BY AMANDA HAGGARD
IN THE ISSUE
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Jesse Eisenberg’s A Real Pain is a goofy, grief-y don’t-miss
William Ridley Wills II, noted local historian, civic leader and philanthropist, died
Q&A with Amanda Bracht A
Head of Park Center Discusses Challenges, Opportunities to Improve Mental Health Space
Amanda Bracht, the CEO of Park Center, a licensed nonprofit agency serving people with severe and persistent mental illness, substance use disorders, and homelessness, is known as an innovative leader in the mental health community in Nashville.
As a graduate student, she was unsure whether to focus on social work or become an attorney. After an internship with the Public Defender’s Office, Bracht credits social workers advocating for their clients and a special mentor the late Jeff Blum, whom she described as, “a fierce advocate for those who were often unhoused and ending up in the criminal justice system,” for ending up on her current career path.
“Seeing people who were fighting in those early days to give people a voice and to advocate for better care for folks who had mental illness, who are ending up in the criminal justice system just energized me and I was grateful to have those early mentors,” said Bracht, who started out with the Mental Health Cooperative (MHC) where she worked in total for more than 25 years prior to taking the helm at Park Center. She said she also had a three-year stint working for the Public Defender’s Office.
How do you define mental health and mental illness?
I look at mental health much like I look at physical health. Physical health refers to our physical body, fitness, nutrition and how well we take care of our physical presence. Mental health is our emotional, psychological and social well-being. It’s important to take care of both of those because I firmly believe that mental health impacts our physical health and vice versa.
And then I look at mental illness much like I look at physical illnesses. Mental illness is something that could be brought on by genetics; it could be brought on by trauma; it is something that is significantly impairing our brain function. It could be something as severe as an illness like schizophrenia or bipolar disorder where you need ongoing medication and ongoing treatment for that throughout your lifetime — much like somebody who is diagnosed with diabetes on the physical health side may need that ongoing treatment. Or it could be an illness that is an episodic illness that you're suffering from depression because you've had an acute trauma or significant loss in your life and you go through counseling or medication, or a combination of those two, and your system has an opportunity to recover. You’re able to get the support you need, and then you no longer need that level of treatment. So, mental illness can have differing ranges of severity as well as different treatment throughout a person's life.
What are some of the most significant changes you have seen over the years?
When I first started the thought of having mental health clinicians or agencies working hand in hand with people in the criminal justice community or in the public health sector was not really happening, it was just starting to happen. I remember doing trainings for attorneys and police officers, and we would talk about mental health, and they would look at me like, “I don't have a clue what you're talking about.” Now when I’ve had the pleasure of being in meetings or doing those
BY JUDITH TACKETT
trainings, they’re like, “I know what you're talking about, and here's my experience.”
Some of the biggest changes is this willingness to do innovative programs [like] mental health court. Nashville’s was one of the first ones in the country in the early 2000s. And so much has evolved from that — treatment courts and recovery courts have happened.
Looking at the outpatient world of mental health, the thinking now is not only about getting people medication who have a serious mental illness but also thinking about those other things that impact their care like housing and making sure they have good transportation. There's much more willingness to look at the impact of those things on people who are in our mental health system.
Some of the innovations you were part of establishing the Behavioral Care Center at the Davidson County Sheriff’s Office; the Community Mental Health Systems Improvement (CMHSI) efforts led by the Metro Public Health Department; and the co-responder programs with Metro’s Police and Fire departments –Partners in Care and REACH.
Let’s go one by one to talk about how each program came about and what some of the biggest impacts are you have seen:
The Behavioral Care Center
What makes the BCC really innovative is that while it is under the Sheriff's Office umbrella, it is a treatment program; and [Sheriff Daron Hall] was adamant that it is a licensed residential treatment center … designed by a team of mental health clinicians. While the behavioral health technicians are part of the Sheriff’s Office, they are seen as a member of the treatment team. They are not correctional officers. There is very robust programming, and the person is called a participant in the Behavioral Care Center. They’re no longer an inmate.
The thing that I’ve also seen with the BCC is true teamwork from the District Attorney to the treatment team to the defense attorneys. When they meet every week on staff cases, they’re all looking at it from the aspect of what’s best for this individual, and how can we safely get this individual the treatment they need so they can be productive citizens. They’re talking about things like housing, employment, how to get that person connected – those things do not happen in a traditional criminal justice program. But they do happen in residential programs, but there you don’t have the expertise of an attorney.
So having a true multidisciplinary approach is so innovative, and being able to give people care, get them transitioned back into the community without having to go back to court, and without having them to build up a lengthy criminal record that's going to create more barriers from in the community, is something that I think that program has done exceptionally well.
CMHSI – Community Mental Health Systems Improvement
The Community Mental Health Systems Improvement (CMHSI) grew out of a meeting that started in 2016/17 when the [Metro Public] Health Department convened a group of leaders in the
behavioral health and first responder communities in our city and asked them to identify their biggest pain point. All of those people came together, and we identified that our biggest pain point is that when a person is in crisis, it takes too long to get them the care they need, and it's tying up all of these responders who don't have expertise to be involved in it. So, the question was, what can we do collectively to improve that?
That group then decided to formalize into the Community Mental Health Systems Improvement [effort], and we started looking at data. That led us to seek funding for the Mental Health Co-op’s crisis treatment center [which was established out of that effort.] That’s a 24/7 place where officers can bring people and not have to wait with them while they're getting a mental health assessment. Officers can bring individuals, hand them over to mental health professionals, and then get back on the street. It solved the problem of police manpower. It also solved the problem of people ending up in the wrong place to get treatment. And it got the individuals to the actual treatment teams who could do a rapid assessment and get them care.
So that was one of the first biggest wins for the Community Mental Health Systems Improvement. As a result of that, we decided to focus on other things. One issue that we’re currently focusing on is housing and the difficulty in funding supportive, affordable housing for folks with mental illness and/or substance use issues. We have another group that’s focused on early intervention for children and youth who have acute behavioral health needs, and how to get them treatment without extensive wait times in our emergency rooms or in juvenile detention.
So, CMHSI really started looking at how we can bring people together, identify a problem and then find solutions to that problem.
Partners in Care, which we have covered in our Jan-1 issue:
In Partners in Care, as illustrated in the earlier story [in The Contributor], a counselor, a mental health clinician, is paired with a Metro Police officer. They are riding together and go out to calls related to mental health that come through dispatch. That program is near and dear to my heart because we had to advocate for it at a time when it was not necessarily popular for mental health clinicians to pair with police officers. It was the summer of 2021 when we started the program.
But the issue as I had experienced it in my career. Law enforcement officers were getting these calls, and they were asking for help. “How can we do this better? Because we don’t want to use force. How can we get the person to treatment, but we don’t know because we’re not mental health clinicians.”
Thankfully we were able to get the support of Chief [John] Drake and his administration who agreed to pilot it in two precincts and see what happens. So, we have great partnerships between the Metro Police Department, the Health Department, and Mental Health Co-op.
The data piece was compelling from day one. It showed that there was a significant need. We were able to get people connected to care very quickly, had very few arrests as a result, and very few uses of force. It was so successful that officers in other precincts were asking for expansion. I believe
wholeheartedly that that pilot demonstrated how this could work, and it's now a citywide program.
REACH stands for Responders Engaged and Committed to Helping:
After the success of Partners in Care, the Fire Department was like, “Wait a minute. We also have mental health calls.” They started collecting data, too, on the number of times ambulances were responding to calls related to someone expressing suicidality. They were taking those calls and taking people to the ER in ambulances.
So, it is the same concept [as with Partners in Care]. If you pair a clinician with a paramedic, you don’t have to take a full ambulance, you can respond in an SUV or a van. Again, it started as a pilot to prove that there is a need first of all, then let’s look at the types of cases, and make sure we’re responding to the right cases and are providing the right level of care at the right time.
What role do you see yourself and Park Center play in these opportunities?
Park Center has been around for 40 years. And they’ve been the leading nonprofit organization that’s been providing that supportive housing, that I’ve just been speaking about, and employment services and dedicated homeless outreach for people with mental illness and substance use issues. When I think about the housing piece that we do. We have over 132 housing units across our city. We need to grow that, and thankfully, we have plans to break ground on another permanent supportive housing project later this year. That will be in the Madison area. We call it Park Center North, and we’re excited that that will offer affordable, supportive housing for individuals and maybe couples who want to have an independent housing unit. We’re also looking at opportunities for families who need supportive services to break the cycle of homelessness by getting access to the proper mental health treatment, the proper physical health treatment, and those other supportive services that keep them engaged in their community.
One of the other things we do is specialize in supported employment. We have an individual placement and support team. That supported employment team is going to be critical as we look at keeping people in housing and having that source of income so that they can pay for their rent and other basic necessities that they have. And we continue to look at how to identify those people who qualify for Social Security benefits and get them connected with that.
Those supportive services that really look at integrating individuals into their community, being successful in their community, and thriving in their community, is the role that I see Park Center doing.
Anything else?
I would say one opportunity for our city is finding ways that the nonprofit community can collaborate more effectively with local government as well as state government. We all want to do things to improve our community, and I think we need to focus more on collaboration and not necessarily recreating something when there may be a service provider in our community that’s really good at that.
Pretty City Lights
Written by Chris Scott Fieselman / Vendor #0015
The lights of the city, Shine brightly and pretty, For all the world to see.
Whispering tales, Of stardom from, A honky-tonk fantasy. All of the while, That welcome smile, Keeps leading you astray... Once they get their hooks in you, You can never get away...
On the dark side of those... Pretty... City... Lights... Turn a good man into,
A Creature of the Night - I - I - I - Ight...
Trying to find the dividing line... Between the wrong and the right...
On the dark side of those... Pretty... City... Lights...
You start out wasting your days, Looking for a place to play. Thinking that, You’re so much more, Then everyone, Who’s come before. You practice your craft, And you keep going after it. Something - Coming - Someday. Time goes by, And you keep on trying, Slowly getting old and grey...
On the dark side of those... Pretty... City... Lights... Turn a good man into,
A Creature of the Night - I - I - I - Ight...
Trying to find the dividing line... Between the wrong and the right... On the dark side of those... Pretty... City... Lights...
Why do you do it?
And put yourself through it? When so many have tried and failed. Believing that it’s meant to be. The check is in the mail...
On the dark side of those... Pretty... City... Lights... Turn a good man into,
A Creature of the Night - I - I - I - Ight...
Trying to find the dividing line... Between the wrong and the right... On the dark side of those... Pretty... City... Lights...
I Can Remember When
Written by Chris Scott Fieselman / Vendor #0015
I can remember when just being friendly, Meant so much to so many, And no-one was ever really too far gone, To reach... Eventually... When accomplishment and contentment, Went hand in hand?
I was unhoused, but I learned how to camp, And from then on, care about what happens? And keeps happening to my fellow man?
And that’s how it all began...
The Captain, Chris Scott Fieselman and his band of?
Flagrantly... Forsaken... Vagrant... Americans...
I can remember when friends, Who depended so much upon me, Ended up becoming something resembling family. And a tent and a sleeping bag was the key they believed, Would eventually open the door. When you’ve got everything that you think that you need, There’s no reason to ask for more?
Just waiting on a better offer...
Better Offer?
Written by Chris Scott Fieselman / Vendor #0015
More and More and More and More... And always wanting more... Is it something worth fighting for?
Make me a Better Offer...
Puzzle Pieces... Puzzle Pieces...
Keep putting it all together... Is it worth another minute of pleasure?
You know will never last forever. Is it something worth fighting for?
Make me a Better Offer...
There are ways to make money pretending to be?
Significantly helping the homeless. While so many lost souls, Have to settle for so much, Less than the very best...
When an un-resolved problem, Is finally ready, to be successfully addressed?
I can remember “The Eagles Nest” when they said? “Vacate the premises or you’re under arrest”
We can’t have a Homeless Camp, Standing in the way of what the city considers progress... I suffered the consequence... They claimed they just cleaned up the mess... That’s why “Saint Cloud Hill” Is now and always will be a Constant Reminder, Of the first time that Nashville may have, Crossed the line, transgressed and has yet to confess... Justice was trampled under their feet, And the subject was laid to rest... I Guess?
THEME: SUPER BOWL
ACROSS
1. Bungle
5. Cause of a trip?
8. Dao, alt. sp.
11. Between marquess and viscount
12. Super garb?
13. Inlet in Norway
15. Cogito ____ sum
16. Long story
17. Deprived of a limb
18. *Half-time headliner 20. Ice, dark or middle
21. *Cindy Crawford wore "____ Dukes" in a Super Bowl ad
22. Flightless bird
23. *Last year's Super Bowl winners
26. A cheap, run-down motel
30. "____ the fields we go"
31. Merry
34. Actor's part
35. Expensive
37. Not him
38. Cell phone bill item
39. Civil Rights icon
40. *David Tyree's ____ Catch
42. Letters of distress
43. What rule follower does
45. Get cozy
47. Greed, biblically-speaking
48. Grieve for the dead
50. Time period
52. *Team with most Super Bowl appearances
55. 3600 seconds, pl.
56. Casino chip
57. Salmon's output
59. En ____, all together
60. Like Piper of Hamelin
61. Uber alternative
62. ____ Robinson
63. Acronym, abbr.
64. "Come Sail Away" band
DOWN
1. Service charge
2. Songbird 3. Craving 4. Marilyn Monroe, e.g. 5. ____ lazuli 6. Hot 7. 52 cards
8. Hefty volume 9. Greek god of war 10. 1, e.g.
12. Cherry red
13. Post vitriol
14. *Team with no Super Bowl appearances
19. Looney Tunes duck
22. Architectural add-on
23. Meat of coconut
24. Roman king of Judea
25. Like certain whiskey
26. Grow crop
27. Brag
28. Algorithmic language
29. Ganders' companions
32. Tom Jones's "____ a Lady"
33. Rolodex abbr.
36. *____ Superdome
38. Wombs
40. Lady lobster
41. Hardened
44. Follows wash
46. Pig sounds
48. Bouncing off the walls
49. Weasel's aquatic cousin
50. Fly like an eagle
51. Boot-wearing kitty
52. Mama Bear's husband
53. To perfection (3 words)
54. *Justin Timberlake's "____Back," sung in Super Bowl show
55. Expression of doubt
58. *Steelers' number of Super Bowl trophies
COLUMN: LEARN MORE ABOUT
Learn More About Rural Homelessness
Cheatham County is participating in the outdoor homelessness count for the first time this year, and as I worked with a team to administer it, it occurred to me how many states and cities, including Tennessee and Nashville, still underestimate the impact of rural homelessness on urban centers.
A lack of affordable housing and a lack of income are the main causes for people losing their housing. This fact is true for urban as well as rural communities. Yet, homelessness often is hidden in rural areas where people tend to live in dilapidated housing with a combination of holes in roofs, walls or floors, no running water or no electricity. People also stay in abandoned homes, in campers, in cars or deeply hidden in wooded areas.
If police officers see them and want to help, they usually have two options. One, send folks to the next church, which may be able to put them up in a motel for a couple of nights, or send them over to the next county that has some services. Churches are overwhelmed as congregations are often smaller and poorer than in more populated areas.
We can easily see the impact on urban areas when folks who have lost their housing in rural counties move to seek shelter and services in cities. But we cannot overlook the impact the lack of affordable housing in urban areas has on rural communities. When people can no longer afford to live in urban centers like Nashville, they move out of the county.
While housing may still be a little more affordable in surrounding counties, as more people move out of county, the demand in those rural areas increases and the cost of housing increases along with it. This causes poorer households to move even further away from cities. The dilemma is that as they move to more rural areas, they may no longer have easy access to employment, transportation, and health care — all key things that need to be in place to ensure long-term housing stability. And, as we have already established, if people lack sufficient income, they cannot afford housing no matter how “affordable” it is from the government's perspective. That’s how they may end up in overcrowded situations or in dilapidated housing — still paying landlords monthly rent for shacks that do not even offer electricity on a regular basis.
Let’s take a closer look at the definition of homelessness and then examine how the federal government defines the term “rural.”
Definition of Homelessness
For one, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) provides four categories of the
BY JUDITH TACKETT
homeless definition, which are:
1. Literally Homeless;
2. Imminent Risk of Homelessness;
3. Homeless Under Other Federal Statutes; and
4. Fleeing/Attempting to Flee Domestic Violence.
A breakdown and explanation of each category is available on the HUD Website at: https://www.hudex change.info/homelessness-assistance/ coc-esg-virtual-binders/coc-esg-home less-eligibility/four-categories/.
While the federal government provides quite an extensive and detailed definition of homelessness, in reality, the focus of federal, state and urban policies remains largely on literal homelessness, which refers to an “individual or family who lacks a fixed, regular, and adequate nighttime residence, meaning:
• Has a primary nighttime residence that is a public or private place not meant for human habitation;
• Is living in a publicly or privately operated shelter designated to provide temporary living arrangements (including congregate shelters, transitional housing, and hotels and motels paid for by charitable organizations or by federal, state and local government programs); or
• Is exiting an institution where (s)
he has resided for 90 days or less and who resided in an emergency shelter or place not meant for human habitation immediately before entering that institution.
When annual Point-in-Time counts are conducted, they really count people falling under this literal definition of homelessness. In other words, those counts focus on shelter stayers and people sleeping outdoors (if they can be found on the night of the count). Not many cities have figured out how to enumerate folks sleeping in cars (unless they are staying in designated parking lots like in some California cities, for example), abandoned homes, sheds, storage units or other hidden places.
Therefore, this narrow focus does not include the situations of people facing homelessness in rural areas, considering that they are less frequently found living on the streets or in shelters — if there are even any shelters to begin with. Again, people in rural areas who have lost their housing are more hidden, residing in vehicles, campers, with family members and in overcrowded or inadequate housing.
The reason this matters is that the narrow definition of literal homelessness also prevents rural communities from qualifying for federal funding aimed at addressing homelessness. Some
areas, like Cheatham County, are theoretically included in service areas of larger nonprofits and state agencies. But the lack of coordination and quantifiable data make it hard for these agency staff to even know how to identify a target population in rural areas. Combine that with a lack of resources that is insufficient to serve the urban population and rural homelessness is often overlooked.
Even HUD has realized this shortcoming and in recent years has specifically targeted some rural areas for certain funding. Some of those grants focus on either a specific, vulnerable population such as youth and young adults. What is more, to be eligible and competitive for these grants, rural areas need an organizing body called Continuum of Care (CoC) to manage the grant requirements.
But rural areas are often underfunded and ill-equipped to have the capacity to successfully apply for these grants. For example, the Central Tennessee CoC encompasses an area including 19 counties in Middle Tennessee. Among those 19 counties is Cheatham County — the county I live in and helped organize the first outdoor Point-in-Time count. And now you will understand why this is the first ever outdoor homeless count in Cheatham County. There
simply was no one with the capacity to organize a count and align fully with the local CoC.
But in 2022, thanks to the leadership of The Family Collective of the United Way of Greater Nashville, which also includes Cheatham County, we established the Cheatham County Homeless Coalition. This now is a networking effort that holds quarterly meetings with organizations serving Cheatham County residents in need and on the verge of homelessness. The Coalition already has an email list of about 100 stakeholders representing more than 50 agencies.
With the state Department of Human Services pulling out of funding The Family Collective, the Cheatham County Homeless Coalition is now fully volunteer-based. But our awareness campaigns and networking efforts have garnered the attention of larger nonprofits, state agencies, local government leaders, law enforcement, and churches. Thus, we decided to participate in the local homelessness count to draw attention to the plight of a rural county like Cheatham that is nestled between Davidson, Williamson, Dickson, Montgomery and Robertson counties, yet often gets overlooked in terms of housing needs of poor people who live here.
Definition of Rural
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, “rural encompasses all population, housing, and territory not included within an urban area.”
In comparison, the U.S. Census determined that for the 2020 Census, an urban area comprised “a densely settled core of census blocks that meet minimum housing unit density and/or population density requirements. This includes adjacent territory containing non-residential urban land uses. To qualify as an urban area, the territory identified according to criteria must encompass at least 2,000 housing units or have a population of at least 5,000.” HUD, in a 2022 special call for funding opportunities for outdoor and rural
homelessness included a list of counties that they considered rural. Of the 19 counties in the Central Tennessee CoC, 13 were classified as being rural (Bedford, Cheatham, Coffee, Giles, Hickman, Lawrence, Lewis, Lincoln, Marshall, Moore, Perry, Trousdale and Wayne). Robertson County was left off the list because it simply had too big of a population in Springfield.
Yet, I venture to say that most Tennesseans would consider Robertson County to be a rural, rather than an urban, area. Robertson County exhibits the same barriers to services that are typical for rural areas: a lack of access to shelters, limited available services, inadequate resource allocations to serve the needs of people struggling with extreme poverty and housing insecurity, and — as is also typical for rural communities — it does not have a great data system in place that helps provide information about homelessness and housing needs.
Thus, even those counties that the federal government does not consider being “rural” struggle addressing the needs of low-income households that are exacerbated by the lack of affordable housing.
The fact that counties such as Cheatham and Robertson are located close to Nashville drives up their housing costs. As housing affordability becomes unattainable in the city for the lower middle class, they move out of the county and commute to work. It takes me 35 minutes to get from my house at the Dickson County line in Cheatham County to the Downtown Nashville courthouse.
This move of the middle class out to rural areas tightens the rental market and increases the cost of housing for poor people in those communities who then have to move even further out, which makes it harder to get to work or find new employment.
And again, once people lose housing, they often have no option to survive but to move closer to or into urban areas like Davidson County to seek shelter and/or
Definition of Homelessness
For one, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) provides four categories of the homeless definition, which are:
1. Literally Homeless;
2. Imminent Risk of Homelessness;
3. Homeless Under Other Federal Statutes; and 4. Fleeing/Attempting to Flee Domestic Violence.
access services.
To address this, government and local politicians must invest in affordable housing not only in urban settings but also in rural communities.
The state should lead efforts to bring together city and county leaders and develop strategies to stabilize housing for poor people in rural areas, thereby, preventing homelessness including in urban areas.
The state could fund a co-leadership structure with philanthropic leaders, such as the Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee, for cross-county collaboration. The funding could include resources for capacity building to create local networking entities such as the Cheatham County Homeless Coalition that are not bound by federal requirements.
Coordination with local leaders could lead to a regional vision. It would also be imperative to hire talented people who understand cross-sector collab -
A breakdown and explanation of each category is available on the HUD Website by scanning this QR code.
oration and systems building. The best leaders know how to start small and build up from there. To do so, a regional public-private partnership would need to develop key data metrics to be able to make informed decisions and measure outcomes.
Establishing such a regional effort takes vision and leadership. But avoiding addressing the housing needs of rural counties will be short-sighted in the long run.
A specific starting point could be for the Middle Tennessee Mayor’s Council (which includes up to 70 city and county mayors) to discuss this issue and lobby for state partnerships to support addressing rural homelessness. Simply put, without a coordinated cross-county, regional strategy, urban mayors, like Freddie O’Connell in Nashville, will continue to struggle with the implementation of a prevention strategy that is needed to finally end chronic homelessness in their cities.
‘Borrow Before You Buy’ Your Local
Nashville Library Now Has Vinyl Records
BY KATIE BRATCHER
If you love music, you have probably experienced browsing the vinyl or CD aisles of your favorite record spot, but you may hesitate to buy an album you haven’t listened to yet.
The Nashville Public Library has the perfect solution for this case. Nashville residents can now, at no cost, use their free library card to check out vinyl records at all 22 Nashville library locations. You can reserve a vinyl record through your account online, or see the vinyl section in person at the Madison and Green Hills branches, which have 275 to choose from.
Rachel Fanta, the marketing manager of the main branch on Church Street, discussed the inspiration behind adding vinyl to the ever-growing list of items you can check out from the local library.
“If you’re in Nashville, you love music,” Fanta said. “That’s one thing we all have in common. The role we get to play in music city is that everyone has access to music, and the vinyl collection is the first step to that. We have a pallet collection of more than 500 LPs — rock, country, jazz, classical, blues, hip-hop, Latin, opera, soul, global music! It’s a great way to discover new music before you buy a new album.”
Folks are allowed to keep each vinyl they reserve for up to 21 days, too, so the library makes sure to give plenty of time to listen at home. There are also several reference books related to vinyl records — Vinyl: The Art of Making Records by Mike Evans, Dust & Grooves: Adventures in Record Collecting by Eilon Paz, Vinyl Nation and more.
Outside of the new vinyl section, there are more musical resources around at all branches of the Nashville Public Library. There are also over 200 instruments that residents can borrow — keyboards, drums, guitars, and more.
“Let’s say you want to learn to play guitar,” Fanta said. “It’s expensive to buy a
“We have a pallet collection of more than 500 LPs — rock, country, jazz, classical, blues, hiphop, Latin, opera, soul, global Music! It’s a great way to discover new music before you buy a new album.”
guitar just to try it out, so we also provide guitars for anyone who wants to learn before they know if they really want one. As well as hundreds of more instruments to try out.”
There are also a few social clubs going on for music lovers, like Vinyl Club and Nashville Opera — or Nashville Ballet if you like to express your love for music through dance.
Fanta connected these musical library resources to the importance of community, and emphasized that we are all still recovering from a lack of community during COVID.
“This is a way to find people who like the same things as you, or are curious about the same things, and we want everyone to feel welcome and included,” Fanta said.
The 500-plus options are spread out across the Nashville Public Library: It’ll be just like hunting for your favorite. You may find a new genre you like at no cost, and get to access a bunch of other music resources while you’re there.
Contributor supporter, history writer dies
Ridley Wills II hung up on me more than once. It’s not that I think he was ever mad at me, it’s just that when he was done speaking, he was done. He often mailed me clippings from newspapers or magazines over the years to accompany the local history articles he wrote for the paper.
And then he’d call, make sure I received it, and we’d chat about what we’d published in previous issues and what I thought the paper might publish of the things he sent for upcoming issues. We might debate a bit about some language from previous decades that Ridley was still evolving on or he might tell me to hold off on printing on something until he had more time to research a small point.
And then, inevitably, he’d hang up.
William Ridley Wills II, noted local historian, civic leader, and philanthropist, died at home on Jan. 16 after a long and fruitful life. A 7th generation Nashvillian, he was born on June 19, 1934, to Ellen Buckner and Jesse E. Wills. Ridley graduated from Parmer School in 1948 and Montgomery Bell Academy (MBA) in 1952, where he was not (yet!) very bookish but was named “Most Daring.”
At Vanderbilt University he lived up to that epithet as an imposing lineman on Phi Delta Theta Fraternity’s intramural football team. Fraternity brother and varsity swim captain Larry Stone then convinced Ridley to join the swim team, where he excelled and was eventually named team captain. In the 1956 SEC meet, Ridley made the finals, capturing two third and two fourth place finishes. While he single handedly scored more points at the SEC meet than Vandy had scored in 20 years, his coach took the rest of the team to the movies! It was emblematic: Ridley often excelled, but cared little for the limelight.
After seeing the world as an officer in the U.S. Navy for two years of peacetime service, Ridley joined the National Life and Accident Insurance Company that his grandfather, Ridley Wills, Sr., co- founded in 1901. After working as a field agent and staff manager for two years, Ridley returned to the home office in 1962 as a supervisor, where he met and married the former Irene Weaver Jackson. In 1976 he was elected to the board of National Life and was promoted to Senior Vice-President in 1981. In 1983 National Life was acquired by American General Life Insurance Company in a hostile takeover. Not able to stomach the new corporate culture being inflicted upon the beloved Nashville institution, he eventually resigned, reinventing himself in the process.
What followed was a four decade burst of unanticipated literary output. Building upon a lifelong interest in historic Tennessee postcards, Ridley started teaching night school classes on local history at Belmont and MBA, eventually putting his
BY AMANDA HAGGARD
research skills and encyclopedic memory to work in the form of a first book, Belle Meade: Mansion, Plantation, and Stud. He never really stopped, writing on average nearly a book or booklet a year for the next 40 years! His articles have appeared in state and local historical quarterlies and as a regular feature in The Contributor street newspaper. Eventually his sons even convinced him to tell his own story in My Life with Irene: An Autobiography As a testament to his efforts, the former “middling” student would receive an Honorary Doctor of Humane Letters from the University of the South in 2016.
Ridley was also a consistently engaged community leader. Just some of his official titles included: President of Samaritans’ Inc. (1970-71); National Chairman of the Vanderbilt University Living Endowment Campaign (1973-74); Chairman of the Steering Committee for the Vanderbilt Divinity School‘s endowment campaign (1976-78); President of the Cumberland Museum and Science Center (1977); General Chairman of the Nashville Area United Way Campaign (1977-78); General Chairman of Vanderbilt University Reunion (1981); Chairman of the Cumberland Museum Development Drive (1981-82); President of the YMCA of Metropolitan Nashville (1984); President of the Tennessee Historical Society (198587); Chairman of the Monteagle Sunday School Assembly Endowment Corporation (1985-87); President of the Nashville Chapter APTA (1987-89); Chairman of
the Montgomery Bell Academy Board of Trust (1988-1997); and Chairman of the Monteagle Sunday School Assembly Board (1996-97). He served on numerous other boards, including the Vanderbilt University Board of Trust and the National Trust for Historic Preservation (1988-91).
As many can attest, Wills was an extremely effective and persistent fundraiser for causes he loved. In the 1980s and 1990s, he chaired two capital campaigns for Belle Meade Plantation which were instrumental in preserving the plantation as a historic site. From 1998 to 2001, he chaired Montgomery Bell Academy’s successful $40 million capital campaign. Between 2011 and 2013, Ridley led a successful development drive to restore Glen Leven Mansion, the Land Trust for Tennessee’s historic house off Franklin Pike.
Wills’ awards for his charitable work include the YMCA Service to Youth Award (1977), the YMCA Red Triangle Award (1983), the YMCA’s President’s Award (1987), the Alex De Tocqueville Award from the United Way (1989), and the Distinguished Alumnus award from MBA (1996), where he was also elected a member of the Cum Laude and Totomoi Societies. He was honored by the Land Trust with the Forever Tennessee Conservation Legacy Award in 2019 and by the YMCA as a member of the Southeast Region Hall of Fame in 2021.
Ridley was perhaps most proud of his longtime service as both a deacon, elder
and energetic ambassador for The Downtown Presbyterian Church, which has maintained a faithful Christian witness and ministry of practical service to the homeless and others in Nashville’s urban core since it was founded in the wake of First Presbyterian Church’s move out of their historic building to Oak Hill in the 1950’s. His final gift to the city this past Christmas season was to illuminate the church’s unique, Egyptian-themed stained glass windows so that they are visible at night along Rep. John Lewis Way. Ridley was preceded in death by his wife, Irene, and their son, Jesse Ely Wills III, who died of complications of a congenital heart defect at age 2 in 1968. He is survived by his brother and sister-in law, Matt & Judy Wills, of Colorado Springs, CO, and by his sister Ellen Wills Martin of Washington, D.C. Wills is also survived by his three sons and two daughters-inlaw – Betsy and Ridley Wills III, Heather and Morgan Wills, Sr., and Tom Wills, all of Nashville. He is additionally survived by six grandchildren & their spousesMeade & husband Cyril Le Lay, Ridley Wills IV & wife Grayson, Issac Wills, Jessie Wills, Morgan Wills, Jr., and Laura Jackson Wills.
The family would especially like to thank Spencer Thompson for the kind and steadfast care he has provided to both Ridley and Irene in recent years. Thanks also to Alive Hospice and to Ed Kelley, Lady Walls, and their wonderful team of caregivers at The Perfect Companion.
Hunger on Hold
BY AMANDA HAGGARD
For many of Nashville’s most vulnerable residents, the path to housing and stability is lined with challenges. The Contributor, a nonprofit organization empowering unhoused individuals to earn an income and regain stability through newspaper sales, has evolved over the years. As needs have arisen, the paper has moved toward a model that serves both as a way for people to make a living and as a connection point for much-need services and community.
In January, The Contributor joined a class action lawsuit filed by the Tennessee Justice Center, Hogan Lovells, MAZON, Inc., and others, against the Tennessee Department of Human Services (DHS) alleging systemic failures in administering Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits, also known as food stamps.
The lawsuit, Bull v. Carter, alleges and highlights widespread delays and errors in determining SNAP eligibility experienced by members of The Contributor staff while applying for benefits, which violate federal law and result in significant harm to vulnerable households.
Carli Tharp, an outreach employee at The Contributor, outlined the delays in a filing in late January, offering a firsthand account of how critical SNAP benefits are for the paper’s vendors and what the delays can mean in tangible terms.
“Ensuring a stable source of nutrition significantly improves a client’s prospects of staying housed,” Tharp’s testimony in the suit reads. “But disruptions to those benefits can destabilize them and jeopardize everything they’ve worked for.”
These failures have caused hunger, malnutrition and financial hardship among applicants and participants, according to The Contributor’s complaint. The class action suit seeks declaratory, injunctive and other relief to ensure the timely and accurate processing of SNAP applications and appeals.
“For our street newspaper vendors and the people we serve, SNAP benefits are essential for addressing food insecurity and freeing up limited resources for other necessities, like rent and utilities,” said Will Connelly, executive director of The Contributor, in a press release. “Delays or denials in SNAP benefits can jeopardize housing stability and overall well-being, pushing individuals closer to crisis. By participating in this lawsuit, The Contributor affirms its commitment to advocating for systemic change that directly impacts the people we support.”
Navigating a Broken System
Tharp, who serves as SNAP Coordinator and Housing Stability Guide, spends half their time helping vendors navigate Tennessee’s SNAP application process. For vendors — who often lack access to phones, internet, or even a fixed address — applying for benefits is a near-impossible task without assistance. Most also face additional barriers, including disabilities and the lasting effects of trauma, not to mention the ongoing trauma of living outside in some cases.
In the filing, Tharp describes the state’s SNAP system as riddled with inefficiencies. Applicants can submit their documents online, by mail or via hand delivery, but each method presents its own obstacles.
While touted as the quickest option, Tharp’s
affidavit says the state’s online portal frequently malfunctions, losing critical documents or rendering uploads impossible after initial logins. Tharp says mail delays and processing backlogs often lead to unjust denials, even when documents are sent on time. Tharp recounts spending months appealing such cases, with some taking upward of six months to resolve. While the most reliable option, hand delivery requires vendors to travel to the DHS office during limited hours or Tharp to deliver them, taking away from time that could be
“Delays or denials in SNAP benefits can jeopardize housing stability and overall well-being, pushing individuals closer to crisis."
used providing in-person services to people who them. Many vendors cannot afford to take time away from selling newspapers, nor the transportation costs involved.
Even after submitting their applications, vendors must complete a phone interview with a caseworker — another hurdle in the process. Interviews are often scheduled without considering the applicant’s availability, and notices of the call times frequently arrive late in the mail or not at all, according to Tharp. Tharp, acting as an authorized representative for the vendors, must remain
on constant alert for caseworker calls, which are often misidentified as spam and sometimes sent straight to voicemail.
Missed calls result in further delays, requiring applicants to navigate long wait times at the DHS Family Assistance call center to reschedule.
“Hold times average an hour, but they used to be as long as four,” Tharp says in the filing. “For vendors on tight budgets, the cost of cell phone minutes can exceed the value of their SNAP benefits.”
Systemic Failures with Real Costs
Since June 2023, Tharp has filed over 150 SNAP applications on behalf of vendors, many requiring multiple attempts due to DHS errors.
“I’ve documented every interaction because DHS records are so unreliable,” Tharp notes.
Despite best efforts, the system’s inefficiencies often place insurmountable burdens on vendors attempting to access basic nutritional support. The impact goes beyond lost benefits. The Contributor must divert significant resources to mitigate these systemic failures.
“If SNAP were administered effectively, I could dedicate more time to helping vendors transition into permanent housing,” Tharp says. That includes cases where vendors were denied SNAP benefits when Tharp says they had compelling proof DHS had made an error.
“I have appealed approximately 20 cases on behalf of vendors who were denied SNAP benefits and I had compelling proof that DHS had made an error,” the filing reads. “Some of the appeals were resolved by DHS in my vendors’ favor before the hearing. I attended about 10-12 hearings as my vendors’ representative. All of the hearings were conducted by phone. My vendors won in almost all of the cases. However, they all took more than 60 days, and often months longer than that.”
In one case, Tharp applied for benefits for a vendor on June 30, 2023 and says they never received a call for an interview and instead DHS denied the application within a month for failure or refusal to cooperate in establishing eligibility.
“I appealed in August 2024, and the client received a hearing on January 17, 2024,” Tharp says in the filing. “The client was ultimately approved on March 12, 2024 for a retroactive award from the date of application through May 2024 in the amount of approximately $2,500, or eleven months’ worth of benefits, But of course he had been without SNAP assistance during that entire period.”
The filing also outlines alleged issues with the state’s expedited service for applicants who qualify. While DHS grants expedited EBT cards where funds are loaded to purchase food to those who are in dire need, Tharp noted that many need a card issued first, and delays in card issuance sometimes mean long delays with food insecurity. In one case, Tharp said a client applied in early November of 2024 and didn’t receive a loaded EBT card until mid-December.
Tharp’s complaints outline that SNAP barriers are about more than benefits, they’re about survival and dignity. Timely and accurate SNAP benefits are essential for food security, housing access, and financial stability.
“Our vendors are working tirelessly to rebuild their lives,” Tharp ays in the filing. “But the system that’s supposed to help them is instead putting up roadblocks at every turn.”
My Chair Has More Than Nine Lives Like I
Do
BY WILLIAM B., CONTRIBUTOR VENDOR
In the last four years, my chair has been hit 14 times. Not all of them were presented to the police and not all of them sent me to the hospital. Some people took off before I could get a license plate number or anything. Some of them I was able to block before they took off. The problem to me is that a lot of people are in a hurry to get nowhere out there. Some people don’t care about us out here in wheelchairs or anyone with a disability. Some people are good and will stop for me if I fall over or get turned over. I’ve had some people who will stop in the middle of the street just to help me. One person hit me and asked if I was OK, helped me up and
put $100 in my pocket.
Ever since the first time, I’ve tried to be more careful, but it seems like everyone is in a hurry and don’t care about a person who is on the street with a medical device of some kind. We’ve had some people get killed in different parts of Nashville. People need to listen to me because if they don’t they’re gonna kill somebody. If I hit someone in a vehicle, I couldn’t live with myself. I don’t know if they could or not. If they’re in that big of a hurry I guess they could. I’m just begging people to please be more careful driving around people using a medical vehicle or device.
Ode to Autumn
BY NORMA B.
As the weather turns frigidly cold
Making it nearly impossible to be outside selling the paper
The leaves on the trees are gone
The limbs on the trees are bare
That all serves as a reminder for me
That Autumn is the perfect time of year
When the leaves on the trees are just beginning to fall
Changing from their usual shades of green to jewel tones
An amazing sight to behold
And these vibrant colors can be clearly seen
Not only in nature, but it is shown in what we wear
It’s not to hot or to cold
Most of the time
The temperature is just right
But it’s far more than the weather
There’s a crispness in the air
Just cool enough to bring out those comfy clothes you’ve been dying to wear
You know the ones I mean
The sweaters and jackets you layer on in the morning
That you can shed by noon
Because by then it’s warm again
The plaid and flannel shirts Some have hoods
Others are lined with fur
And then there’s those blue jeans that fit just right
On days when it’s cloudy and overcast
And you just can’t bring yourself to go outside
Stay inside and snuggle on the couch
Under a warm fuzzy blanket with someone you love
If don’t have that,
A good book will do just fine
Then there’s the food that hits the spot
When it’s cool
A big bowl of chili or a hearty beef stew will do the trick
It not only feeds the body but nourishes the soul
For desert, how ‘bout a caramel apple on a stick?
If that doesn’t sound like your cup of tea
There’s ANYTHING you can possibly imagine in the flavor of pumpkin spice
Or maybe some s’mores is more your speed
Then you can wash them down with something hot to drink
Cocoa or coffee should work just fine
As you relax by a crackling fire
And as you sit there all warm and toasty
Just think of the possibilities that tomorrow has in store!
Contributor Vendor FreePressGMA completed this block print art at a workshop hosted by Hatch Show Print. ART BY
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.
Política Migratoria en 2025: Un Imperativo Moral y Económico Que Nos Beneficia a Todos
La política migratoria no solo es un i m p e r a t i v o económico, sino también un tema central que ha vuelto a tomar relevancia en el escenario político de 2025 Ahora, con la administración del presidente Donald Trump retomando el poder y con promesas de deportaciones masivas, es más urgente que nunca que los líderes políticos de ambos partidos enfrenten esta problemática de manera decidida, especialmente dado el impacto directo en la comunidad hispana, que representa un bloque electoral clave
Nuestra comunidad, y el futuro que esta representa, necesita una acción política clara y valiente Como una de las minorías de mayor crecimiento en el país, pronto seremos la mayoría minoritaria, lo que subraya la importancia de adoptar soluciones que reflejen nuestra contribución y necesidades
Además, la presión sigue aumentando, ya que un gran número de empresas y ciudadanos continúan exigiendo a sus legisladores en la Cámara de Representantes y el Senado de EE UU que reparen de una vez por todas nuestro sistema de inmigración obsoleto La inacción ya no es una opción.
Siento un gran orgullo de ser uno de los muchos residentes en Tennessee que apoyan públicamente una reforma migratoria, y seguiré alzando mi voz para pedir a nuestro Congreso que actúe de manera inmediata y apruebe una reforma justa y necesaria
Afortunadamente, no estamos solos
Una gran coalición de amplia base, integrada por los principales grupos proempresariales, incluyendo la Cámara de Comercio de EE UU (USHCC), la Asociación para una Nueva Economía Americana, Business Roundtable, la Asociación Nacional de Fabricantes, entre muchos otros, siguen enfatizando la necesidad de una acción inmediata por parte del Congreso a través de conferencias de prensa y comunicados To d o s e s t
n e l mensaje de innumerables voces estad o u n i d e n s e s : C E
cantes, líderes religiosos y comunitar i o s , q u i e n e
c e n l
rg
e necesidad económica de una reforma migratoria Los inmigrantes desempeñan un papel vital en cubrir puestos de trabajo, impulsar la creación de e m p l e o y f o m e n t a r e l c r e c i m i e n t o económico a largo plazo
Conoce tus derechos:
¿Que hacer en caso de una redada?
enerse callado dar nombre y apellido entir a acepte/lleve documentos falsos velar su situación migratoria var documentación de otro país so de ser arrestado, mostrarla Tarjeta da (llámenos si necesita una) e n l a Q u i n t a E n m i e n d a d e l a ción, los derechos de guardar silencio y on un abogado fueron denominados s Miranda luego de la decisión de la Corte de Justicia de Estados Unidos en Miranda vs Arizona, 384 U S 436, de 1966
Nuestros empresarios inmigrantes crean millones de empleos para estadounidenses nacidos aquí Además, los inmigrantes son esenciales para las empresas que no pueden llenar puestos disponibles Sin embargo, solo el 7% de todas las visas se asignan para ayudar a las empresas a cubrir estos puestos, comparado con hasta el 50% en otros países Estos límites arbitrarios dificul-
Si usted conoce a alguien que está detenido por inmig ración de Estados Unidos, conozca cómo ubicar el lugar donde se encuentra Encontrar un centro de detención: Para buscar a una persona detenida por el Servicio de Inmig ración y Control de Aduanas (ICE, s i gl a e n i n gl é s ) u s e e l l o c a l i z a d o r d e detenidos (seleccione Español en el menú que indica “Select a different language”)
tan que los empleadores puedan satisfacer sus necesidades de talento, incluso en sectores de alta calificación
También carecemos de visas que reconozcan y recompensen las destrezas empresariales de los inmigrantes Muchos de ellos están inventando productos que impulsarán la innovación estadounidense en las próximas décadas, pero nuestro sistema actual no puede retenerlos, obligándolos a regresar a sus países de origen para competir contra nosotros Esto no solo es ilógico, sino que también es una pérdida de potencial para nuestra economía
Nuestra voz hispana refleja la de millones de estadounidenses que entienden que una reforma migratoria justa es esencial para garantizar la prosperidad económica futura Esta es una oportunidad histórica para sacar de las sombras a millones de personas y fortalecer nuestra nación Pero no basta con exigir cambios; debemos asegurarnos de que nuestra voz se escuche a través de nuestro voto Unidos, podemos hacer la diferencia y asegurar un futuro más inclusivo y próspero para todos
Envíenos sus sugerencias por e-mail: news@hispanicpaper com ó 615-582-3757
Estatus de un caso de inmigración: Para conocer el estatus de un caso de inmig ración en la cor te use el sistema automático de información de casos en línea (en inglés) o llame al 1-800-898-7180 (presione 2 para español) Cómo localizar a una persona detenida por ICE
Si no puede encontrar a la persona con el localizador de detenidos en línea, contacte a la Oficina de Detención y De por tación (en inglés) de su estado Si usted sabe dónde está detenida la persona, comuníquese directamente con el centro de detención cor respondiente (en inglés)
Dibujo y concepto: John Yandall
Por Yuri Cunza Editor in Chief La Noticia Ne wspaper
Jaula Dorada: Del Otro Lado de La frontera / Golden Cage: The Mexico -U S Border
Año 23 - No 407
Nashville, Tennessee
“DONDE OCURREN LOS HECHOS QUE IMPORTAN, SIEMPRE PRIMERO ANTES”
Brace Yourself For The Tug-of-War Between Medical Professionals, Their Patients, and the Insurance Companies
The healthcare industry and insurance companies often appear to be in opposition to one another rather than working together for the best outcome for the people they serve.
What do I mean by that?
The medical professionals advise a patient under their care that they need a particular procedure only to be denied by their insurance company stating that it is unnecessary, and they rarely offer any alternative solutions-that is left for the patient to find, IF they can.
All too often, if they do find an alternative treatment, that too is denied.
For instance, if it is new and innovative, it is often considered “experimental,” or “cost prohibitive” and therefore, NOT covered.
Another way insurance companies deny services is by classifying their condition as “pre-existing.”
Once while working in the industry, I had a claim for phototherapy (a special light therapy that is a common treatment for jaundice in a newborn) denied for that reason. It was utterly ridiculous!
Why is this the case?
I remember back when I first came to Nashville. I’d been driving tractor trailers for 15 to 18 years. I wanted to search for something new. I knew my time was running out and I had to start being the real me. I was raised in the church and most of my family share God’s word in the streets. Jehovah’s Witness.
I worked temp jobs for Labor Source until I was introduced to The Contributor. I started
BY NORMA B. CONTRIBUTOR VENDOR #4657
All too often, it’s because the insurance industry is putting their profit margins ahead of what’s in the best interest of the patient’s care.
When and if they do offer coverage for treatment, it’s only a modicum of what’s available, and even then you have to go through less effective treatments before you get one that actually works.
It can leave patients feeling frustrated because they can’t afford repeated trips to and from their provider, or the treatments offer minimal results, or perhaps the side effects were worse than the condition they were seeking treatment for.
As a result, many just give up. Others do as my mom used to do and say, “grin and bear it.”
This perplexing conundrum is even worse when it involves our children.
About a year ago I was told my granddaughter needed braces.
Like the cases mentioned earlier, this too was denied. Why? They are considered “cosmetic.”
I went through multiple levels of appeals.
In my last attempt, I brought a letter from
the orthodontist explaining in detail why she needed braces.
In addition, I had done research that showed the benefits of getting them now while she was still growing as opposed to waiting until she was an adult.
Finally, I prepared a cost analysis showing it would be more expensive, likely more painful and less effective to get braces as an adult.
The insurance representative said, “I’m impressed,” which did bring a smile to my face, but sadly, it was all for nothing.
Despite my best efforts the appeals were ultimately denied.
According to the insurance company, unless she is malnourished and unable to eat, needs oral surgery now, or her teeth are coming in sideways or from the roof of her mouth, she DOES NOT qualify. (This IS NOT an exaggeration!)
Braces are costly to be sure, but my issue goes beyond that.
Insurance companies send reminders to get your child a yearly well check recommended by their primary care physician. They also
Change
BY JOHN H., CONTRIBUTOR VENDOR
selling the paper around 2010 and the first month after starting I started to write articles, sharing God’s word with customers. To be honest it was a good life. I attended Covenant Church. I pretty much like what I’m doing now more than driving trucks. I still sell The Contributor and to tell you the truth I’ll probably be doing this til God says it’s over.
I wanna tell you about my experience in
what I do, how God has changed my life. I get up, get ready and leave going to my corner and it’s like there’s no other place I’d rather be. It’s special to me because the whole time I’m there it’s like taking a walk with God. As soon as I get off the MTA Bus I draw close. God speaks to my heart from the time I get there til I leave.
Never held a job 14 years and love what I do. I learned to depend on God. All days aren’t
encourage you to keep their immunizations up to date.
If your child attends school, they must have proof that they are up to date to attend, unless they have a religious exemption. Also, if you receive state aid for your child, such as Aid to Families with Dependent Children (AFDC) you MUST provide proof that you are compliant with this in order to be approved to receive services. Failure to do so is considered negligent, and will result in a delay in the receipt of or termination of your benefits.
My question is how can an insurance company who has NEVER actually met your child overrule the medical professionals (in many cases more than one) who have treated your child for years?
At the very least, decisions should be made on a case by case basis with a realistic set of guidelines for all current and future patients. To do anything else is negligent and it could ultimately leave the most vulnerable members of society with irreparable damage, in this writers opinion.
good. I’ve had good days and bad. Yet I’m at peace however the day goes.
Trials and problems will come, but I think about this scripture (Romans 8:28), “And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God.” I find myself weak at times because of attitudes, but according to God’s word, “When I’m weak, I’m strong.” Because he right there with me.
HOBOSCOPES
AQUARIUS
I went to the bank today to ask if they had any extra money lying around. They said it doesn’t work that way but that I could take a candy from the bowl on the counter. It was a little heart-shaped sucker and when I opened it, the inside of the wrapper said “I’m yours.” At first I thought it was a sweet thing for a wrapper to say, but then I thought about the nature of ownership and possession and I just couldn’t stand to keep it. I gave the sucker to the security guard and told her to “enjoy this sweet experience, but know that you don’t own it.” Come to think of it, Aquarius, that’s what I’d like to say to you.
PISCES
In times like these, Pisces, it’s good to have a nice stack of prepositions lying around. If you’re running low, you can have some of mine. Lately I like “until” and “unless” and “without” and maybe just a regular old “with.” Instead of saying “Everything is going to be terrible. Nothing is going to change. I can’t do this. Who even am I?” You could say “Everything is going to be terrible until we fix it. Nothing is going to change unless we try. I can’t do this without help. Who’s with me!” Don’t worry if you’re short on cash, Pisces. Prepositions are still free. Practice with these and I’ll go find you some more.
ARIES
You’ve heard it said, Aries, that the early bird gets certain advantages. More options. Better seats. Less competition. In short, Aries, worms. But I’ll tell you that I’ve seen early birds. I consider myself sort of an early bird watcher. And it’s not as simple as all that. Today, Aries, stay in bed a little longer if you can. Sit up and feel how your body feels. Watch your thoughts for a few extra seconds before you put your feet on the floor. Maybe tomorrow you’ll be an early bird, but today take a little longer and notice a thing or two about you. There’s another morning every day. This one’s for you. The next one’s for the worm.
TAURUS
Where is that terrible smell coming from, Taurus? I checked the kitchen trash and the sink drain and the bottom of my shoes. It’s just sort of floating at about nose-level all over the house. I tried opening the window and running the oven vent. It’s not that it’s so bad, it’s just that it’s so persistent. Oh, I know what it is, Taurus. It’s the smell of defeat. Sometimes it lingers like that. You just have to wait. Maybe go for a walk around the block. Once it dissipates you’ll be on your way to a fresh win.
GEMINI
I really am trying to focus on what you’ve been saying, Gemini, but it just occurred to me that I’m out of bubble wrap and the bubble wrap store closes at 5:00. It’ll take me at least 20 minutes to get there and it will take another 10 to pick out a fresh roll that isn’t too flat and doesn’t have too many bubbles popped. Could we come back to this conversation another time? You know what it’s like. There’s just so many delicate things that need protecting and only so much time to get them adequately protected. I can grab you a roll while I’m there. You stay here and think about the things you love the most and what you would do to make sure they’re safe.
CANCER
I wanted to tell you what the stars have to say, Cancer, but there’s simply no room on my desk. I had to move the printer over here when the old bookshelf broke and I’ve still got the box from my new headphones taking up space until I fill out the warranty card. I could move my cat-mug out of the way but I started keeping all my pens in there and if I move my pens I’ll never remember where they ended up. So I can’t really spread out enough to write out what I wanted to for you. I think it was something about prioritizing the things you want over the things you used to think you needed.
LEO
There’s a heart-shaped box full of heartshaped chocolates over on the heartshaped table that sits on the heart-shaped rug in the middle of the heart-shaped room. There was a heartshaped note on top that said it was all for you, Leo. What a thoughtful gift! Wait, Leo, don’t you want it? Oh, I get it. You’re looking for something that’s shaped more like you. You’re not swayed by hearts and flowers (did I mention there were heart-shaped flowers?). You want something that really finally fits. Well, you deserve it. Do you mind if I have one of those chocolates while you list your non-negotiables? This might take a while but I think it’s worth your time.
VIRGO
My dentist put a crown on my bottom left molar. It’s a technological wonder, really. A piece of porcelain crafted by math and machine. It looks just like my old tooth and can do all the things my old tooth could do. The problem, Virgo, is that it’s a little too big. It touches the tooth below it just a tiny bit too soon. It’s really distracting and makes it hard to chew. My dentist says he’ll fix it if I come by, but it made me think of you, Virgo. It’s easy to accept something that almost fits. But I think it’s worth the extra effort to actually get things just right.
LIBRA
See, Libra, when I line up the three little purple jellies, the whole line disappears and then the green globs fall into place so I can make one of those zappy dot-balls and then I can clear the whole board! I’ve been playing this game on my phone all day and it’s really addictive. I get to solve little puzzles and if I fail the level I can just start again. But when I look up from my phone, that’s when things get tough. I start to notice how out of control the world feels and how inconsequential my actions are. So I just go back to sliding the little yellow tabs into rows of three and I feel ok again. It’s fine to have distractions, Libra. Just be aware of what you’re avoiding. Try taking in some reality every once in a while. Divine.
SCORPIO
I’ve seldom been told to hold my horses, Scorpio. I’m not frequently accused of rushing into anything. That’s why I’m so impressed with the way you’re approaching this situation at 110 miles per hour with both deadly precision and a kind of inspirational grace. I really am amazed at how well you’re pulling this off. Once you stick the landing, Scorpio, maybe stop and admire your own work before you rush headlong into your next triumph.
SAGITTARIUS
In 1993 some salt miners in Iran came across a body while working. A well preserved 2,200 year old mummified man with a beard and leather boots. 11 years later another mummy was found by workers in the same mine. By 2008 6 preserved bodies had been found. All over 2000 years old. The mine was finally closed and turned into an archeological dig. You’ve been running across a few bodies in the salt mine lately, Sagittarius. Memories that stop your work in its tracks. Instead of trying to push them aside and get back to work, maybe open up the dig-site for a while. See what else is down there. The salt can wait.
CAPRICORN
Sometimes I wonder what my cat thinks I’m doing all day. We both get up in the morning, we both eat breakfast and then I go to work and she stays home. She lays around in sunbeams and flicks little plastic toys around the house. She probably thinks I’m just around the corner chasing squirrels and running away from trucks that make loud noises. Honestly, Capricorn, she knows as much about my day as I know about yours. I’ve got guesses and assumptions, but your life is something I probably can’t even adequately imagine. It’s the same when you guess at what other people think about you. You’re probably wrong anyway. You just have to lay in the sunbeams you think are best and chase the squirrels you want to chase and not worry about all that.
Mr. Mysterio is
horse-holder. Listen to the Mr. Mysterio podcast at mrmysterio.com Or just give him a call at 707-VHS-TAN1
Jesse Eisenberg’s ‘A Real Pain’ is a goofy, grief-y
don’t-miss road movie
BY JOE NOLAN, FILM CRITIC
Jesse Eisenberg’s A Real Pain is a buddy film, a road trip movie, a fish out of water story and an odd couple tale. There’s lots of convenient ways to attach a handle to this film, but this is a picture that manages to make a familiar storyline smart and surprising. It’s a movie about family and history and deep grieving that somehow also includes some of the funniest moments I’ve recently seen on screen.
David (Eisenberg) and Benji (Kieran Culkin) Kaplan are cousins born only a few weeks apart. The pair grew up like brothers during their childhoods. But as adults, David’s become a workaholic with a career in digital marketing. Benji is a free-spirited empath, a melancholy dreamer prone to manic streaks. When the young men lose their beloved holocaust-survivor-grandmother she leaves them enough funds to travel to Poland to see her childhood home and visit Auschwitz. The movie features a small ensemble traveling together during a week-long holocaust tour. It’s a somber procession, drenched in memories and reflections, but Eisenberg’s sharp script has awkward David and chaotic Benji constantly undercutting the mood to hilarious effect. The results are a don’t-miss, actorly drama punctuated by hilarious hijinks and laugh-out-loud line readings.
A Real Pain is also a film The Contributor’s readers will want to seek-out, because of how it handles homelessness onscreen in a movie that’s not primarily about homelessness. It’s one of the most subtle details in this subtle story which never commits any sins of clunky exposition or barrages its viewers with info montages. Eisenberg trusts his audience to follow along, and he gives viewers every reason to watch these characters closely as their relationships and their shared journey unfold naturally. The details of a life-lived without a home simply emerge without commentary, sad and mysterious, but refreshingly normalized and simply integrated into the film’s realistic tableau of hotel rooms, restaurants, train cars, markets, monuments, parks and airports.
A Real Pain feels very Woody Allen-esque from the comic awkwardness of Eisenberg’s David character to the Chopin score. (Allen is still making strong movies, but the controversies in his personal life mean his films don’t generate the attention they used to.) Eisenberg deploys a montage of details of Polish architecture set to classical music that feels just like Allen’s celebrations of New York cityscapes set to Gershwin in his masterpiece, Manhattan Eisenberg’s scenes feel almost beyond homage at times, but he’s so effective at aping Allen that it doesn’t really matter. David and Benji’s inappropriate actions, outbursts and asides are comic gold and the film’s balance between deep human interactions and uproarious happenings is deft and satisfying, and it gives this film an emotional breadth that makes it feel much bigger than its small ensemble and 90-minute runtime.
Kieran Culkin’s performance deserves all of its awards buzz, and A Real Pain is a big win for Eisenberg whose writing and directing prove
to be as smart, funny and authentic as his best performances as an actor. He’s published short stories, written plays and audio dramas, and he made his feature directorial debut with When You Finish Saving the World (2022). Eisenberg isn’t just another actor with a craving for the director’s chair. He’s a legitimate storyteller who understands how photography and music dance together. His directs actors like a great actor can, and his writing moves confidently and effectively from painful confessions to awkward
circumstances to hilarious interactions, and even happy-ish endings that don’t feel contrived or premeditated.
A Real Pain is currently streaming on Hulu.
Joe Nolan is a critic, columnist and performing singer/songwriter based in East Nashville. Find out more about his projects at www.joenolan.com.
