Antioch churches 'fed up' with negative perceptions

Mt. Zion church kicks off teen-based, anti-violence movement at Hickory Hollow Mall event By SUZANNE NORMAND BLACKWOOD • Staff Writer Tennessean • August 11, 2008 Darrell K. Walker, overseer of children and youth ministries for Mount Zion Baptist Church, says he is "fed up." "We're all fed up," he said. "We're all tired of the perception of our community." So, added Walker, "we decided we're all going to work together to make this change." Walker, whose church has a campus in Antioch, was referring to the negative image the area has acquired in recent years due to crime and youth violence. As a way of overcoming the problem, Mount Zion and other churches are leading a movement called "Fed Up." The movement kicked off last week with Nashville Night Out Against Crime. As part of the annual citywide celebration, Fed Up organizers held a march and a rally. Supporters marched down Bell Road from Lakeshore Christian Church, which is the former Media Play building, to Hickory Hollow Mall carrying banners with anti-violence messages. The march culminated in a rally at the mall that featured live concerts, information booths, giveaways, food vendors and children's activities. A pledge against violence Before the event, Walker said it was estimated that more than 500 teens were planning to take part in the march. The teens passed out nonviolence pledge cards for all teens to sign pledging that they will choose peace over violence. Fed Up is a teen-driven movement, Walker said. It's a movement organized by teens for teens, with the guidance and leadership of adults. The vision began with the Bishop Joseph W. Walker III, pastor of Mt. Zion. The church has held youth rallies in the past, attracting tens of thousands of teens. But this time, it wanted to hold a similar event that would take place in conjunction with Night Out Against Crime. But, said Darrell Walker, his church didn't want to reinvent the wheel. That's why they invited other churches, various government and non-profit agencies, and businesses to join them. Jeremiah Brigham, 12, said the negative reputation of today's teens disturbs him. "It does bother me to say our teens aren't taking an interest in being role models for younger people," he said. "They should be setting an example." Also, said Jeremiah, who attends J.F. Kennedy Middle and is involved in the Fed Up movement, the problem of youth violence is not just in high schools. It's in middle schools. He said the subject of gangs also occasionally comes up. "I hear about it sometimes," he said. Fed Up, the movement Jeremiah said he thought the march was a good way to "let people know violence is wrong," though, and he believes making it a movement is the right approach. "I think it will take two or three more times to get teens to realize violence isn't the way to solve problems," he said. The Rev. Jay Voorhees, pastor of partner Antioch United Methodist Church, said they wanted to focus on building and maintaining relationships with teens and ask, "How does it reflect what Jesus would want this to look like?" The movement, he said, became a "rallying point for building those relationships." The Rev. Anibal Peña, pastor of partner Iglesia Monte Los Olivos, shared Voorhees' sentiments. Outside of their own churches, he said there is nothing on this scale for Hispanic youth. And for Hispanic youth who do not attend church, there is nothing like this. Voorhees said the area is perhaps the most culturally diverse in Davidson County, and there are churches of many denominations. This is also a way to "transcend all of those differences," he said. A way out Walker said the non-faith-based partners agreed that that the faith-based community should be at the center of the movement. But by expanding the network to involve various agencies and community leaders, they could meet teens' physical needs as well as their spiritual needs. Voorhees said Hickory Hollow Mall, particularly, has been a supportive partner. Nathan Thomas, the mall's marketing director, said Mt. Zion and the mall have similar goals. For the mall, "providing a safe, enjoyable shopping experience has always been a goal," he said. Also, said Thomas, "we like to have our finger on the pulse of Antioch." For those reasons, "we're happy to partner with Mt. Zion (in) this collaborative effort." The Fed Up movement will continue throughout the year, with workshops and mentoring and tutoring programs for teens. Thomas said the mall is willing to provide space for workshops and seminars. He sees the movement as "a positive voice" for Antioch and one the mall "wants to stand behind." At a time when the Hickory Hollow area is struggling to overcome a negative image, the movement promotes a good image for the area, he said. Walker said he hopes the teens that are involved in the movement will spread the message to their friends. He particularly hopes that gangs will heed the message of the Fed Up movement and decide to turn against violence. Walker said there would be interventions for teens that are involved in gangs and want to separate but are afraid to do it on their own. It's a way of saying, "We're not going to be afraid. We're going to move forward," said Voorhees. The goal, added Walker, is to "change families, change a generation." Photos by M.Schwartz

Antioch confronts bad image

By RACHEL STULTS • Staff Writer (Tennessean) • July 14, 2008 If it's bad, it must have happened in Antioch. Leaders living in the southeast Davidson County community say that's what a lot of people think but it's not fair. "We're here to say Antioch gets a lot of bad press," said Sim Hassler, senior pastor at Antioch First Baptist Church. "We have many problems in Antioch. But there's also a lot of good stuff going on in Antioch and nobody ever hears about it." With its ever-changing demographic complexion, Antioch has long been saddled with the stigma of being a crime-ridden community where gangs and violence drive out businesses. The community has dealt with its share of struggles and crime, leaders say. But the problems aren't beyond repair, and several activists are taking steps to transform Antioch's image. It's the reason Rodney Beard, pastor at Living Word Community Church, moved his congregation from south Davidson County to Hickory Hollow Parkway three months ago. Church leaders wanted to reach out to the Antioch community. Several weeks ago, leaders at Living Word decided to hold a car and bike show at Hickory Hollow Mall to draw the men and women who are known to speed up and down the community's roads, the ones people say come from "the hood" or "Lower Antioch." They hoped to open a dialogue between the groups, introduce them to collectors and show them that crime doesn't have to be their hobby, Beard said. The event was a success, leaders said, drawing about 80 people, and nearly 30 were in the church's target audience. But the feedback from others wasn't what Beard anticipated. People told him to expect disaster. Bullets were going to fly, they said, drug dealers would emerge, and immigration services would need to be called to make arrests. "That's appalling when a positive situation is taking place in Antioch that people would see it in a negative light," Beard said. "When we do positive activities that families could be involved in, we can begin to pull the communities together around something other than the negative connotations we see in the papers. People in Antioch just haven't spoken up to say, 'Wait a minute, don't stigmatize me that way.' " Metro Police Chief Ronal Serpas said South Nashville and Antioch are as high a priority as anywhere else, and he's stepped up enforcement in areas known to breed crime. There have been improvements, Serpas said, but good things were already happening. "I've lived in other cities, and seen parts of a city get reputations that are completely undeserved," Serpas said. "I think that Antioch has probably gotten a little of that." Many crimes are down While the 37013 ZIP code saw spikes in violent and property crimes last year, police say they've seen reductions already this year. Antioch showed 16 rapes this time last year, compared with 12 this year; 96 robberies dropped to 83; and 177 aggravated assaults dwindled to 135. But homicides have increased, with three murders so far this year and none recorded through July last year, according to Metro police. Jim Hodge, a Metro councilman, says Antioch often takes the heat for nearby crime. "Anything from Nolensville Road over to Hermitage is suddenly Antioch," said Hodge, who lives in Tusculum and represents a portion of Antioch."If it bleeds it leads, and if it's anywhere near Antioch they're going to call it Antioch. I don't think it's a conscious decision, but people get to thinking in verbal shorthand." It's a stigma Melanie Ewing, 25, faces when she tells her friends she lives in Antioch.Usually, they cringe.She doesn't quite understand their reaction — it's not that bad, she said. She even had an opportunity to move to Hermitage but didn't take it. "I don't feel unsafe living here," Ewing said. "I just feel like it has a bad reputation. If you keep hearing about Antioch all the time, you think it's the worst place to be." Some residents worry Darryle Rucker, 66, tells a different story. He moved to Antioch 10 years ago for the nice neighborhood and the then-manicured lawns.Today, Rucker hears gunshots at night. Cars speed up and down his street. He plans to ask for more police presence; he and his wife are thinking about installing security windows and doors.Eventually, Rucker said, they may move to another part of town. It's only going to get worse, he said."It's headed towards another direction," Rucker said. Those competing emotions are what fuels Antioch Churches Together. It's a group of 15 pastors who meet weekly to cry and pray over Antioch. They worry the community's problems are intensifying, but at the same time, they see residents who are dedicated to making it a better place to live, work and play. "I think the day will come when the reports will be as good about Antioch as they have been bad," Sim Hassler said. "… I think people are going to be surprised."

Antioch Couple Survive Kidnapping

Suspects Force Man To Withdraw Cash From ATM POSTED: 7:42 am CDT June 16, 2008 UPDATED: 5:50 pm CDT June 16, 2008 Channel 4 News NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- Police said an Antioch man was kidnapped overnight at gunpoint and robbed by two men. Michael Ezekiel, 27, said that at about 3 a.m. Monday he was standing in the parking lot of the Mission of Hickory Highland apartment complex. At that time, Ezekiel said two men, Rickey Carr, 25, and Jonathan Lawrence, 21, approached and forced him to drive to a nearby Suntrust automatic teller machine to withdraw cash. When they arrived at the bank, the ATM was out of order, so the suspects forced Ezekiel to come back to the apartment complex. "I couldn’t get any money out. My hands were shaking. I was nervous and terrified, and none of the ATMs were working," he said. Ezekiel said the accused robbers then drove back to his girlfriend's apartment and got her debit card. One of the men stayed with the girlfriend, while the other suspect took Ezekiel to a U.S. Bank. "It was terrifying. I had never seen a gun outside a gun store," he said. Ezekiel was eventually able to break free from his captor. "I got a hold of his head, and I pulled him out, and I knew his torso was bent here, so I squatted down on him," he said. "I had him in a guillotine, and he was slipping. I tried to force him out, and I just put all my weight on him." He was able to steal his captor’s cell phone and call police. "I clocked him pretty good. I pulled him out of my car, like, by his neck. I really wanted to break his head off," he said. Authorities arrested both Carr and Lawrence, who have been charged with two counts of aggravated kidnapping and two counts of aggravated robbery. Lawrence's bond was set at $600,000. Additionally, Carr is charged with aggravated rape and attempted rape. His bond is set at $1 million. Police are also trying to determine if Carr and Lawrence may be linked to other crimes in the area. Copyright 2008 by WSMV.com. All rights reserved.This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed Video: Antioch Man Attacks, Escapes Kidnapper

Hickory Hollow Mall's Dillard's to close in August

By WENDY LEE • Staff Writer (Tennessean) • June 2, 2008 Dillard's Inc. confirmed on Monday it will be closing its Hickory Hollow Mall location in early August, as part of the company's plans to close eight underperforming stores nationwide. The 90 employees at the Antioch location will be transferred to Dillard's other four stores in the Nashville area, said Julie J. Bull, Dillard's Inc. spokeswoman. Dillard's opened its store in Hickory Hollow Mall in 1991, Bull said.

Keith Brooks of Antioch prepares for real-world experience

Keith Brooks of Antioch prepares for real-world experience Yvette Hayward • Reader Submitted • May 27, 2008 As of May 23, the office had 76 College of Engineering students scheduled to head out for their first work assignment this summer. Among them is Keith Brooks of Antioch. Brian Crawford, corporate recruiter for DENSO Manufacturing Tennessee, Inc., Maryville, spoke on company expectations and how to make a positive impression. DENSO works with automakers throughout their vehicle development process and has been placing UT College of Engineering students in co-op and internship positions for several years. In addition, experienced co-op students shared lessons they learned in the field, giving the "first timers" a peer perspective and affording them an opportunity to ask questions of those with first-hand experience in the program. For more information about the UT College of Engineering, Office of Professional Practice, visit www.coop.utk.edu on the Web or call (865) 974-5323.

Vandals spray-paint cars in Antioch neighborhood

Reported on WKRN Channel 2 News Residents in one Antioch neighborhood are calling for more police protection after vandals damaged several cars on their street. Several residents on Paddington Way, off Mt. View near Percy Priest Lake, woke up Thursday morning to find their cars spray-painted. Police woke up Samuel Sanford to tell him his truck had been vandalized. He broke the news to his wife, Karla. "He said someone just spray-painted our truck and my stomach just sunk," she said. The Sanford's are not the only ones who woke up with paint on their cars. Every single home on the one side of the street woke up with some kind of vandalism. Vandals hit one mailbox and all of the cars, trucks and SUVs left in the driveway or on Paddington Way. Brian Leedham said it is the fourth time his car has been hit. The vandals wrote the word "Crip" on several cars, further instilling fears of gang violence in some. Leedham, however, isn't convinced. "That's kids being kids," he said. "From my travels, I know what Crips and Bloods look like. Those are just copy cats. Crips and Bloods aren't interested in doing stuff like that." Metro police took pictures of the damage to determine if it is in fact gang activity. To see Video Click Here: http://www.wkrn.com/Global/story.asp?S=8331243&nav=menu5_2_2_3

Antioch house fire

Leigh Ray (Tennessean) • A man died after a house fire Thursday night on Roxanne Drive in Antioch. When firefighters arrived, neighbors were knocking on windows and doors trying to rouse the resident. Details: Nashville firefighters responded to the call shortly before 11 p.m. Thursday to a fire in the 500 block of Roxanne Drive, according to Nashville Fire Department spokesman Joaquin Toon. Several neighbors had called reporting the fire, with suspicion that the homeowner was still inside. When a fire crew arrived on the scene seven minutes after the call, the whole first floor was on fire, Toon said. Firefighters found a resident in a bedroom on the second floor. "We believe he might have been trying to exit the home because he was found on the floor of the bedroom and not his bed," Toon said. The cause of the fire has not been determined, but it appears to have started on the first floor because that floor sustained the most damage, Toon said. "We transported the victim with critical injuries and presumably smoke inhalation to Southern Hills (Medical Center), where he was pronounced dead," Toon said. No firefighters were injured, and no one else was in the home, fire and police officials said. When the first fire engine arrived, neighbors were knocking on windows and doors trying to rouse the resident, Toon said. Also, when fire crews arrived, they heard a smoke or heat alarm sounding. Fire officials are not certain if the resident could not hear the alarm or the fire was so bad it prevented him from exiting the home. Five fire stations from South Nashville responded to the fire, which was in a neighborhood located between Ocala Drive and Bell Road. The victim is believed to have been about 56 years old, Metro police said.

Antioch High School Prom

Antioch High School (prom) Time and date: 7-11 p.m., May 2 Location: Hilton Hotel downtown Theme: "A Radiant Night" with colors black, silver and blue Ticket prices: $50; $60 after spring break Interesting fact: Each year, the juniors raise money through the sale of prom tickets to pay for their "walk fees" at graduation. The school will be renting Belmont's Curb Center for its graduation this year.

Planning food for banquet is 'favorite part'

Ezell-Harding committee chooses details for junior/senior event By SUZANNE NORMAND BLACKWOOD • Staff Writer (Tennessean) • April 23, 2008 ANTIOCH — From deciding on the entertainment to the food to what the theme will be, planning for a junior/senior prom or banquet involves decisions, decisions, decisions. "We started out the year (with) a 'bajillion' magazines," said Ezell-Harding Christian School student Kenzie Blanks, who is the junior vice president and served on this year's planning committee for the school's junior/senior banquet. "We had to agree on a theme," she said, adding "Black Tie Affair" was the final choice. "We had to choose invitations and place cards," said Kristen Hensley, committee member and secretary of the junior class. "We actually went and tasted the food. There was a full menu, and you got to pick," added Jenna Fox, junior class president. "That was our favorite part." The school's banquet will be April 25 in the Millennium Maxwell House Hotel. Budgeting is a big concern In conjunction with the banquet, the juniors put together a CD for the seniors. "It's a slide show of pictures from their senior year," said Chelsea Shrum, junior class treasurer. "You always want to make it the best possible for our juniors and our seniors, because it's their last year," said Jenna. "The best we can with the budget we have," said Kristen. "Oh yes, that's the big thing, the budget," added Jenna. The students have had to find creative ways to pay for the banquet, which this year ran about $8,000. "We do cookie sales every Wednesday," said Kenzie. "We have 'cookie moms,' and they bake a 'bajillion' cookies. "Now, we're selling T-shirts for our powder puff football game." Supervision can be issue After the banquet, many students will gather at the home of one of the school's seniors, whose parents are hosting a post-banquet party. Other parents are helping to pay for the party. The post-banquet party is not a school-sponsored event. Although the post-banquet party for Ezell-Harding will have parental supervision, a common concern each year during prom or banquet is the lack of supervision of high school students. However, said Kathy Douglas, whose daughter Philista Berry is a senior at Antioch High School, the assumption that prom is a time when "girls go wild" is an exaggeration. "I think a lot of it is a myth," she said. Douglas said she trusts her daughter "to stay out of trouble," and hopes she has "fun — good, clean fun" at her prom. The junior/senior banquet is a time when "you get to see everyone at their best," said Kenzie. "You get to dress up. It's one day out of the school year you get to feel special," said Jenna. But Chelsea said it is "the memories" that make the junior/senior banquet a really special occasion.

Antioch choir joins with professional chorale

Concert Chorale of Nashville will perform with high school group By SUZANNE NORMAND BLACKWOOD • Staff Writer (Tennessean) • April 16, 2008 ANTIOCH — When all Metro high schools were invited last fall to apply for a chance to do a joint concert with the Concert Chorale of Nashville, "Antioch was clearly the school that was most interested," said chorale president Thomas Limbird. The school submitted letters written by its choral students, choir director and principal. As a result, the two choirs will offer a joint concert at St. Henry Catholic Church on Sunday, April 27. The concert will be the first in a new partnership between the Concert Chorale of Nashville and Metro Nashville Public Schools. Together, the two choirs will perform "American Mass" by Ron Kean. The piece is a "Missa Brevis" or "Short Mass" merging American hymns and spirituals with traditional choral liturgy. Separately, the Antioch choir will perform "My Luve's Like a Red, Red Rose" by Robert Burns and Rene Clausen and "Omnia Sol (Let Your Heart Be Staid) by Z. Randall Stroope" — two pieces it performed at the Middle Tennessee Vocal Association Choral Festival. The Concert Chorale will also perform some pieces separately, and an orchestra composed of local professional musicians will perform with the two choirs. "The opportunity for us is immense — first of all, to be working with professionals and to get to perform with professionals," said Connie McCain, Antioch High School choral director. McCain said this performance likely will be an experience the students will never forget, regardless of whether they go on to be professional musicians. "Music is a lifelong learning experience, and if you have a good start, then you have that desire to continue learning," she said. Students get extra exposure, experience "We have always been interested in fostering classical music," said Limbird. The partnership "seemed (like) another way to get people interested in vocal music." Limbird, a professor of surgery and chief of orthopedic surgery at Meharry Medical College, said the chorale's members are volunteers, and most have non-music careers during the day. But, he added, most of them have degrees in music, and all of them have been trained. In addition, "We almost all sing in our church choirs or other musical groups," he said. The two choirs have been rehearsing for the concert since January. Chorale director Sherry Kelly has been working with the Antioch students on their performance. Kelly, who used to teach music at Belmont University, formed the chorale with accompanist Linda Ford. "They have a very good choir director," said Kelly, referring to Antioch's McCain. "But when somebody comes in from the outside, I think it's great for the kids to be exposed (to that)," she said. Kelly said she likes the piece the two choirs have chosen to perform together. "I think they all really get a feel for what the piece is about," she said. Teacher says it's 'most talented . . . group' It's a piece that McCain has wanted her students to do for a long time. With a mixture of familiar Protestant tunes and traditional parts of the Mass, McCain said the students are getting a diverse cultural experience. Also, she said, she believes they are ready to do the work involved in this style of choral music. "This is the group to do it," she said. "This is the most talented and musically inclined group I've had." Nikeeta Tidwell, a senior, said she has enjoyed learning the Latin used in the Mass. She said she also honored that the chorale chose to do the concert with the Antioch choir. It's the first opportunity they've had to perform with a professional adult choir, and it shows that the chorale's members have confidence in them, she said. Nikeeta said Kelly has really challenged them. They really have to "know the music." Also, she said, she appreciates how McCain has challenged them and encouraged them in this endeavor. "It's something new to me," said senior Joshua McAdoo. "Her style of conducting is different from our director's style of conducting," he said about Kelly. Joshua said it's very different from the high school experience. This is what he expects studying choral music in college might be like. Joshua said he is glad that McCain is letting them do this. It shows that she really believes in them, he said. "It made me feel good about us as a choir."

Parolee charged in robbery attempt at drive-in restaurant

By KATE HOWARD • Staff Writer (Tennessean) • April 9, 2008 A parolee with a history of robbery convictions was ar rested early Tuesday on charges he and an accomplice assaulted employees of a Sonic restaurant in Antioch with a pipe during a robbery attempt. Lawrence Trent Taylor, 43, of Sugar Mill Drive was caught hiding in a Dumpster after a search by helicopter and police dogs following the incident. A second suspect has not been caught. According to police, Taylor and another person ordered a Sonic employee into a Dumpster about 12:35 a.m. outside the 1331 Bell Road restaurant and punched an employee who was checking the restrooms. A third worker in the restaurant was hit with a metal pipe but managed to put his as sailant into a headlock and push him toward the door. The employee retrieved a pistol from his car and fired shots at the man, police said. Police positioned themselves outside the restaurant and a police dog tracked the suspect to a nearby strip mall. He was found using infrared heat detection and was startled out of the Dumpster by a SWAT team. Taylor was arrested and probably will by charged with a parole violation. Two employees were treated for head injuries.