Election Day Number 2 is May 24 for Mayor. Early voting begins at the Howard Office Building on May 4 and at all other early voting locations on May 11.
The Sevier Park Fest returns on Friday May 4th and Saturday May 5th. The festival kicks off on Friday at 6 pm with a headline concert in Sevier Park featuring SUSTO, Amanda Shires, and J Roddy Walston & the Business. The last concert begins at 9:30 pm. Saturday’s events begin at 10 am in the Park and along 12th Ave South up to Sweetbriar. The day includes bike races for kids and adults, 90 vendors, 4 stages with live music, a kids area, Edley’s Hot Wing Eating, Battle Balls and much more. The streets around Sevier Park and 12th South from Clayton to Sweetbriar will be closed from 6 am to 9 pm on Saturday. For more information visit www.sevierparkfest.com. The festival benefits the Friends of Sevier Park, a not for profit organization working to improve Sevier Park.
HWEN and Metro Public Works are co-sponsoring a District 18 Composting Workshop to be held in conjunction with HWEN’s annual community Plant Swap. The date is Saturday, May 5, 1:30-4:00. The event is open to the community and will take place at the home of Lisa Roiseman, 407 Chesterfield. A Metro educator will give digital presentations on iPads on how to use a backyard composter and provide materials on how to compost. She will be available for two hours to chat and interact with all comers. Two actual composters will be raffled away at this event, so be sure not to miss it!
I will be holding District 18 Office Hours on Saturday, May 12 from 9 to 10 am at Fido in Hillsboro Village. Drop by and tell me about your concerns and ideas for the neighborhood and Nashville in general. I’ll also have HUB Nashville up and running so we can report problems in real time and learn how Metro’s new on-line customer service portal is empowering neighbors to get things done.
Registration is now open for the Metropolitan Police Department’s FREE Driver Awareness Class for high school aged teens, scheduled for Saturday, May 12th, from 9 a.m.-1 p.m. This popular course will be held in the community room of the MNPD’s South Precinct, 5101 Harding Place. It is open to all high school aged teens, regardless of county of residency. The class, taught by Nashville police officers, will not offer behind the wheel training, but rather will focus on impaired driving, distracted driving and overall traffic safety. Persons interested in signing up for this program may do so on-line here.
For the 9th year, BHN will host Wood for the ‘Hood, their annual fundraiser focused on enhancing the tree canopy in public areas within the neighborhood. Join friends and neighbors on Saturday, May 19, 2018, for an evening of wine, hors d’oeuvres, and the company of fellow tree lovers. Information and tickets are available here.
After two years of careful restoration, the Dragon Park Dragon is finally back! On May 20, HWEN will hold its annual Dragon Parade ending at the Park and celebrating the Dragon’s Grand Reopening. This work on the community-built sculpture will help weatherproof it for many years. Jan Bushing and Martha Stinson have worked tirelessly on fundraising and supporting the artist who has strengthened the interior framework and replaced missing tiles to restore our Dragon. The parade begins at 3 at the Triangle Park at the corner of Blair and Natchez Trace. Once the procession reaches the park, neighbors can enjoy an ice cream social, special children’s activities, and at 4:15, the first of four Dragon Music Sunday concerts. Fundraising for the Dragon continues, and neighbors can contribute during the Big Payback May 2 or at the Save our Dragon Website.
The Eakin IB Exhibition takes place Tuesday, May 21 from 1:50 to 2:50 in the Auditorium. This is a great opportunity for parents to see how Eakin students are learning to think critically about global issues. Students will be on hand to explain their displays summarizing their problem- solving projects.
Phase One of 12th South Water Main project is now officially complete, and Phase Two is now in design. Phase Two is anticipated to affect Dallas, Paris, Kirkwood, Cedar, Ferguson, Clayton, and Gale Lane between Belmont and 12th. A pre-construction meeting will be held later in the year for the neighbors on those streets to discuss schedules and construction related concerns.
May is Bike Month, and there are activities almost every week providing opportunities to see how bike infrastructure is improving in Nashville and what we have still to do. The events start with Walk & Roll to School Day on May 9 - Roll your kids into school to celebrate the coming summer. Next is the Tour de Nash on May 19 - The 8-mile Family Ride and Market celebration are FREE and open to the public! Local and Grand Tour registration here. This is now paired with the Tour de Nash Market for those who don’t want to ride. The market will include playing in the street with live music, food trucks and all kinds of vendors. The month culminates with Bike to Work Day on May 25. I invite everyone to join the me in the Belmont bike train on your way into town and meet up for FREE coffee and breakfast in Cumberland Park. We’ll meet at Osborn’s Bi-Rite in time for a 7:25 departure, stopping at the Belmont Bookstore on Portland Avenue at 7:35 to pick up additional riders. There will also be a bike train leaving from Elmington Park at 7:25.
Movies in the Park begins on May 31 at Elmington Park and runs Thursday evenings through June 21. Events and Food trucks start at 5, and the movies start at sundown. The park drive-through will be closed on those Thursdays beginning shortly after rush hour. We will once again be working with event planners to try to keep traffic and parking issues to a minimum. Neighbors are encouraged to walk or bike. This is a great family friendly activity.
May is Mental Health Month (MHM) and this year’s theme, Fitness #4Mind4Body, focuses on increasing understanding of how the body’s various systems impact mental health based on recent research. Since 1949, Mental Health America and their affiliates across the country have led the MHM observance by reaching millions of people through the media, local events, and screenings. Other organizations, campus communities, and individuals can use the 2018 MHM Toolkit to join in raising awareness and spreading the word that mental health is something important for everyone to care about.
Please help prevent critters around the trash bins. Keeping any spilt trash picked up around trash areas and putting a bit of ammonia in the trash bin will discourage rats and squirrels from getting into your trash. With summer fast approaching, standing water can breed mosquitoes in trash cans if the lids are left open. There are always a few alleys where the pick-up process is not done correctly, and the lids stand open until the owner comes by. Please check alley carts after trash day and let me know (or report it on the HUB at hub.nashville.gov) if carts are not stored properly after pick-up.
I look forward to seeing everyone out and about now that winter is finally over. Please keep in touch and let me know what issues and concerns are on your mind. Contact me at 615-383-6604 or burkley.allen@nashville.gov.
Regards,
Burkley Allen
Metro Council 18th District