Catch 22 in Smyrna

My brother was in a catch 22 when it comes to the city and damage to his vehicle.

A month or so ago at night he was driving down industrial blvd. near the airport. When suddenly a section of road work came up. Now you and I have seen these slits filled with dirt crossing the road. Normally they are filled in enough that a good bump is all you feel.

Normally...

This time when he hit this one the dirt had settled over the weekend or something and WHAM!!! Two bent rims on the right side. He had the pleasure of changing one tire right then, and the other one when he awoke the next morning.

Here is where the catch 22 comes into play..

I called the city hall and I was forwarded to a department (cannot remember which one) and asked what we should do to file a claim with the city. The lady I talked to informed me that we would have to file with his insurance company and have them file with the city.

Now here is the catch. If you file with your insurance, the cost of your insurance goes up, and it ends up being cheaper NOT to file within about a year, and no cost to the city.

My brother was able to hammer one rim enough to hold pressure and only had to replace the other. Of course out of his own pocket.

Nice 'catch 22' there.

This 'old' story was brought to my mind due to the city announcing this.

Road work to slow traffic on Smyrna’s Industrial Boulevard

Industrial Boulevard at Sam Ridley Parkway West will be limited to one lane traffic or closed for short periods from 7 p.m. Sunday until 7 a.m. Monday due to culvert work for the SuperTarget/Kohl’s project.

Motorists should use Chaney Road and Team Boulevard as an alternate route when Industrial is closed for short periods.

Enough damaged rims and the traffic will get REAL slow.

A short term guest in Smyrna

For about one day.

State Sen. Jerry Cooper will enjoy the company of our kind city for 24 hours.

State Sen. Jerry Cooper, D-Morrison, did not contest DUI charges today in Rutherford County General Sessions Court.

Cooper was fined $350 and sentenced to 24 hours in custody at the Swaim DUI Center in Smyrna. Litter pickup was waived due to his physicial condition and 24 hours of public service work in Warren County was substituted.

Cooper, D-Morrison, was charged with DUI after his SUV overturned multiple times in a crash Feb. 7 on Interstate 24 east of the Buchanan Road exit.

If you see him say 'hi' from This is Smyrna, TN.

Smyrna Parks and Recreation 5K and High School Challenge

Pull out your old running shorts and prepare to run. The annual 5K run is going to be occurring next weekend.

It will be held at Sharp Springs Natural Area Park on August 11th at 7:30am. Entry Fee:
Pre-registering is $15 Day of the Race is $18

Be prepared for unusual traffic conditions that day.

Start your engines!!!!

All you NASCAR fans may want to cancel your plans for tonight and go here.

The award-winning Sleep Inn & Suites Hotel in Smyrna, Tennessee has partnered with Key Motorsports for the 2007 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series event on August 11th at the Nashville Superspeedway.

Recipients of the prestigious Gold Choice Hospitality Award, the Sleep Inn & Suites – Smyrna, TN .....

...located at 2689 Highwood Blvd. at I-24 and Route 266.

......
Key Motorsports team members will call the Sleep Inn & Suites Hotel in Smyrna home for race weekend and the driver of the #40 Westerman Companies Chevrolet Silverado for the Nashville race, rookie Brandon Miller, will make an autograph appearance at the hotel on Friday night from 8 to 9 p.m.

That's tonight so go and have some fun.

Tennessee as it once was.

During the harsher days of the depression life was not always good for the residents of Tennessee. Here are a few photos to give you an idea of what the poorer people had to endure.

While we today think a house has to get a certificate of occupancy from the government, some were just happy for a basic roof over their heads.

A one-room hut houses a family of nine in an open field between Camden and Bruceton, Tennessee, near the Tennessee River. The hut was built over the chassis of an abandoned Ford. Photograph by Carl Mydans, 1936

While their living quarters were rough, the basic necessities of life were even more sparce for the true poor.

The mother in a family of nine holds her baby. The family lives in a field on U.S. Route 70 in Tennessee, near the Tennessee River. Photograph by Carl Mydans, 1936

If you click on the image it will go to a larger image. Note the flour sack skirt.

In a way I'm surprised at this image. Note that her skirt is made of an unpatterned flour sack. Flour sacks were available in nice patterns to make clothing out of. Due to my age I touched upon this lifestyle just one time. When I was an infant in Kentucky, my mother was visiting my grandmother. In her life they wore a lot of cloths made from flour sacks. My grandmother made me a single one piece jumper out of some flour sack material that she still had in a chest. She got bothered with my mom when she took me to town in it. After all a lot of people could still recognize the old patterns back then, and it might have looked "poor".

With no WalMarts back then the general store was what you got everything at. And I do mean everything.

October 1935. View of the L.F. Kitts general store in Maynardville, Tennessee.

As all other states there were rich and poor. One of the historical events to effect the people of Tennessee was the TVA.

We went from this kitchen for the truly poor:

A 12-year-old girl in a family of nine cooks a meal in a rude, open lean-to hut in Tennessee. The family lives in an open field near the Tennessee River.
Photograph by Carl Mydans, 1936

To having this style of kitchen available:

A modern kitchen in a Tennessee Valley Authority house. Kitchen equipment for one of the new demountable houses, which the TVA is building for defense workers in the Muscle Shoals area in northern Alabama, includes electric range, water heater, and refrigerator. Photo from the Farm Security Administration Office of War Information Photograph Collection, 1941

A lot of history in our state.

Restaurants are coming

A few posts back, we wondered just what kind of new business establishment was under construction on Sam Ridley between Wendy's and Chick-Fil-A.

Rumors and speculation had it as a McDonald's or a Verizon store.

It's better......

Steak and Shake!

Woo-hoo....I've been wanting a Steak and Shake in Smyrna for years. Of course, this means I will now have to move into the Y to burn off the calories from a good shake from Steak and Shake..but I think it will be worth it. Plus, it will save a ton of money on the mortgage expenses. Only downside I can see is the Y only has some satellite TV system that doesn't get all the channels I watch.....

Also, under construction on Sam Ridley, near Lowes and the Razz is a Buffalo Wild Wings.

Now, if only they'd get cracking on that movie theater, I'd be happy.

Two Questions

Are you coming and whatcha bringin'?

Tomorrow or Today, depending on when you may read this, is the Monthly Middle Tennessee Blogger and Podcaster's Group Meeting. That is Saturday, July 28th at 2:00 PM at Bob Parks Realty in Smyrna, TN.

Kathy T. of This is La Vergne has a special guest for us. We always have a good time. Come on out, make new friends, share some knowledge or gain some. We look forward to your company.

Bob Parks Realty
557 Sam Ridley Pkwy.
Smyrna, TN 37167-5627

We are "supposed" to be bringing a dish, so, if you remember, bring something, will ya?

Ciao!

Smyrna Radio show TODAY!

From Mike Sparks come this news.

The next Smyrna Show which will be aired this thursday July 26th at 3:00 pm from the North Rutherford YMCA. I wll have in attendance State Senators Bill Ketron and Jim Tracey and Lavergne Mayor Ronnie Erwin. I plan on asking them all about illegal immigration and what the potential to get the food sales tax cut.

The show broadcasts on WGNS 1450 am and 100.5 Fm for those who wish to listen.

Smyrna, TN Radio Show This Thursday

Mike Sparks and crew will be having the Smyrna Radio Show tomorrow at 3:00 PM at the North Rutherford YMCA.

In attendance will be State Senators Bill Ketron and Jim Tracey and La Vergne, TN Mayor, Ronnie Erwin. On the agenda are questions regarding illegal immigration, food sales tax.

If you have questions you would like answered, post them now.

This show can be heard on WGNS 1450 AM and 100.5 FM.

MTBPG Meeting Coming

In response to our beloved Michael's question below, it is a pleasure to formally announce the meeting this Saturday at 2:00 p.m. for the Middle Tennessee Bloggers and Podcasters' Group. The meeting will be held in the 2nd floor conference room at my business: Bob Parks Realty, 557 Sam Ridley Drive in Smyrna.

We have invited Alderwoman Senna Mosely from LaVergne to talk about our grassroots efforts (via the blogging community) to start a Beautification Committee in Smyrna's sister city. We'd love for people in Smyrna to also attend to share your experiences with the folks from LaVergne.

We had initially talked about having a potluck and can still do this if enough people are interested. If you'd like to come (and like to have a potluck), please comment below!!

I should really write these things down

Is the July meeting for the Middle Tennessee Bloggers and Podcasters group this Saturday (July 28)?

Or did I miss it last Saturday?

Being a Girl Scout Leader is...

I want so badly to type FUN, but sometimes it’s more challenging than fun. There are so many good things about leading a troop of young ladies. I find there are a lot of different personalities with the girls - some are standoffish, others crave attention. Some are quiet, others are really loud. However, the common thread with all of them is that Girl Scouting is a way for them to excel, explore, laugh, and grow through opportunities they don’t typically find at home.

Last year I took my troop camping in the FREEZING cold. Oh my those girls whined and complained. But guess where they want to go camping again? We heard coyotes howling, we struggled to build a fire, and once we had one we made wishes with “fairy dust” (dry dairy creamer that flames up when you toss in the fire). Here’s another reason to be a Girl Scout leader. Those girls in my troop, ages 11 to 13, wished for things I would never have guessed. One foster girl wanted to find a family to adopt her. Another girl wanted to see her Daddy before he passed away. One just wished her Daddy would come home. I was part of what felt like a magical night, when I could sit down and hear the girls at such an important time in their lives. It’s a memory I will always cherish.

So why am I writing this? I received an email from our service unit manager who is looking for adult volunteers NOW before we go into the schools for recruitment. Here’s what she asks:

GS’s are needing/recruiting adult volunteers as leader’s. I’d like to
secure, orientate, and train some leaders before we go into the schools for
recruitment this year. Last year we had such a difficult time placing
girls due to lack of adult volunteers/troops. Interested adults can email
me (Roxanne) at zringarox (at) bellsouth (dot) net. (Remove the Z,
please) Or, they could call the Smyrna/LaVergne GS Hotline at
355-8873 to leave a message.

If you’d like to volunteer, please contact Mrs. Roxanne at your first opportunity.

Another fast food joint.....

I visited the Wendy's today on Sam Riidley and saw that the land next to them had some foundations already poured and it looks like it might be another fast food joint. I asked the guy at the drive thru window what was being put there and he said he heard several different things. One being the 14 screen movie house, which I don't think it will be because it seems really small for something like that. The other thing he heard was it is going to be another Mcd's. We don't really need another one do we? I would really like to see a Dairy Queen put in myself!

On another note I would like to welcome the new headquarters of Wearwell, They have now opened their new offices and warehouse up over by the airport. Welcome to our great city and hope you enjoy your stay here!

Request for questions

With hat in hand I come before the readers of my blog with a question, and a request that I be forgiven for the lateness of this post. I was supposed to post this last week, but things in my life went from hectic, to frantic.

Here goes.

3pm Thursday of this week the Smyrna radio show will be broadcast from in front of the offices of Smyrna A.M.. In attendence will be Smyrna A.M. editor Taylor Loyal, and 11th district county commissioner Mike Sparks.

Mike would like to answer questions that you have on Smyrna and its future. To get them answered on air please email them to Taylor Loyal by Thursday.

If time allows I'm even going to try to be there.

***tagged to stay at the top till thursday***

Upcoming event

Cynthia McFarland emailed this community event that may be of interest to the horse owners in our fine city.

Chris Cox "Come Ride the Journey" Tour Rolls Into Murfreesboro

(Mineral Wells, TX, June 27, 2007---)After a highly successful launch to his "Come Ride the Journey" tour in 2006, Chris Cox has expanded this year's schedule to include 11 cities around the country. The 2007 tour rolls into Murfreesboro, Tennessee for the weekend of July 21 & 22 at the Tennessee Miller Coliseum.

Chris just won Road to the Horse, the enormously popular colt starting challenge in Murfreesboro, back in March. You've seen him at expos across the country and on his regular RFD-TV program. Don't miss the opportunity to catch this widely respected horseman and clinician up close and personal for two full days of learning, entertainment and inspiration. You'll have the chance to meet Chris during the daily Q&A session and as he signs autographs.

Experience a variety of demonstrations in a casual and relaxed setting as Chris shows how to get results with any horse. His proven methods are easy to understand and effective. Best of all, he makes it possible for everyday horsemen and women to master techniques that can dramatically improve their horsemanship skills and increase their confidence.

In addition to breath-taking advanced horsemanship demonstrations, Chris shows you step-by-step how he starts a young horse. He also uses his down-to-earth training methods to help turn around problem horses. Trailer loading trauma? Chris demonstrates how to load any horse calmly and easily to avoid stress and injury. Saddle horse thinks he's a bronc? Chris takes a local horse with "bucking issues" and shows the crowd, along with the horse's owner, what causes the problem and how to put an end to it.

At just $25, tickets for the two-day weekend tour stops remain an incredible bargain. Tickets are Buy One, Get One Free, making it easy to bring a friend or family member. Seating is general admission. Children 14 and under admitted free with no ticket required. Activities start at 9:00 a.m. both Saturday and Sunday, and conclude at 5:00 p.m. on Saturday and 4:30 p.m. on Sunday.

To purchase advance tickets, visit www.chris-cox.com and click on the 2007 Tour Info button. Demo horses with specific problems are needed in every tour area. If you're interested in submitting your horse for Chris to work with, you'll find this information in the same area on the website.

I think the part I italicised is very important for horse owners.

Child safety

A service of the town of Smyrna might help save your child from harm.

Smyrna Police will host a free seat safety check at Fire hall 1 located across from the Smyrna Public Library. Safety experts will show parents how to properly install child seats. Child safety seats offer more protection to children than any other restraint device. When properly installed and used, child safety seats can dramatically reduce the chance of an injury or death to children when a motor vehicle accident occurs.
The event will be held on July 13th from 9:00AM until 11:00AM.

Movies in the park

The parks and recreation department has on their website information on the next movies in the park.

Movies in the Park will be held again on July 20th at the Rotary Soccer Park (300 on Soccer Way) The soft playgrounds and vendors will begin at 6:30pm. The movie will start at dark (around 8pm)
The cost is $1 per person and an additional $1 per child to play on the soft playgrounds. Although we can't give you the movie title on the website you may call us at 459-9773....

Looks like fun for the family.

Kids driving you nuts?

event over

Small miracles

Small miracles is the best thing to say about what has happened to a bus load of children from our city.

BOWLING GREEN, Ky. - Kentucky officials are on the scene of a crash with injuries involving a tractor trailer, a passenger car and a bus carrying children from Smyrna.

Officials said the crash happened around noon Monday at the mile marker 13 on I-65, just north of the Kentucky/Tennessee border.

The bus was reportedly carrying children from Smyrna, Tennessee, and headed to Lexington, Kentucky. Officials said the children were from age 8 to early teens.

The word is all of the children are safe.

More here.

New business in Smyrna

The Tennessee state government has announced plans for a new multi-million dollar computer complex in Smyrna.

Tennessee state government’s computer operations are located in a building with a sinking foundation that was built on a flood plain and should be replaced with two separate facilities, state officials say.

Parts of the state’s 20-year-old Data Center near the Capitol are shifting and cracking and the center requires constant monitoring. Some areas are too unstable for storing heavy computer equipment.

State officials said they intend to spend up to $68 million to plan, design and construct two data centers about 25 miles apart in northern Nashville and nearby Smyrna. The replacements would be ready by 2010.

Smyrna is mainly a commuter town for Nashville no matter how you look at it. While there has been a lot of growth in Smyrna, it has mainly been in the service area and not the production area. I hope this is the beginning of a trend for more production and light industry moving in.