Jeff Syracuse

Leadership Donelson Hermtage’s Lead-UP event that is a gathering of those interested in being part of the next class was one of the largest turn-outs I’ve seen.  Executive Director Deann Bradford and the board do an amazing job with the organization.  I encourage everyone to check out their website as there is something for everyone that will enrich your life and help create lifelong friendships and great business networking opportunities.  Their events are great as well and are open to anyone who would like to support the organization.  Here’s a picture of me (Class of 2013) with two great people – Deann Bradford and Phil Ponder (Class of 1999).

I thoroughly enjoyed being a speaker at a recent Donelson-Hermitage Exchange Club meeting.  They are a great organization and serve our community in extraordinary ways.

FiftyForward Donelson Station will be having their annual Pancake Breakfast, plant sale and Clean Up and Bulk Item Drop Off on Saturday, April 13^th.  See flyer below for details and phone number to inquire further.  Also, special this year will be a “Planting for Pollinators” with 15^th District Beautification Commissioner Michele Mazzu from 10am – 11am.  Bees, butterflies and other insects help to fertilize plants as well as add natural beauty to out landscapes.  Learn which plants pollinators love and things to avoid in order to attract them to your garden.  There will be a giveaway of five pollinator loving plants.

I had a great opportunity to welcome Colin Magee and Anne Coulter from Belfast, founders of the PANARTS Belfast Nashville Songwriter Festival.  They brought three wonderful songwriters from Belfast on Saint Patrick’s Day to NECAT Network’s studios for a special show taping.  Niamh McGlinchey, Allison Mcgrath and Rory Nellis all performed original songs.  Belfast is a Sister City of Nashville’s and we have a special relationship.

The Volunteers of America will be holding a great fundraiser concert in Music Valley at the Texas Troubadour Theater on April 12^th.  It’s a great musical line up.  See flyer below for details.

The Hip Donelson Farmer’s Market is back in less than a month!  It’ll be returning to Two Rivers Mansion.  See flyer below for details.

Big news for Hip Donelson!  It’s their 10th Anniversary!  As such, there is a special sponsorship packet available for the upcoming Hip Donelson Farmer’s Market as well as special events this year to celebrate.  Hip D is bringing back Hip Supports Local events as well as a special commemorative t-shirt to show your pride in Donelson.  This will be a great year to celebrate service to our community, remember Frank Trew and his extraordinary efforts to make Hip Donelson what it is today and kick off the next decade of being thankful for living in a great community.  This will be the second year the Hip Donelson Farmers Market will be at Two Rivers Mansion and I hope you will consider being a sponsor and support another great year for the market! (Click image below to see full spnosorship package)

FiftyForward Donelson Station will be having their annual Pancake Breakfast, plant sale and other activities on Saturday, April 13th.  See flyer below for details and phone number to inquire further.  Also, special this year will be a “Planting for Pollinators” with 15th District Beautification Commissioner Michele Mazzu from 10am – 11am.  Bees, butterflies and other insects help to fertilize plants as well as add natural beauty to out landscapes.  Learn which plants pollinators love and things to avoid in order to attract them to your garden.  There will be a giveaway of five pollinator loving plants.

I’m thrilled that our American Legion Post 88 will be building a brand new facility on McCampbell Avenue.  I was honored to attend the ground breaking ceremony.  Below is a picture of me reviewing the plans with Post 88 Commander Len Chappell.  Also, as part of their efforts to continue raising money for their new home, they have launched a brick campaign.  See flyer below.  Please spread the word and help them sell out of these bricks to make it an even more special place that honors our Veterans.

The American Legion asked me to take part in judging their oratory contest as part of their High School Oratorical Scholarship Program.  It was held on Saturday, February 9^th at Lakewood Baptist Church at 400 Donelson Pike.  See the flyers below to learn more about this great program.

Joey and I attended a wonderful Holiday concert from the Nashville Singers.  They are a fantastic group and are a non-profit entity that also gives back through scholarships for music education.  I was honored to present a proclamation from Mayor Briley to the group at the concert held at Lebanon Road Church of Christ.

I was very happy to learn about an Insight Counseling Center location being added to Andrew Price United Methodist Church.  They offer services that support individuals and families.  I was happy to join Pam Brown, Carol Smith and Karen Montgomery with Insight Counseling and Andrew Price UMC Senior Pastor Melisa Derseweh and Trustee Ralph Foley to help them cut the ribbon on the new center.

Hip Donelson Lost & Found Pets will be hosting their annual chili cook-off at the Buchanan Log House on February 23^rd.  See flyer below for details on entering your championship winning chili recipe.  Just $10 to taste each chili.  Proceeds benefit Hip D Lost & Found Pets and the Buchanan Log House.

I was very happy to visit and enjoy lunch with the Stones River Women’s Club at Two Rivers Mansion.  I appreciated the opportunity to share what’s going on in the community and thank them for all their great work taking good care of the interior of Two Rivers Mansion. 

The Friends of Two Rivers Mansion were the recipients of an Architectural Award by the Metro Historic Commission for their work restoring the 1802 Buchanan – Harding Home, which is the original brick home on the property.  If you haven’t yet toured the property, now is a great time, especially as part of the Hip Donelson Community Farmer’s Market on Friday’s.  Below is Friends of Two Rivers Mansion Founder and President Emeritus (and former 15th District Council Member) Phil Claiborne accepting the award presented by Mayor David Briley, Metro Historic Executive Director Tim Walker and Metro Historic Commission Chair Jim Forkum.  Also below are flyers about upcoming events and a membership special.

I’m very proud of my son Joey for doing his Eagle Project for Two Rivers Mansion.  Down the hill on the other side of the Greenway is the original spring house, carriage house and trail loop.  Joey built a bridge as part of the trail going over a natural spring.  It turned out great.  He and his grandfather were the engineers and his Scout Troop 777 helped with the build.  Soon there will be directional signage to the Spring House Trail Loop.

Thanks to work of Donelson’s VFW 1291 and Semper Sliders, Nashville is going to experience the debut of Nashville Patriot Fest at Nissan Stadium during the weekend of July 27th.  What was envisioned to be a pragmatic first ever event, the outpouring of support for this has made it poised to be a phenomenal weekend supporting our military, first responders, teachers, nurses and all who serve to protect and support families.  Proceeds will support non-profits who support these Patriots.  Special thanks to Semper Sliders owner Zach Jenkins and the whole team who has organized this.  Please check out the link above for more info and to buy tickets.

Congratulations to the Friends of Buchanan Station Cemetery for raising the funds for this bench at Buchanan Station Cemetery.  The cemetery will be on a future stretch of the Mill Creek Greenway and this will be a great opportunity to stop and learn about a fundamental aspect of Nashville history here.  Photo credit to Joe Cathey.

The 2018 Hip Donelson Community Farmer’s Market season is almost here!  It kicks off May 4^th.  There are always needs for volunteers and sponsors to support the market.  Please visit the website to volunteer and learn about sponsorship opportunities.  Thanks to everyone for your continued support of the market.  I look forward to this being the biggest season yet at the new location at Two Rivers Mansion!

The annual Halloween at the Mansion event is coming on Saturday, October 28th at Two Rivers Mansion. Trick or Treating, haunted basement, hayrides, pumpkin painting, food, music and more will make for a great tradition in the community. The Friends of Two Rivers Mansion is also seeking vendors for a $50 tax-deductible donation to the Friends group. They will supply the candy this year. See posters below for more details.

Mark your calendars for the annual Holy Rosary Christmas Bazaar on Saturday, November 18th. This is always a popular yearly event and this year they’ve added food trucks and entertainment. See poster below for more details.

Fifty Forward Donelson Station will be hosting a casino night in support of the center.  See details in the flyer below.

Grace Story Church is a new church for Donelson and is “a community where everyone is welcome because there’s no one to impress and nothing to prove.  To put it simply, we’re a community defined by grace.”  They launch their services on Sunday, September 17^th at 4pm and they’re located at 400 Donelson Pike in the building by the playground.  Visit their website at the link above for more info.

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.