Designed to speed the deployment of renewable energy resources, the Solar Opportunity Fund is part of Gov. Phil Bredesen’s Volunteer State Solar Initiative, funded by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009.

“The Solar Innovation Grants will enable Tennessee companies to assume a leadership role in the burgeoning solar industry,” said Matt Kisber, commissioner, Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development. “Providing businesses operating within the solar value chain with the resources needed to advance technologies and develop new markets will ultimately create new jobs for the state and spur additional investments.”

“Solar Innovation grants are available to qualifying Tennessee solar industry firms seeking financial assistance to help strengthen their offerings to the solar industry as well as improve energy efficiency in their place of operations. “The purpose of the Solar Innovation Grant Program is to advance Tennessee’s competitive advantage in the solar industry,” said John Sanseverino, director of programs for Tennessee Solar Institute. “Reducing energy usage and increasing energy efficiency in the workplace is also a major emphasis of the program.”

Eligible applicants include qualified for-profit firms, working in or seeking to expand business in the solar industry in Tennessee. To apply, a business must submit a proposal defining how grant funds will be used to advance the solar industry through various process improvements and/or training opportunities. TSI will accept proposals for grant funding in the following categories:

Technical Assistance: Applicants will obtain tools and resources needed to implement sustainable clean energy programs in their place of operation.

Workforce Development: Applicants will participate in workforce development projects that include education and training programs related to the manufacturing, sale, installation and maintenance of solar systems and equipment.

Renewable Energy Products: Applicants will incorporate renewable energy products in their place of operation with the intent of reducing green house gases and energy consumption. These improvements also demonstrate commercially-available renewable energy technologies to potential customers.

Process Improvements: Applicants will integrate manufacturing process improvements that increase overall efficiency and productivity.

Technology Improvements: Applicants will incorporate changes in manufacturing operations by adding new technologies and methods that speed the deployment of products and create opportunities for entry into new markets.

Facilities and Equipment Improvements: Applicants will reduce energy consumption through traditional energy efficiency retrofits by upgrading facilities and installing energy-efficient equipment.

Applicants with approved proposals may be awarded up to $500,000 in grant funds, depending on project category. Detailed information and application materials for the Solar Innovation Grant Program are available on the TSI website http://solar.tennessee.edu.  Applications for the Solar Innovation grant must be received by the Tennessee Solar Institute no later than September 24, 2010.

Tennessee Solar Institute is part of the Volunteer State Solar Initiative, a comprehensive solar energy and economic development program focusing on job creation, education, renewable power production and technology commercialization. This initiative has been established using $62.5 million in American Recovery and Reinvestment Act funding received by the Department of Economic and Community Development.

The U.C. Student Gallery, in an alcove on the third floor of the Morgan University Center, was developed this summer to provide APSU students with a space to show their work. The gallery will be run by the Student Art League and have shows throughout the year.

The space officially opens at 3:30 p.m. on Sept. 8, with a reception for the gallery’s first exhibit, “Abstract Painting: Student Work from the Topics in Studio Arts Course.” The show runs through Sept. 30, with paintings by students who took APSU assistant professor of art Warren Greene’s abstract painting class this summer.

The students participating in the show include Theresa Biermann, Brian Bigelow, Tommy Braden, Jacquelyn Case, Melissa Cox, Ginger Drake, James Gianforti, Shiera Gorum, Brandice Haley, Tobey Lee, Tanya Watkins and Renyi Zhang.

The U.C. Student Gallery is now the fifth art exhibition space offered by APSU. The Trahern Gallery, in the Trahern building, serves as the campus’ main exhibit venue. Trahern 108 is a gallery in the same building used primarily for senior exhibitions. The Mabel Larson Fine Arts Gallery, located in Harned Hall, displays some of the University’s permanent collection of student artwork. Last year, the APSU Department of Art and the Center of Excellence for the Creative Arts expanded beyond campus by opening the Austin Peay Downtown Gallery, in downtown Clarksville’s Strawberry Alley. That space is designated for shows featuring the works of APSU alumni and faculty.

For more information on the new gallery or the upcoming Abstract Painting exhibit, contact Greene at 221-6519.

Pictured are (back L to R) State Representative Philip Johnson; State Representative Joe Pitts; Senator Tim Barnes; State Representative Curtis Johnson; (Front L to R) Montgomery Count Director of Administration Phil Harpel; Governor Phil Bredesen; Montgomery County Mayor Carolyn Bowers; Transportation Commissioner Gerald Nicely; and Montgomery County Director of Facilities Clint Camp.

Governor Phil Bredesen presented Montgomery County with a check for $1.39 million to fund the second phase of the R.J. Corman Bridge renovation. The project, scheduled to begin in the coming weeks, will allow for the mitigation and renovation of the RJ Corman railroad bridge that spans the Cumberland River along Riverside Drive.

The first phase of the project was award last year in the amount of $940,000 and allowed for the environmental work and design to begin on the project.

The Tennessee Department of Transportation is once again halting all lane closure activity on interstates and state highways for the busy Labor Day holiday travel period.  More than 600,000 Tennesseans are expected to travel by car this holiday. Construction crews will stop all lane closure activity beginning at noon on Friday, September 3 through 6:00 a.m. on Tuesday, September 7.  This will provide maximum roadway capacity for motorists traveling during the busy Labor Day holiday.

“The Labor Day holiday is one of the busiest travel periods of the year. As thousands of people hit the road in Tennessee, we want to ensure they get to their destinations quickly and safely without road construction delays.” — TDOT Commissioner Gerald Nicely

While lane closure activity will be stopped, workers will still be on site in many construction zones.  For instance, in Memphis, workers will spend the weekend on the I-40/Hernando DeSoto Bridge seismic retrofit project preparing for a major new phase of work.  Crews will reduce the bridge to one lane in each direction near exit 1 immediately following rush hour Tuesday morning.  The I-40 Bridge will be reduced to one lane east and westbound from Tuesday, September 7 at 9:00 a.m. until mid-November.

Drivers convicted of speeding in work zones where workers are present face a fine of $250 to $500, plus court fees and possible increased insurance premiums.

“During this Labor Day weekend, travelers will notice an increased number of law enforcement personnel on Tennessee’s roadways.  Our main goal is for everyone to have a safe holiday, so we want to emphasize the importance of buckling up, obeying traffic laws, paying attention, and, above all, never driving drunk or impaired.” — Governor’s Highway Safety Office Director Kendell Poole

The summer travel season is expected to close with almost 10% more travelers during the Labor Day weekend than during the same period in 2009.  AAA Auto Club South projects 658,864 Tennesseans will travel this Labor Day holiday, with 629,301 traveling by car and 18,242 traveling by air.  Nationwide travel is expected to be up 10% compared to 2008.  Tennessee is anticipated to experience a 9.7% increase in travel through the state compared to last year’s numbers.

For up-to-date travel information, motorists can call 5-1-1 from any land line or cell phone or visit www.tn.gov/tdot/tdotsmartway.  Travelers can also get instant traffic alerts by following TDOT on Twitter.  For a list of available Twitter feeds visit www.tn.gov/tdot/mediaroom/info.htm.  Motorists are reminded that texting while driving is against the law in Tennessee, so please use these motorist information tools responsibly.

Despite the fact that author Madeline L’Engle is devoutly Christian, her sci-fi children’s classic A Wrinkle in Time, has consistently rattled those who challenged her book, which has its triad of women — Mrs. Whatsit, Mrs. Who, and Mrs. Which — using magic.

What is A Wrinkle in Time? Imagine two children transported through the fifth dimension. What might they see, hear, experience or learn? What might be used to effect or sustain such travel? Magic? Crystal balls? Intuition? Telepathy? Potions?

Ironically, many parents who endorse the “magic” of Walt Disney’s imaginary worlds do an about face in literature of this kind,  seeing in it anti-Christian or Satanic influences.

In A Critical Handbook of Children’s Literature (4th ed. Glenview, Ill.: Scott, Foresman, 1992), Rebecca J. Lukens details the characteristics of children’s fiction and the components of plot, style, and characterization. Lukens distinguishes between strict science fiction and fantasy, explaining that the former concentrates on technology while the latter emphasizes the human element in a scientific world.

The Plot:

Meg’s father, an eminent physicist, has been missing for two years. One night a strange old woman, Mrs. Whatsit, appears, “blown off course” while she, along with Mrs. Who and Mrs. Which, was “tessering,” or taking a shorcut through time and space. They take Meg, her little brother Charles Wallace, and their new friend Calvin, to rescue Dr. Murray, who is a prisoner on a planet ruled by IT, a giant pulsating brain that controls the minds of everyone on the planet. Charles Wallace also falls under IT’s control, and when Meg finds her father, she discovers that he is not the invincible protector she thought he was. She must not only come to terms with this realization, but find a way to rescue them both.

L‘Engle struggled to publish this book.  In  spring of 1959. L’Engle was reading about quantum physics, which also made its way into the story. However, when she completed the book in early 1960, it was rejected by at least 26 publishers, because it was, in L’Engle’s words, “too different”, and “because it deals overtly with the problem of evil, and it was too difficult for children, and was it a children’s or an adults’ book, anyhow?^“

In “A Special Message from Madeleine L’Engle” on the Random House website, L’Engle explains another possible reason for the rejections: “A Wrinkle in Time had a female protagonist in a science fiction book,” which at the time “wasn’t done” according to L’Engle. After trying “forty-odd” publishers (L’Engle later said “twenty-six rejections”), L’Engle’s agent returned the manuscript to her. Then at Christmas, L’Engle threw a tea party for her mother. One of the guests  insisted that L’Engle  meet with John Farrar of Farrar, Straus & Giroux. Although the publisher did not at the time publish a line of children’s books, Farrar met L’Engle, liked the novel and ultimately published it.

L’Engle wrote three other books collectively known as The Time Quartet and  featuring this generation of the Murry family. These books are A Wind in the Door (1973),  Many Waters (1986), and A Swiftly Tilting Planet (1978).

Parents and pastors, in challenging A Wrinkle in Time, have claimed that characters are really witches practicing black magic under the guise of “New Age” religion, based on Hindu and Buddhist cultures. Among the objections:  the book indoctrinates children to Eastern religions and mystical practices. They oppose  L’Engle’s use of crystal balls, psychic healing, astral travel, and telepathy. Citizens for Excellence in Education in Waterloo, Iowa, accused L’Engle of fostering occult practices, employing satanic suggestions, sadism, and by associating Jesus Christ with other great personages, implying that Christ was not divine.

The Newbery Medal

Most efforts to ban A Wrinkle in Time failed. L’Engle received strong support from her readers for her Newbery Award-winning novel and its themes of the power of love, respect for others, and the need for individuality.

The arguments targeted to L’Engle are not unlike those challenging J.K. Rowling and her Harry Potter series. Critics flock to the issues of magic, witchcraft and supposedly Satanic underpinnings without realizing that the book is also about love, friendship, honor, loyalty and family.

This is fiction, people! It is imagination at its finest. Tucking exploration of such literature  into a small cupboards of knowledge leaves them unable to determine for themselves the merits of any given piece of literature and without the tools to assess for themselves what they will value. The tools that will carry them through life include broad-based knowledge and experience; instead of banning a book, discuss the book and offer counterpoints for children to explore.

Quite frankly, the fastest way to make a book popular is to try and ban it. people like me will want to read it just to see what all the fuss is about.

Edwards joins Montgomery County from the Department of Health, where he serves as Region 5 consultant for the EMS Division. He will start in his new position on October 4.

Edwards has an associate degree of applied science from Volunteer State Community College, Gallatin, Tennessee, holds a Bachelor of Science degree from Austin Peay State University, Clarksville, Tennessee and a Master of Science degree from Lorenz University, Wilmington, Delaware.

Edwards states, “I am excited to have the opportunity to work with Montgomery County EMS and look forward to working with the community and my public safety colleagues. I am enthusiastic about this chance to lead such a group of professionals and appreciate the Mayor’s confidence in my abilities.”

The endorsement was made by NFIB/Tennessee SAFE (Save America’s Free Enterprise) Trust, which is comprised exclusively of NFIB members. The general election will be held Tuesday, Nov. 2. House District 68 includes part of Montgomery County.

“Curtis Johnson is a very strong supporter of free enterprise and the clear choice for small business in House District 68,” said Jim Brown, state director of NFIB/Tennessee. “Curtis Johnson’s background as a solid businessman and job creator gives him an important frame of reference on the importance of keeping government off the backs of small businesses. NFIB members support Curtis Johnson’s fiscally responsible approach and his emphasis on policies that promote job creation.”

Johnson, an NFIB member, said, “I appreciate the support of NFIB, the Voice of Small Business. Now more than ever, Tennessee must keep government in check so small businesses can create more jobs. Supporting our small, family-owned businesses, who are the heart and soul of Tennessee’s economy, will always be a priority of mine as representative of House District 68.”

NFIB’s endorsement is critical to the Johnson campaign. Small business owners and their employees vote in high numbers and are known for actively recruiting friends, family members and acquaintances to go to the polls. NFIB has pledged it will activate its grassroots network on behalf of the Johnson campaign. NFIB’s political support is based on the candidates’ positions and records on small business issues.

NFIB is the nation’s leading small business association <http://www.nfib.com/> , with offices in Washington, D.C. and all 50 state capitals. Founded in 1943 as a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization, NFIB gives small- and independent-business owners a voice in shaping the public policy issues that affect their business. NFIB’s powerful network of grassroots activists sends its views directly to state and federal lawmakers through our unique member-only ballot, thus playing a critical role in supporting America’s free enterprise system. NFIB’s mission is to promote and protect the right of our members to own, operate and grow their businesses. More information about NFIB is available online at www.NFIB.com/newsroom.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                                                        CONTACT:    Jim Brown        (615) 337-5507

Todd Pack       (615) 872-5897

Small business endorses Joe Pitts in House District 67

NFIB/Tennessee supports pro-small business candidate in Nov. 2 general election

NASHVILLE, Tenn., September 2, 2010 – The National Federation of Independent Business, Tennessee’s leading small business association <http://www.nfib.com/> , has endorsed incumbent Joe Pitts (Clarksville) in the race for the 67th House District.

The endorsement was made by NFIB/Tennessee SAFE (Save America’s Free Enterprise) Trust, which is comprised exclusively of NFIB members. The general election will be held Tuesday, Nov. 2. House District 67 includes part of Montgomery County.

“Joe Pitts is a very strong supporter of free enterprise and the clear choice for small business in House District 67,” said Jim Brown, state director of NFIB/Tennessee, noting Pitts’ 100% NFIB Voting Record in the 2009-10 Tennessee General Assembly. “In particular, NFIB members appreciate Representative Pitts’ leadership on critical issues like the workers’ comp reform bill (Senate Bill 3591) for small contractors and subcontractors. NFIB members support Joe Pitts’ fiscally responsible approach and his emphasis on policies that promote job creation.”

Pitts said, “I appreciate the support of NFIB, the Voice of Small Business. NFIB’s membership believes in less government, which is a big part of my track record as a pro-business state representative. Government needs to be out of the way of entrepreneurs so they can create jobs. I will continue to support our small, family-owned businesses who are the heart and soul of Tennessee’s economy.”

NFIB’s endorsement is critical to the Pitts campaign. Small business owners and their employees vote in high numbers and are known for actively recruiting friends, family members and acquaintances to go to the polls. NFIB has pledged it will activate its grassroots network on behalf of the Pitts campaign. NFIB’s political support is based on the candidates’ positions and records on small business issues.

###

NFIB is the nation’s leading small business association <http://www.nfib.com/> , with offices in Washington, D.C. and all 50 state capitals. Founded in 1943 as a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization, NFIB gives small- and independent-business owners a voice in shaping the public policy issues that affect their business. NFIB’s powerful network of grassroots activists sends its views directly to state and federal lawmakers through our unique member-only ballot, thus playing a critical role in supporting America’s free enterprise system. NFIB’s mission is to promote and protect the right of our members to own, operate and grow their businesses. More information about NFIB is available online at www.NFIB.com/newsroom.

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Public Hearing: Zoning
AB-1-2010: Resolution Approving the Vacation of any and all Portions of Woodlawn Park Road no Longer Needed Due to the Realignment of Woodlawn Park Road

Resolutions:
10-9-1: Resolution to Transfer Funds from the County Clerk’s Office to the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office for Contract Security at Montgomery County Veterans Plaza
10-9-2: Resolution to Adopt the Strategic Economic Development Plan
10-9-3: Resolution to Affirm Compliance with Federal Title VI Regulations
10-9-4: Resolution to Accept Tennessee Department of Agriculture, Division of Forestry Volunteer Fire Assistance Grant Program
10-9-5: Resolution to Appropriate Funds for Construction of the Clarksville-Montgomery County Airport Business Center at Outlaw Field
10-9-6: Resolution Declaring the Intent of Montgomery County, Tennessee to Reimburse itself for Certain Expenditures Relating to Airport Terminal Projects with the Proceeds of Bonds or Other Debt Obligations to be Issued by Montgomery County, Tennessee and to Authorize the Budget Amendments for the General Capital Project Fund Reports

Reports:
1. Ed Baggett, Nominating Committee
2. Carolyn Bowers, County Mayor Nominations and Appointments

Reports filed:
1. Minutes from August 9, 2010
2. Sheriff’s Office – Annual Financial Report
3. General Sessions Court/Circuit Court – Annual Financial Report
4. Highway Department’s Inventory List – (July 1, 2009 thru June 30, 2010)

Citizens to Address the Commission:
1. You are urged to attend the 2010 Tennessee County Commissioners Association regional meeting/dinner that will be held on September 28, at 6:30 p.m. at the Robertson County Courthouse in Springfield, Tennessee. We will have a county van for transportation, and will meet at 5:15 p.m. in the parking lot adjacent to the courthouse so that we can leave no later than 5:30 p.m. Please let Debbie Gentry know if you plan to attend.

Adjourn.

Russell D. Merriweather

NASHVILLE , TN: AARP recognizes Nashville volunteer Russell D. Merriweather for decades of work to improve the lives of Tennesseans of all agesfor decades of work to improve the lives of Tennesseans of all ages who has spent more than 20 years volunteering for AARP and helping improve the lives of Tennesseans of all ages, has been selected to receive the state’s 2010 AARP Andrus Award for Community Service.

Russ, who began working with AARP as an instructor for the 55 Alive Safe Driving Program after retiring from Lane College in 1987, has spent the past decade as a volunteer advocate on issues ranging from long-term care to protecting Social Security.

“His enthusiasm, commitment and expertise have earned him respect throughout the Nashville community, the legislature and within AARP circles, where he has inspired many volunteers and mentored several volunteer leaders,” said AARP Tennessee State Director Rebecca Kelly.

Russ also serves as a mentor to young men, helps deliver meals to those in need and has for many years delivered students to colleges as far as 200 miles away on his own time and on his own dime

He has received many accolades, including last year’s award from Tennessee Sen. Thelma Harper for his “Dedicated Service to the Community” and a “Champion for Change” honor from AARP’s Nashville Area Regional Impact Team. He rallied members of the faith-based community to make calls in support of health reform and had a huge role in the passage of the CHOICES long-term care program now being implemented across the state.

Russ also has directed voting drives, distributed information on the census and co-coordinates an Annual Senior Lunch for the Southeast District of the Christian Methodist Episcopal (CME) Church that has touched members of the religious community from the Tennessee River to borders by Kentucky and North Carolina.

The Andrus Award is AARP’s most prestigious volunteer honor, given to outstanding AARP members who are making a powerful difference in their communities.  The award will be formally presented to Russ at a ceremony on Tuesday, Nov. 9.

“This award acts as a symbol to members and the public that we can all work together for positive social change,” said . “Named after AARP founder Dr. Ethel Percy Andrus, the award embodies her spirit of volunteerism and honors the important contributions AARP members make to our neighborhoods and our nation.”

Recipients in every state are chosen for their ability to enhance the lives of AARP members and prospective members, improve their communities and inspire others to volunteer.

Russ was chosen by members of the AARP Tennessee Executive Council from a remarkable group of Tennessee volunteers who won regional Andrus awards, including Thelma Norris from the Tri-Cities Regional Impact Team, Minnie Thompson from Knoxville, Myrtle Hall from Martin, Dorothy Harris from Jackson and Almeda Frazier from Chattanooga.

For more about AARP Tennessee, please visit www.aarp.org/tn, www.twitter.com/aarptn and www.facebook.com/aarptennessee.

The new device, as presented by Apple CEO Steve Jobs, is about a fourth of the size of the original, and comes with a power cable and remote. It includes an HDMI connector, an ethernet port, and wireless 802.11n technology. As before, it works with iTunes, and allows the user to stream music, videos, and photos from any computer on the network.

What sets the new Apple TV apart from its predecessor is its lack of hard drives, which the company describes as a “no hassle” way to watch. All movies and videos are streamed to the device “effortlessly” with the A4 chip (the same CPU that’s inside the iPad and iPhone 4). “That way you don’t have to worry about managing storage or syncing to your iTunes library,” the company says.

Pricing has been dropped as well — to $99, down from the $229 of its predecessor. “We’ve sold a lot of them, but it’s never been a huge hit,” Jobs said of the older device. Clearly, the company hopes to turn its “hobby” into a new revolution.

Because the device has no hard drive, the device will not allow purchases (but they’re still available for computers with iTunes). First-run HD movie rentals are available for $4.99 the day they drop on DVD. Also, Apple has negotiated agreements that allow consumers to rent HD shows (not buy) from ABC, The Disney Channel, BBC America, and Fox.

Jobs said that he hoped that other studios will also add their television content for rental. For additional content, the device will connect with YouTube, Netflix, Apple’s own MobileMe, and Flickr.

With the new iOS 4.2 system due in November, users will be able to stream content from their iPads, iPhone, or iPod Touch using AirPlay.

The device will be available for preorder, and will ship later in September.

“Whirlpool is a highly respected, longstanding corporate citizen of Bradley County and I’m grateful for their continued investment in the people of Tennessee,” said Governor Bredesen. “This investment means a bright future for the Tennessee workers employed by Whirlpool and is a strong vote of confidence in their quality and productivity.”

“Tennessee’s partnership with Whirlpool is a strong one and we appreciate the openness and honesty which characterized our dialogue with the company,” said Commissioner Kisber. “We appreciate their recognition that the business climate we’ve created in Tennessee and our skilled workforce have a role to play in the company’s future.”

Company officials plan to build a new, LEED-certified manufacturing facility producing innovative, energy efficient cooking products to replace the 100-year old manufacturing plant at 740 King Edward Avenue, SE in Cleveland, TN. Whirlpool will also build a 400,000 sq. foot distribution facility on the site of the new plant, adding 130 new positions to the currently existing 1,500 manufacturing employees.

“Whirlpool continues to invest in our US-based manufacturing footprint.  We have a strong commitment that this is an excellent place to invest and create value for both our customers and our shareholders. In 2010, a year of continued, significant economic challenge, Whirlpool continues to invest in innovation, our employees, and the infrastructure needed to ensure we continue to lead the industry with truly innovative products that meet the changing needs of consumers,” said Jeff M. Fettig, chairman and chief executive officer, Whirlpool Corporation.  “Today’s announcement for $120M in Cleveland Tennessee is the largest single investment we’ve ever made anywhere in the world and reinforces our commitment to the competitiveness of U.S. manufacturing.”  

The new facility will be located at the corner of Benton Pike and Michigan Avenue in Cleveland, Tennessee, less than seven miles from the existing plant and warehouse. Construction is expected to begin in the 4^th quarter of 2010, with phased-in production expected in the second half of 2011. Whirlpool announced an expansion of employment at the old facility in July 2008.

“The new, premium cooking center of excellence that we will be building in Cleveland is evidence of our commitment to consumers and our confidence in the U.S. market,” said Marc Bitzer, president, Whirlpool Corporation North America.

“We’re grateful to our team in Cleveland, as well as the local, state and federal officials, who supported this project to retain and grow jobs in Tennessee,” said Al Holaday, vice president manufacturing, operations and quality, Whirlpool North America. “Whirlpool is proud to employ more U.S. manufacturing workers than any appliance maker selling product in the U.S.”

About Whirlpool Corporation

Whirlpool Corporation is the world’s leading manufacturer and marketer of major home appliances, with annual sales of approximately $17 billion in 2009, 67,000 employees, and 67 manufacturing and technology research centers around the world. The company markets Whirlpool, Maytag, KitchenAid, Jenn-Air, Amana, Brastemp, Consul, Bauknecht and other major brand names to consumers in nearly every country around the world. Additional information about the company can be found at http://www.whirlpoolcorp.com.

About the Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development

The Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development’s mission is to create higher skilled, better paying jobs for all Tennesseans. The department seeks to attract new corporate investment in Tennessee and works with Tennessee companies to facilitate expansion and economic growth. To find out more, go to www.tn.gov/ecd or www.InvestTennessee.org.

“The funds awarded to this partnership will allow us to create a common assessment and performance standards anchored in college and career readiness,” said Governor Phil Bredesen. “This will help us reach our fundamental goal of increasing the rate at which students graduate from high school prepared for success in college and the workplace.”

Together, the 26 PARCC states educate more than 60 percent of the K-12 students in the United States. Tennessee is one of 11 governing states that will lead the assessment development effort for the partnership along with Arizona, the District of Columbia, Florida, Illinois, Indiana, Louisiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, New York and Rhode Island. Florida will serve as the Partnership’s fiscal agent.

The goal of PARCC is to create an assessment system that will help states dramatically increase the number of students that graduate high school ready for college and careers and provide students, parents, teachers and policymakers with the tools they need to help students – from grade three through high school – stay on track and graduate prepared.

The proposed assessment system will be computer based, with students taking parts of the assessment at key times during the school year, closer to when they learn the material, rather than waiting for a single test at the end of the year. Teachers and principals will be able to see how students are progressing toward achieving the standards at key points in the school year, allowing them to adjust instructional practices or give extra support to students who need it.

Because the assessments will be developed by states in partnership with one another, they will provide a common metric for measuring the performance of their students; for the first time, meeting standards in one state will mean the same thing as in others.

To ensure the assessment system is anchored in what it takes to be successful in college and careers, higher education systems and institutions in all PARCC states will participate in the development of the new high school tests. More than 200 higher education institutions, including some of the largest in the country, have agreed to participate. The goal will be for those institutions, and the nearly 1,000 campuses they represent, to honor the results of the new assessments as an indicator of students’ readiness to take first-year credit-bearing courses.

Achieve played a key role in coordinating the work of the partnership, leveraging the organization’s experience in developing education standards, including helping develop the Common Core State Standards, and its experience leading multi-state assessment development efforts anchored in college- and career-ready goals.

Achieve is an independent, bipartisan, nonprofit education reform organization based in Washington D.C. that helps states raise academic standards and graduation requirements, improve assessments, and strengthen accountability. Governor Bredesen serves as co-chair of the Achieve Board of Directors.

As the leaves turn and the first cool mornings heralding Autumn arrive, I find myself thinking of my native New England. Okay, it’s not quite “cool” yet in Tennessee, but my bio-rhythm is anchored in the northeast, where September 1 means “time to break out sweaters.” I’m already eyeing my sweaters.

Chrysanthemums ready for planting, and boxes of cabbages stand outside Atkins Farm.

One of the highlights of  my native New England are the farm markets. So whenever I find myself On the Road in America, that road likely heads northeast.  I invariably make at least one stop in my favorite places — and I have a entire “laundry list” of them.

I have my favorites, and they are far removed from supermarket’s molded plastic packaging and asparagus left to dry out on its side on a shelf (it’s supposed to be kept standing a bit of water). I refer to specialty markets fueled by local produce and seasonal supply.

Through October, roadside stands are a dime a dozen, lining highways inside the city limits and just beyond, places where home gardeners and small farmers offer seedlings in spring, the first fruits of

summer (strawberries in June), mouth-watering springtime asparagus of the pick-your-own category or buy it bundled (always, always store it standing in water, and don’t buy if it isn’t), fresh butter and sugar corn from mid-July on, peppers, cucumbers, zucchini, yellow squash, Brussel sprouts…

Inside Atkins Farm.

Veggies, fruits, and all things fresh and pure…

Some market stores  run year round, importing the best and the freshest when nature buries New England farms in snow and ice. Here one wanders through the aisles with little brown recyclable bags, scooping up these delights on a day-to-day basis.

And then there are the apples …

 

 

 

 

 

Atkins Farm  is such a marketplace: an evolving “fruit stand” that began as the place to pick apples by the bushel every fall. We all know the drill: pick two or three, eat one, pick a few more, eat another one, all fresh off the tree. I have photos of my grandchildren hanging off the Atkins trees. I have a rare picture of my grandmother and a Model T parked at the edge of an orchard, not too far from our family farm on Bay Road in Amherst, Massachusetts.

Atkins Farm was founded in 1887, one year after my late grandmother was born in Canada. The first building was erected in the 1950s, for the walloping sum of $8,000. It evolved with the times, and now includes a website and mail order shopping. It’s grown a long way from its humble beginnings, and yet its niche is firmly entrenched in an old style of business that begins with good products, and continues with fine customer service.

Atkins expanded over the years, growing into the “market” and bake shop (and eatery) that has become its own industry without sacrificing its charm. One can buy a torte or a famed Atkins Cider Donut, add a cup of coffee, then sit and admire locally produced art on the walls.

The fruits and vegetables acquired here are plentiful, succulent and colorful. Russet and Superior potatoes are sold by the bushel or 50 lb bag, along with exotic potatoes and fifty pound bags of onions and carrots. Basketball-sized cabbages and ample Savoy cabbages, both ideal for golumpki (stuffed cabbage) are piled in huge bins outside the shop. My mouth waters.

I circle the shop, salivating, and settle on two pounds of yellow beans, long six to eight-inch creamy yellow stalks. Destined for cooking with a sliver or two of salt pork. Destined for serving with more than one dollop of sweet salted butter. That’s just my share of the bounty, I tell myself; you can’t by these, and certainly not that quality, in my part of Tennessee. Thus, I will heartily indulge while I can. And I

do.

Atkins is more than a market; it is a destination. Locals know it and love it. Visitors find it listed at travelers centers and in tourist information sites. They come to see it year-round, but especially in fall when the surrounding Pioneer Valley landscape is ablaze with autumn color, when the brilliant orange pumpkins and golden cornstalks are stacked high and children bundled in sweaters scurry about looking for the best ones to carve. Pie makers seek out the smaller, sweet sugar pumpkins for pies or for stuffing with spicy meat stuffing — the kind used in French meat pie and French meat stuffing.

Visitors come for the bakery too, for the specialty cakes and pies, and Danish made without the sticky white icing, glazed instead with a glistening honey/sugar drizzle. They come for the cider donuts and spiced cider drinks, clustering in that small dining area. Families with clambering children, senior citizens on an outing, travelers in need of respite. Pull in, sample some coffee, and never, ever leave without a a bag of spiced cider doughnuts, a thick cake-like sweet that is not the air-whipped puffed-up sugar high but a weighty doughnut of substance, redolent with cinnamon, nutmeg and sugar that is gritty and heavy under your fingertips.

I wandered through Atkins beddled, and when I remembered, I snapped some pictures. Not that I need them. My mind has these images and aromas catalogued.

I browse the growing gift section, noting again the unique choices made by the owners: this time the featured gifts were serving dishes, accessories and ceramic pie plates in brilliant blues, intricate Slavic patterns made in Poland. I think we’ve found the perfect gift for your sister, I told my friend as I balanced the plates in my hand, marveling at the precision of its wavy edges and meticulous art work.

Now, Atkins isn’t the only market I favor (though it is the most scenic): Whole Foods on Route 9 in Hadley, Massachusetts (formerly Bread and Circus), is high up on the list, as is GreenFields Co-Op Market on Main Street in Greenfield, Massachusetts, the Brattleboro Co-op in downtown Brattleboro, Vermont, and the Putney Co-op in Putney, Vermont (just off Interstate 91 in Putney).

But I have a history with Atkins; it is part of the social architecture of my past. I have made it such for my children and grandchildren as well.

Meandering through the Pioneer Valley of Connecticut, Massachusetts and southern Vermont, the savvy traveler will take the byways and savor both the scenic color and the vibrant taste that is Autumn in new England.

For more information, log onto http://www.atkinsfarms.com

U.S. Army Pvt. Joseph D. Villanueva, of Houston, Texas, a preventive medicine technician and U.S. Army Capt., Suasan N. Gosine of Queens, N.Y., the preventive medicine officer in charge, prepare to test water samples for harmful chemicals at Forward Operating Base Fenty Aug. 31. Both Soldiers are assigned to Company C, 426th Brigade Support Battalion, Task Force Bastogne. Photo by 1st Lt. Emily Baker

NANGARHAR PROVINCE, Afghanistan: “Mosquitoes, ants, and wasps, oh my!”

The unforgiving terrain of the Nangarhar, Nuristan, Konar and Laghman provinces in eastern Afghanistan hosts hoards of insects and wildlife that create quite a hairy situation when it comes to cohabitating with troops; however, the soldiers of the preventive medicine section of Charlie Company, 426th Brigade Support Battalion, Task Force Bastogne, see “combat” with these creatures on a daily basis.

What is the worst vector problem pestering soldiers in a deployed environment?

“Flies! We have tons of flies and mosquitoes … and mosquitoes are so much worse because it’s harder to see them,” said U.S. Army Capt. Susan Gosine of Fort Campbell, KY., officer in charge of preventive medicine at Forward Operating Base Fenty in Jalalabad.

Mosquitoes and sand flies present a particular challenge because they can be carriers of vector-borne diseases such as Malaria. Soldiers deployed overseas are directed to take medication to prevent them from contracting the disease, though many Soldiers forget to take their pills. There were 29 cases of Malaria reported in 2009, mostly due to Soldiers forgetting to take their prescribed antibiotics.

“I specifically want to emphasize Malaria awareness,” said U.S. Army Lt. Col. Joseph Llanos of Saginaw, Mich., a preventive medicine doctor for the 101st Airborne Division based out of Bagram Airfield. The highest risk for servicemembers is during the months of August and September.

U.S. Army Capt., Suasan N. Gosine of Queens, N.Y., the preventive medicine officer in charge with Company C, 426th Brigade Support Battalion, Task Force Bastogne, views bacteria through a microscope at Forward Operating Base Fenty Aug. 31. Photo by Spc. Albert Kelley.

Although vector control accounts for a large portion of the issues that PM handles, it is not the only concern of Gosine. She is, overall, responsible for the environmental safety of the FOB’s residents, including living conditions, food preparation and water.

“The overall mission of preventive medicine is to prevent disease and non-battle injuries while deployed,” said Gosine, who has a team of Soldiers and techs working with her at FOB Fenty.

PM is extremely important to troops in a field situation. If war fighters are not kept fit to fight, then their ability to accomplish the mission is greatly degraded. That is why Gosine and her team regularly visit outlying combat outposts and forward operating bases in the TF Bastogne area of operations.

“Well, if you consider past wars, preventive medicine is very important because you can lose troops to something as simple as diarrhea,” said Gosine.

Even the common cold can be a combat degrader, but signs in the dining facility and the latrines remind soldiers to practice good personal hygiene techniques.

“Our goal is to preserve the force, because once you get sick, it is a showstopper,” said Llanos. “But if you prevent it, soldiers will be overall healthier.”

One thing soldiers can do to prevent illness is wash their hands regularly. “I can’t say it enough,” warns Gosine.

As for those pesky insects, PM will continue their mission to keep Soldiers and civilians alike safe from the environment and anything else non-combat related that might cause them harm.

Written by U.S. Army 1st Lt. Emily K. Baker, Task Force Taskmaster executive officer

Seventy students voluntarily attended this four hour class, which provided eye opening information. The students were made aware how a moment of inattention can cause a life-long tragedy. The class  covered rules of the road and common driving errors, crash statistics, and impaired driving. Students had an opportunity to put their driving skills to the test while using the DUI goggles and attempting to text and drive. Many of the drivers found it difficult to drive the golf carts around a serpentine course using the DUI goggles or trying to text a predetermined message.  To add a little additional attention driving, the instructors engaged in conversations with the young drivers while they were driving.

Numerous corporate sponsors helped to make the class possible, including Budweiser, Miller Brewing, McReynolds, Nave, and Larson, House Doctors, The Deli, Wyatt Johnson, Goolsby and Rye, CPAA, and Krogers – Dover Crossing and numerous volunteers who gave their time to make the class a success.

Wish Garden Herbal Remedies are among many products that you can't get locally except for at Noah's Ark. A few of the many Wish Garden tonics are: Deep Lung Bronchials, Hay Fever, Sleepy Nights non-sedative sleep aid, Deep Stress Rescue, Baby Blues Mood Remedy, Hot Flash Hormone, Wombkind, Hemostatic Balancing, Kidney Stength, Urinary Tract, PMS Help, and Cramp Relief.

Noah’s Ark Nutrition is filling a gap in the Clarksville business community with a diverse holistic product line of herbs, vitamins, and skin care products and an impressive array of organic  food and nutrition products.

Holly Calaway, whose family operated Noah’s Ark in Wyoming for 42 years, brought her family business to Clarksville this summer.

“Clarksville doesn’t have a whole foods resource,” Calaway said, adding that her products meet the needs of many people including those with allergies or diabetes. Her shelves include dozens of gluten free, sugar free and organic items. For many of these products, Clarksville people have had to drive to Nashville, she explained. “I want to keep people local.” She is a strong supporter of “mom and pop” stores, of which she is one. She adds, “there is no Whole Foods, no Trader Joe’s here.”

A colorful array of products greets visitors upon entering Noah's Ark Nutrition store at the corner of Madison St. and Warfield.

Noah’s Ark Nutrition is not a large shop, but thoughtful design has made use of every square inch of space without  feeling crowded or cluttered. Each section or category has its own space.

Clarksville is rapidly growing, attracting people from all parts of the country; many of those people are accustomed to having access to homeopathic and herbal products. Noah’s Ark is filling part of that need.

Calaway is candid about being a Christian-based business, explaining that her faith brought her from Wyoming to Tennessee. She works to build a strong relationship with her customers, whom she considers family. “In Wyoming we were an established business. Here we have to grow our business from the ground up.” Nonetheless, she felt a call to be in this community and has faith in her growing success.  “I have no ties here; I just took it on faith. And we’ve already started meeting our goals for this store.”

Contributing to the success and growth of Noah’s Ark is Katrice Ross, an APSU graduate who majored in Agri-Business,brings her skill and understanding of food and nutrition to Noah’s Ark. Ross walked the shop, pointing out the variety of products category by category.

Hard to find Republic of Tea brand teas look alluring: Big Green Hojicha, Raw Green Bush Tea, Plaintain Coconut Natural Organic, Earl Grey Geyser, Pomegranate Green Tea, Red Cherry White Tea, Pomegranate Vanilla, and the Comfort and Joy Holiday Spice Blend.

More and more people are asking about food, Ross explained. “We have all kinds of gluten-free flour and grains, alternates sweeteners, cereals, and mixes. We carry Xylitol and Stevia clear, both of which are good for people with diabetes.” Perusing the shelves, one can spot Red Mill cereals, Kamut flakes, coconut and almond oils, barley malt and brown rice sweetener, local honey and more. Dairy cases include shelves of organic sodas (Zevia and Kefir), and a variety of organic eggs, deli meats,  bacon and ground turkey, along with soy-based products. Food items can be ordered from Gourmet Pasture Beef and picked up at Noah’s Ark. Another shelf houses organic nuts: cashews, macadamias, and even hemp seeds. Noah’s Ark also stocked limited amounts of fresh produce grown by Mission Clarksville’s student farmers.

Center aisles contain an extensive range of vitamins and health care products and supplements; a separate shelf houses children’s homeopathic medications. Aloa Vera products in liquid and gel form are popular; Ross can advise customers on how to use these products, though both Ross and Calaway learn as much as the teach their consumers.

Owner, Holly Kardisco Calaway and assistant, Katrice Ross, stand in front of a Noah's Ark painting.

An array of herbal and essential oils are displayed prominently, encouraging customers to think about the benefits of aromatherapy. Bookshelves just inside the front door offer information and references for healthy living and working with organic and whole foods products. A limited number of gift items are also available.

Customer response has been excellent; business is already growing on a fast track. “Word of mouth has been exceptional,” Calaway said, adding that she also received a lot of attention via her facebook page.

Calaway offers a 10% military discount. She also serves a broad base of mail-order customers. Products can be ordered online at her website, www.noahsarknutrition.com. The store, located at 2197 Madison Street, Suite 105, in Clarksville, is open Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Saturday from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. She accepts checks, Master Card and Visa.

Photos by Curtis Davis

In a blog called Bookshelves of Doom, the author reported on a Minnesota challenge to Mark Twain’s classic, Huckleberry Finn, where a parent sought the removal of Huck Finn not just from the library but the entire school curriculum.

A 12-member committee reviewing the issue opted to leave Huck exactly where he was: in the library and the classroom. In their ruling, they said,  “… the literary value of the book outweighed the negative aspect of the language employed.”

At issue was, in part, language that included the dreaded “n” word: nigger.

Now I’m not advocacy for that terminology; rather, it is an argument that in the time and political climate of Huck Finn’s story, the use of the term “nigger” was reality-based language.

Other issues emerge, not the least of which are racism, religion and overall language. Twain’s satirical approach to such serious topics has ensured that “‘Huck Finn has been banned time and again since its publication in 1885.”

While the difficulties of teaching Huck Finn are real, thousands of teachers who believe that its merits far outweigh its problems bring this often told tale into their classrooms. Huck Finn has been hailed as the quintessential American novel. Twain’s clever yet poignant humor, conveyed through the voice of 13-year-old Huck first it makes you laugh, then makes you cry. Ernest Hemingway put it this way: “All modern American literature comes from one book by Mark Twain called ‘Huckleberry Finn’ …  it’s the best book we’ve had. All American writing comes from that. There was nothing before. There has been nothing as good since.”

Huck Finn is a runaway, an abused and neglected boy who teams up with his newfound companion, Jim, a slave named Jim. Ironically, in a time of extreme racism, in a book where many of the so-called privileged whites are portrayed in less than a good light, Jim is a counterpoint to the prevailing opinions of the day.

As I see it, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn was written in a time where the word “nigger” was included  the language of the day — popular usage; to deny the reality of that usage is to deny history. And while there are many who would opt to re-write history, and deny its language, the fact is (and I quote a friend here), “it is what is is.” Just because we have changed our perspective doesn’t give us the right to change our historic literature. Instead, we should learn from it.

Ballet Rehearsal on Stage, 1874, Musee d'Orsay, Paris

NASHVILLE, TN: Advance timed tickets for The Birth of Impressionism: Masterpieces from the Musée d’Orsay, opening Oct. 15, 2010, at the Frist Center for the Visual Arts, are now on sale at www.fristcenter.org (additional charges apply), through the advance ticket call center (866-683-4978) and on site at the Frist Center for the Visual Arts in downtown Nashville.  Tickets to The Birth of Impressionism also include admission to Chihuly at the Frist.

The Birth of Impressionism will be on view through Jan. 23, 2011, and Chihuly at the Frist will be on view through Jan. 2, 2011.

The Frist Center is one of only three venues, worldwide, to host this magnificent exhibition from the Musée’ d’Orsay in Paris, which is dedicated to the art of the early modern period (1840s through the early 20th century). The exhibition, which includes 100 works (including 17 that will be seen only in Nashville), includes paintings by Gustave Courbet, Édouard Manet, Paul Cézanne, Pierre-Auguste Renoir, Adolphe-William Bouguereau, Edgar Degas, Henri Fantin-Latour and James Abbott McNeill Whistler, whose 1871Arrangement in Gray and Black, No. 1: Portrait of the Painter’s Mother (often called Whistler’s Mother), will be on view in the exhibition.

The Birth of Impressionism

Edouard Manet. The Fife Player, 1866. Oil on canvas, 63 x 38 1/4 in. © RMN (Musée d'Orsay), Hervé Lewandowski

In 1874, avant garde artists, including Claude Monet, Auguste Renoir, and Camille Pissarro, mounted the first major exhibition by the group that would become known as the Impressionists. Painting scenes of everyday life—parks and avenues, cafes and the countryside near Paris–the Impressionists employed brilliant hues and visible brushstrokes to capture the transient effects of light playing across their field of vision.

This new approach to painting has been widely celebrated for its singular beauty and radical impact on the development of modern art. When presented alongside contemporaneous examples of academic and realist painting as they are in this exhibition, works by the first Impressionists may also be seen as part of a broad spectrum of social, political, and cultural forces that transformed Paris in the 1860s and 70s. Including paintings created in the decades immediately preceding and following the inaugural Impressionist exhibition, The Birth of Impressionism enables viewers to explore these dynamic crosscurrents as they fostered the development of modern art.

The center of gravity from which the Impressionists broke free was the official Salon of Paris, an annual juried exhibition in which an artist’s reputation could be established or ruined. Favoring themes and stylistic conventions that were taught in established art academies, Salon juries followed a conventional hierarchy in bestowing awards. Highest honors went to history paintings—which included classical, religious, and mythological allegories. Typically, these works’ ultra-smooth surfaces, classically balanced compositions, and muted colors were meant to convey notions of timeless idealism, beauty, and moral clarity. Of lesser merit were genre paintings, then portraiture, still life, and landscape.

Through the middle decades of the 19th century, Paris was the site of conflict between such traditions and the drive to modernity. While the academies protected the established order, artists like Gustave Courbet and Édouard Manet questioned Salon taste, believing that art should speak to contemporary life directly and without the gloss of classicism. Courbet and Manet depicted common, even vulgar aspects of life with honesty and directness.

Of the two, Manet—the central figure of this exhibition—is more directly associated with the birth of Impressionism, taking a leading role in the intellectual discourses of the 1860s with other innovators, such as Monet, Renoir, Degas, and Cézanne. Admired by these contemporaries for his facility with paint and his articulate commentary on important issues of the time, Manet was one of many artists who, excluded from the 1863 Salon, participated in an alternate exhibition, the Salon des Refusés. Manet showed works that foretold new directions in painting through the 1860s, earning the derision of the public and critics alike, who failed to understand that he was as much a student of painting’s history as an innovator. Manet counted among his influences seventeenth century Dutch painting and such Spanish masters as Velasquez, whose works were characterized by a stark realism, brooding tones and mysterious dark backgrounds. Like many others, he also absorbed the lessons of Japanese art, celebrated for its harmonious colors and decorative compositions.

A summation of these influences is seen in Manet’s 1868 portrait of the writer and critic Emile Zola. On the wall is a reproduction of Olympia, one of Manet’s own paintings (which Zola deeply admired), which had caused a scandal at the 1865 Salon for its frank depiction of a prostitute. The print from Kuniaki II’s Wrestler series indicates Manet’s interest in Japanese art. The Spanish influence is shown in the print of Velasquez’s Los Borrachos (the drunkards), partly covered by Olympia.

Edouard Manet. Emile Zola, 1868. Oil on canvas, 57 5/8 x 44 7/8 in. © RMN (Musée d'Orsay), Hervé Lewandowski

A type of composition known as a “portrait tableau,” Emile Zola follows the tradition of portraiture in providing a likeness, but also represents the figure and props as simply elements in a setting—typically a room’s interior—that is unified through harmonious orchestrations of form, value, color, and space. One of the most famous examples of the portrait tableau was by the American painter, James McNeill Whistler, whose Arrangement in Gray and Black No. 1; Portrait of the Painter’s Mother combines austere realism with the dark values of Spanish painting and the decorative properties of Japanese art. Popularly known as Whistler’s Mother, the work has long been an icon of American culture, admired as a dignified tribute to the artist’s mother. Yet Whistler’s title underscores his interest in going beyond portraiture, to create works in which the visual effects of painting can be compared to the auditory pleasures of music. Just as music had no intrinsic narrative or moral function, Whistler and others of his generation believed in “art for art’s sake,” which could be appreciated for its beautiful arrangements of forms and colors, irrespective of subject.

At the same time that Manet, Whistler, and their contemporaries were pursuing this blend of realism and aestheticism, other painters followed the academy’s penchant for narrative and allegory, but instead of depicting classical subjects, showed contemporary life in rustic settings. Jean-Francois Millet, Jules Breton, and Jules Bastien Lepage painted the countryside and its peasant population to express the value of living in harmony with the land. Millet was also one of the leading artists of the Barbizon School, painters who since the 1830s had traveled to the village of Barbizon and nearby Fontainebleau Forest to capture the ephemeral conditions of light by painting out of doors, or en plein air. In the 1860s, their visible brushstrokes and sensitivity to atmospheric conditions influenced painters like Monet, Renoir, and Sisley, who themselves would take occasional painting excursions to Barbizon.

Back in Paris, the same artists met regularly with Manet and others at the Café Guerbois in the city’s Batingnolles neighborhood, seeking to create a new language for depicting modern subjects. Central among the ideas of the Batignolles school was the importance of painting in immediate response to what they saw, whether in the studio, the street, or the fields and forests outside Paris. Although it disbanded with the onset of the Franco-Prussian War in 1870, the group would form the nucleus of the Impressionists, who used pure colors and fleck-like brushstrokes to convey the transitory effects of light playing across the surface of the landscape or figure. Such works would earn the displeasure of the Salon juries that typically rejected them, and the pleasure of art lovers ever since.

In response to such rejection by the Salon, in 1874 the group staged its own independent exhibition at the photographer Nadar’s studio under the name of the “Société anonyme des artistes, peintres, sculpteurs, graveurs, etc.” All together, the group would mount eight Impressionist exhibitions between 1874 and 1886, which continued to emphasize the ephemeral effects of light, the importance of seeing and capturing the moment, and the pleasure of pure color harmony.

Despite its radical advances, Impressionism’s frequent formlessness, repetitiveness, and absence of narrative or symbolic content were thought to be too limiting by some members of that first generation, and more of the next. By the early 1880s, Monet had begun moving toward more lyrical colors, with dazzling harmonies and brushwork verging on the dissolution of form into gestural abstraction; Cézanne continued moving toward more simplified volumes and structured spaces, leading toward an abstraction built on intersecting planes and geometric faceting. For his part, Manet absorbed Impressionist influences in the early 1870s. By the mid-1870s into the early 1880s, he had begun taking the Impressionist brushstroke in a new direction, anticipating the vitality and psychological content of the Expressionists working some thirty years later. This can be seen in his portraits of Stéphane Mallarmé and Georges Clemenceau, in which paint strokes reveal the inner self as it is written across the surface of the skin.

Among the many giants of early modernism, it was the restless Manet who best signals the passage from the constrictive traditions of the Salon to the expanding language of modernity. The Birth of Impressionism enables us to see this pivotal artist in context, to understand the forces driving this period of momentous change.

Admission prices for this specially ticketed exhibition:

Visitors 18 and younger        FREE

Frist Center Members             FREE

Adults                                           $15.00

Seniors (65+),                           $12.00

Active duty military               $12.00

College students with ID       $12.00

Groups of 10 or more  (with reservations)    $13.00 per person

Thursday and Friday evenings from 5:00–9:00 p.m., college students with ID will be admitted for $5.00. Group reservations can be made by calling the Group Tour Coordinator at (615) 744-3247.

The Frist Center for the Visual Arts is supported in part by the Metropolitan Nashville Arts Commission and the Tennessee Arts Commission.

Exhibition Credits

The Birth of Impressionism: Masterpieces from the Musée d’Orsay is organized by the Frist Center for the Visual Arts with gratitude for exceptional loans from the collection of the Musée d’Orsay.

The Birth of Impressionism: Masterpieces from the Musée d’Orsay is supported by an indemnity from the Federal Council on the Arts and Humanities.

“This decision,” said the Committee’s Chairman Bill Bronte, rail director for the California DOT, “is an important first step towards creating a pipeline of passenger rail equipment that will be needed over the coming decades. By providing a generic specification for rail equipment, the Committee is creating a level playing field for U.S. manufacturers and creating a strong incentive for the expansion of the U.S. rail equipment manufacturing industry.” California currently operates earlier models of the bi-level car on three intercity rail corridors in the state.

U.S. Department of Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood said of today’s milestone, “As part of the Obama Administration’s focus on maximizing manufacturing opportunities, these first-ever uniform standards will provide an unprecedented opportunity for manufacturers in the U.S. – from rails to wheel bearings, to final assembly – to build a strong, stable manufacturing base.”

“This clears the tracks and provides strong direction so Amtrak and states can move forward with modern bi-level equipment designed with updated passenger comfort, conveniences, and safety features to meet the ever-increasing demand for more rail service,” said Amtrak President and CEO Joseph Boardman.

The Committee was established by Congress in January to “design, develop specifications for, and procure standardized next-generation corridor rail equipment.” Any state using federal funds for its high-speed and intercity passenger rail program must use equipment that meets these specifications.

The specifications approved today were recommended by the Technical Subcommittee of the full Committee, which included many representatives of rail equipment manufacturers. Members of the Executive Board include 11 state departments of transportation, the Federal Railroad Administration, and Amtrak. AASHTO is acting as the secretariat for the Committee on behalf of the state DOTs. By law, the Committee is a collaboration of states, the Federal Railroad Administration, Amtrak, rail equipment manufacturers, and others in the rail industry.

The Committee began its work in January and set as its first-year objectives completing specifications for a bi-level car, a single-level car, and a diesel-electric locomotive, all qualified for speeds up to 125 mph. The Committee will next address specifications for higher-speed equipment, and the development of a procurement strategy to be used by the states and Amtrak that will link the demand and supply. This would guarantee that equipment is available at the best possible price and that the equipment manufacturing industry will have the dependable market to justify investment for long-term production.

The American Reinvestment and Recovery Act (ARRA) provided $8 billion in funding for high-speed and intercity passenger rail. The Passenger Rail Investment and Improvement Act of 2008 (PRIIA) authorized $1.9 billion over five years for grants to states and required that states develop a comprehensive rail plan for both passengers and freight. It also required the FRA administrator to develop a long-range national rail plan. Additionally, federal funding in both FY 2009 ($2.9 billion) and FY2010 ($2.5 billion) was allocated for high-speed and intercity passenger rail programs.

The final specifications and additional information on the Next Generation Equipment Committee
(also referred to as the Section 305 Committee from the PRIIA legislation) can be found at
http://www.highspeed-rail.org/Pages/Section305Committee.aspx.

For more information on the High-Speed Rail program, go to http://www.highspeed-rail.org.

Army Command Sgt. Maj. James M. Brown, an advisor to Afghan National Army non-commissioned officers in the 203rd Thunder Corps Regional Corps Training Team II, poses in front of the flag pole at Forward Operating Base Lightning, Aug. 30. Brown, who hails from Indianapolis, served with the 101st Airborne Division during the Vietnam War 40 years ago and volunteered to serve under the 101st again for his final deployment. Photo by Sgt. Spencer Case.

PAKTYA PROVINCE, Afghanistan– Having served with the 101st Airborne Division in two wars in a career spanning more than four decades, U.S. Army Command Sgt. Maj. James M. Brown brings a unique perspective to the current conflict in Afghanistan.

Brown, who hails from Indianapolis, grew up in Los Angeles in a “patriotic, old-fashion family” of southern extraction. As part of his heritage, he retains his admiration for confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee.

During the Vietnam War, Brown joined the Army and completed basic training and noncommissioned officers’ training successively before gaining any field experience. Those who went through this process were called “Shake ‘n Bake” sergeants because of how quickly they got their stripes. After completing his training, Brown deployed to Vietnam from 1969 to 1971, where he served as a squad leader in the infantry under the 101st Airborne Div.

Brown spoke candidly of the courage and sacrifice that the Vietnam War required.

“During those difficult times you need to do difficult things,” he said. “You’re no more important than anybody else.”

However, Brown added, “What I learned from that, looking back, is that it’s probably good for the country to have some kind of mandatory service for about four years. I also learned that there is honor in that kind of service.”

Following his service in Vietnam, Brown remained in the inactive reserve and the National Guard, never serving far from the Indianapolis area. In the civilian world, he worked in the transportation business and eventually came to own an Indiana transportation company that includes buses and limousines for the airport and city. He continued to ascend the enlisted ranks in a number of units until, in 2002, he became the 38th Infantry Div. command sergeant major.

In 2006, Brown became the Indiana state command sergeant major working for the state adjutant general. Units in the state had done 70 deployments since the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, and Brown felt uncomfortable being in a position where he was sending others to war while he remained behind.

“My feeling is, ‘don’t ask others to do things you wouldn’t do yourself,’” he said.

So when the opportunity to volunteer for his current deployment to Afghanistan arose, Brown left behind his wife, Cheryl, six children and eight grandchildren. He said though it has been difficult, his wife understood of his sense of obligation.

Brown and the other Indiana Guardsmen arrived at Forward Operating Base Lightning, Paktya province, mid-February, replacing the Tennessee National Guard Soldiers who preceded them. Brown and a few other Indiana National Guardsmen are completing their tour in Afghanistan as a part of a perennially deployed partnership unit, which currently goes by the moniker “Regional Corps Training Team II.”

Brown’s part of this involves mentoring the NCOs in the Afghan National Army’s 203rd Thunder Corps.

“My job is to help 30-year-olds think like 50-year-olds,” Brown said of his assignment, adding that it sometimes requires “The patience of Job.”

One anecdote he related demonstrates the cultural differences.  He spoke to an Afghan supply sergeant who was staggered by the idea that he’d need to order 1,500 bars of soap several weeks in advance of the course’s beginning for several hundred soldiers. Hard for him to grasp, having come from a small village, he had never imagined dealing with bars of soap in such quantities.

Others might be discouraged by such challenges, but Brown, a self-described student of history, is able to put them in perspective.

“Washington couldn’t get shoes for the Soldiers at Valley Forge because the Continental Congress would not give him the money.” And that, Brown noted, was after inheriting military habits from the Prussians, who already had a good grasp of long-term planning. The Afghans, on the other hand, have fought for thousands of years only at the squad-level and have never had to deal with large-scale issues of supply and demand.

As for the rapid build-up of the ANA that is happening now, Brown points out that the U.S. was in a similar spot during World War I, World War II and the Korean War. The U.S. needed to field an Army quickly and had several different kinds of programs. He didn’t need to mention his own experience as “Shake ‘n Bake” sergeant, but could have.

Nor has the symmetry of his own career been lost on him, he said.

“Going into a unit with a historical reputation was a pleasure … coming back and serving with that same unit years later – wearing the [screaming eagle] patch on both shoulders – is an honor,” Brown said. “They were a great outfit then, and they remain a great outfit today.”

Written by U.S. Army Sgt. Spencer Case 304th Public Affairs Detachment

That impression is correct: traffic is a little heavier around downtown Clarksville these days. More cars are heading down College Street, trying to find that rare parking spot within the Austin Peay State University campus. Classes are back in session at the University, and with close to a thousand more students attending this year, the number of people on the roads and walking the sidewalks will definitely be noticeable.

“But that’s a good problem to have,” Kenny Kennedy, Student Government Association president at APSU, said. “Parking is one of those good problems to have because it means you have a full campus.”

Repaving of Eighth Street including redesigning the lanes to include designated parking spots on the eastern side of the street, and a number of new and boldly marked crosswalks.  The only issue that has filtered back to Business Clarksville  is a need for additional handicapped parking near major buildings. Several students have reported difficulty in finding handicapped parking near the buildings in which they have classes. While students with a handicapped plate or placard can park anywhere, even regular spaces are at a premium.

In a recent interview with APSU President Tim Hall, Hall stated that the campus had approximately three years to go before  the campus would out of parking. He noted that new spaces have been created behind the new Hemlock Biotech building, and long range plans are underway to address that need.

And Kennedy said the SGA is working this year to keep more of those students on campus after normal class hours, thus providing both a financial stimulus and a work force resource for the entire Clarksville community.

“We’re going to have a thousand more students as fresh talent,” he said. “Businesses can get a lot of quality people for internships, and students can get experience. They’re willing to do jobs some people won’t do, just hoping for a letter of recommendation.”

Kennedy hopes the Clarksville business community will now look to the bustling APSU population as a great resource for potential employees. But to do that, students need to stay in Clarksville longer than just the hour or two that they attend class. That’s where the SGA is stepping up its efforts.

“Our biggest event in the SGA is the Mudbowl,” Kennedy said. “This year, we’re holding it on Saturday. The idea is we’re trying to slowly add programming on the weekends to make this a place to be on weekends. We don’t want people to go to class and go home. It’s not beneficial to Clarksville when students commute from, say, Robertson County, go to class and then go home.”

Kennedy said by providing incentives for students to stay on campus longer, they’ll also frequent more local restaurants and shop at more local stores.

The University, Kennedy pointed out, is also taking other steps to keep students on campus. APSU recently opened an Honors Commons this year, providing a lounge space for honors students and President’s Emerging Leaders Program students. The Veterans Lounge offers a space for students who previously served in the military, and the SGA is offering its own lounge space this year for the rest of the campus population.

“A lot of these little things are popping up all over campus to keep students here,” Kennedy said. “When classes start, business should notice all the new students. Restaurants and stores should be busy.”

For information on what the SGA is doing to promote keeping students in Clarksville, contact Kennedy at 221-7262 or SGAPres@apu.edu.

To begin with, when someone tells me I “cannot” read a given book, I immediately ask why not and proceed to buy the book – and read it – to find out what the fuss is all about. What don’t “they” want me to know? What do they think they are protecting me, my children or grandchildren from? To my mind, knowledge is power, and reading is a source of knowledge. That doesn’t mean I agree with everything I read only that I don’t believe anyone should have the right to tell me what I cannot read. Nor do I have the right to dictate what anyone else should or shouldn’t read.

The books on shelves in school and public libraries are continually under fire by citizens, parents, patrons and organizational administrators seeking to remove said “offensive” books and make them unavailable. Render them “censored.”

What gets targeted? Well, the usual and obvious suspects: J.D. Salinger, J.K. Rowling. John Steinbeck. Mark Twain. Robert Cormier. And writers such as Maya Angelou – someone out there wants her Caged Bird silenced forever. Even revered children’s authors including Maurice Sendak (In the Night Kitchen), Madeleine L’Engle (A Wrinkle in Time), and Judy Blume (whose pen scripted four of the top 100 banned books from 2000-2009 – Tiger Eye, Blubber, Are you there God It’s Me, Margaret, and Forever), have come under fire by would-be censors seeking to subvert our First Amendment rights.

The First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution

The First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution states, “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.”

This clearly stated and protected right means nothing to those who seek to impose their judgment and belief systems on other people.

Thus, the Office for Intellectual Freedom tracks challenges to this literary aspect of our Civil Liberties.  When people challenge books it is generally out of a concern that the contents of the book will be harmful to the reader. According to the ALA, there are four motivating factors:

• Family Values
• Religion
• Political Views

The number of challenges and the number of reasons for those challenges do not match, because works are often challenged on more than one ground. Here’s a rundown of those objections:

• 1,607 were challenges to “sexually explicit” material
• 1,427 to material considered to use “offensive language”
• 1,256 to material considered “unsuited to age group”
• 842 to material with an “occult theme or promoting the occult or Satanism”
• 737 to material considered to be “violent”
• 515 to material with a homosexual theme or “promoting homosexuality”
• 419 to material “promoting a religious viewpoint”

Other reasons for challenges included “nudity,” “racism,” “sex education” and “anti-family”. Seventy-one percent of the challenges were to material in schools or school libraries. Another twenty-four percent were to material in public libraries. Sixty percent of the challenges were brought by parents, fifteen percent by patrons, and nine percent by administrators.

The age level for which a book is intended does not guarantee that someone won’t try to censor it. Though the emphasis seems to be on challenges to children’s and young adult books, attempts are also mounted to restrict access to certain adult books. Most complaints are made by parents and are directed to public libraries and schools.

Kids fight book banning through kidSPEAK

Several organizations have sprung up in response to concerns about censorship. When the Harry Potter books came under attack, a number of organizations joined together to establish Muggles for Harry Potter. Since then, the organization has decided to focus on being a voice for kids in fighting censorship in general.

Muggles for Harry Potter is now known as kidSPEAK. Its sponsors are the American Booksellers Foundation for Free Expression, Association of American Publishers, Association of Booksellers for Children, Children’s Book Council, Freedom to Read Foundation, National Coalition Against Censorship, National Council of Teachers of English, PEN American Center, and People for the American Way Foundation. KidSPEAK stresses, “Kids have First Amendment rights—and kidSPEAK helps kids fight for them!”

PABBIS: Parents Against Bad Books in Schools

PABBIS seeks to educate parents in Virginia and nationwide about some of the books being used in schools. The organization urges parents and to support “Upfront-Informed Parental Consent,” which would require educators to notify parents of upcoming studies of books that might contain elements that the parents might find objectionable. However, that makes the teacher, in effect, the censor in that it requires him/her to make a judgment call about what parents would find objectionable.

Top 100 banned/challenged books: 2000-2009:

1. Harry Potter (series). J.K. Rowling
2. Alice series. Phyllis Reynolds Naylor
3. The Chocolate War. Robert Cormier
4. And Tango Makes Three. Justin Richardson/Peter Parnell
5. Of Mice and Men. John Steinbeck
6. I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings. Maya Angelou
7. Scary Stories (series). Alvin Schwartz
8. His Dark Materials (series). Philip Pullman
9. TTYL; TTFN; L8R, G8R (series). Myracle, Lauren
10. The Perks of Being a Wallflower.  Stephen Chbosky
11. Fallen Angels. Walter Dean Meyers
12. It’s Perfectly Normal. Robie Harris
13. Captain Underpants (series). Dav Pilkey
14. The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. Mark Twain
15. The Bluest Eye. Toni Morrison
16. Forever. Judy Blume
17. The Color Purple. Alice Walker
18. Go Ask Alice. Anonymous
19. Catcher in the Rye. J.D. Salinger
20. King and King. Linda de Haan
21. To Kill A Mockingbird. Harper Lee
22. Gossip Girl (series). Cecily von Ziegesar
23. The Giver. Lois Lowry
24. In the Night Kitchen. Maurice Sendak
25. Killing Mr. Griffen. Lois Duncan
26. Beloved. Toni Morrison
27. My Brother Sam Is Dead. James Lincoln Collier
28. Bridge To Terabithia. Katherine Paterson
29. The Face on the Milk Carton. Caroline B. Cooney
30. We All Fall Down. Robert Cormier
31. What My Mother Doesn’t Know. Sonya Sones
32. Bless Me, Ultima. Rudolfo Anaya
33. Snow Falling on Cedars. David Guterson
34. The Earth, My Butt, and Other Big, Round Things. Carolyn Mackler
35. Angus, Thongs, and Full Frontal Snogging. Louise Rennison
36. Brave New World. Aldous Huxley
37. It’s So Amazing. Robie Harris
38. Arming America. Michael Bellasiles
39. Kaffir Boy. Mark Mathabane
40. Life is Funny.  E.R. Frank
41. Whale Talk. Chris Crutcher
42. The Fighting Ground. Avi
43. Blubber. Judy Blume
44. Athletic Shorts. Chris Crutcher
45. Crazy Lady. Jane Leslie Conly
46. Slaughterhouse-Five, by Kurt Vonnegut
47. The Adventures of Super Diaper Baby, by George Beard
48. Rainboy Boys, by Alex Sanchez
49. One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, by Ken Kesey
50. The Kite Runner. Khaled Hosseini
51. Daughters of Eve. Lois Duncan
52. The Great Gilly Hopkins. Katherine Paterson
53. You Hear Me? Betsy Franco
54. The Facts Speak for Themselves. Brock Cole
55. Summer of My German Soldier. Bette Green
56. When Dad Killed Mom. Julius Lester
57. Blood and Chocolate. Annette Curtis Klause
58. Fat Kid Rules the World. K.L. Going
59. Olive’s Ocean. Kevin Henkes
60. Speak. Laurie Halse Anderson
61. Draw Me A Star,. Eric Carle
62. The Stupids (series). Harry Allard
63. The Terrorist. Caroline B. Cooney
64. Mick Harte Was Here. Barbara Park
65. The Things They Carried. Tim O’Brien
66. Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry. Mildred Taylor
67. A Time to Kill. John Grisham
68. Always Running. Luis Rodriguez
69. Fahrenheit 451. Ray Bradbury
70. Harris and Me. Gary Paulsen
71. Junie B. Jones (series). Barbara Park
72. Song of Solomon. Toni Morrison
73. What’s Happening to My Body Book. Lynda Madaras
74. The Lovely Bones. Alice Sebold
75. Anastasia (series). Lois Lowry
76. A Prayer for Owen Meany.  John Irving
77. Crazy:  A Novel. Benjamin Lebert
78. The Joy of Gay Sex. Dr. Charles Silverstein
79. The Upstairs Room. Johanna Reiss
80. A Day No Pigs Would Die. Robert Newton Peck
81. Black Bo. Richard Wright
82. Deal With It! Esther Drill
83. Detour for Emmy. Marilyn Reynolds
84. So Far From the Bamboo Grove. Yoko Watkins
85. Staying Fat for Sarah Byrnes. Chris Crutcher
86. Cut. Patricia McCormick
87. Tiger Eyes. Judy Blume
88. The Handmaid’s Tale. Margaret Atwood
89. Friday Night Lights. H.G.Bissenger
90. A Wrinkle in Time. Madeline L’Engle
91. Julie of the Wolves. Jean Graighead George
92. The Boy Who Lost His Face. Louis Sachar
93. Bumps in the Night. Harry Allard
94. Goosebumps (series). R.L. Stine
95. Shade’s Children. Garth Nix
96. Grendel. John Gardner
97. The House of the Spirits,. Isabel Allende
98. I Saw Esau. Iona Opte
99. Are You There, God?  It’s Me, Margaret. Judy Blume
100. America: A Novel. Frank, E.R.