The Tennessean from Nashville, Tennessee • Page 15

2B Monday, February 5, 2001 THE TENNESSEAN www.tennessean.com 3 LOCAL NEWS RJeacham: Success no surprise to peers .1 Spang. if SUMNER If f2 tjC Gallatin If Ashland ifi! L' WILSON UByNsX. SnynaS I I I Murfreesboro LwiLLIAMSOrrJ If York with his wife, Keith, says being in the right place at the right time has had a lot to do with his rise. People who have known him through the years say they aren't surprised to see him doing so well so young. John Reishman, an English professor at Sewanee, said Meacham was "always incisive" in the three classes he taught him He consistently saw relationships between literature and the news.

"He was always seeing the connections between what we were reading and what was going on around us," Reishman said. Dale Richardson, another English professor, introduced Meacham before Meacham introduced U.S. Rep. John Lewis, D-Georgia, who spoke at Sewanee on Jan 22, the day before he received "We didn't really need a book on" the reporters, he said "We needed to get their stuff out there." He credits Nashville author John Egerton with helping him find some of the more obscure pieces. Egerton called the book "a great reader for journalism courses and just for people interested in those issues at that time.

You can't get too much of that" Two weeks ago, Meacham introduced Lewis, a graduate of Nashville's Fisk University and American Baptist Theological Seminary who was literally on the front lines of the movement, as "perhaps the greatest living American." He said the kind of work Lewis and others did at the height of the movement is just as necessary now, when racial discrimination is "more diffuse" but still evident in America's criminal-justice system and other areas. "It isn't over," he said of the struggle. 'Movement' is a good word. Movements don't end; movements move." Michael Cass covers education for The Tennessean. He can be reached at mcasstennessean.com or 259-8838.

News an honorary degree there. Later, Richardson called Meacham "a fast study" who wrote elegantly and quickly. "There was no teaching him to write," he said. "Somebody, must have taught him, but he didn't need any help by the time he got to me." Meacham, who calls himself "the oldest young person you'll ever meet," came to Sewanee from McCallie, a private boys' school in Chattanooga. It was there that he began to study the civil-rights movement, a subject on which he has managed to become an expert without any formal study.

His new book, Voices in Our Blood, published last month by Random House, pulls together writings from as early as 1941 and as late as 1998. The writers include civil-rights veterans like Lewis, journalists like David Halberstam and Russell Baker, historians such as Taylor Branch and even famous novelists like William Faulkner and James Baldwin. Meacham said he initially wanted to write a book on the correspondents who covered the movement, but he later decided to "get out of the way of the story." the time being. He did more than just hold down the fort Newsweeks editors soon asked Meacham to take charge of the national affairs section full-time. In late 1998, when the 32 million-circulation magazine's editor died and the managing editor replaced him, Meacham was named one of two managing editors.

"Jon's a wonderful writer," Newsweefc's chairman and editor-in-chief, Richard M. Smith, told The New York Times in 1999. "He has a great sense about how to make the words and the pictures and the organization of cover packages accessible, entertaining and informative for the readers. That's not an age-specific thing." Meacham, who lives in New An article in Saturday's Tenness-ean suggested that songwriter John Jarrard died Thursday of diabetes. The cause of death was respiratory failure resulting from an acute, unrelated illness.

The article also said his age was 46. He was 47 for Feb. 5-Feb. 9 years old. A memorial service for Jarrard is scheduled for 11 am Saturday at First Church Unity, 5125 Franklin Pike in Nashville.

The Tennessean regrets the errors. YouveworkQd) Robot: Contest instills team-building skills wop Li Up to 1 25 of Home Value Bill Consolidation Loans Refinancing Home Improvement Loans Past Bankruptcy OK Slow Credit OK In-Home Appts. Available Land Contract Payoffs Credit Lines Available Midstate meetings TODAY County Industrial Board, 6 p.m., Courthouse, 100 Public Square, Ashland City. County Board of Education, 7:30 p.m., Central Office, 103 Elizabeth Ashland City. TOMORROW Ashland City Municipal Planning Commission, 5:30 p.m., City Hall, 101 Court St.

Ashland City Council, 6 p.m., City Hall. County Commission's Education Committee, 6 p.m., Central Office. County Regional Planning Commission, 6 p.m., Courthouse. WEDNESDAY Fire Service Public Hearing, 7 p.m., Kingston Springs Elementary School, 166 W. Kingston Springs Road.

THURSDAY County Commission's Capital Improvements Committee, 6 p.m., Courthouse. County Commission's Animal Control Committee, 6:30 p.m., Courthouse. TODAY Metro Human Relations Commission, 4 p.m., 222 Building, Third Avenue North. Metro Board of Education, 5 p.m., 2601 Bransford Ave. TOMORROW Employee Benefit Board, 9:30 Stahlman Building.

Metro Council, 7 p.m., Courthouse. THURSDAY Board of Zoning Appeals, 1 p.m., Howard Office Building. Metro Transit Authority, 1 :30 p.m., 130 Nestor St. mm TODAY Dickson City Council, 7 p.m., City Hall, 202 S. Main St.

TODAY Greenbrier Board of Mayor and Aldermen, 7 p.m., City Hall, 202 W. College St. TOMORROW County Commission's Finance Committee, 1:30 p.m., Courthouse, Springfield. County Commission's Budget Committee, 4 p.m., Courthouse. WEDNESDAY County Building and Grounds Committee, 5 p.m., Courthouse.

THURSDAY County Workhouse Board, 5 p.m., Jail, Springfield. County Legislative Committee, 6:30 p.m., Courthouse. TODAY Murfreesboro Airport Commission, 4:30 p.m., Terminal Building, 1930 Memorial Blvd. County Commission's Steering and Legislative Affairs Committee, 6 p.m., Courthouse, 1 Public Square, Murfreesboro. TOMORROW Murfreesboro Water and Sewer Board, 3:30 pm, 1725 S.

Church County Board of Education, 5 p.m., Central Office, 2240 South-park Blvd. La Vergne Board of Mayor and Aldermen, 5:30 p.m., City Hall, 5093 Murfreesboro Road. County Commission's Public Works and Planning Committee, 6:30 p.m Courthouse. WEDNESDAY Old Fort Golf Commission, 7:30 Old Fort Golf Course. Murfreesboro Board of Gas Examiners, 9 am, City Hall, 1 1 1 W.

Vine St. Murfreesboro Parks and Recreation Commission, noon, City Hall. Murfreesboro Municipal Planning Commission, 7 p.m., City Hall. THURSDAY City-County Cultural Arts Commission, 7 am, Center for the Arts, 1 1 0 W. College Murfreesboro.

Murfreesboro Homeless Task Force, noon, City Hall. County Board of Education, 5 p.m., Central Office. County Commission's Budget, Finance and Investment Committee, 6:15 p.m., Courthouse. Murfreesboro City Council, 7 p.m., City Hall. No schedule available.

TODAY Brentwood Parks Board, 5:30 p.m., Municipal Center, 5211 Maryland Way. County Commission's Budget Committee, 5:30 p.m., Administrative Complex, 1320 W. Main Franklin. Franklin Historic Advisory Committee, 5:30 p.m., City Hall. Franklin Public Properties Committee, 6 p.m., City Hall.

Franklin Special School District Director of Schools Screening Committee, 6:30 p.m., Central Office, 507 New Highway 96 W. Brentwood Municipal Planning Commission, 7 p.m., Municipal Center. TOMORROW Brentwood Sister Cities Board, 4:30 p.m., Municipal Center. County Parks and Recreation Committee, 5:30 p.m., Administrative Complex. Franklin Finance Committee, 6 pm, City Hall.

WEDNESDAY County Highway Commission, 8:30 a.m., Administrative Complex. TODAY County Library Board, 5:30 p.m., Lebanon library, 1 08 S.Hatton Ave. County school board, 6:30 pm, school board Stumpy Lane. Wilson County Civic League, 7 p.m., Market Street Community Center, 321 E. Market St.

TOMORROW County Commission's Public Works Committee, 6:30 p.m., County Courthouse, 228 E. Main St. Lebanon City Council work session, 5:15, regular meeting, 6 pm, City Hall, 200 Castle Heights Ave. THURSDAY Lebanon Cable Television Committee, 6 pm, City Hall, 200 Castle Heights Ave. County Commission's Finance Committee, 7 p.m., County Courthouse, 228 E.

Main St NO APPLICATION FEE FREE MORTGAGE ANALYSIS TRY OUR EZ ONLINE APPLICATION AT WWW.TENNMF.COM i TMF Tennessee 1-888-775-4343 3 high school students. The basic rules of the competition have remained the same. Teams across the country this year more than 200 are given an identical box of motors, belts, assorted hardware and computer parts and instructed to create a radio-controlled robot that will perform a number of chores. One of those chores will include lifting beach balls and dropping them into a 7-foot-high cylinder. It sounds easy.

"But it isn't," said Chip Jones, an engineering manager at NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Ala. The center is a co-sponsor of the Lincoln High team and has assigned Jones to be its coach. "It's a complicated project in fact, a lot more complicated than I thought. When you're building a machine from scratch it's going to be that way." What has been easy is getting youths interested in the project. "Students who have gotten involved are not necessarily the ones I thought would get involved," said science teacher Barbara Stephens, one of the project's coordinators.

For instance, pupils from the school's art and vocational depart- NASHVILLE SHAKESPEARE FESTIVAL presents the hit comedy THE COMPLETE WORKS OF WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE (ABRIDGED) Directed by Denice Hicks, Featuring Josh Childs, Matt Chiorini and Brian Niece At the Belcourt Theatre, Jan.l8-Feb.4.200l Tickets $15 ($7 wstudent ID) Call 255-2273 for showtimes and ticket info AmSouth Bank Broadway Series SHOW BOAT An American Musical Masterpiece February TPAC's Jackson Hall Tickets on sale now! Call 255-ARTS www.tpac.org Circle Players presents Gypsy Ian. 26-Feb. 18, 2001 TPAC's Andrew Johnson Theater Call 255-ARTS ment classes saw how their talents could be used. Besides building the robot, the team is judged on a scrapbook, its Web site (www.lcdoe.orglchs) and a computer-generated movie about the team's robot-building experience. "It's weird, you find out that people have skills, like in writing computer programs or figuring out how to put things together, that you didn't know they had.

It's amazing to see what we could all do together," said Sarah Jones, a senior. Principal Jim Stewart can't help but grin as he talks about the robot, named Falcon I in honor of the school's mascot. "You know, we play a little football around here," the principal said, alluding to three state championships, including two during the 1990s. "But our academics are pretty good, too. I was looking for something to show off our science and technology departments when this contest just sort of fell into our lap," he said.

The Marshall Space Flight Center offered an $18,000 grant to jump-start the Lincoln County High robot team, the first Tennessee high school to field an entry in the competitioa Lincoln County commissioners added $10,000, and local industries have anted up supplies and expertise. "We had a budget of $34,000 in no time. When people hear about this project, they want to help," Stewart said The money goes toward an entry fee, transportation, software and additional equipment to enhance the students' creation The students have until Feb. 20 to put the finishing touches on their robot. "I've made some changes with how sensitive the controller is, and we've got some other areas to look at," McDougal said "These kids have worked a lot of hours to figure this out," said Michael Colletti, an engineer at the Amana factory in Fayetteville.

He signed on last fall as a volunteermentor with the high school inventors and was assigned to the group designing the mechanical arms that will grab the beach balls. "They've learned a lot. I've learned a lot, too." Leon Alligood covers Middle Tennessee for The Tennessean. Contact him at (615) 259-8279 or by e-mail at lalligoodtennessean.com. Metro: Those i system.

Nationwide, about half of those on probation were under the influence of illegal drugs or alcohol when they committed the crime that got them convicted, a 1995 U.S. Department of Justice survey found The first national survey of probationers also found that almost 70 of all probationers reported past drug abuse. Nationally and in Nashville, treatment can be part of probatioa but there are at least two prerequisites to success: a motivated probationer and the money to pay for treatment The first hurdle to successful treatment is motivation. "If they aren't ready," said Mon-delli, "it ain't gonna happea" Many probationers don't have the money or insurance to pay for treatment at a private center, and government funds for treatment are scarce, officials said Exact fig Mortgage 3595 Pike, Suite 1 30 8am-8pm SAT 9am-1 pm ART, FILM, CRAFTS AND FUN Asian Cultural Arts Fair February 10th, 10:00 a.m.-3:00 p.m. Children's Crafts by Frist Visual Atrs Center Scarritt-Bennctt Center Call 340-7492 CiKtAI PtkfOKMANLtS AT VANDERBIU PRESENTS ODCSAN FRANCISCO A modem H.ince company buill on risk and nerve Friday, February 9 8 P.M.

LANCFORD AUDITORIUM Ticketmaster 2S5-9600 www.ticketmaster.com HEKFOKMANt rS AT VANOERBILT PRESENTS Pilobolus One oi America's major dance Thursday, March 1 8 P.M. LANGFORD AUDITORIUM Ticketmaster 255-9600 www.ticketmaster.com ACT I presents William Shakespeare's enchanting romance The Winter's Tale February 2-17 Call 726-2281 for reservations and show times 615 399 1 32 1 Murfreesboro Nashville, TN 37217 Open M-F FREE ACTING CLASS With Ail MY CHILDREN'S veteran actor, Alan Dysert television-film-commercials 385-5181 for info The Nashville Symphony SunTrust Classical Series BARBER AND ELGAR FEB. 2-3, TPAC The remarkable young artist Rachel Barton performs Barber's luscious Violin Concerto. Plus Kenneth Schermerhorn conducts Elgar's Enigma Variations. Call 615-255-ARTS NCO Valentine's Celebration Singer-Songwriters Kim Richey and Tommy Simms Feb.

16th, 8pm, The Factory, Franklin Includes champagne and dessert Feb. 1 7th, 7:30 pm, Belc ourt Theatre, Nashville Includes dinner at an area restaurant $100 CALL 256-6S46 on probation often don't comply ures for Metro weren't available last week. Even if money is found, treatment today often is done on an outpatient basis. Sometimes the only affordable treatment is through a 12-step group such as Alcoholics Anonymous. When John Slate went through recovery and out of the criminal justice system II years ago, inpatient treatment was the norm, and he said it was just what he needed Slate, 47, is a graphic artist turned administrator.

For five years, from his first DUI in 1984 until he quit drinking in 1989, he was caught in a spiral of drinking, more DUI arrests and finally, jail time. Before that he said, "I wouldn't comply with anything I had so much fear I couldn't comply." But being punished through the legal system got his attentioa He realized his drinking was out of control. Back in General Sessions Court's probation ment, Mondelli told Slate about a treatment program in Kentucky. After Slate successfully completed the program, he returned to Metro Jail to finish the remaining days of his sentence. He brought books on recovery and volunteered for work details.

After Slate served his time, he came back to lead 12-step meetings. He returned to graphics work but in 1993 took an entry-level job with the probation department of General Sessions Court After several promotions and a college degree, Slate now helps manage a program for DUI offenders run by General Sessions Court Legal consequences helped motivate Slate to accept treatment, but treatment "helped me live without alcohol" by giving him new skills to cope with stress. Success stories like Slate's aren't the rule. But, Mondelli said probation "serves its purpose for those who will let it serve its purpose." To Advertise in the Performing Arts Call.