The Pulse - Vol.7, Issue 22

Chattanooga’s Weekly Alternative

Back to the Land Around Us

By Jim Pfitzer

Worship and Music Going Back To The Movies Pick Your Festival Pleasure Chattanooga Takes A Stand

FREE • News, Views, Music, Film, Arts & Entertainment • June 3, 2010 • Volume 7, Issue 22 • www.chattanoogapulse.com

President Jim Brewer, II Publisher Zachary Cooper Contributing Editor Janis Hashe News Editor / Art Director Gary Poole Advertising Manager Rhonda Rollins Advertising Sales Rick Leavell, Leif Sawyer, Townes Webb Graphic Design Jennifer Grelier Staff Photographer Louis Lee Contributing Writers Gustavo Arellano, Rob Brezsny Alison Burke, Chuck Crowder Michael Crumb, Hellcat Joshua Hurley, Matt Jones Ernie Paik, Rick Pimental-Habib, Ph.D. Stephanie Smith, Alex Teach Colleen Wade Editorial Cartoonist Rick Baldwin Calendar Editor Kathryn Dunn Editorial Interns Elana Acosta, Ashley Miller Copy Assistant Bryanna Burns Videography Josh Lang Contact Info: Phone (423) 648-7857 Fax (423) 648-7860 info@chattanoogapulse.com Calendar Submissions calendar@chattanoogapulse.com The Pulse is published weekly and is distributed throughout the city of Chattanooga and surrounding communities. The Pulse is available free of charge, limited to one copy per reader. No person without written permission from the publishers may take more than one copy per weekly issue.

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Brewer Media Group 1305 Carter Street Chattanooga, Tennessee 37402 Letters to the editor must include name, address and daytime phone number for verification. The Pulse reserves the right to edit letters for space

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Chattanooga’s Weekly Alternative

AL LD se NU OR GE Pul AN E W OR The E TH F G in k O

JUNE

10 BACK TO THE LAND AROUND US

By Jim Pfitzer The Wednesday Main Street Market had just closed and though most in the circle were visibly weary from a day that began twelve or more hours earlier with harvesting, milking, and the like, there was an undeniable energy among them. This collection of around 20 farmers calls itself The Cooperative of Chattanooga Area Sustainable Farmers (CCASF).

feature stories 14 PICK YOUR SUMMER PLEASURE

By Hellcat Considering I only put my two cents in twice a month these days, I thought I might stray from my typical interview or dissection format and give you a rundown of all the things going on in June. For a month only housing 30 days, June has some pretty big offerings to give the music gods.

21 GOING TO THE MOVIES

By Gary Poole On a recent weekend evening, I took part in something I had not had firsthand knowledge of in Chattanooga for several years: I went to see a first-run movie at a major theater chain.

22 WORSHIP AND MUSIC

By Michael Crumb An unusual new band has arrived in Chattanooga. Evensong Rising can be heard at a Sunday evening worship service called “Even Song” at the Camp House on Williams Street in downtown’s Southside.

news & views 5 6 9 18 25 30

PULSE BEATS BEYOND THE HEADLINES SHRINK RAP LIFE IN THE NOOG ON THE BEAT ASK A MEXICAN

everything else 4 5 7 7 15 16 23 26 27 28 29

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR CITY COUNCILSCOPE POLICE BLOTTER THE LIST NEW MUSIC REVIEWS MUSIC CALENDAR A&E CALENDAR SPIRITS WITHIN DINING OUT SPOTLIGHT FREE WILL ASTROLOGY JONESIN’ CROSSWORD

Letters to the Editor Summer Music Fun I was very worried about the future of Nightfall, as I had heard that the River City Company decided the “best” thing for the city was to do away with the Downtown Partnership completely. The same group that runs Nightfall, Pops on the River, Three Sisters and the all the downtown Winter Days & Lights events.

From what I have heard, only Nightfall has been able to survive the disbanding, and that was through the efforts of Carla Pritchard going into business for herself.

Music fans and those who love Nightfall owe a big thanks to Carla for saving this wonderful summer music series, while at the same time we all should send frowns and nasty looks to River City for their shortsightedness.

Maria Carter

from a Hudderite farm thinking that we could extend their laying. Putting them in a coop with access to a yard and food and water from a feeder was completely foreign to them. They’ve stopped laying now that they are off of their hyped-up diet but are starting to adjust to their new, humane living conditions. Who knows, maybe they will adapt to the cycles of the sun and fresh grass and come around.

Katie Henderson

Free Range Chickens [“Crossing the Road: A Chicken’s Journey”] was really interesting. We just received thirty, one year old laying hens

Catoosa County Reaction The taxpayers of Catoosa County should not re-elect the judge, sheriff or the district attorney for wasting taxpayer

Alex Teach, Liberal? [“Raising Arizona”] was outstanding...concise...articulate...and a wee bit on the liberal side for me. But all in all it made me feel warm with rage all over! Thank you, Officer Teach.

Kelley Miller

money like this [the expense of the Tonya Craft trial]. This is the United States and they should not be allowed to file charges like this knowing the evidence was showing it was a set-up.

The people of Catoosa County need to stand up at the next election and vote these people out of office. If not, you could be next.

Mike W.

Send all letters to the editor and questions to info@chattanoogapulse.com We reserve the right to edit letters for content and space. Please include your full name, city and contact information.

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The Pulse | Vol. 7, Issue 22 | June 3, 2010 | www.chattanoogapulse.com

Pulse Beats

Quote Of The Week: “It was kind of immature, but young people are like that. Some people are kind of thin-skinned.”

A rundown of the newsy, the notable, and the notorious...

—Chattanooga City Council Chairman Manny Rico, responding to being called an “Oompa Loompa” and a “rubber stamp for the mayor” by fellow councilman and radio talkshow host Andrae McGary.

Stand Intervenes For Chattanooga In April, Stand publicly released the results of its visioning survey that allowed more than a quarter of Chattanooga’s population to express their hopes, dreams, and concerns for the future of the region. These results revealed a number of telling themes, but the most hopeful revelation was that we live in a city full of people willing to do whatever is necessary to improve quality of life for all.

More than 32 percent of Stand survey respondents stated that they could help by volunteering or providing some kind of community service—and nearly 25 percent of respondents stated that they could increase their involvement in the community. While some of these answers referred generally to public meetings, community organizations, neighborhood associations and watch groups, many did not specify how or where they might actually get involved.

Says Stand Campaign Coordinator Katherine Nielsen, “Stand results make clear that apathy is not the issue in Chattanooga. And with more than 2,300 registered nonprofits in our area, a lack of places to connect cannot possibly be the issue either. Rather, there seems to be a communication gap between eager, talented citizenry and the organizations, institutions and initiatives that need them most.”

Because of this, local organizations, institutions, businesses, and individuals have come together to present Stand & Deliver, a series of civic “interventions” designed to channel the time and talent of Chattanooga

citizens into community-building efforts, new and old. The focus of these interventions will be guided by major themes that emerged from the Stand survey results— beginning with concern over public safety.

Stand & Deliver: Safety begins in June with three locally-focused City Share luncheons, each featuring a panel of local crime prevention and safety experts to help define and contextualize crime as a community problem.

The City Share luncheons will build up to Action Lab Blitz on July 16 -17, an intensive and results-focused community brainstorm, in which anyone interested in collaborating with local entities and individuals can come together and workshop solutions.

City Share will continue through August and September, showcasing the progres-

sion of Action Lab teams—and the whole process will culminate in a massive Stand & Deliver celebration in Coolidge Park on September 11.

If you’re interested in being a part of Stand & Deliver, or would like more information, contact participate@createhere.org or (423) 648-2195. — Alison Burke City Share: Noon – 1 p.m. June 9 “Crime in Context” Bessie Smith Hall, 200 E. MLK Blvd.

Noon – 1 p.m. June 23 “One Goal, Many Approaches” Bessie Smith Hall, 200 E. MLK Blvd.

Noon – 1 p.m. July 7 “Measuring Impact” Urban League, 730 E. MLK Blvd.

Recalling A Mayor…And Not Fondly A local business owner is leading a group of citizens who have petitioned the election office to begin a recall process against Chattanooga Mayor Ron Littlefield.

In his petition, Jim Folkner faults Littlefield for the recent stormwater fee hike, for annexation, for a proposed property tax hike, and for trying to “dump” the police department.

At issue is exactly how many signatures Folkner and his group will need to collect. Election administrator Charlotte Mullis-Morgan said that based on last year’s recall effort by Frank DePinto, the group would likely need between 13,000 and 16,000 signatures.

She noted that the petitions would need to be signed by “at least” 15 percent of the registered voters in the city. There was considerable confusion over the exact number needed the last time around, so the commission will take up the issue at its next meeting on June 16 to give Folkner and his group the exact number they need to collect.

If they are able to collect enough verified signatures of city residents and get them confirmed through the election commission at least 60 days before the general election, then the mayor would be automatically recalled and the seat would come up on the November ballot.

Here is one of the more interesting agenda items set to be discussed at the Tuesday, June 8 meeting of the Chattanooga City Council.

5. Ordinances - Final Reading: a) An ordinance to amend Chattanooga City Code, Chapter 25, by adding a new Article II titled “Special Gathering Permit,” Sections 25-40 through 25-47, relative to permits on special gatherings.

This will be the final reading on the new proposed ordinance that governs “pop-up parties”. Councilman Peter Murphy, who proposed the ordinance, said the main need for this regulation was the safety of both those attending such late-night parties and that of the residents in areas nearby who have police presence pulled away from neighborhoods to deal with problem events.

Pending any major changes, the ordinance would require a city permit and safety inspection for any non-regular event that sells alcohol, has more than 50 people present, and lasts past 11 p.m. It would not apply to any events that finish before that time or are regular events such as Riverbend.

The Chattanooga City Council meets each Tuesday at 6 p.m. in the City Council Building at 1000 Lindsay St. For more information on the agenda and minutes from past meetings, visit www.

Chattanooga.gov/City_Council/110_Agenda.asp

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Beyond The Headlines

Reap As You Sew A

By Stephanie Smith

“The three free intensive workshops will teach the skills necessary for participants to successfully serve on a wardrobe crew.”

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s has been reported and commented on many times this year, the Chattanooga Symphony and Opera decided to temporarily suspend productions of operas for a year. Well, the year is almost up, and in November the CSO will present Amahl and the Night Visitors. The question is: how does the CSO plan to keep costs down?

One way is by hiring locally. The CSO recently held auditions for local singers and the performance itself will be a collaborative effort between the CSO, Chattanooga Theatre Centre (CTC) and the Chattanooga Ballet.

In addition to a local cast, the CSO will hire a local crew. This includes many members of The International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees (IATSE) from Local 140 in Chattanooga. IATSE crew members include stage hands, makeup/hair artists, scenic designers and wardrobe, among others.

Wardrobe is an area consistently needing skilled workers in Chattanooga. Towards that end, the CSO, CTC and IATSE Local 140 have

The Pulse | Vol. 7, Issue 22 | June 3, 2010 | www.chattanoogapulse.com

teamed up to produce a workshop entitled “Union Wardrobe Work—A Crash Course.” “[The workshop] came about because some of the members of IATSE were looking at possible ways to help the CSO produce opera locally and make it affordable,” says CSO Operations Manager and IATSE Member Kathy Allison. “IATSE [Local 140] was willing to help in anyway possible. After talking with the officers, we thought it would be a win-win.

“I have worked on shows coming into town where we’ve had to scour the town to find extras. This seemed like an excellent opportunity to find those people.”

The three free intensive workshops will teach the skills necessary for participants to successfully serve on a wardrobe crew. Each four-hour workshop will be limited to six experienced needleworkers who have a desire to work in the wardrobe department for shows at the Tivoli, Memorial Auditorium, and/or Chattanooga Theatre Centre.

The class will be team-taught, with CTC staff as the designer/instructor and IATSE personnel as support/mentors. Instructors are Scott Dunlap, CTC Wardrobe Designer; Kathy Allison, CSO Operations Manager and IATSE Member; Carol Dill, IATSE Member. IATSE is a partner in this effort with their commitment to fund, in part, the costume workshop.

“Seamstresses are a very small portion of the union,” explains Allison. “[IATSE] has carpentry, electricity, rigging, lights, sound— wardrobe is only a part of it. Shows coming into town vary in size; they may require a couple of seamstresses or 15 people. It really isn’t a full-time employment opportunity, just a very specialized need from time to time.”

So is sewing making a comeback or is it a dying art form?

“I do think it may be a dying art form,” says Allison. “Many people are doing crafts these days, but I don’t know that many people are sewing for either themselves or others. People who I know who enjoy making their own clothing just don’t do that anymore. There are just not many resources in Chattanooga, places to buy fabric. It’s cheaper to buy clothes.

“The CSO has always rented costumes. I can only recall one time that we built them because the needs vary so much. It all depends on the period, the style, what the director wants to see. [The costumes] should hold up to all the rigors of the stage, withstand perspiration and movement.

“One of the outcomes of the workshop is that the participants will actually sew costumes for Amahl and The Night Visitors in November. This workshop furthers the cooperation [between the CSO, CTC and Chattanooga Ballet] because it allows us to construct costumes at a reasonable price, as well as provides IATSE with stagehands to work with costumes for companies coming into Chattanooga.”

In addition to working on “Amahl” in November and being added to a future employment list, participants will be paid a four-hour work call by IATSE and given program credit. Not bad for a day’s work.

Sew…on with show!

“Union Wardrobe Work—A Crash Course.”

June 28, 29 or 30 1 – 5 pm Chattanooga Theatre Centre Costume Shop For more information, contact Kathy Allison at (423) 267-8583, ext. 113

A weekly roundup of the newsworthy, notable and often head-scratching stories gleaned from police reports from the Chattanooga Police Department, the Hamilton County Sheriff’s Office, the Bradley County Sheriff’s Department and the Dalton Police Department.

• Where’s the best place to find wanted criminals? Turns out to be in jail. Local and federal law enforcement agencies worked together last week locating and arresting criminals wanted on state and federal charges... by searching through the county jail and the Silverdale Workhouse. All told, 11 defendants were located in the county jail and at Silverdale who had outstanding federal indictments. The task force did not stop with the jail search—it also went out into several neighborhoods and rounded up 24 more people wanted on a variety of charges, including four federal arrests.

• Why throwing rocks is never a good idea unless you’re at a lake.

Police responded to a call of a suspected kidnapping of a young boy outside an East Ridge movie theater to discover a rather odd set of circumstances. Three boys, who had just exited the theater and were obviously bored, engaged in a game of “who can throw a rock the farthest”.

Unfortunately, the winner succeeded by striking a passing car. The driver,

according to the boys, got angry with them and chased them, with the boys separating to avoid capture. The kidnapping call was made when two of three boys regrouped and couldn’t locate the third, whom they feared had been taken by the angry motorist. After a brief search, though, the boy was found safe and sound at home with his mother.

• What do you do when you can’t get a decent fast-food hamburger? Most people would just find something or somewhere else to eat, but not so for one woman who was very dissatisfied with the culinary selection offered to her at an E. 23rd Street restaurant. Officers were called to the store where a clerk said she had offered the disgruntled customer four different hamburgers. The woman, though, dismissed each offering and demanded her money back…a request the clerk tried to accommodate, except for the fact that she was unable to open her register without ringing up a new sale. The officers, however, were

The List Odd Phobias & Fears 1. Pteronophobia: Fear of being tickled by feathers.

2. Epistemophobia: Fear of knowledge.

3. Dextrophobia: Fear of objects at the right side of the body.

unable to find a solution for the unhappy hamburger hunter since she left right before they arrived.

4. Nosocomephobia: Fear of hospitals.

5. Hylophobia: Fear of forests.

6. Ereuthrophobia: Fear of blushing.

• If you’re going to set up a meth lab in your car, you might want to think twice about parking on private property. Bradley County deputies responded to a trespassing call last week by a property owner and found a pair of people sitting inside a mobile meth lab. A search of the vehicle turned up a bottle with several ingredients used in making methamphetamine, along with coffee filters and several grams of what they suspected was meth. Both occupants of the vehicle were taken into custody and are facing charges relating to manufacturing meth.

7. Graphophobia: Fear of writing or handwriting.

8. Koinoniphobia: Fear of rooms.

9. Levophobia: Fear of things to the left side of the body.

10. Lutraphobia: Fear of otters.

Every one of the above phobias drove our spellcheck software insane. And for the record, the most common phobia is arachnophobia: the fear of spiders.

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Shrink Rap

By Rick Pimental-Habib, Ph.D

To Be, To Do, and To Have As a culture, we tend to focus

more on doing than on being. This is perhaps even truer for men, as males are traditionally conditioned from a young age to do, to achieve, to fix. We put less emphasis on the process of living life, and more on the results of what culturally defines a “good life.”

And for many, these results take the form of material possessions: a vacation home, expensive cars, a fat portfolio.

These are signs, we are taught, of success.

And they are. They are the signs of material success. And is there anything wrong with them? Not in my book.

If you like nice things and are willing to work to attain them, then why shouldn’t you enjoy having whatever you desire?

They are part of your value system. And personally, I love having friends with a cabin in the mountains, or a pool and a guest room. Just tell me what type of wine to bring and I’m there.

The problem comes when we sacrifice who we are for what we have. In other words, we sacrifice being for our focus on accomplishing. Consider this: I have never had a patient come to my office complaining that they don’t have a nice enough boat. Or they can’t afford a housekeeper. Or they have not amassed

an impressive art collection. People call on me for help with their internal world—who they are versus who they want to be; how to wrestle with the demons and confusions and learn to uncover their true nature or purpose; how to work through the relationship issues that keep them from knowing happiness; how to give as well as receive love; how to gain not just things, but inner wisdom, and then learn to trust that wisdom.

You see, at our deepest levels, we’re not wondering how to do. Doing isn’t the issue. What we lack are the lessons in how to be fully who we are capable of being. We lack the lessons that teach men that it’s OK to feel deeply, to love unconditionally, and to value our minds, hearts, and spirits as we value our accomplishments. And so we’re left with empty places inside. Places that can’t be filled with things, hard as we might try.

Think about this: When we lose someone we love, we can’t just “walk it off.” When we feel disappointed by someone, or by ourselves, we can’t just “fix it” without feeling it. Buying another motorcycle won’t teach us how to become a better lover, a wiser parent, or a more compassionate friend.

So we’re left wondering: How to love generously…how to intuit wisely…how

to let ourselves be unabashedly joyous, spontaneous, feeling creatures!

My suggestion for you is to spend time pondering not what you have or don’t have, but who you are, and even more importantly, who you want to be.

The irony about accumulation is that we already possess everything we need.

We possess vast untapped capacities for generosity, kindness, strength, insight, the grandest of feelings and the clarity of wisdom. And it’s all within, just waiting for discovery. You might ask yourself what you truly need. Then take some deep breaths, be still and present, and see what emerges.

Let’s question what we are taught. Let’s question what we teach ourselves, each other, and our children. Let’s question what we settle for, and strive for, and value. Maybe you’ll find you’re perfectly content with exactly where you are in this life. Or maybe you’ll see what’s missing from your life. I guarantee it won’t be a timeshare in Boca.

Until next week, I leave you with this passage from Book One of Conversations with God: “You are goodness and mercy and compassion and understanding. You are strength and courage. You are the deepest wisdom and the highest truth.

And in moments of your life you have known yourself as these things.”

“My suggestion for you is to spend time pondering not what you have or don’t have, but who you are, and even more importantly, who you want to be.”

Dr. Rick Pimental-Habib, Ph.D., is a psychotherapist, minister, and educator, in private practice in Chattanooga, and the author of “Empowering the Tribe” and “The Power of a Partner.” Visit his new wellness center, Well Nest, at www.WellNestChattanooga.com, and his website at www.DrRPH.com

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Cover Story

Back to the Land Around Us

Story by Jim Pfitzer Photography by Lesha Patterson

“The cooperative signifies the beginning of a coming together of farmers and others devoted to the cause of a sustainable, vibrant and dynamic food community who seek to bring this vision to reality.’’

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small group of local farmers gathered at the edge of a gravel lot on the south side of Chattanooga recently, finding a rare bit of shade on a 90-degree day. The Wednesday Main Street Market had just closed and though most in the circle were visibly weary from a day that began twelve or more hours earlier with harvesting, milking, and the like, there was an undeniable energy among them. This collection of around 20 farmers, representing 14 farms in Tennessee, Georgia, and Alabama, calls itself The Cooperative of Chattanooga Area Sustainable Farmers (CCASF).

Butch Tolley, a tall, slender man in a straw hat, flipped through several pages on a clipboard as the meeting came to order, then began running through a list of projects and priorities for the upcoming months. CCASF is a recent winner

The Pulse | Vol. 7, Issue 22 | June 3, 2010 | www.chattanoogapulse.com

in the 2010 Food System Ideas Competition—a competitive grant program administered by the Benwood Foundation’s Gaining Ground initiative. The co-op was awarded $75,000 for the exploration and implementation of a number of ideas, which they hope will increase their production and sales.

When I asked Tolley how the group came together, his answer was simple: “The grant opportunity.” According to Tolley, it was Link 41’s Trae Moore, and Sequatchie Cove Farm who called the first meeting at Niedlov’s Breadworks a few months ago. Robin Fazio of Sonrisa Farm in Colquit, GA had a draft proposal, Jessica Wilson of In Town Organics Farm in Monteagle, TN added the idea of a mobile chicken-processing plant, and bit by bit, a list of common needs came together.

Cover Story As Tolley put it, “Looking at the poultry processing—needing a place to have chickens processed…led to the recognition that there are many other things that need to be done together. Many farms already work together, he told me, “and this is just an extension of that.” Tolley, for instance, frequently helps out at Dave Waters’ River Ridge Farm in Ten Mile, TN, and when Tolley needed some tilling done at his Clover Wreath Farm in Cleveland, Waters came over with his tractor to do the work. And with every farmer carrying a cell phone these days, calls for advice are often made from a field in one county or state to a barn in another.

to milk the cows.

Getting a chicken-processing facility up and running would have a profound effect on Waters’ operation—perhaps giving him more time to fire up his tractor and help others with their needs.

The CCASF grant is one of several awarded

by Gaining Ground. According to Jeff Pfitzer, Program Director of the initiative (and in the interest of full disclosure, the brother of this article’s author), “Gaining Ground is about increasing production and consumption of local food in the Chattanooga area.”

In speaking with Pfitzer and Kristy Huntley, Program Officer for The Benwood

“If Chattanooga consumers were to increase their purchasing of local foods to 5 percent of their overall consumption, it could mean as much as $100 million in increased spending for the regional economy.”

Tolley has a lot of ideas about how the farmers might work together down the road, but for now, they have four main goals: Establish an independent governing and operating structure, develop and grow the Cooperative membership base, study the possibility of owning and operating a USDAapproved mobile poultry-processing unit, and study the feasibility of developing an online sales and distribution network.

“The cooperative signifies the beginning of a coming together of farmers and others devoted to the cause of a sustainable, vibrant and dynamic food community who seek to bring this vision to reality,” he said.

Next to Tolley in that meeting stood Dave Waters, (the farmer in Ten Mile, TN with the tractor). For Waters, the need to find local chicken processing is paramount.

Although Chattanooga has two large chicken plants a mere stone’s throw from the market, both process only chickens from their own contract growers. When Waters needed to process some of his pastured chickens recently, he rose at 3 a.m. and drove nearly 200 miles to the nearest USDA-approved, independent processor in Bowling Green, KY, where he assisted in the work of preparing his chickens for market. By the time the chickens were processed and packaged, Waters had been working for 20 hours—and still had the return drive to make. When he finally made it to bed in the wee hours of the morning, he could only sleep three hours before getting up

Foundation, the word “local” came up again and again. I asked Pfitzer to help me understand what was meant by the word “local”, and after careful consideration, he responded, “If it’s economically feasible for a small farm to serve Chattanooga, it is part of the food shed.”

According to Huntley, an Ochs Center report commissioned by the foundation concluded, “If Chattanooga consumers were to increase their purchasing of local foods to 5 percent of their overall consumption, it could mean as much as $100 million in increased spending for the regional economy.”

And Gaining Ground will do much more than impact the economic sustainability of the region by creating jobs. Huntley called Gaining Ground “an opportunity to address health issues and healthy eating habits.”

Fortunately, Gaining Ground is not alone in its efforts. Around the country, people are waking up to what Michale Pollan called “America’s national eating disorder.” In his 2006 book, Omnivore’s Dilemma, Pollan called the pleasure derived from eating industrially produced and processed food “fleeting.” He went on to say, “A great many of the health and environmental problems created by our food system we owe to our attempts to oversimplify nature’s complexities, at both the growing and the eating ends of our food chain. At either end of any food chain you find a biological system—a patch of soil,

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Cover Story a human body—and the health of one is connected—literally—to the health of the other. Many of the problems of health and nutrition we face today trace back to things that happen on the farm…”

Add to that the case laid out in Bill McKibbon’s Deep Economy for the need to return to a more local, sustainable, foodbased economy, and the great challenges facing Gaining Ground become evident.

Clearly, these are complex issues with no easy answers, and Pfitzer has his plate full.

Concerns about the safety and quality of foods, negative health trends due to poor nutrition, loss of farmland, high energy costs, lack of access to healthy food in economically disadvantaged communities, the impact of agricultural and food industry practices… all these things are being weighed as Pfitzer seeks out the best ways to support efforts to

inspired to make “knowledgeable purchasing decisions to help support a sustainable food system.”

Locally based distributor Dixie Produce received a grant to “improve the warehousing and distribution opportunities for local farmers, which are significant challenges for small, local growers.” It is Dixie’s hope that by providing assistance in packaging and a consistent market for the products local farmers can produce on a daily basis, it will help farmers access larger markets.

The fourth grant recipient in the contest brings us back to that parking lot on Main Street where for the past year, every Wednesday from 4-6 p.m., farmers have sold their products to customers from the neighborhood and from around Chattanooga.

I spoke with Market Director Padgett Arnold of Sequatchie Cove Farm about the market

“The many efforts being supported by Gaining Ground represent a circle from farmer, to distributor, to chef, to consumer, and through the marketplace, back to the farmer again.” improve local food economy and health.

I asked Pfitzer and Huntley about how they might aim their sights at specific targets for maximum effect. Huntley responded that the program is focused on, but not limited to, the supply side. She said that “Based on our research, we believe there is a strong interest in increasing the number of local farms and producers and in helping the ones we have, reach new levels of sustainability.” She went on to say that she is seeing more and more people interested in having access to healthier food for their families. Pfitzer added, “We can’t separate production from consumption.”

Along with the farmers co-op, three other winners were announced in the Food System Ideas Competition, which generated 20 local submissions. According to a Gaining Ground press release, a jury of nationally renowned food-economy experts, “found it difficult to narrow it down to four, given that the majority of the proposals were exceptional”— something Pfitzer touted as “a good sign for the future of Chattanooga’s food economy.”

Chattanooga Chef ’s Collaborative was granted funding for its proposal to “increase the awareness and availability of seasonal and locally grown foods to chefs in the Chattanooga region.” The hope is that with some education, local chefs will become

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and what the Gaining Ground grant would do for them.

“We are unique (among recipients),” said Arnold, “because we already existed.”

In fact, when the market opened officially in April of 2009, members had already been meeting for a while in Niedlov’s parking lot down the street. According to Arnold, the market began as a couple of farms using that narrow lot for CSA and pre-order pickups.

“It was just River Ridge and Sequatchie Cove for quite a while,” she said. But soon they outgrew that space and were thrilled when the owner of the empty lot with piles of rubble and rebar at the corner of Main and Williams agreed to let the market move down the street. That lot has since been cleaned up and had benches added along the sidewalk.

The Main Street Market will be using their $35,000 grant to do several things. First of all, Arnold is now receiving an hourly wage for the work she is doing, so that this full-time farmer can afford to put in the necessary time to run a market.

Along with her small wage, Arnold outlined for me three “tiers” to be funded: branding, logo and web site development; the creation of a legal entity; sustainable business plan and market-development training guide for others wishing to start markets; and

Cover Story training in market skills for farmers, not limited to farmers participating in the market.

“We sought to become more significant in the community and marketplace, and thanks to the grant, it is happening more quickly than we ever imagined,” Arnold added before heading back to work.

As I conducted my interviews, I began to see what Pfitzer meant by not being able to separate production from consumption. The many efforts being supported by Gaining Ground represent a circle from farmer, to distributor, to chef, to consumer, and through the marketplace, back to the farmer again, and the grant competition is just one part of Gaining Ground’s work.

They are also funding the Hamilton County Department of Education (HCDE) to “create a healthier school nutrition environment in target Hamilton County Schools,” and the Hamilton County Health Department in a program to reduce obesity and type II diabetes. In the HCDE grant, “local” becomes more about the consumers than about the food and the food becomes far more about nutrition than economy. According to Pfitzer, “The first step is just getting (parents and students) introduced to the concept of fresh vegetables. We will endeavor to bring in local where we can, but it is important to

recognize that equally important as local food is introducing fresh into their diets.”

Two smaller but significant efforts Gaining Ground is providing funding for are a Slow Food on Campus (SFOC) chapter at UTC, whose mission will be to “raise community awareness, on campus and within Chattanooga, about the implications of food choices on our health, cultural heritage,

biodiversity, and environmental and social justice,” and for the second year of a local food guide called TasteBuds, designed to encourage Chattanoogans to find and consume foods from within a 100-mile radius of the city.

All in all, Gaining Ground is working with a three-year budget of $1.65 million and Pfitzer has high hopes for what can be accomplished.

Throughout our interview, he stressed that the grants being awarded support one another and intersect in the community. “Much of the local food movement,” he said, “is more about community than it is about food. Not that long ago, the ritual of production and consumption of food played a big role in our lives on a daily basis.

Our forebears knew who grew their food, where a hamburger came from, what a chicken looked like…There is a void in our social structure that was once filled by the production, acquisition, and consumption of food in our daily lives.”

I thought about those words as I listened in on that co-op meeting on Main Street. Looking across the slowly emptying lot, I saw a mom loading a large bag of fresh produce and two children into her station wagon. Both children wore big smiles covered in strawberry juice. Those children might not be eating with the “fuller consciousness” Pollan wrote about, but they clearly recognized a really good strawberry when they tasted one.

www.chattanoogapulse.com | June 3, 2010 | Vol. 7, Issue 22 | The Pulse

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Music Feature

Pick Your Summer Pleasure C

onsidering I only put my two cents in twice a month these days, I thought I might stray from my typical interview or dissection format and give you a rundown of all the things going on in June.

By Hellcat

“If you are a firsttimer then, trust me—make a schedule. If you don’t, you will end up hanging out with some mumbling hippie with paintedon clothes, wondering where the hell you are.”

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For a month only housing 30 days, June has some pretty big offerings to give the music gods.

First, let’s go ahead and mention the biggest music fish, Bonnaroo.

Occurring June 10–13 this year, it promises to be just as badass as in years past. If you are a professional Roo-er, then you know you have to plan out a schedule to be able to see all the bands you want to see based on stage times and location. If you are a first-timer then, trust me—make a schedule. If you don’t, you will end up hanging out with some mumbling hippie with painted-on clothes, wondering where the hell you are, and why you can’t hear your favorite band from 300 acres out.

Maybe I can help you in your decision-making. Dave Matthews Band: Don’t laugh. If you haven’t seen them live, they are really good at what they do, and there is a reason they tour all year, every year. It is worth checking out.

Kings of Leon: Excellent. Stevie Wonder: How could you not want to see a legend? Weezer: If you wear a visor, catching this show may give you some music snob credibility. Flaming Lips: Wayne generally puts himself in a human hamster ball. That, paired with the fact they are performing Dark Side of the Moon, adds up to a pretty trippy experience. Phoenix: Is probably one of my favorite new bands. John

The Pulse | Vol. 7, Issue 22 | June 3, 2010 | www.chattanoogapulse.com

Fogerty and Les Claypool are legends in their own right, so I would jot those down on the “must-see” list. The Dead Weather and Regina Spektor are good options if you are looking for something off the mainstream path. College radio champions She & Him, and The Black Keys should also be taken into serious consideration. Wild card pick? Gwar, as it will turn into a good story to tell.

Other suggestions of mine include: Dropkick Murphys, Against Me!, Clutch, The Melvins, They Might Be Giants, The Temper Trap, Lucero, Royal Bangs, and The Constellations.

Just for fun, the worst band name on the lineup: The Moondoggies. Quit it. So, there you have my picks, and remember to take a lot of bottled water and toilet paper. Happy festing.

As far as Nightfall goes this year, I would suggest seeing Bottle Rockets with The Bohannons, Civil Twilight and hometown boys Moonlight Bride.

OK, onto Riverbend. My suggestions for this event may not resemble yours, but remember, these are simply my opinions and my tastes, so the hate mail is unnecessary. The Distribution: If you haven’t seen them yet, what are you waiting for? George Clinton: an icon and all the funk you can handle in a sitting. You can’t go wrong with Space Capone.

The Charlie Daniels Band: I am not afraid to say that I love them. “Uneasy Rider” is enough to get me out of the house. The Nim Nims and The Whigs should fulfill your need for indie rock, as they are both pretty amazing. Now, I could go either way on Sheryl Crow, and don’t really perk up for Drivin’ N Cryin’, Joan Osborne or Allison Krauss, but if that’s your thing, then go rock it out. Also, the festival has diversified a bit, with dancers, bellydancers, some classical options. Right on.

However, my favorite night has always been the Strut. There is literally no reason to avoid it. Good food and good times. It falls on Monday the 14th this year, and it happens to put you right in front of JJ’s Bohemia, where local bands Front Porch Regulars, Uncle Lightning, and The Woes will be playing, starting at 4 p.m. If you like an upright bass and some kick-ass fiddle, then you will be into the Front Porch Regulars. Speaking of JJ’s Bohemia, Do Ya Hear We Punk Fest is this Thursday, featuring Night of the Wolf, Hidden Spots, Black Rainbow, 40oz Folklore, and plenty of others. I recommend going. It is, indeed, an adventure.

Also, coming up in future vision at JJ’s, are Double Dick Slick and Oxxen this Saturday, which you should know by now, will be an excellent and amusing show. This month will also see performances from Moonlight Bride, Up with the Joneses, and The Queers. The Queers—that’s right, they are coming back, for real this time. The show is on June 29 and is a must-see for all past, present, and future punk fans. When they were here a couple of years ago, it was one amazing night, so I hope to have a repeat occurrence. Eris has their CD release show on July 3 at Rhythm and Brews, which will give July a pretty rocking start. I know it must seem like I’ve turned in my cynical voice for a more upbeat bouncy one, but I think it is just because I am coming off of getting-to-interview-and-meet-Gregg-Allman high. So right now, everything looks pretty good, and we have a lot of music magic to look forward to this month. There are plenty of free events and good music, so get out there and enjoy the weather and the sound. The Sweetwater Fest should be sometime in August, provided the city allows it.

Fingers crossed.

New Music Reviews

By Ernie Paik

Iggy and the Stooges

The New Pornographers

Raw Power: Legacy Edition

Together

(Columbia/Legacy)

(Matador)

I love a good music geek debate.

Casual listeners may have no use for them, but insightful ones can reflect a deep appreciation for music and an understanding of the musicmaking process, history, and context—it really boils down to comprehending and articulating what makes music enjoyable. There are epic battles—vinyl vs. digital, the Beatles’ mono mixes vs. stereo mixes—and many others, including one over the Stooges’ third album, released in 1973, Raw Power.

Following the essential, practically flawless album Fun House, Raw Power garnered its own devotees as an aggressive, blues-infused proto-punk album with searing tracks like “Search and Destroy” and “Death Trip.” The debate is over the mix; the original release was mixed by David Bowie and was criticized for being tinny and not having enough weight to it. In 1996, Iggy Pop remixed the album, creating “a very violent mix” (his words) that was slagged for being oppressively loud and having no dynamic range.

In this debate, actually both sides are right— there is no currently existing ideal mix. If pressed, though, I would pick the Bowie mix, which was nicely remastered for the newly released 2-disc “Legacy Edition” of Raw Power (there’s also a 4-disc “Deluxe Edition” with a rarities disc and a DVD). The vocals are high in the treble-heavy mix and the low-end could have used a boost, but it’s still a potent album, with Iggy’s wild singing and throbbing riffs on tracks such as “Shake Appeal” and the title track. Frustratingly, the album’s flow loses its momentum in places; the great opening attack of “Search and Destroy” is dampened by the next track, the mid-tempo “Gimme Danger,” which starts with an out-of-place acoustic guitar.

The second disc, entitled Georgia Peaches, consists of unreleased material, including a live 1973 set recorded in Atlanta, a weird outtake called “Doojiman” (featuring Iggy doing crazy scatsinging), and a rehearsal tape of “Head On.” The live set captures the confrontational showmanship of Iggy and has some satisfying sonic blasts, but at times it’s in bar blues-band mode, with the piano oddly being a dominant instrument. Fans should get it, and it’s notable for being one of the best-sounding live documents of that period and featuring non-album songs like “Heavy Liquid” and “Cock in My Pocket.”

Putting the mix and uneven moments aside, Raw Power has undeniably strong highlights, and I can’t help but think that a perfect mix is yet to be made. Who should do it? Steve Albini? Jack White? That’s another debate.

The hooks are back. I could leave this review at those four words, but my editor might have something to say about that.

Let’s start from the beginning. In 2000, the Canadian band the New Pornographers unleashed its debut album, Mass Romantic, which was a refreshing and charged pop-rock album that loaded hook upon hook in each song, as if consciously trying to make everyone else look bad; in my book, it’s one of the finest albums of the previous decade.

In the decade that followed, the band’s occasional lead singer Neko Case broke out of the indie ghetto as a solo artist, low-profile yet key member Dan Bejar created his own masterpiece, Destroyer’s Rubies (as Destroyer), and the New Pornographers released two more incredibly solid albums under the helm of Carl Newman, The Electric Version and Twin Cinema. Then came the 2007 album Challengers, which many (myself included) found to be disappointing; it gets credit for not being formulaic, but its more reserved tone didn’t stick with some listeners, who craved those exhilarating moments heard so frequently before.

The group’s fifth album, Together, finds the members back in familiar territory, cheerfully dispensing hooks like pieces of candy thrown from a float in a parade, and this is clear from the very first song. “Moves” starts with an irresistible riff played in unison by a cello and an electric guitar before everyone else jumps in to contribute their details; it represents the approach of the album, which is richly layered, yet there’s a faint feeling of restraint this time. They don’t push it; they don’t go for broke, like on previous tracks such as “Letter from an Occupant,” so crammed with hooks that it’s a miracle it stays together. “Crash Years,” sung by Neko Case, is easy to like, with hummable melodies, a nice release in the chorus, and a whistling-enhanced bridge; “Your Hands (Together)” features big, dramatic chords and the group’s recognizable vocal harmonizing. Bejar’s “Silver Jenny Dollar” is pleasant enough, but fans might anticipate a twist that doesn’t quite come; it’s content to bounce along in its power-pop land.

Kathryn Calder’s voice is a nice addition to the ensemble on “Sweet Talk, Sweet Talk,” which has a pulse that evokes some vague ’70s AM radio hit.

It’s good to hear the band using its strengths again, and it’s a bit like hearing from an old friend who might not offer surprises but instead offers comfort in familiarity.

www.chattanoogapulse.com | June 3, 2010 | Vol. 7, Issue 22 | The Pulse

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Music Calendar Thursday Spotlight

Do Ya Hear We Fest Nine bands, including Hidden Spots and Future Virgins. $6 8 p.m.

JJ’s Bohemia, 231 E. MLK Blvd.

(423) 266-1400. doyahearwe.com/festival.html

Thursday Iron Mike & The Delta Rockers 5:30 p.m. The Chattanooga Market, Miller Plaza, 850 Market St. (423) 265-3700.

Lions Lions, Ambush, Continuance, Renae 7:30 p.m. The Warehouse, 5716 Ringgold Rd., East Ridge. www.myspace.com/warehousetn Alyse Black 7 p.m. Mudpie Restaurant, 12 Frazier Ave. (423) 267-9043. www.mudpierestuarant.com Kathy Tugman & Friends, Da House Band with Fletcher Bright 7 p.m. Rhythm & Brews, 221 Market St. (423) 267-4644. www.rhythm-brews.com Husky Burnette 8 p.m. Bart’s Lakeshore, 5600 Lakeshore Dr. (423) 870-0777.

Channing Wilson 9 p.m. Bud’s Sports Bar, 5751 Brainerd Rd. (423) 499-9878. www.budssportsbar.com Do Ya Hear We Fest 8 p.m. JJ’s Bohemia, 231 E. MLK Blvd. (423) 266-1400. doyahearwe.com/festival.html

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The Pulse | Vol. 7, Issue 22 | June 3, 2010 | www.chattanoogapulse.com

Friday Spotlight

Open Mic with Gabe Newell 9 p.m. Market Street Tavern, 850 Market St. (423) 634-0260. www.marketstreettavern.com

Friday Ben Friberg Trio 6:30 p.m. Table Two, 232 East 11th St. (423) 756-8253.

Josh Charles, Power Players Band 7 p.m. Nightfall Concert Series, Miller Plaze, 850 Market St. (423) 265-3700. www.nightfallchattanooga.com Fareway, Andy Goodner, Tyler Maleshenko, The Ordinary 7 p.m. The Warehouse, 5716 Ringgold Rd., East Ridge. www.myspace.com/warehousetn Rock N’ Roll Spectacular 7:30 p.m. Chattanooga Choo Choo Centennial Theatre, 1400 Market St. (423) 266-5000.

Geniside 8 p.m. Ziggy’s Hideaway, 607 Cherokee Blvd.

(423) 634-1074. myspace.com/ziggyshideaway Do Ya Hear We Fest 8 p.m. Discoteca, 304 E, Main St. www.doyahearwe.com/ festival.html Live Jazz 8:30 p.m. The Foundry, 1201 Broad St. (423) 424- 3775. www.chattanooganhotel.com Eddies of the Wind 9 p.m. The Riverhouse, 224 Frazier Ave., (423) 752-0066.

Paul Smith and the Special Moments Band 9 p.m. Bourbon Street Music Bar,2000 E. 23rd St. (423) 826-1985.

Unwound 9 p.m. Raven’s Nest Lounge, 826 Rankin Ave. (423) 949-7567.

Power Players Show Band 10 p.m. Market Street Tavern, 850 Market St. (423) 634-0260. www.marketstreettavern.com 80-Z Enuff 10 p.m. Rhythm & Brews, 221 Market St. (423) 267-4644. www.rhythm-brews.com Nathan Farrow 10 p.m. Bud’s Sports Bar, 5751 Brainerd Rd. (423) 499-9878. www.budssportsbar.com Funktastic 5 10 p.m. Tremont Tavern, 1203 Hixson Pike. (423) 266-1996. www.tremonttavern.com Wrestle-hemia 1 10 p.m. JJ’s Bohemia, 231 E. MLK Blvd. (423) 266-1400. www.myspace.com/jjsbohemia

Saturday New Binkley Brothers Noon. Rock City, 1400 Patten Rd. Lookout Mountain, GA. (706) 820-2531.

Do Ya Hear We Fest 1 p.m. Sluggo’s North. 501 Cherokee Blvd. www.doyahearwe. com/festival.html Jonny Diaz, 33miles 2:30 p.m. Camp Jordan Arena, 323 Camp Jordan Pkwy.

(423) 490-0078.

Sidewalk Prophets 3 p.m. Camp Jordan Arena, 323 Camp Jordan Pkwy.

(423) 490-0078.

The Tammys, Local Union 3 p.m. The River House Pub, 224 Frazier Ave. (423) 752-0066.

Josh Charles at Nightfall Protégé of Dr. John "can play them keys."

Free.

7 p.m. opening act Power Players Band 8 p.m. headliner Miller Plaza www.nightfallchattanooga.com Jennifer Daniels 3:30 p.m. The Chattanooga Market, Aquarium Plaza, 850 Market St. (423) 265-3700.

“Murderbunny Records Benefit Bash” 5:30 p.m. The Warehouse, 5716 Ringgold Rd., East Ridge. www.myspace.com/warehousetn Matthew West 6:30 p.m. Camp Jordan Arena, 323 Camp Jordan Pkwy.

(423) 490-0078.

Do Ya Hear We Fest 8 p.m. Discoteca, 304 E, Main St. www.doyahearwe.com/ festival.html Shaun Jones 8 p.m. The Office, 901 Carter St. (inside Day’s Inn) Natalie Grant 8 p.m. Camp Jordan Arena, 323 Camp Jordan Pkwy.

(423) 490-0078.

Uncle Touchy, Vampirates, Galaxie,Lowdown 8 p.m. Ziggy’s Hideaway, 607 Cherokee Blvd.

(423) 634-1074. myspace.com/ziggyshideaway Dana Rogers 8 p.m. The Palms at Hamilton, 6925 Shallowford Rd., #202.

(423) 499-5055. www.thepalmsathamilton.com

Music Calendar

Send your calendar events to us at calendar@chattanoogapulse.com

Saturday Spotlight

Do Ya Hear We Fest Eight bands, including the return of Shellshag $6 8 p.m.

Discoteca, 304 E. Main St. doyahearwe.com/festival.html BarlowGirl 8:15 p.m. Camp Jordan Arena, 323 Camp Jordan Pkwy.

(423) 490-0078.

Live Jazz 8:30 p.m. The Foundry, 1201 Broad St. (423) 424- 3775. www.chattanooganhotel.com Unwound 9 p.m. Raven’s Nest Lounge, 826 Rankin Ave. (423) 949-7567.

Karaoke Dance Party with DJ Smith 9 p.m. Bourbon Street Music Bar,2000 E. 23rd St. (423) 826-1985.

Open Mic Night 9 p.m. Mudpie Restaurant, 12 Frazier Ave. (423) 267-9043. www.mudpierestuarant.com Marujah 10 p.m. Market Street Tavern, 850 Market St. (423) 634-0260. www.marketstreettavern.com Matt Stephens Project with Rock Daddy 9:30 p.m. Rhythm & Brews, 221 Market St. (423) 267-4644. www.rhythm-brews.com Nathan Farrow 10 p.m. Bud’s Sports Bar, 5751 Brainerd Rd. (423) 499-9878. www.budssportsbar.com Now You See Them 10 p.m. T-Roys Roadhouse, 724 Ashland Terrace.

(423) 870-0880.

Sunday Spotlight

DDS, Oxygen 10 p.m. JJ’s Bohemia, 231 E. MLK Blvd. (423) 266-1400. www.myspace.com.jjsbohemia

Sunday Jennifer Daniels 11 a.m. The Chattanooga Market, First Tennessee Pavilion, 1826 Carter St. www.chattanoogamarket.com New Brinkley Brothers Noon. Rock City, 1400 Patten Rd. Lookout Mountain, GA. (706) 820-2531.

Open Mic w/Jeff Daniels 4 p.m. Ms. Debbie’s Nightlife Lounge 4762 Highway 58, (423) 485-0966. myspace.com/debbieslounge Do Ya Hear We Fest 6 p.m. Sluggo’s North. 501 Cherokee Blvd. www.doyahearwe. com/festival.html Irish Music Sessions 6:30 p.m. Tremont Tavern, 1203 Hixson Pike. (423) 266-1996. www.tremonttavern.com Standing Small, Behold the Brave 7 p.m. Mount Zion Revival Center, 850 Elrod St. SE, Cleveland.

Blind Witness, In the Era, Dispel the Serpent’s Lie 7 p.m. The Warehouse, 5716 Ringgold Rd., East Ridge. www.myspace.com/warehousetn Lee Greenwood 7:30 p.m. Memorial Auditorium, 399 McCallie Blvd.

(423) 899-4990.

Open Mic 8 p.m. Gene’s Bar & Grill, 724 Ashland Terrace, (423) 870-0880.

Karaoke with DJ Stoll 9:30 p.m. Bud’s Sports Bar, 5751 Brainerd Rd. (423) 499-9878. www.budssportsbar.com Girls in Trouble 10 p.m. JJ’s Bohemia, 231 E. MLK Blvd. (423) 266-1400. www.myspace.com/jjsbohemia Star Search Talent Night 10 p.m. Images, 6500 Lee Hwy. www.imagesbar.com

Monday Old Tyme Players 6 p.m. Market Street Tavern, 850 Market St. (423) 634-0260. www.marketstreettavern.com Paul Lohorn and the Monday Nite Big Band 7 p.m. Lindsay Street Hall, 901 Lindsay Street. (423) 755-9111.

Karaoke with DJ Stoll 9:30 p.m. Bud’s Sports Bar, 5751 Brainerd Rd. (423) 499-9878.

Tuesday Billy Hopkins 8 p.m. Market Street Tavern, 850 Market St. (423) 634-0260. www.marketstreettavern.com Ben Friberg Trio 6:30 p.m. Table Two, 232 East 11th St. (423) 756-8253.

Anal C**t, Grave Bound 8 p.m. Ziggy’s Hideaway, 607 Cherokee Blvd.

(423) 634-1074.

Open Mic Night with Mike McDade 8 p.m. Tremont Tavern, 1203 Hixson Pike. (423) 266-1996. www.tremonttavern.com

Do Ya Hear We Fest Ten bands!!! $6 6 p.m.

Sluggo’s North, 501 Cherokee Blvd. doyahearwe.com/festival.html Spoken Word/Poetry Night 8 p.m. The Riverhouse, 224 Frazier Ave., (423) 752-0066.

Open Mic with Hellcat 9 p.m. Raw, 409 Market St. 423) 756-1919.

Tim Starnes and Husky Burnette 9 p.m. Bart’s Lakeshore, 5600 Lakeshore Dr. (423) 870-0777.

Low Strung Assassians 10 p.m. JJ’s Bohemia, 231 E. MLK Blvd. (423) 266-1400. www.myspace.com.jjsbohemia

Wednesday Ben Friberg Trio 7 p.m. Market Street Tavern, 850 Market St. (423) 634-0260. www.marketstreettavern.com Karaoke with Paul Smith 8 p.m. Bourbon Street Music Bar, 2000 E. 23rd St. (423) 826-1985.

Karaoke with Chase The Office, 901 Carter St. (inside Day’s Inn) Power Players Show Band 9 p.m. Bud’s Sports Bar, 5751 Brainerd Rd. (423) 499-9878. www.budssportsbar.com Rollin in the Hay 10 p.m. Rhythm & Brews, 221 Market St. (423) 267-4644. www.rhythm-brews.com

www.chattanoogapulse.com | June 3, 2010 | Vol. 7, Issue 22 | The Pulse

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Life in the Noog

By Chuck Crowder

Chatta-mysteries T

“It baffles me that our progressive city’s Hamilton County Bicentennial Library literally hasn’t changed one bit since the Bicentennial.”

Chuck Crowder is a local writer and general man about town. His opinions are just that. Everything expressed is loosely based on fact, and crap he hears people talking about. Take what you just read with a grain of salt, but pepper it in your thoughts. And be sure to check out his popular website www.thenoog.com

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he ‘noog has been voted by several reputable publications a success story for downtown renaissance and often is declared by them as “one of the best mid-size cities in the country.”

In fact, just recently we were ranked the 24th most bike-friendly city in America. Chalk that one up on the growing tally board. But still, it amazes me that even with those accolades and achievements; there are still some simple things out of whack around here that, if rectified, could easily move us up a couple of rungs on the ladder of success.

First of all, we need to make a concerted effort to correct anyone trying to do business here from out of town who mispronounces “Chattanooga.” You can always tell which “Chattanooga” television commercials are produced elsewhere. Inadvertently the announcer always says “Chattn-ooga” instead of “Chat-ta-noo-ga.” The city name is of course an effort to “localize” the commercial.

Try again. No one here is buying it. What kills me is that the Glenn Miller song that we’re famous for pronounces it correctly. Haven’t those professional announcers ever heard the song?

Speaking of commercials and television, our local Fox affiliate must currently have an opening for an audio engineer, because there’s no way someone is watching the rollercoaster EQ levels on their programming.

In my experience, here’s how the volume levels typically rank. Local news: 5.3 (but

The Pulse | Vol. 7, Issue 22 | June 3, 2010 | www.chattanoogapulse.com

muffled), locally-produced programming: 3 (lip reading sometimes required on “Racing Tonight”), locally-produced commercials: 7 (“hey buddy”) and last but not least, national commercials (like Hardees’s): 11. That’s right, deafening compared to the others. Makes you wonder how the other local stations do it. But of course, they pay the anchors reading the news ten times what they pay the teleprompter people feeding it to them—so go figure.

One local story the talking heads haven’t mentioned in a while is the homeless campus proposed by our “current” mayor, Ron Littlefield. He must have given up on his “Holiday Inn-digent” project. A better use of such taxpayer dollars might be a new library. It baffles me that our progressive city’s Hamilton County Bicentennial Library literally hasn’t changed one bit since the Bicentennial. It’s frozen in a time warp of seventies décor. There’s still a card catalog, for Pete’s sake. And guess what? The gum I stuck on the bottom of it 32 years ago is still there. I checked.

Maybe the lack of a good public library can be directly related to the Chattanooga phenomenon of natives who answer the question, “Where did you go to school?” with the name of their high school. You could have a Ph.D from Yale, an MBA from Harvard and a CPA’s license from somewhere where’s it’s hard to get a CPA’s license, and if someone came up to you at Nightfall asking where you went to school, you’d still say “Hixson”.

It’s amazing really, and very unique to the ‘noog. I’d always taken that strange trait for granted until I heard how weird it is from my transplanted friends.

Another thing people from out of town

don’t get (and neither do I) is the fact that you can get a parking ticket at 10 p.m. on a Monday night in a loading zone of an abandoned building. The city’s parking Nazis don’t care how faded that orange line on the curb is, or how long it must have been since a truck actually loaded or unloaded something there (especially late at night), it’s an excuse to write a ticket. And they don’t have to look far for an excuse. I got a parking ticket on a Tuesday night at 10:48 p.m. for parking in the passenger loading zone of the Lifestyle Center beside the Sports Barn on Market Street. The spot in front of the padlocked gate that hasn’t been open that late in years. In fact, I have never ever seen a passenger load there—and especially not several hours after they close.

Leaves a bad taste in tourists’ mouths, which can’t be good for our rep in these fancy travel mags.

One loading zone that’s in use 24/7 however, is the one for fire trucks outside of Patton Towers. That place must be a tinder box, ’cause it seems like the hook n’ ladders race to its aid every time someone strikes a match. But usually the emergency ends up being someone’s water turned off because they didn’t pay the bill, or someone fighting with someone else or a hot plate that got so hot it made water boil, or some other nonemergency. And guess what? We taxpayers cover the tab. Haven’t these people ever heard of “crying wolf ”? Someday our frustrated finest are gonna stay back at the station and finish their chili while Rome burns.

Of course, that’s not all we can do to help seal the deal as one of the finest mid-size cities in America. But it’s a good start. So let’s band together and make it happen.

Peace out.

www.chattanoogapulse.com | June 3, 2010 | Vol. 7, Issue 22 | The Pulse

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The Pulse | Vol. 7, Issue 22 | June 3, 2010 | www.chattanoogapulse.com

Film Feature

By Gary Poole

Going Back To The Movies O

n a recent weekend evening, I took part in something I had not had firsthand knowledge of in Chattanooga for several years: I went to see a first-run movie at a major theater chain. One of the drawbacks of being a semi-regular film reviewer is that I see the vast majority of movies on DVD or online through screeners and such (a problem, as I wrote about in my review of Alice In Wonderland, when it comes to 3D movies). Aside from a number of visits to the IMAX Theater, including a recent trip to see the spectacular and much-recommended Hubble: 3D, I had not been in a regular movie theater since seeing Star Trek last year—and that was in Nashville.

It’s not that I dislike the theater experience, though being of above-average height I often have problems with cramped leg room and inadvertently blocking the view of the person behind me, it’s just that with the ease of watching a DVD in the comfort of my own home, the process of getting to the theater seemed less and less appealing. Which is a problem that theater owners have been actively trying to address for years now, with, judging from box-office receipts, some decent success.

It’s not that I have been living under a home-theater rock for the past decade. I am aware of stadium seating, which all but eliminates the “big head in front of me blocking the screen” problem, but even so, several of the theaters I had been to over the past five years were still limited in leg room.

Not as bad as the airlines (curse them), but still a problem for me on my rare excursions to the metroplex.

But a major action-adventure film was opening, and I was invited by a group of my fellow action movie friends to watch it with them. So off I went to Northgate on a Friday night. The first thing I noticed was that only a small percentage of people actually buy their tickets at the theater anymore. Online ticket sales have become the way to go, to avoid standing in long

lines or missing out on the showtime you want. There was a line for the movie (it was the 8:15 p.m. showing, after all), but nearly everyone in the line walked in through the front doors and immediately into the line. It seemed all but a handful already had purchased their tickets ahead of time.

The second thing I noticed was that concessions prices, while still high (as was to be expected), got you a lot more bang for the buck. And a number of people, including one in my group, had shelled out the money for the permanent popcorn bucket, which gets a very nice refill price. Yes, everyone loves to complain about concessions prices, but considering that’s where a theater makes the vast majority of its revenue, I am not one to begrudge it its profit point. Plus, the popcorn was fresh and light and not overly drowned in some oily butter-flavored liquid of dubious origin.

The next thing I noticed, once we made our way to our seats, was that I had actual legroom. I don’t know who designed the main theater at Northgate (and I assume we were in one of the bigger rooms), but it was obviously someone who understood that Americans are getting taller and need more space. The seats were also wider than I remembered, which is likely because Americans are also getting a lot wider. A bit depressing, but smart of the designer to take that into consideration.

Then something happened that surprised me, in a positive way. A pair of employees pushing what looked like a grocery cart full of candy came into the theater and announced that if anyone needed any snacks, they had plenty to choose from. A concept that has been part and parcel of sporting events for a century has finally made its way to the metroplex. I noticed

“If they ever do start selling hot dogs in the aisles, I might head out the theater more often. Take note, theater owners.” they did not go up and down the aisles, nor did they shout out the names of the confections they had for sale. Though if they ever do start selling hot dogs in the aisles, I might head out the theater more often. Take note, theater owners. Food for thought.

The next thing that happened pleased me tremendously. Another employee came out, stood in the front of the theater and politely requested that everyone please turn off their phones. Which is pretty much understood (if not obeyed) by everyone these days.

What he did next, though, was even more welcome. He then asked that people please refrain from checking their e-mail and text messages during the movie because the bright screens are very distracting to the rest of the people in the theater. He even got a bit of applause after that request, which, alas, went right over the head of a man in the fourth row through the first ten minutes of the film.

As for the movie experience itself? The screen was large, the clarity was very sharp, and the sound was loud without being rockconcert deafening. I think I may have to head back to the metroplex soon. www.chattanoogapulse.com | June 3, 2010 | Vol. 7, Issue 22 | The Pulse

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Arts & Entertainment

Worship And Music

By Michael Crumb

“For Sorenson there is no separation of beauty and the sacred, and he is passionate about beauty being an end in itself.”

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An unusual new band has

arrived in Chattanooga. Evensong Rising can be heard at a Sunday evening worship service called “Even Song” at the Camp House on Williams Street in downtown’s Southside.

Recently ordained as an Anglican priest, Chris Sorenson fulfills dual roles as both pastor and bandleader. In fact, these roles merge in the music. Sorenson says. “We felt deeply connected to the ancient traditions of the faith, but not to the old hymns.”

Sorenson, along with his band, writes

The Pulse | Vol. 7, Issue 22 | June 3, 2010 | www.chattanoogapulse.com

modern hymns.

Besides Sorenson, who does lead vocals and plays acoustic guitar, band members include Aaron Rauch, guitar and vocals; Tim Newton, drums; Jason Foster, bass and keyboards; Satoya Foster, vocals; and Chris Graham, who plays lead guitar.

Chris Sorenson and Tim Newton are the founding members of Evensong Rising. Newton formerly drummed for Duncan Shiek. Jason Foster plays bass for Ludacris, and he is also producing his own work and recording his wife Satoya, whose voice is strong and wonderful.

Aaron Rauch also pursues his own singing and songwriting, and he can be seen regularly at the Mudpie’s Saturday night open-mic shows.

A new CD, The Mission, emphasizes the band’s focus, since songs are listed as “Order of Worship.” The title of this CD refers directly to Evensong Rising’s move to Chattanooga, although not all of the musicians on this CD actually came to the city. Aaron Rauch, who had fronted his own band in New York, joined up and moved to Chattanooga. Chris Graham also joined the new Chattanooga outfit. The Mission was produced by Brian Hardin of Nashville, and will be released in July.

Sorensen tells how their move to Chattanooga connects with another, older mission; specifically, the Brainerd missionaries of 1817. Their Congregationalist mission in New England moved to Chattanooga and become a part of the city’s early history. These original

Brainerd missionaries were a multi-ethnic religious community working on social justice. Eventually, they left Chattanooga with the Cherokee. Evensong Rising began as Congregationalist in Greenwich, CT, and now they have arrived as part of Mission Chattanooga, an Anglican mission, to promote the arts and “Rise Up”, their own program of spiritual awakening and humanitarian activism.

For Sorenson there is no separation of beauty and the sacred, and he is passionate about beauty being an end in itself. In this way, Sorenson’s music becomes a form of worship. He sees this as an important distinction from what is usually called “Christian rock.”

According to Sorenson, Christian rock tends to be propagandistic, and it uses beauty as a means to an end. Significantly, part of that end has to do with supplying a large Christian market with tunes. Sorenson sees his music as worship. Of course, this does connect with the old tradition of music during high masses. Sorenson explains: “We seek to produce the most beautiful music possible to convey thoughts about God and to present this music to a diverse and contemporary audience.”

Evensong Rising’s music, polished and inspirational, propels the Evensong worship at the Camp House on Sundays at 5:30 p.m.

Aaron Rauch, also a barista in New York, will be managing the Windfarm Coffee Shop at the Camp House, which will open soon.

A&E Calendar Highlights Friday

Thursday

AEC Back Row Film Series: Citizen Architect Doc about architect/activist Samuel Mockbee. $10 6 p.m. reception at Big River Grille 6:30 screening green|spaces, 63 E. Main St. www.artsedcouncil.org

Send your calendar events to us at calendar@chattanoogapulse.com

Mystery of the TV Talk Show 7 p.m. Vaudeville Café, 138 Market St. (423) 517-1839. www.funnydinner.com Avatar in 3D 7 p.m. IMAX Theater at the Tennessee Aquarium, 1 Broad St. (800) 265-0695. www.tnaqua.com/imax Ellen Franklin Art Gannon Art Center, 3250 Brainerd Rd. (423) 622-8236.

“Abraham Lincoln: A Man of His Time, A Man for All Times” Chattanooga-Hamilton Library, 1001 Broad St. (423) 757-5317. www.lib.chattanooga.gov 32nd Annual Tennessee Watercolor Exhibit Olan Mills Bldg., Chattanooga State Community College, 4501 Amnicola Hwy. (423) 478-5262.

“Fresh Coastal Scenes” Shuptrine Fine Art Group, 2646 Broad St. (423) 266-4453. www.shuptrinefineartgroup.com Smith-Cleary Photography and Printmaking Exum Gallery, 305 W. 7th St. (423) 593-4265.

Reception for Exhibit/Sculpture Garden Exhibit Jacquelyne Collett, Russell Whiting are featured. Whiting will be installing in the Garden.

Free.

6:30 – 8 p.m.

River Gallery and Sculpture Gallery, 400 E. 2nd St. (423) 265-5033, ext. 5. www.river-gallery.com

Saturday

Pig Farm Edgy comedy from creator of Urinetown oinks at the CTC. $15 8 p.m.

Chattanooga Theatre Centre, Circle Stage, 400 River Street (423) 267-8534. www.theatrecentre.com

Hubble in 3D 11 a.m.. 1, 3, 5, 7 p.m. IMAX Theater at the Tennessee Aquarium, 1 Broad St. (800) 265-0695.

Whitney Nave Jones opening reception 6 p.m. Mosaic Gallery, 412 Market St. (423) 320-6738. www.mosaicchattanooga.com Glitz and Glam 6 p.m. Tennesseee Railway, 4119 Cromwell Rd. (423) 894-8028. www.tvrail.com Sculpture Garden Opening 6:30 p.m. River Gallery, 400 E. Second St. (423) 265-5033. www.river-gallery.com Sangria on the Southside 7 p.m. The Clearstory, 400 E. Main St. (423) 624-8414.

Short Attention Span Theatre Festival 7:30 p.m. St. Andrews Center Theater, 1918 Union Ave. (423) 987-5141. ensembletheatreofchattanooga.com Josh Phillips 7:30, 10 p.m. The Comedy Catch, 3224 Brainerd Rd. (423) 629-2233. www.thecomedycatch.com

Pig Farm 8 p.m. Chattanooga Theatre Centre, 400 River St. (423) 267-8534. www.theatrecentre.com Avatar in 3D 8 p.m. IMAX Theater at the Tennessee Aquarium, 1 Broad St. (800) 265-0695.

Mystery of Flight 138 8:30 p.m. Vaudeville Café, 138 Market St. (423) 517-1839. www.funnydinner.com Female Impersonation Show Midnight. Images, 6065 Lee Hwy. (423) 855-8210. www.imagesbar.com “Birds of a Feather” Houston Museum of Decorative Arts, 201 High St. (423) 267-7176. www.thehoustonmuseum.com Jeanne Abbot Art Studio 2/Gallery 2, 27 W. Main St. (423) 266-2222.

Dan Williams Photography Bill Shores Frame and Gallery, 307 Manufacturers Rd. (423) 756-6746.

Themes of Identity” Hunter Museum of American Art, 10 Bluff View. (423) 266-0944. www.huntermuseum.org

Sunday World Ocean Day Party 10 a.m. Tennessee Aquarium, 1 Broad St. (800) 262-0695. www.tnaqua.org Spring Garden Tour 10 a.m. Various, contact Chattanooga Food Bank, (423) 622-1800. www.chattfoodbank.org Mosaic Market 11 a.m. 412 Market St. (corner of 4th/Market) (423) 624-3915.

Art Til Dark Noon. Northshore, (423) 413-8999. www.arttildark.wordpress.com Wild Ocean in 3D Noon, 2, 4, 6 p.m. IMAX Theater at the Tennessee Aquarium, 1 Broad St. (800) 265-0695.

Mystery of the Time Machine 1 p.m. Vaudeville Café, 138 Market St. (423) 517-1839.

Short Attention Span Theatre Festival 2 p.m. St. Andrews Center Theater, 1918 Union Ave. (423) 987-5141. ensembletheatreofchattanooga.com Sundown in St. Elmo 6 p.m. Incline Railway, www.st-elmo.org

Bella Sera 6 p.m. Reinassance Park, 200 Manufacturer’s Rd. (423) 265-0771. www.bellaseraevent.com Mystery of the Nightmare Office Party 6 p.m. Vaudeville Café, 138 Market St. (423) 517-1839. www.funnydinner.com Josh Phillips 7:30, 10 p.m. The Comedy Catch, 3224 Brainerd Rd. (423) 629-2233. www.thecomedycatch.com Legionaires Big Band Dance 7:30 p.m. American Legion Post, 3329 Ringgold Rd. (423) 624-9105.

Pig Farm 8 p.m. Chattanooga Theatre Centre, 400 River St. (423) 267-8534. www.theatrecentre.com Avatar in 3D 8 p.m. IMAX Theater at the Tennessee Aquarium, 1 Broad St. (800) 265-0695. www.tnaqua.com/imax Female Impersonation Show Midnight. Images, 6065 Lee Hwy. (423) 855-8210. www.imagesbar.com

First Sunday at the Hunter Perfect time to take in Transformations 6.

Free.

11 a.m. - 5 p.m.

Hunter Museum, 10 Bluff View.

(423) 267-0968. www.huntermuseum.org

Latin Fair 11 a.m. Chattanooga Market, First Tennessee Pavilion, 1826 Reggie White Blvd. (423) 648-2496.

Spring Garden Tour 1 p.m. Various, contact Chattanooga Food Bank, (423) 622-1800. www.chattfoodbank.org Short Attention Span Theatre Festival 3 p.m. St. Andrews Center Theater, 1918 Union Ave. (423) 987-5141. ensembletheatreofchattanooga.com Smith-Cleary Photography and Printmaking opening reception 4 p.m. Exum Gallery, 305 W. 7th St. (423) 593-4265.

Avatar in 3D 7 p.m. IMAX Theater at the Tennessee Aquarium, 1 Broad St. (800) 265-0695.

Summer Salon Hanover Gallery, 11 Frazier Ave. (423) 648-0533.

Bruno Zupan and Carylon Killebrew Art Gallery 1401, 1401 Williams St. (423) 265-0015. www.gallety1401.com

www.chattanoogapulse.com | June 3, 2010 | Vol. 7, Issue 22 | The Pulse

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A&E Calendar Highlights Monday “Abraham Lincoln: A Man of His Time, A Man for All Times” opening reception 6:30 p.m. Chattanooga-Hamilton Library, 1001 Broad St. (423) 757-5310. www.lib.chattanooga.gov Speak Easy: Spoken Word and Poetry 8 p.m. Mudpie Restaurant, 12 Frazier Ave. (423) 267-9040.

Avatar in 3D 7 p.m. IMAX Theater at the Tennessee Aquarium, 1 Broad St. (800) 265-0695.

“Transformation 6: Contemporary Works in Glass” Hunter Museum of American Art, 10 Bluff View. (423) 266-0944. www.huntermuseum.org Whitney Nave Jones Art Mosaic Gallery, 412 Market St. (423) 320-6738. www.mosaicchattanooga.com “A Natural Order: The Work of Sherry Leary and Tiffany Pascal” Landis Gallery, AVA, 30 Frazier Ave. (423) 265-1282. www.avarts.org

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Tuesday Jewish Cultural Film Series: Little Traitor 6 p.m. Jewish Cultural Center, 5461 N. Terrace Rd. (423) 493-0270.

Avatar in 3D 7 p.m. IMAX Theater at the Tennessee Aquarium, 1 Broad St. (800) 265-0695.

“Chris Scarborough: Drawings and Photographs” AVA Gallery, 30 Frazier Ave. (423) 265-1282. www.avarts.org “Relationships: Original Prints and Jewelry of Mary Quinnon Whittle” In-Town Gallery, 26A Frazier Ave. (423)267-9214.

“Power\Plants” Asher Love Gallery, 3914 St. Elmo Ave. (423) 822-0289.

Works by Thornton Dial Warehouse Row Gallery, 1110 Market St. (423) 280-7182. www.tannerhillgallery.com “French Venues” Linda Woodall Fine Arts, 7836 Ooltewah-Georgetown Rd. (423) 238-9985.

The Pulse | Vol. 7, Issue 22 | June 3, 2010 | www.chattanoogapulse.com

Wednesday “Abraham Lincoln: A Man of His Time, A Man for All Times” lecture luncheon Noon. Chattanooga-Hamilton Library, 1001 Broad St. (423) 757-5317. www.lib.chattanooga.gov City Share: “Identify Workable Issues” luncheon lecture 12 p.m. Create Here, 55 E. Main St. (423) 648-2195. www.chattanoogastand.com Chattanooga Writers Guild Monthly Meeting 7 p.m. Chattanooga-Hamilton Library, 1001 Broad St. (423) 757-5317.

Avatar in 3D 7 p.m. IMAX Theater at the Tennessee Aquarium, 1 Broad St. (800) 265-0695.

Ellen Franklin Art Gannon Art Center, 3250 Brainerd Rd. (423) 622-8236.

32nd Annual Tennessee Watercolor Exhibit Olan Mills Bldg., Chattanooga State Community College, 4501 Amnicola Hwy.(423) 478-5262.

Editor’s Pick: Featured Event Of The Week

“Abraham Lincoln: A Man of His Time, A Man for All Time” Exhibit of artifacts comes to downtown library, one of only 40 institutions in the US. Also pieces from the library’s own collection, plus some from Southern Adventist University’s Lincoln Collection.

Free Monday, June 7 6:30 reception with Dr. Charles Hubbard Downtown Main Library, 1001 Broad Street (423) 757-5317. www.lib.chattanooga.gov

On The Beat

By Alex Teach

Training Daze I

“Just as a petulant 18 month old will not listen to the sweet reason and melodic logic of Barney the Dinosaur himself, some ‘adults’ don’t listen to soothing words and extended palms of friendship either.”

When officer Alexander D. Teach is not patrolling our fair city on the heels of the criminal element, he is an occasional student at UTC, an up and coming carpenter, auto mechanic, prominent boating enthusiast, and spends his spare time volunteering for the Boehm Birth Defects Center. Follow him on Facebook at www.facebook.com/alexteach

leaned back in my chair in a cool dark room, absently sipping chilled silver tequila through a straw and looking up and over at the ceiling with the hint of a smile, thinking of how I spent the past week on a form of paid vacation doing all the things I thought were exciting a long time ago…and smiling because they still were.

Police officers are required to submit to a rigorous battery of seminars and testing annually to meet state qualifications to remain certified as “Police-es”. It’s a compendium of classes assembled to bring us up to date with current laws and trends, to brush the rust off of seldomused skills, and most importantly of all…to meet the requirements set forth in dozens of lawsuits against us over the years in which additional training was mandated.

This training usually exists to excuse the fantastic sums of money people received so as to not make them feel like asshole-profiteers since the suits were over someone’s death, which 7 in 10 times was a result of their low skill set in criminal activity, 2 times in 10 related to the customer dissatisfaction (a.k.a. “unhappiness”), and the 1 in 10 occurrence in which yes…the cop just screwed up.

You see, “We instituted new training!” makes people feel a lot better than saying “We made a million dollars from the death of our kid!”, even though that money could have gone towards the training of officers to avoid such deaths instead of into their bank accounts, wherever the fault actually lay…but I digress. The only requirement of this week of training is to act like it sucks to get paid to shoot guns for a whole day and drive cars you don’t own as fast as poop down a chute on another day. Real torture.

In the course of such, old (and ranking) officers are put together with junior (read: peon) officers who in many cases they’ve never met, and the exchange of bullshit begins. Personally?

I love it. It’s the only way the new guys can connect with stories from the past; completely tribal in nature. It was through these talks that I now reflected on how policing has greatly matured as a profession. (Relax, “progressive” readers; allow me to explain.)

A few decades ago they issued axe handles out of garbage cans on the back lot of police headquarters to assist in quelling race riots that plagued Chattanooga; I can safely mention this now because all the administrators responsible for that era are literally deceased.

The participants were holdouts from an ugly time in our nation’s history in which not only did the persecutors have to learn new habits, but the victims as well. If the garbage stank in the summer? It was nothing less than oppression and residents naturally responded by lighting the dumpsters on fire and threw bottles and shot rifles and handguns. While good for an occasional prank or birthday party, I think we’d all agree you can’t just go around doing these kinds of things in a Civilized Society.

These pick and axe handles were used to intimidate groups of people who set fire to their own homes, then shot at both the police officers and firefighters that arrived there as a result. Interestingly, I am also not aware of one incident from either side in which said farm implements were actually used for their threatened purpose. While a barbaric tactic to some, it was apparently effective in the end like the thousands of unused ICBMs that ended the Cold War were. You see, just as a petulant 18 month old will not listen to the sweet reason and melodic logic of Barney the Dinosaur himself, some “adults” don’t listen to soothing words and extended palms of friendship either no matter

how much we want them to, and out of this box unorthodox solutions were born.

(And while we’re talking about it, who the hell shoots at firemen anyway? Why don’t you go around stomping on baby chicks and spitting on babies for that matter? People slobber all over themselves loving them because there is no reason to not like them, unless you are the parent of a teenage girl. Break the windows out of a church, but don’t shoot at the Nozzle Heads. You simply have to admit that options are limited when dealing with people of such poor taste.)

Present day? Police now regularly undergo sensitivity training, diversity training, conflictresolution training, roll-call bulletins on racial profiling, crisis intervention training, ethics training, use of force training, and methods of better ways to train trainers to train. And still… more training is recommended when police respond to someone shooting other people by shooting back at them. At what point are the suspects (and society itself) held accountable when the only ones being addressed are the ones that are charged with upholding laws themselves? Even to the defense attorneys reading this out there…shouldn’t the rules apply to both sides of the equation, if you could answer in incomplete anonymity?

I understand, though. Holding society accountable is not as easy as mandating training for police, so I can’t blame our system when it is held only to the path of least resistance as opposed to the right moral or ethical one. What can go wrong, anyway?

I still enjoy the training, as unpopular as I may be, and who knows?

Maybe a different author will be telling a brighter tale when they take my place in the decades to come.

I certainly hope so. Until then? Hello, firing range and driving course!

I hardly knew ye.

www.chattanoogapulse.com | June 3, 2010 | Vol. 7, Issue 22 | The Pulse

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Spirits Within

By Joshua Hurley

Drama in Wine Country: Sebastiani Family Lore Editor’s note: This week, we reprint a favorite “Spirits Within” column.

L

ast week, Riley’s Wine and Spirits on Hixon Pike introduced the first in a series of weekly selections of “Great Buys of the Week”. If you missed last week, we’re picking some of our favorites from our selection of wine, ports, Scotches, bourbons, vodkas, rums, whiskeys, gins, tequilas, and other spirits and sharing them with Pulse readers.

This week’s picks are among some of the finest from California’s Sonoma region: Sebastiani Sonoma County Selections, Sebastiani is a winery located on the edge of the town of Sonoma in the Sonoma Valley. It was founded in 1904

by Samuel Sebastiani and taken over by his son in August of 1944. When Samuel died in 1980, his son Sam assumed the responsibilities and transformed the large enterprise by thinning the output of generic wines and then adding some higher-quality varietal wines. This caused extreme family unrest, and for his bold vision, he was ousted from the family business with his brother Don taking over the day-to-day operations. So it’s somewhat ironic that the winery now produces several high-quality varietals, including, Sonoma County Selections.

First up is the 2007 Sebastiani Sonoma County Chardonnay. This classic is always rewarded in major wine publications and remains a restaurant staple. Chardonnay pairs with white meats such as fish, crab, and chicken or with salads. On the nose, you will smell bright green apple and lemon, followed by a taste rich with peach.

Barrel aging gives a long-lasting finish of sweet oak.

Next, we move into red wine with the 2005 Sebastian Cabernet Sauvignon.

Cabernet is the world’s most popular red wine and pairs wonderfully with steak, roast, and BBQ. You’ll taste bright plum,

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berry, cherry, and velvety tannins with a long finish. Oak aging gives it some length, with undertones of coconut, vanilla and cinnamon. Wine Spectator rated this wine high with 84 points.

Moving on, we come to the 2005 Sebastiani Sonoma County Merlot.

Restaurant Wine awarded this vintage five stars. You’ll smell and taste blueberry, cherry, black tea, and cranberry. The wine’s oak aging produces sweet spice, which you will find on the after-taste. Merlot pairs well with all red meat, as well as lamb and duck.

The 2006 Sonoma County Coast Pinot Noir is a red wine awarded 89 points by Consumer Guide to California Wine. Less dry than the other red wines, it often pairs nicely with BBQ. This wine might remind you of an ice cream sundae, with hints of maraschino cherry, espresso and vanilla with an after-taste of sweet spice.

Last is the 2006 Sonoma County Zinfandel. The Zinfandel grape is California’s very own because it is not

The Pulse | Vol. 7, Issue 22 | June 3, 2010 | www.chattanoogapulse.com

widely grown anywhere else in the world.

Zinfandel pairs with red meats, such as steaks, roast—and even works well with turkey. Bright ruby in color, you’ll find it has the aromas of strawberry and raspberry, which taste as good as they smell. This vintage won a gold medal at the San Francisco Wine Competition and has structure to make it age worthy.

Tasting Notes by Vickie Hurley Sebastiani Sonoma County Chardonnay is highly recommended for serving with Chicken Divan. This chardonnay will enhance the flavors of the creamy white sauce that tops the chicken and broccoli.

The 2005 Sebastian Cabernet Sauvignon, served around 62 degrees, will be delicious paired with Beef Wellington—and don’t forget to add wine to your Bordelaise sauce.

Sonoma Cabernet, Merlot, Pinot Noir and Unoaked Chardonnay, $12.88. Sonoma Chardonnay and Zinfandel, $9.88.

The Pulse • Dining Out Spotlight

Quizno’s Is Back and Better Than Ever

by Colleen Wade “Mmm…toasty.” That ad campaign is undoubtedly the “Where’s the Beef?” for the new generation. The marketing geniuses that wrote those commercials for Quizno’s deserve a medal. They effectively put Quizno’s squarely on the grid.

Who doesn’t know what a “Toasty Torpedo” or a “Sammie” is?

Quizno’s began in 1981 in Denver, the brainchild of Jimmy Lombatos and Todd Disner. In 1987, Rick Schaden bought his first franchise in Boulder. He was so pleased that in 1991, he and his father, Dick, a prominent attorney, decided to buy the entire franchise operation— which, at the time, consisted of 18 restaurants. Five years later, Quizno’s Toasted Sub had grown to 100 restaurants, and less than five years after that had reached 1,000 restaurants opened. Why such rapid growth? How did Quizno’s do it? By daring to be different, offering uncompromising quality, and making every order—well, made to order.

That’s why when JDM Group, LLC, a local entrepreneur group, had the chance to reopen the Quizno’s on Frazier Avenue between Walnut Street Bridge and the entrance to Coolidge Park, they jumped at the chance. With the decision made to place Mark Ash at the helm, the group went to work. There were many things to be done. Quizno’s had changed their look completely since the previous restaurant had been opened. Painting had to be done, counters and chairs swapped out. All the while, Mark Ash

was attending Quizno’s University. Quizno’s has an extensive learning program for managers that involves a months-long training period in an area restaurant, and then it’s off to Denver for comprehensive training for managers.

“It’s almost like an internship,” explains Ash. “You have to go train in-store for months.

After that is completed, diploma received and passed, then you go to corporate in Denver.

You go through intensive second-level training, so to speak, there. You do have to graduate from Quizno’s University to be able to be a manager of Quizno’s. Our training program is a university-based program. and not just in-store.”

I had the chance to sit with Ash and his son, Austin, for a bit as they prepared for their

grand opening, Monday, May 31. I absolutely had to ask about their favorite meals from Quizno’s.

Austin, who is a huge supporter of Quizno’s Kids Eat Free program, was quick to answer. His favorite is definitely the Meatball Sub. Mark was just as quick to answer. “My favorite, by far, is the Steakhouse Beef Dip—steak, French onion sauce, Swiss cheese with an au jus dipping sauce. It’s wonderful.

That’s actually what got me hooked on Quizno’s. So from patron or customer of Quizno’s, it’s a really cool transition to now be involved in the management of one.”

Part of Quizno’s Toasted Sub’s new look is a whole new chefinspired menu, featuring delicious salads and sandwich combinations that tempt the palate. There is the Raspberry Chipotle Chicken Salad with chicken, bacon, cheddar cheese, tomatoes, drizzled with a Raspberry Chipotle dressing and served with a piece of toasted flatbread. Savory soups such as Broccoli Cheese, Chicken Noodle and Chili are available for those cold, wet days. Mmm, mmm…Bourbon Grille Steak Signature Sub— made of prime rib, mozzarella cheese, cheddar cheese, mushrooms, sautéed onions with a Honey Bourbon Mustard and Zesty Grille Sauce.

Quizno’s Toasted Sub, 330 Frazier Avenue in North Chattanooga. Hours: Sunday through Thursday, 10 a.m.–10 p.m., Friday and Saturday, 10 a.m.–11 p.m. (423) 710-1533, or orders for pickup, delivery and catering can be placed online at www.quiznos.com

www.chattanoogapulse.com | June 3, 2010 | Vol. 7, Issue 22 | The Pulse

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Free Will Astrology GEMINI (May 21-June 20): As they orbit the planet, astronauts witness as many as 15 sunrises and sunsets each day. Time isn’t really sped up for them, but it seems like it. I expect you to experience a similar feeling in the coming weeks, Gemini. You may have the fantasy that you’re living the equivalent of four days every 24 hours.

The light will be brighter, the emotions richer, and the teachings more highly concentrated. If you give yourself to the surge with relaxed enthusiasm and focused receptivity, your evolution will be expedited.

up until now you have probably not been one of them. Judging from the current astrological configurations, however, I’m guessing that a lot of you Sagittarians are about to be more flexible, limber, and acrobatic than usual—not just in your mental attitudes but possibly even in your physical abilities. At least metaphorically speaking, you’ll be able to bend over backwards without damaging your dignity. You could also stretch and twist yourself into poses that have previously been impossible. So who knows? Maybe you’ll find a way to plant a kiss on your own elbow.

CANCER (June 21-July 22): I think you’re ready to stand up and reclaim your power from the soulsucking influences that have been swindling you.

But you don’t have to turn this showdown into a melodramatic epic that brings down the house or blows up the world. In fact, I think it’s better if you stay low-key as you transform the dynamics that have been grinding you down. The adjustments may be nowhere near as major as you imagine.

Why? Because most of what you need to do is make shifts in your own attitude. The necessary changes in outer circumstances will arise naturally once you’ve done that.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): The TV comedy series Community takes place on the sleepy campus of a community college. It features the hijinks of seven misfits who are older and weirder than their fellow students. In one episode, an inept female security guard chases the lead character, Jeff, hoping to catch and cite him for a farcical misdemeanor. As she races along, shouting for him to stop, she takes out her can of pepper spray and shoots several streams in his direction. The cloud of noxious stuff doesn’t reach him, but she runs face-first into it as she continues her pursuit.

It irritates her eyes and forces her to halt. Later, in telling her associate what happened, she says she was the victim of “self-inflicted friendly fire.”

I worry that you’ll soon be tempted to carry out a metaphorical version of that, Capricorn. Please don’t.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): If I were writing the story of your life as a fairy tale, the current chapter would be filled with enchanted events. You’d hear animals’ thoughts in your head and you’d remember your past lives. You’d be able to find accurate oracles in the shapes of clouds, the ringing of distant bells, and the patterns of shadows on the sidewalk. You would see the help that’s invisible to everyone else and know what to do in order to get the love you want. Take advantage of the available mojo, Leo. Use it to set people free, including yourself.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): How skilled are you at getting things done and making things happen?

This is different from just being busy; it’s not the same as scrambling around attending to whatever tasks are at the forefront of your attention. I’m talking about actually cranking out excellent results that manifest a comprehensive vision of your intentions. I’m talking about working hard and smart to serve the big picture, not working frenetically and mechanically to rid yourself of nervous mental energy. You’re in a phase when these themes are especially important, Virgo. Be a master of the details; don’t let the details master you.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): In her essay “Write Till You Drop,” author Annie Dillard offers advice to aspiring writers. I’m going to quote a certain passage that happens to be apropos for you Libras right now. “Spend it all, shoot it, play it, lose it, all, right away, every time. Do not hoard what seems good for later . . . give it, give it all, give it now. The impulse to save something good for a better place later is the signal to spend it now. Something more will arise for later, something better. These things fill from behind, from beneath, like well water.

Similarly, the impulse to keep to yourself what you have learned is not only shameful, it is destructive.

Anything you do not give freely and abundantly becomes lost to you.”

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): In a Rolling Stone interview, musician John Mayer suggested that Tiger Woods could have avoided his terrible troubles if he had just chosen to masturbate more.

Rather than literally acting out his obsessive sexual urges with a jillion women who weren’t his wife, why not contain them in the fantasy realm?

I suggest you consider applying this principle as you make your decisions in the coming weeks, Scorpio—not just in regards to your sexual life, but in other areas as well. There may be times when you could prevent an influx of unnecessary chaos simply by conducting a conversation in your imagination rather than by having it with the actual person who seems to be agitating or enthralling you.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): There are very few people who can lick their own elbows, and

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The Pulse | Vol. 7, Issue 22 | June 3, 2010 | www.chattanoogapulse.com

By Rob Brezsny Truthrooster@gmail.com

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): Here’s how author Leo Buscaglia described the rigorous requirements for being a great lover. You must “continually have the subtlety of the very wise, the flexibility of the child, the sensitivity of the artist, the understanding of the philosopher, the acceptance of the saint, the tolerance of the scholar, and the fortitude of the certain.” I’m sorry to report that no one I’ve ever known has met those high standards! In the coming weeks, however, you Aquarians will have the potential to get halfway there. Life will conspire to boost every effort you make to be a great lover.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): Recently I was remembering the names of streets near the house where I grew up in Allen Park, Michigan.

Although I didn’t register it at the time, they were lyrical, euphonious, and evocative: Philomene, Shenandoah, Osage, Luana, Cleophus, Gahona.

As I walked and played on them day after day for years, my imagination breathed in the magic of their exotic sounds, unobtrusively nurturing my poetic sensibilities. I bring this up, Pisces, in the hope of inspiring a comparable rumination in you. Think back on the riches of the past whose importance to your development you may have underestimated. It’s a good time to re-connect with the power and glory of influences that brought out the best in you almost without your knowledge.

ARIES (March 21-April 19): If you’d like to be in supreme alignment with cosmic rhythms this week, I suggest that you completely avoid using the f-word. Likewise, you’ll maximize your chances for taking advantage of fate’s currents if you refrain from ever using the s-word, the c-word, the m-word, and the b-word. As a general rule, the more precise and the less lazy you are in using language, the more willpower you’ll have and the better able you’ll be to attract the experiences you want. It’s always invigorating to choose your words creatively and kindly, of course, but especially now.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20): If you grow a mere acre of peanuts, in a good year you’ll harvest a big enough crop to make 30,000 peanut butter sandwiches. That might be more than you need.

If you just plant enough peanuts to fill a basketball court, you’ll still have enough to make over 3,200 sandwiches, which would provide you with more than eight every day for a year. This is a good phase of your astrological cycle to be thinking thoughts like these, Taurus. You will have more insight and motivation than usual if you formulate long-term plans to create abundance for yourself.

JONESIN’

Across 1 Wild guy?

6 Lather 10 Candy that comes in twos 14 Be harmonious 15 Latvian capital 16 “Ars longa, ___ brevis” 17 Band whose “No Rain” video had the “Bee Girl” 19 Mouth rinse brand 20 His, to Henri 21 It’s rolled by roleplayers 22 Like 2011, but not 2012 24 551, in old Rome 25 Deck component 26 Total nightmares 28 Song about an animal “measuring the marigolds” 32 Not captivating 33 Lindsay wearing an alcohol monitoring bracelet 34 2007 Will Smith survival flick 38 ___’wester 39 How some sandwiches are served 40 French street 41 Some of the Habsburgs 44 Rakes in 46 Mario ___ 64 (1996 racing game) 47 Actress Barbara of “The Big Valley” 49 1996 nominee parodied as

“Smoothie Mix” –add these acts together and blend.

referring to himself in thirdperson 52 Persian’s place 53 It equals itself to the 100th power 54 Digital camera contents, for short 55 It’s called on the street 56 Author’s kiss of death 59 Christmas tree varieties 61 “To the Extreme” rapper 64 “Watch your head!” on the course 65 Yale students, familiarly 66 Word before horizon or coordinator 67 Mineral that’s often black 68 Champagne flute part 69 “Remove” marks, to a proofreader Down 1 Boxing moves 2 Stare too long 3 ___ Kringle 4 Hallow ending 5 1984 Patrick Swayze movie remade for 2010 6 Bar coupon, perhaps 7 “There Will Be Blood” subject 8 “The Heart of ___” (P.G. Wodehouse book) 9 Jawbone 10 Vegan meat substitute, for

short 11 Funk band with “Play That Funky Music” 12 Author Calvino 13 Graph basis 18 Spanish painter Joan 23 Chip’s pal 25 Half a dance step 27 Screen stars’ org.

28 “Casablanca” character 29 Queen of Jordan 30 He sang “Johnny B. Goode” 31 Some palominos 35 Magical practice 36 Now, in Latin 37 Office piece 39 Makes it longer than 42 Ate 43 Do (acid) 44 Turned on, like a computer security setting 45 Bristle on barley or rye 48 Rapidly shrinking Asian sea 49 Great, in “Variety” headlines 50 Funny paper?

51 Raise high 56 Actress Jessica 57 Unwanted spots 58 New Jersey team 60 Word before worker or symbol 62 Never, in Nuremberg 63 Many a Monopoly sq.

Crossword created By Matt Jones. © 2010 Jonesin’ Crosswords. For answers to this puzzle, call: 1-900-226-2800, 99 cents per minute. Must be 18+. Or to bill to your credit card, call: 1-800-655-6548. Reference puzzle #0470.

www.chattanoogapulse.com | June 3, 2010 | Vol. 7, Issue 22 | The Pulse

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Ask A Mexican!

By Gustavo Arellano

High-School Graduation Edition Dear Mexican, I work at a high school where there is a significant number of our students without papers. Two students that I had worked with for four years graduated last June (one from Mexico, the other from Paraguay), and they are now attending community college. They have both read your books. My questions are: What do you recommend to undocumented students regarding working here and making money—in this case to help pay for their college? Do you suggest they get false documents? (Social Security card and number, drivers license and/or green card)? Do they get a “new” number or should they use an ITIN if they have one? What is the current going rate for these items—individually or as a package deal? What about quality? Where should they go to buy? Do you have any referrals? Any other suggestions you may have about this issue would be helpful and appreciated. I hope to share your insight with them both, and to other students that are in the same situation.

— El Maestro Gabacho who Cares for Indocumentados

Individual Tax Identification Number (ITIN) from the IRS is an option, but you and your students are better off pressuring Congress to pass the Development, Relief and Education for Alien Minors (DREAM) Act, which would create a pathway to citizenship for undocumented college students who came to this country as youngsters. Advocating for these Dreamers is one of the most righteous causes in the United States right now, because their story represents the greatest chinga tu madre to the Know Nothings’ master Mexi narrative: they’re immigrant kids who learned English, fully assimilated, graduated from high school, pursued higher education and succeeded, and are now virtually indistinguishable from their citizen peers save for their legal status—and not all of these undocumented kids are Mexicans! Maestro: guide your former students to dreamactivist. org for more information on how to live as an undocumented college student, and to know which senators and representatives to annoy with polite e-mails asking why won’t they cosponsor the DREAM Act.

Dear Gabacho, So you know your students are in this country illegally, that la migra can nab them and their familias at any moment—and you want them to break the law even further by asking where they can get fake documents? ¡No manches, méndigo! I understand why you want to help these students that you and I know are American yet Know Nothings consider no better than rapist illegals, but asking them to further bury themselves legally is like eating three habaneros and trying to cool down your scorched palate by chomping on some serranos. Getting an

Dear Mexican, I teach in barrio high schools, and I’m curious as to why Mexican adolescent males steep themselves in more cologne than a Pasha’s harem. Is it for the same reason that they wax their eyebrows—overcompensating against the stereotypes of Latinos as noxious and hirsute? Or has metrosexuality arrived in the immigrant community?

— Guy Under the Effluence of Rude Odors

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Dear GUERO, If I remember my high school days correctly, students no longer shower after

The Pulse | Vol. 7, Issue 22 | June 3, 2010 | www.chattanoogapulse.com

gym—hence, slathering on cologne has more to do with masking our naturally fecund sweat glands instead a subconscious rejection of ethnic roles. But if you’re wasting your one chance to probe the Grand Poobah of Pendejos about Mexican students with a pregunta on why they smell, then no wonder our youth drop out in alarming numbers…

MY MESSAGE TO ALL GRADUATING HIGH SCHOOL MEXI SENIORS: So you’re brown and proud? Unless you’re going to college after high school, you’re a clown. No excuses, cabrones—if undocumented college students can not only go on to universities but graduate, anyone can do it if they set their cabezas to it. Make your parents proud, and fulfill the hopes of your raza—after all, we don’t want the coming Aztlán Liberation Front to be composed of pendejos...

Ask the Mexican at themexican@askamexican. net, be his fan on Facebook, follow him on Twitter or ask him a video question at youtube. com/askamexicano!

“So you’re brown and proud?

Unless you’re going to college after high school, you’re a clown.

No excuses, cabrones.”