February 2020 Murfreesboro Pulse

IN MUSIC

INSTRUMENTS OF JOY / BONNAROO / ROXIE COLA / TN PHILHARMONIC / JOHN SALAWAY / EFFRON WHITE FEBRUARY 2020

VOL. 15, ISSUE 2

FREE

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

THE CLEVERLYS PERFORM VALENTINE'S DAY CONCERT

date night thoughtful ways to spend the evening with someone special

TRY AUTHENTIC LAOTIAN CUISINE AT SABAIDEE CAFE

CENTER FOR THE ARTS HOSTS AIDA IN FEBRUARY

Contents

20

16 34

FEATURES

IN EVERY ISSUE

10

4 Events

JOY TO THE WORLD

CALENDAR Ice skating at WOC, Mardi Paws, Anime & Comic Kon, Ren Fest Auditions, disc golf tournament and more!

Instruments of Joy spreads music across the globe, hosts March 6 Keaggy. benefit with Phil Keaggy

16

GOING TO THE MOUNTAINS

8 Sounds

Discover Gatlinburg, Pigeon Forge, Smokies.

Sevierville and the Great Smokies

20

MUSIC NOTES Bonnaroo lineup, The Cleverlys, Tennessee Philharmonic Orchestra

Thoughtful ways to spend the evespecial. ning (or day) with someone special

CONCERTS Effron White, The Petty Junkies, Revelry, and more!

DATE NIGHT IN MURFREESBORO

32

ALBUM REVIEWS Roxie Cola, John Salaway

TRY LAOTIAN FOOD

Have some spice and some tea at Cafe.

SaBaiDee Cafe

17 Living

36

PRESERVE OUR GREEN SPACES

Neighborhood group stands opposed to high-density Hidden River Estates Trail. development off of Cason Trail

JENERGY FOR LIFE Move, stretch and engage your muscles to improve posture.

Art Director: Sarah Mayo

Publisher/Editor in Chief: Bracken Mayo

GARDENING Start the lasagna garden, seed types

25 Art

ART CRAWL MAP Feb. 14 THEATER Elton John and Tim Rice’s Aida; The Trouble with Love POETRY Cara Dees, Nick Bush Darius Lewis perform in Murfreesboro.

30

Reviews MOVIES Jojo Rabbit; Bombshell NEW RELEASES Birds of Prey, Sonic the Hedgehog, The Call of the Wild VIDEO GAME Darwin Project

Contributors: Melissa Coker, Jennifer Durand, Dominique Fields, Laura Lindsay, Jon Little,

Copy Editor: Steve Morley

Joseph Kathmann, Luke Kautzky, Rick Malone,

Advertising: Leslie Russell-Yost

Edwinna Shannon, Jay Spight, Andrea Stockard,

Jen Dickens Massie, Zach Maxfield, Phil Valentine, Kory Wells, Michelle Willard

34 News

BUSINESS BUZZ Black’s Apothecary, Domenico’s Italian Deli, Grandy’s, Big Bobby’s LEGISLATIVE SESSION 2020 Refugees, cannabis, healthcare, education, taxes and more

39 Sports

SPORTS TALK Tannehill, Henry, Brown receive accolades after strong season finish.

40

Opinion

PHIL VALENTINE Trump defense will show corruption of Bidens in Ukraine.

LIVE . . . WELL! Love yourself too.

SPIRIT MATTERS Shadows of the Gospel

Copyright © 2020, The Murfreesboro Pulse, 714 W. Main St., #208, Murfreesboro, TN 37129.

Proudly owned, operated and published the first Thursday of each month by the Mayo family; printed by Franklin Web Printing Co. The Pulse is a free publication funded by advertisers. Views expressed in the Pulse do not necessarily reflect the views of the publishers. ISSN: 1940-378X

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KEEP MOVING. KEEP HEALTHY. KEEP POSITIVE. KEEP FOCUSED. Dr. Josh reminded us in the last issue to be very mindful of what we put in our bodies.

You are what you eat. So . . . I am pretty beefy, a little bit nutty. I’m cheesy, and based on what I consume, I should be able to swim like a fish. I have a touch of sweetness, maybe slightly cocky . . . slightly chicken, I am a little bit Tennessee, a little tropical, and fairly natural.

Often, I adhere to the bear diet—where I enjoy feeding primarily on a natural menu of honey, nuts, raw fish and berries, though in reality I will eat just about anything I can get my paws on.

I have definitely enjoyed this Tennessee Titans run. It was quite an exciting season watching the two-tone blue transform into a powerful, complete team. Let’s keep this team together and make another run at the Super Bowl next season.

Z-Train speaks wisdom when he tells us to live by the 5 Fs—faith, family, food, friends and football equals the good life. Appreciate those around you. Things can change suddenly.

Thanks to the team at SaBaiDee for introducing the Mayos to their take on some of the flavors of Southeast Asia. Taste the wonderful dishes of their kitchen, and continue exploring the vast culinary scene of Rutherford County otherwise.

We also took in Episode IX of the Star Wars saga. The words “The Saga Concludes” definitely stirred some mixed emotions in Star Wars fans. If I were a Disney executive I’d have the Guardians find Strange and the Time Stone, hop on the Milano as soon as possible and travel to a long time ago in a galaxy far, far away for the biggest blockbuster mishmash of Marvel and Star Wars ever known to man. Other fans may not be too enthusiastic about that plan.

I continue my mission of attempting to improve my physical condition, and, of course, mental and spiritual, as well. Do any friends of the Pulse want to run in the upcoming Special Kids race and represent the Pulse?

There may be room on the Pulse team for one more. Let me know: bracken@boropulse.com.

It appears that many leaders have the objective of Murfreesboro ranking as the fastest-growing city in the state, or the country, or the world, or whatever. But I believe, in listening to many of the existing residents, they would like to move away from that distinction and see the growth slow down.

I have met so many quality business owners and people throughout the years of publishing the Pulse. Thanks to all who support it! So many uniquely qualified individuals contribute to this town, this country, this world, doing good work, supporting their families, improving their craft, serving their clients, doing what they do.

Keep on being excellent. Be so excellent that your customers or your employer or society or your family or your team can’t imagine going on without you.

Play music, keep on learning, treat people right.

Peace, BRACKEN MAYO Publisher/Editor in Chief

Events

CALENDAR / FEBRUARY 2020

BY ANDREA STOCKARD

FEB. 5–8 WINTER SHAKESPEARE MACBETH Step into an unforgiving, post-apocalyptic world with a powerful take on one of Shakespeare’s most popular tragedies telling the tale of prophecy, murder, madness, and an unrelenting quest for power at MTSU’s Tucker Theatre (615 Champion Way) Feb. 5–8. For a schedule and tickets, visit nashvilleshakes.org/winter-shakespeare.

FEB. 5 & 19 RAPTOR RHAPSODY Have you ever looked an owl in the eye, glared at a red-tailed hawk up close, or checked out a falcon’s wings? Get up close and personal with a live bird of prey and learn about these master predators of the sky Wednesdays, Feb. 5 and 19, at 4 p.m. at Wilderness Station at Barfield Crescent Park. All ages are welcome; admission is free. For more information, contact 615217-3017 or dthomas@murfreesborotn.gov.

FEB. 6

THROUGHOUT FEBRUARY ICE SKATING AT WORLD OUTREACH CHURCH Skate the night away with family and friends at World Outreach Church (1921 State Hwy. 99). Admission is free, but anyone on the ice is required to fill out a waiver before participating. Anyone under 18 must have a waiver signed by a parent or legal guardian. For the full schedule and rules, visit wochurch.org/ice-skating-wocskate.

VALENTINE FROG JUGS Make a Valentine jug that holds all your valentines at the Valentine Frog Jugs for Kids. This painted milk jug turns into a very special frog when participants are done, crown and all. All supplies are provided.

Call and register to save your spot. Ages 5–17 are welcome, and space is limited.

The activity is at Gateway Island (1875 W College St.) on Thursday, Feb. 6, from 4:30–6 p.m. Admission is $5. For more information, contact 615-893-2141 or aacla@murfreesborotn.gov.

FEB. 6 & 20 SENSORY NIGHT AT BRADLEY ACADEMY Sensory stations are tools that help children to meet their sensory needs.

They open the door for free play, allowing children to engage in sensory activity which is imperative for their longtime learning and health. The entire family can tour Bradley Academy Museum & Cultural Center (415 S. Academy St.). throughout the night. Ages 8–13 are welcome Thursday, Feb. 6, from 6–8 p.m.

For more information, contact 615-9628773 or apratt@murfreesborotn.gov.

Ages 14–22 are welcome Thursday, Feb. 20, from 6–8 p.m. For more information contact 615-962-8773 or vstembridge@ 4 * FEBRUARY 2020 * BOROPULSE.COM

murfreesborotn.gov. Admission is free for kids and $4 per adult.

FEB. 8 NEW BEGINNINGS WOMEN’S EVENT Join 94FM The Fish and Cherie Jobe for New Beginnings 2020 – Renew|Restore|Refresh on Saturday, Feb. 8, at New Vision Baptist Church (1750 N. Thompson Ln.). This year’s featured speaker is author, Bible teacher and TV host Sheila Walsh. Jobe speaks to thousands of women annually encouraging, giving hope and helping each person come to terms with life’s ups and downs.

Find tickets and more information at cheriejobe.com under “New Beginnings.”

FEB. 8 MURFREESBORO ANIME & COMIC KON The League of Impossibilists have gotten a tip that The Supreme Cultist is planning an imminent attack in Murfreesboro. The League shows up to thwart his villainous plans at the DoubleTree Hotel (1850 Old Fort Pkwy.) Saturday, Feb. 8, from 11 a.m.–5 p.m. For more information on the Murfreesboro Anime & Comic Kon, call 615895-5555 or find the event on Facebook.

FEB. 8 NATURE PROGRAMS AT THE WILDERNESS STATION The Wilderness Station (401 Volunteer Rd.) hosts a variety of wildlife programs on Saturday, Feb. 8. Get up close and personal with a live bird of prey and learn about master predators of the sky at raptor presentations. All ages are welcome for hawk and owl presentations at 10:45 a.m. and 2:45 p.m. A photo op with the birds will be at 2 p.m. Learn about the underappreciated turkey vultures and what we can do to help them Saturday, Feb. 8, from 12:30–1:15 p.m. All are welcome. Then, introduce yourself to the world of snakes from 5–6 p.m. This program covers the natural history of snakes as they entered the new world and populated the Southeast. Get a chance to see a live snake up close. Ages 10 and up are welcome at this program. Admission is free for all programs. For more information, contact 615217-3017 or dthomas@murfreesborotn.gov or efann@murfreesborotn.gov.

attire and enjoying refreshments and a themed craft. Ages 4–10 are invited Saturday, Feb. 8, from 1–2:30 p.m. at Cannonsburgh Village (312 S. Front St.). Children must be accompanied by an adult. For more information, call 615-890-0355.

FEB. 9 TENNESSEE RENAISSANCE FEST AUDITIONS Auditions for the Tennessee Renaissance Festival are Sunday, Feb. 9, at Patterson Park Community Center (521 Mercury Blvd.) beginning at 1 p.m. Bring your resume and headshot, a government issued photo ID, your vehicle information and tag number for your vehicle. Wear comfortable clothing for movement. The session lasts approximately four hours. Prepare a 1-to-2-minute monologue and 16 bars (30 seconds) of an a cappella song and prepare for group improvisation. Instruments are welcome if you are a musician.

For questions, contact 615-395-9950, drojahn@isaacfawlkes.com or tnrenfest@ mac.com, or visit tnrenfest.com.

FEB. 8

FEB. 9

TEDDY BEAR VALENTINE TEA

LOOKING BACK ON THE PAST

Celebrate Valentine’s Day with a Teddy Bear Tea while dressing in your Valentine

Iota Phi Lambda Sorority, Inc. Epsilon Psi Chapter invites the public to look back

at the past Sunday, Feb. 9, at 4 p.m. at Bradley Academy Museum and Cultural Center (415 S. Academy St.). Guest speakers Madelyn Scales-Harris, vice mayor of Murfreesboro, and Katie Wilson, president of the NAACP Murfreesboro branch, welcome a display of books by local authors, artists and poets, and a performance by the Sankofa African Drum and Dance Company. Light refreshments are served. For more information, find the event on Eventbrite.

Good Grief Journey, Expressions of Grief, The Importance of Comfort and Moving Forward from 6–8 p.m. at the Social Exchange (224 W. Main St.). Tickets are $10 at the door. Steve and Jill Grossman, a husband and wife team of certified pastoral counselors from Smyrna, focus on grief processing. They are joined by Karen and Maizy, a therapy dog team out of Arrington.

For more information, contact 615-8958574 or contactus@mcknightadvisory.com.

FEB. 10

FEB. 13

ALWAYS IN SEASON

“LOVE BIRDS” PAINTING CLASS

Always in Season, an award-winning documentary about the historical relevance of lynching in America, will be shown at 12:30 p.m. Monday, Feb. 10, in the Tennessee Room of the James Union Building on the MTSU campus. The film’s producer, Jacqueline Olive, will be on hand for a question-and-answer session after the viewing. The event is free.

FEB. 10

FEB. 13 SENIOR TEA A senior Valentine’s tea for ages 50 and up offers a Valentine’s Day-themed tea while learning more about Valentine’s Day customs and high and low tea on Thursday, Feb. 13, from 2–3:30 p.m. at Cannonsburgh Village, (312 S. Front St.). Participants also take home a treat. Spaces are limited, so call early for reservations. Admission is $2.50. For more information, call 615-890-0355.

JIM CROW TO JOURNALISM Wanda Lloyd, founding executive director of the Freedom Forum Diversity Institute and veteran newspaper executive, will speak at 2:20 p.m. Monday, Feb. 10, in the Parliamentary Room of the Student Union on the MTSU campus. Her talk, titled “From Jim Crow to Journalism,” is sponsored by MTSU’s John Seigenthaler Chair of Excellence in First Amendment Studies.

FEB. 10 COUNTY SCHOOLS TOWN HALL MEETING Rutherford County Schools host a Town Hall meeting at Rocky Fork Middle School (100 Thunderstorm Ln., Smyrna) at 6 p.m.

Monday, Feb. 10, for all parents in Rutherford County covering all grade levels. To help ensure a great future for your child’s education, director of schools Bill Spurlock holds a panel discussion with industry partners and education specialists to talk about opportunities for students and to answer questions from parents. Send any questions in advance to evansj@rcschools.net to be answered at the Town Hall meeting.

Admission is $10 for members and $20 for future members. No registration is required. For more information, visit web.rutherfordchamber.org/events.

FEB. 11 THE HOPPENING AT HOP SPRINGS Hop Springs Beer Park (6790 John Bragg Hwy.) hosts an art show the second Tuesday of every month from 5–9 p.m. featuring local artists, a drink-and-draw and a sipand-color featuring custom coloring pages along with karaoke from 7–9 p.m. For more information, contact worldofwoohoo@gmail. com or visit hopspringstn.com.

FEB. 11 ELECTION PROTECTION Sekou Franklin, an associate professor of political science and international affairs, will speak about “Election Protection and Voting Rights in the 2020 Election” at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 11, in Room S118 of the Business and Aerospace Building on the MTSU campus.

FEB. 11

FEB. 12

BUSINESS AFTER HOURS

LIVING SENT MEETING

Business After Hours, presented by and held at Lanes, Trains & Automobiles Entertainment Depot (450 Butler Dr.), is Tuesday, Feb. 11, from 4:30–6:30 p.m.

This informal, social networking event is designed to connect guests with business professionals from across Rutherford County. Bring plenty of business cards.

You’re invited to the February Living Sent Murfreesboro meeting Wednesday, Feb. 12, from 11:45 a.m.–1 p.m. (and the second Wednesday of every month). Carol Ghattas speaks on “Knowing Your Muslim Neighbor” in February. Ghattas has more than 30 years of experience living and working in Africa, the Middle East and around the

 Send community event information to CONTACT@BOROPULSE.COM

world. Wayne Burns, owner and founder of Fortified Fitness, shares his God story.

A free lunch is sponsored by Momentum Seminars. For more information, visit livingsentministries.org or to RSVP contact bob.williams@alhambrapartners.com.

Adults can paint a pair of love birds swinging on a perch as a great gift or just for a fun night on Thursday, Feb. 13, from 6–8 p.m. at Gateway Island (1875 W College St.).

Materials are provided. Call and register to save your spot; space is limited. The fee is $20. For more information, contact 615893-2141 or aacla@murfreesborotn.gov.

FEB. 13 TENNESSEE VALLEY WINDS AT MTSU

FEB. 12

Join the Tennessee Valley Winds for a free concert as part of the Tennessee Wind Band Conference at the MTSU Wright Music Hall (1439 Faulkinberry Dr.) on Thursday, Feb. 13, from 8–10 p.m. Admission is free. For more information, find the event on Facebook.

RUTHERFORD CABLE BREAKFAST MEETING

FEB. 13–16

The February Breakfast Meeting features “Stupid Mistakes Even Smart Women Make” with Kathleen Rich-New. Working at all levels of human resources and as an executive coach, Rich-New has seen mistakes that have ruined careers and ended in firings. She has also helped guide others to recover from mistakes and use the experience to become more valuable and earn stronger reputations. Learn to recognize some mistakes before you make them and how to recover faster. The DoubleTree Hotel by Hilton Murfreesboro (1850 Old Fort Pkwy.) welcomes guests Tuesday, Feb. 11, from 7:15–9 a.m. Register in advance and find more information at cablemembershipdirectory.wildapricot.org/event-3564362 or contact yourrutherfordcable@gmail.com.

FEB. 13 GOOD GRIEF Good Grief is an interactive group workshop through The McKnight Advisory Group that provides techniques and resources to honor your loved ones while moving forward in a healthy and constructive way.

Topics on Thursday, Feb. 13, include The

DISNEY’S THE LITTLE MERMAID, JR. Journey “under the sea” with Ariel and her aquatic friends in Disney’s The Little Mermaid Jr., adapted from Disney’s Broadway production and the motion picture. Based on one of Hans Christian Andersen’s most beloved stories, this play is an enchanting look at the sacrifices we all make for love and acceptance. The show runs Thursday, Feb. 13 through Sunday, Feb. 15, at 7 p.m. and Sunday, Feb. 16 at 2 p.m. at the Washington Theatre at Patterson Park Community Center (521 Mercury Blvd.). Tickets are $10. For more information, visit ticketpeak. com, or contact 615-893-7439 ext. 6104, or shicks@murfreesborotn.gov.

FEB 14 LOVE SONGS FROM THE ’70S AND ’80S The accomplished musicians and vocalists in Live from Ventura Boulevard have traveled the world over with the likes of Kenny Loggins, Carrie Underwood, Peter Cetera, Christopher Cross and more. The CONTINUED ON PAGE 6 BOROPULSE.COM

* FEBRUARY 2020 * 5

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 5 band will present authentic performances of classic songs that reigned on the charts from 1975–85 at Hop Springs Beer Park (6790 John Bragg Hwy.) on Friday, Feb. 14, from 7:30–10:30 p.m. For more information, call 615-628-8776 or find the event on Facebook.

FEB. 21 FREDERICK DOUGLASS’ PLEA FOR FREE SPEECH

FEB. 14 BORO ART CRAWL The Boro Art Crawl is a free event in businesses in and around downtown Murfreesboro that takes place the second Friday of every even month from 6–9 p.m. Local artists show their work in businesses throughout the Historic Downtown Murfreesboro who want to help support the artists. See the Boro Art Crawl Map on page 25.

FEB. 14 MARRIED COUPLES VALENTINE DINNER Married couples are invited to join the Murfreesboro Family Worship Center for a night of fun and celebration of love at The Grove at Williamson Place (3250 Wilkinson Pk.) Friday, Feb. 14, from 6–9 p.m. Cost is $40 per couple and includes catering from Demos’, games and prizes.

Dress is semi-formal to formal. For more information, find the event on Facebook.

RADNOR PHOTO BY STEVE WARD

FEB. 15

FEB. 22

RADNOR LAKE HIKE

BRIDAL POP-UP MARKET AT OAKLANDS

Explore Tennessee’s Radnor Lake (1160 Otter Creek Rd, Nashville). The 3-mile trail wanders along the lake and through a wilderness area with a moderate hike, climbing a short distance upward along the rolling hills. Ages 12 and up are welcome (under 18 must be accompanied by an adult). Meet at the Wilderness Station (401 Volunteer Rd.) at 8 a.m. Saturday, Feb. 15. The fee is $10. For more information, contact 615-217-3017 or efann@murfreesborotn.gov.

For more information, visit tmsaa.tssaa.org.

FEB. 15 VALENTINE SWEETHEART DANCE

The Historic Sam Davis Home (1399 Sam Davis Rd.) offers a fun morning learning about Victorian Valentine’s Day traditions from 10–11:30 a.m. on Friday, Feb. 14, while making paper flowers and Victorian Valentines while trying a popular 19th century dance. Admission is $8 per student.

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

The Smyrna Lions Club celebrates Valentine’s Day on Saturday, Feb. 15, with the 22nd Sweetheart Dance at the Smyrna Event Center (100 Sam Ridley Pkwy. E., Smyrna). This year’s theme is Vegas Nashville Style, with cocktail attire recommended but not required. From 6:30–8 p.m., enjoy featured cocktails, appetizers and a silent auction. Dinner begins at 8 p.m. followed

by DJ Dancing. The cost is $150 per couple or $90 per person. Contact the Smyrna Lions Club via Facebook Messenger or send payment to P.O. Box 12; Smyrna, TN 37167. Don’t forget to include your name, the number of people in your party, and the names of anyone you would like to share a table with. Minimum age is 21.

FEB. 14

FEB. 16

SWEETHEART DANCE

HOP SPRINGS BYOP DISC GOLF

FEB. 14 VICTORIAN VALENTINE HOMESCHOOL DAY

Ages 60 and up are invited to the St. Clair Senior Center (325 St Clair St.) for the Sweetheart Dance on Friday, Feb. 14, from 6–9 p.m. Bring your sweetheart and dance the night away (light refreshments served). Tickets are $5 at the door. For more information, contact 615-848-2550 or kherod@murfreesborotn.gov.

FEB. 14 & 15 TMSAA BASKETBALL TOURNAMENT The Tennessee Middle School Athletic Association State Basketball Championship is Feb. 14 and 15 at the MTSU Murphy Center (2650 Middle Tennessee Blvd.).

6 * FEBRUARY 2020 * BOROPULSE.COM

Nicola Buccola, founding director of the Frederick Douglass Forum on Law, Rights and Justice at Linfield College in McMinnville, Oregon, will lecture on “Frederick Douglass’ Plea for Free Speech and Open Inquiry” at 6:30 p.m. Friday, Feb. 21, in the Tennessee Room of the James Union Building on the MTSU campus.

Prodigy and FlyinColors Disc Golf team up to bring Hop Springs’s first bring-yourown-partner doubles event on Sunday, Feb. 16, at Hop Springs Beer Park (6790 John Bragg Hwy.) from 7 a.m.–6 p.m. This is a non-sanctioned event, and $5 per each player benefits the Hop Springs course fund. Lunch is available for $10 and includes a BBQ sandwich, chips, cookie and a glass of a Steel Barrel-brand beer on tap.

For more information, call 615-628-8776 or visit discgolfscene.com.

FEB. 19 POTLUCK LUNCH AND LEARN

AT CANNONSBURGH Learn about Victorian customs while enjoying a potluck lunch followed by a creative project from the era. Limited seating is available. Admission is a potluck lunch item to share; adults and seniors can attend Thursday, Feb. 19, at 1 p.m. at Cannonsburgh Village (312 S. Front St.) Call 615890-0355 to reserve your seat.

FEB. 20 THE CONNECTION Local small business owners gather for The Connection: An Evening of Professional Networking and Business Brainstorming from 5–7 p.m. on Thursday, Feb. 20, at Milano II (114 E. College St.). All Middle Tennessee entrepreneurs and professionals are welcome to attend this casual, free, noobligation event, where they can meet other small business owners and tap into one another’s experience and energy. A discussion will encourage participation from those in attendance, asking them to articulate their vision for their business and calling for examples of the challenges and solutions they are experiencing. The series continues the third Thursday of each month.

FEB. 20 UNITY LUNCHEON The Unity Luncheon, a celebration of “unsung heroes” in the local African American community, is scheduled for 11:30 a.m.

Thursday, Feb. 20, in the Student Union Ballroom on the MTSU campus. Yanika Smith-Bartley, vice president and special counsel of Nashville-based Asurion, a privately held insurance company, will deliver the address. For more information, visit mtsu.edu/aahm.

In conjunction with the Wedding Dresses Through the Decades Exhibit, Oaklands hosts a Bridal Market on Saturday, Feb. 22, at the Cottage at Oaklands Mansion (900 N. Maney Ave.) from 1–4 p.m. If you are planning a wedding or are newly engaged, this is a fun way to kick off your bridal plans. Spend time walking through the vintage dresses and visit booths filled with goods and services for your special day. Pick up unique and fun gifts for your wedding. See over 140 years of fashion history through wedding dresses, photos and stories told by the brides. Tickets are $10 and can be purchased in the museum gift shop or at oaklandsmansion.org. For more information, contact 615-893-0022 or mb@oaklandsmansion.org.

FEB. 22 MEET THE ANIMALS Get a closer look at Wilbur the Possum and Cooper the Screech Owl on Saturday, Feb. 22, at 10 a.m. at the Wilderness Station (401 Volunteer Rd.). Learn about all of the education animals and their natural history.

All ages are welcome; admission is free.

For more information, contact 615-2173017 or hmeyer@murfreesborotn.gov.

FEB. 25 BLACK HISTORY MONTH KEYNOTE Angela Rye, chief executive officer of Washington, D.C.-based political advocacy firm IMPACT Strategies, will deliver the MTSU Black History Month keynote address at 7 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 25, in the Tennessee Room of the James Union Building on the MTSU campus. In addition to her lobbying work, Rye is a political commentator for CNN and political analyst for NPR. She serves on the boards of the Congressional Black Caucus Institute and the Congressional Black Caucus Political Action Committee.

FEB. 27 HEALING JUSTICE

Sekou Franklin facilitates “Healing Justice and Legal Redress with the Free Hearts Organization: A Fee Waiver Clinic to Resolve Fees, Debts, and Fines for Formerly Incarcerated Persons,” an all-day event, Thursday, Feb. 27, at Walnut House (116 N. Walnut St.).

FEB. 28 FISH FRY Come out for all-you-can-eat, fried, blackened or baked fish and all the fixings alongside dessert and refreshments on Fridays, Feb. 28–April 3, at Saint Rose of Lima School (1601 N. Tenn.

Blvd.) from 5–7 p.m. The meal, organized by Knights of Columbus, supports a different local organization each week.

Carryout options are available. Prices are $10 for adults, $5 for kids and ages 4 and under are free. The organization benefiting from the Feb. 28 event is Habitat for Humanity. For more information, visit saintrose.org or contact Matt Owens at 615-956-9544.

FEB. 29 MARDI PAWS Join the Purple Paws Fifth Annual Mardi Paws on Saturday, Feb. 29, from 6–10 p.m., for its signature event to raise money for Middle Tennessee animal rescues and spay/neuter programs. This year’s gala features a buffet-style dinner from Puckett’s, along with wine, custombrewed thematic beer from the MidState Brewsters and a signature Purple Paws cocktail at The Grove (3250 Wilkinson Pk.). Participate in a wine pull and scavenger hunt and party with Mid-South Mobile DJs while you capture memories in a free photo booth. Cocktail attire is requested but not required. For more information, find the event on Facebook and Eventbrite, or contact 615427-5084 or cheryllisi@comcast.net.

FEB. 29 BLACK HISTORY MONTH TRIUMPH AWARDS Murfreesboro has a long history of generating noteworthy and remarkable people that become bold and enterprising examples for each generation. Join Patterson Park Community Center (521 Mercury Blvd.) as they tie the connection between the longstanding community heroes and the up-and-coming influential leaders by recognizing both on Saturday, Feb. 29, at 3 p.m. Admission is free.

For more information, contact 615-8937439 or cellis@murfreesborotn.gov.

FEB. 29

TUESDAYS

SATURDAYS

CAMP OF INSTRUCTION

WATER POLO

ANIMAL ENCOUNTERS

Most of the nearly four million soldiers who fought the Civil War had no military experience before they joined their army.

Visitors of all ages can watch as park staff and volunteers train to fire cannons and spend some time learning the drill for themselves at Camp of Instruction—Artillery at Stones River National Battlefield.

Cannon firings are done intermittently between 11–3:30 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 29.

Admission is free. For more information, visit nps.gov/stri or call 615-893-9501.

Are you looking for a unique way to get an intense workout? Come play water polo on Tuesday nights. This is for swimmers age 13 and up who are comfortable in the deep end of the pool. Games begin at 7 p.m. on Tuesdays at the Sports*Com Indoor Pool (2310 Memorial Blvd.). $4 per player. For more information, contact csaffel@murfreesborotn.gov or 615-895-5040.

Join the Wilderness Station at Barfield Crescent Park (401 Volunteer Rd.) Saturdays at 1:30 p.m. for a short program introducing one of the education animals, their cool adaptations and natural history.

All ages are welcome. Admission is free. For more information, contact 615-217-3017 or outdoormurfreesboro@murfreesborotn.gov.

THROUGH MARCH 1 WEDDING DRESSES THROUGH THE DECADES Stories of the community come to life through wedding gowns on display at Oaklands Mansion (900 N. Maney Ave.) Jan. 17–March 1. Explore women’s fashion, cultural and community history. Over 50 gowns are on loan and exhibited, most for the first time. Witness vintage gowns from the last 100 years along with brides’ photos and stories from their wedding day. View wedding-ring quilts on loan from members of the community as well. The exhibit is open daily Monday-Saturday from 10 a.m.–4 p.m. and Sunday from 1–4 p.m. Admission is $10 per person.

For more information, contact 615-8930022 or mb@oaklandsmansion.org.

MONDAYS ADULT RECREATIONAL VOLLEYBALL LEAGUE The Recreation Department offers recreational volleyball for players ages 16 and up who are out to have fun. The league plays at Patterson Park (521 Mercury Blvd.) on Monday nights in a laid-back atmosphere. Teams and individuals without a team are welcome. Games begin at 6, 7 and 8 p.m. each Monday. $4 per player per visit. For more information, contact shull@murfreesborotn.gov or 615-907-2251.

RECOVERY IN THE FILLING STATION Celebrate Recovery in the Filling Station (North Boulevard Church of Christ, 1112 N. Rutherford Blvd.) every Monday evening with dinner at 6 p.m. ($2), praise time at 7 p.m. and a small share group at 8 p.m. Newcomers are always welcome.

This is a Biblical and balanced program that helps people overcome life’s hurts, habits and hang-ups in a confidential and secure setting. For more information, contact 615-631-2640 or tholt@nblvd.org.

HEART OF TENNESSEE TOASTMASTERS The Heart of Tennessee Toastmasters is an international organization devoted to helping others advance their communication and leadership skills. Learn better listening skills, critical thinking, goal setting and public speaking. Meet at 7 p.m. on the second, fourth and fifth Tuesdays of each month at Linebaugh Public Library board room (105 W. Vine St.). For more information, visit heartoftennessee. toastmastersclubs.org.

WEDNESDAYS BORO2SQUARE RUNNERS Boro2Square Runners is a running group for individuals interested in running and socializing with other runners. Weekly runs begin at 6 p.m. each Wednesday, starting from the Boulevard Bar and Grill, 2154 Middle Tennessee Blvd. Distances covered are 3–5 miles, with runners of all paces welcome to participate. For more information, visit facebook.com/boro2square.

WRITERS GROUP The Murfreesboro Writers Group, comprised of local writers who seek to improve their work through mutual critique, meets every Wednesday at Linebaugh Library (105 W. Vine St.) from 6–8 p.m. You might hear science fiction, poetry, alternate reality, memoir, fantasy, mystery, literary fiction, or beyond. For more information, find Murfreesboro Writers Group on Facebook, call 615-893-4131, email sayhello@murfreesborowritersgroup.com or visit rclstn.org.

THURSDAYS CHESS CLUB The Murfreesboro Chess Club meets each Thursday at 6 p.m. at First Cumberland Presbyterian Church (907 E. Main St.).

Chess players of all levels are invited to come meet and play against other local chess enthusiasts. For more information, email murfreesborochess@gmail.com or call 615-713-9256.

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

SATURDAYS/SUNDAYS BLACK HISTORY MONTH RANGER TALKS Join rangers at Stones River National Battlefield (3501 Old Nashville Hwy.) Saturdays and Sundays in February as they share a 30-minute talk exploring one of the many ways African-American stories are connected to the park’s landscapes. Programs begin at the park visitor center from 2–2:30 p.m.

For more information, call 615-893-9501.

SUNDAYS AMERICANA SUNDAYS AT HOP SPRINGS Enjoy live music, craft beer, food, cornhole, disk golf and 83 acres of nature each week at Americana Sunday at Hop Springs Beer Park (6790 John Bragg Hwy.). Musicians are welcome to participate in the open bluegrass/Americana jam from 2–3:30 p.m. and open blues/rock/Americana jam from 3:30–6:30 p.m. Dogs are welcome, as are all ages, and the fun is free every weekend.

ONGOING ADULT SOFTBALL LEAGUE REGISTRATION Get your softball team ready for the 2020 season. The Murfreesboro Spring Adult Softball League is designed for adults, 18 years of age and older, to compete against other players. Both men’s and women’s divisions will be offered. Players without a team may contact the organizers to be placed on the free agent list. The fee is $550 per team. A coaches’ meeting will be at 2 p.m. on Feb. 23 at the McFadden Community Center Gym (211 Bridge Ave.). For more information, contact shull@murfreesborotn.gov or 615-907-2251.

BOROPULSE.COM

* FEBRUARY 2020 * 7

Sounds

Read more about local music at

boropulse.com/category/music

TIME OF YOUR LIFE WITH TENNESSEE PHILHARMONIC ORCHESTRA

MUSIC NOTES

FEBRUARY IS THE MONTH OF LOVE AND JAZZ and Murfreesboro music fans can make plans to attend the “Having the Time of Your Life” concert performed by the Tennessee Philharmonic Orchestra. There they will experience jazz classics, old and new, representing the Great American Songbook. This incredible performance will take place on Thursday, Feb. 13, at 7 p.m. at the beautiful First United Methodist Church, 265 Thompson Ln., Murfreesboro.

This concert will include some of the most influential American popular songs and jazz standards from the 1920s to 1950s, beloved classics such as “Chattanooga Choo-Choo” by Harry Warden, “It Don’t Mean a Thing” by Duke Ellington and “But Not for Me” by Cole Porter. There will also be vocal performances by M.C. Potts, Kelli Cox and Karl Wingruber.

The student ensemble Ethos of Murfreesboro will perform before the mainstage performance under the direction of Bobby Chandler as well as offering a selection during the concert. Truman Jones will precede each song with information to enlighten and educate music lovers of all ages.

For tickets or more information, visit tnphil.org or call 615-898-1862.

 ENTERTAINMENT

TRIVIA, KARAOKE & BINGO NIGHTS  MONDAYS AHARTS PIZZA GARDEN Trivia 7 p.m.

HANK’S Open Mic Night 6–9 p.m.

HOP SPRINGS Poker 7 p.m.

JACK BROWN’S Trivia 7 p.m.

LEVEL III Trivia 7 p.m.

THE BORO Karaoke 8 p.m.

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

HOP SPRINGS Karaoke 7–10 p.m.

NACHO’S Trivia 7 p.m.

OLD CHICAGO Trivia 7 & 8:15 p.m.

 WEDNESDAYS

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

LEVEL III Trivia 7 p.m.

MELLOW MUSHROOM Trivia 8 p.m.

OLD CHICAGO Ballad Bingo 7 p.m.

STATION GRILL Trivia 7 p.m.

 FRIDAYS BOOMBOZZ PIZZA Trivia 8:30 p.m.

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

LIQUID SMOKE DJ night 10 p.m.

MT BOTTLE Karaoke 9 p.m.–3 a.m.

THE BOULEVARD Trivia 8 p.m.

 SATURDAYS

VAN’S BAR & GRILL Bike Night, Karaoke 6 p.m.

CAMPUS PUB Karaoke 10 p.m.–2:30 a.m.

 THURSDAYS

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

BURGER REPUBLIC Trivia 7 p.m.

HOP SPRINGS Trivia 7 p.m.

PARTY FOWL Trivia 7 p.m.

VAN’S BAR & GRILL Pool tournament 7 p.m.

CAMPUS PUB Karaoke 10 p.m.–2:30 a.m.

8 * FEBRUARY 2020 * BOROPULSE.COM

MT BOTTLE Karaoke 9 p.m.–3 a.m.

NACHO’S Trivia 7 p.m.

VAN’S BAR & GRILL Karaoke 7 p.m.

 SUNDAYS SAM’S SPORTS GRILL Trivia 8 p.m.

TOOL BY TRAVIS SHINN

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

JOIN TOOL, MILEY, BASSNECTAR, PRIMUS, TENACIOUS D AND MANY MORE AT BONNAROO 2020 BONNAROO IS BACK. The annual extravaganza has announced the slate of performers for its 2020 music festival in Manchester, Tennessee. Bonnaroo is one of those special places where, upon learning the news that Tool, Miley Cyrus and Bassnectar share the bill (all on the same day, in fact), the music fan’s response is “oh yeah, that makes perfect, logical sense.”

Other 2020 performers include LIZZO, Primus, Tenacious D, Greensky Bluegrass, Lana Del Rey, Tame Impala, Leon Bridges, Run the Jewels, Pigeons Playing Ping Pong, Flogging Molly, Femi Kuti, Dashboard Confessional and Megan Thee Stallion.

The Grand Ole Opry continues its Bonnaroo takeover on Thursday night, staging a country-themed variety show that night, and other festival components include comedy acts, a cinema tent, waterslide, an abundance of food, art and clothing vendors, a 5k and more.

The 2020 Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival will be Thursday, June 11 through Sunday, June 14 just off of I-24 in Manchester, Tennessee.

Find tickets and more information at bonnaroo.com.

LIVE MUSIC IN THE ’BORO WED, 2/5

HANK’S Clayton Kaiser HOP SPRINGS Acoustic Wednesday MTSU WRIGHT MUSIC BUILDING Guitar Festival: Paulo Olivera, Alex Graham

THURS, 2/6

HANDLEBARS World Famous Thursday Night Blues Jam HANK’S Jordan Carter MEDIA RERUN Moniker; Efforts, and more MTSU WRIGHT MUSIC BUILDING MTSU Jazz Artist Series: Roger Humphries

FRI, 2/7

CARPE CAFE Shane Scarazzini COCONUT BAY CAFE Krazee D GALLAGHER UNPLUGGED Uncle Shuffelo and His Haint Hollow Hootenanny HANK’S Sarah Martin; Sam Roark Band MAYDAY BREWERY Mitch Cox MEDIA RERUN B.C.P. MTSU WRIGHT MUSIC BUILDING Works of Clara Schumann VAN’S BAR & GRILL Revelry

SAT, 2/8

HANK’S Joe Hooper; Phil Valdez GALLAGHER UNPLUGGED Clinchfield HOP SPRINGS Ian C. Parker; Lisa Law & the Suspects MAYDAY BREWERY Delyn Christian MEDIA RERUN The Exotic Ones, and more MTSU WRIGHT MUSIC BUILDING Jamie Wright PUCKETT’S Olivia Faye THE BORO Nashville Non-Prophets; CowPunx; Cheering Tokyo

SUN, 2/9

HANK’S George Dunn HOP SPRINGS Americana Sunday Jam

CONCERT CALENDAR

EFFRON WHITE

MTSU WRIGHT MUSIC BUILDING Greg Reish

SAT., 2/15 @ GALLAGHER UNPLUGGED

Shortly after new ownership moved Gallagher Guitar Company to Murfreesboro, they opened a new music venue, Gallagher Unplugged, next to the guitar workshop. The venue already has a packed schedule of concerts on the calendar, including a Saturday, Feb. 15, appearance by experienced folk singer-songwriter Effron White. White, who lists Bob Dylan, Tom Waits, John Prine and Guy Clark among his influences, sings his tunes of heartache, hard work, troubadours, misery and American life with a unique, gravelly, at times almost spoken delivery. The show begins at 8 p.m. Gallagher Guitars is located at 118 N. Walnut St.

MON, 2/10

MTSU WRIGHT MUSIC BUILDING Matt Endahl

TUES, 2/11 BURGER BAR Sarah Martin HANK’S Don Mealer

WED, 2/12

HANK’S Liz Bentley HOP SPRINGS Acoustic Wednesday

THURS, 2/13

HANDLEBARS Thursday Night Blues Jam HANK’S Bailey Rose MTSU WRIGHT MUSIC BUILDING Tennessee Valley Winds

FRI, 2/14

CARPE CAFE Candice Harwood COCONUT BAY CAFE DJ RDP GALLAGHER UNPLUGGED Ericca Latza & others HANK’S Alan Crist; Jack Finley Band HOP SPRINGS Love songs from ’70s/’80s MAYDAY BREWERY Drew Davidsen MTSU WRIGHT MUSIC BUILDING MTSU Wind Ensemble PUCKETT’S The Cleverlys THE BORO Scorched Vatika VAN’S BAR & GRILL Evil Twins

SAT, 2/15

COCONUT BAY CAFE Stranger Than Fiction GALLAGHER UNPLUGGED Effron White HANK’S Colleen Lloy; Cherry Avenue HOP SPRINGS The WNY MAYDAY BREWERY Krystal King MTSU WRIGHT MUSIC BUILDING MTSU Wind Band Conference: Honor Bands THE BORO John Lanier; CowPunx

FEBRUARY 2020

SUN, 2/16

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

TUES, 2/18 BURGER BAR Sarah Martin HANK’S Lauren Christine

WED, 2/19

HANK’S HunterGirl HOP SPRINGS Acoustic Wednesday

THURS, 2/20

HANDLEBARS Thursday Night Blues Jam HANK’S Spencer Maige

FRI, 2/21

CARPE CAFE Mo Stroemel COCONUT BAY CAFE Escape Band HANK’S Sara Simmons; Justin Dukes HOP SPRINGS Chase Clanton & Vintage Vibes MAIN STREET MUSIC Journey tribute; Def Leppard tribute MAYDAY BREWERY Ryan Coleman MTSU WRIGHT MUSIC BUILDING Desmond Kirkland PUCKETT’S Steel Blossoms THE BORO Anthony Henes; Brett Harris VAN’S BAR & GRILL Junk Box

SAT, 2/22

COCONUT BAY CAFE Elecoustic Soul

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

GALLAGHER UNPLUGGED Sam Mullins & Jim Frazier HANK’S HunterGirl; Cooter River Band HOP SPRINGS Steely Dan & Chicago tributes MAYDAY BREWERY November Blue MEDIA RERUN Supercult; Naw and more MTSU WRIGHT MUSIC BUILDING Kelcy Brenner PUCKETT’S Runaway Home ST. PAUL’S EPISCOPAL Nathan Hargis THE BORO Jeremy Pinell Jams

SUN, 2/23

HANK’S Karrie J. Phillips HOP SPRINGS Americana Sunday Jam MTSU WRIGHT MUSIC BUILDING Jonathan Woodfin

MON, 2/24

MTSU WRIGHT MUSIC BUILDING Stones River Chamber Players

TUES, 2/25

BURGER BAR Sarah Martin HANK’S Delyn Christian MAYDAY BREWERY The Festivus Players MTSU WRIGHT MUSIC BUILDING MTSU Women’s Chorale; Meistersingers

WED, 2/26

HANK’S Sarah Martin HOP SPRINGS Acoustic Wednesday

THURS, 2/27

HANDLEBARS Thursday Night Blues Jam HANK’S Lonnie Spiker

IF YOU GO Burger Bar 1850 Old Fort Pkwy.

615-895-5555 Campus Pub 903 Gunnerson Ave. 616-867-9893 Carpe Cafe 115 Front St., Smyrna 615-984-4040 Coconut Bay Café 210 Stones River Mall Blvd. 615-494-0504 First United Methodist Church 265 W. Thompson Ln. 615-893-1322 Gallagher Unplugged 118 N. Walnut St. 615-624-4196 Handlebars 2601 E. Main St. 615-890-5661

FRI, 2/28

CARPE CAFE Kevin Schlereth COCONUT BAY CAFE Zone Status HANK’S Blake Esse; Tyler Stephens MAYDAY BREWERY TopHouse MTSU WRIGHT MUSIC BUILDING Matt Lund THE BORO Paulsdeeep VAN’S BAR & GRILL The Real Deal

SAT, 2/29

COCONUT BAY CAFE Graham Anthem Band GALLAGHER UNPLUGGED Anthony Quails & others HANK’S Preston Ary; Ryan Broshear HOP SPRINGS The Petty Junkies (Tom Petty tribute) MAIN STREET MUSIC AC Drive; Revelry MAYDAY BREWERY Rhett McDonald MTSU WRIGHT MUSIC BUILDING MTSU Symphony Orchestra THE BORO Symptom of the Universe

SUN, 3/1

HOP SPRINGS Americana Sunday Jam MTSU WRIGHT MUSIC BUILDING Schola Cantorum; Choral Society; Brass Chamber

Hank’s 2341 Memorial Blvd.

615-410-7747 Hop Springs 6790 John Bragg Hwy. 615-628-8776 Main Street Music 527 W. Main St. 615-440-2425 Mayday Bewery 521 Old Salem Hwy. 615-479-9722 Media Rerun 2820 S. Rutherford Blvd.

615-907-0901 MTSU Wright Music Building 1439 Faulkinberry Dr. 615-898-2469 Puckett’s Grocery 114 N. Church St. 629-201-6916 Smyrna VFW Post 8422 10157 Old Nashville Hwy., Smyrna 615-459-9832 St. Paul’s Episcopal Church 116 N. Academy St. 615-893-3780 The Boro Bar & Grill 1211 Greenland Dr. 615-895-4800 Van’s Bar and Grill 2404 Halls Hill Pk. 615-624-7767

BOROPULSE.COM

* FEBRUARY 2020 * 9

Sounds

Read more about local music at

boropulse.com/category/music

Below: Pedro, a teacher at a children’s home in Mexico.

PHIL KEAGGY

PICTURE IT—AN ORPHAN BOY wanting so badly to make music that he constructed a makeshift guitar out of a gas can and a block of wood. This is exactly what led Instruments of Joy founder Joshua MacLeod to begin the organization in 2013 after a mission trip to Malawi.

“What would this young musician be capable of if he had a quality musical instrument?” imagined MacLeod. He sent that young man one of the three guitars that was collecting dust in his bonus room and Instruments of Joy has continued to help those in the developing world make a joyful noise ever since.

In its latest efforts to transform the musical soundscape in developing countries and transition people from playing litter to the pick of the litter, Instruments of Joy hopes to hear heaven and nature sing at a March 6 concert featuring multi-Dove Award winner Phil Keaggy. Keaggy will come together with Christian artists Audrey Assad, Buddy Greene (a legendary harmonica player) and Time Jumpers member Jeff Taylor at Springhouse Worship and Arts Center in Smyrna to have fun and raise funds for the charity. Keaggy’s musical experience from 60-plus albums, Assad with a iTunes Christian Breakthrough Album of the Year designation, Greene’s harmonica and writing skills (he wrote the music for iconic Christmas song “Mary, Did You Know?” with accompanying words by Mark Lowry), Taylor’s accordion mastery (the sought-after session musician sometimes saddles up to step in with Western favorites Riders in the Sky on the stage of the Grand Ole Opry and beyond) and the artists’ assorted other skills are all sure to be on full display.

“Having some of the best musicians 10 * FEBRUARY 2020 * BOROPULSE.COM

JOY TO THE WORLD Instruments of Joy spreads music across the globe, Phil Keaggy to headline March 6 benefit concert

BY MELISSA COKER in the world serving musicians in need is a dream come true,” says MacLeod. One hundred percent of the proceeds from the concert will be used to purchase quality musical instruments that will then be distributed by the ministry.

Keyboard recipient William Guevara, educational director and music teacher at the bilingual school Por Los Niños in Honduras expressed “I am very thankful for the donation! You can not imagine how happy I am.

We have been working hard and praying a lot for this project. Now, I can say again

that God is good and He has answered our prayers. Through these instruments we are giving to our kids the opportunity to develop all their potential and, of course, to explore their artistic background . . . [this] will give them the opportunity to know and understand that music is an amazing way of getting into the presence of our Creator!”

A letter written by the mother of a student in the Dominican Republic who received a flute proclaims “Receive our greetings, I want to share with you that this flute is a gift from God. My child Julio Emanuel

(Left) Instruments of Joy founder Joshua MacLeod; (right) instrument recipient Josue in Guatemala

who studies at ICA had a broken flute and for many months he asked me and my husband to get a new one. He couldn’t rehearse or play for awhile because we didn’t have the money to buy it. My husband lost his job but we always kept praying to the Lord asking Him for help. We have so much faith in Him. There was a graduation concert at ICA and he had to borrow a flute. He was very discouraged and I asked him not to worry. Not much time happened and the miracle of this flute came to his life. The teacher Maria Elisa shared with us that a ministry gave her flutes. Now our child can go on with his studies.”

“Music makes me feel relaxed, happy, loved and very positive. Especially when I am sad,” sums up thankful electric guitar recipient Carlos Osrio of Honduras.

Thus far into the journey, Instruments of Joy has been instrumental in orchestrating the acquisition of approximately 457 total instruments, with 148 sent in 2019 to 57 different countries. In addition to benefit concerts and the like, the organization is open for monthly donors willing to give $20 or $100. A “delivery partner” sends the organization a photo and story for each delivery and that photo and story is then sent to the donor. Repeat the sounding Joy! Tickets for the Friday, March 6, benefit show are $25 for general admission, $35 for reserved seating and $100 including a VIP meet-and-greet. The concert begins at 7 p.m. Visit brownpapertickets.com/ event/4475364 or instrumentsofjoy.org for tickets and more information.

ALBUMS

JOHN SALAWAY

ROXIE COLA

Local multi-genre, multi-instrumentalist singersongwriter and producer John Salaway has been around. While earlier records featured Salaway, a drummer, a guitarist and a pianist, playing nearly every instrument himself, Americana Dreams is about collaboration, featuring many co-written tracks and an array of guest instrumentalists.

For starters, in physical form the Americana Dreams CD itself is designed to look like vinyl—for many, that in itself is the stuff dreams are made of.

The 10-track collection opens with the laid-back, luxurious Beatles-ish lift-you-up singalong “It Feels Great” (it feels great . . . when you let it all go) then swirls into the slide guitar-drenched ode to taking the straight and narrow on “Take the High Road.”

“These songs are about letting that bad stuff go and saying, ‘Look, life is beautiful. Let’s be thankful for what we have,’” Salaway shares.

The folk-influenced “It’s All in Your Mind,” featuring co-writer Bri Murphy on fiddle and harmonies, finds the singer inclined to whisk his loved one away in mystical escape, before the slide guitarand-upright bass-laden “A Little Bit Broken” invites listeners to clap and stomp along while Salaway laments scraping up the pieces I’ve picked up before.

The sounds dial back a notch on “Inspire You” then plow full steam ahead, armed with guitar and dobro, on the groovy back-and-forth of “You Better Believe” and the charmingly uptempo “Good for Me.” Solemn topics such as hypocrisy and social issues ruminate on the Southern-rockish “Real With Ya,” but the pensively cello-enveloped “The Beauty That Surrounds Us” (complete with whistling) reminds us to keep on the sunny side, further illustrating Salaway’s range and optimism.

Want to sail away with Salaway? Order Americana Dreams at johnsalaway.com. He is scheduled to perform at Hop Springs on Feb. 29.

— MELISSA COKER

Imagine the half-spoken, half-sung, wholly-twisted vocoder vocals of Future or Kanye on 808s and Heartbreak, pull back the hip-hop elements but keep some of the pop sensibility, and you’re close to the space that Roxie Cola occupies on Neon Heart, marked by an assortment of tweaked-out synths, programmed drums and vocoder-twisted vocals.

The lyrics are relatively straightforward, but often just weird enough to be interesting. Take a few lyrics on “Flatline.” Whenever you smile and your eyes are gleaming, you make me feel like I’m human for the first time . . . I feel my heartbeat start to flatline, Roxie sings. Love makes Roxie feel human—a human whose heart is about to stop beating. Not a bad description of falling in love, if you ask me.

At other points in the album, I began wondering if Roxie Cola was aiming for irony. Take the saccharine-sweet tween pop lyrics of “Baby.” Roxie sings, Do you like me? / Or am I crazy? / Cause when you talk to me, I feel like a baby. I’m hoping this is a muted jab at the tween-pop genre rather than an artistic stab in the dark, but artists’ intentions are often notoriously hard to pin down.

Then there’s “V8,” essentially, Roxie Cola making a hick-hop track and the irony is undeniable. She say she wanna ride in my truck, it’s a V8 / When I pull up she can hear me from a mile away / We can stay out on the town real late, sipping moonshine in the moonlight, it’s a date.

The melody is wonderfully catchy, and the lyrics are weird and amusing enough to endure. I’m still grinning. And production-wise, it’s pitch-perfect.

I’m especially loving the glitchy outro.

While this album may not please everyone, give it a listen. And then listen to some of Roxie Cola’s previous releases. The artist has range. And that’s a good thing. We need artists that surprise us. Find Neon Heart by Roxie Cola on Bandcamp.

— JON LITTLE

Americana Dreams

Neon Heart

A CLASSIC OUTSTANDING

AVERAGE BELOW AVERAGE

AVOID IT DEAD

MUSIC NOTES The Cleverlys Make a Stop in Murfreesboro on Valentine’s Day as Part of 2020 Puckett’s Tour WHAT’S IN A NAME? Well, for half-bluegrass/all-sass comedic players The Cleverlys—everything. And a rose bouquet of road travelers by any other name surely wouldn’t smell this way. Well-known for their bluegrass spins on songs such as “All the Single Ladies,” “Walk Like an Egyptian” or “I’m Gonna Be (500 Miles),” the faux-family group of musicians described by Stephen L. Betts of Rolling Stone as a “hilariously off-kilter hybrid of Homer and Jethro and The Office” bring their beloved sweet-talking stylings to the Murfreesboro Square in February.

Listeners can hear on the group’s newest album that it’s not all parody and laughs, such as on the sincere take on The Seldom Scene’s “Wait a Minute.” Though The Cleverlys’ version of the Zombies classic “She’s Not There,” which changes the vernacular to “she ain’t there,” serves an apt illustration of the band’s characteristic style.

Digger Cleverly reflects on the decision to record this track saying, “This song reminds me of my second wife.

She ran off with a phone book salesman. Said she wanted someone with a ‘future.’”

Speaking of keeping your signifi-

cant other, you won’t even have to buy yours a Valentine’s Day gift if you give the gift of seeing the Cleverlys, a band featuring Digger Cleverly and his nephews Ricky Lloyd, Cub, Quattro and DVD (short for Dale Vernon Dale, naturally). Sock Cleverly recently split from full-time touring thanks to a dose of reality in the form of a newborn, but he “still roots for the family” and will fill in on fiddle from time to time when Quattro (Digger Jr. Jr. Jr. Jr., hence Quattro) needs a break.

With planned stops in the coming months at Puckett’s Grocery locations in Franklin, Nashville, Columbia and even Pigeon Forge, you won’t have to walk 500 miles, or 500 more, for this concert. So prepare to get lovey-dovey locally with the one-ofa-kind dinner show. Tickets are $45 for one or $85 per couple for a threecourse dinner and the performance, at Puckett’s Grocery & Restaurant, 114 N. Church St. Dinner begins at 6 p.m., Friday, Feb. 14, with the show to follow at 7 p.m.

Find tickets on Eventbrite, or reach Puckett’s Murfreesboro at 629-2016916 for more information. This is expected to sell out.

— MELISSA COKER

BOROPULSE.COM

* FEBRUARY 2020 * 15

Living

TRAVEL

BY BRACKEN MAYO

Going to the Mountains Discover Gatlinburg, Pigeon Forge, Sevierville and the Smoky Mountains, Tennessee Travel Destination

W

hen a Tennessee traveler announces that they will be “going to the mountains,” many Tennessee residents know precisely where they will be heading; the trip will probably involve the area around the entrance on the northern side of Great Smoky Mountains National Park near the East Tennessee towns of Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge. Lots of families have made this Tennessee trip a tradition.

Millions of tourists exit I-40 just east of Knoxville, Tennessee, and head south through Sevier County, first passing through the town of Sevierville, then the fun-packed Pigeon Forge—loaded with restaurants, go-kart tracks, shopping, miniature golf, pancakes and accommodations along the banks of the Little Pigeon River— then to the mountain village of Gatlinburg, the Gateway to the Smokies.

This area contains a head-spinning number of entertainment options where you can spend your time and money. The preserved natural splendor and quiet of the breathtaking Smoky Mountains, juxtaposed with the carnival lights and commerce in town (an area with a vibe that some may label a “tourist trap”), makes for a stark contrast, as visitors find these vastly different worlds

16 * FEBRUARY 2020 * BOROPULSE.COM

From left: One of the many mountain streams in the Great Smoky Mountains; a bald eagle at Dollywood; The Dollywood Express

located just a few miles apart. How will you spend your Smoky Mountain vacation? A few options include:

The Mountains Themselves The Great Smoky Mountains rise high and descend, rolling for miles upon miles as part of the Appalachian Mountains, a massive band of precipitous terrain that stretches from Georgia to New York (or even into Canada, based on some definitions of the region). The national park offers a wealth of hiking and sightseeing opportunities spanning all levels of effort and difficulty. If your group wants a very short walk, numerous points in the area allow a traveler to pull off to the side of the road and, a dozen steps away, stand on the banks of a rolling mountain stream. Plenty of trails offer increasing distance and difficulty. A family can choose a trail of a mile or two, take it slow and observe many various examples of flora and fauna, while perhaps ending up at one of the many waterfalls in the region.

Find more details at hikinginthesmokys.com, or at the Sugarlands Visitor Center, just two miles from downtown Gatlinburg.

The Laurel Falls Trail, a paved walkway where many families can even push a

stroller, makes a popular hike on the easier end of the scale, leading to a scenic waterfall. The Chimney Tops Trail, while just a three-and-a-half-mile roundtrip, offers a much steeper climb to a high point, often up stairs. Those searching for the challenge of a lifetime can take on the Appalachian Trail in its entirety, which travels through the Smokies of Sevier County as part of its incredible length.

It’s free to visit the park and to hike.

The U.S. National Park Service offers rentals of overnight campsites.

Aquarium of the Smokies After checking out the native wildlife in the forest, visit Ripley’s Aquarium of the Smokies in downtown Gatlinburg for a look at a variety of sea life. Find hammerhead sharks, stingrays, penguins, jellyfish and much more at this indoor attraction.

Dollywood If you want some high-speed thrill rides, Dollywood offers some great roller coasters.

The Lightning Rod is the fastest wooden roller coaster in the world, boasting a top speed of 73 m.p.h. The winged Wild Eagle offers an exhilarating flight and an incredible view high above the park amidst the mountains. The Tennessee Tornado has its riders screaming as it winds down a tight spiral turn, and the Firechaser Express stands as a tribute to firefighters; that ride features a backwards-moving train escaping a burning fireworks store. The park offers many reasons to visit even for the roller coaster non-riders: the music, the food, the lights, the shows, the Parade of Many Colors during the winter season, the bald eagle sanctuary and an extensive Dolly Parton museum. The Dollywood Express, a

steam locomotive, pulls passenger cars for a low-speed tour of the park area.

Pancakes There are pancake houses everywhere you look in Pigeon Forge and Gatlinburg.

However you like your pancakes—topped with blackberries, peaches, chocolate chips, coconut or syrup, accompanied by bacon, coffee or an omelette, small like a silver dollar or big as a pizza, for breakfast, lunch or dinner—pay a visit to Log Cabin, Sawyer’s, Crockett’s, Reagan’s, Atrium, Flapjack’s, Little House of Pancakes, Pancake Pantry or one of the many flapjack houses scattered throughout the county.

Ripley’s Attractions Ripley’s Believe It or Not Odditorium, a museum in downtown Gatlinburg showcasing some of the more bizarre findings of world explorer Robert Ripley, features shrunken heads, statues, illusions, torture devices, strange facts, space rocks and all manner of oddities based on Ripley’s travels and illustrations. The Ripley’s company has quite a footprint in Sevier County, also operating (in addition to the Aquarium of the Smokies and the Odditorium) a Mirror Maze, Moving Theater, Haunted Adventure and Guinness World Records Adventure in Gatlinburg among its attractions.

Shopping One can shop until they drop in Gatlinburg, Pigeon Forge and Sevierville. Find a kilt from Celtic Heritage in The Village, a backpack from Nantahala Outdoor Center, hot sauce from the Mountain Mall in Gatlinburg, handmade soaps from Trunk of Man, a Christmas village, Christmas tree, Christmas ornaments, Christmas wreaths

Jenergy for Life

BY DR. JEN DICKENS MASSIE

Clockwise from top left: Ripley’s Believe It or Not Odditorium; the Walker Sisters Cabin; candy apples; Santa sighting

or Christmas stockings from the Christmas Place (The South’s largest Christmas store), candy and fudge shoppes galore, an original painting from one of the many galleries in the Great Smoky Arts & Crafts Community loop, a Tervis tumbler from The Island, a name-brand shirt, purse or shoes from Tanger Outlets in Sevierville, a woodcarving, a birdhouse, knives, moccasins and other items in the many outlet stores, art galleries and gift shops of the area.

Mini-Golf Sevier County is the place for the mini-golf enthusiast. Putt-putt on the side of a mountain, at a candy-themed course, near a pirate ship, beside a volcano, even as pigs fly overhead at one of the area’s many courses.

Indoor black-light mini-golf courses offer the chance to play a few rounds even during inclement weather, and some report the area offers some great traditional, full-size golfing experiences as well.

Aerial Tramway Cable cars take passengers from downtown Gatlinburg to the Ober Gatlinburg ski park and shopping center, at a much higher altitude. The two-mile journey by the tramway offers some stellar views of the hills and the town below. Each car can hold up to 120 passengers, and trips depart every 20 minutes. The cable cars have carried millions of sightseers up and downhill since 1973.

Snow Skiing During the winter season, those wishing to participate in snow sports can visit Ober Gatlinburg for skiing, tubing, snowboarding and a freestyle terrain park. An indoor ice skating rink, used for skating and for

ice bumper cars, offers cold fun all yearround, and plenty of non-winter activities include an alpine slide, chair swings, a wildlife encounter, a carousel and water rides. The amusement park can be accessed by road, or the cable car.

The Wilderness This resort, located in Sevierville closer to the I-40 exit than to the National Park entrance, boasts a massive water park, half inside, half outside, with slides, wavepools, rides, playgrounds, hot tubs and games.

Get some sun year-round in the indoor portion, covered by a material that allows sunlight to pour in during all seasons.

Some banana trees even grow poolside in this simulated tropical climate.

Mountain Coasters These coasters, where one or two riders cruise down a roller coaster-like track in a small car with a handbrake, have become popular thrill rides in the Sevier County area—rides include the Rocky Top Mountain Coaster, Smoky Mountain Alpine Coaster and Gatlinburg Mountain Coaster.

Ober has one as well.

Other fun attractions located at the popular tourist destination of Gatlinburg, Pigeon Forge and Sevierville include indoor skydiving, a Jurassic boat ride, Ferris wheel, a Titanic museum, a chairlift ride to a swinging bridge high above Gatlinburg, a huge variety of eateries and many more options.

What else do you like to do in Sevier County and in and around the Great Smoky Mountains National Park? Send comments to: contact@boropulse.com or facebook.com/boropulse.

Tips to Move, Stretch, Engage Your Muscles and Achieve Better Posture MOST EVERYONE SAYS they want to exercise more, have less stress and have a more positive mindset. I encourage you to focus on your daily goals and habits, which will ultimately lead to accomplishing those bigger goals. This will ensure that every day feels like a win, rather than waiting to define success as crossing the finish line.

One important habit necessary for accomplishing any of your larger wellness goals is daily movement. We as a culture are sitting more and moving less, which can lead to decline in health and increase in back pain.

PRO TIP #1: Set a reminder in your phone to stand and stretch every 1 to 2 hours. Here are three stretches you can perform to decrease neck, back and shoulder pain: 1. Upper trapezius stretch: Tilt your head to the left side as you reach your right hand toward the floor. To intensify this stretch, use your left hand on top of your head to pull your right ear further away from your right shoulder until you feel a pulling sensation on the right side of your neck and shoulder. Do not push past pain; you should have mild discomfort at most if this muscle is tight. Hold for 30 seconds then switch to the other side. Perform three times on each side. This is especially useful on days when you are stressed because many of us hold tension in this muscle in stressful or upsetting circumstances.

2. Pectoralis stretch with towel or jacket: (part one) Hold your jacket between your hands and raise it overhead and as far behind you as you can comfortably go, stopping if you have discomfort in your shoulders. Roll your shoulders back and squeeze your shoulder blades together to feel a moderate stretch across the front of your chest and shoulders. Hold for 30 seconds and repeat three times. (part two) Place the jacket between your hands and behind your lower back. Again, roll your shoulders back and squeeze your shoulder blades together to feel a moderate stretch across the front of your chest and shoulders. Hold for 30 seconds and repeat three times.

3. Hip flexor stretch: Standing with one

foot forward, tilt pelvis by tucking tailbone and flattening low back. Tighten the muscles in your bottom and keep your back foot facing straight forward. Then gently push your hips forward while maintaining neutral spine and upright torso.

PRO TIP #2: Engage your built-in back brace! The transverse abdominus (TA) muscle wraps from the front of abdomen around to your lower back which gives your lumbar spine the needed stability to stay safe. Unfortunately when we have lower back pain, this muscle is inhibited and it often requires conscious effort to remind this important muscle to work in our favor.

To engage the TA muscle: Place two fingers at both sides of your abdomen at height just below your navel but spread widely enough apart that you are NOT on top of the rectus abdominis (6-pack muscles).

Sink your fingers into your abdomen gently with a relaxed body. Next, draw your lower abdominals inward toward your spine as if trying to squeeze into a tight pair of pants.

If performed correctly, your fingers will be pushed outward. Hold your belly in as you breathe out, then relax and repeat. This muscle should be used when transitioning from sitting to standing or when walking, and is especially important when lifting!

PRO TIP #3: Raise your phone and save your spine.

When looking at your phone, raise it to chest level and gaze downward with your eyes so your neck remains in a neutral position. When we look straight downward at our phones it puts excess pressure on our lower cervical spine which can eventually lead to pain and joint damage.

Doctor of Physical Therapy Jen Dickens Massie is on a mission to help others be happy, healthy and strong! Jen leads inperson and online workshops and courses to improve posture and body mechanics, teach the most efficient ways to move and to reduce risk for injury. To book a workshop or for more information, follow her on facebook or instagram or visit jenergyforlife.com.

BOROPULSE.COM

* FEBRUARY 2020 * 17

Living

Farmers Market Education Series

BY EDWINA SHANNON

Start the Lasagna Garden, Difference in Seed Type

MY BODY MAY BE EMBRACING THE COLD TEMPERATURES

while sliding on that black ice, but my mind is escaping to think about gardens, beautiful flowers, fresh veggies, green plants . . . it really won’t be long until the spring crops can go into the soil and the transplants can get their head start for an April or May transplant. The wet winter and spring is an ideal time to perform the lazy gardeners’ start to a garden by layering what can break down into soil.

START THE NEW GARDEN NOW The process is called lasagna or layer gardening.

Like the edible lasagna, it is created with layers.

The first layer can go onto the ground now. The ground can be frozen or mud. Start with a layer of cardboard or several layers of newsprint. If you use newsprint do not include the slick advertisements.

Put the layer down where you want the garden to be. Get the size and shape the way you want it.

There is no rule that says it needs to be rectangular.

Just consider the maintenance of the yard around it. You will probably need to mow or weed-wack the outside shape.

After the first layer is down, water it. Watering will help to hold it in place and begin the breakdown or composting process. This layer can be left in place for several days to expedite the breakdown.

The layer is heavy enough to cut down and smother unwanted growth underneath it.

The second layer should be manure or compost.

Compost is defined as decayed organic matter that is used as a soil amendment. Composting does attract worms, and they are fabulous for a growing garden. Compost holds moisture, so it is ideal to be the second layer as it will expedite the breakdown of the first layer.

Manure is a potent ingredient to use when fresh.

It’s just too hot to use on plants, but here it can age for several months before you plant. Be sure to add aged manure in an existing garden. It will improve the soil of the selected area.

The third layer should be straw, not hay. Hay has too many seeds. If you use hay, expect some unwanted growth, so avoid it.

Straw is considered a brown layer in this process.

A garden lasagna is created with a rotation of brown and green layers. Brown layers should be twice the size of a green layer. Try to have the straw layer about one inch high. Wet the layer to encourage the decomposition.

What makes a brown layer? Dried, compostable product, like paper, bags, cardboard, leaves, straw, pine needles, twigs and small branches. Common sense will tell you that the twigs take longer to break down, so use them without building a solid layer that the plant roots will have a hard time going through. The advantage to using twigs or small branches is the added moisture content that their breakdown brings to your new garden. Think of them as a sponge when they are broken down.

Brown layers are carbon-based.

What makes a green layer? Veggie scraps, rotting food and grass clippings. The grass clippings should be chemical-free. Now, alternate layers.

You want the lasagna bed to be a minimum of two feet tall. As it breaks down, it will decrease in height. Top the bed with compost or topsoil.

If it gets to be planting season before your lasa18 * FEBRUARY 2020 * BOROPULSE.COM

gna bed is done composting, plant anyway. The top layer of compost or topsoil will let the plants get established. As the plants grow, their roots deepen into the layers, assisting further in decomposition.

WISHBOOK SEASON FOR SEEDS Seed catalogs are coming in the mail and you can get lost online with all the seed choices. What is a gardener to do? First, know the planting zone in which you live. This will take some of the guesswork out of choosing a plant that will do best in your area. Hardiness considers the least controllable factors: heat, drought, cold and flooding.

Middle Tennessee is in zone 7A. Generally, the area has a growing season ranging from early April to late October. If you are going to be planting for any or all of the three growing seasons, do get all seeds in the spring. Seeds can be refrigerated until used. They do become less viable as they are stored through seasons.

There are hybrids, heirlooms, organic, GMOs and non-GMO seeds. What’s the difference?

Hybrids combine genetics from two same species. They are unpredictable when it comes to saving their seeds. The greater number of seasons that seeds have been saved from a hybrid, then that crossbreed is on its way to become a heirloom.

Some seed savers will denote what generation hybrid with indicators F-1, F-2, F-3. The higher the number, the greater number of years for stability of plant. In the first years, seeds can revert back to the parent type, negating the hybridization.

Heirlooms are established seeds that do not change from generation to generation. They are prevented from cross-pollination. Their seeds get saved and the same type of plant, with the same expected yield, the same resistance and weaknesses, grows again. Their dependability is appreciated.

Organic seed is a current catchphrase as farmers and gardeners have historically saved seeds without the use of pesticides. Pesticide-free plants are stronger and more resilient than those dependent on chemical help. Growers want the stronger seeds.

GMO seeds are genetically engineered seeds.

They typically get injected with genes from another plant to help them develop favorable traits. The sought-after traits could be frost tolerance or resistance to weed killers. GMO seed is commercial seed. It is used by agribusiness for large scale crops of soybean, corn, cotton and sugar beet. Other than being a strong business decision, the quality of GMO crops is still being evaluated.

Select seeds that help with your successive planting plans. Get the most out of the space you have by having more than one crop grow in the same area of your garden. For further ideas, review succession planting or square-foot gardening. Have fun choosing vegetables for the next three seasons!

date night thoughtful ways to spend the evening with someone special

L

BY LAURA LINDSAY AND SARAH MAYO

ooking for somewhere fresh and fun to take your significant other on a date? Need some new ideas for ways to spend quality time with a child or with friends? There are many things to do on a date night or a fun day together in and near Murfreesboro.

A Purrrfect Evening Visit cats up for adoption and drink coffee at Catfeine Cat Cafe (1602 W Northfield Blvd., Ste. #500).

Whether you intend to bring a kitty home furever or would simply like to hang out with felines for a while, many visitors to Murfreesboro’s cat cafe report that a session at Catfeine is great therapy and puts the humans in a cheerful mood.

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Discovery Flights at Murfreesboro Aviation are private plane tours above the area. For about $160 for one hour, you can take a flight in one of their aircraft with a qualified flight instructor (cost depends on session and aircraft used; two or more people may require a bigger and more expensive aircraft). Just call Murfreesboro Aviation at 615-494-1900 and they’ll let you know what they can do. For those who want to fly the plane, your instructor will let you take the controls once you are at a safe altitude and then coach you through the experience.

Paints and Crafts

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There are several paint-it-yourself studios in town like The Pottery Place (The Avenue, 2615 Medical Center Pkwy. #1765), Painting with a Twist (The Avenue, 2615 Medical Center Pkwy. #1750), Faithful Strokes (122 N Spring St.), or Board and Brush (Fountains at Gateway, 1500 Medical Center Pkwy. #1E). Make bath bombs at Buff City Soap (2658 New Salem Rd., Ste. A3).

Climb Your Rock

Challenge your mind and give your body a great workout climbing the high walls and boulder routes at The Ascent. For a latenight date, on the second Saturday of each month, The Ascent rock climbing gym stays open for nighttime fun. For $5 plus an additional fee for gear, climb in the dark with your headlamp beginning at 10 p.m., live music from 10:30 p.m. to 12:30 a.m.

Regular day rates are $14 a person for climbing only and $20 for climbing and gear.

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Discovery Flights

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Floating Bliss Enjoy a couples flotation session or sauna session at Float Alchemy, located at 131 Cason Ln. Float Alchemy offers an assortment of health and wellness services including flotation therapy, infrared sauna, cryotherapy and massage therapy.

Sample a variety of flavorful, healthenhancing kombuchas from the taproom, or relax at the oxygen bar.

For more information or to schedule an appointment, visit floatalchemy.com.

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Find Your Ahhh . . .

The Nurture Nook Day Spa & Gift Shoppe, located at 624 N.

Walnut St., is an upscale boutique spa that offers couples massages, facials, body wraps and an assortment of other fine spa services and products to pamper the one you love. To view Nurture Nook’s Valentine’s Day specials or other offers, to book an appointment, or to learn more, visit nurturenook.com.

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Ice is Nice

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Ice skate at Ford Ice Center, located at 5264 Hickory Hollow Pkwy., Antioch. For $10.50 per adult and $9.50 per child ages 3–10, you can rent skates and enjoy the ice at sessions on Friday and Saturday evening and Sunday afternoons. For more information, to view the schedule, or to fill out a waiver, visit nhl.com/predators/fordicecenter.

Game-Night Fun Have fun with bowling, bumper cars and arcade games at Lanes, Trains and Automobiles (450 Butler Dr.), or bowl at Strike and Spare (941 NW Broad St.), and try mini-golf, go-karts, arcade games, batting cages and driving range at Go USA Fun Park (2270 Armory Dr.). Visit Flashback Arcade (258 River Rock Blvd.) and try some pinball and other classic arcade games.

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Get Outside The Murfreesboro Greenway offers a lovely

setting all year long to enjoy nature hikes, walking, running, bicycling or in-line skating along the 13 miles of greenway trails. There are 13 trailheads to provide access to the Greenway System. Outdoor lovers can also enjoy a hike or a game of disc golf at Barfield Crescent Park, a beautiful 430-acre park located at 697 Veterans Pkwy. Visit the Wilderness Station that houses the park’s nature center, gift shop, and rental facility.

For more information on these and more of the city’s outdoor recreation areas, visit murfreesborotn.gov/997/Parks-Greenways.

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Roller Skate the Night Away

Go roller skating at SkateCenter West, located at 849 W. College St., Murfreesboro Cost depends on session. For more information, call 615-895-1403.

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Learn to Shoot

Photography Connect Murfreesboro is a group that aims to bring together the many talented photographers in Middle Tennessee. All photographers and photo enthusiasts of all skill levels are welcome to the group to connect, learn, exchange resources. Each meeting has a dedicated photo topic or guest speaker and a critique session. To submit photos for critique or see topics in advance visit facebook. com/groups/photographyconnectmboro. Meetings are the second Thursday of each month at the Technology Engagement Center, located at 306 Minerva Dr. and are free and open to the public. For more information contact photographyconnectmboro@gmail.com.

date night Throwing Bullseyes

continued . . .

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Who knew that hurling a hatchet at a wooden target and hoping it sticks would be a “sport”?

Axe throwing is spreading around the nation as a thrilling recreational activity and Murfreesboro Axe brings this exciting pasttime to Middle Tennessee at its 855 W. College St., location. To book a lane costs $20 per hour and includes a throwing coach who helps you get started throwing bullseyes right away. For more info, call 615-274-8210 or visit murfreesboroaxe.com

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Scenic Splurge Go on a hot air balloon ride with Middle Tennessee Hot Air Adventures in Franklin. A flight shared with other passengers

At nearby Jack Split Axe Throwing, for $22 per person each axe thrower gets 60 minutes of play. This will work well for double dates because four axe throwers can book a single lane. Fewer than four throwers may be paired with other throwers. The best plan is to call ahead to book a lane, though walk-ins are also welcome. Jack Split is located at 163 Mall Circle Dr. For more information, visit jacksplit.com, or call 615-900-4440.

is $250 per passenger. A special Dawn Patrol Adventure, available only at sunrise, launches about 45 minutes before sunrise and continues as the sun rises over Middle Tennessee. A private adventure is $800 for two passengers and $175 for each additional passenger. For more information, call 615-584-6236 or visit tnballoon.com.

See A Play Center for the Arts, Murfreesboro’s pre-

miere destination for community theatre and fine art, proudly celebrates its 25th anniversary this year. Located at 110 W. College St., the CFA Art Gallery is free and open to the public, Monday–Friday, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. To view the monthly lineup or to purchase tickets to an upcoming performance, visit boroarts.org.

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Sports Fans Unite Enjoy a college basketball game at MTSU’s Murphy Center and show

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your support for the Blue Raiders.

Tickets are available at goblue raiders.com.

Cook Together, Eat Together

The Curious Kitchen, located at 327 E. State St., hosts cook-

ing classes year-round that include lessons in international cooking and other deliciousness for adults, kids and the whole family.

There’s something for everyone—classes range from Baking 101 to Sushi Rolling and Fresh Pasta Making to Date Night Cooking.

There’s even a Beginner Series, for the novice. They also host summer cooking camps for kids ages 6–15. For more information, visit thecuriouskitchen.net.

Ninja Training

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Volunteer Together

One way to do good is to learn to build homes together with Rutherford Habitat for Humanity. As a volunteer for Rutherford County Area Habitat for Humanity, there is always a place to bring your unique talents and skills. Experience is not necessary. Staff will provide all the training needed. Partner families work alongside many volunteers while they are earning sweat equity, so it’s a great way to meet future Habitat homeowners. To learn more about Habitat’s volunteer process, visit rchfh.org/volunteer.

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Try Fortified Fitness, located at 203 Southpoint Ct., for hanging, swinging, climbing, jumping and much more.

This can be Ninja Warrior Training for your next competition, or just a fun workout together during open gym hours. To learn more or to schedule a session, visit iam fortified.com.

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Wine and Dine Big Creek Winery Tasting Room, located at 7027 Main St., Christiana, has an outside court-

yard where you can sample and purchase an assortment of orchard and vineyard wines produced

by Big Creek Winery in Pulaski, TN. Enjoy a delicious dinner just across the street at Miller’s Grocery. For more information, call 615-785-2124

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Explore History

Tour the Historic Sam Davis Home & Plantation, located at 1399 Sam Davis Rd., Smyrna.

Visitors will see the home much as it was when Sam, a local Civil War hero, lived there. The home, built around 1810 and renovated in 1850 by the Davis family, contains over 100 original family pieces. The floors, doors, and most of the woodwork are also original. It is located on a 168-acre farm where crops are still grown. Admission is $15 for adults. Learn more at samdavishome.org.

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Shake Your Groove Thing From waltz and cha-cha to swing and salsa, Dance Murfreesboro, located at 730-A Middle Tennessee Blvd., offers options for anyone who loves dancing or wishes to learn. Private classes are available, or weekly group classes every Wednesday night are $10 per person followed by social dancing. For more information call 615-2789022, or visit dance murfreesboro.com.

Evening with the Symphony

Murfreesboro’s local symphony orchestra, the Tennessee Philharmonic Orchestra presents several shows throughout the year. Tickets range from $15 for side balcony seating to $40 for premium seating. Upcoming performances include Having the Time of Your Life on Feb. 13, featuring jazz old and new, and The Green Tie Affair & Casino Night on March 14, an annual fundraiser event for the Tennessee Philharmonic Orchestra, an evening of great food, fun games, music and more. For tickets or more information, visit tnphil.org.

For more date night ideas visit boropulse.com/datenight

BOROPULSE.COM

* FEBRUARY 2020 * 25

 THEATER

Aida Plays at Center for the Arts THE CENTER FOR THE ARTS continues its 25th season with Elton John and Tim Rice’s Aida. The production opens on Friday, Feb. 7 and runs through Sunday, Feb. 23. This beautiful musical is an epic tale of love and betrayal in ancient Egypt.

Aida is a tale of love, loyalty and betrayal centering around the love triangle between Aida (MTSU student Miya Burt), a Nubian princess stolen from her country; Amneris (Aurora Boe), the Pharoah’s daughter; and Radames (Tucker Young), an Egyptian soldier betrothed to Amneris. As their forbidden love grows deeper, Aida is forced to find the balance between her love for Radames, and her responsibility to lead her people. Elton John and Tim Rice’s Aida features amazing music, dramatic dance sequences and a love story that will touch the hearts of everyone. Aida is the winner of the 2000 Tony Awards for Best Original Score, Best Actress, Best Scenic Design and Best Lighting.

Tickets start at $14 and are on sale at boroarts.org, by calling 615-904-ARTS (2787), or at the Center for the Arts Box Office, 110 W. College St., in downtown Murfreesboro. Aida is rated PG. Performance dates are Feb. 7, 8, 14, 15, 21 and 22 at 7:30 p.m. and Feb. 9, 16 and 23 at 2 p.m.

Romantic Comedy Shows The Trouble with Love SPRINGHOUSE THEATRE COMPANY unveils a new comedy this month, The Trouble with Love and other cases of mistaken identities, just in time for Valentine’s Day. The show is adapted from the comedy She Stoops to Conquer; Ronnie Meek will bring his adaption to life as he directors a splendid cast of interesting characters.

In the show, Hardcastle wants his daughter Kate to marry Marlowe. Mrs. Hardcastle wants Tony, her son by a previous marriage, to marry Constance. Constance wants to marry Hastings. Hastings wants to marry Constance. Tony doesn’t want to marry anybody but is certainly interested in Bet Bouncer. Kate finds Marlowe aloof and boring. Or does she? Marlowe finds Kate intimidating and boring. Or does he?

And then there is the matter of the family jewels. The Springhouse team says this show promises to be the perfect comedic remedy for the mid-winter blahs.

The Trouble with Love runs Feb. 14–15, 21–22 and 28–29 and March 1 Springhouse Theatre is located on the campus of Springhouse Worship & Arts Center at 14119 Old Nashville Hwy., Smyrna. For more information, call 615-852-8499 or email springhousetheatre@gmail.com. For tickets, visit springhousetheatre.com.

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Art

 POETRY

Cara Dees, Nick Bush, Darius Lewis, Diane Austin Among Many Poets and Storytellers Performing in Murfreesboro BY KORY WELLS “here is the deepest secret nobody knows” — E.E. Cummings To paraphrase Cummings, here is the deepest secret I think too few people know: the ’Boro’s art scene is booming, and that includes numerous opportunities this month to hear or share poetry—often with music, art, comedy or storytelling in the mix.

FRIDAY, FEB. 7 Under 1 Roof, a quarterly 21-and-up show with music, comedy, poetry and art, returns to The Warehouse in Murfreesboro. Comic and poet Nick Bush will host, welcoming musicians Hannah Taylor, Justin Barnes and Tyra Thompson, poets Darius Lewis, Caitlyn Parris and C.A. Williams, and comedians Joshua Black, Corey Knox and Mo Vaughn to

the mic. Artist Meagan Armes and DJ Derrick Peppers will also be adding their artistic vibes. Admission is $10 on Eventbrite or $15 at the door; a cash bar is available. Doors open at 7 p.m. and the show starts at 7:30.

Find more information on Facebook.

SUNDAY, FEB. 9 This month’s Poetry in the Boro will be downtown at the Walnut House, 116 N. Walnut St., for a free event sponsored in part

by MTSU Write. In the first hour of the evening, feature Cara Dees, a Cincinnati poet with Nashville connections, will be joined by recent contributors to Collage, MTSU’s student-produced, bi-annual magazine of creative arts. After a short break, an hour of open mic follows. All styles of poetry and

spoken word are welcome.

Dees is the author of the debut collection, Exorcism Lessons in the Heartland, selected

by Ada Limón for the 2018 Barrow Street Book Prize. Currently a PhD candidate at the University of Cincinnati, she holds an MFA from Vanderbilt University. Among other distinctions, she is the recipient of an Academy of American Poets Prize, a scholarship from the Sewanee Writers’ Conference, and two Pushcart Prize nominations. Her work appears or is forthcoming in Best New Poets 2016 and 2019, Harvard Review, Poetry Daily and elsewhere.

Doors open at 6:30 p.m. and the event begins at 7. For more information, including this month’s writing challenge, see poetryintheboro.org.

THURSDAY, FEB. 13 The creativity will continue at the Walnut House when the local storytelling performance series Bloom: The Stage Where Our Stories Grow holds its next one-night show. Entitled “Mixtapes and Mirrors,” the evening will pay homage to love, relationships and how we see ourselves in their complex and various forms. Two open-mic slots, five minutes each, will be available to interested audience members to share a story, spoken word or poetry related to love and relationships or their metaphors for the evening, mixtapes or mirrors. Donations will be accepted at the door, which opens at 6:30 p.m. for the 7 p.m. show.

A love poem for Valentine’s Day: INVITATION TO LOVE

by Paul Laurence Dunbar (1872–1906) Come when the nights are bright with stars Or come when the moon is mellow; Come when the sun his golden bars Drops on the hay-field yellow.

Come in the twilight soft and gray, Come in the night or come in the day, Come, O love, whene’er you may, And you are welcome, welcome.

You are sweet, O Love, dear Love, You are soft as the nesting dove.

Come to my heart and bring it to rest As the bird flies home to its welcome nest.

Come when my heart is full of grief Or when my heart is merry; Come with the falling of the leaf Or with the redd’ning cherry.

Come when the year’s first blossom blows, Come when the summer gleams and glows, Come with the winter’s drifting snows, And you are welcome, welcome.

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 BOOK

Read To Succeed Reveals 2020 One Book Selection Each year Read To Succeed and The Rutherford County One Book Committee select a book to unify the community. For 2020 they have selected It’s All Relative: Adventures Up and Down the World’s Family Tree by A.J. Jacobs.

Jacobs tells the tale of his hilarious, heartfelt quest to unite the entire human race in one all-encompassing family tree. It’s not just his own quest; it’s a historic project involving thousands of researchers and scientists and it’s revolutionizing the way we think about race, ethnicity, history and the human species.

A popular theme that Jacob explores in the book is genealogy testing.

A.J. Jacobs is a New York Times bestselling author of The Know-It-All and The Year of Living Biblically.

Copies It’s All Relative can be found around the county at “Book Crossing” locations at City Cafe, Just Love Coffee locations, Tasty Table, Simply Pure Sweets, Morning Brew and all the Rutherford County Library System branches.

Readers can borrow the books for free.

Each book will contain information about how to log on to the One Book 2020 Facebook page and share comments about the book. Readers can pass the copy along to a friend or drop it at any of the One Book locations.

For more information about One Book, visit readtosucceed.org/onebook. htm. One Book is a partnership between Read To Succeed, Linebaugh Library and other Middle Tennessee nonprofits and businesses. Read To Succeed offers other free literacy programs and events for adults and children. For more information, visit readtosucceed.org.

Reviews

OPENING IN FEBRUARY

olf Hitler (Waititi himself, as only he could pull it off ), it’s a bit jarring. However, Waititi has proven himself a master of tone and balance and the seeming incongruity in Jojo Rabbit’s central conceit is the perfect stone for this master sculptor.

When Jojo goes to Hitler youth camp, the jokes come fast and hit hard, set against bright colors and beautifully symmetrical shots that bring to mind an unholy mashup I can only describe as Moonreich Kingdom (the German renditions of ’60s and ’70s rock tunes enhance the comparison). Waititi knows that for this to work, the Nazis must always be the butt of the jokes. Their antics make them look like buffoons, but Waititi never undercuts the danger inherent in their beliefs.

The casting of actors who can walk the line between silly and serious is a large reason this succeeds. Sam Rockwell is the perpetually drunk and demoted SS officer who is responsible for a severe accident involving Jojo and a hand grenade. (You know, a father figure.) Rebel Wilson also shines as the camp’s fervent Frauline Rahm. And the lanky and lovable Stephen Merchant instills fear as the against-type gestapo officer.

The film would fall apart if the title character wasn’t perfectly portrayed by Roman Griffin Davis. Waititi has a knack for getting scene-stealing, naturalistic performances from young actors, and first-time actor Davis delivers. Likewise, Scarlett Johansson, as Rosie, Jojo’s single mother with a secret, gives one of her very best performances.

Given the setting of end-of-WWII era Germany, there is plenty of tension and drama and tragedy to be mined. What is a surprise is that there is also plenty of silliness and hilarity and beauty, often oscillating in quick succession between the two extremes, evoking a whirlwind of human emotions that would cause whiplash in less capable hands.

This fantastical, farcical satire is up for Best Picture for a reason, and it has my vote.

— JAY SPIGHT

jokes with Megyn Kelly (Charlize Theron).

Bombshell has a gripping story. Gretchen Carlson’s (Nicole Kidman) storyline is very captivating. Unfortunately, it’s secondary to Megyn Kelly’s, which is understandable (since Carlson signed an NDA in real life when she settled her lawsuit against Ailes), but also frustrating. Carlson’s calm, coordinated plan to take down the most powerful man in the media industry was significantly more interesting than Kelly grappling with setting her personal ambition aside to do the right thing. Carlson is played with a cool demeanor by Kidman in the strongest of the core three performances.

Additionally, the makeup in this film is amazing. Lithgow, Kidman and Theron disap-

pear into Ailes, Carlson, and Kelly thanks to some excellent makeup and costume design.

Bombshell tries to ride a fine line with Megyn Kelly’s character and I do not believe it does this successfully. Too many times Kelly is glorified while grappling with a basic moral quandary, with the reminder that she is largely to blame for letting Ailes abuse and harass women while she sat silent in a seat of power. Yes, it takes courage for anyone to come forward and upend their lives, and she played a crucial role in bringing down Ailes, but to sit silent for that long is equally troublesome.

Kayla, a conglomeration of women at Fox News abused by Ailes over the years, is a rather poorly written character with narrow perspectives. This film has a fascinating story, but largely wastes it on tonal inconsistencies, and the pacing is all over the place. Solid acting, including a harrowing performance by John Lithgow—he goes all-in on this role—is forgotten in a haze of uncomfortable jokes, shoddy editing and just being too much like The Big Short. I’m beginning to think The Big Short really did catch lightning in a bottle. Its style has been tried several times, but never with the same gravitas or effectiveness.

— JOSEPH KATHMANN

JOJO RABBIT DIRECTOR Taika Waititi STARRING Roman Griffin Davis, Thomasin McKenzie, Scarlett Johansson RATED PG-13

The main thing people know about Taika Waititi’s new film Jojo Rabbit is that it’s about a young boy whose imaginary friend is Adolf Hitler. That’s a tough sell, even for me, and I love Waititi. His best known work is also arguably the best Marvel movie, Thor: Ragnarok, but the New Zealand-born writer/ director has also had critical hits with his coming-of-age comedies Boy and Hunt for the Wilderpeople, as well as his breakout vampire mockumentary What We Do in the Shadows. He also directed the season finale of a little show called The Mandalorian.

So yeah, his bona fides are not in question. But when a 10-year-old boy named Jojo, dressed in full Hitler-youth regalia, is receiving a pep talk in his bedroom from Ad-

BOMBSHELL DIRECTOR Jay Roach STARRING Charlize Theron, Nicole Kidman, Margot Robbie, John Lithgow RATED R

On the one hand, Bombshell tells the naturally dramatic story of the women of Fox News courageously rising up and speaking out against the harassment of Roger Ailes.

There are some harrowing moments that come along with this story, and it’s sold by the determined, paranoid performance of John Lithgow in great makeup as Ailes. But, on the other hand, the way director Jay Roach and screenwriter Charles Randolph choose to portray this story is puzzling. The film is a tonal catastrophe. One second, we’re watching a disturbing sequence between Kayla (Margot Robbie portraying a conglomerate character of the women Roger abused at Fox News) and Ailes, and the next we’re cracking A CLASSIC

30 * FEBRUARY 2020 * BOROPULSE.COM

OUTSTANDING

AVERAGE

BELOW AVERAGE

AVOID AT ALL COSTS

DEAD

PLAYING THIS MONTH

FEB. 7 Birds of Prey; Timmy Failure: Mistakes Were Made; The Lodge; Come to Daddy FEB. 12 To All the Boys: P.S. I Still Love You

FEB. 14 Sonic the Hedgehog; Downhill; Fantasy Island; The Photograph; Spy Intervention

FEB. 21 The Call of the Wild; Bloodshot; The Night Clerk; My Boyfriend’s Meds; Brahms: The Boy II; Emma

FEB. 28 Guns Akimbo; The Invisible Man

GAME

BY LUKE KAUTZKY

DARWIN PROJECT Few game genres have reached oversaturation as fast as the battle royale. For a couple of years, it seemed like a new variation of the one-versus-all arena format was released every couple of months. Darwin Project is a bit of an oddity, then; despite being in early access for a while now, the

game was only recently officially released.

As a latecomer to the genre, it is unlikely that Darwin Project will be able to dethrone the likes of Fortnite, but it is unique enough to possibly carve out a niche of its own.

Darwin Project boasts a smaller scale and slower pace than its contemporaries.

At the beginning of each match, 10 players are dropped into an arena and left to contend with the elements and each other.

Much of the early going is spent gathering resources instead of fighting other players, as upgrading and outfitting yourself is the key to survival.

The arena itself is no joke in Darwin Project, as players will have to contend with a freezing environment by seeking out sources of heat or possibly even deal with a game director who can aid or penalize players.

Where Darwin Project excels is resource management. For instance: You will spend a lot of time in Darwin Project cutting down trees for wood—how you use it is where things get interesting. You could build a fire to warm yourself up, but the smoke will give away your position. Knowing this, you could use the smoke as a trap to lure opponents in. Alternatively, you could fashion an arrow out of the wood and give yourself a ranged advantage, but you will have to forgo warmth, a potentially harmful option. Finally, you could save up enough wood to create a shield which will block one attack, giving you a safeguard in case you get ambushed. De-

ciding when and what to craft is the core of Darwin Project, and it is a consistently engaging process.

Somewhat less successful is Darwin Project’s class system. At the beginning of each match, players will pick one of three classes with specific tools and abilities.

In addition to the aforementioned wood, players will also harvest Darwinium in order to craft and upgrade abilities midmatch. It seems there are some clearly dominant options, though. For example, the grappling hook class also comes with a powerful shield on a brief cool-down and the ability to significantly upgrade melee damage, your primary means of attack. It is entirely possible to win with any loadout, but some paths to victory are clearly more straightforward than others.

Darwin Project is a solid addition to the battle royale genre. The relatively slow pace and small scale might not appeal to everybody, but these factors also help the game exist in a space of its own, with less room for direct comparison to the behemoths of the genre. Some minor quibbles aside, Darwin Project is a solid game worth trying out, and it will likely appeal to those looking for something a bit different in an overly familiar genre.

Food

The Dish RESTAURANT

SaBaiDee Cafe LOCATION

505 Cason Ln. Suite E

Try Laotian Food

PHONE

615-900-3777 HOURS

Tues.–Thurs.: 11 a.m.– 3 p.m., 5–8:30 p.m.; Fri.– Sat.: 11 a.m.–3 p.m., 5–9 p.m.; Sun.: 11 a.m.–6 p.m.

Some spice and some tea at SaBaiDee

PRICES

Lao sausage (3 links) $7; pad thai, lad nah or pad see ew: $9; small tom yum soup with shrimp, chicken or tofu: $6.50; pad kra pao combo with beef, chicken and shrimp: $10.50; pineapple fried rice with shrimp: $10; cashew chicken or general chicken: $9 ONLINE

sabaideecafe.com Clockwise from far left: Lad nah with shrimp: chicken, beef, noodles, chinese broccoli, carrots, broccoli and sauce Homemade lao sausages Green and regular thai teas

STORY BY BRACKEN MAYO MURFREESBORO CONSUMERS are becoming increasingly aware of the food of Southeast Asia. A dozen or so restaurants scattered throughout town serve pad thai, pho, curries and the delicious, often very spicy, noodle and rice dishes from that region.

SaBaiDee Cafe, a small but inviting and bright eatery on Cason Lane (in the same center as OishiYa, near the AMC theater) wants to add its own unique flavors to the pot, and focuses on more of a Laotian style of cooking, according to owner Nit Chanthaboun, who opened the restaurant in 2016 with her mother-in-law, Noi. 32 * FEBRUARY 2020 * BOROPULSE.COM

PHOTOS BY SARAH MAYO

The restaurant certainly has the expected spring rolls, egg rolls, pad thai, pad see ew, fried rice, pepper steak, sweet and sour chicken and pho, and adds some other tasty selections, such as a homemade lao sausage—sai oua. Get three large links of this cased sausage, minced pork belly flavored with lemongrass, peppers and more, for only $7, served with a spicy tomato dip, “kind of a Laoatian salsa,” Nit says.

The thom khem at SaBaiDee makes for something of an interesting take on bacon and eggs, featuring a sweet broth blend of cinnamon and star anise flavors covering braised pork belly and hard-boiled eggs.

“Who doesn’t love pork belly?” Nit says.

She calls this dish a staple in Laos.

Salina, a Murfreesboro diner and big fan of SaBaiDee said she found nearly everything at the restaurant to be delicious.

“The sukiyaki is amazing (and I’m pretty sure it’s the only restaurant in town who serves it), generous and balanced amounts of noodle, veggies and meat. Khao piek always hits the spot, especially with quail eggs added,” she continued. “They have the best lad nah you’ll find. The gravy is perfect. The crab wontons are a must every time I visit. They’re more on the sweet side and the cream cheese is not overpowering at all. Mee ped is also so yummy and flavorful with plenty of duck and noodles.

You can’t go wrong with their sausages and papaya salad either!”

Lao food is known by its bold flavors, Nit says, and the lad nah that Salina mentioned, with its gravy bursting with flavorful deliciousness, probably would not require any additional seasonings at all; but in case a diner wants to add even more to it, a condiment rack with chili oil, peanuts, sugar and jalapeños is served with the dish.

“I am a regular at this fantastic cafe. I love the staff and the food never disappoints. Everything is always fresh . . . no better pho in Murfreesboro!” a local Yelper named Dani-

elle posted recently. “Everything we have ordered has been incredible. Sometimes the wait is long but it is always worth it!”

Another recent diner agreed that the pho at SaBaiDee is remarkably flavorful, while a soup fan, Saunton, stated “I had the duck soup and really hit the spot. Delicious!” the reviewer said. “Pro tip: add the bread and quail eggs to your soup.”

Nit says that Noi makes the noodles every morning, using a blend of rice and tapioca flours for soups such as khao piek, which, aside from the large chunks of coagulated pork blood, is close to your standard chicken noodle soup. The aforementioned add-ons of quail eggs and bread—which are small, fried crullers—along with the cilantro, scallion and garlic garnish, really make this a special soup.

Carrie Morgan Ransom said that SaBaiDee offers “some of the best pad thai I’ve had. The drunken noodles are amazing too. [The food here] can be a bit spicy, so I have to order a spice level lower than I normally would,” she advises, “but the heat doesn’t take away from the flavor at all.”

If the spice heats your mouth up, maybe cool down with a little Thai tea. The cool, sweet, milky Thai tea tastes wonderful after a particularly peppery bite of something savory.

In addition to standard orange-colored

Clockwise from left: Khao piek: chicken noodle soup Thom khem: pork belly and boiled eggs in broth Papaya salad, served with cabbage and pork rinds

Thai tea, SaBaiDee offers a green Thai tea variety, which includes flavors from pandan as well as matcha in addition to the tea and sweetened milk in the drink.

“Great staff, and I loved the honeydew bubble tea. Will definitely go back,” Kenya Davis-Stewart said following a visit to SaBaiDee. “The food was hot and served quickly.”

However, numerous other reviews brought up a long wait time as one of the few drawbacks of the restaurant.

“But it’s always well worth the wait,” Karen Hale Clark said. “I really appreciate the freshness.”

Others have said that they waited much longer than expected on occasion for their food, and the SaBaiDee team heard the concerns—and responded by adopting the slogan: “We’re not fast food, we’re fresh food.”

SaBaiDee owns it proudly. The restaurant is going to take the time to prepare everything correctly and pay attention to every single dish that comes out of the kitchen.

Call ahead and allow ample time for a homemade dish if you are in a hurry.

“The service was great and everything is made to order. It’s worth the little wait,” another diner, Laura, said. “I cannot wait to come back. Everything is fresh and flavorful.

We had general’s chicken, tom yum soup, egg rolls and pad kee mao [drunken noodles].”

The pineapple fried rice and Thai fried rice are also hits with many diners.

“Whatever was in that lao sausage was great! I’m not that familiar with Asian sausage but loved this. The grilled casing was snappy and added to the flavor. Inside the sausage was nicely flavored. It was not very dense,” said local diner Steven.

“They gave me three links about the size of a knackwurst with a great hot and spicy dipping sauce.

“Hot and sour soup was great,” he continued. “I judge Asian restaurants by this dish and loved it. The broth was rich, and there were lots of tasty vegetables with tofu.”

He said he also appreciated the real chopsticks that SaBaiDee provided, “Not disposable ones, but nice, long plastic ones.”

Keep in mind, SaBaiDee is closed on Mondays, but often the staff is still there working hard, prepping for the rest of the week.

Look for some summer specialties like coconut rice with mango, when mangoes are in season.

Whether you prefer soup or sausage, rice or noodles, tofu, seafood, papaya, pork or spring rolls, spicy or mild, sweet or savory, stop in this Murfreesboro cafe sometime and, as Nit says, “Try Laotian food.”

AROUND TOWN ’BORO BUSINESS BUZZ

Black’s Apothecary, Domenico’s Italian Deli, El Toro, Big Bobby’s, Grandy’s, Steered Straight

the amount invested plus 75%, paid by the year 2026, according to MainVest.

Morning Brew, owned by MTSU women’s tennis coach Tayo Bailey-Duvall, is seeking investment for interior renovation, marketing and equipment items. Find more at mainvest.com/businesses/morning-brew.

BY MICHELLE WILLARD

CLOSING CORNER RICK’S BARBECUE on Memorial Boulevard closed permanently. The Lannings experienced “recent family events” that prompted the closure on Jan. 24. The closure is related to Mike Lanning’s recent heart attack. Lanning decided to reduce his stress levels and sell the location. The Warrior Drive location will remain open.

“The Lanning family would like to thank you for your patronage and support over the past 14 years. It has been an honor and pleasure serving this community and we hope that you continue to visit us at the Warrior Drive location,” the sign said, adding they will continue to offer catering.

DOMENICO’S ITALIAN DELI opened Jan. 27 in downtown Murfreesboro. Owner Jeff Murphy’s mother, Ann Murphy, even took time off from the Domenico’s original location to see the grand opening.

The deli was started 50 years ago in Alameda, California, by Jeff ’s grandparents.

When his grandparents retired in 1989, his parents took over and when it was his turn, he and his wife, Murfreesboro native Scarlett Lanning Murphy, decided to locate the old-style deli at 106 S. Maple St. The deli will serve cheese, cured Italian meats like prosciutto and salami, desserts and more.

Murphy met his wife, daughter of Mike and Gina Lanning (who own Rick’s Barbecue, more on them later) when he attended MTSU on a football scholarship.

BLACK’S APOTHECARY opened in early January near Climb Murfreesboro.

Owned and operated by former ReevesSain pharmacist Taylor Black, the family pharmacy puts an emphasis on excellent customer service, compassionate personal care and efficient transactions.

Black said he tried a chain pharmacy after Reeve-Sain Drug Store closed, but after working for 15 years in an independent shop, he felt the calling to hang his own shingle. In addition to pharmaceuticals, Black’s offers a range of wellness products, like Herb+Leaf from Mt. Juliet; a variety of CBD oils, gummies, creams and more; and other herbal remedies.

It looks like they may be stocking a gift shop also, but you should stop in yourself at 1636 Memorial Blvd. in Murfreesboro, to confirm. Learn more at blacksapothecary.com.

Another CBD store has opened, cleverly called “THE FARMACY.” It’s located near Puckett’s Grocery on North Church Street.

Turns out the old O’Charley’s on Memorial will be a Mexican restaurant. EL TORO MEXICAN is slated to open in February.

34 * FEBRUARY 2020 * BOROPULSE.COM

Ann Murphy, mother of Domenico's owner Jeff Murphy, serves samples.

Co-owner Adan Deleon opened El Toro Loco in Hermitage last year and wants to bring his “authentic Mexican” to the Boro.

hookah bar where you can smoke tobacco and watch mixed martial arts and other events on the many TVs.

Food truck BIG BOBBY’S BBQ has its eyes set on a brick-and-mortar shop. The truck will park permanently at 2805 Old Fort Pkwy., the former location of Blue Cactus, and operators will open a restaurant inside. Big Bobby’s was previously parked at 1505 Memorial Blvd.

LIVFIT, a new functional fitness workout facility, is now open on Jessica Street, just off of Middle Tennessee Boulevard. The gym focuses on strength, balance, coordination, range of motion and mobility training, and owner, Coach Mic Santo, says he wants individuals from all walks of life to feel comfortable at the gym and to come train together to LIVFIT.

DOLLAR TREE has renovated and reopened the former Rite Aid on Memorial Boulevard (across from SportsCom).

STEERED STRAIGHT, a nonprofit organization that leads seminars for youth on making positive choices, has opened a thrift store at 610 W. College St., Suite 125.

Yet another DUNKIN’ DONUTS opened, its latest Murfreesboro store at 3250 Memorial Blvd., Ste. A. HABIBI HOOKAH opened in December in the strip mall near the Middle Tennessee Boulevard Kroger. It looks like a sports

MODERN ACUPUNCTURE opened near Poke Fun at the corner of Medical Center Parkway and Thompson Lane. The spa-like wellness practice also has a location in Brentwood.

MORNING BREW COFFEE SHOP, a Murfreesboro small business located 405 N. Front Street, is trying to raise capital on platform called MainVest.

Community investors can make a financial investment of at least $100. Initial investors will receive a portion of Morning Brew’s gross revenue until they receive

GRANDY’S, the fried chicken version of Captain D’s, its parent company, will open a restaurant on South Church Street in the same strip mall as Koji Express’s newest location.

Another long-time eatery shuttered last month. YOUR BURGER, which opened ahead of the local eating craze, is now closed.

GOLD’S GYM closed its downtown Murfreesboro location. It sat on Church Street, across from the old Murfreesboro Police Department headquarters. Many officers used to work out there, but now they have a state-of-the-art gym at the new HQ on Highland Avenue.

While they may not yet be closed, two regional chains have filed for bankruptcy.

In mid-January, KRYSTAL filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy even after closing dozens of restaurants. In the filing, the Georgia-based, Chattanooga-born square slider chain blamed rising labor costs and shifting consumer tastes as the reason behind its financial woes. No word yet on whether its Rutherford County locations will get 86-ed. I hope not. My dad won’t have anywhere to eat.

A few days later, BAR LOUIE filed for Chapter 11 protection. The gastro-pub has more than 90 locations nationwide, including three in Nashville and Murfreesboro. In its bankruptcy announcement, it said one-third of its locations, mostly in Ohio, Wisconsin, Michigan and Colorado, will be closed as part of its restructuring.

News Stones River

Cason Ln. Park/ GreenwayTrail Head

PRIVATE ROAD

PUBLIC ROAD

Many Cason Lane Area Homeowners Oppose Hidden River Estates Plan, Despite Plans for New Roads

BY DOMINIQUE FIELDS YET ANOTHER PROPOSED development in Murfreesboro has resulted in a struggle between area homeowners and a developer, another chapter in the local topic of balancing preserving green space with growth.

Many residents near the greenway and Cason Lane stand opposed to a new development, Hidden River Estates, and have made their opinions known to the Murfreesboro City Council at a January 2020 public hearing. The City Council considered a request to rezone the property in question to allow a large development of this density, and weeks later approved the rezoning on first reading, allowing the project to move forward.

The concerns of residents include preserving the wildlife in the area, the impact the new development will have on traffic and issues related to what they see as a shifting quality of life in the city of Murfreesboro.

Hidden River Estates, a neighborhood planned by Brian Burns of Blue Sky Construction, would bring affordable luxury housing

to Murfreesboro, according to the developer. In the original proposal, the number of houses to be built were 384. Currently, that number has risen to over 700 units. The homes will be all smart homes, equipped with water-reducing toilets, Nest smart thermostats, Samsung SmartThings kits and energy-conserving roofing material.

The neighborhood will feature a swimming pool, kayak launch and its own restaurant, with home prices ranging from $200,000 to $1,000,000. The project will take an estimated 10 years to complete.

Although many are concerned about the issues this could cause for the wildlife and traffic, the Murfreesboro Greenway will not be disturbed, according to plans.

City Councilman Bill Shacklett said Hidden River Estates sounds like “a quality development, a good project” but he could not support it at this time due to the existing stress on area infrastructure.

“With the stress on [highways] 96 and on 99 and with the difficulty I see with getting around during certain times of the day, I

36 * FEBRUARY 2020 * BOROPULSE.COM

In the original proposal, the number of houses to be built were 384. That number has risen to over 700 units.

just can’t support it,” he said. “It’s just the wrong time.”

Some residents are so upset about the new development that they are moving out of the neighborhood. Says a former resident by the name of Tavner McKelley, “We couldn’t handle the nonstop noise from the chainsaws and clearing equipment that the developer has already begun . . . so we moved out of Murfreesboro two weeks ago. We purchased the house five years ago based on the fact that it backed up to the Greenway and the 2035 Master Plan published by the City of Murfreesboro led us to believe that the land between the home we purchased and the Greenway at Cason Trail would not be developed because it’s in a very high-risk FEMA flood zone.”

Currently, there are at least two dozen homes in the Cason Grove neighborhood for sale. Other residents are concerned about how this will affect the property value of their homes. Some question the changing character of Murfreesboro as acres of trees are cut down and replaced with concrete and homes.

Some are worried about a traffic increase that would come with this new development and dealing with the noise of the construction of these new homes, along with possible additional tax increases.

McKelley and other people in the community near the Hidden River Estates proposal created a

group in protest of this new project by the name of Preserve Our Green Spaces. Preserve Our Green Spaces started as a Facebook page to inform the community about the proposed rezoning request that would drastically change the neighborhood. The page has grown to over 1,000 followers, coupled with a petition to stop the plans of the development from moving forward that has close to 8,000 signatures.

Preserve Our Green Spaces got started calling the City Council in December 2018, asking them to consider the many reasons why the rezoning request should not be approved, according to McKelley.

When asked about the main goal Preserve Our Green Spaces wanted to achieve, McKelley responded, “To get the City Council to listen and consider how the proposed use of the land that could be rezoned would hurt the city and the neighborhood. The development would include hundreds of condos and add thousands of cars to small neighborhood streets and two major intersections that cannot handle more traffic.”

Officials with Blue Sky and the City of Murfreesboro said they did take the improvement of area roadways into account as the plans progressed. The Hidden River Estates development will have multiple access roads. Cason Trail will be accessible to the southern entrance with Racquet Club Drive being accessible to the northwestern entrance, and the middle development accessible through Eastview Drive, which will be extended, built prior to the development site.

The developer has acquired an additional 16 acres on the southern side of Cason Trail to create a direct connection between the existing roadways and the new development to Highway 99, New Salem Highway. According to city officials, the roadway will be completed prior to the construction of Phase 1 of the Hidden River Estates development, to allow for the new connection to serve as construction access. There are additional plans for more road construction in the Salem Road and Warrior Drive areas.

“We have a 10-year project for

our buildout and the roadway improvements are slated to be ahead of us,” stated Bill Huddleston of Huddleston-Steele Engineering, representing the developer at the city council meeting on Jan. 9.

Councilman Ronnie Martin pointed out that the neighbors’ involvement had helped shape and improve the project.

“There has been a tremendous amount of change in this plan from when it was originally presented,” Martin stated at the Jan. 30 City Council meeting, prior to casting his vote in favor of the rezoning. “There have certainly been things that have been done different because of you,” he stated to a group involved in the Preserve Our Green Spaces effort.

Sam Huddleston, executive director for the City of Murfreesboro Development Services Division, agreed that residents’ “involvement in this has had a huge impact in changing the shape and the outcome of the development” and that the new roadways could benefit the existing residents.

“This connection to New Salem Highway is a very significant development. It provides another way in and out of the River Rock area for residents there,” he said.

The new road would also give the public easier access to the Greenway at Cason Trailhead.

Another area resident and a member of Preserve Our Green Spaces, Mariah Phillips, said that although many have been working for over a year on opposing the project, “it’s looking like the city will approve. The developer promised the city a new road, and that seems to be the magic bullet to approval.”

Though she brings up concerns about whether the developer will actually have the ability to complete this grand plan, and says that the city should require independent traffic studies on zoning change requests.

Follow the group Preserve Our Green Spaces on Facebook; find contact information for the Murfreesboro City Council and more on upcoming city business at murfreesborotn.gov.

Listener Supported Public Radio

News What Tennesseans Can Expect in the 2020 Legislative Session Refugees, Cannabis, Healthcare, Taxes and More

BY REPRESENTATIVE DR. BRYAN TERRY WITH THE 2020 TENNESSEE GENERAL Assembly session upon us, I wanted to take the opportunity to give District 48 and other interested parties a preview of what I see coming down the legislative pike this session. Having knocked on doors, talked with constituents, received feedback on my legislative survey and spoken to leadership, I’ve compiled a list of several of these issues.

Refugees: One of the top issues that I’ve received emails about is concern over the refugee resettlement decision by Governor Bill Lee. To refresh everyone’s memory, the General Assembly put forth a lawsuit exercising our 10th Amendment right to control not only who is relocated to our state, but how our state tax dollars are used.

Unlimited and poorly screened refugee resettlement into Tennessee enriches those companies who place refugees at the expense of Tennessee taxpayers and strains community resources.

President Trump decreased the numbers from around 100,000 to 18,000. He, then, issued a Presidential Executive Order that allowed governors the sole discretion to decide whether their respective states would participate in refugee resettlement. Part of that executive order also allowed county executives to determine whether their counties would accept refugees.

I took the opportunity to speak to our House leadership and members of the Lee Administration to voice my opposition to continuing refugee resettlement in Tennessee and in particular to Rutherford County at this time. While I appreciate President Trump’s 10th Amendment approach and the need to relocate persecuted refugees, to me, a decision to continue relocating refugees into Tennessee would undermine two important constituent-related issues.

First, in my opinion, it would send the wrong message by undermining the lawsuit set forth by the General Assembly. If part of our argument with the lawsuit involves unfunded mandates from the federal placement of refugees into Tennessee, then agreeing to accept more refugees sends the message that using state dollars to fund a federal program isn’t a problem for Tennessee.

Secondly, Rutherford County and Murfreesboro have just significantly raised property taxes due to unrestrained growth. Adding more individuals that absorb local resources does not benefit our taxpayers. I’ll continue to oppose the policy for constituents and work for solutions that will work for our district.

38 * FEBRUARY 2020 * BOROPULSE.COM

Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF): Due to the improved economy and conservative leadership, the number of Tennesseans needing TANF assistance has decreased from around 61,000 to 21,000. The federal government block-grants $191 million per year to Tennessee in a reimbursement grant for TANF. That means Tennessee must spend our own funds and then get reimbursed by the feds.

Tennessee went from overspending our grant by $50–60 million per year to running a $120 million surplus. As such, Tennessee has built a $732 million dollar reserve. This information was not readily distributed to the General Assembly by DHS, but was brought to light by the Beacon Center.

I contacted the Beacon Center to begin to address the issue, as I believe that Tennessee was missing an opportunity to help Tennesseans move from poverty to prosperity. I was named to a bicameral group to address the issue, and subsequently I was elected chairman of that committee. We are working to determine the best way to utilize the funds in a responsible manner including opioid treatment, workforce development and other measures.

TennCare Block Grants: Tennessee is currently $6.8 billion dollars below our budget neutrality cap for Medicaid. And though this saves Tennessee taxpayers $2.4 billion dollars a year (the federal portion is $4.4 billion), it signals a significant underpayment to hospitals and providers, especially in rural areas.

In essence, what this means is that, over the past 10 years, there has been $54 billion in underpayment to hospitals and providers, particularly in rural areas.

The block grant proposal is not a traditional block grant, but would allow for growth if the TennCare population grew. However, the waiver proposal has the potential to bring in $550 million more in federal dollars to TennCare without raising taxes on Tennesseans. While bringing in extra federal funds would be beneficial to Tennessee, I’m not completely sold on the waiver because TennCare has consistently made decisions that I believe are not beneficial to patients and I’m not convinced TennCare would utilize the $550 million in the most productive manner.

Clinical Cannabis: Over the summer and fall, I go door-to-door talking with folks and handing out surveys. I’ll also mail out surveys. One subset of the community that I have targeted on the issue of CONTINUED ON PAGE 43

SPORTS

TALK

COLUMN BY “Z-TRAIN”

titanman1984@gmail.com

Derrick Henry sports Kobe Bryant’s numbers in tribute.

Tannehill, Henry, Brown Receive Accolades After Strong Finish to Titans Season THE TRAIN DADDY IS BACK

with sports news, life lessons and politically incorrect talk. All aboard!

The football season is officially over. What is it that I always say about time? It simply moves way too fast. Don’t worry though, with the end of football comes new life in the spring and, before you know it, we kick off again.

I am going to use this month’s article to break down the Titans’ possible future and an amazing season, from 2–4 all the way to the AFC Championship game!

I love this team and I dream about winning a championship! It’s so much more than bragging rights or the game of football. For myself and my friends, Titans football is about the old memories, creating new memories, and straight-up loyalty. I became a superfan in 1998 when I was 14 years old, and now I am watching the kids in my life become Titans fans. We remember those who have passed; The Me-Ma and Mr. B, we miss you. Titan up!

Typically, this time of year with the end of football comes my next favorite topic, the Nashville Predators. Nashville fans have become so accustomed to this team making the playoffs that it may come as a shock to the bandwagon fans, but this Predators team is in trouble.

They need a big momentum swing if they want to squeak into the postseason. So, for the sake of my article in the next issue, have a good February, Nashville Predators.

Alright, let’s talk Titans!

It’s no secret I am deeply passionate about the Tennessee Titans franchise, maybe a little biased but absolutely a realist. I call a turd a turd even when I wish it was a rose.

And prior to Coach Vrabel the Titans were continually laying turds.

Coach Munchak, Whisenhunt and Mularkey—three big stanky turds!

Although a shout-out goes to Coach Mularkey for winning a playoff game in Arrowhead in 2017. And then getting fired. The irony, right?

The move was controversial at the time, but we move on!

Tennessee fans should be nothing but thrilled with how this season ended. From a 2–4 start to a showdown in Arrowhead against the Chiefs with a Super Bowl trip on the line. The Titans finished the regular season on a 7–3 run and then slammed the door on a dynasty with a wildcard win in Foxborough.

They did what most said was impossible and defeated the so-called best team in the NFL (the Ravens) in their house on national TV. The loss to Kansas City put me in a two-day stupor, yet even as those last seconds ticked away in the AFC championship game, I knew I was no-regrets proud of what this team had accomplished.

During the recent NFL Honors award ceremony, a few Titans players won big. Ryan Tannehill won the Comeback Player of the Year.

That award was the tightest race as Ryan edged out Jimmy G. by just one vote. That award seemed to upset the majority of NFL fans. My

reply would be: Titan up!

The NFL’s 2019 rushing leader, Derrick Henry, was awarded the FedEx Ground Player of the Year, edging out Nick Chubb and McCaffery. Henry rushed for 1,540 yards and 16 TDs in the regular season and added a ridiculous 446 yards and 2 TDs in three playoff games.

The sensational Titans wide receiver A.J. Brown was one of three finalists for Rookie of the Year. Cardinals QB Kyler Murray took home the award. Ironically, most people were surprised Raiders running back Josh Jacobs didn’t win the award over Murray. An argument can be made that Brown as a receiver and Jacobs as a back were superior to most players in the league at their given position, when Kyler Murray was just above average compared to other QBs and leading the Cardinals to a 5-10-1 record.

Regardless, it was a good night for Tennessee finally getting some national recognition. And with that we look to the future. Some big decisions loom with Tannehill and Henry set to hit free agency. Can the Titans appease both players and bring them back without breaking the bank?

I won’t get crazy with speculation, because whatever happens will happen, but let me give you a little insight. I have no doubt the organization wants Henry and Tannehill both in Titans colors next season and, more importantly, so do both players and the fans.

How do the Titans accomplish this? Tannehill deserves a fair deal.

Henry can’t get paid Zeke Elliot money, and the Titans would be illadvised to give the 26-year-old RB a contract that would extend past the age of 30. But Henry is the heart and soul of this team, and above all else you must bring him back. If problems arise, the Titans have options with the franchise tags.

The franchise tag would put a player like Henry at about $13 million next season, and that’s less per year than Henry would be looking for in a long-term deal. As Henry recently stated, “I’d love to be a Titan for the rest of my career. Love this organization, love this team, love everybody, love the fans, love

the city.” He also told Rich Eisen as far as a contract is concerned Zeke’s contract would be the floor.

I think Henry realizes he has to say that, or he would be selling himself short. He wants and deserves to get paid. Some experts would say to give a running back a max deal isn’t smart in today’s NFL, and I agree.

Running backs don’t win championships, yet I wouldn’t put it past King Henry if he was even better next season, and for that anyone would pay.

The Dallas Cowboys RB Ezekiel Elliot recently received $90 million over 6 years, with $50 million guaranteed, making him the highestpaid back in the NFL. Derrick Henry’s age and lack in the passing game won’t allow a team to match that. I see it possible that Henry gets a shorter-term deal that still makes him the highest-paid annually.

I believe if the Titans plan on giving Ryan Tannehill a deal it will be a simpler proposition than signing Henry. I think Ryan knows about where his pay should be, and I think the Titans have no problem paying it. I imagine Ryan is thrilled to even be in this situation. He won’t get paid Rodgers or Wilson money, but he will get an above-average deal probably filled with enticing incentives.

Tannehill missed five games in 2018 due to a shoulder injury and was traded from Miami to be a backup in Tennessee. The Titans gave Mariota every opportunity to seize this team as his, and yet in Week 6 he was benched. Tannehill and the Titans never looked back!

Tannehill produced a 7–3 record 2,742 passing yards, 22 TDs and 6 INTs in only 10 games, not to mention road playoff wins in New England and Baltimore. Tannehill also led the NFL with a 117.5 passer rating.

If Coach Vrabel wants an offense that comes into 2020 feeling confident and ready to score, he must bring the duo back! Unless he wants to get crazy and sign Tom Brady for a season. Just throwing out this crazy notion because I am still bitter to this day that the Titans were unable to coax Peyton Manning into finishing his career here. Instead the Titans settled for Jake freaking Locker! Bud Adams offered Peyton

everything in 2012. Manning went on to win a Super Bowl in Denver where the Broncos had a superior defense compared to Tennessee at the time. One of Bud Adams’ last acts before passing away at 90 was firing team executive Mike Reinfeld for not closing the deal with Peyton.

Enough projections and whining about the past. I could ramble all day and night about this team.

As I end this article let me say this: rest in peace, Kobe. Your play and attitude inspired me, bro! Such a sad event, Kobe and his daughter and seven others passing away like that. Take nothing for granted. Enjoy life, hold family close and be positive. Life can change in an instant.

I have never been a huge basketball fan, but I respect greatness.

Let’s wrap this article up! Winter will be ending, and spring will be upon us before you know it. So, get into shape. Some people want to tell you “fat is beautiful” but they are lying to you! Fat is fat and unhealthy is unhealthy. So, go for a hike, ride a bike, plant a garden, throw a ball, dig a hole, run a marathon, play disc golf, or have a backyard royal rumble, whatever.

Just be active and your heart will thank you. I want to live as long as possible. I threw out all fast food.

I lift. I don’t eat food at night and I only put healthy snacks into my body now. I haven’t made a wiser decision in my entire life. I started at 269 pounds in April 2019. Nine months later I currently weigh 190 pounds. Get some! I would never shame anyone but if I am being honest, I made this decision because some people shamed me, and I salute those people. Thank you!

Harsh criticism can be an invaluable motivator to better yourself. It blows my mind how easy this process was for me, when nine months ago it seemed impossible. America has a major obesity problem, and physical activity and a clean diet should be preached around the country.

That’s it, the Train is rolling into the station! Live your life following my motto and it will reward you—the 5 Fs, Faith, Family, Friends, Football and Food. Thanks to my loyal readers and the haters! Choo-choo!

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* FEBRUARY 2020 * 39

Opinion Trump Defense Will Show Corruption of Bidens and Ukrainian Gas Company As Impeachment Unfolds

T

hank God for Pam Bondi.

You would’ve thought the Trump defense team would’ve learned something from Adam Schiff and the Democrats droning on for 21 hours in their pursuit to overturn the 2016 election. I was excited that the Republicans would get their turn and we’d get some excitement injected into the impeachment trial.

Then came Ken Starr. Watching a hog sweat looked electrifying by comparison. Starr wasted time on the history of the special council. He bored us with backstory of how the special counsel replaced the independent counsel created after Watergate.

That law was scrapped in 1999 for the special counsel law. And I’m sitting there thinking there was no special counsel in this impeachment. It appeared to me that Ken Starr was trying to tell everybody that the Whitewater investigation he headed against Bill Clinton wasn’t his fault. Who cares?

It wasn’t until late afternoon on the first full day of President Trump’s defense that we finally saw somebody with something to say. Pam Bondi, a former attorney general from Florida, at last explained to viewers at home what this impeachment trial was all about. It’s about Joe Biden. Democrats will tell you Biden has nothing to do with it. Biden has everything to do with it. Here’s why.

President Trump is being impeached for supposedly abusing his powers as president to investigate a political rival. President Trump contends he wanted Ukraine to investigate Biden because his actions appeared to be corrupt. In order for President Trump to exonerate himself he has to show there was probable cause to investigate Joe Biden and his son, Hunter. Bondi laid out the case.

Hunter Biden took a position on the board of Ukrainian gas company Burisma. Then-Secretary of State John Kerry’s stepson, Chris Heinz, was a partner with Hunter Biden in an investment firm called Rosemont Seneca. When Hunter took the gig with Burisma, Heinz sent an e-mail to Kerry’s top

VIEWS OF A

CONSERVATIVE

PHIL VALENTINE

philvalentine.com

aides letting them know he had nothing to do with Burisma or Biden’s decision to join them. Heinz severed his business ties with Hunter Biden.

Burisma was a corrupt entity, one that everybody in the Obama administration knew was corrupt. At the time Hunter Biden joined them, making 83 grand a month, the British Serious Fraud Office was investigating Burisma’s founder, Mykola Zlochevsky, for money laundering. The left will argue that Viktor Shokin, Ukraine’s chief prosecutor, would not cooperate with the Brits on the money laundering investigation and thus allowed Zlochevsky to successfully move his ill-gotten booty out of the UK to Cyprus. That could very well be true. However, it’s difficult to understand how Joe Biden was coming to town to rid the Ukraine of a corrupt prosecutor while his own son was working for the corrupt oligarch this prosecutor was supposedly helping.

Optics. They love to use that word in Washington. I can’t think of a situation with worse optics. And don’t tell me Joe didn’t know his son was working for Burisma.

Everybody in the Obama administration knew. Obama himself should’ve pulled Joe aside and told him to get Hunter off the board of that corrupt company. If Joe didn’t, then Obama should’ve sent someone else. He did neither.

That sets up the obvious question: If the chief prosecutor in Ukraine is investigating a corrupt company that the VP’s son works for, why is Joe trying to get the guy fired? That’s exactly what President Trump was asking, and it got him impeached.

It’s doubtful the president will be removed, but now we know why they were so desperate to do it.

“Obama himself should’ve pulled Joe aside and told him to get Hunter off the board of that corrupt company. If Joe didn’t, then Obama should’ve sent someone else.

He did neither.”

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Phil Valentine is heard each weekday afternoon on SuperTalk 99.7FM in Nashville and online at 997wtn.com. For more of his commentary and articles, visit philvalentine.com.

Live Exceptionally...Well!

BY JENNIFER DURAND

Love Yourself Too THIS TIME OF YEAR BRINGS A MIX OF emotions for many. Celebrating love by recognizing Valentine’s Day has become quite a popular excuse to display extra ways of showing affection for a loved one. I’m all for seizing moments and making the most of them. I prefer showing my affection in little (and big) ways throughout the day, the year, a lifetime. Love is not exclusively about being with another person, either. Love is a feeling, an expression, an essence or state of being. It is selfless, considerate, thoughtful, thought-provoking and warm.

We often think about love in terms of being shared with another person. While this kind of love can be enriching, romantic and mutually rewarding, it is not always about having a person or partner to love. It is paramount to love yourself, too.

“Love yourself first, because that is who you’ll be spending the rest of your life with.”

Many stories, movies and other forms of entertainment would have men and women feeling like there is only a happy ending if two people find each other and live happily ever after. Another variation would be that having a partner somehow “completes” us. However, there is another hero/ heroine to have a real tangible love story with, and that is yourself. Loving you. Perhaps you’ve heard Shakespeare’s famous quote “to thine own self be true”? In other words, if you deceive yourself to please another, the relationship isn’t built on truth, on a solid foundation. Eventually, this can lead to unstable habits, choices and relationships, and result in regret, anger and other negative outcomes. How can you tell if you are not making a decision that is good for you? You question yourself repeatedly, or you try to rationalize what you’re feeling, or it simply doesn’t feel good. Pay attention to those signs so you choose wisely. Your body’s inner wisdom (intuition) won’t let you down. You just have to listen, then obey.

“The more you love yourself, the less nonsense you’ll tolerate.”

If you were witness to insensitivity or hostility from one person to another, how would it make you feel? You would no doubt notice indignation welling up inside you. Would you interject and want to rescue the offended party or would you quietly say to yourself that it’s none of your business? You would most likely interject yourself or find someone who could. This is no different than allowing someone to treat you unfairly, or try to make you do something you don’t want to do. Honor yourself and what you believe in by standing up for yourself.

Being in a relationship doesn’t mean giving

up who you are as an individual. It is essential to continue to learn and grow in things that are important to you, or that will propel you forward. If someone else’s idea of who you should be doesn’t align with who you are, this may be a crossroad of being true to yourself at the risk of losing another.

How many times have we bent over backwards for another, to be sure to keep a commitment, even if it wasn’t in our best interest? Sometimes, in light of new information, our minds are changed, and being true to yourself and your ideals needs to come first in order to avoid being compromised.

This can be challenging, especially when it means disappointing another.

Other ways of showing up for yourself are making time to just be by yourself. What would you do if you didn’t have to consider another person’s ideas or taste? Make a date with yourself to see a movie, read a book, take a bath, write letters or start a hobby. Don’t just go along with the crowd if it’s not something you believe in or support.

“How you love yourself is how you teach others to love you.” — Rupi Kaur One of my favorite prose poems by Oriah Mountain Dreamer suggests other ways of loving yourself. It is called “The Invitation.” The following sections are excerpts from this piece: Verse 6 It doesn’t interest me if the story you are telling me is true.

I want to know if you can disappoint another to be true to yourself.

If you can bear the accusation of betrayal and not betray your own soul.

If you can be faithless and therefore trustworthy.

Verses 11 and 12 It doesn’t interest me where or what or with whom you have studied.

I want to know what sustains you from the inside when all else falls away.

I want to know if you can be alone with yourself and if you truly like the company you keep in the empty moments.

“The fact that someone else loves you doesn’t rescue you from the project of loving yourself.”

— Sahaj Kohli Jennifer Durand is the owner and operator of The Nurture Nook Day Spa & Gift Shoppe.

Learn more by visiting nurturenook.com or call 615-896-7110.

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* FEBRUARY 2020 * 41

of the Christ who was to come.

To only see these shadows without seeing the reality they foreshadow is to miss the true message of the Old Testament: the writer

BY RICK to the Hebrews tells us MALONE that the Old Testament was a “shadow of the good things to come instead of the true form of those realities” (Hebrews 10:1).

It is with the God-given eyes of faith that we see this reality in the shadows.

This is why so many of the Jewish leaders rejected Jesus as their Messiah. They did not see Him in the message of their scriptures, and so they disregarded Him. But those of faith did see Christ in the Old Testament. Jesus says in John’s gospel that Abraham, who lived 2,000 years before Jesus, saw the day of Jesus’ coming and He rejoiced in that day (John 8:56). Abraham saw the day of Jesus in the shadow picture given when God promised Abraham that sode shadows that event in the same way the nations of the world would be blessed our bodies cast shadows when they block in him (Genesis 12:3). And Abraham sunlight, or our hands cast shadows when believed that promise. The Apostle Paul we use a light to make shadow puppets. tells us in his letter to the Galatians, that These shadows are outlines of the conthis covenant promise to Abraham was, crete reality. They correlate exactly to the in its deeper meaning, God preaching the original object, although they aren’t as degospel of Christ to Abraham. tailed. We see this in shadow art, or in the And the Scripture, foreseeing that little silhouette pictures many of us have God would justify the Gentiles by faith, of our children. As soon as our eyes fall upon that simple profile, we see our son or preached the gospel beforehand to Abraham, saying, “In you shall all the nations daughter in every turn of the image. be blessed” (Galatians 3:8).

The authors of the Old Testament use It is through Christ that the blessings many such images to foreshadow the of Abraham’s covenant flow, not only to greater truth of Christ, who does not Abraham, but to the world. appear in this world until centuries after But, not only do the New Testament these authors were writing. There were writers want us to see Christ in the Old, also historic people, and events recorded in the Old Testament, which are true shad- they want us to see that the Old was the Testament of Christ, just as much as the ows of the coming Christ. The authors of New is. They want us to see that these the New Testament uncover this reality pictures of Christ are not just isolated imfor us in their writings. By doing this, they ages sprinkled throughout the otherwise encourage us to look beyond the shadows unrelated story of the Old Testament. and see the greater truth they depict.

The story of the Old is itself the shadow Moses, the deliverer from Egyptian story of the New. It is the message of bondage and the mediator of the old God’s redeeming love and forgiveness covenant, was a shadow of Jesus delivering through Christ foreshadowed through His people from the greater bondage of sin the Old Testament narrative. The Apostle and mediating the better covenant of grace Paul says in his letter to the Colossians: through His blood (Hebrews 3:1–6 and “Therefore let no one pass judgment on 9:12–15). The sacrificial system of worship you in questions of food and drink, or described throughout the Old Testament with regard to a festival or a new moon was a shadow of the one true sacrifice of or a Sabbath. 17 These are a shadow of Jesus on the cross (Hebrews 10:1–10). Dathe things to come, but the substance is vid, the great king of Israel, shadowed the Christ” (Colossians 2:16–17). greater King of Kings and Lord of Lords And, as the resurrected Jesus walks on (Revelation 19:16). The high priest of Israel the road to Emmaus teaching two disciples, was a shadow of the Great High Priest who He admonishes them to understand that continually intercedes for us with the Faall the Old Testament scriptures were truly ther (Hebrews 8:1–7). Each of these people about Him, and His story of redemption: or events shadowed a unique characteristic

SPIRITUAL

MATTERS

Shadows of the Gospel AND THE SCRIPTURE, foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, preached the gospel beforehand to Abraham, saying, “In you shall all the nations be blessed” —Galatians 3:8 In Harper Lee’s novel To Kill a Mockingbird an elderly lady named Mrs. Dubose suffers from a terminal illness and has become addicted to morphine in an attempt to control the pain. As her time nears, she makes the difficult decision to wean herself from the painkiller, wanting to leave this world “beholden to nothing or nobody.” When Mrs. Dubose passes away, Atticus Finch, father to the main character Scout and her brother Jem, says of Mrs. Dubose to his two children: “I wanted you to see what real courage is, instead of getting the idea that courage is a man with a gun in his hand. It’s when you know you’re licked before you begin, but you begin anyway and see it through no matter what.”

These words pay homage to the courage Mrs. Dubose exercised in dying with dignity, on her own terms. And in that simple statement, Harper Lee foreshadows the courage that Atticus himself will have to exercise later in the novel while defending an innocent man he knows will be convicted, no matter how hard Atticus fights for the truth. Atticus will take the case, and he will see it through, not because he thinks he can win, but because he knows it is the right thing to do.

Foreshadowing is a literary device in which an author gives an advance sign or warning to give indication of a significant future event in the work. The earlier epi42 * FEBRUARY 2020 * BOROPULSE.COM

And he said to them, “O foolish ones, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken! 26 Was it not necessary that the Christ should suffer these things and enter into his glory?”

27 And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he interpreted to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning himself (Luke 24:25–27).

We are encouraged by Jesus and the New Testament writers to read and understand the Old Testament with Christ as its substance. This may engender a significant paradigm shift for many of us, changing our perception of the Old Testament. No longer can we be content to say there is a stark difference between the God of the Old Testament and the God of the New. No longer can we look at the Old Testament bible stories as antiquated anecdotes, not having much to do with us, except as modern-day object lessons or good moral examples.

No longer can we say that the promises and prescriptions of the Old Testament were something for a different people in a different place and time. There is a unity between the Testaments, just as there is a unity between the shadow and the reality which casts that shadow. And just as Jesus admonished His disciples on the road to Emmaus to see that unity of the Testaments in Him, so He admonishes us to look for the deeper understanding of the events of the Old Testament and to see Him. Last month I wrote about one of those shadowy pictures: God clothing Adam and Eve with an alien righteousness after they sinned in the Garden. In the eyes of God, the skins of slain animals were the only sufficient covering for the wrong they had committed against Him. These animal coverings were an early shadow of the grace of God in the work of Christ, as He is the One who ultimately covers our sin with the robes of His beautiful perfect sinlessness.

Do we see the Old Testament as the penmanship of God’s providence drawing the shadow pictures of Christ through time?

Are our eyes open to see that the Bible is the story of Christ from first page to last?

Like the silhouette pictures of our children, do we see Jesus at every turn of the page?

But when Christ appeared as a high priest of the good things that have come, then through the greater and more perfect tent (not made with hands, that is, not of this creation) 12 he entered once for all into the holy places, not by means of the blood of goats and calves but by means of his own blood, thus securing an eternal redemption (Hebrews 9:11–12).

Reach Rick Malone at myspiritualmatters@gmail.com

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 38

medical or clinical cannabis is Republican Primary voters. In a survey from a previous year, this subsection responded with a ratio of 85/15% in favor of legalizing cannabis in either a clinical or recreational manner; 15% opposed any and all cannabis legalization including research or in clinical settings.

This year’s results were more profound.

A full 95% of those who responded in this group were in favor of legalizing cannabis for at least clinical or research purposes. Of that 95%, a little over 21% were for recreational uses. Only 5% were opposed to any and all uses of cannabis.

Let me repeat that: 95% of Republican Primary voters who responded to my survey were supportive of clinical uses of cannabis (research or medical uses). I’ve been working diligently to draft legislation that will move Tennessee in that direction.

Criminal Justice Reform: Time and time again I hear that criminal justice reform will be a top priority this session.

However, nobody has been able to provide me with specifics. When discussing the issue with constituents, having safe neighborhoods and communities while ensuring that we aren’t wasting taxpayer dollars on nonproductive incarcerations seems to be the

recurring theme. That is a lofty goal.

That being said, one half ounce of cannabis currently carries a misdemeanor charge.

One half ounce of 20% THC cannabis has around 2800 mg of THC. Patients who use FDA-approved, lab-made THC in the form of the drugs Syndros or Marinol may use up to 2800 milligrams per month. We could save taxpayers over $2 million by decriminalizing patients who use cannabis-based treatments with less than 2800 milligrams of THC. Taxes: Tennessee is, once again, running a surplus of revenue and is looking at options.

A few years ago, Oklahoma cut taxes to the point where they ended up with a billiondollar deficit. Tennessee does not want to end up in that situation.

That said, Tennessee will look at eliminating the Professional Privilege Tax once and for all. It is a discriminatory and redundant tax on certain professions that already pay licensing fees to the state. In 2019, the General Assembly removed the tax for all professions except for a handful. Originally, the tax was going to be reduced from $400 to either $100 or $200 per profession. However, in a purely political move, the state removed taxes for some professions while leaving it for others.

The General Assembly should correct this.

Additionally, with taxpayers expressing

frustration over rising property taxes passed by counties and municipalities, I expect Tennessee to be looking for solutions that will help our homeowners and taxpayers while ensuring that municipalities can deal with growth. I frequently hear elected officials and politicians proclaim their desire for “smart growth”; yet their budgets and tax plans do not reflect those stated goals.

Health Care: Tennessee House Republicans began 2019 working on the CARE Plan, which included a series of bills and initiatives to help transform health care in Tennessee.

The goals were to interject Consumerism, improve Access, focus on Rural health systems and Empower patients in their health decisions. Several measures passed. I expect further initiatives to be introduced, including expanding access for patients by reducing the burden of narrow networks promoted by insurance companies, telemedicine and working toward solutions for the uninsured.

Education: I hear that some form of pay increase for teachers will once again be looked at in the budget. While Tennessee has taken strides in this area, the resources budgeted for pay increases often do not end up in the hands of teachers, as LEAs (Local Education Associations) have had flexibility

in how to use those funds.

I also expect the Basic Education Program formula to be revisited. The formula views a county as if it were one giant school. Based on the total number of students, it calculates the number of required teachers and personnel needed for the system. For instance, for every 100 students, the BEP formula may fund four teachers. Unfortunately, the BEP doesn’t take into account that there are a multitude of schools within each LEA and the district may have had to hire six teachers for the 100 students. Growth counties like Rutherford are at a disadvantage in this calculation.

Social Issues: Gun rights and pro-life issues will, once again, be on the agenda at the Capitol. I hear a lot of concern from constituents about Red Flag laws. While someone may put forth a Red Flag bill, I don’t expect one to move in this session.

Last year, the House passed a Heartbeat bill. It stalled in the Senate as they decided to send it to summer study. The amended bill will be heard again in the Senate.

Dr. Bryan Terry represents District 48 in the Tennessee House of Representatives. Reach him at 615-741-2180, rep.bryan.terry@capitol.tn.gov or bryanterry4tn.com.