About: Christine Anne Piesyk 
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“Day of Service” volunteers lend a hand at Loaves and Fishes
Loaves and Fishes manager Mike McConnell accepts a donation from Sheriff Norman Lewis on behlaf of Montgomery County Sheriff's Office
Local volunteers for the January 17 “National Day of Service” turned out at Loaves and Fishes Soup Kitchen to prepare and serve the day’s meal — chili con carne — and accept monetary and food donations for this program, which serves approximately 200 meals a day, six days a week, to Clarksville’s families in need.
Clarksville for Obama coordinated the event, which was designed as part of the President-elect Barack Obama’s commitment to community service. Event coordinator Terry McMoore hosted the event, citing a need for communities to “get back to the basics to make life better for everyone.”
Loaves and Fishes Manager Mike O’Connell was grateful for the outpouring of community support, and accepted a number of monetary donations from the NAACP and the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office, along with the stream of food donations. «Read the rest of this article»
Honoring the service of Martin Luther King Jr.
On the eve of the inauguration of the nation’s first African American president, Barack Obama, Clarksvillian’s today celebrated and honored one of the country’s foremost civil rights leaders, the late Martin Luther King Jr.
Today, Martin Luther King’s fight for equality and justice was commemorated with a a parade that culminated with formal ceremonies at Public Square in downtown Clarksville.
Martin Luther King Jr. was an African American clergyman, activist and prominent leader in the American civil rights movement. He is an icon in the history of human rights.
A Baptist minister, King became a civil rights activist early in his career, leading the 1955 Montgomery Bus Boycott. He co-founded the Southern Christian Leadership Conference in 1957, serving as its first president.
NAACP parade honors Martin Luther King Jr.
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2009 City Council committees assigned
Mayor John E. Piper has announced the 2009 City Council Committee assignments, including the formation of a new Community Development and and Housing Committee charged with overseeing management and dispersal of federal grant money.
Community Development/Housing Committee: (new)
Chairman: Bill Summers. Serving on this committee are Barbara Johnson, Candy Johnson, David Allen, and Joel Wallace.
Buildings and Codes:
Chairman: Wallace Redd. Serving on this committee are James Lewis, Geno Grubbs, and Joel Wallace.
Finance and Administration:
Chairperson: Deanna McLaughlin. Serving on this committee are Geno Grubbs, Bill Summers, and Candy Johnson «Read the rest of this article»
Bracing for severe cold: tips for staying safe and warm
If you think it’s cold outside today, this is just the tip of the polar air mass headed south toward Tennessee.
Exceptionally cold air from the Arctic Circle is sweeping south, bringing with it “shockingly cold” temperatures, according to the National Weather Service hazardous weather warning issued today.
The NWS predicts that by Thursday, the daytime high temperature will remain in the twenties, with northwest winds of 10-20 mph: that translates to a wind chill temperature a high temperature hovering around zero. By Thursday night, the low will range from -0- to -5- degrees with a wind chill coming in at minus 10 degrees. «Read the rest of this article»
Welcome, Senator Barnes! Clarksville attorney takes legislative seat in Nashville
Senator Tim Barnes with his family
The Montgomery County Legislative Delegation gained a new member Tuesday morning. The State Senate held swearing-in ceremony for the new members amid pomp and circumstance.
Tuesday morning marked a change in Tennessee political and legislative history. For Montgomery County, it marked a new name joining our legislative delegation.
As the State Senate was called to order, the new members of Senate stood and took their oath of office. With his family watching, Clarksville Attorney Tim Barnes raised his hand and swore his commitment to the people of this state, its laws and governance. «Read the rest of this article»
City Councilors, Judge Smith to take oath of office on New Year’s Day
The Clarksville City Council will meet in special session on January 1 at 10 a.m. at City Council Chambers, 108 Public Square, to administered the oath of office to the city’s recently elected city council members and a city judge.
Mayor Johnny Piper will swear in the following: James Lewis, Ward 3; Wallace Redd, Ward 4; Candy C. Johnson, Ward 5; David Allen, Ward 8; Joel Wallace, Ward 9; and Jeff Burkhart, Ward 12. City Judge Charles W. Smith will also be sworn in. The election of a Mayor Pro Tem will follow. «Read the rest of this article»
A children’s tale for Christmas Eve
Merry Christmas from the staff of Discover Clarksville.
As Christmas Eve settles over us, families gather and children, well, children have their eyes on the skies for that hoped-for glimpse of St. Nick, the reindeer, and the sleigh filled with delights to be found under Christmas trees the following morning.
For that perfect video rendering of that bedtime story on Christmas Eve, we turn to William Goldstein’s whimsical version of Clement C. Moore’s classic poem (the text follows). Goldstein’s sets the poem for Orchestra, Chorus and Narrator. «Read the rest of this article»
Making memories is a “Scrapper’s Delight”
Carol Miller creates "torn papers" for scrapbook pages
Imagination. That’s the only limit to what you can create at Scrapper’s Delight Etc., a year-old locally owned Clarksville business that just moved and reopened in a new Fort Campbell Boulevard location in time for the holidays.
When owner Connie Parkerson wanted an investment, she turned to the booming business of memories and to store manager, Carol Miller, whose passion for the craft of making memory books was the perfect match. Miller’s son, Jonathan, also works at the store, handling a myriad of tasks including an increasingly popular online scrapbooking network.
“Scrappers” are the millions of men, women and children captivated by this craft.
“People scrapbook for all kinds of reasons and use all kinds of forms,” Miller explains. “Hobbies. Memories. Making gifts. Some people don’t use pictures. instead, they use recipes, or work on tins or boxes.”
«Read the rest of this article»
Hemlock to invest $1.2 billion for polysilicon plant
Shining Today — To Energize Tomorrow. That slogan blazed across the stage as the vintage vinyl tune “Here Comes the Sun” played to a packed house at the APSU Communications Building Monday afternoon.
An SRO crowd at APSU gets offical word on a $1.2 billion industrial development megasite
A “Who’s Who” roster of state, county and local government officials and business leaders from Michigan and Montgomery County gathered on the Austin Peay State University campus for the “historic” official announcement of Hemlock Semiconductor Corporation and Hemlock Semiconductor LLC multi-billion dollar development at Clarksville’s megasite in the northeastern edge of the city.
This is a “watershed of economic development in Tennessee,” said Matt Kessner of the Economic Development Council. “New jobs in the development of sustainable energy.”
After a two-year global site search, Dow Corning and the Hemlock group opted to make an initial $1.2 billion initial investment in the construction of a new polycrystalline silicon (polysilicon) manufacturing and development facility. Polysilicon is key to the development of solar industry. Groundbreaking on the new plant is expect early in 2009, creating up to 1,000 jobs in construction and related crafts during the building phase; the facility is earmarked to open in 2012.
Tennessee Governor Phil Bredesen joined Hemlock’s CEO and President Rick Doornbos in making the announcement. “It’s the right company in the right community at the right time,” Bredesen said of what will ultimately be a $2 billion investment. “What they make is what has to happen to make solar energy. The numbers are staggering.” Bredensen noted that t is not simply the immediate creation of new job but the ability to also attract related industries and suppliers to the state and the region.
“This announcement offers solar industry leaders confidences that polysilicon supply will be available as the solar and electronics industries continue to grow and innovate. The exact scale of this investment will be determined by market conditions. Making this investment in today’s volatile economic climate is a testament to both the long term outlook of the solar industry, as well as Hemlock Semiconductor’s ability to add capacity to meet the needs of customers.” — Rick Doornbos
Doornbos said his frm looked at “over two dozen sites around the world” before settling on Clarksville and cited the importance not just location but the community itself as key to the final decision.
Polysilicon is used in the production of everything from cell phone and computers to solar panels. The total investment by Hemlock in Clarksville will be at least $2.5 billion and at its onset of production will initially produce 1o,000 metric tons of capacity at the site, with the potential to expand to a production level of 21,000 metric tons. When the site is ready in 2012, some 500 permanent jobs will be created, with a potential increase to 800 when expanded. Construction of the site will employ 1,000 workers over a five to seven year period.
Most of the polysilicon produced at the Clarksville site will be consumed by firms in the solar industry but the facility will also be capable of producing pure silicon for the electronics industry as well as solar-grade material. The energy required for polysilicon manufacturing will be recouped “eight to fifteen times over” in future use and applications, Doornbos said.
Stephanie A. Burns, Dow Corning’s President and CEO, said her company was “committing our resources, know-how and technology because we are confident that solar technology represents a tremendous opportunity for both clean energy and economic growth.
In conjunction with this new industrial development, APSU has received a $6.4 million grant to develop and implement training programs in related fields from microbiology to engineering.
“We are (making this investment) for a 21st century America. We will retrain workers. We will encourage solar investment and call for a national commitment to environmentally responsible and renewable energy goals.”
Clarksville Mayor Johnny Piper thanked the hundreds of people involved in bringing this industry to the city.
During the announcement, Hemlock and Dow Corning presented two checks of $25,000 each to the Clarksville-Montgomery County School System and to the Imagination Library as an indicator of the start of their investment in the social fabric of the community.
Partners in this business venture are:
Hemlock Semiconductor Corporation headquartered in Hemlock, Michigan. The company has produced high-purity polysilicon for over 45 years.
Henlock Semiconductor LLC is a newly formed venture between Dow Corning Corporation, Shin-Etsu Handotai, and Mitsubishi Materials Corporations.
Dow Corning Corporation is a global leader in polysilicon innovation and technology. Dow Corning of Midland, Michigan, which manufacturses more than 7,000 products and services, is a joint venture owned by Dow Chemical Company and Corning Inc.
Great holiday gifts come in “small packages”
“Small Packages” — a showcase of affordable art perfect for holiday gift giving — is on display at Silke’s Old World Breads, Bakery, and Cafe 1214A College Street in downtown Clarksville. These “small packages” will be highlighted during a holiday reception and “Evening with the Artists” to be held on Saturday, December 13, from 7-8:30 p.m. when the public is invited to enter Silke’s cafe and gallery, enjoy the holiday reception, sample the many delectable treats from the kitchens and peruse the gallery for the perfect gift for that someone special in your life.
A sneak preview included a sampling of small paintings, unique pottery, and other craft items retailing for $100 or less. Many lovely items were priced at significantly less.
The charm of Silke’s is the mix of great sandwiches, unique pizzas, amazing desserts with a sampling of art and photography by multiple talents in the greater Clarksville Area. Approximately six times a year, Silke hosts an art open house showcasing local artisans and artists. The Christmas event comes with a twist: the “small packages” designed to be given as gifts.
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