The Contributor: March 31, 2021

$2

Buy this paper with Venmo!

Include your Vendor’s Name & Badge #:

w w w . t h e c o n t r i b u t o r. o r g

Volu m e 1 5

| Number 7 | Ma rch 31-Apr il 14, 2021

G N I T T E G S T O SH S M R A IN

r h e a r t’s u o y d n a an adult e ’r u o y f r is ye s . I e w s n a e r yo u .” o f “ Th t h g i r accine is v e h t , HAILE g n b e ati H BRIAN RH EIGHBO N F O O CE

A LT OOD HE

IN THE ISSUE

Contributor Board

Tom Wills, Chair Cathy Jennings, Bruce Doeg, Demetria Kalodimos, Ann Bourland, Kerry Graham, Peter Macdonald, Amber DuVentre, Jerome Moore, Erik Flynn

LOCALES - POLÍTICA - INMIGRACIÓN - TRABAJOS - SALUD - ESPECTÁCULOS - DEPORTES Y MÁS...

4

GRATIS

13

Vendor Spotlight

Abril

2021 Año 19 - No. 327

14

Estafas relacionadas con el COVID-19

Durante el brote de coronavirus (COVID-19), los estafadores pueden tratar de aprovecharse de usted con amenazas para asustarlo y difundiendo información falsa. Es posible que lo contacten por teléfono, correo electrónico, mensajes de texto, correo postal o redes sociales. Proteja su dinero y su identidad al no compartir información personal como el número de su cuenta de banco, número de Seguro Social o fecha de nacimiento.

Aprenda a reconocer y denunciar las estafas de vacunas de COVID-19 y otros tipos de estafas relacionadas con el coronavirus.

¡Cuidado con los fraudes!

COVID-19 vaccines, tests and treatments scams

de nacimiento y otro tipo de información personal.

Aprenda cómo proteger su dinero.

Estafa del abuelo y de miembros de las Fuerzas Armadas: un estafador finge ser un nieto o un miembro del las Fuerzas Armadas que está enfermo o en problemas debido al coronavirus.

Le piden que envíe dinero para pagar gastos médicos o de viaje falsos.

Comuníquese con la línea directa del Centro Nacional contra el Fraude en Desastres al 866-720-5721 o envíe un correo electrónico a disaster@leo.gov.

Reporte una estafa al FBI (en inglés).

Si se trata de una estafa en línea, envíe su queja a través del Centro de Denuncias de Delitos por Internet (en inglés).

Rumores relacionados Coronavirus (COVID-19)

Estafas de robo de identidad cuando las personas publican una foto de su tarjeta de vacunación en las redes sociales: no publique una foto de su tarjeta de vacunación en línea. Los estafadores pueden ver y robar su nombre, fecha

Estafas de obras de caridad: las organizaciones caritativas falsas aparecen durante los desastres. Los estafadores también pueden afirmar que provienen de organizaciones benéficas reales.

Cheques del Gobierno: alguien que asegura que trabaja en el Gobierno le pide su información personal o intenta cobrarle cuotas falsas para obtener su cheque de estímulo. También pueden ofrecerle una manera de obtener el dinero más rápido.

FDIC y bancos (en inglés): los estafadores simulan llamar desde la Corporación Federal de Seguro de Depósitos (FDIC) o desde su banco y dicen que usted podría dejar de tener acceso a su cuenta bancaria o retirar efectivo. La intención de esas personas es obtener su información personal.

Reporte las estafas relacionadas con el coronavirus en el sitio web de la Comisión Federal de Comercio (FTC, sigla en inglés).

1. Mantenerse callado 2. Sólo dar nombre y apellido 3. No mentir 4. Nunca acepte/lleve documentos falsos 5. No revelar su situación migratoria 6. No llevar documentación de otro país 7. En caso de ser arrestado, mostrarla Tarjeta Miranda (llámenos si necesita una)

por

Basados en la Quinta Enmienda de la Constitución, los derechos de guardar silencio y contar con un abogado fueron denominados Derechos Miranda luego de la decisión de la Suprema Corte de Justicia de Estados Unidos en el caso Miranda vs. Arizona, 384 U.S. 436, de 1966.

el

Reporte el aumento de precios En tiempos de alta demanda de productos, los vendedores pueden elevar los precios de forma exagerada e injusta en artículos necesarios como:

- Mascarillas faciales - Desinfectante para manos - Artículos para el hogar o de cuidado personal A esto se le llama manipulación de precios y es ilegal. Si sospecha de una manipulación de precios, repórtelo al fiscal general de su estado.

La Noticia, one of the leading Spanish-language Conoce tus derechos: ¿Que hacer en caso de una redada? newspapers in the nation, brings Spanish content to The Contributor.

Envíenos sus sugerencias por e-mail: news@hispanicpaper.com

con

Los rumores, los mitos y las teorías de conspiración sobre el coronavirus (COVID-19) pueden ser atemorizantes y engañosos. Vaya a la página de Control de rumores (en inglés) de FEMA para ver las respuestas a las preguntas sobre rumores que podría estar escuchando.

Aunque los estafadores cambian sus métodos con frecuencia, las estafas actuales de coronavirus incluyen:

Estafas comunes sobre el Coronavirus

Estafas relacionadas con vacunas, pruebas y tratamientos: no confíe en ofertas para tener acceso anticipado para las vacunas autorizadas. Los estafadores también se dirigen a los beneficiarios de Medicare (en inglés) para ofrecerles pruebas que supuestamente detectan el COVID-19. En realidad lo hacen para intentar robar su información personal.

Nashville, Tennessee

Como reportar estafas relacionadas al Coronavirus

La Noticia + The Contributor

Zack Snyder’s Justice League is so sprawling and excessive you should give up and like it. Now playing on HBO Max.

15

www.hispanicpaper.com

“DONDE OCURREN LOS HECHOS QUE IMPORTAN, SIEMPRE PRIMERO... ANTES”

Cualquier oportunidad es buena para aquellos que andan en malos pasos, y no les importa respetar a su prójimo. Hablo sin duda de los “amigos de lo ajeno”, personajes nefastos que no desperciaran la Por Yuri Cunza La Noticia desgracia de quien Editor in Chief sea, para tomar ven- @LaNoticiaNews taja. Así que mucho cuidado, señ or, señ ora, amigo, que aún en tiempos de Covid-19 puede ser una victima má s de estafas oportunistas.

Moving Pictures

“Sometimes you gotta fight the depression, fight the negative thoughts before you even start selling the papers.”

L a N ticia

Escanee esta imagen para ver La Noticia newspaper edición bilingüe digital

(Fuente: www.usa.gov/espanol)

Vendor Writing

In this issue, vendors write about God, solitaire, mice friends, vaccines and the complexities of life after moving into housing..

Envíenos sus sugerencias por e-mail: news@hispanicpaper.com

ww w.ju ane se.c om jua ne seUSA@gmail.com

Contributors This Issue

Hannah Herner • Amanda Haggard • Linda Bailey • Ridley Wills II • TJ Johnson • Stephen Cornfield • Alvine • Joe Nolan • Yuri Cunza • Jen Starsinic • Anya Booth • Mr. Mysterio • Jen. A. • Vicky B. • June P. • Gene Crouch • Leslie S. Contributor Volunteers Joe First • Andy Shapiro • Michael Reilly • John Jennings • Janet Kerwood • Logan Ebel • Christine Doeg • Laura Birdsall • Richard Aberdeen • Marissa Young • Robert Thompson

Cathy Jennings Executive Director Tom Wills Director of Vendor Operations Hannah Herner Staff Writer

THANK YOU TO OUR SPONSORS!

Jesse Call Housing Navigator Raven Lintu Housing Navigator Dymin Cannon Housing Navigator Carli Tharpe Housing Navigator Barbara Womack Advertising Manager

The Contributor now accepts Venmo!

Amanda Haggard & Linda Bailey Co-Editors Andrew Krinks Editor Emeritus

Scan the QR Code to the left , or find us: @The-Contributor!

Make sure to include your vendor’s badge name and number in the description. If you bought this version digitally, you can still leave your regular vendor a tip. Email Cathy@thecontributor.org for more information or with questions!

Will Connelly, Tasha F. Lemley, Steven Samra, and Tom WIlls Contributor Co-Founders Editorials and features in The Contributor are the perspectives of the authors. Submissions of news, opinion, fiction, art and poetry are welcomed.

The Contributor reserves the right to edit any submissions. The Contributor cannot and will not endorse any political candidate.

Submissions may be emailed to: editorial@thecontributor.org Requests to volunteer, donate, or purchase subscriptions can be emailed to: info@thecontributor.org Please email advertising requests to: advertising@thecontributor.org

The Contributor P.O. Box 332023, Nashville, TN 37203 Vendor Office: 615.829.6829

Proud Member of:

Printed at:

Follow The Contributor:

PAGE 2 | March 31-April 14, 2021 | The Contributor | NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE

Copyright © 2018 The Contributor, Inc. All rights reserved.

YOU CAN SUBSCRIBE ONLINE TO THE CONTRIBUTOR FOR JUST $99 A YEAR OR $30 FOR 3 MONTHS. DIGITAL SUBSCRIPTION AVAILABLE OR YOUR ISSUES WILL BE MAILED MONTHLY AND YOU CAN DESIGNATE A VENDOR TO RECEIVE THE PROFITS — AND EVEN LEAVE A TIP FOR YOUR VENDOR! VISIT: WWW.THECONTRIBUTOR.ORG TO SIGN UP Low Income Housing Available: Overlook Ridge Apartments located at 2400 Beuna Vista Pike, Nashville, TN 37218 in the Bordeaux area is opening it's waiting list for 2 and 3 bedroom apartments March 29th, 2021. Applications will be given out on a 1st come 1st serve basis. This is an income based property, so applicants must qualify for low income housing.

For more information please call: 615-251-8818.

March 31-April 14, 2021 | The Contributor | NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE | PAGE 3

V E N D O R S P O T L I G H T : W E N D E L L J.

Wendell finds his peace STORY AND PHOTO BY HANNAH HERNER In the mornings, Contributor vendor Wendell J. needs some time to himself. He finds a seat at Starbucks, listens to the jazz music and gears up for the day.

When he heads to his selling spot, it’s “showtime,” he says.

Wendell trained to become a vendor on March 4, 2020, and quickly became a fixture at Starbucks on West End Avenue, finding success even during the pandemic. He starts as early as 7 a.m. in the morning, and stays as late as 6 p.m. at night.

“In all honesty, it takes a lot of energy, this job. For me, I smile a lot and engage and tell people ‘thank you, good to see you again,’” Wendell says.

Wendell focuses on the product he has to offer — the very exchange that makes street papers what they are, and distinguish Contributor vendors from those who panhandle. He has a habit of

skimming the paper so he can tell customers what’s inside. He always reads the vendor spotlight in full, though.

“You know, I have more information to offer,” Wendell says. “I just don’t always say, ‘oh, I need this because I’m homeless and giving this to you because I need money.’ No, I say ‘this has got some interesting articles, local journalists here who write about things that [TV news] doesn’t really cover,’ you know? They cover issues that are ongoing in the community, and they look for things to be improved.”

He’s open about dealing with severe depression, which has made it hard for him to stay in housing. The depression is something that selling the paper can at times alleviate, and other times exacerbate.

“It helps, but then it can backfire.

Sometimes you gotta fight the depression, fight the negative thoughts before

you even start selling the papers,” he says.

When there’s a rush of people and he doesn’t get to have exchanges with any of them, be it selling a paper, or even just a greeting, it starts to affect him.

“A whole crowd of people, there was no exchange or nothing, then it sinks down. It’s like maybe today is not the day,” he says.

On those tough mental health days, it’s nice to be able to work on his own schedule, and leave an hour or two early. With a past in the military, Wendell says it was a big adjustment to enter back into the civilian workforce.

There’s no perfect job, he says.

“This is sort of semi dangerous, but yet fulfilling,” he says. “Dangerous, because you’re dealing with other people from the streets, other vendors who don’t want to respect you or

PAGE 4 | March 31-April 14, 2021 | The Contributor | NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE

abide the fact that you do have a map badge. So it can get to be into some heated situations. But overall, you’ve got your peace. You know, there’s no perfect job. But you got your peace and we get to interact with people. I get excited, really energized when new issues come up.”

When Wendell isn’t selling The Contributor, he likes watching Marvel movies, educating himself on cryptocurrency and listening to live music.

When asked to describe his customers, he says, “Positive, free spirited.

Glad to see me. I’m glad to see them.

Even if they don’t pay me. I still make it a point of saying, ‘hey, it’s good to see you again.’ So that’s what I always say, because I know money doesn’t come on trees. Some days are good, some days are not that good, but I still try and make it a point to let everybody know I appreciate them.”

NASHVILLE HISTORY CORNER

WAGON WHEEL RESTAURANT WAS PROOF THAT GOOD TIMES AND GOOD PLACES DON’T LAST FOREVER

BY RIDLEY WILLS II Almost no one alive today can remember the Wagon Wheel Restaurant, which opened in 1934 near the split of Highways 70 and 100 just outside Belle Meade.

The Wagon Wheel was advertised as having Nashville’s largest dance f loor, accommodating 500.

On the night of its opening, Jimmy Gallagher’s orchestra was featured.

In July 1934, Beasley Smith and his orchestra were originating some of their programs from the ballroom of the Wagon Wheel, broadcast over radio station WLAC from 11-11:30

each night.

The next month, Francis Craig brought his orchestra with “Pee Wee” Marquette from Montgomery, Ala., to the Wagon Wheel.

In August 1935, Ozzie Nelson and his orchestra appeared there.

His vocalist was Harriet Hilliard, who married Ozzie later that year.

That night, the owners had enlarged the terrace to hold the large crowd expected.

On Saturday Sept. 11, 1937, Jackie Coogan brought his orchestra to the Wagon Wheel. Throughout the

late 1930s, dance contests were also regularly held at the Wagon Wheel.

They featured waltzes and swing music, sponsored by such organizations as the Knights of Columbus and the Elk’s Club.

The Wagon Wheel didn’t make it through the depression. By the end of 1937, its new owner, Chet Eakle, was having a hard time. In March 1938, an involuntary petition for bankruptcy was filed against him.

The property was sold by the trustee to Howard M. Werthan, Leah Rose Werthan and Mary Jane Werthan.

March 31-April 14, 2021 | The Contributor | NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE | PAGE 5

The nightclub remained open, however, and, on the evening of May 10, 1939, Tommy Dotsey brought his orchestra to the Wagon Wheel for a return visit.

In early June 1939, the nightclub closed for a few days only to reopen on June 17 under the ownership of Jack Price Jones. A month later, after the nightclub closed at 2 a.m. on the morning of July 19, 1939, the Wagon Wheel burned to the ground.

Good times and good places never last forever.

PAGE 6 | March 31-April 14, 2021 | The Contributor | NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE

March 31-April 14, 2021 | The Contributor | NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE | PAGE 7

INTERNATIONAL NETWORK OF STREET PAPERS

Photo by Steven Cornfield on Unsplash

A shot in the arm for homeless San Franciscans?

Our fellow street paper in San Francisco takes a look.

BY TJ JOHNSTON Where homeless people fit in the Golden State’s plans to vaccinate residents against COVID-19 has been in flux for the past month. San Francisco officials — as well as houseless San Franciscans — might have to wait longer than expected for things to fall into place.

In February, the state reorganized the phases of its prioritization plan to immunize Californians. Health care workers — the highest prioritized group in the plan — had already started receiving vaccinations. The next phase of the state’s original plan included unhoused and incarcerated people, who would have been getting shots alongside people aged 65 and over, and essential workers such as educators, child care providers and food and agricultural workers. But as of publication time, they’re not.

That changed when the state announced a new prioritization system early last month. While most unhoused people still qualify — most are over 65 or have disabilities or other underlying health conditions — confusion reigned

over homeless people and service providers alike as to how soon vaccine supplies will come their way, not to mention when they will get their shots.

The vaccine would provide protection against the coronavirus and its variants for a population already rendered medically vulnerable from living without stable housing.

When Street Sheet contacted the San Francisco Department of Public Health about when vaccines will be given to homeless folk, DPH replied with a statement from the city’s COVID Command Center, a collaborative of several city departments, saying it’s still waiting for guidance from the state.

On Feb. 24, the department and Command Center released a vaccination plan, which will hinge on mobile teams visiting congregate settings and outdoor sites. These include shelters, permanent supportive housing sites, shelter-in-place and isolation/quarantine hotels, encampments and “safe sleep” sites.

“A guiding principle of this work will be bringing the vaccine to people

who are not able to easily access traditional settings like a doctor’s office or pharmacy,” the Command Center said in a statement.

The two groups added that the San Francisco Health Network, UC San Francisco and assorted community organizations would assist in outreach.

Once vaccine recipients receive their first dose, health workers hope to record the vaccinations electronically, follow up on the recipients’ conditions and ensure they receive a second dose.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommend three or four weeks between doses, depending on the vaccination.

A drop-in clinic at Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital will also serve unhoused seniors regardless of ZIP code or insurance status, according to the city’s plan.

But what’s still fuzzy is the exact timeline for vaccinations. Brian Edwards, a human rights organizer at the Coalition on Homelessness, which publishes Street Sheet, has been involved in the planning with city officials for

PAGE 8 | March 31-April 14, 2021 | The Contributor | NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE

the past month.

“There’s no firm date” when the rollout will reach the homeless population, he said. “I suppose it’s because of the supply of the vaccine, but they’re just not moving fast enough.”

Frontline SIP hotel and shelter workers are included in Phase 1A of the vaccine rollout, but did not have reliable access to vaccines until Feb. 15.

Based on contacts he made with service providers, Edwards estimated a majority of shelter staff aren’t yet vaccinated, possibly because the information of eligibility hasn’t reached them.

“There should be a big fucking sign [at the shelters]” to direct front-line workers and homeless people to where they can get vaccinated, he said.

One positive development Edwards found is the public health department’s inclusion of permanent supportive housing residents in its plan.

“The people (at DPH) decided that people in PSH sites can be homeless, too,” he said.

Courtesy of Street Sheet / INSP.ngo

COVER STORY

G N I T T GE S T O H S S M R A IN

is a hu m a n is h T . t n e m o m l n ica d m e d ica l “ T h is is n ot a cli e z li ia c e p s h c u ’s n ot th at m e r e h t o S . t n e m mo in o rd e r to e v a h o t s d e e n t a ny b o d y C EO o f inf o r m atio n th a ,” m e h t r o f t h ig e vaccin e is r h t r e h t e h w w o kn “ T he answer . s y a s e il a H n e a lth B r ia N e ig hb o r h o o d H e atin g , th e b ’s t r a e h r u o y a n a d u lt a n d e ’r u o y If . s e y is f o r yo u .” vaccin e is r ig ht

March 31-April 14, 2021 | The Contributor | NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE | PAGE 9

COVER STORY

GETTING SHOTS IN ARMS Working toward access, working against hesitancy

BY HANNAH HERNER

Nashville has set a lofty goal for vaccinating people experiencing homelessness against COVID-19. By Memorial Day, the city wants every single person living on the streets to have access to the COVID-19 vaccine.

Heading up the plan to achieve this goal is Brian Haile, CEO of Neighborhood Health, a series of medical clinics that offer care on a sliding scale in Nashville. In order to reach that ambitious goal, area homeless service providers are getting on the same page by educating their clients about the vaccine with shared fliers and messaging.

Perhaps the most controversial part of this plan is that Neighborhood Health’s stock of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine will be reserved just for people experiencing homelessness.

Haile says Neighborhood Health has received more calls than ever from more affluent areas of town, like Belle Meade and Green Hills, asking about the Johnson & Johnson vaccine. If housed people try to come and get it, they’ll be turned down, though the clinic does offer the Moderna two-dose vaccine for anyone who may want it.

“There are a lot of good reasons to prioritize [the Johnson & Johnson vaccine] for persons experiencing homelessness, just because it doesn’t require a return trip,” Haile says. “And so what we’ve decided to do is to take the limited stock of that vaccine we have and give people experiencing homelessness first dibs.”

When a severe ice storm hit Nashville in mid-February, health officials

took extra doses of vaccine to give to residents of area shelters Room In The Inn and Nashville Rescue Mission. Until mid-March, all vaccines were appointment-based, and required a phone call or internet to set up — things that a lot of people experiencing homelessness don’t have.

Thanks to the more low-maintenance storage requirements of the Moderna and Johnson & Johnson vaccines, Neighborhood Health ’s Downtown location near Room In The Inn began offering walk-up vaccinations.

Haile’s tagline is “the best vaccine is the one you can get today.” So he wants to encourage people to get it as soon as they can, no matter which one.

“The message here is, Fridays are your day,” Haile says. “Just come to the Downtown clinic, and we’ll get you vaccinated. Now, are there going to be other opportunities? Sure. But what we don’t want is people delaying vaccination, because they could get very sick with COVID between the time that they could have gotten vaccinated and the time they actually do. Speed is of the essence here.”

Neighborhood Health is also offering vaccine appointments at its various locations throughout the week. While those appointments are typically made and confirmed over the phone, if a person doesn’t have a phone, they can walk up and be given an appointment for a following day.

In April, Neighborhood Health will partner with Metro Public Health and St. Thomas Medical Group to take vac-

cines to the largest area encampments and hotspots where people experiencing homelessness get meals and other services.

Haile feels it’s important to empower those outside of the medical field to share information about vaccines. Allergies should be discussed, but beyond that, the answers are pretty black and white, he says.

“This is not a clinical moment. This is a human moment. So there’s not that much specialized medical information that anybody needs to have in order to know whether the vaccine is right for them,” Haile says. “The answer is, yes. If you’re an adult and your heart’s beating, the vaccine is right for you.”

Even with a simple message like this, processing the hesitations of people experiencing homelessness will be no simple task for an outreach worker like India Pungarcher with Open Table Nashville.

“Our friends on the streets, they are facing disease and death literally every day,” Pungarcher says. “So they kind of perceive it as it’s either not a threat to them, or they have bigger things to worry about. They just have hesitancy, they don’t trust the vaccine. And they’ve been fine without it so far, and they don’t want to take the risk.”

Ahead of the vaccine outreach, Open Table is organizing for medical professionals to visit encampments so residents can ask questions, and providing aspirin for any aches and pains following the vaccination. Plus, they’ll be distributing Neighborhood Health fliers that answer frequent questions.

Neighborhood Health 615 - 953 - 0050

Haile urges that the best way to start a conversation about the vaccine is, “when I got the vaccine.”

“We’re trying to say, ‘Hey, I already got this vaccine, I’m fine,’” Pungarcher adds. “I’m standing here before you like, this is something that I trust, and hopefully, whoever I’m talking to, I already have some sort of relationship with them. So I can be one person that they know, and either already trust, or they see, hey, this person got a vaccine, and they’re doing fine.”

The goal is access, but it remains to be seen how many people experiencing homelessness will utilize that access.

Pungarcher says, “The plan is only going to be as successful as you know how many arms we actually get this vaccine into.”

VACCINE STATS

By April 5, Tennessee plans to make vaccines available to anyone who wants one. Though the state says this is in part because of vaccine hesitancy among residents, it comes as good news to folks ready to get vaccinated against COVID-19.

More than 20 percent of the state is either partially or fully vaccinated against COVID-19.

As of press time, almost 2.5 million people had received at least one COVID-19 vaccine.

Nashville vaccinated more than 10,000 people at a mass vaccination event at Nissan Stadium on March 20.

Tennesese was ranked 44th in the nation in March for its vaccination rollout.

70 percent of people vaccinated in Tennessee as of March 26 were white and just over 9 percent were Black.

In Nashville, more than 265,000 people were vaccinated as of March 26.

More women than men are vaccinated — 58 percent of those vaccinated are women and 41 percent are men.

Only 2 percent of those vaccinated were Hispanic.

The State of Tennessee reported than more than 80 percent of available vaccine appointments in rural areas remained open.

PAGE 10 | March 31-April 14, 2021 | The Contributor | NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE

COVER STORY

Three ‘Contributor’ vendors talk about their experience getting vaccinated against COVID-19

Paul A. What do you think about your vaccine experience?

I think it was excellent. I think it was something everybody needs to do. It don’t take long to do it. Just a little bit of paperwork, and you’re done! Nobody should go without the shot. Nobody. The more people get the shots, get vaccinated, the sooner the city can reopen to full capacity. That’s how I feel. How anybody else feels, I don’t know.

Can you walk through what it was like to get your shot at Music City Center?

It was a trip. Yea, you had to come in. Yea, you had to get tested for your temperature. They directed you to the right areas where you had to go. I thought that that was good for the most part. Just go online, make an appointment, get in there, get it done. It only takes 15 minutes.

You have to sit 15 minutes to make sure you don’t have no reaction. Take that half hour, do it. Get it done. Because the more people, the better the city’s going to be.

Did it hurt your arm?

I didn’t even feel it. Nothing compared to giving plasma. You heard me say, “when are you going to do it?”

You mentioned how you never thought you’d see something like this in your lifetime.

I never thought I’d see anything like this in my lifetime. I never even imagined it in my lifetime.

What’s next for Paul today?

Paul is going to get a cup of coffee. Paul is going to go to work.

Teresa S. How did you go about getting the vaccine?

Well, a friend of mine had gotten hers at Walmart.

And she said, she just happened to be there and the pharmacist had a couple left over. But she was saying that they said that it was free. And she said I needed to go online and do it so I did and then I went online, but it said something like do you have medicare, insurance,

but if not, don’t worry about it because it’s still free.

Because I’m high risk with my COPD, it said to have a letter just stating that just in case they ask for it.

So I went there and at first they [told] me no, because I didn’t have any kind of insurance. And I was like, ‘hold up that’s not what that website said.’ It said you didn’t have to have insurance. ‘Well, that’s the only way Walmart can get paid, you know, from the government or whatever.’ I said, ‘oh, no, that’s not what your website said.’ So they kept me there for over an hour.

And then finally, I got up because I thought well, sitting here for over an hour, that’s more than patient, without them saying a word to me. So I went to go and she said ‘ma’am, they’ll be right with you.’ They went ahead and gave me my shot, they didn’t say anything. Went ahead and made me my appointment for my booster.

side-effects.’ And I said ‘that’s not what my nephew said.’ He said, ‘well I’m the type, if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. I got tested two times and both times it was negative.’And I said, what about that third time, whenever you test positive? But then I left it alone.

Did you ever find out what happened with the insurance question?

No ma’am. They didn’t say anything just told me to have a seat. I did give them my driver’s license. And I said ‘well here’s my card for indigent insurance that I have at Meharry.’ And I give them that. You have to sign this piece of paper saying the reasoning that you’re eligible for the shot.

Where did you go to get your vaccine?

I went up there to Inglewood Neighborhood Health.

What was the experience like following getting the vaccine?

My arm was so sore. I’ve been sleepy for a couple days, kinda. But really nothing bad. My feel good didn’t feel good, but that’s kinda [normal] sometimes for me.

I was a little bit tireder than normal. Things kinda hit me a little harder than they do the average joe anyway anymore. I’m used to it.

What motivated you to go and find a vaccine to get?

I’ve been wanting to get it. I have this nephew. Well I call him my nephew because his mom and I have been friends since we were 12 and 13 — a sister that fate dealt me. He’s a neuropathologist and he said everybody needs to get that shot. He’s been doing some studying on it and researching it himself.

So this is someone you trust.

Yes, it was OK, because I’ve heard from some people — there’s this guy that rides the bus with us, he’s a real big advocate for the veterans. He was talking the other day, he said, ‘no, I’m not getting it, there’s too many

Anything else you want to add?

I think everyone ought to get vaccinated. Once they got me over there and [gave] me my shot and all, everything went smooth. It’s not as bad as you think it would be. Even the scaredy cats that are afraid of shots, it’s not that bad.

Roger S. Did someone make an appointment for you?

No, I did it myself. I called and I told them that’s what it wanted. It comes up on your phone, that’s how I got it. It’s (615)227-3000. It’s Inglewood Clinic, but it’s in East Nashville on South 8th. On Main Street, they got another one.

What happened when you got there?

When I got there they took me through some paperwork. When they gave me a shot they told me to wait 15 minutes, which I was going to do that anyway.

I was spooked about it because I got a steel plate in my head. I got different things. I was scared it was gonna make me feel bad or something. She said I might have a little aching in my body, and feel like a temperature.

And I did have a temperature in my head.

I gotta go back April 20.

So at first you were apprehensive but how do you feel about it now?

‘Long as every day is like this day, I say, everything will be OK. Do you have anything else you want to add about the vaccine?

You got freedom of choices in your life because sometimes you don’t want to hear what people say.

March 31-April 14, 2021 | The Contributor | NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE | PAGE 11

LOCAL ACTIVISM

Members of the community attended a vigil on Nashville Public Square on Sunday, March 21, 2021 to take a stand against racism and violence toward Asian Americans. The event was put on by several Nashville organizations and they used this time to mourn the deaths of eight people, including six Asian women, in xenophobic attacks in Atlanta, Georgia on March 16, 2021. PHOTOS BY ALVINE.

Members of the Criminal Justice Task Force of Nashville Organized for Action and Hope (NOAH) respond to the killing of Nika Holbert and the shooting of Melissa Wooden by police. The group says they, “call for policy changes by MNPD and institution of non-police mental health team to handle such calls.” PHOTOS BY ALVINE PAGE 12 | March 31-April 14, 2021 | The Contributor | NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE

MOVING PICTURES

Snyder Cut ZACK SNYDER’S ‘JUSTICE LEAGUE’ IS SO SPRAWLING AND EXCESSIVE YOU SHOULD GIVE UP AND LIKE IT

BY JOE NOLAN, FILM CRITIC Fans demanded a director’s cut from Zack Snyder almost as soon as Justice League (2017) arrived D.O.A. at the box office and in critical reviews. Snyder’s run with the DC Extended Universe started well enough: Man of Steel (2013) rebooted the Superman franchise with Henry Cavill donning the blue tights.

The success of his Superman film put Snyder in the driver’s seat of the DCEU, planning a five movie franchise including Man of Steel, Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice (2016), and a Justice League trilogy. But when Batman v Superman’s dark mood and overly serious tone rankled fans and critics, Snyder found himself back on his heels and scrambling. Snyder and Chris Terrio rewrote the Justice League script and the

director and cinematographer Fabian Wagner changed trajectory away from the more severe look they had planned.

After nine months of filming, Snyder turned in his cut of the film only to have it rejected by Warner Bros. Joss Whedon was brought in to significantly re-write — again — the script with Snyder gamely staying on to direct. But the director’s daughter died by suicide in March of 2017 and Snyder left the project in Whedon’s hands.

Three years later and the Zack Snyder’s Justice League — A.K.A. the “Snyder Cut” — is now streaming on HBO Max. It finds Superman, Batman (Ben Affleck), Wonder Woman (Gal Gadot), Aquaman (Jason Mamoa), The Flash (Ezra Miller) and Cyborg (Ray Fisher)

forming the first version of the Justice League to defend Earth from some cosmic baddies: In some long forgotten ancient time on Earth, Darkseid and his legions of insect-like Parademons attempted to conquer the Earth by uniting three conscious machines called the “Mother Boxes” into a planet-destroying super-weapon called “the Unity.” Darkseid and his henchman, Steppenwolf — a 12-foot-tall, anthropomorphic hammerhead shark covered in silver armor and wielding a massive ax — were repelled by the united forces of the Amazon warriors, Atlanteans, armies of men and their gods from the sky. Each of these groups hid one of the Mother Boxes on Earth. Now, Steppenwolf is heading back to Earth to claim the planet and prove himself to his infernal master, Darkseid.

Man of Steel was good, and the Wonder Woman (2017) reboot is one of the best comic book films of this era. Otherwise, the DCEU movies are pretty bad.

Zack Snyder’s Justice League is definitely better than the theatrical version, and that alone makes this streaming event worth the trouble. The big problem here is the script. The story is so sprawling and there are so many characters and plot points that the whole thing feels dangerously thin at times.

With any kind of fantasy movie, grounding the characters in real emotions or using cinematography, cos-

March 31-April 14, 2021 | The Contributor | NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE | PAGE 13

tumes, props and dialog to bring notes of concrete realism to the costumed goings-on can make all the difference between compelling storytelling and low calorie eye-candy. During his four-hour cut, Snyder serves up more quantity than quality, but some of it is really delicious.

On one hand the reliance on digital effects makes this movie feel too much like a video game. That said there are some astounding set pieces in here that can’t help but wow: When the Flash turns his super-speed on for the first time to save a girl from a deadly car wreck, the time-stopping effect is moving and transcendent. And a Batmobile sequence in the third act offers a glimpse of the hard-boiled bruiser Aff leck’s Batman might have been all along. The Flash ultimately steals this show with a gorgeous sprint at faster-than-light-speed that somehow delivers both a massive dose of teen angst and some of the wildest, most psychedelic visuals I’ve seen since Doctor Strange (2016).

Zack Snyder’s Justice League is streaming on HBO Max

Joe Nolan is a critic, columnist and performing singer/songwriter based in East Nashville. Find out more about his projects at www.joenolan.com.

LA NOTICIA “The Contributor” está trabajando con uno de los principales periódicos en español La Noticia para llevar contenido a más lectores en Middle Tennessee. Nuestros vendedores de periódicos han pedido durante mucho tiempo que nuestra publicación incluya contenido que apele al interés de residentes de habla hispana en nuestra comunidad.

“The Contributor” is working with one of the leading Spanish-language newspapers La Noticia to bring content to more readers in Middle Tennessee. Our newspaper vendors have long requested that our publication include content that appeals to the interest of Spanish-speaking residents in our community.

LOCALES - POLÍTICA - INMIGRACIÓN - TRABAJOS - SALUD - ESPECTÁCULOS - DEPORTES Y MÁS...

L a N ticia 2021

GRATIS

Abril

Escanee esta imagen para ver La Noticia newspaper edición bilingüe digital

www.hispanicpaper.com

Año 19 - No. 327

“DONDE OCURREN LOS HECHOS QUE IMPORTAN, SIEMPRE PRIMERO... ANTES”

Estafas relacionadas con el COVID-19

Cualquier oportunidad es buena para aquellos que andan en malos pasos, y no les importa respetar a su prójimo. Hablo sin duda de los “amigos de lo ajeno”, personajes nefastos que no desperciaran la Por Yuri Cunza La Noticia desgracia de quien Editor in Chief sea, para tomar ven- @LaNoticiaNews taja. Así que mucho cuidado, señ or, señ ora, amigo, que aún en tiempos de Covid-19 puede ser una victima má s de estafas oportunistas.

Durante el brote de coronavirus (COVID-19), los estafadores pueden tratar de aprovecharse de usted con amenazas para asustarlo y difundiendo información falsa. Es posible que lo contacten por teléfono, correo electrónico, mensajes de texto, correo postal o redes sociales. Proteja su dinero y su identidad al no compartir información personal como el número de su cuenta de banco, número de Seguro Social o fecha de nacimiento.

Aprenda a reconocer y denunciar las estafas de vacunas de COVID-19 y otros tipos de estafas relacionadas con el coronavirus.

Estafas comunes sobre el Coronavirus Aunque los estafadores cambian sus métodos con frecuencia, las estafas actuales de coronavirus incluyen: Estafas de robo de identidad cuando las personas publican una foto de su tarjeta de vacunación en las redes sociales: no publique una foto de su tarjeta de vacunación en línea. Los estafadores pueden ver y robar su nombre, fecha

Como reportar estafas relacionadas al Coronavirus

¡Cuidado con los fraudes!

COVID-19 vaccines, tests and treatments scams

de nacimiento y otro tipo de información personal.

Estafas relacionadas con vacunas, pruebas y tratamientos: no confíe en ofertas para tener acceso anticipado para las vacunas autorizadas. Los estafadores también se dirigen a los beneficiarios de Medicare (en inglés) para ofrecerles pruebas que supuestamente detectan el COVID-19. En realidad lo hacen para intentar robar su información personal.

Cheques del Gobierno: alguien que asegura que trabaja en el Gobierno le pide su información personal o intenta cobrarle cuotas falsas para obtener su cheque de estímulo. También pueden ofrecerle una manera de obtener el dinero más rápido.

Estafas de obras de caridad: las organizaciones caritativas falsas aparecen durante los desastres. Los estafadores también pueden afirmar que provienen de organizaciones benéficas reales.

Aprenda cómo proteger su dinero.

Estafa del abuelo y de miembros de las Fuerzas Armadas: un estafador finge ser un nieto o un miembro del las Fuerzas Armadas que está enfermo o en problemas debido al coronavirus.

Le piden que envíe dinero para pagar gastos médicos o de viaje falsos.

FDIC y bancos (en inglés): los estafadores simulan llamar desde la Corporación Federal de Seguro de Depósitos (FDIC) o desde su banco y dicen que usted podría dejar de tener acceso a su cuenta bancaria o retirar efectivo. La intención de esas personas es obtener su información personal.

Reporte las estafas relacionadas con el coronavirus en el sitio web de la Comisión Federal de Comercio (FTC, sigla en inglés).

Envíenos sus sugerencias por e-mail: news@hispanicpaper.com

Conoce tus derechos: ¿Que hacer en caso de una redada?

1. Mantenerse callado 2. Sólo dar nombre y apellido 3. No mentir 4. Nunca acepte/lleve documentos falsos 5. No revelar su situación migratoria 6. No llevar documentación de otro país 7. En caso de ser arrestado, mostrarla Tarjeta Miranda (llámenos si necesita una)

por

Nashville, Tennessee

Basados en la Quinta Enmienda de la Constitución, los derechos de guardar silencio y contar con un abogado fueron denominados Derechos Miranda luego de la decisión de la Suprema Corte de Justicia de Estados Unidos en el caso Miranda vs. Arizona, 384 U.S. 436, de 1966.

ww w.ju ane se.c om jua ne seUSA@gmail.com

PAGE 14 | March 31-April 14, 2021 | The Contributor | NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE

Comuníquese con la línea directa del Centro Nacional contra el Fraude en Desastres al 866-720-5721 o envíe un correo electrónico a disaster@leo.gov.

Reporte una estafa al FBI (en inglés).

Si se trata de una estafa en línea, envíe su queja a través del Centro de Denuncias de Delitos por Internet (en inglés).

Rumores relacionados Coronavirus (COVID-19)

con

el

Los rumores, los mitos y las teorías de conspiración sobre el coronavirus (COVID-19) pueden ser atemorizantes y engañosos. Vaya a la página de Control de rumores (en inglés) de FEMA para ver las respuestas a las preguntas sobre rumores que podría estar escuchando.

Reporte el aumento de precios En tiempos de alta demanda de productos, los vendedores pueden elevar los precios de forma exagerada e injusta en artículos necesarios como: - Mascarillas faciales - Desinfectante para manos - Artículos para el hogar o de cuidado personal A esto se le llama manipulación de precios y es ilegal. Si sospecha de una manipulación de precios, repórtelo al fiscal general de su estado.

(Fuente: www.usa.gov/espanol) Envíenos sus sugerencias por e-mail: news@hispanicpaper.com

GIRLS WRITE YOUTH VOICE

Celebrating Nashville women Linda Martell and Velma Smith It ’s Women’s Histor y Month and Girls Write Nashville is outlining great women in Nashville history online and in the pages of The Contributor.

The Youth Voice Column is a partnership between The Contributor and Girls Write Nashville. In Girls Write Nashville, as well as their gender neutral wing Loudmouth Community Music, students are guided through the process of writing and recording original songs. In this project, youth writers will offer essays, poems and insight to The Contributor’s regular roster of stories.

Linda Martell Linda Martell, vocalist, musician and performer, made history in 1969 as the first Black female solo artist to play the Grand Ole Opry.

Martell was born in 1941 in the small town of Leesville, South Carolina. Her father, Clarence, was a sharecropper and pastor, and her mother raised chickens. She was one of five children and grew up singing in a Gospel group with her brothers titled Linda Martell and the Angelos.

Martell was later discovered singing country music as a solo artist on an Air Force base. Here, she met a producer who signed her to his Nashville label in 1969. The same year, the label released her country cover of “Color Him Father.”

The song became a charting single on the Billboard charts and her debut album followed in 1970.

As a Black woman singing in a genre dominated and appropriated by white artists, Martell experienced horrendous levels of racism. “I remember that well,” she said in a Rolling Stone interview. “You’d be singing and they’d shout out names and you know the names they would call you.”

Tiffany Minton, a musician and popular music historian with the Center for Pop Music, wrote of Martell, “So regarding Linda’s authorship of her own material, I have a few thoughts.

I’m inclined to believe she did write her own material. However, according to the back album cover, her songs on Color Me Country are written by many people other than her. It was

Linda Martell and Velma Smith all too common to defer to hired songwriters back then, because of the industry support for it and tradition of the profession as being standard.

Add to that her race, and I can’t see much opportunity for her to have done anything differently other than to sing songs white people wrote. Notably, her B-side to “Color Him Father” is a pop county rendition of the famous gospel song “Amen” which became known as “Amen, Brother” when an instrumental version was done

by The Winstons. The Winston’s “Amen, Brother” is now thought of as the most sampled drum break in hip-hop history. So I think we can talk about Linda’s music as part of this continuity of Black consciousness in popular music, for sure. That is to say, Black people have always been part of everything white folks have (string band, country, bluegrass, etc.) and more when it comes to what is considered “canon” in American popular music history. “ Martell continued to work as a musician for 20 years until her father’s death in 1990, when she returned home to South Carolina.

For the last 30 years, Martell has lived quietly in South Carolina, working as a children’s bus driver, and staying close to family. According to a Rolling Stone article, she is beginning to feel ready to share her story as a trailblazing musician. “That was a time and a half,” she says.

“Don’t get me wrong. There were some beautiful people.

And some not that beautiful.”

Fifty years after her only full length album, Martell is beginning to receive the acknowledgement as a trailblazing country artist who would not allow white supremacy and prejudice to silence her authentic country voice.

Velma Smith Velma Smith was a country guitarist and the only female member of the RCA Studio B’s “A-Team” of studio musicians during the era of The Nashville Sound. This group of musicians are widely acclaimed for their work in the 1950s-1970s as the backing band for artists such as Elvis Presley, Patsy Cline, Bob Dylan and more.

Careers as an instrumentalist and studio musician have long been dominated by male musicians. According to Dr.

Stacy L. Smith’s “Inclusion in the Recording Studio” report, women make up 21.7 percent of artists, 12.3 percent of songwriters and 2.1 percent of producers in popular music from 2012-2018. Smith, who died in 2014, was truly a trailblazer as a female session musician in the 1950’s male-dominated recording industry.

Smith’s career began in 1939 when high-profile bluegrass musician Bill Monroe heard Smith and her sister on a local radio feature and invited them to audition at the Grand Ole Opry. When her sister decided to focus on raising a family and did not want to pursue a career in music, Velma hit the road as a guitarist for Roy Acuff.

She retired from touring in the ’50s to focus her attention on recording session work as a member of the RCA A-Team, a team of Nashville’s most skilled musicians, working on some of the era’s most famous country recordings. She is believed to be the first female recording session musician in Nashville, according to a Tennessean article published after her death.

Two years after her passing, she was inducted into the Musicians Hall of Fame.

March 31-April 14, 2021 | The Contributor | NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE | PAGE 15

“ANAMATRONIC”

BY ANYA BOOTH GIRLS WRITE NASHVILLE We wanna take away the pain A supplement for today We wanna see her gears turn I promise it won’t hurt Anamatronic girl Your brain is a world Let us take control Rinse and repeat They want to supplement my pain So I don’t feel the burns So that I can’t hurt They want me to be numb I feel dumb I want away from this place I don’t wanna be reprogrammed

FUN

HOBOSCOPES ARIES

Power went out again, Aries. There was a bright flash of lightning and I’m sure you heard the thunder and then it all just went black. It’ll probably come back on in just a bit, but would you mind lighting a couple of candles while we wait? It’s good to have a sense of the space around you. Even if you can’t see it entirely. If you feel like you’re operating in the dark lately, Aries, think about the voices and ideas that have lit your path in the past. Maybe return to those for today and see if they have anything left to tell you.

TAURUS

There’s no time like the present, Taurus! Usually when people say that they mean that now is a good time to get started on what needs to be done. But this time what I mean is that “now” is a time that doesn’t actually exist at all. When you read this sentence, light has to pass between the words and your eyes and then neurons have to send signals from your eyes to your brain and then your brain has to process what it sees. It seems instantaneous to us, but it actually takes a very small amount of time.That means that you aren’t seeing these words as they are “now.” You’re seeing slightly into the past. There’s actually no time like the present. But whenever this is, it’s still a good time to get started on what needs to be done.

GEMINI

When I was a kid and I would lie in bed at night waiting for sleep, I would stare up at the wooden beam along the edge of the ceiling. I would stare at the knots in the wood and I would imagine I saw faces looking back at me. Big eyes, wide mouths.

Sometimes silly, sometimes scary, sometimes strange. I think that’s still how we encounter other people, Gemini.

We see their faces and we imagine that we know what’s behind them. We make up stories about what they must be thinking or how they feel about us. We can imagine so many things, that it’s hard to remember how much we don’t know. Ask more questions. Tell your stories. That’s how we’ll get to know each other.

CANCER

LEO

So the power has been out for longer than I expected, Leo. I was really assuming that I’d be able to take a hot shower this morning and that I could microwave myself a burrito for lunch and then maybe relax with some TV before bed. But instead I’m just sitting in the dark wondering how long it takes cheese to go bad in a warm fridge. Sometimes, Leo, we have to sit with things longer than we’d like.

Sometimes it takes a while in the dark before we understand the patterns that got us there. I can’t make it go any faster, but I’d be glad to sit with you while you’re here.

VIRGO

I’m always trying to take better pictures of my cat. She’s got a great look and she really ought to be seen by more people.

But I always get the shadow of the camera in the picture and while I’m trying to adjust the angle she gets irritated at the whole process and runs off.

That’s just how it is sometimes, Virgo. It’s the perfect moment but as soon as you try to stop and notice it, it runs away. Let it pass and don’t linger too long on it’s passing. That’s the only way to let the next perfect moment come your way.

LIBRA

My neighbor says he doesn’t mind if I borrow his lawnmower. And, if you think about it, it’s strange that we would both need to have one. I mean, I mow my lawn every couple of weeks. He mows his lawn every couple of weeks. The mower doesn’t do much in between. What else do you think we could all be sharing, Libra?

What’s the extra that you’ve got that somebody else might need?

SCORPIO

They say we were all part of a star once. It’s strange because I don’t remember any of it. I don’t remember being a star. I don’t remember exploding and flying across a universe. I don’t remember being water and salt and metal and gas. I just remember looking up one night and seeing the sky blanketed in tiny lights. And I think you were there, Cancer, and I think you said you were really hoping to apply for that job and get in shape and get more sleep. And I hope you got to do all that, Cancer, but even if you didn’t I want you to remember that you’re still a star and you always will be.

I used to always hear about how tragedies come in threes. Something terrible would happen and you just wait for the next thing and the next and then you can breathe a sigh of relief. I feel like there’ve been more than three lately, Scorpio. In fact, I feel like they just keep coming. It’s hard to get a break to breathe and grieve. I guess if you’re not waiting to wrap up a set of three, it makes it easier to reach out.

Call somebody. Send a text. Get to breathing and grieving. There might be more coming, but we can at least face it together.

SAGITTA R IUS

You know that feeling when your Zoom meeting is wrapping up and people start signing off one at a time and disappearing from view but you’re holding a bagel in one hand and trying to text your mom back with the other and you suddenly realize you’re the only head left on the screen.

The last one in the virtual room. Humans are constantly inventing new flavors of loneliness, Sagittarius, but it’s really all the same thing. When you feel the lonely this week, spend a little time with it. Stay on that screen just a few seconds longer. You might find there’s still somebody in the room worth knowing.

CAPRICORN

You may remember the story of King Rantideva. When a famine came into his land, the king swore he would not eat or drink until he was sure that his people could be fed as well. For eight days King Rantideva fasted and worked to secure food and water for his people. When he was sure the work was done, the weakened king asked for a glass of water. Just as Rantideva was about to take a sip, he saw a thirsty man and he offered the water to him instead.

As the man drank, Rantideva’s strength returned. Stay hydrated, Capricorn, but also remember that sometimes you can nourish yourself by nourishing others.

AQUA RIUS

Ah, the outdoors! Research has shown that spending time outside in nature can help reduce stress, lower blood pressure and increase feelings of general wellbeing. Of course, Aquarius, spending time outdoors in nature can also increase your risk of being struck by a falling possum, getting your foot stepped on by a deer or tripping over a woodchuck. So, you could spend a whole afternoon staying inside just weighing the potential risks against the benefits. Or, you could go outside while taking sensible precautions to avoid potential mishaps. I’d go with the second option.

PISCES

How long do you think my power will be out, Pisces? I mean, it seems like they should at least give me an estimated timeframe, right? Do I need to get one of those camping stoves so I can make dinner? Should I try to find another place to stay for a while? Are we talking about hours or weeks?

It’s hard to make any plans when you don’t know what’s next. But here’s the thing, Pisces, we never really know what’s next. Make your plans anyway. Do the next thing that makes sense. Oh, look! The power’s back.

Mr. Mysterio is not a licensed astrologer, a trained electrician, or a registered lawnmower. Mr. Mysterio is, however, a budding intermediate podcaster! Check out The Mr. Mysterio Podcast. Season 2 is now playing at mrmysterio.com. Got a question, just give Mr. M a call at 707-VHS-TAN1

PAGE 16 | March 31-April 14, 2021 | The Contributor | NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE

VENDOR WRITING

NEIGHBORHOOD HEALTH DOWNTOWN CLINIC MARCH 12, 2021 JEN A.

Maybe it was because I’m poor Maybe it was because I’m old Maybe it was because I’m female Maybe it was because I’m nobody They lured me with the promise of Moderna They injected J&J instead They didn’t ask if I had moral reservations They denied me the dignity of advised consent I am left still vulnerable I am left a prisoner in my room I am left so, so angry I am left betrayed

TENNESSEE’S OPEN HEART JEN A.

I am most fortunate To know some of the best people I have ever met in my entire life Right here in Tennessee Their kindness, respect, and care Never ceases to amaze me I’m a stranger on the street In many ways adrift, unmoored I haven’t measured up I’m nobody Yet when I look up from down here There’s Tennessee smiling down on me Extending a hand Sending me a book

THEME: IN THE GA R DEN ACROSS 1. Great divide 6. World’s oldest national broadcaster 9. Pasturelands 13. Chinese fruit 14. #9 Across, sing.

15. Clemency 16. One in advertising 17. “____ the land of the free ...”

18. Characteristic of birds 19. *Ongoing job in the garden 21. *Without synthetic fertilizers 23. 2nd tallest bird

24. Theatrical production 25. Curiosity killed it?

28. Additionally 30. Capital of Poland 35. Passage into a mine 37. Prefix in levorotary 39. Mid-century modern, e.g.

40. Toothy wheel 41. *Some are heirlooms 43. Make like a cat 44. Erasable programmable read only memory 46. Stanislavski’s rifle, e.g.

47. Unwanted correspondence 48. Motionless

50. Catch-22 52. “Are you sure?” in a text 53. Freight horse cart 55. Opposite of don’ts 57. *6 or more hours of sunshine 61. *Radicchio or frisÈe 65. On foot 66. Negative vote 68. 2020 NFL MVP 69. Morrison’s “The ____” 70. Hockey great Bobby 71. Respectable and quiet 72. Sports award 73. Affirmative response 74. Infernos

Helping me up when I fall Respecting me as a person When I rise so does Tennessee Embrace our best

DOWN 1. Old bathtub foot 2. Opposite of seek 3. Ne plus ultra 4. *Opposite of #57 Across 5. Minimum, pl.

6. Influencer’s journal 7. *Stinging pollinator 8. Holiday song 9. Bulgarian money 10. Julia Roberts’ Academy Award-winning role 11. Popular smoothie

Don’t be lured by lies and prejudice Remember who we are Tennessee Neighbors with open hearts

March 31-April 14, 2021 | The Contributor | NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE | PAGE 17

berry 12. Update an iPod 15. Inhabitant of Hungary 20. Nothing, pl.

22. Like sashimi 24. Lack of money 25. *Tomato supports 26. Highly skilled 27. Miss America’s headdress 29. Slowly leak 31. Moves at the gym 32. Monument to Buddha 33. Orderly arrangement 34. *Wiggly plowers 36. Faster than a walk 38. *Some plants and flowers emit a good one 42. *Type of digger 45. Centers, old-fashioned 49. French vineyard 51. *Last of 3 numbers on a bag of fertilizer 54. Be a pest 56. Washington, e.g.

57. Grow dim 58. Extraterrestrials’ rides 59. Pilot’s stunt 60. Type of parrot 61. “Musical” constellation 62. Russian mountain chain 63. *Type of garden hose that saves space 64. Goes with “odds” 67. Am is to I as ____ is to we

VENDOR WRITING

Are We Housing for Success?

BY VICKY B. Seven years living homeless, and you finally get into housing…. now what?

How do we build the skills and learn to think ahead more than just for the day? Or do we just stay in that mode?

It’s become comfortable and it’s what we know. This new life of being housed, how do we navigate through it? One thing that would have helped me so very much would have been “new housing counseling.”

Another example: a dishwasher.

Forgot how to use it. Forgot the sounds it would make and something I learned quickly, do not run it at night or the sounds would promote nightmares.

Something that hasn’t changed this year is my habit of getting into bed at sundown, a habit that was from being homeless. Common sense told me not to go out at night unless it’s very well lit.

How do I enter into a whole new community? A new community for my dog Faith as well. Getting the residents

of my building to understand that Faith won’t bite was a hard task, but people are coming around. How do I become part of a community where some residents let me know I was too white for them and that I wasn’t welcome there?

When I first moved into housing, I felt like I didn’t deserve heat because I feared I’d be thrown out once again and have to readjust to the cold. This last winter I finally turned the heat up enough to feel warm and comfortable.

Why did it take so long?

So many new experiences in housing. Faith jumping down off my bed in the middle of the night and laying by the front door or laying in the bathroom during storms. Neighbors walking above me. Showering during the day was a no go because I felt someone would be walking in the door. No one told me it was OK to get dressed up with new clothes and makeup, which felt so good, but also felt useless without

anywhere to go.

People would ask, “What do you need?” I’d tell them I didn’t know because I didn’t. It had been years since I had last set up an apartment. I had no clue where to start, but with a sleeper sofa we were okay for the time being.

I felt guilty asking for help after being in housing. I thought that part was over. I felt ashamed asking for help when there were those still sleeping outside, homeless. Ashamed that I’ve made it this far and still needed help.

That’s not how I thought it worked.

Zoom meetings helped keep my mind moving in the right direction. All my guilt about not being able to help my friends was now being put to good use by sharing my lived experiences. I’m also finding that I’m not the only one who’s gone through this adjustment period, there are others out there. I don’t feel so alone anymore, but it’s still a long road to go.

Solitaire Introducing the 100% Advantage Home Mortgage Owning a home can be easier than you think, especially with an Advantage mortgage from Simmons — now with 100% financing available. No down payment for qualified buyers, and no private mortgage insurance required. You can own the home of your dreams, simply, easily and affordably. Find out more by visiting simmonsbank.com/ advantagenashville.

BY JEN A. Before the planets formed, our section of the Universe was a confused mass of formless matter and infinite space. Out of that chaos came our Earth, dinosaurs, and eventually humans. We humans prefer to think of the Universe as a benevolent, ordered place where we are looked after by a loving god. But when the transmission of COVID-19 accelerated at a swift and mind-numbing pace around our well-ordered world, killing millions, we humans retreated to our rooms to give our brilliant scientists and pathetic leaders the chance to mitigate the chaos created by the pandemic. It’s what we humans do. We are stardust.

cards are in pretty rough shape. They all, at some point, split in the middle because of the repeated shuffling and needed to be put back together with transparent tape (numerous times!)

The edges are frayed and bowed from the pressure applied by my thumbs. But they’ve held up. They have been faithful companions when I’ve needed to begin anew. We will all, at some point in the future, have to begin anew. We will have the opportunity to rebuild lives based on love and kindness; not lives built on ignorance and hate. I’m looking forward to that day! But I know one thing for sure; I’m going need a new deck of cards!

My Lady Mouse

Subject to credit approval.

Income restrictions apply.

The 100% Advantage Mortgage is offered to meet the needs of low and moderate income communities in the Dallas, TX, Fort Worth, TX, and Nashville, TN areas in accordance with Simmons Bank’s obligations under the Community Reinvestment Act (CRA) and Fair Lending laws. Speak with your local Simmons banker to find out what products are available in your area.

We are of the Universe. We’re designed to turn chaos into order. I live alone in a small room without the benefit of post-modern technology. So when I start to feel the anxiety and desperation of my isolation creep over me and burrow into my skin, I play Solitaire.

There’s something soothing about the act of shuffling the cards, counting out the seven stacks, then trying to bring order out of their random chaos. And it really doesn’t matter if I win or lose.

As a matter of fact, I prefer to lose. It comforts me to know that when I’m defeated by the chaos of the cards, I can begin anew. After the year of abuse I’ve put my deck through though, the

B Y J U N E P. Of course my mouse is a lady. A great lady at that. Here’s a little of her beautiful life. Her mother died at the wood falling.

Daddy was got by a hairy four legged guy.

My lady friend has been out here for a

while alone. Running, running scared.

As are a lot of us. Then she got in the wrong crowd and stayed in danger. But she brought happiness and smiles in a lot of faces, if it was feeding her friends, just

PAGE 18 | March 31-April 14, 2021 | The Contributor | NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE

listening, OR just being there to listen. A lot of times, she learned that if you just listen, it means a lot to a friend. Then we met. Friends forever. No matter what.

Have a blessed day, everyone.

VENDOR WRITING

PEACE DON’T EVER BE STILL! TYRONE M.

Peace don’t ever be still!

MAY THE GOOD LORD SHINE ON YOU FOR ALL THOSE TO SEE

LET’S START TODAY

LESLIE S.

GENE C.

This is a play on the song, “Dashboard Mary” by Podunk

don’t ever be still

If you take my hand,

Dashboard Mary, speak to me I need to hear your voice…

be sheltering, be destroying

and step back from the ledge I’ll understand.

hate/evil

There’s always something to say

I say peace

Would dashboard Mary save me as she abruptly spoke to me that one last time,

to get you through the day.

Peace don’t ever be still

No one hurts like God above

peace be moving ‘round

but if you ask he will send some love.

helping love/truth avail

I’ve got a good ear to lend if you’re looking for a good friend.

Peace bring about a change!

Think about the people you would leave behind.

Peace be a warrior!

It would scar their heart and hurt their mind.

slay racism/racists

The world will always have struggle and

killed egoism/

strife.

selfishness

But nothing worth a human life.

Dashboard Mary saved me from a violent death I fortunately didn’t discover that fatality-driven weekend…

Several people were rushed to the hospital to die in the staff’s arms…

It’s too late too late too late for dashboard Mary to save those poor souls the devil cheated out of one last day on this cold cruel Earth.

Would they have one last chance to pay a fond farewell to their best friends…

A long procession, as long as the lines of vehicles that proved their loyalty to undying memory of best friends and best times…

May the good Lord shine on you for all those to see…

Dashboard Mary, speak to me I need to hear your voice…

Would Dashboard Mary save you…

Peace don’t ever be still!

She saved me…

I have no relatives, only Dashboard Mary

All Things New It seems to me that the blooming days of Spring are so short. In just a blink of an eye the brown grass and empty trees turn green. The flowers show off their beauty fulfilling the expectations of those who have been watching through the cold raindrops of winter. There is life, new life, that causes all of creation to rejoice in the sunshine.

Increasing our Quality of Life is the focus of The Salvation Army LIFNAV, Life Navigation Coaching. The challenge to bring forth light in the dark places since the tornadoes has been real. We have focused on bringing light and life under bridges, to those who lost homes and incomes from the bombing, and those suffering despair in the health, social and economic darkness. There is light! There is the Light of Life. The source of spring.

LIFNAV

SalvationArmyNashville.org

The challenge of changing Quality of Life is change itself. We all get so used to our normal. Take for example, a long-term homeless encampment. There is a right and reasonable call for a community dialogue as people fight for the right of living in public spaces. After decades of social neglect, encampments are the place where good people help hurting people.

It is also the place where hurting people hurt good people. That which has become normalized becomes defended as real community is experienced.

It is time for Spring in Nashville. It is time that we as a community determine not to

March 31-April 14, 2021 | The Contributor | NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE | PAGE 19

let our neighbors normalize sleeping under bridges or along rivers. Some would say this is Utopian. I would say this is the greatest commandment, “Love thy neighbor.”

So Nashville, the current policy questions are; When does a group of persons sleeping under a bridge become an encampment that deserves Quality of Life interventions

by The Salvation Army and the MNPD Quality of Life team? Is it seven people or three tents or maybe one tent in a high traffic view for more than a week? And, how long should that encampment be supported with food, sleeping bags, tents, and regular church visitation? Of this I am sure, under the bridge, any bridge, should not be the destination for new visitors in need of housing. But people protect this normalcy of brokenness because we have not clearly designed the alternative. It is time to let new life break.

Let’s work together so faithful expectations may bloom from the darkness. Let us Resource Hope. And let there be life, new life, that causes all of creation to rejoice in the sunshine.

Let us join together in the beauty of Spring.

~Major Ethan Frizzell, The Salvation Army