East Nashvillian Issue 08 by The East Nashvillian

Vol. 2, Issue 2 SNovember/December 2011

A Celebration of Home In Lockeland Springs

TABLE OF CONTENTS Lisa McCauley Editor Chuck Allen Associate Editor Daryl Sanders Art Direction Daddy D Design Dean Tomasek Ad Design Jeff Stamper Contributing Writers Helen Gaye Brewster Elizabeth Chauncey Julie Duemler Willow Fort Liz Jungers Hughes Eric Jans Carole Anne King Theresa Laurence Contributing Photographers Chuck Allen Adrian “cookie” Budnick Micah Caputo Elizabeth Endicott Stacie Huckeba Advertising Contact: Lisa McCauley lisa@theeastnashvillian.com 615-582-4187 www.theeastnashvillian.com © 2011 Kitchen Table Media, LLC The East Nashvillian is published bimonthly by Kitchen Table Me-

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Mike Jameson Leaves council with rich legacy By Eric Jans Election recap Davis, Westerholm win runoff races By Eric Jans Art in motion Tattoos in East Nashville By Willow Fort The Saga of Sugar Babe One dog’s not-so-excellent adventure By elizabeth Chauncey Special Section: A Celebration of Home 33rd edition of annual Lockeland Springs home tour By Robbie Jones and Melanie Meadows Is it good? Big Fella and the fat approach to food By Liz Jungers Hughes Christmas Fest Get in the spirit of the season By Helen Gaye Brewster Fannie Battle’s ‘Caroling for Kids’ Helps nurture children, empower families By Theresa Laurence The Eastwood Ensemble Mixes chamber music with community service By Julie Duemler New businesses abound in the hood Coffee, ice cream, pizza and more. By Carole Anne King Parting Shot Sounds like East Nashville spirit By Stacie Huckeba

Cover illustration by Dean Tomasek

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Publisher

9 10 13 17 19 35 39 41 42 45 50

Cover illustration by Dean Tomasek

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Publisher

LETTER FROM THE EDITOR “You could not step twice into the same river; for other waters are ever flowing on to you.” — Heraclitus “Then you better start swimmin’ or you’ll sink like a stone, for the times they are a-changin’.”— Dylan It is perhaps natural for humans to resist change, for we all know what the ultimate outcome of change is for the vessel of our spirit. Fear of change is at its most basic level a fear of the unknown. Yet in spite of our resistance change persists. On a less esoteric level, although one potentially fraught with contention, is change within a community. I’ve always enjoyed wandering the streets of Nashville, and part of that enjoyment comes from finding appreciation for works completed long before I was born. From this springs an appreciation for contemporary works that will remain long after I’m gone. The inevitable byproduct of this is a disdain for the mundane. Whether it be architecture or civil engineering, we all seem to have an innate sensibility regarding the beauty, or lack thereof, of man’s achievements. Cases in point: I enjoy the fact that the Shelby Street Bridge was transformed into a pedestrian bridge, with its wonderful vistas of downtown and the Cumberland River. Just up river I find the Gateway Bridge to be beautiful in its graceful simplicity. Next comes the interstate. Not one of TDOT’s prouder moments. Three interstates coming together to cross a river in an interchange which seems to have been designed on a cocktail napkin after a long night at the bar. On the architectural front we have the homes featured in this issue’s cover story. Many of them completed well before I began this life’s wanderings — The Masonic Lodge being a notable exception — and all possessing that trait which one might call “beautiful.” Even so, change has happened to these homes; without care and feeding and the occasional renovation they would inevitably deteriorate. As you may well remember the many of our architectural treasures were in dire need of some TLC prior to the tornado in ’98. I would imagine the facelift that has occurred in the years since can truly be described as “change we can believe in.” In contrast to this does anyone think the current cookie cutter big box stores and fast food restaurants will ever be looked upon as renovation worthy? I rest my case.

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For me it’s not so much the inevitability of change that’s a cause for concern, but rather, the type of change. I look forward to our new council members continuing the style of community participation that was the hallmark of Mike Jameson’s tenure as our council member from District 6. One important issue in the near future will be the status of home businesses in general and home recording studios in particular. I come from the recording studio world and know firsthand the enormous costs of running a commercial facility. There’s been a revolution of sorts in the music business, and record budgets have plummeted to a fraction of what they once were. Ironically, just as the personal computer became the major weapon in the demise of the music business, so too has it allowed artists to make records on smaller budgets. This is but one of the many challenges facing our freshly minted representatives on the Metro Council. Stay tuned and stay active if you care to participate in the changes that are inevitably on the way I’ve heard it said that democracy is messy. Given the state of flux we are in at present, I find it hard to disagree. It’s easy to get wrapped up in the now, and when I do I try to evoke the feeling of appreciation I feel when I’m admiring the beauty of something created by those who went before me, or something that will be here long after I’m gone. If we approach the change in our community this way, then, maybe, one day after we’ve all passed on, someone will be doing their own wandering through the neighborhood, appreciating us. Chuck Allen chuck@theeastnashvillian.com

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leaves council with rich legacy of service By Eric Jans

Photo by Stacie Huckeba

fter serving eight years on the Metro council from East Nashville’s District 6, Mike Jameson has done his time and has passed the torch to Peter Westerholm. He hands over the responsibility to serve a vibrant community he helped build, a community filled with budding businesses, active neighborhood associations, dog walkers, new parents pushing strollers, and packs of roving joggers. But it wasn’t always so. When Jameson moved to East Nashville in 1990, things were vastly different. “There was sort of a bunker mentality, neighborhood associations didn’t like holding their meetings at night because people didn’t want to come out in the dark,” he recalls. “There was really only one place to eat, The Knife and Fork. But since then, the neighborhood has done a 180. Now you can’t find a place to park at some of the establishments and you see baby strollers everywhere.” Besides the aftereffects of the ’98 tornado, one area where he attributes the change is the revamp of Lockeland Design Center. “It’s turned into an attractive place for parents and has effectively changed the land-

scape of the neighborhood,” he says. What is the secret to Jameson’s success?, “Mike took office at the emergence of extraordinary growth in East Nashville, when our future as an urban neighborhood was still anyone’s guess,” neighborhood activist Catherine McTamaney says. “Because Mike was both immediately responsive and deliberative in his responses, a diplomacy that helped to focus a lot of different interests, and more importantly, created an expectation that this was a neighborhood that rewarded your involvement. He helped establish a culture of engagement that’s likely to define East Nashville for years to come.” Highs and lows Besides working with the unique set of needs in District 6, his proudest achievements have been his various efforts to bring “genuine environmentalism” to the council. This included a LEED Certification bill, work with impervious surfaces and storm water legislation, and streamlining green permits. Also, he says he is glad to have been successful in rooting out rules that favored the “Good Ole Boys Club.” When

So what’s next? After leaving the council, Jameson planned to go back to work as a litigator at North, Pursell, Ramos and Jameson, PLC. “I have clients who have been extremely patient with me over the years,” he says. He also was selected this year for Leadership Nashville, an exclusive executive leadership program that chooses 40 community leaders yearly to participate in their nine-month program. And recently he was asked to write a column for the Nashville Scene, sort of an insider’s view of local government But his stint on the civic sidelines was brief. In October, he announced he will be running for the recently vacated judgeship in the Davidson County General Sessions court, replacing Judge Leon Ruben who recently passed away. The vacancy will be filled by the Metro council and likely will be voted on at the second council meeting in November. Looking back on his time on the council, Jameson says he is “incredibly glad” he was able to serve East Nashville over the last eight years. And East Nashville is incredibly glad — and grateful too.

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MIKE JAMESON

he started eight years ago, there were still many laws on the books that were written to protect incumbent officials and Jameson was able to get many of those issues resolved successfully. Recently, Jameson worked on a bill that became controversial — the home-based business bill. A constituent brought to his attention that her home-based business was technically illegal. Looking into it further, he realized that possibly 13,000 other home-based businesses, including the untold number of Nashville home studios, were possibly illegal if there were clients coming into the home to do business. Mike researched and found that other cities had addressed it effectively and he tried to come up with something that fixed the problem. “We had 11 public meetings about it,” Jameson says. But it was largely misunderstood — some people even asked why he wanted to put home studios out of business, which was the opposite of what he was trying to do. He left for vacation and returned to find effective opposition to the bill, too near the end of his term to work it out successfully. He hopes someone will fix it in the future. “Seattle passed it two days after it failed here,” he says.

leaves council with rich legacy of service By Eric Jans

Photo by Stacie Huckeba

www.theeastnashvillian.com

MIKE JAMESON

ELECTION RECAP

New councilmen: Scott Davis (left) and Peter Westerholm won the runoff elections in Districts 5 and 6 respectively.

Davis, Westerholm win runoff races in East Nashville districts

ue to the indecisive results from the Aug. 4 Metro election, there was a runoff election on Sept. 15. It affected several districts countrywide, including two important races in East Nashville. Here’s how it broke down: District 5 Councilman Jamie Hollin chose to serve only one term after leading a successful

campaign to oust former Councilwoman Pam Murray through a recall election. In the Aug. 4 election, businessman Scott Davis with 39 percent of the votes and Murray with 37 percent were the top two vote getters and advanced to face one another in the runoff election. Davis beat Murray in the Sept. 15 runoff 805 votes to 329. “We ran a strong and positive campaign, a clean campaign and we were successful,” Davis says. “What made it a success was the enthusiasm from District 5 neighbors, friends, family and the support of East Nashville. I look forward to serving you, God bless.” District 5’s boundaries are north of Main Street up to just past Trinity Lane and west of Gallatin Road to I-65/I-24. Business districts inside District 5 include Main Street, Gallatin Road, Dickerson Road, Trinity Lane and the area around Holland House. District 6 There were five candidates in the race to succeed Councilman Mike Jameson, who served two terms and was term-limited. On Aug. 4, Peter Westerholm led all contenders with 40 percent of the vote, while

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Dave Rich finished second with 31 percent. In the runoff election on Sept. 15, Westerholm beat Rich 1092 votes to 721. “District 6 historically represents a unique and dynamic part of Nashville; moreover, its leadership has traditionally played a significant role in the pursuit of progressive, forward-thinking policies for the entire city,” Westerholm says. “Having been chosen by the voters of East Nashville to carry on this tradition is a tremendous and humbling honor. It was a challenging race with some great candidates, all of whom sought the best for the district. With the election now past, I look forward to continuing the work done by so many others before me in pursuing a livable, sustainable neighborhood with a high quality of life for residents, businesses, and visitors.” District 6’s boundaries are south of Main Street and East of Gallatin Road. The northern boundary is Straightway and Carter. To the East and South the boundary is the river. District 6’s business district includes Five Points as well as Shelby Street, Woodland Street and Main Street/ Gallatin Road. — Eric Jans

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ELECTION RECAP

New councilmen: Scott Davis (left) and Peter Westerholm won the runoff elections in Districts 5 and 6 respectively.

Davis, Westerholm win runoff races in East Nashville districts

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Art In Motion Tattoos in East Nashville encompass the full range of artistic styles By Willow Fort

Photo by Micah Caputo

www.theeastnashvillian.com

ast Nashville is a great area for the visual arts. Whether it is modern, traditional, Dada or outsider, people on our side of the river just like seeing art around. And we like seeing it on more than just our walls. We like art on buildings, we like building festivals around art, and we like art on our bodies as well. Head out to 3 Crow, Red Door, Family Wash or Cooper’s any night of the week and you will find East Nashvillans with body art collections that rival any gallery in the city for beauty, diversity and depth of expression. And these human art installations are walking around, having drinks, working and chatting with their friends. For example, if you have ever seen members of East Nasty running through the streets on Wednesday evenings, you cannot miss Ian White. He’s the one who tends to run shirtless, and literally is covered head to toe in tattoos. In addition to being a mobile — and fairly swift — collection of art, White is also a tattoo artist. “In fine art, you have impressionism, realism, and you have all that in tattoos as well,” White says. In tattoo art you have everything from photorealism to surrealism to abstract, from tribal to biomechanical, from traditional American to traditional Japanese, from realistic illustrations to black and white. And just like any other medium, the possibilities are limited only by one’s imagination. People follow the work and the styles of artists they like. Katherine Mae, a well-covered artist at Kustom Thrills Tattoo, admires and follows several other artists. Maybe it’s the way a particular artist interprets a style, maybe it’s the way they use color or the stylistic elements they bring to their work. “People like to get tattoos because it makes them feel physically beautiful,” Mae says. Admiring the work of a particular artist and following that artist’s work through time is just part of admiring the beauty that artist brings to the medium, and the people they tattoo. So it may not seem odd that people seeking out tattoo artists for their artwork will follow the same methods as people seeking out any artist to commission a piece of work — no matter where one plans to put the art in the end. Chris Saint Clark, the owner of Kustom Thrills and an art installation in his own right, says people attend tattoo conventions and travel to other cit-

Art In Motion Tattoos in East Nashville encompass the full range of artistic styles By Willow Fort

Photo by Micah Caputo

www.theeastnashvillian.com

Ian White (left) and Katherine Mae, two of the East Nashvilleâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s better-known tattoo artists, always take their art wherever they go. (Photo on right by Adrian â&#x20AC;&#x153;cookieâ&#x20AC;? Budnick.)

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ies, states and even other countries just to get a piece by a certain artist. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s modern manâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s way of collecting art,â&#x20AC;? he says. Perhaps tattoo collecting is an area where the modern man chooses permanent beauty in this momentary, transient, throwaway age of Facebook, Twitter and ever-changing â&#x20AC;&#x201D; well, everything. You might give away a painting that no longer suits your taste, or sell a piece of commissioned jewelry you havenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t worn for years, but it takes some serious effort to abandon a tattoo, and that may be part of the beauty of the medium. A personâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s tattoos are often a statement of where their life has taken them. â&#x20AC;&#x153;a personal road map of their life,â&#x20AC;? as Clark notes. And just as people will seek out an artist for their style, their art and the way they use their medium, they will also seek out the tattoo itself. White says most of his tattoos arenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t beautiful to him because they are done in any particular style, or by any particular artist, but instead because of what they represent. They are permanent mementos which evoke times, places and people â&#x20AC;&#x201D; the first Bible scripture he ever

memorized, for example, or a hot air balloon which reminds him of falling in love with his wife. Likewise, Mae and Clark remember getting their first tattoos not because of love for any particular style or a particular artist, but simply because of what tattooing itself represented at that point in their lives. When Clark was growing up, no one he knew had tattoos. Tattoos were taboo, tattoos were dangerous. And while they still may hold that feeling of danger and taboo for some, tattoos are also just a beautiful way of transforming oneâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s self into a living piece of art, a personal, mobile gallery. People with tattoos are really just people covered up with a bunch of pictures, Mae says. In the end, its as simple as that. If at this point, you are thinking of the dolphin tattoo you got on spring break for fifty bucks, be aware known that serious tattoo collectors drop cold, hard cash on their collections. White says heâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s spent literally thousands of dollars on his body art, and that even just one, really well-done, blackand-white sleeve can run upwards of two

thousand dollars. Clark agrees. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I wouldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t go drop three of four thousand dollars on a painting,â&#x20AC;? he says, but then laughs and adds he has spent just as much on his own tattoo collection. So whether you love the realistic illustrative style all the rage at the moment, blackand-white realism, American traditional or whether you just want a memento to remind you of that beautiful, perfect autumn you spent in East Nashville in 2011, Mae has some sage words. Whether it is your first tattoo, or if you are trying to find out what to do with that last little bit of untouched area under the left side of â&#x20AC;&#x201D; well, thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s your business, Mae advises to start really looking at the art you see around you at the Shelby Dog Park, the Turnip Truck or the 5 Spot, and then look at artistsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; portfolios. â&#x20AC;&#x153;See whose work speaks to you,â&#x20AC;? Mae recommends, and then sit down and talk with the artist. Tell them what you want, develop a rapport and then, after you feel comfortable, sit back and let the artist beautify another little piece of East Nashville.

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THE SAGA OF

SUGAR

BABE

By Elizabeth Chauncey

Photograph by Stacie Huckeba

Sugar Babe back in the safety of her dad’s arms after her lessthan-excellent adventure.

days and not give up.” The people she met there were “professional, efficient, sensitive and encouraging.” Byerley hung flyers and continued to post online and look for leads that might help her find out who had picked up her little charge. Finally, she got a call Sunday afternoon from The Humane Association, a dog had just been dropped off there matching Sugar Babe’s description. PAYDIRT! The little gypsy’s travels were over; she arrived back home the same day Dad did. Whew! A happy ending for all involved. But it was a close call. The Nashville Humane Association typically has a waiting period for pet admissions based on how much room they have available on what they call their “adoption floor.” For that reason, Sugar Babe couldn’t just be dropped off there immediately after she was picked up from the street. Luckily, the woman who picked her up was able to keep her for the few days it took for an intake appointment. Once admitted, every animal goes through a behavioral assessment and if they are deemed not adoptable or not healthy, they will not be put on the adoption floor at all. Who knows what undesirable behaviors Sugar Babe might have exhibited in her potentially frightened state that might have sealed a disastrous fate. Sugar Babe’s taxi could have immediately dropped her off at MAC instead when she picked her up on Wednesday, but thankfully she didn’t. Once there, she would have

been held for at least three days to give her owner a chance to claim her. After those three days, even though MAC also has an adoption floor which Sugar Babe could have been assessed for, there was no guarantee she wouldn’t be euthanized at that point since they also base adoptability on age and physical condition. Unfortunately in Davidson County, neither The Humane Association nor MAC are no-kill facilities. Also, neither will allow pitbulls or pitbull mixes to be adopted from them — they are not assessed for adoptability and never make it to the adoption floor. A few more important facts: • Metro Animal Control is NOT responsible for tracking down an owner and returning the dog if they pick it up, even if the pet has tags or a microchip. • If your dog is taken to Metro Animal Control and you are lucky enough to find them there you will need to pay a processing fee of $50 plus $18 a day for the duration of their stay in order to get them back. For more information about Nashville Humane Association and Metro Animal Control, check out their websites: www. nashvillehumane.org and/or http://health. nashville.gov/ENV/AnimalControl.htm. Please see www.eastcan.org for tips on how to handle a found dog. And remember collars, tags and microchips are the best way to ensure your pet can be returned to you if lost and found.

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magine it’s 6:30 at night, you are petsitting for a friend on Shelby Avenue, and the small, elderly dog in your charge gets out of the fenced yard. That’s what happened to Sarah Byerley on Wednesday, October 5. Sugar Babe doesn’t ‘normally’ leave the yard so she doesn’t have any tags on, isn’t wearing a collar, and isn’t micro-chipped. Sound familiar? When Byerley realized the gate was open and went outside to look for the dog, she learned from a neighbor that Sugar Babe had been picked up by a passing vehicle just up the street. “At that point I was relieved she wasn’t roaming around the street, someone cared enough to get her safe,” Byerley recalls. Byerley jumped into action, first letting Sugar Babe’s dad know about her newfound freedom, then listing her as lost online at Petfinder.com, Facebook, and Craigslist. She was unable to reach the local vets until the next morning, and guess what? Sugar Babe and her new chauffeur already had been to one of them and gone. No chip, no tag, no one knew how to get her home. According to Byerley, “The woman left the vet with Sugar Babe saying she would contact Animal Services.” Contact Animal Services? What did that mean, exactly? Who are they? What will they do to Sugar Babe? And why would they care about her? She’s not a dangerous stray animal that people complain about. She doesn’t belong in any kind of Animal Services facility. Fortunately, Sugar Babe was not dropped off at any animal services facility right away. Byerley called and visited both Metro Animal Control and The Nashville Humane Association — yes, they are two different places. She describes her experience at MAC this way: “They had me sign in, allowed me to walk around with them and see if any of the animals were the one I was looking for. They gave me flyers with lost pet tips and told me to come back every few

THE SAGA OF

SUGAR

BABE

By Elizabeth Chauncey

Photograph by Stacie Huckeba

Sugar Babe back in the safety of her dad’s arms after her lessthan-excellent adventure.

www.theeastnashvillian.com

A Celebration of

Home In Lockeland Springs

Continued on Page 32

Special Section

A Celebration of

Home In Lockeland Springs

Continued on Page 32

Special Section

33rd ANNUAL

A CELEBRATION OF

HOME

GIFTS s HOME DÉCOR s CARDS CANDLES s ANTIQUES s JEWELRY

615.262.4828

11-6 TUESDAY - SATURDAY

1017 FATHERLAND STREET (IN THE 37206 BLDG.)

In Lockeland Springs By Robbie Jones and Melanie Meadows

Illustration and Design by Dean Tomasek

n Dec 3 and 4, the 33rd edition of the Lockeland Springs annual home tour, A Celebration of Home, will take place. Lockeland Springs is one of the many historic neighborhoods that make Nashville unique. Located at the heart of East Nashville, this tight-knit community is characterized by its distinctive architecture, history, and preservation ethic. The majority of the neighborhood is located within the East Nashville Historic District, which in 1982 was listed in the National Register of Historic Places, the nation’s list of historic places worthy of preservation. The Lockeland Springs Neighborhood Association had been established four years earlier in 1978. As designated in 1982, the 1,100-acre historic district contains approximately 22 blocks with more than 350 contributing properties. In 1985, the Lockeland Springs-East End neighborhood became the first in Nashville and one of the first in the United States to implement a Neighborhood Conservation Zoning District, a historic preservation tool administered by the City of Nashville through the Metropolitan Historic Zoning Commission (MHZC). The Lockeland Springs-East End Neighborhood Conservation Zoning District’s boundaries are roughly Eastland Avenue to the north, South 16th and South 14th Streets to the east, Fatherland Street to the south, and South 11th Street and Gallatin Road to the west. The National Register of Historic Places is honorary and provides neighborhood protection at the federal level. The Neighborhood Conservation Zoning District requires property owners to acquire a lo-

cal preservation permit from the MHZC when certain exterior work is undertaken to ensure that the historic character of the neighborhood is preserved. Permitted work includes new construction, additions, demolitions, and relocations. Interior renovations do not require a permit. All but one of the 10 properties featured in this tour are located both in the East Nashville Historic District and the Lockeland Springs-East End Neighborhood Conservation Zoning District. The only exception is 420 Lockland Dr., although this Craftsman-style dwelling will likely be included in any future expansions of the historic district boundaries. All but two of the properties were built between the 1890s and 1930s, the era when the vast majority of the homes in Lockeland Springs-East End were constructed.

These homes are representative of the various architectural styles found throughout the neighborhood, including Queen Anne, Neoclassical, Italianate, and Craftsman. The two non-historic properties include a traditional home built in 1996 on a subdivided lot at 404 North 12th Street and the Neoclassical-style Masonic lodge completed in 2010 at 1400 Eastland Avenue. Some of the historic homes on this tour have been meticulously restored to their original grandeur. Others have been lavishly renovated while retaining the historic character of the original home. All have been lovingly cared for by their owners. There also are six businesses participating in the tour: Studio East, East Studio, Bryant Gallery, Alegria, East Garden and Good Buy Girls. Josh Anderson Real Estate Group is the presenting sponsor for this year’s tour on Saturday, Dec. 3 from 5-9 p.m. and Sunday, Dec. 4 from 1-5 p.m. The supporting sponsors are iDesign, Beth Haley, Joel Daunic/ Peachtree Planning of Tennessee, East Side Smiles and Lynn Taylor. The East Nashvillian is a partner and the official publication. Tickets for the tour are $10 in advance and available at The Almond Tree Bakery, I Dream of Weenie, Pied Piper, Alegria, East Garden and Good Buy Girls. Tickets are $12 on the weekend of the tour and can be purchased at the Masonic Lodge. On the following pages, you will find an introduction to each of the 10 properties in the 33rd annual A Celebration of Home in Lockeland Springs. Enjoy the tour!

33rd ANNUAL

A CELEBRATION OF

HOME

GIFTS s HOME DÉCOR s CARDS CANDLES s ANTIQUES s JEWELRY

615.262.4828

11-6 TUESDAY - SATURDAY

1017 FATHERLAND STREET (IN THE 37206 BLDG.)

In Lockeland Springs By Robbie Jones and Melanie Meadows

Illustration and Design by Dean Tomasek

onstructed around 1930, this recently restored home is an excellent example of a Craftsman-style Bungalow. The one-and-a-half-story frame dwelling exhibits many architectural elements typically found on bungalows in East Nashville,

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Photos by Elizabeth Endicott

such as a shallow shed-roof dormer, multipane sash windows, a square bay window that provides additional space for the dining room, an interior brick chimney, decorative eave brackets and sets of three “ribbon” windows. The front entrance retains the original front door with a large window and oversized sidelights and transoms. A solid brick foundation supports the home located on Fatherland Street, named after the antebellum “Fatherland” estate built by John Shelby for his daughter Priscilla. (Shelby also built the “Boscobel” estate for his other daughter Anna.) The dominant architectural feature is the large,

full-width front porch supported by oversized flared wooden columns on brick piers. The home has 2,310 square feet of living space, including three bedrooms, two full baths, and an enclosed rear porch. It sits on a 0.18-acre lot. Aluminum siding was installed in 1984, but removed during the restoration in 2007-2008, which also resulted in a new addition to the rear that was reviewed and approved by the Metro Historical Zoning Commission. Today’s residents: Annie and Brian Neal toured this home during a major renovation and “fell in love with it.” After renting in East Nashville (on Gartland) for a year and growing fond of the neighborhood’s sidewalks, diverse people, and proximity to their downtown work places, the couple bought their “classic bungalow” on Fatherland in 2008. “The entire house was gutted, but remodeled in the same style as it was in its prior form,” Annie says. “The doors, windows and floors are original. The biggest seller for us was the functional second floor with two bedrooms and a large family room.” The Neal’s favorite features of the home are the main entrance door and front porch, which is really an indoor-outdoor room. They also enjoy having three fireplaces, including one in the master bedroom. Brian’s favorite room is the master bath. The home’s previous longtime owner was a neighborhood lawn mower repairman named Dewey Parton — and they still find spare lawn mower parts all around the property! “We love the people and the community feel of East Nashville, which is embraced in the houses themselves with their front porches and yards abutting sidewalks.” Annie says. “Conversations are easily started in the front yards.” Home partners: Ruben Garces, Home Improvement Contractor, and Louisville Tile.

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Photos by Elizabeth Endicott

uilt in the 1910s, this is a transitional-style home featuring elements of Queen Anne-, Neoclassical-, and Bungalow-style architecture. With a steeply pitched, hip roof, sometimes architectural historians will dub this type of home a Pyramid-style dwelling. Like many in East Nashville, the one-andhalf-story home has hipped roof dormers, a full-width front porch supported by square Doric columns, interior brick chimneys, one-over-one sash windows, weatherboard siding, and a side-hall entrance with sidelights, a transom, and molded decorative trim. The roof gently flares above the front porch, an unusual design feature. Distinctive architectural features, typically found on Bungalows, are three-sided bay windows on both side elevations. Measuring 31-feet wide and about 45feet deep, the home has nearly 2,500 square feet of living space, including three bedrooms, two full baths, and an enclosed rear porch. It sits on a 0.18acre lot. In 1977, a former owner obtained a commercial permit so that one of the rooms could be used to make plaques. The home was renovated in 1986 and again in 2008. Today’s residents: When Lauren and Wes Jones bought this home in 2005, they were eager to be part of “an up-and-coming neighborhood” that offered a little more bang for their buck. “We had been looking in Sylvan Park, but then noticed we could buy a larger home in East Nashville,” Lauren says. “It is a beautiful neighborhood and so great for young children. We walk everywhere and there’s so much to see and enjoy — food, farmers market, festivals!” The Joneses took the house down to the studs themselves. They removed the walls, raised the ceilings and knocked out the back roof for an extra room. The house’s original features include four mantels, the pine floorboards downstairs, beaded board walls in master bedroom, and all doors except one. During the renovation, the studs from the removed wall were used to fashion both the handrail to the

stair and the new kitchen island. “While removing one of the walls, a flutter of event tickets fell down from in between the plaster and one of the chimneys,” Lauren says. “One was salvageable and is now framed in our kitchen — ‘Lockland Baptist Church ice cream social. 10 cents. Come and get your money’s worth!’” Home partners: Jeff Bergman and Full Circle Tree & Shrub.

ast Nashville is chock-full of onestory, hipped roof Queen Annestyle “cottages” such as this one. Constructed in 1898, the square plan features short, gable-roof wings on the front and side, which are connected by a wraparound front porch. Architectural details include molded trim, decorative brackets, one-over-one sash windows, and turned porch columns. The separate front entrances from the porch retain original molded doors with large glass windows surmounted by wood

renovation took place in between 2003 and 2005. The home has about 1,400 square feet of living space, including three bedrooms and two bathrooms. The fenced rear yard features a two-car, detached garage accessed from the service alley.

Photos by Elizabeth Endicott

frame transoms. The front gable exhibits unusual detailing with wavy weatherboard siding surrounded by molded trim. Floorto-ceiling windows provide abundant light to the rooms. Nashville-based Hardaway Construction renovated the home between 1994 and 1996 with a rear wing; and another

Today’s residents: Bobby Zahn and Phillip Many were attracted to the uniqueness of East Nashville’s historic homes and bought this home in 2001. Unfortunately, the previous owners made some bad renovation decisions and the house was in dire need of an “extreme makeover.” “We gutted the house to the studs and

dirt,” Zahn explains. “After several layers of subflooring, we finally made it to the original poplar wood floor from 1898.” They carefully extracted one piece of flooring at a time and it was reinstalled later. All trim and molding was milled to match the original that was found during the demolition phase. The current owners’ favorite feature of the home is the wine bar with a black granite counter, a bar sink, wine cooler, and shelf lighting that includes a custom-made lit niche above the French doors of the wine bar. “During the time we were extracting the flooring, we found a note written on a beam in cursive writing that said, ‘I was at Lockland Elementary, July 18, 1898,’” Zahn says. “The previous owners that we’ve heard the most about lived in the home for many years. The husband repaired cars in the dirt-floored garage. To this day, as we’ve worked to rehabilitate the back yard, we’ve found about 1,000 spark plugs!” Zahn and Many have also been told that the city had at one time condemned the house to be razed, but due to the work of neighbors, it was instead sold to a private owner. Home partner: Germantown East.

Photos by Elizabeth Endicott

his century-old home is a good example of a traditional worker’s cottage with modest elements of Queen Anne-style architectural detailing. The gable-front, single-story dwelling is approximately 20-feet wide and 80-feet long, which allows for maximized space on the narrow lot flanked by service alleys to the side and rear. A brick pier foundation supports the weatherboarded house, which exhibits molded trim, soffit returns, original wood sash windows, and a small entrance porch with turned columns and eave brackets. The home is much larger than it looks from the street with nearly 2,000 square feet, including three bedrooms and two full baths. It was renovated between 1996 and 1998, and again in 2004. In 2001, a rear sunroom was added which complied with design requirements of the Lockeland Springs-East End Neighborhood Conservation Zoning District. Today’s residents: “I grew up in Nashville, but was ready for a change,” homeowner Meg Ashworth says. “When I first moved to East Nashville, I really liked that it felt like living in a small town within the city I grew up in. I liked that things were less corporate and more neighborhood oriented. I also liked being able to walk everywhere.” When Ashworth purchased the house in 2004, it was

mostly renovated. The previous owners enclosed a back porch to create a breakfast nook. A side porch was enclosed which is now part of a long hallway and office space. Since moving in, she has done her own upgrades. “I rebuilt the front porch, due to rotting,” Ashworth says. “I extended the back of the house and created a full-size dining area by raising the roof to the ceiling height of the rest of the house. I added another bedroom off the back of the house for my daughter and the bathroom that formerly opened into the kitchen now connects the two kids’ rooms.” Despite the renovations, the home still has many original features including the

Photos by Stacie Huckeba

front entry and living room, original fireplace and light fixture in the living room, floors in the entry way, and the glass windows in the door frames. “I love being able to walk my kids to school everyday, rain or shine, because we are so close,” Ashworth says. “The walkability in general is my favorite part of the neighborhood. I love walking down to Five Points for dinner or a beer on a nice night.” Home partner: Mad Donna’s.

uilt at the corner of Lockland and McEwen around 1930, this singlestory home is a modest example of a Craftsman-style Bungalow. The nearly square 32-foot by 34-foot dwelling has a side-gable roof and interior central brick chimney. The home retains an original front door and three-over-one window sash. The full-width front porch has a wood floor and is supported by square columns with decorative diamond-shaped

trim. A small porch is located on the rear of the house. Supported by a solid masonry foundation, the 1,056-square foot home was renovated in 1993 and has two bedrooms and two full baths. A service alley is located to the rear of the home, which is a stone’s throw from the popular eating establishments, coffeehouses, and shops at Eastland and Porter. This home is the only property on the tour that is located outside the East Nash-

ville Historic District as well as the Lockeland Springs-East End Neighborhood Conservation Zoning District. Today’s resident: Melissa Hughes purchased 402 Lockeland Ave. in April of 2010 as she was finishing graduate school and relocating to Nashville from Knoxville. “I thought the house had a lot of character and it was really cozy,” says Melissa. “It is a Four Square, so there are windows on two walls in every room. I love my kitchen, especially. It’s very open and airy.” One of Melissa’s neighbors purchased the house five years ago and completely renovated it. The ceilings were opened up to their original height and extensive work was done on the foundation. “The neighborhood is so active. There are always people walking around,” says Melissa. “It feels like a good community.” Home partner: Alan Murdock in support of East Nashville Cooperative Ministry.

Photos by Stacie Huckeba

Photos by Elizabeth Endicott

his handsome Craftsman-style Bungalow was built in 1926 on Ordway Place, named after the subdivided estate of Charles F. Ordway, the operator of a local gentlemen’s clothing store. The one-and-half-story, brick home features a side-gable roof and a solid limestone foundation. Distinctive architectural elements include twin facing-gable dormers and triple-ribbon windows on the main façade and a half-timbered stucco finish in the side gables. The windows retain original three and four-over-one window sash. An arched front entrance is protected by a gently arched roof portico supported by circular Doric columns. An original open porch with original French doors is located on the side. The 3,045-square-foot home includes four bedrooms and three full baths. There is also a partial basement, as well as

a detached twocar garage to the rear. Today’s residents: Like others before them, Todd and Michele Gorman were drawn to East Nashville’s historic homes, entertainment venues, and sense of community. They purchased their home at 1403 Ordway Place in May 2006 and did a total renovation, converting the former rental property back into a single-family home with all-new electrical and plumbing. The Gormans say that the kitchen sink and the side porch are the most historic features of the house, which was previously

owned by a family named Wildeboor. We love this tight-knit community,” Todd says. “It’s walking distance to everything!” Home partner: Woodland Wine Merchant (pouring on Saturday evening only).

uilt in 1899, this two-story, hippedroof dwelling is a marriage of Queen Anne and Eastlake architectural styles, applied to a traditional L-shaped, center-hall floor plan.

Facing south, the frame home exhibits a myriad of molded, wood trim and brackets surrounding windows, doors, roof eaves, and the front porch. The double-door front entrance with a large arched transom is sheltered by a recessed portico, a carryover from older Italianate-style buildings. Windows are tall and slender extending from floor to ceiling to allow the maximum amount of light in the era prior to electricity. Bays extend from the front façade and side elevation. A solid limestone foundation supports the home, which sits behind the new Masonic Lodge on Eastland Avenue. This large, 12-room home has about 4,300 square feet of living space, including three bedrooms and three full baths. The home has been enlarged to the rear and side and was renovated in 1993. Unlike other homes in the area, it sits back from the street, allowing more privacy and a large front yard along Stratton Avenue, named after the subdivided estate of M.T. Stratton. Today’s residents: Matt and Claire King bought their first house in East Nashville in 2004. 1407 is the second house that they’ve lived in on Stratton Ave. “We love the electic mix of things to do here — from the shops to restaurants to art galleries,” Claire says. “We also love that East Nashville is a walking neighborhood and that we have an incomparable neighborhood school — Lockeland Springs Design Center — just blocks away.” After purchasing the home, the Kings worked on renovating it for nine months. The renovation included a new roof, overhauled electrical and plumbing systems,

Photos by Elizabeth Endicott

new central heat and air, repairs to exterior siding and interior walls and ceilings, and refinished hardwood floors. Although the home is located within the East Nashville Historic District and Lockeland SpringsEast End Neighborhood Conservation Zoning District, interior renovations are not subject to review and approval by the Metro Historical Zoning Commission. “We also restored the columns on the front porch to their original form after they had been damaged and hidden by wooden coverings,” Claire says. “We completely renovated the bathrooms and kitchen. We opened up the kitchen so that it flows into an open breakfast room.” The Kings also removed a second staircase that was not original to the house and not in compliance with codes. Removing this staircase restored the hallway to its original, open state. The Kings love the 13-foot ceilings and the pocket doors, which weigh approximately 400 pounds each.The stairwell features two pineapples, a symbol of hospitality for centuries, carved out of wood. Most of the doorways still have their original, brass hardware which, according to Claire, is “astounding” in its intricacy. During the renovation, a “secret” wall painting hidden behind drywall was discovered which depicted the Sgt. Alvin C. York Home in Pall Mall, Tenn. — a National Historic Landmark. “We have been told various stories that a relative of Sgt. Alvin C. York lived in the house,” Claire says. “Public records clearly indicate that a person with the surname York did live in the house, which many people in East Nashville still call the ‘York House.’” Home partner: Pied Piper Creamery.

Photos by Elizabeth Endicott

uilt in 1899, this two-story, hippedroof dwelling is a marriage of Queen Anne and Eastlake architectural styles, applied to a traditional L-shaped, center-hall floor plan.

Photos by Elizabeth Endicott

ocated behind the 104-year-old M.M. Ross Public School, this oneand-a-half-story home exhibits elements of Queen Anne, Neoclassical Revival and Bungalow-style architecture. Built in 1912, the dwelling is what architectural historians sometimes term a “transitional” style home since it transitions from one fashionable style to another. The steeply pitched hip roof and interior brick chimneys with decorative brick patterns are typical for the Queen Anne style, but the rectangular floor plan with a large facinggable dormer is more commonly found on early Bungalows. The single-story front porch, supported by classic Doric columns, shelters the main entrance with large sidelights and a transom. With large front windows, the southfacing home is well-lit during the day. The windows retain original diamond-pattern sash, another detail more common for Neoclassical Revival-style homes. A solid limestone foundation supports the home, which retains original weatherboard siding. The frame home is 54-feet long and 39feet wide, with four bedrooms and two bathrooms. It’s bigger than it looks with approximately 3,450 square feet. In fact, in 1986 the dwelling was converted for use as a group home for nine elderly adults. Before that it had been used as a rental home. The home was damaged by the 1998 tornado, but soon repaired. In 2005, the home underwent a major renovation with a large dormer added to the rear, which complied with the design guidelines overseen by the Metro Historical Zoning Commission. The dwelling sits on a 0.18-acre lot with a fenced rear yard along the service alley. Today’s residents: Kortney and Dave Wilson bought this home in 2004, mov-

ing from another residence just down the street. The couple was initially drawn to East Nashville’s homes because of their character and high ceilings, but also due to it’s pedestrianfriendly sidewalks that make it an easy walk to the east side’s restaurants and shopping places. “We were sold on this house just by walking down the hallway,” Korntey says. “It’s wide with 14-foot ceilings and features beautiful, hand-painted light f i x tures that were said to have been purchased from the old Monell’s house in Germantown. “The main floor of our home had major renovations after the tornado in 1998. The roof was literally lifted off of the house and landed in the front yard.” The subsequent renovations tackled the tornado damage as well as some structural issues in the home. The Wilsons installed a grand, freestanding stair in the foyer and added about 1,400 square feet of living space upstairs. “The new space gave us room for a kid’s

bedroom, a third bathroom and an open floor plan that can be used for everything from a playroom to a another living room,” Kortney says. “We also renovated the kitchen with French Country motif and it’s probably the room we love the most now. It opens up level to our backyard, so that’s been ideal for the kids.” A new sunroom on the main level leads to a large rear deck. The Wilsons love the diversity of their East Nashville home most of all. They feel this is an ideal place to raise their children. Home partner: Kismet Creations.

Photos by Elizabeth Endicott

ocated less than a block from Gallatin Road, this single-story home is a modern infill project, completed in 1996 by Wallace Builders on a neighboring homeowner’s subdivided lot. The home exhibits traditional architectural elements such as a steeply-pitched side gable roof, five-bay façade, rear shed roof dormer, and solid brick foundation. The main façade is dominated by the large facing-gable dormer over the 16-foot wide porch supported by square Doric columns. An exterior chimney is framed with siding matching the rest of the home. The front entrance features a multi-pane wooden door that allows light to fill the entrance foyer. The home is 30-feet wide and 28-feet deep, giving it 1,470 square feet of living space,

including three bedrooms and two full baths. The home was enlarged in 2007 and features a small porch on the side elevation. The home is located within the Lockeland

Springs-East End Neighborhood Conservation Zoning District so the design was reviewed and approved by the Metro Historical Zoning Commission to ensure that it was appropriate for the historic neighborhood. To d a y ’s residents: Purchased by Chris Thompson in 1998, Thompson says he loves having a home that “looks old, but without the hassle.” “ T h e oldest things in the

house are my Coolerator and a set of antique shutters,” Thompson says and laughs. “Everything is new.” He was drawn to East Nashville because of it’s affordability and proximity to downtown — and because it appealed to his sense of adventure. “Radio Café was actually pretty huge when I moved over here,” he says. “It felt like I would be part of something cool.” Even though the house was new, Thompson and his girlfriend Shonna Sexton, who moved in in 2010, have added their own

Photos by Elizabeth Endicott

onstructed in 2008-2010, this eyecatching landmark is an example of Neoclassical-style architecture found all over Nashville. This style was an outgrowth of Nashville’s nickname of “Athens of the South,” a moniker that it earned because of the impressive number of higher education institutions established in the city. The building was designed by the local architecture firm MJM Architects, which has also designed institutional buildings at Harding Academy, St. Matthew School, Vol State, and MTSU. Local contractor R.C. Mathews constructed the $1.6 million, 7,150square-foot building, which measures 55-feet deep and 130-feet wide. The building has stone veneer, typical of both historic and modern Neoclassical-style institutional buildings such as the East Nashville Carnegie Library and the Schermerhorn Symphony Center, respectively. Because the property is located within the East Nashville Historic District and the Lockeland SpringsEast End Neighborhood Conservation Zoning District, the architectural design was subject to review and ap-

touches, including hardwood floors in the upstairs and master bedroom, new tile in the master bath, exterior paint and landscaping. “Shonna is an awesome interior designer in the neighborhood and helped make some great decisions regarding the house,” he says. “Sitting in our kitchen, we’ve seen countless people stop and admire the new paint job and even take pictures.” Ask Thompson about their favorite part of living on the east side, and he will quickly tell you it’s “the sense of camaraderie among all East Nashvillians.” Home partner: Shonna Sexton Studio, The Green Wagon and Tidy Up.

proval by the Metro Historic Zoning Commission to ensure that it complemented the historic landmarks along Eastland Avenue, which was once a streetcar route connecting East Nashville to downtown and the rest of the city. The single-story, sprawling building features a hipped roof covered with standing seam metal panels. The main façades facing Eastland and 14th Avenue boast colonnaded and scored elevations, and a wraparound porch supported by oversized square columns. The main entrance, slightly offcenter, is accentuated by a facing-gable

portico supported by round, stone columns with Corinthian capitals. The porch railing is constructed of molded concrete as are the porch benches. Located at the busy corner of Eastland and 14th Avenue, this lot has been home to a Masonic Lodge since at least 1962, when the Edgefield Masonic Lodge #254, chartered in 1856, constructed a lodge facility here. That lodge relocated to Inglewood where it merged with the Jere Baxter Masonic Lodge on Gallatin Pike. Dedicated on Nov. 14, 2010, this building is home to the Corinthian Lodge #414 of Free and Accepted Masons, chartered in November 1870, which had met from 1920 till 2005 in a former church on West End that was sold to a local developer, Alex Palmer, who demolished it for the proposed West End Summit.

Exterior photo by Stacie Huckeba. Interior photo by Chuck Allen.

including three bedrooms and two full baths. The home was enlarged in 2007 and features a small porch on the side elevation. The home is located within the Lockeland

Photos by Elizabeth Endicott

Exterior photo by Stacie Huckeba. Interior photo by Chuck Allen.

IS IT GOOD? By Liz Jungers Hughes

n a city where celebrities blend unassumingly into the cultural landscape, you can’t miss Willie Sims, Jr., better known as Big Fella. Host of Cookin’ Wit Big Fella: The Hustlin’ Gourmet, this East Nashville resident has a larger than life personality and the body to match. From Bolton’s Spicy Chicken to Bailey & Cato’s or Mitchell’s Deli, you can find Big Fella enjoying the local flavor. “East Nashville is easily, hands down, the coolest part of the city,” Big Fella says. “It’s just a weird thing when you’ve got a bunch of people from all over the country that left something to come here to do something. This is our destination, and we all came here to make something happen. It makes for a beautiful spirit.” It was this spirit that drew Big Fella back to Music City a few years ago, when he was released from his recording contract with Interscope Records in Los Angeles. Signed in 2005 by label head Jimmy Iovine (Dr. Dre, Eminem, 50 Cent, U2) for what Big Fella describes as a “weird pet project,” he grew his brand via television, book publishing, touring and appearances. “It’s just a terrible industry,” he says and laughs — sort of. “What do they say? To whom much is given, much is required. I think a lot of people in this industry are given a lot, and just take it for granted.” When he amicably parted ways with the label, Big Fella was looking to regroup and

reenter reality. “I needed to go back to the hood,” he says, “And soak in the juices of the hood for a minute so I could get my brand back together. I’d been kinda off center just dealin’ in the entertainment world.” Big Fella decided to return to the Nashville area, where he had attended Middle Tennessee State University and launched his first cooking show. Originally from Detroit, he was drawn to Nashville by the presence of his father, who lives in the area. Initially interested in Tennessee State, he ultimately decided that MTSU could offer him a more well-rounded education. “Man, I don’t want to go to no damn black school,” he recalls thinking. “I just want to go to a regular school. ‘Cause the world ain’t just black, you know. You’d have a false impression of what you’re getting into in life.” Big Fella thrived at MTSU, studying radio & television, political science, and entrepreneurship. It was during this time that Cookin’ Wit Big Fella first aired on the campus television station more than ten years ago, gaining something of a cult following among MTSU students. “I actually thought I might have missed my moment,” says Big Fella, having dropped out of college for his deal with Interscope, and returning to Nashville with not a lot to show for it. Upon his return, he began rebroadcasting old episodes of his cooking show on a public access television channel, and was met with demand for more. These days, he is self-producing new

shows at home, which air on Nashville Comcast Ch. 10, Tuesday at 7 p.m. and Sunday at 3 p.m. On screen, you can find him cooking up Big Fella classics, like Sticky Icky Chicken Wings and Hood Pockets, his homemade version of Hot Pockets, as well as new concoctions like seafood chowder and chopped steak and gravy. “I’m not a chef or nothing man,” Big Fella says. “I’m just a fat dude that likes to eat. I like the fat approach to food. The fat approach is, man, is it good? If it’s good, why? And that’s it. You don’t have to get deep. Just appreciate it for what it is, just because you’re fat. Or you got a fat mentality.” He’s a people’s cook, creating affordable dishes with simple ingredients; relying largely on seasoning salt, garlic powder, and onion powder for flavor. And the secret ingredient? Sugar. “You don’t need a lot,” he says, “but sugar brings out the flavor in a lot of foods.” Growing up in Detroit near 8 Mile, Big Fella was a latchkey kid who taught himself to cook during afternoons home alone. Tuning in after school to Yan Can Cook and The Frugal Gourmet, he was often in the kitchen attempting crude replications of the dishes he saw on TV by the time his mom got home from work. “Here I am on the East Side of Detroit, in the hood, trying to make Chinese food,” he says, “And we didn’t have none of those ingredients. I’d never seen bok choy in my life. I had to make shit up.” Here in East Nashville, he can find just

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Big Fella and the fat approach to food

IS IT GOOD? By Liz Jungers Hughes

www.theeastnashvillian.com

Big Fella and the fat approach to food

about anything he needs at Kroger, although he will make a special trip to the Turnip Truck just for the tomatoes. “I hate tomatoes, my whole life,” he says. “I never wanted tomatoes on nothing, they’re mushy and nasty. But Turnip Truck tomatoes are a little piece of heaven. I’m a tomato snob.” Snobbery has no place, however, in Big Fella’s cooking. “I think everybody can cook,” he says. “I think you just actually gotta be in the moment. A lot of people live in other places — you got people living in the past, and people thinking about tomorrow. Cooking forces you to be in the moment, and that’s one thing I like about it. It’s like meditation. I’m here, I’m right now, this is what I have and I’m gonna make something out of it. I don’t even know exactly what it is, or how I’m gonna get there, but it’s a fun journey tryin’.” Big Fella’s journey may well be just beginning. He has plans for an East Nashville bakery, a food truck, and a chicken joint in Murfreesboro — when the time is right. “I know that’s not a business you get into just because you think you’re cool,” he says. “You don’t dive right in and try to be Emeril. Who really wants to be Emeril? I don’t wanna be Emeril, I wanna be me.”

Black Friday event to benefit Promise Neighborhood program

he Green Wagon’s seasonal block party is back this year, bigger than ever and determined to do its part in making East Nashville a shopping destination. Subtitled “Skip the Mall, Shop Local,” 5 Points Friday on November 25 will feature an all-day, outdoor music concert, a home-brewing contest, and specials at all Five Points area shops and restaurants. The Black Friday event, which begins at 9:30 a.m. and goes until 11 p.m., will also raise funds and awareness for Promise Neighborhood, a neighborhood-centric system of education and social services spearheaded locally by East Nashville’s Martha O’Bryan Center. All businesses will be accepting donations or giving a percentage of their sales to the Promise Neighborhood program. The Green Wagon, located at 1100 Forrest Ave, will be hosting the free, day-long outdoor concert from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Kat Smo, Buffalo Clover, The Vicious Guns and Blackfoot Gypsies are among the acts confirmed at press time. The homebrew contest will offer several local beers, as well as Yazoo and Jackalope, in exchange for a donation to Promise Neighborhood. The folks from All Seasons will also be offering a home brewing 101 workshop. All participating stores will be opening “East Nashville early” at 9:30 a.m., according to organizer Johnny Shields. For details visit www. facebook.com/thegreenwagon. — Carole Anne King

Black Friday event to benefit Promise Neighborhood program

GET IN THE SPIRIT OF THE SEASON AT

CHRISTMAS FEST By Helen Gaye Brewster

Shoppers will find a variety of gift items from local merchants at this year’s Christmas Fest, such as the tasty treats from the folks from Kismet Candy.

lationship with those who come. Pastor Paul connected the church with the East Nashville Cooperative Ministry, which serves the same demographic as the church’s Emmaus ministry. East Nashville Cooperative Ministry is a Christian, ecumenical ministry organized for the purpose of improving the health and welfare of the residents of the East Nashville community. The ministry’s vision is an East Nashville where citizen’s needs — spiritual, educational, economic, mental, physical, and emotional — are holistically met and neighborhoods are enabled to thrive, and the ministry contributes to this vision with food and clothing. Proceeds from Christmas Fest provide support for both of these ministries which serve the East Nashville community. The Fest will take place Saturday, Dec. 3 and Sunday, Dec. 4, and will have a holiday atmosphere for families and for friends who want to enjoy a day of shopping and fun together. The Fest has grown each year adding more shopping and holiday experiences. This year there will be 50-plus, unique local vendors with items for sale to fill your shopping list. Roasted pecans, coffee, and hot chocolate will be available while you shop. Santa will be there, with photo ops from a local photographer and finished pictures available onsite. As a new addition this year, local food trucks will be outside with food and drinks for sale. And Sunday night there will be music in the fully decorated main sanctuary with Denver and the Mile High Orchestra providing a

brass orchestra Christmas show. So get ready to spend a great day shopping with local merchants, enjoying delicious food, and seeing Santa, all without ever leaving East Nashville. And if you’re not from the East Side, Christmas Fest will welcome you to a Christmas experience that will not only help you get in the spirit of the most wonderful time of the year, but which also will help you finish your shopping early. Eric Jans in the lay leader of the Fest, and he is soliciting local vendors for the event. Booth rental is $50 for vendors and food trucks. Those interested can contact Eric via email (ericjans@ericjans.com) or call the church directly at 615-690-4421 for more information. The hours for Christmas Fest 2011 are 10 a.m. till 4 p.m. on Saturday and from 10:30 a.m. till 6 p.m. on Sunday. The concert with Denver and the Mile High Orchestra will be Sunday evening at 6 p.m. in the church sanctuary. The Nashville First Church of the Nazarene is located at 510 Woodland St., at the corner of Fifth and Woodland, and there is plenty of free parking. The suggested donation for shopping is $3, and if you plan to enjoy the Christmas music with Denver and the Mile High Orchestra, the suggested donation is $10. All donations from Christmas Fest events will benefit the church’s Emmaus ministry and the East Nashville Cooperative Ministry. To learn more, visit www.ChristmasFest.net, call 615-690-4421 or email info@ christmasfest.net.

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s the song says, it’s the most wonderful time of the year, and the third annual Christmas Fest on Dec. 3 and 4 at First Church of the Nazarene in East Nashville will offer something to help everyone get into the spirit of the season. There will be all the sights, sounds, and scents of Christmas — the church will be decorated for the holidays and there will be music, the smell of roasting pecans, hot chocolate, Santa, and, of course, shopping. Christmas Fest began as a way to connect the First Church of the Nazarene with the local community. The church, which began over 100 years ago and was the community church for the neighborhood, has a history of service to East Nashville. During the Great Depression, H. H. Wise was the minister and the church began having a community breakfast on Thanksgiving morning to bring neighbors together. The tradition continues to this day and has become a “family reunion” for members of the church and guests who come together to share breakfast. Now, with Christmas Fest, the opportunity for another tradition to bring neighbors together has begun. “Sometimes we wondered if people in East Nashville were just driving by without realizing we’re even here,” Brent Lawrence, Missional and Young Adult Pastor, says. “We want to create a healthy relationship between the church and East Nashville.” So two years ago, they decided to create Christmas Fest as a way to open their doors to local merchants and shoppers and provide both a shopping experience and a way to help the disenfranchised. Proceeds from the event go to both a church ministry and a local nonprofit. Eric Paul is pastor of the church’s Emmaus ministry. The ministry provides a 5:30 p.m. service and a meal to the poor and disenfranchised in the community. The meal is cooked fresh and served family style, giving those who are there a sense of being part of a family. The people who come are mostly those who don’t often have a chance to eat a meal with a family and enjoy the fellowship of those around them. The intent of the ministry is not just to fill a hungry stomach, but to build a re-

GET IN THE SPIRIT OF THE SEASON AT

CHRISTMAS FEST By Helen Gaye Brewster

Shoppers will find a variety of gift items from local merchants at this year’s Christmas Fest, such as the tasty treats from the folks from Kismet Candy.

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‘CAROLING FOR KIDS’ helps nurture children, empower families By Theresa Laurence

he year was 1916. Fannie Battle Day Home for Children was in dire straits. With 75 children enrolled and less than a dollar in the treasury, Fannie Battle caregivers felt closure of the day home was imminent. Then they heard about a new fundraising idea used by a group in St. Louis, so they scrambled to organize their own doorto-door Christmas caroling program. On Christmas Eve, 1916, groups knocked on doors throughout the city, sang familiar holiday tunes, and raised $787 to keep Fannie Battle open. “We’re still here, we’re still caroling, and we’re still making a difference,” Rachel Martinez, Fannie Battle’s development director, says. Martinez is busy organizing Fannie Battle’s 95th annual Caroling for Kids program, the nonprofit childcare facility’s biggest fundraiser of the year. “We would love to increase our numbers in the neighborhood,” Martinez said. “We are East Nashville, but we have only a handful of groups in East Nashville who carol,” she says.

With a presence in the neighborhood since its founding in 1891, Fannie Battle Day Home is synonymous with East Nashville. “When we identified the need for more space, staying in the 37206 zip code was a number-one priority for us,” Fannie Battle executive director Sara Longhini explains. In early August, after more than 50 years at 911 Shelby Ave., Fannie Battle moved into its new home at 108 Chapel Ave, the building which formerly housed East Academy. The new Eastwood Neighbors location “is so robust,” Longhini says. “There’s so much going on.” Just over half of Fannie Battle’s families live in the neighborhood; the rest come from all over Nashville and its suburbs. No matter what part of town the families live in, “they want the best for themselves and their children,” Longhini says. Moms like Yasmine Brown consider Fannie Battle a godsend, that elusive combination of affordable, high-quality childcare. Brown, who has a 4-year-old son currently enrolled at Fannie Battle, had two older boys attend when they were young. “Fan-

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nie Battle has been very helpful,” she says. Before Brown found Fannie Battle to send her boys before and after school “they were latchkey kids.” In addition to providing her with childcare, Fannie Battle administrators and teachers “helped me through custody and financial issues, with things I wasn’t able to provide for our house,” Brown says. “They were just as concerned as I was about what was going on at home.” Like some 84 percent of Fannie Battle parents, Brown was a single mother working through school when her older boys, now 14 and 12, started there. Today, she is married and studying physical therapy at Tennessee State University, and credits Fannie Battle with helping her get back on track. “They’ve been like a second family to me.” Brown is also thankful for the enrichment provided to her older sons through Fannie Battle. “They’ve had opportunities to see things that I can’t give them the opportunity to do,” Brown says, like go horseback riding during the summer program. The summer program, like the rest of Fannie Battle’s year-round childcare programs, is supported by Caroling for Kids, which runs Dec. 1-24. Administrators have set a goal of raising $60,000 this year from caroling, and new groups from the neighborhood and beyond are being encouraged to participate. There is really no limit to the caroling program, explains Longhini. Unlike a traditional dinner and silent auction fundraising event geared towards adults, with caroling “the focus is on families,” she says. “Young children can participate, everyone can give back.” Damon Byrd, who has been caroling for 20 years, hosts a group of about 25 family and friends of all ages for a caroling party. His Belle Meade neighbors have come to expect his group every Dec. 23, and everyone gets in the holiday spirit. “People are very receptive to it,” he says. Byrd calls caroling for Fannie Battle “the meaning of Christmas to me.” Huddled next to friends, standing on a neighbor’s doorstep, singing carols and raising money for the children of Fannie Battle, “Somehow it all comes together,” he says. “It really puts you in the Christmas spirit.” Fannie Battle’s mission is to serve lowincome families who are either working or attending school, and their sliding-scale fees keep tuition affordable. In fact, only about 15 percent of Fannie Battle’s yearly

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‘CAROLING FOR KIDS’ helps nurture children, empower families By Theresa Laurence

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budget is generated from parent fees. They fundraise half of their $850,000 annual budget, and the rest comes from government subsidies and grants. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Fundraising over $400,000 a year is very, very challenging,â&#x20AC;? Longhini says. â&#x20AC;&#x153;There are many excellent nonprofits in Nashville and we are competing for some really valuable dollars.â&#x20AC;? Today, â&#x20AC;&#x153;everyoneâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s dollar is more precious.â&#x20AC;? Right now, Fannie Battle is not only raising funds for its annual operating expenses, but also to cover the remainder of the purchase price and renovations of their new location. The move to Chapel Avenue doubled Fannie Battleâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s space. Their enrollment did not greatly increase, but their indoor play and meeting space did. They now have a large area â&#x20AC;&#x201D; the sanctuary area of the former church â&#x20AC;&#x201D; which they use as a library, performance and all-purpose space. Fannie Battleâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s current enrollment is 104 children and they plan to expand to 120 in the next two years. They have several distinct programs filling a variety of needs in the community. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We are more than just a day care,â&#x20AC;? Martinez says. An infant and toddler program provides fulltime care for 10 infants and toddlers ages 6 weeks to 30 months. They also have a preschool and pre-K program serving 36 children ages 2 and a half to 5 years. Fannie Battle is one of five community sites in Nashville to host a Metro Nashville Public Schools pre-K classroom. In addition, they serve about 40 children in kindergarten-fifth grade, offering before, after, and school-break care, transportation, meals and tutoring. Their summer program serves about 50 children ages 5-12. In addition to photography, cooking and songwriting clubs at the Fannie Battle campus, the children also attend sessions at Camp Whippoorwill, the Adventure Science Center, and more. No matter where Fannie Battleâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s children travel, they always find their way back to East Nashville when they return. â&#x20AC;&#x153;East Nashville has always been our home and itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s where we need to be,â&#x20AC;? Longhini says. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The neighborhood has changed a lot, but there are a lot of families and children here who still need us.â&#x20AC;? For more information on Fannie Battle Day Home for Children, visit their website at www.fanniebattle.org. To sign up a group for the caroling program, call the office at 228-6745.

The Eastwood Ensemble mixes chamber music with community service

hen Tia Thomason gets up to play her clarinet, there are a number of things she doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t want to happen. She doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t want you to sit back and listen passively. She doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t want you to feel that sheâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s some distant classical music expert. She doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t want you to see only a sea of black clothes and instruments. And she really doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t want you to be bored. Instead, she hopes youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll make it to her next concert at Eastwood Christian Church on Nov. 20 and experience something different â&#x20AC;&#x201C; The Eastwood Ensemble â&#x20AC;&#x201C; an East Nashville not-for-profit chamber music group that strives to connect to the community through music and outreach. The group is made up of professional musicians, many of whom live in East Nashville. Thomason formed The Eastwood Ensemble in December 2010 to perform chamber music she loves, and at the same time, raise both funds and awareness for new and emerging local independent nonprofits. For every performance, the group chooses a nonprofit business that is community-based and working to make a difference in some way as the showâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s beneficiary. All donations received from the free concert go to the nonprofit selected and representatives of the organization are available for questions during the intermission. The nonprofit for the November concert is the Eastwood Christian Childrenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Center. This local Parentâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Day Out program offers a loving and enriching environment for children ages 18 months through 4 years. 100 percent of the donations received from the November concert will be used for the EC3 tuition assistance program. In addition to the benefit aspect of the concerts, The Eastwood Ensemble is joined at every show by a special guest artist or group. Called Performance P(ART) ners, they might be a musical, visual, or performing artist â&#x20AC;&#x201C; usually someone you would never expect to hear or see at a classical music concert. Thomason describes it as very East Nashville. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We can coexist on an artistic smorgasbord,â&#x20AC;? she says. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Isnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t that what our neighborhood is like â&#x20AC;&#x201C; beautiful Victorian house, brick ranch style home, Dollar General, retro bungalow, taco truck?â&#x20AC;? The Performance P(ART) ner for the November concert is the Ukedelics. The Ukedelics grew out of The Nashville Ukulele Society, a local club devoted to the tiny instrument. The Ukedelicâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s set list includes uked up versions of a wide range of musical genres: jazz, blues, pop, rock and country. Clearly, community is the central theme for The Eastwood Ensemble, andÂ making connections is the most important thing. Thomason saw that the traditional role of the classical musician needed to be expanded â&#x20AC;&#x201D; there seemed to be a great separation between the musicians themselves and their own communities. She wanted to engage more with the audience, so during the concerts, the musicians talk about the pieces they have picked and why the music is important to hear. The Nov. 20 show at Eastwood Christian Church will begin at 4 p.m. The church is located at 1601 Eastland Ave. For more information or to sign up for The Eastwood Ensemble e-newsletter, visit their website: www.eastwood-ensemble.org. â&#x20AC;&#x201D; Julie Duemler

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Sunday, Nov.6:10:30 a.m. Join us as we honor and remember the Christian faithful, both within our congregation and elsewhere.

Sunday, Dec.11:10:30 a.m. Our youngest members (and some older helpers) make this a very special experience!

Sunday, Dec. 18: 6:40 p.m., prelude; 7 p.m., service. The combination of spoken word, instrumental and choral music create a service thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s been an East Nashville favorite for years.

Saturday, Dec. 24, 5 p.m., CHRISTMAS DAY SERVICE Communion Sunday, Dec. 25:10:30 a.m. Celebrate Christâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s birth through words and song as we mark this most special of days.

Serving East Nashville With Open Hearts, Open Minds & Open Doors For More Than 100 Years 1212 Holly Street, Nashville, TN (615) 227-3272 Visit us online at eastendumc.org or on Facebook at: www.facebook.com/pages/East-End-United-Methodist-Church/115911165105014

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The Eastwood Ensemble mixes chamber music with community service

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Sunday, Nov.6:10:30 a.m. Join us as we honor and remember the Christian faithful, both within our congregation and elsewhere.

Sunday, Dec.11:10:30 a.m. Our youngest members (and some older helpers) make this a very special experience!

Sunday, Dec. 18: 6:40 p.m., prelude; 7 p.m., service. The combination of spoken word, instrumental and choral music create a service thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s been an East Nashville favorite for years.

Saturday, Dec. 24, 5 p.m., CHRISTMAS DAY SERVICE Communion Sunday, Dec. 25:10:30 a.m. Celebrate Christâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s birth through words and song as we mark this most special of days.

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New businesses abound in the

‘hood

(Clockwose from top): Five Points Pizza, Village Ink Tattoo and Jeni’s Splendid Ice Creams are among the businesses which have opened recently in East Nashville.

By Carole Anne King

Photos by Stacie Huckeba

ast Nashville continues to beguile entrepreneurs and business visionaries. Here’s a look at the latest newcomers to the neighborhood. Barista Parlor, scheduled to open in early December, will “focus on the coffee experience more as a culinary art rather than just a caffeine-delivery beverage,” according to owners Andy and Kimberly Mumma. Promising a one-on-one experience with your barista, the shop will feature a Slayer Espresso Machine, multiple roasters, and handcrafted, by-the-cup coffee using multiple brew methods. Competition quality drinks, tasting menus, flights and pairings, educational classes and cuppings, along with bean-to-bar chocolates and fine teas, are part of the vision as well. “Opening Barista Parlor has been a dream of mine for years and we knew the only place we wanted to open would be in our beloved East Nashville,” says Andy, who has 13 years of experience in specialty coffee. Located at 519B Gallatin Road. Five Points Pizza offers New York-style pizza made from simple recipes: handcrushed tomatoes for the sauce, dough aged at least 48 hours, and mozzarella shredded in-house all day long. “We are not Italian. We were not bakers. None of us had ever made a pizza. We are two recovering attorneys and a writer living in East Nashville who found the perfect space for rent in Five Points, decided to open a pizza shop, and developed our passion for the craft of making pizza along the way,” Tara Tieman says, adding, “We use only the freshest ingredients available. There is a good chance those heirloom tomatoes on your caprese salad, those jalapenos on your slice, and the basil in our sauce came from our backyard garden on Holly Street.” Located at 1012 Woodland Street. Jeni’s Splendid Ice Creams is a familyowned artisan company offering innovative products such as Salty Caramel, Riesling Poached Pear Sorbet, and Bangkok Peanut with peanut butter, coconut and cayenne pepper. Owner Jeni Britton Bauer has fused

elements of traditional ice cream making and gelato technique and seeks the highest quality ingredients from small farmers, independent dairies, and micro-distilleries. “We have always seen ourselves as a progressive and emerging company, and East Nashville in particular is an emerging neighborhood that we feel shares a lot of our passions and concerns. We feel that great food, like great music and great painting, all fall into under the broader category of great art, and East Nashville is the type of environment where artists and artisans are nourished and supported,” local shopkeeper Jacob Winger says. Located at 1892 Eastland Avenue. Logue’s Black Raven Emporium will bring a vision to the neighborhood that is “edgier and slightly darker than most” says owner Robert Logue, a born-and-raised East Nashvillian, adding that “East Nashville has a bohemian sensibility that I feel at home with.” He and his wife Cemile plan to offer a mix of new and vintage couture clothing, jewelry and shoes, along with “old, weird used books,” unusual ephemera, art and photography. Underground movie nights should debut in coming months, with weekly grindhouse and classic exploitation, drive-in fare in the basement event space courtesy of Bob Slendorn and his vast collection. Art shows and poetry readings

are also on tap. Coming in December to 2915 Gallatin Pike in the old Caudle’s Veterinary building, corner of Trinity Lane. Porter Road Butcher is a full-service butcher shop slated to open in early December. East Nashvillians Chris Carter, a graduate of Le Cordon Bleu in Scottsdale, Ariz., and James Peisker, a Culinary Institute of America graduate, are the driving forces behind the venture. “We are a whole animal, locally-sourced butcher working directly with the local farmers to provide our customers with the highest quality fresh meat,” Carter says. “We’ll also provide culinary knowledge to guide our customers.” The shop will offer custom cuts of meat, fresh, in-house-made sausages, house-made deli meats, local deli sliced cheese from Kenny’s farm house, Provence breads, house-made condiments, and 30 different artisan cheeses from Kathleen Cotter and The Bloomy Rind. Located at 501 Gallatin Avenue. The Pharmacy Burger Parlor & Beer Garden plans a November opening with a full-service burger parlor, craft beer (30 taps, up to 100 bottles), house-made German sausages, and old-fashioned sodas and floats. Patrons can hoist beers in the lush, 140-seat biergarten, a two-level covered 80seat patio, and an outdoor bar. “I come from South Texas, where life is very laid-back,”

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New businesses abound in the

‘hood

(Clockwose from top): Five Points Pizza, Village Ink Tattoo and Jeni’s Splendid Ice Creams are among the businesses which have opened recently in East Nashville.

By Carole Anne King

Photos by Stacie Huckeba

www.theeastnashvillian.com

YOUR FRIENDLY EAST NASHVILLE INSURANCE AGENT

owner and proprietor Terry Raley says. “There were lots of outdoor icehouses where parents could drink beer, catch up, and grab a bite while their children played together. The icehouses were meeting centers, sort of like town halls.” Raley envisions the same for East Nashville. The Pharmacy Burger Parlor & Beer Garden will also provide a play area and welcomes children until 9 p.m. Located at 731 McFerrin Avenue, directly behind Holland House. Village Ink Tattoo takes tattooing seriously. A custom-only studio, it requires a client consultation prior to booking an appointment. “We want a customer’s artwork to stand out amongst the masses,” owner Rowdy Lewis says. “We will collaborate with you and take into consideration not just what the art will look like the day it’s done; we will consider carefully how the tattoo’s placement, size, and color will be years from now, as well as how you may feel about it then.” Award-winning artist Tattoo Bobbay (emphasis on the “ay”) has been tattooing for 26 years in several prestigious establishments in Southern California — and has an eye for extreme detail and extraordinary art. Located at 1311 McGavock Pike in Riverside Village.

East Nashvillian of the Year Award 2011

he Historic East Nashville Merchants Association (HENMA) is taking nominations for East Nashvillian of the Year for 2011. This is the fourth year of the annual award highlighting people and businesses who exemplify the best of all the positive aspects of life in East Nashville. There will be one winner in each of two categories. The first will be for a business or business owner who in 2011 portrayed the best of what East Nashville has to offer. The second award is for a private citizen who best symbolizes what being a good East Nashville neighbor means. “East Nashville is full of people and businesses who are committed to serving the neighborhood through a wide variety of actions,” HENMA President Dr. Tom Hadley says. “It is important to recognize these selfless individuals and the efforts they have made to improve our community.” Winners will receive a $200 prize and recognition at the first HENMA meeting of 2012. Nominations will be accepted through the HENMA website or by email to tomh311@yahoo.com and should include a brief description of the nominee’s accomplishments in 2011 for voting consideration. Voting will take place in November by HENMA members and announced by the end of the year. Last year’s winners were Catherine McTamaney (Citizen Award) and Alan Murdock/ArtHouse Gardens (Business Award). The Historic East Nashville Merchants Association is a business collective formed in 2003 to foster a cooperative spirit between businesses located in Historic Nashville’s East Bank business district. Its member businesses work in concert with government and neighborhood associations to improve the welfare, commerce and quality of life in East Nashville. For more information visit the website at http://www. eastnashville.org. — Eric Jans

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Parting Shots

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Sounds like East-Side spirit

East Nashvillians were all over the recent Americana music fest. Elizabeth Cook and Tim Carroll (top) performed at the Ryman Auditorium, while Will Hoge and his band rocked out the Mercy Lounge. Photos by Stacie Huckeba.

Parting Shots

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Sounds like East-Side spirit