The Tennessean from Nashville, Tennessee • B1

By JEANNINE F. HUNTER StaffWriter The Howard School Office Building will remain closed today and is likely to be closed tomorrow as Metro Public Health Department officials monitor cleanup efforts. The building was closed Friday after a sewer line collapse that caused storm water and sewage to back up inside the building at 700 Second Ave. S. The county clerks office, Election Commission, Social Services, Metro Codes, and Human Relations Commission are in the building.

Brian Todd, spokesman for the Metro Public Health Department, said yesterday that the office building will not open while toxicologists and environmental engineers continue to monitor cleanup efforts, which are directed by Gobbell Hays Partners an architectural, engineering and environmental consulting firm. of the cleanup process includes having cleaned and disinfected areas in the building three Todd said. help ensure proper cleanup, HEPA filters are being used as part of the cleaning Water samples inside the building have been tested, and those results are expected back tomor- row, said Todd, who added that Health Department officials will review the results and conduct additional inspections before reopening the building. While the Howard School Office Building remains closed, the Theatre and offices inside Lindsley Hall on the Howard School campus will reopen today, Todd said. have running water but they fixed the line so they have running water Todd said, adding that the theater and its offices were not affected by the sewage and storm water backup.

Although its office in the Howard School Office Building will be closed, the Davidson County Office will be up and running in five satellite branches, said Davidson County Clerk Bill Covington. He said computer technicians configured the server linked to branches so the five branch offices could operate. The county office has 80 employees in the five branches and the main office in the Howard School building. this day of cyber communications, the public still insists on appearing in person for certain said Covington, who is serving his fifth term as Davidson By ASHLEY NORTHINGTON StaffWriter FRANKLIN Hundreds of screaming teens and their parents lined up some as early as 4 a.m. along Main Street in Franklin yesterday to catch a glimpse of their favorite stars before a local premiere of the new Cameron Crowe film Elizabethtown Joining Crowe, who wrote and directed the film, and star Orlando Bloom for the premiere were singers Patti Griffin, Gary Rossington, Bonnie and Rebecca Bramlett, Clint Black, LeAnn Rimes, Nancy Wilson, Wynonna Judd and Sara Evans.

so cute to see these little girls said Evans, whose song, A Real Fine Place to Start was No. 1 in the country last week. would be screaming too if I were a It took seven Franklin city police officers and seven private security guards from Rock Solid Security in Nashville to contain the crowd. About 700 people stood along the red carpet while many other fans lined the rooftops or hung out of their apartment windows along Main Street in historic downtown district. Bloom, Crowe and Rimes were among those who took their time walking up and down the red carpet to make sure they signed as many autographs and posed for as many pictures as possible.

(Bloom) and LeAnn (Rimes) were so screamed Becca Levins, who got Bloom to autograph her pink cell phone, hand-painted with fingernail polish. joked with me about Nashville being a good place to live. I told him, should move This is the second premiere brought to the Nashville area. Country Music Television and local event planner Randi Lesnick orchestrated the event. Lesnick also coordinated the local premiere of Friday Night Lights last October.

Crowe said he wrote Elizabethtown it New York or L.A.” story just arrived Crowe said. was truly in my Bloom said he loved the script and was inspired to star in it because of Crowe. writes really heartfelt stories and I loved the Bloom playsan athletic shoe designer named Drew who gets fired over the failure of a sneaker design that caused his company to lose millions. When he learns his father has died, he returns to his small hometown, Elizabethtown, Ky. En route, he meets flight attendant Claire (Kristen Dunst) who changes the course of his life.

With her help, he discovers new possibilities for his future and finds love. Elizabethtown will be released nationally Oct. 14. By AMY GREEN For The Tennessean Some Tennesseans are rethinking whether such a good idea to add fluoride to public drinking water supplies, questioning whether the additive is as dangerous as it is helpful. City officials in Franklin are reconsidering their longstanding practice of putting fluoride in the drinking water to help prevent tooth decay.

Last year, a utility in East Tennessee stopped adding it after most of its 30,000 customers said they want it. And a state lawmaker is holding public meetings in Nashville on whether a good idea. Critics say that effects never have been adequately studied and that the practice of adding it to public water supplies is linked to bone cancer and other ailments. not trying to make everyone said state Rep. Gary Odom, who held a meeting on water fluoridation in June at the Capitol and plans more.

just, to me, makes sense that you review public policies periodically, and you look and see whether this should be reconsidered or whether more information needs to be given to local governments that are having to decide on Some 5.4 million Tennesseans are served by public and community water systems that add fluoride, acording to the state Department of Environment and Conservation. About 90,000 people in Middle Tennessee are getting unfluori- dated water from two dozen systems, according to information from TDEC. Angie Mullins is one of those people. She thought her drinking water had fluoride in it. A dental hygienist, she even told her patients it did.

So when she learned she was wrong that her Lincoln County water fluoridated she was shocked. Concerned for her four young teeth, been pushing leaders of this rural county on the outskirts of Huntsville, for the past five years to fluoridate the water. everyone, when you talk to them, they assume their water is said Mullins, 34. when they find out, pretty much upset about The Lincoln County public utilities system fluoridated its water for about a decade, though county seat Fayetteville does. Lincoln County is the largest water system in Middle Tennessee that does not add fluoride to its water, with 16,643 customers, according to an analysis of data from TDEC.

It never was an issue until Mullins spoke out at a board meeting last spring, said Billy Joe Wiley, superintendent of the county public utilities board. After news stories on the meeting appeared in the local paper, the board got calls from residents both approving of and protesting the policy on water fluoridation. Residents at board meetings were equally divided. CYANMAGYELBLK TennesseanBroadsheet Master TennesseanBroadsheet Master 100 90 80 70 60 50 40 30 20 10 5 100 90 80 70 60 50 40 30 20 10 5 TennesseanBroadsheet Master TennesseanBroadsheet Master 5 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100 5 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100 1B LOCALNEWS MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 19, 2005 Gail column runs on Sundays, Mondays and Wednesdays. She can be reached at 259-8085 or www.tennessean.com NPT worth watching, thanks to Steven Bass Cast your mind back just a decade ago, to our little public television station, WDCN-Channel 8.

It aired the Metro Board of Zoning Appeals instead of British comedies. To raise money, they put volunteers in front of the cameras to auction off everything from vinyl flooring to mink coats to lawn mowers. If you wanted one of the items that were listed in longhand on the white board behind the volunteer, you called them up and made a bid. Programs were chosen cautiously, so as not to offend or annoy any of the politicians who paid their bills. And few people on earth knew, or cared, what the call letters stood for.

It was not television worth watching. Along came a fellow named Steven M. Bass. On Nov. 1, 1998, he moved his stuff into the brick building tucked near the State Fairgrounds.

Bass hailed from a big fancy Boston television job so many locals cast a skeptical eye upon him. He showed up about the time the Metro school board wisely decided to get out of the public television business. But weaning it off the government meant a loss of a million bucks a year in funding. It meant finding a way to pay to go digital. And it meant shaking off the stodgy chains of Action Auction, fishing shows and paint-by- numbers programming.

Mission accomplished. Last week, Bass announced outta here, lured away to a new gig at Oregon Public Broadcasting. Second-in-command Beth Curley, whom he hired, will take over as interim president. In the seven years been here, Bass has: Rebranded the station to be Nashville Public Television, call letters WNPT. People know it now as NPT for short.

Subscribed to interesting, thought-provoking national programs that are not always safe or predictable. Produced stunning examples of local programming, many of which have been shown to a national audience. Among the shows he should be most proud of are documentaries on Hank Williams, Rachel and Andrew marriage, Bill Monroe, and the Carter Family. The whimsical pieces on Nashville memories have been favorites. Embraced local treasures such as Tennessee Crossroads but put a halt to the goofy shows that made us look like yokels.

Took the station digital. Increased the number of members from 16,000 to 19,500, and dramatically increased the amount of money they contribute. Fundraising has replaced the million dollars a year that came from Metro, and nailed down corporate sponsorships and gifts. Went to Washington where he helped save federal funding for public broadcasting. been Bass said.

thing I feel most proud about is the variety of programs done that have taken the treasures of Nashville and put them on a regional or national Funding, he said, is and will continue to be biggest challenge. Most things are rolling along rather nicely, he said, making his decision to leave tough. stick around until the end of the year. a bittersweet sort of Bass said. looking to go anywhere.

I really love this community. There is still a lot more here to be done. There is always going to Does he leave us television worth watching? he said. are what people think you are. Once people think you are television worth watching, you better Nashville Public Television: come a long way, baby.

Gail Kerr Opinion INSIDE Midstate, Tennessee Classroom Davidson, Obituaries EACH WEEK Monday: Classroom Wednesday: Friday: Road work update Saturday: Faith TO REACH OUR NEWSROOM Phone: 259-8095; Fax: 259-8093 E-mail: tennessean.com Ricky Young, City Editor 259-8068; E-mail: Online View this story online to see more coverage of the premiere of Elizabethtown Go to Tenness- ean.com and type PREMIERE into the keyword search box. Some rethink fluoridation of water Debate weighs possible cancer risks vs. tooth decay prevention By the numbers 683 Number of public and community water systems in Tennessee providing fluoridated water (about of the total) 5.4 million Number of Tennesseans served by public and community water systems that add fluoride (about of the total) 1 part per million About how much fluoride is put in drinking water $0.50 to $3 per year Yearly cost of fluoridating water per customer ($0.50 for big cities; $3 for smaller utilities), estimated by the American Dental Association Sources: Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation; American Dental Association everyone, when you talk to them, they assume their water is fluoridated. So when they find out, pretty much upset about Angie Mullins, a Lincoln County dental hygienist Please see FLUORIDE, 6B PHOTOSBYMICHAELCLANCY Movie star Orlando Bloom pauses to talk with fans and sign autographs along the red carpet in Franklin. Bloom was a popular draw for many.

Hundreds ofstarry-eyed teens line red carpet Celebs in town for Franklin premiere Sara Evans walks the red carpet at the Elizabethtown premiere at the Franklin Cinema. CameronCrowe, writer and director of Elizabethtown conducts an interview along the red carpet on Main Street in Franklin. Howard School Office Building still closed today Health officials monitoring sewer repairs; building might be closed tomorrow Please see CLEANUP, 6B.