Scene & Tyler 11 Seldom Hughes at Natural Tunnel 28 Storyteller Beth Horner
...plus so much more
Page 2, The Loafer • June 16, 2015
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June 16, 2015 • The Loafer, Page 3
Volume 29 • Issue #28
Les Misèrables at The Paramount
Publisher Luci Tate Editor Graphic Arts Director Don Sprinkle Office Manager Luci Tate Cover Design Bill May Advertising Dave Carter Elaine Farris Terry Patterson Lori Hughes Contributing Staff Jim Kelly Andy Ross Ken Silvers Mark Marquette Brian McManus Joshua Hicks Karie Grace Duncan Nathan Cox 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 (editorial) adcopy@theloaferonline.com (advertising) All advertisements are accepted and published by the publisher upon the representation that the agency and/or advertiser is authorized to publish the entire contents and subject matter thereof. The agency and/or advertiser will indemnify and save the publisher harmless from any loss of expense resulting from claims or suits based upon contents of any advertisement, including claims or suits for defamation, libel, right of privacy, plagiarism, and copyright infringement.
Founder: Bill Williams
in this issue .... 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 12 13 14 16 22 27 32
Les Misèrables at The Paramount Festival of Trees named Southeast Tourism Society’s Top 20 Dancing with the Tri-Cities Stars JRT presents Annual 1940s USO Show Barter Theatre Remains True to Roots Linzi Hatley to Chair ACS Hope Gala The Model City Wrecking Crew plays Northeast State Trey Hensley at Clinch Mountain Music Fest Knoxville Musicians to Play Tribute to B.B. King JCCT presents RENT Arts Depot Celebrates 25th Aniversary Hops & howlers Brew Fest Red Cross Seeks Blood Donors SACH Hosts Free Guided Hikes
music & fun 18 32
Spotlight - Great Music & Fun Times Crossword & Sudoku
columns & reviews
15 Batteries Not Included - “Mornings With Andy” 20 Stargazer - Jupiter and Venus In Incredible Conjunction 21 Skies This Week 24 Screen Scenes - “Pitch Perfect 2” 25 She Does It Herself - “Mmmm..... Cheese Sticks” 26 The Trivial Traveler - “Greetings from the Stone Pony” 29 Lock, Stock & Barrel - Personal Tactical Training - Pt. 3 34 Kelly’s Place - “Online Security (?)”
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Theatre Bristol and Paramount Center for the Arts Present Legendary Broadway Musical
“Les Misérables” Theatre Bristol and the Paramount Center for the Arts present the Broadway hit show “Les Misérables” in six performances, June 19-28. This production of Boublil and Schonberg’s “Les Misérables” is directed by Glenn Patterson, most recently director of “Scrooge! The Musical” and “Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat.” Opening June 19 at The Paramount Center for the Arts (518 State Street, Bristol, TN), “Les Misérables” runs for two weekends with four evening and two matinee performances. Reservations can be made by calling 423-2748920 or purchasing tickets online at www.theparamountcenter.com. “Winner of over 100 international awards and seen by over 65 million people worldwide,” reports Music Theatre International, “‘Les Misérables’ is an epic and uplifting story about the survival of the human spirit.” “Capturing this uplifting story together with the Paramount Center for the Arts is a dream come true as we celebrate Theatre Bristol’s 50th anniversary and Cathy DeCaterina’s legacy,” said Samantha Gray, Theatre Bristol Board member and producer of the show. “Director Glenn Patterson has brought together incredible talent from our area, and audiences will be moved by his ability to touch our hearts.” On behalf of the the Paramount Center for the Arts, Suzanne Brewster said, “The Paramount is thrilled to be partnering with Theatre Bristol to bring Les Misérables to the Paramount and we believe that in doing so we are fulfilling our mission of bringing local talent to this beautiful stage.” The Paramount Center for the Arts and Theatre Bristol share a long history because of the determination of Theatre Bristol founder Cathy DeCaterina, catalyst for restoring the Paramount to its grandeur. Tracking intertwined lives laced with poverty, power, dreams and grace, Boublil and Schonberg’s emotion-packed production features Bristol-area talent perform-
ing “I Dreamed a Dream,” “Who Am I,” “Stars,” and “On My Own.” With a cast of nearly 60 on the Paramount stage you will “... hear the people sing…” dramatic company numbers like “At the End of the Day,” “Master of the House,” “The People’s Song,” and the stirring “One Day More.” With entertaining choreography,
the student revolutionary who has captured the heart of Valjean’s adopted daughter (Music Theatre International). Director Glenn Patterson elaborates, “At its heart, Les Misérables is a story of redemption and the ability of mercy to transform even the hardest of hearts. But it also forces us to acknowledge that if
of the poverty, violence and hardship the characters often suffer, love is the final winner whenever it is shown and accepted. The novel on which the musical is based is powerful, and the musical is as well. It will be an extremely entertaining experience, and a moving one as well.” “Putting together a show like
period costume and set design, and beautiful music, Theatre Bristol will bring this Victor Hugo story to life. In 19th century France, Jean Valjean is released from 19 years of unjust imprisonment, but finds nothing in store for him but mistrust and mistreatment. He breaks his parole in hopes of starting a new life, initiating a lifelong struggle for redemption as he is relentlessly pursued by police inspector Javert, who refuses to believe Valjean can change his ways. Finally, during the Paris student uprising of 1832, Javert must confront his ideals after Valjean spares his life and saves that of
we look for the worst we are sure to find it. Two characters, Valjean and Javert, stand in sharp contrast to each other. I think this is less so because they are on opposite sides of the law as it is because one of them, Valjean, allows the grace shown him to rescue him while the other, Javert, cannot understand it and his inability to accept it destroys him.” Patterson continues, “My favorite line from the show is this, “To love another person is to see the face of God.” Les Miserables shows us many faces of love, sacrificial, self-less, deep and sometimes relentless. Even in the midst
this one is a huge undertaking, even in the largest organizations,” said Patterson. “For a theatre where everyone is a volunteer this is doubly true. It takes a great deal of dedication and tremendous amount of work to pull it together. For 50 years, Theatre Bristol has drawn its strength from volunteers. To say the theatre wouldn’t exist without them has been true from the beginning, but even more so today. “I feel extremely fortunate to be working with marvelous people like Samantha Gray, Jessica Flagg, Alyssa King, Jenny Carpenter, Camille Gray and Jessica Gamble in
www.paramountcenter.com
key staff positions. Without them, the production wouldn’t get very far. You will see the work of our talented actors, and we have a wonderful cast, but more goes on backstage than most people realize. To make a show like this happen at all, much less to make it successful, requires everyone. It requires sacrifice, hard work and a lot of dedication. In the end, though, it’s well worth it.” Theatre Bristol presents a new production of BOUBLIL and SCHÖNBERG’S LES MISÉRABLES, licensed by Music Theatre International (MTI) by arrangement with CAMERON MACKINTOSH LTD. Founded in 1965, Theatre Bristol is the oldest continually running children’s theatre in northeast Tennessee and now celebrating its 50th season. Its Main Stage season consists of up to five productions. Some of its performances take place in the ARTspace, a multipurpose, black box theatre which seats up to 120, and major productions are performed at the Paramount Center for the Arts. Theatre Bristol is entirely volunteer run and we invite you to get involved. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, the Paramount Center for the Arts is an excellent example of the art deco motion picture palaces built in the late 1920’s and early 30’s. The restoration retained the Paramount’s opulent, richly embellished interior. The original Venetian-styled murals and the art deco ambience were faithfully recreated. The auditorium holds 744 with 5 wheelchair locations. You’ll feel as though you are a part of the performance from every seat in the theatre. For more information, visit www.theatrebristol.org, like TheatreBristolTN on Facebook, call 423-383-5979, or email info@ theatrebristol.org. For tickets and more information, visit www. paramountcenter.com, call 423274-8920, like Paramount Center on Facebook, or email paramounttickets@btes.tv.
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Third Annual Tourism Festival of Trees
Named to Southeast Tourism Society’s Top 20 Events for November
The Tourism Department of the Greene County Partnership has been notified that the Third Annual Festival of Trees, slated to take place November 15-24 in the Greeneville Commons Shopping Center, has been chosen as one of the Southeast Tourism Society’s
Top 20 Events for November. Since 1985 the Southeast Tourism Society has published the Top 20 Events. Numerous events from across the southeast compete to receive the prestigious “Top 20” designation. Through a nomination process, the Southeast Tourism
Society chooses the Top 20 events in the southeast for each month of the year, and publishes this list of winners quarterly. The Top 20 Events publication is sent to more than 1,600 newspapers, magazines, radio stations, TV stations and others, as well as 125 AAA publications. The Atlanta Journal-Constitution prints the Top 20 Events as a regular quarterly feature of its travel section, and the Top 20 Events listing has recently been featured on the New Orleans-based radio show “Travel Talk Radio.” The Top 20 Events are also listed on www.southeasttourism.org and www.escapetothesoutheast. com. The combined circulation runs into the millions. To be nominated for a Top 20 Event, an event must be at least in its third year and must have a minimum attendance of 1,000. “I’m not surprised STS has chosen Greeneville’s Tourism Festival of Trees as a Top 20 Event,” said Commissioner Kevin Triplett, Tennessee Department of Tourist Development. “This event not only provides an exciting holiday experience for attendees, it helps fund Greeneville’s and Greene
County’s tourism initiative, which brings more than $82 million annually in direct economic impact to the county.” “Being designated as a Top 20 event is a great honor and also provides us with exposure to hundreds of thousands of prospective attendees and participants for the event,” stated Tammy Kinser, Tourism director for the Greene County Partnership. “The Festival of Trees has been met with such great support from our community and the region and we hope to continue this very successful event for many years to come! Our Festival of Trees committee has enjoyed working with local businesses, clubs, organizations, churches and industries. Without their support and donations, this event would not be the success that it is today.” The Top 20 Event designation is the second award that the Festival of Trees has won in the last two years. The first was the Pinnacle Merit Award for peak performance in tourism presented by the Northeast Tennessee Tourism Association during National Tourism Week in May. For more information on the
event, to obtain an application to participate, or to sponsor, visit the event’s Facebook page - www. facebook.com/GreenevilleTourismFestivalofTrees or contact Kinser at 423-638-4111 or email tkinser@greenecop.com.
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Dancing With The Tri-Cities Stars SteppenStone Youth Treatment Services of Limestone is pleased to announce the Seventh Annual Dancing with the Tri-Cities Stars charity event to be held at the MeadowView Convention Center on Saturday, June 27, 2015, at 5:00 PM. The SteppenStone family cordially invites you to join us for an exciting evening of dinner, dance, glitz, and glamour. This year’s Star lineup includes: 
Sherrie Bacon Jennifer Keller Jessica Larkin Kassie Perkins Treva Sellers Jim Blackmore Chris Boehm Graham Enloe Josh Gibbons DJ Ryan
Following the Stars’ performances, an exhibition performed by professional ballroom dancers as well as the winners of the 2014 Tri-Cities Dancing with the Stars will provide additional entertainment. Proceeds from this event directly benefit the boys at SteppenStone Youth Treatment Services (SSYTS). SteppenStone is a private, non-profit, 501(c)3 organization designed as a lifeline for boys aged 12-17 who have endured severe emotional and behavioral issues. SSYTS provides individually tailored treatment in a residential setting, as well as providing day, intensive outpatient care, and after-school services. SteppenStone is accredited by The Joint Commission and its academic program
is accredited by the Tennessee Department of Education. For additional information about SteppenStone, or if you would like to make a tax-deductible donation, please contact Paige Peters, (423) 257-7512 or visit www.steppenstoneyouth.org.
Standard tickets - $100, premium tickets - $125, VIP Tables - $2500 (includes 8 tickets). To purchase tickets, please visit our website at www.dancingwiththetricitiesstars.com or call (423) 257-7512.
Abingdon’s Thursday Jams - The Apache Relay with The Ordinary Bitters
NPR Music recently premiered the official music video for Apache Relay’s single “Katie Queen of Tennessee.” Of the song NPR Music’s Bob Boilen says, “…easily one of the catchiest tunes I’ve heard this year.” Formed by chance in a college dorm, The Apache Relay has opened for Grammy award-winning Mumford & Sons and performed at multiple festivals including Bonnaroo, the Newport Folk Festival, Firefly Music Festival, Voodoo Music Experience, Bristol Rhythm and Roots and Gentlemen of the Road. This date is part of the Mountains of Music Homecoming event, which includes over 200 cultural experiences and concerts along the Crooked Road, Southwest Virginia’s Heritage Music Trail. For more information see: http://www. mtnsofmusic.com. Music will begin 7:00 pm each Thursday at the Abingdon Market Pavilion, with a beer garden benefitting Abingdon Main Street opening at 6:30 pm. A variety of food truck and local vendors will be on hand offering concessions. The events are family-friendly, and attendees are encouraged to bring their chairs and or blankets to enjoy the shows. No outside alcohol is allowed. For a full listing of musical acts and dates, visit www.abingdonmusicexperience.com. For more information, call 276-676-2282 or email ssaavedra@abingdon-va.gov.
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Jonesborough Repertory Theatre Presents Annual 1940s USO Show Step back into the 1940s with Jonesborough Repertory Theatre’s radio station, WJRT, as the Theatre presents the annual 1940s USO Show June 26 through July 12. Just as America entered World War II, radio air waves served as key source of entertainment and news for families on the home front, as well as entertainment for the troops at home and overseas. Jonesborough Repertory Theatre’s own Jennifer Schmidt created the show and is now directing and performing in the smash hit for the 12th time. The choreography is by Kristin Merifield and tap instruction by Lindy Ley. “The show started out as a way to honor veterans during the fourth of July weekend,” said Schmidt. “The 1940s has a lot of patriotic songs and I love that era and style of music, so we decided to create our own radio station broadcast.” JRT brings to stage 1940s hits such Sentimental Journey, Chattanooga Choo Choo, Dear Hearts and Gentle People,Tuxedo Junction and the show stopping salute to our veterans through the Armed Forces Medley. Interspersed between these hits are JRT’s own advertisements and station identification, all combined to format a live radio broadcast. According to a historical source, “In 1941, entertainment industry professionals helped the USO begin ‘Camp Shows’ with the entertainers waiving pay and working conditions to bring live entertainment to the troops at bases within the United States. As America entered World War II, ‘USO Camp Shows’ expanded to bring live entertainment to Americans fighting overseas.” The cast includes Andee Atkins, Caleb Presley, Bill Livesay, Bob Browning, DJ Smith, Don Squibb, Grace Belt, Holly Marshall, Janette Gaines, Jennifer Schmidt, Jill Janaitis, Josh Baldwin, Katelyn Smith, Lexi Turner, Lindy Ley, Lucas Schmidt, Nancy Peak, Sharon Squibb, Shawn Hale, Susan Saam, Tuesday Reynolds, Ellen Laprade, Jessica Shelton, Molly Gaines, Amy Knight, Megan Knight, An-
nika Burley and Pam Williams 1940’s USO Show runs June 26 through July 12. Show times include: June 26 - 28 Fri. & Sat. at 7:30 p.m. Sat. & Sun. at 2 p.m. July 2 - 5 Thurs. at 7:30 p.m. Fri. at 5 & 7:30 p.m. Sat. at 2, 5 & 7:30 p.m.
Sun. at 2 p.m. July 10 - 12 Fri. & Sat. at 7:30 p.m. Sat. & Sun. at 2 p.m. Tickets are $15 general admission, $13 for students and seniors and $10 for groups of 15 or more. A special $10 veteran’s discount ticket is also offered. To purchase tickets call the Historic Jonesborough Visitors Center at 423.753.1010 or visit jonesboroughtheatre.com
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Barter Theatre Remains True to Roots with “Barter Days”
Barter Theatre, which was founded on the principle of bartering goods for tickets to a show, continues tradition this summer by allowing patrons to trade canned and dried goods for admission to the theatre. Barter Theatre will be hosting three “Barter Days” on June 16, 18 and 20. On these days, Feeding America Southwest Virginia will partner with Barter to allow patrons an opportunity to see a show at no cost while helping those in need in the community. “Barter” performances will include: “The Marvelous Wonderettes” on Tuesday, June 16, at 7:30 p.m.; “Mary Poppins” on Thursday, June 18, at 7:30 p.m.; and “Old Turtle and the Broken Truth” performed by The Barter Players on Saturday, June 20, at 10:00 a.m. Each of these shows is deemed appropriate for attendance by all ages. In 1933, during the Great Depression, Robert Porterfield founded
Robert Porterfield barters with a patron in the early days of Barter Theatre.
Barter Theatre on the idea that “with vegetables you cannot sell, you can buy a good laugh.” Porterfield’s concept caught on quickly and by the end of the first season, the Barter Company cleared $4.35 in cash, two barrels of jelly and a collective weight gain of over 300 pounds. Today, even though patrons now purchase tickets, Barter Theatre hosts at least one “Barter Day” each year. Continuing this tradition serves as a way to pay homage to the theatre’s heritage, give back to the community and allow those who may struggle financially the opportunity to see a production. On “Barter Days” no advanced reservations can be made for tickets that will be purchased with goods. Tickets are distributed on a first-come-first-serve basis with a limited number of seats available. For further information about ‘Barter Day’ policies or shows, patrons can visit bartertheatre.com or call the Barter Theatre box office at 276-628-3991. Barter Theatre is funded in part by the Virginia Commission for the Arts and the National Endowment for the Arts.
Parks and Recreation bringing Yoga in the Park How many times have you rode by parks when visiting other cities and seen groups of people participating in Yoga classes and thought, I would enjoy something like that? Well it is here, yes, Yoga in the Park. Saturday mornings from 10:00 to 11:00 am on June 20, July 18, and August 15 in Anderson Park and it’s free. Begin your weekend with a little peace and tranquility all while enjoying fresh air and the beauty of Bristol. All skill levels are invited, the only thing you will need to bring is a yoga mat or beach towel. Sessions are instructed by Bristol Yoga. Yoga is more than just a fancy way of stretching. According to the Health and Fitness blog, there are at least eight good reasons to participate in Yoga classes. Yoga can lower stress and improve your mood, boosts confidence, lowers risk of injury, helps you lose weight, increases flexibility, improves muscle tone and strength, benefits breathing and lowers blood pressure, and improves your posture. For more information contact Mike Musick@ 423-989-4023 or email mmusick@ bristoltn.org
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Linzi Hatley to chair 2015 American Cancer Society Hope Gala, take guests on an unexpected getaway Tri-Cities entrepreneur and Kingsport native Linzi Hatley has been slated to chair the American Cancer Society 2015 Hope Gala of the Tri-Cities event. Hatley coowns and operates LPI Inc. with her husband, David, and is a fulltime mom to their three boys. The theme for this year’s event, chosen by Hatley is “Beneath the Tahitian Sunset.” The event will be held on the private beach of her home on Boone Lake on Saturday, Aug. 15. This event will help the Society finish the fight against cancer. The dollars raised fund groundbreaking research to find, prevent, treat and cure cancer; and provide free resources and support to newly diagnosed patients who turn to the Society for help and support, including transportation and lodging during treatment. “My experience is that chairing the gala is a positive journey that promotes personal growth and community outreach,” said
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Cara Ledbetter, community events manager at the American Cancer Society. “It gives volunteers yet another opportunity to be able to fight back against this terrible disease that has taken too much from too many of us.” Hatley was selected to be the chair for this year’s event after being involved with the Society for several years through other events like Making Strides Against Breast Cancer and and Bark For Life. “Fighting cancer is very important to me for many reasons,” Hatley said. “I lost a childhood friend in elementary school to cancer, he was only 10 years old. Eight years ago, my grandmother lost her fight to colon & lung cancer, and I currently have a cousin battling breast cancer. It’s heartbreaking to see cancer patients and their families suffer from this terrible disease.” For Hatley, getting involved with the 2015 Hope Gala event was an easy decision.
“I want to help in any way I can to support the research and finding a cure,” she added. “I am thrilled to be a part of the 2015 Hope Gala and host it at my house; to raise as much as we can for this amazing cause that is so near and dear to me.” Tickets are $125 per person. To reserve tickets or get involved with the event, call the American Cancer Society at 423-975-0635, or contact Cara Ledbetter by email at cara.ledbetter@cancer.org. The American Cancer Society is a global grassroots force of more than three million volunteers saving lives and fighting for every birthday threatened by every cancer in every community. As the largest voluntary health organization, the Society’s efforts have contributed to a 20 percent decline in cancer death rates in the U.S. since 1991, and a 50 percent drop in smoking rates. Thanks to our progress, nearly 14 million Americans who have had cancer and countless more who have avoided it will celebrate more birthdays this year. As we marked our 100th birthday in 2013, we’re determined to finish the fight against cancer. We’re finding cures as the nation’s largest private, not-for-profit investor in cancer research, ensuring people facing cancer have the help they need and continuing the fight for access to quality health care, lifesaving screenings, clean air, and more. For more information, to get help, or to join the fight, call us anytime, day or night, at 1-800-227-2345 or visit cancer.org.
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The Model City Wrecking Crew
plays Northeast State
Sullivan County Photography Contest Entries accepted thru June 19...
Photography is a powerful medium of expression that can be used to communicate strong positive messages about a subject. Don’t miss this exciting opportunity to participate in a Photography Contest sponsored by the Sullivan County Register of Deeds Office! The contest is open to all residents of Sullivan County. Categories for the contest are Best of Sullivan County; Festival/Event; Landscape; Historical Landmark; Youth (age 17 and under). All photos should reflect life in our mountain empire region and must be taken in Sullivan County. Entries will be displayed at the Register of Deeds Office throughout the duration of the contest. Entry deadline is June 19. Download the Entry Form andGuidelines, or call 423.323.6424.
The Model City Wrecking Crew performs at Northeast State Community College on June 18 in the Wellmont Regional Center for the Performing Arts, located on the College’s main campus in Blountville, adjacent to the Tri-Cities Regional Airport. Model City Wrecking Crew is a five-piece band from Kingsport performing classic rock music. The Crew features Lawson Garrett on vocals, Joe Ball on guitar and vocals, Jimmy Dale on keyboard, Dwight Brown on bass guitar, and Gary McKinney on drums. The band’s performance is part of the College’s “Hot Nights, Cool Music” summer concert series. The show is free and open to the public. The performance begins at 7:00 p.m. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. Garrett has performed with several groups since an early age. While living in New England in the 1980s, he joined the critically acclaimed band TAZ and played throughout the Northeast. He has played either as a solo act or leading bands of his own including Hard Monkeys, Peaces of Way, and The Hygienics. Ball has played folk and folk rock music from the early 1970s influenced by James Taylor, and Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young. Not long after he began moving from acoustic to electric guitar being influenced
by Eric Clapton, Joe Walsh, Steve Miller, The Eagles among others. Dale has played with bands from the early 80s including the popular local band, Uptown Country. His musical influences include Leon Russell, George Harrison, The Who, and Led Zeppelin. Brown grew up in Georgia when The Beatles influenced many budding musicians to start bands. He chose bass and stuck with it through his high school and college days, playing in bands that still perform regionally in Georgia and Florida today. McKinney began playing drums before his teenage years and has played in several bands since the early 70’s playing mostly rock and boogie. After playing rock music early on he expanded his musical horizon to include jazz and his love of the blues. The Crew performs material from artists including Creedence Clearwater Revival, Eric Clapton, The Eagles, The Rolling Stones, Steely Dan, The Steve Miller Band, REM, and the Atlanta Rhythm Section among others. For more information about this or other events in the Hot Nights, Cool Music series, visit www. NortheastState.edu or contact 423.279.7669 or jpkelly@NortheastState.edu.
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Seldom Scene & Tyler Hughes to Play Natural Tunnel Grammy-nominated, bluegrass favorites Seldom Scene will play the gorgeous Natural Tunnel State Park in Duffield Virginia onThursday, June 18 at 7 p.m. as part of the 2015 Mountains of Music Homecoming. They will be joined by old time banjoist Tyler Hughes. For over forty years, Seldom Scene has been taking bluegrass music to new heights with their inspired takes on traditional classics as well as their own original material. Their most recent record, “Long Time . . .Seldom Scene,” features guest artists such as Emmylou Harris, Chris Eldridge and Rickie Simpkins. It was released on Smithsonian Folkways in 2014. Tyler Hughes is a walking repository of the old time music of the region. From an early age, Tyler embraced the music of early rural artists like Norton’s Dock Boggs, and has faithfully incorporated that into his expansive repertoire. Tickets for the June 18th concert are on sale now and available locally at Natural Tunnel State Park, 1420 Natural Tunnel Parkway, Duffield, Virginia, at Food City Stores, and online at www.mtnsofmusic.com. A nine-day celebration of Southwest Virginia’s heritage and music, The Crooked Road’s inaugural Mountains of Music Homecoming will take place June 12-20, in cities and towns across the 8,600-squaremile Crooked Road Region. Over 200 artists will perform 34 different Crooked Road Concerts. The Homecoming will feature over 260 additional cultural experiences presented by local communities and organizations highlighting the culture of scenic Southwest Virginia. Known internationally as a mecca of old-time, bluegrass, and gospel music, The Crooked Road connects the home places of some of the most cherished figures in American music – the Carter Family, the Stoneman Family, the Stanley Brothers, and bluegrass pioneers, Jim and Jesse McReynolds, among others – and spans a region celebrated for its beautiful land-
scape and seminal contributions to the nation’s art and music. Travelers seduced by the sweet sound of all that music will also discover first-rate wineries, outstanding cycling, fly-fishing, hiking, theater, galleries and museums, community picnics, pancake breakfasts, and a wealth of unforgettable experiences to wile away the hours between concerts along The Crooked Road. For a complete listing of all Mountains of Music cultural events and ticketing for the 34
Crooked Road Concerts, visit www.mtnsofmusic.com. Mountains of Music Homecoming has been made possible through the generous support of the Virginia Tobacco Commission, Virginia Tourism Corporation, the National Endowment for the Arts, Food City, Your Local Farm Bureau Insurance Agents, Emory & Henry College, Barter Theatre, Blue Ridge Beverage, Virginia Commission for the Arts and many other organizations and businesses.
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Clinch Mountain Music Fest at Carter Family Fold
Clinch Mountain Music Fest is gearing up for its 10th annual celebration of mountain music in Scott County, Virginia, on Saturday, June 20th, 2015. Festivities this year will begin in Gate City, Virginia, and end at the Carter Family Fold in Hiltons. All crafts and outside vendors will be set up in Gate City. Gate City’s festivities will close by 5:30 to allow everyone time to get to the closing concert at the Fold. The goal of Clinch Mountain Music Fest is to preserve and perpetuate the heritage of the Appalachian region through its’ music. This year’s festival is once again dedicated to Jay Dixon who chaired the festival for five years and passed away in January of 2012. Featured artists in Gate City beginning at 11 a.m. are Left Lane, the Tyler Williams Band, Reagan Boggs, North Fork, and Matt Hurd and Company. Headlining the festival and featured at the Carter Family Fold at 7:30 p.m. is Trey Hensley and Drivin’ Force. Expect a day of traditional Appalachian
style music and fun! Trey Hensley, despite his young age, has already forged his own style. What started over twelve years ago as a kid singing traditional bluegrass has become the mature sound of a 22-year old country performer and vocalist who has already found his voice. While you’ll hear some of his idols and influences around the edges, more than anything, you’ll hear Trey Hensley. With a guitar in his hands, his talent expands beyond his young age. This young guitar aficionado will blow your mind. His own style of picking – whether on his Telecaster or acoustic – bears the influence of some of his guitar heroes. You’ll hear traces of James Burton, Marty Stuart, Buck Owens, Ricky Skaggs, Doc Watson, and Tony Rice. Friends with Johnny Cash and Earl Scruggs, he’s picked with Tom T. Hall, the Oak Ridge Boys, Steve Wariner, Charlie Daniels, Ricky Skaggs, and many others. He first stepped into the Grand Ole Opry’s
spotlight in 2002, performing on the hallowed Ryman stage at the age of only eleven years old. Before that, he appeared onstage at the Carter Fold – mountain music’s Grand Ole Opry. Hensley’s first country project, Looking at my Future, finds him with guitars firmly in hand and surrounded by some of the finest studio musicians in Nashville. Covering material done by Johnny Rodriguez, Elvis Presley, and Jerry Reed - his easy vocal styling and hot licks on the release are amazing. With his second country CD, It is What it Is, the Jonesborough, Tennessee, native is heading out playing his own brand of traditional honky-tonk music. Trey’s new CD is a combination of radio-friendly and contemporary songs as well as songs with the classic sound of some of his heroes. It features songs done by Elton John, Conway Twitty, Jimmy Dickens, and many other music industry greats as well as special guests who contributed
their time and talent to the release. Several years ago, Trey hit the road with his four-piece band for
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June 16, 2015 • The Loafer, Page 13
Clinch Mountain ... Continued from previous page a tour that carried him from Philadelphia to Los Angeles, Nebraska to North Carolina, and beyond. During the tour, his group opened for Steve Wariner, Randy Owen, and Marty Stuart. While he continues to travel throughout the U.S. and Canada, Trey is always mindful of the roots of the music he loves. He never lets country fans forget where it all began. Trey’s talent and stage presence are indicative of a performer far beyond his age. His tremendous talent and his down home humility impress everyone he meets. Marty Stuart calls him a “bona fide hillbilly rock star.” You won’t hear better guitar picking anywhere, and his vocals are every bit as spell-binding as his playing. If you aren’t a fan of Trey’s already, you will be when you hear him. For a night of some of the best bluegrass and traditional country music you can imagine, don’t miss Trey Hensley and Drivin’ Force at the Carter Family Fold! Trey grew up playing on the Carter Fold stage, and it feels like part of our family is coming home when he performs there. The Fold takes such tremendous pride in bringing him back to our stage for our 10th annual Clinch Mountain Music Fest. For more information on Trey, go to http://treyhensley.com/. Clinch Mountain Music Fest 2015 is presented by the Carter Family Memorial Music Center, Inc., in conjunction with the Gate City Arts & Music Initiative and the Town of Gate City, Virginia. All performances at the Carter Music Center are family-oriented, and therefore
are alcohol and drug free. Donations to support the continuation of our Appalachian music heritage are welcome and may be mailed to Carter Family Memorial Music Center, Inc., P.O. Box 111, Hiltons, Virginia, 24258, or given to our volunteer staff at the event. Thank you to our sponsors the Scott County Virginia Star, Bryant Label Company, the Appalachian Cultural Music Association, the National Endowment for the Arts, and the Virginia Commission for the Arts. For information on Clinch Mountain Music Fest 2015, go to the Carter Music Center web site or the Clinch Mountain Music Fest web site: www.clinchfest.net. Carter Family Memorial Music Center, Incorporated, is a nonprofit, rural arts organization established to preserve traditional, acoustic, mountain music. For further information on the center, go to http://www.carterfamilyfold.org. Shows from the Carter Family Fold can be accessed on the internet at http://www.carterfoldshow.com. Carter Music Center is part of the Crooked Road: Virginia’s Heritage Music Trail. You can visit the Crooked Road Music Trail site at http://thecrookedroad.org. Partial funding for programs at the center is provided by the Virginia Commission for the Arts and the National Endowment for the Arts. For recorded information on shows coming up at the Fold, call 276386-6054. The Fold is on Facebook – page Carter Fold – and Twitter – Twitter @carterfoldinfo. To speak to a Fold staff member, call 276594-0676.
Knoxville Musicians to Play Tribute to B. B. King
The Tennessee Valley Jazz & Blues Foundation will present “The Thrill is Gone… But Not Forgotten: A Tribute to B. B. King” at The Relix Variety Theatre on Saturday, June 20, at 7:00 pm. After a long and legendary career, B. B. King, “The King of the Blues,” passed away on May 14 of this year. He was one of the most beloved and influential musicians of all time. In his honor, an all-star lineup of Knoxville musicians will gather to perform many of the songs made famous by King. Performing in the band for the evening are guitarist, vocalist and co-producer of the program, Labron Lazenby, bassist Michaelemery Delaney, pianist and organist Stevie Jones. Saxo-
phonist Bob Knapp will lead the horn section. Other featured performers include Michael “Crawdaddy” Crawley, “Detroit” Dave Meer, “Jay Mac” McDonald, Davis Mitchell, “Big Gene” Chandler, “Leftfoot Dave” Overall, Doug Harris, and more. A portion of the proceeds will
benefit the victims of the earthquake in Nepal. Tickets for the show are $8 at the door. Doors open at 7:00 pm, and the show begins at 8:00 pm. The Relix Variety Theatre is located at 1208 N. Central Street in Knoxville. For more information, contact the Relix at 865-474-1017.
Page 14, The Loafer • June 16, 2015
Johnson City Community Theatre presents
In hopes to support Johnson City’s diverse and artistic culture, the Johnson City Community Theatre has decided to bring the Tony Award winning Broadway show RENT to stage this June. From June 12 to June 27, RENT will be showing at the JCCT, located at 600 E. Maple St. Johnson City, TN. Performances will be ev-
ery Friday and Saturday night at 7:30 p.m., with matinee shows on June 21 and 27 at 2 p.m. General admission tickets are $18. For students, veterans, senior citizens (55+) and groups of 15 or more, a discount of $15 available. Directed by John Kaywood, the revolutionary rock opera follows a group of eight friends living
in New York City’s East Village during the peak of the bohemian Alphabet City. The show follows their journey full of loss, addiction, AIDS and love, as they struggle to survive the poverty-stricken neighborhood. With a cast of young faces, most of which are new to the JCCT stage, RENT will shed light on social issues that are still prevalent today. Cast members include Carolee Mabe, Chantal Sastre, Corey Tickles, Danielle Eaton, Dennis Rhinehart, Devin Blair, Dustin Lawson, Gina Hammond, Jacob Mencini, Jonathan Marin, Josh Cassels, Lacey Williams, Logan Roark, Lorrie Anderson, Rosa Coletti, Stephen Owens, Will Oliver, Zac Schaftlein and Michael Shearin. To purchase tickets and to find out how you can get involved with JCCT, visit www.jcct.info or call 423-926-2542. Due to language, drug use, and strong sexual tones, a parent or guardian must be present for anyone under the age 17 to attend a performance. About Johnson City Community Theatre With over 129 years of history and over a century of continuous seasons, Johnson City Community Theatre has watched the twentieth century come and go. Now, JCCT is looking forward to its second century as Johnson City’s own theatre, committed to artistic excellence and quality entertainment.
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June 16, 2015 • The Loafer, Page 15
Mornings with Andy
I’m a man of convictions, a man of integrity. Never in my time on this planet would I have ever have thought that I would be seen hosting a morning TV program. I had no desire to host a morning TV program. I usually never watch them. My mornings are spent desperately drinking coffee and arguing with my French mistress, I have no time for TV. Yet, some enterprising producers came to me some time ago with an offer to host my own morning show. I outright refused the offer at first, how would I have the time to host a morning show, yet alone pump myself full of false cheer and smiles in order to do so? I keep refusing their offers, until the phrase “dump truck full of money at at your door” was used. Soon I found myself in the host of a morning TV show. I didn’t have much say in the name or creative direction of the show, I was a hired goon in a suit. Despite the truck o’ money, I
still grimaced when I was told the name of the show would be “Morning Sunshine with Andy.” Most mornings I don’t wake up full of “Morning Sunshine,” so having to fake being excruciatingly happy at eight in the morning was going to take a lot of work. Coffee was the first step, as was making sure I had the complete Ramones discography on hand at all times. I’d take naps in the makeup chair. I’d stumble into work in the early morning looking like death, and by the time I woke up 45 minutes later, I was a beautiful, rosy cheeked person. I began the show by pretending to be laughing at something funny I heard just split seconds before we went on air. “Oh, Good Morning! It’s Tuesday, and it’s time for your dose of Morning Sunshine! Not much sunshine today, but boy howdy, we needed this rain.” I follow this up with more fake laughter. Then I would talk of who all I
had coming up on the show that day, some toy expert, a chef, and another person who is there just to make sure I understand why I shouldn’t allow little Timmy to play with the electric carving set. The show also had the important news segment, where some very serious person reads the news after I try to have a genuine human interaction with them. Being a local morning show, you’d hope the news would pertain to our region, but no. It’s all sensationalized “breaking news” from states on the other side of the country. Well, outside of the one story about Farmer Johnson’s cows. Sadly my morning show did not last for long, but who cares, I still got paid. Morning television just isn’t for me, I need a lot to get me going in the AM to begin with, so having to fake it all is just too much for my delicate sensibilities. Oh well, I’m off to Maui. See you next week.
Page 16, The Loafer • June 16, 2015
Arts Depot in Abingdon, VA to Celebrate its 25th Anniversary June 19th and 20th 2015 • Reception, Friday Evening, June 19th 6-8 pm • 3 Special Exhibits runing through July 24 • Party on Depot Square- Saturday, June 20th 10 am-4 pm Contact: Susan Yates (276) 6289091 The Arts Depot in Abingdon invites everyone to join them in celebrating their 25th year of “Artists and Community Working Together.” Festivities begin on Friday, June 19th with an opening reception from 6-8 pm. Guests will enjoy the music of the Abingdon Thumb Strummers, hors d’oeuvres, a glass of wine (for those over 18), and a word from Abingdon’s Mayor, Ed Morgan. Guests will meet the artists featured in three special exhibits. • In the Founders Gallery: “Then & Now”: Members exhibit work representing their artistic journeys through the years. • In the Juried Spotlight Gallery: Traditional oil painter, Joe Burnette of Bristol, VA. Exhibit Preview: Joe Burnette was born in North Carolina, grew up in Southwest VA, and now lives in Bristol, VA. He says “I’ve always had an interest in art and was encouraged by my mother who would do drawings and watercolors that my siblings and I would hang in our rooms.” Joe Burnette has a deep admiration for what today we call the “old masters”. Burnette discusses how their influence in their own time must have been “tremendous and far reaching as their legacy continues to this day….In my own way I have tried to emulate the style of work they produced. The process, planning, execution all coming together at the end of a brush onto a canvas is quite rewarding when all goes as planned…not so much when things don’t come together.” Joe says he has come to appreci-
The Oyster Shucker ate the craftsmanship required to place paint on a surface in such a way as to “make one see not only what the artist wants you to see but that magical blending of one’s own interpretation of the artist’s offering.” Burnette says he has had the honor of having viewed some of the grand works by Vermeer, Rembrandt, Cassatt and Parish to name a few. He believes without question “these works were planned, plotted, formulated, to enable the best practice of each individual artist to be present.” The craftsmanship bringing these pieces to fruition is evident to Burnette. Joe admits, “To be quite honest, these folks can overwhelm one if you are trying to copy their type of work.” So, what Burnette says he works on is the, “how did they do that? Why did they put this color there? And where are the natural flows to and from?” He believes, “if all things in the painting are built
Arts Depot ... Continued next page
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June 16, 2015 • The Loafer, Page 17
Arts Depot ... Continued from previous page on the premise of craftsmanship, from the brushes, the ground, the paint, the drawing, then the hard part is done. With great delight the paint then goes in where, how, and why it should.” Joe works with real life scenes and from photographs, almost exclusively black and white, as he would rather make his own determination of the color scheme. He has recently been working on painting from some of his own, early family photos. The selection of subjects is based on composition, visual impact, and what he determines as “overall effect or mood”. • And, in the Members Gallery: Ruth Crowe of Mint Hill NC, Rita Montrosse of Princeton, WV, Frank Renault of Abingdon and Edward Young from Lebanon, VA
The Depot’s anniversary celebration continues on Saturday, June 20th with a party on Depot Square from 10 am to 4 pm. Artists tent sales, face painting, interactive art projects, a “selfie” booth, Abingdon’s Dunk & Deli food trolley, caboose cake, and a children’s train ride are just some of the activities that the young and young at heart will enjoy. The Arts Depot is located at 314 Depot Square in Abingdon, VA. All events are free and open to the public. The Depot is open Wednesday through Saturday 10am-4pm, until 8pm on the First Thursday of each month during Abingdon’s gallery hop, and by appointment by calling 276-628-9091. There is never an admission charge at the Depot. www.abingdonartsdepot. org
Farm Boy
Volunteers needed for Parks and Recreation Advisory Board
The Johnson City Board of Commissioners will be considering four appointments to serve three-year terms on the Johnson City Parks and Recreation Advisory Board. This board makes policy recommendations to the Board of Commissioners regarding the provision of recreation services and the use of facilities, including acquisition and disposal of property related to the City’s Parks and Recreation program. A potential appointee should be interested in parks and recreation and be a resident of the city. Applications may be submitted online at www.johnsoncitytn.org/boards. Applications also are available at the Municipal and Safety Building, 601 E. Main St. or can be mailed by calling (423)434-6021. The deadline for submitting an application is July 3. Applications are kept on file for current year only. For more information regarding the Parks and Recreation Advisory Board, please contact Missy Hollifield at (423)283-5815 or mhollifield@johnsoncitytn.org.
Page 18, The Loafer • June 16, 2015
THE MODEL CITY WRECKING CREW
TUESDAY - June 16
7pm at North East State Performing Arts Center
SOUTHERN REBELLION
KARAOKE
SATURDAY - June 20
TUESDAY Karaoke At Numan’s - Johnson City TN *********************** WEDNESDAY Karaoke w/ Absolute Entertainment at Marker “2” Grille Karaoke At Bristol VFW - Bristol TN Turn the Page Karaoke At VFW Post 2108 - Johnson City TN *********************** THURSDAY Karaoke At Numan’s - Johnson City TN Karaoke w/ Absolute Entertainment at Electric Cowboy - Johnson City TN Turn the Page Karaoke At Holiday Inn - Johnson City TN Karaoke w/ Absolute Entertainment At Everette’s Bar & Grille Johnson City TN *********************** FRIDAY Karaoke At Bristol VFW - Bristol TN Karaoke w/ Absolute Entertaiment at Rainbow Asian Cuisine Johnson City TN Turn the Page Karaoke at VFW Post 2108 - Johnson City TN Karaoke At Elizabethton VFW Elizabethton TN Karaoke w/ DJ Marques At Holiday Inn (Exit 7) - Bristol VA Karaoke At Numan’s - Johnson City TN *********************** SATURDAY Turn the Page Karaoke at VFW Post 2108 - Johnson City TN Karaoke At Numan’s - Johnson City TN *********************** SUNDAY Karaoke w/ Absolute Entertainment at Mellow Mushroom Johnson City TN Karaoke w/ Absolute Entertainment At Everette’s Bar & Grille Johnson City TN
9:30 at Country Club Bar & Grill
ACOUSTIFRIED (Country) 7pm at Sonny’s Marina & Cafe
JASON LLOYD & FRIENDS
FRIDAY - June 19
OPEN MIC w/ DAN HERRELL
ASHLEE BEALS DAVE BRITT
ONE GOOD THING
MATHEW FRANTZ HONEYBOYS & BOOTS
JUKE BOX BOYS
(Classic Country & Southern Rock) 9pm at Elizabethton Moose Lodge
at Biggie’s Clam Bar
6pm at Sonny’s Marina & Cafe
(Drew & Courtney Blackwell) at Acoustic Coffeehouse
WEDNESDAY - June 17
at Acoustic Coffeehouse
7pm at Sonny’s Marina & Cafe 8pm (Rockin’ Boogie Blues)
7pm at Kickin’ Back at King’s Alley
ASYLUM SUITE
WHISKEY INCIDENT DEMON WAFFLE
(Fun, Horns-led Ska)
DAN HERRELL
8pm at The Willow Tree Coffeehouse & Music Room
6pm at Sonny’s Cafe
JASON “the comeback kid” EDWARDS at Mad Greek Restaurant POCKET VINYL MAL COOPER at Acoustic Coffeehouse
THURSDAY - June 18 JAZZ at Wellington’s - Carnegie Hotel DJ LILLEY 7pm at Sonny’s Cafe THE APACHE RELAY w/ THE ORDINARY BITTERS Thursday Jams 7pm at Abingdon Market Pavilion
SHOOTER
(Country, Classic Rock, Oldies) 6pm at Quaker Steak & Lube
E Frazier 7pm at Marker “2” Grill JASON “the comeback kid” EDWARDS at Lonestar Steakhouse Restaurant Elizabethton
BOOGERTOWN
at Bone Fire Smokehouse
THE MUDBUGS
at The Acoustic Coffeehouse
SOUTHERN SOUND
ANCIENT CITIES BLUE MOTHER TUPELO
CATFISH FRYE BAND
OPEN MIC
at The Willow Tree Coffeehouse & Music Room
at Marker “2” Grill
& A GREAT DISASTER APPALACHIAN STRINGS
at Hops & Howlers - Abingdon at Biggie’s Clam Bar
TREY HENSLEY & DRIVIN FORCE at Carter Family Fold NIGHT SHIFT (Country, Southern Rock, Oldies) 7pm at David Thompson’s Produce
JASON “the comeback kid” EDWARDS
CROSS COUNTRY BLUEGRASS at Family Barn RAILWAY EXPRESS
TBA 8pm at Bone Fire Smokehouse SOUTHERN SOUND
SUNDOWN (Country) at Triple B Brewery
THE JONES BOYS
TODD GREENE/ DOUG GIBSON w/ TRAIL OF THE LONESOME at Acoustic Coffeehouse
at Family Barn
at State Line Bar & Grill
(Classic Country & Southern Rock) 9pm at Triple B Brewery 7pm at Marker “2” Grill
NIGHT SHIFT
(Country, Southern Rock, Oldies) 8:30pm at Abingdon Moose Lodge
LEFT LANE TYLER WILLIAMS BAND REAGAN BOGGS GLEN HARLOWm MATT HURD & COMPANY THE TREY HENSELY BAND Starting at 11am at Clinch Mountain MusicFest
at Country Club Bar & Grill
BLUESMAN (Blues, Jazz, Rock, Pop) at Bone Fire Smokehouse
SUNDAY - June 21 JEFF SHAYNE
6pm at Sonny’s Marina & Cafe
IVY ROAD at Marker “2” Grill AMYTHYST KIAH at Bone Fire Smokehouse
ELIJAH OCEAN
at Acoustic Coffeehouse
ACOUSTIFRIED (Country)
MONDAY - June 22
SOUTHERN COUNTRYMEN BAND (Country) at The Outdoorsman
at Bristol’s Pickin’ Porch
at Biggie’s Clam Bar
APPALACHIAN TRAIL OPEN MIC at Acoustic Coffeehous
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June 16, 2015 • The Loafer, Page 19
Todd Greene | June 20th | 8pm Acoustic Coffeehouse
Raised in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina and from a musical family, Todd began singing in church and school groups. He performed in plays and talent shows throughout his school years and as he began to develope his musical abilities in college, he picked up the guitar and started to discover the art of the song. His affinity for the acoustic guitar and the singer songwriters of the era, compelled him to hone his craft. Today, Todd Greene is an engaging solo performer with introspective original songs, and a rich voice steeped in rhythm & blues. He is truly an original American storyteller and captivating artist.
Spotlight Directory Abingdon Moose Lodge 15605 Porterfield Hwy Abgindon VA 276/628-2756
Acoustic Coffeehouse 415 W Walnut St. Johnson City 423/434.9872 Biggies Clam Bar 417 W Stone Dr Kingsport 423/765-9633 Bone Fire Smokehouse at the Hardware 260 W Main St Abingdon Va 276/623-0037 Bristol’s Pickin’ Porch 620 State St Bristol 423/573-2262 Carter Family Fold 3449 A. P. Carter Hwy Hiltons Va 276/594-0676
Country Club Bar & Grill 3080 W State St Bristol 423/844-0400
David Thompson’s Produce 251 Highway 107 Jonesborough 423/913-8123 Family Barn 1718 US Highway 19 Hansonville VA
Holiday Inn (Exit 7) 3005 Linden Dr Bristol Va 276/466-4100
Mad Greek Restaurant 2010 Franklin Terrace Johnson City 423/328-9070
Marker “2’ Grill at Lakeview Marina 474 Lakeside Dock, Kingsport 423/323-4665 The Outdoorsman 4535 Highway 11W Kingsport Quaker Steak & Lube 629 State St Bristol VA 276/644-9647
Sonny’s Marina & Café 109 One St. Gray TN 423/283-4014
State Line Bar & Grill 644 State Street Bristol 423/652-0792
Triple B Brewery 935 Wilcox Ct. #105 Kingsport 423/963-3609 Wellington’s Restaurant Carnegie Hotel 1216 W State of Franklin Rd Johnson City 423/979-6400
The Willow Tree Coffeehouse & Music Room 216 E Main St Johnson City
Page 20, The Loafer • June 16, 2015
Jupiter and Venus in Incredible Conjunction
Something extraordinary is happening right now in the evening sky after sunset that in another millennium would have the world turned upside down. It is somewhat amazing to me that there isn’t some minor hysteria and wild predictions as what might happen during the next two weeks of celestial “magic.” Because what’s going on in the stars after sunset is something that truly demanded attention at one time, and now it is being completely ignored. Except for the brethren of amateur astronomers poised to capture the event with their cameras. Just what am I talking about? Something no less than what might be the return appearance of the famous Star of Bethlehem…and I’m not kidding! On the night of Wednesday, June 30, 2015, the two brightest planets, Venus and Jupiter, will seem to merge as one star to the naked eye— exactly what happened on the night of June 17, 2 BC. This “super” conjunction of the two planets that have been charac-
terized at the King and Queen of many ancient mythologies has been an explanation for the most famous star of all, the Star of Bethlehem that the Bible Book of Mathew says guided “Wise Men” from the Far East to the manger in Bethlehem where Jesus, the Christian Messiah was born. Both the conjunction 2015 and 2 BC occurred in the regal constellation Leo the Lion, near the bright yellow star Regulus, known as the “Regal One.” This might be the event that triggered a clan of wise skywatchers from Persia to saddle up the caravan and travel the ljlkj miles to a town called Bethlehem and an infant named Jesus. This beautiful night sky event has been playing out in our pre-Summer nights, just like they did 2,017 years ago. To the ancient cultures these god-like planets chased each other in the Zodiac house considered the place for laws and royalty. Yes, amateur astronomers have been watching for six months the convergence of Venus towards Jupiter, with the bright yellow star Regulas nearby. Called a “conjunction”
in astronomy speak, the meaning is when two celestial bodies are in the same proximity of the sky, usually within 5 degrees of each other. Five degrees is the distance an armlength human fist covers in the sky, of the distance between the pointer stars of the Big Dipper. While Jupiter and Venus are near each other about every eight years, it is a rare event centuries apart that will have both planets visible in the same low power eyepiece of a telescope for a few hours. Though close in the sky, it is a lineof-sight perspective as the planets are actually more than 500 million miles apart. Venus is close to the Earth at about 20 million miles away while Jupiter is on the other side of the Sun 600 million miles away and a month away from going behind our star and popping back up in the morning sky. It was just a little more than 2,000 years ago that ancient star watchers also watched as the brilliant white Venus kept moving upward to the gold Jupiter under the scrutiny of nearby Regulus. The significance was even more impressive to the ancient stargazers as the quick moving Mercury moved in and out of the scene during the two months of celestial cat-and-mouse in the Spring of -1 BC. In the 21st Century we know that Jupiter is coincidentally the largest of the eight planets and named after the King of the Gods in Roman mythology. And Venus is shrouded in clouds, giving it a pearly white and bright appearance that the ancients associated with purity and birth. Leo the Lion was one of 12 constellations where the planets, Moon and Sun are always found, and each was thought as a house of influence on the lives of man. This month’s spectacular conjunc-
tion of the two brightest planets is silently ignored by the astrologers of our millennium. But 2,000 years ago there would be a buzz about the civilized lands about the King of the Gods being visited by the Queen of Fertility, and news about it being reported by swift, mythical messenger Mercury. In fact, this dance of the special wandering stars among the royal house of the favored constellations had to be watched even more intently by the ancient Zoastrian priests of the ancient world. For centuries they had been looking for signs in the sky that a Messiah of the Hebrews would be born, as predicted in ancient teachings from prophets like Abraham and Moses. And when the King and Queen of the night stars merged into one star for a few brief hours on June 17, 2 BC, skywatchers interpreted it as a sign from their God, and thus the famous story of the Bible’s Gospel of Matthew unfolded. But the reaction in the 21st Century is quite blasé. There are no religious outcries that I can find anywhere on the Internet. No wacko groups are professing that the end of the world is near. I can’t find any predictions of the return of Jesus. Nor any apocalyptic predictions of famine, drought or pestilence. Gee, anybody remember Y2K fears of a computer melt-down? Or how about in 1997 Heaven’s Gate? There were 39 members of the cult who committed suicide in matching outfits and Nike shoes. They believed they were catching a ride to eternity aboard spaceship following Comet Hale-Bopp! Really? A re-creation of what could have been the most famous star in history—THE Star of Bethlehem, and nobody wants a piece of it? I can’t find a decent tabloid on the newsstands, any mention in the UFO magazine rack or any special sales at the corner Palm Reader’s
shack. This beautiful conjunction of Venus and Jupiter is only talked about in the usual monthly publications of Astronomy and Sky& Telescope, as well as the 2015 almanacs and calendars of celestial events. Venus has been jumping up from the horizon to met Jupiter before it begins dropping back down to swing into the morning sky by the end of Summer. Jupiter slips behind the Sun on jlkjlj . In the Autumn 2015, the planetary pair will dazzle the pre-dawn skies into morning twilight. Any doubters about the similarity of conjunctions 2,017 years apart? You can check it out for themselves by downloading the popular desktop planetarium program, Stellarium.org. It is free and takes about five minutes to install on your computer. What will be amazing about this event should be the photos taken of both planets in the same field of view. Venus will have a gibbous phase and be a little bigger than Jupiter and its squashed poles with several wide, dark bands of clouds cutting across the globe. Jupiter will have three moons on one side and one on the other of its easily visible Galilean moons. To prepare for any photos, or just to enjoy the peak of the conjunction on the night of June 30th, pay attention to where the planets are as they set over the upcoming nights. You’ll have a ring-side seat to see celestial mechanics as played out by the laws of physics. It might not be a time for the return of any Messiah, but you can certainly enjoy the spirituality of the event with a knowledge that surpasses anybody living two millennia ago. I’ll be watching, of course. And just in case I can hitch a ride somewhere that night, I’ll be wearing my sneakers.
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June 16, 2015 • The Loafer, Page 21
Celestial events in the skies for the week of June 16- June 22, 2015 as compiled for The Loafer by Mark D. Marquette. Venus and Jupiter are inching closer together toward their near convergence in Leo on Wednesday night June 30th. This spectacular conjunction duplicates the night sky of June 2 BC, and a possible explanation for the celebrated Star of Bethlehem. While the Earth reaches the point in its orbit where our Northern Hemisphere has the longest days—and the shortest nights—this is also the week when three NASA manned space missions paved the way for today’s International Space Station, and a fourth put the first American woman in space.
Tues. June 16
On this 1963 date in space history, Valentine Tereshkova, 78, became the first woman to be launched into space aboard her spaceship Vostok 6. She is still the only female to fly solo in space— probably never to be duplicated. Tereshkova is Russian national hero, having been appointed to political posts and most recently part of the torch ceremony at the 2014 Winter Olympics.
Wed. June 17
Venus is 38 million miles from Earth, and Jupiter is 462 million miles away, yet they are next door neighbors in our evening sky.
Thurs. June 18
On this 1983 date in space history, Sally Ride became the first American female in space as was rocketed off Earth with four men aboard the Space Shuttle Challenger. It was the seventh Shuttle flight, and Challenger’s second. Ride made a second flight before becoming a NASA ambassador. She died in 2012 of pancreatic cancer at age 61. Her maiden voyage at age 32 still makes her the youngest American to orbit Earth.
Fri. June 19
The crescent Moon, three days past new phase, visits the Venus/ Jupiter conjunction. Two thou-
sand years ago this visitor to the wandering Queen and King of the night sky would have raised the level of speculation as to what the “gods” of the sky were trying to tell naïve earthlings. Today, the scene is a beautiful sight and photo opportunity for those wanting to capture the memory.
Sat. June 20
The crescent Moon is next to Jupiter tonight in this beautiful scene in the western twilight horizon. On this 1996 date in space history, Space Shuttle Columbia was launched with seven astronauts and the 40-foot Spacelab module in the cargo bay. During the nearly 17-day mission, the astronauts conducted 22 experiments on human physiology, microgravity effects on metallic alloys and protein crystals as well as the behavior of fluids in the weightlessness of outer space.
Sun. June 21
The first day of Summer is today, the solstice occurring at 4:38 pm. The Sun actually enters the constellation Gemini the Twins, though astrologers would have you think it’s in Cancer. Changes in the calendar centuries ago have put the skies out of sync with those entertaining horoscopes. But trust me, if you turned out the light during the day, you’d see the Sun in
Gemini, not Cancer. On this 1993 date in space history, Space Shuttle Endeavour was launched with pressurized SpaceHab laboratory its cargo bay. The astronauts conducted 10 days of life science and material processing research, paving the way for future applications in the International Space Station.
Mon. June 22
On this 1973 date in space history, three astronauts returned from a 28-day stay aboard America’s first space station, Skylab. Paul Weitz, Joseph Kerwin and Apollo 12 moonwalker Pete Conrad were the first crew aboard the huge Skylab, built inside a Saturn V rocket cylinder. Their four weeks in space was the world record at the time and helped pioneer the six-month missions spent by astronauts aboard the orbiting ISS.
Page 22, The Loafer • June 16, 2015
The Hops & Howlers Craft Brew Fest Returns to Downtown Abingdon The second annual Hops & Howlers Craft Brew Fest, presented by Food City, will take place June 20, 2015 in downtown Abingdon. The festival features over 30 breweries from the region, plus food vendors and live music from Ancient Cities and Blue Mother Tupelo. The home brew competition will name the top home brewer in the region, while the VIP tent will offer early admission and access to exclusive beer tastings on top of the other offerings. Hops & Howlers is organized by Abingdon Main Street and the Abingdon Music Experience. The festival takes place from 4:00pm to 9:00pm Saturday June 20th, at the Abingdon Market Pavilion on Remsburg Drive. In its first year, the Brew Fest attracted over 500 visitors, and organizers are expecting a bigger turnout for the second year, after making tweaks to improve the experience
for attendees. New this year are even more breweries (30 +), a later start time, and brewery booths located under the shade of the market pavilion. The area in front of the band will be available for chairs and picnic tables. Live music plays a big part in the festival. Formed by creative songster, DJ, and former actor Stephen Warwick, Ancient Cities melds well-crafted lyrics with synthladen psychedelia and cinematic moodiness. With electrifying sets at festivals like FloydFest, Bristol Rhythm & Roots Reunion, Drumstrong and more, the band turned the heads of critics, fans, and contemporaries alike. “Ancient Cities bridge the gap between indie-rock and classic rock with swift, fuzzy guitars, excited drumming and dreamy atmospheres”-Inforty (UK) Next on the bill is the unique southern soul sound of Blue
Mother Tupelo. Paste Magazine calls this husband-and-wife duo “swampy, gospel-tinged southern soul-blues…[with] soul-searing harmonies.” Blue Mother Tupelo is American music that will pull you in to stomp and sway all night long. The Hops & Howlers Craft Brew Fest is a beer tasting festival that offers festival goers the chance to sample regional & micro-brews, as well as ciders. The breweries are carefully chosen for the ultimate boutique brew fest experience, which also includes live music and local food options. Tickets are limited, to keep lines short and provide the most opportunities for attendees to learn about the brews directly from the master brewers. Over 30 breweries will be represented at the fest, including local favorites Wolf Hills Brew-
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served in the VIP tent. Advance tickets are on sale through 21 Food City stores in southwest Virginia and northeast Tennessee as well as the website http://hopsandhowlers.com/. The event is restricted to those 21 and up. Special Designated Driver tickets are available for $15, for those who do not intend to drink, but are 21 and up as well. Valid ID is required for entrance. Hops & Howlers Craft Brew Fest is presented by Food City and sponsored by EcoLogical En-
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ing, Bristol Brewing and Holston River Brewing, as well as featured breweries Damascus Brewery and Devils Backbone. The festival also features a Homebrew Competition, open to home brewers across the Tri-Cities. Entries are still welcome. This festival is co-organized by Abingdon Main Street and
the Abingdon Music Experience. Abingdon Main Street is a nonprofit organization dedicated to making the downtown district a place where people want to shop, dine, stay and play, by planning events and activities, and supporting locally-owned businesses. For more information visit www. abingdonmainstreet.com.
Tickets include up to twenty-one 4oz tastes and a souvenir tasting glass. Advance tickets are $35, and same-day tickets will be $40. The Festival is also offering a limited number of $55 VIP tickets, which include early admission, complimentary appetizers, provided by Mellow Mushroom, and a tasting of 4 additional beers exclusively
ergy Systems. Signs will be posted identifying which micro-brews can also be purchased at your local Food City. EcoLogical Energy Systems will set up an information booth and free solar charging station at the event where attendees can charge their phones. For tickets and more information on the event, visit http://hopsandhowlers.com/ or contact Sara Saavedra Saavedra, Special Events Coordinator, at (276) 676-2282 or ssaavedra@abingdon-va.gov.
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In Theaters Now
Box Office Top 10 Spy (2015)
“Pitch Perfect 2” Have you ever gone to the theater to see a sequel without having seen the original film? I have never done that before, but I certainly did so with the new film “Pitch Perfect 2”. Based on the plot of the original film, I figured this would be a easy film to see without having seen the 2012 release “Pitch Perfect”, and I was right. Even if you never saw the original, most film fans know the film is about a college a capella singing group and their competition. At the end of the first film, the all-female singing group from the fictional Barden University wins the national competition for a capella singing groups. The sequel beings with the group, known as The Bellas, performing for President Obama, and the performance ends disastrously thanks to a mishap by Fat Amy (Rebel Wilson). The mishap results in The Bellas being suspended from performing at any a capella showcase. In fact, all their appearance are handed over to a rival group from Germany. Even though The Bellas have been banned from performances, they still are eligible to compete in the World competition, and if they win will be reinstated as a group at their university. In addition to Fat Amy, returning performers include Beca Mitchell (Anna Kendrick), the senior leader, and Chole Beale (Brittany Show), co-leader of the Bellas. Also on hand is newcomer Emily Junk (Hailee Steinfeld), who is able to join the group despite the groups restrictions, and pump new life into the group with her Freshman enthusiasm. Prior to attending the Worlds, the group is invited to a private riff off, where their competition is
A desk-bound CIA analyst volunteers to go undercover to infiltrate the world of a deadly arms dealer, and prevent diabolical global disaster.
San Andreas (2015)
In the aftermath of a massive earthquake in California, a rescuechopper pilot makes a dangerous journey across the state in order to rescue his daughter.
Insidious: Chapter 3 (2015)
A prequel set before the haunting of the Lambert family that reveals how gifted psychic Elise Rainier reluctantly agrees to use her ability to contact the dead in order to help a teenage girl who has been targeted by a dangerous supernatural entity.
Entourage (2015)
Pitch Perfect 2 (2015)
After a humiliating command performance at Lincoln Center, the Barden Bellas enter an international competition that no American group has ever won in order to regain their status and right to perform.
Tomorrowland (2015)
Bound by a shared destiny, a teen bursting with scientific curiosity and a former boy-genius inventor embark on a mission to unearth the secrets of a place somewhere in time and space that exists in their collective memory.
Avengers: Age of Ultron (2015)
When Tony Stark and Bruce Banner try to jump-start a dormant peacekeeping program called Ultron, things go horribly wrong and it’s up to Earth’s Mightiest Heroes to stop the villainous Ultron from enacting his terrible plans.
Movie star Vincent Chase, together with his boys Eric, Turtle, and Johnny, are back - and back in business with super agent-turned- Aloha (2015) studio head Ari Gold on a risky A celebrated military contractor project that will serve as Vince’s returns to the site of his greatest cadirectorial debut. reer triumphs and reconnects with a long-ago love while unexpectedMad Max: ly falling for the hard-charging Air Force watch-dog assigned to him. Fury Road (2015) In a stark desert landscape where humanity is broken, two Poltergeist (2015) rebels just might be able to restore A family whose suburban order: Max, a man of action and of home is haunted by evil forces few words, and Furiosa, a woman must come together to rescue their of action who is looking to make it youngest daughter after the appaback to her childhood homeland. ritions take her captive. Source: IMDb.com • (6/13/2015)
fierce and includes their German rivals Das Sound Machine. The riff proves to be both entertaining and funny, but The Bellas are not happy with the outcome. After the tough private competition, the ladies attend a retreat a a camp run by former Bella Audrey Posen (Anna Camp), which preps them for the tough competition ahead in Copenhagen. The competition,
as expected, is top notch, and The Bellas have to more one deal with Das Sound Machine. The paper thin plot works best when The Bellas and the other groups are singing, as many of their non-singing moments provide bits of humor that often falls flat. However, the presence of Rebel Wilson brings a much needed spark to the film, and her moment singing while
paddling across a lake is priceless. The other actors are fine, and any film featuring Snoop Dogg attempting to record a Christmas album, is certainly worthy of attention. Be sure to stay for the closing credits, as there is a segment you don’t want to miss involving “The Voice” television series. “Pitch Perfect 2” is a fun film that proves you don’t need to see
the original in order to enjoy a film that is not quite “pitch perfect”, but tries to hit all the right notes.
Rated: PG-13
B
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Mmmm... Cheese Sticks The summer is full of celebrations, and celebrations mean snacking. Even if you’re not having a get together with friends or family, you’ll probably still be snacking. A good vacation, entertaining the kids on break, and just relaxing all require some good grub. My favorite anytime snack has always been mozzarella sticks. They’re cheesy, gooey, delicious finger-food. You can get them at nearly any restaurant and can pick up a frozen bag at the grocery store; but all of those versions are high in carbs and high in calories. So, I was curious to find a couple recipes for some low-carb mozzarella sticks that looked absolutely delectable in their corresponding pictures. If you’re not worried about your diet, homemade tends to be tastier anyway. From several recipes I found on Pinterest, I created my very own with the supplies that I already had in my kitchen. I used six frozen mozzarella string cheese sticks, two large eggs, a teaspoon
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of butter (not margarine), all purpose flower, and homemade breadcrumbs. You can use store bought breadcrumbs if you don’t want to make your own or you already have them on hand. The absolute most important step is the make sure that your cheese sticks are frozen. They must be in the freezer for at least an hour but the longer, the better. Unfrozen cheese sticks will leave you with a big, sticky mess to clean and no snack. While your cheese is freezing, you can make your breadcrumbs. If you’re not making breadcrumbs, you can begin the next steps. You’ll want to start this process by toasting two pieces of bread for four minutes. This will burn the bread just around the edges and leave the rest perfectly crispy for crumbs. Then, I used my hands to break apart the bread into crumbs, but you can use a couple of forks if you prefer. To make the breadcrumbs extra tasty, add some seasoning; I chose garlic salt and pepper. Next, you will need to prepare your eggs. I use a little butter in my eggs to make them fluffier. Simply heat the butter in the mi-
crowave until completely melted. Poor it in a bowl with your two cracked eggs and whisk lightly. Once your cheese, breadcrumbs, and eggs are ready, preheat your oven to 400. You’ll also want to coat a pan in oil so that your food does not stick. Now, you can start breading your mozzarella sticks. Pour your all purpose flour into a bowl and roll your mozzarella sticks until they are fully coated. Then, dip them in egg. Lastly, cover them in breadcrumbs. It’s important to get them as coated in breadcrumbs as you possibly can or they won’t look at all like mozzarella sticks. When your oven is ready, you can place your sticks on the pan and in the oven. Bake them for three minutes and turn them over. Bake them for three more minutes. Let them cool for a minute before serving. These are really the perfect snack, if you cook them just right. You can have them dipped in marinara or ranch sauce. If you make too many or you want to have these on hand at a moments notice, you can freeze them and microwave for three minutes to serve.
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Greetings from the Stone Pony A little over an hour south of New York City sits the beach town of Asbury Park, New Jersey. As far back as the nineteenth century, Asbury Park and the surrounding Jersey Shore have been a popular destination for vacationers from all over the Mid-Atlantic looking to spend time and money to find temporary sanctuary from regular life. Even today, there is still a lot to see and do in the area from
boardwalks and beaches to gambling and debauchery (see Atlantic City for that). Not to be overlooked though is a rock club that many critics and fans alike have come to recognize as one of the most important concert venues anywhere. For the last 40 years, The Stone Pony, at the corner of Ocean Avenue and 2nd Avenue in Asbury Park, has played host to many of the most famous acts in Rock & Roll. This iconic venue, which is standing room only by the way, is the central location from which emanated the “Jersey Shore sound” that gained popularity in the 1970s and survives as a subgenre today. It’s where artists such as Jon Bon Jovi, ’Little Steven’ Van Zandt, and Bruce Springsteen cut their teeth on the way up. It still remains a popular center for regional musicians striving to ham-
mer out a fan base, and returning superstars alike. Covering both scenarios, the Boss has played The Stone Pony over 100 times -- plugging 100 different causes. Check it out sometime. Even if you’re passing through during daytime hours, you can probably still get in to have a look around. When I was there, it was closed because they were setting up for some kind of private function, but the nice lady who answered the door let me in anyway (unlike the jerk at the Apollo Theater). She cheerily showed me all the autographed guitars, show bills, and other memorabilia adorning the walls that illustrate The Stone Pony’s place in the context of rock history. To show my appreciation, I went ahead and bought a T-shirt from their souvenir counter (it was reasonably priced, of nice quality, and would later earn me the ap-
proval of some guy in the Verizon store.) If you’re interested, The Stone Pony’s website has a really neat and informative history section. The site tells the story of the club’s beginnings, all of the numerous
threats it has survived (such as with the urban decay and revitalization paralleling that of Asbury Park, not to mention Hurricane Sandy), and what makes it an essential pilgrimage for any rock history buff.
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Doe River Gorge Golf Challenge
The 19th Annual Doe River Gorge Golf Challenge returns to the Blackthorn Club at The Ridges in Jonesborough, Tenn., June 22. The tournament, which gives entrants the opportunity to hone their skills on a pristine course while also having a lasting impact on the lives of young people, is set to begin at 11 a.m. with a Shotgun Start. Registration will be that morning at 10 a.m. Entry fee for four-person teams is $800 and includes green and cart fees, goody bag, lunch and dinner, golf shirt, drinks and door prizes. Teams, competing in a select shot format, may or may not be gender specific. Lunch will be provided by Gardner Paint Services and will feature delicious, gourmet honey
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hot dogs while Carrabba’s will provide a fabulous dinner. Prizes will be awarded for closest to the pin and hole-in-ones on all par 3s. Sponsorship opportunities are available at a number of various levels. For sponsorship information or to register to play, call 423725-4010 or visithttp://www.doerivergorge.com/golf/index.php The Doe River Gorge Golf Challenge is sponsored by Citizens Bank, Johnson City Honda and Lifestyles Fitness. Event sponsors are Carrabba’s, Gardner Paint Services, High Road Digital, WCQR, WJHL and WXSM. To register, please call Doe River Gorge at 423-725-4010 or emailkim@doerivergorge.com
Red Cross seeks blood donors in weeks leading up to summer
The American Red Cross asks eligible donors to help ensure blood is available for patients in need by giving blood in June as the busy summer season kicks in. Blood donations often decrease when regular donors are vacationing and school is out of session, but the need for blood is constant. Donors are needed in the weeks leading up to summer to help alleviate this seasonal decline. Donors of all blood types – especially those with types O negative, A negative and B negative – are needed to help ensure blood is available for patients this summer. To make an appointment to give blood, download the Red Cross Blood Donor App, visit redcrossblood.org or call 1-800-RED CROSS (1-800-733-2767). Upcoming blood donation opportunities Tuesday, June 16 • American Red Cross, 818 Sunset Drive, Johnson City, 2:30 pm to 7:00 pm Wednesday, June 17 • American Red Cross, 818 Sunset Drive, Johnson City, 8:00 am to 1:00 pm • City of Elizabethton, 136 South Sycamore Street, Elizabethton, 9:00 am to 1:30 pm Monday, June 22
• First Christian Church, 1130 Temple Street, Greeneville, 1:15 pm to 5:45 pm • Lowe’s, 1498 East Jackson Boulevard, Jonesborough, 11:00 am to 3:30 pm Tuesday, June 23 • American Red Cross, 818 Sunset Drive, Johnson City, 2:30 pm to 7:00 pm • Mountain City Care Center, 919 Medical Park Drive, Mountain City, 12:15 pm to 4:45 pm Wednesday, June 24 • American Red Cross, 818 Sunset Drive, Johnson City, 8:00 am to 1:00 pm •NN, Inc, Suntrust Bank/NN Building, 207 Mockingbird Lane, Johnson City, 10:00 am to 2:30 pm The American Red Cross shelters, feeds and provides emotional support to victims of disasters; supplies about 40 percent of the nation’s blood; teaches skills that save lives; provides international humanitarian aid; and supports military members and their families. The Red Cross is a not-forprofit organization that depends on volunteers and the generosity of the American public to perform its mission. For more information, please visit redcross.org or visit us on Twitter at @RedCross.
MECC to Offer CNA Certification Course in Lee County Mountain Empire Community College will offer a summer course to become a Certified Nurse Assistant at MECC’s Pennington Gap satellite campus located in the Pennington Gap Mini-Mall. An informational meeting will be held at the Lee Nursing & Rehab Center on Thursday, June 18 at 6 p.m. Those interested in enrolling in the summer course, or future CNA classes, are invited to attend. For more information, or to register for the course, contact Kim Dorton, MECC’s Assistant Dean of Health Science, at 276.523.7456.
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The International Storytelling Center Welcomes Beth Horner
Photo by Julie Curry Storyteller Beth Horner is a hero to a generation of scientists for her groundbreaking contribution to NASA. It’s not because she invented some fancy equipment or led a trip into deep space. She did something much more simple and much more profound: she outlawed PowerPoint presentations. A vital collaborator with the agency since 2009, Horner was hired to help weave storytelling into the culture of science. As it turns out, astronauts are pretty good storytellers. Earthbound scientists, though? Not so much. It’s not that the raw material wasn’t there. “People who work for NASA are big dreamers and had great imaginations; otherwise, they wouldn’t be able to do what they do,” she says. “These engineers had to design a spacesuit that would accommodate everything a human being needed in a foreign atmosphere. That takes great imagination.” The problem, she found, was that boring presentation styles were so deeply ingrained that scientists, especially younger ones, were having trouble communicating ideas to one another. Drawing on Moth-style storytelling techniques, she came up with a unique workshop to help them spice up their stories. “The scientists had three minutes to tell the story and they could not
use PowerPoint,” she says. “This is revolutionary to anyone except those in storytelling: not using a PowerPoint presentation, but actually using image and metaphor and character to bring this concept to life.” In addition to her PowerPoint ban, Horner harvested stories from older scientists, developing a webcast series so their legacy information would be on hand even after they retired. While NASA had done a great job preserving the stories of, say, space missions, it wanted to preserve lesserknown tales from the control room and beyond. For her next terrestrial mission in Jonesborough, Tennessee, Horner will share her NASA stories and many other works as the town’s storyteller in residence. She’ll appear as part of the Storytelling Live! concert series, a popular program produced by the International Storytelling Center. Each year, the organization hosts more than two-dozen of the industry’s top tellers for weeklong storytelling residencies. During her time in Jonesborough, Horner will host regular matinee performances June 23 – 27, Tuesday through Saturday. Shows start daily at 2:00 p.m. In addition to stories about solar dust and Project Apollo, she’ll share a wide variety of funny personal
stories and folk tales. Tickets for all performances are just $12 for adults and $11 for seniors, students, and children under 18. Reservations are highly recommended, and all ticket holders will save 10 percent on sameday dining at The Dining Room, Jonesborough General Store and Eatery, or Main Street Café. Season passes that offer nearly half off the price of regular admission are still available while supplies last. Information about this season’s performers, as well as a detailed schedule, is available at www. storytellingcenter.net. Storytelling Live! is supported by program sponsors CrestPoint Health, Eastman Chemical Company and Eastman Credit Union, and media sponsors News 5-WCYB, FOX TriCities, Tri-Cities CW, Johnson City Press, Kingsport Times-News, Herald & Tribune, Cumulus Media and Foster Signs. Additional funding comes from the National Endowment for the Arts, the Tennessee Arts Commission, the Niswonger Foundation, and the Arts Fund of East Tennessee Foundation. The International Storytelling Center is open 10 a.m. – 5 p.m., Monday through Saturday. For more information about Storytelling Live! or to make a group reservation, call (800) 952-8392 ext. 222 or (423) 913-1276.
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Personal Tactical Training Pt 3
Last week we looked at how to draw from a handbag, this week we will discuss drills you can do at home to prepare for a home invasion. While no one wants to think a home invasion can happen to them, the unfortunate truth is that most tactical situations occur in the home. The following drills are designed for a handgun, however I always highly recommend using a tactical shotgun for home defense. With the exception of drawing the drills below can be used for a shotgun as well. Let’s talk about some drills you can do at home to prepare for a home invasion Always make sure your firearm is unloaded and there is no ammunition in the room. These drills are designed for either carrying around the house or fixed location. If your gun is located at a specific place like beside the bed, then when the alarm sounds and you are in the kitchen you will need to make your way as quickly as possible to the bedroom. Be sure to time yourself so you can improve your times. 1. Set an alarm for five minutes then get into bed, under the covers. When the alarm goes off roll out of bed; locate, load (either an empty magazine or dummy rounds), and present your firearm. 2. Set aside an hour or so and set an alarm for random times. Go around the house as you normally would ie wash dishes, watch TV. Whenever the alarm goes off locate, load (either an empty magazine or dummy rounds), and present your firearm. 3. Practice walking around the house in shooting stance with your gun presented, for example start in the bedroom, and walk down
the hallway into your living room, checking the kid’s rooms kitchen etc. make sure the gun follows you line of sight. You can also practice this in the dark using a flashlight or tac-light. The purpose of this drill is to ensure you are pointing the gun all over the place, and to give a feel for your home. 4. Lock boxes are great for preventing unauthorized access to your firearms. However, they also add a step to protecting yourself. If you utilize a lock box practice accessing your firearm until you can do it without thinking about it. More modern biometric and quick access lock boxes spring open for you, but you should still practice the steps necessary to access your gun. 5. Desensitize yourself. I cannot emphasize this drill enough. Many of my colleagues think of this as reckless, I however believe if you follow the four cardinal rules of gun safety these are perfectly safe. They will be uncomfortable, and they are designed to be. You are in no way required to do these. I
am in no way telling you that you have to. I have done all the following and I’m better for it. a) When on the range shooters are required to wear hearing protection, but you are not going to be wearing hearing protection in a tactical situation. Shoot a couple of rounds with no hearing protection. Yes it will be loud, but you will know exactly what to expect. I did this on private property so I wouldn’t get banned from the range. And yes if you use a tactical 12 gauge than you need to shoot it. b) Go into your bathroom and with your unloaded gun get into your shooting stance in front of the mirror this will simulate someone pointing a gun at you. That way if someone else does it will less terrifying. Hopefully you will find these drills helpful. Next week we will be looking at how to take what we’ve learned so far onto the range. As always if you have any questions or concerns please feel free to email me. I always look forward to your feedback.
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Southern Appalachian Highlands Conservancy hosts free, guided hikes on June 20
Five guided group hikes, catering to a variety of interests, ages and skill levels
On Saturday, June 20, the Southern Appalachian Highlands Conservancy (SAHC) will host a day of free, guided group hikes and social fellowship in the Highlands of Roan. From a gentle Roll N’Stroll in the Rhododendron Gardens or family-friendly Salamander Scavenger Hunt at Hampton Creek Cove to a 15-mile Challenge Hike across sections of the Appalachian Trail and Overmountain Victory National Historic Trail, the event offers something for everyone. “Since our founding, our members and leaders have been deeply concerned about the wellbeing of the globally significant ecosystems found in the Highlands of Roan,” says Kristy Urquhart, SAHC’s Associate Director. “It is simply a place unlike any other, and once you have experienced the Roan, it stays with you for the rest of your life. Over the past 41 years, SAHC and our conservation partners have protected 20,000 acres in this
area. The June Jamboree provides a wonderful way to celebrate these successes, and to introduce new people to this incredible landscape.” For the June Jamboree, SAHC offers five guided group hikes with experienced leaders and varying start times and locations throughout the Highlands of Roan. Details for each hike are provided below: Hike #1 — Ed Schell Memorial Hike from Carver’s Gap to Grassy Ridge Start Time: 9 am Estimated End Time: 2-3 pm Difficulty: Moderately Strenuous (7-8) Location: Start at Carver’s Gap This classic and rewarding hike is full of adventure atop the highest elevation balds in the Highlands of Roan, widely considered the most spectacular scenery along the Appalachian Trail. Grassy Ridge is the highest point near the AT, reaching 6,189 feet in
elevation. Enjoy a natural, unobstructed 360-degree view and so much more — blooming rhododendron, flame azalea, patches of spruce fir forest and rare plants such as Gray’s lily and Roan Mountain bluets. Along the way, former SAHC Seasonal Ecologist and Trustee David Smith will discuss the significance of the balds and the best practices for managing this pristine habitat. For those desiring an easier hike, there is the option of hiking out to Round Bald or Jane Bald, to enjoy the flowers and expansive views, instead of going all the way to Grassy Ridge. This year’s Carver’s Gap to Grassy Ridge hike is offered in memory of active, long-time SAHC member Ed Schell, who passed away early this year. Hike #2 — Birding Hike with Si-
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Hikes ... Continued from previous page mon Thompson Start Time: 8 am Estimated End Time: 1 pm Difficulty: Moderate (5-6) Location: Roan High Knob The Highlands of Roan provide some of the best mountain birding in the high elevation ranges of North Carolina. This birding hike to Roan High Knob, with Simon Thompson of Ventures Birding and Nature Tours, takes advantage of the pristine habitat found in the Roan. The medley of sprucefir forest to open grassy balds offers great wildlife diversity. Roan High Knob is the pinnacle of the Roan-Unaka Mountain Range, a rolling expanse of highlands in northwest TN. Rising some 6,286 feet, the summit sits atop a modest rock outcropping some 30 meters from the Roan High Knob shelter, the highest shelter on the 2,160-mile Appalachian Trail. On a clear day you can see the nearby Roan High Bluff, Round Bald and Grassy Ridge Bald. Hike #3 — Roll n’ Stroll in Rhododendron Gardens Start Time: 11 am
Estimated End Time: 1 pm Difficulty: Easy (2) Location: Rhododendron Gardens The Rhododendron Gardens atop Roan will be blazing with color this time of year. Volunteer Highlands of Roan Advisor Judy Murray will take hikers along gentle terrain with stunning views of the landscape. On this leisurely stroll participants will learn about SAHC’s newest land protection projects, including Big Rock Creek and two retired Christmas tree farms. The outing will be along a paved, wheelchair/stroller accessible path, offering opportunity to enjoy the views and blooms while learning about some of the tracts that SAHC has protected over the last four decades. Hike #4 — Salamander Scavenger Hunt Start Time: 11 am Estimated End Time: 2 pm Difficulty: Moderately Easy (3-4) Location: Hampton Creek Cove This shorter hike is designed to get kids outdoors and explore the beautiful waters of the Hampton Creek Cove State Natural Area.
Led by Roan Stewardship Director Marquette Crockett, participants will learn about basic stream ecology while discovering different features of the surrounding landscape. In the creek, kids will look for crayfish, salamanders, and other aquatic creatures. On land, Marquette will point out the historic fruit orchard and explore the cow pastures. This hike is best for children years 7 years and older, accompanied by a parent or other adult. Please bring water appropriate clothing and shoes plus appropriate day hiking gear. Hike #5 — Challenge Hike Start Time: 8 am Estimated End Time: 5 pm Difficulty: Very Difficult (10+) Location: Starting from Hughes Gap, ending at Hampton Creek Cove This year’s Challenge Hike will traverse 15 miles across the longest contiguous stretch of grassy balds in the world. Beginning on the Appalachian Trail at Hughes Gap, participants will trek up Beartown Mountain to Roan High Knob on the newly re-routed trail.
From Roan High Knob, the group will continue down to Carvers Gap and then up and over Round Bald, Jane Bald, past Grassy Ridge and on to Yellow Mountain Gap, which marks the 11-mile point. Here, the group will leave the AT and head down into Hampton Creek Cove on the Overmountain Victory National Historic Trail. This final four-mile stretch is no rest for the weary; expect several stream crossings and short sections of incline before finishing the long hike in the beautiful moun-
tain pastures of Hampton Creek Cove. Following the June Jamboree outings, participants are invited to join in a free social gathering at a recently protected SAHC-property just outside Hampton Creek Cove, where light refreshments will be provided. This event is free and open to the public, but pre-registration is required. To register, please visit Appalachian.org or contact kana@appalachian.org for more info.
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Summer Contra Dance Fun in Jonesborough!
The Historic Jonesborough Dance Society will hold a contra dance on Saturday, June 20, 2015 at 7:30pm at the Historic Jonesborough Visitors Center at 117 Boone Street. Performing for the dance will be the “Half Runners” from Johnson City with caller Valerie Helbert from Durham, NC. A class for beginners will be held at 7:00pm. Every dancer is encouraged to attend the class to become familiar with dance steps, formations and flow. HJDS welcomes a group of talented high school juniors and seniors from the Governor’s School at ETSU. “This is the third year that this group has come to our contra dance knowing they are in for a very fun and lively dance experience” At the 9:00pm break, dancers will be treated to recorded waltz music and Klondike Bars. “Our dancers are really getting the hang of it and the skill level is really getting better”, states event organizer David Wiley. Our dance is for all ages. “For some reason, I hear folks saying that they think our contra dance is geared to the older crowd. We have dancers of all ages from 8 to eighty. Plus, you don’t have to have a partner.” The best way to learn contra dance is by asking a more experienced partner to dance. It is perfectly acceptable for ladies to ask gentlemen to dance. HJDS also welcomes a group of talented high school juniors and seniors from the Governor’s School at ETSU. “This is the third year that this group has come to our contra dance knowing they are in for a very fun and lively dance experience” adds Wiley. Admission to the dance is $7, $5 for HJDS members and full-time students get in for $5. A Family Package offer allows parents and as many children in their core family to get in for only $15. The Half Runners consist of local Tri-Cities musicians, Ryan Bernard and Adam Tanner. Valerie Helbert comes to Jonesborough for the second time. Valerie hails from Harrisonburg VA, and has been calling community and regional contra dances since January 2010. She was a featured
caller at the Catapult Showcase in May 2013 in Atlanta and loves to put together programs that are both accessible to beginners and interesting for advanced dancers. One of her favorite things about calling is to see the huge smile on a new dancer’s face when they fi-
nally ‘get’ how things work. Her favorite vegetable is Spinach and now lives in Durham, NC. For more information, contact event organizer David Wiley at 423-534-8879 or visit www.historicjonesboroughdancesociety.org on the web and on FACEBOOK.
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Online Security (?) The world of pop culture is often a paranoid place, especially when it comes to conspiracy theories and anything having to do with being online. We will save conspiracy theories for another time and place, so let’s take a look at online security, admittedly a fast-moving target. No doubt you have read about the trial this week of the young man who knew the Boston Marathon bombers. Seems he cleared a browser cache on his computer that contained some valuable photographic evidence about the bombers. Although the young man has not been implicated in the bombing, he is facing twenty or more years in prison because he cleared his browser history. Never mind that nothing is ever totally erased from computer memory and our friends over at the local Internet provider can dredge up anything you’ve ever searched. The fact that the man cleared out his browser appears to be proof that he was trying to hide this valuable evidence from the authorities. This can certainly be the case, depending on how you interpret a provision of the little-known but quite scary Sarbanes-Oxley Act, put into place during the Bush administration in 2002. This same act was used in 2010 to convict University of Tennessee student David Kernell of destroying evidence that could potentially be used against him in the infamous Sarah Palin email hacker case. In case you’re wondering, and haven’t yet Googled it, the Sarbanes-Oxley Act grew out of the notorious Enron scandal and,
according to CBC News correspondent Lauren O’Neil, “the law essentially makes knowingly destroying or concealing any record that could be part of a federal investigation punishable by up to 20 years behind bars.” Originally designed to prevent large corporations like Enron from running incriminating documents through their shredders, the emergence of our current mobile-technologybased culture is apparently interpreting clearing out your browser’s history a form of shredding. Of course, as I pointed out above, clearing out a browser cache is not exactly the same thing as shredding, because shredding pretty much destroys the incriminating evidence, whereas clearing out a browser’s history only hides the information from superficial eyes. The good stuff is still retrievable at
some level. And, besides, who’s to say that today’s innocent browser cleansing procedure might not become tomorrow’s federal investigation? Can we knowingly destroy evidence we don’t know is incriminating? Apparently we can. My intent is not to make you fearful of clearing out your browser’s history—because I don’t intend to stop doing this myself—but to call attention to just one more thing to worry about. It should be pretty apparent to most aware individuals that having an online presence (and who doesn’t these days?) carries with it both benefits and risks. For the freedom we enjoy of being able to access nearly everything in the universe (and perhaps beyond), we surrender our privacy and sometimes our integrity to a vast array of individuals and gad-
gets that often don’t have our best interests in mind. The word “security” has very little to no meaning once we open our browser windows. Although some will suggest we should consider downloading a program like Tor to conceal our identity as we browse (and to guarantee that browser cleansings do indeed destroy this information), others will urge us to consider how safe our records are from the very companies that offer us security. Why shouldn’t it make sense that the best criminals in the world might be employed (unbeknownst to their employers) by home security companies? What better way to break into a house than to have access to all the disarm codes? Are you getting paranoid yet? The subject of online security, particularly as we enter into the brave new world populated by the Internet of Things, should be on everyone’s reading and discussion list. If you are looking for some provocative analyses and suggestions, allow me to recommend two books that have recently found places on my already-overcrowded bookshelf. First up is the fascinating and eye-opening new book by security expert Bruce Schneier, DATA AND GOLIATH: THE HIDDEN BATTLES TO COLLECT YOUR DATA AND CONTROL THE WORLD (Norton, 2015). I have mentioned this book in an earlier column, and I recommend it to anyone who has an interest in how the wonderful world of Big Data is redefining terms like “freedom” and “democracy.” The other book is very sobering, especially to those among us who are accustomed to placing implicit trust in the online experience. Written from the perspective of an online aficionado and FBI security expert, Marc Goodman’s FUTURE CRIMES: EVERYTHING CONNECTED, EVERYONE IS VULNERABLE AND WHAT WE CAN DO ABOUT IT (Doubleday, 2015) takes us on a tour of a very frightening culture—that of cybercrime—and it makes us aware, in a very well-written and thoughtprovoking way, of many “tricks of the trade” used by criminals to “home invade” our computers and mobile devices. These books are not intended as anti-Internet tirades, but as practical guides to how security is defined in an age that is rapidly
destroying the concept. Although these non-fiction books might be mistaken for well-written sciencefiction novels, they are chillingly factual and focused on all-to-real developments that give online experiences a twinge of horror along with exhilaration. Schneier’s book is concerned with protecting individual freedom in the face of mass surveillance and data mining. “Data,” he observes, “is the pollution problem of the information age, and protecting privacy is the environmental challenge.” And Goodman’s book can only be read in short sessions, because he presents so much data about just how insecure the internet really is that it is very easy to become overwhelmed and paranoid about the information he marshals to show all that’s being done to victimize our online presence and to mine our data for use in some deeply nefarious ways. All the while, however, he offers some sane advice about how to guard ourselves against this activity (although total prevention is an impossible dream). Goodman’s conclusion is well worth contemplating: “. . . .now is the time to completely reevaluate all that we take for granted in this modern technological world and question our dependence on the ubiquitous machines that so few of us understand. We do this not out of blind technophobia nor in deference to Luddite ancestors but as a commonsensical measure, fully appreciating the vast positive potential these exponential technologies portend.” He follows this advice with an Appendix containing suggestions for what we all should do to guard against these future crimes (which are already present)—things like updating frequently, changing our passwords on a regular basis, being apprehensive about what we download, turning off our devices when they are not in use (like when?), avoiding sensitive transactions over questionable and public networks, and distrusting social media’s inviting face (while not avoiding it), and using programs like Tor to hide our identity from identity thieves. I will leave you to contemplate all this information while I empty my browser history and hope that next week’s column isn’t written from a jail cell
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