August 2019 Murfreesboro Pulse

IN MUSIC

MAUPINFEST / JULIAN AND THE TREE CLIMBERS / NASHVILLE JAZZ MACHINE / TN PHILHARMONIC ORCHESTRA AUGUST 2019 / VOL. 14, ISSUE 8 / FREE

Middle Tennessee’s Source for Art, Entertainment and Culture News

REACH FOR THE SKIES AT BORO BALLOON FEST AUG. 2–4

Enjoy

HAPPY

HOUR Local Restaurants Offer Many Food and Drink Specials see page 26

Map Inside!

BORO ART CRAWL FEATURES LOCAL CREATIVES AUG. 9

BLUE RAIDERS OPEN 2019 FOOTBALL SEASON AT MICHIGAN AUG. 31

Contents

26

WORD FROM THE EDITOR

34 8

IN EVERY ISSUE

FEATURES

8

4 Events

MAUPINFEST Aug. 24 event celebrates renowned local dancer Thomas Maupin.

THIS MONTH

Boro Balloon Fest, Wilson Co. Fair and many more!

14

NASHVILLE JAZZ MACHINE City Winery hosts reunion of influential Nashville jazz band.

16

CHRIS YOUNG CAFE Country artist donates money for purchase of sound system in MTSU cafe.

26

HAPPY HOUR SPECIALS Murfreesboro food and drink deals.

LOCAL CONCERTS

Reviews

Becky Buller, Stairway to Zeppelin, The Secret Commonwealth and more!

MUSIC NOTES

Tennessee Philharmonic Orchestra, The Walnut House

18 Living GARDENING

33

Effort brings result.

20 Art

RELAY FOR LIFE Aug. 10 event at MTCS recognizes and remembers those who have dealt with cancer.

POETRY

Poetry in the Boro

Advertising: Don Clark Leslie Russell-Yost

BOROPULSE . COM Publisher/Editor in Chief: Bracken Mayo

Art Director: Sarah Mayo Copy Editor: Steve Morley

THEATER

8 Sounds

Julian and the Tree Climbers, Super Mad Gear

CRIME BY THE NUMBERS TBI report reveals low crime clearance rates in Murfreesboro.

Diane Stockard at Washington Gallery, Boro Art Crawl on the Square, Aug. 9 The Last Five Years

ALBUM REVIEWS

32

EXHIBITS

30

SPORTS TALK

Titans lineman Taylor Lewan suspended four games after failed drug test.

40

Opinion TRASH TALK

GAME

Murfreesboro residents consider financial and moral future of local waste management.

NEW RELEASES

PHIL VALENTINE

MOVIE

Stuber

Dauntless The Angry Birds Movie 2, Peanut Butter Falcon and more

34 News

BUSINESS BUZZ

Kroger, Red Bicycle Coffee, Music City Tea, Primrose Table, and more

36 Sports MTSU SPORTS

Blue Raiders open season at Michigan Aug. 31.

Contributors: Terence Corrigan, Jennifer Durand, Jordan Hall, Luke Kautzky, Laura Lindsay, Andrea Loupe, Rick Malone, Zach Maxfield, Edwina Shannon, Jay Spight, Andrea Stockard, Phil Valentine, Kory Wells, Michelle Willard

Radical left wingers justify violence against opponents.

LIVE . . . WELL

Ideas are infinite, bring yours to life.

SPIRITUAL MATTERS

Connect the signs.

READING

Ecce Deus: Essays on the Life and Doctrine of Jesus Christ

Copyright © 2019, The Murfreesboro Pulse, 10 N. Public Square, Murfreesboro, TN 37130.

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by Franklin Web Printing Co. The Murfreesboro Pulse is a free publication funded by advertisers. Views expressed in the Pulse do not necessarily reflect the views of the publishers. ISSN: 1940-378X

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10 N. Public Square, Murfreesboro, TN 37130 • 615-796-6248 To carry the PULSE at your business, or to submit letters, stories and photography: Bracken@BoroPulse.com

THIS BORO BALLOON FEST LOOKS FUN. Held the first weekend of August at the Grove, the event should offer a beautiful scene as massive, colorful balloons rise above the site.

I’ve never ridden in one, but that should soon change.

The fest offers tethered rides, a brief float that takes riders about 90 feet off the ground—which should make for a nice view in itself—and, for the more adventurous and financially prepared to invest in a memorable balloon excursion, longer flights lasting a couple of hours and reaching altitudes of up to 3,000 feet!

The Tennessee Philharmonic Orchestra (the artist formerly better known as the Murfreesboro Symphony) cranks up; the organization will host a special free outdoor brass show this month, and prepares to launch its full season in September.

Football is back! The Blue Raiders kick off the 2019 season the final Saturday in August up in Michigan’s Big House; the huge home stadium of the Wolverines is the largest stadium in the country, and the second biggest sports stadium in the world, in fact, after one in North Korea.

NFL preseason activities take place this month as well.

T.H.B. and the Heat Machine are still going at it! These guys were big inspirations for the Pulse way back in 2006 and a big part of the local music scene at that time. They’ll play an Aug. 30 show out at Hop Springs.

That facility is now becoming a big part of local entertainment life, with yoga, trivia, concerts and activities of various sorts. Stairway to Zeppelin, The Secret Commonwealth, the Eaglemaniacs and others will appear there in August.

Walnut House continues its Middle Tennessee songwriters series, and brings a magic show over the coming weeks.

MaupinFest celebrates the legacy of Mr. Thomas Maupin with plenty of buck dancing, square dancing and fiddling in the Hootenanny Haven field.

Otherwise, Murfreesboro residents will take in the Art Crawl, a vintage base ball exhibition, the Bruce Gilley 5K and 10K, Heart of Tennessee Century Ride and various free public concerts and community activities in August.

Law enforcement raided a Murfreesboro insurance business last month after customers complained that they did not receive the insurance coverage they paid for. Allegedly, Universal International Insurance collected money for insurance policies but, in more than one instance, did not secure the policies . This scandal is interesting enough itself, but in a fun local twist, Rutherford County Mayor Bill Ketron owns the business, and his daughter, Kelsey, operates it—potentially without a valid insurance license. This will be widely covered as it unfolds, and though the wheels of justice can turn very slowly, the angry social media mob wants immediate justice, blood and resignation.

Entertaining outdoor festivals, Blue Raider football, local political controversy and social media drama, restaurants opening and closing—mix all of that together and you have a very Murfreesboro end to the summer.

Make your plans for the final swimming, water skiing, lake and waterslide activities of the season. Fall, football and cooler air are just around the corner.

Murfreesboro Little Theatre received sudden notice from the City of Murfreesboro that it must vacate its building in late July. Look for more to develop on the future of this local community theater organization soon.

Thanks again many times over to all of the cool local organizations who help make the Pulse available to the community.

If you need a haircut, go see the good people at NexGen. If ginger, carrot and pineapple juice sounds like the ticket, Juice Bar has what you crave.

Stop by Wall Street for an early morning breakfast, a pool game or a late-night drink.

Check out Float Alchemy and you may discover a new technique for physical rehab and mental relaxation . . . the list goes on. Please read about the Pulse’s numerous other sponsors in the coming pages.

Enjoy the August edition.

Peace, BRACKEN MAYO Publisher/Editor in Chief

Events AUG. 3 RIVER MUSIC FEST BENEFITS ARROWHEAD RANCH Arrowhead Ranch Home for Boys will host the Saturday, Aug. 3, River Music Fest Live to benefit the ranch. The festival, highlighted by a variety of musical acts, will also incorporate a poker run and classic cars.

Arrowhead Ranch, celebrating its tenth year in 2019, sits on 179 acres in Normandy, Tennessee. In addition to being a working ranch, Arrowhead provides housing and a loving family environment for teenage boys in need. Here, boys can enjoy horsemanship, fishing, canoeing, basketball, softball and other outdoor activities.

As many as six boys live in each of the ranch’s six houses; each house also houses a mom and dad, a pair of caretakers who raise the boys, many of whom attend area public schools while they reside on the property.

Live and Let Die, a tribute to Paul McCartney featuring Tony Kishman as Sir Paul, will headline the Aug. 3 music festival.

A poker run kicks off the day at 9 a.m., followed by a cruise-in car exhibition, beginning at noon. Solo acoustic singer-songwriters Brett Bone, Addie Upfold and Gordon Kennedy will perform, beginning at 2 p.m.

And at 5 p.m. Starkey and Clark with Patty Mitchell takes the stage, followed by Chase Clanton & Vintage Vibes and the Markey Blue Ric Latina Project.

Live and Let Die kicks off at 9:30 p.m.

Arrowhead Ranch is located at 239 Cortner Mill Rd., Normandy. For more information, visit arrowheadranchtn.net.

AUG. 6 NATIONAL NIGHT OUT MPRD and Murfreesboro Police Department invite everyone to celebrate National Night Out on Tuesday, Aug. 6, at Sports*Com, Patterson Park and near Murfreesboro’s historic courthouse from 5–8:30 p.m. All sites host games, food and educate the public about crime and how to prevent it. National Night Out is an annual community-building campaign that promotes police-community partnerships and neighborhood camaraderie to make the neighborhoods safer. The relationship between neighbors and law enforcement grow while bringing back a true sense of community. Millions of neighbors take part in National Night Out across thousands of 4 * AUGUST 2019 * BOROPULSE.COM

CALENDAR / AUGUST 2019

BY ANDREA STOCKARD

AUG. 2–4 BORO BALLOON FEST The Boro Balloon Fest offers several hot air balloons for adventure flights, tethered rides and balloon glows for three days with food and fun Friday through Sunday, Aug. 2–4, from noon–9 p.m. at The Grove at Williamson Place (3250 Wilkinson Pk.). Enjoy the now-beginning sunflower season at The Grove Farm. Nightly balloon glows begin around 7 p.m.

The event includes live music, craft fair booths, a balloon photo booth, hayrides, food trucks, a sand-art creation station and slime creation station. For tickets and more information, find BoroBalloonFest on Eventbrite.

communities from all 50 states, U.S. territories and military bases worldwide every year. Admission is free. For more information, call 615-890-5333.

AUG. 8–10 CRAFTERS’ EXCHANGE SALE No longer need materials from previous arts and crafts projects but also looking for new ones? This sale for crafters helps you purge materials no longer needed while finding new ones at a discounted price.

The fifth anniversary Crafters’ Exchange Consignment Sale continues to be an avenue for donating to local charities through sales, held at Lane Agri-Park (315 John R. Rice Blvd.) Thursday–Saturday, Aug. 8–10. Visit crafters-exchange.com or find crafters.exchange on Facebook to learn how to register as a consignor, ways to win door prizes, how to participate in the charity gift card drive, photo booth opportunity, hide-and-seek for shoppers and sale hours.

AUG. 9 PAW PAINTING PARTY Is your dog the next Puppo Picasso? Join Purple Paws for When Bark Meets Art at the dog-friendly Mayday Brewery (521 Old Salem Rd.) Friday, Aug. 9, in conjunction with the Boro Art Crawl from 6–9 p.m.

You and your DogVinci can paint and take home a newly painted canvas. Tickets are $25 via Eventbrite and the PurplePawsTn

Facebook page as well as at the door. All proceeds benefit Middle Tennessee animal rescues and spay/neuter programs. For more information, contact 615-427-5084 or purplepawstn@gmail.com.

AUG. 9 BORO ART CRAWL The Boro Art Crawl is a free event, in businesses and galleries in and around downtown Murfreesboro, that happens the second Friday of every even-numbered month. Local artists show their work in businesses whose owners want to help support the area arts community. Maps are printed in the Pulse. Admission is free. Come out Friday, Aug. 9, from 6–9 p.m. For more information, visit boroartcrawl.com.

AUG. 9 AND 10 QUILTS IN THE BORO The annual Quilts in the Boro hosted by the Quilting Bees of Murfreesboro, is set for Friday and Saturday, Aug. 9 and 10, from 9 a.m.–5 p.m. Friday and 9 a.m.–4 p.m.

Saturday at Lane Agri-Park Community Center (315 John R. Rice Blvd.). The show is professionally judged with cash prizes, multiple vendors and a general store.

Admission is $5. For more information, call 615-631-0460 or visit quiltingbees.org.

AUG. 10 BOOK SIGNING WITH

BONNIE TINSLEY Join author Bonnie Tinsley at Linebaugh Public Library (105 W. Vine St.) Saturday, Aug. 10, from 10 a.m.–1 p.m. Tinsley signs and sells copies of her recently published memoir Against Every Hope: India, Mother Teresa, and a Baby Girl, published by WordCrafts Press April 2018. Selected as a featured author by the 30th Annual Southern Festival of Books, follow Tinsley and her husband as they climb every mountain in their journey to adopt a baby girl from Mother Teresa’s Orphanage in Darjeeling, India, during the turbulent years of India’s battle for independence from Britain in the mid-1970s. Tinsley is currently an adjunct professor of Latin at MTSU and recognized as Tennessee’s Distinguished Latin Teacher for 2008 by the Tennessee Classical Association. For more information, call 615-8934131 or visit rclstn.org.

AUG. 10 VICTORIAN CATSUP: RECEIPTS OF THE PAST Are you a foodie or simply a history buff?

Join Author and Living Historian Daniel Dark at the Historic Sam Davis Home (1399 Sam Davis Rd., Smyrna) Saturday, Aug. 10, from 11 a.m.–1 p.m. to demonstrate the process and talk about the history of Victorian Catsups. Grab a copy of his book and bring it to be signed. Limited number of copies are available for purchase in the mu-

AUG. 13

seum store. Regular admission rates apply.

For more information, call 615-459-2341 or visit samdavishome.org.

BUSINESS AFTER HOURS The Rutherford County Chamber of Commerce will present its August Business After Hours event at Ferguson Enterprises, 540 New Salem Hwy., from 4:30–6:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Aug. 13. Bring plenty of business cards to this informal social networking event designed to connect you with business professionals from across Rutherford County. Admission is $10 for members and $20 for future members.

AUG. 10 CONNECTED BREAST CANCER SURVIVOR RETREAT Connected is a free event for breast cancer patients offered at The View at the Fountains (1500 Medical Center Pkwy., 4th floor) on Saturday, Aug. 10, from 9 a.m.–1 p.m. Bring a guest and learn from breakout sessions dealing with hardships like: stress management, healthy cooking, expert makeup and skin care tips, financial planning and creative exercise. Comedian and guest speaker Karen Mills helps you get connected with other survivors while being empowered by hope and encouragement, and by staying educated on healthy living topics. Register at 615-8678040 or mmclinic.com/connected.

AUG. 10 ARTS IN THE PARKS From the battlefield to the concert hall, music played an important role in the lives of soldiers and civilians during the Civil War. National parks have served as a constant source of inspiration for artistic expression.

Celebrate Arts in the Parks with the Stones River National Battlefield (3501 Old Nashville Hwy.) and the Murfreesboro Symphony Orchestra’s Brass Quintet while enjoying an afternoon concert featuring music from the past and present. Limited seating is available. Bring your own blanket or lawn chair to enjoy the music Saturday, Aug. 10, from 1–2 p.m. Admission is free.

AUG. 10 LIVING HISTORY: THE PIONEER BRIGADE AND CHICAGO Learn about the Board of Trade Battery at the Battle of Stones River as Union General William S. Rosecrans was forced to commit every available man to the defense of the Nashville Pike. In one key sector he placed the Pioneer Brigade, a unit recently organized from skilled soldiers from the entire army, and the untested Chicago Board of Trade Battery nervously waiting to for their first taste of combat. These two units with unknown fighting potential came face to face with some of the most experienced and battle tested soldiers in the Confederate army. The Pioneers and the Chicago Board of Trade artillerists managed to hold the line, helping secure one of the most important Union victories of the war. In addition to scheduled program, join the soldiers in camp as they demonstrate the engineering skills used by the Pioneer

AUG. 15 THE CONNECTION

AUG. 10 MTSU PIGSKIN PRE-GAME Join the annual MTSU Pigskin Pre-Game on Saturday, Aug. 10, at 6 p.m. at the home of MTSU Alumnus Jonathan Harmon (746 East Main St.). Sponsored by the MTSU Alumni Association, join the longstanding True Blue tradition to kick off the 2019 Blue Raiders football season and celebrate the start of the academic year. All proceeds benefit the MTSU Alumni Legacy Scholarship fund, awarded to children or grandchildren of MTSU alumni. For more information, contact 615-898-2922 or visit mtalumni.com. Enjoy dinner, drinks and music. Cost is $35 per person and includes food and beverages.

Brigade to support their army. Camp opens at 9:30 a.m. and the programs lasts until 3:30 p.m. at the Stones River National Battlefield (3501 Old Nashville Hwy.). Admission is free. For more information, call 615-907-9270 or visit nps.gov/stri.

AUG. 10 AND 24 LANTERN TOUR OF STONES RIVER NATIONAL CEMETERY Join a park ranger at the Stones River National Battlefield (3501 Old Nashville Hwy.) for an hour-long walk by lantern light through Stones River National Cemetery Saturdays, Aug. 10 and 24, from 7–8:15 p.m. Appreciate the human stories housed within the cemetery by listening to soldiers and civilians share their experiences through the letters they wrote and received during the conflict. Reservations are required. No walk-ons are permitted.

Reservations open through Eventbrite only at 10 a.m. on the preceding Saturday. This program is not recommended for children under 10 years of age nor is it accessible for strollers or wheelchairs. Pets are not permitted. Admission is free (reservations are required). For more information, find StonesRiverNPS on Facebook.

AUG. 11 VINTAGE BASE BALL Travel back in time with Tennessee Association of Vintage Base Ball for Civil War-era baseball utilizing the rules,

 Visit BOROPULSE.COM/EVENTS for more community events

customs and sportsmanship of 1864 ball.

Join Oaklands Mansion (900 N. Maney Ave.) Sunday, Aug. 11, for a doubleheader at noon and 2 p.m. Murfreesboro-based team Stones River Scouts play the Cumberland Vintage Base Ball Club of Nashville in game 1. The Highland Rim Distillers play the Quicksteps Vintage Base Ball Club of Spring Hill in game 2. Baseball during the civil war was played with no gloves, no sliding, spitting or swearing.

Admission is free. For more information, visit tennesseevintagebaseball.com.

AUG. 13 RUTHERFORD CABLE BREAKFAST MEETING What does it take to build a collaborative organization or project from the ground up? Join Ginna Foster Cannon, PhD, as she shares her experience in helping establish the Rutherford Arts Alliance, a new 501c3. She addresses creativity and why is it important in your life and for the community as a whole. Learn how she applies a holistic and transparent approach to communications and problem-solving in order to foster a thriving, creative community. The Stones River Country Club (1830 NW Broad St.) hosts the meeting on Tuesday, Aug. 13, from 7:15–9 a.m.

Members and guests are welcome. Bring business cards to connect. For more information, visit rutherfordcable.org or email yourrutherfordcable@gmail.com.

Local small business owners will gather for The Connection: An Evening of Professional Networking and Business Brainstorming from 5–7 p.m. on Thursday, Aug. 15, at Tennessee Hemp Supply, 2804 S. Rutherford Blvd., Murfreesboro. All Middle Tennessee entrepreneurs and professionals are welcome to attend this casual, free, no-obligation event, where they can meet other small business owners and tap into one another’s experience and energy. A discussion will encourage participation from those in attendance, asking them to articulate their vision for their business and calling for examples of some of the business challenges and solutions they are experiencing. The series will continue the third Thursday of each month.

AUG. 16 THIRD FRIDAY CONCERT Bring your lawn chair and enjoy a free concert on the front lawn of the Visitor Center Friday, Aug. 16. Scott Moritz performs at Cannonsburgh Village (312 S. Front St.) from 7–9 p.m. Admission is free. For more information, call 615-890-0355.

AUG. 17 DISCOVER INDIA The seventh annual Discover India Day offers education about ancient and modern India on Saturday, Aug. 17, from 10 a.m.–5 p.m. at the Discovery Center (502 SE Broad St.).

Families are able to take pictures in front of the Taj Mahal, go on a Gandhi walk, dress in and explore with traditional Indian clothing and create their own ankle bells. Admission is free and open to the public. For more information, call 615-890-2300 or visit explorethedc.org/india-day.

AUG. 17 TOUCH-A-TRUCK AND FALL MARKETPLACE CONTINUED ON PAGE 6 BOROPULSE.COM

* AUGUST 2019 * 5

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 5 Join MOPS of Murfreesboro for their huge fall kickoff Saturday, Aug. 17, from 9 a.m.–2 p.m. at the annual Touch-a-Truck and kid carnival with a new fall marketplace. Shop indoors with more than 50 vendors offering jewelry, clothes, baby items, kids fashion and artisan-crafted goods, and then make your way around the grounds at the Toucha-Truck event. Let the kiddos climb on and learn about farm and construction equipment and emergency vehicles while enjoying face painting, balloon animals, photo booth, door prizes and giveaways, samples and community resource vendors. Admission is $2 per child or $5 per family and donations are welcome. Children 1 and under are free.

For more information, visit mops.org or find MOPS Murfreesboro on Facebook.

AUG. 22 RAISING FINANCIALLY SAVVY KIDS On Thursday, Aug. 22, McKnight Advisory Group, partnering with Holloway Accounting Services, presents a Raising Financially Savvy Kids interactive seminar at the Stones River Country Club (1830 N.W. Broad St.) from 4:30–6 p.m. Speaker Scott Boughton, Vice President from American Century Insurance, helps parents teach their children how to handle money.

Boughton covers several topics including earning, saving, investing and giving back.

RSVP by contacting 615-895-8574 or contactus@mcknightadvisory.com.

AUG. 22 THE SOCIAL LIGHT Participate in the first Social Light on Thursday, Aug. 22, at the beautiful new event space at the Fountains at Gateway (1500 Medical Center Pkwy.). This is a VIP, invitation-only event specifically designed to bring together Middle Tennessee bloggers and influencers to raise funds for the families at Special Kids Therapy and Nursing Center. Enjoy delicious food, local boutiques with previews of their 2019 fall items, great networking and lots of gorgeous photo ops. For more information, contact hello@thevictoriaproper.com.

AUG. 24 HEART OF TN CENTURY RIDE The Murfreesboro Bicycle Club presents the 2019 Heart of Tennessee Century (H.O.T. 100) to benefit Community Care of Rutherford County on Saturday, Aug. 24.

MOAB provides wrench support beforehand. Onsite registration opens at 5:30 a.m. with support and gear ending at 4:30 p.m. Pre-register to save and guarantee an event shirt, then enjoy a challenging ride 6 * AUGUST 2019 * BOROPULSE.COM

AUG 16–24 WILSON COUNTY FAIR The Wilson County Fairgrounds will be hopping as it hosts the 2019 Wilson County Fair, Aug. 16–24. Festivities include a demolition derby, tractor pull, hypnotist show, numerous thrill rides, spinning, weaving and wool demonstrations, Irish step dancers, a Charlotte’s Web presentation, lots of fried foods, competitions, animals, exhibits, a cornbread challenge and an ice cream freeze-off.

The musical lineup includes everything from church choirs to rock bands, bluegrass and the blues. The Kentucky Headhunters will perform on Tuesday, Aug. 20, at 7:30 p.m. Jason Crabb will take the stage on Monday, Aug. 19, at 7:30 p.m.

Catch Tim Atwood on Aug. 23, Karree Phillips on Aug. 24 and the Michael Vance Trio on Aug. 17, among many others.

Other activities include a spelling bee on Aug. 22, the lawn mower demolition derby on Aug. 23, a cat show on Aug. 18, the brick olympics on Aug. 24, and an Aug. 17 arm wrestling competition.

General admission tickets are $12 for adults, $6 for ages 6–12 and free for ages 5 and under. A mega-ticket that includes a ride armband is $25. For more information and the full 2019 Wilson County Fair schedule, visit wilsoncountyfair.net. through Rutherford, Bedford and Cannon Counties in the heart of Tennessee. Find lots of SAG, great rest stops and extra water stops along the route. Rest stops are well-stocked with goodies, plenty of water and sports drinks, as well as the old standards like bananas, grapes and peanut butter & jelly sandwiches. At the end of the ride, meet at Community Care Center of Rutherford County (901 County Farm Rd.) for a fabulous post-ride meal included in the cost of registration and created by an onsite chef. Enjoy a cold one in the beer garden after a great ride. Bicycle laws apply; CPSC approved bicycle helmets are required. For more information, visit mborobike.com/content/hot-100 or runsignup.com/Race/TN/ Murfreesboro/HOT100Ride29.

AUG. 24 DEPOT DISTRICT BBQ FEST Enjoy great barbecue, live music and fun at the Depot District BBQ Fest Saturday, Aug. 24, at Downtown Train Depot (98 Front St., Smyrna) from 6–9 p.m. Admission is free.

For more information, call 615-459-9773 ext. 2622 or visit townofsmyrna.org.

AUG. 24 FOR HOME AND HEARTH As the Battle of Stones River raged across

the fields and forests near Murfreesboro, hundreds of Confederate soldiers found themselves fighting for more than victory.

Those men were fighting on the very land they had tilled, amidst the homes of family and friends. Park rangers share the stories of these soldiers who fought in every major phase of the battle while volunteers present musket firing demonstrations at Saturday, Aug. 24, at 10 and 11 a.m. and 1, 2 and 3 p.m. at Stones River National Battlefield (3501 Old Nashville Hwy.). Admission is free. For more information, call 615-9079270 or visit nps.gov.

AUG. 24 MAUPINFEST MaupinFest (the Thomas Maupin Festival) is a celebration of old-time dance and music named after the world famous flat-foot buck dancer Thomas Maupin from Eagleville. Maupin is well known at Uncle Dave Macon Days. Visit Hootenanny Haven (539 Coopertown Rd, Unionville) on Saturday, Aug. 24, beginning at 10 a.m. for a full day of music and dance. For more information, contact tnoldtimemusicdance@gmail.com or 931-580-2898.

AUG. 24 AND 31 POSTURE REPAIR WORKSHOP

Jenergy for Life hosts an introductory workshop focusing on posture repair, core strength/stability and body mechanics on Saturdays, Aug. 24 and 31, from 9–10 a.m., at the Walnut House (116 N. Walnut St.). Start decreasing back and neck pain, improve mood and energy levels, improve efficiency of movement, improve confidence and decrease risk for injury. Everyone is welcome and increasing stamina is practiced throughout. Cost is $15 if you pre-register. For more information, contact jenergyforlife@gmail.com or visit walnuthousemurfreesboro.com. Enjoy a yoga class beforehand with Katelyn Carpenter from Rooted Yoga doing “Gentle Yoga” from 8–9 a.m. Cost is also $15 for her class or $25 if you do both.

AUG. 26 BEP DRIVE FOR EDUCATION Join the Business Education Partnership for a round of golf at Stones River Country Club (1830 NW Broad St.) on Monday, Aug. 26, to support local education. The tournament day begins with lunch at 11 a.m. (range opens at 10:30 a.m.) with a shotgun start at 11:30 a.m. Golfers enjoy cold beverages throughout the day followed by cocktails and a dinner reception, awards to winners and pro shop certificates to all golfers.

Secure your sponsorship and team spots.

Team entries are $1,000 per foursome.

All proceeds support the Business Education Partnership Foundation’s programs for students, teachers and school counselors in the Murfreesboro City and Rutherford County school systems. For more information, visit rutherfordbep.org.

AUG. 29 WORKS HIRING EXPO Rutherford Works presents a free Hiring Expo on Thursday, Aug. 29, from 9 a.m.–2 p.m. at Embassy Suites, Murfreesboro (1200 Conference Center Blvd.). Find potential employee candidates and companies highlighting the in-demand industries of Rutherford County. For more info please contact ebrisco@rutherfordchamber.org or 615-278-2325, or visit bit.ly/rucohiringexp.

AUG. 31 RUN FOR HIM 5K AND 10K The 11th annual Bruce Gilley 10K Run kicks off from Belle Aire Baptist Church (1307 N. Rutherford Blvd.) at 7 a.m. on Saturday, Aug. 31, with the 5K leaving at 7:15 a.m.

This is a wonderful day of fellowship and fun to remember a young man’s love for God, running, friendship and life. Proceeds benefit the Bruce Gilley Memorial Foundation which supports missions around the world. All are welcome—runners, walkers,

volunteers and friends. The Bruce Gilley Memorial Foundation has sent out many young people to serve and impact people all over the world with God’s love over the years. Visit runforhim.org for additional information on the race and the foundation.

attention span, reduce age-related memory loss, help fight addictions, improve sleep, help control pain and decrease blood pressure, Saturdays and Sunday in May from 10–10:30 a.m. No experience needed.

Cost is $5. From 10:30–11:30, enjoy a harmonized yoga sequence that includes long holds and dynamic movement, sun salutations and varying poses that strengthen and open the body while focusing on breath and mindfulness. All ages and levels welcome. Arrive 5–10 minutes early. Extra mats are available. Yoga is $12; yoga and beer is $15. Registration is not required but encouraged. For more information, visit hopspringstn.com/yoga.

AUG. 31 SHORT MOUNTAIN ARTS AND CRAFTS FESTIVAL Join Short Mountain Distillery (8280 Short Mountain Rd., Woodbury) in partnership with Rustic Lace Events on Saturday, Aug. 31, from 9 a.m.–7 p.m. for tours, tastings and cocktail classes, live bands, food, handmade arts and crafts from local vendors. Vendor Applications are available at rusticlaceevents.com. For more information, call or text 931-952-0207.

AUG. 31 BACON FESTIVAL Join Odell Markets on Saturday, Aug. 31, from 11 a.m.–7 p.m. at McKnight Park at Sports*Com (120 Dejarnette Ln.) for a Bacon Day Festival. Enjoy craft vendors, merchandise, food trucks, concessions (snow cones, funnel cakes and pork skins), drink vendors (lemonade and iced coffee), free bounce houses and inflatables, face painting, henna tattoos, cutout photo boards, a mechanical hog ride and hourly raffle prizes. Enjoy tasty bacon. Admission is free. For more information on Bacon Day, find odellmarketstn on Facebook or contact odellmarkets@yahoo.com.

SEPT. 5 PETITE DESIGN WORKSHOP The Tennessee Federation of Garden Clubs holds a Petite Design Workshop on Thursday, Sept. 5, with the program beginning at 10 a.m. and a workshop at 11 a.m. at Oaklands (900 N. Maney Ave.) (sponsored by District II of TFGC). Anna Burns, nationally accredited flower show judge, conducts the hands-on workshop featuring a small, take-home design. The emphasis is promoting the pleasure and delight of using flowers from one’s own yard or home garden to beautify and enrich daily life. Table spaces and supplies are provided. Burns’s book Guide for the New Petite-Floral Design 12 and Under are also available. All are welcome. Registration is $27 in advance.

Proceeds help develop community and state-wide gardening and floral projects.

For more information, contact 615-995-1118 or carol.hackney8@gmail.com.

SUNDAYS

SATURDAYS

AUG. 23 MAGIC SHOW Join some of the finest magicians in the world at the Walnut House on Friday, Aug. 23, at 7:30 p.m. (doors open at 6:30 p.m) for a show featuring David Scott, a magician who has been performing magic and comedy for nearly a decade. Scott has performed for country music royalty and is regular cast member of the Viva NashVegas radio show. David Williams serves up a special brand of award-winning magic and comedy. Alan Fisher has been a magician, comedian, actor, master of ceremonies and entertainer for over 50 years. In 2017 he was a finalist at the North American Championship of Magic and earned an invitation to compete in 2018 in the triennial World Championship of Magic held in South Korea. He is ranked in the top 100 magicians in the world. Walnut House is located at 116 N. Walnut St. For more information, contact alanfisher252@gmail.com or visit walnuthousemurfreesboro.com/events.

HISTORICAL SOCIETY OPENS RANSOM SCHOOL The Rutherford County Historical Society invites everyone to visit Ransom School (717 N. Academy St.) Saturday mornings from 9 a.m.–noon to discuss history over a cup of coffee. Bring old photos and memorabilia, and leave with a better understanding of, and appreciation for, your past.

Volunteers needed. For more information, visit rutherfordtnhistory.org.

ONGOING AL-ANON

noon for a kayak float with Smyrna Outdoor Adventure Center. Boats, PFD’s and paddles provided; sunscreen and bug spray are recommended; please bring a bottle of water and clothes suitable for getting wet. Cost is $5 per person. Ages 12 and up only (under 18 must be accompanied by an adult). Registration is required through Community Pass. For more information, contact mike.kraft@townofsmyrna.org.

MONDAYS YOGA/WRITING GROUP Are you a yogi who wants to write? A writer who wants to practice yoga? Do both with Amanda, Tammura and Pat every or any Monday from 7:15–8:45 p.m. at Transparent Heart Yoga (423B W. Lytle St.) for writing prompts, movement and meditation. Bring a journal, an ink pen, your mat and be ready to tap into your own creative process, find your own voice, write and speak your own words. All levels in both are welcomes. Community classes are donation only. For more information, visit transparentheartyoga.com.

TUESDAYS

KAYAK FLOAT

HEART OF TENNESSEE TOASTMASTERS

Meet at Volunteer Park (850 8th Ave., Smyrna) on Sundays from 10 a.m.–

The Heart of Tennessee Toastmasters is an international organization devoted to

 Submit event information to: CONTACT@BOROPULSE.COM

helping others advance their communication and leadership skills. Through participation in a variety of roles at each meeting, learn better listening skills, critical thinking, goal setting and public speaking. Meet at 7 p.m. on the first, third and fifth Tuesdays of each month at Keller-Williams Realty (450 St. Andrews Dr.). For more information, visit heartoftennessee.toastmastersclubs.org.

Attend Al-Anon meetings, a fellowship program for the families and friends of alcoholics, weekly at 435 S. Molloy Ave. (off of Bridge Ave.). Meeting times include 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. on Sundays; 6:30 p.m. on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays; 10 a.m. on Tuesdays and Thursdays; and noon on Saturdays. For more information, contact 270-293-5201.

TUESDAYS

SATURDAYS

TOTAL BODY WORKOUT

SMYRNA DEPOT MARKET

Do you want to feel stronger, more confident and healthier? Fleet Feet’s Total Body Workout features 10 weekly sessions of cardio and strength training in a dynamic and challenging class led by Fleet Feet coach and certified personal trainer Terry Coulter. Total Body Workout tones, strengthens and conditions your body in a 45-minute workout. All levels are welcome. Join Fleet Feet Murfreesboro (544 N. Thompson Ln., Suite C) on Tuesdays from 6:45–7:30 a.m. For more information, visit fleetfeet.com/s/murfreesboro.

Join the Smyrna Depot Farmers’ Market every Saturday from 8 a.m.–noon on Front Street in downtown Smyrna. Upcoming special events include an Aug. 17 market scavenger hunt, when market visitors can hunt market items for a chance to win a basket filled with goodies from the vendors, and an Aug. 24 cooking demonstration. Find more information at facebook. com/smyrnadepotfm.

SATURDAYS/SUNDAYS MEDITATION AND YOGA Come to a half-hour guided meditation at Hop Springs to learn how to use meditation as a tool to reduce stress, control anxiety, promote emotional health, lengthen

SATURDAYS SATURDAY MARKET Visit the Saturday Marketplace around the historic Rutherford County Courthouse on the Murfreesboro Public Square each Saturday through the first Saturday of October from 8 a.m.–noon. Purchase fresh produce, fruit, baked goods, flowers, plants and crafts.

For more information, call 615-895-1887.

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* AUGUST 2019 * 7

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Aug. 24 MaupinFest Celebrates Legacy of Dancer Thomas Maupin, Southern Music and Culture

BY JORDAN HALL THE TENNESSEE OLD-TIME MUSIC & Dance Association (TOTMADA) will host the Thomas Maupin Festival to celebrate traditional music and dance on Saturday, Aug. 24.

This family-friendly agritourism event is organized to help the nonprofit’s mission to preserve Appalachian artforms, like raw bluegrass and the lively buck dancing style of the early 1900s. To enrich the experience, there will also be a variety of activities to help folks discover the joys of timehonored Southern pastimes. On behalf of the Uncle Dave Macon Days Festival, the nonprofit will crown a National Old-Time Buck Dancing Champion!

The festival is inspired by Thomas Maupin, a renowned local buck dancer. Buck dancing is a folksy derivative of tap dancing that originated in the southern United States long ago. Typically, the dance is performed to the accompaniment of stringed instruments like fiddle, banjo and mandolin. Like tap dancing, it requires accurate timing and a good sense of rhythm to do it properly.

Few dancers carry the torch like Thomas Maupin, a master of “flatfoot” buck dancing who adopted the style during his child8 * AUGUST 2019 * BOROPULSE.COM

hood. Over the years, he’s built up a glowing reputation by appearing at music contests, accompanying bluegrass bands and impressing crowds with his percussive footwork. His authentic style led him to receive various awards, including the Uncle Dave Macon Days Trail Blazer Award, the Tennessee Governor’s Folklife Heritage Award and even a National Heritage Fellowship from the National Endowment for the Arts.

The foundation of the Thomas Maupin Festival is a daylong mix of performances that will take place on a large custom-built stage supported by tall cedar tree trunks. To keep the heart of Appalachia alive, the Tennessee Old-Time Music & Dance Association invites fellow buck dancers of all ages to share the stage to compete for the title of

National Old-Time Buck Dancing Champion. The dance competitions will follow specialized music competitions for bands and solo stringed instrument players. In addition to the competitions, expect to see musical performances from Glade City Rounders, Uncle Shuffelo and His Haint Hollow Hootenanny, and Daniel Rothwell & Overall Creek.

MaupinFest invites everyone to get involved. Different workshops will be offered for festival attendees who dance or play music. These workshops are a good way to sharpen skills in a lighthearted, interactive environment for everyone. There’s plenty more to experience at the Thomas Maupin fest including exhibits, vendors, jam ses-

sions and more.

After the evening concert, the festival will close with a square dance under the summer night sky.

Festivalgoers are more than welcome to camp onsite for a fun overnight experience.

MaupinFest will be held at the Historic Hootenanny Haven located at 539 Coopertown Rd. in Unionville, Tennessee, from 10 a.m. to 11 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 24. General admission is $10 for adults and $6 for kids ages 6–12. Children below the age of five get in free. Camping requires a flat $10 fee; additionally, the Microtel Inn & Suites by Wyndham Shelbyville is offering special rates for MaupinFest ticket buyers who would like nearby lodging.

For more information about the MaupinFest, visit facebook.com/maupinfest.

AUGUST 2019 THURS, 8/1 HANDLEBARS World Famous Thursday Night Blues Jam HANK’S Jordan Carter MAYDAY BREWERY Jackson Harrison PUCKETT’S Jon Bowlin

FRI, 8/2 BARFIELD CRESCENT PAVILION #7 Grizzly Goat COCONUT BAY CAFE Elecoustic Soul HANK’S Delyn Christian, Sarah Martin MEDIA RERUN Death Cow, The Low Blow, Two Dead Men, Jake Kroll MURFREESBORO PUBLIC SQUARE Music City Swing MILANO II Jack Popek PUCKETT’S Karianne Jean

SAT, 8/3 ARROWHEAD RANCH Tony Kishman, Markey Blue, Ric Latina Project, Chase Clanton & Vintage Vibes and more CARPE CAFE Mark Henes COCONUT BAY CAFE DJ RDP HANK’S Brad Dix & Evan King, Clayton Mann Band HOP SPRINGS Lewis Brice, Katie Cole, John Carter Cash, Ana Christina Cash, The Daeger Boys MAYDAY BREWERY The Dangerous Method MEDIA RERUN Dad Hats, Borderline Natives, Painted West PUCKETT’S The Mighty Trainwrecks

SUN, 8/4

CONCERT CALENDAR

STAIRWAY TO ZEPPELIN

Karree Philips, Dalton Black, Levi Massie, Billy Plant and more

SAT., 8/17 @ HOP SPRINGS

If it’s been a long time since you rock ’n’ rolled, if you’re feeling a little dazed and confused, Led Zeppelin tribute act Stairway to Zeppelin will bring its show to Hop Springs on Saturday, Aug. 17. Four world-class Middle Tennessee musicians who grew up on the iconic music of Led Zeppelin will attempt to recreate the magic of Jimmy, John, Robert and John Paul, one of the most popular and influential rock groups of all time. The show begins at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are available at hopspringstn.com. Ramble on to Hop Springs, 6790 John Bragg Hwy., Murfreesboro.

THURS, 8/8 HANK’S Zac Edington HANDLEBARS World Famous Thursday Night Blues Jam PUCKETT’S Noah Tellish

FRI, 8/9 COCONUT BAY CAFE Crossroads Band HOP SPRINGS Escape HANK’S Preston Ary, Jack Finley Band MAYDAY BREWERY Tim Davis MEDIA RERUN Love’s Tragedy, Fargo Strut, Modern Day Fire MILANO II Jack Popek PUCKETT’S The Tender Mercies SHACKLETT’S Becky Buller Trio

SAT, 8/10 CARPE CAFE Mark Henes COCONUT BAY CAFE Mike DizIll FATE SANDERS MARINA The Sugar Daddys HANK’S Joe Hooper, Phil Valdez MAYDAY BREWERY Los Lemmings, Red Wine Hangover, Regular Rotation MEDIA RERUN The Nashville Front Disco, Thunderfrog, The SS-SR PUCKETT’S Cory Fisher STONES RIVER BATTLEFIELD Tennessee Philharmonic Orchestra Brass Quintet

SUN, 8/11

HANK’S Crosstown HOP SPRINGS Americana Sunday Jam

HANK’S The O’Donnells HOP SPRINGS Americana Sunday Jam

TUES, 8/6

TUES, 8/13

BURGER BAR Sarah Martin HANK’S Ronnie Moore

BURGER BAR Sarah Martin HANK’S Don Mealer

WED, 8/7

THURS, 8/15

WALNUT HOUSE Songwriter’s Show with Paul Cicero, Drake Freeman, Trey Binkley,

LIVE MUSIC IN THE ’BORO

HANDLEBARS World Famous Thursday Night Blues Jam HANK’S

Spencer Maige MEDIA RERUN Source, Lightstory, Aedaegus, Maiden Mother Crone PUCKETT’S Steel Blossoms THE BORO Radical Arts’ Late Nite

SUN, 8/18

FRI, 8/16

TUES, 8/20

CANNONSBURGH VILLAGE Scott Moritz COCONUT BAY CAFE Escape Band HANK’S Dirt Road Daisies; Lee Gibson HOP SPRINGS The Secret Commonwealth MEDIA RERUN XOXODOLOR, Jake Kroll, Samosage, Cabin Color MILANO II Jack Popek SHACKLETT’S Chase Clanton and Vintage Vibes THE BORO Animal Season, Cowpunx, Dangerous Method, Skeetzo n Krysis

SAT, 8/17 CARPE CAFE Mark Henes HANK’S Colleen Lloy, Ryan Broshear HOP SPRINGS Stairway to Zeppelin MAIN STREET 84 (Van Halen Tribute) MAYDAY BREWERY Lisa Law and the Suspects MEDIA RERUN Cavalier, No, This Is Patrick, Lame, Blemish THE BORO Trigger Digit, LOBO, Black Sky Tribe, Psycho Hed

 View the Concert Calendar online at BOROPULSE.COM/CALENDAR

HANK’S Emily Miller HOP SPRINGS Americana Sunday Jam THE BORO Narwhal Empire, Drive-in Romance, The Revenue Man BURGER BAR Sarah Martin HANK’S J Kyle Reynolds

WED, 8/21 WALNUT HOUSE Middle Tennessee Songwriter’s Show with Delyn Christian and more

THURS, 8/22 HANDLEBARS World Famous Thursday Night Blues Jam HANK’S Alexis Taylor MEDIA RERUN Brinn Black, Robyn Taylor, Wild Wool, Rachel Figley

FRI, 8/23 COCONUT BAY CAFE Bueller Band HANK’S Blake Esse, Jack Finley Band HOP SPRINGS End of the Line MILANO II Jack Popek SHACKLETT’S The Good Dogs

SAT, 8/24 CARPE CAFE Mark Henes COCONUT BAY CAFE Stranger Than Fiction HANK’S HunterGirl, Colin Axxwell, Hootenanny Haven and more HOP SPRINGS Frazier and Company

MAYDAY BREWERY The Lilliston Effect

SUN, 8/25 HANK’S Karree J Phillips HOP SPRINGS Americana Sunday Jam

TUES, 8/27

IF YOU GO Arrowhead Ranch 239 Cortner Mill Rd., Normandy 931-857-4000 Barfield Crescent Park 697 Veterans Pkwy.

615-890-5333 Burger Bar 1850 Old Fort Pkwy.

615-895-5555 Campus Pub 903 Gunnerson Ave. 616-867-9893 Cannonsburgh Village 312 S. Front St. 615-890-0355 Carpe Cafe 115 Front St., Smyrna 615-984-4040 Coconut Bay Café 210 Stones River Mall Blvd. 615-494-0504 Fate Sanders Marina 3157 Weakley Ln., Mt. Juliet 615-459-6219 Handlebars 2601 E. Main St. 615-890-5661

BURGER BAR Sarah Martin HANK’S Delyn Christian

THURS, 8/29 HANDLEBARS World Famous Thursday Night Blues Jam HANK’S Lauren Christine MTSU WRIGHT MUSIC BUILDING Brian Mueller

FRI, 8/30 COCONUT BAY CAFE Zone Status HANK’S Pontiac Alley, Justin Dukes HOP SPRINGS THB, The Incredible Heat Machine, Average American All Stars MAIN STREET Rubiks Groove MAYDAY BREWERY Lisa Law and the Suspects MILANO II Jack Popek SHACKLETT’S Zug

SAT, 8/31 CARPE CAFE Mark Henes COCONUT BAY CAFE Karaoke with The Hitman Walker HANK’S The Revenue Man, Glenn Brown; Chazz Wesley HOP SPRINGS Eaglemaniacs

Hank’s 2341 Memorial Blvd.

615-410-7747 Hop Springs 6790 John Bragg Hwy. 615-628-8776 Hootenanny Haven 539 Coopertown Rd., Unionville Main Street Music 527 W. Main St. 615-440-2425 Mayday Brewery 521 Old Salem Hwy. 615-479-9722 Media Rerun 2820 S. Rutherford Blvd., 615-907-0901 Milano II 114 E. College St. 615-624-7390 MTSU Wright Music 1439 Faulkinberry Dr. 615-898-2469 Puckett’s Grocery 114 N. Church St. 629-201-6916 Shacklett’s Photography 105. S. Church St. 615-893-2369 Stones River Battlefield 3501 Old Nashville Hwy. 615-893-9501 The Boro Bar & Grill 1211 Greenland Dr. 615-895-4800 The Walnut House 116 N. Walnut St. 615-705-7897

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* AUGUST 2019 * 9

Sounds

MUSIC NOTES Tennessee Philharmonic Orchestra Kicks Off Upcoming Season With Free Brass Concert Aug. 10

Incoming TPO Music Director Dan Allcott

TENNESSEE PHILHARMONIC ORCHESTRA

is ramping up for another season, and it has a lot to offer. Formerly better known as the Murfreesboro Symphony Orchestra, this musical organization’s reach continues to grow throughout the Middle Tennessee area. While the season usually begins in autumn, this summer the orchestra participated in three local events including the Uncle Dave Macon Days music festival, which celebrates the rich heritage of traditional music and the namesake Grand Ole Opry Hall-of-Famer Uncle Dave Macon.

In addition to adding summer performances, the TPO is also interested in branching out into more community events. This fall the orchestra will participate in local gatherings celebrating culture and history. Ultimately, they want to have a bigger presence in the community.

Jane McNulty, a wellness-based piano instructor in Murfreesboro and president of the TPO, appeared enthusiastic and passionate about discussing the prospects that the coming year would bring. There’s quite a lineup. Topping the list is an upcoming free concert that is put on in conjunction with Stones River National Battlefield. On Saturday, Aug. 10, citizens visiting the battlefield will be treated to a performance by the TPO Brass Quintet. The 1 p.m. program will run approximately one hour and will feature music from the Civil War era. Before and after the musical portion, a living history event will expose audiences to what historical life at the time would have looked like. Stones River Battlefield will also be hosting a cleanup earlier that day.

McNulty also discussed the importance of reaching out to schools and becoming more involved in an educational capacity. Part of the orchestra’s educational initiative includes bringing more music into public schools. They have been meeting with the directors of music and are implementing participation in rotating activities with schools, hoping to create a wider dynamic of music appreciation and a well-rounded educational experience. The TPO has scheduled two promising events to assist in these 10 * AUGUST 2019 * BOROPULSE.COM

BY ANGELA LOUPE efforts that will serve as fundraisers for their educational initiatives and other endeavors. There will be a Swing Band event in the fall and a Green Tie Casino event in the spring. Both programs will offer an evening of fun for a very worthy cause.

In addition, TPO is welcoming Dan Allcott to its team. He will be joining the orchestra as music director, and brings with him an impressive history.

Along with holding a master’s degree in cello performance, he has served in a wide range of musical positions from conducting an extensive list of orchestras, including the Indianapolis and Dallas Symphonies and the Atlanta Ballet Orchestra, as well as continuing to perform on a national level as a cellist.

He was named the first Herbert von Karajan Fellow of the American Austrian Foundation at the Salzburg Festival, and is Professor of Music at the University of Tennessee where he has achieved distinguished honors and awards.

With all the excitement surrounding the new season, I wanted to know TPO Vice President Terry Goodin’s thoughts.

“So much of it is a matter of what parents and families value. I know that in my case, my mom took me to the opera a lot, and I just got hooked on opera and on the storytelling component of the opera,” Goodin said. “It was, to me, fascinating, and changed my life. It made me more aware that there’s this bigger world; a world of expression and adventure that is contained in the music, and the whole storytelling component of the music. I think that’s so important for our kids to get.”

Goodin added that opening our children’s minds to the broader range of life that music portrays is essential, and that all the arts contribute in a holistic manner. He believes that having a greater exposure to the arts will help children test higher in other areas of academia as well.

Following the Aug. 10 brass show at Stones River Battlefield, the TPO will open its full season on Sept. 26 with Time Travel—Music You Didn’t Know You Knew.

With such an exciting season ahead and so

many opportunities to look forward to, the broader reach that the Tennessee Philharmonic Symphony has sought to extend is beginning to come to fruition.

The current lineup of events, information and tickets to upcoming concerts are available at tnphil.org.

ALBUMS

JULIAN AND THE TREE CLIMBERS

SUPER MAD GEAR Symphony of The Fight

One Branch at a Time

Murfreesboro multi-instrumentalist Julian Jennison and his Tree Climbers have released an interesting new collection of minimalist hippie jams this summer, One Branch at a Time. While on the surface many of the tracks first seem to display a carefree, peppy and feelgood vibe, Julian doesn’t shy away from exploring some deep and serious emotional territory on the album.

Much of the material possesses similarities to communal jams in the vein of Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeroes, the ukulele strumming of Iz and the acoustic folk-rock of Bob Dylan or Peter, Paul and Mary. A ska influence pairs with the uke strumming on the inspirational “Ye Shall Overcome,” a creative message of positivity and encouragement. Something about the tone of a ukulele signifies joyful dancing on an island beach.

A self-described “collective, ever-changing group of musicians playing a mish-mash of genres and styles” led by Jennison, the Tree Climbers show a little anger and frustration on the driving “Lonesome Joe,” the opener of the seven-song release. This Joe character is someone who is not such a good friend, a hypocrite, a coward, a taker, A walking contradiction, and an incorrect depiction of himself, and all the things he swears he tries to be.

“Love Song for the Self ” plays as an anthem for the singles out there, reminding listeners that they don’t have to find fulfillment in others, that, despite the flaws that everyone has, it’s healthy to accept ourselves for who and what we are. Other tracks display Julian’s appreciation for relationships in his life and a seemingly genuine care for others.

Julian does his own musical thing, having fun and singing passionately as he encourages us all to keep on climbing. Find One Branch at a Time on Bandcamp. — BRACKEN MAYO

A CLASSIC OUTSTANDING

Symphony of the Fight by The Mad Gear (now known as Super Mad Gear!) is an unlikely collection of music.

The Mad Gear is a video game soundtrack cover band—a surprisingly good one. Symphony is purely instrumental; however, don’t expect 8-bit arcade noises.

The guys are capable musicians who meld hard rock and classic video game songs in a way that is almost theatrical. It’s a niche that mainly true gamers and retro-heads will appreciate.

The band is made up of a humorous cast of characters that includes Shreddy Krueger, Rex Skeleton, Big Vig, Miles Strongarm and Bruce Iron, and contains the standard lineup of instruments including guitar, bass, drums and keys/synth. All the songs featured on the album are covers of themes from popular video games like Donkey Kong, Mega-Man and Super Mario 64. Super Mad Gear brings computer-generated video game music to life with drums, electric bass, heavy guitar leads, saxophone and various horn sounds. Overall, they’re good at what they do. If you played video games back in the ’90s and can appreciate a satirical rendition of a modern American rock band, then you might enjoy Symphony of the Fight.

Unfortunately, the project is overshadowed by countless other video game covers, ranging from hip-hop to smooth jazz. The Mad Gear has created a professional quality album, though it suffers from a lack of progression. It’s hard to create much of a sense of progression on a cover album like this, and the instrumentals get increasingly predictable.

Considering the band operates in a very specific niche, and the difficulty of instrumental albums in general to pick up much momentum in today’s climate, the odds of mainstream popularity are stacked against Super Mad Gear. But the band’s shining quality is its fun demeanor, a trait sometimes hard to find in the music industry. Symphony of the Fight is available at themadgear.bandcamp.com. — JORDAN HALL

AVERAGE BELOW AVERAGE

AVOID AT ALL COSTS DEAD

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Nashville Jazz Machine TO STAGE HISTORIC REUNION SHOW

BY STEVE MORLEY THE SAGA OF JAZZ IN NASHVILLE spans many years of near-obscurity amidst a music industry that offered little opportunity for jazz-minded players to fully toot their horns. Their chance would ultimately arrive in the form of a local as well as national jazz explosion beginning in the late 1970s. But for those of us who weren’t around to witness it, there’s good news: the Nashville Jazz Machine, the spit-valve spark plug that revved Music City’s jazz revolution into high gear, is planning a historic reunion show at Nashville’s City Winery on Monday, Aug. 5. The lineup, according to the Machine’s founding member and leader Dave Converse, will include many core members, with latter-day members and guests representing the plentiful progeny

of the NJM, a singularly influential force in Nashville jazz.

After arriving in Nashville fresh out of Louisiana Tech in 1971, Converse succeeded in finding session work and side gigs out on the road. For kicks, he later started a rehearsal band—so named because its members had no thought of performing in public.

“Jazz is a musician’s music,” Converse explains. “Very few people will pay to hear it.” Quite unexpectedly, the band (still not officially named) was coaxed to play at a battle of local jazz bands at Belmont College (now University) in 1976.

Just as unexpectedly, they made a powerful impression on established members of the studio musician community, who Converse

MUSIC NOTES

had feared would laugh them off the stage before leaving them in the dust after playing the evening’s final set.

Soon thereafter, Converse and his cohorts became the first such local band to begin drawing crowds to the storied Exit/In. A Sunday night NJM residency was established there, soon followed by live broadcasts of the weekly shows on Murfreesboro’s WMOT-FM. A community sprung up, and Converse became the go-to musician for anyone wanting to play jazz or book it into their venue.

In 1984 the NJM recorded the still-vital progressive jazz album Where’s Eli, recorded at the behest of Nashville producer and engineer Travis Turk. Upon hearing the band rehearse, recalls Turk, he “was blown away.” Interested in cutting an album “without modern techniques like earphones, monitors and overdubbing, just straight to tape,” Turk found an ideal band for the job. Recorded in two threehour sessions, the album was placed with West Coast label am-pm Records and still attracts collectors today.

Over time, older pro players joined forces 14 * AUGUST 2019 * BOROPULSE.COM

with the younger musicians who comprised the Nashville Jazz Machine—a name whose origin still elicits gleeful outrage from Converse. As he tells it, a record company executive offered some unwelcome but inspirational advice.

“He told me, ‘Don’t use the words “Nashville” and “jazz” in the same paragraph. Nobody will take you seriously.’ And I thought about it and I said, ‘You just said that to the wrong dude, man. I’m gonna say “Nashville jazz” till the day I draw my last breath.’”

A history of contemporary Nashville jazz—now a fully credible term—exists within the alumni of the NJM and those who followed them. “Seems like we raised the bar, and inspired others to raise it even further,” reckons Converse. “For that, it’s a legacy we can be proud of.”

Tickets for the Legendary Nashville Jazz Machine Reunion Show on Monday, Aug. 5, presented by the Nashville Jazz Orchestra, are $15 in advance (at citywinery.com) and $18 at the door. Showtime is 8 p.m. As the price attests, big bands still do it for love, not money.

SONGWRITERS SHOWS, CONTEST CONTINUES AT THE WALNUT HOUSE

8:30 P.M. Vaughan Daniel,

Karree Philips, Dalton Black 9:15 P.M. Terry McClain, Levi Massie, Billy Plant

The open-mic competition follows at 10 p.m.

APPEARING AUG. 21:

APPEARING AUG. 7: 7 P.M. Paul Cicero,

Drake Freeman, Trey Binkley 7:45 P.M. Nancy Layne Prescott,

Chloe Kimes, Matt Blackwell

BILLY PLANT

7 P.M. Delyn Christian, Effron White, Stephen Potter 7:45 P.M. Joey Fletcher, Allen J. Morrell, Robyn Taylor 8:30 P.M. Randy Finchum, Thomas Steger, Marilyn Harris 9:15 P.M. Matt Elrod-Erickson, Janey Leigh, Ernest Morris

There is no cover to attend, and all participating songwriters split the proceeds from the tip jar. The Walnut House is located at 116 N. Walnut St.

 ENTERTAINMENT

TRIVIA, KARAOKE & BINGO NIGHTS  SUNDAYS HOP SPRINGS Cornhole, 12:30 p.m.

SAM’S SPORTS GRILL Trivia 8 p.m.

 MONDAYS AHARTS PIZZA GARDEN Trivia 7 p.m.

HANK’S Open Mic Night 6–9 p.m.

JACK BROWN’S Trivia Night 7 p.m.

LEVEL III Trivia 7 p.m.

MT BOTTLE Bingo 7 p.m.

 TUESDAYS COCONUT BAY Trivia 7:30 p.m.

OLD CHICAGO Trivia 8:30 p.m.

NACHO’S MEXICAN RESTAURANT Trivia 7 p.m.

 WEDNESDAYS CAMPUS PUB Karaoke 10 p.m.–2:30 a.m.

GEORGIA’S SPORTS BAR Karaoke 8 p.m.–12 a.m.

HANK’S Karaoke with DJ Stache 7–10 p.m.

HOP SPRINGS Poker, 7 p.m.

 THURSDAYS HOP SPRINGS Trivia, 7 p.m.

 FRIDAYS GEORGIA’S SPORTS BAR Karaoke 9 p.m.–1 a.m.

LIQUID SMOKE Wax on the Square DJ Night 10 p.m.

MT BOTTLE Karaoke 9 p.m.–3 a.m.

SATURDAYS

LEVEL III Trivia 7 p.m.

CAMPUS PUB Karaoke 10 p.m.–2:30 a.m.

MELLOW MUSHROOM Trivia 8 p.m.

GEORGIA’S SPORTS BAR Karaoke 9 p.m.–1 a.m.

SAM’S SPORTS GRILL Trivia 8 p.m.

STATION GRILL Trivia 7 p.m.

THE BOULEVARD Trivia 8 p.m.

MT BOTTLE Karaoke 9 p.m.–3 a.m.

NACHO’S MEXICAN RESTAURANT Trivia 7 p.m.

Send karaoke, trivia and entertainment info to listings@boropulse.com BOROPULSE.COM

* AUGUST 2019 * 15

PHOTO BY CINDY ANNE PHOTOGRAPHY

The Walnut House and Middle Tennessee Songwriters will continue a collaborative series featuring area songwriters on Wednesdays, Aug. 7 and 21.

This series features an array of talented songwriters performing each night. Following these scheduled performances, an amateur open-mic contest follows.

This is limited to only five contestants each night, on a first-come basis. The competing songwriters will each perform one original song and those in the crowd will cast their vote for their favorite.

Ellie Austin won the initial competition in July. At the end of the series, the grand finale will be held at the Walnut House on Nov. 20 with all of the individual winners to date, and the victor will receive a prize pack that includes the recording of a 5-song EP at the Walnut House, complete with a backing band, among other prizes.

Sounds

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Chris Young, MTSU Aim to Help Students Dream Bigger with New On-Campus Cafe Performance Space

Country artist Chris Young with MTSU Department of Recording Industry Chair Beverly Keel PHOTO BY J. INTINTOLI

A NEW LIVE ENTERTAINMENT VENUE

on the Middle Tennessee State University campus will be named the Chris Young Cafe to honor the multiplatinum Nashville entertainer’s continued support of his alma mater.

MTSU President Sidney A. McPhee, at a July 9 event at the Country Music Association headquarters on Music Row, thanked Young for lending his name—and giving $50,000—to the venue.

The cafe, located in a standalone dining building and surrounded by residence halls, will be a teaching and practice place for student performers and technicians during the day and a performance venue at night for music, radio broadcasts, comedy and other entertainment.

“The Chris Young Cafe will encourage our students to dream bigger,” McPhee said.

“Chris studied at MTSU and then launched a successful music industry career, so every time they see his name on the cafe, their aspirations will seem a little more obtainable if they follow in his footsteps and work as hard as he has.”

Young, who attended MTSU in 2005, has an impressive list of accomplishments, including membership in the Grand Ole Opry, 2 billion on-demand streams, 12 million singles sold and 11 career No. 1 singles.

He has two Grammy nominations as well as award nominations from the Country Music Association and Academy of Country Music.

16 * AUGUST 2019 * BOROPULSE.COM

A global ambassador for country music, Young has maintained his True Blue ties to the Murfreesboro campus, funding an annual scholarship for recording industry students in 2016 and donating a selection of his touring audio equipment in 2012.

“MTSU will always hold a special place in my heart,” Young said. “It helped me launch my music career and I’m glad for the opportunity to give back to the university.”

Located in the Woodmore Building on the south side of campus and formerly known as the Cyber Cafe, the MTSU facility has 3,200 square feet of community and dining space with two raised platform stages. The space is surrounded by windows, allowing for natural light, and is an easy walk from the Bragg Media and Entertainment Building.

The College of Media and Entertainment began managing the performance space last year, when faculty from the Department of Recording Industry began readying the cafe for shows.

Media and Entertainment Dean Ken Paulson said the college is “grateful to Chris for giving our students this hands-on opportunity to learn.”

“When you’re teaching students how to manage, book and promote a concert hall, club or theater, having a working venue on campus is invaluable,” Paulson said.

Recording Industry Chair Beverly Keel

“MTSU will always hold a special place in my heart,” Young said. “It helped me launch my music career and I’m glad for the opportunity to give back to the university.” said Young’s support “means so much to the university, faculty and students.”

“His generosity will allow our students to gain real-world, hands-on experience in performing and live sound,” Keel said. “He is a wonderful role model for our students, not only because of his success but because of his desire to continually give back and help others.”

Young has given fans seven studio albums in 12 years, including Losing Sleep, his third project in less than two years. The title track is certified platinum, while the second single, “Hangin’ On,” is his ninth No. 1 as a songwriter. “Losing Sleep” (2017) and “I’m Comin’ Over” (2015) debuted at No. 1 on Billboard’s Top Country Albums Chart, and “I’m Comin’ Over” became Young’s first double-platinum single.

This year brings new music and a new headlining tour for Young. His Raised on

Country World Tour 2019 will visit more than 25 cities through September, including Charlotte, Boston, Philadelphia, Dallas, Las Vegas, Indianapolis, St. Louis, Phoenix and San Diego.

Billboard earlier this year named MTSU’s recording industry department to its annual list of America’s top music business schools for the sixth time, once again joining its counterparts across the country as top producers of ready-to-work music industry pros. The trade magazine bragged on several MTSU alumni and noted that the recording industry program was featured in an NBC Nightly News report that aired on Grammy night, along with a mention of MTSU’s nowsixth-annual Grammy Week trip connecting students and staff with area alumni and industry professionals.

Alumni, former or current students, and faculty from across the university have been a part of more than 60 Grammy Award nominations in the last two decades. Since 2001, nine have won a total of 28 Grammys, including six repeat recipients, in categories from classical to country to gospel.

For more information about MTSU’s College of Media and Entertainment, visit mtsu.edu/media. For more on the Department of Recording Industry, visit mtsu.edu/recording-industry.

Living QUALITY IN LIFE SEEMS TO BE DETERMINED BY CHOICES. Do you choose to garden? How purposeful are your choices in gardening? Are you primarily growing plants for beauty or nourishment or profit?

That last question is valid here today but would be irrelevant and confusing to someone in other locations or other epochs in our world history. The basis for making decisions is subconsciously formed by the influence of our selected society. With education and exposure to others’ situations, a person’s basis can expand, becoming less provincial and selfish.

A person’s basis can expand if their mind can accept and use information that adds to their knowledge base. It requires someone who can try to do things differently. It requires someone who makes choices in their actions. Education and research will equip them with intellectual tools to select the desired result. The person also needs confidence to change, improve or try differ-

18 * AUGUST 2019 * BOROPULSE.COM

Farmers Market Education Series

BY EDWINA SHANNON

Market Activities in August THE RUTHERFORD COUNTY FARMERS’ MARKET is held from 7 a.m. to noon each Tuesday and Friday at the Lane Agri-Park Community Center, 315 John R. Rice Blvd., Murfreesboro. It is a producer-only market.

Action Yields Result ent actions. Finally, decisions are influenced by personal beliefs and preferences. Choices.

Results are always the product of choices.

Projects, including growing plants, have results based on choices selected. How purposeful are your choices in gardening?

Gardening can be mundane or can make a statement. Are you making short- or long-term decisions? Are you following marketed products and techniques? Have you embraced the past and returned to pre-WWII techniques? Are your choices a blend of both?

Every action in the garden reflects the wisdom of Newton’s third law: that every action has an equal or greater reaction.

When you cut the grass, do the clippings go back into the soil or become a contribution to the trash heap? When adding plants to the landscape, are you selecting a native plant which adds value to the non-human life which depends on the outside environment to live and thrive or are you adding a plant which can live and often thrive in this area but offers nothing to the existing interconnectedness of life that exists here?

Can this plant get out of control and invade the existing environment?

Here, in Middle Tennessee, we are halfway through this year’s growing season.

Flowers can bloom through the first frost in October. Vegetables produce at least through the first frost and, with environmental protections, can go into the winter.

There is more than enough time in this season to affect and influence your piece of our world.

FREE CLASSES are held at the Community Center Classroom each day the Farmers’ Market is open. They start at 9 a.m. and last about one hour.

AUG. 2: Backyard Rain Gardens Additionally on Aug. 2, Rutherford Master Gardeners will present Keep Your Garden Going at the Linebaugh Library, upper boardroom, at 9 a.m.

AUG. 6: Cooking with Kids AUG. 9: Learn to Make a Charity Quilt AUG. 13: 4-H STEAM AUG. 16: Harvesting Honey AUG. 20: Stretching Your Food Dollars AUG. 23: Water AUG. 24: Grape Harvest Day Saturday, Aug. 24, is Grape Harvest Day at Lane Agri-Park from 7–11 a.m. Park at the Farmers Market parking lot. Bring a five-gallon bucket, pruners, gloves, hat and clean jugs for juice.

AUG. 27: Seasonal Eating AUG. 30: Viticulture 101 REMINDER: Prune mid-summer flowering bushes now. Buds for next year set in the fall. Later pruning will remove next year’s flowers.

Additionally, the MURFREESBORO SATURDAY MARKET on the Square is held each Saturday through October from 8 a.m. to noon.

And the SMYRNA DEPOT FARMERS’ MARKET will continue each Saturday from 8 a.m. to noon on Front Street in downtown Smyrna.

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Fun. With a Twist.

The World’s #1 Wing Coaster, the World’s 2 Longest Water Coasters and the #1 Wooden Coaster in the Nation are one thing. But free soft drinks, free parking and free sunscreen? That’s just the twist you’ve been looking for.

Art

 POETRY

BY KORY WELLS

Summer Stars and Dog Days, Poetry in the Boro on Aug. 11 and The Bloom Stage on Aug. 22 SUMMER STARS

by Carl Sandburg Bend low again, night of summer stars.

So near you are, sky of summer stars, So near, a long arm man can pick off stars, Pick off what he wants in the sky bowl, So near you are, summer stars So near, strumming, strumming, So lazy and hum-strumming.

THE LAST OF SUMMER may not feel so lazy as it did to Carl Sandburg a hundred years ago when he wrote this short poem.

Here and now in Middle Tennessee, August means a bustle of back-to-school time, and admittedly it’s not easy to get a good look at the stars if you live in the city limits. But the rhythms of this poem are as pleasant as the crickets and the tree frogs that will sing until cooler weather arrives. If you enjoy listening to some musical words, don’t miss these local events happening in August.

(Note: Organizers had planned to hold both of the following events at Murfreesboro Little Theatre. However, due to the City’s sudden closure of MLT for safety concerns, venue confirmation is pending. Check Facebook for updated venue information.)

Aug. 11 Poetry in the Boro Sunday evening, Aug. 11, Poetry in the Boro will be celebrating its third birthday with a poetry reading, open mic and cake. Featured poets Lana Austin and Donovan McAbee will read their work.

The event is free and sponsored in part

by MTSU Write. Donations are accepted.

Austin, of Huntsville, Alabama, is the author of Blood Harmony, a poetry collection from Tennessee-based Iris Press, and the novel Like Light, Like Music, forthcoming from West Virginia University Press in 20 * AUGUST 2019 * BOROPULSE.COM

2020. Born and raised in rural Kentucky, Austin has an MFA from George Mason University and now teaches writing at the University of Alabama in Huntsville. Her poems have won many awards, including the 2019 Alabama State Poetry Society Book of the Year Award.

McAbee, of Nashville, has published his poems in literary magazines such as The Sun, The Hudson Review, The Greensboro Review and others. He grew up in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains in South Carolina. A Baylor University alumna, he also has a master of divinity degree from Princeton Theological Seminary and a PhD in contemporary poetry from the University of St. Andrews in Scotland. McAbee is an Associate Professor of Religion and the Arts at Belmont University.

Doors open at 6:30 p.m. for the Aug. 11 Poetry in the Boro event and the program starts at 7. An hour of open mic for poetry and spoken word follows.

For more details, including a word challenge writing prompt, see Poetry in the Boro on Facebook.

Aug. 22 “Dog Days” The Bloom Stage, a quarterly multi-genre event, will have its next show on Thursday, Aug. 22.

The show, built around the theme of “Dog Days,” will include local storytellers and poets “wagging tongues about summer’s end, school’s begin, furry friends and more.” Music and art will also be featured.

Admission is $10 general admission, $5 for students or seniors. Reservations can be made by emailing karajkemp@gmail.com.

Find more information on Facebook.

Kory Wells is principal founder of Poetry in the Boro and the inaugural Poet Laureate of Murfreesboro. Contact her at korywells@gmail.com.

 THEATER

Zakiyah Lamb as Dorothy in The Wiz

The Last Five Years Tells Story of Troubled Marriage at Center for the Arts

THE CENTER FOR THE ARTS CONTINUES its 2019 season with The Last Five Years, Jason Robert Brown’s intimate window into a dissolving marriage. With an emotional score, the characters tell the story of how they met, fell in love, married and ultimately decided to part ways.

Cathy (Savannah Gannon), a struggling New York actress, begins at the end of the story and moves backward in time to when they first met. Jamie (Thomas Holt Kirkindoll), a novelist on the brink of success, moves forward in time. The characters’ stories converge at their wedding.

The Last Five Years opens on Friday, Aug. 2.

“This show buried itself deep in my heart and never left. It is an opportunity to reevaluate what we consider good, bad, generous, selfish, success, failure and the way we view our own adventures in love,” said director Bekah Thoe. “We get to participate in both the great joys and great heartbreaks of Cathy and Jamie’s story. The Last Five Years serves as a reminder to have grace for ourselves and each other.”

This honest, poignant and sometimes humorous look at love and marriage has enraptured audiences since its Off-Broadway premiere in 2002.

“This is a lesser-known show compared to some of the others in our 2019 season, but we know that our audience will love it,” said Patience Long, executive director at the Center for the Arts. “The characters grab your attention from the opening scene.”

The Last Five Years, the Center’s only production to be performed intimately in the art gallery this season, features a live musical accompaniment led by Mark David Williams and Nick True.

Showtimes for The Last Five Years are 7:30 p.m. on Aug. 2, 3, 9 and 10; and 2 p.m. Aug. 4 and 11. The show is rated PG-13.

Tickets are on sale at boroarts.org, by calling 615-904-ARTS (2787) or at the Center for the Arts Box Office, 110 W. College St., in downtown Murfreesboro.

Art

 EXHIBIT

“The Beginning and the End”

Diane Stockard Artwork on Display at Patterson Park Washington Gallery in August THE WASHINGTON THEATRE at Patterson Park Community Center will host Colorful Creations Within the Soul, a collection of art by Diane J. Stockard, through Aug. 29.

Stockard is a self-taught artist, art business owner, photographer, writer and realtor. She has won several art awards and community leadership awards including placing third in an international art competition. She is known for her bright colors and music-themed art.

“God gives us all special gifts, we just have to reach in our soul to find that gift that he gave only to us,” Stockard says.

The gallery space is an interdepart-

mental partnership between The City of Murfreesboro’s Patterson Park Community Center and The Washington Theatre.

The Washington Theatre is an accessible performance and event space in Patterson Park Community Center. Home to Perform Murfreesboro, a professional youth theater education program, The Washington Theatre facilitates community arts programming, theater education and rental space for private and public productions.

For more information about the gallery space, The Washington Theatre or Colorful Creations Within the Soul, contact Susan Hicks at shicks@murfreesborotn.gov.

“Can’t Stop the Motion”

22 * AUGUST 2019 * BOROPULSE.COM

 EXHIBIT

Art Crawl Back in August THE BORO ART CRAWL returns to downtown Murfeesboro on Friday, Aug. 9. The event, held one Friday evening from 6–9 p.m. every other month, features local and regional artists displaying and selling their artwork.

At the always-dog-friendly Mayday Brewery on Aug. 9 Purple Paws will present “when bark meets art.” Participants and their “puppy picassos” will paint and take home an 11-by-14-inch canvas suitable for hanging. All supplies including non-toxic paint, and washing stations will be provided. All proceeds will benefit Middle Tennessee rescues and spay and neuter programs.

For more information on that event, email purplepawstn@gmail.com.

Additionally on Aug. 9, Murfresboro arts laureates will collaborate on a featured exhibit at Murfreesboro City Hall rotunda. Poet Laureate Kory Wells, Photographer Laureate Gale Stoner and Painter Laureate Ashley Buchanan serve as local arts laureates in the program’s second year.

A reception at city hall will be held on Aug. 9 and that display remains up through Aug. 15. For more information, visit boroartcrawl.com.

Boro Art Crawl Map  Clockwise from top left: Drive-in photo

by Mike McDougal at Boro Town Cakes “FedEx” by Celeste Akari at L&L Contractors Watercolor

by Lisa Ray at Faithful Strokes Claudia Lopes Jewelry at FunTiques

Food

BoomBozz 2 for 1 Mimosas

Read more about Murfreesboro restaurants at boropulse.com/category/food

Boozy Slushies are a Party Fowl specialty

Tacos from The Goat

Who’s Happy?

Happy Hour Food and Drink Specials in Murfreesboro

Several Murfreesboro restaurants and bars offer a broad selection of happy hour deals.

Try something new!

BAR LOUIE 2615 Medical Center Pkwy.

615-410-4120 SUNDAY–THURSDAY

10 p.m.–close $3.50 drafts and half off flatbreads and select apps TUESDAY 5 p.m.–close $5 signature burger with tots or fries WEDNESDAY All day $4.50 select 14 oz. craft drafts, $1.50 select domestic drafts, $5.50 martinis until 10 p.m.

BJ’S BREWHOUSE 2455 Medical Center Pkwy.

615-956-2560 MONDAY–FRIDAY 3–7 p.m. $3 domestic bottles, chips and dips, $4 BJ’s handcrafted beers $5 Dark Horse wines, call drinks $6 burger, select appetizers half off mini deep-dish pizzas,

BONEFISH GRILL  505 N. Thompson Ln. 615-217-1883 EVERY DAY at 4 p.m. $1 off draft beers, $4 house wines $5 martinis, cocktails and select spirits, $6 bar bites

BOOMBOZZ 2839 Medical Center Pkwy.

615-846-9452 MONDAY–FRIDAY

26 * AUGUST 2019 * BOROPULSE.COM

3–6 p.m. and 9 p.m.–close 2-for-1 select local drafts, all domestic beer and well liquor $2 off snacks and shares $1 off house wine SATURDAY–SUNDAY

10 a.m.–2 p.m.

All of the above plus 2 for 1 house bloody marys and mimosas.

MONDAY–FRIDAY

CHILI’S

HANK’S HONKY TONK

3–10 p.m. and all day Saturday Two 12 oz. margaritas on the rocks for $5.99 Two draft beers for $3.25

755 N.W. Broad St. 615-867-2855 2741 Medical Center Pkwy.

615-849-3229

TUESDAY

MONDAY–THURSDAY

$5 for four tacos Mexicanos

3–6 p.m. and 9 p.m.–close, FRIDAY 3–6 p.m. and SUNDAY all day $3 chips and salsa, fried pickles, $4 Awesome Blossom Petals, crispy cheddar bites, half-order cheese fries, $5 white spinach queso, guacamole, half Margherita flatbread; $6 southwestern egg rolls, boneless wings EVERY DAY until 10 p.m., (bar only) 2 for 1 draft beer, classic margaritas, liquor and wine

2341 Memorial Blvd.

615-410-7747 EVERY DAY 3–7 p.m. $2 domestic drafts and bottles, $2 pork rinds $3 house wine, $3 fried pickles or cheese sticks $4 well liquor, $4 wings

CHAMPY’S CHICKEN 1290 NW Broad St. 615-225-8040 MONDAY–FRIDAY

3–6 p.m., 2 for 1 draft beer $5 double-pour well liquor SATURDAY–SUNDAY

$3.50 mimosas, $5 bloody marys

CAMPUS PUB

CHUY’S

903 Gunnerson Ave. 615-203-3897 EVERY DAY 12–10 p.m. $3 well drinks

801 NW Broad St. 615-494-1660

CARMEN’S TAQUERIA 206 W. Northfield Blvd.

615-410-3516 1935 S. Church St. 615-848-9003

MONDAY–FRIDAY

4–7 p.m.

Free fully-loaded nacho car $2.50 16 oz. domestic draft $5.75 house ’ritas $9.25 house Texas Martinis $1 off glasses of wine

Bonefish Calamari

CINCO DE MAYO 4183 Franklin Rd. 615-410-3390 SUNDAY–TUESDAY all day $2.99 32-ounce Bud Light

COCONUT BAY CAFÉ 210 Stones River Mall Blvd.

615-494-0504 MONDAY $3 Fireball shots, $2 pints, $6.99 snack basket TUESDAY $5 pitchers, $5 burger and fries WEDNESDAY until 8 p.m.

40-cent wings THURSDAY $3 LITs, $1.50 domestic drafts FRIDAY $5 flavored vodkas SATURDAY $6 pitchers and $6 7-inch pizza SUNDAY $3 bloody marys, $3 import drafts, $6.99 snack basket, $2 pints

HOOTERS 730 NW Broad St. 615-867-2337 MONDAY–FRIDAY 3–6 p.m.

$3 domestic drafts $5 imports, Half-price appetizers

JACK BROWN’S BEER AND BURGER JOINT 113 N. Maple St. 615-962-9641 MONDAY–FRIDAY 3–7 p.m.

$1 off drafts and domestics

JONATHAN’S GRILLE 2911 Medical Center Pkwy.

615-410-7960 EVERY DAY 2 for 1 beers of the month, all day MONDAY, WEDNESDAY, SATURDAY 3–7 p.m.

2-for-1 beers, house wine and liquor drinks TUESDAY

2-for-1 beers, house wine and liquor drinks until 10 p.m.

Buy 1 medium pizza, get one free WEDNESDAY 4–7 p.m. $6 select wine and martinis SATURDAY AND SUNDAY

$5 mimosas and bloody marys SUNDAY until 10 p.m.

Half-price select bottles of wine CONTINUED ON PAGE 28

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 26

TUESDAY

$3 frozen margaritas WEDNESDAY 6–10 p.m.

Half off bottles of wine SUNDAY after 6 p.m.

Half off large pizzas

LA SIESTA MEXICAN RESTAURANT 2424 S. Church St. 615-494-1862 1111 Greenland Dr. 615-890-0773

1962 S. Church St. 615-895-2665 MONDAY–SATURDAY

SATURDAY

2–7 p.m.

2 for 1 mixed drinks and beers $6 martinis

$4.50 margarita on the rocks $8.25 pulled pork sliders $9.25 half-slab rib platter $11.99 full-slab rib platter

$14.95 1-pound pork family pack FRIDAY $17.99 full rack of ribs

MONDAY

SUNDAY

Half off all wine bottles

SATURDAY

WEDNESDAY

$34.99 tailgate special: 1 pound of pork, 2 large sides, 8 buns and 20 wings

$6 appetizers

$3.50 tall drafts $4 bloody marys and mimosas $4.75 tall craft beer $8.25 pulled pork sliders $9.25 half-slab rib platter $11.99 full-slab rib platter

THE PARTHENON GRILLE

SUNDAY 3–9 p.m.

Station Grill

LEVEL 3 114 S. Maple St. 615-900-3754 EVERY DAY 5–8 p.m. $3 well drinks, $6 double well drinks 2 for $5 basic domestic beers

MELLOW MUSHROOM 2955 S. Rutherford Blvd.

615-890-8898 MONDAY–FRIDAY 3–6 p.m.

2-for-1 draft pints and half-price well liquors

WEDNESDAY

$3 margarita $5 off margarita pitchers THURSDAY $5 draft beer pitcher, $6.99 combination dinners

OUTBACK STEAKHOUSE 1968 Old Fort Pkwy.

615-849-9200

 STATION GRILL

3–6 p.m.; $5 select mixed drinks and signature cocktails

2053 Lascassas Pk. 615-295-2583 EVERY DAY, 2–6 p.m. $2.50 domestic drafts $3 domestic bottles $3.25 house liquors and wines

PARTY FOWL

THE ALLEY ON MAIN

127 SE Broad St. 615-617-3909

223 W. Main St. 615-203-3498 MONDAY–THURSDAY

WEDNESDAY

MONDAY, WEDNESDAY, THURSDAY 3–6 p.m., TUESDAY all day

4:30 p.m.–close $4 glass of house wine

2-for-1 drafts; $5 wine; $7 boozy slushies, cocktails and appetizers

MILANO II JACK’S PLACE 114 E. College St. 615-624-7390 TUESDAY 4:30 p.m.–close $5 martinis

TUESDAY–SATURDAY

MONDAY–THURSDAY 3–7 p.m. and FRIDAY–SUNDAY

4:30–6 p.m.

2-for-1 well drinks

SAM’S SPORTS BAR AND GRILL

MT BOTTLE

1720 Old Fort Pkwy.

615-904-6464

3940 Shelbyville Hwy. 615-962-9872

MONDAY, WEDNESDAY, THURSDAY and FRIDAY

MONDAY

3–7 p.m., all day

Free pool

TUESDAY, SUNDAY

WEDNESDAY

6 p.m.–close 2 for 1 beer Extra ½ oz. pour on well liquors THURSDAY, 5–10 p.m. $5 bushwackers Half-price wine for ladies

50 cents off beer THURSDAY

$1 drafts SUNDAY

$1.50 off select cans

NACHO’S MEXICAN RESTAURANT 2962 S. Rutherford Blvd., Murfreesboro 615-907-2700 MONDAY $1.50 16 oz. draft beer, $8.99 fajita dinner TUESDAY $1 hard shell tacos 28 * AUGUST 2019 * BOROPULSE.COM

SLICK PIG

TOOT’S

SATURDAY 11 a.m.–3 p.m.

MONDAY

$2 off cocktails; $1 off beer WEDNESDAY Half off glasses and bottles of wine

$7.50 pitchers of beer $10.50 craft pitchers 50-cent jumbo buffalo wings (until 3 p.m.) $4.99 boneless buffalo chicken fingers and fries (until 3 p.m.) $7.50 boneless buffalo chicken platter (after 3 p.m.)

THE BORO BAR & GRILL 1211 Greenland Dr. 615-895-4800 SUNDAY 12–10 p.m. $3 mimosas; $4 bloody marys MONDAY 3–10 p.m. $4 margaritas TUESDAY 3–10 p.m. $1 off tallboys; $3 burgers WEDNESDAY 3–10 p.m.

69-cent wings THURSDAY 3–10 p.m. $2 off pitchers

TUESDAY

2154 Middle Tennessee Blvd.

615-624-8002 MONDAY–FRIDAY 3–6 p.m.

2 for 1 draft beers, domestic bottles, well liquor drinks and wine

$11.99 all-you-can-eat catfish THURSDAY Kids eat free

$42 prime rib for two SUNDAY 3 p.m.–close $6 appetizers

3–7 p.m.

THE BOULEVARD BAR AND GRILLE

WEDNESDAY

FRIDAY AND SATURDAY

2992 S. Church St. 615-410-3335 860 N.W. Broad St. 615- 898-1301 EVERY DAY 8 p.m.–close 2 for 1 drafts; $7.50 Tricycle Sampler (pick 3 appetizers) EVERY DAY 8 p.m.–an hour before close; 2 for 1 well liquors, daquiris, house wine

1920 E Main St. 615-890-3583 $1.50 pork sandwich

FRIDAY

$3.50 import bottles $4.99 catfish, shrimp or clam basket (until 3 p.m.) $8.50 chick-on-a-stick platter (2 skewers, $9.99 for 3 skewers; after 3 p.m.)

MONDAY–THURSDAY all day

$2.99 16-ounce Bud Light $3.99 margaritas $4.99 16-ounce sangria $15.99 margarita pitcher $7.99 pollo loco

$5.99 BLT sliders (after 3 p.m.) $7.50 philly cheesesteak or chicken philly (after 3 p.m.)

TUESDAY

WALL STREET  121 N. Maple St. 615-867-9090 WEDNESDAY AND SUNDAY

5 p.m.–close $6 select domestic pitchers 2 for 1 select tallboys THURSDAY 6 p.m.–close $5 flavored bombs, Jager and Fireball; $6.50 burgers with standard side; 2 for 1 drafts, 2 for 1 select tallboys SATURDAY 11 a.m.–2 p.m.

2 for 1 select drafts and wines Attempting to provide a completely thorough and accurate listing of all Murfreesboro happy hour specials is like trying to hit a moving target. Please send additions and changes to contact@boropulse.com.

$3.50 tall draft beers $4.75 tall craft beers $4.99 half-pound bacon cheeseburger and fries WEDNESDAY

$2 drafts $4 craft pints $4.99 chicken finger basket (until 3 p.m.) $6.99 chicken finger basket (after 3 p.m.)

THURSDAY

$2.50 domestic bottles $4.99 BLT sliders (until 3 p.m.) $6.25 cajun chicken salad (until 3 p.m.)

Wall Street

Reviews MOVIE

a tough detective who is too busy catching criminals to bond with his daughter Nicole (Morales). When he gets Lasik eye surgery, blinding him for 24 hours, he must use Uber to get around and chase his nemesis, because he’s a very vengeful workaholic, sight be damned. Enter Stu, sporting-goods store employee by day, five-star rating obsessed Uber driver by not day. As Vic tracks his perp and Stu acts as his reluctant eyes and wheels, Bautista’s deadpan tough guy act and Nanji-

ani’s sarcastic nerdisms never quite connect like they ought to. Vic’s blindness seems to come and go at the filmmaker’s discretion, and Stu has a sub-plot straight out of an ’80s sex comedy that is pretty uncomfortable, even after the too-little, too-late twist on the trope.

The highlight of the film is when Vic and Stu finally break, getting into a whirlwind brawl at Stu’s sporting goods store, brains vs. brawn pitted against each other in a location full of improvised weapons.

Something about Stuber feels old, like the script was sitting in a filing cabinet since the invention of Lasik. The plot is predictable and a little problematic at times, though the biggest problem is that it isn’t funnier. There are hints that this is a current movie—the prominence of Uber jokes, references to how gender and race relations have changed (if only slightly) since this type of movie was in its heyday—but those nods seem like ad-libs to a script that was originally titled Staxi and had Sly Stallone and Chris Tucker attached. Given the talent involved, it’s just unfortunate that— unlike the day—this script couldn’t be saved.

— JAY SPIGHT

of depth, with only basic strategies necessary for success. Players can certainly upgrade their gear to suit a specific playstyle, but as long as your weapon and armor stats are high enough and you have sufficient backup, there’s little need to do anything other than button-mash and dodge to kill monsters.

Dauntless at least has some great quality of life features. Although the character creation tool is basic, anything about your character can be changed at any time. Additionally, the game is cross-platform, so players on PC, PS4 and Xbox One can all team up to hunt. A mediocre game that can

be played with a friend on another system is undoubtedly more appealing than just not being able to play with them at all, but that is faint praise indeed.

As previously mentioned, Dauntless is free-to-play, which means that it is monetized through microtransactions. The prices of some of these digital items can be egregious (one particular outfit costs $20 worth of premium currency that can only be bought with real money), but the store is not overly pushy, and players can safely ignore it without adversely affecting the experience.

Dauntless is a sufficiently functional timewaster, but only the truly dedicated will feel compelled to hunt the same monsters over and over again to grow incrementally stronger. The game looks nice enough, and being able to play with people on other platforms is a great feature that more games should strive to include, but these aspects cannot alleviate the boredom caused by the simple and repetitive gameplay. Because it is free, there is no harm in giving Dauntless a shot, but the game will lack long-term appeal to those uninterested in the grind.

— LUKE KAUTZKY

STUBER DIRECTOR Michael Dowse STARRING Kumail Nanjiani, Dave Bautista, Natalie Morales RATED R

Stuber, a regrettable portmanteau of the name Stu and the rideshare company Uber, is a new action comedy from the director of Goon starring two charismatic up-and-comers hot off the heels of their breakout roles. Retired pro-wrester turned action hero Dave Bautista stole every scene in every Marvel movie he’s in as Drax, the vengeful alien warrior who takes everything 100 percent literally, and comedian Kumail Nanjiani, co-star of HBO’s Silicon Valley, was nominated for an Academy Award last year for best original screenplay along with his wife for their true story rom-com The Big Sick, in which he also stars.

If any of that tickles your fancy as it did

mine, Stuber will make a great Sunday couch movie, but the rest of this review might only irritate your fancy.

Apparently, Dave and Kumail became best buds during the making of Stuber, which is a lovely story even if it doesn’t translate to great chemistry on screen. Stuber is a rather conventional buddy action comedy, mixed with a little bit of the old fish-out-of-water sauce, and topped with the trappings of the late twenty-teens. Bautista plays Vic Manning,

GAME Dauntless Dauntless, a free-to-play action-RPG from Phoenix Labs, is a good idea with lackluster execution. While not bad by any stretch of the imagination, Dauntless can often come across as aimless; a series of micro-objectives strung together without much reason to care. The moment-to-moment action can be fun, but it does not take long for repetition to set in, and once it does, there is little to keep any but the most devout players engaged.

Dauntless is all about hunting giant monsters called Behemoths. The typical hunt consists of dropping into an environment with up to three other players, locating your quarry and chipping away at it until it dies.

Afterwards, players will use resources gathered from their prey to craft better equipment and hunt even more dangerous Behemoths.

Dauntless boasts solid weapon variety, and

each class of weaponry caters to different playstyles; I was having a thoroughly average time with the sword, but unlocking dual repeaters that allowed me to keep my distance and set traps finally made the combat click.

The Behemoths of Dauntless are varied and nicely designed, and the process of slowly breaking one’s armor and learning its attack patterns is engaging, at least for a time.

While the simplicity of the game will undoubtedly help Dauntless attract players, that same simplicity is also the game’s biggest weakness. Though Dauntless is highly approachable, it lacks any significant amount

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OPENING IN AUGUST PLAYING THIS MONTH

AUG. 2 Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw

AUG. 9 The Peanut Butter Falcon

AUG. 14 The Angry Birds Movie 2

AUG. 16 Where’d You Go, Bernadette

AUG. 23 Angel Has Fallen

News Crime by the Numbers in Murfreesboro MPD’s Crime Clearance Rate of 31 Percent Below State, National Averages

BY TERENCE CORRIGAN NOTE: MURFREESBORO POLICE Department was contacted for comment on the report referenced in this story. Part of their response was a statement by Murfreesboro Police Chief Michael Bowen: “The Murfreesboro Police Department is committed to utilizing all available resources in order to provide quality service to our community and ensure that our city continues to be a safe and enjoyable place for all who live, work and visit.”

Following along with Murfreesboro’s 38.6 percent population increase over the last decade, the number of serious crimes annually reported to local police rose from 11,033 in 2008 to 13,873 in 2018. But, while the number of crimes increased by 27 percent the number of arrests dropped 14 percent from 5,140 in 2008 to 4,422 last year.

(According to Murfreesboro Police, the crime rate in Murfreesboro has declined by 9.4 percent—from 1,084 serious crimes per 10,000 population in 2008 to 982 per 10,000 population in 2018. The department chose not to address the arrest rates.)

Murfreesboro Police cleared just over 31 percent of their cases in 2018, well below their peer group in terms of populations.

Of the other four Tennessee cities with populations close to Murfreesboro’s the crime clearance rates are better with the exception of Chattanooga (population 179,139) with a crime clearance rate of 30.22 percent as compared with Murfreesboro’s 31.28. The other similar-sized cities’ crime clearance rates are as follows: Clarksville – 42.71 percent; Franklin – 47.65 percent; and Knoxville – 46.23 percent.

(Murfreesboro’s was 31.28 percent; well 32 * JUNE 2019 * BOROPULSE.COM

over 10 percent lower.)

Statewide, including all law enforcement agencies, the clearance rate averaged 41.4 percent. (Murfreesboro Police offered an alternative number, saying that the average clearance rate of cities with populations ranging from 125,000 to 200,000 was 37.25 percent, putting Murfreesboro just 5.97 percent below the average of its peer agencies.)

Nationally, according to the FBI’s Uniform Crime Reporting program, law enforcement agencies cleared 45.6 percent of the violent crimes and 18.3 percent of property crimes.

In its annual “Crime in Tennessee” report (2018’s was released in May 2019) the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation compiles crime statistics on 54 of the more serious offenses from all local and state law enforcement agencies. A crime is deemed “cleared” when an arrest is made or when a suspect is identified but circumstances prevented police from making an arrest.

The crimes, called Group A offenses, are divided into three subcategories: crimes against persons, crimes against property and crimes against society.

Property

The most commonly reported property crimes in Murfreesboro over the last decade have been burglary and property damage or vandalism.

The number of burglaries reported to the TBI by Murfreesboro Police in 2018 dropped precipitously from the 2008 figure.

Murfreesboro reported 625 burglaries in 2018 down 38.2 percent from the 1,011 reports in 2008.

In 2008, Murfreesboro Police reported clearing 37 of their 1,011 burglary cases (3.7 percent) arresting 29 adults and eight juveniles.

Ten years later, in 2018, with just 625 burglary reports, Murfreesboro Police cleared 38 cases (improving their percentage to just over 6 percent) arresting 33 adults and five juveniles.

Statewide in 2018 there were 33,101 burglaries reported with 4,736 cases cleared, a

clearance rate of 14 percent.

Nationally, according to the FBI, police cleared 13.1 percent of their burglary cases.

Sex Crimes

In 2018, Murfreesboro Police reported investigating 116 violent sex crimes: 59 reports of forcible rape, four reports of forcible sodomy, 15 reports of sex assault with an object and 38 incidents of forcible fondling. They cleared 10 of those cases (around 8.5 percent). Statewide the clearance rate for those sex crimes was around 31.6 percent: 5,573 incidents of which 1,759 were cleared.

Ten years earlier, in 2008, statewide, the number of the four violent sex crimes reported was similar: 5,156. The clearance rate, however, was better at around 38 percent. But, in Murfreesboro the clearance rate for the four sex crimes was 6.5 percent in 2008. Murfreesboro Police cleared 7 of the 107 violent sex crimes reported in 2008.

Crimes Against Society (Drugs)

Methamphetamine production and use is rising rapidly in Tennessee. The TBI made note of this in the 2018 report pointing out the 66.9 percent rise in reported meth offenses in three years, from 2016 to 2018.

In 2016, statewide, there were 5,526 meth offenses reported. In 2018 that number nearly tripled to 15,899 meth offenses.

Meth offenses are not reported separately by cities and counties.

The rise of drug offenses in Murfreesboro (not including paraphernalia and other drug equipment violations) rose by 26.4 percent in just one year, from 2017 to 2018. Ten years ago, in 2008, the number of offenses was 552.

Over the 10-year period from 2008 to 2018 the population of Murfreesboro has increased by 38.6 percent, from 98,406 to 136,372, while the total number of offenses reported by Murfreesboro Police has increased by 27 percent, from 11,033 in 2008 to 13,873 in 2018.

Of those 13,873 crimes reported in

“In 2018 . . . Murfreesboro Police cleared [just over 6 percent of burglary cases].

Statewide . . . there was a clearance rate of 14 percent.

Nationally, according to the FBI, police cleared 13.1 percent of their burglary cases.”

2018, Murfreesboro Police cleared 4,339, a clearance rate of 31.28 percent.

Statewide, of the 552,110 offenses reported in 2018 the clearance rate was 41.4 percent.

From 2002 to 2018, Murfreesboro Police Department’s clearance rate has ranged from 19 percent in 2005 to 34.79 percent in 2014. The department’s second highest clearance rate was in 2013 at 34.25.

“We are currently reviewing our procedures in order to ensure that clearance rates are being reported as accurately as possible,” according to the MPD statement. “We have recently implemented a new Field Based Reporting system and Case Management system that will allow us to better track clearance rates.”

When asked if the TBI report is “an accurate gauge of what’s really going on?” the department answered “yes.”

To view the complete TBI annual Crime in Tennessee reports going back to 2001, visit tn.gov/tbi/crime-issues/crime-issues/ crimestatistics.

TBI: “Don’t use statistics to judge police

departments” The TBI does not want the statistics in its annual crime report to be used to make comparisons. In his letter introducing the 2018 report, TBI Director David Rausch writes “As always, we strongly discourage ranking of law enforcement agencies according to the statistics. There are too many demographic, socioeconomic and other factors out of the control of law enforcement that contribute to the nature of the crimes committed. Crime varies from place to place and ranking the agencies based solely on numbers would neither be fair to the agencies nor their communities.”

In the introduction to the 1,000 pages of crime statistics, the agency lists factors that it says make comparisons unfair, including climate, cultural conditions, administrative and investigative emphases of law enforcement, family conditions with respect to divorce and family cohesiveness, effective strength of law enforcement, modes of transportation and highway systems, the attitudes of a jurisdiction’s citizenry toward crime and the crime reporting practices of its residents, and policies of judicial and corrections systems.

In short, says the TBI, you can’t say who won a ballgame by the score.

WISH UPON A CURE Aug. 10 Relay for Life honors those affected by cancer

BY LAURA LINDSAY

T

he 2019 Rutherford County Relay for Life will be Disney-themed. The public is invited to come as they are or in costume to honor people in the community who have dealt with cancer and to raise funds for the American Cancer Society.

The theme for the Aug. 10 event is “Wish Upon a Cure,” said volunteer and 2019 Relay for Life public relations spokesperson Ashley Keasling.

“Each team has picked a Disney movie to base their booth off of,” she said. “For example, my team, TK Designs, has picked Dumbo. There will also be people dressed up. Two people are scheduled to come as Belle and Captain America, and people from the teams and committee will be dressed up as well.”

“This theme will be great for kids, and we encourage them to dress up, too.”

This year’s Relay for Life is on Saturday, Aug. 10, from 3 p.m. to midnight at Middle Tennessee Christian School. Daytime activities will be held inside, and the event will move outside at around 8 p.m.

It is free to attend and open to the public, and all money from food and entertainment sales goes to the American Cancer Society.

“This gives you something to do when it’s hot outside, and you don’t have to spend very much money,” Keasling said.

There will be bounce houses for the kids.

The Rutherford County Sheriff ’s Office will have a team in the relay and their booth is Jail & Bail.

“If you want to have someone ‘arrested’ at the relay, give $5, we’ll go arrest them and then people have to raise $10 or $15 to get them out,” said RCSO Deputy Andy Pugh.

The money raised at Relay for Life, and all year for ACS, provides several direct services to cancer patients.

In 2018, Relay for Life alone raised $74,000. This year accordingly, the goal has been raised to $80,000.

“Last year, the American Cancer Society in Rutherford County helped 465 people. It provided them with free lodging at The Hope Lodge, 197 free rides to cancer treatments BOROPULSE.COM

* AUGUST 2019 * 33

Mackenzie Morgan

and 59 patients received free wigs,” Keasling said.

The schedule of events at Relay for Life begins with opening ceremonies at 3 p.m., followed by the start of the relay and the survivors and caregivers lap. Throughout the event, members from each team will switch places in relay style and continually walk the track. From 4–6 p.m. Captain America and Princess Belle will make appearances and there will be a silent auction followed by a live auction at 5 p.m.

The Max Johns Band will perform from 6–7 p.m., followed by the Luminaria Ceremony and the Maypole. Mackenzie Morgan will perform from 10–11:30 p.m. then the event will wrap up with the Fight Back Lap and closing ceremonies.

“For the Luminaria Ceremony, we get paper bags that we put candles inside, and we write people’s names on them,” Keasling said.

“You pay $5 for one to either honor someone who currently has cancer or someone who has lost their life to cancer.

“During the ceremony, we put these around the track, we walk a lap and there is a video playing with music and pictures of some of the people we are honoring who have dealt with cancer. This is a really nice part of the event and it is really emotional, if you haven’t come at another time, this is the part of the event you want to go to. This part will be held outside and following it, we are going to do the maypole, which is just a fun thing we do. The team captain or one person from each team goes around the pole with a ribbon—it’s really cool.”

In addition to participating in these activities, last year 51 people in Rutherford County registered themselves as cancer survivors.

“When someone registers as a survivor, it creates statistics,” Keasling said. “It tells how many people have been helped in the county, in the state and in the United States as a whole. There is also a dinner to honor them.”

American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network volunteer Misty Oblak will be at

Relay For Life providing information about cancer prevention and screenings and talking to people to learn their stories.

“We try to learn peoples’ stories because they are important to pass along to the people making decisions,” Oblak said. “And, it is

great to talk to people and see the survivors, people in treatment and caregivers.”

For more information about Relay for Life events in Murfreesboro and all over the country, volunteering and the American Cancer Society, visit relayforlife.org.

AROUND TOWN ’BORO BUSINESS BUZZ

Primrose Table, Music City Tea, EuroFix, Red Bicycle Axe Throwing, Green Dragon, CJ’s Restaurant,

BY MICHELLE WILLARD KROGER finally confirmed it will not be building a new store on Mercury Boulevard.

Back in 2016, the multi-state grocer bought two lots in Mercury Plaza (former home to Rose’s) with plans to demolish most of the structure and build a super, giant Kroger to replace the current location on Middle Tennessee Boulevard.

“The company has made the decision not to move forward with the Mercury/Middle Tennessee Boulevard location,” Kroger spokeswoman Melissa Eads said last month.

“We are actively working to sell the property on Mercury.”

Instead of a new store, residents will get access to ClickList and “a minor remodel,” Eads said.

Chef Mitchell Murphree opened STEAKHOUSE FIVE, a fine-dining traditional steakhouse at Fountains at Gateway from the owner of Five Senses. Murphree said he intends to offer an upscale, elegant dining experience along with a traditional steakhouse menu. Steakhouse Five is open from 5:30–9:30 p.m. Monday-Thursday, 5:30–10 p.m. Friday and Saturday, and 10 a.m.–1:30 p.m. for Saturday brunch.

PRIMROSE TABLE is also getting closer to opening and is currently hiring. On its Instagram, Chef Jason Matheson posted an expected opening date of September 2019 and posted the menu on its website, primrosetable.com.

The menu features dishes like Pistachio Hummus, Nashville Hot Chicken Quesadilla and Shrimp and Lobster Rolls. And those are just the appetizers. Primrose Table will also offer a variety of salads and burgers, steaks, lamb, gulf fish, short rib roast, shrimp and linguine and more.

Who knew axe throwing would be a thing?

But it is. And now it’s coming to Murfreesboro. Reese and Mike Dixon, the owners of 60MinuteEscape announced they would open JACK SPLIT, which will join 34 * AUGUST 2019 * BOROPULSE.COM

The owners of RED BICYCLE COFFEE have announced that construction has begun at their 1733 St. Andrews Dr. location and that they expect the coffeeshop to open this fall. Red Bicycle has three locations in Nashville and offers a variety of savory and sweet crepe creations in addition to its coffee menu.

MURFREESBORO AXE, as axethrowing venues in town. So if you want to chuck an axe with hopes of it sticking in a wall, now you’ll have two options.

Jack Split will be housed with the escape game at 163 Mall Circle Drive in Murfreesboro. Murfreesboro Axe is located at 855 W. College St. in Murfreesboro.

ENCHANTED FLOWER GIRL opened at 505 Cason Ln., Suite A. The shop offers floral arrangements for any occasion.

Learn more by contacting 931-982-0843 or theenchantedflowergirl.tn@gmail.com.

THE RUSTED TULIP has closed its store on Franklin Road but now operates a

booth in Re-Invintage Home on River Rock.

When DISCOUNT TIRE moved across Old Fort Parkway into a larger building, I wondered what would happen to the old building. Would there be two Discount Tires? If not, how long would the older building stand empty? Rumor has it that EuroFix plans to relocate to the vacant building. For more about the mechanic franchise, visit eurofixonline.com.

Murfreesboro lost two unique restaurants in July. First, Murfreesboro’s Tolkien-themed pub THE GREEN DRAGON closed to business and then CJ’S RESTAURANT and Catering announced it was closing the restaurant side of the business after five

Franklin-based MUSIC CITY TEA SHOP is moving to town. The tea shop will be located at 105 N. Maple St. According to a social media post from mid-July, the shop is moving after six years because of issues with its lease in Franklin. Owners say they expect the shop to be open in August.

years on Northfield Boulevard.

The Green Dragon owner Joe Minter told the local media it was difficult to generate a profit in such a small space. While the pub got good crowds on the weekends, weekday traffic was sparse.

“Restaurants need [customers] all during the week, not just on weekends,” Minter said. Minter opened the Lord of the Rings-styled pub in 2014.

CJ’s Executive Chef and owner Jeffrey Pevehouse made a similar announcement through his restaurant’s Facebook page.

“After five long years, we are sad to report we have closed the restaurant portion of our business. . . . We will miss the regulars for sure! We love you all,” the post said.

Pevehouse will continue with the catering portion of CJ’s and The Heritage Room even space is still available for events with up to 100 guests.

In other food news, the old SEOUL PEPPER on South Church is now sporting a sign that says “Coming Soon SomTum Thai Thai Kitchen.”

CHARMING CHARLIE, which had a store in The Avenue, filed for bankruptcy in July. According to court filings, the company only had $6,000 in cash on hand, CNN reported.

This is the second time in two years that the women’s clothing and accessories store has filed for bankruptcy. In 2017, it closed 100 stores and restructured but consumers’ continued turn to online shopping spelled the demise of its brick-and-mortar stores.

Charming Charlie has 260 stores in 38 states and employs more than 3,300 people.

FEATURED COMMERCIAL LISTING - OFFICES

COMING SOON to Sims II Mezzanine: Music City Tea Shop will open this Fall. Shop Owner Jinlan “Jenny” Zhong (Pictured with Adam Gray, VP of MCTS and building Owner, Larry Sims), an expert of Chinese teas hails from the area around Wuyishan, Fujian Province in China where her family has been growing and selling tea for over three generations.

Customers will soon be able to enjoy tea tastings & gong fu tea ceremonies and will be able to purchase custom blends of fine green, white, black, and oolong tea along with delectable foods and snacks in the old world tradition.

Join Music City Tea Shop in SIMS II. BOROPULSE.COM

* AUGUST 2019 * 35

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Ty Lee

Blue Raiders Open Season at Michigan Announce Beer Garden, Family Fun Zone at Floyd Stadium MTSU BLUE RAIDERS will open the 2019 football season at NCAA powerhouse Michigan on Saturday, Aug. 31.

The team will open its home schedule the following week against mid-state opponent Tennessee State.

MTSU will also host Duke, Marshall, FIU, Rice and Old Dominion in Murfreesboro this season.

Coming off a C-USA East Division title and a school record fourth-straight bowl appearance, MTSU will return 49 lettermen and 10 starters, including record-setting receiver Ty Lee and defensive standouts Reed Blankenship and Jovante Moffatt.

However, MTSU must name a new starting quarterback before the start of the 2019 season, following the departure of four-year starter Brent Stockstill, who set virtually every school passing record and finished in the top 20 in all-time touchdown passes in the NCAA. Those in the running for the starting quarterback job are Asher O’Hara, Chance Nolan, Chase Cunningham and Randall Johnson, a 6-foot, 5-inch junior college transfer from Los Angeles. Of the group, Cunningham has the most experience with the Blue Raiders, playing in four games in 2018, though all were late in the contest with the outcomes already decided.

Whomever becomes the new Blue Raider quarterback, he’ll get to step into the back36 * AUGUST 2019 * BOROPULSE.COM

field alongside some experience. Middle Tennessee’s top rusher from last season, Chaton Mobley, will return as a redshirt sophomore, while Terelle West, a redshirt senior, will also be back.

Speedster Jayy McDonald could also step in to help in the backfield and return game.

Senior Ty Lee leads the receiving corps.

Through three seasons, he’s established himself as one of the best Blue Raider wideouts of all-time, ranking third in program history in career receptions, fifth in receiving yards and tied for third in touchdown grabs. The 5-foot and 9-inch Lee caught seven TDs in 2018.

Offensive coordinator Tony Franklin will look to C.J. Windham, Jimmy Marshall, Jocquez Bruce and Isaiah Upton to step up at wideout.

The Blue Raiders’ home opener against Tennessee State on Sept. 7 will serve as a former players reunion weekend.

The following weekend Middle Tennessee will host ACC member Duke and head coach David Cutcliffe. The 6 p.m. start time will be the Blue Raiders’ popular blackout game.

On Oct. 5, Marshall’s Thundering Herd will come to town for the program’s annual Hall of Fame Weekend. Kickoff is set for 2:30 p.m. with the Hall of Fame induction ceremony scheduled for noon.

The Blue Raiders will play host to FIU for Homecoming on Oct. 26, and the Nov. 16 contest against the Rice Owls will serve as the Blue Raiders’ Salute to veterans and Armed Forces.

The home finale for Senior Day will be

against division rival Old Dominion on Nov. 23.

Additionally, MTSU is brewing up an exciting new attraction at Floyd Stadium this season to enhance the fan experience for Blue Raider faithful.

The Blue Raider Beer Garden will debut at field level in the south end zone, in partnership with Hop Springs Beer Park, Steel Barrel Brewery and the MTSU Fermentation Sciences program. Entrance to the field level area is free with a ticket to the game but guests must be 21 or over.

The garden, which will start serving when stadium gates open, will feature different Steel Barrel craft beers for purchase, as well as grilled food and tables with umbrellas where fans can enjoy the game.

There will also be an area for corn hole, giant jenga and other games.

Students in MTSU’s Fermentation Science program will provide ideas and input to Hop Springs for the brewery to create small-batch brews that will only be served in the beer garden. Each beer will have a different name with a theme related to the week’s opponent.

“We visualize this area to be a festival/ street fair-type area in the south end zone for all of our fans over 21 years old to enjoy as they watch great C-USA football,” said MT Director of Athletics Chris Massaro.

“We hope this unique offering will help grow attendance and provide a better game environment for our fans while perfectly showcasing yet another partnership athletics has with academics.”

The Blue Raiders announced another new attraction inside Floyd Stadium this football season—the Blue Raider Family Fun Zone, located on the upper concourse in the north endzone. This area has been created with kids in mind. The Family Fun Zone will include four inflatables, a face painter, balloon artist and various carnival games throughout the season.

Fans should note that MTSU is implementing a clear bag policy at Floyd Stadium this year. Those attending games may only bring in clear bags that do not exceed 12 inches by 6 inches by 12 inches. The only exceptions are small clutch-type purses.

Binoculars, cameras and smartphones are allowed, but their cases will not be allowed.

MTSU will have all 12 of its games broadcast on television for the 2019 football season. This will include an NFL Network broadcast of the Oct. 26 game against FIU, part of a new agreement between Confer-

ence USA and the NFL Network.

NFL Network will broadcast one game each Saturday afternoon for four seasons, beginning in 2019.

“We are excited to showcase the next generation of NFL athletes to our fans on a weekly basis,” NFL Media CEO Hans Schroeder said. “Our fans crave live football, and partnering with Conference USA—a conference which boasts several Hall of Fame players—provides us with an excellent opportunity to do so.”

2019 MTSU BLUE RAIDER FOOTBALL SCHEDULE: Saturday, Aug. 31 – 6:30 p.m. at University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, Big Ten Network Saturday, Sept. 7 – 6 p.m.

Tennessee State University, Murfreesboro, ESPN3 Saturday, Sept. 14 – 6 p.m.

Duke University, Murfreesboro Stadium on Facebook Saturday, Sept. 28 – TBA At University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa ESPN or ESPN2 Saturday, Oct. 5 – 2:30 p.m.

Marshall University, Murfreesboro CBS SN Saturday, Oct. 12 – 3 p.m.

At Florida Atlantic University, Boca Raton, Florida ESPN+ Saturday, Oct. 19 – 3 p.m.

At University of North Texas, Denton, Texas Stadium TV Saturday, Oct. 26 – 2:30 p.m.

Florida International University, Murfreesboro NFL Network Saturday, Nov. 2 – 2:30 p.m.

At Charlotte, Charlotte, North Carolina ESPN3 Saturday, Nov. 16 – 3:30 p.m.

Rice University, Murfreesboro ESPN+ Saturday, Nov. 23 – 3:30 p.m.

Old Dominion University, Murfreesboro ESPN3 Saturday, Nov. 30 – 1 p.m.

At Western Kentucky University, Bowling Green, Kentucky ESPN+

For tickets and more information on Blue Raider athletics, visit goblueraiders.com.

SPORTS

TALK

COLUMN BY “Z-TRAIN”

titanman1984@gmail.com

Taylor Lewan

is feared by opponents. Being honest, I don’t care if he took them by accident or not. I only care that he gets on the field as soon as possible so that his $80 million contract can be used helping the Titans win games!

Alright, that was depressing, but necessary. Next issue, it’s all Titans talk, and it will be 90 percent encouraging.

ESPN CAN’T AVOID POLITICS

LEWAN, ESPN AND, ONCE AGAIN, HUBBARD THE TRAIN DADDY IS BACK with sports news, life lessons and politically incorrect talk. All aboard!

I love all you loyal readers—you have my absolute appreciation. Last month’s issue regarding Team USA and the discussion of equal pay received a lot of feedback, overwhelmingly positive. Glad to know Middle Tennessee still has common sense. Some of you disagreed and sent me scolding emails. I also absolutely, positively have appreciation for my haters! If you’re reading this now, haters, you’re keeping me relevant.

Two issues ago I did a piece on my disgust towards transgender athletes.

Just a little forewarning: at the end of this article I have another example of the ridiculousness that results when biological men compete professionally in sports with biological women. Why bring this up so often, Z-Train? The simple answer is that it bothers me. I wish to shed light on this with the hope that it ends before it becomes prevalent. We already have trans athletes breaking world records, and soon we won’t have any natural born females holding any.

Many of you may be standing around in the future saying “how did this happen?” and I will say “I tried to tell you, over and over. I brought attention to numerous stories and examples.”

Footy football is just around the corner.

The level of excitement this brings me can’t be put into words. Football is perfect, it is family, it’s friends, it’s good food and it is simply a way of life. I mean, my motto is the 5 Fs—Faith, Family, Football, Food and Friends!

Next issue we will get in depth with a 100 percent Tennessee Titans-only preview, so I am excited for that article. But for now let’s just keep it simple with a little Titan talk, some ESPN shenanigans, and we’ll wrap it all 38 * AUGUST 2019 * BOROPULSE.COM

up with a transgender bow. So, let’s get into the beef of this enchilada.

Lewan Suspended

I want to first discuss Taylor Lewan. Lewan failed a drug test and is now being suspended for the first four games of the 2019 season. He violated the league’s performance-enhancing drug policy after, supposedly unbeknownst to him, taking the banned substance. He put out a tearful video apologizing to the Titans and the team’s fans. In one segment he says “I want everyone to know that I’ve never taken this supplement knowingly, and I’ve never cheated the game and I never will.” He also released the results from a polygraph appearing to back up that claim.

Lewan will dispute the test results in an appeal that will probably do him no good.

The fact remains they found ostarine in his urine sample, purposely ingested or not, making it very unlikely he will win an appeal.

I believe Taylor Lewan’s claim and yet I have zero sympathy for him. As former Titan safety Bernard Pollard said, “I can care less about a polygraph test. You mean to tell me you are a multimillion-dollar athlete and you don’t know what the freak you’re putting in your system?”

Harsh words, and they ring true for me.

Coach Vrabel even stressed that players who aren’t positive about taking new supplements should always bring them in for strength and conditioning coaches to double-check whether they’re approved. Instead, Taylor put his trust in an unnamed nutritionist who probably worked at GNC. Taylor just got paid a huge contract and now he is leaving Marcus Mariota less protected.

The Titans open the season vs. the Browns, Colts, Jags and Falcons.

I love Lewan’s fiery passion. He is one of the best offensive linemen in the game. He passionately protects his quarterback and he

Just a few issues ago I wrote about how the current ESPN president announced the network would stay away from discussing politics. Recently Dan Le Batard ignored the network’s stance on avoiding politics on the air. Dan went on a rant, criticizing President Trump for his comments on a few female congresswomen. Dan also criticized ESPN’s political policy as “cowardly,” putting the network and ESPN President Pitaro in a no-win situation.

Pitaro met with Dan shortly after the controversy and, by all accounts, Dan won’t be punished. The left applauded Dan and can’t wait to see if he once again undermines his network and boss. Go watch the clip on YouTube, it’s so awkward. The other analyst on the show seems uncomfortable. My go-to channel from age 16–25 was ESPN. It was always on my TV, even when I wasn’t paying attention. My go-to channel these days is the Weather Channel. That’s right! I love watching live radars. ESPN better wake up; it is still one of the most expensive cable channels.

Many pay a monthly bill so they wouldn’t know what each individual channel costs, but ESPN charges nearly double what the nextmost-popular channel costs.

I learned a few things from this. Dan doesn’t respect his boss, and President Pitaro is weak. He made a rule, it was broken, and he should have fired Dan. Instead Pitaro feared facing a leftist backlash. I thought Pitaro was a man of strength after announcing the network would cease political noise.

He proved me wrong.

MORE FROM WEIGHTLIFTER

I told you we would end on the topic of transgender athletes. Laurel Hubbard, I have written about Hubbard many times in the past. Hubbard suffered a gruesome arm injury lifting last year, considered at the time to be “career ending.” Hubbard, who was born a man named Gavin, was on track to represent New Zealand in the 2020 Olympics prior to the injury.

Out of nowhere, Hubbard is back in the news and winning. Hubbard recently won two gold medals and one silver in three heavyweight categories at the Pacific games.

Samoa’s Prime Minister is appealing to

the council stating “This man should have never been allowed by the Pacific Games Council president to lift with the women. I was shocked when I first heard about it. No matter how we look at it, he’s a man and it’s shocking this was allowed.”

Hubbard beat hometown favorites, two impressive looking natural born Samoan females who finished second and third. The online backlash was strong, and why not?

This is not fair play.

Former Olympic medalist Sharron Davies summed up my thoughts perfectly after Hubbard won. “It will take female athletes being thrown under the bus at Tokyo 2020 before changes are made to transgender rules.”

Hubbard can become the first transgender athlete to win Olympic gold with the new IOC rules. Davies is also positive the rules will change after natural born women lose in the Olympics to a transgender athlete. Why have we allowed this madness? The 41-yearold who was born Gavin transitioned while in his mid-30s and is once again on track to qualify for the 2020 Olympics.

What’s the answer? Do we force individuals to compete with their biological gender?

Do we create a transgender league? Do we just agree to believe men and women aren’t different, and have one unisex league? Imagine the feminists then! How many women would be represented? Not many.

I very much enjoy watching women compete in the Olympics. I have been glued to the last two decades’ worth of Olympic games. I respect them as athletes and women, as well as their history books and records. Grab your popcorn for the next few years of female athletics, folks, because it’s about to be a historic circus of bad decisions. I agree with Davies— the world will wake up after transgender athletes start winning on the big stage. It’s a shame we can’t wake up right now.

Choo-choo! The Train Daddy is rolling into the station. I have one word of advice for people who play standard league fantasy football: always use your first two picks to take the two best running backs available. I am the 2018 Train Daddy Mafia Champion after all. I can’t wait for them to hand me my trophy at this year’s live draft.

If you learned anything this issue, I hope it was this: enjoy football this season with family and friends while enjoying some delicious food. Make memories. Don’t take drugs unless you know what kind of drugs you’re taking. And regarding sports, society has agreed men and women aren’t on a level playing field. We have gender leagues for a reason, and separate leagues take nothing away from the success of one or the other genders. To my loyal readers and haters, peace!

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Opinion

Trash Talk

Murfreesboro Residents Consider Financial, Moral Future of Local Waste Management

BY ANGELA LOUPE MURFREESBORO IS IN THE MIDST of a compounding trash problem, and it’s no secret that Middle Point Landfill is nearing capacity. The soon-to-be increasing fee that city residents have witnessed on their water bill over the past six months has brought to light what years of free service never did.

We’re finally starting to talk trash.

While there has been an increase of trash talk in the community about the growing problems we’re facing, some solutions only seem to create more problems. During a recent local gathering, the idea was proposed that the community members should step in where the government has stagnated.

While this American ideal has clout and merit, continuing efforts are necessary, as some ideas discussed in the meeting were met with inevitable resistance.

Seema Prasad, a Nashville restaurant proprietor and one of the meeting’s speakers, was in attendance promoting an idea for recycling using an anaerobic digester, which is basically a responsible way to address the organic portion of our landfill waste; think food scraps and compost materials. While Prasad’s presentation was compelling, it left a bitter taste in the mouths of some at the meeting. She did an excellent job outlining the benefits of the digester system while expressing her conscientious intentions, but the bottom line was a price tag to be passed on to the city residents, the same contributors who would be providing the commodity. Being the host community would provide a discounted rate to the residents of Rutherford County, but that still seemed to float somewhere around $25-$50/month. If citizens are upset about an extra $7/month charge for trash disposal, you can see why the proposal fell somewhat short of expectations. Nonetheless, it makes sense from the perspective of waste and recycling to consider this option.

Prasad hopes to get the community on board through awareness and education.

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Pam Furlong, manager of the Tennessee Rehabilitation Center in Murfreesboro, offered ideas that fared better. She proposed that her clients are in need of work and are willing to do the work that others won’t. Last month I reported that cross-contamination redirects a staggering number of recyclable commodities to the landfill, for something as simple and easily avoidable as the recyclable being enclosed within a plastic bag. The cost to separate the recyclable commodity from the bag exceeds the amount it costs to haul the recyclable to the landfill, and so to the landfill it goes. However, if there is an untapped community of workers who would be willing to separate those commodities for minimum wage, it seems like a solution worth exploring.

Steve Baughman, self-made businessman and the coordinator of the meeting, has his own stake in the game. Many years ago, his daughter was diagnosed with leukemia. Years later, he made the connection between her illness and environmental contributing factors. He knows firsthand the devastation that irresponsible actions can cause. Being a concerned citizen, Baughman essentially has begun a public call for conscientious citizens who are willing to address these problems. He intends to create a coalition he wants to dub the Waste Alliance. Ultimately, his vision is to prevent the hardships his own family and others like him have had to endure on account of bureaucratic negligence and a lack of education.

Dr. Jeremy Aber introduced himself as

a volunteer representing the non-partisan, nonprofit Statewide Organizing for Community eMpowerment (SOCM). Aber is a chair member for the Rutherford County chapter. One of the things the organization has focused on is the solid waste problems that the county is facing and will continue to face as the landfill approaches capacity.

“We’re really committed to advocating for zero-waste policies in our community,” he said. “In a nutshell, the idea of zero waste is that we are going to lean very heavily on things like composting and recycling in order to reduce our solid waste stream as much as possible, with the understanding that we will always have a certain amount of waste left over . . . you can’t recycle everything.”

Aber stressed that this is a reasonable expectation of modern-day citizens.

Dan Jameson, vice president of government and regulatory affairs, and Jeremy Jernigan, Middle Point Landfill manager, were also on hand representing Republic Services. Jameson jumped right in and admitted that things weren’t always handled appropriately.

“But, I think you’ll see through Jeremy’s efforts, the things that we’ve been doing, we are here to do the right thing,” Jameson said. Furthermore, he added that his company has essentially grown and moved in a more conscientious direction as time has progressed. While the relationship be-

“Cross-contamination redirects a staggering number of recyclable commodities to the landfill, for something as simple and easily avoidable as the recyclable being enclosed within a plastic bag.”

tween the landfill and the community has had its challenges, Jameson admitted the problems our community faces head-on and sounded interested in realistic solutions. Having Republic Services on-board with this effort could prove to be a vital component of its success.

The overall mood of the meeting was a mixture between financial apprehension and moral obligation. While many people attended the meeting, from local residents to government officials, and many different directions were explored, continued efforts will be coordinated as a general consensus is sought. Ultimately, the community has taken steps toward becoming more self-sufficient.

There is a quote I’ve heard paraphrased many different ways that essentially advises a willing participant to focus on the solution rather than the problem. In accord with this, I’ve witnessed a large number of concerned citizens who are frustrated by red tape, who are willing to roll up their sleeves and do some work to benefit our community. This is the recipe for great beginnings.

Additionally, I’ve met a large number of members of our community in the various endeavors I’ve committed to over the years, both on a professional and personal level.

The level of entrepreneurialism, intelligence and creativity I’ve encountered is astounding. It seems to me that we can continue congregating as a community and can think tank our way to viable solutions that alleviate the problems we’re facing.

I earnestly urge residents to take part in this collective effort. You can reach out to Steve Baughman by email at stevebaughman@comcast.net for more information on future meetings and locations.

Groups Throwing Around Words Like ‘Racist,’ ‘Nazi’ to Justify Violence

T

he terms “racist” and “Nazi” have been bandied about as of late so cavalierly that I thought the whole affair deserved closer examination. Up until now I’ve always thought these words were the equivalent of running out of bullets and throwing your gun at the other person. I’ve decided—in today’s context—there’s much more to it.

The Trump haters fall into several different camps with entirely different agendas. First there’s the NeverTrumpers. These are usually conservatives, or at least moderates, who find Donald Trump to be a vulgarian and beneath the dignity of the White House. I can sympathize with this group. I get it. He’s certainly not like any other president we’ve ever had.

Who among us hasn’t wished that he would tweet less? I think this group is allowing their personal animus toward the president to blind them to perhaps the most amazing economic resurgence of our lifetimes, but I get why they don’t like him.

Then there’s the power class in Washington. This includes people like Nancy Pelosi and Chuck Schumer. These are the political game-players. They’re accustomed to shifts in power, and they position themselves to take full advantage of their opponents’ weaknesses. They’ll throw in the occasional barb of racism just to stir the pot, but it’s unlikely their hearts are in it. They’ll simply say and do anything for political expediency.

We start to move into dangerous territory with this next group. These are the Trump-deranged. The people like Rashida Tlaib who, in 2016, was pulled kicking and screaming from a Trump rally like a raving lunatic. Two years later she’s elected to Congress.

A few months after that she’s part of “The Squad” who essentially run things in the House of Representatives.

These are the firm believers that Trump is a Nazi and a racist despite no evidence to support it. They are just one degree separated from the most dangerous

VIEWS OF A

CONSERVATIVE

PHIL VALENTINE

philvalentine.com

faction which seems to be a fringe group to the casual observer. But remember, Rashida Tlaib was foaming at the mouth at Trump rallies just three years ago.

I’m talking about Antifa. This is the Gestapo arm of the movement. The irony is Antifa supposedly stands for anti-fascist. This band of violent thugs is the very embodiment of fascism, except they’re actually communists. This is something that confuses most people. They believe communism and fascism are on opposite ends of the political spectrum. In reality they’re two wings of the same ugly bird of prey, and they’re fighting over control of you.

The Squad has refused to denounce the violent thugs of Antifa. They routinely descend on rallies like a swarm of locust, faces covered in black bandanas, wielding clubs, rocks and fists against anyone who opposes them.

Because if you’re against the anti-fascists, they reason, you must be a fascist. In other words, you must be a Nazi.

And this is the interesting revelation I’ve discovered.

These hurled insults of “racist” and “Nazi” are not so much designed to inflict pain on those they’re thrown at.

They’re designed to solidify the resolve of the one who hurls them. These invective epithets are their way of convincing themselves that you are the worst scum imaginable in order to justify any means necessary to destroy you.

After the recent dust-up between the Squad and President Trump, I saw a commentator on MSNBC. He said that after the tweets there was no longer any doubt that anyone who voted for Trump was a racist.

Their justification for violence has been set. They simply now await their Kristallnacht.

“The irony is Antifa supposedly stands for anti-fascist.

This band of violent thugs is the very embodiment of fascism, except they’re actually communists.”

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Phil Valentine is an author and nationally syndicated radio talk show host with Westwood One. For more of his commentary and articles, visit philvalentine.com.

Live Exceptionally...Well!

BY JENNIFER DURAND

Ideas Are Infinite . . . Bring Yours to Life!

AS I SAT SIPPING MY MORNING TEA under a tree in the back yard, I looked around and noticed all of the progress we have made since we moved in. What once was a dirt plot had a lovely house, deck, paved driveway, pool with a deck and cabana, fire pit, trees, landscaping, a shop that is bigger than our home, a yard with grass, flowers, rock garden, hammock, a few sheds, outdoor furniture, grill and more. I drank in the view and thought “Wow. This is a result of ideas manifested.”

What was once just a thought, first developed into a vision, then became a discussion where creativity combined with conscious thought resulted in action.

In turn, action manifested into a beautiful, visual, practical, usable space that has been enjoyed by family, friends, neighbors and little four-legged animals.

This, of course, became a metaphor. We all, so often, have ideas that we are anxious to put into action. We get excited about making a change or making life better somehow. We are disappointed if it doesn’t happen fast enough, or if it doesn’t seem to happen at all. The great thing about ideas is they are infinite. Endless. Never-ending. Always changing. Evolving as our experience grows.

“Progress is born of experience.”

— Mary Baker Eddy One thing that has been constant throughout time is change. Growth, development and change never stops. Many times, in the moment, we think we are limited; limited on time, resources, money and energy. This thinking can cause us irritation, worry, fear, trepidation, even inaction. We think that life will never change and we are stuck in monotony.

This, of course, is only a thought. A weak one at that. Without even realizing it we move forward, doing the things that have to be done just to exist.

Then we add a little sprinkle to our vision, then another. As time passes, you see your vision developing and growing into something tangible. More ideas come along, making the original thought even better, more refined. Then one day you sit in the environment where creation occurred and you think “Wow! Look at this. It is so beautiful. I am so fortunate to enjoy such surroundings.”

“Progress is impossible without change, and those who cannot change their minds cannot change anything.” — George Bernard Shaw All of a sudden time stands still, or so it seems.

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There is no wanting, wishing, worry. There is only what exists, fully formed, in front of you. Appreciation of the original vision is met with gratitude for the work that went into creating, building and completing an idea. Then, of course, since ideas are infinite, more of them show up. You probably shelve way more of them than you can take action on. The point is, to see how time has no relevance when we can see our thoughts manifested. So when you find yourself doubting that anything will ever change, just look around you and you will see the possibilities. Notice things. See the buildings, neighborhoods, decorations, relationships, conversations, body transformations, births, celebrations and so on. They were all, at one time, only ideas.

“Patience and persistence are the providers of progress.” — Tim Fargo When we entertain a false sense of life—limited, lacking, deprived, motionless, depressive—we hide or cover up the divine or infinite possibilities available to us. It’s like living in the dark, unable to see things clearly, or even at all.

What happens to the darkness when the light is turned on the darkness disappears. There is only light, and it opens our eyes to creativity, opportunity and infinite possibilities.

Jennifer Durand is the owner and operator of The Nurture Nook Day Spa & Gift Shoppe; she is a certified QiGong and Breathe Empowerment instructor, a skin care and makeup specialist, an InterPlay leader and is licensed in massage therapy, body work and somatic integration. Let her help you find your personal “ahh . . .” factor by visiting nurturenook.com or facebook.com/nurturenookdayspa or by calling (615) 896-7110.

SPIRITUAL

MATTERS

Connecting the Signs “WITH THIS RING, I THEE WED.” Married couples have spoken these words to each other before God and a congregation of witnesses for many centuries. They are rich with covenantal meaning. A bride and groom confess their love for each other and promise to live that love out in their lives together. We sometimes refer to it as “tying the knot,” for the two people bind themselves to each other in the covenant ceremony of marriage. They unite to become one through the promising of the wedding vows. By these vows, the marriage contract is enacted, and the ring is placed on the finger as a binding token of that enactment. The ring becomes a sign of their covenantal union. And wearing that ring on the finger seals, or authenticates, those vows to the married couple for the rest of their lives.

From that moment on, the ring lives as a part of each person, always teaching, always reminding, always reassuring, always promising the reality of that covenant relationship.

Anyone who understands the significance of their wedding ring would rather misplace or lose any other piece of jewelry, no matter what the monetary value. Their ring is more precious than the gold it is made of because it is a sign of their priceless covenantal union.

Covenant signs, such as the wedding ring, are physical testimonies of a deeper spiritual relationship. This is just as true for God’s covenant in scripture as it is for the covenant between a man and a woman. The Bible tells us that, through Christ’s death, He has made a “covenant of love,” with His bride, the church.

For we are His bride in a greater sense than a woman is the bride of her husband. This covenant is commonly referred to as the covenant of grace, and in establishing it Christ gives His bride not the sign of a ring, but rather the two sacramental signs of baptism and the Lord’s Supper. These two signs communicate and confirm the reality of Christ’s covenant to His church. Saint Augustine said 44 * AUGUST 2019 * BOROPULSE.COM

that these sacraments of Christ’s covenant are “A visible form of an invisible grace.” Like the wedding ring, they are always teaching, always reminding, always reassuring, and always promising. The sacrament of baptism signifies our entrance into Christ’s covenant: “For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ” (Galatians 3:27).

And the sacrament of the Supper signifies our communal participation in that covenant: “The cup of blessing that we bless, is it not a participation in the blood of Christ? The bread that we break, is it not a participation in the body of Christ?” (I Corinthians 10:16).

Do we think of baptism and the Lord’s Supper as sacramental signs flowing from Christ’s covenant of love? We should, for they are gracious tokens of the faithfulness He pledges in His covenant promises. Like our wedding ring, these signs should hold a special value to us, for they bring the reality of the covenant closer to our hearts and minds. As we become partakers of them, we should search for the deeper meaning of their outward symbolism—our precious union with Jesus.

The importance and beauty of entering this covenantal union with our Savior is the overarching message of scripture. The Apostle Paul speaks of Christ’s “covenant of love” frequently in his letters. And on the occasion of its institution, Jesus spoke of accomplishing the covenant as the ultimate purpose of His earthly ministry. He told His disciples He came to suffer and die, and that death would secure the blessed union the bread and the cup symbolize. In this blessed union, we become one with Christ and are given a new identity in Him. In the seventeenth chapter of John’s gospel, Jesus prays that His bride “may all be one” in Him, “just as you, Father, are in me, and I in you, that they also may be in us” (John 17:21). Do we think of our relationship with Jesus in these terms? He has entered a covenant with us as our Bridegroom and we

have become one with Him. to the marriage. Christ’s covenant This covenant brings us into now exists in its accomplished the beautiful marital bliss of state, but prior to His death, the

BY RICK a communion with our Crecovenant was yet to be consumMALONE ator and Redeemer. By being mated. And so, during the time of “in Christ,” we are given all that is betrothal the signs took a different His. We are given His righteousness, form. The Lord’s Supper took the form of His forgiveness, His peace, His redemption, the Passover meal and baptism took the form His resurrection and life (Ephesians 1:3-13). of circumcision. For as the Passover meal And so, we enter a rest as we enter into this was the sign of participation in the covenant, marriage. We rest from our own strivings circumcision was the sign of entrance into the and performance. We rest from our failures covenant. As the Apostle Paul tells us in his letand our brokenness. And we rest from the ter to the Romans: “Abraham received the sign judgment and anger of a Holy God. For in our of circumcision as a seal of the righteousness blessed union with Christ, we find that we are that he had by faith” (Romans 4:11). now accepted in the Beloved (Ephesians 1:6).

These two Old Testament signs signified This covenant of grace is the salvation that the covenant was yet to be fulfilled. Like God’s bride has always rested in, not only in the sign of an engagement ring, they promised the New Testament, but through all of time. a greater relationship yet to come. Because The writer to the Hebrews tells us that Moses, of this connection, the covenant signs give who lived fifteen hundred years before Jesus us contact points between the Old and New ever walked the face of this earth, “considered Testaments. And by connecting those signs we the reproach of Christ greater wealth than gain a fuller understanding of Christ and the the treasures of Egypt” (Hebrews 11:26). And covenant of love He has made with us.

Paul tells us that 430 years before the law was As children, we all enjoyed the game of given by Moses, this covenant of Christ was connecting the dots. We drew lines between already confirmed to Abraham, the father of a sequence of numbered dots which at first faith (Galatians 3:17). It is in this one covenant made no sense to us. By the time we finished of love that Abraham and all the children of the game we had created a beautiful picture faith, through all of time, place their hope and we didn’t know was there. In the same way, trust. When Christ told His disciples he came scripture would have us connect the signs to accomplish the covenant, He was referbetween the Testaments. As we view the ring to this 2,000-year-old promise made to Old Testament through this lens of Christ’s Abraham. For two millennia the children of covenant, it will bring much of the Old Tesfaith waited for this promise to be fulfilled by tament to life for us in a new way. We will the coming Messiah. And on the night Jesus begin to see a picture in the Old Testament said, “This cup that is poured out for you is we didn’t know was there. We will begin to the new covenant in my blood” (Luke 22:20), see the truth that, not only was the Passthe Messiah was fulfilling His wedding vows. over lamb Christ, but that the rock Moses Therefore, in this covenant of Christ, we see struck to give water was Christ, and that the beautiful connection between the Old and the temple, the meeting place with God was New Testaments, for they are both testaments Christ, and that the bush which burned and of that one covenant of love. The Old Testayet was not consumed was Christ. And so ment anticipated the wedding to come and many more. As we connect the dots, we find the New Testament details and celebrates the that the scripture creates a beautiful picture fulfillment of the marriage contract through of Christ, both Old and New Testament. the death and resurrection of Jesus.

Isn’t it time we start connecting the dots We saw in last month’s article that this between the Testaments? God has given beautiful connection between the Testaments us the signs to teach us that from the very extends even to the covenant signs. During beginning God made the wedding plans the time of the Old Testament, the Passover of His Son to His bride, a bride which has meal served the purpose of prefiguring (in a been gathered throughout all the ages: those shadowy form) the truth the Supper now sigwhom He has redeemed with His love. nifies with much greater clarity. But since the “Now all these things happened to them Passover meal took place long before Christ as types, and have been written down for our came, that truth was foreshadowed in the admonition, because we live in a time when lamb that was slain. The Passover meal and all these things of the past have reached their the Supper connect with one another, for they goal” (I Corinthians 10:11). are the same sign for different stages of our beautiful covenant relationship with Christ, Reach Rick Malone at not unlike the engagement period compared myspiritualmatters@gmail.com

 RECOMMENDED READING “This work has been selected by scholars as being culturally important, and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it. This work was reproduced from the original artifact, and remains as true to the original work as possible. This work is in the public domain in the United States of America. Within the U.S., you may freely copy and distribute this work, as no entity (individual or corporate) has a copyright on the body of the work.” — books.google.com

Ecce Deus

Essays on the Life and Doctrine of Jesus Christ

BY JOSEPH PARKER (1867)

Ch. XVI

The Cross of Christ: Part II What, then, was the relation of the cross to sin? It meant more than condemnation. The mere condemnation of sin was not worth all this expenditure of the finest fiber of life. The thunder or the whirlwind might have sufficed for anathema, had that been all that the case required. There was, however, not only a curse to pronounce, but a blessing to offer—not only was the devouring beast that had committed such havoc in the flock of God to be destroyed, but that flock was to be protected, saved! This could not be done by mere power. The hand of the Lord is omnipotent, but omnipotence can work upon the heart only with the heart’s consent. We say reverently, but with deep conviction, that when omnipotence is weak, then it is strong; broken, if the armies of heaven had fought in his name. In the hour of its majesty omnipotence may strike terror into human hearts; but when omnipotence allows itself to be mocked, defied, wounded, and broken on the cross, it gets hold upon the heart deep as the roots of life. The cross, be it repeated, goes deeper than mere condemnation; it shows how the holiest suffer most, and how without suffering even the holiest cannot forgive. It shows the tenderness of God. He cannot look with indifference upon fallen humanity; he suffers with it, that through suffering he may renew his hold upon it, and recover it to himself. So the cross comes to have a great power in interpreting the essential dignity and value of human nature. In God’s suffering we see man’s worth.

His erectness, faculty of speech, dominion over inferior life, and power of reasoning upon the future, have a strange light of divinity lingering even now. In his wildest talk there are accents and snatches of expression which must have come from heaven; his magistracy is a reprint of an ancient charter; his thinking is the dim light which struggles through an eclipsed genius. He does not know himself as a fallen member of the heavenly hierarchy: he gropes and flounders

as though he had lost something; and now and again there come through his daily life gushes of tenderness and glitterings of mind which have a deep meaning, a meaning which makes the heart sore and sad as it vainly tries to piece itself into wholeness, and render the ciphers into intelligible language. The cross tells man what he is, and what he may be. It tells him what a sinner he is, and what a son of God he may become. All that — look at it! — to lift man up, a cleansed, pardoned rebel! Tears could not reach his case, only blood could; “without shedding of blood there is no remission of sins.” Only life could reach death.

Only God can sound the depths of the human fall. Christ said he would draw all men unto him when he was “lifted up from the earth”; they would see what he was, and what they are, and the revelation would have a resurrectional effect upon them. Not that they would escape suffering on that account, but rather that they would suffer more when they saw what he suffered for them. In the midst of his sin, man does not see the enormity of his own guilt; in the midnight revel, in the eager pursuit of forbidden pleasure, in the whirl and thunder of excitement, he does not see the case as it is; but, when he sees the agony of a holy woman as she pours her burning tears over the recollection of his misdeeds, he begins to feel how great must have been the sin which has wrought such sorrow, and learns from a broken heart how far he has gone astray.

In some such manner, with infinite extension of the proportions, men see their history best at the cross; on the background of Christ’s innocence, as he hangs there in mortal pain, they see how black, how ulcerous, how deadly is their own sin.

They never could have seen it otherwise. No man could have shown it to them. Only Jesus Christ could reveal the exceeding sinfulness of sin.

There is still more in the cross than God’s view of human guilt. There is all that is meant by a word which is almost over-familiarized—salvation. It shows not only what man is, but what man may be; not only the withered and decrepit rebel, but the robed and crowned saint. There are yet great possibilities in manhood. The sun was a finished creation, as large and bright on the first morning as he is today; but primal man was a germ—little as a grain of mustard seed, compared with a gigantic and overshadowing tree.

The worm laid hold of the root, and all the juices were so poisoned that no summer dew or light can expel the corruption. Christ did what was required, and now every fiber feels the energy of his life. As out of the dead Christ upon the cross

came the Mediator who is now in heaven, so out of all who died with him shall come a renewed and glorified manhood.

The cross was an expression of God’s love to the human family—not his justice, or vengeance, or wrath; these are but fractional words—the integral word is love. “God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son.” All love must give. Only one love rose to the highest point of sacrifice. The cross means justice, law, and satisfaction, only as elements or aspects of love.

Yet sacrifice, in the sense of self-surrender, we have said, is in the very nature of love: it is the last expression of love; we only love any being in proportion as we are prepared to suffer for his sake—not one whit more; we may never be called upon to undergo the suffering, still the willingness to suffer is the precise measure of the love. If love be represented by a straight line, sacrifice is the last point of it—not something beyond it, but something in it, something of it. All love, then, is strictly sacrifice—counting nothing its own while its object is unattained. We thus get a glimpse of God’s love towards man; he loved him to the shedding of blood—not the blood of inferior life, but the blood of his only begotten Son. The point of sacrifice is indicated by the world only—a word which intimates that there was nothing left behind, no spared treasure—all was given; not the hand only, but the heart—not the heart’s sigh, but the heart’s blood. He who gave this might well say that he loved the world. To give one out of many would have been nothing; to have only one, and to give it, was as much as even God could do. Out of all this comes once more the idea of the value of human nature. The ideas of Christ’s life and man’s worth are inseparable; they so interpenetrate as to explain the apparent contradiction that Jesus Christ was alike Son of God and Son of man. What was to prevent God allowing the human family to fall into utter darkness, and to be forgotten forever? Nothing but love. He had made man in his own image: how could he withhold from him his own Son? But is there not a great practical difficulty?

Man’s relation to the cross is a different thing to the relation of the cross to man. In the latter we have God’s declaration: what have we in the former? Man has the power (necessary indeed to being a man) to treat the cross with indifference, to join those who wagged their heads and uttered taunting words, and to see in the cross nothing but an ignominious failure. God did not set up the cross merely that he might win a victory, but that he might express a sorrow. If not a man be moved by the display of affection and grief, the cross has not failed altogether of its purpose. The parent weeps even over the child that will not be recovered, and the weeping shows at once the agony and the love. It relieves him even to open the door which may never be entered by the wanderer, What if this be a hint of the feeling that is in God? What if his great sorrow must have an

outlet, and if that outlet be the cross?

It is not uncommon to represent the sacrifice of Jesus Christ as being a satisfaction to divine justice, an appeasing of the divine anger, a quenching of the fire that is in God. There is a sense in which these terms are true, but the terms have been most foully abused and most disastrously applied. The cross was not a satisfaction to divine justice as if that were a special kind of justice; it was quite as much a satisfaction to what may be termed human justice—to justice itself, whether in God or in man. Human nature, quickened into perfect consciousness, would itself affirm the necessity of a basis upon which one attribute would not be upheld at the expense of another. If it was simply the penal side of justice that required to be satisfied, then the cross did not meet the case, and nothing could have met it but the instant and utter destruction of the human family. For God to take mere vengeance upon his Son on account of a race that had sinned, would have been entirely inconsistent with his nature. It is an unjust justice that is satisfied with the suffering of an innocent being: but a most holy and righteous justice that cannot pardon sin without the humiliation of confession and the sorrow of penitence on the part of the offender. Christ’s sacrifice, consequently, was a satisfaction to the spirit of justice alike in God and in man; it protested that the original law was right; it guarded the divine wisdom from the charge of having laid down a wrong law; it made the law honorable, and so preserved the consistency and majesty of God’s moral government. See what would have been the effect if no such sacrifice had been offered: let it be supposed that God could have indifferently regarded every violation of his law, and that he had virtually said, “If you don’t like this law, try another—if my requirements are too exacting, modify them.”

In that case he would have simply surrendered his Godhead, for no moral law can be modified—to break a letter of it is to break it all; right can never be less than right, wrong can never be more than wrong; and the moral law was not a law superimposed upon moral beings without any regard to their own nature. On the contrary, it was in perfect harmony with man’s moral constitution; so that when man offended the justice of God he also offended his own, and no sacrifice could avail that did not satisfy the whole claim of abstract justice. This case could be met only by an uncorrupted Being, a Lamb without blemish and without spot; and such a Lamb was found in the only begotten Son of God. The mere affirmation of the sanctity of justice would not have been sufficient; it might have been enough for God himself to have thundered through the universe that he hated sin and still maintained his law; but it would have left man where he was, for no man can repair his yesterdays, or pay the arrears of his life. The crisis was met by the gift of the Son; so that not only may God be just, and yet the justifier of the ungodly, but man BOROPULSE.COM

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CONTINUED FROM PAGE 45 can receive the justification without feeling that his innate sense of justice is dishonored. He can truly say that the law was good and right; that from the beginning God was just, and that he alone was guilty and helpless before the Most High. He feels that God has not trifled with the law, but that mercy itself is an aspect of justice.

The human is satisfied as well as the divine. Was, then, the punishment all Christ’s, and the favor all man’s? Certainly not. Man’s punishment is even now according to his sensitiveness; not only at the crisis which is popularly designated his repentance, but throughout his life he suffers on account of his sins. The good man’s life is one unbroken repentance; repentance is not the act of an hour—it is the constant experience of the soul.

What, then, of joy? It is contemporaneous with repentance. It is inseparable from it. The joy that is born of sorrow is the only joy that is enduring; not a transient gleam, but a lifelong light.

We have not followed the analysis of the scientific theologian, but have rather come abruptly upon such points as have been thrown up by the biographers of Jesus Christ. Our purpose may not lose anything by this, as the plan of this work does not admit of much regard being paid to Polemical Divinity, to whose mischievous course we can never refer without a feeling of intense dissatisfaction. We have the Cross before us as the chief fact in all known history; and, as there is suspended upon it a Man with whose

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life we have now become reverently familiar, we wish to know the exact relation which subsists between the life as a whole and this its final and most melancholy act. Throughout the life we have constantly seen an endeavor to save men; never to destroy them. Is the cross in keeping with this noble aim? We have, too, seen the most perfect unselfishness. Does the cross sustain the impression which such unselfishness has made upon the heart? Does the cross start a new and unexpected chapter in Christ’s life, or is it of a piece with all that has gone before? By so much as it is accordant with the tenor of the antecedent course, it is a purpose, not an accident—by so much does it represent a sacrifice, not a martyrdom; an atonement, not a murder. If Jesus Christ had no power to resist the cross, then he was a mere martyr; but if he could have overturned the purpose of the Jews, he was entitled to say of his life, “No man taketh it from me, but I lay it down of myself; I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again.” There is here the authority which was present in the working of miracles.

What if all the other miracles were about to be eclipsed in the miracle which he wrought upon himself? Was not the Resurrection a gathering up and reproduction of the miraculous element which pervaded Christ’s whole life? Was it not a healing of the diseased, and opening of blind eyes, an unstopping of deaf ears, a strengthening of withered limbs—in short, a recapitulation of the eloquent argument of miracles?

So far as God the Father was concerned, what did the cross signify? It signified all that can be comprehended under the term love. So far as Jesus Christ was concerned, what did the cross signify? Its interpretation runs thus: I die that men may live; I encounter the storm of sin that man may live in the calm of holiness; I show how submission may be conquest; I show the utmost verge and boundary of love; I honor a broken law, and establish a basis of communication between God and man. He makes all other woes light. Men forget their miseries in the sob of his overwhelming sorrow. So far as man was concerned, what did the cross signify? It signified his guilt, his self-helplessness, his entire dependence upon God for pardon, purity, and all the blessings of salvation. It was the return-way to God; too strait for selfishness, but wide enough for penitence and trust.

Are sacrifice and atonement equivalent terms?

Not necessarily. Atonement is the possible result of sacrifice, when looked at from the human side.

The atonement, practically considered, may be regarded as the application which the sinner himself makes of the sacrifice of Jesus Christ.

This may be illustrated by a reference to the typical ritual: “Aaron shall bring the bullock of the sin-offering which is for himself and for his house, and shall kill the bullock of the sin-offering which is for himself. Then shall he kill the goat of the sin-offering that is for the people, and bring his blood within the veil, and do with that

blood as he did with the blood of the bullock, and sprinkle it upon the mercy-seat and before the mercy-seat. And this shall be an everlasting statute unto you, to make an atonement for the children of Israel for all their sins once a year.”

The sinner is not saved simply because Jesus Christ died upon the cross, but because he accepted the death as his own expression of the necessity of sacrifice for the pardon of guilt. He thus becomes, in a secondary though most practical sense, his own priest; so to speak, he offers Christ continually as his sacrifice; he confesses his poverty, and pleads the worthiness of the Lamb. This is not inconsistent with the scriptural doctrine of Christ’s priesthood, for we find that Jesus Christ was both priest and sacrifice—“Once in the end of the world hath he appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself,”—and thus the marvelous duality which we have traced through the whole argument is present at the very end of life. The sinner can only offer himself as a living sacrifice, after he has partaken of the benefits of Christ’s offering; but a living sacrifice does not meet the necessities of the case, for “without shedding of blood there is no remission of sins.” A man might offer himself, but suicide is not sacrifice. He must go out of himself for help; and if he go elsewhere than to Jesus Christ, he incurs the responsibility of counting the blood of the covenant in an unholy thing.

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