IN THE ISSUE
Moving Pictures
Vendors write
Companion is scary-fun company to keep. Watch it now on HBO Max (formerly MAX, formerly HBOMax).
We use one account for all vendors, so you must identify your vendor when using Venmo so we know where to send the payment. Here's how:
Use your phone camera and scan the code on this page or on the top left corner of the cover of this paper. You must have a Venmo account to send a payment. Type in the amount you wish to pay. The paper costs $2. Tips are welcomed. Vendors get all the money you send by the next business day.
Since The Contributor started in 2007, more than 3,200 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 expansion of our mission of removing obstacles to housing. We now offer full case management, assistance with housing 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 and their place in community.
SOAR Program Partners with Vandy, Park Center
At The Contributor, the SOAR (SSI/SSDI Outreach, Access, and Recovery) program has formed strategic partnerships with Vanderbilt Medical Center and Park Center to reach more individuals, ensuring they receive the assistance necessary to navigate the disability application process successfully.
(SOAR) is a nationally recognized program supported by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA). The program aims to improve access to disability income benefits provided by the Social Security Administration (SSA) for eligible adults and children who are experiencing or at risk of homelessness. SOAR specifically supports individuals with serious mental illness, medical impairments, and/or co-occurring substance use disorders, helping them to secure the critical financial resources they need to achieve stability and recovery.
At The Contributor, the program is led by Ree Cheers, who is supported by a dedicated team working to help individuals in need.
One of the most heartwarming success stories from this partnership comes from Andrew Terry, the SOAR Lead at The Contributor. Andrew, who is a Certified Peer Specialist and certified in Mental Health First Aid, has been instrumental in providing compassionate, hands-
on support to individuals experiencing crises.
This case started with a referral from Vanderbilt Medical Center's Emergency Room, where a patient, Mr. Smith, was in dire need of assistance.
When Mr. Smith was discharged from the hospital, Andrew met him on site and began triaging his most immediate needs. Andrew responded to Mr. Smith's personal set of needs, offering not only professional guidance but also the peer support that made all the difference. When meeting patients for the first time, Andrew provides a thorough screening to ensure they will be a good candidate for the SOAR program. Upon approval, a care package is provided, which includes clothing, socks, toothpaste, soap, deodorant, sanitary products, tents, water, Gatorade, several healthy snacks and first aid supplies. If needed, Andrew also assists with cell phone activation during the screening process. Mr. Smith received these essential items along with a mental health evaluation and a Social Security disability screening.
At the time, Mr. Smith and his partner Marcie were living in their car at a truck stop, where Marcie worked. Their situation took a turn for the worse when unforeseen circumstances forced them to give up their car and seek refuge with a friend. This temporary ar-
rangement came with its own set of challenges.
Marcie said: "We were walking on eggshells every day. It felt like we were just waiting for the other shoe to drop." True to their fears, the friend eventually asked them to leave, leaving the couple homeless once again.
Determined to help them reclaim stability, Andrew stepped in to offer support.
"When I started working with Mr. Smith, I focused on getting all of his vital documents in order," Andrew explained. "We were able to get his Social Security card, birth certificate, and ID. I helped him complete the MDHA housing application and worked with his doctor to ensure the disability verification form was completed and submitted. That's what got him on the housing interest list."
Mr. Smith's name was successfully added to the MDHA housing interest list — it was a moment of hope during an incredibly difficult time. Housing support is provided through the SOAR program during the disability application process, which can take three to six months based on eligibility. Mr. Smith was approved for a housing voucher, which required a thorough background check. Andrew was able to expedite this process in a timely manner, ensuring Mr. Smith had access to stable housing as he awaited his benefits.
Soon thereafter, Mr. Smith was excited to learn that his name had been pulled fairly quickly from a waiting list to receive permanent housing. He cites Andrew, now a trusted friend, as the reason he was able to gain access to these services.
"Andrew has supported me since day one,” he said.
Andrew was able to move Mr. Smith into his apartment with a move-in care package provided through donations and support from The Contributor. As Mr. Smith awaits approval for his disability benefits, Andrew has remained by his side, ensuring he continues to receive the care and support he requires.
“The partnership with Vanderbilt Medical, particularly the community-based medical care provided by Dr. Jennifer Hess and Dr. Chase Palish, has been magnificent,” said Ree Cheers. “They are not only providing hospital medical care but are also meeting people where they are in the community, ensuring continued follow-up and comprehensive support.”
Cheers notes that the partnership has helped enhance the quality of life of many people.
“This collaborative effort is changing lives and building a stronger community, one individual at a time,” Cheers said.
There is a new project at The Contributor called Unzine Nashville. The name is a play on the word “unseen” because people who are unhoused are often ignored, or, if seen, treated like a problem. This project gives vendors a way to share their own stories, in their own style, through self-published zines.
Zines have a long history from political pamphleteers to punk scenes to DIY creators telling stories outside the mainstream. They have always been about voice, choice, access, and doing it yourself.
With help from Stagger Press, Paul Collins, Melissa Willis, and others, several vendors have already made their first zines. Printed on 8.5x11 or 11x17 copy paper, they have included drawings, poems, stories, and even hand-lettered advice columns.
Earlier this month, Contributor vendors Lisa, Norma, and Wendell brought their zines to a local small press event at the Coop Gallery in the Wedgewood-Houston neighborhood. They sat alongside other zine creators, showed off their work, and made some money.
Unzine Nashville isn’t flashy. It’s personal, it’s local, and it’s growing. You may see these zines pop up at events, in our office, or on the sidewalk next to a vendor holding The Contributor. This is just the beginning.
Learn More About Peer Cities' Efforts to End Homelessness
Which cities are doing well when it comes to reducing homelessness? Some of that depends on the timeframe we look at and some of it on the specific outcomes we want to measure.
In reality, there are many promising programs in many cities across the nation. Nashville, for example, has some fundamental approaches in place, but struggles with putting these all together in a cohesive vision and strategy.
Let’s set the national stage first. Homelessness increased by 18 percent in the United States between 2023 and 2024 to an all-time high of 771,480 people experiencing homelessness. This happened during a time of large federal investments in COVID funds.
Political pressure has been high as encampments have increased in recent years across the nation with people who lost their housing during COVID due to income loss or with folks moving out of crowded shelters. More than the actual numbers of the federally required one-time count that happens across the nation each January, the more important thing to look at is trends over time.
According to national Point-in-Time (PIT) numbers, homelessness has been increasing since 2017 — after a consistent, albeit moderate, decline over the prior decade. During the first Trump administration, homelessness nationwide increased by 5.3 percent. In comparison, homelessness in Nashville decreased between 2017 and 2020 by 13.7 percent, a time when the community heavily focused on systems building.
When we talk about which cities are doing well, the following are mentioned frequently: Houston, Texas; Salt Lake City, Utah; Austin, Texas; Minneapolis-Hennepin
BY JUDITH TACKETT
County, Minnesota; Dallas, Texas; Milwaukee, Wisconsin; and Helsinki, Finland. (The last one is not in the U.S., we know.)
I still recommend looking at these cities, but, as mentioned earlier, before doing so, you should be clear what exactly you want to examine. Some of these cities are doing extremely well with specific populations. For example, Dallas has decreased unsheltered homelessness by 24 percent since 2021. When I looked up their PIT count total, which includes people living in shelters and outdoors, they reduced overall homelessness by 18.6 percent during that time period.
New Orleans, on the other hand, has reduced outdoor homelessness between 2023 and 2024 by 12 percent, but overall homelessness increased by 4.6 percent during that time. The outdoor homelessness numbers depend heavily on whether cities have opened overnight warming shelters during the night of the homeless count. Those people are then counted as “sheltered,” even though the next night they may be back sleeping outdoors.
Houston has built a strong, housing-first oriented system and has been the poster child for years when it comes to decreasing homelessness numbers long-term. Between 2011 and 2024, it reduced homelessness by 61.3 percent, from 8,471 people staying in shelters and outdoors during the 2011 PIT count to 3,280 people during the 2024 PIT Count. But between 2022 and 2024, even Houston saw an increase of 5 percent.
When we want to see how a city is doing overall, we should look at the overall rate of homelessness of a city and the trend over time. When we zoom in on special populations like individuals experiencing chronic
homelessness, veterans, youth, or those who specifically sleep outdoors or in encampments, we often detect drastic decreases in one population while others are on the rise. That can occur as investments of resources shift from one population to another.
Effective cities usually take a balanced approach that focuses on moving people from all populations to permanent housing as quickly as possible with the right support services attached. This includes addressing the low-income housing supply needs in a community.
Effective cities also pay attention to preventing homelessness to begin with, and keeping people housed long-term. While this seems a no-brainer, it is hard to do as the homelessness system has to figure out a way to improve coordination across different systems like housing, healthcare, criminal justice, education, etc. to develop an upstream approach. Santa Clara County, for example, has developed a prevention model other cities are looking at that offers rent assistance and eviction prevention to keep people in housing.
Helsinki, Finland, has been in the news a lot about practically ending homelessness by building housing and investing in the needed support services. In years past, the same went for Salt Lake City, Utah, which 10 years ago saw stark reductions in chronic homelessness after heavily investing in permanent supportive housing. Since then, however, glowing reviews have dried up: once the special focus on building more supportive housing slowed down, Salt Lake's overall homelessness began climb, increasing by 14.7 percent between 2022 and 2025. Even Helsinki is starting to see the effects
of a conservative government that is easing away from their Housing First approach.
I looked through data for about 50 midto larger-sized cities across the nation to see if I could find any that had been able to decrease homelessness between 2022 and 2024, in the aftermath of COVID when federal dollars were still available. This was also a time when cities like Nashville shifted their resources to close down encampments and move people indoors quickly. This works well for cities that have an effective, housing-oriented system in place and invest in the needed services to keep people permanently housed.
For cities like Nashville that focus heavily on temporary housing where people then linger for up to a year, the homelessness numbers did not improve much, if at all. Here are the cities that I found have been able to reduce homelessness between 2022 and 2024 (in alphabetical order):
• Austin, Texas -5.8 percent
• Chattanooga, Tenn. -71.3 percent
• Cincinnati, Ohio -4.6 percent
• Colorado Springs, Colo. -18.5 percent
• Dallas, Texas -3.8 percent
• Durham, N.C. -11.8 percent
• Knoxville, Tenn. -23.7 percent
• Memphis, Tenn. -25.7 percent
• Raleigh, N.C. -39.9 percent
• Wichita, Kan. -zero percent
In comparison, Nashville has seen a 9.3 percent increase, which is interesting when looking at the trends in the other major Tennessee cities. I examined whether other cities may have simply shipped their folks across the state to Nashville, but then the actual numbers would likely be even higher than they are.
We requested the PIT count numbers for 2025 to see if the recent federal investments in staffing and services to close local encampments has made a difference over the past year, but the numbers were not yet available at press time.
In March, representatives from Austin, Texas, spoke to the Metro Council’s Public Health and Safety Committee about their approach to homelessness. Austin is an interesting city and is considered a peer city to Nashville. While their PIT Count numbers have decreased, they did not conduct a separate outdoor count either in 2022 or in 2024.
The federal government requires shelter counts on an annual basis and outdoor counts every two years. If cities choose to only do a shelter count, they add the prior year’s outdoor count to the overall homelessness numbers. Thus, outdoor numbers may be outdated.
The following are some of the highlights from the Austin presentation, which can be viewed online at https:// www.youtube.com/watch?v=qwEkg2ixNKU&t=3s:
• Austin’s permanent supportive housing strategy requires investments in capital projects, comprehensive wraparound services, and rental assistance.
• Dollars for capital projects come from the Housing Department of the City of Austin and Travis County.
• Dollars for wraparound services are from the City of Austin’s Homeless Strategy Office.
• Rental subsidies are either funded through the voucher program of the Housing Authority of the City of Austin, or through the City of Austin’s Housing Department, which created its own local voucher program. (A similar local rental assistance plan for Nashville was presented in 2018 to the Barry administration but was not further pursued as public transit was the top priority back then).
• Austin currently has 480 permanent supportive housing units in operation and anticipates 338 units to open in 2025 and 527 additional units to come on board in 2026.
• The total of 1,345 units the City of Austin invested in represent $122.5 million in gap financing provided by the City of Austin.
• The City of Austin has worked since 2020/2021 to develop these new permanent supportive housing projects.
• Travis County, which is where the City of Austin is located, also invested $115 million in ARPA funds for the development of permanent supportive housing. (The online presentation breaks down more details about the funding
sources).
• The City of Austin also adjusted policy to be able to provide public land, tax exemptions, permit fee waivers, and an expedited permit review process, to support the creation of more permanent supportive housing units.
• Austin invests $4 million per year to fund 374 local housing vouchers at seven projects (three of which are currently in operation). The $4 million stems from the Housing Trust Fund, which in turn is funded through property taxes from properties that were formerly publicly owned and through a Downtown density bonus program.
When we shift to looking at Indianapolis, while there was a slight decrease since 2022, city leaders are not happy with the progress made. Indianapolis set a goal to end homelessness by 2023. To do so, it outlined the development of about 220 units of permanent supportive housing per year, which has not happened.
The Indianapolis plan relied heavily on a federal funding source called the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC) program. With COVID interrupting supply chains, which increased construction costs, the complicated financing of low-income housing units has become even more complex.
Cities do well to learn from increased local investments and designated funds to develop more permanent supportive housing, rather than rely solely on the more established LIHTC program.
Chattanooga has been praised as a national example. Their strategy is based on a comprehensive approach that includes a focus on providing housing, eviction prevention by providing local rental assistance, and collaboration among service providers who focus on the populations they are specialized in serving. Understanding which funding sources serve what vulnerable subpopulations is another key to their successful strategy.
However, even cities like Chattanooga remain vulnerable. Ultimately, the homelessness sector is limited in what I can do without fixing other systems including the housing and health care sectors. Without reducing the inflow, cities across the nation will continue to see increases in homelessness.
The solution, in the present federal economic climate, lies in investing more local funding in strategic ways. Nashville, as a city, needs a clear blueprint that outlines how city dollars will be invested to stem the inflow and increase the outflow of people experiencing a housing crisis. This will allow for honest and transparent conversation across the community and create more accountability in how city leaders intend to stem the coming tide.
Written by Chris Scott Fieselman, Vendor #0015
When those folk who know me, And say they can “C”
Recite what I write - To shed some light - On somebody. Someone will be left dumfounded-a-wondering how?
The words they just heard? Just, came out of their mouth?
It almost sounded just like a song.
Like it was meant to be?
Sung - That way - All along. The script has been written and I’m right there with them,
To make sure they don’t get it wrong. Are you sure? Are you sure? Are you sure? You’re just a small part of “The Contributor”
Transgression Recite? Speak Tenderly
Written by Chris Scott Fieselman, Vendor #0015
When you’re hurt and discouraged, By the words of another, And you didn’t deserve, Them getting on your last nerve. Don’t let it bring you down. Let forgiveness and peace be found. Don’t look for revenge. Leave it all in God’s hands.
Let it go... Let it roll...
Don’t let it... Take control...
Let it slide... Walk on by... From the ashes you will rise...
Sometimes people say stuff, They really don’t mean. It might not be you. It’s a whole bunch of things. The proverbial straw, That broke the camel’s back. Couldn’t take anymore, And it’s you they attack.
Let it go... Let it roll...
Don’t let it... Take control... Let it slide... Walk on by... From the ashes you will rise...
Don’t let the bitterness, Poison your heart.
Don’t let the anger, Towards them, Tear you apart. Forgive and Forget, It’s a hard thing to do. If you don’t then you let it, Get the better of you.
Let it go... Let it roll...
Don’t let it... Take control...
Let it slide... Walk on by... From the ashes you will rise...
Written by Chris Scott Fieselman, Vendor #0015
Well, I know where you’ve been, And where you’re coming from.
The trouble that you were in, And the things that you have done. But I don’t hold it against you. You know that “I Love You” still. My Love will keep on shining through, And you know it always will.
Speak... Tenderly... To My Love...
Tell her what I’m thinking...
Tell her what I’m thinking of...
Speak... Tenderly... To My Love...
Tell her I know what she’s been through... And she’s been through enough... And Speak Tenderly to my Love...
Now, I know sometimes you fail, And don’t see things my way. But I also know, that you’re very frail, And easily led astray.
But I’ll be there beside you, If ever you should call. My Love will be there to guide you.
I’ll pick you up if you should fall...
I’ll help you through it all... Well, I’ll be there tomorrow, Like I’ve been there today.
I feel your pain and sorrow, When things don’t go your way.
But through the good and bad times, Just keep your eyes on me.
And in the end... Someday you’ll find...
I’ll bring you home you’ll see...
Speak... Tenderly... To My Love...
Tell her what I’m thinking...
Tell her what I’m thinking of...
Speak... Tenderly... To My Love...
Tell her I know what she’s been through...
And she’s been through enough...
And Speak Tenderly to my Love...
THEME: THE 1950S
ACROSS
1. Deals a death blow
5. Large edible mushroom
8. Food safety agency, acr. 11. Auditioner's hope
12. Closing act
13. *Julius and Ethel Rosenberg, supposedly 15. Corset rod
16. Therefore
17. *"Lord of the Flies" shell
18. *Ed of TV
20. Sty sound
21. Pillow filler
22. Gastrointestinal tract
23. *Pooch on a 1950s skirt
26. Most cautious
30. Go wrong
31. Camels' relatives
34. Lake north of Cleveland
35. Wide open
37. Kind of conifer
38. Spectrum maker
39. Better than never
40. Portable stairs
42. Headdress
43. Tennis shoe
45. Triage nurse's measurements
47. Old horse
48. Film director Sergio
50. Band's work-related trip
52. *Slicked men's hairstyle
55. Does like a hot dog
56. Rod for a hot rod
57. Winter forecast
59. Be
60. Measurement, abbr.
61. U2 guitarist
62. *Clearasil target
63. Ballpark fig.
64. Wine choice
DOWN
1. Roman goddess of fertility
2. *Domino's nickname
3. German Mrs. 4. Coiffed
5. Turn pumpkin into Jack-o-Lantern
6. "Pomp and Circumstance" composer
7. Low-ranking worker
8. Certain Scandinavian
9. 52 cards
10. Fireplace mess
12. Beer mug
13. Use elbow grease
14. *First Black nominee of Oscar for Best Actor
19. City in Northern France
22. Neon or radon, e.g.
23. Church bell sounds
24. Liturgy instrument
25. Speak like Pericles
26. *June Cleaver's husband
27. "Fear of Flying" author
Jong
28. Type of rug
29. Christmas help, pl.
32. Way, way off
33. *___-Century Modern
36. *Charles Schulz creation
38. Newspapers and such
40. Chicken order
41. Calls forth
44. Eroded limestone landscape
46. Movie trailer, e.g.
48. Lumen per square meter, pl.
49. "Bravo! Bravo!", e.g.
50. Yellow ride
51. The Fonz: "Sit ____ ____!"
52. Female equivalent of sir
53. ____-European language
54. Fireplace fodder
55. *Candy in dispenser
58. Itsy-bitsy
“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.
Año 23 - No. 414
ANTES”
Prepárate: Herramientas para Proteger tu Negocio ante Investigaciones Migratorias
E n m e d i o d e u n aumento visible en l o s o p e r at ivo s m i g r at o r i o s e n
Te n n e s s e e , e l
D e p a r t a m e n t o d e Se guridad Nacional ( D H S ) c o n f i r m ó q u e 1 9 6 p e r s o n a s f u e r o n a r r e s t a d a s por Inmig ración y Control de Aduanas (ICE) en el condado d e D av i d s o n durante un operativo coordinado con la Patr ulla de Caminos de Tennessee (THP) La operación incluyó casi 600 paradas de tráfico, principalmente en áreas con alta población latina
D e l o s a r r e s t a d o s , 9 5 t e n í a n antecedentes o cargos pendientes, y 31 habían reing resado ile galmente al país tras una de por tación previa, lo que constituye un delito federal
Este clima de tensión ha generado preocupación en la comunidad Pequeños negocios en el sur de Nashville donde se concentraron muchas de estas acciones repor tan una caída drástica en ventas, ya que muchos clientes han optado por limitar sus salidas para evitar quedar atrapados en situaciones que puedan inter r umpir sus planes cotidianos de compras, cenas o desplazamientos, así como retrasar su reg reso a casa o afectar su r utina diaria
Ante esta realidad, la Cámara de Comercio Hispana del Área de Nashville (NAHCC), junto con organizaciones nacionales aliadas, está respondiendo con un prog rama urgente y esencial:“Her ramientas para Prote ger tu Ne gocio: Pre pár ate ante Investigaciones Migratorias.
Este esfuerzo ofrece recursos g ratuitos para que los pequeños empresarios y sus empleados puedan pre pararse de
Yur Cunza / La Noticia Newspaper Nashvi le
for ma le gal, financiera y operativa ante auditorías mig ratorias, inspecciones del I-9, redadas o cualquier acción que pueda poner en riesgo la estabilidad de su ne gocio
1. Pre paración Le gal y Cumplimiento Re gulatorio
Uno de los documentos más importantes que todo empresario debe tener es un Poder Legal (Power of Attor ney –POA) Este per mite designar a una persona de confianza que pueda actuar en su nombre si el dueño del negocio no puede hacerlo, ya sea por una detención, emergencia mig ratoria o investigación oficial
Tener un POA no significa que esperas lo peor; significa que estás preparado para proteger tus bienes Los recursos disp onibles incluyen plantillas g ratuitas de POA diseñadas especialmente para empresarios inmig rantes Estas permiten que un re presentante maneje cuentas, fir me contratos y mantenga la continuidad operativa
Además, se brinda orientación sobre cómo actuar ante auditorías del for mulario I-9, car tas de “No Match” del
Conoce tus derechos:
¿Que hacer en caso de una redada?
Mantenerse callado
Sólo dar nombre y apellido
No mentir
Nunca acepte/lleve documentos falsos
No revelar su situación migratoria
No llevar documentación de otro país
En caso de ser arrestado, mostrar la Tarjeta
Miranda sados en la Quinta Enmienda de la Constitución, derechos de guardar silencio y contar con un ogado fueron denominados Derechos Miranda go de la decisión de la Suprema Corte de Justicia Estados Unidos en el caso Miranda vs Arizona, 4 U S 436, de 1966
Seguro Social, y visitas de ICE Saber qué documentación mantener actualizada y cómo capacit ar al equipo puede ser la diferencia entre una crisis controlada o el cier re temporal del negocio
2. Apoyo Financiero y Protección de Activos
Muchos empresarios inmigrantes son los únicos fir mantes autorizados en sus cuentas bancarias Si son detenidos o investigados, esto puede paralizar las operaciones Entre las recomendaciones del programa destacan:
• Ag re gar un co-fir mante o persona autorizada a las c uentas del ne gocio
• Establecer una estr uctura le gal, como u n a L L C , p a r a s e p a r a r y p r o t e ge r bienes personales
• Abrir cuentas en bancos que ace pten ITIN, mejorando el acceso a ser vicios financieros
Disponemos de guías y plantillas para estructurar de forma segura las finanzas del negocio, proteger activos y asegurar el acceso a recursos en cualquier circunstancia
3 Preparación Operativa: Empleados y Comunidad
El temor que generan los operativos
también impacta a los empleados Por eso, la preparación inter na es clave
Se recomienda desar rollar un plan de continuidad operativa, que debe incluir:
• Lista de contactos de emergencia y re presentante le gal
• Contraseñas y accesos clave
• Documentación esencial: licencias, contratos, re gistros bancarios
• Protocolos sobre cómo actuar ante una redada o auditoría
Dispo nemos de plantillas y materiales para capacitar al personal en sus derechos y reponsabilidades y cómo responder ante la presencia de ICE en el lugar de trabajo Tener este conocimiento empodera a los dueños y a sus empleados No es cuestión de miedo, es cuestión de preparación
Un Llamado a la Acción: Los operativos recientes han demostrado que c u a l q u i e r n e go c i o, s i n i m p o r t a r s u t a m a ñ o, p u e d e ve r s e a f e c t a d o
Pre pararse no es opcional es fundam e n t a l “ P ro t e ge r t u n e go c i o e s prote ger tu esfuerzo, tu familia y tu comunidad,” afir ma Yuri Cunza, presidente de la NAHCC “Queremos que cada empresario sepa que hay h e rra m i e n t a s c o n c re t a s p a ra enfrentar estos tiempos difíciles ”
La NAHCC ofrece a los empresarios, y a sus miembros, acceso g ratuito a plantillas de POA, guías le gales, recursos financieros y talleres educativos
✅ Lista de Preparación Empresarial:
• Poder Le gal actualizado
• Persona autorizada en cuentas bancarias
• Plan de continuidad operativa
• Empleados capacitados ante redadas o auditorías
• Documentación organizada y se gura
Infór mate y prote ge tu ne gocio en: www nashvillehispanicchamber com
Envíenos sus sugerencias por e-mail: news@hispanicpaper com ó 615-582-3757
Por Yuri Cunza Editor in Chief @LaNoticiaNe ws
Nashville, Tennessee
“DONDE OCURREN LOS HECHOS QUE IMPORTAN, SIEMPRE PRIMERO
“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.
m
Tennessee, the U S D
Homeland Security
( D H S ) c o n
t h at 1 9 6 i n d
duals were ar rested by I
Enforcement (ICE)
i n D av i d
o n County during a coordinated operation with the Tennessee Highway Patrol (THP) The operation involved nearly 600 traffic stops, primarily in areas with large Latino populations
Of those ar rested, 95 had prior convictions or pending charges, and 31 had previously been de por ted and reentered the U S ille gally, which constitutes a federal offense
This climate of heightened enforcement has caused concer n across the community Small businesses in South Nashville where much of this activity took place re por t a shar p decline in sales, as many customers are choosing to limit outings to avoid getting caught in situations that could disr upt their daily routines, delay their retur n home, or interfere with shopping, dining, or nor mal transpor tation plans
I n r e s p o n s e , t h e N a s h v i l l e A
H
(NAHCC), along with national par tner organizations, has launched an urgent a n d e s s e n t i a l r e s o u
" To
l s t o Protect Your Business: Be Pre pared for Immig ration Investigations”
This initiative offers free resources to help small business owners and their employees pre pare le gally, financially, and operationally for potential immig ration audits, I-9 inspections, workplace raids, or any action that could threaten business stability
1 Le gal Pre paredness and Compliance
One of the most impor tant le gal documents ever y business owner should have is a Power of Attor ney (POA) This allows you to designate a tr usted individual to act on your behalf if you are unable to do so due to detention, immig ration proceedings, or other official investigations
Having a POA doesn’t mean e xpecting the wor st it means being ready to protect your business and assets
2 F i n a n c i a l P r o t e c t i o n a n d A s s e t Management
M a n y i m m i g r a n t b u s i n e s s ow n e r s a r e t h e s o l e a u t h o r i z e d s i g n e r s o n
t h e i r b u s i n e s s b a n k a c c o u n t s I f
t h e y a r e d e t a i n e d o r i nve s t i g a t e d ,
o p e r a t i o n s m ay c o m e t o a h a l t
General recommendations:
• A d d i n g a c o - s i g n e r o r a u t h o r i z e d p e r s o n t o b u s i n e s s a c c o u n t s • Fo r m i n g a l e g a l s t r u c t u r e , s u c h a s
a n L L C , t o s e p a r a t e a n d p r o t e c t p e r -
s o n a l a s s e t s • O p e n i n g a c c o u n t s w i t h b a n k s t h a t a c c e p t I T I N s , i m p r ov i n g a c c e s s t o f i n a n c i a l s e r v i c e s B u s i n e s s ow n e r s a l s o h ave a c c e s s t o f r e e g u i d e s a n d t e m p l at e s t o s e c u r e ly
o r g a n i z e bu s i n e s s f i n a n c e s , p r o t e c t
a s s e t s , a n d e n s u r e a c c e s s t o e s s e n t i a l
r e s o u r c e s u n d e r a ny c i r c u m s t a n c e s
3 Operational Readines Employees and Community
b e t w e e n n av i g a t i n g a c r i s i s a n d f ac i n g a bu s i n e s s s h u t d ow n
T he fear generated by enforcement operations also impacts employees and daily operations Internal preparedness is essential
Business owner s are encouraged to develop a continuity plan that includes:
• Emergency contact list and designated le gal re presentative
• Passwor ds and secure access to financial and operational accounts
• Copies of essential documents such as licenses, contracts, and bank recor ds
• Clear protocols for how to respond to a workplace audit or raid T h e
A Call to Action: Recent operations have shown that any business regardless of size can be affected Being prepared is not optional it’s essential
“Protecting your business means protecting your hard work, your family, and your community,” says Yuri Cunza, President of the NAHCC “We want ever y entrepreneur to know there are concrete tools available to face these difficult times ”
The NAHCC provides its members and the wider business community with free access to POA templates, le gal guides, financial resources, and educational workshops
✅
✅ Business Pre paredness Checklist:
• Updated Power of Attor ney
• Authoriz ed person on business bank accounts
• Business continuity plan
• Staff trained for audits or enforcement actions
• Organiz ed and secure documentation
���� Learn more and protect your business at: www.nashvillehispanicchamber.com
Email your suggestions to: news@hispanicpaper com or call 615-582-3757
By Yuri Cunza Editor in Chief
@LaNoticiaNe ws
In early May, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) arrested 196 people in Nashville during an operation with the Tennessee Highway Patrol where they stopped almost 600 people in areas of Nashville with heavy Latino populations. In the week after, community members gathered all over town, from Metro Council chambers to the streets, to protest the lack of
process for these people. PHOTOS BY ALVINE
Belonging and Becoming in the Borderlands
By Lindsey Longoria
My grandfather, mi abuelo, was born in Los Indios, Texas (or Mexico, depending on who you ask). Named Wenceslao Longoria, his name did not fit comfortably in the mouths of his fellow soldiers when he joined the United States Army with a potentially forged birth certificate in hand. He remodeled himself — becoming Vince, then Vinny, and finally, David.
Decades later, after serving two terms in the Vietnam War so his younger brother, Fernando, would not have to go, he was left with the failing hearing common to a generation of veterans, and the emotional scars to match. He is now a dual citizen (by location, not legally). Living primarily in Heroica Matamoros, Mexico, he travels across the Gateway Bridge into Brownsville, Texas once a month to pick up a disability check from Veteran Affairs and a paycheck for any side gigs he has worked in town. In the process, he endures questions of belonging and birthplace from border patrol agents tasked with defending the country from foreign invaders.
They say, “Los Indios didn’t have a hospital in 1941. Where were you really born?”
To which he replies, “To be honest, I was there, but I don’t remember much of the experience.”
Because sometimes we mask our pain and our fear with humor. And because he can speak both Spanish and English and is funny as all hell in both. They let him through, but not without warning him that border patrol agents stop cars of folks who “look like him” miles into the United States
— the country that stole his hearing and now wants to pretend he does not deserve recognition nor compensation for it. I cannot help but notice the irony in his move to a town literally named “heroic” in order to escape this constant harassment, while the same Americans asking him if he really belongs set off fireworks on federal holidays designed to commemorate veterans.
Feminist Chicana scholar Gloria Anzaldúa speaks about the border as an open wound, una herida abierta . One “where the Third World grates against the first and bleeds. And before a scab forms it hemorrhages again.” The toll taken on by migrants, Mexican natives, Mexican Americans, and legal residents is often a fatal one, because there is seemingly no way to stop the bleeding. Or because they bear a socio-political mark reading “Do Not Resuscitate” on their holy tan skin.
Sometimes the toll taken looks like crumbling beneath the weight of going unrecognized as a whole person who can and does belong/become in the fractured borderlands and has the birth certificate or residential papers to prove it. Other times, it parades as “routine and procedural” rather than dehumanizing and traumatizing.
It shows up as traffic stops planned in collaboration with local police and Immigration and Customs Enforcement where families are detained on their way home from church, soccer practice and medical appointments. While this action is prohibited by the Fourth Amendment to the United States Constitution which “protects Amer-
icans from random and arbitrary stops and searches,” Border Patrol agents routinely ignore or misunderstand the limits of their legal authority in the course of individual stops, resulting in violations of the constitutional rights of innocent people. Sometimes it is more overtly gruesome. Sometimes it looks like the U.S. border enforcement policy of “Prevention through Deterrence,” where Americans turn away as throngs of refugees and migrants die trying to cross the Sonoran Desert in Arizona. They are watched by surveillance, but never rescued, and they perish in the sun beneath the altars constructed to the infant Christ and the Virgin of Guadalupe. Their prayers are swallowed by the desert’s vast expanses just as their rosaries were lost in bags upon bags of detainee “contraband.” With last breaths they cry,
“O Virgin of Guadalupe, Mother of the Americas, grant to our homes the grace of loving and respecting life….”
Dear Mother of the Americas. Dear God of the Universe. Whose life is sacred? Whose wounds are to be healed? Who has the right to call this place home?
These Latinx children of God, mi familia , deserve to be recognized, not for what they allegedly detract from this stolen land, but for who they are in the face of all this place’s broken promises and theo-political weapons. The work of resistance when it comes to this ever-present threat to our
neighbors is situated in the wounding spaces — in solidarity with those whose lives have become politicized, policed and perishable. By bearing witness with our bodies, voices and actions, we aim to highlight and center the hopes, dreams, and lives of those who belong and become here.
These martyred border crossers, these “law breakers,” these parents and siblings and children, were already in and far too often taken from the Bible Belt of the “Promised Land.” Even those who do perform the Herculean task of crossing far enough into the U.S. to be detained by border patrol or ICE agents are thrust once again into the mouth of the beast — for their very survival is deemed “illegal.” They are thrown back to the otherworldly terrain that is the Sonoran Desert because apparently that is where “aliens'' belong.
In these border places — every mile of them — and in the face of these deadly border enforcement policies, in every threat to our neighbors, in every illegitimate stop and search, my family has learned to not only survive, but to build a whole life. It is this thriving which inspires my own continued acts of love and resistance. And it is my fear, anger and hope that I share with you. May those of you who can stand up for and with your neighbors. And for our neighbors being targeted by these unjust actions and policies, may this be a salve for the wounds caused by anyone who dares to question your personhood, your wantedness or your belonging. We see you. We love you. Estamos aquí para ti.
PHOTO BY ALVINE
After a 15-year stint at the Oasis Center, Mark Dunkerley will step down as President and Chief Executive Officer on June 30.
He had started with Oasis Center as a street outreach volunteer, was hired on as their director of development, and moved through the ranks as vice president of development, chief strategy officer, and became President and CEO in 2021.
As Dunkerley describes it, Oasis Center is “the place in town where families, teenagers and young adults turn in their time of crisis.”
“We have 20 different programs and serve a wide variety of the needs of the most marginalized youth in our city and try to provide them dignity and community, so that they feel connected and hopeful for the future,” he added.
Dunkerly is taking some time to recharge, and then he’s looking at a couple of things he might pursue.
How did you first learn about and get involved in the Oasis Center, and what was it that made this organization so attractive to you?
I was starting a beer company called Jubilee that was going to give half of its profit to a charity. A friend of mine from high school was working at the Oasis Center at the time. I had just moved into town, and I didn't really know the landscape of Nashville nonprofits at that point. So, I just asked if I could come down and learn about Oasis and pick his brain about what organizations might be good to reach out to, to see about being a beneficiary of the beer business.
It was 2009. Oasis had just opened its doors of the Youth Opportunity Center, and I was amazed at the space. I had never been at a nonprofit that created a place where youth could feel good and wanted to be. You could tell; they were very intentional about that.
But really it was the people. The people and the work. I got to know a lot of people in the organization. I was just really blown away by the breadth of services Oasis did and their approach of how they went about working with young people — viewing them as stakeholders, valuing their voice, and having kind of an entrepreneurial approach to the work.
I just fell in love with the place, and then I started volunteering doing street outreach shortly after that. That’s when I really understood the importance of the work that Oasis and so many organizations around town do, this interacting with young adults that were living on the street and hearing what they said about Oasis.
I’ll always remember there was this one young person who was really the first young person who spoke to me. He came up to me and said he was struggling, he was bipolar, and he was off his medications. He also suffered, as so many young people do, from addiction. He said he was so lonely and [had
Q&A with Mark Dunkerley
BY JUDITH TACKETT
been] crying all through the night. And he didn’t want to but just started drinking to numb the pain and found himself walking the streets of Nashville. He was not sure how it happened, but he woke up on the steps of Oasis. Somewhere in him he knew that we would be in a place that would take care of him in the morning.
That’s always stuck with me. That was probably the turning point for me where I was like, “OK, this is an organization that I really admire, and I’d like to spend even more time with.”
Shortly thereafter, I was hired on full time to do development work.
Oasis Center has always been seen as the main youth homelessness provider in town, even though, as far back as 2016, homelessness programs were a rather small portion of your budget. Why do you think that is?
Some of it depends on the audience and what they’re looking at. But the city, as you know, at the time, we were the only people doing anything related to youth and young adult homelessness. The issue of youth homelessness is not one that a lot of people thought about until really you and I started the Key Action Plan (in 2016).
I think that’s part of it. Oasis Center was thought of as the teen/young adult solution in the homelessness world. At the time, I think there were not a lot of options.
For the last 30 something years, Oasis had a heavy youth-voice side in our work and heavy engagement in the community for young folks who were still sometimes at the margin of society but not necessarily homeless.
There are just so many different things that Oasis provides. And when people take a tour, they are always surprised at how
many different things we do.
How does Oasis Center define youth homelessness?
What we usually use is, “If you don’t have a key to your own place.” That’s our loose definition of homelessness. If you don’t have your own key, we consider you sitting in that category of experiencing homelessness.
How has youth homelessness changed over the past 15 years?
I think youth homelessness has changed from a couple of lenses. One is, as Nashville has gotten bigger, the problem has gotten larger. As great as a city as we are in many aspects, we are not immune from the realities of growth. As rents have increased dramatically, it’s become harder and harder, for young adults especially, to be able to afford a place to live in Nashville.
We’ve definitely seen a lot of growth in Nashville’s homeless young adult population. Part of that is the city’s growth, and a part of that I think we’ve been more intentional since the early Key Action Plan days of acknowledging and looking at young adult homelessness.
I think the third piece is when the city got the YHDP (Youth Homelessness Demonstration Project) grant, it gave us more resources to actually do things, which I think that brings more people out. If there are no resources, there is no reason for people to stand up and be counted or to come to our door necessarily. But once there are resources there, you start to see the larger picture, which is that young people are experiencing homelessness in our city — much more than most people would think because they really still are the invisible people in the homelessness sector.
What are the dangers if our country, our state, and our city do not get a handle on youth homelessness?
I think there is a short-term and a long-term [perspective]. With any time of preventative work, which I would say, the earlier you start something the better your chances of success are.
If services for young adults and youth go away right now, today’s young people who are experiencing homelessness will be tomorrow’s chronic adults.
I think there is a very real risk of longterm overall numbers of Nashvillians experiencing homelessness going up. I think that is the long-term reality. I don't think there is any scenario where that doesn’t happen.
Then I think in the short-term you’re going to have a lot of young adults who are currently being housed through Rapid Rehousing or through family reunification efforts, you’re going to have several hundred young adults a year move back out onto the streets.
Rapid Rehousing is a time-limited intervention that cities tend to invest in heavily. Do you think that’s enough or are we lacking in permanent supportive housing for youth and young adults?
There is definitely a need for more permanent supportive housing for young people.
What is needed to truly make a difference in ending homelessness for young people?
The first thing continues to be awareness that this is an issue. I feel like within the CoC (Continuum of Care) and the service provider community it is now acknowledged much more than it was six to eight years ago. But I think the broader Nashville community probably still does not think [of youth and young adults when they think about homelessness].
So, number one, continue awareness. Number two, we’re having success with the YHDP funds. It would be great to build upon that and layer additional funding into permanent supportive housing [and] into a permanent shelter-type situation.
What are your parting words to other nonprofit CEOs and executive directors, especially in an environment where they are facing drastic budget cuts?
It’s a combination of a) hang in there, but b) lean into each other.
We did some pretty important work without federal funding before as a community, at least as it relates to youth homelessness. There may be an opportunity for us to lean into it together, collaborate more, and see what we can make happen. It’s easier to be siloed when you have some funding, so you don’t need to get creative. But that would be kind of my dual approach.
Welcoming Pope Leo XIV
Habemus Papum.
These Latin words have been intoned from the Central Balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica for centuries, announcing the election of a new Pope. The words mean, “We have a Pope.”
In the case of the election of Cardinal Robert Prevost, a native of Chicago’s South Side, we Americans have a Pope.
In 1978 when Karol Wytola was elected, John Paul II it was the first non-Italian Pope in 455 years.
This election of His Holiness Pope Leo XIV is quite a different “first” in Papal elections. It had been an unwritten
BY CHUCK C., CONTRIBUTOR VENDOR
rule that no Cardinal from either prevailing world powers either the USA or Russia would be elected Pope because of the potential political implications.
This rule was broken on May 8, 2025 with Leo XIV’s election. It will be a huge boost of renewal in the American Catholic Church, I believe, and from Chicago America’s heartland a big winner I think.
Those who know Pope Leo XIV from his days as an Augustinian missionary in Peru say Cardinal Prevost is not afraid to state his views on issue’s and will defend the ideas and values he
believes in to the bitter end. I personally am full of hope that Pope Leo will take time to see that there is a great deal of healing that needs to be done in the American Church and the Holy Father should lead the charge to reverse the past issues that have affected so many.
Being from Chicago’s South side, Pope Leo has already been seen autographing a baseball for a journalist and asking in English, “Cubs or White Sox?”
Catholic or not, we should all welcome Pope Leo and look forward to an American visit.
“VIVA IL PAPA”
Why Do People Stop For Contributor Vendors?
I’ve heard many people say that those who stop to buy a paper don’t REALLY care about the vendors they support, they’re only doing it because they feel sorry for us.
That may be true in some cases but DEFINITELY not all!
Recently as I sat at my spot trying to get myself together, a young man pulled into the parking lot, got out of his truck, walked over to me and said, “Ms. Norma I don’t know what’s going on with you, and I don’t need to know, it’s none of my business. What I DO know is you haven’t been yourself lately and whatever it is has been going on for a while. Since I don’t know
BY NORMA B., CONTRIBUTOR VENDOR
what to say, and I know music is your thing, I’m just gonna play you a song.”
He then proceeded to play Jelly Roll’s song, “I’m Not Okay (But It’s All Gonna Be Alright).”
At first, I gave him the side eye and tried to brush him off, but he shook his head and said that’s NOT gonna do it, and he played the song again.
This time I sat there and smiled and nodded in agreement as it played. His response? Nope, that’s not gonna work either.
He went on to say, “Look, I don’t need you to sing it,” (as I often do) “but I do need you to say it, and more importantly, I need you to believe it.”
Walk in the Light
BY MARK P., CONTRIBUTOR VENDOR
I hope everyone is having a blessed morning. My thought for today is, have you or someone else you know ever said something bad about someone? When I was in my 30s there was a close relative that made a comment about this preacher that had been in prison and had tattoos. This relative said he wasn’t going to ever sit and listen to a preacher who had been in prison, let
alone one who had tattoos. 1 John 1:6 says that we have fellowship with him and walk in darkness. We lie, and do not the truth. 1 John 1:7 says But if we walk in light as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his son cleanest us of all sin. God done forgave the preacher for his sins. Why can’t we forgive people for their sins? Amen.
Then, he played the song for a third time. When it finished playing this time, I told him, “I will concede that I AM NOT OK, and although I don’t know how, when, or where, I WILL be ok.”
People like him constantly reassure me of that!
Now content that he’d accomplished what he’d set out to do, he left me with these parting words, “Now you go girl, and do your thing! Hey, by the way, when is that new Jelly Roll Zine coming out?”
(For readers who aren’t familiar with this, the Zine is something new some of the vendors
are doing. It’s like a combination of a magazine and a comic book, and the content varies widely.)
The take away from this story is the fact that this guy took the time to actually see me and notice that I hadn’t been my usual perky, smiling, singing self (all words customers have used to describe me). There’s NO WAY you can convince me that he didn’t care, and there are MANY of my customers are just like him. They show it in the way they treat me whether I’m on my corner or they see me out and about.
A BIG thank you goes out from me to ALL of you who genuinely care about The Contributor, its vendors, and me.
Jim's Journal
“Try a thing you haven’t done three times. Once, to get over the fear of doing it. Twice, to learn how to do it. And a third time, to figure out whether you like it or not.” – Virgil Garnett Thomson
What Brought You Here?
BY FREEPRESSGMA., CONTRIBUTOR VENDOR
Standing on the edge of a precipice
Looking down.
My life had brought me to nothing but a frown.
But high above, I heard a call.
Looking up, I saw her wing the red tailed hawk began to sing. Remember, remember you have a message to bring.
Free Show
BY SHORTY R., CONTRIBUTOR VENDOR
Hey you!
Do you want to see a free show?
Just look up. It’s in the sky.
The sun bright and warm on your face.
The clouds light and fluffy. They are sometimes in motion. Sometimes they make weird shapes.
Next, the birds. They fly north, east, west, south. They sing to you. Then, there are the things that are not so nice.
Sometimes, the bees, wasps, etc.
So, come watch a free show, no internet required!
I drew these sketches on a day trip to land between the lakes. They have a car safari that we can watch bison and elk.
We need bread, but we need roses too. Maybe someone will sponsor us to ride in the new van for a day trip.
Limericks I Seek
BY MIKE E., CONTRIBUTOR VENDOR
Spirit is Willing Flesh is Weak Heaven Above
Is what we should seek
In this life
The mistakes we learn
Or with him we burn
Saw ten thousand people make more
Standing before heaven’s door
Door was closed
The hearts were untrue
Ones entered? Very Few
God changes the heart
That’s why we must do our part
I Pray
BY MIKE E., CONTRIBUTOR VENDOR
Feels bad to be bad
Feels good to be good
That’s why we pray we do what we should
I pray for patience and he makes me wait I pray for love to overcome hate I pray for peace then meditate
Those who don’t have the holy spirt
They don’t want to hear it
There are people rude have a really bad attitude
Then those good Act the way you should
To err is human
Forgiveness divine
Jesus said his blood is the wine
For all the stuff I don’t complain
Deal with all would drive me insane
Then I turn to God and pray he takes it all away
With an everlasting peace he replaces my stress
My heart and soul am I blessed
I Thank
BY MIKE E., CONTRIBUTOR VENDOR
No spots, no stains
Everything gotta change
God wants to use us
How can we stay the same?
What the devil means for evil
God means for good Hes our comfort
That should be understood
Lust of the eyes
Greed of this earth
Causes destruction
Not rebirth
Do not quench the spirit
Always pray
Life’s a test not a game you play
I thank the father in heaven above
One day we’ll bask in eternal love
BY NORMA B., CONTRIBUTOR VENDOR
1.) I’m just an English and Irish lass Who’s come to love my poetry class The type does not matter But not endless chatter
Such a nice way to let the time pass
2.) We all wear masks that hide our faces
So that others won’t see the traces Of flaws seen as defects
By those who don’t respect True beauty comes from other places
3.) Writing short stories and poetry Is a unique form of therapy Where you can clear your mind Leave your troubles behind And see things as you’d like them to be
4.) As I sit on the side of the road
Watching people come and go As each day starts and ends There’s a chance to make friends It all depends on the path you chose
5.) When I look upon God’s creation
My heart is filled with adulation Pastels and bright colors
My sisters and brothers
From every tribe and tongue and nation
6.) Music is more than notes on a page
The lyrics often play out on stage As a crowd sings along Often getting words wrong
Still it keeps the audience engaged
7.) I sit in the sun and bake all day
A product of the suns golden ray Sweat forming in my brow
Still I try not to scowl Or my customers will stay away
8.) Teeth chattering its bone chilling cold Still I’m out selling my papers I’m cold People think it’s easy Not so when it’s breazy, Especially if you’re getting old
9.) Emotions like the tide ebb and flow Like the ocean waves they come and go They come in they go out
Like clockwork there’s no doubt They put on a one of a kind show
10.) Those who are determined to take a side Fail to recognize and are denied They are causing more pain
There is nothing to gain
From their meaningless displays of pride
11.) A child always trying to fit in Never quite sure just how to begin I was timid and shy
Afraid I’m not sure why I will NEVER be silent again
HOBOSCOPES
GEMINI
Do you think mosquitoes worry about anything, Gemini? Like, do you think they’re flying around anxious about how their lives are turning out? Afraid that they haven’t accomplished enough or that they'll get squashed before they even figure out what they really want in life? Or is a mosquito just a collection of impulses. Indifferent attraction to the smell of blood. Automatic flight away from swatting hands. What about you, Gemini? Does your worry really guide you to better solutions or is your body just going that direction anyway and your worry is a story you tell yourself about why you make the decisions you make? Anyway, don’t forget the mosquito repellent on your hike today. But if you do, don’t worry about it.
CANCER
Let’s get this part over with at the start, Cancer. At the end of this horoscope I’m going to spin around the screen and you’ll see 3 tip options. 15 percent (still considered the standard for amateur astrologers), 20 percent (indicates above average service or an above average product), or 100 percent (this option is when you are ready to give your whole life over to the wisdom contained within these astrological insight; your very existence is being transformed and you no longer wish to struggle against your own will). I know people are surprised that I don’t get a flat salary, but this is just the way it’s always been done. You on the other hand, Cancer, should make sure you’re getting what you’re worth. Don’t leave it up to other people.
LEO
You’re the sign of the summer, Leo! You’re so right now. But I’m afraid you’re waiting for all the other signs to throw a party for you. That’s just not how it’s gonna happen. If you’re ready to take over the moment and be the heat this season, you’re going to have to attend the party within. Take a moment to celebrate yourself for yourself. What are the things you really truly love about you? You don’t have to say it out loud, you just have to know it for a minute or so. Once that party inside winds down, you’ll be ready to take it to the streets.
VIRGO
It’s like the time you thought you might move to California. You weren’t even trying to go, but everything came together on its own. A place to live with an ocean view. A job that looked lucrative and rewarding. And after a week of planning and imagining, it all fell through. And then you were right where you started. Where you still are, really. Looking for something else to pull you forward. I get that, Virgo. Your life is giving you a push, but you need something on the other side with a pull. You’re doing just fine. And you don’t have to wait for something to grab you. You can just start taking steps in a direction you imagine might be nice. Eventually you’ll get to where you’re going.
LIBRA
It’s like the song says, Libra “If it wasn’t for disappointment, I wouldn’t have any appointments.” That’s how it feels this afternoon. Cancellations of things that I didn’t want to do anyway turn into black holes of time on my calendar where the nothingness settles into the shape of the things I’d hoped I’d be doing by now. That’s just me, of course. I’m sure your week will be very fulfilling, Libra. But if you find yourself dismayed by what is or isn’t on the agenda, remember that there’s nothing better that you could be doing right now than feeling this moment completely and knowing where you are.
SCORPIO
There was that one day we decided to run away from home and restart our lives with just the two of us. First we gathered our materials. I brought a book of matches, an unopened dish sponge and a half pack of Oreos. You brought a bike, a laptop, and your mom’s debit card. Nobody ever said you weren’t prepared, Scorpio. But it still wasn’t enough to get us to the end of the day. The Oreos were gone by noon and the bike got a flat. Turned out that debit card was expired and by the time your dad came looking for his work laptop, we were hungry and getting bored trying to build a cabin out of sticks in the alley. It turns out we really do need each other, Scorpio. We can’t do it on our own. And when we act like somebody else doesn’t belong, well, that’s somebody we need too.
SAGITTARIUS
Imagine if you can, Sagittarius, a way to get from place to place effortlessly. You won’t have to wear out your feet walking or wait for days to cover long distances. It will save you time and energy. It will free up your mind for creativity and your body for play. My proposal is simple. A circle with a hole that goes through the center supported on some kind of axle. We’ll call it…oh wait, that’s pretty good. I like that. “We’ll.” But, no, the apostrophe’s too much. For clarity we’ll call it a “wheel.” I’m sorry, Sagittarius, I’m being told this has already been invented. But you know what that’s like, Sagittarius. You’ve been working on a solution to a problem that’s already been solved. All you need now is the humility to use the resources you already have.
CAPRICORN
At the start of every summer I think I’m gonna keep wearing my full astrologer’s robes and cap like I do the rest of the year. And then the first really hot day hits and I give up instantly. This morning I’m in shorts, flip-flops and the t-shirt that I found draped over my mailbox last fall. Honestly, I don’t even think The Stars mind. I’ve tried dressing for the job I want. I’ve tried dressing for the job I’ve got. But the only thing that really seems to work, Capricorn, is dressing for the job I am. You should try it.
AQUARIUS
1,2,3,4 I declare a time war! Let me clarify, Aquarius. This isn’t the kind of thing where you have to travel back in time to stop your grandparents from falling in love. And it’s not one of those where you have to take lost secrets into the future to save humanity from what they’ve long forgotten. I’m talking about the kind of time war where you get your time back from all the occupying forces that have invaded your heart and mind. You don’t owe anything to the social media stream. You don’t owe anything to the show you started last month that you don’t even really like anymore. You can have your time back, Aquarius, you just have to want it.
PISCES
“Get it in writing.” That’s what Grandpa Mysterio used to tell me every time I thought I had a good deal or a promise that I knew was going to change my life. I always found that irritating. It would kill the vibe. No, Grandpa, I’m not going to “Get it in writing” that Jonathan King is gonna help me fix my bike after school tomorrow. But as I’ve gotten older, I’ve decided he’s right. And not just about deals with other people. When I have an idea or a need or a bolt of astrological insight, I stop and write it down. And when I don’t have any ideas or insights, I stop and write until one comes to me. Like today I was journaling about the time Jonathan King never showed up to help with my bike and I realized it was a perfect horoscope for Pisces.
ARIES
So what good is hope if nothing ever lasts? Even when everything works out and you get the job or you find the house or you get noticed by the people you respect, it only lasts so long. And then it’s just the job you wish was a little better or the house that’s not quite big enough or attention from people you’re starting to respect less. And you have to find the next thing to hope for. Here’s what I think, Aries. I think you hope anyway. But I think you hope differently. You go into this knowing that it’s what you want but that it might not work out and it definitely won’t be satisfying forever. That disappointment is built in, but we have to move forward because that’s what living is. And you watch it come and go and change. And you learn to be satisfied with the motion and not wait for the goal.
TAURUS
I’ve got a lot of information to pass on to you this week, Taurus, so instead of me writing it all out and risk being misunderstood, how about we schedule a time to talk in the next couple of days? I’m free most afternoons by 3 p.m. except for Wednesdays because I’m taking an online class on how to communicate complex ideas over the phone. Actually, this was my professor’s idea. She said, “newspaper astrology is too one-sided.” and that I should try conversations instead. But I know you don’t always have time for a chat, so I’ll just leave you with the basics: Turn off the stove. Bring a snack. Don’t wear too much yellow. If you have any other questions, give me a call.
Mr. Mysterio is not a licensed astrologer, a verified culturista, or a trained entomological psychologist. Listen to the Mr. Mysterio podcast at mrmysterio.com Or just give him a call at 707-VHS-TAN1.
‘Companion’ is scary-fun company to keep on MAX
The marketing for Companion highlights that the new movie is from New Line Cinema — the studio created the evergreen contemporary romantic classic The Notebook . Online ads are also quick to remind viewers that the movie is produced by the same team that brought audiences the unhinged horrors of Barbarian back in 2022. It’s a funny juxtaposition, but an apt one. Companion is currently ranked in Rotten Tomatoes’ list of Top 10 films of 2025, and it’s earned its praises from critics and audiences who respond to the movie’s seamless shifting through various tones ranging from Sci-Fi to slasher horror, from comedy to romantic drama.
The film’s subtexts about abusive relationships and mistaken appearances bring depth to this tale of machine/women’s liberation, but they never supersede the cool tech, bloody guts, hilarious set pieces and sexy, psycho robots.
Josh (Jack Quaid) and Iris (Sophie Thatcher) reach the end of a long drive
BY JOE NOLAN, FILM CRITIC
that finds them well off the main roads and pulling up to a remote luxury home on the edge of a large private lake. The film starts with gorgeous shots that capture the natural beauty of the place and the warm couple sharing the joy of a rural drive on a sunny afternoon. It also includes a flashback with Iris remembering the day she first met Josh at an orange display at a grocery store.
The house is owned by Sergey (Rupert Friend), the wealthy Russian boyfriend of Josh’s friend, Anna (Megan Suri). They’re joined by another couple, Eli (Harvey Guillén) and Patrick (Lukas Gage), and they all settle in for dinner, drinks, dancing and a long weekend at the lake. What could possibly go wrong?
Companion is great at un-spooling its unhinged story while also holding onto its surprises: the movie’s poster and trailer tell viewers that Sophie is an android, but when she stabs Sergey in the neck after he tries to sexually assault her, we only know about half
of the story. Who is Sergey? What are the actual relationships between these friends? Is everybody a robot? Lots of current movies would be satisfied with the lowest bar of killer-robot plots, but Companion is much smarter than that.
Writer director Drew Hancock has taken tired pleasure-bot tropes and murderous-android cliches and managed to make them new again with a story that balances romantic comedy with gory horror and the existential questions that come with the best speculative fiction about artificial intelligence, machine consciousness and human-robot ethics.
Companion features gory effects and hilarious flashbacks that let us peek at the emotional memories inside of mechanical minds. Thatcher is an excellent actress who single-handedly elevates the film in nearly every frame. She manages to portray a wide range of emotion — from devotion to terror — while always remaining convincing as an automated sex doll grappling with the realization
that she’s not a real woman. The rest of the cast, including a colorful gallery of memorable minor characters, follow Thatcher’s lead, grounding the film in consistently strong performances despite the sometimes outrageous circumstance of the story.
Once Iris discovers the truth about her identity and her “relationship” with Josh, Companion turns into a chase film — Iris is trying to escape from Josh and his friends, but they have to make sure that Iris is blamed for Sergey’s murder. Through all the chaos and death and torture Companion delivers genuine laughs, nerdy tech, Terminator-vibes and the kind of slasher gore I suppose you have to expect from a long weekend at a remote lake at the movies.
Companion is streaming on 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.
