The Loafer April 18th by The Loafer

theloaferonline.com | April 18, 2017

on the cover

Bristol Motor Speedway

30 Stargazer 21st Century Space Age is Dreaming Again 31 Skies This Week 32 Batteries Not Included Dispatches While Being Sick 38 Pop Life Queen of the Desert 42 Appalachian Wanderers Memphis To Bristol Hwy - Trek to Music City 45 Mountain Movers The Jeff Bedard Interview 27 The Casual Word Smitten 48 Puzzle Page 51 Kelly’s Place Your Shoe's Untied (No Joke)

your week’s line-up

columns & reviews

FOOD CITY 500 5 6 7 8 10 12 13 16 17 17 18 19 21 22 23 24 26 28 29 34 35 35 36 37 39 40 43 44 47 49 50

Pre-Race Concert w/ Russell Dickerson Annual Juried Art Exhibition Bringing The Bite - Zombie Auto 125 Food City Family Race Night The Passion of Pinter Local Artists Venue Mothers Finest: Exclusive Interview BMS Race Schedule BMS Fast Facts 'Basic Photography' Class Offered Great American Cleanup Bill Goldberg Returns Choir Open Auditions Mile Twelve Bluegrass Band Dangermuffin's Spring Tour Annabelle's Curse Returns Spotlight Sparrow Blue Makes Tennessee Debut Speedway Children's Charity Ready Build An Event Painting Workshop Head 2 Toe Women's Expo Hogslop String Band @ Carter Family Fold Spring Concert Sabine Hill Social Society Merlfest - the 30th Celebration '5x10s' Return During Old Oak Festival Virginia Creeper Fest Book Sale Pets Of The Week Things To Do

Volume 31 • Issue #20 Publisher Luci Tate Editor Graphic Arts Director Don Sprinkle Cover Design Bill May Advertising Dave Carter Patti Barr Shawn Hale Paul Kavanaugh Julie Noecker Office Coordinator Amanda Lane Contributing Staff Jim Kelly Andy Ross Ken Silvers Mark Marquette Brian Bishop Daniel Worley Jason Worley Langley Shazor Distribution Jerry Hanger Teresa Hanger Published by Pulse Publishing, 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 adcopy@theloaferonline.com 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.

Founder: Bill Williams Let’s Get Social!

TO LEND HIS EMERGING COUNTRY SOUND TO THE FOOD CITY 500 PRE-RACE CONCERT

Emerging country music star Russell Dickerson will get fans revved up for the Food City 500 green flag as the Nashville native has been named the official pre-race entertainment by Bristol Motor Speedway officials.

ickerson, who has headlined numerous venues and toured with Billy Currington, Florida Georgia Line and Canaan Smith, will perform Sunday, April 23 on the backstretch prior to the 1:20 PM driver introductions. Wrestling legend and recent WrestleMania 33 participant Bill Goldberg will get the crowd pumped up when he introduces Dickerson. "We can't wait to welcome Russell Dickerson to Bristol as he gets the party started for the 25th anniversary of the Food City 500," said Jerry Caldwell, executive vice president and general manager of Bristol Motor Speedway. "He's toured with some of the biggest names in music and has performed solo in some of music's most iconic venues, including Tennessee's own The Grand Ole Opry. Now he'll get to put on an awesome show for fans at The Last Great Colosseum." Dickerson's star is quickly rising. With over 37 million on-demand streams and more than 2.9 million views on YouTube, his newest single "Yours" will begin impacting country radio on April 24. Dickerson's EP "Yours" was also a success, debuting at No. 2 on the iTunes country store and the No. 1 album on Billboard's Heat Seeker chart. With his ever growing catalog, Dickerson is ready to be a force to be reckoned with on the country music charts. "I've grown up around racing and Bristol is a legendary track," said Dickerson, who is currently on the "Home Team" tour with country music star Thomas Rhett. "I could not be more excited to kick off the Food City 500 with a big ol' bang!" While supplies last, Food City 500 ticket holders may add on a Pre-Race SuperPass and be stage-side (on the track) for the concert featuring Russell Dickerson. The SuperPass also includes a Track Walk and track access for Bristol's wildly popular Food City 500 Driver Introductions. Tickets for the Food City 500 weekend are still available. Weekend packages start at just $89 for adults and $10 for kids (12-and-under). F o r more information, visit www.BristolTix.com or call 423-BRISTOL.

theloaferonline.com | April 18, 2017

RUSSELL DICKERSON

theloaferonline.com | April 18, 2017

Jonesborough’s Fifth Annual Juried Art Exhibition April 21st - May 20th

Featuring over 35 artists with over 50 works of art from around the region and attracting numerous visitors, Jonesborough’s Open Juried Art Show has been noted as one of the region’s premier exhibitions.

his year’s exhibition was more competitive than ever,” stated McKinney Center Director, Theresa Hammons. “There were 53 artists that submitted 162 works of art for this year’s exhibition. That is the largest number of submissions that we have had since I have curated this show the past four years. It is very exciting to see that the exhibition is gaining in popularity, quality, and notoriety. I think it says a great deal about the level of artists we have in our region.” The juror, Ted Rose, is a nationally known artist and author. He is currently a professor and Chair of the Art Department at Cumberland University in Lebanon, TN. He has several publications to his credit, including the top-selling secondary education text book on drawing in the United States, “Discovering Drawing,” currently in its third edition. He holds a Master of Fine Arts degree from the University of Tennessee, a Masters of Education degree from Edinboro University and a Bachelor of Arts degree from David Lipscomb University. He has taught over 35 years in higher education. In addition to his professional career, Ted Rose has lectured twice at the National Art Education Association Conference. He has also served as keynote speaker for state art conferences in Nevada, Arkansas, Mississippi, Tennessee

and Louisiana and has also worked extensively with fine arts organizations as an instructor and board member. Rose will be present on April 21st to provide a lecture at the International Storytelling Center at 6pm, and will be assisting with the presentation of awards at the opening reception at 7pm at the McKinney Center. The lecture, reception, and the exhibit is free and open to the public. The artists participating in this year’s exhibition are the following: Joan Schaller Bauer, Curtis Buchanan, Linda Campbell, Monique Carr, Bill & Tina Collison, Laura Beth Davidson, Leslie Davis, Glenna Elsea, Lark Foster, Jerry Gehre, Rick Harris, John Hilton, Karen Hitchcock, Barbara Jernigan, Charles Jones, Patty Lawrence, Liz Layton, Brandon Lutterman, Susan McClelland, Caitlin Meadows, Stephen Moles, Don Morris, Michelle O’PatrickOllis, Allison Parker, Renee Pitts, Robert Regenold, Tom Root, George Sears, Katie Sheffield, Mallene Shelton, Vera Tracy, Katie Walser, Thomas White, and Blaine Willis. The exhibit runs through May 20, Monday – Friday 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. and Saturdays, 10 a.m. – 3 p.m. For more information contact Theresa Hammons, 423.753.0562 or theresah@jonesboroughtn.org.

he Zombie Auto 125 will see the best of NASCAR's young up-and-comers do battle around the high banks of The Last Great Colosseum on Saturday, April 22. The race will comprise the second part of a Saturday doubleheader, also featuring the Fitzgerald Glider Kits 300 NASCAR XFINITY Series race. Green flag for the Zombie Auto 125 is scheduled for 4 p.m. Zombie Auto is the newest venture from Don Simms, owner and CEO of United Mining Equipment, a long-standing partner of BMS. The company specializes in the transformation of lifeless, dead cars into classic rat rods and muscle cars.

"Don Simms is a cherished longtime friend of the Speedway and we are thrilled to be able to work with him once again on his most recent venture," said Jerry Caldwell, executive vice president and general manager at Bristol Motor Speedway. "We're always honored when partners choose Bristol as the place to launch their new brands." "Zombie Auto is proud to join with the best venue in racing, Bristol Motor Speedway, as the sponsor of the Zombie Auto 125," said Simms, president of Zombie Auto. "We look forward to having a long relationship with the track as well as all the fans."

theloaferonline.com | April 18, 2017

Zombie Auto 125

Bringing The Bite

The horde of NASCAR K&N Series East cars will roar back to life at Bristol Motor Speedway in April as Zombie Auto becomes the official race partner.

Celebrates 30 Years

Food City Family Race Night

theloaferonline.com | April 18, 2017

Kasey Kahne

Food City Family Race Night is one of the premier pre-race events on the NASCAR circuit. This year, the company is proud to be celebrating the 30th Anniversary of this popular fan-based event, which will return to Bristol Motor Speedway on Friday, April 21st.

ans can expect an exciting line-up of Xfinity and Monster Energy Series drivers, interactive sessions, show cars, simulators, souvenir trailers and entertainment, combined with a massive offering of free food samples (while supplies last). Festivities will get underway at 4 p.m. and continue until 9 p.m., and admission is free of charge. Food City has already received confirmations from several popular drivers and attractions. Among those already confirmed are: Kyle Busch - 6:00pm (200 wristbands given out at 4:00 p.m. at distribution tent) Kasey Kahne - 6:00pm (300 wristbands given out at 4:00 p.m. at distribution tent) Ricky Stenhouse, Jr. - 6:00pm (200 wristbands given out at 4:00 p.m. at distribution tent) Aric Almirola (6:00 – 7:00 p.m.) Brandon Jones (5:30 – 6:30 p.m.) Brendan Gaughan (6:00 – 7:00 p.m.) Cole Whitt (time TBD) Hannah Seal (5:00 – 9:00 p.m.) JJ Yeley (time TBD) Ryan Reed (5:30 – 6:30 p.m.) Ross Chastain (7:00 – 9:00 p.m.) Jeremy Clements (time TBD) Late Model drivers: Danny Casteel, Dennis Deese, Matthew Eades, Adam Gray and Pork Chop Shupe NASCAR Legends: Brownie King, Gene Hobby, John Utsman, Larry Utsman, Paul Lewis, Terry Anderson and Travis Tiller Kart drivers: Brandon Morris and Drew Eades Street Stock driver: Colin Eades U-Car drivers Amber Huffman, Andrew Hudgins, Jacob Thomas, Kayla Surber and Zack Mathena Super Stock driver: Bobby Helton Lonesome Pine driver: Kevin Wolfe Kingsport Speedway driver: Kres VanDyke Open Wheel Modified drivers: Morgan Widener and Richard Shupe Dirt driver: Philip Thompson Forge Muscle Cars: George Lopata, Sr., George Lopata, Jr., Jim Fritz, Larry Payne, Austin Payne and Tim Lopata Mod drivers: Rodney Surber and Toby Jones Please note that scheduling and driver appearances are subject to change and autographs are limited to time availability.

drivers, including Bubba Wallace, Daniel Hemric and Brandon Jones 9 at 7:30 p.m. Appalachia Service Project will make a special announcement at 7:50 p.m., followed by a moving tribute to our nation’s veterans, given by Steve Wingfield and Audra McLaughlin at 7:55 p.m. Brad Keslowski will also participate in a special question and answer session (time TBD). The Tony Justice Band will take the stage for a live performance at 8:00 p.m. The event will close with a special fireworks display (weather permitting) at 9:05 p.m. Food City would like to thank this year’s media partners, Bristol Herald Courier and News Channel 11 in your corner. Food City will also host a Family Race Night event in Knoxville, TN on Thursday, April 20th at the Knoxville Expo Center from 4 p.m. until 8 p.m. Event proceeds benefit the East Tennessee Children’s Hospital. For a complete listing of Food City Family Race Night attractions and events, visit their website at www.foodcity.com, where updates will be posted periodically, or follow Food City on Twitter @ FoodCity#FoodCity500 #FCRaceNight.

theloaferonline.com | April 18, 2017

Live entertainment begins at 4:00 p.m. and features a number of talented artists, including Cody Shuler & Pine Mountain Railroad from 4:00 until 4:45 p.m. and the Dugger Band from 4:45 until 5:30 p.m. Audra McLaughlin, 2014 Finalist from NBC’s hit sensation “The Voice” will perform live in concert from 5:30 until 6:00 p.m. Welcome ceremonies will follow at 6:00 p.m., featuring MC Larry McReynolds, Mike Helton, Vice Chairman of NASCAR and Audra McLaughlin, singing the National Anthem. Several special announcements and presentations will be also made, including Len and Eddie Wood, seven-time NASCAR cup champion, Richard Petty and Kelley Earnhardt Miller. A question and answer session featuring Kelley Earnhardt Miller and Dale Jr. Motorsports drivers Elliott Sadler, Justin Allgaier, Michael Annett and William Byron will follow ceremonies at 6:30 p.m. Larry McReynolds, Darrell Waltrip, Richard Childress and Jeb Burton will take the stage for the Racing Review at 6:45 p.m., followed by a competitive series of interactive games, featuring a number of

2106 Food City 500 Photo: BristolMotorSpeedway.com

theloaferonline.com | April 18, 2017

The Passion of Pinter

Film/TV star embodies Nobel Prize-winning poet in one-man show

Harold Pinter is a legend of the contemporary theatre. The British playwright won the Nobel Prize for literature. There’s an international society for the exploration of his work. His New York Times obituary called Pinter “the most influential and imitated dramatist of his generation.”

inter died of cancer in 2008 at age 78. The cancer was already taking its toll by 2005, when Pinter was awarded the Nobel Prize, not only for his writing but also his humanitarianism and activism, and the writer gave his Nobel lecture by recorded video from his wheelchair. Also that year, Pinter – who got his start in theatre as an actor – was asked to perform a recital of his poetry for charity, but, because of the effects of esophageal cancer, he felt his voice was not strong enough. Enter British actor of stage, screen and television Julian Sands. Pinter asked Sands to recite the poems under the writer’s tutelage. The recital went well, Sands says, and after Pinter’s death in 2008, Sands – with the blessing of Pinter’s wife, Lady Antonia Fraser – performed the poetry and some remembrances as a memorial in Los Angeles. Cue a third titan of the stage and screen, John

Malkovich, who worked with Sands to create the oneman show A Celebration of Harold Pinter, in which Sands intermingles Pinter’s short poems – romantic, personal and political – with commentary from Pinter’s colleagues and critics, observations by the playwright’s widow and anecdotes of Sands’ own. Since performing A Celebration at the 2011 Edinburgh Festival, Sands has been touring the show – celebrating Pinter’s poetry and passion in New York, Chicago, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Mexico City, London, Paris, Budapest and other venues around the world. On Friday, April 21, Sands will bring his one-man show, A Celebration of Harold Pinter, to East Tennessee State University at 7:30 p.m. in ETSU’s Martha Street Culp Auditorium, sponsored by Mary B. Martin School of the Arts at ETSU. A Q&A with Sands will follow the show. “Appearing on a bare stage in a black suit and an open-

collared white shirt, Sands is poised, serious and striking …” Variety says. “His performance is taut, clean and actorly … [and] captures the pugnacity, precision and a little of the dry humor of an exacting writer.” “If you read Harold Pinter’s plays, and let’s be clear: They’re magnificent,” Sands says on radio’s Poet’s Café, “but it’s hard to have an idea of the personality of the author. The author is an opaque presence, but in the poetry Harold reveals his personal feelings, his political views, his thoughts, his humanity, his tremendous love, his passions … very openly, without any filtration. [A Celebration is] an incredible insight into the powerhouse

theloaferonline.com | April 18, 2017

of intellect and passion that this remarkable man contained.” Sands – known for his more than 100 films including A Room With A View, Oceans 13 and The Girl With the Dragon Tatoo and TV roles in 24, Dexter, Smallville and Ghost Whisperer – says his interest in Pinter goes back to his high school days when he studied The Birthday Party. Later, he starred in Basements, a TV adaptation of two Pinter plays The Room and The Dumb Waiter.” “Harold Pinter had been a sort of hero of mine even as a young student,” Sands says in a TV interview. “I had always taken any opportunity to be in his plays … [then] I had this extraordinary privilege of sessions with this maestro – the only actor he ever worked with on his poetry. It was so personal and intimate and so revealing of the romantic side of his life, the joy the love, the humanity.” The New York Times found A Celebration not only entertaining but also haunting. “When [Sands] reads Pinter’s poems, as well

as the odd prose piece, you feel the playwright’s presence,” writes reviewer Ben Brantley. “Or should I say Presence, with a capital P?” Mary B. Martin School of the Arts Director Anita DeAngelis saw the one-man show not only as an opportunity to bring a world-class actor, embodying a theatre legend, to the ETSU campus, but also as a chance to engage ETSU’s Division of Theatre & Dance and its students in the “celebration.” The collaboration result is that on Thursday, April 20, ETSU Patchwork Players will perform a staged reading of Other Places – 3 Plays by Harold Pinter in Studio 205 of Campus Center Building at 7:30 p.m. free of charge. The reading is under the direction of Theatre & Dance faculty member Melissa Shafer and advising of Department of Literature & Language Chair Dr. Katherine Weiss, acting as dramaturg. The trio of very short one-acts were written for radio performance, Weiss says, so they are well-suited for a staged reading with actors seated with scripts, rather than full performance. Students from Patchwork Players are also directing the readings, Shafer says, under her oversight. “It will be minimal and low tech,” Shafer says, “but since they are radio plays, it works well. And it’s really a companion piece and warmup for the Julian Sands Celebration on Friday. The plays are not ‘ha ha’ funny, but they are full of Pinter’s unique humor and wit and this is great experience for our students.” During the day Friday, April 21, Sands will do his own tutoring, with a theatre workshop for ETSU students, DeAngelis says. “These kinds of collaborations with campus departments are one of our privileges and part of the legacy of Jim and Mary B. Martin,” DeAngelis says. “We love to connect our visiting artists with students and community whenever possible. That makes this visit by an actor of Julian Sands’ stature something to celebrate in many ways.” Tickets for A Celebration are $5 for students of all ages with ID, $15 for seniors 60-plus, and $20 for general admission. Group rates are available. Admission to Other Places is free, but donations will be accepted. The Pinter works contain mature language. To purchase tickets online or for information about ETSU Mary B. Martin School of the Arts and its events, visit www.etsu.edu/martin or call 423-439-TKTS (8587).

Offered at William King Museum of Art

Local Artists Venue

theloaferonline.com | April 18, 2017

William King Museum of Art is dedicated to highlighting contemporary artwork in the region and continues to showcase that mission through its biennial exhibition From These Hills: Contemporary Art in the Southern Appalachian Highlands.

he 2017 exhibition will be guest curated by Courtney A. McNeil who is the chief curator of collections and exhibitions for Telfair Museums in Savannah, Georgia, the oldest public art museum in the South. Among the many exhibitions McNeil has curated at Telfair are Monet and American Impressionism; Mickalene omas at Giverny; and Spanish Sojourns: Robert Henri and the Spirit of Spain. Her recent publications include the essay “Imprinting Impressionism: The Graphic Work of Mary Cassatt, Frank Benson, and Childe Hassam,” in Monet and American Impressionism and Constructs and Inventions: The Etchings of Erik Desmazieres. Before coming to Telfair, McNeil was employed at the Childs Gallery in Boston, where she specialized in 19th- and early 20th-century American painting. She holds a B.A. from Georgetown University and an M.A. from the Courtauld Institute of Art in London. From These Hills is open to artists working in any media – painting, drawing, printmaking, photography, sculpture, ceramics, glass, textiles, mixed media, video, performance art – in the geographic areas of Southwest Virginia, Northeast Tennessee, Western North Carolina, Southern West Virginia, and Eastern Kentucky. To enter please go online at www. williamkingmuseum.org for an application and requirements for submission. Along with your entry form, please mail a cd or USB flash drive with six digital images or dvd for video and performance art, and an artist’s statement. Digital image les must be 72dpi with one image at 300dpi for commercial printing. Slides should be titled as lastname_title and in jpeg format. A non-refundable submission fee of $20 is required. Please make your check payable to William King Museum of Art. Submissions are due by July 21, 2017. For more information on portfolio submissions and other opportunities at the William King Museum of Art, please visit us at www.williamkingmuseum.org or call 276-628-5005. William King Museum of Art is located at 415 Academy Drive, off West Main Street or Russell Road, in Abingdon.

Got an event coming up? Send it to The Loafer! info@theloaferonline.com

The Early Years

Bud Light and Mellow Mushroom present Tri Cities Classic Rock 101.5 FM – WQUT’s “QStock Musical Festival” with The Loafer. The show features headliners “Mothers Finest”. The Loafer sat down for an exclusive interview with the venerable band’s founders: Glenn “Doc” Murdock and Joyce “Baby Jean” Kennedy. Here’s part one of that conversation. Pick up The Loafer for part two, “Reaping the Rewards”, next week. The Loafer: Back in 1970, when you first formed the band, was that the typical “starving band story”…slogging your own equipment around in the back of a van, playing infinite bar gigs? Glenn “Doc” Murdock: Yep. It was almost worse than that. I keep telling people the story. We were homeless. Joyce “Baby Jean” Kennedy: I ain’t been homeless a day in my life. Murdock: Well, the definition of homeless in that we had no permanent residence, and living in hotels basically, traveling around in a van. We did a bunch of gigs where the drums would move across the floor every time we hit the foot pedal. Kennedy: Because they weren’t nailed down. Those kinds of gigs. The Loafer: Well, this is a sensitive topic, but do you think being a band primarily featuring people of color, in 1970 America, did that make it harder? You weren’t

Continued on page 14

13 theloaferonline.com | March 28, 2017

Mothers Finest:

THE LOAFER’S EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW – Part 1 With Jeffrey Alan Payne

theloaferonline.com | April 18, 2017

14 Mothers Finest continued from page 13 Motown and you weren’t playing typical guitar rock roll either. Kennedy: We always had a philosophy where we had to show the energy and build respect from the audience, over the last 47 years. The Loafer: You think Sly and the Family Stone helped open some doors? Kennedy: I think any people of color that crossed the barrier and touched people did that, if you mean something to your audience and gained acceptance from them. We were barrier crushers, because at the time, there was a movement in this country. We did a lot of work all across the country in front of audiences that were racially mixed. The Loafer: In 1976, when you released "Ni**izz Can't Sang Rock 'n' Roll”, was that meant as a joke, or were you expressing anger? Murdock: At that time we had come to the conclusion that…because of the makeup of the band and type of music we were playing, it wasn’t fully acceptable to a lot of people. The temperament of America from 1970 to ’76…everything was changing, especially musically. Music was into everything, the politics, the spirituality…It was like “no holds barred”. Just that one little aggravating fact of racism, we could not fully get past that. If you were a black man, playing rock and roll, there was a problem. The record companies didn’t know where to put you. Radio was a little bit braver though, than the record companies. Kennedy: If you were a person of color, you were expected to play a certain type of music. You can’t tell whether the music is black or white, once you get it goin’, because if it’s good, it’s good. It’s going to touch you. It’s subject to interpretation. Murdock: We were trying to push buttons; we were trying to create controversy, awareness. That’s what the song was all about. They called Chuck Berry “a blues singer”, and he was anything but. He was the epitome of rock and roll. Yeah, we were a little upset, because questions like these should have been asked back then. The Loafer: When did the epiphany happen, and you realized Mothers Finest meant

something to other people besides you? Murdock: It was slowly. We were being heard, and people were coming to the concerts. So, as far as we were concerned, we did mean something. The audience wasn’t as big as we wanted it to be. Europe was an exception, because they kind of “got it”. The racism wasn’t the same kind of racism we were experiencing here in America. Kennedy: I think when we did “One Mother to Another” (1983 album), that’s when it was starting to happen. The Loafer: The question has been posed, “Why would anyone hire Mothers Finest to open for them, because they generally blow the headliner right off the stage?” Kennedy: We got that all the time, especially the bands would tell other bands. Murdock: We got kicked off a tour with “Earth, Wind and Fire”, a bunch of tours. Now, The Who was cool. They weren’t intimidated at all. Let’s break it down this way; the only acts that would accept us were…ACDC was up to the challenge, and ironically Lynyrd Skynyrd. Mothers Finest performs on Saturday, May 27th, at Kingsport Speedway, with special guests Ali Randolph and the Outta Luck Band, Rock and Roll Freak Show, and Asylum Suite. Tickets are $30, including service charge and tax. Order yours online at www.wqut.com. Read Part 2 in next week’s issue of The Loafer.

theloaferonline.com | April 18, 2017

Race Schedule

Thursday, April 20, 2017 6:30 PM - Speedway Children's Charities Annual Dinner (Bruton Smith Building - 3rd Floor) 7:00 PM to 9:00 PM - Speedway Children's Charities Track Laps for Kids (Infield/ Garage Entrance) Friday, April 21, 2017 BUSH'S BEANS POLE DAY 11:00 AM to Noon - Fan Zone Stage - If Birds Could Fly 11:30 AM to 12:55 PM - Food City 500 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series 1st Practice 12:00 PM to 3:00 PM - Meade Tractor Cornhole Classic Qualifier (Fan Zone) 12:15 PM to 1:00 PM - Fan Zone Stage - Shake It Like A Caveman 1:00 PM to 1:55 PM - Fitzgerald Glider Kits 300 NASCAR Xfinity Series Practice 1:15 PM to 2:15 PM - Fan Zone Stage - WyldeHeart 2:00 PM to 3:25 PM - Zombie Motors 125 Final Practice 2:30 PM to 4:00 PM - Fan Zone Stage - Aaron Jaxon Band 3:30 PM to 4:25 PM - Fitzgerald Glider Kits 300 NASCAR Xfinity Series Final Practice 4:00 PM to 9:00 PM - Food City Family Race Night (Hospitality Village Area) Open 4:45 PM - Bush's Beans Pole Day Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Qualifying 6:00 PM to 6:30 PM - Zombie Motors 125 NASCAR K&N Series Qualifying 7:30 PM to 8:30 PM - Spring Race 5K benefitting Speedway Children's Charities (Begins at Orange Bridge and ends Dragway Tower) 8:30 PM to 11:30 PM - Half Mile Hot Laps Driven by Seat Time Racing School benefitting Speedway Children's Charities Saturday, April 22, 2017 8:30 AM to 9:25 AM - Food City 500 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series First Practice 9:30 AM - Fitzgerald Gilder Kits 300 NASCAR Xfinity Series Qualifying 10:00 AM to 10:30 AM - Fan Zone Stage - If Birds Could Fly 10:45 AM to 11:15 AM - Fan Zone Stage - Shake It Like A Caveman 11:00 AM to 11:55 AM - Food City 500 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Final Practice 11:30 AM to 12:15 PM - Fan Zone Stage -WyldeHeart 11:30 AM to 12:30 PM - NASCAR K&N Series Drivers Autograph Session (Lot C) 12:30 PM to 1:15 PM - Fan Zone Stage - Aaron Jaxon Band 12:30 PM - Fitzgerald Glider Kits 300 NASCAR Xfinity Driver Introductions 1:00 PM - Start of the Fitzgerald Glider Kits NASCAR Xfinity Race 300 3:45 PM - Zombie Motors 125 NASCAR K&N Series Driver Introductions 4:00 PM - Start of Zombie Motors 125 NASCAR K&N Series Race Sunday, April 23, 2017 9:00 AM to 10:00 AM - Fan Zone Stage - WyldeHeart 9:00 AM to 2:00 PM Kids Zone - (Fan Zone) Open 9:00 AM - Raceway Ministries Worship Services 9:00AM to 9:30AM - iBelong Coffee and Doughnuts (Guest Welcome Village - Merchandise Midway) 9:00 AM to conclusion of Food City 500 - Pit Road Party Zone (Infield Hospitality) 9:00 AM to 12:00 PM - Pre Race Garage Party (Infield Hospitality) 10:30 AM to 11:30 AM - Fan Zone Stage - Track Side Show 10:30 AM to conclusion of Driver Introductions - SuperPass/ Pre-Race Track Walk benefitting Speedway Children's Charities (Infield/Track) 11:45 AM to 12:45 PM - Fan Zone Stage - Aaron Jaxon Band 12:20 PM - Pre-Race Concert (Infield) 1:20 PM - Food City 500 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Driver Introductions 2:00 PM - Start of Food City 500 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Race

For a complete schedule, visit: www.bristolmotorspeedway.com/fans/fan-schedule/

asic Photography” will cover the fundamental techniques an expert uses to create memorable images. The class will take participants both into the photographer’s studio and into the field, with a chance to learn the basics, as well as “hidden secrets.” Topics include the features and settings of a camera, lighting techniques and shot framing. Participants are encouraged to bring their own cameras. Dixon is the owner/operator of Keith Dixon Studios in Johnson City and focuses his energy on traditional studio work, underwater sessions, projection art and more. The session will be held from 9 a.m.5 p.m. at Keith Dixon Studios, 308 S. Roan St. Registration is $119, which does not include lunch. Additional information and registration are available online at www.etsu.edu/ professional development (click registration, then course listing). ETSU employees may use their employee audit benefit to pay for the class. For more information, call the Office of Professional Development at 800-222-3878.

theloaferonline.com | April 18, 2017

to be offered by ETSU Professional Development

Bristol Motor Speedway was established in 1961. Bristol Motor Speedway Dimensions • 0.533-mile concrete oval known as the “World’s Fastest Half Mile”. • Concrete racing surface is 40-feet wide • Straightaways are 650-feet long NASCAR stands for “National Association of Stock Car Auto Racing”. The creation of NASCAR is credited to bootleggers, who began modifying their cars to outrun the police. The first NASCAR race was held in Feb. of 1948 on the beach in Daytona, Florida NASCAR race cars use a 4-speed transmission. NASCAR uses an unleaded, ethanol fuel blend. Nitrogen is used in the tires rather than air because it has a more consistent rate of expansion and contraction. NASCAR drivers can experience 3 Gs of force against their bodies, comparable to the forces pressing down on shuttle astronauts at liftoff. Drivers can lose up to 10 pounds of fluid weight during a race through sweat.

‘Basic Photography’ class

Fast Facts:

A one-day course in “Basic Photography,” taught 17 by professional photographer Keith Dixon, will be offered by the East Tennessee State University Office of Professional Development on Saturday, April 22.

theloaferonline.com | April 18, 2017

Great American Cleanup On April 22, Keep Jonesborough Beautiful will sponsor an e-waste collection as well as a clean-up project within the Jonesborough town limits.

rom 8 a.m. to noon, volunteers will work on clean-up projects along the highways in Jonesborough. Volunteers are asked to check-in at the Food City of Jonesborough. The e-waste collection will also take place in the parking lot of Food City of Jonesborough from 8 a.m. to noon. This event will be part of Keep America Beautiful’s Great American Cleanup™, which is the largest volunteer event in America. In the last couple of years, an estimated 4.2 million volunteers in all 50 states participated in litter pickup, beautification, recycling and educational events. In the past, all 95 counties participated in GAC in Tennessee. Tennesseans donated more than 333,293

hours to clean, beautify and improve more than 1,022 communities. Over 8,324,757 pounds of litter was collected from 6,275 miles of Tennessee roads. Over 6.5 million pounds of recycling was collected as well. This will be Keep Jonesborough Beautiful’s second time participating in the Great American Clean Up. Last year’s projects included creek bed clean up and an e-waste collection. Volunteers are needed for both the highway and e-waste projects. Anyone interested in participating on April 22 is asked to contact Jeff Thomas at 423-753-1006 or jefft@jonesboroughtn.org.

oldberg will drive the official Chevy pace car prior to the start of the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series race on Sunday, April 23. The wrestling legend served as host of Bristol's fan favorite driver intros during the last two April race weekends. "Bill Goldberg has always brought an energy that gets all of us extra pumped for the Food City 500," said Jerry Caldwell, executive vice president and general manager of Bristol Motor Speedway. "After headlining the biggest wrestling event on the planet, we can't wait for him to experience what it is like to lead 40 of NASCAR's best around the half-mile high banks of The Last Great Colosseum prior to the green flag." Goldberg returned to wrestling action with WWE in late 2016, defeating fellow superstar and former UFC fighter Brock Lesnar at Survivor Series 2016 and the 2017 Royal Rumble. This Sunday, the pair will headline at wrestling's grandest stage, Wrestlemania 33. Goldberg won his first WWE Universal Championship earlier this month, defeating then-champion Kevin Owens at WWE Fastlane. "My first NASCAR experience occurred at Bristol Motor Speedway, so it only makes sense to keep coming back," said Goldberg, who is the only wrestler in history to have won the WWE Universal, WWE World Heavweight and WCW World Heavyweight titles. "I can't wait to drive the official pace car and lead the Food City 500 field to the green flag. It's going to be one of the coolest experiences of my life." In addition to his role as honorary Chevy pace car driver, Goldberg will also participate in pre-race ceremonies, fan meet-and-greets and serve as a host for Colossus TV. Tickets for the Food City 500 weekend are still available. Weekend packages start at just $99 for adults and $10 for kids (12-and-under). See Goldberg up close and personal during Food City 500 pre-race festivities with a Pre-Race SuperPass! For more information, visit www.BristolTix.com or call 423-BRISTOL.

19 theloaferonline.com | April 18, 2017

As Honorary Pace Car Driver

Bill Goldberg Returns

Wrestling legend and current WWE Universal Champion Bill Goldberg will serve as the honorary Chevy pace car driver for the Food City 500.

theloaferonline.com | April 18, 2017

Adults and children seeking an outlet for their musical talent are invited to audition for two new choirs forming in the Tri-Cities.

OX & Company, a member of the East Tennessee State University Innovation Lab, is the brainchild of Dwight Whitworth, a minister of music with more than four decades of performance, leadership and experience. “VOX is an acronym for ‘vocal outlet exchange,’” Whitworth explains, “because it offers an outlet for singers and players who don’t have an outlet for their talent and/or their genre of music, as well as for those who want to expand their performance opportunities with a larger group and on a broader scale. “The people of this region are known for their inherent musical talent expressed through widely diverse musical styles,” he continued. “Oddly enough, there isn’t any venue that is inclusive of such diversity, especially now that many churches are transitioning from choirs to smaller contemporary worship teams.” VOX & Company’s mission is to give these musicians the platform to explore a variety of music genres, allowing them to express their unique identities. It will provide opportunities for musicians who wish to broaden their “musical borders,” as well as for members of smaller choirs who would like to be part of something bigger. VOX & Company is comprised of VOX, which aims to become the TriCities’ largest mass choir with 300 singers; CANDLELIGHT, a 30-voice children’s choir for grades 2-8; and WHETSTONE, which offers vocal coaching, keyboard instruction and church music consultation services. VOX and CANDLELIGHT will also feature breakout groups.

Concerts featuring VOX and CANDLELIGHT will include a variety of musical genres, including Southern Gospel, Black Gospel, hymns, bluegrass, contemporary Christian, praise and worship, and classical, as well as music from across the globe. VOX & Company also integrates emerging technology in their rehearsals, performances and recordings. “VOX & Company has a passion for uncovering an individual’s musical genius,” said Dr. Audrey Depelteau, director of the ETSU Innovation Lab. “They are also passionate about fusing this musical talent with technology to create something new, vibrant and exciting.” Auditions for VOX and CANDLELIGHT are scheduled throughout the Tri-Cities and will be held on the following dates: April 18 at Northeast State Community College, Blountville; April 20 in the Pine Room at Franklin Health and Fitness, Elizabethton; April 24 at ETSU in the D.P. Culp Center’s Martha Street Culp Auditorium; April 25 at Northeast State’s Bristol Campus; and April 27 at the Renaissance Arts Center and Theatre, Kingsport. All auditions will begin at 7 p.m. For more information about VOX & Company, visit www.voxandco.com or contact Whitworth at

whetstone@voxandco.com or 423-302-0745. For more information about the ETSU Innovation Lab, visit www.etsu.edu/ilab or contact Depelteau at depelteau@etsu.edu or 423-439-8535.

theloaferonline.com | April 18, 2017

VOX & Company announces open auditions

Mile Twelve Bluegrass Band

theloaferonline.com | April 18, 2017

n Friday April 21st, come hear Boston-based bluegrass band Mile Twelve in concert at The Down Home in Johnson City, TN. Mile Twelve is a fresh, hard driving young band beautifully walking the line between original and traditional bluegrass. Fast gaining recognition for their outstanding performances in bluegrass and folk circles, Evan Murphy, Bronwyn Keith-Hynes, Nate Sabat, BB Bowness and David Benedict perform captivating songs and daring instrumental pieces from diverse influences. Banjo luminary Tony Trischka says, "Mile Twelve is carrying the bluegrass tradition forward with creativity and integrity.” You can listen to Mile Twelve’s music at their website here: http:// www.miletwelvebluegrass.com/ For further information, contact David Benedict at (864) 650-1005

Live at The Down Home - April 22nd Doors at 7:30PM • Music at 8:00 PM. Tickets $12.

theloaferonline.com | April 18, 2017

April 22 @ The Willow Tree Coffeehouse

Dangermuffin’s Spring Tour

Charleston, SC’s Dangermuffin is proud to announce the 23 release of their newest studio album Heritage on March 31st, 2017. Themes of sea, sun, and spiritual connection weave through the eight-track release combining a cohesive blend of Alt-Americana, Island grooves, Folk and Jam. In celebration of the band’s sixth release, Dangermuffin will tour throughout the spring and summer in support of the album.

n Heritage, Dangermuffin reaches into their creative arsenal to craft an album showcasing the band’s signature coastalinfluenced grooves melded with Americana sensibilities and Appalachian fingerpicking. The album’s lyrics contemplate the universal human connection to our ancestors, ancient traditions and symbols while yearning for humanity to get back to its roots. It is an audible showcase weaving introspective lyrics with catchy, nimble guitar riffs. Six of the eight songs were recorded acoustically adding to the album’s organic feel; and although Dangermuffin has performed as a trio for nearly a decade, the recent addition of their newest member Markus Helander of Finland on drums makes Heritage the band’s most progressive album to date. Fittingly, the album’s soaring vocals were recorded in Charleston’s historic Unitarian Church, a National Historic Landmark built in 1772. Heritage opens with “Ode To My Heritage”, a twangy foot-tapping gospel featuring vocalist/ guitarist Dan Lotti’s vibrant tenor. On “Waves”, the quartet channels an island feel with Mike Sivilli’s arpeggiated guitar and jubilant vocal harmonies complimented by sunny saxophone tones from guest musician Mike Quinn. “Ancient Family”, the album’s lead single, meditates on our ancestral connections and cosmic currents. Lotti sings “My ancient family/ will you rise up with me” as breezy guitar licks and vocal harmonies swirl and emblaze. On “Ol’ Fidel”, the album’s fifth track, Dangermuffin builds an acoustic reggae foundation that explodes into an all out jam. “One Last Swim”, a tribute to band’s late friend percussionist Kirk Horn, closes out the album. Dangermuffin befriended Kirk in Columbus, OH while touring through the region over the last several years. When Kirk fell terminally ill, he moved to a place he had never been, Folly Beach, SC, to experience the joy and deep connection to the ocean that his friends describe in their music. Lotti wrote the track in a fit of inspiration before realizing that the words were for and about his friend who performed on the track and passed on only a week later.

To Wolf Hills Brewing Co.

Annabelle's Curse Returns theloaferonline.com | April 18, 2017

Annabelle's Curse will be returning to Wolf Hills Brewing Co. in Abingdon, VA on 4/22 to celebrate Earth Day! Asheville artist, Pierce Edens will open the show. The Lost and Found art of Shawn Crookshank art opening will also take place at the brewery that evening. Tickets are $10 and may be purchased at http://tinyurl. com/k2pujtz.

he first 50 people that purchase tickets online will receive an exclusive Annabelle's Curse pint glass to pick up on the day of the show. The event is scheduled from 6-10.

“

Annabelle’s Curse is a five-piece alternative folk band hailing from Bristol TN/VA, and sort of like the town where they were born, their music sits on the border between two places. One place finds them unplugged, on a large front porch, reveling in the old folk songs that they were raised on while their nearest and dearest friends and family drink and sing along. The other place is plugged in, awash in neon lights and drunk on the rock and roll spirit that drives them to leave the porch, pile in a van, and play long into the night while the anonymous drinkers dance. Their music feels like these two different places at the same time, but like the city that they call home, it’s just two sides of one place and one sound – a sound that they can truly call their own." -Justin Green, Bear Kids Records Annabelle’s Curse members are Tim Kilbourne (vocals, banjo, guitar), Carly Booher (vocals, mandolin), Zack Edwards (guitar), Travis Goyette (percussion), and Tyler Luttrell (bass). As an independent band, Annabelle’s Curse’s fan support has been instrumental to their success. They have released three full-length albums; the most recent two, Hollow Creature and Worn Out Skin, were fully funded by fans. Since forming in 2010, Annabelle’s Curse has toured extensively, developing a devoted fan base throughout the southeast and midAtlantic. Annabelle’s Curse has supported acts such as Anderson East, The Black Lillies, HoneyHoney, and Humming House.

theloaferonline.com | April 18, 2017

Spotlight

theloaferonline.com | April 18, 2017

- TUESDAY - April 18th Open Mic Wolf Hills Brewing Downtown Country Jiggy Ray’s Pizzeria Tamara Hansson and the Sparrow Blue Acoustic Coffeehouse

- WEDNESDAY - April 19th Saddle of Southern Darkness Capone’s Ben Shuster Wild Wing Cafe Open Mic The Willow Tree Coffeehouse & Music Room Open Mic Jiggy Ray’s Pizzeria Hold Gallows Capone’s Mal Cooper Acoustic Coffeehouse

- THURSDAY - April 20th Shake It Like A Caveman Studio Brew Mike Snodgrass Band Wild Wing Cafe Jam with The Tri-Cities Jazz Orchestra Wellington’s Restaurant Shooter Holston River Brewing Company Nostalgia Duo Rock’s Wood Fired Pizza & Grill Shake It Like A Caveman Studio Brew Bella Bane Blackbird Bakery Spencer Scholes Bone Fire Smokehouse Cameron Tate Model City Tap House Lance Stinson Holston River Brewing Company Wormhole / Indighost / Jake Quillen Band Acoustic Coffeehouse Nostalgia Duo Rock’s Wood Fired Pizza & Grill

- FRIDAY - April 21st Before The Storm 50Fifty Sports Tavern

If you or your band are playing in the upcoming week and would like to be in The Spotlight, call in advance to (423) 283-4324 or go online to: theloaferonline.com. Due to last minute cancellations or changes, please call the location to confirm.

- SATURDAY - April 22nd -

- FRIDAY - April 21st Chris Hennessee Acoustic 10am Virginia Ground 5:30pm Lance Stinson 7:30pm The Fairview Union 9:30pm Earhart Campground The SteelDrivers Emory & Henry College If Birds Could Fly Studio Brew Retroville Sonny’s Cafe Shooter Memorial Park Community Center Monk & Malone Our House Restaurant Mile Twelve Down Home Tanya Tucker Paramount Center for the Arts Tennessee LaRue The Silver Spur Shinebonealley Band The Silver Spur La Terza Classe Bone Fire Smokehouse Adam Bolt & The Cutters and Wyldeheart Holston River Brewing Company Violet Bell The Willow Tree Coffeehouse & Music Room Katie Buxton / The Hummingbyrds Acoustic Coffeehouse

- SATURDAY - April 22nd -

Southern Countrymen David Thompson’s Produce Mark Larkins Macado’s David Caldwell Our House Restaurant If Birds Could Fly Damascus Brewery Phantom Lincoln Theatre Sundown Band CJ’s Sports Bar Rusty Steel w/ Quarter Bounce The Eagles Club The Breakfast Club Capone’s Shades of Refinement The Barn Amethyst Kiah, Tyler Hughes & Sam Gleaves, and Joy Blair Birthplace of Country Music Museum Rickey Skaggs & Kentucky Thunder Paramount Center for the Arts Sundown Band CJ’s Sports Bar Alexa Rose Bone Fire Smokehouse Hogslop Carter Family Fold Acoustic Reaction Holiday Inn Annabelle’s Curse Wolf Hills Brewing

Steve Rutledge & the Groove Evolution Wild Wing Cafe

Asylum Suite Holston River Brewing Company

Chris Hennessee Acoustic 10am Country Wide 5:00pm Dirty Grass Soul 6:30pm Jamie Lynn Spears 8:30pm Benton Blount 9:45pm Earhart Campground

Dangermuffin The Willow Tree Coffeehouse & Music Room

Local H w/ Haal The Hideaway Railway Express Kingsport Eagles Ryan Ward Jiggy Ray’s Pizzeria Crazy Like Lexi Sonny’s Cafe

Ricky Skaggs & Kentucky Thunder Paramount Center for the Arts Stacy Lawson Acoustic Coffeehouse The Diamonds Rock’s Wood Fired Pizza & Grill

for show time & more details, visit

theloaferonline.com

Tuna Goat Show Gypsy Circus Cider Company Benton Blount Earhart Campground

- MONDAY - April 24th -

Wolf Hills Jazz Bone Fire Smokehouse

Open Mic Acoustic Coffeehouse

Community Center Rapid River Boys Acoustic Coffeehouse

Open Mic Rock’s Wood Fired Pizza & Grill

for show time & more details, visit

KARAOKE

SPOTLIGHT DIRECTORY

theloaferonline.com Acoustic Coffeehouse 415 W Walnut St. Johnson City 423-434-9872

Country Club Bar & Grill 3080 W State St Bristol 423-844-0400

Model City Tap House 324 E Market St. Kingsport 423-765-0875

Bone Fire Smokehouse at the Hardware 260 W Main St Abingdon VA 276-623-0037

Country Club of Bristol 6045 Old Jonesboro Rd. Bristol 423-652-1700

Rock’s Wood Fired Pizza & Grill 3119 Bristol Hwy. Johnson City 423-262-0444

Holiday Inn (Exit 7) 3005 Linden Dr. Bristol VA 276-466-4100

Sonny’s Marina & Café 109 One Street Gray, TN 423-282-9440

CJ’S Sports Bar 516 Morelock St. Kingsport 423-390-1361

Holston River Brewing Company 2621 Volunteer Pkwy Bristol TN

TUESDAY Karaoke w/ Tina and West at Dawg House Tavern Karaoke at Numan’s - Johnson City TN *********************** WEDNESDAY Karaoke w/ Toddzilla at Sportsmans Pub Karaoke w/ Southern Sounds Karaoke at American Legion 8pm Karaoke w/ DJ Marquez & Open Mic Entertainment at Holston River Brewing Company Karaoke w/ Absolute Entertainment at Smokey Bones - Johnson City TN Turn the Page Karaoke at VFW Post 2108 - Johnson City TN *********************** THURSDAY Karaoke w/ Absolute Entertainment at Macado’s - Kingsport Karaoke at Numan’s - Johnson City TN Karaoke w/ Absolute Entertainment at New Beginning’s Karaoke at Jiggy Rays Pizzaria *********************** FRIDAY Karaoke w/ Southern Sounds Karaoke at Sportsman’s Bar & Grill 9pm Karaoke at Kingsport Moose Lodge Karaoke w/ Reverb Karaoke at The Cottage 8:30 pm

Turn the Page Karaoke at VFW Post 2108 - Johnson City TN Karaoke w/ Toddzilla at Sportsmans Pub Karaokeat CJ’s Sports Bar Karaoke at BoBo’s - Damascus VA Karaoke at Elizabethton VFW - Elizabethton TN Karaoke w/ DJ Marques at Holiday Inn (Exit 7) - Bristol VA Karaoke w/ Absolute Entertainment at Moe’s Original BBQ at Numan’s - Johnson City TN Karaoke w/ Absolute Entertainment at Los Amigo's - Kingsport TN *********************** SATURDAY Karaoke at The Horseshoe Lounge Karaoke w/ Toddzilla at Sportsmans Pub Karaoke at Kingsport Moose Lodge Turn the Page Karaoke at VFW Post 2108 - Johnson City TN Karaoke w/ Absolute Entertainment at Macado’s - Kingsport Karaoke at Numan’s - Johnson City TN ***********************

theloaferonline.com | April 18, 2017

- SUNDAY - April 23rd -

Makes Their Tennessee Debut

Sparrow Blue theloaferonline.com | April 18, 2017

Sparrow Blue from Massachusetts is making their Tennessee Debut at the Acoustic Coffeehouse in Johnson City on Tuesday April 18, 2017 at 10pm. The acoustic roots songwriting duo features Katy Boc on Fiddle and Todd Nickerson on Guitar. Sparrow Blue's energetic and thoughtful original music is influenced by traditional, bluegrass, country, and folk.

aving met in 2014, Katy and Todd began writing songs together after discovering a mutual love for American roots music. It wasn’t long before they began performing as a duo, featuring their original songs. Over the past year, Sparrow Blue has performed at venues such as the Spire Center for the Performing Arts, Club Passim, TOAD Cambridge, Atwoods Tavern, and Rockwood Music Hall. In November of 2015 they released their debut album "Mabel. " Sparrow Blue is planning to release their second album in 2017. As a fiddler and violinist, Katy has performed throughout the country for more than twenty years. Katy received her Bachelor of Music degree in Performance from the University of Texas at Austin, where she studied viola with Roger Myers. With years of classical training behind her, she began exploring other styles of music, focusing primarily on American roots music and bluegrass. In addition to playing fiddle, she also plays viola, mandolin, ukulele, and sings. She frequently performs with bands throughout New England including Girls, Guns & Glory, CrabGrass Bluegrass Band, and 6 East. In addition to performing, Katy teaches violin, viola, fiddle, and mandolin to students of all ages at her private teaching studio on the south shore of Massachusetts. Todd is a founding member of the Americana Band 6 East and has been performing throughout New England for more than ten years. 6 East released two full length albums of original songs ('Living the Dream' - 2011 and 'Rising' - 2013), both of which received significant radio airplay in Americana and Jam Band radio formats, as well as international radio play. Todd plays guitar and harmonica.

Speedway Children's Charities reached its $1 million goal in 2016 and is primed to have another successful year, beginning with the Food City 500 race weekend.

ome of SCC's opportunities include the Track Laps presented by Johnny Brusco's, Spring Race 5K presented by Agero, annual SCC dinner presented by Tele-Optics, Meade Tractor Cornhole Classic, Bristol Ultimate Experiences Online Auction and Half-Mile Hot Laps driven by Seat Time Racing School "We had an incredible year in 2016, but we aren't resting on our laurels," said Claudia Byrd, executive director of speedway children's charities. "We want to continue raising the bar and doing what we can to make a difference in the lives of the region's children, and with your help, we can achieve those goals." On Thursday, April 20, Track Laps presented by Johnny Brusco's will be held at 7 and 8 p.m. For $35, guests can drive their own vehicle around the World's Fastest Half-Mile for five laps. Additionally, fans can get their picture taken in Victory Lane for an extra $10 donation. Guests are asked to arrive 30 minutes prior to their session time. The official Spring Race 5K presented by Agero will also take place on Friday, April 21 at 7:30 p.m. It is the first race of a three-race series for BMS in 2017. Guests will be able to take in the sights and sounds of Food City Family Race Night, BMS campgrounds and go for a lap around The Last Great Colosseum. Registration is $25 at www.bristol.speedwaycharities.org. The annual SCC Dinner presented by Tele-Optics will be held Thursday, April 20, beginning at 6:30 p.m. in the third floor banquet room of the Bruton Smith Building. NASCAR Hall of Famer and two-time Bristol winner Mark Martin will be the special guest for the evening. Please contact Betsy Holleman at (423) 989-6975 for details and to reserve a space. The Meade Tractor Cornhole Classic will take place April 21, 22 and 23 in the Fan Engagement Area at BMS. Cost is $40 to enter per team. Guests can register at www.bristol.speedwaycharities.org or on site, pending open spaces. Qualifying will take place on Friday, April 21 at 2 and 5 p.m. and Saturday,

April 22 at 10 a.m. and 6 p.m. The Grand Championship will be held Sunday, April 23 at 9 a.m. The Bristol Ultimate Experiences Online Auction runs until April 21. Auction items include the Bristol Motor Speedway All-Access Package and the Ride of a Lifetime package, which could include a driver intro truck ride with Dale Earnhardt Jr., Kevin Harvick and Clint Bowyer to name a few. For more information, visit www.sccauctions.com. Â For guests who want to experience the thrill of top speeds around BMS, check out Half-Mile Hot Laps driven by Seat Time Racing School. Experiences will be set up on track from 8:30 11:30 p.m. on Friday, April 21. For more information, visit www.seattimeracingschool.com. A portion of the proceeds will benefit SCC. On race day, guests are encouraged to participate in the Red Bucket Brigade. During the first caution or at the end of the first stage, whichever comes first, volunteers will be passing around red buckets in the grandstands. Fans are encouraged to donate their loose change into the buckets. For more information, visit www.bristol.speedwaycharities.org.

29 theloaferonline.com | April 18, 2017

SCC Always Ready

For An Exciting Food City 500 Weekend

theloaferonline.com | April 18, 2017

21st CENTURY SPACE AGE

the millions of words written about the 1960s Moon Race between USA Is Dreaming Again Among and USSR, one word that once exemplified the spirit of those times is finally A world-wide celebration of man's first spaceflight 56 years ago this week has begun, culminating in “Yuri's Night” April 12. That's the date coming back intoRussian today’sYuri 21stGagarin Century space endeavors: when was blasted off EarthDream. into orbit to become the first spaceman. he conquest of the Moon was very much a climax for dreamers. later the thrill seemed to be gone as the pinpoint landing of Apollo 12 garnered

Stargazer

By Mark Marquette since 1996 stargazermarq@ gmail.com

America proved with the Apollo space program that there is a human curiosity to pursue dreams. The bigger the dream the more it triggers all of mankind’s attention. Dreams, large and small, have dominated the history of our great nation. America’s founding fathers dreamed of a country founded on morals and the premise that all men are created equal. The curiosity about the West Coast sent dreaming settlers pushing toward the Pacific. There was the flight of the “dreamer” Charles Lindbergh and his historic airplane flight across the Atlantic Ocean. Finally the Apollo 11 moon landing on July 20, 1969 fulfilled an ultimate dream of mankind. Today there are three more big dreamers joining NASA who want to go to Mars, the Moon and beyond: SpaceX, Blue Origin and Orbital ATK. A new era in space exploration is happening in 2017. Florida’s Space Coast, centered on Kennedy Space Center, is alive. Private industry construction is exploding on the government property around NASA, building new generation rockets and manned spaceships for missions back to the Moon, Mars and even asteroids. SpaceX and Orbital ATK have already become major players in sending supply ships to the orbiting International Space Station. Blue Origin is building a massive facility for their rockets and manned spaceship within eyesight of the KSC visitor center. All this dreaming is in strong contrast to the celebration this week of the 45th anniversary of NASA’s fifth successful Moon landing by the astronauts of Apollo 16 on April 20, 1972. The three-day scientific exploration of the Moon by Apollo 16 garnered little attention by the public despite proving why humans are necessary for exploration of extraterrestrial worlds. There was minimal live coverage after the landing, and Americans were only reminded of the moonwalkers during regular newscasts on radio, television and the inside pages of newspapers. Apollo 16 was one of the most important of the six successful Moon landings, overcoming in-flight technical obstacles and discovering a landing site completely different than what geologists had predicted. The moon rocks of shattered breccias and anorthosites picked up by the two Apollo 16 moonwalkers were a surprise from the predicted igneous rocks of volcanism. That was the main discovery of Apollo 16—that scientists were wrong with the prediction that the Descartes Mountains were formed by volcanism with the Cayley Plains flooded by lava. Geologists watched on TV as the moonwalkers picked up rocks disproving their volcanism theory, vindication of why humans explore to seek the truth. The American dream of scientific bases on the Moon and eventual commercialization to the ultimate vacation lunar “get-away” were tarnished by the reality of three Apollo 13 astronauts’ dangerous brush with death from April 11-17, 1970, two years before Apollo 16. Indeed, it was American ingenuity and the classic “can do” attitude that brought Apollo 13 safely home after an oxygen tank explosion crippled the life support system of the Apollo command spaceship Odyssey half-way to the Moon. Using their moonship Aquarius built for two, the three astronauts survived near freezing temperatures, suffocating carbon dioxide, and dangerously low power levels. Apollo 13 was the third attempt at landing on the Moon, following the epic Apollo 11 landing and later that year the Apollo 12 touchdown on Nov. 19 next to an unmanned lander sent 18 months earlier. While the world watched Apollo 11 with incredible intensity, just four months

just a fraction of the attention. It didn’t help that during the second Moon landing there was no live coverage of the moonwalks as the portable television camera was rendered useless when accidentally pointed to the Sun. The Apollo 14 moon landing on Feb 5, 1971, was a confidence builder, repeating the intended Apollo 13 mission to the Frau Mauro valley and fulfilling a dream of original Mercury astronaut and moonwalker Alan Shepard. On July 30, 1971, Apollo 15 landed beside a huge, wandering lava bed to begin the first, three-day scientific exploration with the mobility of a lunar car. Those moonwalkers brought back the “Genesis Rock,” a 4 billion-year-old piece of the Solar System’s creation. By the time Apollo 16 rocketed off launch pad 39A at Kennedy Space Center on April 16, 1972, Apollos 18, 19 and 20 were cancelled by the US Congress and the public apathy toward the dream of a permanent lunar outpost was at an all-time high. Americans were jaded by a 1970s-valued $40 billion-plus price tag for the Moon Race and questions about the tangible rewards on Earth. And, keep in mind, during NASA’s quest for the Moon, the U.S. Congress also financed the expensive and divisive Vietnam War, while Americans struggled with racial strife and inequality in their own backyards. When Apollo 16 landed on the Moon on April 20, 1972, America’s space dreams had shifted to the Space Shuttle, which was still on the drawing board. Commander John Young, now 86, was on his fourth spaceflight, and would be standing on the Moon during the last of three excursions outside of moonship Orion when the NASA Capsule Communicator told him Congress had okayed funding for the dream of a reusable Space Transportation System, aka the Space Shuttle. Space hero Young didn’t realize that nine years later on April 12, 1981, he would be the commander of the maiden voyage of Columbia— another of America’s bold dreams in the Space Age. Young and his moon-walking mate, Charlie Duke, 81, explored the lunar highlands area called Descartes, camping out in their moonship Orion for three days and driving their Lunar Rover for 17 miles in a serious scientific exploration in the middle of a mountain range. The intense geology training on Earth paid off for the Apollo 16 astronauts as they were at first puzzled not to find the predicted igneous rocks, and instead found rocks brought up from the upheaval of the Descartes Mountains. The 211 pounds of lunar rock, dirt and core samples were a scientific bonanza that is still being analyzed four decades later. When the final Apollo 17 moon voyage landed Dec. 11, 1972 with Gene Cernan, deceased, and rookie Harrison Schmitt, 81, NASA’s dreams had shifted from Moon bases to a space truck. The dream of the Space Transportation System was for reusable Space Shuttle orbiters to pay for themselves by hauling commercial satellites and experiments into low Earth orbit. That dream literally blew up with the Space Shuttle Challenger launch explosion on Jan. 26, 1986. The expensive and inefficient Space Transportation System was revealed to be too complex and dangerous as a reliable parcel service to outer space. Instead it became the only way to build the incomparable, $100 billion International Space Station. Now with the Space Shuttle retired after 30 years, 133 successful flights and two disasters, America is without a manned spacecraft. NASA’s dream now is building the six-person Orion spacecraft for use hopefully by 2020. Today the big dreamers are the three private space companies—Space X, Blue Origin and Orbital ATK—all vying for their manned spaceships to fly to the International Space Station, the Moon and Mars. For the 21st Century Space Age, there is still much to dream about.

he Moon is in the domain of the morning stars, leaving the evenings free of moonlight and the time when amateur astronomers look for nebula, galaxies and other “deep sky” objects. And with your own eyes you can see the faintest stars and complete the outlines of constellations Leo, Virgo, the Big and Little Bears and more.

Tuesday, April 18 Good bye to the bright stars of Winter! Orion starts to nod toward the western horizon as it sets around 10:30 pm, taking with it the bright star patterns of Winter, including Taurus, Canis Major and Gemini.

handle arching to bright star Arcturus, speeding on to bright white star Spica with brilliant planet Jupiter above in the ancient a huge constellation Virgo the Virgin. The old amateur astronomer axiom is “arc to Arcturus, speed on to Spica.”

Wednesday, April 19 Last Quarter is today with the Moon rising after 1 am and becoming a crescent in pre-dawn sky. On this 1971 date in space history, the Soviet Union launched the world’s first space station, called Salyut 1. It was occupied for 28 days by the three man crew of Soyuz 11. But an air leak in the cabin during reentry killed the cosmonauts, quietly suffocating them as their spaceship landed safely.

Saturday, April 22 Stargaze with amateur astronomers at Bays Mt. Park in Kingsport tonight from 8-10 pm at a free “Starwatch” program.

Thursday, April 20 On this 1972 date in space history, Apollo 16 safely landed on the Moon in a mountainous area called Descartes, bringing back 211 pounds of rocks and soil. John Young, 86, and Charlie Duke, 81, camped out for three days on the lunar surface, driving their Lunar Rover 17 miles during three, 7-hour exploration trips outside the safety of their moonship named Orion. Ken Mattingly, 81, circled the Moon in their mothership called Casper—the only ride back to home planet Earth. Friday, April 21 In the north, the Big Dipper is visible in all its glory, its three stars of its

Sunday, April 23 Virgo the Virgin is a sprawling star pattern with only a couple dozen faint stars occupying her borders across most of the southern sky. It’s an ancient constellation idolized by the Greeks. Bright star Spica draws attention to Virgo, and for a few months Jupiter will be visiting the lady. By the way, with all the interesting names for females in today’s society, how about naming your baby Virgo? It seemed to work a few thousand years ago! Monday, April 24 On this 1970 date in space history, China became the fifth space-faring nation by launching their first satellite. Today, China is trying to become a big player in space by escalating their manned program. They have already occupied two small space stations, landed an unmanned rover on the Moon and have announced plans to put Chinese “taikonauts” on the Moon in 1015 years.

theloaferonline.com | April 18, 2017

THIS WEEK

SKIES

Celestial events in the skies for the week of April 18 - 24, 2017 as compiled for The Loafer by Mark D. Marquette. 31

theloaferonline.com | April 18, 2017

Dispatches While Being Sick Hello, dear readers. This week I was going to have a rather amusing column for you about what happens when you get a friend request on Facebook from someone you appear to have gone to high school with, but have no memory of. Alas, that is not what this week’s column is about. Your humble writer has been stricken with the plague of allergies and sinus attack--for the second time this year. Instead of coming to you from my trusty old desk in my wood and leather encrusted office, I am writing to you from the confines of my bed, where I am surrounded by ricola wrappers, and crumpled up tissues.

I Batteries Not Included

By Andy Ross aross@ theloaferonline.com

don’t know what is to blame for this second bout of crud. Was it my go-go, international Playboy lifestyle? Was it the lukewarm pork I ate for dinner the other night? Perhaps giving up my daily bath in purell is the culprit? I shall ring my personal physician Dr. Hugo Hackenbush for answers. He has a team on standby to cryogenically freeze me just in case this stuff turns South REAL quick. This all part of the plan “Keep Andy Around” that I finance with my holdings I make from the reruns of “That’s My Leprosy” I starred in. Friends have said they are willing to come and visit me, but I’m now so paranoid about germs I have forbidden them from seeing me. I’m too weak anyway. I’m not actually

typing this, I’m using a morse code system that is translated into Siri which is causing the words to appear. It’s not perfect, but so far it’s been mostly error free taco bell is only 2.3 miles away, do you want me to navigate? Don’t worry about me, dear readers. This much needed rest with recharge my system and I’ll be back to my usual, unstoppable self before too long. I have so many things coming up, I can’t afford to be sick anyway. There’s my lecture tour “The Grimace Made Me Sad: How To Deal With Fast Food Mascot Terror” that has sold out in Waffle House parking lots all over this great nation of ours. My novel about a scrappy young newspaper reporter named Crunch Mahoney called “Ink and Tears on the Train Tracks” comes

out soon, as does my first ever album “Come Sabotage With Me: Andy Ross Croons The Beastie Boys Songbook.” This is why I must power through. I’m drinking gallons of green tea, and eating nothing but warm broth with NyQuil chasers. Hopefully I should be back to my usual self before too long. I can’t imagine all this medication having too much of an ill effect on me. By the way, have you seen the purple elephant in the bathroom? See you next week.

theloaferonline.com | April 18, 2017

Application Deadline Extended

Build An Event theloaferonline.com | April 18, 2017

The Crooked Road is offering a fast-paced, hands-on workshop for high school and college students in Southwest Virginia to develop festival and event management skills that can be used in many applications. The one-day workshop will cover event conceptualization & marketing, programming (booking, artist relations and contracting), event logistics (event and festival management), and concert production (lighting, sound & recording). Presenters include representatives from some of the regionâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s premiere festivals and events including Blue Ridge Music Center, Bristol Bluegrass Spring Fest, Chantilly Farm, FloydFest, HoustonFest, Virginia Highlands Festival, and more!.

he workshop will be held at Heartwood in Abingdon, Virginia on Saturday, April 29th from 10:00 am to 3:00 pm. The schedule for the workshop includes coffee, juice, and breakfast snacks at 9:30 am (if desired), a welcome at 10:00 am, and four 50-min. workshop sessions of 7-8 students each (event conceptualization & marketing, programming, event logistics, and concert production) at 10:10 am, 11:10 am, 1:10 pm and 2:10 pm. Lunch will be provided at noon. The workshop is offered at no cost to attendees, and participants will receive a $25 honorarium upon completion of the workshop. Applicants must be at least a current 9th grade student up to and including a college senior, and must be from or living in Southwest Virginia. Southwest Virginia includes the counties (and associated towns) of Bland, Buchanan, Carroll, Dickenson, Floyd, Franklin, Giles, Grayson, Lee, Montgomery, Patrick, Pulaski, Russell, Scott, Smyth, Tazewell, Washington, Wise and Wythe; and the Cities of Bristol, Galax, Norton and Radford. To apply for the workshop, applicants must submit a short essay of 200 words or less on why you would like to participate in the workshop. Please email to jromeo@thecrookedroad.org or mail to: The Crooked Road, One Heartwood Circle, Abingdon, VA 24210. Essays must be received by 5:00 pm on Tuesday, April 18. Please include your name, mailing address, email address and telephone number at the top of the essay. 30 applicants will be selected for the workshop. Applicants will be notified regarding the outcome of their application by Thursday, April 20. For questions or for more information, please contact Jonathan Romeo, The Crooked Roadâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Program Manager, at (276) 492-2401 or jromeo@thecrookedroad.org.

35 theloaferonline.com | April 18, 2017

Painting Workshop

Floral and Botanical

This one day workshop will include a complete overview of how to approach a floral painting. The morning demonstration will include composition, color mixing, colorscheme planning, drawing and underpainting techniques. Students will be provided with fresh flowers to create their own paintings. Supply list will be provided upon registration or painting supplies may be rented for an additional fee. To register online go to www. kingsportartguild.com or contact aparkerart@gmail. com This event is sponsored by the Kingsport Art Guild.

April 24, 9:30 - 3:00 p.m.

The Renaissance Center, room 313 Instructor- Allison Parker â&#x20AC;˘Cost - $125

llison Parker studied floral painting with Kathy Anderson and Michael Klein in New York City. She is a graduate in Painting and Illustration from the Grand Central Atelier in NYC and the Savannah College of Art and Design in Savannah, GA. Ms. Parker has instructed classes for all ages and levels at the National Arts Club, The Art Center NYC, Brooklyn Brush Studios, and the Savannah College of Art and Design. She recently moved to Johnson City TN, where she teaches drawing and painting at the Root Studio School, Kingsport Art Guild, and Blue River Studios. Her paintings have received awards from the New York Society of Illustrators, the Salmagundi Club, and the New York Emmy Awards. View Allisonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s work at www.allisonparker.net

Saturday, April 22nd, 10am-4pm Kingsport Civic Auditorium

Changes Medical Spa & Laser Center is the Gold Sponsor.

ree admission! Dozens of vendors. Door prizes. Some free T-shirts if you get there early! Stage presentations on health topics throughout the day. Some vendors are donating proceeds or a portion of proceeds to local charities or civic causes. Changes Medical Spa & Laser Center is donating a portion of their proceeds to the Go Red for Women campaign of the Heart Association.

Hogslop String Band T

theloaferonline.com | April 18, 2017

@ Carter Family Fold

Saturday, April 22nd, 2017, at 7:30 p.m., the Carter Family Fold in Hiltons, Virginia, will present a concert of old time music by the Hogslop String Band. Admission to the concert is $10 for adults, $2 for children 6 to 11, under age 6 free.

he Hogslop String Band is a Nashville based old time string band comprised of five energetic young musicians hailing from Georgia, Tennessee, California, and North Carolina. Featuring Casy Meikle and Kevin Martin on fiddles, Graham Sherrill on banjo, Gabriel Kelley on guitar, and Casey “Pickle” McBride on the washtub bass, these boys surely raise a ruckus. Upon forming as a pickup square dance band in the summer of 2009, the Hogslop String Band has since become one of the most sought after old time string bands of the Tennessee Valley area. Known for their outrageous facial hair and a rollicking

repertoire heavily based on Georgia and middle Tennessee fiddle tunes, these boys have provided entertainment for fashion shows, political conventions, and whiskey distilleries as well as countless weddings, festivals, and soirees. Following in the footsteps of such country music luminaries as Uncle Dave Macon and Gid Tanner, they put on a high energy show easily appreciated by young and old alike. Despite an unkempt appearance, their undeniable charm is as certain to steal your heart as it will your daughter’s. “The Hogslop String Band is one of the most unique bands I have ever

and on-site development of the tintype 37 photos by award-winning photographer Lisa Elmaleh captivated me. Never having met them, I immediately felt I had known the guys – and Lisa - all my life. It was one of the most fun-filled and entertaining days I ever spent. I couldn’t recall having laughed so much or having so much fun with folks I had just met in my life. We had so much fun, traffic actually stopped to ask what was going on. Not wanting the day to end, I knew I couldn’t wait for them to actually play the Fold. They’ve played the Fold twice now, and they’ve brought the house down both times. One of the best old time bands performing today – they have not one fiddler, but two! Hogslop and the Fold are a match made in Heaven. They’ll be coming back soon to take part in Clinch Mountain Music Fest in June. the best old time music is. Bring your friends, your inlaws, your young’uns, and your dancing shoes and join us for a night of old time music unlike anything you have ever seen. Rita Forrester, Fold Director For more information on the Hogslop String Band, go to their site on the web – www.hogslopstringband.com./ Watch them on You Tube and check them out on the web. For recorded information on shows coming up at the Fold, call 276-386-6054. The Fold is on Facebook – page Carter Fold – and Twitter – @carterfoldinfo. To speak to a volunteer Fold staff member, call 276594-0676. If we don’t answer you right away, we’ll get back to you in 24 hours.

Spring Concert

The VHCC Choir and Old Time String Band-will be presenting their spring concert at VHCC in the LRC Theater at 7:30 on Tuesday April 25th.

ll area students and VHCC staff are admitted free. There is a 5.00 charge (donation) requested from the general public. The Choir (MUS 131) and Old Time String Band (MUS 150) consist of students, retired faculty, community members, retirees and anyone that wants to sing or play a string instrument. These non-credit classes are run through the Workforce Development Center at VHCC. Contact Mary Munsey for more information at mmunsey@vhcc.edu 276-739-2454.

theloaferonline.com | April 18, 2017

heard. Their music takes you back to a time when things were real and from the heart. These guys are very talented, and I recommend that you go see them. You will be thoroughly entertained.” Reggie Young – guitarist for Elvis, Willie Nelson, Johnny Cash, & Dusty Springfield. “Every member of the Hogslop String Band is individually talented and pretty much crazy. As a band, they’re as authentic as it gets and an insanely good time.” Neal Cappellino – Grammy Award winning engineer. “Hogslop is the real deal - groovilicious honkin old time string band. Guaranteed old time awesomeness with these fellas around.” Abigail Washburn – banjo picker extraordinaire. “One of the finest square-dance bands on the planet.” Jack Silverman – Nashville Scene. As Executive Director of the Carter Family Fold, I first met the Hogslop String Band when their manager, Josh Trivett, called me to set up an old time tintype photo shoot for the band at the Fold. Having enjoyed working with Josh many times through the years, fascinated by anything historic, and always looking for new groups to perform at the Fold, I immediately agreed. We set up the shoot for a Sunday, and I fell in love with the group the moment they got out of the van. Because tintype photography takes tremendous patience and time, we ended up spending the entire day together. Getting to meet the group and witness the photo shoot

theloaferonline.com | April 18, 2017

Queen of the Desert (Rated PG-13) *** 1/2

Nicole Kidman's new film "Queen of the Desert" may have fallen below your movie radar, but it's definitely worth checking out. Kidman stars as Gretrude Bell, a British traveler, explorer, archaeologist, cartographer, and political officer. So needless to say Bell was a busy lady and was admired, most of all by the those in the Middle East she helped in the Hashemite dynasties which eventually formed into the countries of Jordan and Iraq.

Pop Life

By Ken Silvers ksilvers@ theloaferonline.com

he film begins when the restless Bell is in her early 20's and anxious to escape the confines of the United Kingdom for the deserts of the Middle East, where she can explore. Her father soon realized he cannot contain his daughter so off for the Middle East Bell goes. In her journeys she meets many interesting characters, including Tehran embassy secretary Henry Cadogan (James Franco), who sweeps the adventurous Bell off her feet. After several unfortunate circumstances, the star-crossed lovers are no more, and the heartbroken Bell heads once more into her beloved desert. During her journeys, Bell becomes friends with T.E. Lawrence (Lawrence of Arabia, played by Robert Pattinson), who is able to get her further connections with other leaders of dynasties she longed to meet. Another important man in her life is Lieutenant Colonel Charles Doughty-Wylie (Damian Lewis), a British Army officer who falls in love with the wayward explorer. The parring with Charles also meets with an unhappy result, and forces Bell to rethink her plans for the future. Bell completely throws herself into her work, and eventually becomes extremely important to the British

government and loved by the residents of the deserts she explored. She was so admired by the natives she came in contact with, she was dubbed "Queen of the desert". Bell was most at home in the Middle East, and was never intimidated by the residents, no matter how powerful. She considered the area magical, and lived in the area until her death in 1926. Kidman does a wonderful job in the role of Bell, and easily conveyed the love the explorer felt for the region and its residents. Plus, due to the height of the actress, Kidman makes for an intimidating presence on and off camels. As for her co-stars, Lewis is wonderful in the role of her second love interest Charles, and Franco is pleasant in the role of her first love Henry, despite struggling with a British accent. Director Werner Herzog ("Salt and Fire") does a masterful in presenting the desert as a majestic and mysterious place, while creating a wonderful atmosphere for the actors. This is not a film for those who like constant action, explosions, and an overabundance of wise cracks. "Queen of the Desert" is a film for those who want to experience the fascinating true-life experiences of an amazing woman named Gertrude Bell.

Sabine Hill Social Society Events this Spring! - Sycamore Shoals State Historic Park Sycamore Shoals State Historic Park along with Friends of Sycamore Shoals, introduces their newest organization, The Sabine Hill Social Society.

ycamore Shoals State Historic Park announces a new way to enjoy & learn more about our history in the Elizabethton area. In connection with Sabine Hill our newest property, the Sabine Hill Social Society is a group of dedicated volunteers who focus on helping the park with educational events, social activities, and early 19th century period clothing assistance representing the Federalist period of time in America (1790-1820). Not to mention enjoying social time with our park guests and other ‘social society’ members! This fledgling group has big plans and is excited about sharing the stories and lifestyles of families that lived at Sabine Hill and throughout our region in the early 19th century, including dances, teas, and special lectures. If you are interested in becoming a member of this organization, all you need to do is join Friends of Sycamore Shoals State Historic Park. Online information can be found at www.friendsofsycamoreshoals.org or in the lobby. Sycamore Shoals Lecture Series and English Country Dance lessons Sunday, April 23 from 1 to 5 pm at the Gathering Place in the park visitors Center. Join us for an informative talk presented by John Parrish who will be sharing the history of Sabine Hill for the first half of the meeting. Following his presentation we will be teaching and practicing English County dance steps. There is no charge for this event.

English Country Dancing with special guest instructor Bob Thompson Saturday, May 13 from 1 to 5 pm Please join us in the Pine Room at the Wellness Center behind Sycamore Shoals Hospital for an afternoon of dance instruction. Mr. Thompson will focus on 4 primary dance routines from the period. Light refreshments served. Fee: $7.00 at the door $6.00 for members of the Friends Group of Sycamore Shoals State Historic Park. English Country Dancing with special guest instructor Bob Thompson Saturday, June 10 from 1 to 5 pm Guest dance instructor Bob Thompson returns to continues his May class and leads the group in English Country dancing focusing on 4 primary dance routines from the period. Light refreshment served. Location to be announced. Fee : $7.00 at the table $6.00 for members of the Friends Group of Sycamore Shoals State Historic Park.

theloaferonline.com | April 18, 2017

Sabine Hill Social Society

MerleFest theloaferonline.com | April 18, 2017

MerleFest – the 30th Celebration – features one of the festival’s most diverse lineups in its history.

e designed this year’s lineup to feature artists who have graced the stages at MerleFest over the past 29 festivals. We felt the 30th festival gave us an opportunity to put a spotlight on many of the artists who have made MerleFest one of the most esteemed festivals in the world,” said Ted Hagaman, festival director. “However, as in years past, the lineup introduces some outstanding talent that Steve Johnson, artist relations manager, has discovered during his travels to other festivals in the U.S. and abroad. We want to celebrate the festival’s past and also look toward the future.” MerleFest, presented by Window World and scheduled for April 27-30, includes a who’s who of roots music’s greatest performers, many with impressive collections of awards from The Recording Academy (Grammy Award), International Bluegrass Music Association, Americana Music Association, Academy of Country Music, Country Music Association, and more. The 2017 lineup includes Zac Brown Band, The Transatlantic Sessions Tour with Jerry Douglas and Aly Bain featuring James Taylor, The Avett Brothers, Béla Fleck, Marty Stuart and His Fabulous Superlatives, Del McCoury Band, Leftover Salmon, Sam Bush Band, The Earls of Leicester featuring Jerry Douglas, Peter Rowan, Steep Canyon Rangers, Natalie MacMaster and Donnell Leahy, The Kruger Brothers, Jorma Kaukonen, Mandolin Orange, John Driskell Hopkins Band, Sarah Jarosz, Tift Merritt, The Steel Wheels, Mipso, Scythian, Chatham County Line, Sierra Hull, I Draw Slow, Jim Lauderdale, and many others. “A MerleFest tradition is to honor the late folk legend Doc Watson and his son Eddy Merle Watson, for whom the festival is named. Doc helped start MerleFest in memory of his son who passed away in a tragic tractor

“

will be open during the festival for fans 41 to visit. It includes old festival photos, videos, a montage of all the artists who have performed at the festival, and collections from and about Doc and Merle Watson. Additionally, the festival will sell a limited number of tickets to tour the backstage of Watson Stage, including the late Doc Watson’s dressing room. Tickets went on sale March 1 and must be purchased in advance of the festival. And for the first time, MerleFest will have a tiny home on display for guests to see. Raffle tickets will be sold to win a twonight stay in a tiny home at Wildflower Villages in the beautiful mountains of Flat Rock, N.C., where famed poet Carl Sandburg called home. This tiny home community offers all the amenities of resort-style living. It is surrounded by many things to do in the quaint towns of the Pisgah National Forest and the eclectic, vibrant, artsy city of Asheville. Funds raised from this raffle will benefit the Doc Watson Student Emergency Fund at Wilkes Community College. Visit MerleFest.org for more information about the festival and to see the complete lineup. Tickets for MerleFest 2017 are on sale now and may be purchased at MerleFest.org or by calling 1-800343-7857. An advance ticket discount runs through April 26, 2017. Gate pricing begins on the first day of the festival.

The Loafer is one of the constants in regional communications and entertainment. You can count on it to know what's happening and to be entertained and informed." Jennifer B.

theloaferonline.com | April 18, 2017

accident, and he had a musical influence on most, if not all, artists who perform at the festival,” said Hagaman. “Sets planned to do that include the Docabilly Blues Blowout, Memories of The Watson Family, Gospel Songs of Doc Watson, and Stories and Songs of Doc Watson with The Kruger Brothers. In addition, Jack Lawrence will host the MerleFest Veterans Jam, which will include musicians who were close personal friends and performing partners with Doc and Merle and who Doc chose to perform at the first MerleFest in 1988.” Workshops planned about Doc include “History of MerleFest” by B. Townes, “On The Road with Doc – Songs and Memories” by Jack Lawrence, and “Guitar Stylings of Doc Watson” by Bryan Sutton. MerleFest is known for its unique mix of traditional, roots-oriented music from the Appalachian region, including bluegrass, old-time, Americana, blues, country, Celtic, Cajun, cowboy, zydeco, rock, and many other styles that the late Doc Watson referred to as “traditional plus.” Guests of the festival have come to expect the unexpected – celebrated “MerleFest Moments” of special collaborations and impromptu stage jams that are a frequent result of the artistic, collective spirit of this annual homecoming of musicians and music fans. Special features at the 30th celebration will include the MerleFest Museum, which

Memphis to Bristol Highway Trek to Music City

Several months have passed since we last visited the Memphis to Bristol Highway on our trek across the state’s first road. For this week’s article, we are going to let you take off your hiking shoes, sit back and relax while we travel the next section. In this update, we will pick up in Crossville where we last left off and travel 125 miles west until we reach the state capital of Nashville. This section will bring us to a total of 314 miles traveled of the 538 total length.

Appalachian Wanderers

By Jason & Daniel Worley jdworley@ theloaferonline.com

Once in Nashville, make time to stop by Centennial Park, where you'll find the world's only full size replica of the Parthenon.

theloaferonline.com | April 18, 2017

his portion takes us across three geographic provinces of the state. Crossville sits high atop the Cumberland Plateau, home to cliff-lined gorges, mountains, and many of the state’s largest outdoor areas. After descending the western escarpment, the route travels across the rolling countryside of the Eastern Highland Rim. This area sits at an average elevation of one thousand feet and it dissected by several major rivers and reservoirs such as the Cumberland. The undulating hills then give way to the plains of the Central Basin. Completely surrounded by the highland rim on all sides, this natural valley was formed by the erosion of the soft limestone which makes up most of the bedrock. Home to ecologically sensitive cedar barrens as well as one of the Southeast’s largest metropolitan areas, it is an area of unique contrasts. We left our trip last time at the junction of U.S. Highway 70 and U.S. 127 in downtown Crossville. If you have the time, Cumberland Mountain State Park lies just a short six-minute drive away from this point down U.S. 127. Featuring an alluring lake, campground, hiking trails, and picnic areas, the park makes a great stopping point for those driving the entirety of the Memphis to Bristol Highway in one trip. An award-winning golf course is just another reason to make a stop at this jewel of the Cumberland Plateau. Back in downtown Crossville, continue west

through the intersection on U.S. 70 West 1.5 miles until you come to another major intersection. Here the U.S. highway portion of the road splits, with U.S. 70N taking a northerly route straight ahead to travel to Cookeville. Route 1 turns left and continues to follow the regular highway 70, now known as the Sparta Highway. The suburbs of Crossville are soon left behind only for you to pass through another community known as Pleasant Hill. Another noteworthy side trip is the eightmile drive to Virgin Falls State Natural Area just past here. Miles of hiking trails let visitors explore the vast reaches of Scott’s Gulf and the gorge’s namesake falls. Soon you’ll reach the edge of the plateau and begin the descent into the town of Sparta below. Here in town, you will have the only opportunity to drive a portion of Tennessee Highway 1 which is a standalone road and does not share the same route as a U.S. Highway. After passing through the historic downtown, make a left turn onto Broadway of America and continue on this short stretch of road for one mile, leaving U.S. Highway 70 behind. An interchange with U.S. Highway 70S will be just ahead. Turn left immediately after crossing under the overpass and follow U.S. 70S south. Several miles ahead the highway will split and you will want to continue on U.S. 70S. This portion of the route passes through some outstanding scenery and is close to several of our best state parks, including Falls Creek Falls,

arguably the best of them all. A full day or two would be needed just to visit this park alone, so we’ll save that for another time. Rock Island State Park, however, makes a great side trip and is just five minutes outside the community of Rock Island itself. The park is a boater’s paradise and features amazing waterfalls as well as great kayaking areas along both the Collins River and Caney Fork. McMinnville and Woodbury are the next two towns you will pass through on your way to Music City. As you descend the last time into the Central Basin just outside Woodbury, Short Mountain will be visible on the right. The massif is an outlier of the Cumberland Plateau and was left here as the surrounding landscape eroded away. Soon you will enter the city of Murfreesboro, the sixth-largest city in the state with over 100,000 residents. Just before entering downtown, Tennessee Route 1 will turn right onto U.S. 41. Home to MTSU as well as the Stones River National Battlefield, this city deserves a whole day to be devoted to exploring all it has to offer. The national battlefield is an amazing historical site and will be the subject of next week’s article. Nashville is just ahead, as the highway passes through the suburbs and communities of Smyrna, La Vergne, and Antioch. Long Hunter State Park hugs the shoreline of J Percy Priest Reservoir and serves as a perfect getaway spot for local residents to escape the city. The always busy Nashville International Airport is soon passed under by way of a tunnel, and then the impressive city skyline opens on the horizon. Our journey for this section comes to an end at the junction of 8th Avenue South and Broadway in downtown. From here, there are so many choices for you to explore the city. A right turn leads to the city’s vibrant bar district where you can catch live country music. Nearby also is the Bicentennial Capitol Mall State Park just below the capitol building. Don’t confuse that with Centennial Park, home to the replica of the Parthenon, one of Music City’s icons which should not be missed. The Musicians Hall of Fame and Museum, the Grand Ol’ Opry, and the historic Ryman Auditorium all make great stops for those interested in the impact that music has played in our state and this city in particular. Whatever you decide to do, have fun in Nashville, and we’ll be looking forward to our next trip along the Memphis to Bristol Highway!

Theatre-at-Tusculum, in conjunction with the Tusculum English Department, will present the “5x10” plays beginning April 20 with an additional four performances during the annual Old Oak festival at Tusculum College.

he “5x10s” are a collection of five, ten minute plays written by Tusculum students and produced as part of the Acts, Arts, Academia Performance and Lecture Series. The collection of original dramatic works will premiere on Thursday, April 20, at 7 p.m. and will run as part of the annual Old Oak Festival. The annual festival hosted by Tusculum promotes a wide array of art and music from the region, and the “5x10s” offer Tusculum student playwrights the opportunity to see their dramatic works brought to the stage as part of the festival’s offerings. Show times during festival will be 7 p.m. on Friday, April

21; 2 p.m. and 7 p.m. on Saturday, April 22, and 2 p.m. on Sunday, April 23. All the performances will take place in the Behan Arena Theatre in the lower level of the Annie Hogan Byrd Fine Arts building on the Tusculum campus. Two of the plays to be featured, “Walking In The Light” and “Damage Control,” were written by Tusculum senior Macy French. Both are directed by Frank Mengel, technical director of Tusculum Arts Outreach. French was recently awarded the 2017 Curtis and Billie Owens Literary Award for Drama for “Walking In The Light.” Also to be featured is “Here, Kitty Kitty,” by Maxwell Reed, Emma McCuiston and Micheal Emery rehearse a scene from “All Dogs Go to Hades,” one of the original dramatics works by Tusculum students to be featured during the “5x10” production during the 2017 Old Oak Festival on the Tusculum campus.

Tusculum junior Parker Wright. The play will be directed by Wayne Thomas, dean of the School of Arts and Sciences at Tusculum. The work of another Owens Literary Award winner will be staged - “It’s Only Plastic,” by Tusculum senior Emily Waryck. She was the 2017 Owens Literary Award recipient in the poetry, fiction and nonfiction categories. “It’s Only Plastic,” will be directed by Brian Ricker, assistant director of Tusculum Arts Outreach. Freshman River Donnelly is finishing his first year at Tusculum with a highlight as his “All Dogs Go to Hades” was chosen to be staged at Old Oak. Ricker is also directing this play. Audiences are cautioned when considering bringing children to the production due to adult themes and some mild language. The show is recommended for ages 13 and up, with parental guidance advised. “This is a true collaboration of the arts here at Tusculum,” Ricker said. “The students’ writings, the visual art components of the production, the acting process, it all is a perfect fit for the Old Oak Festival.” General admission is $7, and tickets can be purchased at the box office, which opens one hour prior to show time. Tickets may be reserved by calling 423-798-1620 or by e-mail at jhollowell@tusculum. edu. Tickets may be purchased with cash or check only, no credit or debit cards.

43 theloaferonline.com | April 18, 2017

‘5x10s’ return during Old Oak

Original dramatic works by Tusculum students

theloaferonline.com | April 18, 2017

Virginia Creeper Fest Celebrate the Creeper Trail’s 30th anniversary

The first annual Virginia Creeper Fest will be held Saturday April 29, 2017 in Abingdon. The family-friendly festival celebrates the 30th anniversary of the creation of the Virginia Creeper Trail, and highlights the multitude of outdoor recreation opportunities along the trail. The festival includes hands-on activities and demos for all ages, live music, food trucks, and information about how to get outside and enjoy the Creeper Trail.

esigned to be a hands-on experience, the VA Creeper Fest encourages attendees to practice, interact and get involved. From bouldering practice, stand-up paddleboarding demos, disc dog exhibitions, and field games for the kids, to tree identification along the trail and guided nature walks, there will be plenty to keep the hard core outdoor enthusiasts and novice nature lovers busy all day. There will be also be live music, food trucks and local outfitters throughout the day, as well as raffle giveaways. The festival takes place in Abingdon, at the intersection of Green Spring Road and A Streets, near the trailhead. Additional activities, like nature walks and bike rides, will take place on the trail itself. A full schedule and festival guide will be available on www.vacreeperfest.com in the

coming weeks. The Virginia Creeper Trail marks its 30th Anniversary in 2017. One of the earliest rails-totrails success stories, the Creeper Trail is now a major economic engine for Southwest Virginia, drawing over 200 thousand visitors annually. Running 33.4 miles from Abingdon, VA through Damascus and Jefferson National Forest, the Virginia Creeper Trail is a former railroad that's now one of the most popular recreation trails in the southeast. It combines striking Blue Ridge Mountain scenery with unique trestle bridges and an accessible ride. The Virginia Creeper Trail was inducted in to the Rail-Trail Hall of Fame in 2017, and last year it was named Virginia Attraction of the Year by the Virginia Restaurant, Lodging & Travel Association. For more information: www.vacreeperfest.com or 276-676-2282

Mountain Movers

By Brian Bishop bbishop@ theloaferonline.com

BRIAN: First off, thank you very much for your time and letting us get to know you better. You grew up somewhere similar to this region. Where did you grow up and how did that shape who you have become? JEFF: I grew up in a community very much like the TriCities. Waterloo, IA was a mix of factory jobs like John Deere, Farm related jobs like Rath Meat Processing and a regional university (UNI) much like ETSU. My first job at the age of 5 was to help my grandfather pick sweetcorn and then go door to door to sell our product. It was 12 ears for a dollar but I always made it a baker’s dozen if they knew our family. My family was very much centered on hard work and entrepreneurship. Seeing those struggles and successes really prepared me for the career path I have chosen. BRIAN: You have worked all over and your company could have been built just about anywhere. What is so special about the Tri Cities that made you decide to locate here? JEFF: I had never been to this area of Tennessee, but my business partner Don Kilday invited me out to look around. Once I came out from San Diego for a visit I realized this area very much reminded me of where I grew up in Iowa. There are so many wonderful people here and the physical beauty of the mountains just made it seem like a perfect place to relocate Crown. It didn’t hurt that there was a manufacturing facility built by Baxter that was available either. It really had all we needed to expand our manufacturing capabilities. BRIAN: People think businessmen just appear out of thin air, successful, and on top of the world. That just isn’t the case and it has got to be very trying as a person. Will you talk a little about what the emotions of going through ups and downs while growing a business is like? What gives you the strength to push through the down-swings? JEFF: My dad told me a long time ago to find passion in my career choice and if I did I would never work a day in my life. I found out early on that working the third shift cleaning the meatpacking plant was not where my passion lied. I truly believe everything I did before starting Crown prepared me for this journey. If you are part of entrepreneurial companies or around entrepreneurs you quickly learn success never truly is the end goal. Life is all about

enjoying the path not about arriving at the destination. So, if you look at the ups and downs with an eye towards it all being part of your journey it certainly makes it easier to push through those difficult times. Strength to push through simply comes from the fact I have a lot of people that are counting on me not to fail and a number that would love to see me fail. One group I never want to disappoint and the other I hope to disappoint daily. BRIAN: Balance is something that is hard to find in life a lot of the time but you do it well. Family is obviously very high on your priority list, so you put them first. How do you find the time? JEFF: Early on when my kids were very young I traveled extensively, it often left me missing out on dance recitals, athletic events and school functions. At one point, I had a choice to make because I just was not willing to be the phantom dad, the one that always missed those once in a lifetime events. Since then I have tried to put them first. When possible I have arranged for them to travel with me if their schedule allowed and if not I have tried arranging my commitments with them in mind. All three of them at one point or another have gone on trips with me that have provided them an opportunity to experience new parts of the world or learn new things that they can apply to their lives. They have all worked at events selling Blue Lizard or attended medical conferences with me to understand the business side of medicine. Because we truly view Crown

as a family it has made it much easier for me to create that balance in my life and by virtue extend that to all our employees as well. We don’t just talk about a work life balance and the importance of family at Crown but we create an environment where people feel free to truly live a life that puts family first. BRIAN: There is absolutely only one way to end this interview! Crown Labs is going like gangbusters and you have so many exciting things going on I can’t list them all. What are your favorites right now and how can people learn more? JEFF: You know I get asked that question a lot. There are just so many amazing things that are happening at Crown. For the first time Blue Lizard will have national distribution in Walmart and with that has come opportunity to expand our consumer base and reach millions more people with our sun safety message. In our prescription drug business we have developed a robust pipeline that we have been able to take from concept to commercialization and through that process become a leading company focused on medical dermatology. Since 2013 we have seen the number of employees grow from under 40 to over 240. These jobs are important because they have provided not only manufacturing jobs but also highly skilled jobs in research and development, marketing and pharmaceutical sales. We have committed to making this area our corporate headquarters and because of that have relocated 12 families from other parts of the country and they now call the TriCities home. We will continue to add to that number as we look to build out our team with the very best talent we can find. Crown has become a destination employer because of the focus we place on creating a work environment that encourages teamwork and success not just for Crown but for the employee as well. Having said all that by far my favorite part has been the ability to become even more involved in our community through encouraging employees to volunteer and Crown’s ability to support many of the great causes our employees care deeply about. A big part of our responsibility is to be a good corporate citizen and to give back to the community we call home.

theloaferonline.com | April 18, 2017

Jeff Bedard The Interview

Meeting new people is one of my most favorite activities in the world. With this 45 guy right here, I was wondering how in the world he ended up in our region! Odds are if you haven’t heard Jeff Bedard’s name then you have heard of one product line manufactured by his company, Blue Lizard Sunscreen. Jeff’s take on business and life will inspire you. Take a minute to meet Jeff, you will be better for it.

theloaferonline.com | April 18, 2017

Enter for a Chance to Win The Bristol Rhythm '17 SuperFan Contest!

Smitten

e one of only 10 SuperFans to win a sneak peek of the full festival lineup reveal for Bristol Rhythm & Roots Reunion 2017! Enter to win 2 seats to the invite-only event May 4th! Visit the festival's Facebook page to enter!

I just want to kiss your lips The air you breathe Gives me life I want to feel our skin Pressed tightly As we absorb each other's heat

The Casual Word

By Langley Shazor Follow Langley at TheCasualWord

Kindling from a fire Deep in our souls I want to be inspired So I will gaze helplessly While you rest peacefully Memorizing your every feature Repeating with accuracy May these words do my feelings justice And the rest of the world fall in love with you too

Book Sale

The Friends of the Johnson City Public Library will host their spring book sale with extended hours on Saturday, April 22 from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. in the Jones Meeting Room in the library. Hardcover books are $3.00 and paperbacks are $1.00; children’s hardcover books are $1.00 and paperbacks are $0.25 each. The Friends of the Library all-you-can-carry book bags are $20.00. This year’s sale features a great selection of vintage books. All proceeds will support the Johnson City Public Library.

n addition to the sale on Saturday, which is open to the public, there will be a special preview sale Friday, April 21, from 5:30 p.m. to 8:00 p.m., for members of the Friends of the Johnson City Public Library. Memberships will be available for purchase at the preview sale. Individual memberships are $15 and family memberships are $25. The Friends of the Johnson City Public Library is a group of dedicated individuals committed to the programs and success of the Johnson City Public Library. To learn more about this and other upcoming events, visit the library’s events calendar at www.jcpl.net, like the library’s Facebook page, or follow the library on Twitter or Instagram. For more information call 423-434-4450.

theloaferonline.com | April 18, 2017

Superfan Contest

theloaferonline.com | April 18, 2017

Answers on page 50

Meow is a 3 year old domestic long hair. She is spayed and up to date on all vaccines. This is the sweetest cat and purrs like a motorboat! Please give her a forever home!

Bobbie is a female domestic short hair. She is spayed and up to date on all vaccines. This cute girl has a bob tail! She is very sweet and friendly!

The Bridge Home has an ongoing aluminum can can collection in front of the shelter at 2061 Hwy 75 in Blountville,TN 37617. The cans are collected by a volunteer and the money from the aluminum goes towards badly needed food and supplies for the animals The Bridge Home No Kill Animal Rescue has started a pet food pantry for people that have had financial hardships because of job loss or medical problems and are struggling to feed their pet. They can come by the shelter and get cat or dog food to get through the tough time. Donations can be sent to The Bridge Home Shelter PO Box 654 Blountville, TN 37617 Every animal in their care is spayed or neutered and fully vaccinated before being adopted. Being a non profit the shelter is funded entirely by membership dues and private donations. They always need volunteers or monetary donations.

Other always needed items:pet food, cat litter & cat toys dog treats & dog toys,paper towels, cleaners, office supplies,Purina weight circles. Phone: 423-239-5237 Hours are Mon-Fri 12pm-6pm Sat 12pm-3pm and Sun 2pm-4pm. Website is www. bridgehomerescue@gmail.com or like them on Facebook: www. Facebook.com/bridgehome

49 theloaferonline.com | April 18, 2017

PETS

OF THE WEEK

theloaferonline.com | April 18, 2017

THINGS TO DO

2017 Tri-Cities Go Red For Women Luncheon Heart disease and stroke cause 1 in 3 deaths among women each year – more than all cancers combined. But we can change that because 80 percent of all cardiac events may be prevented with education and lifestyle changes. Go Red For Women encourages women and their families to take action and live a healthier life. Let’s get started .Let’s unite. Together we are stronger and unstoppable. Join us at GoRedForWomen.org and at this year’s Go Red For Women Event at The MeadowView Conference Resort & Convention Center 1901 Meadowview Parkway, Kingsport, TN 37660, Friday April 28th. For ticket information visit GoRedForWomen.org •••••••••••••••••••••••••• Senior Center Storytelling Initiative If you were “poor but didn’t know it”, if you served in the military, if you farmed, if you taught schoolor taught a family of youngsters, if you’ve traveled the world, if you helped raise your brothers and sisters, we want your wisdom, and your stories. Please be part of the Jonesborough Storytelling Initiative. Everyone has a story to share and the Jonesborough Storytelling Initiative wants to help do just that. Be part of preserving the stories of our lives. Do you have a story you’d like to share about yourself, your parents, or you grandparents? Or would you like to be a story catcher, to gather these important stories- full of wisdom from a bygone time? The Jonesborough Storytelling Initiative is dedicated to bringing together people of all ages and

children's activities are available. These can be purchased for $10 at professionals. It will begin at The 2016 Master Gardener class is any TWRA hunting/fishing license 12:30 p.m. at the library. Call 4771550 for more information or to sponsoring a "Back Porch Sale" at vendor. the event. Many gardening tools The Tennessee Safe Boating register. •••••••••••••••••••••••••• and supplies will be available Course covers: Your Boat, Getting for purchase. Proceeds go to the Underway, Operating Your Boat Blood Drives East Tennessee Master Gardeners Safely, Legal Requirements of Marsh Regional Blood Center backgrounds to strengthen our association for educational funds. Boating, Boating Emergencies will conduct public blood drives community and enrich the lives An "Ask a Master Gardener" area – What To Do, Enjoying Water at the following locations: Sports With Your Boat. Contents • Wednesday, April 19, 9:00amof those who live here through will be available. are approved by TWRA, NASBLA the power of our stories. 4:00pm, SWV Community •••••••••••••••••••••••••• and recognized by the U.S. Coast The Jonesborough Senior College, Richlands, VA Guard. Test Review will precede • Wednesday, April 19, 1:00pmStorytellers Program is the first TWRA Boating Class Offered milestone and is dedicated Due to popular demand, the administration of test. For More 6:00pm, Richlands Masonic to collecting, sharing, and Johnson City Sail and Power Info, Contact : Clarke Lucas at Lodge, Richlands, VA preserving those cherished Squadron announced today it 423-538-4643 • Thursday, April 20, 10:00amstories about a way of life that will be offering TWRA's Tennessee The Johnson City Sail & Power 1:00pm, Morgan McClure, made us the strong generation Safe Boating Course on Tuesday Squadron is the premier TriCastlewood, VA boating organization • Thursday, April 20, 10:00amwe are today. The program night April 18th and Thursday Cities leaders will guide individuals night April 20th at the Northeast promoting boating education 3:00pm, Wallens Ridge Prison, through one-on-one sessions State Community College Library, and safety, community service, Big Stone Gap, VA and story circles. The collecting, Room L226. This class will be and fellowship. For further • Thursday, April 20, 12:00pmsharing, and preserving of these taught over two nights from 5:30 information, visit tricitiesboating. 6:00pm, Sycamore Shoals stories with the Jonesborough PM to 8:00 PM. The TWRA exam org. Hospital, Elizabethton, TN Senior Storytellers Program will will be given at the conclusion of •••••••••••••••••••••••••• • Thursday, April 20, 3:00pmlead up to a published book and the class on Thursday. Individuals 6:00pm, Food City, St. Paul, VA storytelling performance in the who pass the test will be issued "Stranger Danger" Class for • Friday, April 21, 7:30amTWRA’s Boating Safety Education Women fall. 2:00pm, Dobyns Bennett High These stories will be collected Certificate which is required Women, ages 14 and up, are School, Kingsport, TN on audio and video to be used in by the State of Tennessee of all invited to attend a class to help For more information, please future publications. The purpose boat and personal watercraft them become aware of danger call 423-408-7500, 423-652-0014 is to share our collected wisdom operators born after Jan 1, 1989. when out in public. Attendees will or 276-679-4669 or visit www. and to help future generations The class is free to the public. also learn tips and quick and easy marshblood.com. know what it is like to work However, in order to take the hands-on techniques to protect Marsh Regional’s collection hard, to serve our community exam and get your TN Boat themselves, if approached. The centers: 111 W. Stone Drive, Suite or country, and raise the kind of Operator Permit, you must 45-minute class is free and is 300, Kingsport, 2428 Knob Creek families that put people before purchase ahead of time, and being taught by Ron Honeycutt, Road, Johnson City and 1996 W. bring with you, TWRA's Type 600 a 40-year police veteran, along State St., Bristol. things. The story circle will be held at Boating Safety Exam Permit. with two other self-defense the Jonesborough Senior Center Cryptogram: In the confrontation between the stream and the rock, the stream always wins - not through strength every Thursday in April as well but by perseverance. as May 4 and 11 from 3 to 4:30 DropQuote: "For all right judgment of any man or things it is useful, nay, essential, to see his good qualities before p.m. Please call (423) 753-4781 pronouncing on his bad." to schedule a day to share your story. The Jonesborough Senior Center is located at 307 E Main St, Jonesborough, TN 37659. For more information call 423-7534781. •••••••••••••••••••••••••• Spring Garden Fair The Exchange Place Spring Garden Fair Saturday, April 29 from 10am-5pm and Sunday, April 30 from noon-5pm. $3 admission for adults and children under 12 are free. Thousands of plants, tradtional music and food and

YOUR SHOE’S UNTIED

This column is dedicated to the memory of my father and namesake, James Paul Kelly, who was born on April 18, 1906, the same day as the infamous San Francisco earthquake.

I am far from being a scientist, but I trust the world of science and do quite a bit of reading about scientific theory and the history of science. As marvelous as the world of science is, however, many questions remain unanswered. No, I’m not talking about quantum mechanics or black hole theory. What we are confronted with here is one of the biggest mysteries of all--namely, why do our shoes come untied so often? I am delighted that this mystery might not remain so mysterious for much longer. According to some recent news releases, science may have solved this troublesome problem.

A Kelly’s Place

By Jim Kelly since 1989 jkelly@ theloaferonline.com

ccording to an April 11 report from Phys. org, a group of mechanical engineers from University of California, Berkeley, say the explanation “is that a double whammy of stomping and whipping forces acts like an invisible hand, loosening the knot and then tugging on the free ends of your laces until the whole thing unravels.” Isn’t it refreshing to read a scientific report that uses technical terms like “double whammy”? And, I think it is very interesting that this description of why shoes come untied sounds a lot like the Big Bang Theory (not to be confused with the same-titled TV series). Maybe the two are related. We can only hope. As scientists are wont to do, the Berkeley engineers were interested in more than just shoe laces. What they are really after is deeper insights into “knot mechanics.” One of these engineers, Christopher Daily-Diamond, who is a graduate student and a co-author of the study that appeared in last week’s Proceedings Of The Royal Society, tells us that “When you talk about knotted structures, if you can start to understand the shoelace, then you can apply it to other things, like DNA or microstructures, that fail under dynamic forces.” Even more significant, “This is the first step toward understanding why certain knots are better than others, which no one has really done.” Not even the Boy Scouts? Needless to say, the Phys.org column comes complete with diagrams and drawings, showing us precisely how laces come undone, even when double-knotted or tied using square or “false” knots. And the secret of why knots come undone has to do with the way we walk and stand still (these are called “swing” and “stance” phases). Here is the full explanation of how this process works: “When running, your foot strikes the ground at seven times the force of gravity. The knot stretches and then relaxes in response

to that force. As the knot loosens, the swinging leg applies an inertial force on the free ends of the laces, which rapidly leads to a failure of the knot in as few as two strides after inertia acts on the laces.” There we have--a lifelong mystery explained. Of course, this study is just beginning to understand why some knots last longer than others and how our strides, swings, and stances affect the longevity of our tied laces. If you want to read about this in more detail, consult “The Roles of Impact and Inertia in the Failure of a Shoelace Knot,” as published in the Proceedings of the Royal Society A. Of course, you can watch the inevitable YouTube video, “The Science Of Untied Shoelaces.” It is probably not surprising that there are many videos and other resources out there focusing on the most efficient way to tie our shoes. One of the best is the three-minute TED talk by Terry Moore, “How To Tie Your Shoes” (which, as the TED site states, “was the very first 3-minute audience talk given from the TED stage, in 2005”). The best thing about this particular talk is the way Moore transforms tying shoes into a meditation on the value of thinking in different and innovative ways. Of course,

now that the Berkeley study is out, we realize that no matter which method or methods we use, our shoes will still come untied. A few years back, I devoted this column to the question of why round shoelaces exist. Seems to me that if we set out to design a shoelace that is destined to come untied, it would be a round one. When compared to flat laces, which come untied much less, round laces are a constant source of irritation. The occasion for that longago column was my reading of Nicholson Baker’s clever 1988 mini-novel “The Mezzanine,” which is about an afternoon in the life of an office worker who takes his lunch break to search for a new pair of shoelaces after one of his broke (don’t know if that happened during the “stride” or “stance” phase). I highly recommend your reading Baker’s first literary publication (he has written thirteen others since then), which is perhaps the world’s only novel based on a broken shoelace. I am happy to report that I have taken steps (no pun intended, I think) to relieve the stress of untied shoelaces--I have simply switched to shoes with no laces. I wear those stylish (yet cheap) slip-on dress shoes and casual shoes that also slip on, or those nerdy walking shoes with velcro fasteners. Why I didn’t think of this years ago I don’t know. Of course, I like the look of shoes with laces much better but I am tired of putting up with the bother of stopping much-toooften to tie untied laces, especially those annoying round ones. Now that we have solved one of life’s greatest mysteries, we can move on to other perplexing problems. Like why people would rather endlessly wait in a drive-thru line when going inside to conduct business is much quicker. Maybe those Berkley engineers will tackle that annoying problem now that they have published their shoelace masterpiece. See you next week with a thoroughly untied column.

theloaferonline.com | April 18, 2017

(No Joke)

theloaferonline.com | April 18, 2017