Morgan Park Renovation Coming, Reports Tennessean

The Tennessean's Nancy Deville reports this morning that Morgan Park is due for $200,000 in renovations over the next few months. Those renovations include: "a walking trail, gardens along the trail, modified baseball field and new playground," which are funded by the Parks Department's Parks and Greenways Master Plan.


At the Central Wastewater meeting on Tuesday, I had the opportunity to speak with Germantown patriarch Ernest Campbell, who suggested to me that one use of Salemtown's block grant might be for the renovation of Morgan Park, a goal that he and his wife have been pursuing for awhile.

With this news that the Parks Department is funding renovations, spending block grant funds on Morgan Park might not be an option since those funds have to go to projects that are currently not funded by Metro. The slated renovations, which include long-overdue upgrades to the Morgan Park Community Center, could ostensibly move Morgan Park further down the list of priorities of possible Salemtown enhancements, since there could be a host of other needs around the neighborhood that Metro is not planning for. Then there is also the issue of boundaries: Germantown expanded its boundary to Hume St. not too long ago to encompass Morgan Park. Since the block grant area falls north of Hume, I'm not sure grant money could go to Morgan Park. These are questions I will raise at the Block Grant Citizen Advisory Committee meetings beginning September 13.

In the meantime, our venerable old park in the North End is due some lavish and extended attention, so I am glad to see Metro spending $200,000 on Morgan Park. That is tax money well-spent. Salemtown Neighbors partnered with Morgan Park Community Center back when the facility needed some attention and we'll be there to enjoy the facility upgrades.

"Camel on the ceiling. C ... c ... C."

Rat Pellets To Neighborhoods

Yesterday I intimated that the mainstream print media pretty much ignored the August 23 proceedings of the Central Wastewater Treatment meeting at Neuhoff, which Enclave exhaustively chronicled. Neither of the Nashville daily newspapers gave any indication that a reporter was present for the meeting.

No stories appeared in either the Tennessean or the Nashville City Paper with details about the meeting other than Nancy Deville's Tennessean piece that came out before the proceedings. The Tennessean didn't even mention the meeting yesterday; not even in the North Nashville section of the paper.

The NCP published a piece yesterday by Craig Boerner, which looked more like an advertisement for Metro Water Services than a report on the meeting. It is the standard puff piece that probably followed a press release. It simply describes what the new biosolids buildings will do once built, as told by Metro Water's communication liaison, Sonia Harvat (who was also interviewed by Deville beforehand). Boerner did not even reference the meeting, let alone give any neighborhood responses, choosing instead to channel Harvat on how the fertilizer produced by the new human waste facility would resemble "rat pellets."

Reporter Bill Harless, who covers neighborhoods for the NCP, was silent on neighborhood response to the meeting. I understand that he was covering the Brentwood City Commission on Monday night; he published something on that yesterday. And it looks like while he was there he milked a second story on a Brentwood police charity for today's edition, but he wrote nothing on the North End response to the wastewater meeting, either before or after the meeting.

All in all, the print media's showing on this important meeting was truly poor and barely extant.

Wastewater Wasting No Time On Construction, But Are They Wasting Our Time?

As not reported in any of today's mainstream print media, last night at the Neuhoff Complex about 40 people met to listen to and discuss the plans for Central Wastewater Treatment Plant. The footprint for the new campus appears in the picture at the right. 2nd Ave., North is the street running from the bottom to the top at the extreme left-hand side of the diagram. The Cumberland River would lie to the right of the picture, out of frame. The sidewalk running parallel to the right of 2nd Ave. is part of a new greenway to be installed connecting the greenway around MetroCenter to the North End. The managers of the project said that trees and other greenery will be planted along the new greenway. The various buildings around the campus will house the new biosolids process, which will include digestion and heat-drying. That process will convert toxic sludge--some days stinking up the neighborhood due to a current system that was suitable to the early 1950s, according to managers--to usable biosolids for fertilizer.

Managers told the attending residents of Germantown, East Germantown, and Salemtown that their committee had considered various options for a design based on the architecture of the neighborhood around the plant site. They decided to go with a brick structure for the main building on the campus that they said is consistent with the character of all three neighborhoods. When asked whether any actual neighbors from the North End served on the committee that picked the design, managers answered that one person from the North End was shown the plans, but that person did not have the power of suasion with the committee.

One long-time Germantown resident responded that he thought the building looked "like a prison." The pastor from a Salemtown church said he thought the building looked like the "top of a guitar," which he claimed would fit Nashville as "Music City." A couple of Salemtown residents told me afterwards that they were more concerned with stopping the odor problems than with architecture. Prominent North End developer, Skip Lawrence of Lawrence Bros. LLC, suggested that domed holding tanks be moved farther back behind the main building to enhance the neighborhoods' line-of-sight to the campus. Neighbors seemed quite prepared to provide a parcel of input, and they even got into a tank paint color discussion at one point. One could hardly blame their enthusiasm, given that the managers billed one purpose of the event as getting feedback from the community on their designs. This meeting seemed to be the only opportunity we have for input, since there were no residents serving on their Sludge Solution Committee.

The construction timeline starts next month with demolition and loud pile-driving which will start before 8:00 in the morning and will end before suppertime. Demolition is scheduled to run through the end of 2007. General construction is scheduled to run through the fall of 2007, and project completion is expected spring of 2008. In the meantime, other odor controlling processes that I have described elsewhere are being initiated.

My overall impression was that the meeting was pretty much what I expected. I was pleased to hear that a greenway was going in, and the fact that it will be across the fenceline from the biosolids buildings indicates to me that the managers are confident that the odor problems will be solved. Aesthetics are important to me, but placid olfactory nerves are a higher priority in this case. I was also happy that the managers assured some of us Salemtown folk with water drainage problems at our storm sewers that those problems would be addressed.

I was unpleasantly surprised that the managers seemed defensive at times. My impression was that they were thrown off and put off by complaints they were fielding from residents about the odors and about previous promises to blunt the stink before the last major upgrade to the Central Plant. Did they not prepare themselves for critical feedback? At one point, one of the project managers commented rather cavalierly that the purpose of the plant is not to manufacture waste but to dispose of it. That came off as premeditatedly callous in all of its self-evidence to me.

As far as I can tell, Metro Water has not attempted to build a neighborly working arrangement with the enclaves at the North End. Skip Lawrence made what I considered to be the most significant and constructive recommendation to the managers when he suggested that they host a get-together or a cook-out for their neighbors for the simple purpose of letting them get to know the people of Metro Water. I agreed with him that it would go a long way to helping their public relations in our community. Brooking the stench would be easier than it currently is if I knew that I had face-to-face relationships with the people who work right next door on solving the problem. This meeting did not have to be as rocky as it was; but some neighbors obviously feel that Metro Water is not being a good neighbor.

My perception was reinforced by one of the managers who deftly dodged a question that I put to the meeting organizers. I simply asked whether it was true, as one Metro Water supervisor previously told me, that days after holidays would be the smelliest days since truck drivers, contracted to ship out sludge to landfills, did not work those days. I got a bureaucratic response that "atmospheric conditions"--which Metro Water does not control--were the primary cause of odor problems on certain days. I was not satisfied with that answer. After the meeting I cornered the guy to ask him whether the previous supervisor had simply pulled the holiday explanation out of his butt (I did leave the double-entendre out of my actual question). At that point, the manager conceded that indeed contracted truck drivers did not work on holidays and that we should expect stronger odors afterwards. He also let me know that the truck drivers do not work on weekends and that we should expect Mondays to be bad as well.

Yet, he could not bring himself to admit that in front of the group. So, I ask you: should we wonder why there are a few tensions between Metro Water and some residents in the North End?

Crye Leike A Waterfall With Faeries

Kevin Newman sent me the art on the right. In it he pays tribute to Nashville Is Talking Producer Brittney Gilbert's creative title used to refer NiT's readership to my blog entry where I discuss my issues with Crye Leike's fanciful, yet sinister illustration of a skinny house they intend to build in Salemtown.

The house is not so skinny in Kevin's illustration, but the gentle waterfall and the mischievous faeries do capture the mythico-idyllic proportions that must have been intended in the original drawing.

Thank you, Kevin, for capturing the essence of what this dwelling just might be; a truly magical place where the world is remythologized once again ... at least until the giant Monty Python foot appears and stomps it down.

Or Maybe The Better Term Is "Crye-Leike Hell"

Crye-Leike patrols 5th Ave. today. The green SUV is the only vehicle I see more in the North End than the ice cream vans that also swoop down and occupy our fair neighborhood during daylight hours.

This realtor is relentless! She is on Salemtown's old school like white on rice. Buyer beware, but also buyer be smart.

Some Realtors Can Make You Crye-Leike Heck

John H. over at Salem's Lots beat me to the punch on this property. But there is much more to say about it. It is a house-yet-to-be-built on the 6th Ave. property where tires were illegally dumped, which Enclave and WKRN covered months ago. And John is right: there is no background to any house in Salemtown like the one in the picture. (In fact, the picture is eerily Gilliamesque such that I expect the big Monty Python foot to descend from the top of the frame and stamp the house and the pastoral fakery behind it).

In reality, though, the house is slated to sit on a plot that is 20'x180'. As I pointed out previously, the lot is not actually 1618, but 1618 1. At some point, 1618 was subdivided. The builders, who have already gone to the Planning Commission for a variance to build the house as wide and as close to property lines as possible, are squeezing this house on a 20' wide lot. So not only is the "Fall In New England" backdrop unreal, but the scale of the house is also deceptive in the picture. By my calculations, I'm figuring a house like that sitting on a 20' wide lot would resemble something like the picture to the right and not the one above and to the left.

The tall thin house in New England is being offered in Salemtown by Crye-Leike for $299,000, and one of its amenities includes a "gated community." I don't see a gate or fence in the picture and the last time I checked, Salemtown is not a gated community, so I'm not sure whether the property will be gated or whether Crye-Leike has come up with a scheme to gate our neighborhood.

I am sure that Crye-Leike's Realtor, Terry Rymar, has earned somewhat of a reputation among some of us here for aggressively speculating properties and real estate prices. I'm not surprised that she is asking $299,000 for a tall, thin house. I have heard that Ms. Rymar has convinced some long time residents in older houses in need of some repair to put their houses on the market at prices comparable to and more than the newer in-fills that are being built around Salemtown and Germantown. I am told that her sales pitch is oversimplistic and often compares apples to oranges in the name of driving up the price (for instance, merely comparing the number of rooms between houses--in both new in-fills and older houses--without reference to the differences in condition of houses).

She dropped off a flier to all of the old house owners with these comments:

Property Owners in Germantown & Salemtown are currently in an advantageous position to sell their property. As the surge in renovation increases, the demand for property is escalating. "We are needing more properties to list for buyers to choose from." If you are ready to sell give us a call today!

In some cases, those houses are in need of repair to the studs. In others, those houses can only be torn down. (One builder who wanted to buy a Crye-Leike offering that contained what were essentially shacks that could not be renovated told me that he was not going to pay Ms. Rymar's asking price of $150,000 to buy shacks to tear down and build something else).

I don't object to Ms. Rymar's wish to make money. As a property owner and neighborhood resident, I do object to sharkish behavior that artificially drives up real estate values in the short-term (which is the only term in which Ms. Rymar makes her money) and sacrifices slower, measured, and more natural long-term growth. One neighbor told me that she confronted Ms. Rymar and told her as much one day when the realtor was showing properties to potential buyers. I wish I could have been there just to witness that.

08/23/2005, 2:25 p.m. Update: The Metro Planning Department actually gives the 6th Ave. property 5 more feet in width than Crye-Leike gives itself. To the right I have revised my adjusted mock up of the house accordingly.

Salemtown Neighbors Continues To Grow As The North End Grows

Last night Salemtown Neighbors had it's largest number attending an association meeting--since May--with 25 people present. At least 7 of those were attending their first Salemtown Neighbors meeting. We are experiencing unqualified success in growth and recruitment, which were priorities the association identified last spring as among the highest.

The highlights included:

• A good-sized committee was formed to prepare for a strong showing at the Salemtown Neighbors booth during Germantown's Oktoberfest (I was really impressed that we actually were able to put together a committee of more than three people).
• We started collecting membership dues of $15.00 per year per household/business.
• We looked over the latest crime reports and heard the police tell us that we had made progress on our neighborhood watch, given our tremendous growth over the months.

To watch this association continue to stride forward and to make headway is exhilarating.

Want To Recall An Inept Council Member?

Thanks to a recently passed bill that makes it possible for 15% of residents within a Metro Council district to recall an ineffectual Council member, neighborhoods now have the possibility of a do-over within reach when they are unhappy with their representative’s performance. The Nashville Neighborhood Alliance is sponsoring a workshop this coming Thursday from 6:00 to 8:00 at West End United Methodist Church on “How To Recall Your Council Member.”

Sounds like a worthwhile workshop, since neighbors have got to know their options. Enclave has had The Nashville Neighborhood Alliance’s Neighborhood’s Resource Center linked from the beginning, but that site seems woefully neglected and never gets updated. As such it seems like it is not a very helpful link and it is due for deletion.

Salemtown Neighbors Returns To Morgan Park Tomorrow Evening

Salemtown Neighbors will have its first monthly meeting of the fall Monday, August 22 at 6:30 p.m. back at the Morgan Park Community Center after a summer hiatus at Watkins School of Art.

Tomorrow night's agenda items include a discussion of a Salemtown Neighbors information booth at Germantown's Oktoberfest, an evaluation of the Salemtown Night Out Against Crime, and the usual discussions of crime reports with Metro Police.

Snacks will be served.

Williamson County Government Promotes Christian Church And Encourages Non-Church Goer To Bear False Witness

Yessiree. You read it right. It all started when the government of Williamson County held its first fair in 50 years earlier this month. In and of itself a county fair is a pretty neutral event, right?

Not on Sunday, August 7," which Williamson County declared "Church Day." On "Church Day," Williamson County admitted for free entire Christian families who brought church bulletins to prove their church attendance, while those without church bulletins were charged the regular admission price. The County also provided a parochial group with the County Ag Expo Center so that they could hold a Christian worship service. Synagogue, mosque, and temple goers did not enjoy special promotions or County largesse.

That's only the half of it. Today Yesterday on the local on-line Church-State Forum, a member reported that when he called Williamson County Mayor Rogers Anderson to lodge a complaint, the Chief Executive "indicated" that an alternative for non-church-goers was to print a fake program to gain free admittance to the fair.

Let's put aside the fact that the County Mayor totally missed the point by confusing indignation at unjust and preferential treatment with a personal wish for free admittance. His Honor the Mayor was encouraging someone to bear false witness, to lie, and to cheat the promotion for selfish gain. Does that strike anybody else as un-Christian, and hence, hypocritical?

08/21/2005, 9:00 a.m. Update: It occurred to me during my early morning reflection today that Williamson County's "Church Day" promotion may be discriminating against some Christian denominations. For instance, take the Quakers (a.k.a., Religious Society of Friends--note to younger members of my readership: it has nothing to do with worshipping the popular television show). They do not meet in churches; they have meeting houses. Since they practice the discipline of Quietism during their meetings, I cannot see that there is very much activity or agenda to print up on a bulletin. Bringing a blank sheet of paper as their "church bulletin" to the fair would again be misleading and seemingly un-Christian, since it might force a ticket-taker to turn certain Christian families away from the gate because of their meeting habits.

Stray Pets, Power Outages, and Salem's Lots

Fellow Salemtown resident John H. has started his own S-town-based blog, called Salem's Lots. (Golly bum, John, why didn't you ever tell me about it before?). I found out about it by reading his very funny comments in a previous post on dealing with a power outage a few nights ago. I added a link to Salem's Lots in the "Blogging City" box in the right-hand column.

John's previous comments remind me of a phone call I made to Animal Control over a week ago to report a pack of 3 or 4 strays living under a neighbor's deck. The woman on the other end of the line took my name and other information and she asked me, "Now, are these dogs strays or are they threatening to bite anyone?" I told her that I had not seen them bite anyone, an answer that I regretted after her next comment: "Well, I can't guarantee that I can get anyone out today or maybe even this week, because we have to respond immediately to threatening dogs and dog bites. Strays get moved down the priority list."

This afternoon I watched a tiny puppy romp out from under my neighbor's deck with one of the pack dogs. I couldn't help but wish I would have told her that the dogs were the most vicious I'd ever seen in the neighborhood. My neighbors will wish I had too once the smell and the fleas from underneath the deck get bad enough.

Rave Review: Are You A Blogger-arian? Google Just Made Your Life Easier.

This post is unlike any other one I have made to Enclave in the past. It was written with a very cool Word add-on that Blogger came out with just this week. The add-on allows me to publish to Enclave directly from Word.

Rather than having to go to my Blogger posting page to write, edit, and publish my articles, I can now do the same faster and more efficiently in Word. Here are several ways the add-on makes on-line publishing easier:

• I have the benefit of using Word’s spell-checker, which is streamlined with the text as I write and less awkward than Blogger’s clumsy spell-checker. Word also checks grammar as I write and it makes suggestions; Blogger does not do that at all. Inserting symbols and special characters in Word is simple; with Blogger, I have to cut and paste them.
• Overall, Word handles the writing and editing part of publishing more efficiently. Blogger provides the final step in the process and the ability to post pictures.
• I can now back-up and archive Enclave articles on my own computer without having to cut and paste to Word. Also, I don't have to worry now, when I push the "Publish Post" button and the broadband signal goes out without me having saved my most recent edits, that my edits will be irretrievably lost. Having everything in Word is a fail-safe when broadband fails me as it can do with Comcast once and a while.
• The add-on integrates push-button publishing into Word by placing four straightforward buttons—“Blogger Settings,” “Open Post,” “Save as Draft,” and “Publish”—directly into the Word toolbar.

There are minimum requirements you will need for Word and Windows to run this add-on. There are also limitations to using Word for publishing. You can check both of those out here.

But I recommend this add-on to all who use Google’s Blogger. The format you see here is exactly as I typed it into Word. That's some seamless publishing. And since it’s free you’ve got nothing to lose.

08/19/2005, 5:44 p.m. Update: Kevin Newman has pointed to one drawback of the add-on. Enabling "smart quotes" in Word (which curves them in toward each other) seems to add hieroglyphic characters to the text as it appears in Apple's Safari browser. If you have a number of Apple-users in your readership, you may either try disabling "smart quotes" or replace the quotes after you save the draft to Blogger.

Power Outage on Jefferson Snarls Lunchtime Traffic And Closes Germantown Cafe

A little over an hour ago I was sitting in my car at the corner of Jefferson and 5th Ave. when I heard a hissing and popping sound above the intersection. I looked up to see a fire on top of one of the telephone poles. It was a little unnerving to watch--from less than 50 feet away--blue arcs about the size of a pitbull's head and orange flames shooting out a couple of feet, punctuated by a couple of loud, bejesus-scaring explosions.

The traffic lights snuffed out and traffic snarled. Police closed Jefferson between 4th and 5th Avenues. Power was knocked out both ways down Jefferson and down 5th into Salemtown. Germantown Cafe closed its doors and sent its staff home just as it was gearing up for its usually popular lunch hour (owners tell me they will be open for dinner tonight). The traffic snarled on Madison and 5th Ave., as disappointed lunch-breakers got in their cars and left all at once.

As I got back into Salemtown, I stopped to talk to an NES worker who told me that the problem was a switch that had caught on fire. The problem was fixed shortly after 12:30 p.m., and mercifully so, given the outdoor temperatures approaching 100 degrees today.

Tennessean Piece On Water Treatment Includes Salemtown Comments

Tennessean reporter Nancy Deville's anticipated article on the Central Wastewater Treatment Plant and their August 23rd meeting with the community at the Neuhoff Complex appears in this morning's edition.

Besides publishing the comments of Salemtown resident Shannah Sledd, the article also quotes a Metro Water Services spokesperson as saying that, at the meeting, the design build team for the new biosolids building planned for 2nd Ave will introduce themselves to the local residents and they will take input and suggestions from community members in order to build a structure that fits the character of the neighborhood.

Signature Tower May Stand Tall On 5th Avenue, North By 2009

Armed with a bold new design and with a make-over to all-residential (instead of residential, office, and hotel), Tony Giarrartana introduced his plans for the Signature Tower on Wednesday at the Civic Design Center.

Urbanplanet.org is all abuzz about the plans, and their conversation is also peppered with hints that the Peabody Hotel in Memphis is looking to build something in Downtown near the proposed baseball stadium.

On the Channel 4 News tonight Mayor Purcell told a reporter that residential units are in such high demand now in Downtown that 10,000 people may be living in Downtown at the end of the decade. The Downtown Partnership seems to affirm claims of a tsunami trend in residential growth as they report that demand for residences is outpacing supply.

At 55 stories, the Signature Tower would dominate the already stunning view of the Downtown skyline from the North End neighborhoods. Giarrartana has some hoops to jump through--getting MDHA approval and selling a good percentage of units before the bank will give him construction loans--but all of the indicators seem green-for-go at this point.

The dramatic in-flight to live in city neighborhoods continues ...

Follow Up On Effects Of Metro Council Budget Cuts To The Police Department

It's taken me almost a month to follow up with you about the effects of the Council's alternative budget on the Central Precinct, but here are the details from the Precinct Commander's office.

Each precinct has their own budget, which is controlled by each of the Commanders. During the year, each Commander has control, with permission from Police brass, to move funds from surplus to deficient services as needed. That means that if a service to a neighborhood is deficient, the Commander may muster funds from elsewhere to cover the deficiency.

The Commanders do not have any control over hiring; that is decided by the Metro Council. Fortunately, for those of us living in the Central Precinct, the Council did not stipulate any cuts to Police personnel. I was told that the Police Department currently has over 40 trainees riding with training officers in the field, that a new recruit class started recently, and that plans are being made for another recruit class next year.

It would seem that we can breath a sigh of relief that our neighborhood will continue to be patrolled at the same levels in the coming year. Of course, there is no guarantee that we will not need higher patrol levels and more community policing should crime spike in the future. Yet to be determined is whether the shuffling of patrol officers to fill administrative and clerical positions will affect patrol coverage.

The Buzz

The current buzz among Salemtown Neighbors is that some in the other neighborhood association (T.R.U.E.) are talking about the two groups starting to communicate with one another. In fact, talking between members of the two groups started immediately after the August 9 meeting with MDHA. Also, one of the Salemtown Neighbors officers attended a T.R.U.E. meeting last week and was left with the impression that leaders there are interested in collaboration between the two groups.

There is reason for guarded optimism. There are still important philosophical differences between the two groups, but Salemtown Neighbors has always emphasized the need for collaboration, so maybe the reported responsiveness on the part of T.R.U.E. represents a significant step forward.

Postscript: Just-Us Sunday In Donelson

Rob Garver pinpoints the true purpose of evangelicals and friends at Just-Us Sunday II. There is an indubitable irony in obscenely wealthy suburban southern megachurches playing the victim.

October Neighborhoods Conference At the Convention Center

The Mayor's Office of Neighborhoods announced its 5th Annual Neighborhoods Conference for Saturday, October 22, 2005 from 8:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. at the Nashville Convention Center. The conference topic will be "Celebrating Safe Neighborhoods," and both Mayor Bill Purcell and Police Chief Ronal Serpas will address the group.

I attended last year's Neighborhoods Conference and found it very helpful, especially as I was moving to assist in the founding of Salemtown Neighbors. Besides a free lunch while listening to the keynotes, there are also workshops, speakers, booths for the various Metro Departments, panel discussions and networking opportunities. I highly recommend this conference to anyone even remotely concerned with happenings in their neighborhoods. This Mayor's neighborhood focus is truly reflected in the resources he provides neighbors at this conference.

Tennessean To Do Story On Central Wastewater Treatment, Including Responses From Salemtown Neighbors

As we get closer to the August 23rd community meeting on progress at the Central Wastewater Treatment Plant, look for a story in an upcoming edition of the Tennessean on the problematic odors that the Plant emits at times. Two members of Salemtown Neighbors were interviewed for the story.

Is MDHA Unwittingly Subsidizing Illegal Activity In The Neighborhoods?

Today's Nashville City Paper has a piece by Bill Harless on some East Nashville renters who were taking advantage of section 8 rent assistance to bankroll their illicit drug business. Even respecting privacy laws, MDHA's response as printed in the City Paper was less than encouraging to those of us who have problematic MDHA-run properties or dubious section 8 residents (without stereotyping all section 8 residents) in our neighborhoods. Pat Clark--who oversees section 8 at MDHA--was somewhat cavalier in rhetorically asking, "whether three problem households out of the 6,000 Section 8 households in Davidson County is not a good track record."

Just this past week, I heard a resident of an MDHA-owned property yelling at and physically threatening someone on her cell phone. During that screaming match, I heard her say as she walked up to her front door, "I'm at one of my houses now ..." I couldn't help but ask myself, "How does someone who qualifies for MDHA housing assistance afford more than one house?"

Metro Council Passes Ordinance To Apply Institutional Overlay To Belmont Area Neighborhoods

A few minutes ago Council passed on third reading ORDINANCE NO. BL2005-555 by a vote of 28-3. Opposition and abstaining Council members who spoke during the debate mentioned the exclusion of the wishes of some property owners to be exempted from the overlay as a reason for not voting in favor of the bill.

An advisory committee will now be appointed per Council member Ginger Hausser's compromise agreement with Belmont University and its neighbors to work with Planning to apply the overlay. The committee will have 13 members: the Metro Planning Committee will appoint four members; the university will appoint four members; Ms. Hausser will appoint four members; and the Belmont-Hillsboro Association will appoint one member. While answering questions from another Council member during discussion of the ordinance, Ms. Hausser said that her committee appointments will come from the neighborhood and will more than likely be association members.

08/17/2005, 11:15 a.m. Update: Paul Chenoweth clarifies the communicative role of the single association committee member in the comments below. I stand corrected. Thanks, Paul.

08/18/2005, 8:45 a.m. Update: Today's Nashville City Paper provides more details about the compromise reached between Belmont and the neighborhood.

A Pick To Click: Blogging From Berry Hill

I would like to introduce Enclave readers to Jonnelle, who just launched her own effort: Blogging From Berry Hill. Jonnelle describes herself as a "Nashville native who has migrated from the southern part of Davidson county into Berry Hill," where she is renovating a house.

She started Blogging From Berry Hill in order to "keep current with Berry Hill, Woodbine, and Belmont-Hillsboro neighborhoods in Nashville, TN." Since she graciously mentions and links Enclave in her maiden post, I am pleased to reciprocate: I encourage you to add Blogging From Berry Hill to your reading list.

I am also happy to say that seeing Jonnelle's blog gave me the great idea of adding a box to my standard right-hand column link offerings called "Blogging Nashville's City Neighborhoods," which I will use to link Nashville's other "hyper-local" blogs and on-line journals that focus on urban in-flight and local neighborhood development. Hyper-local blogging is a rapidly expanding niche, and I hope other writers who have toyed with the idea of jumping in it with both feet will soon do so. I have confidence that my "Blogging City" box will fill with other links sooner rather than later because of Nashville's continuing growth.

More Downtown Development: Union Station To Undergo Multi-Million Dollar Restoration

Via the Nashville City Paper.

Scenes In And Around Marathon Village

East Germantown's Jazz Workshop Announces Fundraiser

From the Directors of the Nashville Jazz Workshop:

The Nashville Jazz Workshop's 5th Annual Fall Fundraiser will take place Sunday, September 18th, at the Vanderbilt University Club, 2402 Garland Ave., Nashville 37212. All proceeds will benefit the Nashville Jazz Workshop, a non-profit educational facility established for the advancement of jazz musicians, the enrichment of jazz enthusiasts and the promotion of jazz in the Nashville Area.

Some of Nashville's most prominent jazz artists are NJW faculty or alumni. The event will kick-off with live jazz and a Wine Tasting sponsored by Nashville Wine & Spirits from 4:30pm to 6:00pm. Hors d'hourves will be served. Silent auction tables will open at 5:00pm. Restaurant and retail gift certificates, massages, orchids, jazz cd's, music lessons, original artwork and musical instruments will be among the items available for bid.

An All-Star Faculty Jam will begin at 6:00pm with performances by: Roy Agee, Rashaan Barber, Chris Brown, Jeff Coffin, Bruce Dudley, Sandra Dudley, Jim Ferguson, Tom Giampietro, Jeff Hall, Liz Johnson, Rod McGaha, Lori Mechem, Denis Solee, Roger Spencer, Chester Thompson, George Tidwell, Kirk Whalum and the JW Charles Mingus Ensemble.

Admission is a minimum donation of $25.00 per person, which includes the Wine Tasting, Hors d'oeuvres, and the All-Star Faculty Concert (advance reservations are necessary for the wine tasting). For more information visit here, and for reservations call 615-242-5299.

Belmont's Power Equation

Bill Hobbs, who works for Belmont University, responded to my critical comments about Belmont's pursuit of an institutional overlay in yesterday's post about David Lipscomb's new garage. I am writing a separate post directed toward his defense of Belmont so as not to detract from the genuine audacity of the Lipscomb garage; his claims deserve a thorough response. It has been awhile since I have updated you on Belmont's attempts to expand into its neighborhood anyway, so now is a good time to revisit the overlay.

Bill's interpretation of institutional overlay is incomplete. On the one hand, he is correct that, under an institutional overlay, a university or other entity identifies the properties it wants to acquire and specifies how it plans to develop them.

On the other hand, to say that the overlay does not confer power to take property is only half true. The institutional overlay is an "easement" for Belmont, and not for the neighbors who live around the school. It allows the school to target properties within a growth area and it relieves Belmont of the responsibility of having to go to the city for approval each time it acquires a new piece of property for expansion. That eases expansion conditions for Belmont, making it easier to acquire land than it would otherwise be. That gives Belmont an advantage in the neighborhood in which they sit. Greater advantage equals more power.

However, his comments slant even farther from truth where he says that the overlay "empowers" Belmont's neighbors. Based on their actions, residents in the Belmont area do not seem to have perceived any empowerment coming their way from Belmont. In fact, Belmont area residents organized to speak against the overlay at the Planning Commission in April. A few weeks later they organized themselves into bigger, more forceful numbers at the Council meeting where the overlay was being considered. Their Council member, Ginger Hausser, moved to defer consideration of the overlay until neighbors' concerns could be addressed. Those issues included the character of the neighborhood, street and alley access, and the allegation that Belmont has a history of allowing already owned property to blight in order to drive surrounding property values down and surrounding neighbors out (the charge of blight has been particularly troubling to me as is the prospect that residents have essentially lost their day before the Planning Commission--if they chose to have one--with this easement).

Ultimately the logic of Bill's response makes no sense: why would Belmont seek an overlay that gives them no power and gives their neighbors more power? That's counterintuitive. It also fails common sense. Belmont has at least one lawyer on staff--also their Vice President (which means he probably has his own staff to assist him)--working to move the overlay through to approval. That lawyer is paid by the university to represent the university's best self-interest. As an institution, Belmont has greater power to hire a legal staff and to lobby government agencies than families or individual neighbors living along 15th Ave. do.

The only person responsible to act on behalf of the neighbors in equal measure to her service to Belmont is Ms. Hausser. After getting deferment a few weeks ago, Ms. Hausser struck a compromise between Belmont and neighbors, and in the process, got commitments from Belmont including: the creation of a main entrance at Wedgewood and East Belmont Circle, the funding by the university of traffic calming pedestrian improvements, the formation of an advisory committee to follow implementation of Belmont's master plan and pedestrian improvements in the surrounding neighborhood. Without a government official exercising her representative power to take a couple of steps away from the overlay and to motivate Belmont toward the table with neighbors, Belmont would have gone through with its plans, with or without regard to empowering its neighbors. If the overlay were about empowering neighbors and not emboldening Belmont, then why did it take a Council member to get Belmont to the negotiating table?

And why are many neighbors in Belmont's neighborhood continuing to balk at the overlay, even as the negotiated plans head toward a third and final reading at the end of the month? The owner of the International Market does not want property he owns in the area included in the overlay. 1,900 International Market customers signed a petition against the overlay. One Belmont resident told the Nashville City Paper that the overlay would freeze the zoning currently in place on residential properties the university does not own while allowing Belmont to buy them for commercial uses. If that is true, it tips the power meter even farther toward Belmont's advantage. Even if Belmont chooses not to buy those properties for commercial uses, having that opportunity to choose gives the university much more power than any of the residents or small businesses in the community have.

So, I'm not sure what kind of math Bill Hobbs is using to erase his employer's empowerment from the same equation that he multiplies the empowerment of Belmont's neighbors, but it's some pretty funny math.

Mainstream Media News Station Is Running Promotional Commercials For Just-Us Sunday II

I saw a commercial today for Just-Us Sunday II on Channel 5+ (which is News Channel 5's cable TV station). It was promoting the Channel's live coverage of Just-Us Sunday II, but it was also promoting the speakers and purpose of the event. I was disappointed in the blatantly partial tone of the commercial. I tried to find the downloadable version of the commercial on the News Channel 5's website without any luck.

President Bush's Transportation Bill Pays For Lipscomb University's Garage

It pays to be a conservative religious university; at least federal pork rendered by Bush II will pay conservative religious universities.

You need to read this just to witness the Lipscomb officials say how it will benefit the neighborhoods. I haven't seen such a strain in rationalization from a religious university since Belmont University started asking for easement of zoning restrictions, which would allow them to appropriate neighbor's neighbors' property on 15th Ave. because they had been so good to those neighbors.

Do You Know Kelo?

The U.S. Supreme Court decided on June 23 in the case of Kelo v. New London that the taking of private property to promote economic development in New London, Conn. was a "public use" and thus permissible.

Lawyers with the Boult, Cummings, Conners, & Berry Firm published an article in July's Nashville Business Journal on why this ruling should not concern property owners in Tennessee. I linked the article in my "Links for the Neighborhoods" box in the righthand column. Click on "Impact of Kelo."

Nashville Scene Editorial Wonders What's Wrong With America, While I Merely Wonder What's Wrong With This Picture

Inside my recycling cart, beginning of summer.

Inside my recycling cart, end of summer.

To be ecclesiastical for a moment: there is a time and a place for everything. There is even a time to be snide. But there is also a time to stop being snide. The Nashville Scene has made its "alternative-paper" reputation on being irreverent. Periodically, being irreverent passes over to deprecation, which is timely on occasion. But sometimes being alternative, just because they can, causes Scene writers to go to the belittler's well one too many times and they appear overblown and irrelevant.

In this week's Scene editorial, Liz Garrigan and John Spragens go to that well one too many times by unfairly overgeneralizing about consumer waste in order to support the notorious trash stomp and Nashville's recycling program, which has been ineffective at times. They flame 8,000 people who took Metro at its word when it promised them earlier in the year the option of a second bin. They flame anybody who begs to differ with Chase Anderson's clumsy approach to Solid Waste's public relations. They flame critics of the Nashville Recycling Program, even the well-intentioned who want to create as little waste as possible but who still demand that their government effectively pick up their trash and haul it out rather than dumping it in their neighborhoods when it's not recyclable. They flame America, ya'll: even those of us in America who support conservation and environmentalism and who believe that improvements to trash pick-up and the recycling program deter "rampant consumerism" and inoculate the idea of recycling from the conservative will-to-kill worthwhile government programs.

Garrigan and Spragens are over-the-top and out-of-their-league in what has to be one of the Scene's least fine editorial moments in the twelve or so years I have been reading the paper. By being indiscriminate in their deprecation they exhibit the head-in-the-clouds flaw to which we progressives are prone when our remote theory does not interface with ground-level practice: irrelevance.

While they presume to diagnose the problem of solid waste management and suggest that people like me are part of the problem, they haven't walked in my shoes to see that despite my best efforts, recycling has not worked on my street. My preused recycling cart was dropped off the truck with nonrecyclables already in it and the recyclables that have appeared in it are not being hauled off by Curby to be recycled. Recently, I picked up some of the trash that litters my street. I didn't go far; three doors down on either side of the street and I filled a 13-gallon trash bag, which I threw in my one-and-only 96-gallon recycling cart. Now I only have 83 gallons left for our trash; going to even farther uber-environmentalist lengths of picking up trash across my block would probably have rendered only half the cart's capacity for my family's garbage. Yet, if I dare request a second bin for my good deeds, I join the ranks of "the spoiled," according to Garrigan and Spragens.

I would invite them to my house to help me figure out what I'm doing wrong, but I'm a little bit afraid that they would tell me that I should have stomped down the street trash in that 13-gallon bag before putting it in my own cart in order to get 1 or 2 more gallons of space for my family's trash. The reason I'm afraid is that one of the items I picked up out of the street was a used disposable diaper. Call me fastidious, but I don't like the idea of stomping on used disposable diapers someone else threw in the street.

Metro Water Services Will Hold A North End Community Meeting

Metro Water Services announced that it will be providing a progress update on the Central Wastewater Treatment Plant on Tuesday, August 23 at 6:00 p.m. at the Neuhoff Complex in East Germantown. Water Services will discuss plant improvements, including biosolids management and odor control projects.

Given the periodic problem the North End has with odors, I would be surprised if the meeting is not well-attended.

08/10/2005, 11:00 p.m. Update and Repost: Shannah S. is exactly right in her comments below: the rest of us in Salemtown--even those who do not experience the smell as frequently as her side of the neighborhood--need to step up and attend this meeting. The smell is bad enough when it drifts as far as Germantown on the worst days, and I cannot imagine being any closer during those times. It is unacceptable that anyone in Salemtown should live with sewerage odors for any regular period of time.

I am also reposting below a picture that I took of the drainage problem to which Shannah refers. I originally published the picture in May (I snapped it at the beginning of March) as an example of one of the worst water run-off problems we have in the neighborhood. And it's our problem; not just Shannah's. It adversely affects the quality of life for our whole neighborhood and has needed Metro attention for too long.

Tennessean Discovers Garfield Place

As I foretold here last week, the Tennessean published a piece today on the coming luxury townhouse complex, Garfield Place. Despite the Tennessean's relatively minimalist treatment of the future complex (mostly just describing floor plans of the townhouses--Enclave reported only a little less information about the complex at the beginning of July), at least their reporters are starting to pay more attention to happenings in Salemtown; although, as commenter John H wittily observed in the previous block grant post, the Tennessean referred to the location of Garfield Place as the "Germantown area."

Also, reporter Nancy Deville contacted the Germantown Neighborhood Association for leads on Garfield Place before the good folks there referred her to Salemtown Neighbors for more information. I still cannot figure out why Salemtown Neighbors is still so invisible to the reporter whose news beat obviously (I guess) includes the Salemtown neighborhood.

For a complete run-down on Garfield Place by the realtors and builders see their website, which I linked in my "Links for the Neighborhoods" box in the right-hand column.

How Would You Spend Almost $600,000 On Salemtown?

About 45-50 residents, property and business owners, and religious leaders from Salemtown met last night with community planners from Metropolitan Development and Housing Agency to take their first step toward deciding how almost $600,000 in federal funds for revitalizing neighborhoods will be spent over the next three years. As part of MDHA's plan to invest money to make the quality of life in Salemtown better, they requested and were granted a community block grant for the neighborhood from the Office of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). The meeting was held at the Randee Rogers Training Center on 8th Ave., across the street from the Werthan Lofts.

Salemtown is the 46th "Neighborhood Strategy Area" (NSA) that MDHA has assisted since the 1970s, according to Community Planner Linda Howard. In order to qualify for HUD funds, an NSA should have 51% of its population as low-to-moderate income, it should have working community organizations, and it should have a number of residents with some tenure in the NSA. The block grant has to benefit low-to-moderate income populations, has to be directed toward the elimination of slum areas, and must address urgent development needs posing threats to the health and welfare of residents.

Federal funds come with strings attached, said Howard. They cannot be spent on any development that Metro government has already planned for Salemtown. In addition, the block grant may not be spent on current government conduct, new in-fill homes, operating costs, personal property or earning interest. Examples of what is eligible for funding include: community planning; upgrades to community centers; street and sidewalk repair; historic rehabilitation of old homes; acquisition, rehabilitiation, and relocation of old structures; and water drainage problems.

After some discussion, the group nominated and appointed nine people present at the meeting to a Citizens Action Committee (CAC), which will meet once a month for three years to consider the eligible possibilities and to work closely with MDHA planners to develop an action plan for spending the block grant. The first meeting of the CAC is scheduled for Tuesday, September 13 at 6:30 p.m. at the Randee Rogers Training Center. The monthly CAC meetings are open to all members of the Salemtown community. Once the CAC and MDHA make decisions on how to spend funds, Metro Council must approve those decisions.

Both neighborhood associations were represented at the meeting, but Salemtown Neighbors seemed to me to have the larger turn-out, with over 15 of its members present. Ms. Howard publicized the next meeting dates and times of both neighborhood associations to the group in order to encourage attendance at both. One representative of the T.R.U.E. association told the group that he had heard a lot about "the other association" (Salemtown Neighbors) and that he was pleased "to finally meet them."

I was one of those appointed to the CAC last night, and I look forward to working with residents and community leaders to get feedback on solving eligible community problems. I also look forward to being able to relate my impressions of the experience here on Enclave. In the future I'll post what I learn about this significant process. It should provide an interesting civic primer for anyone headed into a similar experience or a record for anyone simply interested in how neighborhood leaders make decisions, work with local governments, and develop priorities for federal remedies to neighborhood problems. And, as always, it will provide a sounding board for your own comments and impressions.

Metro Public Service Director Rectifies Stolid Stupidity Of Solid Waste Director's "Stomp"

Since the automated trash cart program started a few months ago, 8,000 requests from around Nashville have been made for extra carts. However, only a few hundred requests have been honored. Last spring I spoke by phone with a Public Works official who promised me that if I wanted an extra cart at that time I could request one and that it would be available in June. While I did not choose to request one at the time, I can see now that it probably would not have made a difference, since we are now well past June and only a few people requesting extra trash carts have actually received them.

That black eye on Metro's reputation was only aggrevated recently by the Solid Waste Department. The Solid Waste Director, Chase Anderson, minimized his department's failure to provide the promised extra trash carts, and he offered some truly stupid advice to residents. According to the Aug. 3 edition of the Nashville City Paper, Mr. Anderson said,

“We are finding some households do not do the ‘Nashville Two-Stomp’ on their trash .... Residents may find it easier to set a bag of trash on the ground as opposed to stomping down their trash and placing that extra bag in the cart."

I would love to see the scientific method by which Mr. Anderson determined that households were not stomping trash. But beyond that, I would love to know why I should have to stomp my garbage when I could get an extra cart as promised if I needed one. I put my garbage in a bag inside of a container precisely so that I will not have to stomp around on it. If I wanted it stomped, I'd throw it on my kitchen floor until it was as flat as Mr. Anderson likes before bagging it and taking it to the cart. But I don't want to stomp on my trash. I want to be able to bag it up after it is full, making as little contact as necessary, and to haul it out to a cart. Then, I expect responsive service. "Stomping" was not a part of the original bargain.

And Mr. Anderson's second alternative is no better. He suggests that, in lieu of another cart, I recycle more. Apparently, Mr. Anderson is unaware of the problems we have encountered in Salemtown with recycling during the past year. I can't even get Curby to clean out recyclables that have been in my recycling cart for months. If I start recycling more now, I have no guarantees that I won't end up with a full recycling bin in a matter of days that will in turn sit full for weeks on end. That option is unacceptable for me until Curby shows itself to be a useful and a better working program at my house. Besides, I think that Mr. Anderson is merely doing the "Bureaucratic Two-Stomp" past his responsibilities in order to pass the buck to another department so that he will not have to deal with it.

I was encouraged to read today that the Public Works Director, Billy Lynch, is distancing himself from Mr. Anderson's bone-headed stomp suggestion and ordering the conversion of 2,500 stored recycling carts to trash carts, which will be delivered to a segment of the 8,000 who want an extra cart. Public Works is also promising that newly ordered trash carts will be in within two weeks. We will see. For now, it's good to see that Mr. Lynch gave Solid Waste an appropriate attitude adjustment. I wish he could straighten Curby up, too.

08/09/2005, 10:55 p.m. Aside: It occurred to me in reading this over again that repeating "Mr. Anderson" over and over in the post was reminiscent of "Agent Smith" in The Matrix.

"Do you hear that, Mr. Anderson? It is the sound of inevitability."

Enclave Anniversary

I was never really sure, when I started this gig, how long it would last. All the way down the line Enclave has been a week-by-week, day-by-day proposition. Many times I started the week on Sunday wondering if I could write enough material to get through the rest of the week. I've been fortunate. First, my initial intuition that there is always something to write about when one lives in the city was confirmed. Rarely a week goes by when something doesn't surface as news or as fodder for commentary. Second, I've been lucky to have leads seemingly drop into my lap from no where. Third, I've received the encouragement and positive feedback (even when critical) from people whom I respect (not the least of which are the three people who have said good things about Enclave in the "What's Said" box to your right). Finally, my family's support has been unfailing.

So, as all of those stars lined up, I started writing about matters concerning my neighborhood, and low and behold, I became the publisher of a "hyper-local weblog." And today that hyper-local weblog, Enclave: Nashville North-By-Northwest, celebrates its sixth month anniversary. Six months may not seem like a very long time, but my perception is that the shelf-life of many blogs is also not very long. And I never set out in February thinking, "I plan to put six good months into this."

But they have been six good ones. In the last 182 days I wrote 250 posts, published dozens of photographs, and edited my own writing over and over. Readers have paid attention to Enclave to the tune of 7,000 total page loads and over 4,500 total visitors (unique) during its lifetime. During that short life, Enclave has averaged about 45 pageloads per day and 28 visitors per day. But the latest stats are even more gratifying:

• Both Enclave's pageload and visitor averages increased steadily each of the last six months.
• August's averages show a 525% increase over February's averages.
• Since July 1, Enclave has averaged 67 page loads per day and 42 visitors per day.
• The highest numbers of recorded page loads (192) and visitors (108) occurred on the same day: yesterday, only a week after Enclave had set its previous personal bests.

I could not tell you whether these stats are good relative to other hyper-local blogs. But as you can tell, I don't take them for granted. Their steady rise pulled by Enclave's recent momentum gives me the sense that I have made worthwhile contributions. I thank my readership for that opportunity.

And thanks for indulging me a few moments of self-reflection on the last six months. I hope to make a go of it six more, but I'm not entirely sure I'll make it. My hope of team blogging across the neighborhoods remains real; if not at Enclave then some place else. But I've got other non-blog pursuits to follow once fall gets here. So, I'll give you advance notice if and when time begins to wind down for Enclave. In the meantime, let's enjoy the ride. Here's to six more months like the last six we've had; I would even toast to three more good months or to one more good month, as long as I can count them as progress in this week-by-week, day-by-day proposition.

Update On Counter Events To Just-Us Sunday II

From Americans United for Separation of Church and State comes an announcement of a Community of Faith and Unity Service on Sunday, August 14 at 3 p.m. at the Cathedral of Praise (Pentecostal Tabernacle), 4300 Clarksville Pike in far north Nashville. According to the announcement, the organizers (Americans United, Christian Alliance for Progress, FaithVoices, and Austin Area Interreligious Ministries) are not promoting protests at Two Rivers Baptist Church, but instead intend to fill the 2000-seat sanctuary with people of various religious beliefs in order to draw media attention to the "broad support which is given to the separation of church and state." Other groups like the National Organization for Women do plan to protest Just-Us Sunday II--starring House Rep. Tom Delay, who will know doubt be lecturing people on ethical behavior--at Two Rivers.

Besides Americans United's Rev. Barry Lynn, speakers at the Unity Service will include: Bishop Maynard of Cathedral of Praise Tabernacle, Bishop Walker of Mt. Zion Ministry, Rev. Rita Brock of FaithVoices, Patrick Mroteck of Christian Alliance for Progress, and Rev. Emilee Whitehurst of Austin Area Interreligious Ministries. The announcement says that numerous other speakers will be confirmed later this week.

I wrote last week that numbers don't matter in matters of faith, but that they do matter to the media. I've been in the Cathedral of Praise church on a number of occasions. It's huge and impressive, but it can look empty even if a good size crowd attends (kind of like Two Rivers looked when Hardball recently did a broadcast from its partially-filled sanctuary). Getting 2000 people to attend will be a challenge, especially if protests are planned by others at Two Rivers, but it is a must for media attention, given the size of the Cathedral of Praise.


08/08/2005, 9:20 p.m. Update: You'll see in the comments below that Blake, conservative commentator from NashvilleFiles.com has leveled a serious charge: he charges me and Americans United (the two are not necessarily intertwined) with hypocrisy.

But I believe that his charge of hypocrisy is based on misunderstanding on both counts. First, in fairness to Americans United, they oppose mixing the state and religion, not mixing politics and religion; AU would not be very effective if they could not politically organize their mainline and liberally religious base. Here's their verbatim description of the event:

Several Nashville and national organizations will gather to let Americans know that there are many people of faith who understand the importance of the separation of church and state, who believe that all faith traditions should respect one another, and who oppose the use of government to impose the beliefs of one doctrine upon our diverse country. The gathering is intended to give Americans a spirited and inclusive message.

In order to oppose government's imposition of a specific religion on everyone in a Republic, AU would have to organize politically.

As for myself, I don't disagree with mixing religion and politics; I don't particularly care for the partisanization of faith, but that's a risk of political participation. I don't oppose the entitlement of conservative Christians to organize; I do object to them claiming Christian values for themselves without reference to the rest of us Christians. Some organizers of Just-Us Sunday I basically called conservative Christianity the only Christianity. My faith considers that a sinful expression of pride and presumption. I also object to conservative Christians who talk the language of Zion but flex the political muscle of Zeus. Exercising power is not any better if you cloth it in religious garb. It's still power.

If you read my criticisms of Just-Us Sunday I & II, they are not directed at the co-mingling of politics and religion, because I believe that even when religions avoid politics, that avoidance has political affects. I just think that the conservative Christians attending those events are plain wrong and that they are not as moral as they claim to be, nor are they any more moral than the rest of us sinners. I also think that moderate and liberal Christians should organize to counter the tremendous influence conservatives have gained over the past couple of decades.

Trouble is, liberals and especially moderates don't subscribe to blind, uncritical allegiance and call it loyalty like some conservatives have. They debate and divide until they absolutely have to come together. I don't know if this is the event where that convergence needs to happen, but it surely better happen soon if somebody's going to check the conservative agenda to turn this Republic into one huge Protestant evangelical church.

Transitioning Or Vanishing Salemtown: Two Churches

New Murphy Tabernacle

The Power Of Jesus Christ Resurrection Church

Personal Favorite: Gardens Of Babylon In Contention For Morgan Park Place Landscaping Contract

Gardens of Babylon started not too long ago as a small, but popular, family-owned nursery and landscaping consulting business near 5 Points in the East End. It moved to Farmers Market in the North End a few months ago and has found an even larger niche here than it did among the 5 Points neighborhoods.

Now comes word that Gardens is currently in the running for the landscaping contract at the new Morgan Park Place. This is exciting news, and I’m personally pulling for Mark Kerske and sons to land it. The bulk of our flora comes from Gardens, and they give great advice for landscaping projects. Whether or not they do get the Park Place contract, it's great to have Gardens as a North End institution.

Happy Birthday, S-townWife.

Mother and child at The Mad Platter.

C'mon, ma. Why can't this be about me?

Ingenuity in a pinch: toddler and Dad ran short on wrapping paper at the last minute, so we grabbed the "You Are So Nashville If ..." edition of the Nashville Scene as surrogate wrap. You see the results. Toddler appears for scale.

Digging the Scenery and Desperately Seeking The News. After helping unwrap gifts, there's nothing she likes better than reading Liz Garrigan's columns.

Tennessean Plans Story On Garfield Place

I don't know yet when it will run, but I got word from a reporter that the story is in the works. See this to get up to speed on Garfield Place.

Just-Us Sunday: I'll Wager There Are Many More Mansions In Heaven Than 6,800

Don't have my VIP seat at Just Us Sunday II reserved yet, but I'm playing with the idea of running over to Donelson for the counter-demonstration. Americans United for the Separation of Church and State reports that its Executive Director, Barry Lynn will be in Nashville to attend the counter-demonstration.

I am still stoked by the Tennessean's front-page article on Two Rivers Baptist Church, which is hosting Just-Us Sunday II the weekend after next. While a 6,800-member church may impress the so-called "mainstream" media, it's not necessarily impressive in terms of faith. It seems to me that as a church grows larger, the probability of false reliance on the group rather than on faith increases. The pastoral corollary is: as the pastor grows his church and his public reputation larger, the probability of quantity of memberships replacing quality of faith as a priority increases.

Two Rivers Baptist Church has achieved a great deal of power and influence thanks to its size and its pastor's stature. But what if it gains the whole world but loses its soul? As Pastor Jerry Sutton flexes his political muscle, he would do well to remember the words of the great Oxford Jesuit historian, Frederick Copleston, who wrote:

The man or the nation who is possessed by unbridled lust for self-assertion is driven head-long into reckless self-confidence and so to destruction. Blind passion breeds self-confidence, and overweening self-confidence ends in ruin.

--A History of Philosophy, Volume I: Greece and Rome, p. 19

The rest of us would do well to recall that Copleston made that statement in the context of the arrogant Athenian will that declared through Thucydides, "[W]e both alike know that ... the question of justice only enters where the pressure of necessity is equal, and that the powerful exact what they can and the weak grant what they must."

There will be a lot of powerful people inside the Two Rivers sanctuary doing some mighty strong exacting at Just-Us Sunday II.

Even Without A Beer License, Norman's Market Allegedly Sells Alcohol From Its Back Door

A well-placed source tells me that Kenny Norman has sold Norman's Market (7th Ave., North and Garfield Street) to new owners who do not have a beer license. Nonetheless, the source tells me, the new owners are selling alcohol illegally out of the back door.

The police have already worked with Norman's Market to sign a trespass waiver to run loiterers off. However, I am getting reports from neighbors that people are still gathering in groups to drink around the market and that they merely cross the street to either an MDHA-owned property or private property (especially a corner lot owned by the Nashville Rescue Mission) when they cannot gather at the Market. Last night at 10:00 p.m. I saw three people sitting on the Market property after closing around a picnic table covered with bottles.

If the allegations about illegal alcohol sales are true, the new owners could be in some serious hot water. If I could mount a hidden camera like the boys and girls in the mainstream media, I would try to verify the allegations.

08/09/2005, 9:45 p.m. Update: I located some confirmation that Norman's Market has a new owner from the July 13, 2005 edition of the Nashville City Paper, which lists it as a "New Business" with the owner's name listed as "Abdoalfath Alkaifi."

According to an unrelated story in the Tennessean, Norman's Market was raided July 2004 for suspicion of illegal gambling devices and two people were charged. Then owner, Kenny Norman, was not charged at the time of the raid.

Tax Revolt "Stunt" Or Merely A Stunted Tax Revolt?

Lately I have agreed with very little that Governor Bredesen has had to say, but when he called the Tennessee Tax Revolt's staged histrionics at the Capitol a "stunt," truer words were never spoken about the anti-revenue lobby group.

Or perhaps the Governor was too charitable in his description. TTR's tax pledge is actually just stunted itself. Don't forget:

1. TTR made a big hairy deal before the Metro budget debate this year about Metro Council members signing their pledge not to raise taxes.
2. One member signed it.
3. That member caved in the end and supported a tax increase alternative to the Mayor's tax increase at the end of June.
4. TTR founder and talking head Ben Cunningham made excuses for that member to the mainstream media rather than holding him publicly accountable for breaking his word and for signing a contract and not living up to his end of the bargain.

I think that I've been too absolutist in my beliefs about TTR. Their poor showing during Metro's budget debate exposed them as very accommodating to their friends, even as they make political hay of their opponents; and when all was said and done, signing or not signing the no tax pledge never mattered. TTR never followed up after the council vote, unless making excuses counts as follow-up.
So, let's be crystal clear: the no tax pledge is just a tool that is packaged to increase TTR's sphere of influence. No one who is a TTR supporter in the legislature is really going to be held accountable.
When Ben Cunningham stood in front of all that mainstream media at Capitol Hill on Tuesday, trotting out another no tax pledge and demanding a response, he also had a proverbial get-out-of-jail-free card in his back pocket, which remains reserved for TTR friends. The pledge is immaterial. It's a diversion. Don't let them fool you, else you'll be reading somewhere next year that one or all of those Republican legislators standing with TTR on Tuesday actually voted for a tax increase. And it won't matter that they did, because TTR takes care of its friends.

Good Preliminary News For Salemtown Development On Coming 6th & Garfield Project

A couple of weeks ago I told you that the lots across Garfield Street from the future location of Garfield Place were being cleared by Moss Investment Partners and I included a picture. I also expressed the hope that whatever gets built there is more in line with either the clapboard character or the emerging modern aesthetic in the North End.

Well, I have finally talked with the owner of the properties and his initial intentions sound great. I cannot go into too many specifics, since discussions with architects and builders are at a sensitive preliminary stage, but I can tell you that he thinks a lot of the historical overlays in the North End and that he is trying to retain the services of builders who have worked on various projects in Germantown. He wants to build both townhouses and retail space and he intends for the structures to come up to the sidewalk and have parking in the back leading off of the alleys, which is consistent with the stricter zoning.

Understandably, his highest priority is to make money, but it's a positive thing to hear him at least saying all the right things about period construction and neighborhood character. As I explained before, the zoning of his property is "R6," so he is not bound to the more restrictive zoning of either conservation or historical overlays.

Here's hoping that good intentions translate to good construction.

Scenes From Nashville's Night Out, Salemtown-Style

Salemtown Neighbors was doing its part once again last night to help prevent crime in Salemtown. Escorted by police and clad in green, a dozen or so members walked the entire length of the neighborhood three times, meeting other neighbors, passing out balloons, and encouraging participation in the association's neighborhood watch program. In a show of solidarity and mutual support, Salemtown Neighbors walked to Germantown and met up with the Historic Germantown Neighborhood Association at the latter's night-out block party.

In the wrong place at the wrong time: the evening's night out against crime festivities began on an ironic note as the woman in red on the curb was caught allegedly trying to break into a house no more than one hundred feet away from walkers just before the walk started.

Salemtown Neighbors begin their walk from the intersection of 4th Ave. and Coffee St. in the far northeast corner of the neighborhood.

Passing out balloons to Salemtown kids along the walk route.

Metro Police Mounted and Motorcycle Patrol Officers escorted Salemtown Neighbors on their walk against crime.

Horse play.

Walkers pause at a 4th Ave. apartment complex to pass out fliers and balloons.

Police escort members across 5th Ave. near Morgan Park and the Werthan Plant.

Corner of 6th Ave. and Coffee St.: the walk gave members the opportunity to speak with other Salemtown residents face-to-face about crime prevention and the neighborhood watch program.

Salemtown Neighbors promoted their next association meeting during the walk.

Salemtown Neighbors' walk ends as they meet & mingle with their hosts at the Historic Germantown Neighborhood Association's night-out Block Party on 7th Ave., North.

Should You Ever Have To Deal With Metro's Sewer Repair Crews, Consider The Following

On July 21, Metro Water and Sewer (MWS) repaired the connection between a sewer trunk line leading from a house to the main line under 5th Ave., North. I observed sewerage seeping out of the line on to the ground for several days beforehand. When I arrived on the scene, I asked one of the employees working on the sewer in the picture above what the problem was. He pointed to the end of the trunk line that lead from the house and told me that the line had never been hooked to the sewer. He said that it was the fault of the contractor hired by the builder to finish the plumbing. Neither the contractor nor the builder were present at the time to confirm.

The reason I mention the lack of confirmation is that I have heard you cannot necessarily take a Metro Water and Sewer worker's word for it. A couple of builders have told me that when MWS responds to a sewer problem, they tend to begin by blaming the problem on the builder, the contractor, the plumber, the owner, or anyone else but themselves before they even figure out what the problem is. They essentially posture themselves out of the responsibility equation.

That had already been confirmed to me last fall when I was present when MWS responded to another sewer backup problem near my house. The builder was present when MWS showed up; he told me beforehand that he had to be present because MWS workers were not trustworthy to accept responsibility for mistakes they might have made in the past. Sure enough, as soon as the MWS workers got out of their truck, they started asking what the builder had done to cause the problem in the first place and generally suggesting that it looked like it would not be a MWS problem. After they killed some time checking out the trunk line from the house under the yard--even though the builder had already checked the trunk line--they started breaking through the asphalt on the street and sidewalk and digging to check the main pipe.

When they finally reached the main sewer line, all kinds of unmentionable waste products spewed and poured into the hole. They found that the main line had been crushed, probably by the original MWS crew that had filled the first hole after the trunk line was connected--and the builder had indeed connected it--to the main sewer line when the house was being built. The line could have been crushed merely because it was old; Salemtown is an old neighborhood. Nonetheless, I didn't hear a single word from MWS about it not being their fault after the hole filled with sewerage. The lead members of the MWS crew immediately distanced themselves from the hole and sent those who seemed to be the lower-pecking-order crew members down to clean up the mess so that higher-pecking-order crew members could then repair the pipe.

The moral to this story for those buying new houses in the North End: if you have a sewer problem, be sure that all involved parties (builder, plumber, contractor, and MWS) are on hand; expect a lot of finger pointing, but never expect Metro Water and Sewer to claim responsibility until they absolutely have to. Make sure all the witnesses are there, because if you don't have the other involved parties present, nobody but you will be there to hold MWS responsible for mistakes even if the mistakes were their responsibility.

I'm not saying that all MWS workers are irresponsible or that all plumbing mistakes are attributable to MWS. I'm just saying. I've not heard good things about the sewer workers. I've been even less impressed with the MWS workers I have encountered. They seem to carry the moral compass of your average eighth grader.

Better Angels

As the Tennessean headlines a story today stating the power, influence, celebrity, and political connections of a local pastor, his super-sized church, and their dominant denomination, I am reminded of a more modest, less conventional reflection on faith and politics:

When people speak of loving their country, they mean, without having reflected on the matter, its spirit, its essence, what it stands for, its image in their minds and before the world. Naming this angel makes it possible to distinguish the soul of the nation from the actions of any given administration, or leaders, or dominant class, race, or group. This distinction is crucial. It means we can censure, criticize, and oppose unjust policies without having to dissociate ourselves from ourselves from our love and concern for the land, its history, traditions and contributions to humanity. The angel makes it possible to relativize the psychic authority with which our leaders tend to become invested, and to recall people to the transcendent, spiritual vocation to which they are ordained and by which they--and their leaders--are judged.

--Walter Wink, Unmasking the Powers, p. 103.

It takes a lot of courage these dark days to criticize foreign and domestic policies without being castigated as un-American, un-patriotic, and even irreligious. Wink's comments on the better angel of American culture reminds me of the import of the virtue of courage and of the spiritual viciousness of confusing what makes America great with a single president or his policies.

Dissent from unjust policies and from even the largest, most plugged-into-powers-that-be interest groups that support them constitutes the American soul. Apart from dissent, our homeland has no spirit. Without those with backbones stiff enough to say, "Thou shalt not ...," to tyrannical majorities, our land is merely a realm of infinitely lesser angels.