If you live in a sub division in Middle Tennessee, chances are you have this same problem. It has to do with unsolicited newspapers, periodicals and advertising fliers that seemingly litter streets, lawns and sidewalks.
After picking up dozens of discarded periodicals on a recent dog walk, Steve Yaeger couldn’t take it anymore, and the Murfreesboro man called Messed Up. The day Andy met with Yaeger, he pulled out a rolling cooler filled with 3 to 4 dozen deteriorating periodicals that he has picked up on his daily dog walk.
“It litters the place. These rot, turn to pulp. The cars run over them. If someone throws something in my yard I consider it littering. And they fill up the landfill.”
Yaeger said he has tried calling various publications but nothing changed. The 55 year old said he wants the option of “opting in” to such a program, rather than getting the unsolicited material without his permission and then having to contact the companies to make them stop.
Messed Up contacted several publications. Mike Pirtle with the Murfreesboro Post took our call and seemed very concerned about Mr. Yaeger’s complaints.
Pirtle tolds us that this paper is free to everyone, but if someone does not wish to revieve the paper, they can place a request either by phone of online. The Murfreesboro Post works hard to honor these requests, and carriers are also instructed not to throw papers on driveways where papers have not been picked up. If there is an area where the pickup rate is not strong, The Murfreesboro Post will not deliver there, and will focus circulation on areas where the papers are wanted. Since they deliver to such a large and changing area, this requires constant monitoring by the circulation manager. It can be difficult to keep up, which is why the paper welcomes help from the public.
We also spoke to Bob Faricy at the DNJ.
The DNJ is a subscription-based paper, meaning that people either buy the paper in the store or order a subscription for deliveries to their home. However, the company also has a TNC product, which is a free paper that is distributed to specific areas. Faricy estimated that this TNC product is delivered by hundreds of carriers in five counties. If a customer does not wish to receive a paper or the TNC they can call in and request this and the delivery is halted.
Is it littering? Is it business? Is it the responsibility of the company? Is it the responsibility of the residents?
We wanted some answers on a topic that seems to have a lot of grey area, so we contacted Rutherford County Commissioner Ronald Williams. The District 8 representative said he brought this issue up at a March 2nd meeting with other county leaders.
Here’s what Williams told Messed Up at the Channel 2 studio:
“It is an aggravation. Everyone has this problem and they don’t know what to do about it.”
“I read the law,” Andy told Williams, “and it seems that a normal citizen can’t throw anything in your yard. But there is an exemption for the newsperson or mail person who can do it. Seems like there is some grey area, what is going on?”
“What we found in the past is people complained, they went to the source and they stopped throwing it. The problem is next week, (the company) hires the next delivery person and they (delivery person) don’t know who doesn’t want it and they continue blanketing everyone.”
Williams said he has taken many complaints about this issue.
“Last night at our committee meeting, I brought up the issue. We decided to get the entire county, unincorporated areas and all of the city ordinances together and we plan to get a consensus to stop this from being a problem and an aggravation for folks. What’s messed up about this is it’s just littering. Pure and simple littering!”
Back in the Berkshire sub-division, Yaeger held up a badly deteriorating paper and said, “Advertisers don’t realize what an irritation these papers are. If they only knew we are not looking at them and simply running over them in our cars.”
“A little girl was killed on hwy 100 due to a deer running in front of a vehicle. Why can’t someone sponsor a controlled hunt for the meat? Plenty of hungry people to meet the criteria. I have friends that know all about hunting for the bounty of free meat.”
When an Antioch family moved into a rental home, they encountered a front lawn full of the previous tenant’s belongings.
Chris and Sheila York told Messed Up they immediately called the property managers to complain.
“The landlord told me he’d have it out before we took possession,” Sheila York said. “Well this is what he did: He took it from the house and put it here and said the city would be by on Tuesday to pick it up. A week went by and nobody came, so I called Public Works, and Public Works told me they won’t come and get it. It is not their responsibility, they said; it is the landlord’s responsibility.”
Mrs. York said she volunteered to take the items to the dump if the management company would pay for the dump fee. She said that the management company declined.
“We have a dump truck because my husband is a roofer. We offered to load it up and take it to the dump. We just wanted 50 dollars for the dump fee. He said why would I pay you to do it when I can get the city to do it for free.”
We went to Barrett Realty for answers. The office was bustling with activity when we entered. Numerous people were trying to pay rent, but there was only one associate in the office.
That associate told Messed Up that Barrett doesn’t own the property, but does manage it. He told us that someone would get back to us. That never happened, but apparently the message got through, because the next day residents reported that Barrett Realty picked up the debris pile.
Gwen Hopkins-Glascock of Metro Public Works sent Andy this note regarding the assertion that the city will pick up debris left at the curb:
“Landlords and management company’s are responsible for disposing of items like this. We do not want people to think there is even a remote chance that items left at the curb will be removed. It is the responsibility of the owners to dispose of their unwanted items, instead of expecting Metro to do this. In order to assist residents who have a hardship, Metro provides a bulk item collection service (thru Public Works and the sheriff’s office), and Metro Beautification organizes numerous neighborhood cleanup events where bulk items are accepted, but leaving them at the curb is irresponsible at best.”
Latest figures from the state indicate that one in ten people is unemployed.
That’s not good news for graduating college seniors entering one of the most sour job markets in years.
Hal Ferry knows this only too well.
The 27 year old graduated from Southern Illinois University in December 2008 with a Bachelors of Science in Business Administration with an emphasis in Finance.
He said he would like to work for a company as a financial analyst, but so far nobody is hiring.
For the last year and a half he has worked odd jobs, put out resumes, got married and moved to Nashville.
On a frigid February morning Messed Up caught up with the job applicant. He was wearing a suit and carrying a brief case containing resumes. He was also holding a large, hand painted sign that said:
FINANCE GRAD. NEEDS A JOB.
Cars on Broadway passed by Ferry. Some honked. Many stared. He said people shouted words of encouragement.
Andy asked Hal Ferry why he’s doing this. Here’s his reply:
“Being new to the area, I have no contacts, and don’t know which businesses are big down here. So I just figured this was a way to go, to set myself apart from the crowd.”
Andy also asked Ferry what his wife thought about his guerilla marketing plan. Ferry said she thought it was stupid.
Andy told Ferry to tell his wife that he will be on That’s Messed Up, telling his story before potentially hundreds of thousands of employers.
How stupid is that, Andy asked. Hal just laughs.
Hal’s efforts out on the street did pay some immediate dividends.
He told Messed Up that an insurance man offered him a job as a night security guard. Ferry said he took the job, which still allows him to continue his job search by day.
If you are interested in checking out Hal Ferry’s Resume, click here.
Hello Andy: I am the owner of the property on 700 Marlin Pass that has been encroached upon by the school walking track and playground. Upon taking ownership of the property in question and preparing its clean-up and restoration from the small landfill and brush pile it had become, the encroachment was discovered. After contacting Mr. Edgings with the Metro school systems engineering/construction dept., after notifying him of the problem, he met with me and brought a survey plan that showed the known discrepancy years earlier. I had also contacted my councilman (Jim Forkum) in the matter and offered to sell Metro Schools AT MY COST (Est. $4500.00 to $5000.00), lease, or partial trade for similar property connected to my property, the portion of property that the track was on so that the school and community could keep the track and surrounding equipment. Jim Forkum asked Mr. Edgings to work out the deal with me on the property. Instead Mr. Edgings decided to demolish and spend who knows how many thousands of TAX PAYERS dollars on the proposed track and playground demolition and relocation. The fence alone, currently installed was estimated by my local fencing contractor to cost over $4,000. Although my major concern was liability, the Metro schools legal dept. would not provide me a waver of liability for use of the property until the problem was resolved, thus the fence was installed. I was told that the fence installed was temporary until a resolution was reached. What’s messed up is that with the failing economy and budget shortfalls in the school system, the Metro school administration is willing to spend big money instead of taking the simple road to fix the problem. I was told by Mr. Edgings that the proposed purchase paperwork to acquire the property was “TOO MUCH WORK” and would have to be voted on three times by council members and the planning commission. NOW THAT’S MESSED UP!!
Andy, I wanted to give you a that’s messed up story. Three weeks ago my 17 year old daughter found herself 180 miles from Nashville in treacherous road conditions due to an oncoming storm. She was driving on I40 and was moving at 50 mph in a 70 mph speed limit zone. Conditions had caused all traffic to slow down and she was moving with the traffic following at a safe distance. She hit a ridge of ice that caused her car to lose control and she went off the road into the divided median and hit a tree totaling her car and temporarily pinning her in the vehicle. No other cars were involved. On my way to the hospital to get her, I saw no less than 30 cars and trucks that had suffered the same fate. Lukily she was not seriously injured. When a THP officer finally made it to the scene he filled out a accident report but did not issue a traffic violation to my daughter. Two weeks later we get a letter from the department of Safety stating that they have penalized her with 4 points to her driving record. I called to dispute this as the only way she could have avoided the accident was to not have been there. I was disappointed to be told, and quite rudely that there is no appeal process for this situation. The reason for the accident was an act of God. It was not avoidable. I asked the people at the DOS if the resulting points would have occured if it suddenly began to hail and a large stone came through the windsheild and injured my daughter. They replied yes. As you probably know point marring the record of a young driver can have long lasting and financial effects. My daughter is a safe driver, a good student and has never had a ticket in her 2+ years of driving. This is a case of state government issuing unfair penalties and what is worse is that there is no process to appeal. There was no ticket issued, so we can’t go in front of a judge to plead her case. do you have any advice for us?
They say fences make good neighbors, but around Neely’s Bend School, a fence has confused many community members.
A resident who chooses not to be identified tells Messed Up that a fence was constructed this past fall directly across a popular walking track behind the elementary school. The fence stretches approximately 100 yards and cuts the walking track in two.
Messed Up goes to the school system and this is what Communication Director Olivia Brown told us:
“There is a walking track that’s been there for years. It is maintained by the school. There was a change of ownership in neighboring property last year, and the new owner contacted schools late in the fall and said that track was on his property, and he was concerned of liability if someone was injured on the track. So to answer his concerns, the district erected a fence to keep kids from straying over.”
Brown says the fence was put up with the idea that this spring the track would be reconfigured so that it completes a circuit all on school property.
When told of this, the resident told Messed Up he is pleased and looks forward to using the track when the weather warms up.
Messed Up recieved the following anonymous e-mail:
The group of investors owning a number of drive ins have decided that, as of March 1st, all carhops must roller skate.
Exemptions have been granted to those who have been employed continuously for 4 years or more.
Emails have been circulated to these locations specifically stating that anyone who has a doctor’s note excluding them from skating may perform in other positions until they are cleared by a doctor to roller skate. No special effort is being made to provide these individuals with alternate means of income at their current locations.
Managers who attempt to schedule such employees are facing threats of reprimand. So essentially, employees who are incapable of rollerskating (though they otherwise perform their jobs satisfactorily) are being laid off without any compensation, and being replaced with new ones at a cheaper hourly rate in the name of company image. Even workers currently granted exemption from the lay off are are facing the eventuality of losing their livelihood as more people are found to replace them for less money. Of course this is “messed up,” but my question is this: is this legal?
Thank you for your time. I would like to remain anonymous, for the sake of myself as well as those with whom I am associated for fear of retaliation.
We ran this e-mail by the Better Business Bureau of Tennessee. This was their response:
This is a private company…they have a ‘theme’ service delivery that requires a specific talent/skill. If you don’t want to be a roller skating car hop, you can move to another job that does not require the skill/talent. Yes, you won’t make tips if you aren’t coming face to face with the customer who is impressed and decides to include a tip.
Kathleen Calligan, CEO
Better Business Bureau Nashville/ Middle Tennessee
On February 15th, 2010, Ashley Harris was driving down Critz road in rural Williamson County. The 21 year old says that around 5:30 pm the road was icy and slippery.
The young woman says she was driving carefully and slowly as another motorist approached from the opposite direction.
As Harris approached Lewisburg Pike, there was a slight incline and bend in the road.
Harris taped the brakes slightly. That’s when the young driver said her car began to slide in slow-motion into the curve. Harris felt frightened as her car slowly slid off the roadway, which at this part of Critz road crosses over a creek.
The young woman says that’s the last she remembers until paramedics were standing over her in the ambulance.
An inspection of the bridge revealed a structure with no guard rails. In fact, Harris claims that if the bridge had guard rails, she would have had a low speed impact that might have dented her fender, but kept her car from falling upside down, 20 feet into the frigid waters below.
Harris and her passenger were belted in, which probably kept them alive until rescue crews arrived on the scene.
Harris’ passenger did not suffer serious injuries. Harris had a concussion. Her car was totaled in the wreck.
Now the young driver is calling for Thompson Station city leaders to put guard rails on the bridge so this doesn’t happen to anyone else.
“I cannot believe there is a bridge without a guard rail,” she told Messed Up.
“If they had a guard rail, it would not have been nearly as bad, maybe a fender bender,” she added.
Her older brother, Michael, echoes her concern: “I know they have had pot holes and roads are rough, but we need something in place so this doesn’t happen to anyone else, when it could be more tragic.”
At Andy’s request, City Administrator Greg Langeliers visited the bridge.
Andy has known Langeliers for several years, and he has always struck him as a can do type of administrator.
Langeliers told Messed Up point blank that the bridge needs a guard rail and the city will immediately begin looking into getting one in place.
“We have asked the town’s consulting engineer to look at it. We are evaluating where we would number one put it. Would we have to attach it to the side, or it is a narrow stretch of road, and we can’t have it sticking out,” Langeliers said.
Langeliers told Andy that there are plans in place to re-top Critz road, which is a major cut through to Spring Hill. He said that this guard rail will take precedence to that project.
“There are plans to rebuild this bridge, but we can’t afford to do it now. Hopefully we can design something to get the guard rails up and make this safe in the interim.”
Yesterday Messed Up recieved the following information from James and Juliet Mason via e-mail:
We write to express concern regarding a parking crime committed against us while attending the Schermerhorn concert on Saturday, January 23, 2010. As we attempted to park in front of the concert hall, we were told the lot was full and the attendant instructed to go further down 4th to a lot behind the hall for an opening. Upon arrival at the lot (Music City Coin), at 200 4th and Demonbreum, an attendant wearing a neck tag waved us in and charged us $10.00 to park. We then entered the concert hall passing by the Security Station and found our seats. At intermission, we decided to tour the building, since this was our first visit, and left about 9:00 PM. As we exited the building, we noticed that our car and the other ones in the lot in which we parked were all gone. We immediately went back into the Schermerhorn and spoke with the lady attendant at the Security Desk. We shared what had transpired with her and she immediately told us that she had seen a tow truck removing cars from the private lot across the street and that this was not the first time this crime had been committed supposedly by a homeless man pretending to be a parking lot attendant. We used her phone to report what we thought was a vehicle theft to the police department. When the police officer arrived, we explained the situation to him and he also stated that unfortunately we weren’t the only victims of this crime because it had happened many times before presumably by a homeless person. The nice and apologetic officer was kind enough to take us to the tow lot on Hermitage to retrieve our car and complete the incident report. Our primary concern is what corrective measures are being taken to prevent this scam from continuing, since it is a common occurrence known by Schermerhorn staff and the Police Department? Secondly, we are concerned that this is a scam that is larger than the suspected homeless man. It appears that the owner of the lot, the towing company and the so-called homeless person could all be working together. Certainly Mayor Dean would share our concern in wanting to correct this problem given his latest campaign to revitalize the downtown area.
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Response to Wednesday’s story, 
