In this season's production of Dianne Collins' Civil War play Scathe, slated for showings starting in mid-May, Spring Hill actor Lee Wilson tackles the lead role of Mississippian West Pointer Earl Van Dorn, a Confederate general whose bedroom manner proved more dangerous than his skimirshes on the battlefield. Wilson holsters a sword in the play and in a recent movie he wore a loin cloth. In that flick, Masters of the Universe: The Fountain of Life, he portrayed King Grayskull. Most of the film was shot in Houston under director John F. Carroll. Another film of Wilson's was South of Southern, in 2011.
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Has anyone born in Spring Hill ever played in the National Football League? For the Tennessee Titans? Yes, and almost. Scott Wells the former University of Tennessee Football center who went on to play for the Green Bay Packers was born here. Rumored to be headed for the Titans this year as a free agent, he instead signed with the St. Louis Rams.
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It's no joke that Neapolis once held an annual "A Taste of Neapolis." It is likely a coincidence that the event ended about the same time the Waffle House there closed its doors.
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Store debuts: Taco Bell, 2004; A Petal For Your Thoughts, 2000; Applebee's, 2007.
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Approximately 559 homes sold in Spring Hill during 2010, at an average price of $206, 104 and an average size of 2277 square feet. Average days on the market was 95.
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"Traditions sometimes fade like an old coat of paint." -- Sherwin-Williams.
Okay, I made that up.
Still, it qualifies as an axiom, especially when it pertains to the squat water tank behind city hall. "City of Spring Hill" has been written on the tank for years, and underneath, "Home of the Raiders." I recalled that went I went to pay my water bill in person. I wondered if our new High School, and its Summitt Spartans, were now represented along with the Raiders. I had to drive around a little to get a good look. Surprise. In what appears to be a fairly new paint job, not only were the Raiders no longer heralded, the Spartans were likewise ignored. "City of Spring Hill" was the only entry. Some school spirit at these two high schools needs to emerge and quell this slight. It'll take some paint, too.
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Top tens are popular lists. Firsts, too. In my constant search for pertinent "Firsts," I have discovered that Chapman's Retreat "will be the first elementary school in Williamson County to have an outdoor 'classroom' garden for students to experience hands-on learning." In other words, to learn firsthand that tomatoes and cucumbers come from the ground before they appear in grocery stores. The school is selling t-shirts to celebrate and maybe bring in a few bucks. Bucks by the way are those slender green things that come from printing presses and of which many adults, including myself, have little hands-on experience with.
Saturday, April 21, 2012
Saturday, April 14, 2012
April 5, 2012, The Spring Hill Informer
The Royal Park turnoff on Kedron Rd. takes you into a veritable backwoods teeming with businesses and good old fashioned country backdrops, especially if you come in the back way. You can do that by turning off Port Royal Rd. onto Tom Lunn Rd., alongside the Phoenix Metals building and just beyond the former Penske building. Stacks of wooden beehive boxes are off to the left as Tom Lunn doglegs left and eventually reenters Port Royal, but if you steer straight, which seems to be John Lunn Rd., you will gradually encounter a PAVEMENT ENDS sign. No fear. Keep going and you will presently approach the Royal Park business area. One such business is Monty Lowery's Stagecoach Auto Repair. Remote or not, Lowery reports that his technician stalls are constantly busy. Head east on John Lunn Rd. from there and you will see a NO OUTLET sign, a variation on DEAD END. Continuing gamely, up comes Brandywine Farm on the left and some beautiful Tennessee countryside with fields of roaming wild turkeys. At the end of accessible road, and lined to the right, Nashville Reddy Mix concrete trucks stretch six deep at times to provide pours for Spring Hill's multi-million dollar sewer expansion project headed by P.F. Moon Construction.
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When is this likely to happen again? Leading up to the April 22, 2001, city mayoral election, an incumbent and two former mayors were in the running. Ray Williams, the eventual winner, was the incumbent and George Jones and Freeman Cowherd the former mayors.
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John Maher, a major home builder in the area, was previously a math teacher in the Franklin Special School District, and a wrestling coach.
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Nasdaq Street runs from Main up the hill to slightly past Goodwill where it intersects with Longford Drive and changes in name to O’Hallorn Drive. The road continues, curves around and connects to Campbell Station Parkway, at which point it is an unnamed street (no sign). Even more confusing is that O’Hallorn, likely a misspelling for “O’Halloran,” was originally Nasdaq. Also, could “Longford” be a misspelling of “Langford”?
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Didja Know Dept.: The Saturn L-Series, built in Wilmington, Del., was based on an Opel model and rode on an Opel chassis.
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George Dickel master distiller John Lunn, a Vandy grad, is from Spring Hill. Based in Tullahoma, the Dickel whiskey brand has been endorsed over the years by such as Merle Haggard, which would seem to add to its authenticity.
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For the best book detailing Saturn's arrival in Spring Hill, the land and the people, find a copy of Joe Sherman's In the Rings of Saturn.
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When is this likely to happen again? Leading up to the April 22, 2001, city mayoral election, an incumbent and two former mayors were in the running. Ray Williams, the eventual winner, was the incumbent and George Jones and Freeman Cowherd the former mayors.
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John Maher, a major home builder in the area, was previously a math teacher in the Franklin Special School District, and a wrestling coach.
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Nasdaq Street runs from Main up the hill to slightly past Goodwill where it intersects with Longford Drive and changes in name to O’Hallorn Drive. The road continues, curves around and connects to Campbell Station Parkway, at which point it is an unnamed street (no sign). Even more confusing is that O’Hallorn, likely a misspelling for “O’Halloran,” was originally Nasdaq. Also, could “Longford” be a misspelling of “Langford”?
+++
Didja Know Dept.: The Saturn L-Series, built in Wilmington, Del., was based on an Opel model and rode on an Opel chassis.
+++
George Dickel master distiller John Lunn, a Vandy grad, is from Spring Hill. Based in Tullahoma, the Dickel whiskey brand has been endorsed over the years by such as Merle Haggard, which would seem to add to its authenticity.
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For the best book detailing Saturn's arrival in Spring Hill, the land and the people, find a copy of Joe Sherman's In the Rings of Saturn.
April 19, 2012, The Spring Hill Informer
Within the general Spring Hill region in Maury County, a "populated place" would include Spring Hill. Of course. Less known, however, to most citizens would be these: Duplex, Duplex Mission, Hardison Mill, Kedron, Lanton, Lasea, Lees Corner, Lively, Neapolis, New Town, Oakland Historical, Pottsville, and Rally Hill.
Wall's Grocery is located in Kedron.
Hardison's Mill is where fellow beekeeper Don Lockhart maintains a slew of beehives.
New Town is essentially all of Alex Drive, off Duplex Road, and the Duplex Road frontage. The city maintains a cemetery there. Charlie Carter Sr., minister for New Town's Church of Christ, has held his position there for 22 years, likely the longest current tenure for any city minister at any one church. Previous to his arrival, he lived in Waverly. I consider it an honor that Brother Carter serves up my local honey at his church's annual Christmas breakfast. My girls worked hard to make it happen.
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Duplex Road, narrow, heavily traveled, with hills that act as blind spots and ditches instead of shoulders, most reasonable people would agree needs a reconfiguration.
A decade after Danny Leverette, mayor at the time, rented a bus and invited state officials to travel the road and see for themselves the dangers it held for an ever increasing population, something is actually in the works to accomplish that purpose.
Has the road been the bugaboo as ballyhooed by Leverette? It is a dangerous stretch of road to navigate under any conditions. Has the number of accidents increased in proportion to the increase in traffic? I would like to see the statistics, if such numbers are available. Leverette's scare ride may soon pay dividends. Work on the road may actually start in a couple of years. Once finished, the road will offer a less stressful trek for all.
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Popular eatery and entertainment venue Puckett's in Franklin has added a vehicle to its catering business. It's a retired travel trolley with an interesting name scripted on its sides. Ready? "Trolley Parton." A new Hooters-type sports bar in Cool Springs called "Twin Peaks" probably wishes it had come up with the idea first.
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Tennessee's first case of Africanized bees was confirmed through genetic testing in early April in a colony belonging to a beekeeper in Monroe County. The bees were described as "partially Africanized." Such bees are more aggressive than regular honeybees here and have been working their way up from the south for the past few years.
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In a highly unofficial and unscientific survey conducted by myself, vendors I spoke with at the recent Mule Day celebration in Columbia all reported a sharp decline in sales from the previous year. That included some food vendors. Some bad weather Thursday and Friday played a big role in declining sales, no doubt. Saturday started out warm, quite warm, actually, and then by early afternoon, the sky darkened, the temperature dropped significantly and large hailstones pelted those stuck in the open running for shelter. It's still a great event and some fickle weather will not change that. I am, however, for calling it Mule "Days" since it has long since transformed from being a one-day salute to a multi-days event.
Wall's Grocery is located in Kedron.
Hardison's Mill is where fellow beekeeper Don Lockhart maintains a slew of beehives.
New Town is essentially all of Alex Drive, off Duplex Road, and the Duplex Road frontage. The city maintains a cemetery there. Charlie Carter Sr., minister for New Town's Church of Christ, has held his position there for 22 years, likely the longest current tenure for any city minister at any one church. Previous to his arrival, he lived in Waverly. I consider it an honor that Brother Carter serves up my local honey at his church's annual Christmas breakfast. My girls worked hard to make it happen.
+++
Duplex Road, narrow, heavily traveled, with hills that act as blind spots and ditches instead of shoulders, most reasonable people would agree needs a reconfiguration.
A decade after Danny Leverette, mayor at the time, rented a bus and invited state officials to travel the road and see for themselves the dangers it held for an ever increasing population, something is actually in the works to accomplish that purpose.
Has the road been the bugaboo as ballyhooed by Leverette? It is a dangerous stretch of road to navigate under any conditions. Has the number of accidents increased in proportion to the increase in traffic? I would like to see the statistics, if such numbers are available. Leverette's scare ride may soon pay dividends. Work on the road may actually start in a couple of years. Once finished, the road will offer a less stressful trek for all.
+++
Popular eatery and entertainment venue Puckett's in Franklin has added a vehicle to its catering business. It's a retired travel trolley with an interesting name scripted on its sides. Ready? "Trolley Parton." A new Hooters-type sports bar in Cool Springs called "Twin Peaks" probably wishes it had come up with the idea first.
+++
Tennessee's first case of Africanized bees was confirmed through genetic testing in early April in a colony belonging to a beekeeper in Monroe County. The bees were described as "partially Africanized." Such bees are more aggressive than regular honeybees here and have been working their way up from the south for the past few years.
+++
In a highly unofficial and unscientific survey conducted by myself, vendors I spoke with at the recent Mule Day celebration in Columbia all reported a sharp decline in sales from the previous year. That included some food vendors. Some bad weather Thursday and Friday played a big role in declining sales, no doubt. Saturday started out warm, quite warm, actually, and then by early afternoon, the sky darkened, the temperature dropped significantly and large hailstones pelted those stuck in the open running for shelter. It's still a great event and some fickle weather will not change that. I am, however, for calling it Mule "Days" since it has long since transformed from being a one-day salute to a multi-days event.
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