Need health information? Find it at APSU’s Wellness Expo

The 2009 ASPU Wellness Expo will be held in the Foy Fitness and Recreation Center on the campus of Austin Peay from 11:00am to 3:00pm and is free to the general public.

The Wellness Expo offers the community access to information on health, wellness and fitness services and providers throughout the area.

Several Clarksville companies, including health spas, chiropractor clinics, physical therapy clinics, community programs and services, health clubs, among others will be available for demos, gift certificates, product samples, and business information and offer ways in which they can help you or your family make choices that will promote wellness in every aspect of your everyday life.

For more information on the Wellness Expo, please contact Cindy Moore or Lauren Wilkinson at University Recreation at (931) 221-7564, or moorec@apsu.edu or wilkinsonl@apsu.edu .

“Fly” Williams jersey to be retired at APSU

The greatest basketball player in Austin Peay State University history finally will have his jersey retired.

James “Fly” Williams, one of the legendary players in Ohio Valley Conference history whose early 1970s flamboyant style literally was responsible for packing gymnasiums almost everywhere he played, will see his jersey retired this Thursday at halftime of the Austin Peay-UT Martin game. The 8 p.m. contest will be televised by ESPNU.

Williams starred at Austin Peay during the 1972-73 and 1973-74 seasons, literally helping put the Governors basketball program on the map. He helped lead the Governors to a 22-7 record in 1972-73 and APSU’s first-ever Division I NCAA tournament appearance that included a 77-75 win against Jacksonville and a controversial 106-100 overtime loss to Kentucky. [Read more]

Young Kim on exhibit at APSU Trahern Gallery

An Austin Peay State University alumnus, now an art professor in North Carolina, will return to campus tonight to present an art exhibition. Young Kim (’94) will show “elemental” through Feb. 8 in the Trahern Gallery.

Kim is an assistant professor at Elon (N.C.) University. Previously, he taught for 10 years at West Virginia University in Morgantown. As an artist, Kim has presented numerous solo and group exhibitions since 1993 throughout the U.S., including Grand Rapids, Mich., Arlington, Va., and Winston-Salem, N.C. [Read more]

Astronaut Jon McBride to speak at APSU

A former NASA astronaut will be at Austin Peay State University in late January to speak of his space exploration experiences.

Retired Capt. Jon A. McBride will present a talk at 5:30 p.m., Wednesday, Jan. 28 in the Morgan University Center, ballrooms B and C. The public is invited to attend. There is no charge.  McBride’s appearance is sponsored by the APSU Govs Programming Council.

Selected as an astronaut candidate by NASA in January 1978, McBride became an astronaut in August 1979. His NASA assignments have included lead chase pilot for the maiden voyage of Columbia and pilot of STS 41-G, which launched from Kennedy Space Center on Oct. 5, 1984, aboard the Orbiter Challenger. [Read more]

Imani Winds in concert at APSU

The Austin Peay State University Department of Music and the Center of Excellence for Creative Arts continues its Clarksville Community Concert Association’s 2008-09 Concert Series with a performance by the acclaimed Imani Winds.

Imani Winds will perform at 7:30 p.m., Friday, Jan. 23, in the Music/Mass Communication Building Concert Hall. Since 1997, this Grammy-nominated wind quintet has taken a unique path, carving out a distinct presence in the classical music world with its dynamic playing, culturally poignant programming, genre-blurring collaborations and inspirational outreach programs. With two-member composers and a deep commitment to commissioning new work, the group is enriching the traditional wind quintet repertoire while meaningfully bridging European, American, African and Latin American traditions.

In the previous season, Imani Winds performed extensively with jazz icon Wayne Shorter, culminating in a summer European tour of jazz festivals in Vienne, France, Lubeck, Germany, Kongsberg, Norway, Copenhagen, Denmark, Limerick, Ireland, and the North Sea Jazz Festival in Rotterdam, Netherlands. In 2008-09, the group will play several engagements with the Shorter Quartet, including dates at Carnegie Hall, Walt Disney Concert Hall in Los Angeles and Is Sanat Art and Culture Centre in Istanbul.

The Clarksville Community Concert Association is a nonprofit organization dedicated to presenting musical performances of high artistic merit and promoting interest in and enjoyment of live concerts throughout the community.

Advanced tickets may be purchased for any of the concerts listed. For more information about advanced tickets or purchasing a subscription, contact Sharon Nass, (931) 647-7288.

Essayist Brenda Miller to read from “Blessing of the Animals”

Brenda Miller, the recipient of five Pushcart Prizes, will be at Austin Peay State University near the end of the month to read from her newest collection of essays.

Miller will read from “Blessing of the Animals” at 8 p.m., Jan. 29 in the Kimbrough Building, Gentry Auditorium. A reception and book signing will follow the reading.

In addition to the reading, Miller will hold an informal discussion with APSU students, faculty and staff at 12:20 p.m., Jan. 29 in the Morgan University Center, Room 303. [Read more]

APSU Student Government hosts “Inauguration Watch”

The Austin Peay State University Student Government Association (SGA) and the National Pan-Hellenic Council (NPHC) will host a Inauguration Watch Party on Tuesday, January 20, from 10:00 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. in the Morgan University Center ballroom.

Join us in the  University Center Ballroom for snacks and drinks to watch this monumental moment in history as Barack Obama is sworn in and becomes the 44th President of the United States. The Inaugural Parade begins  at 11:00 p.m. and the Inauguration will begin at 1:00 p.m. [Read more]

Govs summer camp offers “something different” for Clarksville youngsters

“What are we gonna do with our kids this summer?”  If I  have heard that question once, I have heard it a thousand times.  While there are several great church camps, sports camps, and other community programs here in Clarksville, a new recreational children’s camp at Austin Peay, is available for the Clarksville community.

Junior Govs Summer Camp for kids 5-12, put on by Austin Peay University Recreation, which will be in its 3rd year this summer, is specifically geared towards APSU faculty, staff, and students, but is open to everyone including Fort Campbell families who are looking for something different for their children this summer. [Read more]

Hemlock to invest $1.2 billion for polysilicon plant

Shining Today — To Energize Tomorrow. That slogan blazed across the stage as the vintage vinyl tune “Here Comes the Sun” played to a packed house at the APSU Communications Building Monday afternoon.

A “Who’s Who” roster of state, county and local government officials  and business leaders from Michigan and Montgomery County gathered on the Austin Peay State University campus  for the “historic” official announcement of Hemlock Semiconductor Corporation and Hemlock Semiconductor LLC multi-billion dollar development at Clarksville’s megasite in the northeastern edge of the city.

This is a “watershed of economic development in Tennessee,” said Matt Kessner of the Economic Development Council. “New jobs  in the development of sustainable energy.”

After a two-year global site search, Dow Corning and the Hemlock group opted to make an initial $1.2 billion initial investment in the construction of  a new polycrystalline silicon (polysilicon) manufacturing and development facility. Polysilicon is key to the development of solar industry. Groundbreaking on the new plant is expect early in 2009, creating  up to 1,000  jobs in construction and related crafts during the building phase; the facility is earmarked to open in 2012.

Tennessee Governor Phil Bredesen  joined Hemlock’s CEO and President  Rick Doornbos in making the announcement. “It’s the right company in the right community at the right time,” Bredesen said of what will ultimately be a $2 billion investment.  “What they make is what has to happen to make solar energy. The numbers are staggering.” Bredensen noted that t is not simply the immediate creation of new job but the ability to also attract related industries and  suppliers to the state and the region.

“This announcement offers solar industry leaders confidences that polysilicon supply will be available as the solar and electronics industries continue to grow and innovate. The exact scale of this investment will be determined by market conditions. Making this investment in today’s volatile economic climate is a testament to both the long term outlook of the solar industry, as well as Hemlock Semiconductor’s ability to add capacity to meet the needs of customers.” — Rick Doornbos

Doornbos said his frm looked at “over two dozen sites around the world” before settling on Clarksville and cited the importance not just location but the community itself as key to the final decision.

Polysilicon is used in the production of everything from cell phone and computers to solar panels.  The total investment by Hemlock in Clarksville will be at least $2.5 billion and at its onset of production will initially produce  1o,000 metric tons of capacity at the site, with the potential to expand to a production level of 21,000 metric tons. When the site is ready in 2012, some 500 permanent jobs will be created, with a potential increase to 800 when expanded. Construction of the site will employ 1,000 workers  over a five to seven year period.

Most of the polysilicon produced at the Clarksville site will be consumed by firms in the solar industry but the facility will also be capable of producing pure silicon for the electronics industry as well as solar-grade material.  The energy required for polysilicon manufacturing will be recouped “eight to fifteen times over” in future use and applications, Doornbos said.

Stephanie A. Burns, Dow Corning’s President and CEO, said her company was “committing our resources, know-how and technology because we are confident that solar technology represents a tremendous opportunity for both clean energy and economic growth.

In conjunction with this new industrial development, APSU has received a $6.4 million grant to develop and implement training programs in related fields from microbiology to engineering.

“We are (making this investment) for a 21st century America. We will retrain workers. We will encourage solar investment and call for a national commitment to environmentally responsible and renewable energy goals.”

Clarksville Mayor Johnny Piper thanked the hundreds of people involved in bringing this industry to the city.

During the announcement, Hemlock and Dow Corning presented two checks of $25,000 each to the Clarksville-Montgomery County School System and to the Imagination Library as an indicator of the start of their investment in the social fabric of the community.

Partners in this business venture are:

Hemlock Semiconductor Corporation headquartered in Hemlock, Michigan. The company has produced high-purity polysilicon for over 45 years.

Henlock Semiconductor LLC is a newly formed venture between Dow Corning Corporation, Shin-Etsu Handotai, and Mitsubishi Materials Corporations.

Dow Corning Corporation is a global leader in polysilicon innovation and technology. Dow Corning of Midland, Michigan, which manufacturses more than 7,000 products and services, is a joint venture owned  by Dow Chemical Company and Corning Inc.

Clarksville artist unveils “Rugby Gates” in Memphis

In the last two years, Gregg Schlanger, professor of art at Austin Peay State University, has processed 75,000 pounds of Memphis mud to make 7,000 bricks for a community-based public art project he was commissioned to build.

And after countless trips to Memphis for research, meetings and hard labor, the effort – which proved to be a true example of community involvement – is complete.

At 3 p.m., Dec. 13 in Memphis, a dedication ceremony will unveil Rugby Gates, a series of brick gateways along a main road in the Rugby neighborhood of Memphis. Schlanger will be among Memphis dignitaries and local residents to attend the event.Rugby Gates marks a neighborhood where the original brickyards of Memphis were located. The project was commissioned by The Urban Art Commission, which administers the public art program for the city of Memphis. The concept for the project developed following several meetings with city officials, neighborhood organizers, local schools and extensive research on the history of the area. [Read more]

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