Twirl!

My daughter is in the Parade Corps of the Tennessee Twirlers, and I just learned that they’ll be in the parade for Old Timer’s Day.  In addition, we’ll have a booth while there so some of the twirlers can show their moves like the “one spin” “two spin” and others.  I wish they were old enough to do fire baton!!

If you want more information about enrolling your daughter (or son!) in baton twirling, there’s a weekly class right here in LaVergne.  Read more about The Tennessee Twirlers here.

What are your plans for Old Timer’s Day?  Business booth?  Parade watcher?  Skipping it?

My friend Rocket sent me this addictive game.

I played once and the husband already complained about the Baaaa’ing.  Great way to annoy your co-workers! 

Have fun!

I had never heard of this program until my friend Gunner wrote about it on This is Smyrna, but they are looking for host families in Smyrna and I suspect if you pass the screening process, they’ll also accept LaVergne families.

From the FRESH AIR folks,

Please host a child or help us get the word out that we need folks who can welcome a child from the city into their homes next month.  One last thing that is actually very important. We are looking for families who want to extend an invitation to a 9-12 year old. We really need more families who want older children and boys.

Interested?  Call Angie at 1 (800) 367-0003 or (212) 897-8900.  She can also be emailed at angie@freshair.org.

The founders of Green LaVergne are planning to meet on Sunday at 2′ish (2:00, 2:30 whenever you can get there) at WillStan’s Grille to talk about future projects.  Gina says,

… we can all bring our ideas to a common table while under air conditioning. If we get all of our “ducks in a row” as a group, maybe something amazing will be the result.

Come one, come all!  We’d love to see some citizen participation in our efforts to make LaVergne “The Green” (although La Vert is really “the green” in French)!

It’s the little things.

I am heading out of town for several days (taking Girl Scouts to Pigeon Forge, God help me), so I’m leaving this in the dependable hands of Ivy, Chip, M., MichaelinLV, and other authors who want to pop in and say hello!

Meanwhile, what’s on your mind LaVergne?  I’ve been kind of upset to hear about Officer Tartt not being told whether he has a job or not, nor being given light duty while he recovers from this devastating illness.  Also I’m still horrified about the incident a few days ago by the so-called “Dad”… I don’t want to be graphic right here because this impression of LaV will certainly give all of us a black eye. 

Who’s ready for school to start in a couple of weeks?  Anyone have anything else?

Here’s the story: http://www.dnj.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080715/NEWS07/80714050

So from what I’ve gathered, Jeremy Moore was the head basketball coach at LHS and George Hockenberry is an Assistant Principal. Moore filed a complaint against George Hockenberry following “a verbal altercation”. More quits and guess who is named interim head coach? Why none other than Hockenberry’s son Bill Hockenberry!!!

So the article says they interviewed 4 adults (wow, that’s a serious investigation) and no one could backup Moore’s story.  I don’t know who’s right and who’s wrong, but I know it looks bad when you’ve got an altercation between a coach and an administrator, and once all has died down the administrator’s son takes the coach’s job. By the way, the son is only 22. He could not possibly be qualified to take over a 5A basketball program.

Ok, the son Bill Hockenberry is currently only interim head coach, but who wants to make a bet that he is named full time head coach soon? Coach Moore may have been wrong and George Hockenberry may be right, but by naming his son interim head coach, this just stinks of corruption.

This isn’t directly related to La Vergne proper, but since the school is (barely) within city limits I thought it would make good news here.

Officer Tartt was doing a benchpress last January and felt a strange pull. When he went to the doctor, he learned he needed surgery and after the operation, his left leg doubled in size.  He had developed blood clots and is now taking medication to thin his blood in preparation of more surgery.  Though his blood hasn’t thinned quite enough, the surgery must move forward.  This Wednesday, July 16th, he is again going under the knife.

Officer Tartt needs the support of this community and I am writing to implore you to help.

I just spoke with Officer Tartt and at this point, he isn’t sure he even has a job with the City of LaVergne*.   He was cleared for “light duty” but was told they have no light duty positions available.  

The good people at the First Baptist Church and the parish of St. Luke Catholic Church have helped him and his 15-year old daughter Sondrea by providing the family with food.  Meanwhile, the money raised several months ago was applied toward his medical bills which Officer Tartt greatly appreciates.  In the interim, though, his short-term disability is about to expire and he doesn’t know if he’ll be given long-term disability.  And he and his daughter still need to find a way to pay utilities, rent, and buy food.

If you can make a food or monetary donation, please call Officer Tartt at 573-1662.  If you prefer, you may contact me by email at kathy (at) bobparks (dot) com and we can make arrangements to get your donation to him.

If you can’t make a donation of money or food, I ask that you offer some prayers for someone who has worked hard to look out for the safety of those of us who live here.

*Come on LaVergne!  What’s is wrong with you that you can’t tell a man if he has a job or not?!  Have the kahunas compassion to let the man know his employment situation, for crying out loud.

Do your own wordle!

The reports from Lake Forest are this- last night starting about 9 PMish, the police were sighted walking around on foot with flashlights. This escalated over time until there were at least 6 police cars in this area and a helicopter with a spotlight around midnight. I received reports from people in the area that 1. The police were looking for someone named “Willie” and 2. Someone with long hair was arrested and put into the back of a police car at the corner of Ardee and Bill Stewart.

Unfortunately, I cannot find anything on the news about this. Does anyone know what happened?

EDIT: This is what I have from a source who works for a local news outlet:

“woman called cops after man raped her daughter in their home. Police caught him in the woods in Forest Acres.”

More as I find it.

EDIT 2: Here’s a link to a news story about it.

I’ve had but one run-in - if you will - with the LaVergne police.  And it wasn’t really a run-in per se.  I was flagged down for going 20-25′ish (I don’t remember now) in that 15 MPH zone as you cross the railroad bridge on Jefferson.  The considerate, wonderful officer just gave me a friendly “slow down” and sent me on my way.   I was very impressed that I received a warning and not a ticket and have loved our PD ever since!

I am finally sitting in front of my computer long enough this afternoon to cruise to my usual favorite online sites and found this article in the Daily News Journal, Officers interact with citizens on beat.

When the weather is nice, he spends his shift driving around the subdivision checking with residents to make sure there are no problems in the neighborhood. If there are, it’s his job to find the person or persons causing them.

The article went on to say that the police substation in Lake Forest is still planned, but they’re STILL waiting for water, electric, and paving to be done.  What the heck, LaV?  Maybe we should put some of these developers in charge of these last details because God knows they can put up a house in *394 seconds flat.

I think we have a phenomenal police force and am very pleased to see this type of grassroots work.

By the way, how is Officer Tartt?  Any more benefits planned?  Where can we donate if we can?

*Perhaps I exaggerate a tad.