Metro councilmembers blocked a new contract with Axon that would have brought Fusus, a video integration system, to the Metro Nashville Police Department. Approval of the contract secured just 20 votes — one under the 21-vote threshold for passage. Every member’s position proved pivotal.
Several people spoke for and against the technology during Tuesday’s public hearing, including concerned citizens and certain professionals. Anti-Fusus community members packed the gallery, identifiable with matching buttons.
Almost every councilmember spoke on
the floor; some spoke twice, as members voted repeatedly to continue discussion. Debate became an abstract exercise in weighing relative fears, with members caught between the possibility that police will abuse surveillance power and the threat of violent crime, as many Fusus proponents believe stronger video tools could help prevent repeat offenders. Metro attorneys and Dave Rosenberg, a former Metro councilmember, answered questions in the chamber on behalf of the mayoral administration.
In February, Mayor Freddie O’Connell initially paused the city’s use of Fusus, an Axon
product that combines hardware and software to allow police to view private video collection with owners’ consent. The city had been operating on an existing contract that counted hundreds of cameras across the city. Hours before the meeting, O’Connell leaned on members to extend the Axon contract, publicly expressing his confidence in additional guardrails to discourage inappropriate uses.
Members considered new tweaks, including a “kill switch” enabling the chamber to immediately terminate the contract with a vote, that strengthened Metro oversight.
Both Rosenberg and
Tennessee was on the national stage again on Dec. 4 as the Supreme Court of the United States heard oral arguments for and against the state’s ban on gender-affirming care for minors in U.S. vs. Skrmetti.
Three Tennessee families with trans children, a Memphis physician, the ACLU, the federal government and other legal entities on the side of the U.S. sought to prove that the law violates the 14th Amendment’s Equal Protection Clause.
With a conservative majority of justices (six to three), the plaintiffs face an uphill battle to win the votes of at least two conservative justices, which would prevent the ban on puberty blockers, hormone therapy and — in rare cases — surgeries for trans youth. At least 25 states have similar laws banning such care. Trump-appointed Justice Neil Gorsuch wrote the majority opinion when the court ruled four years ago that firing trans workers because they are trans is a form of illegal sex discrimination. (Gorsuch did not ask any questions during Wednesday’s proceedings.)
Tennessee Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti has characterized the case as protecting “vulnerable kids from risky and unproven medical practices.” He also wrote an opinion piece on the case for The Tennessean this week.
Tennessee’s legal team argued this week that gender-affirming care restrictions are in the same vein as abortion restrictions — they regulate a medical procedure. The American Academy of Pediatrics and the American Academy of Family Physicians support access to gender-affirming care.
“Tennessee’s General Assembly reviewed the medical evidence, as well as the evidence-based decisions of European countries that restricted these
Retirement Sale On Going Now
Contested chamber
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1
O’Connell opposed expanding certain police technology as councilmembers, most notably during the chamber’s protracted adoption of automated license plate readers. One public speaker quoted O’Connell to the chamber, citing a 2020 Scene article in which O’Connell dismisses body-worn cameras as an insufficient tool for police accountability.
Similar to chamber debate on LPRs, supporting police technology became a proxy for supporting police. Councilmember Bob Nash, a former law enforcement officer, and longtime Councilmember Burkley Allen trusted police with Fusus because they trust MNPD. Both spoke to that effect on the floor Tuesday. Opting in to share your video with police is the right of a private business owner, first-term Councilmember Jordan Huffman told colleagues, emphasizing that violent crime is often committed by repeat offenders.
“We have an opportunity tonight to move forward,” Huffman said. “To show Nashville citizens that we’re serious about the growing public safety crisis in our city. Public safety is not a partisan issue — or it shouldn’t be. We’ve got to get past this anti-police rhetoric, y’all — we’ve got a city to serve.”
Councilmembers Delishia Porterfield and Sandra Sepulveda continued their work as chief opponents of police technology, both delivering convicted speeches about how police power can amplify the over-policing and profiling of certain communities. Sepulveda specifically argued that Fusus would enable heightened scrutiny of renters at apartment complexes that house many Latino families in Southeast Nashville.
First-term Councilmember Olivia Hill, Tennessee’s first openly transgender elected official, inflected debate with her personal fear that Fusus could accelerate the state’s hostile legal environment.
“It sounds very intuitive: ‘Olivia, the
cameras are already there — you’re already going to be filmed, and it’s only going to be used to catch criminals and bad guys,’” Hill told colleagues, paraphrasing arguments for the technology. “I stand before you as one of those criminals. I am illegally dressed in women’s clothes and drag. If some police officer has a problem with the trans community — that has happened in the past — or some other citizen decides they want to make a comment about something, a crime has been committed. I will be arrested. And because I will be arrested for impersonating a woman, I will be put in jail with men. That terrifies the heck out of me.”
Proponents also implied that Fusus would shore up policing power currently lacking in MNPD’s depleted officer corps. The city’s police department is aggressively hiring after years of high turnover.
O’Connell and Rosenberg, both of whom stressed robust data and usage guardrails, maintain that the benefits to police outweigh the dangers. After the vote, Mayor O’Connell released a statement.
“Over the course of the discussion about this technology, we heard concerns from the community and worked to strengthen the guardrails that prohibit its misuse,” reads O’Connell’s statement, in part. “The timing of Fusus legislation at council made it easy to attach fears about unrelated possibilities to it, but passage of this legislation would have allowed Metro Police to do their jobs more efficiently and effectively and keep Nashvillians — particularly those in vulnerable communities — safe. I hope we’ll have opportunities in the future to work together as a city to ensure that our police department has effective tools as we work to keep people safe.”
This article was first published via our sister publication the Nashville Scene.
ACLU of Tennessee executive director moves on
HANNAH HERNER
The American Civil Liberties Union of Tennessee announced Friday that Kathy Sinback is stepping down as executive director after serving two years in the role.
Relatedly, the ACLU-TN board of directors has named Phyllida Burlingame interim executive director. She most recently served as co-director of the ACLU of Northern California, directing the organization’s policy work.
Before succeeding longtime ACLU-TN leader Hedy Weinberg in 2022, Sinback had since 2014 served as the administrator of the Davidson County Juvenile Court. A lawyer by trade, Sinback led the nonprofit organization through the bringing of preliminary injunctions against the state legislature’s banning of signage and driver’s license and health care laws that targeted
people who are transgender, as well as successfully bringing legal action to prevent a ban on Pride flags in schools.
“It was an honor for me to build on the work of the legendary Hedy Weinberg and to help position ACLU-TN for future success,” Sinback says in a press release. “It is evident now more than ever that we need nonpartisan organizations like ACLU-TN to unite people around common values such as freedom, democratic participation, due process and respect for our neighbors.”
The news comes as ACLU-TN is involved in a Supreme Court of the United States case seeking to overturn Tennessee’s ban on gender-affirming care for minors.
This article was first published via our sister publication the Nashville Post.
procedures, and ultimately passed this bipartisan law prohibiting irreversible medical interventions,” says Skrmetti in a statement. “The plaintiffs in this case are asking the Court to take the power to regulate the practice of medicine away from the people’s elected representatives and vest it in unaccountable judges.”
Skrmetti echoed what Trump-appointed Justice Brett Kavanaugh spoke about during the arguments — in the U.K., genderaffirming medication for minors can be prescribed only as part of research. However, no European country has categorically banned gender-affirming care for youth.
Chief Justice John Roberts and Justice Amy Coney Barrett expressed hesitation to overrule a state ruling.
During the proceedings Wednesday, potential outcomes were discussed — one possibility is that the court could write a narrow opinion that instructs lower courts to demand more evidence from states instituting these types of bans. Arguing on behalf of the plaintiffs, Chase Strangio — the first trans person to argue in front of the court — pointed to legislation in West Virginia that did not ban gender-affirming care, but added additional stipulations.
During the 2023 legislative session, restricting care for transgender youth was a top priority for some Tennessee legislators,
and the law debated before the Supreme Court Wednesday was the first bill filed.
“My heart — and the heart of every transgender advocate fighting this fight — is heavy with the weight of what these laws mean for people’s everyday lives,” said Strangio, co-director of the ACLU’s LGBTQ & HIV Project. “But I also know that every out trans person has embraced the unknown in the name of living free from shame or the limits of other people’s expectations. By virtue of being a trans person, each of us has chosen hope over despair. And as all parents know, when your child is suffering, you are suffering. My heart aches for the parents who spent years watching their children in distress and eventually found relief in the medical care that Tennessee now overrides their judgment to ban. Whatever happens today, tomorrow, and in the months and years to come, I trust that we will come together to fight for the realized promise of our Constitution’s guarantee of equal protection for all.”
A ruling is expected in late spring 2025. This article was first published via our sister publication the Nashville Scene.
Belle Meade Kroger to close Jan. 31
WILLIAM WILLIAMS
The Kroger at Belle Meade will close Jan. 31, according to multiple media reports.
Located at 4560 Harding Pike, the Kroger opened in 1978, with the building from which it operates and an accompanying structure, Belle Meade Plaza Shopping Center, publication the Nashville Post previously reported, the Kroger is slated to relocate to a nearby building last home to a Harris Teeter grocery store. The Cincinnati-based company seemingly has not announced an opening date for that space.
west or southwest of downtown Nashville has been at its current structure, according to sources.
The Harris Teeter operated at 4301 Harding Pike and within a building that was part of a redevelopment of the former Belle Meade Theater, undertaken by Nashville-
Harding Pike — closed in February 2015 after Kroger acquired Harris Teeter in mid2013 for $2.4 billion.
Kroger seemingly still has a lease for the ex-Harris Teeter space.
This article was first published via our sister publication the Nashville Post.
Belle Meade Plaza PHOTO: ANGELINA CASTILLO
Rendering PHOTO: AJ CAPITAL
Cigars From
Are You Ticked Off?
Area home sales see 7 percent increase in November
WILLIAM WILLIAMS
The Nashville area saw 2,567 home closings in November.
The number represents a 7 percent increase from the mark of the same month in 2023, when 2,383 residences changed ownership hands, and a decrease from the 2,841 home closings in October of this year.
According to a Greater Nashville Realtors press release, the median price for a single-family home in November was $500,000, an increase from the $470,495 mark of November 2023. The single-family home median price figure was $490,000 in October, $467,000 in September and $485,000 for August 2024. Before that, the area had eclipsed the $500,000 mark for three straight months.
The median price for a condominium in November was $350,000, an increase compared to the $348,510 figure of November 2023 as well as an increase compared to the $335,988 mark of October of this year.
For a recent comparison, in February the median prices for a residential single-family home and a condo were $478,870 and $339,990, respectively.
There were 2,145 sales pending at the end of November, compared to 1,896 pending sales at the conclusion of November 2023.
Inventory at month’s end was 11,375, a 13 percent increase from the 10,045 active listings reported for the same period in 2023. The area continues to see an approximately four-month inventory supply, GNR
statistics show
The GNR release notes the average number of days on the market for a residence in November was 49 days. The mark was 48 days for October, 46 days for both September and August, and 42 days for July. For context, February registered 59 days and January recorded 57. In 2023, homes often sold in no more than 40 days.
Conventional 30-year fixed-rate mortgages offer an average interest rate of about 6.84 percent, according to online source mortgagenewsdaily.com. The figure had been 7.13 percent in October, 6.6 percent in September, 6.4 percent in August and 6.7 percent in July, Forbes reports.
“November’s housing market paints a picture of steady growth and opportunity,” Kevin Wilson, Greater Nashville Realtors president, said in the release. “With pending sales up 13 percent compared to last year, buyers have more options while sellers continue to see strong median home prices at $500,000 for single-family homes.”
The GNR data was collected from Cheatham, Davidson, Dickson, Maury, Robertson, Rutherford, Sumner, Williamson and Wilson counties.
This article was first published via our sister publication the Nashville Post.
Permit sought for Cledis Burgers & Beer eyed for Bellevue
WILLIAM
WILLIAMS
Nashville restaurateur Shane Nasby is moving forward with his plans to open Cledis Burgers & Beer Garden in the Bellevue West retail building.
As The News sister publication the Nashville Post reported in April, Nasby had sought to be open this past fall. He seemingly has announced an opening date.
The future location, Cledis Burgers & Beer, will draw inspiration from the original Elm Hill Pike location, while altering the food and beverage menu.
The restaurant will be open for lunch and dinner at 7648 Highway 70 S.
In addition to burgers and beer, Cledis will offer wine and liquor, and a “nostalgic and playful” interior with inspiration from pop culture of the 1980s and 1990s.
Cledis is named after Nasby’s late grandfather.
“My wife Angela and I are thrilled to bring this restaurant that means so much to us to Bellevue, the community that we’ve called home for over 12 years,” Nasby said in the release from April.
“We love this part of Nashville, and we’re excited to open another outpost of Cledis here to create a great family-friendly spot for our friends and neighbors to enjoy. Our goal in everything we do is to give back, and opening another location gives us even more opportunities to serve our community.”
After starting HoneyFire BBQ in Bellevue, Nasby transitioned to open Cledis Burgers & Beer Garden in 2022. Each month, Nasby and his team donate and serve approximately 400 meals to fight hunger in Nashville.
This article was first published via our sister publication the Nashville Post.
Five free and cheap family things to do in Middle Tennessee
In Murfreesboro, Patterson Park is hosting a special holiday celebration. While there, you might check out Photos with the Grinch as
As part of our series on free cheap things to do with the family, here is our weekly roundup of places to spend time together over the next week:
DICKENS OF A CHRISTMAS
Dickens of a Christmas in downtown Franklin is as authentic old-time Christmas as it gets. The free two-day event on Dec. 14-15 turns the downtown area into a Charles Dickens novel. Musicians, dancers and several Dickens characters will be on site: Fagin from Oliver Twist; Jacob Marley, Ebenezer Scrooge, Tiny Tim and the Cratchit family from A Christmas Carol; and
KIDSVILLE AT THE PARTHENON
Kidsville at the Parthenon is hosting special celebrations throughout December on Saturday mornings at 10:30 a.m. Register ahead of time to join on Dec. 14 and 21. Dec. 21 will celebrate the first day of winter and kids will make their own coin art based on the book Lemonade in Winter: A Book About Two Kids Counting Money. Register ahead of time at kidsvilleonline.org/calendar/ kidsville-at-the-parthenon-december.
PHOTOS WITH THE GRINCH
Middle Ground Brewing Company in Murfreesboro is offering the chance to sit down, relax and get the family photo taken with the Grinch while sipping on some local craft beer. Sessions take place Dec. 14 and
AMANDA HAGGARD
Dickens of a Christmas PHOTO: KRIS R. ORLOWSKI
Pinson to step down as VUMC chief health system officer Veteran physician will end 35-year run, be replaced by department of medicine chair Freedman
STAFF REPORTS
Wright Pinson will step down as deputy chief executive and chief health system officer of Vanderbilt University Medical Center, with Jane Freedman to assume the roles.
According to a release, Pinson will conclude his 35-year VUMC tenure on June 30, 2025, at the end of the operation’s current fiscal year.
Pinson will continue as president of the Vanderbilt Health Affiliated Network and serve as a senior counselor to the CEO of VUMC, focused on dealing with government affairs, external hospital organizations and community affairs.
Freedman serves as chair of the department of medicine and as physician-inchief of Vanderbilt University Hospital. She also is the physician-in-chief of Vanderbilt University Adult Hospital.
Prior to assuming the chair of the department of medicine in December 2023, Freedman was the director of the
division of cardiovascular medicine and physician-in-chief of the Vanderbilt Heart and Vascular Institute.
Freedman is the editor-in-chief for Circulation Research, and has also served as the chair of the National American Heart Association Peer Review Committee. She attended medical school at Tufts University, graduating in 1989, and completed an internship in internal medicine at Massachusetts General Hospital in 1990.
Pinson returned to VUMC in 1990, 10 years after graduating from Vanderbilt University School of Medicine.
During his 35 years Vanderbilt, Pinson has served as interim chair of the Section of Surgical Sciences; H. William Scott professor and chair of the Department of Surgery; program director for the Vanderbilt General Surgery Residency Program; and chief of staff of the Vanderbilt University Hospitals.
Pinson oversaw a period of clinical
Healthcare Realty Trust makes more C-suite changes
HANNAH HERNER
Nashville-based real estate investment trust Healthcare Realty Trust has named Austen Helfrich its chief financial officer.
Helfrich had served in the role of interim chief financial officer since the start of October, after joining the company in 2019 as first vice president of portfolio strategy. In that role, he oversaw the company REIT’s joint ventures with KKR, Nuveen Real Estate and CBRE Investment Management.
Helfrich replaces Kris Douglas, who had served in the position since 2016 and announced his departure in August.
In addition, Andrew Loope has been promoted to executive vice president, general counsel and secretary, succeeding John
Bryant. The latter will move to the role of senior vice president of legal affairs.
The Monday announcement follows a large-scale leadership shake-up for the company. Former CEO Todd Meredith stepped down in November and vacated his board seat after 23 years with the company. Healthcare Realty Trust also named a new COO, chief administrative officer and chief investment officer during the past several months.
“Healthcare Realty is fortunate to have someone of Austen’s talent and caliber ready to take on the role of permanent CFO,” said Constance “Connie” Moore, interim president and CEO. “His significant financial
OPINION
HONK! HONK!
Nashville has gone and done it again, speed humps, cushions, & barriers on Cross Creek between Valley Brook and Abbott-Martin. 20 years ago, the city tried the same concept and the irritated drivers rebelled with a horn honking campaign against this partial blockage of one of the main connectors to get through Green Hills. The residents got so frustrated with the horn honking, they made the city remove the barriers. If traffic is so bad in Green Hills, why is the city trying to make it worse? So when
growth, with Vanderbilt Health System now including seven hospitals and hundreds of adult and pediatric ambulatory clinics at more than 180 locations throughout multiple states.
“Dr. Pinson’s contributions to the medical center’s growth and success have been remarkable,” Jeff Balser, president and CEO of VUMC and dean of the Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, said in the release.
“There have been few individuals in the history of our institution who have had his impact. As Wright has advanced the missions of our medical center, he has left a wonderful legacy through mentoring countless individuals who are now in leadership positions here and elsewhere.”
This article was first published via our sister publication the Nashville Post.
acumen and industry experience will be invaluable to the company as we continue to drive long-term shareholder value.”
Healthcare Realty Trust is working toward a goal of generating more than $1 billion in capital. Unrelatedly, and earlier this month, board member Thomas Bohjalian bought more than 11,000 company shares.
Healthcare Realty Trust shares (ticker: HR) increased slightly on Monday’s announcement regarding Helfrich, reaching $18.17 per share at publication time.
This article was first published via our sister publication the Nashville Post.
LOGAN BUTTS EDITOR
HAMILTON MATTHEW MASTERS NEWS REPORTER AND PHOTOJOURNALIST
NICOLLE S. PRAINO STAFF REPORTER
LISA BOLD PRODUCTION MANAGER
CHELON HASTY SALES OPERATIONS MANAGER
ELIZABETH JONES CORPORATE CREATIVE DIRECTOR
TODD PATTON CFO
MIKE SMITH PRESIDENT AND CEO
BILL FREEMAN OWNER TICKED OFF!
you are using Cross Creek in Green Hills and want to express your frustration about the speed humps, please join me in honking every time I cross one of the humps.
RIGHT ON RED
News flash to drivers in Green Hills, RIGHT ON RED means if you have a red light or stop sign, you come to a complete stop and only proceed to turn right if you are not interfering with other vehicles that have the right away or pedestrians, who may be crossing the road. Every day I see drivers
who barrel right through the red light or stop signs. Not only do they not stop, they don’t even slow down. Plenty of cars even speed up to beat the right of way traffic from getting through the intersection first. Some police presence in Green Hills would help but even without law enforcement, drivers need to take responsibility and abide by the traffic laws before someone gets hurt!
The comments in the Ticked Off column do not reflect the views of FW Publishing.
OFF:
Wright Pinson PHOTO: DANIEL DUBOIS
Albert Bender on changing the name of Cumberland Park
The Indigenous Peoples Coalition chair is at the forefront of the movement to give the park its ancient Shawnee name
D. PATRICK RODGERS
Editor’s Note: This article originally ran in our sister publication the Nashville Scene on Nov. 14. On Dec. 3, the Parks Board unanimously approved the Cumberland Park name change.
Retired attorney Albert Bender is an author, historian, community activist, member of the Cherokee Nation and, in his words, “philosopher, if you will.” He’s even a one-time contributor to The News sister publication the Nashville Scene, having written a 2021 essay on the dark and damning legacy of President Andrew Jackson, whom Bender described as “a prime conductor on the murderous genocide train that roared from coast to coast.”
As the chair of Nashville’s Indigenous Peoples Coalition, Bender has recently been advocating for the renaming of Cumberland Park, the public green space that stretches along the bend of the Cumberland River near Nissan Stadium. With the coming of a new Tennessee Titans stadium and the associated development of hundreds of acres along the East Bank, lots of eyes are on the area — and alongside that attention, Bender and his colleagues hope to give the park a new name.
“Wasioto” is a Shawnee word that, according to some sources, means “mountains where the deer are plentiful.” It’s also the name the Shawnee people gave to the Cumberland River many generations before white people arrived in what is now known as Tennessee. Since August, Bender and the IPC have been engaging with the Metro Board of Parks and Recreation in an
effort to rename the space Wasioto Park. At a Nov. 5 meeting of the Parks and Recreation Board, Bender and several of his fellow advocates expressed frustration that the process to rename the park has stretched on as long as it has, urging the board to move the final meeting in the process to rename the park up to November, which was Native American Heritage Month.
Jackie Jones, community affairs superintendent of the Parks and Recreation Board, tells the Scene that while there were no plans to move the Dec. 3 meeting forward to November, that will indeed be the “final step in the process toward renaming Cumberland Park.” Bender and the IPC have continued to ask the board to reconsider, and as of press time, the group is planning a press conference and protest action in the coming days.
On a recent weekday morning, Bender joined the Scene at Cumberland Park to discuss his efforts to change the park’s name and Wasioto’s meaning to the local Indigenous community. Our conversation has been edited for length and clarity.
TELL ME A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE HISTORY OF THE PARK, AND THE PROPOSED NAME CHANGE TO WASIOTO PARK.
Cumberland Park comes from the name of the Cumberland River, and the Cumberland River was given that name by a European explorer, Thomas Walker, in 1758. Prior to that, or even during that time, there were numerous Shawnee villages all up and down this part of the Cumberland River in
the vicinity of Nashville. In fact, there were so many Shawnee villages that this part of the river was referred to as the River of the Shawnees. But the ancient Shawnee name for the river is Wasioto. And even after Thomas Walker gave the name of Cumberland to the river, the river was for years and years after that still referred to as the River of the Shawnees.
WERE THE SHAWNEE VERY PREVALENT IN MIDDLE TENNESSEE AND KENTUCKY?
I would say that they were the most prevalent in the 1670s to the 1680s. … And the Shawnees, of course, inhabited parts of Kentucky and also Ohio. But throughout the history of the Shawnee people, they moved around a lot, and history records that at different times, they lived in 23 different states.
REGARDING THE PUBLIC INPUT PROCESS, WAS THERE A LOT OF FEEDBACK?
It was overwhelmingly positive in favor of the name change. There was not one person who expressed an opinion that was in opposition to the name change. … It was very diverse. People showed up, of course, from the Indigenous community, and people from the African American community, and there were a number of white people who showed up and also spoke in favor of the name change. So far as I know, there is no credible opposition.
WHY ARE NAME-CHANGE EFFORTS LIKE THIS ONE SO IMPORTANT? WHY IS IT SOMETHING THAT YOU FEEL CALLED TO PERSONALLY?
Well, one [reason] we feel that it is so significant and so important is because throughout the history of this country, there has been the process of genocide against Indigenous people — ethnic cleansing, if you will, of Indigenous people. Ethnic cleansing of the history of Indigenous people from the history books in the educational system. We feel that by having the park renamed, this is part of the start of a significant milestone in the history of Nashville for the further recognition and preservation of Indigenous history, both ancient and contemporary in the Middle Tennessee area.
AND DO YOU THINK SEEING INDIGENOUS WORDS AND NAMES PUTS THAT FRONT-OFMIND FOR PEOPLE? KNOWING THAT WE’RE ON LAND THAT WHITE SETTLERS DIDN’T COME TO UNTIL JUST TWO OR THREE CENTURIES AGO?
Yes, I think it does very much so, and it helps people to realize that we are the first people in this land. And it also helps people to realize, when they look into the history of this land [and see] numerous cities and public spaces that are named after European explorers and the like, they can see that this is something that happened unjustly, unfairly. This is still, when you look at it from the standpoint of the land being illegally taken, this is still our land, and we want to assert that.
Also it’s part of a nationwide campaign on the part of Indigenous people to have public spaces, rivers and other public areas given their original Indigenous names. Because when we talk about Cumberland Park being named Wasioto Park, we’re not talking about just the change of name. We’re talking about the name being changed to its original designation, and the original designation of the Cumberland River was Wasioto River. … There have been numerous instances of name changes of public spaces, and public areas being given Indigenous names all throughout the country, particularly west of the Mississippi.
OBVIOUSLY THE EAST BANK IS GOING TO BE TRANSFORMED OVER THE NEXT FEW YEARS. DO YOU SEE IT AS BEING IMPORTANT FOR THE INDIGENOUS COMMUNITY AND FOR NASHVILLE AT LARGE FOR CONVERSATIONS ABOUT INDIGENOUS SPACES TO BE A PART OF THE GROWTH?
Yes, very much so, because the East Bank, to us as Indigenous
Albert Bender in Cumberland Park, now Wasioto Park PHOTO: ERIC ENGLAND
people, is a sacred area. The East Bank encompasses what was, 1,000 years ago, a huge, huge Indigenous, Native American city that Nashville sits on top of. All of downtown Nashville sits on top of an ancient Indigenous city that covered not just all of downtown Nashville, but extended to the East Bank, into significant parts of East Nashville, with a population of over 400,000. When I first stumbled upon this fact, I was just astounded.
I MEAN, 400,000 IS MORE THAN HALF THE SIZE OF THE CITY TODAY.
Yeah. And in fact, the population of what’s called Metropolitan Nashville did not eclipse the population of ancient Nashville until at least the 1960s. And during that time — the year, I would say, 1300 — the area that now is covered by modern-day Nashville had a population of 400,000 within the immediate area, but counting the surrounding areas of Middle Tennessee, it had a population of over 1 million Indigenous residents, making it the largest Indigenous population in all the Southeast.
The Native American Indian Association of Tennessee, who you have worked with, has long talked about founding a cultural center on land on Bell Road. Is that something that’s still in discussion?
That’s still in the works. The Native American Indian Association is spearheading the construction of an
Indigenous cultural center, and has been for some years. And is still in a headlong pursuit of that particular goal.
WHAT WOULD THAT LOOK LIKE?
Well, it would be a gathering place for Indigenous people, not just throughout Middle Tennessee, but through all of Tennessee, and it would have an educational component, a social services component and a number of different divisions that would service Native American people throughout all of Tennessee.
WHAT ELSE WOULD YOU LIKE TO SHARE ABOUT THE MEANING OF CHANGING THIS PARK’S NAME TO WASIOTO?
I mentioned how Native American people throughout the country were requesting and achieving the renaming of different public areas to original Indigenous names. A perfect example of that is the renaming of Clingmans Dome, which is the highest mountain in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, which only a month or so ago was renamed, given its original name, its Cherokee name of Kuwohi, which means “mulberry place.” And this was at the request of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians, which we consider as being a great victory for the east-of-theMississippi campaign for the renaming of different public spaces and the like with their original Indigenous designation.
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CPA completes unbeaten season by winning secondconsecutive
DII-AA state title
Nashville Christian earns program’s second championship in DII-A
KEVIN WARNER AND LOGAN BUTTS
The Christ Presbyterian Academy Lions ran all over the Battle Ground Academy Wildcats in the Division II-AA state championship game in Chattanooga on Thursday on their way to capturing the
program’s seventh TSSAA state title.
CPA (14-0) head coach Ingle Martin talked about winning consecutive state championships, three out of the last five, and how this team’s commitment to the
relationships they built this year carried them to the title.
“The only thing we could do this year, in 2024, was to get the most out of the kids we possibly could get,” Martin said. “I feel like our coaches and our kids gave everything they had. Some years you win the last game, and some years you don’t, but it doesn’t make it any less successful or any less rewarding.
“We really believe that the relationships that the kids build with each other, and the coaches build with the kids, and that all of us build together, are what high school football should be about. By God’s grace we got some really good players and coaches. We stayed relatively healthy this year, and that is when championships happen.”
One of those players, junior running back and All-Middle Region performer Rawls Patterson, ripped the Wildcats defense for 336 yards and four touchdowns on 27 carries. He was named the game’s MVP.
BGA (11-3) started fast recovering the opening kickoff and scoring on the ensuing drive, thanks to a 9-yard Ethan Kellum touchdown run put them up 7-0.
CPA answered with a John West field goal on its next drive, and the CPA defense forced a punt to get the Lions the ball back.
Then, Patterson went to work. He reeled off seven straight carries, including a long second-down rush deep into BGA territory, ending on a 5-yard touchdown run to put the Lions up 10-7, with 1:25 left to play in the first quarter.
Later, in the second quarter, Patterson carried on seven of eight plays on the Lions’ next scoring drive, which ended with a 3-yard touchdown run to make the score 17-7 with just 41 seconds left to play in the half.
Patterson finished the half with 166 yards on 16 carries and two touchdowns.
“He would be the first want to tell you that those guys up front did a great job. He just got to be Rawls today,” Martin said. “And Rawls is one of the best running backs in the state. And the guy got a chance to show everybody what he is capable of. He’s just an unbelievable talent.”
But BGA used its high-powered offense, and a 40-yard reception by receiver Arnett Hayes Jr., to set up a 33-yard field goal by Syrus Harr as time expired on the half, making the score 17-10.
The Wildcats added a field goal to open the half and pull within four, but Patterson proved to be too much for BGA. He orchestrated a four-play drive, which included two long runs, and ended with a 35-yard touchdown run.
CPA’s defense forced a turnover on downs, which led to an Owen Cabell touchdown early in the fourth quarter to make the score 31-13.
On the next drive, Patterson reeled off a 64-yard run, which he paid off five plays later with a 12-yard touchdown run with 4:22 left to play in the game.
BGA did not go quietly. Fletcher Fields and Hayes reeled in two touchdowns from Junior quarterback and Division II-AA Middle Region offensive MVP Kaedyn Marable 18 seconds apart following a brilliant onside kick recovery in between the two scores.
Hayes’ touchdown capped a recordsetting performance for the senior. He finished with 15 catches for a recordbreaking 260 yards and the touchdown in the loss.
Patterson’s performance did not set a record, but it came close to former Beech High School and Tennessee standout Jalen Hurd’s mark of 394 yards. Although it didn’t break the record, it will be remembered at CPA for a long time.
Rawls’ twin brother, Preston, also had a big day, notching seven tackles, including
CPA football PHOTO: CASEY GOWER
CPA football lifting the Division II-AA championship trophy PHOTO: CASEY GOWER
SPORTS
2.5 for loss, and a sack on defense.
Martin marveled at the perseverance of his team, led by 18 seniors who guided the way to the undefeated season and victory in Chattanooga Thursday afternoon.
“I think the biggest thing is those kids believed,” Martin said. “They practiced hard, they played hard, and the best football team won the game today. I think those kids proved that. That’s a great thing about football, it’s a game about four quarters, not just one. Not just one player, it’s about 11 players on the field.
“We just had an unbelievable group of kids this year that all bought in, that all believed in each other and went out there and proved that they are the best team.”
DIVISION II-A:
NASHVILLE CHRISTIAN 49
COLUMBIA ACADEMY 21
In the second championship match of the day, Nashville Christian (12-1) earned the
second state title in program history — the first since 2015 — with a 49-21 win over Columbia Academy (10-4) in the Division II-A game.
5-star junior quarterback Jared Curtis was named the game’s MVP after passing 8-16 for 158 yards and two touchdowns and rushing for 60 yards and four scores for six total touchdowns. He even had a 31-yard punt.
After being tied at 14-14 at halftime, the Eagles reeled off 28 consecutive points in the second half to build a 42-14 lead with 5:19 left to play.
Javin Drewelow and Zane Crampton caught Nashville Christian’s two passing touchdowns.
Curtis was later awarded the Gatorade Tennessee Player of the Year. He is the first player from a Nashville school to win in 10 years, since former Pearl-Cohn and Vanderbilt standout and Super Bowl winner Ke’Shawn Vaughn.
Medicare doesn’t pay for dental care.1
As good as Medicare is, it was never meant to cover everything. If you want protection, you need to purchase individual insurance.
Early detection can prevent small problems from becoming expensive ones.
The best way to avoid large dental bills is preventive care. Experts recommend checkups twice a year.
Previous dental work can wear out.
Your odds of having a dental problem only go up as you age.2
Treatment is expensive — especially the services people over 50 often need.
Unexpected bills, like $190 for a filling, or $1,213 for a crown3 can be a real burden, especially if you’re on a fixed income.
Nashville Christian football PHOTO: CASEY GOWER
Nashville Christian football lifting the Division II-A championship trophy PHOTO: CASEY GOWER
Sparkly Holiday Cookies
BY EDIBLE NASHVILLE
COOKIES:
2 sticks cold butter, cut into small pieces
¼ cup packed dark brown sugar
½ cup granulated sugar
2 large egg yolks
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon sea salt
2 teaspoons each ground cinnamon and ground ginger
½ teaspoon ground cardamom
¼ teaspoon baking powder
2¼ cups all-purpose flour, plus extra for rolling cookies
1. Process butter, brown and granulated sugars together in a food processor until well blended. Add egg yolks and vanilla and process until mixture is glossy looking.
2. Add sea salt, cinnamon, ginger and cardamom, baking powder and 2 ¼ cups flour and pulse just until dough comes together.
3. Scrape dough onto a work surface and knead until smooth. Divide into two balls and pat into disks. Wrap disks in plastic wrap and chill 1 hour or overnight.
4. Preheat oven to 350F. Line baking sheets with parchment paper.
5. Working with one dough disk at a time, roll out on floured surface to about ¼” thick. Cut out shaped cookies and place about 1” apart on baking sheets. Repeat until all scraps are used. Chill cookies 5-8
ROYAL ICING:
1 lb confectioner’s sugar
5 tablespoons meringue powder
Water
FOR DECORATING:
Sparkly sanding sugars - I made my own combinations mixing various colors together in small bowls to come up with some pretty combinations
ACROSS
1 Gobi Deser t grazer
4 Green roll
7 Domain suffix that most people can’t register
10 Tailor’s line
13 Bit of fried finger food, casually
14 Silver y element
17 Band initials missing from their hit song “_vi_ W_man”
18 Possible response to a question that begins “Est-ce que …”
19 Nor thernmost city in North America with over one million people
20 Inspiration for Toblerone’s shape
21 Channel with Steve Kornacki’s election day “Big Board”
23 Gucci played by Al Pacino in 2021’s “House of Gucci”
24 Hop on board?
26 Shot dropped into a glass of beer, in a popular cocktail
27 Dress shir t fit option
28 Site for crafts
29 Band in the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame
73 Dave Bautista’s role in “Guardians of the Galaxy”
DOWN
1 Subjects of quantum mechanics
2 Composer with a namesake horn
3 Foul-smelling prank items
34 Italian wine region
35 Look sullen
37 Middle-of-the-month time
38 Big name in athletic sandals
40 Like Antarctica’s climate
41 Hang out
44 Swearing-in words
45 Drag on the road
56 Major setback
57 Three-syllable letter
58 Something a rock climber might make with one hand
60 In the distance
61 Multitalented Moreno
62 River in which Achilles was dipped
64 “Well, yeah!”
65 ___ Lanka
minutes before baking. This helps them hold their shapes.
6. Bake cookies until golden brown. Cool on wire racks.
7. For Royal Icing place confectioner’s sugar and meringue powder in a bowl and add water by tablespoons, stirring as you add, until you have a thin somewhat transparent icing. Store in a container until ready to use. This will keep for weeks chilled. Just add a bit of water to remix if need be.
8. To decorate cookies gather your decorative sanding sugars. Using a small pastry brush lightly coat each cookie with royal icing and sprinkle generously over cookie with decorative sanding sugars. The icing will dry clear and the sugars will sparkle! Play, have fun and share.
Follow Edible Nashville on instagram @ediblenashtn and their website ediblenashville.com.
To subscribe to the magazine that comes out 6x/year, go to ediblenashville.com.
34 Spacecraft that docked with the Soyuz in 1975
36 Croak
39 African countr y
41 Sweetened beverage
42 Container for sour cream
43 Snack brand from the Spanish word for “fried”
46 Make go “Vroom!”
47 “Go-o-oal!”
50 Object of adoration
51 Brazilian jazz subgenre, informally
53 Bird with a distinctive call
56 Spinning one’s wheels?
59 Puff pieces?
63 General idea … or a hint to the clue/ answer pairings at 14-, 29-, 39-, 41and 53-Across
68 Conversely, in a text
69 Second-smallest of seven
70 Like many granola bars
71 Unit of power
72 Performs brilliantly
4 Required word count for a freelance ar ticle, e.g.
5 Like food you should probably smell before eating
6 Patterned fabric named for a Mideast capital
7 Lay to rest
8 Hip-hop’s Madvillain or Mobb Deep
9 “Yeah, don’t even think about it”
10 Indicators of remaining energy for video game characters
11 Actress Tracee ___ Ross
12 Sullen
15 Avoid ___ (Google Maps option)
16 World’s most populous country as of 2023
22 ___ Baxter, “Poor Things” protagonist
25 Leave undisturbed
30 A-game, so to speak
31 Elaborate hairdo
32 Jewish rite
33 Target
48 “My plans aren’t set in stone”
49 “99 Luftballons” singer
51 Liverpudlian or Mancunian
52 “Oh, phew!”
54 ___ Varda, director with an honorary Palme d’Or and Oscar
55 Plot units
66 Sweetie
67 Midwesterner’s embarrassed interjection
TO PUZZLE
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PUZZLE BY ADAM AARONSON
SERVICE & MAINTENANCE
WOODMONT BAPTIST CHURCH
33rd Annual Christmas Tree Lighting
PHOTOS: PROVIDED
The St. Paul Senior Living Community’s 33rd Annual Christmas Tree Lighting event took place recently.
The festivities included a Norway Spruce, which was sourced out from the mountains of Boone, N.C. The tree stands a towering 16-feet tall and is now decorated in The St Paul Senior Living Community’s lobby.
The Norway Spruce
Janice White and C.J. Nail
Joanne Mehaffey and Patrick Johnston
Victoria Harris, Loneta Behrens and David East
Doris Matthews, Carol Rochford and Rachel Blair
Helen Shull and Frances White
Joy Davis
Bette Berry and Carolyn Schrader
Bill Hewitt and Bill Rochford
Horticulture Society’s Sparkling Settings
BRENDA BATEY PHOTOS: BRENDA BATEY
The Horticulture Society of Middle Tennessee’s Sparkling Settings was held in Cheekwood’s Botanic Hall for the first time in five years and it was as fabulous as it always was in the past.
Co-chairs Ashley Henry and Barbara Rogers did a wonderful job coordinating all the numerous facets of the event.
Many garden clubs reserved tables for their members, who decorated them in holiday splendor. Clever themes included “Downton Abbey,” “Let it Bee Christmas” and “Margaritaville”, with everyone dressing accordingly.
Colorful Christmas trees and lots of greenery, ornaments and bows decked the hall, giving it a festive tone.
The silent auction offered numerous themed gift baskets prepared by participating garden clubs and other items included books,
candles, serving pieces, numerous potential Christmas presents, and much more.
Guests also shopped the vendor area, which displayed all kinds of tableware, jewelry, fashionable clothing, and big fabric bows for holiday decorating.
Caterer Chef’s Market’s delicious buffet offered winter pear salad, apple cider pork loin, scalloped potatoes, and roasted carrots. Truffles were served for dessert in mouthwatering flavors such as dark chocolate, red velvet, spice cake and lemon cake.
The Horticulture Society of Middle Tennessee membership is made up of local garden clubs and auxiliary members. Participants are invited to attend fascinating educational programs, as well as convivial fundraising events. For more information, visit hsmtn.org.
Co-chair Barbara Rogers, Horticulture Society President Deby Pitts, and Co-chair Ashley Henry
John Starbuck provided beautiful music for Sparkling Settings.
This lovely table featured gifts for guests, including holiday crackers and ornaments by Jim Marvin.
Local garden clubs decorated tables for their members to enjoy.
Jim Marvin, who helped lead the design team for Cheekwood’s Holiday LIGHTS, Kayla Counts, and Silent Auction Chair Joanne Slaughter
Cindy Smith, Annette McKerley, and Peggy Noonan
Harriett Sewell and Jeanne Gore
SOCIAL
Andrew Potts, Nancy Russell, Jim Marvin, and Liz Sillay
Janie Culos, Susan Koenig, Carrie Steeb, and Janis Parrott
Dixie Powell, M. K. Geismar, and Elizabeth Ralph
Doris Weakley, Betsy Abernathy, and Anna Marie Allen
Lillian Hibbett, Dot Taylor, and Julie Wilson
Trish Woolwine, Sallie Swor, Emily Frith, and Mary Jo Shankle
Judith Bracken, Joanne Slaughter, and Ginger Stephenson
Laura Lee Webb, Teresa White, and Sharon Dennis
hElp wanTEd
Cook.
EZ Eat Thai Sushi rest. seeks Cook. Dvlp menus, prep, cook Thai & JP dishes, ctrl & ord. food supplies, clean KIT & UTN, fllw safety & quality ctrl. Req. Food Prot. Cert. BA. in CULA. or Hosp. Mgmt. Min. 2ys. Exp. in Thai cuisine & Sushi.
Wage: $40,165/y. Nashville, TN Send resume to Phattaya (Mngr.) ezeatthaisushi@gmail.com
it in a
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