Donate to support Officer Donita Marsh

The 100 Club of Nashville has agreed to accept tax-deductible donations for MNPD Officer Danita Marsh, who was assaulted in the line of duty in October. One-hundred percent of the donated amount will benefit Officer Marsh and her family.

The club, which was founded in 1979, is dedicated to providing financial support to Nashville officers and firefighters who have died in the line of duty. It is also assisting Officer Marsh, who was paralyzed as a result of the assault.

Checks should be made payable to the 100 Club of Nashville and should specifically indicate in the memo portion of the check that the donated funds are for Officer Danita Marsh. The address of the 100 Club is P.O. Box 190428, Nashville, TN 37219-0428.

Positive crime report from MNPD

Chief Ronal Serpas and the Metro Nashville Police Department issued this community crime report and the letter below to the public on Monday.

Dear Community Leader, On behalf of the entire MNPD, let me first wish you and yours a joyous and safe holiday season!

Last Tuesday, November 21, 2006, I presented an update on crime in Nashville to the Council’s Public Safety Committee, at the request of the chair, Councilmember Ginger Hausser. It was an honor and pleasure to present the results of another outstanding year of collaboration and cooperation between the members of the MNPD, the public, and the Criminal Justice System.

We have posted the entire PowerPoint to our public Web site and encourage you to visit the posting.

Take a look at what is good news about crime in the city when you have a minute. The report includes the news that homicide is down by 18 percent this year.

Christmas on Richland Dec. 1

The Free Will Baptist Bible College (3606 West End Avenue) will present its annual Christmas on Richland event this Friday, December 1, at 7:30 p.m. in the college's Memorial Auditorium.

The school's 35-voice Choral Union and orchestra will perform the Christmas portion of Handel’s “Messiah.” This event is free and open to the public.

Metro Council story

The City Paper ran a story in today's edition about two possible successors to District 24 Metro Council member John Summers, both well-known Sylvan Park residents. The election will be held in August 2007. Scroll down to "Sylvan Slugfest Deux" in the CP story for the details.

Nashville West may have damaged homes

According to WSMV-TV, construction of the new Nashville West development may have damaged several nearby homes.

West End Chancel Choir to perform Dec 3

The Chancel Choir of West End United Methodist Church, accompanied by orchestra, will present a free public concert featuring music by Francis Poulenc on Sunday, December 3, at 7 p.m. West End United Methodist Church is located at 2200 West End Avenue. For more information, call (615) 321-8500.

SPNA holiday caroling Dec. 10

This year's SPNA holiday party and caroling event will be held on Sunday, December 10, at 4:00 p.m. Neighbors are invited to gather at the home of Margaret and Jason Holleman (4509 Nebraska Avenue), and the group will take a trolley or bus around 4:30 to visit homes in the neighborhood and sing holiday songs for a few of our neighbors. After the caroling, everyone is welcome to stick around at the Hollemans' home for chili, cider and treats.

Please join us for some holiday cheer, and bring a snack item, dessert or a pot of chili if possible. If you are able to bring chili, please let Margaret know in advance to help with planning for the party. Send Margaret a message at mclarem_18@yahoo.com if you would like to bring chili or if you have questions or suggestions.

Do you know someone in the neighborhood who would enjoy a caroling visit? If so, please do the following:

1) Call them and make sure they will be in town and would like a visit.
2) Let me know so that we can get them on our list!

You do not have to have any musical talent of any kind to participate, and we welcome any/all instrumental accompaniment. Please also feel free to bring written words/music to favorite carols - just make sure to bring about 20 copies so that we can all sing along! See you there!

Scarritt-Bennett holiday concert Dec. 3

The Scarritt-Bennett Center will host a traditional holiday musical program on Sunday, December 3, at 4 p.m. in Wightman Chapel (1008 19th Avenue South). This free event will feature a variety of area ensembles and soloists and is open to the public. A candlelight dinner is available after the concert. For more information, call (615) 340-7500 or email kjohnson[at]scarrittbennett.org.

Photos with Santa Dec. 2

Harris Hillman School (25th Avenue and Blakemore Avenue) will hold its annual Photos With Santa event on Saturday, December 2, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Photos are available for free with Santa in a beautifully restored antique sleigh. Donations are welcome and go to support the Make-A-Wish Foundation. For more information, email rigganp[at]realtracs.com.

1/2 price book sale starts Nov. 27

The Cohn Adult Learning Center (4805 Park Avenue) will host a 1/2 price book and educational toy sale from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. beginning on Monday, November 27, through Thursday, November 30. Admission is free, and this event is open to the public. For more information, call (615) 298-6636 or (615) 834-READ or send a message to homeworkhotline[at]earthlink.net.

Target to open in March

The Target store in the Nashville West shopping center is scheduled to open for business in March, according to The Tennessean. Hiring will begin sometime this month.

I'm still confused as to why this location appears to be a standard Target rather than a SuperTarget. It seems like a waste since there is already a Target on White Bridge Road.

Updated Web site

The SPNA Web site has been updated with a new look. The content from the previous site design is still available. Please send an email to spna[at]sylvanpark.org if you have any suggestions regarding the site or any trouble viewing it.

Metro Christmas Tree Lighting Nov. 30

Mayor Bill Purcell and WSMV-TV's Holly Thompson will host a Christmas tree lighting ceremony on the city's new public square on Thursday, November 30, at 5 p.m. This event is free and open to the public, and Krispy Kreme will be providing donuts and coffee. Woo hoo!

West Gnashvegas Swap Spot

If you are looking for bargains, you might want to check out the West Gnashvegas Swap Spot on the Web. A local blogger going by the name Jeffraham Prestonian has been listing items (mainly electronics) on this site for about five years. As he puts it, it's a chance for you to "trade your dust-collecting, usable junk for mine." Jeffraham is interested in trading for the following items:

"CASH [who isn't?], Sierra Nevada Pale Ale, PC parts and whatnot, Consumer electronics, Certain books, DVDs, CDs, Music gear, Stuff that aides in maintaining a Chinese 150cc scooter [wow], SD/MMC cards, SmartMedia cards and Old bicycles." His advice: "Be bold -- be stupid. Ya never know. :)"

"I will always put what I think is a fair market cash price, minimum, for the items, to help you judge what you'd be willing to swap for them."

Take a look. Who knows, maybe you'll find a bargain on something you need. Or something you didn't know you had to have. :)

Interfaith Thanksgiving service tonight

West End United Methodist Church (2200 West End Avenue) will host the 2006 Interfaith Thanksgiving Service tonight (Tuesday, November 21) at 7 p.m. The service will be held in the church sanctuary.

This service has been held annually since 1959. West End area churches and synagogues take turns serving as host sites. The public is invited to attend. The church will host a short reception following the service in its McWherter Hall.

Free Frist Center admission tomorrow

The Frist Center for the Visual Arts (919 Broadway) will offer free admission for all visitors on Wednesday, November 22, courtesy of First Tennessee Bank. Admission to the center will also be free on November 29, December 20 and December 27 (all Wednesdays).

The Frist Center is open from 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Monday through Wednesday. Here are its hours for the remainder of the week:

• Thursday and Friday, 10 a.m. to 9 p.m.
• Saturday, 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.
• Sunday, 1 p.m. to 5:30 p.m.
  

Casual attire is welcome for visitors. Admission is free during the dates listed above, but normal admission is $8.50 for adults.

Crime report

Neighbor Doug Eckert gathered the following information on recent crime activity in Sylvan Park in preparation for last week's membership meeting. The neighbhorhood has a "very good" month in terms of criminal activity and "significantly less crime" than normal overall. Doug did note two unusual patterns in the neighborhood and provided additional explanation:

• Residents have reported two aggravated assaults in the past few weeks. This is a "stunner," according to Doug, because "this is a serious crime that we rarely ever see." It appears to be in both instances, though, that the charges were unproven ones made by one person against another. According to Doug, "One instance was a couple of residents who had too much to drink, and one claimed the other assaulted him with a baseball bat. The other was a domestic dispute where the claim of aggravated assault was unproven."
  

• Sylvan Park has had "more residential burglaries than we had thefts of items from cars (auto burglaries). While I’ve never seen this before in all the years I’ve been monitoring Sylvan Park crime, it was largely because we only had two auto burglaries. We had five residential burglaries, but three of those were sheds or garages that were broken into around 54th Avenue. Another was where the report was something was stolen but the reporting resident wasn’t sure when. Another was jewelry where a window was left open."
  

As always, please report any non-emergency criminal activity you witness or discover to (615) 862-8600.

Residential oil and grease recycling

Metro Public Works and Metro Water Services (news release) will now accept residential fats, oils and greases for proper disposal at the Omohundro Convenience Center (directions to 1019 Omohundro Place) each Tuesday through Saturday from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Here are instructions for transporting and disposing of these items:

"Collect the fats, oils and grease waste in a sturdy, sealed container in order to prevent leaks during transport to the Convenience Center for recycling. Open the lid on the recycling bin, pour the cooking oil or grease into the bin and dispose of the container in the dumpster."

Fats, oils, and grease can clog sewer lines and even cause back-ups in nearby homes' sewer lines. They can also result in overflows that pollute the environment with raw sewage (yuck). Please do your part to recycle these materials. If you have questions or need more information, please call Sonia Harvat at (615) 862-4494.

NTF ReLeafing Day tomorrow

The Nashville Tree Foundation will plant powerline-approved trees in Sylvan Heights tomorrow morning (Saturday, November 18) from 8:30 to 10 a.m. in celebration of its fifth annual ReLeafing Day.

Volunteers will meet at Park Avenue Enhanced Option School, 3703 Park Avenue, at 8:30am for planting assignments for about 35 powerline-approved trees and 30 other trees and shrubs at the school, by the community garden, and two gateways into the neighborhood. The SHNA Web site has additional information about the project.

If you're interested in helping our next-door neighbors, Call Libby Cheek with the Tree Foundation at (615) 292-5175 or send her an e-mail at nashvilletree@earthlink.net.

Volunteer Tailgate Party

For those of you who cheer for the Vols, First Tennessee will host a tailgate party prior to tomorrow's Tennessee-Vanderbilt football game at its new bank location (3011 West End Avenue).

The event begins at 9:30 a.m. It will feature free food and drinks and a live broadcast of the Kickoff Call-In Show on WLAC-AM. The UT marching band and cheerleading squad will also perform.

Go Dores!! (I just had to throw that in somewhere.)

TWRA's Polly Rooker visits SPNA

Polly Rooker, Watchable Wildlife and Waterfowl Biologist for the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency, attended Monday night’s SPNA membership meeting to discuss urban wildlife. Following are some highlights of the information Polly shared:

• Remember that the wildlife was here before we humans were. They’ve only adapted as best they can to our arrival.
• Coyotes are present in the city, but they are not typically violent to humans. They primarily eat rodents, insects and snakes, but they are opportunistic: They will eat cats and small dogs on occasion if they encounter them.
• Coyotes are primarily nocturnal, so it is wise to keep your cats and small dogs indoors overnight. You are unlikely to encounter coyotes during daylight hours.
• Coyotes are highly resilient to methods to exterminate or remove them from an area. They are here to stay. Even Manhattan has a sizable coyote population!
• Do not leave food for your pets outside or in accessible garages and utility sheds. This will attract wildlife. If you must feed your pets outside, take the bowl back inside with you when they finish eating. Do not leave food out for wildlife under any circumstances.
• Raccoons are increasingly common in the city. A large population of rabid raccoons are gradually migrating closer to Middle Tennessee over time, and this will present problems when they get here.
• Inoculate your pets against rabies before they are exposed. There is little that can be done to spare a pet or another animal that has been infected.
• Skunks, which have been frequently spotted in the neighborhood recently, are immune to rabies, but they can carry and spread the disease. They do not exhibit rabies symptoms.
• If you see skunks or raccoons out during the day looking sick or disoriented, they likely have distemper.
• If you do trap raccoons or skunks, please euthanize them. Do not release them in rural areas because this can spread disease.
• Metro Animal Control (615-862-7928) will come get animals if you report a problem. You can also take trapped animals to them. Private animal control companies are another option, but they do charge for their services (as much as $75 per animal, according to one report.
  

The TWRA Web site includes resources on some of the critters you may spot in your backyard, in case you want to do a little research on the front end. (If anyone spots a bobcat, I would really like to be warned. Thanks.)

Many thanks to Rob Stack for the photo.

Lequire Gallery open house Saturday

Nearby art house LeQuire Gallery ( 4304 Charlotte Avenue) will hold a free open house this Saturday, November 18, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. This event is open to the public.

The open house also serves as the debut for the LeQuire Gallery Holiday Show, which will feature bronze sculptures, figurative paintings and hand made porcelain vessels and bowls by local, regional and nationally recognized artists. The Holiday Show (free throughout its run) will be open from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Tuesdays through Saturdays beginning this weekend, and it will continue through December 23.

For more information, send a message to info[at]lequiregallery.com or call (615) 298-4611.

Mamamade Open House Saturday

Neighborhood arts and crafts Web site Mamamade, a group of several "Susie Homemakers" who have "banded together to being you an extravanganza of original goods and services and gifts" will hold a holiday Open House this Saturday, November 18, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at 5101 Dakota Avenue.

The hosts invite you to bring friends, eat goodies and browse unique items including memory DVD services, digital scrapbook services, photo holiday cards and birth announcements, handmade soap and bath products, natural baby products, lots of amazing knit items for mom and baby, bilingual baby tees, custom monogrammed paintings and pillows, personalized embroidered gifts, funky and functional kids table and chair sets, kids lap pads and chalk activity mats, linoleum block printing and hand-sewn items.

Thanks to participant Beth Howard for passing word along about this event. Please send an email if you have news to share!

More Nashville West details

This Nashville Business Journal article reports that most of the tenants, including Dick's Sporting Goods, Best Buy, Ross Dress for Less and Cost Plus World Market, are expected to open in mid-2007. It also has details on the development's size and target market.

Costco now open

The new Costco location at 6670 Charlotte Pike opened this morning. The Tennessean has details about the store. Here are a few to whet your appetite:

• Membership fees: $50 Business, with additional cards for $40 each; $50 Gold Star (individuals); Executive Membership is an additional $50 upgrade. All memberships include a free Household Card.
• Regular hours: 10 a.m.-8:30 p.m. Monday-Friday for Business and Executive members; 11 a.m.-8:30 p.m. for all members; 9:30 a.m.-6 p.m. Saturday and 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Sunday for all members.
  

MNPD drug arrests near Sylvan Park

Neighbor Doug Eckert passed along this news release today about recent Metro Nashville Police arrests throughout the city. Included were an undisclosed number of arrests at the 5400 block of Charlotte Avenue (near the New Life Record Shop) and the 3400 block of Nebraska Avenue. (Note: The exact location for the latter address isn't showing up in Google Maps, so I'm not sure if it is correct.)

A separate MNPD release emphasizes the importance of removing your keys, locking your car and removing valuables when parking your vehicle. This should be common sense, but more than half of recently stolen vehicles had the keys inside when the theft occurred.

Membership meeting Monday night

Reminder: SPNA will hold its monthly membership meeting tomorrow night (Monday, November 13) at 7 p.m. at the Cohn Adult Learning Center at the intersection of 48th Avenue and Park Avenue. The meeting will be held in the Senior Renaissance Center in the basement of the building. See you there!

Radnor lake calendar on sale

The 2007 Friends of Radnor Lake calendar is now onsale on the group's Web site and the Radnor Lake Visitor Center (1160 Otter Creek Road), the Granny White Market, REI in Brentwood, and Davis-Kidd Booksellers in Green Hills.

Local photographer Robin Conover captured images from Radnor Lake State Natural Area, including the image featured for January 2007 above.

Calendars cost $12 each, and all proceeds from the sale benefit the Friends group, which is dedicated to protecting, preserving and promoting the natural integrity of the Radnor Lake area. They make great gifts for those of you who have begun your holiday shopping (and for those of us who need to start).

Holiday lights competition

Nashville residents are invited to share the holiday spirit by decorating their homes and yards for the Metro Beautification and Environment Commission’s 19^th annual Holiday Lights Competition. The contest is sponsored by Mayor Bill Purcell, Metro Public Works, Metro Beautification and Environment Commission, Nashville Electric Service (go figure) and WTVF-TV.

The Holiday Lights Competition is open to all residents of Davidson County, and awards are made in each of the 35 Councilmanic districts. Five regional winners and one countywide winner will be selected as well.

The deadline for entering is Monday, November 20, 2006. Judging begins on Friday, November 24. The overall winner will be announced and featured on NewsChannel 5’s 6 p.m. newscast on Friday, December 1. For more information, call Metro Beautification at (615) 862-8418 or visit the agency's Web site. Contest rules and entry forms are available on the Metro website.

Home sales up in October

According to this City Paper story, October home sales in Nashville were up from the same month in 2005, and home sales for the year are up 3.9 percent over 2005. In a market where home sales are peaking or even falling across the country, this is great news for the city.

The Greater Nashville Association of Realtors has more details about recent sales activity and a chart of sales for the year.

"Nashville is very fortunate to be sustaining an active market for home sales," said Christie Wilson, 2006 GNAR president and Sylvan Park resident. "The consistent good news of companies and families relocating here gives us reason to believe the healthy market will continue. We are enjoying a steady pace that is keeping us on track for 2006 to be another record-breaking year."

Love at First Sight sign

Our neighborhood puppy and kitten adoption center, Love at First Sight (4423 Murphy Road), recently added a digital marquee to its storefront window. The marquee scrolls through a series of important facts about pet care, and it features some pretty adorable graphics (see above). I also didn't know about pets' prowess when it comes to fat consumption, though it certainly isn't a surprise. Add this to your list of reasons why pets have it good. :)

By the way, National Pet Wellness Month was in October, but it's still a good idea to take your pet in for a check up if it's been a long time.

Brush and leaf collection updates

Good news for those of you who have "extra" leaves in your yards: There are three ways you can dispose of your leaves in the next few weeks:

1) Place your leaves in your alleyway (or near your curb if you do not have an alley) in biodegradable/brown paper bags by Sunday, November 19th, the beginning of the next scheduled brush collection sweep for Sylvan Park by Metro Public Works. (Note: Do not place your leaves in plastic bags for this option.)

2) Drop off your bagged leaves at Metro’s Bordeaux mulch facility at 1400 County Hospital Road free of charge. If your leaves are bagged in plastic, please plan to take the bags back home with you. Plastic bags will not be accepted with your leaves.

3) Place your leaves in your alleyway (or near your curb) in by Wednesday, December 27, in biodegradable/brown paper bags. MPW will complete pickup for this sweep by Monday, January 8th, 2007. (Again, no plastic bags permitted.)

For additional information about brush and leaf collection, see this MPW news release, this story in today's Tennessean, the MPW Web site or call Gwen Hopkins-Glasscock at (615) 880-2439.

West Nashville clinic being sued

The Tennessean also reported today that the state of Tennessee is suing the Wisdomite Spiripathology Healing and Music Mission, which is located near Sylvan Park at 1050 44th Avenue North because its president is allegedly practicing medicine without a license and making unsubstantiated claims about curing diseases.

State officials are asking anyone who has sought treatment from him or others who offer unsubstantiated cures to call the Division of Consumer Affairs at (615) 741-4737.

I-40 work completed

The Tennessean reported this morning that the Tennessee Department of Transportation has completed repair work on the Interstate 40 bridge that crosses over Jefferson Street between I-440 and downtown. No further closures are expected.

Contra Dance Friday night

Neighbor Jenny Frampton reports that the Nashville Country Dancers will hold their next Contra Dance at the Cohn Adult Learning Center (4805 Park Avenue) this Friday, November 10, from 7:30 to 10:30 p.m.

Sylvan Park resident Susan Kevra will do the calling for the evening, and Nashville's own Small Time String Band will perform.

Jenny invites everyone to attend and promises a night of fun, along with great exercise and great music. No experience or partner is necessary. The regular dance runs from 8 to 10 p.m., and a beginner session precedes the dance at 7:30. General admission is $7 for adults and $5 for students and seniors. For more information, call 615-356-1526 or visit the NCD Web site.

Whistlestop Weekend

Now this sounds like fun: The Adventure Science Center (800 Fort Negley Boulevard) will hold is 20th Annual Whistlestop Weekend featuring model trains of all shapes and sizes Friday, November 10, through Sunday, November 12. The event runs from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Friday and Saturday and from from 12:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m on Sunday. Regular admission prices ($9 for adults and $7 for children ages 3 to 12 and for seniors) apply. The first 250 guests on Saturday will receive a free train whistle.

Belle Meade Baroque performs Sunday

Belle Meade Baroque, Nashville's period instrument ensemble, will perform on Sunday, November 12, at 2 p.m. at St. George's Episcopal Church (4715 Harding Road). The ensemble will perform two cantatas of Johann Sebastian Bach and trio sonatas by Handel and Telemann along with the Nashville Boychoir and soloists. A donation of $5 is suggested for attending.

Nearby art exhibit

Art Attack Nashville will feature a selection of original fine art from local and international artists on Saturday, November 11, from 4 to 8 p.m. at GG Fine Salon and Spa (73 White Bridge Road, Suite 11). Admission is free, but please RSVP by tomorrow by emailing ggsalonspa[at]bellsouth.net
if you would like to attend.

Twenty-five percent of the proceeds from any artwork sold will be donated to benefit families in need with members who are battling cancer.

Bank designs

The City Paper made an interesting point about the design of three nearby bank branches in yesterday's edition.

Comparing the fairly conservative Fifth-Third bank branch on Murphy Road with the two new First Tennessee bank branches on West End Avenue and White Bridge Road, reporter William Williams prefers the latter two:

"A cookie cutter design approach — which can be exacerbated by the reality that free-standing banks often are accompanied by excessive surface parking (note the Fifth Third facility on Murphy Road) — simply enforces the notion that industry officials are unwilling to think outside the bank vault, er, box...

But hold your checkbooks.

Following the recommendation of LRK architects (who likely were seeking some creative stimulation that the prototype designs fail to offer), First Tennessee officials opted for a very different appearance for two recently finished financial centers, one on West End Avenue and the other on White Bridge Road.

Good move.

In particular, the West End center, which rises about 30 feet at its highest point, offers a striking contemporary flavor with its green-tinted glass, deep chocolate brick and clear anodized aluminum window frames/canopy/trim.

Even more eye-catching is how the bank’s crisp and clean design renders as cartoonish a neighboring Stoney River Legendary Steaks building — the poor architects for which were required to incorporate a faux mountain lodge theme."

I tend to agree about Stoney River, which seems out of place in terms of design on West End. I think the Fifth-Third location looks nice, but I do like the more engaging designs of the First Tennessee locations better, though they took a little while to grow on me. I completely agree about the excess parking at Fifth-Third, and I miss Mr. Gatti's. ;)

Flu shots available starting today

As of today (Nov. 6), flu shots are available at the Lentz Public Health Clinic for $10 (cash or checks accepted, but not debit or credit cards). Shots are available from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m., and walk-ins are welcome. The clinic is located at 311 23rd Avenue North. More information is also available in this WKRN-TV video report.

Open house and job fair Nov. 13

A Fall Community Career Options Open House and Job Fair will be held on Monday, November 13, at 9 a.m. at the Vanderbilt University Student Life Center. (Map: 310 25th Avenue South) This event is free and open to the public. Please note that professional attire is required.

This event is targeted toward general job seekers and those looking for jobs in the professional, technical, educational and medical fields. It will include major local companies and institutions from all segments of the public, private and allied health sectors. (No fast-food or telemarketing companies are participating.) Attendees will have the opportunity to meet recruiters, learn about local companies that are looking to hire new employees and discover what positions are available.

Celebrate Nashville Neighborhoods Project

News from Celebrate Nashville: Neighborhood associations registered with the Mayor’s Office of Neighborhoods have until March 1 to submit proposals for a Celebrate Nashville Neighborhoods Project. Once approved, the projects must be completed by June 1 to be eligible for awards.

The top winning neighborhood association would receive a $10,000 grant award. There will be two $5,000 second place awards and three $2,000 third place awards. Wal-Mart is providing the grant awards to the winning neighborhood associations. The awards will be announced at the Celebrate Nashville Neighborhoods Picnic in June. The Celebrate Nashville Committee will judge the neighborhood entries on the project’s creativity, relevance and implementation.

Challenges of urban living

A fellow West Nashvillian witnessed some unusual activity early this morning at the White Bridge Road and I-40 Waffle House. Luckily for us, he shared details on his blog.

"I never know what to expect when I hear that... especially at 4 AM at Waffle House.

I stopped by where I work (sort of) at 4 AM this morning to pick up a large coffee and grab my paycheck out of the office. I was barely through the door when both waitresses and the cook started in with "You should have been here, you missed it!". Oh boy...

There's a Super 8 motel behind the restaurant that's popular with some of the drug dealers, prostitutes and paycheck-to-paycheck people in this part of West Nashville. Apparently some dude and his lady were back there putting powder up their noses and having a good time when the dude freaked out... The first my friends at Waffle House knew about it was when the "lady" came flying into the restaurant, in her underwear, ran back to the nathroom and hid... Hiding from...?

Hiding from the dude, who came flying through the door shortly after, wearing not a damn thing... ran around the restaurant... ran down the grill line, vaulted over the booths and ran back out the door... He hopped in a car (the lady's?) and drove off but apparently Metro Police caught up with him after a brief chase. Cici told me that the dude offered to share his stash with her if she'd just go back over to their room and get his drugs and his pants. It shook Judy up so bad she was actually up and cleaning things... trying to burn off the adrenaline rush.

I'd have stayed and gotten more details but... about that time news vans from two of the local TV stations showed up and started deploying cameras... I figured it was time to leave."

I needed this chuckle (though it's a sad story at its heart) this morning, but don't forget that living in an urban neighborhood has its challenges. This didn't happen in Sylvan Park, but it wasn't far away, either. As Doug Eckert often reminds attendees at SPNA membership meetings, report suspicious activity or criminal behavior to the police at (615) 862-8600.

Skunk update

Skunks sightings continue in the area around 45th through 48th Avenues and Nevada Avenue, despite neighbor Wendell Goodman's tireless and much appreciated work.

Here are two recent comments about skunks in the neighborhood.

• "Shelby Brooks spotted another skunk this past Thursday night going between 4506 and 4508 Nevada due North... if Wendell is still on the hunt."
• "I live on Nevada and also saw on crossing 46th, going into the first yard at 4600 Nevada. Thank you so much for catching the ones already."
  

Here are tips from PETA's HelpingWildlife.com Web site regarding skunks in case you encounter them and Wendell can't come to the rescue. :)

Traffic update

Beginning tonight at 7 p.m. and lasting through Monday morning at 5 a.m., Interstate 40 Westbound coming from downtown and extending to I-440 will be closed. Please keep this in mind if you are headed downtown this weekend. You won't be able to take I-40 back.

Please note that the segment highlighted in blue above is the affected stretch of interstate, but the map reads "eastbound." Only westbound travel (away from downtown) will be affected this weekend.

Early voting ends today

Today is your last opportunity to vote prior to election day (next Tuesday, Nov. 7). The Metro Election Commission site has details about locations and times. The Belle Meade City Hall and Green Hills public library are the closest locations to Sylvan Park. According to the commission, more than 66,000 Davidson County residents have voted so far in this year's election.

Westminster Choir and Orchestra to perform

Westminster Presbyterian Church (3900 West End Avenue) will present a free performance of Evensong for all Saints and Franz Schubert's Mass in G by the Westminster Choir and Orchestra at 7 p.m. on Sunday, November 5. This event is open to the public.

Belle Meade Town Center work begins

According to this Nashville Business Journal story, construction began today on the Belle Meade Town Center project. Harris Teeter will anchor this mixed-use commercial and retail development. This PDF one-pager on the project indicates that the project is nearly a year behind schedule, but it looks like it could now be expected to open in late 2007. Between this work and the H.G. Hill Center project across the street, things are going to be pretty busy over the next couple of years on this section of Harding Road.

Meat and Three blog

From Phil Roberson regarding my earlier meatandthree.com post:

"For anyone who is interested in the history of Meat and Three's, check out the blog that I created as an adjunct to the MEATandTHREE.com site. The blog is located at the following address: historyblog.meatandthree.com. It's a place for people to contribute their knowledge of the history of specific Meat and Threes and/or stories about particular Meat and Threes (which are, in themselves, a part of the history).

The concept of this blog is still new and the word is still getting out, so we'd love to hear from some folks who know some history on Sylvan Park and any others, as well. Thank you in advance!"

If you have questions or suggestions for Phil, contact him at (615) 860-8481 or phil[at]meatandthree.com.

Fox 17 Trick or treat

The treat, as reported by neighbor Yvonne Eaves, is that Fox 17 featured Sylvan Park last night during a trick-or-treating segment. Several neighborhood kids were captured in costume, and a few neighbors weighed in on how our neighborhood tends to attract many trick-or-treaters each Halloween.

The trick is that Fox 17 hasn't posted a video clip of the coverage on its Web site. Trust Yvonne and me in the meantime: It was a good story. Happy All Saints Day, everyone!

Nashville is talking

Don't forget about Nashville Is Talking, either. This is a great local blogging community site that collects information and posts from around town.

My.tennessean.com

Don't worry: It's your Tennessean, too. The Tennessean launched a new community Web site known as my.tennessean.com this morning. Local residents are invited to sign up (it's free) and post local news. The news is categorized by area of town, and Sylvan Park falls under the "West End/Vandy" category. SPNA is well-represented with a description about the neighborhood association, but feel free to start sharing events and other items if you have them. I'll keep an eye out and make sure they land here, too.

By the way, a hard copy my tennessean section appears to be replacing Davidson A.M., so don't be surprised if your paper today is missing the latter section.