The Pulse 17.34 » August 19, 2020

CHATTANOOGAPULSE.COM

CHATTANOOGA’S WEEKLY ALTERNATIVE

covid on campus a new arts institute is coming to utc cracking down on drunk driving radio theatre comes to life sharkfest! goes virtual radio free honduras VOLUME 17, ISSUE 34 | AUGUST 19, 2020

WHEN YOU’RE BUZZED,YOU GET IDEAS. LIKE ASKING EVERYONE INSIDE THE TACO TRUCK WHAT DRIVING AROUND IN A KITCHEN IS LIKE AND THEN ORDERING 22 TACOS WITH EXTRA GUACAMOLE AND ALL THE CHEESE FOR EVERY DRUNK PERSON IN LINE. BAD IDEA FOR YOUR WALLET, BUT NOT AS BAD AS DRIVING HOME BUZZED.

Featured VOLUME 17, ISSUE 34 • AUGUST 19, 2020

COVID ON CAMPUS The Hamilton County Health Department, in partnership with the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, is notifying the community of potential COVID-19 exposures at Kappa Sigma Fraternity House and with members of the Delta Zeta sorority.

6 Publisher James Brewer, Sr.

A NEW ARTS INSTITUTE

Managing Editor Gary Poole gary@chattanoogapulse.com

The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga announces plans to launch the Institute of Contemporary Art at UTC—the first ICA in the state will open its doors in spring 2021. The ICA at UTC will be free and open to the public.

Art Director Kelly Lockhart Contributors Shawn Ryan Tom Bodkin Rachel Reese Robert Hydrick Casey Phillips

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HANDS ACROSS THE BORDER With some states seeing an increase in alcohol-related crashes and deaths during the COVID-19 pandemic, Georgia is looking to get drunk and drugged drivers off the road during the 29th annual “Hands Across the Border” DUI enforcement and awareness campaign.

Senior VP of Sales Lisa Yockey-Rice lisay@brewermediagroup.com Office 1305 Carter St. Chattanooga, TN 37402 Phone 423.265.9494 Email info@chattanoogapulse.com Website chattanoogapulse.com Facebook @chattanoogapulse

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Founded 2003

by Zachary Cooper & Michael Kull

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THE FINE PRINT: The Pulse is published weekly

by Brewer Media Group and is distributed online.

The Pulse covers a broad range of topics concentrating on music, the arts, entertainment, culture, and local news.

Contents Copyright © 2020 by Brewer Media.

All rights reserved.

SHARKFEST! GOES VIRTUAL SharkFest! will return on August 27th with a virtual live event packed to the gills with behind-the-scenes access, special guest appearances and up-close views of the many shark species that call the Tennessee Aquarium home.

4 NEWS & NOTES

15 LIVE ENTERTAINMENT

9 HEALTH & WELLNESS

19 LOCAL THEATER

12 THE MUSIC SCENE

22 OUTDOOR LIFE

AUGUST 19, 2020

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News & Notes Humane Educational Society’s Rescues On The Runway Is Going Virtual

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he annual Humane Educational Society’s Rescues on the Runway show is going virtual this year, and will air on WRCB-TV on Friday, September 11th at 3 pm. Supporters of HES can also participate in an online auction from Saturday, September 5th through Saturday, September 12th.

The exciting thing about hosting a virtual gala is everyone can attend. Please join us at heschatt.org/rescues and on Facebook as we share some of the heartwarming stories of the animals and people the Humane Educational Society has the pleasure of serving over the past year as well as some fantastic auction items up for grabs.

We cannot wait to share just a few of the happy endings that your support has made possible.

Rescues on the Runway ticket holders RSVP for your to-go meal by August 28th.

Please RSVP by choosing the to-go meal you would like to pick up from the Chef and His Wife, Texas Roadhouse (Hixson location only) or our lunch option from Chattanooga Brew-

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CHATTANOOGAPULSE.COM

ing Company. Or choose “Donate my Meal” to make an even bigger impact for homeless animals at HES. Each to-go meal will include a mini bottle of wine from Athens Distributing and your copy of the Rescues on the Runway program.

If you purchased a Rescues on the Runway table and did not submit your table guests please contact Taylor Hixson to do so.

This will allow your guests to RSVP for a to-go meal. call Taylor at (423) 624-5302 x222 or email her at taylorhixson@heschatt.org.

Please RSVP for your meal by Friday, August 28th. You must be a ticket holder to RSVP for a Rescues on the Runway to-go meal.

Flannery O’Connor Doc Joins Virtual Cinema While their historic theatre is temporarily closed, The Bobby Stone Film Series presented by West Village at the Tivoli Theatre continues to bring the very best in cinema magic to our friends and community.

This is a new way for audiences to watch new releases from the safety of their homes during this unprecedented time while also supporting the Tivoli Theatre Foundation. We now have streaming movies available for you to enjoy here first!

Winner of the first-ever Library of Congress/ Lavine/Ken Burns Prize for Film, Flannery is the lyrical, intimate exploration of the life and work of author Flannery O’Connor, whose distinctive Southern Gothic style influenced a generation of artists and activists.

With her family home at Andalusia (the Georgia farm where she grew up and later wrote her best known work) as a backdrop, a picture of the woman behind her sharply aware, starkly redemptive style comes into focus.

Including conversations with those who knew her and those inspired by her (Mary Karr, Tommy Lee Jones, Hilton Als and more), Flannery employs nev-

er-before-seen archival footage, newly discovered personal letters and her own published words (read

by Mary Steenburgen) alongside original animations and music to examine the life and legacy of an American literary icon.

For a complete list of films in the The Bobby Stone Film Series, visit tivolichattanooga.com/events/bobby-stone-film-series/virtual-cinema

Covid-19 Forces Cancellation Of 49th Prater’s Mill Country Fair The Prater’s Mill Country Fair Committee and the Prater’s Mill Foundation Board of Directors announce the cancellation of the 49th Annual Prater’s Mill Country Fair in nearby Varnell, GA, scheduled for Oct. 10 and 11, 2020.

The iconic event has celebrated the music, food, artistry and craftmanship of the Appalachian region for the last 48 years.

Prater’s Mill Country Fair is recognized as a juried show for handcrafts

made from natural materials and the invitation-only distinction.

“Every year, people come from all around to enjoy the country fair atmosphere. We can’t produce the quality show that people expect and follow the Centers for Disease Control guidelines. A lot of time and effort go into hosting the Prater’s Mill Country Fair, so this has been a very emotional and difficult decision,” said Mikey Sims, Fair Director.

AUGUST 19, 2020

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SPOTLIGHT

COVID on Campus UTC working to track

The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga and the Chattanooga-Hamilton County Health Department are collaborating in contact tracing efforts ...

BY SHAW RYAN & TOM BODKIN

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he Hamilton County Health Department, in partnership with the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, is notifying the community of potential COVID-19 exposures at Kappa Sigma Fraternity House and with members of the Delta Zeta sorority ver the past week.

Case investigations revealed that UTC students and members of the community who visited or are presently residing at the fraternity house may have been and/or are currently exposed to individuals during their infectious period of COVID-19.

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If you have been exposed to someone with the virus, you should quarantine from others for 14 days, monitor yourself for symptoms, and get tested.”

Case investigations revealed that UTC students and members of the community who visited or are presently residing at the Kappa Sigma Fraternity House fraternity house may have been and/ or are currently exposed to individuals during their infectious period of COVID-19.

At the same time, Delta Zeta sorority leadership and members are assisting the University in its efforts to pursue student contacts who may have been exposed. The University is grateful for their cooperation and assistance.

The UTC COVID-19 Campus Support Team is pursuing student contacts who may have had exposure. Those who have been in contact with members of the franternity and sorority since Aug. 8 are encouraged get tested and self-monitor for symptoms.

UTC students with potential exposure are asked to to call the campus office of Student Outreach and Support at (423) 425-2299.

For their own benefit and that of others who may have been exposed to COVID-19, members of the UTC community are urged to be responsive to communication efforts by the UTC COVID-19 Campus Support Team. Cooperation with these efforts is critical to mitigate the spread of the virus.

The Chattanooga-Hamilton County Health Department is engaged in efforts to identify and contact residents of Chattanooga and surrounding communities who may have been exposed.

Members of the community with potential exposure are asked to call the Chattanooga-Hamilton County Health Department at (423) 209-

8383. Anyone with exposure is encouraged to be tested.

“If you have been exposed to someone with the virus, you should quarantine from others for 14 days, monitor yourself for symptoms, and get tested,” said Health Department Administrator Becky Barnes.

If COVID-19 symptoms occur, do not leave your house except to visit a testing location or healthcare provider. If symptoms become worse, seek medical care quickly. Symptoms of COVID-19 may include fever, cough, shortness of breath or difficulty breathing, recent change in smell or taste, headache, diarrhea, nausea or vomiting, or other symptoms as recognized by the CDC. “The University is taking all necessary precautions to protect the UTC community as fall semester classes began Monday,” says UTC Chief Epidemiologist, Dawn Ford, “Months of planning and preparations at UTC have resulted in extensive health and safety protocols and precautions in place for the protection of students, faculty and staff.”

Information on locations and times for free COVID-19 testing in the community can be found online at health.hamiltontn.org These sites are open to the public without an appointment. Free transportation is available.

Call (423) 315-3994 to make a reservation Monday through Friday 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.; Saturday and Sunday 10 a.m. to 2p.m. Rides to the testing sites must be scheduled the previous day.

AUGUST 19, 2020

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CHATTANOOGAPULSE.COM

HEALTH & WELLNESS

Hamilton County Schools Launch Website To Report District COVID-19 Data

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he health and safety of the staff and students in our schools are our top priority. Our schools have taken the necessary precautions provided by the CDC and health professionals to create a safe learning environment for our school family to start a new school year.

Hamilton County Schools wants to be as transparent as possible with the public about what is happening in our schools, so we’ve created a COVID-19 Reporting Dashboard that you can find on our website at www.hcde.org The page includes the number of active confirmed COVID-19 cases and exposures impacting individuals in our district, as well as the percentage of positive cases for employees by month, and similar information for students will be added soon.

The district has been tracking employee COVID-19 data since March 16, 2020. Student data tracking began on August 12, 2020. The district’s rate of positive cases mirrors the positivity rate for Hamilton County as a whole.

The dashboard webpage has embedded real-time reporting using Google Data Studio. The information will immediately update as it is recorded in the district’s data system by HCS personnel.

We are working to integrate similar real-time reporting for student data, and we will embed the real-time reporting student dashboard in the coming days.

The webpage will also report campuses closed for that day due to the COVID-19 response. On Thursday, Chattanooga School for the Arts and Sciences (CSAS) and Loftis Middle were closed for cleaning and contacting tracing due to positive confirmed cases reported in those school communities. Today, Barger Academy and Lookout Valley Middle/High will also be closed for cleaning and contact tracing.

All four facilities will be cleaned and disinfected

as a safety precaution. Barger, CSAS, Loftis, and Lookout Valley will open again on Monday on the regular schedule planned for the week.

The HCS SAFE Pledge will help us to keep our children safe. The “S” in SAFE stands for stay at home when you or your child is sick. It is crucial for the health and safety of others that children and staff do not come to school or for parents or visitors to visit the school if you are sick or have felt a need to take a COVID-19 test for which you have not received results.

Moreover, no one should come to school if you have been in close contact with someone with a confirmed COVID-19 positive test result. Thank you for taking the SAFE Pledge and helping us keep our children and staff healthy.

Over the first two days of school, students and staff have done an excellent job of following CDC guidelines by wearing masks, socially distancing in the school, and washing hands regularly. All of these guidelines are designed to keep our children and staff safe in all situations. We thank parents for stressing the importance of these safety precautions with children.

AUGUST 19, 2020

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THE ARTS

Arts Institute Creating an all-new

The Institute of Contemporary Art at the UTC Fine Arts Center will be the first of its kind in Tennessee when it opens its doors next Spring ...

BY RACHEL REESE

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he University of Tennessee at Chattanooga announces plans to launch the Institute of Contemporary Art at UTC—the first ICA in the state will open its doors in spring 2021. The ICA at UTC will be free and open to the public.

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The ICA at UTC will be a major campus asset that mirrors the growth, evolution, and values of the University more broadly, including embracing diversity and inclusion.”

Following a multi-year renovation at the UTC Fine Arts Center, the university’s contemporary art gallery and exhibition program—the Cress Gallery of Art—will be rebranded with an updated, more public-facing mission and expanded visual identity as the ICA at UTC. Officially founded in 2000, the Cress Gallery of Art bears the name of artist and UTC Guerry Professor of Art Emeritus George Ayers Cress (American, 1921–2008). The Cress gained national reputation from its Diane Marek Visiting Artist Series, which operated from 2006-2018 and was a cherished program and tradition at UTC. General operating support for the ICA is provided by UTC. Rachel Reese, appointed as Director and Curator of Cress Gallery of Art in January 2020, will transition into the role of Director and Curator of the ICA at UTC and lead its future visioning and growth. “The gallery provides a cultural link between the university and the community and we are excited to re-open after this hiatus under Rachel Reese’s direction,” said Pamela Riggs-Gelasco, UTC College of Arts and Sciences dean.

Reese added that, “As an ICA, we will present challenging, curious, and adventurous encounters with contemporary art and artists both on campus and city-wide, with a specific responsibility towards reflecting the values and issues pertinent to our region today. It is an opportune time to rethink and reaffirm the socially-responsive connections that contemporary art and artists build not only within our campus community,

but with greater Chattanooga, Tennessee, and Southeastern publics. Driven by values of openness, inclusivity, and honesty, we will always be free and open to the public and believe that art celebrates our human experience in its unique place and time.”

“At the 40-year mark of the Fine Arts Center, and the 20-year mark of the Cress Gallery, the timing is opportune to revision its future as an ICA—one that will continue to tell our institutional story while simultaneously signaling a new path forward,” said Joe Wilferth, interim chair of the Department of Art and associate dean of the College of Arts and Sciences.

The Cress Gallery has gone through significant change, evolution, and growth and is looking to move into a new era. The ICA at UTC will be a major campus asset that mirrors the growth, evolution, and values of the University more broadly including embracing diversity and inclusion; creating a culture of creativity, discovery and inquiry; and prioritizing innovation and scholarship.”

The ICA will provide increased opportunities for professional development pipelines and scholarship for the UTC Department of Art. Aligned with the forthcoming launch will be an updated visual identity that includes a new logo and website. The ICA will seek a bold, adventurous, curious visual identity that reflects contemporary art practice today, while simultaneously prioritizing accessibility, approachability and friendliness.

AUGUST 19, 2020

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THE MUSIC SCENE

Central America and Chattanooga Featured at This Week’s Nightfall

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ightfall, Chattanooga’s long-lived free summertime music series, will present music from headliner Radio Free Honduras and local singer/songwriter Emily Kate Boyd during this Friday’s virtual show.

Recorded at the newly renovated Mountain Arts Community Center (the MACC) on Signal Mountain, the show will be streamed from 7-8 pm on the Nightfall Music Series Facebook page as well as on Nightfall Virtual August 21 on YouTube. John Rawlston, Nightfall’s stage manager for over 30 years, will host. Nightfall is produced by Chattanooga Presents.

Opening the show with a 20-minute set at 7 pm is Emily Kate Boyd, Chattanooga singer and songwriter who performs American roots music. She has been recording her music since 1996, and just released “The Gradient” album this year.

This week’s performance will be her first Nightfall performance since her original appearance with us in 1997 when she was still a high school student. Now, Emily Kate collaborates with artists globally to create a more compassionate and inclusive world through music Headlining the show with a 40-minute set from 7:20-8 pm will be Radio Free Honduras, a latin folk rock band fronted by Honduran guitar virtuoso/singer/songwriter, Charlie Baran. Before moving to the United States he was a founding member of the legendary Honduran musical group Banda Blanca, who’s song “Sopa de Caracol” became the #1 Billboard Top Latin Songs hit in 1992.

Radio Free Honduras is a diverse collective of Chicago musicians, all united under

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Emily Kate Boyd

one goal – supporting the artistry of Charlie Baran and bringing this tremendous talent into the spotlight where it belongs.

Founded by Dan Abu-Absi, longtime guitarist for JT and the Clouds and Birds of Chicago, Radio Free Honduras plays mostly Baran originals, but their live shows often feature a wide variety of reimagined cover songs.

Virtual Nightfall shows will continue each Friday night through the end of August, to wrap up the 2020 season.

Look for the latest news about Nightfall, check out our “Flashback” Playlists or support Nightfall through purchasing a 2020 commemorative t-shirt at nightfallchattanooga.com.

Radio Free Honduras AUGUST 19, 2020

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Danimal Pinson

Courtney Holder

14 • CHATTANOOGAPULSE.COM Camden Smith

Live Entertainment THURSDAY Darren Self 6 p.m.

1885 Grill 9469 Bradmore Lane Record Club Night: Jazz 6 p.m.

The Woodshop 5500 St. Elmo Avenue Danimal Pinson 7 p.m.

Wanderlinger Brewing Co 1208 King Street Toby Hewitt 7 p.m.

Backstage Bar 29 Station Street Alcoholics Not Anonymous Comedy Open Mic 9 p.m.

Barley Chattanooga 235 E. Martin Luther King Blvd.

friDAY Abe Partridge & Mike McDade in the Garden 7 p.m.

Barking Legs Theater 1307 Dodds Avenue Courtney Holder 7 p.m.

The Feed Co. Table & Tavern 201 W. Main Street Smitty 7:30 p.m.

Slick’s Burgers 309 E. Main Street Brian Blaylock 8 p.m.

Doc Holidays 745 Ashland Terrace

Josh Driver 8 p.m.

Puckett’s Grocery & Restaurant 2 W. Aquarium Way Marty Manus Band 8 p.m.

Bud’s Sports Bar 5751 Brainerd Road Art of the Groove with Tryezz 9 p.m.

Barley Chattanooga 235 E. Martin Luther King Blvd.

Ruby Falls Lantern Tours 9 p.m.

Ruby Falls 1720 South Scenic Highway

saturDAY Bikes, Brews & BBQ 11 a.m.

White Lightening HarleyDavidson 7720 Lee Highway Dread Hollow 2020 Haunt Season Auditions 3 p.m.

Dread Hollow 321 Browns Ferry Road Chattanooga Unite 4 p.m.

Tennessee Riverpark 4301 Amnicola Highway Latin Jazz Night 6 p.m.

Mayan Kitchen 507 Broad Street Big Hair Affair 7 p.m.

The Walden Club 633 Chestnut Street Webb Barringer 7 p.m.

Wanderlinger Brewing Co. 1208 King Street Outdoor Movie Night featuring “Zootopia” 7:45 p.m.

Hamilton Community Church 7997 Shallowford Road Ben Chapman 8 p.m.

Doc Holidays 745 Ashland Terrace Camden Smith 8 p.m.

Puckett’s Grocery & Restaurant 2 W. Aquarium Way Lance Brackett 8 p.m.

Fountainhead Taproom 1617 Rossville Ave Marty Manus Band 8 p.m.

Bud’s Sports Bar 5751 Brainerd Road Paul Smith & The Sky High Band 8 p.m.

Eagles Club 6128 Airways Boulevard Black Cat Moon 9 p.m.

Sky Zoo 5709 Lee Highway

sunDAY Gino Fanelli Noon 1885 Grill 3914 Saint Elmo Avenue Jeff & Hayden Noon 1885 Grill 9469 Bradmore Lane

AUGUST 19, 2020

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PUBLIC SAFETY

DUI Prevention

“Hands Across The Border”

Georgia is looking to get drunk and drugged drivers off the road during the 29th annual “Hands Across the Border” DUI enforcement and awareness...

BY ROBERT HYDRICK

H

ands Across the Border began in Kingsland, Georgia in 1991 as a friendly wager between the Georgia State Patrol and Florida Highway Patrol to see which agency could reduce the number of DUI deaths in the southeast Georgia and northeast Florida area.

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With the Labor Day holiday weekend approaching, Hands Across the Border will send the message that drinking and driving is never acceptable on our roads.”

Within ten years, Alabama, South Carolina, North Carolina and Tennessee joined the multi-state effort to save lives on roads across the southeastern United States.

While COVID-19 will prevent the traditional handshake between troopers in the participating states this year, local law enforcement officers across Georgia will continue their work to save lives on our roads by taking drunk and drugged drivers to jail during HATB and every day of the year.

“The pandemic has presented a major challenge for highway safety enforcement efforts across the nation, and I want to thank our state troopers, sheriff’s deputies and police officers for all they do every day to make our roads safer for travel with the enforcement of traffic laws,” Georgia Governor’s Office of Highway Safety Director Allen Poole said.

“With the Labor Day holiday weekend approaching, Hands Across the Border will send the message that drinking and driving is never acceptable on our roads.”

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, there were 10,511 drunk-driving deaths nationwide in 2018. That averages to one person being killed in an alcohol-related crash every 50 minutes on a daily

basis.

The number of alcohol-related deaths in Georgia in 2018 (375) increased by five percent from the previous year (356). That means one-out-offour traffic deaths in Georgia in 2018 was alcohol-related.

According to preliminary data from the Georgia Department of Transportation, 74 people were killed in DUI crashes in Georgia from March through June of this year. This is a 12 percent drop from the 84 people killed in DUI crashes over the same four months in 2019.

However, the volume of traffic on roads and highways in Georgia in 2020 has been estimated to have decreased anywhere from 20 to 50 percent during the pandemic.

“One person killed by a drunk or drugged driver is one too many, and the only way to prevent drunk driving crashes is for people to make the right decision to not get behind the wheel when they are too impaired to drive,” Poole said.

“While many people make the right decision to pass the keys to a sober driver, state and local law enforcement officers will be looking to arrest those who continue to endanger the lives of everyone on the road by driving after drinking.”

AUGUST 19, 2020

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LEARN MORE AT IAMHUNGERINAMERICA.ORG

CHATTANOOGAPULSE.COM

LOCAL THEATER

Back Alley Productions Expands Radio Theatre Programs During Pandemic

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ack Alley Productions has recently updated it’s Mars Theatre on the Air programming, posting new episodes online for the local community. New episodes include the dark drama “Trifles”, period comedy “Fourteen”, and episodic entries of Douglas Adams’ absurd interstellar comedy “The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy”.

Visit bapshows.com/the-mars-theatre-onair.html to access the full lineup. All productions are free to stream. Back Alley is accepting donations on our website.

“As part of our mission to provide ongoing entertainment, we’ve had to make significant adjustments while the theatre is closed for the safety in our community,” Executive Producer Kaylee Smith said.

“These radio productions are free. During this time of isolation and hardship we do ask for donations. Even $1 can go a long way into us being able to keep the lights on, while the theatre doors stay shut for the safety of our community.”

Smith also adds that auditions for the next radio production - “A Pair of Lunatics” - is set for Sept. 4 and 5, via Zoom. The show will be directed by Krystale Dawson.

The play is set at a lavish party at a mental institution. George Fielding and Clara Manners each escape to an empty room for a respite from the madness.

Upon meeting, they both mistake each other for patients at the hospital. Hilarity ensues as George and Clara ratchet up craziness in an attempt to scare off the other.

Vist www.BAPshows.com for more information.

“It’s been exciting to expand Back Alley’s presence,” Smith adds. “Going online, while

Dillon Hartley

not ideal, has brought a lot of new faces we would’ve never met had we had a traditional year. We’ve met performers from across the country, including Nashville, New York City and further.”

“And, while we all long to get back to normalcy, we’re finding ways to continue to tell stories. For many of us storytelling isn’t optional. It’s like breathing. It’s the cornerstone of our mission, and that drive has helped us pushed through these hard circumstances.”

Additional programs are in the works and will be posted periodically throughout the remainder of the year.

AUGUST 19, 2020

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NATURE

Sharkfest!

A Sand Tiger Shark

Going virtual with

Our favorite toothsome ocean predators are often misundestood, but the fine folks at the Tennessee Aquarium are showing them in a new understanding light...

BY CASEY PHILLIPS

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t’s a telling example of pop culture echoing the real-life sentiment that Disney’s much-beloved modern classic “Finding Nemo” features a support group for sharks struggling to master their overwhelming need to feed.

While lighthearted, this iconic scene — “Fish are friends, not food!” — plays up the long-standing view of sharks as ravenous killers with insatiable appetites. In reality, these sleek predators are hugely influential in balancing aquatic ecosystems.

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Access to high-quality, early-learning experiences for children birth to five is necessary for success in Kindergarten and long-term education.”

For all their (in)famous portrayal in books, movies and video games, however, sharks swim a fine line between fear and adoration. In recognition of this vital — if often misunderstood — role, the Tennessee Aquarium hosts SharkFest! each August.

This jaw-some celebration of all things shark-related is exclusively for Aquarium members and is included with an Aquarium membership.

SharkFest! will return on Aug. 27. In light of the continuing need to practice physical distancing, however, this year’s celebration will be a virtual live event packed to the gills with behind-the-scenes access, special guest appearances and up-close views of the many shark species that call the Aquarium home.

Members will kick things off by learning more about the sharks that inhabit the Stingray Bay touch tank. These include Epaulette Sharks, aka “Walking Sharks,” and the brilliantly patterned Japanese Horn Shark, which is renowned for having the strongest bite force of any animal. (Don’t worry, though, those jaws are solely for cracking the tough shells of urchins.)

Next, the fun continues well off the visitor path in a special, behind-the-scenes staging area. There, experts will introduce viewers to the Aquarium’s rarely seen Swell Sharks and Carpet Catsharks, two species which defy belief by glowing under ultraviolet light.

Aquarium members won’t be the only ones logging in to join the fin-tastic fun. Ocean explorer, conservationist and underwater filmmaker Fabien Cousteau (grandson of the famed Jacques Cousteau) also will be making a special guest appear-

ance. Viewers can expect to hear stories and insights about sharks pulled from Cousteau’s many encounters with them during a life spent advocating for — and occasionally living alongside — ocean life.

Finally, the stream will conclude with an exclusive feeding of the Aquarium’s enormous Secret Reef exhibit. This 615,000-gallon tank is home to a pair of Sandbar Sharks and a quartet of Sand Tiger Sharks. During this special SharkFest!-only event, viewers will be able to venture above the exhibit to see for themselves how the Aquarium ensures the health and proper nutrition of these sleek predators using, quite literally, a 10-foot pole.

Members can access the SharkFest! stream between 6-7 p.m. using a private link delivered via email. If they can’t join the fun live, or if they want to replay the presentation, the same link will let them tune in after the fact.

This year’s SharkFest! is presented by Nature Films Network, a Chattanooga-based video production and stock footage licensing company whose credits include a number of underwater documentaries. Chief among these is “Shark Clans,” a mesmerizing film which puts viewers in the dive cage as they learn about the surprising social interactions of Great White Sharks in the waters off the Australia coast.

Some of the crew from Nature Films Network will also appear during the “Dive Stream.” They’ll share experiences they’ve had while filming truly gargantuan Basking Sharks and Great Whites.

For more information about Virtual SharkFest!, visit tnaqua.org/sharkfest.

AUGUST 19, 2020

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OUTDOOR LIFE

Tennessee State Parks To Host Tennessee Serves Events In September

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ennessee State Parks will host volunteer events in September across the state as part of First Lady Maria Lee’s Tennessee Serves initiative. “We are proud to partner for the second year with Tennessee State Parks and bring Tennessee Serves volunteer events to parks across the state,” said Lee. “We appreciate the many Tennesseans who have volunteered to help preserve the historic beauty of our state and look forward to a great month dedicated to serving our state parks.”

“The first lady is an inspiration for volunteerism in our state, and we are proud to be a part of the Tennessee Serves program again this year,” Jim Bryson, deputy commissioner of the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation, said. “This is also an excellent way to keep our parks in great condition.”

The service opportunities at the parks are for all ages and skill levels. They include activities such as landscaping, invasive plant removal, litter pickup, and trail maintenance.

Projects include clearing debris at Camp Hazlewood at Paris Landing State Park; cleaning buildings and doing trail work at Fort Loudoun State Historic Park; cleaning up storm damage at Mousetail Landing State Park; cleaning the shoreline of the French Broad River at Seven Islands State Birding Park; and cutting and treat-

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ing non-native Japanese Knotweed and Multiflora Rose and clearing trash and rock dams at Roan Mountain State Park.

Tennessee Serves projects at parks also coincide with Public Lands Day at the parks on Sept.

26.

The first lady launched Tennessee Serves in 2019 to encourage Tennesseans to serve one another and volunteer in their communities.

The three-part initiative includes serving Tennesseans across the state with a special focus on distressed counties; highlighting people and organizations already making a difference; and mobilizing Tennesseans to meet community needs.

For more information about plans at Tennessee State Parks visit tnstateparks.com/get-involved/volunteering.

Discover the unsearchable Discover the forest

Find a trail near you at DiscoverTheForest.org AUGUST 19, 2020

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300 miles

>> How a silver lining forms >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >>

It starts at sea.

Tropical waters heat up.

Warm air soars skyward.

Cold air rushes to the void.

Cold air warms up.

Cycle repeats.

Faster and faster—a 50,000 foot engine of air.

At seventy four miles per hour it earns a name.

Harvey, Irma, Katrina.

Then landfall.

Roads rendered useless.

Buildings destroyed.

Families stranded.

But for a brief moment, A silver lining appears.

People see neighbors instead of strangers.

And labels that divide are forgotten.

>> But when rains ease, >> when clouds part, >> silver linings need not fade.

>> >> >> >>

Let’s Let’s Let’s Every

embrace our shared humanity. connect with one another. find our love for each other. single day.

>> Come together at lovehasnolabels.com

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