Historic Nashville

I found this great old photo of West End Avenue on the Historic Nashville Web site yesterday. I'm still trying to decide if I can tell exactly where this spot is, but it's still an amazing look into the past for our side of town's main drag. The Historic Nashville site has a lot of great historic photos and links to other local history Web pages. There are also a lot of links on this About.com page dedicated to Nashville.

Recreation Center Update

Jason Holleman passed along the following information about preliminary plans for a new recreation/community center in the neighborhood:

If built, the new recreation center is expected to have an indoor pool. The current outdoor pool in Richland Park was built many years ago. Metro Parks finds it difficult to operate (i.e. limited season, hiring/managing lifeguards at a location that isn't connected to other Parks' facilities with full-time employees). Therefore, regardless of where the new recreation center is built, it seems likely that the outdoor pool would close in conjunction with the opening of a facility with an indoor pool in the neighborhood. The leading location for the center may be just up the hill from the current McCabe Community Center, but nothing has been decided.

Public meetings are expected to be held before major decisions are made to gain public input on everything from architecture of the building to the services offered at the facility.

Jason mentioned that he learned this information from Curt Garrigan at Metro Parks. If you're interested in learning more about the center, call Metro Parks at (615) 862-8400.

(Note: The above photo has nothing to do with any plans for a neighborhood recreation center. I just thought it looked cool.)

Traffic Report

Traffic appears to be consistently backing up (way up) on the I-440 exit ramp at Murphy Road on weekday mornings. Today around 7:40 a.m. it was backed up past the ramp as far as I could see in the distance. The city has recently adjusted the timing of the light, but I'm not sure if that was intended to help with the traffic flow or merely to make the light "on" (i.e., not flashing yellow) for most of the day. It doesn't seem to be affecting traffic on Murphy all that much, but it may be something we want to keep an eye on.

Also, please note that President Bush is scheduled to be in town today and that West End will be shut down at times during the afternoon for security reasons. He will speak around 5:30 p.m. this afternoon, so you may want to consider an alternate route if you were planning to drive on West End during rush hour today.

West End Robbery

Two men wearing hoods robbed the Regions Bank branch at the corner of West End and Murphy Road today around 9:45 a.m.

The men are still at large at last report. Please report any suspicious activity you witness to the Metro Police at 862-8600.

Green Party Yard Sale

The Green Party of Middle Tennessee is holding a yard sale on Saturday, Sept. 16, from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. at 4018 Nebraska Avenue.

Proceeds will support the Midstate party, its work and specific campaigns of Green candidates. For more information, email Beth at [greenpartymidtn at bellsouth.net].

Here's more information about the Green Party from Wikipedia, and here's the national Green Party site.

Big Mess on 46th

I'm not sure when this started (or when it will be complete), but 46th Avenue is blocked right before the intersection with Charlotte Pike tonight.

There's a large backhoe in the middle of the street along with a few sections of concrete pipe. There were construction workers present on the site around 8:30 tonight, and it doesn't look like they're going to finish by morning. If 46th is still unpassable tomorrow, the best alternate route--from what I can tell--is to turn right onto Park Avenue and then left on 44th Avenue to reach Charlotte. Forty-fourth also connects Charlotte all the way to Murphy Road, so you can avoid 46th completely if you prefer.

Two Dogs Found

Spotted on the message board, old-school style, at Jack's Market today:

Two dogs found: one adult male German shepherd/retriever mix (possibly a chow mix) with black, brown and white coloring; one female brindle cattle dog mix (possibly mixed with Australian shepherd).

The dogs were found together at the intersection of Idaho Avenue and 43rd Avenue. Both are sweet and very friendly.

They were found at 7 p.m. on Monday, August 21st. Please call (615) 424-9060 if you think these may be your dogs.

I-440 and Murphy Road

I noticed a police car parked on the concrete triangle at the I-440/Murphy Road red light this morning. There was definitely an officer inside, so you might want to keep this in mind if you have a habit of running that red light during your dash to work each day. :)

Shakespeare in the Park

Time is running out to catch Shakespeare in the Park in the Centennial Park bandshell. This year's production is MacBeth, and it's running Thursday through Sunday evenings through September 10. (It's also running on Labor Day, Sept. 4.)

Pre-show entertainment begins at 7 p.m., and the curtain rises at 8 p.m. Did I mention that it's FREE? Come early and bring your blankets and lawn chairs, or you may be able to snag a seat in the gallery.

Sylvan Park School Info

I've updated a missing email address for some of the recent Sylvan Park entries below. If you are needing to reach someone with the PTA regarding Citipass books, Smart cards or the 100-year anniversary, Judy Beasley is your contact. Her address is [judy.beasley at freemanwebb.com].

Thanks to Pat Williams for pointing out the missing address!

New Community Center

There has been some discussion in the neighborhood lately about the possibility of a new community center in Sylvan Park. This facility might take a form more similar to the Centennial Sportsplex (i.e., including more fitness opportunities, such as an indoor pool and a weight room) . Don't get your hopes up about an ice rink, though.

Any existing plans are very preliminary at this point, but it has been mentioned that either Richland Park (replacing the current public pool) or the current site for the McCabe Community Center are possible locations for the facility.

This could be a wonderful resource for the neighborhood, if it's done the right way. Feel free to post a comment if you have more details to share. I'll post anything else I hear on this topic.

Local Blog Links

Please note the two new links on the sidebar for other local blogs. There's a lot of useful (and some not so useful, but fun) information on both sites. Check them out if you're looking to learn more about the local blogging scene.

Nashville Is Talking
Metroblogging Nashville

Newsletter News

We're getting ready for the next issue of the SPNA newsletter, which is scheduled to drop in mid-September. If you have any neighborhood news to report, please email the SPNA email address (spna at sylvanpark.org) or send a message to me (rrob13@gmail.com).

If you're looking for inspiration, here's our most recent issue (June).

Any bloggers out there?

The SPNA blog is intended as a source for neighborhood news, and we'd love to make it better and better. If you're interested in blogging at this site, you are more than welcome. (I plan to keep it up because I think it's fun, but I'd welcome the company.)

It's extremely easy, fun and free. Email me (rrob13 at gmail.com) or SPNA (spna at sylvanpark.org) if you'd like to give it a shot.

Also, if you live in or around Sylvan Park and have your own blog, let me know and I'll put a link to it on our sidebar here. If you're shy, you can also just email any news items you have to me or to the SPNA email address. :)

Nashville's future (and free food)

The Nashville Neighborhood Alliance and the Neighborhoods Resource Center are hosting a public forum entitled the “Future of Nashville Neighborhoods Summit” next Thursday, August 31, at 6 p.m. at the Adventure Science Center.

The summit is intended as an opportunity for public officials and local residents to come together to identify the concerns we face and begin to form our collective vision of what the future of Nashville should hold. The topic for the evening is, “What do we want the future to look like in our neighborhoods?” NNA and NRC intend for the event to serve as the first step in a three-step plan to shape the future of our community.

This is an important time to be considering the city's future. Next year, Nashville will elect a new Mayor and new Metro Council. There will be at least a 50 percent turnover in the Council due to term limits.

The forum will reconvene in October to refine its vision and begin to identify strategies for implementing positive change. A third event will be held to prioritize concerns and develop a timetable for taking action.

Dinner will be provided, and RSVPs are requested no later than Tuesday, August 29th. Call Carol McCullough at 782-8212 x28 to register.

Cherokee Park Yard Sale Tomorrow

Cherokee Park will hold its annual neighborhood yard sale tomorrow from 7:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. See this online ad on Tennessean.com for more details. Here's a current list of all the homes being listed:

Cherokee Rd: 214, 223A, 226, 237, 248
Lauderdale: 102, 108, 255, 323
Mockingbird: 115, 202, 210
Mayfair: 207, 209, 210
N. Wilson Blvd: 301, 407
Aberdeen: 4018, 4017, 4114, 4117, 4204
Cambridge: 3926
Valley: 3907

Extreme Makeover: Riverfront Edition

Today's Tennessean features a story on possibilities for renovating Nashville's downtown riverfront. Some of the proposed changes would dramatically transform the area from heavy industrial plots to beautiful green park space and waterfront marinas.

The image above depicts the most ambitious idea: expanding the Cumberland river to make the area around LP Field an island. That sounds (and looks) crazy, but it would be an amazing addition to downtown and be a major attraction for residents and visitors. Even the more realistic idea of merely converting all of the industrial space to park space would completely change the area and provide the city with a wonderful recreation area in the heart of the city, a luxury few cities have. The discussions this week, hosted by the Nashville Civic Design Center, aren't likely to take shape anytime soon, but it's still exciting to know that this could happen on our riverfront someday.

Nashville Really Angry

To paraphrase the Hulk, you won't like us when we're angry. Well, according to this story, Nashville is angry, really angry. We ranked as the #5 angriest city in the nation. Memphis followed close behind at #8. The story based its list on incidences of high blood pressure in men, road rage and workplace violence.

Are we a passive aggressive city, then? I ask because we also regularly rank #1 as America's friendliest city. Maybe we are holding our anger in when we speak to people we don't know very well and waiting until we can take it out on the highway or on our coworkers. (In my own personal experience, this is a promising theory.) Note that the survey identified that visitors found us slightly more friendly than residents reported. In other words, we know the truth. ;)

I also think it's interesting that we residents think there is less to do in town than our visitors do. Visitors also think we're more attractive, although just slightly, than we do.

I get the feeling that we're being a little hard on ourselves. It's probably more of that anger surfacing. Group hug, anyone?

Home Sales Lagging Elsewhere

Home sales in Nashville are up slightly for July, as previously mentioned, but they are lagging across the nation, according to the New York Times (registration required to read).

The good news around here is that the South is the only region where home sales increased last month. If not for the South, according to the article, home sales would have experienced their first decrease in volume since 1995. That's a long time.

As noted by another local blogger, home ownership is not for the faint of heart. The recent boom has made it easy to get in over your head like never before.

Riverfront Redevelopment Meeting

The City of Nashville and the Army Corps of Engineers have begun a study to plan for the redevelopment of Nashville's riverfront on the Cumberland downtown. Both organizations will be hosting a public forum at the Adventure Science Center on Thursday, August 24 (tomorrow), at 6 p.m. Here are directions to the center.

Nashville's riverfront has been gradually evolving over the last 10 years ever since construction began on what is now LP Field, the Titans' home stadium. A team of consultants will present background information on the study and several proposed alternatives to the current industrial development on the riverfront at the beginning of the meeting.

For more information, contact study sponsor Metro Parks at 862.8400 and ask for John Lavender.

Sylvan Park School Nears 100 Years

Sylvan Park Paideia Elementary School will celebrate its 100th anniversary next year. In preparation for that major milestone, the school PTA is looking for volunteers to help with a celebratory research project to pull together information and photos about the school's history.

If you are interested in participating, please email Judy Beasley at [judy.beasley at freemanwebb.com].

MTA Sylvan Park Route Preserved

Following customer feedback, the Metro Transit Authority has decided to preserve its bus route (#13) that runs through Sylvan Park along 46th Avenue and Murphy Road. The Tennessean reported on this development this morning.

MTA will be suspending service for the rest of its Route 13, which currently runs along Croley Street and Annex Road north of Charlotte Pike. (See the map above for details.) It isn't clear from the Tennessean's story exactly how the route will run, but it appears that it will be a loop that does not continue west beyond 46th Avenue and Charlotte Pike. Anyone wanting to head west at that intersection would need to transfer to the Charlotte Pike bus route (#10) to do so. I'm not sure if the revised route 13 would still travel along I-40 during part of its journey or not.

MTA has elected to rename this route "Sylvan Park" because it will no longer reach further into West Nashville. The route is currently known as "West Nashville/Croley." This route change is still pending until the MTA Board approves it later this week.

Citipass Books and Smart Cards

Sylvan Park Paideia Elementary School will begin selling Citipass books and Smart cards next week to raise money for the school year.

Citipass books will be available for $20, and Smart cards will sell for $10. Both items provide discounts at area retailers and restaurants. Email Judy Beasley, Sylvan Park School PTA member, at [judy.beasley at freemanwebb.com] if you would like more information, or buy one of the books or cards from any neighborhood kids who come knocking on your door soon. You can also purchase Citipass books online and give Sylvan Park School credit if you don't mind paying an extra $5 for shipping.

Proceeds from both items help cover costs that are not included in the school's annual operating budget. The school PTA helps pay for several of these expenses, including hiring an associate reading specialist to help students. The PTA is also in need of donations for tables that can be used at school events, so please let Judy know if you are able to make a donation.

Scrapbook Class Corrections

Yvonne Eaves kindly pointed out to me that her upcoming scrapbooking workshops will take place on Tuesdays (rather than Mondays) from 6:30 to 8 p.m. beginning September 19. The workshop will meet for six weeks, and the total cost for attending all the sessions is $10.

That's definitely a deal. Yvonne also noted that everyone "will leave each workshop with at least one completed project," too.

Check out the detailed information on how to register if you're interested. Thanks, Yvonne!

Crime Activity

Neighbor Doug Eckert reports the following recent arrests from an MNPD news release:

"West Precinct detectives charged 21 persons as the result of investigations on Park Avenue, 28th Avenue North & Clifton Avenue, 14th Avenue North & Broadway, James Avenue, 19th Avenue South & Division Street, 26th Avenue North & Albion Street, West End Avenue & 14th Avenue North and Lutie Street. Seized were 1.5 ounces of marijuana, one gram of heroin, one gram of crack cocaine and three vehicles. "

Please report criminal activity to the police by calling 862-8600. Drug activity can also be reported anonymously by calling 244-DOPE (3673).

Support Belcourt

As neighbor F. Clark Williams mentioned in this week's SPNA membership meeting, the Belcourt Theatre (a non-profit film and events venue in Hillsboro Village) is holding a membership party on Thursday, September 7, from 6 to 9 p.m.

The theme is "Scopitone A-Go-Go." What's that? Basically early music videos from the 1960s. Check out the link for more details on the theme and the party itself. One interesting fact to note: "The Belcourt Theatre currently has the only operating Scopitone machine on public display in the whole country."

Looking for more information about this 86 year-old historic treasure? The Belcourt is a great venue for independent films and concerts. (It's where I originally saw Raiders of the Lost Ark for the first time as an eight year-old, and in my opinion that makes it very cool, too.)

The Belcourt is also hosting free drive-movies in its parking lot on Sunday nights through Sept. 3rd.

Community Education

Metro Nashville Public Schools will be offering a variety of lifelong learning courses for adults at Cohn Adult High School this fall. Classes categories include arts and crafts, fitness and health, contemporary issues, business, languages and technical and mechanical. Here are the complete class listings.

Most classes begin the week of September 18 or later, and fees range from $10 to $80 depending on the topic. Registration is open now, and those interested in participating are encouraged to register at least one week in advance by mail (arriving at least one week in advance) or in person. (Here is detailed information about registration.)

Neighbor Yvonne Eaves will be teaching a scrapbooking workshop meeting on Tuesdays from 6:30 to 8 p.m. beginning September 19th. The total cost is only $10 to attend all six workshop sessions, so don't miss out!

Sylvan Park School Report

The Tennessee Department of Education released Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) Results for state public schools yesterday. Sylvan Park Paideia Elementary School was listed as a target school, meaning that it "missed a federal benchmark in at least one area for the first time."

Background from today's Tennessean story about the announcement: "Under the federal No Child Left Behind law, public schools are required to test all students in reading and math each year in grades 3-8 and at least once in high school. Schools can be identified as needing improvement if they fall short overall, in any student subgroup, or in other indicators such as attendance and graduation rates."

More information from the Tennessee Department of Education Web site: "There are no sanctions for target schools. The Tennessee Department of Education offers technical assistance to help keep target schools from becoming high priority schools. "

This PDF file on the state site answers several questions I had about NCLB, AYP and exactly what it means. Here's an important bit of information to keep in mind regarding target schools such as Sylvan Park:

"No Child Left Behind has very stringent requirements. A school must meet standards in every category and every subgroup – including demonstrating 95% participation on assessments – or else it does not meet the federal benchmark and is identified as a target school or high priority school. If, for example, the test was given on a day when many students were absent, it is possible that fewer than 95% of students took the test, causing the school to miss the benchmark."

Because NCLB is so rigorous, it sounds like this isn't a major concern, but I thought it was worth noting as neighborhood news. Anyone else have light to shed?

Greenway Gallop

The Richland Creek Greenway (Phase I shown above) is scheduled to open its second phase later this fall. As mentioned during Monday night's SPNA meeting, a group of Sylvan Park neighbors is contemplating holding a 10k run early next year to celebrate the Greenway.

The group is planning to meet later this month to begin brainstorming ideas. If you would like to be involved, please email Jason Holleman at jdholleman at hotmail.com.

Also, here are several Phase I construction photos of the Richland Creek Greenway taken last year. It's interesting to see the project as it came together.

Watch that Sprinkler!

If you use your sprinkler often, you should know that the city's summertime adjustment for sprinkler use (and swimming pools) is likely coming to an end.

Metro Council voted to reject a proposed 3.9 percent water rate increase last night for all customers, effectively reinstating the termination of the sprinkler adjustment policy that was a part of the original city budget announced in June. Mayor Purcell had temporarily reinstated the policy earlier this summer to give the council time to consider an overall rate hike instead of ending the adjustment.

The good news is that anyone who doesn't use their sprinkler much and who doesn't have a swimming pool won't face a rate increase this year. The bad news is for anyone who benefitted from the adjustment. More details in this City Paper article.

MTA Bus Route 13

The Metro Transit Authority (MTA) is considering changes to Route 13 (West Nashville/Croley), the only bus route that goes directly through Sylvan Park. Several residents of Sylvan Park utilize this bus route, and it would be a shame to lose our best link to public transit.

MTA conducted public hearings about its proposed route changes last week. If you missed them and would like to share your thoughts with MTA, please send your comments via email to the following address: mta.publichearings@nashville.gov.

Please note that the deadline for responses is tomorrow (Wednesday, August 16), so act quickly if you want to make your voice heard on this issue.

Good Cause

This isn't Sylvan Park related, but I thought it was worth mentioning. The Homeless Guy is a local resident who writes about his personal experiences with homelessness. He's currently experimenting with selling origami artwork (gift boxes) on eBay in an attempt to generate income in order to eventually get off the street.

Homelessness is an issue that is important to me, primarily because I've always had a reason to consistently spend time downtown and have seen people struggling to survive for most of my life. I thought this was an interesting and creative idea worth noting.

While we're on the subject, the Campus for Human Development is another great way to help people who are homeless.

First Day of School

Metro Schools opened for the year today. Don't forget to plan ahead if your morning commute passes through one or more school zones, including the one around Sylvan Park Paideia Elementary School (above) at 4801 Utah Avenue.

SPNA Meeting tonight

Please join in for tonight's SPNA membership meeting at the Cohn Adult Learning Center on the corner of 48th Avenue and Park Avenue near Richland Park. The meeting will begin at 7 p.m. in the basement of the building. Come meet your neighbors and learn some of the exciting events taking place in Sylvan Park.

Police Go High-Tech

Gail Kerr has a good story in today's Tennessean about the police department's use of technology for monitoring crime and allocating officers and resources accordingly. According to Kerr, this approach has led to an increased understanding of trouble areas in the city and how to address them.

One point implied, but not mentioned, in the article is the importance of reporting crime when it occurs, either by calling (615) 862-8600 or, in an emergency, by calling 911. This ensures that the police department has as accurate an assessment as possible of crime in the city.

For a glimpse at some of the technology used by the police, check out the interactive crime map.

Join SPNA via Paypal

No more stamps! (Unless you prefer to join by mail.)

SPNA Memberships are now available online via Paypal. You can pay via your credit card or checking account by clicking here.

Sylvan Park Neighborhood Childcare Available

Paisley Hall is an in-home childcare center located in the heart of Sylvan Park. It has been rated a 3-star childcare facility by the State of Tennessee - the highest rating of excellence. Established in 1984, Paisley Hall is located in a beautiful victorian home, and offers a low student/teacher ratio. Paisley Hall focuses on learning through music, art, and dramatic play. Paisley Hall has served families throughout the Nashville area, and even farther afield. There are IMMEDIATE openings, so contact Paisley Hall at 269-4150 to enroll your child, or get more information.

References are available.

Home sales still up

The Nashville Business Journal is reporting that home sales were up slightly in July, according to the Greater Nashville Association of Realtors. That's good news for us homeowners in our "hip" neighborhood (see below), but the growth has cooled considerably the past several months. My guess is that it's tough to sustain huge growth on a year-to-year basis, but the Nashville area sure looks like it will stay strong in housing sales for the foreseeable future.

Props to GNAR president and Sylvan Park resident Christie Wilson for her quote in the article. (Yep, that rhymed.)

Sylvan Park has arrived

It's official, though there was little doubt: As reported in today's Tennessean, Sylvan Park is a "hip" Nashville neighborhood.

You heard it here first. (Well, unless you read the paper this morning.) Congrats and best wishes to Portland Brew on adding another location in town, too.

More Night Out Coverage

Yesterday's Tennessean featured a huge story on Sylvan Park's Night Out Against Crime in its Davidson A.M. section. SPNA President Margaret Holleman and event organizer Doug Eckert are quoted in the story, which focuses on the importance of developing community ties in insulating against crime.

Nevada Heights

In case you missed it, there's an interesting story from Sunday's Tennessean about the emerging "subdivision" just outside of I-440 in Sylvan Heights. This collection of modern homes, which have a prominent presence just above the interstate right before it crosses over Charlotte Pike, has been named Nevada Heights and is a major departure from the design styles that are most common in both Sylvan Park and Sylvan Heights.

The story focuses on how modern design is realtively rare in Nashville and that instances of it are beginning to increase in the city. While my tastes are more traditional for my own home, I personally like these houses on the hilltop and think they are a good development for the area. They're certainly priced at a steep premium, but my hope is that that will eventually help to boost Sylvan Heights in general as the neighborhood attracts more residents who are willing to spruce up older homes in need of a little TLC.

Night Out Follow Up

City Paper reporter Blake Farmer attended SPNA's Night Out Against Crime on August 1st and interviewed West Nashville Precinct Commander Mickey Miller and event organizer Doug Eckert while there. Blake's story appeared in last Wednesday's issue of the paper.

Doug and Commander Miller emphasized the importance of being proactive against crime and strengthening relationships between the police department and the neighborhood to reduce crime. Please do report any incidences of criminal activity to the police department at (615) 862-8600. This helps the police monitor crime in the neighborhood and designate resources accordingly.