Name this building.

A building that was very important to our town and it's future.



NOTE:
This seems to be the second church building, and not the first one. Note that this one is brick.

Key Dates in the Life of the
First Presbyterian Church of Smyrna

1810 Smyrna Church was established to serve a rural community, and a hand-hewn log building was constructed beside a small creek. (The site today is the area around the eighteenth green of the Smyrna Municipal golf course.)

1820 The Smyrna Presbyterian Church was recognized as a member congregation of the Presbyterian Church.

1850's A railroad was constructed through this area and the railroad company sold lots for a new town just one mile from the church. Silas Tucker, a member of the church and owner of the land where the station was built, suggested the church's name be used for the new town.

1863 The church building was burned by federal troops during the War Between the States.

1867 The church was rebuilt as a brick building.

I originally got this picture from a MTSU website that is a resource for local teachers. This image was on the history page with this line next to it.

1820 - Smyrna Presbyterian Church organized (town later named for Church)

I wonder if any images of the first church exist?

The smiles I will always cherish!

Brandon and his new girlfriends " Titan Cheerleaders"



A hug to cherish with my best buddy!!



Well everyone, I am so tired and really glad that last night went well. I am so glad that we raised alittle money for Brandon Brewer. The smiles that were on this young man's face is PRICELESS! My heart goes out to all of my best friends, Kathy T., Yvonne Moon, Michelle M., Gunner, Senna Mosley, and my very best friend Brandon Brewer and family! I got to see Brandon get out of the donated limo and when he came up to me and said thank you with a big ole hug I of course got tears in my eyes. I have never in my 40 yrs , been touched by someone or something, to where I have put my heart into helping. I went over this afternoon and gave the family $873.00 worth of donated money plus we still have the ticket sales to get from the bowling alley plus all the silent auction items still have yet to be collected. We as a community have raised about $3500.00 for this young man. The amount isn't alot but hey this will help with some prescriptions for him. I am going to be planning a road block in the next coming months and then maybe a spring fling next April or May. If any bloggers have pictures please email them to me at bearroller9640@yahoo.com for my mother took some pics but they are blurry. Thanks again Smyrna, La Vergne, Murfreesboro, and Nashville!! More to come later when I have more rest!

Final Update for fundraiser

HELLO everyone. This will be hopefully be the final update for the fundraiser for its this evening and I have so much to do still. We have now right at 140 items donated, Plus the Titans cheerleaders are going to be stopping by to see Brandon. The owners of the bowling center would like since we are going to be very busy , that everyone that walks in the door please make at least a $10.00 donation if your not going to be bowling. We will be selling tickets at the front door tonight plus all the items for the auction will be set up in the meeting room down at lane #1. Also if you get a chance to meet Brandon be VERY CARE FULL so you don't trip over his tubes. Channel 4 will be there as well taking pictures so we need everyone to bring signs saying we love you Brandon.

I want to thank Yvonne Moon, Kathy Tyson, Roy B., Sue B., Mrs Leal., everyone at the bowling center, Smyrna Printing, Channel 4, DNJ.COM, My family, and anyone else I have forgotten for helping and putting up with me during this event. his cause has meant so much to me and I still get tears in my eyes when I talk about Brandon. This young man has really touched me in ways I will never forget. God bless Brandon and his family for all the strength they have shown.

Here is today's article about our fundraiser and once again thank you D.N.J.COM!!

UPDATE ON THIS UPDATE:
We now have a limo (World Class limo service) donated by Elizabeth Murphy, my mother, to go and pick up Brandon and bring him to the Bowling center. We told him about the limo coming for him and he is even more excited now than ever. Also watch channel 4 news at 6pm tonight for they are going to talk about our fundraiser and what all we have going on. Thank you once again to everyone that has helped plus the bloggers are having their monthly meeting tonight at the bowling center. Everyone bring your cameras to take pics so we can post them this weekend to share with others.

Special Guest tomorrow night

We have just got word that there will be 2 Titans cheerleaders so come in at midnight to see them!!!!

Town Workshop tonight

A reminder to all about the Smyrna Town Workshop tonight at 7pm. The agenda is to establish the agenda for the Town Council meeting in October. I'm going to see if they plan on the second reading of the recodified ordinances.

MidTnPolls

11th district County Commissioner Mike Sparks has a website up called MidTnPolls. Where he wants to hear your view on subjects that directly effect you.

You may notice on the right a few changes. I have added a direct link graphic to his site.

Today there are two polls that may interest you.

Important LaVergne Issues
What is the most important issue facing the city of LaVergne?
Crime/Gang Activity
Lack of Leadership
Lake Forest Estates
Traffic
Immigration
School Overcrowding
Growth
All of the Above

and for Smyrna

Smyrna Town Council Decision
Do you agree with the Smyrna Town Council to recognize only the Smyrna High Football team TSSAA State Championship and not other past accomplishments, sports, or achievements?
Yes
No, other school sports, activities, and achievements should be recognized as well
I don't care
We don't need any sign

Drop by and let your views be known.

A one of a kind item donated for Fundraiser

Hey everyone I have just recieved a few more items for our silent auction and I am going to list them now with one item being a one of a kind.

1. two tickets to the Vandy vs. Wake Forrest game.

2. 2 tickets to the U.T. VOLS AND Lousianna game.

3. A signed small Vols Football signed by Phil Fumler

and now the big item...

A TITANS JERSEY WITH 00 AND TITANS RADIO ON THE BACK SIGNED BY THE ONE AND ONLY STEVE MCNAIR. THIS IS A ONE OF A KIND ITEM AND I ALREADY HAVE A BID OF $50.00 SO PLEASE STOP BY THE BOWLING CENTER AND BID ON THIS ITEM!!!!

Where oh where did the city codes go? Part 4

Part 1
Part 2
Part 3


Tomorrow night's town council meeting may be a little interesting for me.

Since my column for last week was published I have gotten more email about it then any so far. Most of the emails(2 out of 3) included stories of lack of information from the city and the troubles they had. All voiced agreement with my point-of-view.

I even had one nice lady call Smyrna AM for my number so she could thank me personally. Seems she and several of her friends were surprised to hear how things were.

Hopefully the town will delay the recodification until they make it easy for the residents of town to get a copy online or in email form. My wife told me not to hold my breath, but I have to hope. I'll find out tomorrow when we see if they plan on putting the recodification up for it's second reading or not.

This was also the first time I have come out and specifically said in my column that the council was in error, and not informing the town of what was going on and needs to stop what they are doing now. I will admit I was a bit worried, after all the individual members of the council are not trying to keep people in the dark, but the process has led to it happening.

I was going to get some information then address this issue with TWSoK, but that fell through.

The next council meeting will be in three weeks, and with recodified ordinances of over 700 pages, I don't feel even if they put it online today, it would leave the people of Smyrna time to give it a proper reading. I feel a month delay, or more, is the best course of action.

But I'm just a resident of this town, so what they hell do I know?

Part 5 Thursday night or Friday
Part 6 to come.

Around the world....Police style.

Smyrna spent a bit of time in the news recently for it's inovative method of controlling speeders.

Other cities have done similar.

Slovenia



Poland


The last time I was drove on Front street I noticed our famous Officer Miller was missing. Should a missing-cutout report be filed?

Channel4 news and Charlie Daniels...

We have some items now donated from the wonderful Charlie Daniels , which include a few t-shirts, Cd's and other items. I want everyone to place their bids for these items at the bowling center. Also I got word today that for sure WSMV channel 4 will be there to do a story about the fundraiser for Brandon Brewer. Tune in tomorrow at 3pm to WGNS radio and here the Brandon Brewer story for yourself. More updates to follow as the develop.

Top Ten people.

The US News and World Report has released the top ten places for retiring, and Smyrna made the cut.



They have some nice things to say about our town.

Just 30 miles from the lights, sights, and especially the sounds of "Music City," Nashville, you'll find yourself immersed in the peaceful glow of gold-tipped fields of corn and trees that autumn tinges with red, orange, and yellow in Smyrna, Tenn.
.........
The town of Smyrna was named after a now demolished Presbyterian church on a piece of land that later became Sewart Air Force Base and is now Smyrna Airport. An abundance of newer churches sprinkled about town have replaced the original, and church activities govern the social lives of many Smyrna families. "The church does a lot of plays, and we're going to have a Christmas craft show in November," says Diane Henderson, 60, who also teaches a craft class and volunteers at the senior center. But should you long for a faster pace of life, Middle Tennessee State University is in nearby Murfreesboro, and the Nashville airport is a 25-minute drive away.

History buffs can relive the story of 21-year-old Sam Davis, who, when captured by Union soldiers during the Civil War, chose to give his life rather than give up information that might compromise the Confederate war effort. His childhood home and 200-acre estate on the banks of Stewart's Creek are now a historic landmark and museum about his life and the war. Today it's just a short drive from a vast manufacturing plant for Japanese automaker Nissan, Smyrna's largest employer.

I'm proud of our town and I am so glad we can get this positive viewpoint out about it.

Great place to live in and it seems a great place to retire to.

html humor

LaVergne has a biker problem

I found a small clip from last weekends Old Timers Parade in LaVergne. Thought I would share it for our sister city blog.

A Special Email from the Brewers

I got home this morning and found this email waiting for me. Brandon has a cold but he is still thinking about the fundraiser next week. We as adults really need to take the time and give this family our prayers. I want everyone to really do their best and try to come out next Friday night to show Brandon how much he is loved. This young man is not only a brave young man but a young man that easily gets embarrassed when he is talking about what is wrong with him. When he came to the bowling center the other day and I showed him the special wall of things about him his eyes opened wide and his jaw dropped. I know he was in shock with all the support that has already poured in for him. Come on Smyrna, La Vergne, Murfreesboro, and Nashville, Lets do our best to help this young man. When times are at their lowest friends and family seem to be their to help raise bad times up!!! Here is the email.......


Good Morning !
Brandon has managed to catch somewhat of a cold and for the last two days his pain has increased but nothing and no one will stop him from attending the fund-raiser! Brandon has been begging me not to hook him up to his iv's that night but it is DEFIANTLY Not in his best interest but I got him to agree on SPECIAL tubing SOOO ~ I do need to let you know so that you can pass the word around that Brandon will be hooked up to his i.v. nutrition the night of the fund-raiser (over 12 hours) but I will have his machines and i.v. in a backpack which of course holds them. I will use vygon i.v. extension tubing which is a spiral tubing that weighs next to nothing . I plan adding two or three vygon's so that he can go about 3-4 feet without having to tote his heavy back pack around and so that he can bowl as well . The problem~O > every one and I mean every one that is near him needs to be extremely careful as thi s tubing is very FRAGILE! It is also Hard to SEE even if you are an adult unless you are looking for it. If a child/adult walks fast / runs between Brandon and his backpack the likely hood of something bad happening to Brandon 99.9 % such as the cath being pulled out of his chest which is connected to his heart.. I don't want you to be nervous and I will of course be there to try and make sure an accident of this nature does not happen but you can't prevent everything. We need to make sure every one walks slowly around him at all times and to also try and view his tubing so that they won't trip over it which is another thing that can likely happen. As long as everyone knows what Not to do I think it should go smoothly!! I'm not worried and he is so EXCITED!! He talks about the fund-raiser everyday and I get so much joy out of hearing him say " I'm staying the whole 6 hours, ma!!! " The smiles you ALL have put on my sons face, I will always treasure.
There have been times when I have almost lost Brandon and he proved all the doctors wrong but I always knew he had unfinished plans & people to meet. Brandon has got a lot of people to become organ donors over the last 12 years and I think we should set up a table with organ donor cards and information if we can as I think that is important to educate people. I can get free pencils pens and organ donor balloons , shirts (I think) just let me know if I can do this!!!
Thank you for caring & loving our Brandon the way we do. We appreciate you very much more than you will ever know!
I am truly blessed to be Brandon's mother...
GOD SPEED!
Love,
Brande

A Weekend Update On the silent auction

Here is our list items that are posted at the Smyrna bowling center for our silent auction for Brandon brewer fundraiser....please stop by and place a bid or join us on Sept 28Th at midnight for all the fun.. Brandon will be there for the whole night plus some special guest will be stopping by to say hi.


1. One tube of Wild Yam Cream $25.00

2. Stork Delivery Transport Bag Set $20.00

3. Hand Drawn Animal Print $40.00

4. Kroger gift card Memorial Blvd $10.00

5. One free Lunch Cozumel Murfreesboro Church St.

6. 2 large one topping Pizza's Pap Johns

7. 3 Large Pepperoni Pizza's Little Ceasar's Murfreesboro $30.00

8. 5 free Movie Rentals From Blockbuster On Church St. $20.00

9. Assorted Picture frames collection

10. Movie Bag with Popcorn and movie rental Blockbuster $10.00

11. Candles

12. Cuisinart Little Pro Food Processor $80.00

13.. Brandon Brewer's 1st bowling ball

14.. A nice piece of art work by his grandmother (retail $300.00)

15 Gold trimmed stemware ($50.00)

16 Logan's gift cert. (one entree and drink)

17. Hickory Falls gift cert. ($20.00)

18 O'Charleys gift card ($25.00)

19 Quiznos gift card ($10.00)

20 2 gift cert for rocking chair cafe ($5.00 each)

21. 2 gift cert from Toot's ($10.00 each)

22. 2 cert for pizza or calzones from Cedars Italian & Greek Restaurant ($6.99 each)

23. Time Share for one week in June to Pigeon Forge Tn.

24. Tokyo Japanese Steak House- lunch for 2 or dinner for 1. ($15.00)

25 Sonic gift card from Sonic on ind blvd. ($25.00)

26. Domino's pizza Lavergne 2 coupons for 2 large 1 topping pizza's

15. One month free Membership to Curve's (2 of these)

27. A C.D. By Lance Allen

17.A Kroger's gift card ($10.00)

28. 2 Gift bags from Hot Spot tanning.1=$100.50 2=$81.33

19. Gift Cert from the Poshtachio Patch - a children's store

29. A bowling party for 6 2 hours of bowling pizza and soda

30. One Free Adult Haircut (1 of 2) great clips

31. Walgreens – Smyrna (Enon Springs Location) Requested donation letter – promised $20 gift card upon receipt

32 Autograped Music CD – I Hear Angels Calling (Christmas Songs) (1 of 3)

33. System Buster Paperback Book by Philip Beyer (1/6)

34. Autographed Paperback Book Above “Reality” (1/8)

35. Private Spa Bath Collection Gift Basket

36. 5 Loaded Boxes of Books from Ingram – probably 150 titles to be sorted and made into blocks more later on this.

37. Golden Wok Restaurant

38. Rossi’s Italian Restaurant,

39. Hair Cut and Finish (1 of 2) Kim Tompkins Hair & Color Salon

40 One Free Year with Metabolism Retrainer Gift Certificate Thin & Healthy Total Solution Weight Loss * Movement* Motivation

41. Queen Size Mattress Cover

42. Five Free Movie Rentals (excluding Tuesday) Smyrna Video

43. FUJI Japanese Steakhouse & Sushi

44. 3 Domino’s Large One Topping Pizzas 235 MTCS Drive, Murfreesboro, TN 37129

45. 3 Little Caesar’s Large Hot-n-Ready Pizzas (Cheese or Pepperoni) 1811 Memorial Blvd., Murfreesboro

46. Swafford Sporting Goods
Owners Wayne & Regina, Kelci & Crawford Swafford
116 Front Street
Smyrna, TN 37167615-459-9272Total Value – Approximately $150 (items will be separated into lots)
2 Stewarts Creek Ball Caps $10.99 each
1 LaVergne Ball Cap $10.99
1 Smyrna Ball Cap $10.99
1 LaVergne T-shirt – Youth Medium $9.99
1 LaVergne T-shirt – Adult Small $10.99
1 Smyrna Bulldogs T-shirt – Small $10.99
1 X-Large Titans Jersey (Haynesworth) $55
2 LaVergne Totebags/Backpacks $9.99 each

47. Brunswick Orange County bowling ball and roller bag $184.95 Bowlers advantage pro shops

48. Columbia Big Shot Bowling Ball sizes 13, 14, 15, and 16 pounds $209.95 Bowlers advantage pro shops

49. 14 lb Clear Cranium Bowling Ball $169.95 Bowlers advantage pro shops

50. 14 lb Titans Viz A Ball with Titans single ball bag $184.95 Bowlers advantage pro shops


We have some more items being donated so I will list them soon as I get them!! Once again thanls everyone for donating and I hope to see you all there next week!!

Smyrna teenager told to remove Jena 6 shirt

A local teen wore a shirt showing support for 6 young men being railroaded in Louisiana, but found that the high school administrators said it was "disruptive".

Dani Super, a Smyrna High School sophomore, wore a T-shirt supporting the teenagers at school.

"I just want to support these boys," Dani said.

She said she wasn't trying to cause any trouble.

"I just wanted to help," she said.

Dani and her mother were surprised when school officials asked her to change the shirt.

More information on who the Jena 6 are can be found here.

1450 WGNS Radio Show 9/18/07

Short video of the Tuesday WGNS radio show broadcast from the YMCA

Host, Brian Berrett and guests Mike Sparks, Gunner Miller, Brian Robertson, and Taylor Loyal talk about how technology has changed our world

I look furry in the video.

Where oh where did the city codes go? Part 3

Part 1
Part 2

Reply to "Insider"

A comment left by Insider needs to be addressed in more detail then I did in the comment section of part 2.

Their first section was short and to the point.

Not many cities / towns in tennessee have their codes online. I think here in Rutherford county, Lavergne is the only one. Eagleville has a draft version, but I don't think it's the current version.

Smyrna has always had a progressive view towards the future of our city. Doing road work and creating a master plan as the future is coming quick, and the city needs to be prepared. Yet in their duty to inform the public of the ordinances they have fallen and need to improve. If LaVergne can do it, and Eagleville seems to be attempting to, then why can it not be done here?

You say others don't have them online. It means the problem is wider then I thought it was.

Now this next section is interesting to me.

Anyway, in Smyrna's defense, I will say that mtas does not provide the draft recodification in digital format to the cities / towns that they serve. They only give paper copies to the municipalities. The cities / towns would have to scan the document and a 360 page document would be much too large to download on the internet.

Why MTAS would only supply paper seems odd, but being a government funded program I can understand to some extent why they do things backwards.

Now "Insider" says the city would need to scan each page and it would be to large to download.

During the last town council meeting as they discussed certain issues town attorney Michele Elliott called out the page numbers for the town council to look to as they needed to see the section being talked about. They viewed these on their computers, implying that this giant paper document has been scanned into at least one big document. Now in my article I said it would be a 360 plus page printing, but that is two sides of each page, the mayor mentioned a 700 page file.

As you likely know the codes are in sections, and there are many free programs out there that can break up a PDF into manageable files. Files that could easily be downloaded and hosted by the towns computer servers, wherever they are.

The problem is that right now the main issue is not the laws online. Howhard is it to add a simple link to MTAS? Simple things like that are not being done.

After the code has been updated, mtas will give the cities a digital copy or it can be downloaded from the mtas website.

The quickest we can find out what most of the changes are is after the fact, when the time to be vocal has passed. This has silenced a good number of people by keeping the citizen's of Smyrna in the dark. Even more repugnent since a set of simple links to PDF files is all they need to do to fix the problem as I see it.

When a city cannot even do a few small HTML coding acts to better inform the people, then the government is in error.

Giddy About Smyrna

At the risk of gushing, I am just so excited about Smyrna's growth! Kohl's opening on October 3rd! Squeeeee! IHop and Applebees? Woot! Super Target? Purr! Movie theater? Coolio!

Smyrna housing numbers have remained steady while we're seeing other areas in a slump. We are truly fortunate to be a part of this vibrant community!

Our Numbers keep Rising

Wow Smyrna, La Vergne, Murfreesboro! You Guys have really stepped up to the plate. I am so overwealmed with all the donations that everyone has given us for the " Bowling for Brandon" Fundraiser. I now 12 more items donated plus 3 more on the way. Our total number so far is 39 items and counting. The bidding at the Smyrna Bowling Center is really heating up now with many placing bids and wanting to win items. The most talked about items so far is Brandon's bowling ball and the time share for Pigeon Forge.

I also have a very special guest going to come and maybe she will be bringing another specail guest with her. I can't yet say who this is but can give you all hints. She teaches in a school in the area. She also has another job wearing a nice short skirt with the colors of blue and white and can be seen on Sunday's Downtown at the riverfront with 65,000 fans watching her. Can you guess who this might be? I will know more about her appearance next week and will be letting everyone know more details as well.

Here is a list of newly donated items from the area for the silent auction and if you want to see the other items please go HERE for more info.

1. One tube of Wild Yam Cream $25.00

2. Stork Delivery Transport Bag Set $20.00

3. Hand Drawn Animal Print $40.00

4. Kroger gift card Memorial Blvd $10.00

5. One free Lunch Cozumel Murfreesboro Church St.

6. 2 large one topping Pizza's Pap Johns

7. 3 Large Pepperoni Pizza's Little Ceasar's Murfreesboro $30.00

8. 5 free Movie Rentals From Blockbuster On Church St. $20.00

9. Assorted Piture frames collection

10. Movie Bag with Popcorn and movie rental Blockbuster $10.00

11. Candles

12. Cuisinart Little Pro Food Processor $80.00

Where oh where did the city codes go? PART 2

part 1

I get the unique blogger experience of quoting myself in a newspaper. My column this week in the Smyrna AM takes issue with the town's handling of the recodification and how the cost of knowledge keeps many people in the dark.

Want to be an informed citizen? It'll cost you $90

...here in Smyrna, if I want to see what a proposed ordinance says, I need to go purchase a copy at 25 cents a page. Nothing online and all very "old school".

I was informed by the Town that the recodified ordinances are on more than 360 pages. At 25 cents a sheet, we are talking $90-plus to be part of the system and to have the privilege of knowing what laws are about to change. I was also informed that I could not get it on an inexpensive computer disc either. It's paper or nothing.

I'm not sure what economic bracket you're in, but I cannot afford to pay that amount of money to know what our government is about to do to us. I figure a good chunk of Smyrna is in the same boat. This is the first time in my life that I can honestly say that I have been disenfranchised due to my social-economic class.

State law requires a city to allow copies at a reasonable price. $.25 is reasonable, but putting the file online in an easy to download pdf form is simply smart.

The free flow of knowledge is made so much easier today with computers, and the town of Smyrna needs to enter the 21st century when it comes to information dissemination.

PART 3 to come soon.

Welcome WGNS listeners

I enjoyed being on the radio with Mike Sparks and guests as they had their broadcast today from the North Rutherford county YMCA here in Smyrna. We talked mainly about technology and how it is changing the way services are brought to you at the local level.

I was able to get our websites name and Internet address mentioned a few times so I hope you have dropped by to find that we can be a resource for you in Smyrna. If you live in LaVergne our sister city website is This is Lavergne, Tn. Also a good resource for your community.

Comments are welcome and if you have something I may be interested in posting please email me from the email link on the top banner.

Thanks for dropping by and welcome to This is Smyrna, Tn.

Cedar Grove PTO Awards video

With our school's PTO organization earning the 2007 Parent Teacher Group of the Year award I'm happy to post this video for all to see.

Where oh where did the city codes go? PART 1

A simple question. If you wanted to find out what the city ordinances were, where would you go? After all these are the codes and laws made by our city to regulate the town. Where are they?

A quick trip to the city town website finds no links to them. You also notice that there does not even seem to be a search option on the website to help you find them.

To locate them you would have to go to a section in the University of Tennessee website. "Why didn't I look there to start with?" you might have just said. I know I did. Inside of the UT website is the MTAS (Municipal Technical Advisory Service) section. Inside that is a page with all the other Tennessee cities that MTAS has their ordinances online.

Now it doesn't seem hard to have a link to a town codes. A good example of this is Belmont California. with a population of 26,000, a good bit smaller then Smyrna, you find a simple link to their codes on the left of their main web page. They even have a Google powered search option on their main page. Such search engines are a free service of Google's and worth inserting a small string of HTML codes to improve a web page.

To put the whole issue into a few short words. Unknown laws are bad laws.

Smyrna is a growing town and a need for a freer flow of information is vitally needed. A few simple links, and free search options could greatly improve a towns web page and deliver a much needed service.

PART 2 Tomorrow

Scam Alert

OK everyone I have a scam alert for you all. I have heard about this going on throughout the country but it has hit close to home now and we need to be prepared to not fall for this scam. It seems someone from across the pond calls a business and tells them there is a bomb inside and they must wire money ASAP!! Well I hope that no one will fall for this. Someone in Cookeville Tn fell for this scam this morning and I feel so sorry for the clerk involved but people we need to use our heads alittle bit better. If i was this guy I would have walked outside and called the police. Just make sure if you are at work don't fall for this if someone tries to scam you!!!

General Order № 11

A small bit of history to make you think. We have all heard of General Grant, but few have heard of General Order No.11 issued in 1862. Seems a black market had grown in the war torn states. To fight this black market the general issued an order with this part included.

General Order No. 11 decreed as follows:

The Jews, as a class violating every regulation of trade established by the Treasury Department and also department orders, are hereby expelled from [the "Department of the Tennessee," an administrative district of the Union Army of occupation composed of Kentucky, Tennessee and Mississippi,] within twenty-four hours from the receipt of this order.

Post commanders will see to it that all of this class of people be furnished passes and required to leave, and any one returning after such notification will be arrested and held in confinement until an opportunity occurs of sending them out as prisoners, unless furnished with permit from headquarters. No passes will be given these people to visit headquarters for the purpose of making personal application of trade permits.

General Grant issued an order that all Jews in the areas controlled by the Federals in Tennessee, Mississippi and Kentucky were to be forced out.

When Abraham Lincoln found out he ordered Grant to revoke the decree.

The civil war was a most unusual time in our nations history
MORE>>>

Bowling for Brandon Brewer update

I wanted to let everyone know that I enjoyed yesterday at the Old Timers Day event in La Vergne. We all had the chance to meet and greet everyone that came by and I hope that you came by to see us as well. It looks right now that alot of folks are really trying to make plans to be at the Smyrna Bowling Center on Sept. 28TH at midnight for our fundraiser. I myself have been talking with all of my regular customers at the center that come in every weekend and they promised me they would be there. Also i WAS TOLD THAT Mr Brandon Brewer will be attending and he told his mother he is going to stay the whole 6 hours. This will give everyone a chance to come in a meet this brave young man!! Remember that we have bowling balls for everyone that donates, you put your name on the ball and we place it at the bowling center for a month for all to see. I am still receiving alot of things for the silent auction. My friend and helper Yvonne has things being sent to her as well. Watch for her story about Brandon coming this weeks edition of the Rutherford Reader. You still have time to make a donation for our silent auction so contact me at 995-2636. Here is the updated list for the silent Auction and watch for more items to be added as I get them in hand I will post them.


1. Brandon Brewer's 1st bowling ball

2. A nice piece of art work by his grandmother (retail $300.00)

3. Gold trimmed stemware ($50.00)

4. Logan's gift cert. (one entree and drink)

5. Hickory Falls gift cert. ($20.00)

6. O'Charleys gift card ($25.00)

7. Quiznos gift card ($10.00)

8. 2 gift cert for rocking chair cafe ($5.00 each)

9. 2 gift cert from Toot's ($10.00 each)

10. 2 cert for pizza or calzones from Cedars Italian & Greek Restaurant ($6.99 each)

11. Time Share for one week in June to Pigeon Forge Tn.

12. Tokyo Japanese Steak House- lunch for 2 or dinner for 1. ($15.00)

13. Sonic gift card from Sonic on ind blvd. ($25.00) + Melanie donated $10.00 from herself!!! thanks alot girlfriend!!

14. Domino's pizza Lavergne 2 coupons for 2 large 1 topping pizza's

15. One month free Membership to Curve's (2 of these)

16. A C.D. By Lance Allen

17.A Kroger's gift card ($10.00)

18. 2 Gift bags from Hot Spot tanning.1=$100.50 2=$81.33

19. Gift Cert from the Pastachio Patch - a childrens store

20. A bowling party for 6 2 hours of bowling pizza and soda

more to come soon watch site as I post items

UPDATE IN THIS UPDATE: I am going to need a few volunteers to help this night with everything. I have Kathy T., Yvonne M., and Gunner going to be there for sure to help but with all of the youth that will be there I am going to need a few more adults to help out. I would try to like to have 2 shifts of people working one from 11pm till 3am and the other from 3am till 7am. I know Yvonne told me she will work the whole night to make sure this goes well. I will be there also working my shift and making sure everyone and everything is working well. leave a message here or email me if you want to volunteer. bearroller9640@yahoo.com

FYI

Looks like this person is very much someone you need to keep an eye out for.

Deputies are searching for a convicted sex offender who failed to report to a detective and failed to notify the detective about personal changes, the sheriff’s detective said Monday.

Convict Frankie Lee Edwards Jr., 27, of Jeb Stuart Drive in Smyrna pleaded guilty to statutory rape in 2004, said Detective Mickey McCullough.

State law mandates sex offenders must report in person to a sheriff’s detective on a regular basis and notify the detective of any changes in their address, telephone number, vehicle and employment.

“He failed to report his change of employment and his home address and failed to show up in person as mandated during July,” McCullough said.

Growing bigger everyday II

While the new Kohl's is going to be a new style layout, there are a whole slew of stores coming to the new Colonial Town Park Project.

Rue 21
Sally Beauty Supply
Dress Barn
Shoe Department
Maurice's
Bath and Body Works
Lane Bryant
New York and Company
Kay Jewelers
Claire's Boutique
Justice
Christopher and Banks
CJ Banks
Dollar Tree

Lane Bryant! My wife could live there. Poor house here I come.

In just a few weeks Kohl's will be the first to open for business. Other stores in Colonial Town Park will open their doors early next year.

Smyrna Mayor Bobby Spivey said the shopping center is part of 1 million square feet of retail space slated to open over the next eight months.

The town also approved another shopping center, a 14-screen theater and several restaurants along Sam Ridley Parkway.

Again I have to note the total lack of a bookstore on this list.

"Abstain from all appearance of evil." - 1 Thess. 5:22

While not evil, the question of possible conflicts of interest have been brought to my view in the county government.

At least one Rutherford County commissioner says it's "outrageous" for two of his colleagues to chair committees that supervise departments in which they or their family members are employed.

Commissioner Mike Sparks, who earlier this year unsuccessfully sought commission support for a state bill to bar county employees from serving as county commissioners, questioned the re-election of Gary Farley and Joe Frank Jernigan as committee chairmen.

Sparks said Farley, who was re-elected chair of the Public Safety Committee Thursday, has a conflict of interest because his son, Bobby Farley, is a sheriff's deputy, while Jernigan, who was re-elected to chair the Public Works Committee, has a conflict because he is employed as assistant highway director for the county.

"I don't see how they can be objective," Sparks said. "We've still got the good-old-boy system and if we don't change something we're just going to get the same old results on it."

Conflicts of interest can create a bad view of a committee or council. Sometimes the old saying about "killing the messenger" is true.

Sparks said he knows his position about commission conflicts is unpopular, but he is willing to be unpopular to get his point across.

"People tell me, 'Mike, that's just political, you got to live with it,'" Sparks said. "I'm not going to live with it."

Our own city council's Tony Dover often reads a message that he has a possible conflict but is voting his conscious. Impressed the heck out of me the first time I heard him read it and still does.

One thing that modern online newspapers offer is a forum for comments on stories. The DNJ's forum on this article has some interesting comments.

note: this post's title is from a comment in the DNJ forums.

Put your name on Our bowling balls

If you want to help but dont have the time to come to the Smyrna Bowling Center on Sept. 28TH for the "BOWLING FOR BRANDON BREWER" fundraiser then stop by and make a cash donation and you can sign a paper bowling ball and we will place this bowling ball in the bowling center for a month for all to see. We will be set up at the Old Timers DAY tomorrow so stop by there and make your donation for the bowling ball or buy your tickets. We are hoping to sell out of tickets the closer it gets to Sept. 28TH. I have already printed up more tickets in hope we will sell out. Also On Sept 26TH at 3pm listen to WGNS radio and you will hear all about Brandon Brewer and this fundraiser.

I want to give a specail thank you to Smyrna printing for donating the printing of the flyers and bowling balls. You guys rock. Anyone ever need great printing done stop by and see them in downtown Smyrna!!!

Time for alittle education about Hirschprung’s Disease

Hirschprung’s Disease


Introduction

Hirschsprung's disease is a condition that affects the large intestine (colon or large bowel) and causes problems with passing stool. It's present when a baby is born (congenital) and results from missing nerve cells in the muscles of a portion of the baby's colon.

Children with Hirschsprung's disease can be constipated or have problems absorbing nutrients from food. In severe cases of Hirschsprung's disease, a newborn child experiences an obstructed colon and is unable to have a bowel movement. In mild cases, doctors may not detect the disease until later in a child's life.

MORE>>>

Silent Auction items....

Hey all here is a list of items already donated by people from around the area.


1. Brandon Brewer's 1st bowling ball

2. A nice piece of art work by his grandmother (retail $300.00)

3. Gold trimmed stemware ($50.00)

4. Logan's gift cert. (one entree and drink)

5. Hickory Falls gift cert. ($20.00)

6. O'Charleys gift card ($25.00)

7. Quiznos gift card ($10.00)

8. 2 gift cert for rocking chair cafe ($5.00 each)

9. 2 gift cert from Toot's ($10.00 each)

10. 2 cert for pizza or calzones from Cedars Italian & Greek Restaurant ($6.99 each)

11. Time Share for one week in June to Pigeon Forge Tn.

12. Tokyo Japanese Steak House- lunch for 2 or dinner for 1. ($15.00)

13. Sonic gift card from Sonic on ind blvd. (25.00) + melanie donated $10.00 from herself!!! thanks alot girlfriend!!



I also have all the printing being done by Smyrna printing plus I have more items being donated this evening and this weekend so stay tuned to the blog for more updates and I am going to place the bidding sheets up this weekend at the bowling center so stop by and see us and place a bid. If you are wanting to donate anything call me 995-2636. You will also get a years free advertising on the La Vergne blog. thanks again!!

But for the Grace of God!!

I am going to copy a post with permission by Kathy T. for today's post from This is lavergne. please read this and post comments.....


Sixteen years ago, a young woman was pregnant with her first child. The normal pregnancy was typical - the soon-to-be-mother was excited, anxious to see her baby’s face, and longed to hold the infant in her arms. On a crisp day in January, the young mother’s wait was over. She went to the hospital to welcome her new baby and she rejoiced when he came into the world.

Within a few minutes of his birth, however, the doctors knew something was terribly wrong. The baby almost immediately began throwing up bile. The medical staff pulled a curtain so she couldn’t see what was happening. That was the beginning of Brandon Brewer’s life. And for 15 1/2 years Brandon has had to fight every day for this life that is marred by Hirschprung’s Disease - a disease that prevents his body from absorbing nutrients.

I finally met Brandon yesterday at Quiznos in Smyrna. He is a tall, handsome young man who spouts off to his Mom just like any teenager. Only when he talked back, it was to say “Mo-oooom! Stop! Don’t say that!” He was embarrassed when she described the mere inch or two of his colon that works (and then only barely). Though Brandon ate about half his sandwich and sipped on his drink, his Mom has to supplement his meal every day by feeding him nutrients through a line. She is strong for her son - she’s learned she has to be strong because there have been times when doctors have urged her to stop fighting for her son’s life.

Do you remember your last visit to the doctor? You probably paid a deductible if you have insurance. Then you eventually got a statement in the mail telling you how much you would’ve paid had you not had insurance. Brandon is lucky they do have insurance, but it doesn’t come close to covering the expenses the Brewers have incurred.

This is a family in crisis. And but for the grace of God, this could have been your family. Brandon, his Mom, his younger brother, and his father live right here in LaVergne - in a small house on Fergus Road. A house they may have to sell soon so they can relocate for a couple of years to Pittsburgh to be closer to the hospital where Brandon will receive his second transplant, after his body rejected the first transplant of his small colon. Brandon is now at the top of the transplant list again and will only be passed over if a match is found for someone in critical condition. There was a match found last week, but it went to someone else because Brandon had a fever.

This family in crisis desperately needs our help. And you don’t have to help much … especially if a lot of people find it in their hearts to donate - $5, $10, or $20. A little bit by many adds up to a lot. I will be at Oldtimers Day this Saturday selling tickets to a fundraiser: Bowling for Brandon. The fundraiser is scheduled Friday (Saturday) September 28th from Midnight until 6:00 a.m. The Smyrna Bowling Center has kindly agreed to sponsor unlimited bowling during this time (shoes and food are extra). We are charging $20 for a ticket and at least half will go to Brandon and his family. If you buy a ticket and don’t use it, the full amount will be donated. If you can’t make it to Oldtimers Day, contact me at Bob Parks Realty on Sam Ridley Parkway or go to the Smyrna Bowling Center to buy a ticket.

We are also holding a silent auction at this event. Many restaurants have agreed to donate dinners for two. Brandon is donating his first bowling ball. Yvonne Moon, writer for the Rutherford Reader, is giving up her family’s vacation time share next June (in Pigeon Forge) for the silent auction. Brandon hasn’t decided yet, but he might give up his tickets to Sea World for the auction. We hope he doesn’t have to. We hope instead that LaVergne and Smyrna residents will find it in their hearts to help the Brewers - even if it’s just a little bit. After all, but for the grace of God, it could be you or me that this post is written about.

Photo courtesy of the Daily News Journal. Visit Brandon’s page of hope here.

Brandon Brewer has made a donation as well

Tonight's meeting went well folks and this young man showed up and seemed excited about the fundraiser we are holding for him. He told his mother to go out to the car and to give to me his very first bowling Ball he has ever bowled with and I am to place this in the silent auction to help raise money. This is so amazing that this young man is doing this. He was in great spirits tonight but got alittle tired after sitting there. I want to say thank you to the Brewer family and may god bless you all!!!


If anyone wants to place a bid please do so here or come by the bowling center starting Monday am and write your bid in. there is going to plenty of items to bid on so stop by and see what we have to win.

Growing bigger everyday

Turns out the Kohl's that is coming to town is of a new layout that they have found works well.

The new store is one of nearly 200 nationwide featuring Kohl’s newly enhanced look.

An inviting exterior welcomes customers with outdoor seating and music. Glass storefront entrances with showcase windows display the latest Kohl’s fashions and automatic doors allow for hands-free entry into each store.

Interior amenities include an expanded juniors’ department, spacious fitting rooms with lounge areas, updated restrooms and redesigned customer service and checkout stations.

Kohl’s began introducing new store designs with fall 2006 grand openings — the transformations were made to integrate increased comfort and convenience for today’s shopper

Also the news of two new establishments coming to town has hit the gossip mill.

At least two more dining options will be available by year's end as the Smyrna Planning Commission approved plans for Applebee's and IHOP restaurants at last week's meeting.

Applebee's will be located on 1.25 acres at the corner of Team and Industrial boulevards, near the Colonial Town Park development that will house SuperTarget and Kohl's. A company spokesman attending the meeting said the casual dining restaurant and bar is expected to open by the end of the year.

Known for its breakfast fare, IHOP will be located just down the road on a 1.3-acre parcel at the corner of Grammer Drive and Team Boulevard.

Bigger and bigger Smyrna grows.

Meeting tonight to help a great cause....

NOTE: The meeting is two doors down at the sub shop. Brandon has made an appearance for those who wish to meet him.

I am holding a meeting tonight at 6pm at Espresso Joe's off of Sam Ridley, for those that want to help in the Bowling for Brandon Brewer fundraiser. If you are interested just bring yourself and we are going to get our minds together and see what all we have worked up and what else we can get working. I have had a time share donated to help this cause and this time share is from Pigeon Forge Tn. We are not sure what we are going to use this for yet. We wont be able to raffle this off but maybe put this in the silent auction. I also have Jack 96.3 FM working on a few things as well for the auction plus they are going to post this event under jack cares on their website. The Rutherford Reader is also doing an article on Brandon and the fundraiser. All we need now is for our ticket sales to start. If you are wanting a ticket please feel free to leave a message here or email me at bearroller9640@yahoo.com or call my cell at 995-2636.


UPDATE: I have talked with Brandon Brewers one grandmother and she is going to try to attend this evenings meeting. Also the bowling center is going to let us put up our silent auction bid sheets as soon as we get everything donated so that all the leagues that bowl there can bid and we can get more money raised.( we have full house of leagues everynight now so this is really going to help). Any donations can be brought to this meeting tonight or drop them by the bowling center ASAP!! Leave me a message here to let me know if your going to donate something.

I have the time share, some things from the Titans cheerleaders, Carrabba's hot spot tanning, the bowling center, fine glasswear, artwork from several people, and much more things coming in daily so make plans to attend and bid on items you want!!


UPDATE#2: Just talked with Brande Brewer and she is going to bring Brandon by this evening to meet all of us at Espresso Joe's. She told me he is soo excited about this bowling fundraiser we are holding for him and he is going to be there unless he is in Pittsburg for the transplant. This young man really doesnt know how many of us are supporting him and I want to make sure we fill all 52 lanes for him. If anyone has any questions about sept 28th please call me at 995-2636.

Graffiti ordinance coming to town

The infamous graffiti ordinance is going into effect soon.

Beginning next month, a new graffiti ordinance will take effect in Smyrna .

Anyone with graffiti on their property will have to clean it up or pay a fine.

A lot of laws are passed at all levels of government. No matter how much an issue is studied, a side effect of laws raises it's head pretty regularly. This is called the Law of unintended consequences. The government sees problem A and feel solution A will fix it. The problem is that solution A creates problem B and C.

A good example.

Michael Jenkins works in downtown Smyrna
.........

“It hurts my paycheck at the end of the year ‘maam. I get a bonus at the end of the year. My bonus is strictly based on profits so that’s coming outta my profits,” Jenks told News 2.

This person will now take home less pay, but since the town looks prettier, then that just jim-dandy with some. This is an unintended consequence.

I like this line.

City leaders said they consider cleaning or covering graffiti just another part of property maintenance, just like mowing the lawn.

But if I don't do maintenance on my car, it will not fine me money, it simply breaks and loses value. You end up punishing yourself.

The city we live in isn't

My editor just told me he had to make a few changes to my column for next week. Seems I referred to Smyrna as "city" when the techinical title is "Town".

Now you know.

Silence is NOT golden.

I'm in a bit of a position and it involves the city government here in Smyrna. because of that I'm openly asking for some advice here.

There is an issue bothering me and it is going to involve several posts on this site, and at least one, and maybe two columns in the Smyrna AM.

The current problem I'm in started back in May. I had a question on a proposed ordinance that the city was thinking of passing. It seemed that the town attorney was the one to call so I left two requests to talk to her. I never got called back from her, but the next day I did get a very interesting phone call from Town manager Mark O'Neal. In what I best described to my wife as a "pissy attitude" he told me that I should address ALL questions to him in the future and not to anyone else. I did not mention this online in May because I figure that maybe he was having a bad day. We all have them.

He wants to be the wellspring of all information in the city hall. I can live with that.

One problem. Last week I emailed his office two times with a request for information. I received from his office nothing. No reply. No "Bug off!". No nothing.

The issue is slightly time sensitive, so I can move forward in other areas without the need of talking to him. I'm just less then thrilled that this situation seems to have arisen up over a perceived slight against him.

My question is this. Should I ask for an official meeting with him? Should I go forward without a comment or more information from him? Should I ask the people who may know, but that means I pass by the "wellspring" in the city hall?

1450 WGNS Radio Show 9/7/07

From YouTube.

This is a short clip of Brian Barrett's radio show Rutherford Issues, with guests Mike Sparks, Shawn Tinsley, and Kendra Cooke. They are discussing the process of starting a new business and the challenges involved.

My "imposing" figure can be seen in the back ground talking to Mealand Ragland-Hudgins from the Smyrna AM.

Sullivan's Sports Bar

The UT game was only available on pay-per-view this weekend and while I love the Vols, the thought of paying for the cable box plus an additional thirty plus bucks to watch the game at home, alone didn't sound that exciting to me. (Though I'm sure had I purchased the game, I'd have become immediately very popular among my UT friends). And even though I had several opportunities to purchase tickets at a good price to go, I wasn't able to go due to other commitments this weekend and not wanting to call my best friend the day of the game and impose upon he and his family's hospitality.

So, instead of purchase the game at home or going to God's House (Neyland Stadium), I decided to catch the game at a sports bar.

And wouldn't you know it? One has just opened up in Smyrna!

The new sports bar is called Sullivan's and it's off Sam Ridley. I don't know the exact road name, but it's the same shopping center as the new steak-house and the Sir Pizza. (It's right behind the Bob Parks building on Sam Ridley).

I stopped in Saturday afternoon and was informed yes, the game would be on. When I first walked in, I was impressed by Sullivan's. They have a good number of HD flat-panel TVs evenly distributed throught the bar. From where I sat Saturday evening, I could have at least two in my line of sight at all times, which in a sports-bar is a good thing. They also had a couple of pool tables and some dart boards. But I wasn't there to play games, I was there to watch the UT game.

Now, when I arrived, the game was supposed to start in about two minutes, but there were some issues with the feed. At one point, the manager told me that the game wouldn't be seen due to a paperwork snaffu on DirectTV's part and gave us the opportunity to go elsewhere. At this point, a few of the UT fans left, though I stayed. Why you ask? Well, I'd already ordered by burger and had a frosty adult beverage. I stayed, figuring I'd eat my food, watch the other games and then either go home and listen to the game on the radio or find somewhere else to hang out after half-time.

But I will give the management credit--they didn't let stop them. They were able to get the game about the start of the second quarter--or as I call it, when UT stopped playing around and got serious about playing some football. As a UT fan, I appreciate the extra mile the staff and management went to to get the game as promised. Definite points in the favor of Sullivans.

That said, getting my food took forever. Which at the time it seemed like a bad thing, but in the end was good. It kept me there long enough so that I could see the game. So, a negative turned into a positive.

The bar got progressively more crowded as the night went along. It's 21 and up only, so smoking is permited. My food was good, the service was nice and the prices were very reasonable. I noticed they have a ladies' night on Tuesday, karoke at various times during the week and the NFL Sunday Ticket package on Sundays.

So, if you're looking for a place to hang out and see your favorite team out of market, this might be somewhere to consider. I know if I don't get tickets to the game in two weeks, I'll be there again to watch the Vols.

The Middle Tennessee Blogger and Podcaster's Group Meeting

Thanks to all who came out today. I appreciate the friendships I have developed over the years. Our get togethers are always something I look forward to.

Now, we discussed today scheduling the next meeting for Saturday, November 3. However, I would like to propose something else this time around. I've noted that many have been asking for weeknight meetings. I think this would be a wonderful idea but would propose it on a Friday. What say you about meeting on Friday, November 2nd at the Smyrna Bowling Alley at 7:30? I know one of my fellow MTBPG Members has some awful hours and may not be able to stay awake that long but it would be fun if we could get together, have a few brewskies and maybe even throw a ball or two down a lane though mine would probably end up in the gutter.

Looking forward to your response.

In the end we only get one

I was really excited with the idea of two movie theatres in Smyrna. The competition between them and the chance for a wide varieties of movies had me waiting with a certain level of excitement.

I wondered why neither seemed to have started construction. Now we know.

The two companies planning to open 14-screen movie theaters about a mile away from each other have decided to partner on one theater.

Eric Thornton, co-owner of the Roxy Theater in Dickson, said his company and Memphis-based Malco Theater will build on the 16 acres Roxy purchased behind the Starbucks on Industrial Boulevard off of Sam Ridley Boulevard.

"We decided it was in the city's best interest and our best interest if we were able to make that a destination area for families. We're able to put in several nice restaurants and have them close to the SuperTarget and all that that's going in over there," Thornton said, adding the structure's frame should be visible in 30 to 60 days.

While it probably is in their best interest, I really don't feel this is in the best interest of the city. With two competing against each other, they would have to go beyond the regular array of movies and garner our attention with movies normally played at the Belcourt theatre.

At least we will have one. Maybe enough requests for a wider selection, or maybe an independent film night would get some "fringe" movies in. Here is a fine example of what a theatre could do to draw in viewers.

I can at least hope. Anybody want to write a few letters with me to the Malco company requesting special film nights?

Pancake aftermath

Well the numbers are in, and the pancake breakfast, that I accidentally slept through, raised $750 for the RCCRA.

The Rutherford County Christian Relief Association (RCCRA) held a Pancake Breakfast Aug. 18 at the Smyrna Rescue Unit Building to raise funds of more than $750 to obtain additional tools and materials. More than150 citizens enjoyed the breakfast and fellowship.

The RCCRA was formed in 2006 by a group of concerned Rutherford County citizens who formed the association to assist in disaster relief and other missions to help alleviate suffering, when and where the opportunity presents itself in Rutherford County.

Good luck on your charity endeavours.

Saturday, Sept. 8: Middle Tennessee Blogger and Podcaster's Group Meeting

Time once more for that monthly thing we all look forward to.... The Middle Tennessee Blogger and Podcaster's Group Meeting.

This month's meeting is being held same time and place as last's.

Bob Parks Realty in Smyrna, TN
2:00 PM
Saturday 9/8

Be there or be... well, not there.

Fifth annual Wings of Freedom Fish Fry

Looks like this is going to be a big one for all who attend.

Members of the Smyrna Rotary Club and anyone else planning to attend the clubs fifth annual Wings of Freedom Fish Fry can expect three things: fun, good food and the knowledge that they gave back to their community.

The event takes place Saturday at the Corporate Flight Management hangar at Smyrna Airport. Proceeds from this year's event will go to organizations such as the Boys & Girls Clubs of Rutherford County, Sam Davis Home and the Smyrna/La Vergne Food Bank.

The article ha tgimes and event information for those who wisht o attend.

An announcement's announcement?

Fred Thompson has announced that he will announce an announcement this coming Thursday. This announcement's announcement may be the announcement announcing his candidacy. If this is the announcement we have been waiting to have announced.

We will post all future announcements here for your reading pleasure.

Bowling for Brandon Brewer

As most of you know, there is a young man, named Brandon Brewer over in our sister city of Lavergne. We are planning a bowling fundraiser for this young man on Sept 28Th from midnight to 6am. We will be having alot of fun on this Friday night and we hope that you support this great cause. The tickets are on sale now for $20.00 and half of the proceeds go to this young man. Now if you can't make it that night or don't use the tickets then all of that ticket will go to this young man. We are hoping to fill the house with supporters and if we do so then he will get more than half of the ticket sales.

Also we are having a silent auction this night and so far we have the Pistachio Patch donating a gift cer. and also the famous CARRABBA'A is donating a meal for 2. So if you like good food, friends, and fun bring the family out and help support this very sick young man on Sept 28th. Brandon is going to try to stop by for he loves the game of bowling and is looking forward to meeting all of those that show up!!If you need more info please contact me at 995-2636 or you can stop by the bowling center or Bob Parks reality on Sam Ridley to purchase your tickets but hurry they wont last long!!!

Smyrna library classes

The fact that you're reading this implies a certain basic level of computer knowledge, yet there might be some programs you may want to learn more about, without the major investment of returning to school.

Well lucky for you the Smyrna library is offering a series of computer classes that may satisfy your needs.

Classes at Smyrna Library

Smyrna Library will offer the following free computer classes. Because class size is limited, advance registration is required. You may register over the phone or in person; registration for each class begins on the Monday prior to the class. You must have a valid library card in good standing. A $2 materials fee will be charged if you do not attend and fail to cancel your registration 24 hours in advance of the class.

For more information, please call 459-4884.

Computer Basics
This class will introduce users to the various parts of the computer, including the keyboard and mouse, and the Windows environment. Designed for people with no or very little computer experience.
Friday, Sept. 21, 10 a.m. - noon

Introduction to the Internet
This is an introduction to using the Internet efficiently and safely. Topics covered include what the Internet is, how to use Internet Explorer, and how to search the Internet, plus an overview on how to keep your computer safe while going online.
Friday, Sept. 28, 10 a.m. - noon

Introduction to E-mail
This class will introduce users to the various free e-mail services. It will cover how to get an account; how to compose, send, forward, reply to, and store messages; and e-mail etiquette and safety.
Friday, Oct. 5, 10 a.m. - noon

Introduction to Microsoft Word
This class introduces the main components of Word, including how to change / format text, working with files, page formatting, tables, and more.
Friday, Oct. 12, 10 a.m. - noon
Saturday, Oct. 13, 9-11 a.m.

Introduction to Microsoft Excel
This class will introduce users to the main components of Excel. It will cover spreadsheet basics, menus and toolbars, worksheet modification, formatting cells, and formulas and functions.
Friday, Oct. 19, 10 a.m. - noon

Enjoy.