Wish List and Volunteer List

Here are two links for you to see if your are able to help in anyway. Wish list http://www.tennessean.com/article/20090330/NEWS01/903300339/1001/NEWS Volunteer List http://www.tennessean.com/article/20090330/NEWS01/903300339/1001/NEWS

Mayor optimistic Council will pass water bill

WKRN Channel 2 NEWS Nashville Mayor Karl Dean is optimistic his $555 million proposal to repair the city's aging water, sewer and stormwater system will pass the Metro Council. The plan, called the Clean Water Infrastructure Program, calls for spending $500 million over the next five years on water and sewer projects. To pay for it, residential water bills will go up nearly 8% this year, followed by smaller increases for the next two years. Plus, there will be a new monthly fee for stormwater repairs It pays for $50 million in stormwater projects over five years, and averages about $3 a month for residential users. "I am optimistic we will get the council to support this," he told a gathering of reporters prior to touring Nashville's Omohundro Water Treatment Plant Friday. The plant was built in 1889 served as a backdrop for a news conference Friday designed to pump up support for the project. "Some folks had advocated a 20% increase this year and we decided it would be better to spread out the increases overtime to minimize the impact on families," Mayor Dean said. From the depths of the old Omohundro plant next to the Cumberland River, the city's water director explained that half the cost of the project will be upgrading 3,000 miles of sewer pipes. Some pipes are more than a century old, and are prone to leaks, according to director Scott Potter. "All the stuff that goes into a toilet, all the stuff that goes into a sewer system we have got to pump it all and sometimes its not just water and that breaks stuff," said Potter. The Council is expected to consider the plan on the first of three readings on February 17. If approved by mid-March, the projects could begin by July 1.

Police foil alleged crime spree, arrest teens

WKRN News Channel 2 Antioch, Tenn. - Two teenage burglary suspects are in custody after an alleged crime spree Tuesday. Metro police said the teens broke into three homes in the Antioch area, stealing items like laptop computers, video game systems and big screen TVs. Authorities said they used church bulletins as a decoy when the approached the homes and if no one was home, they'd kick in the doors. "They would knock, if a person answered the door, they would show the bulletins, they would talk about their church and encourage the homeowner to attend their church," Metro police spokesperson Don Aaron explained. "If they got to the door and no one came to the door, they'd kick it in." Authorities said the suspects are 19 and 17 years old. The 17-year-old is a student at Whites Creek High School in Nashville. During the time of his arrest, police said the computer showed he was in school.

Metro Council OKs downtown noise bill

Vote on single beer sales is deferred By Michael Cass • THE TENNESSEAN • February 4, 2009 Downtown Nashville will be a bit quieter under legislation approved Tuesday by the Metro Council. But another bill backed by downtown quality-of-life advocates, a proposal to ban sales of single beers in the area, was delayed so sponsors can work to gather more support. The council unanimously approved the downtown noise ordinance, which represented a compromise after tourism officials balked at the first version of the bill. The final ordinance will limit recorded music to 85 decibels but won't restrict live music, one of Music City's calling cards. "It allows downtown residents to get a good night's sleep while preserving our reputation as a live-music mecca," said Councilman Mike Jameson, who represents downtown and sponsored the legislation. The council voted to defer the single-beer sales ban after adopting several amendments. Stores within the downtown interstate loop would be prohibited from selling single bottles or cans of beer. Supporters say the change would rein in vagrancy, litter, panhandling and public intoxication. The amendments call for the proposed law to expire in one year, and they remove an exception for craft and specialty beers that are often sold only as singles. But the changes didn't impress beer distributors, who remain opposed because they feel existing laws can address the problems cited by sponsors, lobbyist Joe Hall said. Councilwoman Erica Gilmore, the bill's lead sponsor, said she deferred it so the Nashville Area Chamber of Commerce and others can offer their opinions. "We're going to get some more weigh-in from other experts who deal with this in the city," Gilmore said. Tree ordinance approved In other business, the council:> >>Unanimously approved a residential tree density ordinance. It would require residential developers to put 14 tree units on each acre, excluding the building lots. A unit could contain one or more trees. Councilwoman Megan Barry, one of the sponsors, said the law gives developers incentives to save existing trees, which count more than new trees toward the density requirements. >> Deferred three bills concerning Habitat for Humanity's plans for a 350-house subdivision in northeast Nashville. Two of the bills would cancel Habitat's planned unit development district, forcing the organization to revise its plans, and rezone its land from multi-family to single-family, dramatically reducing the density. Metro attorneys advised the council to reject the bills, arguing that courts might rule the city targeted Habitat specifically and affected a particular class of people disproportionately. The Department of Law's memo said 93 percent of Habitat residents are members of minority groups.

Obama wants $500,000 executive pay cap at rescued firms

Associated Press • February 4, 2009 WASHINGTON -- President Barack Obama wants to impose a $500,000 pay cap on executives whose firms receive government financial rescue funds, a dramatic intervention into corporate governance in the midst of financial crisis. The new restrictions, described by an administration official familiar with the new rules, are to be announced Wednesday morning at the White House. The steps set the stage for the administration's unveiling next week of a new framework for spending the money that remains in the $700 billion financial rescue fund. "If the taxpayers are helping you, then you've got certain responsibilities to not be living high on the hog," President Barack Obama said Tuesday. The move comes amid a national outcry over extravagant bonuses for executives heading companies seeking taxpayer dollars to remain solvent. Call it the maximum wage for some high-earners. The administration official, speaking on the condition of anonymity because the plan had not yet been made public, said the most restrictive limits would apply only to struggling large firms that receive "exceptional assistance" in the future. Healthy banks that receive government infusions of capital would have more leeway. Firms that want to pay executives above the $500,000 threshold would have to compensate them with stock that could not be sold or liquidated until they pay back the government funds, the official said. The president and members of Congress have been weighing various proposals to restrict chief executives' compensation as one of the conditions of receiving help under the $700 billion financial bailout fund. The desire for limits was reinforced by revelations that Wall Street firms paid more than $18 billion in bonuses in 2008 even while struggling with the economic downturn. Banks and other financial institutions that receive capital infusions, but are considered healthy, could waive the $500,000 salary cap and the stock restrictions under the new Obama rules. But the companies would have to disclose the compensation and submit the pay plan to shareholders for a nonbinding vote. The administration will also propose long-term compensation restrictions even for companies that don't receive government assistance. According to the official, the proposals include: -- Requiring top executives at financial institutions to hold stock for several years before they can cash out. -- Requiring nonbinding "say on pay" resolutions -- that is, giving shareholders more say on executive compensation. -- A Treasury-sponsored conference on a long-term overhaul of executive compensation. Top officials at companies that have received money from the government's Troubled Asset Relief Program already face some compensation limits. But elected officials want to place more caps. "I do know this: We can't just say, 'Please, please,"' said Sen. Claire McCaskill, D-Mo., who has proposed that no employee of an institution that receives money under the $700 billion federal bailout can receive more than $400,000 in total compensation until it pays the money back. The figure is equivalent to the salary of the president of the United States. Compensation experts in the private sector have warned that such an intrusion into the internal decisions of financial institutions could discourage participation in the rescue program and slow down the financial sector's recovery. They also argue that it could set a precedent for government regulation that undermines performance-based pay. "It's not a government takeover," Obama stressed in an interview Tuesday with CNN. "Private enterprise will still be taking place. But people will be accountable and responsible." Even some Republicans, angered by company decisions to pay bonuses and buy airplanes while receiving government help, have few qualms about restrictions. "In ordinary situations where the taxpayers' money is not involved, we shouldn't set executive pay," said Sen. Richard Shelby of Alabama, the top Republican on the Senate Banking Committee. "But where you've got federal money involved, taxpayers' money involved, TARP money involved, and the way they have spent it, with no accountability, is getting close to being criminal."

Dell to close part of Lebanon facility as PC sales slow

By Wendy Lee • THE TENNESSEAN • January 30, 2009 Dell Inc. said it plans to close the part of its Lebanon, Tenn., facility that manufactures desktop computers on Friday, due to weaker sales for the products. The closure will move 250 to 300 employees from Lebanon to Nashville, Dell spokesman Ken Bissell said. Some employees who previously built desktop computers would now either be boxing, shipping or handling materials in the company's Nashville distribution center off Murfreesboro Road, he said. The news comes as overall demand for PCs industrywide has declined, hurt by falling home prices, weaker stock values and skittish consumer confidence, said Framingham, Mass.-based research firm IDC. All that leads to deteriorating credit in the corporate world and depressed consumer spending. Dell's shipments of personal computers have slipped 6.3 percent compared with a year ago, according to IDC. "We're managing our volumes (manufacturing operations) by shifting capacities to other production facilities," said Bissell, who declined to give specifics. Way to reduce costs The Lebanon facility has manufactured desktops since it opened in 1999. The remaining workers there will continue to refurbish desktop PCs, with about 250 to 300 employees remaining in Lebanon, Bissell said. Employees were informed earlier this week and the transition to the Nashville facility begins next week, Bissell said. The decision is part of a larger initiative within Dell to reduce operating costs. Dell announced last March it would have $3 billion in planned cost reductions by the end of fiscal 2011. Dell's net income declined 5 percent to $727 million during its third quarter ending Oct. 31, compared with a year earlier. Third-quarter revenues declined 3 percent to about $15.2 billion, the company said. Dell has four Tennessee facilities, including the one in Lebanon, plus two distribution centers in Nashville, and a call center here that houses sales and technical support staff.

Davidson library drive brings in 22 tons in food donations

Food for Fines, the food drive organized by the Nashville Public Library, generated more than 22 tons of food for the Second Harvest Food Bank. Trading one food item for each $1 owned in overdue fines, library patrons donated over 45,000 pounds of food. The January effort was one of the top campaigns of the past five years for the nonprofit organization, library officials said. — NANCY DEVILLE ndeville@tennessean.com

Metro refusing to release donor list in English-only campaign

Tennessean The group that campaigned to make English the official language of Nashville filed its overdue lists of donors and expenditures today, but Metro attorneys refused to release the information. The exact reason for the delay was unclear. Davidson County Election Administrator Ray Barrett said the Metro Law Department had instructed him not to release Nashville English First’s campaign financial disclosure forms to The Tennessean and other media outlets that requested them. Barrett said attorneys had cited a letter Nashville English First President Jon Crisp sent the election commission on Jan. 15, the day the disclosure was due. Crisp asked for an extension, saying his group’s donors could be subjected to threats if their names were released before the election. Metro Law Director Sue Cain could not be reached for comment Monday evening. The proposed Metro Charter amendment would have required the city to do business in English only. Voters rejected the idea by a 9,000-vote margin Thursday. Contact Michael Cass at 615-259-8838 or mcass@tennessean.com.

Zoo gives free admission to seniors

Because of popular demand, Nashville Zoo and HealthSpring announce a second "Senior Day" at the Zoo. From 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. today, Sept. 26, all guests 65 or older will receive free admission to the zoo. In addition, seniors may also receive vouchers from HealthSpring for complimentary food and beverages. Keeper talks will be at various animal exhibits throughout the day, and three animal shows will be presented in the zoo's amphitheater. The young and young-at-heart can also enjoy rides on the Wild Animal Carousel and adventures through Lorikeet Landing with more than 50 Australian parrots. For details, call 833-1534 or visit www.nashvillezoo.org.

Fall festivals usher in the season

Antioch UMC fair joins in fun of low-cost community activities this time of year By SUZANNE NORMAND BLACKWOOD • Staff Writer (Tennessean) • September 16, 2008 About 20 years ago, the Antioch United Methodist Church Fall Fair began with just a few booths. "We started out very simple," said event coordinator Mary Jane Hurt. Now, she said, "at least 1,000 people go through our doors," a number about four times as big as the church's congregation. Antioch United Methodist Church will join many other churches, schools and non-profit organizations throughout the country in a tradition that celebrates harvest time, a time to reap the rewards of hard labor. Ann Dale, director of the Tennessee Agricultural Museum, which has its Music and Molasses Festival each October, attributes the strong tradition of fall festivals to several reasons. "Fall is a new season. You've got the crisp air. It's a happy time for school children. They're back in school. Also, added Dale, fall festivals have always been a tradition of farm life. "It's at time when farm families are harvesting crops." This year's Antioch United Methodist Church Fall Fair will be Oct. 4 and will feature a flea market; a bake sale; a craft store; live and silent auctions; and a barbecue luncheon. There will also be a farmers' market with local produce, homemade jams and jellies, and locally produced honey. Children's activities will include a dress-up area, inflatables, pony rides and carnival games. Church fair serves fundraiser Church members start planning for each year's festival immediately after the festival of the previous year, said the Rev. Jay Voorhees, the church's pastor. Much discussion goes into planning the menu and coordinating the flea market, craft store, bake sale and the carnival, he said. Members must also begin contacting local vendors for donations toward the auctions. The event serves as a fundraiser, with the first 10 percent being used as a tithe. After that, "whatever we make, we'll give half of that away," Voorhees said. For the past five years, the church has given more than half of its proceeds to charities outside the church. Last year, it gave more than $10,000 to local agencies. Organizations that have benefited include The Campus for Human Development, Community Care Fellowship, Feed America First, Second Harvest Food Bank and the Bethlehem Center's Camp Dogwood project. There is no charge for admission to the event. Proceeds mostly come from the flea market, bake sale, auctions and food sales, Voorhees said. Auction affected some by economy Voorhees said a slow economy generally does not affect attendance, although it does make it harder to get donations for the auctions. But even so, there is not a particular fundraising goal, he said. The main purpose of the festival is to serve as an outreach opportunity. The festival is publicized citywide, although most who attend live in Southeast Davidson County. "This is a big deal for us," said Voorhees, adding it allows the church to form relationships that otherwise might not exist. Given the church's location, "it's very easy to become insulated from the world around us," he said. "We see this as a way to get involved in the surrounding neighborhood. Our Fall Fair is a means by which we invite our neighbors to come sit awhile and talk." Some of the fair's guests end up joining the church, said Hurt. "(They) like what they see and come back to stay with us," she said. The fair, Voorhees said, "gives us an opportunity to show love to our neighbors in real and tangible ways."

Many Nashville-area stations run out of gas

By KATE HOWARD • Staff Writer (Tennessean) • September 15, 2008 Rapidly rising gasoline prices became a moot point at some Middle Tennessee markets this weekend as the stations ran out of gas. Nashville-area stations started feeling the effects of Hurricane Ike on Friday, the morning the storm bore down on Texas. Many stores in Williamson County have been out of gas since that night, and pumps across Nashville have been bagged to let consumers know they can't fill up there. "It seems to be pretty much countywide," said Williamson County Sheriff's Cpl. Mark Livengood. "Several (stations) are out of everything but premium, and several are just completely out." Livengood said the shortage hasn't led to any law enforcement problems, and officers haven't seen any increase in stranded motorists. But travelers are frustrated. "Friday and Saturday, we had people coming in and saying they couldn't find gas anywhere," said Ashley Felts, a cashier at the Mapco Express on Hillsboro Road in Franklin, which has been out of fuel since Friday. "They were using our phone book." Shortages have been reported across Nashville as well, including at stations in the West End area and in Donelson. Many are stores in the Mapco chain. A Mapco representative couldn't be reached Sunday night and other industry sources were not available to explain the reasons for the shortages. Metro boosts reserves Hurricane Ike battered the heart of the U.S. oil industry: Federal officials said a number of production platforms in the Gulf of Mexico were destroyed, though it was too soon to know how seriously that would affect oil and gas prices. Pump prices jumped above $5 per gallon in some parts of the country Sunday as the hurricane, which caused less destruction than feared, left refineries and pipelines idled. Fuel reserves for Metro Nashville vehicles have been increased at the request of Mayor Karl Dean, to ensure that gas is available for the city's public safety officers, Metro police spokesman Don Aaron said. "If an officer has difficulty finding fuel at neighborhood gas stations, he or she can drive to a government pump," Aaron said. While Nashville Fire Department officials have noticed the bagged pumps, drivers have been diligent about topping off their trucks, said spokesman Ricky Taylor. "We're trying to stay on top of it, because we know it could get critical on us also," Taylor said. Far beyond areas struck directly by high winds and flooding, Ike left behind a bizarre pattern of prices at gas pumps, with disparities of more than $1 a gallon in some states, and even on some blocks. "We're on the other side of the looking glass," said Claire Raines, who lives near Knoxville. "I just passed three gas stations with prices that ran from about $3.50 to close to $5 within walking distance." Differences of more than $1 a gallon in the price of regular gas were reported in Smyrna and Nashville. Average prices exceeded $4 per gallon in Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, South Carolina, Hawaii and Alaska, according to auto club AAA, the Oil Price Information Service and Wright Express. States fed directly by refineries along the Gulf Coast were particularly hard hit and supply may be sporadic for the next few weeks with refineries shut down, said Tom Kloza, chief oil analyst with the Oil Price Information Service. Whatever pain is being felt at U.S. gas pumps probably will be a very brief phenomenon, analysts said. The Associated Press contributed to this report.Contact Kate Howard at 615-726-8968 or kahoward@tennessean.com.

Teen hospitalized after ingesting unknown liquid

WKRN Channel 2 Sep 8, 2008 01:37 PM CDT A 16-year-old junior at Antioch High School in Nashville was transported to the hospital Monday after ingesting what police are calling a "liquid intoxicant." Police said the student vomited during class and had slow cognitive functions but did not loose consciousness. The student told police he bought the liquid from a fellow student in the parking lot before the start of school Monday. He was unable to give the seller's name. Police said an investigation is underway. Last Wednesday, a 17-year-old McGavock High School student was rushed to the hospital after ingesting a liquid believed to have affects similar to the drug Ecstasy. The previous Friday two teens became ill at the Maury County Fair after ingesting what is believed to be a similar liquid. The liquid is thought to be homemade and contain butanediol. Side effects of the drug can include red, puffy or blotchy skin, especially around the face. Police have not said whether the Antioch student ingested a similar liquid.

Briefs: Music City Star will run on Titans game days

Music City Star Game Day Express tickets are now available for special trains in September that will run on dates the Tennessee Titans play home football games. FiftyForward Donelson Station and Donelson-Hermitage Chamber of Commerce are among those selling tickets. Tickets are also available at the Riverfront Station 6:30-9 a.m. and 3:30-6 p.m. weekdays. They can be purchased online at www.MusicCityStar.com. Tickets are $15 a person roundtrip and $20 a person on game day. Regular Music City Star tickets are not valid for the Game Day Express. The train will leave Lebanon at 10 a.m., the Martha station at 10:15 a.m., Mt. Juliet 10:25 a.m., Hermitage 10:35 a.m. and Donelson 10:50 a.m. and arrive at Riverfront Station at 11:05 a.m. The train will leave Riverfront Station 45 minutes after the game concludes

Soles4Souls partners with Shoe Carnival to donate money and shoes

Nashville-based charity Soles4Souls said Monday it will partner with Shoe Carnival next month to raise money and donate used shoes for people in need. The program launches Sept. 3 and ends Sept. 24. Customers can donate money at any participating Shoe Carnival store. Customers can also donate "gently worn shoes" and receive a $5 coupon at the stores, Soles4Souls said. Soles4Souls said with a $2 donation, one of 300 million children in the world without shoes can receive their first pair of shoes.

No Child Left Behind meeting for parents scheduled tomorrow

Parents can attend an informational meeting on No Child Left Behind this Tuesday, Aug. 19, from 6:30-8 p.m. The Metro Nashville Public Schools Federal Programs Office will host the meeting in the board room at the Central Administration Building, 2601 Bransford Ave. Through NCLB, students zoned for schools listed as High Priority have the option to attend a different school in the district. The law requires these schools offer Supplemental Educational Services, such as tutoring programs, for all students. Parents will learn what Choice is, the stipulations and regulations surrounding Choice, where students attending High Priority schools are eligible to transfer and transportation options surrounding Choice. The forum will provide information on how schools become targeted as High Priority, and parents will receive a tutoring request packet and information on how to choose the best tutoring service. All state approved tutoring services have also been invited to attend. Parents unable to attend the meeting can contact the SES Coordinator at their child’s school for more information.

Suspect sought in vending machine break-ins

Metro Police are searching for the person or people responsible for a rash of vending machine break-ins at apartment complexes and car washes in South Nashville. Video surveillance photos from one of the cases show a young white man with short hair, who police suspect to be involved with the break-ins. Police said the getaway vehicle is a white Chevrolet Cavalier convertible with a black top. Anyone with information about the thefts should contact South Precinct Investigations at 862-7763 or Crime Stoppers at 74-CRIME.

Communities Unite To Fight Crime

Channel 5 NASHVILLE, Tenn. - Hundreds of people marched in Antioch and attended a rally targeting youth violence Tuesday. The event was part of the National Night Bishop Joseph Warren Walker, III, senior pastor of Mount Zion Baptist Church Out Against Crime observance nationwide. Neighborhood associations and community groups across the country took part in celebrations and special events to mark the 25th annual national observance. Among the events Metro Police Chief Ronal Serpas attended was a community wide collaboration in Antioch targeting youth violence. Participants marched along Bell Road and attended a rally at Hickory Hollow Mall. It was a march with a message that attracted hundreds of people. "It's a hard thing to see your community going down and see so many young people being mislead," said Alicia Bell. "To see people wiling to come out means that people are ready to do something, not just talk about it, but really put some programs behind, put some structure behind it," said Bishop Joseph Warren Walker, III, senior pastor of Mount Zion Baptist Church, which sponsored the event. Metro Councilwoman Vivian Wilhoite and her constituents, Hickory Hollow Mall, Regions Bank and Americhoice were the other major sponsors. Community and faith partners included Iglesia Monte Los Olivos, Antioch United Methodist Church as well as Metro Schools, Oasis Center and the Nashville Area Hispanic Chamber of Commerce. The latest juvenile crime statistics show the number of juveniles arrested for robbery is down 18 percent compared to this time last year. Juvenile arrests for violent crimes are down 28 percent. "But we've got to be truthful with the public, with the families," Serpas said. "Because the children who are still being arrested for violent crime, they're still very violent kids." "We're all in this together," said Nashville Mayor Karl Dean. "We're a community and we need to work together to improve schools and to improve public safety." Elsewhere in Middle Tennessee, people gathered to also observe National Night Out Against Crime within their communities. Police officers and firefighters joined area neighbors in Stanford Estates on Downey Meade Court in the Donelson area. There were activities for children including a bike parade. But the heat forced one city to cancel their activities. The Cookeville Police Department planned an event at their headquarters. The department plans to reschedule, but an alternate date wasn't announced Tuesday.

WHY YOU SHOULD ATEND "FED UP" NATIONAL NIGHT OUT AGAINST CRIME?

Top Ten Reasons you should attend:

1. to help your community
2. to help your community
3. to help your community
4. to help your community
5. to help your community
6. to help your community
7. to help your community
8. to help your community
9. to help your community
10. to help your community

SEE YOU ALL THERE!

Hope to see you all there,

Vivian

Signs, Signs, Everywhere there are Signs...

Please keep our district free of these signs. They will taken away if they are seen...

Early Saturday Morning, people volunteered their time to take down the signs...Let us keep our community sign free.......

Sunday June 29 2008 At the Historic Ellis Garage

Mayor Karl Dean

Council Member Vivian Wilhoite

and the

Una neighborhood Watch/Association

Invite you to the

Dedication and Unveiling of the UNA Historical Marker

Sunday June 29, 2008

3:00 PM

At the Historic Ellis Garage

Corner of Smith Springs and old Murfeesboro Roads

Parking available at UNA Elementary School

2018 Murfreesboro Road

We hope you will join us!

Photo by Mindy Schwartz