December 2014 Murfreesboro Pulse

2014

HOLIDAY SHOP LOCAL GIFTandGUIDE

MURFREESBORO

Giveaway!

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

Vol. 9, Issue 12 December 2014

FREE

GOODNESS GRACIOUS takes its concept to Readyville Mill page 22

For You!

LIVING EDEN’S MAGIC: A day in the life of a homeless man in Murfreesboro page 16

Season's Greetings Murfreesboro is bustling with festive artwork, music, food and events this holiday season.

MUSIC YANCY to perform at World Outreach Church, and more! page 8

2014

CONTENTS

HOLIDAY SHOP LOCAL GIFTandGUIDE Giveaway!

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PAGE 18

ON THE COVER

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ON THE COVER: Murfreesboro Courthouse by Oliver Langston.

Langston’s artwork will be on display at various locations this month.

EVENTS

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December Community Events Christmas tree lighting; Big Bang Holiday Family Show; Candlelight Tour of Homes; Movies Under the Winter Stars Entertainment Calendar Karaoke, Bingo, DJs and Live Trivia

SOUNDS

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DECEMBER CONCERTS What a Bang!

Big Bang Dueling Piano Bar opens location on the Square.

Music for Everyone Local music educator Jane McNulty wants to everyone to know music can be a pleasurable part of their lives.

LIVING

YMCA r More than just fun and games, the Y is a ministry.

Magic y AEden’s look at the lifestyle of one of Murfreesboro’s homeless.

Local Holiday Gift Guide and Giveaway i Shop Win some holiday gifts from great local businesses.

o p

December Gardening Stay out of the garden, and give a gardening friend a gift.

There’s a Doctor in the House Bryan Terry elected to Tennessee House of Representatives.

FOOD

Gracious at the Mill s Goodness Goodness Gracious owners take over Readyville Mill,

add their delicious brunch items to grits and pancakes.

ART

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Art Theft: One Mischievous Fox h The tricky matter of giving artists proper credit and pay.

December Theater Schedule j The Christmas Schooner; It’s a Wonderful Life; Jacob Marley’s Christmas Carol

REVIEWS

ONLINE AT:

k Movie Interstellar

l

Waiting for the Movies New theaters to open in Murfreesboro.

Living Room Cinema Vans and motorcycles Video Game Call of Duty Advanced Warfare Shadow of the Demon Lord Schwalb Entertainment set to release RPG. Book: Station Eleven Beauty in a ruined world

BOROPULSE.COM

SPORTS

Talk with Z-Train ; Sports Titans cant handle J.J. Watt.

NEWS

Taking the Fight to Court x Adam Williams says he was assaulted by the police.

OPINIONS

The Stockard Report v Shacklett Wins City Council race; local man murdered.

Converting Pagan Traditions into Christmas b Various traditions converge into modern winter rituals.

Through the Decades n Music The 1970s–1990s: The Singing Christmas Tree

Art Events g December Diane Stockard Exhibit shown at City Hall; Sparkle Shop

La Palabra , No Pudding No Peace: The Origins of Christmas Caroling

CREW

PULSE

Jen Walker f Artist Artist finds inspiration for fantastic drawings from animals.

Publisher/Editor in Chief: Bracken Mayo Art Director: Sarah L. Mayo Advertising Reps: Jeff Brown, Don Clark, Jami Creel, Jamie Jennings Copy Editor: Steve Morley

Contributors: Dylan Skye Aycock, Gloria Christy, Sarah Clark, Mai Hamric, Nader Hobballah, Tony Lehew, Morgan Massengill, Zach Maxfield, Cameron Parrish, Darcy Payne, Bryan Ros, Jay Spight, Andrea Stockard, Sam Stockard, Edwinna Shannon, Christy Simmons, Norbert Thiemann, Phil Valentine, Scott Walker, Kori Wells

To carry the Pulse at your business, or submit letters, stories and photography: bracken@boropulse.com 10 N. Public Square, Murfreesboro, TN 37130 (615) 796-6248

Copyright © 2014, The Murfreesboro Pulse, 10 N. Public Square, Murfreesboro, TN 37130.

Proudly owned, operated and published the first Thursday of each month by the Mayo family; printed

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

Sign up to receive our weekly digital newsletter at BoroPulse.com/Newsletter

DEAR READERS: AHOY-HOY! DID YOU KNOW THAT phrase (Ahoy-hoy) was Alexander Graham Bell’s original recommended telephone greeting?

Unfortunetely, it was eventually beaten out by Edison’s “hello,” but I find Bell’s greeting equally sincere and heartfelt, so here’s a big, hearty, holiday “ahoy-hoy” to all of you out there.

Keep on doing what you love; get great at what you are good at, whether that is repairing cars, making sushi, helping people achieve their fitness goals, promoting concerts, painting, website design or brewing. It’s important! It adds to our community and the lives of those around you.

Don’t worry so much about what others think.

To very loosely paraphrase Murfreesboro artist Wayne White, those condescending “people” who are telling you how to live and what you can and cannot do may not even exist; the critics you try so hard to impress may just be your own mind’s projections, and the actual people in your life may indeed accept you just as you are.

The people of Tennessee have recently engaged in some pretty deep and serious debates in the months leading up to, and the aftermath of, the passing of Amendment 1.

Many say it is “stripping away” rights from women, and make a stand to protect one’s rights to do what they please with their bodies. So I feel I should join the fight and help protect people’s rights and bodies, but if I am going to stand up and try and protect anyone’s rights in this deal it would probably be the rights of the unborn.

Out of all of the individuals involved, the babies still in the womb seem the most defenseless and unable to protect themselves, so I’ll say this: “Don’t kill the little unborn Americans!

They can not speak or defend themselves.

Does the individual living inside you have ‘inalienable rights’ as well? Does it have a right to be left alone and for others to not make decisions about its body? Or is it merely a lump of bone and tissue no more significant than a fingernail, to be cut off and discarded?”

It’s a complicated subject, but I have trouble with the notion that it is somehow acceptable to end a life before the umbilical cord has been cut, but killing afterwards is totally different and murderous in the first degree. What do you think?

As always, there’s plenty packed into the Pulse: the newest incarnation of the Mill is well worth the drive out to Readyville, and check out the Big Bang after the Christmas parade for a special holiday family day. There’s some beautiful ice skating bugs and other works inspired by animals by Jen Walker on display, and the story of an interesting local man named Eden. Get your news on a Murfreesboro investor who was recently murdered in the Virgin Islands, some Christmas and caroling history, and a great holiday giveaway for our loyal readers (visit BoroPulse.com/WIN to enter).

Behold, the December edition of the Pulse.

Peace, Bracken Mayo Editor in Chief BOROPULSE.COM

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EVENTS

compiled by ANDREA STOCKARD

Send event information to murfreesboropulse@yahoo.com

FRIDAYS & SATURDAYS

DEC. 4

SANTA IN THE COURTHOUSE Bring your own camera and take a photo of Santa with the kids in the historic Rutherford County Courthouse (1 Public Square) on Dec. 5, 12 and 19 from noon–4 p.m. and on Dec. 6, 13 and 20 from 6–8 p.m.

Photos by Shacklett’s Photography also available. Call (615) 895-1887 or visit downtown murfreesboro.com.

YMCA HUMANITARIAN BREAKFAST Each year, the Rutherford County Family YMCA honors a special person who has devoted their life to serve the Rutherford County community.

This year’s honorees are Tommy and Jeanne Bragg.

The breakfast will be held at New Vision Church (1750 N. Thompson Ln.) from 7–9 a.m. One-hundred percent of the proceeds will be used to support the Rutherford County Family YMCA’s Annual Giving Campaign. Call (615) 895-5995.

DEC. 1–13 CAT NIPS HELPING ANIMALS Bring in a bag of cat, dog, kitten or puppy food to Cat Nips Women’s Fashions (517 Cason Ln.) for donations to the Rutherford County Tennessee Lost and Found Animals (facebook.com/ RutherfordCountyTennesseeAnimals).

All customers will receive 20% off any item and for each bag of food donated you will be entered in a drawing for a gift card. Call (615) 439-6072 or visit followthekitty.com.

DEC. 1–31 HISTORIC SAM DAVIS HOME AND PLANTATION CHRISTMAS Take a special tour of the Sam Davis Home (1399 Sam Davis Rd., Smyrna) decorated for an 1860s Christmas.

Tours are conducted Monday–Saturday from 10 a.m.–4 p.m. Call (615) 4592341 or visit samdavishome.org.

DEC. 1, 8 AND 15 PAWS & CLAUS Bring your furry friends to have photos taken with Santa at Stones River Mall (1720 Old Fort Pkwy.) from 6–8 p.m.

Dogs and cats only. Pets must be on a leash at all times. Call (615) 896-4486.

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DEC. 5 MURFREESBORO ANNUAL TREE LIGHTING CEREMONY Enjoy the beautiful Murfreesboro Annual Tree Lighting Ceremony, along with musical performances and an appearance by Santa and Mrs. Claus, at the east side of the Rutherford County Courthouse (Public Square) at 6 p.m. Admission is free.

Call (615) 895-1887 or visit downtownmurfreesboro.com.

DEC. 5 DOWNTOWN CARRIAGE RIDES This holiday season, enjoy free horse-

DEC. 14 RUTHERFORD COUNTY CHRISTMAS PARADE The annual Rutherford County Christmas Parade is slated for Sunday, Dec. 14.

It will start at 2 p.m. on the MTSU Campus near the president’s home, and travel down Main Street towards the Public Square. Families are invited to line Main Street and take in the fun as creative entries of all sorts pass by. The theme of the Christmas Parade is “All I want for Christmas is . . .” The fee to enter a float, vehicle or group in the parade is $12. To register for the parade or for more information, visit wgnsradio.com. drawn carriage rides through Historic Downtown Murfreesboro each Friday leading up to Christmas from 5:30– 9:30 p.m. Call (615) 895-1887 or visit downtownmurfreesboro.com.

DEC. 6 CHRISTMAS AT CANNONSBURGH VILLAGE Come out for pictures with Santa, hayrides, vendors and holiday music in the Gazebo featuring Emilie Burke from 10 a.m.–3 p.m. at Cannonsburgh Village (312 S. Front St.). Call (615) 890-0355.

DEC. 6 31ST ANNUAL CANDLELIGHT TOUR OF HOMES Welcome the holiday season with this tour of historic, festively adorned private homes in the district of Murfreesboro as well as Oaklands Mansion (900 N. Maney Ave.) from 4–8 p.m. Living history demonstrations will be presented on the lawn of the mansion. Other homes on the tour include: Mr. and Mrs. William Patterson & family, 332 E. Main St. Ms. Linda Parks, 401 E. Main St. Mr. and Mrs. Larry Sims, 537 E. Main St. Dr. and Mrs. Eric Egli, 602 E. Main St. Ms. Jane Blakey, 223 N. Academy St. Mr. and Mrs. Chip Hoover, 330 E. Lytle St. Central Christian Church, 404 E. Main St. Contact (615) 8930022 or info@oaklands museum.org, or visit oaklandsmuseum.org.

DEC. 6 LA VERGNE PARADE OF LIGHTS AND TREE LIGHTING This nighttime light parade travels down Murfreesboro Road and ends at City Hall.

Following the parade, the official tree lighting ceremony is at Veterans Memorial Park (115 Floyd Mayfield Dr., La Vergne).

Admission is free. Call (615) 793-3224 or visit lavergnetn.gov.

DEC. 6 A VICTORIAN CHRISTMAS Travel back in time as the Davis family prepares their home for Christmas in 1861 at the Sam Davis Home and Plantation (1399 Sam Davis Rd., Smyrna) from 10 a.m.–4 p.m. Jane Simmons Davis entertains guests as the young ladies in the household prepare for an evening out at a Christmas ball.

Visit with young Sam Davis and his brothers as they load their muskets to shoot down mistletoe for the traditional front-hall Christmas decoration. Parents can take their own Santa photos with the bearded one between 10–11:30 a.m. and 3–4 p.m. Professional photos are available from noon until 3 p.m.

by Rylan’s Riches Photography. Visit the museum theater for a special viewing of Dr. Seuss’ How the Grinch Stole Christmas and enjoy carolers, craft vendors and demonstrators onsite! Admission is $5. Call (615) 459-2341 or visit samdavishome.org.

DEC. 6 BREAKFAST WITH SANTA Enjoy breakfast and a pajama party with Santa at Stones River Mall (1720 Old

Fort Pkwy.) from 8–10 a.m. in the Food Court, with activities including cookie decorating, art activity stations, balloon animals, face painting and more. Tickets are $5 each with proceeds benefiting Beesley Animal Foundation. Space is limited; tickets must be purchased in advance. Call (615) 896-4486.

offers, featured products, in-store drawings, and special Christmas refreshments.

View Downtown Deals and Trolley Tour dates at shopdowntownmurfreesboro.com.

DEC. 13

DEC. 6 SANTA SHOPPE AT CEDAR GROVE Santa Shoppe at Cedar Grove presents Vendors Village with more than 60 vendors and local businesses offering gift ideas for the whole family at Cedar Grove Elementary School (354 Chaney Rd., Smyrna) Saturday, Dec. 6, from 10 a.m.–2 p.m. Children create an ornament for their tree, eat cookies and drink hot chocolate. Get a picture with Santa and visit the elf shop to select gifts for parents, siblings, friends and other family members. Grown-ups can shop for one-of-a-kind handmade crafts or for products from well-known companies.

Call (615) 355-6565.

DEC. 6 FESTIVAL OF TREES Enjoy Holiday Open House at Discovery Center at Murfree Spring (502 S.E. Broad St.) from 10 a.m.–4 p.m. Meet and take pictures with Santa from 11:30 a.m.–2 p.m. (members only 11:30 a.m.–12:15 p.m.), create a Christmas craft, eat a holiday snack and explore cultures around the world through the Festival of Trees. Jeff Crossan reads his book I Ate A Cicada Today from 11 a.m.–noon.

Admission is free. Call (615) 890-2300 or visit explorethedc.org.

DEC. 6 AND 7 150TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE BATTLE OF THE CEDARS Park rangers and volunteers present an array of programs commemorating the last battle at Murfreesboro, which set the stage for the climactic Battle of Nashville one week later at Stones River National Battlefield (1563 N. Thompson Ln.). Admission is free. Call (615) 893-9501 or visit nps.gov/stri.

DEC. 7 SMYRNA CHRISTMAS PARADE The 40th annual Smyrna Christmas Parade is a great way to begin the month with the theme A Storybook Christmas.

Witness the arrival of floats, drill teams, classic vehicles, bands and Santa. The parade route is on Lowry Street from Mayfield Drive to Nolan Drive (running north) at 2 p.m. Call (615) 459-2553.

THROUGHOUT DECEMBER ROCKIN' DRIVE-THRU CHRISTMAS LIGHTS The home at 5710 Citadel Ct., Rockvale, will be rockin’ the Christmas lights this December. Rockin’ Christmas Lights is a synchronized display provided at no charge (but donations to support the Alzheimer’s Association will be accepted).

Catch the show, which features computerized lights dancing to Christmas music, Sundays through Thursdays from 6–9 p.m., and Fridays and Saturdays 6–10 p.m. through the first week of January.

For more information on this production, visit facebook.com/rockinchristmaslights.

Additionally, the home at 1918 Hamilton Drive, Murfreesboro, will be all lit up in its spectacular holiday tradition.

Here, viewers can pull up to the front of the house, tune their radio to the special FM station set up to complement the flashing lights, sit back and enjoy another show provided free to the community in the Christmas spirit.

MOVIE UNDER THE WINTER STARS Take a break from shopping and bring your little princesses and princes to watch Frozen at Cannonsburgh Village (312 S. Front St.) at 6:30 p.m. Bring mittens, hats and scarves to stay warm. Some refreshments will be available for purchase.

Contact (615) 893-2141 or msewell@ murfreesborotn.gov. The event is free.

DEC. 13 & 14 BETHLEHEM MARKETPLACE Enjoy the re-enactment of how the village of Bethlehem might have appeared just after the birth of Jesus. Watch Roman soldiers, live camels and other animals, tentmakers, weavers, carpenters and merchants in period costumes, all presented by members of Southeast Baptist Church (708 Minerva Dr.). Admission is free. Call (615) 896-0940 or visit sebaptist.org.

DEC. 14 DEC. 7 TOYS FOR TOTS DRIVE Stones River Mall (1720 Old Fort Pkwy.) hosts a Toys for Tots drive Dec. 7 from noon–4 p.m. Please bring an unwrapped toy and help give back this season. Donations can be taken to the Stones River Mall booth during Market at the Mall. Call (615) 896-4486. Sam’s Sports Grill, located at Stones River Mall, will also be collecting toys for Toys for Tots all month long.

DEC. 8–18 HOLIDAYS WITH THE MANEYS Oaklands Mansion (900 N. Maney Ave.) is decorated for the holidays and ready to welcome students. Children can explore the sights and smells of a Victorian Christmas as they embark on a guided tour through the elegant mansion, listen to a popular Christmas poem written in the early 1800s and make a period craft or ornament to take home. Reservations required. Admission charged. Contact mb@oaklandsmuseum.org or (615) 8930022, or visit oaklandsmuseum.org.

DEC. 10 AND 11 COMMODITY FOOD DISTRIBUTION AT ALLEN CHAPEL AME The Mid-Cumberland Community Action Agency is distributing non-perishable food at Allen Chapel AME Church (224 S. Maney Ave.) from 9–2 p.m. Food boxes include diced tomatoes, macaroni,

instant potatoes, beef stew, peanut butter, grape juice, green beans, pinto beans and tomato juice. Call (615) 893-8938 or visit midcumberland.org.

DEC. 11 ROCK N ROLL TOY DRIVE This multi-act benefit show sponsored by 102.9 The Buzz will be at Exit/In (2208 Elliston Place, Nashville) from 7:30 p.m.–12:30 a.m., on Thursday, Dec. 11; doors at 6:30 p.m. The concert is open to all ages and aims to collect toys for children in need in Middle Tennessee. Adult admission is $8 (ages 16 and up), but if you bring a new unwrapped toy, admission is only $3.

Children 15 and under get in free with parent or guardian. Bands include Jeff Labar (from Cinderella) and Jasmine Cain, Killing Grace, Noisecult, Black Whiny Cats and Natural Born Thrillers. Call (615) 782-6858.

DEC. 12 HOLIDAY LOCK-IN Ages 8–15 are invited to spend the night at Sports*Com (2310 Memorial Blvd.) from 7 p.m.–7 a.m. and enjoy a night of fun and games like swimming and sports as parents have a night to shop. Registration begins Dec. 1 at Sports*Com. Contact (615) 895-5040 or bfite@ murfreesborotn.gov. Cost is $20.

DEC. 13 HOLLY TROLLEY CHRISTMAS Hop on the Downtown Holiday Shopping Trolley from 1–5 p.m. to visit unique shops and businesses downtown. Enjoy special

BIG BANG FAMILY-FRIENDLY HOLIDAY SHOW! The Big Bang (114 N. Church St.) partners with Toys for Tots for a fun, all-ages family holiday event from 3–5 p.m. for an afternoon of singing, dancing and holiday fun. Enjoy a kids craft area, holiday refreshments and a visit from a very special North Pole guest. The Big Bang dueling piano players provide the entertainment with a family-friendly sing-along show. Admission is $5, or the donation of one new, unwrapped toy. Kids under 12 are free.

Call (615) 900-1043 or visit thebigbangbar.com/tn/murfreesboro.

DEC. 18 MURFREESBORO SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA: SOUNDS OF CHRISTMAS The December Murfreesboro Symphony Orchestra concert features Murfreesboro soprano Katherine Sandoval Taylor and the Murfreesboro Symphony Chorus at First United Methodist Church (265 W. Thompson Ln.) at 7:30 p.m. with everyone’s favorite Christmas music. Call (615) 898-1862 or visit murfreesborosymphony.com.

DEC. 19 SANTA’S SPLASH AND DASH Children and youths aged 7 through 13 are invited to join the lifeguards at the pool for water-based Christmas cheer activities at Patterson Park Indoor Pool (521 Mercury Blvd.) from 6–10 p.m. while parents get some last-minute shopping in. Enjoy pizza, dessert, crafts, fun and games. Santa’s Splash and Dash will BOROPULSE.COM

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be a good time for all who attend! Preregistration is strongly encouraged.

Contact (615) 893-7439 or kgoss@ murfreesborotn.gov. Admission is $5 for preregister or $7 at the gate.

DEC. 22 OHS RUDOLPH’S REVENGE GOLF TOURNAMENT The OHS Rudolph’s Revenge Golf Tournament is a fun and challenging tw0-man scramble at Cedar Crest Golf Course (7972 Mona Rd.). Cost is $50 per player or $100 per team.

Breakfast and registration is from 8–9 a.m., shotgun start at 9:30 a.m., and lunch immediately following. Call (615) 355-6565.

DEC. 26–JAN. 3 152ND ANNIVERSARY PROGRAMS Join rangers and volunteers for a variety of walks, talks, tours and living history demonstrations that tell the story of one of the most significant battles of the Civil War, the Battle of Stones River at Stones River National Battlefield (1563 N. Thompson Ln.).

The highlight of the programs will be a series of living history demonstrations Dec. 27–28. Admission is free. Call (615) 893-9501 or visit nps.gov/stri.

DEC. 27 & 28 NASHVILLE CAT CLUB CFA CAT SHOW The Nashville Cat Club hosts its annual CFA Cat Show at the Sheraton Music City (777 McGavock Pk., Nashville) on Saturday, Dec. 27, from 10 a.m.–5 p.m. and Sunday, Dec. 28, from 9 a.m.–4 p.m. Enjoy the many different breeds of pedigreed cats as they compete for ribbons and titles. There will also be household pets competing for ribbons and titles as well as pedigreed kittens for sale and rescue cats for adoption. Be a part of judging, vendors, raffles and food. Contact judeharper@ comcast.com or (214) 418-4811.

DEC. 31 COUNTDOWN TO NOON Enjoy Countdown to Noon from 10 a.m.–noon at Discovery Center at Murfree Spring (502 S.E. Broad St.). Admission is $6. Call (615) 890-2300 or visit explorethedc.org.

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ENTERTAINMENT CALENDAR

DJ, Bingo, Trivia & Karaoke NIGHTS IN MURFREESBORO

 MONDAYS BREW U Live Trivia, 7 p.m.

BUNGANUT PIG Live Trivia, 7 p.m.

THE POUR HOUSE DJ, 7–11 p.m.

TGI FRIDAY’S Live Trivia, 7 p.m.

 TUESDAYS IGNITE Karaoke, 8 p.m.–12 a.m.

OLD CHICAGO Live Trivia, 9 p.m.

COCONUT BAY CAFÉ Live Trivia, 7:30 p.m.

THE POUR HOUSE DJ, 7–11 p.m.

NACHOS Live Trivia, 7 p.m.

NOBODY’S Bingo, 7 p.m.

THE BOULEVARD Karaoke, 7 p.m.

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

MELLOW MUSHROOM Live Trivia, 8 p.m.

NOBODY’S Live Trivia, 7 and 9:30 p.m.

SAM’S SPORTS GRILL Live Trivia, 8 p.m.

LA SIESTA (GREENLAND) Trivia, 7 p.m.

MT BOTTLE Karaoke, 9 p.m.–3 a.m.

BREW U Karaoke, 7 p.m.–10 p.m.

 THURSDAYS

 SATURDAYS

CAMPUS PUB Live Trivia, 8:15 p.m.

COCONUT BAY CAFE Karaoke, 8 p.m.–12 a.m.

LA SIESTA (CHURCH ST.) Karaoke, 6 p.m.

NOBODY’S Karaoke, 9:15 p.m.–12:30 a.m.

SPORTS SEASONS Live Trivia, 7 p.m.

THE POUR HOUSE Karaoke, 9 p.m.

WALL STREET Live Trivia, 8 p.m.

CAMPUS PUB Karaoke, 10 p.m.–2:30 a.m.

NACHOS Live Trivia, 7 p.m.

NOBODY’S Karaoke, 9:15 p.m.–12:30 a.m.

 FRIDAYS NOBODY’S Karaoke, 9:15 p.m.–12:30 a.m.

LA SIESTA (CHURCH ST.) Karaoke, 6 p.m.

 SUNDAYS O’POSSUMS Live Trivia, 8 p.m.

LA SIESTA (CHURCH ST.) Karaoke, 6 p.m.

THE POUR HOUSE DJ, 7 p.m.

WALL STREET Team Bingo, 5–7 p.m.

SAM’S SPORTS GRILL Live Trivia, 8 p.m.

THIS SPACE COULD BE YOURS ALL MONTH LONG FOR JUST $60 CALL (615) 796-6248

To be included in the Pulse’s listings, contact zek@tnkaraoke.com

HEAR WHAT MURFREESBORO SOUNDS LIKE 

Want your band listed on our QR Classifieds? E-mail murfreesboropulse@yahoo.com

SOUNDS DECEMBER CONCERTS

Send your show listings to listings@boropulse.com

THURS. 12/4 BONHOEFFER’S Nat Durant, Zack Andrele, Mary Howell, Livingsong BUNGANUT PIG The O’Donnells NACHO’S Ivan LaFever THE BORO Open Blues Jam hosted

by Stuart Montez WRIGHT MUSIC BUILDING Flute studio recital, piano studio recital, student string chamber recital

FRI. 12/5 ALFONSO’S MEXICAN RESTAURANT Tony Castellanos BUNGANUT PIG Liberty Valance CARMEN’S TAQUERIA Joe West COCONUT BAY CAFE Crossroad GEORGIA’S SPORTS BAR AND GRILL Phoenix Rising LIQUID SMOKE Jonny Gowow MAYDAY BREWERY Amber's Drive MAIN STREET MUSIC The WannaBeatles TEMPT Ying Yang Twins TFG PRODUCTIONS Oh Grandpa, Chasing Lights, Sunracer, Easy Roscoe THE BORO Neptune the Mystic THE GREEN DRAGON Uncle Don Clark WILLIE’S WET SPOT Backlit

SAT. 12/6 ALFONSO’S MEXICAN RESTAURANT Tony Castellanos BUNGANUT PIG Karl and the Undertones AUTOGRAPH REHEARSAL STUDIO Silvergun Superman (Stone Temple Pilots

Tribute), A Box of Angry Roosters, Erika Jo, The Queen of the South, Susan Dickerson CARMEN’S TAQUERIA Joe West GEORGIA’S SPORTS BAR AND GRILL Milkbone JOURNEY POINTE Lovey’s Jazz Cafe Presents Melanie Winn MAYDAY BREWERY Dear Salem MOOSE LODGE Phoenix Rising TEMPT Rubiks Groove TFG PRODUCTIONS The Joy Kills, Skeetzo 'N Krysis, Trigger Digit, 16-time World Hula Hoop Champion of the World Billy Jean Thrasher WILLIE’S WET SPOT Liberty Valance WRIGHT MUSIC BUILDING Murfreesboro Community Men’s Chorus

SUN. 12/7 LIFEPOINT CHURCH Jeremy Camp, Plumb, Chris August, Love & the Outcome

MON. 12/8 WRIGHT MUSIC BUILDING Murfreesboro Youth Orchestra

TUES. 12/9 BUNGANUT PIG Addison Johnson WRIGHT MUSIC BUILDING Nashville Chamber Singers

WED. 12/10 BUNGANUT PIG Jed Smith LEVEL III Ryan Coleman’s Writers’ Night WALL STREET Carinne Carpenter

View Concert Listings Online: 8 * DECEMBER 2014 * BOROPULSE.COM

THURS. 12/11 BUNGANUT PIG Escape Audition NACHO’S Ivan LaFever TFG PRODUCTIONS Commonwealth of American Natives, The Jukebox Romantics THE BORO Open Blues Jam hosted by Stuart Montez

FRI. 12/12 ALFONSO’S MEXICAN RESTAURANT Tony Castellanos BUNGANUT PIG Reckless CARMEN’S TAQUERIA Joe West COCONUT BAY CAFE Pimpalicous JOZOARA Cason Lane Academy Chorus MAIN STREET MUSIC Miranda Louise Band MAYDAY BREWERY Forlorn Strangers TEMPT DJ Whiiite TFG PRODUCTIONS Graven Souls, Another Dead Saint, Brimstone Wedding THE BORO Tuscarora, BAAST, Genie Child of God, WALL STREET Lost Generation, Penni and the Blue Jays, Kris Bell

JOHNNY GOWOW FRI. 12/5 @ LIQUID SMOKE

PUL SE PICK

Jonny Gowow kicks off the holiday season in style as he presents A Very Smoky Christmas at Liquid Smoke on Friday, Dec. 5. Gowow and friends invite all (21 and up) to join them at Liquid Smoke after the Christmas tree-lighting ceremony earlier that evening for music, merriment and mirth.

Jonny Gowow will perform a decidedly jazzy repertoire of your favorite holiday tunes, featuring the sultry voice of Jennifer Butler and the singing, fiddling, musical mastermind Lauren “Fatt Legz” Morris as patrons enjoy craft beers, premium cigars and homemade apple cider. The no-cover show begins at 8:30 p.m.

LEVEL III Ryan Coleman’s Writers’ Night

THURS. 12/18 BUNGANUT PIG Travis Bowlin FIRST UNITED METHODIST CHURCH Murfreesboro Symphony Orchestra NACHO’S Ivan LaFever THE BORO Open Blues Jam hosted by Stuart Montez

FRI. 12/19 BREW U John Salaway BUNGANUT PIG Casual Exchange

SAT. 12/13 ALFONSO’S MEXICAN RESTAURANT Tony Castellanos BUNGANUT PIG Zone Status CARMEN’S TAQUERIA Mike JOZOARA Jeremy Florida with Scott Gregory MAYDAY BREWERY Soul Mechanic THE BORO Plow’d, Riff Rath’

CARMEN’S TAQUERIA Joe West COCONUT BAY CAFE Backlit MAYDAY BREWERY The Secret Commonwealth TFG PRODUCTIONS The Blood Boys, The Creeping Cruds

SAT. 12/20 ALFONSO’S MEXICAN RESTAURANT Tony Castellanos BREW U Eight o’ Five Jive BUNGANUT PIG Fender Bender MAYDAY BREWERY Red Wine Hangover

SUN. 12/21

PULSE PICK

YANCY

TUES. 12/16

World Outreach Church will host a rocking show for all ages on Sunday, Dec. 21. Yancy, a songwriter, creator of worship music for children and adults, speaker and author of devotional books for youth will perform. “I love Jesus, glitter and rock-n-roll,” Yancy proclaims.

The musician has toured and collaborated with many contemporary Christian artists, including Jaci Velesques, Newsboys and Avalon. The show is free, no ticket required.

BUNGANUT PIG Shane Douglas Trio

BUNGANUT PIG Joe West

FRI. 12/26 ALFONSO’S MEXICAN RESTAURANT Tony Castellanos BUNGANUT PIG Crossroads CARMEN’S TAQUERIA Joe West COCONUT BAY CAFE Zone Status

SAT. 12/27 ALFONSO’S MEXICAN RESTAURANT Tony Castellanos BUNGANUT PIG Bad Monkey CARMEN’S TAQUERIA Joe West MAYDAY BREWERY Lincoln Layne TFG PRODUCTIONS Clusterf@#k 7: The Beast From Beneath the 'Boro

BUNGANUT PIG Martin Rodriguez

BUNGANUT PIG Amber's Drive

WED. 12/17

TUES. 12/23

TUES. 12/30

SUN. 12/14

BUNGANUT PIG CJ Vaughn Trio

WORLD OUTREACH CHURCH Yancy

SUN. 12/21 @ WORLD OUTREACH CHURCH

WED., 12/31 BUNGANUT PIG Zone Status COCONUT BAY CAFE DJ TruFX LEVEL III Ryan Coleman’s Writers’ Night NOBODY'S GRILL Junkbox

 IF YOU GO: Alfonso’s 179 Mall Circle Dr. 439-6155 Autograph Rehearsal Studio 1400 W College St., 631-2605 Bonhoeffer’s 610 Dill Ln. 907-2890 Bunganut Pig 1602 W. Northfield Blvd.

893-7860 Carmen’s Taqueria 206 W Northfield Blvd.

848-9003 Coconut Bay Café 210 Stones River Mall Blvd 494-0504 First United Methodist Church 265 W Thompson Ln. 893-1322 Georgia’s Sports Bar and Grill 555 South Lowry St., Smyrna, 267-0295 Hippie Hill 8627 Burks Hollow Rd. 796-3697 Lifepoint Church 506 Legacy Dr., Smyrna, 459-3311 Journey Pointe 1267 Middle Tennessee Blvd., 896-9272 JoZoara 536 N. Thompson Ln. 962-7175 Level III 114 S. Maple St. 900-3754 Liquid Smoke #2 Public Square 217-7822 Main St. Music 527 W. Main St. 440-2425 Mayday Brewery 521 Old Salem Hwy. 479-9722 Moose Lodge 645 SE Broad St., 893-0145 MTSU Wright Music Building 1439 Faulkinberry Dr. 898-2469 Nacho's 2962 S. Rutherford Blvd.

907-2700 TFG Productions 117 E. Vine St. The Boro Bar & Grill 1211 Greenland Dr. 895-4800 The Green Dragon 714-F W. Main St. 801-7171 Wall Street 121 N. Maple St. 867-9090 World Outreach Church 1921 New Salem Road 997-1861 BOROPULSE.COM

* DECEMBER 2014 * 9

SOUNDS

WHAT A BANG!

Big Bang brings dueling piano concept to Murfreesboro.

BY MORGAN MASSENGILL DOWNTOWN NOW HAS A FEW MORE pianos, another place to imbibe and a Music City-tested venue for the ’Boro.

The Big Bang Dueling Piano Bar opened its doors in the heart of Murfreesboro last month with hopes of making a big impression. Just a month later, the music inside is beautiful.

The name of the bar may sound familiar, and that’s because The Big Bang originally set roots on Broadway in 2007. After success in Nashville, the owners (who also have a location in Columbus, Ohio) decided to make the not-so-obvious choice of bringing their concert to Murfreesboro as well.

“It’s something that Murfreesboro doesn’t have,” said Jayde Taylor, a server at the bar.

That was a factor in the owners’ final decision to come to town. They knew they had one thing surrounding bars couldn’t compete with: live music.

From the outside, the location on North Church Street appears to be a worn-out building that’s been home to several different ventures throughout the decades (most recently Social and 3 Brothers); however, the atmosphere changes upon entering the venue.

In the main room, a bar runs along the back wall, new lighting fixtures hang down above tables scattered across the room, and a huge stage sits right in front with two digital keyboards in faux-grand piano housings.

The room is packed with people who have their eyes intently trained on two dueling pianists who sit facing one another onstage.

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The pianists’ mission is to get the crowd having a good time, and they have no biases when it comes to music genre.

“The show that they do is based completely on audience requests,” said General Manager Jaime Schneider. “Because of that, people can expect to hear literally any kind of music from The Beatles to Elton John to Michael Jackson.”

One pianist leads the crowd into Elton John’s “Tiny Dancer.” He leans away from his mic and a grin spreads across his face as the crowd sings the lyrics back to him. As he wraps up, the other pianist immediately bursts into Tim McGraw’s hit “Something Like That.”

At one point, the players playfully coerce a group of cloggers in the audience to show off their skills to “Rocky Top.” “It’s really fast-paced and high-energy,” said Schneider. “It’s really all about the audience participation.”

The piano players aren’t the only performers. Ben George, a server at the bar, took a break from his tables to take the stage. A theater major at Middle Tennessee State University, he’s no stranger to the spotlight.

The entire room erupted with screams and hollers as he belted out Wilson Pickett’s soul-packed “Mustang Sally.”

The employees might just enjoy The Big Bang just as much as the audience.

“When you walk in, you know you’re going to have a good time,” George said.

“There’s no way you could walk in and be in a [bad] mood.”

For more on the Big Bang, find Big Bang Boro on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

BOROPULSE.COM

* DECEMBER 2014 * 11

SOUNDS

MUSIC FOR EVERYONE STORY BY BRYAN ROS | PHOTOS BY DYLAN AYCOCK

Recreational music teacher wants to share the gift of music with all of Murfreesboro.

M

aking beautiful music is what Jane McNulty desires for her students who come to her studio, located just off the square in Murfreesboro.

As the owner and director of Music for Everyone Learning Center, this Air Force veteran understands firsthand the personal importance of being able to play a musical instrument, and maintains that it’s never too late to start learning.

Although McNulty said older adults are her primary target, this musical center is open and welcome to all ages who are interested in learning almost any instrument.

Whether it is through tapping keys in her

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“Piano for Pleasure” classes that started it all, or through playfully strumming a ukulele in her husband’s “You Can Uke” class, students can learn to play an instrument and discover the joy that music brings.

Now, those who hear “music lessons” and immediately envision a rigid class environment can set their apprehensions aside. McNulty is an inspiring advocate of recreational music learning, which does not involve practicing scales all day long.

“We want to bring wellness and music to those who have always dreamed of being able to create music and who are looking for a fun new way to achieve wellness,” McNulty said af-

ter a sit-down interview at her studio. “We want all [students] to feel comfortable, relaxed and welcomed in their journey of music learning.”

Students are taught how to read music, with bits of musical theory in between, and are guaranteed that they will be able to start playing on their first day of class.

The daughter of a jazz pianist and a master piano instructor, McNulty has an innate passion that hails from an extensive musical pedigree. After studying music and pedagogy, which is the method and practice of teaching, she entered the U.S. Air Force and became an award-winning performer with the elite entertainment showcase the USAF Tops In Blue. McNulty ended up performing and traveling as she entertained troops around the world, including stops at major events and venues such as Caesar’s Palace and the Super Bowl XIX halftime show.

After moving to the ’Boro almost 15 years ago, McNulty found herself teaching private piano lessons from her home but was itching to showcase her methods on a grander scale.

“I was just wanting to stretch a little bit,”

she explained. “I discovered this course that I’m teaching called ‘Musical Moments,’ and it is all recreational piano. I went and certified, learned about it, and loved it. I thought, ‘What a neat thing to give an adult who thought that that part of their life was over.’”

Today, McNulty’s music center is the winner of a 2014 Ruthie for Favorite Music Instruction, and has grown to offer several workshops on instruments that are as fun as they are easy to play. A great example would be the dulcimer, an Appalachian stringed instrument that can be learned in its entirety during a single class setting.

If a student enjoys the workshop on a particular instrument, then he or she can attend its supporting clubs to further hone in on the craft.

“We just want to bring more people in,” she said. “I would love to someday have 60 students in a piano orchestra; I want 60 pianos . . . . I just want to grab people and say that this is here, it’s changing lives, and you can do it.”

To inquire about attending a workshop, class or club, visit Music-4-Everyone.com or call (615) 587-2709.

BOROPULSE.COM

* DECEMBER 2014 * 13

LIVING

YMCA

Participants in the YMCA After Breast Cancer program celebrate life at the annual fashion show fundraiser.

More Than Fun & Games

M

STORY BY BRACKEN MAYO

ost in the area know that the local YMCA offers a fitness room, basketball gym and swimming pool.

But the staff and supporters of the Rutherford County Family YMCA want the community to know that the Y’s mission is about much more than fun and games. >>>

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The YMCA is home to many ministries and outreach efforts; these programs include After Breast Cancer (ABC), a support program offered free to local breast cancer survivors. ABC operates in conjunction with the Wig Bank at Top of the Block Salon, which provides wigs to patients undergoing cancer treatment.

“God blows my socks off!” said YMCA After Breast Cancer Director Melanie Cavender regarding her being given the opportunity to serve and assist other breast cancer survivors.

The ABC program hosted this year’s fashion show, celebrating survivors and raising funds and awareness for the program, at New Vision Church on Thursday, Oct. 2.

Local residents can also take advantage of the YMCA’s Restore Ministries, which includes various small group meetings that focus on a specific area of healing.

“Restore’s small groups offer an opportunity to make changes to anything that causes dissatisfaction if your life,” according to its mission statement. “Past participants have been able to address challenges related to their relationships and family dynamics, careers, weight/food/body image issues, grief, pornography, anxiety and much more.”

A lady dealing with guilt and pain surrounding the murder of her son went through a group called Journey to Freedom.

“I feel like I have been freed from a prison,” said the program participant.

Furthermore, the Full Circle program provides swim lessons for children with special needs, and other opportunities for them and their parents to grow in body, mind and spirit.

“Some see the swimming and that we have memberships, and don’t realize this, but very near our hearts is the mission of community service,” YMCA Executive Director Merida Balch told a group of local businesspeople and YMCA supporters earlier this year.

Aside from these Murfreesboro ministries dedicated to directly improving the lives of its participants, the YMCA as a whole has added

a lot of fun to the American culture, Balch points out; basketball was started at a YMCA by the sport’s creator, James Naismith (volleyball, softball and racquetball also have their roots in the Y), the Y can claim the first indoor swimming pool (which opened in 1885 at a YMCA in Brooklyn), and the YMCA was also instrumental in starting the boy scouts.

“We accept all, but want to keep the Christian principles and values,” Balch said.

The Rutherford County Family YMCA is also a major area employer.

“We employ roughly 100 people in the school year,” Balch said.

While membership fees bring in much of the money to operate, the YMCA does rely on donations from local businesses and individuals so it can offer support programs and financial assistance to low-income families who could benefit from their services (even the Murfreesboro Athletic Club, which in a sense competes with the YMCA for fitnesscenter members, donates to the YMCA, and participates in its events, such as the annual Corporate Dodgeball Tournament).

Balch emphasizes that all pledges from the Murfreesboro community stay in the local branch of the Y. “Any funding that comes in stays in this center,” she said of the Murfreesboro Y. The Rutherford County Family YMCA is located at 205 N. Thompson Lane. For more information,find them on Facebook or visitymcamidtn.org; to donate to the cause, contact Camille Mickle at cmickle@ ymcamidtn.org or (615) 895-5995.

BOROPULSE.COM

* DECEMBER 2014 * 15

LIVING

Eden’s Magic A page from the diary of a homeless immigrant.

T

STORY & PHOTOS BY DARCY PAYNE

he digital crosswalk sign glares red from across the intersection of West Vine and Broad Streets in downtown Murfreesboro.

It is early October. It has just rained. The streets are glistening with puddles that are reflecting the glaring red crosswalk sign. Swiftly moving cars swerve around a 300-pound man slowly waddling across the road.

The man looks about 50, a heavy-set and big-boned type with a bald head. He has baggy clothes hanging from his body: beige cargos and a gray basketball jersey that barely covers his torso.

He hasn’t bathed in three days.

Cars honk.

Trucks stop.

“I don’t use the button to cross street. I am a V.I.P.!

Very important person. Mm-hmm,” mumbles Eden Smagic, the heavy-set pedestrian, in a Russian accent. He maintains a constant smile.

He must think the cars can’t hurt him.

He’s probably right—a 300-pound man would do the same amount of damage as a hefty deer.

Finally, Eden drags his mammoth feet forward and into the humid, low-cost United Grocery Outlet. After picking up a half-dozen bananas, a few apples, a package of salami, a large bottle of Sprite, a box of Taquitos and two cheese sticks, Eden heads to the cash register.

“All for eight bucks!” His wrinkled face lights up with excitement. Eden hands the gray-haired cashier some food stamps.

Eden has been using food stamps ever since he became homeless 6 years ago. Homelessness took hold of his life due to a disability that began complicating job possibilities.

It takes Eden the entire day to move from his camp in the woods to any destination. All day and evening he walks. Although the journey is exhausting, he is on a mission.

Armin, Eden’s son, is currently living in Bosnia. The only way to communicate with Armin is through Facebook, so speaking to Ar-

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min is Eden’s daily mission. Bosnia is Eden’s home country, located 5,165 miles away.

Eden is a veteran of the Bosnian War. During this war, which lasted from 1992 until 1995, a grenade injured Eden in his right lung. He thought he would never pull out of the war alive. Luckily, he spent two years in refugee shelters around Bosnia and in America. Eden found faith in Christianity throughout his healing process and miraculously recovered from multiple battle wounds. The battle wounds caused Eden to become disabled and, eventually, homeless.

Eden made it to America as a refugee and settled in North Carolina. He says North Carolina treats homelessness as a crime, so he migrated to Tennessee. Although the community treats him better here, it is still difficult to find a job while categorized as disabled.

Sweat rolls down from his forehead to the tip of his long nose as he makes his way out of the grocery store. His face glistens.

“Seventy-two degrees. Twelve o’clock p.m.

Friday,” says a robotic voice.

“Urrrrrgh!” Eden growls.

He mumbles angrily as he fumbles through his Chick-fil-A bag. He pulls out his prepaid cell phone and explains that the factory settings are set to make his phone talk. He doesn’t know how to turn the voice off.

He puts his phone back in the bag. As he sits on a dirty concrete block outside the store, Eden peels his banana and looks vacantly across the street in a deep gaze. The block, Eden’s seat, is littered with rotten banana peels and old gum.

After devouring a banana, he lifts his 5-foot-11-inch body off the concrete block and carries his grocery bags to his next destination, to Armin. This is a daily routine. Same concrete block, same store, same walk.

Eden crosses the street without the walk signal again. Cars are avoiding his bulky body swaying across the road. He pays no attention.

He points at a bridge.

No one is under the bridge, but he says a group of homeless men go there at night to sleep and “do riff-raff.” Eden has nicknames for most everyone. This group under the bridge is called the “Beer Boys.”

Eden continues his slow trek from the grocery store. His legs are stiff from diabetes and other disabilities, so walking at a painfully slow pace is not an ideal way of getting around town.

He scours through the Chick-fil-A bag that

he has been swinging. He finds his diabetes medication, ignoring the talking phone. Eden calls his medication “M&M’s.” His medications would cost roughly $2,000 per month, but he gets them for free because he is unemployed.

“This . . . is the library!”

His face expands into a giant smile. He shuffles faster to the entrance of the library and presses the handicap button to automatically open the doors.

“High-tech!” Eden says with a giggle. He says this every time he enters the library.

The library is where Eden goes to talk to Armin every single day on the computers. He never misses a day. Missing a day of his routine library visit would mean missing out on a chance to speak to his son. Even if it is just an emoticon, Eden wants to send something to Armin to show that he loves him.

It takes Eden all day to walk to the library, like any other location. The library is his favorite place to rest, and it is 10 miles from his camp.

He calls the camp “Road to Damascus,” which refers to the journey of Saul from the Bible.

If he could, Eden would pitch his tent right in front of the library as if it were home.

Of course, he cannot live at the library.

Eden will not disclose the location of “Road to CONTINUED ON PAGE 31

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* DECEMBER 2014 * 17

2014

HOLIDAY SHOP LOCAL GIFTandGUIDE Giveaway!

The Pulse’s annual holiday shop local gift guide and giveaway is once again here.

Be sure to patronize the Pulse’s advertisers as you are doing your holiday shopping this year. To enter to win all of the goodies on this page—just visit BoroPulse.com/WIN

THE MAGIC OF THE MOVIES

at MALCO SMYRNA THEATER A trip to the movies can be a magical escape in the winter, or any time of year. Malco’s Smyrna Cinema offers lots of first-run movie fun, and a coffee bar, plus they offer gift cards for a holiday surprise for the movie lover.

WIN a total of 10 movie passes to Malco Cinema.

A HOLIDAY BOUQUET

from VALLEY GROWERS Valley Growers, located on Tennessee Boulevard near the Co-Op, is still growing, with live Christmas trees, wreaths and more this month. They always have a house full of beautiful red poinsettias around the holidays, so pick up a few and brighten someone’s day with a flower. WIN a live Christmas tree and poinsettias from Valley Growers.

ENCHANTED CHRISTMAS

at ENCHANTED PLANET This colorful Lytle Street shop is the spot for tapestries, posters, artwork, clothing, even hammocks, unique and fun items of all sorts. Stop by and get something Enchanted for a loved one, or WIN a $50 gift card to spend at Enchanted Planet.

THE GIFT OF FITNESS

NATURAL AND CLEAN

from ALCHEMY OF SOL Alchemy of Sol produces its all-natural soap right here in Middle Tennessee from organic essential oils and natural herbs and grains; “No Synthetic Anything,” according to alchemyofsol.com. Your skin will thank you. WIN a gift bag sampler of soap from Alchemy of Sol.

at MURFREESBORO ATHLETIC CLUB Burn off those holiday cakes, cookies, brownies, candy . . . you know, at the Murfreesboro Athletic Club. With group classes, a workout cinema room and all of the weights and machines to tone any part of your body, the MAC can help you improve and maintain one of your most important assets, your health. WIN a 1-year membership from the MAC.

A WORK OF PIZZA ART

at NOBODY’S BBQ Give the carnivore in your life a gift card that gives pulled pork, beef brisket, wings, fried catfish and more.

Oh yeah, it’s not all about the meats at Nobody’s, they dish out some great desserts too. WIN a $50 gift card from Nobody’s.

at YOUR PIE Personalize your pizza pie at Your Pie. Choose from an abundance of meats and veggies to top your creation before it is fired in the brick oven.

There’s food and fun for young and old this season at Your Pie. WIN a $25 gift card.

GIFTS OF SMOKE AND MIRTH

BANGERS AND BEER

MERRY MEATS

from LIQUID SMOKE AND THE HUMIDOR

For a great selection of tobaccos and beers, these neighboring shops on the historic Murfreesboro Public Square have what you crave. Cigars, tobacco blends, pipes and accessories from The Humidor make great stocking stuffers, and the store next door has one of the best collections of beer in town; enjoy a few at Liquid Smoke, or take them to go. WIN a $50 gift card to Liquid Smoke/The Humidor.

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HOT COFFEE

at JOZOARA Warm up with some hot coffee at Murfreesboro’s finest coffeeshop.

It’s a great place to catch up with friends, or catch up on some reading, as you sip some excellent coffee from one of JoZoara’s huge mugs.

They serve a nice scone, too, as well as muffins, sandwiches and more.

WIN a $25 gift card to JoZoara.

at O’Possum’s This truly unique establishment offers “the warmth and welcome of the Irish as well as the fine traditions of Clan O’Possum, one of the oldest, most important, and least known clans in Irish history.” Warm your bones in the pub with some bangers and mash, shepard’s pie, fish and chips or any of the excellent dishes served. The restaurant also houses Murfreesboro’s favorite brewery. WIN a $50 gift card to O’Possum’s.

SPORTS INDOORS

at SAM’S SPORTS GRILL Winter means football season is in prime time, with basketball and hockey just underway, and it’s cold. Plus, you know you don’t want to cook before the big game; so, since Sam’s Sports Grill, adjacent to Stones River Mall, has big screens all over the place, and a great selection and quality of food and drink, stop in for the evening, catch a game or happy hour and leave the cooking up to them. WIN $50 of Sam’s bucks.

A TRAIN FOR UNDER THE TREE

from THOR’S Thor is a train man, and everyone should stop by his one-of-a-kind shop, 416 Medical Center Pkwy., and you may just leave with a beautiful model train to travel around your Christmas tree. In addition to Lionel and other fun train related products, Thor’s also features lots of locally made furniture—shelves, bookcases, porch rockers and more.

WIN a porch rocker of your own from Thor’s.

TWO PIANOS DUELING . . .

at THE BIG BANG DUELING PIANO BAR

Murfreesboro’s hottest new night spot, located right on the Square at 114 N. Church St., features a rotating crew of entertainers on the keys, and other instruments, and is a great spot to sing your winter blues away with friends. Up for grabs from the Big Bang is a VIP party package that includes admission for four, a table reservation, two appetizers and one round of drinks.

WIN a VIP party package from The Big Bang.

CLOTHES FOR HER KICKIN’ IT at 9 ROUND

Help your loved one start the new year off right with an unlimited training package from 9 Round. Personal trainers will help them shed pounds and increase confidence with intense, active workouts.

9 Round uses a kickboxing approach to training, but the workouts hit the entire body.

WIN 3 months of unlimited training at 9 Round (Equipment not included).

O HOLY GYRO

from LOFT Still wondering what to get the lady on your list? It’s sweater time at LOFT at the Avenue! Or perhaps jeans, jackets, bags and belts will do. Grab a gift card and let her do her own shopping, or shop away, with $100 at Loft for your very own. WIN $100 gift card at LOFT.

at Gyro Tabouli Stop by Gyro Tabouli on a long winters night for a healthy, filling meal. Just $20 will get a giant family pack to take home to your own table, if you wish, complete with rice, gyro meat, tabouli, pita bread, veggies and plenty of cucumber sauce. Feeds 4 or more! WIN a $20 gift certificate to Gyro Tabouli.

’Tis Not the Gardening Season: Care for Your Tools, Give Gifts to Your Gardening Friends in Winter

by EDWINA SHANNON WINTER IN TENNESSEE has arrived, and that sure does limit outdoor gardening.

As a tribute to my advanced gardener friends, I will state that that I know people who use cold frames and greenhouses to produce outside all year. As much as I love to garden, though, I like having a few months when I do not guilt myself into using every available moment in my yard and gardens. My kudos to those who grow in cold frames or greenhouses and under lights in that extra bedroom.

I try to avoid the temptation to go into the garden on a warm day during the cold months.

There are times I feel like getting dirt under my nails or preparing for the growth season.

Instead of working the soil, I get a bale of straw and some leaves with some garbage and work on creating compost. I don’t do much labor, it is nature itself that does the work. I just provide the materials for the magic to happen. That effort will produce tangible, beneficial results.

Important Reminder

Pick up a handful of soil and roll it into a ball. If the soil sticks together and will not crumble easily, it is too wet to work.

Failure to remember this guideline will result in clumps of soil that will pass for misshapen clay “objets d’art.” Reconstructing this clay into soil is a seasons-long process. Avoid the temptation, stay out of a wet garden!

So this is the time of the year that my house plants get attention, when I organize tools—filing, cleaning and oiling where needed—and when I research and plan for the spring, which comes early in Tennessee.

Gifts for the Gardener

If you are giving a gift to a gardener friend, I am happy to offer some suggestions: seeds, tools, decorations.

There may still be seed heads on your previous season’s flowers or maybe you deadheaded the seed pods during the season and have already collected the seeds. Either way, the seeds are a nice gift, especially if your gardener friend is not already growing that variety. Decorate an envelope or container and you have a personal gift.

Children and crafters can create signs and stepping stones for a garden.

Garden art, sculpture, bottles, flea-market finds . . . just about any curiosity can enhance a garden.

The following is a great guideline for tools from UT Extension’s David W. Sams, Professor Emeritus, Plant and Soil Science, and Gary Bates, Professor and Extension Coordinator, Plant Sciences: An efficient garden that’s fun to work in requires the correct tools. It is not necessary to have a lot of tools, but they should be good quality. All gardeners will require the following: 1 A shovel or a spade. Shovels are long-

handled and have wide, rounded blades. Spades are shorter and usually have narrow blades.

Sharpshooter shovels are spades. Some prefer a long-handled shovel for nearly every gardening task from spading soil to planting and transplanting shrubs. The shorter spade is stronger but harder to use. The spade works well to dig a raised bed or a post hole. It is also a good tool for prying, cutting larger roots and even spading. All gardeners should have one or the other, and both would be a good investment.

2 A hoe. The hoe is a universal gardening tool. There are dozens of kinds, sizes and shapes. The standard square-bladed gooseneck hoe is the one to begin with. It is suitable for removing weeds as well as opening and closing furrows for seeding. Other hoes can be added if and when you need them.

3 A rake. The bow rake is essential for smoothing and leveling seed beds. It may also be used to cover planting furrows, move mulches, clean up debris and kill emerging weeds.

4 A trowel. Buy a good trowel, 3 or 4 inches wide. Use it to transplant small plants, open short rows, dig small holes and even to weed and cultivate around small plants.

5 Small supplies. Use twine and stakes for marking rows, maintaining straight rows and supporting plants. A bucket for carrying fertilizer and water to the garden and vegetables to the house is very helpful. A hose is essential for irrigation. Perhaps the most essential small tool is a good-quality file. Carry it with you when you work in the garden and use it frequently to keep tools sharp.

Store all tools away from sun and rain.

Weather will deteriorate and roughen handles, as well as rust metal parts. Rust can be prevented by wiping a light coating of oil on metal after use. Rough handles can be smoothed with sandpaper. Well-cared for tools are easier to use and last much longer.

The effort needed to keep the tools in good repair is a gift. The effort to organize the tool/ garden shed or tweaking the lawnmower with a tune-up and blade sharpening are also great gifts. An IOU of an afternoon of planting or weeding is a great gift. Don’t disappoint the receiver and fail to follow through!

Money is not always a necessary component of gift giving. Be creative and have your gift be a thoughtful addition to your gardening friend’s life.

Last-minute Announcement: Permaculture Webinar

A webinar is coming up Dec. 9 at 1 p.m. for all you permaculturalists! Permaculture is the development of agricultural ecosystems intended to be sustainable and self-sufficient. The webinar is free and open to the public, and advance registration is required. For more information or to register, visit extension.org/pages/71918.

BOROPULSE.COM

* DECEMBER 2014 * 19

LIVING

T

he voters of Rutherford County recently elected Bryan Terry to the Tennessee House of Representatives to represent Tennessee District 48, which covers the eastern part of Rutherford County. He will join Dawn White, Rick Womick and Mike Sparks, all of whom were re-elected to another term to represent people of Rutherford County in the Tennessee House.

Terry is an anesthesiologist at Saint Thomas Rutherford Hospital and a member of the Choctaw Nation. He and his wife, Cheryl, have two children, Brayden and Breeley.

As is the tradition, the Tennessee General Assembly will convene its session the second Tuesday of January. During the seasonal hiatus, Dr. Terry took the time to answer some questions from the Murfreesboro Pulse:

addressing that to come forward at some point, as well. There may be bills that increase the standards of abortion clinics to operate as freestanding ambulatory surgical centers, too.

As I was answering this question, I learned that Rep. Rick Womick introduced a bill dealing with ultrasounds and requirements surrounding the use of ultrasound information. It may be the same bill that he introduced in 2013. To my knowledge, this is the first and only bill that has been pre-filed at this moment.

What people need to realize is that abortion is the law of the land. Amendment 1 will not give our General Assembly the authority to outlaw abortion in Tennessee. We can, however, educate women and make it safer for them.

There are two lives at stake and I will be an advocate for both at the hospital and the Capitol.

MURFREESBORO PULSE: What would you like to accomplish over the next 2 years?

DR. BRYAN TERRY: I decided to run because I wanted to make a difference for my children and their generation. So, generally, my goal is to help advocate for issues and causes that I believe will improve our state, county and district for all Tennesseans, but in particular, those that will follow us.

I believe there is a disconnect between Washington and here locally. I believe there is a disconnect at the state level, as well. As a trained self-governance candidate, it is my hope to reconnect voters with the government process.

Self-governance is basically educating and empowering citizens to utilize their civic authority.

We have a lot of voter apathy out there because of this perceived and real disconnect. It is my hope to diminish the disconnect.

One outreach program that I am excited about is our S.H.A.R.E. Rutherford initiative.

S.H.A.R.E. stands for safety, health, affordability, recreation and education. It is our goal to go throughout the district, as well as the county, and highlight on social media the citizens and businesses that fall into those categories.

Why is it important for the Tennessee of House of Representatives to have a medical doctor as a member?

I think it is important to have representatives from all walks of life. We can learn from each other and bring our collective strengths to the General Assembly. In addition, health care is the largest percentage of our budget. Having a physician in the House of Representatives will allow us to have more insight to the concerns of patients and the medical community when we are looking to adjust the budget.

Now that voters have approved Amendment 1, what legislation regarding abortion do you expect to come before the General Assembly?

I expect for us to introduce an informed consent bill, as well as, a brief waiting period bill. Both of those measures were on the books prior to the Tennessee Supreme Court ruling in Planned Parenthood v. Sundquist in 2000. Both of those measures have been deemed constitutional.

The requirement for some abortions to be performed in a hospital was, also, on the books prior to that ruling. I would expect legislation

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How involved should the state government be in providing health care to the people of Tennessee?

The history of health care was such that the patient/physician relationship was a health relationship and a monetary relationship. Over time, government has gotten involved to the point where the cornerstone of health care, the patient/physician relationship, is but a number.

When upwards of 40% of health care dollars doesn’t even go towards patient care, then you know there is a problem.

How involved the state should be is up to the people of Tennessee. I think we are a compassionate state, but you must be fiscally responsible as well. Right now, health care is over 30% of the budget. While we can help those less fortunate, we must be responsible in what we can do.

On a federal level, I think that Obamacare was a huge federal overreach. Many of the mandates and the independent payment advisory board haven’t come to light just yet. I think people will realize what a mistake the law was once it is fully implemented.

“Every man for himself,” while free-market in the truest sense, leads to abuses and loss of consumer protections. On the other hand, “free health care” isn’t really free and invites major issues including suppression of the entrepre-

THERE’S A DOCTOR IN THE HOUSE Dr. Bryan Terry to begin his first term in the Tennessee General Assembly

neurial spirit. For me, I think a freer market health care system with transparency of costs and consumer protections, especially for catastrophic illnesses, is what we need to look at.

Do the people of Tennessee have the right to bear arms?

Absolutely. We have the right to keep and bear arms. I am in the process of looking at legislation to introduce that will further protect that right.

Should marijuana be illegal?

This issue, to me, is one of individual liberty versus the potential harm to society with associated infringement on another person’s liberty.

Until we can determine the harm to society and limit the infringement on another’s liberty, I don’t see how we could make it legal. I have never smoked marijuana. I don’t want my children to smoke marijuana. If we legalize marijuana, then in essence we, as a government, are telling our children that it is OK to smoke it and are infringing on the liberty of a parent to raise their child under their own morals.

I would be in favor of looking into legalizing marijuana oils for the treatment of intractable seizures. If there is some medical benefit, then we do need to look at our options. Most probably don’t realize that cocaine is legal in Tennessee for medical purposes. Cocaine is a local anesthetic and a vasoconstrictor. It is used in nasal surgery to decrease pain and bleeding, and by anesthesiologists for placing an endotracheal tube through the nose.

Should Tennessee offer corporations like Amazon special incentives to open facilities in the state?

Rutherford County is competing with the other 94 counties for businesses. Tennessee is competing with the other 49 states, and the U.S. is competing with other countries for jobs. It is a global economy. In a free market, businesses are going to go where they get the best deal.

When you are looking to bring in corporations or jobs, you need to show where you are competitive or exceptional compared to other counties, or states. You must also determine the value of such a corporation to your community.

If the corporation will serve as an anchor and economic engine for your county, then incentives may be worth it. The small businesses that can thrive off of the economic anchor benefit by the big corporation getting a “deal.” Ultimately, I think that you need to make sure that the corporation provides the jobs that you need, as well as provide an economic engine that small businesses can benefit from before offering special incentives.

In closing, I would like to thank the Murfreesboro Pulse for giving me this opportunity to reach out to its readers. I encourage the readers to reach out to me and be engaged in the political and legislative process. It is our seat as a district. I am just being sent there to be an advocate and voice for the district. Please, contact me at rep.bryan.terry@capitol.tn.gov.

In Liberty, Rep. Bryan Terry, MD

BOROPULSE.COM

* DECEMBER 2014 * 21

FOOD

THE DISH

Goodness Gracious!

It’s grits, corncakes, stuffed strawberries and more at Readyville Mill

I

story and photos by CHRISTY SIMMONS

was heartbroken when I found out that Goodness Gracious had moved from its convenient spot on the square in Murfreesboro. Where would I get my Sunday brunch? My perfectly poached eggs and my stuffed strawberries? Sure, I could make them myself, but Sundays are not for cleaning kitchens, they are for brunches and long naps in front of the television, snuggled up to my husband. There was not another place in Murfreesboro that filled the bill for me. I had no clue where Readyville Mill was and, truthfully, I didn’t care. I was as petulant as a teenaged girl who believes she has been slighted. So when Bracken said that The Readyville Mill was going to be the next place reviewed, I smiled outwardly and scowled inwardly. Those traitors! They had taken away my brunches!

But, on a gorgeous Friday afternoon, I dutifully got into my car and, armed with my GPS, I headed towards the Mill. I had just

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begun to hear the strains of dueling banjos when I turned onto the gravel road that led to the Mill. The Readyville Mill has a rustic beauty and the grounds are gorgeous; but the parking is a bit sketchy, so if you are bringing anyone that is elderly or not steady on their feet, the owners encourage you to pull right up to the front door to let those people out.

Inside the restaurant, the rustic beauty continues with a homey coziness, like going to Grandma’s log cabin for breakfast. (I am speculating . . . my grandma had neither a log cabin nor a homey coziness, but I digress.)

We sat down and perused the extensive menu while sipping on pecan coffee and fruit teas.

They have both breakfast and lunch foods available at 1:30 p.m., the time we arrived, which just served to make our decisions harder, because everything sounded delicious.

The restaurant had all my favorites from Goodness Gracious, but the menu had ex-

panded quite a bit. I had decided not to eat at all before I arrived, so I only felt moderately guilty for ordering the BAT Benedict, with sides of corncakes and maple syrup, pierogies, and stuffed strawberries. Reading that list now, it sounds like a disgusting mixture, but I assure you, dear readers, it was all delicious.

The BAT Benedict—poached eggs atop thick, peppered bacon and slices of avocado, topped with a roasted tomato hollandaise—was perfect. The corncakes, made with cornmeal that was ground on the premises, were slathered with butter and drizzled with maple syrup and completely delicious. The pierogi filling changes with the chef ’s whims, and this particular day it was sauerkraut.

NAME: Goodness Gracious at the Mill LOCATION: 5418 Murfreesboro Road, Readyville HOURS: Friday: 10 a.m –2:30 p.m.; Saturday: 8 a.m.–2:30 p.m.; Sunday: 10 a.m –2:30 p.m.

PHONE: (615) 563-6455 ONLINE: readyvillemill.com

They were served with the traditional accoutrements of sour cream and applesauce and were delightful. The stuffed strawberries were just like I remembered at Goodness Gracious—sweet and creamy.

When a slice of their house-made chocolate pecan pie was brought to our table, I was completely stuffed and was only able to take one bite, but that one bite was rich and swoon-worthy.

After we finished eating, I took a little tour of the working mill with head chef Eric Ford, who took me through the process of turning corn into both grits and cornmeal. It was fascinating, although I was sneezing corn dust out of my nose the rest of the day. I left the Mill armed with a 3-pound bag of freshly ground grits, a bag of flavored coffee and the knowledge that I once again had my Sunday brunch spot. I would just have to drive a little further to get there.

BOROPULSE.COM

* DECEMBER 2014 * 23

ART

STORY BY MAI HAMRIC LOCAL ARTIST JEN WALKER accomplishes something in her work that is a rare gem in today’s art world. It manages a perfect balance between being conceptually clever while also being well executed at a distinguished skill level. One of the charms of her work is its ability to seem simple and cute enough to bring a smile to your face, while also having deeper roots in science and the intent to bring our attention to all living things around us—big or small.

“My work is light-hearted and fun,” she explains, “They’re simple images, but I hope to bring awareness to some of the more common creatures that we share the world with by featuring them as my main subjects. It’s easy to forget about the little guys and the ones that we see so often we take them for granted. We all have unique experiences and histories, tiny ants and giant giraffes included.”

Walker says that she fell into art accidentally. Having mostly concentrated on science, math and English throughout school, she had dreams of becoming an engineer or writer.

However her focus shifted just in time when she took a drawing class during her senior year of high school.

“It was the perfect combination of science, math, and creative problem solving, and I was instantly taken by it,” Walker said. “The first day of college orientation I made the switch from engineering to painting and I am still just as excited, intrigued and challenged by painting as I was when I first started.”

She built a background in figurative painting and portraiture, but eventually decided to begin painting things that she felt more interested in.

“I’ve found that painting animals and insects really fulfills my love for science, art and even English—there is a more narrative element to my work now,” Walker said.

Science remains a big part of Walker’s life and does find its way into her work.

“In my paintings, that influence is more direct sometimes than others, but oftentimes if I’m painting something it’s because I’ve researched it or spent time observing it.”

She also spends a lot of time outside, crediting her environment as a huge inspiration.

“If I see something (especially something 24 * DECEMBER 2014 * BOROPULSE.COM

alive!) I put effort into finding out more about it. Sometimes I’m inspired by just seeing a bug crawl a certain way or by watching a crow interact with a piece of grass,” said the artist.

Books and essays influence her art work as well; Walker lists Bernd Heinrich, John Marzluff and Robert M. Sapolsky as some of her favorites.

Walker and her equally talented fellow artist and husband, Drew Camino, moved to Tennessee from Miami, but they don’t plan on making this their permanent home. So you should definitely make a point to check out Walker’s work in person before they move elsewhere, as I expect they will both go on to do big things in their art careers. When I first visited their in-home studios, I was shocked that two of the most talented artists I have ever seen working in this area rarely showed their best work publicly and instead had all of it stored away in closets.

But since then I have been pleased to witness Walker’s work exhibited at Earthsoul Gallery in Smyrna. You can currently find Walker’s work

View more of Jen Walker’s work on her new website, thepudgybug.com.

“I’ve found that painting animals and insects really fulfills my love for science, art and even English—there is a more narrative element to my work now.”

—Jen Walker at Art and Invention Gallery in East Nashville (1106 Woodland St., Nashville). Although ever since she first began exhibiting there at the Tomato Art Festival earlier this year, buyers have been snatching her work up almost too quickly for her to create enough to keep up with the demand. But her refusal to compromise the quality of her work for the sake of achieving a larger quantity is a part of the integrity in what she does that can be so rare to find. It should also be inspiring to other artists to know that in our sometimes discouraging local art community, hard work and skill do still receive the attention and respect it deserves.

You can also view Walker’s work on her new website, thepudgybug.com.

©

© Jennifer Walker

Tiny Ants and Giant Giraffes: The Work of Jen Walker

Je nn ife rW alk e r

© Jennifer Walker

 DECEMBER ART EVENTS

work from some of Murfreesboro’s finest local crafters and artisans, including: Botanical Harmony, Katheryn Carroll, Becky Dickovitch, Dawna Kinne Magliacano, Meghan O’Connor, Cynthia O’Malley, Jan Quarles, Raymond Reininger and Michelle Sweatt.

AMENDMENT ONE PROTEST SHOOT

PAINTINGS BY OLIVER LANGSTON

Middle Tennessee artist Oliver Langston, whose painting of the Rutherford County Courthouse is featured on this month’s cover, has artwork in various venues this month. He has recently switched his fall-themed work in JoZoara, 536 N. Thompson Lane, to winter works; the Fly Arts Center, 204 S. Main St., Shelbyville, hosts a Christmas exhibit by Langston this month; and the artist’s work can also be viewed at his ongoing exhibit at Remember When Antiques on Front Street in Smyrna.

ARTWORK ON DISPLAY AT MURFREE GALLERY

The MTSU Department of Art’s Student Gallery Committee (SGC) invites the public to the Murfree Gallery, located on the second floor of the Rutherford County Office Building at 319 N. Maple Street in the Rutherford County Property Assessor’s office, to an exhibit part of an ongoing project between the department’s Todd Art Gallery and Assessor Rob Mitchell.

In Murfree’s chamber A, the project features artwork by a number of art majors including Kandace Lovett, Holly Hagan, Chloe Campbell, Kari Owen, and Sarah Al-Ansari. Murfree’s B chamber offers up the exciting and intoxicating work of arts advocate and artist Diane Stockard, a cachet painter among Murfreesboro’s burgeoning pantheon of contemporary artists.

All Murfree Gallery exhibits and receptions are free and open to the public.

Hours: Monday–Friday 8 a.m.–4 p.m. For more information on Murfree Gallery contact the Rutherford County Property Assessor’s office at 615-898-7750.

Artwork

by Holly Hagan

SMALL BATCH HOLIDAY MARKET

Saturday, Dec. 6, 12–6 p.m.

Mayday Brewery: 521 Old Salem Rd. Just like their small select batches of seasonal brews, Mayday Brewery is hosting a select small batch of artisans for a unique holiday shopping experience. Find unique handmade gifts for your friends and family, tour the brewery and end the evening listening to live music.

NARRATIVE ART AND SYMBOLISM WORKSHOP WITH MAI HAMRIC

Friday, Dec. 12, 7–9 p.m. and Saturday, Dec. 13, 10 a.m.–12 p.m.

Mai’s Art Studio: Murfreesboro This two-session workshop will guide you through techniques of narrative painting and use of symbolism. This can be a very therapeutic form of painting and is great for all skill levels! This will almost be more of a creative exercise, so absolutely no experience is required. Participants will be shown how to develop concepts and stories for paintings, and then how to put those onto canvas in a way that is deeply personal, but also with a level of subtlety so that viewers can develop their own relationships with, and find individual meanings in, the piece.

Sign up at: narrativewithmai.eventzilla.net

HOLIDAY SPARKLE SHOP

Saturday, Dec. 13 , 9–5 p.m.

Center for the Arts, 110 W. College St. Center for the Arts is proud to present its 2nd Annual Holiday Sparkle Shop. This craft fair is just in time for Christmas, and will feature

December 2014, time and location TBD Local photographer and actress Jessica Theiss is organizing a photo shoot to protest the passing of Amendment One. Amendment One, says Theiss, is not an anti-abortion law, it’s a direct attack on women’s rights and allows the government to have final say over your medical decisions. She wants men and women of all ages, pro-choice and pro-life alike, to take part in a massive group shot showing the outrage of the people. The shot will be black and white, very raw. “I encourage you all to research this law. Do some real studying and make the choice that your heart feels is right, not just what you’re told to do,” Theiss said. “Let’s really give them something to think and talk about!” For information on how to get involved, contact Jessica at: may.theiss@gmail.com

many of Stockard’s works feature musicians or are “just in honor of music.” All art exhibits in the Rotunda of City Hall are free and open to the public between 8 a.m. and 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday.

MURFREESBORO CREATIVE GROUP MEET-UP

First Wednesday of each month, 5–8 p.m.

Two-Tone Art Gallery: 113 W. Lytle St., The Murfreesboro Creative Group will now be meeting the first Wednesday of every month from 5–8 p.m. Local creatives gather to work on projects, make connections and get more familiar with the local art community. For more information, contact Nichole McVeigh: nichole.mcveigh@gmail.com — MAI HAMRIC

EXHIBIT BY DIANE STOCKARD

Through Jan. 2 at Murfreesboro City Hall: 111 W. Vine St., The City Hall Art Committee presents an exhibit of original Diane Stockard paintings and prints in the Rotunda of City Hall through Jan. 2, 2015. Stockard started painting as a child at the age of 7, selling her work to her friends around the neighborhood. “I sold Christmas cards, Valentine cards, Easter cards made out of any kind of paper that I could find. I made my own paint out of berries, ashes, dirt, shoe polish and anything that I could find to put on paper. I love art,” she exuberantly proclaims.

Stockard now paints in watercolor, pastels, charcoal, oils and acrylics, and even does some pencil drawing. One interest in particular is her fascination with music, and

HELPING TWO-TONE ART GALLERY’S IMPROVEMENTS

Renowned Icon tattoo artist Todd Wilson and his wife, Sarah, opened their gallery doors for independent artists on April 10, 2013. Since then, countless art and music shows have graced Murfreesboro in that space on 113 W. Lytle St. Now there is an IndieGogo fundraising campaign to not only facilitate some much needed renovations at Two-Tone Art Gallery, but to also increase the current offerings for artists and patrons.

Foremost on the list of changes is that Todd’s tattoo business will be relocated to the back of the gallery. This will mean more exposure, and extended gallery hours. The fundraising campaign is for gallery upgrades only, though, and not for the tattoo shop.

Possibly most exciting is the plan to purchase projection and screening equipment, which will add fresh and untold possibilities for everyone.

These new plans inspired many local artists to donate their art and talents as perks during the campaign. Even donations as small as $3 are rewarded with art for their contributions. Local artists including Ashley Bayona, Liz Kelly Zook, Mai Hamric, Christy Simmons, Patti Mann, Norbert Thiemann and Wilson have offered their artwork in support of the cause. Further investigation to help Two-Tone can be made at twotoneartgallery. com, or find the campaign on indiegogo.com.

— NORBERT THIEMANN BOROPULSE.COM

* DECEMBER 2014 * 25

Art Theft: One Mischievous Fox ON OCT. 31, NEW ORLEANS ARTIST and gallery owner Ally Burguieres was sent a screenshot of a social media post made by Taylor Swift. At first, she was ecstatic to see the post, featuring an illustration she had done, one that is used as the logo for her store. But that moment of excitement, thinking Taylor Swift had shared her work with the world, quickly turned into devastation when she realized it was in fact a copy of her drawing that had been shared.

Another New Orleans artist had copied the fox, adding her own signature instead and removing the crown shown in the original drawing.

She also added a quote from Swift’s new song, “I Know Places,” which is what led to the post being shared on Swift’s social media pages.

Ironically, Swift has as of late been in the media a great deal talking about her decision to pull her entire music catalog from Spotify, making a point about how important it is for artists to be respected and paid for what they do.

“I’m not willing to contribute my life’s work to an experiment that I don’t feel fairly compensates the writers, producers, artists and creators of this music,” Swift stated. She went on to say, “My hope for the future, not just in the music industry, but in every young girl I meet . . . is that they all realize their worth and ask for it.”

26 * DECEMBER 2014 * BOROPULSE.COM

ORIGINAL

Burguieres adds, “The timing of the quote could not be more ironic, as my work has been pirated from me and shared to millions without consent, credit or any payment.”

The letter Burguieres sent to Swift stated, “Your work ethic and talent have resulted in the ability to boost other artists to the public stage, and I believe with this power comes a responsibility to correctly credit the images you share and to find positive ways to mitigate damages and mistakes when they occur.”

By the time Burguieres, Swift or her people, or even the artist who copied her work realized what had been done, it was too late. The image had already gone viral, receiving hundreds of thousands of likes and views on Facebook and Instagram, all with another artist’s name attached to it. While Swift’s social media team did

COPY

remove the posts in early December, they never offered Burguieres a formal apology or made any revised posts crediting her as the original artist.

Burguieres makes it clear that she doesn’t think any of what has occurred was done maliciously. She has communicated with the artist, who admittedly copied her work unaware of what would come out of it, under the impression that she was merely using the image as a reference for her own work. She claims she was not aware the fox belonged to another artist or that it was copyrighted, and also seems to be of the opinion that she had altered it enough that it was not an intentional rip off of someone else’s work.

Furthermore, Swift’s social media team likely had no idea that this was a copy or that the original image had not only been created by another artist but was also of much personal importance as a logo for that artist’s business. What could have been, and still could be, for that matter, done differently is how it was handled once the mistake was brought to everyone’s attention. While Facebook’s communication team told Burguieres they felt the removal of the posts remedied the situation, it did nothing to give credit to her with the same attention the copied image received. Swift’s team could have gone a step further from removing the posts and actually issued an apology as well as an additional post crediting Burguieres and bringing attention to her small New Orleans boutique the fox now represents. After repeated failed attempts to contact Swift’s team to find a solution, she has hired a lawyer who has been in touch with Swift’s law firm, but nothing has been resolved at this point in time.

This situation, and others like it, brings up many important issues for artists today. On one hand it begs caution from artists who frequently refer to the outlets such as weheartit.com, a sort of image-focused version of Facebook similar to Pinterest, and do Google-image searches to find reference images for their work. But with that database at your fingertips, why seek out live models or take your own photographs for reference when someone else has most likely already taken a similar image and posted it to the web?

It also makes working artists wary of sharing their work on the Internet.

Our very own local artists have tales of this happening to them. Local artist Susan Carter entered a logo design contest being held by Nashville’s Frist Center when they first made their move into the old post office downtown.

The images she entered had a postage stamp outline around them. Her designs were not chosen, yet the logo the Frist Center uses to this day has a stamp outline.

“I feel they just took from one artist here and another there and called it their own and didn’t award anyone anything,” explains Carter, “I guess someone else could have had my same idea, but . . . it didn’t seem right.”

Nashville artist Holly Marie Matthews had a very recent experience with someone taking credit for her work: “I started at my current job and rebranded the entire company . . . logo, website, biz cards, tradeshow material, et cetera.” After recently beginning the interview process to expand their team, she decided to do some digging around to see where the contractor who previously did design work for the company was now. “On their website they have all of my rebranded work and are claiming they did it themselves.” Their résumé shows that they stopped working with the company a month before Matthews started and began this rebranding for which they are taking credit.

Pamela Travis Cisneros recently discovered that someone on Instagram attempted to repaint several of her paintings and then post them as their own. On one of the posts they gave her a hashtag credit, but not on all of them. “At first I was shocked, then flattered, then kind of befuddled. In this case I don’t think they’re selling them, just [using them] for their personal use and enjoyment, so I’m fine with it,” states Cisneros.

Other stories include instances of artists teaching their bosses new techniques only for them to turn around and teach workshops on the methods, or professors stealing concepts and designs from their students.

Local artist Ryan Frizzell (a.k.a. The Rhinovirus) has had his work stolen in many different ways. “I designed a poster once for a benefit I was playing in Chattanooga at JJ’s Bohemia, and the promoter for the show liked the flyer so much they marked out the names and used it for their boyfriend’s band’s show the next week,” Frizzell explains.

While all similar, the particulars of how artwork can be copied, stolen or misrepresented vary from story to story. It can happen in so many different ways, sometimes subtle and questionable, other times blatantly and without shame. All artists react differently, too. Some are flattered or too shocked to form an opinion, while others are insulted and offended.

Since this is obviously an important issue to Swift, we can only hope that she will join in on conversations like these. An extremely respectable and admirable response to the whole situation, given her recent outspoken comments about such issues, would be to invite Burguieres and perhaps other artists into an open, public forum discussion about questions of ownership, control and our rights as artists—both visual and musical. The more stories like this that can be shared, the more open and honest conversations we as artists can have about where to draw the line on theft. — MAI HAMRIC

ONSTAGE IN DECEMBER THE CHRISTMAS SCHOONER

Center for the Arts 110 W. College St. 7:30 p.m. Dec. 5, 6, 12, 13, 19 and 20; 2 p.m. Dec. 7, 14 and 21 boroarts.org

IT’S A WONDERFUL LIFE

Springhouse Theatre 14119 Old Nashville Hwy., Smyrna 7:30 p.m. Dec. 5, 6, 12 and 13; 3:30 p.m. Dec. 7 and 14 mtsu.edu/tuckertheatre

 JACOB MARLEY’S CHRISTMAS CAROL

Murfreesboro Little Theatre 702 Ewing Ave. 7 p.m. Dec. 5, 6, 12, 13, 19 and 20; 2 p.m. Dec. 7 and 14 mltarts.com READ MORE . . .

MURFREESBORO LITTLE THEATRE PRESENTS Jacob Marley’s Christmas Carol this month. Told in storybook format, the story of Jacob Marley, both before and after his death, is told in vivid detail. Sentenced to spend eternity in the chains that he forged in life, his one chance at redemption comes in the form of his one-time business partner, Ebenezer Scrooge, who must have a willing and irreversible change of heart if Marley is to ever escape his punishment. Assigned to guide him: The Bogle, a tiny man about the size of a raisin, who now lives in Marley’s ear and who has just as much at stake as Marley.

The cast in this funny and touching backstory to the classic Dickens tale includes Craig Core as Marley, Jake Kandel as The Bogle, Doug Allen as Scrooge, and Christian Powers as the Record Keeper.

Show dates are Dec. 5, 6, 12, 13, 14, 18, 19 and 20. To make a reservation, visit mltarts.com or call (615) 893-2242.

BOROPULSE.COM

* DECEMBER 2014 * 27

LIVING ROOM CINEMA

REVIEWS

column by NORBERT THIEMANN

facebook.com/livingroomcinema

INTERSTELLAR

effects-travaganza. Depending on how long Cooper is gone, and how much gravity is around, time will act more slowly on Cooper than it does back on earth. What feels like an hour to him could be 7 years back home. The film explains this concept cogently (because of relativity) and plays with it to great effect, and it is a credit to Nolan for his rare ability to interweave the emotional and the mathematical without drifting out of orbit into the realms of melodrama or pedantry. Mostly . . .

If this review reads as cavalier, it is done purposefully in direct contrast to the tone of Interstellar (or any Nolan film for that matter). Nolan’s greatest flaw, in this reviewer’s opinion, is an almost suffocatingly heavy atmosphere of self-importance permeating his films. Why so serious, Christopher? Nolan does inject moments of levity—the greatest of which come from a preposterous though ultimately cool robot called TARS— but without the foil of, say, a Woody Harrelson type to call him out on his bullsh__, Cooper’s constant existential philosophizing weighs me down when it should lift me up to ideas that could have been better conveyed had they not been spoken at all. That said, this small gripe isn’t near enough to derail Interstellar from setting the new standard in celestial cinematic depictions, grounded by the beautiful conundrum of what it is to be human.

— JAY SPIGHT

have gone on an indefinite hiatus.

Originally planned to open in May 2014, the theater is currently without a projected opening date.

Some of the delay springs from the acquisition of adjoining land to expand the theater’s plans from two screens (including one planned to set the record for the largest drive-in screen in the country) to three, with the goal of making it easier for the theater to negotiate for rights to show first-run films.

According to a June 12 post on the company’s Facebook page, this delayed the start of their construction and necessitated the reopening of negotiations with contractors.

“The zoning variances are in place and were obtained last year, but they have not yet submitted the site plan that would be the next step,” says Rutherford County Assistant Planning Director Danielle Glouner.

The company last updated its Facebook page on Sept. 6, asking its supporters for patience.

“We don’t mean to keep everyone hanging at all, believe we are

just as excited if not more so, to tell you what’s happening!!!” the drive-in’s management wrote.

Meanwhile, however, you can enjoy a taste of what’s to come at Popcorn from MARS, located downtown on East Vine Street.

The gourmet popcorn shop is partnering with MARS (Murfreesboro. Arcade. Restaurant.

Smyrna.) Theater and will offer their many-flavored snacks on location when the theater opens.

So while the city may in time be due for a glut of new movie theaters, it remains to be seen if and when these screens will power up for business.

In the meantime, Rutherford County residents can still catch a flick at the privately owned Premier 6 Theater in the Jackson Heights Shopping Center (810 Northwest Broad St., 896-4100), at the Carmike Wynnsong 16 off Cason Lane (2626 Cason Square Blvd., 893-3278) or at Malco Smyrna Theater (100 Movie Row, Smyrna, 223-6252).

— SARAH H. CLARK

4

Starring: Matthew McConaughey, Anne Hathaway, Michael Caine Directed by: Christopher Nolan Rated R Interstellar, the new film from Christopher Nolan, arguably the only director working whose great ambition is met with equally great commercial success, is an epic science fiction story about humanity, love, and . . . science!

In the near future Wrath returns with even more grapes to put in the dust bowl, as humanity struggles to keep what little food they can grow from getting covered in dust before they are able to shove it into their moon-landing-denier maws. Enter reluctant farmer Cooper (McConaughey), a former pilot and engineer from a time when those were jobs, a raspy low-talker

MOVIE who still looks up at the stars in earnest, and raised his genius daughter to do the same. Though his daughter Murph is unaware, the climate change is irreversible and the world is dying, which makes it all the more difficult and necessary for Cooper to leave his family to pilot a ship in search of habitable planets.

Herein lies the human element of Nolan’s gorgeously shot crashcourse in Neil DeGrasse Tysonapproved metaphysics masquerading as space operatic special

Waiting for the Movies New theaters to open soon in Murfreesboro.

MURFREESBORO has been growing quickly over the last few years, but the number of movie theaters hasn’t increased since 1999—that is, until now.

Or at least, soon.

Marquee Cinemas, based out of Beckley, W.Va, plans to open a new 12-screen theater near the MTSU campus on South Rutherford Boulevard. Though the new construction was approved by the Murfreesboro Planning Commission at its Sept. 17 meeting, the company has yet to announce a timeline or projected opening date for the project.

The projected Murfreesboro location will be Marquee’s 20th theater and its second in Tennessee.

Meanwhile, another proposed theater, this one operated by Carmike Cinemas and to be located

RATINGS:

near The Avenue on Medical Center Parkway, behind Peter D’s, has not yet been approved.

According to Matthew Blomeley, Principal Planner of the Murfreesboro Planning & Zoning Department, a plan was on the agenda for the Feb. 19, 2014, meeting of the Planning Commission but was withdrawn before the meeting date. The developer of this project, Franklin’s Parkes Development Group, did not respond to requests for comment.

However, Matt Taylor of Site Engineering Consultants, Inc., the engineer formerly affiliated with the project, said that to the best of his knowledge, Parkes “no longer has a contract in place with the landowner.” Added Taylor, “As far as I know, [the project] is no longer moving forward.”

A third project, developer David Stansberry Jr.’s ambitious new drive-in theater and restaurant on Old Nashville Highway, seems to

A CLASSIC

28 * DECEMBER 2014 * BOROPULSE.COM

OUTSTANDING

AVERAGE

BELOW AVERAGE

Vans and Motorcycles

N

ot only did these directors choose vans and motorcycles to grace the screen, but they also made use of quiet moments and unique filmmaking styles. Bask in the art-house fare.

Under the Skin (2013) is directed by Jonathan Glazer, and stars Scarlett Johansson. Viewers are privileged to ride along with the alien, while objectively witnessing what transpires in her journeys. Many scenes were shot covertly with real crowds and clueless pedestrians. Everything comes together to make Under the Skin a memorable movie and a true directorial achievement.

The Brown Bunny (2003) is directed by Vincent Gallo, who also stars along with Chloë Sevigny. Here is a quintessential road movie, where buried feelings fight to surface on their own terms. The Brown Bunny has a vintage feel, but remains totally original. Know that you will be of the lion’s share if you absolutely despise The Brown Bunny.

AVOID AT ALL COSTS

DEAD

GAME Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare 4 4½

Another year, another Call of Duty. At this point the series really is take-it-or-leave-it. Whatever changes are made, they are not meant to stray too far from the formula, for better or worse.

Luckily, the changes made to Advanced Warfare are for the better and inject new life into a series that, by the time of Ghosts’ release, was really just making superficial makeovers to a tried and true, if not tired, formula.

Advanced Warfare’s setting takes place in the mid-21st century. Whereas Black Ops II gave us a peek at what the future of technological warfare holds, Advanced Warfare gives us the full picture. Drones, solar laser cannons, shields, and exo-suits that launch you into the air are among the many things the future of combat is apparently bringing us, and Advanced Warfare does its setting justice by making it believable without indulging us, too much.

The campaign of Advanced Warfare has you playing Jack Mitchell, a soldier who joins the mercenary company ATLAS, an organization with such global power and reach it has no singular equal. Given a second chance by ATLAS’ founder Jeremy Irons, played stupendously by Kevin Spacey, Mitchell gets drawn

Murfreesboro Game Designer Set to Release RPG Shadow of the Demon Lord VETERAN GAME DESIGNER Robert J. Schwalb is proud to announce Shadow of the Demon Lord, a dark fantasy roleplaying game to be published by his new company.

Schwalb founded Schwalb Entertainment, headquartered in Murfreesboro, earlier this year to offer a gameplay experience in the worlds of dark fantasy and science fiction.

In Shadow of the Demon Lord, the player characters are embattled survivors struggling for existence in the ruins of the last great empire as the world teeters on the brink of oblivion at the hands of the unspeakable Demon Lord. It is a landscape littered with ancient relics, dark magic, abandoned cities and terrifying creatures spawned from nightmares.

into a conspiracy that has global implications.

The campaign is very entertaining and certainly a step up from Ghosts. The levels really take advantage of your new abilities with the exo-suit. No longer are levels confined to just corridor shoot-outs. Now you can jump over buses, cars and houses, dodge to the side to avoid fire, and even rip out car doors and throw them at your enemies. Still, many of the levels will still guide you from place to place as per expected from the series, with the exception of a few levels. Here, I was given a surprising amount of freedom and to be honest, I wish there were more of these levels. Do not get me wrong; I enjoy the blockbuster Call of Duty formula in the campaigns, but they are usually accompanied by immersive stories with characters that keep me engaged.

Unfortunately, Advanced Warfare does not have that sort of story. While the characters are more likeable and the plot far more sensible than the abysmal Ghosts storyline, it lacks the subtlety and grip that the Modern Warfare series and the Black Ops series had.

At least the game looks and sounds good.

The new engine renders some rather impressive visuals and its audio design is rather stellar. The voice-acting is a return to form, and because of that, the characters come off as more likeable, but still not quite memorable.

Fortunately, the multiplayer once again

shines through with the best shake up the series has had since the first Modern Warfare. Mobility is very much emphasized here and staying still or behind cover the whole time is the last thing you want to do. Basically, if you liked games like Unreal Tournament, you will feel at home. The gameplay is a lot faster and frantic, as now you need to have 360-degree awareness, since fire can come from pretty much any direction.

From a customization standpoint, Call of Duty has not had it better. There are tons of things to do, from the usual customization of weapons to a new loot system where you can redeem unneeded items for experience points.

Another plus for Advanced Warfare is how accessible it happens to be. There is a Combat Readiness Program mode for those who need practice and are not ready to take on the actual multiplayer experience. Here, you fight a combination of bots and players who join the program and the mode gives you encouragement for how you are doing so as to make even assist kills feel worthy. As well, for those players who would rather stick with the old-school Call of Duty experience, there is a playlist that does away with the exo-suit.

Finally, the game includes a co-op horde mode. Up to four players take part, holding out against increasing waves of enemies. Every round you survive allows you to upgrade and purchase various abilities and equipment. As usual, modes like this are best played with friends, as there is a need for coordination in order to survive beyond a few rounds.

Advanced Warfare is the biggest change to Call of Duty since probably the first Modern Warfare. The emphasis on mobility and verticality freshens up the formula while still sticking to it. What shortcomings the campaign does have are alleviated by a fantastic and accessible multiplayer experience. If that is not enough for you, then you will be disappointed and should just move on. For everyone else, put on your suits and get ready to blast off.

(Played on PC, available on most current and next-gen consoles) — NADER HOBBALLAH With over a decade of experience working in game design and development, Schwalb draws on his time as a member of the design team for the newest edition of Dungeons & Dragons, as lead designer on A Song of Ice and Fire Roleplaying (based on the bestselling novels by George R.R. Martin), and as developer of Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay.

In spring 2015, Schwalb Entertainment, LLC will launch a Kickstarter campaign to help fund the new game’s production.

“With the design nearly complete, we should be able to get the product in the backers’ hands before the end of next year,” says Schwalb. “I’ve always loved mixing elements of horror into traditional fantasy roleplaying . . . and in Shadow of the Demon Lord, horror takes a front seat.”

For more information on the game, visit schwalbentertainment.com.

BOOK Station Eleven: A Novel by Emily St. John Mandel ARTHUR LEANDER IS IN TROUBLE. The movie star is onstage performing Shakespeare in Toronto when he falls ill and collapses in the midst of delivering a line.

Audience member Jeevan Chaudhary, former paparazzi-turned-EMT, comes to Arthur’s aid while one of the children in the cast, Kirsten Raymonde, stands to the side, stunned and temporarily forgotten. Eventually Jeevan turns to comfort her. They don’t yet know that soon there will be no comfort for anyone; that in a matter of mere days most life will come to a shocking end as a swift-moving flu wipes out not only the population of Toronto, but nearly all inhabitants of Earth.

In the post-apocalyptic world of Station Eleven: A Novel by Emily St. John Mandel, over ninety-nine percent of the population is gone. The few survivors root past skeletons to pilfer supplies, stay on constant alert to kill or be killed, and longingly remember a time when air conditioning came out of vents, when there were oranges to eat and when there were antibiotics to keep even minor injuries or illnesses from taking a fatal turn.

Fifteen years after the flu, Kirsten is a member of the Traveling Symphony, a troupe of actors and musicians who are constantly on the move, bringing Shakespeare and music to isolated settlements. A quote from Star Trek is emblazoned on their caravan and tattooed on Kirsten’s arm: Because survival is insufficient. Through the everyday challenges of travel in this altered world, the troupe remains dedicated to keeping art alive, but its members’ survival is threatened at an all-new level when they visit a small town that’s been claimed by a prophet.

One mark of a good book is whether it entices me to explore subjects I initially find unappealing. By that measure and others, this 2014 National Book Award finalist is a haunting success. I don’t particularly want to delve into a post-apocalyptic world and I’m not very interested in the lives of movie stars.

Still, Mandel keeps me reading because of her characters’ humanity, hopes and dreams, which she chronicles with a poet’s sensitivity.

Station Eleven examines celebrity versus art, the importance of remembering and being remembered and the necessity of starting over, and the reader will be, like one of the book’s characters, glad to see “one world end and another begin.” — KORY WELLS BOROPULSE.COM

* DECEMBER 2014 * 29

SPORTS

SPORTS TALK

column by Z-TRAIN

titanman1984@ yahoo.com

NFL, COLLEGE, FANTASY PLAYOFFS RIGHT AROUND THE CORNER Watt and Rodgers playing at MVP level

1 reception for a touchdown. Say Watt? As of now, Aaron Rodgers is probably in the lead for the MVP award with a Packers team leading the NFC. I imagine if the Texans he Train Daddy is back, the holiday season is upon were on a streak for the playoffs, Watt’s candidacy for us, and football is pounding its way into a playoff MVP would get a big boost. format. Hooray for beer! That’s right, my good What else is going on in the world? Well, the shooting people of Middle Tennessee, it is the sexiest time of of Mike Brown and the protesters of Ferguson, Mo., have the year, and there is nothing else to do except eat food, be been all the news. The St. Louis Rams at least understand thankful for life and enjoy football. Sounds good to me. how to protest peacefully. Five players for the Rams I hope you enjoyed your Turkey Day as much as I showed their support prior to their game vs. the Raiders. did; the 5 Fs were in full effect: Faith, Family, Football, They entered the field with the “Hands up, don’t shoot” Food and Friends. But here in the midst of December, gesture and stood for all to see before the rest of the team Christmas is fast approaching. I hope you get whatever took the field. The St. Louis Police Officers Association your heart desires, be it an 80-inch flat screen, a PS4, new issued a strong statement calling for the players to be surround sound, a dirt bike, new Model 12 shotgun or disciplined and the league to offer an apology; they will do a nice new pair of insulated socks. Well, that’s what my neither. I hadn’t planned on voicing my thoughts here, but heart desires. Santa Claus is good to some and to others the riots made it to the football field. he brings coal. For some it’s not about This entire process has been sickenreceiving as much as giving, but for ing to me, the protest, the “boycott me personally I like an equal amount Black Friday” campaign, blocking of receiving and giving. streets and stores, and the hate There isn’t a better time for football expressed towards police officers. I than the month of December; teams am not a huge fan of police officers, in the NFL make that final fight for but I respect them. I understand it’s those division and wild-card spots and a tough job, and am fully aware there all those top teams in college ball wait are many good officers of the law pafor a committee to decide their fate trolling the streets. There is no room as they wrap up the season. College for this protest crap on the football football will give us our first playoff field. In this country, no matter your system with the top four making the race or your gender, there are opcut. Let’s just make it eight as soon as portunities for all. It may take longer possible, we can all agree on that. for some, but hard work and honesty To all you Fantasy Football players are all you need. I believe the people out there, the playoffs are also here J.J. WATT violently protesting have a hard time and hopefully you made it. The Train understanding this.

Daddy finished 8-5 with the No. 3 seed in a 12-team So what else do we have? Well Ray Rice has also been league. A solid season, but now it’s time to win three in the news in terms of controversy. Arbitrator and former straight for a championship. federal judge Barbara Jones overturned Ray Rice’s indefiIn my last issue we bashed the Titans. Yeah, that’s nite suspension. Roger Goodell looks an idiot, and Rice right! There was nothing about the article that I enwill receive a so-called second chance and is waiting for joyed, but the truth hurts sometimes. Yeah, I bashed the a team to sign with. So why does Roger Goodell look like coach and the team’s lack of quarterback security. Well an idiot? He states that Rice wasn’t honest with him about what happens against the Texans? Clipboard Jesus has a what happened. The judge and others state that the NFL clipboard, Zach Mettenberger gets injured, and Jake “the and Goodell did know what happened, and that Ray Rice Snake” Locker enters a game that is already a lost cause. was honest with the details. After the TMZ video came Oh yeah, former Titan Ryan Fitzpatrick throws six touchout, Goodell bowed to social media cries and changed his downs for the Texans. We should have kept him around, lenient two-game suspension to a lifetime ban. It is obviTennessee, as I said the day you released him. But, for this ous the commissioner was covering his own butt here and issue, no more Titans talk—I promise. that’s the reason people were calling for his resignation If I were to nominate an MVP for the league, my vote months ago. What Rice did was sickening, as was the way would go to J.J. Watt. The man is a beast, and his play is the commissioner handled the situation. But hey, America, nothing short of amazing. There haven’t been stats for a we are a country of second chances. defensive player like Watt’s since the 1940s. That’s what So that’s it, my friends. The 5 Fs are Faith, Family, Footis so amazing; the league is so much different now than ball, Food and Friends. Live by them, and life will reward in the ’40s. These days, all the rules favor the offense. In you. Remember, Christmas is about more than gifts; help the ’40s it was the other way around, and Watt’s numbers someone who could use a hand, visit the elderly and think replicate some of those great defensive players from that about others’ needs rather than yourself. Enjoy football, era. Look at these numbers he put up in a victory over and be thankful we live in a country where anyone can be the Titans: Watt compiled 3 tackles, 1 tackle for a loss, 6 successful and happy.

QB hits, 2 sacks, 1 forced fumble, 1 fumble recovery and

T

30 * DECEMBER 2014 * BOROPULSE.COM

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 16 Damascus,” for if he did he would no longer have a home.

“The lock on your door is like secrecy for my camp. If anyone finds out where it is, they will cut my tent and steal my things. I don’t want anyone to steal my things,” says Eden desolately.

His camp in the woods is a circular area surrounded by tarps hung up as a wall. The wall is for security and secrecy from passersby.

Soon, he will begin building a fence of sticks surrounding the existing wall of tarps. This will ensure security when leaves fall off the trees in winter.

The area consists of a tent with a mattress and a plentiful amount of blankets inside the tent. The camp has a clothesline, one barrel used as a table, two chairs, a few clear plastic bags of clothes, a couple of empty jugs used for water and a “shower.”

This “shower” is a white piece of poster board with two empty apple cider jugs lying next to it.

He fills the jugs with water from a sink located at a nearby park bathroom. Although his camp is minimal, it is all he has to call his own.

He seems to like being in the woods. He seems to enjoy it all, really. Not that anyone chooses to be homeless, but he likes the quiet, peaceful surroundings with no one bothering him. Or, as Eden says, no “cranky people” to bother him.

“I get used to the sounds. I can tell what is nature and what is not nature. Like person. Or bandit,” he says with a smirk.

Eden refers to the skunk that bullies his neighbors as “bandit.” His neighbors live in 8-by-12-inch boxes filled with newspaper. This is what Eden calls “Cat Town.” The skunk eats the cats’ food.

There are at least 30 cats that live about 50 feet from Eden’s camp. A former veterinarian comes by once a week to feed the cats and make sure they are healthy. All the cats are fixed and have had their shots.

After talking to Armin in the library, Eden sits outside on the ledge of a fountain. Sometimes, he sits for four hours, just listening to the fountain roar while drifting in and out of

sleep. This is also a daily routine.

Tap. Tap. Tap. He taps his foot, then falls asleep sitting up. He’s probably thinking about rock ’n’ roll again. He loves rock ’n’ roll.

Eden first learned English by listening to his favorite rock ’n’ roll bands, Deep Purple and Uriah Heep.

“Seventy-two degrees. Three o’clock p.m.

Friday,” says his phone.

He wakes up suddenly and delves into his earlier shopping-trip goodies. One cheese stick, a package of salami and a few apples later, he has drawn attention to himself again.

A child walking out from the library stops and stares as Eden slides all 10 pieces of salami down his gullet. The kid runs back into the library, looking frightened. Eden doesn’t notice.

Nearby, a man meditates and performs some sort of martial-arts routine outside the library. He is wearing all black with tall socks.

The karate man has white hair, but looks young; he looks about 30.

“That guy,” Eden notes, laughing. “Don’t trust a man with that high of socks. Who knows what he’s up to!”

Eden drifts back to sleep.

He has at least five hours of free time daily, usually devoted to sleep. He does not have a job, but he has support from local organizations for which he volunteers. Volunteering keeps him busy as well.

Eden finds at least $3 in change on the ground every week, has food stamps and is fed by multiple churches and government organizations throughout the day. He does not drink alcohol and says he has never done drugs.

When asked what he spends his money on that he finds on the ground, he says he saves up for more tarps. Tarps keep his tent from leaking when it rains.

Eden awakes suddenly. He looks at his phone. It is 4 p.m.

“Oh, I must go!” he shouts as he stands up slowly. He packs up his picnic and is off on another journey across town.

Eden volunteers twice a week at Last Call 4 Grace in downtown Murfreesboro. He starts

PHOTO BY SCOTT WALKER

“I don't have any dreams. I sleep like a baby.”

his walk to the ministry from the library at 4 p.m. and gets there roughly 30 minutes later.

This occurs every Wednesday and Friday.

Last Call 4 Grace is a Christian association that provides food and assists the homeless while maintaining a relationship with them.

Upon his arrival, everyone seems to know him and think highly of him. Eden casually walks to the kitchen, which he obviously knows very well, to heat up his Taquitos.

He is homeless, yet he eats the entire 25-count box of Taquitos he bought earlier today. Instead of immediately consuming the hot meal provided, one that he very well could take part in, he waits until the other homeless and low-income participants have all been fed.

Today, Hoover Rock donated 250 pounds of catfish, hush puppies and potato wedges to Last Call 4 Grace.

Not only does Eden wait patiently to eat, he portions out the meals and hands them out to other homeless people who reside in three nearby local motels before taking part in the meal. The organization carpools to Murfreesboro Motel, Imperial Inn and Regal Inn to hand out food, then heads back to the organization’s building downtown.

Selfless.

“His heart is in helping other people,” says Lee McKinney, an active volunteer of Last Call. “He believes that whenever God sees fit, things will change for him.”

Homelessness isn’t always what it seems.

Some homeless residents in Murfreesboro know how to work towards a better life without panhandling, doing drugs or drinking.

Eden is a prime example of a homeless person looking to better his life and others’ lives.

“After talking to panhandlers, like the one who holds the Hungry sign in front of Walmart,” says Emmie Arroyo, part of Eden’s church family, “I have realized most of them are either fake or don’t know where to go.

There are so many organizations that will feed and provide for the homeless.”

Recently, Eden found a family that is letting him reside in their home until he gets back on his feet. He will soon be moving into a lake house in Smyrna with 200 acres of land. He says he plans to apply for manufacturing jobs and is confident God will provide for him.

When asked if he has any ideas for the future, Eden just laughs.

“I don’t have any dreams,” he says; “I sleep like a baby.”  The following are homeless shelters and organizations in the area: Room at the Inn Last Call 4 Grace Journey Home Day Shelter Rutherford County Shelter – Salvation Army The Way of Hope C.R.O.S.S. Shelter Project Safe Haven Family Shelter Nashville Rescue Mission

BOROPULSE.COM

* DECEMBER 2014 * 31

NEWS WRONG PLACE AT THE WRONG TIME Murfreesboro man says he was assaulted by the police, takes the fight to court

I

STORY BY BRACKEN MAYO

’m not a drunk[en] cop fighter, but that’s the story they have to tell to justify what they did,” Adam Williams tells the Murfreesboro Pulse.

It has been a year and a half since the morning Williams emerged from the Rutherford County Jail bruised, battered and broken.

His misadventure began on the Murfreesboro Public Square on a summer night in 2012 as Williams and his brother, Jared, exited Social nightclub (an establishment located on North Church Street, which has since closed).

Williams said he saw another individual urinate on the sidewalk nearby as he was hanging out on the Square.

Social’s head of security approached Williams, thinking he was the one who had relieved himself right out in the open.

Williams maintained that the security guard had the wrong guy, he did not urinate on the sidewalk. But the situation escalated from there.

The security guard motioned over some police officers near the courthouse.

“They closed in on me in a semicircle,” Williams said. “I asked three or four times if I were being detained or if I were free to go, and no one would answer me.

“Finally, the bicycle cop told me ‘You ain’t being detained, buddy. You can go anytime you want,’” Williams said. He asked to talk with a supervisor, and Keith Sanders identified himself as the “@#$% supervisor.”

About to turn and go home, Williams said, “You’ll hear about this tomorrow”—the words that would drastically affect the next couple of years of his life. He admits he was upset by that time; he could have kept his mouth shut, but even if he was getting smart with the officers, that didn’t justify what happened next.

“He (Sgt. Sanders) grabbed me by the wrist and said, ‘That’s it,’” Williams said. “He didn’t say I was under arrest, he didn’t read me my rights. He said, ‘That’s it.’”

That’s when, according to Williams, he was tackled and beaten; one of the Murfreesboro Police officers speared him, Goldberg-style, he said, followed by the others piling on top of him, pinning him to the ground and delivering blows to the head.

Williams said he knew better than to try and fight back.

“I went straight activist when I hit the

“

32 * DECEMBER 2014 * BOROPULSE.COM

ground, totally limp, I yelled, ‘Why are you hitting me?’” Williams said. “I was making a scene, but it was very much a pacifist scene.”

Williams ended up with not only a black eye, torn shirt and broken wrist, but also pepper spray in his face as he found himself in the back of the police car on the way to jail.

“It was all 6 or 7 minutes, from when that bouncer accused us of urinating on the wall to when I was in the back of the car on the way to 940.”

Sanders later said that “It was obvious to me he was intoxicated . . . He was being unreasonable, he was being belligerent in public.” Sanders wrote in his arrest report that “Mr. Williams was taken off his feet to effect the arrest. . . . He was a danger to himself and others.”

Williams faces charges of simple assault, resisting arrest and public intoxication, with the next court date coming up in January.

The morning after the arrest, after being further brutalized by a jailer, Williams said he admitted himself to the hospital to treat his broken wrist and other injuries.

Williams said the brutality, and the charges, are ridiculous.

“The only offer I will take is a retirement (of the charges),” Williams said.

However, the police department and other witnesses have a slightly different version of what transpired that night on the Square.

MPD Sgt. Craig Snider addressed Williams’ concerns in October 2012.

According to his interviews with the officers and witnesses, Williams continued cussing, shouting, being argumentative and aggressive and causing a scene after being repeatedly told he could leave.

Ray Lane, the head of security at Social at the time, went so far to say Williams was taunting the officers, that he was “combative toward them and highly intoxicated.”

Snider’s reports said the officers gave Williams numerous opportunities to leave the area.

Only after his cussing and shouting escalated did they place him under arrest; only after Williams pushed Sgt. Sanders in the shoulder did the officers take him to the ground.

Williams “continued to resist all the way to the patrol car,” according to the reports.

One witness said Williams was “shaking around in protest” and that he would characterize his actions as resisting arrest.

“He (Sgt. Sanders) grabbed me by the wrist and said, ‘That’s it.

He didn’t say I was under arrest, he didn’t read me my rights.

He said, ‘That’s it.’”

Officer White stated that while they were attempting to place Williams’ hands in handcuffs, he laid on top of his hands; Officer Harris did deliver two strikes to the side of Williams head in an attempt to get him to comply.

Once the handcuffs were on, Williams then went limp, according to the report, and the police officers had to drag him to the car.

After he was finally seated in the back of the car, witnesses then say Williams repeatedly smashed his own head against the window and cage of the police car while in the back.

According to police reports, Williams continued to be aggressive and combative after arriving at the jail. He continued to struggle, yell and curse as deputies Matthew Arrington and Hailey Stone attempted to escort him into booking.

“The injuries you sustained were a direct result of your own actions. By not leaving the area and cussing at the officers, you created a hostile environment. At the time of your arrest, witnesses stated you were actively resisting the officers’ attempts to take you into custody. These actions led to the officers’ force against you to accomplish the arrest,” Sgt. Snider concluded. “I do not find that your rights were violated, nor do I find that the officers used excessive force in taking you into custody.”

At any rate, while the matter of the criminal charges is pending, Williams filed suit in U.S. District Court against the Murfreesboro Police Department, the Rutherford County Sheriff ’s Office, the four individuals involved in the altercation on the Square—Keith Sanders,

Richard Presley, Kenneth White and Timothy “Shane” Harris—plus the member of the sheriff ’s department whom Williams said slammed his head on a door while at the jail. Williams has serious problems with the way the whole incident was handled (and the way law enforcement agencies are conducting themselves across the nation); for one, there is no reason for the police to beat a restrained person.

The law enforcement officers used excessive force in detaining Williams that night in July 2012, the suit claims.

“Such physical force under the circumstances was reckless and subsequent striking in the face was willful, wanton, intentional and malicious,” Williams’ lawsuit states.

He was restrained in the car where he could not be a physical threat to the officers when he was pepper-sprayed.

Secondly: “The officer’s audio-visual recording devices were disabled, in violation of MPD policy and requirements,” the lawsuit continues.

There is, however, video footage of the sheriff ’s officer slamming Williams’ head at the jail.

Furthermore, on the night in question, Williams maintains he was not even impaired or intoxicated, and was given no tests to prove otherwise, other than Sgt. Sanders’ judgment, who reported Williams as being “extremely intoxicated,” observing his “glassy” eyes.

“I’m out an estimated $10,000 at this point,” Williams said. “Bond, lawyer fees, lost work, hospital bills. It cost me a good job” (when a company refused to hire him after discovering the pending charges).

Plus, the idea of the Murfreesboro Police investigating themselves and determining they have done nothing wrong is a miscarriage of justice, Williams said.

“I would love citizen reviews, body cameras (on all officers),” Williams said.

The city has ramped up police presence on the Square on weekend nights to the point that “they’re not going to sit out there all night and not arrest anyone,” he continued.

“It’s not the first time Kenneth White has messed with audio. . . . He was the one who beat that firefighter up; it’s not the first time Sanders has grabbed someone,” Williams said. “Another girl just got her ass kicked.”

Rather than seeing the police pitted against the public, Williams said he wants law enforcement and the people of Rutherford County to exist in harmony, for the public to help out the police, the police to act in a way that is worthy of respect, and for this trend of the U.S. turning into an authoritarian police state come to an end.

“It’s about my kids not growing up in a society like this,” Williams said.

BOROPULSE.COM

* DECEMBER 2014 * 33

OPINIONS Shacklett Wins City Council Seat; Netherland Murdered in the Virgin Islands I WAS STANDING ON THE SIDEWALK holding up a lamppost in front of the Rutherford County Election Office on Nov. 4—minding my own business, of course—when up walked City Council candidate Bill Jones.

I greeted him and we shook hands. Honestly, I was a little worried that I might have jinxed him the day before when I sent him a text to ask him where his election-night headquarters would be located.

He responded: At Maple Street Grill. I answered: Where winners go. After all, just about everyone who’s ever set up shop there won their race.

But as it turned out, the reason he was walking past me that night was to get to Pa Bunk’s, a natural-type restaurant and grocery, where City Council candidate Bill Shacklett was headquartered. Mind you, this was only about 8:30 p.m., and we still hadn’t seen many returns except early voting results, which did give Shacklett a sizable lead over Jones.

Anyway, Jones headed straight for Pa Bunk’s, met Shacklett outside, looked him in the eye, shook his hand, told him he’d run a great race, chatted for a moment, turned around and headed back to Maple Street.

“Did you just concede?” I asked him.

He answered that he was already down by 1,400 votes and didn’t see any way he could muster enough to win.

I was a little befuddled. After all, we just witnessed an August Republican primary in which state Sen. Jim Tracy claimed victory on election night, then lost by 38 votes to Congressman Scott DesJarlais.

With that in mind, the Shacklett camp was thrown off by Jones’ early concession. It seemed they didn’t want to be jinxed.

Shacklett was red-faced and not quite ready to celebrate after Jones left. When his sister, Gloria Christy, emerged from their photography shop next door, she asked what Jones was doing, then said, “It’s a little early, isn’t it?”

I noted to the Pa Bunk’s guys, “He must be clairvoyant. Maybe he should win.”

As it turned out, he wasn’t quite clairvoyant.

But he was correct about who won. Shacklett collected 9,218 votes/45.9 percent compared to 7,774/38.7 percent for Jones and 2,910/14.51 percent for Juanita Thouin, an agent for Exit Realty.

Shacklett will serve the remaining two years of the four-year term begun by former Councilman Toby Gilley, who stepped down to take a General Session’s judgeship.

In dissecting this race—Jones’ early concession aside—if you asked 100 political observers to

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predict the outcome, probably 70 of them would have said Jones. After all, he raised $51,000 to Shacklett’s $5,876 and spent just about all of it, including a big chunk on sending slick mailers to voters’ homes. Shacklett, on the other hand, focused on Facebook and word of mouth.

Both of them are hometown guys, but they don’t exactly run in the same circles. Shacklett has coached Little League for more than 30 years, and he’s worked with Main Street businesses in addition to serving on the City Council for a term. Jones, on the other hand, is connected at the hip with the Chamber of Commerce through Destination Rutherford, its jobs initiative, St. Thomas Rutherford, MTSU Foundation, the Rutherford County Industrial Development Board, and the list could go on forever. He’s been a big-time volunteer.

With all that, though, the question must be asked: Did Jones really want a seat on the City Council? After all, he is area executive for Pinnacle Financial Partners, which holds a large portion of the local banking pie. He’s a big fish. On the City Council, he’d make about half the people mad about half the time, especially on difficult votes. That’s no way to run a bank, especially if you want borrowers to pay their notes on time.

It also shows that money ain’t everything. (I’ve been trying to tell my wife that for years. She keeps telling me we need to pay the bills. I say I don’t need no stinking bills.)

Oddly enough, Tracy raised more than $1 million and outspent DesJarlais dramatically but still couldn’t get those 38 votes.

WHINE IN GROCERY STORES?

OK, I’ll say it right here. I voted “yes” in the referendum to allow wine in grocery stores last month. But as I wandered around the Election Office that night waiting on returns, I realized I’d made a mistake.

“Heck, I don’t know why I voted for wine in grocery stores,” I said aloud, drawing a few chuckles from people in the room. “I don’t even buy beer in grocery stores. I’m afraid all the Baptists will see me.”

By the way: What’s the difference between a Baptist and a Methodist (which I am, at least for now)? A Methodist will say “hi” to you on the way out the door at the liquor store.

CRACKED-UP COMPUTER?

Last month’s Stockard Report told about former Circuit Court Clerk employee Lisa Dunn being fired for getting upset over a new computer sys-

The

STOCKARD REPORT

BY SAM STOCKARD

tem being installed in the office. Apparently, she slung a chair across a room and got irritated with the vendor installing the computer system.

Well, it looks as if Dunn should get her job back, or at least get back pay. Rutherford County officials said recently they are suspending use of the new software because of “problems with daily functions.” If it’s put on hold permanently, that means the county spent $737,000, plus about $50,000 a year over two years to hire a computer expert, to purchase and install the new system from Utah-based New Dawn Technologies.

Former Circuit Court Clerk Laura Bohling, who was replaced in office by Melissa Harrell on Sept. 1, after losing in the Republican primary, persuaded the county to go with the new system in an effort to save money and give the county control, rather than lease an old system.

But more than two years after starting this project, it appears county leaders are just giving up on it. They went live with the system in early September but don’t seem to be able to make it work. Clerks have been going crazy trying to download and pull up information. And other problems such as late issuance of child support checks have come up.

For now, the clerk’s office has gone back to its old General Services Automated system, but county officials won’t say whether they’re going to sue New Dawn to get their money back.

When contacted for comment in mid-November, Bohling had no idea the system was being suspended. She was disappointed, to say the least, because she felt she should have been allowed to help in the conversion process. Bohling said she tried to reach out to Harrell but couldn’t get her to return a call.

“It’s not a backwards system at all,” Bohling said. “I wish I could be a part of helping them make it work because I think it will work.”

Avent Lane, a Democrat who was defeated by Harrell in the November election, said he felt he could make the system work too. After all, that’s what he does for a living.

The updated system was supposed to make life easier, connecting the clerk’s office with the various courts and making information available to the public, including the attorneys.

It did the opposite, especially for Lisa Dunn, who should receive a settlement from the county.

Soon, maybe we’ll find out who’s responsible for this mess and who will pay. After all, the public has doled out about $900,000 for it.

NETHERLAND TRAGEDY

The murder of Murfreesboro native Ed Netherland, a life insurance executive and financier, is creating all sorts of speculation in Murfreesboro, none of which I want to repeat here.

His landlord on St. John in the U.S. Virgin Islands, where he was found dead Nov. 18, said

he thought Netherland was killed in a robbery gone bad. Let’s leave it at that for now as police there investigate. After all, Netherland has a large family, and they must be in shock over his murder. He was 60.

In the wake of his death, Murfreesboro friends who knew him for decades say he was a gregarious guy, the kind who would walk into a bar and take over the place, flashing a wad of cash and buying everyone drinks.

He was always working on something, the next big deal, they said. While a local guy might be trying to sell one person an insurance policy, Netherland was trying to sell a policy to an entire city.

In fact, a report out of Tampa Bay detailed how he led a group’s effort to sell a life insurance policy to the county school system there. Four New York families would invest $100 million each in the plan. The school system would set up a trust, and each time an employee died, their family and the school system would receive $50,000. The district and the employees would pay nothing, the article reported.

Whether it was legitimate, who knows? Netherland is quoted in the story as saying, “It sounds a little bit too good to be true, so let’s figure out how it works out.”

An article from the Chicago Sun Times, meanwhile, reported in July 2012 that Netherland and two partners, including Ira Brody of Rutherford County, were sued by Nina Investments, which claimed it got taken for more than $80 million it invested with the brokers in 2005 and 2006.

A lawsuit filed by Nina said it was to get large returns on its investment through insurancebacked securities and a premium finance product known as “Ultra,” the article reports.

The lawsuit states that the investment company’s money went instead toward debt piled up by Netherland, Brody and Matthew Ross while they lived “lavish lifestyles,” according to the article.

The family’s obituary about Netherland was kinder, obviously. It said he was a pioneer in combining life insurance and securities to create “dynamic financial models” and that he closed five deals in one year totaling $1 billion in insurance.

In 1990, he formed Federated Technologies Incorporated while battling cancer, the obituary states. Netherland apparently moved a landfill out of Giles County and sought permission from Noxubee County, Miss., for a toxic-waste disposal facility, creating a rift in the community between land owners and the working class who wanted new jobs. The battle was detailed in the book Uproar at Dancing Rabbit Creek, although the description of the book is hardly kind to Netherland, calling him a “rogue” businessman who flashed plenty of money around.

My condolences go out to the family. I just wish it was easier to find more articles detailing the good things Netherland did.

How Christians ‘Converted’ Pagan and Secular Traditions into Modern Christmas as We Know It

I

BY TONY LEHEW

n the years that I have been writing for the Pulse, the December issue has always been my favorite. The stories I have shared during this time were the most personal and heartfelt stories I have been able to bring forth to date; most were derived from personal experiences that moved me in some way or another. A few examples include working for Toys for Tots, playing Santa Claus for family and friends, and various things that taught me the meaning of Christmas . . . or did they?

Yes, I know the meaning of the spirit of Christmas, (at least as I see it); it means to find the good in yourself and your fellow travelers on God’s little blue ball. To bring some joy to children and share some fellowship with loved ones. But, what about the actual meanings—what does the word “Christmas” mean? Who was Santa Claus, really? Why do we give presents?

Why do we have Christmas trees? Before I begin, this is not a result of years and years of personal research and study. No, this is more of a “Tony didn’t have a great feel-good Christmas story this year, so he busted out some Google time and found something interesting” kinda thing. Also let be it known that I don’t claim the following information to be gospel, just the best I could find.

If you have more insight I would love to read it.

What is the literal meaning of Christmas?

Mass of Christ. The term Christmas appeared in Old English as early as 1038 A.D. as Cristes Maesse, and later as Cristes-messe in A.D. 1131.

This name was established by the Christian church to disconnect the holiday and its customs from its pagan origins. As one fourth-century theologian penned, “We hold this day holy, not like the pagans because of the birth of the sun, but because of Him who made it.”

Why is it celebrated on Dec. 25?

Some sources report that Theophilus of Antioch (circa 171–183) was the first to identify Dec. 25 as the birth date of Christ. Others say that Hippolytus (circa 170–236) was the first to claim that Jesus was born on Dec. 25. A strong theory suggests that this date was eventually chosen by the church because it aligned closely with a major pagan festival, Dies Natalis Solis Invicti (birth of the invincible sun god), thus allowing the church to claim a new celebration for Christianity.

Why do we have Christmas trees?

Along with the date of Christmas itself, this practice was designed to supplant a pagan ritual.

The following is an entry on the Christianity Today website: The evergreen tree was an ancient symbol of life in the midst of winter. Romans decorated their houses with evergreen branches during the New Year, and ancient inhabitants of northern Europe cut evergreen trees and planted them in boxes inside their houses in wintertime.

By the early Middle Ages, the legend had grown that when Christ was born in the dead of winter,

every tree throughout the world miraculously shook off its ice and snow and produced new shoots of green. At the same time, Christian missionaries preaching to Germanic and Slavic peoples were taking a more lenient approach to cultural practices—such as evergreen trees.

These missionaries believed that the Incarnation proclaimed Christ’s lordship over those natural symbols that had previously been used for the worship of pagan gods. Not only individual human beings, but cultures, symbols and traditions could be converted.

Who was the real Santa Claus?

The modern figure of Santa Claus is derived from the Dutch figure of Sinterklaas, whose name is a dialectal pronunciation of Saint Nicholas, the historical Greek bishop and gift-giver of Myra.

During the Christianization of Germanic Europe, this figure may have absorbed elements of the god Odin, who was associated with the Germanic pagan midwinter event of Yule. Over time, traits of this character and the British folklore character Father Christmas merged to form the modern Santa Claus known today.

Saint Nicholas of Myra was a fourth-century Greek Christian bishop of Myra (now Demre) in Lycia, a province of the Byzantine Anatolia (now a large region of modern Turkey). Nicholas was famous for his generous gifts to the poor, in particular presenting the three impoverished daughters of a pious Christian with dowries so that they would not have to become prostitutes. In continental Europe (more precisely the Netherlands, Belgium, Austria and Germany) he is usually portrayed as a bearded bishop in canonical robes. The Santa Claus we know today is, of course, a more modern invention, but he still has the beard, and some images display Saint Nick/ Santa Claus in red robes.

Why do we give Christmas presents?

One of the main reasons we have the custom of giving and receiving presents at Christmas is to remind us of the presents given to Jesus by the wise men: frankincense, gold and myrrh. (It’s also possible that gift-giving is a tradition that was passed down from a very, very long time ago before Christmas even existed, when the people who lived in what is now Italy (Ancient Romans) gave gifts during winter.)

So, there you have it, some of the mystery of Christmas explained. I gave the brief explanations here but there is a lot more information out there.

Sites such as christianitytoday.com and whychristmas.com, as well as Wikipedia, have tons of facts about the very interesting history of Christmas.

In closing, I’d like to wish each and every one of you a very merry Christmas (however you choose to celebrate it) and that you and your loved are happy and prosperous for your next trip around the sun . . . including the pagans.

BOROPULSE.COM

* DECEMBER 2014 * 35

Murfreesboro’s Music Through the Decades

I

The 1970s–1990s: The Significance of the Singing Christmas Tree

n the distance, from the belfry of the Rutherford County Courthouse, chimes pierce through the darkness. As a veil of an unseen world is torn apart, the pealing sound covers the earth with a supernatural strength and beauty like frosty fog-glaze covering the landscape. Somehow, the persistent ringing draws us nearer and nearer to a surreal joy.

Good news is proclaimed as those pleasant-sounding songs—loud and deep—from our Murfreesboro hamlet swell in harmonious melody. We are stirred as the cold and the wind dilate the sound of muted voices from generations ago: invisible angelic choirs declaring a revelation—that the most real things are unseen.

As adults, we hesitate to receive the good gift of Christmastime. Feelings of guilt creep in as our grown-up world becomes weary, heavy-laden with its burden of care. While the winter cold and darkness hide the light of hope, hardening our hearts, we simply are compelled to move beyond the glitter and glow of it all. So as age and the circumstances of life rob us of our joy, we simply bow our heads and proclaim in despair, “Christmas is just for children!”

Casting an ominous shadow in our subconscious is the mindset that life is about earning and deserving rather than believing and receiving! Perhaps Christmas memories are like a special house we build for ourselves in our minds. And, like a house, we can build, grow and expand our memories beyond our childhood. Vividly, year after year, generation after generation, the joy of these memories blend the old with the new.

It is for this reason that recollections about the significance of the “Singing Christmas Tree” extravaganza at the First Baptist Church on Main Street begin to emerge.

As it turned out, the Singing Christmas Tree became the community’s most genuine, heartwarming and uplifting experience, unifying the community in the spirit of Christmastime for over 20 years. Under the gigantic, iconic-seeming tree, dressed with a real choir, hearts were warmed by the songs of Christmas and attendees were awestruck, visually stunned by Murfreesboro’s smalltown-spectacular theatrics. Most were seeking, longing to hear the Christmas story once again. Happy smiles and joy filled the sanctuary with the Christmas hymns.

The 1976 Bicentennial Celebration launched many celebrations beginning in February and lasting through the dedication of Cannonsburgh Village in October. The celebrations prompted a series of artistic expressions—festivals and other musical events which included the Singing Christmas Tree in December of 1976 at the First Baptist Church on Main Street.

During this period, our community was experiencing many social, economic and technological changes.

Leaders such as Murfreesboro Mayor W. H. Westbrooks and County Executive John Mankin along with the City Council and county commissioners began to institute economic changes that would have an impact upon the community until the present day. The city’s skyline was also changing with multi-storied buildings in the city and on the MTSU campus.

You might say that the period from 1976 and 36 * DECEMBER 2014 * BOROPULSE.COM

by GLORIA CHRISTY

through the late 1990s was the end of small-town Murfreesboro as we knew it. In the 1950s, plans to bring significant industries such as State Farm and General Electric to our community paved the way for other high-caliber industries such as Bridgestone and Nissan in the 1970s and 1980s. The population was exploding, resulting in the need for two new high schools: Oakland and Riverdale. The 1980 census showed Rutherford County’s population at 84,020 and the City of Murfreesboro at 32,857. The results were an everexpanding city limits into the rural population.

A significant conclusion to the 1976 Bicentennial year was the musical program presented at First Baptist Church in December. This was a labor of love for the entire community. The tree, constructed out of cedar provided by Gene Statta and Jesse Messick, was built by engineer J.E. Snell. The enormous tree stood 75 feet high in the sanctuary of the church. Mrs. Hubert Songer and other ladies made all the stoles for the 78-member choir. The tree was adorned with 1,000 pieces of live garland, 100 ornaments and 500 lights. It was estimated to weigh four tons when choir members were positioned on the tree, where they stood in rows from top to bottom. Each choir member entered the auditorium with lighted candles. The public was invited to attend the climatic performance to the Bicentennial celebration. Ed Anthony served as the organist for the Singing Christmas Tree’s inaugural occurence.

In the years that followed, the entire project, this gift for the community, began in August with a Christmas party. Hours and hours of rehearsal and planning would continue until the December performance.

This labor of love for the entire town, the Singing Christmas Tree, became an emotional experience that spanned more than two decades. In 1979, Jerry Neely, the choir director, began gathering talent, selecting the music and arranging the drama six months prior to the event.

Spotlight performances were by Jesse Messick, a local business legend and founder of Uncle Dave Macon Days, along with two charming blondes adorned in ringlets: the Bilbrey twins. In the conversation and interaction with Jesse, the twins, Carol and Vicki, began to stir hearts, making the presentation even more touching. Their dad, Kenneth Bilbrey, was also in the wings with smelling salts just in case it was needed for those positioned atop the tree. In a day before extravagant special effects became the norm, the crowd became mesmerized by the performance as the Christmas story emerged.

The choir was about 75 in number, layers of lighted faces that began singing in soft, emotive tones. . . . Suddenly, the basses began rumbling: Hallelujah! Then, echoed by the altos, Hallelujah!

The tenors swelled with robust sounds: Hallelujah!

Finally, thrillingly, as the star atop this massive ensemble became illuminated, the sopranos sang out at full volume, exuberantly: Hallelujah!

The program began as the choir resonated in crescendo, Fall on your knees! giving your goose bumps goose bumps. In that moment the audience merged, heaven and earth became one and, in their midst, the

meaning of Christmas shone clearer than a starlit night in Bethlehem more than 2,000 years ago.

Sometimes what we don’t understand about Christmas is more important than what think we do! By the time we reach adulthood, we simply bring it down to the level of our experience relying on our finite logic and reason to keep the meaning of Christmas at a safe distance. Our hearts simply cannot embrace the things that our heads don’t! So we compromise and lose the wonder and joy of it all. Twinkling lights begin to appear, illuminating our view even before November. Holly and tinsel, colored glass and satin balls strung with garland alluringly deck the shops, and the halls become visible earlier every year, drawing those in the shopping frenzy far away from the significance.

Perhaps there are many consumed with troublesome thoughts. As silent tears fall across faces pressed against frozen windows, we are touched by throngs of gleeful children shouting and singing the Christmas songs. Still, we wonder if it is all true! Our mood is somber; we feel lonely and empty while our eyes become transfixed on the revealed scene of a babe in the manger on the night that changed the world forever. Then, as our spirits are illuminated by the star that guided those in ages past, suddenly as the meaning of Christmas is revealed truly, All is merry and bright! No longer do we have to meander through the crowds alone. God comes alongside us.

We seek and now we have found Love in its pure and perfect form. With outstretched arms, we begin reaching in delight for the touch of Christmas.

Somewhere within the excitement, anticipation begins to swell, reaching into the imagination of our hearts, and suddenly we are captured—caught by this magical moment. In some unexplainable way, the secular becomes sacred as our emotions are freed and transformed! From the depths of our spirits, we exclaim, Joy to the world, the Lord has come!

Like those lingering memories of the wonderment created by the Singing Christmas Tree a couple of decades ago, why not make a determined effort this Christmastime to experience those magical moments of Love and Light once more and join in the authentic Christmas celebration? There might be someone watching nearby who needs a touch of love. Consider the thought that a new memory is being written inside the mind of each one of us. For a moment, allow Christmas to enthrall you once again. Even catch a glimpse of the meaning of those trite, too-familiar Christmas carols. There is good news in those proverbial songs and deeply ingrained melodies—Peace on Earth, goodwill to men!

Visit boropulse.com to view some of the Singing Christmas Tree performances from 1979, 1985, 1991 and 1993.

BOROPULSE.COM

* DECEMBER 2014 * 37

OPINIONS No Pudding No Peace: The Origins of Christmas Caroling

La PALABRA

Una columna del idioma español por CAMERON PARRISH

No Hay Paz Sin Pudín: Los OríGenes de Villancicos de Navidad

IN ENGLISH: WITH ALL OF THE TURMOIL and violence that has accompanied Y2014, most of us are ready for a little peace on Earth. We have riots in our cities, rampant unemployment, an oppressive government and a president who believes in making poverty America’s primary import by inviting everyone across the border simultaneously. But chaotic Christmas is nothing new. When Christ arrived to our planet the Roman police state was in full effect and the most popular form of execution was violent death in the arena. On certain occasions this could even include the privilege of being raped to death by a specially trained giraffe in full view of the public. He truly came at our darkest hour. I’d like tell you about another ancient practice that is more suitable for a holiday topic than giraffe rape but has a surprisingly sketchy past nonetheless.

One feature of the American Christmas tradition is the practice (or at least the idea) of Christmas caroling. It conjures Hallmark-cardinspired visions of rosy cheeks and hot chocolate in the hands of cheerful singers passing through the streets for the sole purpose of singing to others and spreading joy. But what if I told you that caroling has a past that more closely resembles a riot than a Hallmark card?

What we know as Christmas caroling began in England during the middle-ages as a practice called wassailing. At its core, wassailing was a reciprocal exchange between feudal lords and their peasants of blessings (singing) for comestibles during the winter when food and warmth were at a premium in Northern Europe. The landowners would bestow charity on the less fortunate serfs and in turn the serfs provided some appreciative

38 * DECEMBER 2014 * BOROPULSE.COM

entertainment and everybody was happy.

However, by the 18th century the practice had become something more sinister. What began as friendly door-to-door panhandling in groups with musical accompaniment had devolved to a seasonal flash-mob with the purpose of intimidating and extorting wealthier homeowners and entire neighborhoods. The boisterous and often inebriated crowds would arrive carrying lanterns and demanding booze, snacks and money to ease the sting of poverty on the long, cold, winter nights. Refusal to oblige these merry visitors could very well result in violence and most certainly vandalism. Thus Christmas caroling at this point in history more closely resembled the recent demonstrations and riots in Ferguson but with more singing than chanting. In fact, the familiar carol “We Wish You a Merry Christmas” comes down to us from this practice and includes the curious phrase Bring us some figgy pudding / We won’t go until we get some. The words “No pudding no peace” come to mind.

The truth is that Advent season, for most of history, has been a time of darkness and even

chaos. The pagan midwinter celebrations that Christmas supplanted originally served the purpose of providing warmth and joy during a time when both were scarce. It gave people something to look forward to during the most difficult time of the year and served as a reminder of hope.

Of course that is what makes the celebration of Christ’s arrival during this season of turbulence so appropriate. If not for the recurring presence of such darkness the contrast of the Savior’s light would not be so evident. Merry Christmas!

SEMPER EXPLORANDUM

EN ESPANOL: CON TODO EL CAOS Y LA VIOLENCIA que ha acompañado a 2014, la mayoría de nosotros estamos listos para paz en la tierra.

Tenemos disturbios en nuestras ciudades, desempleo galopante, un gobierno opresor y un presidente que cree que es una buena idea de establecer la pobreza como primer importación de EEUU por el hecho de invitar a todo el mundo a través de la frontera al mismo tiempo.

Pero Navidad caótico no es nada nuevo.

De hecho cuando Jesús Cristo llegó a nuestro planeta el estado romano dictadura estaba en pleno efecto y la forma más popular de la ejecución fue una muerte violenta en la arena.

En ciertas ocasiones esto podría incluir incluso el privilegio de ser violadas hasta la muerte por una jirafa especialmente entrenada a la vista del público. Verdaderamente Cristo vino en nuestra hora más oscura. Me gustaría contarles de otra antigua práctica que es un poco más agradable que la violación por jirafa, pero tiene un pasado sin embargo sorprendentemente cuestionable.

Una característica de la tradición navideña americano es la práctica (o al menos la idea) de villancicos de Navidad. Conjura imagines inspirado por tarjetas de Hallmark de mejillas sonrosados y chocolate caliente en las manos

de cantantes alegres, pasando por las calles con el único propósito de cantar a los demás y difundir alegría. Pero ¿qué pasa si te dijera que villancicos tiene un pasado más semejante a un motín en vez de tarjetas de la Navidad.

Lo que conocemos como villancicos de Navidad comenzó en el país Inglaterra durante la edad media como una práctica que se llama wassailing. En su núcleo wassailing fue un intercambio recíproco entre los señores feudales y sus campesinos de bendiciones (cantados) para un regalo de comestibles del durante el invierno, cuando la comida y la calidez en el norte de Europa eran escasos.

Los terratenientes le otorgan caridad en los menos afortunados siervos y entonces los siervos proporcionan entretenimiento y todo el mundo salió.

Sin embargo, en el siglo XVIII la práctica había convertido en algo más siniestro. Lo que comenzó como amigable puerta-a-puerta mendigando en grupos con acompañamiento musical había transferido a un flash-mob estacional con el propósito de intimidar y extorsionar a los propietarios más ricos. Las multitudes bulliciosas y ebrias llegaría llevando linternas y pidiendo bebidas, aperitivos y dinero para aliviar la picadura de la pobreza en las noches de invierno frío.

Para rechazar o no obligar a los visitantes felices podría resultar en violencia y por los menos el vandalismo. Así villancicos de Navidad en este momento en la historia se asemejaron más a las recientes manifestaciones y disturbios en Ferguson pero con más cante. De hecho la canción de Navidad “Les Deseamos una Feliz Navidad” viene a nosotros de esta práctica e incluyen la frase curiosa Tráenos budín figgy / No iremos hasta que lo tengamos. Las palabras “sin postre no hay paz” viene a la mente.

La verdad es que el tiempo de Adviento durante la mayor parte de la historia ha sido una época de oscuridad e a veces caos. Las fiestas paganas que la Navidad ha suplantado fueron originalmente de propósito de traer calidez y alegría durante un momento en que ambos eran difíciles de encontrar. Que a la gente algo para mirar hacia adelante en el momento más difícil del año y sirve de recordatorio de la esperanza.

Por supuesto esto es lo que hace tan apropiada la celebración de la llegada de Cristo durante esta temporada de la confusión. Si no tuviéramos la presencia que de tal oscuridad, el contraste de la luz del Salvador no sería tan evidente. ¡Feliz Navidad!

SEMPER EXPLORANDUM