Honoring Veterans with Quilts of Valor a main street media of tennessee publication
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president/owner
DAVE GOULD editorial direction
IVAN ARONIN art director/design
CARRIE TOMLIN ad design
MARY ANNE FERRELL writers
LAURIE EVERETT, KARA AGUILAR, XAVIER SMITH, IVAN ARONIN photography
LINDSEY RUTLEDGE, XAVIER SMITH, LAURIE EVERETT, IVAN ARONIN advertising
DEBBY MABRY, NICK GOULD, RANDY MOORE
2025 Chamber of Commerce Message
On behalf of the Staff, Volunteers and hundreds of Member Businesses, I would like to personally thank you for your continued support of your Community, our Main Street Magazine, and the Mt Juliet Chamber of Commerce. Together we work to promote our message and the many wonderful things
we have to share with our friends, neighbors, and visitors.
The Chamber of Commerce has a mission to make our community a great place to live, work, shop, play, worship and raise our families. Everyone in our community plays a special role in that mission and we thank each of you!
Along with our community, the Chamber of Commerce had a great 2024 and our work continues as we hope to make each year a little better than the last. There continues to be growth across all sectors of our community: residential, institutional, commercial, retail, and office. This cross section of development helps to ensure that our community is well situated for continued growth in our ever-changing economy.
Equally as important as new growth is being sure that we all help to take care of and support those businesses that are already here and who have helped pave the way for those that have followed. It is very exciting to see existing businesses reinvesting in our community and deepening their commitment to our future.
The offices of the Mt Juliet Chamber of Commerce are located at 2055 N. Mt Juliet Rd., Suite 200, directly across the street from the WeGo Star train station in the heart of our community. Feel free to stop by anytime or visit us online at www.mjchamber.org
Mark Hinesley President / CEO Mt Juliet Chamber of Commerce
Quilts of Valor
honoring and comforting our veterans
Whenever you see someone in Mt. Juliet wrapped in a quilt with a patriotic red, white and blue design, give them a wave or handshake of appreciation.
Three organizations in the city have presented a Quilt of Valor to many veterans in the community.
Since March of 2023, American Legion Tyler Cates Post 281 of Mt. Juliet has presented a Quilt of Valor to about 30 veterans, including its first active duty presentation last August to Lt. Col. Tosha Boyles.
The Lake Providence Quilt Club has presented a Quilt of Valor to 63 veterans who live at the Del Webb Lake Providence community.
The Mt. Juliet Senior Activity Center has many Quilt of Valor presentations during the year for veterans who are Center members.
The Center’s Quilt Club, led by Joan Giltner, creates the quilts which often have stars, eagles and other patriotic symbols sewn on them. Each quilt also has the recipients name sewn on it.
The Quilts of Valor Foundation is a national organization founded in 2003 by “Blue Star” mom Catherine Roberts. Her son was deployed in Iraq at the time and she made him a quilt, hoping it would provide him comfort when needed and routinely remind him that his sacrifice was appreciated.
The organization has awarded approximately 401,000 Quilts of Valor in the United States and around the world.
For more information about the organization go to www.QOVF.org.
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Billy Goat Co ee serves a community vibe
Billy Goat Coffee, serving Mt. Juliet since 2007, is experiencing a revitalization after Navy veteran Bryan Neely bought the restaurant last August.
He said that Billy Goat Coffee’s tagline, “Feeding People’s Souls,” spoke to him when he was deciding to buy the shop.
Neely has introduced flavored organic beans that are imported directly from fields in South America and roasted locally in Nolensville to the menu.
“I don’t see this as just a coffee shop, but I see it as a community center, being able to really make a difference in the community through high quality service, through high quality products,” Neely said.
ON THE MENU: Flavor blended coffee with cold foam, cinnamon rolls
Neely has added some community initiatives such as the “pay it forward” project where customers can prepay for a snack or beverage so that another customer can grab the receipt from the bulletin board at the front of the store and redeem it.
“I don’t care what you look like. I don’t care what you believe. I don’t care what your background is,” Neely said. “I want you to come here, and I want you to feel safe, and I want you to feel loved.
Calabria pizza builds its brand
Healthy. Affordable. Family friendly. That is the restaurant environment that owner Valon Arifi said he has created at Calabria Brick Oven Pizzeria, located at the corner of the Valley Center shopping plaza on N. Mt. Juliet Road.
The pizzeria opened in August of 2016 as a part of Arifi’s obsession with finding good local pizza. According to him, every time he traveled out of town, his first mission was to find the best pizza around.
“I would say that I eat a pizza a day for lunch. You know, for the past eight years, most of the time at least four days a week, you know, and I’m still doing good,” Arifi said with a laugh.
Arifi said that what sets Calabria’s pizza apart from other local pizzerias is its natural fermentation process of the dough that takes three days to complete.
“We put a lot of hard work into (getting) that finished product,” he said.
Once the dough is ready, Calabria uses a woodfire brick oven to cook the pizza in as little as two minutes.
“It’s a lot more lighter, healthier than most of your chain pizzas,” Arifi said. “Keeping it nice and healthy here.”
Calabria recently opened a second location in Goodlettsville.
CALABRIA BRICK OVEN PIZZERIA
(615) 288-8078
calabriapizzeriamtjuliet.com
1209 N. Mt. Juliet Rd.
OWNER: Valon Arifi
Monday-Saturday, 11 a.m.-9 p.m.; Closed Sundays
ON THE MENU: Italian meat lovers pizza, Cucumber Martini
Barrel House puts spotlight on chefs
Barrel House joined the Mt. Juliet community nearly two years ago as a casual, fine dining option.
Its menu derives from the culinary mind of corporate chef Trey Cioccia and features a multitude of high-end dishes.
According to Barrel House general manager Danny Medina, the rustic, Southern-style restaurant emphasizes fresh food that appeals to local customers. Medina recommends firsttime Barrel House diners try the 100 percent Black Angus Allen Brothers ribeyes center cut filets. He also said that fish and chips are another popular order.
“Barrel House is a very young restaurant,” Medina said. “But we have tons of aspirations.”
Barrel House has planned to host a series of chef-sponsored events to highlight locally produced food.
“We definitely wanna keep that rhythm going of local chefs, keeping a rotation
of having fun coming in here, really putting the food forward and bringing that Nashville fine dining scene a little bit closer to home,” Medina said.
Barrel House is open six days a week for lunch and dinner, with brunch options available on the weekends.
ON THE MENU: Black Angus Allen Brothers ribeye, fish and chips, pastrami sandwich, Paper Plane cocktail
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Big Star Cigar Lounge lights up relaxation
Big Star Cigar Lounge is the place to regroup, chill, network and meet new friends.
The shop is located on N. Mt. Juliet Road, and it has been under the ownership of Doug Bell since January 2022 when he retired as a Metro Nashville police lieutenant. He had been a regular customer and enjoyed the place.
“I did not retire from working, I retired from a career,” he said. “This is my baby now.”
Big Star Cigar Lounge is a respite for those who enjoy smoking cigars and provides an atmosphere with couches, loungers and work stations.
Bell said Big Star is a great transition from work to home, a stop off place to stay a while to enjoy a cigar, or run in and pick up a few cigars.
His walk-in humidor is 12 feet by 20 feet and maintains a 70 percent humidity level. The shop carries a lot of “legacy”
brands and a small amount of “boutique” brands. The cigar inventory ranges from AJ Fernandez to Liga Privada to Crowned Heads.
“We can recommend for newbies to connoisseurs,” Bell said. The cigar selection ranges from mild to robust with flavors such as pepper, sweet, leather, wood and coffee. Single cigar prices range from $3 to $35, depending on the occasion.
BIG STAR CIGAR LOUNGE (615) 288-4085 bigstarcigar.com
BJ’s, Costco bring wholesale shopping to Mt. Juliet
Two wholesale grocery warehouses in the south Mt. Juliet area serve shoppers in Wilson County.
Costco opened June 6, 2024, and is located at 100 Legacy Pointe Blvd. off Golden Bear Gateway. BJ’s Wholesale Club opened Dec. 15, 2023, at 181 Adams Lane.
Both are membership-only and have gas stations.
Costco offers 160,000 square feet of retail and grocery space.
“We are ecstatic to open the doors,” General Manager Chad Rogers said the day of the grand opening. “We can’t wait to show our shoppers what Costco is all about.”
The City of Mt. Juliet started recruiting Costco 15 years ago. It offers items such as bulk groceries, clothing, furniture, huge mirrors, toys, kayaks and books.
BJ’s employs about 150 people and offers food, a full-service deli and bakery, household essentials, home décor and pet supplies.
“BJ’s is committed to delivering unmatched value, outstanding convenience and great products, and we are thrilled to bring this experience to our members in the Mt. Juliet community,” Mt. Juliet BJ’s Wholesale Club Manager Brent Jacobs said. “We’re excited to help families save up to 25 percent off grocery store prices every day.”
COSTCO
100 Legacy Pointe Blvd.
Mt. Juliet, TN 37122
(off Golden Bear Gateway)
BJ’S WHOLSALE CLUB
181 Adams Lane
Mt. Juliet, TN 37122
Ascend Federal Credit Union covers banking needs
Ascend Federal Credit Union located at 300 Pleasant Grove Rd. in Mt. Juliet is the credit union’s first location in Wilson County.
The second location is in Lebanon. The Mt. Juliet branch’s services include checking, savings and youth accounts, money market and certificate of deposit accounts, mortgage, auto and recreational loans, credit cards, personal loans, personal line of credit loans and business accounts and loans.
The company held its annual Costumed for a Cure event and Ascend employee teams put together creative costumes for Halloween. The event is in support of The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society.
During November, Ascend matched member donations to Second Harvest Food Bank of Middle Tennessee up to $25,000.
The lobby’s hours of operation are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday, and 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Saturday. The service hours for the two drive-up automated machines are 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Saturday. Those machines are also available for cash withdrawals, deposits and balance inquiries 24 hours a day.
If you like variety and shopping for unique gifts, Basement Marketplace has a treasure trove for customers.
Mt. Juliet resident Julie Ruesewald is the owner of Basement Marketplace in a gigantic space in the basement of Merit Insurance (also owned by Ruesewald)
on Lebanon Road.
It opened in August 2016 after Ruesewald decided she wanted to do something creative with all the downstairs space. It started out with about half of the space for antiques and the other half with crafts and gifts.
Basement Marketplace makes unique gi s available
“I’ve watched it evolve over the past nine years in booth rental business,” she said. “Now it as more gifts, crafts and handmade items.”
There are more than 50 vendors selling items including clothing, handmade jewelry and candles, soaps, pottery and home décor.
There are other gift options in the 6,000-square-foot space, including some for pets. Food options include a variety of Tennessee products from GooGoo Clusters and Sober Dough Bread Mixes to Loveless Café’s biscuit mix.
Basement Marketplace also hosts a lot of classes such as painting, pottery, cooking and resin crafts. The first
Thursday of each month are Sip and Shop events.
“We like to keep things updated and fresh for our shoppers,” she said. “We are a place for the community, vendors, makers and customers.”
BASEMENT
(615) 754-9500
14625 Lebanon Rd.
OWNER: Julie Ruesewald
Tuesday-Saturday, 10 a.m.5 p.m.
Wilson Bank & Trust remains part of community foundation
Wilson Bank & Trust mixed traditions, new ventures and leadership changes into 2024.
CEO John McDearman and President John Foster lead the 600-plus employees of Wilson Bank & Trust, which has 30 locations in 10 counties. Longtime chief financial officer Lisa Pominski retired after 37 years.
Kayla Hawkins was promoted to chief financial officer to replace Pominski, while Amelia Vance was also promoted to chief experience officer.
Wilson Bank & Trust held its annual community events such as Oktoberfest and the Southern Home and Garden Expo, which drew more than 4,000 attendees. The bank also continued to serve as a sponsor for other community events like Sherry’s Run and Gladefest.
Wilson Bank & Trust is annually voted one of the best places to work in Tennessee. Its School Bank program helps support financial education in more than 60 Middle Tennessee schools. Through the program, Student Savers learn the
basics of saving money while being introduced to the basics of banking.
The 2024 Travel Club trips included day trips to the Nashville Sounds,
Bell Buckle and Uncle Nearest Distillery and overnight trips included a cruise to the Panama Canal, Florida Keys, Atlanta and Washington D.C.
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Cats nd a haven at True Rescue
Founded nearly five years ago, True Rescue is a non-profit animal shelter that houses hundreds of cats and kittens (plus a few puppies and dogs) in a communal environment for homeless animals.
It’s located at 12110 Lebanon Rd. in the former Old Friends Senior Dog Sanctuary building. Executive Director Amy Simcik said in the past five years the organization has overseen 3,745 adoptions of kittens and
cats (some canines) and have facilitated 5,191 intakes.
As of November 2024, True Rescue had 100 foster families and more than 100 volunteers to keep the animal shelter buzzing. Its motto is “Safe Hands for Animals” with a commitment to helping animals in Wilson County, Tennessee and the South.
“We set the highest standards of animal rescue and care, and work hand in hand with other rescues who share the same resolve,” said Simcik.
Simcik and her team have driven vehicles loaded with supplies such as food and medicine to natural disaster sites to focus on rescuing mostly cats and kittens. Last October, they rushed to North Carolina to rescue felines and other animals in the wake of Hurricane Helene.
True Rescue is open seven days a week for adoptions. Adoption fees range from $75 to $125 and cats available for adoption are listed on its website.
TRUE RESCUE 12110 Lebanon Rd.
Monday-Sunday, 11 a.m.-3 p.m.
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR: Amy Simcik
Police department has foundation to assist o cers
The non-profit Mt. Juliet Police Foundation created in March 2024 by Sam Shallenberger, a volunteer reserve police officer at MJPD.
“Our city loves the Mt. Juliet Police Department,” said Shallenberger, now the foundation’s president.
“We saw an opportunity to allow residents to donate to a dedicated charitable foundation, and for the foundation to serve the department by supporting individual members during difficult times or in recognition of accomplishments.”
The foundation has recognized several officers of the month with a cash grant, assisted an officer’s family who experienced significant storm damage to their home, and provided several cash grants related to family illness.
“We were able to provide a cash grant to help with meals while staying at the hospital,” said Shallenberger.
There are several “donation levels.” The highest donation level includes a recognition plaque. Most levels include a listing on the community plaque that will be displayed in the new Mt. Juliet Police Headquarters when it opens.
Suggested “2025 Founding Levels” range from $50 to $5,000. More information and donation links are at mjpolicefoundation.org.
Blue donation boxes are in the lobbies of the police department and City Hall.
Harmony provides residential options for seniors
Harmony at Mt. Juliet is a senior living community that offers apartments, amenities and a three-prong facility with independent living, assisted living and memory care options.
Harmony at Mt. Juliet is located at 103 Belinda Parkway and opened in 2021. Assistant Sales Counselor Latonya Henderson said as of October 2024, there were 176 residents.
“We offer a carefree retirement lifestyle,” she said. “We have spacious apartments, high style dining, weekly housekeeping, activities and more.”
Harmony has an activities director and offers residents a movie theater, a pub, a fitness center, and a restaurant. Residents have trips to nearby Providence Marketplace for retail and grocery shopping.
The assisted living component offers a care plan and assessments to apply assistance customized to each resident. The memory care area provides medication management by licensed nurses. Henderson said all areas of care offer field trips and activities. There are 85 independent living apartments, 69 assisted living spaces
and 36 memory care spaces. Their population ranges from 55 years to late 90s.
“The advantage of our facility is we include all three communities; independent, assisted and memory
care,” said Henderson. “This makes life transitions easier. Transitions are hard in themselves, but if they start here and may need additional care and moving to the next level is easier because they are familiar.”
Main Street Media reaches thousands
Main Street Media of Tennessee publishes two newspapers in Wilson County – the Wilson Post and the Chronicle of Mt. Juliet. The newspapers are distributed once a week on Wednesdays with home delivery available through the U.S. mail.
The combined circulation of the two newspapers is a little over 10,000 each week. The newspapers also have websites for news distribution and a social media presence.
Dave Gould and his wife, Ellen Gould, are the co-owners of Main Street Media. The company was founded in 2013 and publishes 15 weekly newspapers, three news-only websites (including one exclusively for high school sports), Main Street Media TV streaming TV channel and Main Street Media Radio streaming radio channel.
The company’s philosophy is local news – the people and events in schools and churches and clubs and
neighborhoods in the cities and counties it covers.
Main Street Media publications win multiple awards from the Tennessee Press Association each year. The two Wilson County papers have received the organization’s Public Service Award for news coverage in each of the last four years.
To contact the newspapers for news coverage or advertising, email news@wilsonpost.com.
Wilson County TV broadcasts throughout county
Award-winning television producer Kristy Haffner joined Wilson County Television in 2024 as the program’s director and said she wanted to continue to grow the service.
Haffner’s 15-year television career included time at Nashville’s WSMV-4.
Haffner said the opportunity to lead the county service coupled with the Wilson County quality of life attracted her to the position.
“I want to bring really important information to people, and Wilson County is such a great place to live,”
Haffner said. “People are so friendly and hard-working and it’s just a great place to live.”
Haffner said she wants Wilson County TV to add more local programming and become more active on social media.
Wilson County TV broadcasts on all five cable systems that operate in Wilson County, and its lineup includes Wilson County Commission and committee meetings.
The City of Lebanon, City of Mt. Juliet, Wilson County Schools, Mt.
Juliet and Lebanon high schools and the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency have meetings and programming on Wilson County TV.
“We’re looking to expand and do more human-interest pieces and stories,” she said. “We also want the community to send us pictures and videos of what’s going on in their world and we want to showcase the people in Wilson County.”
The channel also streams on its website wilsoncounty.tv, and YouTube channel Wilson County Television.
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Shiloh Music helping Mt. Juliet jam for 50 years
One of Mt. Juliet’s older businesses, the family-owned Shiloh Music Center, celebrated its 50th anniversary last year.
It has been operated for decades by husband and wife George and Karen Hedges and stocks new and used musical instruments and provides a variety of music lessons.
“Music is the grinding of the universe,” said George, a Navy veteran. “There’s nothing else
like it. It’s a different language. You don’t invent music. It comes to you, bombarding the heart all the time.”
Their sons, James and Paul,
are now co-owners of Shiloh Music with their parents. Paul is more often than not in the store and is operator and manager. James is an indemand luthier and tech and has traveled with well-known entertainers. He oversees the service department and repairs a myriad of instruments.
Karen teaches piano and oversees 17 instructors and 450 students. She now teaches piano to the children of her original students.
For two years in a row, Shiloh Music Center has been recognized by NAMM for its excellence and long service to the music industry.
In addition to selling new and used instruments Shiloh Music also rents instruments, including guitars, amps, keyboards, folk and bluegrass instruments and recording equipment.
SHILOH MUSIC CENTER
(615) 758-9437
4056 N. Mt. Juliet Rd. shilohmusicenter.com
“We can fix just about any instrument you are having trouble with,” said James.
“Give us a call or drop by to see how we can help.”
Superspeedway sets its NASCAR lineup for 2025
Nashville Superspeedway leaders are looking to keep the wheels rolling in Wilson County in 2025.
The 2024 events were headlined by the Ally 400 NASCAR Cup Series race that took place in June at the Gladeville track. Race winner Joey Logano went on to capture the series championship, the second time it has happened (2021, Kyle Larson).
“The road to the Cup Series championship has twice run through Nashville Superspeedway,” General Manager Matt Greci said. “Last year’s race was one of the most exciting of the season, with a NASCAR-record five overtimes. We’re expecting the same sort of excitement next year.”
NASCAR has announced a tripleheader race weekend for the Nashville Superspeedway May 30 –June 1, 2025.
The track’s fifth annual NASCAR
tripleheader kicks off Friday, May 30 with a 7 p.m. Craftsman Truck Series race. The May 31 Xfinity series race starts at 6:30 p.m. and the June 1 Cup Series main event rolls off at 6 p.m., which will stream exclusively on Amazon Prime Video.
The Nashville Superspeedway hosted several other events in 2024, including the Triple Crown of Rodding, Big Machine Music City Grand Prix, Slush Motorsports Festival and C10 National.
Dynamic Ballroom develops city’s talent
Mt. Juliet, Dynamic Ballroom and Performing Arts opened Aug. 1, 2021, and the elite training facility has more
than 200 students in its fourth year of operation. Participants in the programs and classes range from age
3 to 80-plus.
“We believe in providing the highest quality of training for an incredibly affordable price,” co-owner Valerie Nelson said. “Our key services include social and competitive ballroom dance, instrumentation, vocal, theater and stage production, as well as afterschool enrichment.”
The business provides private lessons in piano and voice as well as ballroom and dance. Classes are held for tap, hip-hop, ballet and ballroom dancing.
Nelson said students in the performing group have performed at Charlie Daniels Park, assisted living centers, Nashville International Airport, Branson, Missouri, and Franklin.
Their theatre students have produced plays such as “Into the Woods,” “Mean
Girls, Jr.,” and “Finding Nemo, Jr.”
The owners have expanded their ballroom to 2,000 square feet and they rent the out for events like baby showers and bridal showers. They also teach wedding couples their milestone “wedding dance.”
“When we came, Mt. Juliet had huge needs in this arena,” Nelson said. “Mt. Juliet has so much talent. We continue to grow.”
DYNAMIC BALLROOM AND PERFORMING ARTS
(615) 553-2589
1732 N. Mt. Juliet Rd.
OWNERS: Valerie Nelson, Kami Weber, Mark Weber
Instagram @dynamic_BPA,
Facebook Dynamic Ballroom & Performing Arts
Pickleball demand goes up in Mt. Juliet
There’s a lot of “thwacking” going on in Mt. Juliet these days.
Mt. Juliet Parks Director Rocky Lee said the city is keeping up with the demand for pickleball, considered the fastest growing sport in America.
“Hundreds play in Mt. Juliet every week,” he said.
According to a report from the Sports & Fitness Industry Association, pickleball has grown exponentially in the past five years and ranks a top sport for both seasoned players and newcomers in the U.S., with 4.8 million players nationwide.
In Mt. Juliet, there are plenty of places to play the sport that combines elements from tennis, badminton and ping pong.
The city spent $1.5 million last year for four new outdoor pickleball courts at Sgt. Jerry Mundy Memorial Park off Belinda Parkway. There is no charge to use the courts, which have lights. There are 53 new parking
spaces there as well.
“It was money well spent for citizen recreation,” said Lee. “Since opening, the courts have been packed and in demand. Families love to play, there are those as young as 4 years to those 80 years on our courts.”
At Charlie Daniels Park, there are four pickleball courts; two indoors
and two outdoors with permanent lines and nets. Reservations are available. Those courts are free to use as well.
The courts are open from sunrise to 10 p.m. For indoor times call (615) 754-2552. There are certain days for non-competitive, competitive and intermediate play indoors.
As part of one of the region’s largest healthcare networks, care is never far away.
Access to everything you may need, including:
∙Emergency care in Hermitage and Mt. Juliet, including emergency heart and stroke care at our accredited Chest Pain and Primary Stroke Center
∙Cardiology, oncology, neurology,
∙OB/GYN, orthopedics, wound care, neurosurgery, pediatrics, trauma and stroke
We can help you find a doctor Call 615.342.1919 for a free physician referral or visit TriStarSummit.com.
∙Surgery in Hermitage and Lebanon
∙Imaging centers in Hermitage, Lebanon and Mt. Juliet
∙Urgent care centers in Hermitage, Lebanon and Mt. Juliet
TriStar Surgery Center - Lebanon Opened 2024
TriStar Mt. Juliet ER Celebrating five years of serving Wilson County
TriStar Summit Medical Center Tower Opened 2024, added 18 additional intensive care unit beds, new cafeteria and visitor’s lobby
