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October 7, 2014 • The Loafer, Page 3
Volume 28 Issue #44
Publisher - Bill Williams • Editor/Graphic Arts Director - Don Sprinkle • Office Manager - Luci Tate Cover Design - Bill May Advertising - Dave Carter, Akey Kincaid, Terry Patterson Contributing Staff - Jim Kelly, Andy Ross, Ken Silvers, Mark Marquette 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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Jack Hanna’s Into the Wild Live Sunday, October 12th at Niswonger Performing Arts Center
Jack Hanna’s Into the Wild Live comes to NPAC on Sunday, October 12th for a 2:00 pm matinee performance. Growing up in Knoxville, Tennessee, Jack Hanna began working with animals at the age of eleven. Hanna spent several summers working with a family veterinar-
ian. In the late ‘60s, Jack and his wife Suzi operated a pet shop in Knoxville. In the early ‘70s, the couple moved south for Jack to work with the Central Florida Zoo. Since 1978, Jack Hanna has worked with the Columbus Zoo, where he currently serves as Director Emeritus.
Hanna’s career has taken him from cleaning cages to becoming a household name. Jack recalls the media blitz that helped launch his television career. “In 1983, I was invited to appear on Good Morning America following the birth of baby twin gorillas at the Columbus Zoo. I eagerly accepted the invitation knowing that this was a great opportunity to educate people across the nation about animals”. Two years later, Jack appeared on The Late Show with David Letterman for the first time. Since then, Hanna has appeared on various other shows, including Larry King Live, The Ellen DeGeneres Show, Hollywood Squares, The Maury Show, Entertainment Tonight, FOX News, CNN, and several other news programs. In 1993, Hanna introduced Jack Hanna’s Animal Adventures, a nationally syndicated television series. Jack launched another Emmy-winning TV series in 2007 with Jack Hanna’s Into the Wild; and his newest TV show, Jack Hanna’s Wild Countdown, airs on the ABC Network. Jack and his animal friends tour across the country, entertaining and educating fans of every gen-
eration. “These animals are ambassadors to their cousins in the wilds”, he says. Jack Hanna’s Into the Wild Live, presented by Nationwide Insurance, features many of his favorite animals, with fascinating stories, humor, and exciting footage which follows Hanna and his family around the world as they discover amazing animals and cultures. Jack Hanna’s Into the Wild Live is sponsored by Jones Media. This performance comes to Niswonger Performing Arts Center (NPAC) in historic downtown Greeneville, TN on Sunday, October 12th at 2:00 pm. Tickets are $35 for orchestra level seating, $30 for mezzanine seating and $25 for balcony seats. Tickets may be purchased online at www.npacgreeneville. com, in person at the NPAC box office, or by calling 423-638-1679. NPAC offers online seat selection and no-fee ticketing. The box office hours are Monday through Friday, 10 am until 5 pm. The 1130 seat performing arts center is located adjacent to the campus of Greeneville High School in Greeneville, TN. For venue information, and to purchase tickets, please visit www.npacgreeneville.com.
Have an event coming up? Email a press release and photos to:
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Over 40 International and National Bestselling Authors
Set to Attend Destiny Blaine’s
Writing Workshop and Reader Rally on October 8th Kingsport, Tennessee will play host city to over forty bestselling authors traveling from more than ten states. Acclaimed editors and writers will arrive on October 8th for their second writing event in the Tri-Cities. Sponsored by some of the most elite small and mid-size publishing houses, the workshop affords writers the opportunity to brush up on their skills while brainstorming with published authors and industry professionals. Susan Smith Alvis, international bestselling author and event organizer for the last two years, expresses her commitment to sticking to specific goals. “The writing world is constantly changing. New and seasoned authors benefit from our workshop because of the diversity in our classes. Workshops are conducted by seasoned professionals who stand out in our industry. Writers will participate in class exercises, roundtable discussions, and a well-rounded event schedule. Our goals are geared toward helping all writers, regardless of their experience. We want new writers to feel comfortable submitting to paying publishers in the field. We’re not only interested in helping men and women perfect their craft but we’re also committed to helping them gain reputable representation or a contract for publication.” Workshop classes include So You Think You Can Write presented by acclaimed author Vella Day, True Confessions about SelfPublishing by bestseller Morgan K. Wyatt, Publicity Interviews by seasoned professional Donna Wright of Hummingbird Place, Clean Your Clutter: Easy Ways to Tighten and Polish Your Prose presented by Faith Bicknell Brown, Being a Hybrid Author by bestselling author Gayle Trent, World Building by international bestselling author Shannon West, Pimp-
ing your Books by workshop host and international bestseller Destiny Blaine, Writing Bad Boys by seasoned bestsellers Leanne Tyler and Juli Alexander, and Using the Senses to Create Strong Storylines by veteran author Kate McKeever of Knoxville, Tennessee. Alvis says, “Last year we hosted an incredible two-day workshop. Our paid registrations are doubled this year and our events will be spread out over four days. We’re reaching out to the community by inviting local readers and writers
to our free events which are always open to the public. At these events, we’ll give away thousands of dollars in prizes, packages, gift baskets, and free books.” One such event is the Kingsport Reader Rally on October 9th from 10 AM-4 PM. Free to the public, this event is sponsored by small press publishers with very large reader bases. Devine Destinies, eXtasy Books and Dark Hollows Press head up the reader rally Workshop .. continued on next page
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Workshop .. continued from previous page event at the Civic Auditorium. Doors open at 10 AM. USA Today bestselling author Roz Lee donated tote bags. The Wild Rose Press, Hallee Bridgeman, and Erin R Flynn donated bundles of free books. Authors and publishers will give away free premium swag, gift baskets, cosmetics, books, jewelry, a Google chromecast, Kindles, and many other gifts. Pam Ackerson of Affaire de Coeur Magazine, one of the leading national romance magazines today, will cover the event. Donna Wright with Hummingbird Place will also be on hand conducting interviews. Editors Jay Austin (eXtasy Books) and Michelle Williams (Dark Hollows Press) will also be around to talk books. In addition to the Kingsport Reader Rally on Thursday, October 9th, authors and readers have two exciting events to anticipate. Over $1000 in prizes will be given away at the Party with the Authors event on Thursday evening. The Country Club Bar and Grill, Bristol’s premier nightclub, will host and sponsor the free event. Authors Susan E. Scott, Lexi Witcher, Shannon West, Amanda Lee, Laurie White, Eve Simon, Destiny Blaine, Vella Day, Josette Devereaux, Larriane Wills, Salice Rodgers, Joyce Humphrey Cares, Merle Finch, TG Franklin, Tianna Xander, Jacci DeVera, Honor James, Ronda L. Caudill, Jessie Verino, and many more will be on hand to sign books, autographs, and give away a loot! The closing ceremonies party will be hosted by Dark Hollows Press. Authors and readers will enjoy a festive Monster Bash to add to October’s hauntings. Party will be held at the host hotel, La-
Quinta Inn of Kingsport. “Publishers and editors will be available to take pitches,” Alvis said. “It’s a perfect opportunity for area writers of all genres to come on out and rub shoulders with industry professionals who are interested in publishing the next bestseller.” And bestsellers certainly abound at Destiny Blaine’s Writing Workshop and Reader Rally. Shannon West, Amanda Lee/Gayle Trent, Tianna Xander, Melody Snow Monroe/Vella Day, and Destiny Blaine/Natalie Acres have easily sold tens of thousands, if not hundreds of thousands, in steamy titles and impressive mysteries. “We’re experienced in our field,” Alvis said. “Those of us who are conducting workshops are career writers. We’re invested in the writing world and want to reach out to other writers in an effort to help them secure the best writing contracts possible. We’re fortunate to have limitless support from small press publishers eXtasy Books, Dark Hollows Press, and Beachwalk Press. We’re working with authors to help them prepare their best manuscript submissions by giving them a workshop agenda tailored for unprecedented success.” Alvis is often asked about the self-publishing business model. She said, “Wildflowers Books, a division of The Wild Rose Press, offers an incredible turnkey selfpublishing resource for interested writers. I highly recommend them to authors interested in selfpublishing because of the tried and tested experience behind the company. Rhonda Penders is not only a professional with a stellar reputation but her company, The
Wild Rose Press, has been voted best publisher the last six years by Preditors and Editors, a prestigious annual reader’s poll.” In addition to the best of the best in publishing, Alvis states they’re honored to have a very special guest in their line-up this year. “50 Shades readers will want to pay close attention to this announcement because they may never have an opportunity like this again.” Amazon bestselling Christian author Hallee Bridgeman is set to host a luncheon at the workshop and will be talking about all sorts of spicy goodness including her Fifty Shades of Gravy: A Christian Gets Saucy cookbook. This brilliant work is a hilarious cookbook written by an author who knows how to greet her audience at the door with a spatula, smile, and some pretty awesome food! “Once again we are anticipating an informative and adventuresome weekend in the Tri-Cities. Last year, The Loafer helped us spread the word to local writers and we can’t thank you enough,” Alvis said. “The Loafer introduced our workshop to East Tennessee natives. Five new writers ended up securing more than fifteen publishing contracts during or soon after our 2013 event. That’s a badge of honor for us and we’ll wear it proudly on our sleeves.” Destiny Blaine’s Writing Workshop and Reader Rally will take place at The LaQuinta Inn of Kingsport. Workshop dates are October 8th-12th. For more information, visit: http://destinyblaineworkshops.com. Registration is still open and limited seating is available: destinyblaineauthor@gmail. com.
Annual fishout slated for Oct. 11
Legion Street Pool will be transformed into a fishing hole on Saturday, Oct. 11, with 2,000 rainbow trout up for grabs in Johnson City’s annual “Say YES to Fishing, Say NO to Drugs” fishout. Children ages 3-14 are invited to participate from 9 a.m. until 4 p.m. in this free event. Poles and bait will be provided, and hundreds of prizes will be given. Volunteers will clean the fish caught by youth so they can take them home to cook! Then, on Sunday, Oct. 12, the rest of the community is invited to fish for the remaining trout for a donation of $10 per hour (proceeds go to the fishout program). Fishing will take place from noon until 5 p.m. “Say YES to Fishing, Say NO to Drugs” was started in 1989 as a way to get area youths involved in a fun, wholesome activity. “We want to encourage young people’s interest in the positive things life has to offer, and to discourage involvement with drugs,” said Johnson City Police Chief Mark Sirois. The program has seen broad-based community support ever since. Area sponsors provide prizes, exhibits and activities for participants. Local volunteers donate their time to work the event, along with representatives from the Johnson City Police and Fire departments, Johnson City Parks and Recreation Department, Washington County Sheriff’s Office, and Army National Guard. For more information, contact the Johnson City Police Department at (423)434-6122.
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Dr. Esther Park to perform in
‘A Night of Fantasia and Dances’ “A Night of Fantasia and Dances” will be held at East Tennessee State University on Friday, Oct. 10, at 7:30 p.m. in the Brown Hall auditorium. The program will be performed by Dr. Esther Park, visiting assistant professor of piano in the ETSU Department of Music. An element of “fantasia” is present in all the pieces, including Beethoven’s “Moonlight” sonata and its sister sonata in E-flat major. Fantasia is combined with the element of dance in Ravel’s “Valse Nobles et Sentimentales,”
MECC Hosts
Annual Haunted Forest Event
while various nationalistic dance rhythms are showcased in other numbers, including Brazilian dance by Villa-Lobos and American jazz by Nicolai Kapustin. Tickets are $15 for general admission, $10 for seniors and free for students with ID; these may be ordered online at www.etsu. edu/cas/music or purchased at the door. For more information, call the Department of Music at 423-4394276. For disability accommodations, call the ETSU Office of Disability Services at 423-439-8346
The woods around Mountain Empire Community College will soon come alive with the spirits of the “undead.” MECC will host its annual Haunted Forest beginning Friday, October 10 from 7-11 p.m. The event will be held every Friday and Saturday until Halloween. Admission is $10. The Haunted Forest is recommended for age 10 & up. All proceeds will benefit student scholarships at MECC. Visitors to the Haunted Forest are forewarned: groundskeepers
have reported seeing a lady in dark clothing wandering around the woods. When they have approached her, she reportedly speaks with a thick Creole accent and talks about voodoo, the dead, and sacrifice. She is looking for somebody, but never reveals exactly who. Perhaps it is you! For more information, please check out the MECC Haunted Forest Facebook page at www. facebook.com/MountainEmpireHauntedForest or contact Cindy Ringley at (276) 523-2400, ext. 264.
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OCTOBER Workshops at Sycamore Shoals Traditional Rug Hooking with Wool
Instructor: Joani Douglas Saturday, October 11 (during Spinning and Fiber Meet) • 9:30 am – 2:00 pm Cost: $35 (includes frame and hook, and all project supplies) Min: 4 Max: 8 Students will learn about traditional rug hooking and how to plan and complete a project from start to finish. A kit is supplied to each student that contains everything needed to complete one 8 inch “Christmas Tree”. Additional kits will be available for purchase. Bring a friend and have some fun! Bring a lunch too.
Inkle Weaving
Instructor: Ronnie Lail Saturday, October 11 (during Spinning and Fiber Meet) • 9 am – Noon Cost: $60 includes loom (to keep!) & all supplies/ Min: 3 Max: 8 $20 thread only • $10 instruction only Learn how to weave wide sashes, narrow bands, and shoelaces on a loom that is lightweight and easy to carry around! You can create wonderful patterns through varied placement of colorful thread. Bring scissors.
place outdoors, so dress accordingly. Cost: $30.00 (materials provided) Come learn the skill of making Twined Instructor: Nan Sexton Spinning: Beyond the Basics Saturday, October 11 (during Spinning and Rugs. You will make a small twined mat to Instructor: Amy Gawthrop practice the techniques needed to do this old Fiber Meet) • 12:30 pm – 3:30 pm Min: 4 Sunday, October 19 1:30 – 4 pm craft. Max: 6 • Cost: $20.00 (materials provided) Cost: $40 includes fleece (1st time students Come learn the skill of wet felting. You wil in this class) Anyone Can Crochet! use a flat resist to make a hat or bag. If you $15 for returning students Min: 1 Max: 5 Crocheting a Scarf took the class last year, this will be someIf you are a brand new spinner, or have been thing new. If this is your first venture into Instructor: Amy Gawthrop dabbling on the spinning wheel for some Sunday, October 12 1:30 pm – 4 pm felting, you will enjoy it! time; this class is for you! Bring your quesCost: $25 Min: 1 Max: 10 tions and join Amy for an afternoon of “All You will learn all of the necessary techniques Beginning Spinning to get you started in the art of crochet! Bring Things Spinning!” Instructor: Margaret Couch Saturday, October 11 (during Spinning and at least 2 skeins of worsted weight solid colTraditional Arts Workshops. To join one or or yarn (if you want a long scarf, you will Fiber Meet) more classes, you must register in advance need at least 3 skeins) or any fiber that will 1 pm – 3 pm Min: 2 Max: 4 make a comfortable scarf; bring a crochet by calling 423-543-5808 and pre-pay. Cost: $30.00 (materials provided) If you would like to receive updated inThis 2 hour class is meant for those who hook – either size H, I, or J (5, 5.5, or 6 mm) formation throughout the year, please send have never used a spinning wheel before. your email address to jennifer.bauer@tn.gov You’ll learn the basics of drafting wool and Primitive Trapping and Fishing For more information contact: Sycamore using the wheel to make yarn. If you have a Instructor: Steve Ricker Shoals State Historic Area, 1651 West Elk Avspinning wheel, you should plan to bring it; Saturday, October 18 10 am – 4pm enue, Elizabethton, TN 37643. Cost: $35 • Min: 5 Max: 10 if not, we’ll have one for you to use. Learn traditional methods of hunting, trap- Visit www.sycamoreshoalstn.org or (423) ping, and fishing, using ordinary materials 543-5808. Twined Rugs to survive in the wild. This class will take Instructor: Fiona Zahnke Saturday, October 11 (during Spinning and Fiber Meet) • 1 pm – 4 pm Min: 3 Max: 6
Wet Felting
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Join The Fun at Rogersville
Heritage Days Festival October 10-12th The Rogersville Heritage Association invites readers to celebrate the 34th annual Heritage Days festival on October 10, 11, & 12, 2014 in Rogersville, TN. Thanks to Community Sponsors, Heritage Days has grown to host more than 20,000 patrons and has been voted “East Tennessee’s Best Festival” by The Tennessee Magazine in 2010, 2012, 2013 and runner up in 2011 and “One of Top 20 Events in the Southeast” by The Southeast Tourism Society. Rogersville Main Street’s Pre-Heritage Days Celebration will begin on Friday with “Great Chili Cook –Off” and Rogersville Hawkins County Chamber of Commerce’s “Children’s Costume Contest and Parade”. Rogersville Main Street will conclude the “Cruise-In on the Square” series with a parade of pre-1980s automobiles, sponsored by Eldridge Body Shop and Auto Sales. The evening’s final attraction will feature a performance by Bakersfield. Heritage Days’ welcomes back the B Company, 12th Tennessee Cavalry Battalion. The company will set up camp on Friday evening at Crockett Spring Park. The battalion will perform Civil War skirmishes, Cavalry and artillery demonstrations, saber drills, and practice maneuvers on Saturday and Sunday. Guests are advised to bring folding chairs to this and all other outdoor exhibitions and shows. The Dance Stage, featuring the award winning Tennessee Hoe downers and local dance teams, and The Main Stage music stage on the square, with a variety of new exciting groups and repeat favorites, offer non-stop entertainment throughout the festival. Please see the entertainment sponsors at each site. The Heritage Days 2014 Schedule: Friday, October 10 3:00- 6:00 pm: Rogersville Main Street’s “The Great Chili Cook-off” Hale Springs Inn Court Yard 4:30 pm: Heritage Day’s Children Costume Parade - Registration
and judging -First Baptist Church Parking lot 5:30 pm: Heritage Days Children Costume Parade - Main Street 6:00 pm: Cruise-In on the Square -Cruise through the historic district 6:30 pm: Bakersfield performs beside Hale Springs Inn Saturday, October 11 10:00 am: Opening ceremony- Tennessee Sons of the American Revolution Color Guard 10 am-6 pm: Craft Booths, Food Court, Demonstrators Yard, Country Fair and Young’uns Yard, Quilt Show, Antique Farm Equipment Show, Mixed Media Art Show, Dance Stage, Music on the Main Stage and Civil War reenactor demonstrations and performances at Crockett Spring Park. Sunday, October 12 12:00-6:00 pm: Craft Booths, Food Court, Demonstrators Yard, Country Fair and Young’uns Yard, Quilt Show, Antique Farm Equipment Show, Mixed Media Art Show, Dance Stage, and Music on the Main Stage 2:00 pm: Antique Tractor Parade Four blocks of festival food, artisan crafts, heritage demonstrations and chili tasting accompanied by 200 vintage automobiles, continuous performances by local dancers and musicians, all day entertainment for kids, and the opportunity to visit Main Street’s quaint shops and restaurants prove that there’s something for everyone! What better way to usher in the Fall Season than by enjoying free family entertainment in Historic Downtown Rogersville? Heritage Days 2013 Grand Presenters: Republic Services, The Rogersville Review, The Tennessee Arts Commission, TVA-John Sevier, US Bank, and Wellmont Hawkins County Memorial Hospital. For more information, contact: www.rogersvilleheritageassociation.org, 423-272-1961, Cruise –In: www.rogersvillemainstreet.com, www.rogersvillechamber.us or 423-272-2186.
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Arts Array presents
“The Immigrant”
she quickly falls prey to Bruno, a charming but wicked man. The Arts Array Film Series is part of the comprehensive cultural outreach program of Virginia Highlands Community College. The series is co-sponsored by the Abingdon Cinemall, the SouthThe Immigrant west Virginia Higher Education (October 13 and 14) 1921. In search of a new start, Center, Emory& Henry College, Ewa Cybulska and her sister Mag- and King University Admission to the films is free for da sail to New York from their native Poland. When they reach the faculties and students at the Ellis Island, doctors discover that supporting institutions. Members Magda is ill, and the two women of the general community may atare separated. Ewa is released tend for $7.75. For a brochure on the series or onto the mean streets of Manhattan while her sister is quarantined. more information, please contact Alone, with nowhere to turn and Tommy Bryant at 276-739-2451 or desperate to reunite with Magda, email him at tbryant@vhcc.edu. The Arts Array Film Series presented by Virginia Highlands Community College is in its 44th year. All films are presented at the Abingdon Cinemall on Mondays and Tuesdays at 4 p.m. and again at 7:30 pm.
Stay up to date with
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‘Storms Ahead’ for ETSU bands The Toby Jugg Band “Inclement Weather: Storms Ahead” is the theme of the first concert of the fall semester by the East Tennessee State University bands. The free public concert featuring the ETSU Concert Band and Wind
Ensemble will be held Thursday, Oct. 9, at 7:30 p.m. in the D.P. Culp University Center’s Martha Street Culp Auditorium. The program will include works that relate to stormy weather and the troubles it can bring. Selec-
tions include “Mayflower Overture” by Ron Nelson, “Rain” by Brian Balmages, “The Thunderer March” by John Philip Sousa, “Of Sailors and Whales” by Francis McBeth, “Rolling Thunder March” by Henry Fillmore and more. Dr. Stephanie Frye, low brass lecturer in the ETSU Department of Music, will perform as guest soloist on “Three Furies for Tuba and Wind Ensemble.” The Concert Band and Wind Ensemble perform under the direction of ETSU’s Drs. Christian Zembower and Joe Moore, director of bands and assistant director of bands, respectively. For more information, call the Department of Music at 423-4394276. For disability accommodations, call the ETSU Office of Disability Services at 423-439-8346.
finally returns to Johnson City!!
Rising South Records is pleased to announce that East Tennessee’s “hometown hero’s”, The Toby Jugg Band, is finally returning to Johnson City. The Toby Jugg Band has opened for Molly Hatchet, The Johnny Van Zant Band (Lynyrd Skynyrd), 38-Special, Blue Oyster Cult, Goose Creek Symphony, Webb Wilder, Jackyl and The Derek Trucks Band (The Allman Brothers Band), just to name a few. They will be bringing their high energy, all original, Southern rock show to Capone’s in downtown Johnson City on October 11th, as they continue their 2014 tour, starting at 9 PM. Opening the night’s entertain-
ment will be the incredibly talented The Jones Boys, who have a large following in the area. Special friend of The Toby Jugg Band, Mr. Gene Odom, bodyguard, close friend of Ronnie Van Zant and a survivor of Lynyrd Skynyrd’s plane crash, will also be there signing copies of his book and talking about life on the road with Lynyrd Skynyrd. The show is co-sponsored by Holston Distributing Company and Steve Mann with 102.7, WVEK-FM. Visit www.TobyJuggBand.com for more information about the band, upcoming events and pictures. Don’t miss your chance to have “another sip from the Jugg!!”
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2015 Regional Relay For Life of NE Tennessee Kick Off set for October 9th To be held at ETSU General Shale Natural History Museum Gray Fossil Site from 5:30 – 7:30 p.m.
The American Cancer Society of Northeast Tennessee will be hosting its regional Relay For Life Kickoff event on Thursday, October 9th from 5:30 – 7:30 at the ETSU General Shale Natural History Museum Gray Fossil Site as volunteers and participants
launch fundraising efforts for the year. The kickoff will honor cancer survivors and caregivers, and will feature speakers from the community who have benefitted from the funds raised at Relay For Life. Those interested will also be able
to register to participate in their individual community event. Refreshments, an 80’s costume contest, door prizes, and more will be featured at the event. The world’s largest grassroots fundraising movement, Relay For Life mobilizes communities throughout the country to celebrate people who have battled cancer, remember loved ones lost and provide participants with an opportunity to fight back against cancer. This year, Relay For Life will celebrate its 30th birthday and take place in nearly 6,000 communities in the United States and 20 other countries and will raise funds to support the mission of the American Cancer Society to save lives by helping people stay well, by helping people get well, by finding cures, and fighting back.
For more information about the upcoming kickoff, please contact your American Cancer Society office at 423-975-0635 or email jessica.poff@cancer.org or amy.hopson@cancer.org. Sign up for Relay For Life today and help our communities finish the fight against cancer! 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 in part to our progress nearly 14 million Americans who have had cancer and countless more who have
FUN, FUN, FUN FOR THE WHOLE FAMILY & FREE!!! Come join us October 11th at Fairview United Methodist Church for our
“FALL FESTIVAL” starting at 2PM! We’re located at 878 Highway 81 North, 5 miles from Jonesborough going towards Fall Branch. Hamburgers, Hot Dogs and Homemade Ice Cream to eat. Inflatable Playground for the Kids! Plan to join the Corn Hole Game, Horseshoe Pitching, Bingo, and Cake Walk. We’ll finish out the evening with a Bonfire. Everyone come out and we’ll all have a great time!!
avoided it will celebrate more birthdays this year. As we mark 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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Autumn Skies Delight for Senses The autumn skies are one of the starry delights of the year, and the last time you might spend night time outdoors. Let’s face it, the days are numbered that you’ll be outside after dark as cold weather and busy holidays keep most of us inside when the day turns to night. And we don’t want to think about those January and February cold nights, when there are dark skies at 6 pm but not much gumption to brave the usually harsh weather. So make some time every week for an hour or so stargazing by just sitting outdoors in comfortable clothes on a comfy recliner and allowing your eyes to adapt to the night. I guarantee it won’t be wasted time. I think you might be recharged a little bit, and for sure you’ll witness with eyes and ears a new perspective on your neighborhood. Most of us will be battling the security lights of the neighbors, so try and block yourself from annoying stray light. Start relaxing outside in the deep twilight and see all kinds of nature stirring about as the stars come out to play with you Your eyes take about 15 minutes away from white light to allow the pupils to open wider and allow a dramatically better night vision. The human eye isn’t sensitive to red light, and flashlights with a red bulb or cellophane are what’s needed to look at a star map or equipment. As your eyes open wide like an owl, use your ears to hear the night world around us coming alive. You’ll hear crickets and other insects in their nocturnal cacophony, then a few bats will dart by, snagging flying insects that buzzed by you earlier. You realize car tires make a sound of their own on the streets, and somewhere overhead a propeller plane is heading to
a twilight landing. A dog barks, quarreling cats howl and in the distance a train’s whistle moans. All of a sudden, it’s dark. Even if the Moon is high and the lunar light drowns out the stars, there will always be a few dozen of the brightest to shine through. And maybe a planet or two. Getting familiar with the night sky is like meeting neighbors that change as you drive down a road that repeats every 12 months. Seeing the Great Square of Pegasus in the northeast this Autumn time of the year is like seeing an old friend you haven’t talked to since February when the celestial horse was setting in the west. A star chart is essential and fun to use when beginning to get curious about which star is which and the starry outlines of the constellations. A “planisphere” is a star wheel that can be moved to show you the star patterns at any date and time, and they can be found at most book stores. Libraries will have several books on constellations, and free sky charts are on the Internet, like StarMaps.com. Hey! That 1965 edition of the New Encyclopedia Britannica you inherited from your parents—or snagged cheaply at a yard sale— will no doubt have a star chart for the North and South Hemispheres of Earth. Even some world atlases will have star charts. It doesn’t matter how old your star chart is, the constellations haven’t changed in millions of years, only the positions of the Sun, Moon and planets change. To know the night sky is truly a rewarding experience that never gets old. There is so much to learn…and so little time. You can’t stargaze when the Moon is bright for a week or so around full phase, and then you have plenty of cloudy nights. Then everyone has a personal life that has lots of evening commitments. So in reality, you might
be lucky to seriously stargaze just five or six times a month. Before you know it, the night sky has changed its characters, the constellations you were learning are setting, and new ones are rising in the east. After a season or two of steady stargazing, you’ll come to learn the rhythm of our Earth’s journey around our favorite star, the Sun. The rewards will be something you only measure inside your mind. This October 2014 we are treated to an encounter by two stellar objects the ancient stargazers would have feasted about—the conjunction of Mars and its antithesis, Antares. Literally “not Ares,” the Greek god of war, this giant, old red star has few rivals in our nearby Universe. Mars is the Roman god of war, and that name has stuck to this red, wandering “star” that all cultures recognized as blood, a warrior or omen for conflict.
This Autumn 2014, Mars is above and to the left (west) of Antares, which is the heart of Scorpius, a giant fish hook of stars that curve to the southern horizon. This rather small constellation (in the Zodiac, only Cancer is smaller) looks like its namesake, the stinger lying near the center of the Milky Way. Mars will be visiting the Milky Way this fall as it goes from Scorpius than into the feet of the Snake Handler, Ophiuchus (the unrecognized 13th constellation of the Zodiac) and into Sagittarius by midNovember. The 2014 conjunction of Mars with Antares happens after summertime of watching Mars move back and forth in Virgo between planet Saturn and bright star Spica, This would be huge news in the astrology-fueled world of the ancient stargazers. Five thousand years ago, the plains of Mesopotamia and the valleys of Babylon would be abuzz trying to figure
out the intent of the gods as the celestial scene played out over months. Being the “Chief Astrologer” to a King would be a great gig in the ancient world—as long as your stargazing predictions came true! Both Mars and Antares have nearly the identical hue of red and brightness. Mars gets significantly brighter when near Earth every two years or so. But the similarities stop at the naked eye threshold when seeing these two red “stars. They are two physically interesting worlds. Antares is a supergiant star, nearly 500 million miles in diameter, so huge it would swallow up the orbit of Mars if it replaced our Sun. It also has a bluish companion star orbiting it, easily seen in a telescope. Antares is 325 Light Years away, meaning the light we see tonight left this giant, Stargazer .. continued on next page
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Stargazer .. continued from previous page dying star in 1689…the year Peter the Great became Czar of Russia! That’s a concept that ancient astronomers would never grasp— that we actually look back in time because the stars are so far away. Even light traveling at 186,000 miles a second—6 trillion miles in a year—takes years to traverse the distance to even the closest stars to our Sun. So take advantage of these mild
Autumn nights that have so many starry friends awaiting your acquaintance. Look up and imagine each starry point as a world of its own, probably with several planets and maybe a companion star orbiting it. And just maybe you’ll find it so enjoyable that you’ll continue stargazing though the Winter and get in rhythm with the seasonal stars. You won’t be disappointed.
Skies This Week Celestial events in the skies for the week of Oct. 7 - Oct. 13, 2014, as compiled for The Loafer by Mark D. Marquette. Full Moon week and this one is debatably the Harvest Moon. And Wednesday morning’s Moon will be eclipsed by Earth’s shadow, visible in the Mountain Empire for just part of the event. Technically, the Full Moon closest to the Autumnal Equinox is the Harvest Moon—and the Sept. 8th full phase is 14 days from the Sept. 23rd Equinox, and this Oct.8th full phase is 15 days away. The total lunar eclipse Wednesday morning will be best seen west of the Mississippi River. Here in Appalachia, the Moon above the western horizon will slip into the Earth’s shadow at 5:24 am and be totally eclipsed beginning at 6:24 am. But look quick as the Moon will set in the deep morning twilight at 7:10 am.
Tues. Oct. 7
On this 1959 date in space history, the Soviet Union’s Luna 3 spacecraft returned the first photos of the backside of the Moon. Today NASA’s Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter is taking photos in unprecedented detail and sniffing for chemicals on the surface of our closest neighbor in space.
Wed. Oct. 8
Total Lunar Eclipse! Worth getting up just to see the possible ruddy red full eclipse begin at 6:24 am. The Moon will drift to the horizon as the Sun rises in the east, making a great photo opportunity activity will be held in the Plan- against the deep dawn shades of violets and light blues. etarium. Annually, more than 150,000 Thurs. Oct. 9 When you look at the Moon visitors pass through Bays Mountain Park making it one of the State tonight, and you know you probof Tennessee’s Top 50 Most Visited ably will—even if out a winAttractions, according to the State dow—think of the frozen water of Tennessee Department of Tour- at the poles. On this date in 2009, NASA announced their spacecraft ist Development. One of the nation’s largest city- called LCROSS had discovered ice owned parks with 3,550 acres, Bays beneath the surface of craters at Mountain Park features nearly 40 the South Pole that never see the miles of hiking trails, a state-of- warmth of sunlight. the-art planetarium, wildlife habi- Fri. Oct. 10 On this 1846 date in astronomy tats, ropes course with zip line, fun exhibits, a 44-acre lake, trails for history, William Lassell discovered mountain biking and much, much the Neptune moon Triton, slightly smaller than Earth’s moon. In more. www.baysmountain.com 1989 Viking 2 photographed Tri-
Bays Mountain Park Announces Fall StarWatch Programs Bays Mountain Park’s observing sessions of our night skies have returned! StarWatch is a free outdoor program allowing the public to enjoy the splendor of the night sky at the park’s observatories. Hosted by the Bays Mountain Astronomy Club, members operate the park’s telescopes, as well as their own, to offer an exciting tour of the night sky. Viewers can gaze at the moon’s craters and imagine themselves flying over in a spacecraft, and also witness celestial places of star birth and star death. Sessions are held each Saturday night in October and November starting at dusk. If the weather does not cooperate, an alternative
ton with icy geysers of super cold nitrogen erupting. The Hubble Space Telescope has followed the action, and astrobiologists believe Triton could harbor life in its bizarre, super-cold liquids.
Sat. Oct. 11
There was lots of action in space on this date in history: in 1969 Soyuz 6, 7 & 8 were all in orbit at once; in 2000 STS-92 mission with Shuttle Discovery was launched on a 12-day construction mission to the International Space Station. Also, in 2005, China’s Shenzhou 6 was launched with two “taikonauts” on a successful four day mission, just the second manned mission by the Communist nation.
taculars, the two-person spaceship was cramped with three men without spacesuits to save room. The 24-hour mission may have been cut short when Khrushchev was removed from power while Voskhod 1 was in orbit. The mission had to be a nightmare in many ways to the cosmonauts, but to the world, the Soviets looked like they were leading the Moon Race.
Mon. Oct. 13
On this 1968 date in space history, Apollo 7 broadcast the first live, television from orbit. Launched Oct 11, this maiden voyage of the three-man American moonship went perfectly—except the astronauts caught a cold and Sun. Oct. 12 got grouchy with mission control, On this 1964 date in space his- staging a work stoppage to get tory, the Voskhod 1 manned space- their heads cleared! Veteran Wally craft was launched with three Schirra and rookies Walter Cuncosmonauts. A risky stunt that ningham and Don Eisele never fulfilled Premier Nikita Khrush- flew in space again. chev’s desire for Soviet space spec-
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Judith Black Next Up for Storytelling Live! Storyteller Judith Black, a humorist with an offbeat historical perspective, will be the next performer in the International Storytelling Center’s Storytelling Live! series. Celebrated for her smart takes on history, her sparkling wit, and her lavishly researched tales, Black has been a fixture on the storytelling scene for more than 30 years. Always pushing forward with new material and modern perspective, the teller will share old favorites and newly developed stories during her weeklong stint in Jonesborough. In a series of matinees, October 14 – 18, Tuesday through Saturday, Black will share personal stories as well as rousing historical narratives. All performances are scheduled for 2:00 p.m. in the Mary B. Martin Storytelling Hall. Tickets for all shows are just $12 for adults and $11 for seniors, students, and children under 18. Advance purchase is highly recommended. In addition to her afternoon performances, for one night only, Thursday, October 16, at 7:30 p.m., Black will host “WAR: Collierville TN 1863,” an exclusive evening concert. The piece, which she developed in conjunction with the Morton Museum of Collierville History, is the latest in a long line of commissions from the likes of the Department of the Interior, the Department of Forestry, and the U.S.S. Constitution. “It’s a Civil War story, but it’s about the home front,” Black says. “It’s about what it’s like to live in an occupied town. The North had occupied Collierville in 1862, and they were living under brutal occupation. The conditions were just wretched. The people, especially the Southern troops, were starving to death and shoeless by 1863. Three out of every five soldiers died of disease.” Black loves working on historical tales because they give her— and her audience—new perspec-
tive on seemingly familiar events. “Those stories are just wonderful because they’re new vantage points on times and places that we think we know so well,” she says. “Suddenly, you look at it through other eyes, and you learn new truths and old facts. And it’s a very exciting process because it just broadens the way we think about who we are and what our nation is.” Black is one of the final performers in ISC’s Storytelling Live! series, which hosts a new storyteller every week through October. Tickets for the Black’s evening concert are only $15, and all ticket holders will save 10 percent on same-day dining at The Olde Courthouse Diner, The Dining Room, Jonesborough General Store and Eatery, or Main Street
Café. Advance purchase is strongly recommended. Information about all TIR performers, as well as a detailed schedule for 2014, is available at www.storytellingcenter.net. Storytelling Live! is supported by Presenting Sponsor CrestPoint Health, program sponsors Eastman Chemical Company and Eastman Credit Union, and media sponsors News 5-WCYB, FOX TriCities, Tri-Cities CW, Johnson City Press, Kingsport Times-News, Herald & Tribune and Cumulus Media. 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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New Dates Announced for Kingsport Ballet’s
Nutcracker at Northeast State
Kingsport Ballet’s staging of The Nutcracker, will be changing its traditional dates this year to December 19-21, 2014 at Northeast State’s Wellmont Performing Arts Center. The Company has staged the holiday classic during the first weekend in December for over a decade. Executive Director, Bertina Dew, is encouraged by this change.“We believe that the closer-to-Christmas dates will be a very favorable change, as families will have a chance to enjoy a pause in their busy holiday schedules to go to the ballet together,” she said. “Those are the wonderful traditions we remember when we get older.” “We usually have several guest artists in our productions, but this year is special. We will be bringing back Rostislav Dzabraev to perform the principal role of the Nutcracker prince – We brought Ross here from Russia in 2007. He worked with us for several years as artist in residence. Since then he has been honing his skills teaching and performing in Florida, Brazil, and now is a principal dancer with
Alabama Ballet,” explains artistic director, Valeria Sinyavskaya. The role of Princess Clara will be danced by Mariana Zschoerper, a graduate of the Bolshoi Ballet School of Brazil. Mariana is currently at the Boston Conservatory. Several other professional artists will join the production including Misha Ronikov. Mr. Ronikov is a long time performer and master teacher with Kingsport Ballet. This year he will dance the role of snow king, partnering Kingsport Ballet advanced dancers. Tickets are now on sale through www.kingsportballet.org or through the Kingsport Ballet facebook page. Purchasers may print their tickets at home, or pick them up at ‘will call’ the night of the performance. Children ages 4-11 will enjoy the traditional Clara’s Tea and Chocolate, which takes place just prior to Saturday evening’s performance on December 20th. The tea party is at 5pm and tickets are sold separately through the Kingsport Ballet box office: 423-378-3967. Public performances will be held Friday and Saturday, Decem-
ber 19th and 20thth at 7pm with an additional matinee performance on Sunday, December 21st at 2:30pm. Tickets range from $10 to $20. College students may attend the production for just $10 with a school I.D. For more information visit: www.kingsportballet.org or call 423-378-3967. The company offers a ballet boutique featuring unique gifts not found anywhere else in the region – original, handcrafted stained glass Nutcracker ornaments.” The ornaments are created by Elizabeth Mueller Reid, a graduate of Kingsport Ballet, who styles the ornaments after the Company’s beloved characters. Each one is a unique work of art. Kingsport Ballet is funded in part by general operating support from the Tennessee Arts Commission, under an agreement with the National Endowment for the Arts and the General Assembly. Outreach programs are funded partly by the City of Kingsport, Tennessee Arts Commission’s Funds for At Risk Youth, Holston Medical Group among others.
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“Boeing Boeing”
takes flight at JCCT, Oct 10 - 26 Johnson City Community Theatre’s 102nd Season continues to soar as Marc Camoletti’s French farce “Boeing Boeing” jet sets audiences back to 1960s Paris, where a bachelor is currently balancing a triple-engagement to three different flight attendants. Winner of two Tony Awards, including Best Revival of a Show in 2008, this triple-technical charade turns into a chaotic and hilarious circus as a series of events causes all three fiancées to be stuck at his flat for one night. Directed by Johnson City native and newest JCCT Board Member, J.J. Jeffers, “Boeing Boe-
ing” has performances Oct. 10 – Oct. 26 at 7:30 p.m., with matinees Oct. 19 and 26 at 2:00 p.m. The “Boeing Boeing” cast and crew is truly diverse as they represent different areas of the TriCities while bringing a few new, fresh faces to the JCCT stage. Johnson City’s Andy Cobble stars as Bernard, the charming American playboy living in Paris; Vicky Livesay, Erwin, delights as Berthe, Bernard’s dry and unwillingly loyal French maid; Will Oliver, Bristol, portrays Robert Lambert, Bernard’s naïve but romantic new partner-in-crime; Lorrie Ander-
son, Bristol, dazzles as Gloria, Bernard’s upbeat American fiancée; Audrey Scyphers, Bristol, stuns as Gabriella, Bernard’s passionate Italian fiancée; and Emily Barnes, Johnson City, shines as Gretchen, Bernard’s dominating German fiancée. This production would not be possible without the help of Assistant Director John Kaywood from Johnson City; Stage Manager Danielle Eaton, Bristol; Lighting Designer Veronica Roberson, Johnson City; and Costumer Jonathan Cooper, Blountville. The original performance of “Boeing Boeing” was in French and premiered in 1960 at the Théâtre de la Comédie-Caumartin in Paris. An English translation by Beverly Cross and Francis Evans led to the show having a West End premiere in London during 1962, where it had a seven year run, and a Broadway premiere in 1965, where it closed after only 23
performances. In 1991, the Guinness Book of World Records listed “Boeing Boeing” as the most produced French play. Almost 50 years since its opening, a revival in the West End during 2007 and on Broadway in 2008 led to the show having two Olivier Award nominations, two Drama Desk Awards, as well as six Tony Award nominations with two wins. “Boeing Boeing” is sponsored in part in memory of long time patron, Lyn Jeffers. Tickets are available at www.jcct.info or by calling the box office at 423-9262542. Current ticket pricing is $15 per person, with $12 tickets being offered for military, students, seniors (55+), and groups of 15 or more.Prepare for a night of slapstick laughs and scandalous love as Johnson City Community Theatre’s proudly presents “Boeing Boeing.”
ETSU to hold homecoming
Wizard Run 5K
East Tennessee State University’s Charles C. Sherrod Library and Department of Campus Recreation will sponsor Wizard Run, a homecoming 5K run/walk, on Saturday, Nov. 1, at the Wayne G. Basler Center for Physical Activity fields. Participants are invited to dress as a favorite wizard or magical character from literature or film. The entry fee is $20 for the general public and $15 for ETSU students. To register, go to www. wizard-run.com by Oct. 15 to guarantee receiving the desired Tshirt size. Check in is at 8 a.m. on race day, when T-shirts and packets will be distributed. The run/walk will begin at 9 a.m. and a free fun run is slated for 10 a.m. Prizes will be awarded to the overall male and female winners, the best in age groups and for best costumes. The ETSU Quidditch Team will have an exhibition match at 10:30 a.m.. Jonathan Sasser, the assistant director of campus recreation says, “It is exciting to see an event like this come together. We’re proud to be a co-sponsor with the Sherrod Library this year and hope this collaboration continues in future years. We believe it is important for people to exercise not only their bodies but their minds to become well-rounded individuals.” For more information, contact Rebecca Tolley-Stokes at tolleyst@ etsu.edu or 423-439-4365. For disability accommodations, call the ETSU Office of Disability Services at 423-439-8346.
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Space-The Final Frontier
with the Johnson City Symphony Orchestra Travel the cosmos with the Johnson City Symphony Orchestra on October 11, 2014 in the performance of Gustav Holst’s “The Planets”. The symphony will be joined by the East Tennessee Children’s Choir and guest trombonist Staff Sergeant Douglas Kost. The choir will open the eve-
ning with a stirring rendition of “Homeland” by Gustav Holst. Staff Sergeant Kost will perform the “Concerto for Trombone and Orchestra” by Launy Grondahl. The concert will be held at 7:30 pm on October 11, 2014 in the Mary B. Martin auditorium located in Seeger Chapel on the Milligan
College campus. Tickets are available at the door or call 423-9268742 for more information. Learn more about the Johnson City Symphony Orchestra on their websitejcsymphony.com and follow the symphony on facebook.
Buffalo Valley to host 12th annual JCSC Foundation Golf Tournament On Friday, Oct. 17, Buffalo Valley Golf Course will host the 12th annual Johnson City Senior Center Foundation Golf Tournament. The four-person select shot tournament is $60 per player. All funds will support Senior Services. Holein-one prizes include $15,000 cash; three night/two round “stay and play” vacation at TPC San An-
tonio; four day/three night golf vacation at French Lick Resort; and Travis Mathew head-to-toe signature outfit plus $500 online shopping spree. Prizes also will be awarded for first-, second- and third-place teams; longest drive men, women, and senior; closest to pin; and closest to line. Tournament schedule is as follows:
· Registration – 10 a.m. · Putting Contest – 11:30 a.m. · Lunch – Noon · Tee-Off – 1 p.m. · Shotgun start For more information call (423)434-6237.
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I can’t believe when I went to the theater recently, I actually saw a new animated film in the standard 2D format. It seems Hollywood has forgotten to release animated films in any format other than 3D, so I was quite shocked to discover the new release “The Boxtrolls” was view-able the “flat” format. The movie is based on the novel “Here Be Monsters!” and is in the stop motion format. If you need a reminder of what the stop motion format is, think “The Nightmare Before Christmas” and you will get the idea. The story is set in the European
town of Cheesebridge, and for years the town has been haunted by the presence of trolls knows as Boxtrolls. The Boxtrolls live in a subterranean underground, and are believed to kidnap and kill children. Based on the aforementioned belief, local aristocrat Lord Portley-Rind (Jared Harris) has commissioned Archibald Snatcher (Ben Kingsley) to exterminate every Boxtroll in the town, and in exchange the social climber will be given a membership in the White Hats, a group of cheeseloving aristocrats. As it turns out, the Boxtrolls are actually peace-
ful creatures who wear cardboard boxes, and emerge at night to scavenge the town’s garbage cans to find items they can use for inventions. The Boxtrolls also have human in their midst they call Eggs (Isaac Hempstead-Wright). The boy ended up with the Boxtrolls, after his father was killed, and was primarily raised by a Boxtroll named Fish. The fact the trolls raised a boy proves they do not harm children or kidnap them.
The fact the trolls are harmless is lost on Mr. Snatcher who proceeds with his plan to destroy the underground dwellers. Meanwhile, one night while he is roaming the town with two fellow trolls, Eggs accidentally runs into a human girl named Winnie (Elle Fanning), who happens to be the daughter of Lord Portley-Rind. Winnie discovers the truth about the trolls, and is determined to convince her father to save them from destruction.
Events escalate to a final showdown in the town-square where the future of the Boxtrolls and Eggs will be determined. The film is filled with clever twists and turns, and due to all the British accents, needs your full attention less you miss some of the witty dialogue. In fact, at times, it would have been nice if there had been a few subtitles. The look of the film is wonderful, and the stop motion animation is amazing. I especially enjoyed the villainous character Archibald Snatcher, who has many of the best lines in the film, and even masquerades as another character, which proves hilarious. In addition, despite being ugly for the most part, the Boxtrolls are cute additions to the world of animated cinema. The film also provides a timely lesson in not being too quick to judge “a book by its cover”. The film is fun for adults and older kids, but younger kids may have a hard time with the British accents and fast dialogue. I suppose the youngest kids can get most of their fun from the trolls and their mischievous actions. Overall, “The Boxtrolls” is a delightful film for both young and old whether you see the film in 2D or 3D. (Rated PG) A-
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Sam Gleaves & Leigh Beamer and Tyler Hughes Featured at Heartwood
Sam Gleaves & Leigh Beamer (photo-Stacy Beamer)
The Crooked Road: Virginia’s Heritage Music Trail presents Sam Gleaves & Leigh Beamer and Tyler Hughes in concert on Thursday, October 9th from 6:30 to 8:00 PM at Heartwood in Abingdon, VA. The concert is part of The Crooked Road’s Youth Music Series. Singing partners Sam Gleaves & Leigh Beamer hail from Wytheville, Virginia. Sam and Leigh perform traditional ballads, dance music and old time country songs with powerful vocal harmonies, fiddle, clawhammer banjo, guitar and autoharp. The duo were mentored by some of the region’s finest musicians and singers, including Jim Lloyd, Sheila Kay Adams and Eddie Bond. Leigh performed as part of the Crooked Road’s 2011 Roots of American Music Tour, on Broadway in New York and in Ireland and Scotland. Sam earned his degree in Folklore at Berea College and has performed in Ireland and Japan with Al White’s Berea College Bluegrass Ensemble. Tyler Hughes has been representing old time Appalachian music and culture on stages all across the east coast since age twelve. Hailing from Big Stone Gap, Virginia, his music is closely associated with that of the Carter Family, Dock Boggs, and Kate Peters
Sturgill, among many others from the re- Road Music Series call (276) 492-2409 or gion. Tyler is a senior at ETSU where he is email: info@thecrookedroad.org. pursuing degrees in Bluegrass, Old Time, and Country Music Studies, and Appalachian Studies. He performs regularly with the ETSU Old Time Pride Band, as a solo artist, and with the Johnson City based Empty Bottle String Band. The Crooked Road Music Series features youth music performers and showcases venues of the Crooked Road region. These events, along with open jams on the 1st, 3rd, (and 5th) Thursday of every month, are hosted at Heartwood. A complete schedule for the music series is available on The Crooked Road website at www.thecrookedroad.org and at www.heartwoodvirginia.org. The music series is sponsored by The Crooked Road, Heartwood, Virginia Commission for the Arts, and the National Endowment for the Arts. Heartwood: Southwest Virginia’s Artisan Gateway is located off I-81 at Exit 14 in Abingdon, VA, and features food, music, and craft of Southwest Virginia. Admission to the concert is free and donations will be accepted for Crooked Road Traditional MuTyler Hughes sic Education Program (TMEP). (photo-Kristen Bearfield) For more information on The Crooked
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The Bae-ne of my Existence I realize that I am growing out of touch with the rest of world. This is all thanks to a combination of age, and a general loathing of humanity all together. OK, that last example may be a little extreme. Odds are this is really due to the simple fact that as I get older, the less I care what anyone thinks. That’s a pretty nice feeling to have. After spending most of my twenties feeling like I had to change myself to fit in with everyone, I’m mostly comfortable being who I am now. With this is mind, I simply must take a moment to discuss something that I found myself becoming irritated over during a sleepless night I had recently. I can’t stand the word “bae.” “Bae” is a term invented by “the young people” in an ever growing butchering of the English language to refer to the person you are currently in “love” with. In the modern era of snap chatting your body parts and tindering for love, it seems that having to actually use a pet name like “baby” is just simply too much anymore. Maybe it’s that Justin Bieber ruined the word “baby” for us all? You can’t fling a dead cat on social media without hitting some young set who are cloyingly referring to each other as
even used it myself on the rare occasion I had a reason to. Yet, how we could have possibly gone from “babe” being too cumbersome that we had to shorten it to “bae” is just downright confusing. Who made this decision? Why do I want to know this? Because I wanna know who to punch for this at the next family gathering (which granted is unlikely to occur after the “roundhouse kick” incident of 2009). I suppose at its core the reason why the “b” had to be ejected from “babe” to become “bae” is that romance is dead. I’m not saying that couples aren’t romantic anymore, or that love is dead, but the type of romantic store and burn it the ground while gestures that we grew up seeing in “bae” all the live long day. Some of you, who might in yelling “I am the god of hellfire!” every MGM musical are kinda six I’m sure some of it also stems feet under. fact be young, could be thinking to yourselves right now “Don’t from the fact that when it comes to Modern dating culture is almost step on our love, old man!!!” love and romance, I’m a little bit- like eBay the home game, we’re (because in my mind, all young ter. Something which clashes quite not looking for anyone who makes people are juvenile delinquents deeply with the fact that I consider us feel good about ourselves, as from the 1950s), and I’m sure oth- myself an old romantic at heart. much as we just auction off our aters are wondering why I hate this This is one of the many reasons I tention to the highest bidder. What term so much. On the one hand, will brake down crying during my starts with “I’ll give you 100 baes I just find it annoying. “Do you future interview with Oprah. Pet for your love” slowly becomes wanna be my bae?”, “Oh, I just names are one thing, but being so “Yes, I’ll accept that, as I feel preslove my bae!”, and the old chest- lazy that we have to chop syllables sured to be in a relationship I don’t nut “You’re the best bae there ever off of words is beyond the realms really want to be in.” This is not was, bae!” It makes me wanna find of acceptance. I have no problem to say that I love the single life, I the romance section of a Hallmark with the term “babe,” and I’ve have my nights when I can get just
about as lonely as the next person. It’s on nights like that when I find playing “Blood and Chocolate” by Elvis Costello & The Attractions* to be a very good thing. I think the best option I have is to invent my own inversion of “bae” for when I do myself on the occasional date. Perhaps I should just stand up at the dinner table and yell for all to hear “baa ram ewe!” I think that would get some attention, and perhaps some local press coverage. Head my words young people, get a dictionary and don’t be afraid of the letters that were in words to begin with. Mmmkay? See you next week *A 1986 album about love and relationships that is one of the angriest and most brutal records in the Elvis Costello catalog.
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Halloween Horrors 2014, Part One: Mirror Image Welcome to Part One of this year’s “Halloween Horrors” series, which has been a “Kelly’s Place” tradition since 1989. That’s lots of chills and thrills—around one hundred columns, give or take a few. This week I will be reflecting (no pun intended, I think) on the role played by mirrors in horror movies and TV shows. Because so many horror films feature mirrors, I obviously won’t be able to take a look at all of them, but will do what I can, leaving the rest up to your own viewing pleasure and research. As Mark Pendergrast points out in his fascinating book Mirror, Mirror: A History Of The Human Love Affair With Reflection (2003), mirrors “are meaningless until someone looks into them. Thus, a history of the mirror is really the history of looking, and what we perceive in these magical surfaces can tell us a great deal about ourselves—whence we have come, what we imagine, how we think, and what we yearn for. The mirror appears throughout the human drama as a means of selfknowledge or self-delusion.” And, for purposes of this column, I will add horror as well. Mirrors, of course, are not always created by humans. In the Greek story of Narcissus (which was my focus a few weeks back), a pool of water acted as a natural mirror, and a source of death, for the self-absorbed young man who drowned while staring at his reflected image. So, I guess we can say that this early story was one of horror. And, here in the 21st century, we are still gazing into mirrors with both admiration and horror. Today’s selfie, often taken as a mirror reflection, can be both attractive and repellant—as much a source of horror as a source of self-worship (the subject of Oscar
Wilde’s infamous 1890 novel, The Picture of Dorian Gray). And who can forget the Witch’s “Mirror, mirror on the wall” inquiry in Walt Disney’s 1937 version of “Snow White” (a classic horror movie from the same decade that gave us our now-iconic and definitive images of Frankenstein’s Monster, Dracula, and The Wolfman)? Of course, our list should also include Lewis Carroll’s follow-up to his first Alice book—Through The Looking Glass, And What Alice Found There (1871). Many would say that Carroll’s books belong very comfortably to the horror genre, although some would no doubt disagree. My subject this week is pretty easy, because it is difficult to think of many horror films that don’t include mirrors at some point. The classic example is the story of the vampire, the living-dead creature whose reflection can’t be seen in a mirror (here we can cue the hilarious mirror spoof from Mel Brooks’ “Dracula, Dead And Loving It,” starring Leslie Nielsen as the bloodthirsty, and rather inept, Count). When featured in horror films and literature, mirrors are often used to symbolize the concept of the doppelganger, the double or “the other”—the second self that accompanies us on our life’s journey, and most often functioning as a reminder that we are rarely what we seem--a wolf in human clothing, as it were. One of my favorite use of mirrors in horror is an episode of TV’s “The Twilight Zone,” first aired on February 26, 1960 and widely available on various DVD/BluRay anthologies and of course on Netflix. Starring Vera Miles and Martin Milner, “Mirror Image” is a chilling psychological thriller about Millicent Barnes, who happens to see her double sitting in
the lobby of a bus station when she glances into a bathroom mirror as she washes her hands. In this famous episode, Ms. Barnes is forced to confront the possibility that she and her double are occupants of parallel universes, as well as the chilling thought that maybe she knows next to nothing about her true identity (a popular “Twilight Zone” theme). In another extremely unsettling TV episode from the Boris Karloff hosted anthology, “Thriller,” a man puts on a pair of special glasses, gazes into a mirror, and sees himself for what he truly is—a hideous monster. This episode, “The Cheaters,” based on a short story by Robert Bloch, who authored the novel Alfred Hitchcock made into his movie masterpiece, Psycho (also from 1960—apparently a banner year for horror films about malevolent mirrors), left an indelible impression on me when I saw it as a child, and it still creeps me out now that I own the entire “Thriller” series on DVD. And, while we are still on the subject of Psycho, let’s not forget the heart-stopping scene when
Vera Miles goes snooping around in “Mother’s” room and is startled by a big mirror; in so many ways, this influential movie is basically about reflections, not only in mirrors, but also in car windshields, water, and glistening eyeballs. Think about it and see (no pun intended, again) if you agree. If you search online for tags like “Horror Movies Featuring Mirrors,” you will encounter quite an extensive list, few of which, interestingly enough, include my aforementioned TV and movie examples. Just a cursory review will turn up titles like Mirrors (Alexander Aja’s remake of a Korean ghost story, followed by the inevitable sequel), the Paranormal Activity franchise (when will this nonsense end?), The Legend of Bloody Mary, Candyman, Dark Mirror, Shattered Image, The Amityville Horror series (something very few miss having around these days), A Nightmare On Elm Street, Carrie (the original version—remember the cracked mirror scene?), Poltergeist, Mirror, Mirror, The Evil Dead, Cabin In The Woods
(a clever reimagining of the Evil Dead cycle), The Shining (“Red Rum” anyone?), Deep Red, Night Of The Demons, The Innocents, The Haunting (the original, not the dismal remake) and our newest entry in the mirror reflection game—Oculus. As I noted earlier, rare is the horror film that doesn’t have at least one uneasy encounter with a mirror in its screenplay. As I write this, I can’t help but notice that both my computer screen and the screen on my iPad (which I use for reference notes as I bang away on my laptop) are mirror-like surfaces, reflecting my face as I work. This is perhaps the scariest image I’ve conjured up in this column—my image being trapped inside the computer. Guess I’d better leave well enough alone and bid you a fond farewell until next week. In the meantime, be on the lookout for mirrors. They’re everywhere. Stay tuned for Part Two of this series, coming soon to a Loafer near you
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October 7, 2014 • The Loafer, Page 27
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