Smithfield Manufacturing Inc. Green Ribbon Cutting.

The company has made great strides in reducing energy use, increased recycling efforts, reusing materials, consolidating shipments, reducing waste and making changes in office practices. They have realized an estimated savings of $20,000 in the last year.

“I want to thank you for becoming Green Certified. We know it took everybody here to participate in this program and we are really proud of what you have accomplished,” stated Clarksville Mayor Kim McMillan as she thanked Smithfield’s team members.

Montgomery County Mayor Carolyn Bowers congratulated the Smithfield Team and stated, “You have an outstanding business reputation. Thank you for your efforts. We all need to see the importance of saving our environment for future generations. Bi-County leader, Pete Reed, has been a major driver of this effort, pushing recycling for a number of years. When you take these ideas home and your children see them it makes a big difference in their lives as well.”

“I want to say thanks to both of our mayors who had the vision to embrace the Leadership Clarksville Green Certification idea and have it spread to the business community. Sustainability practices can help all businesses that are often under a lot of pressure to reduce costs. We’ve got the numbers to prove that it makes a difference. Our team members have joined in the effort to recycle.” stated Ron Smithfield.

For information on how your business can participate in the Green Certification Program, contact Michelle Newell at .

Written by Richard Garrett
Clarksville, TN – On May 17th, 2012 the Clarksville Area Ministerial Association (CAMA) held its final luncheon meeting until fall. After prayer and a hearty meal prepared by Hilldale UMC volunteers, the meeting began with a treasurer’s report and updates about the new officers for CAMA that will begin their appointed roles concluding the summer break.

CMCSS System Director Mike Harris speaks at the luncheon.

Special Guest Montgomery County Mayor Carolyn Bowers then gave an overview of progress being made in our community through collaboration between the County, the City, businesses, and the support of the faith based community.

Montgomery County Mayor Carolyn Bowers speaks at the Clarksville Area Ministerial Association Luncheon.

The meeting concluded with the diverse group of pastors, elected officials, and community leaders singing “Blessed Assurance” then praying over the Clarksville-Montgomery County area.

This weeks highlights include:

• *NEW* Summer Night Lights
• Yoga in the Park
• Self-Defense Class
• Friends of the Blueway
• Private Pool Rentals
• Get your pool pass today!
• Movies in the Park

*NEW* Summer Night Lights

Beat the summertime blues this year! The City of Clarksville Parks & Recreation Department along with Manna Café, L.E.A.P. Organization, Workforce Essentials, Miller-Motte Technical College, BFS Insurance and Coca-Cola® will be offering extended hours and lots of great activities at two Parks & Recreation facilities as a part of the Mayor’s Summer Night Lights program.

Summer Night Lights is free and open to youth and families of all ages.

Summer Night Lights will feature two locations of summer fun, the Kleeman Community Center and the Burt-Cobb Community Center coupled with Dixon Park, beginning Thursday, June 14th. Summer Night Lights kicks off at the Kleeman Community Center, located at 166 Cunningham Lane. Festivities at this site will occur every Thursday from 6:00pm to 9:30pm and will include a basketball league, fitness classes, organized games and more!

The Burt-Cobb/Dixon Park site, located at 1101 Franklin Street and 117 South 10th Street, will be offering an outdoor basketball league, organized games and more, each Friday evening from 6:00pm to 10:30pm.

Summer Night Lights will run weekly, through Friday, August 3rd.

Yoga in the Park

The Parks & Recreation Department has teamed up with the YMCA to provide a free 6-week yoga session, beside the calming Cumberland River at McGregor Park. Session began May 16th, but participants can join at any time. Classes are held on Wednesdays and Fridays from 6:00am to 7:00am Register online at recpro.cityofclarksville.com.

Self-Defense Class

The Burt-Cobb Community Center will host a self defense class for women who are looking to learn more about protecting and defending themselves Tuesday, May 22nd from 5:00pm to 7:00pm. The class is free, but registration and a Community Center ID card are required to attend. ID cards cost only $5.00 for an entire year! Purchase yours today at any of our centers or our main office.

Friends of the Blueway

Are you interested in learning more about Clarksville’s Blueway project?

If so, come to the Kleeman Community Center on Thursday, May 24th from 5:30pm to 6:30pm to find out how you can get involved.

Private Pool Rentals

Private rentals are available Friday-Sunday from 6:00pm-8:00pm at the following pools: Smith, Beachaven, New Providence, Bel-Aire, and Swan Lake. Reservations can be made by calling the Parks & Recreation main office at 931.645.7476 beginning June 1st.

For rates and other information, visit www.cityofclarksville.com.

Get your pool pass today!

Our five public pools will open on Saturday, May 26th for the summer season. Pool pass sales are currently underway!

To accommodate the pool pass sales, passes are also available for purchase at any of the three community centers through June 1st.

Movies in the Park

Join us Saturday, June 2nd, at Heritage Park soccer fields for the viewing of “Tangled”- rated PG. Come early to save your spot and check out “move before the movies” featuring kid’s Zumba, before the movie begins at dusk. Be sure to bring your picnic blankets and lawn chairs.

Concessions also will be available. Admission to the movie is free.

Nashville, TN – Tennessee Governor Bill Haslam and Environment and Conservation Commissioner Bob Martineau today awarded an additional $547,000 in grants for recreational trail projects across Tennessee. $120,000 was awarded to the City of Clarksville to connect Mary’s Oak Trail Head and the 101st Pedestrian Bridge through Heritage Park.

“These grants help local governments and organizations improve amenities such as trails, greenways and recreational facilities that contribute so much to a better community and quality of life,” Haslam said. “The grants will help make Tennessee’s incredible natural beauty and outdoors more accessible to Tennesseans.”

Recreational Trails Program grants may be used for non-routine maintenance and restoration of existing trails, development and rehabilitation, trailside or trailhead facilities such as restrooms, kiosks and parking lots, construction of new trails and land acquisition for recreational trails or corridors.

“We are excited to have this additional funding opportunity, which will assist these five communities in the development of a variety of new trails,” said Martineau.

Funding for RTP grants is provided by the Federal Highway Administration through the federal Safe, Accountable, Flexible, Efficient Transportation Equity Act. The Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation administers this grant program for the state. The maximum federal share for each project is 80 percent, with RTP grant recipients providing a 20 percent match.

Grant recipients were selected through a scoring process with careful consideration given to the projects that met the selection criteria and expressed the greatest local recreation need.

To learn more about the RTP grant program and other recreation or conservation-based grant programs available in the future, please visit http://tn.gov/environment/recreation/grants.shtml.

For more information about the RTP grant program, contact Gerald Parish at 615.532.0538 or Gerald..

A complete list of the grants announced today follows:

Blackburn will be addressing the students and delivering words of encouragement as they look forward to changing their lives and their futures using the new skills they learned at Miller-Motte.

Congressman Blackburn started her elected service in 1998 as a Tennessee State Senator and was elected to Congress in 2002 representing the 7th District. Included in the 7th District are Montgomery County, Clarksville, and Miller-Motte Technical College. Congressman Blackburn has a strong presence in Tennessee and is known for being accessible to her constituents and as a bi-partisan leader. It is with great pleasure and honor that Miller-Motte’s students, faculty, and staff welcome Congressman Blackburn as commencement speaker.

Approximately 160 graduates will participate in the ceremony May 25th. Graduates will receive their Diplomas in programs that include Respiratory Therapy, Surgical Technology, Sterile Processing, Polysomnography, Medical Assisting, Healthcare Technology, Paralegal, Accounting, Management, Network Administration, Massage Therapy, Cosmetology and Esthetics.

Miller Motte Technical College is located at 1820 Business Park Drive off Dunbar Cave Road. Call 931.553.0071 if you want more information about this event or about the programs that are offered.

About Miller-Motte Technical College

Miller-Motte Technical College is a reputable leader in private career education. Our core mission is to provide students with an education delivering real-life career skills and dedicated placement assistance to successfully start their new career. Miller-Motte offers Associate Degrees, Diplomas and Certificates in fields including: Cosmetology, Esthetics, Respiratory Therapy, Healthcare, Massage Therapy, Paralegal and Network Administration. Please visit us online at www.miller-motte.com for more information.

At Miller-Motte Technical College, We Change Futures, We Change Lives!

For the kids. there will be be gardening crafts to participate in. Lousie Delgandio will be on hand to demonstrate how to make crepes. The first 600 visitors to the market, can visit the Clarksville Parks and Recreation booth to take home their very own market tote bag. There will also be give-a-ways handed out every thirty minutes.

The Clarksville Downtown Market will be open from 8:00am to 1:00pm every Saturday through October 19th on Public Square.

For more information on the Clarksville-Montgomery County Green Certification Program, contact Michelle Newell at .

The donation was based on the number of accounts opened at the bank’s Rossview Branch, which opened last August at 495 Dunlop Lane.

Planters Bank Vice President Stacey Wenzler (left) and Rossview Elementary School Principal Paula Ford.

Under the direction of Tom Thayer, executive director, and John McDonald, artistic director, the theatre will kick off the 2012-2013 season with the Dolly Parton musical 9 to 5: The Musical. Starring Bailey Hanks of Broadway’s Legally Blonde, it will open on September 14th.

In the winter, the 11th annual Vagina Monologues will play upstairs in the theatre’s theotherspace, while the world premiere of Heidi will take the mainstage. Patsy will be back in February with a revival of the wildly successful Always…Patsy Cline. The Roxy’s annual Shakespeare offering will be Romeo & Juliet, with a stage adaptation of Ambrose Bierce’s Civil War Stories and the regional premiere of Stephen Adly Guirgis’s Motherf**cker with the Hat playing in March.

You, too, will be flying in April with the new musical Peter Pan, based on the J.M. Barrie play and written by George Stiles, Anthony Drewe (the men who brought us Honk!) and Willis Hall. The Marvelous Wonderettes will croon during the summer, and a Rodgers and Hammerstein musical (which cannot be announced until May) will close the season.

For ticket information, contact the theatre at 931.645.7699 or visit the website at www.roxyregionaltheatre.org.

They will attend the Tennessee Law Enforcement Training Academy from May 27th – August 3rd, 2012.

Left to Right: Dustin Reynolds, Greg VanMeter, Mayor Kim McMillan, Lance Alsup, Anthony Murphy, Thomas Biele, Gary Mefford, Chief Al Ansley. (Photo by CPD-Jim Knoll)