Sen. Tim Barnes (center), D-Adams, recognizes members of the Theta-Delta chapter of the Phi Alpha Theta National History Honor Society from Austin Peay State University on Thursday, March 11 at the State Senate in Nashville. Out of 740 chapters nationwide, the APSU chapter was chosen as a Division III Best Chapter in 2009.

Pictured from L to R: Rep. Joe Pitts of Clarksville, Assistant Advisor Dr. David Nelson, Stefanie Porter, Sen. Roy Herron of Dresden, Advisor Dr. Minoa Uffelman, Sen. Tim Barnes of Adams, 08-09 President Denise Richards, 08-10 Secretary Leslie Crouch, Rep. Eddie Bass of Prospect, Christina Parrish, Rep. Curtis Johnson of Clarksville.

FORT CAMPBELL, KY:  Between now and March 22, Fort Campbell will begin limiting access to training areas on the installation.

Seven previously open roads will be gated or barriers will be installed, limiting access to the mainly undeveloped training areas west of Palmyra Road.

The following access points will close in Tennessee:

• Highway 79 and Indian Mound Road
• Highway 79 and Normand Loop (Legate)
• Big Rock and Jordan Springs
• Artillery Road and Jordan Springs
• Red Diamond Road and Hwy 139 (Veghel Drop Zone area)

The following access points will close in Kentucky:

• Garretsburg Road
• Hwy 345 Killebrew Road

The closures will allow Fort Campbell to better provide for the safety of soldiers and civilians by limiting access to potentially dangerous training areas and live-fire ranges. Additionally, several instances of trespassing and criminal littering have focused attention on the need to better maintain access control to the remote areas of the installation.

Daymar Institute will be hosting a Free Financial Aid Open House, on Tuesday March 30, 2010 from 5- 7 p.m. The Open house will be located at Daymar Institute, 1860 Wilma Rudolph Blvd. in Clarksville.

Financial Aid experts will be on hand to help attendees understand Financial Aid Issues and make smarter decisions. Find out about scholarship lotteries, federal and state government aid, student profile-based aid, aid for specific activities, innovative programs and other helpful material.

The Open House will be open to the public. High School Junior and seniors are highly encouraged to attend with their parents.  Door prizes and light refreshments will be provided.

For more information please call (931) 552-7600.

NASHVILLE, TN: The Southeast premiere of director Shane Dax Taylor’s “Provinces of Night,” starring Kris Kristofferson, Val Kilmer, Dwight Yoakam, Hilary Duff and Reece Thompson, is one of the highlights of the more than 70 feature films — among them nine World Premieres — that will screen at the 2010 Nashville Film Festival (NaFF) as part of either the Special Presentation, World Cinema, Graveyard, Retrospective or four competition categories. Together with short films, more than 220 films from more than 38 countries will screen at the Festival, which takes place April 15-22 at the Regal Green Hills Cinemas.

Major films screening in the World Cinema category include directors Heidi Ewing and Rachel Grady’s “12th & Delaware;” Reed Cowan — his film “The Other Side of Lens” World Premiered at NaFF 2009 — and Steven Greenstreet’s “8: The Mormon Proposition;” Catherine Breillat’s “Blue Beard;” Yorgos Lanthimos’s “Dogtooth;” David Morrissey’s “Don’t Worry About Me;” Ben Wheatley’s “Down Terrace;” Joe O’Brien’s “Endure;” Chico Colvard’s “Family Affair;” Stanley Nelson’s “Freedom Riders,” Dagur Kári’s “The Good Heart;” Luca Guadagnino’s “I Am Love;” Jessica Hausner’s “Lourdes;” Marco Berger’s “Plan B;” Mary Ann Smothers Bruni’s “Quest for Honor;” Steve James’s “No Crossover: Allen Iverson on Trial;” Nikolai Muellerschoen’s “The Red Baron;” Katerina Cizek and Peter Wintonick’s “Seeing is Believing;” Peter Liechti’s “The Sound of Insects: Record of a Mummy;” and David Kaplan’s “Today’s Special.”

James, in addition to bringing “No Crossover: Allen Iverson on Trial” to the Festival, will also present a retrospective screening of his groundbreaking documentary, “Hoop Dreams.”

“I’m really excited about the number of films we have from the UK this year, in addition to Italy, France, Greece, Austria and more,” said NaFF artistic director Brian Owens. “And to present a film from Iraqi Kurdistan in Nashville, which has the largest population of Kurds in the United States, is thrilling. Music film fans and documentary buffs will be extremely pleased with this year’s selections, stretching over a wide swath of subjects and styles, including, for the first time, several sports-related films.”

Joining the previously announced Narrative Competition and First-Time Filmmakers Competition, a dozen films each, including a few to still be confirmed, will compete in the Documentary Competition and Music City/Music Films Competition.

Titles screening in the Documentary Competition include Yun Suh’s “City of Borders;” Andrew James and Joshua Ligair’s “Cleanflix;” Michael Nash’s “Climate Refugees;” Joshua Zeman’s “Cropsey;” Ky Dickens’s “Fish Out of Water;” Dean Hamer’s “Out in the Silence;” Taggart Siegel’s “Queen of the Sun;” Marshall Curry’s “Racing Dreams;” James Franco’s “Saturday Night;” Kathy Conkwright and Mary Makley’s “Southern Belle;” Meerkat Media Collective’s “Stages;” and Dirk Simon’s “When the Dragon Swallowed the Sun.”

Siegel’s film, “The Real Dirt on Farmer John,” was the NaFF 2005 winner of the REEL Current Award, presented by Al Gore to a documentary that provides extraordinary insight in a contemporary global issue.

Film’s included in NaFF’s popular Music Films/Music City Competition are Niall McKay’s “The Bass Player (A Song for Dad);” Robert Patton-Spruill’s “Do It Again;” Clark Stiles’s “Don’t Quit Your Daydream;” Jim Bigham’s “For Once in My Life;” Ruth Somal’s “James Blunt: Till You’re Told to Stop;” Kenneth Bowser’s “Phil Ochs: There But for Fortune,” Steve Condon’s “Radio On: The Shawn and Hobby Band Documentary;” Leanne Pooley’s “The Topp Twins: Untouchable Girls;” and Kathleen McNamara’s “Why Isn’t Chris von Sneidern Famous?”

Patron level memberships that include an All-Festival Pass, an invitation to the 2010 NaFF Patrons Party and priority seating at the Festival, can be purchased now at NashvilleFilmFestival.org. Individual tickets for the 2010 Nashville Film Festival will go on sale online in early April.

A comprehensive listing of confirmed feature films, along with a synopsis of each, follows. Panel and event information, and several additional film titles in competition, will be announced within the next two weeks.

Special presentations

Opening Night: Nowhere Boy (Sam Taylor-Wood, UK)
“Nowhere Boy,” brings to life John Lennon as a spirited teenager — curious, sharp and funny — growing up in the war shattered city of Liverpool in dreary post-war Britain. Two extraordinary sisters tussle for his love: Mimi, the formidable aunt who raised him from the age of five and Julia, the spirited mother who gave him up to Mimi’s care. Yearning for a normal family, John escapes into art and the new music flooding in from the United States. His fledgling genius finds a kindred spirit in the young Paul McCartney. But just as Lennon’s new life begins, the truth about his past leads to a tragedy he would never escape.

Provinces of Night (Shane Dax Taylor, USA)
Fleming Bloodworth (Reece Thomspon) is alone in the world. His mother abandoned him and his cuckolded father (Dwight Yoakam) is on a quest for vengeance. He has one uncle (W. Earl Brown) who exists at the edge of lunacy, another uncle (Val Kilmer) who escaped for the bright lights of Nashville, and a grandmother who is slipping into dementia. His only true companions are his books and dreams of being a writer. Then he meets two people who forever transform his world: Raven Lee Halfacre (Hilary Duff), the bastard daughter of a prostitute, and E.F. Bloodworth (Kris Kristofferson), the grandfather he has never known who left forty years ago and never looked back.  Set in Tennessee and based on the book by William Gay.  Music by T Bone Burnett.

Retrospective: Hoop Dreams (Steve James, USA)
This Oscar-nominated and multiple award-winning documentary — considered by many one of the best ever made — follows two inner-city Chicago residents, Arthur Agee and William Gates, as they follow their dreams of becoming basketball superstars. Beginning at the start of their high school years, and ending almost 5 years later, as they start college, we watch the boys mature into men, still retaining their “Hoop Dreams”. Both are recruited into the same elite high school as their idol, former Detroit Piston superstar Isaiah Thomas. Only one survives the first year; the other must return to a high school closer to his home. Along the way, there is much tragedy, some joy, a great wealth of information about inner city life, and the suspense of not knowing what will occur next.

Closing Night: TBA

World cinema today

12th & Delaware (Heidi Ewing, Rachel Grady, USA)
On an unassuming corner in Fort Pierce, Florida, it’s easy to miss the insidious war that’s raging. On one side of the street sits an abortion clinic. On the other, a pro-life outfit often mistaken for the clinic it seeks to shut down. Using skillful cinema-vérité observation that allows us to draw our own conclusions, Rachel Grady and Heidi Ewing, the directors of Jesus Camp, expose the molten core of America’s most intractable conflict.

8: The Mormon Proposition (Reed Cowan, Steven Greenstreet, USA)
“8: The Mormon Proposition” exposes the efforts of the Mormon Church and its members to halt nearly every piece of LGBT legislation on the desks of lawmakers from Hawaii to New York. Emmy-award winning journalist and documentary filmmaker Reed Cowan is a former Mormon, which, coupled with his OUT status as a gay man and father of two adopted sons has provided a compelling and at times shocking look at the Mormon way of doing business against LGBT people.

Don’t Worry About Me (David Morrissey, UK)

David (James Brough) is a guy from London who has a one-night stand. Afterwards, David attempts an act of kindness that leaves him flat broke with no way to get home. David ends up at a dog track, and on the advice of a passer-by named Tina (Helen Elizabeth), he picks a dog that wins big. Over the course of the day these two strangers explore Liverpool, and find they have more in common than they imagined.

Down Terrace (Ben Wheatley, UK)
Bill and Karl, a father and son outfit, have just got out of jail free – but all is not well in Down Terrace – For Karl, life in Billworld has become intolerable and he’s close to the edge, in fact, he’s falling over it. A darkly comic and deeply disturbing slice of social surrealism featuring the cream of British comedy character actors, Down Terrace is the debut feature film from director Ben Wheatley.

Endure (Joe O’Brien, USA)
A young woman has been abducted, tortured and tied to a tree in the middle of an isolated swamp in central Florida. The only person who knows her location is dead. Veteran detective Emory Lane is called from the bedside of his ailing wife to unravel the mystery. Working with detective Zeth Arnold, the detectives uncover the secret life of the dead abductor and a startling revelation: they’re not the only ones looking for the woman.

Family Affair (Chico Colvard, USA)
Like a scene torn from “The Color Purple” or “Capturing the Friedmans,” this deeply personal and uncompromising documentary examines the complex levels of pedophilia and how it can manipulate and control an entire family for life. “Family Affair,” is also a story about resilience, survival and understanding a child’s capacity to accommodate a parent’s past crimes in order to satisfy a basic longing for family.

Freedom Riders (Stanley Nelson, USA)
This is the story of more than four hundred Americans who participated in a bold and dangerous experiment designed to awaken the conscience of a complacent nation. These self-proclaimed, ‘Freedom Riders’ challenged the mores of a racially segregated society by performing a disarmingly simple act. Traveling together in small interracial groups, they sat where they pleased on buses and trains and demanded unrestricted access. In the end, they helped launch a civil rights revolution that literally changed America, and the world.

The Good Heart (Dagur Kári, Iceland)
Jacques (Brian Cox) is the crusty, misanthropic owner of a grungy dive located on an even grimier back street in New York. An epic chain smoker, he knows he has only a short time left. In the hospital after his fifth coronary, he meets the ultra-meek Lucas (Paul Dano), a homeless kid who has pretty much given up on life. Determined to keep his bar going, Jacques takes Lucas under his wing and schools him in the decidedly arcane rules he lives by.

I Am Love (Luca Guadagnino, Italy)
“I Am Love” moves through the cultivated world of a wealthy and distinguished industrial family. It is a film of ritual and order, centered on a massive Milanese mansion whose airy rooms convey the power and stature of the Recchi family. Servants glide up elegant staircases to serve dishes of gracefully prepared food to a family that has gathered to celebrate the birthday of its patriarch, the man who built this small empire.

Lourdes (Jessica Hausner, Austria)
Christine (Sylvie Testud) has spent most of her life confined to a wheelchair, and she looks for a solution to her condition in faith as well as medical science. She makes a pilgrimage to Lourdes, where a celebrated miracle is said to have occurred. After several days of treatment, Christine has regained the full use of her arms and legs. But once she’s experienced the miracle she hoped for, Christine’s interest is less in thanking the Lord and more in pursuing a man.

Plan B (Marco Berger, Argentina)
Bruno is dumped by his girlfriend; behind a calm, indifferent expression, his mind plans a cold, sweet vengeance. She, a modern girl, keeps on seeing him once in a while, but has another boyfriend, Pablo. Bruno becomes Pablo’s friend, with the idea of eroding the couple, maybe introducing him to another woman. But, along the way, the possibility of a plan B arises, a more effective one, which will put his own sexuality into question.

Quest for Honor (Mary Ann Smothers Bruni, Iraqi Kurdistan)
A former teacher and tireless activist works with local lawmen, Kurdish government agencies and her colleagues to investigate and eradicate honor killings in the tribal regions of Kurdistan.

No Crossover: Allen Iverson on Trial (Steve James, USA)
On Valentine’s Day 1993, 17-year-old Bethel High School basketball star Allen Iverson was bowling in Hampton, Va., with five high school friends. It became a night that defined Iverson’s young life. A quarrel soon erupted into a brawl pitting Iverson’s young black friends against a group of white patrons. The fallout from the fight and the handling of the subsequent trial landed the teenager-considered by some the nation’s best high school athlete-in jail and sharply divided the city along racial lines.

The Red Baron (Nikolai Muellerschoen, Germany/ Czech Republic)
In Europe, 1916, German aerial combat pilot Baron Manfred von Richthofen is a legend in his own time, a hero at home and a man both feared and respected by the enemy, until the young pilot falls in love with a beautiful and resolute nurse who opens his eyes to his role in the propaganda machine of a senseless and barbarous war.

Seeing is Believing (Katerina Cizek, Peter Wintonick, USA/Rwanda)
Handicams aren’t just for weddings and family vacations.What happens when amateur front-line advocates pick up camcorders to document what they see? What are the risks and responsibilities? And what are the wider impacts on television and audiences? On international law and society? On documentary practice? SEEING IS BELIEVING is an unprecedented exploration into the political and social uses of handicams and new communications technologies, and human rights activists, war crimes investigators, right-wing videographers and ordinary citizens are arming themselves with tools of the new visual revolution.

The Sound of Insects: Record of a Mummy (Peter Liechti, Switzerland)
A hunter in a remote and idyllic forest stumbles on a make shift tent fashioned from sheets of plastic and containing the mummified remains of a corpse. A detailed journal found on site reveals that the man committed suicide by self-imposed starvation. Who was this man? Why did he kill himself in such a manner? Inspired by this true event and by the novella ‘Until I Am a Mummy’ by Shimada Masahiko, Insects sensuously evokes the mysterious man’s last days.

Today’s Special (David Kaplan, USA)
American filmmaker David Kaplan’s heart-warming tale is set in New York where Samir (Aasif Mandvi), is a top sous chef in an upmarket Manhattan restaurant, but is passed over for promotion because his cuisine lacks pizzazz. Upset, he resigns, and when his father gets suddenly ill, Samir has to look after their ailing, slummy Indian restaurant, when he can’t even cook Indian food. Samir rediscovers his heritage and his passion for life through the enchanting art of cooking Indian food.

Narrative competition

Applause (Martin Zandvliet, Denmark)
When the critically-acclaimed actress Thea Barfoed (Paprika Steen) ends her rehab, she confronts a hard choice. During her heavy drinking period, she divorced and lost custody of her two boys; now she wants them to be a part of her life again. Her ex-husband Christian is quickly softened by her tough, manipulative, but charming figure and agrees. She has to prove to herself and to him, but the hard life on stage, and the ghosts of the past slowly comes knocking on her door. (Southeast Premiere)

Art House ( Victor Fanucchi, USA)
When a dishonest college dean and a philistine donor try to evict a household of starving art students from their communal house in order to make a dormitory for varsity golf, the art students rise up and fight to preserve their home, known for decades as a hard-partying haven for artists and artist-wannabes. Led by Nora Ohr (GRETA GERWIG), the eccentric housemates must overcome aesthetic disputes and romantic train wrecks, putting their futures on the line for the cause. (World Premiere)

The Athlete (Atletu) (Davey Frankel, Rasselas Lakew, Ethiopia)
This unique and elegant hybrid of autobiography, biopic and documentary tells the inspiring story of the great Ethiopian marathon runner Abebe Bikila, who in 1960 became the first African athlete to win gold at the Olympics – a new world record. Bikila’s story took a shocking turn after his numerous triumphs, yet nothing could keep him from pursuing his dreams all the way to the finish line, inspiring generations of Africans and others beyond. (Southeast Premiere)

Backyard (Carlos Carerra, Mexico)
The true story of the border town of Juarez, Mexico where since the mid-90’s thousands of women have gone missing or turned up as sun-burnt corpses in the desert. Can new police captain Blanca Bravo (Ana de la Reguera) stop the savagery? (Tennessee Premiere)

The Be All and End All (Bruce Webb, United Kingdom)
Fifteen year olds Robbie and Ziggy think they’ll be best friends forever but when Robbie collapses on holiday and is diagnosed with a fatal heart condition, forever suddenly seems a lot shorter. Lying in the children’s ward, Robbie only has one thing on his mind: he doesn’t want to die a virgin. And who has to overcome the odds and help him fulfill his final wish? His best friend Ziggy. (Southeast Premiere)

Beyond the Pole (David L. Williams, UK)
Beyond the Pole is a boys own adventure comedy, which follows two hapless friends as they set out on the first Carbon Neutral, Vegetarian, Organic expedition ever to attempt the North Pole. Funny and subversive it is the story of two men trying to find their place in the world before the end of the world. And it asks one question of us all: How far would you go to save the planet? (Tennessee Premiere)

Black, White, and Blues (Mario Van Peebles, USA)
Filmed in Nashville in 2009, Mario Van Peebles directed this drama of spiritual redemption against the backdrop of the Memphis blues starring Michael Clarke Duncan and Morgan Simpson. (World Premiere)

The Colonel’s Bride (Brent Stewart, USA)
A fallen man and retired US Army Colonel, Bill (JD Parker) is an occasional commercial real-estate agent who spends most of his waking hours in the company of bourbon, cigarettes and a persistent cough. Attempting to make amends with a tattered past, he embraces a young, Vietnamese mail-order bride (Alicia Truong). After a brief courtship they are wed, and despite a language barrier and the Colonel’s impotence, Bill attempts to prove his love as a companion and make amends for a history of regrets. (World Premiere)

Hipsters (Valeriy Todorovskiy, Russia)
Hipsters is a vibrant musical full of razzle, dazzle, and rhythm, which chronicles the 1950s conflict between Russia’s communist government authorities bent on keeping all things Soviet, “normal” Russians primarily interested in surviving for one more day, and teens craving American pop culture – “stilyagi” or “hipsters”. The battle of conformity and individual expression supplies a high level of tension that keeps one mentally interested in this marriage of Dostoyevsky and Footloose. (Southeast Premiere)

TiMER (Jac Schaeffer, USA)
What if a clock could count down to the moment you meet your soul mate? In this alternate version of present day Los Angeles, a revolutionary device called the TiMer fulfills this fantasy. Unless, that is, if you’re Oona O’eary (Emma Caulfield, Buffy the Vampire Slayer), who faces the rare dilemma of a blank TiMer. Only when Oona ignores the ticking clock can she finally experience the exhilarating and unpredictable hot mess that is love. (Tennessee Premiere)

Waiting for Forever (James Keach, USA)
Life has gotten complicated for actress Emma Twist (Rachel Bilson). Her mediocre TV show has been canceled, she’s on the rocks with her boyfriend Aaron (Matt Davis), and her father’s (Richard Jenkins) illness has been deemed terminal. To make matters worse, her childhood friend Will Donner (Tom Sturridge) has decided now is the time to profess his true feelings for her. When everyone unexpectedly converges in Emma’s hometown, questions of family, love, and how we live our lives are explored. (Southeast Premiere)

Phillip The Fossil (Garth Donovan, USA)

Set in small-town New England, Phillip The Fossil follows an aging party animal chasing the now extinct glory days of his youth. Blowing lines with kids half his age, making it rain in strip clubs, and voraciously pawing naive girls with “JUICY” tagged across their rears are all part of Phillip’s relentless pursuit of the endless summer. He chuckles along as the carefree town jester, but beneath this suffocating guise Phillip feels increasingly isolated in the dead end rut he has so comfortably dug.

Documentary Competition

City of Borders (Yun Suh, USA)
In the heart of Jerusalem – defying generations of segregation, violence and prejudice – stands an unlikely symbol of unity: a gay bar called ‘Shushan.’ Inside this underground sanctuary, people of all nationalities, religious affiliations and sexual orientations gather under one roof and forge a type of community. CITY OF BORDERS explores the bond forged when people from warring worlds embrace what everyone shares in common-the right to be accepted and belong-rather than be defined, or limited by the differences that tear them apart. (Southeast Premiere)

Cleanflix (Andrew James & Joshua Ligairi, USA)
Cleanflix follows the sanitized movie industry from inception to collapse. Starting with Kate Winslet’s bare breasts in Titanic and the Mormon culture that didn’t want to see them, the film launches into the numerous legal and theoretical debates that led to a DGA lawsuit involving industry titans. The film then tracks the dozen or so stores that defied court order and remained in operation, focusing on the infamous Daniel Thompson, de facto leader of Utah’s the edited movie revival. (Tennessee Premiere)

Climate Refugees (Michael Nash, USA)
“Climate Refugees” uncovers the unbelievable plight of people around the world displaced by climatically induced environmental disasters. The documentary illuminates the human face of climate change and the collision that civilization now finds itself at between over population, lack of resources and our changing climate. By traveling the world and interviewing several of the 25 million climate refugees now on the run, “Climate Refugees” brings to light the heart wrenching truth of what is quickly becoming mankind’s greatest challenge. (Southeast Premiere)

Cropsey (Joshua Zeman, USA)
Realizing the urban legend of their youth has actually come true; two filmmakers delve into the mystery surrounding five missing children and the real-life boogeyman linked to their disappearances. Cropsey, a feature-length documentary, offers an intimate, first hand account of one community’s proximity to terror, its abandonment by the legal system, and the vigilant response to the death of its children. (Tennessee Premiere)

Fish Out of Water (Ky Dickens, USA)
Coming out of the closet can be challenging and for Ky Dickens, her experience coming out to friends at Vanderbilt University led to the making of “Fish Out of Water,” a spirited documentary that explores the seven Bible passages notoriously used to condemn homosexuality and justify marriage discrimination. With the help of a cartoon narrator, animated recollections of Bible passages and witty illustrations, “Fish Out of Water”makes this polarizing subject accessible and non-threatening.

Out in the Silence (Dean Hamer, USA)
The announcement of filmmaker Joe Wilson’s wedding to another man ignites a firestorm of controversy and a quest for change in the small Pennsylvania hometown he left long ago. Drawn back by a plea for help from the mother of a gay teen being tormented at school, Wilson takes viewers on an exhilarating journey through love, hate, and understanding in rural America. (Southeast Premiere)

Queen of the Sun (Taggart Siegel, USA)
In 1923, Rudolf Steiner, an Austrian Scientist, predicted that in only 80 to 100 years, honeybees would collapse. “Queen of The Sun” investigates and reveals the causes of the recent collapse, from highly mechanized industrial beekeeping practices to pesticide-driven agriculture, disease and artificial queen breeding. Through the voices of beekeepers around the world, “Queen of The Sun” weaves a dramatic story that uncovers the problems and solutions in renewing a culture in balance with nature. (World Premiere)

Racing Dreams (Marshall Curry, USA)
Academy Award nominated director, Marshall Curry, chronicles these young drivers’ lives in intimate detail — at home, at school, and on the track – to tell a universal story about adolescence, family, and a love of racing. “Racing Dreams” will introduce new audiences to the sport of racing, and for the 75 million Americans who already love it; it will be a familiar celebration of family, country and speed. (Tennessee Premiere)

Saturday Night (James Franco, USA)
With unprecedented access to the behind the scenes process of the writers, actors and producers, Franco and his crew document what it takes to create one full episode of Saturday Night Live. (Southeast Premiere)

Southern Belle (Kathy Konkwright, Mary Makley, USA)
The Civil War may be long over but the spirit of rebellion is hard to extinguish in the South even in something as innocent as a girls’ summer camp. “Southern Belle” is a unique insider’s look at the 1861 Athenaeum Girls’ School in Columbia, Tennessee where young women from around the world eagerly sign up to become that iconic and romantic image of southern identity: the southern belle, replete with hoop skirt, hat and gloves, singing the region’s anthem, Dixie. Even today, the southern belle and the values she embodies are at the heart of every political discussion driving positions on civil rights, women’s rights, the sanctity of marriage, and federal versus state government power – to name a few. To understand the Athenaeum Girls’ School’s icon of the Old South is to better understand the issues that continue to define and divide America today. (World Premiere)

Stages (Meerkat Media Collective, USA)
Over twenty weeks, a group of older Puerto Rican women and inner-city youth unite in New York City’s oldest community center to create an original play out of the stories of their lives. Weaving together themes of immigration, evolution, aging and coming of age, Stages offers an intimate portrait of an unlikely ensemble, transformed by the liberating power of their own stories– first as they are spoken across generations, and later when they are performed for a sold-out show. (Tennessee Premiere)

When the Dragon Swallowed the Sun (Dirk Simon, USA)
“When the Dragon Swallowed the Sun” shows an unprecedented inside perspective on the Tibetan community in exile, it’s young generation and their struggle to free their homeland Tibet. The film reveals an internal conflict that has been dividing Tibetans and hindering their movement for decades, and explores the struggle of a young Tibetan King alongside the peers of his generation. It reveals for the first time how they try to reflect on their history, while simultaneously redefining their identities. (Southeast Premiere)

Music Films/Music City Competition

The Bass Player (A Song for Dad) (Niall McKay, Ireland)
In this eloquent, witty homage to his father, filmmaker Niall McKay wrestles with his family’s unsettling past to overcome his fear of commitment. As Niall helps his elderly father Jim, a jazz bass player, return home to Ireland, father and son revisit Niall’s tumultuous childhood with an abusive, unpredictable mother and a musician father who was often on the road. Striking many poignant chords, the filmmaker’s evolving notions of family and commitment will charm and amuse. (Southeast Premiere)

Do It Again ( Robert Patton-Spruill, USA)
In “Do It Again,” newspaper reporter Geoff Edgers launches his crazy idea to reunite the Kinks. The film takes us through backstage hotspots, as Geoff works toward telling the story of his favorite, underappreciated rock band. Along his journey, we’ll encounter Sting, Zooey Deschanel, Clive Davis, Robyn Hitchcock, Paul Weller and Peter Buck. Will Geoff succeed in his goal, when he finally encounters the leaders of the band, Ray and Dave Davies? (Tennessee Premiere)

Don’t Quit Your Daydream (Clark Stiles, USA)
Nathan and Clark are life-long musicians, and sometimes friends, who refuse to delegate their childhood dreams to a hobby. These two forty-year-old band mates ditch their day jobs, and for one month, drive across the country stopping in a new town every other day to collaborate with unknown local musicians. Throughout their journey they encounter a diverse cast of strangers who force them to reconsider what it means to live a life dedicated to the art of music. (World Premiere)

For Once in My Life (Jim Bigham, USA)
A true story about a band made up of singers and musicians with a wide range of mental and physical disabilities. This documentary is an inspiring look at a special group and their dream to make music. In a cinema verite style, the film reveals the struggles and triumphs, as performers and people, dealing with severe challenges while on a journey to become true musicians and perform to large audiences. (Southeast Premiere)

For the Sake of Song: The Story of Anderson Fair (Bruce Bryant, USA)
For forty years, Houston’s legendary folk and acoustic music venue, Anderson Fair Retail Restaurant, has fostered and nurtured some of the most important musical performers and songwriters in America. This film explores the significant role “the Fair” has played in preserving an American musical tradition, as a unique American music institution. “For The Sake Of The Song” tells the tale of one small place where the sound is true, the spotlight gentle, the applause encouraging, and big things happen. (Southeast Premiere)

James Blunt: Till You’re Told to Stop (Ruth Somalo, UK)
“Till You’re Told To Stop” follows the voyage of a humble British soldier who resigned from his post as a Queen’s Guard to become a musician. It tracks the steps of James Blunt, an artist with no musical background through to his enormous worldwide success with his debut album “Back To Bedlam.” (Southeast Premiere)

Ne Change Rien (Pedro Costa, Portugal/France)
In Ne Change Rien, we see the French actress/singer Jeanne Balibar rehearsing, recording, performing and practicing with a singing coach for an opera bouffe by Jacques Offenbach. The Portuguese director Pedro Costa filmed her in long, static shots in which all attention is focused on her performance. Costa also manages to portray the creative process, for instance in a scene in which Balibar and her guitarist Rodolphe Burger try out several variations of a song. (Southeast Premiere)

Radio On: The Shawn and Hobby Band Documentary (Steve Condon, USA)
How exactly does a former acoustic duo playing dive bars in Pittsburgh turn into one of the most popular and successful house bands in Nashville, in just about a year?
(World Premiere)

The Topp Twins: Untouchable Girls (Leanne Pooley, New Zealand)
THE TOPP TWINS: UNTOUHABLE GIRLS is a profile of the world’s only comedic, singing, dancing, lesbian twin sisters. Fun, disarming and musically provocative, the Topp Twins are New Zealand’s finest lesbian country and western singers and the country’s greatest export since rack of lamb and the Lord of the Rings movie trilogy. (Southeast Premiere)

Why Isn’t Chris von Sneidern Famous? (Kathleen McNamara, USA)
‘You’re so good, you should be famous’ sounds like words anyone would love to hear, but after 12 albums and over 20 years, the compliment wears thin. Critically acclaimed for his musical talents and infamous for his charismatic and uncompromising personality, singer/songwriter and guitarist, Chris von Sneidern (CVS) is a long-time fixture of San Francisco’s independent music scene. This is the story of his passionate search for artistic freedom and success, and the challenge posed by the inevitable disparity between our dreams and reality. (Southeast Premiere)

New Directors Competition

Bomber (Paul Cotter, UK, USA)
An 83-year-old man returns to Germany for a long planned journey of atonement. When Ross, his useless son agrees to drive him there, a nightmare family road trip ensues. (Southeast Premiere)

The Burial (Danielle Boucher, David William Mills, France)
When three estranged brothers gather for their mother’s funeral the last thing they expected was a family road trip. Mother’s final wish was clear: “take me to the river and bury me with your Father.” The reluctant sons, a girlfriend and a coffin squash into a vintage hearse, bumble their way from France to England, and realize that to bury the past, there’s some digging up to do. (North American Premiere)

Dear Lemon Lima (Suzi Yoonessi, USA)
As sweet and colorful as a snow cone, this delightful happy-sad confection follows an awkward Alaskan teen as she discovers her Yup’ik heritage, while rallying her fellow misfits to compete in her school’s Snowstorm Survivor competition.(Tennessee Premiere)

Fighting Fish (Annette Apitz, USA)
Twenty-one-year-old David still lives at home, taking care of his young siblings. When his wild and beautiful sister Alice returns after a long absence, their complicated past comes back to haunt them. As David falls in love with the new girl in town, Alice is driven to desperate measures to keep her brother close, and her world intact. (World Premiere)

Herpes Boy (Nathaniel Atcheson, USA)
Rudolph Murray (Byron Lane, “Herpes Boy” web series) hates his life. He has a large purple birthmark on his upper lip and everyday he finds someone staring, pointing, or calling him names-like Herpes Boy. He makes videos for the Internet in which he rants about his quirky life and zany family. When his cousin (Ahna O’Reilly, “Forgetting Sarah Marshall”) re-edits his videos to make herself more popular, it attracts a huge new audience and makes Rudolph an unlikely-and unwilling-cyber-celebrity at the worst possible time in his life. (Southeast Premiere)

New Low (Adam Bowers, USA)
The worst thing about Wendell isn’t his slightly balding head, skinny frame, or thin lips; it’s that he’s a bit of an idiot. He just started dating Vicky, an angry drunk, who conveniently shares his lack of ambition and cleanliness. But he might prefer a relationship with Joanna because she’s a selfless social worker who doesn’t have lip acne. Eventually, Wendell is going to have to decide whom he really belongs with: the best girl he’s ever known — or the worst. (Tennessee Premiere)

Northless (Rigoberto Pérezcano, Mexico/Spain)
Andres reaches the Mexican border to cross into the United Sates. There between each attempt, he discovers that Tijuana is a troubled city. As he waits there, Andres is not only confronted with his feelings and what he left behind, but also with those he meets. (Tennessee Premiere)

One Too Many Mornings (Michael Mohan, USA)
Peter has just run away from his girlfriend of 5 years, seeking solace in his estranged friend from high school, Fischer. Fischer lives in a church, for free, in exchange for turning off the lights and locking the doors. As Fischer tries to help Peter recover, Peter quickly learns that Fischer has much more serious problems of his own. “One Too Many Mornings” is a coming of age comedy about how running away from your problems can cause you to smack headfirst into someone else. (Southeast Premiere)

Pickin’ and Grinnin’ (Jon Gries, USA)
Jon Gries (Uncle Rico in “Napoleon Dynamite”) directs this comic take-off on reality music competitions like “Nashville Star”and “American Idol.” (World Premiere)

Secure Space (Oren Gvili, Israel)
A bride, groom and their families are stranded within a bomb shelter in the Israeli city of Haifa, while the Second Lebanon war is raging outside. The pressure of wedding preparations, the crowdedness, the perspiration and the sultriness are mixed with the sirens and bombings outside, leading to a new climax of fear when the family finds the groom’s 16-year-old brother roaming outside, hanging direction signs for the wedding ceremony. As the groom goes out in search of his brother, a series of events bring him to new conclusions about the fragileness of his present and future life. (North American Premiere)

Snow & Ashes (Charles-Olivier Michaud, Canada)
An armed conflict rages in a region of Eastern Europe. Blaise Dumas, war journalist for Frontline Reporters covers the war. In Quebec, when he erupts from a coma, Blaise discovers that his long time collaborator and photographer has not come back with him. Blaise sets out to remember the events that lead to his friend’s disappearance and his own escape from the war zone. A compelling human, post-modern western tale. (Southeast Premiere)

Vegetarian (Seong-woon Lim, South Korea)
A young woman abolishes meat from her diet and her home, and soon rejects her husband, who smells of meat. Rejected by her family as a result, she grows despondent, alienating herself from everyone. Her sister tries to reach her, but only her brother-in-law, an artist, manages to penetrate her withdrawn state. Her mysterious trauma ignites creativity and desire in him, and they collaborate passionately on beautiful body-painting art — drawing on her psychological pain but also providing the catalyst for her mystical transformation. (Southeast Premiere)

About Nashville Film Festival
The longest-running film festival in the South, NaFF also ranks among the most prestigious, continually garnering accolades and notice from a wide range of entertainment and trade publications, including the Associated Press, The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal online, MovieMaker Magazine, Film Festival Today, IndieWire, Variety, Billboard, New York and Script Magazine. Between 2003 and 2009, NaFF’ attendance numbers doubled, capped off with a staggering 26% increase in festival goers between 2006 and 2007. In 2009, nearly 23,000 film lovers, entertainment professionals and industry insiders from all over the world made the trek to NaFF, enjoying 258 films from 48 countries, incisive industry panels, music showcases and spirited party mixers. Among the diverse group of celebrities who have attended NaFF in the past either as film presenters, award recipients or film fans are William Shatner, Hal Holbrook, Vincent D’Onofrio, Sheryl Crow, William H. Macy, Vincent D’Onofrio, Patricia Neal, Rob Thomas, Giancarlo Esposito, Ray McKinnon, Marianne Jean-Baptiste, Walton Goggins, Craig Brewer, Harmony Korine, Al Gore, Nicole Kidman, Kiefer Sutherland, Kimberly Williams-Paisley, Peter Falk, Paul Reiser, Patrick Swayze, Rick Schroder, John Waters, Matthew McConaughey, Robert Redford, Harry Belafonte, Oprah Winfrey, Michael Moore, Kevin Smith, Barbara Kopple, and D.A. Pennebaker.

Nashville Film Festival is a non-profit 501(c)(3) corporation and receives funding from The Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences, William N. Rollins Fund for the Arts of The Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee, The Memorial Foundation, Nashville Metro Arts Commission, National Endowment for the Arts, Tennessee Arts Commission, and its generous patrons and sponsors.

This year’s  Roxy Regional Theatre’s  Skakesperean offering is As You Like It, one of the Bard’s classic comedies. John MacDonald directs this version, drawing impeccable comic timing from his players, each of whom has mastered and flawlessly delivered an immense amount of dialogue in the style and rhythm of Shakesperean times.

Matthew Patrick as Orlando and Jessica Shearer Wilson as Rosalind, while Melissa Dowty (Celia) looks on in the Roxy Regional Theatre production of William Shakespeare's "As You Like It." Photo courtesy of Gili Getz.

Bryan Zoppi as Touchstone and Dr. Ted Jones (on harp) as Amiens in the Roxy Regional Theatre production of William Shakespeare's As You Like It. Photo courtesy of Gili Getz.

This cast includes Matthew Patrick as lovestruck Orlando, complemented with wit and style by Jessica Shearer Wilson as Rosalind. Bryan Zoppi as the jester Touchstone captures the animated style and choreography of a classic mime or jester.  The cast is rounded out with Jay Doolittle as both Adam and Hymen, Brian Veith as Oliver,  Jim Knoll as Charles, Melissa Dowty as Celia, Drew Torkelson as both Le Beau and Silvius, Collin Smith as Frederick, Gili Getz as Duke Senior, Ted Jones as Amiens, Nate Washburn as Jaques, Jamie Farmer and Phebe, and as the messengers, Autumn Crafton, Samantha Grimes, Haedyn King, Michele Lebkuecher and Christian Redden.

Musical moments in the play were beautifully performed by Ted Jones as “the harper.”

As You Like It is a pastoral comedy  believed to have been written in 1599 or early 1600 and first published in the folio of 1623. The work was based upon the early prose romance Rosalynde by Thomas Lodge.  The play’s first performance is uncertain, though a performance at Wilton House in 1603 has been suggested as a possibility. As You Like It follows its heroine Rosalind as she flees persecution in her uncle’s court, accompanied by her cousin Celia and Touchstone the court jester, to find safety and eventually love in the forest of Arden.

The Plot: Orlando, the youngest son of Sir Roland de Boys, is ill treated by his brother Oliver. When he responds to the general challenge issued by the Duke’s wrestler, Charles, Oliver tells Charles to injure Orlando if he can manage it. The Duke’s daughter, Celia, and her cousin, Rosalind, watch the match and Rosalind falls in love with Orlando. Orlando wins but the Duke gets angry when he discovers that Orlando is the son of his old enemy, Sir Roland de Boys. Rosalind gives Orlando a chain to wear and he falls in love with her.

When the Duke  banishes Rosalind, she decides to find her father, the real Duke, who has been overthrown by his brother, Celia’s father, Frederick. Duke Senior lives in the forest of Arden. Together with the court jester, Touchstone, the girls set out, disguised as a country boy, Ganymede, and his sister, Aliena. Co-incidentally, Orlando, fearing for his life, has also left home, accompanied by his father’s servant, Adam.

In the forest, the group from the court encounter a young shepherd, Silvius, and watch him being rejected by a shepherdess, Phoebe, as he declares his love for her. They meet an old shepherd, Corin, who is looking for someone to take over the sheep farm. Ganymede, who wants to settle in the forest, buys the lease.

Duke Senior, unaware that his daughter is looking for him, is living a simple life with some courtiers and huntsmen. One of them is the melancholy Jaques, who relects constantly on life. Orlando and Adam arrive and the outlaws welcome them and feed them.

Orlando hangs some love poems that he has written to Rosaline from the branches of trees. Rosalind and Aliena find them. Ganymede helps him to cure his lovesickness by wooing him, Ganymede, as though he/she were Rosalind. A country girl, Audrey, falls in love with Touchstone and abandons her faithful William because of her love for the fool.

Oliver is searching for his brother. He has an accident and Orlando saves his life. Orlando is slightly injured and when he tells Ganymede about it she faints. Oliver and Celia fall in love. Phoebe falls in love with Genymede. It all becomes very complicated. Hymen leads a masque; Rosalind re-emerges as a woman and her father gives her to Orlando; Phoebe accepts Silvius; Orlando’s older brother returns from university with the news that Celia’s father, Frederick, has retired as Duke to become a hermit; Jacques goes to join him. Joyful dancing then celebrates the four marriages and the happy ending.

Jessica Shearer Wilson as Rosalind and Melissa Dowty as Celia in the Roxy Regional Theatre production of William Shakespeare's As You Like It. Photo courtesy of Gili Getz.

The play features one of Shakespeare’s most famous and oft-quoted speeches, “All the world’s a stage,” and is the origin of the phrase “too much of a good thing.” The play remains an audience  favorite and has been adapted for radio, film, and musical theatre.

Historically, critical response has varied, with some critics finding the work of lesser quality than other Shakespearean works and some finding the play a work of great merit.

Roxy’s set design was deceptively simple: a stand of “trees” through which its characters wove the story of romance, deliberately mistaken identities, and family treachery.

As a matter of personal preference, this writer found the costuming in this production to be a distraction. As You Like It is presented with a mix of top hats and straw hats, farmer’s jeans and modern trousers, a little black dress and wedding gowns from different eras. The costuming would have been more palatable if the garments were at least from the same period — regardless of which period that is.

As You Like It, which has been performed throughout the week for school groups, continues this weekend with performances Friday, March 12 at 8 p.m., and Saturday, March 13 at 2 p.m. and 8 p.m. Tickets are $15/adult and$10/ages 13 and under. For ticket information, call the Roxy Box office at 931-645-7699.

ARRA funds to provide more intercity bus service options for Tennesseans

The Tennessee Department of Transportation, TDOT, will use federal American Recovery and Reinvestment Act funds to provide rural residents with better access to daily public transit. Vice President Joe Biden has announced federal approval of TDOT’s plan to use $3.1 million in Recovery Act funds to expand direct intercity bus routes.  The funds will be used by existing intercity bus carriers to purchase 23 buses, security equipment, support vehicles, computers, intelligent transportation system software, for ADA enhancements to vehicles and preventive maintenance. TDOT announced the first intercity bus routes in the state in March, 2009. The program provides fixed route public transportation services between rural areas and the state’s urban centers.

“The intercity bus program provides Tennesseans in rural areas with reliable daily access to health care, jobs, schools and other services in the state’s urban centers,” said Governor Phil Bredesen. “Public transportation is an integral component of Tennessee’s transportation system, so I’m pleased to see these Recovery Act funds dedicated to keeping Tennesseans connected to vital services.”

The Intercity Bus Demonstration Program is administered by the Tennessee Department of Transportation’s Multimodal Transportation Resources Division. The program is designed to provide rural communities with access to national, regional and local intercity connections.

“This program helps increase transportation choices and provides independence to the many citizens in our rural areas who are unable to drive,” said TDOT Commissioner Gerald Nicely. “The expanded access to intercity bus routes will help improve the quality of life for many Tennesseans and can have the added benefit of reducing congestion on local roadways.”

Recovery Act funds will be used by existing intercity bus carriers for the following daily intercity routes:

1. Jamon D&Q Transport- Carrier, will service Nashville-Bellevue-Dickson-Jackson-Brownsville-Barlett-Memphis.
2. Anchor Tours, Inc.- Carrier, will service Lawrenceburg-Memphis.
3. Treece Industries- Carrier, will service Woodbury-Readyville-Murfreesboro.
4. South Central Development District- Carrier, will service Linden-Parsons-Lexington-Jackson.
5. Upper Cumberland Human Resources- Carrier, will service Cookeville-Monterey-Crossville-Crab Orchard-Knoxville Airport-Knoxville Greyhound.

Vehicle revenue miles and ridership are two of the most important measurements of the program’s performance. Since the start of the 2008-2011 Intercity Bus Demonstration Program, intercity bus service has seen a substantial increase in the total public transit vehicle miles traveled statewide. In the first year the program covered 40% of the state with intercity bus service and in the first six months of operations carried more than 12,000 passengers. The Recovery Act funds are expected to expand the intercity bus network to cover almost 65% of the state and will expand the ability to serve more than 70,000 passengers annually by 2011, or the end of the demonstration program.

On average, $1.3 million will be available each year for the state of Tennessee to assist with continued expansion of rural transit services. The annual federal allocations are based on the non-urbanized population, the number of vehicles and counties in the service area.

For more information on the program, visit www.tn.gov/tdot/publictrans/programs.htm.

This consumer products recall notice is distributed by Recall.org, a non-profit private foundation dedicated to public safety for the consumer. The recalls were issued by various federal, state and local government agencies, manufactures and producers and compiled by Recall.org. These listings are published here in the safety interest of our readership and the general consumer public.

Children’s Forks and Spoons: Peachtree Playthings is recalling Scooby Doo, Tweety and Batman Fork and Spoon Sets sold at Dollar Tree Stores and Deals during January 2010. The middle two prongs of the plastic fork can detach, posing a choking hazard. This recall involves the Scooby Doo, Tweety and Batman plastic fork and spoon sets. The two-piece set is white plastic with cartoon images on the handle. Consumers should return the item to Dollar Tree or Deals for a full refund. Consumers can also contact Peachtree Playthings at (800) 290-4831 between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. ET Monday through Friday, visit www.peachtreeplaythings.com.

Roman Shades: Lutron Electronics Co. Inc. is recalling Lutron Shading Solutions Roman Shades sold nationwide from January 2000 to August 2009. Strangulations can occur when a child places his/her neck between the exposed inner cord and the fabric on the backside of the blind or when a child pulls the cord out and wraps it around his/her neck. This recall involves all custom-ordered made-to-measure motorized and manual Lutron Shading Solutions Roman shades. “Lutron Shading Solutions” or “Lutron Shading Solutions by VIMCO” is printed on the packaging. Consumers should contact Lutron Electronics at (866) 793-4270 anytime, or visit www.lutron.com/CERUSromans to coordinate the removal, repair, and
reinstallation of the shades.

Roll-Up Blinds: Meijer is recalling Innovations and “At Home with Meijer” Roman Shades and Roll-Up Blinds sold by Meijer nationwide from January 2004 to December 2009. Both products pose strangulation hazards. This recall involves all Innovations and “At Home with Meijer” Roman shades and roll-up blinds. The Roman shades are made with fabric or bamboo and the Roll-up blinds with bamboo. A label reading “Innovation” or “At Home with Meijer” can be found under the head rail. Consumers should contact the Window Covering Safety Council for a free repair kit at (800) 506-4636 anytime or visit www.windowcoverings.org. Consumers can also contact Meijer at (800) 927-8699 anytime or visit www.meijer.com.

Boy’s Jackets: Ten West Apparel is recalling Boys’ Hooded Jackets sold at Burlington Coat Factory stores nationwide from November 2006 to September 2009. The children ’s jackets have drawstrings through the hood which can pose a strangulation hazard. This recall involves Ten 1 West boys’ jackets with a drawstring through the hood. They were sold in size 10/12 and are black cotton with a white fleece lining. “TEN 1 WEST” is printed on a hang tag on the center of the back neck. Consumers should immediately remove the drawstring from the jacket to eliminate the hazard or return the garment to Burlington Coat Factory or to Ten West Apparel for a full refund. Consumers can also contact Ten West Apparel at (212) 564-1007 between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. ET Monday through Friday, or visit www.burlingtoncoatfactory.com. Children’s Bracelets: Chandigarh Fashion is recalling Children’s Bangles sold in Flushing, NY and Chicago, Ill. from May 2007 to August 2008. The surface coating on the bracelets contains high levels of lead. This recall involves children’s bangle bracelets. The bracelets which were sold in packets of 24, are gold with stripes of either red, maroon, black, orange or green. Consumers should return the bracelets to the store where purchased for a full refund.

Outdoor Lighting Fixtures: American Electric Lighting is recalling Outdoor Lighting Fixtures sold nationwide from September 2008 to September 2009. Improper wiring in the light fixtures poses a shock hazard. This recall involves model AVL outdoor lighting fixtures sold under the American Electric Lighting brand name. The light fixtures are intended for use in parking lots, roadways, commercial environments and office communities. “AVL” is printed on the reflector of each light fixture. Consumers should contact American Electric Lighting at (800) 754-0463 between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. ET Monday through Friday, or visit www.americanelectriclighting.com to schedule a free inspection and repair.

Children’s Sweatshirts: LELE & Company Inc. is recalling Children’s hooded sweatshirt sets with drawstrings sold at various stores in California, Georgia, Illinois, and Florida from August 2008 to August. The sweatshirts have a drawstring through the hood, which can pose a strangulation hazard. This recall involves hooded sweatshirts sold under the “Maria Elena” and “Eddie” brand names. The sweatshirts were sold in children’s sizes 8 through 14, and have various character designs on the front including “Princess,” “Prince” and “Champion.” Style number 4282 is printed on the back of the tag attached to the label. Consumers should immediately remove the drawstrings from the sweatshirts or return the product to the store where purchased for a refund. Consumers can also contact LELE at (213) 745-8979 between 8:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. PT Monday through Friday, visit www.leleforkids.com.

Shades by Ethan Allen: Ethan Allen Global Inc. is recalling Roman Shades sold at Ethan Allen Design Centers since 1999 to December 2009. Strangulation can occur when a child places his/her neck between the exposed inner cord and the fabric on the backside of the shade. This recall involves all styles and sizes of Roman shades sold under the Ethan Allen brand name. The shades have no labels or markings making reference to the Ethan Allen brand. Consumers should contact their local Ethan Allen Design Center for a free repair kit. Consumers can also contact Ethan Allen at (888) 339-9398 between 8:30 a.m. and 4:45 p.m. ET Monday through Friday or visit www.ethanallen.com.

More info on all above listed recalls can be found at www.recalls.org.

Guests will spend a day in May among art exhibits in Chattanooga. The tour highlight will be the opening reception of the Tennessee Watercolor Society’s Biennial Exhibition.

The Tennessee Art League is sponsoring a day of art in Chattanooga on May 22. The galleries of permanent and special exhibitions at the Hunter Museum of American Art is the first stop. After touring the museum, guests may chose to lunch either at the museum’s lovely café or a near-by restaurant of their own choice. Lunch cost is not included in the tour.

"Yesterday's Bridge," Kathleen Haynes, Watercolor

The final stop, and the highlight of the tour, is the opening reception of the Biennial Exhibition of the Tennessee Watercolor Society in Chattanooga at the near-by Chattanooga State Community College. There, guests may meet with members of the TnWS and the winning, exhibiting artists, selected by the distinguished Juror George James, retired Professor of Art at California State University at Fullerton.

Members of the Tennessee Watercolor Society, the Tennessee Art League and their guests will board a Gray Line of Nashville luxury motor coach at one of two locations: the Tennessee Art League or Brentwood. The coach will depart from the TAL Building at 7:30 a.m. and from Brentwood (at a location to be announced in next month’s newsletter) at 8:00 a.m. before driving directly to Chattanooga. Having enjoyed a full day of Tennessee art at its best, guests will board the coach for the return home, arriving in Brentwood about 7:00 p.m. and in Nashville about 7:30 p.m.

The cost of the excursion is $45 for TAL and TN Watercolor Society members; $50 for nonmember guests of either organization. The cost includes motorcoach fare, admission to the Hunter Museum of American Art, snacks on the coach, all gratuities and a donation to the TN Watercolor Society. Reservations may be made by phone to TAL (615-736-5000) by credit card, by check (Tennessee Art League, 808 Broadway, Nashville, TN 37203; or in person at TAL’s office (Tuesday – Saturday, 10 – 4).  Reservations will be confirmed on a first-come-first served basis with receipt of full payment.

Reservations are non-refundable except for tour cancellation by TAL. For more information, contact George Anderjack or Aleen Hodge at 615-736-5000 or visit the website at <www.TennesseeArtLeague.org>

Citizens for Ft. Campbell will travel to Washington, D.C. this week to present post improvement projects to members of the Tennessee Congressional delegation.

The projects include a Tactical Athlete Training Facility, which will provide soldiers with a facility needed to ensure they are properly trained to carry out their mission. The project directly supports the Army’s Comprehensive Soldier Fitness Program, which is designed to strengthen physical readiness and build resilience. The other projects include the widening of Cole Road and SR911. Cole Road would be widened approximately one mile to three lanes from Highway 41A to Gate 7. SR911 would be widened approximately two miles to five lanes from Highway 41A to SR115.

The projects are itemized in the President’s Future Years Defense Plan. The focus of the trip is to move up the timeline and see these projects funded and completed sooner. The following community leaders will act as spokespersons for the group: Ben Kimbrough, Jack Turner, Bill Harpel, Jim Durrett, and James Chavez.

Chavez, Economic Development Council President & CEO, noted, “Ft. Campbell is integral to everything we do as a community. This trip gives us the opportunity to renew our commitment to the over 30,000 soldiers and 52,000 family members on post. Funding these projects will strengthen Ft. Campbell’s ability to provide quality facilities, support mental and physical well-being, and enhance deployment capabilities.”

Citizens for Fort Campbell is an effort of the Clarksville Area Chamber of Commerce and Hopkinsville Chamber of Commerce. Since 1997, Citizens for Fort Campbell has advocated for over $180 million in post improvement projects.

The 32nd Annual Queen City Road Race, to be held on May 2, features a 5K race, 5K team relay race and non-competitive One Mile Movement where participants can complete the mile any way they choose. The event is sponsor by the Clarksville Parks and Recreation Department and Cumberland Bank & Trust.

All races will begin and end at Governors Stadium on the campus of Austin Peay State University.

Entry fees are as follows:

• 5K/$20, an early bird rate valid through April 23. Race day fees are $25.
• 5K Relay/$25 per team before April 23. No late registrations accepted.
• One Mile Movement, $5.

Entry fee includes race t-shirt while supplies last.

Race Schedule: Sunday, May 2

• 12:30 p.m. — 5K Wheelchair/Handcycle Race
• 12:45 p.m. — 5K Relay
• 1 p.m. — 5K
• 1:30 p.m. — Group Stretch
• 2 p.m. — One Mile Movement
• 2:30 p.m. — Awards

Register online for this event.

The Clarksville-Montgomery County Chamber of Commerce will host Nashville Predators owner David Freeman at the April 20 Power Breakfast, to be held at 7:30 a.m. at the Riverview Inn, 50 College Street, in downtown Clarksville.

Freeman is a Knoxville economics graduate who spent more than ten years as a mergers and acquisitions attorney before starting a successful medical waste services company. In 2007, he sold the company and took a giant leap, joining with a group of local investors to buy the NHL’s Nashville Predators for $193 million.  Freeman will tell his story at the breakfast program.

Tickets are $20 for members, $25 for non-members. RSVP by Friday, April 16, to Melinda Shepard at (931) 245-4341 or melinda@clarksville.tn.us.

Montgomery County Commissioners, in a “quality of life” vote, approved  $400,000 for the acquisition of 50 acres on state Highway 149.   The land is destined to become RichEllen Park.

Commissioners also voted to establish a full time Parks and Recreation Director position, and will fund that position with  money designed for a Courts Complex director. The new position would then be funded in the 2010-11  fiscal year.  The County would apply $150,000 to the cost of the land and finance the balance of $250,000 in annual payments of $50,000 per year.

Montgomery County Commissioners on Monday passed new Animal Control regulations that will create more humane conditions for dogs across the county.  The Commissioners in a 14-7 vote passed legislation requiring that not dog be chained to a “fixed object” for more than 60 minutes.

With a 14-7 vote, commissioners approved a resolution that would require that dogs not be chained to a fixed object for more than 60 minutes. The vote followed a presentation of photos by Animal Control officers of a dog left tethered and seriously neglected. Existing law required that chained animals have access to food, water and shelter and that the area would be free of any items that might become entangled in a dogs chain.

The regulations prohibit dog owners from chaining pets to stationary objects for more than one hour, and instead recommends as an exception that dogs be tethered to in-ground cables with a swivel that allows 360-degree movement, or preferably, a “trolley” or cable system which also allows the dog more range of movement.

The Clarksville Street Department will begin picking up yard debris, leaves and limbs on March 22. This service will continue through April 16.

Yard debris, such as leaves must be placed in biodegradable paper bags and placed near the street. Tree limbs must be 4’ or less in length. The Street Department will not pick up limbs where a commercial company has pruned trees.

In order to have your yard debris picked up, you must contact the Clarksville Street Department at (931) 645-7464 between 7:00 A.M. and 3:30 P.M. Monday through Friday.