In Smyrna this week the town government has three open meetings planned for those interested.

Beautification Committee: May 6, 2008 - 6:30 PM
Beer Board: May 5, 2008 - 7:00 PM
Sister City Committee: May 6, 2008 -6:00 PM

A public event of note is a golf tournament that you maight want to check out.

Smyrna Senior Citizens is holding its second annual benefit golf tournament on Friday, May 9 at Cedar Crest Golf Course with a shotgun start at 8 a.m. Cost is $300 per four-man scramble team. Hole sponsorships cost $100. Breakfast and lunch are provided. Entry deadline is May 1. Contact Michael Henderson at 615-554-0171 or Wanda Chandler at 615-459-4839 or Sandra Bolin at 615-405-8957.

The biggest thing this week in Smyrna will be the talk about information on Amnon Bar-Tur, the main person behind the Biblepark, and information of a "sordid" past.

Bible park open house

In a push to aliviate the angry, or to tell people of the inevitable, the people behind the Bible park are going to have three open houses to answer all of your questions.

Officials for Bible Park USA have scheduled three public open houses to inform members of the community about the Bible Park themed attraction planned for northwestern Rutherford County.

The sessions, set for Feb. 11 and 12, will be held in La Vergne, Smyrna and Murfreesboro, and will provide an opportunity for citizens to ask questions, provide comments, and obtain information about the educational, entertainment and historical venue being planned for the area.
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The public is invited and encouraged to attend.

The open house dates, times, locations and schedule follows:

• Monday, Feb.11, from 4:30 to 7:30 p.m. in La Vergne at the City of La Vergne’s Multi-Purpose Building, 5093 Murfreesboro Rd. (behind La Vergne City Hall)

• Tuesday, Feb. 12, from 11 a.m. to 1:30 pm in Smyrna at the Smyrna Town Centre, 100 Sam Ridley Pkwy.

• Tuesday, Feb. 12, from 4:30 to 7:30 p.m. in Murfreesboro at the Lane Agri-Park at 315 John R. Rice Blvd.

I know a lot of people are against this park, but the beliefs of many are based on hearsay and second hand tales of the coming destruction of their quiet rural lifestyles. This can be the time you finally get all..or at least most of your questions answered.

Bible Park update

We have commented on the Bible Park that may be coming to the Blackman area. For some there are more questions that they feel have not been answered. Armon Bar-Tur, the head of the Bible Park project plans on having some open dialogue to answer them according to this WGNS article.

Bar-Tur indicated that he hopes to request county approval for the theme park before the end of this year. However, he insists on conducting a series of information sessions to answer questions the public might have before asking for zoning approval.

Most people do not know, but this is not Armon Bar-Tur's first park. He was involved as one of the partners who put together the Hard Rock Park in Myrtle Beach.

Armon Bar-Tur '92, managing member of SafeHarbor Holding LLC said, "I am proud to partner with Ziel Feldman in putting together this distinguished group of investors including Africa Israel Investments and Polar International Real Estate to join us in creating this exciting park. This fusion of a great brand, great location and superior management team will ensure the success of this venture."

Note that Hard Rock Park is an amusement park, while the proposed Bible Park is a theme park.

What do you think?

At least one local politician wants to know your views on issues that effect all of us. Mike Sparks, 11Th district county commissioner, has an online poll page with local issues.

Since informed politicians are as important as informed voters, take a moment and drop by there.

While you can vote on the polls, you also have the option to leave feedback comments. Here are the ones from the Bible Park poll.

I dont care one way or another. 08/27/07 4:47:34 PM MST

Personally I believe this would be a great way to bring money to our County, and prevent the development of many new homes. We have enough people already as it is! 08/27/07 3:52:17 PM MST

Traffic and congestion will be worse with 1500 homes. I live in Blackman and do not like the park idea, but i feel it would be better thanthe 1500 homes im hearing about. 08/27/07 12:29:48 PM MST

I would love to see this come to Murfreesboro, it will make for great job opportunities! 08/26/07 10:34:06 PM MST

I have heard that gaylord regretts closing Opryland, opryland never updated rides so many people only visited a few times. The bible park will create jobs and increase the tax base of Rutherford county. I would much rather have a bible park with less noise and less traffic than a 1200 homes subdivision withy more noise and yearround traffic and overcrowd our schools. 08/26/07 7:31:00 AM MST

I like the idea of the park, I just see it causing problems... 08/25/07 12:30:59 PM MST

I wish the park was near the Speedway. I have friends near the Speedway and it didnt bother them, the hardly hear the races. 08/25/07 11:43:20 AM MST

This sounds like a great idea, we need something that will be good fun for our children 08/25/07 9:33:57 AM MST

This is going to cause even worse traffic for our over crowded Murfreesboro 08/25/07 9:29:07 AM MST

Your voices and views are important. Say what you think.

Bible Park -

I went to the YMCA and viewed the broadcast of WGNS's Smyrna Radio show.

I asked a few questions during commercials, and a few specifics were answered.

The main confusion with many is the type of park that he wants to build. Many have in their head an image of an amusement park. Roller coasters, Ferris wheels, and bumper cars. While these are the norm for amusement parks, what Armon Bar-Tur is building is a theme park. A good example of a theme park is Cannonsburgh in Murfreesboro. With the theme of the Bible, they are going to have a real working Canaanite village, plus many more historical sections.

Also included will be an Imax theatre with a special extended screen that folds all the way under you. Their plan is that you "fly" around the middle east to see the Pyramids, Babylon and the sites of the Holy Land.

I asked how many people it would employ. Armon said it would start with about 200 full time up to 250 when fully running. It will also employ 1000 part time seasonal workers.

One person called into the show and asked about "skyline pollution". With no Ferris wheels or roller coasters, this will not be a real problem.

He also answered the big issue. Taxes and the possible financial liability of the county. For the most part he did answer the question. I'm still leery about any connections between a private business and government taxes, but it's not worthy of me coming out against the park.

I'm now against it

The subject of the Bible park was not something I really thought about. It was neither good or bad to me.

Till I read this.

The state Senate is scheduled to hear a bill tomorrow that would let Rutherford County officials use taxes collected on a proposed Bible theme park to help pay its development costs.

The chamber's State and Local Government Committee approved the measure yesterday, amending it to apply to only Rutherford County.

Sponsor Jim Tracy says it would let the County Commission establish a special tax zone to aid development of the proposed Bible Park U-S-A.

A special tax zone. They collect extra taxes at the park, and then give it back to the park.

This article says it would be a sales tax. Collected at the door.

Sales taxes collected from a proposed $180 million Bible-story theme park here could help pay for its development if state and local officials agree to proposed legislation.

Wild idea.

Let the park charge what they want and then keep the money. No government middle man. Original and frightening idea, but lets try it.

I am against using tax money in any form, even special taxes, to fund private enterprises.

I'm not against the park. I'm against this tax plan of forced charges, and handouts to the company.

If it cannot pay for itself, and survive on its own, then it should end up like this.

small edit for accuracy of my view.