Italian Market celebrating anniversary today (June 30)

Neighborhood restaurant the Italian Market (411 51st Ave N) is celebrating its two-year anniversary today (Saturday, June 30). Festivities include a bocce tournament and an evening Italian movie in the restaurant's courtyard. Call (615) 298-3811 for more information.

SPNA Fourth of July Parade this Wednesday

As reported in yesterday's Tennessean, the Sylvan Park Fourth of July Parade will take place this Wednesday morning:

The Sylvan Park neighborhood will sponsor its annual Fourth of July Parade from 9 a.m. Wednesday, July 4 beginning at the Richland Park shelter. Kids are encouraged to decorate their bikes with streamers, balloons and anything else they can think of. Cookies and lemonade will be served following the parade, which circles through the neighborhood. Volunteers are welcome at 8 a.m. to assist with decorating.

It's free and it's fun, so make plans to be there. See you Wednesday!

SPNA summer newsletter now available

The Summer SPNA newsletter is now available online. Newsletter volunteers, including co-captains Janet Younts and Martha Berry, have been delivering this issue to homes throughout the neighborhood this week. Send an email to spna[at]sylvanpark.org if you haven't received a copy by Sunday evening.

Membership meeting tonight (June 11)

SPNA will hold its monthly membership meeting tonight (Monday, June 11) 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!

Questions needed for July council forum

Neighbor Mark Lambert, a member of the committee preparing for the Metro Council District 24 candidate forum to be held on July 10, is compiling questions for the event. If you have questions to submit, please send them to spna[at]sylvanpark.org or directly to Mark at mclambert[at]comcast.net.

West Nashville history class begins tomorrow (June 12)

If you are interested in the history of West Nashville, it's not too late to enroll in the West Nashville History Talks, a class at the Cohn Community Education Program that will be presented by Judy Redmond and neighbor and SPNA steering committee member Yvonne Eaves this summer.

Come and discover the stories of the events that helped shape this community. If you can recall memories of Clees Ferry, Mr. W. R. Rochelle or visiting the Nativity Scene at Centennial Park -- or would like to learn about them -- you will enjoy this class. The class will begin in June and continue on the 2nd and 4th Tuesdays of each month until the end of August. The topic of the first class will be about old maps and streets in West Nashville.

All class meetings will run from 6:30 to 8 p.m. The fee is a one-time payment of $15 to attend all six classes.

Historic log house relocated to H.G. Hill Park

SPNA neighbor and steering committee member Yvonne Eaves has written the following article for publication in the Westview newspaper. Please see below for more information about the recent relocation and rededication of a historic replica log house intended to represent Nashville founder James Robertson's residence:

Ten years ago the West Nashville Founders’ Museum Association dedicated a replica of James Robertson’s log house. The log house is located in the H. G. Hill Park on Charlotte Pike.

Due to the construction of the new Nashville West shopping center last fall, the log house was relocated in the park. Last month, the West Nashville Founders’ group reopened the log house. The group also planted two dogwood trees in memory of Ralph Cohen and Sarah Foster Kelley. Both were co-founders of the West Nashville Founders’ Museum Association. Mr. Cohen was a West Nashville businessman and a former councilman. Mr. Cohen was very well respected for all his civic contributions in West Nashville. Mrs. Kelley was a well-known historian and an author of many books and publications on the history of West Nashville. Mrs. Kelley was also a direct descendant of James Robertson.

A slice of West Nashville History is on display at the West Nashville Founders’ Museum. In the dogtrot of the replica James Robertson log house is a slice of a “Mossy Cup” Oak Tree. The oak tree was known to some in West Nashville as the Treaty Oak. The massive tree stood at 61st Ave North and Louisiana Ave in West Nashville. Historians believe the tree had its beginning between 1675 and 1680.

The mighty Treaty Oak was the setting for several treaties between James Robertson and the Chickasaw Indian tribes. During the 1940’s the tree was struck by lighting, the tree survived until the summer of 1956. At the time the tree fell it was believed to 6 feet around. The slice has shrunk down to 42 inches in diameter.

Great article about a great part of Nashville's history, Yvonne!

Mayoral Forum at MBA tomorrow (June 7)

The West Nashville Presidents Council will host a Mayoral Forum at Montgomery Bell Academy’s Paschall Theater tomorrow (June 7) from 7 to 8:30 p.m. This event is free and open to the public. [Map to MBA campus]

Candidates David Briley, Bob Clement, Karl Dean, Buck Dozier and Howard Gentry are all scheduled to attend. Pat Nolan will emcee the event. Candidates will respond to questions prepared in advance and to impromptu questions from the audience.

WTVF-TV will record the event for tape-delay broadcast on its NewsChannel5+ cable channel. The program is expected to air at 7:30 p.m. on Friday, June 8th, and at 2:30 p.m. on Saturday, June 9th.

The West Nashville Presidents Council is a consortium of the presidents of neighborhood associations of West Nashville which have the common thread of being located along the West End Avenue corridor. The council meets monthly to share common issues and ideas among the group. WNPC has no officers and no dues.

The WNPC includes the following neighborhood associations: Cherokee Park Neighborhood Association, Hillsboro-West End Neighborhood Association, Kenner Manor Neighborhood Association, Lion’s Head Homeowners Association, Richland- West End Neighborhood Association, Sylvan Heights Neighborhood Association, Sylvan Park Neighborhood Association, White Bridge Neighborhood Association, Whitland Area Neighborhood Association and Woodlawn West Neighborhood Association.