Manchester thriving and Tullahoma dying?

The recent release of U.S. census figures for Manchester and Tullahoma show one town is growing and the other is barely treading water.

Manchester's population grew to 10,102 in 2010, which is a 22 percent increase compared to its population in 2000. Tullahoma's population was fairly stagnant, growing only 3.7 percent to 18,655 people.

What does it mean? It means Manchester is enjoying the benefits of a better geographical location when compared to Tullahoma. Manchester is the county seat of Coffee County and is located along Interstate 24. This is important because Manchester is only a 30-minute drive from Murfreesboro, which has been a boomtown over the last decade.

Murfreesboro's population has now topped 100,000 and Manchester appears to be a logical choice for those not wanting to live in larger cities. Add the exposure the town gets from such events as the Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival and Manchester appears to be at the right place at the right time.

While Tullahoma is a nice city, it appears adrift geographically from the areas of central Tennessee that have shown substantial growth, and I do not know what can be done about that.

If given the choice of which city to live, Manchester is the obvious place to be right now.

A day at Old Stone Fort

Old Stone Fort is a state archaeological park in Manchester, Tennessee. It primarily served as a Native American ceremonial gathering ground and dates back almost 2,000 years. It is notable for many things, including its beautiful natural scenery. Here are some photos I took during a recent visit.

Tullahoma becoming Manchester's suburb

I have lived in Manchester for almost all my life, and during this time, I have seen the town grow. Before the recession, there was a boom in housing, plus Manchester is an international player on the music scene with the Bonnaroo festival. Strategically located along Interstate 24, it is only a half-hour drive from Murfreesboro, which has been a city of enormous growth during the last decade or so.

Toss in quality of life perks like a blossoming park system, and Manchester is a town with a strong heartbeat.

Because of all this, I can't help but think of the role reversal Manchester and Tullahoma have seen. When growing up, the towns were opposites in many ways. Manchester is the county seat of Coffee County, but Tullahoma has the bigger population. Because of this, a natural rivalry exists between the towns.

However, the moods of the towns are different now. While Manchester has grown, Tullahoma really has not. When I was a teenager, it was very common to go to Tullahoma to see a movie or cruise around Northgate Mall. Today, Northgate Mall appears virtually empty and the movie theater is second rate. Why go see a movie there when just a little longer drive to Murfreesboro lets a person see a film in the comfort of stadium seating?

Bobby Dylan wrote: "The times, they are a-changin.'" He was right, but I don't think he had Coffee County in mind when he wrote it.

Bonnaroo 2009 canceled; event organizers, city officials say stay away from Manchester

In a stunning announcement Monday afternoon, Bonnaroo organizers and Manchester city officials jointly announced that this year's festival has been canceled. The event, which brings at least 70,000 people to the small Tennessee town each year, was scheduled to begin on June 11. Until today, there had been no hint that the festival might not go on as scheduled.

Officials said...well, if you have not figured it out by now, this is all a joke. Bonnaroo has NOT been canceled. The event will go on as it normally does each year. I am just having a little fun with the folks who will be coming my way in a few days.

I have lived in Manchester almost all my life, and I still have a little trouble believing that my small home town hosts such an important event. For those of you attending, please make sure to spend lots of money. We need every dollar we can get. Please ease my tax burden.

So, come down and have a good time.

Just stay out of my yard.

Flood, May 2009

Like most of Middle Tennessee, Manchester has been on the receiving end of a lot of rain in the last couple of days. Unofficial reports state that we have received between four and five inches. Predictably, this is causing problems.

Photo #1 (see top photo below) was taken at Manchester's city park along the Little Duck River. The white capping seen in the middle of the photo is where water is pounding against the concrete walkway citizens use to walk over the river. This part of the walkway was completely submerged when I took this, which is the first time I have seen this happen. The water behind the trees in the back of the photo shows how far the river has jumped its banks.

Photo #2 shows a different angle of the flood along the same river. The trees in the foreground normally are along the edge of the river.

Photo #3 shows more of the impact the rain has had at the park. The greenway people use to exercise on has been overtaken in several areas by water. This photo was taken from the sidewalk on the concrete bridge that hangs over one end of the greenway.

Let's hope the river subsides soon, and people impacted by all this rain can get back to a normal life.

Bruce Springsteen to headline Bonnaroo 2009

I know I am a few days late on this, but Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band will be headlining Bonnaroo 2009 here in Manchester. It was announced last week, but what can I say? I'm a little slow these days. Others performing at the festival will be Phish, Elvis Costello, Merle Haggard, and a lot of bands I have never heard of.

I have only seen Springsteen in concert once. It was in either 1984 or '85 in Murfreesboro at Murphy Center. Before I saw the show, I had heard stories about his prowess in sustaining three- and four-hour concerts. I was skeptical, but I left the show a believer. He and his band were first-rate, and that performance was probably the best concert I have ever seen.

I thought he still had some moves during his performance during the Super Bowl halftime show. However, that performance was only 12-minutes long. Still, after all these years, it looks like he can carry the load.

Bonnaroo 2009 dates set

Bonnaroo 2009 will take place June 11-14 in Manchester, TN. I offer this as a public service announcement so that residents of Manchester can make plans to be out of town, and so that non-attendees of the festival who don't live in Manchester can make sure not to drive down here during that time.

Consider yourself warned.

Coffee County selected third best place to tailgate before high school football games

Each Friday during the high school football season, The Tennessean has been highlighting the best the sport has to offer in lots of categories.

Last Friday, the newspaper selected Coffee County High School (which is located in Manchester) as the third best place to tailgate before a game in the mid-state.

Ranked above us were David Lipscomb and Franklin High.

This came as a big surprise to me because I sometimes wonder whether the newspaper knows we have a team based on their coverage of the mid-state.

Still, it's nice to be recognized.