January 2018 Murfreesboro Pulse by The Murfreesboro Pulse

Meet the Candidates for Governor Amelia's Closet Helps Women Dress for Success

JANUARY 2018 / VOL. 13, ISSUE 1 / FREE

The Most Impressive Jack Daniel’s Collection Around

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

Dragonfly Bus Rolls Into Town

Abigail Washburn

Bluegrass artist set to perform at MTSU Festival of Chinese Arts

Contents

WORD FROM THE EDITOR

IN EVERY ISSUE

FEATURES

12 5 Events FESTIVAL OF CHINESE ARTS Weeks-long celebration includes Dragon Dance, Abigail Washburn, art exhibit, music and more.

16 HOPE RESTORED

Amelia’s Closet helps women dress for success.

18 THE MOST IMPRESSIVE

JACK DANIEL’S COLLECTION Bob and Betty Spence proudly display memorabilia from world-famous Tennessee whiskey maker.

22 POULTRY HOLLOW

24 MEET THE CANDIDATES FOR TENNESSEE GOVERNOR A look at those running for office.

28 LIFE ON THE ART BUS

8 Sounds LOCAL CONCERTS

Art Director: Sarah Mayo Copy Editor: Steve Morley Advertising: Don Clark Leslie Russell-Yost

THEATER

Boxing, Party Fowl and more! GINSENG GRANT

Hairspray

POETRY

MTSU studies growth of “green gold”.

33 Movies

Opinion

Online periodicals

Marshall Creek Band, The Cosmic Collective and more!

NEW RELEASES

LIVE . . . WELL!

MUSIC NOTES

REVIEWS

VIEWS OF A CONSERVATIVE

Paddington 2 and more!

The Justin Reed Show, Those Darlins Tribute show, Come and See

Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle; The Greatest Showman; Star Wars: The Last Jedi

ALBUM REVIEWS

LIVING ROOM CINEMA

MEDIA RERUN

Murfreesboro music store focusing more on live music, vinyl after new owner buys store from founders.

18 Living GARDENING

The Dragonfly Bus rolls through town.

Publisher/Editor in Chief: Bracken Mayo

Motorama, Polar Bear Plunge and more!

The Hollow Roots, Julien Baker

Local farm suffers devastating fire.

BOROPULSE . COM

THIS MONTH

28 Art

Planning season

Referenced Murder

36 Food REVIEW

Tax plan benefits all Americans

THE STOCKARD REPORT

Council extends golden parachute for departing city manager

48 Sports SPORTS TALK

City Cafe

A look back at 2017

RECIPE

Roasted Winter Vegetable Quinoa

38 News

BUSINESS BUZZ

Dallas and Jane, Title

Contributors: Dylan Skye Aycock, Jessica Barroll, John Connor Coulston, Greg Crittenden, Jennifer Durand, Teylor Hines, Joseph Kathmann, Zach Maxfield, Justin Reed, Edwina Shannon, Jay Spight, Andrea Stockard, Sam Stockard, Norbert Thiemann, Semaj Thomas, Phil Valentine, Kory Wells, Meredith White, Michelle Willard

Be well-thy

MTSU SPORTS

Blue Raiders win Camellia Bowl; Nick King emerges in men’s basketball. UFC GYM

Train for life.

Copyright © 2018, The Murfreesboro Pulse, 10 N. Public Square, Murfreesboro, TN 37130. Proudly owned, operated and published the first Thursday of each month by the Mayo family; printed by Franklin Web Printing Co. The Murfreesboro Pulse is a free publication funded by advertisers. Views expressed in the Pulse do not necessarily reflect the views of the publishers. ISSN: 1940-378X

SIGN UP to receive our weekly digital newsletter at BoroPulse.com/Newsletter 10 N. Public Square, Murfreesboro, TN 37130 • 615-796-6248 To carry the PULSE at your business, or to submit letters, stories and photography: Bracken@BoroPulse.com

I ENTER A NEW YEAR VERY GRATEFUL. My family is awesome and fun, I have no disabilities or serious diseases that I am aware of, my house provides adequate shelter, the HVAC unit is functioning, pumping in that sweet, sweet heat during the cold times, and I eat good! I can certainly improve my business, my home, my relationships, my retirement planning, my diet, my mind, body and spirit, but the blessings that surround me, the experiences I have encountered and the people I have met continue to fill me with gratitude. Rejoice and be glad. I remain grateful for everyone who has supported our independent community publication. Seriously, from the advertisers who have supported the Pulse financially (some for years and years), to the contributing writers, to the person who just recently encountered a copy of the Pulse for the first time and picked it up and read a couple of pieces, to the good folks at Google, Bluehost, Intuit, Apple, Franklin Web Printing, Constant Contact, Adobe, Metro PCS, Comcast and other useful service providers who help make the entrepreneurial life possible, your support is recognized! Businesses continue to open in Murfreesboro, growing the economy and giving the Pulse plenty to include in each month’s Business Buzz section. The Murfreesboro Pulse has officially completed 12 full years of business. Oh, boy! One of the few constants in that 12-year journey has been the support, love and pages from our trusty Pulse co-founder Sarah—now Mrs. Mayo! Let’s make 2018 killer. Figure out what you want to do, and go do it! You know you can’t make it all happen at once, so just take one step at a time. Whether you are digging a hole, building automobiles or spaceships, making a casserole, playing an instrument, running a race, enforcing the law, hanging drywall, teaching school, starting a militia, selling insurance or whatever it is you determine to do, be excellent! The Titans are in the playoffs! It has been a while. I was in the stadium with the Z-Train in early 2009 for the last Titans postseason contest (a tough loss to the Ravens), way back before my son was even born. Many people have strong opinions on this new 400-page-plus federal tax plan, as if they have read it or something. I think I can confidently say that, yes, the richest should pay a bit more in taxes. But I’m not sure I am comfortable with anything, ever, taxed at more than 15 percent . . . 20 percent at most. Could we live within those means? Defend freedom, and resist those who aim to curb liberty and manipulate others. Take time to rest, to reﬂect, to meditate, to pray, to unwind. Peace, BRACKEN MAYO Publisher/Editor in Chief

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Events BY ANDREA STOCKARD

JAN. 13 TENNESSEE MOTORAMA The Tennessee Motorama returns to the Wilson County Exposition Center at the Wilson County Fairgrounds in Lebanon for its 7th Annual Event on Saturday, Jan. 13. The show is open to all years of vehicles, and the Motorama will also feature a swap meet with new and used parts, auto memorabilia and more. There will be a bicycle show, as well as kids activities by Music City Model Racing Association. Rare and historic vehicles on display at the show include Richard and Katrina Fleener’s rare 1969 Dodge Daytona, the Music City Rod Shop Dragster and last year’s best-ofshow winner George Houke’s 427 Ford Thunderbolt. The show is open from 10 a.m.–5 p.m. For more information, call Both Barrels Promotions at 615364-1828 or find Both Barrels or the Tennessee Motorama on Facebook.

JAN. 6

BEGINNING JAN. 8

JAN. 9

POLAR BEAR PLUNGE

PERFORMING ARTS WINTER CLASSES

GETTING MORE TIME OUT OF EVERY DAY

Registration is open for The Center for the Arts’ Performing Arts Winter Classes. Both 8-week and 12-week classes begin the week of Jan. 8 for grades K–12. Scholarships and payment plans are available. Register at boroarts.org or by calling 615-904-ARTS (2787).

Founder and president of Piccolo Marketing Anna-Vija McClain is the keynote speaker at this month’s Rutherford Cable breakfast meeting, held Tuesday, Jan. 9, from 7:15–9 a.m. with the topic “Hacks

PHOTO BY JIM DAVIS/MURFREESBORO PARKS & REC

Join the 16th Annual Polar Bear Plunge at SportsCom (2310 Memorial Blvd.) Saturday, Jan. 6, at 8:30 a.m. for the Arctic Adventure in the gym and at 10 a.m. for the Polar Bear Plunge into the outdoor pool. For admission, bring non-perishable food for needy local families. This event is sponsored by the Murfreesboro Parks and Recreation Department. For more information, call 615-895-5040.

to Get 26 Hours in Your Day.” Over her 15-year career in hospitality and business management, McClain has excelled in marketing and coaching, and Piccolo Marketing works with small businesses and entrepreneurs in executing strategic marketing campaigns to build a successful brand on an affordable budget. Cable meets at the Stones River Country Club (1830 N.W. Broad St.) the second Tuesday of every month for a different keynote speaker and networking. For more information, visit rutherfordcable.org, email yourrutherfordcable@gmail.com or call 615-904-4359.

JAN. 9 CITIZENS POLICE ACADEMY Join the Rutherford County Sheriffs Office for free 15-week Citizens Police Academy classes at the Rutherford County Sheriffs Office (940 New Salem Hwy.) beginning Tuesday, Jan. 9, from 5–9 p.m. This is the fifty-third CPA class. For more information, contact 615-904-3019 or jcassidy@rcso.org.

JAN. 11 BOSS BABES MURFREESBORO A “Boss Babe” is a woman who lives a life full of passion, controls her time and enjoys financial freedom. Join Prevention JP Murfreesboro Thursday, Jan. 11, at Jonathan’s Grille (2911 Medical Center Pkwy.) from 6:15–8:15 p.m. to learn how a group of women are taking control of their lives by sharing and caring for others. Enjoy a dinner in the company of a room full of amazing women who lift one CONTINUED ON PAGE 6

JAN. 8 AND 22

JAN. 11

NASP NET

LINEBAUGH HOSTS TERRANCE TURNER FOR BOOK SIGNING

The Nashville Association of Sales Professionals hosts its Murfreesboro networking event the second and fourth Monday of each month in the Burger Bar Restaurant, located in The Doubletree by Hilton, 1850 Old Fort Pkwy. Networking starts at 11 a.m. and the meeting starts at 11:30 a.m. NASP is a nonprofit, professional organization that provides a positive forum for skill enhancement training and networking for career sales people. Learn how to become a more polished and successful sales professional by improving your sales presentation and enhancing your people skills. NASP Net encourages new sales professionals, as well as seasoned road warriors, to attend. For more information, visit nashville-nasp.org.

Visit BOROPULSE.COM/EVENTS for more community events

Linebaugh Public Library (105 W. Vine St.) welcomes local author Terrance Turner for a book signing Thursday, Jan. 11, from 2–6 p.m., as Turner signs and sells copies of his book Your Wealth Is in Your Anointing. Turner says he wrote the book to help Christians get out of difficult financial situations and break the cycle of endemic poverty. This inspirational, enlightening book offers practical steps for obtaining results by operating on God’s financial and life principles, even if financial challenges seem beyond help. For more information on the event, call 615-893-4131 or visit linebaugh.org.

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CONTINUED FROM PAGE 5 another up and share stories of inspiration, hope, health, freedom and confidence. This month’s speaker is Kippie G. Scarborough, Certified Public Accountant, who opened her own tax and bookkeeping firm in Murfreesboro recently after 33 years in the industry. Register for Boss Babes Murfreesboro events on Eventbrite.

JAN. 16 BUSINESS AFTER HOURS The Rutherford County Chamber of Commerce presents Business After Hours, an informal business networking event, on Tuesday, Jan. 16, from 5–7 p.m. at Nissan of Murfreesboro, 814 Memorial Blvd. Bring plenty of business cards. Admission is $5 for CoC members and $15 for future members. No registration is required. For more information, visit rutherfordchamber.org.

JAN. 18 THE CONNECTION Local small business owners will gather for The Connection: An Evening of Professional Networking and Business Brainstorming from 5–7 p.m. on Thursday,

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Jan. 18, at Cultivate Coworking, 107 W. Lytle St. All Middle Tennessee entrepreneurs and professionals are welcome to attend this casual, no-obligation event, where they can meet other small business owners and tap into one another’s experience and energy. An open roundtable discussion will encourage participation from those in attendance, asking them to articulate their vision for their business and calling for examples of some of the business challenges and solutions they are experiencing. The series will continue the third Thursday of each month.

JAN. 18 MURFREESBORO TECHNOLOGY COUNCIL MEETING Murfreesboro comes together to talk about technology and the city’s future at the Murfreesboro Technology Council meeting Thursday, Jan. 18, at the Murfreesboro Datacenter (1020 W. College St.). The council focuses on economic development in the Rutherford County and Middle Tennessee area by bringing technology companies to the city and bringing them together. The meeting will begin at 6 p.m.

To register or for more information, visit murfreesborotechnology.com.

JAN 18–20 TSSAA BOWLING CHAMPIONSHIPS The Smyrna Bowling Center (95 Weakley Ln., Smyrna) will host the Girls and Boys TSSAA State Bowling Championships Jan 18–20. For more information, visit tssaa. org/bowling.

JAN. 25 MUSIC MINGLE Local music supporters will gather at the January installment of Music Mingle, a meetup organized by Cultural Arts Murfreesboro, at 5:30 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 25, at Bradley Academy Museum, 415 S. Academy St. All music producers, promoters, teachers, composers, musicians, conductors, songwriters, music business owners and music fans are welcome to come to Music Mingle. The goal is to encourage communication and collaboration between individuals in the music community, start community discussions about the needs and direction music is taking

in the ’Boro, and have fun mingling and networking. Attendees are encouraged to bring an instrument to this Music Mingle, as organizers plan to incorporate a jam session into the meeting. Hot cocoa, tea and appetizers will be provided. For more information on the Music Mingle, contact Katlyn Stevenson at 615-867-7244 or kstevenson@murfreesborotn.gov.

JAN. 26 EDUCATION GALA The City Schools Foundation announces the 11th Annual Excellence in Education gala at the Stones River Country Club (1830 NW Broad St.) Friday, Jan. 26, from 7–9 p.m. The City Schools Foundation is a group of civic and business leaders banding together to benefit Murfreesboro City Schools’ pre-kindergarten through sixth-grade students. For additional information, call 615-893-2313.

JAN. 26–27 EXTREME BULL RIDING Witness Extreme Bull Riding at the Tennessee Miller Coliseum (304 West Thompson Ln.) with doors opening at 6

p.m. and the show beginning at 7:30 p.m. on Friday, Jan. 26, and Saturday, Jan. 27. For tickets and more information, visit extremebullridingevent.com.

JAN. 27 CARS AND COFFEE Hang out with Gateway Classic Cars (320 Tech Park Dr., La Vergne) on the last Saturday of every month for over 250 classic and exotic cars at Cars and Coffee event; the next one is coming up Saturday, Jan. 27, from 9 a.m.–noon. Bring the family for donuts, coffee and all of the newest arrivals with no admission fee. All makes and models are welcome to cruise in. For more information, call 615-589-9952.

WEDNESDAYS WRITERS GROUP Join the Murfreesboro Writers Group every Wednesday at 6 p.m. at Linebaugh Library (105 W. Vine St.) as writers gather to gain mutual critique on their works. Prepare to hear science fiction, poetry, alternate reality, memoir, fantasy, mystery and literary fiction. For more information, contact sayhello@murfreesborowritersgroup.com or visit the Facebook page @MurfreesboroWritersGroup.

ONGOING COFFEE MARATHON The 5th Annual Coffee Marathon is a service of the Murfreesboro Parks and Recreation Department. This is a full marathon (26.2 miles), but participants have three months to complete this race. Race fee is $25. For more information, call 615-893-2141.

FEB. 1 CELEBRATE FILM NOIR Elyce Helford, a professor of English at MTSU, leads an exploration of the film noir genre of the 1940s and 1950s. Linebaugh Public Library, 105 W. Vine St., will host the free lectures the first Thursday of each month from February through April, beginning at 6 p.m. A film screening will follow each lecture. Film noir is a genre of movie making characterized by pessimism, violence, seductive women and perilous action, often, but not exclusively, including private detectives. The series includes: Feb. 1 – “The Noir Look” followed by a screening of The Big Combo (1955) March 1 – “The Femme Fatale” followed by a screening of Double Indemnity (1944) BOROPULSE.COM

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CONCERTS

IF YOU GO

WED, 12/6

PUCKETT’S GROCERY

MTSU WRIGHT MUSIC BUILDING

THE GREEN DRAGON

MTSU Commercial Music Ensemble

THURS, 1/4 PUCKETT’S GROCERY

Braden Baugh

FRI, 1/5 COCONUT BAY CAFE

Stranger Than Fiction

LONE WOLF SALOON

Billy Tarkington & Bona Fide Outlaw

MAIN STREET MUSIC

Classic Rock All-Stars

MAYDAY BREWERY

Roland Justice

MILANO II

Jack Popek

NOBODY’S

Karaoke Dance Party

PETER D’S

John Salaway

PUCKETT’S GROCERY

Baillie & the Boys

David Ball

Uncle Don Clark

MAYDAY BREWERY

Sunday Blues with Joey Fletcher and Friends

Backlit

1/12 @ NOBODY’S GRILLE & BBQ

FRI, 1/12 COCONUT BAY CAFE

Zone Status

LONE WOLF SALOON

Exit South

Nobody’s Grill and BBQ celebrates its eighth anniversary on Friday, Jan. 12, with Marshall Creek, one of the first bands to perform in the original Nobody’s location eight years ago. Bobby Howard and Co. will bring a wide variety of tunes spanning the decades, a review of rock ‘n’ roll, country, R&B, blues and more. Call 615-962-8019 for reservations.

MAIN STREET MUSIC

Rubiks Groove

GEORGIA’S

MILANO II

Scott Steele Band

Jack Popek

LONE WOLF SALOON

NOBODY’S

My July

Marshall Creek

PHAT BOYZ

Drake Freeman Experience

PUCKETT’S GROCERY

Pamela K. Ward Band

Forever Abbey Road (Beatles tribute)

TUES, 1/16

COCONUT BAY CAFE

Mike D.IzIll

THE BORO

Cosmic Jazz Jam

FRI, 1/19

NACHO’S

COCONUT BAY CAFE

DJ RDP

LONE WOLF SALOON

Cherry Circus

MAYDAY BREWERY

Uncle Don Clark

MILANO II

Blayze

COCONUT BAY CAFE

Phoenix Rising

Sunday Blues with Joey Fletcher and Friends

MON, 1/22 MTSU WRIGHT MUSIC BUILDING

The Cosmic Collective will return to The Boro to rekindle a Tuesday night jazz jam series this month. Expect some jazz standards, smooth vocals from Nikki Michelle, smoking sax solos and collaborative improvisation from this group of very talented jazz players from the MTSU music department. Each jazz night begins at 9 p.m., and there will be no cover charge.

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Keyboard Artist Series: Cheng-Feng Hsieh

TUES, 1/23 THE BORO

Cosmic Jazz Jam

THURS, 1/25 MTSU WRIGHT MUSIC BUILDING

Alex Lapins

Elecousticsoul

GEORGIA’S

MAYDAY BREWERY

1/16, 1/23 AND 1/30 @ THE BORO

Zone Status

The Barbaric Yawps

SUN, 1/21

THE COSMIC COLLECTIVE

NOBODY’S

SAT, 1/27

Junkbox

PHOTO BY CALEB J. LITTLETON

King the Rebel

MAYDAY BREWERY PHAT BOYZ

PICK

COCONUT BAY CAFE

Jack Popek

Exit South

Green Dragon 714 W. Main St. 615-801-7171

Lone Wolf Saloon 1208 S. Lowry St., Smyrna 629-255-8296

MILANO II

LONE WOLF SALOON

Georgia’s Sports Bar 555 S. Lowry St., Smyrna 615-267-0295

FRI, 1/26

Radical Arts Comedy

Clayton Colvin

SAT, 1/20

First United Methodist Church 265 W. Thompson Ln. 615-893-1322

Hank’s 2341 Memorial Blvd. 615-410-7747

MAYDAY BREWERY

Escape

CJ’s 352 W. Northfield Blvd. 615-546-4164

THE BORO

Machine Gun Kelly

NOBODY’S

GEORGIA’S

PULSE

Devin Port

LONE WOLF SALOON

Jack Popek

Century 21 125 Lasseter Dr. 615-890-9168

Coconut Bay Café 210 Stones River Mall Blvd. 615-494-0504

MARSHALL CREEK BAND

Devin Port

ARTS CENTER OF CANNON COUNTY

LONE WOLF SALOON

PICK

NACHO’S

COCONUT BAY CAFE

Greez Monkeez

PULSE

THURS, 1/11

SAT, 1/13

GEORGIA’S

Carmen’s Taqueria 206 W. Northfield Blvd. 615-848-9003

SUN, 1/7

SAT, 1/6 DJ Ceiz

Arts Center of Cannon County 1424 John Bragg Hwy., Woodbury, 615-563-2787 Autograph Rehearsal Studio 1400 W. College St. 615-686-6121

LONE WOLF SALOON

Stranger Than Fiction

PHAT BOYZ

Skipper Grace

WILDERNESS STATION AT BARFIELD CRESCENT PARK

Runaway Home

TUES, 1/30 THE BORO

Cosmic Jazz Jam

WED, 1/31 MTSU WRIGHT MUSIC BUILDING

Music City Trombone Duo

Main Street Music 527 W. Main St. 615-440-2425 Mayday Brewery 521 Old Salem Hwy. 615-479-9722 Milano II 114 E. College St. 615-624-7390 MTSU Wright Music Building 1439 Faulkinberry Dr. 615-898-2469 Nacho’s 2962 S. Rutherford Blvd. 615-907-2700 Nobody’s Grille & BBQ 2227 Old Fort Pkwy. 615-962-8019 Peter D’s 2357 Medical Center Pkwy. 615-603-7111 Phat Boyz Bar & Grill 4425 Woodbury Pk. 615-546-4526 Puckett’s Grocery and Restaurant 114 N. Church St. 629-201-6916 The Boro Bar & Grill 1211 Greenland Dr. 615-895-4800 Wall Street 121 N. Maple St. 615-867-9090 Wilderness Station at Barfield Crescent Park 401 Volunteer Rd. 615-217-3017

View the monthly concert schedule online at BoroPulse.com/Concerts

Sounds

Read more about local music at

BoroPulse.com/Category/Music

An audience gathers to hear underground artist Midwife hailing from Colorado.

MUSIC & MORE Media store celebrates 15 years of business in Murfreesboro STORY AND PHOTOS BY TEYLOR HINES

or almost 15 years, one store in Murfreesboro has promised its customers “recycled fun.” Media Rerun, located at 2820 S. Rutherford Blvd. in the College Central Shopping Center, first opened its doors on March 18, 2003. When the shopping center was first being built, Larry Pinkerton would pass the construction site on his way to MTSU, where he worked in the music department. Constantly having to drive by led to an idea that sparked Media Rerun. Media Rerun is the home to shelves of CDs and cassette tapes, vinyl, DVDS and video games as well. Customers can buy, or sell, used media and electronic goods. It became a passion project for the Pinkerton family, Larry and Gay, along with their son. They believed something like Media Rerun was needed on that side of town, a place for people to come and enjoy themselves. When the College Central Shopping Center did officially open that March, it contained only the famous Walmart and the unknown Media Rerun. Today, those two remain. With the store’s dog and cat, Ruff and Meow, lounging around—while people listen to tunes, get guitar lessons or even play video games in-store—you have no choice but to feel right at home. In February 2016, Media Rerun went

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through a major change when Pinkerton decided to retire. This led to the establishment’s future being up in the air. It would have had to either close down or be bought by someone who was worthy of keeping it going. Insert John Judkins, longtime employee, and his wife, Katie. The couple took over the store with an increased focus on vinyl records, in-store musical performances and local events with the consistent promise of family fun. Before Judkins—an artist himself who has been touring with bands for nearly 12 years—took over the store, Media Rerun only had musical performances once every eight months. Judkins is a singer-songwriter that has been in his fair share of indepen-

dent bands and is all too familiar with the lack of support they sometimes get. “There’s always a need for a venue that is kind to musicians,” Judkins says. John, who also was the store’s first performer during its 10th year anniversary in 2013, decided it was important to implement a monthly in-house show to help local artists get exposure. “Musicians can show up to certain venues and nobody be there (or even care), but I want to make sure that there’s something for musicians in this town,” Judkins says. The same way that Judkins welcomes people with open arms when handling their used goods, he welcomes musical artists. If they’d like the opportunity to perform, he grants them that chance, whether they are

touring or just looking to showcase their gift with the community. Frank Ball, 34, professionally known as Sparkling Wide Pressure is one of those acts. Ball, being a frequent attendee of Media Rerun monthly shows, decided to reach out. “We (Midwife) needed a place to play and I come to Media Rerun all the time to see shows, so I asked John and he was cool with it,” Ball recalled. For Jessica Harris, 23, coming to Media Rerun was supposed to be a one-time thing to trade in some Playstation 2 games for some cash. However, from the moment the Memphis native walked in the store back in 2013, she was greeted with open arms. “I was a freshman at MTSU and the only intention I had going in the store was to just go get quick cash for some food, but I left with much more than that,” Harris said. Harris left Media Rerun with a lasting impression and a feeling of familiarity, something she had been longing for since Murfreesboro was still a very new place to her at the time. Visits to Media Rerun started to not only become regular, but they rarely had to do with her making purchases or trading something in. “It’s different from other stores because of its comfortability,” Harris said, adding, “I’ve never walked in any store and felt like I was walking into a living room full of my friends, until I started coming to Rerun.”

â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;COME AND SEEâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; VEGGIE TALES COMPOSER IN MURFREESBORO Trinity United Methodist Church hosts Kurt Heinecke for the Feb. 3 installment of its Come and See series. Heinecke worked alongside Phil Vischer and Mike Nawrocki on the Veggie Tales series, providing the music for the popular videos emphasizing Christian values and featuring the adventures of colorful animated vegetables. Heinecke explored a wide range of musical styles and sounds in his Veggie Tales compositions, incorporating elements of rock, classical and opera, blues, polka and other styles in the creative musical pieces for the cartoon series. He has composed pieces for ensembles of all sizes, from an 80-piece orchestra to pieces arranged on his own synthesizers and computers. Heinecke even performed the tuba part on the famed Veggie Tales opening sequence. He also currently serves as the Assistant Artistic Director at Music City Strings and is an accomplished photographer. Trinity United Methodist Church is located at 2303 Jones Blvd., Murfreesboro, and the casual Come and See praise and worship program begins at 5 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 3.

MUSIC NOTE

Living

Hope Restored

Local non-profit Amelia’s Closet helps women dress to achieve success. STORY BY JESSICA BARROLL | PHOTOS BY BRACKEN MAYO “CALLING IS WHERE YOUR BURDEN AND TALENT COLLIDE,” recites Jody Powers, founding Executive Director of Amelia’s Closet, quoting Rebecca Lyons after having just recently read one of her books. This quote has personally resonated with Jody because “even though I don’t have an educational background in any of this—experiences from the past and the talents I do have has helped me to pull all of this together with the help of a lot of people.” Amelia’s Closet is about hope. In fact, the very name Amelia means hope and the Murfreesboro-based organization calls itself the “Clothier of Hope.” This is a hope for women in need of a second chance, women whose bad decisions or lack of confidence have kept them from being who they were truly meant to be. So, Amelia’s Closet provides that opportunity, as Jody puts it, to “give women a second chance at making a great first impression” by providing interview clothing and a working wardrobe to women either seeking employment or promotion, but without the right clothing to land the job. Women who walk through Amelia’s doors have to be referred, in financial need 16 * JANUARY 2018 * BOROPULSE.COM

and seeking employment. Amelia’s most recent demographics show that the average woman coming in is a 42-year-old single parent of one child; 47% have been incarcerated, 27% have a college degree, 43% have some college education. “So, it’s not just the chronically homeless, it’s those that have been a victim or made a

bad decision,” Powers said. Seventeen percent have fled domestic violence situations where they left with nothing. “We’ve had a few whose spouses passed away and they hadn’t worked in 10 years because they were raising their kids, and now they’re starting over. We’ve had three clients that had house fires and lost everything and needed something before insurance reimbursed them for their items and clothing,” said Jody, describing the varieties of ladies that Amelia’s helps. Amelia’s Closet has assisted women ranging from 17 to 73, so the clothing styles can vary. Jody also connects with many of these women on a level that is much more personal. Growing up in a military family, moving every three years was the norm; being the new girl in a new place, feeling out of sync with the way everyone else spoke and dressed, left her sensitive to others who may feel the same way. In fact, it was this sensitivity that led to Jody’s burden and the creation of her ministry three years ago, after seeing women come to her church from the jail ministry. “I would see these ladies at church dressed like they were . . . being so insecure to even shake your hand because [they were

aware] their clothes didn’t fit right [or look appropriate] . . . so I thought, ‘Who is helping them with clothes for interviews if this is how they’re dressed for church?’” It was out of this sense of kinship that Amelia’s Closet was born. For Jody, the biggest surprise to result from Amelia’s Closet has been the reaction within the nonprofit community. “The community has been more receptive and encouraging than I initially anticipated, but I think the biggest thing is as far as the community goes, all the nonprofits around here, although we’re all competing for funding everybody is here to help everybody.” Jody continues, stating, “They are so willing to help and not be stingy with their knowledge or time or resources. Greenhouse has probably been the biggest help. The Sharps, Jane and Cliff Sharp, have been my nonprofit mentors and have helped through Greenhouse by donating furniture, interns’ time [and] answering questions as I’m learning.” For more information on how you can donate, refer someone to or receive help from Amelia’s Closet, call 615584-9029 or visit ameliascloset.org.

Living THE MOST IMPRESSIVE JACK DANIELâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S COLLECTION AROUND STORY BY MEREDITH G. WHITE PHOTOS BY BRACKEN MAYO

Bob and Betty Spence proudly display historic memorabilia from world famous Tennessee whiskey maker

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alking into Bob and Betty Spence’s back building is like walking into a Jack Daniel’s museum. Unopened bottles of single-barrel whiskey line the walls, unique and rare bottles signed by master distillers fill glass cases, even the furniture is made from refurbished whiskey barrels. The Spences have collected memorabilia from around the globe via auctions, flea markets, and gifts from friends and can tell you the story behind every piece. The Spences, lifelong rural Middle Tennessee residents, store this wealth of memorabilia from Tennessee’s most famous producer of whiskey in a comfortable building behind their home—situated in between Murfreesboro and Shelbyville—a space they also use for gatherings with family and friends. Mr. Bob grins from ear to ear when talking about his collection—even though he says he’s not a Jack Daniel’s drinker himself. MURFREESBORO PULSE: When did you start collecting?

BOB SPENCE: About 14 or 15 years ago. About how many pieces you’ve collected? I couldn’t tell you how many bottles I’ve got, over a thousand. What was the first thing you bought? Let’s ask the boss. BETTY SPENCE: Probably the pewter mug. Why Jack Daniel’s out of all the ones to collect? Lord, ma’am, I couldn’t tell you. I don’t drink Jack Daniel’s. I drink Early Times, it’s just a little bit smoother. But they own Jack Daniel’s, they bought them out in 1955—about the time I went into the Air Force; about the time I started drinking. Do you have a certain piece that is your favorite? I guess the crock in there, a good friend of mine gave it to me. Him and his wife and daughter came down and we was having a weenie roast and he goes, “Bob, I think you’re gonna wind up being a collector. I got something I’m gonna give you,” and the next day he brought me that jug. It’s over 100 years old; [from] back in the 1800s when Jack Daniel’s first started making whiskey. There’s one more in Middle Tennessee that I know of. I’ve been trying for years to get it and I haven’t got it yet. Is that piece worth the most money? I was offered $3,500. The man who offered it to me owns two antique stores in Lynchburg. I figured if it’s worth $3,500 to him then it’s worth that much to me. Is there any sort of official Jack Daniel’s museum with these types of things in it? I don’t know of one. I’ve had people come from the distillery and say they’d much rather go through this than go through Jack Daniel’s. Are the bottles still valuable even if the seals are broken on them? Oh, yes. I’ve got bottles in there I wouldn’t take $500 for. Do you have plans to sell any of it? No, I’ve got two daughters. When I buy something, I buy two of everything. So, that’s the way we collect. View more photos from the collection at boropulse.com. BOROPULSE.COM

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Farmers Market Education Series BY EDWINA SHANNON

The Season of Planning

inter is here, so who thinks about gardening in the cold months? Actually, many do. It is a good time to dream, think, then plan. Any landscape redesigns need a plan. Any new vegetable or flower beds need a plan. Without being out in the yard, with tools in the soil, how would you plan? To that question, I ask, “Well, what do you want to accomplish on your property?” Here are some questions that will give ideas of sections of your yard or your objectives that can be considered this season. Are the bushes that were planted when your home built now too large in proportion for your home? Do you need to have that landscape redone? What about the roses? Are the trees shading them too much? The shade garden is disappearing because the neighbor cut down his trees. So how are you going to rescue those plants? The opposite situation may exist: you have no shade. Other than shade, what else could you do with a tree? Housing for a bird, pollen for the pollinators? What about planting a native tree that does support the local wildlife? Why 20 * JANUARY 2018 * BOROPULSE.COM

not plant a tree that blooms at a different time than the others in your yard? Give the pollinators something to forage when they need it most. You want to start a vegetable garden and truly enjoy fresh produce this year? How and where would you choose a spot to get started? Then what? The gardens have been started, but have grown poorly. How can the soil be amended to provide stronger and more productive plants? After years of vegetable gardening, you are wanting to expand your taste buds and try new varieties. Would that change your garden layout? Instead of using flat ground, there is documented success with raised beds and square-foot gardening. The natives are suffering. Introduction and plantings of bushes and trees that are from other locales are upsetting the ecological balance of this area. The birds and the wildlife are finding it harder to live in nature as we change the nature of the area. (Think Kudzu as a very apparent invader.) All of these are great points to consider and review. Time for more research, and winter is a

fabulous time to read and watch videos. Educate yourself with the details so implementation in the spring has a plan. Readers will remember The Tennessee Smart Yards program, which was discussed throughout the winter months last year in this publication (those articles can be accessed online at boropulse.com). The info in the articles is still relevant and will include greater detail than the suggestions included in this month’s column. The February 2016 edition contained the Right Plant, Right Place article. Affecting Water Quality preceded it in the January edition. Searching for a Balance was in the November 2015 edition; that article discussed diversity within the ecosystem of an individual property. In choosing a plant, especially a bush or a tree, know its potential. How big can it get? How deep are the roots? I will mention in here that in assessing plants, realize they are supposed to grow. If you need something small, buy a plant that stays small. If you have something more grandiose in mind, plant it where it can grow. Be aware of power lines above and utilities below, including septic, and avoid those areas. As you are assessing next year’s garden projects, consider the runoff flow from your property—little or none is best. The importance of adhering to the guidelines of lawn and garden chemical application is apparent in residential and commercial runoff. Any excess chemical would flow with the water into the storm drains, which immediately affects the wildlife but also ultimately affects us. So consider water flow. Time for a plan. You have several options for a plan. The DIY will employ draftpaper and the area to size and in proportion. Professional help for your yard can be found at local garden shops and nurseries and landscape designers. Seed and nursery catalogs are idea makers, too. Winter is the season for planning. Have fun with the research!

Living Middle Tennessee Poultry Farm Suffers Devastating Fire

Once home to thousands of fowl, Poultry Hollow owner Judy Wood says the farm lost all but about a hundred chickens.

STORY AND PHOTOS BY BRACKEN MAYO

any Middle Tennesseeans, including numerous Murfreesboro residents with backyard chickens, have purchased birds and eggs from Poultry Hollow Hatchery, a family farm located in Smith County, about 40 miles northeast of Murfreesboro. Poultry Hollow housed and sold many different varieties of chickens, as well as ducks, guineas, turkeys and geese, eggs and frozen chickens and turkeys. However, in the early morning hours of Dec. 8, Poultry Hollow owner Judy Wood awoke to a nightmare. Looking out of her window before dawn that cool morning, Wood saw her barn, home to an estimated 2,000 animals, burning down. “It was totally engulfed in flames, the whole hollow was lit up like daylight,” she said. “My heart just sunk.” She called 911, called her son and business partner Todd Rutigliano, who lives near her house next to the hatchery, and then ran to the barn to try and save some of her birds. 22 * JANUARY 2018 * BOROPULSE.COM

Todd arrived shortly thereafter, cutting some wires allowing them to access the barn, where they were able to save some of the layers. “We have about a hundred chickens left,” Wood said a week after the fire. “All my quail, all my doves, all my guineas that were small and were still in the coop, all my pigeons—they’re all gone.” Wood said that she truly is grateful that the disaster did not hurt or kill any people, and that preventing even a small percent-

age of the birds from being burned to death meant a lot to her. “It’s better than nothing . . . It would have been even harder if it were everything,” she said. Wood also said that she has received “a ton of notes” from customers and friends, and that outpouring of support has helped keep her going, but that she has experienced an overwhelming sadness after losing the birds. “I’m taking it a day at a time,” she said. Wood continued saying Poultry Hollow will only receive about $15,000 from insurance for the lost barn, other surrounding buildings and all of the damaged equipment, not enough to even come close to replacing it, and only $1,000 for the 2,000 lost birds. As far as rebuilding, “A lot will involve what my grandsons want,” Wood said. Two of her grandsons, now in their early 20s, work with her at Poultry Hollow. At 73, Wood said she does not have the energy or ability to lead the rebuilding effort;

she would love to see her family take on the task of rebuilding the barn, restocking and keeping the hatchery going into a new chapter, but also understands that her grandsons may decide to move onto to other professional endeavors. “That’s what we’ll have to sit down and talk about,” Wood told the Murfreesboro Pulse. “It’s going to be a long process. I don’t know what we’re going to do.” Inspectors determined that the blaze began from a heat lamp in a brooder containing gold sexlink chicks, and a small crack in the brooder box allowed enough oxygen in to quickly feed the small fire. “I don’t know if I can pick myself up and wipe myself off this time,” Wood said. “I want to. But if I can’t, I’m going to be devastated.” For more on Poultry Hollow Hatchery, visit poultryhollow.org. Supporters can find a fundraising campaign for Poultry Hollow on gofundme.com.

ELECTION COVERAGE

NEW YEAR, NEW ELECTIONS A look at the 2018 Tennessee Governor’s Race

BY ELIZABETH TULLOS

he race to the governor’s mansion may be the most closely watched election for Tennessee in 2018. State Senator Mark Green (R-Clarksville) was first to file his candidacy for the gubernatorial election on Jan. 5, 2017. In the year since Green’s announcement, nine more candidates have stepped into the race; Green withdrew his candidacy after President Trump nominated him for United States Secretary of the Army (Sen. Green subsequently withdrew himself from consideration for that post as well). The incumbent, Governor Bill Haslam, is ineligible for reelection due to term limits. Gov. Haslam was first elected in 2010 and reelected in 2014. During the 2014 general election, Gov. Haslam defeated his Democratic opponent with 70.3 percent of the votes cast. In the 2010 race, Gov. Haslam defeated his opponents with 65 percent, or 1,041,545 votes, across the state. Gubernatorial candidates for the 2018 election hail from all corners of the state and state politics. From Speaker of the House Beth Harwell to former Nashville mayor Karl Dean, Middle Tennesseans will see several familiar names and a few new ones on their ballots for the August 2018 primary election. Many of the 2018 candidates list education as a top concern if elected governor of Tennessee. The State Collaborative on Reforming Education (SCORE) will host the 2018 Gubernatorial Forum on Education on Wednesday, Jan. 23, 2018 at the Belmont University Curb Event Center from 7–8 p.m.

FORMER STATE SENATOR MAE BEAVERS maebeavers.com

U.S. REPRESENTATIVE DIANE BLACK dianeblack.com

Former state Senator Mae Beavers of District 17 served in the Tennessee General Assembly from 1994–2002 as a representative and from 2003–17 as a senator. During her tenure in the General Assembly and on the campaign trail, Beavers has expressed her interests in banning sanctuary cities, repealing Gov. Haslam’s gas tax, defending Confederate statues and declaring pornography a public health crisis. A self-described Constitutional Conservative, Beavers announced her resignation from her Senate seat in August 2017 to focus on her gubernatorial campaign. Campaign finance laws restrict candidates from receiving funds while in office. If Beavers had remained in office, she would have been ineligible to receive campaign funds for the duration of the 2018 legislative session. Aside from her gubernatorial campaign, Beavers has made headlines for blocking constituents from communicating with her on Twitter.

Congresswoman Diane Black of Tennessee’s 6th Congressional district has held office since 1999. Rep. Black’s political career began in the state House of Representatives, where she served until joining the state Senate in 2005. In 2010, Rep. Black won the Republican primary for the Congressional seat vacated by Bart Gordon with 31 percent of the vote. Middle Tennesseans Lou Ann Zelnick and state Senator Jim Tracy both received 30 percent of the total votes. As a Congresswoman, Rep. Black has focused on repealing the Affordable Care Act, eliminating amnesty for illegal immigrants and de-funding Planned Parenthood. Rep. Black is currently one of the 25 wealthiest members of Congress. In December, Rep. Black announced she would step down from her role as House Budget Committee chairwoman to focus more on her gubernatorial campaign.

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RANDY BOYD randyboyd.com Randy Boyd began his career not as a politician, but as an entrepreneur, betting all of his savings on starting a dog fence company, Radio Fence. Boyd’s dedication and persistence paid off and the business was a major success. Radio Fence eventually led to the Invisible Fence brand and Radio Systems Corporation, which now exceeds annual sales of $400 million. In 2007, Boyd decided to give back to his Knoxville community by helping develop the Pond Gap Full Service Community School. Boyd’s passion for education did not go unnoticed; in 2012 Gov. Haslam appointed Boyd to an unpaid special advisor position on higher education. Boyd assisted in the creation of the Drive to 55 program and Tennessee Promise, which provides two years of community college or technical school to Tennessee seniors at no cost and no additional cost to taxpayers. While serving as Gov. Haslam’s Tennessee Economic and Development Commissioner, Tennessee saw the most new jobs created in the state’s history with 50,000 created jobs and $11 billion in capital investment. An avid runner, Boyd ran 537 miles across the state and visited all 95 counties to meet the voters and promote physical activity. His slogan has been “Run with Randy.”

MARK “COONRIPPY” BROWN twitter.com/coonrippy This year marks Mr. Brown’s second gubernatorial run in Tennessee. Brown first ran for governor in 2014 as a Republican to raise awareness for his pet raccoon, Rebekeh. A native of Gallatin, Brown had raised Rebekeh from a baby and treated her as a member of his family. However, Rebekeh was seized by the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency. After reaching out to Gov. Haslam, hiring a lawyer and receiving 64,000 signatures on a petition, his raccoon still was not returned to him. Subsequently Brown declared his candidacy for the highest office in the state. Gov.

Haslam defeated Brown in the primary elections, with Brown receiving 6.8 percent, or 44,165 votes, but this has not deterred him; Brown chose to run as an independent in the 2018 gubernatorial election.

FORMER NASHVILLE MAYOR KARL DEAN karldean.com Before joining the 2018 gubernatorial race, Karl Dean was best known for his two terms as mayor of Nashville. He was elected in 2007 and held office through 2015. During former mayor Bill Purcell’s terms, Dean served as Nashville’s Director of Law. From 1990 to 2002, he served as the public defender for the city. During his two terms as Nashville’s mayor, Dean led the city out of the Great Recession and the Flood of 2010 into an unprecedented economic boom. Under his leadership, Nashville experienced the thirdhighest job growth across metro areas in the United States. Dean’s projects as mayor included his work on the creation of the Music City Center, which to date has generated over $735 million dollars for Nashville. Dean believes that the biggest mistake of the state legislature in recent years was failing to vote to expand Medicaid in 2015 with Gov. Haslam’s InsureTN proposal. He also considers increasing teacher pay, ensuring all school districts receive resources they need, creating a thriving business environment in Tennessee and increasing access to healthcare in rural areas of the state as key priorities if elected governor. Until August 2017, Dean was the only Democrat that had announced candidacy for the 2018 gubernatorial election, having declared his candidacy in February 2017.

HOUSE MINORITY LEADER CRAIG FITZHUGH craigﬁtzhugh.com The representative of District 82 in Ripley since 1994, House Minority Leader Craig Fitzhugh is the only gubernatorial candidate in 2018 from West Tennessee. Leader Fitzhugh began his career with four years of active

duty service in the United States Air Force as a Captain in the Joint Advocate General (JAG) Corps after graduating from the University of Tennessee College of Law. Following his military service, Leader Fitzhugh returned to Ripley to practice law. He currently serves as the Chairman and CEO of the Bank of Ripley. In his 23 years at the Tennessee General Assembly, Leader Fitzhugh has advocated for public schools, sought to improve healthcare in rural parts of the state and led the House in pursuing Gov. Haslam’s InsureTN measure. Leader Fitzhugh previously chaired the House Finance, Ways and Means committee.

SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE BETH HARWELL bethharwell.com The first female Speaker of the House in Tennessee history, Beth Harwell has represented Tennessee’s 56th House district since 1988. Prior to joining the state legislature, Speaker Harwell taught as an associate professor at Belmont University and was a research analyst for the state Board of Regents. Speaker

Harwell earned her doctorate and master degrees in social science education from Vanderbilt University. As Speaker of the House since 2011, Speaker Harwell has maintained close involvement in Tennessee political issues. As governor, Speaker Harwell notes she would focus on defending the Second Amendment, fighting Tennessee’s opioid crisis, halting illegal immigration and boosting education.

BILL LEE billlee.com A political newcomer, Bill Lee stepped out of obscurity and into the race in April 2017. A lifelong native of Franklin, Lee still resides there on his family’s cattle farm. After attending Auburn University to study mechanical engineering, Lee returned to Williamson County to join Lee Company, a home services and construction company his grandfather founded in 1944. Lee purchased the company from his father in 1992 and became its president. Today, Lee Company has 1,200 employees and earns annual revenues of $215 million each year. In addition to his role at Lee Company, Lee maintains involvement in his family’s fourth-generation cattle

farm and served as the 7th Congressional District representative for the Tennessee Higher Education Commission. If elected governor, Lee says his priorities would be to reduce the tax burden and restrictions on businesses to promote economic growth, increase school choice and transparency and stand with law enforcement to keep Tennessee’s communities safe.

BASIL MARCEAUX republicaninarepublic.com As of presstime, Marceaux has not officially declared his candidacy for governor of Tennessee. However, in a recent interview, Marceaux explained he intends to file his candidacy on Jan. 5, 2018. Marceaux, a Republican, is no stranger to elections in Tennessee, having run in previous gubernatorial, state senate, U.S. Senate and U.S. House elections. A Marine veteran from Soddy-Daisy, Marceaux has cited recalling all permits and registrations for guns, removing all gold-fringed flags from the state and planting vegetation across Tennessee as key platforms in his previous campaigns.

KAY WHITE kaywhiteforgovernor.com A realtor of 25 years in Johnson City, Kay White announced her candidacy for governor last summer. White previously ran for the United States Congress in 1995 and 1997. Since then, she has stayed involved with politics by working on state and federal campaigns. In 2016, White served as a delegate from Tennessee at the Republican National Convention. Delegates are elected by state primary voters and confirmed by the state executive committee. White lists making teachers’ salaries more in line with administrators’ pay, the right as governor to approve surveillance of any suspicious activity, and vetoing any new proposed tax by the legislature as some of her key priorities if elected governor in 2018. She is the only 2018 gubernatorial candidate from Northeast Tennessee. Look to the February edition of the Pulse for information on the candidates running for Senator Bob Corker’s seat.

 ARTIST PROFILE

The Dragonﬂy

LIVING ON THE 1953 ART BUS

STORY AND PHOTOS BY SCOTT WALKER magine traveling the country in a bus that has a Volkswagen van for a topper. Imagine traveling the country with the idea of bringing art to everyone. That is what one family of four is doing. Heather Platen told me that her family has been all over the country on the bus, known as the Dragonfly, covered on all sides with colorful artwork. Keep in mind, this is not your average

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bus. The lower half is a 1953 Chevrolet bus purchased in South Dakota. The 1969 VW van was purchased, and added to the top, in New Mexico. The travelers have also been to Vermont, Baltimore and New York City, just to name a few stops. I ran into the family of four when they decided to make a pit stop in the community of Beechgrove, Tennessee. On board is Heather, her husband LeRoy Herr and their daughters,

ages 1 and 5. Together, they take their artwork into communities far and wide. The bus allows for a more self-sustainable lifestyle, and Heather commented that their family went off the grid to be in total control of their life. “We were able to provide everything that we needed and more by reducing our need for income,” Heather told me. “By living a more simple life we were able to access that ‘extra’ that we wanted to provide for our kids.”

ARTWORK PHOTOS BY HEATHER PLATEN

Art

LeRoy said that he likes for the bus to be a conversation starter that leads to important topics like self-sustainability, monetary slavery and more. Meanwhile, Heather talks about being creative with art with friends and other travelers they meet all over the country. Follow #dragonﬂybus on social media. To see more photos from Dragonfly Bus, visit smalltownbigworld.com.

Art

 THEATER

Tori Kocher as Tracy Turnblad

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CENTER FOR THE ARTS KICKS OFF 2018 SEASON WITH HAIRSPRAY THE BROADWAY MUSICAL, THROUGH JANUARY 21 THE CENTER FOR THE ARTS KICKS OFF ITS 2018 SEASON with Hairspray the Broadway Musical, co-directed by Denise Parton and Brittany Griffin. Performances run Jan. 5–21, 2018. Based on the 1988 film by John Waters, Hairspray is the story of Tracy Turnblad, who has never been part of the “in” crowd. After winning a coveted spot on the local TV dance program, The Corny Collins Show, she becomes a teen idol virtually overnight. Tracy quickly becomes a trendsetter and uses her popularity to help change the show’s segregation policy. With Belmont University’s Tori Kocher as Tracy Turnblad, Hairspray the Musical is chock-full of toetapping ’60s-style production numbers and downtown rhythm and blues. “After the show was cast, we had to cancel our rehearsal for Saturday, Oct. 28 because of the White Lives Matter rally that was scheduled to be held downtown,” Parton shares. “At one time, different races could not even dance together, like in Hairspray. We think we have come so far, but have we really?” Griffin states that her “favorite line in the show can be found in the hit song ‘You Can’t Stop the Beat.’ It says, You can’t stop today, as it comes speeding down the track. Child, yesterday is history and it’s never coming back. Cause tomorrow is a brand-new day and it don’t know white from black. I feel this is the message of the entire show. The old way of segregation and treating those different than you as less than, because you don’t understand them, needs to be left in the past with history. Murfreesboro experienced this on a personal level Oct. 28. Thankfully we stood together in love and kept the hate away. This show is a celebration of that.” Hairspray will take the stage at the Center for the Arts at 7:30 p.m. on Jan. 5, 6, 12, 13, 19 and 20; and at 2 p.m. on Jan. 7, 14 and 21. For tickets and more information, visit boroarts.org.

 POETRY

Cozy Up With an Online Poetry Periodical BY KORY WELLS IF YOU’VE READ THIS FLEDGLING column, you know its primary focus is local poets, poetry events and our city’s growing poetry community. But what if you want to start sampling contemporary poetry from the comfort of your fireside chair on a cold January night? There are hundreds of print publications and thousands of online literary journals to choose from. Here are a handful of websites that post poems on a daily or weekly basis. Sample a few, follow them on social media, or perhaps sign up for a free email subscription to the one you like best. With a goal of making it “easier for people to find poets and poetry they like,” Poetry Daily (poems.com) features a poem from a new book, magazine or journal issue each day. Working “to raise poetry to a more visible and influential position in our culture,” the Poetry Foundation (poetryfoundation. org) presents a Poem of the Day from its large archive of recent and past poetry. This site also presents collections of poems related to seasons, holidays and themes. Poem-a-Day (poets.org/poetsorg/poemday), published by the Academy of American Poets, features new work by primarily well-established poets each weekday. The poets also provide commentary on their work. On weekends, the site features classic poems. With a focus on “socially engaged poets,” Split This Rock (splitthisrock.org/ programs/poem-of-the-week-series) has a Poem of the Week series and also has a searchable database of poems with themes such as community, criminal justice, the environment, gender identity, mental health, violence and much more. Poem of the Week (poemoftheweek. org) is an online anthology of poetry that offers, in addition to a weekly poem, a variety of content such as audio and video recordings, author interviews, essays on poetics and sometimes even the first draft of selected poems. Founded by former Nashvillian Andrew McFayden-Ketchum, this publication also has a current local connection, as Murfreesboro poet Amie Whittemore serves as assistant editor. I’ll share some online literary magazines I particularly enjoy in a future

column. In the meantime, get out of that comfy chair and brave the cold for the January Poetry in the Boro on Sunday evening, Jan. 14, at Murfreesboro Little Theatre, 702 Ewing Blvd. Open mic signups start at 6:30 p.m. Featured readers Erin Elizabeth Smith and Sophia Stid will read at 7 p.m. Erin will be coming from Knoxville to join us—a first for this event to include a featured reader from outside the Middle Tennessee area. An hour of open mic follows a brief reception and book signing time. Full details are on Facebook. Murfreesboro poet Amie Whittemore is an MTSU English instructor and an assistant editor at Poem of the Week. Here’s a poem from her collection Glass Harvest, published by Autumn House Press.

SUNDRESS IN WINTER BY AMIE WHITTEMORE While I obsess over vanities

like should I henna my hair, my uncle lies in a hospital bed, thin as a ladder rung, fluid swallowing his lungs. A nurse preps him for surgery. Drains, needles, a giant straw of sorts— perhaps a funnel. Then weeks lying around, healing. And this kind of juxtaposition all the time. All the time. No wonder I like to erase myself with television. Prayer, though I’m the worst kind of suitcase, packed with sundresses in winter, lead me like morning. When I see my uncle, thin as a whisper, turn my scarlet hair into one of your flags. Kory Wells is principal founder of Poetry in the Boro. In June 2017 she was named the inaugural Poet Laureate of Murfreesboro as part of the city’s Arts Laureates program. Contact her at korywells@gmail.com.

Movies

plot points, such as the nerd finding bravery inside the body of Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson (who couldn’t), but the four main actors pull off the against-type quirks of their inner characters so well that the illusion is never broken and the joke stays fresh throughout (Jack Black is a scene-stealer). While each awkward teen struggles to cope with their new bodies and abilities, or lack thereof (the jock “Fridge” has a rough

time with Kevin Hart’s diminished stature and his main function as “backpack guy”), they all must survive the surreal elements of the game world: They have a limited number of lives, indicated by three lines tattooed in vanishing ink on their forearms. The people they encounter, as NPCs, have a limited script and often repeat their lines. Only the cartographer can read the map, telling the players where to go and which level they’re on. The constant referencing of the game’s rules solves one of the biggest disconnects in movies adapted from video games: pretending they’re not video games. The cartoonish action is justified and more fun for it, allowing our heroes to fail (sometimes fatally), and still the stakes remain high as the lines vanish, one by one, from each player’s arm. It’s a novel idea, and it works better than it should thanks to a director and writers with some decent credits to their names. Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle uses its namesake as springboard to make a new type of film with very familiar elements. And it may be the best “video game movie” to date. — JAY SPIGHT

do you think that’s going to be? If you thought “Celine Dion ripoff,” then this film may be perfect for you! I almost burst into laughter when Lind started singing a song that is nothing like anything an opera singer would sing. Hugh Jackman is great as P.T. Barnum. This role is right in his wheelhouse, and he is as charismatic as ever. Zac Efron and Zendaya are pretty good too, and their duet has easily the best choreography of the entire film. But the final big dance number is a clusterbomb of visuals. We get this big, long take where the camera is flying everywhere and people are dancing and animals are jumping around and

it’s just such a visual overload that you just don’t care about what’s going on. Speaking of animals, though, hey! Remember when they were introduced to the circus? If you watch this movie then neither will you, because they will just randomly be introduced in the final scene with no real rhyme or explanation. I guess one day Barnum woke up and said, “Lions and tigers and bears, oh my!” and then they were a thing. This film turns Barnum into an undisputed hero, and vilifies everyone who took issue with what he was doing. Barnum was a lot more complicated than that, but The Greatest Showman doesn’t take the time to investigate it. The protesters are all just people who hate the fact that Barnum was employing unique individuals, and the critic, played by Paul Sparks, is just a whiny old man who hates fun. The film speeds past the matter of how the “freaks” come to grips with making money to have people laugh at them. The Greatest Showman is the directorial debut of Michael Gracey, and boy, do I hope he can recover from it. I love me a good musical, but I have no intention of watching this one again anytime soon. — JOSEPH KATHMANN

JUMANJI: WELCOME TO THE JUNGLE DIRECTOR Jake Kasdan STARRING Dwayne Johnson, Kevin

Hart, Jack Black, Karen Gillan RATED PG-13

In a very 2017 kind of way, Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle is simultaneously a sequel to, and a reimagining and callous dismissal of, the 1995 film that first adapted the children’s book of the same name. If there is some clandestine band of rabid “Jumanjers” lying dormant in the outskirts of the most sub subreddit, I’m sure their childhood is ruined. WttJ unceremoniously acknowledges a board game version of Jumanji—found washed ashore by a runner and brought home to his son in 1996—then quickly magics the game into a video game cartridge. Cut 19 years to the present where a group of

high schoolers in detention find the dusty relic, and we’re off to the races. The film’s main conceit, and its biggest strength, has little to do with Jumanji itself, but rather that they are playing a video game. The film follows strict teen-flick stereotypes—there’s the nerd, the jock, the popular girl and the mousy girl—and subverts them with a body-swapping twist when they all choose characters. This usually serves predictable

THE GREATEST SHOWMAN DIRECTOR Michael Gracey STARRING Hugh Jackman, Zac

Efron, Zendaya, Rebecca Ferguson RATED PG

What happened here? I wanted to like this movie—a musical centered around the life of the great P.T. Barnum . . . featuring the lyricists for La La Land. Sign me up! What we got, though, was a superficial biopic-musical that does everything it can to skip past the more interesting and controversial aspects of Barnum’s life. If you’re just looking for a feelgood family flick, or are a big fan of Hugh Jackman, there may be enough here for you to have fun. But, if you’re looking for anything more than that, you’re gonna have to keep on looking, which is a shame. I wanted a (at least somewhat) in-depth investigation of the life of Barnum that really gets the nostalgia going, but all we get is a flat

and generic musical that makes Barnum out to be a hero and vilifies all who found what he was doing to be . . . less than commendable. As for the music, (you know, the most important part of a musical) it’s . . . okay. The big single, “This Is Me,” hits all the right notes, says all the right things, swells at the right moments and will inevitably be nominated for an Oscar, but the rest of the music is really lacking in my book. It’s just generic pop music, which feels very out of place here. Rebecca Ferguson plays the great opera singer Jenny Lind. She has a big solo number in the middle of the film. What kind of song

A CLASSIC

32 * JANUARY 2018 * BOROPULSE.COM

OUTSTANDING

AVERAGE

BELOW AVERAGE

AVOID AT ALL COSTS

DEAD

JANUARY RELEASES PLAYING THIS MONTH

JAN. 5  Insidious: The Last Key

JAN. 12  Paddington 2 The Commuter Proud Mary

JAN. 19  12 Strong: The Declassiﬁed True Story of the Horse Soldiers Den of Thieves Mom and Dad Forever My Girl

JAN. 26  Maze Runner: The Death Cure

STAR WARS: THE LAST JEDI DIRECTOR Rian Johnson STARRING Daisy Ridley,

Mark Hamill, Carrie Fisher, John Boyega, Adam Driver, Oscar Isaac, Kelly Marie Tran RATED PG-13

If you’re a somewhat big Star Wars fan (which is probably where I would categorize myself ), I think you’ll still like The Last Jedi. The megafans, though, are where the division lies. There are some things that happen in this episode that have upset a lot of people. Director (and writer) Rian Johnson was given an unprecedented level of freedom to make whatever he wanted with what will undoubtedly be the highestgrossing film of the year. I can respect Disney/Lucasfilm for doing that. The Last Jedi has its weaknesses, but the good moments of this film still outweigh the bad. Episode VII played things really safe. That’s J.J. Abrams’ style. He’s a crowdpleasing director. Episode VIII isn’t perfect, either, but it took risks. Johnson played fast and loose with the Star Wars lore, and I respect his vision of the universe more than Abrams’. The “new school” class of actors in The Last Jedi are awesome once again, even better than they were in The Force Awakens. Poe is still my personal favorite. Oscar Isaac is so charming and charismatic; I hope he ends up with a career as distinguished as someone like Harrison Ford. Domhnall Gleeson, who fueled one of my complaints from TFA, fills out his shoes far better here as General Hux. I like Hux in this movie. He’s not as awkward as he was the first time around, and the fact that he doesn’t have to deliver that really forced Hitler-like speech helps. The big newcomers, though? Benicio Del Toro, Laura Dern and Kelly Marie Tran are all great in their roles, though none of them

have very fleshed-out character arcs. John Williams knocks the score for The Last Jedi out of the park! There’s one sequence in particular involving the Millennium Falcon linked with a classic theme from Episode IV that made me grin from ear to ear. The cinematography is also fantastic. And if that sequence with the Falcon isn’t my favorite moment of the film, then this one is: an absolutely beautiful shot combined with a stunning moment of silence right in the middle of the climax of the film. Yes, silence! It’s a haunting and beautiful sequence. The set piece on the mineral planet was amazing. Thanks to the red salt against the white ground, we get some absolutely gorgeous shots throughout the segment. Kylo Ren has some great moments in this film. His character goes in a direction that I wasn’t fully expecting, and I love it. Give me more Kylo Ren! Mark Hamill plays Luke exceptionally well, and I really appreciated what his character goes through and I can’t wait to see what part he plays in Episode IX. There are some misfires in the film, though. One is with a rather large subplot involving Finn and Rose, which throws the pacing off. The worst misfire, though, is with Leia. Her entire story arc feels wrong and out of place, given what happened to the late, great Carrie Fisher (RIP). Fisher herself is great, but Leia has quite possibly the dumbest moment of the entire Star Wars saga (a saga which has also produced Jar Jar Binks and the casting of Hayden Christensen). The other major complaint I have is with the humor, especially surrounding Finn. He has a lot of forced gags in this film. I do believe The Last Jedi surpasses its predecessor overall because it doesn’t play things safe. I wish Johnson was directing Episode IX instead of Disney handing the reins back to Abrams. It could lead to a tonal mess between the three newer films. I really prefer the balls-to-the-wall creative style of Johnson. See The Last Jedi with confidence, but maybe temper your expectations just a tad. — JOSEPH KATHMANN

LIVING ROOM CINEMA column by NORBERT THIEMANN

facebook.com/livingroomcinema

Referenced Murders The fictitious killers from these films are well read, and kill with literary intent.

 Seven (a.k.a. Se7en) (1995) is directed by David Fincher. Two detectives become aware that the killer they’re pursuing is basing his murders on the Biblical seven deadly sins. Seven launched David Fincher’s career as a well respected director, and rightly so.  The Abominable Dr. Phibes (1971) is directed by Robert Fuest, and stars Vincent Price. A bitter genius seeks revenge on the doctors whom he feels are responsible for the death of his wife. The 10 plagues of Egypt are selected for his murderous inspiration. The Abominable Dr. Phibes is wonderfully campy and boasts a fantastic set design. It’s a true cult classic.  Dr. Phibes Rises Again (1972) is directed by Robert Fuest, and stars Vincent Price. Dr. Phibes is back again in a proper sequel. Having completed phase one, he now seeks to resurrect his beloved wife. Anyone who gets in the way will suffer a death based on Egyptian mythology. The ending is wildly rewarding.  Theatre of Blood (1973) is directed by Douglas Hickox, and stars Vincent Price. A scorned Shakespearean actor takes revenge on his critics by using the murders from various plays as his benchmark. It’s best to give Theatre of Blood a good review, if only for self preservation. Luckily, any praise is well deserved.

Food

THE DISH

Read more about local restaurants at

BoroPulse.com/Category/Food

NAME: City Cafe LOCATION:

CITY CAFE

113 E. Main St. PHONE: 615-893-1303 HOURS: Monday–Satur-

day, 6 a.m.–2 p.m. Lunch: 10:30 a.m.–2 p.m.

COST:

Dining at Murfreesboro’s Longest-standing restaurant

Meat and 3: $7.95; 4 Vegetable Plate: $6.50; Large Bowl of Beans with Cornbread: $4.25; Cheeseburger: $3.95; Fried Bologna Sandwich: $2.95; 3 Slices of Bacon or 2 Sausage Patties and One Egg (with biscuits and gravy): $4.50

STORY BY DYLAN SKYE AYCOCK

ou can find a City Cafe in many towns across America—the type of place that brews its first pot of coffee before sunrise and shuts off the fryers before people clock out of work. Before stepping inside the black-andwhite-tiled restaurant, located just east of the Murfreesboro Public Square, you will catch a glimpse of a quaint storefront with a striped awning. Patrons wait for friends and family to arrive while seated on a bench on the sidewalk that borders Murfreesboro’s Main Street. The charm unique to City Cafe is genuine; the original store opened in February of 1900 where Bink’s Outfitters is now located. Though management and staff have changed over time—from the Cantrells and Coopers to the Simpsons and Perkinses— current owners Tammy Greer and Teresa Kellogg maintain the tradition surrounding Murfreesboro’s oldest restaurant. Each customer is greeted with a “good morning” or “y’all can have a seat wherever you like.” Cafe regulars elicit a different greet36 * JANUARY 2018 * BOROPULSE.COM

ing, such as “coffee’s coming right up.” Other than the occasional lull between early risers and the lunch crowd, the restaurant is far from a quiet locale; it is where people gather for rowdy conversation and a hot meal. Depending on where you sit, you will likely see photographs of Murfreesboro over the decades or a menu dating back a century. Long gone are the days, though, when items like oatmeal, eggs and coffee rang up for less than 25 cents. City Cafe serves up three types of fares: breakfast, meat-and-three items and American standards like hamburgers and patty melts. Although breakfast is served for most of the day, 10:30 a.m.–1 p.m. is the sweet spot for ordering any item on the menu. Beginning at 6 a.m., City Cafe is a breakfast lover’s dream, with offerings ranging from giant platters like the “Big Daddy” (country ham, three eggs, hash browns, fried apples and two biscuits with gravy) and “Lil Mama,” to combos with various breakfast meats, eggs and biscuits. The a la carte section allows customers to customize

their feast with hash browns, grits, oatmeal and toast. During lunch hours, meat and vegetables vary throughout the week. Entrees like fried chicken, Salisbury steak, chicken and dumplings, meatloaf and various sandwiches appear often, while items like catfish (fried or grilled) shrimp or salmon are typically served on Fridays. They also offer ample options of vegetables daily, such as turnip greens, mashed potatoes and gravy, green beans, okra, cream corn and pinto beans. As for dessert options, you can wash down a slice of chess pie or hot fudge cake with a bottle of MTSU’s white or chocolate milk, which the university began bottling last year. In recent years, the restaurant has added shakes and floats to the menu. The cafe’s impact on Murfreesboro has even been depicted in works of local literature, including Charles B. Arnette’s From Mink Slide to Main Street, and more recently True Stories (and Other Lies) Told at the City Cafe. The latter is a collection of conversations and monologues as told by one of the

establishment’s regulars, Henry Matthew Ward. According to Ward’s retellings, the restaurant’s round “community tables” are a place where anyone can sit down to share stories and jokes over a cup of coffee. His 209-page book includes nearly 100 stories collected over his 50 years of patronage, as well a brief history and photographs. If you’re looking for a slice of Southern charm, you would be remiss to not stop at City Cafe for breakfast or lunch. While dining there, browse the various newspaper clippings, old menus and photographs that hang throughout the cafe. And if you’re feeling especially chatty, sit down at one of the community tables for lively conversation and a cup of Joe. But beware . . . your stories just might make it into a book one day. City Cafe celebrates its anniversary each year with birthday cake and discounted prices on certain items, so stop by for its 118th birthday celebration on Feb. 10. The restaurant’s daily special can be found at facebook.com/citycafe.murfreesboro.

RECIPE

BY CHANTELL KENNEDY-SHEHAN

AFTER THE HOLIDAYS we are all on the lookout for nutrient-rich foods that are filling and healthy. This dish is perfect for a balanced dinner with pork or chicken, or as a delicious lunch.

Roasted Winter Vegetable Quinoa INGREDIENTS: 2 cups small diced butternut squash 2 cups quartered brussel sprouts ½ small onion, chopped 2 cups cooked quinoa ½ cup sliced almonds ½ cup dried cranberries olive oil salt and pepper lemon juice DIRECTIONS: TOSS butternut squash, brussel sprouts and onion with olive oil and season. ROAST at 400ºF until tender.

REMOVE from oven PLACE in a bowl with remaining ingredients. TOSS with lemon juice as desired and additional olive oil. SERVE warm or chilled. VARIATIONS: Serve as a side, or top with roasted pork loin or grilled chicken. Add fresh arugula with warm or chilled quinoa for an extra kick. Pack in the nutrients with chopped kale, fresh or lightly sautéed. Not a fan of quinoa? Try substituting farro, barley or even brown rice.

Chantell is the chef and owner of Simply Pure Sweets, located on Walnut Street in downtown Murfreesboro. While she truly loves her sweets, she strives to provide light and fresh lunch options that are simple, flavorful and nutritious. Great tasting food doesn’t need to be complicated, so keep it simple and enjoy!

AROUND TOWN ’BORO BUSINESS BUZZ

Dallas and Jane, Party Fowl, Title Boxing Club, Bubba Gandy Seafood, Love Thai Sushi

Tennessee locations already in Columbia and Jackson, announced in a Facebook post it intends to open its Murfreesboro location by the end of February. The seafood market will offer fresh Gulf fish, shrimp, crabs, scallops, oysters, crawfish, homemade Cajun foods and more to the ’Boro; Bubba Gandy plans to announce the location soon.

BY MICHELLE WILLARD As a fan of local Chef Alex Belew, it was with great excitement that I read his Dec. 26 Facebook post announcing DALLAS AND JANE, his new restaurant. “With much joy, humility, anxiety and excitement, I welcome you all to Dallas and Jane,” he said. All I can say is: finally. After 20 years of dreaming and scheming, Belew will bring his champagne menu on a beer drinker’s budget to north Murfreesboro. Belew said he signed a lease for 352 W. Northfield Blvd., the former location of The Hoof (which I was sad to see close recently). Belew plans to move his catering operation from The Grove at Williamson Place into the new space over the first week of the year. “We will open for breakfast and lunch in May of 2018. In the meantime, we will be open for private events, pop-up dinners, catering, chef series dinners and so much more,” Belew said. MORE NEW PLACES TO EAT PARTY FOWL softly landed in Murfreesboro the day after Christmas. Marking the second location for the Nashville-based poultry shop, the restaurant at 127 SE Broad St.—the building that previously housed Brew U, Fairways, Coach’s Grill, Puerto Vallerta and other establishments—opened for real on New Year’s Day. Party Fowl specializes in Nashville Hot Chicken, beer and sports. Dishes include nachos, Cuban sandwiches, po’ boys, and all forms of hot chicken from tenders to salads. In mid-December it got a whole lot easier to find craft beers in Smyrna. THE CASUAL PINT opened its doors at 427 Sam Ridley Pkwy. in the multi-tenant commercial development anchored by Kroger. A franchise of the Knoxville-based craft beer market, the Smyrna location offers 32 beers on tap with 19 dedicated to Tennessee breweries. Another 270 beers are available for purchase in the market. SHONEY’S on South Church opened with

38 * JANUARY 2018 * BOROPULSE.COM

Out in the Barfield area, a new strip mall has opened up on South Church Street that is home to SEOUL PEPPER KOREAN RESTAURANT, PAPA JOHN’S PIZZA, FRENCH TWIST and OSCAR’S TACOS.

a new look and new menu. The dining room was completely remodeled. And while some of Shoney’s favorites remain on the menu, the restaurant has added some upscale items to the menu, including grilled chicken with cucumber and cranberry relish, lemon pepper chicken, shrimp and grits and some brand-new desserts. This isn’t your grandmother’s Shoney’s. Another popular chain, DUNKIN’ DONUTS, has opened a location on Medical Center Parkway. The new doughnut and coffee shop is located in front of Embassy Suites.

What was once a BP gas station will soon be a TWICE DAILY SHELL station with a WHITE BISON COFFEE SHOP.

I’ve watched as the old BP on the corner of Old Fort Parkway and John Rice Boulevard has been torn down and another building rebuilt. One day I thought to myself, “Now, why does a gas station need a drive-thru window?” Well, it needs one when it is also a coffee shop. Learn more at whitebisontn.com. Meanwhile, BUBBA GANDY SEAFOOD MARKET, a Florida-based company with

Different dining options are sprouting up all over this winter. Christiana has a sushi and Thai restaurant. Yes, you read that right. Located at 6177C Epps Mill Rd. in Christiana, LOVE THAI SUSHI is now open and serving fresh fish to southern Rutherford County. It’s just off I-24, so there’s really no excuse not to go. If you don’t want to drive out to Christiana or cook, Murfreesboro has a new option for you. Called MURFREESBORO MUNCH, the business sells healthful, clean, proteinrich prepared meals for a bargain price. Each meal includes a high-quality protein, grain or carb and vegetables that are packaged for quick warming in adequate portions to meet nutritional needs. Find menus at murfreesboromunch.com. OWN A MARKET IN MILTON When I was a kid, my family would trek up to Milton from the wilds of Christiana a few times a year for Cajun fixins and music at MANUEL’S CAJUN COUNTRY STORE. Over the years, the store played host to concerts by Alabama, Alan Jackson and Merle Haggard as well as offering delicious food from southern Louisiana. It’s been more years than I care to admit since it closed, but the building that was the heart of Milton is ready for a new owner. It will be auctioned to the highest bidder at 10 a.m. Feb. 17. You can bid online at bobparksauction.com/auctions or in person on the day of the auction. LINGERIE, BOXING If you need something new to sleep in, try SIMPLE PLEASURES. The locally owned sleepwear and lingerie shop is now open on Thompson Lane near the Juice Bar. It offers

classic silhouettes in lush fabrics. Learn more at simplepleasuressleepwear.com. Looking for a new workout in the New Year? TITLE BOXING CLUB is now open on the second floor of a new building near Embassy Suites and Vintage, in The Gateway. The fitness club encourages its members to “beat up a bag, relieve stress and feel truly alive.”

measuring an estimated 20,000 to 25,000 square feet, at the northwest corner of South Church Street and Volunteer Road. CLOSINGS CORNER As mentioned, THE HOOF has closed to business. The restaurant that once offered southern barbecue and farm-fresh sides has closed its doors. Smyrna’s LGBT+ bar (yes, there was one) CHAMELEON’S LOUNGE closed Dec. 16 after 10 years in business. The owners thanked its patrons for all the years and for making Chameleon’s Rutherford County’s longest-running and only alternative bar. December was a bad month for Stones River Mall. Both VERSONA and JEWELL FASHION OBSESSION announced they were closing. No word yet on what might move into those spaces. THE BEST FOR LAST UNCLE NEAREST PREMIUM WHISKEY announced it is planning a distillery,

Speaking of health, MURFREESBORO MEDICAL CLINIC is looking to expand with an office on the south side of Murfreesboro. MMC announced plans for an office,

tasting room and music venue for the historic Tennessee Walking Horse farm and event center in Shelbyville. The company will build on the 270-acre Sand Creek Farms to restore it to its former glory days.

Several of the current buildings on the property will be converted for distillery operations. A large hay barn is being reworked into a 3,500-barrel rickhouse, and the largest building on the property will be expanded to include a gift shop and tasting room. A 300-foot former horse barn is being converted into the Nearest Green History Walk. Guests leaving the visitor center will be guided to walk through the interactive gallery that will tell the history of African-

American contributions to the whiskey industry, as well as the history of Nearest Green, Jack Daniel’s first master stiller. Plans also include reimagining the current 600seat arena into a private concert venue for country music artists. If you have a tip about a new business coming to town, an old one closing, complaints, or other Murfreesboro business news, contact Michelle @michwillard on Twitter or michelle.willard@gmail.com.

MTSU associate professor Iris Gao, left, the lead researcher in the USDA grant to study ginseng, oversees the lab work being performed by graduate student Shannon Smith.

SMOKIN’ BUTTZ

Contact us for your next festival, catering event, lunch, dinner, family cookout, wedding or office party. Facebook / Instagram / Twitter @smokinbuttz, smokinbuttzbbq.com

KONA ICE OF MIDDLE TENNESSEE

Treat your taste buds to the most amazing ﬂavored shaved ice.

Lemon Lime a-licious, Blue Raspberry, Wild Watermelon, Groovy Grape, Strawberry, Orange, Pina-Colada and many more flavors available. Call 615-971-0092 for today’s location.

THE HOLY SMOKER Ribs, Fish, Pulled Pork, Hot Dogs, Loaded Potato Chips Elder Jimmy L. Tyson, owner Find us on Facebook / 615-480-5818

For more on including your truck’s information in this section, contact (615) 631-5768 or leslie@boropulse.com.

40 * JANUARY 2018 * BOROPULSE.COM

PHOTO BY J. INTINTOLI

Providing slow smoked BBQ to Middle Tennessee; Pulled Pork - Pulled Chicken Loaded Potatoes

USDA Grant to Assist MTSU Study of Ginseng, Tennessee’s ‘Green Gold’ A special $148,000 U.S. Department of Agriculture grant for Middle Tennessee State University researchers to experiment with ginseng will improve farmers’ income across the state and conserve wild ginseng, considered an endangered species, in Tennessee. The USDA has provided MTSU’s Tennessee Center for Botanical Medicine Research with this grant to demonstrate the viability of cultivated ginseng

in Tennessee from improved techniques reducing growing time, increasing propagation success and determining ideal farming techniques, said associate professor Iris Gao, the project’s lead researcher. “This grant will not only determine best practices, but will support planting of as many as 100 acres of ginseng in Tennessee, depending on participation by growers. This could add $4 million in farm profit annually once the harvest is normalized,” said Gao, who added Tennessee farmers earn about $620 per acre from corn, but the same land yields more than $40,000 per acre when planted with ginseng—the U.S.’s green gold. Research will take place in MTSU laboratories and in a remote area in Tennessee. Assisting Gao will be graduate student Shannon Smith, who started Oct. 1. Ginseng normally takes seven years to grow outdoors, but MTSU lab research methods are effectively shortening the growth time by about two years, said Gao, a School of Agribusiness and Agriscience faculty member. The program’s ginseng will be sourced from wild stock and maintain the same potency and market price as wild-grown ginseng, which is much greater

than the field-cultivated roots, Gao said. For those in Tennessee who want to grow wild-simulated ginseng, a best-practices manual will be developed specifically for Tennessee ginseng growers, along with bimonthly seminars and expert advice. This program will also lead to a development of an addedvalue certification to validate the medicinal potency of harvested ginseng root. Nineteen states can legally harvest and trade ginseng, with the top three producers being Kentucky, North Carolina and Tennessee. In Tennessee, it can be harvested from Sept. 1 to Dec. 31 for resale or to transport across state lines. The buying season for green roots is Sept. 1 to March 31, and Sept. 15 to March 31 for dry roots. The Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation’s Ginseng Program office, has endorsed this grant, and Andrea Bishop, who is a recovery biologist, will monitor and assist in the dissemination of program information. For more information on the Tennessee Center for Botanical Medicine Research, visit mtsu.edu/tcbmr.

Opinion Live Exceptionally...Well! BY JENNIFER DURAND

SURROUND YOURSELF WITH SUCCESS Be intentional about who you spend your time with. Choose figures, friends and role models that align with your life goals. There are lots of people who have done what you want to do. Most people are happy to share their stories with you. Ask.

ost people like feeling well as opposed to not—but how can you make this happen more consistently? How can you take being well to another level in your life? Wellness, by definition, is “the quality of being healthy in body and mind, especially as the result of a deliberate effort.” The second definition goes even deeper as it states wellness is “an approach to health care that emphasizes preventing illness and prolonging life, as opposed to emphasizing treating disease.” Traditionally, our society’s approach to wellness has been to wait until we feel ill, then go to the doctor to treat the illness versus taking daily, deliberate steps to keep our minds and bodies in shape. It is far too easy to be consumed with doing rather than being. We can get caught up in a whirlwind of activity, choices and decisions not only for ourselves but family members, coworkers and friends. Without guarding and guiding your thoughts and overall well being first, this can lead to a less-thansatisfying existence.

PRACTICE WHAT YOU PREACH Make sure you are living the life you talk about. Think about the advice you give to others. Are you practicing that in your own life? If it is not adding to the greater good, rethink your strategy.

10 WAYS TO BE

WELL-THY 10

“Health is a state of body, wellness is a state of being.” — J. Stanford Here are a few simple daily steps to master being well-thy and living a more enriched and vibrant life!

REST Allow for adequate rest. Solid sleep at night allows your mind to stop and your body to replenish. Clarity of mind, skin tone and metabolism are just a few things that are enhanced. Studies show these are maximized by having a minimum of 7–9 hours each evening for adults and even longer for children and teens. Power naps or short bursts of rest during the day are also encouraged, in addition to a good night’s sleep.

BREATHE Breathing with intention (paying attention to your breath for an expected outcome) should be practiced multiple times throughout the day. Stop all other activity to focus on inhaling deeply and fully, then exhaling slowly, deliberately. The goal 42 * JANUARY 2018 * BOROPULSE.COM

LAUGH Watch or read something funny. Laugh, laugh, laugh. To quote from the movie Arthur when he just bursts out laughing without solicitation, “Sometimes I just think funny things!” Laughter really is the best medicine.

here is to expand the chest, diaphragm and belly. This opens up oxygen flow, improves posture, skin tone, weight and stimulates cell renewal.

MEDITATE Take 10 minutes in the morning to shape your day. Keep it simple and use the rule of three: think of three things you are grateful for, and three goals to accomplish today. Setting goals to thrive can go a long way in building confidence, eliminating stress and harboring negativity. Set your intention. Happiness is a choice. Be active with your intention in how your day will go. Think on these things. Then go do them!

EAT WELL Eat things that make you feel energized rather than lethargic. I don’t even have to tell you what that is. You know the difference in your body, within minutes after eating or drinking, whether

or not it is good for your well-being and not just a false sense of good for the moment. Smaller meals throughout the day tend to work best. Portions no larger than the size of your fist are a good measuring tool to go by.

DRINK Lots of water, that is! Water is the natural lubricant of the body and keeps things functioning more smoothly. How much is good, you ask? Take your body weight and divide by two. That’s how many ounces of water you should drink daily. Room temperature water is excellent and best supports the digestive system.

PLAY Plan some play time. Roll around with the dog. Ride a bicycle. Shoot some hoops. Dance. Planned play time will help increase creativity and enjoyment and will reduce tension and stress in body, mind and spirit.

BE OPEN Embrace possibility, flexibility, variety, tradition, change, life. Don’t close yourself off and be limited or limiting. You don’t have to dive into something new and different all the time. Just be open to yourself and to others. Allow the process of life to unfold and be sure you’re paying attention when it does. What we need really isn’t all that complicated. What have you done to live a wellthy life? Please share, I’d love to know. “There is no one giant step that does it. It’s a lot of little steps.” — Sagewood Wellness Center Jennifer Durand is the owner and operator of The Nurture Nook Day Spa & Gift Shoppe; she is a certified QiGong and Breathe Empowerment instructor, a skin care and makeup specialist, an InterPlay leader and is licensed in massage therapy, body work and somatic integration. Let her help you find your personal “ahh . . .” factor by visiting nurturenook. com or facebook.com/nurturenookdayspa or by calling (615) 896-7110.

Tax Plan Benefits All Americans Immediately

y wife called me at work not long after President Trump signed the recent tax bill into law. She asked me if we would be getting a tax cut or a tax hike. It was an interesting question, and one for which I did not have an answer. There are myriad tax calculators that have popped up since the tax bill debate began. I hadn’t used any of them.

I’m not faulting you if you have. It’s only natural to be curious about how such a massive overhaul will affect you. The question is does that determine your support or opposition to the new law? It shouldn’t. There’s a fundamental question that needs to be asked. Does our tax system maximize our economy, or is it a drag on economic prosperity? How it affects each of us personally is inconsequential. The answer to that question is this tax law goes a long way in stimulating an economy that has been, until Trump won the presidential election, sluggish. The stimulation since the election has been running on anticipation. That anticipation only takes an VIEWS OF A economy so far until hope turns to disappointment and the economy falters again. COLUMN BY Now the economy has something concrete to PHIL VALENTINE believe in. Companies like AT&T and Comcast philvalentine.com immediately announced rank-and-file end-of-theyear bonuses. Other companies launched plans for massive expansion and infusion of cash into the economy. Try as they may to pit all classes against the rich, marketwatch.com posted graphs that told the true story. The people who would be paying the largest percentage of tax hikes were those making more than $1 million per year. The vast majority of taxpayers, even the rich, would get a tax cut. Of course, the liberals always concentrate on the rich. What these same liberals don’t tell you is the rich pay most of the taxes. They lament the fact that those making $20,000 or less get the smallest tax cut. Most of those people don’t pay taxes at all anyway. Hard to give someone a tax break when they don’t pay taxes. What really grinds the gears of the leftists is the corporate tax reduction. That corporate tax will fall from 35 percent to 21 percent. They drone on about the “rich corporations” like they’re some individual fat cat who’s going to skate. Taxes are simply another business expense to a corporation. Cut taxes and you cut expenses. Cut expenses and chances are you’ll see prices go down. Liberals seem to understand this concept when it comes to gasoline costs. They talk about how higher prices at the pump will translate into higher prices at the grocery store. The same principle applies to the high cost of taxes. But let’s assume the liberals are right and these evil corporations will simply take that tax break and give it to their rich CEOs. Those CEOs will pay taxes on that money at a rate of 37 percent in addition to the corporate rate of 21 percent. Liberals should be happy, but, as we know, they seldom are. And as we’ve seen, corporations are already passing along the windfall to their employees and reinvesting in the company. That should convert even the most ardent skeptic. Only those who are purely political can witness that and remain unswayed. How does the new GOP tax law affect you personally? Whether you get a direct tax cut or not is inconsequential. What matters is that a rising tide lifts all boats. No matter what floats your boat politically, this tax cut will be good for us all.

CONSERVATIVE

“AT&T and Comcast immediately announced rank-and-file end-of-the-year bonuses. Other companies launched plans for massive expansion and infusion of cash into the economy.”

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

Opinion MURFREESBORO CITY COUNCIL PREPARES A GOLDEN PARACHUTE FOR OUTGOING MANAGER ROB LYONS The

STOCKARD REPORT BY SAM STOCKARD ENTERING A NEW YEAR, the Murfreesboro City Council is searching for a new city manager while paying its old one to do nothing. It’s good work if you can get it. Rob Lyons resigned from the post Dec. 15, purportedly to pursue other job opportunities. But while he’s looking for new employment he won’t have to worry about paying his bills because he’ll get enough money from the city to equal a full year’s salary, more than $173,100. Consistent with Lyons’ contract, city officials say, he got six months of salary totaling $86,906 and $8,903 for citypaid medical and dental coverage. In addition, he’s netting $67,276 for 100 unused vacation days, a pretty sweet perk for people who leave LYONS city employment. Most private businesses don’t allow people to build up vacation and personal time, and if he had 100 days built up, he either worked too much over the last 20 years or the city’s vacation policy is too fat. Of course, most businesses don’t give severance packages to people who resign, either. But who’s counting? Shortly before the council approved the deal for Lyons, Assistant City Attorney Adam Tucker told city leaders the former city manager had no objections. And why would he? Tucker also said the buyout was “consistent” with the steps spelled out in Lyons’ contract. Lyons’ contract, however, clearly states if the city terminates the employee without cause, the city shall be obligated to pay him the six-month severance plus other benefits. Lyons wasn’t terminated but submitted a letter of resignation. The contract further states, “In the event the employee voluntarily resigns his 44 * JANUARY 2018 * BOROPULSE.COM

position with the city for other than good reason, the employee shall provide a minimum of 60 days written notice unless the parties agree otherwise. Employee shall not use accrued vacation leave during such notice period unless the parties agree otherwise.” Lyons’ personnel information shows none of “otherwise” agreements, and good reason includes only a decrease in pay, change in job title or responsibilities and “Any substantial breach of this agreement by the city.” So unless the city thought it breached the contract, somewhere it needs to turn up these agreements for Lyons to leave with a nice gift. For those who’ve never been through a buyout, the experience can be unsettling, to say the least. Having a job, no matter how crappy, is usually better than being unemployed. But Lyons, despite any uncertainty, should be able to pay his electric bill while he’s pursuing other opportunities. And, who knows, he might have landed a job somewhere McFARLAND else already. After all, he’s not leaving office under any official cloud. Part of his severance says he’s not aware of any illegal activity within city government, and Mayor Shane McFarland says Lyons isn’t being investigated for unethical behavior or involved in authorizing any illegal or unethical behavior, even though numerous rumors are circulating. Apparently, it boils down to a loss of confidence by the City Council. The city’s elected leaders simply couldn’t trust Lyons to get the job done the way they wanted, so

they said goodbye. Lyons’ career as city manager here began to crumble some time back, but started coming to a close in early July when now-former Human Resources Director Glen Godwin resigned in the midst of a city pay and benefits study. Things worsened for Lyons when now-former Police Chief Karl Durr resigned in mid-October, just as local authorities were preparing for a white supremacist rally planned for the Public Square. Durr’s exit had something to do with the resignation of MPD Public Information Officer Kyle Evans, who left the force to practice law, but might have been promised a position working part-time in the city legal department and at MPD. Durr also might have been spending too much time doing things other than guiding the police department. Anyway, the city manager is responsible for hiring the HR director and the police chief. And when those two go awry, it doesn’t bode well for the guy at the top. The question is: Why did the City Council give Lyons a decent performance evaluation in September accompanied by a 3 percent raise when they were losing confidence in him? The answer: They just couldn’t bring DURR themselves to do it. Some might call that having a short supply of guts. Others would say they were being prudent. At that point, Durr hadn’t resigned, so they didn’t have quite enough ammunition. They were probably also just beginning to find out the Murfreesboro Police building project on Highland Avenue was going to cost $2 million more than expected. Some council members say it’s a lot more over the projected amount than that, maybe more than $10 million.

“No matter what the final cost, taxpayers are on the hook in fiscal year 2018. So as the search starts for a new city manager, the first question the City Council needs to ask is: Can you stop spending so much damn money? Murfreesboro residents are not Daddy Warbucks.”

No matter what the final cost, taxpayers are on the hook in fiscal year 2018. So as the search starts for a new city manager, the first question the City Council needs to ask is: Can you stop spending so much damn money? Murfreesboro residents are not Daddy Warbucks. And they need to look in the mirror, too, because people who quit don’t deserve a golden parachute. This was a buyout, not a resignation, unless the city can produce documentation showing otherwise.

POLICE BUILDING COSTS ESCALATE

The city of Murfreesboro has provided three sets of costs for the Murfreesboro Police building under construction/renovation on North Highland Avenue since midNovember, when I made an open records request for the figures. The first response showed costs at about $53 million, the second one at $54.8 and the third one at $55.7. Maybe they were so busy firing Rob Lyons they didn’t have time to put together a cohesive answer. Even worse is that those total expenses for the building kept coming with discrepancies in projected costs from the outset and changes in numbers from bond funds used to pay for them. Boiling it down: City Council members didn’t know how much it was costing. And that’s a big problem. The first set of figures provided by the city showed the consultant in charge of the renovation had projected the total costs at $46.6 million, including land acquisition, architectural and engineering fees, furniture, etc. The problem is the construction contract alone with Bell & Associates is for $46.1 million, which meant about a $7 million overrun. Questioned about that, city officials said, well, maybe that first projection didn’t include the land purchase and those other expenses. OK, fine. But one local news report from 2015 showed the consultant, Kennon Calhoun Workshop, estimating the construction project at $36 million, which would have left about $10 million to hit that $46.6 million projection. Some City Council members also recall hearing cost estimates in the $40 million range and some even lower. Besides that, information the city has put out on bond funding for the project contains conflicting numbers. In late summer, the City Council was considering borrowing $2.7 million in 2018, as part of

a much bigger bond total, to wrap up the police building. The latest figures, though, show the city needs to borrow $6.14 million to finish the job.

IS ANYBODY GETTING CONFUSED YET?

Finally, Mayor Shane McFarland told someone at City Hall to show him the money. And those figures detail the project costing a total of $55.7 million, about $1.7 million more than the $54 million the city had in bond funds to finish her up. McFarland says the city will have to pay cash and then go to the bond market for a wrap. He also says the city is going to have to do a much better job at setting a budget and sticking with it on these big projects, while acknowledging renovation of the former Murfreesboro Medical Clinic came

with unexpected costs. Ten years from now, nobody will care or remember. But $2 million is a pretty big miss. And based on some of these other projections, someone missed by about $10 million. It wouldn’t be shocking to see some more heads roll over this one.

land near Gunnerson Avenue. It looked like something out of a Lethal Weapon movie, with about 20 police cars, blue lights on and multiple officers lined up handling the scene. Word had it there was some kind of shooting. Then, suddenly, as if someone snapped their fingers, officers started walking back to their cars.

MPD KNOWS HOW TO RESPOND

WAS IT A FALSE ALARM? PARTLY.

My wife and I were sitting there minding our own business, finishing a meal recently at the La Siesta on Greenland Drive when we saw, not one, not two, not three, but 12 police cars screaming down Greenland toward the local college. We paid the tab and, being the inquiring types, we tooled on down Greenland toward the scene, parking at the store just off Green-

According to the police report, someone at a Gunnerson Avenue apartment called in a domestic disturbance report earlier. The boyfriend involved in the argument left the apartment, and when a police officer arrived and knocked on the door, someone inside thought it was the boyfriend coming back. A man reportedly fired a weapon, which apparently made the police officer think he was

shooting at him. And out came the cavalry. Police questioned the man about firing the weapon, but there was no word early on about whether he would be charged. Clearly it wasn’t the brightest thing to do, considering children and three other adults were in the house. But, heck, when you’re dealing with mad boyfriends you’re better safe than sorry, maybe? Well, maybe you should make sure it’s not the police first. Luckily, nobody was hurt, and Murfreesboro Police got to run their sirens and drive like bats out of hell, so just about everybody went away happy. And speaking of good endings, how about a good start to 2018. Happy New Year! Sam Stockard can be reached at sstockard44@gmail.com.

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Sports

SPORTS

TALK

COLUMN BY “Z-TRAIN”

titanman1984@gmail.com

Brady Leads Incredible Comeback, Preds Make the Finals, Nashville Earns MLS Franchise in 2017; What Will 2018 Hold? HAPPY NEW YEAR! The Train Daddy is BRADY back. It’s a new year but I am still here, still bringing sports news, life lessons and politically incorrect talk to you, the loyal readers. Let’s remember 2017 as we streak into 2018. Let the good times roll, my brothers and sisters! Thank the Lord, Hank and all his rowdy friends are back! Six years after comparing Obama to a llama—I mean Adolf Hitler—he’s back! I don’t care what he said, as long as he is saying “are you ready for some football?” . . . though eating dog meat. I thought the they did mess with the legendfood at the Taiwanese restaurant ary song. Come on, you guys where I eat tasted different. had to add a hip-hop vibe to the Oh yeah, someone told me there tune? It’s freaking HANK! was a war on Christmas in 2017. Did Old Man Brady defies time. HANK JR. He did in 2017, and the 40-yearwe win? I think we won. I mean I had a great Christmas, I said Merry Christmas old MVP front-runner will probably continue a lot, I heard Merry Christmas said a lot, so to do so in 2018. Early 2017 started off with all is well, right? I mean honestly, I never Brady’s amazing comeback in Super Bowl 51 realized there was anything sinister going on vs. The Falcons. Hate them or love them, the surrounding Christmas, but I’ve been assured Pats are dominant. the war on Christmas is won! 2017 was most notably the year of Trump. What else will 2017 be remembered for? That’s right, the brash, narcissistic businessWell, sexual assault was and remains a pretty man is now President Trump. He is a character, big topic. From sports to Hollywood and even and at times I’m embarrassed for him. He is politics, many men have been condemned. childish, never will admit he is wrong and picks fights. That said, I am a man who leans towards That’s right, the #MeToo movement has taken off, as it becomes evident many men of power the more conservative values, so anything was can’t act right. It’s seriously despicable, and any better than Hillary, and I still feel that way! man who would force himself upon a woman, 2017 is also the year Trump took on the damn you for not acting right. That said, I want NFL, and not for the first time, either. Back in to start my own movement, #MyWeinerIsInthe ’80s many blamed Trump for the downfall nocent, to help all the men out there who know of the then-successful USFL. Greed led to decihow to treat women. So if your weiner is innosions that ended a good thing. Then in 2014 cent, raise your voices, not your weiners! Trump attempted to buy the Buffalo Bills, lost the bid and then tweeted that the league was soft and boring and was glad he didn’t buy. Now in 2017 President Trump, upset with playLet’s stay local and talk about some 2017 Teners disrespecting the flag, decided to take on nessee sports! The Tennessee Titans made NFL Commissioner Goodell, owners and playthe NFL playoffs for the first time in nine ers. The league widely condemned Trump, just years. This team still under-performed, buy as the fans widely condemned players kneeling. hey, what can I say—playoffs baby! Between players kneeling and the NFL The UT football program would like to just experiencing declining ratings, let’s hope all forget 2017 altogether. You figured another parties can get back on point for 2018. Playdisastrous season would be bad enough. Nope! ers, shut up and play. Mr. President, shut up Tennessee became a media punching bag in its and be presidential. And sports networks, unorthodox search for a new head coach. I still shut up and cover sports. say Ric Flair was the right choice. 2017 was a good year for Taiwan: no more Then we have your 2017 Nashville Predators. eating dog or cat, it’s illegal now! Taiwan Yeeeee-haw! What a season, as the Predators becomes the first Asian country to outlaw took a ride Nashville won’t soon forget. Stanley

TENNESSEE SPORTS

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Cup, baby! Though they fell short in the Stanley Cup finals to Crosby and the Penguins, it was still a very successful season. This current 2018 team is pretty good also. The world took notice of how loud and passionate the people of Nashville can be. Broadway was the No. 1 party in the country. The fans’ support and excitement all helped get this next topic to happen.

MLS TO NASHVILLE

In 2017 the city of Nashville was one of 12 cities who put in a bid, and was the first to receive, one of the available Major League Soccer expansion teams. The debut season, club name, colors and logo will all be decided later, and the brand-new 27,500-seat stadium is yet to be built, but it looks like a sure thing. It will be built at the Nashville Fairgrounds, something the Nashville Flea Market is very unhappy about. I understand the Flea Market is an old tradition, and they were given no guarantees, just the promises of politicians to work with them. Ha, good luck there! The fact that Nashville is growing, with skyscrapers everywhere, and that it’s a hip, vibrant city won the MLS voters over—not to mention we were one of the few cities willing to throw down all that money to build a new stadium.

MONEY FIGHT

In regard to sports in 2017, few events were bigger than Mayweather vs. McGregor. At the start of 2017 the buzz around the fight was all artificial, only noise. Then six months later it was reality. The UFC poster boy was set to fight one of the greatest boxers alive in his environment, not the octagon. Come on, 0–0 vs 49–0, what did you expect? Why have this fight? Money, money, money! To the surprise of many, McGregor actually won the first few rounds. Then it was all downhill, with Mayweather dominating the remainder of the fight. McGregor didn’t embarrass himself, he fought very well against a superior opponent in his first professional bout. Mayweather cashed out over $300 million while McGregor made over $100 million. So yes, the Money Fight lived up to its name. Oklahoma Sooner and Heisman winner Baker Mayfield—what an arrogant player. Don’t get me wrong, the kid can play ball, I love the comparison to Brett Favre and I can’t wait see him in the NFL. Recently, after Georgia defeated Oklahoma in overtime, when that Georgia player told Mayfield to “humble yourself ” on live TV after the Bulldogs’ Rose Bowl victory, I smiled. Mayfield taunts, he showed disrespect to opponents; he deserved that. Good luck in

2018, Baker. Your college career is over. I hope to see him make some noise in the NFL, but is he just another arrogant Johnny Manziel? 2017 was the year Clemson upset Alabama to win a national championship, or I should say Deshaun Watson beat Alabama. Sweet justice was served recently, as Alabama defeated Clemson in the 2018 Sugar Bowl. 2017 also saw North Carolina defeat Gonzaga for an NCAA National Championship. March Madness is the smartest, most exciting playoff format in all of sports! The Golden State Warriors knocked off King James for the NBA Championship in 2017. The NBA is a league filled with man babies, overpaid divas. I don’t like such a predictable league year-in-year-out. Also in 2017, the Houston Astros defeated the Dodgers, in a World Series where the main topic for many was about a single disgusting racist gesture I got tired of hearing about. Controversy over transgender athletes continued in 2017. Brazilian volleyball player Tiffany Abreu, a natural-born man-now-turnedwoman, is eyeing the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. Before Tiffany’s transition, he was known as Rodrigo, a dominant, hard-hitting volleyball player who played for numerous countries. With the IOCs current rules, you may witness Tiffany dominating the Olympics in Tokyo in the women’s field, as if Brazil needs another advantage being a dominant volleyball country. I will say this, no matter how unpopular it is to do so: natural-born men competing against natural-born women is unacceptable. If you are transgender, cool. I will never tell someone how to live their life, nor should any person or government. In regard to sports, though, I’m sorry, I don’t care about feelings as much as I care about the integrity of sports. Alright, like 2017 it’s time to wrap this up. 2018 is here and it’s time to let the past be the past and look to the future. Thanks to all you loyal readers—I do this for you, and because I passionately love writing. Sure, I have opinions and make some harsh jokes, but I always force myself to look at all sides of a topic and be as fair as I deem appropriate. We live in a free country, a country not just for Christians, a country not just for Republicans or Democrats. No, it’s a country for all, and many forget that. Look to the Constitution if you disagree, it’s in ink. I pray to God we as a country can come together in 2018, if anything can we at least be united when it comes to football and patriotism! God bless America, God bless football and God bless 2018.

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Sports

BLUE RAIDER SPORTS BY GREG CRITTENDEN

goal percentage by 11 points. Meanwhile, King is putting forth a performance worthy of C-USA Player of the Year. King leads the league in scoring, and ranks top 10 in the league in rebounding. Going into 2018, the Blue Raiders appears to be primed to once again win the C-USA basketball title. However, they will need to see continued improvement from Potts, and will need to establish a consistent third option if they are sure to three-peat. The Blue Raiders will return to Murphy Center for the first time in over a month when they host LA Tech on Jan. 11. Other C-USA opponents appearing in Murfreesboro this month include Southern Miss on Jan. 13, UTSA on Jan. 25 and UTEP on Jan. 27.

NICK KING EMERGING FOR BLUE RAIDERS IN A BIG WAY

he Blue Raiders took a 5–1 record into a December schedule packed full of challenges. With victories over Florida Gulf Coast, Vanderbilt and Ole Miss, the Blue Raiders stretched their win streak to five games. However, that streak ended when they finished their tour of the SEC in a narrow road loss to Auburn. Middle Tennessee then took a Christmas vacation to Hawaii to compete in the Diamond Head Classic in which there was no shortage of competitive opponents. After earning a two-point victory over Princeton, the Blue Raiders advanced to the tournament semifinals to play Southern California. Middle led through most of the first half, and held onto the lead at halftime. Despite another incredible performance from Nick King (28 points, 11 rebounds), USC took the lead late in the second half and never relin48 * JANUARY 2018 * BOROPULSE.COM

quished it, winning 89–84. King came back strong in the consolation game against #15 Miami, but his 28 points and eight rebounds would not be enough in this one either. Miami narrowly escaped with a win, 84–81. The Blue Raiders finally returned to Murphy Center on Dec. 30 to open C-USA play against UAB, and King continued his scorching hot play. The graduate transfer dropped 30 points on the Blazers and raked in eight rebounds. Giddy Potts had his best game of the season, notching 19 points and eight rebounds of his own. Potts, whose senior season has not gone to script thus far, showed some improvement in December over his November output. He increased his scoring by four points per game, increased his field goal percentage by two points and his three-point field

 LADY RAIDERS FALL AGAINST LOUISVILLE, TULANE, USC; EARN BIG WIN OVER KENTUCKY WILDCATS The Lady Raiders took on the most challenging stint of their 2017–18 schedule in the month of December with a slate that included four Power 5 opponents. Middle responded to a narrow defeat at Georgia Tech with a dominant 69–39 victory over Coppin State at home. After the game, coach Rick Insell prophetically stated, “You keep messing around with the snake, and you’ll get bit. Somebody is fixing to get bit with this little bunch, because they’re pretty good.” However, when the Lady Raiders traveled to Louisville, it was the Cardinals who did all the biting. Coach Insell suffered the worst loss of his collegiate coaching career

SISSOM

in a 80–26 drubbing. This contest also marked the last game for Alex Johnson for the month. The Preseason C-USA Player of the Year has struggled to come back from the ankle injury she suffered in the season opener against Vanderbilt. With Johnson out, the Lady Raiders had to find a new offensive spark, and they got it in a group effort against Troy. Five players scored in double figures, with Abbey Sissom leading the way with 18 points. Most impressive was the defensive effort. Troy came into the game leading the nation in scoring at 94 points per game. The Lady Raider defense held them to 57. Unfortunately, the balanced scoring didn’t carry over into their next two games. Not a single player scored more than nine points in a 18-point loss to Tulane. In a 15-point loss to Southern California, only Sissom and Jess Louro scored in double figures, notching 22 and 11 respectively. However, the loss to the Trojans seemed to be a turning point in Abbey Sissom’s season. Though Sissom was renowned as a scorer in high school, that’s not what Coach Insell has needed from her over the last two season. With Brea Edwards, Ty Petty and Alex Johnson there to put the ball in the basket, Sissom had been asked to take a more defensive approach in her role. With Edwards long gone and Petty having graduated last year, Coach Insell knew Sissom would need to return to her scoring ways to relieve some of the burden off Alex Johnson. With Johnson on the mend, someone needed to step up and assume the scoring role, and that is just what the senior from Woodbury has done. After her 22-point performance in the loss to the Trojans, Sissom dropped a career-high 28 points on Canisius, including five successful three-point attempts. She then dropped 22 points on Kentucky in a thrilling comefrom-behind victory at Murphy Center. The Kentucky game marked the first time in Sissom’s career that she rallied 20 or more points in three consecutive games. It also helped to prove Insell’s prophetic statement true, as the snake finally bit the Wildcats. The Lady Raiders will enter conference play with a 8–5 record. They will start their C-USA schedule on the road against rival WKU on Jan. 4. They will then return home on Jan. 6 to host UAB. Other upcoming contests in Murfreesboro for MTSU include North Texas on Jan. 18, Southern Mississippi on Jan. 20, Charlotte on Jan. 28 and Louisiana Tech on Feb. 1.

After an up-anddown season the MTSU Blue Raiders end on a high note with a bowl victory. (Right) Father and son, coach Rick Stockstill and quarterback Brent Stockstill. (Below) Shane Tucker in action in the Camellia Bowl.

MTSU Earns Camellia Bowl Win in Dramatic Game Against Arkansas State

t was a newsworthy December for Middle Tennessee State football, which started with the Raycom Media Camellia Bowl on Dec. 16. Things did not get off to a great start for the Blue Raiders, as quarterback Brent Stockstill overthrew receiver Patrick Smith, resulting in an incredible one-handed interception by Arkansas State safety B.J. Edmonds. A 19-yard return by Edmonds started the Red Wolves’ offense at the MT 38, however the Blue Raider defense stood strong in the face of adversity and held Arkansas State to a field goal. Things picked up on the next possession, however. After seemingly being held to a three-and-out, Arkansas State was flagged for roughing the kicker as the Blue Raiders punted, granting MT a first down at the Arkansas State 45-yard line. On the following play, running back Terrelle West for 45 yards untouched to the end zone. The Red Wolves seemingly regained the lead on MT’s next possession, when it

seemed Stockstill had thrown a pick six. However, Arkansas State defensive back Justin Clifton was controversially ruled down at the Red Wolves’ one-yard line. From there the game played out as a stalemate, until late in the half when Darius Harris sacked Arkansas State quarterback Justice Hansen and forced a fumble in the process. Linebacker D.J. Sanders quickly followed behind, scooped up the ball, and ran it to the end zone for a touchdown. Arkansas State recovered quickly, and scored on a 13-play, 85-yard drive. However, a facemask penalty against the Red Wolves during the ensuing kick return put the Blue Raiders on the 50. Another facemask penalty two plays later put the Blue Raiders within striking distance, and strike they did. Stockstill hit Ruben Garnett on a seam pattern up the middle for a 36-hard touchdown to give MTSU the 21–10 lead at the half. The Blue Raider defense came out of the locker room strong and forced a punt after just four plays, and the MT offense took

(Left) Stockstill threw a couple of TDs as he led MTSU to a win. (Middle) Terelle West broke free for a big rushing touchdown. (Right) Blue Raider standout wide receiver Richie James said he will enter the 2018 NFL draft.

advantage. On a 73-yard drive that lasted nearly five minutes, the Blue Raiders took a commanding 28–10 lead. However, the Red Wolves would not go away quietly. Arkansas State registered two unanswered touchdowns to pull within five points before Stockstill hit Shane Tucker for a 30-yard touchdown pass to re-establish a 12-point lead. The Red Wolves struck again late in the fourth quarter on a 41-yard touchdown pass, but the Blue Raiders ate up most of the remaining clock on the following possession.

With one minute, 27 seconds remaining in the game, Arkansas State still had a chance to walk away victorious. Yet, the Blue Raider pass rush came up big. D.J. Sanders and Jahmal Jones combined for a sack on the second-to-last play of the game, and then Darius Liggins reached the quarterback on the final play. The MTSU Blue Raiders got their first bowl win since 2009, winning 35–30. The next day, prolific wide receiver Richie James announced he will forego his senior season as a Blue Raider and enter the NFL draft. James finished rewriting the Middle Tennessee record book for receiving this season, despite playing in only five games. He will leave Murfreesboro leading the Blue Raiders in receptions, receiving yards, and touchdown receptions. Despite his accomplishments, James is likely to go no higher than the third round in the draft. At 5 feet 9 inches tall and 176 pounds, James’ stature will hurt him with the measurables-hungry NFL scouts. Having played at a mid-major will be a knock as usual, but NFL front offices should take note that of the 10 receivers leading the league in receiving yards, three of them finished their college career at a mid-major or FCS school. James should be a huge steal for someone in the 2018 NFL, but he will be sorely missed in Murfreesboro.

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PHOTOS BY PRIYANKA PATEL; CLARK AND PATEL PHOTO BY BRACKEN MAYO

BETTER, FASTER, STRONGER UFC GYM TRAINS MEMBERS FOR LIFE, NOT JUST THE OCTAGON BY SEMAJ THOMAS

s we enter 2018, what are you asking for this year? A better job, bigger house, new car, to pay off debt, be happier or live a healthier lifestyle? I can definitely point you in the right direction when it comes to working out this year after finding Murfreesboro’s UFC Gym, part of an international network of fitness facilities bearing the name of the popular mixed martial arts Ultimate Fighting Championship league. Allen Clark, co-owner of the Murfreesboro UFC Gym, emphasizes “balance, not just conditioning,” he says. When you enter the UFC Gym, immediately to the right is a huge octagon, while multiple punching bags fill the left side of the room. The other co-owner, Priyanka Patel, welcomes those coming into the gym with a bright smile. Many who work out at the local UFC Gym rave that the trainers make everyone feel comfortable and like they belong at the facility, and the staff works closely with its members in setting, and achieving, personalized goals. If you have seen UFC on television, you may think it isn’t for everyone: bruised and bloodied faces, brutal kicks, painful submission holds, an incredible level of physical stamina and ability and pinned-down positions that leave unsuccessful competitors with a crushing loss. However, Clark, a past MMA competitor 50 * JANUARY 2018 * BOROPULSE.COM

himself, encourages and welcomes anyone who may initially shy away. “Everybody has to fight, but not in the octagon,” he says. I begin to understand why he is called The Philosopher. He goes on to state, referencing his UFC Gym shirt, that he wants people to pay closer attention to the word “gym” than the “UFC” portion. The basic functional equipment inside the gym, such as a bench press, squat rack, leg press and multiple dumbbells, affirm that the place is not just all about fighters striking one another. Clark advocates for his clients and wants

them to understand that “the gym is where you prepare for life, not live life” and he wants it to be a “fun activity, a way to not be on the treadmill.” All ages are welcome and “all people from all walks of life” can take advantage of a free day pass before considering joining the gym, which offers general fitness classes, kickboxing, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, high-intensity interval training, youth programs, boxing and yes, if desired, instruction in mixed martial arts. Clark mentions that only a very small percentage of those who train at UFC ever want

Murfreesboro UFC Gym owners Allen Clark and Priyanka Patel.

to participate in competitive mixed martial arts matches. The vast majority of those who come in simply look for a fun, challenging workout to help get them in shape for life. To anyone who wants to be a part of the community and start, he says “the first step is walking in the door and continuing to make that same step of coming through the doors . . . I’ll take it from there.” He realizes that life choices outside the gym affect what happens inside. Therefore, he empowers everyone to appreciate, assist and respect their counterparts in the gym, and to realize that in due time good things come to those who wait. “Goals, he says, “should be whatever you want them to be, but they gotta have purpose.” If you are ready to be whipped into shape by Allen and Priyanka this year, give UFC Gym a try, and absorb some of their knowledge and skills. Be a better you every day! IF YOU GO: UFC Gym 2812 Old Fort Pkwy., Murfreesboro, 615-848-8387 or 615-848-3747 murfreesborogm@ufcgym.com

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