Montgomery County Parks and Recreation to host Fall Festival on October 28

MONTGOMERY COUNTY, Tenn. – Montgomery County Parks and Recreation is hosting its third annual Fall Festival on Saturday, Oct. 28, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Rotary Park. They will have free pumpkins for pumpkin painting, 15 Trick-or-Treat vendors set up inside the Nature Adventure Trail, Touch-a-Truck with first responders, free crafts for kids of all ages, creepy crawlers to view, a photo booth, food trucks, and much more! Additionally, there will be a ‘Best Carved Pumpkin’ contest during the Fall Festival. To enter the contest, drop off a carved pumpkin at the Wade Bourne Nature Center anytime between Oct. 26 and Oct. 27 from 10 a.m. and 5 p.m. Voting will take place during the festival.

Parking is available at Rotary Park and Community of Hope First Nazarene located at 150 Richview Road. If you park at Rotary Park you will have the option to take a hayride to the Nature Center or take the ‘Blue Bird Trail’ from the small pavilion to the Nature Center. No walking will be permitted on the road from the entrance of Rotary Park to the Nature Center, for the safety of park patrons and the staff operating the hayrides. Overflow parking will be located at Community of Hope First Nazarene, where Clarksville-Montgomery County School System buses will shuttle attendees to and from Rotary Park regularly from 11 a.m. until 3:15 p.m.

A special thank you to Fortera Credit Union for sponsoring this event which is free and open to the public.

Any additional details about the Fall Festival will be posted on the Montgomery County Parks and Recreation Facebook page.

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MONTGOMERY COUNTY, Tenn. – On Saturday, October 21, the Montgomery County Archives Department dedicated a reading room to former 30-year County Historian and Author Eleanor Williams who passed away in August 2023.  

County Director of Archives Sarah Fry, along with Mayor Wes Golden, talked about William’s contributions and the importance of preserving our local history. Grandsons Wade and Jacob Williams, and great-granddaughter Sydney Williams were there to honor Eleanor Williams' legacy. 

Wade Williams said he felt confident his grandmother's legacy and collection would be well cared for by Montgomery County Archives.

Also attending were current County Historian Carolyn Ferrell, Deputy Historian Shana Thorton and husband Terry Morris, County Director of Continuous Improvement Andrew Kester and wife Deb Kester, the Archives staff, and friends of Eleanor Williams.

Eleanor Williams was a published author, accomplished historian, and world traveler devoted to her family and church. Williams also served as secretary to Brigadier General Michael Paulick in the 1960s.

Those who attended the ceremony were escorted on a tour where historical gems like glass plate negatives from the 1850s – 1880s were shared.

To learn more about the Montgomery County Archives Department and the contributions of Eleanor Williams, visit mcgtn.org.

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MONTGOMERY COUNTY, Tenn. – Ashleigh Travis was sworn into office on October 6 as the sixth circuit court judge of the 19th Judicial District by Judge Jill Ayers of the Tennessee Court of Criminal Appeals. The new 19th Judicial District position was created by the Tennessee General Assembly in May 2023. 

Friends, family, and dignitaries attended the ceremony at the Doug Weiland Courts Center in support of Judge Travis who most recently served as the child support magistrate judge.

Judge Ayers talked about Travis with admiration and closed by adding “When we selected Ashleigh as child support magistrate judge, we knew we had picked a great judge and we will take all the credit for it.”

“As the child support magistrate judge, I strove to be courteous to all litigants and attorneys. I swore that I would always give grace and understanding and will work to continue practicing that as a circuit court judge,” stated Travis.

Judge Bateman added how much the judges appreciated Governor Lee and our state representatives for increasing the number of judges to support the cases in the growing 19th Judicial District.

Travis joins Judges Katy Olita, William R. Goodman, Robert Bateman, Joel Wallace, Jr., and Adrienne Fry in representing Montgomery and Robertson counties as circuit court judges. 

Several dignitaries attended the ceremony, including Congressman Mark Green, Senator Bill Powers, Montgomery County Mayor Wes Golden, Representative Jeff Burkhart, and District Attorney General Robert Nash.

A new child support magistrate judge is expected to be selected by November 1, 2023.

For information on the Montgomery County Court System, visit mcgtn.org.

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Last Edited: October 18, 2023 @ 10:11 am

County hosts New Year’s Eve Event in downtown Clarksville

 MONTGOMERY COUNTY, Tenn. – For the first time, Montgomery County will host a New Year’s Eve event beginning at 9 p.m. on December 31, 2023, at Downtown Commons. This family-friendly event will include singing, dancing, and food! A 10-piece live band, dance floor, and string lighting will be placed on the lawn under a clear tent. There will also be a photo-booth trailer, food trucks, lounge seating, outdoor fire pits, and a surprise ‘drop’ at midnight during the celebration. This event is free and open to the public.

“I’m excited about this opportunity for our community to come together right here in Clarksville. When I proposed the idea to our Parks & Recreation Director Sally Read, she and her team were eager to offer the New Year's Eve option at Downtown Commons. I hope people will come out and enjoy the festivities,” said Montgomery County Mayor Wes Golden.

Any additional details about the New Year’s Eve event will be posted on the Montgomery County, Downtown Commons, and Montgomery County Parks and Recreation Facebook pages.

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The Clarksville-Montgomery County Veterans Day Parade will take place on Saturday, Nov. 11, with pre-parade ceremonies set for 9 a.m. in front of the historic courthouse (south side) on Third Street in downtown Clarksville. The keynote speaker is Air Force Master Sergeant (Ret) Joe Thomas, Jr.

This year’s Veterans Day Parade theme is “Salute to Veterans in Law Enforcement.” 

“The Veterans Day Parade allows the community to come together and thank our military veterans for their service and sacrifice. I hope to see our community come out to support some of our local heroes,” said County Mayor Wes Golden.

“Our staff is always honored to host this community parade. We work with our remarkable veterans daily and appreciate the value they add to Clarksville and Montgomery County. Taking some time to support our veterans is a small token of appreciation for their contributions,” stated VSO Director Hector Santos.

For those unable to attend in person, the parade will be livestreamed on the Montgomery County, Tennessee official Facebook page. It will also be filmed and posted on CDE Lightband’s Clarksville Community Network (CCN).

The Parade begins at 10 a.m. at the corner of N. Eighth and College Streets, next to the Sundquist Science Building at Austin Peay State University, with the reviewing stand at the Third Street side of the courthouse. The parade will proceed from College left onto University Avenue, right onto Main Street, left onto 3rd Street, left onto Commerce Street, left onto University Avenue, right onto Franklin Street, left onto 8th Street, and back to the APSU parking area.                               

For more information, contact the Montgomery County Veterans Service Organization at 553-5173. Parade entry forms for veterans groups and other local organizations, as well as route maps, can be picked up at the office between 8 a.m. and 4:30 p.m., Monday – Friday, or by e-mail request to [email protected] Parade entries will be accepted through Friday, Oct. 27.