Official Home of Cool Springs TN
Below is a fantastic tribute video made in honor of Carol Birdsong, Communications Director for Williamson County Schools.
“Carol Birdsong is responsible for contacting all high school students in Williamson County, TN in the event that school is cancelled. In honor of her noble occupation, anonymous admirers dedicate this video. Please enjoy and share with the world!”
Lipscomb in Cool Springs
Lipscomb University will launch its first satellite campus in early 2012 as it opens a new facility in the Cool Springs area of Williamson County. University officials recently finalized a lease on a nearly 5,000-square-foot facility located at Cool Springs Boulevard and Aspen Grove Drive in the Thoroughbred Village III Professional Plaza.
The facility, which will be called “Spark,” is being designed to create an environment for innovative ideas in learning, business, faith and the community. A technology-rich facility, Spark will offer flexible space and innovative delivery systems for Lipscomb graduate, adult learning and certificate students as well as for corporations and community organizations in the area who are looking for a meeting venue that encourages fresh thinking.
“Spark represents the next generation of growth for the university as well as progressive thinking about education space. Spark is part of the university’s larger strategy to take innovative education and professional development opportunities to prospective participants in surrounding areas, offering them access to Lipscomb’s mission and purpose without them having to be physically located on our Nashville campus in Green Hills,” said Lipscomb President L. Randolph Lowry. “It will enable Lipscomb to expand its academic programming and offer a convenient option that echoes the programming on the Nashville campus to residents and businesses in the Williamson County area as well. This site allows us to promote and grow our existing programs into a new market and provide a much-needed service to this region.”
Last year, the College of Education began offering graduate education classes at Blackman High School in Murfreesboro and at Battle Ground Academy in Franklin and has tripled enrollment in those cohorts in just two years. The SPARK facility will be the first university-operated satellite campus.
Spark will be led by John Lowry, assistant professor of business at Lipscomb University, who will manage the day-to-day operations of the facility. Lowry, who helped establish Lipscomb’s recent programs in executive education, corporate training and an MBA fellowship program, will also continue to work on special projects for Lipscomb’s College of Business.
Lipscomb's John Lowry
“Our research has found that the demographics of Williamson County and the surrounding area make it one of the best counties in the country to offer graduate education. Fifty-two percent of people living in the vicinity of Spark have college degrees and tend to be younger and more affluent than average. Williamson County leaders are excited about Lipscomb University being a part of their community and partnering with us as we seek to serve its residents just as we have the Nashville community. This facility also benefits from the university’s experience in hosting numerous successful community and corporate events on Lipscomb’s main campus as it brings this new and innovative meeting space to Williamson County,” said John Lowry.
Williamson County leadership said they look forward to Lipscomb University’s presence in the county.
“Lipscomb’s presence here brings more opportunities for Williamson County residents to pursue higher education and all of the benefits that goes with it. Having more higher educational opportunities in the county along with an extremely strong public school system makes this an even more attractive place for families and businesses to move,” said Rogers Anderson, county mayor for Williamson County.
“This non-traditional, state-of-the-art campus in the heart of the Cool Springs business community will offer flexibility and convenience for those who need to pursue a degree program around a work schedule as well as an environment that will spark creative thinking for community and corporate groups using the facility. This is yet another example of how Lipscomb University is creating opportunities to serve the community,” said Cindi Parmenter, president of the Brentwood Cool Springs Chamber of Commerce.
The academic programming to be offered at Spark includes degree work from several colleges and institutes at the university. Most of those classes will take place in the evenings and on weekends. When the space is not being used for academics—primarily during the daytime—it will be open to businesses and organizations looking for off-site options for meetings and other events. Construction on Spark will begin in the next few weeks with anticipated completion in the spring.
Lipscomb’s new facility will be a multi-purpose space providing the physical capability to accommodate various learning needs. It will consist of three learning spaces, each accommodating 24 to 36 participants depending on group size needed. Walls may also be reconfigured to create one large space. The result is a flexible space for event and academic activities that can quickly accommodate a need as small as one-on-one meetings or as large as a 125-person lecture. Additional spaces include a catering kitchen, a workspace area, a video conferencing room and two conference rooms along with a pre-function entry space that can be branded to participant use and is designed to hospitably welcome students, professionals and visitors.
Severe Winter Expected in TN
When a major ice or winter storms hits Williamson County in the coming months, chances are high that a large number of office workers and employees in Cool Springs will be stuck in their car or at work, potentially overnight. Cool Springs and Brentwood combined has 3 million square feet MORE office space than downtown in Nashville Central Business District, which amounts to thousands of people trying to all get home at the same time in potentially hazardous conditons.
We spoke with Brentwood based Disaster Survival & Preparedness Consultant Deborah Elder for advice and tips for Cool Springs area residents and employees. Elder spoke with a representative for the Tennessee Emergency Management Association about a recent Winter Weather Exercise they completed in anticipation of the severe La Nina winter weather.
Elder said, “Another La Nina winter this year has TEMA expecting major ice storms for the whole state of Tennessee. It’s important that people in Williamson County take a few easy steps to ensure they are prepared if stranded in a vehicle or at work”.
TEMA strongly urges everyone to be prepared to operate on your own for at least 12 to 24 hours.
Here are some of their recommendations:
• Do not let your vehicle gas tank get down below ½ tank – many people were stranded on the interstate last winter because they ran out of gas trying to get home.
• Check your vehicle tires – do not drive on bald tires. TDOT found that bald tires were a major contributing factor to 80% of accidents last winter.
• Develop a communications plan with your family members outlining check in pinots and should someone get lost you will at least have some knowledge of where they were the last time you talked to them.
• Keep emergency supplies in your car at all times. Last year many people were stuck on the roads in 10º-12º weather for 6-9 hours without any emergency supplies.
Items you should pack in your car:
o Pair boots – in case you have to walk
o Hat, gloves & extra socks
o Hand & Feet Warmers
o Couple bottles of water
o Energy bars and/or snacks
o Flashlights or glow sticks
o De-icer
o Small Shovel
Even if you get stuck at the office overnight in Cool Springs you will at least have some emergency supplies nearby.
Check here for additional severe winter weather preparation tips.
Williamson County TN Home
NASHVILLE—A call for participants for the 2012 Charity Tour of Homes is being issued by the Master Custom Builders Council of Tennessee providing a unique building opportunity with huge savings and free products for folks involved in the Middle Tennessee area home tour next year benefiting a local charitable organization.
On the left is a completed home in Stockett Creek in Williamson County, built by W. Hugh Nelson Builders, will be one of the participating homes in the 2012 Charity Tour of Homes presented by Pella Windows & Doors.
With a June 30 deadline, Bryan Edwards, Charity Tour of Homes chairman and president of Hugh-Edwards Builders, said building on their inaugural 2010 tour, the 2012 tour, presented by Pella Windows & Doors, is a unique opportunity for people planning to build a custom home.
“As industry leaders, the Master Custom Builders Council of Tennessee was thrilled to help reinvigorate the home-building industry with seven, stunning homes participating in last year’s charitable event. The premier home tour attracted almost 8,000 visitors and resulted in donations of $17,800 invested back into our community through numerous worthy, non-profit organizations,” Edwards said. “For participants in the 2012 tour, we have an even larger number of national and local vendors providing huge building savings from windows, roofing, lumber and insulation to free Kohler products, lighting and 55% off Thermador appliances. All of this information is presented in a concise vendor book given to home owners.”
The call for participants is currently underway through June 30, 2011. Information is available with success stories of the 2010 tour available via Facebook at Master Custom Builders Council of TN. Edwards said the Charity Tour of Homes has a uniform plan for discounts and free products available in an over 100-page vendor book.
“People can build at home sites across the mid-state area and qualify for huge building discounts and free building products all thoroughly detailed in our vendor book. There are incredible discounts from national and local vendors. It is a very transparent process and those building see the discounts immediately with the home owner getting the discount instead of the builder,” Edwards said.
The Master Custom Builders Council of Tennessee was founded in 2008 as an elite group of builders leveraging their resources to provide cost savings and increase services for home owners. The Charity Tour of Homes was established by the council as a means to give back to the community while helping invigorate the economy with new home building interest.
The Master Custom Builders Council of Tennessee is an elite group of the finest custom-home builders in the mid-state sharing a deep passion for their craft and for providing their clients the finest in custom, residential construction. Originally brought together to leverage their buying power and cost savings for clients, the group established the Charity Tour of Homes in 2010 with proceeds benefiting seven, community non-profit organizations. For more information and a complete listing of council members, visit www.customhomesnashville.com
Downtown Franklin TN
The Town & Country Tour of Homes in Williamson County is Saturday & Sunday (June 4 & 5) with 8 fabulous properties on tour with six being in Historic Downtown Franklin, and two in the “Country”. We have Docents at homes to help show guests the home/property and share information. This is a wonderful tour that showcases Franklin and Williamson County. There are five private homes, Backstage Tours of the Franklin Theatre, a rare opportunity to tour the Masonic Lodge, and a Private Grand Opening for a new home and garden shop on Main Street!
We have a few openings available and you will receive a complimentary ticket to the Tour worth $25.
Here are the shifts:
Saturday, June 4 9:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Saturday, June 4 12:45 to 5 p.m.
Sunday, June 5 12:30 p.m. to 5 p.m.
If you are interested in volunteering (and haven’t already), please do the following by Friday, May 27 at 5 p.m.:
1. Select a day and shift
2. Respond to this email with your name, cell number and email address.
I will then let you know what home is available and put you in touch with the House Chair for that particular home.
We appreciate your consideration!
IF YOU HAVEN’T PURCHASED TICKETS YET, YOU MAY DO SO BY:
1. CALLING US AT 591.8500, Ext. 18,
2. VISITING OUR OFFICE AT THE FIVE POINTS POST OFFICE, OR
3. THROUGH OUR WEBSITE AT WWW.HISTORICFRANKLIN.COM
This tour is going to be fabulous, for just $3.12 per site, you may see the inside of these beautiful homes in Franklin TN.
Visit the www.historicfranklin.com to view the sites!
Vince Gill & Amy Grant
Golf enthusiasts might like to know Westhaven Golf Club is hosting the Celebrity Scramble Golf tournament, Monday April 25, benefiting Bridges Domestic Violence Center in Williamson County.
Vince Gill, Amy Grant, Larry Stewart and Bob Mueller are all teeing off in this year’s Scramble at Westhaven Golf Club near Cool Springs, TN. Also attending this worthwhile event are Tracy Lawrence, Marty Roe, Henry Cho, Bryan White, Rick Byrd, Steve Azar and Mark Miller. In 2010, over 100 golfers in 21 teams enjoyed a full day of golf on one of Nashville’s finest golf courses and raised $24,000 for victims of domestic violence. This year’s event is looking to be even better! The entry fee covers all lunch, dinner, beverages, contests and prizes. The all inclusive cost for this great event is just $150.
A Vintage Affair is the title sponsor for this year’s Scramble, they are a prominent nonprofit organization that supports programs that improve the well-being of women and children in Williamson County, TN. Last year, the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit at Williamson Medical Center, Mercy Children’s Clinic, My Friends House, and the Williamson County Library Foundation were all beneficiaries of A Vintage Affair.
Call Bridges Domestic Violence Center at 615-714-0150 for more information.
Westhaven Golf Club
1001 Westhaven Blvd.
Franklin, TN 37064
Williamson County, TN
Below is a letter from the newly formed Williamson County Taxpayers Coalition to citizens and taxpayers in Williamson County, TN. In response to concerns regarding controversial Williamson County School rezonings and fiscal accountability to the taxpayers of Williamson County, Cool Springs citizens formed the coalition. The stated purpose of the Williamson County Taxpayers Coalition is to educate and communicate for both taxpayers and public officials.
From Williamson County Taxpayers Coalition:
“Let us never forget that government is ourselves and not an alien power over us.
The ultimate rulers of our democracy are not a President and senators and congressman and government officials, but the voters of this country.
—Franklin D. Roosevelt, Speech Marietta, Ohio 7/8/38
Dear Concerned Taxpayers -
First a thank you is in order. Jennifer and I are so humbled by the response we have received to our founding of this Coalition. In addition, last week we posted a story about what Kristen and Jennifer experienced this last month and you have responded with such great support. Thank you!
Please realize that this Coalition is not something Jennifer and Kristen do for any other reason than a passion to help the citizens of this county have a voice. But, we cannot do this alone. There are a few people who help us often, and others who help once and a while, but to make this a raving success we need more. We need your active membership. This website is to be the voice for Williamson County Taxpayers. From our experience and observations during the rezoning, we saw a need to have a resource which provides an accumulation of information in one place; a forum for discussion and debate and a platform on which to bring certain causes to light through the sheer power of the number of members. Jennifer and I have set a goal to create that source of information and we hope that our website can be used to educate and communicate for both the taxpayer and public officials alike. We do not want this to be the voice of a few, but the voice of MANY. Jennifer and I want your feedback, ideas and comments – really we do!
What can you do?
• Forward this to your friends and neighbors, tell them to join the Coalition.
• Join the forum and start posting!!! (while the forum is part of the coalition, the forum is separate page from the Coalition website, go to the forum.)
• Join us on Facebook. (use the link, or search Williamson County Taxpayers Coalition)
• Volunteer your time to attend meetings – if everyone attends one we can get them covered, find your topic of choice and go!
• Volunteer your time to research topics.
• Write or blog commentary – you don’t need to be a reporter, you just need to have an opinion.
NOW onto CURRENT ISSUES:
There are several important County issues to be decided by our elected Commissioners in the next months. Not only are they discussing the budgets and if we need a tax increase, but they will also be voting on a debt cap resolution. As a citizen, it is our responsibility to get educated and then communicate our thoughts and feelings to our elected officials. How can they know how to best vote FOR the people, if the people don’t get involved and let them know?
POTENTIAL TAX INCREASE:
The Commission will have their monthly meeting on February 14, 2011 at 7 p.m. and will discuss the need for a potential tax increase. They have invited the School Board to attend.
Do you plan to attend? Will you get a chance to speak?
Do you think the Commission, the Mayor or the School Board
have any idea what it is you think they should do?
Make your thoughts and opinions known – POST ON THE FORUM!
This forum is created solely for the taxpayers to post and discuss their viewpoints.
• This forum may be viewed without logging in, but you must register and log-in to post comments.
• Your name and e-mail ARE NOT shown on the forum. You make up your own user name.
• We only ask you start your post by stating your district number. Officials have asked us to request this so they may know if you are in their district or not.
• Public officials would like to see your commentary.
This is a great way to lift your voice! Don’t miss your chance. This is a chance for the People to guide those you elected to make the decisions you wish them to make. This is how we have government of the people, for the people and by the people.
OTHER IMPORTANT UPDATES:
• Commissioner Ryan introduced a Debt Cap Resolution (click on link to see resolution pdf on the website)to the Rules Committee on January 31, 2011. There are 6 commissioners on this sub-committe and the vote was tied, 3-3. This resolution now goes before the full commission at the next monthly commission meeting (2/14) for vote. It can only pass with 2/3′s majority vote. Please educate yourself on this resolution and then let your commissioners know how you feel. Our county is 1/2 BILLION dollars in debt. Yes – that is a half a billion! This is VERY IMPORTANT. We have posted an article from the Tennessean discussing the State of Tennessee’s suggestion that counties create debt caps. As we research, we will post more information. Please help us, send us what you find! Send to info@wctaxpayers.com
• Commissioner Kathy Danner is on a quest for cost saving ideas to be submitted from the public (see Commissioner Kathy Danner’s e-mail on the website). Send her an e-mail, KathyD@Williamson-Tn.org, and send those ideas to us AND post it on the forum. We are accumulating suggestions on our Potential Tax Increase page. Posting them on the forum will give the commissioners a chance to see how the public views the idea.”
Downtown Franklin Theatre
Just outside Cool Springs, Main Street in Downtown Franklin will close at 4 p.m. this Saturday, Jan. 29, from Fourth Avenue to Five Points for the Franklin Theatre marquee lighting ceremony.
Starting at 4 p.m., many of the businesses in the block with the Franklin Theatre at 419 Main Street are participating in the celebration.
The Heritage Foundation’s Next Generation group of members, who are members ages 21-40, are underwriting $100,000 of the cost of the marquee. Their members will be helping to pour the champagne in the shops and handing out free popcorn on Main Street for the lighting ceremony. The Heritage Foundation of Franklin and Williamson County has raised more than $6 million in private donations to purchase and restore the theater.
Among the shops in the 400 block that are serving a champagne toast inside the stores from 4 to 5 p.m. are: Avec Moi, Bathos, Bob Parks Realty, Bink’s Outfitters, Dion’s Salon, The Heirloom Shop, Serendipity Skincare, Shoppes on Main, Vue Optique, Walton’s Estate Jewelry, Whats-In-Store and Yarrow Acres.
Participants will be asked to enjoy their champagne toasts inside the stores and not on the street to comply with the law. Children are invited to enjoy the celebration with special refreshments for them at Main Street Toys.
Downtown restaurants and bars are also celebrating the return of the marquee on Main with drink and dinner specials this Saturday: McCreary’s Irish Pub from 3 to 6 p.m. will have 2-for-1 draught beer and $2 off house wine.
55 South and the Red Pony have created a Marquee Martini (mandarin vodka, St. Germaine liqueur, Chambourd and a splash of champagne) for $9.50 with some proceeds Friday and Saturday going to the theater.
Puckett’s Grocery & Restaurant: Buy one cocktail, get one at a 1937 price. This includes the Marquee Martini, the Main Street Manhattan, Old Fashioneds, and Champagne Cocktails. Puckett’s also has a dinner special for the occasion.
Mellow Mushroom will have red hot Fireball cinnamon shots from 4 to 6 p.m. for $3.
Downtown Franklin TN
A brief ceremony starts at 5 p.m. in front of the Franklin Theatre at 419 Main Street, then the lights come on. Main Street will reopen to vehicle traffic shortly after the lighting.
The Franklin Theatre is expected to be open for business in late spring or early summer 2011. It will show movies every week and will be a venue for music and events.
Major donors of the Downtown Franklin Theatre project include Cal Turner, Emily Magid and Charlie Martin.
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