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H. Clark Distillery: Pioneer of thriving craft whiskey in Tennessee
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keys to creating the perfect video game setup
A special publication of
SPRING 2020
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MARCH 1, 2020
Wherever the road leads you, we will be here waiting. Relax, you’ve got family.
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Spring 2020 • Spring Hill Life //
Contents 4
CRAFT DISTILLERY PIONEER
6
CUTTING EDGE
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H. Clark Distillery pioneers the way for craft distilling in Tennessee. Santa Fe’s Nick Garmon forges custom knives
GAME ROOM TIPS
14
PURPOSE IN PASSION
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SKIN CARE FOR MEN Important tips to help keep your skin looking its best.
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6 tips to help you create the perfect game room.
10 12
PERFECT FIT Edward Jones’ shoes and Spring Hill are the perfect fit.
FEATHERS, FIBER & STRING Vincent Fuqua talks fly fishing and making his own lures.
Local chair maker has found a second career with woodoworking passion.
20 22
MARCH MADNESS How did the biggest tournament in basketball begin?
AIR FORCE AUTHOR Local retired Air Force pilot helps vets transition to civilian life.
BUILD HEALTHY MUSCLE Tips to building muscle in a healthy way.
ON THE COVER Vincent Fuqua holds up a trophy fish. The Spring Hill alderman is an avid fly fisherman.
STAFF Publisher KEITH PONDER Editor CHRIS YOW Advertising Director CRAIG DUNCAN Advertising Sales ROBBIE MATHIS, NANCY MARKHAM AND STEPHANIE ROSELLI Photography CHRIS YOW
Heath Clark’s vision helped spur a massive tourism boom in Tennessee. Page 4
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4 //Spring 2020 • Spring Hill Life
H. Clark Distillery pioneers whiskey revival in Tennessee BY CHRIS YOW
M
ore than a decade has passed since Heath Clark took the idea of craft distilling to the state legislature. At the time, several small whiskey distilleries were popping up across the nation as the popularity of bourbon soared. Despite the popularity across the country, the road to making legal whiskey in Tennessee outside of Lynchburg and Tullahoma was not an easy one.
“I kept on and on about it to the point that my then boss swung his chair around and told me, ‘You need to shut up and go do it,” Clark said.
For almost 100 years, making whiskey in 92 of Tennessee’s 95 counties was illegal. Clark, though, without any experience writing or lobbying legislation, was determined to change that.
“My dentist had another patient named Bill Ketron,” Clark said. Ketron was a state senator who had worked on Tennessee’s spirit laws for a while. “He liked my ideas which, following much behind- the-scenes negotiating, finally became Senate Bill 1955.”
That was all it took. From there, Clark began talking to a few people here and a few more there, and even went as far as talking to a fulltime lobbyist. Turned out, there was no need for a lobbyist, but rather a dentist.
Working as a lawyer for a medical firm in Nashville in 2008, Clark began looking into what it would take to change the law.
Heath Clark, founder of H. Clark Distillery in Thompson’s Station. (Photo by Chris Yow)
Spring 2020 • Spring Hill Life //
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That bill eventually passed in February 2009, and Clark began distilling his first batch of the H. Clark Distillery’s Tennessee Bourbon. The first barrel was bottled and released for sale on Dec. 5, 2016, the anniversary of prohibition ending in the United States.
will come and join our cultural family. Being part of the Tennessee Whiskey Trail is an honor and a privilege and at H Clark Distillery we look forward to showing our visitors how special this part of the state is by showcasing our spirits and helping them find other ways to experience our local culture,” Clark added.
Clark grew up in Tullahoma, under the shadow of the George Dickel Distillery, and had family members who worked for nearby Jack Daniel’s Distillery, breeding a love for the spirit and the process early in his life.
The trail can be completed in stages or can follow a 10-day itinerary on the website. “This trail puts an international spotlight on Tennessee and its whiskey culture. We hope to see people come from all over the world just to get a taste of this once-in-alifetime Tennessee whiskey experience,” Tatum said.
“Having family members working at Jack Daniels, I was fortunate in getting to visit often,” he said. “Early on I fell in love with the aromas of mash, processing procedures, of course their whiskey – which led my concerns over prohibition-like laws preventing the distilling of whiskey.” Once his obsession turned into a successful venture, there have been a multitude of craft distilleries popping up in the area and across the state. Moonshine companies, like Sugarland Shine and Ole Smoky Moonshine, have created a massive buzz around East Tennessee with their tastings as well. In 2017, Tennessee’s tourism department created a 25-stop Tennessee Whiskey Trail, which includes H. Clark Distillery. In 2018, 6.3 million people visited the trail, more than Dollywood and Graceland combined. “The Tennessee Whiskey Trail is a joint effort by all of our guild members to feature Tennessee whiskey and moonshine, as well as the craftsmen and women that make them. On the trail, visitors can learn about the art of distilling and about the history and culture of whiskey-making that is legendary in our state,” said Kris Tatum, president of the Tennessee Distillers Guild. “Tennessee is known the world over for our hospitality and music and our whiskey. The Tennessee Whiskey Trail connects all these cultural cornerstones for folks looking for a unique experience of Tennessee. We hope that folks from all over the world
MIDDLE TENNESSEE TRAIL SITES Corsair Distillery Location(s): Nashville, TN (Marathon Village and Wedgewood Houston) Website: corsairdistillery.com George Dickel Cascade Hollow Distillery Location: Cascade Hollow, TN Website: georgedickel.com Nelson’s Green Brier Distillery Location: Nashville, TN Website: greenbrierdistillery.com H Clark Distillery Location: Thompson’s Station, TN Website: hclarkdistillery.com Jack Daniel Distillery Location: Lynchburg, TN Website: jackdaniels.com Jug Creek Distillery Location: Lascassas, TN Website: jugcreekdistillery.com
The tasting room inside the H. Clark Distillery. (Photo by Chris Yow)
Leiper’s Fork Distillery Location: Leiper’s Fork, TN Website: leipersforkdistillery.com
Nashville Craft Distillery Location: Nashville, TN Website: www.nashvillecraft.com Old Glory Distilling Co. Location: Clarksville, TN Website: oldglorydistilling.com Short Mountain Distillery Location: Woodbury, TN Website: shortmountaindistillery.com Southern Pride Distillery Location: Fayetteville, TN Website: southernpridedistillery.com Pennington Distilling Co. Location: Nashville, TN Website: speakeasyspiritsdistillery.com Tenn South Distillery Location: Lynnville, TN Website: tennsouthdistillery.com Prichard’s Distillery Location: Kelso, TN Website: prichardsdistillery.com
6 //Spring 2020 • Spring Hill Life
Cutting Edge
Nick Garmon shows off a chef’s knife he is working to complete. (Photos by Chris Yow)
Santa Fe’s Nick Garmon creates art with custom knives BY CHRIS YOW
N
ick Garmon pushes a two-inch wide piece of sandpaper back and forth across what will eventually become the blade on a chef ’s knife while he tells me about how his love for making knives began. While his creative side has always been there, finding the best way to bring it out wasn’t an easy task. Garmon was a fan of art classes throughout school and excelled in them, which wasn’t the most ‘jock’ thing for someone who stands 6-foot-4 and also excelled on the wrestling mat and football gridiron. Following high school, he decided to continue on the journey of all three, but that dream didn’t last long. “When I graduated, I went to UT-Chattanooga. I thought I might wrestle or play football there, but I had to sit my freshman year. When I went back out for practice my sophomore year, I was out of shape and lost 24 pounds and I couldn’t even eat. That’s when I knew it was time to hang it up,” he said. While in Chattanooga, he looked into their art pro-
gram, but found very little to interest him. Graphic design and similar arts to that didn’t make sense to him. He wanted something more hands-on. He settled for sculpting class, but that didn’t really fill the void either. “My sculpting professor talked to me about what I wanted, and I told her I wanted to make things that were functional,” he said. “She told me about a program at Tennessee Tech, and set up a meeting with a professor and I transferred there. I was working on furniture design in woodworking, but they also offered classes on silversmithing and blacksmithing.” That sparked - literally something inside of him, and it became more clear the kind of art he wanted to make.
“I got into making belt buckles for a long time. One of the projects in the blacksmith class was to make a knife. They gave us a chunk of coil spring and we forged out knives. That was my first experience in 2003,” he said.
Spring 2020 • Spring Hill Life // Following his time at Tennessee Tech, he moved back to the Middle Tennessee area and got a “real job,” but he also purchased a forge to keep his blacksmith skills sharp. “I had enough of what I needed, using files and sanding, to make some primitive types of knives. I invested in a grinder and decided to try and do it full time as a business,” he said. He finally quit his real job and for three years he forged knives from solid pieces of rectangle metal and also built custom fire pits for a living. His knives are made from different types of metal, but the few he is working on currently are made of carbon core with a stainless steel outer cover. He dips the knives into acid, which reacts with the carbon to create a dark wavy design around the blade. “The stainless steel won’t harden at all, and we harden the carbon at 1500 degrees for the blade,” he said. “Stainless just gives a softer jacket around the carbon, but also the aesthetic of the blade pattern as well. This is also easier to maintain than full carbon steel.” He explains the process of going from forging the
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shape of a knife with a hammer and anvil and hardening it inside a kiln to the finishing touches of custom handles. The handles come from blocks of wood as well which he carefully crafts into art. The handles, he says, are his addiction. “I collect handle material,” he said, showing off a dozen or more blocks of wood, such as hardened maple. “That’s what I spend most of my money on because it’s unique.” Garmon carefully hammers a piece of turquoise sandwiched between perfectly fitted gold-colored pieces on the bolster, which connects the stabilized cottonwood handle to the blade, without any space to be seen. He then slides the handle on and places a brass pin through it. Each piece is hand-fitted, giving a custom look and feel to each knife he makes. While he is working on a chef ’s knife now, Garmon forges many different types of knives, and each knife, he says, is intended to be something that will last generations. “A chef ’s knife isn’t something most people think about as an heirloom, but if cared for properly, this could be handed down for ages,” he said.
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8 //Spring 2020 • Spring Hill Life
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One of the reasons for that is no two knives are exactly the same. Garmon doesn’t have a catalog where customers can pick and choose their ingredients because that’s how he scratches that creative art itch he’s been trying to let out since high school. “I’d say the majority of my work is my design. I don’t do custom because the people who buy my knives like the way I make them,” he said. “It keeps it interesting for me. I’m working on a knife now, but I’m already thinking about the next knife. Every knife is kind of a one-off, so every knife ends up custom.”
Garmon is no longer doing the business full time, as he became overwhelmed with orders at certain times of the year - like Christmas - and was struggling to get enough orders at other times. Since returning to a full-time job, he carves out time on Fridays to work on those orders that are still coming in. “The knife business is sporadic, as you might think,” he said. “But being able to continue doing what I love and creating functional art is something I will never stop doing as long as I can.”
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feet to keep the keyboard securely planted will enable gamers to play in a darkened room. chair: Gaming 4 Ergonomic chairs come in different varieties. Some are like office chairs that can serve double duty at a desk, whether one is working on a school project or blasting through a first-person shooter’s tactical field. Other gaming chairs run the gamut of wired rockers that build sound and motion within, and top it off with comfortable arm rests. Above all, gamers should seek chairs with ergonomic features for comfort and to avoid fatigue during long hours of play. Speakers or soundbar: If
6 tips to creating the perfect gaming room METRO CREATIVE CONNECTION
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he majority of modern households are not home to at least one gamer. The Entertainment Software Association, in a survey of 4,000 American households, discovered that 64 percent of households own a device they use to play video games, with an average of two gamers in each game-playing home. Gaming is so popular that The NPD Group says total consumer spending on the video game industry in 2017 equaled $36 billion. Avid gamers understand that
having a dedicated and wellequipped setup can really improve the gaming experience. Here are some items worth considering for the ultimate gaming area. screen: A ded1 Large-sized icated television screen will be needed for console gaming. Something at least 60 inches with Ultra High Definition and 4K capabilities is ideal. The high resolution enables crystal clear graphics and vividness. Most televisions now come with several HDMI ports, enabling people to
easily connect gaming consoles and other peripherals to them. headphones: The 2 Gaming right headphones enable clear surround sound and include a retractable directional microphone to participate in social, multiplayer games. Wireless headphones are essential so that wires will not impede the action. The right keyboard: PC 3 gamers largely rely on keyboards and a mouse to control the action. A keyboard with backlighting and textured rubber
5 a gaming room is doubling as a home theater, investing in a quality set of speakers or a soundbar can make sensory immersion even more intense. Soundbars or surround sound speaker systems will give ears a rest from headphones. Soundbars are a compact and often wireless way to improve television sound and are usually less expensive and easier to install than surround sound systems. Gamers must 6 Console: decide if they prefer a PCbased system or freestanding consoles such as those sold by Nintendo, Sony and Microsoft. Gaming is as popular as ever, and a well-curated gaming setup can enhance the action.
10 //Spring 2020 • Spring Hill Life
Perfect Fit Custom sneakers, shoes and Spring Hill the right combo for Edward Jones BY JOHN EVOSEVIC and CHRIS YOW
Spring Hill shoe maker Edward Jones crafted a sneaker to look like a bowling shoe. (Photo by Chris Yow)
specialty shoe shop which custom crafts shoes to customer specifications is something one might expect to travel to a gentrified Nashville neighborhood to find.
A
The studio, as Jones calls it, is home to a labor of love for an occupation that has been steadily vanishing. He’s now built a thriving business after spending his first two years working from his garage.
As Spring Hill grows, however, so do its businesses in scope and variety. That includes Edward’s Shoes, which has taken up residence at 1220 School St., Suite 9, inside the former Spring Hill school building.
In the past year, Jones has found himself crafting more sneakers than dress shoes, which he admits is much faster to produce. Additionally, to save some time and cut down the waiting list, which he has been able to shrink to about 60-90 days, he’s begun to make small runs of shoes in traditional sizes.
“We love Spring Hill, and all of the things the city offers,” owner Edward Jones said. “We chose to be here because, of course, commercial property is still somewhat affordable, but also the people here are amazing. We love getting to know our neighbors, and we plan to be here forever.”
“Before, I would take six measurements of a client’s foot and craft a shoe specifically for them,” he said. “I still offer that option, but I am also producing standard sizes, which allows me to give customers a faster, more
affordable option as well.” Sneakers are becoming a major fad for men, especially collectors. Jones said he feels like shoes are the equivalent to jewelry for men, which is why he takes time to create something unique each time he begins a project. He still focuses, though, on what he terms “classic designs.” “You have to remember that in my case, my shoes can be rather expensive, especially when you’re talking about a one-off for just one client. Wearing [my] shoes, they’ll last practically forever. What you have to do is go with a more traditional classic style,” Jones said.
Spring 2020 • Spring Hill Life //
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Wingtips, Cap Toes, Wholecuts, Double Monks, Saddle Oxfords — those are the things that are really popular. I’ve been asked to do a lot of Chukkas, which is basically an ankle boot. There are basically six or eight styles that are always around.” Jones asserts that many off-the-shelf shoes at conventional stores are made with obsolescence and eventual replacement in mind. Not only are his shoes designed and made to last ten or more years, but approximately 50 hours of work goes into each pair. “Most of my clients are in their late 30s and above. I have a lot of CEOs, business owners. My shoes start at around $500 and go to $3,000 a pair. The difference [in price] is what’s called a ‘ready-wear.’ If you’re a size 9, I’m going to make you a size 9 just like anyone else would,” Jones said. “A ‘custom ready-wear’ is a standard sizing, but allows you to pick the leather, style, design, liner color, stitches, shoelaces. You are involved in how the shoe is made.” The next level is termed “Bespoke” or “Full Custom.” Jones takes six measurements of each foot in order for the shoe fit to a level of comfort and wearability not available in off-the-shelf shoes. “It would be a style that’s just specifically made for you,” Jones said, adding, “If it can be made in leather, I can make it.” A native of Owensboro, Kentucky, Jones’ previous occupation was in Information Technology. He moved to Spring Hill after spending much of his life in Franklin. Tiring of IT after a tenure of 20 years, he moved into the shoe making business, but not before a detour into crafting bow ties after a series of sewing lessons from
his wife.
and the craft.
“I couldn’t find a bowtie to match whatever outfit I was trying to put together, and my wife said I should just make some,” he said. “I told her I couldn’t make anything, what was she talking about!”
“I bought two books on Amazon that show you how to make shoes and watched every video on YouTube. I was able to get a collective idea of what needed to be done. The equipment I ordered took six months to get in, so that gave me some time to learn.” Jones said.
That’s when the sewing lessons came, which prompted him into enjoying using his hands to craft something unique for himself. Not seeing a sustainable business in bow ties, a friend urged Jones to consider a different garment. Given the open choices, Jones settled on men’s shoes. “It’s not like there’s a class you can take,” Jones said. “But I settled in and put my head down, and did the research on the equipment
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12 //Spring 2020 • Spring Hill Life
Feathers Fiber & String Spring Hill Alderman Vincent Fuqua takes time to tie his own fly fishing lures BY CHRIS YOW
H
ow does someone who runs their own business, serves as city alderman while also running for mayor and raising a toddler relax? For Vincent Fuqua, the answer is fly fishing.
Six years ago, he took up the hobby when he met his father-in-law and they took a trip to the Florida Keys on a fly fishing trip. The pair were on a small boat with two platforms - one for the person pushing the boat and another for the person fishing - when he became—well—hooked. “Standing on that boat, chasing the tails of fish in that shallow water, it’s just epic,” he said. Fuqua fell in love with the art of fly fishing. As someone who has always enjoyed fishing and the outdoors, the unique qualities of fly fishing stood out. Everything from the cast to the fight to the catch, the experience is special. “The fly cast is like a dance, it’s almost like poetry. If you’re not doing it right, you’re going to slam a hook at 30 MPH into the back of your head or hit the person on the poling platform,” he said. Those feathers can be from a number of different sources, like chickens. That first trip out, he cast chicken feathers into the water. According to Wikipedia, artificial flies may be constructed to represent all manner of potential freshwater and saltwater fish prey. Effective artificial fly patterns are said to be killing flies because of their ability to put fish in the creel for the fly fisher. Fuqua even ties his own flies. “I have a good friend who is big into fly fishing as well, getting into about the same time as I did. He had this grand vision that there is a cheaper way to fly fishing by tying our own flies. Little did we know, that’s the most expensive way to go about it,” he laughed.
The first fly Fuqua ever tied is displayed on his desk where he ties lures inside his garage in Spring Hill. (Photo by Chris Yow)
Spring 2020 • Spring Hill Life // The first fly he put together had a combination of feathers and deer hair, among other things, and it sits at his workstation inside the garage of his home. While making his own, Fuqua said he rarely deviates from what others have done before. He describes the recipe as variations of three key ingredients: feathers, fibers and string. “I tend to like to catch fish, so I’m not much on experimentation,” he said. “I don’t design anything; I will alter recipes. Some of the imitations have eyes, some of them do not. The bug-type patterns don’t, and those are used more for trout. (Photos by Now, Chris Yow) your bass and saltwater flies are categorized as minnows, and they all have eyes. “For trout, though, they’re eyeless because it should look like a bug in a different stage of development.” Most associate fly fishing with scenes from John Candy and Dan Akroyd’s “The Great Outdoors,” but Fuqua adds that saltwater fly fishing is also very popular. “The saltwater side of fly fishing is usually in shallow water in the ocean’s epic ecosystem. It’s warm water, there is a lot of sunlight, you get so sharks, stingrays, redfish, tarpon that are all after these crabs – it’s constant action,” he said. “You’re in a situation where the advantage is on the fish. They see you standing outside of the water long before you see them.”
When fishing in freshwater, Fuqua said he likes to be in that ideal setting with very little but nature around. “From a freshwater standpoint, where fly fishing can be done effectively is in some of the most remote places. You’re not going to the Saturn Parkway Bridge, catching a trout and having a good time,” he said. “You’re wading into water and looking at the ripple and trying to figure out where the fish is going to be so you know where to present the fly as quietly as possible.” He makes no issues with the fact he prefers saltwater, and when he can choose a target ,he likes the challenge of a tarpon. Tarpon can be dated back to prehistoric times, and that alone is something to be enamored by. “I have a tarpon engraved on my wedding band,” he said. “Tarpon has been around since the beginning of time; it’s called God’s fish. If you look at the ‘Sistine Chapel,’ the depiction of Jonah and the Whale, the whale is actually a tarpon. “It can get up to a couple hundred pounds, and standing on that boat, watching a fish that’s pre-historic -- it’s amazing. They’re fighters, too. A fight with a tarpon can last hours on a fly.” From cast to catch, again, the experience is special for Fuqua. “Once you have a fish actually take a feather, there is something to be said about that.” (Photo courtesy Vincent Fuqua)
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14 //Spring 2020 • Spring Hill Life
Finding purpose in passion BY CHRIS YOW
R
arely in life does a career from which a person retires end up as a mere prerequisite for their future. Such, however, is the case for Spring Hill’s Charles Brock. Brock is a retired school teacher and administrator, but post-career he’s found much success as a woodworker and chair maker. He has been teaching classes on the subject now for two decades both in person and through DVDs and streaming video. “I have been truly blessed beyond measure,” Brock said. “This was never something I could have ever dreamed of when I was teaching school, but I love what this has become over the years.” As a teenager, Brock was fortunate enough to attend high school in Columbus, Georgia, with Cecil Cheves and Bettye Amos. While Brock wasn’t in their friend circle during those days, somehow Cheves recalled Brock’s fondness and talent for woodworking. Now working as a lawyer and married to Amos—whose father and uncles were the founders of AFLAC—Cheves asked Brock if he could help teach him how to do some woodworking. “Cecil was never very good with art or hands-on stuff; he was an athlete,” Brock laughed. “But he wanted to learn, and I knew I could teach him so I started in my garage teaching woodworking classes on Saturdays.” Brock taught classes to Cheves and a few of his friends at $60 per class, earning him around $600 for six or seven hours of teaching.
Charles Brock has found success as a chair maker and teaching others the craft. (Photos by Chris Yow)
“I was probably breaking all sorts of zoning ordinances and laws,” he laughed. “I didn’t know what I was doing at the time, other than I was teaching some folks how to cut, shape and sand wood into things.”
Spring 2020 • Spring Hill Life // Eventually, that turned into a request from Cheves following a visit to Brock’s woodworking library—which doubled as a bathroom—for a sculptured rocking chair.
administrator that you can’t control. I could control the quality of that chair,” he said. “I wanted it to be the best thing I ever did when I put my name on it. I think I accomplished that.”
“He said if I ever decided to build a sculptured rocker, that he’d be interested [in purchasing one],” he said.
That must have been the case, as Cheves returned a week later to Brock’s home and tipped him $1,000 each for the two chairs. Those two chairs then turned into five chairs, and at 56 years old Brock said he learned a valuable lesson.
Brock took the challenge to heart, and spent the better part of the next two years testing—and failing, a lot—his skills at building something that was not only functional, but an art piece. “I finally worked up a prototype and invited him over to see it, and he said he liked it and wanted two of them. One for him and another for Bettye,” Brock said. Cheves’ next question, however, was one Brock wasn’t necessarily prepared to answer. He asked Brock how much would they cost. “I’d never sold my work as art before; you have to have the right audience to do that,” Brock said. “My knees were knocking together, and I said, ‘How about $5,000 for each chair, plus the cost of the wood.’” To Brock’s surprise, Cheves said that sounded good to him. Brock then suggested the two fly to Pennsylvania and hand-pick the wood he wanted. They did so, and $40,000 later, Brock had three slabs of wood with which to work his magic. Cheves would come over on Tuesday nights, and help with tasks he’d learned in the garage during those furniture making classes Brock would teach. The two worked on it for a long time, long enough that Brock’s wife began to get a little impatient asking when he was going to finish the chair. “There is a lot about teaching school and being an
“You hear it as a child and growing up, but it took me 55-56 years to really learn that if you do your very best at something, great things are possible,” he said.
country called, “The Highland Woodworker”. The show is distributed by Highland Woodworker and Popular Woodworking, and is also available online. He continues to teach in-person classes five or six times a year in his shop in Spring Hill as well. Each episode ends with a Bible verse on the screen, something Brock said was non-negotiable when the show was pitched. He credits Cheves for introducing him to the power of prayer on those weekly visits while making that first chair. “The Lord’s plan for me was much better than my plan,” Brock said.
From there, an opportunity presented itself through Brock’s youngest daughter Emily, who set up a photoshoot for Brock and his chair. The shoot cost $350, but the end value was priceless. He began writing a blog for Highland Woodworking, and that turned into him teaching a number of their classes. Now, with the help of his son-in-law Steve Price, he has put his lessons on video, packaged it with a book and some design stencils and sold them through different outlets. This month, Brock and Price are embarking on their ninth season of a web-based television show highlighting woodworkers across the
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A sculptured rocking chair, hand-crafted by Brock. (Photos by Chris Yow)
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16 //Spring 2020 • Spring Hill Life
Skin care for men: It’s more important than you think they aren’t equally as concerned about their appearances as women. Men who want to look their youthful best can consider the following tips.
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METRO CREATIVE CONNECTION
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hough television commercials might give the impression that beauty and grooming concerns are exclusive to women, men like to look good, too. In fact, according to the market research firm Euromonitor International, retail sales of male grooming products at Procter & Gamble exceeded $11 billion in 2016. While men many never spend as much money on beauty grooming products as women (a survey of 3,000 women conducted by online beauty retailer SkinStore found that women in the United States spend roughly $300,000 on their faces alone during their lifetimes), that does not mean
Cover gray hairs. Men who aren’t ready to go gray but are anyway can find products designed specifically for men who want to conceal their gray hairs. Avoid dyes that might bleach all hair, including those that are not gray, opting instead for a product that tints gray hairs without affecting hairs that still boast their natural colors.
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Maintain your beard. The beard boom continues, but men who want to look sharp and well-groomed should make an effort to trim any wild facial hair they may have. Beard combs are designed to minimize damage to facial hair when used and can help to smooth facial hair that can appear unkempt. Some barbers even specialize in grooming beards, which can be helpful for men who are short on time or those with especially long beards
that could use a little love and attention.
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Protect your face. Skin dries with age, but men can take steps to protect their skin and keep it glowing as they grow older. When spending time outdoors, always wear sunscreen with a minimum SPF of 30 and, ideally, one that includes moisturizer as well. Exposure to the sun without adequate protection can lead to the formation of lines and wrinkles while increasing a man’s risk for skin cancer. Night creams that contain retinol can help smooth wrinkles and give skin a more even-toned look. Prescription night creams tend to be considerably more potent than over-the-counter alternatives.
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Make an effort to reduce stress. Stress produces a host of negative side effects, some of which can indirectly affect appearance. Some people dealing with stress end up suffering from insomnia, which can contribute to bags under the eyes. Stress also can adversely affect
hydration of the skin, contributing to dry skin. Stress also can contribute to hormonal imbalances that lead to skin conditions such as acne, psoriasis and eczema. If stress is a problem, make a concerted effort to reduce it, even working with a physician to reduce stress when necessary. Men are concerned about their appearances just like women are. There are many simple ways for men to address their appearance so they look and feel better.
Spring 2020 • Spring Hill Life //
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18 //Spring 2020 • Spring Hill Life
MARCH MADNESS How college basketball’s biggest phenomenon came to be METRO CREATIVE CONNECTION
C
ollege basketball fans rejoice upon the arrival of March, which marks the dawn of conference tournament season and, of course, the NCAA Tournament. The NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Tournament, commonly referred to as “March Madness,” has been played each year since 1939. The tournament is a single-elimination event consisting of 68 college teams. The tournament takes place in seven rounds with each team vying for the right to advance and ultimately play for the national championship. When the teams are whittled down to only four remaining, the penultimate round is played, aptly known as the “Final Four.” The best 68 teams, out of more than 350 collegiate teams across the country, are not necessarily the teams that compete in the NCAA Tournament. Teams are split into 32 conferences, and each of those conferences earns an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament. That bid goes to the postseason conference tournament winner or the regular season champion. The remaining 36 teams are chosen by a selection committee, and these teams earn what are known as “at-large bids.” That process is subjective, and each year much debate ensues once the teams are announced. The order of play can be a little challenging to the novice. Firstly, the four lowest-ranked automatic bid teams will compete against the four
lowest-ranked at-large teams in games referred to as “The First Four.” These games are held on the Tuesday and Wednesday before the tournament unofficially opens on Thursday. Teams are split into four regions of 16 teams each. Those regions are seeded, which means they are given a preliminary ranking for the purpose of game draw. According to the NCAA, the committee endeavors to achieve reasonable competitive balance in each region. The teams will be distributed to build the bracket. The seeds are ranked within each region, with the best team in a given bracket being assigned a number one seed. Because it is a single-elimination tournament, upsets are the norm in March Madness, and there’s never a guarantee that any of the top seeds, much less all of them, will make it to the Final Four. The term “March Madness” was given to the game of basketball by Illinois high school teacher Henry V. Porter in 1939. However, it was only after CBS broadcaster Brent Musburger used it during coverage of the 1982 NCAA Tournament that March Madness became synonymous with this beloved sporting event. Since the inception of the tournament, 36 different teams have won a national championship. UCLA has won the most national championships of any school, hoisting the trophy 11 times. Selection Sunday occurs on March 15, 2020, and the Final Four will begin on April 4 in Atlanta.
Timeline: 1939 - The first tournament is held, and eight teams compete. Oregon defeats Ohio State 46-33. 1954 - The tournament final is broadcast live nationwide for the first time. 1991 - CBS begins broadcasting all games live. 1999 - CBS obtains an 11-year contract through 2013 worth $6 billion to broadcast the tournament. 2005 - College Sports Television begins a two-year agreement with CBS Sportsline.com and the NCAA for exclusive video streaming rights on CSTV.com for out-of-market game coverage. CSTV pays CBS $3 million for the rights and expects to be profitable in the first year. March 25, 2010 - In an opinion piece on ESPN.com US Secretary of Education Arne Duncan proposes that collegiate “teams that graduate fewer than 40 percent of their players should be ineligible for postseason competition and honors.” April 22, 2010 - In addition to expanding the men’s tournament basketball field to 68 teams from 65, the NCAA announces a 14-year, $10.8 billion television rights deal with CBS and Turner Sports. The deal, which goes into effect in 2011, marks the first time that each game will be televised nationally. April 12, 2016 - The NCAA announces an eight-year extension of its TV deal with Turner Broadcasting and CBS Sports. The extension to the current deal -- for a combined total rights fee of $8.8 billion -- will keep the big game at Turner and CBS until 2032. February 20, 2018 - The NCAA Infraction Appeal Committee announces they will uphold penalties against the Louisville Cardinals Men’s Basketball team for their serious violations of NCAA rules. The Committee panel found that they “acted unethically....by arranging striptease dances and sex acts for prospects, student-athletes and others, and did not cooperate with the investigation.” The penalties include vacation of every win from 2011 to 2015, including the 2013 national championship and the 2012 Final Four appearance. August 22, 2018 - The NCAA announces a new ranking tool, the NET (NCAA Evaluation Tool). It replaces RPI, or the ranking performance index, as the method which will be used to choose which teams will be selected to participate in the tournament.
Spring 2020 • Spring Hill Life //
19
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20 //Spring 2020 • Spring Hill Life
Local retired Air Force pilot helps vets transition to civilian life BY CHRIS YOW Thompson’s Station resident and retired Air Force Maj. General Carl Schneider has spent his life helping American soldiers become better people. Even during his 32-year career in the Air Force, Schneider was working to better the lives of his colleagues, but once he retired in 1978, the focus shifted to helping those veterans transition into civilian life. Following the Vietnam War and his retirement, Schneider opened his own business, which he operated for 20 years employing veterans of military service. “I hired a lot of veterans in my business, and I was so impressed with the great job they did, I began to encourage other businesses to hire more veterans,” he said. “They’re used to working hard, they’re drug-free, they are team builders with leadership skills. They’re just really good employees. “I’m trying to bridge the gap because many civilian hiring managers don’t understand the attributes and capabilities of a lot of veterans. I just try to be the buffer between them.” In order to help him in that role, Schneider has recently published a pair of books that he sells following speaking engagements. The profits of the sales are then donated back to veterans and helping them obtain employment. Through the process of being that buffer, Schneider said business owners are satisfied with their decision to hire more military veterans. His first book, entitled “Little House on the High Plains” details his childhood, along with his siblings, of growing up in West Texas during the Great Depression. “Six of us grew up on a hard gravel farm and had no money, but we had wonderful parents who worked
Maj. General Carl G. Schneider, U.S. Air Force (Ret.), stands in his office surrounded by aviation memorabilia and awards. (Photo by Chris Yow) hard. They told us we would all get a college education and do well. They couldn’t help us do it, but they told us to figure out how to do it. And we did,” he said. “The book is the story of what we remember from growing up on the farm. It was much tougher than we remember because we didn’t worry much. We had enough to eat, two pair of clothes and one pair of shoes.” The second half of the book tells of their journeys post-high school, where each went on to successful careers following college. All six siblings are still living in their 80s and 90s. His second book is a detailed description of his time as a pilot in the United States Air Force.
“I was one of the very first operational jet fighter pilots in the Air Force when we transitioned from props to fighters. I flew 5,000 hours of jet fighters and 100 combat missions in Korea and a tour in Vietnam,” he said. The endorsement on the front of the book comes from Dr. Buzz Aldrin, whom Schneider trained with and helped to get into the NASA astronaut program. In addition to training with Aldrin, he also helped to train former president George W. Bush. In fact, a photo of Schneider, former first lady Laura Bush and the former president hangs in his office along with a letter written to him on presidential stationary. “Carl’s book tells the story of his remarkable career, and I highly recommend it,” Aldrin wrote for “Jet Pioneer”.
Spring 2020 • Spring Hill Life // According to the Air Force website, as one of the first U.S. Air Force officers assigned to the 2d Air Division, Scheider helped establish a forward air control/air liaison officer program, working and flying with the Republic of Vietnam Air Force. Schneider knew he wanted to be a pilot from a young age. As a young child, he saw a plane go overhead his childhood home, sparking his interest. “My brother and I had to pick cotton and pull cotton, and we hated every minute of it,” he said. “One day we saw this old biplane come over, and I turned to my brother and said, ‘That’s what I’m going to do. I’m going to get out of this cotton patch and fly airplanes.’” Schneider was born in Ralls, Texas, in 1928. He attended Texas Technological College for one year prior to entering the U.S. Army Air Forces in September 1946. He has a Bachelor of Science degree in business management from Arizona State University and a master’s degree in international relations from The George Washington University. He graduated from the Air War College in 1967. Both of his books are available on Amazon.
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A plaque commemorating Maj. General Carl G. Schneider, U.S. Air Force (Ret.), for his enshrinement into the Arizona Aviation Hall of Fame hangs on his wall below a clock shaped as a propeller. (Photo by Chris Yow)
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22 //Spring 2020 • Spring Hill Life
Healthy ways to build muscle naturally
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eshaping one’s body takes time and commitments, though shortcuts can be tempting when trying to get fit. The desire to see instant results can lead some people to make potentially dangerous mistakes in the name of looking good.
There are various ways to safely build natural muscle. Novices should always consult their physicians before beginning a fitness regimen. Patience must be part of the equation, as expecting overnight results but not seeing them may derail your fitness efforts or lead you down an unsafe path. The following are some safe ways to build muscle. training volume. Accord• Boost ing to Ava Fitzgerald, C.S.C.S., C.P.T., a sports performance coach with the Professional Athletic Performance Center in New York, one may need to increase the number of reps and sets, but at an intensity at between 50 and 75 percent of the person’s 1RM (the maximum weight he or she can lift for one rep). For good muscle volume, she recommends three to six sets of 10 to 20 reps. caloric intake. Find • Increase the balance between eating enough to gain muscle and gaining too much and body fat percentage creeping up. This can take some trial and error. Try to eat more calories on training days, focusing on plenty of lean protein, whole grain carbohydrates and vegetables.
• Zero in on the eccentric phase of
movement. Research published in the European Journal of Applied Physiology found that eccentric workouts are better at triggering hypertrophy, or the increased size of muscles. For example, when doing a squat, lowering into the squat would be the eccentric phase of the exercise. Increase weight resistance to make this eccentric phase even more effective. muscle groups more fre• Hit quently. In the 2016 study, “Effects of Resistance Training Frequency on Measures of Muscle Hypertrophy,” published in Sports Medicine, targeting various muscle groups twice a week, rather than once, helped maximize muscle growth.
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Consider a full-body routine. Working the entire body several times a week also may help one make gains in muscle growth. University of Alabama researchers followed a group of men who had been lifting weights for several years. Those who performed a full-body routine three days a week for three months gained almost 10 pounds of muscle over that time. the muscles. Decrease rest • Fatigue periods between sets to encourage quick release in muscle-building hormones. casein protein before bed. • Have Data published in Science Daily in March 2019 found that pre-sleep protein intake increases muscle
protein synthesis during overnight sleep in young adults. Lead author Dr. Tim Snijders of Maastricht University gave 44 healthy young men a 12-week lifting program. Half were also given a nightly, pre-sleep protein shake with about 30 grams of casein, while the others weren’t. The protein-before-bed group gained significantly more muscle strength and size than those who had no protein before bed. Muscle growth comes from frequent strength training, increasing caloric consumption, taxing muscles, and being consistent and patient with one’s goals.
February 2020 • Spring Hill Life // 23
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