March 27 2012

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March 27, 2012 Volume 26, Issue 16

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` .1:3CA^2'($3.8()3;$%;(L:3/*_.1?()2%&%;<` D$$*.1?()2%&(/(;2&*.)(*.::(C2(1*.;1*C"#$%&'(1*#A*2'(*C"#$%&'()*"C3;*2'(*)(C)(&(;2.2%3;*2'.2*2'(*.<(;:A*.;1X3)*.1?()2%&()*%&*."2'3)%a(1*23*C"#$%&'*2'(*(;2%)(*:3;2(;2&*.;1*&"#b(:2*/.22()*2'()(38L>'(*.<(;:A*.;1X3)*.1?()2%&()*\%$$*%;1(/;%8A*.;1* &.?(*2'(*C"#$%&'()*'.)/$(&&*8)3/*.;A*$3&&*38*(MC(;&(*)(&"$2%;<*8)3/*:$.%/&*3)*&"%2&*#.&(1*"C3;*:3;2(;2&*38*.;A*.1?()2%&(/(;2I%;:$"1%;<*:$.%/&*3)*&"%2&*83)*1(8./.2%3;I$%#($I)%<'2*38*C)%?.:AIC$.<%.)%&/I.;1*:3CA)%<'2*%;8)%;<(/(;2L

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J76Hc*47dR>*=KeKRB*fKE>7Jc*4dE0d4V*gPQU+UTgU Rocky Mount staff, board members, and friends are proud to announce the 50th Anniversary of the opening of the Rocky Mount Historical Association Museum. We invite you to celebrate this occasion with us on Sunday, April 1, from 2:30 to 5:30 p.m. Our anniversary gifts to you are free tours of the historical buildings and free admission to the exhibit. If you’ve not seen our half-million-dollar exhibit restoration, this would be the perfect day to come! Some very special guests will help us celebrate: Grant Hardin and Emily McClellan, who have portrayed Mr. and Mrs. Cobb many, many years, will be our honored guests (see picture). Mary Feathers Shepherd will share a few delightful stories of what it meant to be a part of the last family who lived in the Cobb home before it became a historic site, and Rocky Mount Board Member David Doan will present a brief overview of our history. Friends and supporters of Rocky Mount have the opportunity to buy 50th Anniversary Commemorative coins for $10 each. With each coin purchased, your name (or the name of whomever you choose) will go into a drawing for a beautiful commemorative wall hanging that has been created just for this occasion (see picture). This decorative piece features eleven scenes from Rocky Mount and our 50th Anniversary logo, and measures 44 by 46 inches. It is available for viewing in Rocky Mount’s lobby, and the coins are available for purchase from now until the drawing, which will be held at 4:45 on Sunday, April 1, 2012. The winner need not be present to win. Another special opportunity to support Rocky Mount is by buying a 50th Anniversary Family Membership for $50. You will receive a commemorative coin with this purchase, and if you make the purchase before April 1, your name will also go into the drawing for the wall hanging. Stop by Rocky Mount Tuesday through Saturday 11 a.m.-5 p.m., or purchase by phone at 538-7396. As with any anniversary celebration, we will serve cake and

Above: Mr. and Mrs. Cobb Welcome You To Rocky Mount Left: Drawing For This Commemorative Wall ice cream, as well as other goodies. Special entertainment will be provided by popular country and bluegrass musician Trey Hensley.

Please join us for a fun afternoon of partying as we celebrate the 50th Anniversary of our beloved Rocky Mount! Ours doors will

open at 2:30 p.m., with the program beginning at 3 p.m. For information about Rocky

Mount, including directions, visit www.rockymountmuseum.com

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D*>JK,d>0*>7**0L*D=eKR*B0JfDJ@>I*GJI* J76Hc*47dR>*4dE0d4*@KJ06>7JI* gPSW+gPPU by Gary Walrath, current Executive Director The entire museum world was saddened, but none more so than the museum staff, Board of Trustees and Friends of Rocky Mount, at the news of the passing of E. Alvin Gerhardt, Jr. A true legend and innovator in the museum profession, Alvin took Rocky Mount from a littleknown historic site to a position of prominence not only in Tennessee, but also on the national museum stage. While executive director from 1974 until 1992, Alvin guided the museum to accreditation by the American Association of Museums, expanded its museum and educational !"#!$%&!'(&)'*"+(,-#(&."$*/0#"$+'&)'*#"0"#*!*)+'&*+&*1#&(!2/*+/(!2&+0#"!*)+'$&+3&*1#&$*!*#&1)$toric site. A man of boundless energy, Alvin next embarked upon the establishment of an undergraduate museum studies program at Tusculum College in 1992 as Director of Museum Program and 4*,()#$%&!&0+$)*)+'&1#&1#5(&,'*)5&"#*)"#6#'*&)'&78889&&:#&;!$&!5$+&()"#-*+"&+3&*1#&+3.-)!5&<"#$)dent Andrew Johnson Museum and Library at Tusculum. =5>)'?$&)'@,#'-#&!'(&(#$)"#&*+&!5;!2$&A#&+3&$#">)-#&*+&1)$&-+66,')*2&"#!-1#(&3,"*1#"&!.#5(& *1!'&B,$*&C#''#$$##9&&:)$&$#5@#$$&(#>+*)+'&*+&*1#&6,$#,6&.#5(&;!$&"#-+D')E#(&*1"+,D1+,*&1)$& )55,$*")+,$&-!"##"&!$&1)$&-+'$,5*!*)+'&;!$&0")E#(&!'(&$+,D1*&!3*#"&A2&"#D)+'!5%&$*!*#%&!'(&'!*)+'!5&6,$#,6&+"D!')E!*)+'$9&&:#&6#*&#!-1&"#F,#$*&;)*1&"#$+5>#&*+&(+&1)$&>#"2&A#$*%&0,**)'D&$#">)-#& before self. Service before self, yes, but not before family, because seldom would you see Alvin without his beloved soul mate, Sally. Speaking personally, I had the great opportunity to know Alvin for many years before I assumed the position of Director at Rocky Mount, and as I often mused, “I never saw Alvin at a national conference that he did not cross the room to greet me,” or that “he was never without a suit coat pocket full of Rocky Mount brochures.” Former Rocky Mount Director, Norman Burns added some sage advice not only for his family but for all who knew, respected and loved Alvin for the example that he set as Norman wrote in part: “Do more than just remember and cherish the memories of that man’s life each and every day, but more importantly live your life in a way that fully expresses the man’s measure and spirit.” One cannot walk the grounds and halls of Rocky Mount without feeling the special touch of Alvin. Those of us who knew him and worked for and beside him know the true worth of a man too soon departed. I believe he would have basked in the progress made at Rocky Mount as the Association and Museum marks its 50th Anniversary.

Gathering at the mount

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R(\*c3)5I*R(\*c3)5V*R(\*G6*4(2)3+J(2)3*R%<'2:$"# A new Johnson City night club gives patrons a “metro-retro” place to enjoy each other’s company and dance the night away. The place is “New York, New York.” It’s skyscrapers and delicious, hand-crafted food and great cocktails like a “Sinatratini - - which packs a punch!

Food, drink and décor won’t disappoint as “New York, New York” is fun and classy, a great place for an upscale hangout. “I built this for adults looking for a little more sophistication in weekend entertainment,” said Bill Eyestone, owner of the establishment in front of Carmack Theatres on Roan Street. “I cater to the mature, but young at heart folks who want to enjoy a comfortable environment,” he said. Eyestone’s fourth generation of his Big Apple concept in the Tri-Cities follows his other incarnations over the years of “New York Downtown,” “New York Lakeside” and “New York on 5th.” The Johnson City “New York, New York” night club has more energy than your basic martini bar, and features a ,')F,#%&5!$#"&5)D1*#(&(!'-#&@++"&*1!*& gets the crowd going to a kaleidoscope of hot music hits. From beach music, classic disco, ’80 & ‘90s and the top current dance -"!E#%&2+,&-!'&-#5#A"!*#&*1#&#>#')'D&)'& a truly metro-retro style. The New York City décor of artwork and rather chic design scheme features a mural of Manhattan $G2$-"!0#"$%&-1!'(#5)#"$%&!'&!F,!"),6& and lots of neon. Leather booths have photos of New York landmarks and famous people, including Eyestone’s favorite lady, Audrey Hepburn.

The attention to detail in an intimate setting of “New York, New York” doesn’t escape the eye. Handbent copper is on the bar posts that )$&)'5!)(&;)*1&H"!E)5)!'&-1#""2%&;1)-1& 6!*-1#$&*1#&A#!,*)3,5&(!'-#&@++"9& ='*)F,#&-1!'(#5)#"$&!'(&;!55$&0!)'*#(& to match the hues of the Manhattan skyscraper mural create a warm and classy environment. C1#&(!'-#&@++"&3#!*,"#$&!&6)""+"& wall, full lighting system and a mes6#")E)'D&I/J&5!$#"&$2$*#6&*1!*&;)55&D#*& your senses rockin’. Owner Eyestone says patrons can expect well-prepared food from his team of chefs, and cocktails prepared by experts headed by chief mixologist John Zuehlke. The extensive cocktail menu includes many original concoctions like the Audreytini. And you can always order your favorite non-alcoholic beverage. C1#&A+,*)F,#&6#',&)$&3,55&+3& healthy ingredients with nothing 6+"#&*1!'&KL8%&!'(&3#!*,"#$&!00#*)E#"$& like Maryland crab cakes, Broadway Mashed Spuds and Home-made Mac M&N1#E%&!'(&$!'(;)-1#$&5)G#&*1#&<#''& Station Half-Pound Burger and Ham & Cheese Melt. The hand-crafted food is highlighted by a delicious, tossed 12-inch 0)EE!&*1!*&)$&KL8&'+&6!**#"&1+;&6!'2& toppings you wish to pile on it!

Club owner Bill Eystone Live music will also be featured from time to time, including popular local artists like Tony Rominger, Ivy Road, Unlimited and Lightning. And the night club will often feature theme nights like Sexy in the City, Little Black Dress and Saturday Night Fever. There are even several big screen TVs for the sports fans, and a pool table for people to meet around. “Everybody likes to go where they know your name,” said owner Eyestone. “And here, we’ll treat you like a friend with food and beverages prepared by experts and served by a

professional staff.” Neon outside “New York, New York” invites you to “Eat, Drink and H#&O#""2P&/&!'(&1!>#&!'&!6!E)'D& good time! Private parties are welcome, including bachelor/bachelorette, birthdays and such. Or just reconnect with friends on a girls’ or guys’ night out! “New York, New York” is open Tuesday-Friday at 5 p.m. and Saturday at 7 p.m. The address is 1805 N. Roan St., Suite G. Their phone number is (423) 262-8332. And watch soon for their website to go online.

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Z)%(;1&*38*2'(*H%;<&C3)2*!"#$%:* =%#).)A*'3&2&*,31A*Z.)/*83";1() Friends of the Kingsport Public Library announce the return to Kingsport of University of Tennessee’s worldrenowned forensic anthropologist Dr. William M. (Bill) Bass, Monday, April 9th, at the Dobyns-Bennett Nancy Pridemore Little Theatre. The Theatre doors will open at 6 p.m. for book purchases, book signings, and photos with Dr. Bass. Dr. Bass will speak at 7 p.m. Tickets ($12; $5 with a valid student id) can be purchased at the Kingsport Public Library Circulation Desk or at the door. <"+.*$&3"+6&J"9&H!$$?&0"+D"!6&;)55& go toward the fund development for the renovation of the Kingsport Public Library. Dr. Bass arrived at The University of Tennessee Knoxville in 1971. He oversaw the development of the forensic anthropology program at UTK, which culminated in the creation of the Forensic Anthropology Center within the Department of Anthropology. Dr. Bass provides the technical expertise with veteran journalist and writer Jon Jefferson creating the successful writing duo of Jefferson Bass, creator of the Body Farm novels. C1#&."$*&$)Q&H+(2&R!"6&'+>#5$&*++G& readers deep into the East Tennessee hills and the Florida panhandle, where fascinating forensic science mixed with extraordinary characters, including the Farm’s charismatic founder, Dr. Bill Brockton. Now, in the seventh installment (The Inquisitor’s Key, due May 8, 2012) of the New York Times

bestselling series that Kathy Reichs calls “the real deal,” Brockton travels to one of the most beautiful and historic cities in France... and tackles the case of the millennium. With a an annual membership of over 350 individuals and families, Friends of the Kingsport Public Library annually provides both volunteer and .'!'-)!5&$,00+"*&*+&*1#&S)A"!"29&RTS?$& Books to Your Door is an award-win-

ning program providing library materials to local shut-ins. Each Springtime, FOL brings the Great Decisions multiweek discussion program on American foreign policy. To raise funds, FOL, with First Book – Greater Kingsport, sponsors the popular annual Book Fair used book sale. FOL Membership application can be found at http://www. kingsportlibrary.org/friends.php

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BUSSARD

PAT

Weird World

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C1#"#&)$&!&,')F,#&D,#$*&A++G& on display in the break room of the Old South Pittsburg Hospi*!5&UT4<:V9&W')F,#&A#-!,$#&)*& 1+5($&."$*&0#"$+'&!--+,'*$&+3& encounters with the paranormal; these stories were written down by those who have experienced sometimes unnerving interaction with the unknown. At OSPH, these encounters are as common as *1#&01!'*+6&.55#(&("#!6$-!0#$&+3& paranormal investigators. It was at this hospital that I had a dramatic personal experi#'-#9&C1#&*1)"(&@++"&+3&*1)$&!D)'D& medical center was the location of my encounter with a phantom that refused to be ignored. My colleague, Jennifer Woodward, founder of HAUNT Paranormal and I arrived at the hospital looking forward to our investigation of the premises. I had been to the hospital once before at a conference in 2009. The

55567)$8+",$-+98:9$60+; difference in the condition of the hospital was notable. Cynthia Lydick, the director of OSPH located in South Pittsburg, Tennessee, has done a fantastic job in directing the cleanup of the 6!$$)>#&XY%888&$F,!"#&3++*&6#()-!5& facility. “It is phenomenal how many people have donated their time to assist with the hospital. I am unable to pay them, so I give them a free investigation at the site. If there is a time in which I need volunteers, I put the word out. We have had a wonderful number of people come in here to help. I have never been unhappy with any of the teams who have come here either to help or to investigate,” said Lydick. The hospital closed in 1998 and began a rapid, physical decline. Lydick and her partner Doug Dishroon, stepped in to begin their preservation of the site in 2009. Since then, they and a whole host of volunteers within the paranormal community have moved tons of trash and debris. Today, the hospital hallways are clear and the rooms neat and clean. The structure now appears as if it is waiting for medical staff and patients to return. Although there is still much to be done, without the efforts of Lydick and others the building would be doomed to oblivion. Beginning in 1959 when the doors of the hospital were opened, the medical facility was a hub of life and death for the small community of a little over 3,000 souls, as well as for those individuals who resided in the surrounding area. Situated on 2.3 acres in South Pittsburg, Tennessee, the medical facility served the region for almost 40 years before the doors ;#"#&5+-G#(&3+"&*1#&.'!5&*)6#9& Eleven years later, the hospital ;!$&)'&(!'D#"&+3&!&F,)-G&(#-5)'#%& before the intervention by Lydick, Dishroon, and a myriad of volunteers. Because of their efforts, ghosts are still reported to walk the hallways and occupy the rooms of the hospital. Not one or two, but many spirits are said to be locked within the walls. The hospital is so active with paranormal activity that even when still an operational medical facility, security was called in on several complaints, which turned out to be supernaturally based. This protective sentinel of health -!"#&)$&'+*&.')$1#(&6!G)'D&$,"#& that patients are well cared for, spectral physicians, nurses, and

/"-0)%&1'%&23&%.%()$%*+",$-'%!"#$%@ #>#'&+3.-#&;+"G#"$&$*)55&$*!33&*1#& hospital. They continue to care for patients’ spirits, which are permanently attached to the medical center. The hospital has evolved into a “para-alternative research facility,” according to Lydick.” The location provides a safe training area where serious paranormal researchers and enthusiasts can go *+&*#$*&*1#+")#$&!A+,*&#F,)06#'*& !'(&0"+-#(,"#$&,$#(&)'&*1#&.#5(9&Z3& researchers discover that a theory is valid, they can then use it on an investigation for a client,” she said. “The hospital gives individuals a rare opportunity to seek answers *+&F,#$*)+'$&*1!*&;#&!55&1!>#&!A+,*& the afterlife,” said Lydick. The facility is not open to the gen#"!5&0,A5)-&!'(&)$&(#.')*#52&'+*&!& place for thrill seekers. What the 1+$0)*!5&0"+>)(#$&)$&,')F,#&)'&*1!*& it is a laboratory for paranormal investigators. These preternatural sleuths need one thing in order to *#$*&*1#)"&*1#+")#$&!'(&#F,)06#'*999& ghosts. We were not disappointed that night. As Lydick said, “There are layers upon layers of ghosts in the 1+$0)*!59P&[#$#!"-1#"$&+3*#'&.'(& themselves touched by disembodied hands and witnesses have reported shadow people, and A!55$&+3&5)D1*&@+!*)'D&(+;'&#60*2& hallways. Witnesses have reported disembodied voices calling to them as they passed empty rooms. Reports of doors slamming, voices, and the sounds of footsteps when no one else is around are common occurrences. On that night, December 21, 78LL%&\#'&!'(&Z&A#-!6#&!-F,!)'*#(& with a couple of the members of the ghostly cadre of OSPH. We did not go home empty handed of experiences with those that reside behind the veil. After sharing a meal with Cyn*1)!&!'(&J+,D]%&;1+&G)'(52&.55#(& us in on the haunted happenings at the hospital, we began our exploration of the location at 9:15 p.m. We started our investigation ;)*1&!&-1#-G&+3&*1#&."$*&@++"&+3&*1#& hospital. This area included the room in which a gentleman is still said to reside. He has an interest in women and is noted to have "#$0+'(#(&*+&F,#$*)+'$&!$G#(&A2& females in the past. We placed two audio recorders in his room, which is located almost directly across from the old nurses’ station. =$&;#&)'>#$*)D!*#(&*1)$&@++"%& ;#&0!$$#(&*1#&+3.-#&+3&!&3+"6#"&

employee whose spirit is said to call out to individuals who pass by. This is often followed by laughter, which wafts from inside the doorway. Unfortunately for us *1!*&#>#')'D%&$1#&;!$&F,)#*&!'(& withdrawn. Cynthia and Doug had told us that the hospital activity was “off the charts,” the night before we came. I wondered if the energy of the hospital had been $+6#;1!*&()$$)0!*#(&A2&*1#&@,""2& of activity the day before. After completing our inspection +3&*1#&."$*&@++"%&;1)-1&)'-5,(#(& the pharmacy and X-ray room, we headed to the basement. The last time I had investigated the hospital, there was so much clutter that it made maneuvering in this !"#!&!&A)*&()3.-,5*9&C1)$&*)6#%&;)*1& the mess removed, it was much easier to investigate the space. The basement is the abode of the spirit dubbed, “the naughty nurse.” This spirit refuses to give her name and inappropriately touches people, whispers to them, or laughs to let paranormal sleuths know that she is “actively dead.” Jen and I conducted an EVP (electronic voice phenomena) session. We !$G#(&$#>#"!5&D#'#"!5&F,#$*)+'$9& 4,A$#F,#'*52%&;#&3+,'(&*1!*&;#& had gathered no evidence from this part of the hospital. We then decided to go to the *1)"(&@++"9&=5*1+,D1&0!"!'+"6!5& !-*)>)*2&)$&"#0+"*#(&+'&!55&@++"$%& this is an extremely active part of the hospital. It is on this ward that the ghosts of a little boy nicknamed, “Buddy” and the dark spirit known as “The Surgeon” reside. Buddy will often ask Lydick, members of her staff, or paranormal researchers to play with him or to pick him up. A thermal video of this sad little ghost exists. The surgeon also roams the hall;!2$&+3&*1#&*1)"(&@++"9&^1#'&*1)$& spirit appears as a dark shadow, witnesses have described a feeling of being threatened. The surgeon is also said to have angrily commanded people to leave. While on investigations, individuals have heard him tell other spirits not to "#$0+'(&*+&F,#$*)+'$&0+$#(&A2& visiting researchers. He has never )'@)-*#(&1!"6&*+&!'2+'#%&A,*&1)$& presence has made some people feel distressed. =5$+&+'&*1)$&@++"&)$&!'&#5(#"52& woman’s spirit that often calls out to male researchers as they pass by. Z*&;!$&+'&*1)$&@++"&*1!*&Z&1!(&!& dramatic personal experience. We were in room 308 conducting an EVP session, using audio record-

!"#$%32'%()$%*+",$-%.%/"-0)%&1'%&23& ers, an EMF meter, and an Ovilus, when suddenly it felt as if something grabbed onto my backpack and began pulling downward. The pressure was so intense that when I grabbed the straps of my backpack for readjustment, I was unable to get my thumbs beneath them. This was extremely strange, as I only had two Canon lenses in the pack, a combined weight of maybe two to three pounds. After this event, just a few minutes later, I began to feel a burning pain across my back. I told Jen we needed to wrap it up, as the burning sensation was intensifying. We went straight to our room, ;1)-1&;!$&5+-!*#(&+'&*1#&."$*& @++"%&'#Q*&*+&N)'(2&!'(&J+,D?$& apartment. When we arrived back at the room, it was after 1:00 p.m. We rested just a bit and then went back out. The audio recorders were still running in the gentleman’s room, so we went to pick those up. While there, we tried to get the gentle6!'&*+&"#$0+'(&*+&$+6#&F,#$*)+'$9&

“Is there anyone here?” “What is your name?” “How old are you?” A plethora of +*1#"&F,#$*)+'$&;#"#&!$G#(&*+&*1#& ghostly gentleman of the room. That night, however, he decided not to respond. ^#&.'!552&;#'*&A!-G&*+&*1#& room to sleep around 4:30 a.m. I couldn’t believe that the night was almost over. I set the clock for 7:00 a.m. to go back upstairs to the *1)"(&@++"9&^#&1!(&5#3*&*1#&')D1*& vision camera running and needed to pick it up. I also wanted to take 01+*+D"!01$&+3&*1#&@++"&!$&)*&;!$& painted by the early morning sun. Before we went to sleep, as we were talking, suddenly and very clearly heard by both of us, a woman’s voice spoke directly over top of our own. With this latest occurrence, it had certainly turned out to be a delightfully strange night. In the morning, we found that the room we had stayed in used to be part of the apartment used by Lydick and Dishroon.

The paranormal activity was so constant that they traded the room for another, so they could sleep peacefully at night. Our all night investigation was now over. We went back to the room to pack and say our goodbyes to our excellent hosts. The fantastic personal experience I had +'&*1#&*1)"(&@++"&+3&*1)$&>#'#"!A5#& old hospital has placed it on my “Haunted List.” If you’re interested in the paranormal, visit the Old South Pittsburg Hospital. They’ll leave the lights off for you. Pat Bussard is a Columnist/ Photographer for Ghost Voices O!D!E)'#%&;;;9D1+$*>+)-#$6!D!E)'#9-+6_&:!,'*#(&C)6#$& O!D!E)'#%&;;;91!,'*#(*)6#$6!D!E)'#9-+6_&!'(&C1#&S+!3#"%& www.theloaferonline.com She is an Author/Photographer, True Tales from the Notebooks of the Paranormal Journalist, and Founder of The Ghost Writers, www.theghost-writers.com

Dakota is about 1 years old. She was adopted back in May but didnt get along with the kitty. She is very sweet and does get along well with other dogs and kids. She is spayed and current on her shots. To adopt Dakota call Regina at (423) 239-5237. .

55567)$8+",$-+98:9$60+; The Historic Jonesborough Dance Society will present a contra dance on Sunday, April 1 at the Historic Jonesborough Visitors Center, 117 Boone Street. The featured band will be the Dry Ridge Runners from Asheville with Warren Doyle as caller. Admission to the dance is $7, HJDS Members $5, Full time Students $5. No partner is necessary. All dances are taught by the caller. All dances are smoke and alcohol free. A workshop for beginning contra dancers will be led by the caller at 2 p.m. The dance will run from 7`I8/a`I8&0969&;)*1&!&;!5*E&A"#!G&!*& 4:00pm where, once again, Klondike Bars will be served to all who attend. The Dry Ridge Runners consists +3&[+2&='("!(#&+'&.((5#%&=(!6& Tanner on guitar, Parrish Ellis on banjo and Stephanie Wolf on bass. Roy Andrade, faculty member in the ETSU Bluegrass, Country & Old Time music program, played banjo and performed vocals for the acclaimed string band, The Reel Time Travelers, from 1999-2007. In addition to teaching music, Andrade

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An April Fools’ contra (no foolin’) has many other responsibilities including coaching four student bands and directing the successful ETSU Contra Dance series at the Culp Center on campus now happening twice a month during regular school sessions. Adam Tanner can usually be found performing with Mark Jackson as The Twilite Broadcasters. Having come together to sing and play in Weaverville, North Carolina in 2009, the group continues the longstanding tradition of two part rural harmony vocals with simple acoustic string instrument accompaniment once common in the Southern part of the United States (starting in the 1930’s). The fundamental components of lead and harmony vocal in tandem with guitar and mandolin are the seminal sounds that set the stage for a variety of American musical styles to come, including: Bluegrass, Folk, Country and Rock n’ Roll. The Twilite Broadcasters bring new shadings and highlights to the old songs they present. You can enjoy their most recent CD

release called The Trail of Time. Parrish Ellis is a guitarist, banjoist, $)'D#"&!'(&$+'D;")*#"&$0#-)!5)E)'D& in the piedmont style of country blues, and other strains of traditional African-American music. He tours full-time with the acoustic trio, The Wiyos, playing “vaudevillianragtime-jug band-blues and hillbilly $;)'DP9&Z'&!(()*)+'&*+&.'D#"/0)-G)'D& -+,'*"2&A5,#$%&1#?$&!&0"+.-)#'*& rhythm player in the swing and oldtime Appalachian music idioms. He has recorded two solo albums and three CDs with The Wiyos. Stephanie Wolf has been the musical mainstay in the Asheville area old time music scene for many years teaming with many noteworthy musicians to the delight of dancers and listeners. Contra dance is a form of American folk dance in which the dancers form a set of two parallel lines that run the length of the hall. b!-1&(!'-#&-+'$)$*$&+3&!&$#F,#'-#&+3& moves and steps that ends with the couples having progressed one position up or down the set. All dances

are taught by the caller. No partner is necessary and you are encouraged to dance with as many different people as possible. Many of the basic 6+>#$&"#$#6A5#&$F,!"#& dancing—swings, allemandes, do-si-dos—but contra dancing are more a sort of amusement park ride that the dancers make for them$#5>#$9&&=&$F,!"#&(!'-#& set is compromised of only four couples, whereas the length of the hall only limits the number of couples in a contra dance set. To join a set, only a partner and soft-soled shoes are necessary. All that is left is to have fun dancing. You are encouraged to dress comfortably and stay hydrated with lots of water. For more information, please

-+'*!-*&#>#'*&+"D!')E#"%&J!>)(&^)5#2& at (423) 534-8879, visit www.historicjonesboroughdancesociety.org. And The Historic Jonesborough Dance Society on FACEBOOK.

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E3;*>)%3*%;*:3;:()2 The international award winning Son Piano Trio will be performing in concert on Friday March 30 at 7 p.m. at the First Presbyterian Church in Johnson City (105 S. Boone St.). There is a $5 per person suggested donation and a $20 maximum for families of 5 or more. The Son Piano Trio consists of three sisters from South Korea: Ah-young Son (Piano), Jin-young Son (Cello) and Chae –young Son (Violin). This concert for the TriCities community is made possible by a joint collaborative effort between the Academy of Strings Foundation and the UT School of Music Knoxville. The Son Piano Trio has

been invited to perform in numerous concerts worldwide. Among their numer-

ous awards, they won 1st <")E#&!*&*1#&c^)#'#"&d5!$$)GP& International Competition for <)!'+&C")+$&)'&O,"EE,$-15!D%& Austria. They have participated in various Music festivals for young musicians in Korea; concerts for Trios in Sydney (Australia); in Europe (Germany, Slovakia, Italy, 4;)*E#"5!'(V_&!*&*1#&H"!16$& O,$#,6&)'&O,"EE,$-15!D& (Austria); at the Landesmusikschule Freistadt (Austria); at the Time Art Gallery in Vienna (Austria) as well as a southern USA tour of concerts. Currently, the Son Trio is working toward their Artists’ N#"*).-!*#$&!*&*1#&W')>#"$)*2& of Tennessee. They are studying under Prof. Mark Zelmanovich (Violin), Dr. David Northington (Piano) and Dr. Wesley Baldwin (Cello); with special emphasis on piano trio performance with Prof. Zelmanovich.

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East Tennessee State University’s bluegrass, old-time, country and Celtic bands will take the stage at the Paramount Center for the Arts in historic downtown Bristol for “Celebration 2012” on Friday, March 30. This annual concert, now in its ninth year, begins at 7 p.m. and showcases the talents of students and faculty in the Bluegrass, OldTime and Country Music Program at ETSU. This year, 15 student bands will perform, as will members of the ETSU teaching faculty. The Brother Boys, featuring faculty member and Johnson City musical stalwart Ed Snodderly, will present a selection of songs during a special segment of the program. T33#")'D&*1#&;+"5(?$&."$*&A!-1elor of arts degree in bluegrass, old-time and country music, ETSU is widely considered the “home of bluegrass, old-time and country music in higher education.” Since

1982, students from all over the world have learned traditional American music on the ETSU campus. Tickets are $14 for adults and $10 for students, children and seniors.

For tickets, call the Paramount A+Q&+3.-#&!*&Ue7IV&7fe/Yg789&& For more information, call the Bluegrass, Old-Time and Coun*"2&O,$)-&<"+D"!6&+3.-#&!*&Ue7IV& 439-7072.

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@3"<*-%$&3;I*!)31":()*38*D,6&*-%1(*-3)$1*38*EC3)2&I*f.&* hEC.;;(1*2'(*B$3#(i*.;1*R3\*63/(&*,.:5*23*,.)2()*>'(.2)( For almost half a century, Barter alum Doug Wilson “spanned the globe” to bring the human drama of sports to television viewers everywhere as part of ABCs Wide World of Sports. On Tuesday, April 3 at 7:30 p.m., Doug Wilson will return to Barter Theatre, where his career began. As producer for ABCs Wide World of Sports%&^)5$+'?$&,')F,#& T(2$$#2&*++G&1)6&!-"+$$&.>#&-+'tinents to events of all proportions; from Olympic arenas, to backroom pool halls; from Grand Prix of Mo'!-+&!'(&.D,"#&$G!*)'D&)'&H#)B)'D&*+& wrist-wrestling in Petaluma; from D26'!$*)-$&)'&H,5D!")!&!'(&H"!E)5%& to historic ping-pong diplomacy in Detroit. “Audiences can expect to hear a master story-teller describe his interviews, backed by real TV footage, from those in the sports and entertainment world,” said Lori Hester, director of patron services at Barter Theatre. “This is a special

event for Barter, and we are very excited to welcome Doug Wilson back to Barter’s stage to share these incredible stories.” “I’ve always approached sports not from the jock, locker room, fan

point of view, but from the theatrical point of view,” said Wilson. “I thought of sports as theatre, and what a perfect place, the legendary Barter Theatre, to tell these stories about the human drama in

athletic competition. After all, what takes place on stage is just like what takes place in an arena: performing in front of a live audience. The only difference: on stage the actors are ;+"G)'D&+33&!&$-")0*&!'(&+'&!&.#5(%& the script has not yet been written,” said Wilson. This philosophy won him 17 Emmy’s over his career. Where did he get the idea? Some of it came from his training at Barter Theatre. Wilson began as a summer stock actor in Abingdon, Virginia. “Being back at Barter is like a dream come true,” said Wilson. Wilson was focusing the cameras and conducting the interviews that helped Scott Hamilton and Peggy Fleming become household names. Because of his contributions to the ;+"5(&+3&.D,"#&$G!*)'D%&)'&788I%& Doug Wilson became the only nonskater inducted into the National Figure Skating Hall of Fame. Earlier, in 1995, the United States Figure Skating Association presented him

with their “Spirit of Giving” Award. Wilson also interviewed cultural icons like Muhammad Ali, Evel Knievel, Grace Kelly, Frank Gifford, Nadia Comaneci, Brian Boitano and many, many more. Although he worked with countless, celebrated individuals, Wilson covered “the thrill of victory and the agony of defeat” across the world and is an icon in his own right. He has collected several awards and recognitions, on top of his 17 Emmy’s. Wilson was honored by the Joseph P. Kennedy Foundation with its Distinguished Service Award for his production of the International Special Olympics, and in 1994, he was honored by the Directors Guild of America with its Lifetime Achievement Award. Tickets for An Evening with Doug Wilson are $18 for adults and $12 for youth ages 5-17. Call Barter Theatre at 276.628.3991 or visit BarterTheatre.com for tickets and more information.

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=./C=%<'2*C)(/%()(&*;(\*0.&2()*/"&%:.$I*No Ordinary Man Now, in its 7th season, LampLight theatre will premiere a new Easter musical production of the passion week of Christ. The theatre began with its ."$*&0"+(,-*)+'&3+"&*1#&b!$*#"& season in 2005. Since then, the theatre has seen over 20,000 in yearly attendance and has more than established )*$#53&!$&!&F,!5)*2&N1")$*)!'& Family Theatre. What better way to celebrate the community support than with the debut of No Ordinary Man, an Easter musical of the passion. The new theatrical performance has taken a great deal of work and dedication. With a small professional staff, the production relies 6+$*52&+'&!&$)E#!A5#&D"+,0&+3& volunteers. Over 100 actors will don the stage, and 50 other volunteers with act as tech crew, parking attendants, and theatre courtesy staff. The musical has been in rehearsal since the

."$*&;##G&+3&\!',!"29&& Original songs, studio work, costuming, and set design combine into an incredible display of the last days of Jesus Christ as this production comes to the LampLight stage. No Ordinary Man is told through the eyes of saints who have gathered with St. Philip for a missionary journey at Gaul 20 years after Christ’s "#$,""#-*)+'9&&=$&*1#2&"#@#-*& on the past, their lives reveal the intimacy and realness of Jesus and the relationship that He continues to seek with mankind. From the resurrec*)+'&+3&S!E!",$&*+&*1#&(#5)>#"ance from demons of Mary Magdalene, we see the power of Christ unfold. Joseph of Arimathea along with the saints will take the audience on a journey through the last week of Christ’s life on earth giving a message of hope every step of the way. Come and experience the power of Christ’s life, death, and resurrection in “No Ordi-

nary Man”. Performances will run through April 15. Shows will run nightly Wednesdays through Saturdays at 7 p.m. with additional matinees on Saturdays and Sundays. Saturday matinees will be at 2 p.m. and Sunday matinees at 3 p.m. No performances on Mondays and Tuesdays. Doors will open one hour prior to the performances. Admission is a suggested donation of $8 Adults, $5 Students, Free for children under 6. For reservations and information, please contact the S!60S)D1*&A+Q&+3.-#&!*&Ue7IV& 348-7610, Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. or online at www.lamplighttheatre.com.

WEDNESDAYS

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4.):'*f()%2.<(*@.A*.2*6.)2()* J.%$)3.1*4"&("/ East Tennessee State University’s George L. Carter Railroad Museum will hold its March Heritage Day on Saturday, March 31, with the second annual “Steam Up!” presentation in honor of steam locomotives. Until 1930, the steam locomotive reigned supreme, and the

$G)55#(&5!A+"#"$%&!$&;#55&!$&3"#F,#'*& maintenance to operate properly. By World War II, development of the internal combustion diesel platform began to make inroads, and by 1960, the steam engine era had ended, although the design is still widely associated with railroading. Geoff Stunkard, the coordinator

“iron horses” ran up to 100 miles per hour. However, keeping steam #'D)'#$&",'')'D&;#55&"#F,)"#(&!'& !"62&+3&0)0#/.**#"$%&A+)5#"/6!G#"$%& experienced machinists and other

of the museum’s Heritage Days program, notes, “Some say steam railroading was romantic, and the engines were almost akin to living things. Our annual ‘Steam Up’

event will give people an idea of 1+;&*1#&#F,)06#'*&;!$&,$#(%&!'(& of its evolution and its eventual end. We’ve come up with some exhibits this year that should be of interest to anyone who recalls that era, as well as those who were not yet born when the steam era @+,")$1#(9P Steam trains of all types will be displayed and operated on the large 1:87 HO scale layout at the museum, which includes a 21-stall steam-era roundhouse. Demonstrations of various engine designs in electric model form are planned, in addition to artwork and published accounts of steam operations. A photograph exhibit will show the scrapping of locomotives on the h+"3+5G&M&^#$*#"'%&N5)'-1.#5(%& Nickel Plant and other operations in the late 1950s. Children will be able to play with models of popular engines like Thomas and James in the museum’s activity room for children. The Carter Railroad Museum is open on Saturdays from 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Admission is free. The 6,$#,6&-!'&A#&)(#'*).#(&A2&!& @!$1)'D&"!)5"+!(&-"+$$)'D&$)D'!5& over the back entrance to the Campus Center Building. Visitors should enter ETSU’s campus from State of Franklin Road onto John Robert Bell Drive and turn left onto Ross Drive. The museum includes a growing research library, a National Railway Historical Society chapter, docent opportunities and an oral history archive being established as part of the museum’s programs. Information can be found online at http://johnsonsdepot.com/glcarter/cartermuseum.htm. The Mountain Empire Model Railroaders (MEMRR) club works in conjunction with the museum to demonstrate and maintain the model layouts, museum exhibits and other projects. Visit www. memrr.org to learn more about the group. For more information about the event or special assistance for those with disabilities, contact Dr. Fred Alsop, the museum’s director, at (423) 439-6838.

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Saturday, April 7, at 7:30 p.m., the Carter Family Fold in Hiltons, Virginia, will present a concert of bluegrass music by J.P. Mathes and the Kentucky School of Bluegrass Ensemble. Admission to the concert is $7 for adults, $1 for children 6 to 11, under age 6 free. \9<9&O!*1#$&;!$&A+"'&)'&b5)E!A#*1*+'%&C#''#$$##%&!'(&A#D!'& playing banjo and guitar while he was in middle school. While attending high school, he was allowed to join the ETSU Bluegrass Program. He later received his undergraduate and graduate degrees from ETSU. As a student, he was featured on many CD and DVD recordings. J.P. has been all over the world playing bluegrass. He’s performed at the Smithsonian Folk Festival, the Kennedy Center for *1#&<#"3+"6)'D&="*$%&h=CT&:#!(F,!"*#"$&)'&H",$$#5$%&H#5D),6& - and toured Japan seven times. J.P. served as a graduate assistant for the ETSU Bluegrass Program. He later served as an adjunct instructor - J.P. taught ensemble, banjo, group guitar, and bluegrass seminar. N,""#'*52&*1#&#'$#6A5#&()"#-*+"&3+"&*1#&:!E!"(&N+66,')*2& and Technical College’s Kentucky School of Bluegrass and Traditional Music, he also performs with an international bluegrass group called Takeharu Kunimoto & the Last Frontier which tours throughout the U.S. and Japan. Mathes is a part of the American Bluegrass Masters Tour which features such talent as Bobby Osborne, J.D. Crowe, and many other bluegrass greats. :!E!"(&N+66,')*2&N+55#D#?$&d#'*,-G2&4-1++5&+3&H5,#D"!$$& and Traditional Music is a two-year institution which offers an associate’s degree in bluegrass and traditional music. Students of the KSBTM focus on three areas of study - music performance, music business, and sound recording. Faculty includes J.P. Mathes, Dean Osborne, Grammy award winner Curtis Burch, Grand Ole Opry legend Bobby Osborne, and Bobby Osborne, Jr. The KSBTM student ensemble represents the performance aspect of study and boasts three touring ensembles. The KSBTM opened in August of 2007 and has already brought students to southwestern Kentucky from California, Washington, Vermont, North Dakota, Texas, and many other locations. R+"&6+"#&)'3+&+'&*1#&d4HCO%&05#!$#&>)$)*&1**0`ii1!E!"(9G-*-$9 edu/. Performing on April 7th will be students Josh Petulli on gui*!"%&4*!"5)*&S+"#'*E#'&+'&.((5#%&H#'&h+A5#&+'&D,)*!"%&='(2&:,'*& +'&A!'B+%&!'(&\!$0#"&S+"#'*E#'&+'&A!$$9&& Special guests performing with J.P. Mathes and KSBTM stu(#'*$&;)55&)'-5,(#&J#!'&T$A+"'#&+'&A!'B+%&S#+'!&+'&.((5#%&!'(& Aaron Jackson on guitar. C1#"#&;)55&A#&*"!()*)+'!5&A5,#D"!$$&*,'#$%&5)>#52&.((5#&*,'#$& and instrumentals, gospel tunes, and beautiful harmony. Don’t forget your dancing shoes, and be sure to bring along your friends! Carter Family Memorial Music Center, Incorporated, is a '+'0"+.*%&","!5&!"*$&+"D!')E!*)+'&#$*!A5)$1#(&*+&0"#$#">#&*"!()tional, 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 and the National Endowment for the Arts. For more information on Saturday’s concert, contact the Mountain Music Museum at 276-645-0035. For recorded information on shows coming up at the Fold, call 276-386-6054.

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!"#$%3?'%()$%*+",$-%.%/"-0)%&1'%&23& ^+;%&1+;&*)6#&@)#$j 15 years ago my long-time friend Dave Carter called me and said the editor of The Loafer was looking for a story about Comet Hale-Bopp that was creating a sensation in the evening skies of March 1997. Carter, now my advertising colleague at The Loafer, knew 62&0!$$)+'&3+"&$*!"D!E)'D&;!2& back when I was a groupie to the talented DJ’s local radio $1+;$9&&^1#'&Z&6!'!D#(&[)*E& Camera in Bristol, he’d stop by to catch up on what was in the skies—pre-Internet days. I had written a column about $*!"D!E)'D&A#3+"#%&$+&B,60#(& at the chance to oblige Dave, and presented Loafer editor Mike Clark with not only the Hale-Bopp story complete with my photos of the comet, but three other stories for a potential column. They were written on paper with an IBM Selectric typewriter. That April 2, 1997,

MARQUETTE

MARK

Stargazer

E2.)<.a()*4.)ji&*gO*c(.)&* %;*>'(*=3.8() The Loafer featured Bill May’s artwork on Comet Hale-Bopp. Mike called me to give the column a go-ahead, and I was thrilled! So I’m grateful to Dave Carter, Mike Clark, and, of course our publisher Bill Williamsl for opening the door to share my passion for the Sun, Moon, planets and stars all these years.

I’ve also been able to feed my addiction for writing and photojournalism as I’ve had a career in newspapers and 6!D!E)'#$&$)'-#&!&*##'!D#"9&& Those anguished writers and trigger-happy shutterbugs know of what I speak: there is truly something inside my psyche that craves for me to write words and take photographs almost every day.

I only digress to thank all the loyal readers of not only 62&-+5,6'%&A,*&*1#&1!53/(+E#'& other columns that are enjoyed each week in The Loafer sprung from the writers’ angst of subjects and deadlines. You Loafer readers are treated each week for the past 26 years to the talents of some dedicated people who just love the response their efforts

bring. I am just privileged to be among them. So, I could roll the numbers and share how many Loafer issues I’ve been in, and the number of words that might be, but you can do the math. I’ve missed only one issue in 15 years (a family emergency outof-town—again, pre-Internet (!2$jV&='(&Z?>#&;")**#'&(+E#'$& of stories and had published hundreds of photographs over the years, most during the NASCAR races. But my favorite contribution to the editorial side of is being The Stargazer. 4+%&;1!*&F,!5).#$&6#&*+& write this column? Let me indulge in my astronomy bio: I basically have no memories of not owning a telescope or a camera, and that’s around age eight, in the 1960s. No one in my family ever talked about the Moon and stars, but my Dad did have several cameras I was curious about. One I used *+&*!G#&62&."$*&!$*"+01+*+$& with in 1967. I distinctly remember being in third grade and one day opening the textbook to art-

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E5%(&*>'%&* Week Celestial events in the skies for the week of March 27, 2012, as compiled for The Loafer by Mark D. Marquette. The Moon makes its monthly appearance in our early evening skies, moving from crescent *+&0!$*&F,!"*#"&01!$#&*1)$&;##G9& Venus is the highest it will be in the western sky, and it is joined by Jupiter, Mars and Saturn in the night sky. Tues. March 27 Venus reaches its highest point !A+>#&*1#&;#$*#"'&1+")E+'%&-!55#(& by astronomers its greatest eastern elongation.” The second planet 1!$&;1)EE#(&0!$*&\,0)*#"%&;1)-1&)$& much lower in the twilight. Wed. March 28 The Moon draw eyes to its crescent phase as it moves through Taurus today and ends up in the feet of Gemini tomorrow night. Thurs. March 29 On this date in 1807, astronomer Heinrich Olbers discovered the brightest asteroid, Vesta, and fourth ever discovered. Today, the Dawn spacecraft is orbiting Vesta, having chased down and begun circling the potato-shaped world in July 2011. This July Dawn will @2&!;!2&3"+6&k#$*!&!'(&-1!$#& down the largest asteroid, Ceres, for a 2013 orbital mission. Fri. March 30 First Quarter Moon is today at 3:41 p.m. when the Moon makes a right angle with the Sun and Earth. Sat. March 31 Planet Mars looms directly overhead at 9 p.m., right under the belly of Leo the Lion. We have reached our closest point to Mars at 60,000 miles away, and as move apart, the Red Planet will begin dimming in brightness during the Spring. Sun. April 1 Nothing foolish about the evening sky tonight! Wander outside for some Sunday evening relaxation and recharge your mind and soul by looking around the starry cosmos from your own backyard. Mon. April 2 On this 1845 date in astronomy 1)$*+"2%&*1#&."$*&01+*+D"!01&+3& the Sun was taken by John William Draper from his observatory outside New York City. He is also -"#()*#(&;)*1&*!G)'D&*1#&."$*&01+tograph of a woman’s face.

/"-0)%&1'%&23&%.%()$%*+",$-'%!"#$%3@ work of the nine planets across both pages. Wham! Something hooked me. I did one of 62&."$*&A++G&"#0+"*$&+'&*1#& planets, written on that green notebook paper within the big, red lines, and have never looked back. All my science teachers encouraged me over the years. In Junior High, two friends !'(&Z&6!(#&+,"&+;'&"#@#-*)'D& telescopes, grinding the mirrors and building the tripods out of plumber’s pipe and wood. I was a paper boy, and hung around The Republican Courier in my Findlay, Ohio hometown. I was fascinated with the printing presses and the smoky newsroom full of interesting characters. In science class of 9th grade, I would write a monthly synopsis of the night sky, which the teacher mimeograph off copies and gave to students. That teacher, Tom Reynolds, was so impressed; he took me to the editor of the newspaper, suggesting I share my astronomy writings with the readership. And they did! So all through high school I wrote a monthly Stargazer column that was part of the newspaper’s special section of +,*(++"&-+5,6'$&+'&.$1)'D%& hunting and even birding. I remember struggling with chemistry, getting a “D” on a

test and the teacher writing beside the near failing grade: “But I enjoy your astronomy column.” There were junior and senior high school astronomy clubs *1!*&Z&1#50#(&+"D!')E#%&!'(& science projects on Mars - my favorite subject. The newspaper made me an intern writing obituaries and rewriting press releases my senior year, and helped me get a partial scholarship. I was off to study planetary astronomy at the W')>#"$)*2&+3&=")E+'!9 I worked at the Tucson Daily Citizen, again on the rewrite desk. But summers I went back to Ohio and worked as a reporter at my hometown paper - always carrying a camera and usually offering photos with my assignments. Then they offered me a full-time job, and I was hooked. Newsprint was already pumping through my veins. I commuted to Bowling Green State University for a couple years, taking English literature and more liberal arts courses. When I decided to leave my hometown, it was for The Ohio State University to continue planetary astronomy—more math and physics than planets. I paid tuition and my living expenses by becoming a photographer for the Associated Press in Columbus. When I applied at the AP

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The youbg gazer at home in Ohio. +3.-#$&;)*1&*#!"&$1##*$&+3& stories for credibility, it was the photos that caught the editor’s eyes. I remember him saying, c^")*#"$&!"#&!&()6#&!&(+E#'%& but a good photographer is 1!"(&*+&.'(9&&l+&+>#"&*1#"#& and see Harry!” And I’ll never forget Harry Cabluck, my photo mentor for a couple of years, who taught

me what I know about capturing publishable image. In fact, before I embarked for a threeyear “tour of duty” with the AP in New York, New York, Harry made me write about !55&*1#&*)0$&!'(&*#-1')F,#$&1#& taught me so he could share it with future news photographers. Well, needless to say, I dropped out of OSU, pursued the rungs of the journalism ladder in Manhattan, and after a few years decided I’d had enough. Visiting my father in Bristol, TN on vacations had me impressed with the people and beauty of this Appalachia region. And it wasn’t long before I moved to the Mountain Empire, and became “southern by the grace of God.” I just love it here! I’ll admit that during those NYC years and a few years after I didn’t keep up with the night sky, outside of going to nature museums and planetariums. But once moving to J)Q)#%&+'#&+3&*1#&."$*&*1)'D$& Z&()(&;!$&.'(&*1#&H!2$&O*9& Astronomy Club. Amateur astronomers are generally “Renaissance” people who are multi-talented and passionate about many things.

C1#&D"+,0&+3&$*!"D!E#"$&!*& Bays Mt. have become a tight fellowship of men and women over the 30 years I’ve been involved with them. And the friendships have been another source of inspiration as well as honing my observing skills as !&$*!"D!E#"9 I have given many astronomy talks at local and regional gatherings, produced an astrocomedy program for 10 years called Starry Night Live, been part of hundreds of star parties with scouts and the public, D)>#'&(+E#'$&+3&*!5G$&*+&$-1++5& students and have always been blabbing to anybody who’ll listen about what bright planet is in the evening sky. But I’m most pleased with the 15 years I’ve been fortunate to have shared astronomy and space age with you, loyal readers of The Loafer. As a heart attack survivor with artery stents, it’s a bless)'D&3+"&6#&#!-1&;##G&*+&.')$1& a column, load it up on the Internet and click “send” to my same, wonderful editor all the years, Mike Clark. Thank you for reading The Loafer and my Stargazer all these 15 years. I hope someday to meet you under the stars!

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Poets to read at NE State Poet Jesse Graves and novelist Charles Dodd White will appear at Northeast State Community College March 27 for afternoon and evening readings. The programs are set for 1:30 p.m. and 6 p.m. in the Basler Library, Room L106, and are free and open to the public. Jesse Graves was born and raised in Sharps Chapel, Tenn., where his ancestors settled in the 1780s. His poems and essays have appeared in Prairie Schooner, Southern Quarterly, Connecticut Review and other journals, anthologies, and collections. The Texas Review Press recently published his poem collection: Tennessee Landscape with Blighted Pine. Graves teaches writing and literature classes at East Tennessee State University, where he is an assistant professor in the Department of Literature and Language. He also serves as faculty editorial advisor to the Mockingbird, ETSU’s $*,(#'*&5)*#"!"2&6!D!E)'#9 Charles Dodd White was born in Atlanta, Ga., in 1976. He currently lives in Asheville, N.C. where he teaches English at South College, and is on the creative writing staff of the Hindman Settlement School’s Appalachian Writers Workshop. :#&1!$&A##'&!&W949&O!")'#%&!&.$1)'D& guide and a journalist. White is author of the novel, Lambs of Men, and the story collection, Sinners of Sanction County. He also serves as coeditor of the contemporary Appalachian anthology, Degrees of Elevation. In 2011, he was awarded a fellowship in prose from the North Carolina Arts Council. :)$&.-*)+'&1!$&!00#!"#(&)'&Appalachian Heritage, The Collagist, Fugue, Night Train, North Carolina Literary Review, PANK, and Word Riot.&:#&!5$+&3"#F,#'*ly contributes to Rain Taxi Book Review. He is currently at work on another novel. The Basler Library is located at 2425 Highway 75, Blountville, adjacent to the Tri-Cities Regional Airport. For more information, contact Chrissie Anderson Peters at 423.354.2463 or by e-mail at capeters@NortheastState.edu.

Charles Dodd White

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This Week In The In order to meet the high demand for free medical, dental and eye care services in the Tri-Cities region, Remote Area Medical® U[=OV&&!'(&5+-!5&+"D!')E#"$& have extended next month’s RAM clinic to a three-day #>#'*&)'$*#!(&+3&*;+%&+3.&/ cials announced this week. The event will now be held Friday, Saturday and Sunday, April 13 – 15 on the )'.&#5(&+3&*1#&H")$*+5&O+*+"& Speedway. “We initially intended to hold the clinic on just Saturday and Sunday, but as we moved through the planning process, it became apparent that the need in this region really demands a three-day event,” said Helen Scott, chair of the Tri-Cities RAM board of directors. “We are grateful to Bristol Motor Speedway and to all of the volunteers who are willing to donate that extra day in order to make sure people don’t have to go without the care they need.” Remote Area Medical events are volunteer driven. Medical, dental and vision professionals from across the region and other parts of the country will gather at BMS to provide free care to the uninsured and underinsured. There are no eligibil-

)*2&"#F,)"#6#'*$%&!'(&'+& 0#"$+'!5&ZJ&)$&"#F,)"#(&3+"& treatment. Services offered include (#'*!5&.&55)'D$%&-5#!')'D$& and extractions; eye exams and corrective eyewear; mammograms; hearing screenings and hearing aids; bone density screenings; pap smears and general physical exams. Patients will be treated on a .&"$*/-+6#%&.&"$*/$#">#(&A!/ sis. The parking lot at BMS will open to patients on Thursday evening, April 12, and numbers for Friday’s clinic will be distributed beginning at 3:30 a.m. Friday. 4,A$#F,#'*&-5)')-&(!2$&;)55& follow the same pattern. Patients are encouraged to prepare for long wait times. Donations are still needed in order to cover the cost +3&#F,)06#'*&!'(&$,0/ plies used to treat the 2,000 patients expected at this year’s event. Crossroads Medical Mission in Bristol, k!9&)$&$#">)'D&!$&*1#&.&'!'/ cial steward for Tri-Cities RAM. Donations may be made online at www. crossroadsmedicalmission. org. Checks may be made payable to Crossroads Medical Mission with “TriCities RAM” in the memo line and mailed to P.O. Box 16852, Bristol, Va., 24209-

Mountain Empire

6852. Additional volunteers are needed. Tri-Cities RAM is actively seeking ophthalmologists and dentists, as well as general volunteers to help with setup on Thursday, April 12. For more information or to register to volunteer, visit www. ramusa.org or call 423-5730695.

World Heritage Student Exchange Program, a 1)D152&"#$0#-*#(%&'+'/0"+.&*%& 0,A5)-/A#'#.&*&+"D!')E!/ tion, is seeking local host families for high school boys and girls from Scandinavia, France, Germany, Italy, Thailand, China, South Korea, and the former Soviet Republics. Students are already awaiting word on their host families for the 2012-2013 academic school year. Host families provide room, board, and guidance for a teenager living thousands of miles from home. Couples, single parents, and families with or without children in the home are all encouraged to apply. The exchange students arrive from their home country shortly before the 2012/13 school year begins and each World Heritage student is fully insured, brings his/ her own personal spending

money and expects to bear his/her share of household responsibilities, as well as being included in normal family activities and lifestyles. If you are interested in opening your home and sharing your family life with a young person from abroad, please call local Area Representative CarolLynn Baker at (423) 767-1645 or 1-800-888-9040 (toll free). Please also visit our website at www.whhosts.com

The Arts Depot is current52&3#!*,")'D&.&>#&!"#!&!"*)$*$& in the Member’s Showcase Gallery. Artists displaying their works are Whitney Copenhaver of Glade Spring, VA, Ruth Crowe, of Charlotte, NC, Linda Hoagland +3&h+"*1&C!E#;#55%&k=%&[)*!& Nabors of Bristol, TN and Buddy Vaiden of Mountain City, TN. This exhibit continues through May 26. The Depot Artists Association is !&'+'/0"+.&*&>+5,'*##"&+"/ D!')E!*)+'&*1!*&+0#"!*#$&*1#& Arts Depot and is dedicated to promoting the arts in the community and features the region’s artists. The Arts Depot is located in the historic J#0+*&4F,!"#&!"#!&+3&(+;'/ town Abingdon, VA. The gallery and artists studios are open for your viewing pleasure Thursday, Friday

and Saturday, January through March 11-3 pm, and April through December 104, or by appointment. There is no admission charge. For further information, please contact the Arts Depot at (276) 628-9091, or e-mail at abingdonartsdepot@eva.org or visit the web site at www. abingdonartsdepot.org. The Association is supported in part by grants from the Virginia Commission for the Arts, the Virginia Tourism Corp. and the National Endowment for the Arts. Tuesday, March 27 Johnson City Parks and Recreation is hosting a sixweek Boot Camp at Fairmont Elementary School’s gym on Tuesdays beginning March 27. Each session will be held from 7-8 p.m. The camp is open to all ages and cost is $50 for the six-week program. Instructor Christin Magnus has designed an integrated, tough workout with support and motivation. Activities are challenging, and each day of boot -!60&;)55&A#&,')F,#9&C1#& sessions will be hard, but everyone will be expected to perform at their own best level. Body fat composition will be tested using electrical impedance and results

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will determine pounds w i of l ffat lost and a muscle tgained. l R e via e-mail s Reserve your spot at a christin@christinmagnus. t c com. Registration can be pre-paid p e at Legion -r Recreap e tion Center, 111 Legion St. The King College Music Department invites the public to join them as they perform their spring music convocation at 8 p.m. in Memorial Chapel on the campus of King College. King’s Music Department’s Applied Music students will present “Music of Women Composers,” a program of vocal, piano, and choral music. The program will focus upon music written by women composers throughout history and will showcase the students’ talents through the music of such greats as Barbara Harbach, Rebecca Clarke, Nadia Boulanger, Lucy Simon, Clara Edwards, Gladys Rich, Lily Strickland, Mary Evelene Calbreath, Libby Larsen,

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will and l Clara d Schumann. The e kler. “If tour supporters e r be made m securely onlinei at nvarious forums e and locales p public isocordially invited to t makeatheir pledges early, in North America, Europe, s s n d u www.wets.org, or bymmail to this could be theyshortest attend of muAfrica. She e this evening r v e o uBox 70630, r and Southern s p WETS-FM/HD, fundraising in n the sic.h Admission to was r the coni s t campaign i Johnson @ City, TN 37614. c h the recipient r of a 2010 i station’s history.” More than cert is free of charge. Doors Pledges may also be made Queens Council on the Arts half of willa open at 7:30 i- p.m.d For a the station’s budget t L by phone at 888-895-9387. e g grant, and i her o work has comes from listener conmore information, contact Mars Hill College will been published in numertributions. WETS recently <!*&R5!''!D!'&!*&;0@&!''!m host a reading by New Yorkous literary journals and added three HD radio king.edu or 423.652.4846. based poet Ekere Tallie, on !'*1+5+D)#$9&:#"&.&"$*&-+5/ services: one is a digital reWednesday, March 28 at 8 lection of poetry, Karma’s broadcast of the regular FM Wednesday, pm in Spainhour Hall, in Footsteps, was released by signal, and two are devoted March 28 the Moore Building on camthe UK-based Flipped Eye exclusively to Americana When public radio station pus. The event is free and Publishing in September of music and classical music, WETS begins its spring open to the public. Among 2011. Mars Hill College is a respectively. These digital on-air fundraiser, staff hope other themes, Tallie’s poetry private, liberal arts instituchannels can be heard with they will already be well on focuses on racial justice, the tion offering over 30 bacan HD-compatible radio the way to reaching their empowerment of women, calaureate degrees and one or online at www.wets. goal of $165,000. WETSand life in New York City graduate degree in elemenorg. To encourage listeners ROi:J&UYg9a&O:EV%&*1#& after September 11. Her tary education. Founded to make early pledges of public radio station opervisit to campus is sponin 1856 by Baptist families .&'!'-)!5&$,00+"*%&^bC4&)$& ated by East Tennessee State sored by the Department of the region, the campus taking a different approach University, is asking listenof Language and Literature is located just 20 minutes to the spring fundraiser. ers to make early pledges to and the Visiting Artists north of Asheville in the Past campaigns have used the station so that the on-air and Lecturers Committee mountains of western North part of the drive will be over early pledge returns to offer at Mars Hill College. Tallie Carolina.www.mhc.edu matching challenges durF,)-G52&!'(&-!,$#&6,-1&5#$$& currently teaches at York 1-866-MHC-4-YOU. ing the on-air drive. This program interruption than College in New York City *)6#%&*1#"#&;)55&A#&$0#-).&-& usual. “Our fundraisers and has served as an invited Thursday, daily challenges and goals, usually take eight or nine speaker at The University of March 29 !$&;#55&!$&0")E#&("!;)'D$%& days. But they don’t have Wisconsin-Milwaukee and Join the Jonesborough to encourage listeners to call to take that long,” says staRamapo College. She has Library at 7 p.m. for an auwith pledges. Pledges may tion manager Wayne Wintaught and performed in thor talk and book signing.

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55567)$8+",$-+98:9$60+; Mary E. Kingsley is a local author, born and raised in Kingsport. She started writing Angel in 2004, when she had 3 teenagers and was teaching yoga. Angel was published in 2011 by Little Falls Press, Ms. Kingsley’s own small, independently owned and operated publishing company. This )$&1#"&."$*&'+>#59&N+0)#$& of Angel will be available that evening for purchase and for signing. For more information, please call the Jonesborough Library at 753-1800. This program is free and open to the public. “An Evening with James McBride” will be held at East Tennessee State University as part of the Student Government Association’s Civility Week observance. The free public event will begin at 7 p.m. in the D.P. Culp University Center’s Martha Street Culp Auditorium. It is sponsored in part by the community Martin Luther King Jr. Holiday Planning Committee and Eastman Chemical Co. McBride, an author, musician !'(&$-"##';")*#"%&;)55&"#@#-*& upon his landmark memoir, The Color of Water, which is considered an American classic and read in schools

/"-0)%&1'%&23&%.%()$%*+",$-'%!"#$%&= and universities across the United States. His debut novel, Miracle at St. Anna, was translated into a major motion picture, which was ()"#-*#(&A2&=6#")-!'&.56& icon Spike Lee and released by Disney/Touchstone in 2008. His latest novel, Song Yet Sung, came out in paperback in January 2009. McBride is a former staff writer for the Boston l5+A#%&<#+05#&O!D!E)'#& and Washington Post. His work has appeared in Essence, Rolling Stone and the New York Times. His April 2007 National Geographic story, “Hip Hop Planet,” has become a respected treatise on African American music and culture. A saxophonist who tours with his six-piece B!EEi[MH&A!'(%&O-H")(#& has served as a sideman ;)*1&B!EE&5#D#'(&\)662& Scott, among others. He has written music and lyrics for such artists as Anita Baker, Grover Washington Jr., Purafe and Gary Burton. C)-G#*$&!"#&"#F,)"#(&!'(&!"#& !>!)5!A5#&+'&!&."$*&-+6#/ ."$*&$#">#(&A!$)$&!*&*1#& Information Services Desk on the second level of the Culp Center. The international award winning Son Piano Trio will be performing in concert at

7 pm at the First Presbyterian Church in Johnson City (105 S. Boone St.). There is a $5 per person suggested donation and a $20 maximum for families of 5 or more. The Son Piano Trio consists of three sisters from South Korea: Ah-young Son (Piano), Jin-young Son (Cello) and Chae –young Son (Violin). This concert for the Tri-Cities community is made possible by a joint collaborative effort between the Academy of Strings Foundation and the UT School of Music Knoxville.

Anderson, Dr. Kellie Brown, Noah DeLong, Anne Elliott, Dr. David Runner and Rick Simerly, as well as adjunct professors Justin Butler, Tom Crawford, Eddie J!5*+'&!'(&N1#"25&R)*ED#"ald. Special guests include Carlene Eastridge and Ashley Guice, with students Tommy Parker, Will Scott and Lucas Schmidt. For more information, contact the Milligan music department at 423.461.8723. To learn more about Milligan’s arts events, visit www.milligan.edu/arts.

Saturday, March 30 The Milligan College music faculty will present a collaborative recital with a wide range of chamber ensembles and repertoire at 7:30 p.m. in Milligan’s Mary B. Martin Auditorium in Seeger Memorial Chapel. This event is free and open to the public. The recital will feature six performers from the music faculty including Dr. Charlotte

NWA Smoky Mountain returns to Kingsport, TN at the Kingsport Civic Auditorium. Bell Time is 8 p.m. This event will feature the 2nd Annual NWA Smoky Mountain Cup Tournament. Bell Time is 7 p.m. Doors Open at 6:15 p.m. Tickets are $12 Front Row; $10 General Admission; Advanced Front Row Tickets are on sale at: Ever More Comics & Games, 1451 E Center St (Across the street and 1

block west of the Civic Auditorium), Kingsport, TN. (423) 245-0364. Every two minutes in the United States, someone becomes a victim of sexual violence. To raise awareness of the problem and decrease violence against women and children, East Tennessee State University will host the eighth annual “Take Back the Night” 5K race. All proceeds from the "!-#&;)55&A#'#.*&0"+D"!6$& supporting survivors of sexual violence, including the Sexual Assault Nurse Examiners (SANE) program

!"#$%&>'%()$%*+",$-%.%/"-0)%&1'%&23& at Johnson City Medical Center, which provides competent, compassionate medical care for victims of sexual violence. The race starts at 9:30 a.m., with registration beginning at 8:30 a.m. at the Cave Patio area of ETSU’s D.P. Culp University Center. The entry fee is $14 before March 26 and $16 from then until the day of the race. The event is a State of Franklin Track Club-#"*).#(&d)'D&!'(&n,##'& 5K road race, and the course traverses the ETSU campus and the historic Tree Streets community. Kappa Delta Sorority and ETSU’s OASIS 0"+D"!6&!"#&+"D!')E)'D&*1#& event with the assistance of many campus and community donors and volunteers. Registration forms may be found at www.runtricities. org. Further information may be obtained by calling Rebecca Alexander at (423) 439-4841, or by e-mailing oasis@etsu.edu.

Sunday, April 1 The price of a ticket to Grandfather Mountain is D+)'D&,0&3+"&*1#&."$*&*)6#&)'& three years, effective April 1. Admission for adults (ages 13-59) will be $18, seniors $15 and children (ages 4-12) $8 each. Children under the age of four are always free. The Grandfather Mountain Stewardship Foundation )$&!&'+*/3+"/0"+.*&-+"0+"!tion established to preserve Grandfather Mountain, operate the nature park sustainably in the public interest, provide an exceptional experience for guests, and inspire them to be good stewards of the earth’s resources. For more information, visit www.grandfather. com or call 800-468-7325. Wednesday, April 4 Carver Recreation Center, 322 W. Watauga Ave., will offer the Easter Egg Crafts and Egg Coloring: April 4-5; 4-6 p.m.; all ages; free. Youth will participate in a

take-home craft project and egg coloring. Thursday, April 5 Princeton Arts Center, 2516 E. Oakland Ave., will offer hip-hop classes from 7:30-8 p.m. on Thursdays beginning April 5. The class is open to ages 5-10, and fee is $16 per month. Friday, April 6 Carver Recreation Center, 322 W. Watauga Ave., will offer Easter Egg Hunt and Cookout; 3-5 p.m.; all ages; free. Easter egg hunt will be conducted in the following age groups: 3-5, 6-9, and 10L79&<")E#$&;)55&A#&!;!"(#(& *+&."$*/%&$#-+'(/&!'(&*1)"(/ place winners in each age category. The hunt will be followed by a cookout. Wednesday, April 21 The Annual Junior League Food Drive in Food City stores. Most needed items include peanut butter,

canned meats, canned soups, canned fruit and vegetables, boxed meals and macaroni and cheese. When league members ask, please consider making a food donation. Many face hunger in their lives every day. They depend on Second Harvest Food Bank of Northeast Tennessee and our partner agencies that run the local food pantries and soup kitchens. With your help we can make sure that no one in Northeast Tennessee goes hungry. Thank you for your support. A portion of all donations received March 1 through April 30 will be included in the annual Feinstein Challenge. Wednesday, April 28 Carver Recreation Center, 322 W. Watauga Ave., will offer a Community Side Walk Sale: April 28; 7 a.m.-2 p.m.; $10 for six-foot table and two chairs, extra tables available for $4 each. All proceeds will be used for an educational trip to Washing-

ton D.C. for Carver’s youth. Saturday, May 12 National Association of Letter Carriers Food Drive – Simply leave a bag of non-perishable food items by your mailbox. Your letter carrier will pick you your donation. Second Harvest volunteers help carriers unload vehicles when they "#*,"'&*+&*1#&0+$*&+3.-#& where the Food Bank and Food Bank agencies pick up donations. Many face hunger in their lives every day. They depend on Second Harvest Food Bank of Northeast Tennessee and our partner agencies that run the local food pantries and soup kitchens. With your help we can make sure that no one in Northeast Tennessee goes hungry. Thank you for your support. A portion of all donations received March 1 through April 30 will be included in the annual Feinstein Challenge.

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Screen Scenes

D;32'()*>e*.1.C2.2%3; Adapting hit television shows to the big screen is a risky business. For every hit (Mission Impossible), there are (+E#'$&+3&@+0$&UBewitched, The Avengers) scattered across the movie landscape. Never one to miss a chance at a new potential franchise, Hollywood decided to dust off the 1987-1991 series 21 Jump Street, and adapt the Fox series for the big screen. Of course the series was famous for making Johnny Depp a star, and he owes much gratitude to the series. So, as I entered the theater, I was wondering if Depp would make a surprise cameo in the .569&h+*&+'52&(+#$&J#00&6!G#& a cameo, but his former co-star Peter Deluise does as well. J,")'D&*1#&-+,"$#&+3&*1#&.56& we even see Dustin Nguyen, also from the original show, on a television in the background of a scene. The story begins with an introduction to Morton Schmidt (Jonah Hill), a nerdy high school student, and his fellow student Greg Jenko (Channing Tatum), a dumb jock who is always teasing Morton. The two students are very apart in the world of high school, but years later are reunited at a police academy. At this point in their lives, Morton’s intelligence is his advantage, while the former popular student Greg, is having a rough go making the proper grades to graduate from the academy. As Greg seeks Morton’s help in order to graduate, the two become unlikely friends, and are soon out on the police beat. However, instead of patrol-

ling in cars, they are assigned a route on bikes. It is especially seeing the two try to run down some drug dealers on their bikes with tiny sirens blaring. ^#55%&6!2A#&$F,#!G)'D&$)"#'$&)$& a better description. Greg and Morton are so inept, they are not even effective as bike cops, so they are soon assigned to 21 Jump Street, under the command of Captain Dickson (Ice Cube). The cops assigned here, are extremely young looking, so they are assigned to go undercover in high schools and colleges. The two are assigned to go back to their old high school in an attempt to discover who is disrupting a new synthetic drug. They go undercover as brothers, and move into the house of Morton’s parents. After returning to high school (oh the torture), the two discover a student named Eric (Dave Franco, yes brother of James), is the one who is supplying the high school with the dangerous drug. The duo still have to discover who the supplier is, so Morton and Eric become unexpected fast friends, placing Morton with the popular kids, while Greg is relegated to the nerd group at the school. The two continue their undercover work while making friends with other students, and running afoul of the teachers. All culminates at the prom, where Greg and Morton make an entrance that is not to be forgotten. C1#&.56&(+#$&1!>#&)*$&$1!"#& of humorous moments, but often seems to be trying too hard to drag laughs out of the audience. I will give kudos to

Hill and Tatum, who have great chemistry together, and often rise above the material. I really enjoyed the fact Depp has a cameo, and this made me happy to know he hasn’t forgotten what made him famous. You will not see the Depp cameo coming, and my mouth fell open when it occurred, and I almost screamed, “It’s Johnny!”, but thankfully for the audience, I refrained. This effort is one of the better television to movie adaptations, and is saved by the performances of Tatum and Hill. Take 21 Jump Street for nothing more than a silly romp down memory lane and you will not be disappointed.

(Rated R) B-

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ANDY

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>'(*:388((*1.2( I went on a simi-blind coffee date last week. Simi-blind you ask? I mean simply that it was a blind date, but I G'#;&!&5)**5#&A)*&!A+,*&*1#&D!5&D+)'D&)'*+&)*9&^1+&$#*&,$&,0&)$&'+*&)60+"*!'*%&!$&6,-1&!$&*1#&3!-*&*1!*&)*&;!$&*1#&."$*& date of any shape I had been on in over a year. It had been a rough spell getting back into the game, due to a bad A"#!G&,0&Z&1!(&D+'#&*1"+,D19&C1#&A"#!G&,0&)'&F,#$*)+'&)$&*1#&+'#&62&3")#'($&$*)55&"#3#"&*+&!$&c*1#&A"#!G&,0&*1!*& went so bad, it caused Andy to start living in his back yard, down a hole with an owl.” Z&;!$&F,)*#&'#">+,$&*1#&(!2&+3&*1#&(!*#%&Z&*++G&*)6#&*+&$;)'D&A2&62&A!"A#"&!'(&1!>#&!&5)**5#&*")6&(+'#9&Z& thought about asking him to make me look like Cary Grant, but all the plastic surgery in the world can’t make that happen. Instead, I just hoped he’d make me look less like a blithering idiot, and more like a moderately -+1#$)>#&)()+*9&Z&;#'*&*1+,D1&62&-5+$#*&)'&+"(#"&*+&0)-G&+,*&*1#&0#"3#-*&+,*.*&3+"&*1#&')D1*9&C1!*&)$&;1#'&62&A"!)'& began to work against me, wondering if the hair cut I had just gotten was too short, wondering if she was going to take one look at me, then go running out the door screaming. I got to the cafe a little early. Anxiously awaiting her arrival, I ordered my coffee, and sat calmly at a table near *1#&#'*"!'-#9&T*1#"&0#+05#&-!6#&)'%&+"(#"#(&-+33##%&!'(&$!*&!"+,'(&6#&F,)#*52&-1!**)'D9&=3*#"&'+*&!&5+'D&;!)*&!*& all, she arrived, and she was beautiful. She was tall, with dark, auburn hair, glasses, and a cute smile. I found her F,)*#&3#*-1)'D9&^#&A#D!'&*+&*!5G%&!'(&Z&;!$&*"2)'D&62&A#$*&3+"&)*&'+*&*+&A#&!;G;!"(%&A,*&)*&;!$&/&#>#"&$+&$5)D1*529& As her and I began to talk about the things we liked - movies, music, and the like - we found that we had a number of things in common. Yet, one of the people in the cafe, at a nearby table, kept butting in. To my immediate right, there was a table with a group of couch surfers meeting one another. The one who ar")>#(&."$*%&;!$&!'&+((&5++G)'D&3#55+;%&("#$$#(&$5)D1*52&D!")$19&=&D"!01)-&C/$1)"*%&B#!'$%&!&2#55+;&A,**+'&,0%&,'A,*toned and over the shirt. He also wore an odd, rainbow colored drivers cap. In short, he looked like an extra from The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. As the lady and I talked about movies, he would say “Oh, I’ve seen that! It’s a great 6+>)#jP&Z&;+,5(&$*!"*&*+&*#55&1#"&!&3!-*+)(&!A+,*&!&.56%&!'(&1#&5++G#(&!*&6#&!$&)3&Z&;!$&!(("#$$)'D&*1#&#'*)"#&"++69& After injecting with a comment the third time, I shot him a look that said “Dude...” It didn’t end with my simple, yet thought conveying look. As if he didn’t understand what I was trying to convey, or didn’t even care - 1990s fashion harbinger kept on talking. I kept hoping that the lovely lass would take a moment to visit the restroom, so I could tell the fellow “Do you not see what is going on here?” But not a moment occurred, and I think Mr. Couch Surfer never did pick up on what was going on. Despite that, the coffee date went well - I think. I’ve not asked her for a 2nd date yet, but I’m working on it. However, I think we’ll stick to some simple bistro for the follow up - and I’m going to call ahead, not so much to 6!G#&"#$#">!*)+'$%&!$&*+&-1#-G&*+&$##&)3&N+,-1&4,"3#"$&3"#F,#'*&)*9&4##&2+,&'#Q*&;##G9& Follow me on Twitter @ThatAndyRoss

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