Fly to BNA

LAX is Los Angeles International airport, sure. JFK is John F. Kennedy airport in New York, obviously. DFW is Dallas-Ft. Worth airport, of course. But how, exactly, do the letters BNA represent the Nashville International Airport? It goes back more than 75 years, when commercial air transportation was new in many cities.

Although there were a few smaller airports in the Nashville area in the 1920s and 1930s, the first major Nashville airport was built on former farm land along Dixie Parkway, now known as Murfreesboro Road. Construction began in 1936 as one of the first major Works Progress Administration (WPA) projects in the area. It officially opened in the summer of 1937 with a parade, an air show and lots of fanfare. Two airlines – American and Eastern – operated DC-3s from three asphalt runways. The Tennessee administrator for the WPA who oversaw this $1.2 million project was Col. Harry Berry and this new airport was named Berry Field in his honor. In its first year, Berry Field served nearly 190,000 passengers.

A number of additions and updates took place, but it wasn't until the 1980s that a major renovation project was completed. That's when the current airport terminal was constructed and the main entrance was moved from Briley Parkway to I-40 at Donelson Pike. Again, the grand re-opening in 1987 was heralded with lots of hoopla and fanfare with American Airlines naming BNA as one of its hubs.

Today, (BNA's 75th Anniversary) there are 12 airlines servicing Nashville International Airport with Southwest Airlines boasting the largest presence. More than 380 flights come and go daily, transporting some 9.4 million passengers annually to nearly 70 locations throughout North America. There are also areas for live music performances, local restaurant locations and museum-like displays of fine art throughout all the terminals.

But what about those BNA letters? The International Air Transport Association assigns those three-letter codes and since the airport was originally named Berry Field, it was decided that BNA would be used as the moniker for Berry NAshville.

Howdy!

"The doctor must have put my pacemaker in wrong. Every time my husband kisses me, the garage door goes up."

That's the kind of humor that Minnie Pearl shared with Grand Ole Opry audiences for decades. Of course, she was known for greeting her fans with a loud and welcoming, "Howwww-deeeee! I'm just so proud to be here," while wearing her trademark straw hat with flowers and a $1.98 price tag still attached.

Minnie Pearl was a character created by Sarah Colley Cannon, who was born 100 years ago (Oct. 25, 1912) in Centerville, Tenn. She attended Nashville's Ward-Belmont College and was named "Most Humorous" by her classmates. Then came several years of stage acting and the eventual creation of her Minnie Pearl character.

In 1940, Minnie Pearl joined the Grand Ole Opry and was a crowd favorite with her knee-slapping humor and silly joke-telling style. She was also a regular on the "Hee Haw" television series beginning with its first show in 1969. Although she was not known as a musical performer, her down-home character from Grinder's Switch earned her induction into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 1975.

Offstage, Sarah Cannon was a sophisticated, elegant lady who performed lots of charitable work and was an avid tennis player. She and her husband Henry were next-door neighbors to the Tennessee Governor's mansion. After a couple bouts with cancer and a series of strokes, Sarah Cannon died on March 4, 1996. In her honor, there are two Nashville-area cancer centers named for her: the Sarah Cannon Cancer Center at Skyline and Centennial hospitals.

"Cousin" Minnie will be remembered for her laugh, her smile and her silly jokes. Sarah Cannon's memory lives on through her charitable work and numerous humanitarian awards. Both of these ladies are cherished by Nashvillians even today.

Minnie, we're just so proud you were here, too.

Goo Goo

From: http://www.googoo.com/ 

The First Combination Confection
In 1912, in a copper kettle at the Standard Candy Company at Clark & First Avenue in Nashville, TN, the world’s first ever combination candy bar was invented. A roundish mound of caramel, marshmallow nougat, fresh roasted peanuts and real milk chocolate; its renegade shape was more difficult to wrap than the conventional rectangular or square shapes of the day. More importantly, this was the first time multiple elements were being mass-produced in a retail confection. Previous to the advent of the Goo Goo Cluster, candy bar manufacturing consisted of bars solely using chocolate, caramel or taffy. The Goo Goo Cluster represented the first time a bar consisted of more than just one principal ingredient.

About That Great Name
For a time it was impossible to ask for a Goo Goo by name since no one could decide what to call the delicious thick clusters of candy. The story of how the candy came to be named comes in many versions. Two stand out over all the rest. Some people say that it was named Goo Goo because it’s the first thing a baby says. Howell Campbell, Jr., the man whose father invented the Goo Goo Cluster, says that his father used to ride the streetcar to work every day and he would talk the matter over with fellow passengers. Mr. Campbell was announcing to fellow passengers on the streetcar his newborn son’s first words and a school teacher made the connection with the candy. She suggested Mr. Campbell name his treat Goo Goo! It is so good, people will ask for it from birth.

    There are also rumors that the Goo Goo came from the initials of Grand Ole Opry. Makes a lot of sense, especially since Goo Goo Clusters has been a long-time sponsor of the live radio show. However, Standar Candy Company started making Goo Goos in 1912, but the Grand Ole Opry didn't start broadcasting on WSM radio until the mid-1920s, more than a decade later. It's still a good story, though. 

     You can now find Goo Goo Clusters in stores nationwide and they're even available for sale online at googoo.com. But Nashville is still the only place where this unique and original sweet treat is made. Yet another Nashville original!

Book it!

Writers, readers, poets, publishers, distributors, librarians, linguists and bibliophiles of all sorts. Must be the annual "Southern Festival of Books" at Nashville's legislative plaza this weekend.

Humanities Tennessee's Southern Festival of Books: A Celebration of the Written Word was first held in Nashville on the second full weekend in October 1989, and has been held annually on that same weekend for 24 years now. It is the nation's original book festival and hundreds of similar book festivals now take place around the world.
      The Festival has always been a free event that offers readers and writers an opportunity to interact, to create a public community around a festival that promotes and celebrates the joy of reading and of lifelong learning. Each year nearly 250 of the nation's most prominent authors – from legendary mystery writers to critically acclaimed debut novelists, from poets to biographers, from chefs to children's authors – are featured at the festival to read from their works, participate in panel discussions and talk with their fans. Books by all the participating authors are available for sale with proceeds supporting the Festival.
      The SFB is held in and near Legislative Plaza in the shadow of the state capitol building, including Nashville's incredible library. It's free to attend all events, including author appearances.
     It's a fantastic way to "celebrate the written word" and everyone who writes or reads or publishes or promotes exceptional writing.
     To find out more, visit http://www.humanitiestennessee.org/programs/southern-festival-books-celebration-written-word. See you at the celebration!

Jubliee

It's 1871. You're attending a black-only college in Nashville which is struggling to stay open. What do yo do? You form an elite group of singers and go on tour to raise money, of course!

That's how the Fisk University Jubilee Singers ensemble was formed more than 140 years ago. That group of groundbreaking vocalists is celebrated each year on October 6 on "Jubilee Day" at the university.

The original group was put together by the school's treasurer, George White, who was also a Northern missionary. After touring through much of the Midwest, the Jubilee Singers eventually sang for President Ulysses Grant at the White House and even traveled overseas to perform for England's Queen Victoria.

White had vowed to raise at least $200,000 for Fisk and they did just that in the first year. That money was used to build the first permanent building on campus – known as Jubilee Hall – which is now on the National Register for Historic Places and a crowning monument of pride for everyone at Fisk, even today. It is often said that the Jubilee Singers are credited with solidifying Nashville's reputation as a true "Music City."

The 1871 Jubilee Singers made a name for themselves nationally and the group continues to sing and represent the university today. They've won several awards, including the National Medal of Arts, and were part of the inaugural class of inductees into the Music City Walk of Fame. Today's singers continue to perform around the world, representing not only Fisk University, but Nashville's rich musical heritage.

Walk Nashville Week

FROM: MARY HANCE, THE TENNESSEAN

Walking has to be the ultimate free exercise.
    You can do it just about anywhere, just about anytime, at any pace, and all you really need is a good pair of shoes.
    And if ever there were a week to walk in Nashville, this is it.
    It is the official Walk Nashville Week, and there are organized walks every single day, with perks and rewards for those who join in.
    For example, on Monday, when Walk Nashville Week kicked off, there was a downtown stroll with the mayor, and there is even a free lunch afterward.
    A walk in downtown Nashville anytime is worth your while. If you haven’t been here lately, there is a lot to see, with the new convention construction, heightened activity on lower Broadway and the explosive development in the Gulch.And there is no question that you can see so much more on foot than you can in your car.

Walk every day

The downtown walk is just the beginning. There are walking events at different locations around town every day this week.
    The Tuesday walk is Walk for Active Aging at Hadley Park Community Center.
Wednesday is Walk to School Day, and the organizers expect to have more than 58 schools and 10,000 walkers participating.
    Thursday is Walk to Work Day. You don’t have to walk ALL the way to work, but the idea is to add walking to your commute as a way to increase activity in your day. Walk to and from the bus stop or just park a little farther than normal.
    Friday is the 10th annual lunchtime Walk! Green Hills, hosted by The Green Hills Action Partners.
    Saturday, Oct. 6, is the annual American Heart Association Heart Walk, which starts at the Vanderbilt University Sports Field.
    Oct. 6 is also the day for the 2012 Nashville AIDS Walk at Riverfront Park. http://www.nashvilleaidswalk.com/faf/home/default.asp?ievent=1028859

Don't forget about Nashville's excellent Greenway walking paths too! So put on those shoes and get out there and walk, at least just a little bit. I think you’ll be glad you did.