The Contributor: May 7, 2025

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

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Mayo

2025

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A Few Questions

Newspaper Nashville

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Nashville, Tennessee

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Vaticano: “El Obispo de Roma, Francisco, regresó a la casa del Padre.”

El lunes de Pascua, 21 de abril de 2025, el mundo perdió no solo al líder de la Iglesia Católica, sino a un pastor que se atrevió a recordarnos que la misericordia, la humildad y Por Yuri Cunza la justicia son las Editor in Chief expresiones más @LaNoticiaNews verdaderas de la fe. El Papa Francisco, nacido Jorge Mario Bergoglio, falleció a los 88 años en la sencillez de su residencia en la Casa Santa Marta, lejos de la pompa del Vaticano y exactamente como vivió: con humildad, intención y cercanía al pueblo.

Vendor Writing

El Cardenal Kevin Farrell, Camarlengo de la Santa Iglesia Romana, expresó en su anuncio: “Toda su vida estuvo dedicada al servicio del Señor y de su Iglesia.” Y ese servicio, bajo su pontificado, fue profundamente transformador.

Francisco hizo de la Iglesia no un tribunal de condena, sino un refugio para los heridos, los olvidados, los pobres. Su visión no fue la de una institución encerrada en la doctrina, sino impulsada por la compasión.

Por decisión suya, aprobada en 2024, sus funerales seguirán un rito renovado, más sencillo, centrado en la esperanza cristiana de la resurrección. El arzobispo Diego Ravelli explicó que el nuevo rito busca mostrar al Papa como “pastor y discípulo de Cristo, no como un poderoso de este mundo”. Ese contraste resume su legado: Francisco fue un servidor, no un soberano.

Source: Vatican News Pope Francis hugs a young boy during his weekly General Audience on August 17, 2022 (Source: Vatican News)

pagar su cuenta de hotel y pedir a la multitud en la Plaza de San Pedro que orara por él antes de darles su bendición.

excesos del sistema económico, criticó la industria armamentista y llamó al mundo a acoger al migrante como a un hermano. No solo predicó el Evangelio. Lo vivió.

La Noticia + The Contributor Su liderazgo fue pastoral, no imperial. Ante desafíos globales —desde la migración y la desigualdad hasta el cambio climático y los abusos en la Iglesia— no se escondió. Se acercó.

Sus encíclicas, como Laudato Si’ sobre el cuidado del planeta, y Fratelli Tutti sobre la fraternidad humana, no fueron tratados teológicos, sino llamados a la conciencia.

Abrazó a musulmanes, judíos, agnósticos. Besó los pies de migrantes, visitó cárceles, lavó los pies de mujeres y discapacitados en Jueves Santo.

Incluso en su fragilidad física fue testimonio de fortaleza. Habiendo perdido parte de un pulmón en su juventud, y sufriendo repetidas afecciones respiratorias en sus últimos años, nunca dejó de servir. Su hospitalización en febrero de 2025, y su posterior recuperación en el Vaticano, mostraron una voluntad inquebrantable de seguir siendo pastor hasta el final.

Mientras los cardenales se preparan para elegir a su sucesor, el mundo queda con su ejemplo moral: no perfecto, pero fiel. No omnipotente, pero profundamente humano. Un Papa que eligió la pobreza evangélica sobre el poder terrenal.

Francisco decía que la Iglesia debía ser como un hospital de campaña tras la batalla, donde primero se curan las heridas. Él nunca dejó de curarlas. Más allá de la religión, su mensaje fue universal: la misericordia guía a la justicia, el amor vence al miedo, y la paz se construye con las manos, no solo con discursos.

Moving Pictures

Mientras su cuerpo reposa en la Basílica de San Pedro y los fieles acuden a despedirlo, el mundo despide no solo a un pontífice, sino a un profeta de nuestro tiempo. Y quizás, en el silencio, volvamos a oír su voz preguntando: “¿Quién soy yo para juzgar?”

The Surfer, staring Nicolas el primer Papa de América, el Vendors writeFue about La Noticia, one of the primer jesuita y el primero en tomar el nombre de Francisco, en honor a Murió en la octava de Pascua, Que Cage, rides anowave of San Francisco de Asís, patrono de los leading Spanish-language the harmful side of al recordar a Francisco, lo tiempo de Resurrección.

Una pobres y de la creación. Estos hagamos solo con homenajes. “primeros” no fueron meras coinci- Algunos lo acusaron de ser demasia- coincidencia cargada de simbolis- Atrevámonos a vivir la misericordia psycho-social cars, sales music, mo. nation, Pareciera que la Providencia que predicó. dencias,trees sino señales proféticas. newspapers inhabla-the do político. Pero Francisco no Desde el inicio de su pontificado en ba como un político; hablaba como le concedió ese último acto: partir 2013, sorprendió al mundo al recha- pastor. Y los pastores conocen las al Padre justo cuando la Iglesia Envíenos sus sugerencias por e-mail: madness. it at The news@hispanicpaper.com óSee 615-582-3757 and God's viewzar on rich content los lujos del Palacio Apostólico, brings heridas de suSpanish rebaño. Señaló los proclama “¡Hato resucitado!”

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

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

Holly Bowman Director of Development

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.

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NEWS

Memphis Seeds Is All About Community Needs

BY LINDA BAILEY

Contributor vendor Terry H. was born and raised in Memphis and saw a lot. More than anything else he saw a lot of people who were doing community work and not getting the recognition he thought they deserved. So he started a Facebook group.

“I wanted to create a space and a platform for the underdogs and outcasts like me. I wanted to highlight them and uplift and encourage and inspire them,” Terry said. “A lot of people are out doing impactful things in the community but they aren’t being highlighted. They are being overshadowed or overlooked.”

Today that Facebook group has more than 500 members and has grown into a 501c3 nonprofit called Memphis Seeds.

“I also created Memphis Seeds to bring everybody on the same level. Where I come from in Memphis, everyone is prideful and standoffish. They want to be the man or whatever,” Terry said. “So, in this space, I made everybody be on the same level.”

Terry says he did not want to be the face of the organization, so he brought in friends and family to lead and steer the organization into what it is today. His mom, Pearl Madden, is the family representative. Other family members who have roles are his sister Arma Pinson, his brother Robert Mask, his dad Sir Terry Holloway, and his younger sister Constance Holt. Terry also brought in his own children Octavian Holloway, Teirny Holloway, Terrance Ivory and Ava Holloway.

Riley Mosby, a longtime friend of Terry’s, is president at Memphis Seeds and works with Emanuel Jones as vice president.

Memphis Seeds’s mission is to empower individuals and organizations to make positive decisions. Terry says their main goals are anti-violence and supporting and uplifting people, and it’s had a real positive impact in his community.

“Memphis seeds in short is about sewing good seeds back into the community,” Terry said.

62nd State of Metro Address Focuses on Housing The 62nd State of Metro Address, the second with Mayor Freddie O'Connell at the helm, was hosted May 1. The mayor outlined his plans for the 2026 fiscal year budget, where he says he’ll target housing affordability, investments in schools, public services, safety and maintaining stability locally. The proposed budget shows an investment of $45 million, which includes $16 million for the Barnes Fund, $2.4 million for rapid rehousing vouchers, and $2.2 million for Permanent Supportive Housing. An additional $1.7 million will support anti-displacement efforts, including home repairs for older adults.

The budget also introduces $17 million in recurring tax abatements for affordable housing development and dedicates $2.4 million to eviction right-to-counsel initiatives. The budget also calls for a housing coordinator position to help “align the work across various departments, agencies, and the public and private sectors,” according to Metro release. The mayor called these the first pieces of a Unified Housing Strat-

To plant those community seeds, the organization started a podcast where they interview people in the community doing impactful things, they also lobby for laws that support their mission and recently they’ve partnered on a campaign with the Bully the Bull foundation, which focuses on anti-bullying.

Memphis Seeds also provide education and job placement opportunities for people in the community to learn trades like HVAC repair, truck driving and agriculture. They also offer training for jobs in security, audio and recording, and their Brand University program teaches people how to build a brand for their own businesses.

Terry said they are also starting a program he’s really excited about called the Jookin Olympics.

“Jookin is a cultural dance that’s been around for over 30 years,” Terry said. “The original name is Gangster Walking. Nowadays they call it Jookin or Gangster Jookin. It’s a dance and a way of expression. It’s electrifying.”

After watched countless hours of videos of people Jookin and talking to his team who has attending many Jookin events, Terry said he noticed there was never any violence at these events.

“From what I’ve seen, even if it gets to the point where someone gets heated, I’ve noticed how the community will corral around, step in the middle of them, throw construction cones or stop signs as a signal like it’s over with,” Terry said. “I’ve seen people actually come out and get in between them to make sure nothing negative happens. Ain’t no place safer in Memphis than the Jookin events.”

Terry says this shows how much the music and the dance fosters as sense of community and comes from a place deep inside people.

“Our whole main goal is to help curb the violence. Help save Memphis from Memphis,” Terry said. “We want to use the Jookin as a portal because of the positive energy.”

PHOTOS COURTESY OF TERRY H.

News Briefs

egy, which will be aimed at tackling homelessness and ensuring long-term housing stability.

Two days ahead of the annual address, Metro released this strategy. “With the release of the Unified Housing Strategy, Nashville now has an implementation plan where our collective work can result in a future where all Nashvillians have access to a safe, stable and affordable place to call home,” said Nashville Mayor Freddie O’Connell. “Housing impacts every Nashville neighborhood, business, family and individual, and the Unified Housing Strategy calls on all Nashvillians — residents, employers, developers, financial institutions, philanthropists, Faith communities and community leaders — to join together and play an active role in implementing housing solutions for our city. It will take all of us to build a future where housing security is a shared reality for all of us.”

Metro Action Prepares to Provide Free Meals to Community Partners for Youth The Metropolitan Action Commission will work with 60 community partners to serve as

meal sites for Nashville and Davidson County Youth this summer. But their capacity could be as great as 110. During the months of June and July, MAC provides free breakfast and lunch meals to youth programs and other gathering spots where youth are present such as apartment properties, day camps, religious based programs, community centers and sports camps, according to a release.

Meal sites are required to be located near schools that participate in the Free and Reduced Lunch program during the school year. This priority allows children who would ordinarily receive free meals at school to continue to have access to meals during the summer when school is out. Training will be provided in May for new and existing youth programs as well as ongoing monitoring to support the program. The summer meal program begins on June 2 and ends July 25.

Tax Extension Offered to All of Tennessee The Internal Revenue Service tax relief for individuals and businesses in the entire state of Tennessee affected by severe storms, straight-line winds, tornadoes and flooding that began on April

May 7 - 21, 2025 | The Contributor | NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE | PAGE 3

2, 2025. Taxpayers now have until Nov. 3, 2025, to file various federal individual and business tax returns and make tax payments in the state, as the entire area was designated by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). This means that individuals and households that reside or have a business in Tennessee’s 95 counties qualify for tax relief.

OHS to Host June State of Homelessness Symposium The Office of Homeless Services is hosting a 2025 State of Homelessness Symposium on June 4, 2025, according to an OHS newsletter. This event will bring together national experts, local leaders and service providers for a full day of connection and learning. Attendees can expect keynote addresses, critical updates on funding and local resources, engaging training sessions, and valuable networking opportunities. The symposium also includes an exposition space for service providers to share tools and strategies. For more information, please contact Kayla Ritchie at kayla. ritchie@nashville.gov.

A FEW QUESTIONS

Q&A with Steve Bland

BY JUDITH TACKET T

Steve Bland is the head of WeGo Public Transit. Officially, he is the CEO for the Nashville Metropolitan Transit Authority (MTA) and the Regional Transportation Authority (RTA) of Middle Tennessee, but both of those authorities are doing business under the brand of “WeGo Public Transit.”

Bland, who has been leading WeGo since August 2014, shared that he’s always known he wanted to work in transportation.

“I grew up in northern New Jersey, the New York City area,” he said. “My earliest recollections of childhood were my parents taking me into New York City riding the subway. Whatever we were going to do, whether it was to see a ball game or the circus or whatever, the highlight of my trip was always riding the subway.”

In November, Nashvillians voted for a half-penny sales tax surcharge that created a dedicated funding source for a transportation improvement program called Choose How You Move. While it includes improvements to sidewalks, signals, and safety, a huge focus is on public transit improvements — and Bland and his team have been busy working on it.

What are the first priorities under Choose How You Move?

We’re working on two focus areas. One, are things that we can deliver pretty quickly so people see proof of concept of what we’re trying to do. They’re shorter-term goals.

The other is starting the groundwork for projects we know take a long time to develop. But if you don't start them early that means you just push things out further and eventually you hit the wall on service enhancements you can make. On those, you’ll see a lot of money identified for things that will happen seven or eight years [down the road].

On the shorter-term goals, we actually just recently completed public engagement in our Title VI process for our Choose How You Move. The MTA Board approved those service changes that include improvements for Access on Demand, which is a door-to-door system for persons with disabilities. We’ve had requests from our customers for quite some time to expand that to weekends. It had only been Monday through Friday. So that's one of the service enhancements that's funded through Choose How You Move that will go into effect on May 31.

If you're familiar with our WeGo Link* program, which is the First Mile/Last Mile connector. We'll be adding two WeGo Links in June, one is the Broadmoor area of East Nashville, where we had quite a bit of demand. The other is in the Elm Hill Pike area in Donelson. [Moving forward] you'll see more WeGo Link zones added a couple times a year.

For longer-term projects that we're starting to fund yearly development on:

WeGo system changes go into effect July 6 Increased service possible because of Choose How You Move Effective Sunday, July 6, 2025, WeGo Public Transit will implement system-wide service changes that include frequency improvements, Access on Demand weekend service, and additional WeGo Link zones.

These changes reflect customer input and community feedback. They were approved by the Nashville MTA Board on April 24.

SUMMER 2025 SERVICE CHANGES Weekday Midday Frequency Improvements • 6 Lebanon Pike – from hourly to every 30 minutes Weekday Evening Frequency Improvements • 55 Murfreesboro Pike – from 20 minutes to 15 minutes • 56 Gallatin Pike – from 20 minutes to 15 minutes Weekend Frequency Improvements • 23 Dickerson Pike – from 25 minutes to 15 minutes (6 a.m. to 6 p.m.)

• 50 Charlotte Pike – from 20-30 minutes to 15 minutes. (6 a.m. to 6 p.m.)

• 55 Murfreesboro Pike – from 20 minutes to 15 minutes (6 a.m. to 6 p.m.); from 20-30 minutes to 15 minutes (weekend evenings) • 56 Gallatin Pike – from 20 minutes to 15 minutes (6 a.m. to 6 p.m.); from 20-30 minutes to 15 minutes (weekend evenings) Service Improvements • 6 Lebanon Pike - will operate on McGavock Pike between Lebanon Pike and McGavock High School twice a day on school days • 52 Nolensville Pike - will operate on Antioch Pike between Nolensville Pike and Glencliff High School twice a day on school days • WeGo Link – expand service in the Maplewood/Broadmoor area of East Nashville and the Elm Hill Pike area of Donelson • Access on Demand – add service on Saturdays (4:45 a.m. to 1 a.m.) and Sundays/ Holidays (4:45 a.m. to 11 p.m.)

Route Adjustments • 19 Herman – move end of the line from Tennessee & 51st to Charlotte & 53rd Ave. N • Route 77 Thompson-Wedgewood will no longer pull into the East Thompson Lane Kroger grocery store parking lot. There is a street stop.

One is the second Downtown Hub South of Broadway. We were allocated funding to start the development and planning for that as well as a new additional bus operations and maintenance facility. When we do all the service improvements contained in Choose How You Move, the fleet will increase by about 100 buses and vans. We just don't have enough room to maintain or operate all that. Those facilities take a long time to come on board. *WeGo Lin ks is expla ined at h t t p s : // w w w.w e g o t r a n s i t . c o m /a s sets/1/6/2025-04_WeGo_Link_FAQ.pdf Where in SoBro is the second Downtown Hub going to be?

It’s those vacant lots right across from the Greyhound Bus station. Actually, they’re owned right now by the Convention Authority, and they bought them back in 2018 when the last [transit] referendum was going through. They’re using them for staging right now. But the intent was always to work with us to build a southern center.

Which of these priorities have already started?

This first round of the Access on De-

mand and WeGo Link zones are planned before July. The first rounds of fixed-route improvements will start by July. There will be another round of improvements in January, where we’ll likely go to the public for comment in August or September.

In addition to just getting started on the SoBro Hub, we are awarding a design contract for the Donelson Transit Center.

That will be located at the Donelson rail station. We’re also working with Metro and Councilmember Joy Styles on a Transit Center in Antioch in conjunction with the Global Mall redevelopment down there.

Every one of [our new transit centers] will reorient and improve the services in the area. They will be designed based on the neighborhood that they’re in and what people are interested in seeing.

With the Dr. Ernest Rip Patton, Jr. Transit Center in North Nashville we did things like improve the frequency on the 22 Bordeaux bus; we extended the Metro Center bus to serve there; and we created the new Trinity crosstown line. Now there are seven different routes that converge on that location. We improved the frequency on the 75 Midtown, the 77 Thompson/ Wedgewood Connector, and as a result

May 7 - 21, 2025 | The Contributor | NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE | PAGE 4

of all that, beyond the facility itself, we really improved connections from different neighborhoods in the city.

Now you can get from North Nashville to East Nashville without going Downtown.

You can get from North Nashville into the Metro Center offices without going Downtown. You can get to the Vanderbilt area or South Nashville without going Downtown.

The overall, long-term goal – once we develop this network of centers and improve the services cross-town with better frequency – is that every trip does not have to go through WeGo Central Downtown.

In North Nashville, we opened that building last year, and within six months we saw a 36-percent increase in ridership on the routes that serve the North Nashville Transit Center. That's part of the goal, to make the system more convenient, more usable for more people, and make the travel time shorter. And if you’re in the North Nashville neighborhood – obviously the facility is nice – but with the service improvements, we calculated that the number of jobs that someone in that neighborhood could reach within an average of a 45-minute bus ride expanded by over 100,000.

So, a lot of the vision of this is to expand the range of opportunities that people have by offering one-seat rides, shorter rides and more frequent services.

How have the federal spending cuts affected your budget and your plans under Choose How You Move?

[As of this publication date], we have not seen any reduction or disruption in our federal funding. We still have grants in the pipeline. We’ve had grants recently awarded; that includes two discretionary grant awards, one of the Antioch Transit Center and one for the Donelson Transit Center.

We were intentionally conservative in Choose How You Move about what percentage of federal money would be involved in that. Most of the federal money that we targeted beyond our regular formula

A FEW QUESTIONS

money, which we haven't seen any impediment to, is through a program called Federal Transit Administration's Capital Investment Grant program. That's for the all-access corridors, and we're not projecting to need any of those funds until about 2031 and 2032. So, a lot of that we'll be paying close attention to.

The surface transportation bill comes up for reauthorization, I think it's at the end of next year, and it usually takes them a year or two to work through that. So that's something we'll be paying attention to as we get into mid to late 2026 as they go into reauthorization.

WeGo has done a years-long safety study and has now a plan in place to improve safety. What are the new measures?

We’ve always enjoyed a collaborative arrangement with Metro Nashville Police. But they have appointed a specific transit liaison. His name is Capt. Brian Williams, and the goal is to have an enhanced transit security presence. We’re looking at staffing up a transit ambassador program. A lot of larger cities like Chicago, Philadelphia, and New York are doing it. It's a sort of bridging that social services need. [Our intent is to have] people in the transit system who understand the social services networks. So, when they see someone in distress, maybe they can get them to the homeless division or mental health resources or to substance abuse resources, so that we’re helping out individuals and simultaneously improving that perception of security.

One of the 11 foundational projects that the Mayor announced in the Choose How You Move implementation includes a Low-income Fare Subsidy Program. What is it?

I think it's going to be a huge benefit.

I mean, you know, we worked with you all closely on the Connector Card program and the Adverse Weather Card program.

So right now, we're ironing out what I would call the administrative details of the program with Metro Finance and the Mayor’s Office.

I think what you'll expect to see within the next month is a convening of a number of the social service agencies and the advocacy organizations to talk about things like eligibility. What format does that take? How do you how do you demonstrate you’re eligible? Is that all done through WeGo? Could you go to the homelessness division to sign up? Could you go to WIC and sign up? (WIC is the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children) I would expect that basically once you're registered for the program, then you'll essentially just have access to a QuickTicket account that gives you free transit benefits. I can't envision any reason why that wouldn't be up and running with people registering and getting free transportation this calendar year.

Is there a limit on the number of free tickets?

A lot of the details will come through the conversation with the agencies and the advocates to say how it should be designed. The overall goal of the program is, if you need it, a) it’s pretty easy to get, and b) [recipients] should not be constrained. Let me put it to you this way, lack of access to a bus pass should not be a reason that you don’t take a trip.

That’s the target of the program.

From our perspective, we want to make it easy. We don’t want our operators to have a true burden. We don’t want it to be difficult for customers to access. We think it will be a game changer in terms of opening up [transit]. And you know how important the Connector Card* was for people in that user base to be able to access services or just get to and from where they need to go to. We’re hoping that this expands that availability to a whole lot of other people in the community that need it.

I will be a) surprised and b) extremely disappointed if people don’t have that card in their hands by the end of the calendar year. *The Connector Card program was a partnership created between the Metro Homeless Impact Division and WeGo to serve up to 500 people experiencing chronic homelessness with access to an annual bus pass as they transitioned from homelessness to housing.

Where do you think Nashville will be in five years in terms of public transit?

I would say certainly in a better position than we are now, but not nearly as far as we need to be or expect to be.

I would think we'll certainly have a lot more service. You'll see more routes and more frequency on routes. I would expect we will have on our major routes 24-hour operations by then and several of the transit centers open.

But the thing that won't be done yet, the All-Access Corridors*. One of the things in the plan is upgrading another 200 stops, basically doubling the number of sheltered stops we have, with accompanying pedestrian infrastructure. We expect to go from delivering about 20 of those a year to 40 or 50 a year. So, you'll see a lot more stop improvements.

NDOT (Nashville Department of Transportation) is working on traffic signals and sidewalks, and a lot of the Vision Zero types of things like improved crossings, and we work really closely with them to integrate those with busy stops. But again, North Nashville is a good example where improving the frequency, improving the connections, and improving span of service, makes a real difference.

I think improving the quality of the service on weekends and in the evenings and eventually even overnight is going to be tremendous. *Learn more about All-Access Corridors at https://transit.nashville.gov/ pages/service.

May 7 - 21, 2025 | The Contributor | NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE | PAGE 5

PIECES OF POETRY - 50

For the Sake of Rock & Roll / Part 1

For the Sake of Rock & Roll / Part 2

If I was to sell my soul for the Sake of Rock & Roll?

So the song could one day be sung?

So the story would eventually be told?

I wouldn’t do it for all of the Gold.

Because some things in life, Can’t be bought and sold.

Here I am feeling Brazen and Bold, And forgetting I’m getting tired and old.

They’re reading what I’ve written, And I’m right there with them, Right here in Music City.

Now, that’s another amazing story, Just waiting to be told.

For the Sake of Rock & Roll?

For the Sake of Rock & Roll?

This is... Crazy and impossible, you’re way too lazy, And it’s so improbable, to make it before you’re too old.

For the Sake of Rock & Roll?

For the Sake of Rock & Roll?

Written by Chris Scott Fieselman, Vendor #0015

If I could express my ultimate goal?

It’s to cross paths with The Master himself...

“Billy Joel” To shake hands with “The Piano Man” With a Long Island, New York, Heart and Soul.

For the Sake of Rock & Roll?

For the Sake of Rock & Roll?

THEME: MOTHER'S DAY 73. "____ no evil, hear no 29. Cambodia's neighbor ACROSS 31. A in UAE 1. T. Rockwell's "How to Eat evil" 74. Tennis-affected joint 32. Heaped Fried ____" 33. Famous Teatro alla 6. Pro football org. ____ DOWN 9. Tea servings 1. Took place 34. *Mother ____, personi13. Relating to axis 14. Gershwin or Levin 2. Yoked team fication of planet 36. Shower with affection 15. Break of day 3. Capital of Latvia 38. Abominable snowman 4. Kind of ray 16. Repeat, in music 42. River in Hades 17. Red Cross bed 5. Cast-off skin 45. Personify 18. Arm bones 6. French Riviera city 49. *Mother Superior is the 19. *Mother ____, personi- 7. "To" follower fication of physical world head one at the convent 8. Wood turning device 21. *Mother ____, fictional 9. Tulip starter 51. Foray 54. Former Russian leaders dog owner 10. Leo's Karenina 23. Opposite of hence 11. ____ gum, food additive 56. *Mother of ____, a.k.a.

24. Sleeveless garment 12. Put metal to the pedal, nacre 57. June 6, 1944 25. Money source p.t.

58. Raja's wife 28. Golfer's destination 15. Difficult to detect 30. Pass, as time 59. On the surface 20. With ample space 35. "Metamorphoses" poet 22. Employ 60. Emeralds and rubies 61. Carrying bag 37. *The Beatles: "Mother 24. Green and lush, as in 62. Hunk of something ____ comes to me" trees 39. "The Goldbergs" sibling 25. *Mother ____, investi- 63. Lowest female singing 40. Unacceptable, to a baby gative journalism nonprofit voice 66. Female forest ruminant 41. Alpine singing 26. Convex molding 43. Resembling wings 27. Twofold 68. Archery bow wood 44. Fill with optimism 46. Fill to satisfaction 47. Orion's ____ 48. Like funereal atmosphere 50. Lice eggs 52. Morse code dash 53. Remainder of a cigarette 55. Before skip and a jump 57. *Mother of ____, a.k.a.

Daenerys Targaryen 61. *Mother ____, Missionaries of Charity founder 64. PassÈ 65. Stir or fuss 67. Add together 69. Anomie, alt. sp.

70. Decompose 71. Very angry 72. Puppy sounds

Every two weeks I get to speak.

That’s what they expect from me.

I can’t sing or play guitar, So I can only take it just so far.

My stage is a page in The Contributor.

I’m not a beggar. I sell the paper.

Something to say, well worth being sold.

For the Sake of Rock & Roll?

For the Sake of Rock & Roll?

God Bless all those people who cross my path.

May they find their happily ever after.

If I could make, someone’s day that much better, Just because I got up - got out - and got off my ass.

What the Good Lord feels free, to give unto me?

I know I should feel free to give back? You know?

For the Sake of Rock & Roll?

For the Sake of Rock & Roll?

Remember? “WCJK, 96.3 - Jack FM” Thank you Jack that you’ve got my back.

You keep me strong when things go wrong, And thanks to you and what you do, You give me a reason to keep hanging on, Simply by “Playing What We Want.”

There’s something about a Radio Station, That plays Never Forgotten, Forever Remembered, Classic Old Time Rock and Roll.

That touches a Heavy Heart, And comforts a Weary Soul, Because some things - Just never - Get old.

If you never find 96.3 Jack FM, While visiting Nashville, Tennessee.

You totally miss Music’s Message.

Music City is so much more?

Than Just Country! WCJK, Jack FM, 96.3 For the Sake of Rock & Roll?

For the Sake of Rock & Roll?

May 7 - 21, 2025 | The Contributor | NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE | PAGE 6

Written by Chris Scott Fieselman, Vendor #0015

If they don’t write them like that anymore?

What the hell am I doing this for?

For the Sake of Rock & Roll?

For the Sake of Rock & Roll?

Am I so wrapped up in it that I don’t even know?

When I’m eventually, supposed to let go?

For the Sake of Rock & Roll?

For the Sake of Rock & Roll?

Yes, I’ve got my struggles. Yea, I’ve got my pains.

I’ve got my reasons. I’ve got my excuses, And Legitimate Complaints.

I’de like to get people to know me, Who might have something to gain?

Who else can use Rhythm, Rhyme and Reason?

Without Music to explain?

Ha... Ha... Ha... - He... He... - Haw... Haw...

Are you sure you’re up for a little more?

They say I’m a very bad influence.

That comes from way too much experience.

Sooner or later you have to throw the dice, And deal with the consequence.

You can either be good at being real, Or really, really good at pretend.

I don’t give a damn, who gets upset, Or who the truth offends.

You start with a part of a Carpenters heart, And the unity that comes - From being among friends.

It’s true “We the People” can do the amazing, When we understand “This Land is Your Land” Priority one is a garbage can.

A dumpster dropped off would be well worth the cost, But who’s going to pay the expense?

How can you not be inspired to do?

Something truly so good for them?

So say the people of the mountain.

Have you ever noticed?

How so many of our Self-Preservation-Plans, so often depend, Upon the people, we consider, to be our friends.

There are some things that we as Americans, Need to be ready to stand up for and defend.

I can see the beauty, I believe them to be, Fully capable to create - If only given the chance.

Set the example and share with others, The benefits of their experience. To me it makes perfect sense...

If this cock-a-maimy-plan has any chance to succeed, It must first be explained in simple terms, that what’s being spent, Is not so much an extravagance - It’s simply a basic need.

I’m not worried, I’m not scared, and I damn sure, am not upset.

Someone had to say the things that needed to be said, Like a farmer must first Plant a Seed.

They may have found it out, out on the street, But they wouldn’t have found it, if it weren’t for me.

For the Sake of Rock & Roll?

For the Sake of Rock & Roll?

Opening June 10

FREE ADMISSION 1000 Rosa L. Parks Blvd. in Nashville 615.741.2692 TNMuseum.org

May 7 - 21, 2025 | The Contributor | NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE | PAGE 7

May 7 - 21, 2025 | The Contributor | NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE | PAGE 8

LEARN MORE ABOUT

Learn More About the Politicization of Encampment Closures

BY JUDITH TACKET T

Against the outcry of neighborhoods and businesses, cities like Nashville have been desperate to find quick and highly publicized solutions to shut down encampments and reduce homelessness. This allows politicians to look like they are doing something — or at least that has been their theory.

By now, we know that focusing solely on large encampment closures at the cost of actually building an effective system that helps people access permanent housing within 90 to 120 days is not working.

Let me state that Nashville is not the only city jumping on the bandwagon of politicizing the closure of large encampments. The goal is apparent. Making homelessness less visible leads to higher polling rates. But if it is not implemented with the primary focus on actually ending homelessness long-term for the people living in those encampments, we are not achieving the goal of improving the quality of life for everyone in our community.

Too often, these showcasing efforts of encampment closures happen at the cost of a city’s ability to actually serve more people and build sustainable efforts. Consequences are that states and local governments have increased the criminalization of homelessness, essentially making undesirable populations invisible by locking them up.

I commend Nashville, which so far has refrained from pursuing that approach. Plus, Nashville does have an outdoor homelessness strategy in place that it adopted from the Continuum of Care, a group of community stakeholders working together to build a system to prevent and end homelessness. That plan can be viewed online at https://www.nashville.gov/sites/default/ files/2025-02/Outdoor-Homelessness-Strategy-December-2024.pdf.

I am not entirely critical of the fact that the city focuses on closing encampments. For one, they are not healthy places, and we need to help people move out of there by housing them.

Second, the vast majority of people who are living outdoors want to access housing, if there is actual housing available. What I mean by that is that some are not willing to move into a shelter location where, for various reasons, they may not feel safe. Others cannot access available shelter beds because they may have a pet or due to a disability.

I am also not an advocate for sanctioned encampments as solutions to homelessness — especially in the current political climate. It scares me to think how sanctioned encampments may be viewed as a solution, especially under the current federal administration, by herding people into a location that is not much (if any) better than the places they already occupy.

And finally, I am not a fan of the other current political fad of utilizing pods as shelters or temporary housing. When you google “pods,” you’ll see that they’re used as storage units. Enough said.

The politicization of encampment closures, as we see it happen currently in Nashville, is aimed at making it appear that we are solving homelessness. In reality, Nashville does not have enough permanent housing lined up before closing encampments to help people move out of temporary housing into permanent housing in a reasonable time frame.

Cities, including Nashville, tout in media releases how their strategies house people. They tend to focus on outputs rather than outcomes.

Here is the difference: It does not really matter how many services we provide and how many people we house, if we do not end homelessness for them. So rather than merely adding up numbers, the measures we should focus on in a highly functioning system are housing retention and increases in income.

Instead, Metro tends to list how many people have been housed through their latest encampment closures, and then they wrongfully call it a housing surge, when in fact, they only fill existing empty beds that were already in the system.

A housing surge, in my book, is when we add permanent housing opportunities and house more people.

I worked for Metro government for more than a decade. We first started using the term housing surge when Nashville, through the Metropolitan Development and Housing Agency (MDHA), received $10 million in federal COVID grants through the Emergency Solutions Grant (ESG) program. ESG was given out through the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) with a focus on moving the most vulnerable people who were living outdoors to permanent housing — meaning they would hold their own annual lease and control how long they stay.

When we measured this housing surge, we differentiated between the permanent housing placements from the $10-million investment and already existing community resources. Our goal was to house 400 people within one year. In actuality, Nashville housed more than 600 people between October 2020 and December 2021.

When we spoke about a housing surge, it meant finding new permanent housing opportunities for people, which is hugely different from the current approach of placing people in temporary situations, where they remain homeless.

Metro has kept approximately 80 temporary beds open for over a year since spring of 2024 in anticipation of the current encampment closure of Old Tent City, the largest camp in town. The Office of Homeless Services continues to explain that they did not pay for those open beds.

Whether the beds were paid for or not is completely irrelevant. Keeping beds intentionally open when people are forced to live outside is unethical, to say the least, especially when Metro has the financial means to pivot quickly and offer those beds to vulnerable people in need. Instead, Metro kept people outdoors, even during cold winter months, while sitting on beds that were left unoccupied.

What bugs me is that no one is holding Metro accountable for this lack of ethical leadership. The Office of Homelessness is controlled directly by the Mayor’s Office.

I am familiar with the history of why these beds were unoccupied and am able to counteract any excuses that come from the administration.

Bottom line is that these beds were open for a year because of a lack of planning, coordination, and administrative failure. In short, it shows a lack of leadership and a gross neglect of putting people’s well-being first.

In a functioning system, having 80 temporary or shelter beds means we could serve up to 240 people in a year. Here is how this works. Tempo-

rary housing should provide intensive services that speed up the permanent housing process.

In a coordinated homelessness system, once you work with people on permanent housing, they ought to be able to access it within an average of 90 to 120 days. That means if we have 80 beds, they should turn over to the next person within an average of 120 days. Hence, approximately 240 people should have been served by these beds that Metro could have utilized. I would like to mention here that, according to Metro, there were 125 people in Old Tent City when they were notified of the impending encampment closure.

Metro’s own data shows that the average length from encampments to permanent housing was close to a year in the designated temporary housing facility used to shut down encampments.

With a $50-million investment since 2022 and with tripling the Metro budget dedicated solely to the Office of Homeless Services, we should see better outcomes.

Something is clearly not working.

Metro adopted an Outdoor Homelessness Strategy and updated it in December 2024. Prior to the updates, a Continuum of Care committee took three months to seek input from service providers, members of the Office of Homeless Services, people with lived experience, and funders from local private charitable foundations “to help examine the effectiveness and efficiency of the Outdoor Homelessness Plan and contribute to an updated, edited and improved plan.”

A document presented to all committee members in September 2024, named the following strengths of the Outdoor Homelessness Strategy (summarized here): • A community that cares; • A standalone Metro department dedicated to homeless services; • An increase in resources; and • Outreach.

The same document listed the following areas as challenges and development opportunities: • Discord within the community; • Adequate resources; • Transparency – around the encampment closure prioritization; • Communication: » Between the Office of Homeless Services (OHS) and nonprofit service providers; » Among service providers; » Among OHS, nonprofit service providers and encampment residents; » Between OHS and nonprofit leaders and funders.

• Collaboration: » Between OHS and nonprofit service providers; » Among service providers.

• Coordination: » Between OHS and nonprofit service providers; » Among service providers; » Among OHS, nonprofit service providers and encampment residents.

Looking at this evaluation, what stood out to me is a clear lack of communication, collaboration and coordination. That is essentially the main role of the Office of Homeless Services.

And the way the Office of Homeless Services has announced the closure of Old Tent City shows

May 7 - 21, 2025 | The Contributor | NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE | PAGE 9

that Metro has yet to improve on that front.

For one, the notification of the encampment closure was an orchestrated publicity stunt that was kept a big secret until the day that the notices were handed out to Old Tent City residents. It was such a secret that other Metro departments, including the Metro Nashville Police Department, were not notified. Service providers did not know either.

The fact that Metro departments and service providers, some of whom learned about the closure through media reports, were not notified, shows a clear lack of collaboration and coordination.

Office of Homeless Services leaders had been asked about the closure of Old Tent City in various public meetings since at least July 2024, but refused to provide clear answers. Instead, they claimed that in order to follow a harm-reduction approach, they needed to notify encampment residents first.

However, what Office of Homeless Services leaders clearly do not understand is that they had months in which they had sufficient time to put together a designated collaborative team of Metro and nonprofit outreach specialists and partner with health-care professionals to work with people in Old Tent City on removing barriers to housing and link them with services.

During that time, they should have kept residents and providers informed about the impending closure and let them know what was happening as soon as they had a timeline. Such an approach is recommended by Clutch Consulting, a national group that the Office of Homeless Services says they have worked with.

Instead, being secretive creates chaos and fear among residents. It is the opposite of harm reduction.

Office of Homeless Services leaders like to tout how much Nashville is praised by national leaders for its encampment approach. We all know that these leaders receive their information and talking points from Metro.

My decade of experience at Metro showed me that closing encampments is hard and always controversial, especially when you approach it with a long-term goal in mind. I do not believe that Metro should keep Old Tent City or other encampments open, especially when they have 80 temporary beds that could help move people indoors. The focus should be on building a process that leads to permanent housing — if not directly from an encampment then at least within 90-120 days after leaving an encampment.

I believe with Metro’s $50 million investment, the system that we started building prior to COVID should have been improved enough by now that we could see an actual reduction in overall homelessness in our city.

We all know that under the current federal political climate, things do not look favorable in terms of funding and resources for housing, health care, and homelessness. Consequently, having strong local leadership that understands how to build trust through clear and transparent communication, coordination and collaboration is more important than ever.

Unfortunately, as shown by the example of Old Tent City, we currently don’t have that local leadership in place. In the end, it is up to Mayor Freddie O’Connell to make the changes to strengthen the city’s leadership on homelessness.

COVER STORY

Housing Is Mental Health Care With mental health needs rising, federal cuts threaten vital services — leaving unhoused individuals with fewer paths to recovery and stability

BY AMANDA HAGGARD As the United States faces a growing mental health crisis, a sweeping round of staffing cuts at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has sparked deep concern among leading national mental health and substance use organizations.

In a rare joint statement in early April, 12 prominent advocacy groups warned that the dismantling of critical offices within HHS threatens to unravel years

of progress in suicide prevention, overdose reduction and expanding access to mental health care.

The cuts — which affect key agencies like Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, the Centers for Disease Control and the National Institutes of Health — come at a time when more Americans than ever are seeking mental health support, and when federal leadership is essential to building a sys-

tem that can meet the scale of the need.

Without transparency about the changes or a clear plan for preserving life-saving services, experts fear this moment could mark a dangerous setback in the nation’s response to behavioral health challenges.

National data also shows a troubling connection between mental health and homelessness — one that’s long been understood by health professionals, social workers and advocates, but often over-

May 7 - 21, 2025 | The Contributor | NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE | PAGE 10

looked in broader public conversations.

According to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, an estimated 20 to 25 percent of people experiencing homelessness live with a serious mental illness such as schizophrenia, bipolar disorder or major depression. That’s four to five times higher than in the general population. But the connection isn’t as simple as mental illness causing homelessness.

COVER STORY

Debbie Plotnick is the executive vice president of state and federal advocacy for Mental Health America, a national nonprofit dedicated to the promotion of mental health, well-being, and condition prevention. Plotnick says the experience of homelessness adds to and can sometimes be the cause of homelessness, as well as increases in anxiety, depression and particularly PTSD. “It is a ‘chicken and egg' situation,” Plotnick told The Contributor. “It does not matter if these conditions were present before someone became homeless. But being unhoused is in and of itself very demoralizing, frightening and traumatizing.”

The barriers to care are extensive. For someone without stable housing, keeping a therapy appointment or managing medications can be an uphill battle. Add in trauma, stigma and often criminalization, and the path to recovery becomes even more complicated.

“Depending on where an unhoused person is living there may be more or fewer barriers,” says Plotnick.

“If there are street outreach teams, people can be (if they are willing) more easily connected to services and support. But being unhoused often means that people have lost their identification, which is often the first barrier to obtaining services. Once someone has services, which may include medication, life being unhoused often means medication may be lost or stolen.

And it is very difficult to regularly get to appointments for treatment including obtaining medication. In some locations, street medical services may offer long-action medications, which some people want, some do not.”

SAMHSA emphasizes that the chaos and stress of homelessness worsen existing conditions and increase the risk for new ones. Depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress — these are common in the lives of people sleeping in shelters, cars or other outdoor living spaces like encampments. For many, substance use becomes a form of coping.

“It is very difficult to be ‘clean and sober,’ facing the hardships of being unhoused,” Plotnick says. “Also, for people in recovery, returning to situations where substances

are all around them makes maintaining sobriety harder.”

In recent years, most advocates in the mental health space have advocated for a Housing First approach — an evidence-based model that offers permanent housing with no preconditions, paired with access to voluntary mental health and substance use services, among other services.

The idea is simple but powerful: secure housing first, then work on stability and healing and improved mental health.

“Life on the streets is hard on every aspect of a person’s health,” Plotnick says. “People almost always experience multiple health conditions. If you are sick, in pain, hurt or have chronic medical unmet medical needs, this impacts not only your physical health but worsens people’s mental health conditions.”

The CDC backs this up with data showing that housing instability contributes to higher suicide rates, more hospitalizations, and lower life expectancy. Homelessness is a public health crisis — one where prevention and intervention require sustained funding, cross-agency coordination, and a deep understanding of behavioral health as well as housing interventions.

Plotnick says increasing and maintaining House First policies has already shown to have a tremendous positive impact on people experiencing homelessness, Plotnick says.

“Policies or programs that require a person to be in treatment, or free from substance use disorder leaves people to compound all of their health needs,” she says. “But more than 30 years of research has shown that when people’s most basic needs such as food, and especially a safe place to live are met, then people are highly likely to enter treatment and grow and maintain wellness.”

The recent HHS staffing cuts could potentially derail the very little resources already dedicated toward addressing mental health and the housing crisis.

“These layoffs could undo years of work,” the joint statement reads, “and leave us with fewer tools to fight the overdose epidemic, expand access to treatment and support unhoused individuals with serious mental health needs.”

Upcoming Mental Health Awareness Events

NAMIWalks Middle Tennessee Saturday, May 17 First Horizon Park, 19 Junior Gilliam Way A community walk with the National Alliance on Mental Illness to raise awareness and funds for mental health programs.

Seen In Green: A Night To Shine (Mental Health Gala) Saturday, May 17, Doors Open at 6:30 p.m.

The Chapman Room, 209 Gifford Place An evening featuring keynote speakers, live entertainment, and a silent auction to support mental health advocacy.

W.E.L.L. Wednesday Mental Health Series Wednesday, May 21, 6:45- 8:15 p.m.

Koinonia, 1803 County Hospital Road A series focused on mental health topics, fostering community and wellness.

Women's Mental Health Awareness Event Saturday, May 24, 11 a.m.

Antioch Community Center A community gathering focused on women's mental health, offering resources and support

Mindful Steps for Mindful Care 5K Monday, May 26, 8 a.m.

Shelby Park, Shelby Ave & S 20th St A 5K walk/run to support mental health initiatives and increase access to care.

May 7 - 21, 2025 | The Contributor | NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE | PAGE 11

406 11th Avenue North, Suite 200, Nashville, TN 37203 visit BartDurham.com • call 615.242.9000

Let Our Family Fight For Yours.

Over 75 Years of Combined Experience.

May 7 - 21, 2025 | The Contributor | NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE | PAGE 12

VENDOR WRITING

We've Tried Everything to Get Matthew Home

BY K ATIE B., CONTRIBUTOR VENDOR

My sister passed away on Aug. 21 last year. Her 11 year old son, Matthew*, was in DCS custody when she passed away. My mother tried to get custody, but DCS told her that they were trying to adopt him out instead of placing him back with his family.

Our family is working with a lawyer and trying every avenue to get Matthew back. My mom drives to Memphis every two weeks to visit him in the behavior health clinic where they placed him. The last time she visited, she said Matthew physically attached himself to her leg and begged for her to take him home.

They only let her visit in person for one hour,

so she talks to him on the phone as much as she can. Even his counselor at the facility knows that he needs to be home with us. It seems like everyone feels that way besides the DCS casework and the lawyer.

We’ve had custody hearings where the judge didn’t even understand the situation.

The judge said my mom had to fight it out with DCS and DCS said she had no rights at all so they couldn’t return him to her. She feels like the lawyers are just playing games with her. We have another hearing at the end of May and are hoping for a different outcome.

My mom has contacted the news, the mayor and even the governor for help with this, but nobody seems to do anything. Matthew has been away from home for a year now. He’s dealing with puberty, the loss of his mom and his dad has never been in his life.

My mom has been in Matthew’s life since the day he was born. When he was taken from my sister’s home, DCS told us they could place him with a family member, but they always found something wrong with each family member that offered to take him. I have no criminal history and I’m in stable housing, but because I lived in the same

*Named changed to protect privacy.

kids corner

Car Harm

BY FREE PRESS GMA., CONTRIBUTOR VENDOR • Parking lots cause inaccessibility, heat sinks, pedestrian hazards. Vast acreage of parking lot stand between a person and their amenities.

• Cars take up needed space for farming, housing and recreation.

• Vehicle assaults, road rage and drunk driving are all purely because of the existence of the private car.

• Pollution from cars kills 370,000 people per year.

• Noise pollution erodes mammalian (that includes you) mental well being, disrupting mating and sleep patterns of native birds and other animals.

• Car crashes kill 700 children per day.

• Sedentary travel causes diabetes, morbidity, insensitivity to pedestrians, animals, plants.

• Impervious surfaces increase flooding, drought, lowered water tables.

• Automobility causes 1 in 34 deaths.

• Since the inception of the private automobile, 60- 80 million people have had their lives cut short by a car.

By comparison, 90 million Native Americans were killed by the Cortez campaign. Nine million Jews murdered by the Nazis.

• Automobility is one of the leading

building as my sister, I wasn’t approved. She has an aunt that lives in a different building who said she’d take Matthew, but she was deemed “too old” by DCS. Even when family passed background checks, DCS would find a reason why they were disqualified.

I lost my own son for a year to DCS by being homeless. Within a week of that happening, I found a place to live, but they still sent him to a boys home and it changed him completely. I see the same thing happening to Matthew. It affects these kids.

causes of climate change- 23% of global emissions. Yet there are only 16 cars per 100 people on the planet, and a tiny percent of that 16% actually owns a private car.

• Everyone, plus animals and plants, even remote dwellers in car free areas, are harmed by cars.

• As usual, Americans are the biggest culprits. The car itself could be said to be causing the lackadaisical response to the environmental crisisin the United States.

• Cars have been sold to us as sexy and serviceable. In reality they are the product of corporations outsourcing their costs to the public. If corporations had invested in solutions that work for their workers, including locating themselves on convenient train routes and bus routes, for instance, or ensuring that they placed themselves in a live work neighborhood, or paying for peoples transportation, as part of the cost of getting them to work• If we had spent as much on public transportation as we do on cars, we would have a system that rivals anywhere in the universe.

May 7 - 21, 2025 | The Contributor | NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE | PAGE 13

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

Mayo

Newspaper Nashville

www.hispanicpaper.com

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

Año 23 - No. 413

Nashville, Tennessee

Vaticano: “El Obispo de Roma, Francisco, regresó a la casa del Padre.”

El lunes de Pascua, 21 de abril de 2025, el mundo perdió no solo al líder de la Iglesia Católica, sino a un pastor que se atrevió a recordarnos que la misericordia, la humildad y Por Yuri Cunza la justicia son las Editor in Chief expresiones más @LaNoticiaNews verdaderas de la fe. El Papa Francisco, nacido Jorge Mario Bergoglio, falleció a los 88 años en la sencillez de su residencia en la Casa Santa Marta, lejos de la pompa del Vaticano y exactamente como vivió: con humildad, intención y cercanía al pueblo.

El Cardenal Kevin Farrell, Camarlengo de la Santa Iglesia Romana, expresó en su anuncio: “Toda su vida estuvo dedicada al servicio del Señor y de su Iglesia.” Y ese servicio, bajo su pontificado, fue profundamente transformador.

Francisco hizo de la Iglesia no un tribunal de condena, sino un refugio para los heridos, los olvidados, los pobres. Su visión no fue la de una institución encerrada en la doctrina, sino impulsada por la compasión.

Fue el primer Papa de América, el primer jesuita y el primero en tomar el nombre de Francisco, en honor a San Francisco de Asís, patrono de los pobres y de la creación. Estos “primeros” no fueron meras coincidencias, sino señales proféticas.

Desde el inicio de su pontificado en 2013, sorprendió al mundo al rechazar los lujos del Palacio Apostólico,

Por decisión suya, aprobada en 2024, sus funerales seguirán un rito renovado, más sencillo, centrado en la esperanza cristiana de la resurrección. El arzobispo Diego Ravelli explicó que el nuevo rito busca mostrar al Papa como “pastor y discípulo de Cristo, no como un poderoso de este mundo”. Ese contraste resume su legado: Francisco fue un servidor, no un soberano.

Source: Vatican News Pope Francis hugs a young boy during his weekly General Audience on August 17, 2022 (Source: Vatican News)

pagar su cuenta de hotel y pedir a la multitud en la Plaza de San Pedro que orara por él antes de darles su bendición.

Su liderazgo fue pastoral, no imperial. Ante desafíos globales —desde la migración y la desigualdad hasta el cambio climático y los abusos en la Iglesia— no se escondió. Se acercó.

Sus encíclicas, como Laudato Si’ sobre el cuidado del planeta, y Fratelli Tutti sobre la fraternidad humana, no fueron tratados teológicos, sino llamados a la conciencia.

Abrazó a musulmanes, judíos, agnósticos. Besó los pies de migrantes, visitó cárceles, lavó los pies de mujeres y discapacitados en Jueves Santo.

Algunos lo acusaron de ser demasiado político. Pero Francisco no hablaba como un político; hablaba como pastor. Y los pastores conocen las heridas de su rebaño. Señaló los

excesos del sistema económico, criticó la industria armamentista y llamó al mundo a acoger al migrante como a un hermano. No solo predicó el Evangelio. Lo vivió.

Incluso en su fragilidad física fue testimonio de fortaleza. Habiendo perdido parte de un pulmón en su juventud, y sufriendo repetidas afecciones respiratorias en sus últimos años, nunca dejó de servir. Su hospitalización en febrero de 2025, y su posterior recuperación en el Vaticano, mostraron una voluntad inquebrantable de seguir siendo pastor hasta el final.

Murió en la octava de Pascua, tiempo de Resurrección. Una coincidencia cargada de simbolismo. Pareciera que la Providencia le concedió ese último acto: partir al Padre justo cuando la Iglesia proclama “¡Ha resucitado!”

Mientras los cardenales se preparan para elegir a su sucesor, el mundo queda con su ejemplo moral: no perfecto, pero fiel. No omnipotente, pero profundamente humano. Un Papa que eligió la pobreza evangélica sobre el poder terrenal.

Francisco decía que la Iglesia debía ser como un hospital de campaña tras la batalla, donde primero se curan las heridas. Él nunca dejó de curarlas. Más allá de la religión, su mensaje fue universal: la misericordia guía a la justicia, el amor vence al miedo, y la paz se construye con las manos, no solo con discursos.

Mientras su cuerpo reposa en la Basílica de San Pedro y los fieles acuden a despedirlo, el mundo despide no solo a un pontífice, sino a un profeta de nuestro tiempo. Y quizás, en el silencio, volvamos a oír su voz preguntando: “¿Quién soy yo para juzgar?”

Que al recordar a Francisco, no lo hagamos solo con homenajes.

Atrevámonos a vivir la misericordia que predicó.

Envíenos sus sugerencias por e-mail: news@hispanicpaper.com ó 615-582-3757 Source: La Noticia Newspaper Nashville

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

The flag at the Cathedral of the Incarnation in Nashville at half-staff honoring the passing of Pope Francis.

May 7 - 21, 2025 | The Contributor | NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE | PAGE 14

VENDOR WRITING

Music News From Down On The Corner

BY NORMA B., CONTRIBUTOR VENDOR

“”Many of my readers know I LOVE ALL KINDS of music. Occasionally people roll down their windows to share what they’re listening to with me, especially if my radio isn’t playing.

Every now and then someone will try to stump me with a song they are certain I won’t know the lyrics to. It’s a game kind of like Name That Tune. One of my favorites who did this was a group of guys I called the Georgia Lineman. They came through my line regularly to work on the Google Fiber line. They’d roll down the window and if I knew the song they were playing they’d all pitch in and buy a paper. If I knew the artist, or could link it to a movie, that was like the bonus round, which usually meant I got a bigger tip. It was fun! Though it didn’t happen very often, every now and then they’d win.

Even kids have asked me about a song or two and I had to admit I didn’t have a clue what they were talking about. One example of this is Peaches by Jack Black from the Super Mario Bros. Movie. The kid asked if I knew it, and I was totally lost. He even played part of it for me, still lost, he settled for a song from The Lion King instead, and I came home and watched the Super Mario Bros. Movie so I’d be better prepared next time he came through my line.

Most recently a country fella in a pickup truck and a cool cowboy hat all the way from Texas found himself stuck in my line.

(There was an accident so nobody was going

anywhere for a while.) He rolled down his window and said, “I see you out here singin’ all the time, but I’ll bet you don’t know this one,” and he began to play Don’t Call Him A Cowboy by Conway Twitty.

I smiled and said, “You must be new in the neighborhood,” and I chimed right in, and started singing. I knew every word!

At first he was surprised, that is until I told him I was raised on country music from people like Conway Twitty and Loretta Lynn.

I added, “I consider Sumner County home, and that’s where the former Twitty City is located,”(that was Conway’s home for many years). “I performed there many times with my school choir. I even did a story on it in The Contributor when they were planning to demolish it. So if you’re going to try to play a song I don’t know, you’re gonna have to try something other than Conway Twitty, sir.”

Although he didn’t buy a paper that day (I didn’t have the one about Twitty City in my bag at the time, but I did offer to get a copy for him), he said: “I’ll think about it.”

I’m going to go through my older issues at home to see if I have one. If not, I’ll pick one up at the office so I’ll have it just in case he stops by again.

Even If he doesn’t, I consider it a positive experience. As I’ve ALWAYS said, “It’s all about the connections you make,” and I KNOW a connection was made that day!

On another occasion recently, a guy was stopped right in front of as me as I was sit-

ting in my chair listening to an old Casey Kasum countdown from 1979 on Hippie Radio (that’s 94.5 on your FM dial for anyone who’d like to check it out) compliments of another customer who turned me on to it.

The song that was playing got his attention. It was Reunited by Peaches & Herb. He pulled into the parking lot and told me that it was appropriate ‘cuz he hadn’t seen me in over a year! I said well, where have you been, ‘cuz I’ve been here! He didn’t answer my question, instead he asked if I could start it over. I said no, unfortunately I can’t this is actually part of a pre-recorded radio show.

He then pulled out his phone and asked if I’d sing it, if he played it. I said sure I’ll give it a try. (I had done it in karaoke with some friends of mine before.) I asked if he’d like to sing along, it is a duet after all, but again he didn’t answer my question.

I started to sing and at just the right moment he chimed in! At first, I was shocked.

Usually when I ask a customer if they want to sing along they say no, you go ahead, and he didn’t say ANYTHING, but he sure could sing!

He said: “You haven’t changed a bit!”

I said I don’t know about that, I’m DEFINITELY getting older, and my voice isn’t as reliable as it once was. Thankfully it was working that day.

I think it’s safe to say we BOTH had a good time. After a nice visit and some much needed catchin’ up, he bought a few papers and then he was gone.

The last incident I will mention here was someone who was stopped in my line as I was sitting in my chair. Many are aware I’m listening to music, it helps the time pass quicker especially if people aren’t stopping.

If I am sitting in my chair I’ll often gesture and some can identify the song by the time they get to me. One day as I was listening to Love Can Build A Bridge by the Judds. The song lyrics say in part, “Love can build a bridge,” (when that line comes up I point to the sidewalk-it’s kind of a bridge) “between your heart and mine” (I point at them, then to my heart) “don’t you think it’s time” (I point to my wrist, by now hopefully you get the idea). Well, I have a hat that says LOVE in multicolored stones, and each time they sing “love” in the song I point to the hat.

(I’m also known for wearing hats.) One day a young man rolls down his window and says ever so politely, “You’re wearing the wrong hat for that song,” but he went on to say, “I’m gonna help you out.” He then cranked up We Are the Champions by Queen. At first, I was confused until he pointed to my hat. I took it off then I understood. I was actually wearing my QUEEN hat. Both are denim and both have bling so it was an easy mistake to make, or maybe I was just in a hurry that day and wasn’t paying attention, but one thing’s for certain — he was!

That’s all for now, so until next time just keep reading and listening to music — I will end on that note!

Op-Ed: Cancer on the Streets

BY LIYU HUANG., CONTRIBUTOR VOLUNTEER COORDINATOR

Cancer is a disease that waits for no one, so when the hospital kept pushing back a patient’s appointment, I became confused and worried. The day he finally came in, I found him sitting in the clinic room alone, and without thinking I asked, “No friends or family with you today?” I caught a glint of shame in his eyes right before his head drooped, and he said “I’m homeless.”

I profusely apologized for my thoughtless question, but he chuckled and said it was fine. He had family in the area, but they’d cut ties with him — and remained distant even upon hearing he’d been diagnosed with cancer. “Nearly every family around the world is affected by cancer,” according to data from the World Health Organization, but what happens when your family doesn’t care? I’ve learned that cancer is a battle that can’t be fought alone. I’ve grown accustomed to seeing spouses, parents, children, siblings and friends accompany patients to doctor’s appointments or radiation treatment.

Whether chauffeurs for the day, designated notetakers or emotional support,

they’re vital for patients’ treatment and, hopefully, recovery. Yet, many people who are unhoused have little to no family support. And with cancer ranking as the second-highest cause of premature death among our homeless neighbors, who is there for them?

I spoke with Brian Wolz, a vendor who has been with The Contributor for the last 15 years. He said he used to be very sociable. He was the type of person who would get up early to go to paper release meetings. He enjoyed selling the paper outdoors. But after years of UV exposure with little to no sunscreen use, he was diagnosed with melanoma, the most aggressive form of skin cancer. It invaded his nerves, blood vessels and bones, requiring him to undergo radiation therapy.

Brian needed a means of transport to the TriStar Centennial Medical Center every day for a month to receive treatment. He was no longer able to sell the paper, making it hard to pay his bills. Our community here at The Contributor stepped in and set up a GoFundMe page for him. They made

sure he received proper wound care and access to treatments and physical therapy. Through The Contributor, Brian found not only a source of income but also a community that has been there for him through the highs and lows of his cancer journey.

Brian’s story highlights the importance of support in cancer care, but it also demonstrates that support doesn’t only come from family, especially for those who are homeless or have experienced homelessness. For Brian and countless others battling health issues, community organizations serve as a source of humanity and connection.

Beyond The Contributor, organizations like Village at Glencliff and Room in the Inn offer shelter, People Loving Nashville and The Beat provide meals and Shower the People and Nashville Street Barbers aid with maintaining hygiene. Together, these form a vital network in Middle Tennessee that directly supports and maintains the health of our homeless neighbors. In addition, these programs unite people willing to help each other and be there for one

May 7 - 21, 2025 | The Contributor | NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE | PAGE 15

another, creating a family forged not by blood but by interdependence and resilience.

Indeed, there are people like Vanderbilt University Medical Center’s (VUMC) Homeless Health Services team who provide vital medical care for the unhoused. But I’ve seen first-hand the power and impact created through the partnership between VUMC Homeless Health Services and The Contributor, which together address both the physical and emotional burdens of disease. In Brian’s words, cancer is a disease that “plays heavy on your mind.” Even when the physical battle is won, the ongoing emotional battle lingers — one that can only be fought with human support and empathy.

As cancer emerges as the leading cause of premature death in 57 countries and counting, we need to fund and support not only cancer research and treatment but also community organizations. These organizations create the unconditional love and support only a chosen family can provide, because the will to fight cancer is half the war itself.

FUN

HOBOSCOPES GEMINI

I’ll be right with you, Gemini, but first I need to figure out who keeps putting these needles in my haystack. This is the sixth one this week. They probably think I won’t find them, and I guess it’s possible I’ve missed one or two. But, as you know, I pay a great deal of attention to what goes into my haystack and these needles make me mistrust this entire process. Now I’m worried that finding the person who’s doing this will be like … I can’t think of an adequate metaphor, Gemini, but it will come to me. Try to keep your eyes on the big picture this week, Gemini.

I’ll be sorting my haystack.

CANCER

I try not to drink coffee past 3 p.m. I just know that when I have a bad night’s sleep I can usually trace it back to a late afternoon espresso. Of course, today’s different. I mean, I need it today. I’ve got all these horoscopes to write and I can’t be nodding off before I even get to Aquarius. Lucky for you, Cancer, I’m wide awake right now. And I can see that you’ll be looking for a good balance of work and rest. Just trust that whenever you get too much of one, it won’t be long till it balances with the other.

LEO

There was just the one water fountain by the back door to the playground. And after we all spent a hot afternoon playing tetherball or four-square, we’d all line up at that water fountain — sweaty and out of breath. And as each kid’s turn came, the PE teacher would count gulps. 1,2,3 … up to 10. That was all you got. We had a line to get through after all. And here I am 40 years later and whenever I’m extra worn out and thirsty and I start to pound a glass of cold water I realize that I’m counting the gulps and when I get to 10 I stop. And I wonder, Leo, what things you’re doing just because you used to do them that way.

VIRGO

My dad used to tell me “Son, always keep three things in your pocket.” You might expect that this would be followed by a list of three things like “some cash, a stick of gum, and a paperclip” or “your keys, a pocket knife, and a copy of the Constitution.” But my dad never really got that into specifics. I think he just wanted to make sure I was prepared for whatever I needed and he knew that he couldn’t guess what that was. So I pass that advice on to you, Virgo. Find what you need and hang on to it. Keep it at the ready. Three things. Today I’ve got my headphones, a harmonica and a post-it note that says “call your dad” on it.

LIBRA

Alright, Libra, we’re excited and ready for your presentation! If you could go ahead and connect to the network you should be able to share your screen with the projector. Oh, I see. So you brought a USB drive with everything on it? We might be able to plug that … oh you mean you brought, like, a CD with your files? I mean, our IT guy might have an old drive that still takes … Oh, no, Libra. That’s just a piece of orange construction paper where you’ve written “Make Bigger Money!” and surrounded it with dollar signs. You may be a little behind the times, but your ideas are still unarguably great. Stand up there and show us what you’ve got.

SCORPIO

When I want to feel more like Superman, I just dramatically take my glasses off while I square my shoulders and step forward dramatically. But it’s not really doing the trick anymore, Scorpio. I even tried wearing a second pair of glasses under my first pair and taking them off in dramatic succession.

Somehow I still just feel like a boring old Clark Kent. It reminds me, Scorpio, that even when we’re not feeling super, we’ve still got what it takes to do what we need to do today. If the cape isn’t helping, go ahead and unfasten it. It might even be what’s slowing you down.

SAGITTA R IUS

A friend of mine was complaining about the “current culture of instant offense.” He says everybody just walks around looking for any reason to get their feelings hurt and then hold it against the offender forever. Now I know this particular friend can be pretty sensitive, so I was careful when I asked who he had offended. Then I asked if he had apologized or just made excuses. He said “But I was only joking!” (Then I apologized because I know that “only joking” is very important to his identity.) And then I asked what it would cost him to just say he was sorry without making excuses. And how scary did it sound to ask that person how he could do better in the future. He said he could try. And I guess I can try too.

We’re better when we’re trying, Sagittarius.

CAPRICORN

Do you think this is going to be more of a local anesthetic situation or would you like to be put all the way under? I know you’ve been in some pain lately, Capricorn, and I know the easiest thing is often to turn it all the way off in whatever way you can. I’m more of a local guy, I’ll just ignore the part where the pain lives. But I think there’s an even better way to get through some of this, Capricorn. And I’m afraid it involves going un-numbed. Just try looking right at that pain. Notice exactly what it feels like. Where are the edges? Notice where it stops. Describe it to yourself as specifically as you can.

I think you’re going to make it through this.

AQUA RIUS

A recent study showed that 80 percent of Aquarians think of themselves as at least 25 percent more concerned with the truth than 60 percent of Libras. That’s why I’m sure you’ll be disappointed to hear that that’s a statistic I just made up.

Somehow it feels true, though, doesn’t it? And it’s good to remember that most people believe that they’re interested in the truth. And just about everybody is ready to fall for made up statistics as long as they reinforce what we already think. 75 percent of ameteur astrologers think you can be more cautious about what statistics you believe this week.

(And, no, I can’t tell you how I answered that survey.)

PISCES

People used to tell me that the older they got, the less they cared about what everybody else thinks of them. That hasn’t really been my experience, Pisces. Maybe I’ve just got some personal work to do, but the older I get the more worried I am that I’m disappointing everyone. But maybe I’m just assigning my own feelings about myself to other people who aren’t thinking about me much at all? Thanks for helping me think this through, Pisces. I hope you’re not disappointed that I didn’t have much astrological wisdom for you. But maybe I’m not too worried about it.

ARIES

These new noise cancelling headphones were expensive, but they’re great! Whenever I’m trying to work I get so overwhelmed by the noise from my fridge and my fish tank and the train down the street and then I pop these things in and shhhwow, it’s just all gone. So I asked the guy at the headphone store if they make these for brains. Like just something I could pop in there to stop all those unwanted and distracting thoughts that pull me away from the moment I’m in. He said the best solution he’s found isn’t blocking out the thoughts, it’s acknowledging them. Whenever Headphone Store Guy has a thought jump up that he doesn’t want or like, he just says “Oh, wow. A thought.”

And then it’s easier to let them go. He gave me that for free!

TAURUS

If there’s one person I’m jealous of, Taurus, it’s the lady at the desk on the 9 o’clock news.

Not because of her perfectly sculpted hair or her unmoving, lint-free, solid-blue blouse. Those things are great, but I’m mostly just jealous of the teleprompter.

She doesn’t have to think about what to say next because it’s right there on the screen. She can confidently look into the camera and know that the words she’s choosing are exactly the ones she’s supposed to say. We don’t have that advantage, Taurus. But I think we should talk anyway. Even if it’s awkward and we sometimes pick the wrong words or even the wrong ideas altogether. I think we can just look into each other’s eyes and say whatever comes up.

Mr. Mysterio is not a licensed astrologer, a registered news anchor, or a certified anesthesiologist. Listen to the Mr. Mysterio podcast at mrmysterio.com Or just give him a call at 707-VHS-TAN1.

May 7 - 21, 2025 | The Contributor | NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE | PAGE 16

VENDOR WRITING

Black and White

Four Phases of the Trees

BY MARK N., CONTRIBUTOR VENDOR

I really enjoyed writing this article. Black and white, and yes, I’m writing about the skin color of people, and not trying to satisfy no one. At this point, folks may think, here we go again, about the past get over it.

Others may think, another sell out, saying what folks want to hear. Or, is he a good one? Others, is he one of us? Maybe pull up your boot straps, and if I had boots, I would. The awareness is so profane and ingrained in the minds of Americans. Reading these sentences one can put a skin tone and face, to them.

And let’s not forget the big one, Christ is Black, no he’s white.

What I have learned over the years, this is taught to most youths for decades. Why do I make this statement, that in reality, consciously or unconsciously, racism is accepted? It’s

BY JAMES "SHORT Y" R., CONTRIBUTOR VENDOR

very simple, with not a lot of studying and researching. God made man and then man made the races. I’m not naive. I know the difference between people, not going into a deep study, because the Word of God states, “Study to shew thyself approved unto God,” and, “Come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean things: and I will receive you.” Another verse says, “The truth will set you free, for God is not the author of confusion, but of peace, as in all churches of the Saints.” In conclusion, if you are a person that believes you are a supreme being, that’s on you. On the other hand, if you feel a certain negative emotional way about, a person that believes they are better than you, I would check my confidence levels, and raise them a little.

The trees bloom in the Springtime.

You can see the birds building their nest in the middle of it. The squirrels are chasing each other from bottom to top or top to bottom. The trees are starting to dress again. They've been bare.

It’s Summertime now and they’re

completely dressed. People like reading a book under them to relax or having a picnic under them. Personally, I enjoy a good nap under them. Oh! Yeah let’s don’t forget the kids. They love climbing them.

“Summer Breeze makes me feel fine." It’s Fall now. The tree leaves are

colorful. Oh! How I love the colors red, orange, brown. Now the wind is breezy and it blows the leaves everywhere.

Guess what? It’s Wintertime. Now, the tree is bare. Now the wind is chilly and cold and I have a chill. Now, I would like to think, they go for a long nap until next year.

For The Love of Money

BY JOHN H., CONTRIBUTOR VENDOR

God says in the Bible, “For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil.”

Some people eager for money, have wondered from the faith. Many times you may be riding down the street and see a person panhandling and we pass them up, not knowing what they might be going through. We must start having a heart and give. You’re not responsible for what sin he may commit. We are just responsible for

obeying God’s word.

In Deuteronomy 15:10, God says, “Give to him, and don’t have a stingy heart when you give, and because of this the lord your God will bless you in all your work and in everything you do. For there will never cease to be poor people in your land, that is why I’m commanding you.”

Ya see, we see the poor and we look down on them, we hate, we

mistreat them. It’s not right. Back in Moses’s day there were people they called beggars. In this day, we call them panhandlers. Lazarus was abetter. He ended up in heaven and the rich man went to Hell. People, don’t end up like the Rich man. Don’t let money stop you from being the person God wants you to be. We must love our neighbors regardless of the situation in life.

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MOVING PICTURES

The Surfer rides a wave of psycho-social madness at The Belcourt

BY JOE NOLAN, FILM CRITIC

Lorcan Finnegan’s new Nicolas Cage thriller, The Surfer, premiered at Cannes last spring but it only hit American theater screens on May 1. I love surfing and surfing films and this movie has a retro score, lots of footage of sundrenched waves crashing on pristine sandy shores and a good dose of water and wax philosophizing about harmony and nature, wind, sun and balance. Like any good surf film, The Surfer delivers the goods, and fans of Endless Summer, Point Break, and Big Wednesday will feel right at home scanning the horizons with Finnegan. Of course, this is also a Nicolas Cage movie, and you might guess that The Surfer’s good vibes are as temporary as the tides.

Finnegan is an Irish filmmaker. His movie Vivarium premiered at Cannes in 2019, and the horror/science fiction film about raising a family in a suburban dystopia was hard to enjoy when it was part of the first wave of films that opted for limited theatrical releases and same-

day home streaming in the early days of the pandemic in the spring of 2020. At first blush that film has little in common with The Surfer, but both movies demonstrate Finnegan’s flare for disturbing tones and striking visuals. The Surfer also shares Vivarium’s unexpected turns and themes of deceiving appearances.

Thomas Martin’s script manages to pay homage to the surf genre trope of bullies-at-the-beach, while also delivering a story about a middle-aged man trying to bridge the gap between his childhood and his own son whom he’s co-parenting with his ex-wife. Beach Blanket Bingo (1965) is a sandy slap-stick musical with the Rat Pack motorcycle gang providing comic relief. Martin makes the bad guys mean and dangerous, and manages to deliver a tense thriller about masculinity and family, and the moral fabric of society that’s more Peckinpah than Panama Jack.

The Surfer pulls his teenage son out of school for a day to take him surfing

at Luna Beach. The unnamed wave-rider grew up on the Australian beach and he’s about to close a deal to buy back his old family home on the cliffs overlooking the water. But when father and son take to the sand, they’re greeted by a band of hostile surfers who threaten them and tell them the beach is for locals only.

I was reminded of the struggles over public spaces we’ve had in Nashville.

When The Surfer’s closing on the house becomes a prolonged bidding war he starts living in his luxury Lexus in the parking lot above the beach. There’s a concession stand where The Surfer pays for coffee using his phone. The conversations with his realtor are packed with zeros. Things seem like they might work out until his board gets stolen and a dead car battery finds The Surfer stranded in the parking lot where he befriends another man who is living out of a car.

Finnegan’s film’s flashier flourishes recall the Australian New Wave and director Nicolas Roeg. The Surfer revels

May 7 - 21, 2025 | The Contributor | NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE | PAGE 19

in paying homage to movies like Walkabout, with Finnegan using flash-forwards and flashbacks, zooming shots and retro music cues to follow his title character through a personal meltdown.

The Surfer should also be added to the New Folk Horror discussion it’s got cults, an alluring natural landscape; and an isolated outsider who seems unable to resist the pull of the place.

Cage is very good here, making measured choices and letting Finnegan’s surreal editing — along with attentive makeup and costume departments — do a lot of the talking for the troubled Surfer. It’s a great collaboration here between the actor, writer and director. A smart, fun, haunted genre gem.

The Surfer is at The Belcourt Theatre

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