Franklin on the Fourth Fireworks Celebration

1:47 pm | Monday, Jun 27th
| No Comments

Thousands are expected to attend the popular Franklin on the Fourth Fireworks celebration on the square happening Monday, July 4th in Franklin and sponsored by the Franklin Lions Club,.  The Park at Harlinsdale will open at6:00 p.m. to provide a special viewing place for the fireworks show, sponsored by WAKM, the City of Franklin and in part by Cumulus Radio.  The North Entrance on Franklin Road will open at 6:00 p.m. and people are invited to bring lawn chairs or blankets to view the show.  The fireworks are expected to begin at approximately 9:00 p.m.

 

No alcohol is allowed in City Parks.  Fireworks and sparklers are illegal within Franklin City limits and are strictly prohibited in City Parks.  The grass is dry in the park and sparks or flames could easily start a fire.

 

For more information about the Franklin Lions Club and TN events festival go to http://www.franklinjazzfestival.com/4th-of-july .  Festivities begin at 10:00 a.m. with bluegrass music, food and craft vendors, a kids zone and much more.  Theevent will also feature a Children’s Patriotic Parade at 5:00 p.m.  There will be prizes for best costume and decorated bikes and wagons. Pets are welcome.

 

Meet Retired Astronaut Rhea Seddon

7:07 pm | Monday, Jun 13th
| No Comments

Did you ever dream of traveling to outer space? Want to hear about what it’s like from someone who has been there/done that?

Rhea Seddon will talk about her out of this world life as an astronaut on Saturday, June 18, at 1:00 p.m. at the Williamson County Public Library in Franklin. She spent 19 years with the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). In 1978 she was selected as one of the first six women to enter the NASA Astronaut Corps. She served as a Mission Specialist on flights in 1985 and 1991 and as Payload Commander in charge of all science activities on her final flight in 1993. This brought her total time in space to 30 days.

Dr. Seddon captured the adventure of being one of the first women in the Astronaut Program in her book Go For Orbit.  At her presentation, autographed copies will be available for $40. She will also be happy to pose for pictures, especially with children. The event is free and open to everyone. To attend, register online at WCPLtn.org or call 615-595-1243.

After leaving NASA in 1996, Seddon was the Assistant Chief Medical Officer of the Vanderbilt Medical Group in Nashville for 11 years. While there she led an initiative aimed at improving patient safety, quality of care, and team effectiveness by the use of an aviation-based model of Crew Resource Management. Now with LifeWings Partners, LLC she teaches this concept to healthcare institutions across the United States. A graduate of the University of California at Berkeley with a degree in physiology, Dr. Seddon received her M.D. degree from the University of Tennessee College of Medicine in Memphis, where she completed her residency in General Surgery.

 

FrankTalks Lecture with Franklin Police Chief

2:09 pm | Thursday, May 26th
| No Comments

City of Franklin Police Chief Deb Faulkner will be the speaker for Franklin Tomorrow’s Monday, June 13, FrankTalks lecture, presented by Vanderbilt University’s Office of Community, Neighborhood and Government Relations.

Chief Faulkner leads the 160 men and women who make up the Franklin Police Department. These dedicated officers and civilian staff serve our customers with a professional, progressive, and responsive approach to modern-day policing.

Her topic June 13 will be, “Frank Talk From the Police Chief: 21st Century Policing in Historic Franklin.” The event is free, but to RSVP, visit http://franktalksjune13.eventbrite.com.

The event will begin at 9 a.m. in Townsend Hall at the Westhaven Residents’ Club, 401 Cheltenham Ave. with a 30-minute coffee social and then the program at 9:30 a.m.

FrankTalks is a monthly community conversation series that provides an opportunity for Franklin residents to learn, engage, and discuss topics that help shape our community. The series fits with the Franklin Tomorrow’s goal to engage the community on important topics in our community and inspire discussion which foster collaboration.

FrankTalks is presented by Franklin Tomorrow in partnership with Vanderbilt University’s Office of Community, Neighborhood & Government Relations.

Prior to joining the Franklin Police Department in 2014, Chief Faulkner was Tennessee’s first Inspector General. A retired Metropolitan Nashville Police Officer, Faulkner came up through the ranks, serving in Metro’s Patrol Division and various other assignments before retiring from the Nashville Police Department at the rank of Deputy Chief. She has her bachelor’s degree in Journalism from the University of Memphis; her master’s in Criminal Justice from Middle Tennessee State University; and, her doctorate in Human Development Counseling from Vanderbilt University.

Chief Faulkner is the past President for the Fifty Forward Board, YWCA, and the Susan G. Komen Nashville Affiliate. She has also served on the boards of the Girl Scouts, Goodwill, Catholic Charities, CABLE, and Building Lives of Vets. Chief Faulkner is a recipient of the Athena Award, and was also inducted into the Academy for Women of Achievement. She received the Girl Scout’s Volunteer Award, CABLE’s Spirit of Leadership Award, the Molly Todd Cup, and the Fifty Forward Harriet Foley Leadership Award.

 

The Franklin Police Department is internationally accredited by the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies.

For more information, call Mindy Tate, (615) 794-0998.

Improvements on Hillsboro Road

6:54 pm | Friday, May 20th
| No Comments

This project is the second phase of the overall Hillsboro Road Improvements Project, creating roadway and utility infrastructure upgrades to Hillsboro Road, State Route 106. Aspects of this project include:

Widening from a 2-lane roadway with shoulders to 3-lanes (includes a new center turn lane) with curb and gutter (widening is symmetrical along the roadway’s existing centerline); New 4.0’ Bike lanes on both sides;  New 3.0’ grass strip with street trees;  New 5.0’ sidewalk along both sides of the roadway, up to Claude Yates;  New street lighting along both sides using decorative street light poles;  Northbound right turn lanes (in addition to the 2 travel lanes and center turn lane) to be added in front of Franklin High School and at both of the Joel Cheek Blvd. and Claude Yates Drive Intersections;  Installing a traffic control signal at Claude Yates Drive to help with Franklin High School Traffic;  Upgrading the Joel Cheek Blvd. traffic signal;  Relocating all overhead utilities into underground duct banks;  Upgrading older and undersized water and sanitary sewer utility lines; and Installing a new storm water sewer system with catch basins and yard inlets.  These upgrades take place in both State Rights-of-Way and City/Public Easements.

Project Length & Limits
Total project length is approximately 0.827 Miles.
Beginning: Along Hillsboro Road (SR-106), by Independence Square/1200 feet north of Del Rio Pike.
Ending: Along Hillsboro Road (SR-106), just south of the Mack Hatcher Parkway (SR-397) intersection.

Construction Timeframe
The construction contract was awarded to Eutaw Construction Company in March 2016.  The contract time starts on April 18th.  You may see traffic control devices and erosion protection measures installed later in April.  Actual construction will begin in early May.  The project is scheduled to last 14 months, with completion by August 2017.  This is an aggressive schedule for the contractor to follow, considering the vast amount of utility relocation work.  The City will work closely with the local utility companies to make sure they help get this project completed in a timely manner.

Project Contact
William Banks – Project Manager
William.Banks@franklintn.gov
(615) 550-6677

For more information, please contact the City of Franklin.

11th Annual Music and Memories

2:32 pm | Thursday, May 19th
| No Comments

The FiftyForward Martin Center is pleased to announce that Grammy-award winner Amy Grant will headline the 11th Annual Music and Memories concert on Tuesday, June 21 at 7:30 p.m. benefiting the FiftyForward Martin Center.

Amy Grant’s career spans more than 30 years and stretches from her roots in gospel to becoming an iconic pop star, songwriter, television personality and philanthropist. With three multi-platinum albums, six platinum albums and four gold albums, her total career album sales exceed 30 million. In addition to six Grammy Awards, Grant has earned 26 Dove Awards and has been honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

Every day, 10,000 Baby Boomers reach the age of 65. As the needs of this rapidly growing demographic grow to unprecedented levels so does the need for programs, services and resources to address their needs.

FiftyForward serves a vital need in our community by giving older adults a place to fellowship, find needed resources, and engage in community involvement. Currently, adults 65 years and older are the fastest growing demographic and the FiftyForward Martin Center is advancing their mission to meeting increased needs.

  • VIP Package $110 includes VIP reception at The Franklin Theatre
  • Premier Seating at The Franklin Theatre
  • Enjoy wine and hors d’oeuvres
  • An opportunity to meet Amy Grant.

To purchase a VIP package, call the Center at 615-376-0102.

For more information about The Martin Center, visit www.themartincentertn.org. For more information about our agency, visit www.fiftyforward.org or call Susan W. Sizemore, Director of Communications at (615) 743-3411or SSizemore@fiftyforward.org

Sponsored by Jackson Life

About FiftyForward

Founded in 1956, FiftyForward enriches the lives of adults 50+ by providing pathways to health, well-being and lifelong learning. With seven active aging centers offering educational and wellness programs throughout Davidson and Williamson counties, the non-profit organization also features FiftyForward Adult Day Care Services, FiftyForward Meals on Wheels as well as the FiftyForward Care Team offering care assessment and services to homebound adults. FiftyForward Travel offers adventures (near and far) and Senior Center for the Arts and the Larry Keeton Theatre, located in FiftyForward Donelson Station, features performing arts for all ages. Learn more about FiftyForward resources and volunteer opportunities by visiting: www.fiftyforward.org.

Touch a Truck

3:24 am | Thursday, May 19th
| No Comments

The City of Franklin Parks and the Public Works Department is hosting the Touch a Truck event at Jim Warren Park (705 Boyd Mill Ave) from 5 – 8 p.m. It is free so bring the little ones down to play and explore the many street trucks and tractors.

For more information, go www.franklintn.gov or call the event hotline at 615 550-6947.

Franklin Rodeo

12:00 am | Thursday, May 19th
| No Comments

The Rodeo will be held three nights: May 19, 20 and 21, beginning at 7 pm at the Ag Expo Center.  For more information and tickets visit, FranklinRodeo.com.

Here is a glipse behind the history of the Franklin Rodeo from FranklinRodeo.com:

For over 65 years now, cowboys and cowgirls have stampeded to Franklin, Tennessee in early May to participate in what is billed as the largest rodeo east of the Mississippi. The Franklin Rodeo is a project of the Franklin Noon Rotary Club, which has now celebrated over six decades of excitement since its beginnings.

The Franklin Noon Rotary Club was chartered January 13, 1948 with 14 members. Judge Jim Warren served as the club’s first president. Despite its humble beginnings, today the club has almost 150 members representing a large cross section of business backgrounds in one of Middle Tennessee’s favorite places to live.

For most members of the newly formed Franklin Rotary Club, this truly was their first rodeo

Soon after its creation, the newly formed club began looking for a fundraising project. Long-time Franklin Rotarian Jim Hayes remembers hearing about it. “Someone hit on the idea of having a rodeo, but there was a small problem. We had one man, Dr. Harry Guffee, who had actually seen a rodeo and a couple of other people who had migrated up from Texas,” Hayes relates. “Dr. Guffee, along with transplanted Texans John and Preston Fowlkes and Bob Corley were principals in carrying the torch,” according to Hayes. “Another significant person was Ed Moody, who managed the rodeo from the 1950’s until 1984.”

The first rodeo was planned for Saturday, May 6, 1949 with a parade leading up to it and was a rousing success. It was led by then Tennessee Governor Gordon Browning, local Rotarians and visiting cowboys. Bands from Franklin High School and the Columbia Military Academy also participated. About 1,000 4-H kids and their parents were in town and they joined in too. Many county residents rode their horses to town for the event so they also joined the parade. That started a tradition that goes on to this day.

Hayes said the rodeo’s first years were tenuous. “There were several times during the early history of the rodeo when the Rotary Club toyed with canceling it. They’d have one year where they’d make money and one where they’d have bad weather and lose money.” But the event went on, and Hayes attributes that to the character of Rotarians. “There were some strong beliefs among some members of the club that the rodeo would be a good long term event.”

During the past six decades, the rodeo has produced over two million “bucks”

Over the past 64 years, over $2.5 million has been raised for community causes, including everything from college scholarships to medical care. Hayes said, “In the ‘60’s, there was a shortage of physicians, dentists, and trained nurses in our county. For many years the Franklin Noon Rotary Club gave scholarships to medical, dental and nursing schools. That financial aid produced a number of good doctors, dentists, and nurses.” Funds often also went to buy band uniforms and library books for the public schools. Following the 1950 rodeo, the Review Appeal newspaper printed, “Not only will the reader have the time of his life (at the rodeo), but he is assured that his 60 cents (admission) will be spent wisely – adequate uniforms for the FHS band.”

Hayes believes the rodeo is part of the fabric of the community. “We were an agrarian community—we were farm oriented, and for rodeo week, it became the main thing we did and the biggest event to happen in Franklin year round.”

Hayes added that even though the population of Williamson County has grown exponentially and has shifted away from agriculture, the rodeo is still woven into the fabric of the community.

Today’s rodeo looks a lot different than the first one held in 1949. The event spans three nights, is held inside an air conditioned arena and attendance exceeds the entire 1949 population of Franklin. And the sixty-cent admission of that first rodeo won’t even buy a soft drink today.

But two things do remain the same—fans still have a good time and the community still benefits from the work of the Franklin, Tennessee Noon Rotary Club.

Sandra Moody Sullivan Named “Ed Moody Award of Excellence” Recipient

8:23 pm | Sunday, May 15th
| No Comments

Boys & Girls Clubs of Middle Tennessee (BGCMT) announced Sandra Moody Sullivan as the recipient of the 4th “Ed Moody Award of Excellence.”  She will accept the award at the 27th Annual Steak & Burger Dinner taking place on Thursday, May 5, 2016 in Jamison Hall in the Factory at Franklin.

 

Sullivan is the niece of the late Ed Moody and has been an after-school volunteer tutor at the Franklin Club for more than two years. She taught in the Williamson County Schools system for 42 years. The “Ed Moody Award of Excellence” honors the revered Williamson County businessman, who helped establish the Franklin Boys & Girls Club in 1989. Moody co-founded Moody Tire Co. after World War II with his brother, Tom, who was Sullivan’s father. Moody’s widow, Eileen, will present the award to her niece.

 

“I’m very honored to receive this award, particularly since it is named for my uncle Ed,” said Sullivan, daughter of the late Tom and Isabelle Moody. She is the mother of Lisa Carson, Rachel Sullivan, and the late Jennifer McGhee. “I started working with the Club in August of 2014, and I help the youth with whatever work they have, not just math,” Sullivan said.

 

Teaching children is nothing new for Sullivan, an Auburn University graduate who began her education career in 1963 in Columbus, GA. From 1970-1985, she taught at Lipscomb Elementary, and from 1986-2014 at Grassland Middle School. Sullivan had compiled 18 months of unused sick days upon her retirement.

 

A member of Franklin First United Methodist Church, Sullivan said she was surprised that she had been named to receive the Moody Award. “I’m a supporting player, not a star,” Sullivan said.

 

About the Steak & Burger Dinner

The Steak & Burger Dinner is one of Boys & Girls Clubs of Middle Tennessee’s oldest and most time honored traditions. While the event is a fundraiser, it is designed to honor Club members and engage supporters of our organization with the young people who benefit from their generosity. During the event, while all attendees gain inspiration from a keynote speaker, adults dine on finely prepared hamburgers while Club members are honored with special steak dinners, which for some,

may represent their very first steak dinner. The Steak & Burger Dinner incorporates an evening of good food, great entertainment, and interaction with Boys & Girls Clubs’ youth at each table.

 

Each table consists of six (6) adults and two (2) kids so that event attendees learn about the kids in a unique setting.  Steak & Burger Dinner table sponsorships are $1,000 and include tickets for six guests and two Club members. Individual tickets are $125 each, which buys a burger for one adult and a steak dinner for a Club youth member. Top-tier levels include the $10,000 Presenting Sponsor, $7,500 Diamond Sponsor, $5,000 Gold Sponsor, and $2,500 Silver Sponsor.

 

Sponsors receive numerous advantages ranging from various advertisements to tickets and tables. Tickets and tables can be reserved at www.BGCMT.org. For sponsorship opportunities, please contact Denise Carothers, Area Director and Resource Development Director, Williamson County, at 615-628-8188 or dcarothers@bgcmt.org.

 

About The Ed Moody Award of Excellence

The Ed Moody Award of Excellence, an annual honor from the Williamson County Advisory Board, recognizes an individual who has made a lasting impact with the Franklin and Fairview Boys & Girls Clubs and the Williamson County community. Each year the award is chosen by a panel of Williamson County Advisory Board members, Boys & Girls Clubs professional staff and community leaders.

 

About Boys & Girls Clubs of Middle Tennessee

For more than 113 years, Boys & Girls Clubs of Middle Tennessee (BGCMT) has enabled all young people, especially those who need us most, to reach their full potential as productive, caring, and responsible citizens. Annually, more than 3,400 youth are served at seven Middle Tennessee Boys & Girls Clubs and through community outreach initiatives. Clubs are located in Davidson & Williamson counties. Boys & Girls Clubs provides a safe place, professional caring staff, fun and friendship, and high-impact youth development programs on a daily basis during critical non-school hours. Priority programs emphasize academic success, good character and citizenship, and healthy lifestyles.  To learn more, please visit www.bgcmt.org, like us on Facebook [GreatFuturesStartHere] or follow us on Twitter @BGCMT.

 

Hot Air Balloon Festival

6:08 pm | Friday, Apr 29th
| No Comments

Are you ready for the Vanderbilt Health Franklin Hot Air Balloon Festival on Saturday, May 14 at Westhaven? Mercy Community Healthcare is the wellness and nonprofit partner, and the event begins at 3:00 p.m. There will be music, food truck fare, crafts and a kids zone. When the sun sets, the balloons will launch. General admission is $15, and VIP admission is $60. To learn more visit www.franklinballoonfestival.com.

Simmons Ridge

6:04 pm | Friday, Apr 29th
| No Comments

Locally owned, Simmons Ridge broke ground this morning! The new home development is located at 4408 South Carothers Road. Simmons Ridge Joint Venture is the developer and Hyde Park Homes is the building company. Franklin REALTORS is the exclusive marketing and sales broker for the development. The property will contain 408 units, including Townhomes and Single Family Homes.

The beautiful rolling hills acreage was purchased in 2003 and is expected to begin construction in the next couple of weeks. The homes in the first phase will range in size from 1,569 square feet to 1,950 square feet. “The homes have been well thought out with an eye for the details that will make owning a home in Simmons Ridge a great value”, said John Franks, member of the development and construction team.

The traditionally styled homes will be a modern interpretation of Southern living at its best. The homes will all have front porches keeping the socialization with neighbors easy and fun. Some models will also have screened back porches. All homes will have hardwood floors, granite in the kitchens and stainless steel appliances.

The healthy living neighborhood will have a series of parks and a great swimming facility. Walking trails will be throughout the new community. REALTOR, Marcia Franks, says, “The property is blessed with many huge century old trees that makes the property visually awesome”.

« Older Entries
Newer Entries »