Update: December 2, 2011

Good Evening MJ:

On this absolutely beautiful late Fall day, here’s a few items of interest from around your city:

CHRISTMAS PARADE!!! Tomorrow (Saturday, 3 December). If you are marching or riding on a float, make sure you are at the starting area, behind the West Wilson Middle School. The parks and Rec Team will start forming up as early as 0700, with a cut off at 0930. At last report we had nearly 80 floats. By the time we add marching groups, there will be well over 100 elements in the parade, a new record. Remember, Wilson County’s own Country Music Star Gretchen Wilson will be our 2012 Grand Marshal. The weather is gonna be great, and Santa has an MJ date, so see you there.

Are you in the pet business? Vet care? Boarding? Animal food? If the answer is yes, then consider an opportunity to hang your business sign on the fence of the MJ Bark Park. The Bark Park has been a phenomenal success, with an active group of clientele using the area year round. What a great way to advertise your business or product to hundreds, for a full year, at just a fraction of the cost of a few newspaper ads. For more info, call Tina at City Hall, 754-2552. Get your orders in now to have your sign up early next year.

Speaking of those in the pet industry, there’s a relatively new “in home” pet care service, ”Small Joys”, to commend to our Nixle subscribers. The MJ-based proprietor, Michelle, provides “creature comforts” to your dog or cat, right from your home, at a very reasonable rate. She comes highly recommended and will work with you to provide your furry friend with the best possible care. Need a professional to watch Fido or Fluffy during the holidays? Call 969-8108 or email smalljoys@comcast.net. While on the subject of new businesses, here’s a few that just opened or are on the drawing board for the next few months. Accurate Auto Body is up and running from their Industrial Road location. I met with the GM, Jason, and they are off to a solid start, and come highly recommended. The Murphy Oil station at Paddocks is progressing well. Prospects look like they’ll be open by mid February. Notice the progress of the medical complex at the Old Elementary School property site; they are on track for a late summer opening. McDonald’s on the south end of town is looking to break ground in February. The Shoppes at Faulkner Landing are open or will be in the next few weeks; Academy Sports is on the Planning Commission agenda for 15 December; White Castle is close to making an announcement regarding their Paddocks site; Longhorn Steak House is scheduled for the January Planning Committee; and ground for an Ascend Credit Union, in the Paddock’s, should be moving early next year; and one of MJ’s most anticipated “fine dining” establishments, ”Jonathan’s Grille” is close to moving earth any day now. As an FYI, from July to November of Fiscal Year 2012, 116 business licenses were issues; a phenomenal number for a city our size. Remember: Shop MJ First!

Want to market your church/social group initiative? Let us know and we can discuss, a blog / Nixle note. For info, call Tina or Travis at 754-2552.

Remember, Darlene and I will be hosting a farewell reception at the Charlie Daniels Rec Center on Saturday, 17 December, starting at 7 p.m. The community is invited and light refreshments will be served. If you plan to attend please RSVP to City Hall (754-2552) so we’ll have plenty of food. I hope to see you there.

Nearly 40 animals are quartered in the MJ Animal Shelter today . . . think how a new pet would be such a wonderful and lasting Christmas gift. Stop by and see what’s available, or just look at the description and pixs on the Shelter’s section of the city’s homepage (http://www.cityofmtjuliet.org/). I’d also like to pay special thanks the volunteers we recognized this week who have each donated 200 hours or more to our Shelter. Our own Trish Morgan logged in over 400 hours in serving the Shelter, while Tanya Beadles was recognized as the Volunteer of the Year. We could not do what needs to be done without the tremendous support and efforts of a dedicated cadre of this small group of volunteers. Interested in making a difference in your city and for an animal? Email Jon Gray, our Volunteer Coordinator, at Pastorjongray@aol.com What a great resolution to make for 2012!

Calling all MJ school leaders: Free Breakfast, Wednesday, 7 December, starting at 0700, in the basement of City Hall. Principals, VP’s, guidance counselors, and interested “others” are all invited. Come hear the latest update from City Hall that pertains to our schools. We’ll have you headed back to the classroom by 0800. If you haven’t already RSVP’d, call Sharon at 754-2552, ext 204.

We’ll be unveiling a small monument to our Animal Shelter and its volunteers on Monday, at the MJ Animal Shelter, at 3:00 p.m. The monument was made possible through the kind donation of area residents Mr. and Mrs. Joe Robertson. All are invited.

A final note. Here’s a memory jogger for those seasoned Nashvillian’s out there. Remember the synchronized piano music at the dancing water fountains at the Opryland Hotel? Remember the fabulous piano skills of Liberace? Well, Vince Cardell, an area resident, was the man who played with Liberace and did the Opryland concerts. In October, Vince was involved in a serious auto accident. The good news is Vince came thought nearly unscratched, but Frank Scarcello, an MJ resident, who, as we understand, stopped to help Vince on that dark, rainy night, was severely injured in the rescue attempt. Vince, who has played shows across globe and regularly performs in Las Vegas, has graciously agreed to sponsor a benefit concert for Frank and the PD/first responders who came to his aid. Mark your calendar for a “Christmas Concert in the Round with Vince Cardell”, on Sunday, 18 December, at 2 p.m., at the Charlie Daniels Rec Center. For an hour, this famous pianist will tickle the ivories with seasonal and personal favorites, with all proceeds from the door ($5 per ticket) and sales of his albums going to the Frank Scarcello Medical Fund and our own first responders. Seating will be limited to the first 250. Thanks Vince for your wonderful gesture to a Good Samaritan and a truly unique Christmas gift to our community. For more info call the MJ Parks Department at 758-6522. Please share this with your friends and family.

That’s about all for now. See you along Mt. Juliet Road tomorrow to welcome Santa. Take care and God Bless.

R. Robertson

Update: November 3, 2011

Good Evening MJ:

Here’s some notes and updates on this rainy Thursday afternoon:

Update on Marty (aka “Pops”) Martin: Marty is recovering well at Centennial Hospital from open heart surgery (5 by passes). He asked that we let everyone know how much he appreciated the cards, calls and prayers. If all goes well he should be released in the next couple days and start rehab. We are inviting all to sign a banner to "Pops." Just drop by City Hall tomorrow between 9:30 and 4:00 to extend him your written best wishes.

While we have a wonderful community, MJ is certainly not immune to the wave of synthetic drug use sweeping large segments of the nation. Synthetic marijuana is an extremely dangerous drug marketed towards children and young adults. It is manufactured with various unknown chemicals which mimic the effect of marijuana. The city has a zero tolerance policy in regards to the sale, possession or manufacture of any drugs or narcotics, and this week arrested a merchant selling synthetic marijuana. Anyone with any information regarding criminal drug activity is encouraged to call the Mt. Juliet Police Department at (615) 754-2550. Information can also be given anonymously by calling (615) 754-TIPS (8477) or via the Mt. Juliet Police Department website at http://www.mjpd.org/ .

We’ve started an initiative where local animal related businesses can advertise at the MJ Bark Park. The Bark Park has been a big success, with far more utilization than we anticipated. If you are one of these businesses or know of one (e.g., vets, food stores, pet groomers, etc.) and want to market your store with a large group of local clientele, call Tina at City Hall, 754-2552 (ext 254) for details. For less than the cost of one newspaper ad, your sign will be prominently displayed for an entire year.

Elzie Patton Elementary School will hold an Expo bazaar on Saturday, 5 November, from 9a.m. to 4 p.m. Come join over 60 vendors, craftsman, artisans, and businesses for a jump on your holiday shopping. For more info call Beth Ruble at 773-9630.

Congratulations to MJHS Principal Mel Brown and his Team for their recent recognition as the best academic high school in the state. Wow, what an honor!

On a final note, Veterans Day will be this coming Friday (11 November), and City Hall will be closed. After nearly a decade of war, we ask all citizens to take a few moments next Friday to contemplate on the service and sacrifices our veterans have made in preserving our freedoms. There will be a special Veterans Day 30 Mile Walk, on the 11^th, beginning at the Legislative Plaza in Downtown Nashville at 5:30 a.m. and ending in Lebanon Square at 5:00 p.m. This will be the 3^rd year for this growing event, honoring our brave uniformed personnel who have given so much for each of us. For more info call Mr. Jim Retzke at 892-9060. Hooah!

Take care, God Bless & talk with you later.

R. Robertson

Update: July 30, 2011

Good Morning MJ:

Here's a few items of interest and FYI's:

1. Parents: if you haven't checked out the new Tot Park inside Charlie Daniels Park then take the kids out this weekend for a real treat. Thanks to the work of many and the kind donation by the Clark Family in honor of their son better known as "Squirrel", MJ's Charlie Daniels Park has added a whole new state-of-the-art play area for our youngest citizens. We hope to dedicate the play area to "Squirrel" next week, but from all indications the concrete will be dry on the area walkway this weekend, so check it out.

2. Movie in the Park, next Friday, starting at dusk. We're between 150 to 200 film buffs each month at our family oriented films. This one should be particularly fun to the young and young at heart . . . so says Yogi and Boo Boo! It all takes place at the amphitheater in Charlie Daniels Park, Friday, 5 August.

3. Calling all Volunteers: Your Animal Shelter needs you. It's summer and the numbers are up; adoptions are down. Right now there's a wide variety of dogs, and even more cats to choose from. Want to do more; consider being a Shelter volunteer or give to the Shelter's non-profit. It's tax deductible! For more info just call or stop by the MJ Animal Shelter on Industrial Drive. Speaking of Animals, between 12:00 and 3:00 pay a visit to the MJ Dairy Queen on Lebanon Road today. $1 of every "Blizzard" sold goes to the Shelter's non-profit, and there'll be dogs ready for adoption. It promises to be a great day for a cool treat.

4. School is back in session this Monday so commuters should plan accordingly. Remember to give yourself a little extra time, particularly if your trip involves travel on North Mt. Juliet Road (NMJR). Speaking of NMJR, things are really starting to take shape there; curbing, sidewalks, sod, and even asphalt is starting to go down. The end is in sight.

5. With the help of the MJPD, MJ will celebrate National Night Out on Tuesday, 2 August. National Night Out is a family oriented event that couples various businesses around the city, the MJ community and the MJPD together for an evening of fun. Be at Providence Market Place this coming Tuesday, starting at 5:00 p.m. There'll be tons of freebies.

6. Lookin' for something different to do? Bring your four legged best friend to MJ South Park (off Belinda Parkway) and check out the MJ Bark Park. Usually Fido will see lots of others friends playing at this hidden city jewel. Not into dogs? Try a round of Frisbee Golf at Mundy Park. It's free! Don't have just the right disc? You can even rent them at Charlie Daniels Park and drop em' right there at Mundy.

7. Wondering what's all the construction on Lebanon Road? TDOT is repaving Lebanon Road from the Davidson County line to Park Glen Road. This $1.2m project is expected to take 45 to 60 days, but all work is scheduled to be done between 8:00 p.m. at night and 5:00 a.m. in the morning. As an added benefit look for new bike lanes and associated signage when the project is done. Thanks TDOT!

8. Can you say "Community Resilience?" There'll be much more on this over the next few months, but MJ has the unique opportunity to be one of 10 cities in the United States selected to participate in a federal pilot program examining how a community prepares and recovers from a terrorist attack, man-made or natural disaster, and even an economic catastrophe. Pretty timely stuff considering what recently happened in Joplin, Missouri; Tuscaloosa, Alabama; and last week, Oslo, Norway. Keep tuned.

8. On a final note, a personal thanks to the men who make up the MJ contingent of volunteer firefighters at Station 3 of WEMA. These trained and ready professionals have done an exceptional job supplementing the full timers at Station 3 for now going on 2 years. With all the recent media and talk about fire and emergency services the last few months, we don't hear much about these outstanding fellows who volunteer on their own time. Thanks for all you do Gentlemen.

Take care and talk with you later.

R. Robertson