The conference will be held Saturday, May30, 2009 at the Riverview Inn Hotel, 50 College Street, Clarksville, TN  37040, from 10:00 a.m. to 4p.m.  (www.theriverviewinn.com).

The aim of our event is to enhance partnerships between women and Montgomery County health professionals in order to improve the health of women in our community and promote health awareness, in general.

The conference will include presentations and discussions of

• Women Health and wellness issue
• HIV/AIDS prevention
• Obesity and pre-diabetes
• Cancer awareness
• Violence against women
• Regional women’s health programs

This free event will be open to health care professionals, service providers, consumers, community leaders, policy makers, and the general public.

As a community health care professional, your knowledge and expertise in promoting the health of underserved populations is invaluable to our community, and we sincerely hope we can count on you to join us in this important outreach effort.

To register please log on to www.latinohope.com or call 931-24905330

In April 1862, during the Civil War, Union Gen. Benjamin Butler and his troops took control of New Orleans and then suffered verbal and physical scorn from many – most notably the Southern ladies of that city – for doing so.  A month later, as a result of the hostility received from women, Butler issued his infamous General Order No. 28, or The Woman Order. The order, some Civil War historians have noted, successfully tamed the female rebels of New Orleans.

However, Dr. Alecia P. Long, assistant professor of history at Louisiana State University, will argue that the order suggests a different conclusion in a presentation next month at Austin Peay State University.

Long will present a talk, titled “(Mis)Remembering General Order No. 28: Benjamin Butler, the Woman Order, and Historical Memory,” at 6 p.m., April 6 in Gentry Auditorium, located in the Kimbrough Building. The talk is sponsored by Student Affairs, Phi Alpha Theta and Women’s Studies.

General Order No. 28 was a battle in which gender conventions were used as ammunition, a point Long will strive to make in her presentation.

“I hope to demonstrate that General Order No. 28 was only the opening salvo in what became an ongoing war of wills between occupying forces and the women of New Orleans,” she said.

Long earned a Ph.D. from the University of Delaware, a Master of Arts from Ohio University and bachelor’s from the University of Tennessee-Knoxville.

For more information about Long’s presentation, contact Dr. Minoa Uffelman, assistant professor of history at APSU, by telephone at (931) 221-7704 or by e-mail at .

“Domestic violence touches so many in our community and the effects can last for generations,” said Kevin Fowler, managing attorney for the Clarksville office of the Legal Aid Society. “The clinic will provide an opportunity to speak privately with an attorney for free.”

The clinic is part of a statewide initiative of the Tennessee Bar Association.

On April 4 private attorneys and legal offices will be holding free clinics in more than 50 sites across Tennessee.  A list of clinic sites is available from the Tennessee Bar Association, at www.tba.org/4all/4-4grid.

“You do not have to meet income guidelines to get this free help,” said Fowler. “Our goal is to help victims begin the process of making themselves safe and secure from their abuser.”

For more information about the clinic and services available, call Bradley M. Carter at (931) 647-3377.

The Legal Aid Society gives free civil legal aid to people who have nowhere else to turn.  Its Clarksville office serves people in Montgomery, Robertson, Dickson, Cheatham, Stewart, Houston and Humphreys counties.

Come early and enjoy BBQ’s and tailgating in the parking lot, but remember no alcohol is allowed on school premises. Concessions will be available at the game, inflatable bouncers for the kids to play on, a Fox merchandise booth, the team’s mascot “Trixy” enjoying the evening with the children young and old, and women playing full contact football.

Tickets are only $5.00 each with children 10 and under admitted FREE.

There will be a donation jug out for those wanting to donate funds for the team’s 3rd annual community Easter Egg Hunt April 11th at Northwest High School hosted by the Clarksville Fox and Xtreme Ministries. Bring the whole family out for a fun evening of football and great family entertainment.

For more information about the Fox football team, games, and events visit the team’s web site at www.TheClarksvilleFox.com or call Rob Brown at 931-320-2976.

"One" from "A Chorus Line" -- a fitting end to an evening of Broadway

After two months of intensive rehearsals in both voice and choreography, to say nothing of the memorization involved, Broadway came to Clarksville Thursday evening as the Northeast High School Choral Department presented its Spring Show 2009 in the NEHS auditorium.

The show will also be presented Tonight at 7 p.m. and on Sunday, March 22, at 3 p.m. Admission is $5 per adult, $3 per student.

It’s a show that has something extra this year when the Exit One Show  Choir, the Concert Choir  and the SSA Women’s Choir travel to Branson, Missouri in April to perform as the opening act for the Haywood Family Show, with a selection of routines from the current show to be performed and taped “on tour.”

The Finale: "One" from "A Chorus Line"

Choir mistress Debbie Wilson submitted tapes of last year’s show to officials in Branson, tapes impressive enough to win an invitation to appear in this famous family musical production. “It’s a first for us, and I am so proud of these kids,” Wilson said.

The current production features the Beginning Choir in a selection of music from Sinner Man to Turtle Dove and Send Down the Rain, with all choral groups in ensemble  — young men in black tuxedos , young women in black and whire gowns. An elegant start.

Shenteria Williams with a sultry rendition of "At Last"

Three students served as guest conductors for that segment of music: Khiry Wilson, Shenteria Williams, and Humberto Figueroa. Accompanist was Angel Broady and Lacy Wilson.

The Women’s Choir does a bit of Andrew Lloyd Webber before turning up the heat with a stunning, sultry rendition of At Last sung by Sheteria Williams. That “showstopper” was just the beginning.

As the three key choir began to strut their stuff, they honored “100 Years of Broadway,” beginning with Richard Rogers legendary  South Pacific, complete with rapid costume changes for lively presentations I’m Gonna Wash That Man Right Out of My Hair and There is Nothing Like a Dame.

A touch of Leonard Bernstein comes in the form of I Feel Pretty from West Side Story. More costumes and choreography overruns the stage in Guys and Dolls, with a snappy Bushel and a Peck ( a terrific and charming performance by lead vocalist Sara Schichtel), and Luck be a Lady.

"Jellicle Cats" from CATS

After a brief intermission, the show continued with Dreamgirls, and a steaming medley from Smokey’s Joe’s Cafe. Pop numbers for Hairspray were followed by a spoof of Beauty and the Beast titled Beauty’s Been Decreased, performed by Humberto Figueroa.

Webber’s Jellicle Cat from CATS was the only “canned music of the night, a lively version to which the players spent all their energy of delightful choreography.

Hailey Johnson stepped into the spotlight for a lovely rendering of Somewhere Over The Rainbow.

Rounding out the night of music was the classic One from A Chorus Line, complete with sparkling fedoras and some precision footwork.

These students returned from their 2008 Christmas break to a grueling 2009 schedule in early January, working after school every night plus Saturdays for two solid weeks with choreographer Amanda Batts. A complex rehearsal schedule continued to keep  students at school dozens of extra hours a week, with a second round of choreography prior to the performance dates.  As grueling as the musical schedule is, acceptance into the choir also requires that each student maintain a certain grade point average to participate. And raise funds for their trip in the process.

Choir Director Debbie Wilson with flowers from her sudents at curtain call

The thoroughness of their  training was evident Thursday evening: this was no “stand up and sing” show — these student worked, mastering dance moves including swing and the movements that accompany traditional Broadway song and dance shows. With this show on the heels of a stunning Christmas concert, NEHS and its choirs  have  raised the bar.

We at Discover Clarksville wish them well in Branson, Missouri.

Photos By Christine Anne Piesyk

Beth Britton and her daughter, "Elle-girl."

Beth Britton, a Clarksville writer whose work has appeared in Discover Clarksville,  has been asked to write a weekly column for the new site, Christian Homekeeper Network.

“This website is a great place for women to go and be encouraged and to get to know other women with similar interests. I am excited to be joining with the other excellent writers in contributing to this site.”

– Beth Britton

In additions to her periodic essay on our site, you can read Beth’s  weekly postings at my personal on site blog http://christianhomekeeper.org/ravens-nest/

Christian HomeKeeping Network is a Christian blog for women that includes articles about cooking, crafts, child-rearing, books and faith. It has an extensive list of contributing writers

As always, you can still keep up with her own personal life and the goings-on of our family at my blog below.

Stop by for a visit at Beth’s personal blog, www.myredriverhome.blogspot.com

Beth’work has appeared in Clarksville Online and Discover Paris TN.  She  also writes for Clarksville Family. Beth is married to David Britton, a historian and park ranger at Port Royal State park, and is the mother of Elle-girl, the subject of many of her essays.  She is expecting her second child.

Michael Ellison

The Roxy Regional Theatre is presenting the world premiere of All Quiet on the Western Front, a recent recipient of a National Endowment for the Arts grant.

In the press release accompanying the grant announcement, NEA Chairman Dana Gioia said, “We often hear from our grantees that the NEA’s grant support has a catalytic effect, helping the organization to exponentially garner additional funding for its project. These grants are an investment in our nation’s culture, and I’m proud to say that the return on that investment benefits Americans from coast to coast.’”

Adapted for the stage by John McDonald from the novel by Erich Maria Remarque, All Quiet on the Western Front tells the story of a young soldier who faces profound disillusionment in the soul-destroying horror of World War I.  First published in German in 1929, it sold 2.5 million copies in twenty-five languages in its first eighteen months in print.  In 1930 the book was turned into an Oscar-winning movie of the same name. Now in these uncertain times of war, All Quiet on the Western Front will speak to a new generation from the stage.

Michael Ellison (pictured at right)  stars as Paul Baumer, while Jeremy Maxwell (Tjaden), Chad Parsons (Muller), Michael Green (Kat) and Ryan Ploeckelman (Kropp) round out the group of friends who together experience the life-altering effects of the war.  Also appearing are Jay Doolittle, Leslie Greene, Kimberly DiPersia, Brady Adair and Patrick McLaughlin.

All Quiet on the Western Front opens on Friday, March 20, at 8pm for a pay-what-you-can preview.  It runs through March 28, playing Wednesdays and Thursdays at 7 p.m. and Fridays and Saturdays at 8 p.m., with a 2 p.m. matinee on Saturday, March 28.  Tickets are $15 ($10 for children 13 and under) and can be purchased online at www.roxyregionaltheatre.org or by calling (931) 645-7699 during regular box office hours (9 a.m.-2 p,m. weekdays).

Austin Peay State University senior art students, pictured recently in the Trahern Building, will present several art shows and exhibits this spring on campus. Members of the class are (from left) Kristi Kerstetter, Morgan Conwell, April Stilwell, Caroline Tuzeneu, Colleen O’Neill, Sara Neuhart, Nicholas Schulman, Katie Whitfield, Ryan Sample and professor of art Gregg Schlanger. Photo by Melony Shemberger, APSU Public Relations and Marketing

Students enrolled in the Senior Exhibition class, taught by Professor of Art Gregg Schlanger, must present their work in a public setting to earn their Bachelor of Fine Arts degrees. Nine students are enrolled this spring in the course.

All shows, open to the public, will be on APSU’s main campus.

The seniors scheduled to present are the following:

• March 30-April 3: Kristi Kerstetter, paintings, Trahern, Room 106.
• April 6-9: Morgan Conwell, mixed media (mainly watercolor), Trahern, Room 106.
• April 13-17: Nicholas Schulman, drawings, Trahern, Room 106.
• April 20-24: Caroline Tuzeneu, ceramics (pottery), Trahern, Room 106.
• April 27-May 1: Katie Whitfield, drawings, Trahern, Room 106.
• April 27-May 1: Visual communication group exhibit featuring graphic design work by Sara Neuhart, Colleen O’Neill, Ryan Sample and April Stilwell, Trahern Gallery.

This theatre classic depicts the  anatomy of the relationship between ambition and corruption. Macbeth is one of Shakespeare’s most bloody and fear-filled tragedies. Often regarded as archetypal, the play tells of the dangers of the lust for power and the betrayal of friends. Based loosely on the historical account of King Macbeth of Scotland many superstitions are centered on the  belief the play is  “cursed,” referring to it instead as “The Scottish play”.

The play begins with the brief appearance of a trio of witches and then moves to a military camp, where the Scottish King Duncan hears the news that his generals, Macbeth and Banquo, have defeated two separate invading armies. Following their pitched battle with these enemy forces, Macbeth and Banquo encounter the witches as they cross a moor. The witches prophesy that Macbeth will be made thane (a rank of Scottish nobility) of Cawdor and eventually king of Scotland.

Lady Macbeth desires the kingship for her husband and wants him to murder Duncan in order to obtain it. When Macbeth arrives at Inverness, she overrides all of her husband’s objections and persuades him to kill the king that very night. While Duncan is asleep, Macbeth stabs him, despite his doubts and a number of supernatural portents, including a vision of a bloody dagger.

The story continues with an intricate of plotting, murders and prophecies unfurled.

For tickets, call the Box Office at 931-645-7699,  Monday through Friday, from 9:00 am – 12 noon.

Patricia Racette as Cio Cio San in madame Butterfly. (Photo: Marty Sohl/Metropolitan Opera)

The Met Live in HD continues to captivate a worldwide audience, bringing live, high definition productions of the world’s greatest opera to millions of worldwide viewers. The series continues  with Puccini’s hauntingly beautiful love story, Madama Butterfly, which will be screened at several Nashville venues on Saturday, March 7 at 12 noon (CST).

Opry Mills Stadium 20 Plus IMAX, 570 Opry Mills Drive and  Green Hills Stadium 16, 3815 Greenhills Village Drive, both in Nashville, will screen the live broadcast. In addition, for those who will miss the Saturday showing, Green Hills will screen encore showings on March 18 at 7 p.m. and March 18 at 1 p.m. Running time is three hours and 21 minutes, with two intermissions.

Patricia Racette returns to the title role of Anthony Minghella’s stunning production, a new classic of the Met repertory, opposite Marcello Giordani. Conducting is Patrick Summers, with production by Anthony Minghella, Patricia Racette and Marcello Giordani.

Madame Butterfly is set in 19th century Nagasaki, and tells the story of Lieutenant B. F. Pinkerton, U.S.N., who is about to  contract a “Japanese marriage” with Cio-Cio-San,  called Butterfly by her friends. Even as Pinkerton explores the little house in which he plans to live with Butterfly,  his plans fall into immediate disfavor with the American Consul Sharpless, who fears that what may be a mere matter of pastime to the American Naval lieutenant, may have been taken seriously by the Japanese girl and, if so, may prove a matter of life or death with her. In truth, Butterfly is in love, and has renounced faith and family to be with Pinkerton, placing her life in his hands.

Three years elapse,  a long time since Pinkerton has left Butterfly with the promise to return to her “when the robins nest.” When the curtain rises, after an introduction, in which another Japanese theme is employed, Suzuki, although convinced that Pinkerton has deserted her mistress, is praying for his return. Butterfly is full of faith and trust.

In point of fact, Pinkerton really is returning to Nagasaki, but with no idea of resuming relations with his Japanese wife. Indeed, before leaving America he has written to the Counsul asking him to let Butterfly know that he is married to an American wife, who will join him in Nagasaki.

Night passes; dawn is breaking. When Suzuki awakes, she persuades the poor little “wife” to go upstairs to rest, which Butterfly does only upon Suzuki’s promise to awaken her as soon as Pinkerton arrives. Pinkerton and Sharpless appear. Suzuki at first is full of joyful surprise, which, however, soon gives way to consternation, when she learns the truth. Pinkerton himself, seeing about him the proofs of Butterfly’s complete loyalty to him, realizes the heartlessness of his own conduct.  Pinkerton who cannot bear to face the situation, rushes away, leaving it to the Counsul to settle matters as best he can.

Butterfly has become aware that people are below. Suzuki tries to prevent her coming down, but she appears radiantly happy, for she expects to find her husband. The pathos of the scene in which she learns the truth is difficult to describe.

The Counsel and Mrs. Pinkerton withdraw. In a scene of tragic power, Butterfly mortally wounds herself with her father’s sword, the blade of which bears the inscription, “To die with honour when one can no longer live with honour,” drags herself across the floor to where the boy is playing with his toys and waving a little American flag, and expires just as Pinkerton enters to take away the son whom thus she gives up to him.

The Met Live in HD  has been seen in almost 850 venues, with several performances remaining in the current season. A special presentation of The Audition, a documentary about the Met’s 2007 National Council Auditions, will be seen in select theaters. Don’t miss the chance to experience the Met at your local movie theater!