Davidson County crime log for July 31-Aug. 3, 2008

CRIME LOG These are the most serious calls handled by the Metro police, listed by time, crime reported and address. Some reports may be unfounded. Police calls are listed by police precinct or town. When police cannot immediately determine the location of a crime, the address given is that of the police station or hospital where the crime was reported. Antioch 5:37 p.m., holdup/robbery, 900 block Richards Road South 9:08 a.m., holdup/robbery, 800 block Hamilton Crossings 11:52 a.m., nonresidential burglary, 10600 block Concord Road 2:50 p.m., holdup/robbery, 1800 block Air Lane Drive 3:27 p.m., holdup/robbery, 800 block Hamilton Crossings 5:42 p.m., hazardous leak, 2900 block Hamilton Church Road 10:03 p.m., residential burglary, 2900 block Zermatt Avenue 10:23 p.m., residential burglary, 2400 block Haskell Drive 10:27 p.m., residential burglary, 1300 block Zermatt Avenue Donelson 11:25 p.m., residential burglary, 3000 block Casa Drive Hermitage 5:14 p.m., residential burglary, 6000 block Old Hickory Boulevard 9:19 p.m., residential burglary, 6000 block Old Hickory Boulevard South 6:11 a.m., cutting/stabbing, 1200 block Murfreesboro Pike 8:35 a.m., nonresidential burglary, 14900 block Old Hickory Boulevard 9:56 p.m., residential burglary, 900 block Arbor Creek Way 10:51 p.m., shooting, 1000 block Patricia Drive Antioch 1:23 p.m., residential burglary, 5600 block Deer Valley Trail 3:30 p.m., residential burglary, 1400 block Clapham Court Donelson 1:37 a.m., nonresidential burglary, 100 block McGavock Pike 7:42 a.m., nonresidential burglary, 100 block McGavock Pike Priest Lake 1:07 a.m., residential burglary, 3400 block Towneship Road South 12:20 a.m., residential burglary, 900 block Winthorne Drive 12:20 a.m., holdup/robbery, 600 block Arbor Creek Way 1:14 a.m., residential burglary, 100 block Plus Park Boulevard 2:39 a.m., holdup/robbery, 500 block Bell Road 5:03 p.m., residential burglary, 500 block Glastonbury Road Antioch 10:50 a.m., residential burglary, 1300 block Rural Hill Road Hermitage 12:45 p.m., residential burglary, 7000 block Bonnalake Drive South 4:14 p.m., holdup/robbery, 5300 block Hickory Hollow Parkway 10:20 p.m., residential burglary, 2300 block Green Trails Court

Voters go to polls today

THE BALLOT Tennessee voters will choose Democratic and Republican candidates for U.S. House races; decide which Democrat will oppose Republican U.S. Sen. Lamar Alexander in November; vote in party primaries for state House and some state Senate seats; and choose five Metro Nashville school board members, the Williamson County sheriff and other county officials. HOW TO VOTE Opening times vary by county, but all close at 7 p.m. Central time. Voters who are in line by 7 p.m. will be permitted to cast ballots. In Davidson County, polls open at 7 a.m. VOTER INFO Contact the Davidson County Election Commission at 862-8800. For other counties, contact information is available at Contact the Davidson County Election Commission at 862-8800. For other counties, contact information is available at http://tnsos.org/elections/election_commissions.php. ACTION LINE To report poll problems and successes, contact Jenny Upchurch at action@tennessean.com or 726-5970. Search ACTION for her blog. ONLINE For last-minute information on the Metro Nashville school board and Williamson County sheriff races, search ELECTIONS for profiles and Q&As with the candidates. Plus, go to Tennessean.com for news updates. After 7 p.m., look for results, video and photos. — MICHAEL CASS and JAIME SARRIO(Tennessean)

Man fatally stabbed at Antioch restaurant

Metro police said that a man came into a restaurant in Antioch Wednesday night to settle a drug debt and ended up fatally stabbing an employee who tried to defuse a confrontation. Suspect caught Metro police spokesman Don Aaron said that a suspect was taken into custody on Interstate 24 after he fled the O'Charley's restaurant at 923 Bell Road in a pickup truck. Police identified David Kimball, 28, whose last known address is in Nashville, as the suspect charged overnight in the slaying case. 'Innocent employee' was killed Aaron gave this account of information that police have gathered:At 9:20 p.m. Wednesday, the suspect came to the restaurant and began banging on an exterior window, evidently attempting to gain the attention of a waiter who, police are told, owed the suspect a "drug debt." The suspect wound up inside the restaurant, where he was confronted by another employee. That person, believed to be one of the cooks, was not on duty but was at the restaurant to socialize with friends. "The innocent employee was attempting to defuse or divert any confrontation" between the suspect and the waiter, Aaron said. The suspect pulled out a knife and fatally stabbed the innocent employee, Aaron said. Victim died at scene Aaron said that 911 was called at 9:30 p.m., and when police and ambulance arrived, the employee, who was in his late 30s, was already deceased inside the restaurant. Witnesses brought after vehicle stopped The suspect fled the restaurant in a red Ford pickup truck, and witnessed provided a very good description to officers, Aaron said. A North Precinct lieutenant and an East Precinct officer spotted a vehicle matching the description as they traveled on I-24 near downtown and stopped it near the James Robertson Parkway exit.Witnesses were brought to that scene and identified the man in the pickup as the individual who stabbed the victim, Aaron said. The suspect, Kimball, was taken to the South Precinct and interviewed. He was charged in night court downtown during the night. A concerned community Aaron acknowledged the community's "Fed Up" rally against crime Tuesday night in which hundreds of people showed their support. Aaron said that the "root cause" of Wednesday night's events was a dispute "between two individuals who knew each other, we are told." There was nothing the community could have done to prevent the actions he said. He reaffirmed the Police Department's commitment to the Antioch and Hickory Hollow communities.At the time of the attack, the restaurant was still open, and about 40 people were inside, Aaron said. No one else was hurt. — LEIGH RAY Leigh Ray can be reached at 615-726-5951 or lray@tennessean.com

Video Of the Fed Up Walk to Hickory Hollow Mall

To watch video from Channel 5 regarding the walk to Hickory Hollow and other Group Activity around our Community. http://www.newschannel5.com/Global/story.asp?S=8795608

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.

Groups Mark National Night Out Against Crime

Here are some of the pictures from the walk that started at Media Play and ended at the Hickory Hollow Mall.

Photos by Mindy Schwartz

Citywide parties seek to unite citizens, police against crime

By KATE HOWARD • Staff Writer (Tennessean) • August 5, 2008 Post a CommentRecommend Print this page E-mail this article Share this article: Del.icio.us Facebook Digg Reddit Newsvine What’s this? Communities across Nashville and the nation will be taking to the streets tonight in a show of force against crime. It's the 25th annual National Night Out Against Crime, and the 14th year Nashvillians have taken part with block parties around the city. There are 45 parties planned in Nashville alone, sponsored by community groups and neighborhood watches hoping to foster a better sense of togetherness — with one another and the police. "It's a good opportunity for people in the community to network, so to speak, with the police, fire department and merchants in the area as well," said Marty Lang, vice president of the Dickerson Road Merchants Association and a sponsor of the celebration today at 4 p.m. at Shwab Elementary School. "The most important thing is giving people and their kids the opportunity to meet the police and realize they're the good guys." The Shwab event, the unofficial kickoff and one of the city's largest, may see up to 1,200 people stop by for food, children's games and camaraderie. Metro Police Chief Ronal Serpas said the department will be represented at each of the events, with patrol officers, commanders and recruiters making appearances, as well as departments like the mounted patrol and aviation. "This is an opportunity for the neighborhoods of Nashville and the police to come together and celebrate that we're making great strides in reducing crime," said Serpas, who will attend at least two events tonight. "But even though we're well into our fifth year of crime reduction, not everyone has felt that reduction yet." One neighborhood that Serpas and community leaders say is better than its reputation is using the night to bring attention to a movement against teen violence. Antioch leaders are holding a "Fed Up" march, ending with a rally in the Hickory Hollow Mall parking lot. "We want to bring the entire Antioch community to fellowship as one, and also let Nashville and the community know that they are fed up about this silliness, these crimes, and also recognize what some of the causes are," said Darrell Walker, overseer of the children and youth ministry at Mt. Zion Baptist Church. The Hickory Hollow event will be heavy on participation from service agencies, offering help to parents struggling to reign in their teenagers, and entertainment to bring families together. Walker hopes it will give purpose to those in need of assistance and serve as a positive example that Antioch is making changes. If nothing else, the community gathering is a means for the city to speak in one voice that crime is not welcome , Serpas said. "The social underpinning of reduced crime is active neighborhoods," Serpas said. "The criminals will find someplace else to go. We can control our streets together." Contact Kate Howard at 615-726-8968 or kahoward@tennessean.com.

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

Davidson County crime log for July 24-27, 2008

CRIME LOG These are the most serious calls handled by the Metro police, listed by time, crime reported and address. Some reports may be unfounded. Police calls are listed by police precinct or town. When police cannot immediately determine the location of a crime, the address given is that of the police station or hospital where the crime was reported. Antioch 4:27 a.m., nonresidential burglary, 900 block Richards Road 8:10 a.m., nonresidential burglary, 900 block Richards Road 8:37 a.m., holdup/robbery, 2500 block Murfreesboro Pike 11:25 a.m., holdup/robbery, 2600 block Murfreesboro Pike 10:29 p.m., holdup/robbery, 100 block Hickory Highlands Drive 10:33 p.m., holdup/robbery, 500 block Piccadilly Row Central 12:04 a.m., shooting, 700 block South 12th Street 9:42 a.m., holdup/robbery, 500 block Murfreesboro Pike 12:07 p.m., residential burglary, 300 block Interstate Drive 1:20 p.m., residential burglary, 1000 block West Eastland Avenue 8:28 p.m., holdup/robbery, 600 block South 11th Street Donelson 6:30 p.m., holdup/robbery, 10 block Century Blvd. 9:50 p.m., holdup/robbery, 900 block Allen Road South 2:27 p.m., nonresidential burglary, 1000 block Old Tree Court 10:40 p.m., holdup/robbery, 600 block Bell Road Antioch 12:59 a.m., holdup/robbery, 800 block Richards Road 2:16 a.m., holdup/robbery, 1100 block Bell Road Donelson 3:57 a.m., holdup/robbery, Donelson Pike and Hangar Lane 4:45 p.m., holdup/robbery, 2800 block Lebanon Pike Hermitage 12:57 a.m., rape, Shute Lane 9:24 a.m., residential burglary, 5600 block Old Hickory Boulevard South 7:29 p.m., holdup/robbery, 500 block Bell Road Antioch 2:26 p.m., holdup/robbery, 2400 block Murfreesboro Pike Hermitage 4:55 p.m., residential burglary, 500 block Arbor Lake Boulevard 7:19 p.m., residential burglary, 3300 block Lakeside Place South 2:07 a.m., holdup/robbery, 700 block Space Park South Drive 2:48 p.m., nonresidential burglary, 400 block Metroplex Drive 4:18 p.m., residential burglary, 5900 block Pettus Road 5:36 p.m., residential burglary, 600 block Bell Road 8:57 p.m., holdup/robbery, 1000 block Murfreesboro PikeTusculum Hermitage 6:34 a.m., residential burglary, 4700 block Lebanon Pike 11:10 a.m., residential burglary, 1000 block Arbor Lake Boulevard 10:19 p.m., holdup/robbery, 300 block Monaco Drive 11:50 p.m., cutting/stabbing, 900 block Brooke Valley Court South 12:09 a.m., residential burglary, 1000 block Goodbar Drive 7:13 a.m., nonresidential burglary, 1600 block Murfreesboro Pike 5:47 p.m., residential burglary, 6600 block Holt Road 7:52 p.m., holdup/robbery, 500 block Bell Road

Wooded Rapist suspect set for trial

By CHRIS ECHEGARAY • Staff Writer (Tennessean)• July 31, 2008 The man accused of being the Wooded Rapist is now scheduled to go to trial in April 2009 in Davidson County Criminal Court. Judge Seth Norman will conduct the trial. Robert Jason Burdick, 38, is suspected in at least 13 rapes and faces related charges stemming from attacks between 1994 and 2008 in Davidson, Williamson and Wilson counties. He has been held without bail since his May 1 arrest on Interstate 24 in Rutherford County. Burdick is charged with seven counts of aggravated rape, two counts of attempted aggravated rape, two counts of aggravated burglary, especially aggravated kidnapping and attempted rape in Davidson County.

What's new at Southeast Davidson schools?

By SUZANNE NORMAND BLACKWOOD sblackwood@tennessean.com 259-8268 • August 1, 2008 New principal takes over at Apollo Middle As the new principal of Apollo Middle School, Ron Woodard has three main items on his agenda. "We're hoping to increase student achievement, parental involvement and community support," he said. The school did not meet average yearly progress in reading or math under the federal No Child Left Behind benchmarks. Woodard, who was previously an assistant principal at Maplewood High School, said he would be focusing on ways to make sure that doesn't happen again. "We hope to use a variety of methods to meet our goals," he said. "The first step is to build a sense of pride and continue in the great tradition this school was founded upon." At Thomas Edison and Mt. View elementary schools, Principals Ronald Powe and Kim Fowler are hoping to raise the bar for their students. First, said Powe, following in the tradition of the school's namesake, "I want to highlight the fact that we have a science and math fair." This year, though, "we want to enhance our emphasis on science and math," he said. "We want to take it to another level, not just within the school, but to competition at the district and state levels." Powe said there would be interventions, not only for students who are not meeting the benchmarks in reading, language arts and math, but also for students who are exceeding them. "We want to bring the floor up, but we also want to raise the ceiling," he said. Powe said the school would be using TCAP and other test scores "to validate our teaching, but also to help us hone in on areas where we might not perform as effectively as we would like to." A change for both Edison and Mt. View this year is Mt. View lost some of its English Language Learners to Edison. Previously, ELL students were assigned to certain schools that served as ELL centers. Now, they go to the schools for which they are zoned. Powe said some faculty members are being trained to work with ELL students. "We want to welcome parents and students who traditionally have gone to an ELL center," he said. Apollo Middle School Address: 631 Richards Road Phone: 333-5025 Web site: www.apolloms.mnps.org Principal: Ron Woodard Enrollment: 450-500 students What's new for 2008-09: Apollo has a new principal and three new faculty members for science, art and language arts. Mascot: Astros School colors: Red, white and blue Optional shirt colors: Red, blue and green Orientation: 9 a.m.-noon Monday, Aug. 4 Thomas Edison Elementary School Address: 6130 Mt. View Road Phone: 501-8800 Web site: www.thomasedisones.mnps.org Principal: Ronald Powe Enrollment: 600-625 students What's new for 2008-09: Edison has a new assistant principal, Rebecca Welch, because former assistant principal, Robin Shumate, is now principal at Lakeview Elementary. The school also has a new reading specialist, ELL teacher, music teacher, band teacher, second-grade teacher and first-grade teacher. Mascot: Lightbulb Motto: "Where Bright Futures Grow" School colors: Red and yellow Optional shirt colors: Red, yellow, black and pink Mt. View Elementary School Address: 3820 Murfreesboro Road Phone: 641-9393 Principal: Kim Fowler Enrollment: about 850 students What's new for 2008-09: Mt. View has a new math specialist; three new fourth-grade teachers; a new PTA president; and a new PENCIL partner, Vastland Realty. The school offered the SMART program for kindergartners last year but will expand it this year to include first-graders. The program, which is based on the multiple intelligences theory, uses different learning stations that require kids to use their motor and sensory skills. The school will offer BrainPop, an online animated educational site in English and Spanish that helps students with science, reading, writing, social studies and health. Parents will be able to access the program from home. The school also has a new computer lab, and all classrooms will have LCD projectors. Mascot: Mountain lions School colors: Green and white Optional shirt colors: Green, red, yellow and pink Preview night: 5:30-7 p.m., Aug. 7

Shoppers line up for tax-free sales

State's weak economy endangers holiday By HARRIET VAUGHAN • Staff Writer • August 2, 2008 Shopper Michelle Crouthamel has a one-track mind: load the kids and shopping bags in the car and hit the next store to finish out her tax-free weekend shopping before the big crowds come out. This run-and-gun style of shopping is common for thousands of well-rehearsed shopperstaking advantage of Tennessee's third August holiday, whichallows shoppers to skip the sales tax on most clothing, school supplies, computers and other back-to-school necessities. "It's fabulous," Crouthamel said. While shoppers save millions of dollars during the August tax-free weekend, the state economy takes an $8 million-$10 million hit. The state takes the brunt of sales tax exemptions, since local governments are reimbursed for all losses accrued during the tax-free break. August is the more successful of the state's twotax-free holiday weekends; the othertax-exempt weekend is in April. The financial hit wasn't a problem until this fiscal year, when Tennessee's economy has taken a turn for the worse. "Tennessee is not unique in the slowing of the national economy, and there is a decline in the amount of sales tax, franchise and excise tax being collected," said Sophie Moery, spokeswoman for the Tennessee Department of Revenue. As a result of the tight economy, legislators did not approve an April 2009 tax-free weekend. Unlike the August shopping holiday, which was mandated to occur every August in time for back-to-school, the April holiday must be approved by legislators the year before. Now, the outlook for the August tax break is also uncertain. Gov. Phil Bredesen, who introduced the law in 2005, recently expressed reservations over the sales tax holiday. Amid a scurry to trim 2,300 employees from the state's payroll, every dollar coming into the state helps. Bredesen told reporters last week that if he had the ability to call it off to save jobs, he would. To make that happen, the Legislature would have to pass a law reversing the August tax-free weekend. The uncertainty of the sales-tax holiday is bad news for teacher Annette Campbell, who has 19 years of teaching under her belt. "It needs to stay. Whatever measures need to be taken to ensure that the holiday stays need to happen," she said. "Once a year is wonderful, but if we can keep it as often as we can, then that's a blessing." Like other Metro teachers, Campbell, a special education teacher at Whites Creek High, receives $200 to spend on classroom and teaching supplies. Each year she spends an additional $300 out of pocket, an act common to teachers. Campbell and a fellow teacher buy additional school supplies, books and uniforms for students whose parents can't afford their basic school essentials. She and other teachers at Whites Creek take advantage of both shopping holidays to help stagger their spending. "Any time that we as teachers and parents have an opportunity to save money to help educate our children, we do it," said Campbell. News of the canceled spring tax-free weekend is hitting Tennessee Target stores hard. Store manager Jason Gordon says the August tax-free weekend is the store's biggest shopping time next to Christmas. Managers at the Charlotte Pike location doubled their staff and spent additional hours preparing the store for shoppers. "We see an increase in sales compared to any normal weekend," said Gordon

What's new at Southeast Davidson schools?

By SUZANNE NORMAND BLACKWOOD sblackwood@tennessean.com 259-8268 • August 1, 2008 New principal takes over at Apollo Middle As the new principal of Apollo Middle School, Ron Woodard has three main items on his agenda. "We're hoping to increase student achievement, parental involvement and community support," he said. The school did not meet average yearly progress in reading or math under the federal No Child Left Behind benchmarks. Woodard, who was previously an assistant principal at Maplewood High School, said he would be focusing on ways to make sure that doesn't happen again. "We hope to use a variety of methods to meet our goals," he said. "The first step is to build a sense of pride and continue in the great tradition this school was founded upon." At Thomas Edison and Mt. View elementary schools, Principals Ronald Powe and Kim Fowler are hoping to raise the bar for their students. First, said Powe, following in the tradition of the school's namesake, "I want to highlight the fact that we have a science and math fair." This year, though, "we want to enhance our emphasis on science and math," he said. "We want to take it to another level, not just within the school, but to competition at the district and state levels." Powe said there would be interventions, not only for students who are not meeting the benchmarks in reading, language arts and math, but also for students who are exceeding them. "We want to bring the floor up, but we also want to raise the ceiling," he said. Powe said the school would be using TCAP and other test scores "to validate our teaching, but also to help us hone in on areas where we might not perform as effectively as we would like to." A change for both Edison and Mt. View this year is Mt. View lost some of its English Language Learners to Edison. Previously, ELL students were assigned to certain schools that served as ELL centers. Now, they go to the schools for which they are zoned. Powe said some faculty members are being trained to work with ELL students. "We want to welcome parents and students who traditionally have gone to an ELL center," he said. Apollo Middle School Address: 631 Richards Road Phone: 333-5025 Web site: www.apolloms.mnps.org Principal: Ron Woodard Enrollment: 450-500 students What's new for 2008-09: Apollo has a new principal and three new faculty members for science, art and language arts. Mascot: Astros School colors: Red, white and blue Optional shirt colors: Red, blue and green Orientation: 9 a.m.-noon Monday, Aug. 4 Thomas Edison Elementary School Address: 6130 Mt. View Road Phone: 501-8800 Web site: www.thomasedisones.mnps.org Principal: Ronald Powe Enrollment: 600-625 students What's new for 2008-09: Edison has a new assistant principal, Rebecca Welch, because former assistant principal, Robin Shumate, is now principal at Lakeview Elementary. The school also has a new reading specialist, ELL teacher, music teacher, band teacher, second-grade teacher and first-grade teacher. Mascot: Lightbulb Motto: "Where Bright Futures Grow" School colors: Red and yellow Optional shirt colors: Red, yellow, black and pink Mt. View Elementary School Address: 3820 Murfreesboro Road Phone: 641-9393 Principal: Kim Fowler Enrollment: about 850 students What's new for 2008-09: Mt. View has a new math specialist; three new fourth-grade teachers; a new PTA president; and a new PENCIL partner, Vastland Realty. The school offered the SMART program for kindergartners last year but will expand it this year to include first-graders. The program, which is based on the multiple intelligences theory, uses different learning stations that require kids to use their motor and sensory skills. The school will offer BrainPop, an online animated educational site in English and Spanish that helps students with science, reading, writing, social studies and health. Parents will be able to access the program from home. The school also has a new computer lab, and all classrooms will have LCD projectors. Mascot: Mountain lions School colors: Green and white Optional shirt colors: Green, red, yellow and pink Preview night: 5:30-7 p.m., Aug. 7

Southeast Health Fair aims to promote healthy kids, healthy families

The Antioch and Southeast Nashville community will hold its first Southeast Health Fair from 9:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 9, in the K-Mart parking lot, 2491 Murfreesboro Pike. The focus of the free event is Healthy Kids/Healthy Families: promoting the health and well being of our children and families. Corporate, government and nonprofit partners will offer health services and information, along with blood pressure, glucose, cholesterol, vision and dental screenings. "Investing in the health of our kids improves their success in school," said school board member and event chairwoman, Karen Y. Johnson. "Investing in the health of our families improves our quality of life."For details on the fair, call Metro Councilman Robert Duvall at 291-6733 or Metro Councilman Duane Dominy at 291-6728.

Nashville mayor enlists neighbors to clean up community

By HARRIET VAUGHAN • Staff Writer • August 1, 2008 In a rush to beat the rain, Gary French is out cutting his neighbor's grass. His neighbor is a single woman who often needs an extra pair of hands to help out. That's not a problem for French, who's lived on Calvin Avenue in Inglewood for 10 years. In fact, he's known up and down his street for helping his neighbors with odds and ends around their homes and in the yard. "That's the way I was raised. I've always cared and taken interest in my neighbors and my neighborhood," he said. French is the kind of neighbor Mayor Karl Dean wants to duplicate across the county with his latest initiative, Community Matters. He launched the program this week in Inglewood. Community Matters is designed to offer two months of coordinated assistance from the city's Codes and Health departments and the Davidson County sheriff's office. Neighborhoods prone to codes and health violations will be partnered up with the agencies to alleviate excessive citations. Residents and members of the county agencies will be looking for violations such as excessively tall grass, broken windows, illegal businesses and illegally parked vehicles. Metro Beautification will help residents keep litter and large bulk trash items off the streets. The program will begin in target communities in Inglewood and East Nashville and move to neighborhoods around the county. It's a relief That's a relief for residents such as 79-year-old Ann Smart. She and her husband built their East Nashville home 30 years ago. She says she's watched the neighborhood take a turn for the worse. "When we built our house, it was a good neighborhood. It has just gone down so much and it bothers me. Some people just don't take care of their places anymore," Smart said. Dean hopes to change that. As part of Community Matters, the mayor's office will conduct a two-hour training session for neighbors and neighborhood associations, teaching them how to identify codes violations and what to do if they spot one. If a resident does not correct the violation noted by a neighbor, they will be reported to the appropriate agency. The agency will give them a time frame to fix the problem. If the resident refuses, he or she will be summoned to appear before a judge and could be given jail time. "If someone's shutter is falling off, report that. If someone's car is parked illegally with illegal tags, report that," said Scott Wallace, a neighborhood liaison for the mayor's Office of Neighborhoods. "We can't be everywhere and if we can stay on top of that, the neighborhoods will prosper." Program will help Paul Koumanelis, owner of Pizzereal restaurant in East Nashville, is excited about the program. He opened his restaurant four years ago. Clean streets and safer surroundings could mean more business in what was previously a home on North 11th Street. "I think it's cool. Things are already on the upswing and this will really help," he said. Koumanelis says often, people walk up and down the street near his business and litter. At least two homes within one block of his restaurant are in violation of city codes. Brady Banks, director of the mayor's Office of Neighborhoods, says Community Matters is a proactive approach to reclaim neighborhoods gripped by crime and neglect. Banks says the surge in county resources in target areas under the program will not deplete the staff responding to needs in other neighborhoods. A complete report of violations corrected will be published at the end of each 60-day program. The results will also be available online. Contact Harriet Vaughan at 615.259.8048 or hvaughan@tennessean.com.