February 2016 Murfreesboro Pulse

FEBRUARY 2016 | VOL. 11, ISSUE 2 | FREE

Middle Tennessee’s Source for Art, Entertainment and Culture News

Zen Pig book series teaches peace, kindness and awareness to kids of all ages Murfreesboro Councilwoman Madelyn Scales Harris tells of her father’s legacy of service

L A V T S O M

Y P P U P E L B UA

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IN MUSIC

ry

JOEY KNEISER, MIZE AND THE DRIVE, BONNAROO LINEUP, BLUEBIRD IN THE BORO, UNCLE DAVE MACON DAYS LINEUP

Contents MURFREESBORO PULSE | FEBRUARY 2016

22

Word from the Editor

16 27

ON THE COVER Features

11

WILD MAN

Glossary’s Joey Kneiser to release solo record The Wildness.

16

SCALES & SONS & DAUGHTERS

Councilwoman Madelyn Scales Harris talks of her family’s legacy of community service.

18

22

UGLY JEEP

Uber driver making extra money using his memorable yellowish jeep.

MOST VALUABLE PUPPY

Rescue dog Clover represents Middle Tennessee Treasures Animal Shelter in this year’s Puppy Bowl.

27

ZEN PIG

Book series teaches peace, awareness and kindness to kids of all ages.

In Every Issue

4

MUSIC NOTES

Letters

6

Events THIS MONTH

Mardi Paws Masquerade Ball, and much more!

8

Sounds LOCAL CONCERTS

Heavygrinder; AntiValentine’s Day; Hoo Doo Men; Scissormen and more!

Uncle Dave Macon Days lineup; Bluebird in the Boro Bonnaroo lineup and more!

20

26

LOCAL ALBUM REVIEWS

Art

Mize and the Drive; Julien Baker

Boro Art Crawl

32

28

Reviews

Living

MOVIE

GARDENING

The Revenant

BUSINESS SPOTLIGHT

Rent free kids movies at Family Video

24

Pocket Mortys

Making seed tape Stonekeepers

Food

KIDS FILMS

VIDEO GAME LIVING ROOM CINEMA

CJ’s Restaurant & Catering offers affordable fine dining.

Enemies: Face to Face

Opinion THE STOCKARD REPORT

Liberty caucus wants red light cameras gone; Sheriff takes another nice trip.

LIVE EXCEPTIONALLY . . . WELL!

wage will only increase unemployment and prices.

MUSIC ACROSS AMERICA

The story of William Billings: America’s first composer BUSINESS BUILDER

Identify your target market.

38

Sports

Clear your mind with mental floss.

SPORTS TALK

VIEWS OF A CONSERVATIVE

MTSU SPORTS

Raising minimum

Super Bowl 50

A great January for Blue Raider teams

Visit us at BoroPulse.com for more!

Publisher/ Editor in Chief: Bracken Mayo

Art Director: Sarah Mayo Copy Editor: Steve Morley

Advertising: Jeff Brown Don Clark Leslie Russell Yost

Contributors: Dylan Skye Aycock, Sarah H. Clark, Gloria Christy, John Connor Coulston, Greg Crittenden, Tanner Dedmon, Jennifer Durand, Tony Lehew, Zach Maxfield, MacKenzie Meins, Robert Ritch, Edwina Shannon, Jay Spight, Andrea Stockard, Sam Stockard, Norbert Thiemann, Phil Valentine

To carry the PULSE at your business, or submit letters, stories and photography: bracken@boropulse.com 10 N. Public Square, Murfreesboro, TN 37130 (615) 796-6248

Copyright © 2016, The Murfreesboro Pulse, 10 N. Public Square, Murfreesboro, TN 37130.

Proudly owned, operated and published the first Thursday of each month by the Mayo family; printed by Franklin Web Printing Co. The Murfreesboro Pulse is a free publication funded by our advertisers. Views expressed in the Pulse do not necessarily reflect the views of the publishers. ISSN: 1940-378X

Sign up to receive our weekly digital newsletter at BoroPulse.com/Newsletter

ONE OF THE BIGGEST MYTHS of the digital age is that reading material on an electronic device is the environmentally responsible method; remember to “think about the environment” before printing, to save trees, and that using your handy modern tablet to access information is better for the ecosystem than those awful paper publications.

Think about that.

Yes, paper comes from trees.

Trees grow back. The growing process of trees is actually beneficial for the environment. Trees are a replenishing resource. It’s the circle of life.

We are nowhere close to running out of trees.

There are some irresponsible timber companies out there who damage some areas of the earth, who take trees and do not replant, but many will plant two trees for every one they cut. There is a way to be responsible about harvesting trees while not completely ravaging a region’s ecosystem.

Much of the paper can be reused. Many newsprint publications are printed on paper that continues to be recycled.

The ink used for the Murfreesboro Pulse, and many other newspapers, is made from soy, and the entire piece is quickly biodegradable.

Even health-conscious gardeners recommend using newspaper with soy ink to layer as a weed block underneath mulch in your garden, or to shred and mix with your compost.

Newspapers turn back into dirt quite quickly, within a few months, even if they are shredded up.

Do not try to add your computer monitor or tablet to your compost pile. An electronic device does not turn back into dirt.

We should know not to throw discarded electronics into landfills, but still, old electronics are a huge source of toxic waste in landfills.

“Toxic e-waste compounds get into the water, the soil and, if burned, even the air,” according to electronicrecyclers .com, which goes on to say that the plastics and metals used in electronics can take hundreds of thousands of years to decompose.

So, 100,000 copies of the Pulse (about the amount we print in a year), decompose faster and more safely than a single iPhone.

Sure, there are ways to recycle most of the materials used in these electronics, but research what happens to your discarded phone and computer monitors when you recycle them. The U.S. sends these devices by the crateful to underdeveloped countries with little to no worker safety standards, and the toxic metals are extracted with toxic chemicals by workers making next to nothing and being physically harmed by the whole process.

Furthermore, energy consumption has increased in the digital age; where does that energy to power your computer, tablet, TV and phone come from?

Sure, Tennessee is able to produce large amounts of electricity with its hydro-electric dam system, but most parts of the country are still powered by coal—the coal industry that has been known to use the environmentally questionable practice of mountaintop removal to get at that powerful black coal.

How is consuming electricity to read something vs. not consuming electricity to read something the green option?

This belief that participating in the continuous cycle of getting the latest electronic device helps the multinational corporations that manufacture and sell them, those pushing hyper-consumerism as the American way of life and the way to stimulate the economy, and the operations who track your online activity so they can send targeted ads based on your lifestyle and interests to your screen.

Not the “environment.”

And yes, I participate in the rise of electronic devices myself. I want readers to access the Pulse website, and I have gone through a few computers in my life, but do think about who is spreading the “green” myth the next time you hear that, and about how they are benefiting from it.

Peace, BRACKEN MAYO Publisher/Editor in Chief BOROPULSE.COM

* FEBRUARY 2016 * 3

Letters Learn Compassion

by Listening More and Reacting Less WHEN ASKED THE MOST IMPORTANT VIRTUE in combating the “darkness that seems to be eating away at humanity” (the umbrella phrase I’ve decided to use to refer the various “-isms”: sexism, ageism, racism, etc.), I would argue that it is the virtue of compassion. But what is that exactly?

Merriam-Webster defines compassion as the “sympathetic consciousness of others’ distress together with a desire to alleviate it.”

Still somewhat confusing, I’d say, so here’s my definition: simply caring about the welfare of another person, hurting when they hurt, and having a desire to stop that pain.

Arguably, though, compassion is strongest when the ailments of the sufferer are known.

If I do not know my neighbor is suffering, what will make me come to their aid?

Prior to doing a bit of research for this piece, I used to think the great, neighborly citizens of America had a compassion problem and that this was tied to a person’s character. It seemed to me Americans were becoming compassionless, heartless people, deeply rooted in their own individualism. I mean, how else could large groups of grown people believe that children playing with toy

guns deserve to be gunned down in a legalcarry state? These people that think this way must be evil!

Maybe not so . . . it is possible the people that think this way are just unaware of the distress that select minority groups of the American population face because they themselves have never been party to such distress.

Neither have many of their friends, neighbors or coworkers with whom they engage in regular conversation. If compassion is strongest when the distress is known, how then can these upstanding citizens truly have compassion if they are blind to the plights affecting their faraway neighbors?

Since I’m not a big fan of asking rhetorical questions when attempting to help solve real-world problems, I shall offer just one answer that will help this problem: listen.

Yes, listen. Feminists, BlackLivesMatter proponents, disgruntled union workers, and gay-rights activists have all been called “loud” at some point in time. They are loud for a reason; they are asking for you to hear them. They are asking for you to listen.

Why listen, you ask? So you may be made knowledgeable of their distress and there-

fore develop some compassion and then possibly help make the world a better place.

Making the world a better place is too much work, you say? Nonsense! Even just opting not to spread hateful opinions helps the world become a better place! Yes, this is one case where inaction is indeed action. Yay for saving the world by doing nothing!

But wait, there’s more!

Don’t quit reading and start fishing your Batman cape out of the attic just yet—remember that there is an active part in all of this, and that is to listen, and listen without retort.

I know for many people reading this, listening to “loud” unfamiliar faces screaming about equality is sometimes difficult. Akin to growing pains in muscles and joints, personal growth is sometimes painful.

In yoga class, when bending like a pretzel becomes most uncomfortable and we get to a point where we wish to start screaming profanities at the slightly more slender and definitely bendier instructor, we are asked to instead listen to our bodies. Listen to whatever bicep or thigh is screaming “this sucks” instead of cursing it and quitting, because if you quit you will never understand your body

“Even just opting to not spread hateful opinions helps the world become a better place!”

(In response to last edition’s piece on Adam Prince, Nashville’s Dark Knight)

SPONSORED BY

4 * FEBRUARY 2016 * BOROPULSE.COM

and you will not get any better.

I ask of all of you who experience discomfort at any one of the understandably uncomfortable topics circulating our culture through word of mouth, social media and other media outlets to just listen. When someone says “we are hurting,” instead of lashing out at that person because you don’t understand their point of view, just listen.

You probably will not experience an immediate change, and that is OK! I mean, I have been practicing yoga for five years now but have still not mastered Standing Forward Bend, and my lower back and abdomen still scream at me when I try. But I am most definitely closer than when I began because I didn’t give up.

Cultural change is not easy, quite the contrary: it is extremely complicated . . . and messy. However, we all know that here in the South, the way to eat an elephant is one bite at a time. We can all be party to the elephant feast if we just learn a little compassion by putting on our elephant-sized listening ears.

I hope my words have not caused too much discomfort and you have made it this far. If so, thank you for taking the time to listen. May you be blessed with new virtues, happiness, lovingkindness and peace.

Compassionately yours, Fab Marie fabmariemusic@gmail.com

The Dark Knight rode his motorcycle (complete with his helmet specially made with bat ears) directly behind the hearse, leading the funeral procession from Murfreesboro to Smyrna. At the grave site, I CAN VOUCH FOR THE NASHVILLE he stayed throughout the service, spoke Dark Knight’s love for what he does, and his with friends and family, took hundreds of truly gracious heart. pictures, and paid his respects like a proper On Dec. 7, a very close friend, Kenny hero. It turned the sadness Bernitt, passed away after a of the funeral service into long battle with leukemia.

“The Dark Knight His love for superheroes, rode his motorcycle a time of celebration for who he was, and namely Batman, was some(complete with his Kenny, all of the memories we thing he was known for; he helmet specially have of him. It was exactly spent his days in treatment wearing a superhero shirt made with bat ears) what he would’ve wanted.

The Dark Knight did all and a smile, making all directly behind the of this on his own time, the nurses laugh. When he hearse, leading the without pay, and he turned passed, his wife wanted to funeral procession what would’ve been a very give him a tribute that was fitting for the fan that he from Murfreesboro dark day into something everyone will smile about was. That’s when The Dark to Smyrna.” when they remember it.

Knight stepped into the Thank you again, Adam, for all you did for picture. He took time off of work to make us that day. a surprise appearance at the end of the funeral, leading out the casket, lined on either Crystal Gibson side by the pallbearers all wearing their crystalgibson79@gmail.com superhero shirts, in Kenny’s honor.

BOROPULSE.COM

* FEBRUARY 2016 * 5

Events COMPILED BY

ANDREA STOCKARD

Send event information to murfreesboropulse@yahoo.com

THURSDAYS TOPS WEIGHT LOSS GROUP Join the Murfreesboro Chapter of TOPS (Take Off Pounds Sensibly), a weight-loss support group, every Thursday evening at Standing Stone Chapel (1124 Brinkley Ave.) for a 5:30 p.m. weigh-in and 6 p.m. meeting. For more information, call (615) 427-2825.

FEB. 5 STAR PARTY The Physics and Astronomy Department at MTSU invites everyone to star parties the first Friday of the month from 6:30–8:30 p.m. at the new MTSU science building (room 1006). There will be a 45-minute lecture followed by an outdoor telescope observation near the Wiser Patten Science Observatory. Admission and parking are free. For more information, contact (615) 898-2483 or (615) 898-5946.

FEB. 5 UNITED WAY’S COMMUNITY BABY SHOWER Join United Way at Patterson Park (521 Mercury Blvd.) at 1 p.m. on Friday, Feb. 5, to help provide expectant mothers and their babies healthy beginnings through workshops and resources. Companies can participate as corporate sponsors, a collection site and provide company volunteers for the sort-a-thon. Volunteers must register at yourlocaluw.org.

low energy, difficulty losing weight, mental fog and poor memory, headaches, anxiety, depression and more. Dr. David Morris D.C. provides education at a free workshop at 7 p.m. (219 Robert Rose Dr. Ste. D) to answer the most-asked questions about thyroid issues. Call (615) 225-9100 to reserve a seat.

FEB. 11 VALENTINE TEA AT CANNONSBURGH Celebrate the day of love in the 1800s Leeman House (312 Front St.). Dress in your Valentine attire and come for refreshments and a themed craft. Admission is $2.50 per person. Ages 7 and up. Reservations required. For more information, call (615) 890-0355.

FEB. 13

Battle of the Brews Craft beer lovers are welcomed to join Kymari House and the Mid-State Brew Crew for the Battle of the Brews at Middle Tennessee Natural History Museum (816 Old Salem Hwy.) on Saturday, Feb. 13. Ticket price includes a bottomless souvenir sampling glass for tastings and special dessert pairings. After sampling, vote for your favorite Brewmaster 2016. This event is family-friendly (kids get in free) and is a great way to celebrate Valentine’s Day with friends and loved ones.

All proceeds benefit Kymari House, a non-profit agency providing family support services to children at high risk of child abuse/neglect. For more information, find Battle of the Brews on Eventbrite.

FEB. 11 EXILIS FAT REDUCTION EVENT The Skin & Allergy Center (1970 Medical Center Pkwy.) offers a non-invasive fat reduction treatment that utilizes radiofrequency energy to heat up layers of fat. The heat melts fat and your body absorbs it naturally.

Walk in from 5–7 p.m. with refreshments

and “poolside” drinks at the “beach party.”

For more information, contact (615) 6245050 or find the Exilis Body Contouring Event in Murfreesboro on Facebook.

FEB. 11 CULTIVATE NETWORKING

The Boro Art Crawl showcases Murfreesboro’s artistic talent from 6–9 p.m. on Friday, Feb. 12, at venues surrounding the Murfreesboro Public Square. View participating locations on page 26. For more information, visit boroartcrawl.com.

FEB. 13

CHINESE NEW YEAR PROGRAM

SAFE SATURDAY

Celebrate the Year of the Monkey with fun activities, crafts, and a taste of Chinese food at Discovery Center (502 S.E. Broad St.) from 1–5 p.m. Admission is free. For more information, call (615) 893-2300 or visit explorethedc.org.

Come out for this free monthly seminar the second Saturday of every month from 9–11 a.m. at Revolution Chiropractic, 546 Brandies Cir. Learn how to be safe every day with topics like self defense, child safety, health and fitness and routine safety. For more information, call (615) 225-2251.

FEB. 10 WILD THINGS

FEB. 10 THYROID RECOVERY WORKSHOP Thyroid symptoms can cause fatigue and 6 * FEBRUARY 2016* BOROPULSE.COM

FEB. 12 BORO ART CRAWL

FEB. 7

Learn to love the wilderness at this event for children through age 5 at The Wilderness Station (687 Veterans Pkwy.) at 9:30 a.m.

Wednesday, Feb. 10. Advanced registration is required. For more information, call (615) 217-3017 or visit murfreesborotn.gov/parks.

Join Cultivate Coworking (107 W. Lytle St.) from 5–7 p.m. to enhance your network within the community. Cost is free for Cultivate members and $5 for guests. Snacks and drinks provided. For more information, call (615) 203-6084.

FEB. 18 GREENHOUSE MINISTRIES NOTE BURNING CELEBRATION

FEB. 5

Storytime and Puppet Show Bring your little ones to Linebaugh Library’s Storytime and Puppet Show inside Books-A-Million (Stones River Mall, 1720 Old Fort Pkwy.) at 10 a.m. on the first Friday of every month. For more information, call (615) 893-4131.

With the help of donations and pledges from the community, Greenhouse Ministries completed the first phase of their capital campaign to “Build the Greenhouse.” Join them for their “Note Burning” at noon Thursday, Feb. 18, at 309 S. Spring St. in celebration of their future home. Greenhouse Ministries began their first capital campaign on

Sept. 14, 2015, with four phases consisting of the new land purchase, the new building, establishing an endowment for operating expenses and purchasing and renovating the current building. For more information, call (615) 494-0499.

FEB. 27

Kids Club: Princess & Superhero Party

FEB. 18 THE CONNECTION, BUSINESS NETWORKING AT MAYDAY The Connection: an Evening of Professional Networking and Business Brainstorming will be held from 5–7 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 18, at Mayday Brewery, 521 Old Salem Rd. All Middle Tennessee entrepreneurs and professionals are welcome to attend this casual, no-obligation event, where they can meet other small-business owners and tap into one another’s experience and energy.

An open roundtable discussion will encourage participation from those in attendance, asking them to articulate their vision for their business and calling for examples of some of the business challenges and solutions they are experiencing. The series will continue the third Thursday of each month.

FEB. 19 COFFEE WITH THE VETERANS Join Operation Adopt a Hero at Cultivate Coworking (107 W. Lytle St.) from 7:30–9 a.m. on the third Friday of each month for Coffee with the Veterans, an informal, social networking event designed to foster friendships between local veterans and their community. Enjoy coffee, pastries and the chance to meet and mingle with our service members and their families. For more information, call (615) 893-6565.

FEB. 20 NEW BEGINNINGS CONFERENCE 2016

Join the Kids Club: Princess & Superhero Party at Stones River Mall’s Center Court (1720 Stones River Pkwy.) from 11 a.m.–1 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 27, for children to showcase their favorite princess or superhero costume while decorating their very own crowns and capes.

Hancock Fabrics employees show off their custom-made costumes with professional photographs provided by JCPenney Portraits. Enjoy complimentary face painting and balloon art. Admission is free. Children must be supervised by an adult. For information, visit stonesrivermall.com, or contact (615) 896-4486 or mnoblitt@ sterlingorganization.com.

Support the empowering of women with a day of faith and friendship at Embassy Suites (1200 Conference Center Blvd.) from 9 a.m.–4 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 20, with life stories from women in the community and some shopping on the side. There are a limited amount of tickets available at cheriejobe.com. For more information, call (931) 607-5828.

FEB. 21 GREYHOUND PETS OF AMERICA NASHVILLE Register for Greyhound Pets of America Nashville’s Winter Gathering at MTSU’s Livestock Center (1729 Greenland Dr.) from 1–4 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 21, with proceeds befitting GPAN in taking care of track-injured dogs. Enjoy shopping, games and prizes, pet pedicures, a chili recipe contest, vendors like Coach Potato, GPA

FEB. 26

Mardi Paws Masquerade Ball

Join Purple Paws at Stones River Country Club (1830 NW Broad St.) on Friday, Feb. 26, beginning at 6 p.m. for a traditional Mardi Gras Ball full of costumes, a Cajun buffet, authentic New Orleans beverages, zydeco music, silent auction, a walk through Jackson Square and a pet goodie bag. One hundred percent of profits support animal rescue expenses in Middle Tennessee. There will be a $100 prize for the best Mardi Gras mask. For tickets and more information, find Mardi Paws Masquerade Ball on Eventbrite.

Tri-state, GPA Emerald Coast and Birds Pottery and more alongside the chance to tour Birmingham adoption program’s new dog hauler. This is a sight-hound only event.

For more information, visit gpanashville.org or email gpanashville@gmail.com.

FEB. 26–28 SOUTHERN EQUINE EXPO The 2016 Southern Equine Expo presented

by Meridian Equine Educational Center invites you to Miller Coliseum to learn the art of equine with presentations, handson demonstrations, educational lectures, clinics and competitions featuring a variety of breeds and disciplines with this year’s featured clinician, America’s Cowboy, Ken McNabb. Whether you are a trail rider, a rancher, a non-pro or open competitor, learn about creating a healthy environment in which each horse is trained using gentle methods. For more, call (615) 962-3655, visit southernequineexpo.com or email equineexpo@comcast.net.

health? Learn ways to use them in everyday life from supporting your immune system to natural, green cleaning with Michelle Coffman and Melissa Wagner at Dr. Stephen Nutt’s Family Chiropractic and Wellness (1114 N. Tennessee Blvd.) on Saturday, Feb. 27, from 1–2 p.m., and an advanced class from 2:30–3:30 p.m. Michelle will also do Zyto scans immediately after classes to test your body for specific needs. For more information, call (615) 542-1760.

FEB. 27

THROUGH MARCH 6

CHAMPIONS 4 HEALTH

WEDDING DRESSES THROUGH THE DECADES

In honor of Black History Month, Championtone Fitness (1180 Park Ave.) welcomes you to its first “Champions 4 Health” Fair from 10 a.m.–3 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 27, an event bringing awareness to health issues within the community and possible solutions. Get information from professionals in fields including women’s and men’s health, pediatric care, health problems in the African-American community, nutrition and pre-natal care and more. Admission is free.

For more information, contact (615) 4731952 or championtonefitness@gmail.com.

FEB. 27 ESSENTIAL OIL CLASS Interested in learning more about essential oils and how they can help improve your

Oaklands Historic House Museum (900 N. Maney Ave.) features timeless homemade and couture wedding dresses and gowns worn throughout different decades, displayed in Maney Hall. Admission is $8.

For more information, contact (615) 8930022, info@oaklandsmuseum.org or visit oaklandsmansion.org.

SATURDAYS SQUARE DANCE Tennessee Walkers Square Dance Club invites you to join them Saturdays for fun-filled nights of square dancing and line dancing at the St. Clair Street Senior Center (325 St. Clair St.) at 7:30 p.m. For more information, call (615) 848-2550.

BOROPULSE.COM

* FEBRUARY 2016 * 7

Concerts FEBRUARY 2016

Send show listings to Listings@BoroPulse.com

THURS., 2/4

MTSU WRIGHT MUSIC BUILDING

Tennessee Valley Winds

NACHO’S

Ivan LaFever

Andrew Holmes Kristen Swing; Kris Rodgers

Bunganut Pig 1602 W. Northfield Blvd.

893-7860

YVNG PESO, LZ, Souljunk, Sterfry, Comatosik

Chais Music Hall 101 Spring St., Wartrace (931) 389-7050

Al Deluca, Apathy Wizards, Ambrose Way, Grass2Mouth, The Creeping Cruds

Coconut Bay Café 210 Stones River Mall Blvd.

494-0504

THE BORO

Jake Leg Stompers The Boro Boys

MAYDAY BREWERY

Sweet Honey

SAT., 2/13

MTSU Wind Ensemble

COCONUT BAY CAFE

The Deathless, Goblin King, The Ozzmonds

LEVEL III

MTSU WRIGHT MUSIC BUILDING THE BLOCK

SAT., 2/6

BUNGANUT PIG

Crusty Veterans

CHAIS MUSIC HALL

Midnight Special

MAIN STREET MUSIC

Falcon One, Black Sky Tribe, Skeetzo ’N Krysis

MAYDAY BREWERY

Scissormen

MTSU WRIGHT MUSIC BUILDING

Honor Bands Concert

SUN., 2/7

BUNGANUT PIG

Reilly’s Writers Night

MTSU WRIGHT MUSIC BUILDING

Erik Gratton, Megan Gale

TUES., 2/9

BUNGANUT PIG

Hoo Doo Men

MAYDAY BREWERY

LadyLike

WED., 2/10

BUNGANUT PIG

Robyn Taylor

THURS., 2/11

CHAIS MUSIC HALL

Singer/songwriter night with Gordon Kennedy

NACHO’S

Ivan LaFever

MTSU WRIGHT MUSIC BUILDING

BUNGANUT PIG

Everyday People Scott Free

Andrew Holmes

MAIN STREET MUSIC

Vampire Bleach Bomb, Darkhound, Us and the Ship

MAYDAY BREWERY

The Secret Commonwealth Phat Boyz, Scott Steele, Mitch Kamp

THE BORO

Lethal Chaos

SUN., 2/14

BUNGANUT PIG

Reilly’s Writers Night: Anti Valentine’s Day

MTSU WRIGHT MUSIC BUILDING

Matthew Lugo; Andy Bible

THE BORO

Bling Blingerton’s Anti-Valentine’s Day Bash

TUES., 2/16

BUNGANUT PIG

Worried Minds

MTSU WRIGHT MUSIC BUILDING

Greg Reish

WED., 2/17

BUNGANUT PIG

Nick Carver

THURS., 2/18

NACHO’S MEXICAN RESTAURANT

Ivan LaFever

Daniel Bondaczuk

MTSU WRIGHT MUSIC BUILDING

All-star jam with Ross Maynard

FRI., 2/19

THE BORO

FRI., 2/12

BUNGANUT PIG

Nightwind

COCONUT BAY CAFE

Zone Status

MAIN STREET MUSIC

Flummox, Fable Cry, Sovereign

PICK

MTSU WRIGHT MUSIC BUILDING

FRI., 2/5

COCONUT BAY CAFE

Autograph Rehearsal Studio 1400 W. College St. 631-2605 Bird Song Studio 213 West High St., Woodbury (615) 772-6432

TEMPT

BUNGANUT PIG

PULSE

MAYDAY BREWERY

THE BORO

All-star jam with Stuart Montez

 IF YOU GO:

MTSU Jazz Artist Series

BUNGANUT PIG

Mixtape 80s Band

COCONUT BAY CAFE

Missy Garnett and the Two Dollar Pistols

MAYDAY BREWERY

Hoodoo Men Phat Boyz Riverbend Reunion

8 * FEBRUARY 2016 * BOROPULSE.COM

HEAVYGRINDER FRI. 2/19 @ TEMPT

DJ Heavygrinder will bring her electronic/house beats to Murfreesboro, as she is slated to appear at TEMPT on Friday, Feb. 19. The DJ, who was raised in Japan, moved to L.A. at the age of 14 and has toured the world in support of her Setsuna release, says she considers herself a global citizen. She has been known to perform at anime conventions, and produce remixes of Tool songs, and she has gained a massive social media following—grab your glow gear.

TEMPT

Heavygrinder

THE BORO

Kill Mama

WALL STREET

Pop Comedy Tour with Ambrose Jones III

SAT., 2/20

AUTOGRAPH REHEARSAL STUDIO

Lethal Chaos

BIRD SONG STUDIO

Charlsey Etheridge and friends

BUNGANUT PIG

Dysinger

CHAIS MUSIC HALL

Midnight Special

COCONUT BAY CAFE

DJ TruFx

MAIN STREET MUSIC

MUSIC BUILDING

MTSU Jazz Ensemble I

TUES., 2/23

BUNGANUT PIG

Hoo Doo Men

MTSU WRIGHT MUSIC BUILDING

MTSU Jazz Ensemble II

WED., 2/24

BUNGANUT PIG

Marshall Creek

Richie Owens and the Farm Bureau

NACHO’S MEXICAN RESTAURANT

The Band Woodbury Phat Boyz Southern Ground

THE BORO

TEMPT

The Comedy Zone Ivan LaFever

Dirty Reggae Punx, All-star jam with Ross Maynard

Ying Yang Twins, Kid Ayrab, Beat Bear

FRI., 2/26

Chalaxy, The Acorn People, Oh Grandpa

Crossroads

WALL STREET

SUN., 2/21

COCONUT BAY CAFE GEORGIA’S SPORTS BAR & GRILL

Scott Steele

BUNGANUT PIG

MAIN STREET MUSIC

MTSU WRIGHT MUSIC BUILDING

MAYDAY BREWERY

Soul Session with Mina MTSU Concert Chorale, Middle Tennessee Choral Society

MON., 2/22

MTSU WRIGHT

Far Cry

The Harmaleighs

Level III 114 S. Maple St. (615) 900-3754

Southern Ground

Main St. Music 527 W. Main St. 440-2425

MAIN STREET MUSIC

Infamous, Undefeated, As Yourself

Mayday Brewery 521 Old Salem Hwy. 479-9722

The Stoves

MTSU Wright Music Building 1439 Faulkinberry Dr. 898-2469

MTSU WRIGHT MUSIC BUILDING

THURS., 2/25

JoZoara 536 N. Thompson Ln. 962-7175

DJ RDP

GEORGIA’S SPORTS BAR & GRILL

MTSU WRIGHT MUSIC BUILDING

Students of Paul Osterfield (Composition Recital)

Hippie Hill 8627 Burks Hollow Rd. 796-3697

Liquid Smoke #2 Public Square 217-7822

Phoenix Rising

COCONUT BAY CAFE

MAYDAY BREWERY

David Buckner

CHAIS MUSIC HALL

THE BORO

BUNGANUT PIG

BUNGANUT PIG

Angel’s Revenge, Threatpoint, Horava

MAYDAY BREWERY

SAT., 2/27

Georgia’s Sports Bar and Grill 555 S Lowry St, Smyrna (615) 267-0295

MTSU Symphony Orchestra

THE BORO

Nacho’s 2962 S. Rutherford Blvd.

907-2700

SUN., 2/28

Phat Boyz 4425 Woodbury Pike (615) 546-4526

TEMPT

Sunday Service Humps & the Blackouts

BUNGANUT PIG

Reilly’s Writers Night

MTSU WRIGHT MUSIC BUILDING

Brittany Howard; MTSU Brass

THE BORO

Tinderbox, Circus Sideshow

MON., 2/29

Tempt 211 W. Main St. 615-225-7757 The Boro Bar & Grill 1211 Greenland Dr. 895-4800 The Green Dragon 714-F W. Main St. 801-7171

MAYDAY BREWERY

The Block 123 SE Broad St. (615) 393-9935

MTSU WRIGHT MUSIC BUILDING

The Pour House 2404 Halls Hill Pk. 615-603-7978

Bluebird In the Boro: Dylan Altman, Marshall Altman and Friends Stones River Chamber Players

View the monthly concert schedule online:

BOROPULSE.COM/CONCERTS

Wall Street 121 N. Maple St. 867-9090 Willie’s Wet Spot 1208 S. Lowery St., Smyrna 355-0010

ENTERTAINMENT

DJ, BINGO, TRIVIA & KARAOKE NIGHTS  MONDAYS BUNGANUT PIG Live Trivia, 7 p.m.

THE POUR HOUSE DJ, 7–11 p.m.

AHART’S PIZZA GARDEN Live Trivia, 7 p.m.

 TUESDAYS OLD CHICAGO Live Trivia, 9 p.m.

COCONUT BAY CAFÉ Live Trivia, 7:30 p.m.

THE POUR HOUSE DJ, 7–11 p.m.

NACHOS Live Trivia, 7 p.m.

NOBODY’S Bingo, 7 p.m.

TGI FRIDAY’S Live Trivia, 9 p.m.

 WEDNESDAYS CAMPUS PUB Karaoke, 10 p.m.–2:30 a.m.

MELLOW MUSHROOM Live Trivia, 8 p.m.

NOBODY’S Live Trivia, 7 and 9:30 p.m.

SAM’S SPORTS GRILL Live Trivia, 8 p.m.

NOBODY’S Karaoke, 9:15 p.m.–12:30 a.m.

 THURSDAYS

MT BOTTLE Karaoke, 9 p.m.–3 a.m.

CAMPUS PUB Live Trivia, 8:15 p.m.

WHISKEY DIX DJ Cliffy D, 8 p.m.

CHAIS MUSIC HALL Ballroom Dancing with a Lesson 7–10 p.m. (first and third Thursday) COCONUT BAY Karaoke, 8 p.m.

NOBODY’S Karaoke, 9:15 p.m.–12:30 a.m.

SPORTS SEASONS Live Trivia, 7 p.m.

THE POUR HOUSE Karaoke, 9 p.m.

WHISKEY DIX DJ Cliffy D, 8 p.m.

MURFREESBORO BILLIARDS CLUB Karaoke, 9 p.m.

 SATURDAYS CAMPUS PUB Karaoke, 10 p.m.–2:30 a.m.

LA SIESTA (CHURCH ST.) Karaoke, 6 p.m.

NACHOS Live Trivia, 7 p.m.

NOBODY’S Karaoke, 9:15 p.m.–12:30 a.m.

WHISKEY DIX DJ Cliffy D, 8 p.m.

 SUNDAYS O’POSSUMS Live Trivia, 8 p.m.

LIQUID SMOKE DJ Night, 10 p.m.

THE POUR HOUSE DJ, 7 p.m.

 FRIDAYS

SAM’S SPORTS GRILL Live Trivia, 8 p.m.

CHAIS MUSIC HALL Line Dancing with a Lesson 7–10 p.m.

Send entertainment listings to listings@boropulse.com

HEAR WHAT MURFREESBORO SOUNDS LIKE 

Want your band listed on our QR Classifieds? E-mail murfreesboropulse@yahoo.com

BOROPULSE.COM

* FEBRUARY 2016* 9

10 * FEBRUARY 2016 * BOROPULSE.COM

Sounds

Read more about local music at

BoroPulse.com/Category/Music

WILD MAN Glossary’s Joey Kneiser enters ‘The Wildness’ with new solo record.

Joey Kneiser and Kelly Smith are back on Kneiser’s solo release The Wildness.

STORY BY JOHN CONNOR COULSTON PHOTOS BY MATT WHITE

R

ock ‘n’ roll doesn’t last, singer/songwriter Joey Kneiser says on “The Wildness,” the title track to his new solo album. However, that statement doesn’t hold true for Kneiser himself. After more than 20 years in Middle Tennessee, seven albums with Glossary, several solo projects, production gigs and video work, the Americana veteran has produced one of his finest works.

The long road to The Wildness begins in East Tennessee, when a young Kneiser traded in radio hits of the ’80s for what was found off the airwaves. Sonic Youth, The Replacements, Dinosaur Jr. and more made their way into his musical lexicon through skateboarding culture, and stayed there ever since.

“It was the point when I realized you could be a musician and not get played on the radio. I had no idea that was a thing,” Kneiser said in a phone interview. “It opened my mind up to a whole ’nother world, and I wanted to be a part of that.”

The alternative and punk bands may seem like an odd place to start for Murfreesboro’s most revered Americana songwriter, but Kneiser doesn’t see it that way. He attributes his transition into the genre to one simple fact of life: growing up.

“When you’re young you’re attracted to esthetic, and then you get a little older and you want something more and deeper,” he said.

“You start looking into lyrics and naturally you move into things that have more emphasis on

lyrics and storytelling. You find Townes Van Zandt and Dylan and Neil Young and people like that and the song becomes more important. You realize Johnny Cash is just as punkrock as Ian MacKaye. You realize telling your own stories and trying to figure out who you are through songs is a pretty punk-rock idea.”

Kneiser moved to Murfreesboro in 1995, back when it was a “suitcase town,” as he calls it. He and his fellow Glossary members were part of the few who came to town and stayed here. They recorded seven projects, included 2011’s Long Live All of Us, a self-produced album recorded at a home studio in Rockvale.

After that album, Kneiser went through a transitional phase in his life. Following a band

hiatus due to drummer Eric Giles’ medical issues, Kneiser and most of his friends moved to Nashville after living within walking distance of the Murfreesboro square for almost 20 years. He stepped away from writing and recording his own material, instead spending his time producing music for other artists and directing music videos for artists including Jason Isbell and John Moreland. But after two years, he was ready to return to creating.

“I was just like, ‘I need to make a record,’” Kneiser said, “I’ve made at least an album’s worth of songs every year of my adult life. That was the biggest break I had ever been on.”

He then began work on The Wildness. He recruited his Glossary bandmate and ex-wife Kelly Smith to share vocal duties and recorded the project in his basement. It turned into a 10-track effort with warm production, and lyrics about reflection, love and the turmoil our country faces each and every day.

It’s arguably the strongest project Kneiser has worked on, both lyrically and sonically, and the newfound maturity can be attributed to the experience he’s gained along the way.

“I’ve been writing songs now for 24 years,” Kneiser said. “I feel like years ago, I established my voice. What I was gonna write about and what kind of themes I would pursue the rest of my life and what my songs would be about. So it was a matter of honing that in as the years go by.

“I try not to think too much about it, or what I’ve done,” he adds. “I just try to write songs. You can never have too many songs.”

For more information on Kneiser and The Wildness, visit joeykneiser.com.

BOROPULSE.COM

* FEBRUARY 2016 * 11

Sounds

Read more about local music at

BoroPulse.com/Category/Music

FLAT LONESOME

MUSIC NOTES

Underground Doyle Lawson and Quicksilver, The Boxcars The Grascals, Flatt Lonesome to appear at Doyle Lawson and Quicksilver, The Grascals, Flatt 2016 Uncle Dave Macon Days Lonesome to appear at 2016 Uncle Dave Macon Days UNCLE DAVE MACON DAYS FESTIVAL gathers more than 25,000 people to Murfreesboro each year for a hearty helping of fun, Southern style. Uncle Dave Macon Days organizers have recently announced plans for the 2016 festival. At Cannonsburgh Village on Fri., July 8, Uncle Dave Macon Days Music and Arts Festival officially begins, continuing through the evening of Sat., July 9, with the best in entertainment and national competitions in old-time music and dance.

New for 2016 is an attempt to break the Guinness record for the World’s Largest Square Dance. On the evening of Thurs., July 7, Marcia Campbell from the Grand Ole Opry Dancers and WSM 650 AM will lead this endeavor on the Public Square in Murfreesboro. While the square dance is the official dance of Tennessee, the record for the World’s Largest Square Dance is currently held by a group in Yorkville, Ill. This free event on the opening day will kick off Uncle 12 * FEBRUARY 2016 * BOROPULSE.COM

Dave Macon Days 2016 and bring the festival’s music and dancing back to the Square where it all began nearly 40 years ago.

At Cannonsburgh on Friday, July 8,

Uncle Dave Macon Days Music and Arts Festival continues with the best in entertainment and National Competitions in Old Time Music and Dance.

DOYLE LAWSON AND QUICKSILVER

The 2016 Trailblazer Award will be presented to The Boxcars at 7 p.m. July 8, followed by a Boxcars performance. The following evening, Sat., July 9, will be the award presentation and performance of the 2016 Heritage Award winner, the beloved Doyle Lawson and Quicksilver.

Other scheduled acts include Flatt Lonesome, the Grascals, the Church Sisters and Lonesome River Band.

Scheduled throughout the festival’s national competitions are the best performers in old-time music and dance, drawing not only local competitors but also national and international participants.

The Motorless Parade, complete with buggies and wagons making their way down historic Main Street, will continue its tradition at 10 a.m. on Saturday morning.

Other festival activities include heritage activities for children, delicious local concessions, Dave Macon’s Marketplace, a juried arts and crafts show in Matilda Macon’s Artisan Village and a historic photo exhibit.

The festival also features and honors individuals who have had a lifetime career perpetuating and promoting traditional “roots” music with the presentation of the Uncle Dave Macon Days Heritage Award. In addition, the Uncle Dave Macon Trailblazer Award is given to significant innovators, honoring old and new artists in bluegrass and old-time styles. Past award winners have been such notables as Bill Monroe, Roy Acuff, Marty Stuart, Grandpa and Ramona Jones, Mike Seeger, Bashful Brother Oswald, Earl Scruggs, Ricky Skaggs and Sharon White, Dailey & Vincent, the Tennessee Mafia Jug Band, Ralph Stanley and The SteelDrivers.

The celebration takes place in Cannonsburgh, a genuine pioneer village, located at 312 S. Front St. in Murfreesboro.

For more information, visit uncledave macondays.com or email sponsorudm@ gmail.com.

TIM JAMES

ANNUAL BLUEBIRD IN THE BORO: A BENEFIT FOR ALIVE HOSPICE RETURNS

RANDY BLYTHE

METAL AT MARATHON, LAMB OF GOD TO RETURN TO TENNESSEE FOR BONNAROO ANTHRAX, ONE OF THE “BIG FOUR” of 1980s heavy metal, teamed up with Lamb of God, quite possibly the most successful metal act of the 21st century, for a sold-out evening of headbanging and horns in the air at Marathon Music Works in January.

Lamb of God will be returning to Middle Tennessee in June for Bonnaroo—the annual festival, with its wide diversity of music from jam bands to electronic to classic rock to the bizarre, always has a metal band or two, and this year, Lamb of God will be on the farm.

But the Jan. 20 show at Nashville’s Marathon was all about metal, with acts Deafheaven and Power Trip also on the bill.

The crowd did not create the biggest circle pit in the history of metal that evening—there’s something about Nashville that prompts a more reserved style of appreciation—but the house was packed with those ready for a fourhour aural assault.

Joey Belladonna, who was with Anthrax from 1982–1994, is back with the band as lead vocalist.

The man with the classic 1980s metal tenor performed with a youthful enthusiasm, running across the stage and interacting with fans, and seemed genuinely pleased to be SCOTT IAN performing in a rock club, even as he proclaimed himself through song to be “Antisocial!”

Look for a new release from Belladonna, Scott Ian and the Anthrax boys, titled For All Kings, to come out Feb. 26.

Lamb of God closed the night, and Randy Blythe did not waste much time before he was in the crowd surfing around, delivering his intense growl.

The entire show found Blythe back and forth, up and down across the stage, a force of energetic rage, as the other Lamb of God members delivered their intricate, blasting metal sounds with precision.

The band released its fifth album on the Epic label (and its seventh fulllength overall), VII: Sturm und Drang, in 2015. Blythe also recently released a book, Dark Days: A Memoir, dealing with his imprisonment in the Czech Republic following a fan’s death after sustaining injuries at a Lamb of God concert. He was eventually acquitted of the manslaughter charge, and Lamb of God continues to grow its worldwide fan base.

Find more on the bands at anthrax.com, lamb-of-god.com, deafheaven .com and powertriptx.bandcamp.com; find more information on shows coming to Marathon Music Works at marathonmusicworks.com.

— BRACKEN MAYO

THE BLUEBIRD CAFE EXPERIENCE is coming back to the heart of Murfreesboro, Feb. 29–March 2. Tickets are on sale for the 3rd annual Bluebird in the Boro: A Benefit for Alive Hospice, a three-night concert series held at Mayday Brewery benefiting the nonprofit Alive Hospice.

The Bluebird in the Boro concert series will feature songwriters behind the hits, including Murfreesboro’s own Tim James as well as Marshall Altman, Dylan Altman, Jeff Cohen and others. Songwriters will be playing “in the round”—with such an intimate arrangement, every seat in the house is a good seat!

Tickets are $100 and include dinner from Five Senses, drinks and an evening of live music.

The week’s schedule will be: Monday, Feb. 29 at 6 p.m.: Marshall Altman, Dylan Altman and friends Tuesday, March 1 at 6 p.m.: Jeff Cohen and friends Wednesday, March 2 at 6 p.m.: Tim James and friends Proceeds will help Alive Hospice build The Residence at Alive Hospice—Murfreesboro, Rutherford County’s first dedicated hospice care facility, which will add another layer of care to Alive Hospice’s existing services in Rutherford and surrounding counties. Alive Hospice provides loving care to people with lifethreatening illnesses, support to their families and service to the community in a spirit of enriching lives. Alive Hospice was founded in 1975, making it the first hospice program in Tennessee and the Southeast, and the first in the nation to provide hospice care in private homes.

For tickets or more information on the event, call (615) 327-1085 or visit alivehospice.org/boro.

‘ELVIS’ TO PERFORM AT CENTRAL MAGNET

TRAVIS LeDOYT

POPULAR ELVIS PRESLEY impersonator Travis LeDoyt will perform at Central Magnet School in Murfreesboro on Saturday, Feb. 13, at 7 p.m.

LeDoyt brings his tribute to the King’s early career period to venues all over the country.

Central Magnet is located at 701 E. Main St. For tickets or more information, email mcmbaseball16@gmail.com or call (615) 556-6506.

BOROPULSE.COM

* FEBRUARY 2016 * 13

Sounds MUSIC NOTES PEARL JAM, DEAD & COMPANY, LCD SOUNDSYSTEM SLATED TO HEADLINE BONNAROO

PEARL JAM

The lineup for the 2016 Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival has been announced, with acts Pearl Jam, Dead & Company (members of the Grateful Dead with John Mayer), and recently reunited dance rockers LCD Soundsystem topping the bill.

All three acts have rich histories with the festival as previous performers, which is fitting as 2016 marks the 15th anniversary of the Manchester festival.

Other notable acts include Ellie Goulding, J. Cole, Macklemore & Ryan Lewis, Death Cab for Cutie, Tame Impala, Ween and Judd Apatow.

More lower-card and regional acts are expected to be added soon, but already announced Middle Tennessee acts include Chris Stapleton, Jason Isbell, Bully, CHRIS STAPLETON Natalie Prass and Judah & the Lion.

It’s also worth noting that this year marks the first time “The Farm” will (finally) have indoor toilet and shower facilities onsite for festivalgoers. However, they will be charging a car camping fee this year as well, which some Bonnaroovians are not happy about. The full lineup and ticketing info can be found at bonnaroo.com.

— JOHN CONNOR COULSTON

FESTIVAL PHOTOS BY TOM TOMKINSON

ELLIE GOULDING

14 * FEBRUARY 2016 * BOROPULSE.COM

BOROPULSE.COM

* FEBRUARY 2016 * 15

Living

STORY BY TONY LEHEW

Madelyn Scales Harris reflects on her family’s legacy in the Murfreesboro community.

HOW DO YOU TELL A STORY about a historic figure that you never met? If you just read and repeat the stories already written, then you really have not brought forth any new insight or information. If you go to those who have met or who knew that person professionally, you can get an idea of the public face of the person, but that still doesn’t give you any real insight into the person. And, as is true with any story ever told, not everyone remembers it the same way. But now, I submit to you that with the following story of Robert (Tee-Niny) Scales, I have stumbled onto the best way to tell anyone’s story: through the eyes of a loving daughter.

Madelyn Scales Harris is the daughter of Mr. Robert and Mrs. Mary Caruthers Scales and is, in her own right, an accomplished and distinguished representative of the city of Murfreesboro as well as a second-term councilperson, a third-generation business owner and a voice for the people she represents.

Talking with Madelyn about politics, she is serious, often frustrated and occasionally unsure that she has done enough to help city workers and the people of Murfreesboro, but she vows to keep trying. The sincerity and conviction she carries in her words leave you no choice but to believe her. It will also give you the feeling that it is as much a learned behavior as a self-taught conviction. You can feel in her demeanor that she grew up in an environment that provided her a sense of community and helping others. Talk to Madelyn about her father and her demeanor changes almost instantly, to that of a reminiscent, proud and loyal daughter who has great memories of her family. Although more than once during our conversation, those memories seemed touched by a melancholy for days gone by. As much as one can admire, I do admire the politically charged version of Ms. Scales Harris, but I much more enjoyed the daughter speaking of her late father and family.

Robert Winston Scales was born to Henry Preston and Willie Burkeen Scales on June 22, 1926. He was a civic leader, politician and small business owner in Murfreesboro, Tenn.

When his oldest sister, Ruby Mae Thompson, saw him for the first time, she said, “Oh, look at my tee-niny brother.” Her attempt to say tiny became a lifelong nickname for Robert.

That nickname became as recognizable as his first or last name. Throughout the years of his life and even up to today, the name “TeeNiny” (or “T-90,” or “Tee-Niny”) is still used to refer to him. In 1949, Robert married Mary Caruthers Scales (Sept. 24, 1928–Oct. 6, 2013).

16 * FEBRUARY 2016 * BOROPULSE.COM

Scales & Sons & Daughters

She would become a teacher at Bradley Elementary, the first black faculty member at Middle Tennessee State University, the first black teacher at Bellwood Elementary and later the first African American woman elected to the City School Board and City Council in Murfreesboro. Robert and Mary had six children: Robert Winston Scales Jr., Melvin Pearson Scales, Preston Marcellus Scales, Madelyn Scales Harris, Joan Scales Simmons and Sandra Renee Scales.

Footsteps of Their Father “Dad followed in the footsteps of his father, and was the second-generation owner of Scales & Sons Funeral Home,” Madelyn explained. He took over the business at the youthful age of 20, after his father passed away. With a smile that showed her pride, Madelyn said, “Just like his father, Dad was a people person. Mr. Preston started Scales & Sons Funeral Home in 1916. After the passing of Preston Scales, Dad took over and ran the funeral home until the time of his death.”

Today, Scales & Sons is the oldest blackowned funeral home in Murfreesboro and possibly the oldest of all the local funeral homes. Madelyn explained the community spirit of her family business that went back to her grandfather.

“Mr. Preston had a program called the

Helping Hand Burial Program,” Madelyn said. “I was once told about a person that had passed away and the family did not have any money for the burial. Grandfather said to them, ‘I’m not asking for anything but the burial clothes. Don’t need to see you again til the funeral.’ My grandfather would bury people for chickens if they could not afford a funeral.

Everyone knew Mr. Preston as a people person.

My father was very much like him.”

Making History Robert Scales made history in April 1964, when he became the first African American to win election to the city council and one of the first, if not the first, elected black officials in the South. Not only did he win an election in 1964, he got more votes than any other candidate. As of the 2010 census, there were 108,755 people residing in the city. The black community makes up only 15 percent of our population today; it was much smaller in 1964. So, although there are still many who will testify to it, the math alone proves Mr. Scales was very popular among white voters.

“He won because everybody knew him and respected him, and that went all the way back to his father,” Madelyn said. “That says a lot for the unity of our town, but that does not

mean that there wasn’t racism and bigotry . . . The night dad won the election, we started getting threatening phone calls, bricks were thrown through our windows and we found a cross burning in the yard. A guy named Jack Winset, who owned Jack’s Glass, was replacing windows every week in our house. One day, he knocked on the door and said to T-90, ‘I am embarrassed about this. Once a week we will come by and replace your windows for free.’

“After Dad won, he told my mom, ‘In the next four years I’m gonna make sure that every department in this city has an African American in it,’” Madelyn continued. “Mom said, ‘That’s gonna be a big job.’ Dad said, ‘I can do it. I want equality for this city. Not just for black people, everyone.’ At the end of his first term, there was a black person in every department.”

Come, Let Us Reason Madelyn went on to describe an encounter in the 1960s.

“During the days of the race riots, someone from Nashville called my dad and told him there was a bus[load] of protesters coming down to Murfreesboro. Dad took me with him to meet that bus, over the objection of my mother. We waited in the area of where Sloan’s Cycle is today—back in those days it was all woods.

When Dad saw lights coming, he got out, told me to stay in the car. Dad stopped the bus and told the protesters that we don’t riot here, we reason things out. Because of my father, they turned the bus around and left,” Madelyn said.

Madelyn relayed another story to show the character of her father: “When I was a little girl, I was out playing one day and a white man, walking by, spit in my face. Dad took me in the bathroom and wiped it off. Dad was mad and crying, Mom was trying to calm him down. I asked Dad, ‘Are you going to go after

him?’ He never answered me. Years after that, we were watching a ball game on TV one day and he turned and said to me, ‘Do you remember the day that man spit on you?’ I said, ‘Oh, gosh, Daddy, I stayed mad at you for so long.’ He said, ‘Now that you are old enough, let me explain why I didn’t go after him. Back then, if I had gone after that guy, I wouldn’t have lived to see you grow up, see you go to college, get married or see my grandkids. If I had gone after him, I would have spent the rest of my life in prison. So I had to decide, do I live to see my children grow up or get revenge? I chose my children.’ Over the years, race relations improved and Dad was a huge part of that. ‘Come, let us reason together’ was a saying and Robert Scales campaign slogan. When issues arose, he would tell the council, ‘If I can’t get the whole loaf of bread, I will settle for half. Let’s talk about it.’

“My dad used to put money in people’s hands when he shook hands with them. I asked him why, and he said ‘We serve God when we help people.’ He told us kids on his deathbed, ‘I’m not leaving you with a bunch of money, but I’m leaving you with a good name.’ Everything Dad had, he gave away,” Madelyn said.

Then a large smile came across Madelyn’s face, “I remember my dad walking into the house one afternoon, with a T-shirt, trousers and socks. Dad always dressed sharp, and when he left earlier that day he had a suit on. Momma asked him, ‘Tee-Niny, where are your clothes and your shoes?’ He said, ‘Mary, it’s this new preacher in town, he’s over at the Key Chapel. His car was stopped and I asked if I could help him.’ During the conversation, the preacher remarked that he liked his shoes and suit, so he gave them to him.

Mom said, ‘Wait a minute, Tee-niny, where’s the car?’ Dad said, ‘I gave it to him and told him to return it when he got his fixed. If you don’t get it fixed, don’t worry about it, keep it.’ Mom just shook her head, held up her hands and said to me, ‘I’m used to it.’”

Dealing with Racism Even after his election to the City Council, there was still racism to deal with. Madelyn spoke of a council trip to New Orleans.

“At dinner that evening, all the council members sat at one table except Mom and Dad, they sat them by the door. When the other council members were leaving, Joe B. Jackson asked my father if he liked the food and Dad said, “We haven’t even had a glass of water served to us.” They were all booked at the same hotel and after the other council members went to bed, Dad discovered that there was not a key for them. Dad asked at the desk and was told he would have to wait on the supervisor. After more than an hour passed in a very cold lobby, Dad told the desk worker, ‘My wife is cold and we need a room.’

Before he could get the key, Mayor Jackson had to come down and identify him. When he was given a key, it was a key to the laundry room. Dad said, ‘At least it was warm.’”

Whatever your opinion of civil rights, it is undeniable that Robert Scales had a large crossover appeal. He spent 24 years (or 6 terms) as a council member, 16 of those years as the first African American vice mayor. In most of his elections, he got more votes than any other candidate, often more than all candidates combined. He began this at a time when race relations in the South could not be more strained. This was the same era of civil rights marches, segregation, sit-ins, physical confrontation with police and the Selma bombing.

“Dad knew people were looking to him for guidance and he had a huge backing from the white community. Despite any of his experiences, Dad never talked against a race. He was an excellent example of a leader and a peacemaker,” Madelyn said.

Stress plays a big part in any politician’s life, and Robert Scales was no exception.

With a furrowed brow and a noticeable change in the sound of her voice, Madelyn said, “Dad came home stressed out after a council meeting in April 1988, where the council had voted against recognizing a holiday for Martin Luther King. Dad was so upset and stressed out about that. He had a heart attack that evening, and it ended his political career.”

The family name and dedication was still represented when Mary Scales finished out Robert’s last term and was then elected to another term. During and after his political career, Scales stayed involved in the community.

When Robert Winston Scales died on Oct. 30, 2000, it was quoted on WGNS radio, “The whole town stopped.” Flags all over town and at the state capital were at half-mast. During the funeral procession, every intersection and street had a police car or fire engine present, with the occupants paying their respects.

“My parents sacrificed a great deal of their lives to make this a better city. Even with six kids and a business to run, they still wanted to help the community,” Madelyn said. “I wish Dad could have lived to see a school with the family name.”

In 2010, Madelyn Scales Harris ran successfully and has since been re-elected to the city council. Much like her father, she champions the citizens and city workers of Murfreesboro. But, affirms Madelyn, it wasn’t an easy decision to run.

“I was not going to run . . . God changed my mind. If God has some plan for you, he will slow-walk you down. Mom said, ‘You should run because are a good mix of your father and I.’ I said, ‘What if I don’t win?’

She said, ‘You won’t be the first.’ God made it clear to me, but I never asked God to let me win. Mom said, ‘If you win, get busy helping people.’”

I watched as she proudly shuffled through pictures, newspaper clippings, awards and commendations that were bestowed on her father and mother, never saying a word about her own accomplishments. It is my hope that she keeps hers in separate box for when they write about her.

BOROPULSE.COM

* FEBRUARY 2016 * 17

Living

U

BER SERVICES HAVE only been available in Murfreesboro for less than a year now, but business-savvy drivers such as Daniel Meyer have already embraced the popularity of rideshare businesses.

Murfreesboro resident and entrepreneur Meyer and his “Ugly Jeep” drive for Uber every week in the Murfreesboro area, but the local driver is no stranger to the rideshare phenomenon. In 2013, Meyer first got involved with Lyft, Uber’s biggest competitor. Not one to blindly step into a business opportunity, Meyer had already been looking into the rideshare business for a while before committing to it.

“I followed the company and the anomaly of rideshare for years,” Meyer said. “It was a genius idea.”

Before he and his uniquely colored Wran-

gler hit the streets, Meyer first established what he wanted to get out of the experience.

His goal was to put his daughter through private school by driving a maximum of 15 hours each week. With a wife and two children, a full-time job as an AT&T store manager and his own T-shirt company, Split Melon Tactical, Meyer had no intentions of becoming a full-time driver. After all, he says that wouldn’t even be possible in Murfreesboro.

“You couldn’t work full-time and make a full-time wage driving in Murfreesboro,” he said, explaining that the demand for Uber and Lyft simply wasn’t high enough yet.

“You couldn’t do it effectively.”

Uber’s app works off a proximity-based selection process. The drivers closest to the potential rider are displayed, and a driver is selected. Not to be stumped by this,

STORY BY TANNER DEDMON

Murfreesboro Uber driver carries passengers in his

“UGLY JEEP” Meyer found a way to market himself and be everywhere at once through the use of social media. After amassing a following on Facebook and Twitter, he was able to have those in need of rides message him their location so he could drive close enough to appear on their app.

From this self-marketing, the name “Ugly Jeep” was coined to describe his ride: a 2013 Jeep Wrangler Unlimited Sahara.

The yellowish color is one he says stands out among the typical car colors. It leaves an impression on his riders and keeps them coming back for more.

“Instead of having people remember me—which is fine—it’s a ride-based experience, so I want them to remember the car,” says Meyer.

Of course, driving is only part of the job when it comes to being a rideshare driver.

Meyer recruits other drivers and shows them the ropes, then directs them to high-traffic locations such as the Nashville area. There’s a $100 incentive for each driver he brings in, and he already has 12 drivers under him.

Even though he chooses to drive only in Murfreesboro, his knowledge of the business extends far beyond the city. The ban18 * FEBRUARY 2016 * BOROPULSE.COM

ning of Uber in major cities, the desire of government agencies to regulate rideshare companies and the move toward the formation of unions by Uber drivers wasn’t news to him. To him, unions wouldn’t have much effect on the rideshare business, seeing how each Uber driver is considered independently contracted. He regards the unions as old-fashioned and unnecessary, and says it’s no wonder the industry is pushing out other outdated models such as black-car and taxi services.

“The taxi industry is dying,” he said.

“Same thing as any other company: Someone has come along and come up with a better model than the one taxi drivers use.”

Meyer said that, for now, he’s going to stick with Uber, though he may switch back to Lyft, saying that Lyft offers a more personal and enjoyable experience. If working in the industry becomes too difficult and taxes start rolling out, he says he and others will find a new source for their income. Until then, expect to see Meyer and the Ugly Jeep rolling through Murfreesboro.

Check out the Ugly Jeep’s Facebook page at facebook.com/uglyjeep.

Mobile Deal Service That Sends Consumers Special Offers Via Text Message JumpOnIt Mobile Deals recently launched a free money-saving service for consumers in Murfreesboro. Anyone with a smartphone is able to text the keyword JumpOnBoro to the number 88678 and start receiving great deals from local restaurants and retailers directly to their smartphones via text message. Once consumers text in, they receive the latest eight offers for Murfreesboro businesses.

After that (between one to three times per week), JumpOnIt will send out a single text message containing the offers for the day. Offers range from buy-one-get-one-free deals at local bars and restaurants to free fitness classes.

JumpOnIt Mobile Deals aims to send a variety of offers from a variety of businesses—appealing to a wide range of people.

Consumers then have the option to share offers with friends to earn an additional bonus offer.

JumpOnIt Mobile Deals launched in

Murfreesboro in November 2015, and so far, JumpOnIt Mobile Deals Murfreesboro has sent out offers from over 30 local businesses, including Bar Louie, Culver’s, Papa Murphy’s, Nobody’s Grille, Nacho’s Mexican Restaurant, Hot Spot Tanning and many more.

JumpOnIt is quickly growing its Murfreesboro database and has developed a need for more employees. Job opportunities currently available are positions in sales and marketing as well as opportunities for graphic designers, data analysts, marketing interns and other tech-savvy individuals.

JumpOnIt Mobile Deals Murfreesboro can be contacted about job and internship availabilities, and also for advertising inquiries, at facebook.com/jumponboro or twitter. com/jumponboro.

For great deals in the ’Boro, text JumpOnBoro to 88678 . . . you never know what great deals are coming next!

BOROPULSE.COM

* FEBRUARY 2016 * 19

Living

SPOTLIGHT ON BUSINESS

STONEKEEPERS ENCOURAGES CRYSTAL GRID PROJECT

FARMERS’ MARKET EDUCATION SERIES

by EDWINA SHANNON

nal length of TP to make the top layer stick to the bottom one. Let it dry and then roll it up until you are ready to plant them. When you are planting the seed tape, first make a trench that is the correct depth for those seeds. Lay the tape down, cover it with soil and then water it. The TP quickly dissolves as the seeds germinate. This process is frugal, as seed is not wasted from thinning since every seed that germinates has sufficient room to grow.

Gardening Classes

Making Your Own Seed Tape WE ARE IN WINTER. Some days there is no doubt to that statement as wind chills put the temperature into the teens; on other days, the weather is balmy and in the 50s. That is still too cold and too wet to work in the garden, and therein lies my biggest personal challenge: to stay out of the garden when the soil is wet. If I ignore what I know, I create hardened soil sculptures that are not an asset to the gardener. My misdirected enthusiasm has caused this in the past. Now, I keep telling myself to be patient; to redirect my focus.

So let me share with you how I attempt to redirect my focus: I plan, I dream, I assess what I have and what I should or could do and whether this is the year to do it. Winter months are for planning. There are eight months in which to “do.”

Order Your Seeds Now

Have you got your seed catalogs? If you collected seeds from last year’s plants, to have success in this year’s garden those seeds must have been collected from nonhybrid plants. Those plants are also known as heirloom, open-pollinated or pure.

Hybrid plants do not produce plants that will generate like-kind edibles. Part of the winter planning is to determine if you will be harvesting for seeds next fall. You will need to buy the proper seed or plants to accomplish this successfully.

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Seed Exchange

There is a seed exchange planned for the Boro Garden Show and Party on March 18 and 19. If you have extra, non-hybrid seeds from last year’s harvest, be sure to take part in the free exchange. Not only is the exchange an adventurous activity but also is a cost-saving measure.

Making Your Seed Tape

A good winter activity that can be done by adults or children is to make your own seed tape. This is an idea that I placed on dogbonesnetwork.com as a link. You will need three bowls, a roll of toilet paper, a paint brush, flour, water and the seeds. The seeds go in one bowl, the water in another and a tablespoon of flour paste (white flour and water) made to pancake batter consistency goes into the third. Roll out the toilet paper on a flat surface to a length that you find manageable. Using the paintbrush, drop the flour mixture by dots onto the toilet paper. The dots should be placed at the correct distance between plants and rows.

Then wash the brush in clear water and dip it into the seeds. Drop 2-3 seeds on each paste dot. You may need to do this in short sections. When you have your length completed, all flour dots have seeds. Cover this length of TP with another layer of TP, thus sealing the seeds onto the paste. There should be enough flour paste on the origi-

Classes for gardening are offered at The UT Extension Service. You can browse extension.tennessee.edu/rutherford or stop by their office for info and free handouts.

When the Farmers’ Market opens, there are free classes offered each market day at 9 a.m. Weekly posts can be found at Facebook.com/RutherfordCountyFarmersMarket.

Some of the classes from the last two years are at youtube.com/RCFarmersMarket.

STONEKEEPERS, LOCATED AT 111 E. LYTLE ST., is a small spiritual hamlet two blocks from Murfreesboro’s Square. The store has expanded its merchandise selection from its original tumbled stone and wire-wrapped jewelry collection to include books on various religions and spiritualities, a massive collection of herbs, incense and spiritual tools.

Manager Carrie Adams has always made it her goal to act as a positive spiritual catalyst for all of the people who walk into the shop.

The Crystal Grid Project is an idea that blossomed out of this goal.

Adams said, “We started the Crystal Grid Project during a time when we weren’t doing well, during the government shutdown in 2013. . . . My friend Heather, who worked here at the time, and I started thinking about what really can anybody change? They can change their

Garden Show & Party

Another resource are the classes offered at libraries and garden shows. There are two garden shows within a quick drive: Murfreesboro and Nashville. This is the first year for the Murfreesboro Garden Show and Party (gardenshowandparty.com). It is organized by local Murfreesboro people, and sponsored by and the Murfreesboro Pulse.

There are classes being offered during The Garden Show and Party on March 18 and 19. The event will be held at the Community Center on the UT extension campus, located at 315 John R. Rice Blvd., near Sam’s Club between 10:30 and 4 each day.

At press time, the following classes have been confirmed: Aysha Harward from TerraNektar Farms in Readyville will be presenting at 10:30 a.m. Friday. Her topic is “How Can Herbs Come to the Rescue for Colds & Flu?” and will include a workshop.

On Saturday at 10:30 a.m., RC Master Gardener Mark Murphy will be presenting “All About Organic Gardening and Growing Food Naturally: Starting or Improving Your Garden.”

At 12:30 p.m., Linell from Monarch Meadow will be speaking on the importance of the Monarch butterfly. In a class titled, “Milkweeds and How to Grow Them: Attracting Monarchs to Your Garden.” Be sure to check the day’s listings of classes as more will be added in the coming month.

Carrie Adams

perspective, they can change how they react to things, and they can change how they interact with people that come around them.”

The aim of the Crystal Grid Project, according to Adams, is to spread a wave of peace, protection and prosperity, and uplift the emotional and spiritual environment across Murfreesboro and surrounding areas. Participants are given a free piece of clear crystal quartz—purportedly an energy-amplifying stone—with the promise that they are to bury the stone in place special to them charged with this intention.

The outcome is that each individual stone creates a large grid spreading and amplifying the intention that they were charged with. Little did Adams know, some of these quartz crystals would reach locales as far as Lake Tahoe in California, and even Australia.

The Crystal Grid Project is ongoing, and Adams encourages people who wish to participate in the project to stop into the shop on Lytle Street.

For more information, visit stonekeepers.com.

—MACKENZIE MEINS

BOROPULSE.COM

* FEBRUARY 2016 * 21

Living

T S MO ABLE U L VA PY P U P Middle Tennessee rescue pup Clover participates in annual Animal Planet Puppy Bowl on Feb. 7. story & photo by DYLAN SKYE AYCOCK MEET CLOVER, a tan-and-white basset hound/beagle mix from Columbia, Tenn.

Clover, like many other dogs, is a rescue who, against most odds, found a forever home a few weeks ago. While her rescue story isn’t necessarily unique, there is something about Clover that sets her apart from other rescue dogs in the area.

Back in October, Clover found herself in the starting lineup for the 12th installment of Animal Planet’s Puppy Bowl, a television special that mimics the Super Bowl and features dog rescues from about 40 states. Lindsey Hirsh, a volunteer with Middle Tennessee Treasures, says Clover’s personality was a perfect fit for the competition.

“This is the first chance we’re able to say we have one of our puppies in the Puppy Bowl,” Hirsh says. At the time of the application last fall, she says, Clover was 18 weeks old.

FINDING A HOME Middle Tennessee Treasures is a local allbreed animal rescue committed to pairing cats and dogs with the right temporary or long-term home. They understand that matching a dog or cat with a foster owner requires more attention than an adoption fee and a few signed papers, Hirsh says.

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Middle Tennessee Treasures is involved in the adoption process from the moment the application is submitted to an animal’s placement in a short- or long-term home. In addition to providing food and medical expenses for the dogs and cats who find fosters, the animal rescue also provide training and all animals receive necessary shots prior to placement in homes.

“Our mission is to find a successful foster,” Hirsh says. “We’d rather be cautious and pair the right animal the first time to ensure an easy experience for both the animal or the foster.”

This is why, she says, the volunteers at Middle Tennessee Treasures hold interviews with potential fosters and visit the home prior to placement. Once the application is approved, members of the board reach out to references and the applicant to consider whether a large, small, high-energy or low-energy dog is right for the home.

“We will work with the family and take the dogs to wherever they need to be in order to have a safe and successful life,” she says.

“That’s why we share so much on social media—you never know who will stumble upon our page and want to foster.”

WHATEVER IT TAKES Middle Tennessee Treasures partners and communicates with other rescue groups

in the U.S. and Canada in an effort to find animals temporary and permanent homes.

Because of this broad-based system of communication, Hirsh says, the rescue is able to save more animals from high-kill shelters.

“Sometimes we find animals who were left on the side of the road, but oftentimes most of our dogs come from shelters where they don’t have much time,” Hirsh says.

“The more animals we save from shelters, the more fosters we need.”

Recently, local pups have found homes in Ohio, Texas and Canada. Volunteers will travel anywhere, she says, if it means one of their animals has the opportunity to live a happy and healthy life.

“I recently drove one of our dogs to Nashville and then someone from Kentucky picked up the dog,” she says. “They then transported the dog to the next leg and then someone else to the next leg until the dog finally reached Canada, where they had a home waiting for it.”

Once a foster herself, Hersh became a permanent owner to her dog,

Peter Parker. She says sometimes families are unable to commit at the beginning, but over time the dog or cat becomes a member of the family.

“I was once a foster, but, like a lot of our fosters, I fell in love and I had to keep him,” she says.

Hirsh says that all it takes is a phone call, email or online application to begin the adoption process. She encourages those interested in fostering to visit their Facebook page or website to see what animals are available to foster at any given moment.

“If you have the money, you can get a $10,000 designer dog any day,” she says.

“But with a rescue dog, it chooses you,” Hirsh says. “You’re going to come in and the dog will take your heart. . . . You’ll see a dog who needs you, and at the time you may not even realize that you need it, too.”

Tune in to Animal Planet on Sunday, Feb. 7, at 2 p.m. to see if Clover scores a “puppy touchdown” before the Super Bowl. For more information or to submit a foster application, go online to middletennesseetreasures.com or visit their Facebook page, Middle Tennessee Treasures.

BOROPULSE.COM

* FEBRUARY 2016 * 23

Food

Read more about local restaurants at

BoroPulse.com/Category/Food

Feast on balsamic prime rib, caprese pizza, raspberry chipotle chicken and more at CJ’s.

THE DISH NAME: CJ’s Restaurant and Catering LOCATION: 352 Northfield Blvd.

PHONE: (615) 546-4164

Fine Affordable Dining

HOURS: Mon.–Wed.: 10 a.m.–9 p.m.; Thurs.: 7 a.m.–9 p.m.; Fri.–Sat. 7 a.m.– 10 p.m.; Sun.: 10 a.m.–8 p.m.

COST: Grilled blackberry chicken salad:

$9.50; grilled salmon with two sides: $12.50; Prime rib with two sides: $19.50; San Francisco Burger (half-pound burger on sourdough with bacon and guacamole) and fries: $9

STORY BY BRACKEN MAYO

ONLINE: cjsintheboro.com

PHOTOS BY SARAH MAYO

CHEF JEFFREY (“CJ”) PEVEHOUSE says his business is a caterer first, and then a restaurant, not a restaurant that happens to offer catering services.

“We are a full-service caterer, with tables, linens, chairs, everything,” the chef said.

He and his crew can handle catering for five weddings in one weekend, and already have over 200 weddings on the books for 2016.

Pevehouse has even served the food for three of his own daughters’ weddings, and says he “hates to disappoint brides,” so he strives to provide great food on a budget for his clients.

“CJ’s catered my wedding last weekend and I have one word for the experience—perfect!” said Hannah Raine. “All of my guests raved about how awesome the food was and how professional and kind the staff was . . . such reasonable pricing for such outstanding food and service.”

Now, after opening a restaurant in 2015, all can partake in the the chef ’s creations.

“Everyone would say, ‘Where’s your restaurant?’” Pevehouse said.

And now, he has an answer for them—CJ’s is located at 352 Northfield Blvd., in the unit on the left side of the complex that formerly housed Fuji.

And the company’s intense catering schedule is not likely to eclipse the quality of the restaurant. CJ’s prime rib, grilled salmon, catfish and tacos have already become a hit with many diners in Murfreesboro.

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A meal at CJ’s begins with a complimentary platter of some caprese (the traditional red, white and green Italian salad with tomatoes, mozzarella and basil), served with a little balsamic vinegar and a few Alabama fire crackers, toasted saltine crackers with just a touch of red pepper.

The enthusiasm for the caprese inspired a caprese pizza, a dish Pevehouse wants area vegetarians be aware of. He also offers a shrimp and asparagus pizza.

Pevehouse moved around a lot before settling in Murfreesboro, and his time in San

Diego, San Francisco, Arizona and Atlanta gave him a broad American culinary palate from which to paint in his fusion style.

He calls the food “Southern fine dining” when asked to give it a label, but pulls some creative flavors out, such as marinating chicken in either a blackberry habanero blend, or the equally popular raspberry chipotle sauce.

The raspberry chipotle chicken can be used on a salad, in tacos or as a standalone entrée.

“The raspberry chipotle chicken was fantastic and the whiskey cake was great,” Elizabeth Porter said after her dinner at CJ’s.

“Very impressed.”

The prime rib, which Chef Jeff coats with his balsamic glaze to give the dish a tasty sweetness, is flame-grilled—and delicious, tender and juicy.

The salmon is also typically served with the balsamic glaze, but customers can choose Asian ginger sauce, a bourbon glaze, the blackberry habanero blend or the raspberry chipotle on their steaks or salmon.

Pevehouse said he feels that once more people understand the restaurant’s prices, they will gain many more customers.

“We look like $44 a plate,” the chef says, “but we’re really $12 a plate.”

Literally. The small portion of prime rib is $11.50, served with two sides. The salmon is $12.50, and there are numerous sandwiches under $10. The filet mignon or the large portion of prime rib are the priciest items on the menu at $19.50 apiece.

“I paid $8 for chicken in a cranberry sauce, asparagus and grilled pineapple. It was amazing,” said Wesley Robinson. “Seriously, one of the best meals I’ve had in Murfreesboro.”

Chef Jeff says he enjoys running his own kitchen and calling his own shots. He mentioned he may like to bring some East Indian curries to CJ’s menu in the future.

CJ’s spacious restaurant in Murfreesboro contains a private dining room that seats up to 100 guests, so the Pevehouses are able to cater many corporate events in their own facility.

And the restaurant is open for breakfast Thursdays through Sundays, if you’d dare to take on The General—two enormous pancakes containing bacon, fried chicken and gravy in between them, covered with maple syrup.

PORK CONFERENCE INCLUDES TENDERLOIN COOKING COMPETITION

THE TENNESSEE PORK PRODUCERS held its annual conference Jan. 19–20 at the Doubletree Hotel in Murfreesboro.

Part of the festivities included a pork tenderloin cooking competition, “A Taste of Elegance,” featuring eight of the area’s top chefs.

Participants included chefs representing Kitchen Notes, the restaurant in Nashville’s Omni Hotel; East Nashville’s Lockeland Table; Alex Belew, of Murfreesboro’s Alex Belew Catering; The Blue Porch, now the resident catering company of Batey Farm’s The Grove; Etch, a Nashville fine dining restaurant; Home-

stead Manor, a farm-to-table operation in Thompson’s Station, and The Block and Five Senses, both of Murfreesboro.

Carlos Garcia, who operates the kitchen at Homestead Manor took first place in the competition, with Nate Door from Etch placing second, and Manny Santana, owner of The Block, taking third prize.

BOROPULSE.COM

* FEBRUARY 2016 * 25

Art ART COMMUNITY WILL BE CRAWLING AGAIN ON FEB. 12 The next Boro Art Crawl will take place Friday, Feb 12, from 6–9 p.m. Held mostly in Murfreesboro’s downtown area, the Boro Art Crawl will have some of the region’s best artists showing new works in the city’s shops, offices and galleries.

Organizers encourage those joining the fun to use the #boroartcrawl tag on social media as they share their images and thoughts from the night.

The Boro Art Crawl happens every other month; for more information, visit boro artcrawl.com.

PARTICIPATING LOCATIONS  Clockwise: Words Unspoken by Beth Moore; Lollipop Hearts by Liz Kelly Zook; Beware by Kevin Wurm

PARTICIPATING LOCATIONS Center for the Arts 110 W. College St. Cultivate Coworking 107 W. Lytle St. Dafodilly Design 118 W. Vine St. Downtown Shoppes on West Main 224 W. Main St. Dreaming in Color 504 N. Maney Ave. FunTiques 118 S. Maple St. Hastings House B&B 223 N. Academy St.

MTSU Student Photography Gallery 1301 East Main St. (McFarland Building) MTSU Todd Art Gallery Oaklands Mansion 900 N. Maney Ave. Rotunda City Hall 111 W. Vine St. Smoke and Mirrors 2136 Middle Tennessee Blvd.

Studio 903 903 Murfree Ave. Sugaree’s 122 S. Maple St.

L&L Contractors 25 S. Public Square

The Block 123 Southeast Broad St.

Let’s Make Wine 208 W. Main St.

The Earth Experience 816 Old Salem Rd.

Liquid Smoke 2 N. Public Square

The Write Impression 120 S. Maple St.

Murfreesboro Art League 312 S. Front St.

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MTSU Baldwin Photography Gallery 1301 East Main St. (Mass Comm. Building)

Top of the Block Salon 314 W. Lokey Ave.

Mayday Brewery 521 Old Salem Rd.

Two-Tone Art Gallery 113 W Lytle St.

Moxie Art Supply 302 W. Vine St.

Wall Street 121 N. Maple St.

LOOKING FOR THE LIGHT Murfreesboro author pens Zen Pig for little ones.

STORY BY SARAH H. CLARK

“THE CHARACTER CAME ABOUT BECAUSE a pig is the only thing I can remotely draw,” laughs Mark Brown, author of the three-part children’s story Zen Pig. “My son Nobel and I hung out a lot, and we would draw together,” says Brown. And when Nobel developed the language skills to make his preferences known, he would request that his dad draw Zen Pig. “I made a lot of mistakes,” says Brown. “I want to help my son avoid that. I’m trying to nurture the proper seeds in him.”

That’s why he gave his son the name Nobel: he says he was lying in bed, thinking about his future child, when he realized that he didn’t care if his son were an astronaut or a garbage collector—what he really wanted was for his son to be noble. “I cared about his virtues,” says Brown. “I want that to be his crown, what he will always live up to.”

After Nobel started asking for Zen Pig, Brown eventually realized he wanted to share the character—and the values it represented—beyond his own family. He ran the idea by some friends who had kids of their own, and they encouraged him and pushed him to finish the book. In May of 2015, the first part of Zen Pig’s story was released.

The slim volume costs $7.95, and it can be purchased at zenpigbook.com or at The Crazy Kukla Boutique on Murfreesboro’s Square. It consists of short, four-line verses written by Brown, alternating with illustrations done by his wife, Amy Lynn Brown.

He enjoyed his life Much more than most Because he took the time To look at things close.

It opens: Eons ago On a grassy green knoll Lived a pleasant little pig Who always seemed quite whole.

The other animals remark about Zen Pig’s peacefulness and awareness, but Zen Pig denies that he is special and offers to teach the other creatures his philosophy.

Zen Pig’s advice includes caring for others as much as for yourself, choosing words with care for their effect on others, forgiving oneself for mistakes, and enjoying the present moment. The second two volumes, Zen Pig: The Wonder We Are and Zen Pig: All That Is Needed, continue these themes and the adventures of Zen Pig. Each purchase of a volume of Zen Pig’s story enables the Browns to donate enough clean water to provide for 10 people for one year. “[Book purchasers] have provided 16,620 people with clean water in seven months,” says Brown. “I thought I’d sell maybe five copies. I’m so humbled and grateful for the people for the people of this area for all of their support.”

This coming May, he’ll start publishing the second volume of Zen Pig. As for what he hopes for Zen Pig in the future? Says Brown, “He’s more than a children’s character. I’d like him to be a symbol for the mindful lifestyle, to help us nurture the little ones in our life.

The sooner we learn to be grateful and aware of our abundance, the better. I’d like to help turn the light on for them a little earlier than it came on for me.”

And as for son? “Noble is three. He’s a much better man than I am already,” says Brown.

For more information on Zen Pig or to order a copy, visit zenpigbook.com.

BOROPULSE.COM

* FEBRUARY 2016 * 27

Reviews

MOVIE

THE REVENANT DIRECTED BY

Alejandro Iñárritu

STARRING

Leonardo DiCaprio, Tom Hardy, Domhnall Gleeson RATED R

Stepping away from the big city of Birdman, a world of theater, neuroses, jazz drums and hyper-kinetic, lengthy takes, director Alejandro Iñárritu, coming off of four Oscar wins (including Best Picture and Best Director), makes a complete one-eighty with the equally enthralling The Revenant.

Once again using the excellent Oscarwinning cinematography of Emmanuel Lubezki, The Revenant gorgeously and gruesomely evokes the feral frontier of the 1800s-era midwest: a world of trappers, muskets, lyrical long takes and indifference to death. This world is filtered through the eyes of Hugh Glass (DiCaprio), a hired guide for a

company of pelters whose camp is beset upon and ransacked by a troop of natives.

During their retreat, Glass is attacked by a bear, barely surviving the unflinching, grisly ordeal. The film then focuses on Glass’s incredible recovery and his struggle for survival, becoming a mesmerizing tale of man vs. nature and man vs. man.

I’m still not entirely sold on DiCaprio

Honorable Mentions:

5 Kids’ Films You Can Rent for Free at Family Video AFTER THE DEMISE of Blockbuster and other outlets, it seemed like the traditional video rental business was going the way of the dodo bird. Luckily, Murfreesboro and several hundred other cities around the U.S. still have an alternative to Redbox: Family Video.

Family Video runs like the video rental stores you grew up with and and has a diverse catalog of new and old releases.

If you’re a local cinephile, you probably already know about their location at 1208 E. Northfield Blvd. However, parents around the area should be aware of one of the Family Video stores’ best features: free kids’ movie rentals. For no cost, you can swing by and pick up one of their many DVDs of children’s films and TV series, and their catalog of already low-cost rentals. Next time you need some family entertainment fast, consider one of these titles available in the kids’ section in the front of the store.

Adventure Time: Adventure Time is one of the most imaginative and clever animated series currently on TV. This Cartoon Network series follows Finn the Human, a young boy with a sense for adventure, and his sidekick, Jake the Dog, a wisecracking pooch who is Finn’s best friend in the world.

It’s silly and imaginative, and it’s written in a way that viewers old and young can enjoy.

Batman: The Animated Series: Batman: The Animated Series took the silliness out of the lighter version of the Dark Knight the previous generation grew up with. While still a family show, it just simply takes Batman seriously. Kids will love the action and adventure of Batman taking down the Joker, Penguin, Riddler and other dastardly fiends.

A CLASSIC

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the Actor, but I will say he does blinding, cringe-inducing pain exceptionally well.

Tom Hardy gives further credence to the school of thought that he is better as the villain than the hero, mimicking what he sees as the unforgiving, cruel persona of the wilderness. The seemingly ubiquitous Domhnall Gleeson and Will Poulter round out the rest of the excellent cast.

The Revenant is undeniably one of the most beautiful films I’ve seen this year or last (even more impressive than the 70mm The Hateful Eight), but the beauty is matched by an underlying savagery. Glass’s wounds, inflicted by a protective mother bear, are visceral and terrifying, but no less so than the snowy expanse, the raging river of ice water, or the sheer drop off a cliff face.

The Revenant depicts a world where every turn, every step, could mean salvation or demise, and it is a wonder to behold.

— JAY SPIGHT

OUTSTANDING

The Lion King: One of Cars: Despite being seen Alice in Wonderland Disney’s most timeless ’90s by many as the low mark The Aristocats animated feature, The Lion for Pixar, Cars is still The Berenstain Bears Digimon King gives viewers a look into a strong animated outHercules the world of the African animal ing. Race car Lightning The Land Before Time kingdom, as Simba (JonaMcQueen (Owen Wilson) Sleeping Beauty than Taylor Thomas, Matthew is set to win the Piston Cup Scooby-Doo Broderick) looks to reclaim the championship when he gets Superman: The Animated Series Kingdom his father (James Earl sidetracked in a small town Jones) once ruled from his devfull of unique makes and ilish uncle Scar (Jeremy Irons). Along the models, just as the rusty tow truck Mater way, he meets Timon & Pumba, a meerkat (Larry the Cable Guy), and the grumpy old-time racer Doc Hudson (Paul Newman).

Families that are into NASCAR will love the references to the sport, but any kid who loves to play with Hot Wheels will be thrilled with Pixar’s world of talking vehicles.

Cyberchase: Parents looking for something a bit more educational need look no further than the PBS series Cyberchase. Three kids are sucked into cyberspace—which literally is a mix of technological backgrounds and outer space—to help save the world from the villain known as the Hacker, a typically grand-evilscheme-planning bad guy voiced by Christopher Lloyd. The crew travels to different sites to prevent various disasters using math.

Topics such as fractions, area and estimation all play roles in foiling Hacker’s plots.

AVERAGE

BELOW AVERAGE

and warthog duo that leads the most memorable musical number of the film, “Hakuna Matata.” Seriously, if your children haven’t seen this classic, head over to Family Video and let them love it as much as kids did back in 1994.

— JOHN CONNOR COULSTON AVOID AT ALL COSTS

DEAD

GAME

Pocket Mortys App Combines Rick and Morty Cartoon with Pokemon-Style Game Play Pocket Mortys, a mobile game stemming from the cartoon Rick and Morty on Adult Swim, combines the TV show’s universe with the capture-and-train gameplay of the Pokemon series, replacing the trainers and Pokemon with Ricks and Mortys, respectively. The game makes no attempts to hide its inspiration either, as the title is a clear nod to the Japanese title Pocket Monsters, the original title for Pokemon.

While Pocket Mortys builds off the Pokemon model, it takes an approach unseen in many would-be imitators: it presents itself as unashamedly and utterly ridiculous. And that’s not something that’s hard to do considering the creativity and freedom instilled in Justin Roiland and Dan Harmon’s parent TV show, in which the main characters often find themselves traveling to distant planets and strange dimensions in the pursuit of both selfish and do-gooder intentions. If players are unfamiliar with the TV show, it is highly recommended that they watch a few episodes before playing, to get a feel for the characters and their motives.

The sociopathic scientist, Rick, when confronted

LIVING ROOM CINEMA column by NORBERT THIEMANN

facebook.com/livingroomcinema

by a Rick from another dimension, is forced to use his grandson, Morty, to fight the parallel Rick’s own Stray Cat Morty, one of the many Morty variations. After defeating their adversaries, our heroes pursue them into a new dimension where the grandfather-grandson duo find themselves battling other trainers and Mortys. Things get complicated when Rick’s portal gun, their ticket home, is confiscated by the Council of Ricks, and the only way to retrieve it is to challenge the Council in a Morty vs. Morty showdown.

The collectible Mortys come in all shapes, sizes, ailments and dispositions. Biker Morty, Skinless Morty, Wizard Morty and the coveted One True Morty are just a few of the whopping 82 variations that can be captured throughout the games’ lengthy story. And the game is quite long, as players will soon find out, with several badges being required to fight one Council member and a badge being attainable only after wading through a whole dimension’s trainers and boss. Payers can choose to skip the trainer battles and go straight to the boss, but doing so would rob them of the experience of finding new Mortys, not to mention resulting in their captured Mortys being severely under-leveled.

Items can be purchased with the in-game currency, Shmeckles, but the flow of Shmeckles never seems to be enough. Players are pushed into deciding between purchasing healing items or the devices used to capturing Mortys. Luckily—or to some, frustratingly—enough for players, Shmeckles can be purchased with real money.

The trend of microtransactions and pay-to-win mobile games is far from unheard of, but it’s a shame to see such a delightfully unique series indulge in the vice.

It’s not a perfect game, but in a genre where games are repetitive and short, Pocket Mortys gives a sense of progress and achievement instead of the typical “killing time” gimmick most mobile games employ. The next season of Rick and Morty doesn’t yet have a release date, but the enjoyment of capturing, training and battling Mortys will buy Roiland and Harmond some time.

Pocket Mortys is available on GooglePlay and iTunes.

— TANNER DEDMON

Enemies: Face to Face

W

ith the advent of drones and other modern war technology, face-toface encounters with the enemy are being greatly reduced. In these minimalist films about more primitive places and times, not only are the encounters close-up, they are intimately prolonged due to the circumstances. The result is the necessity to entertain humanity.

Tangerines (2013) is directed

by Zaza Urushadze. An Estonian farmer in Georgia nurses two wounded prisoners from opposing sides in his home during the Georgian and Abkhazian conflict.

The landscape is stark, and yet it’s hauntingly beautiful. Tangerines will stay with you.

No Man’s Land (2001) is directed by Danis Tanovic.

During the Bosnian/Serbian War, two enemy soldiers find themselves in the same deserted bunker, sharing in a mutual problem. Their bitterness and distrust for each other resonates. The story is simply astonishing.

BOROPULSE.COM

* FEBRUARY 2016 * 29

30 * FEBRUARY 2016 * BOROPULSE.COM

ALBUMS

BY DYLAN SKYE AYCOCK

JULIEN BAKER

MIZE AND THE DRIVE

A Memphis native and MTSU senior, Julien Baker experienced a career surge last fall when she was featured by NPR, Rolling Stone and the New York Times and made a laundry list of “Best of 2015” tallies (including my own). Sprained Ankle, on 6131 Records and recorded at Richmond, Va., facility Spacebomb Studios, is sonically cohesive and taps into some of Baker’s most intimate thoughts. While the nine songs that make up her debut LP were undoubtedly crafted out of pain and loss, the outcome is an eloquent reminder that beautiful things can come from devastating experiences.

The first sound we hear on Sprained Ankle is Baker’s fuzzy finger-picking, followed by her soft, enthralling vocals. “Blacktop” is a haunting commencement, and her heavy lyrics are garnished with foreboding anecdotes: So I wrote you love letters, and sung them in my house, all around the silence, the broken strings and amplifiers scream with holy noise, I hope to draw you out, if not one sings along, and prays we used to prow.

Although Baker’s voice is the focal point of Sprained Ankle, the production on both the title track and “Brittle Boned,” a song set in some sort of operating room, is more complex than any others. The entire release is aptly heart-wrenching, but Baker’s minimalistic approach on “Everybody Does” makes the song all the more melancholy. And it isn’t until the double tracked vocal kicks in on the refrain that you realize just how sonorous her voice can be.

One of the most standout tracks is “Something,” in which Baker explicitly articulates the reality of losing something, or someone, important. The song steadily builds until the bridge, when Baker yells out I thought I meant something, one of the most sobering lyrics on Sprained Ankle.

Julien Baker is currently on tour throughout February. Sprained Ankle is available through 6131 Records, iTunes, Spotify and Amazon.

It’s been a few years since Mize and the Drive’s last project, but the Murfreesboro-based outfit is back with Robin, the follow-up EP to 2011’s full-length Irene. Back in 2012, the Pulse praised the band for its musical diversity, and with Robin Mize once again proves that honing in on several influences (the band counts Dave Matthews Band, Ben Harper, Grateful Dead, Radiohead and Umphrey’s McGee among its many mentors) and switching things up a bit to make their own jam-rock style is what creates their niche.

With seven musicians—Lee Ramsey, Ben Wencil, Cody Malak, Dan Jarnagin, Alex Stevenson, Nathan Deese and Tom Seymour—Mize and the Drive incorporates heavy guitars for the loud jazz-rock numbers, like on the opener “Flamingo,” but they just as easily bring things back down to earth with the breezy, acoustic finger-picking heard on “Dead Horse.”

That’s not to say the sharp stylistic changes aren’t jarring at times, especially on the first two tracks, but it doesn’t hinder the release much.

At times, the EP emits a strong classic-rock sound (“Bend Don’t Break”) while some songs take on a very different approach by letting the saxophone take center stage (“Friend”). The album’s third track, “Letdown,” serves as a happy medium between the two.

As someone who has seen Mize and the Drive live, I’d say the energy these guys put into their performances carries over well on the recording. Although they’re the kind of band that really shines on stage, they were able to channel most of that energy in the studio. Mize and the Drive’s members have been making music for a several years, both together and separately, and Robin is evidence that the band has grown musically and lyrically since Irene.

Robin is available on iTunes and Spotify. Check the band’s Facebook page for upcoming shows in the Middle Tennessee area.

Sprained Ankle

Robin

BOROPULSE.COM

* FEBRUARY 2016 * 31

Opinion LIBERTY CAUCUS WANTS RED-LIGHT CAMERAS GONE WHEN WILL THE PERSECUTION END?First, the Rutherford County Election Commission fired Nicole Lester a year and a half ago from the administrator of elections job after finding she repeatedly violated the county’s work-hours policy and created poor office morale.

Then in January the commission wouldn’t even allow her to work at the polls during upcoming elections. Lester applied to be a poll worker, but Administrator of Elections Alan Farley, who replaced her in 2014, declined to recommend her for the worker list, and the commission opted to take his recommendation and not add her to the list.

Apparently, they’re flush with workers, and they don’t want her within a mile of a precinct—unless she’s exercising her voting rights.

In Lester’s defense, while working as administrator she handled the shift to the voter photo LESTER ID law reasonably well along with redistricting the county’s voting precincts. She also conducted several elections with ease, except, of course, one occasion when the final counts didn’t come out until early in the morning. Faulty computer software was blamed.

What undid Lester was her inability to do one important thing: show up to work.

Election Commission Chairman Ransom Jones asked her early in her tenure to start reporting to the office regularly and to stop putting so many edits on her time report. He also requested she go through management courses to learn how to handle staff better.

But throughout her time as administrator—probably one of the easiest jobs in county government because the staff knows how to do the work—she simply didn’t abide by his simple directions. Some people say she would come in the front door in the morning, log on to her computer and go out the back door a few minutes later.

Others say she used county technology to log on to her computer and check email while at the beach, counting that as work time.

Of course, Lester disputed this type of stuff when the commission confronted her, bringing boxes of paperwork to her final meeting to show she was dependable and honest. It didn’t work, and she was fired in a unanimous vote.

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The

STOCKARD REPORT

BY SAM STOCKARD sstockard44@gmail.com

Jump forward about 18 months and the commission still can’t get past her attitude.

“She was fired under very public conditions she created for herself, and we did not feel it would be productive to bring her back [even to work at a polling precinct],” Chairman Jones said. “It would be disruptive.”

It might be useful to point out that Lester’s husband, Joe Russell, is chief administrative deputy at the Rutherford County Sheriff ’s Office, and possibly she picked up this sense of entitlement from him. While working there, email records show, he worked on real estate and ran JailCigs, a company selling e-cigarettes to inmates on a no-bid RUSSELL contract, until media found out about it in spring 2015. Sheriff Robert Arnold was an investor in the business, according to state documents, and now they are the focal point of an FBI-TBI investigation into corruption at the sheriff ’s office.

FBI officials say the case remains under investigation.

ANOTHER NICE TRIP

Speaking of entitlement, nobody can accuse Sheriff Arnold of sitting on his duff and sending out deputies to do the job.

When it comes to extradition trips, especially to nice vacation spots, Arnold can’t resist. Early in his first term, Arnold took extradition trips to Alaska and San Francisco and said afterward, “Rank has its privileges.”

His outlook may not have changed much over the last five years.

In October 2015, ARNOLD while detectives were busy investigating the shooting death of a man at Mona boat ramp, Arnold and Warrants Capt. Terry McBurney flew to Seattle, Wash., for a two-night stay, spending more than $1,600, to bring back a juvenile prisoner

wanted for rape of a child, according to documents obtained through an open records request.

Arnold says he and McBurney saved taxpayers money by using discounts they had for the flight. Also, because they are exempt from receiving overtime, nobody got paid extra to make the trip.

Of course, they couldn’t resist staying one night at the Seattle Marriott Waterfront, spending $290 and eating a nice breakfast buffet the next morning at the Hook & Plow.

Asked about the junket, the sheriff ’s office contended the Marriott Waterfront is not considered a “luxury” hotel and they were under the per diem rate of $202 per person for Seattle hotel rooms. Fair enough, but it’s not exactly the Motel 6, either, and Tom Bodett’s not leaving the light on.

The Seattle Marriott might dispute their claims, too, since the hotel touts its views of Elliott Bay, the Olympic Mountains and Mount Rainier.

Ultimately, the sheriff says he hopes to turn the costs of the extradition over to the state. Rutherford County taxpayers might appreciate the switcheroo. But in the end, Tennesseans will pay for it one way or the other.

ABSOLUTELY WORN OUT

The world’s smallest violin could be heard playing in the Legislative Plaza recently when state Rep. Rick Womick said he decided not to run for re-election to the 34th District state House seat.

Just a year after calling Gov. Bill Haslam a traitor and making a silly run against Beth Harwell for the House speaker’s post, Womick said he’d had enough of the job and wanted to spend more time with his wife and children.

“Six years is enough. It’s time for me to step aside and let somebody else serve,” Womick said.

Womick noted the legislative session from January through April takes a great deal of energy and he never stops working. Considering he’s an airline pilot, the last thing he wants to do when he comes home is go spend time with nuts on Capitol Hill.

Of course, he’s made his own share of odd

statements over the years—that’s sarcasm, for those keeping score.

Three years ago, during a House hearing, Womick said an electromagnetic weapon was fired in Shelbyville. Officials there said they knew nothing about it.

On the House floor, Womick also accused the city of Murfreesboro of conspiring with the United Nations on its Agenda 21, a policy dealing with worldwide development, water, food and climate, when it required a Franklin Road businessman to abide by city codes after he tried to turn his fencing business into a restaurant called Papa’s Butts & BBQ. The man running the WOMICK business was not very happy with Womick’s decision to use him as an example during House debate.

When serving as chairman of the Rutherford County Republican Party, Womick also said he doesn’t believe in global warming or climate change because he flies over Canada and still sees lots of snow and ice. The world’s top scientists must have forgotten to consult with Womick before coming to their conclusions about the world’s climate.

Oops, I almost forgot Womick’s entry into political races here. While running against former Rep. Kent Coleman about eight years ago, he rented a house on Sulphur Springs Road and pretended to live there because he wanted to make sure he was in the right dis-

trict. Local Democrats called his hand on it, but the former district attorney didn’t prosecute for voter registration fraud.

Womick later admitted he never lived there.

IT’S JUST LIKE CROSSTOWN TRAFFIC

Apologies to Jimi Hendrix for using his lyrics, but this whole thing about redlight cameras has me tangled up in blues (sorry, Bobby Dylan). I just can’t seem to get no satisfaction (hats off to Mick and the boys).

The Republican Liberty Caucus is pretty P-O’d about these cameras, too. Set up at six intersections across Murfreesboro, they take pictures of any motorist whose vehicle crosses the white line and goes through the intersection after the light turns red.

The group contends not only are these cameras and the $50 ticket sent to violators unconstitutional, they don’t reduce red-light running or make intersections safer. About all they do is enrich the vendor running the program, American Traffic Solutions out of Scottsdale, Ariz.

Murfreesboro has been paying ATS about $800,000 to run the cameras, netting anywhere from $100,000 to $200,000. The contract is up for renewal before the Murfreesboro City Council.

SMOTHERMAN Councilman Eddie Smotherman told the caucus recently, “If red-light cameras worked, I would be putting one at every intersection in Murfreesboro. But they don’t work.”

Though city officials contend figures they’ve cut down on the number of crashes at all intersections since the cameras went up. Yet the number of tickets for running red lights has gone up almost yearly.

Violators are not required to pay the fines, either, because they are civil penalties, not criminal, though there was a question in recent years about whether failure to pay them would count against someone’s credit score.

Nevertheless, thousands of them go unpaid each year. But most are paid, enriching the vendor. Steve Lane, leader of the Republican Liberty Caucus, calls it “economic carpetbagging.”

Legislation at the state Capitol could be a factor, as well, and we all know how the Legislature feels about carpetbaggers, even if they’re not really Yankees.

Follow The Stockard Report at boropulse.com/author/sam.

BOROPULSE.COM

* FEBRUARY 2016 * 33

Opinion GET

Live Exceptionally. . . Well!

BY JENNIFER DURAND

Clear

WITH MENTAL FLOSS Clean up your thoughts before they build up.

DO YOU EVER FEEL BOGGED DOWN at the end of the day? Or even somewhere in the middle?

Perhaps you feel drained from the day’s activity or conversations, or from analyzing all the things that happened? A daily practice of “mental flossing” conceptual matters is as important as cleaning your teeth. If you allow your thoughts and concepts to build up it can be a little tougher to clean them up later.

There are several ways to achieve this and make it habit-forming. First, find a place where you can be alone with your thoughts (of course, you’re always alone with your thoughts, for no one else can know them!), away from outside distractions.

Start with the positive. Identify at least five good things that happened in your day. If this is challenging after a difficult day, then start with the basics: 1.) Having food to eat 2.) Clothes to wear 3.) Air to breathe 4.) Hot shower 5.) Shelter.

Now, take a deep breath after identifying each good thing.

Here’s another example of how to practice beyond the basics. Start by lying down in your bed. Notice your breathing for five full breaths. Now pay attention to what comes to mind. 1.) Comfortable bed to lie down on. Take a deep breath. Exhale. 2.) Getting the car fixed less expensively than you thought it might be. Take a deep breath. Exhale. 3.) The great compliment my boss gave me. Take a deep breath.

Exhale. 4.) My friend helping me move my furniture. Take a deep breath. Exhale. 5.) Listening to the sound of my spouse breathing next to me. Take a deep breath. Exhale.

Now you’re getting the idea. But, what about the not-so-great things that happened in your day? The thoughts that keep tugging at you, wanting your attention? This takes more flossing!

For every negative thought that gives you angst, replace that thought with something good. Even if you have to repeat one of the “basics” of the day to replace the negative thought, that is what you do. More examples of good will come to mind as you continue 34 * FEBRUARY 2016 * BOROPULSE.COM

the exercise. Next thing you know, the weight of the negative will become lighter until it disappears.

It is difficult to stop thoughts from coming, but you are the conductor and can direct them where to go. Here’s another exercise. Create some shelves in your mind. Prioritize the shelves in order of the importance or energy it takes to deal with a thought or problem. The bottom shelf is for things that are easier to deal with or move around, on up to the top shelf where something is going to take more focus or attention. You can mentally tune into these mental dividers throughout the day as needed. 1.) Allow thoughts to come to mind. 2.) Recognize them—“oh, hello, thought” 3.) Identify their importance (urgent, annoying, complex, happy) 4.) Place the thought on the shelf in order of importance—but remember you are shelving it! 5.) Move on to the task at hand.

Thoughts are tricky. They will come back and press for attention. Continue the mental exercise until you are able to focus more on the task in front of you. When it is time, you can take the thought off the shelf, tend to it and move on. This is another way of learning how to be present—or to be where you are. You can’t be fully present if you are constantly bombarded with thoughts that want you to be somewhere else. This exercise will help you honor all your thoughts, but compartmentalize them and tend to them when it’s time.

Eventually, with some practice, you can learn to be still even amid chaos and distractions. You will be able to shuffle the more difficult thoughts so you can concentrate on what you can control at the moment.

In case you didn’t recognize it, the common denominator in the article is breathing!

“Most folks are as happy as they make up their minds to be.” — Abraham Lincoln Jennifer Durand is the owner and operator of The Nurture Nook Day Spa & Gift Shoppe; let her help you find your personal “ahh . . .” factor by visiting nurturenook.com or by calling (615) 896-7110.

Raising Minimum Wage Will Only Increase Unemployment and Prices

T

he unintended consequences of government meddling are nowhere more apparent than the minimum wage. Minimum wage increases have historically led to unemployment and even helped trigger recessions. It’s basic economics, really. When the government makes an employer pay its employees more without any new income, something has to give.

Fast-food restaurants are already introducing pay stations where customers place their orders and wait for their food, thus eliminating cashiers. Assembling burgers costs an estimated $9 billion a year in labor costs, according to Momentum Machines. They have a solution to the rising cost of burger-flippers. It’s a burger-making machine that can churn out 400 burgers per hour. Not only does it almost totally eliminate the labor involved in burger cooking and assembly, it takes up far less space. So imagine the burger joint of the future, where you place your VIEWS OF A order electronically and only two people are needed in the restaurant: one to continually feed the machine column by and one to bring your order to the counter.

PHIL VALENTINE philvalentine.com I bet this ain’t what those malcontents with the signs demanding $15 per hour had in mind.

Now the hospital industry in New York is raising a red flag to a proposed mandatory $15-per-hour minimum wage. They say it will have a devastating effect on their industry, adding an estimated $570 million to their costs. At the very least, businesses will either have to increase prices, hire fewer workers, or even fire some existing workers. Some businesses could close their doors altogether.

This is something proponents of mandatory minimum wages fail to take into consideration.

You think healthcare costs are high now; wait until the minimum wage is doubled. These proponents of government meddling say that no one can live on the minimum wage. No one was ever intended to. The minimum wage was designed to be just that, a bare minimum wage for the least-skilled labor. Think teenagers in their first jobs. They have little or no skills to offer.

It’s how most of us started in the work world.

They also claim the minimum wage hasn’t kept up with inflation. The truth is it’s the other way around. The minimum wage started out in 1938 at 25 cents per hour. Adjusted for inflation, the minimum wage today should be $4.20 per hour. Instead, it’s $7.25. There is no argument whatsoever for raising the minimum wage. In fact, what companies pay their employees is none of the government’s business.

Eliminating the minimum wage horrifies many. They believe people would be destitute without it, yet only a relative few actually earn it. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, only 4 percent of hourly employees are paid the minimum wage. Furthermore, 58.7 of all workers are paid by the hour, so that 4 percent is 4 percent of less than 60 percent of the workers.

In other words, hardly anyone makes the minimum wage. What happens when the government mandates employers double it? Not only do you have to raise the minimum wage, but every other hourly wage to boot. If you’re making $15 an hour now, you’re going to be hopping mad if you’re paid the same as entry-level employees, so your pay will have to increase. You’ll bump up against the guy or gal-making $20 per hour and on up the chain it goes.

Now you see why force-feeding a minimum-wage increase on American companies is a bad idea, especially one that doubles the minimum wage. Instead, we need to encourage workers to develop the skills where they’ll never make minimum wage.

CONSERVATIVE

“So imagine the burger joint of the future, where you place your order electronically and only two people are needed in the restaurant: one to continually feed the machine and one to bring your order to the counter.”

Phil Valentine is an author and nationally syndicated radio talk show host with Westwood One. For more of his commentary and articles, visit philvalentine.com.

BOROPULSE.COM

* FEBRUARY 2016 * 35

Opinion Identify Your Target Market

the people who live, work or spend time there.

What do you notice about the neighborhood?

Is anything missing? Get a sense of their age, gender, clothing and any other features.

Bringing Qualified Leads Into Your Business BUSINESS BUILDER

Q

BY ROBERT RITCH

ualified leads are the group of people most likely to buy from you—they have a current need, problem or desire that your offering will solve or serve.

These people are your target market, or ideal customers. Qualified leads are generally easier to convert into customers, so a high number of qualified leads mean a high conversion rate and, of course, more sales.

If you are talking to the wrong audience it doesn’t matter how good your offer is, you are wasting your time. Talking to your target market is absolutely critical to successful marketing.

So, as a business owner you must figure out who your target market is, and how the people in it think and behave.

Your market can be broad or specific in scope, and it is unique to each business or industry. Without a comprehensive understanding of your target market, you can’t make smart choices about your products or services, pricing, offers or marketing strategy. It’s kind of like driving a car with a blindfold on, you’d be headed for disaster.

You likely already have an idea of who your target market is—or who you want it to be. As you work through this process, you may find that you were correct in your assumptions—or not. Either way, you will discover invaluable information about your audience.

When you set out to identify your target market, you need to find the group of people that have: > A particular need, want or desire. > The financial ability to purchase your solution to their need, want or desire. > The power to decide to purchase your product or service. > Access to your business through a physical location, website or catalog.

To find that group of people, answer the following questions about your product or service: 1.) What is the need, want or desire that my product or services fulfill?

2.) What does my product or service cost?

3.) Who makes the decision to purchase my product or service? (For example, if you provide a product or service for children, their parents make the decision to make a purchase.)

4.) How are my products or services accessed? Does your ideal customer need to live in the same city or region as your business?

Or can they access your products online?

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COMPETING BUSINESSES

Now let’s look at the demographic and psychographic characteristics of the people that need, can afford, can access and decide to purchase your offering.

Age: What is the age range that my product or service caters to? Kids? Teens? Adults?

Seniors? Baby boomers? GenX? GenY? Income: How much do consumers have to make to afford my product? Single or double household income? Low? Medium? High?

Gender: Does my product or service appeal to men, women or both?

Occupation or Industry: Does my product or service appeal to people in a certain occupation, or industry?

Family Size: Does my product or service cater to large or small families? Is family size relevant?

Education: What level of education do my primary customers have? High school?

University?

Nationality, ethnicity, religion, language: Are nationality, ethnicity, religion or language relevant to my product or service?

Psychographics are the qualitative characteristics of your target audience such as personality, values, attitudes, interests or lifestyle.

Lifestyle: What kind of lifestyle group does your audience fall into? Are they conservative or trendy? Travelers or soccer moms? Are they thrifty or extravagant?

Values and beliefs: What are their values and beliefs? Would you consider them environmentalists or safety conscious?

Attitude: Are they positive or negative?

Open or critical? Easily led or opinionated?

Motivation: Are your customers opinion leaders or followers? Do they tell others what products they need, or do they need others to tell them what is trendy and what works?

Activities and interests: What do they do in their spare time? What are their hobbies?

Social class: What social class does your audience belong to? How much extra money do they spend on luxury items?

You’ve done enough research now to create a picture of who you think your ideal customer is. Being as specific as you can, write a 1–2 sentence statement about your target market.

For example: My target customer is a young professional: A middle-class man aged 20–35 who is single, makes more than $50,000 per year and is physically fit. He is university educated and has an interest in economics and politics.

My target market is affluent new mothers: Married women with children under 5 years old, between the ages of 25–45, with a household income of at least $100,000 annually. She is the trend and opinion follower, and her purchase motivations are driven by her peer group.

Now, use some market research strategies to confirm your educated assumptions about who your target market is. Market research is the study of a particular group of consumers, or markets. It is one of the most valuable activities you will work on as a business owner, since it keeps you connected and informed about your customers’ motivations and behaviors.

Market research needs to be conducted regularly, regardless of how long you have been in business or how well you know your target market. Trends shift, and environments are affected by factors beyond your control.

Basic demographic research is something you won’t have to conduct yourself. Every city, town or region will have demographic information available online or in city halls, libraries, chambers of commerce and business centers.

Research on general consumer behavior can be extremely useful for small businesses.

There are two main types of market research—secondary and primary—and three main areas of market research—consumer, competitor and environment.

SECONDARY – Second-hand data or research that has been completed by someone else, but can be applied to your objectives > statistics on area population > trade journals > public surveys by larger companies > government publications and surveys > newspapers > consumer reports PRIMARY – Firsthand information gathered from your customers or about your customers and target market > info from existing customers through surveys or questionnaires > what works, what doesn’t work for your competition > types of products that consumers are currently interested in Primary market research strategies you shouldn’t miss: GROUND RESEARCH

Spend some time in your local area at different times of the day observing and talking to

If you have direct competitors in the same local area, spend some time being “their” customer and making observations about their business.

Is there a niche that is being missed?

SURVEYS

Take your time to administer surveys carefully and thoughtfully; surveys can get complex and variables can be high. Keep your questionnaire short and focused. This will encourage a higher response rate. Include basic demographic questions on your survey so you can cross-reference responses with factors like age, income, sex and profession.

WEBSITE ANALYSIS

Use a website tracking system like Google Analytics to monitor how visitors to your website behave and use the information available.

These programs will allow you to see how many people visit your site, where they are from, what pages they are looking at and how long they spend on your site.

CUSTOMER LOYALTY & PURCHASE DATA

Your point of sale system—depending on the level of features it offers—may also be able to run reports on customer purchase patterns and trends. If you have a customer loyalty program, you can keep track of purchase information in each customer’s file or account.

FOCUS GROUPS

Assemble groups of 6–12 people and ask them general and specific questions about their thoughts, opinions and habits. Be sure to assemble a cross-section of people that is representative of your target market.

When you’ve completed your market research, analyze what you’ve learned. Were your original assumptions confirmed or refuted? You may discover some hard facts to face about your business. Perhaps there is not a large enough market base in your area to support your business. Maybe you’ve spent thousands of dollars going after the wrong type of customers. This is all okay; it’s valuable information that you can work with to make better decisions about your marketing strategies and offerings.

Your market research is ongoing—each time you talk to a customer, supplier or sales rep, you’re gathering information about your clientele, and thus conducting market research.

Keep a log at the point of sale for staff to use to record customer comments and complaints.

Audiences, trends, products and services change, so stay ahead of the curve and keep on top of your market. Schedule time and money for primary research at least once a year; this is the only way to stay ahead of the competition.

Music Across America

BY GLORIA CHRISTY

America’s First Composer THE STORY OF WILLIAM BILLINGS

A CROUCHING FIGURE shuffled along, shivering through the shadows of another familiar moment in solemn silence. Glittering through the thin, icy rays of a street lamp, soft snowflakes whirled against the black abyss of night.

Almost beyond hearing, a church bell on high clamored brightly from the isolation of the Old Otterbein Church steeple.

Now consumed by fear and loneliness, this rejected, shame-filled soul continued on through the darkness as before, negotiating life, choosing to escape the struggles of life, simply oblivious to the joyful sound resonating hope in the distance through the foggy murk.

Buried within all of us is a desire to know the meaning of life. In the process of navigating through life’s maze, it is easy to lose our way. The pressure of being human and living life, including all the demands that are placed on us, keeps us from a truth which transcends time and space: The meaning of life and submission to God are one and the same. Sometimes, the meaning of a life like the one William Billings lived may not make sense for more than 200 years.

Pondering his life, William Billings had never really understood how to cope with the messes and stresses that life had dealt him. Billings was hopelessly addicted to tobacco, constantly inhaling handfuls of snuff. He walked the streets of Baltimore while failure encircled him. As a weary child of God waiting on a way of escape or rescue, he had resolved to depend on biblical truths of provision and protection. Nevertheless, he and his family found themselves destitute, losing everything.

Williams Billings is considered by many to be the foremost representative of early American music. Billings, a tanner by trade, was born in Boston on Oct. 7, 1746. Largely a self-trained musician, biographers call him a gargoyle—blind in one eye with a short leg and a withered arm.

In his day, William Billings’ spirited patriotic song “Chester” rivaled “Yankee Doodle” in popularity, becoming an anthem of the American Revolution.

Let tyrants shake their iron rod And Slav’ry clank her galling chains We fear them not, we trust in God New England’s God forever reigns.

Among his many contemporaries were Samuel Adams and Paul Revere. Paul Revere engraved the front piece of Billings’ first volume, The New England Psalm Singer. The New England Psalm Singer was the first published collection of original American music.

This began a grass-roots choral movement that was an attempt to standardize choral singing in churches as well as other public performances in early America.

“The essential genius of America, and of William Billings, was recognizing that full independence of Europe would eventually be gained only after we’d formed our own cultural roots,” John H. Lienhard

states in an article about Billings.

Billings published five more volumes and several additional pieces of sheet music. Billings was a remarkable man with a strong personality, commanding lively performances with his tremendous bass voice. He developed a new way of setting hymns and anthems in church music called the “fugue style,” a type of singing built on the repetition and overlapping of two or more vocal lines. It became extremely popular primarily because of its liveliness, invigorating what were rather doleful sounding and ritualistic hymns. This resulted in choirs and singing schools forming across the American colonies.

With such poetic freedom in his original church music styles, some even refer to Billings as the “Father of American Church Music.” He introduced the violoncello into New England, which foreshadowed the large-scale use of the church organ still to come.

Mostly sung a cappella, Billings’ music was forceful and stirring, celebratory and jarring, sounding more like music of the 20th century than that of the 18th century.

Billings’ work was very popular, but his career was hampered by the primitive state of copyright law in America.

By the time the copyright laws had been strengthened, it was too late for Billings. The favorites among his tunes had already been widely reprinted in other hymnals.

As the public’s musical tastes changed after the American Revolution, Billings’ fortunes declined. His last tune-book, The Continental Harmony, was published as a project of his friends, in an effort to help support the revered but no longer popular composer.

His temporary employment as a Boston street sweeper was probably a project of a similar nature. After years of tobacco abuse, he died at 53 years old on Sept. 26, 1800, leaving a widow and six children.

For a considerable time after his death, his music was almost completely neglected in the American musical mainstream. However, his compositions remained popular for a time in the rural areas of New England, whose citizens resisted the newer trends in sacred music.

Moreover, through the circuit riders during the “Second Great Awakening,” a few of Billings’ songs were carried southward and westward through America, as a result of their appearance in shape note hymnals. Even into the 20th century, they ultimately resided in the rural South, as part of the Sacred Harp singing tradition.

In the latter part of the 20th century, a Billings revival occurred and a sumptuous complete scholarly edition of his works was compiled. Murfreesboro was a primary location for organized singing schools throughout the South well into the 1950s.

Today, works by Billings are commonly sung by American choral groups, particularly performers of early music. In addition, the recent spread of Sacred Harp music has acquainted many more people with Billings’ music.

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Sports

SPORTS

TALK

COLUMN BY ZACH “Z-TRAIN” MAXFIELD

PEYTON VS. CAM WILL BE A GOLDEN SUPER BOWL

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Super Bowl 50 is upon us, and she is beautifully golden. A 50-year anniversary is known as the golden anniversary, the Super Bowl is being held in the Golden State of California and all is taking place in the San Francisco 49ers’ stadium, a team named after the gold rush of the 1800s. It’s golden, baby!

I am pumped up for this Super Bowl, and thrilled that Tom Brady and the cheating Patriots were knocked out. Thank you, Denver.

The old geezer Peyton Manning has a chance to go out like his current boss, John Elway, old and on top.

I am rooting for Manning. What a storyline—John Elway and Peyton Manning, so much history between the two and both with the same goal for the Denver Broncos: a victory!

Does Manning have enough juju left to get a victory over “Superman” Cam Newton and the Panthers?

Manning vs. Newton, old vs. new, The Gunslinger vs. Superman.

Cam Newton has looked and played like the league MVP that many believe him to be as he lives up to his “Superman” nickname. He is tall as a giraffe, he is fast, he can throw

a bomb and he is a nightmare for defensive coordinators. Let’s be honest, Peyton has not played like Manning this season. It’s been very strange watching him struggle.

So how did the Broncos knock off the Steelers and Patriots with a struggling Manning? Defense, ladies and gents, defense! The Broncos defense has been uptownfunking people up! This is a defense that can help an under-performing Manning win Super Bowl 50.

How did the Panthers knock off the Seahawks and destroy the Cardinals? Well, Cam Newton and the No. 1 overall offense in the league is the answer. Add in the fact that the Panthers’ defense is nearly as dominant as their offense, and the Panthers are a more complete team then the Broncos. This will be a heavyweight matchup to watch, folks!

So I am making a prediction, and I understand the issue of the Pulse with this column will be out for all to see well after the game is played, so if I am wrong, look to the nearest person in your vicinity and say, “The Train Daddy don’t know shiz-nit!” I pick the Broncos over the Panthers 27–24!

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MANNING

Thirteen years and 48 days—that’s the difference in age between Manning (39) and Newton (26). It is the largest quarterback age differential in Super Bowl history. Manning, a guaranteed hall-of-famer, is taking on a kid who hasn’t even come close to his full potential yet. This will also be the first time in Super Bowl history that both quarterbacks were former No. 1 overall picks (both out of the SEC). Manning is the only quarterback to take multiple teams to the Super Bowl multiple times—two times with the Colts and two with the Broncos. Cam Newton can become the first quarterback to win the Heisman, an NCAA National Title, the MVP and a Super Bowl. Stating all of Peyton’s accomplishments here would be a tedious task, but here are a few important ones: Manning holds the record for all-time passing yards (71,940) and all-time passing touchdowns (539). The 14-time Pro-Bowler Manning, with one more victory, can also surpass Brett Favre as the all-time victorious quarterback in NFL history. Peyton is a Rocky Top hero of mine, and he is wrapping up his legendary career. Cam has plenty of future left. So let’s go, Rocky Top, let’s go, Peyton, let’s go, Broncos!

Super Sunday means massive amounts of food, and we Americans (or, as other countries would call us, Fat Yanks) sure know how to grub on game day. Super Bowl Sunday is the second-largest food consumption day of the year, topped only by Thanksgiving. The average American will eat too much, drink too much and suffer the Monday morning consequences. Imagine this: Every second, 750,000 gallons of water flow over Niagara Falls. Americans drink 325 million gallons of beer on Super Sunday, which would amount to over 7 minutes of a beer waterfall flowing over Niagara Falls. We Americans are nuts, also eating over 2.5 million

NEWTON

pounds of nuts. The big daddy is chicken wings. Americans eat 1.25 billion chicken wings on Super Sunday, I said billion, folks. That crazy socialist Bernie Sanders hates billionaires, and he would be sick to know we eat a billion wings without equally sharing out the chicken.

That’s enough chicken wings for every American to have about three wings apiece, Sanders should campaign on this slogan: “If I am elected president, free healthcare, free college, and three free buffalo wings on Super Sunday!” Free chicken could be very powerful. I love chicken!

Not only do Americans eat a lot, well, we also gamble a lot. You can gamble on all aspects of the game— from the outcome to the color of the Gatorade that will splash the winning coach to the result of the coin toss or how long the national anthem will be. According to projections, an estimated 200 million people worldwide will gamble on the Super Bowl, wagering over $10 billion. With all that attention and interest, it’s a given that the commercials will get bigger and better every year. Super Bowl commercials have continually risen in price, costing $5 million for a 30-second ad. Last year’s Super Bowl topped the list of all-time USAviewed television events with 114.4 million viewers. The list of Top 10 viewed events are all Super Bowls except for one; standing at No. 7 is the finale of M*A*S*H. Very few events even compare in America. On the global stage, soccer and cricket dominate. It is reported that about 1 billion people watched the 2015 Cricket World Cup—crazy numbers! FIFA states that a cumulative global audience of around 715 million people watches the World Cup. The Olympics though, are said to hold the official world record for largest global viewership, with between 4 and 5 billion people, or

around 70% of the world’s population, watching some part of the coverage. But as I said in the world of American sports, the NFL reigns as king. I truly have as much love for college football as I do the pros, but the numbers speak truth. Alabama vs.

Clemson’s National Championship match drew in roughly 25 million viewers, a quarter of the Super Bowl’s audience. I love college basketball, I love the NHL, I love great fights— both boxing and UFC—I love sports in general, but football has my heart.

Once in a while Americans get a fight as big as Mayweather vs.

Pacquiao, but great fights are rare, and that fight was a record-breaking disappointment. The NBA playoffs are too long and drawn out. The NBA should save us two months of our lives and just crown the team with the best regular season record, since they typically win the NBA title.

College basketball just feels so much more pure. The NCAA tournament is one of the greatest events in sports; anybody has a shot in the NCAA. Let’s wrap this wiener up. The big wiener is getting a makeover—that’s right! The famous Oscar Meyer Weinermobile has a new look. Oscar Meyer is giving us Americans a chance to attend the Super Bowl in a giant Wienie-Bago. It comes equipped with a living room, sleeping quarters, TV and Wi-Fi. All you have to do is spend a lot of money—the highest bidder wins. You and your friends could ride to San Francisco, home of the happy rainbow dancers, in a giant wiener. You will be the envy of all San Francisco residents.

So, I hope you enjoy, or enjoyed, the game. I hope Cam didn’t completely shred the Broncos. If my Broncos prediction was wrong, well, Peyton, congrats on a massive career, and get ready for Cam to have many more spectacular seasons. Train’s in the station. Choo-choo!

POTTS

PETTY

Potts Leads Blue Raiders to Strong C-USA January Play; Lady Raiders Keep on Winning Without Jones in the conference is big. Now we don’t have THE BLUE RAIDER BASKETBALL to win but 17 more; we did have to win 18 at season didn’t get off to the kind of start the beginning of the day.” coach Kermit Davis hoped to see, but the Insell’s hopes of winning all 18 conference team quickly recovered to make January games were dashed when MT traveled to El one of the finest months in recent memory Paso to take on UTEP. for MTSU, going 7–2. The Blue Raiders MTSU fared better on their trip to San Anopened their C-USA schedule in Birmingtonio to play UTSA. The Lady Raiders never ham against UAB. Though they got off to a trailed in their win, but their performance hot start, the Blue Raiders lost 78–67.

The Blue Raiders returned to Murphy Cen- was overshadowed by what will hopefully not be their biggest story of the season. The ter for a two-game home stand. The opening absence of preseason C-USA Player of the of the home stand also marked the return of Year Olivia Jones in the box score at UTSA Giddy Potts, who missed four games due was hard to miss. The story developed into to an academic issue. After losing three of a “he said, she said” situation. The athletics the four games in which Potts was out, his communications office confirmed that Jones return was just what the team needed. MTSU was indefinitely suspended, while Jones went on a six-game win streak after Potts’ return. Giddy went on a tear through that maintains that she quit the team. stretch, averaging 18.6 points per Jones’ departure has done no game, including a 29-point efharm to the success of the Lady fort against Charlotte.

Raiders. MT has posted a 6–1 The streaking Blue Raidrecord since her departure, including a win over WKU, ers went cold in Huntingending a 14-game winning ton, W.V., however, as streak for the Lady Toppers.

Marshall was able to stifle BY Freshman forward Alex the hot MT offense.

GREG The Blue Raiders put that Johnson has inherited the CRITTENDEN one behind them quickly, as role of the third option, and they had to travel to Bowling is making the most of it, averagGreen to take on bitter rival WKU. ing 16 points and four rebounds since Jones’ departure. Abbey Sissom, who The night belonged to Darnell Harris as he assumed the starting role vacated by Jones, led all scorers with 22 points. Upshaw also has been a valuable addition to the starting delivered his seventh double-double of the five. She has been arguably the best defendseason in the 66–64 victory. er on the team on and off the ball.

Blue Raiders will play their final home It is still the play of Brea Edwards and Ty games this month, so be sure to show your Petty that fuels this team. Petty has played support. Opportunities include FAU on Feb. the role of combo guard to near perfection.

4, FIU on Feb. 6, UAB on Feb. 21, WKU She has proven to be more than just a dison Feb. 25 and a grudge match against tributor over the last month by averaging 16.2 Marshall on Feb. 27. points, but still is keeping her teammates involved with 5.7 assists per game.

THE LADY RAIDERS got their conferThe Lady Raiders will play five of seven ence schedule started out right with a domigames on the road in February. However, nant 68–40 home win against UAB. you can catch them at Murphy Center on When asked how important it was to get Feb. 11 against Louisiana Tech, and on Feb. the conference schedule started with a win, 13 against Southern Mississippi. coach Rick Insell joked, “Well, the first win

BLUE RAIDER SPORTS

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