Page 2, The Loafer • November 18, 2014
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November 18, 2014 • The Loafer, Page 3
Volume 28 Issue #50
Speedway in Lights 6-10pm Nightly thru January 3, 2015
Publisher - Bill Williams • Editor/Graphic Arts Director - Don Sprinkle • Office Manager - Luci Tate Cover Design - Bill May Advertising - Dave Carter, Terry Patterson Contributing Staff - Jim Kelly, Andy Ross, Ken Silvers, Mark Marquette, Jessica Gilliam Published by Tree Street Media, LLC., P.O. Box 3238, Johnson City, TN 37602 Phone: 423/283-4324 FAX - 423/283-4369 www.theloaferonline.com • info@theloaferonline.com e-mail: editorial@theloaferonline.com (editorial) adcopy@theloaferonline.com (advertising) All advertisements are accepted and published by the publisher upon the representation that the agency and/or advertiser is authorized to publish the entire contents and subject matter thereof.The agency and/or advertiser will indemnify and save the publisher harmless from any loss of expense resulting from claims or suits based upon contents of any advertisement,including claims or suits for defamation,libel,right of privacy,plagiarism,and copyright infringement.
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Nightly 6pm - 10pm • Nov. 14th - Jan. 3rd, 2015 A sparkling undersea adventure and twinkling Toyland are not the only lights illuminating Bristol Motor Speedway this holiday season, with the opening of the 18th annual Ford Speedway In Lights on Nov. 14. Beginning in December, projected images employing some of the latest advancements in digital technology immerse guests traveling down Bristol Dragway in a dazzling winter wonderland. Also new for 2014, those visiting Speedway In Lights may more easily share their experience as BMS partners with CenturyLink to provide increased connectivity and faster Internet speeds. The open network is available to all patrons in the infield Christmas Village and a second, secure network allows vendors to more quickly process payments. Along with lighting and connectivity enhancements, perennial event favorites return to the over four-mile route. The SUBWAY® Symphony of Lights dances around the Darrell Waltrip grandstand, dinosaurs roam the BMS grounds, elves busily load Santa’s sleigh and dragsters duel down the straight strip as part of more than 250 light displays filling the World’s Fastest Half-Mile. Santa makes an appearance for the holidays as well, double-checking his list in the infield Christmas village. While waiting to ensure they made the nice list, children and their families may ride one of the various carnival attractions also located in the BMS infield or warm their fingers over the fire pits. Bags of marshmallows are available for roasting over the flaming logs. An annual tradition for thousands of families in the region, Ford Speedway In Lights fur-
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ther embodies the holiday spirit as the primary fundraiser for the Bristol Chapter of Speedway Children’s Charities (SCC). All proceeds from the show benefit SCC which raises funds in support of children’s organizations throughout Northeast Tennessee and Southwest Virginia. Since its inception in 1997, the Bristol chapter has raised more than $8 million and in 2013 distributed $742,000 to 87 regional agencies. Cost to attend Ford Speedway In Lights, is $12 for cars Sun. - Thurs., $15 for cars Fri. - Sat. Activity vans are $20 and buses are $85. The event is open nightly from 6 -10 p.m., including Thanksgiving and Christmas Day. For those seeking alternate transportation through the route, Santa’s Speedway Sleigh returns for its fifth season. A guided trek in a decorated open air tram, riders have their picture taken for a commemorative keepsake courtesy of Walgreens, receive hot chocolate and hot cider before the ride and are given a free bag of marshmallows to toast over the fire pits during the ride’s 30-minute stop in Christmas Village. Towed by a Ford truck, the sleigh can accommodate up to 30 passengers per trip. Santa’s Speedway Sleigh leaves from a boarding station located near HVAC Chill Hill every Wednesday and Thursday night at 6 p.m. and 8 p.m. Tickets, available at the station, are $8 per person. Groups can reserve the entire sleigh but are asked to call in advance. Parking is located at the North Entrance of BMS. For more information on Ford Speedway In Lights or the Bristol Chapter of Speedway Children’s Charities, visit Bristol.SpeedwayCharities. org.
www.speedwayinlights.org
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Speedway Children’s Charities Distributes
Record-Breaking $749,000 in Funds to 88 Local Agencies at 2014 Night of Smiles
sion. Night of Smiles is the culmination of the year’s hard work and altruism. It makes such a difference in the lives of children across our region and is, without a doubt, my favorite night of the year.” The organization also awarded the Jeff Byrd Grant, a $50,000 endowment established in honor of the late Bristol Motor Speedway General Manager, to the Boys and Girls Club of the Mountain Empire. The youth-centered organization plans to put the funds towards the construction of the Jeff Byrd STEM Center - a facility and program focused on the scientific, technological, engineering and mathematical concepts of automobile racing. Children in the region grinned Claudia Byrd. “This year, we are Through age-appropriate profrom ear-to-ear on Thursday, Nov. privileged to disburse the larg- grams such as “Engine-eering,” 13 as the Bristol Chapter of Speed- est amount of funds to the great- “Design-A-Car,” and “Science of way Children’s Charities distrib- est number of regional children’s Speed,” the Center will expose uted $749,000 to a record-setting agencies since our inception in youth to STEM principles at an 88 organizations at its annual 1997. early age therefore fueling present Night of Smiles event. “I am exceedingly proud of our academic success and awareness “Each year I am overwhelmed volunteers, trustees and Speed- of future career possibilities in reby the generosity and support of way staff for their efforts and am lated fields. our community,” said Executive proud to be part of a region that Plans for facility signage and loDirector of the Bristol Chapter of demonstrates a truly amazing gos honor Byrd and his connection Speedway Children’s Charities spirit of benevolence and compas- to Bristol Motor Speedway with
the Center’s main building housing a public area showcasing his life and portraying the project as a local “winner’s circle” for youth advancement. Other agencies receiving grants include: Abuse Alternatives, Appalachia Serve Project, Big Brothers/Big Sisters of East Tennessee, CASA of Northeast Tennessee, Coalition for Kids, Holston United Methodist Home for Children, Niswonger Children’s Hospital, Ridin’ High Therapeutic Horse Program, TASK: Taking Action for Special Kids and Washington County Friends of Santa. Speedway Children’s Charities produces a number of fundraisers throughout the year including Ford Speedway In Lights powered by TVA, which opens for its 18th season Friday, Nov. 14. Other events held throughout the year to benefit SCC include a golf tournament during the August NASCAR race week, the SUBWAY® Speedway In Lights 5K Run/Walk, the Ultimate Bristol Experience Online Auction and the Sharky 500. For more information about Speedway Children’s Charities, call (855) 580-5525.
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Page 6, The Loafer • November 18, 2014
Get in the Holiday Spirit with the
“Elves Workshop”
William King Museum of Art invites children and their families to get in the holiday spirit with the annual Elves Workshop, Saturday November 22nd from 1:30 to 3:30pm. Children can let their imaginations run wild at this family-friendly event, creating keepsakes and gifts inspired by holiday traditions from around the world. Registration is just $5, and includes all art supplies. The annual Elves Workshop at the Museum lets children become Santa’s little helpers for the afternoon, creating unique hand-made gifts for their loved ones. Each child will leave with several completed holiday craft projects. Children and their families will also learn how people from different countries and cultures celebrate the winter holidays. Create a piece of art inspired by the traditions of Kwanzaa, Hanukkah, and Christmas, and learn how children in China, Russia, and Mexico celebrate the holidays. The Elves Workshop has become an annual holiday tradition
for many families, giving children the chance to create a special holiday present or keepsake. Crafts include ornaments, gifts, and cards, in workshops led by Callie Hietala and Lori Rouse of the Museum’s education department. Children must be accompanied by an adult. Cost is $5 per child; adults who wish to create a holiday keepsake may also pay the $5 registration fee. Workshop is from 1:30 to 3:30pm, Saturday November 22nd at William King Museum of Art. Pre-registration is encouraged but not required. To register or for more information, contact Callie Hietala, Director of Education Programming, at (276) 6285005 ext. 119 or chietala@wkmuseum.org. For more holiday fun, the Museum invites families to come back the following month for the Holiday Open House, Saturday December 6th at 2:00pm. The Museum will offer hot cider and cocoa for guests, and give free guided tours of its popular exhibits An American Turning Point: The Civil
War in Virginia, and Cavaliers of Nowhere: Photographs of Tammy Mercure and Dawn Roe. For more information about this and other events at the William King Museum, please visit us on the web at www.williamkingmuseum.org or call 276-628-5005. William King Museum of Art is located at 415 Academy Drive, off West Main Street or Russell Road, in Abingdon. The Museum features five exhibition galleries, artist studios and outdoor sculpture garden. The Museum is open 7 days a week, and admission is free. Educational programs in the visual arts are offered year-round for both children and adults, and school audiences are served by inhouse and outreach programs. Accredited by the American Alliance of Museums, the William King Museum is a partner of the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, a member of the Virginia Association of Museums and is funded in part by the Virginia Commission for the Arts and the National Endowment for the Arts.
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2014 St. Jude Give thanks. Walk
The annual Tri-Cities St. Jude Give thanks. Walk. will be Saturday, November 22 at the Kingsport Town Center. Tri-Cities is one of 65 communities nationwide hosting a walk and helping to raise funds and awareness for children battling cancer and other deadly diseases. Registration for the event which includes family-friendly activities, live music, face painting, clowns, and food is free, but participants are encouraged to raise money to help the St. Jude kids, many of whom are being treated locally at the Tri-Cities St. Jude Affiliate at Niswonger Children’s Hospital. Register and get your family, friends, and coworkers involved, too. To register, visit givethankswalk.org. For additional information contact chase. simpson@stjude.org or call 1-800590-2086. St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital is leading the way the
world understands, treats, and defeats childhood cancers and other deadly diseases. St. Jude has the best survival rates for the most aggressive childhood cancers, and treatments developed at St. Jude have helped push the overall childhood cancer survival rate from 20 percent to over 80 percent since it opened more than 50 years ago. St. Jude is working to push the overall survival rate to 90 percent within the next decade. St. Jude freely shares the breakthroughs it makes, and every child saved means doctors and scientists worldwide can use that knowledge to save thousands more children. Families never receive a bill from St. Jude for treatment, travel, lodging, food – because all a family should worry about is helping their child live. Join the more than 450 walkers on Saturday, November 22 and support St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.
Carver Thanksgiving dinner set for Nov. 20 A free Thanksgiving dinner will be offered at 6 p.m. on Thursday, Nov. 20 at Carver Recreation Center, 322 W. Watauga Ave. The meal, provided by area churches and Carver staff, is open to citizens of all ages. Please call 461-8830 for more information.
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Ninth Annual Up and At ‘Em Turkey Trot Set for November 27 The Ninth Annual Up & At ‘Em Turkey Trot 5K Road Race and Family Fun Run will have a famous, fitness-minded grand marshal when it begins at 8:30 a.m. Thanksgiving Day. Jennifer Messer, a top five finalist on season 15 of The Biggest Loser, will lead thousands in the familyfriendly Thanksgiving Day Turkey Trot, race officials announced at a press conference at Fairmont Elementary School Thursday. “I’ve been blessed with an amazing opportunity, the opportunity of a lifetime,” said Messer of her nationally televised weight loss of more than 100 pounds. “I’ve been on an incredible journey so far, and my passion lies in inspiring women. I know how much work it takes, and there is never a finish line when it comes to being healthy.” Messer, who lives in Abingdon, said she looks forward to having her family join her for the Johnson City Turkey Trot. “Jennifer is an inspiration whose accomplishments are perfectly in line with the mission of
Up & At ‘Em,” said Race Director Karen Hubbs. “In addition, we are thrilled to support her cause No Child Left Unfed, to help feed the region’s hungry with healthy foods.” Race participants are encouraged to bring a jar of peanut butter or any other healthy, non-perishable food item during packet pick up days and the morning of the race. The food drive will benefit No Child Left Unfed and Second Harvest Food Bank. “We’re expecting another great turnout,” said Race Chairwoman Jenny Brock, who noted that approximately 4,400 participants registered for last year’s recordcold race. This year, with warmer temperatures predicted, her goal is 5,000. “We are excited to have last year’s Gold Level sponsor, Blue Lizard Australian Sunscreen, back on board with us along with a new Gold sponsor, The Wellness Center. We also have tremendous support from a long list of wonderful sponsors, and we hope runners will thank these great businesses,”
Brock said. Brock urged those interested to register at www.jcturkeytrot.org by Nov. 21 in order to be guaranteed the best price and one of the always-popular long-sleeved Turkey Trot T-shirts. Brock also encouraged runners to “like” the JC Turkey Trot 5K Facebook page for updates and photos. “We once again will have a wheelchair division, and our family-friendly 5K race/walk allows well-behaved dogs on leashes to start at the back of the pack. We do ask owners to pick up after their dogs. Strollers are also allowed,” Brock added. Online registrations will close at midnight Nov. 23. There will be no registrations the day of the event. Early registration by midnight Nov. 21 is $20 for adults; $15 for students (18 and under). Late registration (Nov. 22-26) is $25 for adults; $20 for students. A special family discount is available for
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Kingsport Chamber names Paul Montgomery as grand marshal for Kingsport Christmas Parade The Kingsport Chamber of Commerce is proud to announce that Paul Montgomery has been selected to serve as the grand marshal for the 88th Annual Kingsport Christmas Parade. This accolade is annually bestowed upon individuals who have a substantial impact on the greater Kingsport community. “Paul Montgomery is one of the finest leaders this community has ever known and he has done so much for Kingsport for a number of years,” Kingsport Chamber President and CEO Miles Burdine said. “He carries a tremendous amount of respect and admiration from everyone who knows him and we are so happy to present him with this much-deserved honor.” Former first congressional district representative of the Tennessee Board of Regents, Montgomery now serves as Northeast State’s Vice President of Access and Development. Montgomery graduated from King College in 1974 with
a BA in history and from King University in 2007 with an MBA. He recently retired from Eastman Chemical Company as its Vice President of Community Relations and Corporate Services. Montgomery spent 23 years at Eastman. Montgomery served as a member of the Kingsport Regional Planning Commission, as president of the Kingsport Board of Education, as president of the Kingsport Branch of the NAACP, as president of the South Kingsport Optimist Club, as a Paul Harris Fellow and past president of the Kingsport Rotary Club, as president of the Kingsport Chamber, and as chairman of the Tri-Cities All America City Partnership. The Kingsport Christmas Parade will take place Saturday, November 22, beginning at 3:30 p.m. on Main Street and will wind its way through downtown Kingsport. Santa Claus will once again be the highlight of the parade. Santa will board the last fire engine in the parade upon his return from the Santa Train journey. The Santa
Train will arrive at Cumberland Marketing at 151 East Main Street in downtown Kingsport at 3:08 p.m. To enter the Kingsport Christmas Parade, please contact Karen Jobe, parade coordinator, at (423) 392-8800 or kjobe@kingsportchamber.org. The Santa Train is an annual project of CSX Transportation, Dignity U Wear, Food City and your Kingsport Chamber of Commerce. The train delivers more than 15 tons of gifts and toys to thousands along the 110-mile train route between Shelby, Ky., and Kingsport. The Santa Train began as a way to show appreciation to residents of Southwest Virginia and Southeastern Kentucky for shopping in Kingsport. The Kingsport Christmas Parade will be broadcasted live at 3 p.m. Saturday on WAPK-TV My Network TV and will be replayed at 1:30 p.m. Sunday on WKPT-TV ABC 19. Roads will be blocked off starting around 12:30 p.m. for the
Christmas Parade that will begin at 3:15 p.m. in downtown Kingsport. Please arrive accordingly. Please visit www.teamsantatrain.org for more informa-
tion. For updates about the Santa Train, visit www.facebook.com/ santatrain and follow @TheSantaTrain on Twitter.
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Biggies Presents:
The 1st Annual First Responders and Emergency Workers Benefit
Biggie’s is proud to host the 1st Annual First Responders and Emergency Workers Benefit on November 22nd 2014. The Benefit will feature prizes , giveaways & a great line up of bands, including: Blue Revue, Taylor Barker, Brandon Fulson and the Realbillys, Lovely Goodbye, and Audio Revolution. Biggie’s will be giving a matching gift card for any donation of $20 or more. All money raised will
go directly to Tri-cities area Police Officers, Firefighters, EMT’s, and other Rescue workers and First Responders. This will be an all day event starting at 11:00 AM. The bands will go on at 6:00 PM and play throughout the night. Biggie’s is located at 417 W. Stone Drive in Kingsport. Call (423)765-9633 or visit www.biggiesclambar.com for more information.
Goodwill Needs Donations Now Because winter is almost here and it’s nearing the end of 2014, donations to Goodwill are down, while the demand for our job training programs remains high. Goodwill Industries of Tenneva is urging people to donate clothing and other items to their nearest Goodwill retail store or donation center. “Donations to Goodwill allow us to provide job training, employment placement services and other community based programs to people with disabilities, those who lack education or work experience and others facing challeng-
es to finding employment,” says Robert Miller, President and CEO of Goodwill Industries of Tenneva. “Last year, we helped more than 1,000 people find jobs and support their families – the community’s support is vital to this effort.” Items most wanted right now include clothing for men, women, children and linens. Also needed are various household items, including small kitchen appliances, glasses and dishware. To find the location nearest you, call 423-245-0600, or visit our website at www.goodwilltnva.org.
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The Black Lillies
to play Marion, Virginia’s Lincoln Theatre on November 22 Independent Music Award winners The Black Lillies will play at The Lincoln Theatre in Marion, Virginia on November 22. The Knoxville, Tennessee-based band is touring in support of their third studio album “Runaway Freeway Blues,” which debuted at #43 on the Billboard Top 200 country charts and has spent the summer topping the Americana radio charts, peaking at #4. Rooted in the mud-rutted switchbacks of Appalachia, “Runaway Freeway Blues” is a beautiful ode to restless spirits and rambling hearts; the sound of a band that’s becoming something of a phenomenon across the country. The emotional arc of the record is brilliant, so vivid and detailed with lush harmonies and instrumental virtuosity that’s as powerful in the quieter moments as it is explosive during jubilant ones. You can cherry-pick any number of songs from “Runaway Freeway Blues” and find gold. Banjo, pedal steel, piano and everything else lift this record up on wings of uncommon grace and stunning vitality, and when Contreras and Brady combine their voices, it calls to mind classic duets from times long gone: George and Tammy. Gram and Emmylou. Johnny and June. From the gentle Laurel Canyon folk rock of The Eagles to the honky-tonk heartache of classic country to the winding jams of the Grateful Dead, “Runaway Freeway Blues” is an album that defies easy categorization. Contreras and his bandmates – harmony vocalist Trisha Gene Brady, multi-instrumentalist Tom Pryor, bass player Robert Richards and drummer Bowman Townsend – have grown from a few friends sitting around campfires and living rooms to a band that shows up in far-flung cities where folks to whom they’ve never played before already know the words to the songs. Eschewing record labels, they still managed to put a three tracks in Country Music Television’s top 12 requested videos for a combined 14 months, dominate the Americana, AAA and college
radio charts, and pull in rave reviews from the Wall Street Journal, PASTE Magazine, Vanity Fair and USA Today. They’ve been featured on numerous television specials and conquered festivals as widespread as Bonnaroo, Pickathon, and CMA Fan Fair. Despite trafficking in a richer, more authentic brand of country and Americana than what gets played on mainstream country radio, they’ve still been invited to perform at the Grand Ole Opry more than twenty times – a record for an independent act. Though The Black Lillies were offered record deals, they chose to turn them down in order to retain complete creative control of their music. Bandleader, multiinstrumentalist and vocalist Cruz Contreras (co-founder, Robinella and the CCstringband) writes all of the band’s material. Their debut album, “Whiskey Angel,” was released in 2009 and appeared on multiple “Best of 2009” lists across the country. It won the 2011 Independent Music Award Vox Pop for Best Album, Americana from the Independent Music Awards. That album was followed by “100 Miles of Wreckage,” which was completely fan-funded. Recorded by Sparklehorse’s Scott Minor of Elkgang Studios, the album was delayed and greatly impacted by
the suicide of Sparklehorse founder Mark Linkous at the studio on the final day of recording. His death inspired a new song, “Go to Sleep,” which appears as the final track on the album. Critically acclaimed as one of the best releases of 2011, “100 Miles of Wreckage” ended the year at the #36 spot on the Americana Music Association’s Top 100 Albums of the Year list based on radio airplay. That album was nominated for a 2012 Independent Music Award and the single for “Two Hearts Down” won the IMA for Best Story Song. The band tours relentlessly and has become known for their dynamic, high-energy shows. The group honors the traditions of their Appalachian heritage while blazing new trails in the roots rock genre. Strains of old time, bluegrass, country, rock and jazz are heard throughout their music, creating a sound that is uniquely their own. “Earthy and gritty, their songs speak of pain, love, revenge and revelry with such spirit that they seem to be carved out of the planks of an abandoned backwoods cabin,” a recent feature in Relix Magazine exclaimed. “They haunt your thoughts long after the curtain closes, rattling through your head like a crooked screen door slaps against its frame when a storm is coming.”
Page 12, The Loafer • November 18, 2014 Turkey Trot ... continued from page 8 early registrants: families with five or more members living in the same household will receive a $20 discount if registered by midnight Nov. 21. A registration form must be completed for each family member. Online registration will automatically give discount at checkout. State of Franklin Track Club members will receive a $2 discount if registered by Nov. 21.
Packet pick-up and late registrations will be at Memorial Park Community Center from 10 a.m.-8 p.m. Nov. 25 and 26. For more information about the 5K USATF-certified course, trophy categories, school awards and prizes, parking areas, and road closures please visit www.jcturkeytrot.org. The Turkey Trot will begin and end on Legion Street in Johnson City, near Memorial Park Community Center. An awards ceremony will be held at the Memorial Park amphitheater immediately following the race. Additionally, a cash prize will be awarded to the school with the most race participants. For more information about the Johnson City Turkey Trot, visit www.jcturkeytrot.org and like the Johnson City Turkey Trot 5K on Facebook.
Hands On! Museum
Prepares for Changes at this Year’s Festival of Trees Anyone who wants to feel a little lucky can head to Hands On! Regional Museum on November 21st, when they will be celebrating their 26th annual Night of Lights Gala. This year’s theme is “Luck Be a Lady.” New for the gala this year will be casino-style games to play using fake money as well as other exciting changes for guests. The event is the largest fundraiser for the Museum and serves as a great kick off to the holiday season. “Each year we try to plan so that our guests will have a great time and come back again and support the Museum, we definitely want our event to stand out,” said Kristine Carter, Marketing Manager. “Ultimately, that’s what Hands On! is all about, creating a fun and entertaining experience for our visitors.” “I like to think this is the best
party of the year,” said Andy Marquart, Executive Director. “It doesn’t feel like your same old fundraiser. It’s really a good time and all the proceeds benefit our efforts to increase educational programs and exhibits here at the Museum.” November 18th: The “Showing of the Trees” will display festive holiday trees, wreaths, and other greenery items decorated by regional designers. Each year, volunteers from all over the area give their time and talents to produce beautiful, one-of-a-kind decorations that are sure to get you in the holiday spirit! Admission to the Showing of the Trees exhibit is during normal Museum operating hours and is free. All greenery items will be available for purchase during the Night of Lights Gala. November 21st beginning at
6:30 pm: The “Night of Lights Gala.” The evening will include silent and live auctions that will include all of the designer-decorated greenery items, a variety of spa, dining, entertainment, and sports packages and other items that will make great presents for someone special, or for yourself! New this year will be Vegas-style casino games. Attendees can test their luck playing blackjack, craps, roulette, or poker. The event will be hosted by Josh Smith, WJHL NewsChannel 11 and catered by Main Street Cafe & Catering. Mike Bauguess will lead the voice auction. The evening will conclude with dancing and live music provided by The Diamonds. Tickets are $100 per person. Tickets for all events are on sale now. Please call (423) 434-HAND (4263) to inquire about Festival of Trees or to purchase tickets.
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String Theory lights up Northeast State Nov. 24 Old instruments and blistering new tunes. That best describes the music of String Theory, the dynamic duo of violinist Daniel Blair and cellist James Ross, Jr. These two virtuoso musicians present an entertaining, humorous, and inspirational tour through the history of music, from J.S. Bach to Beyonce with their infectious musicianship and live show. String Theory will ignite the theater stage at the Wellmont Regional Center for the Performing Arts on Nov. 24 at 7:00 p.m. with a free concert at Northeast State Community College. Blair and Ross have performed together for over 10 years playing more than 400 live performances. Through their talents, the duo adds music to their own stories, comedy sketches and inspiring messages using all genres like Classical, Pop, Cinema, Jazz, Bluegrass and even Rock. Blair’s focus in violin performance began at age 7 studying un-
der Timothy Barrett at the Academy of Strings. He continued his musical study at the Hart School of Music, Appalachian State University and University of Tennessee at Knoxville. His accomplishments include statewide junior and senior division champion for strings under the Tennessee Music Teacher’s Association as well as being a founding member of the Tenacity Piano Trio. Blair says his passion comes from exploring new ways to bring music to life. With violin as his primary instrument, he also composes, records, and produces music. He currently runs the string program at Blair Academy for the Arts. Ross, Jr., of Johnson City, has studied music since the age of five. He is classically trained in cello and piano. Ross has performed Photo courtesy of String Theory & Daniel Blair with local and regional orchestras for over 10 years but truly appreci- as well as teaching music at Blair Tennessee State University. call 423.279.7669 or jpkelly@ ates the intimacy of small ensem- Academy for the Arts. He is curDoors open at 6:30 p.m. For NortheastState.edu. bles. He has performed as a live DJ rently completing his MBA at East more information about the show,
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Uranus and Neptune in Evening Sky You won’t see them with your eyes, but they are there, the most distant of planets in the Sun’s family. And though discovered by astronomy pioneers, they have always been there for billions of years in Earth’s night sky. Step out into your backyard at night and “see” the planets Uranus and Neptune. You won’t see them with your eyes, and even serous amateur astronomers need detailed charts and a good telescope to observe these mysterious worlds. But you can pretend they are there…because they are! When it’s dark after 6:30 pm, look up at the southward sky. There are very few bright stars, but the brightest one is obvious and called Fomalhaut, in the Southern Fishes. Nicknamed “the lonely one” because of the lack of stellar friends, its name means “fishes mouth.” Somewhere way above Fomalhaut in Pisces at the edge of the Great Square of Pegasus is Uranus, its brightness just at the threshold of human visibility of 6th magnitude. And to the right regions of Fomalhaut is where Neptune at 8th magnitude dwells for now— six times fainter than Uranus. Uranus, named for the Greek god of the sky, is about 1.7 billion miles from the Sun, while Neptune, the god of the oceans, is a full billion miles farther. These distant worlds, nearly twins in size at more than 30,000 miles wide and are wrapped in a super-cold mixture of hydrogen, helium, ammonia and methane. Oddly, Uranus and Neptune have the same cloud temperatures, around -350 F. degrees, even though Neptune gets one-fourth the solar radiation. That means Neptune must have an internal, hot core emanating heat while Uranus’s center is cold. Our only close-up images and scientific data of Uranus and Neptune are more nearly 30 years old from
NASA’s Voyager 2. If flew by Uranus in 1986 and Neptune in 1989. Since then, ground-based telescopes and later the Hubble Space Telescope have been watching the two distant planets. Though the amount of sunlight they receive is a hundred fold less than the Earth, the solar radiation is enough to create dynamic events. Uranus and Neptune might have a cold outer layer of clouds, but their insides might be as hot as 5,000 degrees because of atmospheric pressure. Astronomers think the cloud deck on both worlds might be 5,000 miles thick. Then the dive deeper into the planets has the hydrogen mixture turning to liquid, and there might be a global ocean sloshing around under the clouds and surrounding a rocky core 3,000-5,000 in diameter. That’s the best guess given the data from Voyager 2 and observations from Earth. Uranus was first found by the great observer William Herschel in 1781, stunning the world as the classic five naked-eye planets had company and the Solar System doubled in size. Looking back over records of astronomers, the seventh planet was seen more than 20 times and charted as a star. Even Galileo saw it with his crude telescope in 1610. But it was the ever meticulous observer Herschel who followed Uranus night after night to watch it move and reveal its true nature. Neptune’s discovery is a detective story involving two mathematicians who gave their data to two astronomers, who independently found the eighth planet in 1846. Deviations in Uranus’ orbit came under the scrutiny of astronomermathematicians Urban LeVerrier in Paris and John Adams in London. Their calculations were both given to leading observatories, and it was John Galle and his assistant Henry d’Arrest at the Ber-
lin Observatory who found the new planet, Neptune. This Autumn 2014, Uranus is in western Pisces, not far from far from Algenib, the Pegasus Great Square star opposite shared star with Andromeda, Alpheratz. It can be seen in binoculars, and a moderate telescope will reveal a tiny disk that is blue-green. The sunlight we see reflecting off Uranus’ clouds takes more than two hours to reach our eyes. Uranus is the “black sheep” of our family of planets because it is knocked over on its side and orbiting the Sun like a bowling ball rolling down the lane while the other planets are spinning upright like a toy top. For half its 84 year orbit the “east” pole axis points to the Sun, while the other 42 years the “west” pole is facing sunlight. This creates a strange atmospheric reaction that is barely understood. Something knocked over Uranus in the early, violent years of our Solar System’s first billion years. But that’s just where the weirdness starts. Uranus has 11 rings circling it
that are among the darkest material ever seen. Black as coal, these rings are nothing like Saturn’s icy rings as they are clumpy and rope-like. The 7th planet also has some pretty strange moons among its retinue of 27 orbiting bodies, most of them smaller than 10 miles wide. A 300-mile-wide moon named Miranda is the focus of much study as it is a jumbled mess of outcrops, canyons and mountains. Somewhere in time— maybe when Uranus was knocked over—Miranda was shattered in pieces that randomly stuck back together as if glued by a child. It is a major clue into what happened to Uranus a long time ago. One final mystery of Uranus—it has a dynamic magnetic field that is lopsided and angled to the planet’s rotation. Only another space probe, of which none are planned, will solve the many mysteries of Uranus. We even know less about Neptune, though it seems to have a more dynamic atmosphere and some of the fastest winds in the Solar System at 1,500 mph. The
Hubble Space Telescope can see blurry features like cloud bands and flaring white storms in Neptune, while Uranus is covered in a haze and looks bland. Neptune is a challenge in even large telescopes, and its tiny disk is barely detectable to the eye. That light took more than 4 hours to traverse the nearly 3 billion mile distance. With the demotion of Pluto to “dwarf planet” status, Neptune is officially the last planet. Neptune has 13 satellites, and one huge moon called Triton is of great interest. More than 1,500 miles wide, Triton was photographed by Voyager 2 spewing geysers of liquid nitrogen that left dark material blown downwind, a tantalizing clue to possibly exotic hydrocarbons. This has lead to the speculation that some form of exotic life might exist at Triton. Two giant worlds, each large enough to contain four Earth’s inside, are as mysterious now as they were before the Voyager 2 data and photos sent back three decades ago that still define these planets in our minds. Though nothing is planned— meaning budgeted—in the near future, Uranus and Neptune await new robots of Earth before revealing more of their secrets.
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Celestial events in the skies for the week of Nov. 18 - Nov. 24, 2014, as compiled for The Loafer by Mark D. Marquette. The astronomy world has been abuzz about the first landing of an unmanned spaceship on a comet and the amazing photos sent back. Dishwasher-size spacecraft Philae departed from its mothership, Rosetta, Nov. 12 and softly touched down on Comet 67/P Churyumov-Gerasimenko, a milelong, oblong, icy clump of pristine parts of the early Solar System. The landing is a great triumph for the European Space Agency, and all the images and data are on the ESA website. Check it out!
Tues. Nov. 18
The new phase week of our Moon gives us those beautiful crescents in the morning at the beginning of the week and in the evening next week. That gives us the maximum number of stars we can see without interfering moonlight. This will be truly the last time to see the Milky Way as it arcs overhead in the west and sets around 11 pm.
Wed. Nov. 19
On this 1969 date in space history Apollo 12 safely landed on the Moon. Commander Pete Conrad, deceased, maneuvered the lander called Intrepid to the edge of football field-sized crater where the Surveyor 1 spacecraft was waiting after landing two and one-half years earlier. The other moonwalker, Alan Bean,
80, came back from the mission to later command the second Skylab Space Station mission. Bean is an accomplished artist, painting huge murals of his space experience that sell for tens of thousands of dollars. Space Shuttle Orbiter Columbia was launched twice on this date, in 1996 and 1997 on STS-80 (the longest Shuttle mission at 18 days) & STS-87 missions.
Thurs. Nov. 20
On this 1998 date in space history, Russian launched the Zarya module, the first element of the International Space Station. Now finished for four years and continuously occupied for nearly 12 years.
Fri. Nov. 21
Pegasus flies high overhead while the mighty hunter Orion leaps over the eastern horizon to
become a familiar starry friend through the winter. A star map from Skymaps.com, library book, monthly astronomy magazine or a planisphere from a bookstore will guide you through the changing night skies.
Sat. Nov. 22
Stargaze with amateur astronomers at Bays Mt. tonight as the Kingsport Park hosts StarWatch beginning at 6 pm. On this 1989 date in space history, Space Shuttle Discovery was launched on the STS-33 mission.
Sun. Nov. 23
Mars is setting in the western twilight in Sagittarius while Jupiter rises in the east after midnight in Leo the Lion. Mars is easily seen in the handle of Sagittarius’ teapot outline in the low southwest from 6pm until it dips below the horizon after 8 pm. On this 2002 date in space history, STS-113 was launched with orbiter Endeavour.
Mon. Nov. 24
On this 1991 date in space history, Atlantis was rocketed to space on the STS-44 mission. Six astronauts spent seven days on a Department of Defense mission, one of a dozen top secret missions the Shuttles were used for. One astronaut aboard, Story Musgrave, is the only person to ride in all five Orbiters—the others being Columbia, Challenger, Endeavour and Discovery. Musgrave has published a very good autobiography, “Story: The Way of Water.”
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ETSU to present musical “Oklahoma!” The farmers and the cowmen in the classic Rodgers and Hammerstein musical Oklahoma! can’t seem to get along, but students from East Tennessee State University’s Department of Music and the Division of Theatre and Dance have taken to each other like chaff on wheat. Although it has been nearly a decade since the two campus academic areas collaborated, with just days to go until their Nov. 19 opening night of “Oklahoma!”, all the members of the stage family are working to make this marriage harmonious. “What is so great about this production is that everyone has something to learn from each other,” says director Cara Harker, a faculty member in Theatre and Dance and head of ETSU’s dance program. “We have music majors who are really, really strong in voice. We have theater majors who are really, really strong in acting, and I love that one night we
are working on a scene and theater people come over and are helping the music students work on the scene, and then the next night we are learning music and there are the music majors helping everyone find the harmony. Everybody has something to give in that way, and the spirit is giving, not competitive. It’s a director’s dream.” Partnering with Harker are Dr. Matthew Potterton, director of the ETSU Chorale and East Tennessee Belles, and Karen Smith, director of ETSU’s Opera Workshop. Potterton is arraying the orchestra and working with the chorus, while Smith is working one-onone with the leads. For this marriage of programs and talents, Oklahoma! is definitely the best choice, Harker and Potterton say. “Oklahoma! was the first musical to seamlessly integrate dance and song into the plot line,” Harker says. “It first premiered on Broadway in 1943 and that
was something that audiences had never really seen before. We take it for granted today, but prior to that, dance was really seen as an entertaining distraction in a musical. Oklahoma! changed the face of musical theater.” “I really like how there’s a focus to this show,” says music performance major Mason Van Horn, who plays the lovable romantic lead, Curly. “It seems like every line and movement has a purpose.” The show does offer the whole package, Potterton says. “There is a lot dance, a lot of singing and a lot of great acting, together with the great, ageless writing of Rodgers and Hammerstein,” he says. Van Horn, a junior from Kingston, calls it “bringing the two powerhouses of arts together.” The friendly cross-pollination also affects the show’s orchestra of about a dozen, which intermingles music students, alumni and pro-
fessionals from the area, Potterton says. The classic stage show includes a happy combination of entertainment fare for the audience, as a grudging romance blossoms between spunky Laurey and cowman Curly and comedy and conflict abounds betwixt neighbors in the new territory of Oklahoma. “What I love about this musi-
cal is that there is a little bit of everything,” Harker says. “You have the romance. You have the swashbuckling stage combat – choreographed by Bobby Funk – which is really fun. You have comedy, danger. It really does have something for everyone. It’s something you can bring the whole family to,
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as well.” As a BFA graduate of Belmont University, Luke Hatmaker, a 24-year-old business major at ETSU, is a veteran of stage plays and some musicals, but Oklahoma!’s unique mixture is a new experience for him. “Oklahoma! really blends the comedic and the dramatic,” says Hatmaker, whose character “poor” Jud incites much of the show’s drama. “A lot of musicals will throw a couple funny jokes in there. This show touches every part of the spectrum. ‘The Dream Ballet’ is a very dark scene. You go from that to ‘Oh, What a Beautiful Morning’ and you cover the whole spectrum of emotions.” Dance is an integral part of this marriage of theater, arts and disciplines, and Harker is “honoring the original production” with a pared down version of Agnes De Mille’s legendary Dream Ballet with a Dream Laurey, as well as the numerous other high-energy dances sprinkled throughout this pioneer of musicals. “People Will Say We’re in Love,” “I Cain’t Say No,” “The Farmer and the Cowman Should be Friends” and, of course, the title song and finale, “Oklahoma!” should be show-stoppers, Harker and Potterton say. The blockbuster show and amiable cast have made the ETSU production a delight to work on, Harker says, but there have been challenges, as well – mostly in fitting this extravaganza into the intimate Bud Frank Theatre. “There is not a lot of wing space,” she says.
“There’s not a lot of fly space, so in terms of the set design, we can’t have wagons coming on the stage area, so those are practical applications that we needed to face. “Melissa Shafer is the set designer, and Dr. Delbert Hall, the lighting designer, and they have come up with ways of indicating different spaces through lighting and set design, rather than having a fully structured set. We also have so many people in the cast that having a full set wouldn’t quite work, so we’ve been creative in setting the scene in Oklahoma! without the complete representation. I think it’s working well. “But we do want to honor this classic so with costume, music and choreography, it honors the original production. It just takes some adjusting to fit a cast of about 25 on the Bud Frank stage.” The sizable production is good practice for the future, says Anita DeAngelis, director of the sponsoring Mary B. Martin School of the Arts. “Musical theater is big and it’s hard with our current facilities to do make this work,” she says. “By the time you have all the actors and musicians – if you want instrumental music to be live – and leave room for dance numbers, it can be very challenging – a lot of different moving parts all at once. “This joint production is helping us to prepare for our new facilities, when we’ll be able to produce more of these kinds of performances. So, we’re pretty excited about it and a little nervous about it, as well.” This multi-faceted collaboration
represents “all that is good about ETSU,” says Pat Cronin, head of the Division of Theatre and Dance in the Department of Communication and Performance. “We know how to work together and we come together to make not only art, but all things wonderful. The opposite of the word silo is ETSU and Oklahoma! is the best of that spirit. “How wonderful that in the spirit of the Arts Initiative we come together to celebrate all the arts – music, dance, painting, theater – in this one joint adventure. That’s not really happening too many other places.” Oklahoma! will run Wednesday through Sunday, Nov. 19-23, with performances each evening at 7:30, including Sunday, as well as a Sunday matinee at 2 p.m. in the Bud Frank Theatre. Tickets are $7 for students and $15 for general public. To purchase tickets, please visit www.etsu.edu/theatre. For additional information, contact the ETSU Theatre Office at 423-
439-6511 or email theatre@etsu. edu. For disability accommodations, call the ETSU Office of Disability Services at 423-439-8346.
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The New Ballard’s Branch Bogtrotters at the Carter Family Fold on Nov. 22nd
Saturday, November 22nd, 2014, at 7:30 p.m. the Carter Family Fold in Hiltons, Virginia, will present a concert by the New Ballard’s Branch Bogtrotters, an old time band. Admission to the concert is $10 for adults, $1 for children 6 to11, under age 6 free. The New Ballard’s Branch Bogtrotters took their group’s name from the original Bogtrotters, the famous Galax, Virginia, area band of the 1930s, and because band leader Dennis Hall lives on Ballard’s Branch. Galax is home to the
world-renowned Old Time Fiddler’s Convention, and the area has traditionally produced some of the country’s finest old time string bands. Carrying on that rich musical tradition, the New Ballard’s Branch Bogtrotters features Dennis Hall on guitar, Leon Frost on mandolin, Jesse Morris on bass, Eddie Bond on fiddle, and Josh Ellis on banjo. The guys have been playing together for over twelve years. Eddie Bond’s four great grandfathers were old time banjo players.
He was raised by his grandmother who was a singer and guitar player. His family on both sides is packed with musicians who played the traditional music of the Blue Ridge. Eddie began performing at age 3 dancing for quarters. Through the years, he’s added guitar, autoharp, fiddle, and banjo to the list of instruments he plays. He grew up in Fries where some of the first old time music had its beginnings at the Washington Cotton Mill from 1923 to 1929. Fries is about six miles from Galax. Dennis Hall is a grand nephew of Uncle Eck Dunford – the droll voiced fiddler and spokesman for the original Bogtrotters. Their dance band was recorded by Alan Lomax in the 1930’s. Lomax left a trove of important recordings by the Bogtrotters and others at the Library of Congress. Uncle Eck was very conscious of his Ulster
Irish background and his name. he’s a master carpenter and home The Bogtrotter heritage is closely builder. Dennis is the keeper of a tied to that of Eck Dunford. Den- rich score of older, historic music. nis is noted among old time muBogtrotters ... sicians for his unerring and rockcontinued on next page solid guitar time. In addition,
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Bogtrotters ... continued from previous page Jesse Morris is a bassist and the son of a bassist. His timing is rock solid. Jesse comes from a musical family. His father, Dale Morris, has been a string band musician for many years, working in many Galax bands; he’s also a respected scholar of traditional music. When he isn’t playing music, Jesse teaches high school agriculture classes. Josh Ellis was a Clapton-style rock and roll guitar player when he came to Galax, but all that changed when he picked up a banjo. Like the other Bogtrotters, Josh is very passionate about timing. The banjo and fiddle are the original string band created by Virginia slave musicians in the early colonial period. Keeping with that tradition, Josh works closely with Eddie to adhere to that ancient musical combination. Josh manages a business in Galax and has helped construct many beautiful homes in that area. Leon Frost is the irrepressible mandolin player who bounces around the stage putting his mandolin chop lick and occasional burst of melody exactly where
they belong for the drive and rhythm of the Bogtrotters. Leon comes from a musical family as well, and members of his family were among the earliest pioneers to record Galax area music. Leon is a master carpenter who has built many fine log homes. The group won the old-time band competition at the Galax Fiddler’s Convention on six different occasions. In addition, they have played their music at such regional and national festivals as the Blue Ridge Folklife Festival, Merlefest, the Smithsonian Folklife Festival, and the University of Chicago Festival. Having performed many times at the Fold, they’re a favorite of Carter Fold audiences. This group covers it all – great fiddle and dance tunes, outstanding vocals and harmony, beautiful gospel numbers, waltz tunes, and some of the finest instrumentals you’ll ever hear. For more information, check out the Bogtrotters on Myspace, Facebook, and Youtube. If you love old time music and dance, don’t miss the New Ballard’s Branch Bogtrotters at the
Carter Family Fold. Everyone loves the Bogtrotters, so get ready for an evening of old fashioned fun. Be sure to bring your dancing shoes – and your friends! Carter Family Memorial Music Center, Incorporated, is a nonprofit, rural arts organization established to preserve traditional, acoustic, mountain music. For further information on the center, go tohttp://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 276-386-6054. The Fold is on Facebook – page Carter Fold – and Twitter – Twitter @carterfoldinfo. To speak to a Fold staff member, call 276-594-0676.
Kristen Ford on Nationwide Tour
to Support Release of New Album “Dinosaur”
This fall, Kristen Ford rolls into Lexington, performing her latest material at “The Acoustic Coffeehouse” at 415 W. Walnut St. Johnson City, TN 37604 on Wednesday November 19th at 8:00pm. Kristen is on a never-ending tour in support of her new release “DINOSAUR” which is available on www.kristenfordmusic.com.
This is a free, all ages show with Jen Hajj from California also on the bill, so come check out some amazing music! Kristen Ford brings you an eclectic mix of sounds, always with an incredible song structure. She fuses indie, folk, country, and blues with a healthy dose of rock and roll. Kristen is a true perform-
er when it comes to intimate live performance, with original, catchy songwriting and (sometimes) witty banter. Kristen lives for her music, adores her audience, and exudes passion and artistry. She is a Massachusetts native, with a traveler’s heart. She is currently spending the foreseeable future on the road, living in her van, and promoting her latest album, “Dinosaur”. Her one-woman-band performance includes guitar, percussion and a variety of effects pedals, creating a unique musical entertainment experience that’s different every night. “Dinosaur” will elevate Ford from obscure artist to buzzing folk-rock-pop master.”- Boston Herald “Bluesy, and soulful, belting out her lyrics carefully with every verse. Other times, she is pure rock and roll screaming with childish joy.”- The Dig Music, press, photos, videos and all tour dates at www.kristenfordmusic.com
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This week I present a DOUBLE FEATURE!
“Interstellar” Director Christopher Nolan (“The Dark Knight Rises”, “Inception”) sure knows how to present a film on the big screen. The director is back with his latest “event” film, the space adventure “Interstellar”. As with most of his films, this effort is visually stunning and thought provoking. The film is set in the near future when the Earth is no longer able to sustain life. The condition of the Earth has so deteriorated that NASA has been secretly planning a mission to several worlds that may possibly be able to sustain human life. Leading the interstellar mission will be Cooper (Matthew McConaughey), a former astronaut and expert pilot. His fellow passengers are Amelia Brand (Anne Hathaway), Romilly (David Gyasi), and Doyle (Wes Bentley). The astronauts are joined by two robots called TARS and CASE, which are also capable of helping the ship traverse to the far away destinations. Once in space, the
character must make some tough decisions about which planet or planets they will travel to, in hopes of finding the one where mankind can reside. As expected, the astronauts leave family members behind, and this takes a toll on all involved. Among those back on Earth is Professor Brand (Michael Caine), Emily’s father and an important part of the endeavor. The story takes viewers on an exciting and unexpected adventure, and there are many influences from other sci-fi films, most notably “2001 A Space Odyssey”. While viewers will certainly be impressed with the special effects, the heart of the story is never lost on Nolan. While many of the scientific terms in the film may be over many of our heads, this fact doesn’t deter from the enjoyment of the film. Strap yourself in a seat at your local theater, and enjoy the ride provided by “Interstellar”. (Rated PG-13) A-
“Big Hero 6” The latest 3D animated film to hit the big screen is “Big Hero 6”, based on a Marvel Comics superhero team I have never heard of. The story is set in the futuristic city (I never recall a year mentioned) San Fransokyo, and is the tale of Hiro Hamada, a 14-year-old robotics expert, who has been applying his genius at bot fighting. After one unpleasant bot fight, Hiro is eventually convinced by his older brother Tadashi, to enroll in his university and become part of the robotics program. To be formally excepted, Hiro must present a project he designed that will impress the lead professor in the robotics program. His project is mentally controlled microbots, that when linked together, can form anything imaginable. The idea is brilliant, and Hiro is accepted to the school. How-
ever, shortly after his presentation, a tragic accident occurs that will forever change Hiro’s path. Hiro eventually finds himself teamed with his personal “medical bot” named Baymax, and the two are eventually confronted by the dastardly man who stole Hiro’s microbots, and is using them for his own devices. Hiro and Baymax are joined by some of his friends from the school, and they form a make-shift superhero team. Despite all the flash of the film, the real star is the inflatable robot Baymax, who is a riot to watch, and provides plenty of laughs. The film is great in 3D, and can be enjoyed by both kids and adults. “Big Hero 6” is a fun animated film, that will no doubt become a classic, and may even provide a sequel or two. (Rated PG) A-
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A Holiday Tradition in Historic Downtown Bristol: You are cordially invited to the
Annual Christmas Open House Ready or not, it’s time to GET INTO THE HOLIDAY SPIRIT! Believe in Bristol will again sponsor the Annual Christmas Open House in Historic Downtown Bristol on Monday, November 24, 2014, 5:00 pm – 8:00 pm. Come kick off the holiday season with merriment and good cheer! Santa Claus will be giving out candy canes, Bristol Ballet will have dancers in costume, the Washington –Lee Warblers from Washington Lee Elementary After School Program will perform, Quaker Steak & Lube to host a fundraising event benefiting Celebrate Bristol, MedExpress will again partner in the BELIEVE scavenger hunt, and last, but most certainly not least, the downtown
Horse & Carriage rides are back. Don’t miss an evening planned for the entire family’s enjoyment! A special thank you to Serendipity and Be.Ella Boutique’s for allowing us to bring back an old favorite, Horse and Carriage rides to the Open House event. There are 2 locations planned for pick-up / drop-off, The Downtown Center (Country Music Mural/Farmers Market area) and TriSummit Bank parking lot, a small charge of $2 per person for a one-way ticket down State Street or $4 per person for a round-trip ride. Keep a look out for your favorite decorated window as the downtown merchants will be participating in the Merry Merchants Window Decorating Contest. The
theme this year is from the movie “The Christmas Story” and A Major Award will be given to the winner! The Open House has traditionally been a customer appreciation night when merchants stay open late, have special discounts, and refreshments are served at participating locations. Join us and support your downtown shops; it’s a great way to stimulate our local economy and find special one-ofa-kind gifts for everyone on your holiday list! For more information about Downtown’s Annual Christmas Open House, please call 276-6449700 or visit www.believeinbristol. org.
Visit www.believeinbristol.org for a list of Sponsors for the 2014 Downtown Christmas Open House
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The Bird Thaws at Midnight I would like to describe to you the events of last Thanksgiving. Here’s the particulars of the situation before I dive into the “meat” of the matter. I was not hosting last year, the family was gathering at my Aunt’s house, which at this time last year was in Morristown. Thanksgiving for me began on the Wednesday night before. It was around 9:00 when the phone rang, I was sitting quietly listening to some Jazz, and reading a copy of “The Big Sleep” that had been sitting on my coffee table for months. My house phone is one of those that speaks the name of the caller as it rings, I always wait for it to tell me who it is, so I don’t have to get up for some damn telemarketer. The phone indicated that it was my Aunt who was calling, so I rushed over to the receiver. Upon answering I could tell that my Aunt was in something of a panic. “It’s frozen! What am I going to do?” was the response when I said “hello.” I would soon learn that my Aunt was referring to the 20 pound turkey she had bought to cook that year. It had been in her fridge since Monday, and was still solid rock frozen. “You’re the one who fixes these things! What am I going to do?” Over this I could hear the sounds of my Aunt’s grandchildren running around. My Aunt is their caretaker, and we all try to do the best we can tp help out my Aunt, especially after the year she threw a casserole out window and yelled “I am the god of hellfire!” Thinking quickly, I asked my Aunt if she had a five gallon bucket and a spare brick. You can soak the bird in cold water, held down by the brick, and it’s thawed by morning—assuming you change the water every few hours or so. I described all of these things to my Aunt, she had none of them, and the sound of desperation and terror in her voice crescendoed with a cry of “Can you come down here!?” “Coming down here” would mean at least a drive of an hour, and an arrival that wouldn’t be till around 10:30. It was clear that there was only one thing to do,
pack a bag, load some turkey thawing gear, and drive to Morristown. I took my weekender bag out of my closet, filled it with what I would need, both a change of clothes and my Thanksgiving clothes, tossed in my bathroom bag, my phone charger, a pair of headphones, and off I went. I stopped at a Dunkin’ Donuts and grabbed a coffee before I hit the highway, I had a feeling this would be a night in which sleep wouldn’t come till the wee small hours. After an hour and five minutes, with just a quarter full coffee cup, I made it to my Aunt’s house. My Aunt came rushing to the door in an apron that had seen better days and was covered in flour. My Aunt rushed over to hug me as soon as I opened my car door, leaving the imprint of flour on my dark argyle sweater. Brushing it off I walked to the back of my car, grabbed my bag, and the thawing bucket. I walked into the house, dropped my bag right by the door, went straight into the kitchen and placed the frozen turkey—now sitting in the sink—into the bucket, and rushed it straight off to the guest bathroom. Cold water in the bucket, brick on the bird, the turkey was ready to start coming back from it’s frozen state. I reassured my
Aunt that all would be fine come the morning, and I settled into the guest bedroom. I didn’t bother to unpack, I just tossed my bag into a corner of the room, and crashed onto the bed. It was a quarter to midnight, after spending about 15 minutes catching my breath, I got up to survey the mess in the kitchen. To say it looked like a tornado had been through it would be kind, it looked like every desperate thawing method possible had been used—the most notable one being the hair dryer plugged up by the sink. I told my Aunt to go to bed, and that I would clean the kitchen up. Cleaning up the kitchen took another hour, by the time I had brushed my teeth, and gotten into bed, it was almost one in the morning. I couldn’t sleep, I was too amped up from all that had gone on. My phone wasn’t quite dead yet, I grabbed it to check Facebook. What
I had forgotten, is that my Aunt’s house in Morristown was in a more rural area, cell phone reception was spotty at best, and my Aunt’s husband is a technical luddite who doesn’t believe in wifi. From the part of the house that the guest bedroom was in, I was shut off from the world. Trying to figure out how to ease my mind, I started to search what was on my phone. I plugged my phone in, and fell asleep to an episode of “The Munsters” that happened to be hiding in my videos. I slept in the following day, no one woke me up. I did somehow manage to get the video on my phone to play on repeat, so I did wake up the sounds of Grandpa Munster saying “Herman!” I unplugged my phone, sat on the edge of the bed for a moment, then stood up and left the bedroom and went into the guest bath. The bird was fine, it was ready to go, the gib-
lets packet was still a little chunky with ice, but that didn’t matter. As the rest of my family showed up, I stayed in the kitchen and helped get the meal ready. Even though I wasn’t having anyone over, I still managed to find myself cooking portions of the meal. The meal was the typical affair it always is, I eat, try to avoid some family members. I answer the same questions over and over again “No, I don’t have a girlfriend,” and “Yes, I still write for that paper.” But the one notable thing about this year’s festivities is that there was a distinct upswing in talk of Black Friday, and by that I mean “there was talk of going to Black Friday.” But as the day went on, it more became a situation of “Andy, you’re young, be a dear and go get these things for us on Black Friday.” I was handed a list at 10:45 the night of Thanksgiving. That, however, is a story for next week. See you then.
Page 26, The Loafer • November 18, 2014
Are you a Victim of
Telepressure? Although personal Email is increasingly ignored by many in today’s society (I recently had a student tell me she knew she had email messages, but didn’t bother to read them), for those of us who work in professional environments, Email has become the bane of existence—the necessary evil that greets us every time we take a look at our screens. I’m sure you’ve attended time management workshops that increase our stress levels by telling us we should decrease the number of messages in our inboxes, create more folders, and schedule time for checking Email. Needless to say, most of this advice is never heeded. Typical of this often-ignored advice is a list presented by Bryan Robertson on the Hondros College of Business website. Mr. Robertson gives us four suggestions that echo all the stuff you’ve heard before: Never have more than 50 messages in your inbox (some tell us to keep the number below 10), think of your inbox as a To Do list, create a logical stack of folders, and “clean your inbox regularly.” Of course, if we really paid close attention to this advice, we would be spending most of our day fiddling around with our Email rather than doing what we are supposed to be doing (although Email is defined more and more as one of the things we should be doing) A more comprehensive list appeared in an April 1, 2011 (sorry, it’s not an April Fool’s joke) posting on Gigaom. Among the eleven items devoted to Email maintenance were the following pieces of sage advice: Don’t subscribe to feeds that will only flood your inbox with needless information, filter or turn off Bacn (those messages sent from businesses and social media), color-code messages according to priority, create a separate To Do list from inbox messages, turn off Email notifications
that act as distractions, and send less messages (i.e. you should receive less if you send less). One item on the list was pretty drastic—“Consider inbox zero.” That’s right, you should strive to maintain an empty inbox. Good luck on that one. And don’t even consider turning it into a New Year’s resolution. It was only a matter of time before someone came up with a term to describe the state we are in when Emails get the best of us. In the November 12, 2014 edition of The Sydney (Australia) Morning Herald, Sarah Berry informs us that a group of Psychology Department researchers from Northern Illinois University has coined a term—“telepressure”—to describe the kind of stress caused by the constant pressure we experience from our unread Email. Not only is this stress rather irritating, but it can also lead “to greater risk of burnout, absenteeism and poor sleep quality.” In other words, Email can be bad for your health. Larissa Barber, one of the Northern Illinois researchers comments that telepressure is “like your to-do list is piling up, so you’re cognitively ruminating over these things in the evening and re-exposing yourself to workplace stressors.” So, we should be careful when we check Emails during non-work hours because if we don’t get a rest from constant checking, we might not like the results. “When people don’t have this recovery time,” Barber warns, “it switches them into an exhaustion state, so they go to work the next day not being engaged.” Part of the problem, of course, is not so much the demands of work as our obsessions with FOMO (Fear Of Missing Out) and our desire for instant gratification. We just can’t wait for messages to be answered as soon as they are sent. Call this Facebook Syndrome or what you like. Having instant access to in-
formation can be both a blessing and a curse. I doubt than anyone would want to return to the days of snail mail, however. Although I spent most of my life living in that world, I can hardly remember what it was like. I’m sure all of us suffer from telepressure in varying degrees. I doubt there is much we can do about the ever-increasing flood of Emails we receive throughout the day, but we can learn to adopt a different attitude about the flood. One way is to begin to think of how doing less can actually accomplish more. This kind of approach is becoming increasingly popular. If this interests you, I recommend your reading Marc Lesser’s refreshing little book, Less: Accomplishing More By Doing Less. Lesser takes a Zen approach to work, and his is a calming voice amid the cacophony generated by many business and professional experts who tell us how to live our lives and conduct our business. In his introduction, Lesser tells us his book is “about the benefits
of doing less in a world that has increasingly embraced a crazy kind of more—more activity, more things, and even, strangely, more exhaustion. More running in circles to fulfill someone else’s requirements. This book presents a different, calmer, and surprisingly productive way of approaching our work and life. But there are reasons we often drown in, or hide behind, long, jam-packed days. Why, in fact, are we so busy?” A much-needed question we all should ask. What is the purpose of our being so busy? What do we hope to accomplish? Are there other options? Why should we be so obsessed with checking and managing our email? What is the worst thing that could happen if we ignored the torrent for even a couple of hours? I am very happy—and very calm—to report that I haven’t once checked my Email while I’ve been writing this column (although my phone did vibrate a few times in a futile effort to make me stop writing). Quite simply, I have had bet-
ter things on my mind, although it is perhaps ironic that I’ve avoided Email while writing about Email telepressure. I guess that’s one way to do it—become so busy writing and thinking about it that you don’t have time to check it. The lesson is that it can wait. Just remember that when everything is important, nothing is important (a phrase often attributed to Patrick Lencioni, but I doubt if the true source really matters). How many times have you checked your Email while reading this column? And how many times will you check it between now and when my next column appears next week? How many of those messages will you delete from your inbox? How many will you archive or place in one of your color-coded folders? And have I increased your telepressure by writing this column? So many questions, so little time. See you next week with my annual Thanksgiving message. Sounds pretty ominous, doesn’t it?
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November 18, 2014 • The Loafer, Page 27
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