The Contributor: Jan. 19, 2022 by the-contributor-live

Buy this paper with Venmo! Include your Vendor’s Name & Badge #:

w w w . t h e c o n t r i b u t o r. o r g

Vo l u m e 16 | N u m b e r 1 | Ja n u a r y 1 9 - Fe b r u a r y 2 , 2 0 2 2

JIMMIE ALLEN

PHOTO CREDIT: SHEA FLYNN

IN THE ISSUE

Contributor Board

Tom Wills, Chair Cathy Jennings, Bruce Doeg, Demetria Kalodimos, Ann Bourland, Kerry Graham, Peter Macdonald, Amber DuVentre, Jerome Moore, Annette McDermott, Drew Morris

LOCALES - POLÍTICA - INMIGRACIÓN - TRABAJOS - SALUD - ESPECTÁCULOS - DEPORTES Y MÁS...

GRATIS

2022 Año 20 - No. 342

L a N ticia

www.hispanicpaper.com

“DONDE OCURREN LOS HECHOS QUE IMPORTAN, SIEMPRE PRIMERO... ANTES”

Nashville, Tennessee

Alcalde John Cooper lleva a cabo, junto a doctores Alex Jahangir y Gill Wright, conferencia de prensa debido al aumento de casos. La tarde del 10 de enero último, el alcalde de nuestra ciudad en Nashville, John Cooper, realizó una conferencia de prensa para abordar el tema del monitoreo de COVID-19 y la Por Yuri Cunza respuesta del goEditor in Chief bierno metropoli- @LaNoticiaNews tano al reciente aumento alarmante de casos en todo el condado de Davidson.

Vendor Spotlight

Escanee esta imagen para ver La Noticia newspaper edición bilingüe digital

Situación actual: 1 de cada 33 habitantes en Nashville infectado con COVID-19

Estas pruebas rápidas como BinaxNow, FlowFlex o QuickVue, son muy dificiles de encontrar en la actualidad debido a la demanda creada por la preocupacion por las actividades sociales recientes de fiestas de navidad y año nuevo.

Foto: Yuri Cunza

Enero/2

A principio de mes, largas lineas y espera en sitios de prueba y vacunación

Este mes, el estado de Tennessee anunció la suspensión de sus informes diarios de casos COVID, a pesar de que el incremento de casos aumenta y podría alcanzar un pico más alto en los próximos dias. Líderes estatales de salud han dejando de lado las actualizaciones diarias de casos y, en cambio, comparten números de nuevos casos, hospitalizaciones y la cantidad de muertes, semanalmente. “Lo haciamos a diario y no hay nada de malo en hacerlo de esa manera, pero esa no es una forma sostenible para hacerlo a perpetuidad”, dijo la Dra. Lisa Piercey, Comisionada de Salud del Estado. Según la Dra. Piercey, este cambio ayuda al departamento a equilibrar mejor su carga de trabajo de COVID con sus prioridades previas a la pandemia. “Está muy claro que no habrá una fecha y hora en que esto desaparezca o que no tengamos que preocuparnos por esto o dejar de trabajar en esto, durante mucho tiempo en el futuro”, dijo. Los datos más recientes del Departamento de Salud de Tennessee

sobre COVID-19 en niños en edad escolar compartidos el 4 de enero indican que alrededor de 11,000 niños en edad escolar dieron positivo por COVID en todo el estado de Tennessee durante un período de dos semanas. En todo el país, más niños menores de cinco años están siendo hospitalizados con COVID-19, alcanzando el nivel más alto desde que comenzó la pandemia. Por su parte, el Dr. Alex Jahangir, presidente del grupo de trabajo o sobre coronavirus de Nashville, dijo que 1 de cada 33 habitantes de Nashville está actualmente infectado con COVID-19. El Dr. Jahangir agregó, durante la conferencia de prensa, que los casos activos actuales en el condado de Davidson son de 22,776. Durante el aumento repentino de Delta, el pico de casos fue de alrededor de 8,400, aproximadamente tres veces más bajo que la tasa de casos actual, según el Dr. Jahangir. Esto representa un total de 167,346 casos en el condado de Davidson desde que comenzó la pandemia con un total de 1,368 muertes relacionadas con el virus.

El Dr. Jahangir señaló además, que los números de casos en la ciudad de Nashville en realidad no se informan co-rrectamente, ya que muchos contagiados pueden haber usado un kit de prueba casero, y esto es información que no está disponible a las autoridades de salud pertinentes. El jefe del Departamento de Bomberos, Swann, informó que el volumen de personas ha aumentado considerablemente en los sitios de prueba y vacunación de la ciudad después de las vacaciones junto con el aumento de ómicron, y agregó que los sitios distribuyen 1,600 pruebas de COVID-19 por día, en promedio, y un promedio de 90 vacunas por día. Swann dijo que aproximadamente el 30% de las personas atendidas en los sitios de la ciudad no son residentes del condado de Davidson, sino de las áreas circundantes. También informó que 121 empleados del Departamento de Bomberos de Nashville están "actualmente fuera del trabajo debido a COVID", y que siempre hay vacunas y refuerzos disponibles para los empleados de NFD que los desean. A pesar de anticiparse nuevas medidas, debido a la alarmante ola de casos por ómicron, el gobierno de la ciudad no anunció ningún cambio significativo en los protocolos COVID-19. En cambio, los funcionarios dijeron que Nashville ya tiene las herramientas necesarias para combatir la variante ómicron. "Tenemos todas las herramientas para lidiar con ómicron. Úsenlas", enfatizó el alcalde John Cooper. Cooper hizo esta declaración durante su primera sesión informativa sobre COVID-19 en varios meses. Los funcionarios destacaron la importancia de recibir la dosis de vacuna de refuerzo. Envíenos sus sugerencias por e-mail: news@hispanicpaper.com

La Noticia + The Contributor

Junto al alcalde Cooper estuvieron el Dr. Alex Jahangir, representando al Departamento de Salud y presidente del grupo de trabajo sobre coronavirus; el Dr. Gill Wright con el Departamento de Salud Pública Metropolitana; y el jefe del Departamento de Bomberos de Nashville, William Swann. El alcalde Cooper abrió la sesión informativa enfatizando la importancia de las vacunzas de refuerzo (boosters), e informando que hasta el momento 168,000 en el condado de Davidson han recibido un refuerzo de la vacuna. Se estima que el 62,9 % de los habitantes de Nashville están completamente vacunados.

"I just wait until my opportunity comes, and then I make the best out of it. I’ve learned to just accept life as it is."

Conoce tusNoticia, derechos: one of the La ¿Que hacer en caso de una redada?

leading Spanish-language newspapers in the nation, brings Spanish content to The Contributor. 1. Mantenerse callado 2. Sólo dar nombre y apellido 3. No mentir 4. Nunca acepte/lleve documentos falsos 5. No revelar su situación migratoria 6. No llevar documentación de otro país 7. En caso de ser arrestado, mostrarla Tarjeta Miranda (llámenos si necesita una)

por

Basados en la Quinta Enmienda de la Constitución, los derechos de guardar silencio y contar con un abogado fueron denominados Derechos Miranda luego de la decisión de la Suprema Corte de Justicia de Estados Unidos en el caso Miranda vs. Arizona, 384 U.S. 436, de 1966.

Vendor Writing

Moving Pictures

In this issue, vendors discuss baseball, God, and one vendors shares the story of her customer Larry's double transplant.

The Belcourt’s Music City Monday turns the Radio On a masterpiece road movie, a rare example of an English road film.

www.juanese.com juaneseUSA@gmail.com

Contributors This Issue

Hannah Herner • Linda Bailey • Amanda Haggard • Joe Nolan • Mr. Mysterio • Ridley Willis II • Sam Stockard • Carey L. Biron • Bing Guan • Carl D. • Chris Scott Fieselman • Norma B. • Tyrone M.

Contributor Volunteers Joe First • Andy Shapiro • Michael Reilly • John Jennings • Janet Kerwood • Logan Ebel • Christine Doeg • Laura Birdsall • Richard Aberdeen • Marissa Young • Ezra LaFleur • Rachel Stanley Cathy Jennings Executive Director Tom Wills Director of Vendor Operations Hannah Herner Staff Writer

THANK YOU TO OUR SPONSORS!

Carli Tharp Social Services Intake Specialist Dymin R Cannon Section 8 and E&T Specialist Ree Cheers SOAR Manager Rachel Ternes Housing Navigator Catherine Hardy Housing Navigator Jesse Call Operations Consultant Raven Nye Director of Housing Initiatives Barbara Womack Advertising Manager Amanda Haggard & Linda Bailey Co-Editors Andrew Krinks Editor Emeritus

The Contributor now accepts Venmo! Scan the QR Code above, or find us: @The-Contributor Make sure to include your vendor’s badge name and number in the description. If you bought this version digitally, you can still leave your regular vendor a tip. Email Cathy@thecontributor.org for more information or with questions!

Will Connelly, Tasha F. Lemley, Steven Samra, and Tom Wills Contributor Co-Founders Editorials and features in The Contributor are the perspectives of the authors. Submissions of news, opinion, fiction, art and poetry are welcomed. The Contributor reserves the right to edit any submissions. The Contributor cannot and will not endorse any political candidate. Submissions may be emailed to: editorial@thecontributor.org Requests to volunteer, donate, or purchase subscriptions can be emailed to: info@thecontributor.org Please email advertising requests to: advertising@thecontributor.org

The Contributor P.O. Box 332023, Nashville, TN 37203 Vendor Office: 615.829.6829

Proud Member of: Printed at:

Follow The Contributor:

PAGE 2 | January 19 - February 2, 2022 | The Contributor | NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE

YOU CAN SUBSCRIBE ONLINE TO THE CONTRIBUTOR FOR JUST $99 A YEAR OR $30 FOR 3 MONTHS. DIGITAL SUBSCRIPTION AVAILABLE OR YOUR ISSUES WILL BE MAILED MONTHLY AND YOU CAN DESIGNATE A VENDOR TO RECEIVE THE PROFITS — AND EVEN LEAVE A TIP FOR YOUR VENDOR! SIGN UP AT: WWW.THECONTRIBUTOR.ORG

populist.com

January 19 - February 2, 2022 | The Contributor | NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE | PAGE 3

VENDOR SPOTLIGHT

PHOTO BY HANNAH HERNER

CHARLES S. SMILES AMID THE ROCKY ROAD BY HANNAH HERNER Charles S. is just waiting for someone to challenge him to a game of pool. If you did, he’d bring his own cue, and he’d probably win. He used to enter competitions and earn money playing pool, and these days he stays brushed up on his skills just for fun. He’s a man of many nicknames — “Shorty” is one he picked up at a pool hall, and “Pee Wee” is another. He’s had many professions: He worked at KFC, did custodial work at Bridgestone Arena and Municipal Auditorium and cut grass. He also used to be called “Car Wash,” as his favorite job was car detailing, and he even traveled and trained others in it.

One job he would have liked to try is Alaskan king crab fishing. He enjoys watching shows about Alaska. Charles grew up in public housing in West Nashville, one of four brothers and one sister. Even in relatively tight quarters, his family had a lot of pets — a snake, dogs, cats, Easter chickens, a parrot, ducks. The next pets he’d like to have as an adult are a ferret and an iguana. After his dad passed at a young age, he was raised by a single mom, and over the years remained closest to his sister, who passed away a few years ago. He imagines these important women in his fam-

ily looking down on him as he greets customers while selling papers. “Not only my mom, but my grandma, all of them that have passed, they taught us respect, smile, treat everybody with kindness, and treat everybody the same, no matter what color they are. He says. “You treat them with kindness and smile. Some things people might say that hurt you, just smile and walk away.” For someone with such a cheerful demeanor, it may be surprising to learn that Charles’ favorite music is the blues. He loves artists like Muddy Waters and BB King. His favorite spot to sell is

West End Avenue and 31st Ave South. “I love doing The Contributor, I have a lot of customers that tell me to keep up the good work. They’ll pull out of one lane way over where I am just to get a paper. It feels good, you don’t know how good it feels,” Charles says. “I got a lot of good support. I wouldn’t trade West End for nothing in the world.” After eight years on the streets, Charles got into a temporary apartment this winter. He looks forward to moving into a more permanent space this year. He says, “Life has been a rocky road, up and down, up

PAGE 4 | January 19 - February 2, 2022 | The Contributor | NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE

and down, good, bad, good, bad, but I got that man upstairs, God, with me the whole time. I’ve been surviving with The Contributor and him.” In the future, Charles imagines a house with an extra bedroom, so he can put in a pool table, a flat screen TV, a little bar and a mini fridge with cold drinks. “If I make a plan or say, ‘here’s my goal, this is what I want to do,’ it never turns out. I just wait until my opportunity comes, and then I make the best out of it. “I’ve learned to just accept life as it is,” he says. “I’m very blessed, and can’t nobody can take that from me.”

January 19 - February 2, 2022 | The Contributor | NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE | PAGE 5

NASHVILLE HISTORY CORNER

ALBERT STEIN

NASHVILLE’S SECOND WATER SYSTEM BY RIDLEY WILLS II Albert Stein, an experienced German engineer, was commissioned by the city of Nashville in about 1832 to build a new waterworks system. To finance the construction, the city issued its first bond issue for $50,000. The bonds were sold in Philadelphia. Stein erected waterworks system No. 2 on the grounds of what in 1873 became the Tennessee School for the Blind on Fillmore Avenue in South Nashville. The pumping station was located on the lower bluff close to the river where the Tennessee Cen-

tral Railroad tracks were later built. The reservoir was immediately north of the School for the Blind where General Hospital would be built in 1890. Cast iron water mains were installed to bring the water to the city. When the system was completed Oct. 31, 1833, the city celebrated with a grand parade, speeches and booming cannon. The plant functioned satisfactorily for many years. Its chief problem was that muddy water from the river could not always be settled out in the

reservoir. To solve this, plant superintendent James Wyatt devised an ingenious system of using naturally filtered water from the river. In about 1878, he installed a cast-iron cage that was 152 feet long, 10 feet wide, and 6 feet high, in the natural gravel beds on the Upper Island that was adjacent to the present pumping station on Omohundro Drive. River water seeped or percolated through the natural beds of gravel and sand into the collecting cage and was purified in the process. He also had workers

PAGE 6 | January 19 - February 2, 2022 | The Contributor | NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE

install approximately 12,000 feet of 36-inch iron pipe along the river bank to the pumping station. Wyatt’s system of natural filtration seems to have worked very well in supplying clear water to the city for about 20 years. There were occasions, however, when the river was at its lowest levels, that it was necessary to take unfiltered water directly from the river. To extend the life of the system, the city made extensive repairs to the boilers and pumping machinery in the early 1880s.

January 19 - February 2, 2022 | The Contributor | NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE | PAGE 7

Tennessee’s

gift to you.

Free Admission. This, and Every Season. Free Parking, Too.

Rosa L. Parks Blvd (at Jefferson St.) 615.741.2692 | TNMuseum.org

PAGE 8 | January 19 - February 2, 2022 | The Contributor | NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE

NEWS

House redistricting panel splits Davidson congressional map three ways BY SAM STOCKARD Snickers and gasps filled a House meeting room when Republicans revealed a congressional redistricting map that splits Davidson County three ways. Most onlookers knew what was coming, but they were still shocked when they saw it. Democratic state Rep. Antonio Parkinson of Memphis summed it up best: “When this map was unveiled, you could hear the air suck out of the room.” The plan is to be voted on in the third week of January by the House Public Service Committee. Parkinson, who voted against the map along with Democratic colleagues on the House ad hoc redistricting committee, called it a “vicious map,” saying controlling Republicans left “no stone unturned to give a hundred-year advantage to the majority party.” Parkinson and Rep. Bob Freeman, a Nashville Democrat, both questioned the potential “dilution” of minority residents in Davidson County, and House Minority Leader Karen Camper pointed out the map also does a disservice to voters in Memphis and Shelby County where the 9th Congressional District represented by Democratic U.S. Rep. Steve Cohen will go north to take in Tipton County and cut out some parts of inner Shelby County. The 5th District, represented by longtime Democratic U.S. Rep. Jim Cooper, will take in southern and easternmost Davidson County, western and central Wilson County, eastern Williamson County and all of Maury, Marshall and Lewis counties. With a population of 767,781, 70.8 percent of its voters will be white, 11.9 percent Black, 4.25 percent Asian and 10.3 percent Hispanic. That means 5th would not be a minority majority district or an opportunity district in which a minority could swing the vote. Rep. Antonio Parkinson, D-Memphis, questioned the “dilution” of minority voters in Davidson County and said Republicans in the legislature “left no stone unturned to give a 100-year advantage to the majority party.” The 6th Congressional District, represented by Republican U.S. Rep. John Rose, will take in an eastern part of Davidson County, in addition to all of Sumner County and the northern and eastern parts of Wilson, as well as several counties in upper Middle Tennessee to the Cumberland Plateau. It would have a population of 767,972, 79.1 percent white voters, 9 percent Black, 1.1 percent Asian and 7.7 percent Hispanic. The 7th Congressional District, represented by Republican U.S. Rep. Mark Green of Ashland City, will take in central, northern and western Davidson County, western Williamson County and most of the rural

House Minority Leader Karen Camper’s face registers shock as she sees new congressional maps for the first time. (Photo: John Partipilo) counties in Middle Tennessee east of the Tennessee River. The new 7th would have 767,871 residents, 71 percent white, 16 percent Black, 2 percent Asian and 7.4 percent Hispanic. Republican lawmakers in charge of the committee allowed two other maps to be presented but gave them no consideration. Democrats also failed to call for a vote on their own plan. After Speaker Pro Tem Pat Marsh introduced the Republican plan, Camper, a Memphis Democrat, tried to stop the vote but to no avail. Camper concurred with Parkinson’s assessment that the plan is “vicious,” saying, “I think we need to keep this map in this committee and have a deeper conversation.” House Majority Leader William Lamberth, however, argued that the process has been going on for months and “robust debate” will continue as it goes through the committee system. “To stonewall the process at this juncture, it would be premature to cut off debate,” said Lamberth, a Portland Republican. Parkinson also argued that he and Democratic members of the committee hadn’t seen the map until it was presented Wednesday. But Deputy Speaker Curtis Johnson,

chairman of the committee, forged ahead with the vote. Republicans on the committee went out a side door after the meeting and did not answer questions. For months, Democrats raised concerns that Republicans would break Davidson County into pieces in an effort to elect a Republican, giving the state eight Republicans and only one Democrat instead of two. House Speaker Cameron Sexton, though, said the proposed map is not a political move. He argued that district lines don’t determine whether a Democrat or Republican is elected. The Senate congressional plan, which is to be shown Thursday in a redistricting committee meeting, is similar to the House plan and is expected to receive approval. Sen. Heidi Campbell, who serves on the Senate panel, predicted communities would lose representation and minorities would lose access to the political process under this proposal. Democrats argued that their proposal would keep communities with the same interests in the same congressional districts. “Rigging a map by dividing a community like Nashville will deny Davidson County voters a congressional representative who is solely focused on local issues. And it

January 19 - February 2, 2022 | The Contributor | NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE | PAGE 9

also denies suburban and rural counties an elected official who is focused on their community’s concerns,” said Campbell, a Nashville Democrat. The League of Women Voters presented a map in concert with other groups, one that would keep Davidson County whole. Debbie Gould, president of the Tennessee League of Women Voters, called the proposed map a “real disservice to the people of Davidson County to lose their representation that way. “There is no way to say the needs of Lewis County are being well-represented by leaking it into Davidson County and vice-versa,” Gould said. Odessa Kelly, who is running against Cooper in the current 5th Congressional District, bashed the plan, accusing the committee of introducing a “new era of Jim Crow.” “They did this just to dilute the voices of black and brown. They did this to kill democracy, to make sure there is no progressive thought that can move forward,” Kelly said.

This story first appeared in The Tennessee Lookout. Visit https://tennesseelookout.com to read more.

EDU CATION

The Year Back MNPS adapts to support exceptional education students BY HANNAH HERNER In the public school world, many seem to refer to the remote 2020-21 school year as the “year at home.” So that would make this one “the year back,” albeit, altered to deal with new variants, more surges and making up for what was lost in the year at home. As part of a series on education, The Contributor is looking into the consequences of that year at home, especially looking at some of Metro Nashville Public School’s more vulnerable students. The Exceptional Education encompasses the 7,000 students on an IEP, individualized learning plan. The Contributor sat down with Debra McAdams, executive director for the Department of Exceptional Education at MNPS, with communications director Sean Braisted close on hand, and here’s what we learned about what it looks like for these students to find comfort and achievement in the classroom. Lots of students are on IEPS — 7,800 to be more precise. This is around nine percent of the student population. MNPS open data shows that the total number of students with disabilities is down to 10,193, including Pre-K and charter school students for the 21-22 school year from 10,943 the previous year. “It's an individualized program and that's developed with a team of people — the parents, special ed. teacher, general education teacher, related service providers and an administrator,” McAdams says. Child Find is a federally mandated process that calls on parents and educators to identify if they suspect a child has a disability. During the year at home, that had to adapt. “When everybody was virtual, it was definitely more difficult, but we were still under federal obligation to determine if somebody suspected a child had a disability. So we would collect data through the virtual environment. Parents fill out questionnaires, teachers fill out questionnaires and we can still collect data that way. So that didn't stop when we were virtual,” McAdams says. There’s a tiered system. The way MNPS lays it out is this: Some students get tier 2 support, few get tier 3 support and a higher level of support than that is special education. And even for different subjects, students might be in different tiers. There were some students with more acute needs that were brought back

Image courtesy of MNPS. earlier, before this year started. “We did have some students that we brought back before other students and those were students that were having difficulty accessing virtual instruction, and those are students that maybe have some more significant disabilities. So that group of students did come back for in-person before anyone else did,” McAdams says.“There was still a small period of time where they were virtual, but they were brought back before everybody else.” Teachers were surprised at just how much students had lost in their year at home, and they’re working to help them get back on track. “We're seeing a lot in the calls that I'm receiving, because students haven't been in school for a year, they haven't been taught all the skills that we typically would teach students, like how to walk in the hallway. You know, what are the cafeteria routines — kind of those procedures and routines that we have taught students every year and didn't get that opportunity to teach them for that time when we were closed.” Things introduced with pandemic funding will last beyond it. The Accelerating Scholars program was introduced

in addition to the IEP process. MNPS also introduced more school counselors and advocacy centers at each school, where students can focus on the social and emotional side of things, as well as a new literacy program. Braisted added that pandemic funding allowed students to each have their own learning devices to take home, and their own textbooks. “We probably are seeing more requests for support teams this year, because students were home for a year, right? So students haven't been in school, so they might need more support. That doesn't necessarily mean they're going to be eligible for an individual educational program under Special Ed,” McAdams says. Braisted added, “The goal of the [Accelerating Scholars] program is to have something that lasts beyond the pandemic, and lasts beyond the federal funding that's been provided, or the grant funding that's being provided to it.” A side effect has been more parent involvement. Exceptional education put on live virtual events for parents, saw them set up calendars that would mirror school setups. Exceptional education staff met with each and every parent whose child had an IEP, virtually, to figure out what

PAGE 10 | January 19 - February 2, 2022 | The Contributor | NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE

accommodations could still work in the virtual setting. “It was a huge undertaking during that year of COVID, but it allowed the parents to understand what would be happening as far as special education services, it helped our teachers understand and our related service providers. So that was really helpful.” McAdams says. “It's been a lot easier for parents to participate in a virtual IEP meeting, because they don't have to drive, they don't have to leave work, they can get on the computer and we can have meaningful participation for that IEP meeting.” MNPS (and probably all schools) need more staff. McAdams points out that there’s a national shortage of special education teachers. Paraprofessionals are support staff for students and MNPS will help interested parties study for the required test and pay for the first time they take it. Substitute teachers and paraprofessionals are also a need. Learn more about job openings at mnps.org/careers — https://mnps.org/about/communications/ opendata

www.JudgeJones.com

@TheJudgeJones

www.JudgeJones.com

@TheJudgeJones

www.JudgeJones.com

@TheJudgeJones

January 19 - February 2, 2022 | The Contributor | NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE | PAGE 11

COVER STORY

'DON'T FORGET YOUR NAME' Q&A: JIMMIE ALLEN

The CMA New Artist of the Year opens up about past housing insecurity BY H A NN A H HE R NE R

immie Allen was nominated for a Grammy in the Best New Artist category this year, but he’s really not new. He moved to Nashville from his home of Delaware in 2007 for the express purpose of pursuing a career in music. Lately, Allen has had a lot of irons in the fire. In 2021 alone, he released an album, won CMA new artist of the year, competed on Dancing with The Stars, wrote a children’s book, debuted as the executive music producer for Netflix show Titletown High, had a track featured on Elton John’s new album, hosted a radio show, sang in the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade and toured with Brad Paisley. Next, he’ll kick off his first headlining tour. The path to recognition hasn’t been smooth for Allen, however. He sat down with The Contributor to talk about the mu-

sic world, his struggle with homelessness and how he likes to give back. You moved to Nashville to pursue music in 2007, and I know it wasn’t an easy road once you moved here. Can you tell me about some of your experiences without stable housing? When I first moved here I lived in his trailer with no electric for a while. I lived in my car for a little bit. All to just try to do what I could to just stay in Nashville until things got going. Because I realized this is where I need to be. What were some of the artists that you heard growing up that stuck with you as you moved into your own music career? You had everybody from Brooks & Dunn, to Matchbox Twenty, to U2 to

Prince. My dad was a huge Aaron Tippin fan, I fell in love with his music. Alan Jackson, Boyz II Men, this gospel singer named Andraé Crouch. I grew up with some music that really stuck with me musically, and kind of helped form the blend of my sound. You've had a lot of collaborations and awards in the music world. Is there something that you're still trying to achieve in music? Of course — that's why you see artists that never really walk away from it. You see guys like Willie Nelson or guys like Charlie Pride who play shows and tour until they die. With musicians, in order to become successful in this business, you have to have a hustle, always on the go, grind it out mentality. And once you develop that mentality, it's

PAGE 12 | January 19 - February 2, 2022 | The Contributor | NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE

impossible to turn it off. It's impossible. That's why we see so many athletes do the same thing where they stay in the NBA or play football long after they should retire — after their skills, you know, they're a little older, so they're not on the same level as everybody else. But it's like, that's your life. I believe out of all the careers, being in entertainment takes the most sacrifice, like the most hardships on your relationships, your friendships, your marriages. When you develop that hunger and that drive and start setting goals, it's kind of hard to turn it off. For me, there's always gonna be something I'm going to want to achieve. That’s another reason why a lot of musicians don't do New Year's resolutions because every day of the year, there's something we're trying to improve.

COVER STORY

(LEFT)PHOTO CREDIT: JORDAN SMITH, BETTIE FEST (ABOVE) PHOTO CREDIT: SHEA FLYNN

Are there more things outside of the music world that you want to do? My dream as a kid was to be an entertainer, not just a musician. Whether it's acting side, whether it's film, television, scripted, unscripted, hosting. I had a radio show last year, and earlier this year. I want to do musical theater, have a book. I want to work to get some sort of shoe collaboration, have my own sneaker, my own boot. There's a long list of things I want to do. I know you got to tour with Brad Paisley and he's really involved with the organization he started in Nashville, The Store. How do you like to give back to the community? My own community, in Delaware, I go home every Christmas and I play a free show — we sell tickets, but I don't get paid, and we take all the money and give it to a local school. And that's how I give back in Delaware. In Nashville, I see a lot of people selling The Contributor on the street

so what I typically do is, I've bought it from them, overpaid, give them like $10 or $20. I appreciate the people I've seen selling these papers because you know, people might look down on them. But that's a job. They're out there selling papers on the side of the road. First of all, it takes someone who's willing to humble themselves. A lot of people are too prideful to do that. So I respect the hell out of them. There's this one guy, we don't know each other's names, but we call each other king. He's a Black guy, he's right there on the corner of 16th, on Music Row. I bet that’s Shawn! Yeah, I've been seeing him every day for like a year, two years. I stop by and say what's up to him, or even if I can't stop I'll honk and he'll yell out, "king!" That's my guy right there. I respect the hell out of him. What would you say to a person who is in the same situation that you once

were in, where you didn't have a stable place to stay? I would say keep going. And remember that forever isn't right now. It's just a moment. And with each moment in life, we all can be learning. The best thing to do is no matter how hard the situation is, try to find time in those moments where you can learn from it. What helped when I was in my car and I didn't have money for food or nothing, this guy gave me a dollar and when he gave me a dollar he asked for my name. The crazy thing is people forget there's power in your name. He said, "What's your name?" "Jimmie," "What's your last name?" "Allen," "Say it again." "Jimmie Allen." It made me remember that family history that I'm proud of and that restored some sense of pride and confidence in myself just from someone having me say my name. So I tell people all the time, say your name to yourself. Sounds like people interacting and just talking to you at that time helped. But was there something else, anoth-

January 19 - February 2, 2022 | The Contributor | NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE | PAGE 13

er organization or something you got plugged into that helped you be able to climb out of where you were? I used to go on Monday nights, they used to do it under this bridge, it's called People Loving Nashville. I'd do that a lot. That's an organization that helped me. They do it out of Brentwood Baptist but it's called Kairos, on Tuesday nights. When I was in my 20s I would go there. Just finding some sense of community, that's the biggest thing. Having some sense of community and realizing you're not on your own, man, that can do a lot. Because once your mindset is right about, this is where I'm at, this is where I want to go. Once you get your mind locked in, everything else kind of just falls in place where you're going to do whatever it takes to get to where you want to be. Is there anything else you want to add? Just tell everyone love yourself, love everybody around you, and don’t forget your name.

INTERNATIONAL NETWORK OF STREET PAPERS

As pandemic bites, US cities use data to fight race and income gaps By mining data, city authorities across the United States have found new tools to fight racial and economic inequality during COVID-19, including research in Philadelphia that will help pinpoint aid for some 10,000 families, a disproportionate number of whom were found to be from communities of color. BY CAREY L. BIRON Donald Gadson and his wife had been meaning to sort out their financial affairs when she died after a sudden illness — plunging the family and their century-old Philadelphia home into legal limbo. Five years on, Gadson recently got matters in order with help from a legal aid organization, ensuring that the family home — which had been in his wife's name — will eventually pass to his two sons. "A home is a place where you can start building wealth — because it's something stable, something you know," said Gadson, 62. Many more city residents beset by "tangled title" issues may now be able to access similar legal assistance thanks to a pioneering analysis of home ownership data released last year. Officials say the research will help them pinpoint aid for some 10,000 families unable to access $1 billion in property. A disproportionate number were found to be from communities of color, with many clustered in just three city districts. As well as freezing family-owned wealth, title issues can prevent residents from accessing basic government services or post-disaster assistance, and make them vulnerable to predatory development. The Philadelphia initiative is among a growing number of projects across the United States using data to address inequality - an effort that has gained momentum during the pandemic and since 2020's Black Lives Matter protests. "We're at the beginning of a really exciting time, where we're able to allow the data to drive us to think about how to problem-solve," said James P. Leonard, Philadelphia's commissioner of records. He said the use of the data, which had been analyzed in a study by the non-profit Pew Charitable Trusts, marked a potentially "transformational" new chapter for the city.

coronavirus aid, such as awarding grants for small businesses in areas with bigger racial and income disparities.

Families receive food aid relief during the COVID-19 pandemic. U.S., Oct. 27, 2020. Picture taken October 17, 2020. REUTERS/BING GUAN At local legal aid organization Philadelphia VIP, home ownership attorney P. Michael Jones said the data flags exactly who needs assistance, when previously they relied on a less targeted approach. "Thanks to the data, we're able to target specific areas and even households that are impacted," he said. This summer, Gadson met with a Philadelphia VIP attorney who within months was able to fix the family's legal problems, adding his sons' names to the house deed and resolving other outstanding issues. "It lifted a whole weight off," he said. ‘Moving at light speed’ Economic fallout from COVID-19, coupled with demands for racial justice, have piled new pressures on US city governments. "We were hearing two very real, parallel concerns at a volume we hadn't heard before - one

focused on equity, and the other on the lack of money," said Stacey Gillett, who leads on government innovation for Bloomberg Philanthropies, referring to conversations with city leaders. When the federal government started disbursing unprecedented aid to city authorities in March 2021, local officials turned their attention to how to spend the windfall fairly, she said. "So we said, 'let's start somewhere: Do you know what the needs are, at the neighborhood level, at the race level? So many cities don't even disaggregate data by race," she said. In October 2020, Gillett helped start a program with Bloomberg's What Works Cities initiative, bringing together budget and finance heads from several dozen cities to look at how to foster an equitable recovery from the pandemic. Data has played a central role in crafting policies focused on boosting equality.

"We've now seen city leaders and staff shift away from the way things always have been done and really instead focus on how data ... can stabilize and make lives better for residents," said Jenn Park, founding director of the What Works Cities certification program, which helps cities boost their data use. In San Antonio, Texas, officials had already been developing tools aimed at better targeting budget resources but the pandemic accelerated their implementation, said city manager Erik Walsh. "We were moving at light speed," he said by phone. "It was data we had and needed it to inform our decisions. And rather than overthinking it, we just started using it." Among the city's data-led innovations was the creation of an "equity atlas" that breaks down the population by race and income. That resource was used for the first time to channel federal

PAGE 14 | January 19 - February 2, 2022 | The Contributor | NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE

‘Listening to the community’ For many cities, gaining more insight about different residents' needs and frustrations has meant asking them directly - before carefully poring over their answers. In Durham, North Carolina, officials have revisited a raft of seemingly minor measures after open-ended consultations with residents revealed they were having a disproportionate effect on marginalized communities. These include, for instance, the difficulties that can stem from suspending someone's driving license, said Erin Parish, a design strategist with the city. "During COVID, we took that same approach: What were their biggest issues around fines and fees? They said traffic tickets, parking citations and water bills," she said, prompting work to figure out how such levies could be waived or minimized. Portland, Oregon, too, has been putting more emphasis on residents' feedback, said Koffi Dessou, deputy director of the city's Office of Equity and Human Rights. When pandemic food aid was being distributed, for instance, he said officials heard certain foods were going to waste due to medical or religious restrictions. Now, Portland is trying to measure the effectiveness of all federal pandemic-related funding among city residents, through data gathered from those receiving the resources. "The impetus for data is now coming from everywhere," said Walle Brown, a data analyst with Portland's equity office. "We're at an unprecedented time." Courtesy of Reuters / International Network of Street Papers

LA NOTICIA “The Contributor” está trabajando con uno de los principales periódicos en español La Noticia para llevar contenido a más lectores en Middle Tennessee. Nuestros vendedores de periódicos han pedido durante mucho tiempo que nuestra publicación incluya contenido que apele al interés de residentes de habla hispana en nuestra comunidad.

“The Contributor” is working with one of the leading Spanish-language newspapers La Noticia to bring content to more readers in Middle Tennessee. Our newspaper vendors have long requested that our publication include content that appeals to the interest of Spanish-speaking residents in our community.

LOCALES - POLÍTICA - INMIGRACIÓN - TRABAJOS - SALUD - ESPECTÁCULOS - DEPORTES Y MÁS...

GRATIS

Enero/2

2022 Año 20 - No. 342

L a N ticia

Escanee esta imagen para ver La Noticia newspaper edición bilingüe digital

www.hispanicpaper.com

“DONDE OCURREN LOS HECHOS QUE IMPORTAN, SIEMPRE PRIMERO... ANTES”

Nashville, Tennessee

Situación actual: 1 de cada 33 habitantes en Nashville infectado con COVID-19

Alcalde John Cooper lleva a cabo, junto a doctores Alex Jahangir y Gill Wright, conferencia de prensa debido al aumento de casos.

La ciudad estima que actualmente hay 23,000 casos activos de COVID-19, aproximadamente 1 de cada 33 residentes. Sin embargo, ese número no incluye todos los que dieron positivo usando pruebas rápidas en casa. Estas pruebas rápidas como BinaxNow, FlowFlex o QuickVue, son muy dificiles de encontrar en la actualidad debido a la demanda creada por la preocupacion por las actividades sociales recientes de fiestas de navidad y año nuevo. Junto al alcalde Cooper estuvieron el Dr. Alex Jahangir, representando al Departamento de Salud y presidente del grupo de trabajo sobre coronavirus; el Dr. Gill Wright con el Departamento de Salud Pública Metropolitana; y el jefe del Departamento de Bomberos de Nashville, William Swann. El alcalde Cooper abrió la sesión informativa enfatizando la importancia de las vacunzas de refuerzo (boosters), e informando que hasta el momento 168,000 en el condado de Davidson han recibido un refuerzo de la vacuna. Se estima que el 62,9 % de los habitantes de Nashville están completamente vacunados.

Foto: Yuri Cunza

La tarde del 10 de enero último, el alcalde de nuestra ciudad en Nashville, John Cooper, realizó una conferencia de prensa para abordar el tema del monitoreo de COVID-19 y la Por Yuri Cunza respuesta del goEditor in Chief bierno metropoli- @LaNoticiaNews tano al reciente aumento alarmante de casos en todo el condado de Davidson.

A principio de mes, largas lineas y espera en sitios de prueba y vacunación

Conoce tus derechos: ¿Que hacer en caso de una redada? 1. Mantenerse callado 2. Sólo dar nombre y apellido 3. No mentir 4. Nunca acepte/lleve documentos falsos 5. No revelar su situación migratoria 6. No llevar documentación de otro país 7. En caso de ser arrestado, mostrarla Tarjeta Miranda (llámenos si necesita una)

por

www.juanese.com juaneseUSA@gmail.com

January 19 - February 2, 2022 | The Contributor | NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE | PAGE 15

VENDOR WRITING

MY LEGACY CARL D., CONTRIBUTOR VENDOR All my life I dreamed about being a baseball player. My heroes were the stars of the game. Men who, in my eyes, were characters that were larger than life. With manes like “The Big Bambino,” “Jolting Joe,” to name a few. Growing up I worked hard, trying my best to be like them. I copied their swing, their stance at the plate. I tried to throw like them, even walk like them. I loved playing baseball. On Saturday, with my glove hanging off the end of my bat, bat slung over my shoulder, I made my way around the neighborhood knocking on doors

and windows until I got a response. Anywhere and everywhere until I found who I was looking for and then by whatever means necessary gathered up as many as could come, then turned and proceeded directly back to the park. “The Diamond,” as it was called, was a sacred place to us little leaguers because that’s where legends were born. The place where our heroes got their start. All it takes, we were told, is hard work, lots of practice and of course you must love “the game” above all else. Although momma ran a close second. After all, a boy couldn’t survive with-

out his mom. She was essential to the dream. Pop played a part as well. He pointed out the highlights and of course he taught me the fundamentals of the game. How to snag a fly ball, scoop up a grounder, and the most important thing of all, how to throw the most terrifying pitch in the game, the curve ball. Yea! Man did I love this game. Played on a hot summer day, sweaty, dirty from sliding into second base. For me, life didn’t get any better than scoring on a hit and run or stealing home plate. One of the guys I played ball with once told me later on after we had

grown up that he loved playing against me because he knew I would play as hard as I could to beat him and that it made him try harder at everything he did in life, and he was glad to have known me. That I made a difference in how he lived his life made me smile. That’s how I want to be remembered. As highly competitive, someone who will always try and beat you, gets you to play your best. And last, a guy though behind in the count, always stepped up to the plate and swung for the fence. Always striving to win! Who never gave up, in the game of baseball and in life.

THE EAGLE’S NEST - PREFACE BY CHRIS SCOT T FIESELMAN I watched the sun setting from the top of Saint Cloud Hill. This historical, remnant, preserved piece of Nashville, holds special meaning to me. It’s where I came to know and love and claim Nashville as my home. The ruins and remains of Fort Negley rest there and have witnessed beautiful sunsets like this over and over again, so many times for so many years. Standing like a silent, still, sentinel or a proud, loving, parent watching over the growth and change of this city. Always hopeful with promise, that these changes will benefit one and all who come to call this beautiful, welcoming city, Music City, their home. Back in the 1800’s, the belief that “All Men Are Created Equal” was a foolish, unacceptable, new Yankee idea that many a fine, wealthy, Southern gentleman did not cotton to. So, for four long years, Americans fought The Civil War, brother against brother, to establish a nation un-questionably built upon the belief that “Justice for All” meant everyone. Fort Negley, atop Saint Cloud Hill is a cherished reminder of that painful, shameful, period from our past. On Feb. 23, 1862, The Union Army took possession of Nashville from The Confederacy. In April of that year, Fort Negley, was established, built through the hard work and noble, valiant effort of conscripted, freed slaves. I was born on Feb. 23, 1962, 100

years to the day later and I arrived in Nashville on April 23, 2009. I stayed at the Nashville Rescue Mission for a couple of weeks, but then I decided to live instead as a homeless camper in the forest on the N.E. side of Saint Cloud Hill beside The Adventure Science Center. This went on for seven long years and it was there I built a homeless camping community I called The Eagles Nest. Free from violence and drug addiction, with clean well-maintained campsites and raised tents on decks I built from pallets. Meticulously manicured trails covered with wood chips. A place where people who felt like outcasts could feel like they were a part of something, happy and content, safe and secure, like being at home with family, a community. In April, 2016 the city of Nashville decided that a sanctioned encampment area for the homeless, no matter how well maintained and presentable, can not and will not be condoned or allowed. So, in the shadow of Fort Negley, the camp was dismantled, the homeless evicted and the forest was cleared. Two days later I went to court for trespassing but it was a futile effort after the fact. The case was dismissed, I lost everything, Justice had failed and the wealthy and powerful prevailed. The Eagle’s Nest Camping Community, an example of what could be, was gone, but will never be forgotten. The video

documentary Saint Cloud Hill is available online and remains a historical record of this tragic event. Meanwhile… On the South Eastern side of Saint Cloud Hill, Herschel Greer Stadium, the former home of the Nashville Sounds minor league baseball team, built in 1978, had outlived its usefulness and functionality due to costly maintenance repairs and numerous much needed expensive upgrades. So, in 2014, Greer Stadium saw its last season and closed its doors forever. The property sat abandoned for the next four years until 2018, when Mayor David Briley and Metro City Council decided it was time for demolition and redevelopment. Plans were submitted and demolition began. During that time, developers offered several different proposals for residential and retail space, which led to an archeological survey that revealed the strong possibility, the conscripted slaves who originally built Fort Negley were most likely buried there. After a short court battle, it was decided that the land held too much historical value to disrupt, disturb or destroy by development. New plans to convert the land into a memorial park with additional greenspace to be re-incorporated into Fort Negley were considered but never agreed upon and no conclusive decision could ever be reached. In 2019, demolition was completed, the land was re-seeded with

PAGE 16 | January 19 - February 2, 2022 | The Contributor | NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE

grass, fenced in and again left idle and abandoned since then, until now. It’s January, 2022 and the time for talk without action is through. “The Eagle’s Nest” Nashville, Tennessee’s Homeless Transitional Micro-Housing Facility is ready to become a reality. The Eagle’s Nest - Proposal Intro. The problems resulting from Nashville, Tennessee City Government’s failure and inability to find a workable solution to address the city’s ever increasing homeless problem has created a present-day, city-wide, dilemma and sense of urgency. For 12 years, I have lived in Nashville. My first seven, as a homeless camper in the woods on the north side of Fort Negley/Saint Cloud Hill, until the camp was destroyed. Everything happens for a reason and the steps of a righteous man are ordained by God. I am an Army veteran who, for some unknown reason, has been drawn to the land surrounding a United States of America, former military installation known as Fort Negley. In the setting sun’s shadow of that historical monument, I can hear the words of our beloved former 16th president, Abraham Lincoln say, “Heal This Nation.” My intention for that presently unused, city owned piece of property, formerly known as Greer Stadium, is the subject of this Proposal. To Be Continued…

VENDOR WRITING

ORGAN DONATION SAVES LIVES BY NORMA B. Many of my regular Sunday customers know Larry. Some of you have even given him nicknames. (He’s used to that. For the longest time I didn’t know his name so I called him my “In Full Bloom guy“ because he delivered flowers for the In Full Bloom Flower Shop and the car was unmistakable.) Some of you referred to him as, “my paper runner“ because he would deliver the paper to those of you in traffic that I couldn’t get to before the light changed. (I often tell people I have two speeds: slow and slower.) Others called him, “my publicist” because he would encourage those who were hesitant to take the paper to read it because “it’s really good“ especially if I was in it. Afterward I would often ask, “How do you know that? You just got your paper, and you haven’t even read it yet.“ His reply? “I don’t have to, all your stories are good!“ I even had someone ask me if he was delivering customers when they saw that he brought someone with him to visit me. I said, “Well, sort of — that’s his wife, Dee.” However, this year brought about an unexpected change and many of you noticed. On January 18, 2021 I received an email from Dee saying, “Larry’s heart function had declined.” In short, his heart gave out — I guess that shouldn’t surprise me, he has such a BIG heart, and I knew he’d had issues in the past that included one severe heart attack in 1999 that required 5-bypass surgery after an unsuccessful angioplasty in the ER, then a stent that was also unsuccessful. Around 2000, a defibrillator was implanted — the first of three in a 10 year period. In January 2021, during his annual appointment at the Heart Failure Clinic he was immediately admitted to the hospital due to tachycardia. Medication couldn’t lower Larry’s pulse, so over the next six hours he went through two major surgeries. These surgeries were also unsuccessful so the next morning he went back into surgery to be connected to an external Left

Larry at home in his favorite chair, two weeks after his transplant, wearing his Contributor logo jacket. PHOTO COURTESY OF DEE AND LARRY. Ventricle Assist Device (LVAD) to do the work his heart could no longer do. Clearly he had a decision to make, he could: 1.) Get a heart transplantbut to do that he must meet their qualifications, then be approved by a committee 2.) Get an internal LVAD which would’ve been very limiting to his lifestyle, but it would’ve kept him alive 3.) Receive an artificial heart, but it would’ve had to be replaced each year-Yikes! 4.) Do nothing which would’ve meant certain death You’d think with everything that was going on, there would be very little time to keep others besides immediate family informed about Larry‘s condition but nothing could be further from the truth. Though Larry was obviously incapacitated, Dee made sure that EVERYONE who wanted to know what was going on with him was well informed with detailed daily updates via email. Perhaps most impressive to me was her ability to put all that medical jargon into layman‘s terms that anyone could understand, which is no easy task.

I came to look forward to those daily updates just as I had all those lengthy Sunday visits with Larry on my corner — and if I didn’t get an email, I would worry that something happened, but they always came, often with an apology from Dee if she felt it took too long to get them out. I must admit, I got to know a different side of her in this situation, she’s normally quiet and reserved, a woman of few words, but not when it came to this. Equally impressive to me, is the fact that during this stressful time, their primary concern was not that Larry be OK (though that was the desired outcome), instead it was that God be glorified in all this. A true testament to their unwavering faith. It didn’t take long for the team of doctors (and it really was a team, most from Ascension St. Thomas and some from Vanderbilt) to determine that his heart would no longer support him.Thankfully he agreed to a heart transplant. Adding insult to injury, it was discovered that he had suffered severe kidney damage, and as a result, he needed a kidney transplant too. I was VERY concerned. I mean, transplantation of one organ is traumatic enough, but

he needed two such vital organs, and at his age (he was nearly 70 at the time). It seemed highly unlikely to me that they would find two compatible organs in time, much less that his body could endure the multiple complex procedures involved, but then again, “with God all things are possible!” By January 22, a donor had been found, the transplants were completed, and the recovery process could begin. As we approach the one year anniversary of the transplants, I’m happy to report that Larry not only survived the ordeal but he continues to thrive. He reached his doctors' 90 day goals for him in only 46-47 days, meaning he could be left alone, drive a car, etc., truly liberating Larry who has always been independent. That doesn’t mean it’s always been smooth sailing — there have been many setbacks along the way. These included a number of infections, even an abscess on the new kidney making it slow to function in its "new home," and with a compromised immune system any of these conditions could have posed a serious threat to his recovery, and ultimately, his life. When asked about any other

January 19 - February 2, 2022 | The Contributor | NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE | PAGE 17

problems he’s experienced since the transplants Larry said, “I struggle with stamina, a lack of strength, and my blood pressure and glucose levels fluctuate more now than ever before." He also mentioned that he’s missed doing his own yard work, but added, “It’s an easy trade off when you consider everything I’ve gained.” Yes, life is slowly but surely returning to normal, But it’s a "new normal," one filled with mundane reminders of multiple clinic appointments, taking anti-rejection medicine for the rest of his life, etc. He’s even stopped by my corner a few times. Not for a long visit like before, just a quick drive-by now and then to check in, but even when he wasn’t able to come himself, I knew he didn’t forget about me. How? He sent his daughter to visit in his place. What a nice surprise! Through it all, they’ve never felt alone. As you might expect, their family came together — their daughter Keely from Mt. Juliet and son Joel from Houston, Texas came to help their Mom keep watch over Dad. Even Dee’s sister Deb, who is an RN came in from Ft. Wayne, Indiana to help take care of Larry, doing things Dee was unable to do. A special thanks goes out to their extended family of faith who have said many prayers on their behalf. Many have called, and sent cards and letters of encouragement to Larry and Dee. All of which you can be certain were greatly appreciated! A Few Facts About Organ Donation: 1.) 41,354 transplants were performed in 2021 2.) About 107,000 are awaiting a transplant in the US 3.) Every donor can save 8 lives and can enhance 75 others 4.) Every 9 minutes another person is added to the wait list 5.) 17 people die each day awaiting a transplant Would YOU consider being an organ donor? It’s DEFINITELY something to think about.

VENDOR WRITING

IF YOU SEARCH TYRONE M.

If you search hard / can’t find any To deal with life Don’t give up on Jesus He is here to help you fight If you search If you search the world over / People are constantly putting you down Talk to Jesus he is always around If you search If you search about things / still don’t know what to do Call on God / He’ll pull you (through) If you search

THEME: THE GR A MM Y AWA R DS ACROSS 1. Chunk of land 6. Sail alternative 9. Female sheep, pl. 13. Oak, in Spanish 14. Nucleic acid acronym 15. "____ under fire" 16. Permeate 17. Internet meme move 18. *Number of 2022 Grammy nominations for Doja Cat or H.E.R. 19. *Justin Bieber's stuff from Georgia 21. *Gaga's partner 23. Mauna ____, Hawaii 24. Cartoon Coyote's first name 25. Lawyers' grp. 28. Marine eagle 30. Like Roger Rabbit 35. Boisterous play 37. Ore deposit 39. Davy Crockett's last stand 40. U.S. city and lake 41. Tossed starter

43. F.B.I. operative 44. Group of nine singers, e.g. 46. Gardner's gear 47. In the middle of 48. Arctic-wear 50. Porcini mushrooms 52. In the manner of, in French 53. *Bruno Mars and Anderson .Paak, a.k.a. ____ Sonic 55. Decimal system base 57. *2022 Grammy nominations leader 61. *"Bad Habits" performer 65. Lacking sense 66. Unit of electrical resistance 68. Low landform 69. Grassy mound 70. Recent or new, prefix 71. Los ____, CA 72. Peasy precursor 73. .0000001 joule 74. Earp of the Wild West

DOWN 1. LSD consequence? 2. City on the Tiber 3. *Swedish band with one 2022 Grammy nomination 4. Exclamation from a coop 5. Tittering laugh sound 6. Bookie's quote 7. Registered nurses' org. 8. Torah expert 9. Female name or a name for Ireland 10. Worker's reward 11. Not counterfeit 12. Cobblestone 15. Genus, pl. 20. British peers 22. Will Ferrell holiday movie 24. Matrimony 25. *2022 Grammy event venue, Crypto.com ____ 26. B on Mendeleev's table 27. Type of acid 29. *Grammy host's last name 31. Aquarium dweller 32. #3 Down's 1975 hit "____ Mia" 33. Means of communication 34. *Kanye's album 36. Source of pressure? 38. Facilitate 42. Profoundness 45. Tip of lion's tail 49. First aid one 51. Up and down playground attraction 54. Sergio of westerns 56. Very recently 57. Triathlon ride 58. Tolstoy's Karenina 59. New Mexico art colony 60. Inwardly 61. Dirty air 62. Common "pro" follower 63. Loads 64. Egg storage 67. *"Fight for You" performer

If you search your heart/mind And find it filled with hate and racism Don’t be scared to death, God will pick you up / Put you back on the shelf If you search If you search for love / find hate Pray to God for your (tormented) heart Because it’s not (too late) If you search If you search / cant’ find an answer Right away Just get on your knees / pray

PAGE 18 | January 19 - February 2, 2022 | The Contributor | NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE

FUN

HOBOSCOPES CAPRICORN

“Who’s there?” as everyone knows, is a pretty good second line for a knock, knock joke. But Shakespeare knew it would make a great opening line for Hamlet. You’ll remember that it’s Bernardo, a castle guard, who sees a figure in the darkness. He calls out “Who’s there?” into the night. What a relief to discover that it’s only his night watchman colleague, Francisco. It gets dark out there, Capricorn, and we all need a little relief. If you see a shadow moving your way, don’t run, don’t hide, just call out. Maybe it’s somebody you can talk to. Knock, knock.

TAURUS

I saw your text, Taurus! Sure, I’d be glad to write you a letter of recommendation. Can I just put it here and you can just cut it out? OK, let’s see…To whom it may concern, I’ve been Taurus’s amateur astrologer for a good bit and despite a few notable mishaps and at least one expansive resume gap, The Stars indicate that Taurus will make an excellent candidate for anything you’ve got in mind. Taurus has abilities that even they haven’t fully explored yet, so I recommend compensation above what they think they deserve. Feel free to contact me astrally if you have any specific questions or concerns about Taurus’s future.

GEMINI

AQUA RIUS

Sorry I haven’t been around lately, Aquarius. I was pretty sick last week. You’ve probably heard — it’s been going around. I’m feeling much better and I hope you’ve been staying healthy and safe. But if you’re feeling a little sniffle or a cough, I’d just like to encourage you to get somewhere cozy and stay put. We want as much of you as we can get, Aquarius, but this is one thing, maybe the only thing, you should keep to yourself.

Recently, researchers have been training goldfish to drive around on land in tiny cars that are essentially goldfish bowls on wheels. Which makes me wonder, Gemini, has anybody checked on researchers? I mean, are they OK right now? We’ve all got to be looking out for each other and there’s been a lot to deal with lately. So if the people you usually look to for advice and information aren’t quite as responsive lately, or if they have things less together, or if they’re building hot air balloons for spiders, maybe it’s a good time for you to check in.

CANCER

PISCES

We experience three dimensions, Pisces. Even without the flimsy red and blue glasses, we walk around soaking up length, width and height. Some say the fourth dimension is time. What if we had tinted cellophane lenses that let us see time in that same single view? If we could look at our lives and see beginning to end without having to wait for what’s next and always forget what came before? But instead we’re stuck with three. Length, width, height. And time blows through all on it’s own, unceasing and invisible. Three is enough, Pisces. Close your eyes and sit in this moment. Let the time wash past.

Picture it, Cancer. It’s 9 at night. I’m in 8th grade. I’ve got a report due tomorrow on The Red Badge of Courage and I haven’t started reading yet. So I go out into the backyard and look up into the sky. Half clouds, half clear. I say to the brightest star “Please. Please help me. I’ll do anything. Please.” Thirty minutes later it starts to snow. School is canceled! I’m saved! I spend the day building snowmen, throwing snowballs and drinking cocoa by the fire. I never read the book and decide I’ll just become an ameteur astrologer, instead. Sometimes we misunderstand our own intentions, Cancer. Be honest about what you want.

LEO

ARIES

Today I don’t know what to do, Aries. The world is overwhelming. There is too much to worry about and too little to do about it. So I have decided that I’m going to make cupcakes. This is an achievable goal. I know how to begin and I will know when I am finished and then I will have a cupcake. Sometimes you can’t fix any of it, Aries. But you can usually make cupcakes.

You know what the worst thing is, Leo? When your feet are super cold and you go into the kitchen and open the fridge and a full bottle of soy sauce falls out right on your middle toe. OK, I guess there could be one or two things that are worse than that. But why does it hurt so much more when your feet are cold? I know you’ve got things to do today, Leo, but before you get out there where all the falling soy sauce bottles are, maybe take a minute to warm up. Maybe put on some extra thick socks. Maybe give yourself all the advantages you can.

VIRGO

My landlord called to tell me to drip the faucets tonight so the pipes won’t freeze. It reminded me of you, Virgo. I know you’ve been worried that you won’t be able to get that flow going again. What if the pipes are broken already? So today, I think you should just drip the faucet. Turn on that creativity to the lowest setting possible. Mostly, I just want you to see that it’s still there. And maybe you’ll want to let it flow a little more. And maybe you’ll want to let it run all night.

LIBRA

Zzzzap! What even is that, Libra? That thing where you walk across the rug and reach out for the keys and you get zapped with static electricity? You can build up a charge when you pick up extra electrons from the rug. That’s the “static” part the electrons build up and stay put. But then you touch the keys and “zzzzap!” the built up electrons jump off. Sometimes, Libra, you might let things build up that you’re scared to set loose. But I know you don’t want to zap anybody. Try writing it out. Put all that build up on paper just to get it free. Then maybe you can see what you need to share first.

SCORPIO

A hamster in a cage is still a hamster. Sure, it’s far from it’s distant Syrian ancestors, burrowing deep into the dry desert soil and running like wild to escape the fox. It has no need to hoard seeds and fruit or hibernate for a harsh winter. A hamster in a cage is still a hamster. The wood chips and plastic tubes and exercise wheel all point to limitations, but the hamster still runs and digs and sleeps deep. Your borders do not define you, Scorpio. You are fully yourself under whatever constraints. This system didn’t make you any less whole. Still, this might be the night to chew through that latch and run for the window.

SAGITTA R IUS

Did you see that little bakery on the corner, Sagittarius? They’ve got fresh muffins and brownies and cheesy egg sandwiches better than anything you’ve ever had! How do you think somebody decides to become a baker? I guess they’re people who realize that out of all the jobs — sales, logistics, government, programming, candlestick making — that the thing the world needs from them the very most is to make their neighbors a cake, a scone, a danish. The people that change their neighborhoods are the people that change the world, Sagittarius. I, for one, am excited to see what you’ll be baking next. In fact, could I get one to go?

Mr. Mysterio is not a licensed astrologer, a registered night watchman, or an experienced baker. Mr. Mysterio is, however, a budding intermediate podcaster! Check out The Mr. Mysterio Podcast. Season 2 is now playing at mrmysterio.com. Got a question, just give Mr. M a call at 707-VHS-TAN1

January 19 - February 2, 2022 | The Contributor | NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE | PAGE 19

PAGE 20 | January 19 - February 2, 2022 | The Contributor | NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE

Doing The Most Good Strategy 2022 • Meeting Basic Human Needs • Quality of Life Coaching • Resourcing Social Mobility Opportunities Transformational relationships reduce poverty, strengthen well-being, and increase social mobility. The Salvation Army is reflecting the quality of community in the lives of others, increasing the quality of life for us all.

Hold Us Accountable. Visit SalvationArmyNashville.org to learn more about our programs. January 19 - February 2, 2022 | The Contributor | NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE | PAGE 21

The New Christian Year Selected by Charles Williams (1941)

Charles Walter Stansby Williams (1886–1945), the editor of the following selections, is today probably the third most famous of the famous Inklings literary group of Oxford, England, which existed in the middle of the 20th century, and which included among its ranks the better-known and longer-lived Oxford Dons J.R.R. Tolkien and C. S. Lewis—but he was arguably the most precocious and well-read of this eminent and intellectually fertile group. He was also known to have influenced Dorothy Sayers, T. S. Eliot and W. H. Auden. Lacking a proper degree unlike his fellow Inklings, this genius Cockney-speaking author, editor, critic, and playwright was eminently well-versed in both philosophical and theological writings of the remote past as of the present day (the mid-20th century) and used this familiarity to good effect in his poetry, supernatural fiction and his lesser-known devotional selections designed for the spiritual benefit of the faithful in the Church of England. This series of profound quotations, encompassing all walks of life, follows the sequence of the themes and Bible readings anciently appointed for contemplation throughout the church's year, beginning with Advent (i.e., December) and ending in November, and reaches far beyond the pale of the philosophical and theological discussions of his day. It was under his hand, for instance, that some of the first translations of Kierkegaard were made available to the wider public. It is hoped that the readings reproduced here will prove beneficial for any who read them, whatever their place in life's journey. — Matthew Carver

2ND WEDNESDAY AFTER THE EPIPHANY

3RD MONDAY AFTER THE EPIPHANY

SIN is a robbing of God: a robbery which becomes apparent in our ar- rogant endeavour to cross the line of death by which we are bounded (i. 18, 19); in our drunken blurring of the distance which separates us from God; in our forgetfulness of His invisibility; in our investing of men with the form of God, and of God with the form of man; and in our devotion to some romantic infinity, some ‘NoGod’ of this world, which we have created for ourselves. Karl Barth: The Epistle to the Romans.

IN Adam I fell, in Adam I was cast out of Paradise, in Adam I died; how shall the Lord call me back, except He find in me Adam; guilty as I was in him, so now justified in Christ. St Ambrose: On the Death of Satyrus.

2ND THURSDAY AFTER THE EPIPHANY

FEAST OF THE CONVERSION OF ST PAUL

O LORD, shew me this matter; one fleeth from the world for Thy Name’s sake, and another receiveth and is gracious for Thy Name’s sake. The Paradise of the Fathers.

WHEN a man’s behaviour, his mission, his exercise of authority, impress us as being of divine authority, what do we really mean? If we take the word ‘divine’ seriously, we mean that in this man the invisible has become visible, that what he is calls to mind what he is not, that a secret lies above and behind his behaviour, and is hidden as well as illustrated by his con- duct. We do not in any case mean that the secret is to be identified with his actions. Karl Barth: The Epistle to the Romans.

A MAN will always be tripped up by that thing which he will not cut off from himself. The Paradise of the Fathers.

3RD FRIDAY AFTER THE EPIPHANY THY kingdom come . . . Christ Himself may be the kingdom of God, whom we day by day desire to come, whose advent we crave to be quickly manifested to us. For since he is himself is the resurrection, since in him we rise again, so also the kingdom of God may be understood to be himself. St Cyprian: On the Lord’s Prayer.

3RD SATURDAY AFTER THE EPIPHANY OUR accesses to His presence are but His descents into us; and when we get anything by prayer, He gave us beforehand the thing and the petition. John Donne: Letters. MEEKNESS hath three degrees. The first degree is: a man to be subject and lowered to his sovereign and not preferred or raised above him that is equal with him in estate. The second is: to be subject to his equal like in estate and not to be raised or preferred above his underling. The third and sovereign degree of meekness is: to be subject and lowered to his underling, that is, he that is less in estate than he. The Mirror of the Blessed Life of Jesus Christ, tr. by Nicholas Love.

THIRD SUNDAY AFTER THE EPIPHANY NOW the reason why there are spiritual properties in all the material things of this world is only this, it is because the matter of this world is the materiality of the Kingdom of Heaven, brought down into a created state of grossness, death, and imprisonment, by occasion of the sin of those angels who first inhabited the place or extent of this material world. Now these heavenly properties which were brought into this created compac- tion lie in a continual desire to return to their first state of glory; and this is the groaning of the whole creation to be delivered from vanity which the Apostle speaks of. William Law: An Appeal.

IF you kept your body in accordance with virtue, your desires would not be of this world. Leonardo da Vinci: Notebooks.

LET God operate in thee; hand the work over to him and do not disquiet thyself as to whether or no he is working with nature or above nature, for his are both nature and grace. Eckhart: In Collationibus.

3RD Tuesday AFTER THE EPIPHANY ALL men by nature hate each other. They use their lusts as far as they can for the public good, but it is only a feint and false image of love, for at bottom there is nothing but hate. Pascal: Pensées. TO make rapid progress and to reach the mansions we wish to enter, it is not so essential to think much as to love much: therefore you must practise whatever most excites you to this. St Teresa: The Interior Castle.

3RD WEDNESDAY AFTER THE EPIPHANY HERE you have the true reason why revenge or vengeance is not allowed to man; it is because vengeance can only work in the evil or disordered properties of fallen nature. But man, being himself a part of fallen nature and subject to its disordered properties is not allowed to work with them, because it would be stirring up evil in himself, and that is his sin of wrath or revenge. God therefore reserves all vengeance to Himself, not because wrathful revenge is a temper or quality that can have any place in the holy Deity, but because the holy supernatural Deity, being free from all the properties of nature, whence partial love and hatred spring, and being in Himself nothing but an infinity of love, wisdom, and goodness, He alone knows how to over-rule the disorders of nature and so to repay evil with evil, that the highest good may be promoted by it. William Law: The Spirit of Love.

3RD THURSDAY AFTER THE EPIPHANY THE peace of the celestial city is the perfectly ordered and harmonious enjoyment of God and of one another in God. The peace of all things is the tranquility of order. St Augustine: City of God.

WHOSOEVER seeketh from God ought besides God, doth not seek God chastely. St Augustine: Sermons.

4TH FRIDAY AFTER THE EPIPHANY PERFECTION of a thing is threefold: first, according to the constitution of its own being; secondly, in respect of any accidents being added as necessary for its perfect operation; thirdly, perfection consists in the attaining to something else as the end . . . This triple perfection belongs to no crea- ture by its own essence; it belongs to God only, in Whom alone essence is existence; in Whom there are no accidents; since whatever belongs to others accidentally belongs to Him essentially; as, to be powerful, wise, and the like, as appears from what is stated above; and He is not directed to anything else as to an end, but is Himself the last end of all things. Hence it is manifest that God alone has every kind of perfection by His own essence. Aquinas: Summa Theologica.

4TH SATURDAY AFTER THE EPIPHANY HE to whom (God) is different in one thing from another and to whom God is dearer in one thing than another, that man is a barbarian, still in the wilds, a child. He to whom God is the same in everything has come into man’s estate. But he to whom creatures all mean want and exile has come into his own. Eckhart: Sayings. ALL our moralities are by our outworks, our Christianity is our citadel; a man who considers duty but the dignity of being a man, is not easily beat from his outworks, but from his Christianity never. John Donne: Letters.

FOURTH SUNDAY AFTER THE EPIPHANY GIFTS of nature are common to good and bad, but grace or love is the peculiar gift of Thine elect, and they that bear this mark are accounted worthy of eternal life. This grace is so excellent, that neither the gift of prophecy, nor the working of miracles, nor the understanding of deep mysteries, is of any worth without it. But neither faith, nor hope, nor any other virtue is acceptable to Thee without charity and grace. Thomas à Kempis: Imitation.

4TH MONDAY AFTER THE EPIPHANY THE self, the I, the me, and the like, all belong to the evil spirit, and therefore it is that he is an evil spirit. Theologica Germanica. DO not suppose that our Lord has need of any works of ours; He only expects us to manifest our goodwill. St Teresa: The Interior Castle.

4TH Tuesday AFTER THE EPIPHANY I CONSIDER Jesus Christ in all persons and in ourselves: Jesus Christ as a father in His Father, Jesus Christ as a Brother in His Brethren, Jesus Christ as poor in the poor, Jesus Christ as rich in the rich, Jesus Christ as Doctor and Priest in the priests, Jesus Christ as Sovereign in princes, etc. For by His glory He is all that is great, being God; and by His mortal life He is all that is poor and abject. Therefore He had taken this unhappy condition, so that He could be in all persons, and the model of all conditions. Pascal: Pensées.

The Contributor: Jan. 19, 2022

Articles inside

MOVING PICTURES

HOBOSCOPES

VENDOR WRITING

VENDOR WRITING

INSP

NEWS

NEWS

HISTORY CORNER

VENDOR SPOTLIGHT

COVER STORY