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

2023

L a N ticia

Año 21 - No. 383

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

GRATIS Noviembre

9

3 Vendor Spotlight "I’ve worked other jobs; I dishwashed, I worked at a hospital, I’ve loaded trucks... But I found peace being at The Contributor."

Newspaper Nashville

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Nashville, Tennessee

Tejiendo Tradiciones: Reconociendo la Herencia Indígena en Tennessee

Al entrar en el Mes de la Herencia Nativa Americana, la Fundación de la Cámara de Comercio Hispana de Nashville brindó la oportunidad de reconectarnos con las raíces de las comunidades indígenas en Nashville y Tennessee, aprender Por Loraine Segovia sobre su historia, Paz, Publisher cultura, luchas y @LaNoticiaNews honrar sus legados.

El pasado viernes 27 de octubre, la Fundación NAHCC organizó una visita guiada amablemente dirigida por Albert Bender, un escritor, activista y abogado Cherokee comprometido con la preservación de la cultura nativa americana.

Vendor Writing

Para muchos de nosotros, esta fue la primera vez que visitamos esta exhibición permanente, y para algunos, también fue la primera vez que visitamos el Museo Estatal de Tennessee.

Disfrutamos y aprendimos mucho de esta experiencia. ¡Gracias, Albert, por ser tan generoso con tu tiempo con nosotros!

como los Cherokee, Chickasaw, Creek y Shawnee, entre otras. Estas tribus han dejado un impacto duradero en la cultura, las tradiciones e incluso los nombres de lugares del estado.

Foto: Dan Heller

Weaving Traditions: Recognizing Indigenous Heritage in Tennessee

La Noticia + The Contributor

Recordemos todos que las comunidades indígenas tienen profundos vínculos con Tennessee, con una rica historia que abarca siglos. Antes de la llegada de los colonos europeos, diversas naciones nativas habitaban estas tierras, cada una con su cultura, tradiciones e idiomas únicos. Su legado perdurable todavía se puede sentir en la

AVISO DE REUNIONES PÚBLICAS,

geografía del estado, los nombres de los lugares y las costumbres de las personas que llaman hogar a Tennessee.

Hoy en día, existe un reconocimiento cada vez mayor por las contribuciones de las comunidades indígenas y se están realizando esfuerzos para honrar y preservar su herencia.

El Mes de la Herencia Nativa Americana, que se celebra anualmente en noviembre, es un momento para reconocer y honrar las ricas y diversas culturas, historias y contribuciones de los nativos americanos a los Estados Unidos. Sirve como una oportunidad para la reflexión, la educación y la promoción de la conciencia sobre los desafíos y triunfos que los nativos americanos han enfrentado a lo largo de la historia.

Durante el Mes de la Herencia de los Nativos Americanos, Tennessee celebra también con eventos y actividades para educar al público sobre la historia y la cultura de los nativos americanos.

Estos incluyen exhibiciones culturales, sesiones de narración de cuentos, presentaciones de música y danza tradicionales, exhibiciones de arte y talleres educativos, realizadas por organizaciones nativo americanas, universidades, como Vanderbilt, y otras entidades como el Global Educacion Center. Además de iniciativas destinadas a fomentar una mejor comprensión de los desafíos que enfrentan las comunidades nativas americanas en la actualidad, así como debates sobre cómo apoyar y preservar la herencia nativa americana en Tennessee.

Moving Pictures

Para información detallada sobre los cambios propuestos y registrarse para las reuniones, visite WeGoTransit.com a partir del 22 de noviembre o llame a Atención al Cliente al 615-862-5950.

No se requiere la asistencia a las reuniones antes mencionadas para hacer comentarios. Puede enviar sus comentarios por correo a WeGo Public Transit Community Engagement, Attn: Public Meeting Comments, 430 Myatt Drive, Nashville, TN 37115; llamar a Public Comments al 615862-5686; o enviar un correo electrónico a WeGoTransit@nashville.gov

historia que incluye varias tribus

news@hispanicpaper.com ó 615-567-3569

Will Connelly Executive Director Tom Wills Director of Vendor Operations Cathy Jennings Director of Finance

Foto: John Partipilo

Albert Bender, Cherokee writer, activist and lawyer committed to the preservation of Native American culture (center) with NAHCC Foundation tour guests at Tennessee State Museum.

Any vendor of The Contributor can accept VENMO as payment.

Technology is a barrier to those experiencing homelessness. Many of our vendors don’t have phones or bank accounts, or use online commerce. Thus we simplified the VENMO process by using one account for all vendors. This means YOU MUST IDENTIFY YOUR VENDOR when using VENMO. Here is the skinny on how to do it right.

#2 SCAN THE SQUARE QR CODE in the top left corner of the cover of this paper using your phone or tablet camera. Then press the button that appears once it has been recognized. #3 CLICK the blue “Pay or Request” button on the screen with The Contributor yellow and black logo. #4 TYPE in the amount you wish to pay.

The paper costs $2. Tips are welcomed.

Vendors get all the money you send and can pick it up the next business day at our office. #5 Most importantly, TYPE YOUR VENDOR’S NAME AND BADGE # in the “What’s this for?” box. Then hit the PAY button. Their name and 4 digit badge #

Contributors This Issue Amanda Haggard • Linda Bailey • Ridley Wills II • Will Connelly • Judith Tackett • Justin Wagner • Rachel Ternes • Yuri Cunza • Norma B. • Loraine Segovia • Jamie W. • FreePressGMA • Mark N. • Vanessa I. • Chris Scott Fieselman • Mr. Mysterio • Joe Nolan

Es importante señalar que la impor-

HOW TO PAY A VENDOR WITH VENMO

#1 You must have a VENMO account.

Sign up at www.venmo.com if you haven’t already.

Jennings • Demetria Kalodimos • Jerome Moore • O. Wade Nelson, Jr. • Waddell Wright • Robin Kimbrough-Hayes • Jim Shulman • Tom Wills • Drew Morris

Contributor Volunteers Christine Doeg • Joe First • Andy Shapiro • Michael Reilly • Ann Bourland • Laura Birdsall • Marissa Young • Matthew Murrow • Gisselly Mazariegos • Tyler Samuel • Jamie Dore • Russ Heldman

Los esfuerzos de colaboración entre las comunidades nativas americanas, las organizaciones locales como la Fundación NAHCC, y otras instituciones educativas desempeñan un papel crucial para que el mes sea significativo e impactante.

tancia delMay Mes de laDecember Herencia Nativa PERÍODO DE COMENTARIOS Contributor vendors is Todd La Noticia, one of the Americana radica no solo en reconocer las contribuciones históricas de los Public Transit llevará a cabo reuniones públicas y tendrá un nativos americanos, sinolatest también en twist on the período de comentario público del 27 de noviembre al 18 deSpanish-language diciemwrite in this WeGo issue about Haynes’ leading reconocer su resiliencia, promover la bre con respecto a cambios en el servicio de primavera de 2024. diversidad cultural y fomentar una comprensión y apreciación más profunLas reuniones públicas se llevarán a cabo como sigue: panhandling, their pop culture newspapers in the nation, da de las comunidades nativas ameri-biopic. Now Martes, 28 de noviembre de 5:30 p.m. a 6:30 p.m. McGruder En el contexto de Tennessee, un esta- canas en el contexto contemporáneo.

Family Resource Center, 2013 25th Avenue N., Nashville, 37208. do con una importante historia de #MesdelPatrimonioNativoAmericano customers, Jueves, generosity playing at The Belcourt brings Spanish content totiene una #PueblosIndigenas 30 de noviembre de 12 p.m. to 1 p.m. Reunión Virtual nativos americanos, el mes #indigenas (Webex); Código de Acceso: 2492 123 2795; Contraseña: importancia particular. Tennessee #primerospueblos #AbyaYala tiene una profunda conexión con la and Mr.MgpabmVJ875; Tony. Teléfono: 720-650-7664. and streaming on Netflix.

The Contributor. herencia nativa americana, con una Envíenos sus sugerencias por e-mail: Martes, 5 de diciembre de 5:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. McGruder Family

Resource Center, 2013 25th Avenue N., Nashville, 37208.

Jueves, 7 de diciembre de 5:30 p.m. a 6:30 p.m. Trinity Community Commons, 204 E. Trinity Lane, Nashville, 37207 WeGo está proponiendo ajustes de ruta y de horario específicamente relacionados a la apertura del nuevo Dr. Ernest “Rip” Patton, Jr. North Nashville Transit Center (NNTC) que entrarán en vigencia el 31 de marzo de 2024. Se proponen mejoras y ajustes para las rutas 9 Metro Center, 14 Whites Creek, 22 Bordeaux, 41 Golden Valley, 42 St. Cecilia/Cumberland, 71 Trinity (nueva ruta conectando NNTC y Gallatin Pike), 75 Midtown y 77 Thompson-Wedgewood.

Kerry Graham, Chair • Amber DuVentre, Chair Elect • Christine Doeg , Secretary • Cathy

should be written on the front cover of the paper below the QR code. You must identify them to insure they will get the money. First name, last initial and 4 digit badge # will ensure that a vendor with a similar name doesn’t get confused for your vendor. You can also leave feedback in this field. But always identify the vendor. If they didn’t write their name or badge # on the cover of this paper, please describe where they were and what they looked like. This usually can identify them. #6 HIT THE PAY BUTTON. #7 The FIRST TIME you pay anyone using VENMO you will be asked to enter the last 4 digits of their phone number. Type 6829 in this field. Our phone number is (615) 829-6829. Or, you can scroll down and skip this step. (VENMO wants to protect you from sending money to the wrong person with a similar name. The next time you pay a vendor using our account, you won’t be asked to verify again.)

#8 ALWAYS TAKE THE PAPER HOME WITH YOU. When vendors sell out, the satisfaction of having a business that sells out its products begins to sink in! Vendors who sell out, come back to our office to buy more. This helps our vendors meet their sales goals. And, it is there that we can meet with them, give them their VENMO payments or mail and work on solving their barriers to housing and life’s goals. #9 Friend us on VENMO and leave feedback. Open the app and click on “Me” at the bottom. Then select “Transactions” to see your payments. Click on the payment to The Contributor in your transaction list and then click on our icon at the top of the screen to see all of those transactions between us. On this page you can “Friend” us and click on the speech bubble icons of all your payments to leave feedback on your experience. Constructive feedback and praise help encourage our vendors to do their best.

Carli Tharp SNAP Specialist Ree Cheers SOAR Manager Andrew Terry IV SOAR Referral Specialist Rachel Ternes Housing Navigator Bri Givens Case Manager Caroline Lindner Case Manager Holly Bowman Director of Development Esther Mwandiko Kitenge Engagement Specialist Jesse Call Operations Consultant Raven Nye Director of Housing Initiatives Justin Wagner Resource Coordinator & Reporter Barbara Womack Advertising Manager Amanda Haggard & Linda Bailey Co-Editors Chelsea Jackson Vendor Office Manager Andrew Krinks Editor Emeritus Will Connelly, Tasha F. Lemley, Steven Samra, and Tom Wills Contributor Co-Founders Editorials and features in The Contributor are the perspectives of the authors. Submissions of news, opinion, fiction, art and poetry are welcomed.

The Contributor reserves the right to edit any submissions. The Contributor cannot and will not endorse any political candidate.

Submissions may be emailed to: editorial@thecontributor.org Requests to volunteer, donate, or purchase subscriptions can be emailed to: info@thecontributor.org Please email advertising requests to: advertising@thecontributor.org

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

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PAGE 2 | December 20, 2023 - January 3, 2024 | The Contributor | NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE

Copyright © 2018 The Contributor, Inc. All rights reserved.

VENDOR SPOTLIGHT

To Shawn Lesley, everyone is royalty

BY JUSTIN WAGNER

“When I call you ‘king,’ I see God in you.

When I call a woman ‘queen,’ I see God in her,” Shawn Lesley said, a wide smile on his face.

“We kings and queens are flesh — not higher than the king of all kings — we know this. But we are kings and queens because God dwells within you.”

If you’ve met Lesley selling at his longtime spot by Musica, you’ve almost certainly been bowed to and greeted like a monarch.

Cheers of “Hey King!” and “Hey Queen!” can be heard most mornings on the Music Row Roundabout, where Lesley’s radiant cheerfulness has made him a community fixture.

“Some people think I’m kind of crazy.

But there’s people that do love it.”

But this affectation is more than a show for passersby — it’s a reflection of the optimism which has allowed Shawn to prevail through homelessness. “‘Kings and Queens’ means you are loved, God loves you, that you are special.

When you’re down and out, pick yourself up.

This person, that person may not care about you, but God cares about you. And I care about you,” Lesley explained. “It makes me see life different. Just like The Contributor, it made me see life different.”

People need and deserve to be seen for the individuals they are, in Lesley’s view — and when you’re working a dead-end job or flying a sign on the street, you are rarely even regarded as human. Selling the paper not only allowed Lesley to fulfill his lifelong ambition of becoming a salesman, but also to make a living on his own terms.

“The Contributor saved me … if it wasn’t for The Contributor, I don’t think that I would be out here. I’ve worked other jobs; I dishwashed, I worked at a hospital, I’ve loaded trucks, I’ve done all that. But I found peace being at The Contributor,” he said.

“I love to sell, but I also love to let everybody know who they really and originally are. If you understand that you are loved, it makes a big difference. The Contributor

gives me that.”

After a recent episode of homelessness — one which followed a landlord charging exorbitant extra fees and threatening legal action if Lesley objected — Lesley is finally back in an apartment of his own through The Contributor’s housing program.

“When I had seen the place, I was overwhelmed, I was happy. I’m gonna put my own little touch on it,” Lesley said, laughing.

“I’m gonna take my time.”

More than just a home, though, the new place will serve as a base of operations for a clothing line Lesley has hoped to incorporate into his sales for a very long time now — one to be suitably named Kings and Queens.

“That’s me, that’s my brand. I finally found a job that I actually love, and then I found my place and what I actually wanted to do. I mean, I knew what I wanted to do, but I didn’t know how to get Kings and Queens out there. I didn’t know if I could actually sell a pitch to people. A lot of salesmen lie to you,” said Lesley. “The Contributor made me want to tell the truth.

And if The Contributor made me want to tell the truth, then with Kings and Queens, I can be myself.”

Lesley was adamant that it wouldn’t mean he’d stop selling the paper — he’s got a community around his Contributor vending nearly 10 years in the making — but he hopes to grow that community even more as he develops his own apparel.

Regardless of what the future holds, Lesley remains grateful for the kindness he’s been shown over the years by strangers and friends alike at his spot by the roundabout.

And with a new roof overhead, he looks forward to paying back that kindness, he said — and encouraging others to do the same “Show kindness not only with your eyes, but with your heart. When you do both, that’s kindness. You don’t take the time to just see me, you take the time to feel me.

You act on it.”

Shawn stands outside his new home. PHOTO BY RACHEL TERNES

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Donate Here: www.thecontributor.org/donate December 20, 2023 - January 3, 2024 | The Contributor | NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE | PAGE 3

NASHVILLE HISTORY CORNER

The Tales of Smiling Jack Harding

BY RIDLEY WILLS II

At an unknown date, my great grandmother, Mary (Mrs. Howell E.) Jackson visited her half-brother, John Harding II, and found him “alone and ailing.” She brought him home to live with her at West Meade, where he later died. John Harding’s first wife was Sophia Merritt. They had a daughter, Sophia M. His second wife was Margaret A. E. Owen. They had three children — Selene, Wiliam Giles II and John Haridng III. John III, an inventor and engineer, married Roberta Chase. They lived on General Harding’s Stones River Farm.

John and Roberta had two sons, one of whom, John Harding IV, would fly around the world.

Roberta became desperate at her husband’s bad behavior and did not want her sons to suffer from his influence so she divorced him and married Col. Robert Gates.

John Harding IV was born June 2, 1896.

One day when he was still a child, his mother came home to find that John had completely disassembled her sewing machine and scattered its parts across the floor. John told his mother that he wanted to understand how it worked.

She was relieved when he reassembled it.

John Harding IV later graduated from Webb School in Bell Buckle. As a teenager, he loved fast cars and there is a photograph of him seated in a 1902 one-cylinder Cadillac. One summer, John found a job in a garage where he earned enough money to enter VanderbIlt University. When his money ran out, he went to Detroit where he got a job as a road teeter for the Chalmers Motor Car Company. By August 1917, John had enough money to reenter Vanderbilt.

Soon America entered World War One and John immediately left Vanderbilt and entered the U.S. Army as a private in the Army Air Service. The Army did not realize that John, who went by the nickname Jack, was a mechanical genius and gave him a kitchen job for five months. He then went to Kelly Field in San Antonio, where he got in a fight with a cook. The army punished Jack by assigning him a job digging ditches.

Finally, someone realized that Jack could fix almost anything, so they sent him to Aviation Mechanics Training School, where he “shined like a rose.” Harding was promoted to sergeant with a Master Signal Electrician rating. When Harding fixed the engine of a Martin Bomber that no one else could fix, Lieutenant Ernest “Tiny” Harman realized how good a mechanic Sergeant Harding was. A few months later, in 1919, Harman was selected to make a “Round the Rim”flight. Lt. Harman invited Jack to go with him as his mechanic.

They took off from Washington, D.C. and flew to Maine, then straight west across the United States to Puget Sound, down the Pacific coast from the Canadian border to the Mexican border and back to Washington by way of Arizona, New Mexico, the Gulf States,Florida and the Carolinas. This was the first time the United States had ever been circumnavigated, and, since Jack Harding was aboard the plane that Harman piloted, his future was made.

Harding was a handsome man, six feet tall, with dark hair and a charming smile which caused people to call him “Smiling Jack.”

By 1920, the British had tried two around the world flights and crashed both times.

France had tried once and also crashed. An Italian around the world flight was lost at the southern tip of Greenland. America decided to try. Those who came to this decision included General Mason Patrick, Chief of the Air Service; General Billy Mitchell, his chief of staff; and lieutenants Eric Nelson, Robert J. Brown Jr., St. Clair Street and C. E. Crumrine.

First, they had to find a plane capable of flying around the World. Lt. Eric Nelson and a new plane designer Donal Douglas put their heads together and came up with a suitable plane, a bi-plane. It was decided to fly from West to East and that there would be four planes: The Seattle, which would be the flagship plane; The Boston; The Chicago and The New Orleans. Lt, Neson would fly The New Orleans with “Smiling Jack” Harding, his navigator.

The four planes left Seattle on April 6, 1924. The journey went well until The Seattle crashed in the mountains of the Alaskan Peninsula, leaving the other three planes to go on. Only two of the four were to land back in Seattle a little more than five months later.

New Orleans would be one of them. On the morning of May 15, an historic step in aviation history was made when the three remaining planes flew across the Pacific Ocean. Finally, Japan came into sight and at Tsuchimiya, Japan, “Smiling Jack” first saw a tea house and women in traditional Geisha attire. In Tokyo, the American flyers were wined and dined and treated to a light earthquake.

The month of June saw The Chicago, Boston and New Orleans flying over the China Sea toward Shanghai. Next they flew to Siam, the land of Royal White elephants. From there they flew to Burma which took only one day. There,

as at every stop, repairs were made.

While flying over the Indian desert, The New Orleans sprung an oil leak. Eric and Jack, no longer smiling, had to fight to keep the plane in the air until they reached Karachi. They made it, covered in oil. At Bucharest, Romania, the flyers had separate rooms in a downtown hotel. That night, Eric’s room flooded when he turned on the water faucet. He didn’t get much rest that night.

The planes landed in Paris on July 14, Bastille Day. Jack went to the Folies Bergeres that evening but, after 10 hours of flying, was so tired, he fell asleep. Next, in London, Leigh Wade, pilot of The Boston, fell asleep at a dinner party with a General on one side and a Lord on the other.

The New Orleans had a narrow escape on the flight from London to Iceland. Jack and Rick got caught in the propeller wash of another plane and went in a spin and nearly crashed in the ocean. On the same leg, The Boston ‘s oil pump went out and its pilot Lt. Leigh Wade was forced to land in the water.

While being towed to Iceland by a cruiser, The Richmond,The Boston capsized. A Boston II was sent to Nova Scotia by General Patrick for Wade and Ogden to pick up and fly the rest of the way with The Chicago and The New Orleans. So three planes flew to Boston over puffs of smoke from warships firing 21 gun salutes.

The three planes flew to Washington, D.C. where President Calvin Coolidge met and shook hands with each flyer. Jack and his fellow pilots were fed and kissed by pretty girls in every stop across America. In San Diego, each pilot was given a silver service. Jack’s mother, Roberta, came down from Los Angeles the night before to greet her son. After stops in Santa Monica and Hollywood the three planes were flown to Seattle, where they landed at 1:28 p.m. on

PAGE 4 | December 20, 2023 - January 3, 2024 | The Contributor | NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE

Sept. 28, 1924. These men in three small planes had flown 26,345 miles in a total of 363 hours and seven minutes. Seattle gave them a huge reception and presented each Magellan with a platinum and gold ring from Alaska.

A year later, Jack married Blondena H. Carstens of Davenport, Iowa. In 1925, Jack Hadring, now a lieutenant, and war correspondent and official historian of the Around the World Flight, Lowell Thoma, crisscrossed the country on a lecture tour. They came to Nashville for a week where Harding spoke about his epoch-making adventure. One of the family members he saw was my 19-year-old mother, Miss Elizabeth McClung Buckner.

Even the funny papers got in on the act.

A cartoonist used the adventure of “Smiling Jack” Harding to create a funny paper comic series named Smilin’ Jack.

In 1926, Lt. Harding left Lowell Thomas to join with Captain Eddie Rickenbacker to form Florida Airways, flying mail between Jacksonville, Tampa and Miami. When a hurricane wiped out all of their equipment.

Harding closed the book on that phase of his life. The Boeing Company of Seattle then grabbed Harding as their field representative.

Later in the 1930s, he worked for PESCO in London as their European representative. In 1942, Jack moved to Dallas where his brother, William Giles, lived. They formed a company that produced Harding electric fuel valves that Jack invented. The values were used by B-29 Bombers in World War Two. Jack Harding died in La Jolla, Calif., on May 26, 1968, at age 72. After his memorial service in La Jolla, Harding’s Air Force pals arranged for an Air Force plane to scatter his ashes over the wide Pacific, one of the oceans above which he made history.

EDITORIAL

Denver's Success Story: Can Direct Cash Assistance Solve Nashville's Homelessness Crisis?

BY WILL CONNELLY

More than 16 years ago, a group of compassionate individuals came together to create The Contributor, a street newspaper driven by a dual mission: to provide critical financial support and the freedom to make their own income to those grappling with survival. Another hope was to reshape the narrative around helping the unhoused as an act of hope and dignity. While the latter goal's success remains a subject of debate, The Contributor has undeniably placed cash directly into the hands of those in dire need. Since its inception in 2007, the impact is quantifiable: • Since 2007, The Contributor has worked with 3,963 individuals to become Contributor Newspaper vendors.

• Our vendors have sold a total of 7,484,389 papers over 422 issues in our 16 years.

• Vendors have earned more than $20 million since the paper started.

• During the pandemic, we began our housing program, COVER. With COVER, we have housed 135 individuals with a 98% housing retention rate.

That $2 you've handed over for each issue is instrumental in empowering vendors to secure housing, meet basic necessities, and, perhaps most importantly, regain a sense of hope and dignity.

The question, however, looms large: Is this practice of giving direct cash assistance to the unhoused in Nashville a prudent allocation of resources? It's a recurring question, surfacing particularly during the holiday season and over dinner conversations, especially for those engaged in homeless services. Once your affiliation with the unhoused population becomes known, questions about panhandling and the most effective use of community resources to address homelessness are bound to follow. Questions like, what should I do when someone asks me for money? Isn’t it better to donate to nonprofits directly?

When I asked Benjamin, a longtime vendor of The Contributor, the very personal question of how he spends the cash he receives from newspaper sales, he said, “I spend it on what you need to survive. I am praying for something other than a hotel room this winter because

it’s extremely expensive. It’s getting up to $450 per week.”

Thankfully, a recent study conducted by the DU Center for Housing and Homelessness Research in partnership with the Denver Basic Income Project offers even more data to help guide our decisions on where to direct our support.

During the pandemic, nearly 20 cities embarked on cash assistance initiatives directly aiding those facing hardship.

Denver's coalition seized the opportunity, using COVID-related assistance to establish a basic income pilot project for the unhoused. Since its launch in 2020, over 800 participants have taken part, rendering it one of the largest randomized controlled trials in the nation of cash assistance to unhoused individuals.

Recently, Denver Mayor Mike Johnston just approved $2 million in new funding to continue the pilot project.

Participants received a substantial sum of $12,000 distributed over a 12-month period, either as a lump sum or in $1,000 monthly installments. Notably, one group received only $600 in total. There are no restrictions or qualifications about how people who are unhoused spend the funds.

A preliminary report, unveiled in October 2023, shared some compelling findings. The study revealed that more participants from all groups report living in rented or owned homes, more participants from the larger payment groups report having full-time jobs, and fewer participants are sleeping outside and utilizing public health services (e.g. emergency rooms).

In an email statement to The Contributor, Mark Donovan, Founder and Executive Director of the Denver Basic Income Project, stated, “Direct cash payments provide recipients with the autonomy to address their most urgent needs and gives a cushion for unexpected expenses or emergencies, and our data thus far supports this.”

The data speaks volumes, echoing the fundamental idea that putting cash directly into the hands of those who need it most may be a transformative step in addressing homelessness, providing not just financial support but also the autonomy to chart one's path to stability and dignity.

“Direct cash [assistance] should be the benchmark against which all interventions to fight poverty and homelessness should be measured,” says Donovan.

December 20, 2023 - January 3, 2024 | The Contributor | NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE | PAGE 5

LEARN MORE ABOUT

Learn More About Medicaid Expansion How expanding Medicaid helps solve homelessness

BY JUDITH TACKET T Last month, I dedicated a column on Medicaid expansion and homelessness.

It is a complex issue and one that I am not very familiar with. But I decided I wanted to take you along as I continue to learn more about how other states have utilized Medicaid waivers to assist people experiencing homelessness or atrisk of homelessness. My goal is to offer additional food for thought as I take a closer look at two main tools that states have used to leverage Medicaid dollars in their quest to improve housing services for people experiencing homelessness or at risk of homelessness.

Let’s start with support services, which can be enhanced through Medicaid waivers, and how they are essential in addressing homelessness. Fundamentally, homelessness is a description of a housing status. However, housing alone does not resolve homelessness for everyone, especially when people struggle with severe and persistent mental illness, physical disabilities, substance use and other issues that prevent them from accessing housing quickly. In addition, the disconnection of different systems, such as housing, healthcare, criminal justice and foster care systems, further complicates the path to housing for many people. Without housing we cannot end homelessness, but we also need support services that are available to some extremely vulnerable people to help them access and retain housing.

The federal Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) has encouraged providers to increasingly leverage mainstream funding for support services. As outlined in our Nov. 8 column, many states developed Medicaid waivers. Tennessee, however, is among the 10 states that have not expanded Medicaid. The federal government wants to see more cross-systems collaboration and recognizes access to affordable housing as an important social determinant of health. Most recently, HUD together with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced a Housing and Services Partnership Accelerator, which provides technical assistance to states that have Medicaid expansion under an approved section 1115 demonstration project or an approved section 1915(i) state plan.

The latter allows states to enter a Medicaid amendment to design a service package that is targeted to people with specific needs. Such an amendment package could include special services for people with developmental disabilities, physical disabilities, mental illness, or substance use disorders. In any case, Tennessee has neither a 1115 demonstration project waiver nor an amendment under

1915(i) and will miss out on this particular opportunity for federal assistance.

The reason I mention this new federal initiative even though Tennessee is ineligible for it is to highlight how complicated Medicaid expansion is. The federal government realizes that Medicaid-covered services to assist with housing and support are still new, they are complex, and many states have expressed assistance with the implementation of their efforts.

CSH, a national advocacy nonprofit that works to advance supportive housing, published a policy brief in spring of 2023 and recently hosted a series of Webinars outlining strategies that leverage Medicaid for Housing Related Services, which are defined as “the services that support individuals to obtain and maintain housing in a community-integrated manner.”

Fundamentally, Housing Related Services, as described by CSH, include a pre-tenancy and a tenancy focus. Pre-tenancy supports focus on outreach and engagement to people experiencing homelessness. Eligible services include helping people get their documents together; assist them in identifying and applying for rental subsidies they qualify for; help them fill out needed paperwork; support with the housing navigation process to identify housing units; identify resources to help with the actual move-in, etc.

Post-tenancy supports usually include care coordination and referral processes to community-based providers for health care, budgeting, understanding tenancy rights and lease obligations, redetermination to ensure housing subsidies continue, employment and education assistance, and other specialty needs. When appropriate services will be provided in-home, especially for people with disabilities.

Medicaid waivers can help with both pre- and post-tenancy support depending on the negotiated state waivers. Let’s look at a few state examples.

Arizona’s Medicaid expansion was approved in October 2022. Arizona used the section 1115 demonstration for individuals who are homeless or at risk of homelessness or are transitioning out of emergency shelters, for individuals transitioning out of institutional care of congregate settings, and individuals transitioning out of child welfare. Services covered include pre-tenancy and tenancy sustaining services such as education on tenant rights and eviction prevention, assistance with housing navigation, moving expenses, move-in costs including housing deposits and home remediation services when necessary for the household’s health as well as accessibility for people with disabilities.

North Carolina’s section 1115 demonstration project is focused heavily on medical respite care and offers post-hospitalization housing for up to six months.

The project is called Healthy Opportunities Pilots and focused on three regions of the state.

The section 1115 waiver is a demonstration project, which allows for states to negotiate the following housing supports: • Rent or temporary housing up to six months; • Traditional respite services; • Day habilitation programs and sobering centers; • Pre-tenancy and tenancy sustaining services; • Housing transition navigation services; • One-time transition and moving costs; • Medically necessary home accessibility modifications and remediation services; and • Medically necessary home environment modifications.

Other eligible services include nutrition and case management. But again, states generally negotiate what the actual demonstration project will look like under section 1115.

In 2021, the federal government issued a 51-page letter to states that details opportunities states can apply for to better address social determinants of health. CSH provides a chart of all state Medicaid expansion programs that are currently in place in its 2022 policy brief (https://www.csh.org/wp-content/ uploads/2022/02/Summary-of-State-Action-Medicaid-and-Supportive-Housing-Services-2022-02.pdf).

One of the issues that’s always on top of the minds of policy makers is the cost savings these programs can achieve. But the housing crisis we are facing in our communities today that continue to increase homelessness should focus on quality of life for everyone. Building healthy communities will pay for itself. The reality is that the United States has the know-how and the dollars to truly prevent and end homelessness. It would require a shift from subsidizing wealthy people and corporations to investing in poverty reduction measures such as low-income affordable housing subsidies, accessible transportation, health care, and quality education.

And maybe we could actually save dollars by improving health policies, reform criminal justice systems, and slightly realign military investment strategies. But all that is worth a separate column. For now, let’s just say, it is political will that we need to create programs that provide safety nets for the poor, the sick, the elderly, people

PAGE 6 | December 20, 2023 - January 3, 2024 | The Contributor | NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE

with disabilities, and for our children. If we want people to work and lift themselves up by their bootstraps, then we need to ensure that they have access to those boots — with bootstraps.

We just need to remember; advocacy starts at the local level.

Every state and every locality is in a different place when it comes to housing supply, systems coordination, and support services. In a 2021 study published in The Milbank Quarterly* the authors identified the following challenges when it comes to the implementation of Medicaid demonstration projects. Those challenges listed were (and I quote): • Resolving the housing supply and NIMBY (Not In My Back Yard); • Removing silos between health care and homeless services providers; • Enrolling and retaining the target populations in Medicaid; • Contracting with and paying tenancy support providers; • Recruiting and retaining key workers; • Ensuring Medicaid’s waiver durability; and • Reducing administrative crowd-out and waiver burden.

I’ll add another challenge: implementing and constantly improving a Housing Crisis Resolution System at the local level that clearly outlines roles and responsibilities across the homelessness, housing, health, and other sectors. Such a Housing Crisis Resolution System should improve access to affordable housing and needed support services.

We also need to stop merely talking about homelessness prevention and start figuring out how to actually stem the inflow of people into the homelessness system. We have a big gap when it comes to assisting people while they are still in housing (prevention) or after they obtained housing as they transition out of homelessness. Funding mechanisms like Medicaid can provide some sustainable dollars to help fill that gap. Of course, it helps to be located in a state that is open to discussing and adopting Medicaid expansion to improve services for some of its most vulnerable citizens.

What can you do? For starters, call your local representative, the TennCare Bureau, and the Governor’s Office and tell them that we need Medicaid expansion in Tennessee. *Medicaid Waivers and Tenancy Supports for Individuals Experiencing Homelessness: Implementation Challenges in Four States

by Frank J. Thompson, Jennifer Farnham, Emmy Tiderington, Michael K. Gusmano, and Joel C. Cantor.

A FEW QUESTIONS WITH

Q&A with Vice Mayor Angie Henderson

BY JUDITH TACKET T

Vice Mayor Angie Henderson is settling into her new role. After two-terms as a District 34 Metro Councilmember, she ran against incumbent Jim Shulman and was elected to her current position on Aug. 3, 2023. That election made history in that a majority of Metro Council seats are held by women, all at-large Council seats are held by women, and the vice mayor is a woman.

In her role, she serves as president of Metro Council and is the presiding officer for council meetings, as well as organizing legislative work, appointing chairs to committees, and forming special or ad hoc committees.

In the months since, she’s been working toward a more efficient and accessible legislative branch of local government, and hoping to facilitate better discussions around transit and land use policy. The Contributor asked Henderson about her main priorities to lead the Metro Council for the next four years.

The legislative term officially started with its Oct. 3 Metro Council meeting. After being elected, you had only a relatively little time to prepare. What are some immediate changes you implemented?

I made a proposal to consolidate some of our committees. When I was in council service we had about 14 committees. My predecessor, starting in the last term, had created a whole host of additional special committees. I felt that was somewhat dilutive to the work that we need to do. And so, in consolidating committees, I hope that we will bring more intention and focus to our work. That does not mean we won’t have working groups, subcommittees, and so forth, but it kind of effectuates that. One of the first things I did prior to the first meeting was appointing all members to their committees and making the proposal for now eight committees rather [the] previous 14. I met during that time with all 40 councilmembers for at least an hour [each] to learn more about them and what their legislative goals were and their goals for their service.

Looking at the next four years, what are your top three priorities?

Firstly, I’m focused on the operations of the council as it relates to the legislative work that we need to do. I want to be able to show the work and narrate the work of the legislative branch, so that we are accessible, and citizens understand the complexity and the challenges we face.

Citizens often interact with their council members about a particular problem. A street light is out, a stop sign is leaning, a pothole, and so forth. Sometimes these complaints speak to larger issues whether they be related to process, staffing, budget, etc. That constituent service piece is very important for councilmembers to be actively engaged in, so they can understand the systems. Highlighting and putting some focus on the legislative aspect of this work is one of my early priorities.

that I said before, we need to walk the talk.

I think it’s important for council members to engage with schools or corporate entities, etc. to ask them what they are doing to help more students or employees use the bus. What are they doing to help more folks carpool and so forth. I think if all forty of us proactively have those conversations and at the same time fund those spaces, encourage the improved transit stops, fund a more frequent bus service, I think that is the top most important fix because it really is linked to everything else. Housing affordability, access to employment, buses running later, more people out walking to and from, eyes on the streets — all that improves public safety.

There have been conversations that a transit referendum could become before Davidson County voters as early as the 2024 election. Do you think that’s feasible?

I think that will be challenging, and I am not yet read into if that is achievable and whether we’re on track to get there. I do think from a policy standpoint it is important that the Metro Council carries out the [transit] work across the entire term, we also need to have those conversations early on, now, and always. Not just because we’ve got a referendum coming but also because fundamentally, a city of our size, population, and challenges needs that system. So, I’m hopeful that we can bring [a referendum] back as quickly as possible.

Next, [I would like to] facilitate some difficult but essential conversations about land use policy. That includes everything from parking to density to building heights, how all that is aligned with affordability and transportation. I think sometimes we’re not having constructive conversations as a community. It’s all about what we are against and what we are for, largely conceptually, but we don’t focus on that middle place of how we actually get this stuff done. I think [it’s important to] focus on some common misconceptions, some false narratives and picking those apart for citizens in a way that is educational, informative, and constructive. And so, facilitating those conversations will be a priority of mine as well.

Thirdly, I think because transportation ties so much of all of this together, I think it’s incumbent upon us as public servants — and I want to lead the way in that regard — to take the bus, attempt to bike to places, and advocate for that. I want us as a body to walk the talk. Of course, that looks different for many members depending on where they reside. But leaning into that and acknowledging that ‘I couldn’t take the bus today because I had to be at a meeting across town,’ or ‘I had to pick up my kids at school,’

and show our engagement within that space by getting out and walking on our streets, trying to bike, riding transit… I do think we have got to help our citizens navigate all that. At the same time, we need to fund it and facilitate the conversation about why this issue is important.

Mayor Freddie O’Connell has outlined his focus areas during the campaign with his 15 fixes, which he intended to start addressing on day one. Which of his fixes do you find the most important?

Frequent Transit Network I think is the most important fix. It was top of the list.

Mayor O’Connell and I have been advocating for more funding for transit, [which] in time [could be] through another referendum for dedicated funding. But those day one fixes the Mayor outlined during the campaign are dignifying our transit riders with enhanced stops, with making sidewalk connections to help more people get to the bus, and really prioritizing.

I would tie the Frequent Transit Network fix to something that’s truly multimodal where more people are biking, more people are riding the bus, fewer people are driving and that kind of goes back to my third thing

December 20, 2023 - January 3, 2024 | The Contributor | NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE | PAGE 7

Looking at homelessness, affordable housing, and poverty reduction, what can you in your position as Vice Mayor do to help reduce the wealth gap and ensure all Nashvillians have a chance to thrive in this city?

I think the primary work of the council is land use policy and our budget. Land use policy is a way to structurally deliver affordability. When people live more approximate to where they work, it takes out that drive. When people are pushed to our most extreme suburban periphery or even out of the county, they incur the cost of gas and a tax on their time. So that goes back to [setting] priorities and facilitating those conversations and narrating what we can do from a policy perspective to have more neighborhood-scaled density and put folks in closer proximity to access to transportation. That is huge for affordability and access to employment.

I would include the conversation about building a truly bikeable network that is safe and protected and enjoyable. I think that a walkable, bikeable, and transit-oriented focus is very important for affordability and access to employment. People putting less money into their transportation cost is a huge savings to them. It’s sort of a cost that is often hidden. As a city and a state, we really subsidize driving a lot. And if we’re not having to widen highways and repave [constantly], we could be putting more of our budget to benefit people and programs directly. Investing in systems that are more sustainable and affordable is very important.

SHOPforHISTORY the Holidays.

FREE Admission 1000 Rosa L. Parks Blvd.

Nashville, Tennessee 615.741.2692 TNMuseum.org

PAGE 8 | December 20, 2023 - January 3, 2024 | The Contributor | NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE

December 20, 2023 - January 3, 2024 | The Contributor | NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE | PAGE 9

E TO V L O H S

BY A M ANDA HAGG ARD

IN

EA

R

P EL

RE

COVER STORY

THE NEW Y

As we anticipate the arrival of 2024, countless individuals will actively seek avenues for positive transformation and a renewed beginning.

Conventional resolutions may be clouded by selfhelp clichés and negativity, but our focus in this forthcoming annual list remains on cultivating a more uplifting perspective that revolves around both personal well-being and the welfare of our community. In the next year, we envision a shared rejuvenation, where neighbors unite in mutual support and kindness, nurturing a revitalized sense of communal spirit. Embracing the notion that selfcare is not merely revolutionary but integral, we present a range of ideas to inspire and guide you in fostering both personal and community well-being in the upcoming year.

BUY AND READ THE NEWSPAPER FROM A CONTRIBUTOR VENDOR. You’re already there if you’re reading this, but chances are you have at least a couple of folks in your circle who’ve never had the pleasure of interacting with one of our vendors or reading the paper they sell. Vendors grow their microbusinesses by purchasing more copies for 50 cents, which they sell on the street for $2. This is the vendors' money to keep. Free papers, gear and map badges (reserved locations) incentivize vendors to grow their microbusinesses. The part where you come in is helping them increase their customer base. Spread your love for The Contributor to everyone you know.

DONATE YOUR TIME OR RESOURCES TO HELP TORNADO VICTIMS.

Once again, a tornado has devastated the local community, taking the lives of several

Middle Tennesseans and wreaking havoc on homes and businesses in Gallatin and Hendersonville. There’ll be a great need for the community to pitch in where they can to help folks out. Hands On Nashville has several opportunities to help, whether you’re handy with a chainsaw or handy with raising funds or handy in having a big ole truck to haul things. Check in on hon.org for the latest opportunities to help.

SUPPORT LIVING WAGE EFFORTS.

In Nashville, workers must make more than $17.40 per hour or $15.40 with health benefits to survive the current economic world, according to a United Way report that assesses data and measures financial hardship across the state. Many workers in Nashville are making much less — minimum wage is just $7.25 per hour — and they are unable to both work and live in the same city. The United Way report shows that in order to be stable, not just surviving, workers need more than $32 in Nashville. Nashville Living Wage launched in 2021 and they’re working a campaign to ask employers to assess their current wages and ensure their workers have enough to survive. The organization will then certify the employer if they are paying at or above the threshold. If you own a business, do this assessment and if you work somewhere, this could be a great starting point for a conversation about wages.

PAGE 10 | December 20, 2023 - January 3, 2024 | The Contributor | NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE

COVER STORY

DONATE MONEY TO ASSIST WITH LAUNDRY.

At Sacred Sparks Ministry, Lisa Sparks has a lovely thing going with her Laundry Ministry. We had Lisa on our list last year, but we’re giving her a special callout this year because she just lost a large part of her ministry in the tornadoes. Sparks picks up clothes from folks, helps get them laundered and gets them back to folks clean and ready to wear. A few bucks goes a long way so if you only have a small amount in your budget

HELP WITH FOOD INSECURITY.

to give, just think that $5 could do a couple loads of laundry for a family

An increasing number of Tennessee parents are reporting their families

in Nashville. Right now, she could use help with storage and eventually

are food insecure: 41.2 percent of Tennessee parents reported low or

with rebuilding the program.

very low food security in 2023. There are various organizations within Nashville doing great work to aid this issue: Consider donating to Second Harvest Food Bank, ask if you can donate money to school lunch debt at your child’s school, talk to your church about starting a food ministry or embark on a personal challenge to diminish your food waste at home, in the very least.

CHECK ON YOUR NEIGHBORS. Do you know your neighbors? No shame if you don’t, but I recommend at least waving, and maybe some conversation, particularly if your

gone for a long period of time, or if it doesn’t seem like they’re bringing

MAKE WINTER OR SUMMER KITS TO HAND OUT AT STOP LIGHTS.

packages in. Instead of worrying from afar, it’s nice to ask from across the

This one is evergreen and a practice to begin and keep doing. Put

street if there’s anything your neighbor needs that they cannot do for

together small bags of essentials to hand out at stoplights. They don’t

themselves. Leave them a note in the mailbox with your information if

take up a lot of space, and they aren’t expensive to put together.

you’re afraid to knock on the door.

Consider the following items put in a gallon plastic bag: protein bars, gift

neighbor seems like they could use to be checked on. As neighbors, our family tries not to be too nosey, but we also try to notice if a neighbor is

cards to fast food restaurants, hand warmers in the winter, bottles of water, trail mix or other high protein snacks, hand sanitizer, a face mask and a slip of paper with local resources listed on it.

HELP KEEP YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD CLEAN.

Especially if you’re already taking walks through your neighborhood, begin the practice of cleaning up as you go. You can wear gloves or get a grabber (we use a dog pooper scooper, you’re welcome) and carry a bag with you as you go. We don’t do it every time we walk, but it’s a great habit to incorporate into long weekend walks or hikes. Of course, we’d prefer if folks didn’t toss trash outside, but until they stop doing it, it makes sense to help clean up where you can.

REST WHEN YOU NEED IT. It’s easy to overlook the collective impact that adequate rest can have on our communities. When individuals prioritize rest, they not only enhance their personal well-being but contribute to the overall health and vitality of the community. Well-rested community members are more likely to be physically and mentally resilient, fostering a positive environment that ripples through the social fabric. Rest plays a crucial role in fostering empathy and understanding within a community. When people are wellrested, they are better equipped to navigate challenges and conflicts with patience and compassion. This leads to stronger interpersonal relationships and a more harmonious community dynamic. Individuals who prioritize their well-being bring increased focus, creativity, and energy to their collective endeavors, whether in the workplace, schools, or local initiatives. Help us by helping you.

December 20, 2023 - January 3, 2024 | The Contributor | NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE | PAGE 11

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...

2023

L a N ticia

Año 21 - No. 383

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

GRATIS Noviembre

Newspaper Nashville

Escanee esta imagen para ver La Noticia newspaper edición bilingüe digital

w w w. h i s p a n i c p a p e r. c o m

Nashville, Tennessee

Tejiendo Tradiciones: Reconociendo la Herencia Indígena en Tennessee

Al entrar en el Mes de la Herencia Nativa Americana, la Fundación de la Cámara de Comercio Hispana de Nashville brindó la oportunidad de reconectarnos con las raíces de las comunidades indígenas en Nashville y Tennessee, aprender Por Loraine Segovia sobre su historia, Paz, Publisher cultura, luchas y @LaNoticiaNews honrar sus legados.

El pasado viernes 27 de octubre, la Fundación NAHCC organizó una visita guiada amablemente dirigida por Albert Bender, un escritor, activista y abogado Cherokee comprometido con la preservación de la cultura nativa americana.

Para muchos de nosotros, esta fue la primera vez que visitamos esta exhibición permanente, y para algunos, también fue la primera vez que visitamos el Museo Estatal de Tennessee.

Disfrutamos y aprendimos mucho de esta experiencia. ¡Gracias, Albert, por ser tan generoso con tu tiempo con nosotros!

como los Cherokee, Chickasaw, Creek y Shawnee, entre otras. Estas tribus han dejado un impacto duradero en la cultura, las tradiciones e incluso los nombres de lugares del estado.

Foto: Dan Heller

Weaving Traditions: Recognizing Indigenous Heritage in Tennessee

Recordemos todos que las comunidades indígenas tienen profundos vínculos con Tennessee, con una rica historia que abarca siglos. Antes de la llegada de los colonos europeos, diversas naciones nativas habitaban estas tierras, cada una con su cultura, tradiciones e idiomas únicos. Su legado perdurable todavía se puede sentir en la

AVISO DE REUNIONES PÚBLICAS, PERÍODO DE COMENTARIOS WeGo Public Transit llevará a cabo reuniones públicas y tendrá un período de comentario público del 27 de noviembre al 18 de diciembre con respecto a cambios en el servicio de primavera de 2024.

Las reuniones públicas se llevarán a cabo como sigue: Martes, 28 de noviembre de 5:30 p.m. a 6:30 p.m. McGruder Family Resource Center, 2013 25th Avenue N., Nashville, 37208.

Jueves, 30 de noviembre de 12 p.m. to 1 p.m. Reunión Virtual (Webex); Código de Acceso: 2492 123 2795; Contraseña: MgpabmVJ875; Teléfono: 720-650-7664.

Martes, 5 de diciembre de 5:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. McGruder Family Resource Center, 2013 25th Avenue N., Nashville, 37208.

Jueves, 7 de diciembre de 5:30 p.m. a 6:30 p.m. Trinity Community Commons, 204 E. Trinity Lane, Nashville, 37207

geografía del estado, los nombres de los lugares y las costumbres de las personas que llaman hogar a Tennessee.

Hoy en día, existe un reconocimiento cada vez mayor por las contribuciones de las comunidades indígenas y se están realizando esfuerzos para honrar y preservar su herencia.

El Mes de la Herencia Nativa Americana, que se celebra anualmente en noviembre, es un momento para reconocer y honrar las ricas y diversas culturas, historias y contribuciones de los nativos americanos a los Estados Unidos. Sirve como una oportunidad para la reflexión, la educación y la promoción de la conciencia sobre los desafíos y triunfos que los nativos americanos han enfrentado a lo largo de la historia.

En el contexto de Tennessee, un estado con una importante historia de nativos americanos, el mes tiene una importancia particular. Tennessee tiene una profunda conexión con la herencia nativa americana, con una historia que incluye varias tribus

Durante el Mes de la Herencia de los Nativos Americanos, Tennessee celebra también con eventos y actividades para educar al público sobre la historia y la cultura de los nativos americanos.

Estos incluyen exhibiciones culturales, sesiones de narración de cuentos, presentaciones de música y danza tradicionales, exhibiciones de arte y talleres educativos, realizadas por organizaciones nativo americanas, universidades, como Vanderbilt, y otras entidades como el Global Educacion Center. Además de iniciativas destinadas a fomentar una mejor comprensión de los desafíos que enfrentan las comunidades nativas americanas en la actualidad, así como debates sobre cómo apoyar y preservar la herencia nativa americana en Tennessee.

Los esfuerzos de colaboración entre las comunidades nativas americanas, las organizaciones locales como la Fundación NAHCC, y otras instituciones educativas desempeñan un papel crucial para que el mes sea significativo e impactante.

Es importante señalar que la importancia del Mes de la Herencia Nativa Americana radica no solo en reconocer las contribuciones históricas de los nativos americanos, sino también en reconocer su resiliencia, promover la diversidad cultural y fomentar una comprensión y apreciación más profunda de las comunidades nativas americanas en el contexto contemporáneo. #MesdelPatrimonioNativoAmericano #PueblosIndigenas #indigenas #primerospueblos #AbyaYala Envíenos sus sugerencias por e-mail: news@hispanicpaper.com ó 615-567-3569

WeGo está proponiendo ajustes de ruta y de horario específicamente relacionados a la apertura del nuevo Dr. Ernest “Rip” Patton, Jr. North Nashville Transit Center (NNTC) que entrarán en vigencia el 31 de marzo de 2024. Se proponen mejoras y ajustes para las rutas 9 Metro Center, 14 Whites Creek, 22 Bordeaux, 41 Golden Valley, 42 St. Cecilia/Cumberland, 71 Trinity (nueva ruta conectando NNTC y Gallatin Pike), 75 Midtown y 77 Thompson-Wedgewood.

Para información detallada sobre los cambios propuestos y registrarse para las reuniones, visite WeGoTransit.com a partir del 22 de noviembre o llame a Atención al Cliente al 615-862-5950.

No se requiere la asistencia a las reuniones antes mencionadas para hacer comentarios. Puede enviar sus comentarios por correo a WeGo Public Transit Community Engagement, Attn: Public Meeting Comments, 430 Myatt Drive, Nashville, TN 37115; llamar a Public Comments al 615862-5686; o enviar un correo electrónico a WeGoTransit@nashville.gov

Foto: John Partipilo

Albert Bender, Cherokee writer, activist and lawyer committed to the preservation of Native American culture (center) with NAHCC Foundation tour guests at Tennessee State Museum.

PAGE 12 | December 20, 2023 - January 3, 2024 | The Contributor | NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE

VENDOR WRITING

Panhandling Versus Selling The Contributor

BY NORMA B., CONTRIBUTOR VENDOR

I’ve seen several news stories recently about the increase of panhandling in my area, Hermitage. There is even talk of installing signs that read: “Say No to Panhandling / Give to Local Charities / Contribute to the Solution” Some consider what I do (selling The Contributor) a glorified form of panhandling or begging.

In contrast, The Contributor IS “a Nashville Solution to Homelessness.”

Once when I was at my corner a truck was stopped near the light, as “Ain’t To Proud To Beg” played on the radio, the passenger spoke up and said rather emphatically, “I know that’s right!”

At first, I just smiled and waved, but after turning down my music I asked, “Are you talking about me?” He nodded yes.

I continued, “I’m curious, how many beg-

gars do you know that actually give you something for your money?”

In addition to the current issue of The Contributor, I often carry bumper stickers (we have two different kinds), there’s even a book-a collection of the History Corner articles of the paper, which I proudly showed them.

When I finished speaking the passenger didn’t say a word, but the driver immediately spoke up and said, “She’s kinda got you on that one bro!” The driver bought a paper and a bumper sticker, and he’s been a regular customer ever since, always stopping to see if/ when I’ll have something new, and sometimes just to say hello, how are you?

For the record, I ALWAYS encourage people to take the paper if they give me money, food, drinks, clothing ANYTHING of value!

Why? Because I know that their “gift,” whatever it is, WAS NOT FREE!

In contrast, people who stand on the corner and simply hold a sign give you nothing in return.

Now I’m not saying many of them don’t need help, but many of them DO refuse to take advantage of the many avenues available for them to help themselves. How do I know?

I’ve spoken to many of them in my area and encouraged them to at least try to sell the paper. Some are resistant to the idea, others outright refuse and even become belligerent.

I’ve suggested to some who seem sincere but are reluctant to sell the paper that they get index cards and write positive messages on them, that too was met with skepticism and sarcasm (and that’s putting it nicely).

Many times these individuals aren’t even grateful for the things they receive, I often find bottles of water, and cans of food discarded in the grass like trash, that too is often left

behind when they leave. On the other hand, I try to keep my spot clean!

I agree the number of people holding signs is on the increase, and it makes it harder for those of us with a legitimate product to sell.

So PLEASE as you pass by on the street, take the time to see the difference between those who “fly a sign” and those who sell the The Contributor and other related products, knowing the products vendors sell ARE NOT FREE! In fact, the cost has increased.

If you’ve never purchased a paper, I encourage you to try it, there is truly something in it to appeal to EVERYONE! If you are a regular customer PLEASE continue to support The Contributor and its mission by supporting its vendors!

Finally, if you pay for the paper, TAKE THE PAPER — it is after all what separates us from panhandlers!

Customers Who Go Above and Beyond To Help Others

BY NORMA B., CONTRIBUTOR VENDOR

Brooks moved to the area about a year ago with his wife from Daytona Beach. He stopped and asked what I was doing. I explained about the paper and he bought one, adding a nice tip!

He returned a short time later and ended up buying a book for his wife Ashley who loves history! Together they’ll get to know more about the area they now call home!

Chris and Marcy have become regulars at my spot in Hermitage. They now have ALL the “extras” I have to offer — ie both bumper stickers and Ridley’s book. Even so, they still stop by to see me on the weekends while they’re out doing errands or taking their dog to the park.

A father (Evan) and son (Spencer) took a paper and a book and even gave a nice tip! I enjoyed getting to spend some time getting to know them.

Sharon from Old Hickory came by #1 Chinese as I was getting started selling and asked what I was doing. When I told her, she said she’d been in Nashville for 10 years. She said she LOVES what The Contributor does in help-

ing individuals get back on their feet. She went on to say the paper was an important part of Nashville’s history. I agreed and took the opportunity to offer Ridley’s History Corner book and she eagerly accepted it!

Hayden, another newcomer to my corner, came up the same time as one of my regulars who ALWAYS gives me a little something EXTRA. The timing was SO close I thought they arrived together!

Unfortunately, I wasn’t published in that particular issue so my regular customer asked for a paper that I had an article in.

After showing her the articles I had on hand, she found one she didn’t have, and she even encouraged Hayden to get a paper I had somethingwritten in saying, “She’s a GREAT writer!” She also looked at the articles I had written and she took one based on the other lady’s recommendation! How cool is that?

Ms. Stephanie, my granddaughter's former bus driver from her elementary school days, stopped by for a visit. I’d wondered what hap-

pened to her. Now I know — she retired.

I’m sure her “children” miss her! She’s ALWAYS given EXTRA. One time I actually prayed for money to do my laundry and when she came through that morning, she said, “I’m sorry, all I have is this roll of quarters.”

I said DON’T APOLOGIZE! Grinning from ear to ear I said, “I bet you didn’t know you’d be an answer to a prayer today! I needed money to do some laundry, and you even gave it to me in quarters!”

She just smiled and said happy to be of service!

One of my biggest supporters in Antioch is not just a customer, but a fellow vendor. Loum stopped at my spot near McDonalds and gave me the most generous tip of the day.

J.P. Evans, a former volunteer with The Contributor, took a paper and gave a nice tip in Antioch.

A couple headed home to New York gave a nice tip but refused to take the paper because they weren’t from here.

Mark was one of the first to give me a nice tip in Antioch but sadly, like the previous example, he refused to take ANYTHING. I know many of you do that to be generous and kind, but PLEASE KNOW it is difficult to take pride in what I do if people DON’T take the paper!

Also, if no one takes the paper, why print it?

Would you prefer to see more people on the streets holding cardboard signs with nothing more to offer than their gratitude?

It’s DEFINITELY something to think about.

So the next time you stop for a vendor, why not take the paper? Give it a try. There really is SOMETHING that will appeal to just about EVERYONE. Then hopefully the paper will become like Lays potato chips — you can’t have just one!

And to those mentioned here who eagerly await each new issue, thank you for ALL you do to support Contributor vendors. We truly appreciate you!

So Grateful For All My Customers

BY JAMIE W., CONTRIBUTOR VENDOR

Well ever since I broke my leg a lot of people have helped me a lot. I’m blessed to know Clark Baker. He really has helped me.

Sue has gotten all kinds of groceries for me.

Aileen Katcher helped me with groceries and other stuff. Deborah Narrigan has helped me too. Donna Dinsmore has helped with groceries. Elizabeth Bethsells has also helped

me. Jay Hicks is another person who I want to mention. I also want to thank Dara.

May God Bless everyone for helping me.

I hope to get back to selling the paper. I’m grateful and blessed for everyone’s help and for people who have no clue what happened to me. I hope they find out about me. May God bless everyone at The Contributor. If it

was not for these people I’m mentioning in this article I don’t know what I would do. I wish I could be out there selling you papers. I thought I would be back to selling my papers by now, but this is taking me forever to get well. I hope and pray that the people who have noticed me not selling the paper will find out what happened to me and will try

December 20, 2023 - January 3, 2024 | The Contributor | NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE | PAGE 13

to reach me. I wish I had someway to get out there. I pray for miracles and I hope to be out there. I miss my customers. I just wish I could walk good. I’m using my walker and can only take baby steps. It’s burning me up not being out there. I hope me and Tommy and our cats have a good Christmas. Everyone pray for me.

VENDOR WRITING

Urban Warfare Training Coming to Your Neighborhood Soon

BY FREEPRESSGMA., CONTRIBUTOR VENDOR

The “Advice King” Chris Crofton of the Nashville Scene, Oct 26, 2023 published his report that the state’s Multi Agency Law Enforcement Training Academy in Nashville will cost $415 million and take up 800 acres.

I thought he was just trying to create a Halloween furor — a hoax. But I see here a picture of Governor Lee, with his groundbreaking symbolic shovel, and a bunch of our State Senators. Laughing as they line their pockets.

I agree, why wasn’t this brought up during the mayoral election?

But more importantly, why wasn’t the fact that poor people and Black people in general will be the targets for these exercises? That a “campus“ is really a euphemism or an analogy for “Domestic Actions Military base... .”

According to Nashville.gov, MALETA will be constructed on State owned property along

the Cumberland River in the Cockrill Bend area of Nashville. Instead of repairing the prison, our public money will go to line the pockets of private mercenary corporations like Dyncorp. As if private prisons weren’t already an outrage. Let’s see what happens when they privatize our military….

I tell you, we reporters have been snookered again. We were so absorbed in local issues during the election that no one bothered to keep track of what Nashville.gov was quietly publishing after the decisions had already been made.

I believe the Martin Luther King March should take place out at Cockrill Bend this year. And white, brown and red folks need to join in massive numbers. Or we just march all month long, all over the State.

Also Mayor O’ Connel, your leadership in

stopping this project from moving forward is requested.

In addition to the environmental degradation of a special area by the river, we do not need an influx from out of state, or other paramilitary occupying Nashville.

While the entire city has been working so hard to create a sparkling image of Nashville, Tennessee, a military base is being constructed in an urban area right under our noses! The unsavory elements that this will attract, namely, people who are catering to these military types, is no picnic. Just ask Clarksville.

Speaking of dead end jobs, the few jobs that might be offered to Nashville would consist of commissary, janitorial, and perhaps some light secretarial work. Nothing worth shouting about. Also, the level of clearance you would need in order to work at this place would bar

many who are currently looking for this type of work.

After all, if you have marched in a Black Lives Matter protest, you would be disqualified! If, like me, you have filmed unethical behavior being performed by Miami police, you would also be barred from having any of these types of jobs.

If you have asked a police officer why they are performing a certain action, then been arrested for “resisting arrest,” you would also be barred. And let’s not forget that youthful indiscretion decades back….

To contact your State Senator Marsha Blackburn, 629-800-6600.

And Bill Hagerty, 629-736-5129 And why didn’t Jim Cooper, a supposed Democrat, consult his constituents? 615-736-5295 Blow up their phones!

Remembering Mr. Tony

BY MARK N., CONTRIBUTOR VENDOR

In 2021, Anthony Goins (known as Mr. Tony) lost his life. It is suspected that he was kicked out of the shelter where he was staying in Columbus, Ohio and died due to severe weather conditions.

With winter upon us, I always think about my friend and former roommate, Anthony (Mr. Tony) Goins. He was a retired steel worker from Youngstown, Ohio.

He was a son, father and husband who struggled with alcoholism. He lost his life tragically.

Mr. Tony was 71 years old at the time of his passing. Being a steel-

worker had to be tough and in my experience, that can be a catalyst for those who deal with substance abuse. I used to hear him talking to his daughter and he would always talk about the passing of his brother; he was in a bad place for an old man. I wanted to write about Mr. Tony because I wonder if his death could have been prevented.

How do you help those who can barely help themselves? I won’t do the blame game. I just wanted to speak to this as winter approaches, so Mr. Tony’s death is not in vain.

Breaking the rules should never be

a sentence and although I’m sure the staff at the shelter where he was staying did not think he would die, it was 18 degrees outside. I know in Nashville our weather is not as cold as Ohio and I’ve seen how this community watches out when freezing temperature hits.

But could Mr. Tony’s death have been prevented if the staff had used more common sense? Maybe they were on a power trip. It was definitely a mistake on Mr. Tony’s part, but he paid for it with his life. I can’t imagine his last moments were very pleasant.

I am Grateful

BY VANE S SA I., CONTRIBUTOR VENDOR

| ART BY CONTRIBUTOR VENDOR LAMONT C.

This is to all mothers — single mothers, mothers-to-be, fathers taking on the role of both parents, etc. This may sound unbelievable.

But anything is possible.

I thank God every day that I am not what I’ve gone through in my life. I am grateful, truly, and will always give Him all the glory, praise, and honor for my life and my family.

If you’re reading this, I can tell

that you’re a wonderful woman of God, maybe a mother as well.

I would love your help in getting started on this group Facebook page I started a little while ago. This page means a lot to me, as a way to help mothers in every sense of the word develop skills and trades to become entrepreneurs. I’d love for this to spread, even worldwide. I would appreciate your help in this cause,

but I need a lot of people to get this started. When I first started setting up this page I didn’t know how much it would entail and it’s proven to be a lot of work, so any help with it would be wonderful and a great help to many.

Families moving towards the future with purpose and positivity in pursuit of success—this is my purpose and legacy.

Remember to Thank and Praise

BY FREEPRESSGMA, CONTRIBUTOR VENDOR

Senate Minority Leader Raumesh Akbari and Democratic Caucus Chair Senator London Lamar led the fight against the gerrymandered state Senate voter map in Tennessee. Our state constitution says clearly that

this is illegal. Especially when it is racially motivated. So do let’s thank and praise these Senators for their bravery, spearheading the action that led to a Tennessee court ruling that the Republican drawn state voter maps

are unconstitutional. The court gave the general assembly until January 31 to adopt new maps. You may want to have a little input on that. Just sayin.

Thanks to our other locally owned paper,

PAGE 14 | December 20, 2023 - January 3, 2024 | The Contributor | NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE

The Tennessee Tribune, for their article on the above topic, Vol. 34 No. 48 Nov 30 - Dec. 6, 2023 TNTribune.com

The New Christian Year Selected by Charles Williams (1941)

Charles Walter Stansby Williams (1886–1945), the editor of the following selections, is today probably the third most famous of the famous Inklings literary group of Oxford, England, which existed in the middle of the 20th century, and which included among its ranks the better-known and longer-lived Oxford Dons J.R.R. Tolkien and C. S. Lewis. 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

3rd Wednesday in Advent GOD promises union, and this union is himself.

St Ignatius: Epistle to the Trallians.

LOVE does not make you weak because it is the source of all true strength, but it makes you see the nothingness of the illusory strength on which you depended before you knew it.

Léon Bloy: Letters to his Fiancée.

The Feast of St Thomas WHATSOEVER is spoken of God or things appertaining to God otherwise than as the truth is, though it seem an honor it is an injury.

Hooker: Laws of Ecclesiastical Polity.

WE know that when one of us falls he falls alone, but no man is saved alone. He who is saved is saved within the Church, as a member of the Church, in union with the other members . . . If you are a member of the Church, your prayers are required for all the members of the Church . . . You are necessary to the Church so long as you are of the Church . . . The blood of the Church is prayer one for the other and her breath is praise of the Lord.

Alexei Chomiakov: Collected Works.

3rd Thursday in Advent IN moral actions divine law helpeth exceedingly the law of reason to guide a man's life, but in supernatural it alone guideth.

Hooker: Laws of Ecclesiastical Polity.

IT seldom happens that Zion's travelers are qualified to salute each other, even in a thorny difficult way, but the immortal birth in some degree leaps for joy.

Sarah Grubb: Journal.

3rd Friday in Advent FROM this temple, which is the body of Christ, everything that is irrational and savors of merchandise must be driven away, that it may no longer be a house of merchandise . . . And everyone who is of this nature, Jesus purifying him (John xv, 3), puts away things that are irrational, and things that savour of selling, to be destroyed, on account of the zeal of he Logos that is in him.

Origen: Commentary of John.

IT is to be feared, lest our long quarrels about the manner of his presence cause the matter of his absence, for our want of charity to receive him.

Thomas Fuller: Good Thoughts in Bad Times.

3rd Saturday in Advent THOU that art among many bodily, thou mayest be solitary and alone ghostly if thou will not and love not these worldly things that the comunalte loveth and also if thou despise and forsake the things that all men commonly desire and take. Also, if thou flee strifes and debates, and if thou feel not with sorrow thine own harms and have not in mind wrongs done to thee for to be avenged.

The Mirror of the Blessed Life of Jesus Christ, tr. by Nicholas Love.

YOU have no questions to ask of any body, no new way that you need inquire after; no oracle that you need to consult; for whilst you shut up yourself in patience, meekness, humility, and resignation to God, you are in the very arms of Christ, your whole heart is His dwelling-place and he lives and works in you as certainly as He lived in and governed that body and soul which He took from the Virgin Mary.

William Law: The Spirit of Love.

Fourth Sunday in Advent THEY do greatly err who acknowledge that the flesh of man was taken on Himself by Christ, but deny that the affections of man were taken; and they contravene the purpose of the Lord

Jesus Himself, since thus they take away from man what constitutes man, for man cannot be man without human affections.

Whence could I to-day recognize the Lord Jesus as man, who's flesh I see not, but whose affections I read of—whence, I say, could I recognize Him as man, if he had not hungered, thirst, wept? But He is known by these things to be man, who by His Divine works is accounted to be more than man. He assumed the affections of man from His mother, that He might take on Himself our weaknesses.

St Ambrose: On Psalm 61.

GOD hath nothing in him that is best, but he is altogether one entire best.

Donne: Sermons.

Christmas Day THIS is the solemnity of all the Holy Trinity Father and Son and Holy Ghost by whom this sovereign deed of the Incarnation was wrought and fulfilled . . . But sovereignly this day is a high feast and a special solemnity of all mankind: for this day was mankind sovereignly worshipped in that it was oned and knitted to the Godhead in Christ without departing. And this day began the healing and the redemption of mankind, and the reconciling to the Father of heaven. For unto this time God was wroth to mankind for the sin and the trespass of our forefathers. But from this time forth he may no longer be wroth seeing his dear Son became man. And therefore is this day skilfully called the plenty [plenteousness] of time to man.

The Mirror of the Blessed Life of Jesus Christ, tr. by Nicholas Love.

BUT he was under a heavier law than the Greeks or Romans, the law of his Father and his own eternal decree.

Donne: Sermons on Christmas Day, 1625.

NOT by conversion of the Godhead into flesh; but by taking of the manhood into God. The Creed commonly called of St Athanasius.

GOD united Himself with her spirit, and spake to her His secret Word, and bare His only son in her spirit with unspeakable love and joy. This is the eternal birth of Mary.

Tauler: Sermons.

The Feast of St Stephen DEATH is ugsome (loathsome) and very terrible unto the flesh; but joyful and welcome is it unto all such as are instructed in the secret science of God. Coverdale: Fruitful Lessons upon the Passion.

THE Lord, having taken upon him all the infirmities of our body, is then covered with the scaret-coloured blood of all the martyrs.

Hilary, quoted by Aquinas: Catena Aurea.

The Feast of The Holy Innocents WELCOME, all wonders in one sight!

Eternity shut in a span, Summer in winter, day in night, Heaven in earth and God in man.

Great little one, whose all-embracing birth Lifts earth to heaven, stoops heaven to earth.

Crashaw: Nativity Ode.

FRIDAY AFTER CHRISTMAS THE positive relation between God and man, which is the absolute paradox, veritably exists. This is the theme of the Gospel, proclaimed in fear and trembling, but under pressure of a necessity from which there is no escape. It proclaims eternity as an event.

Karl Barth: The Epistle to the Romans.

THERE are only two kinds of men: the righteous who believe themselves sinners; the rest, sinners who believe themselves righteous.

Pascal: Pensées.

SATURDAY AFTER CHRISTMAS GRANT to us, O Lord, to know that which is worth knowing, to love that which is worth loving, to praise that which pleases thee most, to esteem that which is most precious unto thee, and to dislike whatsoever is evil in thy eyes. Grant us with true judgement to distinguish things that differ, and above all to search out and to do what is well pleasing unto thee, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Thomas à Kempis.

Sunday after Christmas THEN I saw that there was a way to hell, even from the gates of heaven, as well as from the city of Destruction.

Bunyan: The Pilgrim's Progress.

"I HAVE yet many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now." Not because they are so unlike your mortal experiences, but because they are so like.

Patmore: The Rod, the Root, and the Flower.

The Feast of The Circumcision HE began betimes to suffer for us, and he that never did sin began this day to bear pain in his sweet tender body for our sin.

Much ought we to have compassion and weep with him, for he wept this day full sore . . . for that bodily circumcision we have ghostly circumcision, that is cutting away from us all superfluous things that dispose to sin, and holding with us an affection only that is needed to virtuous living. For he that is truly poor is virtuously circumcised.

The Mirror of the Blessed Life of Jesus Christ, tr. by Nicholas Love.

The Feast of St John The Evangelist HE did lay aside His own nature in that He did make Himself poor of the fame of His holiness, goodness and innocence . . .

He might have revealed himself in all the fame of holiness, so that He would have been universally held to be the greatest of all saints and one in whom there was no sin; but He did choose to take upon Himself the sins of us all and the fame of holiness did He give unto His servant John.

Angela of Foligno: The Book of Divine Consolation.

OUR Lord asks but two things of us: love for Him and for our neighbor: these are what we must strive to obtain. If we practice both these virtues perfectly we shall be doing His will and so shall be united to Him. St Teresa: The Interior Castle.

Tuesday after Christmas IT shines everywhere, though not to all. In a word, it shineth in darkness, and the darkness comprehends it not. The light sees the darkness, for with it seeing and shining are the same thing; but it is not in turn seen by the darkness, because the darkness comprehends it not.

St Bernard: On Consideration.

THE Stoics say, "Retire within yourselves; it is there you will find your rest." And that is not true.

Others say, "Go out of yourselves; seek happiness in amusement." And this is not true. Illness comes.

Happiness is neither without us nor within us. It is in God, both without us and within us.

Pascal: Pensées.

ALL bodies together and all minds together and all their products are not equal to the least motion of love; that belongs to an order higher by infinity.

Pascal: Pensées.

Sponsored by Matthew Carver, publisher

December 20, 2023 - January 3, 2024 | The Contributor | NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE | PAGE 15

MERRY CHRISTMAS / PIECES OF POETRY - 14

My most powerful and profound, produced song, From my CD “Familiar Lullabies”

My most powerful and thought provoking, Christian poem.

From my book: “Lessons Learned from Wisdom’s Words”

Hidden Reasons

Die For Christ?

WRITTEN BY CHRIS SCOTT FIESELMAN

WRITTEN BY CHRIS SCOTT FIESELMAN

Every minute. Every hour.

Every second of the day.

The world just keeps on turning, And it’s always been that way.

One event leads to another, And they’re all so intertwined.

All connected to each other Like a web of passing time.

Somewhere... Not America, where Christianity, Costs a whole lot more than mediocrity belief.

The dangers of professing, You’re a Follower of Christ, Could end you up in prison, Loss of property or your Life.

It’s there where True Believers, Meet in secrecy to share, Their faith through praise and worship, Teaching, fellowship and prayer.

Hoping no-one knows, What’s going on behind closed doors?

In such a situation, You have got to Love the Lord.

I can’t forget the night that I would never be the same, Because I chose to stand and die, and not deny his name.

I thought about not going, Something troubling me inside.

But I felt the spirit urging me, And it could not be denied.

Rumors of armed men attacking, Christians in the street, With no remorse or pity for, The victims that they beat.

Our little flock had gathered, Specifically to pray, For God’s Hand of Protection, And his help along the way.

We didn’t see it coming, They came storming through the door.

Wolves with sub-machine guns, And black ski masks that they wore.

No-one said a word as moments slowly ticked away, Waiting for the predator to move against the prey.

Hid... Den... Reasons for it all.

You just don’t understand.

When your backs against the wall.

Things don’t work out like you planned.

Hidden Reasons you can’t see, But when all is said and done.

You’ll know why things had to be, Hidden Reasons. Hidden Reasons.

THEME: Y EA R-IN-R EV IEW ACROSS 1. *Herald, Idalia or Ophelia 6. Do this in the bud 9. Parts of play 13. Cocoon dwellers 14. Paleozoic or mesozoic, e.g.

15. Alexandre Duma's "The Black ____" 16. Concerning, archaic 17. Talking Heads' "And She ____" 18. Give a speech 19. *2023 World Series winners 21. *Imploded submersible's destination 23. *Kali Uchis' "I Wish ____ Roses" 24. Don't step on it twice!

25. *Ryan Gosling's #48 Across role 28. Winter window picture 30. Imprisons 35. Aphrodite's son 37. Hindu serpent deity 39. Toughness 40. Angler's hope 41. Stephen Curry, e.g.

43. Opposed to 44. Tastes like lemon 46. Seven-year desire 47. Turf alternative 48. *Highest-grossing 2023 movie to-date 50. Chris Hemsworth's repeating role 52. Auction batch 53. Cheese on Peloponnese 55. Kombucha, e.g.

57. *Retired media magnate 61. *King Charles III's Royal House 65. On the radio (2 words) 66. *Ryder Cup 2023 runner-up 68. 1000 kilograms 69. "Beat it!"

70. Lake, in France

29. *Site of tragic wildfires 31. Objectivity preventer 32. Declare invalid 33. Like 1950s style, today 34. *"The Eras Tour" star 36. Balkan native DOWN 38. St. Louis attraction 1. Joust verbally 42. Hindu garment 2. Cat food flavor 45. Combining two forms 3. Word before sesame 49. What kneecap and leech 4. Gangly have in common 5. Type of shower 6. *Company from which #57 51. Airbnb offering 54. Northernmost land, to Across retired, ____ Corp the ancients 7. Nest egg, acr.

56. a.k.a. adobar or carne de 8. Trattoria staple vinha d'alhos 9. Sign of a saint 57. Lion's share 10. Kin group 11. South American monkey 58. Beyond natural, in U.K. 59. Steak preference 12. Design detail, for short 15. Sacred objects on a pole 60. Days, in Havana 61. *Showtime's "____: The 20. Bitterly regretting Aftermath" 22. Dwight D. Eisenhower 62. Certain social media 24. Boat race message 25. Meat on a stick 63. A third of thrice 26. "Fear of Flying" author 64. Infantry's last rows Jong 67. *____-AFTRA 27. Post-it user 71. Manila hemp 72. Foot digits 73. Freudian topic 74. Runner

We’re… Like… Puppets on a string.

We can’t see the master’s hand.

But he’s controlling everything, And the worlds at his command.

Sometimes we want to give in, Like a ship that’s lost at sea.

We’re like cattle being driven, Ever towards eternity.

Hid... Den... Reasons for it all.

You just don’t understand.

When your backs against the wall.

Things don’t work out like you planned.

Hidden Reasons you can’t see, But when all is said and done.

You’ll know why things had to be, Hidden Reasons. Hidden Reasons.

We can’t see the good in bad.

We don’t understand just why.

We should be grateful and be glad, But we just hang our heads and cry.

When the final page is turned, And things have all worked out.

You’d think by then we’d learn, What Life is all about?

What Life is all about…

Hid... Den... Reasons for it all.

You just don’t understand.

When your backs against the wall.

Things don’t work out like you planned.

Hidden Reasons you can’t see, But when all is said and done.

You’ll know why things had to be, Hidden Reasons... Hid... Den... Reasons...

The Hidden Reasons...

Hidden Reasons...

PAGE 16 | December 20, 2023 - January 3, 2024 | The Contributor | NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE

“You say that you are Christian, And believe in the after-life.

Well how many of you are really ready?

To Die for Christ tonight?

You’re free to leave right now, And live to see another day, Or prepare to meet your maker, If you decide to stay.”

“Father please forgive them, For they know not what they do.”

Ten of us remained, Where there once stood twenty-two.

I knew I did the right thing, by deciding not to leave.

By staying I was saying, “I will live what I believe.”

What happened next was un-expected, When he turned and locked the door.

They put down their guns, They took off their masks, And said “Now, Let’s Praise the Lord!”

FUN

HOBOSCOPES CAPRICORN

As the sun sets early on one of the final afternoons of another year of your life, you may be thinking to yourself, “Was that really it? Was that the whole day? Was this the whole year?”

And if that’s what you’re thinking, Capricorn, and if it all feels like it’s moving by too quickly and that the sun won’t stay up in the sky long enough, I want to let you know that you can slow this whole thing down. All you have to do is watch that sunset till it goes all the way below the horizon. Don’t rush ahead. Don’t skip to tomorrow. Be right where you are until you fully arrive.

What’s that one song where they list a bunch of things like cat-faces and pasta and wetplants and then they’re all like “and that’s just some of my favorite stuff?” Does that sound familiar, Taurus? Well, anyway, I think you probably ought to do that today. Like, just write down 10 or 20 things that you really like. I think it might help. Because it’s tough out there and when the big stuff hits it can really help to remember that it’s not always so bad. I started my list with vegan corn-dogs and koi-ponds, and marching bands in pop-songs. What’s your first three?

GEMINI

AQUA RIUS

The big storm blew down the dead tree in my neighbor’s front yard. It fell right into the back window of her parked car. I asked her about it and she seemed unfazed. Said she’s still waiting on the insurance people to call her back from when the last storm knocked a branch through her garage door. I get it, I guess. How can we start to recover from this hit when we still haven’t recovered from the last one or the one before? And they’ve been coming so fast, Aquarius.

I see the burden you’re under and maybe you see mine.

Let’s clear some of these branches and maybe build a fire.

We can warm up and make a plan to heal.

PISCES

Maybe I went a little crazy with the tinsel, Pisces. I just didn’t anticipate how hard it would be to get it off the tops of the trees.

And the azaleas. And the mailbox. And my front yard cactus pit. Why did I put so much in the cactus pit? Once I get going, it’s just hard to stop and now that it’s time to clean up I’m less enthused. So I get it, Pisces, you don’t feel like finishing up these last few strings from last year.

It sounds tedious to tie up all these loose ends. But I think it’s going to be worthwhile, Pisces. Spend a little time on it today. One strand at a time. It’ll be a relief to have a clean slate to start from.

ARIES

TAURUS

Long, cold nights. Frantic mornings.

Exhausted afternoons. It’s not the most restful pattern, Aries. Maybe try mixing things up this weekend. Instead of a frantic morning, take things slow. Make yourself something warm.

Watch the crows out the window. By the afternoon you might want to go for a walk and call somebody who makes you laugh. Clean the kitchen if it sounds like a relief. When the sun goes down, eat a bowl of soup and put on a movie you already love. Have some hot chocolate. Go to sleep when you’re ready. Maybe you just started a new pattern.

When I was a kid it was all about getting everybody together in the same room to tell stories and laugh and eat. It’s not so easy these days. Because whenever I get in a room with people, it goes fine for a few minutes and then somebody coughs and I think “Should I even be here? What if I get sick? What if I get somebody else sick?” And then I just want to get outside and never see anybody again. Listen, Gemini, it’s not like when you were a kid. There are lots of reasons to stress this time of year. I just want to remind you that your reasons are valid and if you don’t want to be in a particular space, you don’t have to be there. There are lots of ways to connect with people. Do the ones that feel the best for you.

VIRGO

It felt like the past year was kind of a mixed bag. I learned some things. I did some things right. I made it through each day. But I did all of it with a hazy sense of failure. Why didn’t I do better? How can I escape the patterns that keep me from succeeding? When will I become the ideal version of myself? But I’ve got a plan for the next year for me and you, Virgo. We’re going to stop promising to do better. We’re going to stop assuming that self-improvement is the purpose of our lives. The purpose of our lives, I’m starting to believe, is to live them. Let’s try that this year, Virgo. We’ll check-in and next year and see how it went.

LIBRA

O Tannenbaum! O Tannenbaum! Was I supposed to water you? I swear I filled this bowl up when I brought the tree home, but it’s definitely dry as a bone today. And the needles are all breaking off and hitting the floor. Maybe I shouldn’t have set this up so close to the heater vent. Anyway, Libra, is there anything you’ve been neglecting this year? Anything you forgot to nurture?

Good news–it’s about time to walk that thing out to the curb anyway. No need to regret what’s already dried-up. Maybe next year just get a plastic one and focus on nurturing yourself.

CANCER

Honestly, it was tougher than I expected this year, Cancer. Last January hit hard and then February hit harder. But now that feels like a long time ago. And so I go into next year a little less trusting. What if it all happens again? Well one thing that I know, is that as hard as it was we got through it. And as much as I flinch at this new year, I believe that we will get through it again. So what would be the harm in approaching a new year with hope instead of fear? Of course we can’t control what’s next, but we can try to trust that the passage of time can be a mercy and that the ones who got us through the past may yet be there in the future.

SCORPIO

Like the poet says, Scorpio, “I wish I had a river I could skate away on.” Maybe I never understood why she said that until this year.

The idea that I could just head out on a frozen waterway and fly away from all of this, following whatever path the ice takes until I come to someplace where nobody knows me and I don’t care what they think or feel. Or maybe she just really likes ice skating. It’s hard to say, Scorpio. But if you feel like skating away from all this, give me a call. Or maybe somebody who knows you better. I think either one of us would tell you to stay. To wait out this feeling and this season. It may take a while, but things will thaw.

LEO

I didn’t know I could eat that much peppermint bark, Leo. I guess I’ve just never had the opportunity before. Where do they grow peppermint bark, anyway? Canada? It seems like it would be Canada. In any case, it must have been a bountiful harvest this year because that was an awfully big bucket. We often find out new things about ourselves this time of year, Leo, and they’re not always things we wish were true. I wish I’d had a little less peppermint bark, but I can’t change the facts. Take these learning opportunities and move forward, Leo. Next year, you might decide you can get by with less.

SAGITTA R IUS

Remember that time we were at Ron’s Mini-Golf & Game Emporium and we’d used up all our tokens playing skee-ball and Gauntlet and we were about to call your mom to pick us up but then Ron came out of the office with another cup of 50 tokens and said “Somebody forgot to pick this one up today.” And he set it down between us on the air hockey table. I think it’s like that, Sagittarius. A new year. It looks like we get another shot at this. Not to get it right. Not even to win. But we get to keep playing the game.

Mr. Mysterio is not a licensed astrologer, a certified ice-scraper or an air-hockey champion. Listen to the Mr. Mysterio podcast at mrmysterio.com Or just give him a call at 707-VHS-TAN1

December 20, 2023 - January 3, 2024 | The Contributor | NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE | PAGE 17

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PAGE 18 | December 20, 2023 - January 3, 2024 | The Contributor | NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE

MOVING PICTURES

Blending of Truths and Fictions 'MAY DECEMBER' IS TODD HAYNES’ LATEST TWIST ON THE POP CULTURE BIOPIC

BY JOE NOLAN, FILM CRITIC Todd Haynes is one of contemporary cinema’s most distinctive auteurs. He’s an eloquent and original formalist who regularly inspires indelible turns from his actors. He’s also a writer who continually re-invents the art of biopic filmmaking: Haynes's breakthrough short film, Superstar: The Karen Carpenter Story (1987) told the tragic tale of the doomed singer using stop-motion animation and a cast of Barbie dolls; Velvet Goldmine (1998) used fictional characters, an original soundtrack, and a plot borrowed from Citizen Kane (1941) to dramatize Glam-era relationships of Iggy Pop, Lou Reed and David Bowie; six actors, including Cate Blanchett, were cast to play the part of Bob Dylan in I'm Not There (2007). to play the part of Bob Dylan in I’m Not There (2007). Hayne’s new film lays fiction over the disturbing crimes of Mary Kay Letourneau.

It’s a movie about acting featuring great turns from both Natalie Portman and Julianne Moore, and it’s a movie about infamy and fragile realities that could only be made

by Todd Haynes.

May December recalls Velvet Goldmine with Haynes creating new characters, situations and settings to explore Letourneau’s crimes and their aftermath. In 1997, a 35-year-old, married mother of five, and Seattle school teacher, Mary Kay Letourneau became pregnant with the child of her 13-year-old student. She groomed and sexually assaulted repeatedly for a year, and her story was a tabloid sensation. Letrouneau pleaded guilty to two counts of secondary rape before returning to the boy and having a second child with him before he was 15.

Letourneau ultimately served six years in jail and the couple were married for 15 years before divorcing in 2019. Letourneau died of cancer in 2020. In May December, actress Elizabeth Berry (Portman) arrives at the Savannah, Ga., home of Gracie Atherton-Yoo (Moore) — Berry is doing research to play Atherton-Yoo in a film. The former pet store manager is now married to Joe Yoo (Charles Melton) whom she first raped when he was 12-year-old employee at the same pet store. The couple’s last two — of three — children are leaving for college, and Joe is nurturing the monarch butterflies that he raises as part of an online environmentalist community.

Portman’s take on Berry will remind viewers of her transformational spin in Darren Aronovsky’s ballet masterpiece, Black Swan.

Don’t be surprised at award nominations for Portman whose meta-performance is as much about the artifice of acting as it is about double-faced personas and malleable personal values. Moore is predictably strong here, too, and she should probably expect red carpet invites as well. But for me, it’s Melton who steals the show with a third act turn that brings a heartrending breakthrough to the constricted trauma at the middle of this tense psychodrama that Haynes plays like a cracked Hallmark Channel melodrama.

Haynes’ most recent biopic was his film Dark Waters. That movie was a very conventional take on attorney Robert Bilott’s case against DuPont for poisoning the water supply in Parkersburg, W.Va. That film was a legal procedural that may have demanded a more

straightforward profile of the lawyer and the plaintiffs he represented, but May December finds Haynes back to his innovative ways and re-imagining — again ­— how fictional filmmaking can shine an unexpected light on trueto-life stories and real villains and victims. Haynes has made a habit of defying expectations when it comes to his blending of truths and fictions in his cinematic profiles. In May December he’s able to

uncover what German filmmaker Werner Herzog has described as “a kind of truth that is the enemy of the merely factual.”

May December opened at the Belcourt Theatre on Nov. 17. Go to www.belcourt.org for times and tickets. The film is also streaming on Netflix.

December 20, 2023 - January 3, 2024 | The Contributor | NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE | PAGE 19

Joe Nolan is a critic, columnist and performing singer/songwriter based in East Nashville.

Find out more about his projects at www. joenolan.com.