September 21, 2023

No charges filed after man shoots dog at Percy Warner Park

Police continue to investigate the shooting

BY MATT MASTERS

Metro Nashville Police responded to a shooting at Percy Warner Park on Sept. 13 after a man shot and killed a dog.

The shooting happened around 10:30 a.m. when an unidentified couple were walking their unleashed German Shepard in the park when the dog began to run away. Police believe the dog was chasing a squirrel. The dog was wearing a shock collar, but it failed to stop when the owners activated the collar, eventually approaching an unidentified man who fired three shots from a pistol, all of which struck and killed the dog.

Freddie O’Connell wins mayoral race, besting Alice Rolli

BY STEPHEN ELLIOTT

As soon as former Republican campaign official Alice Rolli secured the second spot in the mayoral runoff, many Nashville political observers considered the race over.

During the ensuing six weeks, District 19 Metro Councilmember Freddie O’Connell corralled support from labor unions; pro-business groups; progressive advocacy organizations; many local elected officials; the third-, fourth-, fifth-, sixth- and seventh-place finishers in the first round of voting and even some local business people who previously paid for ads attacking him. O’Connell outraised Rolli 3-to-1 in the runoff, and the scant public polling showed him up big. (Rolli’s endorsements, meanwhile, were led by the Fraternal Order

of Police, which settled on Rolli after previously endorsing two other candidates, and the local Republican Party.)

On Thursday, that support produced an O’Connell runoff win.

O’Connell, a software professional by trade, launched his campaign last year as a challenge of Mayor John Cooper, whose January decision not to seek a second term turned the race on its head and invited several more candidacies. O’Connell will succeed Cooper next month having run a race in which he talked frequently about his opposition to Cooper’s multibillion-dollar deal to help build a new stadium for the Tennessee Titans on the East Bank. Now, among O’Connell’s top agenda items as

mayor will be shepherding the development of the Metro-owned campus surrounding the stadium, tapped for thousands of housing units, hotels, new infrastructure and additional development. Transit, education, housing and a simmering faceoff between the state legislature and the city round out the set of challenges facing O’Connell.

The future mayor and native Nashvillian spent two eight-year terms representing District 19, which includes his home of Salemtown, Germantown and downtown’s entertainment district, whose rabid growth during those eight years has been a key campaign theme and, at times, a thorn in the side of residents and voters who saw O’Connell as a path

Police said that the man reported that he felt that the dog was “aggressive,” adding that the man had “past trauma with a German Shepherd.”

Charges have not been filed at this time, but MNPD and the District Attorney’s Office are continuing to investigate the case. No person was injured in the shooting. Police said that the shooting appeared to be in self defense, with an MNPD spokesperson calling the incident “extremely unique” for Nashville.

Several citizens took to social media to speak out about the shooting, with one woman, identified by her Instagram page as Ariana Kaufman, claiming that she witnessed the shooting after hearing the first gunshot when her back was turned.

“At first I thought it was a firecracker but turned around and saw a man shoot a dog,” Kaufman said in a post. “Not only did he shoot the dog once, but he continued to fire shots into his dead body.”

Kaufman said in that post that she called 911 and was interviewed by

Freddie O’Connell speaking on election night, Sept. 14, 2023.

PHOTO BY MATT MASTERS

Final four Metro Council at-large seats go to Porterfield, Evans-Segall, Allen, Hill

BY ALEJANDRO RAMIREZ, D. PATRICK RODGERS, STEPHEN ELLIOTT

O’Connell wins

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

back to normalcy. But O’Connell as a councilmember helped shepherd several key downtown development deals to fruition and he has not been shy about offering to work with business interests when appropriate. Though his three predecessors moved to the mayor’s office from the Metro Council, all were at-large representatives elected countywide; he is the first district councilmember to make the jump to the mayor’s office since Metro’s founding.

“We are all working to make things better,” O’Connell told his supporters gathered at Eastside Bowl on election night. “To make this a place we love, together. And it is work, but we are up to the challenge. We still have deep, painful scars from a past that treated too many people unjustly. ... We need to broaden opportunity and access to prosperity.”

Rolli’s campaign never really got off the ground. A revolving door of staff members, including a consultant with professed enthusiasm for the far-right Proud Boys, didn’t help matters, nor did lackluster fundraising. She also faced the political dilemma of moving toward the center to attract more moderate voters or moving to the right and risk awakening Nashville’s generally left-leaning though sometimes sleepy electorate. Ultimately, she underperformed her campaign treasurer David Fox’s 2015 campaign, seen by some as a parallel to 2023’s race. In that election, the conservative Fox and Metro Councilmember Megan Barry emerged from a crowded general election field only for Barry to beat Fox by more than 10 percentage points.

The final four Metro Council at-large seats will go to Delishia Porterfield, Quin Evans-Segall, Burkley Allen and Olivia Hill.

Incumbent Councilmember At-Large Zulfat Suara won outright in the August general election, and was the only candidate who earned enough votes to avoid a runoff. Her fellow at-large incumbent Allen will join her in a second term.

As the Nashville Banner previously reported, the runoff candidates managed to raise a cumulative total of $643,120 through loans, PACs, LLCs and individual donors. Evans-Segall, an attorney and member of the Industrial Development

No charges

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

three police officers, but MNPD told The News that none of the witnesses who were interviewed by police actually saw the shooting occur.

In a separate video post, Kaufman called the dog “kind” and “the sweetest dog” in her interaction with the German Shepherd seconds before the shooting. Kaufman also said that the man admitted to the owners that he shot the dog “because it got too close.”

According to Metro Nashville Parks website, pets are required to be on a 6-foot or shorter leash, and guns are not allowed in city parks, but state law does allow someone with a valid handgun carry permit to be armed in a park.

In 2021, Tennessee law changed to allow adults 21 and older as well as military

Board, topped the list with $136,616, mostly from individual donors Fundraising alone didn’t decide the results: District 29 Councilmember Porterfield won her spot while raising less than most of the other candidates, and outgoing District 15 Councilmember Jeff Syracuse raised the most throughout the race but didn’t secure a seat.

In addition to Syracuse, the field of candidates also included term-limited District 25 Councilmember Russ Pulley, hot sauce entrepreneur Chris Cheng and frequent local candidate Howard Jones

members between 18 and 20 to open or conceal carry handguns on their person without the requirement of obtaining a firearm carry permit.

Metro Parks website reads, “Acts of misbehavior of a violent nature will result in an automatic one (1) year suspension from all Parks and Recreation activities or facilities,” but it’s unclear at this time if anyone involved in the incident will be suspended from using any parks.

Public outrage has grown since the shooting, with some citizens calling for charges to be filed against the man, and other witnesses questioning the accuracy of the narrative provided by law enforcement.

The owners of the dog did not respond to a request for comment from The News.

A photo circulating online showed the man following the incident. Photo courtesy of Grow Wilco/Instagram

Alice Rolli concedes on election night, Sept. 14, 2023.

PHOTO BY ERIC ENGLAND

Burkley Allen

Delishia Porterfield

Olivia Hill Quin Evans-Segall

Behn beats Hooven in state House District 51

BY ELI MOTYCKA

Democrat Aftyn Behn will enter the Tennessee State Capitol next session as an elected representative, succeeding Democrat Bill Beck in State House District 51.

Behn defeated Republican David Hooven on Thursday in the special-called election following Beck’s death in June. She defeated former Metro Councilmember Anthony Davis by fewer than 700 votes in the Democratic primary on Aug. 3. After Beck’s death, Davis was appointed as District 51’s interim legislator and represented the district through August’s special legislative session.

For several years, Behn has been in and out of the Capitol as an organizer and activist for various progressive campaigns. She was expelled from the House chamber in 2019 for protesting the body’s apathy toward elected officials accused of sexual assault, specifically David Byrd — a Wayne County Republican who faced numerous allegations from former high school students from his time as a basketball coach in Waynesboro. The same session, Behn faced charges stemming from her participation in a sit-in at Gov. Bill Lee’s office. She has since worked for Indivisible, a national network founded to advance progressive politics in the Trump era, and Rural Organizing, a distributed political team focused on rural progressive politics, where Behn is listed as a campaign director.

In her victory speech after winning the August primary, Behn attributed her campaign’s success to a tight-knit team and underdog mentality. Behn’s identity as a campaigner and activist will align her with Democrats like Reps. Gloria Johnson, Justin Jones and Justin Pearson, who spearheaded confrontational opposition to the House’s Republican supermajority in the spring.

Aftyn Behn PHOTO BY ANGELINA CASTILLO, COURTESY OF BEHN CAMPAIGN

Winners and losers in the Metro Council district runoffs

BY D. PATRICK RODGERS

On Aug. 3, 32 of the Metro Council’s 35 seats saw a victor. But three districts with crowded fields didn’t see any candidates break the 50 percent threshold, meaning the contests for Districts 4, 11 and 29 were decided in the Sept. 14 runoff.

DISTRICT 4

Just 53 votes separated first-place finisher Davette Blalock and runner-up Mike Cortese in the general election race for District 4, which covers the Nippers Corner neighborhood in the southeastern portion of the county. In the runoff, Cortese bested Blalock

Blalock, a real estate agent, previously served as a District 27 councilmember from 2011 to 2019, and ran an unsuccessful campaign for state House District 53 as a Republican in 2016. Cortese, meanwhile, is an adjunct professor at Belmont University, and previously lost to outgoing District 4 Councilmember Robert Swope in 2019. Swope endorsed Blalock in the general election.

DISTRICT 11

Perhaps the most closely watched of the Metro Council runoff elections was in Old Hickory’s District 11, where — out of a four-man field — conservative Jeff Eslick

Belmont lands $6M grant from global charity

STAFF REPORTS

finished with 1,142 votes on Election Day, while progressive Eric Patton trailed right behind at 1,086.

Earlier this month, a political action committee’s homophobic mailer in support of Eslick focused on Patton’s sexual orientation. In the runoff, Eslick beat Patton by just 27 votes.

Eslick owns Slick Media Productions and has worked closely with divisive conservative Lower Broadway bar owner Steve Smith, who also owns land in District 11.

DISTRICT 29

District 29 incumbent Delishia Porterfield opted to run for an at-large seat this cycle rather than pursuing a second term in her district, opening up a fourperson race. On Election Day, Tasha Ellis earned 911 votes to represent the Percy Priest Lake-adjacent district — about 112 votes shy of the 50 percent she would have needed to win outright. John Reed trailed behind with 484 votes.

In the runoff, Ellis defeated Reed by roughly 25 percent. Ellis has worked for the Tennessee Democratic Party and as a consultant, and has listed infrastructure upgrades and combating street racing and other prevalent crimes as her priorities.

Belmont University announced Thursday its Innovation Labs has been awarded a $6 million grant from global charitable entity Templeton Religion Trust.

According to a release, the 2022-founded Innovation Labs will use the funds — teaming with United Kingdom-based charitable organization Transformational Business Network — to form the Transformational Business Network Alliance. A global network of investors and entrepreneurs, the TBN Alliance seeks to alleviate poverty in low-income and underserved communities.

Over the next five years, the TBN Alliance will launch an estimated 1,800 ventures, providing approximately 11,850 new jobs in emerging markets worldwide.

Since its creation in 2003 — and with chapters in Asia, Africa, Indonesia and the

Nashville tourism number increases 35%

STAFF REPORTS

Tennessee tourism generated $29 billion in visitor spending in 2022, with Nashville visitor spending having increased 35 percent year-over-year.

According to data from the United Kingdom’s Tourism Economics (the U.S. headquarters of which are located in Wayne, Penn.) the state welcomed 141 million

visitors last year.

Davidson County and the six contiguous counties (Cheatham, Robertson, Sumner, Wilson, Rutherford and Williamson) saw a 19.5 percent year-over-year increase in visitor spending.

Visitor spending in Davidson County generated about $9.97 billion in state and local tax revenue in 2022, an increase of about 35 percent from the 2021 figure. The spending generated about $1.02 billion in state and local tax revenue and helped fuel about 47,000 Davidson County jobs, the report notes.

Highlights from Tourism Economics’ Economic Impact of Travel 2022 report are as follows:

• All 95 counties saw an increase in visitor spending in 2022, and 63 counties outpaced inflation.

• State tourism generated $28.9 billion in direct visitor spending in 2022, up 19 percent from the 2021 number.

• International visitation spending reached $670 million, a 278 percent increase from 2021 and near pre-pandemic levels.

Americas — TBN has supported more than 800 entrepreneurs, assisting in the launch of 429 ventures to date.

“This funding will empower us to fulfill our mission of equipping people and organizations to design collaborative responses to our most pressing social and community challenges,” Dr. Josh Yates, Belmont Innovation Labs executive director, said in the release.

“The Innovation Labs will work hand in hand with the Transformational Business Network to make a tangible impact in the lives of individuals and communities around the world. This is an extraordinary opportunity for Belmont faculty and students to be engaged in applied learning and experiential education.”

The late Sir John Templeton created Templeton Religion Trust in 1984. Of British descent, Templeton was born in Winchester, Tenn., in 1912 and went on to gain fame as an investor, banker, fund manager and philanthropist. In 1954, he created the Templeton Growth Fund, with its success later spurring Money magazine in 1999 to name Templeton “arguably the greatest global stock picker of the century,” according to the fund’s website.

Templeton died in July 2008 Nassau, Bahamas (in which the trust is based), at age 95.

This story was first published by our sister publication Nashville Post.

• The 141 million visitors in 2022 was up 10.5 percent year-over-year, with travelers in Tennessee having spent an estimated $79 million per day.

• Visitor spending generated $2.9 billion in state and local tax revenue. Without tourism, each Tennessee household would have to pay an additional $1,100 in taxes each year.

• Tennessee ranks 11th in the nation for travel spending, the highest rank ever and the fastest-growing state in the top 40 since 2018.

“Tennessee is thriving as tourism is soaring,” Mark Ezell, Tennessee Department of Tourist Development commissioner, said in the release. “Our industry’s hard work is paying off with record levels of visitor spending and significantly outpacing inflation. It is our privilege to showcase these numbers and express our gratitude to our partners, attractions, elected leaders and visitors who made a record year for Tennessee.”

This story was first published by our sister publication Nashville Post.

Nashville PHOTO BY STEVE CROSS

Belmont University

PHOTO COURTESY OF BELMONT

Updated COVID-19 vaccine headed to local providers

BY HANNAH HERNER

There will be fewer shots headed to the Metro Public Health Department, however. The department ordered just 20 percent of what it did for the last round of updated shots, spokesperson Matthew Peters told the Post.

In September 2022, MPHD ordered 3,000 doses of the then-new bivalent booster shot, and reported slow uptake. According to Tennessee Department of Health data, only 6.34 percent of Tennesseans got the booster. MPHD does not plan for any large-scale vaccination events for the updated shot.

Vanderbilt University Medical Center infectious disease expert William Schaffner told the Post he is surprised that more members of the CDC Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices voted to recommend the vaccines to everyone 6 months an older. Previously, the committee discussed recommendation only for those 65 and older, those who have underlying chronic medical conditions, those who are immunocompromised and pregnant women.

The recommendation for all those 6 months and older is easier to communicate, he said.

“A universal recommendation emphasizes equity, and the desire for this committee to make sure that absolutely everybody in this remarkably diverse country is eligible for the vaccine,” Schaffner said.

The latest vaccine formulation will address Omicron subvariant XBB. 1.5. In the time it took to make the vaccine, XBB. 1.5. has somewhat subsided and been replaced by Eris (also known as EG.5) — which became the most dominant strain in August. Both Moderna and Pfizer said their updated vaccines also help protect against BA.2.86, a subvariant now circulating.

Nashville saw an uptick in COVID-19 concentration in August, which has continued to rise in September, according to wastewater data.

does not cover the COVID-19 vaccine costs. Matthew Walker Comprehensive Care Center, Tennessee Department of Health, University Community Health and Neighborhood Health are slated to receive funds from the program locally, and national pharmacy chains CVS and Walgreens have signed contracts to participate.

Schaffner acknowledged that many have become indifferent to COVID-19. However, such an approach is risky as the virus continues to change and immune protection continues to wane, even for those who have recently been sick.

An updated COVID-19 vaccination is on its way to local pharmacies and health centers, following a Monday U.S. Food and Drug Administration approval and a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommendation last week.

“The consensus of the discussion was that this is a virus that can put young people — children and young adults who are perfectly healthy — in the intensive care unit,” he said. “If you target people just in the highrisk group you’re going to miss some.”

Because the federal public health emergency has ended, the cost burden will fall to the patient and insurance providers for the first time. The Pfizer/BioNTech shot is $120 per dose while the Moderna formula is available for $129 per dose. However, the CDC has introduced the Bridge Access Program at select providers for adults without health insurance or whose insurance

“We’re on track to having a similar recommendation each fall to get our updated flu vaccine and our updated COVID vaccine,” he said. “Both of these viruses mutate, so we have to update the vaccine. And our immune systems have a tendency to ease off, to forget a little bit. They need the stimulus of an annual reminder to keep us up to date, and to keep our immune systems protecting us from severe disease. That’s what both of these vaccines are intended to do. They’re intended to keep us out of the hospital.”

This story was first published by our sister publication Nashville Post.

Local students named National Merit Scholarship semifinalists

HOMESCHOOL

000 Cheng, Isaac W. 000 Kirby, Michael L.

HUME - FOGG ACADEMIC H. S

742 Assink, Isaac

999 Contos, Jacob

000 Ostroski, Nicholas

302 Reynolds, Jack

450 Reynolds, Tyler

000 Rhee, John

303 Sadlow, Laila

947 Scott, Rachel

450 Zhang, Jerry

MARTIN LUTHER KING JR.

ACADEMIC MAGNET

000 Halevi, Nathaniel

000 Polborn, Tigran

Officials from the National Merit Scholarship Corporation (NMSC) announced this year’s semifinalists for the 69th annual National Merit Scholarship program on Sept. 13.

Several local students were chosen from the pool of over 1.3 million applicants for the list of more than 16,000 semifinalists, which represents less than one percent of the senior class across the nation.

The students will be in the competition for the 7,140 National Merit Scholarships given out in the spring that will total nearly 28-million in awarded scholarship money.

To become a finalist for the award, students and their schools must submit a detailed scholarship application that includes information about the semifinalist’s academic record, participation in school and community activities, demonstrated leadership abilities, employment, and honors and awards received.

The student must also be endorsed and recommended by a high school official, write an essay, and earn SAT or ACT scores that confirm the student’s earlier performance on the qualifying test.

National Merit Scholarship winners of 2024 will be announced in four nationwide news releases beginning in April and concluding in July.

BRENTWOOD:

BRENTWOOD ACADEMY

000 Thompson, Luke P.

451 Wells, Noah A.

BRENTWOOD H. S.

999 Challa, Rishika

999 Clevenger, Lucas R.

628 Croney, Amelia K.

000 Crouch, Garrett T.

000 Dawson, Michael R.

999 Dong, Jacob

999 Froehler, Elise C.

303 Haws, Luke C.

000 Jaser, Adam

999 Koyama, Taiga

162 Landman, Charlotte A.

999 Lee, Clara B.

550 Martin, Linden T.

302 Mize, Katherine E.

450 Nayagadurai, Arjun B.

600 Park, So Young

454 Paul, Trishita

712 Rice, Ava M.

999 Sidiqyar, Ali

999 Spillane, Brodie D.

303 Veazey, Davis G.

450 Walch, Robert H.

743 Walter, Grace E.

999 Wheeler, Brooks W.

RAVENWOOD H. S.

300 Bae, Minjae

999 Beck, John S.

000 Chen, Christina J.

200 Coggin, John M.

000 Desai, Aarush

000 Fiechtl, Patrick C.

000 Gardzina, Jackson C.

160 Helou, Grace E.

000 Kale, Yuti P.

455 Kumar, Aayush A.

560 MacGurn, Margaret J.

999 McAtee, Sophie M.

450 Meyer, Jack C.

161 Mukerji, Naman N.

999 Mukku, Sneha

000 Nanda, Riya

000 Neema, Tanmay

000 Qi, Christina

455 Rao, Malvika S.

628 Ravilla, Saisarath

999 Schaefer, Madeline A.

000 Walker, Camden J.

628 Walker, Molly J.

000 Wang, Sophia S.

000 Yesare, Ria R.

FRANKLIN:

CENTENNIAL H. S.

450 Tapperson, Tyler A.

FRANKLIN H. S.

522 Bowles, Jason H.

161 Brekke, Sylvia R.

999 Bridges, Caden W.

467 Campbell, Caden R.

791 Clemmons, Coleman A.

999 Davis, Christopher C.

467 Ekimogloy, Vasilios J.

185 Horne, Jade C.

467 Jordan, Wesley E.

000 Kabagambe, Abigail A.

843 McDonald, Jackson S.

522 Whitfield, Hannah E.

467 Zink, Jonathan D.

FRED J. PAGE H. S. 000 Ingmire, Evan W. 000 Peck, Mary F. 000 Pontow, Daniel D. 000 Varanasi, Aarnav Mrida

NASHVILLE:

MONTGOMERY BELL ACADEMY 000 Bottorff, John D.

204 Dennis, Thomas R.

Hardy, William B. 000 Keller, Luke S. 000 Lockamy, Jack H. 000 Looney, Conner W. 999 Turner, Cyril W.

553 Uden, James W.

CHRIST PRESBYTERIAN ACADEMY

451 Altman, Luke

467 Jackson, Lukas

454 Walker, Abigail

FRANKLIN ROAD ACADEMY

454 Bonde, Bailey C.

HARPETH HALL SCHOOL

628 Bell, Madeline 000 Chung, Madison

Cigarran, Davern

DiMaria, Natalie

Miller, Julia P.

454 Schaaf, Justus

NASHVILLE SCHOOL OF THE ARTS

520 Kelly, Deidra M.

JOHN OVERTON H. S. 000 Guo, Vincent

FATHER RYAN H. S.

000 Jaeger, Evan

999 Adler, Elizabeth W.

UNIVERSITY SCHOOL

000 Gauthier, Cleo M.

628 Law, Emily

185 Mallal, Natalie F.

162 Spiller, Isaac E.

160 Vaughn, Katherine E.

450 Womer, Kailyn Y.

VALOR COLLEGE PREP

160 Harris, Adam G.

000 Warren, Abigail K.

NOLENSVILLE:

NOLENSVILLE H. S.

000 Brejeon, Albin

470 High, Wilson C.

450 Job, Stephen

999 Mullenix, Annabelle S.

999 Tadrous, Michael

455 Wallace, Meghan E.

SPRING HILL:

SUMMIT H. S.

161 Stinson, Jackson T. 204 Wittekind, Mark A.

THOMPSON’S STATION:

INDEPENDENCE H. S.

999 Chatterton, Andrew M.

455 Onusaitis, Carmen E.

200 Ragan, Weston B.

999 Rao, Kiran M.

455 Sower, Elijah C.

870 Whitlow, Patrick S.

2023 Ravenwood High School National Merit Scholarship finalists PHOTO COURTESY OF WCS

Police release sketch of unidentified woman found dead in 2020

BY MATT MASTERS

Metro Nashville Police Department Cold Case and Missing Person Unit detectives have released the sketch of a woman found dead near Bellevue in 2020 in hopes that the public can help identify her.

The woman’s body was found on November 26, 2020, inside an abandoned house in the 7000 block of Highway 70, with police adding that it’s believed she died from an accidental drug overdose.

Metro Nashville Police describe the woman as white, standing 5-foot-4, weighing 225 pounds, and who appeared to be in her 20s. She had “reddish-brown wavy hair” and brown eyes.

On Sept. 14, police released the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation sketch of the woman, having previously released a photo of a tattoo of a heart above a comma forming a semicolon on the woman’s left wrist.

Detectives ask that anyone with information about the woman’s identity or circumstances surrounding her death contact cold case detective Matt Filter at 615-862-7803.

Police sketch of the unidentified woman courtesy of MNPD PHOTO BY TBI

Nashville is in good hands with Mayor-Elect Freddie O’Connell

BY BILL FREEMAN

In a decade marked by half as many mayoral administrations as there have been years, Nashville has elected a mayor who is hitting the ground running to make a positive difference for all residents. MayorElect Freddie O’Connell is the right man for the job. His emphasis on correcting the inequalities in public education, public transit and affordable housing is both practical and noble.

After a decisive victory in last week’s runoff election, O’Connell has also begun to select key figures in his transition team and in his administration. There are always small indicators of success or failure woven throughout the early decisions in any administration when observed in retrospect, and O’Connell’s early decisions are sound. As the Nashville Banner’s Steve Cavendish reports: “The wheels of the formal transition kicked in hours after O’Connell’s victory party left Eastside Bowl as he named three transition co-chairs: Alex Jahangir, the Vanderbilt surgeon and former Board of Health chair who led the city’s COVID-19

response for Cooper; Christy Pruitt-Haynes, a corporate human resources leader and consultant; and David Esquivel, a partner at Bass, Berry & Sims who has led the firm’s pro bono efforts.”

Watching O’Connell’s campaign messaging transform into administration goals is important. As Cavendish writes, O’Connell’s transition team is “meant to lead the transition on what the campaign outlined as three areas: How Nashville grows, how Nashville moves (transit) and how Nashville works (making government more responsive). The reports each of these committees are producing will be ready at the end of October.”

These early steps toward productivity and efficiency are clear indicators that O’Connell means business. As a former Metro councilmember, O’Connell has watched Nashville endure far too many mayoral administrations and abrupt changes in leadership. As soon as one administration got its sea legs, it was gone — with more and more elections still to come. Nashville

deserves to have greater continuity in its leadership, and I think we have the right man to stay the course. O’Connell has demonstrated strong commitment to Nashville in his years on the Metro Council and in his work on affordable housing and public transit.

One of the greatest signs of hope for Nashville is O’Connell’s emphasis on supporting everyday Nashvillians. As the Associated Press reports, O’Connell is continuing his emphasis on supporting Nashvillians over big business and tourists. He stated in his victory speech on Sept. 14: “Every part of this city deserves the public resources that bind neighborhoods and neighbors together — schools, parks and libraries. And when we do that, our interactions with our local government should leave us feeling satisfied that a real person worked to solve our issue.”

Nashville Scene editor D. Patrick Rodgers may have said it best: “A twoterm representative of Nashville’s District 19, O’Connell built his campaign —

which he launched nearly 17 months ago — on prioritizing the needs of residents over business interests. His message and de facto campaign slogan, ‘I want you to stay,’ worked.”

Time will tell, but his campaign message certainly did work in propelling O’Connell to the mayor’s office. Nashville also has reason to trust that the message of improving functional city needs will transition into effective and productive improvements in our daily lives as residents of this fine city.

Congratulations, Mayor-Elect O’Connell. We have selected a fine man to lead Nashville.

Bill Freeman

Bill Freeman is the owner of FW Publishing, the publishing company that produces the Nashville Scene, Nfocus, the Nashville Post and The News.

Freddie O’Connell with his family on election night

PHOTO BY MATT MASTERS

TICKED OFF!

MAYORAL AND AT LARGE COUNCIL RACE ELECTION DAY

Echoing the Ticked Off letter last week in regard to the letter writters inability to vote for the councilman that was on the Transit Board that developed the plan for the ridiculous AMP. In looking at the hypocrisy of the Transit Board by spending money on creating the logo, painting or buying the WeGo buses, building bus shelters that hold ~ 6 people but, touted that they are all for transit.

Metro/Nashville has wasted our money resulting in Metro’s Bond Rating lowered and our debt increased lets me know that the next Democratic mayor will do what the last four have done which is spend money that Metro/Nashville does not have due to poor budgeting for the needs that are here. Instead we have several vanity projects for the past Mayor’s and the City Council.

Having neighborhoods overrun with tall and skinnies without sidewalks in front of houses is inexcusable. Having Airbnb’s overrunning neighborhoods with parties that spill into citizens yards and homes with unacceptable noise levels is inexcusable. Europe doesn’t allow this behavior so why does Nashville? The other major undone job that Metro has left for the last 10-15 years is ballistic film on all doors and windows in every school in Davidson County. How has this not been funded and completed?

24/7 FOOTBALL RESPONSE

Au confrère, mon ami. You are IN football, basketball and soccer territory now. You have three option: turn off the tv, shut the **** up or move back to Forest Hills, NY.

KROGER

I’m ticked off at Kroger (Highway 70 South location) for several reasons which I would like to mention. First of all it irritates me how some items on sale in the weekly Kroger flyer are out of stock. This has happened on more than one occasion.

Second, it is sometimes really difficult to get the help I need up front at customer service, sometimes there will be no one around. Third, I dislike all these digital coupon promotions they advertise requiring you to have the app on your phone. I’m a senior citizen and I do not have the ability to do so on my phone. I feel these digital coupons discriminate towards older people making it harder for them to get the digital sale price when they do not have the proper phone to do so. And these are the people who need the discount the most!

SPROUTS IN BELLEVUE

Whenever shopping at Sprouts in Bellevue, they are now charging for plastic bags which I think is ridiculous. In the past they use to not do this. Their prices have not gone down and the plastic bags being supplied should be part of your purchase. On top of that when checking out the credit card device at the register will ask if you want to donate to an organization helping children plant gardens in the future. I think it’s getting carried away all these different kinds of donations being asked when you’re checking out at the store.

HOME DEPOT

Recently I was buying something at Home Depot and in the past you could show your military id for a discount. Well now they are requiring you to use your cell phone to scan a square symbol when checking out to get the military discount regardless if you have your military id present. It’s wrong that a military id card is no longer sufficient to use but you have to use a cell phone to scan in a square barcode! I feel it’s taking away our rights of the military people who served this country.

The comments in the Ticked Off column do not reflect the views of FW Publishing.

BUSINESS BRIEFS

VUMC nursing leader retiring

BY NICOLLE S. PRAINO

Vanderbilt University Medical Center has announced executive chief nursing officer Marilyn Dubree is retiring.

According to a release, Dubree plans to take a part-time role at VUMC after her replacement is chosen in a nationwide search. She began working at VUMC in 1976 as a clinical nurse specialist and nursing instructor. Dubree held many roles over the years including director of surgical nursing and director of operational improvement. In 1994, Dubree became the chief nursing officer of Vanderbilt Hospitals and Clinics. She took on her current role in 2007.

During her time at VUMC, she has

Big Brothers Big Sisters updates board

STAFF REPORTS

Big Brothers Big Sisters of Middle Tennessee has announced 2023-24 board members

According to a release, the BBBSMT board members serve three-year terms. Totaling 28 members, this year’s board includes 10 returning members and the addition of nine community members, including a student from Valor Collegiate High School.

The new board members include the following:

• Amelia Bozeman, Director of the Tennessee Small Business Development Center, MTSU

• Marq Burnett, Associate Editor, American City Business Journals

• Dr. Digna Forbes, Pathologist, Meharry Medical College

• Jeff Lipscomb, Chairman, GS&F

• Neema Mehta, Global Head of HRStrategy, Transformation, & Process, Philips

• P. Danielle Nellis, Deputy General Counsel, Tennessee Department of Education

• Rik Reitmaier, Senior Vice President of Information Technology, Ascend Credit Union

• Suzanne Smith, Senior Vice President & Private Client Manager, Bank of America

• Naomi Walker, Sophomore, Valor Collegiate High School - Youth Board Member

“Big Brothers Big Sisters of Middle Tennessee’s Board of Directors is comprised of accomplished and visionary leaders committed to investing in the young people of our community,” Melissa Hudson-Gant, BBBSMT CEO, said in the release. “We are thankful for the departing directors who

have stewarded this community resource and are excited for the new directors to invest their expertise as we head into strategic planning.”

Departing directors include Anders Hall (Vanderbilt), Allen McDonald (Baker Storey McDonald Properties), Terry Vo (Metro Council), Cynthia Whitfield Story (Inspire 1 LLC), Chris Huskey (HBRE), Lisa Berg (Covenant Physician Partners), Sarah Crain (Bank of America), David Bailey (Hastings Architecture), Anne Corrao (Nissan) and MyKayela Carter (Youth Board Member)

The board members elected to a second term are as follows:

• Brandon Corbin, Regional Technology Officer, Ascension Saint Thomas

• James Hallock, Chief Revenue Officer, Coretrust

• Kelly Hodges, Chief Development and Engagement Officer, Gresham Smith & Partners

• Dr. LuSheena Jones-Coofer, Psychologist

• Tom Lampe, Nashville Region Vice President, Messer Construction Co.

• Erica Vick Penley, Partner, Bass, Berry & Sims PLC

• Cher Porties, President, United Parcel Service

• Scott Romine, President, Jackson National Life Insurance

• Edward Rucker, Sargent, Metro Nashville Police Department

• Curt Sullivan, President and General Manager, Transcor America LLC

Big Brothers Big Sisters of Middle Tennessee was founded in 1969.

This story was first published by our sister publication Nashville Post.

seen the nursing team grow to more than 9,000 nurses. The medical center has earned four magnet designations from the American Nurses Credentialing Center with her leadership. She has been inducted as a fellow to the American Academy of Nursing and into the YWCA’s Academy for Women of Achievement.

Dubree earned her master’s degree in nursing from Vanderbilt University School of Nursing and has since served as an assistant professor and is currently senior associate dean for clinical practice.

“In her role as executive chief nursing officer, Marilyn has provided exceptional

leadership, ensuring that our VUMC nurses perform at the very top of their licenses,” Dr. C. Wright Pinson, deputy CEO and chief health system officer, said in the release. “It is because of her dedication that the medical center has been continually recognized as being among the best nursing organizations in the country. Marilyn has not only built a legacy of service, but she has become a very good friend to many.”

This story was first published by our sister publication Nashville Post.

Belmont adds to board of trust

STAFF REPORTS

The Belmont University Board of Trust has added five members for the 2023-24 academic year.

According to a release, the additions are philanthropist Andrea Waitt Carlton, HCA Healthcare EVP and chief clinical officer Dr. Michael Cuffe, AllianceBernstein investment adviser Winston Justice, Tennessee Titans CEO and President Burke Nihill and Tennessee Board of Regents Vice Chair Emily Reynolds.

Joining the five are two new alumni regents, chosen to help provide leadership and advice to the board by representing the views of students and new alumni: Peter Geoly, a 2022 sport administration and corporate communications graduate, and Keidron Turner, a 2023 politics and public law graduate.

Carlton is the president of the AWC Foundation, which is currently supporting Belmont with a $1 million pledge for the Fisher Center for the Performing Arts.

Cuffe is responsible for HCA’s clinical quality, nursing, clinical informatics, care transformation, urgent care operations, graduate medical education, laboratory services and more than 13,000 employed and managed physicians.

Justice serves as an asset manager to families, entrepreneurs and nonprofits. After his NFL career (2006-15) with the Philadelphia Eagles, Indianapolis Colts and Denver Broncos, he entered the financial industry as an associate analyst with Wells Fargo Securities. During his football career, Justice co-founded MJC Capital, an early-stage investment vehicle, and Elixr, a

gourmet cafe and roastery.

Nihill is in his eighth season with the Tennessee Titans and his fourth as the team’s president and CEO. He joined the organization as general counsel in 2016. Reynolds has had a career in public service, policy and government in Washington, D.C., and Tennessee. For four years, she served as secretary of the U.S. Senate where she ran the Senate’s legislative, financial and administrative operations. After leaving the Senate, she was a senior vice president for the Tennessee Valley Authority. Reynolds also serves on the boards of FB Financial and BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee.

“With the recent opening of the new Jack C. Massey Center, the highly anticipated Frist College of Medicine and other developments across campus, Belmont is gaining exciting momentum toward the institutional vision of becoming the leading Christ-centered university in the world,” BU Board of Trust Chair Milton Johnson, a Belmont alumnus and retired CEO/chairman of HCA Healthcare, said in the release. “These new trustees bring an abundance of valuable experience and insights that will help us keep our focus on students’ success and reach our strategic goals.”

Belmont University enrolls nearly 9,000 students from every state and 33 countries. This story was first published by our sister publication Nashville Post.

Marilyn Dubree

PHOTO BY ANNE RAYNER, VU

Freddie O’Connell begins mayoral transition process

BY STEPHEN ELLIOTT

With Mayor-elect Freddie O’Connell fresh off Thursday night’s resounding runoff victory, he and his team are hitting the ground running in preparation for taking office in the coming weeks.

But in fact that preparation started even before he beat Alice Rolli by nearly 30 percentage points.

“We’ve been working pretty consistently preparing for the transition,” outgoing Mayor John Cooper, who already has a vacation on the books later this month, said Friday.

Cooper, who opted not to run for a second term, said he congratulated O’Connell in the green room of the victor’s election night party but added he has avoided talking too much about the transition until now. He added that he declined to publicly weigh in on the race because “it’s not about me.”

“You don’t want to talk about it too much prior to actually being elected lest you invoke some karma,” Cooper said. “But people have been working on it. All next week is hopefully a whole lot of pretty intense work.”

Marjorie Pomeroy-Wallace, O’Connell’s campaign manager, was at Cooper’s office Friday morning meeting with Cooper’s chief of staff, Jennifer Rasmussen-Sagan.

Metro Nashville has an unusually short

transition period, necessitating the quick turnaround. O’Connell will promptly begin interviewing and hiring key staff members. He got a jump on that process Friday by announcing that his transition team will be co-chaired by surgeon and former Metro COVID response leader Alex Jahangir, author and business adviser Christy PruittHaynes and attorney David Esquivel.

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Cooper, who won election as an at-large Metro councilmember and then mayor in his first two tries for elected office, said not much on Thursday surprised him.

“Jeff [Syracuse] and Russ [Pulley] did a great job,” Cooper said of the two district councilmembers who lost bids for at-large seats. “Politics is very hard. Chris Cheng should be congratulated for going from not that well known to a very strong performance. All the people that won are dedicated to creating a great Nashville. The growth of women’s participation, now being a majority of the council and all five at-large seats is a noteworthy, significant event. That’s quite a change from 60 years ago.”

Cooper is not quite ready to announce what’s next for him, though his vacation at the end of the month includes a painting

course, as he hopes to revive a much-loved old hobby. Asked about his advice for O’Connell, with whom he served on the Metro Council, Cooper said, “I have a lot of advice.”

“This is a very administrative job,” the outgoing mayor said. “You don’t often think of it this way, but your job is the morale of the fire department, too. Your job is

teacher vacancies. There are lots of complex government systems that are collected under Metro. You are responsible for those systems being successful. Some of it is how this office connects to making that happen and being effective in doing that.”

This story was first published by our sister publication Nashville Post.

Mayor’s office transition in process PHOTO BY MATT MASTERS

Blake McMeans shares his powerful story to warn of drinking and driving dangers

BY BRENDA BATEY

Blake McMeans was once one of the nation’s top ranked tennis players, until one destructive decision changed his life forever.

Now he travels throughout the United States to share his important message about the dangers of drinking and driving.

The Blake McMeans Foundation educates people on the importance of making good decisions. McMeans speaks at numerous schools and organizations in hopes of preventing someone else from making the same decision he made which left him in a wheelchair.

“Every time Blake McMeans begins one of his numerous public speeches, he gets up from his wheelchair, goes over to the podium and stands. Sometimes the process takes five minutes, other times less. When he’s settled, with his caregiver by his side, he starts his talk,” said Clay Stauffer, the board chair of the McMeans Foundation and lead minister at Woodmont Christian Church.

“His audience is always riveted,” Stauffer said.

McMeans was once one of the nation’s top-ranked high school tennis players until one tragic incident changed the course of his life forever.

As the son of former University of Tennessee (UT) football star and team captain, Neal McMeans, Blake McMeans was a gifted athlete. At the age of three, McMeans picked up his first tennis racket and discovered his passion for the sport.

As he grew older, he won tournament after tournament, rising in the national rankings, making a name for himself as one of the top tennis players in the nation.

Not only was McMeans’s prowess on the tennis court a force to be reckoned with, but his popularity and academic successes were impressive, as well. McMeans was constantly surrounded by friends and admirers, he was voted as “best looking” at his high school, and he was always one of the most popular students on campus.

“Blake was heavily recruited by universities around the nation for his athletic and academic abilities, as well as by some of the top fraternities on those campuses,” Stauffer said.

After graduating early from high school, McMeans decided to follow in the footsteps of his father and accepted an athleticacademic scholarship to the University of Tennessee. His dreams of becoming a star athlete at UT were cut short, however, when one tragic incident led to another in McMeans’s life.

At the age of 17, McMeans’s world was suddenly rocked by the unexpected death of his father. Shaken by grief, McMeans turned to alcohol to numb the pain.

On the night of November 10, 1994, McMeans went drinking with his future fraternity brothers just off UT’s campus, then got into his car to drive home. Just after 2 a.m. and just one-half mile away

from home, McMeans drove his car into an embankment, hitting trees along the way and flipping his car three times. Once emergency personnel arrived at the scene, McMeans was immediately airlifted to UT Medical Center, where doctors and surgeons fought to keep him alive.

“For nearly four months, Blake remained in a coma. At nearly every point during his recovery, his chances of living, much less significant gains in physical and cognitive progress, seemed highly unlikely,” Stauffer said.

Despite the odds, McMeans survived the initial trauma and began slowly relearning how to conduct routine activities, like lifting his head, blinking and swallowing.

“With each new day, Blake continues to accept the challenge of working hard to improve physically, mentally and cognitively,” said his step-brother, Harlin Hickerson.

“He works out at the YMCA several times a week and continues to make small, steady gains in his motor development. The same fortitude that once helped make him a tennis star and the inner strength that helped him survive his accident is now being channeled toward another purpose,” Hickerson said.

Now, McMeans is back at center court in a whole new way. Through his nonprofit, the Blake McMeans Foundation and Promise Tour, McMeans educates young adults about the dangers of drinking and driving in the hopes of preventing them from making the same life-altering mistake he did.

Since the launch of the Blake McMeans Foundation in 2007, McMeans has spread his message to tens of thousands of students across the region, encouraging them to make a promise not to drink and drive.

“Today, Blake is one of the true champions of distracted driving prevention in the state of Tennessee. His passion and commitment to the cause fuels a statewide effort in providing awareness opportunities that stress the importance of making strong, healthy choices throughout life,” said Hickerson

“They say a picture is worth a thousand words, if you just watched me walk to this podium, you saw the picture of a person who decided to drink and drive. I’m just thankful to be alive. My life could have ended that night,” says McMeans.

To hear McMeans discuss destructive decisions behind the wheel, the public is invited to join him for breakfast on Thursday, September 28 at 7 a.m. at Woodmont Christian Church.

The event is free to attend, but reservations must be made by calling 334-332-9988.

For more information, visit blakemcmeans.com or email info@ blakemcmeans.org.

Heather Traylor, Stephanie Greenfield, Blake McMeans, and Allison Schaufele at this year’s fundraiser for the Blake McMeans Foundation. PHOTO BY BRENDA BATEY

Blake McMeans (left) speaks to a group about the dangers of drinking and driving, with Clay Stauffer, board chair for Blake McMeans Foundation PHOTO BY STEVE LOWRY

Zoolumination returns Nov. 17, tickets on sale now

The Nashville Zoo’s annual Zoolumination returns Nov. 17, and tickets are on sale now.

The event is the country’s largest Chinese lantern celebration and will run through Feb. 4, featuring more than 1,000 newly crafted, silk Chinese lanterns throughout the nearly three miles of zoo pathways.

The lanterns will feature a varitey of Chinese folklore imagery including dragons, as well as live performances each night from acrobats and other entertainers.

A special holiday-themed North Pole Village will also take place from Nov. 24Dec. 24, featuring the North Pole Express, Santa’s workshop, holiday treats and visits from Santa himself.

Last year’s event saw a record turnout of more than 150,000 guests, and tickets are avalible online at a variety of price points and with the option of passes.

The zoo is partnering with China-based Zigong Lantern Group which is employing Chinese artists, welders and construction staff to design and construct the environmentally friendly LED lanterns on the zoo property over the course of three months.

Five Free and Cheap Family Things To Do in Middle Tennessee

BY AMANDA HAGGARD

If you’ve never been to the Cumberland Dragon Boat Festival, this is your sign to do it. Kids absolutely love to sit (run, dance, etc) in the grass while watching the highly decorated boats cruise down the Cumberland. (And it’s for a good cause.)

Otherwise, this week you can take your 7-8 year old to learn some bike basics, you can do it all at the Kidsville Family Festival, you can watch the MTSU Homecoming Parade or you can drop the kids off and go do something for yourself for once.

As part of our series on free and cheap

things to do with the family, here is our weekly roundup of places to spend time together over the next week:

CUMBERLAND DRAGON BOAT FESTIVAL

The Cumberland River Compact’s annual Cumberland River Dragon Boat Festival is slated for Sept. 23. The kids will love to watch the riverboat races, which are in their 15th year this year. The riverside event will also feature food trucks, a kid zone, a beer garden and lots of educational materials on

the Cumberland River Compact, which the day supports. The compact has been attempting to address the root causes of water pollution in the Cumberland River basin, which provides water for more than three million people and thousands of species. The festival is a fun and engaging way to call attention to one of our precious local resources.

LEARN TO RIDE: 7-8 YEAR OLDS

For between $10-15, Bike Fun is hosting a Learn to Ride bike class in Madison. The class teaches kids basic bicycle operation, balance and control. This class is designed for students who have never pedaled without training wheels. Bike Fun has limited bicycles and helmets to use for students who need them. If kids have their own helmet, they’re encouraged to bring the helmet, a snack and some water. Caregivers are welcome to stay and watch and learn.

KIDSVILLE FAMILY FESTIVAL

Kidsville is all over town at festivals almost every weekend, but its annual Kidsville Family Festival brings together the best of their programming for a day filled with activities including: a Meet & Greet with the Dreams Do Come True Princess Parties, reading and more with Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library, complimentary face painting, interactive

games from Bounce It Off Inflatables, lawn fitness activities, sensory play, Nashville Public Library Puppet Truck performances of Puss in Boots, family-friendly yoga class with Small World Yoga, tap and ballet dance performances by Metro Parks Dance Division and photo opportunities with the cast of The Nutcracker, dance demonstrations by Construct Nashville Dance Studio, crafts compliments of several festival partners (including Turnip Green Creative Reuse), Bach To Rock instrument petting zoo and more.

BARBIE PARENTS NIGHT OUT

On Sept. 22, LW Athletics will host a Barbie-themed parents night out evening for kids aged 4-12. The event is from 4-10 p.m. and includes dinner, a movie, free play and games. The night is $25-30 dollars, depending on whether you have a membership, which is not bad for a night of babysitting.

MTSU HOMECOMING PARADE

The Student Government Association and the Alumni Association is celebrating 112 years of Middle Tennessee State University at the annual Homecoming Parade in Murfreesboro. The parade will begin on East Main Street at Maney Avenue. Community members, groups, and businesses are welcome to be in the parade.

Zoolumunation PHOTO COURTESY OF NASHVILLE ZOO

Cinnamon Apple Cake

BY EDIBLE NASHVILLE

Leon and Edwina Boyd of Hurricane Hollow Apple Orchard in Baxter, TN, have picked, cleaned, and sorted eight varieties of apples for over 35 years. Bushels of Fuji’s and Ambrosias, Mutsus, and Stayman Winesaps are stacked in the storeroom, and occasionally Edwina finds time to whip up a cake that showcases the gems plucked

from her own backyard. This apple cake was gifted to the Boyds by one of their “regulars.” Simple and non-fussy, the couple fell in love with it and now it’s become a tradition. This has become our “go-to” apple cake. It has only 9 ingredients, all of which you probably have on hand. Oh yeah and one bowl. It’s a keeper.

ACROSS

1 Fries, to Brits

6 Usurp

10 Entourage

15 Bring back to life

16 What a QR code at a restaurant may lead to

17 Less green, as a banana

18 Crowd favorite at karaoke, often

19 Part of a Latin 101 conjugation

20 Mediterranean fruit

21 Console with a motion-sensing remote

22 Prez with a famous ranch

24 Stephanie of “Ever ything Everywhere All at Once”

26 ___ room

27 Cer tain racetrack bet

29 Kind of calendar

31 Knockout punch

36 French film award

39 Regarding

40 Sight on a Norwegian cr uise

44 Where Diamond Head is

45 Accepts a FedEx delivery, perhaps

INGREDIENTS

1 cup vegetable oil

1 1/2 cups white sugar

1/2 cup turbinado or brown sugar

3 eggs

2 1/2 cups self-rising flour

1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon

2 teaspoons vanilla

1 cup chopped toasted walnuts or pecans

3 1/2 cups chopped finely peeled apples

2 teaspoons honey

1. Preheat oven to 350°. Grease and flour bundt pan.

2. Combine oil, sugars, and eggs in large bowl, whisk well. Stir in flour and cinnamon. Add walnuts and apples, stir well. Pour into pan.

3. Bake 40 minutes (or until toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean). Cool in pan 15 minutes. Invert onto plate.

Follow Edible Nashville on instagram @ediblenashtn and their website ediblenashville.com. To subscribe to the magazine that comes out 6x/year, go to ediblenashville.com.

47 Mononymous Grammy winner

48 Like many old fiddle tunes: Abbr

49 Extra point for a shooting foul, in basketball

50 Without a sole winner

51 Educ. publishing division

52 Actor Yeun of 2020’s “Minari”

53 Attempt in cornhole

54 Baby wallaby

56 Go over

58 Key locale: Abbr.

60 Attempts to hit, as a shuttlecock

65 Org. that reports to the attorney general

68 “Awesome!”

69 Architectural features depicted by this puzzle’s vertical circled letters

70 “Wow!”

71 2026 World Cup co-host

72 Caught up

73 Peace, in Russian

74 ___ Faire (outdoor event)

75 Type of structure that this puzzle’s theme is a grand example of

76 The Mughal dynasty’s reign, e.g.

DOWN

1 “Gladiator” star Russell

2 Fusilli shape

3 Home to the monument depicted in this puzzle

4 Pritzker Prize-winning architect

5 Suffer from intense heat

6 Key with one sharp: Abbr.

7 Dream state

8 Santa ___

9 Shrub

10 Highly pleased with

11 “Data is the new ___” (popular wisdom in economics)

12 Architectural feature depicted between 7and 8-Down

13 Number of players on a netball team

14 Upright

23 Cricket club

25 Spanish seasoning

28 “Much Ado

About Nothing” role

30 Golf alternative, in brief

32 Lacks

33 “All kidding ___ …”

34 No. 2 in the statehouse

35 “___ nuit”

36 Pigeon coop

37 Countess’s counterpart

38 Builder of the monument depicted in this puzzle

41 Architectural feature depicted by this puzzle’s arching circled letters

42 Some loaves

43 Family men

45 Romp

46 Able to feel

55 Name that’s an anagram of SEEM

57 Focus of some cognitive therapy, for short

58 Number of 69-Across surrounding the monument depicted in this puzzle

59 Come up shor t

61 Part of M.I.T.: Abbr.

62 Prefix meaning onebillionth

63 Weight of a paper clip, roughly

64 Tesla, by birth

66 Qatari leader

67 Home to the monument depicted in this puzzle

ANSWER TO PUZZLE

Online subscriptions: Today’s puzzle and more than 9,000 past puzzles, nytimes.com/ crosswords ($39.95 a year).

Read about and comment on each puzzle: nytimes.com/wordplay.

Crosswords for young solvers: nytimes.com/ studentcrosswords.

EDITED

PUZZLE BY MANGESH GHOGRE AND BRENDAN EMMETT QUIGLEY

Warner Parks’ Hummingbird Happy Hour

BY BRENDA BATEY

PHOTOS BY BRENDA BATEY

More than 200 people and innumerable hummingbirds gathered for Warner Parks’ fabulous Hummingbird Happy Hour, at Edwin Warner Park’s Nature Center.

The party, which was held to benefit Friends of Warner Park, was a truly magical event at the peak of hummingbird migration season. The tiny birds buzzed from feeder to feeder, bulking up on nectar for their long journey south.

Event chairs were Langhorne Coleman and Hayden Fulmer and beverages, donated by the ever-generous Lipman, featured a watermelon basil margarita dubbed “Hummingbird Nectar.”

The delicious food was catered by Streetcar Taps & Garden, which served up barbecued pork and chicken on rolls, homemade salt and vinegar potato chips, pimento cheese toast points, slaw, and oatmeal cream pies, also homemade.

Nathan Collie was on hand with a display of his beautiful new book, “Moments with Birds,” a collection of more

than 100 photographs which capture the beauty of both the migratory and resident birds of Tennessee.

Hailey Weber Ferguson, Duncan Ferguson, and Kevin and Paige Roddey

Dan Grecco and Mary Divittorio Matt Gornick and Kalen Johnson

Elizabeth Tardio, Leigh Adams, Maggie Sandwith, and Lisa Jager

Bob Parrish, Susan and Elliott Leschen, and Sean Alexander

Anne Goetze and Nathan Collie, with his book, “Moments with Birds.”

Carol and Al Davis, and Kelly and Frank Adelman

Andrew and Langhorne Coleman, Jessica Darden, and Mackenzie Averbuch

Anne Clayton, Grace Clayton, and Edward Buchanan

Scott and Arby Richardson Shelley and George Walker

Ben and Kaaren May, and Molly Elkins

Al Davis, Kelly Adelman, and Mary Leyden Johnson Sandy Bivens, Mary Glynn Williamson, and Teri Diaz

Barry McGrath and Cristina Brunet enjoy some of the delicious food at the event.

Barry Sulkin, Cammie Claybrook, Grace Claybrook, and Susan Tirrill

Mary Carol Beesley, Jane Corcoran, and Donna Joyner

Langhorne Coleman, Kristen Pate, and Katherine Gowdey

Moves & Grooves 20th Anniversary Gala

BY BRENDA BATEY

PHOTOS BY BRENDA BATEY

Moves & Grooves’ 20th annual gala was held at OZ Arts Nashville to benefit Moves & Grooves’ youth programs, as well as a capital campaign to create Nashville’s first youth arts center with affordable housing for artists.

The organization works to enhance the academic achievement of children through creative arts programs; inspire youth to excel in school; and promote positive health by providing nutritious snacks and daily physical activity.

Everyone enjoyed the delicious dinner by South Fork Catering Co., and bidding on the wonderful silent auction, which offered art gathered by Sandy Spain, Predators’ gear, jewelry, and much more.

Mix 92.9 Radio Host Anna Marie was the mistress of ceremonies and Board Chair Chase Manning welcomed the guests. The invocation was given by John R. Faison, Sr. Music was provided by Mark Parker and Meghan Linsey and two students performed a beautiful dance.

Awards were presented to Shelia Calloway, who received the Youth Justice

Award from Hal Cato, and the Unsung Hero Award was given to Denise McBride by Dell Oliver. In addition, the Catalyst Award was conferred on staff members of the office of Rep. Jim Cooper.

Presenter Dell Oliver and Denise McBride, who was given the Unsung Hero Award.

Deitrick Mitchell, Moves and Grooves Founder and Executive Director Emerald Mitchell, Rose Jordan, and Desmond Jordan

Maleigha Jones and Patricia Jones

Charlandra Watson, Maya Bugg, and John Faison

Kendall Merrick, Joy Styles, Travis Bradley, and Mackenzie Reagan

Charlandra Watson, Chase Manning, Allison Dowdle, and Maegan Manning

Shelia Calloway, who received the Youth Justice Award.

Anetra Hillsman and Sharon Reynolds

Keith Teelucksingh and Jocelyn Bradshaw

Ray Mariner and Raffaella Braun Mariner

Katie and Jeffery Jackson

Sandy Spain and Jim Robert

Joel and Nahed Zehr, and Jerry and Amy Pentecost

Chris Armstrong, Terri Major, Steve Robson, and Stephanie Armstrong

Whitney White, Shatika Brown, and Francheska Patterson

Eric and Kristina Dunlap Reneshia Parker and Aranesha Jackson

Nikki and Richard Thigpen, and Brooklyn and LaMont Belk

Haley Frank and Marina Carrier Jeneisha Harris and Britney Taylor

Debra and Reginald Edwards

Valerie Herrera and Kristina Jordan

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we Buy Vinyl Records, Comic Books, CDs, Blu-Rays,DVDs, Toys, Video & Role-Playing Games, CCGs, Stereo Equipment,Music & Movie Memorabilia,and much more. In business 40+ years; No collection too large or small.

Mention this ad when you call.

BUY - SELL - TRADE the Great escape Call 615-364-3029

TheGreatEscapeOnline.com

wiCkeR

RepaiR

Chair caning and all styles of weaving. Wicker repair available. Pick up and delivery. the Cane-eRy (615) 269-4780 / 414-5655

window Clean

all seasons window Cleaning Specializing in residential windows. Serving Nashville over 38 yrs!

Licensed - Bonded - Insured Free Estimates

Low Prices (615) 889-9164