Brentwood's greatness didn't just happen by chance

Here’s the truth of the matter: We live in one of the best places in the country. I’ve lived in six states from Virginia to California and feel qualified to make that statement.

Brentwood has a public library that I would put up against any city's of its size anywhere, and most larger cities. We have an exceptional parks system.

If you haven’t noticed, we pay property taxes that are far lower than most of our neighbors. Pair that with the state’s lack of an income tax and it’s hard to complain about the taxes you pay.

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Susan Leathers is editor of Brentwood Home Page. Click here to read previous columns. Email her at susan@brentwoodhomepage.com.

You go girl: County commissioner speaks up for library

County Commissioner Arlene Cooke doesn’t get her dander up very often but last Monday, near the end of the county governing board’s six-hour meeting during which it passed a $388 million budget, she couldn’t sit by and let one item go unchallenged.
After hours and hours of discussion and votes and more discussion and more votes, and after a vote to increase the county’s property tax rate for the first time in almost a decade, 4th District Commissioner Kathy Danner – who represents a small part of the city in addition to Cool Springs and the southeast portion of the county, made a request that the county discontinue its support of the Brentwood Library. That support is $71,000 for the 2011-2012 fiscal year budget.

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Susan Leathers is editor of Brentwood Home Page. Click here to read previous columns. Email her at susan@brentwoodhomepage.com

And it started out as a week with such promise...

As is too often the case these days, the road was paved with good intentions. But between the news, the business and family matters, BrentWord -- my favorite part of what I do -- has been woefully neglected...

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Susan Leathers is editor of Brentwood Home Page. Click here to read previous columns. Email her at susan@brentwoodhomepage.com

Chow Hound on the prowl for pizza, and maybe a beer

Hungry for pizza? A calzone? Pasta? Don't head to Joey's, he's gone. But Sal's taken his place. But if you want a beer, you'll have to wait until after tonight's Beer Board meeting before tonight's City Commission meeting. And after tonight's meeting, with two rezonings on the agenda, City Commissioners may be looking for a cold beer ... or maybe something a bit stronger after the public hearings are over.

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Susan Leathers is editor of Brentwood Home Page. Click here to read previous columns. Email her at susan@brentwoodhomepage.com

Musings on stereotypes, newspapers and lawsuits

The news last week that the ACLU and The Contributor had filed a lawsuit against the city for violating the freedom of speech left me conflicted. As a member of the press, in an age when real journalism seems under attack from both internal and external forces and when too many abuse the right to freedom of speech as a way to promote their own purposes, I take any real violations personally.
I buy The Contributor whenever I can, whenever I can purchase one safely. It consistently has some good stories and interesting features. As an admitted royal watcher, one of my favorite articles ever concerned Britain’s Prince William and why he is such a supporter of ventures like homeless publications that put people to work and give them hand up instead of a hand out.

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This article also appears in the Tennessean to read it click here.

Susan Leathers is editor of Brentwood Home Page. Click here to read previous columns. Email her at susan@brentwoodhomepage.com