Nearly 70 students participated in a Young Writers Conference at Rutland Elementary Saturday. 

The event, organized by PTO parent Suzanne Bingham, gave invited students in third, fourth, and fifth grade classes at Rutland the opportunity to meet Nashville-based songwriter Rick Altizer as well as attend classes focused on writing concepts ranging from the use of onomatopoeia and hyperbole to the use of language in songwriting and designing a comic strip. 

“We have the state writing assessment coming up next week, so the kids were all given a piece of writing to do, and it was judged according to the state rubric. That’s how they were chosen to come today,” explains Rutland Elementary principal Yvonne Kittrell. “These are some of our elite writers in the school, and we just want to have sessions to encourage them to become more interested in writing as a career.”

The brain child of PTO parent Bingham for more than a year, the event was comprised of keynote speaker Altizer and twelve themed writing sessions, from which students got to pick three sessions to attend. Of the educators on hand conducting sessions Saturday, six are current students at Vanderbilt University, three are family members with experience in cartooning, and one, Elizabeth Gibbons, is currently an English teacher at Hillsboro High School in Nashville. 

“I just saw a need for doing something with writing,” says Bingham. “[I] started thinking about the breakout sessions that they could have.” Bingham, a former teacher, collaborated with educator Elizabeth Gibbons. “[Liz] and I just talked and brainstormed what different sessions would be and what they would look like. So, from that came all this.”

During a break for brunch, the cafeteria was teeming with students sharing what they had learned during their first two sessions. Fourth grader Millie Gnewikow had just experienced Altizer’s songwriting class. “It was so much fun”, she stated. “[Mr. Altizer] is really, really good. He worked with us, and we would start spitting things out... We all made it rhyme, and he came up with a really good melody.” 

“I really liked when we did the comics,” expressed fellow fourth grader, Porter Smithson. “Mr. and Ms. Stone were really funny.”

Fifth grader Barrett Streeter shared about the alliteration session. “I loved writing [with] the alliteration. We had to write a poem, and we got to combine all these different alliterations into one, and it made a really jumpy, fun [poem].”

All students in attendance helped to bring the Young Writers Conference’s mission to fruition: to create a literary environment that leads students to become better writers, while experiencing the joy of writing and the empowering activity of communicating and expressing themselves more fully. 

Mayor Ed Hagerty gave his first State of the City address to a packed house at the Mt. Juliet Chamber Luncheon Wednesday. 

“The state of the City is strong,” said Hagerty. 

Hagerty followed with giving statistics about how well the City is doing. 

In the past 65 months, Mt. Juliet has not seen growth in only three months when you compare it to the previous year. 

He also confirmed that the City has closed on the property for a possible new fire station on Belinda Parkway and Athens Dr. He said the discussions are still ongoing with the county, but if those fall through, the citizens of Mt. Juliet shouldn’t worry. Mt. Juliet would establish their own fire department if they are forced. 

“We will not leave you unprotected,” said Hagerty. 

He commented on the construction on Mt. Juliet Road and said we will have five lanes running north and south soon. He also talked about the Eastern Connector, which will run from the Beckwith Road exit all the way to Lebanon Road at Benders Ferry. He said the project will take three years to finish. 

Hagerty applauded the Mt. Juliet Police Department which continues to have a stellar case solvability rate. In the last two years, the case solvability rate for the department has been 57 and 55 percent, while the state average is less than a third. 

He also applauded the Animal Shelter, and its large number of volunteers who have logged over 13,000 hours. He said the non-profit model that has been successful with the shelter, will hopefully make the Parks Department even better. The Parks Department recently established a 501(c)3. 

In closing, Hagerty said the people of Mt. Juliet and the ones in attendance are what is making the City so successful. 

“You are the reason we are hitting on all cylinders.”

The Mt. Juliet Animal Shelter is inviting everyone to attend their 3rd birthday celebration and open house Saturday, Jan. 21 from noon until 3 p.m.

In those three years, the shelter has welcomed 1,563 animals into the shelter, an average of 44 a month. 

“Our adoption, placement rate stands at 91 percent, which is unheard of in animal shelters,” said Jon Gray, Volunteer Coordinator for the Animal Shelter, in an email Monday.

He said the rate is due to the Animal Control Staff working hand in hand with the volunteer organization. 

There is a Director and Assistant Director of Animal Control who answer the police department.  

The volunteer organization is comprised of over 160 volunteers, headed up by the volunteer coordinator, Jon Gray who answers to a Board of Director’s headed up by Will Sellers, the former City Commissioner. 

The Volunteer organization is a 501(c)3, Tax Exempt, Non-Profit organization.

The MJASVO pays for medical, transportation, food, grooming and Vet Care for all the animals.  

The City pays for the building, staff, etc.

The City has never spent one dollar for food since the shelter opened. 

With volunteer hours totaling over 600 a month, the city has conservatively saved $300,000 a year in additional costs to the tax payer.

Visitors on Saturday will get to see the animals and experience the state of the art shelter, as well as enjoy a variety of delicious snacks and treats. 

They can also enter to win a $100 bill, or a $50 bill. 

Visitors can also adopt, or their kids can have their picture taken with the shelter mascots, Wilson or Juliet.

For Further Information Contact Jon Gray at (615)294-1095 or email him at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

 

Mt. Juliet got some answers on the fire issue Monday before the regular meeting. 

David Eichenthal, a Senior Managing Consultant with PFM, presented his report and the fire issues being discussed between the County and Mt. Juliet. 

Mt. Juliet had hired PFM, a forensic accounting firm, to answer three questions. 

The first was does the city receive an equitable return of county services for revenue generated from taxes paid in Mt. Juliet. 

The second is what are the city’s needs over the next five years. 

And the last is if the interlocal agreement with the County is beneficial for the city and the county. 

There had been some debate among the county commission that Mt. Juliet doesn’t pay its fair share in county taxes, so the county would not increase the amount of coverage in Mt. Juliet. 

The reason being that Watertown and Lebanon have their own fire departments and Mt. Juliet does not. 

However, Eichenthal said that Mt. Juliet pays out 25 percent, but only gets 21 percent back from the county. 

Eichenthal said that might raise some red flags with Mt. Juliet citizens, but that it is very common. 

He used the example that federally, New Jersey pays in more than they get back, while Tennessee pays in less than they get back. 

Eichenthal said in looking forward for the next five years, Mt. Juliet needs to look at the data. 

Of all the calls that WEMA receives, only 1.4 percent of calls are for structural fires in Mt. Juliet. 

The majority of the calls are for ambulances, while mixing in false calls, rescue and calls of that nature. 

“You are a relatively small fire risk for a city your size,” said Eichenthal. 

He said that Mt. Juliet is lower because of factors such as a lower poverty rate and mostly newer structures in the city. 

He said that 1.4 percent of the total WEMA budget is spent on fire suppression in Mt. Juliet, which works out to about $75,000 a year. 

There was no question in Eichenthal’s mind about continuing the interlocal agreement with the county. 

“I’d work really hard with the county to maintain the interlocal agreement,” said Eichenthal. “It’s in the best interest of Wilson County, financially for both.”

In the report, it states that the “County’s cost of providing WEMA service to Mt. Juliet would not be reduced if it ceased providing fire service. In fact, its cost would likely increase…”

Commissioner Jim Bradshaw said that the commission had been working to continue that agreement with the county, but that there were some “hardheads” on the county commission that are trying to derail it. Bradshaw represents District 11 on the County Commission as well as his District 4 post for the City. 

In the regular meeting, the commission approved an ordinance regulating firework sales. 

They also approved an amendment to the final master development plan for Ellenwood Farms. 

Academy Sports got two issues approved, the first being their outdoor signage, and the ability to have outdoor sales under a canopy in front of the store. 

The commission approved the purchase of a new K-9 Unit vehicle. 

The new one has 100,000 less miles than the current, gets better gas mileage and is already equipped for the K-9. 

Two grants were approved as well, one for Planet Playground and the other to plant trees at Mundy Park. 

 

On Sunday, Jan. 1, at approximately 9:55 p.m., the Mt. Juliet Police Department responded to the PharmaCare pharmacy in reference to burglar alarm activation. 

Upon arrival, officers found that the building was burglarized and checked it for suspects, but no one was located.

Further investigation revealed that 6,834 pills were stolen from the pharmacy - a street value near approximately $30,000. 

The pills included Loritab, Hydrocodone and other pain medication. 

It was determined that three individuals were involved in the burglary after Detectives reviewed the pharmacy’s surveillance video. 

Using a hood to conceal their face, one suspect entered the pill area and filled a plastic tote with pill bottles. 

Surveillance video also shows that the suspects arrived and left in a 2005-2010 year model Chrysler 300 that was white or silver in color.

Anyone with any information regarding this incident is encouraged to call the Mt. Juliet Police Department at (615) 754-2550. 

Information can also be given anonymously by calling (615) 754-TIPS (8477) or via the Mt. Juliet Police Department website at http://www.mjpd.org.

 

A local church gave 17 men the chance to see how the homeless live the past weekend. 

At the corner of Old Lebanon Dirt Road and Chandler Road, Global Vision Bible Church began services as usual on Sunday. 

Well groomed, suit-clad men readied video cameras and audio equipment in a booth to the right of the pulpit, while flat panel televisions mounted high on the walls scrolled a countdown timer to alert the congregation services are about to begin. 

Everything was business as usual this morning, barring the 17 homeless men that were sitting behind the pulpit in chairs typically reserved for the church’s choir. 

In stark contrast to the other church members, the men behind the pulpit were unshaven, dirty, and dressed in clothes that had not been laundered. 

A few men sat with their heads tilted back, eyes closed, as if here in this climate controlled haven free of hardships, they were relaxing for the first moment in days. 

Fortunately for these 17 men, their lives as homeless citizens were lived with an expiration date. 

They were all participants in Global Vision’s second annual Homeless Experience. 

The Homeless Experience, organized by Pastor Greg Locke, is a nearly 48 hour immersion exercise in which church members volunteer to live as the homeless live in downtown Nashville for a weekend. 

This year proved to have an increase in interest over last year’s Homeless Experience, with the group expanding from 13 members in 2011 to 17 members in 2012. 

Three of the men that partook in the Experience this year were not members at Global Vision. 

One came with a friend that is a member. Two came from Cincinnati after they saw Pastor Locke post an open invitation for the Experience on Twitter. 

Regardless of where they came from, all these men had one common goal: to subject themselves to great poverty, loneliness and homelessness, so that they can better empathize with the less fortunate and understand how to more effectively minister to the homeless of Nashville. 

All 17 men, ranging in ages from 16-58, were dropped off downtown Friday evening. 

The only possessions they were allowed to have was the clothes on their backs and a photo ID. 

The men spent Friday evening scattered on street corners begging passersby for any spare change they could offer. 

Michael Light recalls his initial task when the group was dropped off downtown.

 “We got down there and the first humiliating part was having to rummage through the trash to get a cup [to collect change in]. I wouldn’t even do it at first. Basil had to do it for me.” 

Light is referring to  fellow participant Basil Coffey, who described being homeless as “unbearable.” Coffey states, “I can’t imagine what it would be like to be out there every day. The whole time we’re out there, we know we’re going to come back [on Sunday]... And it was hard enough. I was tempted to walk home.” 

The group settled under a downtown bridge Friday night. 

Some slept on rocks while others tried resting on broken down cardboard, but the general result was very little sleep. 

Saturday began with a 5-mile group trek for food that resulted in a donation of, as 16-year old Isaac Wright of Cincinnati describes, what had to be “12 pounds of bologna.” Wright goes on to say, “I hate bologna, but I have never loved it so much as this weekend.” 

Being the youngest member of the group did not spare Isaac Wright from the experience all the men shared. He recounts, “I had a person come by, throw a quarter on the ground, and say ‘crawl out and get it’. I had a lady come by and dump her ice tea in my cup, then laugh like it was no big deal.” Pastor Locke estimates that the group as a whole collected between $50 and $60 over the weekend to feed the 17 members in their group, which was not enough.

 Although the emotional testimony of the group paints a picture of gratitude for the experience rather than one of regret, all the participants were more than ready to return to Global Vision Sunday morning to partake in a hot breakfast prepared for them by friends and family and to share their testimony with the congregation. 

Matt Pop’s emotional portrayal of the Homeless Experience accurately depicts the consensus of the whole group. 

He explains, “I’m broken. [The homeless] are hurting bad. And there’s thousands and thousands of them out there. I know how they feel now. I know how they feel in their hearts. They’re degraded. They’re deprived. They’re lonely.” Pop goes on to say, “They deserve more. I don’t have anything, but I want to give them everything I’ve got. I don’t need it. I’ve got everything I need.” 

The 2012 participants in The Homeless Experience with Global Vision Bible Church were Basil Coffey, Matt Pop, Johnny Martin, Jarrod Almond, Matt Korte, Isaac Wright, Anthony Hicks, Shannon Powell, Clint Roney, Kevin Ledbetter, Al Cross, Chris Clark, Michael Light, John Thompson, Nick Godwin, Jason Hill, and Greg Locke.

For more information on Global Vision and to watch video of The Homeless Experience testimonials, visit www.globalvisionbc.com

 

Starting in mid-December and crossing over into the New Year, the Belinda City neighborhood in Mt. Juliet was hit hard with five residential burglaries. 

Resulting from a suspicious persons call by one of the burglary victims, the Mt. Juliet Police Department has been able to solve all recent Belinda City neighborhood residential burglaries.

On Jan. 3 at approximately 11:35 a.m., the Mt. Juliet Police Department responded to a report of juveniles acting suspiciously in the front yard of a residence that was recently burglarized. 

Upon arrival, officers made contact with two male juveniles and further investigation revealed that they could be the suspects in the recent rash of home burglaries. 

The juveniles were apparently looking for item they lost when they committed a burglary at that residence on Dec. 31, 2011.

Their parents were contacted, and the male suspects were detained and transported to police headquarters for further questioning by detectives. 

It was revealed that two female juveniles were also involved. 

The female suspects were contacted and willingly participated in the investigation. 

All suspects admitted to their actions of burglarizing five homes in the Belinda City neighborhood. 

Each home was in walking distance of each other.  

One of the homes was abandoned, and that is where the offenders stored the stolen property.

Items that were stolen included video game consoles, video games, DVDs, clothing, cash, ammunition and firearms. 

Detectives were able to recover all the stolen property, which will be returned to their proper owner. 

The juvenile offenders’ age range from 14 to 17, and they will be receiving felony charges of Aggravated Burglary that will be filed with the Juvenile Court. 

All burglaries occurred on Meadowview Drive, Sunny Acre Drive, and Meadowbrook Court in the Belinda City neighborhood.

The City of Mt. Juliet commissioners approved the annexation of 877 acres of land along the new eastern corridor, and said farewell to City Manager Randy Robertson Monday. 

The annexed properties were along the proposed eastern corridor, which would go from the Beckwith Interchange to Lebanon Road. There were a few in the audience who weren’t happy about being annexed into the city. Mayor Ed Hagerty addressed that he understood their concerns, and remembers when Mt. Juliet was just 3,000 people back when he moved here in 1982. 

“Part of me wishes it was still that way,” said Hagerty. 

Hagerty said even then, there was talk of the road being built, so this isn’t something that just sprung up out of nowhere. 

“We all knew this day was coming,” said Hagerty. 

The commissioners present echoed Hagerty’s sentiments. 

“I believe this is the best thing for Mt. Juliet,” said Vice Mayor James Maness. 

At the beginning of the meeting, Hagerty, Public Works Director Marlin Keel, and Commissioner Ted Floyd spoke a few words about Robertson, who is leaving the first week of January for the same position in Vestavia Hills, Ala. 

“You’ve turned the city for the better,” said Hagerty. 

Hagerty stated that the City was in a bit of turmoil when Robertson took over, but Robertson has turned it around. 

Keel gave an emotional speech about what Robertson’s leadership meant to him, and made a joke about Robertson’s constant e-mail communication. 

“The little guy in my computer that says ‘you got mail,’ his job just got a little easier,” joked Keel. 

Robertson addressed the commission and audience at the end of the meeting. 

“I have been blessed to lead an extraordinary group of men and women,” said Robertson. 

Robertson’s last day will be Jan. 8. Economic Development Director Kenny Martin will be the Interim City Manager until a new one can be found. Robertson will be having a farewell party at the Mt. Juliet Community Center Saturday, starting at 7 p.m., which the community is welcome. 

The next commission meeting will not be until Jan. 9. The Dec. 26 meeting is cancelled due to it being a city holiday.