2006 Belmont Hillsboro Home Tour

It must be home tour season. Belmont-Hillsboro is also having one during the first weekend in October. Theirs is a Saturday-only affair (Oct. 7) that runs from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Tickets are $10 per person, and a total of 10 homes will be featured. Advance tickets may be purchased at Helios Artglassworks (3108 Belmont Boulevard) and Hillsboro Hardware (2204 21st Avenue South). On the day of the tour, tickets will be available at Helios Artglassworks and Belmont Heights Baptist Church at 2110 Belmont Boulevard. Tour goers can enjoy a free trolley ride that will shuttle between homes. For more information, please email [info at belmont-hillsboro.org].

All proceeds from the Belmont-Hillsboro Home Tour go to Belmont-Hillsboro Neighbors, Inc. a nonprofit neighborhood association.

2006 Whitland Home Tour

The 2006 Whitland Home Tour will take place on Saturday, Oct. 7, from 3 to 7 p.m. and Sunday, Oct. 8, from 1 to 5 p.m.

The home tour will cost $12 per person, $8 per child or $20 per couple. Free tours, refreshments and treats for the children are being provided at Fire Hall No. 17. Children with parental supervision are also welcome to play at the playground of Blakemore Children’s Center, located in the neighborhood. Discount tickets can also be purchased through Sept. 30 at whitland.org and at select locations around town (see below).

Here are the homes that are scheduled to be featured:

• The Home of Jeff Lynch, 3621 West End Avenue
• The McDaniel Home, 3824 Whitland Avenue
• The Home of Carole and John Sergent, 3747 Whitland Avenue
• The Home of Laura Lee and Bruce Dobie, 3815 Whitland Avenue
• The Home of Gail and Mike Wales, 200 Carden Avenue
• The Home of Jessica and Keith Deerkoski, 209 Cantrell Avenue
• The Sisk Home, 203 Cantrell Avenue
• The Wemyss Home, 9 Peach Blossom Square
• The Home of Heidi and Charles Anderson, 401 Bowling Avenue, No. 12
• Fire hall No. 17, 3911 West End Avenue

A portion of the proceeds will again benefit Nashville Area Habitat for Humanity. For more information about the tour, please contact Scott Holder at (615) 498-7556 or visit whitland.org.

Discounted advance home tour tickets can also be purchased through Oct. 6 at the American Artisan (4321 Harding Pike), and Davis-Kidd Booksellers (2121 Greenhill Village Drive in the Green Hills Mall).

This news release contains more information about the event. Did you know that Dawn Wells (Mary Ann from Gilligan’s Island) and Dinah Shore are former Whitland residents? (I didn’t.)

MTA Bus Schedule

The Metro Transportation Authority Bus Route Schedule officially changes on Sunday, October 1. This includes the following change for the modified route #13, now known as Sylvan Park (formerly called West Nashville/Croley):

Harding Road Development

The Tennessean featured a rendering of the proposed shopping complex on Harding Road near Kenner Avenue (above) in its story on Saturday updating the announcement that Publix will anchor what will be called the Hill Center at Belle Meade.

Personally speaking, I like the look of the development compared with the current structures. I especially like the plans to put the building closer to Harding Road. This New Urbanism element is part of a larger plan for the area that would dramatically change how traffic moves from White Bridge Road to Harding Road and vice versa and hopefully eliminate some of the congestion. This map from the plan document provides some perspective on where the Publix and adjacent office building fit in. From what I can tell, in the rendering above Harding Road is on the far right, and a new connector road to White Bridge road is directly in front of the Publix store.

Traffic Details

Nashville is Talking has additional information about the I-40 shutdown that begins at 7 p.m. tonight and lasts until 5 a.m. Monday. Even more information is in this TDOT news release. The main purpose of the shutdown is to make repairs to the Jefferson Street Bridge.

Definitely plan accordingly if you are headed on to I-440, I-65 or any open part of I-40 this weekend. The resulting confusion and traffic may make for delays.

Publix on Harding Road

The Tennessean has confirmed that developers are planning to build a Publix grocery store where the Belle Meade H.G. Hill store and other properties now stand. Construction, including demolition of the current buildings, is expected to start sometime in January.

This news is also part of a larger effort to upgrade the area around White Bridge Road and Harding Place through new roads, sidewalks and pedestrian trails. (I know discussions about these improvements have been somewhat controversial, but I am not aware of the current details.)

The Tennessean story reports that the H.G. Hill store on the site closed in July. (I missed that along the way.)

Lost Dog

If you’ve seen Desi (above) this week, please call (615) 351-5581 to let her owner know.

Desi is a female black, tan and white hound and shepherd mix who weighs about 75 pounds. She was last seen wearing a blue collar, and she is friendly. She escaped from her yard this past Saturday.

(This information was posted at Jack’s Market as of Tuesday evening. If you are Desi’s owner and have an update to report, please send me an email. Hope you find her soon!)

I-40 Road Closure

According to a TDOT roadside sign on display this morning, I-40 East from I-440 to downtown (designated in red on the map link) will be closed this weekend. The closure will begin at 7 p.m. Friday evening and continue until Monday, September 25.

I’m not sure if that means that this section of the interstate will be closed on Monday, but it will definitely be closed Friday night and all day Saturday and Sunday. If you are headed downtown this weekend, taking Charlotte Pike or West End Avenue instead. Taking I-440 East toward Green Hills and connecting with I-65 North toward Wedgewood is another option for heading into the city.

William McDonough

Internationally renowned author William McDonough, the leading voice in the sustainable design movement, will speak at Benton Chapel on the Vanderbilt University campus next Tuesday, September 26, at 7 p.m. McDonough is co-author of the book Cradle to Cradle.

The Tennessee Fund for Sustainability is hosting this free event, which is open to the public. Benton Chapel is located at 411 21st Avenue South in the Divinity School on Vanderbilt University’s main campus. Public parking for the event (not free) is available in Wesley Place which sits at the corner of 21st Ave and Scarritt Place.

Youth soccer update

Here’s more information from Mekayle Houghton about the youth soccer program in Sylvan Park:

“Games are 4pm on Sundays unless there is a home Titans game. Then games are 10am on Saturday.”

Feel free to contact Mekayle at (615) 210-9600 or [houghton2x4 at mac.com] if you have questions about the program.