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Volu m e 1 5

| Number 17 | August 18-September 1, 2021

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IN THE ISSUE

Contributor Board

Tom Wills, Chair Cathy Jennings, Bruce Doeg, Demetria Kalodimos, Ann Bourland, Kerry Graham, Peter Macdonald, Amber DuVentre, Jerome Moore, Erik Flynn

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

GRATIS

Agosto/2

4

13

2021

Año 19 - No. 335

L a N ticia www.hispanicpaper.com

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

Escanee esta imagen para ver La Noticia newspaper edición bilingüe digital

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Nashville, Tennessee

Empoderamiento y Aceleración Digital para Emprendedores Latin@s

Este pasado lunes 9 de agosto, la Fundación Cámara de Comercio Hispana del Área de Nashville lanzó su programa inaugural hibrido (presencial y virtual) de Empoderamiento y Aceleración Digital para Emprendedores Latin@s (EDAEL) en Por Loraine Segoviasus instalaciones ubi- Paz, Publisher cadas en el Nashville @LaNoticiaNews Entrepreneur Center.

El programa de negocios de siete (7) semanas de duración, totalmente en español, tiene como objetivo ayudar a empresas pequeñas, hispanas, minoritarias y de mujeres, a desempeñarse mejor en el mundo digital con el objetivo establecido de aumentar sus ventas, mejorar su relación con los clientes y facilitar la gestión y más efectiva admnistración de la empresa y equipo de trabajo.

A través de un comunicado de prensa la Fundación Cámara de Comercio Hispana del Área de Nashville (NAHCCF) anunció su programa EDAEL (DEALE en inglés) y también a los empresari@s seleccionados para su clase inaugural.

Titulado en inglés “Digital Empowerment and Acceleration for the Latin@ Entrepreneur” (DEALE) este programa busca asistir a empresas hispanas, principalmente, a desempeñarse mejor en el mundo digital. Los participantes aprenderán de expertos y presentadores invitados sobre: marketing de influencers, análisis de negocio, estrategia de Facebook, Google para empresas, manejo del programa Quickbooks, plan de crecimiento entre otros tópicos de interés.

Las sesiones de EDAEL se llevarán a cabo todos los lunes a las 8 am desde el 9 de agosto hasta el 20 de septiembre en el Nashville Entrepreneur Center, organismo sin fines de lucro que conecta a emprendedores con recursos críticos para crear, lanzar y hacer crecer negocios, ubicado en el centro de Nashville. Cada asistente tendrá disponible una computadora portátil para uso exclusivo durante la clase y para prácticas y capacitación en herramientas digitales.

Vendor Spotlight

Moving Pictures

"I’m so stressed out thinking what am I going to do today, where am I going to sleep, where can I park that’s going to be safe..."

Nicolas Cage, a truffle pig and an intimate tale of grief and revenge. Pig is one of Joe Nolan's favorite films this year.

Preguntas sobre la vacuna anti COVID-19

Successful launch of ‘Digital Empowerment for the Small, Hispanic, Minority and Women Owned Business’ program

Las empresas seleccionadas a participar en la FASE I de EDAEL son: Laura Correa, Salón Yescas; Noelia Chinchilla y Juan Oliva, Olive Plates Antique Boutique Rental & Catering LLC.; Cristy Cordoba, Estilo's Salon & Barber Shop; Jary Ramirez y Ingrid Ortiz, Jana’s Corner; Dalila y Sergio Preza, Diva's Beauty Supply; Ana Mirian Recinos, Pupuseria Salvadoreña 1, 2 y 3; Ruth Rico, Delicias Colombiana RR; Perla Salas, Salón de Belleza Perla Salas y Perlitas Fashion; Olga Soto, Olga's Cake; Roxanne Velázquez, 7 Mares Mexican Seafood Bar & Grill; Deborah Gregory, Realtor, RE/MAX Choice Properties; and Sharon Courtney, founder of SGC Visual Art. “Después de sensibilizar a los emprendedores sobre la importancia de abrirse camino y desempeñarse en el mundo digital EDAEL toma el siguiente paso a la acción para que los empresarios no sólo sepan la importancia de las herramientas digitales sino que también sepan usarlas y puedan identificar y construir su propia estrategia óptima para tener una fuerte presencia online”, dijo Karina García Suárez, coordinadora de programas para la organizacion.

Los destacados presentadores invitados para la sesión inaugural fueron:

Priscilla Castro, creadora digital y estratega; Clemencia Enriquez, Emprendedora, Clemen Enriquez Hair Salon; Pilar Guzmán, fundadora, propietaria de Half Moon Empanadas; Olivia Marla Michael, galardonada periodista y reportera para el canal 5 WTVF Nashville; y Miguel Villanueva, Publicista e Influencer.

La Noticia + The Contributor Por su parte la Cámara de Comercio Hispana del Área de Nashville (NAHCC), aliado estratégico del programa, confirmó que se seguirá un estricto protocolo de distanciamiento social, proporcionandose y requiriendose el uso de máscaras protectoras en todo momento. Asi mismo, se tendrá disponible kits de pruebas rápidas para detectar el COVID-19.

Los programas de la Fundación Cámara de Comercio Hispana del Área de Nashville en alianza estratégica con la NAHCC, son posibles gracias al apoyo de sus miembros, patrocinadores corporativos y aliados comunitarios. ¿Quiere saber más sobre la organización y sus programas? Envíe un correo electrónico a info@nashvillehispanicchamber.com ó llame al 615-216-5737 ó visite www.nashvillehispanicchamber.com

La Noticia, one of the Conoce tus derechos: ¿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.

¿Son seguras las vacunas contra el COVID-19? ¡Sí! Estas vacunas ya se han administrado a decenas de miles de voluntarios y se ha demostrado que son seguras y muy buenas para evitar que ellos se enfermen con el COVID-19. La seguridad de las vacunas contra el COVID-19 es una prioridad absoluta.

Los ensayos clínicos de fase 3 involucran a decenas de miles de voluntarios que se dividieron en dos grupos para recibir la vacuna o una inyección de placebo. Luego fueron vigilados muy de cerca para detectar efectos secundarios y enfermedad del COVID-19. Tanto las vacunas de ARNm de Pfizer como Moderna demostraron ser seguras en sus ensayos clínicos de fase 3, sin que se informaran eventos adversos graves entre las decenas de miles que recibieron las vacunas. La vacuna también continuará siendo monitoreada para asegurarse de que se detecte cualquier problema raro lo antes posible y se evalúen para ver si fueron causados por la vacuna. Han habido dos personas vacunadas con la vacuna Pfizer contra el COVID-19 en el Reino Unido que tenían antecedentes de reacciones alérgicas graves a una vacuna en el pasado y tuvieron reacciones alérgicas graves después de recibir la vacuna Pfizer. Se recomienda que las personas con reacciones alérgicas graves a medicamentos o vacunas inyectadas o infundidas sean observadas durante un mínimo de 30 minutos después de recibir la vacuna Pfizer. ¿Me infectará la vacuna contra el COVID-19 con el virus?

No. Ninguna de las vacunas que están en desarrollo actualmente en los Estados Unidos contiene el virus, pues no hay posibilidad de que la vacuna infecte a alguien con el virus de COVID-19.

Lee más: https://www.asafenashville.org/es/infor macion-sobre-vacunas/

Vendor Writing

Envíenos sus sugerencias por e-mail: news@hispanicpaper.com

In this issue, vendors write about the last two weeks, Garth Brooks, and we brought back the kids' coloring page!

www.juanese.com juaneseUSA@gmail.com

Contributors This Issue

Hannah Herner • Linda Bailey • Amanda Haggard • Ridley Wills II • Alvine • Marta W. Aldrich • Annie Fu • Nita Bhalla • Anastasia Moloney • Siphiwe Sibeko • Joe Nolan • Yuri Cunza • Mr. Mysterio • June P. • Cynthia P. • Tyrone M. • Don-Lee B. • Gene C. • John H. • Jen A. • Norma B. Contributor Volunteers Joe First • Andy Shapiro • Michael Reilly • John Jennings • Janet Kerwood • Logan Ebel • Christine Doeg • Laura Birdsall • Richard Aberdeen • Marissa Young • Robert Thompson Cathy Jennings Executive Director Tom Wills Director of Vendor Operations Hannah Herner Staff Writer Jesse Call Housing Navigator

THANK YOU TO OUR SPONSORS!

Raven Lintu Housing Navigator Dymin Cannon Housing Navigator Carli Tharpe Housing Navigator Barbara Womack Advertising Manager Amanda Haggard & Linda Bailey Co-Editors Andrew Krinks Editor Emeritus Will Connelly, Tasha F. Lemley, Steven Samra, and Tom WIlls Contributor Co-Founders

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!

PAGE 2 | August 18 - September 1, 2021 | The Contributor | NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE

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

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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! VISIT: WWW.THECONTRIBUTOR.ORG TO SIGN UP

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August 18 - September 1, 2021 | The Contributor | NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE | PAGE 3

V E N D O R S P O T L I G H T : M I C H A E L D.

Michael D. looks to move out of survival mode

BY HANNAH HERNER In his short tenure at The Contributor, Michael D. has jumped into the elite group of top 15 vendors. His secret is consistency, going out to sell the paper seven days a week at Mallory Lane in Franklin.

Like many experiencing homelesness, Michael is firmly in survival mode — living off of income from selling the paper and staying in his car. It’s been this way for the last few months, since he was released from incarceration.

“I really don’t find nothing that really interests me anymore,” he says. “I’m so stressed out thinking what am I going to do today, where am I going to sleep, where can I park that’s going to be safe, and I ain’t going to be bothered or run off. Is it going to rain today? Is it going to be 100 degrees today? It’s one thing after another.”

Michael came to Nashville from Cheatham County after a divorce in an effort to leave some of those memories behind. Now 43 years old, he was married at 19 and has 22-year-old twin sons who call to check on him every few days.

“When I went through my divorce about five years ago, I lost everything I had. I hadn’t been able to rebound from it since,” he says.

Michael spent his childhood in East Nashville, and played baseball at White’s Creek High School. He’s one of 10 boys and one girl in his family. At school he was known as a hot head, but that was just when it came to protecting his sister. She’d point out boys at school who gave her trouble and he’d get in fights.

Otherwise, Michael’s role in the family was the “class clown.”

“I just always like to make people laugh. I always used to be the life of the party. Whenever we’d have get-togethers, I just liked to see people have a good time,” he says.

Of all Michael’s tattoos, his favorite are the wizards, which are meant to symbolize good luck. He has one drawn up that he hopes to get in memoriam of his favorite brother, who was killed in 2016 by police officers.

In the past, Michael was a diesel mechanic. He’d love to get back into it, but most shops require you to have your own tools — something that costs $10,000 to $20,000, he says.

As part of the divorce, he also had to sell his drag racing cars, boat and his beloved Harley Davidson. Riding was a stress relief for him, and one day he

PAGE 4 | August 18 - September 1, 2021 | The Contributor | NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE

wants to attend the Sturgis bike rally — one of the biggest in the country.

“That’s one of my goals that I hope to be able to meet really quickly. Just get on a bike and ride,” he says.

These days, it’s hard to answer a question about what he’s interested in, or hopes to pursue. It’s more about survival. But he’s trying to get back to his old self again through talking to Contributor customers.

“I’ve enjoyed meeting these people, really,” Michael says. “I found here lately that I haven’t really been a people person at all in this last year or two.

I’ve distanced myself from everyone. It’s kinda hard for me actually. I’m fighting it though. I don’t want to be a loner, be by myself all the time. I wasn’t ever like that.”

NASHVILLE HISTORY CORNER

MOUNTAIN GOAT AT MONTEAGLE, TENNESSEE DEPOT, CA. 1910

BY RIDLEY WILLS II In 1910, the Tracy City Branch passenger train No. 121, known as the Mountain Goat, stopped at Monteagle daily. It normally came up the mountain from Cowan with stops at St. Mary’s, Sewanee, and St. Andrews before reaching Monteagle. The grade up the mountain was steep, the road bed rough and the turns sharp. There was a baggage car and usually three or four passenger cars. The engine puffed and popped off steam as it climbed. Cinders rained on top of the cars like sleet and, if you stuck your head out of the window, you got a faceful.

The cars rattled and shook so you could not stand in the aisle. The wheels squeaked and groaned. On the sharp curves, you could see the engineer and fireman working in the cab. These were the memories of Dr. Edwin K. Provost, who first came to Monteagle by train when he was six months old. He recalled in 1982 that the train, in about 1910, left Nashville at 8 a.m. and arrived at Cowan at 12:30 p.m.

“There was excitement on getting aboard as friends from Memphis, Mississippi and Arkansas were already on the train,” he wrote. “We went through Smyrna, Murfreesboro, Wartrace, Bell Buckle, Tullahoma and Decherd to Cowan. The train stopped there and the cars which were going up the mountain were uncoupled and the train went on to Chattanooga.”

Across the tracks in Cowan was the two-story Franklin House Hotel.

“When the train arrived, a man with a white jacket and white chef ’s hat walked up and down the hotel porch ringing a bell,” he wrote. “You could eat at the Franklin House or the hotel could send a box lunch to the train. Quite a number had lunch baskets that they

The Tracy City Branch passenger train No. 121, known as the Mountain Goat. brought with them. Shortly, after much blowing of the whistle and popping of steam, the small engine came backing up and with a jolt would couple on the cars for the mountain trip. At this time, the baggage for the passengers going up the mountain were transferred and the passengers climbed aboard. Soon, the train, with a grinding of wheels and puffing of smoke, slowly moved up the track, which paralleled the main track for about one mile, then curved over the main line as it went into the tunnel, and started up the mountain.”

As the train approached the Mon-

teagle railroad depot, “there was great excitement looking out the window to see who was at the station; calling to friends; and trying to be the first off.

There was a lot of hollering, hugging and kissing after the train stopped. You would wait until the trunks were unloaded so you could identify yours and give the baggage checks. The trunks would be delivered to your cottage on the trunk wagon. Then you would climb into one of the carriages to go to the front gate and await your tickets. The kids usually hopped out of the carriages and ran to get to their cottages first.”

August 18 - September 1, 2021 | The Contributor | NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE | PAGE 5

The Monteagle depot was only yards away from the Assembly front gate, down the tracks to the right. The 1910 photograph shows a large water tank across the tracks from the depot, as well as several horse-drawn hacks waiting to take passengers either to the Assembly or to the Monteagle Hotel a short distance down College Street. For many years, Mr. Jim Long used to bring all the trunks to the Assembly. In 1980, Mrs. Joseph “Opie'' Handly recalled him as being, “an elderly, black-hatted man who wore a long handlebar mustache.”

PAGE 6 | August 18 - September 1, 2021 | The Contributor | NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE

NEWS

NEWS BREIFS Find HOPE at hope.nashville.gov Find L.E.G.A.C.Y at https://tinyurl. com/3nm767ks Find Legal Aid Society at las.org Find PATHE @31KHomesNash CDC extension of eviction moratorium won’t apply in TN The Centers for Disease Control has issued a new protection against evictions since the ending of the federal moratorium on July 31. However, it does not apply to Tennesseans.

The U.S. 6th Circuit Court of Appeals in Cincinnati, which has jurisdiction over Tennessee, ruled on July 23 that the CDC over-extended their authority in releasing the original moratorium, and therefore, the new one does not apply here.

Zac Oswald with Legal Aid Society of Middle Tennessee says the Tennessee Supreme Court sent an email to all the judges on Aug. 4 to inform them that the new moratorium does not apply in Tennessee.

It has nothing to do with the transmission rates, he added. The new moratorium requires that counties meet a “substantial or high ” COVID-19 transmission rate — Tennessee would qualify in that case. As of Aug. 3 through Aug. 10, all of the counties in Tennessee report a high transmission rate.

Oswald’s advice is to go ahead and apply for rent relief ahead of time, and file the CDC declaration.

“There's no harm in filing it, and then the chance is, potentially maybe the judge will recognize that it still exists. Go to your court date and tell the judge, ‘I've applied for rent relief.

Can we reschedule this case just to make sure that the funds come in for the landlord? And then we can both be made whole,’” Oswald says.

There are rental and utility assistance funds available through the HOPE (Housing, Opportunity, Partnership, and Employment) program, which can offer up to 15 months’ worth of rent. Judge Rachel Bell is also still operating her L.E.G.A.C.Y. Housing Resource Diversionary Court and Program. Her website states that tenants must apply for HOPE funds and complete an application to be moved to her court prior to their set court date.

Advocacy group The People’s Alliance for Transit, Housing and Employment (PATHE) has organized court watching and outreach to tenants at risk of eviction. According to the organization’s social media pages, they’ve witnessed moved court dates without prior warning and tenants being “thrown out” of court if they had not started a HOPE funding application prior to arriving.

Metro launches Mobile Housing Navigation sites Metro Nashville is planning to open two new Mobile Housing Navigation sites that will serve up to 40 people at once.

“Community challenges require community solutions,” Mayor John Cooper said. “As we address this national challenge here in Nashville, we’re using evidence-based approaches to support neighbors, create longterm housing solutions and restore green spaces to their intended public use.”

“We’re using data-driven models, and we’re leading with compassion and a commitment to work together,” he added.

Since late 2020, 452 people have moved into stable housing through a federally-funded Rapid Rehousing effort — the city says at least another 200 neighbors are currently on a waiting list.

Of the 452 people who got into housing, all have entered into a oneyear lease agreement in their own names, 296 had previously experienced long-term homelessness and 211 of these households are families with children.

The first of these two mobile sites, which operate in local churches and other community sites, will begin in West Nashville and Madison. Metro says these areas are places “where health and safety concerns are most urgent, but current available services are few.”

The sites will help 20 with immediate stabilization and intensive support services — this approach is proven to “reduce the time people spend on the path from homelessness to stable housing,” a Metro release says. The hope is to serve 250 people through these sites over the next two years.

Cooper directed $850,000 for the model, an investment Metro

Council approved. The mayor also renewed his call for more landlords to join the city’s Landlord Guarantee Fund, a public-private partnership he launched in May to attempt to bolster units available for rapid rehousing.

Landlords can use this federal funding to cover up to $1,000 in property damages and up to $2,000 in missed rent payments.

Unhoused Bill of Rights introduced in Congress U.S. Rep. Cori Bush unveiled the Unhoused Bill of Rights, the “first federal resolution to declare unalienable rights for unhoused persons and provide solutions to permanently end the crisis by 2025,” in Congress in early August.

The National Homelessness Law Center worked with Bush to develop the Unhoused Bill of Rights. The legislation seeks to permanently end the unhoused crisis by 2025 by increasing the number of affordable rental units; providing universal housing vouchers; supplementing funding for social services, housing programs, and shelters; and stopping the misdirection of funding to counter-productive law enforcement responses to homelessness.

“Criminalization of homelessness has been a growing issue across the country despite the fact that it does nothing to address or solve the root causes of homelessness,” reads a release from the Law Center. “Research has repeatedly shown that criminalizing homelessness costs more than providing universal housing for everyone experiencing homelessness.”

“Because homelessness disparately impacts Black, Indigenous, and other People of Color, as well as LGBTQ+ and disabled populations, these groups that are already over-represented in our jails and prisons are even further marginalized, saddled with criminal records and fines and fees they can’t pay and that will only make it harder for them to get off the streets,” said Eric Tars, Legal Director at the Law Center. “Far from solving homelessness, criminalization actually prolongs it."

This legislation would also allocate $200 billion in federal funding to state and local governments to provide sanitation facilities and places of shelter for unhoused persons in order to address both the housing

August 18 - September 1, 2021 | The Contributor | NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE | PAGE 7

and public health crises.

“In introducing the Unhoused Bill of Rights, Representative Cori Bush demonstrates once again why we need more legislators with the lived experience of homelessness, poverty, and racial discrimination,” said Antonia Fasanelli, the Law Center’s Executive Director. “Rep. Bush’s Unhoused Bill of Rights is our guide map to making that right a reality in America. We call on Congress to pass this bill, and then take the further steps to pass the additional policies affirmed in the bill in order to end homelessness in America the right way, through Housing, Not Handcuffs."

21 nonprofits earn opportunity grants through Metro Metro Council approved 21 Opportunity Grants to nonprofits who are working to enhance community safety and reduce violence in Middle Tennessee.

The grants are part of the first round of funding from a $2 million Community Safety Partnership Fund.

“Community safety requires community solutions,” said Mayor John Cooper. “These small grants will have a big impact in helping nonprofits in neighborhoods that need help the most.”

This funding aligns with recommendations from the 11-person Community Safety Partnership Advisory Board, which is chaired by former Mayoral Policing Policy Commission member and YWCA President and CEO Sharon Roberson.

“Last year, the Policing Policy Commission highlighted the need for investments in community groups and partnerships,” said Sharon Roberson. “These grants are a first down payment on a much-needed investment.”

Metro Community Safety Coordinator Ron Johnson will work with selected nonprofits to provide technical assistance.

"While overall crime rates have fallen nearly 10 percent across the city this year, violent crimes have increased sharply," said Metro Council Public Safety Chair Jennifer Gamble.

"Investing in grassroots organizations that work to provide opportunities and programs for at-risk communities and coordinating those activities with Metro agencies will help make our neighborhoods safer.”

LOCAL ACTIVISM

Nashville Nonprofit Workers' Dignity and members of Dickerson Road United in Struggle (DRUS), a union of long-term residents of W.C. Mobile Home Community on Dickerson Road, rallied together before a Metro Council meeting. The owner of the trailer park where these residents live planned to evict these families on Sept. 1 so he could sell the land to a developer from New Orleans, who plans to build luxury condos in its place. Residents asked for more time and fair compensation to be able to find housing. Metro Council voted to stop the evictions. Follow @Workersdignity for updates. PHOTOS BY ALVINE

Longtime advocate Charles Hanson Sumner, 92, passed away in his Nashville home on June 24, 2021. Sumner was an advocate for public schools, among other causes. In his obituary in The Tennessean, he was described as having, "...lived every day, including his last, championing the U.S. Constitution, and advocating for justice, democracy, and liberal causes. His distinctions include the Americans United Guardian of Liberty Award, the Eric Steel Award, Who's Who in the East, and the Tennessee Alliance for Progress Lifetime Achievement Award." PHOTO BY ALVINE Many Nashville community members celebrated the official street name change of 5th Avenue from Jefferson Street to I-40 under the new name of Rep. John Lewis Way. The street is named for John Lewis, who lived in Nashville in the 1960s while studying at American Baptist College. Lewis participated in the Nashville lunch counter sit-ins as well as many other national advocacy efforts for Civil Rights. PHOTO BY ALVINE

PAGE 8 | August 18 - September 1, 2021 | The Contributor | NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE

NEWS

Q&A: SOAR advocate Ree Cheers to stand up for ‘Contributor’ vendors

BY HANNAH HERNER The same people who have disabilities that prevent them from working may also have trouble navigating the federal programs that are meant to provide them relief. That’s where a SOAR advocate comes in.

SSI/SSDI Outreach, Access and Recovery, is a national program funded by the federal Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. Since 2006, the program has served those who are homeless or have housing precarity, and “mental illness, medical impairment, and/or a co-occurring substance use disorder.”

The goal is to expedite the process, by providing complete applications, and keeping contact consistent between the clients and the federal agencies. Clients aren’t charged anything for this service.

Both Supplemental Security Income and Social Security Disability Insurance are administered by the Social Security Administration, and offer monthly benefits to those who cannot hold a traditional job. While both require the same strict medical criteria, with SSDI you have to have worked enough full time and paid enough into social security — this typically means you’ve worked full time five out of the last 10 years. SSI does not look at work history, but rather your financial need combined with medical needs.

We sat down with The Contributor’s newly-hired SOAR manager, Ree Cheers, to hear about the challenges and triumphs of the program.

What are some of the challenges with getting SSI/SSDI? Sometimes you have individuals that have a diagnosis of mental illness, and they can't remember how many medical facilities they've been admitted in. So me as an advocate, I have to be my own investigator, and find out how many admissions have they had in Tennessee, because sometimes they can't remember the hospitals, or they may say [for example] ‘well I was in the state of

diagnosis [for example]. So when that report is written, it has to be a foundation of a lot of writing and a medical summary report stating that mental illness is keeping them from being in housing, the mental illness is keeping them from keeping a sufficient position at some type of employer.

It could be some type of brain injury that a doctor didn't find, it could be some type of traumatic issue that happened as a child, you know from being a young lady being molested or some type of abuse in the home. There's all kinds of things that can trigger a person to go into a mental state of mind that can traumatize them for years to come.

REE CHEERS New York.’ So I have to start digging in New York. When you go against the examiners at the SSI office, they need to have concrete information from me, that John Doe was seen at New York mental health.

As a SOAR advocate you have to make sure you get every pertinent piece of information when you do your screening from your individual to ensure that the information is correct.

It's so important for The Contributor to have an advocate that works for individuals that need that funding.

So what you’re trying to do is put together a case that a person is not able to work?

Absolutely, you hit it right on target.

You're painting a picture of what caused them to be mentally ill, what caused them to go into substance abuse. But not only that, you have to prove, as an advocate, that the drugs and alcohol are not what’s causing them to have a psychosis or schizophrenia

Do you see SSI and SSDI being over-utilized or under-utilized?

I see it being under-utilized. A lot of people are lost and don't have the advocates to educate them on what it means. A lot of those programs are there to help individuals but it's cost of care, you have to get an attorney, you have to do this. There's no fee for SOAR. A lot of people are just not educated on what it's for.

Wouldn’t it be better if there was a world where a person could navigate the system without help?

You'll have that five percent that's able to just get out and go apply for the resources. But you know what's going to happen?

They're going to get denied.

Eighty percent of individuals that need the program will go apply, but they always get denied because they are providing the wrong information. They're marking the wrong answers, thinking that that's the right answer.

And that's where SOAR comes in.

You mentioned that sometimes when people put in an application they put the wrong answers — are they more so overestimating or underestimating their abilities?

I would say both. They could be asking

you a question regarding the person that you're applying for, but you're putting the information based on what you see and not putting what the physician states, because you have to understand, if it's not documented it's not done.

The first question I ask individuals or family members is, when was the last time you applied and why were you denied? And then they gave up. They always give up. They never go back and follow up on their applications.

So, I mean, it's like a domino effect. The whole application process has a domino effect.

Was there something in particular that made you go into this field?

I've been in the populations of communities that didn't have. I've been around family members that were disabled. I have been around individuals that have autism and down syndrome. And growing up not knowing what that was, even in high school, you know, special education individuals that I know that was disabled. To see them be in pain and hurt and families not have the resources was painful to witness. So once I became an adult and went to school and graduated, I knew that I had to be that voice to provide the services and see what I can get my hands into to provide hope for the hopeless.

When you have that lived experience and that personal experience, from childhood all the way around you, you don't want to see no one suffer as an adult.

What keeps you from being burned out after 25 years in this field?

What keeps me from being burned out is my background. My first love is ministry.

I'm an ordained minister. And I am here to serve. I have to always remember that it is not the income of my mission, it's the outcome of the individual that I serve. I've been doing this for over 25 years and it's always my thought process, because you never know when it could be you.

NASHVILLE PRIDE FESTIVAL 2021 Bicentennial Capitol Mall State Park Saturday Sept. 18 and Sunday Sept. 19 Come by and visit The Contributor's booth!

August 18 - September 1, 2021 | The Contributor | NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE | PAGE 9

C OV E R S T O RY: B A C K T O S C H O O L

Tennessee’s pandemic test scores dropped, but especially in Memphis and Nashville

BY M A R TA W. A LD R I CH A N D A N N IE FU, CH A L KB E AT TE N N E S S E E

'Tennessee’s pandemic test scores dropped, but especially in Memphis and Nashville' (https://tn.chalkbeat. org/2021/8/13/22620297/tennessee-pandemic-test-scores-dropped-most-in-memphis-nashville) was originally published by Chalkbeat, a nonprofit news organization covering public education. Sign up for their newsletters here: ckbe.at/newsletters.

The two Tennessee school districts that taught all their students primarily remotely last year saw their test scores fall further than the state’s average decline.

But those districts in Memphis and Nashville also serve the highest proportions of students who are economically disadvantaged, of color and/or learning a new language — some of the student groups that have been most affected by the pandemic.

Both issues have been factors in falling student achievement rates across the United States after a year of educational and social disruptions, according to national data.

Tennessee released district-level test scores this week showing that Memphis-based Shelby County Schools had an overall drop in proficiency of 11 percentage points from 2019 to 2021, compared with the statewide slide of 5 percentage points.

Overall proficiency for Nashville public school students declined by just over 8 percentage points.

Both school systems stayed remote the longest in the contentious debate with elected state officials over how best to reopen schools last year. Gov. Bill Lee charged the districts weren’t putting the needs of students first, while their superintendents said they were prioritizing safety in communities disproportionately affected by the deadly coronavirus.

Now the question is how Lee’s administration and the GOP-controlled legislature will respond to the grim results from Tennessee’s two largest school systems, which are located in Democratic strongholds.

At a news conference to discuss state-level test results, the Republican governor highlighted that achievement gaps had “greatly widened,” with a disproportionate negative impact on minority students.

“The lack of in-person learning this year has exasperated an already bad situation,” Lee said, calling the results “unacceptable.”

Along with this week’s spreadsheet of district results, the state education department released a 312-page online report to give a snapshot of each school system’s performance in third-grade reading, which is considered an indicator of future academic success, and eighth-grade math, which is necessary to understand subsequent courses on algebra and mathematical reasoning.

At the request of leaders of the legislature’s House Education Committee, the

report also labeled each district’s primary way of teaching last year.

Shelby County and Metro Nashville stood out as the only districts that taught all students primarily online, although several school systems were identified as providing mostly remote instruction to their older students. About 60 percent of districts were identified as teaching their students mostly in person, with the remainder providing a mix of both in-person and remote instruction.

During a presentation this week about test scores in Memphis, Shelby County school leaders stood by their decision to teach mostly online last year.

“Recognizing that shuttering schools could impact academic achievement, the risks to public health and safety were too great to be ignored,” officials said in a statement.

Nashville schools Director Adrienne Battle said test results for Tennessee’s second largest district weren’t surprising.

“We knew economically disadvantaged students were hit hardest by the pandemic and saw the greatest declines,” she said.

“And urban school districts like Metro Nashville [and] Shelby tend to have the highest proportion of economically disadvantaged students in the state.”

Almost a third of Tennessee’s 1 million students are from low-income families, which comprise about 56 percent of the student population in Shelby County

PAGE 10 | August 18 - September 1, 2021 | The Contributor | NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE

AM JD, UNSPLASH | COVER: ROHIT RAJ, UNSPLASH

Schools and 38 percent in Metro Nashville.

State officials say test scores have confirmed the pandemic has been hardest academically on historically underserved students.

Those demographics apply to the state’s Achievement School District, which is trying to turn around 25 low-performing schools in Memphis and two in Nashville. Three out of every five ASD students are considered economically disadvantaged, while 98 percent are people of color.

The ASD provided both in-person and remote instruction last year and also saw its scores drop precipitously.

The 2021 results provide the most detailed look so far at how the pandemic has slowed student learning since the first COVID cases reached Tennessee in March of 2020. Standardized testing was canceled nationwide last year, including the Tennessee Comprehensive Assessment Program, also known as TCAP. Tennessee’s school-level results will be released later, while families can use the state’s TCAP Family Portal to access student test scores.

School, district and state results are scheduled to be published in a more user-friendly format this fall through Tennessee’s online report card.

Chalkbeat is a nonprofit news site covering educational change in public schools.

C OV E R S T O RY: B A C K T O S C H O O L

Tennessee governor weighs whether to call special legislative session to hobble school mask mandates

BY M A R TA W. A LD R I CH CHALKBE AT TENNESSEE

[Tennessee governor weighs whether to call special legislative session to hobble school mask (https://tn.chalkbeat. org/2021/8/12/22622678/school-mask-mandates-special-legislative-session-tennessee-governor-considers) mandates was originally published by Chalkbeat, a nonprofit news organization covering public education.

Sign up for their newsletters here: ckbe.at/ newsletters.]

G

ov. Bill Lee is considering convening a special legislative session to address charges of “overreach” by local officials as a growing number of Tennessee school districts require students and staff to wear masks.

The governor received a letter from House Speaker Cameron Sexton and signed by his entire Republican caucus asking for an opportunity to “address misdirected and mandated responses to COVID-19 by local entities and officials.”

“We are reviewing the letter and will have more to say soon,” said Casey Black, Lee’s press secretary.

The decision could set the stage for lawmakers to limit avenues available to local officials responding to the surging infection rate for children with COVID’s more contagious delta variant. Children under 12 aren’t eligible for vaccinations.

School boards, as well as six independent health departments, currently have authority in Tennessee to require masks in schools, as recommended by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and the American Academy of Pediatrics.

But both Sexton and the governor have said parents should decide whether face coverings work for their students.

Last week, Sexton threatened to push for voucher legislation that would let parents move their children and taxpayer funding to private schools if their local public schools require masks. And on Monday, Lee told reporters that “nothing’s off the table” to address the latest pandemic battle putting schools in the crossfire.

Rep. Mark White, who chairs the House Education Committee, said the odds for a special session are 50-50.

“I think the House is on board, but I haven’t heard of movement from the Senate.

We’ll see where it goes,” White said.

The Memphis Republican signed Sexton’s letter in response to hundreds of emails and calls to his office, mostly from constituents who want masks to be optional.

“We’re a divided population right now, with people very angry on both sides,” he said.

“I don’t think it’s a bad idea for the legislature, as a representative body, to come together to

August 18 - September 1, 2021 | The Contributor | NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE | PAGE 11

try to find some kind of solutions.”

The GOP-controlled legislature could pass laws to punish districts that issue mask mandates by taking away state funding, as Florida’s governor is threatening to do, or to strip away the authority of independent health departments.

But Sen. Raumesh Akbari, a Democrat from Memphis, said the legislature should not do anything that could extend a pandemic that to this point has claimed the lives of nearly 13,000 Tennesseans.

“We cannot support a special session where the controlling party is only concerned with punishing private business owners and school districts for exercising medically appropriate precautions to keep people safe,” Akbari tweeted.

At the beginning of August, only Shelby County Schools in Memphis was requiring masks for the new academic year. But at least 13 other districts have since joined the state’s largest district in that policy, including its counterparts in Nashville and Chattanooga.

The list of districts with mandates includes the governor’s home school system in Williamson County, where an explosive school board meeting on Tuesday night erupted into shouts and threats from anti-maskers against doctors and nurses who spoke in favor of a mandate.

Six small school systems in the Memphis suburbs also have issued mandates in compliance with last week’s order from Shelby County health officials to require face coverings inside of all school buildings.

Lt. Gov. Randy McNally, who leads the Senate, has said the decision about mask mandates should lie with local school boards, but he declined to say whether he supports a special session.

“Amid all the controversy regarding masks, vaccine passports and the like, we appear to have lost sight of the one thing that truly matters: keeping children in the classroom so they can learn,” McNally said in a statement.

If a special session is convened, the Oak Ridge Republican pledged to keep the focus on what’s best for education.

White said any special session on school masks needs to happen before Labor Day. “Things are kind of getting out of hand,” he said, referring to the Williamson County school board meeting that made national news and drew a public rebuke from President Joe Biden.

“It’s like we’re in a fast-moving canoe going down rapids and just trying to hang on,” White said.

Chalkbeat is a nonprofit news site covering educational change in public schools.

INTERNATIONAL NETWORK OF STREET PAPERS

VACCINE DESERTS: THE POOR NATIONS TRAILING IN THE FIGHT AGAINST COVID-19

BY NITA BHALLA AND ANASTASIA MOLONEY At a private hospital in Burundi's capital, emergency specialist Emmanuel Kubwayo is worried for the first time since the coronavirus started spreading around the world last year.

Kubwayo initially shared the government's view that the small central African country did not need COVID-19 vaccines because it had so few cases. But as deaths and infections surge across Africa, he has changed his mind.

Along with Eritrea, Tanzania and North Korea, Burundi is one of a handful of nations that have not started vaccinations, according to the World Health Organization (WHO), potentially threatening global efforts to end the pandemic.

"It's time to let people who want, and can, to get vaccinated," said Kubwayo, 53, whose name has been changed to protect his identity.

"Burundi isn't an isolated island and if we don't do so, the virus will circulate freely in the country and the region."

So far, only about 18 million people in Africa, a continent of 1.3 billion, have been fully vaccinated against COVID-19 due largely to vaccine shortages, as well as widespread hesitancy.

But infections and deaths have jumped in recent weeks as more contagious variants take hold, shining a spotlight on the world's so-called vaccine deserts — places that are either unable or unwilling to undertake mass inoculation.

Burundi's interior minister, Gervais Ndirakobuca, told reporters last week the government was not against vaccines, pointing to the fact the country has allowed them in for foreigners working for the United Nations and other agencies.

Ndirakobuca, who is also president of the National Commission for the Fight against COVID-19, was not available for comment for this story.

‘Failure to share’ As rich countries open up and start vaccinating less vulnerable younger people, poor countries are struggling to secure vaccines. In Africa and elsewhere, such as Haiti, health authorities have barely begun mass rollouts.

Worldwide, wealthy nations have administered about half of total COVID-19 vaccine doses, compared with just 0.4 per cent in low-income countries, WHO figures from last month show, revealing glaring vaccine inequality.

The gap could widen still further as some governments order millions of booster doses to tackle a spike in cases linked to

A person holds a placard as supporters of the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) march to demand a rollout of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) vaccines, in Pretoria, South Africa June 25, 2021. REUTERS/SIPHIWE SIBEKO

the highly contagious Delta variant, before others have received supplies for health workers and other high-risk groups.

"The global failure to share vaccines equitably is fuelling the pandemic," said Tarik Jasarevic, a WHO spokesperson.

"Vaccines are effective against severe disease caused by the variants but variants will continue to flourish if the global inequitable rollout of vaccines is not addressed," he said.

In Haiti, where the first batch of 500,000 doses finally arrived last week through the international COVAX program, doctor Wilnick Richard said getting vaccinated would be a relief for health workers battling the nation's first serious outbreak.

"I worry about getting infected and for my wife because she's pregnant," said Richard, 36, chief medical officer at Care 2 Communities, a social enterprise that runs rural health clinics in the Caribbean country.

"If I could get the vaccine, it would be wonderful," he added.

‘Too scared’ While a lack of vaccines has been the biggest hurdle to mass immunisations in Africa, Burundi, Tanzania and Eritrea have been outliers — rejecting WHO advice to join COVAX on the grounds they have cases under control. Tanzania has since changed tack.

Eritrea has recorded about 30 coronavirus deaths, while Burundi has reported eight, according to the WHO. In the United States, a think-tank founded by Eritreans has launched a campaign called #AllowCOVAXforEritrea to put pressure on the government to change course and seek vaccines.

"When you speak to family and friends back home, people are worried about the virus but they're too scared to say anything about demanding the vaccine," said cardiologist Habteab Feseha, a member of the Eritrean Research Institute for Policy & Strategy (ERIPS).

"If no vaccines are secured, many innocent people will die needlessly," he said by phone from Arizona.

Government officials did not respond to a request for comment.

North Korea received approval from COVAX for about 2 million doses, but subsequently rejected planned shipments of AstraZeneca's vaccine due to concerns over side effects, a South Korean think-tank said earlier this month.

Victor Cha, senior vice president of the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), a US-based think-tank, said anti-virus restrictions were taking a heavy toll on the reclusive nation.

"The country appears to have been able to avoid such an outbreak by completely

PAGE 12 | August 18 - September 1, 2021 | The Contributor | NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE

shuttering their borders to all contact with the outside world, even more so than is typical for the isolated regime," said Cha, CSIS Korea Chair.

"But this has come at great cost — the economy is spiralling, commodity prices are rising, and food shortages are expected," he added.

Economic concerns could eventually sway public opinion in East African vaccine laggard Tanzania, which has only recently acknowledged the risk of COVID-19 following the death of former President John Magufuli - a coronavirus sceptic - in March.

His successor, Samia Suluhu Hassan, has applied to join COVAX and pledged $470 million to buy vaccines and boost the economy.

The tropical island of Zanzibar has seen tourist numbers decline with local residents struggling to make a living.

And while vaccine mistrust is widespread and mask-wearing rare, some islanders said embracing inoculation may be the only way to revive the crucial tourist economy.

"If the whole world is vaccinated, then we should do it too," said Mohammed Okala, a conservationist and tour guide. "Without the vaccine, we'll have fewer tourists visiting and we'll suffer."

Courtesy of Reuters / Thomson Reuters Foundation / INSP.ngo

MOVING PICTURES

"...one of the best films of the year..."

PIG IS A DEEP, QUIET, SMALL FEAST OF A FILM

BY JOE NOLAN, FILM CRITIC Pig wraps a small story with a few characters in a short film — almost exactly 90 minutes — that belies its rotund title. Just like at the butcher shop, scale is everything for this film called Pig, and it’s this concentration of just a few powerful elements bound by an intimate tale of grief and revenge that gives the movie its deep, complex and melancholic tone. These same structures also help to ground Nicolas Cage’s lead performance as a misanthropic, but legendary chef on a mission to find his stolen truffle pig.

Critics and movie buffs took to social media when the enigmatic Pig title and the barest details about the story were first announced. We openly fantasized about what sounded like a John Wick film that substituted Cage for Keanu and a porker for his pup. Some of this speculation was fueled by Cage’s recent turns in films like Mandy (2017), which found a psychedelics-and-alcohol-fueled Nic on a bloody rampage against a death cult motorcycle gang. Cage delivered another bonkers performance in Rich-

ard Stanley’s H.P. Lovecraft adaptation Color Out of Space (2019).

Given Cage’s recent track record it was easy to expect big and bloody things from Pig, but that’s not the case: Robin Feld lives in the woods outside of Portland, Ore. He shares a very primitive cabin with a prized truffle pig. Feld has long white hair and a bushy beard, and he’s mistaken for being someone with no place to live throughout the film. Like many people who experience various levels of challenge with housing, Feld’s struggles begin with a heartbreaking loss that results in career ending depressive grief and a retreat from society.

Feld takes comfort in the company of his sweet and snorty pig who assists Feld in foraging the very valuable truff les he sells to Amir.

Amir is a hustling young entrepreneur making a name for himself in the Portland restaurant scene as a purveyor of specialty ingredients. Amir’s dad is actually the kingpin of this racket in Portland, but he has no confidence in

Amir and their relationship has soured since the suicide of Amir’s mother. Pig takes viewers on a quest after Feld’s pig is stolen in the middle of the night. We sit at dining tables in the best restaurants in the city, we visit drug addicts in run down trailers on the edge of the woods. Pig takes us into a kind of masochistic underground fight club, but also into the grand entryways in the homes of the wealthy and dangerous.

Pig is a quiet, weird movie, but Michael Sarnoski’s directorial debut is so confident in its pacing and tone that we never got distracted or felt like the movie was losing its way. Patrick Scola’s less-is-more lensing of the gorgeous Pacific Northwest landscape is all pointed treetops, placid rivers and pitch black fungi. And there’s not a false note from Sarnoski’s small cast or the screenplay the director wrote from a story he conceived with fellow Yale University filmmaker, Vanessa Block. Cage barely has any dialog in this movie, but he reminds viewers that he’s always been capable

August 18 - September 1, 2021 | The Contributor | NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE | PAGE 13

of quiet nuanced roles when he’s taken them. Alex Wolff holds his own with the Academy Award Winner, becoming Feld’s reluctant sidekick and ultimately creating a connection between Feld and the world he left behind. Adam Arkin is always a strong addition to any cast, and he plays Amir’s conceited and criminal father with equal parts menace and melancholy.

Pig deserves its buzz and it's one of the best films of the year for me. Do yourself a favor and watch this one with a thoughtfully prepared meal. This story is arranged by chapters named for recipes, and all the slow motion gourmet food preparation in Pig makes it ideal for your next dinner-and-a-movie-at-home date night. Pig is available on demand on multiple streaming platforms.

Joe Nolan is a critic, columnist and performing singer/songwriter based in East Nashville. Find out more about his projects at www.joenolan.com.

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

Agosto/2

2021

Año 19 - No. 335

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

Empoderamiento y Aceleración Digital para Emprendedores Latin@s

Este pasado lunes 9 de agosto, la Fundación Cámara de Comercio Hispana del Área de Nashville lanzó su programa inaugural hibrido (presencial y virtual) de Empoderamiento y Aceleración Digital para Emprendedores Latin@s (EDAEL) en Por Loraine Segoviasus instalaciones ubi- Paz, Publisher cadas en el Nashville @LaNoticiaNews Entrepreneur Center.

El programa de negocios de siete (7) semanas de duración, totalmente en español, tiene como objetivo ayudar a empresas pequeñas, hispanas, minoritarias y de mujeres, a desempeñarse mejor en el mundo digital con el objetivo establecido de aumentar sus ventas, mejorar su relación con los clientes y facilitar la gestión y más efectiva admnistración de la empresa y equipo de trabajo.

A través de un comunicado de prensa la Fundación Cámara de Comercio Hispana del Área de Nashville (NAHCCF) anunció su programa EDAEL (DEALE en inglés) y también a los empresari@s seleccionados para su clase inaugural.

Titulado en inglés “Digital Empowerment and Acceleration for the Latin@ Entrepreneur” (DEALE) este programa busca asistir a empresas hispanas, principalmente, a desempeñarse mejor en el mundo digital. Los participantes aprenderán de expertos y presentadores invitados sobre: marketing de influencers, análisis de negocio, estrategia de Facebook, Google para empresas, manejo del programa Quickbooks, plan de crecimiento entre otros tópicos de interés.

Las sesiones de EDAEL se llevarán a cabo todos los lunes a las 8 am desde el 9 de agosto hasta el 20 de septiembre en el Nashville Entrepreneur Center, organismo sin fines de lucro que conecta a emprendedores con recursos críticos para crear, lanzar y hacer crecer negocios, ubicado en el centro de Nashville. Cada asistente tendrá disponible una computadora portátil para uso exclusivo durante la clase y para prácticas y capacitación en herramientas digitales.

Preguntas sobre la vacuna anti COVID-19

Successful launch of ‘Digital Empowerment for the Small, Hispanic, Minority and Women Owned Business’ program

Las empresas seleccionadas a participar en la FASE I de EDAEL son: Laura Correa, Salón Yescas; Noelia Chinchilla y Juan Oliva, Olive Plates Antique Boutique Rental & Catering LLC.; Cristy Cordoba, Estilo's Salon & Barber Shop; Jary Ramirez y Ingrid Ortiz, Jana’s Corner; Dalila y Sergio Preza, Diva's Beauty Supply; Ana Mirian Recinos, Pupuseria Salvadoreña 1, 2 y 3; Ruth Rico, Delicias Colombiana RR; Perla Salas, Salón de Belleza Perla Salas y Perlitas Fashion; Olga Soto, Olga's Cake; Roxanne Velázquez, 7 Mares Mexican Seafood Bar & Grill; Deborah Gregory, Realtor, RE/MAX Choice Properties; and Sharon Courtney, founder of SGC Visual Art. “Después de sensibilizar a los emprendedores sobre la importancia de abrirse camino y desempeñarse en el mundo digital EDAEL toma el siguiente paso a la acción para que los empresarios no sólo sepan la importancia de las herramientas digitales sino que también sepan usarlas y puedan identificar y construir su propia estrategia óptima para tener una fuerte presencia online”, dijo Karina García Suárez, coordinadora de programas para la organizacion.

Los destacados presentadores invitados para la sesión inaugural fueron:

Priscilla Castro, creadora digital y estratega; Clemencia Enriquez, Emprendedora, Clemen Enriquez Hair Salon; Pilar Guzmán, fundadora, propietaria de Half Moon Empanadas; Olivia Marla Michael, galardonada periodista y reportera para el canal 5 WTVF Nashville; y Miguel Villanueva, Publicista e Influencer.

Por su parte la Cámara de Comercio Hispana del Área de Nashville (NAHCC), aliado estratégico del programa, confirmó que se seguirá un estricto protocolo de distanciamiento social, proporcionandose y requiriendose el uso de máscaras protectoras en todo momento. Asi mismo, se tendrá disponible kits de pruebas rápidas para detectar el COVID-19.

Los programas de la Fundación Cámara de Comercio Hispana del Área de Nashville en alianza estratégica con la NAHCC, son posibles gracias al apoyo de sus miembros, patrocinadores corporativos y aliados comunitarios. ¿Quiere saber más sobre la organización y sus programas? Envíe un correo electrónico a info@nashvillehispanicchamber.com ó llame al 615-216-5737 ó visite www.nashvillehispanicchamber.com

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

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.

www.juanese.com juaneseUSA@gmail.com

PAGE 14 | August 18 - September 1, 2021 | The Contributor | NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE

¿Son seguras las vacunas contra el COVID-19? ¡Sí! Estas vacunas ya se han administrado a decenas de miles de voluntarios y se ha demostrado que son seguras y muy buenas para evitar que ellos se enfermen con el COVID-19. La seguridad de las vacunas contra el COVID-19 es una prioridad absoluta.

Los ensayos clínicos de fase 3 involucran a decenas de miles de voluntarios que se dividieron en dos grupos para recibir la vacuna o una inyección de placebo. Luego fueron vigilados muy de cerca para detectar efectos secundarios y enfermedad del COVID-19. Tanto las vacunas de ARNm de Pfizer como Moderna demostraron ser seguras en sus ensayos clínicos de fase 3, sin que se informaran eventos adversos graves entre las decenas de miles que recibieron las vacunas. La vacuna también continuará siendo monitoreada para asegurarse de que se detecte cualquier problema raro lo antes posible y se evalúen para ver si fueron causados por la vacuna. Han habido dos personas vacunadas con la vacuna Pfizer contra el COVID-19 en el Reino Unido que tenían antecedentes de reacciones alérgicas graves a una vacuna en el pasado y tuvieron reacciones alérgicas graves después de recibir la vacuna Pfizer. Se recomienda que las personas con reacciones alérgicas graves a medicamentos o vacunas inyectadas o infundidas sean observadas durante un mínimo de 30 minutos después de recibir la vacuna Pfizer. ¿Me infectará la vacuna contra el COVID-19 con el virus?

No. Ninguna de las vacunas que están en desarrollo actualmente en los Estados Unidos contiene el virus, pues no hay posibilidad de que la vacuna infecte a alguien con el virus de COVID-19.

Lee más: https://www.asafenashville.org/es/infor macion-sobre-vacunas/ Envíenos sus sugerencias por e-mail: news@hispanicpaper.com

The New Christian Year Selected by Charles Williams

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. First published in 1941, 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. 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

12th Wednesday after Trinity

13th Monday after Trinity

13th Friday after Trinity

ABBA Agathon used to say to himself, whensoever he saw any act or anything which his thought wished to judge or condemn, "Do not commit the thing thyself," and in this manner he quieted his mind, and held his peace.

The Paradise of the Fathers.

I LIVE in Meshech which they say signifies Prolonging, in Kedar which signifies Blackness; yet the Lord forsaketh me not. Though he do prolong, yet he will, I trust, bring me to his tabernacle, his resting-place. My soul is with the congregation of the first-born, my body rests in hope, and if here I may honour my God, either by doing or suffering, I shall be most glad.

Oliver Cromwell: Letters.

LET us, at all times, take each the burden of the other, and let us suffer for each other even as our Lord suffered for us; but let us examine our souls unceasingly.

The Paradise of the Fathers.

WE naturalize ourselves, to the employment of eternity.

Benjamin Whichcote: Aphorisms.

THOU, O God, canst never forsake me so long as I am capable of Thee.

Nicholas de Susa: The Vision of God.

VEX not yourselves with trivialities; ye were not made for things, and the glory of the world is but a travesty of truth, only a heresy of happiness.

Eckhart: Sayings.

12th Thursday after Trinity WE repeat the Scriptures with our mouth, and we go though the Psalms of David in our service, but that which God requireth, and which is necessary, we have not, that is to say, a good word for each other.

The Paradise of the Fathers.

DO not despise or think lightly of him that standeth before thee, for thou knowest not whether the Spirit of God is in thee or in him, though thou callest him who standeth before thee him that ministereth unto thee.

The Paradise of the Fathers.

12th Friday after Trinity WHILE thou still wishest better to thine own person than to that man whom thou hast never seen thou art beside the mark, nor hast thou even for an instant seen into this simple ground.

Eckhart: Sermons and Collations.

A HOLY man once bethought himself how painful it must have been to God to have been seen by his enemies when he was taken prisoner. Our Lord answered him: "My enemies appeared unto Me in my presence as friends, who wished to help me in carrying out the sweetest and most desirable work that I ever worked in my life."

Tauler: Sermons.

12th Saturday after Trinity

The Feast of St Bartholomew NATURAL religion, if you understand it rightly, is a most excellent thing, it is a right sentiment of heart, it is so much goodness in the heart, it is its sensibility both of its separation from its relation to God; and therefore it shows itself in nothing but in a penitential sentiment of the weight of its sins, and in an humble recourse by faith to the mercy of God. Call but this the religion of nature and then the more you esteem it, the better; for you cannot wish well to it without bringing it to the Gospel state of perfection.

For the religion of the Gospel is this religion of penitence and faith in the mercy of God, brought forth into its full perfection. For the Gospel calls you to nothing but to know and understand and practise a full and real penitence, and to know by faith such heights and depths of the divine mercy towards you, as the religion of nature had only some little uncertain glimmerings of.

William Law: A Demonstration.

13th Tuesday after Trinity DIDST thou ever decry a glorious eternity in a winged moment of Time? Didst thou ever see a bright Infinite in the narrow point of an Object? Then thou knowest what Spirit means—that spire-top whither all things ascend harmoniously, where they meet and sit connected in an unfathomed Depth of Life.

Peter Sterry: Rise, Race, and Royalty of the Kingdom of God.

WE pray God that his, "will be done on earth," in us, "as it is in heaven," in God himself. A man of this sort is so one, so one-willed with God that he wills exactly what God wills and in the way God wills it.

Eckhart: The Book of Benedictus.

GOD giveth a man the opportunity to repent as long as he wisheth to do, and in proportion as he wisheth.

The Paradise of the Fathers.

NO knowledge, therefore, and no conceptions in this mortal life can serve as proximate means of this high union of the love of God. All that the understanding can comprehend; all that the will may be satisfied with; and all that the imagination may conceive, is most unlike unto God, and most disproportionate to Him. St John of the Cross: Ascent of Mount Carmel.

WONDERFUL is the depth of thy words, whose surface, see, is before us, gently leading on the little ones: and yet a wonderful deepness, O my God, a wonderful deepness.

It is awe to look into it; even an awfulness of honour, and a trembling of love.

St Augustine: Confessions.

Twelfth Sunday after Trinity LOVE is a grace that loves God for Himself, and our neighbors for God. The consideration of God's goodness and bounty, the experience of those profitable and excellent emanations from Him, may be and most commonly are, the first motive of our love; but when we are once entered, and have tasted the goodness of God, we loved the spring for its own excellency, passing from passion to reason, from thanksgiving to adoring, from sense to spirit, from considering ourselves to an union with God: and this is the image and little representation of heaven; it is beatitude in picture, or rather the infancy and beginnings of glory.

Jeremy Taylor: Holy Living.

AS a man raises himself towards Heaven, so his view of the spiritual world becomes simplified and his words fewer.

Dionysius the Areopagite: Mystical Theology.

13th Wednesday after Trinity

IT is imperfection in Religion to drudge in it, and every man drudges in Religion if he takes it up as a task and carries it as a burden.

Benjamin Whichcote: Discourses.

13th Thursday after Trinity THE things of God are not made ours, by a mere notion and speculation; but when they become in us a vital principle, when they establish in us a state or temper, when the things of God are grounds and principles of suitable operations.

Benjamin Whichcote: Works.

RELIGION makes us live like men.

Benjamin Whichcote: Aphorisms.

13th Saturday after Trinity NEITHER Creator nor creature can be without love, but if this love is turned aside to evil, then the creature goes against the creator . . . A man may love evil by willing evil to his neighbors in three ways: For first, he may hope to be prosperous through his neighbor's degradation; and again, he may himself fear to lose power, grace, honour, or reputation because of his neighbour's advancement, and may therefore be miserable at that advancement; and again, he may feel himself injured by his neighbour, and wish to be revenged, so that he sets himself to seek out the other's hurt.

Dante: Purgatory.

Thirteenth Sunday after Trinity SILENCE is not God, nor speaking is not God: fasting is not God nor eating is not God; onliness is not God nor company is not God; nor yet any of all the other two such quantities. He is hid between them, and may not be bound by any work of thy soul, but all only by love of thine heart. He may not be known by reason, He may not be gotten by thought, nor concluded by understanding; but he may be loved and chosen with the true lovely will of thine heart.

An Epistle of Discretion.

SAY with Christ "Cross, cross," and there is no cross. For the cross is no more a cross once you say joyously: "Blessed cross, there is no tree like thee."

Luther: Letters.

14th Monday after Trinity WITH this sight of the blessed Passion, with the Godhead that I saw in mine understanding, I knew well that it was strength enough for me, yea, and for all creatures living, against all the fiends of hell and ghostly temptation.

Juliana of Norwich: Revelations of Divine Love.

SHE cried again, "O Love, no more sins! no more sins!”

And her hatred of herself was more than she could endure.

St Catherine of Genoa: Life.

14th Tuesday after Trinity THINK no further of thyself than I bid thee do of thy God, so that thou be one with him in spirit as thus, without any separating and scattering of mind. For he is thy being, and in him thou art what thou art, not only by cause and by being, but also he is in thee both thy cause and thy being. And therefore think of God in thy work as thou dost on thyself, and on thyself as thou dost on God: that he is as he is and thou art as thou art; so that thy though be not scattered nor separated, oned in him that is all, evermore saving this difference betwixt thee and him, that he is thy being and thy not his.

The Epistle of Privy Counsel.

OUR spirits are comfortable (praised be the Lord!), though our present condition is as it is.

Oliver Cromwell: Letters.

August 18 - September 1, 2021 | The Contributor | NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE | PAGE 15

FUN

HOBOSCOPES LEO

You know the one where the singer is all like “It’s my party and I’ll cry if I want to?” I was just wondering, Leo, do we know if that kid’s OK? Like, is she still upset about Judy wearing Johnny’s ring, or whatever was going on in that song? Anyway, I was just thinking about how you may not feel like expressing your emotions right now. You may think your responses are inappropriate or unimportant. But I just wanted to remind you, Leo, that it’s your party. Go ahead and feel what you’ve gotta feel.

VIRGO

Sometimes I believe that this is all going somewhere good, Virgo. I think about the things I’ve already learned and the things I hope to learn before it’s all done and I can find a kind of warm, cosmic wisdom that seems to pervade everything. Other times, I’m walking around in my socks and I step in cat puke and I’m just ready to burn the whole thing down. Whether you feel like the universe is for you or against you today, Virgo, try to remember that tomorrow you’ll probably feel differently.

LIBRA

Today I met a man who has eight brothers and sisters and they all love honey. Every couple of months they buy a five gallon bucket of honey from their favorite beekeeper and they split it nine ways (I promise this isn’t a math problem, Libra). I was mostly just struck by the spirit of cooperation in this story. People figuring out what they love and working together to make it even more enjoyable. Why don’t we do more sharing what we love, Libra? I think it could be really sweet.

SCORPIO

In the final section of Plato’s Republic, Socrates tells the story of a man called Er. Er dies in battle and goes to the afterlife where he sees that the souls of good people are rewarded and the souls of bad people are punished.

After a time, most of these souls are sent back to earth to take another run at being alive. But first they must drink from the River Lethe, which causes them to forget their previous life. Er skips the drink, and when he returns he can recount everything he saw.

You may tend to worry about being good enough to be rewarded, Scorpio. But I think you should focus on being cunning enough to not forget everything you’ve learned.

SAGITTA R IUS

All right, Sagittarius, I assume you’re ready to wrap things up. I mean, here we are, ¾ of the way through the year, so I guess you’re nearly finished with all those projects you wanted to get done. But, if for some reason you haven’t accomplished everything you intended, I think there still may be hope. First, remember that these are your goals, like, this was all your idea in the first place. That means you can adjust them anytime you want. If you need more time, you can have it. If you want to do something else altogether, you’re allowed. Time isn’t running out. It’s really just getting started.

then and I should have told you that I don’t know how to make things change, either, but that we’re here for you, Pisces, anytime you want to talk about it. And that we need you just as much as you need us. Stop by whenever.

ARIES

I love the new look, Aries! It’s just so completely you. But while you’re in the midst of this redesign, I’d just like to make one suggestion. While you’re redoing the outside, give the inside some time, too. It takes a little work and some focus, but I think you’ll find it’s worth it. You can give yourself the attention you deserve.

CAPRICORN

It’s possible you got the wrong idea when I said you should “get out there and tell your story.” I was thinking it would be more like you and one other person. I was thinking you would talk about the things you’re afraid of and unsure about. I thought maybe you’d feel heard and see yourself more clearly. LIsten, Capricorn, I’m not saying the personal global brand you’ve built through online courses for transformation by social media influence is necessarily a bad thing. I’m just not sure that counts as telling your story. Maybe just find one person. Tell them something true about you and see if they have any questions.

AQUA RIUS

They told us to live big, remarkable lives.

They told us to make the change the world needed. They told us this was how to find meaning and purpose and be our truest selves. But what if you tried living smaller, Aquarius? Maybe it’s not your job to save the world. Maybe it’s not your job to be a hero. Maybe you just need to take care of your mind and your body and be good to the people in your small sphere of influence. Maybe you could try that on for a week and see how it feels.

PISCES

I remember the sound of a train somewhere far off and the shadows on the front porch were getting long and the air had just a hint of a chill in it. And you were there, Pisces, and you were telling me about how you were just so tired of things feeling this way. You said you were afraid it would never change. And then my phone buzzed and when I reached for it you said you should probably go. I should have stopped you

TAURUS

How far back in time do you want to go, Taurus? Two weeks? Two years?

Two decades? When do you think you could’ve made a better decision? When did you miss the chance? You can’t really get to the past, Taurus, but it’s easy to live there, anyway. But this is the time when you can make the most difference.

This is your chance to make the right decision. Or at least a good time to give it a shot.

GEMINI

There’s a sign outside my apartment complex that says, “If you lived here, you’d be home by now.” I do live here and I am home by now, so I guess they have a point, Gemini. I think the point is that you may be tired of trying to get where you’re going. You may just be looking for a place to stop and rest and feel at home. And I think the secret, Gemini, is learning to feel at home in your own skin. When you’re comfortable in your body and you know exactly who you are, you won’t even be tempted by the Crestwood Apartments “30 Day Move-In Special.”

CANCER

In the ancient Armenian tale of Ara the Handsome, King Ara is so...well...handsome that Queen Semiramis of Assyria goes to war in order to capture and marry him. She wins the war, but unfortunately, Ara is accidentally killed in the process. Sometimes, Cancer, we work so hard to achieve a goal that the goal doesn’t survive the struggle. You may need to turn the volume down on some of your current campaigns. Make sure what you’re aiming for is really what you want and then maybe aim a little to the left.

Mr. Mysterio is not a licensed astrologer, a trained philosopher king, or a licensed superintendent. 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

PAGE 16 | August 18 - September 1, 2021 | The Contributor | NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE

Art by June P.

THEME: BACK TO SCHOOL ACROSS 1. *____ mater 5. *Graduate degree, acr.

8. Opposite of stereo 12. Defense ditch 13. Fishing rod attachment 14. More sure 15. One's final notice 16. Dutch cheese 17. Golfer's traction aid 18. *Half-year terms 20. At the summit of 21. Water nymph 22. Actor ____ Mahershala 23. Be a busybody 26. Metrical foot in poetry

30. Earlier in time, archaic 31. Become bony 34. Shakespeare's tragic monarch 35. Labanotation founder 37. Theodor Geisel, ____ Dr. Seuss 38. Threshold 39. Relating to the ear 40. Weather advisories, e.g.

42. + or - atom 43. Widely esteemed 45. Most mature, as in fruit 47. Indian dish 48. Dashboard window

Art by Cynthia P.

August 18 - September 1, 2021 | The Contributor | NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE | PAGE 17

50. Female sheep, pl.

52. *"The Breakfast Club" punishment 56. Flower holders 57. Singles 58. High school breakout 59. Acoustic output 60. Overwhelming defeat 61. *Gym class test?

62. Catchall abbr.

63. *Geography class staple 64. Not talker?

DOWN 1. ____ of cookie fame 2. Stud site 3. Cripple 4. *Go to class 5. Mythological princess of Colchis 6. TV cooking show pioneer James ____ 7. Contributions to the poor 8. *Kind of choice 9. Black and white treat 10. Less than average tide 11. Table scrap 13. Laces again 14. Milan's La ____ 19. Manicurist's office 22. Is it ____ wonder?

23. Hard on outside,

juicy on inside 24. One of the Muses 25. Payment option 26. From a great distance 27. Chill-inducing 28. Type of palm tree, pl.

29. Council of _____, city in Italy 32. *Back-to-School retail event 33. WWII general who became President 36. *Faculty member 38. "Peace" with fingers 40. TV classic "____ in the Family" 41. Superlative of true 44. Lowest male singing voice 46. Small bomb 48. Christopher Columbus' birthplace 49. Consumed (2 words) 50. Small ladies' handbag 51. What one does at the altar 52. *College freshman's new digs 53. International Civil Aviation Organization 54. Half as much as twice 55. ____-do-well 56. Every American's uncle?

VENDOR WRITING

Two Weeks in Review

LIFE

TYRONE M.

BY JEN A.

let the (Darkness) of the night sink into morning, while I scream at the the sun/the moon holler until your face / eyes turn Red / only then will you finally Realize life is is a Particle of Reality

SOUTHERN BELLE PT. 1 DON-LEE B.

Up at the crack of dawn & wipe my eye She cook me breakfast in the morning / she my sweetie-pie Soft, gentle, and polite she my wife to be.

She not only my lady she’s a friend to me Understanding and forgiving when I’m messing-up

This issue, I couldn't decide what to write about. Lord knows there was plenty to spark my pen to paper. There's that commercial in rotation on Fox Sports Radio for Smith and Wesson, the gun manufacturers, promoting their deadly products that ends, "Smith and Wesson, empowering Americans." It's always strategically placed between ads for erectile dysfunction and hair replacement treatments. Could they be targeting the fragile male ego?

The FCC bans ads for cigarettes and liquor because of their negative health effects. Guns are far more instantly lethal than either of those products. How is gun advertising allowed when we know that the second leading cause of death in children is the proliferation of unsecured guns? Have we become so numb to deaths caused by guns that we just don't care anymore? Do our children mean so little to us?

Because that piece so depressed me, I started another titled, "Tennessee Legislators Play Doctor," about how Republican legislators have called a special session to forbid mask mandates in schools. Actual medical professionals have called for mandates to protect our children from the more dangerous, highly

transmittable, Delta variant of the COVID-19 virus.

But then the mask mandate morphed into a way for our governor to promote school vouchers so that mask-averse parents could receive funds to send their children to private schools that aren't subject to mask mandates.

Republicans have long wanted to destroy our public schools. But really, wouldn't a quality private school require masks? This one convinced me that Republicans not only have no grip on reality but also lack any sense of shame.

Looking for another topic, there have been a rash of high-profile Republicans who were felled or died of COVID-19.

That is tragic. Conservative leaders in our state had better change their no masks, no vaccine message or there will be no one left to vote for them in the next election.

And how about those idiot yahoos who showed up at the Williamson County school board meeting to harass and threaten those who testified that masks were the best way to protect our children in group settings. Whoever paid those rabble rousers certainly wasted their money. I laughed when I heard them chanting, "We know who you are." Yeah, we know who you are too!

But then Major League Baseball came along to save us all from the dark and noxious events of the last few weeks with their "Field of Dreams" game. It appeared, almost miraculously, from a glistening green field of corn to shower us with waves of nostalgia for happier, bygone days. It wasn't heaven but it was close. It was Iowa.

The game itself certainly didn't disappoint. In the top of the 9th, the Yanks, trailing by three runs, went up by one off of two, two run bombs by Judge and Stanton. Then in the bottom of the 9th, with two out and one on, Tim Anderson of the White Sox launched one into the corn for the walk off win. It just doesn't get any better than that.

My most heartfelt thanks to everyone involved in bringing us MLB's "Field of Dreams" game. You touched my soul and brought something into my life that was not corrupted by hate and stupidity. I will put this memory in the box where I keep all of my most cherished memories and take it out from time to time to remind me that there is still some good in these United States of America. Baseball is and always has been a blessing.

Just ask Walt Whitman.

When I was late on them bills she help me catch ‘em up Matter of fact she say she love me and I believe her She got me up in the church house thanking Jesus For many blessing & sending me an Earth Angel My Southern-Belle full of love she never knowed a stranger

He speaks to our hearts

Her body right and she pretty like a magnolia

BY JOHN H.

And I just wanna be the man to console her Buried deep inside her heart is where courage dwell I wouldn’t take a million dollars for my Southern Belle

FART GENE C.

For it's no sin Always bringing to your face a grin Realizing how good it can feel To lift your leg to let one squeal

After paying attention to many Americans each day I wonder, “Do they know when God’s speaking to their heart?” It’s all apart of getting to know about the Lord you serve each day. For me, he speaks to my heart on the spot or shortly before, but most the time, he lay it on my heart twelve to twenty four hrs ahead of time. For instance; God can lay it on my heart to visit a sick person or maybe come to the aid of someone that in hardship or whatever the case may be. Am I the only one?

I remember times when he’s convicted my heart. Walking home yesterday, a girl was sitting on the corner. She asked

me for a dollar and I told her I didn’t have it. I had a dollar but it was for bus fair the following morning. I got in the house, sit for a while and I just didn’t feel right. I needed the dollar but somehow I felt she needed it worse than me. I got up and went back to that corner, she was still there. I gave her the dollar and started back home and what do you know, laying on the sidewalk was twenty dollars.

Much of the time you may find money but it wouldn’t be laying on the side walk like this twenty dollar bill was. It was dark and I could actually see this $20 fifteen feet away.

Amazing the rewards we get for

PAGE 18 | August 18 - September 1, 2021 | The Contributor | NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE

being obedient to God when he speak to our heart.

Are we to be obedient, ignore, or do we even know when God’s speaking to our heart.

Take some time and think about these three things because it’s very important. Matter of fact, one day it could be a question whether you spend eternity with satan or with the Lord. And if by chance you didn’t know God was speaking to your heart, open up his word and read about him.

Whatever you don’t understand just go in prayer and ask.

I know because I remember nights I’ve gotten outta bed and went to the aid of someone and surely that person needed me.

VENDOR WRITING

The Greatest Show On Earth — Well, Almost

BY NORMA B. The Greatest Show On Earth was once used to describe Dan Rice’s circus popular from the 1830s-1860s, and more famously it became the tagline associated with the Ringling Bros. Barnum and Bailey’s circus from 1871-2017.

These shows had a variety of people and animals designed to shock attendees and leave them in awe.

However, I contend that this moniker could just as easily be applied to a live Garth Brooks concert. The only difference? He’s ONE performer who can single handedly reach out and touch the hearts and minds of thousands in attendance, stirring their emotions, making them smile in one moment with his crazy antics on stage, and bringing them to tears the next making each one feel as though he’s talking directly to them because they can relate to what he’s saying.

Garth Brooks' song catalogue does just that! Need some examples?

Here’s just a few. For something that can touch the heart and soul of anyone by showing the importance of life and love, try the iconic songs, “If Tomorrow Never Comes” and, “The

Dance” or maybe, “To Make You Feel My Love.” Maybe you need a little something to make you smile. Give a listen to, “Nobody Gets Off In This Town,” or, “Against The Grain.” How about a dose of real life issues? Try, “We Shall Be Free,” or “The Thunder Rolls,” or “Much To Young To Feel This Damn Old.” Whatever style or genre you prefer, I encourage you to give a listen. There truly is something for everyone. These are just a few examples.

How do I know all this? It’s simple, by listening repeatedly to his songs and attending one concert.

I was fortunate enough to get a ticket to his most recent show at Nissan Stadium on July 31, 2021. Chris Young gave a rousing performance of “Famous Friends” from The Grand Ole Opry followed up with a beautiful song in tribute to Johnny and June Carter Cash sung by Emmylou Harris and surprise guest Trisha Yearwood.

One can only wonder what other surprises were in store for those in attendance, but the concert was postponed due to inclement weather after only three songs when the thunder rolled and the lightning — did indeed

— strike multiple times! (See Photo) We were ushered like cattle into the covered area of the concourse where we were given sodas and water at no charge and cooled as well as they could by large fans. (No social distancing here, so I was glad I had my mask. In fact, I wish I’d had ALL my masks. SO many people were asking about it!) I got to meet people from ALL over, literally: Mackinac Island, Mich., Detroit, Mich., Orlando, Fla.,

and perhaps the most touching of all was a young couple from Sacramento, Calif. The girlfriend had flown her boyfriend out to see Garth for his birthday! Wow! I was even able to meet a young lady who was fortunate enough to score front row seats! I was happy for her of course, but the green-eyed monster of jealousy did rear its ugly head when I realized that I would never have that opportunity because

I’m in a wheelchair.

You see, when I arrived at the show I was told I couldn’t take my chair onto the field where my seat was located. The staff was very helpful and quickly ushered me to the wheelchair section also on the field, but in the back rows. I’m not complaining, I mean, at least I was in the stadium!

It just doesn’t seem fair to me that those in wheelchairs will never have an opportunity to have that up close and personal moment with a superstar like Garth Brooks simply because they are disabled, what a shame!

Who knows maybe Garth can do something about that, I mean, he is the “g-man” even though it is with a little "g" if anyone can I know he can and will do so. He’s SO hands on with all his shows!

Who knows, if he does, maybe other superstars will sit up, take note and make changes too so ALL in attendance can enjoy every aspect these dynamic shows have to offer!

As for what the rescheduled show has in store there’s no way to know for sure, but I have no doubt it will be The Greatest Show on Earth!

Effective Homelessness Response Systems Ain’t Great without You A great part of being with The Salvation Army is moving from community to community. Seven so far. We love to meet our neighbors. We enjoy the music. We enjoy the food. We enjoy shared stories of history. We join in the vision of the future.

In fact, we concentrate on increasing the quality of life of individuals until it raises the quality of the community.

One thing I hate is people dying on the street.

Unfortunately, it is an ever present reality of our work. Broken hearts drive us. When we learn that someone has died we ask two questions; Were they housed? Did they testify to a relationship with Jesus?

Of one thing I am sure, premature death without housing epitomizes the failure of our goal to increase the quality of life.

And so we fight. We march into policy meetings.

We march into encampments. We march into dinner parties. We march into church to gain the strength to march out again. We march on and tell the story of the systematic changes that increase the quality of life of communities.

In September, we will share that story at the International Association of Chiefs of Police.

We are presenting the only session concerning effectiveness in response in the homelessness sector.

There are three parts to the story of an effective homelessness response system, at least the way

we tell it; • Reframe the Narrative • Review the Reality • Iterative Impact Response I commend MNPD for their significant efforts to Reframe in the homeless service sector. The Quality of Life Teams are a compassionate and effective response to our socially displaced neighbors.

I commend the Metro Homeless Impact Division that leads a strong partnership in looking at the sludge in our systems and creating new paths to housing through the dignity of individual engagement. Together with our Continuum of Care, agencies use evidenced based responses that encourage our neighbors to have patience as we resource their hope.

I am concerned a bit though of our iterative response improvements for the unsheltered throughout the community. Too often resources are invested in people staying in homelessness in public spaces. So, is there an alternative? Do we know how to improve? Absolutely.

The challenge is the public will to be excellent.

I would contend that there are three derive systems that have to be designed; 1. Traditional Shelter to Housing 2. Supportive Services to Housing 3. Behaviorally Designed Paths to Housing

support service roughly 15%. But it is the 10% of those experiencing homelessness that actually cause the greatest quality of life risk factors, both individually and for the community. To be clear, these are “those people” that cause the greatest public concern. It should concern us that 2020 was the first year that there are more unsheltered persons than sheltered. This is a red flag that for various reasons people want a new response.

These are the signals that we must respond to what people are doing. This is behavioral science. We must have iterative impact responses to achieve our quality of life goals. The amazing thing is that by designing a behaviorally informed path to housing encompasses the 90%.

We are working on it.

What does this look like? We absolutely know how to reduce encampments and their despairing entrapments. However recent media has yelled that we are not ready to be excellent yet. Yet. Note the yet.

Nashville is improving and we are encouraged.

The primary question at hand is what about you?

Will you believe there is a path to excellence?

Give me a call and let’s discuss it over coffee.

- Major Ethan Frizzell - 615-993-9305

Traditional services will accommodate roughly 75% of the homeless service sector and

August 18 - September 1, 2021 | The Contributor | NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE | PAGE 19

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