IN THE ISSUE
History Corner
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A Few Questions with Benton McDonough
Benton McDonough is the Director of the Mayor’s Office of Nightlife and the Executive Director of the Metro Beer Board. But to many, he’s known as Nashville’s Night Mayor.
He took the reins as Nashville’s Night Mayor in 2022. He describes the Office of Nightlife as serving as a liaison between businesses, Nashville residents, tourists, and Metro government to address issues of quality of life and public safety.
McDonough said there was a lot of overlap with the work of the Beer Board because his office was already working with restaurants, bars and other places in entertainment areas that operate at night. Officially, the Metro Beer Board regulates the sale, storage and transportation of beer malt beverages that contain eight percent or less alcohol. In short, anyone selling beer has to get a permit through the Beer Board, which also is responsible for compliance of permit holders with regulations such as no alcohol sales to underage customers.
Unlike other cities that have hired a night mayor with a background in the hospitality industry, Nashville chose a person with regulatory background. McDonough believes the relationships within and outside of Metro he had already established benefited his new position.
“When you bring in someone from the hospitality side, they don't have the government experience to be able to know who their connections are within Metro government,” he said, adding that the concept of an Office of Nightlife started in Europe — in Amsterdam to be precise.
McDonough started by doing research and working with the NITECAP Alliance and the Responsible Hospitality Industry (RHI) before launching his own local listening tour in January 2023 to understand the needs of residents and business owners in Nashville’s entertainment district Downtown.
Meanwhile, his office has expanded to three staff members. Next to McDonough, there is now an assistant director and a community outreach coordinator, which have allowed their operations to expand to other areas of the city such as The Gulch, Midtown and East Nashville. One change, he said, that Nashville has seen of late are the openings of more music venues in residential areas, which is creating different entertainment zones across the city and the issues those bring for residents and businesses.
What are the most common issues you are asked to deal with?
When I first started, noise issues coming from rooftops and bars were overwhelmingly the top issue. One of the first things that we did was [addressing communications issues between first responders]. Police, Fire, and EMS (Emergency Medical Services) had trouble communicating because it was so loud down on Broadway. They couldn’t hear each other on the radios.
So we passed an ordinance that required any bars or restaurants that had their speakers within 10 feet of an open door or window to turn them away from the door or window. That brought the sound down enough where the officers could communicate.
Lighting was also big when I first came on. There were some issues with darker areas in the
BY JUDITH TACKETT
entertainment district that posed a problem because they allowed for more illegal activity. One of those areas was under the pedestrian bridge on 2nd Avenue. So, we spoke to NDOT (Nashville Department of Transportation), and they extended the lighting underneath the bridge. That helped significantly.
What are some of the most uncommon issues that you did not expect?
There was the issue with people bringing snakes down to Broadway and charging people to pet the snakes. That is something that’s been addressed through the vendor ordinance that was passed, and I know Councilman [Jacob] Kupin has done a lot to address that and also the hot dog vendors that are so common down there.
With some of the measures you have implemented, like the lighting issues, have you seen those impact crime rates?
Actually, it's interesting since this job was created and MNPD started to move from an overtime-focused organization in the entertainment district to where they now have a dedicated force [Downtown], the crime rate has actually gone down significantly in the entertainment district.
Nashville is very different from a lot of other cities. I went to a conference in Dallas back in April, and a lot of the cities there talked about the fact that there is this silo effect in their governments, departments are not very good at communicating with each other, and they don't have a dedicated police force for their entertainment district. What I found is that we actually have a very good working relationship across many different departments in Metro. And then when MNPD moved to a dedicated force in the entertainment district, that really cut down significantly on the crime rate.
Who are your main partners within and outside of Metro government?
I’m afraid I’m going to leave someone out, but as far as government goes, obviously I work closely with the Mayor's Office, MNPS, Fire, EMS, and Fire Marshal's Office. The Sheriff’s Department is an interesting [partner] because they have the Mobile Booking Unit that they utilize.
One of the first projects that I worked on was to try to bring the Mobile Booking Unit permanently to [set up] closeby the Entertainment District because that cuts down on the number of hours that a police officer is taken off the street because they're going through booking. Typically, it can take three hours to go through night court and booking, but if they go through the Mobile Booking Unit, it takes them about 45 minutes. So, they’re able to turn around and get right back onto the street.
Then we work closely with NDOT, the Health Department, DEC (Department of Emergency Communications), hubNashville, and several different councilmembers. We work with them on different issues affecting their districts. We are starting to reach out to the [Office of Homeless Services] I’ve had some discussions with Judge Lynda Jones, who oversees the Homelessness Court, [and also] met with the DA's office, and the Parks Department. Outside Metro, we work closely with the
Sexual Assault Center. We’ve actually worked closely with them regarding the Safe Bar Initiative program that we have in place with the bars down on Broadway. Work closely with the NCVC (Nashville Convention & Visitors Corp), the Downtown Partnership, and the Red Frogs. Do you know about them?
No.
They’re actually a group out of Australia. Their whole purpose is to intervene in situations and environments where people consume a lot of alcohol. What they'll do a lot of times is set up their main hub in the entertainment district, and then they offer cups of water, a place to charge your cell phone, sunscreen, etc., and they work with individuals to get them reconnected with their friends. They were at CMA Fest and 4th of July. We’re trying to get them more involved in the entertainment district on a regular basis.
Of course we work with the bar owners, with the CMA, the Greater Nashville Hospitality Association, the Tennessee Hospitality Tourism Association, the Broadway merchants group, NITECAP, and RHI — the two nightlife organizations I was telling you about. We’ve also started outreach with local colleges and universities to try and help with messaging for young college students who may be coming down to the entertainment district but also working on messaging as far as the need for Narcan [the brand name for Naloxone, a medicine that rapidly reverses opioid overdose] and things of that nature. We work with Gibson Gives, the group that provides a lot of Narcan to us to distribute, Room In The Inn, Bridgestone, the Predators, the Titans, the Symphony, the Ryman and The Frist Museum. And that’s probably not an exhaustive list.
Nashville, like so many other big cities, is in the midst of a drug overdose epidemic. How has this epidemic affected the Downtown entertainment district and what are some encouraging/discouraging trends that you have observed?
Unfortunately, we're not immune from the overdose epidemic and some of the stories that I've heard from families who've been touched by this epidemic are really just gut wrenching. And I’ll say that historically we’ve seen that people think there's a certain type of person, or that’s the perception that a drug addict or someone who overdoses is a certain personality or stereotype. What we’re seeing now is that no family is immune.
There are a lot of resources and a lot of people out there in the city who really care about this issue. I got involved in it because I had a discussion with Councilmember [Erin] Evans, and she asked me if I knew Trevor Henderson (a substance use response consultant) and [Police] Sgt. Mike Hotz because they were actually working with Gibson Gives (which supports a program called Training and Empowering Musicians to Prevent Overdose – TEMPO) to be able to distribute Narcan. They were having issues getting into the bars and distributing Narcan there. So, I used my contacts and my connections through the Beer Board. That’s where that overlap comes in we talked about.
I think the negative in all of this is that there are people still overdosing, but I think the positive is that you see more and more people wanting to come online and wanting to make a difference and wanting to do their part.
I know homelessness is an issue you deeply care about. What does homelessness look like in Downtown Nashville?
Our office cares a lot about homelessness. It is something that we hear a lot of concern about from business owners and residents when they come Downtown. I think something that is interesting is that after COVID we saw an increase — at least that’s the perception — of aggressive behavior from people coming to enjoy their life establishments. And from speaking to people that are Downtown and working in the area, there is a perceived behavioral shift as well with individuals in the homeless community. It just seems like it's different than what it was before COVID. It used to be that you probably would see the same people on a regular basis. And it seems like there's a shift towards different people that you see on the street.
Homelessness is obviously a complex issue to try and deal with. All of the literature that I've read points to affordable housing and Housing First, and that being the biggest aids to addressing homelessness. I know that's been a big part of Mayor O'Connell's push as well, and he's been instrumental in supporting that along with the Metro Council.
I think a lot of times people want the silver bullet for solving issues with homelessness and if you’re looking for that you're never going to find it because I think there’s a unique issue that comes with every single person who is in that category. Just from speaking with Judge [Lynda] Jones, you could have one person who has three different legal matters, for instance, that they’re having to deal with. And so, I think one of our jobs as the Office of Nightlife is really trying to provide these resources to all individuals and really put a focus on the fact that people need to talk about [homelessness] and access to good mental health. As a society we need to look more at making mental health a priority and making it more accessible to people, less as a negative or taboo subject.
Is there anything else you would like to add?
We work with the Sexual Assault Center on the Safe Bar Initiative that teaches bystander intervention. They train bar staff, for instance, to intervene in situations where a person’s safety may be at risk. We have Fentanyl test strips that we provide, as well as GHB coasters [made of a material that tests for a common date rape drug and distributed to local bars], so that if a person feels like their drink has been tampered with, they can test it before they consume the drink. The Safe Bar Initiative really just trains staff and other members of the public about how to be cognizant of everything going on around them and not to leave drinks unattended, that sort of thing.
And then we continue to do our work with Narcan and get that distributed to as many bars and universities as we possibly can. So, I think that those three things are making the entertainment district in Nashville much safer.
Levi Watkins Jr.'s Legacy as Vanderbilt Medical School’s First African-American Student
BY RIDLEY WILLS II
Levi Watkins Jr. was on the frontlines of the complicated task of integrating the Vanderbilt Medical School. He was reared in Montgomery, Ala., where he excelled in both the classroom and in athletics. Dr. Ralph was his minister of the Baptist Church he attended, and he introduced Watkins to Martin Luther King, Jr. I first met Levi in 2008 when we both were on the Vanderbilt Board of Trustees. Watkins and other leaders worked hard during that time between 2009 and 2011 to provide an increasingly welcoming environment, and in that time 47 MD degrees were awarded to African-Americans.
King had a profound and enduring effect on the young Watkins. At Tennessee State University in Nashville, he continued to excel in the classroom and developed political interests, becoming president of the student body. His Vanderbilt Medical School experience was not easy. He felt isolated. No other African-Americans were admitted during his four years. Although the treatment from his classmates and faculty was satisfactory and sometimes exemplary, he was uncomfortable enough to avoid eating with his classmates in the cafeteria. There were regrettable and distressing instances. The extraordinary national events, including widespread rioting after the assassination of his idol Martin Luther King Jr. in 1968, did not result in any adverse experiences — aside from personal grief — for Watkins. He decided to
seek a Hopkins-Halstead internship and was strongly encouraged and supported by H. William Scott, the chair of surgery and part of the Connection.
Although he found Hopkins an easier environment, he felt a continued underlying current prejudice, according to a history written by Gottlieb Christian Friesinger II, M.D., called The Connection: The Shared History of Johns Hopkins and Vanderbilt Hospitals. However, he moved through the training program and became the first African-American to be the Halstead resident in surgery. He took an academic appointment and had his entire career at Hopkins. He participated in a variety of successful research activities, particularly in the development of the dramatically successful internal automatic cardiac defibrillator. He received particular support from Hopkins dean Richard Ross. His work on the admissions committee and as associate dean for postdoctoral affairs provided him the platform to enhance recruitment of African-Americans.
Vanderbilt recognized Watkins’ enormous contributions in integrating the medical school as well as his later successes by naming him Distinguished Alumnus in 2008 and appointed him to the university board of trustees in the medical school. They also created a new deanship called the Levin Watkins Dean of Diversity in 2002, and an additional annual lecture bears his name.
Learn More About Emergency Solutions Grants
It is homelessness grant season for communities like Nashville-Davidson County.
The Department of Housing and Urban Development has dropped the Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) for the Continuum of Care (CoC). In addition, the Metropolitan Development and Housing Agency (MDHA) has received its annual Emergency Solutions Grant (ESG) allocation from HUD. The deadline for ESG applications is on August 30.
This column has covered several CoC grants, so we’re taking a look at ESG funding, but first, here’s a brief history about some of these different HUD funding sources.
The Continuum of Care or CoC is a three-pronged approach:
• A designated geographic area, which in our case is Nashville-Davidson County;
• An organized community effort to build a system that is capable of preventing and ending homelessness for people in a collaborative way; and
• A competitive federal funding stream to support this work.
The CoC funding process is competitive. But since Nashville-Davidson County has focused on systems improvement, it has been able to steadily increase its annual grant awards from $3.2 million in 2017 to $9.7 million in 2023. The CoC award amount also depends on the increase in the federal allocation, which is determined by the U.S. Congress.
At the end of July, HUD announced that it will provide more than $3.5 billion in competitive funding to homeless service providers across the nation, which is the highest annual allocation ever. In comparison, HUD awarded a little over $2 billion in 2017.
CoC grants focus mainly on ending homelessness by creating and maintaining permanent housing and the needed support services. Eligible activities that CoC grants can pay for include acquisition, rehabilitation, new construction, leasing, rental assistance, supportive services, operating costs, Homeless Management Information System (HMIS) and project administration.
The Emergency Solutions Grant (ESG) program provides funding for five program components: street outreach, emergency shelter, homelessness prevention, Rapid Rehousing and HMIS. It also permits up to 7.5 percent of funds to be allocated for administrative activities of a recipient.
Unlike the CoC funds, the city’s allocation is predetermined. MDHA makes $400,212 available through the ESG program, which is a formula-based federal allocation that is based on geographic size, population, and poverty rates.
To give you an idea of what this means, let’s take a look at last year’s final grant awards, which totaled $412,461.
All organizations that receive ESG funding must provide a 100-percent match. This means, if Agency A receives $40,000, then they must come up with $40,000 in other funding that is dedicated to the same pro -
BY JUDITH TACKETT
grams the $40,000 are allocated for. Match funding can be in cash, donated buildings or materials, and/or volunteer services. For example, this could be a portion of a staff’s salary who will work on those programs. It could be in-kind donations or volunteering. In other words, if someone has donations of food, hygiene items, clothing, tents or other materials for their outreach program that they use ESG funding for, those donations can be recorded as a match. (As a side note, CoC funding requires a 25 percent match).
The ESG program was authorized through Title IV of the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act of 1987. It actually was called the Emergency Shelter Grant program back then. But in 2009, the Homeless Emergency Assistance and Rapid Transition to Housing (HEARTH) Act amended the McKinney-Vento Act and renamed it from Emergency Shelter Grant to Emergency Solutions Grants program.
In its 104-page request for application document, MDHA explained that “the change in the program’s name … reflects the change in the program’s focus from addressing the needs of homeless people in emergency or transitional shelters to assisting people to quickly regain stability in permanent housing after experiencing a housing crisis and/ or homelessness. The key changes that reflect this new emphasis are the expansion of the homelessness prevention component of the program and the addition of a new rapid re-housing assistance component.”
No more than 60 percent of the total ESG allocation can be used for emergency shelters. When we look at the grant funding allocations, you will quickly see that ESG is by far not enough to address homelessness in Nashville. On Jan. 26, 2024, Nashville volunteers counted just under 2,100 people who were sleeping in shelters or were found sleeping outdoors.
This does not include most of the 800 students that have already been recorded by Metro Nashville Public Schools as being unstably housed on day 1 of the current school year. At the end of the last school year, that number rose to 4,500 students. But only about 7-10 percent of these students
will meet the literal homeless definition of sleeping in temporary housing such as shelters or transitional homelessness programs, outdoors, in cars or other places not meant for human habitation. The ESG and the CoC programs only fund interventions that address literal homelessness.
The good news is that in response to the COVID pandemic, the federal government made billions of additional temporary dollars available to cities and states. This created an influx of dollars to address homelessness. If you regularly read my column, you may be aware that Nashville allocated $50 million in October 2022 to specifically address homelessness in our city. Of those funds, $25 million were designated to help create more housing units. The remaining $25 million were allocated for temporary housing (about half of the funds were dedicated to shelter/temporary housing) and the rest went toward programs and supports of permanent housing that actually end homelessness. At present about $15 million seems to remain unspent based on the most recent report.
The bad news is that those dollars expire and must be used by the end of 2026. They are not renewable. After that, our local system is back to depending largely on the regular federal grant awards including the CoC and ESG programs. I hope the city already has a sustainability plan in place. Pushing the responsibility off to nonprofits as has been outlined by city officials so
far, is not the answer. At a minimum, the city should lead transparent sustainability planning sessions including CoC members and grant recipients.
For those of you who are extremely curious, besides the CoC and ESG dollars, other ongoing federal funding sources that are available to address homelessness can include Community Development Block Grants (CDBG), Housing Opportunities for Persons With Aids Program (HOPWA), HOME Investment Partnerships Program, and multiple other federal grants managed by different departments to address the needs of families, Veterans, youth, people with mental illness and/or substance use disorders, etc.
Another good news item for Nashville is that we are now in a place where we should be able to start examining all these different funding sources (which we started to do before the pandemic shifted our focus), evaluate the need through HMIS data that has been collected over the past few years (data that was still inconsistent prior to the pandemic), and develop a strategic approach that outlines how to advocate and invest available resources to actually end homelessness. To do so, we will need strong leadership. With Mayor Freddie O’Connell’s push for an Office of Homeless Services while he was still a council member, the city seems positioned well for that leadership. And with a little bit of critical reflection, I am sure we’ll get there.
Poem
BY MIKE E., CONTRIBUTOR VENDOR
All flesh is sin, God and sin, Will never be together again. Go to 1st Corinthians 13:10 talks about Jesus' 2nd comin
Bless don't curse, Been better been worse,
Not going to complain, But give God thanks for everything.
This is the end of days, Give God praise, in all your ways.
Unforgettable Climate Act Initiative
BY DANIEL K., CONTRIBUTOR VENDOR
Like a brain teaser you solved, A Suha face that gave you grace, Mysteries and beauty resolved. A reef you scuba dived, Colors and life so vivid, The smell of oud, deep and alive, In memories, firmly knitted.
A rhythm that keeps you in the groove, blues.
Beats that never let you stand still, rampapapam to make a move each moment they are forever thrill.
BY DANIEL K., CONTRIBUTOR VENDOR
As individuals experiencing homelessness, we walk and see a lot. While downtown ambassadors clean certain areas, their reach is limited. We as people who are often overlooked ask for cleaning supplies and the opportunity to aid the ambassadors and other cleaning groups to periodically clean our communities.
This initiative supports the Climate Act. We have a lot of potential and do not want to be considered throwaways. We believe we can make a significant impact because we see what others often ignore. Given the chance, we can organize clean-up efforts on the last Saturday of every month.
COMIC BY DENNIS T., CONTRIBUTOR VENDOR
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.
Verde Tequila* se enorgullece de anunciar su entrada en el mercado de tequila premium en Nashville.
Establecer Hacienda Río Verde en Nashville, Tennessee, es un testimonio de su firme creencia en el poder de la dedicación y los sueños. Su compromiso con la calidad y la autenticidad asegura que Hacienda Río Verde Tequila será una de las favoritas entre los conocedores de tequila más exigentes.
“Nuestro compromiso es elaborar un tequila con espíritu, de alta calidad, creando un testimonio de la firme creencia en la dedicación y los sueños. Disfrutamos explorando nuevas técnicas, como nuestro Reposado que estuvo en barricas de bourbon resaltan la profundidad y riqueza del agave atractivo”, dijo el fundador y conocedor del tequila Alfredo Gómez. “Cada sorbo es un tributo a siglos de historia, llevándote en un viaje sensorial a las tierras del agave en Jalisco, México, donde nace la verdadera magia del tequila”.
La marca presenta cuatro variedades excepcionales, cada una reflejando un aspecto único de la rica herencia del tequila mexicano. La marca está dedicada a elaborar licores de alta calidad que representan auténticamente la cultura y tradiciones mexicanas.
TEQUILA BLANCO: Un tequila puro 100% agave, que encarna la esencia de la elaboración tradicional del tequila mexicano.
TEQUILA ROSA: Vivaz y único, este tequila es brevemente reposado en finas barricas de merlot de los viñedos de Baja California, impartiendo un sutil tono rosado y un sabor refinado.
TEQUILA REPOSADO: Reposado cuidadosamente en barricas de bourbon, este tequila desarrolla una personalidad robusta y compleja. Su perfil de sabor es una rica combinación de notas dulces y especiadas, que se entrelazan con la suavidad del agave maduro. Es el equilibrio perfecto entre tradición y modernidad, ideal para quienes buscan un tequila con carácter y profundidad.
TEQUILA AÑEJO: Actualmente envejeciendo en barricas, este excepcional tequila estará listo para su distribución a principios de 2025, prometiendo un sabor rico y maduro.
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)
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.
Los tres visionarios detrás de Hacienda Río Verde Tequila son: Alfredo Gómez: Originario de Tepic, Nayarit, México, Alfredo es un empresario multifacético y maestro conocedor de tequila. Actualmente reside en el centro de Tennessee con su familia,Alfredo emprendió en 2020 un viaje dedicado a crear productos de tequila auténticos. Su profundo conocimiento y experiencia en el análisis y evaluación de tequilas han sido fundamentales en la formación de Hacienda Río Verde.
Gumaro Vega: Nacido en Rio Verde, San Luis Potosí, México, y ahora residente de Nashville desde hace mucho tiempo. Gumaro es un empresario exitoso con emprendimientos como Los Pumas Concrete, Vega Entertainment, y Sabor del Rancho Mexican Food Truck. Su firme compromiso con la producción de tequila 100% agave sin químicos, aditivos, edulcorantes, sabores o colores proviene de su profundo amor por el tequila auténtico mexicano.
Ramiro Reyes: Nacido en Jalisco, México, la cuna del tequila. Su admiración y pasión de Ramiro por el tequila comenzaron desde temprana edad su vida. Ahora viviendo en Tennessee, es un empresario exitoso en el mercado comercial, bienes raíces y el mercado de construcción. Su dedicación a preservar y compartir la cultura y tradiciones mexicanas a través de tequila auténtico es una fuerza impulsora detrás de Hacienda Río Verde.
Los socios detrás de Hacienda Río Verde Tequila están unidos por su pasión compartida y determinación para crear una marca de tequila premium. Desde sus humildes comienzos, han perseguido su sueño de elaborar un tequila puro auténtico que sea accesible y apreciado por personas trabajadoras.
El logotipo de Hacienda Río Verde Tequila presenta las tres estrellas de Tennessee y refleja el agave, el sol y el agua que lo abarcan para marcarlo como el tequila propio de Nashville.
*El logotipo de Hacienda Río Verde Tequila presenta las tres estrellas de Tennessee y la planta de agave, el sol y el agua.
Contacto: Cristina Oakeley 615-337-0624 www.hrvtequila.com
Envíenos sus sugerencias por e-mail: news@hispanicpaper.com ó 615-582-3757
Hacienda Río
Escanee esta imagen para ver La Noticia newspaper edición bilingüe digital
Por Yuri Cunza Editor-In-Chief @yuricunza
Entrepreneurial visionaries: Gumaro Vega, Ramiro Reyes, y Alfredo Gómez. The Hacienda Río Verde Tequila logo features the three stars of Tennessee and the agave plant, the sun and water.
Foto: Hacienda Rio Verde Tequila
Foto: Hacienda Rio Verde Tequila
Daybreak Arts celebrates 10 years of offering a creative space for the underprivileged
BY JUSTIN WAGNER
Kateri had always been an artist.
She had a stable living and a steady job before she found herself unhoused on the streets of Nashville. Though survival needs demand huge amounts of attention and time when homeless, her desire to create never went away. It took four long years to get back into an apartment; but she found a home even before she re-entered housing: Daybreak Arts.
“To me it was like opening the gates of heaven,” she said. “It was like having a
home where you could create, obviously you don’t have a home [when you’re homeless], and you’re always having to carry everything that you have on your back. I called it carrying my closets with me.”
Though Kateri and the other artists she knew could make art at places like Room In The Inn, space and supplies were limited. Shelters are already providing so many services at once; adding an art studio on top of that is a big undertaking.
But for her and so many other Nash -
ville creatives, the space to express oneself is not a luxury. It’s a necessary facet of self-care that predated and outlasted their episodes of homelessness; in fact, it was most crucial in those moments of crisis. That’s where Daybreaks Arts found its niche.
Daybreak, formerly Poverty and the Arts, is a nonprofit and art collective that provides tools, workshop space, and gallery exhibitions to a community of artists with lived experience in poverty and
homelessness. Daybreak artists can directly showcase and sell their art in the community and connect with like-minded people, allowing them to make some income and cultivate a following doing what they love.
For founder Nicole Minyard, it’s always been about giving a voice to those who aren’t always heard. The concept for Daybreak began coming together as soon as she worked an art therapy internship at Room In The Inn; the very same space where she’d meet Kateri.
“I would see such talent from people in the art room, and people would ask me questions, like ‘How do I get my art in a coffee shop?’ or ‘How do I sell art on the street without a cop stopping me?’ because you have to have a street vendors’ license,” Nicole explained. “Recognizing that people experiencing homelessness were not only super talented and deserved the marketplace to share their art with the community, but also so many people experience income barriers due to physical and mental disabilities, all types of things.”
“Being able to leverage their creative talent to be able to earn income and gain some financial autonomy through their creative talent was part of why we filed for 501(c)(3) status my senior year of college. Then we received our nonprofit letter in July of 2014.”
Daybreak celebrated its 10-year anniversary this summer with an art showcase at the Drkmttr collective in June. Nicole secured Daybreaks’ nonprofit status only two months after she graduated from college, and in the decade since, it’s evolved beyond her wildest ambitions.
“I was a Religion and the Arts major at Belmont, I had no business, marketing or finance background; those are a lot of skills I’ve had to develop over the last 10 years, in addition to grant writing, strategic planning, all that,” she said.
“Early on, I had no idea where we were going, we were really led by the artists in our collective, just being in relationships with them and hearing their dreams and goals. We started off with just exhibiting and selling off original arts and we’ve expanded into reproductions, holiday cards, bulk sales, teaching artists, intellectual property licenses, live painting … really, based on their talents and gifts, we’ve been able to expand into the community.”
When it started, Daybreak was miniscule; the collective was three artists strong, its board consisted of Nicole and three volunteers, and it took years to secure enough funding to grow. These days, that board has grown to 14 members, with nearly 30 artists in the collective and three full-time staff members.
For founding artist Gwen Johnson, the chance to exhibit art to the community is exactly what she needed when poverty left her crestfallen.
“I had people call me from out of town, saying ‘you’re on TV,’” said Gwen Johnson. “They said, ‘wow, you’re a superstar!’ I’m like, ‘not yet!’ But I feel like a millionaire, though … [Nicole] gave us just what we were missing.”
After she lost her job due to illness, she was carjacked at gunpoint and left with nothing; to avoid time out on the streets, she’d spend all day in Room In The Inn’s art room and just create. When she met Nicole and the other founding artists at Daybreak, it was like a new beginning.
“We are a family. I had been diagnosed with schizophrenia, but when they met me, it’s like they shook it out of me by
loving me so much. And Nicole — I’m always going to talk about how Nicole changed my life, because she was just a youngster,” Gwen said. “She just loved on us and opened up doors for us, and I’m just so grateful to be a part of this family. I’m just so grateful.”
Sam Fulks, another founding artist with Daybreak’s collective, stressed that the doors opened up by Daybreak were crucial for his and others’ recovery.
“We were living in tents when Nicole found us, so we came a long way, we found a home. Since 2015, we’ve been in a home,” Sam said. “I’m very blessed … I anticipate we’ll keep growing.”
He echoed Kateri and Gwen’s sentiments that Daybreak owes much of its success to the inherent sense of community, with artists developing a sense of symbiosis as they learn about one another and explore new mediums together.
“You got 15 or 20 other artists you kind of feed off of, everyone spurs everybody else on.”
Kateri said it was essential for a city to have accessible means of making art. While organizations that supply food and shelter are important, survival hinges on a person’s creativity, community and dignity just the same.
“It’s not just a program. She connected with us as human beings and as people. That’s the wonderful magic about this whole program,” Kateri said.
“When I became homeless, it was a totally different world for me. I saw that I was starting to withdraw within myself because you get rejected by people. You’re totally treated differently compared to the life I had before. I was still the same person and I couldn’t understand why I was being treated differently. You’re ignored and you become invisible. The great thing about being in this art program is you get to use your imagination; you have to use your imagination when you’re homeless, I found, to be able to survive.”
As for the future, Nicole is making plans to secure a larger, more permanent space to escape escalating rent prices as gentrification continues to encroach on Dickerson Pike, she said. The nonprofit also plans to implement a more robust curriculum of learning, culminating in graduation for those who “successfully transition into independent artists.” Daybreak alumni will be offered roles as mentors and teachers for newer artists in the collective.
In the meantime, she and the crew at Daybreak look forward to supporting more artists, and showing Nashville that everyone has something to give.
“Whenever they interacted with the community, it was as someone experiencing homelessness, or had things that they needed. Being able to create art and share it with the community has really flipped those power dynamics for them … they’re not just here to receive, they have things to give and contribute to the community.”
WYOMING WILD II BY KATERI
THE GOLDEN CITY BY KATERI
Gone But NEVER Forgotten
I’ve ALWAYS said selling the paper ISN’T just about the money, it’s about the connections you make with the people you meet.
That being said, when you lose even one of those who regularly support you, stop to check on you just to make sure you’re ok, or to see what they can do to help, it’s like a part of you is missing.
With the passage of time I’ve had customers who have died and others who have moved away. That’s to be expected I suppose, but it hurts even more when their departure could have been prevented.
One example of this is Chris and Marci. They would regularly visit me on the weekend.
We learned A LOT about each other with each visit because they made the
In the early days of the month of January, 2023, I overdosed on heroin. All I remember from that fateful day was waking up to find myself laying in the dirt, so weak that I could not stand with only my arms to help drag me through the ground towards the tent of somebody who I believed was my friend. Only to hear when I asked for help to go away. So away I went. Dragging myself once again through the dirt towards my tent where there I lay crying out for help to no avail. Finally as the minutes passed I faded off into the darkness and quietly began to die. The hours passed and the day carried on and finally sometime after the sun went down the paramedics came and restored me to life at which point I awoke to find myself laying on a gurney fighting against the very ones who cared
BY NORMA B., FORMER CONTRIBUTOR VENDOR
time to stop and chat when they were out and about. Once, when they knew I was having a particularly hard time, they blessed me with a gift that truly made my day — maybe even my week. All I can say is it is SO like them to do something like that!
Don’t get me wrong, I knew they were a amazing couple long before that.
Chris gives off a ZZ Top vibe. I think it’s the beard. He says Marci won’t let him cut it.
On one of their recent visits as we talked I discovered that Chris has another love in addition to Marci: Old Chevy trucks.
As a 1965 model Chevy C-10 went by on a tow truck, he was mesmerized by it, totally forgetting we were in the middle of a conversation.
When the light changed the spell was suddenly broken, and he came to his senses. He apologized saying that was his "dream truck."
Turns out he already has a 2009 Chevy Silverado on air tires that inflate/deflate with the touch of a button. They brought it by on their last visit so I could check it out.
I must say it’s pretty cool. I’d NEVER seen ANYTHING like that before.
So why did they leave the area? An area they loved.
They were tired of renting and wanted to buy a home, but with the skyrocketing prices in Nashville and the surrounding areas, it was virtually impossible.
In July, rather than renew the lease on their apartment and after a diligent search they found their new home, in Florence, Alabama where the cost of liv-
My Story
BY MICHAEL “BIDDY” W.
enough to save me and then faded back into the dark. The nurses told me that during my time in the hospital, I died twice. The second time I was considered clinically dead, the doctors placed me on a breathing machine that helped me breathe. My lungs were so weak that I was unable to do so on my own.
The tracheotomy and the sickness in my stomach really did a number on me. One, I was unable to hold any food down. Two, I was unable to actually eat and swallow due to the weakness of the muscles in my throat after the tracheotomy. Eventually the last of what was left of my weight and strength began to wither away and I was no longer able to walk.
Two weeks after I went into the coma I finally woke up. I do not know if I woke up on my own or was brought out of it
with medicine. All I know is that I woke up. Not long after which the doctors and nurses provided me with an IV specific to administering liquid food to the blood stream and began the process necessary for me to receive a supplementary form of nourishment by which I was able to receive the vitamins, minerals and proteins that my body needed to survive.
And so began my recovery and for the next month and a half. There I remained, participating in speech therapy as I could no longer talk, swallow tests and therapy to help strengthen my throat muscles and physical therapy to help me walk again. Eventually I was finally able to eat again and was strong enough to use a walker as I was still so weak I could not walk on my own.
By the time I was able to eat again
ing is much cheaper.
They were able to keep their jobs simply transferring to a location near their new residence.
I’m thrilled that with the move they were finally able to achieve their dream of owning a home, but I also know that they loved it here too, and if they’d had a similar opportunity to purchase a home here they would’ve never left.
Let that be a lesson to those who are determined to continue building our area up. Ask yourselves: What good is it if prices are SO high that regular hard working people can’t afford to live here?
On a positive note, they have sent me their new address so we can keep in touch. As a result, I’m pretty sure they’ll stay up-to-date on all the latest and greatest news in The Contributor!
and move around a bit, I was ready for discharge and the hospital let me go, at which point I went back to the drug ridden camp in which I met my earlier demise, eventually resulting in using yet again. Not long after that, I overdosed again for the last time. Called a dear friend of mine and finally was able to get the help I needed and begin turning my life around.
Now as of today by the grace of the most high I am a little over a year clean, have a job, a place to live, a new family and now I’m a welding student at Lincoln Tech. And will be graduating May 26th, of this year. Thank you Tri Star Summit, thank you Neighborhood Health, thank you Darrin Bradbury and most of all thank you Most High Creator for giving me new life and raising me up from the grave.
Roll Mobility: using technology to improve accessibility
One of Denver, Colorado’s biggest draws to local residents and visitors is its easy access to outdoor recreation, charming mountain towns and natural beauty. But for anyone who uses wheelchairs or has mobility issues, some obstacles to accessibility begin in areas much closer to home: at bars, cafes, restaurants, office buildings and residences.
Roll Mobility, a Denver-based app and accessibility tool, is seeking to make its US hometown, as well as cities across the world, more navigable for wheelchair users and other people who face mobility challenges.
Officially launched in February of 2023, app allows community members to submit reviews, photos, and videos of different businesses, listing their strengths and weaknesses in making their places of business accessible to all. These submissions help to paint a picture of a location’s overall ease of access for disabled community members, who then can make decisions on where to live or socialize.
Joe Foster, one of the founders of Roll Mobility, explains that the idea for the app started almost three years ago as written notes on the back of a napkin. “We said, ‘Well, this must already exist. We must just not be Googling it correctly.’ We were just kind of blown away that this gap existed.”
Speaking with disabled people, Foster found that, typically, options for gauging a business’s accessibility could be limited and are often unreliable.
“Folks with disabilities would call and talk to a host to get information on accessibility,” Foster says, “and unfortunately, it sounds like that information was incorrect eight out of 10 times. They’d hear things like, ‘We’ve got stairs, but don’t worry; we’ll just carry you up the stairs.’ A lot of adults don’t want to be carried anywhere.”
The Roll Mobility app prompts users to leave reviews of a location by filling out a 13-item questionnaire. Eight of the questions are about the facility itself, and five are about the bathrooms. These questions include, ‘Are there accessible sidewalks/ramps outside the entrance?’ ‘Are you able to access every part with a power chair?’ ‘Are there plenty of low-top tables with removable chairs?’ and ‘Is there a rollunder sink?’
BY FRANK DEANGELI
According to Foster, Roll Mobility has intentionally used questions with objective ‘yes’ or ‘no’ answers to ensure that users know which places meet their specific needs. Currently, the Roll Mobility team is developing a questionnaire tailored specifically to address the accessibility of outdoor trails. Since the Roll Mobility app’s inception, users have given it glowing reviews. One reviewer mentioned that having the app is akin to having a friend who has visited a business before and can speak directly to its accessibility. Many testimonials mentioned that knowing whether or not a place will have accessible bathrooms is often a concern, particularly at drinking establishments, and that Roll Mobility has helped to assuage that particular anxiety. The consensus among reviewers is that an app like Roll Mobility is long overdue.
Foster says that accessibility in Denver can vary widely from location to location, and he commends local businesses that have made a great effort on this front. Brewability in Englewood previously applied for and received a grant from the City of Englewood to install an automatic door. Sanitas Brewing Company, also located in Englewood, went out of its way to build a low-height bar. This addition has made the brewery more accessible for wheelchair users. According to Foster, the vast majority of feedback from businesses has been positive.
Foster also stresses that for the app to continue to exist and thrive, it relies on the community’s input. “Our job throughout this whole process has been not to tell people what they want, but to ask people what they need,” Foster says. “We really feel like this is a com-
munity, and engaging the community is really important to us. That’s our true mission.”
As of May 2024, more than 100 businesses and attractions in the Denver metro area have reviews on the Roll Mobility app. Additionally, reviews have been submitted in 45 different countries.
Roll Mobility partners with organizations that are also working towards building a more equitable, inclusive, and accessible world. For example, earlier this summer, in partnership with Dateability, a dating app for disabled people, Roll Mobility hosted a Spring Fling PubCrawl throughout downtown Denver.
To learn more about Roll Mobility or to download the app, visit RollMobility.com
Courtesy of DenverVOICE / INSP.ngo
This sticker on the door of a local restaurant tells people that the establishment has been rated as accessible by the Roll Mobility app. The Roll Mobility app includes maps of nearby businesses that are accessible to those with limited mobility. PHOTOS BY GILES CLASEN
THEME: MUSIC 101
71. *Five lines
72. Potassium hydroxide solution, pl.
73. 168 in 1 week
74. Housed DOWN
1. Mohammad Reza Pahlavi's title
2. Dharma teacher
3. Resembling wings
domain 19. *Complementary notes
simultaneously 21. *Not sonata 23. Debate position 24. Painter Chagall 25. Munchhausen's story 28. Casino chip 30. *R in R&B 35. Spanish earthen pot 37. Lobed organs
39. Nest for an eagle
Bona fide 41. *Adagio or moderato, e.g. 43. What a willow did? 44. *Type of piano technician 46. Flock member description
Fill beyond full
Masters of ceremonies, colloquially speaking
50. Jon Krakauer's book "____ the Wild"
52. High craggy hill
53. Church congregation
55. Hole punching tool
57. *A ____, or without accompaniment
61. *Fast
65. Not asleep
66. 2000 lbs.
68. Acquisition through marriage
69. Rubber tree product
70. Director's cry
4. Good Year balloon, e.g.
5. Mexico City state
6. Say it isn't so
7. Winehouse or Schumer
8. New Mexico's state flower
9. Diplomat's asset
10. It comes to mind
11. Not in Impossible Burger
12. European erupter
15. Shell-like anatomical structure
20. *Nine instruments, e.g.
22. Bobby of hockey
24. Halle Bailey's 2023 role
25. *Loud or strong
26. Part of small intestine
27. Sometimes follows sauvignon
29. 1.3 ounces, in Asia
31. Coniferous trees
32. October 31 option
33. On top of trends (2 words)
34. *Strong-weak-strongweak, e.g.
36. Sheltered, nautically speaking
38. "Wheel of Fortune"
move
42. Based on number 8
45. Automatic reaction
49. *Fa follower
51. Solemn and wise?
54. Gate holder
56. *Slow
57. Pay a visit
58. Not home
59. Goose liver dish
60. Augments, usually with effort
61. Social insects
62. Air of allure, slangily
63. Five-star review
64. Was in the hole
67. Possessive pronoun
Accidents Happen
Written by Chris Scott Fieselman, Vendor #0015
If you don’t have a ding or dent in your car, In Nashville, Tennessee. Give it some time, it’s bound to happen, It’s an Inevitability. Like fighting a fight just to stay alive, Amongst all this insanity. It makes you wonder what’s become, Of Common Courteousy?
There are some folk who think they own the Road, Some not even legally.
Pity the fool who thinks it’s cool, To put so many in Jeopardy.
Let that asshole get passed you and, Be glad, your paths didn’t meet.
“Cause being around them is probably not, A very good place to be.
There’s plenty of room, For what God wants to teach you. Right now’s not Eternity.
Don’t let it happen, due to impatience or accidentally.
The freedom one feels behind the wheel, Of a moving vehicle. Just turn the key and get it to move, And how fast can you spin those wheels? There are some when it comes to driving, It’s just something, somehow, They figured out, how to steal. And taking your chances with them out there, Is all just a part of the deal.
For some it takes work to deserve to be legal, Knowing that: When you “Hit the Road” You’ll end up - Meeting all - Kinds of people. Some simply inexperienced, And some too old and feeble.
Some who care about their fellow man, And others bent on evil.
There’s plenty of room, For what God wants to teach you. Right now’s not Eternity. Don’t let it happen, due to impatience or accidentally.
I think I can say that I gave you fair warning. The next step is up to you.
Something to think about or maybe remember, When you see what others do. You’ll get there when you get there. Take your time and enjoy the view. I missed a head-on collision. That’s something not many get to go through.
There’s plenty of room, For what God wants to teach you. Right now’s not Eternity.
Don’t let it happen, due to impatience or accidentally.
Second U-Turn
Impatient, Inattentive and you cause an accident. The reason that it happens ninety-nine-point-nine percent. Make sure the coast is clear, Before you put your car in gear. Don’t be in such a hurry, to get up out of here.
Responsibility, the Second U-Turn the key. The power that you feel, When you’re sitting behind the wheel. A two-ton gun that can kill someone. That’s the reality. The responsibility. The Second U-Turn the key.
Radios and cell phones, and the something’s that distract. One moment too long, and you can never take it back. Such a rush to be somewhere, you really need to be. End up on the road that leads you, to Eternity.
Responsibility, the Second U-Turn the key. The power that you feel, When you’re sitting behind the wheel. A two-ton gun that can kill someone. That’s the reality. The responsibility. The Second U-Turn the key.
Slow down your pace, it’s not a race. You act like there’s no time to waste. Sometimes it’s nice to enjoy the ride. Take in the scenery, see the sights.
Responsibility, the Second U-Turn the key. The power that you feel, When you’re sitting behind the wheel. A two-ton gun that can kill someone. That’s the reality. The responsibility. The Second U-Turn the key.
In a Hurry?
Written by Chris Scott Fieselman, Vendor #0015
You know you’ve got to get going. You really can’t be late. Flying down the road knowing, you’ve got no time to waste. Moving way too fast in such a rush to be somewhere. Forget about the story of “The Tortoise and the Hare?”
Late for that appointment. Running late for work. People in a Hurry always end up getting hurt.
Did you hear the news this morning? Or the accident report. Somebody was yawning, when somebody stopped short. Who’s at fault? And who’s to blame? The end result is still the same. Taking chances. Tempting fate. See the danger way too late...
Late for that appointment. Running late for work. People in a Hurry always end up getting hurt.
Leave a little earlier. Make it there alive. Better to be a little late, then never to arrive.
Late for that appointment. Running late for work. People in a Hurry always end up getting hurt.
Written by Chris Scott Fieselman, Vendor #0015
HOBOSCOPES
VIRGO
Thanks for checking in on your astrological fate, Virgo. Please stick around after the horoscope for a short survey to let The Stars know if all your needs are being met. Your readiness to receive advice is admirable, Virgo, and we’re working hard to connect you with our next available astrologer. While you wait, feel free to enjoy these other quality horoscopes for every sign in the zodiac besides your own.
LIBRA
There are a lot of voices out there, Libra, who want to tell you what’s important. They know exactly where you should look and for how long. They’ll tell you what to worry about next and what to leave behind. And it’s the easiest thing to listen to those voices because they’re loud and sure and they never stop talking. But for just a moment, Libra, I think you’d do well to tune in to your own voice. Listen until you can hear yourself clearly. And remember that that’s the only voice that knows what’s most important to you.
SCORPIO
Well, you said my name aloud three times and now here I am. What can I do for you, Scorpio? Was there something specific you wanted? You thought maybe I could create some mayhem in your life to shake things up? You wanted me to tell you to leave your monotony and follow your longing into a bold new life? I could tell you that, but then you’ll just blame me when it all becomes boring again. Instead I’l remind you that you’ve been at the same crossroads so many times. And maybe this time instead of agonizing over a path to choose, you can just go back home.
SAGITTARIUS
I’ve been watching too many spy movies lately, Sagittarius. One thing I get tired of is that there’s always a stolen computer and they have to guess the password of the bad guy so they can save the world or something. And the password ends up being, like, the birthday of the bad guy’s daughter or the city where he met his wife. My passwords are all like “B@n@n@Pudd1ng99” or “Alf4ev3r!” or other things that have nothing to do with my emotional life history. Anyway, Sagittarius, make sure the people in your life know that you love them. But don’t make them your passwords.
CAPRICORN
Go ahead, Capricorn, it’s your turn! Did you read all the instructions? I’ll help. First you roll the dice, multiply that number by 3 and then place your token on the space corresponding to that number. Now spin the spinner and that will let you know how many cards to draw. Don’t
draw them yet! Just remember that number while you choose a champion from the champion-bowl in the center of the board. After that you, place one of your 8 rings in front of the competitor you’d like to challenge. Got it? Oh, sorry, the timer already went off so we have to skip you. Get ready for your next turn in the trivia round! And if you aren’t connecting with the games you’re being asked to play, Capricorn, you might be at the wrong party.
AQUARIUS
Before everybody had phones with cameras in them everybody just had to wheel around a full-sized photo booth on an appliance dolly. If you wanted to remember the fun you were having and the people you were with, you’d plug that thing into a wall socket, pile everybody in, feed the quarter-slot till the countdown started, and then make sure to smile for the camera. Lately, Aquarius, the moments you want to remember seem fewer and further between. And I get that, but I wonder if the convenience of connecting through a phone is keeping you from those unplanned moments of real connection. I’ll leave my photo-booth at home and you keep your phone in your pocket. Now lets do a silly one!
PISCES
Drip…drip…drip. My bathroom faucet’s been leaking, Pisces, just one little drop at a time. And I thought I’d call my landlord, but I didn't want to clean the house so I just let it keep drip…drip…dripping. It’s such a small thing. Just one drop of water, then another, then another. And I guess my water bill is up, but not much. And when the air conditioning cuts off, it’s the only sound I can hear. Drip…drip…drip. Does that remind you of anything in your life, Pisces? The little thing that wouldn’t be hard to fix but that takes up so much space in the background of your mind? No? Well, then, do you have some time to come over and help me fix this drip…drip…drip?
ARIES
I like to sleep under a sheet, two blankets, a duvet, and a comforter. It gets warm under all that, so I need to keep the A/C running all night. But the A/C vent makes a rattling noise so I need to keep earbuds in. And as long as I’ve got the earbuds in, I might as well listen to my book. But whenever the narrator does the voice of the dryad princess, it’s very abrasive and it wakes me up with a start. And then it takes me at least 10 minutes to get back to sleep but then I’m exhausted when my alarm goes off. So that’s why I was late to work this morning, Aries. Which of your preferences is holding you back from the life you want? For me, I’m starting to think it’s the duvet.
TAURUS
I went to a local amateur astrologer’s meet-up at the library and they were giving out free stickers that say “The Stars Are Watching. Watch Back.” so I grabbed you one to put on your water bottle, Taurus. You’ve got a lot of stickers on there now, don’t you? Bands you like. Places you’ve been. Causes you fight for. Weird ones about bigfoot. They’re good conversation starters, and it’s nice to feel like your personality is out there for people to see. But don’t forget that they don’t make stickers for everything. You don’t have any that say “I get sad sometimes” or “I’m afraid I made all the wrong choices.” But those are still things you should say out loud if you want to be known. And don’t forget to stay hydrated.
GEMINI
When I was a kid we had a bunch of old family movies from my dad’s Super-8 camera. But nobody had a projector to play them on anymore so we paid a service to put them all on VHS. Then we threw-out the old Super-8 films. Problem solved! But now nobody in my family has a VCR to play VHS anymore. Memories are hard to control, Gemini. Sometimes you think you’ve got them filed away just right and then they pop back up in a different format. Sometimes you think you know what they mean and it turns out nobody else remembers it the same way. And we have to keep our memories. They follow us either way. But they don’t have to weigh so much, Gemini.
CANCER
A lot of people are encouraging you to pick the lesser-of-two-evils lately. That’s fine, Cancer. Of course you’ll make choices that you feel do the least harm possible. That’s not what I’m worried about. I’m worried that after you pick that lesser-evil, you’ll forget that there’s still good you can be doing. Actual good. The kind that you can feel good about in your heart. The kind that other people will feel good about when you’re all working together. Once you start doing good, you’ll see even more places you can do it. And you won’t be so tied-up in doing less-evil anymore.
LEO
T.S. Eliot once wrote, “And the end of all our exploring / Will be to arrive where we started / And know the place for the first time.” It’s gonna be a little like that this week, Leo. Keep an eye out.
Mr. Mysterio is not a licensed astrologer, a trained explorer, or a registered plumber. Listen to the Mr. Mysterio podcast at mrmysterio.com Or just give him a call at 707-VHS-TAN1
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
14th Wednesday after Trinity
ASK ye for the greater things, and the small shall be added unto you: and ask for the heavenly things, and the earthly shall be added unto you.
Quoted by Origen as a traditional saying by our Lord.
ON the same day, seeing one work on the sabbath, he said unto him: Man, if indeed thou knowest what thou doest, thou art blessed: but if thou knowest not, thou art cursed, and a transgressor of the law.
Apocryphal New Testament.
14th Thursday after Trinity
WHEN the loving kindness of God calls a soul from the world, He finds it full of vices and sins; and first He gives it an instinct for virtue, and then urges it to perfection, and then by infused grace leads it to true self-naughting, and at last to true transformation. And this noteworthy order serves God to lead the soul along the Way: but when the soul is naughted and transformed, then of herself she neither works nor speaks nor wills, nor feels nor hears nor understands, neither has she of herself the feeling of outward or inward, where she may move. And in all things it is God Who rules and guides her, without the meditation of any creature. St Catherine of Genoa: Life
14th Friday after Trinity
THIS restful travail is full far from fleshly idleness and from blind security. It is full of ghostly work, but it is called rest, for grace looseth the heavy yoke of fleshly love from the soul and maketh it mighty and free through the gift of the holy ghostly love for to work gladly, softly, and delectably . . . Therefore it is called an holy idleness and a rest most busy; and so it is in stillness from the great crying and the beastly noise of fleshly desires.
Walter Hylton: The Scale of Perfection
THE Way is God.
Boethius: Consolation of Philosophy, translated by King Alfred.
14th Saturday after Trinity
GOD hath created nothing simply for itself: but each thing in all things, and of every thing each part in order hath such interest, that in the whole world nothing is found whereunto any thing created can say, "I need thee not."
Hooker: Sermons.
THE Will of God is the necessity of things.
Calvin: Institutes
Fourteenth Sunday after Trinity
THE one supreme, unchangeable rule of love, which is a law to all intelligent beings of all worlds and will be a law to all eternity, is this, viz., that God alone is to be loved for Himself, and that all other beings only in Him and for Him. Whatever intelligent creature lives not under this rule of love is so far fallen from the order of his creation, and is, till he returns to this eternal law of love, an apostate from God and incapable of the Kingdom of Heaven.
Now, if God alone is to be loved for Himself, then no creature is to be loved for itself; and so all self-love in every creature is absolutely condemned. And if all created beings are only to be loved in and for God, then my neighbour is to be loved as I love myself, and I am only to love myself as I love my neighbour or any other created being, that is, only in and for God.
William Law: The Spirit of Prayer
15th Monday after Trinity
THERE is always some advantage in making men love us. Human life is thus only a perpetual illusion; men deceive and flatter each other. No one speaks of us in our presence as he does of us in our absence. Human society is founded on mutual deceit.
Pascal: Pensées
WE have done nothing . . . if we have not purified the will in the order of charity.
St. John of the Cross: Ascent of Mount Carmel
15th Tuesday after Trinity
LOVE is careful of little things, of circumstances and measures, and little accidents; not allowing to itself any infirmity which it strives not to master, aiming at what it cannot yet reach, desiring to be of an angelical purity, and of a perfect innocence, and a seraphical fervour, and fears of every image of offence; is as much afflicted at an idle word as some at an act of adultery, and will not allow itself so much anger as will disturb a child, nor endure the impurity of a dream. And this is the curiosity and niceness of divine love: this is the fear of God, and is the daughter and production of love.
Jeremy Taylor: Holy Living
GREAT love is also pliant and inquisitive in the instances of its expression.
Jeremy Taylor: Holy Living
15th Wednesday after Trinity
THE less it thinketh that it loveth or seeth God the nearer it nigheth for to perceive the gift of the blessed love. For then is love master, and worketh in the soul, and maketh it for to forget itself, and for the see and behold only how love doth. And then is the soul more suffering than doing, and that is clean love.
Walter Hylton: The Scale of Perfection
LOVING, it [the Soul] flies, runs, and rejoices; it is free and is not restrained.
Thomas à Kempis: Imitation.
15th Thursday after Trinity
LOVE does not consist in great sweetness of devotion, but in a more fervent determination too strive to please God in all things, in avoiding, as fas as possible, all that would offend Him, and in praying for the increase of the glory and honour of his Son and for the growth of the Catholic Church.
St Teresa: The Interior Castle
THE the blessed Anthony knelt Down upon his knees on the ground, and prayed before Him Who said, "Before thou criest unto Me, I will answer thee" (Isaiah lxv, 24), and said, "O my Lord, this I entreat Thee: let not Thy love be blotted out from my mind, and behold, I am, by Thy grace, innocent before Thee."
St Athanasius: Life of St. Anthony
15th Friday after Trinity
ST THOMAS says the active life is better than the life of contemplation, so far as we actually spend in charity the income we derive from contemplation. It is all the same thing; we have but to root ourselves in this same ground of contemplation to make it fruitful in works, and the object of contemplation is achieved.
Eckhart: Sermons and Collations
LOVE is as strong as death; but nothing else is as strong either; and both, love and death, met in Christ. How strong and powerful upon you then should that instruction be, that comes to you from both these, the love and death of Christ Jesus!
Donne: Sermons.
15th Saturday after Trinity
HE showed me a little thing, the quantity of an hazel-nut, in the palm of my hand; and it was as round as a ball. I looked thereupon with eye of my understanding, and thought "What may this be?" And it was generally answered thus: "It is all that is made." I marvelled how it might last, for methought it might suddenly have fallen to naught for littleness. And I was answered in my understanding: "It lasteth, and ever shall last for that God loveth it." And so all thing hath the Being by the love of God.
Juliana of Norwich: Revelations of Divine Love
THIS and that are good; take away this and that, and see good in itself if thou canst; and so thou shalt see God, good not by any other good, but the good of every good.
St Augustine: On the Trinity
Fifteenth Sunday after Trinity
THE Goodness of God is the highest prayer, and it cometh down to the lowest part of our need. It quickeneth our soul and bringeth it on life, and maketh it for to waxen in grace and virtue. It is nearest in nature; and readiest in grace: for it is the same grace that the soul seeketh, and ever shall seek till we know verily that he hath us all in himself beclosed.
For he hath no despite of that he hat made, nor hath he any disdain to serve us at the simplest office that to our body belongeth in nature, for love of the soul that he hath made to his own likeness.
For as the body is clad in the cloth, and the flesh in the skin, and the bones in the flesh, and the heart in the whole, so are we, soul and body, clad in the Goodness of God, and enclosed.
Juliana of Norwich: Revelations of Divine Love
16th Monday after Trinity
THE more blest, the more curst, if we make his graces our own glory, without impression of all to him; whatsoever we have we steal, and the multiplication of God's favours doth but aggravate the crime of our sacrilege. He, knowing how prone we are to unthanfulness in this kind, tempereth accordingly the means, whereby it is his pleasure to do us good . . . This is the cause why, as none of the promises of God do fail, so the most are in such sort brought to pass, that, if we after condiser the culprit, wherein the steps of his providence have gone, the due consideration thereof cannot choose but draw from us the selfsame words of astonishment, which the blessed Apostle hath: "O the depth of the riches of the wisdom of God!"
Hooker: Sermons.
16th Tuesday after Trinity
PHILOSOPHY said: "Every lot is good whether it be harsh or pleasing." And at this I was afraid and said: "What thou sayest is true: yet I know not who would dare to say so to foolish men, for no fool could believe it."
Boethius: Consolation of Philosophy, translated by King Alfred.
I SAY, as do all Christian men, that it is a Divine purpose that rules them and not Fate.
Boethius: Consolation of Philosophy, translated by King Alfred.
[OF Fortune or Luck] This is she who is continually cursed and blamed with bitter voices by those who should praise her; but she is blessed and does not hear; she turns her sphere among the other joyous creatures who were made first of all and there enjoys her bliss.
Dante: Hell.
16th Wednesday after Trinity
NOW, I say, the very proper character, and essential tincture of God himself, is nothing else but goodness. And it is another mistake which sometimes we have of God, by shaping him out according to the model of our selves, when we make him nothing but a blind, dark, impetuous self will, running through the world; such as we ourselves are . . . that have not the ballast of absolute goodness to poise and settle us.
Ralph Cudworth: Sermon before the House of Commons, 1647.
GOD’S power displayed in the world, is nothing but his goodness strongly reaching all things, from height to depth . . . and irresistibly imparting itself to every thing according to those several degrees in which it is capable of it.
Ralph Cudworth: Sermon before the House of Commons, 1647.
The Union connects a smart script with a strong cast for a new romantic spy comedy
The Union is a fun new espionage thriller/romantic comedy that just landed on Netflix. It’s helmed by Julian Farino who’s best known for directing several episodes of the Entourage series. That might seem like an odd match, but this picture mixes the politics and particulars of a spycraft procedural with the pop and sizzle of an odd couple rom-com. And thanks to a deft script and strong performances from its talented cast, The Union manages to deliver each without undermining the other.
Mike McKenna (Mark Wahlberg) is an everyman construction worker, living a simple life in New Jersey and still carrying a torch for his teenage sweetheart, Roxanne (Halle Berry). When Roxanne reappears twenty years after high school graduation, she’s a top-secret agent working for a covert or-
ganization known as "The Union." Following a disastrous operation in Trieste that left several agents dead, The Union is in desperate need of a fresh face — someone so ordinary that they could blend in anywhere. Roxanne recruits Mike for a high-stakes mission to retrieve a briefcase containing sensitive government intelligence. As Mike is thrust into this world of danger and deception, the spark between him and Roxanne adds a dangerous and sometimes hilarious layer of romantic tension. One of my favorite aspects of spy films is the concept of a secret world hidden in plain sight: secret stashes of weapons, costumes and disguises; hidden doorways that lead to secret labs and headquarters brimming with secret information. The Union organization is a barely-known conglomerate
BY JOE NOLAN, FILM CRITIC
of international blue collar intelligence operatives. The idea of a working class spook squad is unique enough to hook viewers while still delivering all the beloved tropes that define the spy picture genre. The Union introduces a lot of its bells and whistles during an extended montage where Mike is taught hand-to-hand combat, defensive driving, marksmanship and the particulars of his new secret identity during a breakneck crash course in intelligence work. The sequence does a lot of heavy lifting: it clarifies The Union’s history and mission; it illuminates the details of Mike’s mission and his relationship with Roxanne with equal parts action movie adrenaline and romcom hi-jinks.
Joe Barton and David Guggenheim’s screenplay takes a lot of the credit here. All the characters in
The Union feel three dimensional and unique. Wahlberg and Berry are both total pros in their roles and they’re believable as old flames who were kids in school together. It doesn’t hurt that they also have such a strong cast surrounding them, helping to carry the story along. Jackie Earle Haley, Lorraine Bracco, Dana Delaney and J.K. Simmons all get in on the action here, keeping the intricate mechanics of the cat-and-mouse plot moving, and stealing scenes along the way. Bracco is hilarious as Mike’s busybody mother, and Simmons and Haley excel as hard-bitten career spooks who aren’t sure what to make of their new recruit.
Mike and team keep chasing after the information they’re trying to safeguard, but every prisoner extraction, money drop and ambush seems to blow up in their
faces. That’s when a Union member reappears — seemingly back from the dead — claiming to have evidence that there is a leak deep in the organization, and that all of their lives are in danger. But who can you believe, between the laugh lines, bone breaking stunt work, motorcycle chases and the sweet energy between Mike and Roxanne? Your mission, should you choose to accept it, is just to sit back and enjoy this unique romantic actioner.
The Union is currently streaming on Netflix
Joe Nolan is a critic, columnist and performing singer/songwriter based in East Nashville. Find out more about his projects at www. joenolan.com.
