372wn vol ii issue2 by 372WN

From SNUB to

TRANSIT HUB

Mayor Puts West Nashville on Her Map page 6

Miss Jean,

The Hippodrome Queen page 24

SPECIAL SECTION:

We Take a New Twist on Love! page 35

Februaryâ&#x20AC;&#x201C;March 2018 VOL. II, ISSUE 2

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Historian YVONNE EAVES

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Contributors: CARLY BROWNING

CHRIS CLANCY

JOHN RAY CLEMMONS

HOLLY DARNELL

NAOMI GOLDSTONE

HANNAH HERNER

ABBY LEE HOOD

TIMOTHY MCNUTT JR.

EMILY TULLOH

Art Direction and Design ELLEN PARKER-BIBB

Photographers EMILY APRIL ALLEN ABBY LEE HOOD WARNER TIDWELL

Promotion and Publicity SUZANNE ISRAEL

Distribution DON GAYLORD

Advertising Account Manager LANE ABERNATHY

COVER “The Dinky,” circa 1903, transported residents from Murphy Road and 46th Avenue to the main streetcar line on Charlotte Pike. Photo appears in Images of America: Nashville’s Sylvan Park and was provided by historian Yvonne Eaves, who co-authored the book along with Doug Eckert (2011, Arcadia Publishing). Advertising Inquiries: 615.491.8909 or 372WestNashville@gmail.com. @372WN

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372WN is a print and digital magazine published every other month by Next Chapter Publishing, LLC. All content presented herein, unless otherwise noted, is the exclusive property of Next Chapter Publishing and cannot be used, reprinted, or posted without permission. 372WN is free for readers; excessive removal of the product or tampering with any of our distribution racks will be considered theft and/or vandalism and subject to prosecution.

CONTENTS VOL. II, ISSUE 2 | February–March 2018

MAIN FEATURE 6

From Snub to Transit Hub

CURRENT HAPPENINGS 12 Put Romance Back into Wedding Planning 20 Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity 63 February Is Children’s Dental Health Month photo by Wilde Company

FEATURES 24 Miss Jean, The Hippodrome Queen 30 Springwater Supper Club and Lounge: Tennessee’s Oldest Bar 35 SPECIAL SECTION: LOVE’S A MANY-SPLENDORED THING

36 42 46 52

Love Your Community: The Nashville Food Project Expands to West Nashville Love Your World: Where the Wild Things Are Love Your Family: Get Your Affairs in Order at Any Age Love Yourself: Whole Food Healing

IN EVERY ISSUE 60

372WestNosh

372WhokNew?

CORRECTION AND CLARIFICATION: In our December issue, we regrettably published the incorrect web address for the West Nashville Dream Center. The correct web address is westnashdc.com.

372WN.com | Februaryâ&#x20AC;&#x201C;March 2018

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372WN.com | Februaryâ&#x20AC;&#x201C;March 2018

Mayor Puts West Nashville on Her Map n October 17, 2017, Nashville Mayor Megan Barry unveiled Let’s Move Nashville, a transit investment plan that aims to connect every community in Davidson County through an interconnecting surface lightrail system, complementary bus routes, extended bicycle lanes and new sidewalks. Subtitled “Metro’s Transportation Solution,” the plan will increase mobility options for all city residents; enhance accessibility and independence for the elderly, disabled and disadvantaged; attract more business; reduce pollution and finally put Nashville on the map as an interconnected, forward-thinking city. And West Nashville, perhaps the fastest-growing area of the city outside of downtown, was left out.

February–March 2018 | 372WN.com

WEST SIDE SNUB? Sure, Charlotte Avenue was scheduled to see more buses, with extended hours and more-frequent service. This meant that residents of Sylvan Park or The Nations, coming home from a hockey game at Bridgestone or a concert at the Ryman, would soon be free to ride the surface light rail out of downtown and all the way to midtown, to about where Interstate 440 meets Charlotte Avenue. Then they could hop on a bus to take them the rest of the way, provided the bus they needed was scheduled to run at that time. Not good enough, community representatives say. “I know from the time I first had my briefing on the plan, I made an argument to the administration that leaving out the two miles to get to White Bridge Road was leaving a lot of ridership on the table,” says Council Member Kathleen Murphy, whose District 24 is flanked by I-40 and I-440, and actually jumps across West End Avenue. “The Sylvan Park, Sylvan Heights, Charlotte Park, The Nations, and White Bridge Road neighborhoods would be much more likely to use light rail if it came up to White Bridge.” What made the West Nashville snub especially surprising was that Let’s Move Nashville stems from nMotion, a 25-year transit plan adopted last year by the Metro Transit Authority and Regional Transportation Authority. “When we first realized we were the only corridor that wasn’t extended, it was alarming,” says District 20 Council Member Mary Carolyn Roberts, whose district primarily sits north of I-40 and is bordered by The Cumberland River (though the White Bridge neighborhood is split between districts 20 and 24). “That’s when Kathleen and I got together. We’re arguably one of the fastest-growing areas in the U.S.,” Roberts added. “We’ve seen 6,000 houses built in the past five years. I think the Mayor’s office saw the importance of this, and they agreed with us. They saw that this piece has to be in place for this plan to work.” For a plan that has a long, long way to go before getting approved, and isn’t scheduled for completion for another 15 years, it didn’t take long for the Mayor’s office to announce an extension of the

372WN.com | February–March 2018

Scheduled for completion in 2032 . . . nearly 30 miles of surface light rail to run along some of the city’s busiest thoroughfares . . .

light rail two miles down Charlotte Avenue, to where it meets White Bridge Road. On November 22, less than 40 days after the first unveiling, Mayor Megan Barry was at the newly renovated Café at Thistle Farms announcing the extension, saying that necessary funding was identified in preparation for an independent audit of the plan. Mayor Barry followed up with a visit to West Nashville's iconic Wendell's Restaurant on January 9 to continue the conversation.

A SECOND GLANCE “If you looked at the nMotion map, and where the light rail was leading, Charlotte Avenue did look shorter than some of the other corridors,” says Jim Czarnecky, associate vice president of HDR | ICA, the civil engineering company brought in by Metro to work out the project’s infrastructure. “What happened was we took a look at our funding and decided to put the Charlotte Avenue extension back in.” For those who have dealt with Councilmember Murphy, the speed with which the Mayor’s office added the extension should come as no surprise. To ask her who stands to benefit from the two-mile light rail extension is to receive an almost block-by-block roundup of some of her district’s most important buildings. “Coming to White Bridge Road on Charlotte Avenue better connects the light-rail lines to the interstate and Briley Parkway,” she explains. “This also makes it more convenient for students at Nashville State, the doctors, nurses and hospital staff at St. Thomas West, and those who don’t live close to grocery stores or drug stores. Right behind the [Richland Park] library on Charlotte is the Cohn School, which houses the Nashville Community Education Center and the Senior Renaissance Center, as well as other nonprofits and education opportunities. And I know a lot of commuters from Robertson County and Montgomery County use Briley Parkway to get downtown by way of Charlotte Avenue, because

Februaryâ&#x20AC;&#x201C;March 2018 | 372WN.com

it has less traffic and is easier than using interstates 65 or 24. Extending to White Bridge increases the ability of those out-of-county commuters to utilize the light rail, as well.” Scheduled for completion in 2032, Let’s Move Nashville calls for the construction of nearly 30 miles of surface light rail to run along some of the city’s busiest thoroughfares, including Gallatin Road toward Briley Parkway, Murfreesboro Pike to the Nashville International Airport, and Nolensville Pike to Harding Place. Tying these corridors together would be an estimated $936 million, one-anda-half-mile tunnel in the heart of downtown, running underneath Fifth Avenue from the Music City Central bus station to Lafayette Street. Planners decided underground was the way to go when it came to the light rail’s central hub, since downtown streets are narrow already. The plan also includes more robust bus service citywide, with some buses running up to 20 hours per day. Of course, with bus rerouting being inherently less disruptive than laying track on major thoroughfares or digging into the limestone foundations of downtown Nashville, figuring out exactly where the Nashville Metro Transit Authority will do the most good is a matter for future meetings. “Throughout the [planning] process, we received feedback asking for more cross-town routes loud and clear,” says Amanda Clelland, public information officer for MTA and RTA. “Which specific routing changes will occur once the light rail is in place are still to be determined. “We have a lot to do—acquire more buses for our fleet, recruit bus operators and mechanics to keep the system going, work with our Metro partners like Public

372WN.com | February–March 2018

Works to install new bus stops and improve points of pedestrian accessibility so people can safely use the service.”

DOLLARS AND SENSE Let’s Move Nashville has been described in local and national media outlets with words like “ambitious,” “audacious” and “sweeping.” Such breathless description is apt for what, at an estimated $5.4 billion (up from $5.2 billion since the announced Charlotte Avenue extension), is the most expensive project in Metro Nashville’s history.

The plan also includes more robust bus service citywide, with some buses running up to 20 hours per day.

Planners say the whole thing will be funded through a combination of federal and local funds, much of it secured through a 0.5 percent sales tax surcharge beginning in mid-2018 and bumping up to 1 percent in 2023. It is a surcharge that would put Nashville among cities with the highest sales tax in the U.S., right up there with Chicago, New Orleans and Seattle. Aside from sales tax, the Mayor’s office is also looking to pay for its grand plan via a 0.25 percent surcharge on the hotel/motel tax and bumping up to 0.375 percent in 2023; a 20 percent increase on the rental car tax (taking the 1 percent

and bumping it up to 1.2 percent on proceeds derived from automobile leases and rentals); and a 20 percent surcharge on Davidson County’s business and excise tax. The small business community along Charlotte Avenue seems to support the extension and looks forward to the uptick in walk-in traffic that a public transit system is likely to provide. “It’s going to bring in more business, it’s going to bring in more infrastructure development, which ultimately makes it easier for people to spend money in this area,” says Dillon Hughes, who lives off of White Bridge Road and works at Cool Stuff Weird Things, on the corner of Charlotte and 49th Avenue. “A lot of the issues we have with business in this area is the availability of parking. We end up parking all up and down the streets, and a lot of people end up parking illegally to do ten minutes’ worth of shopping. So the more foot traffic we can get, without cars involved, the better it’s going to look for us.” Fred Koller, owner of Rhino Booksellers, likes the light rail plan for more sentimental reasons. “I’ve always thought it would be nice to have a bookstore near a trolley stop,” he says. “As the young families in the area age and grow, they might become riders. Hopefully we will get some unique businesses to add more flavor to the neighborhood.” Fred’s hope for more diverse businesses to fill some of the still-empty storefronts along Charlotte Avenue brings up another interesting feature of the Mayor’s plan: Beginning in 2019, Metro will begin construction on 19 Neighborhood Transit Centers to be phased in over a five-year period. Developed with the goal of providing “strong pedestrian connections with the surrounding areas,” these

transit centers are being sold as community hubs, with parking and drop-off areas blending seamlessly with green spaces and the kind of commercial mainstays one typically finds around rail stops in other cities: cafes, sandwich shops, dry cleaners. Research by the National Association of Realtors suggests that commercial property values near high-capacity transit lines and stations typically increase, though how much depends on things like the regional economic picture and regulatory environment. Dallas and Portland, for instance, have seen robust redevelopment in areas where track was laid. Then again, as landlords raise rents in accordance with these rising property values, these Neighborhood Transit Centers could wind up as little more than stomping grounds for the Starbucks and Subways of the world.

STOP THE TRAIN! Let’s Move Nashville has its naysayers. A November 10, 2017, editorial in The Wall Street Journal titled, “It’s the Last Stop on the Light Rail Gravy Train” characterized the project as a massive boondoggle. Author Randal O’Toole, senior fellow with the Cato Institute (formerly known as the Charles Koch Foundation), wrote that the upkeep troubles of light rail are only too well-known in New York and Washington, D.C., that mass transit projects have all but emptied the coffers of Atlanta and Charlotte, N.C., while doing nothing to reduce daily traffic snarls, that people like their cars too much, and that light rail is soon to be an antiquated technology, since driverless automobiles will likely be a reality within ten years. Ten days later, Mayor Barry picked apart the arguments against

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her plan in a speech before the Rotary Club of Nashville, citing light rail extensions in Austin, Denver, and other “cities we compete with when people want to move here and bring their business here.” (Barry’s predecessor Karl Dean said much the same thing in 2010, when expressing his wishes for a mass transit system in Music City.) “It’s not about transit versus cars, it’s about how they work together to move people around,” says Jim McAteer, president of Transit Insight, a company focused on “creative solutions to transit planning challenges.” A Sylvan Park resident and former director of planning and grants for Nashville MTA and RTA, Jim describes himself as “super supportive” of Let’s Move Nashville. “Well-funded transit systems provide an alternative that is at least continued on page 59

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Romance PUT

Wedding P lanningg BACK INTO

by Hannah HERNER

photo by Lane Photography

372WN.com | Februaryâ&#x20AC;&#x201C;March 2018

West Nashville Merchants’ Advice for Brides on a Budget

photo by Matt Andrews Photography

ome say it’s the most important day of your life—but it doesn’t have to be the most expensive. With a little research and strategy, brides can save in unexpected places and still pull off the beautiful wedding of their dreams. We asked a few West Nashville experts for their best tips on where to save and where to splurge on the wedding day.

February–March 2018 | 372WN.com

Necessity Is the Bride of Invention Newlywed Dimeta Smith Knight noticed Facebook groups where savvy recent brides were trying to sell their gently used wedding items to future brides. They would arrange to meet in parking lots and exchange cash. “I thought that there had to be an easier way,” says Dimeta, a CPA who founded Southern Bridal Markets last June. “I developed essentially a flea market for wedding resales to save brides time, energy and effort—and get them all together in one place.” The markets are quarterly in locations throughout the Nashville area,

photo courtesy of Southern Bridal Markets

When you’re trying to figure out, ‘How am I going to do this?’ Well, nine times out of ten, there’s already a bride who has done it. Dimeta Knight, Southern Bridal Markets photo courtesy of Southern Bridal Markets

with the next one scheduled for April. Recent brides and local vendors pay a registration fee to set up a table and market their goods and services to bridesto-be, who get in for just five dollars. This is a chance for recent

photo by Kayla Anderson

372WN.com | February–March 2018

brides to make some money back and for future brides to get a deal. Dimeta says Pinterest has changed the game when it comes to wedding planning, giving brides a more specific vision and encouraging do-it-yourself projects. “There are some really cute things that I’ve seen, and really creative,” she says. “When you’re looking at Pinterest and in magazines you’re trying to

photo by Smith Studios Photography

the best things never change. photo by T2 Photography

figure out, ‘How am I going to do this?’ Well, nine times out of ten, there’s already a bride who has done it.” The Southern Bridal Market is a place where even less-thancrafty brides can get homemade decorations without having to bust out the hot-glue gun.

Another Blooming Idea Ambitious brides who don’t mind spending the time can save on labor and delivery costs by arranging their own flowers. Joan Presley, co-owner of Geny’s Flowers and Bridal at 4407 Charlotte Ave., says when all is said and done, having flowers professionally arranged costs about three times the price of the flowers themselves. To help out, Geny’s offers brides a flower consultation, workspace and refrigerated storage. However, something to be aware of is how much time arranging flowers can

take, and Joan recommends setting aside the better part of a day within a few days of the wedding to put the arrangements together. “You have to pick, time or money,” she says. “What do you want to save?” Fresh flowers can be a sizeable cost for a wedding, and if brides have a specific vision in mind, they should leave the arranging to the professionals, Joan says. She recommends cutting the guest list, catering or alcohol before cutting the flower budget. “Flowers tend to be a place where people try to cut, because it’s usually the last thing they think of,” she adds. “However, they’re one of the most labor-intensive things.” One way to strike a balance is to go with a “personal flowers” package, which means the professionals handle the tricky bouquets, boutonnières and corsages.

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300 of Your Closest Friends?! Wedding planner Margaret Tolbert, owner of Details by Margaret, agrees that keeping the guest list small saves money across the board. Having fewer guests saves on food, drink, table settings, invitations—and can enable you to choose a smaller and more cost-effective venue. Margaret estimates the average cost of a wedding in Nashville to be $35,000. She has been in the business for eleven years and says the days of the $5,000 wedding in Nashville are over. But there still are ways to come in well below the $35,000 average. A good chunk of money ends up going to the venue. The average rate in Nashville is $6,500 just for a room, she says. Choosing a venue that lets brides bring in their own vendors, such as a caterer, bartender and wedding planner, gives them more freedom with the budget than venue with a set list of vendors. The timing can make a big difference, too. Margaret says many venues offer discounts during the winter months and for choosing atypical wedding days, such as Fridays and Sundays.

372WN.com | February–March 2018

Where to Spend

You have to pick, time or money. What do you want to save? JOAN PRESLEY, GENY’S FLOWERS AND BRIDAL

Saying Yes to a Dress Many brides-to-be dash to sample sales to get a deal on the dress of their dreams. A sample sale is a smart move, but brides need to beware of the need for alterations. Joan says you can avoid thousands of dollars in alteration costs by not purchasing a dress that is more than a size or two too big. Additionally, taking a dress in is much simpler than letting it out. It is also important for a bride to be up-front with the bridal gown consultant about their budget. Margaret advises looking only at gowns within that budget to avoid falling in love with a gown you can’t afford.

It’s a difficult choice, but Margaret advises that if it really comes down to it, splurging on a photographer is more important than a videographer. Printed images have more staying power than video— you can display them on your wall. Working with the right wedding planner can save you money, despite the cost of the planner’s services. Planners have relationships with vendors and can get better deals. “In many ways, a planner is an

photo by Ryan Tolbert Photography

photo by Rachel Lombardi Photography Februaryâ&#x20AC;&#x201C;March 2018 | 372WN.com

people taking advantage because it is such a special event,” Dimeta says. “One of our key statements is, ‘Save on the wedding, and splurge on the marriage.’” 2W

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of the wedding to make sure it all goes off without a hitch. “Full Service” involves going to meetings far ahead of the wedding day and helping to make decisions on colors, styles and floral designs all the way through the wedding day. With advice from those who have been there before, brides can stick to their budget, and more importantly, focus on a lasting marriage. “I realize how important marriage is, and it’s easy to get sucked in to the frenzy of wedding planning and

investment that can really help you save money at the end of the day,” Margaret says. “Not to mention saving you stress.” She offers a “Day Of” package, where she’ll plan the timeline from the rehearsal dinner through the wedding day and take care of all the details that come with setting up the ceremony and reception spaces. In a “Partial Planning” package, she can refer brides to vendors and pass along her vendor discount. With this package, brides deal with the vendors themselves, while Margaret steps in on the day

Hannah Herner is an alternative VI

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music fan, tap dancer and a Jeni’s ice cream enthusiast.

LEARN MORE:

Dimeta Smith Knight at The Southern Bridal Market thesouthernbridalmarkets.com 615.267.3609

[ Joan Presley at Geny’s Flowers and Bridal 615.297.5305

[ Margaret Tolbert at Details by Margaret margaret@detailsbymargaret.com 615.512.3779

photo by Rachel Lombardi Photography

372WN.com | February–March 2018

Where Nashville tradition meets life-long adventure.

Februaryâ&#x20AC;&#x201C;March 2018 | 372WN.com

Mental Health Parity & Addiction Equity A Healthy Policy for Tennessee Families

I entered the Tennessee General Assembly in 2014 with health care at the top of my policy priority list. Coincidentally, my first days in the legislature were spent in an extraordinary session during which my colleagues and I were to debate Insure Tennessee, Governor Bill Haslam’s take on Medicaid (TennCare) expansion. The subject matter was relatively straightforward for something as incredibly complex as health care policy: Our state would be reimbursed with billions of tax dollars we paid to the federal government for the purpose of providing hundreds of thousands of Tennesseans in the “coverage gap” access to health care. Unfortunately, the debate ended before it ever began, and I was made acutely aware of how difficult it would be accomplish anything related to health care policy in the state legislature.

372WN.com | February–March 2018

OPINION by

State Representative John Ray CLEMMONS, Special Contributor with Sita Diehl and Mary Linden Salter

aving a sincere interest in mental health care and drug and substance use, these areas quickly became a focus of mine. As I always do before tackling an issue or drafting legislation, I set about extensively researching and gathering information from those who are much more knowledgeable than I am on the subject, including my co-authors on this article. Over the years, I have routinely commented that every single person in this state, including myself, or one of our loved ones has been directly affected in one way or another by mental illness or drug and substance use. By now, everyone is keenly aware of our opioid crisis, but our addiction problems go even deeper than that. As I have traveled across the state, my conversations with individuals and leading health care advocates, as well as reliable data, have confirmed the feared extent of our problems to be true. However, something else I came to learn was just as concerning—only a small percentage of Tennesseans have access to sufficient mental health care or addiction services, including the individuals and families with health insurance. Mental health and addiction treatment have long been shortchanged by our nation’s health care system. (Our state’s prison system takes this issue to a whole other level, but I will save that discussion for another article.) Even though one in five Americans per year has a treatable mental health or substance

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Even though one in five Americans per year has a treatable mental health or substance use condition, routine check-ups do not typically include a behavioral health assessment.

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use condition, routine check-ups do not typically include a behavioral health assessment. You get a flu shot to keep from getting the flu, but people do not usually enter mental health services until a crisis damages their lives and livelihoods. That is why federal health insurance laws now require most health plans to cover behavioral health at the same level as medical or surgical care. Mental health parity, as this requirement is known, is important because millions of Americans could be better off and more productive with appropriate mental health or substance use care. Each year, 44 million adults in the U.S. have some form of mental illness, and 20 million have a substance use disorder.1 This confirms that almost every one of us or someone we love has experienced a problem with mental health or substance use. Even though mental health conditions are common, it is hard to acknowledge the need for professional help. So, when people run into problems getting their health plan to pay for behavioral health treatment, many just go without care and try to tough it out. It is killing us. Suicide rates in our country have risen steadily over the past 15 years. Drug overdoses are at an all-time high. Each day, 121 Americans take their own lives2, and 142 die from a drug overdose.3 In Tennessee, there are five overdose deaths per day—twice the national average. Without the right care, mental health and substance use disorders can lead to problems at home, at school, or on the job. All too often, a crisis hits, families

In Tennessee, there are five overdose deaths per day—twice the national average.

February–March 2018 | 372WN.com

fracture and the person ends up on their own with a pile of legal trouble and debt and no place to live. And it goes downhill from there. Two federal laws are designed to help people get the right behavioral health care when they need it. In 2008, President George W. Bush signed the Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act, a bipartisan bill sponsored by the late Senators Paul Wellstone and Pete Domenici. The law states that if

For information or assistance: National Alliance on Mental Illness, NAMI:

• www.nami.org/parity TennCare Complaints and Appeals: • 1.800.878.3192 • www.tn.gov/tenncare/topic/ how-to-file-a-medical-appeal Tennessee Department of Commerce and Insurance, Consumer Affairs: • 615.741.2218 • CIS.Complaints@state.tn.us Office of Rep. John Ray Clemmons • Cordell Hull Building Ste. 424, 425 Fifth Ave. N. Nashville, TN 37243 • 615.741.4410 • rep.john.ray.clemmons@ capitol.tn.gov

Have a story we need to cover? Contact us at

372WestNashville@gmail.com!

372WN.com | February–March 2018

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large employer health plans cover mental health and addiction, then benefits must be at the same level as medical and surgical care. In 2010, the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA) extended parity requirements to individual and small group health plans. Under the ACA, these plans are required to offer behavioral health as one of ten categories of essential health benefits. You may now be asking yourself, “If these laws have been on the books for years, why is it still so hard to get insurance to pay for mental health and substance use care?” One problem is that the law is not enforced. In part, this is because multiple federal and state agencies are responsible for the various types of health plans. When everyone is in charge, no one is in charge. The second obstacle is that the regulations specifying what insurers must to do comply with parity were not issued until 2013 for private insurance and 2016 for Medicaid (TennCare in Tennessee). Again, health care policy is complex, and insurance carriers are still working out the details with the state and federal governments. But there also seems to be a fair share of foot-dragging on both sides. Under parity law, states are responsible for holding health plans accountable. That is why I have been working with Sen. Richard Briggs (R-Knoxville) on legislation to enforce mental health and addiction parity in Tennessee. Our bipartisan efforts resulted in passage of HB480 earlier this year.4 This law holds managed care organizations (MCOs) participating in the TennCare programs accountable for compliance with parity laws and requires the bureau of TennCare to monitor the

. . . millions of Americans could be better off and more productive with appropriate mental health or substance use care. MCOs to ensure compliance. We intend to build on this success in 2018 with a more comprehensive bill that makes clear the state’s responsibility to monitor and enforce parity through the Department of Commerce and Insurance and the bureau of TennCare. Our bill would also require health plans to submit regular reports demonstrating their compliance with parity laws. This is something Tennessee plans should be doing anyway, but we want to make sure it happens in a timely and meaningful way. Another major reason we have yet to achieve true mental health parity is that enforcement relies on consumers. Federal law stipulates that the government is only bound to take action if health plan members file complaints. However, only four percent (4%) of the public even knows about parity, according to a survey by the American Psychological Association5, and far fewer know what a parity problem looks like. To raise awareness, we have another bill pending in the legislature that would require public education on parity rights and the complaint and appeal processes. Meanwhile, I want to bring you up to speed on the basics.

What are the signs that you may have a parity issue? It is a matter of whether your health plan’s mental health and substance use benefits are more limited, your out-of-pocket costs are higher for these services, or behavioral health treatment requests are reviewed more strin-

gently than general medical care. A health plan may be running afoul of parity law by: • Covering fewer outpatient visits or hospital days for behavioral health; • Denying coverage for residential mental health or addiction treatment when step-down care for other conditions is covered; • Restricting the list of covered behavioral health medications or charging a higher copayment; • Requiring stricter treatment review based on medical necessity; • Denying care without giving you the reason why in writing, or the standards used; and, • Using more stringent procedures to recruit and credential behavioral health providers.

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1 https://www.samhsa.gov/disorders 2 https://afsp.org/about-suicide/suicide-statistics/ 3 http://fortune.com/2017/08/08/record-high-drugrelated-death-rate-2016/ 4 Public Chapter 221, 5/3/17 5 http://www.apa.org/helpcenter/parity-law-resources.aspx 6 http://www.gao.gov/new.items/d11268.pdf

Today, he practices law in his firm, Clemmons & Clemons, as a civil litigator and mediator. In addition to his law practice, he also serves as a state representative

for District 55 in the 110thSession of the Tennessee General Assembly.

farm just outside of Lebanon, Tennessee and graduated from Lebanon High School. He attended Columbia University in New York City, earning his Bachelor of Arts degree in History, and later earning his law degree from the University of Memphis.

Faced with a service denial from their health plan, few people file complaints for any health issue. When a mental health crisis hits, I understand that dealing with insurance paperwork is the last thing on your mind. But, at last, there is good news! Filing a complaint is worth the effort, and the state can help you do it. Health insurance appeals are often decided in favor of the health plan member.6 Also, TennCare and the Tennessee Department of Commerce and Insurance provide free expert help with the complaint process. We are in a world of hurt right now. Let’s spread the word and do what it takes to fulfill the promise of mental health and addiction treatment parity in Tennessee. Better access to behavioral health care would help individuals lead more satisfying lives, keep families whole and strengthen the workforce. By working together, sharing information and raising awareness of mental health and addiction issues, we will all benefit in the long run.

John Ray Clemmons was raised on a

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February–March 2018 | 372WN.com

by Naomi GOLDSTONE

MISS JEAN

The Hippodrome Queen

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Once upon a time, across from Centennial Park on West End Avenue—where Holiday Inn now stands—there was a magical place called “The Hippodrome Roller Rink.” Though the Hippodrome also played host to music concerts and professional wrestling matches, it was known as the place where West Nashville’s teens and young adults gathered in the evenings and on the weekends to roller skate. The Hippodrome is also where Jean (Buchanan) Belcher— now known to all as “Miss Jean”—and her brother, Jack, honed and then perfected their skating skills. The pair would eventually become two of the best roller skaters in Nashville.

orn on New York Avenue in The Nations on April 9, 1927, Miss Jean learned how to roller skate early in life. “I probably learned how to roller skate at the same time I learned how to walk,” she says. “Daddy used to take me out on the sidewalk, and he would hold me up until I could get my balance and skate.” Miss Jean attended Cockrill Elementary, and she says she “started getting really good at roller skating when I was about five.” When she was a teenager, Miss Jean and her family moved to Sylvan Park, where she attended Cohn High School before transferring to Hume-Fogg in eleventh grade to complete their secretarial program.

Miss Jean spent her teenage years roller-skating, and by the time she was twelve, she and her brother (who was two years older) were spending three evenings a week—from 7:30 p.m. until 10 p.m.—and most weekends at The Hippodrome. “Mother and Daddy always took us in the car, and they were always on the bleachers watching us,” Miss Jean recalls. Miss Jean and her brother were members of the Nashville Skating Club, which was a subgroup of RSROA— Roller Skating Rinks of America. The pair showed so much talent that their parents hired a professional to train them, and soon the brother and sister were winning multiple competitions at The Hippodrome.

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By the 1940s, Miss Jean and Jack were easily two of the best roller skaters in Nashville and throughout the South. The duo had to part ways for four years when, in 1941, Jack enlisted in the U.S. Army shortly after his graduation from Cohn High School. While he fought overseas during World War II, Miss Jean continued skating in Nashville. The Hippodrome was often the place where soldiers on leave would hang out and leave the stress of war behind while still helping those in need. “I remember one time I was spinning in the middle of the floor, and I fell on my tailbone. This chivalrous soldier came over to help me up, but he put his skates on the back of my skirt,” Miss Jean says. “He helped me stand up, but part of my skirt was on the floor. I grabbed the back of it and skated over to my Mom, who had some safety pins to hold my skirt together. I wasn’t

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going to let a torn skirt stop me from skating.” At the end of World War II, Jack returned to Nashville, and the brother/sister pair were once again blazing trails at The Hippodrome skating rink. “I had been skating by myself for the four years he was gone with the Army, so when he came back, I had to teach him some of the dances I had learned,” she says. In 1945, the pair won first place in the novice dance division of the Southern Regional Championship. They were scheduled to compete in Monterrey, California, for the U.S. Championship trophy, but Miss Jean fell ill and couldn’t go. “I was so upset that we couldn’t compete,” Miss Jean says, “but Mother and Daddy made us stay home.” Miss Jean would bounce back, however, winning the Miss Hippodrome title in 1946. After her graduation from Hume-Fogg, Miss Jean

continued to skate at The Hippodrome in the evenings and on the weekends, even after taking a full-time job as a secretary with Dun and Bradstreet and later with Neuhoff Packing Co. She was skating one evening when Mary Doster, The Hippodrome’s organist, introduced Miss Jean to her brother, Paul. “Paul had just gotten out of the Navy and was at The Hippodrome hanging out with his sister as she played the organ, and she asked him if there was anyone he wanted to meet,” Miss Jean recalled. “He told Mary that he wanted to meet the girl out there in the middle of the floor spinning, and that was me!” Mary introduced Paul to Miss Jean, and the next day they went on their first date. “We probably went to a movie, but I don’t remem-

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ber which one,” Miss Jean says. “I can tell you, though, how tall, dark, and handsome he was; I always remember that.” Paul was also from Sylvan Park, but he had graduated from West End High School. He joined the Navy right out of high school and served for six years, completing several tours in Europe, and was part of the Admiralty Islands campaign of World War II. Miss Jean and Paul married six months after their first date, and the two bought their first house on Media Street in Sylvan Park. Miss Jean was a homemaker while Paul worked at Victor Chemical. Four years into their marriage, they had the first of their two children— Vickie Lynn in 1951. Dale was born in 1957. Eventually, they bought a house on Idaho Street, where their children played baseball and roller skated in the empty lots nearby. “They couldn’t do that now with all the development in Sylvan Park,” Miss Jean says. It’s no surprise that Miss Jean taught her son and daughter how

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to roller skate, too. “When they were just learning how to walk, I used to glue little rollers on the bottom of their shoes and hold their hand as they rolled around the room,” Miss Jean says. “They probably learned how to roller skate at the same time they learned how to walk.” When her children were in elementary school, Miss Jean took a secretarial job with the Royal Globe Insurance Co. She even modeled in the National Association of Insurance Women’s fashion show in January 1970 to raise money for a nurse’s scholarship fund. After five years at Royal Globe, Miss Jean left to work for Metro Finance, where she assisted the chief accountant for 32 years. When The Hippodrome closed in 1968, Miss Jean kept right on skating. “I guess I stopped roller skating about 25 years ago when Paul told me he was worried I’d get hurt,” Miss Jean says, laughing. “In fact, he hung my skates up.” (I quickly did the math in my head as we chatted, and Miss Jean would have been about 65 when she *finally* hung up her roller skates for good.) “I still miss it. It was so much fun and such good exercise,” Miss Jean says, with some melancholy in her voice. Miss Jean continued working, and she did

not retire from Metro until she was 77 years old, though retirement wasn’t her choice. “I miss working,” Miss Jean says. “I advise everyone to keep working as long as they have half a brain.” In 1998 at the age of 75, Miss Jean’s husband Paul died of a massive heart attack after having survived colon cancer twice. “We were married for 51 years, 2-1/2 months,” Miss Jean says. “We sang in the First Southern Methodist Church choir for 40 years, and then we started going to the Free Will Baptist Church for two years when he passed away. We did a lot together.” Miss Jean still talks about her husband with love and affection. “He was the love of my life, and he was so handsome!” Miss Jean says, gushing. At almost 91, Miss Jean is still very active. “Paul used to tell me, ‘Jean, the human body is the only thing that will go bad if you don’t use it,’ so I’m using it,” she explains. She visits the Senior Renaissance Center three to four times a week, where she is a member of the center’s award-winning trivia team. She also participates in several of the center’s other programs, including exercise classes, dances, Bingo, matting and framing, and the Adult Coloring Craze. Of course, Miss Jean won first place in an Adult Col-

oring Craze contest, and last year she was named the Senior Renaissance Center’s Miss Queen (or, as Miss Jean calls it, the “Queen of the Oldies”). She still drives and takes care of the home she shares with her son, Dale. “My son spoils me just like Paul used to,” Miss Jean says. She does all of their laundry, cooking and grocery shopping—and just in case anyone wonders, she still pumps her own gas. “Do you think I have any spare time?” continued on page 59

HOMES FOR SALE

Two decades of Quality Renovations and New Construction in 37209 Visit westnashvilleliving.com for listings.

February–March 2018 | 372WN.com

written and photographed by

Abby Lee HOOD

SUPPER CLUB & LOUNGE

372WN.com | Februaryâ&#x20AC;&#x201C;March 2018

Tennessee’s Oldest Bar with (perhaps) the Deepest Secrets

n any given night, you might only see one cowboy hat at Springwater, the dive bar just outside Centennial Park, all evening. The crowd here isn’t the one you might find on Broadway; it’s a mix of university students, hipsters, punk-rock fans and a few other eclectic groups, but the vibe is strong and friendly. The pool table stays crowded all night, and you can hear the crack of pool balls over the music at certain points. Springwater Supper Club & Lounge is not your typical bar, nor even your typical Nashville dive bar. It was never meant to be. The bar was built and established in 1896, making it not only the oldest bar in West Nashville, but in Tennessee. It’s been written about in travel guides, blogs, newspapers and websites like theoldestbarineverystate.com, the writers of which said they held their breath as they walked in, but left feeling pleasantly surprised at the friendly patrons, cheap beer and comfortable atmosphere. The bar was originally built to serve the workers building attractions for the 1897 Tennessee Centennial and International Exposition. The 132-acre plot serving as the site for the exposition became the state fairgrounds after the Civil War, and it was eventually renamed Centennial Park. Throughout all of it—wars, the rise of the country music scene, even the Nashville hipster takeover and development of the surrounding area—Springwater has endured, despite operating under several different names and in several functions. It isn’t easy to find history or literature about the

bar, and there’s not a comprehensive collection of its stories, though there are hundreds of positive reviews and memories written about it online. Posts range from reminiscing about playing gigs to writing about homeless people who used to help bands load their gear onto the stage. Springwater’s website lists some important historical points, and though there is no photographic evidence, says it is confirmed that Al Capone and Jimmy Hoffa used to gamble there. There are many stories like this, and they could absolutely be true . . . but are hard to prove. Major gang and mafia members wouldn’t want their photos being taken and wouldn’t want to leave any indication as to where the police might find and arrest them. The kind of characters that frequented the bar years ago may contribute to the lack of evidence and history left behind. Springwater, which has only been operating under that name since Terry Cantrell became the owner in 1978, did operate as a speakeasy during prohibition. The speakeasy door, heavy and wooden with a tiny hole in the center, still hangs. Tim Andrews, a manager at the bar, says most of the interior is original, or if not, extremely old. The wooden beams and walls look old enough, as does the tile floor. Though the vintage neon signs probably followed a few decades later, they add to the “seen-a-lot, survived-a-lot” ambience. The certainty over whether the door frames and other pieces remain from 1896 is like so many other stories and memories about the place—lost, along with those who had living memory of the place. February–March 2018 | 372WN.com

Tim spoke at length about some of the famous people who’ve played the bar. Kesha has been visiting since she was a teenager with a fake ID, and she played a show there as recently as 2015 for dozens of fans on the foot-high stage. Her band at that show was comprised of Nashville musicians, and the set included a Led Zeppelin cover, as well as her own songs. Kesha isn’t the only famous musician to perform here. The Black Keys recorded their music video for “Little Black Submarines” at Springwater. The video came out in September 2012 and has almost 28 million views. In that video, the band plays their indie rock jam in front of the famous glittery curtain on the back wall. Though it’s been nearly six years since the video was

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released, it still feels just as cool to see Nashvillians singing along—and Springwater looks much the same as it was portrayed then. Springwater has, so far, withstood the test of time—over 100 years of it. Tim says the history of the bar is its biggest strength, but that the outlaw, punk-rock scene has helped a lot. According to Tim, when big country stars like Chet Atkins and the Nashville Cats ruled the recording industry in town, other singers didn’t stand a chance. This led to the rise of “outlaw country,” and there are unconfirmed reports that Hank Williams Sr. and David Allen Coe played at the bar. Springwater has hosted live performances for years, but it didn’t actually become a music destination until the 1990s, Tim says. The bar used to be home to DJ Johnny Jackson’s Soul Satisfaction, which became so popular it had to move to 328 Performance Hall and eventually, Jody’s Bar Car (the latter two venues now exist only in the fond memories of Gen X-ers). Tim says the punk scene used to be hopping there, too, particularly during the 1980s, even before rock bands started to perform there. He says during that time, a punk show

at any venue in town might attract 200 people by word of mouth alone. But times have changed. Tim says the new music scene in Nashville is very different. “There’s not a cohesive community among the bands,” he laments. “In the ’80s . . . everybody was in touch. That’s kind of been lost. There’s too many places. It’s divided the crowds.” Tim adds that even great bands at good venues may only draw five people, including the next band to play, and chalks it up to the number of new stages in town. With so many places to hear music, it’s impossible to find just one to go to. Matthew Storey, a patron of Springwater since the 1980s, has attended continued on page 59

DISCOVER NASHVILLE’S BEST RADIO STATION.

WXNA is Nashville’s all-volunteer, non-profit, freeform community radio station with over 90 different shows featuring everything from funk to metal and all points in between. And while our signal doesn’t reach all the way to Bellevue quite yet, you can stream us on WXNAfm.org, the TuneIn app or just ask Alexa to play WXNA.

Love's a

Many-Splendored Thing Last year, 372WN took a deep dive into romance and we had a lot of fun digging up some of West Nashvilleâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s most romantic gifts, spots, and spaces. This year, we decided to take a twist and focus on various expressions of and the different ways we can take care of each other, our community and ourselves.

ENJOY!

Februaryâ&#x20AC;&#x201C;March 2018 | 372WN.com

by Carly BROWNING photos by Emily April Allen

The Nashville Food Project Expands to West Nashville

YOUR COMMUNITY

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he Nashville Food Project (TNFP) has a staff of 19 people, works with 29 partners and sends out 1,500 meals a week; their influence touches all corners of Nashville. Operating since 2009, the organization originally opened in Nashville in 2007 as a branch of the national nonprofit Mobile Loaves and Fishes, where the main purpose is to deliver sack lunches to tent cities and homeless communities. Realizing the need in Nashville was much greater than just delivering meals, the team of what became TNFP set out to evolve. “We’re not a traditional model of a soup kitchen or a food bank or something like that,” says Teri Sloan, development director of TNFP, “though that is great, and there’s a place for that.” As of 2011, TNFP became an independent 501(c)(3) nonprofit and created its own identity and mission. “We really think of our work as more along the lines of what we call community food,” Teri says. “It’s bringing people together; it’s reducing isolation. It’s doing more than just filling that need for nutrition, and it’s high-quality food that you and I would be proud to eat because we believe that everyone deserves really good food.” The Nashville Food Project fills all sorts of hungry spots—for a meal, for a restaurant and for a community that might otherwise not have either option.

February–March 2018 | 372WN.com

Through partnerships with organizations around Nashville, TNFP offers several ways to teach and influence members of the community. The majority of their efforts are focused on meal-delivery services that coincide with programming where they can provide a healthy meal, snack, or both. “Once the people that they’re working with have that basic need of food met, they’re going to be more able to focus and engage in their program and really learn from it.” Teri says. “We’re working with job training programs, after-school programs, ESL classes, all different types of things like that.” The program offerings have been growing like crazy, and the demand in Nashville remains higher than ever. Every day, TNFP gets another request for meals, and it’s been difficult to keep up with demand. As TNFP has grown, obviously, so have their needs. At press time, their headquarters are in a small building on the campus of Woodmont Christian Church in Green Hills. Not only do they share the space with several church organizations, but they’ve been limited by space and capacity restrictions for the number of meals they can send out. They began to look for ways to earn revenue and be less reliant on donations and fundraisers. In mid-2017, they teamed up with St. Luke’s Community House and are now using their restaurant-grade kitchen where they

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can have more people working, more food cooking, and more meals out at the proper standards. Now, TNFP can earn revenue by providing meals for nonprofits that have budgets for food services. They have replaced several pieces of equipment and now batch-cook healthier food like rice for much larger meals. With the St. Luke’s partnership, the team fell in love with West Nashville and is working to move the entire operation. With groundbreaking in The Nations scheduled for March 2018, the plan is to move into a brand-new office by the end of 2018. This office will have a larger kitchen and prep room with a higher capacity for volunteers, 24-hour access for ease of scheduling and, most importantly, the ability to adapt.

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“We have lots and lots of ideas,” Teri says about the move to West Nashville. “We’re building a space that can be really flexible that can meet our needs, but that can also grow and change to meet the needs of the community around us. There are talks of starting a culinary job training program, or cooking and nutrition classes. There will be a larger dining space to potentially offer meals to people that live in the neighborhood.” Within these offices, their team can focus their attention on these potential classes, as well as strengthen-

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ing connections with over 29 partners (and counting) across the city. The Nashville Food Project is serious about putting down roots in West Nashville. In addition to the new headquarters, TNFP has acquired a minimum 10-year lease on the property of West End Community Church where they have begun a multi-year development plan, and Teri can’t stop talking about it—with good reason. “Eventually it’ll be up to 8 acres, and we’re wanting it to be a real asset for the neighborhood. We want to have greenhouse space, production garden space, and community garden space for the families that live in the community. We want to have bees and chickens. We want to have walking paths and bike paths so that it’s a space everyone can enjoy. We want a pavilion so that people can do education programming or host potlucks. We talked about putting in a pizza oven, we’ve talked about putting in a playground for the kids in the neighborhood. Really, we’re getting as much feedback from the community as we can,” Teri gushes. How soon will all these dreams become a reality? Soon, Teri prom-

TNFP also connects farmers with online food hub Nashville Grown, where they can wholesale their produce to local restaurants. Restaurant hot spots like Two Ten Jack have benefited greatly, excited by farmers growing hard-to-find products. In these types of gardens, more than 7,000 pounds of food was harvested in 2017, and those who tend the plots get to keep 100% of what they grow. It’s the unofficial mantra, “Everyone deserves really good food,” that fuels all TNFP programs. “We know that hunger is just one piece of the problem of poverty,” Teri says. “We can continue giving people food, but if it doesn’t come alongside something else it’s never going to break any cycles; so we utilize our partnership model to do that.” There’s no doubt that TNFP’s new headquarters and garden spaces will benefit the community — working to disrupt the cycle of poverty, make healthy food a priority and unite for the better. We can’t wait to see what the future holds! S

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ises. “We’re hoping to begin with soil testing soon and try to prep the land for a little bit of fall 2018 planting.” Planting? That’s right. In addition to meal deliveries and partnerships, TNFP operates three types of gardens all throughout Nashville. The first, Production Gardens, are tended with the express purpose of going into the meals they prepare. At the time of print, their main production garden is on the campus of Woodmont Christian Church and is just about a tenth of an acre. It may not sound like much, but this year they produced more than 4,000 pounds of food to use exclusively in their meals. The plan is to ultimately make 2 acres of production garden space at the new location. Although they grow a wide array of gorgeous crops, they’re mostly focusing on greens: the fastest to wilt and therefore least donated. Within these gardens, anyone from the community can volunteer and learn. “We see these as educational spaces. We’re utilizing all organic farming practices,” Teri says. “We aren’t using any major equipment, we’re using hand tools and human labor. If you were to come work in our gardens, you’re doing it the same way you would at home if you want to start your own garden.” This garden is also home to a bee community complete with a pollinator garden. They’re able to grow about 10 months of the year. In the off months, their attention shifts to their on-site greenhouse and raising microgreens and seedlings. “We come at our garden with a real ecosystem approach,” Teri says. “Every piece has to be nurtured in order to support the food growing itself.” They hope to transfer all these wonderful aspects and more to their new plot in West Nashville. With nurturing in mind, TNFP’s second type of garden is a community gardening program with plots all across the city. “We are giving access to land and some basic agricultural training when needed. We’re providing seeds and plant starts and compost and all that and teaching the organic practices that we are using in our own gardens.” A seemingly simple concept, these gardens provide a platform for not only healthy eating, but also community involvement and neighborhood pride. These feelings reign supreme in TNFP’s market garden program: Growing Together. The program targets refugees who were farmers in their home countries, but have been placed in small apartments with no land and no outlet to use their skill set. “We’re providing them with land, and we’re connecting them with farmers so that they can learn about crop planning for market and business planning in a commercial agriculture program,” Teri says. “This year we had a group of eight refugees, originally from Bhutan and Burma, and they’re even teaching us a thing or two about agricultural practices.”

Carly Browning is a semi-recent Nashville transplant with a B.A. LLE

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from Ithaca College and a passion for all things food. www.carlybrowning.com

February–March 2018 | 372WN.com

Emily TULLOH

Where The

Wild Things Are YOUR WORLD

“Our task must be to free ourselves . . . by widening our circle of compassion to embrace all living creatures and the whole of nature and its beauty.” ALBERT EINSTEIN

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ur West Nashville neighborhoods are uniquely situated within two watersheds and one of the most ecologically biodiverse regions in the world. You read that right—the world. The Amazon and the Caribbean outpace us for sure, but when it comes to temperate zones, we are at the top. Dan Fitzgerald, the director of watershed science at the Harpeth Conservancy, illustrated this by citing that, “There are only 12 or so native fish species in the Colorado River, the Harpeth has between 60 and 70.” To linger on fish facts would miss the point, but his example provides a larger framework for the vast variety of life in our little pocket of the Earth. The Harpeth is tiny compared with the mighty Colorado River, but it has more than five times the number of native fish species. Because of the immense richness of the wildlife in our backyards, West Nashvillians are uniquely positioned to coexist with it, and we are all seeing more of it as our neighborhoods grow and change. Our diminishing greenspaces are contributing to the increase of wildlife sightings. The creatures are practically moving in with us in some instances! While West Nashville’s natural beauty and wildlife are two major reasons many love this neighborhood, sometimes it is hard to know how to coexist in a way that is advantageous and healthy for people and animals alike. Pandy English, assistant chief of biodiversity at the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency, provided information and resources for a variety of scenarios. According to her, a number of new species have recently moved into our neighborhoods. “You’re probably beginning to see turkey. That is pretty much a new phenomenon,” she says. “Turkeys were reintroduced into the state about 10–15 years ago, and now they are becoming a common species in suburbia.”

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As an amphibian enthusiast, she is interested in the emergence of green tree frogs, as well. “They were first seen on the Cumberland River 10 or 15 years ago, but now it’s not uncommon for folks to call and say they see green tree frogs in their backyard,” she says. “Fifteen to 20 years ago, if someone in Tennessee wanted to see green tree frogs, they would have to go west of the Tennessee River.” According to her, these changes and shifts in the wildlife in our region are not always negative. “Some of these are positive expansions of species,” she explains. “Armadillos — I’m not sure if that is positive or negative, but some

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folks are beginning to see those in their backyards.” Bobcats, coyotes and groundhogs are other common inhabitants of the area that bring their own set of challenges when it comes to establishing boundaries. There are many schools of thought when it comes to dealing with animals that are not welcome, with the most common methods including live-trapping and relocating, exclusion methods, and plain old tolerance. Pandy is preferential to the “coexist if you can” model, but she understands that there are circumstances when an animal becomes a nuisance and removal is preferred. “If you did have issues, you could live-trap and relocate, not that that’s encouraged,” she explains. “Animals can have disease, and if you move them you move their disease. It’s always best to try to leave animals where they are.” Groundhogs have burrowed under her brother’s house—she is trying to help him get rid of them. “There

is always the exclusion method of getting rid of animals,” she explains. Exclusion methods involve anything that makes it difficult or impossible for an animal to continue to inhabit the property. “For groundhogs, you can bury a woven wire fence. If you can see where they are coming in and out, you can put up a single-strand electric fence to repel them.” In the case of her brother’s situation, she sprayed bear spray under his house. Pandy recommends The University of Nebraska Animal Control Handbook, which she has found helpful on many occasions (including the case of her brother’s groundhogs). It is a comprehensive source of information that includes every method under the sun for dealing with animal removal, so keep that in mind when visiting the site: digitalcommons.unl.edu/icwdmhandbook. At the end of the day, “it really depends on your tolerance level,” Pandy says. “A good dog takes care of them all.” There are, however, specific state laws pertaining to the protection of some of these species. “We have pretty broad-reaching laws in Tennessee that protect non-game,” Pandy explains. She cites TCA 70-8-104: “Any species that does not have a season on it cannot be taken from the wild. Period. ‘Taken’ means harassed, disturbed, bothered in any way. The non-game species are to be left alone.”

circumstances that a species can’t recover from. The takeaway? It’s essential for West Nashvillians to be good stewards when it comes to the uniquely diverse and rich region that we live in. AZ

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In fact, nearly 200 species are currently endangered or in need of management. Part of Pandy’s job description includes planning for endangered species and species of greatest conservation need. “Development is still the number one cause of wildlife population decline,” Pandy says. “Disease is coming in a very close second.” She adds that feral cats are hard-hitters on small animals and birds, doing a huge amount of damage to wild bird populations. She urges cat owners to keep their pets indoors. Pandy sums up all of the threats to the wildlife as a “cascading series of events,” and a host of

While it is necessary to reinforce the existence of this law, it is probably more pertinent to address the reality that the biggest threats to wildlife in our area are direct habitat loss and roads that break up their home ranges. “Tons of wildlife homes are lost when trees and snag trees are removed during development,” Pandy explains. Snag trees are dead trees that provide habitat to cavity-dwelling animals like bats, owls, red-tailed hawks and flying squirrels. Streets are a threat because so many species are killed when trying to move to breed—specifically turtles, snakes, salamanders, frogs and toads. Pandy emphasizes the importance of protecting riparian zones, or the buffer areas between land and a river or stream. “For God’s sake, try to keep people from mowing all the way down to the creek!” she exclaims. “That’s one of my pet peeves. Whenever you mow all the way down to a creek, you are destroying the stream.” Jed Grubbs is the project manager of watershed planning and restoration at the Cumberland River Compact. He offered a suggestion for what we can all do to help protect riparian zones. “The No. 1 thing I encourage folks to do is plant native vegetation. The more we can mimic our native habitat, the better,” he explains. “When you plant vegetation along the banks of a river or stream, it prevents flooding, provides habitat for native species and filters the water.” A number of species have already disappeared from this area—or have not been seen or found for quite some time. “The streamside salamander would be one of those,” Pandy says. “Barn owls pop up in different places, but when you lose structures like barns and big hollow trees, the barn owls have to keep moving farther and farther out. Other species like great horned owls and redtailed hawks are fairly adaptable, so they are still in this area.”

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“The goal of life is to make your heartbeat match the beat of the universe, to match your nature with Nature.” – JOSEPH CAMPBELL Emily Tulloh is a copywriter who enjoys

being the creative voice behind some of Nashville’s favorite businesses and brands. She has lived in Hillwood since 2010.

February–March 2018 | 372WN.com

Hannah HERNER

Get Your

Affairs in Order at Any Age

YOUR FAMILY

372WN.com | Februaryâ&#x20AC;&#x201C;March 2018

e get it—this is not the most pleasant topic or exciting. In many respects, it is certainly one that may seem morbid or depressing to put much thought into. But the reality is, the earlier you take long-term planning and estate planning steps, the more manageable they become when the time comes that they are actually needed. And they will be because, to paraphrase Benjamin Franklin, death and taxes are a certainty. In fact, long-term planning and estate planning may be one of the most loving things you can do for your family. That way, family members who are having to come to terms with their loss are not left scrambling to figure out the best way to memorialize the dearly departed. Sadly, many families can be torn apart arguing over what their loved one would have wanted or over items that were “promised” to them. The sooner you come to terms with it—your exit strategy, so to speak—the more time you’ll have to plan. And getting affairs in order for end-of-life costs could start earlier than you think. “People wait too long, in general,” says Nashville attorney Lea Johnson. “I think the earlier you start, the better, and that might mean when a person is only in their 20s.” We spoke with three West Nashville experts who unanimously agree that the more planning—and the sooner—the better, to spare your family added stress after you leave this world.

February–March 2018 | 372WN.com

THE LEGALITIES Lea Johnson here are four main documents to complete with an attorney to ensure everything is covered if something were to happen. According to Lea, waiting until retirement age is waiting too long—a fatal accident could just as easily happen to a young person as an older one. The most frequently overlooked and possibly the most important document is the power of attorney for finances, Lea says. Outside of banking and paying bills, the attorney in fact for finances can take care of mail, access a safe-deposit box and can sell, lease and mortgage real estate. She says many assume that if they’re married, their spouse automatically becomes their power of attorney, but there can be roadblocks, especially when it comes to assets that are jointly owned. In some cases, Lea has had to help the well spouse through an expensive and time-consuming court proceeding just to get permission to take care of the ill spouse’s finances. The second important document is a living will, which contains directions that a person gives about what type of treatment he or she would want if they have a terminal illness. Another document to have filled out is a power of attorney for health care, in which a person names someone to make medical decisions for them if for some reason they cannot make them themselves. The former is used only for situations where the person is not expected to recover, while the latter comes into play in non-terminal and temporary situations. Something that Lea says may not be as important to 20-somethings, but certainly comes into play if you have children, is a will. The will decides what happens to a person’s assets should they die, and without it, the government decides. Within the will, parents can add a testamentary trust, which nominates a guardian and sets up funds for minor children should the parent die before the child reaches adulthood. While some of these documents can be found and printed online, Lea says it is important to meet with an attorney to be sure that they are signed, notarized and witnessed in the correct way so they are not rendered useless. Once these four documents are in place, it’s important to keep them updated. “I always ask clients: Whenever you have a major life change, check in with me, and let’s look at everything and make sure that what you have in place is still doing what you want it to do,” Lea explains.

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THE ARRANGEMENTS Ben Upton, Family Legacy en Upton is the vice president of advanced planning at Family Legacy, which operates ten funeral homes in the Nashville area, including West Harpeth and Harpeth Hills in West Nashville. He says clients come into plan with him at different phases of life, whether the loved one is well, ill, or has already died. “When you have a death, there are over 125 things that are going to happen in the next 24 to 48 hours—decisions that you’re going to make,” he says. “And we can do pretty much 123 of them ahead of time.” These decisions include more than just deciding between burial and cremation, Ben says. A person can decide the length and type of services, type of urn or casket, and even details down to the songs played and memorabilia to have on display long before they die. Ben says when plans are in place ahead of time, it can prevent emotional spending by loved ones. “We’re planning for our family after we’re gone, what they’re going to need at that time. The tough part is, we don’t know what they need and they don’t know what they need, so you try to do your best to put that plan in place,” he says.

There are over 125 things that are going to happen in the next 24 to 48 hours and we can do pretty much 123 of them ahead of time.

February–March 2018 | 372WN.com

THE FINANCES Troy Von Haefen en estimates the average cost of a funeral in Nashville to be $9,000. This includes obvious costs, such as transfer to the funeral home, the cost of hosting a service and visitation in one of their facilities, and the price of a casket or urn. Other costs that may not be thought of include a newspaper notice, funeral escort vehicles, funeral sprays, a hairdresser and catering. Certified Financial Planner Troy Von Haefen says an important first step to being prepared for end-of-life costs is being aware of the average funeral cost in your area. He says one should have enough money to cover those costs in some kind of fund—such as a life insurance policy, an emergency fund or a retirement fund—at any age. “That’s the most important thing, is determining what you want,” Troy says. “If you want to die and have spent all your money, not leaving anything to kids or charity, that’s an individual choice and that’s fine. But you need to make sure that you’re not creating a liability for someone else, either.” Something to consider is how quickly family may be able to access those funds, and cash in a savings account has the most liquidity and is therefore easiest to access, Troy adds. Ben says that writing down final wishes to store with a funeral home can take as little as 20 minutes, after which he can give a cost estimate. Family Legacy doesn’t charge to store the information and also offers payment plans, where people can pay off their funeral costs over a set period of time. That money stays with a third-party company and can move to a different funeral home, but it locks in the price in current dollars, even if prices should go up in the future. In the end, a bit of planning can make things much smoother for your loved ones after you’re gone. “As much as we don’t want to think about that, Father Time is undefeated,” Troy says. “It’s coming for all of us. So let’s just plan for it, and let’s make it less taxing on our family and loved ones by having things laid out for them and organized.”

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resident of Bellevue and recent graduate of The Ohio State University.

Hannah Herner is a freelance journalist,

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AT-A-GLANCE

ESTATE PLANNING by the DECADE 20s Get a living will, power of attorney for health care, power of attorney for finances and potentially a will in place. Ensure emergency fund is set up.

30s For young families, it’s important to add a testamentary trust to the will.

40s As assets build, it’s important to make sure beneficiary designations are up to date. A will cannot override the beneficiary name on a retirement or life insurance policy.

50s

and up

Record wishes for funeral services and the like. Look into long-term care insurance, assess finances with a financial planner.

The art of the move begins with the right Realtor.

TOP PRODUCING REALTOR

DANA BATTAGLIA Converting Transactions into Friendships One Step at a Time!

Christianson Patterson Courtney & Associates Danasemail@aol.com | 615-504-9792 | DanaBattaglia.com

February–March 2018 | 372WN.com

by Holly DARNELL

Whole Food Healing Three Perspectives on Whole Food Healing

YOUR â&#x20AC;&#x153;SELF"

ne of the most overlooked expressions of love is love for ourselves, and taking care of your health is an integral part of self-care. Much can be accomplished through proper nutrition and consuming whole foods. Here are three perspectives on what it means to take advantage of the nutrients and benefits available through food choices, and even cooking techniques.

372WN.com | Februaryâ&#x20AC;&#x201C;March 2018

I kept going back to whole foods. I kept going back to eating from the earth.

AMY HOPEMAN, OWNER HEALTH GOODS

Just off of Davidson Road—nestled among a row of local shops—sits Health Goods, a holistic and health-centric marketplace offering unique and high-quality ingredients and products. Owner Amy Hopeman’s connection to health and natural products began in childhood. “I grew up in Hawaii eating everything from the land and the ocean,” she explains. “My dad is Japanese, and my mom is German. I grew up with fresh mangoes and pineapples from the farm . . . and also Mom’s mac and cheese and pork chops.” While in college in Connecticut, Amy struggled. “I lost touch with health and nature,” she recalls. “While studying abroad my senior year in Greece, I found that connection again. I soon became vegan and have not eaten a land animal in 25 years.” With a continued interest in functional foods and the body, she attended the Tuft School of Nutrition while living in Boston and obtained a master’s degree in agriculture, food and environment. She then completed a master’s of public health and science. “I worked on several CSAs in the late 1990s, along with Internet Mothers and Others started by Meryl Streep,” she says. “Then I got into the farm-to-table movement and was able to go to Cuba to work with sustainable agriculture.

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I love being with food. I cooked a lot, and I kept going back to whole foods. I kept going back to eating from the earth.” After graduate school, Amy moved to San Francisco and worked for Natural Organic Food Companies. After meeting and marrying her husband, Doug, Amy decided to take time off from the food industry; the couple traveled to places like China, Tibet, India, Thailand, Maldives, Africa. Their journeys rekindled Amy’s passion for food and health, but when Amy discovered macrobiotics and food energetics, the floodgates opened. “I knew about different macrobiotics recommended for seasons, but this took it to a whole new level,” she says, crediting a number of Japanese ingredients that helped her have a healthy pregnancy and delivery. When the couple moved to Nashville, “We were ordering food from all over, and it was a hard transition. I found a new doctor and started taking pharmaceuticals. My health suffered, and I found out I had hyperthyroidism. For the first time in my life, it was urgent that I reconnect with food. I wanted to get off of medication and looked into the healing powers of food.” In 2009, she began studying

February–March 2018 | 372WN.com

macrobiotics and how to heal her thyroid and to treat her daughter’s headaches. Referencing macrobiotic expert Michio Kuschi, Amy states: “There are five transformations, the five seasons—spring, summer, late summer, fall and winter. Each of those is correlated to a different element—water, fire, soil, tree, meta—and there is an element that pairs with each organ that goes with each season. There’s a grain that supports your organ in that season, along with a specific time of day. For example, if we were in the metal season, this affects the lung and large intestine. I love to simplify macrobiotics and food energetics for people, helping them understand the basics, think through their health goals and grasp how food can help them.” Amy credits several other women who empowered her health journey. “Dani Williamson [FNP in Franklin] says that people who grow through health crises make more compassionate healers. Then I met Dr. Sommer White [an M.D. at Vitality Medical Center in Bellevue] and learned about the functional medicine practice macrobiotics. And Virginia Harper of You Can Heal You, who was healed from Crohn’s over 35 years ago through foods.” Amy and Doug bought healthgoods.com in 2010 and eventually changed its focus to selling food, cookbooks and kitchen equipment. “It was so nice to come back to food,” she says. “I was able to work with amazing people who heal people using food.” She has witnessed remarkable changes in her repeat customers and mentions that the store also exists to “be a small part of their support system and letting others know they’re not alone.” In the early days, Amy would consult with Dr. White and Virginia Harper to determine which products would help serve their patients. She added to their inventory based on customer requests. “We also purchase products based on seasonality,” she explains. “And very specific items, like Hotomugi (Job’s tears), a gluten-free grain that acts like barley and has amazing detoxifying bodies. I also have a macrobiotic counselor in Boston, Warren Kramer, who continues to teach me and inform me about products. I love searching for these different products and offering them.” And what’s next for Health Goods? Amy has aspira-

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tions to expand into services. “I want to help people clean out their pantry, make sure there is cookware that’s nontoxic/non-peeling,” she explains. “I want to teach basic medicinal food cooking in the home, teaching people how to make miso and brown rice on a stove. Sommer and Virginia host the monthly cooking classes, and I would love to see them grow to where they have a space to have to do everything under one roof. There are so many opportunities to say, ‘I’m not doing this right’—I want to have a space where we start out focusing on what did you do right. Everyone’s health journey is different and complicated,” Amy says. “We need a space that provides a safe place to learn, without the ‘I should.’ An environment that can really bring out the vitality in your life. If my health is strong, I’m a better me.”

all photos used with permission from Health Goods

JILAH KALIL, OWNER COOKING UP

The term ‘foodie’ is a divider —food should be an includer. We cook together. We sit down and eat together.

jilah@cookingup.org 615.516.5607 CookingUp.org “Food is an equalizing factor because we all need to eat,” explains The Nations resident Jilah Kalil, owner of Cooking Up, a cooking school in the Nashville community with a social enterprise component. “It’s just not necessarily equal for everyone.” This heart and passion for food education in the West Nashville community and her quest to unite through food began at an early age. “My grandmother cooked,” she explains. “My mother worked, and it was the era with microwaves geared toward working mothers. I grew up on canned asparagus and reheated foods for leftovers.” Jilah’s love of cooking was fine-tuned once she had a family of her own. “I was a home cook for a really long time,” she says. “I was a CSA member and homeschooled my children for eight years. With the two combined, I cooked a lot of meals. I had to get really creative, because there’s only so much to do with squash.” She originally envisioned operating a small school for children that emphasized kinesthetic learning, particularly in the arts, sciences and of course, cooking. “I realized nobody was cooking and . . . there was a food disparity,” she says. “The term ‘foodie’ is a divider—food should be an includer. We cook together. We sit down and eat together. You sit around and hang out with friends and family. You can change your health by changing your eating.” Recognizing a larger purpose and armed with a master’s degree in education, Jilah broadened her scope. For five years, Cooking Up functioned as a nonprofit, providing hands-on cooking classes for low-income communities—primarily Nashville’s 37208 and 37209 ZIP codes, along with diabetes hot zones and areas that had a high incidence of obesity. The model was difficult to sustain, so it was reconfigured to an LLC. “People believe cooking takes too long, is too difficult and too expensive. Or, they are disappointed when

they open a cookbook and follow the all photos used with permission from CookingUp.org recipe and it doesn’t look like what they’ve had before. I teach hands-on classes—not a demonstration. We cook together, and there are no recipes used. Learning by taste, touch . . . What does a bean look like when it’s really done? When roasting carrots, how do you know when they’re done? What does the fork feel like when it’s done?” From start to finish, Jilah’s classes usually last 30 minutes. The meals are designed to be quick, simple and contain a maximum of 10 ingredients. She also teaches her students how to stock a pantry. February–March 2018 | 372WN.com

“According to the NRDC, most throw away 40 percent of what they cook each week,” she explains. “So I also focus on food waste and how that is also financially wasteful. We work through how to use the whole head of broccoli and how to plan meals that minimize waste, so that you don’t throw it all away. What can you do with leftovers?” By design, Cooking Up classes remove barriers and give access to those who might otherwise not have a chance to develop these skills. A portion of each fee goes to provide classes for someone who cannot otherwise afford them. Jilah encourages imagination and creativity, helping her students see what else could be made from the same ingredients. “One class focused on meal planning,” she recalls. “I sat down and came up with 10–15 meals from the farmers market. I showed them my meal planning process.” Classes are once a month; groups or private sessions are also available. All sessions are themed and seasonally based. For example, during winter months—when there’s not a lot of produce—they focus on avoiding added sugar and making healthier desserts and using heartier

all photos used with permission from CookingUp.org

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vegetables since there are fewer choices. Many dishes prepared are bean-, chicken- or egg-centric. When discussing flavor profiles and cooking technique, Jilah states: “How I cook is really simple, and anyone can change it and make their own. If you’re spending the money eating fresh, it tastes good. You just need a few things to bring out the flavor. The rest of cooking comes with experimenting, age, reading about it or taste—then recreate it.” What’s one of her pantry staples? “I always keep coconut milk in the pantry because I enjoy the creaminess and taste of it.” She suggests taking a maximum of one hour each week to plan for the week. “Be realistic, aim for four to five meals at home,” she concludes. “Cooking is a really small investment for a really big return.”

DR. CASSIE MAJOR MAJOR FAMILY CHIROPRACTIC CARE

Dr. Cassie Major’s personal health journey began at the young age of 13, when she was diagnosed with Graves’ Disease, a thyroid condition. “Your thyroid controls hormones associated with weight loss and energy, so needless to say I was skinny and full of energy but when I got older, I was doomed to be overweight and exhausted.” Her physician prescribed radioactive iodine as a means “to artificially burn my thyroid out (since it was going to anyway), and give me medication that I’d be on for the rest of my life. My mother has no health background, but something didn’t seem right and she told them no. We had no other answers or people to help us, so I went on living my life.” When Cassie turned 20, her hypothyroidism began to take effect and she rapidly gained weight. At 200 pounds, she was exhausted and miserable. A friend recommended MaxLiving Chiropractic care. “She told me that my body could heal, it just needed no interference,” she says. “These chiropractors teach you the five essentials of real health. People get off of medications, are losing weight and getting their life back. I was a little reluctant at first because I thought chiropractic was about neck pain and back pain, and I didn’t have any of those, but I trusted her and went to the doctor. It was the first time in my life a doctor explained to me what health is and how I could get well and stay well.” She followed her doctor’s prescription and soon saw her health transform. “I was losing weight, and my energy was back. It’s been 12 years since then, and I have kept the weight off and my energy up.” Driven by her own experience and newfound passion, she decided to become a Doctor of Chiropractic with a Nutrition and Spinal Correction Certification. She and her husband, Michael, also a Doctor of

ily Ch iro pra ctic Car e

2000 Richard Jones Road, Suite 150 Nashville, Tennessee 37215 615.927.4571 majorfamilychiropractic.com

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Our biggest passion comes from knowing that the body can and will heal itself as long as it’s functioning properly Chiropractic with a Nutrition and Spinal Correction Certification, opened Maximized Living, a family chiropractic center, just over three years ago in Green Hills. Michael came to chiropractic after a basketball injury during his service in the Marine Corps. The physical demands of his job led to a spiral of over-the-counter and prescription painkillers, which he eventually began mixing with alcohol. “He was headed down the wrong

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of families, which would include children’s nutrition.” “Our biggest passion comes from knowing that the body can and will heal itself as long as it’s functioning properly,” Cassie explains. “The logical question after that would be well, if my body isn’t functioning, how do I get it to function properly? [The answer is through] your brain. And the only way it communicates to your heart, lungs, thyroid, digestive system and muscles is down your spinal cord and out through the nerves. We know this is true because if I cut the nerve to your heart, what happens? It dies and you die.” “Your spine’s job is to surround and protect your brain stem, spinal cord and nerves,” she continues. “Unfortunately, the problem is that all of us have misalignments somewhere in our spine, especially with all the technology and computer use. We are determined to find and correct those misalignments in as many people as possible in order to restore proper function back to your body. When you remove the interference from the body, it will heal. Then you start changing your food, exercising, thinking positive thoughts and removing toxins from your life. Your body only has one option, and that’s to get well and stay well.” Food can heal, help and give hope. Learning from these stories, it becomes even more evident that an important aspect of self-love and care is through food. Take the time to nourish your body with healthy and whole foods. WE

path and was desperate for some real solutions,” Cassie explains. “He remembered his father going to a chiropractor for his back pain, so he decided to give it a try. This was also the only base in the United States that had a chiropractor on it. After two adjustments, he was back on full duty without any pain.” Both have a passion for helping heal through functional foods. “We believe that our bodies need specific nutrients in order to function properly,” Cassie explains. “Those nutrients come from eating real food. We focus on general nutrition as well as individualized nutrition protocols. General nutrition would be centered on decreasing all sugar intake (especially processed sugars), increase healthy fats and removing any toxic foods such as chemicals and pesticides. For individualized nutrition, it’s based off of what we call an LRQ (Life-Risk Questionnaire). Patients will fill out a questionnaire as a base-line to see where we should start nutritionally. From there, we can usually start an initial specialized plan with follow-ups in 30-60-90 days. If we need to do further testing, we will order blood work and can do a MaxMetabolix urine and blood analysis to see if there are specific nutrient deficiencies that need to be addressed. We work with a lot

Holly Darnell owns and operates Golden Roots, an environmentally LLE

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responsible and dairy-free/gluten-free meal delivery service located in West Nashville. To learn more, visit goldenrootsnashville.com.

all photos provided by Major Family Chiropractic Care

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and social media manager.

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After spending 90+ years in West Nashville, Miss Jean has seen a change or two. “There’s bumperto-bumper cars every place you go, and in every empty space a big home is being built,” Miss Jean laments, while mentioning that she understands why so many people move to West Nashville— it’s always been the “it city” for her and a place she never wanted to leave. “I’ve been to Hawaii, Israel, Miami and Denver, but there’s no place like home.” 2W

worked as a journalist, researcher, and airport wheelchair pusher. He lives with his wife and kids in Sylvan Park.

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Since the unveiling of Let’s Move Nashville, the Mayor’s office has held more than a dozen open house events. In spots like the West Police Precinct and the Lentz Public Health Center, these events are mostly breezy affairs (though parking fills up fast) with MTA representatives on hand to answer questions and hear concerns. Placards showing the breakdown of the tax increase and the environmental benefits of surface light rail stand next to each table. A video about the plan, with voice work by John Michael Seigenthaler, plays on projector screens. The Mayor’s office is looking for Nashvillians to approve the referendum on the proposed tax increases to fund the project on May 1. While Councilmembers Kathleen Murphy and Mary Carolyn Roberts plan to support the referendum, some work remains. “I feel good about this,” Councilmember Roberts says. “They found the money, and they appropriated it for our venture. The Mayor’s response on the light rail extension was amazing. Now I’d like to get it extended all the way to I-40.”

NOW IT’S THE VOTERS’ TURN

punk rock, blues and other shows at the bar. Matthew says musicians introduce themselves to Nashville through performances at Springwater, and he describes it as a “place to go to become a better band.” He also agrees with Tim’s sentiment, saying that even five or six years ago, the music community was still strong and connected, but that the change hasn’t affected Springwater as much as other venues. “It could easily be another hipster bar,” he says. “But it’s a holdover. Locals always expect it to be there. I hope Springwater is always a part of the community.” Most weeknights, Springwater still draws a crowd, but Tim says there’s still opportunity to reach out to newer members of the neighborhood—people who live in apartment buildings and condos that didn’t exist 20 years ago. “We don’t have a lot of other choices in the neighborhood,” he says. “So people don’t seek it out [for nightlife and music], but at the same time, there’s a huge number of people here.”

as convenient as the automobile, while allowing the city to continue to grow, focusing the new growth around transit lines instead of interstates,” he explains. “We already know what widening roads does—more cars.”

One might say Springwater is a place caught in the flux of Nashville’s transition into a new kind of destination, the kind of town where people constantly talk about the “100 new people a day,” statistic. Tim knows this. When asked how Springwater will build on its historic tradition, he’s confident that whatever changes happen, the bar will adapt . . . as it always has. Springwater has been a bar, a library, a speakeasy and a live music destination, and it has worn many other hats during its lifetime in Nashville. Some of the biggest names in music, and not necessarily country music, cut their teeth at the little place that is still cash-only. Though it’s hard to confirm some of the rumors, it’s never been in doubt that Springwater is as essential to the Nashville bar and music scene as Broadway and cowboy hats are. It just chooses to do things a little differently. And that may be just what keeps the place jumping for another 100 years. E

SPRINGWATER

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TRANSIT HUB

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When she is not being dragged around The Nations by Ms. Butterfly McQueen and her other two dogs, Naomi Goldstone is a professor of English and coordinator of the African American Studies Program at Austin

Peay State University. She is the author of Integrating the Forty Acres and blogs at dwonnaknowwhatithink.com.

February–March 2018 | 372WN.com

372WestNosh

by Constant

EATER

Whether we’ve driven by them a hundred times or just spotted a new one we want to try, West Nashville’s got you covered for breakfast, lunch, dinner and evening cocktail.

Breakfast THREE CORNERS COFFEE 5307 Centennial Boulevard www.threecornerscoffee.com

t’s no wonder that Three Corners Coffee is tricked-out in the spectrum of eclectic, since owner Skip McPherson is also the proprietor of Cool Stuff Weird Things on Charlotte Pike. In many respects, Three Corners serves as an extension of that . . . right down to their menu. The breakfast menu consists of simple items that cater to the spectrum of customers it serves. You’ll find hearty savories like the breakfast bagel (bacon, egg, cheese on any bagel you’d like) and the ham’n’cheese croissant. Or for those whose sweet tooth wakes up as early as they do, The Elvis (banana, honey, peanut butter on cinnamon-raisin toast) or Nutella Fitzgerald (you’ll have to discover this one yourself!) might work. Brightside Bakery’s famous brioche is also on-hand if you arrive early enough, ’cause it never lasts long. The coffee and tea selections seem almost endless, many of them seasonal. Constant Eater’s current favorite is the Peppermint Bark Affogato, but that will likely change

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with their next seasonal offerings. Three Corners also serves lunch. “I wanted to create a very homey neighborhood environment,” says Skip, a Nations resident for ten-plus years. “This is a place for the neighborhood to gather.” Three Corners provides a respite, whether you’re inside five minutes or two hours. They open bright and early enough on weekdays for commuters to grab something much more satisfying than the usual fare available elsewhere at that hour, and they can still get to work on time. On the flip side, remote workers and freelancers have a relaxing atmosphere to camp out, hold meetings or get a change of scenery. There’s also a retail space, inadvertently named by a patron at The Centennial Bar & Grill just down the street. “He’d had a lot to drink, and he recognized who I was,” explains Skip. “He said, ‘I know who you are, you’re that guy who owns that Everything and Such and Such.’ I said, ‘Actually, it’s Cool Stuff Weird Things, but I will use that name in my retail space at Three Corners.’” Eventually, McPherson plans to make every item displayed in Three Corners available for sale.

His vision for a neighborhood gathering spot will continue to gather steam in the coming months. “We’re going to extend outside with an outdoor deck,” he explains. “We’ll host events—flea markets, pop-up retail, produce—in the lot. There’s a lot of room to bring the community together.” HOURS: Sunday through Thursday, 6:00 a.m.–4:00 p.m.; Friday and Saturday, 8:00 a.m.–4:00 p.m. CREDIT CARDS: All RESERVATIONS: No

Lunch BARE BONES BUTCHER 906 51st Avenue North 615.730.9808 barebonesbutcher.com

pening just last month, Bare Bones Butcher is a full-service, whole-animal butcher shop that also offers a limited menu of delicious sandwiches and sides, along with six taps (five beers + Matchless Coffee Soda, a non-alcoholic beverage brewed at Fat Bottom

Brewing in The Nations). Owners Patrick Davidson and Wesley Adams met during their days managing Porter Road Butcher’s West Side location. “We got to know a lot of customers over here, and we thought with Porter Road leaving, it would give us an opportunity to open our own. We’re still great friends with the guys at Porter Road, they have helped us out a lot.” Their meats are all sourced from Middle Tennessee, raised on pastures, and contain no antibiotics, hormones or steroids. Patrick and Wesley visit the farms personally to ensure quality and their standards are met consistently. Customers can expect dry-aged beef and heritage breed pork consistently; free-range chicken and other proteins, like lamb and rabbit, offered seasonally. Sandwiches include items like cheeseburgers, roast beef and roast pork sandwiches, with sides like Bare Bones chili, beef-fat fried potatoes, and braised greens. “Our braised greens will be seasonal, depending on what we get from farmers,” Patrick says. “Usually, they’ll be collards or turnip greens. They’re sweet, savory, salty, with just a touch of heat. Just traditional Southern greens—that’s the only way I do them.” Customers can dine in and, once the weather turns warmer, the garage-door fronts will open into a street-side patio that will make a great way to spend a leisurely spring afternoon. To-go ordering is also available.

Three of the beer taps rotate, and Bare Bones also offers bottled favorites like Mexican Coke, Topo Chico, Orangina and Ogeechee Gold Ginger Ale. In addition to ordering their favorite cuts of meats, customers can pick up pantry staples in the retail space and grabn-go items from the cooler. As a whole-animal butcher, their intention is to make use of as much of the animal as possible—which means stocks, sausages, rendered fat used for tallow and ground meats are also available (so are beef bones for pups!). “Because we are local and free-range, we are a bit more expensive than a local grocery store,” Patrick says. “However, we have a wide range of prices and options to fit anyone’s budget. For example, we offer what we call ‘butcher cuts’ that are cuts many will be less familiar with; they’re still delicious and tender, even though they are usually less expensive.” The interior is reminiscent of pre-supermarket butcher shops, when they were separate stores from grocers: stark-white tile, clean, simple lines and a no-nonsense cutting room. Somehow, it strikes an intimate vibe once you’re seated at the cozy bar, however. Music gently plays while Wesley and Patrick engage customers, educating them on the store, the options and of course, the quality of their products. “Customer service is important to us,” Patrick concludes. “We want to know everyone who comes in here by name and give them an overall happy experience.” HOURS: Wednesday through Saturday, 10:00 a.m.–7:00 p.m.; Sunday, 9:00 a.m.–3:00 p.m. CREDIT CARDS: All RESERVATIONS: No

Dinner RAY STEVENS’ CABARAY 5724 River Road 615.327.4630 raystevenscabaray.com

he long-awaited, much-anticipated Ray Stevens’ CabaRay opened last month at last . . . and it was worth the wait. As reported in the June–July 2017 issue of 372WN, Stevens and his team left no stone unturned. The concept harkens back to a time when dinner was an occasion, an affair one dresses for (don’t worry, the Nashville rule applies here— dress code is flexible). Stevens delivers all the relaxed elegance of another era while incorporating innovations and state-of-the-art production that keep the place running like a well-oiled machine. Oh, and parking is plentiful and free. Those who opt for dinner and a show select their meal at the time they purchase their tickets; the menu includes beef tenderloin in a mushroom marsala, salmon glazed with teriyaki, pan-seared chicken breast, bacon-wrapped pork tenderloin, and vegetarian lasagna. Salad, bread, and non-alcoholic drinks are included. Show-only tickets are also available, with seating in the balcony. February–March 2018 | 372WN.com

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372WN.com | February–March 2018

RESERVATIONS: No WE

CREDIT CARDS: All E

t’s important to note that a plan for a 12South Taproom sister establishment was in the works prior to the seemingly overnight development explosion The Nations neighborhood has experienced in recent years. “Out of the four business partners, three of us are native Nashvillians,” explains Dan Frankenbach, general manager and partner. “We thought West Nashville made the most sense, in terms of the existing community and the potential. We wanted to build a place where everyone felt welcome . . . to provide

HOURS: Monday, 4:00 p.m.– 12:00 a.m.; Tuesday through Thursday, 11:00 a.m.–12:00 a.m.; Friday and Saturday, 11:00 a.m.–1:00 a.m. (kitchen until 10:00 p.m.); Sunday, 11:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m.

704 51st Avenue North

51ST NORTH TAPROOM

Cocktails

RESERVATIONS: Required

CREDIT CARDS: All

SHOW HOURS: Dinner seating at 6:00 p.m.; show begins at 7:30 p.m.

but it’s actually a spectrum of shared plates, salads and entrees made by executive chef Hernan Borda,” Dan explains, noting that the current menu includes oysters, mussels and a number of tacos and quesadillas. Kids and vegetarians can also celebrate—the menu contains plenty of options for both. At press time, Sunday brunch is also available. “We’re still adapting, we’re not concrete on anything,” Dan says. “Our menu, our cocktail and beer programs . . . we want to evolve and accommodate the community. We’ll continue talking with our customers, listening to them and get the sense of their needs and preferences. As long as we keep doing that, I think we’ll be successful.”

BOX OFFICE HOURS: Monday and Tuesday, 10:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m., Wednesday through Saturday, 10:00 a.m.–8:00 p.m.

quality, upscale bar fare. A place that was approachable and relaxed.” Dan and his other partners—Will Shuff, Jamy Borda, Kyle Roelke—enjoy meeting their customers and getting to know them on a firstname basis. All four are very knowledgeable about craft beers and wines; selections are carefully curated and frequently rotate, sometimes on a daily basis. While the selections are broad and the ingredients are detailed, Dan explains, the intent is not to appear ostentatious or make a customer feel overwhelmed; in fact, they hope it serves as a conversation-starter. Of the 30 taps, approximately ten are usually local. “We like the local aspect, but we’re not exclusively local. Many of the craft brewers produce one-offs—small batches—and we usually jump on those. We like to accommodate beer nerds and beer novices,” he laughs. With so many taps and wine selections, it would be understandable that the cocktail selections would be either bland or non-existent . . . but 51st North Taproom isn’t about to stop short there. In addition to a long list of classic cocktails, cordials and individual spirits, there are a large number of signature cocktails made with the freshest ingredients. (Constant Eater highly recommends the West Nashville Fadeaway and Drawing a Blank, but if Amanda’s working the bar, she is the ultimate cocktail-matchmaker!) The menu is equally ambitious and delicious. “I call it upscale bar fare,

Guests are encouraged to grab a drink at one of the bars and wander a bit before dinner—there’s just as much to view before taking in the show. Special wallpapered murals of some of Nashville’s most iconic recordings line the walls of theater and there are a couple of wall-sized display cases that contain various awards and mementos. Currently, Stevens performs all shows, and eventually other acts will be added, along with different types of performances (the venue is equipped to handle a full orchestra or even a play, for example). CabaRay makes for a fun date night or bring a group—even large groups, since the parking lot can accommodate several tour buses. And thanks to Stevens’ meticulous planning, there’s not a bad seat in the house.

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Constant Eater is dedicated to discovering the West Side’s best breakfasts, lunches, dinners and cocktails . . . in the name of fair reporting and satisfied tummies, of course.

February Is Children’s Dental Health Month

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There is no way to completely prevent health problems. However, this list helps to minimize many risk factors and allow for faster treatment and recovery. (And if you or your family have any oral health needs, we always welcome new patients at Richland Creek Family Dentistry!) N

3. Establish healthy habits early.

Training begins before the first visit. Be aware that if you don’t enjoy going to the doctor’s office yourself, you can unknowingly project that same anxiety onto your child. Recognize your own anxieties and attempt to set the child’s expectations with calm unemotional discussions appropriate to their age. Reinforce good habits in the home and over time it will become routine.

tain that activity they need to eat well. Good nutrition spans many food groups. Remember children’s bodies are actively changing and need vitamins, minerals, carbohydrates, proteins and fats in proper proportion to thrive. From an oral health perspective, minimizing processed sugar content and snacking between meals greatly decreases the risk of future decay and dental problems.

2. Eat a balanced diet. Kids are active, and to main-

5. Be consistent.

Prevention is a mindset of health that promotes disciplined choices and behaviors. Establish good relationships with quality professional offices to encourage open discussion of health and wellness that develops along with your child. If you do not currently have such a professional relationship, make a goal to seek out these medical and dental providers. A good place to start is asking friends and coworkers for recommendations. Parenting is a marathon, not a sprint. Allow yourself some grace on the tough days that do not go to plan, and return to a normal routine of health as quickly as possible.

est way to maintain good health and minimize emergencies in your own schedule is to seek quality professional care. Establish a relationship with the pediatrician for medical care and a dentist for oral health. After all, teeth are connected to the body. These professionals will help answer questions unique to your child while evaluating and screening for any potential issues. To make the most of your appointment, keep a list of any questions you may have.

Rest is the period for the body to reset. Whether awake or asleep, the body is always functioning; rest allows for necessary building and repairs. It is easy to forget that growth and development continues well into adolescence and late teenage years. So despite their active lifestyles, older children need rest, too. Before going to sleep, always brush your teeth so that the active bacteria that cause decay are removed.

1. Get routine check-ups. The easi-

4. Allow time to rest.

During this month’s focus on preventive care, here are a few simple tips for your children’s health:

Tim McNUTT Jr.

by Dr.

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Tim McNutt Jr., D.D.S., owns and operates Richland

Creek Family Dentistry, 406 Morrow Road in The Nations, and sees patients of all ages. For more information or to request an appointment, visit www.richlandcreekdentistry.com or call 615.383.1444.

February–March 2018 | 372WN.com

372Who kNew? Name: What’s your relationship to West Nashville? How long have you been here? Favorite thing about West Nashville? Favorite food? color? drink? dessert? hobby? Where will you be on Friday night? Dog or cat? Mustard or mayonaise? Mountains or beach? Dream occupation when you were five? What’s your hidden talent? What’s your superpower? What excites you about West Nashville?

372WN.com | February–March 2018

Mikie Martel, musician