Page 2, The Loafer • May 20, 2014
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May 20, 2014 • The Loafer, Page 3
Volume 28 Issue #24
Publisher - Bill Williams • Editor/Graphic Arts Director - Don Sprinkle • Office Manager - Luci Tate Cover Design - Bill May • Photography - Mark Marquette Advertising - Dave Carter, Akey Kincaid, Terry Patterson Contributing Staff - Jim Kelly, Andy Ross, Ken Silvers, Mark Marquette, Pat Bussard Published by Tree Street Media, LLC., P.O. Box 3238, Johnson City, TN 37602 Phone: 423/283-4324 FAX - 423/283-4369 www.theloaferonline.com • info@theloaferonline.com e-mail: editorial@theloaferonline.com (editorial) adcopy@theloaferonline.com (advertising All advertisements are accepted and published by the publisher upon the representation that the agency and/or advertiser is authorized to publish the entire contents and subject matter thereof.The agency and/or advertiser will indemnify and save the publisher harmless from any loss of expense resulting from claims or suits based upon contents of any advertisement,including claims or suits for defamation,libel,right of privacy,plagiarism,and copyright infringement.
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SUP RACE CHALLENGES ATHLETES IN TRICITIES Growing Sport Draws From Families to Weekend Warriors
Stand Up Paddleboarding (SUP) is the hottest watersport craze sweeping the nation, and people in Tricities are ready for the action. As the sport has grown in participants, the first competitive paddleboard regional race is coming to our area Memorial Day weekend with the Warrior Challenge at Warrior’s Path State Park Saturday, May 24. SUPing began in Hawaii not very long ago and spread quickly to the West Coast of the US. The first SUP race was held in Tahoe City, CA, in 2007 and has become a frequent sight on both coasts in the last few years. It was only a matter of time before the fun activity found its way to the beautiful TVA lakes of our region. This race was created by a new
organization called Southern Stoke Paddle Series (SSPS), a ten-race series that stretches from Tennessee to Alabama to Georgia to North Carolina. Two of the ten races will be in our area: Warrior Challenge May 24 in Kingsport on Patrick Henry Lake and the Appalachian Challenge August 23 in Butler on Watauga Lake. It is sponsored locally by Tricities Stand Up Paddleboard store located in Bristol, TN. Created to encourage the SUP sport on inland lakes, SSPS offers athletes the chance to compete in paddleboard races closer to home in the southeast. Up until now, all the competitions centered on coastal races meaning longer distances to travel and having to contend with waves, tides and other ocean hazards. SSPS races feature
a long and a short course with points awarded to contenders. Prizes and awards will be given out through the organization and sponsors. The races are open to anyone wishing to test their skill and endurance against other SUP enthusiasts, even if you are a beginner. “These races are very beginner friendly, as most people in our region are new to the sport,” explains Jack Nelson, manager of the Tricities Stand Up Paddleboard shop (TriSUP for short), the only dedicated SUP store in the area. Nelson, a competitive racer himself, was involved in the early stages of developing the Series during last October’s annual Chattajack Race in Chattanooga. The idea was to create some fun events
centered around places that have SUP shops to help spur the sport on in the Southeast. With paddleboarding growing in popularity across the country, many people have discovered the activity is great for fitness, fun and even yoga. The Outdoor Foundation’s 2013 report cited “stand up paddling as the most popular outdoor activity among first-time participants” and the official US Coast Guard blog “Compass” says SUPing “is the fastest growing water sport in the world.” TriSUP was opened last year and is located next to the Paramount theater in downtown Bristol. As the weather warms, the store’s experienced instructors take to the surrounding lakes with trailers of SUPs to offer demon-
strations, rentals and lessons. As a dedicated SUP store, TriSUP has the widest selection of boards and accessories as well as knowledgeable staff. “Getting the right fit is very important,” Nelson notes. “Not only is your weight and height a factor in choosing a board, knowing what your goals are is important too. There are SUPs for cruising, racing and even whitewater paddling. We take all this into account to make sure you start off with the right equipment perfect for you.” For more information about the races or SUPs in general, visit www.Trisup.net. TriSUP is located at 514 State Street, Bristol, TN, 423652-0220 and is open Monday Saturday 10 - 6.
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Exciting changes are coming
to the Downtown Kingsport Concert Series for 2014! “After nearly 10 years, it’s time to freshen up the formula and take it to a new level,” said Emily Thompson, concert coordinator for the Kingsport Convention and Visitors Bureau. With Kingsport’s interest in attracting downtown visitors and families, new businesses and nurturing young professionals, the contemporary concerts, known as Twilight Alive, will now be held on Friday nights and the Bluegrass on Broad concerts will be held on Thursday nights. “Moving to Fridays allows young professionals to linger longer in Downtown Kingsport,” said Seth Jervis, chair of young professionals’ initiative, PEAK. “We want them to be able to enjoy our Downtown longer.” On most Friday nights, Twilight Alive will start with an opening local act, followed by a headlining act. Each week will feature additional activities around Downtown. The opening act and activities will begin at approximately 6:30 p.m. and the headliner will take the stage at approximately 7:30 p.m.
“Private businesses are encouraged to coordinate their own afterparty entertainment and conduct sales promotions to attract customers,” Thompson said. “The concert series provides a great opportunity for restaurants and businesses to show a large group of potential customers what our Downtown has to offer.” The concert series will begin the week of May 22 and run for 8 consecutive weeks, culminating on July 11, following the Fun Fest Parade and Kick-off Celebration. The concert schedule is as follows:
“We felt it was time to make positive changes,” said Tom Keller, Bluegrass on Broad coordinator. “We can focus on having 8 great concerts instead of spreading ourselves so thin.” He added, “The ETSU Bluegrass Band will continue as always, coinciding with ETSU Pride Week during the last week of August.” The opening acts and downtown activities will be announced for Twilight Alive as we get closer to the start of the series. A few of those highlights are:
May 29 – Art in the Heart – Art Festival on Market Street and surrounding areas June 20 – American Cancer Society’s Relay for Life Kingsport fundraising event July 4th – Downtown Kingsport Fourth of July Celebration – Fireworks July 11 – Fun Fest Parade and Kick-off Celebration This year’s series is brought to you by: Pal’s Sudden Service, WQUT FM 101.5, Nash FM 104.9, Kingsport Times-News, Eastman Chemical Company, First Tennessee Bank, Marsh Regional Blood Center, Knoxville TVA Employees Credit Union, VIP Seen Magazine, the Kingsport Convention & Visitors Bureau and the City of Kingsport. More details will follow soon! www.TwilightAlive.com and check us out on facebook!
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New Ballard’s Branch Bogtrotters Saturday, May 24th at the Carter Family Fold
Saturday, May 24th, 2014, at 7:30 p.m. the Carter Family Fold in Hiltons, Virginia, will present a concert by the New Ballard’s Branch Bogtrotters, an old time band. Admission to the concert is $10 for adults, $1 for children 6 to11, under age 6 free. The New Ballard’s Branch Bogtrotters took their group’s name from the original Bogtrotters, the famous Galax, Virginia, area band of the 1930s, and because band leader Dennis Hall lives on Bal-
lard’s Branch. Galax is home to the world-renowned Old Time Fiddler’s Convention, and the area has traditionally produced some of the country’s finest old time string bands. Carrying on that rich musical tradition, the New Ballard’s Branch Bogtrotters features Dennis Hall on guitar, Leon Frost on mandolin, Jesse Morris on bass, Eddie Bond on fiddle, and Josh Ellis on banjo. The guys have been playing together for over twelve years.
Eddie Bond’s four great grandfathers were old time banjo players. He was raised by his grandmother who was a singer and guitar player. His family on both sides is packed with musicians who played the traditional music of the Blue Ridge. Eddie began performing at age 3 dancing for quarters. Through the years, he’s added guitar, autoharp, fiddle, and banjo to the list of instruments he plays. He grew up in Fries where some of the first old time music had its beginnings at the Washington Cotton Mill from 1923 to 1929. Fries is about six miles from Galax. Dennis Hall is a grand nephew of Uncle Eck Dunford – the droll voiced fiddler and spokesman for the original Bogtrotters. Their dance band was recorded by Alan Lomax in the 1930’s. Lomax left a trove of important recordings by the Bogtrotters and others at the Library of Congress. Uncle Eck was very conscious of his Ulster Irish background and his name. The Bogtrotter heritage is closely tied to that of Eck Dunford. Dennis is noted among old time musicians for his unerring and rocksolid guitar time. In addition, he’s a master carpenter and home builder. Dennis is the keeper of a
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Bogtrotters -- continued from previous page rich score of older, historic music. Jesse Morris is a bassist and the son of a bassist. His timing is rock solid. Jesse comes from a musical family. His father, Dale Morris, has been a string band musician for many years, working in many Galax bands; he’s also a respected scholar of traditional music. When he isn’t playing music, Jesse teaches high school agriculture classes. Josh Ellis was a Clapton-style rock and roll guitar player when he came to Galax, but all that changed when he picked up a banjo. Like the other Bogtrotters, Josh is very passionate about timing. The banjo and fiddle are the original string band created by Virginia slave musicians in the early colonial period. Keeping with that tradition, Josh works closely with Eddie to adhere to that ancient musical combination. Josh manages a business in Galax and has helped construct many beautiful homes in that area. Leon Frost is the irrepressible mandolin player who bounces around the stage putting his mandolin chop lick and occasional burst of melody exactly where
they belong for the drive and rhythm of the Bogtrotters. Leon comes from a musical family as well, and members of his family were among the earliest pioneers to record Galax area music. Leon is a master carpenter who has built many fine log homes. The group won the old-time band competition at the Galax Fiddler’s Convention on six different occasions. In addition, they have played their music at such regional and national festivals as the Blue Ridge Folklife Festival, Merlefest, the Smithsonian Folklife Festival, and the University of Chicago Festival. Having performed many times at the Fold, they’re a favorite of Carter Fold audiences. This group covers it all – great fiddle and dance tunes, outstanding vocals and harmony, beautiful gospel numbers, waltz tunes, and some of the finest instrumentals you’ll ever hear. For more information, check out the Bogtrotters on Myspace, Facebook, and Youtube. If you love old time music and dance, don’t miss the New Ballard’s Branch Bogtrotters at the Carter Family Fold. Everyone
loves the Bogtrotters, so get ready for an evening of old fashioned fun. Be sure to bring your dancing shoes – and your friends! Carter Family Memorial Music Center, Incorporated, is a nonprofit, rural arts organization established to preserve traditional, acoustic, mountain music. For further information on the center, go to http://www.carterfamilyfold. org. Shows from the Carter Family Fold can be accessed on the internet at http://www.carterfoldshow.com. Carter Music Center is part of the Crooked Road: Virginia’s Heritage Music Trail. You can visit the Crooked Road Music Trail site at http://thecrookedroad.org. Partial funding for programs at the center is provided by the Virginia Commission for the Arts the National Endowment for the Arts. For recorded information on shows coming up at the Fold, call 276-386-6054. The Fold is on Facebook – page Carter Fold – and Twitter – Twitter @carterfoldinfo. To speak to a Fold staff member, call 276-594-0676.
Luau Themed Customer Appreciation Day at Goodwill! The Goodwill Industries of Tenneva retail store in Bristol, Tennessee will be hosting a luau themed customer appreciation event on May 23 from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m! The Volunteer Goodwill will be covered in flowers and beach themed items. The tent sale features items for 75 percent off and a 50 percent off red tag sale! The Volunteer Goodwill, located at 1812 Volunteer Parkway, will have employees dressing the part in grass skirts and flower necklaces! The tent sale will feature various items such as women and men’s clothing, house wares, and furniture all at 75 percent off. Beverages and snacks will be provided and there will be door prize give aways all day! If patrons can not attend this customer appreciation sale, the next one will be a beach party customer appreciation sale at the Big Stone Gap Goodwill. It is located
at 1941 Neely Rd in Big Stone Gap, Virginia. The proceeds from the retail stores funds Goodwill Industries of Tenneva’s employment services
and vocational programs for people with barriers to employment. For more information, please call the Marketing Department at 423.245.0600.
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Laughlin Memorial Hospital announces the most exciting golfing event in the state of Tennessee:
The 14th Annual Laughlin Memorial Hospital Tennessee Scholarship Pro/Am Tournament and Long Drive Shoot-Out. The unusual golfing event is scheduled for Thursday and Friday, June 5, and June 6, Graysburg Hills Golf Course, with veterans Tom Gregory, Tony LaMarca, and Larry Coughlin as co-chairs of the tournament. Greeneville Federal Bank is the major sponsor of the event. “We are more than pleased to welcome these three gentlemen back for the 2014 event. With Tom, Tony, and Larry in this leadership position, we feel sure this will be the same caliber of golfing event as we have presented over the past twelve years,” said Chuck Whitfield, president and CEO of Laughlin Memorial Hospital. “We certainly welcome the opportunity to partner with Bart Hartsell and his long-drive friends, nationally and internationally, to bring this unusual and fun tournament to Greeneville,” he added. Whitfield continued, “We are very grateful
for the ongoing support of Greeneville Federal Bank, as our major sponsor for this event.” All events will be held at Graysburg Hills Golf Course, 910 Graysburg Hills Road, Greeneville, TN. Graysburg is one of the state’s premier courses. Qualifying rounds in the longdrive competition will begin on Thursday, June 5 at 8:00 a.m. On Friday, June 6, the pro/am tournament will be held, with a shotgun start at 9:30 a.m. Registration will begin at 8:00 a.m. Following the pro/am and Awards Dinner, the finals of the long-drive competition will begin and continue until a champion has been named. The top professional, nationallyknown, long-drive golfers, will be participating in the pro/am tournament on Friday and will take center-stage for the events on Thursday and Friday.
Long-drive golf is a dramatic game, with competitors blasting the ball over 400 yards, and their club head speeds have been clocked up to 160 plus mph. Bart Hartsell, a Greeneville, TN, native, is partnering with Laughlin Memorial Hospital to bring this exciting event to Greeneville in a charity format. Hartsell came in third in the world in 1999 and is a top contender in professional, long-drive competition. First place in the shoot-out will pay $15,000, based on registration of 48 pros. The exciting shoot-out events are free to the public, and everyone is given a cordial invitation to come watch these professionals “hit the long ball.” Bleachers will be available, but a lawn chair could be useful. Come out and enjoy long-drive golf at its finest. The pro/am entry fee is $800 per team or $200 per individual.
This includes lunch, greens fees, carts, door prizes, complimentary beverages during play, and a casual awards dinner. Pro/am players will have the opportunity to share in excess of $3000 in certificates and prizes. Up to $20,000 each for three golfers toward a vehicle from The Bachman Bernard Dealerships of Greeneville for a hole-in-one. Revenue from this year’s tournament will provide scholarships for worthy students who are preparing themselves for employment in healthcare fields identified as critical shortage areas. Additionally, the First Tee Junior Invitational Tournament and Junior Clinic will be held on Thursday, June 5. The Junior Clinic will be conducted by the professional long drivers. To register for the First Tee Junior Invitation Tournament, visit www.firstteetricities. org or www.TriCitiesGolf.org.
For more information about the scholarship pro/am tournament, scheduled for Thursday and Friday, June 5 and 6, please call Laughlin Health Care Foundation at 423.787.5117.
Justin Moose, 2013 Laughlin Memorial Hospital Tennessee Long Drive Shoot-Out winner.
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Stories from a Life in Motion Storytelling Live! May 27-31
Spencer Bohren, a storyteller and acclaimed country and blues musician, will be the International Storytelling Center’s next teller in residence. During his weeklong residency, Bohren’s daily matinees will include a wide range of stories from his many years performing on the road. “I’ve led an interesting life,” he says. “I’ve had the honor of meeting a lot of America’s great artists from the era before me, as well as some contemporaries, and those stories seem to really fascinate people.” As a touring musician, Bohren spent the better part of the 1980s living on the road—literally. Unlike most of his peers, he brought his family along for a full seven years, living with his wife and young children in a trailer attached to the family car. “People ask how I convinced a woman to go on the road for seven years with all those kids,
and I have to say it was her idea,” he says. “I was always on the road and they were always home. We just wanted to be a family.” A midwife at the time, Bohren’s wife had been inspired by some of her clients, who were circus performers that offered a lot of advice before they hit the road. “We had a 1955 Chevrolet, if you can imagine, and a silver Airstream trailer behind it,” Bohren says. “It was a grand adventure.” Eventually, his kids wanted to attend “normal” schools and the family moved back to New Orleans, where they still live today. Now in his sixties, Bohren finds himself touring more than ever, rarely enjoying more than a few weeks at home at a stretch. It’s hard work, but it’s worth it. “I’ve spent my life in motion,” Bohren says. “I’ve been dedicated to the performance of music that I love dearly. It’s not like it’s commercial music and it’s not like it
hasn’t been a tightrope walk, but I think we’ve done a pretty elegant job of making it great. We’ve had an amazing life. We really have.” In 2011, new to the world of storytelling, Bohren made fast friends with the audience at his first National Storytelling Festival. This will be his second time playing the Teller-in-Residence series, an opportunity he relishes. “It’s really an honor,” he says. “Seeing other storytellers and how fantastic they are, I’m really touched by the fact that what I have to offer holds up in such excellent company. I love the idea of another audience that I didn’t know existed. It’s new territory for me. As an artist, who could ask for more than new territory? It’s a gift.” Bohren’s run will stretch from May 27 – 31, Tuesday through Saturday, with daily performances at 2:00 p.m. in the Mary B. Martin Storytelling Hall. Tickets for all
matinees are just $12 for adults and $11 for seniors, students, and children under 18. Information about all TIR performers, as well as a detailed schedule for 2014, is available at www.storytellingcenter.net. Season passes that offer savings of 44 percent will be available while supplies last, and ticket holders will save 10 percent on same-day dining at The Olde Courthouse Diner, The Dining Room, Jonesborough General Store and Eatery, or Main Street Café. The International Storytelling Center is open 10 a.m. – 5 p.m., Monday through Saturday. For more information about Storytelling Live! or to make a group reservation, call (800) 952-8392 ext. 222 or (423) 913-1276. Storytelling Live! is supported by Presenting Sponsor CrestPoint Health, program sponsors Eastman Chemical Company and Eastman Credit Union, and media sponsors News 5-WCYB, FOX Tri-Cities, Tri-Cities CW, Johnson City Press, Kingsport Times-News, Herald & Tribune and Cumulus Media.
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“Bare Knuckle Quartet”
highlights Memorial Day Weekend Contra Dance in Jonesborough!
The Historic Jonesborough Dance Society will host the next Contra Dance of the season on Saturday May 24, 2014 at the Jonesborough Visitors Center at 117 Boone Street at 7:30 PM. The featured band is “Bare Knuckle Quartet” from Asheville. Lauren Peckman and Jack Mitchell will share the calling. Admission is $7, $5 for HJDS members and $5 for full time students. A special family package for members is now offered for a total of $15. Parents and all of their own children under age 18 can gain admission for one price. Bare Knuckle Quartet was formed in the fall of 2013. This Irish/Celtic band is made up of seasoned veterans who have played in various contra dance bands in the area. The group features highland bagpipe and whistle played by Connell Sanderson. The remaining band members include Dave Polechko on Guitar, Laurie Fisher on Fiddle and Taylor Johnson on bass and table. The Bare Knuckle Quartet has a unique sound with roots based in the traditional music of both the Celtic nations and the Appalachian Mountains. Combining a pulsing rhythm guitar and bass with the Great Highland bagpipe and fiddle on melody, the Quartet is able to bring a new light to the dance floor. They offer a wide range of musical energy incorporating the Irish flute, tenor banjo, bodhran, whistles, and the percussion of tabla. Sanderson and Polechko had been piecing this project together after meeting at a community band night at the Old Farmer’s Ball back in 2011. After many months of rehears-
ing they found Taylor Johnson, bass and tabla player along with fiddler Laurie Fisher. The band had their debut performance in Jonesborough in November 2013. After this performance, event organizer David Wiley invited them to come back for Contrathon XV weekend which includes the Jonesborough dance on May 24th. Joining Bare Knuckle on Sunday May 25th are the Skeeziks from Greenville, SC for a 12-hour Contrathon dance at the Pavilion at Serenity Knoll in Jonesborough. This event requires pre-registration and will likely be sold out prior to the dance. The callers will teach a class for beginners at 7:00 PM and the dance will run from 7:30-10:30 PM with a waltz and Klondike Bar break at 9:00 PM. Come to dance or come to listen. No partner is necessary. It is customary at contra dances to change partners after each dance. As always, our dances are smoke, alcohol and fragrance free. Families, students and singles are welcome. All dances are taught by the caller. No previous dance experience is necessary. Rounding out the weekend, a square dance will be held at the Pavilion at Serenity Knoll, 542 Bacon Branch Road, Jonesborough, featuring the Spring Chickens from Asheville called by Te Claw. Admission is $8. Dance starts at 8pm. For more information, contact David Wiley at 423-534-8879, or email to david@ historicjonesboroughdancesociety.org. Also visit the Historic Jonesborough Dance Society on FACEBOOK.
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KKB Tree Fund
Spring Planting Ceremony to be Held in Remembrance and Recognition
Keep Kingsport Beautiful and Hamlett-Dobson Funeral Homes, along with the City of Kingsport, will host a tree planting on Friday, May 23 at noon at Preston Forest Park, Suffolk Street. This planting recognizes those who have been honored or remembered through the Tree Fund. Each spring and fall, trees are purchased and planted around Kingsport on public land using donations from those who contributed to the Tree Fund in honor or remembrance of a special individual. Donations made to the Tree Fund have allowed KKB to purchased 7 Cherokee Princess Dogwood trees that will be planted at Preston Forest Park.
The Tree Fund began in 1986. Since then, well over 650 trees have been planted within our community, and thousands of people have been recognized through this program. Hamlett-Dobson Funeral Homes sponsors this community event. Their participation allows more trees to be planted each year as a living tribute to those recognized. Keep Kingsport Beautiful coordinates the Tree Fund program, while the City of Kingsport provides the labor and mulch. For more information on how you can honor or remember someone special through a contribution to the Tree Fund, contact Robin Cleary at 392-8814 or visit www. keepkingsportbeautiful.com.
“Don’t Miss Event”
at Jonesborough Visitors Center! Friday, May 23!! Back by popular demand-LIMITED EDITION. Brothers, Bruce & Bink Rush will keep you dancing AND laughing as they play your favorite dance tunes. As always, plan on shag, tango, waltz, cha-cha, 2 step, line and rock music. Their talent is
amazing so plan on a fun night. Mark your calendar now to be a part of what is becoming a “don’t miss event” at the Jonesborough Visitors Center. Dancing begins at 7:00, with line dance lessons from 6:30 to 7:00. Cost $6. For additional information 423-952-0772
Page 12, The Loafer • May 20, 2014
Backcountry Cooking
18th century techniques and open fire cuisine
The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows
The Abingdon Muster Grounds is offering a program about backcountry cooking in the 18th century on May 24, 2014 from 1:00pm4:00pm. Joella Barbour, Blacks Fort ChapterDAR and Overmountain Victory Trail Association, will demonstrate how to cook over an outdoor fire. Learn about the skills used by settlers of backcountry Virginia! The In-
terpretive Center will be open so visitors may view southwest Virginia’s premier Revolutionary War exhibits. Visitors may also walk a section of the Overmountain Victory National Historic Trail. If you would like more information about this topic, please call 276-525-1050 or email lhunter@abingdon-va.gov
Do you like to read? Do you like to talk about books? Then come to our book club meeting at the Gray Library on Thursday afternoon, May 22, at 2:00 p.m. The book for discussion this month is The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows. Celebrating literature, love, and the power of the human spirit, The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society is the story of an English author embarking on a writing project that will dramatically change her life. Unfolding in a series of letters, this enchanting novel introduces readers to the indomitable Juliet Ashton. One day Juliet begins a correspondence, responding to a man who found her name on the flyleaf of a second-
hand book. He is Dawsey Adams, a native resident of Guernsey, one of the Channel Islands recently liberated from Nazi occupation. Soon Juliet is drawn into Dawsey’s circle of friends, courageous men and women who formed the Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society as a cover to protect them from the Germans. This is a community that opens Juliet’s heart and mind in ways she could never have imagined. In addition to our book discussion, we will have a drawing to win a book. You must be present to win. Refreshments will also be provided. This program is free and open to the public. For more information, please call the Gray Library at 477-1550.
Have an event coming up? Email a press release and photos to: editorial@theloaferonline.com
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Abingdon, VA Has Big Plans For The Summer!
The Town of Abingdon has big plans for summer events, new and continuing annual events, including a new craft brew fest and summer concert series. A wide range of nationally recognized bands will be showcased at the Abingdon Market Pavilion each Thursday as part of Abing-
don Music Experience’s 2014 Thursday Jams downtown concert series. “We’re excited about the music lineup we’ve been able to put together for Thursday Jams this summer,” said Special Events Coordinator, Sara Cardinale. The weekly free concert series begins on Thursday, May 29th, through
August 28th, and includes wellknown musical acts The Duhks and The Wood Brothers, among many others. This summer will mark the 2nd annual Thursday Jams series, which drew hundreds of locals and visitors last year. “People have been calling, eager to plan their summer vacations around the concert lineup after coming to Abingdon last year,” explained Cardinale. The series is sponsored in part by Eastman Credit Union and Walling Distributing. Music will begin at 7:30pm each Thursday, with the beer gardenwhich benefits Abingdon Main Street-opening at 7pm. Locallyowned restaurants will also be set up selling food at the concerts. No outside alcohol allowed. Cardinale noted that many bands performing during Thursday Jams have also appeared at internationally-recognized festivals like Rhythm and Roots Reunion,
Floyd Fest, Bonnaroo and others. A new addition to the summer lineup of events is the first annual Hops & Howlers Craft Brew Fest on June 14, 2014 from 12pm-5pm. Over 24 regional micro-breweries will be represented at the fest, as well as 2 local music acts. “Hops refer to the beer, and Howlers is a nod to the musical acts we’ll have throughout the day,” according to Kevin Costello, Director of Tourism and Economic Development. “With the popularity of Abingdon’s micro brewery, Wolf Hills, as well as several other regional breweries, having a craft brew fest to showcase these places just made sense as an event to add to the schedule.” Annabelle’s Curse and This Mountain will both be performing during the entirety of the festival. The event is 21+, and tickets are now available for pre-sale. Cost is $35 online, and will go up to $40 on the day of the event. Special
VIP privileges are being offered for a $55 ticket, including entrance to the fest 30 minutes early and exclusive brews. Tickets include up to 32 2oz tastes and a tasting glass to keep. Key sponsor of the brew fest is Eco-logical Energy Systems, who will be set up with a solar charging station at the event. Immediately following the Hops & Howlers Craft Brew Fest is a free concert from 6-10pm at the Abingdon Market Pavilion. Soul Jams is open to all ages, and will showcase Dirty Bourbon River Show and soul singer, Jesse Dee. A full listing of musical acts and dates, visit www.abingdonmusicexperience.com and www.hopsandhowlers.com. For more information, call 276-676-2282 or email scardinale@abingdon-va.gov.
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This Month at the Farmers Market:
Greens!
The farmers market is all about greens in May. You’ll find the season’s first local and most tender baby lettuces, kale, spinach, and green onions. You can also try number of “heritage greens” at the farmers market— those early wild or naturalized spring greens that settlers eagerly collected to add vitamins and minerals to their diet after a long winter of salted meat and corn mush. Now these most basic, old-timey plants have been rediscovered—chickweed (try it in pesto), nettles (tea for allergies), watercress (piquant salad green), lamb’s quarters (sautee like spinach). They aren’t weeds! They have found a place on menus at gourmet restaurants, and our vendors are also bringing them to market. Try them to add variety to your spring salads. Here are two you can try. Watercress is a leafy green that was brought to America from Europe, and is suggested to have been eaten in Roman times. A native of the Nasturtium, it has a peppery flavor and is full of healthy nutrients. It grows in clear, cold water—something which helped settlers locate fresh water sources, and it helped them prevent scurvy, too. Watercress is good in green salads and on sandwiches, or try this recipe for watercress soup. *Note: it is important to know the water source of watercress, be sure it is a protected headwater free of bacterial contamination. Watercress Soup By Mitzi Sobol 2 T. olive oil 1/2 Vidalia onion 2 shallots 3 small Yukon gold potatoes 1 clove garlic 8 oz. watercress 1 can coconut milk (14 oz) 1 ½ cups vegetable broth Salt and pepper In a heavy soup pot, saute garlic, onion, and shallots in the olive oil until soft.
Cut potatoes in small cubes. Add potatoes to sauté mixture. Saute potatoes about 5 minutes. Add vegetable broth, bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for about 10 minutes or until potatoes are soft. Add watercress and simmer for about 5 minutes, just to watercress is cooked. Overcooking the watercress will destroy the color. In a blender in small batches, blend the cooked vegetables with the coconut milk. Return to soup pot. Heat. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Lamb’s Quarters is a naturalized spinach relative, with even more nutritive value than spinach. Some say, sautéed in olive oil, it has even more taste than spinach. This recipe from Jonesborough Farmers Market founder farmer Heather Halsey:
Lamb’s Quarters Quiche
Enough for one deep-dish quiche Your favorite pie crust 8 oz sharp cheddar cheese (or similar), grated 4 cups packed fine-chopped lamb’s quarters, stems and leaves, raw 2 whole eggs 5 egg whites 1 cup skim milk 1/8 tsp ground nutmeg Paprika to sprinkle on top Directions: Preheat oven to 350 degrees Sprinkle ¾ cup cheese in bottom of uncooked pie crust Pack lamb’s quarters on top, filling pie shell close to the top Whisk whole eggs, egg whites, skim milk and nutmeg together Pour egg mixture on top of lamb’s quarters, slowly. Mixture should be visible but not as high as the greens. Sprinkle rest of cheese on top. Dust with paprika. Bake 45 minutes or until golden brown and firm in center
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The Johnson City Symphony Orchestra present
Sounds of Freedom The Johnson City Symphony Orchestra, under the direction of Music Director and Conductor Robert J. Seebacher, will present Sounds of Freedom, a free concert, May 25 at the Mary B. Martin Auditorium in Seeger Chapel at Milligan College. The concert is sponsored by BedInABox; TriCities Skin & Cancer; Eastman Credit Union; Ear, Nose & Throat Associates; General Shale; Virginia & Richard Merrill; and Blackburn, Childers & Steagall. Major General Gary Harrell will be narrating Aaron Copland’s Lincoln Portrait as part of this patriotic-themed concert. Other music to be played includes Midway March, Armed Forces Salute, God Bless the USA, Semper Fidelis March, America the Beautiful, and the 1812 Overture. Other guests participating in the concert are the Science Hill U.S. Army JROTC Color Guard under the command of Col. Mike Johnson and vocalist Mark Davis. Maj. Gen. Harrell was one of the first recipients of a fouryear scholarship from the East Tennessee State University ROTC program and earned his bachelor’s degree in 1973, when he was also commissioned into the Army. His career has taken him to every hot spot on the globe involving the United States including Grenada, Panama, the Middle East, Africa, and Afghanistan. Among his many prestigious decorations,
Maj. Gen. Harrell counts a Bronze Star with V device for valor, the Purple Heart for his wounds received in Somalia, and the Humanitarian Service Ribbon. Now retired, he last held the position of the Commanding General, Special Operations Command Central, based at MacDill Air Force Base in Florida. The May 25 concert begins at 3:30 p.m. at the Mary B. Martin Auditorium of Seeger Chapel at Milligan College. The concert is free but donations will be gladly accepted. More information is available by calling the symphony office at 423926-8742. Concerts are partially funded under an agreement with the Tennessee Arts Commission and the National Endowment for the Arts.
Spring Plant Swap
The Spring 2014 East Tennessee Plant Swap will be held at New Harvest Park, located at 4775 New Harvest Lane in Knoxville, on Saturday, May 24, 2014. Setup will begin at 9:30am, swapping starts at 10:00am, and a pot-luck lunch will be at 11:30am or noon. All plants and other items are swapped for FREE-no money is allowed. Everyone is invited to join us for this exciting and fun event that brings together people who love
plants and gardening. The ETPS provides an opportunity to make new friends, talk to old friends, and share plants and all types of gardening-related stuff with fellow gardeners. You do not have to bring plants in order to swap. Bring items such as gardening supplies, magazines, pots, seeds and one plate of food for the potluck. More information can be found at www.easttnplantswap.com.
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New Meteor Shower Saturday Could Be Big The astronomy community has been abuzz with the potential major meteor shower Saturday morning that might turn into a fantastic cosmic storm. Any time after sunset Friday May 23 and sunrise Saturday May 24, fragments of an ancient comet will be bombarding Earth for the first time, and the predictions range from 10 to 10,000 meteors an hour! Once again the unpredictability of celestial events has created an excitement that will play out as the laws of physics takes Earth through a stream of tiny rocks crossing our orbit. Like looking out a car window at night in a snowstorm, the comet debris seems to radiate out of a
point in space—like snowflakes in headlights of the moving car. The dust of comet P209/LINEAR has finally crossed into the path of Earth, barreling along its 800 million mile solar orbit at 30,000 mph. This comet was discovered in 2004, but has been around since the 1800s in a fiveyear orbit that loops around the Earth and back to the Sun. The May Camelopardalids have not occurred before, and they will emanate out of the constellation called the Giraffe. This will be good as Camelopardalis is an indistinct star pattern in the north between the Big and Little Dippers—so it will be visible all night
long. It is just an illusion that the might someday hit the Earth, and meteors radiate out of the giraffe, that number changes monthly. that’s just the direction in space we Gravity interactions with our are plowing through. The predictions come from the top meteor researchers in the world and range from 20 an hour (very respectable) to 200 a minute (a meteor storm!). Lincoln Near Earth Asteroid Research Center (LINEAR), NASA and the US Air Force are partners in surveying the skies for comets and asteroids that could be hazardous to our planet. Comet 209/ LINEAR is just one of hundreds of objects under surveillance. In fact, there are 1,470 Near Earth Objects (NEA) being watched that
Moon and other planets might alter the predicted orbit, sending a harmless asteroid or comet into a
www.theloaferonline.com collision course with Earth. Asteroids don’t trail debris as they are rocky bodies from a few thousand feet to a few miles in size. Comets are bodies of rock and ice that have their surfaces stripped when warmed up as their orbit is nearest the Sun, called perihelion. The solar wind blows two tails away from the Sun, one of gases from the ice and the other of solid debris. A comet refreezes as it heads to the farthest point from the Sun, called aphelion. Comet P209/LINEAR isn’t passing by Earth, it’s on the other side of the Sun. But Earth is intersecting the debris field of the comet’s orbit, which is above and below the plane of our solar orbit. A couple times a month the Earth encounters debris from other comets, but most of the time there isn’t much left. But there are still some thick streams of cosmic dust left, and they create the famous and reliable meteor showers of the Lyrids, Geminids and Perseids. Most meteors are tiny, the size of sand grains. They disintegrate from the friction of the Earth’s atmosphere when slamming into
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us at thousands of miles an hour. The energy is released as light, and sometimes there is a smoky trail called a train. When a big meteor, maybe the size of a small rock, strikes the atmosphere it can explode in several blasts, light the
sky and even have sound. These are called bolides, and are being captured nearly weekly on security cameras around the world. Debris in space is called a meteoroid, when in the Earth’s atmosphere like a “shooting star” it’s
a meteor and when found on the ground it’s a meteorite. Incredibly, some 10 tons lands on Earth everyday—that’s 20,000 pounds of cosmic debris! And, of course, larger pieces of meteoroids—some weighing tons—have made it through the atmosphere intact, often creating craters when hitting the ground. The potential Camelopardalis Meteor Shower will be fun to watch as the shooting stars draw attention to the circumpolar constellations of the two bears, Cassiopeia the Queen, Draco the Dragon and Cepheus the King. The ancient Greeks believed in an animal that was had the head of a camel and spots of a leopard—a camel-leopard. A “new” constellation drawn up by faint stars between Ursa Major and Cassiopeia, it first appeared in star charts in a 1624 book by the German mathematician Jakob Bartsch, a son-inlaw of the great astronomer-mathematician Johannes Kepler. You don’t need any special equipment to observer a meteor shower, just patience and some creature comforts to get you though the long hours of survey-
ing the night sky. Some of the essential equipment is lawn chairs, a light blanket, refreshments, snacks and maybe a radio. Star charts, a red flashlight to read them and a pair of binoculars will help you learn the stars and constellations and some of the celestial treasures they contain. Meteor watching can be a great time to test the waters of the hobby, and see if the astronomy bug bites. Photography of meteors is not easy, but you might catch a few if you have a camera that can have its shutter open for 10 minutes or longer. Set the camera on a tripod, chose an ISO sensitivity of 800 or more, and set the time exposure. The stars will trail as they move in the sky, and the meteors will be bright streaks of light. Capturing a meteor with a camera is tough, but worth a try while your eyes record the fleeting streaks of light. Stay up all night this Friday, May 23, or set your alarm clock for 2-3 am on Saturday May 24 to catch a falling star. If the skies are clear, you won’t be disappointed.
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Skies This Week Celestial events in the skies for the week of May 20th - May 26th, 2014, as compiled for The Loafer by Mark D. Marquette. The astronomy community has been abuzz for months about a potentially new major meteor shower Friday night/Saturday morning that could rain down 200 meteors an hour…but a few dozen an hour would still be great. The uncertainty will make it worth losing some sleep over…just hope for clear skies! Elsewhere in the night skies, the planet Mercury jumps up above the sunset horizon, Jupiter says goodbye early in the night, while Mars and Saturn rule the night.
Tues. May 20
The Big Dipper is pouring its celestial contents over the north horizon, pointing to the North Pole star Polaris. It’s at the end of the handle of the Little Dipper—both dippers being star “asterisms” of the much larger constellations of Ursa Major and Ursa Minor, the big and little bears.
Wed. May 21
Corralling those bears around the night sky is an ancient herdsman named Bootes. Follow the handle of the Big Dipper to the bright star, Arcturus, which anchors the base of Bootes—which looks like a giant ice cream cone or flying kite. Bootes is in ancient constellation, envisioned at least 2,000 years ago. Pronounced “Boo-
OH-tez” in some circles, who names their kid this these days?
Thurs. May 22
On this 1969 date in space history, astronauts Gene Cernan, 80, and John Young, 83, flew their Apollo 10 moonship to within 10 miles of Mare Tranquility in a full dress rehearsal of a Moon landing. A confused computer created wild bucking of their moonship named “Snoopy” for a half-a-minute of anxious moments, but the glitch was figured out and the return to Earth aboard the command ship “Charlie Brown” and Tom Stafford, 80, went well. Two months later, Apollo 11 landed at the spot scouted out by the NASA mission 45 years ago this week. Young walked on the Moon with Apollo 16, and Cernan was the last man on the Moon with Apollo 17.
Fri. May 23
Saturn is low in the east at sunset and rises throughout the night in the constellation Libra the Scales. There are no bright stars in small Libra, which is just to the west of Scorpio’s claws.
Sat. May 24
On this 1962 date in space history, Scott Carpenter, deceased, became the second American to orbit the Earth, duplicating the three orbits of John Glenn the pre-
vious February. Carpenter landed 250 miles off course in the Atlantic Ocean, taking 45 minutes to find in his life raft next to his Mercury capsule. He never flew in space again, but in 1965, for Sealab II, he spent 28 days living on the ocean floor off the coast of California.
Sun. May 25
Mars beckons in the south at dark, above the bright white star Spica, both in the constellation Virgo. As you look at the Red Planet tonight, imagine on this date in 2008 when NASA’s spacecraft Phoenix landed on the North Pole, right on top of ice just inches beneath the red soil. Phoenix wasn’t mobile, and completed its successful 90-day mission with discoveries of ice melting in front of its cameras and snow falling high up in the atmosphere.
Mon. May 26
Mercury makes the scene as a bright star above the western horizon in the twilight, visible at about 9 pm for only 45 minutes or so for the next month. The first planet bobs up and down between the evening and morning horizons four times a year, so take this chance to see the swift planet named after the famous Greek messenger of the Gods.
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Page 20, The Loafer • May 20, 2014
The Crooked Road Music Series at
Heartwood to feature the Pickin’ Porch The Crooked Road: Virginia’s Heritage Music Trail (TCR) music series at Heartwood in Abingdon showcases communities of the region through their traditional music venues and their youth music. From 6:30-9:00 pm on Thursday, May 22, 2014, the Pickin’ Porch from the City of Bristol will be the featured Venue Showcase at Heartwood. The Pickin’ Porch Show is a weekly two-hour Bluegrass and Old-time music show hosted by “Your Bluegrass Buddy”, Tim White. These wonderful performances feature some of the finest singers, musicians, and groups the
region has to offer, and many of them hail from right in the Country Music Birthplace! All shows are videotaped and archived in the ACMA Mountain Music Museum adjacent to the Pickin’ Porch. The mission of the Pickin’ Porch is to honor the region’s deep musical roots and to promote Bluegrass and Old-Time music here and around the world. The Pickin’ Porch presents a great variety of music including gospel, bluegrass, and old time every Monday night from 7:00-9:00pm at the Foundation Event Facility located at 620 State Street in Bristol, Tennessee. Venue Showcases are held at Heartwood to make more people aware of the many wonderful music venues they can visit throughout Southwest Virginia. The Crooked Road’s mission is to support tourism and economic development in Southwest
Virginia by celebrating and preserving this Appalachian region’s unique musical and cultural heritage. The 19 counties, 4 cities, and over 50 towns and communities in Southwest Virginia that make up The Crooked Road region represent one of the richest sources of traditional heritage music in the world. For additional information about The Crooked Road, call 276492-2409 or send an email to info@ thecrookedroad.org. For more information about the Pickin’ Porch, call 423-573-2262 or visit http://www.pickinporch. org. Heartwood: Southwest Virginia’s Artisan Gateway is located of I-81 at Exit 14 in Abingdon, Virginia and features food, music and craft of Southwest Virginia. Admission is free but donations will be accepted for the series performances.
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COLOSSAL MEMORIAL DAY WEEKEND PLANNED AT BUSCH GARDENS®, WATER COUNTRY USA® Colossal Curl™, London Rocks™ and the Busch Gardens Food & Wine Festival Open May 23
Busch Gardens® and Water Country USA® are kicking off 99 days of summer fun this Memorial Day weekend with the premiere of a new ride, a new show and the return of Busch Gardens’ Food & Wine Festival. These new familyfriendly options spread over two theme parks makes for one colossal weekend in Williamsburg. Nothing fosters family togetherness better this Memorial Day
weekend than a trip down Colossal Curl™, Water Country USA’s first family-thrill attraction. Opening May 23, this high-adrenaline, action-packed water slide adventure features a funnel element that swishes and swirls up to four riders aboard a cloverleaf-shaped raft before whisking them through the slide’s enclosed tubes on their way to a wave element that hurtles them high above the park.
The unique combination of funnel and wave thrill elements makes Colossal Curl the only attraction of its kind in North America. The attraction will have the same 48-inch ride height requirement as Vanish Point®, which opened in 2011 and has thrilled guests with its dropaway floors and speed slides. Once the thrill seekers have had their fill, guests can head over to Busch Gardens and eat their way across the continents at the 2014 Food & Wine Festival. Featuring authentic tastes from around the world, the Busch Gardens Food & Wine Festival offers more than a dozen distinct menus from Europe, the Caribbean and North America. This year, the park enlisted the help of Busch Gardens’ Facebook fans to help develop two new menus. Caribbean and American Southwest topped the fan fa-
vorite list and will be represented at this year’s festival. Guests can finish out the day in the park’s England village to catch the premiere of London Rocks™, Busch Gardens’ newest live show that transports guests to the heyday of the British rock invasion. An international team of more than 500 artists and craftsmen created this rousing 25-minute liveaction and multimedia rock spectacular. A new stage was constructed for the show, along with a monochromatic set representing London’s pre-rock era that bursts into colorful psychedelic displays that carry audiences on a journey through the British rock music revolution. Concert-style lighting and nearly 2,000 audio speakers provide immersive surround-sound experiences for guests regardless of
where they sit. There are roughly 99 days of summer fun from Memorial Day to Labor Day. Park guests can make the most of the 99 days with a Busch Gardens and Water Country USA Fun Card. With fantastic food, rocking shows and thrilling rides and slides, Busch Gardens and Water Country USA offer triple the reasons to make Williamsburg the go-to Memorial Day weekend destination for families looking to unwind and unplug. Start planning a naturally fun vacation at www.buschgardens. com/va or www.watercountryusa.com
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“Neighbors” What would you do if a fraternity moved next door to you? Hide in the basement? Run for cover? Sell your house? Try to be “cool” with the new kids next door? The latter option is what Seth Rogen and Rose Byrne do in the new film “Neighbors”. Seth and Rose portray Mac and Kelly Radner, a young couple with a new baby who must deal with Delta Psi, a fraternity from the local university who have occupied the home next door. The Radner’s decide to take a
friendly approach with their new neighbors in an effort to encourage them to keep the noise level down. They meet the leaders of Delta Psi, Teddy (Zac Efron) and Pete (Dave Franco), and the first meeting goes well. The couple make an agreement with Teddy if the frat house gets too loud, they will call him before the police. Of course, in no time at all the house is rocking at night, and Mac and Kelly are at the front door of their neighbors. At first, Teddy and company comply with their neighbors request, but
during one rambunctious party, Mac tries to call Teddy and is not able to get through, so he phones the police, thus breaking the agreement between the two. This begins an all out war between the frat house and the Radner’s. The Delta Psi’s already have two strikes against them at the university, and with a third one they will be force them to close. The aforementioned fact is ammunition for the Radner’s, and they do everything they can to make Teddy and company self destruct. The battle between the neighbors escalates all the way to the end of the movie, with one side eventually winning. The actors are all great in their roles, with Ro-
gen shining in the role of the well meaning but exasperated new dad, and Bryne shines as the new mom. Meanwhile, Efron looks like he just walked out of an Abercombie and Fitch catalog, but still has plenty of wit and charm on display throughout the film. The humor, as expected, is often raunchy, and Rogen has said in recent interviews you have to keep shocking audiences with each new adult oriented comedy. While “Neighbors” may appear all “Animal House” in tone, the main actors add a warmth to the proceedings, proving the film will have appeal beyond the frat house crowd. (Rated R) B
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Andrew Leahey & the Homestead return to Johnson City Nashville-based rock & roll band makes second JC appearance since Leahey’s life-threatening brain surgery Last February, Andrew Leahey & the Homestead wrapped up a winter tour in Johnson City. It was a snowy Sunday evening, and the band had never performed in Johnson City before. Even so, a full crowd filled the Willow Tree that night, drawn inside by a “heartland rock & roll” sound that has earned comparisons to Tom Petty, Bruce Springsteen and Neil Young. For Leahey, who underwent brain surgery less than three months before the Johnson City show, it was an ideal way to end his “comeback” tour. In mid-2013, Leahey was forced to take a break from music when
doctors diagnosed him with a lifethreatening brain tumor. “The band wound up canceling our plans for the rest of the year,” he says, “and I underwent brain surgery on November 7. I had a 50% chance of waking up without my hearing, since the tumor was located on my hearing nerve. I also had a chance of not waking up at all.” Luckily, the surgery was a success. Andrew Leahey & the Homestead returned to the road months later, opening shows for artists like Wild Feathers and Emmylou Harris. They’ll return to the Willow Tree on Friday, May 23rd.
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The Comic Book Your Summer Deserves It’s interesting to me that in the long running annuls of this here column, I’ve never ever talked about a comic book I’m into. There’s a few reasons for that, the biggest being I’m not as brushed up on my comic book vernacular as some of my fariends are. I’ve read them on and off for all my life, and I like them a great deal. However, lately I’ve been reading more as I’ve found some ones I’ really quite fond of. There’s a new series based off The Six Million Dollar Man, how cool is that? But the one comic that I am absolutely in love with right now, is a wonderful and brilliant new series from DC, Batman ‘66. Batman ‘66 launched last summer as a digital weekly comic for tablets, making a wonderful hardcover debut last month with a first volume that collects the first five stories together. Obviously I don’t need to tell you that much about it, based off the fact that it’s called Batman ‘66. Everyone knows who Batman is, so what is it about this new comic form of the caped crusader that makes it so wonderful? Simple. This is a comic series based off of the much beloved Adam West TV show. Does it succeed? Oh, does it ever. The writer, Jeff Parker, clearly has a love for both Batman, and the wonderfully colorful pop art style of the 60s series.
A talented group of artists back up Parker’s prose, it LOOKS and FEELS so much like the series that you can HEAR the actor’s voices in your head. You can hear the music that filled that show, and even the narrator’s wonderful bombastic captions—which are included here, even the much loved
“What’s This!?” The added bonus to all of this is that nearly all of the major character bare resemblance to the people who played them on the series, even down to The Joker looking like Cesar Romero, complete with the outline of a mustache underneath the makeup (Romero refused to shave his mustache to play the part, so they just
layered the makeup on top of it.) In creating new stories in the world of the late 60s Batman series, it would be easy to fall into simple parody. Batman ‘66 succeeds because it doesn’t do that, Batman referring to everyone as “citizen” is there not as an object of mockery, but as a hallmark feature of its source. I quickly devoured the first hardcover collection of the series, as it is simply put, one of the most enjoyable comic books I’ve ever read. An absolute blast from start to end, and would be the perfect fun read for your Summer, be it while resting at home, or traveling. It’s a good year to be a fan of the Adam West Batman, with the series finally set to make it’s home video debut later this year, supposedly around November, and this wonderful new comic line from DC to celebrate its truly one of a kind world and take on Batman. I simply could not recommend this enough to anyone looking for a fun ride. It is everything I love about that wonderful series, in the form that birthed Batman. Do yourself a favor and pick up an issue or the hardcover collection, more is due to follow, and I think you’ll find yourself as hooked as I am. See you next week. Same BAT-TIME, same BAT-CHANNEL.
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The Original MAD Men: Remembering the Subversive Legacy of Al Feldstein
If I am ever asked to deliver a commencement address in which I list some of the things that have inspired and made me who I am, near the top of my list (if not at the very top) will be Mad magazine, the publication that got me through my adolescent years, taught me to distrust the establishment, and gave me a deep and abiding love for popular culture. From the time I entered fourth grade (I purchased my first issue in 1960) until my early college years (when it was replaced by the newly-minted National Lampoon), Mad magazine was my textbook and my most influential teacher. From its pages I learned to be very suspicious of everything I was being told in school, on the news, and by my parents. I, in short, became a critical thinker because of what I learned from the pages of Mad magazine; and for this I am very thankful, because when I was a public school student, critical thinking was linked, as was everything else, to Communism and the imminent downfall of civilization as we knew it. The magazine’s mascot, Alfred E. Neuman, was my mentor, and to this day he still ranks very high in the pantheon of those who have influenced my views on education and leadership. The reason I am waxing so nostalgically about Mad magazine this week is because of my need to pay tribute to Al Feldstein, the magazine’s editor from 1956 until 1984, the period that encompasses my most formative years with the magazine—in actuality, I was most engaged with Mad from 1960-1973, in my pre-National Lampoon days. Feldstein, who died on April 29, took over the editorship from Harvey Kurtzman, who had transformed the former comic book into a magazine to avoid government censorship during the dark days when comics
were virtually shut down due to their dangerous content and anti-establishment tone (the very qualities that made them so popular in the first place). Feldman had previously worked for William Gaines, the founder of the infamous Entertainment Comics, the target of many government investigations, and home of the seminal publications Tales From The Crypt, Weird Science, and the first incarnation of Mad. The cuttingedge and irreverent nature of these publications prepared Feldman well for his twenty-eight year stint as editor of Mad during the magazine’s golden era—the Mad that still exists today is a shadow of its former self and has been corrupted by its more commercial tone (the original Mad refused to solicit advertisements, depending entirely on sales and subscriptions to fund its subversive content). One of my favorite memories of childhood and early adolescence is when I went to Burgess Drug Store, in my hometown of Sparta, North Carolina, each month to pick up my copy of Mad from under the counter, where it was always stashed by the store owner just for me. This was much better than a subscription, because I could enjoy a milkshake every time I picked up my long-awaited copy. I could hardly wait to see what was on the cover and what the fold-over back cover might re-
veal when it was properly folded. Although I attended weekly matinees at the Sparta Theatre, which was next door to the drug store, I seldom saw major new releases because they never made it to my hometown. So, I developed my lifelong love of movies from reading monthly movie parodies that were so cleverly crafted by Frank Jacobs and Mort Drucker. Long before the advent of IMDB, I consulted Mad as my movie analysis and plot summary primer. I fondly remember titles like “For The Birds” (a parody of Hitchock’s masterpiece), “Flawrence Of Arabia,” “The Sound Of Money,” “Balmy and Clod,” “Midnight Wowboy,” “Five Easy Pages . . .and Two Hard Ones,” “A Clockwork Lemon,” and my favorite, “201 Minutes of
Space Idiocy.” In fact, I remember some of the Drucker-Jacobs parodies much better than the actual movies on which they were based. Apparently I am not alone in my views, because in a recent Huff Post tribute to Feldman, written by Hillel Italie, the late movie critic Roger Ebert is quoted as saying that the Mad parodies were key influences on his decision to devote his life to the movies: “Mad’s parodies made me aware of the machine inside the skin—of the way a movie might look original on the outside, while inside it was just recycling the same old dumb formulas. I did not read the magazine, I plundered it for clues to the universe.” I second that emotion, because I also found many clues to the universe during my monthly forays into the magazine. Under Feldman’s tutelage, Mad also added recurring features that endeared themselves to the magazine’s many readers, who found in them an escape from adult supervision. Features such as “Spy vs. Spy,” “The Lighter Side Of . . .”, and “Snappy Answers To Stupid Questions,” have firmly embedded themselves in our brain cells and permanently affected our mindsets. The aforementioned Huff Post article is filled with tributes
to Feldman from many of Mad’s legion of admirers. “Simpsons” producer Bill Oakley observes that “Basically everyone who was young between 1955 and 1975 read Mad, and that’s where your sense of humor came from.” Hillel Italie, the article’s author, reminds us that “Mad was breakthrough satire for the post-World War II era—the kind of magazine Holden Caulfield of ‘The Catcher In The Rye’ might have read, or better, might have founded.” An important 1977 New York Times piece written by Tony Hiss and Jeff Lewis astutely pointed out that “The skeptical generation of kids it shaped in the 1950s is the same generation that, in the 1960s, opposed a war and didn’t feel bad when the United States lost for the first time and in the 1970s helped turn out an Adminstration and didn’t feel bad about that either. . . It was magical, objective proof to kids that they weren’t alone, that . . . there were people who knew that there was something wrong, phony and funny about a world of bomb shelters, brinkmanship and toothpaste smiles. Mad’s consciousness of itself, as trash, as comic book, as enemy of parent and teachers, even as money-making enterprise, thrilled kids. In 1955, such consciousness was possibly nowhere else to be found.” Thank goodness I knew where to find that consciousness every month—under the Burgess Drug Store counter, my portal to a pre-internet world that still lives inside my head. And I am very grateful to Al Feldstein and the role he played in stuffing my brain so full of such wonderful and subversive images and ideas. Until next week, I hope you will find your own ways this week to pay tribute to Al Feldstein, one of the great architects of the modern world
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Prominent Psychic
Offers May Workshop & Gallery Readings
Pat Bussard, whose name has become regionally synonymous with psychic ability, will appear at Abingdon’s Star Museum. Reservations are necessary for Bussard’s Star Museum gallery readings on Friday, May 23 at 7:30 p.m. Admission for her individual gallery readings is $40 cash.
“I think I’m getting better at trusting what I see, hear, feel and suddenly ‘know.’ It’s a journey, ” says Bussard. Weisfeld reports that as a result of regular public appearances, Bussard’s ability has grown more precise, her messages more specific. As an example, he cites her
April 12 readings, where one visitor wished to make contact with a loved one in spirit. Bussard saw a white hearse before the visitor confirmed their loved one was indeed transported to their final resting place in just such a vehicle. Last week, Weisfeld received a package from a visitor whom Bussard had advised to concentrate on their visual art. Inside was a beautiful, primarily monochromatic painting of Elizabeth Taylor for Star Museum’s collection. A note explained: “...My reading in November is helping me to push into another chapter of my life. Pat said I would focus on my art... “I don’t know what happened. Maybe it removed a block for me. Whatever the reason, I’m grateful for my newfound gift. I could never paint before and I wasn’t that good at drawing... “Every time I paint, I grow by leaps and bounds. It’s a true joy.” For reservations or more information on Bussard’s appearances at Star Museum, please call 276608-7452.
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