Millions in Preds loan under cloud

By Brad Schrade • Staff Writer (Tennessean) • June 11, 2008 A national arena management company is suing Predators minority owner William J. “Boots” Del Biaggio III, claiming he misled and defrauded them in a $7 million loan last year to help buy the team. The lawsuit by AEG Facilities, Inc. is the fifth suit filed against Del Biaggio in the past two weeks, each claiming he defrauded lenders. The AEG suit is the second related directly to the purchase of the Predators last December. Modern Bank filed suit June 2 to recover $10 million it loaned Del Biaggio to help purchase the team last year. AEG Facilities is a division of AEG, a worldwide entertainment company which manages numerous sports facilities and owns pro teams, including the Los Angeles Kings hockey team. Del Biaggio until last year had an agreement with AEG to try to move a hockey team to Kansas City, where the company manages and owns a stake in the new Sprint Center. AEG’s suit filed Friday in Superior Court in Santa Clara, California came the same day Del Biaggio filed for bankruptcy in Northern California. He owes approximately $70 million to creditors, but has only about $50 million in assets, according to his attorney. A copy of the lawsuit claims that on Oct. 29 last year, AEG loaned Del Biaggio the money. He used various securities he claimed to owned as collateral, the suit claims. Two of the three investment accounts Del Biaggio claimed to own were not his and documentation was “fraudulently altered” to make it appear he owned them, the suit claims. Merriman, Curhan, Ford & Co, an investment company, and Scott Cacchione, are named co-defendants in the lawsuit. Del Biaggio is also facing a federal investigation into his dealings. Del Biaggio owns a 27 percent stake in the Predators. He was the only major out-of-town investor in a group led by local businessman David Freeman. The group bought the team from Craig Leipold last December. The bankruptcy filing Friday revealed that he also owed Leipold $10 million. It was unclear in the bankruptcy documents whether that money was related to the Preds purchase. Leipold and the team would not comment about the details of that debt.The team maintains that Del Biaggio’s troubles will not impact the Predators operations. The team is reportedly seeking to buy him out or find other investors to purchase his stake. That process could be complicated by the bankruptcy filing last week. Metro could face exposure if his troubles impact the team. The city owns the Sommet Center and restructured the team's lease just months, offering favorable terms to help the team operate. In exchange, Del Biaggio and other owners personally guaranteed money to Metro in event they default on the lease or leave town early. Metro Sports Authority, the city’s landlord for its pro sports facilities, will meet Friday to discuss what legal options it may pursue in the wake of Del Biaggio's financial problems.

Summer Solstice benefit at Nashville Shores

By ANDY HUMBLES ahumbles@tennessean.com 726-5939 • June 11, 2008 Nashville Shores at 4001 Bell Road will hold its fourth annual Summer Solstice Celebration, 6:30-11 p.m. Friday, June 20. The event is for ages 21-over. The Summer Solstice will include a series of bonfire barges on Percy Priest Lake as a backdrop. Burning Las Vegas will play live music and paddleboat cruises will be offered on the Nashville Shoreliner.The event is free with a suggested donation of $10 and all proceeds benefiting local charities.The hosts and benefiting organizations include the Nashville Area Junior Chamber of Commerce benefiting the Nashville Junior Chamber Charities and Team Green benefiting environmental nonprofit organizations in Middle Tennessee.

Nashville ranks 4th on FBI list for violent crime

By RACHEL STULTS • Staff Writer • June 11, 2008 Nashville ranked 4th in violent crime last year among cities with populations of 500,000 or more, despite a nationwide drop in violent crime, according to Federal Bureau of Investigation statistics released this week. Nashville, which showed 8,513 violent crimes in 2007, ranked behind Detroit, Memphis and Baltimore. Some of the nation’s largest cities, such as New York City, were not included in the report. The FBI considers violent crime to include murder, forcible rape, robbery, and aggravated assault. Nashville ranked 4th among 33 cities with populations of 500,000 or more. On the list of all cities that reported to the FBI, Nashville ranked 12th out of 257. Despite Nashville’s ranking on the list, the city showed a slight drop from 2006 in every violent crime category except for robbery, which rose from 2,425 to 2,516 robberies. Preliminary figures show the nation, on average, reported a decrease of 1.4 percent in the number of violent crimes in 2007 compared to 2006. Detroit, which took the No. 1 spot on the list for violent crimes, showed 19,683 violent crimes in 2007

Metro sidewalks plan draws comments, criticism

By MICHAEL CASS • Staff Writer (Tennessean) • June 10, 2008 A draft revision of Metro Nashville's strategic plan for sidewalks and bikeways has been released by Metro Public Works, which is accepting comments and questions - and getting some criticism - about the plan. The draft is available at the Nashville Public Library and at http://www.civicinc.com/MetroStratPlan/ProposedUpdatesSPSB_5-30-2008.pdf. To comment or ask questions, send an e-mail to info@nashvilleplan.com. Bell Lowe Newton, president of the Woodlawn Area Neighborhood Association, said some parts of the plan make little sense to her and her neighbors. Sidewalks are planned for some side streets where there's little vehicular traffic, but not for the busier roads that lead to them, she said. But city officials and consultants seem to be listening to the neighbors' concerns, Newton said. "We're looking forward to working with Metro," she said. The city completed its original strategic plan in 2003. Mayor Karl Dean called for an update last fall, and five community meetings were held earlier this year. The draft plan says Public Works has built or repaired 124 miles of sidewalks and constructed 94 miles of bikeways since 2003.Jim Snyder, who oversees capital projects for Public Works, said the city plans to start giving more weight to existing sidewalks' physical condition and the possibility of coordinating improvements with other Metro projects, such as schools and parks. Residents who attended the community meetings said they'd like to see more sidewalks near greenways, schools, retail centers, hospitals, parks and community centers, Snyder said. Here are some tips for viewing the plans: 1) Go to www.nashvilleplan.org and click on "View Sidewalks Project Information and Maps" 2) Click on "Funded Projects:Maps & Schedule" (right corner) 3) Click on "Project Search" (right corner) for proposed projects or "Interactive Viewer" to see what is already funded. 4) Once you're in Interactive Viewer:- Go to fourth box on left, "Find"- Click "By Address" 5) Go to bottom of page (scroll) and type in street and cross street 6) Hit the Locate button7) Go to magnifying glass icon

World Elder Abuse Awareness Day Rally June 13

Janet Lamb • Reader Submitted • June 9, 2008 A World Elder Abuse Awareness Day rally will be held on June 13 at the War Memorial Plaza from 11 a.m. until 1 p.m, sponsored by the Tennessee Vulnerable Adult Coalition and the Tennessee Commission on Aging and Disability. Organizations, including Nashville Metropolitan Police Department, United States Postal Inspections Service, YWCA, Rape and Sexual Abuse Center, Adult Protective Services and Tennessee Division of Consumer Affairs, will have booths to distribute information on financial exploitation, postal fraud, home and community based services and more. General Sessions Judge Daniel Eisenstein, who presides over Mental Health Court, will speak on elder abuse issues. World Elder Abuse Awareness Day has been recognized by Governor Bredesen and the State Legislature on June 15. The rally is to bring awareness to the crimes of physical, emotional and financial abuse of elder and vulnerable adults.

Renamed Sexual Assault Center moving to Metro Center

By LEA ANN OVERSTREET • Staff Writer (Tennessean)• June 11, 2008 The Rape and Sexual Abuse Center at 25 Lindsley Ave. is moving and changing its name. Now known as the Sexual Assault Center, it will move into a 16,000-square-foot facility at 101 French Landing in Metro Center on June 17. The center celebrates its anniversary this fall. For almost 30 years it has provided counseling, support, education and advocacy to survivors of sexual assault. Since 1978, it has helped more than 15,000 children and adult victims of sexual abuse and assault. According to Stephen Lackey, associate director of development, the center's counselors see more than 700 people a year, with more than half that number being children. "Our facility now is just not adequate. There's not enough room to do what we want to do," Lackey said. For 15 years, therapist Eric Fogle has worked with assault survivors, and he said the time has come for a larger site. "We serve a lot more people than we used to, but we're busting at the seams. We're busting out of this building," Fogle said. Center representatives said the new building will provide more space for individual therapy, increased areas for educational development, and a room able to seat more than 80 people for community outreach and education programs. Therapist Char Creson said the changes would not undermine the help she and others are prepared to provide to sexual assault survivors. "Through it all, we keep the clients' needs in mind. That's a consistent thing. Our expertise has been a constant," Creson said.

Clinic will offer free legal aid at Donelson Station

By ANDY HUMBLES • Staff Writer (Tennessean)• June 11, 2008 The Donelson Station will be the location of the third in a series of free legal aid clinics for those age 50 and over, 1-3 p.m. Friday, June 13. Drafting wills and living wills, establishing durable powers of attorney, and advice on issues such as health care, credit matters, denial of benefits, Social Security or mortgages will be covered. If necessary, a case can be referred to a volunteer attorney for future work. "We get calls all the time from people that have legal questions, and it can be very expensive" to hire legal counsel, FiftyForward Donelson Station Executive director Jane Schnelle said. "I know it will be very well attended.'' The Nashville Pro Bono Program that operates as part of the Legal Aid Society of Nashville and the Cumberlands is sponsoring the Senior Adult Legal Clinics. The first free legal aid clinic with FiftyForward, formerly known as Senior Citizens Inc., was in April at the FiftyForward in Bordeaux. The second was in May at the FiftyForward Knowles Center. The first two clinics have been the first Friday of a month. There was a conflict at the FiftyForward Donelson Station on the first Friday of June, which is why it's the second Friday this month. The FiftyForward Donelson Station had been known as Donelson Senior Center until a recent name change. The first two clinics had 38 seniors attend and more than 60 issues handled; said Nashville Pro Bono program director Lucinda Smith. The plan is to have one senior clinic most months at each of the five Davidson County senior centers, said Knowles Center director Sally Solesby. "It's a great service for people that may have not gotten around to writing a will or establishing a power of attorney,'' Solesby said. "The response to the first two were successful. My hopes are that they continue.'' The Nashville Pro Bono Program has partnered with the in-house legal department of Caterpillar Financial Services based in Nashville and Baker, Donelson, Bearman, Caldwell & Berkowitz for the senior clinics. Nashville Pro Bono also has commitments from Corrections Corporation of America and LP Building Products to have company attorneys participate. Other legal firms and departments could also be involved, Smith said. "It's good for us as an engagement tool and makes people glad about what they do,'' said Mike Sposato, general counsel of Caterpillar Financial who helped coordinate that company's involvement. Brett Parks of Caterpillar Financial was one of several volunteer lawyers participating at the FiftyForward Knowles clinic in May. Paralegals and an information technology person have also participated at the clinics. "The clients I served had different needs,'' Parks said. "One didn't need us to create any documents, but recently had her husband pass away and was interested in things she should be doing, and we were able to advise her. "Another lady did need some documents and a living will and had limited means, and we were able to create those documents. "It's not an issue many want to deal with — their own demise. But seniors need to think of . . . what needs to happen.'' The senior legal clinic grew out of other free clinics offered to the public, including one at the Legal Aid Society office on Deaderick Street the fourth Saturday of the month and another offered the third Friday of the month at Woodbine Community Center. Contact Andy Humbles by telephone at 726-5939 or by e-mail at ahumbles@tennessean.com.

Council may finalize budget next week

By MICHAEL CASS • Staff Writer • June 10, 2008 The Metro Council may approve Nashville's 2008-09 operating budget on June 17, a week ahead of schedule, the council's budget chairman said today. The council has been planning to take its third and final vote June 24, with the $1.576 billion budget taking effect July 1. But Erik Cole, chairman of the Budget and Finance Committee, said there's no point in waiting an extra week if the council is ready before then. He said no decision has been made yet. Cole said the council might still try to find more money for the Metro Transit Authority, which is planning to cut seven bus routes and raise fares by 25 cents to help make up a $2.9 million budget gap. But doing so could add to the pain for other agencies that are already scheduled to see their funding reduced. "If there's a single priority that kind of cuts across the board, it's MTA," Cole said. "But there's not a lot of room." It would take more than $1.5 million to restore all seven bus routes, according to MTA calculations.

Nashville schools' top staffing faces overhaul

State to order changes under No Child Left Behind law By JAIME SARRIO • Staff Writer (Tennessean) • June 11, 2008 Major changes to the structure of the Metro schools central office will be forced by the state this week, an official said Tuesday. Connie Smith, executive director of accountability and improvement for the Tennessee Department of Education, told Metro school board members the state will announce changes this week that will shake up staffing assignments at the top level and affect the district's curriculum. The state has the power to make changes because local officials failed to keep the district in good standing under the No Child Left Behind law. Smith wouldn't go into specifics about the changes but did mention that the state plans to hire a gifted-education specialist to restructure the county's advanced learner program. Parents of gifted students were upset at the end of the school year when Metro said it would no longer offer algebra to seventh-grade students. But Smith said schools were letting students take algebra without really teaching it. "I want it known that we're not only restructuring the way we teach math, we're really going to tailor-make something that challenges these kids above and beyond what they can get anywhere," she said. Since last fall, state agents have been embedded in the district, making changes and reporting to state officials about Metro's problems. Smith said the state could not wait for the district to hire a new director of schools to introduce an overhaul such as the one coming this week. She expects the new director to work with the state and back the changes. "We couldn't wait and allow things to languish," she said. "Whomever comes in will be thankful to examine the infrastructure that's in place to support curriculum.".

Video of District "29" Cleanup - Did not think they could do it

This is a video....Click the arrow to watch..enjoy

Davidson County crime report for May 26-28

The most serious calls handled by 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 9:29 a.m., residential burglary, 300 block Pocono Road 9:51 p.m., residential burglary, 400 block Hampstead South Hermitage 11:16 a.m., rape, at Burning Tree Drive 5:08 p.m., residential burglary, 200 block Burning Tree Drive Priest Lake 11:56 a.m., holdup/robbery, 400 block Bell Road 12:26 p.m., holdup/robbery, 400 block Bell Road South 2:50 a.m., holdup/robbery, 1300 block Massman Drive 3:20 a.m., nonresidential burglary, 15100 block Old Hickory Boulevard 9:52 a.m., holdup/robbery, 1800 block Air Lane Drive 4:44 p.m., holdup/robbery, 400 block Harding Industrial Drive 6:14 p.m., holdup/robbery, 40 block Millwood Drive 11:37 p.m., residential burglary, 1200 block Wexford Downs Lane 11:37 p.m., residential burglary, 1200 block Wexford Downs Lane Downtown 7:38 a.m., holdup/robbery, 200 block Eighth Avenue South Hermitage 8:34 a.m., holdup/robbery, 1300 block Central Court Priest Lake 10:24 a.m., residential burglary, 4600 block Buckpasser Avenue 3:05 p.m., residential burglary, 2900 block High Rigger Drive South 7:02 a.m., holdup/robbery, 400 block Harding Industrial Drive 9:32 a.m., holdup/robbery, 900 block Murfreesboro Pike 11:15 a.m., residential burglary, 1900 block Laurinda Drive 3:06 p.m., residential burglary, 4200 block Sandstone Drive Antioch 8:57 a.m., holdup/robbery, 2600 block Murfreesboro Pike Donelson 6:54 p.m., holdup/robbery, 20 block Rachel Drive Downtown 12:16 a.m., nonresidential burglary, 100 block Second Avenue North 4:50 a.m., holdup/robbery, 900 block Rosa L Parks Boulevard 6:59 p.m., cutting/stabbing, 1700 block 25th Avenue North South 3:37 p.m., residential burglary, 7400 block Maggie Drive 6:50 p.m., holdup/robbery, 900 block Murfreesboro Pike 7:15 p.m., holdup/robbery, 900 block Murfreesboro Pike 11:23 p.m., residential burglary, 800 block Murfreesboro Pike

2 arrested after lengthy police pursuit

Metro police arrested two suspects after a lengthy police pursuit overnight that ended when the women's car got stuck in a parking lot off of Elm Hill Pike in Donelson and police had to force entry. Metro police Capt. Randy Hickerson said that shortly after 3 a.m. Tuesday an officer attempted to stop a silver Oldsmobile Alero because police believed that the car and tags were stolen and that the suspects and/or vehicle possibly may have been involved in a robbery. The car did not stop for the officer and a pursuit began with speeds staying very low, Hickerson said. On Briley Parkway, speed reached 50 mph. Police were able to lay down spike strips two times, which deflated the suspects' tires, but the driver continued to travel with three of her tires flattened. After about 35 minutes police vehicles were getting in position to block the vehicle as they were in the Elm Hill Pike and Donelson Pike area. However, the Alero pulled into a parking lot at Airport Center Drive and Elm Hill Pike and then got stuck on top of a curbed dirt mound. Officers approached, telling both suspects to exit the vehicle, but they refused. Their doors were locked. Officers broke out windows and gained access to the suspects and took them into custody, Hickerson said.The driver faces charges of motor vehicle theft, theft of a tag, revoked driver's license, and felony evading. The passenger had an outstanding parole violation warrant. The suspects' names were not released. Police believe the women were using drugs prior to the pursuit.Police learned that the vehicle had not been involved in a robbery as earlier suspected.— LEIGH RAY (tennesean)

Did you know?

If you work for $8.00 an hour and your car has a 13 gallon tank, it will cost you 6 hours of work to pay for that tank of gas.

Gas hits record, won't ease up

Tennessee prices remain below $4 U.S. average
By JOHN WAGGONER • USA Today • June 9, 2008

U.S. gasoline prices shot above $4 a gallon for the first time Sunday, and drivers will be shelling out even more for gas this week.

The national average price of a gallon of regular gas hit $4.005 Sunday, up from $3.988 Saturday, and $3.105 a year ago, according to the American Automobile Association.

But that's just the average. Drivers in California are paying an average of $4.44 a gallon, AAA says. In Visalia, Calif., a gallon of regular unleaded averaged $4.50.
Missouri had the lowest average price, at $3.80.
Tennessee was below the national average at $3.85 on Sunday. The average price in Nashville was $3.88.

A gallon of diesel averaged $4.762, versus $2.902 a year ago. Premium gas averaged $4.80, vs. $3.605 last year.

The rise in gas prices follows an unexpected $10.75 jump in the price of oil Friday, to a record close of $138.54 a barrel. It had spiked up as high as $139.12.

Sending oil soaring:
• Israel's transportation minister said Friday that an attack on Iran was "unavoidable." Iran, which produces 4 million barrels of oil a day, is the world's second-largest producer, behind Saudi Arabia .
• The U.S. dollar fell. A euro cost $1.5768 Friday, versus $1.5593 Thursday. Oil is priced in dollars, and when the dollar falls in value, oil prices rise.
• Investment bank Morgan Stanley predicted that oil prices would hit $150 by July.

Trading is also a factor

Experts also blamed a technical factor, called short-covering, for the big rise in oil prices. Making a bet on falling prices is called shorting. Traders who take short positions in the futures market have to buy oil futures to close their positions.

Sometimes that leads to a big spike upward in prices. "Short sellers have gotten squeezed," said Michael Hoover, manager of Columbia Energy and Natural Resources fund.
"I think anyone who says they are not shocked would be being untruthful," said Fred Fromm, manager of Franklin Natural Resources fund.

For roughly two decades, prices have tapered off in late May, sometimes dropping far enough to provide motorists a significant summer respite.

"We are cautioning gas station owners around the country not to overreact to one day of trading," said AAA spokeswoman Yolanda Cade.

A slowdown in price increases last week prompted predictions that although the timing seemed late, the pattern would reassert itself. But even if fuel prices fall a bit this summer, that's unlikely to last long.

"I still worry about late July and August when there will be plenty of hurricane hype," Tom Kloza, veteran analyst at consultant Oil Price Information Service, said in an e-mail last week.
Forecasts of hurricanes send prices up because energy operations in the Gulf of Mexico could be slammed. After Hurricane Katrina in 2005, prices rose to an average of about $3.06, a record at the time.

Tabs for Ronald McDonald House

No one has forgotten about all of you that have been saving those tabs...A date will be coming up soon. If you have a lot of the tabs or you need some more boxes to distribute, email me at
mssphotography@aol.com to make arrangements.

Thanks!

Let's show the Ronald McDonald house that "District 29" can make a difference!