“It stilled the clatter of coffee cups and conversation in the whole auditorium.”
That was October 22, 1967. The Opry Breakfast. The first time The Tennessean covered a Dolly Parton performance. They called her the “sensation of the whole show.”
My partner, a native East Tennessean like Dolly, summed her up perfectly: “There are people that have such a strong sense of self and joy that they transcend into institutions. Dolly Parton is certainly one of them.”
That Tennessean reporter realized they saw someone special. We all knew it too — lucky enough to live in this world at the same time as Dolly.
TMZ reports she’ll be laid to rest alongside her husband at Woodlawn Memorial Park and Mausoleum in Nashville.
Rest in peace.
Quick hits
Weather: High: 94, Low: 71. Chance of showers and storms starting this afternoon through tomorrow
A father of two Percy Priest Elementary students urged Metro’s school board last night to restore his sons’ bus stop after a truck “nearly struck all three of us.” The family’s bus stop moved to Granny White Pike after the district consolidated stops as it shifted school start times. “They must now cross a busy 35 mile per hour road with no sidewalk, marked crosswalk, or pedestrian signal, and wait beside traffic near a hill with poor visibility,” the father said. The Nashville Banner recently reported on a middle schooler whose stop shifted to “a busy road without a sidewalk.” In this case, the father said the district is looking at alternatives, but he wants the original stop restored.
1,265 days till the Super Bowl: Nashville’s East Bank Development Authority approved spending up to $80 million to connect Marine Drive with Dickerson Pike and improve Cowan Street as it revamps roads around the East Bank and the new Titans stadium. However, the board pushed back on handing over money to TDOT with no oversight of the designs. The road extension is one of several projects that have taken on new urgency with the 2030 Super Bowl coming to Nashville.
Tennessee House Speaker Cameron Sexton told WKRN an audit of Metro Nashville Public Schools “is being discussed” after an audit and attempted state takeover of Memphis schools. The Metro Council also called for a performance audit of Metro Schools as part of the district’s budget approved this summer. Metro Council member Jason Spain pointed out to The Nashville Banner “the most recent operational and performance audit at MNPS was in 2014, and in the ensuing 12 years, the district’s enrollment has dropped slightly while its budget has nearly doubled.”
🏠 What’s new in Nashville’s neighborhoods
East Nashville
Shoplifting increase: Metro Police East Precinct Sergeant Mandi Maska said police “are taking action” after an increase in shoplifting. “We have set up extra patrols in the area, as well as you may see our mobile sky camera around,” Maska said. She specifically flagged “Maplewood and West Trinity.”
Old Hickory
Clearing overgrown grass: After NDOT asked people to report overgrown grass in the right-of-way, more than a dozen reports came in from the Old Hickory area. Streets include Lakeshore Drive, Riverside Road, Clarke Street, Lawrence Street, 24th Street, 26th Street at Elliott Drive, Sandy Cove, and Arron Court.
North Nashville
Thieves targeting storage facilities: Metro Police North Precinct Commander Steven Bowers said at a community meeting this week “our storage facilities are being targeted a lot,” including a facility on Whites Creek Pike. So far this year, commercial burglaries in the precinct increased nearly 23% since last year from 79 cases to 97, according to new police data. Police also reported commercial burglary increases in the Madison and Hermitage precincts.
South Nashville
A call for artists will go out soon, Metro Arts said, for a public arts installation at the new Mariposa Park (140 Tusculum Road). The park “features a playground, a multipurpose lawn for field sports and special events, pickleball courts, a basketball court and a winding trail network designed for walking, jogging and enjoying nature,” Metro Parks said. It had a grand opening celebration last weekend.
Single-family to multi-family: developers asked for approval of final site plans for 77 new “multi-family residential units” on about seven acres around 3218 Glencliff Road, which previously included single-family homes. A filing with Metro indicates “The Park at Glencliff” will be built in three phases.
Downtown (and nearby)
The equivalent of a small town is expected to eventually live in Nashville’s River North neighborhood, which stretches from Jefferson Street to I-65 on the East Bank. The East Bank Development Authority projects more than 5,000 residents in the neighborhood. Oracle started early site work on its campus in the neighborhood in February, including fencing, demolition, and installation of deep utilities, the authority said.
📰 A few final headlines…
Live on the Green will return next year at Ascend Amphitheater. The free concert series ended in 2023 at least partly because of cost. Organizers planned to give away 1,000 tickets, but they also said “reserve tickets” would go on sale on Friday.
The Tennessee Titans unveiled new “Music City Rivalries” uniforms yesterday. They feature a neon-style font and a six-string stripe on the side of the pants.
Poll results: This one’s a bit closer than Monday’s poll. I asked whether Broadway bars and restaurants should receive grants to help with property taxes. 42% of respondents said yes. 58% said no.
🧠 Today’s puzzle: Analogy
Let’s test your memory of yesterday’s newsletter. Complete each analogy.
Quadrupled property tax bill: Broadway bar owners >> Free rent concessions: ___
44 arrests: five-day federal operation >> 78 additional students: ___
Brick Church Pike and Trinity Lane: federal operation >> 6842 Highway 70 South: ___
🍔 MAP: click here for restaurant inspections across Nashville
Correction, feedback, question? Just reply to this email or email me directly at ryan@nash.news. -Ryan