December 31, 2025 by the-contributor-live

$2 PAY WITH SQUARE Details on Page 2.

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

PHOTO BY ALVINE

Vo l u m e 2 0 | N u m b e r 1 | D e c e m b e r 3 1 , 2 0 2 5 - Ja n u a r y 14 , 2 0 2 6

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

I N 2025T LH aE NI S Sticia UE G RATIS Diciembre/2

Newspaper Nashville

www.lanoticianashville.com

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

Año 23 - No. 425

Nashville, Tennessee

En el Tepeyac, con Mamá Teresita en el corazón: una noche de fe, recuerdos y esperanza

La noche del 11 de diciembre de 2025, la Ciudad de México parecía caminar en una sola dirección: hacia la Basílica de Guadalupe. Desde muy temprano, ríos de peregrinos avanzaban por avenidas y callejones con un mismo destino: cantar “Las Mañanitas” Por Yuri Cunza a la Virgen en la Editor in Chief víspera de su fiesta del @LaNoticiaNews 12 de diciembre, una tradición que cada año convoca a millones de personas de todo el país y del extranjero, con una afluencia estimada en unos 13 millones de peregrinos este año. Llegar a la Basílica no fue sencillo. Desde la avenida principal, el paso era casi a ciegas, guiado por el flujo humano: familias con niños dormidos en brazos, adultos mayores apoyados en bastones, jóvenes con guitarras, danzantes con penachos y estandartes. A momentos parecía imposible avanzar. El cansancio, el empujón inevitable de la multitud, el ruido y la mezcla de voces podían abrumar a cualquiera. Y, sin embargo, de una manera que todavía hoy me resulta misteriosa, terminé casi al frente de la celebración, muy cerca del altar. No hubo estrategia ni “palancas”: simplemente, la gente se abrió, el movimiento me fue llevando, y cuando quise darme cuenta, estaba frente al altar con la imagen de la Virgen. Fue un pequeño “milagro logístico” en medio de aquella marea humana. La atmósfera ahí era electrizante. No solo por los mariachis afinando para las Mañanitas o el coro preparando los cantos, sino por algo más profundo: la fe silenciosa de miles de personas. Había lágrimas contenidas, susurros de oración, manos alzadas, velas encendidas, fotografías de familiares enfermos o ausentes pegadas a pequeñas imágenes de la Virgen. En medio de todo eso, una frase vino a mi mente, como salida de lo más hondo de la memoria:

Vendor Writing

Learn More About Unseen Nashville is a street tour about homelessness, launched by the Contributor in September 2025.

ciones, cantos, y hablaba de la Virgen como quien habla de una madre cercana, presente en lo coti-diano. Mientras miraba la tilma aquella noche, su recuerdo se hizo más fuerte que nunca. Yo sabía que a mi abuela le hubiera encantado estar allí, entre esa multitud de fieles; de algún modo, sentí que la estaba llevando conmigo, que mi presencia en el Tepeyac era también un pequeño homenaje a su vida, a su fe y al legado espiritual que dejó en nuestra familia.

La historia de la Virgen de Guadalupe no es solo un relato piadoso del siglo XVI; es también un punto de encuentro entre culturas. La imagen que aparece en la tilma de Juan Diego combina elementos indígenas y cristianos; habla náhuatl y habla español al mismo tiempo; mira a los pobres, a los migrantes, a quienes se sienten invisibles. Por eso, ha sido llamada “Madre de México” y “Madre de las Américas”: porque su mensaje ha acompañado especialmente a quienes han tenido que cruzar fronteras, físicas y emocionales, en busca de una vida mejor.

La Noticia + The Contributor

Moving Pictures

Vendors write about the La Noticia, one of the Jay Kelly sends George Nashville Rescue Mission, leading Spanish-language Clooney for a sentimental se entristezca tu corazón… ¿Acaso Tenía un significado profundamente retirement, utopia and “No newspapers nation, journey on Also personal: el 12 de diciembre coincide no estoy yo aquí, que soy tu Madre?” in the Al salir de Netflix. la Basílica, ya entrada la con la fecha en que partió de este sentí que algo se había acoPalabras atribuidas a la Virgen de mundo mi amada abuela, a quien todos madrugada, modado dentro mí. Fuiand a cantar a la an interview with a manGuadalupe Spanish featuring thedeone enbrings su diálogo con San Juan content llamábamos to cariñosamente Mamá Virgen de Guadalupe, pero también a Diego, el indígena a quien, según la tradi- Teresita. Crecí viendo su fe sencilla y conversar la memoria de mi abuela. ción, se le apareció en el cerro del Tepeyac firme, esa fe que me acompañó luego en Creí que con named Orlando. iba aSandler. vivir una experiencia The Contributor. only Adam en 1531. Entre el 9 y el 12 de diciembre, la mis propios caminos, especialmente intensa, pero la realidad superó Foto: Yuri Cunza / La Noticia News Nashville

Virgen se habría manifestado cuatro veces, pidiéndole que transmitiera al obispo su deseo de que se construyera un templo en aquel lugar. Como señal, hizo florecer rosas de Castilla en pleno invierno y dejó impresa su imagen en la tilma de Juan Diego, hoy venerada en la Basílica. Para mí, estar allí no era solo participar de una gran tradición religiosa mexicana.

como inmigrante en Estados Unidos, enfrentando soledades, miedos y desafíos. Ella, con su ejemplo, me enseñó a confiar, a seguir adelante y a no soltar la mano de Dios en medio de las dificultades. Mamá Teresita era devota de “La Madre de las Américas, Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe”. Sabía de memoria ora-

cualquier expectativa: fue un encuentro con la fe de un pueblo, con la historia de un continente y con el amor discreto y eterno de una madre y una abuela que siguen presentes, de otra manera, en cada paso del camino.

Envíenos sus sugerencias por e-mail: news@hispanicpaper.com ó 615-582-3757

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

SCAN HERE

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, mostrar la Tarjeta Miranda

PAY VENDORS WITH SQUARE

Venmo has canceled our account, but you can still pay using Square! You must identify your vendor so we know where to send the payment. Here's how: 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.

1. SCAN THE CODE

3. ADD VENDOR NAME

Use your phone camera and scan the QR code on this page. This will take you to the landing page: thecontributor.org/pay.

After clicking “checkout,” type your vendor's name and four-digit badge number in the “Required” field. This allows us to know which vendor to pay.

w w w . j u a n e s e . c o m

Contributor Board

Amber DuVentre, Chair • Christine Doeg, Secretary

Cathy Jennings, Demetria Kalodimos, O. Wade Nelson, Robin Kimbrough-Hayes, Jim Shulman, Drew Morris, Kerry Graham, Jenny Charles, Devin Graham, Yuri Cunza

Contributors This Issue Alvine • Andrew • Linda Bailey • Chuck C. • Yuri Cunza • Gary “Moose” E. • Chris Scott F. • FreForever • FreePressGma • Amanda Haggard • Mr. Mysterio • Joe Nolan • Howard P. • Dennis T. • Judith Tackett • Dan V. Contributor Volunteers Ann Bourland, Andrew Kuluk, Andy Shapiro, Deborah Narrigan, Jamie Dore, Logan Ebel, Loren Montoya, Marissa Young, Matthew Murrow, Michael Reilly, Susan Richter, Tyler Samuel

Amanda Haggard & Linda Bailey Co-Editors Brandon Battle Housing Stability Guide Laura Birdsall Copy Editor Holly Bowman Director of Development Jesse Call Operations Consultant Sarah Champion Housing Stability Guide Ree Cheers Director of Program Operations Will Connelly Executive Director Cathy Jennings Director of Finance Andrew Krinks Editor Emeritus Andrew Kuluk SOAR Coordinator Caroline Lindner Vendor Program Manager

Use your phone camera and scan this code or visit:

www.thecontributor.org/pay

2. CLICK “BUY A NEWSPAPER”

4. CONSIDER THE FEES

Type in the amount you wish to pay. The paper costs $2. Tips are welcomed. Vendors get paid by the next business day.

Please consider paying a minimum of $2.37 for one newspaper in consideration of the Square processing fee.

Lindsey Longoria Housing Stability Guide Zero Mannino Housing Stability Guide Raven Nye Director of Quality and Training Jay Smelley Administrative Coordinator Andrew Terry IV Program Operations Team Lead

WHAT WE DO

WHO WE ARE

$2 VENDOR SELLS

Since The Contributor started in 2007, more than 3,200

PAPERS

$0.50 VENDOR BUYS PAPERS

different vendors have purchased $2.3 million worth of The Contributor and sold over six million copies, generating over $15 million in income for themselves. In 2019, our C.O.V.E.R. Program (Creating Opportunity for Vendor Employment, Engagement, and Resources) was the natural

CUSTOMER TAKES PAPER

expansion of our mission of removing obstacles to housing. We now offer full case management, assistance with housing

Carli Tharp Housing Stability Guide Barbara Womack Advertising Manager 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:

and rental expenses, addiction recovery, health insurance, food benefits, and SSI/SSDI assistance. We see the one-stop-shop team approach radically transforming a vendor's image of self

Printed at:

and their place in community. Buying more papers grows & legitimizes a vendor's business, allowing the vendor to apply for housing.

Follow The Contributor:

www.thecontributor.org

December 17 -31, 2025 | The Contributor | NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE | PAGE 2

LEARN MORE ABOUT

HOW TO SIGN UP FOR THE TOUR: You can sign up either by going online to thecontributor.org/unseen-nashvilletours and scroll to the calendar or by emailing unseen@thecontributor.org. IMPORTANT: Tours require a minimum of 6-8 people per tour to cover costs. Once signed up, please wait for a confirmation from The Contributor with the meeting time and meeting location to confirm your desired date. If there aren’t enough participants for the tour you requested, The Contributor will work with you to find an appropriate date. COST: $20 per person.

Learn More About Unseen Nashville BY JUDITH TACKET T

Unseen Nashville is a street tour about homelessness, launched by The Contributor in 2025. The tour was designed by the Vendor Leadership Team, a group of Contributor vendors that provides input and guidance to staff about different aspects of the organization. We have previously written about Unseen Nashville, but after a couple of months of leading tours, trained tour guides have gathered insight into the tours that are important to the experience. Shawn Lesley, a trained Unseen Nashville tour guide and Contributor vendor, sells his papers at the Music Row Roundabout, also known as Buddy Killen Circle. When Shawn isn’t selling the paper, he can often be found guiding an Unseen Nashville tour downtown. Why did you become a tour guide? To let people understand and know that homelessness is real. When people take the tour, they will hear things about homelessness that they have not heard about before, and they will see what they haven’t seen before. People are so used to walking past homeless people, instead of taking the time out to listen to the problems and to what

got them in that position in the first place. I want to talk to people on the tour about all of that. Why should people take the tour? People should sign up for the tour because it will let them know that there are people out there that need help, and they are human beings. People take life for granted, and they think that homelessness couldn’t happen to them. But all it takes is for someone they love to die, or they didn’t get the job, or there was some type of accident, or they couldn’t pay their bills, or they are falling into a depression — and everything just crumbles. So, if you take the time to talk to people, if you come with us on the Unseen Nashville tour, you get to understand about those problems and hear our stories. What is your tour about? My tour is about my experiences. I talk about what happens if people get locked up. I talk about people who are homeless dealing with depression, people dealing with abusive family members. I want my audience to understand that de-

pression plays a big part in what we go through. Depression is a big part of being homelessness, and depression can lead to homelessness fast, [especially] if you don’t try to get help or if you don’t know the reason of how or why you got there. People say, “he or she became homeless because they were on drugs.” It ain’t just drugs. It ain’t just alcohol. I was not on drugs. I got out of the penitentiary. I came back to my hometown thinking that my family was going to show me love, thinking that people I knew were going to be there. Come to find out, no one was there. When I found my family, they wanted money from me. They wanted me to go back to my old ways. On my tours, I am talking about my story. What have you learned from being a tour guide? I’ve learned that a lot of people don’t see what’s really going on and don’t know how bad it is, and what we go through when being homeless. I thought that people at some point would know a little. But no, a lot of people that have never gone through homelessness really don’t know what it’s like, what we deal with, and what we have to go through.

December 17 - 31, 2025 | The Contributor | NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE | PAGE 3

What do you think is going really well with the tours? I think the tours are enlightening people. I think the tour is going to [enlighten] people who have never questioned homelessness, have never looked at it, and always said, “It couldn’t be me. It couldn’t happen to me.” But yes, it could. If you could take one person — anyone in the world — who would you want to go on one of your tours? Everybody. Everybody in the world. To be honest, it’s not just one person I want to come on the tour. It would be every rich, wealthy person who sees homelessness but never took the time to understand. Because on my tour, I plan on trying to open their eyes to understand. And I also want them to understand that “Yes, you’re making money. Yes, you’re doing this, and yes, you have done that. But some of your employees who used to work with you or still work for you are homeless. If you don’t see it, you don’t know it because you don’t pay attention to it. And they’ve made you millions of dollars.” That’s who I want to come on my tour, so we can have a real conversation.

Special Exhibition in 2026

Quilt, by Rebecah Foster, 1808, 78.92.1

FREE Admission 1000 Rosa L. Parks Blvd. Nashville, Tennessee

615.741.2692 • TNMuseum.org

December 17 -31, 2025 | The Contributor | NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE | PAGE 4

PIECES OF POETRY - 67

The Year

Written by Chris Scott Fieselman, Vendor #0015 January - Starts off a brand-new year.

July - Like the fireworks in the sky.

Take it to heart where to take it from here.

Freedom, Independence,

Get past all that stuff in your rear-view mirror.

And American Pride.

Take it out of park and put it into gear.

When “We the People,” Went against the king,

February - Always has so much to say.

Our nation was born,

Black History Month and Presidents Day.

Let Freedom Ring.

Love songs of longing, For Love’s lost and found.

In August - As the summer’s,

On Saint Valentine’s Day,

Drawing to an end.

When Love comes around.

Enjoy every bit of it, As much as you can.

March – Whispers, winter is going to end.

We may never pass,

Kicking and screaming,

This way again.

Cold weather again.

So, I’m grateful for the summer,

The luck of the Irish and green is O.K.

That we became friends.

Have a Safe Happy Saint Patrick’s Day. Oh yea, one more thing,

September - Is the start of football season.

P.S. by the way.

Your last shot of summer,

It’s been three months,

On Labor Day Weekend.

Since The Year began.

Get the kids ready,

I’m wondering how far,

Get them off to school.

You’ve come since then?

Get together for the game, On Sunday afternoon.

April - Is for fun and fooling around. Spring time and Easter,

In October - Mother Nature is making a scene.

New life in Christ found.

It’s Harvest Time,

Short stormy showers,

And it’s Halloween.

And rainbows above.

Warning us that winter,

Blossoming flowers,

Is on its way.

And warm weather Love.

It’s longer nights,

Promises of summer,

And shorter days.

And the fun it will bring, When spring puts it on,

In November -We remember,

And starts shaking her thing.

How far we’ve come. All God’s provision,

May - Is for women and ladies and moms.

And all he’s done.

Forever and always,

Thanksgiving Dinner,

Where all men come from.

With family and friends.

It’s hard for a man to understand,

Black Friday with Christmas,

The month of May,

So close at hand.

Should always be, In honor of them.

December - And Christmas,

And don’t forget all of those,

Finally arrive.

Hard-working souls,

The birth of Our Savior,

Who celebrate the holiday,

And Lord Jesus Christ.

Cinco de Mayo.

Peace on Earth, And good-will towards man.

In June - We’ll be singing a different tune.

A week after Christmas,

The beginning of summer.

The Year will end.

The end of school. Fun in the sun,

This poem’s been designed,

And howl at the moon,

Like a year of time.

And chilling at the beach,

Let’s finish it off singing,

The lake or the pool.

Auld Lang Syne.

Fathers are just an afterthought,

Happy New Year.

Overlooked and often forgotten.

THEME: Y EA R-IN-R EV IEW ACROSS 73. Geological time period 1. W.E.B Du Bois’ org. 74. They are cut by Federal 6. Rascal Reserve 9. Ho-hum 13. “Pomp and CircumDOWN stance” composer 1. At room temperature, bar 14. Tropical constrictor order 15. Forgo 2. Algae, sing. 16. Tequila source 3. Petri dish filler 17. + or - atom 4. Raise trivial objections 18. Reason by deduction 5. Ready to be assembled 19. *Trade war “weapon,” pl. 6. Avian wader 21. *2025 MLB World Series 7. Farm sound winners 8. China’s goodwill “____ 23. ____-tzu diplomacy” 24. C&H crop 9. Collision, onomatopoei25. Dunce cally speaking 28. Western necktie 10. *Taylor Swift’s “The ____ 30. Catch in a snare of a Showgirl” 35. Ginger cookie 11. Affirm solemnly 37. Master of his castle 12. Third-person possessive 39. Use a razor pronoun 40. British slang for donkey 15. Makes broader 41. Arch and ball locations 20. Why do they fall in love? 43. Winglike 22. *Aryna Sabalenka’s seed 44. March celebrants 24. Auto contents 46. *Arthur Sze, 2025 ____ 25. Pertaining to osmium Laureate 26. *2025 Academy Awards 47. Dam-like structure Best Picture winner 48. *BeyoncÈ’s “Cowboy ____,” 2025 Grammy winner 50. King Kong and Curious George, e.g. 52. Like a fox 53. What Pinocchio did 55. *Florida Panthers won this org.’s ‘25 championship 57. *”Wicked: ____ ____” 61. *Late environmentalist and chimpanzee expert 65. German submarine destroyer 66. *2025 Ryder Cup loser 68. Manuscript sheet 69. Brazilian coins 70. Roll-your-own one, for short 71. To the left, on a boat 72. Orpheus’ instrument

December 17 - 31, 2025 | The Contributor | NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE | PAGE 5

27. Faquir, alt.spelling 29. Pilot’s stunt 31. Spring event 32. Pneumonia symptom, pl. 33. Be of use 34. *Blue Origin’s 2025 singing passenger 36. Boll weevil, e.g. 38. *____Seek 42. Shorthand typist, for short 45. Serfs 49. 2016 Olympics host, for short 51. Ram’s horn at a synagogue 54. Draw a conclusion 56. Parkinson’s disease drug 57. Roll up 58. Heed 59. Lion sound 60. Dorothy’s last name 61. *Lady of “The Mayhem Ball” 62. Tons (2 words) 63. Lira, pl. 64. Land parcels 67. *Gary Oldman received this honorific in 2025

A FEW QUESTIONS

Q&A with Whitney Pastorek BY JUDITH TACKET T

For a year-end interview, we spoke with Whitney Pastorek, a writer and community organizer who most recently has served as the executive producer of City Cast Nashville. In that role, she and her team have kept Nashvillians informed about local news and events through a daily newsletter and podcast. “It’s about a 25-minute podcast every day,” Pastorek explained. “And the newsletter shows up in your inbox with the four biggest news stories of the morning, a great article about something that’s happening in town, or life hacks for ways to make life easier, and then terrific events listings.” City Cast Nashville launched in June 2024 and is part of a national network covering 13 cities across the country. Nashville Scene readers honored City Cast Nashville as the best podcast in 2025.

get it — like, “My God, people can’t even just sit anymore!” Whether you’re unhoused or whether you’re waiting for a bus or whether you’re a Downtown worker on your lunch break. That one choice, I think, has sparked a real movement here where you’ve got neighbors going out on weekends and building benches to put at bus stops, put around the city, and they’re painting on them, “You are welcome here. Have a seat. We love you.” While it’s one of the most frustrating things that’s ever happened in my time here in Nashville, [amid] increased surveillance and policing and hostility downtown, one of the most beautiful things I’ve experienced in my time in Nashville has come out of it. And that’s people just coming together to say, “If you’re not going to build us the kind of city we want to live in, we’re going to do it ourselves.”

You are a communicator and community organizer. How would you describe your career path? I have had the opportunity since moving to Nashville almost 15 years ago to really get involved with some great organizations here in town. I started off organizing in progressive politics and working on campaigns for people like Sean Parker, Charlane Oliver and Vincent Dixie. Then I had the immense privilege of being the Nashville project lead for World Central Kitchen for four years, which is José Andrés’ hunger and disaster relief organization. That led me to meet so many people in so many different community-based organizations and neighborhoods. You really get to know a community when it’s just experienced something terrible, and you find out a lot about what people need and who they are. So, I think I’ve just sort of had this blessed ability to get to know so many different corners of Nashville. It’s allowed me to have a lot of friends and hear a lot of stories about things that are happening in town that sometimes might get overlooked. Combining that with my obsessive need to watch Metro Council and know what’s happening with our local government, it led me to hopefully be able to move some needles for good here.

What are you watching going into 2026? I am watching this disconnect between our elected officials and the administration that exists around them and the people who actually live here. I’m wanting that to narrow. I think that there’s a perception right now — as there has been the whole time that I’ve lived in this city — that nothing’s going to change. So, what’s the point, when it comes to your average resident thinking about talking to their elected officials. But I also think that there is this growing vibe — and not just specific to Nashville, also at the state level and certainly at the federal level of, “We know what’s best. Stop complaining. You’re just trying to be difficult. We’re doing what’s best for you, can’t you see that?” And instead of saying, “Okay, I hear you, and some of your concerns are valid, and let’s have a conversation about how we can collaborate and work together,” [the response] just ends up being, for lack of a better phrase, “That’s fake news.” I don’t think that any city or any community can grow together and build a place that works for all of us, if the side that’s in power is constantly telling the side that’s not in power that they don’t know what they’re talking about, and they’re wrong. What I would hope for 2026 is that Nashville and its leaders will continue to find a way to bridge that gap. To be completely honest, that’s going to have to come from the leadership side because we as people don’t have the power to write a memorandum of understanding or communicate with the Speaker of the Tennessee House or make decisions about a giant, a billionaire’s business coming in to dig tunnels that might collapse without asking anybody if we even wanted the tunnels in the first place, right? We don’t necessarily have the power to drive those conversations. The people who are in power and who are allowing those things or encouraging those things, or maybe just not pushing back enough against those things, have got to get better at coming into community and not just saying, “Sure, yeah, we hear you.” But actually say, “Let’s find a way to work together and make this right.”

How did your background in politics and community organizing lead to your current job with City Cast? My background prior to getting to Nashville was in journalism, and it was also in country music artist management and marketing. So I have a lot of journalism and communications background. I think it gives me this really unique skill set where I have the skills of a journalist, but I also have the personal relationships and personal passions and compassions for my city and the people who are trying to make it better every day. You serve on the Metro Human Relations Commission. What’s the role of the MHRC and why did you take on this volunteer role? MHRC is the department within Metro

that is tasked with ensuring that the city remains welcoming and equitable to all. Its strict role, as I understand it, is really to mediate any discrimination complaints that come against Metro or within Metro. A great example of that is what happened with the Metro Arts Commission in 2024. But in between that, we’re able to do so much other stuff in terms of working on language access or the No Hate on My Plate dinners that we’ve been hosting. It’s really a commission that is tasked with doing exactly what I’ve been talking about, which is ensuring that people feel welcome, that they feel connected, that everybody’s voice matters, and that people have opportunities to get out and be in community with one another and feel valued no matter who they are in this town. I volunteered because of all the Metro boards and commissions I felt like it was the one that best suited what I believe in. And I feel very fortunate to be a member. You have been involved in the nonprofit world for years including keeping a watch on what is happening around homelessness. What could Nashville do better in terms of addressing homelessness? Everything. Unfortunately, I feel as though Nashville is trending in the wrong direction when it comes to taking care of our unhoused neighbors. And I don’t really understand why when we’ve had, thanks to COVID and the American Rescue Plan, more money than ever before to pour into finding solutions for our friends who — through whatever set of circumstances — don’t have a warm, safe roof to sleep under every night. It’s immensely frustrating to me. I think that there are so many people in this town who know so much about this space and who work tirelessly — literally— on the ground every day in trying to address these issues. And there are times when I feel like the leadership at the Metro level is simply unable or unwilling to get down and dirty in that same

way. So I think the biggest thing that I would like to see change in the new year — aside from everything — is a willingness to collaborate and work together with the folks who have that granular day-to-day knowledge of their community, of their neighbors, of their friends. I think about a place like Trinity Community Commons, which has become such a beacon in our neighborhood for togetherness and community and is welcoming of people all across the spectrum here in East Nashville. It should be a model for how addressing the issues of homelessness [could be] happening all across the city. It shouldn’t be limited to just one church and a bunch of neighbors who care a lot. It should be the way that we start every single day. This is our end of year issue. In your view, what was the biggest local story of 2025? We have so many. But if I have to … obviously, everything that was happening at the federal level and the state level in terms of cuts and dismantlings was huge, and that had a trickle-down effect on so many local organizations and nonprofits and people trying to do good. But to me, the biggest story was and has continued to be this disconnect between the city’s priorities and the priorities of the people who live in it. The example that I’ll use is the ongoing controversy around the National Downtown Partnership, and the way that they handle the area that they’re tasked with managing, which is our urban core. The most specific [example] in terms of this was their decision in collaboration with NDOT (Nashville Department of Transportation) and a couple other folks to remove those benches along Korean Veterans Boulevard. Hostile architecture is not a new thing for our unhoused community, but there’s hostile architecture and then there’s removing architecture entirely. And in taking those benches away, you suddenly saw so many people in town just

December 17 -31, 2025 | The Contributor | NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE | PAGE 6

December 17 - 31, 2025 | The Contributor | NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE | PAGE 7

VENDOR WRITING

Rescue Mission BY CHUCK C., CONTRIBUTOR VENDOR

One of the most important agencies that has been of great assistance to Nashville’s unhoused community is the Nashville Rescue Mission. Recently it was announced that its CEO, Brother Glenn Cranfield, is retiring later this year after 14 years of service to the Nashville Rescue Mission. When I first was associated with the Mission they were at their former location at 129 7th Av. S. near the former Greyhound Bus Station. Under the direction of long-time director and CEO Brother Carl Resener,

the Mission has grown and expanded to the facility it is today in the former Sears building on Lafayette Street. In the 1950s when the Mission was founded, most homeless were branded “low bottom” or “hobos” and “tramps.” The Nashville Union Rescue Mission was the only place of refuge for Nashville’s unhoused population and many survived in “hobo camps” and primitive shacks dotted all over Nashville. In addition to providing food, clothing and overnight shelter the Rescue Mission also provided detox facilities and a very successful Men’s

program for drug and alcohol rehabilitation as well as a farm, “Mission Acres” in Pleasant View, Tenn. for longer term rehabilitation of the total man. The spiritual aspect of the Nashville Rescue Mission is unique in that once the physical needs are met, the soul begins to be fed and folks become more receptive to receiving the gospel message. I can speak from my own personal experience with the mission that many folks would have starved to death or died from exposure. Brother Resener and his men went out on the “cold patrol” seeking to bring people

in out of the weather. This was many years before the Room in the Inn or Metro Homeless Services were even in existence. Rev. Don Worrell, former Vice President of the Nashville Rescue Mission was the very first person to purchase a subscription to The Contributor at the paper’s infancy. To Brother Worrell, I will always be grateful for his help and support. So, whenever you hear the name Nashville Rescue Mission mentioned, remember the words of many of Nashville’s pastors and preachers, “A mighty work is being done down at the Union Mission.”

Retirement

BY GARY “MOOSE” E., CONTRIBUTOR VENDOR Well, it looks like I made it! Just turned 65 in June of 2025. It just doesn’t look like I thought it would, nor does it feel like whatever I figured it would feel like. I always thought I’d be set in life with property, money and the “good life.” After three divorces, I realized the way to quit getting divorced was to quit getting married!! (I never claimed to be the smartest guy in the world.) I have largely been my own worst enemy in a lot of ways!

Me and drinking was not a good way to go! I went to treatment again last year just so I wouldn’t die! “It takes what it takes.” Another thing I learned about drinking and getting in trouble was this: I’ve never been to jail when I was sober!! I came to that realization the hard way! Trial and error. Many trials and lots of errors! It cost a lot of money to be this damn old, ugly and stupid! This was by far no

accident and I’m as surprised as anybody that I’m still alive!! I’ve missed so many good chances and close calls. My dad always told me, “Son, life is hard and it’s even harder if you’re stupid!!” I still remember that to this day, and hear his voice in my mind. Maybe he was trying to tell me something? He might be right about this one! Anyway, I made it to my retirement and I will do my best to enjoy everyday of what is left of my life. One of my priori-

COMIC BY DENNIS T.

December 17 -31, 2025 | The Contributor | NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE | PAGE 8

ties is to not get involved with the legal system because I’ve given them enough time and hard money — its my turn to live my life for me! Happy Holidays, Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! I’ll be seeing you and all my good customers on the corner somewhere! I start every morning with a prayer and to thank God for one more day. I pray every night before I go to bed. It seems to help!

COVER STORY

We Remember The 2025 Homeless Memorial remembered 169 people who died from the homeless community this year. The memorial on Dec. 20 took place downtown at Riverfront Park by the Tara Cole Memorial Bench. Each name below was read aloud and those in attendance remembered their neighbors in the form of poetry, prayer and meaningful stories. Following the ceremony, attendees placed flowers in the Cumberland River to honor each person who lost their life.

2025 Matthew Able Maurice Adams Jennifer Alexander* Linda Amos Jimmy Andrews Jr. Jimmy Dean Ashworth Beth Bacon Raymond Bain Andrew Barksdale Shelley Denise Bass Harry Beard Jacquelyne Beasley Cortez Bell II Jovan Blackman Thomas Bolton Yvonne Decarlos Bostic Jerry Bowen Larry Wade Boyd Thomas Brown Jr. Christy Bryant Sherrod Burnett, Sr. Aaron Busse Gary Campbell John A Carter Quentazia Cason David Church Racheal Marie Clark James Lloyd Clark James Curie Clifford Eric Coffman John Coleman Evonne Cornwell Mark Crites/Kilgore Jerry Crutcher Patricia Davis* James Denton Jennifer Deragon Darlene DeRosa William Diviney John Doe (unnamed) Sherry Donoho Marion Duerkson Sherry Dybeck

Anthony Ellis Lamelle A Evans Gordon Fields Bobby Fillmore Travis Finch Debra Flynn John Franklin Cartel K Galloway David Galloway Lisa Garrett Darin Gassaway Micki Gentry Teresa Glenn Missy Gooch Brenda Gregory Rocky Harper David Harris Christopher Harrison Wiliam Henry Head Jr. Sanford Helt Douglas Henson Christopher Herbert Angelica Hernandez Richard Higgins Randall Hogan Mark Holt Randy Honea* Brandon Hubert Ricky Hudgens* Billy Glynn Huffman Tadarius Hunt DeeAngelo Hunter Steven Hymes Terry Jackson Willie James Jackson David Jacobsson* Christopher Jenkins Laron Johnson Joe Johnson Natasha Jones Kevin Wayne Jones Patrick Killian Charles Kimbro

Kelton King* James Earl King David Klotwog Delaney LaPlante John Alan Lawson Dennis Ledford James Leon* Dean Levinsohn* Greg Lewis Curtis Livingston Brent Lovely John Lowe John Manasco Nicholas Marrone Bobby Mayes Jesse James McAdoo III John McKinnie Jr. Curtis McNeil Jennie Meadows Gary Melton* Alan Merrill Ricky Merryman Donald Milburn Tamika Mitchell Deonte Morris Otis Murphy Michael Murphy Marilyn Ann Musser* Author Nall Johnda Nottingham Christopher Owen* Peyton Owens Michael “Scottie” Parker Donald Parker Edward Parsons Melinda Pedigo Jack Phillips Jr. Charles Walter Pope* Taylor Powell Labar Pratt Billy Pressley Contessa Previtera Wendall Quarles

December 17 - 31, 2025 | The Contributor | NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE | PAGE 9

Greg Rivers Aaron Robison Susan Rocha Dana Roland Thurston Rucker Joshua Rutherford Jerry Salazar Julie Savoy Mary Scales Atley Settles Brian Smith Samantha Kay Smith Valenna Spikes Anquenette Stanton* Raymond Stevens David Suddeth Kenneth Sutliff Brenda Taylor Johnnie Taylor Leslie Taylor Joseph Tees Earl Titus Inez Turley Alice Turner William Vanfleet Kenneth Walden Steve Allen Walker John Welch Jessie Whitworth Zachary Williams Joseph Williams Lee Williams Gabriel Adam Williams Joseph Gilbert Williams Jr. Vanell Wilson Willie Paul Windom Leslie Woodard Taylor III Diane Yates Robert Yelden Alex “Detroit”* * denotes vendors of The Contributor

COVER STORY

On Dec. 20, several community members gathered on the bank of the Cumberland River to read the names of those who died from the homeless community in 2025. At the conclusion of the memorial, attendees drop flowers in the river. PHOTOS BY ALVINE

Nonprofit Open Table Nashville has collaborated with various service providers, including Nashville Rescue Mission, the Office of Homeless Services, Metro Social Services Indigent Burial Program, the Medical Examiner's Office, Room In The Inn, and People Loving Nashville, to document the deaths of homeless individuals in Nashville and to organize the annual Homeless Memorial. PHOTOS BY ALVINE

December 17 -31, 2025 | The Contributor | NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE | PAGE 10

COVER STORY

Every single person’s name who died was read aloud and written on a custom bench that will be placed in a spot downtown where a city bench has been removed. PHOTOS BY ALVINE

December 17 - 31, 2025 | The Contributor | NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE | PAGE 11

COVER STORY

Former Contributor Vendor Calvin Brooks Dies at 67 STAFF REPORTS

Retired Contributor vendor Calvin Brooks, born Nov. 24, 1957, in Columbus, Ohio, entered into eternal rest on Sept. 1, 2025, at the age of 67. At The Contributor, Calvin was known for his smile and a persevering attitude of never giving up. “Beyond his work with The Contributor, he always had a side business, once proudly handing me a card for his headlight and window-washing service, which I thought was ingenious,” Cathay Jennings, director of finance at The Contributor. “He was never afraid to share his thoughts, whether about the newspaper cover or new marketing ideas. Calvin’s joy was infectious, especially when he spoke

about marrying his beautiful wife.” Calvin often credited his success to his faith in God, sharing scriptures and thoughts about religion with folks often. His favorite scripture was Luke 1:37: “For with God nothing shall be impossible.” This verse reflected how he lived his life — trusting God, serving others, and walking boldly in faith. He passed thousands of Bible Tracks around the Nashville and Franklin areas, and always felt deeply fulfilled after sharing his faith. “Calvin loved Christ and loved people,” reads his obituary. “He enjoyed sharing God’s Word with all he met and found joy in connecting with his community, including selling The

Contributor newspaper. His heart for service and his genuine care for others left a lasting impact on many lives. Calvin was an Entrepreneur who set up several small businesses, including window washing, Bible Verses on Wood, headlights restoration and also a food vendor among others.” Brooks attended Main Street Elementary in Columbus, Ohio, and later joined Walnut Ridge High School, where he was among the first Black students to attend. As a teenager, he also worked at Bob Evan’s Restaurant, beginning a lifelong journey of hard work and service. He was preceded in death by his father, Eugene Brooks; his mother, Carol Wilson; his devoted and loving wife, Rodah Brooks; and

others who went before him. Calvin was proud of his life as a small business owner, and was proudly recognized as the first Black Petition Coordinator. He answered a higher calling as an ordained minister of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, and faithfully served as a greeter at his church home, Regeneration Nashville. He will be remembered as a man of strong faith, unwavering dedication, and endless compassion. Though he will be deeply missed, his legacy of love and service will continue to inspire all who knew him. “The world will feel different without Calvin’s energy, but I know he is welcomed wherever he is now,” Jennings says.

Longtime Contributor writer and vendor, Jen A., leaves a legacy of brilliant art and love BY AMANDA HAGGARD

Jennifer Alexander, longtime Contributor vendor, artist, poet and writer, died Sept. 19 after suffering from a terminal illness. She was 74 years old. Jen was known at the newspaper for her rigorous approach to art and writing. Every piece of the piece meant something to Jen, and she applied a judgemental eye to any artistic approach she thought was lacking. Jen could be kind, self-deprecating, but her wit was standout. Whether a text message, a letter, an email or a poem, it was always clear she had drafted it to her exact liking before hitting send. Many at The Contributor remember when Jen first arrived to sell the paper. She crafted a sunhat covered in sunflowers, sewed a smock from a Contributor T-shirt and often added sunflower embellishments to any item she wore on her person. Jen was not an open book, but her writing often revealed deep personal (and universal) truths. She was both a brilliant and prolific writer who focused on marginalized experiences and loved to pick a fight with her words. During the pandemic in 2020, Jen wrote a letter to The Contributor’s amateur astrologer Mr. Mysterio. It was both packed full of satire and injected with the truth about how she was really feeling. “I don’t have a television — haven’t for many years,” she wrote. “But when I heard on my magic radio box that George Floyd had been murdered, something inside me broke. In the early days of the lockdown, because of a heart condition and my type A blood, I was afraid if I went outside I’d get Covid and die. After the horror of hearing George in the throes of death call out, “Mama”, I was now afraid that I wouldn’t die. I could not remember any event in my life that was more heartbreaking than that. And I’ve had some heartbreak.” Piece by piece, over the more than dozen years she was a friend to folks at the paper, details would reveal themself about what Jen had suffered in her life, though she rarely ever revealed those details directly in conversation. She is survived by her four children: Joshua Frost, Matthew Thiele, Elizabeth Lutes, and William Ramsay. She was predeceased by her son Evan Thiele, who died by suicide

in 1998. Her son Joshua Frost was the only child she remained connected to in late life, and though they struggled to find footing in their relationship, he says he feels grateful that she found a way to cope with the things life threw her way, and that finding any way to connect with her was “always worth the fight.” “She was always willing to talk about her art,” Frost says. “She was always willing to talk about writing. She pushed me as much as anyone in my life has pushed me to write and to do my art. I’m a maker, so I am heavily into making things, but not just kind of passively. I obsess about them, and I think I get that from her. I think she had this obsessive quality about her to create and to interpret the world around her in a unique way. My mother was a genius .... but she also had a lot of difficulty processing her own reality, so she would create fantasies about her reality that helped her to cope with what actually was going on in her life.” Jen was a staunch supporter of women’s rights. She absolutely hated guns and the American obsession with them. She was an avid reader who passed her love of literature on to her children. “She made sure that when we were small children that we were exposed to all kinds of different literature, and she obsessed over our reading level,” he says. “So she would go, at least with me anyway, she would go over with us individually, the things that she wanted us to read. And from a very early age, she read to us, and it was a point, not a point, let’s say it was a quality of my upbringing in the beginning, to have literature and writing and reading as a fundamental basis for interpreting the world of things for negotiating and interrogating my natural world.” The Contributor’s Director of Finance Cathy Jennings called Jen one of the most gifted writers she’d ever known. “She had a way of going straight to the heart of a matter — her words could move you to tears, or to anger, depending on which side of the truth you stood,” Jennings says. “Jen never soft-pedaled the reality she saw around her. She was unflinching in naming injustice and transparent about the ugliness she witnessed. That honesty sometimes made

her a difficult person for those who didn’t really know her, but to know Jen was to see her gentleness, her empathy, and her heart.” Jennings says Jen was quick with a shy hug or a quiet I love you, adding that she felt everything very deeply. When her neighbor died during the COVID-19 pandemic alone, Jen was in deep grief, weeping with Jennings and carrying grief as though she was heartbroken for how they suffered in loneliness in their final moments. “Jen was also fearless. When her apartment building became unsafe and unclean, she chose to leave, even though it meant facing homelessness as an older woman,” Jennings says. “She believed it was the only path toward a better life, and she walked it with courage.” Jen struggled with homelessness almost her entire life, but her son says she always expressed a great love for Nashville and probably was the most settled here in her adult life. She died in an apartment she owned in East Nashville. “She loved the area, she loved the people, she loved the fight,” he says. “She wrote to me when she took on [issue] of making sure that unhoused people, unhoused women, were able to access feminine hygiene products with their SNAP benefits. She was just absolutely over the moon about it. She was determined to really get somewhere. She loved contributing, and it was something that made her very happy. I remember vividly of her getting to Nashville and being happy about taking on that fight and meeting people she felt understood her.” Frost says she was always intent on making Christmas time special, and he can now see that she was trying in all the ways she could to be a mother, even though in the traditional sense she was not a great mother figure to him. “Life was really, really super unfair for my mom,” Frost said. “I mean, greater than normal. Life is not a fair thing to navigate anyway. But for her, it was especially unkind .… She still made sure that we felt loved though in her own way. I don’t remember anything from that early experience where I would admonish her. I know now that we probably suffered

December 17 -31, 2025 | The Contributor | NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE | PAGE 12

from malnutrition and some other pretty horrible stuff, but I think that my mother, as well as the stardust that made up her body, was made of love. She just absolutely was 100 percent made of love, and life did not end up the way she wanted it to. I guess we can all have a small measure of that, but my mother did understand love and she did love us, and she was just dealt a shit hand.” In a poem in 2021 as part of our annual Poetry Edition, Jen asks the question “Who Are You?” and it can be hard to tell whether the content is focused outward or inward. Either way, her work always left us something to think about. You’ve forgotten who you are Cast adrift in a sea of Fear and loathing You watch and listen But you do not see or hear Buffeted by wave after wave Of cruelty and despair You taste the bitter brine You struggle for breath You grasp at the Most convenient straw You used to be so cocksure You captained your ship Confidently performing Complicated fiduciary tasks Loop the loops Acts of kindness Detached from your Purpose driven life You’ve lost your sense of touch You’re cowed By a swatch of cloth A slight jab in the arm That community relies on To prove your will Your power As you struggle To find firm footing In your bottomless pit of Suffocating quicksand You’ve lost your faith You’ve lost all hope You’ve lost one of another Who are you?

INTERNATIONAL NETWORK OF STREET PAPERS

PHOTO BY DAN V.

Building a Better Understanding: Trauma and Mental Health for Men BY ANDRE W, CHANGING T HE NARR AT IVE SERIE S WRI T ER

The following article is part of The International Network of Street Papers’ (INSP) Changing the Narrative series. It has been written as the result of the new program, established in 2025 by INSP to provide people with direct experience of homelessness and poverty the opportunity to learn about journalism and the media, and to enhance their storytelling and written abilities. The training academy has two ambitions: to challenge media and public misconceptions about homelessness; and to tackle the lack of representation and diversity in newsrooms. In late summer 2016, I was on my way from work when I got a phone call from my sister. I could sense that there was something wrong from the tone in her voice - she was about to tell me that my mum had cancer. The news was terrible, but I already had a gut feeling that everything was going to change for me and our family. It was a bad, bad time — my sister Kirsty also found out that she had cancer, and three of my best friends passed away during that period. I ended up splitting up with my then-partner and moved back to Cardiff, where I’m from originally. I thought everything was going okay

for me, but eventually I began to realize that things were far from fine as my drinking got increasingly out of hand — I was drinking heavily to hide the pain I was in. After a year of uncertainty and turmoil, I decided that I needed to leave Cardiff. I wanted to have a break from everyone to try to sort myself out, so I went to London to stay with some friends. Staying with them long term wasn’t possible, so I found a homeless charity and we talked over my options. After talking to me about why I ended up homeless, they put in contact with a homeless charity called Emmaus in Gloucestershire. Emmaus asked me to come and visit, which I willingly did. While there I was offered, and accepted, a place with them in their supported accommodation. It was time for change. While all of this was going on, I found out that my brother and sister had reported me as missing — I’d come off social media and didn’t realise they were so worried. I was also suffering with my mental health at the time, problems that I knew were getting worse, but I just could not admit that I needed to get help. Once again, I felt that if I moved on, it might help. So, in 2019, I

decided to ask Emmaus if they had any places in Scotland, and they did, so I moved north. While I was at Glasgow Emmaus, I started to receive cognitive behavioral therapy to get some support for my mental health, and that helped a lot. Things were more positive at that time, and that helped me make the decision, just before my 50th birthday, to reconnect with my family after being away from them for so long. I even decided to move back to Emmaus Wales to be near my family, and to try to settle down and have a normal life. But truthfully, at the back of my mind, I knew I still wasn’t right. I still found it hard to try to deal with my pain, partly because no-one knew how I was really feeling. And no-one knew because I found it hard to talk about my feelings; even talking to my family was difficult. Fast forward to 2024, and once again I was finding it very hard to cope with everything because of how I was feeling. Living in a shared house was not helping, so once again I packed a bag and headed back to London. I wasn’t sure what I was doing or why I was doing it because my head was so mixed up. I was trying to deal with a lot of emotions from past traumas that I

December 17 - 31, 2025 | The Contributor | NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE | PAGE 13

had never really talked to anyone about. I found it very hard to talk about how some experiences had affected me over the years, and how they had affected my family. I had never really talked about what I had been through. But at last, I’m beginning to talk. I’m back in Glasgow, and I’ve been able to get more counseling, which is helping me understand and process what I have been through. For the first time, I’ve been able to talk about being abused as a child. I’ve begun to understand that the trauma caused by that abuse is what has affected my mental health so badly over the years. I realize now that I’ve been wearing a mask for so many years; a mask that I put on to present myself as a happy-go-lucky guy just going through life, when the reality was that I was falling apart. The counseling I’m having now is giving me a better understanding of how I’ve managed to survive everything I’ve been through. My hope for the future is to try to help others by sharing my own experiences — maybe that might encourage a better understanding of what mental health means to other men. Courtesy of INSP.ngo

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 t icia 2025

G RATIS Diciembre/2

Newspaper Nashville

www.lanoticianashville.com

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

Año 23 - No. 425

Nashville, Tennessee

En el Tepeyac, con Mamá Teresita en el corazón: una noche de fe, recuerdos y esperanza ciones, cantos, y hablaba de la Virgen como quien habla de una madre cercana, presente en lo coti-diano. Mientras miraba la tilma aquella noche, su recuerdo se hizo más fuerte que nunca. Yo sabía que a mi abuela le hubiera encantado estar allí, entre esa multitud de fieles; de algún modo, sentí que la estaba llevando conmigo, que mi presencia en el Tepeyac era también un pequeño homenaje a su vida, a su fe y al legado espiritual que dejó en nuestra familia.

Foto: Yuri Cunza / La Noticia News Nashville

“No se entristezca tu corazón… ¿Acaso no estoy yo aquí, que soy tu Madre?” Palabras atribuidas a la Virgen de Guadalupe en su diálogo con San Juan Diego, el indígena a quien, según la tradición, se le apareció en el cerro del Tepeyac en 1531. Entre el 9 y el 12 de diciembre, la Virgen se habría manifestado cuatro veces, pidiéndole que transmitiera al obispo su deseo de que se construyera un templo en aquel lugar. Como señal, hizo florecer rosas de Castilla en pleno invierno y dejó impresa su imagen en la tilma de Juan Diego, hoy venerada en la Basílica. Para mí, estar allí no era solo participar de una gran tradición religiosa mexicana.

Tenía un significado profundamente personal: el 12 de diciembre coincide con la fecha en que partió de este mundo mi amada abuela, a quien todos llamábamos cariñosamente Mamá Teresita. Crecí viendo su fe sencilla y firme, esa fe que me acompañó luego en mis propios caminos, especialmente como inmigrante en Estados Unidos, enfrentando soledades, miedos y desafíos. Ella, con su ejemplo, me enseñó a confiar, a seguir adelante y a no soltar la mano de Dios en medio de las dificultades. Mamá Teresita era devota de “La Madre de las Américas, Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe”. Sabía de memoria ora-

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, mostrar la Tarjeta Miranda

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.

por

w w w . j u a n e s e . c o m

December 17 -31, 2025 | The Contributor | NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE | PAGE 14

La noche avanzó, y cuando finalmente comenzaron “Las Mañanitas”, la multitud cantó como si fuera una sola voz. Yo pensé en Nashville, en nuestras comunidades hispanas lejos de su tierra, en las parroquias que cada diciembre levantan altares a la Virgen, en los inmigrantes que la invocan antes de cruzar una frontera o al empezar un nuevo trabajo. Pensé, sobre todo, en Mamá Teresita, en todo lo que me enseñó sin necesidad de grandes discursos. Al salir de la Basílica, ya entrada la madrugada, sentí que algo se había acomodado dentro de mí. Fui a cantar a la Virgen de Guadalupe, pero también a conversar con la memoria de mi abuela. Creí que iba a vivir una experiencia intensa, pero la realidad superó cualquier expectativa: fue un encuentro con la fe de un pueblo, con la historia de un continente y con el amor discreto y eterno de una madre y una abuela que siguen presentes, de otra manera, en cada paso del camino.

Envíenos sus sugerencias por e-mail: news@hispanicpaper.com ó 615-582-3757

FUN

HOBOSCOPES CAPRICORN

OK, we’ll do the bad news first. No, wait, would you rather start with a little good news and then do the bad news and then the even better news? Hmmm. Come to think of it, that setup might require more good news than we actually have available. Oh, Capricorn, I’m not saying it’s particularly bad news! Don’t worry, I’m just trying to do this in the most logistically pleasant way for you. How about this, I’ll count to three, and you say what you’re afraid the bad news is at the same time as I say the actual bad news. There’s no way that the real bad news is as bad as the bad news you’re dreading! That’s the good news.

AQUA RIUS

Every new year, I promise myself, The Stars, and my dentist that I’ll start flossing every day. And before I get to the fourth day of flossing, I always fail. I know the value of flossing! I know it would help my teeth last longer. I know gum health has been linked to cardiovascular fitness and decreased risk of dementia. But somehow I can’t keep it up. My mistake may be in linking this whole situation to a calendar that only resets once a year. Maybe this time I’ll take another stab at it every Wednesday. Three days of flossing a week would be way better than three every year. What’s your Wednesday resolution, Aquarius.

PISCES

By the early 1600s, England’s old forests were long chopped down. So the Royal Navy was hungry for the untouched trees of the new world. Ship masts needed to be tall and strong and straight and the forests of the colonies had plenty of those. Well, at least, for a hundred years or so. Then those were pretty well used-up too. When you’re in the middle of 100 years, it seems so long. But when you look back at those clear-cut old-growth forests, it was hardly any time at all. You’ve got enough for today, Pisces. What are you planting to make sure there’s enough for tomorrow?

ARIES

After a thorough audit of your past seven years of horoscopes, Aries, we’ve gone back and added an asterisk to the one from April 17 of 2021. Our experts at the time believed that it was best to take on your smallest fears first and then the larger ones as necessary. Current astrological thought is that the larger fears are as fine a starting place as any and may take you further. Our auditors have found that every other horoscope was entirely accurate. Hope this update helps.

TAURUS

So, it is to be a battle of wits! You select the playing field, Taurus. I’ll choose the subject matter. Do you know a lot about the Roman Empire? Trick question! There never was a Roman Empire, just a human global domination that continues to this day! But you already know that, Taurus. Where were we? Ah, yes, a battle of wits. Wait! Where are you going, Taurus? I was just getting started. It seems you’ve discovered the true path to victory when your adversary believes themself to be unbeatably clever. Just walk away.

GEMINI

I’m sorry, Gemini, you’ll have to forgive my emotional fragility. It’s just that I recently learned that asian elephants are born with six sets of teeth in their skull. Over the course of a lifetime, they wear out front teeth, which chip and fall out as teeth from the back move forward like a slow dental conveyor belt. And it made me think, Gemini, that maybe we’re trying to hold on to teeth we don’t need anymore while better teeth are just waiting to be pushed forward and take care of our new needs. Are last year’s teeth going to get you through this year’s problems? I think we’re all ready for a fresh round.

CANCER

So, same dinner as last night, Cancer? I can’t say I blame you. It’s warm and filling. It’s easy to eat while you watch TV and slowly fall asleep. But maybe tomorrow, you could try something new? I mean, maybe instead of heating up a can of soup and distracting yourself until you’re unconscious, you could heat up two cans of soup and invite somebody over. I just think the conversation would do you good. I haven’t really heard what’s going on with you this year, and I’ll bet your friends haven’t either. No pressure. You can keep it low key. But maybe text around right now and see who’s available.

LEO

Did you see that viral clip from the Guild of Unlicensed Astrology Consultants conference, Leo? I mean G.U.A.C. Con is always exciting, but it seems like things are really heating up in the leadership. Well, if you haven’t seen it, Dr. Wayne Conundra basically says out loud the thing we’ve all been thinking–that Professor Impossible isn’t even doing real astrology anymore. It’s more like brutalist-astronomy with a thin sheen of dark-mystery. It got me so riled-up at first, Leo! But then I remembered, we’re not here to let the bignames on screens fight our battles. We’re here to help the people we see every day. So I stopped watching conference videos and consulted The Stars on your behalf, Leo. They said to tell you this story.

VIRGO

This coat is kind of falling apart. The pockets have holes in them. The collar is separating at the back. The zipper always gets stuck halfway-up and I have to spend a full two minutes jiggling it before I can leave the house. But it’s warm. That’s the thing it’s for and that’s still the thing it does best. Maybe I’ll get a new one in the spring when the coats go on sale. Or maybe I’ll give this one another season. Do you have what you need to get through the time that you’re in, Virgo? Your old approach may serve you just fine, but there are other ways to take this on. And you don’t have to wait to get a new one.

LIBRA

Got a text from an unknown number that says for tax purposes the CEO of Spirit Hat has selected me to receive 18 million dollars. It was a random drawing and all I have to do to collect the money is answer the text with my social security number and bank account information. I’ll think about it. I could use the 18 million but Spirit Hat is invested in some pretty shady stuff. It makes me wonder, Libra, if there are always strings-attached. If every out-of-the-blue offer is too good to be true. Then I remember the time you texted and said you’d help me pull that giant tree branch out of my backyard and you came over and we moved the branch and ate donuts. You didn’t even ask for my routing number! Maybe we should send more texts like that and let the CEOs fend for themselves.

SCORPIO

I know, Scorpio. I saw it too. They’re bringing back your favorite hero! You were so distraught and inspired when they killed her off in that big climactic space-battle finale. You changed your bio to “Remember the Sky!” and got a wrist-tattoo of her iconic smiling-axe logo. You wrote a eulogy to post on the fan page and defended it from insincere trolls. And now she’s back! And it’s a little disappointing. They put you through all that just so they could write her back into the story for an obvious cash grab? I’ve got an idea, Scorpio. What if you make your new fandom yourself? Your heart was never for sale, you just let that franchise borrow it for a while. It taught you some things about love and grief and you can keep those, even if the new story isn’t very good. So remember the sky! And then remember yourself.

SAGITTA R IUS

It used to be that when I was having a day where nothing was going right in the middle of a week where everything was going wrong, I’d think something like, “This is just the part of the story where the hero gets knocked down. This just makes it all the better when the hero wins in the end!” And if that kind of thinking helps you out, Sagittarius, feel free to use it. But lately I think life just has all those parts. And it’s not really a story. The story is just how we try to make sense of it. These days when everything’s going wrong I just say “this is how it is right now.” It’s not as inspirational, but I think it’s true.

Mr. Mysterio is not a licensed astrologer, a trained microwave soup chef, or a certified pachyderm orthodontist. Want more? Visit mrmysterio.com Or just give him a call at 707-VHS-TAN1.

December 17 - 31, 2025 | The Contributor | NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE | PAGE 15

VENDOR WRITING

We Were Food Self Sufficient: An interview with Orlando BY FREEPRESSGMA, CONTRIBUTOR VENDOR

“When I was a young man in prison here we had cows and chickens and gardens. We could work in these places. Produced all our own food. Milk, eggs, butter, meat, vegetables, fruits. We were food self-sufficient doing a version of eco-conservation.” But Lamar Alexander put a stop to all that, didn’t he? “Yes, he did. But there was a lot of good in that program. People could work off their sentences much more quickly. There might’ve been some corruption, but there was also a lot more hope and interaction with the community as well as interaction with each other that was constructive. I came out of there a chef and I’ve been a chef my whole life since.” My friend Orlando lives in the same

apartment building as me. I can’t say we’re close, but we have had a few interesting conversations, the above being the most interesting. I now know that not only senior programs but the prisons and most food services that offer food to the poor or homeless are offering institutional food that was prepared in a giant factory. How can this possibly be sustainable? There must be someone getting a big payoff on the front end. Many times, people think, “We must do something.” This is something. Therefore we must do it. And then Iago comes along with the perfect solution. He and his friends can get rich off of our stupidity. What in the world does this factory

produced food actually accomplish besides making things more complex, more energy consumptive, and disempowering the people who are involved in whatever system it is? The seniors at the senior center continually complain about the food. It tends to be overcooked by the time it gets to us, and I must say if we had some people in the kitchen cooking for us, we could really have some great meals with simple food. There is even enough room in the parks to create a garden that would provide, at least fresh salads and fruits and vegetables. So how can we make things more local, simpler, and less energy consumptive? It would take our entire city of people to start looking at where the money goes. All that money that is spent on producing factory

Joke of the Issue

Utopia

FREEPRESSGMA, CONTRIBUTOR VENDOR Everyone is housed. Guaranteed. Everyone is fed. We live in a democratic union, not a republic. Senators are selected by the people from representatives that have done well. The suburbs are filled with gardens and places to work. There are no food deserts. Most of our food comes from the local produce. Manufacture all of our needs here. We have clean energy. We have clean air. Our public transportation rivals anywhere in the world and those beyond! Plastics are banned. A micro organism that eats plastic is released into important spaces like the ocean and rivers. Our descendants intermix freely. Not only do we live in a meritocracy, but those who are less able can find meaningful work or occupation. No one is required to work. Our banks give micro loans to everyone. Those who fail are lifted up by those who succeed. Banks must profit share. All corporations are owned by the people, and the profits are shared into the government coffer. I am relaxed, happy, and focused because I am not stressed about meeting my basic needs. Happiness and a flow of free ideas occurs naturally for the majority of people because they are engaged in meaningful work and satisfying play. Buildings are beautiful and ecological. The soil is being repaired faster than it was destroyed. Everyone has clean food and clean water — wild animals included. Weekly I miss my goal. I feel free to swim in any body of water, knowing that it is free of toxins. Millions of species return from the brink of extinction. People are trusted as autonomous beings who can make intelligent decisions. Therefore they do.

produced food for us could be spent paying people to do far more local production. There seems to be a dearth of decent jobs in this city that actually pay enough for people to be able to live here. I couldn’t. We have complexes where people both live and produce in the same exact area? People could have market gardens, goats, chickens. There could be a traditional clubhouse as well as a bar and some area where people can experiment with making useful products for their community. We could pay decent living wages. All this money merely needs to be redirected toward this purpose. Orlando said, “You really do tell it like it is, Gma!” What do you think? You can write to me at editorial@thecontributor.org.

S U B M I T T E D B Y H O W A R D P. , C O N T R I B U T O R V E N D O R

Two Irishmen walk into a pet shop in Dingle. They head straight to the bird section. Dermot nudges Pat and says, “Dat’s dem.”

The Into-Me-See (Intimacy) Game BY FREFOREVER, CONTRIBUTOR VENDOR

I See You: I see your pain, your purpose, your progress. I see your insecurity and uncertainty that creates a barrier between you and me. I see you in all your splendor and the fear that you will give me a glimpse at your heart, which is oh so tender. Sometimes, I see what you want me to see. Other times, I see the very things you try to hide from me. I see your potential and want to help you be all you were created to be. Don’t fret or be ashamed this is the nature of the Into-Me-See (Intimacy) Game. I see you for who you are. All the battle wounds that have been turned into your gold stars.

The shop owner comes over. “Can I help ye?” Dermot says, “Yeah, we’ll take four o’ dem budgies up dere.” The owner boxes the birds, they pay, and off they go — driving to the top of Connor Pass. When they reach the edge of the 1,000-foot drop, Dermot says, “Dis looks like a grand place.” He puts a budgie on each shoulder and jumps off the cliff. The budgies fly away. Dermot doesn’t. He hits the bottom — stone dead. Pat shakes his head: “Fook dat. Dis budgie jumpin’ is too feckin’ dangerous.” BUT WAIT! THERE’S MORE!

Then You See Me: You look at me and tell me what you see. What do you see when you look at me? You can tell me; I won’t be upset. I know that I am a work in progress, a diamond in the rough and that GOD is not done with me yet.

Moments later, Seamus shows up with a cardboard box and a shotgun. “Watch dis, Pat!” He frees a parrot then leaps off the cliff with the gun. Halfway down, he shoots the parrot, then continues plummeting until he smashes into the bottom. Pat sighs. “And I’m never tryin’ dat parrotshootin’ either.”

The beauty of this game is that it is an actual journey in which the object is to become better along the way, not stay the same.

STILL NOT DONE!

Unlike other games, if this game is played correctly, each player wins in the end.

Just as Pat’s recovering from losing two friends, Sean appears with a box and a chicken. Sean grabs the chicken by the legs and hurls himself off the cliff. Down he goes until he hits a rock and breaks his spine. Pat shakes his head once more. “Fook dat, lads. First Dermot with his budgie jumpin.

Describe what it feels like, how it is being lived, use your five senses.

Den Seamus with his parrotshootin’. And now Sean and his feckin’ hen-glidin’!!

December 17 -31, 2025 | The Contributor | NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE | PAGE 16

Over 75 Years of Combined Experience.

Where Trust Meets Results Our Team is Here for You 24/7.

406 11th Avenue North, Suite 200, Nashville, TN 37203 visit BartDurham.com • call 615.242.9000 December 17 - 31, 2025 | The Contributor | NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE | PAGE 17

ABBY R. RUBENFELD Attorney at Law

arubenfeldlaw.com

810 Dominican Drive, Suite 215 Nashville, Tennessee 37228 Telephone: (615) 386-9077 Facsimile: (615) 386-3897

December 17 -31, 2025 | The Contributor | NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE | PAGE 18

MOVING PICTURES

‘Jay Kelly’ sends George Clooney for a Sentimental Journey on Netflix BY JOE NOLAN, FILM CRITIC Noah Baumbach’s new Netflix picture Jay Kelly is a road movie that rambles across Europe, but also between past and present, cataloging the regrets of a man who seems to have everything. George Clooney plays an aging movie star confronting his professional and personal legacies during a spontaneous journey from Paris to Tuscany — he’s trying to reconnect with his Euro-tripping daughter while on his way to accept a lifetime achievement award in Italy. Despite decades of fame and success, Jay finds himself profoundly lonely, perpetually surrounded by his doting but exhausted entourage: devoted manager Ron Sukenick (Adam Sandler), a stylist (Emily Mortimer), a bodyguard-assistant, and publicist Laura Dern. Baumbach’s work is at its best when compelling characters are talking. In pictures like The Squid and the Whale, Greenberg, and Frances Ha, comedy, tragedy, and drama emerge from sharp dialogue delivered in grounded performances. Jay Kelly continues this tradition, proving funny, melancholy, tense, and even absurd as characters from different eras interact across the runtime of this movable feast. Clooney is reliably excellent here. He lends Jay all of his real-life movie star aura while also infusing the work’s introspective moments with an anxious, unsure energy that elevates this beyond mere self-portraiture. Sandler holds his own as Jay’s long-suffering manager, and Laura Dern is flawless as Jay’s publicist at the end of her rope. When Jay learns that Peter Schneider (Jim Broadbent), the director who gave him his first major break, has died, the news triggers a period of reflection. The director was Jay’s mentor, but their last interaction saw Jay reject Schneider’s request to back a career-reviving project. Jay is between movies and back home looking forward to spending time with his daughter (Grace Edwards). Characteristically inattentive to his daughter’s plans, Jay doesn’t realize she’s planning her own European vacation until she tells him she’s already packing. He impulsively chases after her, threatening to miss the first day of shooting on a new production he’s already committed to. Jay Kelly isn’t a holiday movie, but Baumbach deploys an A Christmas Carol device that finds Jay revisiting pivotal moments from his life. The conceit proves too self-conscious and sentimental, despite impressive technical execution. Baumbach and his team used in-camera special effects instead of digital trickery, allowing Clooney to literally walk from present-day scenes into the past without cuts or fades. Each flashback features younger Jay (Charlie Rowe) in various interactions with friends, mentors, and lovers. Viewers watch Jay watching his younger, ambitious, sometimes shallow and selfish self taking steps that built his career while estranging those closest to him. These glimpses of the past ultimately play as overlong distractions from the present-day road trip, where the characters’ camaraderie and conflicts feel immediate and real. Co-written by Baumbach and Mortimer, Jay Kelly examines a man who has performed the role of Movie Star so long he’s forgotten how to be himself — consistently choosing fame over being present as husband, father, and friend. The work has notable strengths and weaknesses, but Baumbach’s dia-

logue-forward, performance-driven cinema remains engaging, and the ensemble cast — including Billy Crudup, Riley Keough, and Greta Gerwig — delivers uniformly strong work. Fans of the director’s character studies will still find Jay Kelly rewarding.

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

Jay Kelly is streaming on Netflix

December 17 - 31, 2025 | The Contributor | NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE | PAGE 19