richland Creek on Saturday, August 15, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.

RCWA is partnering with the Tennessee Environmental Council and RCWA are partnering to install revetments (cedar timbers wrapped in coco mat) on the eroded stream bank to prevent further deterioration.

RCWA is also working with the Tennessee Wildlife Resource Agency to collect instream flow data (biology, geomorphology, water quality, and hydrologic information) from Richland Creek. This is related to water withdrawals along the creek, and how these withdrawals are affecting the stream. RCWA is collecting volunteer names for this ongoing project and then following up with volunteers as study dates are scheduled. This field work typically takes place on Fridays, and volunteers can help in the morning, afternoon or the whole day.

If you are interested in helping with either activity, please email Monette Rebecca at rcwa@comcast.net.

MNPD reports recent neighborhood crimes

The Metro Nashville Police Department is reporting the following criminal incidents during the week of July 5 to 11:

• A residential burglary on the 4000 block of Dakota Avenue. The front door was forced in, and a TV was stolen.
• A theft from a motor vehicle on the 4500 block of Wyoming Avenue. A window was forced open, and an iPhone and an iPod were stolen.
• A larceny on the 4800 block of Dakota Avenue. Furniture was stolen.

Please report criminal or suspicious activity to the police at (615) 862-8600. Reporting this activity helps the police department determine appropriate staffing and assignments for our neighborhood.

SPNA supports West Nashville Community Plan

SPNA members voted 16-3 (with several abstentions) to support the West Nashville Community Plan at Monday's membership meeting. The draft plan, which will be considered by the Metro Planning Commission next Thursday (July 23), is available for review on the West Nashville page of the MPC Web site.

Bluebirds nesting in Sylvan Park

Neighbor Jim Dade reports the very rare news that bluebirds have nested in his backyard:

While I have never seen a bluebird in any urban environment, I put up an old bluebird house in my backyard several years ago. This spring, a pair of bluebirds finally found it and took up residence. What a treat. I never saw any baby bluebirds flying about but you could see the adults busy feeding them for some time. The babies finally "flew the coop" and the the pair disappeared for a while only to return about 2-3 three weeks ago, and they are now raising their second "clutch" I think it is called.

These birds are absolutely gorgeous - the color of the male does not exist elsewhere! The pair stays pretty close together and have gotten used to me being in the yard. I go out and watch them every morning. So, I would encourage anyone to put up a bluebird house and maybe they will get lucky, too. You have to keep the sparrows away, but there are plenty of websites that tell you how to do that. The sparrows can be a real problem, but I watched mine literally beat a sparrow down to the ground in aerial combat protecting his turf this spring - that's a whole 'nother story.

Let us know if you've experienced any similarly unusual sightings recently.

West Nashville Community Plan public hearing July 23

From the Metro Nashville Planning Commission:

The final Public Hearing Draft of the West Nashville Community Plan: 2009 Update is scheduled for consideration by the Metropolitan Planning Commission on Thursday, July 23. The meeting begins at 4 p.m. at the "Metro Southeast" Building, 1417 Murfreesboro Pike, in the Green Hills Conference Room.

All persons interested in this plan update are encouraged to attend. In addition to the public hearing on the West Nashville Community Plan: 2009 Update, the Commission will also hold a public hearing at that same meeting on several amendments to the Major and Collector Street Plan that are associated with the West Nashville Community Plan: 2009 Update.

The draft plan is available for review on the West Nashville page of the MPC Web site.

MNPD reports recent neighborhood crimes

The Metro Nashville Police Department is reporting the following criminal incidents during the week of June 21 to 27:

• A street robbery involving a handgun on the 400 block of 51st Avenue.
• Residential burglaries on the 4000 block of Westlawn Drive, the 4200 block of Idaho Avenue and nearby in Cherokee Park on the 200 block of Cherokee Road. In the latter two instances, assailants broke in through the homes' back doors.
  
• Auto burglaries (theft of items from vehicles, not the theft of the vehicles themselves) on the 4800 block of Idaho Avenue and the 4600 and 4700 blocks of Wyoming Avenue.
• Larcenies (theft of property without breaking and entering) on the 4600 block of Nebraska Avenue, the 4900 block of Elkins Avenue and the 4000 block of Park Avenue.
  

Please report criminal or suspicious activity to the police at (615) 862-8600. Reporting this activity helps the police department determine appropriate staffing and assignments for our neighborhood.

Michelle Richter takes over MNPD West Precinct

The Metro Nashville Police Department has announced that, effective July 1, Michelle Richter is serving as commander of the West Precinct. Richter replaces Commander Mickey Miller, who has moved to head up the department's Warrants Division. Many thanks to Commander Miller for his service on behalf of Sylvan Park. Welcome to the West side, Commander Richter!

Cross Point Service Day July 11

Cross Point Community Church (4301 Charlotte Ave) will hold a neighborhood service day in Sylvan Park on Saturday, July 11.

From 8 a.m. to 12 p.m., church members will be serving numerous homeowners’ in the Sylvan Park and Preston Taylor communities with clean-up and light repair projects. From 12 p.m. to 4 p.m., the church will hold a community carnival in the back parking lot on its campus. The carnival will begin with an awesome kid’s entertainment program at noon in the gym off of 44th Avenue. The remainder of the day will include pizza, cotton candy, snow cones, games, water slides, pony rides, a rock-climbing wall, a dunk tank, and more.

For additional details, please contact Ryan Bult at (615) 298-4422 ext 211 or ryan@crosspoint.tv.

Terrier found behind Murphy Road Animal Hospital

If you're missing a dog that matches this description, please let Denice (below) know:

A sweet male terrier mix was found this evening by Park Cafe employees behind Murphy Road Animal Hospital. He is not neutered, weighs about 15 to 20 pounds and is white with black spots and brown markings. His ears stand up, his legs are short and his body is a little extra long.

If this is your dog, please contact Denice at dmzh91@comcast.net, and I will put you in touch with the kind dog lovers that have taken him in.

Alan LeQuire to showcase Dream Forest Thursday (July 2)

Renowned sculptor Alan LeQuire will hold a special viewing to showcase his latest creation, a sculpture called Dream Forest, on Thursday, July 2, from 5 to 8 p.m. at LeQuire Gallery (4304 Charlotte Avenue). The event is free and open to the public.

The sculpture will be comprised of nine elongated, interpretive human torsos, assembled together on a colossal scale, with tree-like stature. It will be housed in a darkened room, where the viewer will walk among the highlighted, 12-foot tall human torsos as if they are in a dream forest. Dream Forest will be publicly unveiled on Thursday, July 9, at the Customs House Museum & Cultural Center in Clarksville.

Sign posting is illegal except on private property

Please note that posting signage anywhere except on private property is illegal in Davidson County. The yard sale signs you see displayed on telephone poles and in other right-of-way areas are there illegally. Here's more advice from the Metropolitan Nashville Codes Department Property Standards Division:

• Promptly remove small ground signs from your yard. These include those that advertise services and political signs.
• Only post signs advertising a yard sale on your property, not on utility poles or on the right of way, that’s illegal.
• Banners are temporary signs, and they require a permit.
• Permanent signs have to be made of a rigid material, banners cannot be used as a permanent sign.
• Grounds signs along the right of way are illegal. They can only be used on private property with the permission of the property owner.
• Ground signs advertising real estate can only be posted on the property being offered for sale, not along the right of way, that’s illegal.
• It is illegal to attach signs to utility poles, lamp poles or other structures.
• Other than a political sign, anyone can remove ground signs from the right of way and signs attached to utility poles. Illegal signs on private property should be reported to Metro Codes.

MNPD reports recent neighborhood crimes

The Metro Nashville Police Department is reporting the following criminal incidents during the week of June 7 to 13:

• Residential burglaries on the 4100 block of Media Street and the 4100 block of Nebraska Avenue. Offenders entered through the back doors of both homes.
• A commercial burglary, technically outside the neighborhood, at Bobbie's Dairy Dip.
• A street robbery on the 4300 block of Nevada Avenue.
  
• A larceny (theft of property without breaking and entering) on the 4400 block of Dakota Avenue.
  

Please report criminal or suspicious activity to the police at (615) 862-8600. Reporting this activity helps the police department determine appropriate staffing and assignments for our neighborhood.