Where are Brentwood residents’ priorities? According to incumbent City Commissioner Anne Dunn, with the city’s chipper service.

The chipper service is more important than any city commissioner,” she said at Tuesday night's first Candidates Forum before the May 3 municipal election. Her answer had a lot of people in the audience nodding in the affirmative.

Since I was on the forum panel asking the questions, I thought it would be best if we had someone else cover it. You’ll find BHP freelance writer and longtime Middle Tennessee journalist Carol Stuart’s story in BHP today.

I couldn’t help but make a few notes myself, however, of some of the funny and interesting things that probably won’t make the “mainstream media” – or even BHP for that matter.

WAKM’s Tom Lawrence served as moderator. He started the evening by introducing the candidates and sharing their addresses -- which are part of the public record for all candidates. But when he introduced Jill Burgin and shared her address a gasp came from the audience.

“Hey, that’s my address,” Preston "I-thought-about-running-but-didn't" Bain piped in. Lawrence apologized and moved on. When he got to Brenda Lehman, the address he shared was, you guessed it, someone else’s.

Suffice it to say all of the candidates are official residents of Brentwood.

Burt Bosse told those gathered at the Brentwood Library that he first became interested and engaged in city matters while participating in the Leadership Brentwood program. Candidate Rod Freeman was my classmate in the LBW Class of 2010. Incumbent Mayor Betsy Crossley is also a LBW alum. Come to think of it, so is Bain. Anne Dunn was on the program’s steering committee years ago.

An aside, applications are now being accepted for the Class of 2012. You’re invited to step right up and apply.

At the end of the 90-minute forum, one thing was sure. We have a strong field of candidates and it’s going to take some work to figure out who to vote for. You have a second chance to learn more at next Tuesday's forum, this one hosted by the Brentwood Woman’s Club at the city’s Municipal Building in Maryland Farms.

See you there!

A time for hugs, and heartache

The tragedy in Japan hit home Monday when I learned that Taylor Anderson, the American teacher killed in the earthquake whose story has been broadcast across the country and on the Internet, was the daughter of a high school classmate.

And a Brentwood family’s spring break vacation in Florida was cut tragically short Tuesday with the death of dad of four Roger Waynick, a local publisher. Roger and his wife Nancy had just celebrated their 25th wedding anniversary March 1.

On that day, Nancy posted on Facebook:

Happy 25th Anniversary to my sweet husband, Roger Waynick! I still feel like the luckiest girl in the world. You've blessed my life in more ways than you know. I can't wait to see what life holds for us in the next 25! I love you! :)

Just more reminders to hug those you love most, or even just a little, a little – or a lot -- harder today.