OCTOBER 2017 / VOL. 12, ISSUE 10 / FREE
FALL FUN PAGE 18
Middle Tennessee’s Source for Art, Entertainment and Culture News
HAUNTED ATTRACTIONS PAGE 19
LET’S GET PIE MURFREESBORO
IN MUSIC
a z z i P
GUIDE
BORO ART CRAWL PAGE 28
SKEETZO N’ KRYSIS / DARRYL WORLEY / SONS OF THE PIONEERS / WANDA JACKSON / THOMAS MAUPIN
Contents
22
VISIT BOROPULSE.COM FOR MORE!
ON THE COVER: PIZZA FROM SUB STOP BY SARAH MAYO HAUNTED PHOTO BY DIETER SPEARS CAT ARTWORK BY SAMANTHA COLLIER
WHERE WILL YOU BE BURIED?
Who will receive your possessions ?
What will happen to your kids?
Where do you want to be when you pass ?
WHO WILL CARE FOR YOUR PETS?
Will your family be OK financially ?
Think about these things NOW, before it is too late.
36
16 IN EVERY ISSUE
FEATURES
10 RADIO REBIRTH: PART II
Music City Roots finds a home on WMOT 89.5.
16 STRUNG LIKE A HORSE
High-energy string band to perform at Hippie Hill Fall Fest.
18 FALL FUN
Pumpkins, corn mazes and more at local farms.
19 HAUNTED ATTRACTIONS
Spooky Middle Tennessee woods and houses will get your pulse pounding.
28 BORO ART CRAWL
THIS MONTH
Boots and Brews, Black Cat Bash, Harvest Days and more!
8 Sounds LOCAL CONCERTS
Jason Loewenstein, Graham Anthem Band and more! MUSIC NOTES
Skeetzo N’ Krysis, The Justin Reed Show, Darryl Worley and more! ALBUM REVIEWS
Laser Flames on the Great Big News, King Brian
18 Living
Oct. 13 event celebrates local creative community.
GARDENING
Covering your crops
36 LET’S GET PIE
THE PULSE STOPS HERE
The many pizzas of Murfreesboro Art Director: Sarah Mayo Copy Editor: Steve Morley
Publisher/Editor in Chief: Bracken Mayo
4 Events
Advertising: Don Clark Leslie Russell-Yost
Plan for death now, before it’s too late.
PET HEALTH
Keeping your dog’s weight under control.
26 Art THEATER
Carrie: The Musical VISUAL
Rhinovirus paints custom Pulse racks; Constellation photo exhibit; CFA plans 2018 exhibits POETRY
Kerri French and other poets gather at Southern Festival of Books.
34 Movies NEW RELEASES
Marshall, Jungle, The Mountain Between Us, Jigsaw and more! REVIEWS
Krispy Kreme in the works; Cat Cafe; Taco John’s and more!
44
Opinion THE STOCKARD REPORT
County faces yet another lawsuit.
VIEWS OF A CONSERVATIVE
The police do not unfairly target black criminals. LIVE . . . WELL
Talk to strangers?
48 Sports SPORTS TALK
NFL players alienate fans with protests. MTSU SPORTS
Mother! It
Blue Raiders enter October at 2–3.
LIVING ROOM CINEMA
Haunting Legends
Contributors: Dylan Skye Aycock, Nichelle Barrera, John Connor Coulston, Greg Crittenden, Jennifer Durand, Joseph Kathmann, Zach Maxfield, Justin Reed, Edwina Shannon, Mike Sparks, Jay Spight, Ashley Stearns, Andrea Stockard, Sam Stockard, Norbert Thiemann, Semaj Thomas, Phil Valentine, Kory Wells, Meredith White, Michelle Willard
40 News
BUSINESS BUZZ
BODYBUILDING
Tips for preparing for a competition
Copyright © 2017, The Murfreesboro Pulse, 10 N. Public Square, Murfreesboro, TN 37130. Proudly owned, operated and published the first Thursday of each month by the Mayo family; printed by Franklin Web Printing Co. The Murfreesboro Pulse is a free publication funded by advertisers. Views expressed in the Pulse do not necessarily reflect the views of the publishers. ISSN: 1940-378X
To carry the PULSE at your business, or to submit letters, stories and photography: Bracken@BoroPulse.com 10 N. Public Square, Murfreesboro, TN 37130 • 615-796-6248
SIGN UP to receive our weekly digital newsletter at BoroPulse.com/Newsletter
WORD FROM THE EDITOR THE NEW PULSE IS HERE! Studies indicate that the publication, now in its twelfth year, has had more impact on American culture than any development since cheese got placed within the crust of pizza. Here, in this October edition, we bring you a guide to the many, many pizzas of the Murfreesboro area. Try them all! What do you like? Some in Murfreesboro may desire nicer furniture, a new car, a bigger house, a renovated kitchen and a new this or that, but take a moment of silence and consider the tens of thousands of Americans in Texas, Florida and Puerto Rico who have no home or car at all, or who lost much more than that, and realize that you will be just fine. Consider the challenges, man-made or weather-related, that groups of people face all over the world, and getting by in Middle Tennessee with all needs met sounds great. Mr. Bob Marley has had a big impact on my views. Though he died the year of your publisher’s birth, he continues to remind a new generation that even though there is “so much trouble in the world,” and “everywhere is war,” we can still stay “positive” and that “every little thing is going to be alright.” And of course: “One good thing about music, when it hits you, you feel no pain.” Jr. Publisher Bracken helps The Boro Art with some research on pizza Crawl returns to the at Sam’s Sports Bar & Grill. Murfreesboro Public Square Oct. 13, celebrating the creative arts in various local businesses; MTSU hosts a stellar display of photos, entitled Constellation, in its gallery this month. Congrats to dancer Mr. Thomas Maupin, who recently became one of the few recipients of an NEA National Heritage Fellowship. Pretty neat. As is the custom in Murfreesboro, various upcoming events involving food and drink will benefit the charities of the area. Wingapalooza, coming up at Mayday on Oct. 15, will support the work of Endure Athletics; Boots and Brews at Copper Ridge on Oct. 26 will raise funds for the Domestic Violence & Sexual Assault Center of Rutherford County; Cocktails After Dark, held Nov. 2 at the Grove will help the mission of Second Harvest of Middle Tennessee. Turn the pages for more. Thanks as always to those who support the Pulse. It takes a village. A lot of people in the community have a role in producing an issue of the Pulse, and each edition requires some serious man- and woman-hours to take it from an idea to a tangible piece. Remember, it’s the advertisers who keep this publication rolling off the press. Tell them their contribution to Murfreesboro culture is appreciated when you next visit them. Peace, BRACKEN MAYO Publisher/Editor in Chief
Events BY ANDREA STOCKARD
THROUGH NOV. 4 APPLES FOR SIGHT The Murfreesboro Lioness Club hosts its twelfth annual fundraiser, Lioness Apples for Sight, through Nov. 4. For a $100 donation receive a box of delicious Gala apples to be delivered locally Oct. 24–Nov. 4. Proceeds benefit the Lions Sight Conservation projects including the eye screenings of children to detect eye diseases and provide correction. The organization also funds an annual MTSU Scholarship for a vision-impaired student and donates to Middle Tennessee Lions Sight Service, the Tennessee School for the Blind and Leader Dog. For more information, contact 615-512-0500 or 615-893-3129.
OCT. 6 MURFREESBORO LIONS CLUB SPAGHETTI SUPPER Enjoy all-you-can-eat spaghetti, salad, bread and dessert at the Murfreesboro Lions Club Spaghetti Supper at the Lions Clubhouse (407 Hickerson Dr.) from 4:30–7:30 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 6. Proceeds go towards buying glasses and hearing aids locally. Tickets can be purchased at Jeff Edge’s Edward Jones office (1602 W. Northfield Blvd., suite 503) or by calling 615-895-8282 or 615-598-7172.
OCT. 7 MTSU HOMECOMING PARADE MTSU Homecoming Parade marches down Main Street at 10 a.m. on Saturday, Oct. 7, with the MTSU Blue Raiders vs. Florida International University football game kicking off at 2 p.m. at Floyd Stadium.
OCT. 7 AND 21 CONVERSATIONS WITH KEVIN Join the motivational workshop series Living a Positive Life in a Chaotic World, featuring speaker, author and HumadynLife Skills Institute founder Kevin McNulty. McNulty helps provide tools to reach your goals, discover your potential and cultivate a more positive and fulfilling life. The series begins with “Creating a Positive Mindset” on Oct. 7 followed by “Learn, Change and Grow” on Oct. 21. All programs take place Saturday mornings from 9 a.m.–noon. at 610 W. College St., Suite 115. Refreshments provided. Register at kevinmcnul 4 * OCTOBER 2017 * BOROPULSE.COM
tyspeaks.wixsite.com/conversations and use the code “VIP50” at checkout for a 50 percent discount. For more information, call 615-216-0481 or email kevin@ humadyn.com.
OCT. 14
OCT. 7
27TH ANNUAL HOT100 RIDE
DOGS & HOGS Bumpus Harley-Davidson of Murfreesboro (2250 NW Broad St.) hosts Dogs & Hogs on Saturday, Oct. 7, from 11 a.m.–2 p.m. The public may bring their dressed dogs to enter into a costume contest, enjoy food and drinks and check out some amazing motorcycles. In addition, the PAWS Adoption Trailer will be out with adorable, adoptable dogs. The event is free to the public, and the contest begins at 1 p.m. For more information, contact 615-849-8025 or visit bumpusharleymurfreesboro.com.
OCT. 8
Join the 27th Annual HOT 100 RIDE (not race) Saturday, Oct. 14, beginning at Community Care Center of Rutherford Country (901 Country Farm Rd.) and continuing throughout scenic Rutherford, Bedford and Cannon Counties with four routes for all levels of cyclists: 100, 66, 33 and 15 miles. Riders can take advantage of rest stops stocked with goodies, water and sports drinks as well as a post-ride meal. The ride starts at 7 a.m. For more information, visit mborobike.com/content/hot-100. will be presented at 3 p.m. Spectator admission is free. For more information, contact wolfsburgalliance@gmail.com or 615-347-7723, or visit wolfsburgtn.wixsite.com/mysite.
OCT. 12 STRONGER TOGETHER
DUBFEST 2017 The Wolfsburg Alliance Volkswagen Club of Middle Tennessee, a “brotherhood” of Volkswagen enthusiasts, welcomes you to Dubfest on Sunday, Oct. 8, at Veterans Memorial Park (115 Floyd Mayfield Dr., La Vergne) with proceeds benefiting the Nashville Rescue Mission. Dubfest is Middle Tennessee’s only all-Volkswagen car show and swap meet. Enjoy door prizes, raffles, food trucks, kids activities and awards in over 20 categories. Gates open for spectators at 10 a.m. and awards
Join Murfreesboro Medical Clinic (1272 Garrison Dr.) Thursday, Oct. 12, from 5:30–7:30 p.m. for an evening celebrating the strength that comes from knowledge about breast health. Listen to the expert panel, take a 3D mammography tour and enjoy a variety of refreshments and live entertainment. RSVP for Stronger Together at mmclinic.com.
OCT. 12 CONNECTING ON THE FARM Join the Journey Home for Connect-
ing on the Farm 2017 from 6–8 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 12, at the home of Glen and Patti Hutchinson (550 Hutchinson Ln.). Enjoy free food, seasonal beverages, wine and beer served around a roaring campfire and fellowship with friends and learn about the outreach programs offered through The Journey Home, a faith-based nonprofit organization that provides daily hot meals, food boxes, clothing, laundry and shower facilities, shelter assistance, mental health assistance, and support programs for the homeless and disadvantaged in Rutherford County. Admission is free. To learn more, visit lovegodservepeople.org. Contact degennaronancy@yahoo.com, thejourneyhomemboro@yahoo.com or 615-809-2644 to register. Bring your friends and camp chairs.
OCT. 14 D.F. JONES BOOK SIGNING
OCT. 8 FROM TENNESEE TO OZ Oaklands Mansion (900 N. Maney Ave.) welcomes author Michelle Russell on Sunday, Oct. 8, to discuss her project: From Tennessee to Oz: The Amazing Saga of Judy Garland’s Family at 2 p.m. This story highlights Judy Garland’s paternal ancestry including her father, Frank Gumm, a fifth-generation Tennessean and descendant of pioneers who braved the wilderness to help create Tennessee. Book 1 (1793-1870) tells of rugged pioneers, Native Americans, ministers of God and the Civil War. Russell focuses this signing on East Main Street life and the surprising romance of Garland’s grandparents. Attendees also learn of Garland’s connection to Oakland’s former occupant, George Darrow. Reservations required. Visit oaklandsmansion.org, or contact 615-893-0022 or info@oaklandsmansion.org.
Linebaugh Public Library (105 W Vine St.) hosts local author D.F. Jones for a book signing Saturday, Oct. 4, from 11 a.m.–1 p.m. Jones signs and sells copies of her books from the Ditch Lane Diaries Series and her newest work, Spinning Time, which tells the story of Southern debutante Julia Boatwright, a fortunate 21-year-old propelled 70 years in the future. Jones’ book The Witches of Hant Hollow will be released Oct. 14. For more information, call 615-893-4131 or visit linebaugh.org.
OCT. 14 BLACK CAT BASH The Black Cat Bash fundraiser, held Saturday, Oct. 14, from 6–9 p.m. at Let’s Make Wine (109 E. Main St.)
Visit BOROPULSE.COM/EVENTS for more community events
tional Battlefield (1563 N. Thompson Ln.). Chairs and blankets are encouraged; some seating is provided. For more information, visit tnvalleywinds.org.
OCT. 18 CHILI COOKOFF
OCT. 25–29 DOG AGILITY WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS Nearly 1,000 canine athletes from nine different countries are headed to the Tennessee Miller Coliseum (304-B West Thompson Ln.) Oct. 25–29 to compete in the Cynosport World Games Dog Agility World Championships. The world’s best canine athletes will race over obstacle courses while being navigated by their human partner. Competitors battle for the world champion title and more than $10,000 in prize money. Tennessee Miller Coliseum gives spectators multiple rings of competition like hurdles and A-frames, tunnels, hanging tires, weave poles and the seesaws. Fun classes are also available for spectators’ dogs. Shop for your pets at the trade fair with food and beverages and various events. Entrance gate admission is $5 per car on Saturday and Sunday. The United States Dog Agility Association is the world’s largest, independent canine sports authority, dedicated to promoting the sport of dog agility as a recreational, family sport that fosters responsible pet ownership. For more information, visit cynosport.com or call (888) AGILITY (244-5489).
will benefit the Rutherford County Cat Rescue. Costumes are encouraged but not required, and festivities include a DJ playing a huge range of music, food, wine samples, raffles, prizes and more. Tickets are $20 per person in advance (find Black Cat Bash on eventbrite.com or Facebook) or $25 per person at the door. All proceeds will go to help the homeless cats in Rutherford County.
OCT 14 BICYCLE TOURS OF THE STONES RIVER NATIONAL BATTLEFIELD Join a park ranger for free guided bicycle tours of Stones River National Battlefield (1563 N. Thompson Ln.) on the second Saturday of the month (Oct. 14). Get exercise, reduce your carbon footprint, and learn about the major Civil War battle that occurred here in late 1862 and early 1863. Stop along the way to discuss the major military actions that affected the outcome of the Battle of Stones River such as Slaughter Pen, the desperate stand of the Union army along the Nashville Pike. Meet at the visitor center at 8:45 a.m. with bikes. Helmets are encouraged (children under 16 are required to wear them). The seven-mile ride lasts about 90 minutes. For more information, call 615-893-9501 or visit nps.gov/stri.
The Rutherford County government presents the fifth annual Chili Cook-Off and Silent Auction benefiting United Way of Rutherford and Cannon counties from 11:30 a.m.–1 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 18, at the Historic Courthouse on the Murfreesboro Public Square. Prizes will be awarded for first and second place. A tasting bowl is $5—all you can taste! Coach Kermit Davis, Judge Mark Rogers, ESPN’s Dawn Davenport and Autumn Friese of Puckett’s Grocery will serve as judges.
OCT. 19 FIREFLY SUPPER Celebrate the third annual Firefly Supper benefiting Doors of Hope on Thursday, Oct. 19, at Stone Gate Farm (714 Floraton Rd.) featuring delicious farm-to-table food prepared by talented local chefs in a gorgeous venue served by the students from Blackman High School’s Culinary Arts Department. The Ragsdale Family Foundation
is the presenting sponsor. Doors of Hope is expanding with initiatives including Red Door Catering, offering women in the program a place to gain work experience in the kitchen, and the Therapeutic Community at the Rutherford County Correctional Work Center. Recently, Project HOPE was launched at the Rutherford County Adult Detention Center, focusing on education and transition planning. A variety of classes are offered, and case managers work with each woman to assess needs, help locate resources, and map out a plan for success. For more information on the event, contact 615-900-0634 or stephdrk@gmail.com or visit opendoorsofhope.org.
OCT. 20-28 GHOST TOURS (Fridays and Saturdays only) Many guests over the years have experienced eerie happenings inside the historic Sam Davis home (1399 Sam Davis Rd., Smyrna). On the evenings of October 20, 21, 27 and 28, from 7–11 p.m., guests can decide for themselves as they board a haunted hayride traveling through the historic site and hearing grim tales of history on the property and in the surrounding. Inside the CONTINUED ON PAGE 6
OCT. 14 MIDDLE HALF Racers will compete in the Middle Half marathon on Saturday, Oct. 14. The race starts at 1500 Greenland Dr. near the Middle Tennessee State University Track and Soccer Complex at 7 a.m. Participants will then run down tree-lined Main Street to Maney Avenue and the historic Oaklands Historic House, circle the Square, pass by MTSU’s Fraternity Row and the official Geographic Center of Tennessee, and then finish on the track at MTSU. For more information, visit themiddlehalf.com.
OCT. 14 LAMBERT DILLARD 5K The Lambert Dillard Memorial 5K honors the lives of Angi Ross Lambert and Carla Dillard, which were tragically lost to violent crimes. The race, beginning at Sharp Springs Park in Smyrna, kicks off with a Kids Run Fun at 8:30 a.m., followed by the 5K at 9 a.m. For more information, visit ymcamidtn.org.
OCT. 15 TENNESSEE VALLEY WINDS Join the Tennessee Valley Winds and Conductor Erich Zimmerman Sunday, Oct. 15, from 2-3:30 p.m. as they bring music back to one of the great battlefields of the American Civil War, the Stones River NaBOROPULSE.COM
* OCTOBER 2017 * 5
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 5 home, hear hauntingly true tales of ghost encounters experienced by visitors, staff and volunteers while guided along dark, winding trails by lantern guides. This is not recommended for children under the age of 10. Guests can choose from either the hayride tour or the lantern-lit walking tour upon arrival. Tickets are $10 per person and are available at the door. For more information, call 615-459-2341 or visit samdavishome.org.
OCT. 26 BOOTS & BREWS Boots & Brews brings a honky-tonk atmosphere with craft beer, music and dancing at Copper Ridge Event Venue (3597 Betty Ford Rd.) from 6–9 p.m. to support Domestic Violence Program & Sexual Assault Services, whose mission is to protect victims, prevent violence and empower survivors. Citizens of Rutherford County are supported with the resources and assistance necessary to effectively deal with the personal, social and legal implications of victimization by domestic violence and sexual assault. For more information on the event, visit dvpshelter.org/events/boots-brews or find tickets on eventbrite.com.
OCT. 27 START IT UP! CONFERENCE It’s Shark (Tank) Week at MTSU with Dean David Urban of MTSU’s Jones College of Business inviting you to an exciting conference Friday, Oct. 27, at the Embassy Suites Murfreesboro (1200 Conference Center Blvd.). The focus of the conference is on the passion and innovation needed to start and grow new businesses. Daymond John, a self-made multimillionaire and star on ABC’s Shark Tank, motivates and inspires with tales of his successes and failures. Vinh Giang, an successful online businessperson, offers problemsolving techniques to help budding entrepreneurs. Doors open at 11 a.m. with lunch at 11:30 a.m. followed by the two dynamite speakers. For more information, visit mtsu.edu/business.
OCT. 27 PROJECT ONE FOUR GOLF CLASSIC Join five-time MLB All-Star David Price for the 10th Annual Project One Four Golf Classic at Old Fort Golf Club on Friday, Oct. 27, at 8 a.m. Proceeds benefit the Project One Four Foundation which helps youth throughout Middle Tennessee. For more information, call 615-4780007 or visit project14.org.
OCT. 28 CHARITY CASINO NIGHT The Kimberly Family Foundation invites everyone to a Charity Casino Night presented by The Crossings at Victory Station and The Alley on Main on Saturday, Oct. 28, at the Middle Tennessee Association of Realtors Building (311 Butler Dr.). Enjoy hors d’oeuvres, a full open bar and three hours of Vegas-quality casino games. The Kimberly Family Foundation is committed to supporting organizations and programs in Rutherford County and Middle Tennessee that work towards decreasing poverty, homelessness and hunger. Proceeds support local charities consistent with this mission including Endure Athletics, Greenhouse Ministries and Second Harvest Food Bank. Tickets are $100 and include food, drinks and games. To learn more about the event, visit kimberlyfamily.org.
OCT. 28 HARVEST DAYS Witness forging demonstrations and competitions as well as an entire project being built by a team of accomplished blacksmiths at Cannonsburgh Village (312 S. Front St.)
from 10 a.m.–4 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 28, with blacksmithing items for sale. Try your hand at blacksmithing and join the Appalachian Area Chapter Blacksmiths (AACB) for $25. Murfreesboro Art League showcases local art, and Antique Auto features a car show from 11 a.m.–1 p.m. on the front lawn of the visitor center. Enjoy vendors, food, storytelling, reenactors in costume, hayrides, bluegrass music, clogging and more. Admission is free. For more information, contact 615-890-0355 or snichols@united.net, or visit aacblacksmiths.org.
NOV. 2 COCKTAILS AFTER DARK Join RollnSouth to benefit Second Harvest Food Banks of Middle Tennessee on Thursday, Nov. 2, from 6–9 p.m. at The Grove at Williamson Place (3250 Wilkinson Pk.), while enjoying unique cocktails created by professional bartenders from some of Middle Tennessee’s leading businesses as they compete for prizes and bragging rights. Taste remarkable culinary bites from award winning Chef Rey Ruiz and enjoy live music from Brian Mac and Farm Dogs. For tickets, contact neal@dpamedia.net or 615-895-8107, or visit rollnsouth.com.
OCT. 27 AND 28 OAKLANDS FLASHLIGHT NIGHTS Explore the unusual mourning customs and creepy superstitions of the Victorian era at Oaklands Mansion (900 Maney Ave.) at 7 p.m. as the doors creak open to reveal the town’s spookiest historic home and guides in mourning attire. Tickets are $10 for adults and $5 for students and children. For more information, visit oaklandsmansion.org.
ENTERTAINMENT
DJ, BINGO, TRIVIA & KARAOKE NIGHTS MONDAYS AHART’S PIZZA GARDEN Trivia, 6:30 p.m. LEVEL III Trivia, 7 p.m. THE BORO Vinyl Spin with KM 9 p.m.
TUESDAYS COCONUT BAY Live Trivia, 7:30 p.m. NACHO’S Trivia, 7 p.m. NOBODY'S Bingo, 7 p.m.
LA SIESTA (GREENLAND) Trivia, 7 p.m.
WHISKEY DIX DJ Cliffy D, 8 p.m.
LEVEL III Trivia, 7 p.m.
FRIDAYS
MELLOW MUSHROOM Trivia, 8 p.m.
STATION GRILL Trivia, 7 p.m.
GEORGIA’S SPORTS BAR Karaoke, 9 p.m. LIQUID SMOKE DJ Night, 10 p.m. MT BOTTLE Karaoke, 9 p.m.–3 a.m. WHISKEY DIX DJ Cliffy D, 8 p.m.
THE BORO Game Night, 8 p.m.
SATURDAYS
NOBODY’S Trivia, 7 and 9:30 p.m. SAM’S SPORTS GRILL Trivia, 8 p.m.
WEDNESDAYS
COCONUT BAY Karaoke, 8:00 p.m.
CAMPUS PUB Karaoke, 10 p.m.–2:30 a.m. NACHOS Trivia, 7 p.m. NOBODY’S Karaoke, 9:15 p.m.–12:30 a.m. WHISKEY DIX DJ Cliffy D, 8 p.m.
CAMPUS PUB Karaoke, 10 p.m.–2:30 a.m.
GEORGIA’S SPORTS BAR Karaoke, 7 p.m.
SUNDAYS
GEORGIA’S SPORTS BAR Karaoke, 9 p.m.
NOBODY’S Karaoke, 9:15 p.m.–12:30 a.m.
SAM’S SPORTS GRILL Trivia, 8 p.m.
OLD CHICAGO Trivia, 9 p.m. TGI FRIDAY’S Trivia, 9 p.m.
THURSDAYS BOB’S BBQ Trivia, 7 p.m. CAMPUS PUB Trivia, 6:15 and 8:15 p.m.
FOOD TRUCK FRIDAYS
at Cannonsburgh, 312 S. Front St. Each Friday, 10 a.m.–2 p.m. Oct. 6: Twisted Thai, Tasty Table Oct. 13: My Roots, Smokin Buttz Oct. 20: Food Coma, Fitz Willys, Sweet T’s Oct. 27: Allen Smokehouse, Chicken Shack, Dawg Bar
KONA ICE OF MIDDLE TENNESSEE Treat your taste buds to the most amazing flavored shaved ice. Lemon Lime a-licious, Blue Raspberry, Wild Watermelon, Groovy Grape, Strawberry, Orange, Pina-Colada and many more flavors available. Call 615-971-0092 for today’s location.
SMOKIN’ BUTTZ
Providing slow smoked BBQ to Middle Tennessee; Pulled Pork - Pulled Chicken Loaded Potatoes Contact us for your next festival, catering event, lunch, dinner, family cookout, wedding or office party. Facebook / Instagram / Twitter @smokinbuttz, smokinbuttzbbq.com
THE HOLY SMOKER
Ribs, Fish, Pulled Pork, Hot Dogs, Loaded Potato Chips Elder Jimmy L. Tyson, owner Find us on Facebook / 615-480-5818
For more on including your truck’s information in this section, contact (615) 631-5768 or leslie@boropulse.com. BOROPULSE.COM
* OCTOBER 2017 * 7
CONCERTS
IF YOU GO
WED, 10/4
THURS, 10/12
MTSU WRIGHT MUSIC BUILDING
MTSU WRIGHT MUSIC BUILDING
MTSU Faculty Jazztet: Mei Han, Mike Parkinson, Don Aliquo, Matt Endahl, Jonathan Wires and Brian Mueller
THURS, 10/5 BONHOEFFER’S
Nathan, Bad Luck Soul, Drake Freeman
GEORGIA’S SPORTS BAR AND GRILL
The Scoots Band
MTSU WRIGHT MUSIC BUILDING
Yoosun Kang
PUCKETT’S GROCERY
Sisters Mann
FRI, 10/6 COCONUT BAY CAFE
DJ RDP
MAYDAY BREWERY
Roland Justice
MILANO II
Jack Popek
NOBODY’S
Zone Status
PUCKETT’S GROCERY
Rocketmen
SAT, 10/7 AUTOGRAPH REHEARSAL STUDIO
Safe Secrets, October Rage, The Dirty Soul Revival, Trigger Digit
GEORGIA’S SPORTS BAR AND GRILL
Autograph Rehearsal Studio 1400 W. College St. 615-686-6121
MTSU Wind Ensemble, MTSU Symphonic Band
PUCKETT’S GROCERY
Bonhoeffer’s 2022 E. Main St. 615-440-3794
FRI, 10/13
Carmen’s Taqueria 206 W. Northfield Blvd. 615-848-9003
Jake Greene
Stranger Than Fiction
GEORGIA’S SPORTS BAR AND GRILL
The Scoots Band
MAIN STREET MUSIC
Rubiks Groove
MAYDAY BREWERY
The Old Spirits
MILANO II
Jack Popek
NOBODY’S
Karaoke Dance Party
PUCKETT’S GROCERY
Dylan Altman and Friends
COCONUT BAY CAFE
Mike Dizill
GEORGIA’S SPORTS BAR AND GRILL
Don Ray Band
LONE WOLF SALOON
The Bicho Brothers
SUN, 10/8 MAYDAY BREWERY
Riverbend Reunion
MTSU WRIGHT MUSIC BUILDING
MTSU Brass Chamber Ensembles
MON, 10/9 MTSU WRIGHT MUSIC BUILDING
Stones River Chamber Players
WED, 10/11 MTSU WRIGHT MUSIC BUILDING
Seunghee Lee, Eunbyol Ko
COCONUT BAY CAFE
Graham Anthem Band
MAIN STREET MUSIC
Burning Las Vegas
MAYDAY BREWERY
The Secret Commonwealth
Ryan Coleman
MTSU SAUNDERS FINE ARTS ROOM 117
PUCKETT’S GROCERY
The One Hitters
TRINITY UNITED METHODIST CHURCH
Gathering Worship
Jack Popek
Nathan Siler, Richard Crosby
NOBODY’S
Ragged Company
PUCKETT’S GROCERY
MAYDAY BREWERY
PUCKETT’S GROCERY
Jason Loewenstein will bring his quirky, overdriven indie rock to Murfreesboro on Friday, Oct. 13, as part of a house party tour in support of his new album, Spooky Action. Loewenstein, formerly of the lo-fi pioneer group Sebadoh, last released a solo album in 2002; during that tour he also came through Murfreesboro, performing at the Red Rose. For tickets to and exact location of the Oct. 13 Murfreesboro show, visit eventbrite.com. Other shows on Loewenstein’s tour of homes includes stops in Philadelphia, Atlanta and Raleigh, N.C.
MILANO II
MAYDAY BREWERY
Roland Justice
Ricky Ray and the Keemosabees
SAT, 10/21
MON, 10/16 AUTOGRAPH REHEARSAL STUDIO
Xaemora, Tyranny Enthroned, Purity Among Thieves, Obelisk
AUTOGRAPH REHEARSAL STUDIO
Bled to Submission, Pissed On, Falter, Obelisk, Mortius
COCONUT BAY CAFE
Paul & Patty
THURS, 10/19
BIRD SONG STUDIO
BONHOEFFER’S
GEORGIA’S SPORTS BAR AND GRILL
GEORGIA’S SPORTS BAR AND GRILL
LONE WOLF SALOON
Maybe April
LeAnder, Grand Transit, Zug The Scoots Band
PUCKETT’S GROCERY
8 * OCTOBER 2017 * BOROPULSE.COM
Elecoustic Soul
Shannon Labrie
Students of Paul Osterfied composition recital The Hues
SkipperGrace
MAYDAY BREWERY
MTSU WRIGHT MUSIC BUILDING
PICK
FRIDAY, 10/13
Stranger Than Fiction
The Pilots
Andrew White
JASON LOEWENSTEIN
FRI, 10/20
SAT, 10/14
SUN, 10/15
MAYDAY BREWERY
PULSE
COCONUT BAY CAFE
The Peter Moon Band
LONE WOLF SALOON
Bird Song Studio 213 W. High St., Woodbury 615-772-6432
MTSU WRIGHT MUSIC BUILDING
Allison Centobene
WASHINGTON THEATRE AT PATTERSON PARK
Murfreesboro Symphony Orchestra presents Latin Family Concert
SUN, 10/22 MTSU WRIGHT MUSIC BUILDING BUILDING
TubaWeen: Tuba Studio recital; Sean Brabston and Edward Loudermilk
MON, 10/23 MTSU WRIGHT MUSIC BUILDING
MILANO II
Jack Popek
Carpe Artista 101 Front St., Smyrna 615-984-4038 CJ’s 352 W. Northfield Blvd. 615-546-4164 Coconut Bay Café 210 Stones River Mall Blvd. 615-494-0504 Georgia’s Sports Bar 555 S. Lowry St., Smyrna 615-267-0295 Green Dragon 714 W. Main St. 615-801-7171 Level 3 114 S. Maple St. 615-900-3754
NOBODY’S
Lone Wolf Saloon 1208 S. Lowry St., Smyrna 629-255-8296
SAT, 10/28
Main Street Music 527 W. Main St. 615-440-2425
Mixtape
COCONUT BAY CAFE
Scaryoke with DJ Krazee D
MTSU FLOYD STADIUM
Contest of Champions marching band competition
Mayday Brewery 521 Old Salem Hwy. 615-479-9722 Milano II 114 E. College St. 615-624-7390
GEORGIA’S SPORTS BAR AND GRILL
MT Bottle 3940 Shelbyville Hwy. 615-962-9872
TUES, 10/24
LONE WOLF SALOON
MTSU WRIGHT MUSIC BUILDING
MAIN STREET MUSIC
MTSU Wright Music Building 1439 Faulkinberry Dr. 615-898-2469
David Zerkel
MTSU Jazz Combos
THURS, 10/26 GEORGIA’S SPORTS BAR AND GRILL
The Scoots Band
MTSU WRIGHT MUSIC BUILDING
MTSU Women’s Chorale
PUCKETT’S GROCERY
The Young Fables
FRI, 10/27 AUTOGRAPH REHEARSAL STUDIO
Citizen Rejects Missy Garnett
Minus One and Friends
MAYDAY BREWERY
Mize and the Drive
PUCKETT’S GROCERY
What?!
SUN, 10/29 MTSU WRIGHT MUSIC BUILDING
Reggie Coleman
MON, 10/30 MTSU WRIGHT MUSIC BUILDING
Giuliana Chavez; Deanna Little and Gil Perel
The Verge, Regular of the Obscene, Slider, Safe Secrets
WED, 11/1
Backlit
MTSU WRIGHT MUSIC BUILDING
COCONUT BAY CAFE MAYDAY BREWERY
John Rhey
MTSU Percussion Ensemble
Nacho’s 2962 S. Rutherford Blvd. 615-907-2700 Nobody’s Grille & BBQ 2227 Old Fort Pkwy. 615-962-8019 Patterson Park Community Center 521 Mercury Blvd. (615) 893-7439 Puckett’s Grocery and Restaurant 114 N. Church St. 629-201-6916 The Boro Bar & Grill 1211 Greenland Dr. 615-895-4800 Wall Street 121 N. Maple St. 615-867-9090 Trinity United Methodist Church 2303 Jones Blvd. 615-896-0413
View the monthly concert schedule at BoroPulse.com/Concerts Send show listings to Listings@BoroPulse.com
Sounds
Read more about local music at
BoroPulse.com/Category/Music
MUSIC NOTES
“THANK YOU” DOES NOT EVEN BEGIN to express my gratitude for the love shown during the 200th show from City Café! Faithful listeners make doing The Justin Reed Show worth it!
SKEETZO N’ KRYSIS TO PERFORM AT MEYERS CREEK HAUNTED WOODS FRIDAY THE 13TH
Local rock ’n’ roll band SkeetZo N’ Krysis is difficult to describe but fun to watch. This month, catch them performing at the Meyers Creek Haunted Woods attraction in Murfreesboro on Friday, Oct. 13, beginning at 7:30 p.m. while haunted attraction attendees wait to enter the haunted woods.This live musical performance at a haunted house should be a fun and fantastic addition; lead singer Michael Laster mentioned that the band will give waiting customers “something to do other than look at their phones the entire time.” Given the nature of their shows, his comment is an understatement. Laster, the only original member of the band still remaining since its inception, has a vision, characters and a full backstory for the persona he and his bandmates adopt on stage. Laster takes on the role of a man who accidentally consumed two aliens that fell into a vat of moonshine, and the aliens fight to control the one body. Laster shaves half of his face and head for performances to show the differences between the two and to drive the “split personality-type act” home to the audience. The SkeetZo N’ Krysis self-titled record that debuted in 2014 helps tell the story of how these extraterrestrials came to find themselves trapped in a human body and the misadventures they embark on as the new controllers of the lead singer and guitarist. Known for being over the top and shocking in performance, it seems that playing at a haunted attraction is a perfect fit for the Murfreesboro band. “I’m really super thankful and excited that we get to play in front of an
SONS OF THE PIONEERS, WANDA JACKSON, MARY SARAH, AND MANY MORE THIS MONTH ON THE JUSTIN REED SHOW
OCT. 5 – Episode 201 welcomes Bradley Walker at 7:30 a.m. Walker has been singing around Nashville over a decade and has been on Larry’s Country Diner and other shows in the area. His newest album, Blessed: Hymns and Songs of Faith,, will be available Oct. 6. Find more information at bradleywalker.com. The show welcomes back acclaimed producer and musician Thomm Jutz at 8 a.m. Jutz is releasing a new album, Crazy if You Let It, on Oct. 6. It features Sierra Hull, Justin Moses and others, and can be ordered at thommjutz.com. Zach DuBois, currently touring across the country, will appear on the show at 9 a.m. For more information on him, visit zachdubois.com.
audience like this, because that’s our target audience, they’ll get us,” Laster commented about this opportunity. SkeetZo N’ Krysis’ aesthetic as a band should be a wonderful addition for patrons who are waiting to get scared and a treat for those who come out on the other side of the haunted woods. Laster reached out to the proprietors at Meyers Creek and they
responded with intrigue but were a little concerned after seeing how wild and crazy their sets can get, seeing as how this is advertised as a family-friendly attraction. Not to worry, though. SkeetZo N’ Krysis has a more PGthemed set prepared to accommodate events like these The upcoming Oct. 13 set will include some original music, crowd-pleasers and even some Halloween classics to entertain patrons, according to Laster. Meyers Creek is one of the most highly praised Halloween attractions in the area. It’s been around for a decade and every year operators make sure to shake up their sets and acts so that those who love to return are kept on their toes. The actors all seem to be dedicated to their roles but are clearly having fun. And you won’t get scared for nothing: the owners at Meyers Creek also give some of the proceeds to the philanthropy group Relay for Life. Meyers Creek Haunted Woods is located at 4734 John Bragg Hwy. in Murfreesboro; head over to meyerscreekhauntedwoods.com to check out their full calendar for the season and order tickets online. — MEREDITH G. WHITE
OCT. 12 – Episode 202 welcomes The Voice star Mary Sarah at 7:30 a.m. Sarah has played all over the country and with some of the biggest names in country music. More information is at marysarah.com. The show welcomes Will Bowen at 8 a.m. Bowen, of the band Bowen, has toured with Dave Mathews, John Mayer and Kip Moore. He also has a history as a songwriter, even penning a single for Casey James. He just dropped a new single called “All I Ever Do.” The show will feature an interview with the Queen of Rockabilly, Wanda Jackson, at 8:35 a.m. Jackson has been recording since the 1950s, briefly dated Elvis, and is releasing her new autobiography, Every Night is a Saturday Night: A Country Girl’s Journey to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame! The book comes out Nov. 14. Longtime friend of the show Hallie Long visits at 9 a.m. Long moved to Nashville to pursue her dream of performing and now plays almost nightly around Nashville. Her website is hallielongmusic.com. OCT. 19 – Husband and wife duo MountainCity will visit at 7:30 a.m. Originally from Denver, the couple loves singing love songs. They can be reached at mountain.city. At 9 a.m., Fred Goodwin will return to the show. Goodwin is the leading expert on classic Western-music group Sons of the Pioneers. We will also talk with Tommy Nallie, the current lead singer for the Sons of the Pioneers. OCT. 26 – At 9 a.m., TJRS welcomes most awarded group in music, the Sons of the Pioneers. Singing since 1934, the Sons of the Pioneers have recorded over 1,200 songs, been in countless movies and sing the soundtrack of American West. They will perform that night at the Washington Theatre at Patterson Park and I will serve as the master of ceremonies. This is an interview not to miss! More information is found at sonsofthepioneers.org. The most up-to-date calendar is found at thejustinreedshow .com and facebook.com/thejustinreedshow. Peace, Love and Ernest Tubb, — JUSTIN REED BOROPULSE.COM
* OCTOBER 2017 * 9
Sounds
Read more about local music at
BoroPulse.com/Category/Music
PART II Music City Roots finds home on WMOT Roots Radio 89.5. STORY BY STEVE MORLEY
In last month’s issue of the Pulse we celebrated the first anniversary of the new format at WMOT-FM, now rechristened as Roots Radio 89.5. Here, we’ll begin to offer a more in-depth look into what’s behind the change, and why it promises to be the most significant one in the station’s 48-year history.
L
ast month’s story on Roots Radio concluded with comments from John Walker, the station’s executive producer, regarding his gratitude for MTSU’s bold initiative and the individuals who set it into motion. Roots Radio 89.5 did indeed launch from MTSU’s College of Media and Entertainment, but the importance of Walker’s involvement in Roots Radio would be difficult to overstate. Walker, along with business partner Todd Mayo, co-created and co-produces the influential Music City Roots brand
10 * OCTOBER 2017 * BOROPULSE.COM
and weekly show, currently staged at The Factory in nearby Franklin. The two men were instrumental in building a feasible outlet for the wealth of musically talented outliers they discovered living in, or passing through, Nashville. Walker, interviewed by this writer in 2013 regarding the origin of Music City Roots, summarized his and Mayo’s vision: “to provide a showcase for music of excellence and integrity that you wouldn’t ordinarily find in traditional mainstream media.” This, in short, is the same rationale behind WMOT’s new Americana format, refined through years of road testing on the Music City Roots stage. Walker and Mayo, who collectively carry a wealth of musical and marketing savvy, set an unconventional business model into place when they brought Music City Roots to life. Coproducer Todd Mayo noted that the MCR formula was a counterintuitive one in terms of its marketing approach, prompt-
ing the removal of constraints between standard advertising demographics: the age-and-personal-preference particulars that tell an advertiser where they can locate the audience segment at which their product is aimed. According to Mayo, those demographics mean little when it comes to musical offerings that don’t fit into typical categories. MAYO “[At a Music City Roots show], you’ll see urban and rural, white-collar and blue-collar, hipsters in skinny jeans and people that shop at Dollar General for their jeans,” Mayo explains. The broad cross-section of music heard on Roots Radio (and its presumably demographicless listener base) can easily be traced to the philosophies of Mayo and Walker, who launched Music City Roots from Nashville’s Loveless Barn in October of 2009, simulcasting it over WSM-AM, the legendary voice of the Grand Ole Opry. WALKER The partnership initially seemed a work of divine kismet, given that both men had long been inspired by the legacy of live-music programming embodied by the Opry. Three radio partners later (Nashville’s Lightning 100 and Hippie Radio also carried MCR for a season), Walker remained steadfast in his idealistic search for “a radio partner that would not just carry the Music City Roots show once a week, but to entrust us to curate a 24/7 experience that reflects the integrity, heritage and cultural aesthetic of the amazing community of world-class artists that surrounds us.” It was a tall order for commercial radio, which of course works with standard advertising demographics that MCR’s multigenerational appeal renders largely irrelevant. Walker, using a culinary analogy to explain his much more expansive vision for
radio programming, describes Roots Radio as “a musical buffet—an opportunity to try something new alongside established comfort foods,” he says. “Ultimately the palate will mature and adapt to a wider range of flavors and textures.” This approach, which both challenges and encourages listeners to diversify their preferences, is decidedly the path less taken in radio. Profit-driven mainstream radio stations rely on a contemporary, industry chart-based playlist, offering relatively skimpy musical meal plans that are not designed to expand the tastes and cultural horizons of their listeners. Maybe they know what they’re missing, but maybe not. According to a source from Cumulus Media who wished to remain anonymous, the average Top 40 pop or country station rotates a total of about 50 current and emerging new songs, mixing in a handful of recent or vintage hits into its programming day. Roots Radio’s on-air library, meanwhile, is comprised of an almost inconceivable 7,000 songs, according to WMOT executive director Val Hoeppner. “As a National HOEPPNER Public Radio station and part of the NPR Music family we have the freedom to play what we think is good, not what corporate gurus think will sell advertising or move the needle on Nielsen,” says Hoeppner, explaining the critical difference between conventional, airwave-traveling terrestrial radio and the divergent course Roots Radio has taken. Roughly 80 terrestrial U.S. broadcasting stations program a portion of roots-based music. But, Hoeppner notes, WMOT is one of only six full-time, around-the-clock Americana stations in the entire country, occupying the largest radio market among them. Suffice it to say that there’s something very unique going on in—and coming out of—the ’Boro. If your musical diet has gotten a little too predictable, some Americana pie might be just the thing to spice it up.
ALBUMS
BY JOHN CONNOR COULSTON
LASER FLAMES ON THE GREAT BIG NEWS
Laser Flames on the Great Big News
Laser Flames on the Great Big News is a metal band with a long name, longer songs and big ideas. The band features the stylings of John Judkins (guitars, vocals), Stevie Bailey (guitars, vocals) Brian Myers (bass) and James Turk (drums), and this self-titled effort pulls together six tracks over 42 minutes. The quartet crafts a lot of dense, expansive tracks with multiple movements contained within them. While that (and the detailed, poetic lyrics) show that the group puts a ton of effort into their output, it can be daunting for a listener. Tracks 3 through 6 are each over seven minutes in length, so it’s very easy for songs to blur together and for lyrics to be glossed over. That’s why the best moments on this album for me occur during the intro and second track. “Intro” features some haunting guitar lines paired with driving bass. It serves as a precursor to the epic aspects to come. The Judkins-led cut “31 Years” is the most accessible point in the album. Commanding guitar licks lead into blistering and punchy solos. Plus, Bailey’s backup vocals make the song feel large and powerful. The lengthy songs that remain are instrumentally sound and there are some interesting elements that pop up in the midst of the onslaught of highcontext lyrics and movement changes. “Lashes” has some unexpected Americana elements during select parts; “Beloved” features some solid, intense growls and screams towards the tail end of the 11-minute epic; Bailey’s vocals draw some Grace Slick comparisons on the album’s closer, “Flame High.” Laser Flames’ self-titled album is a dense hardrock project made for listeners eager to sink their teeth into something expansive and complex—proceed with caution! The album can be heard digitally on Bandcamp, Spotify, Apple Music, Google Music and Amazon. Physical copies can be found at Media Rerun, 2820 S. Rutherford Blvd. in Murfreesboro.
A CLASSIC OUTSTANDING
KING BRIAN
Reverse the Curse
Brian Brown, a.k.a. King Brian, a multi-talented MTSU grad, has his hands in film, literature, music and other aspects of audio production. Reverse the Curse is his first proper release effort as an R&B singer following a string of one-off tracks uploaded to SoundCloud over the past few years. The six-track EP finds Brian stepping into the vocal spotlight over bass-heavy productions from Nic West and Niles Mack. He tackles a mix of lyrical topics including the pursuit of love, interstellar fantasies, words of inspiration and even some rap wordplay. Reverse the Curse begins with “The Way,” a song all about keeping it positive and persevering. The song is filled with lyrics encouraging the listener to follow his or her dreams, such as: A little motivation mixed with patience / It’s amazing what you can do when you don’t keep these naysayers around you. The second cut is another highlight, “Girls From Other Worlds.” Brian takes the listener on an intergalactic journey to find new loves on Jupiter, Mercury and other celestial bodies. It has some top-notch spacey production behind it, which is fitting for the subject matter. Another high point on the release is the collaboration with Illinois rapper Shane-O entitled “Living My Life.” Brian can be heard flexing his lyrical rap muscle on the song, and he’s got a good flow. It’d be interesting for him to utilize that rapping skill on future releases. The remaining songs take on the lyrical topic of love, but they just don’t fare as well and come off as a bit repetitive, impersonal and somewhat trite. For example, “Something About You” features a generic chorus about “feeling on” a woman and “get(ting) it poppin’.” Reverse the Curse would benefit from some slightly shorter track lengths and maybe some more personal experiences in the lyrics, but it’s a fun listen nonetheless, laced with vocal and musical effects, and King Brian is a nice addition to the young R&B singers coming out of Murfreesboro recently. Reverse the Curse EP is available on Bandcamp, Spotify, iTunes, Google Play and Amazon.
AVERAGE BELOW AVERAGE
AVOID AT ALL COSTS DEAD
Sounds
DARRYL WORLEY’S HITMAKERS AND HARLEYS RETURNS, OCT. 11
Read more about local music at
BoroPulse.com/Category/Music
Hitmakers and Harleys will return for a night of music at Bumpus Harley-Davidson of Murfreesboro on Wednesday, Oct. 11. For years, country star Darryl Worley has performed at Harley-Davidson dealerships across the state to raise money for cancer patients through the Darryl Worley Foundation. Worley, who penned hits such as “Have You Forgotten” and “Awful, Beautiful Life,” will share the stage with other fellow songwriters to perform an acoustic set. For more information, visit darrylworley.com and darrylworleyfoundation.org or contact Angie Bumpus at 615-849-8025. Bumpus Harley-Davidson of Murfreesboro is located at 2250 NW Broad St.
MUSIC NOTES
Old-time buckdancer Thomas Maupin performs with his apprentice Courtney Williams at the 2017 NEA National Heritage Fellowships Concert.
Rutherford County’s Thomas Maupin received a 2017 National Heritage Fellowship from the National Endowment for the Arts. An elegant master of flatfoot buck dancing, Maupin brings his art to old-time music contests and festivals throughout the South. The NEA held an awards ceremony on Sept. 14 at the Library of Congress, followed by a Sept. 15 concert at George Washington University to celebrate the 2017 National Heritage Fellowships. Born in 1938 in rural Eagleville, Tenn., Maupin was surrounded by dancers on both sides of his family. Along with
older relatives and his nine brothers and sisters, he “traded steps” as a child at domestic and community square dances. His maternal grandmother, Will, lived with the family and danced in a flatfoot—often barefoot—unadorned country style. Her influence on Maupin was strong, and today, more than her movement, it is her sound—the metric thud of heel meeting wooden floor—that he remembers. Over his career, Maupin won several national and regional championships in buck dancing, clogging and freestyle dance as well as state championships in Tennessee, Kentucky, Georgia, Alabama and Indiana. In the 2000s, Maupin began a musical partnership with his grandson Daniel Rothwell, an award-winning traditional banjo player. The NEA National Heritage Fellowships recognize the recipients’ artistic excellence and support their continuing contributions to our nation’s traditional arts heritage.
Front (from left): Modesto Cepeda, Eva Ybarra, Anna Brown Ehlers, Dwight Lamb. Back (from left): Chelle Pahinui (accepting on behalf of Cyril Pahinui), NEA Chairman Jane Chu, Norik Astvatsaturov, Phil Wiggins, Thomas Maupin, NEA Director of Folk and Traditional Arts Cliff Murphy, Bucky Halker (accepting on behalf of Ella Jenkins)
12 * OCTOBER 2017 * BOROPULSE.COM
Maupin is presented with a medal in honor from NEA Chairman Jane Chu.
SONS OF THE PIONEERS MAKE MURFREESBORO STOP ON OCT. 26
MAUPIN PHOTOS BY TOM PICH
NATIONAL ENDOWMENT FOR THE ARTS AWARDS THOMAS MAUPIN NATIONAL HERITAGE FELLOWSHIP
Americana group Sons of the Pioneers, the selfproclaimed “Icons of Western Music,” have been performing an original American genre of music for decades. Since staring out in the early 1930s, the faces in this band have changed many times over the years, but the aspirations, talent and sound have all stayed true to the original intention. The Sons have a lengthy list of awards and accomplishments that includes induction into the Western Music Association Hall of Fame and the Grammy Hall of Fame, a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame and membership in the Country Music Association Hall of Fame. Catch this “National Treasure,” as described by the Smithsonian Institute on Thursday, Oct. 26, at the Theater at Patterson Park and in Nashville at the Grand Ole Opry on Friday, Oct. 27. For more information, check out sonsofthepioneers.org.
Sounds
Read more about local music at
BoroPulse.com/Category/Music
BLUEGRASS UNDERGROUND MOVING TO NEW LOCATION NEAR PELHAM
MUSIC NOTES
After nearly a decade at its home 333 feet underground McMinnville, the award-winning series Bluegrass Underground is moving to a new and permanent venue near Pelham, Tennessee. According to founder and producer Todd Mayo, The Caverns will host around 50 shows in 2018 and include more genres and types of performances. “This is a dream come true to find a cave system that expands and improves the live and televised musical experiences of underground performances we have been curating since 2008,” Mayo said in a release. “Our new home at The Caverns will enable us to add infrastructure with permanent power, professional audio and lighting with enhanced food and beverage concessions that have never before been possible, including a longtime request from our patrons: cold beer.” The relocation also benefits the series’ PBS tapings. “In the past, we taped the entire 12-episode season over one weekend due to the difficulty and expense of bringing literally tons of cabling and show gear a quarter-mile into the cave,” said producer Todd Jarrell. “But The Caverns’ permanent infrastructure presents us the flexibility to match calendars with some of the world’s greatest performers.” The acclaimed series launched in 2008 with an inaugural show featuring the SteelDrivers with Chris Stapleton on lead vocals, and has since hosted performers like Jason Isbell, Lee Ann Womack, Leon Russell, Ralph Stanley and Widespread Panic. Performances are currently scheduled in Cumberland Caverns’ Volcano Room throughout the year, with the new venue projected to open in early 2018. Keep up with the upcoming move at bluegrassunderground.com and thecaverns.com. — DYLAN SKYE AYCOCK
NRBQ @ THE HIGH WATT, 10/21 One of the best-kept secrets in all of American music despite spotlight appearances on The Simpsons and word-of-mouth fan transmissions for decades, the mighty NRBQ returns to Nashville on Saturday, Oct. 21, for an 8 p.m. show at The High Watt. The revamped 50-year-old band features founding member and keyboardist Terry Adams, who knits everything from show tunes and novelty fare to left-field jazz and supercharged first-wave rock ’n’ roll into an improbably seamless and off-the-cuff whole with superb support from his bandmates. As longtime followers know, a ’Q show is guaranteed to supply top-notch musicianship, offbeat humor and astonishing diversity, all delivered in an enveloping musical bear hug. — STEVE MORLEY
14 * OCTOBER 2017 * BOROPULSE.COM
Sounds
Read more about local music at
BoroPulse.com/Category/Music
Strung Like A Horse
PHOTO BY VINCENT RICARDEL
fashion they worked their way through a few free shows and bar tabs in local venues until the local “battle of the bands” style competition came up. Having nothing to lose, they submitted and were accepted. Strung didn’t win that competition, but the fiddle player and bassist from the second-place band took notice. As that band began to wane, members began to gravitate toward Strung Like a Horse. It was the fiddler first, then the bass player. Somewhere along the way they attracted a talented but eccentric percussionist. The lineup was complete and a new/old sound was born.
High-energy string band to appear at Hippie Hill’s Fall Fest.
C
STORY BY DYLAN SKYE AYCOCK
hattanooga-based Strung Like a Horse is a high-octane force to be reckoned with—and not just because they play a mean kazoo and know how to have a good time onstage. The group,which first formed loosely nearly a decade ago, is comprised of Clay Maselle (vocals, guitar, mandolin, kazoo), B.J. Hightower (upright bass, harmonies), Eric Crisp (drums, bells) and Paddy King (fiddle). The band has since crafted a sound like no other: think riveting folk-rock with punk-inspired vocals and touches of psychedelic and metal, all of which are brought to life with bluegrass instrumentation. Strung Like a Horse has captured this eclectic blend of styles on two full-length releases, Free and Live at Lindsay St. Catch the band’s tour de force of a live show at Hippie Hill’s Fall Fest, held Oct. 27 and 28. Joining the band are The Broke Strings, Newsome Corbett, Charlie Bonnet and other artists, along with an Elvis impersonator, a costume contest and hay rides. We spoke with B.J. Hightower about Strung Like a Horse’s origin, how bluegrass appeals to all generations and what the they’re working on now:
MURFREESBORO PULSE: How did Strung Like a Horse come to be?
16 * OCTOBER 2017 * BOROPULSE.COM
HIGHTOWER: Well, seven or eight years
ago Clay and Ben and a couple of former members met in Chattanooga. They didn’t care much for traditional bluegrass, and they weren’t all that great at copying other styles of music, but they really dug oddball acts like Split Lip Rayfield and John Hartford. From there, they decided to try and play something loosely resembling bluegrass as fast as they possibly could. It was just for fun at that point. The desire to play out led them to choose a name, so Clay suggested “Strung Like a Horse.” One member immediately quit. In an ad hoc
How would you describe the group’s sound? Strung Like a Horse’s sound is high-energy folk-rock, with hints of psychedelic and metal, sung with punk-inspired vocals and played on, mostly, bluegrass instrumentation. Butch Ross, possibly the best and most innovative mountain dulcimer player in the world, once cleverly noted, “Your music and my music are a lot alike; no matter what you may think you sound like, it’s a lot closer to bluegrass than you think.” Call it bluegrass or fill-in-the-blank-grass or whatever, but it reaches across generations. Toddlers, Millenials, X-ers, Y-ers and Baby Boomers too, there’s something in there for everybody. With so many instruments played among the group, what’s the writing process for new music? We write and rehearse two days a week. Usually, Clay will bring a mostly finished idea and the rest of us will add instrumentation and harmonies. We write collaboratively too. We have our own studio set up to record all our new songs as soon as they are complete enough so that we don’t forget
anything. We write and rehearse in the studio so that we will be comfortable recording. That’s a huge help. We can pop out a demo quickly and send it home with all the members so we can all live with it for awhile. The next time we get together if we want to change it we just record another and the cycle repeats until we’re happy with it. I also really enjoy the videos for “Gypsy Jane” and “Glad.” Talk about the band’s creative process when it comes to music videos. Those videos were a collaboration between Clay Maselle and [cinematographer] Tomas Donoso. We all got together and chose a direction, then Clay and Tomas took over. They write the script, make the story boards, choose locations and locate props. The rest of us and many volunteers assemble to shoot and Tomas films. We also do a thing on Facebook called #toiletseatcovers. We pick a cover song we like and play them in a bathroom somewhere. They’re a lot of fun and really popular. What can people expect when seeing Strung Like a Horse live? A lot of energy right out of the gate. Clever lyrics, ripping solos, mind-blowing fiddling, soaring harmonies and frenzied drumming are all part of the package. Dancey rhythms and loads of dynamics keep it interesting. It’s not just a blazefest. Most first-time fans tell us we are a lot of fun and that they have never seen anything like it. Any new projects in the works? We’re always working on new music. On any given night we will likely break out a new tune. As far as projects go, we have a new album or two in the works. Writing has been really productive this year. We decided to play fewer dates so we could spend more time making new music and it’s paid off in spades. We think they might take us to some new places. Anything else you’d like to add? There’s also top hats, kazoos, a strange gramophone and a chair instrument covered in “found” objects. You’ll have to experience that in person. Find more on Hippie Hill and its Fall Fest at facebook.com/hippiehilltn and facebook.com/hillfolkentertainment; keep up with Strung Like a Horse at strunglikeahorse.com.
Hillfolk Entertainment and Blue Mountain Presents
FALL FEST O . 27 & 28 CT
GAMES • HALLOWEEN CRAFTS COSTUME CONTEST • HAYRIDES • CAMPING FRIDAY
12-5 P . M . N ASHVILLE DJ T RUCK 6-8 P . M . N EWSOME C ORBITT & H ILLFOLK E NTERTAINMENT 9 P . M -12 A . M . S TRUNG L IKE A H ORSE SATURDAY
12-2 P . M . N ASHVILLE DJ T RUCK 3-5 P . M . E LVIS B RAD R OUSE 6-8 P . M . H OO D OO S TREET P REACHER 9 P . M .-12 A . M . C HARLIE B ONNET III Burks Hollow Road / Daddy Green Road (signs posted) For more information, call: 615-796-3697 Email: hippiehilltn@gmail.com
Living
FALL FUN!
Pumpkins, corn mazes and so much more! BY MEREDITH G. WHITE
MORE FALL EVENTS OCT. 13 FALL FESTIVAL Creative Movements partners with Cultural Arts Murfreesboro for a Fall Festival on Friday, Oct. 13, with performances from spoken word artists, live paintings, live music, interactive art and art displays. Enjoy fall treats, apple cider, candy apples and hot cocoa in front of city hall on the Murfreesboro Civic Plaza during the hours of the Boro Art Crawl, 6–9 p.m. For more information, call 615-692-4752.
OCT. 21 FALL KIDS FEST
F
all is here, and with it comes pumpkin everything: candles, lattes, decor and, of course, pumpkin patches, a family tradition almost as sacred to some as going outside to pick out and chop down your own Christmas tree (which my family still does!). Pumpkin patches in the Murfreesboro area offer more than just picking out a pumpkin on which to carve scary faces and designs. At these area attractions, visitors can expect twisting corn mazes, food, games, music and activities for all ages. BATEY FARMS 3250 Wilkinson Pk., Murfreesboro Open 5–11 p.m. Fridays, 11 a.m.–11 p.m. Saturdays, and 12–8 p.m. Sundays through Oct. 29 (weather permitting) This 8th-generation family-owned-and-operated farm offers more than just pumpkins for guests. Explore the sixacre corn maze, let the kids climb up “hay mountain,” paint pumpkins and dive into the corn pits. Take a break and enjoy the food prepared at the concession stand and reserve your spot at their popular fire pits for a night of roasting marshmallows and spending time with family outdoors.
18 * OCTOBER 2017 * BOROPULSE.COM
For more information, call 615-995-6682 or visit bateyfarms.com/corn-maze-pumpkins. WALDEN FARM 8653 Rocky Fork Rd., Smyrna Open 3–6 p.m. Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays, 9 a.m.–6:30 p.m. Saturdays, and 12–4 p.m. Sundays through Oct. 31. This family-run farm offers a little something for everyone! Bring the kids in for pumpkin picking, face painting and rides on the pumpkin train, live music (weekends only), hayrides, corn maze, play areas and more. Enjoy seasonal delights like homemade pumpkin fudge, roasted pumpkin seeds, and hamburgers, hot dogs, funnel cakes and chocolate-dipped cheesecake. Start your Christmas shopping early by visiting the Country Store to buy toys, ceramics, jams and jellies, and wreaths and other arrangements. For more information, call 615-220-2918 or visit waldenfarm.biz. LUCKY LADD FARMS 4374 Rocky Glade Rd., Eagleville Open 10 a.m.–6 p.m. Wednesdays–Saturdays and 12–5 p.m. Sundays through Oct. 29. Try and find your way through the mind-bending Nashville Predators corn maze, find over 10 varieties of pumpkins to choose from, join Spookley the Square Pumpkin during the Fall Family Fun Festival, and don’t miss the sixth annual Pumpkin Princess and Corn Maze King Pageant. Kids— and adults—can also enjoy pony rides, games, hayrides and a petting zoo. Pack a picnic and enjoy lunch in the picnic area in front of the farm gates or enjoy the pizzas, hamburgers, hot dogs and hand-dipped Blue Bell ice cream at the concession stands. For more information, call 615-274-3786 or visit luckyladdfarms.com.
Bring the whole family for entertainment, inflatables, a trackless train and face painting at participating stores throughout The Avenue (2615 Medical Center Pkwy.) for the 11th Annual Fall Kids Fest on Saturday, Oct. 21, from 10 a.m.–2 p.m. in Belk’s rear parking lot along with trick-or-treating from 11 a.m.–1 p.m. After trick-or-treating, stick around for the costume parade at 1 p.m. For more information, call 615-893-4207 or visit theavenuemurfreesboro.com.
OCT. 28 HOWLOWEEN PAWS and Rutherford Recycles team up to host a “Howloween” party from 11 a.m.–1 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 28 at PAWS, 285 John R. Rice Blvd. This includes a pet costume contest, trunk or treat, games and light refreshments. A costume contest begins at 12 p.m. Costumes must be made from reused or recycled materials to be accepted into the contest. First, second and third prize winners will be crowned, with help from guest judge Cecilia Herrell from Channel 3.
OCT. 31 TRICK OR TREAT ON THE SQUARE Visit downtown businesses for the Fifteenth Annual Trick or Treat on the Murfreesboro Square on Tuesday, Oct. 31, from 3–6 p.m. For more information, visit downtownmurfreesboro.com.
OCT. 31 TRICK OR TREAT AT OAKLANDS MANSION Bring your little ghosts and goblins to the doors of the haunting, dimly lit Oaklands Mansion (900 N. Maney Ave.) for trick-or-treating on Tuesday, Oct. 31, from 4 p.m. until all the candy is gone. Free and open to public. For more information, contact 615893-0022 or info@oaklandsmansion.org.
Middle Tennessee Haunts
Spooky attractions to get your pulse pounding. BY JUSTIN STOKES CLARKSVILLE ZOMBIE HUNTERS 3975 Martha’s Chapel Rd., Cunningham, TN 37052 clarksvillezombiehunters.com Price: $24
MEYERS CREEK HAUNTED WOODS 3800 John Bragg Hwy. Murfreesboro, TN 37127 meyerscreekhauntedwood.com Price: $18
CREEPY HOLLOW HAUNTED WOODS 2133 Joe Brown Rd. Spring Hill, TN 37174 creepyhollowwoods.com Price: $25
MILLER’S THRILLERS HAUNTED WOODS 1431 Carters Creek Pk. Columbia, TN 38401 millersthrillers.net Price: $20 per attraction; Combo pass to both attractions – $30
DEVIL’S DUNGEON 510 Davidson St. Nashville, TN 37213 devilsdungeon.net; Price: $18 FULL MOON SLAUGHTERHOUSE 3445 Lebanon Pk. Hermitage, TN 37076 fullmoonslaughterhouse.com Price: $20–$25 (depending on days) HAUNTED HELL CLARKSVILLE 1770 Madison St. Clarksville, TN 37043 Price: $18 HAUNTED HELL NASHVILLE 3930 Apache Tr. Antioch, TN 37013 hauntedhellclarksville.com Price: $18
MONSTER MOUNTAIN 273 McMurtry Rd. Hendersonville, TN 37075 monstermountain.net Price: $20 NASHVILLE NIGHTMARE 1016 Madison Sq. Madison, TN 37115 nashvillenightmare.com Price: $30 (four attractions) PRIEST LAKE HAUNTED WOODS 4001 Bell Rd. Hermitage, TN 37076 nashvillehauntedwoods.com Price: $20–$25 SCREAM CREEK HAUNTED WOODS 1765 Martins Chapel Church Rd. Springfield, TN 37172 honeysucklehillfarm.com Price: $23
PHOTOS BY DIETER SPEARS/ COURTESY NASHVILLE NIGHTMARE
DEAD LAND HAUNTED WOODS 7040 Murfreesboro Rd. Lebanon, TN 37090 deadlandwoods.com Price: Single Trail – $15 Both Trails – $25
BOROPULSE.COM
* OCTOBER 2017 * 19
Living
H
arken, gardeners, and employ the benefits of a cover crop during the winter months. Why? Several reasons: open, bare fields lose nutrients and top soil. As gardeners, we want to keep both. Although cover crops can be used yearround and fill many needs within a small farm or garden system, the primary purpose of a cover crop planting in the fall is to stop soil erosion and minimize water runoff which carries away topsoil. Other reasons for planting a cover crop can include weed control, enhanced soil structure, improved organic matter, reduced soil erosion, a supplied mulch, water conservation, the preservation of soil nutrients and increasing the available nitrogen, which improves plant growth and greenery. The planting time is important for the establishment of an end-of-season cover crop. A study at East Tennessee AgResearch and Education Center confirmed the best time to plant cover crops in this area is in October. The vegetable production is minimal or finished. The seeds planted by mid-October had greater soil coverage than those planted any later. Temperature and precipitation can be more challenging as the fall progresses. November plantings are getting too late for a high germination ratio. A grain/legume planting in early- to mid-October would generate the highest soil coverage until the spring as well as a good nitrogen fix for next year’s garden. The addition of cover crops to a gardening plan furnishes organic matter that will boost soil quality. So although the purpose of your cover crop this fall will be to protect the topsoil that you already have, the additional organic matter tilled and turned into the soil will have the additional benefit of improved soil structure. The tilling and turning should be done before the cover crop flowers in the spring, unless it is buckwheat. Bees love buckwheat. The breakdown of the turned plant material creates spaces and pores within the soil, which improves water retention and overall soil quality. So, you do want to seed thickly to provide for the many benefits. It will look like a greenish brown mulch. The same study compared small grain and legumes being grown individually and as a combination (biculture) in the same
20 * OCTOBER 2017 * BOROPULSE.COM
Farmers Market Education Series BY EDWINA SHANNON
OCT. 10 Tools & Equipment Hacks for Gardeners Mitchell Mote, Extension Agent Get the most out of your yard tools.
OCT. 13 STEAM Festival, Selecting Bulbs and Other Perennials Anthony Tuggle, Extension Agent Select bulbs and perennials for your gardener.
Cover Your Garden Don’t leave it naked during winter months field. There were 36 treatments which included a plot of each plant as a monoculture, all possible legume-grain combinations and a no-crop check plot. Legumes were inoculated with bacteria in order to fix nitrogen. Nitrogen fixation is a process in which inorganic compounds are modified for use as a basic building block for the plant, making nitrogen available for plant growth and greenery. The highest performing individual plots were also the highest performing bicultures. Not surprisingly, the bicultures were more successful in covering the soil. Planting two cover crops together, a grain and a legume, does result in optimum benefits for both. Either rye, triticale (a combination of wheat and rye) or wheat planted with hairy vetch (another nitrogen builder), winter pea or crimson clover (considered a green manure as it can be tilled in at any time) would achieve this goal. Rye breaks up hard soils. It has strong roots and root hairs. The top combinations of bicultures in the study were: 1. Triticale and winter pea; 2. Triticale and crimson clover; 3. Triticale and hairy vetch; 4. Rye and crimson clover; 5. Rye and winter pea (good nitrogen builder); 6. Barley and crimson clover; 7. Rye and hairy vetch; 8. Triticale and red clover; 9. Barley and winter pea. The top combinations were determined by biomass, weed suppression and percent of soil coverage. Covers containing rye did better when planted in late October through November. This
is good to know if you can’t get your cover crop in by mid-October. Not listed here is buckwheat, which I have grown. It is a delicate looking plant that releases phosphorous to the soil. Its roots help to break up the soil. Tilled in, it builds organic matter. As stated before, bees love it. If all else fails, you can cover your garden soil with leaves, straw or pine mulch. Each turns into the soil well in the spring and adds to the porosity and structure of the soil. They can also be added to your compost pile with your untreated grass clippings. FARMERS MARKET AND ARTS FESTIVAL October is the final month for the Farmers Market in the Community Center of UT Extension on John R. Rice Boulevard. Not only are the farmers there, but local crafters are there as well throughout October. Yes! It is the Fall Market/Art Festival 2017. For more information, call 615-898-7710.
Market Class Schedule OCT. 3 Regenerative Agriculture Richard Lee, Certified Master Gardener Improve your soil and crop diversity.
OCT. 6 Healthy DIY Freezer Meals Tiffany Schmidt, Extension Agent Prep now and eat later!
OCT. 17 STEAM Festival, Minimizing Food Waste Misty Layne-Watkins, Extension Agent Save money while identifying ways to reduce food waste.
OCT. 20 STEAM Festival, Flexible Fencing Kim Hall, Extension Agent Learn how to keep small animals out of your garden with flexible electric fencing.
OCT. 24 Selecting High Quality Plants Anthony Tuggle, Extension Agent Learn how to determine, then select highest quality plants for your home and garden.
OCT. 27 Hands-Only CPR, Two Steps to Staying Alive Misty Layne-Watkins, Extension Agent Learning hands-only CPR is an easy and effective way for you to improve the chances of survival of those who suffer cardiac arrest in your vicinity.
OCT. 20 & 27 Fundraiser Lunch There are two fundraising lunch dates for the United Way and the Read to Succeed program. A chili and dessert lunch will be held from 10 a.m. until noon on Friday, Oct. 20, followed by a soup and dessert lunch on Oct. 27. Lunch is $5.
The Pulse Stops Here Planning for Death
N
ational Estate Planning Awareness Week is coming up Oct. 16–22; this week was created in 2008 to promote public awareness of this crucial area of overall financial well-being. According to the National Association of Estate Planners & Councils, it is estimated that over half of all Americans do not have an up-to-date estate plan. It is a popular misconception that estates and estate planning are only needed for extremely wealthy people—this is not true! In the past, many families were driven to estate planning solutions to avoid adverse tax consequence. For example, in 2000, the federal estate tax exemption was only $675,000, but currently in 2017 the exemption for an individual is $5.49 million and $10.98 million for a couple. Regardless of whether you are affected by the federal estate tax or not, you will always need the basics when it comes to estate planning. The basics of estate planning include establishing financial and medical powers of attorneys to make decisions if you cannot, and deciding who will receive your assets, retirement benefits, home or even proceeds from a life insurance policy
WHERE WILL YOU BE BURIED?
Who will receive your possessions ?
What will happen to your kids?
Where do you want to be when you pass ?
WHO WILL CARE FOR YOUR PETS?
Will your family be OK financially ?
Need An Estate Plan? Plan for death now, while there’s time. BY ASHLEY STEARNS upon your death. There are certain documents that you should consider regardless of your health, wealth and age:
1
DURABLE POWER OF ATTORNEY
This authorizes someone to act on
your behalf in the event that you become physically or mentally incompetent and unable to handle financial matters. The person you designate in the durable power of attorney can pay bills, file taxes, direct investments, etc. on your behalf.
2
MEDICAL POWER OF ATTORNEY/DIRECTIVES
These allow you to specify the medical treatments you desire in the event you cannot express your wishes and it appoints someone specifically to make decisions for you.
3
WILL
The will is the core of any estate plan, and it distributes your property as you desire after your death. If you die without a will, then you would be legally deemed intestate and, consequently, disbursements are made according to Tennessee’s intestate laws, which might not align with your wishes. In addition, a will names an executor to manage and settle your estate administration. Additionally, you may also want to include in your will who you desire to care for your children upon your death. There is also the issue of timing and your ability to stipulate when your beneficiaries can access any assets you choose to pass to them. For instance, you may not want a young adult to receive their entire inheritance all at once, and if that is the case, then you definitely need trust planning, particularly if any of your children have special needs. Finally, because wills, trusts and power of attorneys are legal documents, it is
22 * OCTOBER 2017 * BOROPULSE.COM
crucial that they be well written and properly executed under Tennessee Law by a licensed attorney who specializes in this very technical area of the law. In anticipation of National Estate Planning Awareness Week and in an effort to help the people of Murfreesboro better plan for death, the Murfreesboro Pulse, attorney Ashley Stearns and Cultivate Coworking will present a night where area residents can come and consider such issues in a comfortable, casual atmosphere. Held Oct. 12 at Cultivate Coworking, the event is free to attend, but a limited number of spots will be available. Wine and refreshments will be served. Join representatives from Alive Hospice, the Alzheimer’s Association, financial institutions, funeral homes, attorneys, a notary and other death-related organizations. “Powers of attorney and healthcare directives contain important instructions for the last years of life and allow you to name a trusted individual to oversee your care and financial affairs. The consequences of not having these documents in place can be costly and burdensome to your family,” according to Murfreesboro attorney Ashley Stearns. “Additionally, estate planning through wills and trusts is essential and allows you to customize plans for the distribution of your assets, provide for your chosen beneficiaries and choose who will oversee your estate administration.”
THE PULSE STOPS HERE: PLANNING FOR DEATH Thursday, Oct. 12, 2017 6–8 p.m. Cultivate Coworking, 107 W. Lytle St., Murfreesboro TOPICS INCLUDE: Wills Power of Attorney Healthcare Directive Life Insurance Emergency Planning Social Media “Digital Legacy” and more Register for The Pulse Stops Here on EventBrite Ashley D. Stearns is an attorney with Coleman & Stearns, 107 N. Maple St., Murfreesboro, Tennessee. For more information on estate planning, contact her at ashley@colemanstearns.com or 615-848-0088.
Battling Pet Obesity and Keeping Your Dog Fit BY NICHELLE BARRERA
I
n America, pet obesity (specifically, dog obesity) is one of the most prevalent topics discussed while at routine vet checkups. Obesity is becoming a very serious epidemic due to the number of disorders that stem from it. It can lead to issues such as skin disorders, orthopedic diseases and chronic inflammation, kidney dysfunction and diabetes. According to the Association for Pet Obesity Prevention, a study conducted in 2016 conveyed that veterinarians across the country found a staggering 54 percent of dogs were overweight or obese, and 98 percent of veterinarians concluded that obesity is a significant problem and is steadily increasing. So, you may be asking “How much should my pet weigh?” Luckily, there are a few tips and tricks to staying within the desired Body Condition Score. The desired number for all pets, regardless of breed and age, on a scale from 1–9, is a 5. You should be able to easily feel the ribs, without being able to see them. Your dog should exhibit an “hourglass” like figure. There should be a distinct upward slope that follows from their chest upward to their stomach. Think of your dog as giving the appearance of being lean, yet muscled and fit. The first trick is keeping your dog happy, but most importantly healthy. Talk to your veterinarian about a desired caloric intake that your dog should consume. Most feeding guidelines on labels are a generalized recommendation and don’t take into account your dogs’ specific activity level or breed. Don’t forget to include treats into your calorie count. Secondly, be sure and measure out the cups of food. A standard 8-ounce measuring cup is the ideal way to divvy up and serve their food. Also, understand that the total number of cups being fed is for the entirety of the day, not per feeding. Thirdly, provide quality nutrition for 24 * OCTOBER 2017 * BOROPULSE.COM
your animals. A whopping 99 percent of veterinarians agreed that quality nutrition can increase your beloved pets’ life expectancy. Find a dog food that contains the appropriate ratio of protein, fat, and carbohydrates along with high-quality ingredients. Finally, be sure to incorporate at least 30 minutes of exercise for the day.
Art
THEATER
CENTER FOR THE ARTS GETS SCARY WITH CARRIE CENTER FOR THE ARTS PRESENTS Carrie: The Musical, the thrilling musical adaptation of the Stephen King bestselling sensation, Oct. 6–22; this production is rated R for mature content. Carrie: the Musical tells the story of Carrie White, a bullied teenage girl who is pushed
to her limit by her mother and peers, only to discover she has telekinetic powers. “I was definitely one of those kids who was bullied growing up, so I sympathize with Carrie a great deal,” shares Director Matthew Hayes Hunter. “This show so beautifully depicts what high school can really be like. Yes,
we show the bullying. Yes, we show the name calling. Yes, we show the struggles that everyone (including the popular kids) go through that they hide from everyone. Why? Because it’s real. It’s happening. And it is something that needs to be brought to light.” During the run of Carrie, The Center for the Arts will be a drop-off location for new and gently used prom attire on behalf of Archie’s Promise, an organization that makes formal wear affordable for students of all income levels, with none of their attire priced over $50. Low-income and specialneeds students, referred by an educator, can shop free. Archie’s Promise strives to give students a chance to build up their selfesteem and improve their quality of life. Just in time for Halloween thrills, audience members will be just feet away from Carrie’s infamous prom stage scene. This will be a unique theater experience, accord-
ing to Center for the Arts staff. “Our technical director, Renee Robinson, and special effects director, John Frost Jr., are planning some amazing things with lighting and stage magic,” Hunter shares. “Things will be happening all around you . . . as an audience member, this show will be a little more immersive than most, and from the moment you walk in the doors of the theater you will feel like you are at Chamberlain High School on that fateful prom night. And, yes, there will be blood!” Carrie: the Musical shares two weekends with The Center’s midnight productions of The Rocky Horror Picture Show. The Discovery Center will provide entertainment between shows with an onsite DNA extraction lab, where show patrons can extract and view their own DNA. Showtimes for Carrie: the Musical will be 7:30 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays, and 2 p.m. on Sundays, Oct. 6–22. Showtimes for The Rocky Horror Picture Show will be midnight on Oct. 6, 7, 13 and 14. The Center for the Arts is located at 110 W. College St. For tickets or more information, visit boroarts.org.
Art
BORO ART CRAWL CELEBRATES SECOND YEAR ON OCT. 13 WITH LIZ KELLY ZOOK, GINNY TOGRYE, STUDIO TOUR ARTISTS
EVENT
THE OCTOBER BORO ART CRAWL MARKS THE event’s second birthday. It will occur on Friday, Oct. 13 from 6–9 p.m. in establishments in and around the Murfreesboro Public Square. This Crawl will feature Murfreesboro’s 2017 Artist Laureate, Murfreesboro Studio Art Tour artists, bright pop art, and a showing of art in the City Hall rotunda from many different artists focused on work, plus some fun Halloween activities. There’s no better day to start celebrating Halloween than Friday the 13th, so many of the participating businesses will be decorating for the holiday and giving out candy. Also among the offerings is a scavenger hunt. If visitors complete the hunt, their name will be put into a drawing for five prizes, including dinner at Marina’s on the Square. Wild Goose Chase will coordinate this event. Murfreesboro Artist Laureate Ginny Togrye is a sculptural artist who creates three-dimensional paintings that are made to be touched. She chooses subjects like medieval castles, a forest of birch trees, flowers and the intricate root system of a banyan tree. “My sculptural painting technique was developed from my influences as a sculpture minor at university and my love for painting and color,” Togrye says on her website. She will be doing demonstrations at Simply Pure Sweets during the Crawl. Murfreesboro Studio Tour Artists will be showing their work in the former Henry’s Florist building on the corner of Church and Main streets, just up the street from the new Puckett’s Restaurant. Fiber artists, weavers, jewelers, painters and other craftsmen will provide a sampling of the items that will be available for sale during their annual show in November. The Center for the Arts will feature the whimsical, irreverent paintings and prints of pop artist Liz Kelly Zook. Zook labels her work as “ballsy art for the courageous collector.” Using contemporary cultural themes and bright colors, Zook is a little bit Warhol and a little bit Lichtenstein. She states on her website that she chooses to produce pop art because it makes people smile, and “more than any other art, turns spectators into collectors; and collectors into friends.” City Hall Rotunda will host an exhibit called Labor: Perspectives. It features paintings which explore the many definitions of the word “labor,” from slavery to daily work to childbirth. Boro Art Crawl will be celebrating its second birthday in October with the local cable access celebrity from Murphy’s Burrow. Lovingly known as “Murph,” the rabbit hand puppet is the creation of Murfreesboro City School Board member Nancy Phillips. Murph travels the ’Boro exploring what is happening in the area and teaching children about everything from art to zoology. More artists will be hosted by: Bella’s Boutique, Trendy Pieces, Center for the Arts, Concert Productions, Murfreesboro City Hall Rotunda, Jimmy Fox Insurance, L&L Contractors, Vibe Nutrition, VNTG, Earth Experience, Two Tone Gallery, Mayday Brewery, Dreamingincolor, Moxie Art Supply, Quinn’s Merchantile, Sugaree’s, Funtiques, Let’s Make Wine, Simply Pure Sweets, The Boutique at Studio C Photography, Exchange Boutique and The Write Impression. Participating artists in October include: Erin Hartsfeld, Ashley Graham, Jonathan Gardner, Kay Meadows, Katherine McGrath, Nancy Olson, Taryn Simpson, Phil Wagner, Stephen Young, Sandy Claibourne, Michael Barbarieri, Cynthia Sullivan, William Slinkard, Jamie LaBo, Rayne Counts, Beth Moore, Charity Snook, Diane Marcella, Amanda Crawford Brown, David Collier, Karlie Tankersley, Noelle Dederer, Ashley Wilkerson, Jamie Whitlow, Jamie Gavel and Jacob Yandel.
RETURNS OCT. 13
Top, clockwise: “Flare” by Amanda Crawford Brown; “Galaxy” by Dedra Bledsoe; “Trippin” by Selena Hyzer; “Betty and Al” by by Stephen Young; “Porcelin Memory” by Jacob Yandle
For more information about the Boro Art Crawl, visit boroartcrawl.com or facebook.com/boroartcrawl. A map of the crawl locations will be available on line a few days before the event on these websites or at each participating location on the night of the crawl.
28 * OCTOBER 2017 * BOROPULSE.COM
Art
ďƒ¨ EXHIBITS
RHINOVIRUS PAINTS CUSTOM PULSE NEWSRACKS The Rhinovirus (a.k.a. Ryan Frizzell) recently provided some custom paint jobs for three Murfreesboro Pulse newsracks. In creative Rhinovirus fashion, the three racks contain a vast array of vibrant colors, with subject matter including tentacles, a robot, Johnny Cash with a kitten, fish, geometry, splatters and, just for good measure, the solar system. Pick up a Pulse from one of these works of art; they are located outside of the United Grocery Outlet at the Broad and Church intersection, on the Murfreesboro Public Square near Two-Tone Tattoo and outside of CNG Wine & Spirits on Rutherford Boulevard. View more work from The Rhinovirus at facebook.com/therhinovirus.
30 * OCTOBER 2017 * BOROPULSE.COM
Photo by Norman Mauskopf, Chantilly, France, 1987
CONSTELLATION: FIFTEEN FINE ART PHOTOGRAPHERS ON DISPLAY AT MTSU BALDWIN GALLERY THROUGH OCT. 20 The Baldwin Gallery at MTSU will host the photo exhibition Constellation: Fifteen Fine Art Photographers through Oct. 20. The traveling exhibition features internationally acclaimed Obscura Gallery artists. Obscura Gallery, based in Santa Fe, New Mexico, features work from artists who represent photography in a new and unique way, taking from or adding to many of the 19th and 20th century processes on which the medium was built. The Baldwin Gallery is located in the MTSU Bragg Media and Entertainment Building. For more information, (615) 898-2085 or visit baldwinphotogallery.com.
Photo by Debbie Fleming Caffery, Davitus, North Carolina, 1999
Photo by KurtMarkus
ďƒ
CENTER FOR THE ARTS SCHEDULING 2018 GALLERY ARTS SERIES Area artists interested in staging an art exhibit at the Murfreesboro Center for the Arts in 2018 may apply to do so. The Center will accept applications for artists to display during its 2018 gallery arts series through Nov. 1. Artists featured at the Center in 2017 include Carol Berning, Mikey Winsor, Liz Kelly Zook, Karen Brackman, Joyce Cummins, Alexius Frost and others. For more information on submitting art to be considered for exhibition at the Center for the Arts, visit boroarts.org/gallery. The Center for the Arts is located at 110 W. College St.
Art
Murfreesboro poet Kerri French will appear at Southern Festival of Books with her new book, Every Room in the Body, winner of the 2016 Moon City Poetry Award. Here is a poem from that book, one which also appeared in the BOAAT Online Journal of Poetry:
POETRY
Kerri French and many other poets and writers to gather at
Southern Festival of Books BY KORY WELLS TO PARAPHRASE MARK TWAIN’S famous quote about his misreported demise, the idea that poetry is dead is most definitely an exaggeration. Murfreesboro has a thriving poetry community, much of which has come out of the shadows in the past year for a monthly event called Poetry in the Boro. A diverse group of people come to hear featured poets and share at the open mic everything from spoken word to sonnets. Unless you had a very hip English teacher, this is not your English teacher’s poetry event. We aren’t counting stressed syllables or checking your slant rhymes or asking you to analyze what a poem means—we’re simply experiencing the delight of listening to language, and support-
32 * OCTOBER 2017 * BOROPULSE.COM
ing each other in our artistic expression. Now that I’ve built it up, I have to break the news that there is no Poetry in the Boro in October, because so many of our regulars are heading to Nashville Oct. 13–15 for the Southern Festival of Books: A Celebration of the Written Word. This free event, now in its 29th year, features over 200 authors of all genres who participate in readings, book signings, and panel discussions. Take a look at the lineup and schedule for the weekend at humanitiestennessee.org. This is one of my favorite events of the year. Murfreesboro poet Kerri French is scheduled to appear with her new book, Every Room in the Body, in a session with three other poets from 3:30 until 5 p.m. on
FRENCH
Saturday. Many beloved poets from Middle Tennessee and beyond are on the schedule, including Middle Tennesseans Bill Brown, Jeff Hardin and Ciona Rouse, Nashville native Kamilah Aisha Moon, Mississippi poet laureate Beth Ann Fennelly and Oxford American senior editor Rebecca Gayle Howell. Also check out Chuck Beard in conversation with performance poet Minton Sparks, discussion by Tony Gonzalez and Joshua Moore on the new Nashville-based poetry podcast, Versify, and much more.
To Bring Milk Anyway by Kerri French It seemed cruel of the body to bring milk anyway, having been told the baby may not survive. But still, my breasts grew heavy from the cries of children not my own. What use do we have for the stars on nights the ocean can’t be heard? For a few hours, I let the milk gather beneath my shirt as I sat by the window, the sky a ledge from which I imagined others jumped.
MOVIES
OCTOBER RELEASES Playing This Month
OCT. 6 The Mountain Between Us OCT. 6 The Crucifixion OCT. 6 Blade Runner 2049
OCT. 13 Marshall OCT. 13 Goodbye Christopher Robin
OCT. 13 Professor Marston and the Wonder Women
OCT. 20 Jungle OCT. 20 Wonderstruck OCT. 20 Leatherface OCT. 20 Geostorm
OCT. 27 Suburbicon OCT. 27 Jigsaw
Movies
second acts, and until the third act I was on the edge of my seat loving every second of this film. Jennifer Lawrence, Javier Bardem, Ed Harris, Michelle Pfeiffer and Domhnall Gleeson are all fantastic. But then Mother! got weird. This is not my first rodeo with a Darren Aronofsky film. His films are out there. But Mother! is out there even for him. Aronofsky abandons all semblance of sanity and, unfortunately, loses me in the process. He abandons claustrophobia for over-the-top, borderline unnecessary shock value. People say this ending is beautiful be-
cause of its ambiguity. It’s up to the viewer to decipher it, and there are already a lot of opinions out there about the statement Aronofsky is trying to make. Because of this I think Mother! is destined for cult status. I don’t mind having to figure things out in a movie, but there’s a limit for me and we found said limit here. However, if you’re the kind of person who’s fed up with the constant barrage of Hollywood sequels and reboots and are looking for something unique, creative and new that a big studio actually put some money behind, Mother! is for you. I would strongly advise watching some of Aronofsky’s previous work before jumping into this one, and make sure you’ve seen The Fountain before you watch this film, because Mother! definitely operates on Fountain rules. Finally, I think there’s a chance this film gets a few shout-outs from the Academy when January rolls around. There’s potential here for Hollywood’s favorite poster child, Jennifer Lawrence, to receive another Oscar nomination for acting. Also look for potential nominations in set design and cinematography. — JOSEPH KATHMANN
to go overlooked in the northwest town of Derry, except by Georgie’s older brother Bill and his friends the Losers Club, a band of foul-mouthed and bullied misfits who all start seeing visions of a mysterious scary clown. Bill Skarsgård’s portrayal of Pennywise is unsettling and memorable (it must run in the family), with a childlike quality that makes his It extra creepy even without the quick-shuffle, shaky-head walk, or the overused, overloud sound cues. Some of It’s incarnations of fear, however, are even
better, notably the pus-oozing, club-footed leper that terrorizes the hypochondriac of the group. It succeeds largely as a horror movie, but it’s the camaraderie of its young protagonists that elevate It to greatness. Derry and the Losers Club are quintessential Steven King, a sepia-toned suburban town and its crass and charismatic kids beset upon by monsters both real and imaginary. Up against the constant threat of violent bullies, varying degrees of terrible parents (as a point, there’s not a single good adult in the movie), and an actual demonic clown trying to kill them, the seven children are constantly cracking wise in the crude way only kids can, like they’re taking every new cuss out for a test drive to find their favorite. (Stranger Things’ Finn Wolfhard is a standout, though there’s not a bad apple in the bunch.) It’s one of my favorite genres, from The Goonies to another excellent Stephen King adaptation, Stand By Me. As a dark, cartoonish adventure that hits all the right notes, It easily earns a spot on that list. — JAY SPIGHT
MOTHER! DIRECTOR Darren Aronofsky STARRING Jennifer Lawrence,
Javier Bardem, Ed Harris, Michelle Pfeiffer, Brian Gleeson RATED R
Mother! is a tough film for me to review. The critic (and I still use that word loosely) in me sees this film and thinks “Wow. That was another spectacular Darren Aronofsky film. I wonder what it meant? I need to sit here and do nothing but think about this film for the foreseeable future.” While the casual moviegoer in me keeps it simple, saying “What the f *** did I just watch?” So, which voice do I listen to? Let’s go on that journey together. I love how this film is shot. Yes, we’re leading with cinematography here. The entire film is shot from Jennifer Lawrence’s perspective, which leads to a discombobulating experience when the film kicks it up to eleven, but it’s a unique and interesting way to shoot a film. It’s as if Aronofsky
saw Hardcore Henry and said, “I see what you’re doing, now let me just make it, well, infinitely better.” In addition to shooting this film from Lawrence’s POV, most of the film is shot with headshots and over the shoulders (a la Les Mis, but also better). The entire film is also shot inside a single location. That means the film needed to nail the set design, and nail it they did. Thanks to some great sound as well, the house almost feels like a character in and of itself. All of this conveys a powerfully claustrophobic feel—at least early on. The tension is there, particularly in the first and
IT DIRECTOR Andy Muschietti STARRING Jaeden Lieberher, Sophia
Lillis, Finn Wolfhard RATED R
The latest adaptation of Stephen King’s famous novel It could have felt like an unwanted cash-grab remake, another infinitely forgettable Total Recall (2012) starring Colin Farrell, or a Point Break (2015) starring Some Guy and Who? Like both of those time-wasters, there is already an iconic version of It from the early nineties; the television miniseries It (1990) starring the inimitable Tim Curry as Pennywise the clown created an entire generation of coulrophobes. While the rest of the miniseries may not hold up today, Curry’s Pennywise certainly does, yet here I type, 27 years later, crowning a new king of the clowns.
The difference maker is the R-rating, allowing director Andy Muschietti to take King’s tale of horror to darker and more gruesome places. The opening scene boldly announces the film’s intentions. Perfectly capturing the ennui of a rainy weekend afternoon, young Georgie loses his paper boat down a drain. When Pennywise pops his head up to give Georgie the boat back, the film pulls no punches as Pennywise violently drags Georgie down with him. The disappearance of Georgie and other kids seems
A CLASSIC
34 * OCTOBER 2017 * BOROPULSE.COM
OUTSTANDING
AVERAGE
BELOW AVERAGE
AVOID AT ALL COSTS
DEAD
LIVING ROOM CINEMA column by NORBERT THIEMANN
facebook.com/livingroomcinema
Haunting Legends Some of the best horror films are based on haunting legends. Here are just a few for your viewing pleasure.
Ghost House (2017) is directed by Rich Ragsdale. In Thailand, tiny houses are literally erected for spirits to dwell in. Newly released on streaming services, Ghost House explores the consequences when outsiders unknowingly disturb the natural order. The movie is dynamic with different moods, offering an absolute visual feast among its many scares. Candyman (1992) is directed by Bernard Rose. Be careful what you wish for and dare to summon— the resurrection of the legendary Candyman is set into motion by an overconfident academic. Legend has it that a former slave was viciously killed by an angry mob, and his spirit is dead set on revenge. This one has a lot to offer in a singular package. The Blair Witch Project (1999) is directed by Daniel Myrick and Eduardo Sanchez. Thought to be loosely based on Tennessee’s legend of the Bell Witch, The Blair Witch Project is presented as a found footage documentary. A group of college students enter the woods to try and film the legend they seek. This original concept of filming inspired many movies to come.
Food
Read more about local restaurants at
BoroPulse.com/Category/Food
sandwiches and gives you several specialty options from which to choose. The cheese pizza, generously topped with Italian seasoning, is a great place to start for new patrons, but it’s just as tempting to order one of the specialty pizzas or calzones. Some of those pizzas include Texas fajita (chicken, avocado, jalapeños, cheddar cheese, red onions), brunch (ham, bacon, scrambled eggs), The Boro (basil, sun-dried tomatoes, feta and garlic), as well as standard offerings like buffalo chicken, Hawaiian and Greek. Another draw for Ahart’s is their pizza moon, or a stuffed pizza served calzone style, which can be ordered with the same ingredients as the specialty pizzas.
SAL’S PIZZERIA Pizza with chicken, spinach and artichokes from Luca’s Pizzeria
Murfreesboro Area
PIZZA ROUNDUP
Your guide to find the best local pie. STORY BY DYLAN SKYE AYCOCK AS FAR AS CROWD-PLEASING FOODS GO, PIZZA IS ONE OF THE TOP contenders. Not only are pizzas completely customizable, but it’s also easy to find a pie that suits any budget or taste, if you know where to look. From thick, thin, pan, stuffed or glutenfree crusts to cheese, pepperoni, veggie or meat lovers toppings, pizza is a go-to option during sporting events, at parties, for lunch or dinner—and sometimes breakfast, too, if any leftovers survive in the fridge. Murfreesboro is home to more than 40 restaurants serving up pizza, from a few family-owned establishments to the faithful chains. Although we no longer have places like La Bella, Mr. Nick’s, Fox’s Pizza Den and Bruno’s Pizza, the city has welcomed many new names within the past year including Uncle Maddio’s Pizza, Donato’s Pizza and BoomBozz Craft Pizza and Tap House (coming soon). Despite the ease of ordering pizza online and having it delivered within the hour, we at the Pulse often love a slice (or three!) from one of the many local pizzerias. Check out some of our favorites below, as well as a full list of where to find fantastic pies across town:
AHART’S PIZZA GARDEN 2476 Old Fort Pkwy., 615-494-9797 Sat.–Thurs.: 11 a.m.–9 p.m.; Friday: 11 a.m.–10 p.m. Individual pizza: $7.99 and up; Pasta: $9.50–11; Calzones: $8.99 Ahart’s Pizza Garden, originally owned and operated by Randy and Bonita Ahart, 36 * OCTOBER 2017 * BOROPULSE.COM
experienced a change in ownership in early 2014. Since the swap, owners Kerri and Jim Ter-Mors have spruced up the indoor and outdoor dining spaces with new booths, added patio games and lined the walls with local high school sports decor. As for the menu, this pizzeria takes standard items like pizza, pasta, salad and
536 N. Thompson Ln., D 615-956-7531 Mon.–Thurs.: 10 a.m.–10 p.m.; Fri.–Sat.: 10 a.m.-11 p.m.; Sun., 10 a.m.–9 p.m.; Cheese pizza: $10.50 and up; Pasta: $10 and up Murfreesboro almost lost one of its most beloved pizza joints in 2013 when Sal’s closed its South Church Street location. However, the family-owned pizzeria reopened two years later at The Oaks Shopping Center on North Thompson Lane and has been serving New York-style pizza ever since. Sal Oliveri, the restaurant’s original owner, died late last year, but his legacy and recipes live on. Oliveri’s upbringing in Sicily gifted him the craft of pizza making, a trade he put to use upon moving to New York City. Before deciding on toppings, choose between pizza-by-the-slice or a whole pizza served either hand-tossed round or Sicilian. There’s never a bad time to visit Sal’s during business hours, but there’s an all-you-caneat lunch buffet offered every day from 11 a.m. until 2 p.m. for $8.99. The menu extends far beyond pies with various appetizers, pasta, paninis, calamari and desserts.
Nonna (Italian for grandmother) makes it,” they take pride in saying. The garlic knots are a big hit here, and it is also important to note Luca’s offers gluten-free crust, an item noticeably missing from many pizza locales around town. Because tables are limited inside, Luca’s operates primarily as takeout and delivery (up to five miles away).
SPOOKY’S PIZZA 5995 Lebanon Rd., 615-217-5000 Mon.–Thurs.: 4–8 p.m.; Fri.–Sat.: 11 a.m.–9 p.m.; Sun.: 12–8 p.m. Specialty pizzas: $15.99 & up; Burgers: $7.50 & up; spookyspizzatn.com Just in time for the scariest month of the year, you can find unique options at Spooky’s Pizza. Its ghoulishly-named menu items lend a hand to its “spooky” aesthetic with Skin ’n’ Bones, a pizza with black olives, bell peppers and onions, or Zombie Feast, a pizza with meatballs, pepperoni, Canadian bacon, sausage and bacon. Hell Cheeses Over is loaded with cheese, beef, bacon and onions. While chains typically use skim-milk cheese, all pizzas at Spooky’s are made with 100 percent whole-milk mozzarella. And if for some reason you’re not in the mood for pizza, Spooky’s offers several burger options, wings and more.
Pizzas of the ’Boro AHART’S PIZZA GARDEN 2476 Old Fort Pkwy. 615-494-9797
BJ’S RESTAURANT & BREWHOUSE 2455 Medical Center Pkwy. 615-956-2560
THE BOULEVARD BAR & GRILLE 2154 Middle Tennessee Blvd. 615-624-8002
LUCA’S PIZZERIA
CHUCK E. CHEESE
2658 New Salem Rd., 615-900-1045 Mon.–Thurs., 11 a.m.–9 p.m.; Fri.–Sat., 11 a.m.–10 p.m.; Closed Sunday 12-in. cheese: $10; 12-in. Sicilian: $11.99; garlic knots (dozen): $4.99 Sal’s isn’t the only place you can find New York-style in the ’Boro, as Luca’s Pizzeria also specializes in thin-crust. While Luca’s doesn’t stray too far from the normal offerings, the food tastes fresh and homemade, “just like
1720 Old Fort Pkwy., 615-217-8842
CICI’S 710 Memorial Blvd. STE 220 615-867-4424
DJ’S PIZZA & STEAK HOUSE 805 W. Main St., Woodbury 615-563-2821 CONTINUED ON PAGE 38
BOROPULSE.COM
* OCTOBER 2017 * 37
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 36
DOMINO’S
Clockwise: Donato’s mushroom pizza; pepperoni and cheese from Sal’s Pizzeria buffet; and “The Editor’s Pick” a custom creation with various meats and veggies, from Your Pie.
1515 Warrior Dr. 615-890-0893 118 N. Baird Ln. 615-896-0028 235 MTCS Rd. 615-890-2602 115 Enon Springs Rd. W., Smyrna 615-459-0041
DONATOS 3284 Franklin Rd. 615-900-5500
GONDOLIER 219 NW Broad St. 615-396-8484
PIZZA INN
1624 New Salem Rd. 615-907-9998 1208 E. Northfield Blvd. 615-895-9755
2395 New Salem Rd. 615-900-1751
MARINA’S ON THE SQUARE 125 N. Maple St. 615-849-8881
MELLOW MUSHROOM 2955 S. Rutherford Blvd., 615-890-8898
MILANO II 114 E. College St. 615-624-7390
ROMA PIZZA & PASTA 1728 W. Northfield Blvd., 615-890-4611 1621 Middle Tennessee Blvd., 615-890-0615 587 S. Lowry St. Smyrna 615-223-6020
SAL’S PIZZERIA 536 N. Thompson Ln. 615-956-7531
SALVO’S PIZZA 701 President Pl., Smyrna 615-220-6030
HUNGRY HOWIES
NOBODY’S GRILLE & BBQ
2015 Lascassas Pk. 615-900-3971
2227 Old Fort Pkwy. 615-962-8019
SAM’S SPORTS BAR & GRILL
JET’S
OLD CHICAGO
1720 Old Fort Pkwy. 615-904-6464
2975 S. Rutherford Blvd., 615-890-1214 4167 Franklin Rd. 615-904-7277 3325 Memorial Blvd. 615-896-5550
1835 Old Fort Pkwy. 615-225-3200
SAUCE
PAPA JOHN’S
2858 S. Church St. 615-624-8258
JONATHAN’S GRILLE 2911 Medical Center Pkwy. 615-410-7960
LITTLE CAESAR’S 2962 S. Rutherford Blvd., 615-890-6600 2932 Old Fort Pkwy. 615-904-1800 1811 Memorial Blvd. 615-896-6600 1880 Almaville Rd, Smyrna, 615-355-9901
LA TAVOLA 114 Front St., Smyrna 615-984-4771
LIONS PIZZA DEN 113 N. Cannon St. Woodbury 615-563-1212
LUCA’S PIZZERIA 2658 New Salen Rd. 615-900-1045
38 * OCTOBER 2017 * BOROPULSE.COM
MARCO’S
1741 S. Rutherford Blvd. 615-896-7272 2441 Old Fort Pkwy. 615-849-3700 2365 Memorial Blvd. 615-890-7272
PAPA MURPHY’S 3183 S. Church St. 615-439-6199 2706 Old Fort Pkwy. 615-867-6588 2445 Memorial Blvd. 615-895-5335
PIE FIVE PIZZA
SIR PIZZA 110 Barfield Crescent Rd., 615-890-8989 1902 E. Main St. 615-893-2111 3219 Memorial Blvd. 615-890-9798
SPOOKY’S PIZZA 5995 Lebanon Rd. 615-217-5000
STATION GRILL 2053 Lascassas Pk. 615-295-2583
450 Sam Ridley Pkwy., Smyrna, 615-984-7607
SUB STOP
PIZZA HUT
UNCLE MADDIO’S
1114 Mercury Blvd. 615-896-0657 2438 S. Church St. (615) 898-0996 2575 Old Fort Pkwy. 615-217-7557 1718 Memorial Blvd. 615-898-0100 812 Nissan Dr. Smyrna 615-459-3759
125 Wendlewood Dr. 615-217-4044
306 W. Vine St. 615-546-4656
YOUR PIE 1970 Medical Center Pkwy. 615-396-8925
AROUND TOWN ’BORO BUSINESS BUZZ
Catfeine Looking for a Furr-ever Home; Green Dragon Brewery and Other Business News
MURFREESBORO CAT CAFÉ IS LOOKING FOR A FOREVER HOME It’s launched a Facebook page (facebook. com/murfreesborocatcafe) looking to drum up support and find a place to locate the café. To be named CATFEINE, the café is slated to open in spring 2018. Cat cafés originated in Taiwan in 1998 and grew into a phenomenon in Japan. The cafés allow visitors to cuddle with a kitty while enjoying coffee. Catfeine also plans to partner with Rutherford County PAWS and animal rescues to place homeless cats with new families.
BY MICHELLE WILLARD LET’S GO TO THE MOVIES Murfreesboro’s oldest movie theater is now under new management. PREMIERE 6 in Jackson Heights Plaza is now owned by Dave Gober. Celebrating its 50th anniversary, the theater opened in March of 1967 as Martin Theater. As a special October surprise, it will screen a late-night showing of Friday the 13th on, when else, Friday, Oct. 13. They have partnered with DEAD LAND HAUNTED WOODS to give discount tickets to those who go to the movie after the haunted forest. Stones River Mall’s new theater OVATION CINEMA GRILL is underway. Crews have demolished the food court and space formerly occupied by Books-a-Million. In 2016, the mall’s parent company, the Sterling Organization, announced plans to build a standalone movie theater. The 1,000-seat theater will feature fullservice dining with seat-side service. NOM, NOM, NOM Doughnut lovers will have another reason to rejoice in Murfreesboro. In addition to all our great local options, a red “hot doughnuts now” sign could flash soon on Medical Center Parkway. Yes, a KRISPY KREME is planned, SEC Inc. Project Engineer Matt Taylor told the Murfreesboro Planning Commission on Sept. 20. The SEC-designed site plan was filed in late August, but delayed to the September meeting after city staff asked for more time to review it. Murfreesboro Principal Planner Margaret Ann Green said Krispy Kreme was withdrawn for now but it will return along with plans for apartments called DWELL WELL VINTAGE GATEWAY. Both are part of plans for Robert Rose Village East, 10 mixed-use lots on 32.9 acres adjacent to the multi-tenant complex that incorporates 40 * OCTOBER 2017 * BOROPULSE.COM
The Chop House. Robert Rose Village East would also be home to a hotel and bank as proposed. THE GREEN DRAGON PUB AND BREWERY recently got its license to brew
beer and owner Joe Minter didn’t waste a second whipping up his first batch of brown ale on Sept. 22. Beer brewed on-site will be available in the near future, but until then Minter has added Inner Sanctum IPA by Mayday Brewery to the beer menu at the pub. I know it’s in La Vergne, but that’s no reason not to note that Middle Tennessee’s first TACO JOHN’S opened Monday, Sept. 25. Larry Lavigne, co-owner of Excellent Taco LLC, a franchisee of Taco John’s, explained the restaurant offered fast casual
Mexican fare with a focus on fresh, highquality ingredients with bold flavors. Taco John’s hours are 7 a.m.–10 p.m. Monday through Saturday and 8 a.m.–10 p.m. Sunday. Breakfast will be served until 11 a.m. daily; it is located at 5068 Murfreesboro Rd., La Vergne. UBER has expanded its food delivery
service to Murfreesboro. It’s been about a year since the service debuted in Nashville and Uber has added about 20 Murfreesboro restaurants to its list. “The UberEATS app is free to download and has been built specifically to make getting great food as easy as getting a ride. Murfreesboro residents can open the UberEATS app or head to UberEATS.com, order food from a great restaurant, and have it delivered at Uber speed,” company repre-
sentative Evangeline George said recently. Delivery is restricted to the area included by Interstate 840, Veterans Parkway, Joe B. Jackson Parkway, Thompson Lane, and just beyond South Rutherford Boulevard in some areas near MTSU. COSTCO IS(N’T) COMING The Murfreesboro Planning Commission was very busy in September, but one thing they haven’t gotten word about is a COSTCO. Rumors have been circulating for awhile that a Costco is planned for the ’Boro, but Green said the Murfreesboro Planning Department has not received any plans for the big box retailer. But there is always hope. Plans for the Northfield Crossing shopping center, which will house the new CLIMB MURFREESBORO (see last month’s column) were also approved at the September meeting. C&R COMMERCIAL CENTER, as pro-
posed, is a 34,800-square-foot, multi-tenant neighborhood shopping center with a self-storage component. It will be situated on Veterans Parkway near The Cloister subdivision. The planners are also reviewing a commercial development called Marketplace at Savannah Ridge on South Church across Joe B. Jackson from Walmart. The lot will be considered for rezoning from Planned Commercial Development to Planned Unit Development because the new plans include a small residential piece. CONTINUED ON PAGE 42
AROUND TOWN ’BORO BUSINESS BUZZ
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 40 CLOSED TO BUSINESS To little surprise, BOBO CHINESE RESTAURANT closed in early September. The restaurant on Northwest Broad Street was one of the first Asian restaurants in Murfreesboro. But as options increased, traffic and quality decreased at Bobo, resulting in its closing. (Remember, FAR EAST is still offering its sweet, sweet tea and habit-forming fried rice.) Another Murfreesboro landmark, STEVE’S ANTIQUE AND PAWN on the Square, is going out of business. According to CB Arnett’s From Mink Slide to Main Street, Steve Davis opened his business in 1984. EL RINCON has also closed. The authentic
Mexican restaurant wasn’t open long, but the homemade tortillas were delicious. Let’s have a momentito of silencio for El Rincon.
TEMPT nightclub on West Main Street
has closed and building has been placed for sale.
The Planning Department has received plans for a CARMAX SUPERCENTER and C&R Commercial Center. CarMax has passed its initial design review with a few comments from city staff. Once those comments are addressed, it will need a final design approval by the Planning Commission. The car lot is planned for the corner of Manson Pike and Bill Smith Drive in The Gateway.
On the bright side, El Rincon will be replaced by PUPUSARIA SALVADORENA at the Rutherford Boulevard space. A pupusa a traditional dish from El Salvador and Honduras. The dish is a thick corn tortilla stuffed
with a savory filling, typically accompanied by spicy coleslaw. Needless to say, they are delicious. THE SCORE announced in a Facebook
post that it has closed its retail store at 1312 Memorial Blvd., in Murfreesboro. The shop was more than PC and video game repair. It also provided a LAN center for multi-player gaming. The repair shop will relocate to iGeek on South Church Street, Score management posted. It will continue to sell on eBay and use its Facebook page to advertise those sales. After a few years of bringing electronic music and more to downtown Murfreesboro,
ELEMENTS UNDER NEW OWNERSHIP David and Patti Fedak purchased ELEMENTS MASSAGE of Murfreesboro in April of 2017, and will hold a ribbon cutting and grand reopening for Elements Massage at 4 p.m. on Monday, Oct. 9. David has been a business owner in Murfreesboro for over 26 years and currently owns ONU Salon, an Aveda salon located at the Avenue. Patti has over 20 years in banking serving the Middle Tennessee community as public relations, marketing, business development, lending and retail banking strategist. Former Elements owner Andrea Gibson has relocated to Indianapolis where she has taken a position with the U.S. Department of Defense. Elements Massage is located at the Shops of Murfreesboro, 533 N. Thompson Ln. The Oct. 9 event will include food, gift bags and giveaways for massage sessions and other prizes and gift certificates. For more, visit facebook.com/elementstherapeuticmassagemurfreesboro. WINGAPALOOZA HOT WING COMPETITION TO BENEFIT ENDURE ATHLETICS Area restaurants will compete for honor and prestige as they seek to earn the title
CORRECTIONS CORNER Last month, I reported that TACO GARAGE, which will open in the former Pei Wei location on Medical Center Parkway, was a franchise of an Austin, Texas-based restaurant. It isn’t. Taco Garage will be locally owned and operated by Cindy Story and her husband. The couple developed the menu for the fast-casual concept that will focus on tacos, fresh, house-made tortillas, French fries with queso, and a bar with draft beer and margaritas. The atmosphere will be completed by classic rock music.
42 * OCTOBER 2017 * BOROPULSE.COM
of “Best Wings in the Boro” at WINGAPALOOZA, held Sunday, Oct. 15, at Mayday Brewery. Competing restaurants include Blue Note Whiskey Bar, Coconut Bay Cafe, Helen’s Hot Chicken, Jefferson’s Restaurant, My Roots Curbside Culinary, Pizza Inn, Sam’s Sports Grill, Slick Pig and The Alley on Main. With a $10 admission cost, patrons to Wingapalooza receive free wing samples from participating Murfreesboro restaurants and entertainment from local musicians. Other activities include a wingeating contest and raffles; Mayday Beer will be available for purchase. All proceeds from paid admissions and raffles will be donated to Endure Athletics, a Murfreesboro nonprofit organization that
provides homeless children and youth a fee-free, safe, structured and encouraging environment to participate in fitness, athletics, literacy and Christ centered mentorship. Endure offers an after-school program, a Saturday program, a summer camp and other special events and activities for Murfreesboro’s youth. Wingapalooza will run from 11 a.m. through 4 p.m. on Sunday, Oct. 15 at Mayday Brewery, located at 521 Old Salem Rd. For tickets, visit merchantencore.com/events. If you have a tip about a new business coming to town, an old one closing or any other Murfreesboro business news, contact Michelle @michwillard on Twitter or michelle.willard @gmail.com.
Just After PCC Lawsuit Settlement, Rutherford County Faces Another Involving Suspended License Cycle The
STOCKARD REPORT BY SAM STOCKARD
Rutherford County really skated on a $14.3 million probation services lawsuit settlement. It’s not often you can hire someone to run a probation scam for years, then get paid for it. Apparently, County Attorney Josh McCreary and County Mayor Ernest Burgess did a great job pleading their case. As it turns out, Providence Community Correction, now owned by California-based Molina Healthcare, which is out of the probation business, will pay $14 million in the class-action lawsuit and send $350,000 to Rutherford County. In turn, the county must put $300,000 into a settlement fund for thousands of people victimized by the probation profiteering, which means it has $50,000 left over—maybe for a big party. The lawsuit contended indigent probationers were caught in a system designed to “extract” as much money from them as possible “through a pattern of illegal and shocking behavior,” often keeping them on probation for years and paying thousands of dollars in fines and fees, even after they paid the initial costs. Washington, D.C.-based Equal Justice Under Law filed the lawsuit in late 2015, but attorney Alec Karakatsanis split from that firm and carried the case to completion with Civil Rights Corps. How they’re going to find all the people who got ripped off is another question. Victims are supposed to be notified by mail, but anyone who’s been on and off probation for the past six or seven years has probably held about 10 different addresses by now, including 940 New Salem Hwy. Good luck. When this privatized probation came about, Rutherford County didn’t pay PCC or the former company. Instead, the vendor made its money off probationers’ fees. Consequently, it had a built-in reason to keep people on probation or to make them keep coming back to the office over and over and over and paying fee after fee after fee. Granted, a lot of the people who found 44 * OCTOBER 2017 * BOROPULSE.COM
themselves in this trap weren’t exactly Sunday school teachers. But the idea behind probation is to keep people out of jail and put them back on the road to a productive life, not to keep piling on fees, having their probation violated, drug-testing them and keeping them in the system. (Word has it the new county probation services department is doing better.) Someone said, well, they need to quit smoking pot, then they won’t test positive. But if you’re $3,000 in the hole, can’t drive because your license is suspended and can’t find anything but a minimum-wage job flipping burgers, what are you gonna do? Probably smoke a joint. At least it’ll make your music sound better for a couple of hours every night.
DRIVING ON SUSPENDED
One of Rutherford County’s biggest offenses for probation violation is driving on a suspended license. So guess what? Rutherford County, the Tennessee Department of Safety and Homeland Security, Circuit Court Clerk Melissa Harrell and several Wilson County entities find themselves the defendants in a classaction lawsuit very similar to the one Rutherford County just settled. Filed in midSeptember by four firms or entities, including Civil Rights Corps, this one conHARRELL tends the state and Rutherford County, etc., are trapping people in a “vicious cycle” of traffic debt because they’re too poor to pay the initial fines. They get caught speeding and driving without a license, can’t afford the lump-sum ticket and court costs, get their license suspended by the state, then the fines and fees start to pile up—often to $1,000 or more. They can’t drive to work, so their best bet is to catch a ride to Smyrna or La Vergne, where they’ll make about $8 an hour. When that breaks down, they’ll try to drive again—maybe to a better-paying job—get caught driving on a suspended license again and the whole thing starts anew.
PHOTO COURTESY WGNS RADIO
Opinion
This one begins at the top and trickles down, because the state Legislature decided to make those bums at the bottom of the heap pay for Tennessee’s justice system, one in which a lot of Joe Schmoes are needed to make sure everyone gets a cut to keep their fiefdoms running. When this self-perpetuating system fails to generate enough revenue, the government tacks on some more fees, which generally leads to more pot smoking among the poor and huddled masses. Then they get tired of weed and graduate to stuff like heroin and Fentanyl, which kills them dead as a doornail. No wonder we have an opioid epidemic in Tennessee among people who have no hope for a better life. A few people in the Tennessee General Assembly are paying attention. Unfortunately, none of them represent Rutherford County. Most of them are from Memphis, and they’re trying to take the hammer and sickle out of the hands of the government and give people a fighting chance. Rep. Raumesh Akbari of Memphis passed legislation this year reducing the expungement fee for felonies, and she’s hoping to do the same misdemeanor expungement fees, which are currently at $450. That means if you have a conviction for—gasp—underage alcohol consumption, you have to pay $450 to have it erased from your record. Otherwise, you’ve got a bad mark on your report card, which is a red flag for employers. Lowering the fee will be difficult because some of it goes to the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation and to other sectors of our criminal justice system. They don’t want to lose that money, because they need the personnel to keep fighting all of those pot smokers, beer drinkers and hell raisers. But a man’s got to do something for a living. Unfortunately, dyin’ ain’t much of a living, and it’s the poor people who are getting killed.
HAPPIER DAYS COMING?
On a positive note, county government recently opened a $6.7 million parking garage downtown on the site of the old Daily News Journal building, which should have been bulldozed about 20 years ago instead of two years ago. It was an embarrassment, as is
the way the newspaper’s parent company operates (pardon the digression). Anyway, the garage offers nearly 400 spaces. It’s open and light and has a nice safe feeling, especially compared to the Civic Plaza garage underneath Murfreesboro City Hall. Hide the women and children there, please. Of course, when the county’s new judicial building opens in May 2018, all of those parking spaces will disappear. Why? Because we have one of the biggest court dockets in the state. Between all of those underage drinkers, suspended license drivers and minor drug possession offenders, the court system is clogged worse than the toilet at your family reunion. One recent Thursday morning, the current Judicial Building was so crowded people were asking me why I didn’t call the fire department, an apparent reference to the need for the fire marshal to shut it down. My response: “Could no one here pick up the phone and call?” On another Friday in mid-summer, Judge David Bragg’s Circuit Court was so full you couldn’t squeeze another person into the room. You could open the door, but that was it. Someone told me they scheduled two dockets that day. Only God knows why. Other times, the place is like a morgue. Nothing but the souls of old, burned-out criminals are haunting the place. It makes you wonder if we really need the judicial building under construction two blocks north or if someone doesn’t know how to put pen to paper. Here’s looking forward, though, to May 1 when all of our problems will be solved by the new judicial complex—all $73 million for the whole shebang. Sorry if that didn’t sound too positive. But when you get my age it’s easy to fall into the trap of becoming a “nattering nabob of negativity.” Sam Stockard can be reached at sstockard44@gmail.com.
The Police Do Not Unfairly Target Black Criminals
W
hen I first decided to write about the NFL/National Anthem issue it was before President Trump got involved with his opinion. Now, according to the left-wing media, it’s all his fault. He’s also been accused of making this a racial issue. It was former San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick who made this a racial issue. Remember, he first sat for the national anthem because he refused to stand “to show pride in a flag for a country that oppresses black people and people of color.”
It’s instructive to examine why he was protesting, other than trying to bring attention to himself as his career waned. He believes black people are being indiscriminately gunned down in the streets because of racist cops. The fact is, twice as many white folks are killed by police than blacks. Now, the Washington Post and other liberally biased institutions say you have to adjust for population. That’s intellectually dishonest. If we used the same logic for the NFL we would have to determine that it’s a racist institution since VIEWS OF A blacks only make up 13 percent of the population but 70 percent of the NFL is black. COLUMN BY A fair analysis of the issue is to look at the PHIL VALENTINE percentage of whites and blacks who commit philvalentine.com crimes. Whites make up about 61 percent of the population. Blacks make up about 13 percent. According to the FBI, blacks commit 52.2 percent of the murders. That’s a disturbing statistic. Well over 90 percent of the victims of those murders are black, so if Black Lives Matter had its way and we made the prison population look like America those murderers would be turned loose on the black community. In every major crime category, blacks are way above their population percentage. Blacks commit 28 percent of total crimes, over double their representation in the population. That is the problem. Not “a country that oppresses black people,” as Kaepernick claims. Whites commit crimes at about their population percentage. That means twice as many crimes are committed by whites. And, ironically, we find that whites are twice as likely to be shot by cops. Makes sense now, doesn’t it? Don’t get me wrong. There are some trigger-happy cops and cops with anger management problems. Those bad seeds need to be weeded out. But obviously that affects both races equally. My contention about the kneeling during the national anthem is that it’s bad for business. Know your customer. The NFL is dropping in the ratings, and all the while multi-million-dollar athletes claim it’s their right to express themselves. They do have that right, but not on the bosses’ dime. They’re harming the NFL brand, and pretty soon the owners won’t be able to afford those multimillion-dollar salaries. When they get their pay cut I’m sure it’ll be attributed to racism. I heard a commentator on CNN say that sports has enjoyed “social justice” protests dating back to Jackie Robinson. Robinson didn’t protest. He simply became the first black man to play Major League Baseball. You didn’t see Robinson taking a knee for the anthem, but if anyone had an excuse to it would be him. Jackie didn’t play the victim, and because of it he became the hero. Cowboys owner Jerry Jones took a knee with the team prior to the national anthem on Monday Night Football. I’m sure he’s trying to make the players and the fans happy. I get that. The question is: Has the damage already been done? The customer doesn’t care if your colors are gray or orange or purple; theirs are red, white and blue.
CONSERVATIVE
“[Kaepernick] believes black people are being indiscriminately gunned down in the streets because of racist cops. The fact is, twice as many white folks are killed by police than blacks.”
Phil Valentine is an author and nationally syndicated radio talk show host with Westwood One. For more of his commentary and articles, visit philvalentine.com.
Opinion Live Exceptionally...Well!
Talk to Strangers?
I
sn’t it interesting how we are taught as little children not to talk to strangers and as adults we want to feel more connected to others? Our conditioning early on to withhold our curiosity or compassion until it is properly guided and cultivated could also lead to less connecting later on. There is a fine line between too much and not enough. Examples of communication you witnessed as a youngster will certainly help affect how you feel about communication as an adult. Sadly, our conditioning has made many people feel afraid to reach out to others. They don’t want to be inconvenienced or
PHOTO COURTESY SMALLTOWNBIGWORLD.COM
BY JENNIFER DURAND
get stuck in a less-than-desirable situation that will make them bored or bothered. The good news is you can develop the skills to communicate with others and still be true to yourself. Experience—a little at a time—helps to build your confidence, which in turn allows you to trust your instincts. Yes, sometimes you have to get out of your comfort zone to create change. Nothing changes until you do. The results are worth it. You continue to reinforce your values (what is important to you), you build your talking and listening skills and increase your knowledge. I was recently traveling and had a lay-
over in the airport. I got a tasty snack and scoped out a place to sit, as it was crowded. I was just grateful to have a seat. I like my own company so I don’t worry much about talking or not talking to others in these times. As it turns out, the gentleman beside me, also solo, made a remark about the food we were eating. That acknowledgement turned into a longer conversation. You can tell pretty quickly if it will be interesting or if it will fizzle and you go back to enjoying your own company. I love learning about people, their thoughts, their experiences, their interests. What moves people is fascinating to me. As a service and care provider, this information assists me in shaping empathy, support and understanding of others. It also serves as a reminder of what is important to me, how I spend my time and who I spend it with. To feel and be felt. Really connecting with people isn’t easy. — Ze Frank
“If we never talked to others we would not know what commonality exists or how we can feel better about the good in our lives, or how we can be encouraging to another in times of change or difficulty. We see that we are not alone, and we can see where our strengths are.”
This particular day I learned about a company that has over 300 locations in the U.S., and how it started with just two guys who had an idea. They created a business model that works and is successful. This man has spent the last 35 years serving this company in various roles. He is now semiretired but does consulting work for them. He gets to travel. He has been married for 21 years. This was his second marriage, but he knew her for 35 years, as they had been working together. She didn’t like him early on, as he was an alcoholic—a “functioning alcoholic,” he says. His first marriage ended. He cleaned up his act and stopped drinking. He has children and grandchildren and two dogs. The dogs travel with him and his wife. They have a motor home and take vacations for a couple weeks at a time, getting to see 46 * OCTOBER 2017 * BOROPULSE.COM
the country and do cool things. The point of this is seeing the common thread of life and experiences. Everyone has problems, challenges and happiness. The degree of these is different at various times in our lives. If we never talked to others we would not know what commonality exists or how we can feel better about the good in our lives, or how we can be encouraging to another in times of change or difficulty. We see that we are not alone, and we can see where our strengths are. It is also important to have our lives witnessed by others, to feel validated and important. Also equally important to me is letting others know they matter, that they are valued, and to help foster that inner child that just wants to explore, know more and to feel reassured. The adults are simply more experienced versions of the child that still exists within, the innocent enthusiasm for learning and connecting to others, in order to feel connected ourselves. So, start talking and listening (sometimes even to strangers) and get to know yourself even more. In order for connection to happen, we have to allow ourselves to be seen, really seen. — Brené Brown Jennifer Durand is the owner and operator of The Nurture Nook Day Spa & Gift Shoppe; she is a certified QiGong and Breathe Empowerment instructor, a skin care and makeup specialist, an InterPlay leader and is licensed in massage therapy, body work and somatic integration. Let her help you find your personal “ahh . . .” factor by visiting nurturenook. com or facebook.com/nurturenookdayspa or by calling (615) 896-7110.
BY STATE REP. MIKE SPARKS
through the war, can contradict. Go to work, be industrious, live honestly and act truly, and when you are oppressed I’ll come to your relief. I thank you, ladies and gentlemen, for this opportunity you have afforded me to be with you, and to assure you that I am with you in heart and in hand.
and his time on Earth grew short, Forrest sought to make amends for some of his deeds, and I think this speech was part of his attempt. This speech was also the last appearance at a public event by Forrest as a speaker. The First Amendment provides the only kind of security system that can preserve a free government. Our first amendment is the basic foundation of our Republic and should be cherished by all. As Irish statesman and Parliament member Edmund Burke stated, “Those who don’t know history are doomed to repeat it.”
The speech was followed by prolonged applause. Forrest thanked Miss Lewis for the bouquet and kissed her on the cheek. This type of familiarity between the races in public was almost unheard of at the time. Forrest’s speech was probably motivated by his desire to become a Christian. As his health faltered
Rep. Mike Sparks (R) serves the 49th House District in the Tennessee General Assembly, which includes areas of Smyrna, LaVergne, Almaville and north Murfreesboro. Feel free to contact Mike at rep.mike.sparks@capitol.tn.gov or at (615) 741-6829.
First They Came
Let’s Study the Facts of Forrest “FIRST THEY CAME . . . ” is a poem written by German Lutheran pastor Martin Niemöller. The poem was written in regard to the cowardice of German intellectuals following the Nazis’ rise to power and subsequent purging of their chosen targets, group after group. Many variations of the poem have been written, yet the spirit of the original has been captured in the English language. It speaks to the topic of discrimination, persecution and responsibility: First they came for the Communists And I did not speak out Because I was not a Communist Then they came for the Socialists And I did not speak out Because I was not a Socialist Then they came for the trade unionists And I did not speak out Because I was not a trade unionist Then they came for the Jews And I did not speak out Because I was not a Jew Then they came for me And there was no one left To speak out for me First they will come for the Confederate flag, then they will come for Confederate monuments, then they will come after the church’s tax-exempt status, then they will come for the few pastors who preach the Gospel. They will charge them with hate crimes if they speak the words written in the Bible. Then they will come for you. Next they will try and ban the old hymn “Amazing Grace.” The song has been sung by presidents and paupers. The old hymn (often sung by slaves, ironically) was written by former slave ship Captain John Newton. His actions at the end of his life were influenced William Wilberforce, who served in British Parliament. Wilberforce led the campaign to pass the Slavery Abolition Act 1833. There are parallels between John Newton’s old age and Nathan Bedford Forrest. Forrest, like Newton, found redemption at the end of his life, often advocating for African Americans. What we don’t hear from our “fair and balanced” media is that 3,000 African
Americans attended Forrest’s funeral. Can anyone name a white elected official in our great state whose funeral was attended by that many blacks? In 1875 Gen. Forrest spoke to the International Order of the Pole Bearers, a forerunner to the NAACP. I believe it’s a story of redemption that should be told truthfully. The Independent Order of Pole Bearers, an early black civil rights organization in Memphis, invited Forrest to address its Fourth of July barbecue. Forrest was told by many whites that he should not accept, but Forrest went. Just before he spoke he was presented a bouquet of flowers by Miss Flora Lewis, a daughter of one of the members of the Pole Bearers. Here is Forrest’s speech: Ladies and Gentlemen, I accept the flowers as a memento of reconciliation between the white and colored races of the Southern states. I accept it more particularly as it comes from a colored lady, for if there is any one on God’s earth who loves the ladies I believe it is myself (immense applause and laughter). I came here with the jeers of some white people, who think that I am doing wrong. I believe I can exert some influence, and do much to assist the people in strengthening fraternal relations, and shall do all in my power to elevate every man, to depress none. (Applause) I want to elevate you to take positions in law offices, in stores, on farms, and wherever you are capable of going. I have not said anything about politics today. I don’t propose to say anything about politics. You have a right to elect whom you please; vote for the man you think best, and I think, when that is done, you and I are free men. Do as you consider right and honest in electing men for office . . . I came to meet you as friends, and welcome you to the white people. I want you to come nearer to us. When I can serve you I will do so. We have but one flag, one country; let us stand together. We may differ in color, but not in sentiment. Many things have been said about me which are wrong, and which white and black persons here, who stood by me
BOROPULSE.COM
* OCTOBER 2017 * 47
Sports
SPORTS
TALK
COLUMN BY “Z-TRAIN”
titanman1984@gmail.com
NFL Players Are Alienating Fans with Anthem Protests THE TRAIN DADDY IS BACK, as always, bringing sports news, life lessons and politically incorrect talk to you, the loyal readers of Middle Tennessee. All aboard! For nearly a decade I have been creating these articles that some people call masterpieces. I love writing and it’s a hobby that brings me peace of mind. My goal has always been to make you the reader laugh or maybe think twice about a topic. I appreciate the numerous emails I receive from you the readers. One example: “Thank you Train for your column and keep thinking outside of the box, from one Titan fan to another, God Bless America.” That email was pleasant, here is another: “Dear Train Daddy, you suck, the Titans suck and no one makes better spaghetti than my wife.” That’s what we call hater mail. I guess he took offense to me bragging over a year ago that the famous Me-Ma’s spaghetti was superior to his wife’s spaghetti. No matter what you say, someone will always find something to complain about. For those of you emailing me whining about how I hurt your feelings, I do thank you. My mama said haters make the most loyal of readers! For any more hater concerns, email me at titanman1984@gmail.com. On to more pressing matters; it’s October! There isn’t a more beautiful time of the year— rich, deep colors, and cool weather. It’s the time of year a man can get lost in the corn maze with his lovely lady, maybe roll around in the pumpkin patch afterwards. Trust me on this folks, the fall season is a beautiful time for love. So what shall we discuss? The Titans need to get the run game going, come on man! It’s not like they have the best offensive line in the league and two powerful running backs. Also the secondary is giving away yards like a hooker gives away . . . well, you know. This team needs to buckle up; they have the talent. Let’s not forget the Tennessee Volunteers: completely embarrassing! Go ahead and throw Butch Jones in that trash can. No one can say he hasn’t been given the time and talent to make something happen.
LEAGUE FILLED WITH PROTEST
How can we not discuss the national anthem protest? You knew I would. Sadly, it’s the hottest topic in sports right now. It’s too bad I can’t
48 * OCTOBER 2017 * BOROPULSE.COM
ignore these topics, because I have more respect for the man who ignores these controversial topics, than the man who has to discuss it. Well I can’t help myself, so you get to read my opinion. Before we dig into this: America is the greatest country in the world, 90 percent of the world’s population would probably laugh at the problems we have here in the States. A recent poll was conducted by Global Strategy through ESPN of over 1,000 adults pertaining to the anthem protest, and the results should be extremely concerning to the NFL and its bottom line. NFL fans were asked if they approved or disapproved of the NFL and its players protesting. Let me hit you with some quick numbers: 51 percent strongly disapproved, while 39 percent strongly approved. More apparent is the race divide on this issue: 54 percent of African-Americans strongly approved and only 17 percent of whites strongly approved of players protesting. On the other hand only 9 percent of African-Americans strongly disapproved of the protest while 48 percent of whites strongly disapproved players protesting. The biggest takeaway for me from this poll and those similar, wasn’t the race divide but the high percentage of people claiming their interest in the game has diminished since the protest started. Over 40 percent of the total from this poll claim they are less interested in watching NFL games following the protest. CNN recently released a poll as well, and this one reported that 24 percent of Americans plan to boycott the NFL because of the protest. Agree or disagree, the NFL doesn’t care about any of these social issues. Bottom line is they care about their bottom line—money! And 40 percent is no small number. There will be heavy ramifications for the league if they don’t resolve this. How did this all unravel to the point we are at now? It all started with Colin Kaepernick kneeling last season. If this is such a just cause, where were the other protesters last season? Kraepernick kneeled alone and faced extreme backlash, and the entire league and all its players and coaches acted as if the topic was toxic to even discuss. That’s how I know this protest isn’t about unity or seriously protesting racial injustice and police brutality. If so, they would have joined Kaepernick last season. No, this is very clearly
an anti-Trump protest. Trump makes a few stupid comments and boom the entire league becomes a bunch of imitations of Kaepernick. It clearly is creating division unlike any event the league has ever witnessed. Just like when Aaron Rodgers asked the fans at Lambeau Field to link arms during the anthem as a sign of unity. Where was the unity that night? It was quite obvious that nearly 95 percent of the fans in that stadium were booing and saluting all in heavy defiance of what Rodgers was pleading for. Baltimore Ravens fans almost brought their stadium down with boos, as their team took a knee. Even Stephen A. Smith claims the orginal protest was hijacked, for other selfish reasons. Smith (as always, loudly) stated this protest isn’t about anything other than a deep hate for President Trump. Smith also blames Kaepernick for starting this protest claiming he started this talk, yet has nothing to say with what’s going on now, as Colin has been incognito for months.
RISHARD’S TAKE
Rishard Matthews! The most productive receiver on the Titans roster right now stated on NFL Live he isn’t participating in the anthem until Trump apologizes. Ha! That possibility is as likely as a group of midgets knocking on your door dressed as the Avengers and demanding a box of Little Debbies! President Trump was a moron to ever bring this up in the first place. He patronized the league publicly prior to this storm, what did he expect? Rishard said this about Trump’s comments: “To keep it honest, he was calling a lot of us, and I feel that he was calling myself, an S.O.B., and that’s not OK and very disrespectful. So I plan to kneel until the president apologizes.” Most people would assume Rishard Matthews is completely ignorant to the loss and sacrifice made for this country. Is he? Rishard’s father served in the U.S. military for over two decades, while his brother, a member of the Marine Corps, passed away in service in Afghanistan last year. Matthews even recently dedicated one of his touchdowns to his sibling by giving an earnest salute.
Most of these NFL players protesting couldn’t convince you the sky is blue. Ask 100 players why they are protesting and you may get 100 different answers. Maybe it’s worth taking Matthews’ point of view and instead of calling him unpatriotic or sending vulgarities his way, maybe try and better understand him. I know racial injustices and police brutality are serious conversations to have, but when you hijack the anthem you shut the door on half the country. Let’s have conversations that are uncomfortable, but do it away from the anthem; protesting during the anthem makes most of the people these players are trying to reach feel uncomfortable also. Let’s talk about one more Titans player, one of my favorite players, Delanie Walker, who stupidly decided to tell fans that if they don’t like the protests then don’t come to the games. Good job, Delanie, tell over 50 percent of Titans fans to stay home. He represents the NFL, and the league agreed it’s not in its best interest to tell paying customers not to pay. Walker’s words were at least heavily condemned by staff and sports analysts. How is it that a sport that once brought us all together is now the staging ground for America’s deepest problems? I blame ESPN, the worldwide leader in sports and poo! Just look at the programs and the path they have taken over the last decade as they have dived head first into social issues better suited for CNN. Just watch an hour of First Take, and that’s all the proof I need. I still watch ESPN, I still love football as much as ever, but it is disappointing when I personally know people who have given up on both due to these circumstances. As always, the Train is glad to have you along for the ride. Remember the importance of physical activity—enjoy the outdoors! It is the most beautiful time of year to do so. So get up, fat-butt. Go outside, eat healthy, and take care of yourself. Get the kids away from the tablets and throw a football. Fall is in the air and it smells glorious! Love your family and live life by the 5 F’s—Faith, Family, Football, Food and Friends. Train’s out the station. Choo-choo!
Sports
BLUE RAIDER SPORTS BY GREG CRITTENDEN
John Urzua, #19
MTSU EARNS WINS AT SYRACUSE AND AGAINST BOWLING GREEN. . . . . . CAN’T HANDLE MINNESOTA AND FAU.
A
fter MTSU’s lackluster 2017 football home-opener against Vanderbilt, few gave the Blue Raiders a chance against the Syracuse Orange. Vegas had them as 7.5-point underdogs in the Sept. 9 contest. ESPN gave Syracuse a 87 percent win probability. “It’s a big confidence booster,” MTSU safety Jovante Moffatt said of slowing the high octane Orange offense. Khalil Brooks logged eight tackles, 2.5 tackles for a loss and 1.5 sacks, which was good enough to earn Conference USA Defensive Player of the Week honors. However, it was true freshman safety Reed Blankenship who was the biggest surprise. Blankenship was around the ball all day while he accumulated five tackles. With less than five minutes in a 30–23 game, the Syracuse offense was threatening to send the game into overtime. However, it was Blankenship who made an amazing diving interception to put the game on ice. The offense showed vast improvement from week one to week two, however it still struggled in many of the same areas. The Orange were able to apply plenty of pressure throughout the first half (the offensive line seemed to shore things up in the second half ) and the running game was still largely ineffective. Quarterback Brent Stockstill showed marked improvement after what he de scribed as an “embarrassing” performance against Vanderbilt. His 269 passing yards 50 * OCTOBER 2017 * BOROPULSE.COM
and three second-half touchdown passes against Syracuse garnered him a share of CUSA Offensive Player of the Week honors. The Blue Raiders celebrated its big road win over a Power 5 school, before heading to Minneapolis on Sept. 16, to play its third consecutive Power 5 opponent. And the Blue Raiders’ trip to Minneapolis could not have gotten off to a worse start. After being listed as questionable on the injury report all week, quarterback Brent Stockstill was ruled out just 30 minutes before kickoff. With Stockstill out, quarterback John Urzua was given the starting nod, but receiver Richie James was expected to receive plenty of snaps in the wildcat formation. He did take a few of those snaps, one of which led to a 22-yard run, but those plans were dashed early in the second quarter when
James went down with an ankle injury. James never returned to the game, and the offense never found its rhythm. The MTSU defense limited the Golden Gophers to a field goal on the opening possession of the game, then forced them into three consecutive three-and-outs. However, the offense’s inability to help the defense stay off the field eventually took its toll. Minnesota finished the game with 221 rushing yards. After the game, Brent Stockstill revealed he had been diagnosed with a cracked sternum. Through the first three games, the Blue Raider rushing attack remained anemic. Middle averaged just 63 yards on the ground per game, and a paltry 2.2 yards per carry. But in a welcome a return to Floyd Stadium on Saturday, Sept. 23, the Blue Raider backfield exploded for 243 rushing yards against the Bowling Green Falcons, and there was not a more pleasant surprise than true freshman running back Brad Anderson. Anderson not only contributed on the ground to the tune of 104 yards on just 16 carries, but he was also a key contributor in the passing game. He caught all six of his targets for 98 yards, including a 64-yard touchdown catch up the middle during which he appeared to be the fastest player on the field. Anderson was not the only contributor in the backfield, however, as Jocquez Bruce made his long awaited appearance. Bruce originally committed to Tennessee as part of its 2015 recruiting class, however he decided to transfer that summer. After taking a required redshirt season, Bruce was expected to be a starter at wide receiver in 2016 before an ankle injury in camp ended his season. Bruce looked like he had been playing running back all along, as he found hole af-
Brad Anderson, #11
ter hole in the defense on his way to rushing for 115 yards on 16 carries and a touchdown. Bruce only started practicing as a running back in the week leading up to Bowling Green. Coach Stockstill made the decision after Richie James went down with an injury against Minnesota last week to allow Ty Lee to return to receiver. The defense once again proved to be vastly improved over last season. In last year’s match-up against Bowling Green, Falcons running back Josh Cleveland ran for more than 150 yards. This year the Blue Raiders held Cleveland to only 39 yards, and held BGSU to only one yard rushing as a team. “If we can make any team one-dimensional we’re going to beat them no matter who it is. So, that is our main goal: to try to make them one-dimensional and stop the run,” stated cornerback Mike Minter. Over the past couple of seasons, the MTSU defensive scheme was more of a read and react philosophy that relied heavily on the defensive line providing the only pass rush. Unfortunately, over the last two years the strength of the defense was the back seven and the weakness was the front four. The lack of blitzing allowed running backs to run for yards before their first contact. On top of that, sacks were a rare commodity. And then, there was the soft zone coverages. Too many times Blue Raiders fans saw opposing offenses throw to a man whose defender was covering a zone several yards away, which led to first down after first down. In this passive scheme, the Blue Raider defense would become so worn down late in games that big plays were easy to come by for the opposing offense. Now that defensive coordinator Scott Shafer has introduced a aggressive scheme that requires the opposing offense to react instead, fans have seen a much more inspired defense. Going into the Sept. 30 game against Florida Atlantic, the MTSU Blue Raiders were riding a nine-game win streak versus the Owls. On top of that, they had never lost a Conference USA opener since joining the league in 2012. All signs pointed to a Middle Tennessee victory, but there is a reason they play the games on turf and not on paper. “We couldn’t stop the run, and we couldn’t run the ball. When you turn the ball over three times it’s a recipe for disaster,” MTSU coach Rick Stockstill said after the game. All three of those turnovers came at the hands of quarterback John Urzua. The high turnover count certainly marred an other-
wise strong performance by Brent Stockstill’s understudy, as he completed 60 percent of his attempts for a career-high 359 yards. The running game the Blue Raiders had found against Bowling Green the week prior disappeared as quickly as it had appeared. Brad Anderson led the Blue Raiders’ rushing attack against FAU, but only gained 44 yards on 13 carries. Of course, the running game didn’t get much opportunity to find a rhythm as the Owls gained an early lead, outpacing the Blue Raiders 24–6 going into the half. Middle Tennessee looked slightly better in the second half, but the damage had already been done. FAU closed the game out with a 38–20 victory. The dominant run defense that the Blue Raiders had shown against Vanderbilt, Syracuse and Bowling Green fell to the wayside as the team allowed 252 yards on the ground; going into the month of October, MTSU sits at 2–3 on the season. The Blue Raiders will try to right the ship as they return to Floyd Stadium on Oct. 7 to play Florida International for homecoming. Other games coming up in October include an Oct. 14 trip to the University of Alabama at Birmingham, followed by a Friday night game against Marshall in Murfreesboro on Oct. 20. For game tickets and more information on Blue Raider athletics, visit goblueraiders.com
Words of Encouragement to Prepare for a Bodybuilding Competition BY SEMAJ THOMAS
T
he Flex Lewis Classic bodybuilding competition will come to Murfreesboro on Saturday, Oct. 7, held at the Embassy Suites. Here, one Murfreesboro competitor shares some insight into his preparation for the big event. Preparing for a bodybuilding competition normally involves a 12-week program created with strict meal plans, precise exercises and supplements, catered to the competitor in order to help them bring the best package to the stage. The competitor will eat plenty of chicken, fish, beef, turkey, eggs, oatmeal, spinach, asparagus, sweet potatoes and other natural foods. Some of the main daily supplements included are glutamine, BCAA (branched chained amino acids), vitamin C and a pre-workout blend to assist in muscle development, keeping lean muscle and
maintaining a strong immune system throughout the process. Before starting anything, especially an intense fitness journey such as this, it is of importance to imagine yourself onstage, picturing how good you will look. This visualization plays a major part in keeping you focused and on track, because there will be times when you are likely to miss a meal or skip a workout. The sacrifice of not eating what you want, drinking what you want and even watching what you want ultimately makes you more than physically fit, but the
mental challenge and personal development combined with it fosters time management skills, self-control and discipline. When you have to work out a minimum of one and a half to two hours at the beginning, you put your mind and body in a routine to just do it, like the Nike motto states. You then began forming a good habit of simply doing what is necessary without thinking about it too much. At that point you are serious and it is a saying that if you can do anything for 20 days straight, then you are developing either a good or bad habit. After a while, the mental challenge gets easier because you don’t have to convince yourself to do it; you will automatically work out, eat according to your plan and take your supplements because you already know the value of it and what it takes to get it done. Once you see how great you feel, mentally and physically, then you see and understand that the training process is much bigger than the show itself or the competitors. When you step onstage, like at the upcoming Flex Lewis Classic on Oct. 7, the patience, focus, clarity and other personal development skills become a reality. Your physical stature is just an external representation that everyone else sees that night; it is part of you but not all of your testimony!