Update: December 10, 2010

Good Afternoon MJ:

I am writing this just a few hours before one of the city’s biggest events of the year, our annual Christmas Parade. The 2010 edition kicks off tomorrow, Saturday, 11 December, at 11:00 p.m. starting at the West Wilson Middle School on Mt. Juliet Road (MJR), and moving north along MJR to the review stand at the intersection of MJR and Division. Joining us tomorrow as Co-Grand Marshals will be Mr. Ross Browner and Mr. Daniel “Rudy” Ruettiger. You know Rudy as the name sake for the classic inspirational 1993 movie, “Rudy”, and Ross, who played with the Cincinnati Bengals and Green Bay Packers for a decade, as Rudy’s Notre Dame team mate, who lead the charge to get Rudy in to the last play of the last game of his senior year, and into the history books. With Rudy and Ross as Co-Grand Marshals, and more than 70 floats and marching units, tomorrow’s parade not only promises to be one of our best, but our largest. Rudy and Ross will be signing autographs after the parade, in a tent by the review stand, so come up and join them. They also have promised to be passing out commemorative footballs along the route. Santa’s goin green tomorrow with the “Fightin Irish”!

The parade is rain or shine. There is no alternate date. In the event of thunderstorms, a decision will be made at that time.

Also, join us Tuesday, 14 December, at 11:00 at the intersection of MJR and Division for the ribbon cutting on Phase 1 of the West Division Bike Path and Greenway. This long anticipated project opens the first segment next week. Light refreshments will be served. We’ll also comment there on progress on starting Phase 2, with over one-half million dollars in federal funds recently secured for that segment. What a wonderful Christmas gift for the City.

Speaking of Christmas gifts, our sales tax number for October just came in this morning, and MJ continues to rock with over 8% growth this year over 2009. This equates to more than $37k additional this October compared to last year. We’re looking forward to ending the year on a high note with Christmas, so remember: “Shop Mt. Juliet.”

Here’s a chance to give a special gift at Christmas, the gift of life. The American Red Cross and the City of Mt. Juliet are sponsoring a community blood drive at the Charlie Daniels Rec Center on Tuesday, December 21st from 11am – 3pm. Please be there if you can.

On a final note, from Team MJ to our citizens and community, have a blessed Christmas and a safe, successful 2011. We’ll be celebrating our City Christmas Luncheon on, Wednesday, 15 December, from 12:00 to 2:00 p.m. While service may be a little lighter than usual then, City Hall will be open. In the spirit of the season, below is our Annual Holiday Letter that went out this week. Take care and talk with you later.

R. Robertson

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Season’s Greetings from Team Mt. Juliet :

Despite the challenges, 2010 will go down as one of Mt. Juliet’s most successful years. Here's a few highlights from City Hall and “Team Mt. Juliet".

We’re ending the year with a bang as MJ is named by the TN Center for Policy Research as the "Number One Business Friendly City in TN.” What a wonderful honor and distinction for a city incorporated less than 40 years ago. Being named #1 against powerhouses like Nashville and Knoxville, and "deep pocket" cities like Brentwood, Franklin and Oak Ridge speaks volumes about our community, its’ values, and the tremendous importance economic development plays.

MJ was in the enviable position throughout 2010 of having sales tax revenue up every month compared to ‘09. So far this equates to about $750k. Few cities in TN, or for that matter in the U.S. can make a similar claim. Another financial highlight this year was Wilson County leaders partnering with the City to fund the Reverse L. This desperately needed road, by MJHS, had been discussed & debated by county and city leaders for years. With the vision of several County leaders, this year the County contributed $650k towards completing that road. The County’s input will also help the City underwrite additional Eastern Connector work, the multi-lane highway stretching between the Beckwith intersection and Lebanon Rd.

Phase 1 of the West Division Greenway and Bike Path project is done! This concrete trail runs west from the train station to 4th Ave, and was primarily made possible by American Recovery and Relief Act (ARRA) funds. We recently learned MJ would also receive over $500k in air quality funding to start Phase 2, which will run from 4th Ave. to Brookstone. If all goes as planned, next year two-thirds of a project that languished for years will be done. You can help by contacting your state and federal officials for assistance with the final segment, Phase 3, the longest and most expensive part that will connect several of the city's largest subdivisions. A last note about construction; special thanks to all involved with the North Mt. Juliet Road (NMJR) widening project. Widening NMJR is the most expensive infrastructure project in the City's history, and it is progressing well. Announced as a 36 month project, barring major challenges or severe weather, it may be done next October; months ahead of schedule. New water and sewer pipes; relocated electric, telephone and cable lines; and a new gas line traverse one of the most populated and heavily traveled areas of MJ. Again, thanks to crews from TDOT, LoJac, WWUD, Cleary Construction, Piedmont Gas, MTEMC, TDS, and the City for a job well done.

Here's just a few factoids from 2010:

 From Jan to Nov we had 305 new housing permits filed. There were 192 for the same period last year.

 MJ was the #1 winner at the annual Greater Nashville Regional Council's (GNRC) Awards Ceremony. Competing against 60 other middle TN cities and counties, we captured awards for initiatives in Police, Economic Development, and Animal Shelter programs.

 The Animal Shelter remains the leader in the region, with an extraordinary adoption rate of over 96%. Thanks to donations we've run the shelter for two consecutive years without using city funds for food. Volunteers have donated thousands of hours to care for animals, saving taxpayers nearly $200k since its doors open in late 2008.

 Use of MJ Parks and Rec facilities are skyrocketing. The new exercise room has everything a private health club has, but at a fraction of the cost. The new Panattoni Room is seeing exponential usage; and our new skate park and Frisbee Golf course have significantly expanded recreational services. The new South Park Splash area has been very well received, with plans for future expansion. But Parks and Rec aren’t just focused on facilities; they’ve had phenomenal success with programs like Easter and Halloween in the Park. The Parks crew also successfully captured two major state grants for tree plantings and land improvements to take place in 2011. A last note about Parks, make sure the MJ Christmas Parade is on your calendar for 11 Dec at 11am.

 A huge thanks goes out to all those behind the scene actors involved in selling the Old Elementary School property. After years the end is in sight.

 New business permits continue to show healthy gains. From Jan to Nov 2009 there were 167 permits filed. So far this year there’s been 205; a 22% increase.

Can't keep up with what's happening around the city? Check out TV 3 and the MJ home page. Upgrades to TV 3 range from transformation from a power point to video platform to broadcasts from The Pentagon Channel, aerobic courses, news "crawlers”, live weather and even video shots from I-40. Possibly the biggest technology leap this year was streaming video on the web of TV 3. Now, no matter where you are, if you have access to the web, you can tune into what's happening in City Hall. The MJ City Code has been added to the web, and there’s now an “Action Line” to report pot holes, see animals at the Shelter, or even rent a pavilion at Charlie Daniels Park. Finally, if you aren’t on Nixle, then you’re missing out. Over 40 Nixle updates were posted during the May and August floods. Posts were published about tornado warnings, a bank robbery, and the auto accident that closed I-40 last month. Nixle is invaluable; able to be tailored to the type of information you desire and completely free. Sign up info is on the city’s web page.

Here’s some PD data:

- Even though MJ has one of the smallest police departments (per capita) in the state, we continue to see a decline in the number of major crimes committed.

- While calls for service are up 19% (the PD is busier) this year, crimes against persons are down 24%. Overall reportable crime is slightly up from the same time period last year.

- Arrests are down 5%; Traffic stops made are down 5% and citations issued are down 7%. There’s too many auto crashes, even though most are minor “fender benders.”

- The MJPD continues to have one of the best crime closure rates in the state. As of November, their closure rate was nearly 55%, compared to the state average of 34%.

Yes, it was an extraordinary year for the city. Although twice challenged by floods, the community rallied and became even stronger. Though there were the “usual naysayers”, most overwhelmingly supported and appreciated the direction MJ is headed. We were truly blessed. From all of us on Team MJ, thanks for allowing us to serve you. Being a public servant is a truly rewarding career, and we are honored to serve each of you. May God Bless you this holiday season, and our very best wishes for a safe and successful 2011.

Team MJ.

Update: 11/19/10

Good Afternoon MJ:

Here’s some items of interest from around the community:

1. We’ve had a rash of vandalism at all of our parks this week. This week the Mt. Juliet Parks and Recreation Department announced that someone had vandalized the children’s play area at South Park; tore up one of the holes at Mundy’s Frisbee Golf Course; bent the frame and stolen a soccer net from the city’s soccer park on Curd Road, and tore up some of the platforms and defaced some of the signs at the recently renovated Planet Playground at Charlie Daniels Park. That’s mean spirited shortsightedness. Deputy Chief of Police James Hambrick indicated that funds may be available for any tips to who was responsible for these acts. You can get more info on our “Crime Stoppers” program at the city’s homepage, or by calling Corporal Tyler Chandler, our community policing officer at 394-3092.

2. Some better news: the Nashville Business Journal announced today that MJ was Tennessee’s number one business friendly city as declared by the Tennessee Center for Policy Research. This is absolutely fantastic news, and speaks volumes to the vision and goals of this community, and of the Mayor and Board of Commissioners of our city. Congratulations MJ! Click below for a link to go to the full story.
http://www.bizjournals.com/nashville/feature/tennessee-center-for-policy-research.html?surround=etf&ana=e_article

3. Calling all Citizens interested in alternative transportation, clean air, traffic mitigation, healthy lifestyles, and biking. We will be holding a public meeting for Phase 3 of our West Division Greenway project this Monday at 5:00 p.m., in City Hall. To refresh your memory, we should be finishing up Phase 1 construction, which runs from the MJ Train Station to 4th Avenue within the next few weeks . . . stay tuned for an announcement on the ribbon cutting. We learned a couple weeks ago, that we were one of the few communities in Tennessee to be awarded Congestion Mitigation – Air Quality (CMAQ) funding, to push Phase 2 initiatives. Phase 2 will take the greenway/bike path from 4th Avenue to Brookstone. Phase 3, the longest, most challenging and most expensive element of the project, will run from Brookstone to South Greenhill Road. Monday’s Public Hearing is a requirement for future grant opportunities. We hope you can join us.

4. Some upcoming Parks and Rec events: Our first ever Urban Master Gardner program is tentatively scheduled hold its kick off meeting on Tuesday, 14 December, from 6 to 8 p.m. in the MJ Community Center in Charlie Daniels Park. Come join Master Gardner and class leader Johnnie Harper of the University of Tennessee Extension, Wilson County Masters Gardeners Association in the ground breaking (pardon the pun) Parks and Rec initiative. For more info call Jan Litterell, at 758-6522. Stay tune to Channel 3, the city’s web page and the local papers for more info.
Our 2nd Annual Holiday and Crafts Bazaar will be held on 4 and 5 December, at the Charlie Daniels Rec Center. Times are 9am to 7pm on Saturday, and 11am to 5pm on Sunday. This Bazaar will feature booths specializing in holiday related items, jewelry, floral, art, crafts, home décor, skin care and much more. We’re expecting over 40 vendors from across the region. It will be a great place to get that unique gift for the hard to buy family member or loved one. If you are interested in a vendor’s stall, call Taylor Bates or any of the Parks crew at 758-5622.
Finally, anticipation continues to build for our 11 December Christmas parade with “Rudy” Ruettinger and Ross Browner as the co Grand Marshals. Rudy is known for the inspirational film about his Notre Dame football exploits, aptly titled “Rudy.” Ross Browner was the fellow who pushed to have Rudy get in during the final game of the season, and who went on to over a decade in the NFL. This promises to be MJ’s biggest parade with tons of floats, marchers, bands, horses and even a nationally renowned bagpiper. The place to be on 11 December is along Mt. Juliet Road, from West Wilson Middle School, north to Division Street; starting at 11:00 a.m.

5. Notice the progress along the North MJ Road project. I had the opportunity to meet with the TDOT leadership and project contractor last week, and they are really pleased with the initiative. Barring major material or weather problems they are looking for an October 2011 completion date; months earlier than originally forecasted.

6. Here's a couple of ways to help support your city:
- The Mt. Juliet Senior Center designed and is selling Christmas Ornaments for $10 each. Proceeds benefit the Senior Center. Contact Pat Gwin at patgwin@comcast.net
- In a similar vein but on a different note, our very own Animal Shelter has 2011 calendars for sale. They are $15 each or (8) for $100. The calendar features animals from our own shelter and has several discount coupons attached. To pick some up, call any member of the MJ Animal Shelter at 773-5533

7. On a final note, if you live or frequently travel towards the southern end of the city, on South MJ Road, there will be some significant traffic changes coming up next week, weather permitting. With help of some technology and some existing asphalt, we’ll be creating a middle turn lane in the South Providence/Publix Number 2 area early next week. This is should be a real boost to commuters and businesses in the area. For more info check out the power point slide on Channel 3.

That's enough for this week. Take care and God Bless.

R. Robertson

Update: November 10, 2010

Good Afternoon MJ:

Welcome to another City Manager Update.

1. I’ll start by commending the MJPD, WEMA, Tennessee Highway Patrol and Lebanon PD for their combined efforts during today’s (Wednesday's) fatal crash at the MJ I-40 exit ramp. As of this writing we understand there were two individuals who died. Circumstances surrounding the accident are still being investigated, but at first blush it appears a driver mistakenly tried to enter the freeway from the exit ramp. The truck that was struck was carrying a chemical, initially reported to be ferric chloride. While it was a tragedy, it could have been far worse had others been involved or if there had been an aggressive chemical leak, or any number of other scenarios. Through the joint efforts of the above agencies, a timely damage assessment was quickly done and disruption to the community was minimized. Another note on this is the value of Nixle; please make sure you share Nixle with a friend. Sign up procedures can be found on the city’s web page at www.cityofmtjuliet.org

2. Veteran’s Day is a time for remembering, reflecting and honoring. Don’t let November 11th become just another day off of work; take time to thank a veteran for his or her service and contributions to our nation. On that note, several restaurant and retailers will be offering free meals, discounts or special programs to Veterans tomorrow. Here’s just a few:
a. Applebee's
b. Chili's
c. Outback Steakhouse
d. Lowe's
e. Sam's Club - Over 25,000 Hugo canes will be given away to U.S. veterans in need of mobility assistance.
f. Amazon.com - Free "Veterans Day Honor" MP3 album download. The album includes 12 songs by The Bands and Ensembles of the U.S. Armed Forces.
g. Dollar General - 10% discount for all veterans, active-duty military, National Guard and reserve and their immediate families.

3. Sales Tax numbers just came in today, and MJ’s collections for the month of October continue to be stronger than in 2009. For October 2010, we are up approximately 15% over last year. While that’s good news, we are seeing a decline in year over year increases as a percentage, and the numbers are starting to flatten. Remember; sales tax constitute nearly 60% of the revenue for municipal services and programs in the city . . . all the more reason to keep your dollars at home and “Shop Mt. Juliet.”

4. Another good news story: As of the end of October new housing permits for MJ stood at 300. As a means of comparison, the end of October number was 169. Despite sizeable down turns in home sales and the national economy, 2010 has been an exceptional year for new housing in Mt. Juliet.

5. A few final notes . . .
a. Have you noticed the utility lines along North Mt. Juliet Road (NMJR) are coming down? The NMJR widening project continues to progress well.
b. As noted at the last Board of Commissioners meeting on Monday, 8 November, MJ is slated to receive over one half million dollars towards Phase 2 of the West Division Greenway. This will be a great stimulus for that project.
c. Remember talk a couple years ago about a large flag at the MJ Road/I-40 intersection? The project isn’t dead; work has quietly progressed. We hope to have an announcement in the near future on what many indicate will be a tremendous visual improvement in that area; at no cost to the city or taxpayers. More to come.

Until next time, take care and God Bless. Remember; thank a vet for your freedom.
R. Robertson

Update: 11/1/10

Good Afternoon MJ:

We’ve received some wonderful news late Friday evening. MJ has been approved to receive over one-half million dollars in Congestion Mitigation Air Quality (CMAQ) funds for Phase 2 of the West Division Greenway. CMAQ funds flow from the Federal Highway Administration through the Tennessee Department of Transportation (TDOT) for administration to cities and counties with viable projects that help our region address the growing challenges of air pollution. Mt. Juliet’s West Division Greenway does exactly that; providing commuters with options rather than the auto. A special thanks to Mayor Elam, Vice Mayor Sellers, and Commissioners Hagerty, Bradshaw and Floyd for their vision and continued support of alternative transportation.

Speaking of the West Division Greenway, if the weather holds we are looking at a late November or early December completion date for Phase 1. Commuters on West Division Street have been extremely patient with some delays and their courtesy is most appreciated. Phase 2 will move closer to the railroad tracks, so when work does begin on that segment we don’t anticipate the same kind of delays.

As we approach the holiday’s several schools in the city will be hosting special events over the next few weeks. MJ, West and Lakeview Elementary schools are each holding some kind of event this Saturday. Here’s a great chance to not only support your city but our schools as well by “Shopping Mt. Juliet” as we gear up for Christmas. One of the bigger sales this weekend takes place at the Mt. Juliet Christian Academy, where they will be holding their 4th Annual “Shopping Extravaganza”. Our own Kenny Martin, MJ Economic Development Director, advises that if the 4th Annual Extravaganza is anything like the others, shoppers are in for a real treat. Numerous vendors, most of whom specialize in hand made arts and crafts will line the Academy’s hallways. Times are from 0800 to 1700 (that’s 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. for everybody else). This is one of the largest fund raisers for MJCA, there’s games for the kids, and the best thing is there’s free admission. That’s right! Entry is absolutely free! Gratis, Zdarma, Libre, Vapaa, Okeypis, Libero, Frei, Wolny, Ucretsiz, . . . you get the picture. The folks at MJCA really hope you’ll take time out of your day join them and over 60 vendors this Saturday.

We notched another mark in the timeline for the North Mt. Juliet Road widening project with the wooden utility poles slowly starting to come down. Commuters have been commenting that with the curb work recently done, they are starting to really see some progress to this initiative.

Rudy is coming to town, Saturday 11 December. Yes, the namesake for maybe one of the most inspiration films out there, Mr. Rudy Ruettiger, will be co-Grand Marshal along with Mr. Ross Browner, former Notre Dame and NFL football great. More on Rudy to come, but keep the 11th open; it promises to be a unique day in the history of Mt. Juliet.

On a final note, don’t forget to vote tomorrow. It’s important!

Take care and talk with you later.

R. Robertson

Update: October 25, 2010

Good Afternoon MJ:

Here’s some items of interest and other info to share:

1. Halloween: Sunday, 31 Oct. There’s been a couple inquiries about pushing it to Saturday. While we appreciate the concern, those who have been in the area for a while indicate that when the dates are shifted what usually ends up occurring is confusion and two Halloween’s.

2. Adopt a pet this week! The Shelter numbers are running high, so there’s lots of great dogs and cats to choose from. The Shelter Volunteers could also use you. What a wonderful way to donate a few hours each week to your community. For more info call Sgt Youmans or Dawn at the MJ Animal Shelter, 773-5533.

3. Wilson County Mayor Hutto will be in MJ City Hall this Wednesday from 0830 to 1000. The Veteran’s Affairs Rep, J.C. Satterfield will also accompany him. If you have any questions or concerns about county or VA matters, this is your opportunity, on a first come/first serve basis, to speak with the County Mayor.

4. There’s been good progress on construction of the West Division Greenway and the North MJ Road (NMJR) widening project. We’re projecting Phase 1 of the Greenway should be done by December while the NMJR widening effort as early as next October, and hopefully “drivable” well before that. Rain and cold weather play tremendously in both initiatives, so all projections are predicated around reasonable construction weather.

5. Here’s some news from the Economic Development front:
• Cheddar’s should be opening mid or late November. Their looking to hire up to 150 employees.
• Lexon Insurance has closed on property on Lebanon Road. There’s some great plans for Lexon, and we hope to have more details in the near future.
• Zaxby’s should be starting construction very soon on their new restaurant at Providence Commons.
• Del Sol Mexican Restaurant should be opening with the next 4 to 6 weeks.
• NTB Tire and Battery is well under construction across from Paddocks. They should open within eight weeks.
• World Champion Productions, a ballroom dance organization, has signed a lease at Coolview Commons. Break out those dancing shoes!
• A Sushi Restaurant has signed a lease at Coolview Commons.
• A new dry cleaners is scheduled for Coolview Commons soon.
• A mobile phone provider has signed a lease at Mt. Juliet Village, located beside El Comal Mexican Restaurant.
• Meristone Assisted Living should be breaking ground soon on a new 50k sq feet assisted living facility in Providence. The new facility will include 60 to 72 beds and a memory care center.

Wow! There’s more in the mill. Since new business benefits us all, remember, we are all Economic Development Officers for MJ. Also, please don’t forget the merchants who are slugging it out during the NMJR widening project. They need your support and business. “Shop Mt. Juliet!”

Eiize Patton School is hosting a celebration of fine arts and business this Saturday from 0900 to 1600. Come join over 60 vendors with arts and crafts from across Middle Tennessee . . . pottery, fiddle demos, an art gallery, a climbing wall and inflatable slide, and even Baskin Robbins will be on site. See you there!

A couple final notes: take a look at a new feature on the MJ Homepage; the "I want to . . . " menu item in the top left. Want to keep up with crime in your neighborhood? Go to “I want to -> Get” then click on “Crime Reports”. There are several new or existing features that will be rolled into this section. Also, if you are interested in knowing when the city will be doing chipper service in your neighborhood, please register on the top right homepage menu item under “New chipper Service Notifications”. Help spread the word that “Rudy” is coming to town for the Christmas parade (11 December). Don’t know about “Rudy”? Check out the 2010 Christmas Parade menu item at the lower left of the homepage. Special thanks to our sponsors, 2 Rivers Ford, Best Buy, U.S. Community Credit Union and ITR Towing for making the 2010 parade possible.

Until next time, take care and God Bless.

R. Robertson

Update: September 26, 2010

Good Afternoon MJ:

Its been some time since my last posting; quite a bit has occurred and there a lot of items on the horizon.

We received our August Sales Tax figures and they continued to exceed projection. August 2010 figures were over $80k more than in 2009. Again, this speaks to the success of and need for the city's "Shop MJ" program.

Red Alert!!! We'll be hosting County Mayor Randall Hutto in MJ City Hall on Wednesday, 29 September, starting at 8:30 for an "Open Door" opportunity with citizens. For now the plan is to do this the last Wednesday of each month. If you have any concerns or questions with county operations or issues, here's your opportunity to voice them right here in MJ. As an added feature, the County's Veteran Affairs Officer will also join in during these sessions. If your a vet, here's your chance to check out changes and programs within the VA. For more details look for the slide on Channel 3 or call us in City Hall at 754-2552..

Chief Garrett advises that reportable crime is slightly up compared to the same time period last year, with the rate of auto crashes even higher. Please share with your family and friends the MJPD is actively working on both of these elements.

Work is progressing well on both the North Mt. Juliet Road (NMJR) and West Division Greenway projects. For the most part we anticipate all the utility work on the NMJR to be done by the first of the year, with efforts now focused on the road widening. Those who use this road frequently can see this "shaping" is starting to take place. Barring any unforeseen issues or obstacles, Phase 1 of the West Division Greenway should be done by late November or early December.

Here's some upcoming events to post on your calendar:

1. Thursday, 30 Sept, at 6:00 p.m. there will be a Commissioner's Candidate Forum, hosted by the MJ News, at City Hall. All are invited. It is my understanding all candidates from District 2 and 4 who are running for election this November will be there. There will be an opportunity to pose questions to the candidate and if you miss it, tune in to Channel 3 where it will be rebroadcast.

2. Saturday, 9 October. Halloween in the Park (Charlie Daniels). Starts at 11:00 a.m. Lots of booths, candy and fun.

3. Saturday, 11 December. The MJ Christmas Parade. Come join us and hundreds of floats and marchers. If all goes well we'll have an extraordinary "Grand Marshal" this year. Watch Channel 3 and the city's web page for more info as we get closer to 11 December.

Congratulations to Jon Gray and the Volunteers of the MJ Animal Shelter for their recognition of our volunteer program in this year's Greater Nashville Regional Council Annual Awards Program. There's no question the MJ Shelter is comparable to the best Shelters in the U.S. Recent data indicates we have over a 96% adoption rate; in large measure due to the volunteers. It's also noteworthy that through donations we haven't had to buy animal food since the Shelter opened in Dec 2008. Thanks to all involved for making your Shelter a phenomenal one.

Remember: Early voting starts in mid October with Charlie Daniels Rec Center serving as the MJ early voting site.

Want to keep up with when the Chipper service will be in your neighborhood? Check out the city's web page. You can also rent a pavilion at CD Park, report a pot hole, take a look at the animals in the Shelter, or even pay city bills through the menu on the city's web page. Take a look.

That's about all for now. Take care and God Bless.

R. Robertson

Update: 7/22/10

Good Evening MJ:

Yesterday was a great day for MJ. Yesterday Mayor Elam, City and County Commissioners, and community leaders broke ground on the West Division Greenway. I encourage you to click the link below to get the full details of the groundbreaking and an good update on the Greenway. It is certainly a tremendously exciting project that promises to help transform the quality of life in our city.
http://www.cityofmtjuliet.org/Greenway_Groundbreaking.cfm

Charlie Daniels Planet Playground is back in business. During the short hiatus to fix equipment that had been vandalized, the Parks and Rec crew struggled in the blistering heat and humidity to upgrade much of the entire play area. Next time you are at Charlie Daniels, take a stroll through Planet Playground and see how great it looks. On that note, MJ dog lovers absolutely need to check out the “Bark Park” at South Park in the Belinda City area. Why? Your furry friend now has an automatic water trough to enjoy. Just the thing for those “dog days” of summer (. . . pun intended!)

Speaking of pets, the other day I received a progress report from our volunteer coordinator, Jon Gray. Jon wrote:
“From 13 December 2008, the day the Shelter opened its doors, through 9 July, 2010, or just 17 months later, the Shelter has taken in 906 animals and 869 have been adopted. That’s a 96% adoption rate. Unbelievable!”

Yes Jon, that certainly is unbelievable. There’s not a public shelter in the country that can make this kind of claim. What is also “unbelievable” is that every bit of food used in the last 17 months has been donated!

Want to get involved? The pets of Mt. Juliet need volunteers. For more info call Sgt. Keith Youmans at 773-5533, or email Mr. Jon Gray at pastorjongray@aol.com

Take care and talk with you later.

R. Robertson

Update: 3/26/10

Good Afternoon MJ:

Its Friday afternoon, and a gorgeous day outside; just the spring-like weather we’ll be looking for tomorrow at MJ’s annual “Easter in the Park” at Charlie Daniels Park. I toured the Park today with Mr. Rocky Lee, Acting Parks Director, and listened to all the great things they have planned for tomorrow. If you haven’t been to Charlie Daniels recently, I hope you have a chance tomorrow; the Parks and Rec crew have pulled out all the stops. New shrubs, new banners and bunting, mulching and painting. Take a look at the fifty state flags they will have on display, or catch a tour of the new Exercise and Game Rooms inside the Rec Center. “Easter in the Park” is one of the largest annual events hosted by the MJ Parks and Rec Department. Tomorrow events kick off at 10:30, with egg hunts for ages 1-4 at 11:00; ages 5-7 at 11:30 and the search begins at 12:00 for the 8-11 year group. Over 16,000 eggs are to be found; all stuffed with sugary delicacies. At 12:30 join us for the golden egg hunt with 10 hidden golden eggs containing receipts to fabulous prizes totaling over $1,000. If egg hunting isn’t your thing, then the Rec Center is offering a 2 months for the price of 1 deal just to acquaint new comers to the fabulous new exercise and game room unveiled this week. It truly promises to be a great day in the life of the Mt. Juliet community and we hope you’ll join us and invite others.

While crusin’ the park tomorrow you’ll have a chance to see some of MJ's finest on display. No, it’s not the PD . . . it’s some of our canines from the MJ Animal Shelter. Where else can you hunt for Easter eggs and take home a four legged friend for life? Thanks Sergeant Youmans, Reverend Gray and all the staff and volunteers of the MJ Animal Shelter for making this happen.
Though it’s not visible, we’re making progress with the West Division Greenway project. The Greenway project is divided into several phases with Phase 1 scheduled to get underway in the April timeframe. Phase I, though a relatively short section, is one of the most expensive and challenging since it involves crossing North Mt. Juliet Road at the West Division Street intersection. Phase 1 will provide about an 8 feet wide section of paved surface from the train station to the 4th Street area. For those who travel on that route, you’ll note a series of small tree saplings planted in the northern side of West Division. We hope this is the first in a series of contributions to the Greenway project. The area they are in has been acquired by the city, and will serve as a “trail head” for the Greenway, that will eventually make its way down to South Greenhills Road. We are hoping this first part will be done in the September/October timeframe. Stay tuned for updates.

Congrats to Mr. Shannon (AKA: Cajun) Joyner, who was selected by the Chamber of Commerce as the 2009 MJ Civil Servant of the Year. Cajun is a tremendous fellow, and as Deputy Director of Public Works, absolutely essential to the daily operations of the city. Cajun was the catalyst for the successful application of the TDOT Local Interstate Connector grant we received for the Reverse L, and along with Mr. Casey Binion, is spearheading efforts for the North MJ Road widening project. Well done Cajun!

When you are in City Hall next time, check out our new info kiosk in the PD lobby. Don’t want to wait in line; you can go on-line from the lobby to conduct most city business. Thanks to Mr. Taylor, Mr. Adams and Mr. Pugh of the Parks Department for helping us make a quantum leap in customer service.

On a more somber note, don’t forget the people of Haiti. While it’s been several weeks, the pictures and news from this impoverished nation don’t grow much better with time. Won’t you help the men and women of Team Mt. Juliet in making a positive difference in the lives of others who so desperately need your help? Please give the American Red Cross or the charity of your choice in the campaign to bring some relief to these people who have suffered so very much.

On a final note: Um unsere liebste Freundin Ute. Auf dieser, Ihren Geburtstag, sind unsere Gedanken, Gebete und die besten Wünsche mit Ihnen. Sie Freundschaft ist ein Segen für uns und wir freuen uns darauf, wieder mit Ihnen. God Bless.

Take care MJ and talk with you later.

R. Robertson