EVENTS
The Warner Park Autumn Star Party takes place on October 1 from 7:30 pm to 9:30 pm at the Warner Park Nature Center at 7311 TN Highway 100. Stargazers of all ages are invited to come discover the wonders of Nashville’s night sky away from city lights. Local astronomers from the Barnard-Seyfert Astronomical Society will be on hand with telescopes to view stars, planets, constellations, and nebulae. Registration is at wpnc@nashville.gov or 615-862-8555.
Neighbors can clean out your house by taking no-longer-needed items to Creation Care Recycling Day at West End United Methodist Church, 2200 West End Avenue, Saturday, October 15 from 9 a.m. - 12 noon. Bring items to the parking lot off of 23rd Ave South. People can bring electronic items, fabric, clothing, household items, furniture, books, appliances, linens, shoes, jewelry, accessories, medications, batteries, and documents for shredding. There is a charge for disposing of monitors and televisions, but everything else will be accepted at no charge. The event happens rain or shine. This is a great way to clean out your house, provide a second life to items you don’t need, and keep them out of the land fill. More information is available at the West End UMC church website.
Brush Pick-up for Area 8 Green Hills, Hillsboro West End, Belmont Hillsboro, Percy Warner, Devonshire begins on October 4. October 10 is the beginning of pick-up for Area 9 Bellevue, West Meade, Hillwood, White Bridge, Cherokee Park, Richland West End, Sylvan Park, Sylvan Heights, Hadley, Fisk, Watkins Park. Area 10 – Whites Bend, Charlotte Park, Cockrill Bend, Nations, TSU, College Heights, Germantown, Buena Vista pick-up beings October 19. Area 11 – Joelton, Whites Creek, Marrowbone, Scottsboro, Bells Bend, Bordeaux, Haynes Heights, Haynes Manor pick-up begins October 25. Area 12 - Goodlettsville, Dalemere, Bellshire pick-up begins October 28. Neighbors can confirm dates on the NDOT website. Remember to put leaves in compostable bags and place brush piles away from utility poles so the machinery can pick them up safely.
Neighbor 2 Neighbor is hosting several great workshops for its Emerging Neighborhood Leaders Academy and its Policy and Zoning training starting this month:
- Wed., Oct 5 6:30 - 8 PM: Emerging Neighborhood Leaders Academy (ENLA – S1) begins (six sessions) The Role of the Neighborhood Organization and its Leaders
- Sat., October 8, 8 AM - 12 PM: The Planning School: Policy & Zoning 101
- Wed., October 12, 6:30 - 8 PM: ENLA – S2 Intro to Metro Government
- Sat., October 15, 8 AM -12 PM: The Planning School: Policy & Zoning 201 Session 1
- Wed., October 19, 6:30 – 8 PM: ENLA – S3 Best Practices for Working with Metro Council and Government Departments
- Sat., October 22, 8 AM -12 PM: The Planning School: Policy and Zoning 202 Session 2
- Wed., October 26, 6:30 – 8 PM: ENLA – S4 How to Organize and Facilitate a Neighborhood Meeting
- Wed., November 2, 6:30 – 8 PM: ENLA –5 Strategies for Engaging Neighbors
- Wed., November 9, 6:30 – 8 PM: ENLA –6 More Resources for Neighborhoods
For more information, visit the Neighbor 2 Neighbor website.
Election Day is November 8 for state and federal races. The last day for voter registration for this election is October 11. The last day to request Absentee ballots is November 1. Early voting runs October 19 – Nov 3. Districts have been altered significantly. Davidson County is now split into three separate congressional districts. Check here to be sure you know what congressional, state house, and state senate district you are in. There are also four proposed amendments to the state constitution. Amendment 1 deals with Union Membership. It would put Tennessee’s 1947 “Right to Work” law into the constitution. This existing law makes it illegal for workplaces to require mandatory labor union membership for employees as a condition for employment. Ballotpedia has a good explanation and overview of both sides of this issue here. Amendment 2 spells out who takes over if the Governor is unable to fulfill his or her duties. Amendment 3 officially prohibits slavery in Tennessee and removes exception language that is currently in the state constitution. Amendment 4 deletes a current provision that prohibits ministers and priests from holding office in either House of the state government. To pass, an amendment must get a majority of yes votes, and it must get more than half of all the votes cast in the governor’s election.
ISSUES
September and October are bird migration months. Nashville has issued a bird safe proclamation/resolution to encourage building owners to minimize unnecessary lighting, which can cause confusion and disorientation, and to install bird safe glass to reduce bird strikes against windows. Structural collision with windows and buildings is the leading cause of death among wild birds in North America, accounting for anywhere between 100 million and one billion bird deaths each year. More information is available on the Audobon website.
The Centers for Disease Control recommends everyone six months old and older get a flu vaccine, preferably before the end of October. Flu shots are available at most doctors’ offices and at CVS and Walgreens. Walk-ins are available, but scheduling an appointment may save time. Many businesses have programs for their employees. For example, Vanderbilt has created multiple ways for eligible students, faculty and staff to receive a free flu vaccine now and throughout flu season at the Student Health Center and Vanderbilt Health Clinics. Flu shots and COVID-19 vaccines can be taken at the same time. Vaccination is still seen as the best way to avoid serious complications from disease.
Metro has close to 80 Boards and Commissions that provide citizen input and oversight to many departments through their volunteer members. Members are nominated by the mayor’s office and confirmed by the Metro Council. There area openings on the Community Oversight Board, Health and Educational Facilities Board, and Transportation Licensing Commission. Registered Nashville voters can indicate interest by contacting Tom Jurkovich in the Mayor’s Office at tom.jurkovich@nashville.gov or send me a resume and I will forward it.
Fall brings a special set of challenges to Metro’s storm water system. Keeping leaves and debris out of the street can go a long way to keeping the system functioning well. In the older parts of Nashville, the storm sewer and sanitary sewer were built in the early 1900’s as a combined system. Leaves that get into the system make their way to the sewage treatment plant and add a lot of unnecessary load to what has to be treated and disposed of. In other parts of the city everything in the storm drain goes straight to the river including leaves, sticks and trash. Please remember not to blow your leaves into the street. Metro will pick them up if they are bagged in compostable bags, which can be bought at most hardware stores. This is also a great time of year to Adopt-A-Storm-Drain. Pick a storm drain near you and commit to keeping it free of sticks, leaves, and trash to keep our water ways clean and help prevent flooding on your street during heavy rains. This can be officially registered here. Or report clogged drains on the Hub Nashville website. Metro Water also has a street sweeping program. The Street Sweeping Schedule is published monthly on Metro’s Open Data website. Click on the “View Data” button, and then filter by your district. You should be able to find your street and when it will be swept. Moving cars off the street on sweeping day will help Metro Water Services get debris and leaves off the street before they end up in the storm sewer system and clog it up.
WeGo is implementing fall changes to the bus routes. The changes reflect customer input and feedback and include expanded service hours and improved frequency of service with more buses on select routes. The following information includes service changes effective Sunday, October 2. The new schedules will be available online on Monday, September 26.
- 56 Gallatin Pike - Time adjustments on Weekdays, Saturdays, and Sundays
- 75 Midtown - Time adjustments on Weekdays and Saturdays
- 76 Madison - Time adjustments on Weekdays, Saturdays, and Sundays
- 77 Thompson - Buses will no longer travel on Glenrose Avenue to Greentree Terrace Apartments., Time adjustments on Weekdays and Saturdays
- 79 Skyline - Buses will only serve Skyline Hospital on eastbound trips to Gallatin Pike, No service to Skyline Hospital when traveling from Walmart to Old Hickory Boulevard, Time adjustments on Weekdays and Saturdays
- 84 Murfreesboro - Time adjustments on Weekdays
- 86 Smyrna/La Vergne - Time adjustments on Weekdays
- 88 Dickson - New stop has been added at the Bellevue Park & Ride, Will operate two morning and two afternoon trips, Time adjustments
- 89 Springfield/Joelton - Time adjustments
- 95 Spring Hill/Franklin - Will operate an additional morning and afternoon trip, Access on Demand, Service will operate until midnight on Weekdays,
- WeGo Link - Additional WeGo Link zones will operate in South Nashville, Antioch (expansion of current zone), Hermitage, and Goodlettsville.
Proposed service changes for Spring 2023 include additional trips in the late evening/night to 1:15 a.m. Monday-Saturday, weekday midday frequency improvements, and crosstown service improvements
I hope everyone is staying safe and enjoying the arrival of fall. I’m optimistic that the change of seasons will bring new opportunities, and Nashville can move forward to being a great place to live and work for everyone. Please contact me with your thoughts and suggestions at burkley.allen@nashville.gov or 615-383-6604. Sign up for my newsletter at www.burkley.org
Regards,
Burkley Allen
Metro Council At-Large