No Soliciting

I can’t remember if I’ve posted this on here before, but I wanted to make sure that everyone knows La Vergne’s rules regarding door to door solicitation.

Anyone who comes to your door to sell something, either for profit or for charity, has to have a permit that can be obtained at city hall. I don’t have an electronic copy, but it is a full 8 1/2 X 11 page with information on who they are and what they are selling. If someone comes to your door unexpectedly to sell something, ask them to show their permit. If they are unwilling to show this, just close the door. Even if they have a permit that doesn’t mean you have to buy, but it does mean they are legit. If you get someone who has no permit, call the police (not 9-1-1, but 615-793-7744). I have people selling pest control, security alarms, and satellite dishes knock on my door all the time and until recently I had no idea these people had to have a permit. I think most do, but this should help eliminate a lot of door knockers…

As far as school kids selling in the neighborhood, I think technically they are required to have a permit, but if little suzy is selling candy bars for Rock Springs and she’s accompinied by an adult, I’m not call the possie on her.

Also, another random comment. Occasionally people will post comments on old posts and administrators see old posts so I’ll often catch them. ChefEleni is a caterer whose been in town for 4 years and she’s looking for an affordable place to open a sit-down restaurant in our town. If anyone has any idea’s of a good, affordable location, she would appreciate the input.

Seriously Y’All, I am SO Proud

Update:  Here’s the link to the DNJ’s story in today’s paper. 

I know we posted about Cedar Grove’s PTO winning the the BEST PTO in the nation earlier, but I have to say it again and again.  I am so incredibly proud of the school!  This is a HUGE, big deal!  From my personal experience, serving in any capacity on a PTO board takes a lot of work, dedication, and love.  And that this school – which serves students living in both LaVergne and Smyrna – was recognized with this national honor is just enough to make me gush.

Click here to see Some Geek in Tennessee’s site showing video of the award presentation.  I watched the video and got choked up from the excitement and joy that I saw in that school!  (Video by fellow blogger who is husband of PTO board member)

Here’s the write up from the Daily News Journal.  There will be another big write-up in tomorrow’s Smyrna A.M. and I’ll link it here when published.

There is no reason whatsoever that all of our LaVergne schools shouldn’t aspire to receive this award.  We do have very talented teachers and administrators, and with parental support like the families of Cedar Grove, all of our schools can do great things!  CONGRATULATIONS again to Cedar Grove Elementary School!

I’d love to see LaVergne and Smyrna go in together for welcome to the Smyrna/LaVergne communities: Home of the BEST PTO IN THE COUNTRY.  And then Smyrna can also have some signs made for their football championship.

Good Job, LaVergne Police!

A big THANK YOU to the LaVergne police this morning! Anyone who has or has had kids at LaVergne Primary know taking your kids to school in the mornings is a dicey proposition, if you’re all about following the law. You have to turn right into the school between two businesses, and there are always people flying up the side of the road, trying to avoid traffic. This is seriously dangerous.

Fortunately, the police were out there this morning ticketing people who do this. What I found especially amusing was seeing a motorcycle flying up the side of the road, who saw the police and got back in the line of traffic. He was pulled over anyway. Awesome.

Call me naive, but I think the police will be able to get a handle on the crime situation in LaVergne, provided the city gives them the funds needed to hire and train more officers, and pay the officers we already have a decent wage. I have met Ted Boyd in the past and he seems to be badass enough to be able to pull this off.

I’d like to urge the city to find the money to adequately fund the police force. I’d also like to urge the city to pass an ordinance against loitering in the streets. Several of our commenters have talked about groups of teens congregating in the streets, making people afraid to walk in the neighborhoods. I know on my own street there have been problems with this.

If an ordinance was passed against loitering in the streets, we citizens could call the police and these groups could be broken up and sent home. To the citizens of LaVergne and commenters on this site- please, call the police any time you see the law being broken. One commenter said they saw people smoking pot on the street corner and selling drugs. Call the police. Get this stopped. You don’t have to give your name when you call.

There are far more law abiding citizens in LaVergne than there are lawbreakers. We should not have to be afraid. Be like the cranky old lady who calls the police at the drop of the hat. Eventually, the lawbreakers will decide to move somewhere else, instead of all the good people moving somewhere else, which is happening right now. Let’s take back our neighborhood.

Survey Says! Read More Blogs!

UPDATE:  I guess the city didn’t like our linking to it because they took down the survey. Not only did they take down the survey, they took it completely off their poll findings site.  Our city at work.

I grabbed a couple of minutes here at work to look at some stats on this hunky-dorrey blog and saw that someone found us by running the search LaVergne blogs.  The third or fourth link down had a poll on the city’s web page called “Do you read LaVergne blogs?”  It made me smile.  Go take the poll right here!

Cedar Grove PTO BEST IN NATION

From Some Geek in Tennessee:

The Cedar Grove PTO was selected by PTO Today as the 2007 National Parent Group of the Year!  The PTO Today will formally recognize the the Cedar Grove PTO at the school on Tuesday, but the Tennessean article should appear in tomorrow’s paper. As this year’s winners, the PTO will receive $3000 in school supplies and an additional $10,000 in cash for the school. I’m hoping it’s in the form of one of those giant checks because I’ve always wanted to see what happens when you deposit one of those.

This is fantastic news for our LaVergne and Smyrna communities.  Our proud congratulations to Cedar Grove and its PTO!

Can You Spell C.R.I.M.I.N.A.L.?

Arrests have been made in the recent drive-by shootings in Lake Forest Estates, according to the Daily News Journal.  First, I want to say thank you to the police officers who investigated the crime and quickly found and arrested the culprits. 

The people arrested are juveniles.  Kids.  It breaks my heart to know that children make the decisions to get guns, load them, then aim and fire at a home, thereby putting the people who live there and in the neighborhood in terrible danger.  And in their minds, it’s perfectly okay to do this.  Now I have one daughter who is completely stubborn and I can see where my husband and I will have to do a lot of parenting as she grows up.  But that’s the point.  Why aren’t these parents seeing that their children are focusing on school (e.g., spelling, math, science, etc.) rather than giving them free rein to try to terrorize a neighborhood?  Are they lazy?  Are they too busy with work and other children?  Or do they just not know what to do.  My guess is that’s the answer is all of the above.

I love watching Supernanny on TV and it always amazes me that the parents really don’t know how to show that they are in charge.  Once they learn HOW to parent, the kids seems to thrive.  So here’s what I’m thinking.  Instead of pointing fingers (well deserved for the family who was OKAY with their child being in a gang and yes, they should also be charged), maybe the city can partner with the schools to hold classes for parents and students on recognizing signs of gang activity in your child and how to say no.  I mean, “Just say no.”  Right.  That’s kind of simplistic when kids face such peer pressure.  What can we do to alter the mindset that you need to be tough and being smart is shameful?  If parents won’t come to meetings (and as a past president of PTO I know they won’t), send home a list of signs of gang activity.  Mail the list.  Provide it online.  Put up a billboard.  Make it so that parents can’t avoid reading it.  And publish what the penalties would be for being convicted of specific crimes.  Give them the brutal facts.

And if all that doesn’t work … well …. I hear the military needs more troops.

Hindsight is 20:20

I’m curious.  With hindsight being 20:20 and if you had the $$$ …. would you move to La Vergne again if it was in a neighborhood that didn’t have drive-by shootings, vandalism, arson, etc. going on?

Because we do have a lot of positive things going on:  good schools with great teachers and administrators, mostly good neighbors, some positive growth (read Dominos).  So would you?

Don’t Scrimp on the Inspection

I’m going to get totally off all subjects previously discussed and talk about something that’s neither here nor there.  I want to give a shout out to a home inspector who does spectacular work. 

Howard Schultz is a LaVergne resident who owns a WIN Home Inspection franchise in our area.  He has done numerous home inspections for my clients and has most definitely protected many many buyers from walking into problems.  He also does septic health inspections to be sure the system is properly functioning (crappy job!  sorry, but couldn’t resist!).  If you are thinking about buying a home, be sure to get it inspected – and I’m talking about NEW and EXISTING homes.  It’s well worth it!  Give Howard a call if you have any questions about what an inspection entails at 287-3141.

And now we return to our regularly scheduled programming.

Hey!  Anyone have any ideas for the next DNJ column? 

Police Substations Possible

Update:  Here’s the link to the DNJ article.  Do you remember when reader Mark suggested we use some of these foreclosed homes to set up a neighborhood police sub-station?  According to tomorrow’s Daily News Journal and Channel 5 News tonight, I think our city is listening!!! 

Police Chief Boyd said he is working to open a 24 hour station in the heart of Lake Forest.  Channel 5 Reporter LaCheryl Tucker said, “To help deter crime, the police department plans to open a substation in the community, but authorities say it will take more than extra manpower to get things under control.” 

They cut to Chief Boyd, “These parents are going to have to step up. Parents are going to have to be involved with their kids more and have more control over their kids.”

Then Ms. Tucker said for the substation to open, it “has to receive funding from the city to do so and this comes at a time the department is strapped for cash.”

KUDOS to the police department and city officials who approve this!  FIND THE MONEY.

Here We Go Again

Just sigh.

Police investigating drive by shooting in LaVergne