![\"\"](\"http:\/\/www.clarksvilleonline.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/06\/comedyonthecumberland-200x75.jpg\" "\\"comedyonthecumberland\\"")
Stand up comedy returned to Clarksville, on Tuesday, June 7th at 7:00pm at the Roxy Regional Theatre, as F&M Bank presented “Comedy on the Cumberland”. The Clarksville Salvation Army was the beneficiary of the show. This year, Bonehead Promotions is focusing on The Clarksville Hunger Project, an awareness campaign featuring benefits for the local agencies who fight hunger in our community, because hunger is no laughing matter.<\/p>\n
This show featured Paul Strickland, Brian Swinford, and C.J Harlow; and was hosted by local talk show host and comedian, Hank Bonecutter.<\/p>\n
![\"Hank](\"http:\/\/www.clarksvilleonline.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/06\/IMG_2225.jpg\" "\\"Hank")
<\/a>Hank Bonecutter with Brian Swinford, CJ Harlow, and Paul Strickland<\/p><\/div>\n
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Most people think of the Salvation Army as the bell ringers on the corner, but the Salvation Army is much, much more that a few people asking for your contributions. The Salvation Army in Clarksville has not only a homeless shelter but a family store as well.<\/p>\n
The James Amos shelter (opened in 2009) has four rooms for families, 18 beds for single women, and 24 beds for single men. All these people are provided breakfast and dinner. During the day they leave to look for work and to address other issues of immediate importance in their lives. Most people are homeless for only a short period of time after losing their job or having some other type of personal crisis.<\/p>\n
<\/a>A Salvation Army Bell Ringer stands outside of the Roxy shortly before the Comedy show began<\/p><\/div>\n
<\/a>Martin Bruner<\/p><\/div>\n
Martin Bruner, chair of the Advisory Board, admitted prior to the beginning of the show, that this had been a \u201ctough year\u201d for the Clarksville Salvation Army. Jill Crow, also an active member added that the flooding earlier this year had stretched their resources thin. The Salvation Army store itself was flooded and had to be renovated, but additionally the Salvation Army went into flooded neighborhoods and provided hundreds of meals for victims.<\/p>\n
During July, the \u201cChristmas in July\u201d drive will feature mini red buckets located in many places in Clarksville to request additional much needed funds. Please remember to contribute all that you can.<\/p>\n
The Family Thrift Store on Kraft Street (open Monday through Saturday is always in need of following items:<\/p>\n
At Comedy on the Cumberland, the Salvation Army had the following items for sale: cookbooks for $18; Christmas cards, $15; and note cards, $15. You can call 553-8494 to see at what other locations these items may be purchased.<\/p>\n
<\/a>The Salvation Army booth in the Lobby of the Roxy Theatre<\/p><\/div>\n
Even if you can\u2019t donate cash, you can still donate your time. The Shelter is always in need of cooks. Please call (931) 552-5350 and see how you can help.<\/p>\n
The office of Sgt. Joyce Lance, corps administrator, is located at the Clarksville Church Office, <\/strong>208 Kraft Street, (931) 552-5350. Help is available for anyone who is in need.<\/p>\n Part of the Hunger Project of Clarksville, last year the Salvation Army served 1,475 persons, provided 5,757 shelter nights, gave 11,512 meals to people, distributed 8,637 items of clothing, and distributed 474 items of furniture. It also assisted 5,213 people during natural disasters. Many people are familiar with the Angel Tree project at Christmas but some are unaware that this is part of the Salvation Army\u2019s mission. Nursing home residents also received 1,227 gifts through the Salvation Army.<\/p>\n The serious work of the Salvation Army was featured in a short video at the beginning of Comedy on the Cumberland where all proceeds were donated to this very worthy cause. Many viewers were surprised to learn that nearly 30 per cent of homeless people are former members of the U. S. military.<\/p>\n Emcee Hank Bonecutter<\/p><\/div>\n Hank Bonecutter, emcee for the evening, is the host of Clarksville’s longest running morning show and also Clarksville’s only local morning talk show. On the air since 1993, Hank Bonecutter hosts three hours of local news, weather and sports talk. WJZM’s “The Bone Show\u201d features local news and weather updates every thirty minutes from 6:00 to 9:00 a.m. Monday through Friday on WJZM at 1400 A.M.<\/p>\n Hank is the driving force behind Comedy on the Cumberland, now one of the major charitable events in Montgomery County.<\/p>\n To open the June version of Comedy on the Cumberland, Hank thanked the Roxy Theater, John McDonald, the Roxy\u2019s artistic director, and Tom Thayer, managing director, for their support and use of this wonderful venue at 100 Franklin Street. (To contact the Roxy for tickets to their professional productions you can call 931 645-7699) or e-mail roxytheatre@bellsouth.net<\/a>. Reservations can be made through the website\u2014 roxyregionaltheatre.org–24 hours a day and 7 days a week.)<\/p>\n Sponsors for this night of hilarity were F & M Bank, Wyatt-Johnson, Wendy\u2019s of Clarksville, and Coleman Tractor Company.<\/p>\n Members of the cast of the Roxy\u2019s latest show, \u201cSongs of John Denver\u201d gave a preview to the audience by singing \u201cGrandma\u2019s Feather Bed\u201d in a flawless harmonic arrangement featuring two women and three men from the professional cast.<\/p>\n Members of the Cast of Almost Heaven, the John Denver Musical<\/p><\/div>\n The comedians who were actually the featured performers of the evening were Brian Swinford, C. J. Harlow and Paul Strickland.<\/p>\n Comedian Brian Swinford<\/p><\/div>\n Swinford, a two-year veteran of the comedy circuits, won NashvilleStandup.com\u2019s Funniest Comic in Nashville multiple times.<\/p>\n He also won the as ReadersDigest.com\u2019s contest for the funniest comic in Nashville because \u201cold ladies love him\u201d according to his publicity agent.<\/p>\n A former youth pastor, he cracked jokes that kept the audience in giggles throughout his routine.<\/p>\n He joked that he had lost 50 pounds, but his well-muscled physique cast doubts on the sincerity of that remark.<\/p>\n Comedian CJ Harlow<\/p><\/div>\n C. J. Harlow, former roommate of Paul Strickland, was even funnier as the night progressed. His background includes a stint in the U.S. Marines, bicycling across America, and teaching English in Korea among many other pursuits. His line of banter rollicked from one subject to another as the audience laughed nonstop. His originality made him the hit of the evening for many people. With a new CD in the works, C. J. is traveling from Clarksville to comedy shows in Louisville, Indianapolis, Bloomington, Indiana, and Columbia, South Carolina in June. Hopefully, he\u2019ll be back to Clarksville in the near future.<\/p>\n C. J. Harlow is found on line at CJIsfunny.com<\/a> where you can see the numerous venues where he has kept people laughing constantly and begging for more.<\/p>\n Comedian Paul Strickland<\/p><\/div>\n Paul Strickland is known, not just as a comedian, but as a story teller. His philosophy is related as \u201cI firmly believe that making people laugh at themselves and their world is a good way to help them escape while, hopefully, gaining some perspective on what they\u2019re escaping from, and distracting them from the fact that I just took their money.\u201d<\/p>\n Having just returned from the Orange Fringe Festival, Paul is leaving Clarksville\u2019s Comedy on the Cumberland to tour to Buford, Georgia, Turks and Caicos Islands in the Caribbean, and four cities in Michigan throughout June and July.<\/p>\n Recently divorced, Paul\u2019s home is now full time on the road where he does a great job of helping people laugh at themselves, at the foibles of life, and at the human condition in general.<\/p>\n One of the central themes of his act was the series of adventures in Bald Knob, Arkansas. His dynamic story telling kept the house rocking. You can see one of his routines at www.talkingpaul.com<\/a> and find out what his laugh fest is all about.<\/p>\n<\/a><\/a>Brian Swinford<\/h3>\n
<\/a>C. J. Harlow<\/h3>\n
<\/a>Paul Strickland<\/h3>\n
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