November 2020 Murfreesboro Pulse

INSIDE

JIMMY BOWEN & FRIENDS / WALNUT HOUSE ART AUCTION / WEIRD THANKSGIVING / THE PLACES WE SLEEP / INFERI CELEBRATING 15 YEARS: 2006–2020 NOVEMBER 2020 / VOL. 15, ISSUE 11 / FREE

Country Artist Kip Moore to Play Hop Springs Outdoor Stage, Nov. 20

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

DEWDROP JAMBOREE

Hickerson Woodworks, Blue Pony, Studio S Host 2020 Art Studio Tour

Local variety show takes the stage at Seasons of Murfreesboro on Nov. 21

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Contents

ON THE COVER: Dewdrop Jamboree (bottom row, from left): Buddy Baker, Donna Cunningham, Bobby Howard, Aaron Vance

20 26

10 FEATURES

IN EVERY ISSUE

10

5 Events

DEWDROP JAMBOREE

12

CALENDAR Turkey Tee Off, basket weaving workshop, Cookin' to Build, Borodash, Falliday Craft Fair and more

Show recorded at Ridenour Rehearsal Studios lands on cable TV.

8 Sounds

Seasons of Murfreesboro stage hosts Nov. 21 edition of local musical variety show.

JIMMY BOWEN & FRIENDS

18

MUSIC NOTES Kip Moore, fundraising for music venues, Eddie Van Halen

ART STUDIO TOUR

Area artists and crafters open home tour. studios for annual weekend tour

22

CONCERTS Stairway to Zeppelin, Drake Freeman, The Wild Feathers

Poet Caroline Brooks DuBois tells story of military family in 2001.

ENTERTAINMENT CALENDAR

THE PLACES WE SLEEP

23

HOW BULIMIA SAVED MY SOUL

14 Reviews

Local young author Welland Andrus recounts struggle with eating disorder release. in new book release

cover crops, removing kudzu

18 Art

STEERED STRAIGHT Teach teens that attitude and habits matter in creating the life that they want.

REVIEW El Monte Fresh Mexican

EXHIBITS Collective Memories, Words to Live By, Walnut House art auction

24 News

BUSINESS BUZZ Maddy's Restaurant, Harmony Health, Blue Eyed Daisy, Aspiring Nutrition and more

26

ALBUM Inferi

MOVIE Save Yourselves!

GARDENING Planting milkweed and

Copy Editor: Steve Morley Advertising: Jared Stuart

Contributors: Melissa Coker, Michael DeLeon, Jennifer Durand, Tony Lehew, Laura Lindsay, Blaine Little, Angela Loupe, Zach Maxfield, Edwina Shannon Jay Spight, Andrea Stockard, Phil Valentine

LIVE . . . WELL Nudging influence PHIL VALENTINE Still very little science pointing to everyone wearing masks BUSINESS MOMENTUM Brave new workforce

33 Sports

Opinion WEIRD THANKSGIVING Eel pie, trick-or-treating and jingle bells

Art Director: Sarah Mayo

Publisher/Editor in Chief: Bracken Mayo

16 Food

BLUE RAIDER FOOTBALL Blue Raiders earn some wins in October.

SPORTS TALK A roller coaster year so far for the Titans

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

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

714 W. Main St., Suite 208, Murfreesboro, TN 37129 • 615-796-6248 To carry the PULSE at your business, or to submit letters, stories and photography: bracken@boropulse.com

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The Murfreesboro Pulse

ALRIGHT—YOU BEAUTIFUL AND HEALTHY PEOPLE SURVIVED ANOTHER MONTH. There were some rowdy nights at the Mayo house during Mr. Beckett’s first few weeks, but we all are getting some sleep here and there.

Baby is healthy. He grows strong and is getting used to the world. Sarah continues to recover. And Bracken Jr. and I are the diaper pit crew, setting new world records in the diaper change. I am thankful for all of my family and all of the individuals I have met throughout my life during this season of Thanksgiving.

We have gone for some nice fall stroller rides in October, rolling the baby around.

And the Emperor himself paid us a visit; Palpatine came to hang out on UNLIMITED POWER! Halloween.

The inaugural Band Fest at FiveSense Farm was a great success. Look for another edition of the Band Fest coming up in December.

Property Management Inc. presented a fun and very interesting summit of real estate investment minds and related professionals at The Alley this past month.

Despite some reports and loud voices attempting to convince otherwise, there’s still plenty of stability, consistency and dependability out there if you know where to look.

Whomever wins the elections and whatever may happen in society and the media—while nothing is absolutely certain—I feel safe predicting that Thor’s will continue selling Lionel trains and fine Tennessee furniture, Nacho’s will keep on serving their delicious chili verde, chimichangas, rice and queso, and the Pulse will keep on pulsing and putting out an edition of our publication every month.

There’s plenty of doom-and-gloom and society-isfalling-apart talk this year, but do not worry; Nurture Nook still offers peaceful, relaxing massage and facial sessions. Hank’s will keep on honky tonkin’ and keeping the music playing and the drinks cold, 219 Mixed Cuisine is ready for your sushi, calzone or burger order and the CNB Plumbing team is working hard to serve the community’s plumbing needs.

Van’s will keep the chicken wings smoking. Bill Taylor continues to teach karate at his Bushido School and Donut Country will always cook those fine, tasty treats, because that’s what they do.

These people do not sit at home waiting for someone to pay them for doing nothing. They, like so many other Murfreesboro entrepreneurs, make business happen and keep things moving.

Peace, BRACKEN MAYO Publisher/Editor in Chief

Events

CALENDAR / NOVEMBER 2020

BY ANDREA STOCKARD

visit rchfh.org/cookin-to-build/ or find the event on Eventbrite.

NOV. 2 AND 9 PAPER SCULPTING CLASS Learn how to sculpt with Creative Paperclay on Mondays, Nov. 2 and 9, at Patterson Park Community Center (521 Mercury Blvd.) from 6–9 p.m. Join Murfreesboro painter Dawna Magliacano for a two-part paper sculpting class where participants create and paint their own paper sculpture.

For ages 10 and up. For more information, contact dhunter@murfreesborotn.gov or 615-801-2606. Cost is $80.

NOV. 7 BLUE EYED DAISY CUSTOMER APPRECIATION

NOV. 3 AND 17 PICNIC IN THE PARK Brave the cold and visit Cannonsburgh Village (312 S. Front St.) for a picnic lunch and take part in an old-fashioned, simple activity from 11 a.m.-12:30 p.m. Bring your lunch; the activity is provided. Space is limited to 10 participants (plus a parent if applicable); reservations are required. All ages are welcome. Nov. 3 is “Make It Spin” and Nov. 17 is “Feed the Birds.” For more information, call 615-890-0355.

NOV. 4 AND 18 RAPTOR RHAPSODY Have you ever looked an owl in the eye or glared at a red-tailed hawk up close, or checked out a falcon’s wings? Get up close and personal with a live bird of prey and learn about these master predators of the sky Wednesdays, Nov. 4 and 18, at Wilderness Station (401 Volunteer Rd.) at 4 p.m. Participate in presentations and photo opportunities next to live birds throughout the day. All ages are welcome; admission is free. For more information, call 615-217-3017.

NOV. 6 FAMILY NIGHTS AT THE MUSEUM: OWL PROWL The Owl Prowl returns by popular demand to the Historic Sam Davis Home (1399 Sam Davis Rd., Smyrna) Friday, Nov. 6, from 6–7:30 p.m. Bring your flashlight and meet for a park ranger-led hike around the historic farm to locate the resident owls. Meet a live owl and hear all about them while trying your hand at dissecting an owl pellet and making some cute owl crafts to take home. For more information, call 615-459-2341 or visit samdavishome.org and find the Special Events Calendar under Visit Us.

NOV. 7 TURKEY TEE OFF The Child Advocacy Center of Rutherford County hosts the Turkey Tee Off Golf Tournament Saturday, Nov. 7, at Cedar Crest Golf Club (7972 Mona Rd.) to help provide crisis intervention services for children who have been victims of child abuse and children who are exposed to their parents’ drug abuse. Start the day at 8 a.m. with a complimentary breakfast before teeing off at 9 a.m. Have your team picture taken, put your putting skills to the test, participate in the online silent auction and aim for a chance to win the $10,000 hole-in-one contest. Enjoy a Slick Pig BBQ boxed lunch after golfing. Place your bids in the silent auction at cacr. betterworld.org. You do not have to golf to bid on silent auction items. Register for the tournament at cacrutherford.org/events. For more information, contact 615867-900, kenzor@cacrutherford.org or jwaucheck@cacrutherford.org.

NOV. 6 AND 20 NIGHT HIKES Fall nights are great for spotting owls, bats, frogs and insects, discovering glowing eyes and finding other fascinating critters that are active at night. Meet at the Wilderness Station (401 Volunteer Rd.) Fridays, Nov. 6 and 20, at 6 p.m. Reservations are required by contacting 615-2173017 or efann@murfreesborotn.gov. Cost is $3 per person or $10 per family.

NOV. 7 FALL FOLIAGE HIKE AT STONE DOOR Come out to the Stone Door Nature Center for a fall foliage hike at Savage Gulf State Natural Area. Hike approximately 8.5 miles (with some difficult spots) on Saturday, Nov. 7, from 9 a.m.–4 p.m. Find the beauty in the sheer sandstone cliffs, rugged canyons and extraordinary views.

Transportation is not provided. Registration is required. Location information is

disclosed upon registration. Ages 13 and up are welcome. Cost is $8. For more information, contact 615-217-3017 or clipscomb@murfreesborotn.gov.

NOV. 7 COOKIN’ TO BUILD Join Habitat for Humanity on the historic Murfreesboro Public Square for the 13th annual Cookin’ to Build on Saturday, Nov. 7, featuring all-you-can-eat chili, soup and gumbo, plus desserts, entertainment and a hand-painted souvenir bowl. Funds help build affordable houses in Rutherford County and offer financial literacy and homeowner education for future homeowners. Enjoy over 30 food vendors from groups, churches, companies and restaurants. The $20 fee covers food, entertainment and prizes. A $10 child’s ticket offers a foam cup. Pre-purchased ticket holders can get in at 10:30 a.m. with regular admission from 11 a.m.–1:30 p.m. Sponsorships are available; contact melissa@rchfh.org. For more information,

The Blue Eyed Daisy (423 N. Walnut St.) will host a Customer Appreciation Event on Saturday, Nov. 7, from 10 a.m.–6 p.m.

This locally owned women’s boutique offers women’s apparel in all sizes (including plus sizes), jewelry, purses, gifts, shawls, earrings and other women’s accessories. This is also a celebration of the store’s one-year anniversary and the launching of the new online store at theblueeyeddaisy. com. com For every $50 spent, shoppers’ names are entered into a drawing for door prizes. The store donates 10 percent of all profits to private music instruction for underprivileged children. For more information, call 615-624-6435.

NOV. 7 JUDY LEE BOOK SIGNING Linebaugh Public Library (105 W. Vine St.) welcomes local author and Murfreesboro native Judy Lee for a book signing on Saturday, Nov. 7, from 10 a.m.–1 p.m.

Lee signs copies of her books Emotions on Paper and Haunted Dreams, as well as her latest work, The Old Haunted Mansion, published in April 2020. Emotions on Paper, Lee’s first book of poetry, comes straight from the heart. Haunted Dreams tells the story of Chloe, who begins to have paranormal dreams while working on a farm in Savannah, Georgia.

In The Old Haunted Mansion, a house Amber thought would be her dream home turns out differently, as she learns about the home’s long and devastating history.

Books are signed and sold for $15 each.

For more information, call 615-893-4131 or visit rclstn.org.

NOV. 9–13 FALL SCIENCE CAMP The Wilderness Station (401 Volunteer Rd.) offers a Fall Science Camp for students ages 8–12 on Nov. 9–13, from 9 a.m.–2 p.m. Learn curriculum standards in the fields of topics like chemistry, biology, ecology and astronomy. Campers can also participate in plenty of typical CONTINUED ON PAGE 6 BOROPULSE.COM

* NOVEMBER 2020 * 5

a.m.–noon. Ages 8 and up are welcome.

Cost is $3 per person or $10 per family.

For more information, call 615-217-3017 or emoorman@murfreeborotn.gov.

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 5

camp experiences like games, hiking, bonfires and s’mores. Cost is $75. For more information, contact 615-217-3017 or efann@murfreesborotn.gov.

NOV. 18

NOV. 10

PALEONTOLOGIST FOSSILS: DINOSAURS OF THE AMERICAS

MENDING HEARTS Bring your current lap work project and knit, crochet, cross stitch or craft while finding support and friendship with others at Alive Hospice (1629 Williams Dr.) on Tuesday, Nov. 10, from 9–10 a.m. From beginners to the experienced, this monthly group provides connection and conversation in a comfortable atmosphere.

Pre-registration is required. Thanks to the generosity of donors, Mending Hearts is offered free of charge to anyone in the community. Find the event on Eventbrite.

NOV. 11 CULTURAL ARTS POP-UP Join Cultural Arts at the Gateway Island Reception Center (1875 W. College St.) the second Wednesday of the month for an opportunity to get creative. At the pop-up for preschoolers, participants can create a craft and learn something new.

There is a different surprise activity each month. Sign up in advance, although you can take a chance and just show up. Ages 3–6 are welcome from 9–10 a.m.; the class is limited to six participants and is designed for an adult to stay with the child participant. Classes for 7 and up are from 11 a.m.–noon or 1–2 p.m. (with a limit of 10 attendeed). Cost is $5. For more information, contact 615-801-2606 or dhunter@murfreesborotn.gov.

NOV. 14 BASKET WEAVING WORKSHOP AT SAM DAVIS HOME Have you always wanted to try your hand at basket weaving? Join basket weaver Linda Hinkelmann and learn to make a basket to take home at the Historic Sam Davis Home and Plantation (1399 Sam Davis Rd., Smyrna) from 10 a.m.–4 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 14. All materials are included and you can add festive holiday colors to your basket. Pre-registration and payment are required, as space is limited. Cost is $55 per person. Participants can bring their lunch or purchase a boxed lunch onsite.

For more information, call 615-459-2341 or visit samdavishome.org and find the Special Events Calendar under Visit Us.

NOV. 14 THANKSGIVING DECORATIONS 6 * NOVEMBER 2020 * BOROPULSE.COM

Visit the Wilderness Station (401 Volunteer Rd.) on Wednesday, Nov. 18, at 10 a.m., for a program about dinosaurs that once called the Americas home. Learn what paleontologists know about the range and life histories of a few dinosaurs that once called North, Central and South America home while making fossils. Ages 10 and up are welcome; admission is free.

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

NOV. 18

NOV. 20 STUDIO S POTTERY OPEN HOUSE Studio S Pottery’s 48th Annual Open House is a celebration for patrons and supporters, and this year’s November Open House, held Friday, Nov. 20, from 1–5 p.m., is in conjunction with the Murfreesboro Art Studio Tour that weekend.

2020’s celebration is different in that the studio and its adjacent property are for sale. The studio aims to provide an extensive inventory to find that just-right piece of artwork for yourself or a perfect holiday gift. Several new pieces and some sets are available for selection, but the studio is no longer taking orders on commission. Dinnerware is in stock with accessories, a new series of trays and plates, containers, vases, lamps, and recently produced metal sculptures, among other items. Special guest artists include painters Phyllis Razo and Mary Veazie, whose work is available each day during the tour. Studio S is located at 1426 Avon Rd. For more information, visit studiospottery.com.

Use ordinary items you might not think of to make a pumpkin centerpiece and practice your blanket stitch to make a turkey centerpiece at Cannonsburgh Village (312 S. Front St.) on Saturday, Nov. 14, from 9–10 a.m. Space is limited to 10 participants; reservations are required. Ages 14 and up are welcome. Cost is $10. For more information, call 615-890-0355.

NOV. 14 NATURE PAINTING Do a nature painting with local artist Bobbie Ventura at the Wilderness Station (401 Volunteer Rd.) on Saturday, Nov. 14, from 10 a.m.–noon. All supplies are included in the registration fee; registration is required at murfreesboroparks.com.

Once on the site, find Online Registration and then Outdoor Murfreesboro. Ages 10 and older are welcome (under 13 must be accompanied by an adult). Cost is $15.

For more information, call 615-217-3017.

NOV. 15 FALLIDAY CRAFT FAIR

Attend the Falliday Craft Fair on Sunday, Nov. 15, at Cheval Manor Weddings & Events (7052 W. Gum Rd.), from 8 a.m.–2 p.m., to benefit the food pantry at Greenhouse Ministries. Greenhouse Ministries is a faith-based nonprofit established to assist the undeserved with practical needs, education that inspires, skill-building and encouragement. Visit greenhousemin.org for more information.

The entry fee to the craft fair is a canned good that is donated directly to the food pantry. Vendor spots are available.

Contact fallidaycraftfair@gmail.com for an application or for more information.

NOV. 17 WOODLAND HARVEST Ever wanted to harvest some things from the woods and eat them? Explore and discuss some edible possibilities, discover how to harvest them sustainably and learn about some traditional cooking as you cook pumpkins around a fire. Come out to the Wilderness Station and trails (401 Volunteer Rd.) on Tuesday, Nov. 17, from 10

WHAT IS A NATURALIST? What exactly is a naturalist? The Wilderness Station (401 Volunteer Rd.) delves into what makes a naturalist a naturalist and teaches about a couple of intriguing individuals who carry this title on Wednesday, Nov. 18, from 5–6 p.m. Ages 12 and up are welcome. Admission is free.

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

NOV. 19 AND 20 VIRTUAL ART SHOW AND AUCTION In an effort to support the Middle Tennessee art community, The Walnut House announces its first virtual art show and auction. The online auction is Thursday, Nov. 19, and Friday, Nov. 20. Tune in Friday, Nov. 20, between 6–9 p.m. to enjoy the live stream where host Kara Kemp and other presenters discuss the available art.

Find the Walnut House Virtual Art Show and Auction on charityauctionstoday.com.

Join the live stream at The Walnut House Facebook Page. For more information, call 615-705-7897.

NOV. 20 FALL NIGHT HIKE AND CAMPFIRE Enjoy an evening hike along the paved path of Barfield Crescent Park (697 Veterans Pkwy.) as well as time spent around the campfire with friends new or old, roasting s’mores, and sipping cocoa and cider. Dress warmly and bring along a blanket on Friday, Nov. 20, from 6–8 p.m. All ages are welcome (under 18 must be accompanied by an adult). Admission is $3 per person or $10 per family. For

more information, contact 615-217-3017, emoorman@murfreesborotn.gov or apool@murfreesborotn.gov.

freesboro and observe the wonders of the natural world in Murfreesboro from 9–10 a.m. All ages are welcome; admission is free. Contact 615-217-3017 or outdoormurfreesboro@murfreesborotn.gov for more information on address meetups.

Locations: Nov. 6—Overall Creek, Nov. 13—Manson Pike, Nov. 20—Central Valley

NOV. 21 ARCHERY Check out the archery program at Wilderness Station (401 Volunteer Rd.) Saturday, Nov. 21, from 10 a.m.–noon. Cover parts of the bow, technique and get a chance to shoot. This program requires a 1-mile walk on the paved trail (each way) to get to the archery area. Space is limited; registration is required. Ages 7 and up are welcome. Cost is $3. For more information, call 615-217-3017 or hmeyer@murfreesborotn.gov.

NOV. 21 SAM DAVIS MEMORIAL DAY AND LANTERN TOURS Honor the memory of Sam Davis as guest speaker Richard Garcia presents “Tejano Confederates-Blood on the Rio Grande,” a discussion on the Tejanos that served in the Confederate Army at the Historic Sam Davis Home (1399 Sam Davis Rd., Smyrna) on Saturday, Nov. 21, from 1–6 p.m. A graveside service and wreath laying ceremony follow the guest speaker followed by guided lantern tours where guests meet people from the past and hear the story of Sam’s life and untimely death. For more information, call 615459-2341 or visit samdavishome.org and find the Special Events Calendar under Visit Us.

NOV. 21 ADVANCED BUGGYTOP TRAIL DAY HIKE Hidden away on the Cumberland Plateau beneath a 150-foot bluff is the impressive 100-foot wide by 80-foot high opening of Buggytop Cave. Join the South Cumberland State Park on this four-mile journey to see one of the most impressive cave openings in Tennessee on Saturday, Nov. 21, at 9 a.m. This trail is rated as moderate due to rough and rocky terrain and steep climbs and declines. Transportation is not provided; registration is required. Location information is disclosed upon registration. Ages 13 and up are welcome. Cost is $8. For more information, contact clipscomb@murfreesborotn. gov or 615-217-3017.

NOV. 21–22 ART STUDIO TOUR Once a year, local craft artists of Murfreesboro and Rutherford County open their studios to the public offering a unique and

SATURDAYS ANIMAL ENCOUNTERS

NOV. 26 BORODASH Borodash’s mission is to bring glory to God by raising money for charitable purposes and to provide the community with a well-organized Thanksgiving Day family event—a four-mile run/walk through historic Murfreesboro. This year the race is offered as a virtual and in-person race. The in-person race begins at 8 a.m. on Thanksgiving Day, Nov. 26, and starts and ends at Murfreesboro’s Civic Plaza (111 W. Vine St.). Online registration ends at 6 a.m. race day. A longsleeve race tee and a finisher’s medal is included with registration. For more information, visit borodash.org or register at runsignup.com.

Join Outdoor Murfreesboro at the Wilderness Station (401 Volunteer Rd.) for a short program introducing one of the education animals Saturdays in November (no meeting Nov. 7) at 1:30 p.m.

Learn about the animals’ cool adaptations and natural history. All ages are welcome. For more information contact 615-217-3017 or outdoormurfreesboro@ murfreesborotn.gov.

THROUGHOUT NOV. SHABBY LANE’S VIRTUAL HOLIDAY GIFT MARKET Shop over 50 small vendors from the comfort of your own home 24 hours a day with Shabby Lane’s Virtual Holiday Gift Market throughout November. For more information, visit shabbylaneshops.com/ pages/girlsdayvirtualmarket.php.

DEC. 10 wide selection of artwork and demonstrations. Join the Art Studio Tour at studios like Turtleware Pottery, Blue Pony Art Studio and Hickerson Woodworks Nov. 21–22 from 10 a.m.–5 p.m. For more information, visit artstudiotour.org, find the event on Facebook or contact 615-273-2147 or artstudiotour@gmail.com.

TUESDAYS BOOK CLUB: NATURE’S BEST HOPE

Learn how (and become inspired) to make simple changes in your own yards to create ecological havens at the Wilderness Station (401 Volunteer Rd.) Tuesdays through Dec. 15, from 6–7 p.m. (no meetings Nov. 3 and Nov. 24). Enjoy a cozy, brief reading from Nature’s Best Hope by Douglas Tallamy, good discussion, warm drinks and a snack. Ages 16 and up are welcome; admission is free.

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

TUESDAYS MURFREE SPRING CLEANUP

 Send community event information to CONTACT@BOROPULSE.COM

Help Outdoor Murfreesboro keep Murfreesboro walkways and water system clean at Murfree Spring (460 SE Broad St.) Tuesdays in November (no meeting Nov. 24) at 10 a.m. each day. Trash pickers, bags and gloves are provided.

Afterwards, join the group for a short program on different conservation issues.

All ages are welcome to help. For more information, contact 615-217-3017 or outdoormurfreesboro@murfreesborotn.gov.

WEDNESDAYS SCHOOLHOUSE ACTIVITY School class will meet on Wednesdays in November in the 1800s schoolhouse at Cannonsburgh Village at 9 a.m. Girls will sit on one side and boys on the other.

Wearing an 1800s-period clothing piece is optional. A different activity is featured each week. Ages 8–11 are welcome. Cost is $2.50. For more information, call 615890-0355.

FRIDAYS GREENWAY WALKS Walk the Greenway with Outdoor Mur-

THE CONNECTION: LOCAL BUSINESS FAIR The Murfreesboro Pulse and The Walnut House will collaborate on a local business fair on Thursday, Dec. 10, from 4–8 p.m. Representatives from a variety of area small businesses will set up tables and booths, hand out literature, items and samples, conduct demonstrations and sell products. The event, free and open to the public, should be a festive time for area business owners, consumers and supporters of small business to get to know each other around some music, art, food and drink. While organizers limit the number of booth spaces to 24, all business owners and representatives may come out and network, distribute materials and mingle. The night will also serve as a relaunch of the monthly Connection Entrepreneurs Club, which has been on hiatus for much of 2020.

Organizers have been encouraged by initial response to the event and the desire for so many to be involved in helping to promote the local economy by facilitating connection. The Walnut House is located at 116 N. Walnut St. BOROPULSE.COM

* NOVEMBER 2020 * 7

Sounds

Read more about local music at

boropulse.com/category/music

 COUNTRY ARTIST KIP MOORE PERFORMS OUTDOOR SHOW AT HOP SPRINGS ON NOV. 20 THE STAGE IS SET AT HOP SPRINGS. Multi-platinum singer-songwriter Kip Moore brings his unique, country-with-an-edge sound to Hop Springs’ recently added amphitheater-sized outdoor setup this month—so for anyone craving a serious live music experience, get ready to drink it in.

A crowd pleaser known for his energetic and engaging shows and hits including “Beer Money,” Moore seems a very good fit for the brewerybased venue. And yes, if you have a little of that in your pocket, then chances are good you’ll fit right in, too, for this special night out.

Moore aims to make the most of his new music for local venues in more ways than one. Earlier in 2020 he released the all-too-accurately titled Wild World album, for which he held a release party event at Watertown’s Stardust Drive-In. Now the “She’s Mine” and “Last Shot” singer is going above and beyond with a planned deluxe version release of Wild World in February and a major shot at supporting local live music venues in the meantime with the video for its single “Don’t Go Changing.” The deluxe edition features 17 tracks, all but one of which were co-written

by Moore.

The message of “Don’t Go Changing,” at its heart, is really just about love—a needed constant in the middle of chaos.

Man on the TV selling something Says a new wave’s a coming Well, don’t need his new way of nothing Long as I can count on your loving Its video, on the other hand, finds Moore leveling with the owner of storied Nashville music venue Exit/In, who confides to him a mere glimpse of the many crippling changes venues have been through—they’ve exhausted funds and at this point are in “survival mode,” he says.

Moore delivers his performance in a mind-made-up way as the impactful video showcases independent venues across Nashville including The 5 Spot, The End, The Basement, Mercy Lounge and Exit/In with a call to fans to help support and donate to Music Venue Alliance Nashville. The organization’s key goal is currently to help independent music venues working to survive during the pandemic, as well as retaining and nurturing the ecosystem of Nashville’s music scene. For more information, visit mvan.org.

Moore also recently performed live from Grimey’s Nashville for broadcast via multiple media platforms in support of Record Store Day. Record Store Day campaigns to raise awareness and highlight the importance of locally-owned stores around the world.

Moreover, Moore is fresh off an exciting night performing for crowds as a headliner at this year’s Lynchburg Music Festival.

Kip Moore will perform at Hop Springs on Friday, Nov. 20, at 7 p.m. The event will take place rain or shine. Find tickets on ticketmaster.com.

Hop Springs is located at 6790 John Bragg Hwy.

PHOTO BY KEVIN WINTER

MUSIC NOTE

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HAPPY HOUR DAILY, 3–6 P.M.

— MELISSA COKER

8 * NOVEMBER 2020 * BOROPULSE.COM

NOVEMBER CONCERTS TUES, 11/3

Blues Jam

HANK’S

Becki McLeod

SUN, 11/8

WED, 11/4

The O’Donnell’s

 ONLINE AT BOROPULSE.COM/CALENDAR

HOP SPRINGS

HANK’S

HANK’S

PUCKETT’S GROCERY

SEASONS

HANK’S

HOP SPRINGS

SEASONS

SEASONS

THE BORO BAR & GRILL

Krystal King Salsa & Bachata with DJ Julian

THURS, 11/5 HANDLEBARS

World Famous Thursday Night Blues Jam HANK’S

Jordan Carter MAYDAY BREWERY

Singer-Songwriter Night

Americana Jam

Dave Massey Flamenco Night

MON, 11/9

Stairway to Zeppelin Troy Kemp

Resurrection: Journey Tribute

SUN, 11/15 HANK’S

Emily Miller HOP SPRINGS

HANK’S

Americana Sunday Jam; Chris Roberts

TUE, 11/10

THE BORO BAR & GRILL

Open Mic

HANK’S

George Dunn

Dave Massey Flamenco Night

WED, 11/11

TUE, 11/16

COCONUT BAY

HANK’S

Open Mic

FRI, 11/6

Acoustic Night (Jacob Reynolds)

CARMEN’S TAQUERIA

HANK’S

MON, 11/17

Zack Whitley SEASONS

Lauren Christine

COCONUT BAY

Salsa & Bachata with DJ Julian

WED, 11/18

HANK’S

THURS, 11/12

Salsa & Bachata with DJ Julian

Joe West

Jack Finley Band Delyn Christian; Lefty Ferguson

HANDLEBARS

HANK’S

SEASONS HANK’S

MAYDAY BREWERY

World Famous Thursday Night Blues Jam

PUCKETT’S GROCERY

HANK’S

Shawn & Caralyn Hammonds

Blues Jam

SEASONS

THE BORO

HANK’S

Tanner Cline Radio Farm

Reunion Station

Comedy Night

VAN’S BAR & GRILL

FRI, 11/13

SAT, 11/7

Joe West

Real Deal Band

CARMEN’S TAQUERIA

COCONUT BAY

COCONUT BAY

HANK’S

HANK’S

Mike DizIll

Slice Of American Pie; Zach Neil HANDLEBARS

Triple Threat

HOP SPRINGS

The Wild Feathers; John Salaway MAYDAY BREWERY

Mize and the Drive PUCKETT’S GROCERY

Karianne Jean

RIDENOUR REHEARSAL STUDIOS

Beatles4Sale

DJ RDP

Alexis Taylor

THURS, 11/19 HANDLEBARS

Spencer Maige MAYDAY BREWERY

Singer-Songwriter Night THE BORO BAR & GRILL

Open Mic Talent Night

Americana Jam

HANK’S

Karree J. Phillips HOP SPRINGS

Americana Jam

THE BORO BAR & GRILL

Dave Massey Flamenco Night

MON, 11/23 HANK’S

TUE, 11/24 HANK’S

Delyn Christian

WED, 11/25 Acoustic Night (Cian Pederson) HANK’S

Tawnya Reynolds SEASONS

Salsa & Bachata with DJ Julian

THURS, 11/26 HANDLEBARS

World Famous Thursday Night Blues Jam

FRI, 11/27 CARMEN’S TAQUERIA

Joe West

COCONUT BAY

Zone Status HANK’S

COCONUT BAY

SEASONS

RIDENOUR REHEARSAL STUDIOS

HANK’S

VAN’S BAR & GRILL

Drake Freeman; Revery SEASONS

Cooter River Band VAN’S BAR & GRILL

Junk Box

SAT, 11/14

Escape Band

Sara Simmons; Clayton Mann Band HOP SPRINGS

Kip Moore; Mercy Shine; Cash Creek; Kimo Forrest SEASONS

Zone Status

VAN’S BAR & GRILL

SEASONS THE BORO BAR & GRILL

HANK’S

SAT, 11/21

Backlit

Joe Hooper; Phil Valdez

COCONUT BAY

Stranger Than Fiction

HANK’S

Krystal King, Jeff Lane THE BORO BAR & GRILL

Dave Massey Flamenco Night

MON, 11/30 HANK’S

Open Mic

IF YOU GO

COCONUT BAY

Tim Myles

Joe West

HOP SPRINGS

Open Mic

MAYDAY BREWERY

Underrated

Joey Fletcher

SUN, 11/22

CARMEN’S TAQUERIA

MAYDAY BREWERY

Ballistic Whiplash

SUN, 11/29

Blake Esse; Cherry Avenue

Bailey Rose; Jack Finley Band

THE BORO BAR & GRILL

Dewdrop Jamboree

FRI, 11/20

COCONUT BAY

The Pilots

Lonnie Cook; Justin Dukes

Austin Ford

Sweet Water North Pacific Drifters & Bellichor

SAT, 11/28 COCONUT BAY

Reggie White & Friends HANK’S

HunterGirl; Whiskey Smoke HANDLEBARS

Triple Threat SEASONS

Real Deal Band

KARAOKE, TRIVIA AND DJ NIGHTS IN MURFREESBORO  ONLINE AT BOROPULSE.COM/KARAOKE

 Mondays AHARTS PIZZA GARDEN Trivia Night 7 p.m.

HANK’S Open Mic Night 6–9 p.m.

JACK BROWN’S Trivia Night 7 p.m.

LEVEL III Trivia 7 p.m.

Bike Night, Karaoke 6 p.m.

 Thursdays 219 MIXED CUISINE Trivia 7 p.m.

PARTY FOWL Trivia Night 7 p.m.

STARS & STRIKES Trivia 6:30 p.m.

THE BORO Karaoke 8 p.m.

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

Coconut Bay 210 Stones River Mall Blvd.

615-494-0504

 Tuesdays

 Fridays

Gallagher Unplugged 118 N. Walnut St. 615-624-4196

NACHO’S MEXICAN RESTAURANT Trivia 7 p.m.

Carmen’s Taqueria 206 W. Northfield Blvd.

615-848-9003

Hank’s 2341 Memorial 615-410-7747 Handlebars 2601 E. Main St. 615-890-5661

COCONUT BAY Trivia 7:30 p.m.

VAN’S BAR & GRILL Open Jam hosted by Southside Saints 7 p.m.

Hop Springs

 Wednesdays

615-450-1907

BURGER REPUBLIC Trivia, 7 p.m.

6670 John Bragg Hwy.

Hotshotz Bar & Grill 1208 S. Lowry St., Smyrna 629-255-8296 Mayday Brewery 521 Old Salem Rd. 615-479-9722 Puckett’s Grocery 114 N. Church St. 629-201-6916 RidenourStudios 1203 Park Ave. 615-956-7413 Seasons of Murfreesboro 2227 Old Fort Pkwy.

615-895-5471 The Boro Bar & Grill 1211 Greenland Dr. 615-895-4800 Van’s Bar & Grill 2404 Halls Hill Pk. 615-624-7767

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

JONATHAN’S GRILLE Trivia 7:30 p.m.

JUST LOVE COFFEE EAST Trivia 5 p.m.

BOOMBOZZ PIZZA Trivia Night 8:30 p.m.

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

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

 Saturdays CORELIFE EATERY Trivia Night 7 p.m.

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

NACHO’S MEXICAN RESTAURANT Trivia Night 7 p.m.

SEASONS OF MURFREESBORO Salsa and Bachata with DJ Julian 7 p.m.

VAN’S BAR & GRILL Karaoke 7 p.m.

THE BOULEVARD Trivia 8 p.m.

SAM’S SPORTS GRILL Trivia Night 8 p.m.

VAN’S BAR & GRILL BOROPULSE.COM

 Sundays

* NOVEMBER 2020 * 9

Sounds

LARRY MARTIN

DEWDROP JAMBOREE

T

he Dewdrop Jamboree, a musical variety show featuring singers performing country and bluegrass mixed with a little rock ’n’ roll and blues, is coming together again on Saturday, Nov. 21, at 7 p.m. at Seasons of Murfreesboro.

“We’ll try to do a little of everything,” said Dewdrop Jamboree founder Larry Martin, who plans to include “some rock and blues.”

Bobby Howard is among the featured vocalists who will perform. He has been with Dewdrop Jamboree about four years.

“I do a little bit of everything,” Howard said. “But I grew up doing a little bit of Elvis and that has stuck with me. I don’t dress up [in costume] and I don’t try to look like Elvis, but people say I sound pretty close so I can’t do one of those shows without doing at least one Elvis [tune] or people will be upset. I don’t really have a choice; my parents were Elvis fans and we had his records, so that and church is how I learned to sing.

“I’ve done Stapleton, Skynyrd and quite a few different things on the show.”

Buddy Baker and Lacey Snider will be coming from Alabama to sing with the Jamboree.

Baker is a traditional country singer who has performed with Grand Ole Opry stars on a regular basis and who often performs in the local circuit. He released his first LP in the early ’80s.

“Now, I pretty much play the southern stage,” Baker said. Baker says that the presence of traditional-style country music 10 * NOVEMBER 2020 * BOROPULSE.COM

Rhonda Tenpenny

Emma Tenpenny

makes Dewdrop unique. “It is getting harder and harder to find traditional country music,” he said. “I grew up on Merle Haggard and George Jones, so that is the kind of music I love. I have been on Dewdrop the last three or four years, and I have just been blessed to be a part of it. When you walk out there, they make you feel like you are on the Grand Ole Opry stage. No one can be nicer to you than they have been to me.”

Lacey Snider performs a variety of music from country and gospel to pop and ’50s and ’60’s rock ’n’ roll. She frequently performs in Nashville and was on the locally broadcast Nashville public access cable TV program the Johnny Daniels Bluegrass Show for more than 10 years.

“This will be my second time on the Dewdrop Jamboree show,” Snider said. “I am very excited to be a part of it.”

Dewdrop Jamboree usually has a sevenpiece stage band, Martin said. The band is led by founding member Joe Khoury, who selects the musicians for the house band and

Allen Karl

Local variety show takes the stage at Seasons of Murfreesboro Nov. 21

BY LAURA LINDSAY

Lacey Snider

prepares the song charts for the shows, which usually feature around 30 numbers. Joining the band onstage are the Dewdrop Girls, a trio of backup singers that includes Rhonda Tenpenny, Teresa Camp and Pat Roden.

“For a typical show we have a house band and anywhere from 8 to 12 acts that come on and sing 2 or 3 songs each night,” Howard said, adding that the Jamboree is a family-oriented event formerly held at Patterson Park.

The show at Seasons will be a little different from the usual shows, performed in three sets as opposed to one long, continuous presentation.

Seasons of Murfreesboro Restaurant & Lounge, the Jamboree’s current venue, is well suited to live performance, and now boasts a brand-new dance floor. “Some people have told us before that they sure would like to dance,” Howard said. “This is their chance. The place has got a great sound. And the acoustics are good, so you can have a conversation there while you

listen to the music.

“The food is good there, too. It is a meat-and-three style place. They have some healthy choices.”

Some former members of the Dewdrop band may stop in for this show, Martin said.

“I think my old partner, Pat Jackson, will be at this show,” Martin said. “Pat is a bass player so he’ll play it to his songs, and he likes to do Western swing. I always encourage him to do some of it because no one else does Western swing and I like to hear it.”

Dewdrop Jamboree is glad to have Dean Holman, from Music City Hayride, slated to perform at the Nov. 21 show. Holman is a Nashville humanitarian and classic country music artist. He is a member of the Traditional Country Opry in Nashville and the Traditional Country Opry Road Show.

“A lot of the performers with Dewdrop Jamboree have deep ties in the music industry and are very talented,” Howard said. “When I’m not on the bill, I go if I’m in town because the show is so well done. The guys that are in the bands are as good as it comes, with a few who have played on the Opry, even. As someone who has not been in the business all his life and is just a garage singer, it is just a thrill for me to be standing in front of those guys. They even make an old novice country boy like me sound pretty decent and it is a lot of fun.”

Seasons of Murfreesboro is located at 2227 Old Fort Pkwy. Tickets for the Dewdrop Jamboree are $10 at the door.

COMMUNITY-DRIVEN: MUSIC VENUE FUND DRIVES PUMP UP THE VOLUME, SAVE OUR STAGES ACT STAYS STALLED IN SENATE AS SHOWN BY THE COUNTRY MUSIC HALL OF FAME AND MUSEUM’S recent landmark YouTube event Big Night at the Museum (hosted by Marty Stuart), even the biggest and most established tourist and entertainment venues have suffered huge financial losses while finding themselves behind closed doors. No venue is immune. But this history-making live event—still available to watch in its entirety on YouTube (and the Museum is still accepting donations, by the way, all of which go toward their COVID relief fund)—also served to prove that not all hope is lost.

Rather, what that hope needs now is to get through to the right ears.

NIVA, the National Independent Venue Association, is promoting the Save our Stages Act (appropriately abbreviated as SOS).

SOS was folded into a revised version of a bill called The Heroes Act and has received a tremendous amount of support and signatures, but after having passed the House it seems to be permanently MARTY STUART parked on the Senate floor, where it sits waiting for Congressional approval. NIVA recently wrapped a successful virtual fundraising festival (SOSFest) which spanned over 3,000 business participants. The organization continues to make moves to bring in more assistance to independent businesses by way of auctions and other live events.

“Unpassed legislation provides no relief,” the organization tweeted recently.

NIVA urges folks to send letters to their elected officials stating how important entertainment venues are to them.

“That is what’s actually pushing the needle for us,” according to a NIVA statement. Find more information at saveourstages.com.

The Nashville Convention and Visitors Corporation recently wrapped what they dubbed the Music City Bandwidth series to raise money, showcasing a wide variety of performances from various venues across the city and selling customized T-shirts to those who contribute.

Find more information on this effort at visitmusiccity.com/music-city-bandwidth.

Live Nation/AEG is pitching in with Save Live Events Now, a live entertainment aid initiative that combines efforts to save crew members, jobs and more. Find more information at saveliveeventsnow.com.

At least 15 well-known Nashville venues including The Bluebird, 3rd and Lindsley, The High Watt, Station Inn, The Listening Room, The Basement and others are participating in Drive the Music Nashville with all proceeds of T-shirts and other gear benefiting Music Venue Alliance Nashville. Commercials for this campaign can be seen airing often on local TV. Find more information at drivethemusicnashville.com.

Kip Moore, who is scheduled for a Hop Springs concert this November, asks for help for the MVAN cause in his just-released music video “Don’t Go Changing.” Find more information at mvan.org.

GUITAR LEGEND STUCK WITH HIS ARENA ROCK SOLOS THROUGHOUT CAREER

EDDIE VAN HALEN 1955—2020

IN THE SUMMER OF ’93, I picked up the July issue of Musician magazine from a stand at the Atlanta airport. I don’t remember where I was traveling to, but I must have wanted something to read on the plane. Out of the 100 guitarists on this particular list, 93 of them were subdivided into categories (folk; blues; jazz; etc.). But seven names, at the top of the list, were not listed in any category. They were just there, at the top. Here were the names: Jeff Beck, Jimi Hendrix, John McLaughlin, Allan Holdsworth, Frank Zappa, Jimmy Page . . . and Edward Van Halen.

Having just turned 22 years old, I had only really heard music by three of them—Hendrix, Page and Van Halen. I remember thinking “most of these guys are of rock legend and history, but Eddie is of my time, my generation of music.”

I had a lot to learn about rock history, and that issue of Musician magazine gave me an important start. If these other guys were on the same list as Eddie, then I’d better check them out! So it was off to Turtles Records and Tapes (!) to try scrounging up some of these names. The first CD I ever purchased in my life was Frank Zappa’s Guitar. And soon my tastes in music developed away from the rock and pop that most of my friends listened to, and towards what those same friends called “weird stuff with no singing.”

I’m not a Van Halen expert, but I distinctly remember in the late ’80s and mid ’90s that some music industry publications and even some early music websites would mention Eddie’s interest in doing some other kinds of creative projects outside of his famous band. He wanted to express his creativity in ways separate from his existence as an arena rock god, but the whole music business infrastructure around him would revolt because those kinds of proj-

MUSIC NOTES

— MELISSA COKER

ects (weird stuff with no singing) were not likely to generate millions of dollars. And the labels, promoters and radio stations really needed Eddie to generate millions of dollars, or they weren’t interested.

As far as I can tell, Eddie eventually gave up on the notion of performing any music outside Van Halen’s genre. It seemed to me that he became somewhat reclusive, focusing on raising his son, fighting cancer and trying to maintain an occasional truce with the bandmates long enough for a revenuegenerating VH tour every few years.

“The second cut on the first Van Halen album, ‘Eruption’ revolutionized the electric guitar in 1978. Punk had made guitar heroes passé, but Eddie renewed their cool with a vast array of moves that also built a whole new branch of publishing: the guitar tab book,” according to that 1993 100 Greatest list. “He never lost sight of the great riff, without which the electrifying solo degenerates into turd polishing. Remind yourself of his brilliant riffing with ‘Everybody Wants Some’ for a glimpse of what he could do if he dared to revolutionize rock again by stepping away from the conventions of the arena.”

We’ll never know what Eddie would have sounded like had he followed the examples of some other great guitarists who continued to develop and innovate, like Jeff Beck, who explored rockabilly, electronica and rock/classical hybrids; Brian May, who has developed a small but devoted following for his post-Queen output; John McLaughlin (an early hero of Eddie’s) who expanded into authentic Indian music; or Eric Clapton, who returned to honest blues after detours into commercial pop and easy listening. No, with few exceptions, the only way we hear Edward Van Halen is in the context of one of the loudest and most entertaining hard rock bands in history. We shall not experience his like again.

— RAFE HYATT

BOROPULSE.COM

* NOVEMBER 2020 * 11

Sounds

Read more about local music at

boropulse.com/category/music

Host Jimmy Bowen shares when, why, how and what’s next

BY MELISSA COKER IT’S A SLICE OF THE NASHVILLE NETWORK in the ’Boro’s backyard.

“I’ve always wanted to host my own music variety TV show and with the wonderful team we have assembled and the super-talented guests we have for the first season of the show, I know we are starting out right. With a blend of both new artists and seasoned entertainers, I believe there is something for everyone,” says acclaimed singer-songwriter Jimmy Bowen of his show Jimmy Bowen & Friends.

Featured first-season guests include The Voice season 17 winner Jake Hoot, actor and singer John Schneider, Cody McCarver (known in part for his work with the band Confederate Railroad), up-and-comer Ashlyn Grace, Karen Waldrup, Sonny LeMaire and more. These episodes are now airing and a second season is already well on the way to echoing and amplifying the show’s initial success.

Filming was somewhat of a struggle in the beginning, with corralling artists and getting the OK from everyone during perhaps some of the best and worst of times with COVID. Like show guest’s Sonny LeMaire’s co-written song of the same name, it was a beautiful mess. But Bowen wasn’t taking no for an answer.

“I so appreciate the artists that we had,” says Bowen. “I enjoyed having every one of 12 * NOVEMBER 2020 * BOROPULSE.COM

them on the show. For this next season we start filming again in January and we have a few more heavy-hitters lined up. Proud of the first season and looking forward to the second. I’m actually already planning for the third. I’ve had this vision for years and we’re going to keep this train rolling if we can.”

Filmed live at Murfreesboro’s Ridenour Rehearsal Studios’s venue The Alley with executive producer Jeff Moseley at the helm (Nashville Insider and Songs & Stories with John Berry are among his projects for CJM Productions), the series has quickly found a home in households far beyond the ’Boro.

An impressive array of TV and streaming services, including Heartland, The Family Channel and The Country Network, have added the 13-episode half-hour program to their lineups. Each episode spotlights Bowen with his band and a weekly guest artist.

So, why Murfreesboro?

“There are a lot of factors. The folks over at Ridenour were just super, they welcomed me with open arms to do this television show. They have a great facility. Shane and

Shannon, Cheri Cranford, just everyone at Ridenour and our crew, everyone has been a real blessing,” Bowen says of the local production studio. “And Ridenour has enough room for us to move around the stage area, they have their stage, they have lighting, they have sound.

“My whole idea was to try to bring back kind of the old shows like you’d see on TNN years ago,” Bowen tells the Pulse.

“That was one of the biggest motivators in my mind. Not that I’m trying to be the savior of country music. But it was a thing where it’s like, ‘I miss those shows.’ And I would like to do what I can do to maybe throw a spark to bring some of it back.

They had a lot of music variety shows.

Everything was about the music [then] and a lot of the shows that I watch now are all about talking and cooking. No one really cares how I like my barbecue,” he says with a laugh. “I don’t want people to get bored. I want to leave them wanting more.”

Find Jimmy Bowen & Friends on some of these channels and streaming services (take

PHOTO BY WAYNE COWAN

Locally Filmed TV Show Goes (Inter)National

note that some, including Heartland, The Country Network and RightNow, have Roku channels too): Heartland TV – Tuesday, 4 p.m., Sunday, 4 p.m.; The Family Channel – Tuesday, 5:30 p.m., Sunday, 3:30 p.m.; The Country Network – Thursday, 7:30 p.m., Friday, 11:30 a.m., Sunday, 3 p.m.; RightNow TV – Tuesday, 2 and 11 p.m., Friday, 2 and 11 p.m., Saturday, 11 p.m.; StrykTV, Z Living TV and Country TV-New Zealand.

All told, the program is accessible to approximately 160 million homes in the USA, the UK and New Zealand.

“My main point, as an artist, is to bring in an artist variety,” Bowen explains. “Like The Johnny Cash Show, that’s another great example. I just thought that was so creative, to get people from different styles of music.

I came from a bluegrass background and moved to the Americana side. Even though I do what I do as an artist, we try to arrange the shows if we can to where it’s the opposite of what I do. I want Christian music on there. I want the rock. I want reggae, blues, jazz. I want it to be a variety of music.

“I’m working on [booking] a couple of singer-songwriters that are top artists in Nashville. But they are tremendous writers also. And talking with them about coming on and just doing a singer-songwriter, writers-in-the-round-type thing. They write so many great songs that you might never know they wrote for another artist,” he adds.

While the first season was mostly solo artists who performed with Bowen’s band, he decided he wanted to incorporate some full bands. Some names included among the bands in talks for the next season (still subject to change) are country supergroup Shenandoah, Exile and even possibly 38 Special. Phil Vassar and Pam Tillis are also in talks to tape episodes.

Lewis Brice, Jason Crabb, Nu-Blu, Becky Buller and Tori Martin have all confirmed they will appear on Jimmy Bowen & Friends.

“It’s kind of like making a record. It’s a well-oiled machine so far. The first season was good and I hope the second season will be even better,” Bowen says. “You always want your next record to be better than the last record.”

Keep up to date on Jimmy Bowen & Friends air dates, find photos, videos and more at facebook.com/jimmybowenshow. Bowen’s latest single, “Second Hand Smoke,” is available through most streaming platforms and he is working on new music to be released soon.

Reviews

ALBUM

MOVIE

INFERI Of Sunless Realms

WATCH OUT. The circle pit’s about to slam. Inferi unleashes a ferocious assault of monstrous metal on the band’s latest EP, Of Sunless Realms.

The release, and the extreme metal style in general, can be polarizing for listeners, and reaction to the sounds of Inferi will have a lot to do with one’s preexisting personal taste in rock music.

Metal masterminds Malcolm Pugh and Mike Low play blazing arpeggios, sweeps, patterns and licks; quick, technical and nimble guitar passages of an incredibly high degree of instrumental difficulty. A ridiculously fast double kick drum pounds through a good bit of the compositions, punctuated by some spooky synths.

The demonic cookie monster vocals will be off-putting for many, though. The painfully screaming vocal style serves as a signature of the death-metal and black-metal niches, but surely chases off a good percentage of listeners who may give the music more of a chance if overlaid with a different vocal style. If a sense of terror, anger and disconcertment is the target, Inferi nails it.

As brutal and overbearing as it is, Inferi’s music really is symphonic in parts, very advanced and sophisticated melodically on the guitar breaks, sweeps and interludes.

“It’s death metal of the highest order,” one Inferi supporter said. “Well executed metal.”

“Aeons Torn” displays a neat, very quick arpeggiation pattern plinking along and peppering the composition.

The guitar work throughout gives some nods to founders of metal such as Metallica, Slayer, Iron Maiden and company, with epic, 14 * NOVEMBER 2020 * BOROPULSE.COM

soaring guitar breaks blended with modern Scandinavian-influenced black- and deathmetal sounds with a dash of DragonForce (instrumentally).

Occasionally, the music does display a groove underlying its seemingly untamable brutality. The ending passage of “Eldritch Evolution,” which goes with more of a half-time head-nodding tempo rather than such blisteringly fast speed-metal throughout, should get many moving and swaying.

“The Summoning” serves as a brief, lowerintensity ear break with its haunting piano, organ and chorus. But the main purpose here really seems to be to lead the listener into the remaining pit of shredding brutality.

The cover artwork for Of Sunless Realms fits just perfectly with the style; it features wild, multi-eyed, massive, tentacled monsters, fire, scenes of hellish destruction and a cadre of cloaked figures, along with, of course, a custom Inferi logo displaying the band name in a nearly indecipherable font—a traditional badge of honor in the extreme metal community, nearly as hard to interpret as the lyrics.

Despite occasional use of piano, creepy, quieter synth interludes and the occasional stomping groove, Of Sunless Realms doesn’t exactly contain a great deal of crossover appeal. The vocals come across, by design, as abrasive, to say the least. Some, understandably, can’t take it.

But there’s an existing scene for heartpounding, thunderously galloping metal fury, and Inferi continues to earn respect in the metal community.

Find Of Sunless Realms by Inferi on Bandcamp, Spotify and other online platforms.

— BRACKEN MAYO

SAVE YOURSELVES! DIRECTOR Alex Huston Fischer and Eleanor Wilson STARRING Sunita Mani, John Reynolds, Ben Sinclair RATED R

SAVE YOURSELVES! IS YET another under-the-radar gem to show up for rent on Amazon Prime during these trying times for movie theaters and movie studios. Firsttime feature directors Fischer and Wilson surprise and delight with this low-budget sci-fi comedy.

The film is carried by its two leads.

John Reynolds and Sunita Mani as Jack and Su are an early thirties couple from Brooklyn scrolling their way through their lives and their relationship. At a party, they catch up with an old friend (High Maintenance’s Ben Sinclair) who offers them his family cabin for a week. Jack and Su jump at the opportunity to get away and unplug, to mentally reboot their lives.

Once there, Jack and Su struggle to exist phone-free, while Su attempts to explore their relationship with a list of activities she found on a website and copied into a notebook. It’s while arguing about whether the list constitutes breaking their cellphone sabbatical that they notice a fluffy pouffe in the cabin that wasn’t there before. When they finally turn on their phones again, they’re met with

numerous texts and voicemails that, without spoiling too much, prove the pouffe—a furball-shaped alien creature—does not come in peace.

For a film that revolves around just two characters, Reynolds and Mani are perfectly cast. Reynolds (Search Party) typically plays the hate-able hipster to a T, but as Jack he embodies the floundering yet complacent modern city dweller.

He wishes he knew plumbing even though he actively rebelled against his workmanlike father. Mani (GLOW) is equally unskilled, and even says as much. She’s great as Su, who just feels in a rut and wants to get out of it before she wakes up at 60 having done nothing with her life.

Though these topics sound heavy, Jack and Su together (and the sharp script by the directors) make these relatable struggles somehow light and breezy. In a typically disarming scene, Jack and Su are sitting on their couch while he looks at his phone as it plays Cate Le Bon’s enchanting song “Are You With Me Now” (appropriate). Su, in a moment of frustration, slaps the phone out of Jack’s hand. Stunned, Jack turns to look at her and says, “Thank you.”

There are countless scenes like this that are both funny and real, even as the sci-fi silliness ramps up to catastrophic levels. As Jack and Su’s search for serenity turns into a fight for survival, Save Yourselves! takes many unexpected turns, all the while staying grounded in the main characters’ flawed, and often hilarious, humanity.

— JAY SPIGHT

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 RESTAURANT

Andele!

Grab Fast and Fresh Mexican Fare at El Monte STORY BY BRACKEN MAYO • PHOTOS BY SARAH MAYO

The Dish RESTAURANT:

El Monte Fresh Mexican Food LOCATIONS:

2089 Lascassas Pk., Suite A, Murfreesboro 112 E Main St., Woodbury PHONE:

615-624-7458 HOURS:

Monday–Saturday: 10 a.m.–9 p.m.

I

F YOU ARE PRESSED FOR TIME in the Lascassas Pike or the Woodbury areas and need a quick lunch option or a full dinner to bring home to the family, El Monte Fresh Mexican Food aims to combine the food of the standard Mexican/ American restaurant with the speed of a fast-food establishment.

This express eatery even offers a pick-up window where customers can place an order on the spot and soon be on their way with fajitas, enchiladas or burritos to go.

“Great fresh food! And they have drivethrough,” Kalyn Catlett said. “Give it a try.”

16 * NOVEMBER 2020 * BOROPULSE.COM

sour cream, guacamole, rice, beans and tortillas).

The Real Burrito PRICES: Burrito California contains either shredded with grilled chicken, chicken or ground beef, but steak or mixed: $7.99 for that grilled flavor, the Ground beef or pastor quesadilla: $4.49 California Burrito offers Fajitas with grilled the choice of either grilled chicken, steak or chicken or steak. mixed: $8.49; Ground Need more cheese? Grab beef taco: $1.55 Two enchiladas, rice a small queso dip and chips and beans: $7.99 for only $3.39.

Choripollo: $10.99 “The food is very, very good. Service is spectacular. It’s also very Customers also report that, in addition fast,” Tyson Leslie said following a visit to to quick, quality items, the value is there as El Monte (which translates as “The Mounwell and the prices reasonable. tain”).

Drive through for some tacos, only $1.55 After 3 p.m. El Monte offers an exfor ground beef or $2.75 for steak or grilled panded dinner menu, with dishes such as chicken. Or try some nachos, topped with the Choripollo, which includes chicken, pastor, beef, chorizo or carnitas. chorizo, cheese, rice and beans.

“Great food and value,” Bill Eakes said.

The establishment also serves some deliThe fajitas taste just as good as those at many of the area sit-down restaurants, with cious, juicy, salty carnitas.

“The food is on point. Perfect! The a wonderful char and seasoning on the carnitas are made to perfection,” said Carla grilled chicken and steak.

Jacobsen-Fox. “Will be a regular customer!

The lunch portion of fajitas is generous These guys are real nice, too.” for $8.49, with full set-up (lettuce, pico,

And while the drive-through is ready to quickly serve to-go customers, El Monte also has a small, clean dining room available.

“We took a group of 15 here to celebrate a birthday. The food was delicious and the staff were so incredibly accommodating of our large party,” Megan Hamby said. “They went over and beyond to take care of our group. We will definitely be back.”

While the tasty food has satisfied many local customers, some point out that the spice level probably wouldn’t be considered authentically Mexican, as most of the dishes are fairly mild.

“Very good, pleasing taste, but not real spicy. Guess one could spice it up,” Charles Wiley said. “The quesadilla pastor was really good,” he added.

As the El Monte slogan says, the restaurant, with locations in both Murfreesboro and Woodbury, is fast, fresh and friendly.

“You get your food super-fast, and it’s great. It’s nice that it has a drive-thru as well. They’re always super-nice,” a Yelper, Luke, said of El Monte. “Such a good place to go if you need your food fast, and don’t want to eat the normal fast food.”

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* NOVEMBER 2020 * 17

Art

 EVENT

 Clockwise from top left: Bill Heim, Red Oak Pottery

Red Oak, Blue Pony, Studio S Open for Art Studio Tour Nov. 21–22 ALTHOUGH PARTICIPATING LOCATIONS will be down from last year, the tradition of the Art Studio Tour will continue in 2020.

The Stones River Crafts Association has presented the tour every year since 1993, and the annual Art Studio Tour gives visitors a glimpse into the working studios of local artisans and craftsmen of various disciplines.

Blue Pony Art Studio, Red Oak Pottery and Studio S Pottery will all open their home studios to the public Nov. 21–22 for the 2020 Art Studio Tour.

Blue Pony, 88 Hoyt Knox Rd., Readyville, features clay sculpture from Kay Currie, as well as work from guest artists James Adkins (woodworking) and Kathy Bradley (jewelry).

Red Oak Pottery, 2925 Spain Hill Rd., Lascassas, features the ceramic stoneware of Bill and Judy Heim, as well as work from Anne Rob (handcrafted jewelry) and Jan Quarles (dyed silk).

Studio S, 1426 Avon Rd., Murfreesboro, features stoneware, porcelain and raku from Lewis and Eric Snyder, as well as work from guest artists Mary Veazie (painting) and Phyllis Razo (watercolors).

Drop by these three locations Saturday and Sunday, Nov. 21–22, from 10 a.m.–5 p.m. to view the artwork and meet the artists. Studio S will also open its doors on Friday, Nov. 20. Popcorn Studio Pottery, Hickerson Woodworks, Turtleware Pottery, Chimes for Justice and Acorn Haven will all host visitors that weekend by appointment. Call each of those locations individually to set up a time to visit.

Popcorn Studio Pottery – 615-896-9167 Hickerson Woodworks – 615-896-0919 Turtleware Pottery – 615-904-9850 Chimes for Justice – 615-491-5482 Acorn Haven – 615-631-9895 For more information on the Art Studio Tour, email artstudiotour@gmail.com or visit artstudiotour.org.

18 * NOVEMBER 2020 * BOROPULSE.COM

 Lewis Snyder, Studio S  Logan Hickerson, Hickerson Woodworks  Sculptures by Kay Currie, Blue Pony

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Art

 EXHIBIT

 AUCTION

Leroy and Barbara Hodges Curate Collective Memories, Words to Live By Dual Exhibit THE MTSU DEPARTMENT OF ART AND DESIGN will host a duo of collaborative exhibits curated by Dr. Barbara and Mr. Leroy Hodges entitled Collective Memories: Creative Expressions Through Contemporary Art and Words to Live By. Scheduled to remain on display through Nov. 21 in the Todd Art Gallery, the exhibits share the main gallery and finish the department’s fall exhibition calendar.

“Collective memory spans nations, cultures and generations,” Leroy Hodges said when asked to describe the Collective Memories effort. “This collaboration brings together sculptures, paintings and works on paper by local, regional and national artists embracing and showcasing their creative expressions of collective memories through contemporary art.”

He aims for the viewer to see artwork that tells stories spanning personal and cultural memories that are open to interpretation, then to reorient the past, not as a fixed narrative but as a multiplicity of voices from differing viewpoints. Works in the exhibit range from a vibrancy of color, subtle abstraction, a gamut of textures, provocative images, mixed media, surrealism, figurative and layered landscapes.

Words to Live By showcases the artistry found from a broad spectrum of senior adults, veterans and community youth. The work conveys the creatively and visually expressive interpretations of how words, phrases, quotes and sayings significantly influenced their lives.

“Unthinkable” by Jason Watkins Exploring the transformative nature of words, this group of art gives a voice to the voiceless intending to inspire, engage, educate and empower each viewer. These words and art span nations, communities, cultures, and generations, establishing a relationship between the companion exhibits.

“We hope these art exhibits give a voice to those who desire to be boundless by words,” Hodges said.

Participating artists include Michael McBride, James Threalkill, Dayo Johnson, Diane Stockard, Carlton Wilkinson, Lakesha Moore, Lisa Sims, Leroy Hodges, Barbara Hodges, Lloyd DeBerry, Roger Smith, Henry Jones, DeeDee Potter, Destiney Powell, Mary Watkins, Jamaal Sheats, Jennifer McGuire, LaRonda Angelisa, Ginny Toygre, George Nock, Walter Pope, Michael Mucker, Thaxton Waters, Suzanne LeBeau, Robert Orr Jr., Xavier Payne, Daniel Arite, Donna Mag, Heliose Shiltat, Elisheba Israel, Omar Booker and Robert Miranda.

Admission to the Todd Art Gallery is free and the venue is open to the public Monday–Friday, 8:30 a.m.–4:30 p.m., and Saturday, 11 a.m.–4 p.m. For parking, directions or other questions, contact 615-898-5532 or eric.snyder@mtsu.edu.

20 * NOVEMBER 2020 * BOROPULSE.COM

(Above) “Louis” and (below) “Hendrix” by Berkeley Clements

Walnut House Hosts Art Auction in November

IN AN EFFORT TO SUPPORT the Middle Tennessee art community, The Walnut House will present a virtual art show and auction kicking off at 8:30 p.m. on Thursday, Nov. 19, and concluding at 8:30 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 20.

Among the artists showing and selling work in the project, Berkeley Clements will offer two of her musician-inspired, mixedmedia works in her Color of Sound series.

Clements said the concept for this series initially came to her in a dream. The first work, a depiction of a Fender Stratocaster guitar, drew inspiration from one of the most legendary guitar players who ever lived, Jimi Hendrix. The painting symbolizes the iconic 1967 moment when Hendrix set his guitar on fire during the Monterey Pop Festival.

The lyrics from “Purple Haze” are also woven within the work, but are only visible using a UV-reactive black light.

“This subtle element signifies that notes on a page and paint on a canvas mean so much more than what is initially seen and heard,” Clements said.

When deciding on the second painting for the Color of Sound series, she gravitated to Louis Armstrong. The lyrics from “What a Wonderful World” kept playing inside her head as she dreamed of a better world in the future to come.

This piece contains hidden lyrics of that classic song, often covered but best remembered in Armstrong’s 1967 recording.

Both of these vivid, detailed and cap“Sunflowers” by tivating pieces measure 48 inches by 24 Justyna Kostkowska inches.

Tune into the virtual art show and auction at charityauctionstoday.com or at the Facebook page for The Walnut House.

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 BOOK personal and universal, a sensitive comingof-age novel for poetry fans of all ages.

Did it actually happen?

Did buildings really fall?

Or was it just a scene from a movie I once saw?

Without witnessing something firsthand, it’s hard to believe in it after a while— the way it’s hard to believe that someone you know is no longer living, breathing, and being.

But if buildings as grand as those can just vanish . . . it must be so.

The book continues to recount the main character’s challenges at school and her longing for her father to return “back to the place where we all sleep.”

Poet Tells Story of Military Family in 2001 with The Places We Sleep IT’S EARLY SEPTEMBER 2001, and

12-year-old Abbey is the new kid at school— again. Tennessee is the latest stop her family has made in a series of moves, thanks to her dad’s work in the Army, but this one might be different. For the first time, Abbey has found a real friend: loyal, courageous, athletic Camille.

But everything changes after Sept. 11.

Abbey’s “home” looks like it might fall apart as America changes overnight. Abbey’s body changes, too, while her classmates argue and her family falters amidst the pressures of a new national crisis. Like everyone around her, she tries to make sense of her own experience as a part of the country’s collective pain. With her mother grieving and her father prepping for active duty, Abbey must learn to cope.

Written in narrative verse, The Places We Sleep by Caroline Brooks DuBois, released 22 * NOVEMBER 2020 * BOROPULSE.COM

earlier in 2020 from Holiday House Books, tells the story of Abbey’s journey and provides a portrait of the military family experience during a tumultuous period in our history.

DuBois, who spent her childhood in Murfreesboro and graduated from Riverdale High School, is the daughter of two former local educators.

“My dad was the speech and debate chair at MTSU and my mom worked most of her teaching career in Rutherford County public schools,” she said.

After high school, the author attended Converse College in South Carolina and later received a master’s degree in poetry at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst. DuBois currently lives in Nashville, where she has taught poetry workshops, writing classes and English at the middle school, high school and college levels.

She wrote The Places We Sleep to be both

What was the inspiration behind The Places We Sleep and what drew you to writing it in verse?

CAROLINE BROOKS DUBOIS:

Pregnant when 9/11 occurred, I feared bringing a child into such a frightening and unpredictable world. In the years that followed, my brothers and my brother-in-law were all called into active duty and deployed to Afghanistan and Iraq. These events inspired Abbey’s story. I wanted to write about how world events have rippling effects on individuals and familial relationships in unexpected ways. Abbey’s coming of age story unfolded naturally in poetry, perhaps as a lyrical way to process 9/11, but also likely because I’d recently completed my MFA in poetry.

What was your experience of Sept.

11, 2001?

I was working as an editor for a company in the South. The news rippled through our office, as we all had family and friends in the affected cities. Like JFK’s assassination for my parents, the Challenger explosion during my youth, 9/11 was one of those impact moments that you cannot forget, one of those moments where people can typically tell you exactly where they were when it happened and what they were doing.

How are children particularly impacted by national trauma?

The current national trauma of the Coronavirus pandemic may have a similar impact on youth. Children are impacted by trauma in ways adults cannot always understand; therefore, reading stories about such traumas can help children process such events.

Why do you think this story is important for the middle grade audience?

Middle grade students I’ve taught often have had only a fuzzy understanding of the events of 9/11, and the nonfiction texts they’ve typically enjoyed the most in my classroom were almost always couched in a narrative story. I hope Abbey’s story will spark curiosity in young readers about 9/11 and the monumental lessons we learned and are still learning from that tragedy. Maybe it will even inspire some young reader to choose to deal with life’s challenges through art or poetry or other forms of creativity.

What was your journey to becoming published like? Do you have any advice for other aspiring novelists?

I won’t sugarcoat it—my journey to publishing this novel was arduous and filled with more than one agent and my share of rejections, definitely not an instant success story aspiring writers might crave to hear. Fortunately it was dotted with minor accomplishments along the path to keep me going. Publishing is like training for a marathon in endurance and perseverance, and I’ve been collecting writing knowledge for years from attending conferences, maintaining critique groups, teaching adolescents, reading literature for children, and by returning day after day to the blank page to chase a story or poem. My advice is know your audience by interacting with them, and then tell the stories that your heart demands that you tell. Also, learn to wear and enjoy wearing many hats—writer, reviser, learner, reader, promoter, and so forth.

What is the writing process like for a novel in verse?

Writing a novel in verse is a unique experience in that each poem can act as a scene or a portion of a scene, like the bones of a novel. A distinction from the traditional prose novel is that there are a lot less connective tissues to string scenes together.

Therefore, the writer has to consider how the narrative will develop, while ensuring the language is precise and intentional in word choice, connotation and imagery. At its best, a story poem is a picture painted with words that also reveals character and develops plot. Books in verse create more white space between scenes as well as playful or dramatic visual messages with syntax, punctuation and form.

The Places We Sleep by Caroline Brooks DuBois is available at amazon.com, barnesandnoble.com and other retailers.

 BOOK

How Bulimia Saved My Soul Local young author fights the good fight of faith and wins, releases compelling account

BY ANGELA LOUPE LIFE CAN BE TRICKY. There are curves and turns in the road, as well as detours and pitfalls. It often feels more like a roller coaster than a path.

Because we can all relate to the struggle in one form or another, stories of tragedy and triumph abound.

While today’s youth face unique obstacles that no previous generation has encountered, the resulting coping mechanisms continue to remain centered on the familiar and deceptive illusions of perceived control.

Whether the imbalance manifests in the form of alcoholism, drug abuse, eating disorders, addiction or other behaviors, there is often a search to maintain equilibrium.

Disorders have a way of emerging despite efforts of resistance. One defense against these self-destructive tendencies is finding a way to be in harmony with ourselves, thereby alleviating the tension.

One such story has unfolded in the life of

a local young man. Like Paul, the champion of the post-resurrection New Testament, Welland Andrus gives the appearance of a boisterous and spirited young man in print.

However, upon meeting him, he comes across as a reserved young man, humble in spirit and ready to share his testimony with excitement, but also with due restraint.

Andrus recently released a book, How Bulimia Saved My Soul. Many have typically identified bulimia as a primarily female disorder. However, this young man has recorded his struggles with bulimia in a very honest and compelling book that chronicles his life through the eyes of a fictional character named Larry. Andrus writes with the kind of raw emotion and candid verbiage that one can only associate with true experience. While the names have been changed and some events have been changed up, Practically the entire book is a reflection of his own life and struggles, said Andrus, who

has changed names and identifying details of certain events for the sake of anonymity on behalf of the other characters involved.

In How Bulimia Saved my Soul, Andrus conveys a sense of his internal struggle on a very tangible and personal level. This book shares his most intimate thoughts, his most private ponderings, his most tragic experience-turned-triumphant, and how his Christian faith delivered him through it all.

Andrus details the toll the disorder takes on his own body and the bodies of fellow sufferers, and the often-forgotten toll on the family and friends who are indirectly affected by the struggle.

When asked to simplify the root of the problem in his own words, Andrus opened up about the issues he struggled with in his home life—from losing a parent at a young age to watching the remaining parent struggle with substance abuse—and how that impacted him, leaving him feeling out of control.

“I couldn’t control my home life, but I could control my weight, so I fell back on

that,” he said. “For me it was always about wanting control. But really, when I got into treatment, I saw it was just a lie I fell for because I didn’t have control over the situation. I thought I did, but I didn’t.”

He goes on to say that he was essentially using food as a coping mechanism.

“One thing I really saw in treatment was, it’s okay sometimes to not have control over a situation. That’s one part about the Christian faith. It’s not about control, it’s about surrender,” the 21-year-old author said.

Andrus’ account highlights each crucial moment as his life spins out of control, and what steps were necessary to get back on the right path. He does this with a raw writing style, an ability to keep the suspense coming and a skilled delivery of a delicate subject. I would go as far as to call it a must-read for anyone who identifies with bulimia, either as a sufferer or as a loved one. The insight gained may truly help save a life and heal a heart.

The book gives a true picture of what the struggle looks like, the resulting consequences, and the comforting truth that we are never alone in our struggles.

If you or someone you know is struggling with bulimia, you can reach out for help in a number of ways, from local churches and nonprofit organizations to counselors and crisis intervention centers as well as rehabilitation centers. Take action and get the help you deserve. Your life is worth it.

Find How Bulimia Saved My Soul at Barnes & Noble, Amazon and various other outlets.

BOROPULSE.COM

* NOVEMBER 2020 * 23

AROUND TOWN ’BORO BUSINESS BUZZ

Blue Eyed Daisy, Church Street Gallery, Aspiring Nutrition, Maddy’s, Harmony Health, Emerson Bridal, Corex, White Bison

BY BRACKEN MAYO Local artists and supporters of the arts Maredith Clayton Metier, Mary Miller Veazie and Eric Snyder have recently opened CHURCH STREET GALLERY at 124 N. Church St. in downtown Murfreesboro.

The venue, with the mission of showcasing talent and celebrating artists, will display and sell fine art prints, clay art, sculptures, jewelry, glass pieces and other works from regional artists.

Church Street Gallery is open from 11 a.m.–5 p.m. Tuesday–Friday, 9 a.m.–5 p.m.

Saturday and 10 a.m.–2 p.m. Sunday. For more information on artists and images, visit churchstreetgalleryboro.com.

EMERSON BRIDAL has

Coach Jacob Lembke has brought CORAX STRENGTH AND PERFORMANCE to 3242 Memorial Blvd. (next to Two J’s Grille) to help athletes of any level chase their dreams both on and off their chosen field of competition through research-based training.

opened at 130 N. Church St., the former home of Shave barbershop. Owner/operator Katie Homrighausen said she has always dreamed of opening a small business and, once she moved to Murfreesboro with her husband, she was able to pursue this dream as the space became available just off of the city’s Public Square. The bridal shop is currently booking appointments. To set up a time, email bookings@emersonbridal.com.

Cynthia and Ken Walker have opened HARMONY HEALTH MEDICAL on Dow Street, offering a combination of primary family care and mental health care services and treating various psychosomatic conditions. Harmony believes in emphasizing preventive care and encouraging its patients to develop healthy habits and lifestyles.

Cynthia, who has a medical degree, and Ken, who has a business degree, decided to combine their skill sets to open their family business in Murfreesboro.

For more information or to set up an appointment, visit harmonyhealthmedical.com or call 615-603-2272.

MADDY’S RESTAURANT, on Rock Springs Road in Smyrna, serves burgers, hot dogs, fries, tots, bologna sandwiches, ice cream and more. The eatery celebrated its grand opening in October.

Owned by Danny and Angie Perdieu and Chris Schmidt, the Maddy’s team held a grand opening event with a hot dog eating contest and five-pound burger challenge; those who dare may still take on the five-pound burger challenge in the restaurant. The diner will also host live music on its stage. Find it at 901 Rock Springs Rd., near the Old Nashville Highway intersection, in the same shopping center as Giorgio’s Pizza, Sunshine Nutrition and Yummy Poki.

Maddy’s Restaurant is open 11 a.m.–8 p.m. Tuesday–Sunday.

Gabe Frazier and Bethany Cardente purchased the Murfreesboro Embroid Me location, which is now known as FULLY PROMOTED, in 2019, but had to wait a while to hold the ribbon-cutting ceremony for the new business. Fully Promoted was finally able to celebrate with a one-year an-

niversary in October. Fully Promoted, 1818 NW Broad St., offers area businesses and organizations a wide selection of branded apparel, pens, pencils, drinkware, plaques, mouse pads, inflatables, bags and all sorts of promotional items.

CONTINUED ON PAGE 25

Dr. Zac Ditmarsen, who owns and operates Aspiring Health Clinic of Chiropractic on Thompson Lane, has opened ASPIRING NUTRITION, which plans to hold a ribbon cutting in November.

Located at 2812 Old Fort Pkwy., Suite J, (near Wasabi and Grind House Boxing), Aspiring Nutrition serves protein shakes, teas and meal replacements, and also offers nutrition consulting, coaching and periodic weight loss transformation challenges. It has a comfortable and spacious bar and lounge where guests can drink and converse. For fitness tips, recipes, to order Herbalife products or for more information, visit aspiringnutrition.com.

24 * NOVEMBER 2020 * BOROPULSE.COM

THE BLUE EYED DAISY BOUTIQUE has opened at 423 N. Walnut St., offering women’s apparel, jewelry, infant and toddler items, gifts and accessories.

Owner Diane Austin began a career as an entertainer in 1978 at Opryland as a singer and dancer in shows there. She went onto record and tour with the group The Girls Next Door, touring with Lee Greenwood, The Oak Ridge Boys and the Statler Brothers. Austin returned to Opryland as a performer, but after earning a degree in music education from MTSU she began a second career as a music teacher, teaching music at Providence Christian Academy, MTSU, Rockvale Elementary and The Academy of Music and Drama.

Making jewelry with her dear friend Beverly Bryan sparked the concept for the Blue Eyed Daisy Boutique.

The Blue Eyed Daisy will host a Customer Appreciation Event on Saturday, Nov. 7, from 10 a.m.–6 p.m. and the store is open Monday–Saturday from 10 a.m.–6 p.m.

Visit theblueeyeddaisy.com for more information or to shop online.

Nashville-based convenience store brand Twice Daily and WHITE BISON COFFEE have opened two area-integrated locations this fall, one at 8064 Horton Hwy., Arrington, and the other at 522 Waldron Rd., La Vergne. Both locations debuted a new store design, featuring updated technology, and extended menu offerings.

“Our new integrated stores will be the first Twice Daily and White Bison Coffee locations in Arrington and La Vergne, making them the first communities to experience our new look,” said Steve Hostetter, CEO of Tri Star Energy. “We look forward to bringing our new design to additional markets in the near future.”

The White Bison Coffee locations will include drive-thru windows where guests may pick up breakfast sandwiches, bagels, salads, pastries, and coffee and tea items.

ASCEND FEDERAL CREDIT UNION

opened a new branch in Smyrna in October. The state-of-the-art building, located at 769 Nissan Dr., replaces the original structure. Ascend now has 28 total full-service financial centers throughout Middle Tennessee, with six located in Rutherford County. The full-service

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* NOVEMBER 2020 * 25

Opinion us with Christmas before Thanksgiving.

(Hmm, I wonder what that generation would have thought of Black Friday or standing in line in the cold outside Walmart, waiting to trample over the slow or weak to get 25 percent off a video game?) He was immediately met with opposition (and, ironically enough, was compared to Adolf Hitler) and several states refused to honor the new date. Those opposed to the new date dubbed it Franksgiving. The holiday remains the fourth Thursday in November to this day. Today’s retailers survived missing out on this week by putting out Christmas merchandise in mid-September.

Maybe 2020 is The Weird Year to Bring Back Jingle Bells, Eel Pie and Trick-or-Treating on Thanksgiving

BY TONY LEHEW THE HOLIDAY SEASON IS UPON US

once again, this time in one of the strangest years in contemporary history.

Since this is such a weird year and Thanksgiving is coming, let’s take a look at how weird Thanksgiving really is. Before I get into the weirdness, we’ll set the backdrop with a little history.

– As most of us learned from grade school history class, the first Thanksgiving was celebrated in 1621 over a three-day harvest festival. It included 50 Pilgrims and 90 Wampanoag Indians, and lasted three days.

– The Continental Congress declared the first Thanksgiving in 1777, but the custom fell out of use around 1815.

– Abraham Lincoln proclaimed Thanksgiving a national holiday on Oct. 3, 1863.

– Turkey didn’t become a staple of Thanksgiving until after Lincoln declared it a holiday.

– The first Thanksgiving did not include turkey; although the Pilgrims did actively hunt and eat turkey, its not believed that they consumed turkey during the celebration. Instead, venison, duck, goose, oysters, lobster, eel and fish were likely served at the first feast, alongside pumpkins and cranberries (but not pumpkin pie or cranberry sauce!). Someone please take an eel pie to 26 * NOVEMBER 2020 * BOROPULSE.COM

the in-laws this year and report back to us how that goes over.

– The first Thanksgiving was a celebration of a successful harvest. The bounty of the harvest could literally mean the difference between life and death to the Pilgrims or the Indians.

– There is no direct evidence it was either the Pilgrims or Wampanoag Indians who extended the invite to the other to celebrate the harvest together or even if it was a common practice. So whomever came up with the idea is lost to history, but their idea has endured more than 400 (nonconsecutive) years.

– The tradition of football on Thanksgiving began in 1876 with a game between Yale and Princeton. The first NFL games were played on Thanksgiving in 1920.

A Blurred Line Between Halloween and Thanksgiving In the early part of the 20th century, Ragamuffin Day was a celebration as part of Thanksgiving, which involved children going door-to-door seeking candy, dressed as beggars and homeless residents of New York. Ragamuffin Day was a predecessor to Halloween, which rose in popularity in the 1940s and 1950s.

Mary Had a Little Thanksgiving Sarah Josepha Hale, who wrote the very popular children’s poem “Mary Had a Little Lamb,” is also known as The Mother of Thanksgiving.

A lifelong advocacy for the equal treatment of women led her to an editorship at Godey’s Lady Book, which was very influential in her day. While at Godey’s, Hale often wrote editorials and articles about the holiday and she lobbied state and federal officials to pass legislation creating a fixed, national day of thanks on the last Thursday of November.

She believed that such a unifying measure could help ease growing tensions and divisions between the Northern and Southern parts of the country.

Her efforts paid off: By 1854, more than 30 states and U.S. territories had a Thanksgiving celebration on the books, but Hale’s vision of a national holiday remained unfulfilled until the midst of the Civil War and many thousands of lives were already lost.

Thanksgiving Date Controversy Thanksgiving became an annual custom throughout New England in the 17th century, and in 1777 the Continental Congress declared the first national American Thanksgiving following the Patriot victory at Saratoga. In 1789, President George Washington became the first president to proclaim a Thanksgiving holiday when, at the request of Congress, he proclaimed Nov. 26—a Thursday—as a day of national thanksgiving for the U.S. As aforementioned, it was Honest Abe that made it an official holiday in 1863 and declared Thanksgiving to officially fall on the last Thursday of November. With a few deviations, Lincoln’s precedent was followed annually by every subsequent president— until 1939. In 1939, Franklin D. Roosevelt departed from tradition by declaring Nov. 23, the next-to-last Thursday that year, as Thanksgiving Day. Considerable controversy surrounded this deviation, and some Americans flat-out refused to honor Roosevelt’s declaration. For the next two years, Roosevelt repeated the unpopular proclamation, but on Nov. 26, 1941, he admitted his mistake and signed a bill into law officially making the fourth Thursday in November the national holiday of Thanksgiving Day. In 1939 FDR, under pressure by prominent retailers wanting to get the jump on Christmas profits, changed the day to the third Thursday in November. It seems that in those days it was in bad taste to start brow-beating

“Jingle Bells” Was Originally Written for Thanksgiving Have you ever thought about the fact that the Christmas song “Jingle Bells” never refers to Christmas? Well, that is because it’s not a Christmas song—it is a Thanksgiving song.

Story has it that, in 1850, James Lord Pierpont was at the Simpson Tavern in Medford, Massachusetts, and was inspired by the town’s famous sleigh races. So, he plucked out a little tune on the piano. Other origin versions have it that he penned the song in Savannah, Georgia, while experiencing his first snowless winter. Supposedly he wrote the song to be sung at Thanksgiving, not Christmas. Needless to say, it was a hit with both children and adults, and the lyrics were later slightly altered to be sung around Christmas.

A Tumultuous Year 2020 has been a tumultuous year and many have suffered in some form. We should remember first and foremost those who lost their lives to this pandemic and then those who suffered in other ways: grief over lost loved ones, losing an academic year out of their lives, those cheated out of their senior year, not being able to walk the stage and get a diploma, closed churches, cancelled sports events and major concerts, loss of work in jobs dealing with the public, and nationwide isolation, just to name a few.

Although life will never be completely the same as it was before the pandemic, I predict it will eventually get back to normal. Until then, I think this is a time to be a little weird, maybe create some new holiday traditions with close family. Maybe this year would be a good time to slow down the Christmas rush and spend more time at home.

Whatever you do, be safe, be well, have a happy Thanksgiving, a merry Christmas, and survive a great new year!

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Gardening Education Series

BY EDWINA SHANNON

Working Toward the Spring Planting Milkweed and Cover Crops, Removing Kudzu ANOTHER GROWING SEASON COMES TO AN END. The list for what I want to do next year has already started. Pollinator support is on that list. Dill is easy to grow and the caterpillars love it. I need to grow more dill. I would like to grow milkweed in support of the monarch butterflies. Monarchs and other pollinators are dependent on milkweed. Monarchs lay eggs on milkweed.

I had the pleasure of spending some time with local crusader for monarchs and milkweed, Linell. Some of the videos recorded with the monarchs’ emergence can be found on my channel on dailymotion.com entitled OurLocalPride.

Milkweed can be hard to source. You do need to plant milkweed that is appropriate for the area. Xerces.org is a resource, as is monarchwatch. org. Milkweed seeds have to know that winter has come and gone before they will germinate. If you are able to buy milkweed seeds, you can keep them in damp vermiculite or a damp paper towel and store them in the refrigerator for four weeks before casting or planting the seed. Watch for caterpillars with yellow, white and black stripes.

These become monarch butterflies.

Please limit your use of Roundup and other “weed” killers. Milkweed is one of the natives that gardeners and conservationists are desperately trying to keep in the area. Kudzu is not, and kudzu does not shrink or die with weed killers. A friend of mine mentioned that an Asian company was looking at buying some Kudzu-laden land for product production. What product? A Google forager informs me that young leaves and tendrils are edible, although there is a texture issue. Also according to Google, kudzu’s leaf, flower and root are used to make medicine in Asia. Puerarin is the chemical in kudzu utilized in the medicine. The West has not been able to verify the medicinal claims, so products made with puerarin are not sold in North America. In my book, kudzu still has to go.

Here we are in the fall, with those long kudzu vines. Start ripping, people. Rip it out of the trees that it is strangling. Rip it up from the ground.

Mowing and cutting is not an effective way to get rid of it. Chemicals have a minimum impact on the plant but a long-lasting impact on the soil.

You need to find the crown. Actually, expect to find multiple crowns. The kudzu crown is a bulb-like 28 * NOVEMBER 2020 * BOROPULSE.COM

feature at the top of the root system. If you can get the crown out, the vine is killed.

Start by pulling a vine and walking towards the resistance, which is where it has rooted into the soil. You can cut the vine, pulling the cuts into a debris pile that should be disposed of before they root in place. The little knot-like areas on the vine have the potential to become a crown.

Crowns can be inches wide. When looking at one that big, I suggest a reciprocating saw. It will make the manual work easier. The crown will have large taproots emerging from it. As long as you have removed the entire crown, then the remaining taproots will not produce vines. Eventually, they will rot into the ground. While you are out there removing vines, pull the English ivy out, too. Your trees will thank you.

Fall is a great time of year to improve your soil health. Leaves are a friend. When you do the last mowing, chop the leaves with the mower, leaving them in place to join and improve the soil. Add the leaves as a “brown” to the compost. After you have removed the spent vegetable plants, layer your garden with leaves.

You want to prevent the garden soil from leaving the garden in the dormant months. Use the early part of a warm November as the final time to get a winter cover crop in. There are mixtures that are known for their high productivity in soil improvement. There is a very informative publication from the extension service, “Fall Cover Crop Selection and Planting Dates in TN” W235I. The Co-op and some garden centers would provide insight with seed available and expectations of using that seed. As an example, small grains like rye, oat and winter wheat provide biomass in building soil. Don’t underestimate the value of letting plants help with your garden or small farm success.

 STEERED STRAIGHT

BY MICHAEL DELEON

Teach Your Teens That the Little Things, Like Attitude and Habits Matter in Creating the Life They Want AS WE WORK THROUGH THE CORONAVIRUS and recover from the subsequent approaches we took as a nation to fight it, and as we move past this political season that was intertwined with it, there is much uncertainty ahead. Regardless of where you get your news and information or the media slant you favor, there is very little attention directed at America’s health crisis of despair-death. It is truly the pandemic within the pandemic, but one very few people are discussing—until it affects them, that is.

There are three classes of behavior-related medical conditions that increase among groups of people who experience despair due to a sense that their long-term social and economic outlook is bleak. The three disease types are drug overdose (including alcohol overdose), suicide and alcoholic liver disease.

According to the CDC, the AMA and more than 40 state health departments, overdose death rates are escalating as high as 35 percent in many states. Overdose deaths were increasing even before COVID at a very high rate. In 2017, the opioid pandemic seemed to be reaching a plateau due in part to stricter regulations of prescription pain medication and President Trump’s brief success getting China President Chi’s assistance reducing the illegal importation of fentanyl into the U.S. in 2018, fentanyl use was escalating faster than ever through other illicit channels, causing a dramatic rise in synthetic opioids and a spike in overdose-related deaths.

Overdoses—both fatal and nonfatal—have increased 20 percent in 2020 compared with 2019, according to the Overdose Detection Mapping Application Program.

According to the National Suicide Helpline, calls to suicide help lines have skyrocketed. Suicide rates have been on the rise, a trend that did not just begin this year. By June of 2020, a CDC survey of 5,470

American adults found that onethird reported anxiety or depression symptoms. About 10 percent said they had considered suicide during the last month, and the rate of suicidal thoughts was highest among unpaid caregivers, essential workers, Hispanic or Black respondents and young adults.

Reports of domestic violence are also rising, and many experts are worried the cases reported are but a small fraction of those actually occurring. As someone who has worked directly with domestic violence cases for more than 15 years, I can emphatically tell you this is the case. There has been a substantial increase in calls to domestic violence hotlines across the country. Calls to these hotlines had increased by 76 percent by August of this year. They remain elevated at this time. This is a direct contributing factor to increased trauma for children. Many of these children unfortunately turn to self-harm, substance use and abuse, and suicide to escape. The escalating drug use, the increasing rates of suicide, suicide attempts and domestic violence are all contributing to an increase in deaths. They are also pouring a foundation of despair for our children, many of whom are now experiencing a more serious level of disconnection.

Parents ask me all the time what they can do to prevent their child from growing up to struggle with addiction. How can it be prevented?

When should they start talking to their kids about drugs? If I could bottle the solutions to those questions, I would be a very wealthy man. It’s just not that simple, but there are absolutely solutions in prevention, and they must start at home. They also must start incredibly young. We want to educate every child and every parent and guardian about preventing addiction and preventing suicide, but the education must be foundational and address what fuels the experimenta-

tion and substance use in the first place. Drugs are very rarely the problem—they are almost always the symptom of the problem.

At the foundation of prevention, and at the very core of everything I present to youth and young adults across America, are two foundational concepts: risk factors and protective factors. They are absolutely key to lowering the risk of risky behaviors such as drug and alcohol use as an adolescent. Risk factors are characteristics at the biological, psychological, family, community or cultural level that precede, and are associated with, a higher likelihood of negative outcomes. Protective factors are characteristics associated with a lower likelihood of negative outcomes or ones that reduce a risk factor’s impact. As a parent or guardian, you must work to reduce your childrens’ risk factors and enhance their protective factors.

At Steered Straight, we partnered with a true visionary, Mr. Stuart Johnson and the incredible Success Foundation out of Plano, Texas, to provide teens and families across America with a blueprint for success. We deliver this blueprint to students and families in 50 states, and literally hundreds of thousands of teens have benefited from these principles. They enhance the protective factors that every successful young adult must possess. They reduce the risk factors and they enhance protective factors. Every family should implement these principles into raising their kids.

8

about the Success for Teens curriculum is that it shows teens how to apply the Slight Edge Principles.

It’s a philosophy that I teach in every program that Steered Straight presents across the country. The slight edge philosophy comes down to this: You can create any life you want, no matter how difficult it may seem, but only by understanding how small, positive steps make a difference over time. The things you do every single day—things that don’t look like such a big deal or like they don’t even matter—do matter! This philosophy is critically important right now as children’s lives have been completely upended because of this virus and shutting down our country because of it. They don’t comprehend it the way adults do, and virtually nothing in the media is addressing it, neither for kids nor for parents and guardians tasked with trying to navigate

their kids through this ordeal.

Please visit steeredstraight.org/ resources and download the free eight-chapter curriculum for you and your teen called Success for Teens. Share it with loved ones and friends. There has never been a time when enhancing protective factors and building a foundation for success mattered more.

Michael DeLeon is the CEO and Founder of Steered Straight, the No. 1-booked school presentation organization in America. He is a recovered addict, ex-offender and a national leader in prevention, recovery, addiction advocacy and criminal justice reform. For more, visit steeredstraight.org or call 856-691-6676 or 615-9627539. Visit the Steered Straight Thrift Store at 845-C Middle TN Blvd., Murfreesboro.

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Success for Teens Principals:

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* NOVEMBER 2020 * 29

Opinion Live Exceptionally...Well!

BY JENNIFER DURAND

Nudging Influence NUDGE: TO TOUCH OR PUSH GENTLY; to pester or nag; to urge into action; to prod lightly; to give encouragement or a reminder — Merriam Webster Can you sense when someone needs a gentle nudge or reminder to make something happen, or take care of a task? What about self nudging? Are there times when you have to enlist self-talk to get moving or change the dynamic of an activity? I know I do, often!

“There’s a saying that goes, ‘The universe gives you a whisper, then a nudge, then a push and then an anvil on your head.’” — Sara Genn Just recently, my oldest son bought his first home. He took a week off from work to accomplish the tasks of packing, moving and setting up his new place. He works very hard, so when he has a day off he likes to unplug and forget about work for awhile.

When vacation started, he wanted to unwind with some of his favorite activities. I could see that his enthusiasm for his new place was alive but buried a bit and he might need a little nudging to get things moving forward. I suggested that he just move a few things over the first day. Success! That buried excitement just needed a buddy to say “hey, let’s go do this together.” I could see that simply suggesting one thing at a time was easier to digest and manage. Once that got things in motion, we took each additional step, one at a time.

We went shopping for incidentals (garbage bags, toilet paper, cleaning products, etc.), then the next day it was shopping for furniture and so on. I knew he only had the week to get everything the way he wanted, at least enough to be inhabitable, and that meant making sure things were getting done each day. Once the momentum got going, his excitement mounted and he was feeling his own creativity in arranging the house the way he wanted. I was grateful to be his encourager, especially when he said “thanks, Mom, for nudging me to get these things done.” He is in full swing of this “rite of passage” in his life and it is fun to be a part of it.

“If a stick is floating down a river and gets stuck, it doesn’t need years of therapy. It just needs a little nudge and then it will get back into the flow of the 30 * NOVEMBER 2020 * BOROPULSE.COM

river.” — Michael Neill NOW, WHAT ABOUT SELF-NUDGING? What about those times when we need our internal “nudge” to compel us to strive for excellence or to do something better? I got caught up in doing some deep cleaning in our home and came across the return air vent covers. You know, the ones that have teeny tiny ridges in the panel that love to collect dust? As I was cleaning each little ridge, I was excited about the shine I was revealing under that layer of dust. Well, there are a lot of little ridges in those vent covers. I also wasn’t planning on spending a laborious amount of time cleaning them. Ha! I could see that it would look clean and bright to the normal eye (if anyone even bothered to look that closely at the panel). Underneath the lip, however, you had to get in further to clean it out completely. At first it was easy to think “no one will ever know or notice, it’s okay to just get the surface portion.” Well, a little nudge inside me said “but you will know it isn’t completely clean, and you’ll have more buildup on it the next time.”

Since I like and appreciate true cleanliness and order, the inner nag knew I needed to be reminded or nudged to strive for just a little bit more. Maybe that particular job wasn’t as significant as some others but it’s the underlying principle. If we aren’t willing to give just a bit more we will never know the difference that can be made or the effect that can be achieved.

“So, what’s a nudge? A nudge is some small feature of the environment that attracts our attention and alters our behavior.” — Richard Thaler The principle is to always strive for excellence, not error, and to listen to and let the nudgers (others or your own internal) influence gently encourage you to create change and make a difference.

Jennifer Durand is the owner and operator of The Nurture Nook Day Spa & Gift Shoppe; a certified QiGong and Breathe Empowerment instructor, and is licensed in massage therapy, body work and somatic integration. Visit nurturenook.com or call 615-896-7110.

Still Very Little Science Pointing to Everyone Wearing Masks VIEWS OF A

CONSERVATIVE

PHIL VALENTINE

philvalentine.com

I

study, anyway? We rely on our news media to sift through these studies and tell us what’s in them.

They failed us for a full month. Thank God some others actually bothered to read the study, or we might never have known.

People ask me why I’m so against masks. I’m not. I’m against bovine scatology. When there’s good science to back something up, I’m all in. I wear my seat belt religiously because the stats show that I’m safer wearing one than not. We have no such stats for masks. And it’s not because the Coronavirus is so new. There have been mask studies for years, and they all show pretty much the same results. Face masks are virtually ineffective in stopping any kind of virus. Even the CDC and our so-called health experts like Drs. Fauci and Birx were telling us early on not to wear face masks, to save them for the health professionals. They told us then that masks were ineffective in stopping the spread of COVID, which led me to wonder why we were saving them for the health professionals.

Then they did a 180, and suddenly the mask Nazis who were screaming at you at the grocery store for wearing a mask and putting healthcare workers at risk were screaming at you for not wearing a mask.

One of my sons asked me why it was that conservatives were less likely to wear a mask. There are a couple of reasons. Conservatives tend to not like being told what to do.

The other reason is conservatives tend to be independent thinkers. If you’re going to require them to do something, you damn well better have a good reason. There just isn’t any scientific evidence to suggest wearing a mask stops the spread of COVID. In fact, there are dozens of graphs out there showing the COVID curve in various cities and countries.

No matter at what stage the mask mandate came in, the curve spiked then ramped down the other side. There’s not an instance I’ve seen where masks made any difference.

I’m more than willing to follow the science.

There just isn’t any on masks.

t’s becoming increasingly difficult to believe anything that comes from our health experts these days. The CDC released a study on Sept. 11 that sought to discourage people from dining out. However, when you actually dig into the numbers of the study you find that fewer than half of the infected group they studied had actually done so. The control group, a similarly sized group who had visited a healthcare facility but who did not test positive Face masks for COVID, had a are virtually little less interacineffective in tion with a restaustopping any kind rant. Therefore the of virus. Even study concluded that restaurants posed the CDC and our a higher risk. That so-called health may actually be true. experts like Drs. It’s difficult to deterFauci and Birx mine from this study.

were telling us early on not to wear face masks, to save them for the health professionals.

The glaring omission from the study had to do with face masks. The vast majority of both groups (85 percent of the infected group and 89 percent of the control group) wore masks either often or always. Only about 3 percent from each group never wore a mask. Yet in one group you had infections and in the other you had none. That tells me much more about masks than it does about restaurants. The common denominator in both groups was a mask, which appeared to make absolutely no difference.

About the same percentage of people in each group wore masks. One group had zero infections, the other had 100 percent infections.

It took a month for someone to actually notice this data inside the study. Who really reads the full

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

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BUSINESS MOMENTUM BY BLAINE LITTLE

A Brave New Workforce Managing remote employees takes commitment, clarity, connection and communication IT’S TOUGHER NOW THAN EVER to manage a team of employees when so many are working remotely. For most, this is a new experience for the employee, the manager and the corporation itself. But this is not a phenomenon that is going away.

Working from far away appears to be here to stay.

In the past, when an employee might otherwise be content avoiding rush hour gridlock and working in comfortable house slippers, it was the manager who took a dim view on that scenario. After all, when the cat’s away, the mice will play, won’t they? How can a manager prove his worth unless he is physically staring at his people?

What if employees get their projects for the

32 * NOVEMBER 2020 * BOROPULSE.COM

day completed in seven and a half hours instead of eight? What will they do with the additional 30 minutes? Who will complain about the refrigerator in the break room and contribute to the coffee kitty?

Recently, I was interviewed for a podcast for public speakers. The host wanted to discuss my new book, Managerial Mistakes, Missteps & Misunderstandings: An Essential Guide to Avoiding Common Pitfalls.

Of course, I was honored but concerned about the content of discussion, because the episode would only be 20 minutes. I suggested narrowing it down to my chapter on the trappings of micromanaging, a personal pet peeve of mine. But the host was most intrigued by my segment on managing

remote workers. This portion almost didn’t make it into the book, but given the current circumstances caused by COVID-19, I felt it was necessary to include it.

In the book I discuss the problem of a boss not being mindful of his or her employees. I emphasize the importance of being “present,” not just physically, but in mind and spirit. In 2020, a common challenge is for those managers who are not sharing a location with the rest of the team.

So, the host and I had a conversation about what I call the “Four C’s” of managing a remote workforce: Commitment, Clarity, Connection and Communication.

When an employee begins working from home, it may not all be smooth sailing at first. Management may have concerns in regard to the employee’s aptitude, isolation, a lack of focus and IT issues. It is important to commit to the process, and to discuss and work out the challenges. Be patient.

Everyone will have a learning curve. I have personally been impressed, however, with how quickly tech services in both business and education have been able to pivot into a new work dimension.

When a manager asks a newer employee if they understand what they are to do, it is a cue for that employee to say “yes” and nod in affirmation. And if by yes they actually meant “no,” a worker can always walk down the hall later in the day and ask for details. Clarity from the onset is important because the team member will not have the luxury of proximity. Perhaps the most important function of a good manager is to serve as a “lifeline” for his or her people. Boil the task down to basics and offer an alternate resource such as a policy manual or another employee to contact should they not be able to easily reach you.

Making a true connection with your

people is hugely important. In my management workshops, I often ask leaders to describe the nature of the relationship they have with their individual team members.

It is a safe bet that if a boss does not know what kind of relationship exists, it is likely not a good one. If it were good, the manager would describe it as such. As a manager, set aside time to touch base, check in or otherwise “chat” with distant employees.

This may sound like a waste of time, but I assure you it is time well invested. When workers have a good connection with their supervisor, they are more confident and have a better focus on what to prioritize.

Finally, maintain good communication. This should be present in the other three aspects, but it is not always mastered.

Communication is the foundation of good leadership. I ask managers to make an honest self-analysis of how well they express ideas. A failure here can create a waste of time and money, should employees misunderstand what the task at hand truly is.

Many of us have had the “new normal” thrust upon us and it has not been easy, though most who have changed their work venue have adapted well. Next year, some will return to the corporate office and some will not. Either way, team members need to help one another, and managers need to guide them.

Blaine Little is the founder and CEO of Momentum Seminars Training and Coaching, helping companies remain profitable by investing in their people.

Learn more at momentumseminars.com.

Find his new book Managerial Mistakes, Missteps & Misunderstandings on Amazon in paperback or Kindle format.

Also, check out his podcast at bit.ly/ toastcaster143.

Sports 

BLUE RAIDERS

O’Hara at FIU

Asher O’Hara #10 at Rice PHOTOS BY NATHAN WALLACH

Blue Raiders Earn a Couple of Wins at FIU, Rice AFTER A TOUGH START TO THE 2020 FOOTBALL SEASON, the MTSU Blue Raiders got some wins in October.

The month began with the Blue Raiders dropping a close call to the Western Kentucky Hilltoppers on Oct. 3.

Another rivalry matchup between WKU and MTSU went down to the wire, but the Raiders couldn’t find enough big plays in the second half, scoring only once after halftime and losing to the Hilltoppers 20–17.

It was the eighth time in the last 10 meetings between the teams that the final was decided by less than a touchdown.

“It was a hard-fought ballgame,” MTSU head coach Rick Stockstill said. “I thought our defense played well, we just have to find a way to make more plays and get the ball in the end zone.”

The game was knotted at 10 at the break, but MTSU couldn’t get anything going offensively in the second half.

The Raiders punted on their first three possessions of the second half despite making it into Hilltopper territory twice. WKU added a third-quarter field goal and widened the lead to 20–10 with 6:04 remaining.

Middle Tennessee added a touchdown with 2:07 left to pull within three points when quarterback Asher O’Hara hit C.J. Windham in the corner of the end zone, but the Hilltoppers recovered the subsequent onside kick and iced the game.

O’Hara completed 23 of 33 passes for 217 yards and a touchdown and added 98 more

yards on the ground and another score on the game. Senior Jarrin Pierce was again O’Hara’s favorite target. He caught nine of 11 targets for 65 yards.

The following week, Oct. 10, MTSU finally got a win as it came back at FIU to win 31–28 comeback win in Miami.

The Blue Raiders scored a last-minute touchdown to shock the Panthers and go ahead 31–28, clinching their first win of the season.

“This one had nothing to do with anything but toughness and our competitive spirit,” Stockstill said. “We didn’t start out all that hot . . . but we kept battling. I’m just really proud of our mental toughness.”

Down 28–24 with time running out, O’Hara and the MTSU offense finally found momentum. O’Hara hit Yusuf Ali for 17 yards to get a drive going, then connected for 13 yards to Pierce.

O’Hara later hit Pierce with an over-theshoulder throw in the end zone to snatch the late lead.

“We just had heart,” O’Hara said. “I saw the safety roll to the other side of the field, so it was a really easy decision and throw for me. I just put my decision in Jarrin and of course knew he was going to come down with it. He’s a playmaker.”

All that was left to do after the touchdown was hold off FIU’s last attempt, and it was Miami native Gregory Grate Jr. who intercepted a pass to effectively end the game with 35 seconds left.

The Blue Raiders defense forced eight time. It was a new career long for Holt. punts in the game and got in the backfield Holt had a chance to extend his new cafor five sacks. reer long to 50 yards on MT’s opening drive On Oct. 17 MTSU fell victim to an of overtime, but he missed short right. onslaught from the North Texas offense, The Owls were then set up to win it falling 52–35 at Floyd Stadium. twice with field goals, but the first from 44 Middle Tennessee surrendered 768 total yards bounced off both uprights and the yards, including 462 rushcrossbar and missed, and ing, which was the most the second from 40 yards total yards the Blue Raiders was blocked by redshirt have ever allowed in a freshman Jalen Jackson. single game.

O’Hara would then end “Give North Texas credit, the contest with a gametheir skill on offense was winning 14-yard rushing CHARLOTTE really good,” Stockstill said. touchdown. The final was Saturday, Nov. 7 “In the first half, we started 40–34.

2:30 p.m. out and did a lot of good “That was a fantastic Murfreesboro things on both sides of the win,” Stockstill said. “I’m ball . . . I’m just disappointjust really proud of our MARSHALL ed in how we played in the team for how we hung Saturday, Nov. 14 second half.” in there and battled the 11 a.m.

The Blue Raiders used Huntington, West Virginia whole time. I can’t tell you three Mean Green turnovers enough how much fight, to take a 28–14 lead in the grit, determination, comTROY Saturday, Nov. 21 game. However, North petitiveness, toughness this 2:30 p.m.

Texas proceeded to score 35 team showed here tonight.

Troy, Alabama unanswered points.

To come back and win “We just didn’t tackle very the way we did was pretty FLORIDA ATLANTIC good at all,” Stockstill said. special.”

Saturday, Nov 28 The next week MTSU Blue Raider defense 2:30 p.m. traveled to Texas for its first forced three turnovers in Murfreesboro ever game at Rice, and the the game and held Rice first game of the season for the Owls. The out of the end zone on a critical two-point game turned out to be a double-overtime conversion attempt in the second half. thriller. Things looked dire for MTSU in Offensively, O’Hara finished with 333 the game’s final minute, as Rice scored a yards passing and four total touchdowns miracle of a touchdown with 34 seconds left (two passing). to take a 34–31 lead.

MTSU will try to build on that emotional But O’Hara orchestrated a five-play, win when it hosts Charlotte on Nov. 7.

35-yard drive to set MT up with a chance at a game-tying field goal from 48 yards as For tickets, videos, news and more details time expired, and MTSU kicker Crews Holt on MTSU athletics, visit banged it home to send the game to overgoblueraiders.com.

COMING UP IN NOVEMBER FOR THE BLUE RAIDERS

BOROPULSE.COM

* NOVEMBER 2020 * 33

SPORTS

TALK

COLUMN BY “Z-TRAIN”

titanman1984@gmail.com

Keep the Country Open; Can Titans Defense Get it Together and Make a Run? THE TRAIN DADDY IS BACK with sports news, life lessons and politically incorrect talk. All aboard!

Before we get into the beef of this enchilada, Titans talk, let me say this: life is beautiful and, sadly, we have a good percentage of Americans so afraid of dying they have stopped living. This edition hit the press before the election results, so whatever happens I know one truth—my family and I will be fine. That is the result of being raised to think for myself and to make the best of a bad situation. You can cry about the hand that life dealt you, or play it.

With that said, one of the most important things to me and my family is keeping the country open regardless of COVID-19, even if cases rise 500% in the next month.

The fact is, this virus has a more than 99% survival rate among those who get it. Real numbers! But Train Daddy, what about the elderly? Funny how so many of you feel responsible now for a group of people many happily ignored prior to COVID. The elderly obviously deserve extra attention now, and they deserved that same attention even before COVID hit. I guess it is another good thing that the survival rate for ages 70 and up is nearly 95%.

I take heart knowing that working Americans would never allow another shutdown. Let the government try again and see what happens. This isn’t a threat of violence or looting or burning one’s city, it’s just the promise of civil disobedience and not complying to any future mandates or laws hindering Americans’ rights to provide.

Its no secret that if Biden wins the election the chances of another shutdown drastically increase. Biden says moronic things like “I’m going to shut down the virus, not the country.” Please, someone explain to me what that means because it sounds like an oxymoron to me. The fact is, this virus is real, it’s spreading, and Europe proved it cannot be 34 * NOVEMBER 2020 * BOROPULSE.COM

ADOREE JACKSON

contained through harsh lockdowns, though European nations once again have decided to screw their economies even more with more recent lockdowns after COVID spikes.

When Trump says the solution can’t be worse than the problem, that resonates with me and with many. What do these people want? For Americans to stay locked inside for over a year until we start begging for government cheese?

One of the smartest men I know recently said he believed it was a good thing that the numbers for COVID have continued to rise, that it’s inevitable and that herd immunity was the solution. Even if we had a vaccine, , many wouldn’t take it voluntarily. We all face death eventually and life is too short to not live it to the fullest.

I hope that as we enter November and December I can focus on sports. With that said, it is announced in my opening—the same intro I have had for almost a decade writing for the Murfreesboro Pulse: “sports news, life lessons and politically incorrect talk.” I may specialize in talking sports, but I never claimed to be writing a one-topic article and my respect goes to the editor in chief of this great paper for allowing me that freedom.

WHERE MY TITANS PEOPLE AT?

What a ride to start the season. At least we kicked the season off in the first place. We started with a summer simply not knowing if we would have football or not. We had many lobbying groups doing everything in their power to convince Americans football simply was just too dangerous to play with the COVID outbreak.

We had a small handful of NFL players decide to opt out of the season. The NFL allowed these players to opt-out and even paid them.

With that out of the way, NFL teams around the country attempted to get shortened training camps underway even though

it was all very unorthodox. We had no preseason games and the Titans opened week 1 in Denver on Monday Night Football. It was an exciting two-point victory in which kicker Stephen Gostkowski was horrendous, missing four kicks for the first time in his career, though he nailed a 25-yarder for the win.

The Titans followed that up with two more close victories against the Jags and Vikings.

Then COVID hit the Titans and all hell broke loose. The Steelers game was up in the air, and after what seemed like a month of never-ending new cases it ended. The Steelers game was rescheduled and, after weeks of national backlash from the media and opposing players saying the Titans broke COVID protocols, the Titans were given redemption on Oct. 13. They humiliated a Bills team that was on fire in Nashville and it was also announced that night that no Titans player or staff member willingly broke COVID protocols and that the organization would face no punishment. The team was slapped on the wrist eventually with a fine. Whatever.

We followed that up with a thrilling overtime victory versus the Texans that will go down as one of the most exciting games in the history of Titans home games. Wish I had been there! I would’ve been if it didn’t cost an arm and a leg to go see a socially distanced game!

Following that week, we had the big game: the postponed matchup with the Steelers, the battle of the undefeated teams, 5–0 versus 5–0! We saw the best defense in the NFL up against one of the most productive offenses in the NFL. Tennessee decided not to show up in the first half of that game.

They trailed 27–7 at one point in the third quarter but the Titans showed they have heart and brought it to within three points only to have Gostkowski miss a 45-yarder with only 19 seconds left. A heartbreaker!

That leads us into the Bengals game—a game where you had a 5–1 team ready to have a bounceback versus a 1–5–1 team in the Bengals, who were facing major injury issues.

The Titans defense decided not to show up, Gostkowski continued his slump of missing important field goals and the Titans offense didn’t hum like it had been doing all season.

A rookie, Joe Burrow, led the Bengals and picked apart what has become a very apparent bad Titans defense. Joe, by all accounts, is the front runner for 2020’s rookie of the year award with only Justin Herbert in the way.

So, what are my thoughts on the current state of the Tennessee Titans after that loss?

The offense has been playing very well this season and Tannehill has earned the right to have a questionable game. The Titans offense is scoring big and fast and they are the least of my concerns.

I don’t know what to say about Gostkowski. He won some very big games for us in the beginning of the season but has been pretty unreliable. I feel like right now after this Bengals game Stephen Gostkowski, the future Hall of Famer, is on thin ice. If he doesn’t come through in the future it’s going to break and we will have to say bye-bye. I really hope he can get his groove back, and I’m rooting for him.

The Titans defense is another matter. The Titans DBs have been horrendous. They can’t cover to save their lives. They made the Bengals receiver core look like three Jerry Rices out there running routes. The Titans have invested a lot into the pass rush and, sadly, they have been more than disappointing not being able to get to the quarterback.

I do not have much good to say about this defense. Frankly, it’s bad and if it’s not fixed the Titans won’t have a chance. Luckily, it’s a long season and Coach Vrabel has proved he is more than competent. It is fair to say they have shown moments. It was the defense that gave us a chance against the Steelers getting a couple much-needed turnovers in the second half of that game.

The return of star corner Adoree’ Jackson will be a major help. He has been on injured reserve since week 1 and hasn’t played a snap. Looking at the roster, I don’t see anyone Coach Vrabel can rely on. The NFL trade deadline is Nov. 3, and if the Titans don’t make some kind of move by then for help on defense, I will be a little dumbfounded. The Titans sit at 5–2 with an amazing offense. If there ever was a time to give away pieces of the future—meaning draft picks—to get help on the defensive side of the ball, that time is right now, my friends!

Thank you to all of my loyal readers, even the haters! Thank you all for the support. I do this because I love it. I love my country, I love football, and typically my articles would be a tad more humorous, because I enjoy making you, the reader laugh. But we kept a more somber tone for this article.

If I may say one last thing: no matter what happens on election night I truly pray that we as a country can accept the results. No riots, no protest, no childish tears. Act like an adult and move on. It may be too much asking for a fair election where we all play by the rules, but if we can manage that maybe we will move forward. No matter who wins, the other side will be ready to take a stand for what they believe in. I will say that if the losing side doesn’t take to the streets to terrorize law-abiding citizens with violence and destruction, maybe a dialogue actually could be opened!

That’s it. The Train Daddy is rolling into the station. Choo-choo!

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