Jeff Syracuse

There are just a few more weeks to enjoy the summer Two Rivers Mansion tours, which now include a tour of our freshly furnished 1802 House.  Docent-led tours are available every Monday, Thursday and Friday in August from 11:00am – 4:00pm.  Admission is $10 for adults and $5 for children.  Members are always free.

I had the pleasure of watching the National Wheelcats championship game held at McGavock High School.  Nashville won!  It was fun to watch and the teams are competitive.  It was an eye opener about the challenges they face but very uplifting to see how the teams overcome them.  As we grow our Metro Parks system, we need to ensure we have facilities and support for everyone.

Phat Bites has partnered with Hip Donelson and local non-profits to offer a free meal to eligible families in need up through the August 4th market.  See the flyer below for more information and contact info to support this effort.

My thanks to the Stones River Women’s Club for inviting to speak to their membership luncheon meeting last month.  Any ladies interested in getting involved in this club that has been active for over 50 years and has done a great deal of work to preserve and advance Two Rivers Mansion, please contact Karen Cowell at 615-812-4798 or wagsn1i@comcast.net.

The Larry Keeton Theater will have a benefit event called Fringe & Foolery, a costumed carnivale-themed fundraiser.  It will feature Jonell Mosser and be on May 13^th. Please check out the flyer for details below. A cash bar will be open all night.  Costumes are encouraged but not required. For more information or tickets, call 615-883-8375 or visit www.thelarykeetontheatre.org.

The Hip Donelson Farmer’s Market has big news for us for the upcoming 2017 season!  The first change is that they’ll be open one month early on Friday, April 7^th from 4-7pm, with a Grand Opening celebration on Friday, May 5^th.  Also coming to the market will be a “Farm 2 Car” option for those that want to order ahead and pick up at the market.  Additionally, the Music Valley Farmer’s Market will be the second location at Music Valley Village located at 2416 Music Valley Drive behind Cracker Barrel. It will run from 9am to noon on Saturday’s beginning May 6^th.  See the full press release below for all the details.  I look forward to seeing you at the Hip D Farmer’s Market!

The Friends of Two Rivers Mansion presents the annual Two Hearts Antiques & Crafts Show.  There will be many vendors, coffee shop and an appraiser on site on Sunday, February 19.   See flyer below for details.  This is a great opportunity to visit the mansion and this event gets bigger every year!

The Cumberland River Compact is hosting a couple of fascinating events in February and March about the voyages of the namesake of our side of town.  A reenactment and reflections of John Donelson’s journey to Nashville will be worthwhile time spent learning about the origins of Nashville.  Check them out here and here for more information and to RSVP.

Hip Donelson Lost & Found Pets is hosting a benefit at Homegrown Taproom & Marketplace on Saturday, March 11^th.  As we all know, the leadership and volunteers with Hip D Lost & Found Pets do extraordinary work to advocate for our pets and help return them home when they are lost.  Please consider attending this fund event or making a tax-deductible donation at the link above.

Another success story of the influence Hip Donelson Lost & Found Pets has had on reuniting pets with their owners is the No Lost Pet Nashville program that Metro Animal Care & Control has implemented.  The program was developed by MACC to increase the chances of pets being returned to their owners.   They are implementing the program in phases beginning with Found Dog Yard Signs and Printable Found Pet Signs for both cats and dogs.  This will help reunite lost pets with their families, while improving live outcomes at the shelter.  Similar programs have proven to improve Return to Owner percentage by 2% in year one and by more than 4% in year two of the program.  This is just the beginning as the shelter is looking into the viability of using both Twitter and Interactive Maps to assist in reuniting pets with their families.

This is how it works: 
• MACC Officers will be equipped with yard signs in each of their vehicles. 
• Yard Signs and Printable Found Pets signs will be available at the intake desk when a stray is brought into the shelter and can be utilized by Community Lost and Found groups. If you are a Community Groups interested in sign pick-up please email macc.news@nashville.gov to schedule a pick-up time for signs. 
• Both signs contain an animal identification number, description of the animal and the date the pet was found. 
• Finders are asked to leave the sign up for a minimum of three days. 

Pictured below is Marylee Locey and Bethanie Conley of Hip D Lost & Found Pets, who work relentless on behalf of our four-legged kids.

Markey Blue returns to The Larry Keeton Theater on Saturday, January 21^st as part of the Larry Keeton Live series.  They have sold out in the past pretty quickly, so be sure to buy tickets here in advance.  Lots of great shows coming up in 2017, so be sure to check out their website and make plans to enjoy a great performance!

I was honored to be asked to serve as a dog walker at the 7^th Annual Dinner With Your Dog fundraiser for the Nashville Humane Association on Saturday, January 21^st at the Hutton Hotel.  This year’s dinner is hosted by Tanya Tucker and chaired by Marcia Masulla.  As part of my involvement, I’m challenged to raise $777.  I’m almost 70% of the way there thanks so far to those listed on my CrowdRise fundraising page.  It’s a tax-deductible donation.  Any help is appreciated to reach the goal of $777!

Thanks to Metro Public Works for moving the signs below honoring our McGavock Band and Donelson Christian Academy Wildcats football team.  It was moved just across from Donelson Hills Drive on Lebanon Pike.  Now it can be more visible and properly displayed as part of our landscape design of The Donelson Gateway Projects site at Briley Parkway / Lebanon Pike.

I was honored to attend Mass at the Cathedral of the Incarnation and present a Proclamation to recognize the 150^th Anniversary of the Sisters of Mercy.  Pennington Bend is home to one of their Retreat Centers.  Joining me was US Congressman Jim Cooper, a representative from Lamar Alexander’s Office, State Senator Jeff Yarbro, State Senator John Ray Clemons.  Pat Nolan moderated the event.

Congratulations to one of Donelson’s newest non-profit organizations, GROW Enrichment, for securing an agreement with Metro Parks to utilize land near Two Rivers Park, Two Rivers Mansion and the Two Rivers Dog Park for their educational offerings.  They offer great classes.  This is an exciting opportunity for them and I encourage everyone to support them!

Think 2 Change is coming to McGavock High School on Thursday, October 27^th.  Brian Earley, Donelson neighbor, founded this non-profit organization to help kids deal with bullying, abuse and suicide.  The event is open to the public.  See flyer below for details.

The Hip Donelson Community Farmer’s Market is extending the market season to the winter’s months via a twice-monthly online ordering system.  Visit the website here and sign up for more information and how to participate.

The Larry Keeton Live Music Series continues this coming month with the Lynn Beal Big Band on November 12^th!  Lynn and band put on a great show.  See flyer below for details. 

I had the pleasure of visiting with Nashville’s Amateur Radio Club, which meets at Lock Two Park.  Their meetings are the third Thursday of each month and are open to anyone interested in amateur radio.  They provide opportunities for Scout Troops, schools and other community groups to learn about amateur radio, the services they provide especially in emergency situations.  The club has been in existence since 1934.

Many have asked about Hip Donelson Farmer’s Market opening up on Saturday.  Here’s your opportunity!  This Saturday, September 17^th from 8am to noon, the market will be down in Music Valley.  Come on out and enjoy a great morning at the market!

There will be two more Music at the Mansion events in August and September at Two Rivers Mansion.  Saturday, August 27 will feature the 6^th Annual Nashville Blues Society show featuring Them Rubies, a fantastic female vocal Americana trio you won’t want to miss.  Saturday, September 17 will welcome the return of The Moonlighters big band.  Also, don’t forget that tours are available throughout the month of August. 

The success of the restoration, preservation and increased community awareness of The Friends of Two Rivers Mansion continues to receive much deserved recognition.  Congratulations on receiving The Commissioner’s Award at the recent Metro Preservation Awards.  The picture is Mayor Megan Barry presenting the award to Vice President Marilyn Swing and President Phil Howard.

The inaugural Donnie Whitworth Memorial C.A.N.S. (Challenged Adults Needing Support) Walk-Push-Run event will be September 24^th at Two Rivers Park.  A group project of a team in Leadership Donelson-Hermitage’s Class of 2016 is organizing a kick-off event on Wednesday, April 27^th from 6-8pm at The Larry Keaton Theater with light hors d’oeuvres and wine.  It’s a free event, so come out and hear what this walk is all about, share your favorite memories of Donnie and get excited about raising money that will benefit The Shelby Foundation, a Donelson-based non-profit organization dedicated to making the lives of adults with intellectual disabilities better.

The Hip Donelson Farmer’s Market kicks off the sixth season on Friday, May 6^th!  It promises to be another great season of healthy food, wonderful vendors, music and much more.  It runs every Friday from May – October 4-7pm.

The Tennessee Songwriters Association International will host their 2016 Taste of TSAI Sidewalk Party on Saturday, April 23^rd from 5-9pm.  Live music, food, vendors, door prizes and more.  See poster below for details.

Congratulations to The Donelson Gateway Project for securing assistance via a Metro Beautification grant for 45 trees that were planted on DGP sites, as well as other areas around Donelson.  Visit DGP’s website here for a few pictures.  There will also be a clean-up of all sites on Saturday, April 16^th at 9am.  Head to one of the main sites and pitch in to help keep Donelson looking great!

The Friends of Two Rivers Mansion and the Metro Historic Commission selected Encore Interpretive Design to manage the master planning process for the Two Rivers Mansion, 1802 House and 14-acre property.  This is an exciting time for this historic crown jewel of Donelson.  The community is invited to a kick-off of the process on Wednesday, February 24^th at 5:30pm at Two Rivers Mansion.  Come learn how you can be part of this process and what deliverables to expect.

The American Legion Post 88 has been working hard on a plan to beautify and enhance the War Memorial triangle site that has been there since 1970.  Thanks to an architect team at Lose & Associates for helping put the vision to paper.  We’ve now presented it to TDOT and are awaiting their assessment and approval, which I hope to receive so plantings could be done this Spring.

The Buchanan Log House will host their 3^rd Annual Chili Cook-Off next Saturday, January 30 from 3-6pm.  Cost is only $10 and it benefits the Hip Donelson Lost & Found Pets initiative.

The Larry Keeton Theatre presents Sunset Blvd. Don't miss Andrew Lloyd Webber’s celebrated musical tells the tale of aging, famed silent movie star, Norma Desmond, eternally living in the past and waiting for her next starring role, when she crosses paths with a hapless screenwriter.

Starring the one and only, Ginger Newman!

Show runs February 18 - March 5, 2016

Opening Thursday, December 3^rd and running through December 20^th, The Larry Keeton Theatre presents the Middle Tennessee premier of A 1940s Radio Christmas Carol, a nostalgic trip back to the days of live radio broadcasts featuring comedy and drama, peppered with holiday musical favorites plus new songs in the swing style.  Dinner seating for the holiday meal begins at 5:45 pm with curtain at 7:00 pm Thursday- Saturdays and seating at 12:45 pm with curtain at 2:00 pm on Sunday matinees. Dinner/Show Tickets $21 for children 12 and under, $30 ages 13 to adults.  Call 615-883-8375 or visit www.thelarrykeetontheatre.org.

Congratulations goes to Larry Keeton for being named one of the First Night Honors, recognizing individuals who have taken leading roles in advocating for live theater in Tennessee.  Larry was recognized for his work with his namesake, The Larry Keeton Theater.

Two great events coming up at Two Rivers Mansion.  The first one coming up is the 6^th Annual Tennessee Beer and Wine Festival on Saturday, October 17.  Early tickets are on sale now at their website.

The weather is starting to cool off a bit and there are some great events to enjoy in the weeks ahead!  Don’t forget the Hip Donelson Community Farmer’s Market is going strong every Friday until the end of October.  Lots of great information about what’s going on at the market can be found at their website.

I had a blast the weekend before last helping out the Tennessee Scenic Rivers Association in building a new access point to Mill Creek.  It is located just off Elm Hill Pike under the bridge going over Mill Creek, just across from the site of the Buchanan Station Cemetery.  It was hard work, but a lot of fun and I met some new friends.  The TSRA built a very successful access point on Stones River near Kohl’s a couple years ago.  I’m meeting with them soon about a couple other possible locations to build access points in Donelson.  Check out their website above to learn more about what this great organization is all about.

The 2015 Music at the Mansion at Two Rivers Mansion series kicked-off with a great concert from the Nashville Symphony in June and the The Moonlighters in July.  August 22 will be the 5^th Anniversary of Nashville Blues Society being part of Music at the Mansion and will feature Eight O’ Five Jive and Markey Blue

Music at the Mansion 2015’s series kicks off Thursday, June 18^th with the Nashville Symphony!  We have an exciting line up of fantastic music for you this summer.  See flyer for details and mark your calendars for all four events.

The next Larry Keeton Live Music Series event is coming this Friday May 15 at 7:30pm featuring “New Faces in Country” with Carly Pearce and Mamadear.  Just $8 or $10 at the door.  Get your tickets at the website or visit FiftyForward Donelson Station to pick them up in person.  Food trucks will be on site and you its BYOB.