Tennessee’s Source for Art, Entertainment and Culture News
20
caVefeSt returnS Caverns lineup includes Railroad Earth, The Travelin’ McCourys, Jim Lauderdale and many others.
22
a m IS h parad IS e Four Corners Market and a network of rural Warren County families sell produce, woodwork, soap and more.
24
c heck!
Murfreesboro Chess Community gathers every Friday evening.
27
d ot c onner
Filmmakers Shoot children’s movie at various Middle Tennessee locations.
28
be I ng erne St
Local man continues Ernest P. Worrell franchise and legacy with graphic novel.
5 Events
calendar Fall Craft Fair, Pecan Fest, Fried Pickle Fest, Greenway Art Festival, Oktoberfest, Depot Days, White Oak Craft Fair and much more!
12
Sounds
concertS muSIc noteS Party in the Grove Live in the ’Boro Groovin in the ’Boro MTSU Jazz Artist Series album Eye on the Sky
30 Food
reStaurant
Clay Pit Cuisine of India
32 News
buSIneSS buzz
T3 Market Sushi & Poke, Dali Food, Beaus and Lace, PepsiCo, Old Fort Golf Course, Elite Barber Studio, Prohibition, Camino Real and more
36
Opinion
free your chIldren Families Rights Act mostly benefits lawyers
mr. murfreeSboro Billy Bones and the case of the runaway rottweilers conStItutIon Study
Administrative law goes to court tech talk Local teen starts RobotiX Institute SportS talk Time to see what Titans can do on the field lIVIng . . . well! A puzzled life? money matterS Why tapping your home’s equity for college is risky
A FriENd OF ThE PulSE TEllS u S our rack at Jr.’s Foodland was targeted by a thief last month.
He observed someone early in the month—the afternoon of Aug. 2, matter of fact—who approached the rack and removed “a bunch” of copies of the August issue, appearing to empty the whole box, put them in his back seat, get in his car and drive away. We can only hope that this unauthorized paper-taker wanted to pass these out to friends and family around town, and didn’t have wasteful ideas with these valuable periodicals.
We have been victimized! We got our eyes around town, looking out for the network of racks.
“How many copies do we leave there?” Sarah asks. What percentage of the print run was taken? What was the value? What level of theft should this individual be charged with when he is apprehended? All reasonable questions. The fact that he may have gotten away with up to 1.1% of the entire print run isn’t the entire point . . . it’s the principle of the matter! All of the little Pulseamaniacs out there have been violated.
In news of a more positive nature regarding our custom-painted newsboxes, a reader recently told us she came into Murfreesboro to visit five of the custom Pulse boxes around town, beautifully decorated by local artists. Joye Harman knows that these fantastic sights should be top local tourist attractions! Good stuff.
Please do let us know if you notice an empty rack. Pickups of the paper have been going great. We do make an effort to get everyone a copy who wants one each month and yet have as little waste as possible at month’s end. (And if you want a stack of newspapers for an art project, packaging breakables, mulch or cleaning, please don’t take new ones from the rack. Let us know and we’ll get you some copies of an old edition.)
Enjoy yet another edition of the Pulse jam-packed with community information. When a man gets to publish a local newspaper that includes Amish Paradise, Ernest P. Worrell, chess, a new sushi place and a bluegrass festival in a cave . . . he’s living a good life!
A local artist has launched a project to put out a graphic novel depicting a new adventure of Mr. Ernest P. Worrell. As a boy in the South in the ’80s and ’90s I would look forward to the next Ernest film with great anticipation. Looking back, Mr. P. Worrell really did exhibit a number of admirable and noble qualities that surely contributed to making him such a hit. Plus, with many of the Ernest movies being shot in Tennessee and the characters frequently making appearances in the area, it made the series feel more like home and more relatable.
Hop Springs will host the Roots Rendezvous festival presented by Uncle Dave Macon Days the first weekend of September.
Just like The Chicken Band—Uncle Dave’s band years ago, included in last month’s issue of the Pulse—accepted payment for performances in fried chicken, the Pulse just may accept chicken (or steak, sushi, eggs, veggies, guns, nuts, honey, gold or tacos) for advertising space. Small businesses of Murfreesboro—we welcome mutually beneficial barter arrangements! Let us know what you offer; we may be able to work something out: bracken@boropulse.com.
My words of wisdom lately, a quote I saw, for all of those who may feel a little too busy, stretched thin or overwhelmed: Do less, but obsess over quality.
Peace!
bracken mayo
Publisher/Editor in Chief
ongoing
cookIn’ to buIld bowl paIntIng
Bowl painting for this year’s Cookin’ to Build, benefiting the Rutherford County Area Habitat for Humanity, continues throughout September. Visit Color Me Mine at The Avenue (2615 Medical Center Pkwy., #1520) and have a bowlpainting party with family, friends or coworkers. Purchase your bowl and Cookin’ to Build ticket there. The $30 ticket includes the bowl painting, tote bag and Cookin’ to Build event ticket, which will get participants all-you-can-eat chili, soup, stew and gumbo plus desserts and drinks the day of the soup-themed fundraiser event, Saturday, Nov. 2, on the Murfreesboro Public Square. Please let Color Me Mine know in advance if you have a large group wanting to paint bowls. Funds raised help Habitat for Humanity raise money to build more affordable homes for low-moderate income families. For more information, visit rchfh.org/cookin-to-build, find the 2024 Cookin’ to Build event on Eventbrite or call 615-893-5556.
Sept. 4 and 18
cocktaIlS and conVerSatIonS
Cocktails and Conversations meets every other Wednesday night from 5:30–7:30 p.m. at The Goat (2355 Adwell St.) for a fun networking mixer. This is a great opportunity to meet other local business professionals and connect in the community. Everyone is welcome to attend. September meetings will be held on Wednesdays Sept. 4 and 18. For more information, find a Cocktails and Conversations group page on Facebook or call or text 615-557-4827.
Sept. 6–7
pIoneer
power dayS
The Tennessee Valley Pioneer Power Association presents the 37th Annual Eagleville Pioneer Power Days Friday and Saturday, Sept. 6–7 at 747 Chapel Hill Pk., Eagleville. This event features an antique tractor and engine show, antique tractor pull both nights, steam engines and a look back at how threshing and sawmilling used to be done. There are also
Sept. 6–7
t r I ple c rown of r odd I ng
The Triple Crown of Rodding will be held at the Nashville Superspeedway (4847-F McCrary Rd., Lebanon) Friday and Saturday, Sept. 6–7, celebrating hot rods, customs, classics and muscle cars through ’72 and American trucks through ’98. Open to spectators from 7 a.m.–5 p.m. on Friday and from 8 a.m.–5 p.m. Saturday, the hot rod show will feature awards, giveaways, concerts, a nitro dragsters exhibition, celebrity meet-and-greets, a charity auction and more. One lucky registered winner will win a brand new Chevrolet Pickup Hot Rodded by Alloway’s Rod Shop. Spectator admission is $20 per day with free parking at the Speedway; children 15 and under are admitted free. The Triple Crown of Rodding is a rain-or-shine event. For more information, visit triplecrownofrodding.com
tractor rides, awards, track games with prizes and a pedal pull for the kids. For more information, find the 37th Annual Pioneer Power Days event on Facebook or call 615-556-2344.
Sept. 6–8
mIddle ground brewIng bIrthday and dIaper drIVe
Middle Ground Brewing Company’s (2476 Old Fort Pkwy.) first birthday weekend and diaper drive benefiting Mother to Mother is set for Friday through Sunday, Sept. 6–8. Bring in a pack of diapers and your first beer will be covered. On Friday, Glen Wagner plays from 6–9 p.m. On Saturday, Memory Train plays from 6:30–9 p.m. On Sunday there are $10 single-topping pizzas. For more information, find the Middle
Ground Brewing First Birthday + Diaper Drive event on Facebook, find Middle Ground Brewing Company on Facebook or visit middlegroundbrew.com
Sept. 6 and 7
pop-up ShopS
Liberty’s Station (850 NW Broad St.) hosts pop-up shops on the first Friday and Saturday of each month (Sept. 6 and 7 this month) from 9:30 a.m.–1:30 p.m. These events feature unique items, making your shopping experience all the more special. Browse goods while knowing that purchases are going toward a meaningful cause. Visit libertysstationtn.org for more information.
Sept. 6–8
naShVIlle home Show
Craig Conover, from Bravo’s hit reality
series Southern Charm, is headlining The Nashville Home Show, a vibrant marketplace with more than 250 booths where you can shop for home-related products and services, experience stunning displays, connect with industry experts, and enjoy informative presentations from renowned local and international home professionals. Don’t miss the live mural painting photo op by Heart of Sarah. The home show will take place Friday, Sept. 6, 10 a.m.–8 p.m.; Saturday, Sept. 7, 10 a.m.–8 p.m.; and Sunday, Sept. 8, 10 a.m.–5 p.m. at Music City Center (201 Rep. John Lewis Way S., Nashville). Tickets are $10 at the box office, $8 online and free for children 12 and under. Visit nashvillemusiccitycenter.com and nashvillefallhomeshow.com, or call 615-401-1400 for more information. Use code PULSE for $4 off advance tickets.
Sept. 7
poSSIbowlIty 2024
Get ready for a fantastic day at PossiBOWLity at Smyrna Bowling Center (95 Weakley Ln., Smyrna) on Saturday, Sept. 7, from 1–3 p.m. to benefit Possibility Place. Gather your friends and family for an exciting afternoon of bowling, where teams can compete not only on the lanes but also in the team costume contest. Test your knowledge with live trivia and win prizes. Plus, participate in the silent auction featuring a variety of unique items. Have fun while supporting a great cause. Possibility Place exists to provide opportunities for adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Donations help fuel the mission, bringing about learning, growth, friendship, community and change for the adults served. For questions or to register a team, visit possibilityplacetn. org/events, call 615-653-3840 or email jackie@possibilityplacetn.org.
Sept. 7
raISe the roof
Raise the Roof with nonprofit Journeys in Community Living at its Annual Partners in the Journey Fundraiser, a cornerstone of the group’s efforts to raise vital funds for its supported living program. This year’s event features an evening of music,
giving and community support on Saturday, Sept. 7 from 5–8 p.m at Saddle Woods Farm (9522 Franklin Rd.). Enjoy live music from country music artists Lewis Brice and Pryor Baird. Bid on exclusive trips, luxurious vacations, fine dining experiences and more at the live auction. Dinner will be provided by Tennessee Craft Butcher. Community support helps continue empowering people with disabilities and older adults to live, work and socialize as they choose. For more information, visit journeystn.org or call 615-890-4389.
Sept. 7
frIed pIckle feStIVal
The Middle Tennessee Fried Pickle Festival takes place Saturday, Sept. 7, at Lane Agri-Park (315 John Rice Blvd.) and will feature over 150 arts and crafts vendors, boutiques, food trucks, a petting zoo, bounce houses, face painting, tons of fried pickles and pickle-related items including vendors from all over the surrounding states. This is a family-friendly event with free admission and free parking. Vendor applications are available. For more information, visit centerhillevents.com of find the Middle TN Fried Pickle Festival event on Facebook.
Sept. 7 and 21
cruISIn’ the boro
Enjoy community, cars, music, door prizes and concessions (sold by the church) at this classic cruise-in at River Rock Baptist Church (2248 Highway 99) from 4-8 p.m. on Saturdays Sept. 7 and 21. For more information, find Murfreesboro Hot Rod Club on Facebook, or call 615-4055271 or 615-556-0547.
Sept. 8
adult maker club
Join TEC for a creative afternoon at the Technology Engagement Center (306 Minerva Dr.) on Sunday, Sept. 8, at 1:30 p.m. Unleash your imagination as you transform ordinary bricks into stunning literary masterpieces that look just like your favorite books. Whether you’re a seasoned artist or just looking to have some fun, this event is perfect for all skill levels. Supplies are included, so bring your ideas and paint the afternoon away. Registration required but there is no cost to participate; ages 16 and up are welcome. For more information, visit rclstn.org or call 615-225-8312.
Sept. 8
Sept. 7
oakland S m an SI on fall c raft fa I r
Celebrate the arrival of fall with Oaklands Mansion and its inaugural Fall Craft Fair on Saturday, Sept. 7, from 10 a.m.–5 p.m. Shop handmade crafts and vintage items and enjoy the tastes of local food trucks and vendors. Learn about Murfreesboro’s history and discover other community activities, clubs and events to enjoy. The first 100 guests will receive a shopping bag with special goodies. There will be a scavenger hunt, face painting, silent auction, door prizes, live music, a community outreach area and the mansion will be open for free self-guided tours. For more information, visit oaklandsmansion.org/inaugural-fall-craft-fair
Shine ‘er up and drive ‘er in at the Cedar Glade Brews (906 Ridgely Rd.) second Sunday of the month classic car cruise-in on Sunday, Sept. 8, from 1–4 p.m. Carticipants get a free CGB pint (1 per car). Stick around for trivia at 5 p.m. There is no sign-up for this and no cost to join. For more information, find the CGB Classic Car Cruise-In event on Facebook or visit cedargladebrews.com
Sept. 8
Stem g arden I ng c lub
Come take a stroll while learning about pollinators and the plants they love at the TEC (306 Minerva Dr.) on Sunday, Sept. 8, from 11:30 a.m.–12:30 p.m. All ages are welcome; there is no advance registration required. For more information, visit rclstn.org or call 615-225-8312.
Sept. 9
p odca St I ng 101
Sept. 10
tenneSSee traIlS aSSocIatIon meetIng
The Tennessee Trails Association’s monthly meeting of the Murfreesboro chapter will be held on Tuesday, Sept. 10, from 7–8 p.m. at the Wilderness Station at Barfield Crescent Park (401 Volunteer Rd.). For more information, text 615-9718894 or visit tennesseetrails.org
Sept. 10
lIVIng Sent mInIStrIeS
Sept. 10
buSIneSS after hourS
The Rutherford County Chamber of Commerce will hold its September Business After Hours networking event at City Auto (1015 Bridge Ave.) on Tuesday, Sept. 10, beginning at 4:30 p.m. Admission is $15 for chamber members and $25 for nonmembers. Visit rutherfordchamber.org for more information on this event and other Chamber of Commerce events and ribbon cuttings.
Sept. 13
top gun nIght run 6k
The Capt. Jeff Kuss USMC Memorial hosts the annual Top Gun Night Run 6K on Friday, Sept. 13, at 7:30 p.m. in Lee Victory Recreation Park (100 Sam Ridley Pkwy E., Smyrna), from 7:30–10 p.m. The 3.7 mile course includes the Smyrna/ Rutherford County Airport and Smyrna Golf Course with the finish line at the Memorial. Spectators and runners can enjoy live music and food trucks in the park. The run is chip-timed and USATF-certified, and limited to only 650 participants. Proceeds from the annual Top Gun Night Run 6K are applied directly to ongoing maintenance and upkeep of the Captain Jeff Kuss USMC Memorial in addition to funding the Memorial Scholarship created in 2023. The race fee is $50. Each runner gets a T-shirt and custom medal. Captain Kuss lost his life on June 2, 2016, in a tragic in-flight accident while flying as a Blue Angel in a practice session for the Great Tennessee Air Show. For more information on the run, visit runsignup.com and find the Top Gun Night Run 6K, visit townofsmyrna.org or find the Top Gun Night Run event on Facebook.
Sept. 13
maker club
Visit the Technology Engagement Center for a podcasting class that will teach you how to start your very own podcast, using the free resources at the public library, on Monday, Sept. 9 at 10 a.m. Ages 16 and up are welcome; no advance registration is required. The TEC is located at 306 Minerva Dr. For more information, visit rclstn.org or call 615225-8312.
Wilson Bank & Trust (3110 Memorial Blvd.) will host the September Living Sent meeting on Wednesday, Sept. 10, from 11:45 a.m.–1 p.m. Hear the intriguing story of how the Lord has taken Jim Trasport, the Director of Business Development of Budget Blinds of Murfreesboro, on a diverse journey as a sole proprietor for over six decades, and God’s amazing faithfulness along the way. Keith Bryant took a part-time job at Dunkin’ Donuts while attending Temple University in Chattanooga. It launched a unique and diverse career that led to Bryant working in 45 of the 48 contiguous states, plus Moscow, where he lived for several months. A complimentary lunch will be provided by Budget Blinds of Murfreesboro. RSVP to bob.williams@alhambrapartners.com.
Turn up the heat and watch your custom slime change colors like magic at the Technology Engagement Center (306 Minerva Dr.) on Friday, Sept. 13, from 3:30–5 p.m. Ages 12–18 are welcome to participate in the Maker Club event. Register at rclstn.org. Supplies are provided; there is a limited space available. For more information, call 615-225-8312.
Sept. 14
Veteran reSource faIr
Cooking with a Veteran and the American Job Center TN are partnering with Humana to bring a job and veteran resource fair to Middle Tennessee on Saturday, Sept. 14, from 10 a.m.–2 p.m. at the Bedford County
cedar glade claSSIc car cruISe-In CONTiNuEd ON PAgE 7
Courthouse (1 Public Square, Shelbyville). During the event, the VA will have eligibility information and a few clinics, St. Thomas Mammography Truck will be there to give screenings, free dog nail clippings will be available for veterans with dogs, a Veteran Service Officer will help answer questions about claims, and a VA Mortgage Expert will be on hand. The event is open to veterans, family members and anyone in the Middle Tennessee area looking for employment. For more information, visit cookingwithaveteran.org, find Cooking with a Veteran on Facebook (the event will be streamed on the Facebook page) or email cookingwithaveteran@gmail.com.
opening Sept. 14
thomaS edISon’S Secret lab
The Discovery Center at Murfree Spring (502 SE Broad St.) announces the grand opening of its newest traveling exhibit, Thomas Edison’s Secret Lab, on Saturday, Sept. 14. Thomas Edison’s Secret Lab is included with general admission to the Discovery Center and offers interactive programming exploring science, technology, engineering and mathematics concepts. The exhibit features characters from the animated series, including Thomas Edison and his group of friends, as they tackle various scientific challenges and solve problems using different scientific principles. Visitors will have the chance to operate classic six simple machines, explore a giant interactive periodic table of elements, delve into the basics of coding and more. The exhibit runs until Sunday, Jan. 12. Visit explorethedc.org, call 615890-2300 or email juhl@explorethedc.org for more information.
Sept. 14
mI ddle g round brew I ng fall m arket
Middle Ground Brewing Company (2476 Old Fort Pkwy.) Mini Fall Market is Saturday, Sept. 14, from noon–5 p.m. Vendors will be set up around the taproom, including Spinabout Woodworks, Literary Roots and Pastri’d by Kaj. For more information, visit middlegroundbrew.com or find Middle Ground Brewing Company on Facebook.
Sept. 14
la Vergne fall feStIVal and parade
The La Vergne Fall Festival for 2024 is Saturday, Sept. 14, from 10 a.m.–3 p.m. The traditional parade on Saturday morning will be followed by a day of fun and entertainment. This year’s Parade Grand
Sept. 14–15
w h I te oak c raft fa I r
Spend an early fall day at the 34th annual White Oak Craft Fair, from 9 a.m.–5 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 14 and 10 a.m.–4 p.m. on Sunday, Sept. 15 at the Arts Center of Cannon County (1424 John Bragg Hwy., Woodbury). Top artisans from throughout the region will sell original textiles, jewelry, woodcarving, metalwork, ceramics, rocking chairs, baskets, ironwork, stained glass and more. In an age when mass production makes so many things widely available, this fair celebrates the inspiration and skill of the individual artisan. The Kids Tent will offer free children’s activities and lessons, with White Oak artists demonstrating how their work is made. The Nashville Show Truck will also host live music from The Jake Leg Stompers, Robyn Taylor, The Farmer & Adele and The Mudbug Stompers. This year’s fair will again include a special exhibit in Cannon Hall featuring master basket maker Sue Williams, a recipient of the Tennessee Governor’s Folklife Heritage Award—Tennessee’s highest honor in the arts. There will also be demonstrations of quilting by the Bee Group, spinning with Jo Tidball and weaving with Twyla Lambert. Admission is free with a $5 parking donation benefiting the Cannon County Rescue Squad. For more information, call 615-563-2787 or visit whiteoaktn.org
Marshals are Janice Steriotis and Lorna Cripps. The La Vergne Fall Festival is an opportunity for people to gather together to celebrate the changing of the seasons, while also taking part in games and enjoying good food. There are also new crafts for sale from local and regional vendors. The parade begins at Bicentennial Park at City Hall (5093 Murfreesboro Rd.) and ends at Veterans Memorial Park (115 Floyd Mayfield Dr.), when opening remarks will be given from the Board of Mayor and Aldermen and the Parks and Recreation staff. For more information, visit lavergnetn. gov/632/la-vergne-fall-festival.
Sept. 15
Intro to web deSIgn
Learn to unlock everything that comes with your Gmail account through Google Suite to develop your own website on Sunday, Sept. 15, at 2 p.m. at the Technology Engagement Center. Ages 16 and up are welcome; no advance registration
ing and fun hands-on rhythm experience beginning at 6 p.m. on Friday, Sept. 20, at Old Fort Park near the park entrance. All ages and all skill levels are invited to come explore the joys of recreational musicmaking on a wide variety of drums and percussion instruments. Come play some drums and enjoy a stress-free evening of rhythm and community. There is no charge to participate or spectate, but donations are welcome. For more information call or text Ross at 615-631-7458, find Everybody Drum Some on Facebook or Instagram, or visit everybodydrumsome.com
Sept. 21
kIttrell School reunIon
The annual Kittrell School Reunion is Saturday, Sept. 21, at Kittrell Elementary School (7801 Old Woodbury Pk., Readyville) from 10 a.m.–2 p.m. All persons who graduated from Kittrell School, who attended Kittrell School or who have an interest in Kittrell School are invited to attend. Ray Ray’s Smokehouse food truck will be on hand selling barbecue. Graduating classes will be recognized, starting with the class of the oldest graduate present. Faculty members attending will also be honored. For more information, call 615-896-3559 or email appdancer@aol.com
Sept. 21
greenway art feStIVal
is required. The TEC is located at 306 Minerva Dr. For more information, visit rclstn.org or call 615-225-8312.
Sept. 19
the connectIon
Champy’s World Famous Fried Chicken will host the September 2024 installment of The Connection: An Evening of Professional Networking and Business Brainstorming from 5–7 p.m. on Thursday, Sept. 19. All Middle Tennessee entrepreneurs and professionals are welcome to attend this casual, free, no-obligation networking event, where they can meet other small business owners and tap into one another’s experience and energy. Networking begins at 5 p.m. with introductions at 6 p.m. Champy’s is located at 1290 NW Broad St.
Sept. 20
eVerybody drum Some Everybody Drum Some will offer a relax-
The 20th annual Greenway Art Festival will be held along the Greenway trail within Old Fort Park on Saturday, Sept. 21, 10 a.m.–4 p.m. The goal is to provide artists of all ages in the community the chance to showcase and sell their art. All potential exhibitors must submit their art to be judged before acceptance is awarded. The Greenway Art Festival is a juried show for artists ages 18 and up. The Junior Greenway Art Festival is a juried show for school groups and individuals under the age of 18. Artist selections will be juried based on subject, overall quality, originality and presentation. All original fine art for both is eligible, including but not limited to, printmaking, bookbinding, fiber art, painting, drawing, photography and sculpture. Visit murfreesborotn.gov/595/greenway-artfestival or email shicks@murfreesborotn.gov for more information.
Sept. 21
hammer down for habItat Habitat for Humanity holds its annual Hammer Down for Habitat Poker Run on Saturday, Sept. 21. The event includes a 100mile motorcycle and car “poker run” and a 26.2 mile Marathon Relay Run through
beautiful Middle Tennessee countryside, ending at Hop Springs Beer Park (6790 John Bragg Hwy.). The event includes T-shirts, poker, prizes, lunch and entertainment from live band Whiskey Smoke and Rick Monroe from 11:30 a.m.–2:30 p.m. The special guest is TV’s Kevin Tetz. Tickets are $35 per rider, driver or runner, $25 per passenger, $15 general admission (lunch & entertainment only) and $10 for ages 12 and under. Extra poker hands are available at the event. Motorcycle and car registration takes place at 8 a.m. and the Poker Run starts at 8:30 a.m. from Habitat for Humanity (850 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd.). The 2024 event will help build more affordable housing at the Legacy Pointe subdivision. For more information, find the 2024 Hammer Down for Habitat Poker Run on Eventbrite or visit rchfh.org
Sept. 21
wIngS of freedom
fISh fry
“Service Above Self” is the Rotary motto for the 22nd Annual Wings of Freedom Fish Fry & Classic Car Cruise-In on Saturday, Sept. 21, from 5–9 p.m. at Azure Corporate Flight Management Hangar at the Smyrna Airport (276 Doug Warpoole Rd.). Smyrna Rotary Club has been supporting Rutherford County and the community since the club was chartered in 1971, and since 2003, the club has raised over $2.1 million and returned it to the community. The Wings of Freedom Fish Fry has grown into a premier fundraiser in Smyrna. Enjoy fish, food, drinks, classic cars and music. This year will honor K9 Officers. Tickets are $50 per person. Gates open at 4 p.m. for staging cars. This signature event enables resources for local charities and honors local heroes and veterans. For more information, visit wofsmyrna.com.
Sept. 21
clue party
Clue the Party is a night of mystery, murder and madness at Oaklands Mansion (900 Maney Ave.) on Saturday, Sept. 21, from 6–9 p.m. Was it Miss Scarlett in the hall with the revolver? Or Mrs. Peacock in the lounge with the candlestick? This live version of the popular board game benefits Murfreesboro Kiwanis Foundation. Visit wildgoosechase.events/boro-clueparty for tickets and more information.
Sept. 21 and 26
naVIgatIng
mISInformatIon
With the rise of artificial intelligence and the accessibility of the internet, it can often be
Sept. 20
f r I day nI ght lIV e
Main Street Murfreesboro organizes the Friday Night Live Concert Series right in the heart of the Murfreesboro Public Square. Dance up front or relax in a chair on Friday, Sept. 20, as Bizz & Everyday People perform from 6:30–9:30 p.m. Arrive early to grab a spot and maybe even eat at one of the downtown restaurants or food trucks while exploring the shops around the Square. There is no cost to attend. For more information, visit mainstreetmurfreesboro.org/friday-night-live or call 615-895-1887.
hard to tell fact from fiction. This free Navigating Misinformation class at the Technology Engagement Center (306 Minerva Dr.) offers tools to help you avoid being misled by AI generated images and articles, as well as how to check the credibility of information found online. Classes are scheduled for Saturday, Sept. 21, at 11 a.m. and Thursday, Sept. 26, at 6 p.m. Ages 13 and up are welcome; there is no advance registration required. For more information, call 615225-8312 or visit rclstn.org.
Sept. 22
cedar glade oktoberfeSt
Cedar Glade Brews (906 Ridgely Rd.) invites the public to the first-ever Oktoberfest Celebration on Sunday, Sept. 22, beginning at 1 p.m. with the Stein Relay Race. The day will consist of German field day events, a costume contest, yodeling contest, German spelling bee, kids activities, beer release, German food by Silver Spoon Catering and Brainiac Trivia. The cost to participate in the games is $20 per person—all games include beer. For more information, find the CGB Oktoberfest 2024 event on Facebook.
Sept. 22
kIdS maker club
Kids ages 4 through 8 craft colorful
friendship bracelets together, sparking imagination and building bonds at the TEC (306 Minerva Dr.) on Sunday, Sept. 22, from 1:30–2:30 p.m. With a variety of beads, threads, and fun designs to choose from, young makers will unleash their artistic flair while learning the joys of giving and sharing. Bring a friend, or make new ones. No advance registration is required. For more information, visit rclstn.org or call 615-225-8312.
Sept. 23
murfreeSboro cheSS lunch
Who wants to play a game of chess? Community members interested in promoting the game of chess, helping raise interest for getting the game in area schools and organizations, sharing ideas on how chess can benefit others, involving their business in chess events and tournaments or just desiring to gather with other chess enthusiasts to play and discuss chess can come to a Murfreesboro Chess Lunch at Carmen’s Taqueria (206 W. Northfield Blvd.) from 11 a.m.–1 p.m. on Monday, Sept. 23. For more information, find an event page for Murfreesboro Chess Lunch on Facebook, email bracken@boropulse.com or text or call 615-796-6248.
Sept. 24
ISaIah 117 houSe trIVIa nIght
Isaiah 117 House hosts its annual Trivia Night on Tuesday, Sept. 24, at 5:30 p.m. at Middle Ground Brewing (2476 Old Fort Pkwy.). Funds help Isaiah 117 House provide physical and emotional support in a safe and loving home for children awaiting foster care placement. Food and drinks will be available to purchase throughout the event. Register to reserve your team of 6 or less by calling 615-819-5880 or emailing melanie@authorityclosings.com
Sept. 26
hope & hopS
Join the Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault Center for the Hope & Hops fundraising event on Thursday, Sept. 26, at 5 p.m., for an evening filled with delicious craft beers, music and a fun atmosphere all for a great cause. All proceeds raised will support local survivors of domestic violence and support the mission to protect victims, prevent violence and empower survivors. For more information, find the Hope & Hops event on Eventbrite or visit dvsacenter.org
Sept. 26
mtSu’S bIg career faIr MTSU’s Big Career Fair is the university’s largest career event of the year; it is university-wide and all majors are welcome (over 1,200 students and alumni are expected). Organizations are invited to attend Thursday, Sept. 26, from 12–3 p.m. at the MTSU Campus Recreation Building. This fair creates a forum for industry and career exploration, and helps place individuals in internships, part-time or full-time employment. Registration closes Friday, Sept. 13. For more information, call 615-898-2500 or email career@mtsu.edu.
Sept. 27
phIlharmonIc hISpanIc herItage concert
Tennessee Philharmonic Orchestra’s Season 43 Season Opener is Friday, Sept. 27 at 7 p.m. at The Plaza at Fountains of Gateway (1500 Medical Center Pkwy.). Sept. 15–Oct. 15 is Hispanic Heritage Month, and what better way to join in with this free Hispanic Heritage Concert, conducted by Latin percussionist and MTSU’s very own Lalo Davila? Bring a chair and come celebrate the music of both Hispanic and Latino Americans on a September Friday night. For more information, visit tnphil.org, call 615-898-1862 or email info@tnphil.org.
Sept. 27
4th frIday networkIng
The monthly “fun working” event at Cedar Glade Brews is held the fourth Friday of every month from 5–7 p.m., presented by Reed and Associates of Primerica and Spread the Positive at Cedar Glade Brews (906 Ridgley Rd.). The event is focused on shining a light on what’s going right. Each month the event highlights a business making a positive impact in the local community and gives the public an opportunity to talk with them. Meet some of your favorite STP podcasters and get to know the people behind the microphone. There will be a food truck onsite, so grab a drink and a bite while you connect with the best in the ’Boro. For more information, find Cedar Glade Brews on Facebook.
Sept. 27–28
power of the paSt antIque tractor Show
Antique tractor and equipment enthusiasts are invited to participate in this year’s Power of the Past events on Friday, Sept. 27, and Saturday, Sept. 28. Hosted by The Gathering at Milton & The Vault (12026 Milton St., Milton), the goal is to have a large display of past farming and farmrelated items. This is not only for tractors but other items such as mowers, balers, old combines, hit-and-miss engines and such. Restored or not, all are welcome. There is no cost to attend or participate. Other festivities include food trucks, live music, kids activities, traditional wagon rides, a parade and an award presentation. Power of the Past runs from 12–9:30 p.m. on Friday, Sept. 27, and from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 28. The Rockin’ Country Band plays at 6:30 p.m. on Friday and Stones River Bluegrass will perform at 10 a.m. on Saturday. For more information, visit thegatheringatmilton.com or call 615-653-6018.
Sept. 28
oaklandS oktoberfeSt
Oaklands Mansion (901 N. Maney Ave.) hosts its 10th Annual Oktoberfest on Saturday, Sept. 28, from 4–8 p.m. An extensive list of local, home and craft brewers and breweries will be on hand as well as several local food vendors with globally inspired dishes. New this year is TN Craft Butcher with The Meat Wagon. Returning to Oktoberfest is FitzWilly’s with a special Oktoberfest inspired menu as well as Rockin’ Dawg Food Cart. Also returning is Jack Split Axe Throwing. The photo
Sept. 27–28
Smyrna d epot dayS
Depot Days returns to Front Street in Smyrna on Friday and Saturday, Sept. 27 and 28, igniting the town with excitement and camaraderie. Smyrna Parks & Rec kicks off the festivities with the Classic Car Show on Friday night from 6–8:30 p.m. On Saturday, from 10 a.m.–4 p.m., over 100 vendors will showcase an eclectic array of goods, culinary creations, crafts and innovative business ventures along Front Street. For the little ones, the Kids Zone offers inflatables (free of charge). And for just a dollar, kids can embark on the train rides and partake in a plethora of kid-friendly activities. Throughout the weekend, the Main Stage at the Train Depot will be a focal point of entertainment, along with other locations along Front Street. For more information, visit simatn.org/depot-days, find Smyrna Depot Days on Facebook, call 615-596-5185 or email info@simatn.org
booth will be June Bug, a restored 1968 Fan Camper. Enjoy music by The Jake Leg Stompers. Well-behaved, leashed dogs are permitted. All tickets must be purchased in advance. For more information, visit oaklandsmansion.org/oktoberfest
Sept. 28
pecan feStIVal
Come out to the Pecan Festival at LaneAgri Park (315 John R. Rice Blvd.) by Brianna Victory Events on Saturday, Sept. 28, from 11 a.m.–4 p.m., featuring pecans, shopping and food trucks. Enjoy a universe of fall joys. Taste delicious pecan desserts, browse through crafts, boutiques, and vendors, enjoy live music and tasty food trucks, and give the kids fun times with pony rides and a petting zoo. Brianna Victory Events will also present a Young Entrepreneur Showcase in conjunction with the 2024 Pecan Festival. There is free parking and admission. Visit brianna-victory-events.com, find the Pecan Festival event on Facebook, call 931-9520472 or email shawntain1998@gmail. com for more information.
Sept. 28
maupInfeSt
MaupinFest – A Celebration of Old-Time
Sept. 29
Intro to web deSIgn
Learn to unlock everything that comes with your Gmail account through Google Suite to develop your own website with TEC (306 Minerva Dr.) on Sunday, Sept. 29, at 2 p.m. Ages 16 and up are welcome; no advance registration is required. For more information, visit rclstn.org or call 615-225-8312.
oct. 3
St. claIre health expo
Join St. Clair Senior Center (325 St. Clair St.) for its annual health expo on Thursday, Oct. 3, from 8 a.m.–noon, with over 40 healthcare professionals offering screenings, services and information on traditional, alternative and mental health to anyone aged 60 and over. There will be giveaways and door prizes. For more information, visit murfreesborotn.gov/ seniorcenter, call 615-848-2550 or email lgrissom@murfreesborotn.gov.
oct. 3
fIrefly Supper
Dance and Music, celebrates the legacy Thomas Maupin has made in the oldtime community. This one-day festival on Saturday, Sept. 28, will include dancing, contests, concerts, workshops, jamming, square dancing, vintage baseball and more at Hootenanny Haven (539 Coopertown Rd., Unionville). Admission is $10, children 6–12 are $5 and pre-school children are no charge. There is free parking. The gate opens at 9 a.m. with music and dancing from 10 a.m.–9 p.m. There is free primitive camping, free contest entry, vintage baseball game, kids zone activities and plentiful shade. Bring your lawn chairs and dance boards. For more information, visit maupinfest.com or find MaupinFest – A Celebration of Old-Time Dance and Music on Facebook.
Sept. 28
laSt Saturday codIng
Visit the Technology Engagement Center for summer Godot classes, where you will learn how to build a platform game that you can share with friends and family, on Saturday, Sept. 28, at 2 p.m. Ages 16 and up are welcome; no advance registration is required. The TEC is located at 306 Minerva Dr. For more information, visit rclstn.org or call 615-225-8312.
The Firefly Supper benefiting Doors of Hope is set for Thursday, Oct. 3, at Copper Ridge Event Venue (3597 Betty Ford Rd.). The evening includes dinner and cocktails while supporting the mission and services of Doors of Hope. Cocktail hour begins at 6 p.m. with dinner, program and live auction beginning at 7 p.m. Doors of Hope works to empower women battling addiction, homelessness and incarceration. For more information, call 615-2035221 or visit opendoorsofhope.org/firefly
o ct. 3–4
tyler morrISSey memorIal golf tournament
The 11th Annual Tyler Morrissey Memorial Golf Tournament, hosted by the nonprofit FCM Cares, will take place on Thursday and Friday, Oct. 3 and 4, at Indian Hills Golf Course (405 Calumet Trace). Over $45,000 was raised last year to help local communities. Sponsorship opportunities are available. Premium hole sponsors can bring a tent to the course to meet and greet all the golfers. The day consists of lots of prizes, great food and great golf. Lunch will be provided by The Alley on Main. FCM Cares was started in 2016 and distributed over $108,000 in 2023 to numerous charitable and educational causes. The TMO golf tournament is their largest fundraiser. For more information, visit firstcommunitymortgage. com/tmo-golf-tournament.
mondayS
connect murfreeSboro
Join Connect Murfreesboro each Monday from 9–10 a.m. at BoomBozz Craft Pizza & Taphouse (2839 Medical Center Pkwy.) for a casual networking event designed to connect professionals, build relationships, drive referrals and help grow businesses. Please prepare a 60-second pitch about who you are and what you do, as well as a specific referral request for attendees on what can be done to help promote your business. The approximately 20-minute period at the end of each meeting is reserved for members to set up one-on-ones and socialize. For more information or directions, visit connectnashvillenetworking.com/events
mondayS
monday nIght hIStory
The Patriot Institute presents free Monday Night History classes every Monday night at 6:30 p.m. at Hank’2 Doors Down (2333 Memorial Blvd.). Classes have been covering Western civilization and the American Revolution. The instructor, Galen Walker, formed The Patriot Institute in 2015 and has taught Monday Night History at various locations ever since. Classes started back with the Greek City-States and have progressed through Greece, Rome and the Middle Ages; most recently they covered the Pilgrims and Puritans and the French and Indian War. Classes involve more than just listening to a lecture—they include quality video productions to cover each topic. Visit thepatriotinstitute.org or find The Patriot Institute on Facebook for more information.
mondayS & tueSdayS
computer claSS: workforce eSSentIalS
Take advantage of free computer classes with the Technology Engagement Center (306 Minerva Dr.) on Mondays in September from 3:30–5 p.m. (drop-in) and Tuesdays in September from 2:30–4 p.m. (drop-in). Come learn basic computer skills, Windows 10, Google Docs, Microsoft Office, Excel, PowerPoint and more with self-paced modules and guided instruction. The library has laptops you can use in-house. For more information, visit rclstn.org or call 615-225-8312.
tueSdayS & FridayS
rutherford county
farmerS’ market
The Rutherford County Agricultural
SaturdayS
Smyrna depot market
Carpe Artista presents the Smyrna Depot Farmers Market in partnership with the Town of Smyrna from 8 a.m.–noon at the Historic Smyrna Front Street Depot District (98 Front St.) every Saturday through Sept. 21. For more information, visit carpeartista.com/farmers-market or call 615-984-4038.
Extension Cooperation continues its producer-only farmers’ market at the Lane Agri-Park (315 John R. Rice Blvd.) from 7 a.m.–noon every Tuesday and Friday. Market vendors hail from over a dozen Middle Tennessee counties and sell a wide variety of seasonal fruits and vegetables, meats, eggs, baked and canned goods, flowers, plants and more. There are also “Come and Go” informative sessions for the general public every market day from 9–11 a.m. in the lobby. Topics range from sustainable gardening, cooking, food preservation and environmental education and more. For more information, call 615-898-7710 or visit rutherford.tennessee.edu/farmers-market
WedneSdayS
tIny tec
Visit the Technology Engagement Center (306 Minerva Dr.) for a delightful “Seasons of Fun” STEAM event at the library, specially designed for little learners aged 2–4 Wednesdays in September from 11:30 a.m.–noon. In the month of September, they will explore the magic of the four seasons through hands-on activities and stories. Children can discover the wonders of nature while making new friends. No advance registration is required. For more information, visit rclstn.org or call 615-225-8312.
WedneSdayS
networkIng for aweSome people
Are you looking to meet and connect with other local business owners? Do you want to grow your network and pick up some skills along the way? Networking for Awesome People meets each week on Wednesdays at 9 a.m. at the Achieve Entrepreneur and CoWorking Center (1630 S. Church St.). All you need to bring is a good attitude. Each attendee gets about a minute to explain what they do and what they need, followed by a discussion question of the week. For more information, find a Networking for Awesome People group on Facebook.
t hur S day S
m ad c ow t rek c lub
The Mad Cow Trek Club running group meets every Thursday at 6 p.m. at Panther Creek Brews (714 W. Main St.). The group embarks on a route of 4–8 miles and welcomes runners of all paces and abilities. Affiliated with the Mad Cow Running Company in McMinnville, the Trek Club hosts races and free get-togethers to share its love of running with the community. Find Mad Cow Running Company (MCRC) on Facebook for course routes and more details. All runners are encouraged to stay after each run for food and drinks.
FridayS
tec StorytIme
Visit the TEC (306 Minerva Dr.) for a delightful “Harvest” Storytime Fridays in September from 10:30–11 a.m. Gather your little ones ages 5 and under for stories, songs and coloring. Bring your harvest spirit and let the magic of stories inspire little imaginations. No advance registration is required. For more information, call 615225-8312 or visit rclstn.org
FridayS
c3 networkIng
C3 is an open networking group for local business professionals at Achieve Entrepreneur and CoWorking Center (1630 S. Church St.) held on Fridays from 8:30–10:30 a.m. The mission is to build relationships, connect local businesses with potential clients and support each other’s professional growth. Complimentary coffee and snacks are provided. For more information, find Prohibition Home Brewing on Facebook.
FridayS
communIty cheSS
Murfreesboro Community Chess meets at McAlister’s Deli (2357 Medical Center Pkwy.) every Friday from 6 to 9 p.m. Organizers invite those of all ages and skill levels to this casual chess meetup each week. Those attending may bring a board and a clock if they can, but there should be plenty of supplies on hand.
SaturdayS
Saturday market
The Main Street Saturday Market continues in downtown Murfreesboro. The weekly farmers market will take place on the Murfreesboro Public Square every Saturday from 8 a.m.–noon through the end of October. Spend the day with real farmers, real food and real community and find a wide variety of produce, locally raised meats, fresh breads and pastries, mushrooms, honey, soaps and lotions, sauces, jams and more. For more information, find Murfreesboro Saturday Market on Facebook.
SundayS
coffee/breakfaSt
wIth a Veteran
All are welcome to join local veterans for coffee or breakfast and conversation on Sunday mornings from 8 to 9:30 a.m. at Joanie’s, located on the Public Square in downtown Murfreesboro.
FOr ThE Full liST OF wEEkly EvENTS, viSiT boropulSe.com
concerts
Live Music in M idd L e tennessee
Wed, 9/4
Hank’s Honky Tonk
Kenna Elpers
HarvesTer e venT CenTer
Swing Dance Workshop
PanTH er Creek Brews
Muddy Boots
Pu C ke TT’s
Carson Mac
t hur S , 9/5
GrindsTone Cow B oy
Jason Michael Carrol
Hank’s Honky Tonk
Sir Anthony
Fri, 9/6
Boro Bour B on & Brews
Jasco & Kyle
Bur G er Bar
Jeff Lysyczyn
C H am Py’s C H i C ken (s myrna)
Zone Status
GrindsTone Cow B oy
Maddy Pruitt
Hank’s Honky Tonk
Bill Ashmore & The Last Stand; Delyn Christian
Ha PPy’s sP orT s Loun G e
Trifecta
HarvesTer e venT CenTer
The Hi-Jivers; Wild Bill and the Bruisers
Heroes d en
Milford Academy
Ja C k’s P L a C e
Tony Castellanos
Ho P sP rin G s
Roots Rendezvous with Stones River Bluegrass; Caleb Christopher Edwards; Dewdrop Jamboree
m idd L e Ground Brewin G Co.
Glen Wagner
Pu C ke TT’s
The Deltaz
s easons of m urfrees B oro
Cooter River Band
s myrna vfw PosT 8422
Shane & the Money Makers
Sat, 9/7
Bi G d addy’s Hand L e B ar Crossroads
Boro Bour B on & Brews
Unfinished Business; Tony Castellanos
CiT y Cafe
Everette Brown Trio
Hank’s Honky Tonk
Stone Silo; In Cahoots
Ha PPy’s sP orT s Loun G e
Zone Status
Heroes d en
Jeff Lysyczyn
Ho P sP rin G s
Tony Hartman; Ambar Herrera Lopez; Decy Ramona; Frank Bailey & Friends; Noelle Goodin Band; Delyn Christian Trio; Cripple Creek Cloggers with the Slim Chance Band; Glade City Rounders; Jake Leg Stompers; Rockin’ Country
m idd L e Ground Brewin G Co.
Memory Train
PanTH er Creek Brews
Like Daggers; Cassette Stress
Pu C ke TT’s
Joe West Duo s easons of m urfrees B oro
Amylase
s myrna vfw PosT 8422
Shane & the Money Makers
Sun, 9/8
Bi G d addy’s Hand L e B ar
Phoenix Rising
Hank’s Honky Tonk
The O’Donnells
Ho P sP rin G s
Da Jam Band
m on, 9/9
Bur G er Bar
Jeff Lysyczyn
Hank’s Honky Tonk
Open Mic Night with Toast
mT su w ri GHT m usi C Bui L din G
Adam Clark; Todd Waldecker
s myrna vfw PosT 8422
Randy and Friends
t ue S , 9/10
Boro Bour B on & Brews
Mike Palmer
Hank’s Honky Tonk
Joe Hooper
mTsu sTudenT u nion
Live in the ’Boro
Wed, 9/11
Boro Bour B on & Brews
Shane Douglas
Hank’s Honky Tonk
Robyn Taylor
Ho P sP rin G s
Jesse Daniel
Pu C ke TT’s
Miles Damaso Group
t hur S , 9/12
Co PP er r id G e e venT v enue
Bill Luther; Marv Green
Hank’s Honky Tonk
Cary & Sherrie Lynn
Fri, 9/13
Boro Bour B on & Brews
Tony Hartman
Bur G er Bar
Jeff Lysyczyn
C H am Py’s C H i C ken (s myrna)
Big Saxy
Hank’s Honky Tonk
Bailey Rose; Jack Finley Band
Ha PPy’s sP orT s Loun G e
New Binge
Ja C k’s P L a C e
Tony Castellanos
m ayday Brewery
Boom
Pu C ke TT’s
Joe & Diane
s easons of m urfrees B oro
Zone Status
s myrna vfw PosT 8422
Shane & the Money Makers
Sat, 9/14
Bi G d addy’s Hand L e B ar
McKenzie Phipps
Boro Bour B on & Brews
Eden’s Storm
CiT y Cafe
Everette Brown Trio
Hank’s Honky Tonk
Tawnya Reynolds;
Mikki Zip Band
Ha PPy’s sP orT s Loun G e
Buckshot Ridge
m idd L e Ground Brewin G Co.
Baurkli
mT su wa L nuT Grove
HunterGirl
Pu C ke TT’s
Stone Silo
s easons of m urfrees B oro
Mavericks
s myrna vfw PosT 8422
Tony and the Attitude
TH e Boro Bar & Gri LL
Applehead; Bridges To Burn; Summon the Moon
Sun, 9/15
Hank’s Honky Tonk
Emily Miller
Ho P sP rin G s
Da Jam Band
m on , 9/16
Bur G er Bar
Jeff Lysyczyn
Hank’s Honky Tonk
Open Mic Night with Toast
mT su w ri GHT m usi C Bui L din G
Arunesh Nadgir
s myrna vfw PosT 8422
Randy and Friends
t ue S , 9/17
Boro Bour B on & Brews
Crosstown
Hank’s Honky Tonk
Jesse Black
mT su w ri GHT m usi C Bui L din G
Lillard/Stevens Sextet
Wed, 9/18
Boro Bour B on & Brews
Silent Ruckus
Hank’s Honky Tonk
Izzy Grace
PanTH er Creek Brews
Muddy Boots
Pu C ke TT’s
Jeffrey Joslin
t hur S , 9/19
Boro Bour B on & Brews
Dueling Pianos with Carter Elliott
Hank’s Honky Tonk
Will King
mT su w ri GHT m usi C Bui L din G
Ava Olsen
Fri, 9/20
Boro Bour B on & Brews
The Mears Brothers
Bur G er Bar
Glen Wagner
C H am Py’s C H i C ken (s myrna)
Chandler Brown
GrindsTone Cow B oy
Marci Mitchell
Hank’s Honky Tonk
Sara Simmons;
Jeff Caron Band
Ha PPy’s sP orT s Loun G e
Graham Anthem Band
Ja C k’s P L a C e
Tony Castellanos
m ayday Brewery
Carter Elliott
m idd L e Ground Brewin G Co.
Miles Damaso Trio
m urfrees Boro Pu BLi C s quare
Bizz & Everyday People
PanTH er Creek Brews
Micah Armani
Pu C ke TT’s
David Isenberg Trio
s easons of m urfrees B oro
Kelson Buck & The Buck Wild Band
s myrna vfw PosT 8422
Shane & the Money Makers
Sat, 9/21
Bi G d addy’s Hand L e B ar
Junkbox
Boro Bour B on & Brews
Evan DeNicola Band; Scott Hogue
CiT y Cafe
Everette Brown Trio
Hank’s Honky Tonk
The Hammonds; Cooter River Band
Ha PPy’s sP orT s Loun G e
Stranger Than Fiction
m idd L e Ground Brewin G Co.
Lisa Law Trio
mT su wa L nuT Grove
The Cadillac Three
PanTH er Creek Brews
Yonder Grove
Pu C ke TT’s
Kenny Durham Trio
s myrna vfw PosT 8422
In Cahoots
Sun, 9/22
Hank’s Honky Tonk
Brothers in Black
Ho P sP rin G s
Da Jam Band
m on, 9/23
Bur G er Bar
Glen Wagner
Hank’s Honky Tonk
Open Mic Night with Toast
mT su w ri GHT m usi C Bui L din G
Don Aliquo
s myrna vfw PosT 8422
Randy and Friends
t ue S , 9/24
Boro Bour B on & Brews
Clint Draper
Hank’s Honky Tonk
Delyn Christian
mT su w ri GHT m usi C Bui L din G
Chamber Winds; Symphonic Band
Wed, 9/25
Boro Bour B on & Brews
Carson Mac
Hank’s Honky Tonk
Jeff Caron
mT su w ri GHT m usi C Bui L din G
Daniel Shineberg
Pu C ke TT’s
Maddie Rose
s myrna vfw PosT 8422
Open Mic Night with
Sharon
t hur S , 9/26
Hank’s Honky Tonk
Silent Ruckus
mT su w ri GHT m usi C Bui L din G
Wind Ensemble
Fri, 9/27
Boro Bour B on & Brews
Hammbone
Bur G er Bar
Glen Wagner
C H am Py’s C H i C ken (s myrna)
Jeff Lysyczyn
Hank’s Honky Tonk
Ashton Butler;
Justin Dukes
Ha PPy’s sP orT s Loun G e
Travis & Co.
Ja C k’s P L a C e
Tony Castellanos
m ayday Brewery
Brandon Scott
m idd L e Ground Brewin G Co.
Milford Academy
Pu C ke TT’s
Radio Farm
s easons of m urfrees B oro
Echo
TH e Boro Bar & Gri LL
Robert’s Rude Boys;
Secret Commonwealth; Hoo Doo Men
Sat, 9/28
Boro Bour B on & Brews
Copper and Lead; Kevin Wolf
Cedar G L ade Brews
Jeff Lysyczyn CiT y Cafe
Everette Brown Trio
Hank’s Honky Tonk
Krystal King; Whiskey Smoke
Ha PPy’s sP orT s Loun G e
Echo
mT su w ri GHT m usi C Bui L din G
Ko studio recital
Pu C ke TT’s
The Mighty Train Wrecks
s easons of m urfrees B oro
No Escape (Journey tribute)
Sun, 9/29
Bi G d addy’s Hand L e B ar
Real Deal Band
Hank’s Honky Tonk
Daniel Michael Crane
Ho P sP rin G s
Da Jam Band
TH e Boro Bar & Gri LL
Joey Fletcher Band
TH e Pu BL i C House
Milford Academy
m on, 9/30
Bur G er Bar
Jeff Lysyczyn
Hank’s Honky Tonk
Open Mic Night with Toast
GHT
Stones River Chamber
Players
Sounds
HunterGirl, cadillac tH ree c ontinue Party in t H e Grove c oncerts Prior to M tsu Ho M e Football Ga M es
MTSu’S wAlNuT grOvE will host live musical performances prior to Blue Raider Football’s home games. Billed as the Party in the Grove, the concerts will begin three and a half hours before kickoff.
Hip-hop artist Legendary Nedge, rising country star HunterGirl and countryrock trio The Cadillac Three, all with strong MTSU alumni ties, will be the first three acts set for what the university hopes will become a new pregame tradition on the campus, said MTSU President Sidney A. McPhee.
Nedge, who as Nick Edgerson graduated in May from MTSU with a music business degree, headlined the show before the season opener on Saturday, Aug. 31. He’s a two-time Telly Award winner and was a featured artist on the MTSU College of Media and Entertainment’s “We Do It All” television commercial that won a regional Emmy. He has recorded on MTSU’s student-run Match Records label.
HunterGirl, who as Hunter Wolkonowski graduated in 2020 from MTSU with a music business degree, will take the spotlight before the home game on Saturday, Sept. 14, against Western Kentucky University. She was the popular runner-up of Season 20 of American Idol in 2022, where she was championed by show judge Luke Bryan, who said she was his “favorite female country voice.” This summer, HunterGirl toured with Bryan’s Mind of a Country Boy Tour. She was named an honorary professor of
recording industry at MTSU in 2022. The trio of Jaren Johnston, Neil Mason and Kelby Ray will take the stage as The Cadillac Three before the homecoming game against Duke University on Saturday, Sept. 21. Johnson is a former MTSU student and Ray graduated from the university in 2003 with a music business degree. The group has released three albums through Big Machine Records, and has charted three singles on the Billboard Hot Country Songs and Country Airplay charts.
The September shows will begin in Walnut Grove at 2:30 p.m. with kickoff for the games set for 6 p.m. at nearby Floyd Stadium. In addition to the performance stage, the Grove will also feature food trucks and several new sponsor tents, and activities will be added to the mix as well.
The party will wind down 45 minutes prior to kickoff with a “Follow Me to Floyd” parade led by Student Government Association President Michai Mosby and Blue Zoo President Bretlyn Warner, who will also be emcees for the Party in the Grove events.
Party in the Grove, located in the traditional MTSU campus gathering point in an open field between Peck Hall and the Cope Administration Building, is led by the Division of Student Affairs, the College of Media and Entertainment and Blue Raider Athletics.
Find tickets for MTS u football games on Ticketmaster.
l ive in t H e ’ b oro : s e P
r aises Funds F or Green H ouse
g r EEN h O u SE Mi N i ST ri ES will host its annual Live in the ’Boro event at MTSU this year on Sept. 10. Located in the Student Union Ballroom on the MTSU campus, the event will include live musical performances from local artists as well prizes and an auction.
The night will have a performance from Louis Toedt, a storytelling troubadour who draws from American roots music in his work.
Drew Davis, a former youth pastorturned-stand-up comedian will take his self-deprecating style of humor to the stage.
Following the night’s comedic act will be a musical performance from Emma Rhea Tenpenny, a Murfreesboro native and MTSU graduate who displays a deep love for country music in her craft.
An auction will take place
Greenhouse Ministries founders Cliff and Jane Sharp started the local organization in 1999 after noticing a gap in services to single moms and the working poor. Through volunteer work, they provide relational ministries to help change the lives of those who come through their doors. Greenhouse Ministries also offers in-house services, from hygiene items for community members to a food bank for those in need of assistance.
Local singer Tatiana Diallo, a baker in her spare time, will perform as well.
Vanderbilt graduate Joshua Guaz, a dynamic violinist and DJ, blends a variety of musical genres from the likes of merengue, classical and hip-hop.
The night will also feature an impressionist art show by Lawrence Goodman III, known for his portraits utilizing a blend of black-and-white techniques and having a selective use of color. He is renowned for his portrayal of biblical
In addition to material aid, Greenhouse Ministries helps with providing educational opportunities by providing classes in cooking, computer skills, sewing and other skills.
Greenhouse Ministries’ Live in the ’Boro event will help raise funding to continue the ministry’s work within the Murfreesboro’s community.
live in the ’Boro will begin at 6 p.m. in the MTSu Student union Ballroom on Tuesday, Sept. 10. Tickets are available for $50 and include dinner. visit greenhousemin.org/liveintheboro for tickets or more information.
— elISha nelSon
scenes in his artwork.
following dinner, and Tom Riles returns as MC for the evening.
JoShua guaz
emma tenpenny
tatiana diallo
drew daviS
lawrenCe goodman
music notes
s on Gwriters Marv Green, b ill lut H er to Per F or M at s e P t. 12 Journey Ho M e b ene F it
g rOOvi N ’ i N T h E ’B O rO is back for its third year in a row at Copper Ridge Event Venue, Thursday, Sept. 12, beginning at 7 p.m. and featuring musical performances by singer-songwriters Bill Luther and Marv Green.
An individual can attend this fundraising event for $125; food from Copper Ridge Catering is included. The proceeds raised will go directly toward The Journey Home. While The Journey Home currently provides resources such as a wellness clinic, a community cafe, and career help, the money raised from Groovin’ in the ’Boro will be going to the Journey Home’s housing program, working towards improving living situations for local unhoused and disadvantaged individuals.
Nashville resident Bill Luther has been a co-writer for award-winning songs such as Tim McGraw’s “How Bad Do You Want It” and “Let It Go,” as well as the Grammy award-winning McGraw and Faith Hill collaboration “Let’s Make Love.” Luther was also a co-writer for the hits “Who You’d Be Today” and Top 10 hit “What I Need to Do.”
Marv Green is a Grammy award nominee for his 1999 No. 1 hit “Amazed,” recorded by Lonestar, which also claimed the title of AMC’s song of the year. In the year prior, Green topped the charts with “True,” recorded by George Strait.
On top of musical talent, Groovin’ in the Boro will feature catered hors d’oeuvres from Copper Ridge Catering as well as an auction featuring curated themed baskets and artisan goods, all benefiting The Journey Home.
Officials estimate that in 2022 nearly 4,000 people experienced homelessness in Rutherford County, with a quarter of those people being families with children. In an effort to reduce homelessness and its related struggles, The Journey Home will soon be expanding its resource center to a 20,000-square-foot facility which will allow for 10 interim housing units along with a wellness clinic and mental health services. This allows clients to receive many necessary services to support their physical and mental needs. Best of all, they will be able to receive all of these services in one place, once the expanded new facility is complete on Old Salem Road near Middle Tennessee Boulevard.
Homelessness can occur for a variety of reasons. These reasons include, but are not limited to, trauma, unemployment, familial or spousal death, physical or mental illness, trauma and addiction, along with an increase in rental prices and home prices. Unfortunately, these are things that anyone can experience at any point in life.
Those in need of help from The Journey Home can begin their journey by calling 615-8092644 or visiting lovegodservepeople.org. From there you will be set up with a counselor who will work with you to create a personalized action plan. The current facility can be found at 308 W. Castle St., Murfreesboro.
For more information on the Sept. 12 g roovin’ in the ’Boro event, call 865-278-8757 or visit lovegodservepeople.org/groovin . — JodIe kInzer
Sounds
ThE FirST CONCErT of the 2024–25 MTSU Jazz Artist Series will feature pianist Michael Jefry Stevens and drummer Art Lillard and include music from the new Keepers of the Flame album from the Lillard/Stevens Sextet.
The concert will be held at 8 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 17, in the Hinton Music Hall of the Wright Music Building, 1439 Faulkinberry Dr. on the MTSU campus.
The program will feature arrangements of standard jazz tunes by Duke Ellington and by the songwriting team of Richard Rodgers and Lorenz Hart, as well as original compositions and arrangements by Lillard and Stevens.
“The concert will showcase the sound of two musicians that have played together since 1972 and represent music-making at its best,” said MTSU Director of Jazz Studies and Lillard/Stevens Sextet trumpeter Jamey Simmons.
Featured as a part of the sextet along with Simmons will be his fellow MTSU
faculty members Don Aliquo (tenor sax) and Jack Aylor (bass) along with East Tennessee trombonist Rick Simerly.
Sextet members will give a free and open master class for the public on Tuesday, Sept. 17, at 4:20 p.m. in Saunders Fine Arts room 101 in the MTSU School of Music.
“The exciting thing for us as teachers is to bring in musicians that have a long-term commitment to the music and show our students what it’s like to have a creative life that explores all kinds of possibilities,” said Simmons.
Asheville-based pianist Michael Jefry Stevens is known as one of the preeminent band leaders, composers and improvisers in jazz, and drummer Art Lillard has maintained a reputation as a drummer in the jazz and musical theater scenes on the East Coast for over five decades.
The Lillard-Stevens collaborations have featured dynamically creative compositions
since the duo’s inception in Boston in the 1970s. After both men moved to New York City, they continued working in the ’80s with some of the most prominent musicians on the jazz scene, creating three recordings: Forgotten Wish, Original Music for Sextet and Living Green World Blues.
In the 1990s, Stevens and Lillard parted ways to pursue road gigs and European touring, but the two reunited post-pandemic, recording Keepers of the Flame in 2022 in Asheville, North Carolina.
“As the trumpet player on the recording, I enjoyed the variety of musical moods and
albu M
eye on the Sky Moon War 2020
compositional approaches that the group utilized,” Simmons said. “This will be a concert that is full of surprises.”
Tickets to the Sept. 17 concert are $10 for the public and free for MTSu students, faculty and staff. For advance tickets, contact Simmons at 615-898-2724 or james. simmons@mtsu.edu. Tickets are also available in the lobby of the wright Music Building before the concert (only cash or checks will be accepted). For more information about the MTSu Jazz Artist Series, visit mtsu.edu/music/jazzseries.php.
Since its standalone 2018 debut, The Red Mist, then-trio and now Murfreesboro heavy groove/sludge/stoner metal quartet Eye on the Sky added featured vocalist Joseph Lampley to the lineup, giving the band its signature heavy metal vocalist range, from the characteristic, deeply
elongated death growls all the way up to falsetto highs. From there, Eye on the Sky progressed, making it impossible to dismiss the metal invasion that descended upon Earth with the band’s Moon War: 2020 Tuning through the static, “True Believer” opens an onslaught of death metal, knowing there’s an epic secured within. “Human Suit” follows in similar throaty style; caught lyrics add a little description to the imminent green moon invaders.
The lyrics for “The Walls Have Compound Eyes” seem to come from a human’s paranoid realization that Earth is being invaded. While Lampley himself, straddling multiple metal vocal stylings, is a dichotomy between earthlings and the green invaders, the album’s indecipherable vocals can leave listeners in the dark, and leaves these skilled metal-lurgists drowning in metal. To clarify, the musical mixing is incredible. Listeners can hear the bass in every song, in a metal album. Eye on the Sky definitely makes up for any lyrical confusion with a blazing musical passion, tapping into Pantera’s groove-metal on top of dark, heavy, early and bluesy metal subgenre influences as well. — bryce harmon
Sounds
c aveFest return s
c avefest 2024 lineup includes railroad earth , the travelin’ mcc ourys , yonder mountain String band , bela fleck & abigail washburn , Jim lauderdale band , lindsay lou and many others, Oct. 11–13 at The Caverns
Th E C Av E r NS P r ESENTS i TS annual CaveFest the weekend of Oct. 11–13, featuring a curated line-up of music over three days as well as camping, open underground jam sessions, cave tours, food trucks, vendors, free access to shower trailers and climate-controlled bathroom trailers.
CaveFest 2024 will feature Railroad Earth, The Travelin’ McCourys, Yonder Mountain String Band, Bela Fleck & Abigail Washburn, The Grateful Ball featuring The Travelin’ McCourys and special guests, Jim Lauderdale & the Game Changers, Lindsay Lou, The Larry Keel Experience, Sicard Hollow, Big Richard, Arkansauce, John Mailander’s Forecast, Clay Street Unit, Pixie & The Partygrass Boys, The Sweet Lillies, La Terza Classe, Colby T. Helms & the Virginia Creepers, Slay & Stinson, Uncle John’s Banjo, and Three Tall Pines.
Airshow will host three late-night shows with special guests, and Lindsay Lou and John Mailander will serve as the festival’s artists-in-residence.
“Now in our third year, CaveFest is a
signature festival at The Caverns,” says The Caverns owner Todd Mayo. “The community of bands and fans, the idyllic setting—both above and below ground—and Tennessee’s beautiful autumn weather, it’s all a recipe for a magical weekend in Grundy County.”
During its first two years, CaveFest attracted guests from every one of the lower 48 states.
The festival takes full advantage of what The Caverns venue has to offer both above and below the Earth’s surface. The Caverns Amphitheater, with its spacious area for seating as well as dancing, will host the headlining performances while providing breathtaking views of the majestic Cumberland Plateau. The Caverns’ world-famous underground concert hall will offer a second stage for additional performances, daily open jam sessions, a sound bath and cave yoga.
Naturally, CaveFest will also feature cave tours and subterranean adventures, providing guests with the opportunity to delve
deep and explore The Caverns’ cave system. Guided walking tours will be offered through the venue’s otherworldly Big Room Cave, where the enthralling history of the region, cave geology and mythology intertwine. Those seeking an adrenaline rush can opt for an Adventure Cave Tour that will take them beyond Tombstone Pass to witness an underground river, soda straw formations and other fascinating sights.
General admission tickets include admission to all shows as well as camping each
night of the festival (Friday, Saturday and Sunday), free access to shower trailers and climate-controlled bathroom trailers for $149. Kids 12 and under are free. Add-ons and upgrades include a VIP Camping Package, Pre-Pitched Tent Package, Thursday Early Entry Pass, Yurt Packages and RV Camping Passes.
The Caverns is located at 555 Charlie roberts rd., Pelham, Tennessee. Find tickets and more information at thecaverns.com.
travelin’ mcCouryS
railroad earth
lindSay lou
yonder mountain String band
bela FleCk & abigail waShburn Jim lauderdale band
living travel
a mish paradise
Corners
If You Go
four c orners b ulk food & d eli 5093 Jacksboro rd., morrison Tues.: 9 a.m.–5 p.m.; wed.: 9 a.m.–4 p.m.; Thurs.: 9 a.m.–5 p.m.; Fri.: 9 a.m.–5 p.m.; Sat.: 9 a.m.–3 p.m.
931-939-5093
4cornersgrocery.com
l ooking F or handmade or homegrown goods in m iddle Tennessee? Head south on Highway 287 near Centertown, Tennessee (about 30 miles outside of Murfreesboro, and approximately 4 miles off of Highway 70) and find an abundance of locally grown produce, goat’s milk soap, unique wooden pieces and other items produced and sold by the Amish families who reside in the area.
The journey to the area, coming from Murfreesboro, makes for a lovely drive; approaching Cannon County, the hill country levels out and the clouds roll over the expansive farmlands of western Warren County.
Those seeking out this relatively hidden pocket of Tennessee commerce where local wares are sold can find more information at the Four Corners Bulk Foods and Deli, located at 5093 Jacksboro Rd., Morrison, Tennessee. The market serves as a home base for the community, offering an array of groceries, fruits, vegetables, pizza, deli meats and sandwiches, chairs, fabric, baskets and more.
The market not only has a large paved parking lot but, in contrast to many urbanized shopping centers, also boasts a hitching post for the numerous horses and buggies that travel the neighborhood.
Four Corners makes quite a shopping experience in itself. A deli counter offers a broad selection of Amish-brand meats and cheeses; the market also sells a wide assortment of other goods, from fruits and vegetables picked only a day prior from just down the road, a huge selection of bulk candies, pickled Brussels sprouts, jellies and other jarred goods, fresh breads and cinnamon rolls made at area bakeries, everything from syrup to soap, peach ring gummies to potato chips, grits to cotton candy.
Some customers order soft-serve ice cream and milkshakes as locals and tourists shop for Pennsylvania Dutch Birch Beer, tomatoes, melons and honey, all within the country carnival atmosphere of this bustling backroad business.
Market proprietor Nate Byler said he moved to the Middle Tennessee area from Ohio and, in 2018, assumed operations at Four Corners, guiding that business to its current, larger grocery store formation.
“You picked the right day to come,” he tells a group of newcomers to Four Corners. “Wednesday is when they deliver those fried pies.”
These fresh and flaky fried pies—peach, apple, pineapple, cherry and other vari-
eties—come from the nearby Bradyville community. Large pans of cinnamon rolls, topped with a fantastically rich frosting, are baked in Smithville.
Another shopper asks about peaches. Byler says that not many in the area grow peaches, but his store imports them from South Carolina lately (they were, however, fresh out on that particular day).
Assemble a lunch of your choosing at Four Corners if you wish; a group can grab deli sandwiches, pizza, raisins, fried pies, pickled okra, cinnamon rolls and/or ice cream at the market, settle down at one of the picnic tables under a large shelter next to the building, and dine in the open air.
Also at the Four Corners Deli find free maps listing area homes that offer produce, furniture, soaps and other goods. Approximately 40 families in the area operate home-based businesses of some type. From the market, a visiting group then sets out to check out some of the home shops. They find beautiful porch rockers and porch swings at Eli Gingerich’s place on Smoot Road. He sources much of his wood from his uncle and other local sawmills, he tells the visitors, as barefoot children quietly clean corn nearby, the dust swirling in the
breeze on a hot August day.
The large swings go for $300, not bad for a sturdy, handmade wooden item.
Nearby, a sign marking the driveway for Noah Yoder’s home reads “Okra . . . No Sun. Sale” (neither the Amish families, nor the Four Corners Deli, does business on Sundays). This is the spot for okra—okra picked today, yesterday’s okra, pickled okra, spicy pickled okra.
Another farm on the list, Levi Miller’s, offers a variety of goat’s milk soaps in all sorts of scents and colors—cucumber melon, mango papaya, tea tree, sweet pea, lavender, and honeysuckle, among others—as well as a variety of baskets, candy, and wooden yoyos. Adding to the unique vibe here, dozens of ticking clocks hang on the walls of this small shop; evidently Mr. Miller also serves as the local clock repairman.
After visiting a few houses, newcomers may notice a pattern from the home-based Amish merchants. These families will not likely seem warm or welcoming when shoppers arrive. They are set up to efficiently sell the outsiders produce and other goods (for cash), but display very little interest in having conversations, forming friendships, or even exhibiting what would be considered the
Story by bracken mayo p hoto S by Sarah m ayo
most basic greetings and customer service found in many urban retailers.
The printed maps and listings contain a statement saying that “The Amish traditions do not allow for their pictures to be taken. Please honor their beliefs.” Other signs seen within the Four Corners market and at some of the farms also post the request for no photos.
When a visitor asked a farm owner if he could snap a photo of his horse and buggy, not of any people, the man replied “No,” stating they would prefer that you just look and not even capture photos of their animals and homes (thus the lack of photos of the specific farms and people in this area— as scenic, memorable and photo-worthy as the places are, and as unmodernly and noteworthy the clothing and way of life may appear—accompanying this written piece).
But many of these individuals know what they are doing as far as working the fields and working with their hands.
The Andy Byler estate, #35 on the community maps and located on Pleasant Hill Road, offers some beautiful hickory bent rockers as the smell of fire from near the workshop wafts through the air. These rockers, going for $150, display
quite an interesting design. A young man producing them said his father came up with the chair design, and now he is learning how to bend the wood and construct them. His mother, meanwhile, tells some visitors about her different varieties of soaps.
Much of the produce offered at the home-based stands is high quality and fairly priced. Fresh okra goes for $1 per pound at one; a shopper was pleased to discover that he could obtain a very sweet seedless watermelon, three zucchini, five medium juicy tomatoes and three patty pan squash at another home for a total of only $9.50.
So, for those in Middle Tennessee on the lookout for a unique outing, fresh produce, quality furniture or a different type of adventure, explore the snaking rural backroads between Centertown and Morrison, witness firsthand these families who choose to live a life largely free of modern technology and, while you’re out that way, be sure to stop by the Four Corners Bulk Foods and Deli, where the two worlds— the Amish and the English, those driving horses and buggies and those driving SUVs with out-of-county license plates, those with iPhones and name-brand clothing and those without—meet and trade.
Porch & Deck
Hanging Baskets
Mixed Containers
Potting Materials
Wide Selection of Annuals
We can help you find the perfect plant combination!
HOURS : MONDAY–FRIDAY 8 AM –5 PM v SATURDAY 8 AM –4 PM
living
c hec K !
murfreesboro c hess c ommunity gathers every friday evening
Story and photoS by bracken mayo
Friday evenings from 6 to 9 p.m. at McAlister’s Deli on Medical Center Parkway in Murfreesboro, near The Avenue, local chess enthusiasts gather for games and good times. Chess players of all ages and all skill levels attend the meetup, known as Murfreesboro Community Chess, to practice for their next tournament, get some in-person experience or just gather for a fun game night.
Some have competed in many chess tournaments and have extensive formal training. Others have played chess online or casually, but are not officially rated. But most everyone who plays on Friday nights enjoys improving their game, sharpening their tactics, experiencing the thrill of a victory and socializing with other local chess players.
Igor Zhislin, a fixture in the Murfreesboro chess scene and a former Ukrainian student chess champion, set the community meetup in motion, and after a few moves over the years and some growth, the group has settled on the deli since late 2023.
On some Fridays, up to 20 chess games may be going on simultaneously in the spacious McAlister’s meeting room.
“I love playing chess,” said Caleb Burrows, who often attends on Fridays because he “wanted to play more over the board. It’s one time out of the week I can dedicate to chess.
“Why would we do anything else?” he asked.
The event and the participants seem truly welcoming to all who enjoy playing chess or
learning more about the game, regardless of skill level or experience. It’s good to know how the pieces move and the basic parameters of the game before showing up, but most advanced players display a teacher’s heart in a game with a newcomer.
Adam Johnson, one of the ringleaders of the group and a walking encyclopedia of chess openings, can often be found at McAlister’s on Fridays. The former student of Zhislin’s at Central Magnet School and member of the school’s 2014 K–9th grade national champions becomes engrossed in dissecting chess positions, presenting puzzles to others in the group, examining openings, conversing about preferred ways to respond to the Scandinavian Defense or the Queen’s Gambit, and playing any and everyone willing.
“What’s your favorite opening?” asks Parker Dawes, another former student of Igor’s at Central Magnet, as he gets to know a fellow local chess player. Now a student at the University of Tennessee, Dawes says he still likes to attend the Friday gatherings when he is back in Murfreesboro.
Attendees who admit they don’t necessarily feel they fit into many social situations or athletic programs have found in Murfreesboro Community Chess a comfortable circle of friends at the meetups and a place to be themselves and to learn.
On one summer Friday evening, Zhislin was pleased to see Vivaan Lodha arrive at McAlister’s. A newcomer to the Murfreesboro
area and to the Community Chess events, Lodha is no newcomer to the game of chess.
Vivaan’s mother, Ankita, has observed the benefits of chess in her son and other children, helping improve mental capacity and focus.
“Chess gives them some of the same satisfaction as video games, but helps with calculation power,” Ankita tells another parent, adding that through the game “kids learn failure early in life.”
Win, lose or draw, the result of the game is what it is. As long as rules are followed, the loser has no option other than to accept defeat and learn from the game, but all within the confines of a friendly, teaching atmosphere.
Meanwhile, at another table at the deli, a young player named Jimmy says, excitedly, “We’re playing a very weird variant with no promoting and no castling;” in case the standard rules of chess do not provide enough of a challenge, one can find an opponent to play variants of the game such as antichess or reverse chess, refusal chess, diagonal chess, endgame or pawns-only chess, or multiple other games with modified rules.
His mother says that Jimmy and his brother want to come to the Friday meetups as much as possible. Many other local parents support their children’s desire to be involved in the nights and immerse themselves in the generally intellectual crowd whose members choose to spend their Friday evening playing chess. Science, geog-
raphy, brain puzzles, math and technology are all popular topics among some of the attendees. Rubik’s Cubes and other games of strategy are popular with some of the players as well.
Mary Wells Smith frequently brings her son and daughter to the meetups and says she has been quite impressed with the caliber of young people involved.
“These are the kids that you want your kids to hang out with,” Smith says, adding that she expects some who meet at the chess nights to become “lifelong quality friends.” Her son, G, who is also a karate student, said that he found that chess has made him better at sparring.
“I see what they are trying to do before they do it,” he observed. Success in chess, like sparring and many other parts of life, requires identifying a position and quickly formulating a strategy and plan of action.
Whether you’re a casual chess player looking to have some free fun and meet new people, or a seasoned tournament player seeking a challenge, you can likely find what you’re looking for at Community Chess.
This writer has greatly enjoyed diving into the community, meeting some other local players and developing a bit of a rivalry with one McAnthony Tarway, a most worthy young opponent whom I have yet to defeat!
For more information, find a Murfreesboro Community Chess Facebook group or call or text 615-225-7781.
Thriving in a competitive world requires a certain level of emotional and physical “toughness”. We help young people find a better version of themselves by reaching down deep and accomplishing their personal goals. See your child blossom into the best person they can be.
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movie
the cast and crew of Dot Conner: Webtective shooting in rutherford county at the Soda bar at fountains at gateway, the Smyrna airport and motlow State community college
filmmakers shoot movie at various middle tennessee locations
Story by l aura lI nd S ay
A Full-lENgTh ChildrEN’S MOviE known as Dot Conner: Webtective was filmed in Murfreesboro this summer. Based on the faith-based streaming series of the same name, Murfreesboro producer Jae Huff and writer/director Andrew Huff created the Dot Conner concept.
The action series follows an inquisitive young teenager as she investigates questions about her Christian faith as if she were a detective solving a mystery. The filmmakers say the goal of the series is to teach sound biblical doctrine to kids in an entertaining way and encourage them to use available tools and resources to answer their own questions about God and the Bible, according to dotconner.com
Find the Season 1 series now on DirecTV, Prime Video, Tubi, YouTube TV and other streaming platforms.
“When we thought about how to do Season 2, we thought, ‘What if we went out and made a movie?’” Jae Huff said. “Because
there is going to be a lack of family content in the theaters.
Andrew Huff said they have been getting great feedback from kids.
“It’s awesome that kids watching the show have really been enjoying it,” he said.
In Season 1 the kids in the show are in middle school; the movie takes off at the point when they become freshmen in high school, according to Andrew.
“The main character Dot is very curious. She is also very innocent and a little awkward at times because she sees everything through a lens like being a detective. And then Makayla, her best friend, is a little bit of Dr. Watson to Dot’s Sherlock Holmes. Makayla is grounded in the real world, kind of scrappy and looking out for Dot,” he said. “Alex was a very interesting character to put into the series because he records the mysteries—he is a cameraman, and he is hilarious.”
Gili Sage Gould as Dot Conner, Lauryn McCardell as Makayla Williams and Ethan Pogue
as Alex Murray are the lead actors playing this central team uncovering these mysteries.
Andrew said he’d had the idea for Dot Conner: Webtective for quite awhile when a streaming platform asked for pitches that could be developed and launched.
“Jae and I started working in production in 2019 when we were working on a lot of media production for churches, and we decided to start working on more, because we weren’t doing anything entertaining for consumers,” he said. “I loved the ’80s show Remington Steele that was about a private detective, and then I’m a huge Alfred Hitchcock fan. I love detective stories and mystery stories and all that kind of stuff.”
Taking that detective element and attaching it to more of a modern kid’s experience resulted in Dot Conner.
“At the time my kids were very much like YouTubers and bloggers, so I thought maybe this pre-teen girl would film herself solving mysteries,” Andrew said. “Taking that main-
stream character and combining a YouTuber was the idea we were going for.”
At the same time, the filmmakers wanted to create a story that is timeless.
“We try to make exciting stories with eternal truths,” Jae said. “Things that will be true today, tomorrow and 10 years from now.” They also aim to preserve and showcase the family unit and strong friendships in their film.
“We enjoyed filming the movie in Murfreesboro and there will be a few local spots that people will recognize. We want to support Murfreesboro and the people who live here, and we loved shooting part of the film at small businesses,” Jae said.
Some of the Middle Tennessee locations included in the film include the Soda Bar at Fountains at Gateway, Motlow State Community College and the Smyrna Airport.
To find out more, visit dotconner.com and wefunder.com/dot.conner.webtective.
art
t he i mportance o F b eing
by Jod I e kI nzer
m urfreesboro man continues e rnest p . worrell franchise and legacy with graphic novel project
ErNEST P. wOrrEll , the goofy titular character from the film franchise that started in 1987 with Ernest Goes to Camp, is back for the first time in 25 years. Murfreesboro native Corey Perkins and his team of artists have worked together to bring back the joy that is Ernest in his very own full-color graphic novel featuring over 150 pages of pure story.
“There’s a lot of negativity out there in the world. You turn on the television, and everyone’s yelling at each other, and so, I think the world could use Ernest right now, you know? He accepts everybody. He’s forgiving, he’s empathetic. He makes mistakes, but he tries to do the right thing. He puts himself on the line to help others,” Perkins said.
“He believes in people when they shouldn’t be believed in. He’s very authentic, and his authenticity is something that I love. And he’s big-hearted. He’s always telling the truth, even if he can get on your nerves. So, yeah, I wish more people in the world were like Ernest. Honestly, if everybody was more like Ernest, it would be a better place.”
While things are different now since the loss of Jim Varney in 2000, Corey has spent the past year poring over the script repeatedly to ensure that the script feels like a classic Ernest movie, containing an equivalent helping of humor. As longtime Ernest fans, Corey and the team wanted to replicate all of the original slapstick comedy and goofy personality traits that made Ernest who he is, even incorporating a writing style that imitates Ernest’s vocal inflections.
However, there are also some emotional aspects in the graphic novel similar to those in Ernest Goes to Camp. The main character arc in the comic draws inspiration from a brief but memorable scene in which Ernest sings “Gee, I’m glad it’s raining.”
“Jim Varney sings a song, just this one song. It’s the only time he ever does that, it just goes into a musical for a second, and it’s really awesome. It’s really magical how he can get people to emote and get people to empathize.”
Overall, the comic is meant to be somewhat of a love letter to Ernest Scared Stupid with its spooky atmosphere and darker undertone. Ernest will be going on a wacky adventure to defeat the graphic novel’s main villain, Dr. Otto. This refers back to Dr. Otto and the Riddle of the Gloom Beam, created by John Cherry and Coke Sams, the duo responsible for creating Ernest’s char-
acter. Dr. Otto was notably played by Jim Varney, who also played our beloved Ernest in his first film appearance.
Many of the Ernest movies and Dr. Otto were filmed in Middle Tennessee; in fact, Montgomery Bell State Park, the setting for Ernest Goes to Camp, holds an Ernest Day celebration every summer (with the next Ernest Day set for June 14, 2025). Dr. Otto and the Riddle of the Gloom Beam was mostly filmed in Fall Creek Falls State Park, while Ernest Goes to Jail was shot at the Tennessee State Penitentiary, among other Nashville sites.
To access the comic, titled Ernest & the Dream Stone, and for more information on the project, visit ernestgoestocomics.com. A Kickstarter campaign will launch on Sept. 17, currently the only way to purchase this comic. The Kickstarter algorithm rewards creators who see purchases on the first day, so if you want more Ernest content in the future, it’s important to make a purchase on day one.
Dedicated Ernest fans can find more than just the graphic novel.
“I’ve also been recording a podcast that’s exclusive to Kickstarter, and it’s only available to the people who buy it,” Perkins said. “I’m interviewing the owner of the franchise, Jim Varney’s nephew, who wrote Jim Varney’s biography. His niece will be interviewed as well. She is very supportive of the project. There’ll be interviews with me as well as the artistic team. We’re going to go through all the movies and watch them and talk about them. It’ll be fun!”
A director’s cut of the graphic novel, posters and other collectibles will be available as well. For more information, visit ernestgoestocomics.com.
Food restaurant
aThe Dish
reStaurant
Clay Pit Cuisine of india locatIon 1312 Nw Broad St. phone
s econd to n aan
p it c uisine of India continues its long-running Indian buffet experience at new broad Street home
fter its beginnings and a long run at its former Memorial Boulevard home, the Clay Pit lives on and keeps the naan coming, now serving the cuisine of India from its location on Broad Street, just off of Clark Boulevard.
The Clay Pit, Murfreesboro’s original Indian restaurant (now, at least four other establishments focusing on Indian food have opened in the town) opened in its current home in 2022.
“The butter chicken and chicken vindaloo were exceptional, each bursting with rich flavors,” said a recent customer, Michael. “Paired with their garlic naan bread, the meal was nothing short of spectacular. If you’re a fan of Indian cuisine or simply looking to try something new, I highly recommend giving The Clay Pit a try.”
Many others rave about that butter chicken. While the restaurant does offer a full lunch and dinner menu containing a wide assortment of various chicken, seafood, lamb, goat and vegetarian options, the lunch buffet, available each day from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., makes a quick, hot, nutritious and flavorful lunch—and for $11.99 quite the all-you-can-eat value.
Walk right in and the chicken tikka masala awaits on the hot bar. A server asks a diner if he would like plain or garlic naan, a light and buttery bread cooked hot to order and brought to the table. The naan bread reminds an eater of the crust of a thin brick-oven pizza—toasty, buttery, slightly charred, served hot, with or without garlic.
The Clay Pit lunch bar may not be the
most massive buffet in town, but it has plenty of quality items to try. There’s the tandoori chicken—a good smoky, bone-in chicken grilled in the clay oven—tasty, yellow, spicy shredded cabbage; the famous mild chicken tikka masala, swimming in its warm tomato sauce; a spicier chicken curry and more.
The buffet also contains pakoras—vegetables battered and deep fried, resulting in a fritter-like creation—lentils and, for something sweet, some lovely and fragrant reduced milk balls served in rose-flavored sugar syrup with a touch of cardamom, a dessert dish known as gulab jamun. End a meal with these little sweet treats to counter some of the rich and spicy savory dishes.
“There is always an excellent selection on the buffet,” said Evelyn Kent, praising the “clean, elegant restaurant and delicious food.”
Further exploring the buffet leads a diner to try a delicious lamb dish in a gravy, similar to the roast beef that many Tennessee diners may be more accustomed to (though beef is not common in Indian cuisine; in fact, many parts of the country have religion-based laws against serving beef or slaughtering cattle).
The chicken vindaloo contains cubes of chicken cooked in a spicy sauce with potatoes, ginger and garlic—a specialty of the southwest Indian state of Goa, formerly a Portuguese colony, according to the Clay Pit.
The paneer tikka masala is similar to the chicken tikka masala, but a vegetarian
alternative with cubes of cottage cheese in the flavorful tomato sauce.
Find all of these on the lunch buffet, along with an herby chickpea dish known as channa masala, along with salad and rice, making it a good introduction to Indian food for the uninitiated—a “great selection,” according to Erin Rowland. “A really good balance of vegetarian and meat options, and plenty for folks who can’t handle spice.”
Newcomers need not feel intimidated trying to figure out what to order from the menu. The lunch buffet provides an easy opportunity to dip one’s toes into the waters of Indian cuisine and sample various items. Invest only $12 in the buffet experience and discover that Indian food doesn’t have to be incredibly spicy.
Even a local young man who often hesitates to venture too far from cheeseburgers and fries admits that the naan and tandoor chicken are pretty tasty.
The somewhat puree-like consistency of some of the dishes may give some diners pause, but cover some rice in some of the sauces and broths or dip some bread in them and experience some of the fantastic flavors.
“Personally, I prefer quite a bit more spice, but it was tasty. I think the buffet is a nice safe place for newcomers to try Indian food for the first time,” Doug Austin posted in a review of the Clay Pit. “Next time I come I will order off the menu to spice things up.”
The Broad Street location appears a definite step up in atmosphere from the Clay Pit’s former restaurant, being more modern, clean, roomier and well lit.
The place smells wonderful with scents of seasonings filling the air as the indie folk-rock of the early 2000s plays and fish swim in a beautiful aquarium near the entrance.
Even a large meal at the buffet feels like a fairly healthy affair, consisting mainly of lean meat, rice and vegetable-based items.
Aside from the buffet, the sizeable Clay Pit menu contains various soups, biryani (rice casseroles with choice of meat), shrimp mango curry, cheese naan, kababs, fried rice, a pistachio kulfi (a thick ice cream) and all sorts of dishes to explore, continuing the Indian cuisine tradition that Clay Pit founder Balbir Darar brought to Murfreesboro over 20 years ago.
T3 Market Sushi & Poke, d ali Food, Beaus and l ace, PepsiCo, Old Fort g olf Course, Elite Barber Studio
by delore S ell I ot t
T3 MArkET SuShi & POkE has opened at 402 W. Northfield Blvd. The Asian market offers various sushi and poke options, bubble tea, groceries and more. It has readymade sushi to go, made fresh daily. Options include traditional favorites like the spicy tuna roll, California roll and crunchy shrimp roll, and specialty rolls such as the Tennessee roll with crab salad, avocado, cucumber, tuna, eel sauce and spicy mayo; sushi doughnuts and more. Menu items can be ordered for pickup and delivery as well.
Hours are Monday through Saturday from 9 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. For more information, visit t3sushiplus.com
dAli FOOd has opened a permanent location at 2314 Medical Center Pkwy.—this in addition to its existing food truck—which offers a variety of South American options from empanadas to tequenos, arepas to burgers. For more information, call 629-259-2085 or visit dalifood.wixsite.com/website
After a little over one year since construction began, FirE kOrEAN BBQ & BAr has opened at 109 N. Maple St. on the Murfreesboro Public Square. Hours are Sunday through Wednesday from 10:30 a.m. to 10:30 p.m., and Thursday through Saturday from 10:30 a.m. to 11 p.m.
The restaurant offers mandu—Korean dumplings made with a wheat-flour-based dough wrapper filled with a combination of vegetables, meat and tofu—kimchi, fried rice, sashimi and nigiri from the sushi bar, drinks on tap and a cooker in the middle of each table. In addition to the self-cook option, the restaurant offers the ability to cook dishes in the kitchen, rather than having the guest cook their meal, if preferred.
The restaurant also serves Makku—a rice beer—specialty cocktails, and multiple flavors of Soju, a versatile ingredient in cocktails described as a distilled alcoholic beverage similar to vodka or sake but with a lower alcohol content and a slightly sweeter taste. Popular
around town ’boro b u SI ne SS buzz
flavors include hints of apple, blueberry and sweet potato.
“Fire Korean BBQ—where the sizzle of marinated meats and the art of sushi come together. Experience the tradition of Korean BBQ—your table is your grill, and you become the chef. Indulge in premium quality marinated meats and fresh sushi.”
In addition to the wide range of menu options, the restaurant offers various TVs. For more information, visit firekoreanbbq.com
CAMiNO rEAl is expected to open its new location in the former O’Charley’s restaurant at 2450 Old Fort Pkwy. This will be the popular local Tex-Mex restaurant’s sixth location in the area, an addition to Camino’s current locations in Murfreesboro and Smyrna. The plans to open the new Old Fort Parkway restaurant come after the brand closed its nearby Rideout Lane location off of Cason Lane.
EliTE BArBEr STudiO has announced that it will soon open beside Oscar’s
BEAuS ANd lACE, a new gown rental service located at 201 E. Main St. recently opened its studio for events, photoshoots and gown rentals, with more than 1,500 square feet of space. The new gown rental studio offers more than 26 beautiful gowns available for shipping or pickup in Murfreesboro and Franklin, as well as events and photographer partnerships for those interested.
Owner Katherine Quatro has dedicated her time to providing rentals for sizeinclusive gowns and robes, offering a costeffective and ecofriendly alternative for special occasions and photoshoots. For more information, visit beausand lace.com.
Taqueria Express at 1741 S. Rutherford Blvd. Elite Barber Studio will offer a premium grooming experience with a blend of traditional barbering and modern techniques. Skilled barbers will provide personalized services, ensuring each client leaves looking and feeling their best. For more information, visit elitebarberstudiotn.com
dOMiNO’S PizzA has announced that it will open a new location at 3035 Salem Hwy. near Veterans Parkway.
PEPSiCO BEvErAgES NOrTh AMEriCA recently celebrated the grand opening of its new warehouse and distribution center at 2020 Midway Ln. in Smyrna, which is the company’s largest facility in the Southeast and second largest in the country. Reinforcing the company’s commitment to the Greater Nashville business community, PepsiCo tripled its local warehouse footprint with the relocation of its former downtown Nashville distribution warehouse facility to a nearly 400,000-square-
foot state-of-the-art location in Smyrna. Equipped with modern amenities such as open office spaces, enhanced safety technology and a climate-controlled warehouse, allowing an elevated employee and customer experience, the new Smyrna warehouse is expected to drive continued growth across Middle Tennessee.
The new LEED Silver-certified facility also features new sustainability improvements such as all-electric warehousing equipment.
“We are thrilled to expand into Smyrna as our business continues to grow in the Greater Nashville region. With our rich history in the state of Tennessee, we’re so proud to invest in this growing community and support its world-class hospitality scene, vibrant culture, and strong business footprint,” said PepsiCo South Division President Heather Hoytink.
The facility has the capacity to distribute 20 million cases of PepsiCo beverages annually, a beverage list including Pepsi, Mountain Dew, bubly, Gatorade and Rockstar, serving 14 Middle Tennessee counties.
For more information on employment opportunities, visit pepsicojobs.com
A new dAyCArE CENTEr has been proposed for the Salem Glen neighborhood, Lot 15 on Saint Andrews Drive just south of Oval Hesson Lane.
PrOhiBiTiON hOME BrEwiNg ANd PrEMiuM CigArS has relocated to Hop Springs, 6790 John Bragg Hwy. The local shop recently celebrated its third anniversary while launching at its new location.
Founded by Jim Africano and Aaron Stephenson, Prohibition has been offering winemaking and home brewing supplies and kits, hosting winemaking classes and also selling a full suite of cigars over recent years.
But after outgrowing its previous storefront beside Cedar Glade Brews and losing its production facility, it was time for a change.
“After meeting with Hop Springs management, everyone realized there is a great alliance here. Now production is in-house, retail items are being rolled out, and our mobile cigar lounge, ‘The CigaRV,’ is onsite at Hop Springs for most events,” Africano continued.
On top of Hop Springs’ already diverse and packed calendar of events and concerts, more cool things are being added with the merger. Cigar events, winemaking classes, wine tastings, singles nights, monthly animal rescue events and veterans
CONTiNuEd FrOM PAgE 32 events are part of Prohibition’s specialties, and the options, along with the acreage and facility, continue to grow. The recording industry fraternity Omega Delta Psi held its back-to-school bash in tandem with Prohibition’s Aug. 25 launch party.
For updates on winemaking class schedules, the forthcoming singles night and other details on Prohibition Home Brewing and Premium Cigars, find Prohibition Home Brewing on Facebook.
Murfreesboro’s Old FOrT gOlF COurSE recently celebrated its grand reopening.
“It has been a long time coming, but we feel that it has been worth the wait,” said Old Fort Golf Course golf pro Trey Adams. “We are truly excited and ready to showcase just how great this course is now.”
The ceremonial first tee shots included Mayor Shane McFarland, Council Representative Kirt Wade, City Manager Darren Gore and Don Turner. Renovations began in January when bunkers were reshaped, moved, and more were added. The greens renovation followed in March, with recent weeks full of finishing touches.
Old Fort Golf Club is an 18-hole, public golf facility owned and operated by the
City of Murfreesboro. The par-72 layout is located along the banks of the Stones River and adjacent to Fortress Rosecrans, a historic earthen fort from the Civil War. Old Fort has the privilege of hosting several championship events and serves as a qualifying site for the Korn Ferry Tour’s Simmons Bank Open.
For more information or to reserve a tee time, call 615-896-2448 or email Trey Adams at radams@murfreesborotn.gov
CiTy TilE is preparing to construct a 7,000-square-foot warehouse addition near its flooring store at 223 S. Spring St.
TENNESSEE digiTAl MArkETiNg ASSOCiATiON has expanded its reach by launching monthly events in Murfreesboro designed for local marketing professionals who want to improve their digital marketing skills and connect with peers in a supportive environment. Each event covers a different marketing topic in a moderated roundtable format. TDMA’s Murfreesboro events will take place on the first Thursday of every month at Achieve Entrepreneurial Center, 1630 S. Church St., and are open to marketing professionals at all levels of experience. Upcoming events include Hitting the Bullseye: Aligning Content with Audience
Needs to Boost Conversion on Sept. 5, The New Wave of Influencer Marketing: MicroInfluencers & Authenticity on Oct. 3 and Mastering Facebook Advertising: Which Formats Are the Most Effective? on Nov. 7. Visit thetdma.com, call 602-478-9919 or email hello@thetdma.com to learn more.
FrSTEAM of Middle Tennessee has recently celebrated the first anniversary of its specialty restoration business. FRSTeam specializes in the meticulous restoration of electronics and textiles, catering to the distinctive needs of both homeowners and insurance adjusters.
Located in Smyrna, FRSTeam of Middle Tennessee is committed to assisting clients in recovering and rejuvenating their treasured possessions, whether through advanced electronics restoration or delicate textile cleaning.
For further details about FRSTeam of Middle Tennessee and services offered, visit frsteammidtn.com or call 615-984-4997.
MC2 PrOPErTiES has unveiled plans for a two-story, 2,700-square-foot office building at 315 N. Walnut St. cancelled
M.l. rOSE
CrAFT BEEr ANd
BurgErS announced in 2022 that it would expand to the Murfreesboro area, but the company recently said that it will no longer be opening a Murfreesboro restaurant due to decisions to focus on its Franklin, Gallatin and Inglewood locations. The burger restaurant was expected to be located just down the street from Costco off New Salem Road.
cloSIng
The Clarksville-based F&M BANk will close its Murfreesboro branch this November, according to bank management. Nearby branches include Lebanon and Franklin.
MAydAy BrEwEry recently announced that after 12 years in the building at 521 Old Salem Rd., it will close permanently in November. Owner and operator Ozzy Nelson announced on Mayday’s Facebook page that their last day of operation will be Nov. 16. He mentioned that an agreement was signed with Experience Community Church, which owns the large building that has housed both the church and the brewery, to take over the Mayday space. Until its closing, business will continue as usual, with weekly events such as bingo and singo, live music and yoga. For more information, visit facebook.com/maydaybrewery
opinion
by t I ffany boyd
ThE FAMiliES’ righTS ANd rESPONSiBiliTiES ACT was recently signed into law in Tennessee. Free Your Children was opposed to this bill for many reasons even though multiple other wellknown organizations and individuals that claim “conservatism” advocated for its passage. Although it may seem like a win for uninformed families in Tennessee, here are some things you should know.
This bill does not protect children from the collection of all biometric data. The bill states that it:
“(B) Does not include a physical or digital photograph, a video or audio recording, or data generated from the recording, or information collected, used, or stored for healthcare treatment, payment, or operations under the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPM) (42 U.S.C. § 1320d et seq.); and (C) Does not include data or information collected, used, or stored for law enforcement purposes;”
I have written and spoken extensively about how our schools have become medicalized. We now not only have school counselors, social workers and SRO officers but also counselors employed through private companies contracted with our school districts. It is important for parents to note that information from private companies is not subject to FOIA requests in Tennessee. Furthermore, this Families’ Rights and Responsibilities Act enumerates parental rights.
“(5) To direct the education of the child, including the right to choose public, private, religious, or home schools, and the right
YOUR Children received several copies of these waivers from districts across Tennessee, which did not clearly outline in detail all of the medical services that the system considered nonemergent or which employees or professionals would be administering said care.
If I had a child in a government school I would not sign a waiver. I would also not be under the false assumption that the Families’ Rights and Responsibilities Act would protect my child.
to make reasonable choices within public schools for the education of the child;”
“(c) All parental rights are exclusively reserved to a parent of a child without obstruction by or interference from a government entity, including, but not limited to, the following rights and responsibilities: (1) To direct the upbringing of the child; (2) To direct the moral or religious training of the child; (3) To make all physical and mental healthcare decisions for the child and consent to all physical and mental health care on the child’s behalf, as provided in § 63-1-173;”
A government large enough to enumerate your rights is a government large enough to take away your rights. We have a Constitutional, God-given right to educate our children as we see fit. Our children do not belong to the state; therefore, why do we need or want legislation that enumerates our rights as parents? Language is easily amended, and to play Russian roulette with the fundamental, basic rights of parents is egregious. Why would any legislator think we needed a bill in Tennessee that would give us the “legal right” to direct the upbringing of our children, the moral and religious upbringing of our children, and the right to make all physical and mental healthcare decisions for our children? We, as parents, already possess these rights.
b lanket waivers
After the bill’s passage, many school systems reacted by sending out blanket waiver forms encouraging parents to sign the waivers in order for their children to receive nonemergent medical care. Free
“If I had a child in a government school I would not sign a waiver. I would also not be under the false assumption that the Families’ Rights and Responsibilities Act would protect my child. This new law will simply open the door for lawsuits to be filed against school districts that will drag out in the courts.”
This new law will simply open the door for lawsuits to be filed against school districts that will drag out in the courts. These lawsuits filed against districts will leave counties on the hook requiring them to foot the bill for attorney’s fees, which will then be passed on to the taxpayer. The parents who have filed these lawsuits will receive a pittance while the attorney will stand to earn big bucks.
lawyer lobbyists
Alliance Defending Freedom lobbied for the passage of this bill, and I have encountered Jordan c arpenter, who serves as legal counsel for the ADF, on social media platforms instructing parents on the benefits of “private cause of action” (lawsuits) which Alliance Defending Freedom seems to be ready and willing to litigate.
“ADF is a predatory law firm. Parents who engage in this type of litigation need to think through it very carefully because they will be subjecting their family to a lot of exposure and probably in the end, very little reward—and ADF will be reaping all of the benefits,” Reguli said. You can also listen to the full interview with Reguli regarding this law on the Free YOUR Radio show on WKOM 101.7 FM. This law is about as useless as the laws that were passed to stop common core and critical race theory in government public schools. It didn’t work, and both common core and critical race theory are still alive and well.
Successfully passing a law that will provide them with a potentially hefty revenue stream was a big win for ADF, but not for families in Tennessee.
According to ProPublica, ADF’s reported revenue was $101,821,939 for 2023 with Michael Farris, who served as president for part of the year as well as counselor to the president, being compensated $848,848.
ADF engages in litigation, legislative work, training, funding, and public advocacy, with over 400 team members and 4,500 network attorneys. ADF also provides legal counsel to over 3,500 churches and ministries through its Ministry Alliance program. I recently interviewed Connie Reguli, J.D. and founder of the Family Forward Project, regarding this new law.
Jordan Carpenter of Alliance Defending Freedom is already claiming that the language of the bill is being misinterpreted and school districts have already doubled down and attempted to manipulate parents into signing blanket consents. So, what is the answer? After a child has been violated and parental rights usurped, the damage has already been done. Stopping the medicalization of schools on the front end would have been a much better course of action, but then that wouldn’t have left the door open for numerous lawsuits, litigation and hefty attorney’s fees. The winners here are not families and not the children but the attorneys.
If you want to ensure the protection of your children, get them out of government schools. Do not depend on legislation, legislators or law firms.
Tiffany Boyd is the founder of Free yOur Children, a homeschool advocate, consultant, speaker and the founder and administrator of Middle Tennessee Christian homeschool Connection. She holds a B.S. degree in interdisciplinary studies from MTSu. She is a wife of 30 years and mother to five children, grandmother to two. She is a former tenured public school teacher. She and her husband have home educated for 18 years. Contact her at freeyourchildren@gmail.com.
PHOTO COURTESY OF PAVIL DANILYUK / PEXELS
Billy Bones and the story of the runaway rottweilers
i don’T know aBoUT Y ’all, but I love a good story, especially when it’s a true one. Many of us have had some wild stories over our careers. Let me tell you about one that happened when I first got started in real estate.
Let me preface this by saying that if you know me, you know that I really care about people and I would never do anything to hurt anybody intentionally. When I first started in real estate 24 years ago, I was working as a buyers’ agent with a newly started real estate team here in Murfreesboro. There was a thing for marketing called Arch Telecom. This involved a 1-800 number rider sign that was on all of our listing signs. The buyer would call the 1-800 number and punch 1 to be connected to a Realtor.
On a hot summer day, a couple from Knoxville, Tennessee, who connected with me through Arch Telecom met me at my office. He was a retired preacher and his wife was a homemaker. He was a little bitty man. She was a fairly large woman who kind of had a wobble when she walked.
We sat down and had an in-person talk. Let’s call them the Zips (which is not their real name, but close to their name). They reminded me of the nursery rhyme Jack Sprat could eat no fat, His wife could eat no lean. And so between them both, you see, They licked the platter clean.
As we talked, Mrs. Zip let me know that
she is terrified of large dogs. This went back to her childhood. I’m just thinking “This is my first time showing houses to clients. I’m so excited!”
She also told me she had a breathing problem and had an inhaler that she used from time to time, especially when she got excited. I was like, okay, no biggie, we can deal with that as long as she had her puffer with her and she didn’t get too excited, which I can’t necessarily promise (I can get excited about a fly landing on my desk, or pretty much anything). But what were the chances that we run into some large dogs which would cause her to get so overexcited that she would need her inhaler?
Mr. Zip had no ailments, and after a talk we all piled into my car with Mrs. Zip riding shotgun, and Mr. Zip sitting in the backseat.
So the first house we go to look at is located off Epps Mill Road, exit 89 off I-24. We got to the house in a timely manner and I parked the car. I notice there’s a chain link fence. Behind that chain link fence are two large Rottweilers who remind me of Cujo and his brother.
So, right off the bat, it’s not going too good for Billy Bones (a nickname that Jack and Pruitt Jones gave me years ago; I have no idea why) and his first real estate transaction . . . or should I say, real estate showing that will hopefully turn into a real estate transaction.
Now, I think to myself, these dogs are fenced in the backyard, which was a plus. I get out of the car and Mr. Zip gets out from the back. I go around like a Southern gentleman and open the door for Mrs. Zip. We are trudging to the front door to go view this home. It took us a little longer because Mrs. Zip got winded easy, but we all managed to get in to take a look at the house.
Well, Billy Bones should’ve done his homework because all the bedrooms were upstairs. Mr. Zip would’ve been fine going upstairs. It was Mrs. Zip that would have the problem. I was having a hard enough time getting her in and out of the car.
Long story short, we exit the home and get about halfway to my car. There’s still
another 60 to 70 feet before we make it to the car when, for some reason, I hear dogs barking and I look over my right shoulder and these two Cujo-looking Rottweilers are galloping like Shetland ponies towards me and the Zips.
I believe Mrs. Zip was pulling my leg about how fast she could move because she made it to the car before me or Mr. Zip did and she slammed her car door! Luckily, Mr. Zip and I made it to the car also and slammed our doors to make it safe from these Cujo predators, who, by the way, had huge teeth.
One of the large beasts jumped up onto the side window, staring in at Mrs. Zip with his paws on the hood. As you can imagine, Mrs. Zip was hyperventilating, breathing like she just ran a race for her life.
because her breathing was still not right. They both said no, take us back to our car.
Needless to say, my hopes and dreams of selling my first home that day were dashed because of two large Cujo-like Rottweilers who escaped their backyard. I never saw the Zips again.
All I could do was say “That was a close one.” I drove them back to my office in Murfreesboro. I asked them if we needed to go to the hospital
The moral to the story is to always take someone with you who can stand guard and have your back when there are large dogs involved, or at least can distract any threats.
After all of these years, I’m so grateful to get this off my chest. I’m so glad we made it back to the office. If the Zips are still alive and are reading this, please forgive me. Now, everybody remember to go out and do something nice for somebody else. Until next time, God bless you!
Call Bill wilson for your local real estate needs at 615-406-5872.
opinion
Constitution Study by paul
engel
a dministrative l aw g oes to c ourt
SEEkiNg rEdrESS OF griEvANCES
is an important right, protected by the First Amendment. Can the federal government deprive you of due process as a condition of seeking redress? While not talked about in that way, that’s pretty much what the case SEC v. Jarkesy is all about. After assessing George Jarksey Jr. civil penalties for alleged violations of anti-fraud provisions, the SEC attempted to deny him his right to a trial by jury. Could this be a start of reforms of unconstitutional administrative law courts?
s ecurities and e xchange c ommission
After the stock market crash of 1929, Congress passed several laws to regulate the trading of securities. This was not exactly constitutional, since Congress is only empowered to punish the “counterfeiting the Securities and current Coin of the United States,” according to the U.S. Constitution, Article I, Section 8, Clause 6.
Of course, the Constitution hasn’t stopped Congress from creating illegal agencies in the past, including the Securities and Exchange Commission, which in bringing an enforcement action can adjudicate the matter itself. Not only did Congress create the SEC and empower it to bring enforcement actions, but claimed that the agency can act like a court and adjudicate those actions itself. Does anyone else see a problem here? Congress creates the SEC, then makes it judge, jury, and enforcer?
In federal court, a jury finds the facts, an Article III judge presides, and the Federal Rules of Evidence and the ordinary rules of discovery govern the litigation. But when the SEC adjudicates the matter in-house, there are no juries. The Commission presides while its Division of Enforcement prosecutes the case. The Commission or its delegee—typically an Administrative Law Judge—also finds facts and decides discovery disputes, and the SEC’s Rules of Practice govern. Securities and Exchange Commission v. Jarkesy et al.
Basically, if the SEC wants to, it can create a kangaroo court where everyone except you works for the SEC. This is a problem with all Administrative Law Courts. Originally, the SEC could only obtain civil penalties from unregistered investment advisers in federal court. Then, in 2010, Congress passed the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act. The Act autho -
rized the SEC to impose such penalties through its own in-house proceedings.
— Securities And Exchange Commission v. Jarkesy et al.
When Congress claimed to “fix” the problems that led to the housing collapse of 2008, many of which Congress created, not only did it not fix the problem, it created a new one: The violation of due process and the Constitution of the United States.
Now, let me introduce you to the subject of this case, Mr. George Jarkesy Jr.
Shortly after passage of the Dodd-Frank Act, the SEC initiated an enforcement action for civil penalties against investment adviser George Jarkesy, Jr., and his firm, Patriot28, LLC for alleged violations of the “antifraud provisions” contained in the federal securities laws. The SEC opted to adjudicate the matter in-house. As relevant, the final order determined that Jarkesy and Patriot28 had committed securities violations and levied a civil penalty of $300,000. Jarkesy and Patriot28 petitioned for judicial review.
— Securities and Exchange Commission v. Jarkesy et al.
The Fifth Circuit court vacated the order because, in the court’s view, it violated the Seventh Amendment right to a jury trial. The Seventh Amendment is one of the “Due Process Amendments.”
In Suits at common law, where the value in controversy shall exceed twenty dollars, the right of trial by jury shall be preserved, and no fact tried by a jury, shall be otherwise reexamined in any Court of the United States, than according to the rules of the common law.
— U.S Constitution, Amendment VII
Put another way, the SEC claims that Congress created an exception to the Seventh Amendment by allowing it to handle cases in-house.
g orsuch c oncurrence
Justice Gorsuch wrote a concurring opinion, which Justice Thomas joined. Justice Gorsuch brought up a very important point.
I write separately to highlight that other constitutional provisions reinforce the correctness of the Court’s course. The Seventh Amendment’s jury-trial right does not work alone. It operates together with Article III and the Due Process Clause of the Fifth Amendment to limit how the government may go about depriving an individual of life, liberty, or property. The Seventh
Amendment guarantees the right to trial by jury. Article III entitles individuals to an independent judge who will preside over that trial. And due process promises any trial will be held in accord with time-honored principles. Taken together, all three provisions vindicate the Constitution’s promise of a “fair trial in a fair tribunal.”
— Securities and Exchange Commission v. Jarkesy et al. – Gorsuch Concurrence
Justice Gorsuch points to a triad of protections of our rights. Why would the Dodd Frank Act, allowing the SEC to deal with issues in-house, be a problem?
There is little mystery why. The new law gave the SEC’s Commissioners—the same officials who authorized the suit against Mr. Jarkesy—the power to preside over his case themselves and issue judgment. To be sure, the Commissioners opted, as they often do, to send Mr. Jarkesy’s case in the first instance to an “administrative law judge” (ALJ). … But the title “judge” in this context is not quite what it might seem. Yes, ALJs enjoy some measure of independence as a matter of regulation, but they remain servants of the same master—the very agency tasked with prosecuting individuals like Mr. Jarkesy. This close relationship, as others have long recognized, can make it “extremely difficult, if not impossible, for [the ALJ] to convey the image of being an impartial fact finder.”
— Securities And Exchange Commission v. Jarkesy et al. – Gorsuch Concurrence
I think Justice Gorsuch’s point is not only right, but extremely critical. With administrative law judges, controversies are handled by the executive branch agency. Sounds like a good deal for the agency.
The odds were stacked against Mr. Jarkesy. The numbers confirm as much: According to one report, the SEC won about 90% of its contested in-house proceedings compared to 69% of its cases in court.
— Securities and Exchange Commission v. Jarkesy et al. – Gorsuch Concurrence
That’s the problem with administrative law judges: They are biased. Everyone in the court, even your counsel, works for the agency. There is no impartial judge or jury, which explains why so many ALC cases are won by the agency; the home team has the advantage.
The rules of evidence do not apply with the same rigor they do in court. Live testimony often gives way to a “sworn statement” taken outside the presence of the defendant or his counsel. Does that sound like a fair trial with an impartial judge? It most definitely doesn’t sound like due process.
d issent
It seems the same three justices have dissented in most of the cases I’ve reviewed lately. This time, Justice Sotomayor wrote the dissent and Kagan and Jackson joined. Throughout our Nation’s history, Congress has authorized agency adjudicators to find violations of statutory obligations and award civil penalties to the Government as an injured sovereign. The Constitution, this Court has said, does not require these civil-penalty claims belonging to the Government to be tried before a jury in federal district court. This Court has blessed that practice repeatedly . . . Unsurprisingly, Congress has taken this Court’s word at face value. It has enacted more than 200 statutes authorizing dozens of agencies to impose civil penalties for violations of statutory obligations. — Securities and Exchange Commission v. Jarkesy et al. – Dissent
Keeping to pattern, the dissent focuses on tradition rather than the law. Yes, Congress has authorized agencies to award civil penalties. And no, the Constitution doesn’t require jury trials, but it does require that right to be preserved. It’s the right of the accused to request a jury trial, and the government is to comply. The fact that the court has blessed something doesn’t mean that it’s constitutional. The Constitution is the supreme law of the land, not the courts. The dissent thinks the government has the power to grant itself a right by law because it’s “sovereign.” Yet it’s we the people who are sovereign. Thankfully, Chief Justice Robert’s opinion won the day.
c onclusion
I’ve noticed a pattern in several of the opinions lately. The same three justices seem to be more interested in history than in the law. If you keep doing the same things, you never have the opportunity to correct your mistakes. That has been the pattern of the Supreme Court for decades.
People like Mr. Jarkesy may be unpopular. Perhaps even rightly so: The acts he allegedly committed may warrant serious sanctions. But that should not obscure what is at stake in his case or others like it.
— Securities and Exchange Commission v. Jarkesy et al.
The beauty of our system, especially the due process protections, is that everyone gets them. Rich or poor, popular or not, the Constitution protects all of our rights.
Paul Engel is the founder of The Constitution Study and encourages discourse. Contact him at paul@constitutionstudy.com.
AFTEr NOTiCiNg SigNS for RobotiX around town, this eventually led to a conversation with Viral Rane-Dabhade, one of the owners of RobotiX Institute.
I am always on the lookout for educational resources for my son. After my discussion with Rane-Dabhade, she scheduled my son for a free trial at RobotiX. When we visited the institute, Om Dabhade, a 17-year-old senior at Blackman High School, and Viral, his mother, welcomed us.
While my son was building a robot, I spoke to Om and learned about the inspiration behind RobotiX.
“I have always had an interest in robotics and researched to find there was not a robotics program here,” he said. “I could start something new here and create a new community within Murfreesboro.”
r oboti x i nstitute teen helps spark robotics community in murfreesboro
RobotiX Institute offers a range of robotics lessons tailored for students ages 4–14 based on the Carnegie Mellon Robomatter curriculum using VEX IQ and Lego EV3. Their 3-step process follows Bloom’s taxonomy, a cornerstone for many educational systems: Remember/Understand, Apply/ Analysis, and Evaluate/Create.
The Vex IQ Robotics World Championship will be held in Dallas, Texas, in May 2025.
“With over 10,000 people from different countries, I want to take 10 kids next year. If they win something, Murfreesboro is winning,” Viral said.
tech talk
by byron glenn
Om started at Scales Elementary and is now a senior at Blackman High School. Teaching at RobotiX allows him to provide opportunities to kids and introduce robotics in a fun environment.
Some common misconceptions parents and kids have before attending RobotiX are that it will be too challenging. However, the program aims to nurture a child’s curiosity and emphasizes that making mistakes is part of the learning process.
“We want them to learn [that] if you made a mistake, break it apart, and do it again,” Viral said.
With AI’s increasing integration into our daily lives, the future of the robotics industry looks promising. Om highlighted the significance of introducing kids to their capabilities, emphasizing that a spark is all they need to start a fire.
According to a study by the Boston Consulting Group, the global robotics market is projected to reach $260 billion by 2030. Professional services robots are expected to account for up to $170 billion in market share, while industrial and logistics robot sales are anticipated to reach around $80 billion.
“Humans are naturally accustomed to help provide for the world. Anytime there is a problem, there will always be a solution. What robotics stands for right now is the building up of a community,” Om said.
Viral believes that robotics is not just about building robots but also about building a community and providing growth opportunities.
Sunil dabhade and viral rane-dabhade are co-owners of robotiX institute, located at 1630 S. Church St., unit 103, in Murfreesboro. For more information, visit rxiedu.com email contactus@rxiedu.com or call 615-721-2650.
Byron glenn is a speaker, business consultant, and Murfreesboro Tech Council board member. For iT-managed services for your business, call 615-400-8595 or visit bssconsulting.com.
ThE TrAiN dAddy iS BACk with sports news, life lessons and politically incorrect talk. All aboard!
By the time my next article comes out, the Tennessee Titans will have played four games. I should have a bearing on the true nature of this new-look team by then. Right now it’s new and shiny, but I have yet to see it in real action. Sure, things looked competent in the preseason, but so did Malik Willis. I imagine uninspiring football will follow him to Green Bay, after the Titans dealt him to the Packers, opting to roll with Mason Rudolph as the backup QB in Tennessee this year.
Shout-out to the man, Mr. Ran Carthon, the Titans’ young GM. He is making moves and this team, I believe, is heavily underappreciated on the national level—a sleeper team, indeed. It’s crazy to me that the media would rather glaze over a team like the Colts and that combine kid , Anthony Richardson.
The Colts have some players, but it’s the same story with them as it has been since the days following Manning and Luck—no QB. Maybe Anthony Richardson works out, but what have we seen from him? Sure, he ran fast and jumped high at the NFL combine and everyone was in awe! On the football field, it’s not much from his short time at Florida to his unfortunate injury as a rookie that led to only four NFL games played so far. There is no rational reason for the national media to have higher hopes for him and the Colts than they do the Titans and Levis. Will Levis certainly had his growing pains, and I am sure that will continue into his second year. But Levis showed promise at Kentucky even while not in an ideal situation, and he certainly showed promise as a rookie on a mess of a Titans team.
One of those teams completely tailored the offense to the needs of their quarterback and made splash signings on the defensive side of the ball as well. It wasn’t the Colts!
The lack of national respect for the Titans is no surprise, being a smaller-market team. To be honest, I like it. It will make any success that much sweeter. I am not saying the Titans are going to win the AFC South—that prediction certainly for good reason goes to the Houston Texans and their stud second-year QB C.J. Stroud. But I certainly have the Titans making strides over the likes of the Jaguars and Colts in 2024. I have no clue what this team’s floor/ceiling is because I have yet to see it on the field. But I won’t be surprised at all if this new-look team scores fast and plays tough defense. That’s a winning formula. I guess it all starts with the quarterback. The Titans have a second-year QB with a passion you can’t fake, and it’s clear the coaches and players believe in him and respect him.
The Titans went and worked on what has been the biggest problem with this team—a horrible Oline. Daddy Callahan is in the building! When you suck at something the best way to fix it is bringing in the guy who is considered the best to ever do it. Coach Bill Callahan isn’t called the offensive line guru for no reason.
Tennessee drafted a 6'6" bully in J.C. Latham and in free agency went and snatched up the best available center, now a captain for this team, Lloyd Cushenberry. With last season’s first-round pick Peter Skoronski showing he was as advertised and now a year wiser, the line is in good hands with those three. I trust Daddy Callahan to fill in the gaps to make a competent offensive line because, surely, it doesn’t get worse than the product put on the field in 2022 and ’23.
The Titans might have the best receiver room that they have ever had since this team moved to Tennessee. With a speedy Calvin Ridley, dependable Tyler Boyd and likely hall-of-famer D-Hop on the mend, this group has top-trio-in-the-leaguetype ceiling.
I get it, we all are going to miss one of the most famous Titans of all-time in King Henry. I certainly will. It was tough to move on, but the fact is this offense now is less predictable and Coach Callahan can orchestrate his style of offense similar to the year the Bengals made a Super Bowl. Tennessee has two very similar running backs in Spears and Pollard in what will probably end up being a 50/50 split. Both can carry the rock, and both can catch the football.
One of the big surprises to come out of the Titans’ training camp was the team finding out they were deep at tight end. We all suspected Chig and Whyle would make the 53-man roster, but welcome to the party, David Martin-Robinson.
This defense is led by Big Jeff up front and Sneed in the back. I can’t wait to see the 700-plus pounds of Big Jeff and rookie T’Vondre Sweat come running during the regular season. What’s crazy is both those big dudes have the wheels to get at the opposing QB.
We got huge news when it was announced Arden Key wasn’t going to face a suspension, and then Ran Carthon, out of nowhere, goes and trades for one of the best young NFL linebackers in Ernest Jones, a tackling machine who was slated to be the leader for the Rams’ defense this season now that Aaron Donald has retired. With other dudes like Kenneth Murray and Harold Landry, the Titans have the talent up front and in the middle of the field to be a problem.
Being truthful, this is probably the best secondary the Titans have had in years. The Titans go and steal one of the best defensive weapons and a huge reason the Chiefs won another title in cornerback L’Jarius Sneed—and then Callahan brings over Chidobe from Cincinnati. That’s a solid one-two punch at cornerback with dudes like McCreary and Brownlee ready to step up as well. Then you look at the safeties in Hooker and Quandre Diggs and, who knows, maybe Jamal Adams will offer something if let loose.
The national media is drinking that Haterade because this team clearly has the tools to be a real problem. When this team starts clicking, I told you! Looking forward to the football season! Faith, Family, Football, Food and Friends—living life following the 5 F’s is a beautiful thing. Titan Up!
bIg Jeff SImmonS
Live Exceptionally...Well!
by JennIfer durand
A Puzzled Life?
i reCenTlY heard a sermon by Pastor Troy Johnson about “Joseph’s puzzled life,” in which he used an analogy of a puzzle that you put together to make a whole picture. The title of the sermon piqued my interest, as it piggybacked off a friend’s recent statement that finding love was like finding the “missing piece” in her life. Was this a coincidence?
I see these similarities as a tap on the shoulder to pay closer attention to a deeper meaning. Usually if something keeps presenting itself in your life it represents something that needs to be addressed. There is a lesson available. Maybe it’s as simple as being a vessel to share the message, or perhaps it is one that is meant to help us personally learn and grow.
“Like the puzzle, life is not about the final image, but about the putting it together, the living it.”
— Unknown
There were several points in this sermon that resonated with me. As with any puzzle, you have to work with one piece at a time. Each piece is like a season, scene or experience of our lives. Sometimes you may have to put a piece down and try another. You might feel like one fits perfectly in your life, only to discover that it wasn’t the right fit. That step, however, leads you to the next piece that is part of the whole picture, or puzzle, that is your unique life. You may try holding a couple pieces at a time, but you can only actually place one piece at a time.
Be patient. Just like a puzzle, it takes time for all the pieces of your life to come together.
Patience is necessary when creating a puzzle. You are enjoying the process of concentration and watching the bigger picture come into view. It can get frustrating though, when you can’t seem to make a piece fit anywhere. You must keep going anyway. Keep working the puzzle, step by step, piece by piece.
The beauty is knowing that the puzzle (your life) is already whole. The picture has been created and cut perfectly just for you. It isn’t made with flaws or a single piece that doesn’t fit or belong. Sometimes you won’t understand what one piece means or why it’s there, but as you keep going, as you continue to put in the work, it will eventually be revealed. All the struggles, joys, frustrations and diligence will make more sense, keeping in mind that your life and the pieces of it do fit. They were designed with intention and purpose. Your job is to just keep at it. One step at a time. See each part of your life for what it is, a season or scene. You cannot get to the next piece without placing the current piece where it belongs.
“Sometimes it’s hard to find all the pieces to the
puzzle, but when you finally connect all the pieces, you realize the reason you worked so hard to find their place as part of the big picture.”
— Victoria
Orsinger
Each piece or experience gets you to the next piece, or scene, of your life. Great, good, bad or indifferent, each moment is a stepping stone toward the whole vision. You may not love it or understand it, but it belongs in your life. It is your job to recognize its value, place it where it belongs, and then move on to the next piece. Appreciate each piece. Feel gratitude for all the parts, knowing that you and your life were created intentionally with a purpose already granted.
When you are holding just one puzzle piece in your hand, can you see the entire picture? Do you know what the completed puzzle looks like just by looking at the one piece? This is not a trick question. The answer is “No!” All you can see is the one piece. You know it belongs to the whole puzzle because you are experiencing it, you are holding it in this moment. You are working it, analyzing it and trying to see where it fits in order to see more of the big picture. Even if you can’t see the whole picture, you get there by working the piece/place you are in. “Life is a puzzle and we are all unique pieces.” — Steve Maraboli
In time you may come to see that the puzzle was actually piecing you together! I don’t believe we make mistakes, I believe we uncover revelations. If a choice turns out to be not so great, or downright awful, it reveals what we could have done differently. It is a vital piece in moving us forward to revealing the beautiful, whole picture that represents all of our steps, discoveries and uniqueness.
The next time you get frustrated with the piece of life that you are holding, and you can’t seem to make it fit or work, pause and remember that it does fit somewhere and will move you to the next piece/place. Your perfectly pieced and puzzled life is part of the bigger picture, and always has been. Focus on the piece in your hand and enjoy knowing that, as author Katrina Mayer says, “you hold a very important piece of the puzzle. Without it the world is incomplete. That’s how precious you are.”
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. visit nurturenook.com or facebook.com/nurturenook dayspa or call 615-896-7110 to learn more.
by Sean moran
t here i S a new viral video going around in which presidential candidate and Vice President Kamala Harris recommended that people take out home equity loans to send their children to college. That is a bad idea.
I’ll share the obligatory disclaimer that this isn’t a political criticism; we all know that politicians on both sides of the aisle come out with some “interesting” ideas. I’m sure she believes it’s a good idea, but there are definite problems with this recommendation.
Let’s first look at what she said: “We know that is probably the most effective way to build intergenerational wealth.” So far that sounds reasonable. She goes on to say “As a parent then, as a homeowner, if you have some equity in your home, you can say to your child, you know, don’t take out the loan, I’ll take out some of the equity to help you pay for tuition. So that you don’t graduate with extraordinary student loan debt.”
There are several problems with this advice to use a home equity loan to fund your child’s education.
d eductibi L ity
As most of us know, student loan interest can be deductible for the payer of the loan. On the other hand, interest on a home equity loan is generally deductible only when the money is used to buy, build or substantially improve the home that secures the loan.
If you take out a student loan, you can deduct up to $2,500 in annual interest (subject to income limitations and other restrictions). That means someone who paid $2,500 in interest on student loans could save $550 per year by deducting it if they are in the 22% tax bracket, a deduction that is not an option for the parent who takes out the home equity loan.
s tudent Loan Forgiveness
This is another politically charged topic, but it’s undeniable that there is controversy surrounding whether or not the government should forgive student loans. Some think it’s a great idea, while others believe it’s unfair to those who didn’t attend college or who have already repaid their loans. You are entitled to your opinion on this, but we can all agree that if you take out a home equity loan, and student loans are forgiven, you will have missed the opportunity to have your loans forgiven. I haven’t heard anyone in either party suggesting that home equity loans should be forgiven. So, if you could have had a $100,000 student loan forgiven, but instead took out a $100,000 home equity loan, you’re likely stuck with that loan whether or not student loan forgiveness indeed occurs.
v ariab L e i nterest
Just like student loans, home equity loans have a variable interest rate. If interest rates rise, your home equity loan rate will also increase. There are often lower rates and subsidized loans available for students, where interest can be deferred or may not accrue until after graduation. With a home equity loan, interest charges begin immediately.
Forec L osure
While a home equity loan won’t put many of us in this situation, job loss or other financial difficulties could lead to trouble repaying the loan. If this happens, your home could go into foreclosure, and the bank could take it back, leaving you without one of your largest assets. Of course, the bank plans to sell the home, and you’ll receive any proceeds that exceed the loan amount. But you’ll still need to find another home and deal with current mortgage interest rates. Do you think it would be easy to get a mortgage for a new home after a foreclosure? It will be even more difficult if you’re also unemployed.
y our r etire M ent iM paired
We’ve all heard the airline attendant’s warning to “put your own oxygen mask on first, then your child’s.” This applies here. Taking out a large loan to fund your child’s education can impact your ability to retire when you want to. For many people, a mortgage payment is one of their largest expenses, and paying off their home is essential for retirement. A significant loan on your home could set you back years. On the other hand, your child will likely graduate in their early 20s and have 40 years to pay off debt and plan for retirement, while you may have only 10 or fewer years to do so.
What a bout paying Later?
I’m not advocating for or against paying for your child’s education; that’s a personal decision. However, consider this: What if your child takes out student loans, especially subsidized ones, and you help them financially after graduation? Or perhaps you plan to downsize your home later and can provide financial assistance at that time. If you can afford to help your children from funds not tied to your home, that’s going to be a much better option.
d i SC l A i ME r : The information in this article is not tax, legal or investment advice. Please consult your financial advisor and your CPA for specific tax questions that apply to your situation.
Contact Sean Moran with red Barn Financial at 615-619-6919 or smoran@redbarnfinancial.com.
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