Lamplighter's Theatre

Final chance for free tax help

It is tax time and for those like me who look at the forms as a form of social torture..there is hope and help available at the Smyrna Public Library.

Free Tax Assistance

VITA, IRS-certified community volunteers, will be providing free tax preparation again this year at Smyrna Library. To see if the forms you are filing will be eligible, please see flyers at the library. Please bring your W-2 and 1099 forms, information for other income, information for all deductions and credits, a copy of last year's return, social security cards for yourself, your spouse, and your dependents, proof of ID for yourself and your spouse, and proof of account for direct depositing.

Sign-up for this service is first-come, first-served and begins at opening the day of the assistance.

The Dates they will be there are bellow.

February 19, 9:30 a.m. - 2:30 p.m.
February 26, 9:30 a.m. - 2:30 p.m.
March 12, 9:30 a.m. - 2:30 p.m.
March 26, 9:30 a.m. - 2:30 p.m.

Free is good

Tomorrow is the last day they will be offering this.

Lamplighter's Theatre

Joey Flipping Pizza

This is Joey flipping pizza dough at one of Smyrna's newest members of the Smyrna Independent Merchants Association (S.I.M.A)

What a loss

It seems that the Krogers on South Lowry is getting the pink slip.

The Kroger store at 567 S. Lowry St. will be closing within the next 60 days, a company official said.

Company spokeswoman Melissa Eads said the 75 or so store employees were notified early Wednesday, but have been offered jobs at area stores.

"We evaluate all stores for sales performance each year and, over the last several years, we've lost well over $1 million at that location. In 2010, the loss increased substantially over previous years," she said.

A loss of a million is nothing to sneeze at in this economy. I know several people that work there and this is going to be a big hit for the area.

Last year Jack in the Box closed down, and now with the planned Krogers closing this will hurt a lot of others. Many people hit Krogers and then one of the other stores in the mall, so we need to think of their plight also.

Gun Show near us

This weekend for those inclined, we have two gun shows happening nearby.

In Mufreesboro we have on Mar 19-20 at the Mid-TN Expo Center, 1209 Park Ave the RK Show. The RK shows were in Smyrna for a short time before the VA center closed the expo center in Smyrna.

In Nashville we have the Bill Goodmans Gun and Knife show at the Nashville Fairgrounds. Pictures show how it looks, and the last time I went to one of theirs I helped my brother pick out his first handgun...a Ruger P345.

If this is what you count as fun, and I do, then this coming weekend looks like it will be busy for you.

15th

A lot of the money that Smyrna receives from the state is based upon our population. With the growth of Smyrna the town financed an off-year census to catch up with the money supply verses the growth we were experiencing. Well the numbers are out from the latest federal census and we are just short of 40,000.

Smyrna’s population climbed from being Tennessee’s 18th most populated city in 2000 to 15th in 2010 with 39,974 residents, the U.S. Census reported today.

The article says we added as a community almost 14,000 plus in 10 years.

Local arrested in Georgia

A local Smyrna resident was arrested in Georgia for seeking out some rather unsavory activity.

A Smyna, Tennessee man was arrested in Saturday, March 12, 2011 after attempting to meet and have sex with a minor child in Georgia.

According to a press release by Special Agent in Charge Brian D. Lamkin, Justin Mack, age 22, of Smyrna, Tennessee, was arrested yesterday, March 12, 2011, by FBI agents and officers of the FBI’s Northwest Georgia Safe Child Task Force, at Chatsworth, Georgia, on state charges of attempted child molestation. Mack came to the attention of undercover law enforcement agents/officers via the Internet regarding his efforts to arrange for sex with a minor child. Mack was arrested after he traveled from Smyrna, Tennessee to Chatsworth, Georgia in furtherance of those efforts

It should be remembered that being arrested does not mean guilty.

Low cost water?

Low cost water in Smyrna. Seems that the town is building a non-drinkable water system and is starting to sell it in certain areas.

Low-Cost Non-Potable Water Is Now Available In Smyrna
The Town is adding repurified water to its water supply offerings for its customers. Repurified water is water that has been treated for limited public use through the waste water plant. The repurified water is limited to non-potable or non-drinking water use by state regulations. The twice-treated water is treated with ultraviolet exposure and chlorination to achieve disinfection.

Potential Uses? Irrigation, landscape impoundments, wetlands wildlife habitats, streams, industrial cooling, toilet flushing, vehicle washing, crop irrigation, recreational impoundments, and some industrial uses.

Where Is This Available? The transmission mains will be located along Sam Ridley Parkway, Nissan Blvd., and Stonecrest Parkway. Distribution mains and services can be extended to existing irrigation customers and potential committed customers who are within 1000 feet of the transmission mains. MAP/PDF

You would of course need to have seperate lines laid out if you think this is a good thing for you. I copied and hosted the map here in case it is pulled from the town website

Low-Cost Non-Potable Water system - Smyrna

Plane Crash in Smyrna

This afternoon a small two engine plane crashed killing three people onboard. WSMV has very good coverage, video and images for those who wish to follow the incident.

Free is still good

It is tax time and for those like me who look at the forms as a form of social torture..there is hope and help available at the Smyrna Public Library.

Free Tax Assistance

VITA, IRS-certified community volunteers, will be providing free tax preparation again this year at Smyrna Library. To see if the forms you are filing will be eligible, please see flyers at the library. Please bring your W-2 and 1099 forms, information for other income, information for all deductions and credits, a copy of last year's return, social security cards for yourself, your spouse, and your dependents, proof of ID for yourself and your spouse, and proof of account for direct depositing.

Sign-up for this service is first-come, first-served and begins at opening the day of the assistance.

The Dates they will be there are bellow.

February 19, 9:30 a.m. - 2:30 p.m.
February 26, 9:30 a.m. - 2:30 p.m.
March 12, 9:30 a.m. - 2:30 p.m.
March 26, 9:30 a.m. - 2:30 p.m.

Free is good

This post will repeat the day before each tax assistance day. Good luck.

Event reminder

Keep America Beautiful is a nation wide effort to keep our communities as lovely as we would want them to be.

Keep America Beautiful's Great American Cleanup, the nation's largest community improvement program, takes place annually from March 1 through May 31, involving an estimated 3 million volunteers and attendees. The hardworking volunteers donated more than 5.7 million hours in 2010 to clean, beautify and improve more than 33,000 communities during more than 30,000 events in all 50 states and beyond. Activities included beautifying parks and recreation areas, cleaning seashores and waterways, handling recycling collections, picking up litter, planting trees and flowers, and conducting educational programs and litter-free events.

As part of the local effort the town of Smyrna is holding their 6th annual stream clean up. For anyone who enjoys fishing, boating, or just sitting and watching the stream flow past, this gives you the chance to keep the area the way you would want it to be.

6th ANNUAL
TOWN OF SMYRNA
STREAM CLEANUPS

AS PART OF THE NATIONWIDE
GREAT AMERICAN CLEANUP EVENT

**********
STREAM CLEANUP #1
MARCH 12TH
(3-26-11 makeup date)
***
STREAM CLEANUP #2
APRIL 30TH (no makeup date)
***
STREAM CLEANUP #3
MAY 14TH (5-21-11 makeup date)
***
ALL SATURDAYS
**********
8AM – NOON
**********
YOUTH GROUPS, SCOUTS, CHURCHES, FIRMS, &
INDIVIDUALS ARE ALL WELCOME
**********
HERE’S YOUR CHANCE TO TRY OUR EQUIPMENT
“FUNDED UNDER AN AGREEMENT WITH TWRA”
**********
STREAM CLEANUP MEETING SITES:
TO BE ANNOUNCED
**********

FOR MORE INFORMATION & TO SIGN-UP
CALL GREG Upham @ 355-5701 (or email)

If you like to join in please give Greg a call and make plans for the days listed.

This post will repost the Friday before each scheduled date.

Ride for Reading

When I was younger I remember in middle school reading books to earn free books. I would have to read 4 book and give a small verbal report to the teacher about the individual books. I then could select free a book from a long table. I remember picking grand adventure books like "The Swiss Family Robinson" and "The Mysterious Island" and "Robin Hood". Because of those cheaply printed books I have a great love of literature. Also because of that I strongly support all programs to get as many books to children as I can...and this one is even better because it is local.

Krispy Kreme Children's Book Drive to Benefit Local Non-Profit Ride for Reading

All Nashville Area/Middle Tennessee Krispy Kreme locations will collect New and Gently used Children's books in honor of Dr. Seuss's birthday month. The drive begins on March 14th, 2011 and will end on April 2, 2011, which is National Children's Book Day. Guests are encouraged to "dough-nate" at least 3 books and they will receive a FREE doughnut of their choice.

So if you haven't already tried our new Banana Kreme Pie or Banana Cake doughnuts, this is your chance to taste them for free! They are indescribable and there is no better opportunity for a free doughnut and the chance to be involved in impacting the education of the Nashville Community.

Give three books and enjoy a free doughnut! WIN!

Part time work locally

The Rutherford County Sheriff's Office posted online this small item.

HELP WANTED - RCSO is looking for part time help in the School traffic division. If you are interested please contact the Community Service Unit at (615) 904-3019 or (615) 904-3033.

If you feel this might be up your alley give them a call.

Spirit night in Smyrna

Boys & Girls Clubs of Rutherford County posted this image on their Facebook account and I thought I should share it with you.




Click for larger image, then print and enjoy your chicken sandwich.

Clothes & Furniture Closet

The Smyrna First United Methodist Church on 301 Sam Davis Road near the center of Smyrna is old. 130 plus years as their history shows.

The members of the First Methodist congregation in Smyrna came from a number of churches and chapels of the local area which had originated as sites of camp meeting grounds. When the circuit rider followed the early settler into the clearings of the wilderness of what is now Middle Tennessee, he preached first in the brush arbor set up in summer beside the cabin by the pioneer father. The local preachers brought or sent here by the tireless Asbury and McKendree (early Methodist clergy) soon outgrew those arbors; and in the summer months, they preached to thousands in camp meetings, gathered for miles around for days at a time for preaching, singing, and worship.
It is not known who spoke the first word or when the first meetings were held which lead to the establishment of a Methodist Church on Madison Street in Smyrna, but it is known that the decision was made during or before 1872. The church became an active unit of members in May, 1873.

The UMC not only is part of Smyrna's history, they care for the body of Smyrna also. One of the ways is by hosting a clothes closet on the Wherry Housing co-op that is open to all with a need.

Our mission team sponsors an outreach for our community in need of clothes and furniture. You are invited to donate your time and resources to this vital community ministry!

Located at 121-A Claeborne Dr.
Directions: Sam Ridley Parkway E/TN-266N, turn left at Weakley Lane, turn right at Beauregard St., turn right at Jeb Stuart Dr., take the 1st left onto Claeborne Dr.



Clothes Closet Hours: Tues , Thurs and Sat, 9 - 12

Associte Pastor Joe Elliott "We take donations from anyone and there is no charge for the clothes.We monitor the clothers and make sure they are not soiled or worn out". If you have clothes you wish to donate, or you have a need, this free service is here for you.

Smyrna History

The Sam Davis Masonic lodge sits near the intersection of Sam Davis rd. and Nissan Blvd. The building doesn't stand out, is not garish, and seems to have been there forever for people like me who are newish to Smyrna. What you might not know is that the Sam Davis lodge is 100 years old this month. While the Wings of Freedom fish fry gets a lot of publicity for the Rotary club, it is just 40 years old.

With permission of the Worshipful Master Henry Ray Faust I am posting here their

A HISTORY OF SAM DAVIS LODGE

For the past 100 years, Freemasonry has thrived in Smyrna. On September 1, 1910, John Saunders Gooch announced to a small group of Masons that he’d received a dispensation to establish a Masonic Lodge in Smyrna. Sam Davis Lodge No. 661 received a charter from the Grand Lodge of the state of Tennessee on March 11, 1911. Brother Gooch served as the first Worshipful Master until elections were held in December, 1911.

From that humble beginning above the Peoples Bank of Smyrna, Sam Davis Lodge now occupies a 3,000 square foot building at 101 Mary Law Drive and has over 270 members. The original building still stands on present day Lowry Street. Sam Davis Lodge No. 661

Charter members include: Rob L. Short, Sumner Sanders Jr., Henry G. Davis, Wilson Ward, G.H. Crossthwait, R.B. Denney, W.E. Fields, J.S. Gooch, Leroy Mckennon, Wm Short, J.C. Harris, W.H. Alexander, M.E. Neely, J.C. Hibbett, and J.C. McAdoo. The original charter, damaged by the great fire of 1913, still hangs in the lodge today.

Just as George Washington, Benjamin Franklin, and 13 signers of our Constitution were Masons, early architects of the town of Smyrna included members of Sam Davis Lodge such as John S. Gooch, Dr. W.J. Engles and Dr. J.S. Lowry.

Brother Gooch, the first Worshipful Master of Sam Davis Lodge No. 661, attended the Western Military Academy of Nashville with his boyhood neighbor Sam Davis prior to the civil war. He served as captain of E Company, 20th Tennessee Regiment and was seriously wounded during the war.

Brother (Dr) Engles, Worshipful Master in 1914, served as the first mayor of Smyrna in 1915 after the town received a charter for the second time. His father Joseph had served as the first mayor of Smyrna when originally chartered in 1869. Brother (Dr) Engles attended the laying of the cornerstone of the original Methodist Church in 1872 and again after the church was rebuilt in 1925. Masons from the original Smyrna Lodge No. 221 had purchased the land on which the church was built from the Nashville and Chattanooga Railroad in 1856 for $82. The church stands today at its original location on present day Sam Hagar Street in Smyrna.

Brother (Dr) Lowry, for whom present day Lowry Street is named, accompanied a delegation led by then governor Prentice Cooper to Washington DC in November 1941. He was an ardent advocate for the creation of what eventually became Sewart Air Force Base. Brother Lowry was also instrumental in the establishment of Smyrna’s Maple View Cemetery.

Since its inception in 1910, members of Sam Davis Lodge struggled for a place to call home. Committees were formed on numerous occasions to explore either building or renting a more suitable facility. However, except for a few years in the 1920s when they met in a building at 110 South Front Street, they remained in the bank building until the 1960s.

A building fund had been established early on and added to over the years. In the late 1950s, the lodge bought land from Hubert Johns (Past Master of Sam Davis) and erected the current building at 101 Mary Law Drive. The building was completed in late 1962. The lodge more than doubled in size with the addition of a dining room and kitchen in the late 70s.

Finally, we must recognize our Brothers who formed Smyrna’s first Masonic Lodge, Smyrna Lodge No. 221 (1852-1886). Numerous early members of Sam Davis Lodge had also been members of the original Smyrna lodge including Brother J.S. Gooch, first Worshipful Master of Sam Davis Lodge who had also served as Worshipful Master of Smyrna Lodge No. 221. Joseph Engles, father of W.J. Engles, was on the Smyrna Lodge roll prior to the civil war.

Throughout the last 100 years, members of Sam Davis Lodge worked their farms and raised their families. They opened and operated businesses, built churches and schools, sidewalks and roads. They served in the military and as elected public officials. They advanced the cause for fire and police protection and promoted the establishment of Sewart Air Force Base in the 1940s. For the last 100 years, Sam Davis lodge has done what Masons do—take good men and make them better.

They are having a covered dish dinner this Friday March 11th to celebrate 100 years.

The Masonic Lodge was part of the early history even before Smyrna was an official town for the second time. When the lodge wasformed in 1911, Smyrna had no government and was only incorporated in 1915 for the second time after the first incorporation was revoked in 1881. Some organizations become pillars for a community and the Sam Davis Masonic lodge is one such group.

Caring for our history

There is a small and not well known cemetery that has some good friends. These people go out of their way to help keep it clean and show it the respect it deserves...and now you can help.

The Smyrna Cemetery group continues to move forward with their efforts to revitalize the cemetery where their relatives are buried. The group has been meeting since last year in an effort to organize a perpetual care group to oversee the maintenance and general care for the cemetery.

The cemetery, located off Rock Springs Road behind Odom Court, dates back to the 1800s. The three-acre site was sold in 1905 by Mr. John F. Tucker and wife Mrs. Linnie Tucker to the Colored Mutual Aid Society of Smyrna to be used as a burial ground exclusively. We conduct monthly meetings that take place at Elder's Chapel Church in Smyrna at 6:30 pm, and we encourage anyone interested in becoming a part of our group to attend. The next scheduled meetings are:

*Tuesday, April 5
*Tuesday, May 3
*Tuesday, June 7

This month will start the beginning of our Saturday landscaping efforts for this 2011. The next scheduled clean-up dates for March are the 12th and 26th from 8am-2pm. Although we will be on-site for the entire time, we welcome anyone who donates any amount of time to our efforts. Volunteers are greatly needed and asked to bring lawn equipment to aid in the clean-up process. We are also searching for anyone in the area who may have relatives buried in the cemetery. There are several unmarked graves that need to be identified, and we have secured a vendor who has agreed to provide headstones for a minimal cost of $30 each. Anyone with relatives buried in the cemetery and volunteers interested in assisting in the clean-up should contact Victor Wright at 615-557-5921 or e-mail TaRita Wright at tarita_wright@hotmail.com. Fund raisers are underway to assist with surveys and other legal expenses. Donations are welcome.

Have a Marvelous & Spectacular year,

TaRita Wright

Wanted in Smyrna

The Smyrna Police issued the following.

WE NEED YOUR HELP

The Smyrna Police Department has been investigating numerous aggravated burglaries to residences over the past several days. We currently have two suspects and are in the process of obtaining numerous warrants for Aggravated Burglary against both suspects.

We need your help locating these two suspects. Anyone with information regarding the location of either of these suspects is urged to contact the Smyrna Police Department at (615) 459-6644.

Suspect # 1: Donald Joseph Powell, 37 years old, 5'10" tall, 210 lbs, brown hair (or shaved at this time), blue eyes and last known address of 3165 Morton Lane in Smyrna.



Suspect # 2: Candice Nichole Stone, 29 years old, 5'2" tall, 135 lbs, blonde hair, blue eyes and last known address of 1119 Pyberus Place in LaVergne.

Keep an eye out and hope they are captured soon.