November 2023 Murfreesboro Pulse

inside

girls next door / seward johnson sculptures / doors of hope / rC Club / business news / and more!

November 2023 | Vol. 18, Issue 11 | free

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

Art Studio Tour Annual Tradition Showcasing Local Artists Continues Nov. 17–19

Operation Song Voices4Veterans Fundraiser Veterans Day, Nov. 11

travel

Stone Arches, Rock Shelters, Slave Falls and More at Big South Fork

food

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Contents

cover artwork: wood and clay by jonathan griffith; Fiber art by rj hadle; “home waters” by dan sharley; boxer by frank baugh

16 34

Features

14

girls next door

in every issue

Country vocal group reunites.

22

art studio tour

Travel the Rutherford countryside to visit four local art studios hosting various guest artists.

23

6 Events

cheer at Dec. 7 Isaiah 117 House Benefit

Varsity Fieldhouse and more

Stones River Kayaking, Cookin’ To Build, Pecan Festival, Murfreesboro Christmas Tree Lighting and much more!

Perform Murfreesboro presents Annie Jr. at Washington Theatre

Mr. Murfreesboro

album review

calendar

12 Sounds 20 Living

Seward johnson

Five sculptures displayed in town.

travel

30

concerts

music notes

Doors of hope

Accordion queen LynnMarie and E3 squeeze into Puckett’s, Nov. 10

Nonprofit works with women in jail and those recently released to offer hope and healing.

34

Rock Crawling

Piglett, June

Local remote control car club invites locals to join the fun; hopes to find new location in Rutherford County.

Arches, Slave Falls, rock shelters and homeplace sites at Big South Fork

24 Food Restaurant

Annual Voices4Veterans fundraiser on Veterans Day, Nov. 11

Liberty’s Station

Pat Travers Band to rock Hop Springs Nov. 17

business buzz

J. Whitty and the Xmas Cowboys spread holiday

27 News

Dainty Dani’s, Tru Fit, Retro Sweets, We Love Empanadas, Maya Grill,

Missionaries and home builders Mo and Tamara Ludlam

37 Opinion business momentum

Red Barn Financial

constitution study

Your right to remain silent

free your children

Rutherford County’s social experiment: first charter school set to open

money matters Top five financial moves before year-end

Contributors: Tiffany Boyd, Britney Brown, Delores Elliott, Paul Engel, Bryce Harmon, Laura Lindsay, Blaine Little, Destiny Mizell, Sean Moran, Andrea Stockard, Bill Wilson Publisher/Editor in Chief: Bracken Mayo

Art Director: Sarah Mayo

Copy Editor: Steve Morley

Advertising: Nneka Sparks

Sign up for the Pulse Weekly Digital Newsletter at BoroPulse.com/Newsletter online:

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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

The Murfreesboro Pulse

Copyright © 2023, 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

Welcome to November.

The fall fun continues. On Saturday, Nov. 4, Murfreesboro has a soup festival on the Square, a bacon festival at Sports*Com and a pecan festival at Williamson Family Farm, all on the same day.

So, your ingredients, chef, are soup, bacon and pecans—go! You must create something that would fit at all three festivals. I would be glad to make a soup with bacon and pecans in it, and I am telling you now, it would have pumpkin in it, too.

This past month the Mayos had just a little backyard campfire time—a fine way to celebrate fall—Jr. and I are still playing chess, we hit up the Holiday World, I continue eating meat and lifting weights, feeding cats, Beckett is learning the ups, downs, ins and outs of the fantastic Old Fort Park playground and other local climbing yards for the kids—“Chase me!”

I took the boys to see Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem following Jay Spight’s high praise of the animated work. Cool note: Come to find out—and this was after our loyal movie writer specifically called out the animation, saying the “animation is unlike anything I’ve seen before and it oozes style and creativity” and that “it feels strange to say this about animation—Mutant Mayhem has some of the best lighting I’ve seen in a long time . . . all neons at night”—that Murfreesboro’s own Mikki Rose served as technical animation supervisor on the film. The MTSU grad has also worked on the animation of The Peanuts Movie, Ferdinand, Spies in Disguise, Ice Age: Collision Course, Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs 2 and other films. My family has enjoyed your work!

R.I.P., Aunt Neada Carr, a very loving and welcoming individual. I remain very glad to have known you and your love for children and everyone. You have made an impact in the world.

Shop local, my friends. Support the small business community, for they are who support the Pulse!

The upcoming Small Business Saturday Market, held Saturday, Nov. 25, at Lane Agri-Park, offers a chance to shop from an array of local vendors and businesses.

Check it out.

One local businessman could use some support this holiday season; the Turntable Medic, Tom Blizzard, continues on the road to physical and financial recovery following a motorcycle accident in October of 2022.

If you appreciate vinyl records, vintage audio gear and supporting small business, find the Turntable Medic on Facebook or, to contribute to the cause, find a “Help Keep the Vinyl Spinning!” campaign on GoFundMe. Dang, it is amazing—and maybe some of you married guys can relate—but each one of my wife’s opinions is exactly the same as mine. Every single one.

In fact, she don’t even have opinions, she has facts.

Cold, hard, facts. I am pretty sure, whatever her future facts are going to be, I agree. 100 percent. Much, much easier that way.

Sayonara, K.B. I have the feeling that if the Titans could have managed to beat the Colts earlier this season, got that divisional win, were at 3–3 entering their bye week instead of 2–4 and didn’t let Zack Moss run all over the place, Mr. Kevin Byard might still be hanging around Middle Tennessee. It was cool while it lasted—to have an MTSU Blue Raider be such an important piece of the Titans for so long—but moving on.

Will Levis, the big QB from the University of Kentucky came out slinging in his NFL debut, throwing four touchdowns and leading the boys to a win. Go Titans!

Peace, Bracken Mayo Publisher/Editor in Chief

events calendar ››› November 2023 ››› by Andrea STOCKARD Nov. 2

Smyrna First United Methodist Church’s Fellowship Hall (301 Sam Davis Rd., Smyrna). Bring your friends and shop the day away. The day consists of artisans, baked goods, home decor and more.

There is plenty of parking available. For more information, call 615-459-2826.

Read to Succeed Celebrity Spelling Bee Eleven Rutherford County celebrities will compete in the 17th annual Read To Succeed Celebrity Spelling Bee on Thursday, Nov. 2, at Saddle Woods Farm (9522 Franklin Rd.). Doors open at 5:30 p.m. with the program at 6:30 p.m. Participants will spell in front of a few hundred people and in support of literacy and Read To Succeed. Enjoy delicious food, drinks, fellowship and the crowning of the 2023 Celebrity Spelling Bee champ.

This spelling bee is the organization’s largest fundraiser of the year, averaging over $65,000 in donations and sponsorships. In the past three months, Read To Succeed has donated 5,682 books to teachers and students, taught English as a second language to 425 adult learners and tutored 18 Adult Basic English students. For more information, email mediaevents@readtosucceed.org or visit readtosucceed.org/celebrity-bee.

Nov. 2 Sunset Paddleboarding Experience the warm colors of a sunset as they dance across the open water on Thursday, Nov. 2, from 4:30–7:30 p.m.

Even if this is your first time paddleboarding, this program is great for beginners.

Registration is required online or at the Wilderness Station (401 Volunteer Rd.).

The location is to be determined and will be sent to registered participants the day beforehand. The cost to participate is $15.

Ages 12 and up are welcome. For more information, call 615-217-3017 or email outdoormurfreesboro@murfreesborotn.gov.

Nov. 2 Bingo With Harlee Middle Ground Brewing Company (2476 Old Fort Pkwy.) hosts a Bingo night with Harlee on Thursday, Nov. 2, from 6–8 p.m. (and the first Thursday of each month). For more information, find Middle Ground Brewing Company on Facebook or visit middlegroundbrew.com.

Nov. 3 Fall Harvest Hayride Join the team of Outdoor Murfreesboro 6 * November 2023 * boropulse.com

Nov. 4 Bacon Festival

Nov. 4 Stones River Kayaking Meet at the Stones River for a casual paddle down the river on Saturday, Nov. 4 from 2–5 p.m. View wildlife, birds and wildflowers. Space is limited and registration is required. Equipment and instructions are provided. Locations on the Stones River are to be determined based on current water levels. Register online or at the Wilderness Station. The cost to participate is $15. Ages 12 and up are welcome. For more information, email outdoormurfreesboro@murfreesborotn.gov or call 615-217-3017.

The Murfreesboro Bacon Festival is set for Saturday, Nov. 4, outdoors at Sports*Com (2310 Memorial Blvd). The day includes bacon food and baked goods available for purchase from over 30 food vendors, bacon home decor, T-shirts, walkin’ talkin’ bacon, a mechanical hog ride, a bacon eating contestand more.

There will be inflatables, a bounce house, toddler zone, face painting and live music.

Bring a chair or blanket for extra seating options to enjoy the music and activities.

The bacon eating contest begins at 1 p.m.

It’s $10 to enter and the winner receives a $100 cash prize and other awards. Parking is free. For more information, email odellmarkets@gmail.com.

Nov. 4 Pecan Festival

in celebrating the season of autumn with the Fall Harvest Hayride on Friday, Nov. 3, from 6–8 p.m. at General Bragg Trailhead (1540 W. College St.). Enjoy family activities, live music by The Secret Commonwealth, s’mores and the hayride.

For more information, call 615-217-3017 or email outdoormurfreesboro @murfreesborotn.gov.

Nov. 3 Holiday Sip, Shop & Stroll Kick off the holiday season with Main Street Murfreesboro and get everything you need for the holidays from party supplies to gifts for your family on Friday, Nov. 3, from 5–8 p.m. at various downtown Murfreesboro merchants. Bring the family, discover new stores as you shop locally. This festive holiday event is also full of hot chocolate, small bites and trunk shows. Some stores offer demos, holiday gift ideas, stocking stuffers and limitedtime specials. For more information, visit mainstreetmurfreesboro.org.

An MTSU Department of Physics and Astronomy fixture, Friday Star Parties, continue with a Nov. 3 event, “Probing Dark Energy: The Large Synoptic Survey Telescope,” led by John Wallin in WiserPatten Science Hall, Room 102 (422 Old Main Cir.) on the MTSU campus. Typically held at 6:30 p.m. the first Friday of the month during the MTSU semester, Friday Star Parties feature an assortment of astronomy and physics topics and are free and open to the public. The format is a 30–45 minute lecture followed by a telescope viewing at the MTSU Observatory (weather permitting). For more information, call 615-898-2130.

The Pecan Festival at Williamson Family Farm (3250 Wilkinson Pk.) will take place Saturday, Nov. 4 from noon–8 p.m.

Who will win Middle Tennessee’s first annual Best Pecan Pie contest? Shop from a variety of talented local craft vendors, enjoy live music, hayrides, food trucks, yard games, s’mores by the fire, craft cocktail classes and complimentary whiskey tastings. Admission is $12 for ages 4 and up.

VIP tickets are available for an upgraded experience and include entry into the festival, VIP parking, two craft cocktails and a ticket to the craft cocktail course. S’mores kits will also be available for purchase.

Hayrides are included in the ticket price.

Parking is free. For more information, visit authentictennessee.ticketspice .com/pecan-festival.

Nov. 4

Nov. 4

Harvest Marketplace

VA Veterans Day Parade

The annual Harvest Marketplace and this year’s indoor craft and art show is Saturday, Nov. 4, from 9 a.m.–2 p.m. at

The VA Tennessee Valley Healthcare System Veterans Day Parade is returning continued on page 7

Nov. 3 Friday Star Party Series

this year. The parade theme is “POW/ MIA–You Are Not Forgotten” on Saturday, Nov. 4, on the grounds of the VA Hospital (3400 Lebanon Rd.). Pre-parade entertainment begins at 10 a.m. and the parade steps-off at 11 a.m. The festivities and parade are free and open to the public, and parking is free. If you or your group would like to participate in the parade, email annette.allen@va.gov. For more information, call 615-225-3786.

Tennessee Philharmonic Orchestra presents its annual Veterans Concert on Wednesday, Nov. 8, at 7 p.m. Celebrate and honor the brave men and women for their sacrifices and commitment to our country with patriotic performances from the TPO at The View at Fountains at Gateway (1500 Medical Center Pkwy.).

All veterans and their spouses can attend free of charge. Tickets are $10 for students and $35 for everyone else and can be purchased at tnphil.org or at the door.

Nov. 4

Nov. 8 and 28

Middle Ground Brewing Grand Opening Party Celebrate all day on Saturday, Nov. 4, at Middle Ground Brewing Company (2476 Old Fort Pkwy.) with live music starting at 3:30 p.m. Miguel Dakota will be performing at 3:30 p.m. with Andrew Marshall at 6 p.m. The night consists of swag giveaways and more. For more information, find Middle Ground Brewing Company on Facebook or visit middlegroundbrew.com.

Nov. 4 Marine Corps Birthday Ball Military service members and their guests are invited to the 248th Marine Corps Birthday Ball & Veterans Day Celebration presented by Stones River MCL 1158 on Saturday, Nov. 4. As the celebration for the birthday of the Marine Corps, this year the event honors brothers and sisters in arms from all branches of the military for Veterans Day. Sergeant Major H. Gene Overstreet will be the guest of honor and speaker. Overstreet served as the 12th Sergeant Major of the Marine Corps from June 28, 1991-June 29, 1995. This year’s event is at the Embassy Suites by Hilton Nashville South Cool Springs (820 Crescent Centre Dr., Franklin). Social hour begins at 5 p.m. with the event beginning at 6 p.m. For tickets and more information, visit mclball-midtn.ticketspice.com/248thmarine-corps-birthday-ball, call 615-5253776 or email jerry.alvarado@live.com.

Nov. 4 Dewdrop Jamboree Dewdrop Jamboree returns to the Washington Theatre at Patterson Park (521 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd.) on Saturday, Nov. 4, beginning at 6 p.m. Performers scheduled to appear at the November Jamboree include the Stones River Bluegrass Band, Music City Quartet, Teresa Camp, Bobby Howard, Sadie Gordon, Russell Carter, Lissa Hanner, Larry Martin, Rhonda Tenpenny, Kevin Wolf and Melissa Lemay.

The ongoing series of Dewdrop Jamboree

Back-Country Hiking With Outdoor Murfreesboro

Nov. 4 Cookin’ To Build The community comes together for the 16th Annual Cookin’ To Build to support the Habitat for Humanity mission to build affordable homes on Saturday, Nov. 4, from 11 a.m.–1 p.m. on the Murfreesboro Public Square. Middle Tennessee residents can get their fill of delicious chili, soup, stew and gumbo from over 35 cooking teams. The popular food event raises money for Rutherford County Area Habitat for Humanity to help build safe, energy-efficient and affordable homes for families across Rutherford County. Cooking teams from organizations, groups, churches, schools and local businesses prepare the food. Teams also vie for the Golden Bowl Award as attendees vote for their favorites. Tickets are $30 and include a custom pottery bowl and an event tote bag to take home “all you can eat” from the food booths, plus free dessert and drinks alongside musical entertainment by Memory Train, a local retro-country and Southern-rock band. For more information, email melissa@rchfh.org, find the 2023 Cookin’ To Build event on Eventbrite or visit rchfh.org/cookin-to-build. variety shows aims to showcase, preserve and promote a variety of American styles of music—classic country, bluegrass, gospel, rock and blues. Tickets are $10 at the door. For more information, visit amagroup.org or find Dewdrop Jamboree on Facebook.

Nov. 6 and 22 Nickajack Wetlands Nature Walk Tired of the hustle and bustle of the city?

Take a walk through a local untouched nature area with an abundance of wildlife in the oasis such as birds, turtles and perhaps a mink. Closed-toed shoes are required alongside long pants, and long sleeves are recommended. The hike is on unpaved trails through the wetlands on Monday, Nov. 6, from 3–4 p.m. and Wednesday, Nov. 22, from noon–1 p.m. Meet at the Wilderness Station (401 Volunteer Rd.).

Transportation will be provided. Register online or at the Wilderness Station. Ages 7 and up are welcome. For more informa-

 Send community event information to contact@boropulse.com

tion, email outdoormurfreesboro@murfreesborotn.gov or call 615-217-3017.

Nov. 7, 15, 20 & 30 Archery for Beginners Check your aim at the Wilderness Station (401 Volunteer Rd.) where an archery instructor will lead a class on the basics of a bow and arrow. A one-mile hike on a paved trail is required to get to the archery field. Register online or at the Wilderness Station. The cost to attend is $10. Ages 7 and up are welcome. For more information, email outdoormurfreesboro@murfreesborotn.gov, call 615-2173017 or visit murfreesborotn.gov. Classes will be held on Tuesday, Nov. 7, and Wednesday, Nov. 15, from 4–5:30 p.m., and Monday, Nov. 20, and Thursday, Nov. 30, from 3–4:30 p.m.

Nov. 8 Tennessee Philharmonic Orchestra Veterans Concert

Join a naturalist on a five-mile hike through the back-country hiking trails at the Wilderness Station (401 Volunteer Rd.) in search of some local wildlife on Wednesday, Nov. 8 from 2–3:30 p.m. and Tuesday, Nov. 28 from 10–11:30 a.m. It is free to join the hike and all ages are welcome. For more information, email outdoormurfreesboro@ murfreesborotn.gov or call 615-217-3017.

Nov. 10 Veterans Appreciation Celebrate veterans and active duty military members and thank them for their service at Bradley Academy Museum and Cultural Center (415 S. Academy St.) at a Veterans Appreciation Day event on Friday, Nov. 10, from 11 a.m.–1 p.m. Veterans and active duty members can enjoy a free lunch. For more information, call 615-962-8773 or email vstembridge@murfreesborotn.gov.

Nov. 10 Family Campfire at Wilderness Station Campground Gather around a campfire for s’mores and fun on Friday, Nov. 10, from 5:30–7:30 p.m. at Wilderness Station at Barfield Crescent Park Campground (401 Volunteer Rd.). Hike out to the campground for a fire, snacks, campfire stories, s’mores and socialization. Register online or at the Wilderness Station. The cost to attend is $3 for ages 4–17, $5 for ages 18 and up and free for ages 3 and under. For more information, call 615-217-3017 or email outdoormurfreesboro@murfreesborotn.gov.

Nov. 11 Shabby Lane & Lillie B’s Holiday Gift Market The Shabby Lane & Lillie B’s Holiday Gift Market is at Lane Agri-Park Community Center and Barn (315 John R. Rice Blvd.) on Saturday, Nov. 11. Shopping is from 10 continued on page 8 boropulse.com * November 2023 * 7

Continued from page 7 a.m.–3:30 p.m. Visit Santa from noon–3 p.m. and enjoy live music from 10 a.m.–2 p.m. For more information on the market, visit shabbylaneshoppingevents.com.

Nov. 12 Marie Lestrange Book Signing Linebaugh Public Library (105 W. Vine St.) hosts local author Dr. Marie Lestrange for a book signing on Sunday, Nov. 12 from 2–5 p.m. The author signs and sells copies of her book T Is for Torture, an abecedarian book that enlightens the scourge of tomorrow about inflicting pain with all sorts of fun devices. Lestrange accompanies offensively hilarious rhyming couplets with colorful illustrations, hiding historical Easter eggs within this debut parody. The Little Lestrange book series is geared to adults, and possibly teens, with the exceptions of those with dubious intent. Lestrange is a daytime educator who delves into the darker side of literature and art by night.

She is co-creator/producer of the curiosities podcast Moths to the Flame. She’s terrified of most things, including chickens and storms, but this allows her to explore

a close relationship with fear and translate it into her writing. For more information, call 615-893-4131 or visit rclstn.org.

Nov. 14 Homeschool Science Series: Migration The theme of the Tuesday, Nov. 14 Homeschool Science Series for ages 5–8 and 9–12 at the Wilderness Station (401 Volunteer Rd.) is “Migration,” taking place from 10–11:30 a.m. Students are introduced to the seasonal movements of animals as they migrate from one region to another.

Focused hands-on activities explore the migratory patterns of animals in the Middle Tennessee region. Space limited and pre-registration is required online or at the Wilderness Station. The cost to join is $5.

For more information, call 615-217-3017 or email challwalker@murfreesborotn.gov.

Nov. 14 Greenway Trash Pickup Give back to the community by helping pick up trash on the Greenway on Tuesday, Nov. 14 from 3:30–4:30 p.m. Enjoy a friendly walk while you pick up litter and improve a favorite walking path. Begin at

Nov. 18 Fall Fun at Ferrell Hollow Farm Meet the horses, see the cats and shop for unique merchandise in the gift shop at Ferrell Hollow Farm Senior Horse & Cat Sanctuary (5323 Ferrell Hollow Rd., Readyville) on Saturday, Nov. 18 from 10 a.m.–2 p.m. Come stroll the property and visit the Memorial Gardens. Admission and guided tours are free. Public donations continue to help senior horses and senior cats in need. Please consider donating or bringing wish list items for the cats or horses. For more information, find Ferrell Hollow Farm – Senior Horse & Cat Sanctuary on Facebook or visit ferrellhollowfarm.org.

the Thompson Lane Trailhead (2240 N. Thompson Ln.). For more information, call 615-217-3017 or email outdoormurfreesboro@murfreesborotn.gov.

and college administrator. Members and guests are welcome. Bring plenty of business cards. For more information, email yourrutherfordcable@gmail.com.

Nov. 14

Nov. 14

Rutherford Cable Breakfast Meeting

Business After Hours

The Rutherford Cable November Breakfast Meeting will be held on Tuesday, Nov. 14, from 7:15–9 a.m. at The Fountains at Gateway (1500 Medical Center Pkwy.).

The theme is “Business Etiquette: The Extra Competitive Advantage” with speaker Dr. Joyce Heames, Dean of the MTSU Jones College of Business and professor of management. Heames’ primary area of research is counterproductive work behavior, but she also explores leadership, conflict resolution and the history of managerial thought. She has over 35 years of experience in business and education as a trainer, teacher, facilitator 8 * November 2023 * boropulse.com

The Rutherford County Chamber of Commerce, along with Nourish Food Bank, Community Helpers and Endure Athletics, present the November Business After Hours event at 4:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 14, at Nourish Food Bank (1809 Memorial Blvd.). This is an informal social networking event designed to connect business professionals from across Rutherford County. Bring plenty of business cards. Admission is $15 for chamber members and $25 for future members.

No registration is required. For more information on Rutherford County Chamber of Commerce ribbon-cuttings and other continued on page 9

Continued from page 8 events, visit rutherfordchamber.org.

businesses and bringing the community together. For more information, find the Small Business Saturday – Holiday Market event on Eventbrite.

Nov. 16 Duck River Hike Those over 50 can take part in an excursion to view waterfalls, wildlife and more during a moderate four-mile hike along the Duck River at Old Stone Fort State Park on Thursday, Nov. 16, from 9:30 a.m.–12:30 p.m. Meet at the Wilderness Station (401 Volunteer Rd.). Transportation is included.

Register online or at the Wilderness Station.

The cost to participate is $15 per person.

Ages 50 and up are welcome. For more information, call 615-217-3017 or email outdoormurfreesboro@murfreesborotn.gov.

Nov. 16 The Connection at Champy’s Champy’s World Famous Fried Chicken will host the November 2023 installment of The Connection: An Evening of Professional Networking and Business Brainstorming from 5–7 p.m. on Thursday, Nov. 16.

All Middle Tennessee entrepreneurs and professionals are welcome to attend this casual, free, no-obligation networking event, where they can meet other small business owners and tap into one another’s experience and energy. Networking begins at 5 p.m. with introductions at 6 p.m. Champy’s is located at 1290 NW Broad St.

Nov. 17 Third Friday Community Rhythm Event Everybody Drum Some founder Ross Lester continues the third Friday Community Rhythm Event series for those who would like to join their neighbors in some drumming. The next community rhythm session kicks off at 6 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 17, in the fellowship hall of St. Patrick’s Anglican Church (7103 Baker Rd.). There is no cost to participate, and people of all ages are invited to participate in the drumming or to spectate. Participants may bring drums, shakers, tambourines, woodblocks or percussive instruments of any type, but instruments will also be available for use.

For more information, call 615-631-7458 or visit everybodydrumsome.com.

Nov. 18 Richard Vigorelli Book Signing Linebaugh Public Library (105 W. Vine St.) hosts local author Richard Vigorelli on Saturday, Nov. 18, from 10 a.m.–1 p.m. The author signs and sells copies of his books The Hidden Race and Homo Sapiens Mysticus: All About the Fae. In

Nov. 27 Nov. 29

Murfreesboro Chess Lunch

Hike at Flat Rock With Outdoor Murfreesboro

Who wants to play a game of chess?

Community members interested in the initiative of teaching others the game of chess, helping raise funds and interest for getting the game in the schools, sharing ideas on how chess can benefit others, involving their organization in promoting the game, or just desiring to gather with other chess enthusiasts to play and discuss chess can come to a Murfreesboro Chess Lunch at Carmen’s Taqueria (206 W. Northfield Blvd.) from 11 a.m.–1 p.m. on Monday, Nov. 27. For more information, email rmitchell@rutherfordcountytn.gov or call 615-426-7373‬.

What is a cedar glade?

Join up with others for a walk-through at Flat Rock, a state natural area, and find out.

Meet at the Wilderness Station (401 Volunteer Rd.) on Wednesday, Nov. 29, from 2–4 p.m.

Transportation will be provided. There is no cost to attend. Ages 8 and up are welcome. For more information, email outdoormurfreesboro@ murfreesborotn.gov or 615-217-3017.

The Hidden Race, the city of Kidron is a hotbed of strange things and people who are not like everyone else. They are the Fae and they live next door. Homo Sapiens Mysticus: All About the Fae is a book of lore for the Dorian Astrapios series and universe. For more information, call 615893-4131 or visit rclstn.org.

Nov. 18-19 Family Campout at Barfield Crescent Park The Family Campout is backpacking made family-friendly beginning with an easy one-mile hike into the campground.

Park staff will help with setup. Participate in various activities throughout the night or just relax by the campfire. Dinner and breakfast are included in your registration fee. Take part in guided night hikes, children’s activities and games, campfire fun and music. Tents, ground cloths, sleeping pads and backpacks are available by request when registering. All participants must attend a Wilderness Awareness Workshop on Saturday, Nov. 4 at 11 a.m.

The campout begins Saturday, Nov. 18 at 4:30 p.m. and lasts until Sunday, Nov. 19, at 9 a.m. For more information, email outdoormurfreesboro@murfreesborotn.gov or call 615-217-3017.

 Send community event information to contact@boropulse.com

Dec. 2 Kris Kindl Market

Nov. 21 Savage Gulf Hike With Outdoor Murfreesboro See the beautiful fall colors at their peak on a six-mile hike around the flat rim of Savage Gulf on Tuesday, Nov. 21. The hike is a moderate-skill level and is a great way to get some exercise while enjoying the beauty of nature. Transportation is provided. Packing a lunch is recommended.

The hiking time is approximately from 8 a.m.–5 p.m. Meet at Wilderness Station (401 Volunteer Rd.). The cost to participate is $15. For more information, email outdoormurfreesboro@murfreesborotn.gov or call 615-217-3017.

Nov. 25 Small Business Saturday Market The Small Business Saturday Holiday Market is a festive shopping experience at the Lane Agri-Park Community Center (315 John Rice Blvd.) on Saturday, Nov. 25 from 9 a.m.–5 p.m. Discover unique gifts, support local businesses and get into the holiday spirit. Shop a wide variety of vendors showcasing products from handmade crafts to delicious treats along with food trucks at a day celebrating small

The Lascassas Farmers Market holds its annual Kris Kindl Market Christmas Fair on Saturday, Dec. 2, from 4–7 p.m. at Lascassas Feed Supply (7684 Barlow Ln., Lascassas) and is free to all attendees.

The market will offer produce, canned and baked goods, artisan crafts, a hot cocoa bar, music, kids’ games and a visit from Santa. For more information, find the Kris Kindl Market event on Facebook.

Dec. 2 Scholastic Chess Championship The Middle Tennessee Scholastic Chess Championship at Central Magnet School (701 E. Main St.) is set for Saturday, Dec. 2. This annual tradition is a great tournament for both new and seasoned scholastic chess players. For new players, there are two unrated sections to get the first tournament experience. For experienced players, traditional rated sections (primary, elementary, high school) determine Middle Tennessee Scholastic Champions. Rated sections require a current US Chess membership ID, but no knowledge of chess notation, playing with a clock or previous tournament experience is necessary to play in the unrated section.

The format for all divisions is a five-round Swiss tournament with 30-minute time controls with a five-second delay. Onsite registration and check-in will be from 7:45–8:30 a.m. with Round 1 beginning at 9 a.m. The early registration fee is $20 continued on page 10 boropulse.com * November 2023 * 9

Continued from page 9 and is due by Tuesday, Nov. 28. For more information, email burnsjo@rcschools.net or igorzhislin@gmail.com.

Find Mad Cow Running Company (MCRC) on Facebook for course routes and more details. All runners are encouraged to stay after each run for food and drinks.

Dec. 2

Thursdays

W.H.O.L.E. Family Celebration Conference Middle Tennessee residents, vendors, agencies and organizations are invited to participate in the second annual Family Holiday Celebration & Conference Expo on Saturday, Dec. 2. This free conference is presented by the With Him Our Love is Eternal (W.H.O.L.E.) Family, a faith-based nonprofit that hosts family and relationship conferences across the U.S. This holiday celebration and conference began in Murfreesboro and continues to focus on strengthening family relationships.

While providing connections to community resources through participating vendors and agencies, attendees can holistically empower their families and learn how to meet the needs of individual family members. Enjoy free food, entertainment, empowerment sessions and more while getting in the holiday spirit. Registration is required. For young adult singles, find the “Next Generations Now: Holiday Social & Conference for Young Adults & Youth” event on Eventbrite. For couples, find the “COUPLES ONLY!!! Holiday Social and Day Conference” on Eventbrite. The youngadult event will be at AJ Hall Event Center (1630 S. Church St., #119), with the couples event taking place at Lane Agricultural Auditorium (315 John Rice Blvd.). For more information, call 615-784-9603 or email info@wholefamily.com.

Mondays Connect Murfreesboro Join Connect Murfreesboro each Monday from 9–10 a.m. at BoomBozz Craft Pizza & Taphouse (2839 Medical Center Pkwy.) for a casual networking event designed to connect professionals, build relationships, drive referrals and help grow businesses. Please prepare a 60-second pitch about who you are and what you do, as well as a specific referral request for attendees on what can be done to help promote your business. The approximately 20-minute period at the end of each meeting is reserved for members to set up one-on-ones and socialize. For more information or directions, visit connectnashvillenetworking.com/events.

Wednesdays Networking for Awesome People Are you looking to meet and connect with 10 * November 2023 * boropulse.com

Express Yourself Express Yourself highlights artists, wellknown and emerging. Channel your inner artist to create a unique piece of art to take home. Dress accordingly for artful messes. Space is limited so early registration is advised. Meet every other Thursday (2, 16 and 30) at McFadden Community Center (211 Bridge Ave.) from 4:30– 5:30 p.m. Ages 7–12 are welcome. The cost to attend is $5. For more information, email smayo@murfreesborotn.gov or call 615-893-7439 ext. 6111.

Fridays Dec. 1 Rutherford County Christmas Tree Lighting Celebrate Christmas Downtown Murfreesboro with the official Rutherford County Christmas Tree Lighting Friday, Dec. 1 from 5:30–8:30 p.m. (225 West College St.). Gather around the historic 1859 Rutherford County Courthouse for entertainment, caroling, the lighting of the tree and a visit from Santa. Have dinner, shop in unique stores, view the live nativity and enjoy an hour-long program full of choir music, dancing and acting. There will be free activities for children, carriage rides and pictures with Santa from 5:30–8:30 p.m. Stage performances begin at 6 p.m. Santa goes into the courthouse for free photos afterwards, with activities and entertainment continuing outside until 8:30 p.m. Special guests include Center for the Arts with acts from White Christmas, elementary school choir performances, The Dancer’s School, Oakland Middle School Show Choir and a performance by Miss Patty Cake. As part of the Inaugural Boro Festival of Wreaths, you can participate by decorating and donating a wreath to be auctioned off by Main Street Murfreesboro.

Choose a theme for your wreath and decorate it. Main Street will display all wreaths downtown through Dec. 3. Everyone who donates a wreath is allowed to nominate a nonprofit organization in Rutherford County to benefit from their wreath’s sale. For more information, visit mainstreetmurfreesboro.org and find “Events.” other local business owners? Do you want to grow your network and pick up some skills along the way? Networking for Awesome People meets each week on Wednesdays at 9 a.m. at the Rutherford County Veterans Community Center (439 Rice St.). All you need to bring is a good attitude.

Each attendee gets about a minute to explain what they do and what they need, followed by a discussion question of the week.

Networking for Awesome People encourages open discussion to help everyone grow.

For more information, find a Networking for Awesome People group on Facebook.

Wednesdays Boro 2 Square Running Group The Boro 2 Square running group meets at Mayday Brewery (521 Old Salem Rd.)

every Wednesday at 6 p.m. The group welcomes runners of all paces looking to get out to run and socialize with other runners. Normal run distances are between 3 and 5 miles. Participants are welcome to hang out and socialize at Mayday following the run. For more information, visit facebook.com/boro2square.

Thursdays Mad Cow Trek Club The Mad Cow Trek Club running group meets every Thursday at 6 p.m. at Panther Creek Brews (714 W. Main St.). The group embarks on a route of 4–8 miles and welcomes runners of all paces and abilities. Affiliated with the Mad Cow Running Company in McMinnville, the Trek Club hosts races and free get-togethers to share its love of running with the community.

C3 Networking at Prohibition Home Brewing C3 is an open networking group for local business professionals at Prohibition Home Brewing (906 Ridgley Rd.) on Fridays from 8:30–10:30 a.m. The mission is to build relationships, connect local businesses with potential clients, support each other’s professional growth and educate people on how to participate in the local community.

Complimentary coffee and snacks are provided. For more information, find Prohibition Home Brewing on Facebook.

Fridays Murfreesboro Community Chess Murfreesboro Community Chess meets at the Murfreesboro Barnes & Noble (within The Avenue, 2615 Medical Center Pkwy.) every Friday from 6 to 9 p.m. Organizers invite those of all ages and skill levels to this casual chess meetup each week.

Saturdays Historical Society Coffee & Conversation The Rutherford County Historical Society has been preserving and promoting Murfreesboro’s local history since 1971.

Whether researching your family, your property or perhaps just old fun facts, the RCHS is an exceptional resource. The RCHS hosts Coffee & Conversation each Saturday morning from 9 a.m.–noon at the Ransom School House Museum (717 N. Academy St.). This is a very informal, fun and informative event. Bring old photos or questions about the past to ask members.

Enjoy free coffee and donuts. For more information, visit rutherfordtnhistory.org.

 Send community event information to contact@boropulse.com

American Musical Arts Group Presents A family-oriented music showcase presenting young, upcoming talent and encouraging musical legends to return to the stage



Saturday, Nov. 4

KITCHEN OPEN LATE

 6 P.M. 

Special Veterans Show

MORE AT:

amagroup.org

 BACK AT  Washington Theatre at Patterson Park Community Center 521 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd., Murfreesboro

Must Be 21 & UP

Open Daily: Noon–3 a.m.

Great beer, great food, great folks...

MONDAYS

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9:30 P.M.–2:30 A.M. 2 SHOTS 8–10 P.M. $ 2 DRAFTS & TALLBOYS 8–11 P.M.

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Dine-in only; Limit one coupon per table

MONDAY All Day

BREAKFAST SERVED ALL DAY!

12 oz. Beer 2 for 1 10% Off Regular Menu Price on all food

Lunch specials not included

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20.99— 20.99—100 oz. Beer $ 29.99—100 oz.

29.99— Margarita *Minimum 3 people, with food purchase

12 oz. House Margaritas on the Rocks 2-for-1 Taco Tuesday: $5.99 for 4

WEDNESDAY 2–6 p.m.

Football Helmet Drink Towers* All Day Sat.–Thurs.

TUESDAY All Day

206 W. Northfield Blvd.

615-848-9003 The One and Only Carmen’s Taqueria

HOURS: Monday–Saturday 10 a.m.–10 p.m., Sunday 10 a.m.–8 p.m.

THURSDAY All Day 8.50

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Fried Fish Tacos Grilled Chicken Sope Medium Grilled Chicken Quesadilla

SUNDAY 2–6 p.m.

15% OFF Food (food only) No substitutions on daily specials • Dine-in only Specials cannot be combined with coupons

concerts Thurs, 11/2

Hank’s Honky Tonk

Sir Anthony

MTSU Wright Music

Percussion Ensemble

Smyrna VFW Post

Hank’s Honky Tonk

Toast Open Mic Night

MTSU Wright Music

Sax Studio Recital

Fri, 11/3

Boro Bourbon & Brews

Jam Night

Tues, 11/7

Tony Hartman

Boro Bourbon & Brews

Jeff Lysyczyn

Hank’s Honky Tonk

Live Music in middle tennessee

Breakin Steele

Cedar Springs Ranch

Paul Sikes; Trannie Anderson; Carson Beyer

Front Street Pub

Boro Bourbon & Brews

cedar glade brews 906 Ridgely Rd.

Hank’s Honky Tonk

Cedar Glade Brews

CEDAR SPRINGS RANCH 9638 Rocky Hill Rd., Lascassas

Hank’s Honky Tonk

Luke Wood

2Country4Nashville

Down South Band

Wed, 11/8

Benjimen Neal

Steady Rotation

Hop Springs

Warplay; Drummer Exchange Program; Russ Kettle

Cedar Glade Brews

As We Sin

Jam with Blues Collective Hank’s Honky Tonk

Olivia Mason

Mayday Brewery

Live to Vinyl contest

Puckett’s

Guitar Ensemble Studio

Smyrna VFW Post

Tennessee Philharmonic Orchestra

The Lilliston Effect

Los Swamp Monsters Shane and the Money Makers The Boro

Joey Fletcher

Sat, 11/4 City Cafe

Everette Brown Trio Crab Fever

Jeff Lysyczyn

Front Street Pub

Mike Ruggiero

Grindstone Cowboy

Cindy Morgan; Wayne Kirkpatrick; Jonathan Kingham; Phil Madeira

Puckett’s

Middle Ground Brewing Co.

Miguel Dakota; Andrew Marshall

MTSU Wright Music

High School Honors Orchestra Puckett’s

The Warman Trio The Boro

615 Rewind

Washington Theatre

Dewdrop Jamboree

Sun, 11/5

Boro Bourbon & Brews

Emily Miller

Hank’s Honky Tonk

Crosstown

MTSU Wright Music

Trombone and Euphonium

Mon, 11/6

Burger Bar

Jeff Lysyczyn

Summon the Moon

Sun, 11/12

Hank’s Honky Tonk

Carson Mac Emily Miller

MTSU Wright Music

Thurs, 11/9

Alyssa Jones; Brass Chamber Ensemble

Cary & Sherrie Lynn

Mon, 11/13

Hank’s Honky Tonk MTSU Wright Music Building

Jazz Vocal; Clarinet Choir

Fri, 11/10

Boro Bourbon & Brews

Silent Ruckus

Cedar Springs Ranch

Jeff Lysyczyn

The Elovaters; Shwayze; Surfer Girl

The Boro

The View

Hop Springs

Brett Bone

R&R Studios

Boro Bourbon & Brews

Happy’s

Lonnie Cook; In-Cahoots

The Deltaz

MTSU Wright Music

Benefit for Jana Jones Hall featuring Ben Johnson, Janelle Arthur, Brett Sheroky and Lauren Mascitti

Hank’s Honky Tonk

MTSU Wright Music Puckett’s

Jack’s Place

Tony Castellanos

Happy’s

Boro Bourbon & Brews

Jack Barganier

Happy’s

Silent Ruckus

Harvester

Kaleah Wooten

Hop Springs

Pat Travers Band; The Great Affairs Jack’s Place

Tony Castellanos

Mayday Brewery

Two Crows For Comfort

MTSU Wright Music

Chinese Music Ensemble Puckett’s

Cole Ritter and the Night Owls

Smyrna VFW Post

Shane and the Money Makers

Sat, 11/18

Boro Bourbon & Brews

Kenna Elpers

Sat, 11/11

Boro Bourbon & Brews

12 * November 2023 * boropulse.com

Tony Castellanos Puckett’s

Radio Farm

Smyrna VFW Post

Hank’s Honky Tonk

Joe Hooper

Jazz Ensemble 2

2Country4Nashville

Hank’s Honky Tonk

Izzy Grace

Hop Springs

RITTZ; Jehry Robinson; Noble Poets

MTSU Wright Music

MTSU Singers

Panther Creek Brews

Tosha Hill

Puckett’s

The Boro

Sun, 11/26

Cody Manson; Baja Bla$t; Illiminate

The O’Donnells

MTSU Wright Music

Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia; Stephanie Jones Studio Recital; Flute Choir; Chamber Orchestra

Mon, 11/20

Boro Bourbon & Brews

Jeff Hawkins and Reed Swindler

Hank’s Honky Tonk

Lexy Dunn

Mon, 11/27 Burger Bar

Jeff Lysyczyn

Hank’s Honky Tonk

Toast Open Mic Night

MTSU Wright Music

Studio Recital

Smyrna VFW Post

Burger Bar

Jam Night

Hank’s Honky Tonk

Tues, 11/28

Thurs, 11/16

MTSU Steel Pan

Will King

Hop Springs 6790 John Bragg Hwy.

Matt Burke & Friends

Puckett’s

Live to Vinyl

Hank’s Honky Tonk

Harvester event center 206 W. Main St., Smithville

Radio Pirate

Hank’s Honky Tonk Happy’s

Toast Open Mic Night

The O’Donnells

Front Street Pub

happy’s sports Lounge 302 W. Main St.

Katherine Craven

Jeff Lysyczyn

Boro Bourbon & Brews

Crab Fever

MTSU Wright Music

Muddy Boots

Puckett’s

City Cafe

Hank’s Honky Tonk 2341 Memorial Blvd.

MAYDAY BREWERY 521 Old Salem Rd.

Hank’s Honky Tonk

J.W. Faria

Jack’s Place

Krystal King; Whiskey Smoke

Hop Springs

Evie Brandt

The Boro

New Binge

Grindstone cowboy 115 N. Main St., Eagleville

Smells Like Nirvana

Stretta

Jam with Blues Collective

Shane and the Money Makers

Happy’s

Jack’s Place 114 E. College St.

Cedar Glade Brews

Smyrna VFW Post

Kevin Wolf; Zach Neil & Dale Clear

FRONT STREET PUB 104 Front St., Smyrna

Glen Wagner

Happy’s

Harvester

LynnMarie & E3

Hank’s Honky Tonk

The Hammonds; Cooter River Band

Tues, 11/14

Krystal King

Puckett’s

Josh Bates

Outside Franklin

Jam Night

Mystic Grove

Claire Cifonie; Cedric Quinn

crab fever 1720 Old Fort Pkwy.

Front Street Pub

Everette Brown Trio

Hank’s Honky Tonk

Boro Bourbon & Brews

MTSU Wright Music

Jeff Caron Band

Smyrna VFW Post

Sun, 11/19

The Lilliston Effect

CITY CAFE 113 E. Main St.

Boro Bourbon & Brews

Twisted Ranch

Front Street Pub

Boro Bourbon & Brews

Mayday Brewery

Fri, 11/24

Hank’s Honky Tonk

Happy’s

Tony Castellanos

Champy’s Chicken 1290 NW Broad St.

Live to Vinyl contest

City Cafe

Toast Open Mic Night

burger bar 1850 Old Fort Pkwy.

Puckett’s

Shane and the Money Makers

Wed, 11/15

Jack’s Place

Phil Valdez

Champy’s Chicken

Bailey Rose; Jack Finley Band

Big Bubble Rave

Hank’s Honky Tonk

Sat, 11/25

Seasons

Hop Springs

Jam with Blues Collective

Everette Brown Trio

Jeff Lysyczyn

Front Street Pub

J.L. Fulks

Jesse Morgan

Burger Bar

MTSU Wright Music

Hank’s Honky Tonk

Sara Simmons; Jeff Caron Band

Seasons

Jeff Lysyczyn

Burger Bar

Luke Wood

Boro bourbon & Brews 124 N. Maple St.

Allen Price

Hank’s Honky Tonk

Harvester

Clarinet Studio Recital

Wed, 11/22

Jeff Lysyczyn

Jazz Ensemble I

Shawn Pody

MTSU Wright Music

Burger Bar

Front Street Pub

Taylor Hughes; Jake Clayton Trio

Happy’s

Jesse Black

If You Go

Everette Brown Trio

City Cafe

Lindsay Beth Harper Seasons

Hank’s Honky Tonk

2Country4Nashville

Cooter River Band

Front Street Pub

Delyn Christian; Bill Ashmore & the Last Stand

Fri, 11/17

Short Creek Revival

Boro Bourbon & Brews

Dustin Martin

MTSU Wright Music

MTSU Wind Ensemble; Symphonic Band

boropulse.com/calendar

Jeff Lysyczyn

Carmen’s Taqueria

Burger Bar

Alyssa Flaherty

MTSU Wright Music

 full calendar online at

Middle Ground Brewing Co. 2476 Old Fort Pkwy.

MTSU Wright music building 1439 Faulkinberry Dr. Panther Creek brews 714 W. Main St. Puckett’s Grocery 114 N. Church St. R&R Studios 1203 Park Ave. seasons of Murfreesboro 2227 Old Fort Pkwy.

The Boro 1211 Greenland Dr.

MTSU Wright Music

Boro Bourbon & Brews

View at Fountains 1500 Medical Center Pkwy.

Smyrna VFW Post

Hank’s Honky Tonk

Smyrna VFW post 10157 Old Nashville Hwy. Smyrna

Jam Night

Tues, 11/21

Boro Bourbon & Brews

Taylor Hughes

Delyn Christian

MTSU Wright Music

Keyboard Artist Series Seasons

2Country4Nashville

Washington Theatre 521 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd.



7



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NEW NAME SAME GREAT SERVICE LET US DO Want to takeDRIVING the hassle out of driving yourse THE FOR YOU Let ROVER WE CAN TAKE YOU shopping at places like The Avenue and Stones River Mall, or to medical facilities along the Gateway. We serve many other areas of Murfreesboro as well.

FOR INFORMATION, including routes and fares, visit www.murfreesborotn.gov and click on the Public Transit button, or call 615.217.6837.

Rover Transit buses ca Avenue and Stones River SportsCom, grocery store along the 7 ROUTES that adults and kids under 6 a For additional inform www.murfreesborotn.g 615-21ROVER (615-217-

Sounds

Foursome reunites after 30-Year hiatus, country vocal group set for new chapter with release of Girls Next Door 2.0 STORY BY BRITNEY BROWN

W

hen Cindy Nixon Psanos, Diane Williams Austin, Doris King Merritt and Tammy Stephens Smith first started singing together in the 1980s, they never dreamed that they would become a touring sensation. Nor did they dream they would ever meet the likes of George Jones, The Oak Ridge Boys, The Statler Brothers, Lee Greenwood, The Judds, Randy Travis, Exile, Loretta Lynn and Sawyer Brown.

Not only did they meet these iconic greats, but they also toured and collaborated with many of them. The Girls Next Door have sung, quite literally, next door, on the Grand Ole Opry stage, and about as far from “next door” as you can get, performing at Caesar’s Palace in Las Vegas.

Right out of the gate, the group scored a #14 hit on the Billboard charts with their first single, “Love Will Get You Through Times of No Money.” They followed that single with the Top 10-charting “Slow Boat to China” which went to #8 on the Billboard charts. All in all, Girls Next Door charted nine songs in their nearly 10 years together.

Aside from their Opry performances, the quartet’s television appearances include The Today Show, Entertainment Tonight, Nashville Now, Crook and Chase, On Stage, Hee Haw and Video Country.

In 1991, Girls Next Door performed for 14 * November 2023 * boropulse.com

Girls Next Door: Cindy Nixon Psanos, Doris King Merritt, Diane Williams Austin and Tammy Stephens Smith

at MTSU; Ben Austin, and he’s a sociology professor. Actually, I grew up in Belgium.

Dad was in the Air Force and we spent a lot of years there, and spent a little bit of time in Colorado. I did end up in Nashville and I graduated from Overton High School.

My professional music career started when I tried out for Opryland. All four of us girls that are in the group were in the live shows that operated there.

Once we formed the group, you know, it was a process. But we toured for about 10 years and disbanded in ’91 because we were all having kids. We took a little hiatus . . . maybe a 30-something-year hiatus.

In the last couple of years, we’ve been able to regroup and start recording. We actually started this with a Kickstarter.

Although we had Top 10 records in the ’80s, and lots of Top 20 records, we just didn’t have the money people seemed to think we did, especially using the musicians that we wanted to use [for the EP]. We raised, I think $24,000 to pay for the EP. Plus, we don’t have a record deal this time.

We had a label doing all the stuff that we’re doing now.

Who is your greatest inspiration?

The group . . . we all met at Opryland.

But Doris was also a studio singer and her husband was an engineer. She and he were working with Tommy West. Tommy West produced Jim Croce and Ed Bruce and he was a pretty well-known producer at the time. And he told Doris, “You know what

I would love to do? I’d love to work with a great group—you know, a country girl group.” And Doris said, “Well, I’ve got one.”

She didn’t have one, she just told him she had one. But, she had one the next day.

So, you know, we all went out, sang for him, and it was magical. He was using us in some studio things; we were doing some background stuff, and I’ll never forget—he pushed the talkback button in the studio and he said: “Girls, how would you like to do this for real?” And we’re like. “Well, aren’t we doing that for real?” He goes, “No, I mean, how would you like to do this on a record label?”

And what had happened is Mary Tyler Moore had started a label and they were sending people from California out to start the label.

And Tommy West was made the head of A&R so he took us with him when he went to that label. Wow! So that’s how the group formed.

Now, to segue into that question, Tommy West is probably the second most influential person in my life career-wise, music-wise.

We called him the “5th Girl Next Door.” He passed away last year, but he was a wonderful, wonderful man, and so talented and gifted at arranging. My number one person is probably my high school voice teacher.

Her name was Phoebe Binkley. And she was just incredible. She was not only a gifted voice teacher, but she was also a gifted encourager. She was the one who would pack kids in her car and take them out to try out, audition for Opryland and college scholarships and all kinds of stuff. And my father

Photo by sarah barre

Girls Next Door

the last time on Nashville Now with Ralph Emery. They were building families and wanted to move forward with God and family first. Life happened. Their children turned into teenagers; they became caretakers for their aging parents. Diane and Doris both fought cancer and survived. All the while, these devoted ladies relied on God to see them through and trusted that there was a season to everything.

When the group sang together for the wedding of one of their children they said “it was like riding a bike,” according to group member Diane Austin. Their vocal harmonies interwove like they had never been apart.

“Everything just came back together,” Austin said.

Now, as they enter their golden years, the Girls Next Door have reunited. They are not in it for the money or the fame—the main goal in this facet of their careers is to have fun! Their album Girls Next Door 2.0 was just released earlier this year. Tracks include recent singles “Livin’ in the Rain,” “When the Water’s Down” and “What’s This Thing (You’ve Got About Leaving).”

Diane Austin, a 25-year resident of Murfreesboro, recently spoke with the Murfreesboro Pulse about the Girls Next Door relaunch.

Murfreesboro Pulse: Tell us a little bit about yourself.

Diane Austin: Well, I have lived in Murfreesboro 25 years. I moved here from Nashville, and my husband is a professor

was a big influence. My father was an incredible singer. He never did it professionally; he was military, but he’s the one that started me singing.

If you could pick one song to leave as your legacy, which would it be?

I would say the first one we did. The very first song we did was “Love Will Get You Through Times of No Money.” It charted and it went to 14 on the Billboard charts, which was really good for your first shoot at the rodeo. But the song is beautiful and it has lots of meaning to me . . . It’s like a signature of our harmonies, cause when you get to the very end of the song, there’s like this beautiful waterfall of vocals at the end of it—that’s us.

What brings you together as a group of strong Christian women?

We just released “Livin’ in the Rain,” which is a gospel release. But I’m telling you what . . . it’s just always been there with us. So you have to say that the whole thing is really a God thing. You know, we’ve all been Christians since we were little girls, and I’ll tell you when you get into a business like this, it can be very difficult. I don’t know how [we did it]. The first year we were gone over 300 days.

There were four of us, and so we had strength in numbers, but we had strength in God, in Jesus Christ as well.

What have you been up to in your time away from the music industry?

When we got together, I had a scholarship to Belmont University and I was going to go into music therapy. Well, I thought, “I’m not going to college right now. I’ve got a career ahead of me.” I didn’t need it at the time. So when we broke up the first thing I did was I went to college. I was in my 30s. I went to MTSU and got a degree in music.

It was vocal performance; I got a scholarship to get an education degree. It was so hard, but it was fun.

While I was there, I directed a program called the preparatory program, where they would have graduate students or advanced students teach kids in the community. They would come in to the university.

I had maybe 10 teachers, and I don’t know how many students I had, but it got really big. We were fighting for space. I finally went to the department chair and I said, “Can I just take this out of here because it’s too big for this department now?” And he said yes. And, so, I opened up a music academy over on Clark down the street from the university. I bought a building, opened an academy. We taught boys and girls music, preschool music, and about 10 instruments. I had a bunch of employees. I did that for a while.

I also taught at Providence Christian Academy. I did that for a long time.

I later got hired at Rockvale—went out there and taught out there for probably 10 years and I retired. The month after I retired, I was diagnosed with stage 3 colon cancer. And so my “cancer crisis,” which I call it that laughing right now, was I opened up a boutique called the Blue Eyed Daisy. I had the best time because my one of my hobbies is silversmithing and making jewelry. And I do a lot of baking too and stuff like that.

What are some landmark moments that really stand out to you in your career?

Well, one thing that stands out to me is we did Jamboree in the Hills in Wheeling, West Virginia, and it’s a huge festival. I think they’re still there. Our single had just peaked. Once it came out, it happened pretty fast for us. We hadn’t played any really big venues. We got out, I don’t know, I think there were like 20, 30 thousand. It was crazy! Like a huge field. And we walk out and they’re just screaming for us. It was like 104 degrees. . . . That was wonderful.

As we got into it, we did a lot with the Oak Ridge Boys. We toured with them a lot and we love them. We did a gig with them at Caesar’s Palace in Las Vegas for two weeks. The Oaks were always so much fun.

And then we did the Kennedy Center with George Jones.

Is there anything else that you would like to add?

The next single that will come out— we’re gonna wait until after Christmas for the next single—the next single is called “Shades of Gray.” The reason it is so special to all of us (but especially me) is that it is a song that we commissioned my son to write. His name is Christopher Foust. He called two friends, Shane Grove and David Wade, and we told them we want this song that is relatable to people our age. And I cannot believe what these men came up with! It is a song about how life is full of shades of gray. It starts with the little girl in your lap as she looks up at your gray hair and says “what happened to all the color in your hair?” The grandmother says “if you look close enough, you’ll see it’s always there, because life is full of shades of gray.” It’s just perfect. I am so excited about that song for many, many reasons, but mainly because my child wrote it.

Keep up with Girls Next Door at girlsnextdoormusic.com and watch their soul-touching music videos on the group’s official YouTube channel. boropulse.com * November 2023 * 15

Celebrate Christmas Downtown Friday, December 1st @ 6:00pm

around the historic Rutherford County Courthouse

Free activities for kids Free Pictures with Santa inside the Courthouse Carriage Rides $$ Live performances: Singers, Dancers, Center For The Arts, Miss PattyCake Celebrate The Holidays With Us! (Activities until 8:30pm)

The Official Rutherford County tree lighting event is presented by

Sounds

music notes

Operation Song Alumni Present annual Voices4Veterans Fundraiser on Veterans Day, nov. 11 Operation Song, which pairs hit songwriters with veterans dealing with PTSD to help tell their stories through music, will hold its next Voices4Veterans fundraiser on Veterans Day, Saturday, Nov. 11, from 4–8 p.m.

The event, held at Tru by Hilton in Mt. Juliet, will feature live music from local band In God We Trust, country singers Steve Cade and Brei Carter, and a Nashville songwriters-in-the-round session featuring Bob Regan, Steve Williams, Pete Sallis, David Kent and Sarah Cait Rayman.

All net proceeds from the event go back into the charity to support veteran programming. Songwriter Bob Regan founded Operation Song in 2012 to help veterans with PTSD tell their stories through songwriting. Since its inception, the organization has helped veterans write and record more than 1,000 songs.

Concession-style food is included with admission to the Nov. 11 event, which will also feature live and silent auctions with items such as a guitar signed by Dolly Parton.

Tru by Hilton Mt. Juliet is located at 1977 Providence Pkwy., Mt. Juliet.

Find tickets to the Saturday, Nov. 11, Voices4Veterans Operation Song Alumni concert fundraiser, for $25, on Eventbrite. Learn more about Operation Song by calling 615-439-7588 or visiting operationsong.org.

brei carter

16 * November 2023 * boropulse.com

Steven Cade

Polka and Positivity: LynnMarie and E3 Squeeze Into Puckett’s on Nov. 10 Accordion queen LynnMarie is in Middle Tennessee. Although one of her best-loved original compositions just so happens to be titled “That’s What I Like About the North,” you can catch the five-time Grammy nominee who blends Americana, country, rock and Eastern-European influences, in the South. “Powered by polka and positivity” and accompanied by her band E3, the polka princess is set to take the stage at Puckett’s Murfreesboro on Nov. 10, accordion-armed and ready.

LynnMarie has made numerous television appearances over the years, not the least of which led to a lauding by Jay Leno as “the Dixie Chick of Polka.” But she’s also made numerous life experiences, which led to her putting pen to paper for an up-close-and-personal book titled Wrap Your Heart Around It. The moving memoir dives deeply into some difficult territory, but to watch her onstage light exude and to become caught up in her happy tunes you’d never know such spots existed (evidently for awhile neither did she).

“Everyone gets something in life; financial hardship, sickness, loss—but I’ve learned that acceptance is the key to be able to keep moving,” she says.

And move she does. Though she may be credited as LynnMarie Rink on her book, this is hardly any rinky-dink operation. The memoir actually resulted in an off-Broadway production which LynnMarie wrote and starred in. Plus she impacts others in the motivational speaker arena, as well.

So open up your hearts, and your mouths, and get ready to celebrate “accordion-ly” as LynnMarie and E3—comprised of award-winning musician (oh, and her husband) Eddie Rodick III, David Vaughan on drums and Will Mandell on bass guitar—play Puckett’s Murfreesboro on Friday, Nov. 10 at 7:30 p.m.

LynnMarie and E3 have you covered for the holidays, too, with their original rockin’ composition “Christmas in Polka Town,” available on multiple platforms.

Puckett’s is located at 114 N. Church St. on the Square; no cover. Find out more about all projects and upcoming show dates at lynnmarie.net.

— MELISSA COKER

J. Whitty & The Xmas Cowboys: Rob Janson, Whit Morgan and Nathan Brown

Musical Benefit for Isaiah 117 House: J. Whitty and the Xmas Cowboys Spread Holiday Cheer and Charity on Dec. 7 J. Whitty and the Xmas Cowboys, a group from Murfreesboro dedicated to spreading joy and raising funds for local charities, will perform a concert to benefit the Isaiah 117 House of Rutherford County this season. The event will start at 6:30 p.m. on Dec. 7 at Luna’s Night Club.

The dinner will provide a taste of varying flavors such as Americana, classic rock and offbeat Christmas music. The Alley on Main will provide a dinner menu of some popular dishes from their restaurant.

Dinner is factored into the ticket price of about $50, and additional bar service is available.

All funds raised will directly benefit Isaiah 117 House of Rutherford County, part of a larger organization that seeks to provide comfort to children who have been removed from their homes.

Isaiah 117 House got its namesake from the verse Isaiah 1:17 where the Bible says “defend the father-

less,” essentially what the organization intends to do in their several house locations in multiple states.

Instead of waiting in child welfare services offices awaiting foster placements, Isaiah 117 House invites children into a safe home environment with volunteers, clean clothes, toys, snacks, beds and books.

Their mission is to “reduce trauma for children awaiting placement, lighten the load for child welfare services and ease the transition for foster families.”

Aside from this benefit concert, the Isaiah 117 House of Rutherford County accepts donations and volunteers year-round. For more information on Isaiah 117 House of Rutherford County visit facebook.com/isaiah117rutherfordcounty.

Find tickets for the Thursday, Dec. 7, Xmas Cowboys: 2023 Charity Dinner & Show on Eventbrite; Luna’s is located at 527 W. Main St. — DESTINY MIZELL

Pat Travers Band to Rock Hop Springs Nov. 17 The Pat Travers Band has been a force in the rock music scene for decades. Travers’ signature blend of hard rock and blues brought hits such as “Boom Boom (Out Go the Lights)” and “Snortin’ Whiskey” in the late ’70s and early ’80s, and the Canadian-born guitarist is still going strong.

The Pat Travers Band, with special guests The Great Affairs, promises an evening of epic guitars and energetic melodies at Murfreesboro’s Hop Springs Beer Park on Friday, Nov. 17, kicking off at 8 p.m.

Though much has evolved, musically and otherwise, over the decades since Travers’ debut, he and his band continue to tour and release new material in order to keep their fan base rocking out while reaching new listeners with guitar rock.

As for The Great Affairs, their sound combines elements of classic rock with influences of pop and alternative rock. The band was formed in Nashville in 2010; find their latest album, Sleepwalker, on Spotify.

This show will serve as a musical journey that bridges the timeless sounds of The Pat Travers Band with the intricacy of The Great Affairs.

Ticket prices range between $30 and $45. Find tickets on Ticketweb. — DESTINY MIZELL boropulse.com * November 2023 * 17

music note

perform murfreesboro presents annie jr. at washington theatre Local theatre company perform murfreesboro will debut its performance of Annie Jr. at the Washington Theatre inside Patterson Park, located at 521 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd., on Nov. 16–19, Thursday–Saturday at 7 p.m. and Sunday at 2 p.m. Tickets are $10 for ages 18 and up, $5 for ages 4–17 and free for ages 3 and under. Perform Murfreesboro commits to being a positive influence in the education of theatrical arts by providing professional quality theatre programming for children. For more information, call 615-893-7439.

album

Piglett June

Local DIY/alternative-garage-rock artist Andrew Pinson, under his musical persona Piglett, has been composing and producing a series of floating singles that inevitably coalesce into a new Piglett EP every year or so, drawing from the tapestry of the iconic ’80s and ’90s alternative garage rock bands— Soundtrack of Our Lives, Built to Spill, The Jayhawks, Pixies . . . maybe some Smashing Pumpkins and Marcy Playground sprinkled in.

In its simplicity, Piglett’s “I Want What’s Left of You” opens his latest release, June, with a wall of sound that emanates from the G-major strum of 18 * November 2023 * boropulse.com

an acoustic guitar, blending with the hum of a pipe organ and the gentle thrash-tapped eighth notes on an electric guitar’s low string. Piglett then embarks on a monotonous journey with the lament I waaant what’s leeffft of yooou, creating a folk-garage groove, complete with the essential modern-folk kick drum crescendo (think Edward Sharp and the Magnetic Zeroes), before the track takes an unexpected turn as the beat of a Roland CR-78 analog drum machine (think Life Aquatic soundtrack) hijacks the tune.

June continues to embrace this swirling, perplexing mentality, oscillating between highs and lows as Piglett finds himself confused and contemplative.

“Double Dare” exudes an emo-as-hell vibe as Piglett explores the concept of daring oneself to move forward in a relationship layered with folk guitar strumming and pop-infused handclaps (that drum machine is versatile, man).

Piglett offers a sweet release from this sentimental daydream in “I Hate When You Talk Like That,” shedding the drum machine for a more raw, intimate boo-hoo-scape of a song, singing I wanna see you somehow / What you think and feel right now . . .

In the mirror/ My reflection/ I wanna be in your way/ Hear all the evil things you say/ But I hate when you talk like that—Ah! It’s not a torturous relationship with his significant other—it’s with himself. There’s a neat organ/synth hum duetting with the acoustic guitar for the song’s bridge that syncs up with that realization, a fine magic trick.

Discover Piglett’s June, along with other material, at piglett.bandcamp.com.

— bryce harmon

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Living

 travel

If You Go Slave Falls / Needle Point Arch/Sawmill Trailhead Fork Ridge Road, Jamestown, TN (off of State Hwy. 154/Pickett Park Highway, north of Highway 297)

Big South Fork Stone arches, Slave Falls, rock shelters, homeplace sites, mining town among many sights story BY bracken mayo

Take a beautiful fall drive out to the northeastern corner of Middle Tennessee, near Jamestown, to the expansive Big South Fork National River and Recreation Area for a wealth of natural wonder, hiking, rocky formations, historic homestead sites, an old coal mining town and all manner of outdoor recreational opportunities.

Big South Fork, located in both Tennessee and Kentucky, “protects 125,000 acres of the Cumberland Plateau,” according to the National Park Service, and contains 150 miles of marked hiking trails.

The massive park, and the fact that different entrances lead to different portions of Big South Fork, could overwhelm first-time park visitors.

The trail to Slave Falls makes a reasonable 20 * November 2023 * boropulse.com

place to start exploring and provides some good examples of the area terrain—stone arches, shelters and overhangs carved into rocky walls, and thick vegetation.

Pine cones and fallen leaves (some huge leaves!) were everywhere in late October; be mindful of lots of thorns near the trail.

Those looking for the trailheads to Slave Falls and the Twin Arches enter off of Tennessee Highway 154; turn onto Divide Road to enter this section of Big South Fork, and then a right turn on Fork Ridge Road leads to the Sawmill Trailhead, the access point for Slave Falls and Needle Point Arch.

A hike taking in the sights of this trail area can be of various distances—for a quick excursion, a simple out-and-back to and from the Slave Falls Base is a fairly level 1.5-mile

trip, suitable for beginner hikers.

Approaching the trail as a loop and returning on the longer leg of the Slave Falls Loop Trail makes for a 3.2-mile hike.

Adding a spur that travels past a feature known as Needle Arch, which takes you to a Slave Falls Overlook to the full Slave Falls Loop Trail, results in a 4.2-mile adventure.

Or, for the advanced hiking group up for a full day, a 10-mile trek will get you to Slave Falls and surrounding points, all the way to the Twin Arches, and back.

Not far from Slave Falls, find the Needle Arch landmark, a small but special rocky archway, a good spot to pause for a moment of silence in the Tennessee forest. A small cave there appears just large enough for one person to sleep in. The Slave Falls name comes from the runaway slaves who would hide in the various caverns, crags, rock shelters, hills and hollers of the terrain.

Continuing on the trail past Needle Arch leads to another arch and cave, this one known as Mill Creek Arch. This arch contains a small skylight hole in the roof of the cave. (Note: As lovely as these two rock formations are, they are not the much taller “Twin Arches” found elsewhere in the park.)

The trail ahead of Mill Creek Arch leads to some steeper and narrower portions of trail—nothing too wild, but more challenging than the parts before. It is up to

the hikers if they want to approach it as a loop and keep going to get to the quiet and secluded woods ahead.

Either direction will lead to Slave Falls, which in reality can yield only a trickle of water during dry times, such as on a recent late-October day. Still, the basin surrounding the falls was an impressive and serene area to climb and explore for an adventuresome group of park visitors.

Even though the 60-foot-tall waterfall was barely a trickle (“We shut off the valve,” another hiker joked as he was leaving the falls), the rocky bowl at the base felt like a miniature Fall Creek Falls.

At Slave Falls, truly connecting the two ends of the trail as a loop—traveling from one waypoint at the side of the Slave Falls basin to the other—requires a somewhat perilous scramble down wet rocks into the basin, behind the falls and up the other side, but doable for the cautiously determined.

Those who want to view the Twin Arches without making a 10-mile hike can drive down a gravel road to a trailhead much closer to them.

One of these two towering sandstone arches tops 100 feet, with the other measuring 62 feet high.

These impressive geological formations “form the largest natural bridge complex in Tennessee and one of the largest known

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If You Go  Twin Arches Photo courtesy of TEnnessee Dept. of Environment and conservation oscar blevins farmstead / Photo courtesy of U.S. National park service

Twin Arches Road (off of Divide Road within the Big South Fork Recreation Area)

Big South Fork National River and Recreation Area Main Entrance/ Blevins Historic Farmsteads 4564 Leatherwood Rd. (Hwy. 297), Oneida, TN in the world,” according to the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation.

Elsewhere in the park, going in its main entrance a few miles away, Big South Fork also includes the Oscar Blevins Historic Farmstead and the Lora Blevins Historic Farmstead, preserving cabins and other structures constructed before the federal government took over the land.

Big South also preserves the Blue Heron Mining Community, located on the Kentucky side of the park, where visitors can learn about life in a company-owned coal mining town in the 1940s. The Big South Fork Scenic Railway still operates, taking a 14-mile trip down the gorge from Stearns, Kentucky, to Blue Heron.

Horseback riding is popular at Big South Fork, hunting is allowed in portions of the park, and other visitors enjoy rafting, camping, birdwatching, fishing and wildflower viewing.

Other hikes include Sunset Overlook, Angel Falls Rapids, Bear Creek Overlook and the Yahoo Falls Loop.

It’s an absolutely massive area; visitors can’t cover it all in one day. Plus, many of its secluded points of interest require some walking in order to experience them.

But plan ahead and select a few places and activities to see on a Tennessee day trip, or camp and spend a few days immersed in the area. Or, just pick a trail and go!

“Big South Fork is managed to promote its vast array of recreational opportunities. It is truly a four-season park for people to use and enjoy,” according to the National Park Service. “Come often and see the different faces the park wears during each season.”

Pickett State Park is nearby, too. Offering more options for hiking and natural sights, it includes the Indian Rockhouse, another stone feature of note accessible by a short hike, as well as yet another natural bridge.

Learn more about the Big South Fork National River and Recreation Area at nps.gov/biso. Find more on the Twin Arches and other Tennessee Natural Areas at tn.gov/environment/program-areas. boropulse.com * November 2023 * 21

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Art

 event

Art Studio Tour Decades-long tradition celebrating oneof-a-kind treasures continues Nov. 17–19

S

BY DESTINY MIZELL

ince 1993, the Stones River Craft Association has hosted its annual Art Studio Tour around Murfreesboro and the surrounding area. The Art Studio Tour fosters a medium for local artists to showcase their eclectic works and for the community to visit their home studios and gain exposure to a variety of creators and their respective styles. The 2023 Art Studio Tour will take place Friday through Sunday, Nov. 17–19, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. each day.

The four participating studios this year are Jonathan Griffith Pottery, Blue Pony Studio, Red Oak Pottery and Hickerson Woodworks.

Each studio hosts additional guest artists working in painting, woodworking, soap making, pottery, weaving and other media.

Guests can drop by any of the studios at their leisure over the Art Studio Tour weekend.

RJ Hadle is a talented weaver and spinner with 45 years of practice under her belt. She will be at Blue Pony Studio selling her vibrant and textured tote bags, scarves, shawls and other items.

Hadle raises her own little family of angora goats; she now actually has three generations of goats. The crafter shears them to create mohair—a durable, luxurious and hypoallergenic fiber—and dyes it in rainbows of colors.

Most of her creations utilize her own yarn, though she also catches herself purchasing brilliant colors when they catch her eye from time to time, too, she says. When she combines her yarn with other yarn in projects, she feels her yarn’s texture augments the piece and takes it a step further to really give it the “wow” factor.

“I find my art to be calming and I love how when people see it they generally smile,” Hadle said, beaming. “It really is fun stuff. I mean, people say ‘Oh man, I can’t believe you made that’ or ‘I absolutely love that,’ but whatever their reaction is, they smile and I love that.”

Come by Blue Pony Art Studio in Readyville to meet Hadle during the Art Studio Tour and keep up with her fiber endeavors on her Facebook page under RJ Hadle. Every Tuesday, she encourages others to “toot their own horn” and share their work on her page as a moment of recognition and support.

22 * November 2023 * boropulse.com

Hadle has participated in multiple Art Studio Tours, but this will be Frank Baugh’s first year. Find him and his artwork at Jonathan Griffith’s studio on Meadowland Drive in Murfreesboro.

Skilled in music, painting and drawing with a gift for teaching, Baugh is an adept artist and educator who has cultivated creativity in his life.

He has taught for 18 years and currently teaches visual art at a local high school. Baugh and his students inspire each other, which keeps him constantly engaged in brainstorming new projects and ideas. A focal point in his teaching is his practice of sharing his unique life experiences in the art world with his students.

“I think having my own artistic practice is incredibly important. I want students to know that I am staying active in my own creative pursuits and I try to model how an artist perceives the world in their own unique and valuable way,” Baugh said. “I talk a lot about the creative process in my classes and I like to share things that have worked for me when coming up with ideas or refining different artistic processes.”

Baugh specializes in oil painting and says he prefers heavier brush strokes. In 2021, he showcased his artwork in an exhibit called “Common Mystery” in The Washington Theatre at the Patterson Park Community Center.

Though he is curious about how his art will be received in the Art Studio Tours, he is excited to be a part of it and looks forward to a fun opportunity to share his work in a new environment. Find his artwork, links to his music, and contact information at frankbaugh.net.

Like the other Art Studio Tours before, attending this event is completely free, but local folks can take advantage of the opportunity to purchase artwork to enjoy themselves or for Christmas gifts for others. The artists encourage everyone to explore the impeccable local artistry at all of the studios.

For more information, visit artstudiotour.org.

frank baugh

rj hadle

logan hickerson

2023 Art Studio Tour Nov. 17–19 • 10 a.m.–5 p.m.

Red Oak Pottery

2925 Spain Hill Rd., Lascassas Bill and Judy Heim Ceramic stoneware Guest artists: Jan Quarles – Dyed silk Bob Stancil – Turned wood Doug Pelren – Turned wood Phyllis Razo – Painting

Blue Pony Art Studio 88 Hoyt Knox Rd., Readyville Kay Currie – Clay sculpture Guest artists: RJ Hadle – Fiber Nancy Turner – Bookbinding and papermaking Nancy Vykouk – Soap making Meredith Kermicle – Fiber

Hickerson Woodworks

4172 Betty Ford Rd., Murfreesboro Logan Hickerson Handcarved woodworks Guest artists: Scott Wieland – Pottery Becky Dickovitch – Encaustic/textiles Dan Sharley – Painting/prints Henry Phillips – Wood

Jonathan Griffith Studio

4330 Meadowland Dr., Murfreesboro Jonathan Griffith – Wood and clay Guest artists: Frank Baugh – Painting

 exhibit

Observe, Reflect, Create Five Seward Johnson sculptures displayed at prominent Downtown Murfreesboro landmarks

BY BRITNEY BROWN On a trip to Boston earlier this year to attend the Main Street National convention, Sarah Callender, executive director of Main Street Murfreesboro discovered an unexpected opportunity. There, she became familiar with a foundation known as The Seward Johnson Atelier, Inc. The Atelier was incorporated to promote the appreciation of, and education about, sculpture and public art, primarily through the creation, maintenance, sales and public placement of J. Seward Johnson Jr.’s artwork.

After learning about the foundation and the steps required to bring some of Johnson’s sculptures to Murfreesboro, Main Street Murfreesboro applied for and received a $5,000 grant from The Tennessee Arts Commission and matching funds from Redstone Federal Credit Union to bring five temporary sculptures into the historic downtown area for three months, making scenes that allow visitors to observe, reflect and create.

Seward Johnson, born in 1930 in New Jersey, lived in London, Bermuda and Paris over the course of his life. Having no formal training beyond a series of classes in Cambridge, Massachusetts, his first cast work of sculpture won an award in a steel art competition that included 7,000 entries. Now famous worldwide for his life-size bronze figurative sculptures, Seward Johnson’s works are exhibited internationally and are included in numerous collections and museums. Johnson’s body of work consists of three distinct series: the Celebrating the Familiar man-on-the-street works; a collection called Icons Revisited, based upon images in the collective unconscious; and the Beyond the Frame series inspired by impressionist paintings.

Currently, those in Murfreesboro can view five Seward Johnson sculptures at Oaklands Mansion, the Discovery Center, the Linebaugh Public Library, the Center for the Arts and near the Rutherford County Courthouse.

“Bringing art downtown is important to me and the Main Street program. I want our historic downtown to be a place-making location that attracts individuals, local

and tourists, to walk around and enjoy the beauty of our historic downtown and attractions as well as support small businesses located here,” Callender tells the Pulse. “The locations were chosen based on the amount of tourism and local community events that were held at those areas.”

Passersby are encouraged to observe, reflect and create with prompts at the works of art.

Creating is located at Oaklands Mansion.

This sculpture is sketching the mansion and encourages people to find their creativity outdoors.

Monet, Our Visiting Artist is located on the Square near Shacklett’s Photography on the corner of Church and East Main streets.

Johnson created this sculpture as an homage to the Claude Monet painting Terrace at Sainte-Adresse. It was originally titled Copyright Violation. The bronze figure has since been shown “painting” other inspired scenes in an “art imitating art imitating life” scenario. Here on the Murfreesboro Public Square, Monet captures a scene of the Historic Rutherford County Courthouse and vibrant downtown area.

No Hands, located at Discovery Center at Murfree Spring, is focused on children, friendships and playing. Seward Johnson believed in celebrating the little things, from enriching one’s friendships to playing with one’s food.

Sidewalk Concert is located at The Center for the Arts. This sculpture depicts a man playing a violin and a love of performing for the public. Fun fact: The face on the money in the case is the face of the artist.

Weekend Painter is located at the Linebaugh Public Library.

“I want my work to disappear into the landscape and then take a viewer by surprise. After he gets over the shock of being fooled, it becomes an emotional discovery,” Seward Johnson once said regarding his statues. “Then he owns the sculpture.

People often revisit their favorites. They become like friends.” boropulse.com * November 2023 * 23

Food

 restaurant

L

Liberty’s Station

Grilled cheese and coffee for a greater cause story By Bracken Mayo

24 * November 2023 * boropulse.com

Photos by Sarah Mayo

cheese options, all served up on soft, butiberty’s Station has a mission far tery white bread. beyond grilled cheese and soup.

The Tri-Star grilled cheese combines a The Murfreesboro ministry offers fantastic blend of three cheeses—cheddar, workforce training and mentoring to many provolone and cream cheese. The pizzeria local individuals considered in some way “unemployable,” all in an effort to get those sandwich includes mozzarella, Parmesan and pepperoni, while the caprese features with various “disabilities”—or others who diced tomatoes, pesto and mozzarella on a struggle with previous criminal records, grilled cheese. addiction or homelessness—into the The veggie grilled cheese is particularly workforce. The sandwich creations that the delicious for this writer, who has a teneatery offers, though, have many of its cusdency of late to put tomers excited about spinach, mushrooms, the culinary, as well as onions and tomatoes in the philanthropic, eleall manner of things; ment of the outfit. this sandwich has Housed in a large restaurant those exact vegetables. former car repair Liberty’s Station The onions on this one facility in the Jackson location are sautéed and give Heights Shopping 850 NW Broad St. the sandwich a surprisCenter at the corner of phone ingly delicious flavor.

Broad Street and Medi615-625-5191 If you like the sound cal Center Parkway, Hours of brie and bacon on a Liberty’s Station curThurs.–Sat.: 11 a.m.–2 p.m.

Donut Country doughrently serves a selecprices nut, order the B52. tion of grilled cheese Pizzeria, caprese, Monte Cristo And Liberty’s Station sandwiches, coffee $ or ballpark grilled cheese: 8.99; even has a creation beverages, soups and $ 12-ounce latte: 5; Cup of soup known as the Ballpark— baked goods for lunch or small salad: $3.50; a grilled cheese concocThursday through Old-fashioned grilled cheese: $ 4.99; 2 cookies: $2; Liberty’s tion filled with cheddar Saturday.

Flight (Tri-Star, pizzeria and cheese, a beef hot dog, The place offers a veggie sandwiches plus three chili and diced onion. quiet, relaxing retreat dipping sauces): $24.99 Served on jalapeño as the nearby Broad online cornbread, the restauStreet traffic whizzes libertysstationtn.org rant makes available by. Peaceful instrumenthe Taco Stand, with tal praise music plays beef chorizo and cheddar cheese, on the softly while the afternoon sun pours in the fourth week of each month only. building’s front windows.

Aside from the sandwiches, the spot Daniel, the loyal Liberty’s Station serves a very tasty tomato basil soup, along front-of-house host, welcomes a group of with cookies and salads. first-time patrons and directs them to the Plus, this place “knows what they are ordering counter. Here, they peruse the doing when it comes to brewing a good cup menu, which contains a variety of grilled

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of joe,” according to local coffee consumer Brennon Jones.

Try a latte with the signature Liberty’s Station Cherry Blossom Syrup—a mixture of amaretto, chocolate and maple flavors—or other varieties of the numerous coffee beverages.

It’s not exactly the spot to proteinload—it is, after all, a house of grilled cheese and soup—but a grilled cheeserie should be a hit with most kids.

And although most of the fare likely wouldn’t be incredibly difficult to recreate at home, Liberty’s Station does indeed add some creative combinations to the grilled cheese world, making it a wonderful option for those who consider grilled cheese one of their preferred comfort foods.

The team is quite welcoming and friendly, and it appears that Liberty’s Station emphasizes great customer service, working hard to train its staff to be engaging and inviting, and to make each visit a pleasant experience for guests. (Some suggest asking Daniel to play a song on his guitar while waiting for lunch.)

The location does make a comfortable spot for a meeting over coffee or a sandwich. A couple of people wishing to try a few different sandwiches can do so with the Liberty’s Flight, which contains three different sandwiches—the Tri-Star, pizzeria and veggie—quartered, as well as three dipping sauces, for $24.99; or patrons can build their own custom, three-sandwich flight.

Jody Powers, the executive director of Liberty’s Station and its partner organization, Amelia’s Closet, encourages groups and parties looking for a meeting space to look into renting the large facility for events and meetings.

Rentals can go a long way towards helping the organization cover its overhead expenses and provide services to even more local individuals, she says.

And of course, on a cool Thursday, Friday or Saturday this winter, when you need a quick, hot and filling lunch, consider stopping by Liberty’s Station, grabbing a grilled cheese and soup (a warm hug of a comforting meal) and supporting the cause.

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Around Town

’boro Business buzz

Retro Sweets, Dainty Dani’s, We Love Empanadas, Tru Fit, Maya Grill, Varsity Fieldhouse, Daylight Donuts, Parker Brothers Window Tinting

by a puffy yeast dough. Project Donuts’ popular coffee bar remains as part of the new business.

For more information on the new eatery, visit daylightdonuts.com.

Bizee Mart, locally owned and operated out of Chapel Hill, will soon open its 10th location in Murfreesboro, with additional Bizee Marts located in Ardmore, Bell Buckle, Chapel Hill, Cornersville, Hendersonville, Memorial Boulevard, Shelbyville, Smithville and on West Northfield Boulevard. The location is just off I-24 in front of the Holiday Inn at 3127 Medical Center Pkwy. The new location will also include Exxon pumps, and the area will also currently house a Zenith Nail Studio.

Bizee Mart will be open Monday through Saturday 6 a.m. to 10 p.m., and Sunday 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. The market will offer a variety of food and beverages including hot and hearty breakfast meals, donuts and pastries, handcrafted deli sandwiches, freshly brewed coffee, an assortment of teas, and a variety of cold drinks. Exxon pumps will be open 24 hours, seven days a week. For more information, visit bizeemart.com.

BY delores elliotT Dainty Dani’s recently celebrated its grand opening at 319 N. Front St. The new store offers a variety of plants and plant accessories, jewelry, wax melts, soaps, locally made vases, and apothecary, decor and clothing items. Dani’s also offers workshops, travel terrarium classes, space for birthday and work parties, kids events and assistance with plants and potting. Dani’s was previously known for its two booth locations in McMinnville, which have since closed to focus on the Murfreesboro store. Hours for the plant shop are Tuesday through Thursday 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Friday and Saturday 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. The store currently shares a parking lot with Kwik Mart and recommends that guests park on the store’s side of the median. For more information, find Dainty Dani’s on Facebook.

We Love Empanadas has opened at 452 N. Thompson Ln. near the Marble Slab and Jason’s Deli. The new restaurant offers authentic Latin food. Some of the more popular meals include the tequeños and empanadas, the cafe con leche, and an authentic Venezuelan queso de mano (a cheese that features its own rich flavor and texture commonly used as a filling in arepas and cachapas). Hours are 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. daily.

The former Bar-B-Cutie building, located beside Fazoli’s at 805 Old Fort Pkwy., will house Maya Grill Mexican Restaurant, although an opening date has not yet been announced as work continues on the building.

Owner of FatGuy BBQ, Ray Clark, recently announced that he has decided to move on from his location at the Kwik Sak on the corner of Broad Street and Medical Center. In a recent post on his Facebook page, he mentioned that it was a difficult decision but best for him and his family, as he has been busy with his Lascassas location.

A new candy shop called Retro Sweets has opened at the Stones River Town Centre near GNC and Chuck E. Cheese. Retro Sweets offers a variety of old-fashioned and hard-to-find snacks, and is locally-owned, family-owned and veteran-owned.

Some of the products offered include freeze-dried snacks, giant gummy bears, unique flavored sodas, pickle snacks and chamoy pickles, nostalgic and retro candy that guests will recognize from their childhood, theater box candies, a variety of cotton candy options, bulk options, and a pay-by-the-pound option. Retro Sweets offers more than 60 different bulk candy options to choose from. Hours are Tuesday through Thursday 11 a.m. to 7 p.m., Friday and Saturday from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m., and Sunday from 12 to 6 p.m. For more information, find Retro Sweets on Facebook.

“We’ve worked really hard to consistently serve up delicious award-winning food,” Clark posted. “On the flip side, I haven’t consistently stocked the convenience store side of the business. My heart and money have been devoted to keeping the food side of the business going, but at the expense of the convenience store. That’s on me and I know in my heart that someone else can do better.”

The location will soon house Gateway BBQ, according to Kwik Sak management, and will still include delicious food—some familiar recipes and some new ones.

“I began looking through offers and meeting folks hoping to find just the right people

to take over this place I’ve called home for five years. I’m happy to share that I’ve found some folks that I believe have the same beliefs and more experience to hopefully take this spot to the next level,” Clark continued.

FatGuy Southern Kitchen in Lascassas will remain open. For more information, visit fatguysouthernkitchen.com.

Daylight Donuts will take over the space formerly occupied by Project Donuts at 2898 S. Church St. Daylight Donuts offers yeast and cake donuts, as well as a variety of kolaches, a type of sweet pastry with a portion of fruit in the middle, surrounded

Zenith Nail Studio celebrated its grand opening in mid-October and offers a variety of nail care options and spa services including manicures and pedicures, acrylic and gel nails, kids’ nail services, chrome nails, nail art design and more. The studio also offers face, arm and leg waxing, as well as eyelash and eyebrow services.

“At Zenith Nail Studio, we redefine nail care as an art form, blending creativity with relaxation to provide you with an unparalleled experience. Our commitment to excellence is reflected in every aspect of our studio.”

Hours are Monday through Saturday 9 a.m. to 7 p.m., and Sunday 10:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. For more information, visit zenithnailstudio.com.

Rutherford Collegiate Prep has broken ground on its new kindergarten through 8th-grade charter school at 4420 Manson Pk. in anticipation of opening for the fall 2024 school semester.

“Charter schools are tuition-free public schools of choice that provide families an alternative option to their traditional neighborhood schools,” according to Rutherford Collegiate Prep. “They are state funded, but each charter school is independently opercontinued on page 28 boropulse.com * November 2023 * 27

continued from page 27 ated by a governing board.”

There are no tuition fees because it is a publicly-funded school.

For more information, visit rutherfordcollegiate.org.

The old Kroger building on Middle Tennessee Boulevard at Bradyville Pike will soon house a new gym—Tru Fit Athletic Club, which will offer a wide variety of workout options. Tru Fit recently opened two new gyms in Madison and Nashville in addition to more than 40 other locations in Texas.

The new gym will offer a seven-day free trial for those not sure about signing up for the membership, as well as a month-tomonth membership plans.

Some of the options available at Tru Fit will include options for cardio, weights, machines, tire flipping and S-drive treadmills, a sauna, a kids’ section with supervised games, crafts and movies, a locker room for women, and daily classes dedicated to cardio, resistance, yoga and cycling.

Special workouts include Combo 6ix, which offers 33 minutes dedicated to boxing, kickboxing and strength training; Tru Power, which burns 1,000 calories in one hour on the treadmill and rower. The gym will also include space for massaging, basketball, swimming and personal training, as well as a turf space for other workouts.

For more information, visit trufitathleticclubs. com/tennessee-coming-soon.

Parker Brothers Window Tinting moved to the former OD’s Car Wash & Detail building, 1822 E. Northfield Blvd., in the summer and is currently open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday.

For more information or to schedule an appointment, call 615-890-7400 or visit facebook. com/parkerbrotherswindowtinting.

The Laboratory Smoke Shop has opened at 25 S. Public Sq. in downtown Murfreesboro, and is the company’s third Tennessee location in addition to the other locations in Kingsport and Johnson City. The new smoke shop considers itself a premium hemp dispensary, and offers full-service glass accessories and superior products, great customer service, knowledgeable staff, and a unique atmosphere. It features art from local artists including Ryan Frizzell. Hours are Monday through Thursday 9 a.m. to 12 a.m., Friday and Saturday 9 a.m. to 3 a.m., and Sunday 10 a.m. to 11 p.m. For more information, visit facebook.com/labsmokes.

Murfreesboro Parks and Rec staff will relocate from Barfield Park to 2140 28 * November 2023 * boropulse.com

tion serving the needs of the community’s entrepreneurs, families, small business owners and students by offering free monthly technology learning programs and mentor programs. Membership is free. Most recently MTC has been presenting a teaching series on the future of artificial intelligence and its impact on productivity in business and everyday life. Hoscheit is also the founder of Data Suites Datacenters, a Murfreesborobased, Tier 3-ready data security center for enterprise and small business users in Middle Tennessee, plus secondary data security for nationwide enterprise users.

For more information on MTC and its offerings, visit murfreesborotechnology.com.

 CLOSINGS The City of Murfreesboro recently conducted a groundbreaking ceremony for the new Transit Center to be located at the intersection of New Salem Highway and Bridge Avenue, at 324 New Salem Hwy. Murfreesboro received an award for $9 million in Tennessee Improve Act funds from the Tennessee Department of Transportation for the new transit center, which will include three buildings on the 5.5-acre plot. The new buildings will be dedicated to maintenance, administration and a new passenger pavilion.

The city’s local required matching funds for the project from the 2019 and 2022 Capital Improvement Program is $2.8 million, and federal funding for the project is more than $5 million. The city received bids in August for the construction phase of the project, which was awarded to the Franklin-based Rock City Construction. The project will also include around 30 new Rover stop shelters around Murfreesboro.

In addition to the new center, Murfreesboro Transit has created a easy method for using the public transit service through the new “Murfreesboro Transit” app, available on Apple and Android devices. Mobile users can use the app to plan trips, view routes and identify bus times based on bus stop locations. The app also locates where the user is located on the map.

N. Thompson Lane, a much larger space that will accommodate the Parks and Rec Department’s exponential growth over the past years.

According to Parks Director Nate Williams, new parks are part of the fuel leading to the department’s growth. Current plans include a new park along Veterans Parkway, more walking trails, pavilions and passive spaces, as well as the previously planned skate park on Old Fort. Reports suggest the city may have plans to build another park along Highway 96 sometime in the future.

Murfreesboro Fire and Rescue will utilize a portion of the Thompson Lane building for its administrative offices as their previous admin office on Vine Street will soon be torn down to make way for a new mixed-use development in downtown Murfreesboro.

The Murfreesboro Water Department buildings will also be torn down and relocated as part of this mixeduse project known as the Keystone Project.

Varsity Fieldhouse has unveiled plans for an 18,000-square-foot athletic

After just a little over a year in business, Mamajuana 615 has closed. The restaurant’s Middle Tennessee Boulevard location is already being developed for a new restaurant, but further details are unavailable at this time.

Applebee’s has closed its only Murfreesboro location, which was located on South Rutherford Boulevard. Applebee’s fans can still visit the Nashville, Tullahoma and Columbia locations.

Murfreesboro’s last remaining O’Charley’s, located on Old Fort Parkway by Sam’s Club, has closed—just a few months after the Smyrna location announced its permanent closure. Now, the closest O’Charley’s is located in Franklin at 1202 Murfreesboro Rd.

training facility on Rideout Lane.

The Murfreesboro Technology Council donated 150 Hewlett-Packard laptop computers to the Murfreesboro City Schools in September. This was reportedly the largest non-grant-related technology donation in the school district’s history.

The school district, challenged with 13% of its students under the age of 18 living below the poverty line, needed more laptops for its tutoring program as well as for English language courses for the 900-plus students who are not native English speakers.

The Murfreesboro City School Board acknowledged the donation at its Sept. 26 meeting.

According to MTC board member Byron Glenn, the Technology Council is “focused on investing in our future leaders and giving them the technology resources they need. We will continue mentoring the Murfreesboro City Schools, administrators, teachers and students as their ad hoc technology resource.”

Founded in 2018, the Murfreesboro Technology Council is a nonprofit organiza-

Sports Seasons on North Thompson Lane recently announced its closure, with store closing sale signs on display in the store’s windows.

Project Donuts recently closed its Murfreesboro location. Project Donuts will continue operating its Manchester location.

On Target Shooting announced that both of its gun store and shooting range locations have closed, leaving some customers who have pre-paid for shooting range membership upset and with few answers. Recent updates on the On Target Facebook page suggest that the business will be reaching out during the coming weeks via email to those with pending items on order and pre-paid memberships.

For more information, visit facebook.com/ ontargetshootingsports. The Outpost Armory, 1132 Beasie Rd., meanwhile, has offered anyone with an active On Target membership a free three-month membership to its range if they come in Outpost and redeem the offer by the end of November.

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SPOTLIGHT on nonprofit

Hope is Here

Doors of Hope works with women in jail and following release to help them become the women they were meant to be story BY laura lindsay Doors of Hope empowers women

to break the cycle of addiction, homelessness and incarceration in Rutherford County and other counties across Middle Tennessee.

Through support and education, the nonprofit helps women become self-sufficient and productive members of the community.

“The Doors of Hope organization was started 12 years ago,” explained Jacob Morphis, executive director of Doors of Hope.

“Our mission statement is to empower women to break the cycle of addiction, homelessness and incarceration. That’s what we have done very well for 12 years.

Doors of Hope was driven by volunteers in the early years,” Morphis added. “These were people who originally moved the organization forward, with a heart for the mission. Now, we have a sizable paid staff who are the backbone of our success. Our team is passionate and cohesive and does work that makes a difference in our community every single day.”

The organization works with women currently in jail, staying alongside many of them after their release from incarceration back into the community.

“In our reentry program, serving women 30 * November 2023 * boropulse.com

post-incarceration, we have complete wraparound services and we provide housing for 12 months,” Morphis said. “Most clients entering the program have contended with substance abuse issues in the past, so most clients benefit from our very involved and robust recovery-focused services.”

Doors of Hope board member and volunteer Dr. Pam Singer has been associated with Doors of Hope for several years and has seen the impact it has had.

“Meeting Maridel Williams, the founder of Doors of Hope, was my first look at nonprofit organizations in Rutherford County,” Singer said. “There are so many, and all doing so much good!

“What struck me was Maridel’s passion for empowering women to break the cycle of addiction, incarceration and homelessness.

Many good causes do the important work of rescue and shelter, but transformation of women’s lives—that’s a game changer!”

2023 Doors of Hope volunteer of the year Dr. Pam Singer (center) along with husband, Ray (left), and Doors of Hope Executive Director Jacob Morphis

Singer is a Doors of Hope board member and was recently honored as a volunteer of the year.

“Doors of Hope helps women see themselves as the amazing people they were meant to be,” Singer said. “Teaching classes in jail, I was surprised to find women in the program to be funny, bright, thoughtful and humble.”

The ministry has served over 1,000 women to date, according to Morphis.

“Our work starts in the jail, and in both pre-release and post-release programs we provide mental health counseling, recovery services, life skills coaching and wellness classes,” he said. “One of the key strengths of our program is having CPRSs on staff, which stands for Certified Peer Recovery Specialist, someone who is in recovery and has gone through similar life experiences as the women we serve. These professionals have the invaluable ability to connect with clients right where they are, and lead them with unique knowledge and life wisdom.”

Carrie Garner is one of the many women who has gone through the Doors of Hope program. She says that she cannot imagine where she would be today without Doors of Hope.

“Addiction is a battle, and four years ago I almost lost that battle. Doors of Hope welcomed me, guided me, and supported me in my recovery journey every step of the way,” said Garner, who now serves on the board of directors for Doors of Hope.

“I have seen countless other women thrive in this program. Doors of Hope empowers, challenges and supports women who otherwise have no resources to get their lives back. Doors of Hope is such a valuable resource to our community. It saved my life, and will save countless others.”

The organization is supported primarily by grant revenue. One of those grants is allowing Doors of Hope to double the capacity of one of its homes, adding the ability to serve eight more women at a given time.

Morphis said he hopes to compel more recurring contributions from businesses and corporations as well as personal donations coming into the organization over time, so that Doors of Hope can help even more women and further advance the mission going forward.

“We want to be a household name because of the work we do—a shining light for our community,” he said.

To find out more about Doors of Hope, visit opendoorsofhope.org.

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and life in general?

T: My dad was a huge influence in my life. I was pretty stubborn. I think he didn’t think I would ever get married, so he taught me how to be self-sufficient by teaching me how to change my own oil, my own tires, and how to use power tools. These skills have served me well. I also had a few teachers in e Th school who were strong influences as well. They are the reason that I studied education in colby bill wilson lege. I taught first and second grade for seven years. Also, Mo. Seeing him getting sober was inspiring. Seeing him be so honest and vulnerable about his addictions showed me what true bravery was. He had continued to remain sober for himself and for our family. His actions over the past almost 15 years showed us how much he loves us.

M: My parents.

What was your first job?

T: My family owned a silkscreen printing business growing up. I started working there before I was old enough to get a “real job.”

M: Wendy’s Old-Fashioned Hamburgers.

How long have y’all been married?

Where did y’all meet?

T: Twenty-six years. When I was teaching school, I was a waitress and bartendress part time. Mo was my manager when I worked for Logan’s Roadhouse in Murfreesboro.

Do y’all have children?

Yes we have two wonderful daughters, Lauren and Lexie.

How has faith played a role in your lives?

T: Yes, My mom had all of us in church Murfreesboro makers since we were babies. Although I strayed away in my 20s, it was always an important part of who I am. In 2009, Mo and I were separated and heading toward divorce. The missionaries / home builders Lord literally intervened in our marriage. It was the first time that I had audibly heard God’s voice. From that point forward, He I hope everybody is getting into that holiday spirit. The holidays has been the guiding light and voice in my remind me about the importance of serving—I think of a second serving of turkey at Thankslife and in our marriage. giving, a second serving of banana pudding . . . in all seriousness, service work is a fundaM: Faith has played a huge role in my life. mental of true happiness—serving others. As far as serving others, I couldn’t think of anybody Faith in a higher power has helped save my better to discuss than Mo and Tamara Ludlam. Tamara is from Murfreesboro, while Mo has marriage and me with addiction. lived in Murfreesboro the majority of his life despite his Navy family’s many moves during his What do you like to do? What are childhood and adolescence. These two are friends of mine whom I look up to. I would ascertain some of your hobbies? they truly are making a difference, not only locally, but throughout the world. There needs to T: I love spending time with family and be more people like them. The Ludlams truly are a team of Murfreesboro makers. friends, and I love to travel. As far as hobbies, I love to create. I can do and make over the place.

Mr. Murfreesboro: Where are you pretty much anything that I put my mind Where did y’all go to school? both from? Where were you born? to. I can sew, crochet, do woodworking, and Tamara Ludlam: I was born in MurT: I went to school in Murfreesboro, gradubuild things. I love to challenge myself to freesboro, Tennessee, in the old Rutherford ated from Oakland High School. learn new things. I tell everyone that I go to Hospital.

M: I went to school in Jacksonville, Florida, YouTube University because I have learned and also went to college in Jacksonville.

Mo Ludlam: I was born in Norfolk, Virso much from watching videos. I also love Who influenced you both growing up ginia, but was a Navy brat, and grew up all

Minute

Mo & Tamara ludlam

32 * November 2023 * boropulse.com

taking care of my chickens. I plan to have a full working hobby farm someday.

M: My favorite thing to do as a hobby is surfing, followed closely by traveling and hiking.

Tell me about your mission work.

T: In January of 2012, our family moved to the Dominican Republic to a small village called La Represa. We did mission work there until July of 2017. We helped build a school and a church, led short-term mission teams, and developed our own individual ministries. Mo has a surf ministry, in which we hold surf camps two times a year. One is in the Dominican Republic and the other one is typically in a different country. The last two years, it has been in El Salvador. In February, we will hold one in Peru. I had a women’s ministry, in which we grew our faith through Bible studies and fellowship. The ladies also made jewelry and sold it to help support their families. Lauren started an animal rescue program and taught English. Lexie started a drama program.

What convinced or convicted you to do mission work?

T: Honestly, God called Mo to the mission field originally. God just needed the girls and I to have open hearts to move to a tiny village in a third-world country. He did a lot of work to change my heart because I liked pretty, shiny things and my modern conveniences. I also had a very successful real estate career. It took me about three years to truly listen to what God wanted from me. We committed to one year but stayed five. We still go back to help.

Where is your favorite place to travel?

T: That is a really hard question because I haven’t really been anywhere that I haven’t liked. If I had to narrow it down to one country, it would be Spain.

M: I love Spain and everything about it— the food, the people and the overall culture.

We have walked the Camino de Santiago twice now and want to do it again. And anywhere that has a good surf !

Tell us more about your travels.

T: We mostly like to travel to Latino countries. From living in the Dominican Republic, we all speak Spanish so it is nice to be able to travel and still be able to communicate. Most of the time, when we travel, we don’t even book a place to stay except for the first night that we arrive. We never know what we want to do once we start traveling.

Most of our friends and family think we are crazy for traveling like that. One of my favorite travels is walking the Camino de Santiago in Spain. In 2018, we walked 135 miles of the northern route with our daughters.

In 2022 for our 25th anniversary, Mo and I walked 185 miles from Porto, Portugal, to

Santiago de Compostela, Spain.

M: I have traveled extensively throughout Central America and the Caribbean surfing and going to Peru with one of our surf camps this year . . . super excited!

What do you hope your legacy to be?

T: I hope that I am remembered as being kind, compassionate and content. In the world that we live in today, kindness and compassion are needed. I hope that the way that I live life encourages people to be kind and compassionate. Also, contentment is something that is needed in today’s world.

We are taught to always want more and to always do more. The world tells us that busyness is the goal. I disagree. We should always strive to be a better version of ourselves while also being content with the life that you have. To me, contentment shows gratitude for what God has given you.

M: I love my family; it was always up for an adventure.

What is your passion?

T: My passion is my family and friends.

I love my hobbies and can’t wait to have a hobby farm that I can share. My goal is to be able to offer our farm as therapy for others. I hope to have a certified therapy farm for those with special needs, PTSD, and anxiety. I hope to provide a place of comfort and peace to others.

M: My passion is surfing and helping others attain their goals dreams.

If you weren’t doing what you do today, what would you be doing?

T: I am doing exactly what I want to do, for now. Who knows, that may change some day, but I am exactly where I want to be right now.

M: I would like to own a surf bed and breakfast at a tropical location.

Where do you see yourselves five years from now, 20 years from now?

T: In five years, I hope to have our farm up and running. I hope to be holding women’s retreats on our property and teaching women how to build things and not be afraid of power tools or to try new things. In 20 years, I hope to be alive and living near a beach with my husband.

M: Hopefully, in five years our daughter will be running our construction company and I will be helping my wife with her chickens.

I understand y’all raise chickens.

Why? T: Chickens are fun! It is very relaxing to just sit and watch them peck around. Plus, they are very easy to care for and you get eggs!

Are chickens easier to raise than children?

T: Definitely! However, Mo and I have been so lucky with our girls. They have been such a joy to parent and didn’t give

us much trouble at all. I think our life in the DR made our family very close. We had to learn to work peacefully as a team.

Can you believe how much Murfreesboro has grown?

T: It is not the same place where I grew up.

I miss “old Murfreesboro” at times. I miss not being able to go to the grocery store without seeing someone you know.

M: It’s absolutely surreal, the growth of Murfreesboro. I do hope we get control of it and work on the infrastructure for future generations.

You are in the real estate business—can you elaborate?

T: I have been selling real estate since 2005, except for the five years that we were living in the DR. Before moving, I was highly successful and had a real estate team. After returning from the DR, I knew that I never wanted to be that busy again. I mostly only work with family, friends and referrals now.

M: I am a builder, and I also do home inspections.

Who is the best builder around?

T: Without a doubt, it is my husband, Maurice Ludlam of Ludlam Construction. Our daughter, Lauren, has now come on board as our project manager. I am the design consultant. We love to build true custom homes for people, and our clients get the full family experience when working with us.

M: That’s a loaded question, being that I am a builder. I would say one that doesn’t come with a lot of bells and whistles but they are a well-known, respected builder is Ole South.

What was it like to be recognized in Better Homes and Gardens?

T: It was a surreal experience to be featured in the Better Homes and Gardens Holiday Craft Edition. When they contacted me, I thought it was a scam at first.

When they sent me the contract, I knew it was real. I still cannot believe that one of my designs was chosen to be in such a well-known publication!

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Have a great Thanksgiving, everyone, and remember to go out and do something nice for somebody. God bless!

Tune into WGNS at 100.5 FM or 1450 AM each Sunday at 9 p.m. for The Mr. Murfreesboro Show with Lady K or find the podcast on Apple Podcasts. Call Mr. Murfreesboro, a.k.a. Bill Wilson, for all of your local real estate needs at 615-406-5872.

You can also follow The Real Mr. Murfreesboro on Facebook and Instagram. boropulse.com * November 2023 * 33

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Sports

Rock Crawling Local RC hobbyists invite others to try pastime, hoping for RC car park in Rutherford County

BY CASE TERRY

The clock is ticking and the pressure is on. One wrong move and the competition is over. The driver steadies his hand and prepares to make the climb. As his team watches in anticipation, the driver goes full throttle and the car fiercely accelerates over the rocks and successfully makes the climb. The crowd cheers as the judge clocks in the final time. The driver and his team high-five before picking up their

RC (remote control) car and preparing to move on to their next climb.

The RC car community is growing in Middle Tennessee as more and more people take an interest in the hobby. Those from all ages and backgrounds gather regularly at the RC Field Days in Smyrna to race, climb and hang out among peers. The creators and owners of RC Field Days, Johnny and Rebecca Farrow, opened their 20-acre family farm to the RC car community over two years ago in order to fill the need for a dedicated space where enthusiasts can pursue the hobby.

“We went out to state parks and some people were fine with it, but others would give you looks and hear the noise and become aggravated,” says Johnny Farrow.

“We had some rocks from when we built the house, so we started doing it here.”

RC Field Days has attracted people from all over Middle Tennessee, from casual drivers to serious competitors, and even those looking to get their feet wet. The Farrow family made some cars available for rent and a few local hobby shops would set up tents around the farm for participants to shop around or get repair parts.

Several of the participants have poured hours of time into modifying their RC cars for competitions, which are also held at RC Field Days. These competitions are separated by car classes and require a lot of practice and skill. Competitors will attempt to run a course while being timed and scored by a judge. Penalties are awarded for things like rollovers or touching the car, so, as with golf, the goal is to complete the course with a low score. These competitions aren’t just for the locals, as a few of the racers have crossed state lines to show off their skills.

It takes a combination of precision and timing, as well as having a steady hand to get a great score.

Whether it’s a father teaching his son how to make his first climb, or two new

34 * November 2023 * boropulse.com

friends challenging each other to a race, the RC Field Days has been a welcoming environment for everyone.

However, in September the Farrow family decided to sell its Smyrna farm and relocate to a farm in the north Georgia mountains, in large part due to the rapid development of Rutherford County.

“Our road will be part of a new exit on I-24 and will be expanding as part of the Rocky Fork Road to McEwen Drive Corridor,” they posted to rcfielddays.com.

Now, local RC hobbyists are searching for other places to rock crawl and compete.

Jason Ash, a founding member of Team FYC615, hopes to bring more attention to the hobby in Murfreesboro. Currently, there is no dedicated spot for RC cars in Murfreesboro. Ash and his team practice their driving at Barfield Crescent Park here in Murfreesboro, though this has caused some friction in the past.

“We were playing out where the Frisbee golf course was, but we’d have to stop and let [disc golfers] get through so they could play,” says Ash. “Yeah, sometimes they don’t know what to think of us.”

Ash and his team, as well as many other RC car enthusiasts in Rutherford County hope to see the hobby come to Murfreesboro in a big way.

“If we could get a good spot in Murfreesboro, the competitors would go there, and these competitions bring in all sorts of money. Some of these bring in thousands of people,” he notes. “We’ve got the equipment, the rocks and things like that, so we’re waiting for Murfreesboro to give us a place and tell us what we can do.”

Those with ideas on where such remote control events can be held, or who want to get involved in the local RC community, can find a Murfreesboro Crawlers group on Facebook or contact Jason Ash at ash.jason3@gmail.com.

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business momentum by blaine little

Red Barn Financial Helping others build wealth

When COVID hit, we all had to adjust to the unknown. Being semi-isolated changed how we interacted with others. For companies, that meant changing how we would do business. Though entrepreneurs tried to keep up with the latest available news on what an organization had to do to survive, they largely forayed into the unknown.

Sadly, many businesses did not survive.

At the time, there were only three options: keep doing what you have been doing, pivot in a new direction, or try something completely different.

Businessman Sean Moran tried the latter option.

And looking back, it is one he is glad he took with Red Barn Financial.

As a professional accountant, he had the opportunity to work with some Fortune 500 companies in the field of corporate tax. After Tax Day, April 15, many would scoff at the thought of being involved with taxes all year. But Moran said it was exciting to identify ways in which a business could save millions of dollars a year by taking advantage of new or unseen tax breaks.

Though he enjoyed the work, he had a sense he could find that same satisfaction in helping families prepare for the future.

Still living in Virginia at the time, he earned his securities license through a local firm.

“When I started working at my last firm in 2019, I knew at some point I would want to go out on my own, but I wasn’t in a hurry to do so,” Moran said. “When we moved to Murfreesboro in 2020 it became clear that it would be a better strategy to create my own firm where I can serve clients the way they want to be served than it would be to build my old firm’s brand in the area.”

But in addition to being new to town, he was also in the midst of a pandemic. Most would consider that two strikes, but Sean wasn’t deterred. His business, like most other businesses, was slow going at first but the founder was optimistic about the future. He recognizes his wife as being his greatest support during that time.

Moran inserted himself into a local church and the community. Sean can also be seen at several

networking meetings and other business events. The name of his business, Red Barn Financial, came to him because he purchased a property with a large red barn on it. But there is no actual barn to visit, as most of his client meetings are on Zoom or over the phone, a habit he picked up during COVID. Today, Red Barn Financial offers help with portfolio management, retirement strategies, legacy planning, small business ownership, life insurance, debt management and financial education.

The financial expert insists there will always be challenges running a small business.

“Anyone who thinks they can start a business and it will be easy is mistaken,” Moran says. “I am growing steadily and I am thankful, but I still have the capacity to bring on more clients. Early on your income is lower and it does take time to get to where you want to be.” It makes sense that someone with years of accounting and financial experience would remind us of that.

He refers to a quote from Zig Ziglar: “You can have everything in life you want, if you will just help other people get what they want.” And so he does.

The best way to find out more about Sean and Red Barn is to visit his website, redbarnfinancial. com. There, you can learn more about what he does, find his contact info and even schedule an appointment.

We should all ask ourselves: what is holding us back from future endeavors? There is never a good time to take a chance on something, especially in business. You just have to accept the risks and remain flexible when adversity strikes, because it will.

Blaine Little is founder and CEO of Momentum Seminars Training and Coaching, a veteran owned business, helping companies remain profitable by investing in their people. He trains and coaches the power skills of leadership, team building and communication. Learn more at momentumseminars.com. His book Managerial Mistakes, Missteps & Misunderstandings, is available on Amazon. Check out his podcast at bit.ly/ toastcaster143. boropulse.com * November 2023 * 37

Opinion

Constitution Study

photo courtesy of kindel media / pexels

Your RIght

to Remain Silent No person shall be compelled to be a witness against himself You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law. — Miranda Warning If you’ve ever been taken into custody or simply watched a crime procedural on TV, you’re familiar with the Miranda warning, named after the 1966 Supreme Court case Miranda v. Arizona. However, if you’re getting your legal advice from television, you may find yourself in serious legal trouble.

Where does this right to remain silent come from, how is it protected, and just how constitutional is the Miranda decision?

Almost every attorney I’ve talked to about the matter agrees you should not talk to law enforcement unless you’ve called them.

You have a right to remain silent, and most attorneys recommend you avail yourself of that right. However, the reasoning behind that right often seems to be misunderstood.

Fifth Amendment

When it comes to the right to remain silent, the most common mistake I hear people make is calling it the right against self-incrimination.

However, a quick look at the Fifth Amendment shows that is not what it says.

No person . . . shall be compelled in any criminal case to be a witness against himself — U.S. Constitution, Amendment V The first thing we should notice is that this right is protected only in criminal cases.

Whenever you are dealing with law enforcement, there is a possibility of criminal charges. This, I believe, is the basis for most 38 * November 2023 * boropulse.com

attorneys generally telling people not to talk to law enforcement. The most important thing to remember, though, is that the Fifth Amendment does not protect you from selfincrimination, but from self-witness.

WITNESS, noun 1. Testimony; attestation of a fact or event — Webster’s 1828 Dictionary Yes, self-incrimination is a form of selfwitness, but it is only one form of the right protected by the Fifth Amendment. Why is this distinction so important? Because of the impression it leaves.

For example, a couple of years ago two FBI agents came to my front door to deliver a subpoena. After giving me the pertinent details, one agent started asking me about my farm. I told him that I do not get chatty with law enforcement. In a way, I was invoking my right to remain “silent” by not discussing a topic other than the legal duty they were performing: the deliverance of a subpoena.

My actions could be taken in two ways. If I was invoking a right against self-incrimination, the obvious conclusion would be that I was guilty of something and did not want to incriminate myself. If, however, I was invoking a right against self-witness, then I did not want to attest to facts related to my farm. In the former, I was potentially viewed as guilty and trying to avoid being caught. However, the latter was simply a matter of my not wishing to divulge information to law enforcement, for whatever reason I deemed fit.

Miranda v. Arizona

While often misrepresented, and even misused, this right protected by the Fifth Amendment led to the famous case Miranda v. Arizona.

On March 13, 1963, petitioner, Ernesto Miranda, was arrested at his home and taken in custody to a Phoenix police station. He was

BY Paul Engel

identified there by the complaining witness. The police then took him to “Interrogation Room No. 2” of the detective bureau. There he was questioned by two police officers. The officers admitted at trial that Miranda was not advised that he had a right to have an attorney present.

— Miranda v. Arizona Ernesto Miranda was an indigent Mexican and, according to the court, seriously disturbed. After being arrested and identified, Mr. Miranda was interrogated.

Two hours later, the officers emerged from the interrogation room with a written confession signed by Miranda. At the top of the statement was a typed paragraph stating that the confession was made voluntarily, without threats or promises of immunity and “with full knowledge of my legal rights, understanding any statement I make may be used against me.”

— Miranda v. Arizona Oops! The form upon which Mr. Miranda had written his confession had a statement that was not true. Mr. Miranda did not have full knowledge of his legal rights, nor did he understand that his statements could be used against him. One could assume that his written confession could be used against him, but did that include anything else he said during his arrest and interrogation? At his trial, Mr. Miranda’s attorney objected to the confessions, both oral and written, being entered into evidence. However, these confessions were entered into evidence and Mr. Miranda was found guilty of kidnapping and rape, and sentenced to 20–30 years in prison for each count. Upon appeal, the Supreme Court of Arizona upheld the conviction. In the opinion of the Supreme Court of Arizona, Mr. Miranda’s rights were not violated because he never asked for an attorney. The Supreme Court of the United States reversed the verdict.

From the testimony of the officers and by the admission of respondent, it is clear that Miranda was not in any way apprised of his right to consult with an attorney and to have one present during the interrogation, nor was his right not to be compelled to incriminate himself effectively protected in any other manner. Without these warnings, the statements were inadmissible. The mere fact that he signed a statement which contained a typed-in clause stating that he had “full knowledge” of his “legal rights” does not approach the knowing and intelligent waiver required to relinquish constitutional rights.

— Miranda v. Arizona According to both officers and the state of Arizona, Mr. Miranda was not apprised of

his right to an attorney. The Supreme Court did get one thing wrong though; The Fifth Amendment does not protect Mr. Miranda’s right against self-incrimination as the court states, but his right against self-witness, as I’ve pointed out. How could Mr. Miranda attest in the confession that he had full knowledge of his rights if he had never been advised of them?

Not everyone agreed with the court’s opinion. In his dissent, Justice Clark, joined

by Justices Stewart and White, stated that he would have upheld Mr. Miranda’s conviction.

These confessions were obtained during brief daytime questioning conducted by two officers and unmarked by any of the traditional indicia of coercion. — Miranda v. Arizona I don’t know if I would call a two-hour interrogation brief, and I doubt Mr. Miranda would. While there was no evidence of coercion, there is more to Justice Clark’s reasoning behind his dissent.

They assured a conviction for a brutal and unsettling crime, for which the police had and quite possibly could obtain little evidence other than the victim’s identifications, evidence which is frequently unreliable. There was, in sum, a legitimate purpose, no perceptible unfairness, and certainly little risk of injustice in the interrogation. Yet the resulting confessions, and the responsible course of police practice they represent, are to be sacrificed to the Court’s own finespun conception of fairness, which I seriously doubt is shared by many thinking citizens in this country.

— Miranda v. Arizona Let me get this straight. This officer of the court, this so-called “justice,” believes that obtaining a conviction for a crime by violating the rights of the accused is acceptable because the crime is brutal and the police had little evidence? Are the courts more interested in convictions than correctly identifying and convicting the guilty party?

When Mr. Miranda signed the confession stating he had full knowledge of his legal rights, that was apparently an unintentionally false statement. Mr. Miranda was an indigent Mexican. How was he supposed to know his rights protected by the Constitution of the United States? Furthermore, Justice Clark appears to blame the court for this problem. This ignores the fact that these two officers had most likely used this form many times, and should know that it requires the signer to be in full knowledge of their rights. Why is it the responsibility of the accused to know what he or she does not know, rather than the duty of professional

officers representing the government?

It seems Justice Clark has forgotten the most fundamental rule in American jurisprudence: people are innocent until proven guilty. As I had mentioned, though, the court reversed the judgments of the Supreme Court Of Arizona and other courts.

Conclusion

Why do I make such a distinction between self-witness and self-incrimination? As I’ve already shown, it starts with the presumption people have when you exercise the right. For example, during the trial in the case of Wisconsin v. Kyle Rittenhouse, Assistant District Attorney Thomas Binger twice commented on Mr. Rittenhouse’s decision to remain silent after the shooting. Both times he was apparently attempting to instill in the minds of the jury members that Mr. Rittenhouse’s silence was an admission of guilt.

Both times the judge had the jury removed from the courtroom to scold Mr. Binger.

How many times have you seen actors portraying law enforcement officers say “if you have nothing to hide, why not talk to me?” That is the blatant use of someone’s right against self-witness being considered self-incrimination. According to attorneys I have consulted, this practice is not unique to television, and is in fact widely used by law enforcement today.

This right to remain silent is an excellent example of why John Jay’s admonition is so important.

Every member of the State ought diligently to read and to study the constitution of his country, and teach the rising generation to be free. By knowing their rights, they will sooner perceive when they are violated, and be the better prepared to defend and assert them.

— John Jay, First Chief Justice of the United States By knowing your rights, including your right against self-witness, you will be better prepared should you one day encounter law enforcement.

Some of the best advice I have received from attorneys is to keep my mouth shut.

I’ve been told repeatedly to identify myself, potentially provide needed information regarding others, and then inform law enforcement that I am invoking my right to remain silent. No matter what the officer says, claims or threatens, I’m supposed to keep my mouth shut until I’ve consulted with my attorney. I believe that is advice you should follow as well. Remember, anything you say not only can, but will be used against you.

Read more Constitutional discourse from Paul Engel at constitutionstudy. com or contact him at paul@constitutionstudy.com.

#FREEYOURCHILDREN by tiffany boyd

Rutherford County’s Social Experiment First charter school set to open Rutherford County’s first charter school isn’t all it is cracked up to be. After researching Rutherford Collegiate Prep, it was clear there are major issues. Parents should do their research. Rutherford Collegiate Prep plans to open as the county’s first charter school. Some good questions for those responsible for approving these schools would be: Have they done their research? Did they read the applications?

Do they have any clue in regard to the background of the entities governing these charter schools and their partnerships?

Rutherford Collegiate Prep will be governed by ReThink Forward, which is partnering with Noble Education Initiative. The founder and CEO of Noble Education is Sherry Hage. Her husband, Jonathan Hage, is the founder and CEO of Charter Schools USA. According to littlesis.org, “Jonathan Hage is also the President of numerous LLCs in the state of Florida that provide services to the charter schools. These LLCs provide a wide range of services; everything from custodial work to social emotional curriculum.”

Further, regarding social emotional learning, Jonathan Hage stated, “I am a firm believer that SEL leads to improved academic performance. We Use Altitude Education USA, LLC featuring Nick Vujicic 40 * November 2023 * boropulse.com

at Charter Schools USA.” I have written and spoken extensively on why parents should not allow their children to be subjected to SEL. When I read through the approved application for Rutherford Collegiate Prep, it was horrifying to see, very clearly stated, that SEL will be embedded in the curriculum.

SEL Competencies Will be Embedded Within Each Unit Map, according to the Tennessee charter school application filed on behalf of Rutherford Collegiate Prep.

Embedded Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) Competencies are intended to build engagement while addressing student needs that impact behavior and academics.

The school will emphasize self-awareness, self-management, social awareness, relationship skills and responsible decisionmaking, the application goes on to state.

The basic learning environment is class-

room-based. The curriculum is the general education curriculum nested within the CASEL SEL 5-component frame.

The sole purpose of SEL is to shape a child’s thoughts, attitudes, beliefs and behaviors. It appears to me that the entire charter school is nothing more than a social experiment. Parents, beware!

Rutherford Collegiate Prep is a public charter school, which means Rutherford County tax dollars will be funding this school. How much taxpayer money will be funneled back to the Hage family via their LLCs? Charter schools are a lucrative business, so much so that Hage at one point had a yacht named Fishin’ 4 Schools as well as an LLC under the same name.

Ironically, the Hage family sent all of their children to private schools, not the public charter schools that they ran.

“Charter Schools USA makes millions by managing schools, but tens of millions building and renting their buildings,” according to a report from WTSP in Tampa

“The real profits, however, are not in the operation of the charter school, but in the real estate development.

After receiving a variety of grants, loans and tax credits for building a charter school, the for-profit chain charges ever escalating rents and leases to the school district, paid by taxpayer education dollars.”

Bay. “Because the facilities are used as schools, there are no property taxes. Because the schools are technically public, the bonds to pay them are tax-exempt. Yet the schools are expected to pay a much higher interest rate on their leases.”

So how do entities like Charter Schools USA make their money?

“The real profits, however, are not in the operation of the charter school, but in the real estate development. After receiving a variety of grants, loans and tax credits for building a charter school, the for-profit chain charges ever escalating rents and leases to the school district, paid by taxpayer education dollars,” La Gaceta reported.

“The for-profit then reaps the profits when the building is sold in a few years. Meanwhile, the properties with high, nontaxable values based on claimed ‘commercial’ revenue streams from public taxpayer dollars are leveraged to borrow additional funds to build more school buildings.”

Charter schools are lucrative business deals run by appointed boards giving the taxpayers no recourse. It is more than concerning that our elected officials are either too lazy to do their research when it comes to these initiatives or they are complicit.

Either way, you should be asking your representatives hard questions. Are they reading the charter applications? Ask your school board members if they read through the entire charter application and if they understand what is going to be taught, what assessments the children are going to be given, and what is being done with the data. Do you really want your tax dollars being handed over to another avenue of education that is subjecting students to the same agenda as traditional public schools?

Who are our representatives really representing?

Tiffany Boyd is the founder of Free YOUR Children, a homeschool advocate, consultant, speaker and the founder and administrator of Middle Tennessee Christian Homeschool Connection. She holds a B.S. degree in interdisciplinary studies from MTSU. She is a wife of 30 years and mother to five children, grandmother to two. She is a former tenured public school teacher. She and her husband have home educated for 18 years. Contact her at freeyourchildren@gmail.com.

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 money matters

Max Out Retirement Contributions Whether it’s your IRA, 401(k) or other plan, if you don’t make your full contribution for 2023, you can’t make up for it by contributing for 2024. Be mindful of deadlines for IRAs and 401(k) plans and save more if you can.

Top 5 Financial Moves Before Year End It’s hard to believe that 2023 is getting long in the tooth, with only two months left. Because year-end initiatives often take a bit of time and most of us don’t want to be thinking about these things as we celebrate with family and friends in December, now is the time to get your finances in order ahead of any New Year’s resolutions. It’s also a good time to make sure you maximize benefits such as tax opportunities and financial strategies as they apply to 2023. Here are five things you should be looking at before 2024.

Review Your Budget Hopefully you had a budget set, but if you didn’t, take a look at what your spending habits have been.

It’s too easy to just let finances happen to you and not be proactive. When you take the time to be intentional about your spending, you will likely find waste or areas where you can reallocate spending from something that doesn’t bring you a lot of value or joy to something that does.

Set Goals for 2024 Many of us have financial goals for the new year, but it’s important to be specific and make a plan to achieve them. For example, if you want to pay off $10,000 in debt, commit to paying $1,000 per month. If you’re planning to retire, figure out what your retirement income will be and try to live on that for a year to see if you can afford it.

Here are some tips for achieving financial goals: – Be specific. The more specific your goals are, the easier they will be to achieve.

– Set realistic goals. Don’t set goals that are too ambitious or, on the other hand, too easy to achieve.

– Make a plan. Once you know what your goals are, create a plan to achieve them. This may involve budgeting, saving, and investing.

– Track your progress. It’s important to monitor

42 * November 2023 * boropulse.com

Rebalance Your Investments The stock market has been volatile in 2023, so it’s important to rebalance your portfolio. This means selling some of your winners and buying more losers. This may seem counterintuitive, but it can help reduce risk and maximize your returns over time.

Example: If you invested $1,000 in each of five stocks at the beginning of 2023, and one stock is down to $800 and another is up to $1,200, you could sell $200 of the $1,200 stock and buy $200 more of the $800 stock. This would bring your portfolio back to balance and reduce your risk.

Rebalancing could help you make more money in the long run. Next year, the stock that is currently down could outperform the stock that is up now.

Review Your Insurance Coverage If you are like most people, you likely haven’t looked at your insurance coverage in a long time. If your home went up in value significantly but your insurance isn’t aligned with this value, you could be left with a major exposure. You may be able to save some money but you might also find that you don’t have what you thought you have. The same applies for life insurance, disability and long-term care. Perhaps you bought a policy 10 years ago and your career has taken off— maybe you have a family relying on you, and if something happened to you it would result in a serious financial struggle. If you are retired and still healthy, what would happen if your health declines and you need care? Are you protected in these situations?

Bonus: Use Up FSA Funds and Health Insurance Deductibles If you have funds in a Flexible Spending Account (FSA), try to use it up before the year ends. Also, if you have met your insurance deductible you might want to go to the doctor or plan a procedure before the year is over, so you don’t have to pay next year to meet your deductible.

Disclaimer: The information contained in this article is for informational purposes only. It is not tax, legal or financial advice. Please consult a financial advisor before making any major financial decisions.

Contact Sean Moran with Red Barn Financial at 615-619-6919 or smoran@redbarnfinancial.com.

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