Bobby needs a home!

Neighbor Lisa Ferris reports that her neighbor Susan is looking to find a foster or permanent home for a German Shepherd named Bobby she has recently rescued. See the flier above for more details. Bobby sounds like a kind-hearted couch potato, and I know there are a few human folks matching that description in our neighborhood (wink, wink), so please consider bringing Bobby home soon.

Eco Home Tour tomorrow (April 1)

A few neighbors are taking part in an Eco Home and Garden Tour tomorrow (Sunday, April 1) from 1 to 3 p.m.

The Dordal/Samuels household and the Dachowski/Miglietta household are participating in the tour, and neighbors are welcome! The tour is a fun, informal way to get ideas about putting eco-friendly practices into use in your home and garden. Many of the ideas are inexpensive or free to implement, and most of them will help you save money, too! Stop by and learn about faucet aerators, compact fluorescent light bulbs, rain barrels, composting, vegetable gardening, and more!

Location:
124 38th Avenue North (Dordal/Samuels)
4018 Nebraska Avenue (Dachowski/Miglietta)

If you're at all curious about learning how you can help conserve energy and live more responsibly, please stop by tomorrow.

Missing cat

Neighbor Claire Bates has lost her cat, Lewis (above), and is anxious to find him. Here's more information about Lewis:

He is a large cat, BEIGE and WHITE with WHITE PAWS and ONE BEIGE TOE.
He went missing on Friday 3/22 from the Wyoming and 42nd area.
He is very loved and we want him to come home.
Please call CLAIRE at (615) 364-1876

Oops, those aren't dogwoods...

A few folks have observed that the blooming trees posted last weekend are cherry trees, not dogwoods. According to one report, they are Yoshino cherry trees, which were originally imported from Japan in the early 20th century. They are gorgeous right now, regardless of what they are called.

Mayoral forum near Sylvan Park tomorrow (March 26)

St. Luke's Community House and Family Resource Center (5601 New York Avenue) will host candidates in Nashville's mayoral race tomorrow from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. David Briley, Bob Clement, Karl Dean, Buck Dozier and Howard Gentry are all expected to attend. Metro Councilman Billy Joe Walls will serve as moderator.

Dogwoods in full bloom on Murphy Road

MNPD arrests near Sylvan Park

There aren't many details provided on the exact location, but the Metro Nashville Police Department made several arrests near Sylvan Park during the past week, including at least one on 46th Avenue North:

West Precinct detectives charged 32 persons as the result of investigations on 21st Avenue North at Herman Street, the 2300 block of Hermitage Park Drive, the 1000 block of Southside Court, 46th Avenue North, 21st Avenue North at Jefferson Street, Morrow Road at Charlotte Avenue, Paulawood Drive, South 4th Street at Shelby Avenue, and 14th Avenue South at Horton Avenue. Seized were 162.3 grams of cocaine, 103 pounds of marijuana, 24 various scheduled pills, two vehicles, and $212 cash.

This is great work by the local police. Be sure to report any suspicious activity you witness to (615) 862-8600.

Utah Avenue break-in

Neighbor Darrell Urban reports that his home (near 42nd and Utah) was broken into this past Friday during the day. Darrell reported the incident to the police, who need to know about this kind of activity in order to adjust their staffing accordingly. Be sure to do the same if you notice any suspicious activity by calling (615) 862-8600, and keep your eyes out for any activity that seems ununusal.

They even had the nerve to take Darrell's TV right before the first NCAA tournament weekend. Now that is just cruel!

Karl Dean to address SPNA at April meeting

Mayoral candidate Karl Dean is scheduled to share brief remarks and take questions during the April SPNA meeting (Monday, April 9). The meeting will begin at 7 p.m. as usual, and Dean will speak at 7:30. Please mark your calendars and join us.

As stated in the SPNA By-Laws, SPNA does not endorse any political candidates. Candidates are welcome to request time to speak at membership meetings, as Dean and David Briley have recently done.

NES crew working along Murphy today (March 21)

The Nashville Electric Service crew that was working at the corner of 37th Avenue and Murphy Road yesterday is gradually moving west along Murphy this morning. If you are at home, a crewman may knock at your door to let you know that they will be disconnecting your power briefly as part of their work. My power was off for about 10 minutes a little while ago.

Richland Creek Run: Run, walk or lend a hand

The inaugural Richland Creek Run will take place on Saturday, April 7, at 8 a.m. If you haven't registered to run or walk, visit richlandcreekrun.com to sign up or purchase a commemorative poster (above).

If you'd rather lend a hand than stretch your legs, Renee Bates is looking for volunteers who can help out now and on the day of the race. Send Renee a message at reneeb8s[at]comcast.net or give her a call at (615) 642-3007.

The run will take participants along a five-mile timed and measured course through sections of the new Richland Creek Greenway and Sylvan Park. The race will celebrate the Richland Creek Greenway and provide participants with the opportunity to preview the newest segment of the greenway, which will officially open later this year. Net proceeds from this Celebrate Nashville event will benefit Greenways for Nashville, a not-for-profit organization dedicated to the creation, protection, preservation, and promotion of Nashville greenways.

The race will begin at 8:00 a.m. outside of the Cohn Adult Learning Center, 4805 Park Avenue, and will wind through parts of Sylvan Park neighborhood before heading onto the Richland Creek Greenway and finishing back at Cohn. Mayor Bill Purcell will be the official race starter.

St. Thomas Hospital, The Wilson Group, Vanderbilt University and Montgomery Bell Academy are primary sponsors of the Richland Creek Run, which is being organized by the Sylvan Park, Cherokee Park and Richland-West End Neighborhood Associations. The race’s media sponsors are the Nashville Scene, Lightning 100, and Team Green.

NES working at 37th & Murphy

A Nashville Electric Service crew is working this morning at the intersection of 37th Avenue and Murphy Road. They appear to be preparing to replace or reseat a power line pole. The intersection is not obstructed, but a large service truck is on the sidewalk.

MNPD gets its man, thanks to Katherine Beasley

Neighbor and SPNA recording secretary Katherine Beasley recorded something unusual over the weekend instead of the meeting minutes she normally compiles for the association: the license plate number and description of a vehicle involved in a crime. Katherine noticed someone attempting to break in to her neighbor's home and called the police. She was able to note the make and model (a 70s-era yellow Ford LTD) and plate number of the offender's vehicle when he fled the scene. The police arrived to take a report and tracked down and captured the suspect later that afternoon.

The moral of this story is that it is always wise to report any suspicious or criminal activity you witness. Call the police at (615) 862-8600 to file a report. Good work, Katherine, and good work, MNPD!

Beware of local alarm scam

Neighbor Amy Walter reports that three men claiming to be from an alarm company knocked on her door last week. They turned out to be attempting a scam, but Amy wasn't fooled:

At around 5:30, 6:00pm tonight, a white vanfull of guys was going around the neighborhood posing as reps from your existing alarm company. An alarm scam story was apparently recently on the evening news. They appear to only pick houses that have existing alarm systems....this happened to me and the girl across the street tonight. I'm not sure whether or not they case houses with single people in them...the 2 married neighbors did not have alarm systems but they did not stop at their houses either. I reported this to the police....please alert your neighbors.

The 'company' called themselves 'The Alarm Company, LLC'. Their business card had the name scratched out and they are from Cordova, Tenn on the card.

They pulled up into my driveway, not on the street like some people do when they are walking through to sell things. They come to your door saying they are from 'the alarm company' and they need to come in and update the system. It sounds like they are from YOUR company the way they say it. I've had alarm systems for years and they never do this...any upgrades are done from HQ and if there is anything new going on, we receive mailings. They did not say that they wanted to give information about their company, and they didn't have anything to hand out. This is how they gain access into your home. I didn't let them in. My unfortunate neighbor did....the guy looked around for her control pad and then programmed a code into it. They come back later and rob your house.

They look clean cut. They are wearing clipped badges with a bunch of tiny info on it that you can't read. One was a dark haired white guy about 5'8"; one was an affable chunky wavy blond haired guy about 5:11"; one was lean, clean cut and African American. They took off in a hurry and left a guy in my neighbor's house, who ended up using her phone with an excuse that he left his in the car, to call their number. This is so they can call to see if anyone's home. I had a chance to get their license plate when they came back to retrieve him. [They drove a] White Sedona van ... The van was registered to a woman who was not in the car. They may even be bogus plates.

As anyone knows, if you've ever signed up for a legit alarm system, you have to fill out a bunch of paperwork and pay them. Then you have to register, and get an alarm sticker. These people are not doing this. BEWARE!

They also asked if my system had been updated in the last 3 years....not sure if they are trying to find wireless systems they can access with remote alarm fobs but that's a question for your alarm company.

Anyway, stay safe!

Thanks, Amy, for passing this information along. If you do encounter these men, please call the police at (615) 862-8600 to report them.

RCWA to meet Wednesday night (March 21)

The Richland Creek Watershed Alliance will hold its very first meeting at 6:30 p.m. on Wednesday, March 21, at 320 54th avenue North in Sylvan Park. If you are interested in learning more about restoring and preserving Richland Creek, you won't want to miss this meeting.

Monette Rebecca, who is leading the RCWA charge, asks that everyone planning to attend send her an email at monetter@comcast.net to RSVP. Please feel free to come early if you would like to see an introductory powerpoint presentation about the project.

Briley to address SPNA tonight (March 12)

Mayoral candidate David Briley is scheduled to attend the SPNA membership meeting tonight and speak for a few minutes about his campaign. The meeting will begin at 7 p.m. at the Cohn Adult Learning Center at the corner of 48th Avenue and Park Avenue. Hope to see you there!

Best Buy to open March 23

The Best Buy store in the new Nashville West development is scheduled to open on Friday, March 23. A billboard visible on I-40 confirms the date mentioned in the link above.

Curby day tomorrow

For Sylvan Park residents who live on or north of Idaho Avenue, this Wednesday, March 7, is recycling day. Residents south of Idaho Avenue can recycle the following Wednesday, March 14. If you're still unsure, Metro Public Works can help you confirm the correct recycling day for your address.

Metro Codes on Yard Sales

The Metro Nashville Codes Department reports in its most recent newsletter that local residents are limited to two yard sales per year:

A resident is allowed no more than two (2) yard/garage sales each year, for no more than three (3) days at a time. More than two (2) generally constitutes doing business in a residential area, and is not permitted. The purpose for a garage sale is to allow a property owner or resident the opportunity to periodically dispose of unused or unwanted household items. Consignment sales are strictly prohibited.

I've never heard this before, but it is a good reminder that the neighborhood's annual yard sale is coming up in May. Details to come soon.

Metro Codes tips for new (and old) neighbors

The Metro Department of Codes and Building Safety published the following tips for new neighbors in its most recent newsletter. Since we all qualify as someone's neighbor, I thought these tips would be good reading for all of us:

At one time or another, we have been or we have had a new neighbor. Most of the time, we are shy about going over and meeting our new neighbors, and some of them we never get to know. Well, below we have a few suggestions as to how to get started in being a more friendly neighbor.

If we learn who our neighbors are and they know who we are, we will all be more apt to keep our living situations a bit more relaxed and when we see one of them (or they see us) in need of a bit of clean-up, we’ll be more at ease in saying something to one another...

• Introduce yourself to your neighbors— Neighbors that know each other can watch out for each other and keep the neighborhood safe. Smile and say “hi” once in a while.
• Keep your turf clean— Garbage neatly covered, no vehicles on lawn or blocking sidewalk, no broken furniture on porches, no bottles or cups on lawns, no cigarette butts, etc.
• Keep it low profile— Minimize gatherings on front porches and yards after 10:00 pm. No open alcoholic containers off private property. Limit the number of people at gatherings and ask for police help if a party is crashed or is getting out of control [(615) 862-8600 for non-emergencies, 911 for emergencies).
• Loud sounds and noise should not be heard beyond the property line.— The city noise ordinance applies 24 hours a day. People outdoors or arriving or leaving should stay quiet during late hours.