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EAST NASHVILLIANS OF THE YEAR ALAN MURDOCK & CATHERINE MCTAMANEY Vol. 1 Issue 3 January–February 2011

East Nashvillian Issue 03

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Page 1: East Nashvillian Issue 03

EAST NASHVILLIANSOF THE YEARALAN MURDOCK & CATHERINE MCTAMANEY

Vol.

1 I

ssue

3 J

anua

ry–F

ebru

ary

2011

Page 2: East Nashvillian Issue 03
Page 3: East Nashvillian Issue 03
Page 4: East Nashvillian Issue 03

Publisher

Lisa McCauley

Managing Editor

Chuck Allen

Art Director

Mark Pilkinton

Photographers

Chuck Allen

Josh Anderson

Robbie D. Jones

Ray Kennedy

Melanie Meadows

Mark Pilkinton

Alison Slamon

Contributing Writers

Chuck Allen

Amy Armstrong

Tyrus Arthur

Elizabeth Chauncey

Eric Jans

Robbie D. Jones

Melanie Meadows

Hannah Meigs

Alan Murdock

Lynn Taylor

Andrea Bailey Willits

Webmaster and Producer

Wendy Jans

Advertising Contact:

Lisa McCauley

[email protected]

615-582-4187

www.theeastnashvillian.com

East Nashville Gothiccover photo by Alison Slamon

©2011 Kitchen Table Media, LLC The East Nashvillian is published bi-monthly by Kitchen Table Media, LLC. No portion of this magazine may be reproduced without the express permission of the Publisher. All rights reserved.

Dr. Thomas Hadley

7 North Tenth St., Nashville, TN 37206Across from Marché

615. 227. 2400

There Is A New Reason To Smile

In East Nashville

Full-Service Family

DentistryCosmeticsImplants Sedation

The Ultimate in New

TechnologyAnd Comfort

TVs in the Ceiling!

after

before

Work done by Dr. Hadley

www.eastsidesmiles.net

EAST NASHVILLIANSOF THE YEARALAN MURDOCK & CATHERINE MCTAMANEY

Vol.

1 I

ssue

3 J

anua

ry–F

ebru

ary

2011

5

ww

w.t

heea

stna

shvi

llia

n.co

m

East Nashvillians of the YearAlan Murdock & Catherine McTamaneyBy Melanie Meadows

Profile: Scott Witherow East Nashville’s Chocolate ArtisanBy Eric Jans

Your East Side Guide ToGetting Fit in the New YearBy Andrea Bailey Willits

Charity Spotlight: CASA A Voice for Abused & Neglected ChildrenBy Amy Armstrong

InglewoodNashville’s Newest Preservation BattlegroundBy Robbie D. Jones

Nashville Junior Roller DerbyGirls Can’t What?By Hannah Meigs

Artist ProfileKeith GattisBy Chuck Allen

Love Thy PetA Retrospective and ResolutionBy Elizabeth Chauncey

East Nashville LivingAttic Build-Outs in Historic HomesBy Lynn Taylor

The ArtHouse GardenerA Gardener’s Winter ResolutionsBy Alan Murdock

Phot

o by

Ray

Ken

nedy

Page 5: East Nashvillian Issue 03

Publisher

Lisa McCauley

Managing Editor

Chuck Allen

Art Director

Mark Pilkinton

Photographers

Chuck Allen

Josh Anderson

Robbie D. Jones

Ray Kennedy

Melanie Meadows

Mark Pilkinton

Alison Slamon

Contributing Writers

Chuck Allen

Amy Armstrong

Tyrus Arthur

Elizabeth Chauncey

Eric Jans

Robbie D. Jones

Melanie Meadows

Hannah Meigs

Alan Murdock

Lynn Taylor

Andrea Bailey Willits

Webmaster and Producer

Wendy Jans

Advertising Contact:

Lisa McCauley

[email protected]

615-582-4187

www.theeastnashvillian.com

East Nashville Gothiccover photo by Alison Slamon

©2011 Kitchen Table Media, LLC The East Nashvillian is published bi-monthly by Kitchen Table Media, LLC. No portion of this magazine may be reproduced without the express permission of the Publisher. All rights reserved.

Dr. Thomas Hadley

7 North Tenth St., Nashville, TN 37206Across from Marché

615. 227. 2400

There Is A New Reason To Smile

In East Nashville

Full-Service Family

DentistryCosmeticsImplants Sedation

The Ultimate in New

TechnologyAnd Comfort

TVs in the Ceiling!

after

before

Work done by Dr. Hadley

www.eastsidesmiles.net

EAST NASHVILLIANSOF THE YEARALAN MURDOCK & CATHERINE MCTAMANEY

Vol.

1 I

ssue

3 J

anua

ry–F

ebru

ary

2011

5

ww

w.t

heea

stna

shvi

llia

n.co

m

East Nashvillians of the YearAlan Murdock & Catherine McTamaneyBy Melanie Meadows

Profile: Scott Witherow East Nashville’s Chocolate ArtisanBy Eric Jans

Your East Side Guide ToGetting Fit in the New YearBy Andrea Bailey Willits

Charity Spotlight: CASA A Voice for Abused & Neglected ChildrenBy Amy Armstrong

InglewoodNashville’s Newest Preservation BattlegroundBy Robbie D. Jones

Nashville Junior Roller DerbyGirls Can’t What?By Hannah Meigs

Artist ProfileKeith GattisBy Chuck Allen

Love Thy PetA Retrospective and ResolutionBy Elizabeth Chauncey

East Nashville LivingAttic Build-Outs in Historic HomesBy Lynn Taylor

The ArtHouse GardenerA Gardener’s Winter ResolutionsBy Alan Murdock

Phot

o by

Ray

Ken

nedy

Page 6: East Nashvillian Issue 03

6

ww

w.theeastnashvillian.com

LETTER FROM THE EDITOR

The last year drew to a close leaving us with an economy plagued by uncertainty and a politically polarized citizenry adrift in its wake. As a new year dawns we usually find within ourselves a renewed sense of hope and purpose which traditionally manifests itself as The New Year’s Resolution. Unfortunately, the magnitude of our collective challenges threatens to render as insignificant any hope we might have individually of making a difference in our world. In a popular culture obsessed with celebrating celebrity is it any wonder that we’ve become conditioned to believe that national recognition is required as a prerequisite for self-worth?

It is our sincere hope that this edition of The East Nashvillian will demonstrate that individuals, when confronted by the needs of their community, can make a positive, meaningful difference in the lives of their fellow human beings. We begin this year with Melanie Meadows’ excellent cover story on East Nashvillians of the Year Alan Murdock and Catherine McTamaney, which portrays the true meaning of “friends in need” by describing their tireless efforts in the hour, days and weeks after the devastating flood of 2010. In Hannah Meigs profile of Nashville Junior Roller Derby founder Julie Bredesen we find out the girls she coaches are learning that getting back up after being knocked down is a metaphor for life. Often times the needs of at-risk children are overlooked, but, as Amy Armstrong reports, CASA is making great strides in augmenting our overloaded family court system by giving voice to these neglected children. And don’t miss Elizabeth Chauncey’s article, which describes in a very personal way the soul-searching she undertook that led her to form East C.A.N.

Of course we can’t take care of each other if we don’t take care of ourselves, so look to the Get Fit article for tips on leaving the stress behind. Or treat yourself to one of Olive & Sinclair’s Salt and Pepper Chocolate Bars while reading Eric Jans profile of Olive & Sinclair founder Scott Witherow. Music is another great way to soothe the soul, and if you’ve listened to the radio at all lately chances are you’ve heard a song, or maybe some guitar playing, by Keith Gattis, the subject of this issue’s Artist Profile.

So when the news gets to be overwhelming and you find yourself saying, “why bother?” then perhaps it’s time to stop and take look around. Every day there are folks right here in our community who choose to step outside of themselves in order to help others. Maybe we should follow their example and give it a try.

Chuck [email protected]

Page 7: East Nashvillian Issue 03

6

ww

w.theeastnashvillian.com

LETTER FROM THE EDITOR

The last year drew to a close leaving us with an economy plagued by uncertainty and a politically polarized citizenry adrift in its wake. As a new year dawns we usually find within ourselves a renewed sense of hope and purpose which traditionally manifests itself as The New Year’s Resolution. Unfortunately, the magnitude of our collective challenges threatens to render as insignificant any hope we might have individually of making a difference in our world. In a popular culture obsessed with celebrating celebrity is it any wonder that we’ve become conditioned to believe that national recognition is required as a prerequisite for self-worth?

It is our sincere hope that this edition of The East Nashvillian will demonstrate that individuals, when confronted by the needs of their community, can make a positive, meaningful difference in the lives of their fellow human beings. We begin this year with Melanie Meadows’ excellent cover story on East Nashvillians of the Year Alan Murdock and Catherine McTamaney, which portrays the true meaning of “friends in need” by describing their tireless efforts in the hour, days and weeks after the devastating flood of 2010. In Hannah Meigs profile of Nashville Junior Roller Derby founder Julie Bredesen we find out the girls she coaches are learning that getting back up after being knocked down is a metaphor for life. Often times the needs of at-risk children are overlooked, but, as Amy Armstrong reports, CASA is making great strides in augmenting our overloaded family court system by giving voice to these neglected children. And don’t miss Elizabeth Chauncey’s article, which describes in a very personal way the soul-searching she undertook that led her to form East C.A.N.

Of course we can’t take care of each other if we don’t take care of ourselves, so look to the Get Fit article for tips on leaving the stress behind. Or treat yourself to one of Olive & Sinclair’s Salt and Pepper Chocolate Bars while reading Eric Jans profile of Olive & Sinclair founder Scott Witherow. Music is another great way to soothe the soul, and if you’ve listened to the radio at all lately chances are you’ve heard a song, or maybe some guitar playing, by Keith Gattis, the subject of this issue’s Artist Profile.

So when the news gets to be overwhelming and you find yourself saying, “why bother?” then perhaps it’s time to stop and take look around. Every day there are folks right here in our community who choose to step outside of themselves in order to help others. Maybe we should follow their example and give it a try.

Chuck [email protected]

Page 8: East Nashvillian Issue 03

HENMAHistoric East Nashville Merchants Association

At the last quarterly meeting of the Historic East Nashville Merchants Association (HENMA) in November, new officers were elected. Over the last 3 years the board has been served by President Eric Jans of Eric Jans Insurance, Vice-President Wynn Smith of the Chop Shop and Secretary/Treasurer Amber Robertson-Smith of Art Dude.

The new officers for 2011 will be Dr. Tom Hadley of East Side Smiles, Vice President Steve Powell of Powell Design, Secretary Kevin Anthuis of 5 Points Digital Imaging, and Treasurer Betty Collins of High Timberline.

The Historic East Nashville Merchants Association was 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. Monthly mixers are held at various members’ businesses, usually during the 3rd week of the month, and general membership meetings are held quarterly on the 3rd Monday of the month. Locations are announced shortly before each meeting on the website at www.eastnashville.org. The 2011 meeting dates are: February 21rst, May 16th, August 15th, and November 21rst 2011 at 6pm.

If you have a business in East Nashville, please consider joining HENMA. Yearly membership is $50. Check the website for more details.

Each year, the Historic East Nashville Merchants Association (HENMA) honors both a business and an individual for outstanding contributions to the East Nashville community.

The 2010 winners – Alan Murdock and Catharine McTamaney – are both long-time East Nashville residents. They’ve both been involved in East Nashville community affairs for some time, but in May 2010, during the Nashville Flood, they stepped up to help their neighbors in way that has earned them both well-deserved admiration and praise.

Saturday, May 1, 2010. It’s pouring rain and Alan Murdock has an injured foot. As the owner of Arthouse Gardens, he can’t do much when it’s raining anyway. He’s watching the news and forecast is devastatingly simple: more rain. He sees a massive wall of water rushing toward his house. Soon, his basement is underwater.

A native of Pensacola, Florida, Alan had seen his share of weather crises. “I grew up with hurricanes, tornadoes and !ooding. My parents lost their home during Hurricane Ivan. I remember them dealing with FEMA and local government and all of the frustrations, especially the lack of hope,” explains Alan. “So when I realized the extent of what was happening, I knew we had to bring people together to help each other. I tried to think of my parents and how they dealt with it. I wanted to make it positive experience and I knew we had to be proactive. I posted on the Listserv [neighborhood email bulletin board] and asked for people to help pump out basements. Catherine was the "rst person to respond.”

Catherine McTamaney describes herself as a “Gladys Kravitz” (the curious neighbor from the TV show Bewitched), a

person who likes to know what’s going on around her.

“I’m fascinated by people,” explains Catherine. “I’ve been over here since my kids were little. One of the amazing things about living in an historic neighborhood is that there are qualities – sidewalks and front porches – that keep people engaged with the community.”

Bob Rochford was the "rst to volunteer to contact Alan. While the rains were still falling, he went out with his parents’ sump pump and proceeded to pump water out of his neighbor’s homes for the next 18 hours.

Catherine showed up at Arthouse Gardens and, for the next two weeks, she led what became the command center for the

!ood response in East Nashville. By the end of the "rst week, Catherine formed a team along Trisha Brantley, Pat Gray, Kelli Reeves and Kathleen Cotter, and they were able to answer more phones at once. On Monday afternoon, the Corps of Engineers released the dams. #e water rose slowly, but constantly. It took a while for the extent of the crisis to sink in.

“Many people didn’t know even until Tuesday as water was still rising. People were out of town and came back to a home under water,” says Catherine. “By that time, we were ‘knee deep’ in it. We were there and organized before the deluge hit. On the Listserv, we asked neighbors to tell us about people in East Nashville who needed help. #en we published our phone number. People out in the "eld saw other houses that needed help. Teams would be called to one house and end up spending the day and helping people on the whole street.”

8

ww

w.theeastnashvillian.com

Alan Murdock and Catherine McTamaneyBy Melanie Meadows

Catherine McTamaney at ArtHouse Gardens during the flood relief efforts in May 2010.

East Nashvillian of the Year (Business): Alan Murdock • Native of Pensacola, FL• Moved to Nashville 20 years ago to attend Belmont’s music business program; moved to East Nashville in 2001; lives in a 1925 Arts & Crafts home• Owner of Arthouse Gardens, 1108 B Woodland Street (behind I Dream of Weenie)• Previously worked in music industry for Warner Brothers• Enjoys music and creative writing, including plays

East Nashvillian of the Year (Individual): Catherine McTamaney• Native of New Jersey• Moved to Nashville for college at Peabody University 18 years ago; moved to East Nashville in 1999• Holds a BS in Secondary English and Education, MEd in Early Childhood Education and English and a doctorate in Leadership, Policy and Organizations; taught at Hunter’s Lane High School and at a Montessori school• Currently a professor at Vanderbilt in teaching and learning

Page 9: East Nashvillian Issue 03

HENMAHistoric East Nashville Merchants Association

At the last quarterly meeting of the Historic East Nashville Merchants Association (HENMA) in November, new officers were elected. Over the last 3 years the board has been served by President Eric Jans of Eric Jans Insurance, Vice-President Wynn Smith of the Chop Shop and Secretary/Treasurer Amber Robertson-Smith of Art Dude.

The new officers for 2011 will be Dr. Tom Hadley of East Side Smiles, Vice President Steve Powell of Powell Design, Secretary Kevin Anthuis of 5 Points Digital Imaging, and Treasurer Betty Collins of High Timberline.

The Historic East Nashville Merchants Association was 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. Monthly mixers are held at various members’ businesses, usually during the 3rd week of the month, and general membership meetings are held quarterly on the 3rd Monday of the month. Locations are announced shortly before each meeting on the website at www.eastnashville.org. The 2011 meeting dates are: February 21rst, May 16th, August 15th, and November 21rst 2011 at 6pm.

If you have a business in East Nashville, please consider joining HENMA. Yearly membership is $50. Check the website for more details.

Each year, the Historic East Nashville Merchants Association (HENMA) honors both a business and an individual for outstanding contributions to the East Nashville community.

The 2010 winners – Alan Murdock and Catharine McTamaney – are both long-time East Nashville residents. They’ve both been involved in East Nashville community affairs for some time, but in May 2010, during the Nashville Flood, they stepped up to help their neighbors in way that has earned them both well-deserved admiration and praise.

Saturday, May 1, 2010. It’s pouring rain and Alan Murdock has an injured foot. As the owner of Arthouse Gardens, he can’t do much when it’s raining anyway. He’s watching the news and forecast is devastatingly simple: more rain. He sees a massive wall of water rushing toward his house. Soon, his basement is underwater.

A native of Pensacola, Florida, Alan had seen his share of weather crises. “I grew up with hurricanes, tornadoes and !ooding. My parents lost their home during Hurricane Ivan. I remember them dealing with FEMA and local government and all of the frustrations, especially the lack of hope,” explains Alan. “So when I realized the extent of what was happening, I knew we had to bring people together to help each other. I tried to think of my parents and how they dealt with it. I wanted to make it positive experience and I knew we had to be proactive. I posted on the Listserv [neighborhood email bulletin board] and asked for people to help pump out basements. Catherine was the "rst person to respond.”

Catherine McTamaney describes herself as a “Gladys Kravitz” (the curious neighbor from the TV show Bewitched), a

person who likes to know what’s going on around her.

“I’m fascinated by people,” explains Catherine. “I’ve been over here since my kids were little. One of the amazing things about living in an historic neighborhood is that there are qualities – sidewalks and front porches – that keep people engaged with the community.”

Bob Rochford was the "rst to volunteer to contact Alan. While the rains were still falling, he went out with his parents’ sump pump and proceeded to pump water out of his neighbor’s homes for the next 18 hours.

Catherine showed up at Arthouse Gardens and, for the next two weeks, she led what became the command center for the

!ood response in East Nashville. By the end of the "rst week, Catherine formed a team along Trisha Brantley, Pat Gray, Kelli Reeves and Kathleen Cotter, and they were able to answer more phones at once. On Monday afternoon, the Corps of Engineers released the dams. #e water rose slowly, but constantly. It took a while for the extent of the crisis to sink in.

“Many people didn’t know even until Tuesday as water was still rising. People were out of town and came back to a home under water,” says Catherine. “By that time, we were ‘knee deep’ in it. We were there and organized before the deluge hit. On the Listserv, we asked neighbors to tell us about people in East Nashville who needed help. #en we published our phone number. People out in the "eld saw other houses that needed help. Teams would be called to one house and end up spending the day and helping people on the whole street.”

8

ww

w.theeastnashvillian.com

Alan Murdock and Catherine McTamaneyBy Melanie Meadows

Catherine McTamaney at ArtHouse Gardens during the flood relief efforts in May 2010.

East Nashvillian of the Year (Business): Alan Murdock • Native of Pensacola, FL• Moved to Nashville 20 years ago to attend Belmont’s music business program; moved to East Nashville in 2001; lives in a 1925 Arts & Crafts home• Owner of Arthouse Gardens, 1108 B Woodland Street (behind I Dream of Weenie)• Previously worked in music industry for Warner Brothers• Enjoys music and creative writing, including plays

East Nashvillian of the Year (Individual): Catherine McTamaney• Native of New Jersey• Moved to Nashville for college at Peabody University 18 years ago; moved to East Nashville in 1999• Holds a BS in Secondary English and Education, MEd in Early Childhood Education and English and a doctorate in Leadership, Policy and Organizations; taught at Hunter’s Lane High School and at a Montessori school• Currently a professor at Vanderbilt in teaching and learning

Page 10: East Nashvillian Issue 03

We asked Eric Jans, outgoing president of the Historic East Nashville Merchants Association, to answer a few questions about the East Nashvillian of the Year award and its winners.

Q: How did the award get started? How many years has it been given?Jans: We started the awards in 2008, so this is the third year. We really wanted to promote the fact there were so many people doing great things in our neighborhood, real-life community activists, and since we are a business association we also wanted to recognize businesses making a difference in East Nashville. The first year’s winners were Bob Acuff, and Bret and Meg MacFadyen (Art & Invention) and we were so happy because the results were exactly like what we had envisioned. And then the second year’s winners were Carol Norton and Dan Heller (Riverside Village) and again it was right on. These are people that other people already admire, we don’t really need the awards to convey that. But now these neighbors that we all love can feel appreciated for all that they do. The competition is actually really tough.”

Q: Why does our community need an award like this? Jans: The awards recognize people who represent what’s so great about living in East Nashville. We hope it inspires others; not so they can try to win some arbitrary award, but in a way that shows how ordinary people can do extraordinarily great things in the community.

Q: Who decides the winner? Jans: Anyone can nominate someone or be nominated, but the ballot goes to members of the Historic East Nashville Merchants Association for voting.

Q: What are the criteria for each award (citizen and business)? Jans: The criteria for citizen award versus business award can be tricky considering that many East Nashville businesses are operated solely by the owner, who is also a citizen of the community. In that case, we have to decide which award is the best fit. We ask, “did the person do something spectacular through their business or own their own?” However, the only real qualification for a person to be nominated is that they live or own a businesses located in the neighborhood. Q: Tell us about the 2010 winners (Alan and Catherine). Jans: This May, when we had the Great Nashville Flood and the cleanup efforts, I remember going to ArtHouse Gardens and seeing the crowds of volunteers and piles of supplies. Alan and Catherine ran that effort like a triage. At the time I was thinking, “Now this year’s awards are going to be pretty obvious.” But it as it turned out, that the voting was actually really close. We had five nominees in each category and any one of them would have been a great choice for winner. I have known both Catherine and Alan for a long time and know that they each have a real heart for this neighborhood and have been proactive in various efforts over here. They could have easily been nominated or won the award without the extraordinary circumstances around the flood, but their leadership during that period was clearly admirable.

As the rain subsided, the volunteers began to pour in. #e "rst day, roughly 20 people showed up, mostly victims who wanted to swap help. #e number of volunteers nearly doubled each day. More than 400 people showed up on Saturday, and another 500 came on Sunday alone. #ere were more than 1600 volunteers who assisted in East Nashville. “A bus full of soldiers from Fort Campbell pulled up and their commanding o$cer burst onto the scene, asking who was in charge,” recalls Alan. “She announced that Fort Campbell had arrived to help and they needed to know what to do.”

#ere was so much to do and so many ways to help. Of course, there was the physical part – moving furniture and other valuables and pumping out water. #e next two weeks went by in a whirlwind. People needed to move their belongings out of the water’s path. Some people had pets in the !ooded homes that needed to be rescued. #ere were elderly people who had been living beyond their independence and now they were in desperate need. People who weren’t able to do the physical work were willing to help in a variety of other ways.

“We had people bleaching, mopping, going over maps, handing out water, bringing supplies, knocking on doors, buying supplies, cooking food for volunteers,” remembers Catherine. “People who were at home could call and let people know where to go. #ey could call the churches and other community organizations to get the word out. We realized that there were physical needs, but also emotional needs that were devastating. We started asking for counselors who could come and talk to the victims. Some people were suicidal or having marital problems. It was very emotional for people to see all of their belongings being hauled away.”“We used to joke that we could post anything we needed on the Listserv and it would show up within an hour,” laughed Alan. “We asked for a Spanish translator, and one arrived shortly. We’d ask for a sump pump and we’d have 10 within a few hours. It was amazing. ” #e volunteers canvassed every street in this neighborhood, which included East Nashville and Inglewood in Metro Council Districts 5, 6, 7 and 8.

#rough this experience, Catherine and Alan have analyzed what worked and what didn’t and put it down on paper. #ey plan to form a community-based organization called #eNext100Years.org. #is organization would connect churches and other community organizations and to encourage people to check on their neighbors.

“#e degree to how neighborhoods respond to a disaster is tied to how they respond in the best of situations. We want to protect and nurture relationships between neighbors in the best of times, so that we are ready for the challenging times,” says Alan. “We are all better o% when we know our neighbors. I walked away from May feeling like my life was better. We forget the tornado that was only 12 years ago. We must have a plan in place neighbor to neighbor.”

“We’d love to have #e Next 100 Years in place by the anniversary of the !ood. We want people to commit to the neighborhood for the next 100 years and get involved.”

Page 11: East Nashvillian Issue 03

We asked Eric Jans, outgoing president of the Historic East Nashville Merchants Association, to answer a few questions about the East Nashvillian of the Year award and its winners.

Q: How did the award get started? How many years has it been given?Jans: We started the awards in 2008, so this is the third year. We really wanted to promote the fact there were so many people doing great things in our neighborhood, real-life community activists, and since we are a business association we also wanted to recognize businesses making a difference in East Nashville. The first year’s winners were Bob Acuff, and Bret and Meg MacFadyen (Art & Invention) and we were so happy because the results were exactly like what we had envisioned. And then the second year’s winners were Carol Norton and Dan Heller (Riverside Village) and again it was right on. These are people that other people already admire, we don’t really need the awards to convey that. But now these neighbors that we all love can feel appreciated for all that they do. The competition is actually really tough.”

Q: Why does our community need an award like this? Jans: The awards recognize people who represent what’s so great about living in East Nashville. We hope it inspires others; not so they can try to win some arbitrary award, but in a way that shows how ordinary people can do extraordinarily great things in the community.

Q: Who decides the winner? Jans: Anyone can nominate someone or be nominated, but the ballot goes to members of the Historic East Nashville Merchants Association for voting.

Q: What are the criteria for each award (citizen and business)? Jans: The criteria for citizen award versus business award can be tricky considering that many East Nashville businesses are operated solely by the owner, who is also a citizen of the community. In that case, we have to decide which award is the best fit. We ask, “did the person do something spectacular through their business or own their own?” However, the only real qualification for a person to be nominated is that they live or own a businesses located in the neighborhood. Q: Tell us about the 2010 winners (Alan and Catherine). Jans: This May, when we had the Great Nashville Flood and the cleanup efforts, I remember going to ArtHouse Gardens and seeing the crowds of volunteers and piles of supplies. Alan and Catherine ran that effort like a triage. At the time I was thinking, “Now this year’s awards are going to be pretty obvious.” But it as it turned out, that the voting was actually really close. We had five nominees in each category and any one of them would have been a great choice for winner. I have known both Catherine and Alan for a long time and know that they each have a real heart for this neighborhood and have been proactive in various efforts over here. They could have easily been nominated or won the award without the extraordinary circumstances around the flood, but their leadership during that period was clearly admirable.

As the rain subsided, the volunteers began to pour in. !e "rst day, roughly 20 people showed up, mostly victims who wanted to swap help. !e number of volunteers nearly doubled each day. More than 400 people showed up on Saturday, and another 500 came on Sunday alone. !ere were more than 1600 volunteers who assisted in East Nashville. “A bus full of soldiers from Fort Campbell pulled up and their commanding o#cer burst onto the scene, asking who was in charge,” recalls Alan. “She announced that Fort Campbell had arrived to help and they needed to know what to do.”

!ere was so much to do and so many ways to help. Of course, there was the physical part – moving furniture and other valuables and pumping out water. !e next two weeks went by in a whirlwind. People needed to move their belongings out of the water’s path. Some people had pets in the $ooded homes that needed to be rescued. !ere were elderly people who had been living beyond their independence and now they were in desperate need. People who weren’t able to do the physical work were willing to help in a variety of other ways.

“We had people bleaching, mopping, going over maps, handing out water, bringing supplies, knocking on doors, buying supplies, cooking food for volunteers,” remembers Catherine. “People who were at home could call and let people know where to go. !ey could call the churches and other community organizations to get the word out. We realized that there were physical needs, but also emotional needs that were devastating. We started asking for counselors who could come and talk to the victims. Some people were suicidal or having marital problems. It was very emotional for people to see all of their belongings being hauled away.”“We used to joke that we could post anything we needed on the Listserv and it would show up within an hour,” laughed Alan. “We asked for a Spanish translator, and one arrived shortly. We’d ask for a sump pump and we’d have 10 within a few hours. It was amazing. ” !e volunteers canvassed every street in this neighborhood, which included East Nashville and Inglewood in Metro Council Districts 5, 6, 7 and 8.

!rough this experience, Catherine and Alan have analyzed what worked and what didn’t and put it down on paper. !ey plan to form a community-based organization called !eNext100Years.org. !is organization would connect churches and other community organizations and to encourage people to check on their neighbors.

“!e degree to how neighborhoods respond to a disaster is tied to how they respond in the best of situations. We want to protect and nurture relationships between neighbors in the best of times, so that we are ready for the challenging times,” says Alan. “We are all better o% when we know our neighbors. I walked away from May feeling like my life was better. We forget the tornado that was only 12 years ago. We must have a plan in place neighbor to neighbor.”

“We’d love to have !e Next 100 Years in place by the anniversary of the $ood. We want people to commit to the neighborhood for the next 100 years and get involved.”

Page 12: East Nashvillian Issue 03

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w.theeastnashvillian.com

hen local entrepreneur Scott Witherow gets an idea in his head, there is no stopping him. He opened Olive

& Sinclair Chocolate Co. in Riverside Village last summer after discovering a bean-to-bar chocolate maker on a trip to Canada in 2007. While there, he bought over a pound of the chocolate bars and could not stop eating them. He ended up devouring the whole pound in one night. Scott was hooked, and with a little research found that nobody in Tennessee was producing bean-to-bar

chocolate on a commercial level. #us Olive & Sinclair was born, and over the last couple of years has been perfected.

Carried in Whole Foods and many local shops throughout the city, Olive & Sinclair is quickly making a splash with their Southern Artisan Chocolate™. #e bars come from stone-ground fair-trade cacao beans and all natural ingredients. “#e stone grinding process is similar to making grits,” says Scott. “I wanted to focus on what we think of as the Southern experience, we use brown sugar which gives it molasses-like tones. It’s unconventional; we were the "rst of our kind in Tennessee and remain one of the few in the Southeast.”

Jennifer Hagan-Dier, East Nashville resident and President of the Friends of the Nashville Farmers’ Market is a big fan, “Olive and Sinclair has completely changed what I think about chocolate,” she says, “One square of Olive and Sinclair’s Salt & Pepper Chocolate has become a serious daily habit - my favorite way to end a long day. #e fact that it is also made by local folks who care about the ingredients and every dollar I spend purchasing their chocolate from a local merchant goes back into our local economy makes it even easier to purchase another bar when my stash runs out.”

Scott was not new to the food industry when he launched his company. He grew up in Columbia, TN and has worked in restaurants since the age of "fteen. But like his revelation to make chocolate, several years ago he had another revelation that lead him to where he is today. “One day I started really considering going to culinary school and decided to go to London,” says Scott. He left town that same week and later graduated from the Le Cordon Bleu culinary program. He worked at #e Fat Duck and Nobu before heading back to the states. He spent time in Chicago and Birmingham, and has worked in Nashville at Fire!y Grille, #e Trace and Wild Boar. It was during his time as pastry chef at F. Scott’s that he started thinking seriously about opening his own restaurant or other culinary endeavor. #en on that fateful trip to Canada, he discovered bean-to-bar chocolate.

While teaching at the Art Institute, Scott perfected his chocolate making. In serious need of space for equipment, he looked around and found the perfect spot in Riverside Village. Scott says, “I knew from previously living on Gartland Avenue that East Nashville would be accepting and supportive. It was such a perfect "t for my business and working with [developer of Riverside Village] Dan Heller on the space has been a win-win. He is such an advocate for my business and East Nashville and he brings people by whenever he shows another part of the building. It’s such a community here. We all support each other and local business in general.”

Dan Heller only has praise for Scott as well. “I love talking about Olive &

{ EAST NASHVILLE’S CHOCOLATE ARTISAN }By Eric Jans / Photos by Josh Anderson

SCOTT WITHEROW

Scott contemplates the follow-up to Olive & Sinclair’s “Salt & Pepper” bar.

Sinclair. What a great brand! Scott made a brilliant executive decision in choosing Anderson Design Group to create their visual identity. It’s as if they’ve been on grocery shelves since the turn of the century. #e chocolate is just beyond amazing and truly unique. #ey’ve been getting a lot of well-deserved attention.”

East Nashville was essential in getting the business o% the ground in another major way. In the summer of 2009, there was a buzz about Olive & Sinclair and Scott chose to highlight his business with a booth at the Tomato Art Fest. #e reception was way beyond expectations. “It was !ooring how well received we were,” Scott says. “I chose to give away pieces of the Salt & Pepper bar, and everything was an a$rmation that the business was going to be good. We gave chocolate away all day long, wanting to see people’s reactions and it was incredible. I had never done anything like it, and it was phenomenal.”

His team is small. Scott has three employees and an intern from the Art Institute. #ey all do everything, from roasting to winnowing to stone grinding to molding to cooling to packaging. Multi-tasking is a must at the shop. #ey make two or three batches a week, each weighing 330 pounds; that makes upwards of 800+ bars a day! Scott wants the whole process to be as transparent as possible. He asks his employees’ input on everything, from the taste of the product right down to the packaging.

#e shop, next to Bagel Face Bagels and behind Mitchell’s Deli, has some hours available for retail but the small team and loud equipment makes it di$cult to have regular hours for visitors.

For now, Scott says the best thing to do is get the bars at local retailers like Bongo Java, the Turnip Truck, Marche, Mitchell’s Deli or the Green Wagon. Ordering online is another great way to get their seven di%erent chocolate bars, as well as hip t-shirts and colorful collectible posters with the incredible Olive & Sinclair logo designed by #e Anderson Design Group. Scott

would like to expand their hours for the public and o%er tours of the shop. Eventually he envisions the space to be friendlier to the public in general. He would like it to be a venue, like Yazoo Brewery has evolved into, with parties, live music, and “maybe chocolate mud-wrestling.”

#e space of the shop may evolve, but what about the product? Scott is already working on that. “I love to "nd ways to bridge the relationships with local companies,” he says. He uses Bongo Java Roasting Co.’s co%ee beans in the Co%ee Bar and is also working with Bongo’s Bob Bernstein on a drinking chocolate for

Visual design beffitting handmade artisan chocolate bars. By using a classic style from a bygone era, the Anderson Design Group has created a unique brand identiy for the Olive & Sinclair product line.

Page 13: East Nashvillian Issue 03

12

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w.theeastnashvillian.com

hen local entrepreneur Scott Witherow gets an idea in his head, there is no stopping him. He opened Olive

& Sinclair Chocolate Co. in Riverside Village last summer after discovering a bean-to-bar chocolate maker on a trip to Canada in 2007. While there, he bought over a pound of the chocolate bars and could not stop eating them. He ended up devouring the whole pound in one night. Scott was hooked, and with a little research found that nobody in Tennessee was producing bean-to-bar

chocolate on a commercial level. !us Olive & Sinclair was born, and over the last couple of years has been perfected.

Carried in Whole Foods and many local shops throughout the city, Olive & Sinclair is quickly making a splash with their Southern Artisan Chocolate™. !e bars come from stone-ground fair-trade cacao beans and all natural ingredients. “!e stone grinding process is similar to making grits,” says Scott. “I wanted to focus on what we think of as the Southern experience, we use brown sugar which gives it molasses-like tones. It’s unconventional; we were the "rst of our kind in Tennessee and remain one of the few in the Southeast.”

Jennifer Hagan-Dier, East Nashville resident and President of the Friends of the Nashville Farmers’ Market is a big fan, “Olive and Sinclair has completely changed what I think about chocolate,” she says, “One square of Olive and Sinclair’s Salt & Pepper Chocolate has become a serious daily habit - my favorite way to end a long day. !e fact that it is also made by local folks who care about the ingredients and every dollar I spend purchasing their chocolate from a local merchant goes back into our local economy makes it even easier to purchase another bar when my stash runs out.”

Scott was not new to the food industry when he launched his company. He grew up in Columbia, TN and has worked in restaurants since the age of "fteen. But like his revelation to make chocolate, several years ago he had another revelation that lead him to where he is today. “One day I started really considering going to culinary school and decided to go to London,” says Scott. He left town that same week and later graduated from the Le Cordon Bleu culinary program. He worked at !e Fat Duck and Nobu before heading back to the states. He spent time in Chicago and Birmingham, and has worked in Nashville at Fire#y Grille, !e Trace and Wild Boar. It was during his time as pastry chef at F. Scott’s that he started thinking seriously about opening his own restaurant or other culinary endeavor. !en on that fateful trip to Canada, he discovered bean-to-bar chocolate.

While teaching at the Art Institute, Scott perfected his chocolate making. In serious need of space for equipment, he looked around and found the perfect spot in Riverside Village. Scott says, “I knew from previously living on Gartland Avenue that East Nashville would be accepting and supportive. It was such a perfect "t for my business and working with [developer of Riverside Village] Dan Heller on the space has been a win-win. He is such an advocate for my business and East Nashville and he brings people by whenever he shows another part of the building. It’s such a community here. We all support each other and local business in general.”

Dan Heller only has praise for Scott as well. “I love talking about Olive &

{ EAST NASHVILLE’S CHOCOLATE ARTISAN }By Eric Jans / Photos by Josh Anderson

SCOTT WITHEROW

Scott contemplates the follow-up to Olive & Sinclair’s “Salt & Pepper” bar.

Sinclair. What a great brand! Scott made a brilliant executive decision in choosing Anderson Design Group to create their visual identity. It’s as if they’ve been on grocery shelves since the turn of the century. !e chocolate is just beyond amazing and truly unique. !ey’ve been getting a lot of well-deserved attention.”

East Nashville was essential in getting the business o$ the ground in another major way. In the summer of 2009, there was a buzz about Olive & Sinclair and Scott chose to highlight his business with a booth at the Tomato Art Fest. !e reception was way beyond expectations. “It was #ooring how well received we were,” Scott says. “I chose to give away pieces of the Salt & Pepper bar, and everything was an a%rmation that the business was going to be good. We gave chocolate away all day long, wanting to see people’s reactions and it was incredible. I had never done anything like it, and it was phenomenal.”

His team is small. Scott has three employees and an intern from the Art Institute. !ey all do everything, from roasting to winnowing to stone grinding to molding to cooling to packaging. Multi-tasking is a must at the shop. !ey make two or three batches a week, each weighing 330 pounds; that makes upwards of 800+ bars a day! Scott wants the whole process to be as transparent as possible. He asks his employees’ input on everything, from the taste of the product right down to the packaging.

!e shop, next to Bagel Face Bagels and behind Mitchell’s Deli, has some hours available for retail but the small team and loud equipment makes it di%cult to have regular hours for visitors.

For now, Scott says the best thing to do is get the bars at local retailers like Bongo Java, the Turnip Truck, Marche, Mitchell’s Deli or the Green Wagon. Ordering online is another great way to get their seven di$erent chocolate bars, as well as hip t-shirts and colorful collectible posters with the incredible Olive & Sinclair logo designed by !e Anderson Design Group. Scott

would like to expand their hours for the public and o$er tours of the shop. Eventually he envisions the space to be friendlier to the public in general. He would like it to be a venue, like Yazoo Brewery has evolved into, with parties, live music, and “maybe chocolate mud-wrestling.”

!e space of the shop may evolve, but what about the product? Scott is already working on that. “I love to "nd ways to bridge the relationships with local companies,” he says. He uses Bongo Java Roasting Co.’s co$ee beans in the Co$ee Bar and is also working with Bongo’s Bob Bernstein on a drinking chocolate for

Visual design beffitting handmade artisan chocolate bars. By using a classic style from a bygone era, the Anderson Design Group has created a unique brand identiy for the Olive & Sinclair product line.

Page 14: East Nashvillian Issue 03

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Income ServicesYEAR ROUND TAX SPECIALISTS

- Year-round Tax Service- e-file- Tax Preparation- Bank Products- Personal, Partnership, & Corporate returns- Business Formations- Payroll Services

Bob’s new place Hot & Cold in Hillsboro Village.

“I’ve wanted to serve a chocolate sipping drink for a long time but, until I worked with Scott, I couldn’t get the drink right,” says Bernstein. “#e chocolate shot we are now serving at Hot & Cold is incredible. It’s the chocolate equivalent of espresso: one ounce of pure !avor is all you want.” #ey are also dipping paletas into melted Olive & Sinclair chocolate.

Terrapin Beer Co. of Athens Georgia is using Olive & Sinclair chocolate in its “Moo-Hoo” Chocolate Milk Stout, which is currently on tap at 3 Crow Bar. Scott is also working on a baking chocolate and ideas for corporate gifts. He would like to continue making strides toward making his business more sustainable and ecologically stable. His goal is to make chocolate with 100% green power. Right now Olive & Sinclair works directly with farmers in the Dominican Republic to get beans and cocoa butter that are 100% certi"ed organic.

Olive & Sinclair Chocolate Co. has had a lot of good press, which has largely come from word of mouth. #ere is no PR person, just Scott and his team. “It’s a quality product that’s as personable as it is Southern. I believe in making that quality product that sells itself,” Scott

says. #ey have been featured in print in the Southern Living 2010 Gift Guide, #e Food Network Magazine, People Magazine, New York magazine, Food and Wine Magazine, Specialty Food magazine, Nashville Arts, #e Tennessean, and #e Nashville Scene. Awards and honors are starting as well. #e Sea Salt Chocolate bar is a "nalist in the Good Food Awards. #e Salt & Pepper Chocolate Bar was a 2010 Silver Finalist for Outstanding Confection by #e National Association for the Specialty Food Trade. Even the original artwork and packaging is winning awards. #e Anderson Design Group won a Gold Award for Package Design in 2010 in the AIGA Tenn Art Show and Best of Show in the 2010 AAF Addy Awards. Tennessee Crossroads featured Olive & Sinclair on their show. When Gwyneth Paltrow was in town shooting her movie Country Strong, she raved about Olive & Sinclair on her blog. It seems like everyone is talking about Olive & Sinclair.

#e chocolate bars are $5-6 and available all over town and online (www.oliveandsinclair.com). Turnip Truck had four varieties in stock when I stopped by. If you are looking for an excellent Valentine’s Day gift, an Olive & Sinclair variety pack might be just the thing. Oh and maybe a six-pack of Terrapin’s Moo-Hoo Chocolate Milk Stout.

Delicious-ness in its infancy.

Page 15: East Nashvillian Issue 03

Advanced Tax&

Income ServicesYEAR ROUND TAX SPECIALISTS

- Year-round Tax Service- e-file- Tax Preparation- Bank Products- Personal, Partnership, & Corporate returns- Business Formations- Payroll Services

Bob’s new place Hot & Cold in Hillsboro Village.

“I’ve wanted to serve a chocolate sipping drink for a long time but, until I worked with Scott, I couldn’t get the drink right,” says Bernstein. “!e chocolate shot we are now serving at Hot & Cold is incredible. It’s the chocolate equivalent of espresso: one ounce of pure "avor is all you want.” !ey are also dipping paletas into melted Olive & Sinclair chocolate.

Terrapin Beer Co. of Athens Georgia is using Olive & Sinclair chocolate in its “Moo-Hoo” Chocolate Milk Stout, which is currently on tap at 3 Crow Bar. Scott is also working on a baking chocolate and ideas for corporate gifts. He would like to continue making strides toward making his business more sustainable and ecologically stable. His goal is to make chocolate with 100% green power. Right now Olive & Sinclair works directly with farmers in the Dominican Republic to get beans and cocoa butter that are 100% certi#ed organic.

Olive & Sinclair Chocolate Co. has had a lot of good press, which has largely come from word of mouth. !ere is no PR person, just Scott and his team. “It’s a quality product that’s as personable as it is Southern. I believe in making that quality product that sells itself,” Scott

says. !ey have been featured in print in the Southern Living 2010 Gift Guide, !e Food Network Magazine, People Magazine, New York magazine, Food and Wine Magazine, Specialty Food magazine, Nashville Arts, !e Tennessean, and !e Nashville Scene. Awards and honors are starting as well. !e Sea Salt Chocolate bar is a #nalist in the Good Food Awards. !e Salt & Pepper Chocolate Bar was a 2010 Silver Finalist for Outstanding Confection by !e National Association for the Specialty Food Trade. Even the original artwork and packaging is winning awards. !e Anderson Design Group won a Gold Award for Package Design in 2010 in the AIGA Tenn Art Show and Best of Show in the 2010 AAF Addy Awards. Tennessee Crossroads featured Olive & Sinclair on their show. When Gwyneth Paltrow was in town shooting her movie Country Strong, she raved about Olive & Sinclair on her blog. It seems like everyone is talking about Olive & Sinclair.

!e chocolate bars are $5-6 and available all over town and online (www.oliveandsinclair.com). Turnip Truck had four varieties in stock when I stopped by. If you are looking for an excellent Valentine’s Day gift, an Olive & Sinclair variety pack might be just the thing. Oh and maybe a six-pack of Terrapin’s Moo-Hoo Chocolate Milk Stout.

Delicious-ness in its infancy.

Page 16: East Nashvillian Issue 03

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w.theeastnashvillian.com

#is New Year, take a holistic approach to "tness. No more fretting about those last few pounds; instead, focus on improving your whole person. From beating anxiety to eat-smart recipes, we asked a few friends in the neighborhood to give you their best tips for a sound mind, body and spirit.

How to Beat Worry and AnxietyAlexa Hulsey, owner, East Nashville Community Acupuncture 604 Gallatin Avenue, Suite 113; eastnashvilleacupuncture.com Get good sleep. Insomnia and anxiety can be a vicious cycle. Try to go to bed around the same time every night, and don’t drink alcohol before bed because it interferes with sleep. Avoid anything stimulating like watching TV in bed.

Cut down on coffee. Cutting down on stimulants has been shown to help with anxiety.

Take a B-6 vitamin. #e B vitamins are especially helpful for anxiety.

Exercise. Any type of exercise, from yoga to running, reduces stress and releases the body’s natural feel-good hormones. Do guided meditation with a CD, podcast, or meditation group at a local yoga studio. If you have trouble sleeping, turn it on when you get in bed.

Try acupuncture. We treat anxiety all the time. Acupuncture promotes the !ow of chi and the body’s own natural healing mechanisms, resulting in balance and an overall feeling of health.

Eat Better When You’re Dining OutSean Perry, owner, Nuvo Burrito1000 Main Street, #103; nuvoburrito.com

Get your lean protein: order lean chicken or ground turkey (like our “Plymouth” and “90210”).

Skip rice. Rice is an extra carbohydrate that doesn’t really enhance !avor.

Lose the bread or quesadilla altogether and put the good stu% over salad greens.

Eat at home. In 15 minutes, you can make our hearty, !avorful Gulf Coast salad!

Feel Healthier in 10 MinutesDonnavan Stephens, owner, Shaolin Concepts School of Martial Arts 902 Hart Lane; shaolinconcepts.com

Breathe deeply and slowly. Most people don’t realize that high blood pressure is controlled by your breath. When people get stressed, they hold their breath. Sit down and take 10 deep, slow breaths. It all starts in the breath.

Stretch. If you don’t stretch, you become brittle. Willow trees bend; mighty oaks break.

Strengthen your core with kettlebell or medicine ball exercises. One thing that’s important in physical strength is not to try to spot train. True strength comes from the core.

Do something physical with your kids, even if it’s just cleaning up around the house. Work together as a team.

Come in for a Qi-gung Chinese Massage Therapy. It is the way of the Shaolin to heal, as well as refuse harm to one’s self. You’ve never felt anything like it.

Sunny Becks, owner, Hooprama604 Gallatin Ave, #101; hooprama.com

Grab a hula hoop, put on your favorite song or TV show, and start hooping. #e hula hoop should circle your waist. “Round and round” brings the hoop down, so go side to side, or front to back. Don’t watch the clock: Hooping is about enjoyment. Smile. Bet you can’t stay in a sour mood.

YOUR EAST SIDE GUIDE TO GE T T ING F I T IN THE NEW YEAR

How to Start the New Year Spiritually CenteredLeah Lillios, owner, Kali Yuga Yoga1011 Fatherland St.; kaliyugayoga.com

Set intentions. Rather than make New Year’s resolutions, in yoga we set intentions—positive a$rmations to enhance our present life. For example, if you feel you are carrying around some extra weight, your intention might be “I am a happy, healthy and active person!” Visualize yourself living that healthy lifestyle.

Relax. Relieving your body from stress is one of the most essential tools in opening your heart and mind to enlightenment. Try the art of Yoga Nidra, or guided meditation, where you systematically relax each part of the body. Just lie comfortably on the !oor, and starting with the tips of your toes, scan through the entire body, relaxing each muscle, bone and organ until you reach the crown of your head, then remain still for a few minutes.

Go to yoga. Yoga is a brilliant and subtle way to open your mind to new ideas about the possibilities that are out there for your own physical and spiritual growth. By moving our bodies in all the ways in which it is designed to move, and often in very unusual and unique ways, we start to realize the limitless nature of our potential.

Continued Next Page

Page 17: East Nashvillian Issue 03

16

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w.theeastnashvillian.com

!is New Year, take a holistic approach to "tness. No more fretting about those last few pounds; instead, focus on improving your whole person. From beating anxiety to eat-smart recipes, we asked a few friends in the neighborhood to give you their best tips for a sound mind, body and spirit.

How to Beat Worry and AnxietyAlexa Hulsey, owner, East Nashville Community Acupuncture 604 Gallatin Avenue, Suite 113; eastnashvilleacupuncture.com Get good sleep. Insomnia and anxiety can be a vicious cycle. Try to go to bed around the same time every night, and don’t drink alcohol before bed because it interferes with sleep. Avoid anything stimulating like watching TV in bed.

Cut down on coffee. Cutting down on stimulants has been shown to help with anxiety.

Take a B-6 vitamin. !e B vitamins are especially helpful for anxiety.

Exercise. Any type of exercise, from yoga to running, reduces stress and releases the body’s natural feel-good hormones. Do guided meditation with a CD, podcast, or meditation group at a local yoga studio. If you have trouble sleeping, turn it on when you get in bed.

Try acupuncture. We treat anxiety all the time. Acupuncture promotes the #ow of chi and the body’s own natural healing mechanisms, resulting in balance and an overall feeling of health.

Eat Better When You’re Dining OutSean Perry, owner, Nuvo Burrito1000 Main Street, #103; nuvoburrito.com

Get your lean protein: order lean chicken or ground turkey (like our “Plymouth” and “90210”).

Skip rice. Rice is an extra carbohydrate that doesn’t really enhance #avor.

Lose the bread or quesadilla altogether and put the good stu$ over salad greens.

Eat at home. In 15 minutes, you can make our hearty, #avorful Gulf Coast salad!

Feel Healthier in 10 MinutesDonnavan Stephens, owner, Shaolin Concepts School of Martial Arts 902 Hart Lane; shaolinconcepts.com

Breathe deeply and slowly. Most people don’t realize that high blood pressure is controlled by your breath. When people get stressed, they hold their breath. Sit down and take 10 deep, slow breaths. It all starts in the breath.

Stretch. If you don’t stretch, you become brittle. Willow trees bend; mighty oaks break.

Strengthen your core with kettlebell or medicine ball exercises. One thing that’s important in physical strength is not to try to spot train. True strength comes from the core.

Do something physical with your kids, even if it’s just cleaning up around the house. Work together as a team.

Come in for a Qi-gung Chinese Massage Therapy. It is the way of the Shaolin to heal, as well as refuse harm to one’s self. You’ve never felt anything like it.

Sunny Becks, owner, Hooprama604 Gallatin Ave, #101; hooprama.com

Grab a hula hoop, put on your favorite song or TV show, and start hooping. !e hula hoop should circle your waist. “Round and round” brings the hoop down, so go side to side, or front to back. Don’t watch the clock: Hooping is about enjoyment. Smile. Bet you can’t stay in a sour mood.

YOUR EAST SIDE GUIDE TO GE T T ING F I T IN THE NEW YEAR

How to Start the New Year Spiritually CenteredLeah Lillios, owner, Kali Yuga Yoga1011 Fatherland St.; kaliyugayoga.com

Set intentions. Rather than make New Year’s resolutions, in yoga we set intentions—positive a%rmations to enhance our present life. For example, if you feel you are carrying around some extra weight, your intention might be “I am a happy, healthy and active person!” Visualize yourself living that healthy lifestyle.

Relax. Relieving your body from stress is one of the most essential tools in opening your heart and mind to enlightenment. Try the art of Yoga Nidra, or guided meditation, where you systematically relax each part of the body. Just lie comfortably on the #oor, and starting with the tips of your toes, scan through the entire body, relaxing each muscle, bone and organ until you reach the crown of your head, then remain still for a few minutes.

Go to yoga. Yoga is a brilliant and subtle way to open your mind to new ideas about the possibilities that are out there for your own physical and spiritual growth. By moving our bodies in all the ways in which it is designed to move, and often in very unusual and unique ways, we start to realize the limitless nature of our potential.

Continued Next Page

Page 18: East Nashvillian Issue 03

Gulf Coast Salad1 lb gulf shrimp (70/90 size work best)Cajun seasoning1/2 medium yellow onion, diced1 cup whole grain brown rice1 can black beansShredded cheddar/jack cheese blend! cup real bacon bits Nuvo Cilantro Pesto dressing (recipe below)1 lb baby spinach

Cook rice as directed on package. Heat black beans. On large individual plates or bowls, layer ingredients as follows: baby spinach, rice, black beans, cheese. In skillet, add 1 tablespoon canola oil over medium heat. When oil is hot, add onions and shrimp. Sprinkle generously with seasoning. Allow to simmer, tossing every 30 seconds and seasoning all sides of shrimp. Spoon shrimp/onion mixture evenly over salads. Top with bacon bits. Dress with Nuvo Cilantro Pesto. Serve immediately.

Nuvo Cilantro Pesto Dressing" cup olive oil" cup canola oil1 bunch fresh cilantro, stems removed" cup chopped walnuts1/8 cup grated parmesan 1/8 cup minced garlicSalt and pepper to taste

In food processor combine all ingredients and puree until even and smooth. Drizzle over salad.

Rev. Diane Blum, East End United Methodist Church1212 Holly Street; eastendumc.org

Practice a prayerful time of silence and stillness. #e spiritual practice of entering stillness or silence can be found in most all the great religions, for it is one way to receive peace in the midst of very active, challenging life experience.

Walk. Walking can become a spiritual practice that reconnects our bodies, minds and spirits. Walking a familiar circuit can incorporate clearing your mind and emotions, as well as cultivating a sensory and intuitive receptivity. Walking a “labyrinth” is an ancient practice for spiritual health and growth. St. Ann’s Episcopal Church has created a labyrinth outdoors at Woodland and 5th.

Eat mindfully. We eat well by eating together without the distraction of being in our cars or using media. Providing food to others in need is a strong spiritual practice that reorients our own relationships with food.

Take a retreat. Do you have a real “day o%” when you can set aside the phone or o$ce work? Engaging in personal or

group retreats restores perspective, makes new relationships possible, and connects

us with divine guidance.

Getting Fit Continued

The Margaret Maddox Family YMCA would like to thank the following East Nashville Businesses for

making the Taste of East Nashville a HUGE success. Your passion for what you do SHINED… There were over 400 community neighbors who gathered to get

a taste of your fine food, art and music.

MUSICIANS FROM MUSIC CITY UNSIGNEDBrandon Ingle

Daniel EllsworthJustin Tam

Musiccityunsigned.com

ARTISTSLaura Amstutz : creativespillage.com

Sarah Bennett : [email protected] Stevens

Dana Leigh : the barefootartist.comDaniel GonzalezHerman BlackMegan Lightell

The East Nashvillian

EAST NASHVILLE CUISINENuvo Burrito : nuvoburrito.com

Silly Goose : sillygoosenashville.comBagel Face : bagelfacebakery.com

G-free : gfreemadeeasy.comEastside Fish : eastsidefish.com

Las MaracasThe Dog Spot : TheDogSpot.com

Almond Tree : thealmondtreebakery.comEast Eats : facebook.com/easteats

Beve Mobile Coffee : bevecoffee.com

YMCA Mission: A worldwide charitable fellowship united by a common loyalty to Jesus Christ for the purpose of helping people

grow in spirit, mind and body.

604 Gallatin Avenue, Suite 113 Corner of Gallatin and West Eastland

(615) 457-1979 | eastnashvilleacupuncture.com

Affordable acupuncturein a peaceful community setting for $15-$35 per treatment.

Page 19: East Nashvillian Issue 03

Gulf Coast Salad1 lb gulf shrimp (70/90 size work best)Cajun seasoning1/2 medium yellow onion, diced1 cup whole grain brown rice1 can black beansShredded cheddar/jack cheese blend! cup real bacon bits Nuvo Cilantro Pesto dressing (recipe below)1 lb baby spinach

Cook rice as directed on package. Heat black beans. On large individual plates or bowls, layer ingredients as follows: baby spinach, rice, black beans, cheese. In skillet, add 1 tablespoon canola oil over medium heat. When oil is hot, add onions and shrimp. Sprinkle generously with seasoning. Allow to simmer, tossing every 30 seconds and seasoning all sides of shrimp. Spoon shrimp/onion mixture evenly over salads. Top with bacon bits. Dress with Nuvo Cilantro Pesto. Serve immediately.

Nuvo Cilantro Pesto Dressing" cup olive oil" cup canola oil1 bunch fresh cilantro, stems removed" cup chopped walnuts1/8 cup grated parmesan 1/8 cup minced garlicSalt and pepper to taste

In food processor combine all ingredients and puree until even and smooth. Drizzle over salad.

Rev. Diane Blum, East End United Methodist Church1212 Holly Street; eastendumc.org

Practice a prayerful time of silence and stillness. !e spiritual practice of entering stillness or silence can be found in most all the great religions, for it is one way to receive peace in the midst of very active, challenging life experience.

Walk. Walking can become a spiritual practice that reconnects our bodies, minds and spirits. Walking a familiar circuit can incorporate clearing your mind and emotions, as well as cultivating a sensory and intuitive receptivity. Walking a “labyrinth” is an ancient practice for spiritual health and growth. St. Ann’s Episcopal Church has created a labyrinth outdoors at Woodland and 5th.

Eat mindfully. We eat well by eating together without the distraction of being in our cars or using media. Providing food to others in need is a strong spiritual practice that reorients our own relationships with food.

Take a retreat. Do you have a real “day o"” when you can set aside the phone or o#ce work? Engaging in personal or

group retreats restores perspective, makes new relationships possible, and connects

us with divine guidance.

Getting Fit Continued

The Margaret Maddox Family YMCA would like to thank the following East Nashville Businesses for

making the Taste of East Nashville a HUGE success. Your passion for what you do SHINED… There were over 400 community neighbors who gathered to get

a taste of your fine food, art and music.

MUSICIANS FROM MUSIC CITY UNSIGNEDBrandon Ingle

Daniel EllsworthJustin Tam

Musiccityunsigned.com

ARTISTSLaura Amstutz : creativespillage.com

Sarah Bennett : [email protected] Stevens

Dana Leigh : the barefootartist.comDaniel GonzalezHerman BlackMegan Lightell

The East Nashvillian

EAST NASHVILLE CUISINENuvo Burrito : nuvoburrito.com

Silly Goose : sillygoosenashville.comBagel Face : bagelfacebakery.com

G-free : gfreemadeeasy.comEastside Fish : eastsidefish.com

Las MaracasThe Dog Spot : TheDogSpot.com

Almond Tree : thealmondtreebakery.comEast Eats : facebook.com/easteats

Beve Mobile Coffee : bevecoffee.com

YMCA Mission: A worldwide charitable fellowship united by a common loyalty to Jesus Christ for the purpose of helping people

grow in spirit, mind and body.

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Page 20: East Nashvillian Issue 03

A Voice for Abused and Neglected Children

Mary* was a three-year-old girl with no place to call home. Her mother had abandoned her, so her aunt petitioned for custody. #is is often a long process and very hard on the child. Fortunately, for Mary and her aunt, help was right around the corner.

#e numbers are staggering. Last year in Nashville, more than 2,000 children were caught up in the court system because they were abused, neglected or abandoned by those they loved and trusted the most. Where can these children turn for help? Fortunately, there is an organization that puts children "rst. #is organization is called CASA, which stands for Court Appointed Special Advocate. Sta%ed almost entirely by non-paid volunteers, CASA works to make a di%erence in the lives of children at risk. CASA’s mission is to expedite the process to help abused and neglected children "nd safe, permanent homes.

Jane Andrews, a Nashville business executive and community leader, serves as Executive Director of CASA Nashville, which is part of a national network of more than 1,000 o$ces. #ese o$ces recruit and train volunteers to represent children in the courtroom. Each year in the United States, more than 270,000 children are removed from their homes and placed in foster care or in institutions, and it is up to a judge to decide where these children will be placed. Because of our overburdened child welfare systems this is often a very long process, with the child being caught up in the system through no fault of his or her own.

“#e majority of our children come from the 37206, 37207 and 37208 zip codes,” says Andrews. “Around 2,000 children go through juvenile court every year. Over the last "ve years, we have served about 25 percent of those cases.” #e courts decide which cases go to CASA, and these are typically the most challenging ones. “Case Managers are so overloaded – they often have 30 cases at once,” Andrews adds. “Our volunteers can dedicate more time to these children.”

CASA volunteers are appointed by a judge to be a voice for children in the court system. Judges and social workers often have such full caseloads that they do not have time to give each case their full attention. CASA volunteers research every case thoroughly to ensure that each child makes it to a safe, permanent home. #is often involves reviewing documents and speaking with the child’s parents, siblings, doctors and school o$cials. Each volunteer focuses exclusively on the needs of the child and is there to express the child’s point of view. #is information helps judges make the right decisions for the child’s care.

#e CASA program was initiated in 1977 in Seattle, Washington. Judge David Soukup realized that he did not have all of the information he needed to make decisions for abused and neglected children. In Judge Soukup’s words,”In criminal and civil cases, even though there were always many di%erent points of view, you walked out of the courthouse at the end of the day and you said, ‘I’ve done my best; I can live with this decision,’” he explains. Soukup came up with the idea of trained community volunteers to speak for these children in court. #ere are now 42,400 men and women in 50 states serving as CASA volunteers.

CASA came to Nashville in 1984, and the program is currently located less than a mile from the Juvenile Justice Center at 601 Woodland Street. Last year, with 25 volunteers, CASA was able to advocate for 530 children. #e organization estimates that it will serve more than 600 children in 2010; unfortunately this year alone more than 2,300 abused or neglected children are expected to come through juvenile court in Davidson County. With community support, CASA can help turn these numbers around.

“We are currently starting our year-end

campaign, where all donations up to $25,000 are matched dollar for dollar,” says Andrews. “We encourage everyone to donate now in order to double their contribution.” #is campaign continues through January and CASA has set a goal of $68,000.

CASA Nashville’s next campaign, scheduled for April 2nd, will be “#e Red Shoe Party” (aptly named after Dorothy in #e Wizard of Oz, who famously quipped “#ere’s no place like home”). #e party will take place at the W.O. Smith Community Center at 1125 8th Avenue South in Nashville.

So, how did things turn out for Mary, the child mentioned at the beginning of this story? #anks to CASA, Mary’s aunt was found to be a suitable caregiver. Her CASA volunteer helped her to obtain a Tennessee Care Card for Mary and she is now up-to-date on all of her immunizations. She is doing very well in her new home.

*Name has been changed.

CASA

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Page 21: East Nashvillian Issue 03

A Voice for Abused and Neglected Children

Mary* was a three-year-old girl with no place to call home. Her mother had abandoned her, so her aunt petitioned for custody. !is is often a long process and very hard on the child. Fortunately, for Mary and her aunt, help was right around the corner.

!e numbers are staggering. Last year in Nashville, more than 2,000 children were caught up in the court system because they were abused, neglected or abandoned by those they loved and trusted the most. Where can these children turn for help? Fortunately, there is an organization that puts children "rst. !is organization is called CASA, which stands for Court Appointed Special Advocate. Sta#ed almost entirely by non-paid volunteers, CASA works to make a di#erence in the lives of children at risk. CASA’s mission is to expedite the process to help abused and neglected children "nd safe, permanent homes.

Jane Andrews, a Nashville business executive and community leader, serves as Executive Director of CASA Nashville, which is part of a national network of more than 1,000 o$ces. !ese o$ces recruit and train volunteers to represent children in the courtroom. Each year in the United States, more than 270,000 children are removed from their homes and placed in foster care or in institutions, and it is up to a judge to decide where these children will be placed. Because of our overburdened child welfare systems this is often a very long process, with the child being caught up in the system through no fault of his or her own.

“!e majority of our children come from the 37206, 37207 and 37208 zip codes,” says Andrews. “Around 2,000 children go through juvenile court every year. Over the last "ve years, we have served about 25 percent of those cases.” !e courts decide which cases go to CASA, and these are typically the most challenging ones. “Case Managers are so overloaded – they often have 30 cases at once,” Andrews adds. “Our volunteers can dedicate more time to these children.”

CASA volunteers are appointed by a judge to be a voice for children in the court system. Judges and social workers often have such full caseloads that they do not have time to give each case their full attention. CASA volunteers research every case thoroughly to ensure that each child makes it to a safe, permanent home. !is often involves reviewing documents and speaking with the child’s parents, siblings, doctors and school o$cials. Each volunteer focuses exclusively on the needs of the child and is there to express the child’s point of view. !is information helps judges make the right decisions for the child’s care.

!e CASA program was initiated in 1977 in Seattle, Washington. Judge David Soukup realized that he did not have all of the information he needed to make decisions for abused and neglected children. In Judge Soukup’s words,”In criminal and civil cases, even though there were always many di#erent points of view, you walked out of the courthouse at the end of the day and you said, ‘I’ve done my best; I can live with this decision,’” he explains. Soukup came up with the idea of trained community volunteers to speak for these children in court. !ere are now 42,400 men and women in 50 states serving as CASA volunteers.

CASA came to Nashville in 1984, and the program is currently located less than a mile from the Juvenile Justice Center at 601 Woodland Street. Last year, with 25 volunteers, CASA was able to advocate for 530 children. !e organization estimates that it will serve more than 600 children in 2010; unfortunately this year alone more than 2,300 abused or neglected children are expected to come through juvenile court in Davidson County. With community support, CASA can help turn these numbers around.

“We are currently starting our year-end

campaign, where all donations up to $25,000 are matched dollar for dollar,” says Andrews. “We encourage everyone to donate now in order to double their contribution.” !is campaign continues through January and CASA has set a goal of $68,000.

CASA Nashville’s next campaign, scheduled for April 2nd, will be “!e Red Shoe Party” (aptly named after Dorothy in !e Wizard of Oz, who famously quipped “!ere’s no place like home”). !e party will take place at the W.O. Smith Community Center at 1125 8th Avenue South in Nashville.

So, how did things turn out for Mary, the child mentioned at the beginning of this story? !anks to CASA, Mary’s aunt was found to be a suitable caregiver. Her CASA volunteer helped her to obtain a Tennessee Care Card for Mary and she is now up-to-date on all of her immunizations. She is doing very well in her new home.

*Name has been changed.

CASA

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Page 22: East Nashvillian Issue 03

East Nashville is made up of many historic neighborhoods with individual personalities – McFerrin Park, Lockeland Springs and Five Points, just to name a few. Located in the northern section is Inglewood, a century-old neighborhood characterized by tree-lined streets, friendly neighbors, churches with soaring steeples, and well-built housing dating primarily from the 1920s through the 1950s. #e people are mostly lifelong residents, but newcomers are trickling in, bringing new energy and life to the quiet side of East Nashville. Bumper stickers proclaim, “Life is good in the ‘Wood.”

However, about a year ago, the neighborhood email listservs were buzzing. #at’s when Inglewood residents learned that U.S. Bank planned to demolish Sunnyside, an 81-year old historic landmark on Gallatin Pike, in order to build a new branch o$ce. It seemed no one was too keen on the idea, but local government agencies approved since the proposal was legal. In fact, bank o$cials declared that the recently adopted Speci"c Plan Zoning District encouraged demolition over preservation. Inglewood residents protested, arguing that surely one of the many underutilized commercial properties along Gallatin Pike could be used instead. Nevertheless, U.S. Bank quietly demolished the yellow brick home in July 2010 and replaced it with a new “context-sensitive” and “environmentally friendly” branch. Adding insult to injury, Sunnyside was located within a stone’s throw of Evergreen Place, a 210-year old landmark home demolished in 2005 in order to build a Home Depot; a touchy topic that still brings scowls to Inglewood faces "ve years later.

Sunnyside was the childhood home of nationally-acclaimed designer Albert Livingston Hadley, Jr. of New York City. Evergreen was home to a host of Nashvillians, including farmers, African-American slaves, and the widow of country music legend Jim Reeves. Together, Sunnyside and Evergreen represented nearly 300 years of Nashville history. Which begs the question: Do residents of Inglewood and other East Nashville neighborhoods value economic development at all costs? Even when it requires destruction of the historic places that

make East Nashville unique? #e very places that drew us here to begin with?

When asked, most East Nashvillians will reply, “Hell No!” We’re not the type of people to sit around and whine. Instead, we "gure out what can be done, roll up our sleeves, and go to work. Enter the Inglewood Neighborhood Association (INA), which quickly sprang into action. Members of the INA were concerned about not only the demolition of these historic landmarks, but the imminent demolition of other older homes and buildings that are for sale along the Gallatin Pike corridor. #erefore, in March 2010, the INA formed a “Historic Survey Committee” tasked with determining what individual buildings and areas in Inglewood may be identi"ed as worthy of preservation.

Chaired by Crystal Jones, the committee was comprised of neighborhood advocates and professional preservation planners. Over the next six months the team donated a combined 200 hours devoted to: completing a reconnaissance survey and "eldwork for more than 3,000 properties; researching the neighborhood’s history; gathering historic maps and documents; compiling local, state, and federal government records related to historic properties in the neighborhood; creating databases; and preparing a Summary Management Report. In addition, the committee submitted a grant application to the Tennessee Historical Commission that would allow the INA to hire professional consultants to carry the work forward. #e committee members drove every street, talked with neighbors and folks they just happened to run across, and learned all about the neighborhood they already loved. In the end, the committee recommended 30 individual properties and three historic districts containing more than 800 properties as worthy of preservation. #ese include:

Gallatin Pike Historic District – Gallatin Pike has served as one of Nashville’s most important transportation corridors since it opened as a toll road in the 1830s. Over the years, it has carried horse-drawn wagons, automobiles, electric streetcars, buses, and an electric

Story and Photos by Robbie D. Jones

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This two-story Ranch in Inglewood’s Jackson Park neighborhood was home to Beverly Briley, who served as the the chief executive of Davidson County from 1950-1963 and as Metro Nashville’s first mayor from 1963-1975.

“interurban” connecting downtown Nashville with downtown Gallatin. #is particular section was platted in 1924 and contains 13 properties located on the west side between Calvert Street and Virginia Avenue.

#ese 1920s and ‘30s dwellings re!ect the popularity of Tudor and Craftsman in!uences on a more a&uent scale. Making prominent use of stone and brick, exposed rafters, and decorative windows and sidelights, these homes are a sign of the premium of proximity to the streetcar and interurban lines to downtown Nashville. Continuing to retain a residential feeling and setting with a nearly century-old tree canopy, most of the homes along this corridor are now zoned commercial and have been repurposed for law and real estate o$ces, daycare, etc. Due to the current development threats, Historic Nashville, Inc. included the Gallatin Pike Historic District in the 2010 “Nashville Nine,” a list of Nashville’s nine most endangered historic places..

Inglewood Place Historic District – #is area contains more than 400 residential properties built between 1908 — when Inglewood Place was platted by the Inglewood Land Improvement Company — and 1960. Inglewood Place is a traditional streetcar suburb laid out on a grid pattern. #e middle to upper-class homes exhibit a variety of architectural styles, including American Foursquare, Queen Anne, Tudor Revival, Neoclassical Revival, Spanish Revival, Craftsman, Prairie, Ranch and Modern.

#e district includes the original Inglewood Golf Club estates platted in 1933. #e golf club area is anchored by the Dr. Cleo Miller House “Ivy Hall,” a 1930s Tudor Revival-style landmark on Shelton Avenue that is listed in the National Register of Historic Places. #is district also includes the northern terminus of Riverside Drive, a curvilinear roadway laid out in the 1910s to connect Inglewood Place with Shelby Park. In the 1930s, the Works Progress Administration (WPA) improved Riverside Drive into a scenic, divided boulevard that weaves through East Nashville.

Jackson Park Historic District – Located between Gallatin Pike and the Cumberland River, this area is comprised of more than 300 residential properties built from 1930-1960. Platted in 1930, Jackson Park left behind the streetcar grid pattern for the automobile-oriented, curvilinear streets and larger, more park-like lots. #ese substantial houses are most frequently covered in stone and brick. Most of the frame examples have prominent stone chimneys and foundations. #e district includes examples of custom-built Tudor Revival, Ranch, Rustic Revival, Colonial Revival, Craftsman, Cape Cod, and International architectural styles. #is area, known at one time as the “Belle Meade of East Nashville,” has been home to several prominent Nashvillians such as Roy Acu%, Mayor Beverly Briley, and Vice Mayor David Briley. President

Lyndon B. Johnson stayed here during visits to Nashville. A number of homes are located on the west bank of the Cumberland River, near a former "shing camp and the Tanglewood Historic District, a group of rustic log and frame homes listed in the National Register of Historic Places.

#e committee also recommended individual properties as worthy of preservation, including several churches: Jackson Park Church of Christ, Inglewood Church of Nazarene, Eastminster Presbyterian, Inglewood Baptist, Inglewood Methodist and Dalewood Baptist. Notable school buildings included Isaac Litton Middle School, Isaac Litton Gymnasium and Band Building, and the former Jere Baxter School. Other notable buildings included a Masonic Lodge, the Caudle Clinic, and Monte Vista Commercial District. In addition, the committee recommended the former First Federal Bank as worthy of preservation as a good example of Mid-Century Modern architecture.

#e next phase requires bringing in paid professionals who will prepare formal nominations for listing some of these properties in the National Register of Historic Places, which will provide some protection but will not prevent developers from demolishing historic landmarks. #at will require changes to local zoning overlays, a topic already discussed at two neighborhood meetings hosted by District 8 Councilwoman Karen Bennett. Inglewood residents are not sitting on their hands; they are exploring all options available that will save their historic landmarks.

For more information, see “Images of America: Nashville’s Inglewood” by Crystal Jones, Naomi Manning, and Melanie Meadows,and visit the new “Preserve Inglewood” Facebook page.

“Ivy Hall” was designed by Edwin A. Keeble, one of Nashville’s most accomplished architects from the 1920s-1950s.

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The Inglewood Theater opened April 27, 1950. The opening day movie was “It’s A Great Feeling” with Dennis Morgan and Doris Day.It closed in December of 1977.

Page 23: East Nashvillian Issue 03

East Nashville is made up of many historic neighborhoods with individual personalities – McFerrin Park, Lockeland Springs and Five Points, just to name a few. Located in the northern section is Inglewood, a century-old neighborhood characterized by tree-lined streets, friendly neighbors, churches with soaring steeples, and well-built housing dating primarily from the 1920s through the 1950s. !e people are mostly lifelong residents, but newcomers are trickling in, bringing new energy and life to the quiet side of East Nashville. Bumper stickers proclaim, “Life is good in the ‘Wood.”

However, about a year ago, the neighborhood email listservs were buzzing. !at’s when Inglewood residents learned that U.S. Bank planned to demolish Sunnyside, an 81-year old historic landmark on Gallatin Pike, in order to build a new branch o"ce. It seemed no one was too keen on the idea, but local government agencies approved since the proposal was legal. In fact, bank o"cials declared that the recently adopted Speci#c Plan Zoning District encouraged demolition over preservation. Inglewood residents protested, arguing that surely one of the many underutilized commercial properties along Gallatin Pike could be used instead. Nevertheless, U.S. Bank quietly demolished the yellow brick home in July 2010 and replaced it with a new “context-sensitive” and “environmentally friendly” branch. Adding insult to injury, Sunnyside was located within a stone’s throw of Evergreen Place, a 210-year old landmark home demolished in 2005 in order to build a Home Depot; a touchy topic that still brings scowls to Inglewood faces #ve years later.

Sunnyside was the childhood home of nationally-acclaimed designer Albert Livingston Hadley, Jr. of New York City. Evergreen was home to a host of Nashvillians, including farmers, African-American slaves, and the widow of country music legend Jim Reeves. Together, Sunnyside and Evergreen represented nearly 300 years of Nashville history. Which begs the question: Do residents of Inglewood and other East Nashville neighborhoods value economic development at all costs? Even when it requires destruction of the historic places that

make East Nashville unique? !e very places that drew us here to begin with?

When asked, most East Nashvillians will reply, “Hell No!” We’re not the type of people to sit around and whine. Instead, we #gure out what can be done, roll up our sleeves, and go to work. Enter the Inglewood Neighborhood Association (INA), which quickly sprang into action. Members of the INA were concerned about not only the demolition of these historic landmarks, but the imminent demolition of other older homes and buildings that are for sale along the Gallatin Pike corridor. !erefore, in March 2010, the INA formed a “Historic Survey Committee” tasked with determining what individual buildings and areas in Inglewood may be identi#ed as worthy of preservation.

Chaired by Crystal Jones, the committee was comprised of neighborhood advocates and professional preservation planners. Over the next six months the team donated a combined 200 hours devoted to: completing a reconnaissance survey and #eldwork for more than 3,000 properties; researching the neighborhood’s history; gathering historic maps and documents; compiling local, state, and federal government records related to historic properties in the neighborhood; creating databases; and preparing a Summary Management Report. In addition, the committee submitted a grant application to the Tennessee Historical Commission that would allow the INA to hire professional consultants to carry the work forward. !e committee members drove every street, talked with neighbors and folks they just happened to run across, and learned all about the neighborhood they already loved. In the end, the committee recommended 30 individual properties and three historic districts containing more than 800 properties as worthy of preservation. !ese include:

Gallatin Pike Historic District – Gallatin Pike has served as one of Nashville’s most important transportation corridors since it opened as a toll road in the 1830s. Over the years, it has carried horse-drawn wagons, automobiles, electric streetcars, buses, and an electric

Story and Photos by Robbie D. Jones

22

ww

w.theeastnashvillian.com

This two-story Ranch in Inglewood’s Jackson Park neighborhood was home to Beverly Briley, who served as the the chief executive of Davidson County from 1950-1963 and as Metro Nashville’s first mayor from 1963-1975.

“interurban” connecting downtown Nashville with downtown Gallatin. !is particular section was platted in 1924 and contains 13 properties located on the west side between Calvert Street and Virginia Avenue.

!ese 1920s and ‘30s dwellings re$ect the popularity of Tudor and Craftsman in$uences on a more a%uent scale. Making prominent use of stone and brick, exposed rafters, and decorative windows and sidelights, these homes are a sign of the premium of proximity to the streetcar and interurban lines to downtown Nashville. Continuing to retain a residential feeling and setting with a nearly century-old tree canopy, most of the homes along this corridor are now zoned commercial and have been repurposed for law and real estate o"ces, daycare, etc. Due to the current development threats, Historic Nashville, Inc. included the Gallatin Pike Historic District in the 2010 “Nashville Nine,” a list of Nashville’s nine most endangered historic places..

Inglewood Place Historic District – !is area contains more than 400 residential properties built between 1908 — when Inglewood Place was platted by the Inglewood Land Improvement Company — and 1960. Inglewood Place is a traditional streetcar suburb laid out on a grid pattern. !e middle to upper-class homes exhibit a variety of architectural styles, including American Foursquare, Queen Anne, Tudor Revival, Neoclassical Revival, Spanish Revival, Craftsman, Prairie, Ranch and Modern.

!e district includes the original Inglewood Golf Club estates platted in 1933. !e golf club area is anchored by the Dr. Cleo Miller House “Ivy Hall,” a 1930s Tudor Revival-style landmark on Shelton Avenue that is listed in the National Register of Historic Places. !is district also includes the northern terminus of Riverside Drive, a curvilinear roadway laid out in the 1910s to connect Inglewood Place with Shelby Park. In the 1930s, the Works Progress Administration (WPA) improved Riverside Drive into a scenic, divided boulevard that weaves through East Nashville.

Jackson Park Historic District – Located between Gallatin Pike and the Cumberland River, this area is comprised of more than 300 residential properties built from 1930-1960. Platted in 1930, Jackson Park left behind the streetcar grid pattern for the automobile-oriented, curvilinear streets and larger, more park-like lots. !ese substantial houses are most frequently covered in stone and brick. Most of the frame examples have prominent stone chimneys and foundations. !e district includes examples of custom-built Tudor Revival, Ranch, Rustic Revival, Colonial Revival, Craftsman, Cape Cod, and International architectural styles. !is area, known at one time as the “Belle Meade of East Nashville,” has been home to several prominent Nashvillians such as Roy Acu&, Mayor Beverly Briley, and Vice Mayor David Briley. President

Lyndon B. Johnson stayed here during visits to Nashville. A number of homes are located on the west bank of the Cumberland River, near a former #shing camp and the Tanglewood Historic District, a group of rustic log and frame homes listed in the National Register of Historic Places.

!e committee also recommended individual properties as worthy of preservation, including several churches: Jackson Park Church of Christ, Inglewood Church of Nazarene, Eastminster Presbyterian, Inglewood Baptist, Inglewood Methodist and Dalewood Baptist. Notable school buildings included Isaac Litton Middle School, Isaac Litton Gymnasium and Band Building, and the former Jere Baxter School. Other notable buildings included a Masonic Lodge, the Caudle Clinic, and Monte Vista Commercial District. In addition, the committee recommended the former First Federal Bank as worthy of preservation as a good example of Mid-Century Modern architecture.

!e next phase requires bringing in paid professionals who will prepare formal nominations for listing some of these properties in the National Register of Historic Places, which will provide some protection but will not prevent developers from demolishing historic landmarks. !at will require changes to local zoning overlays, a topic already discussed at two neighborhood meetings hosted by District 8 Councilwoman Karen Bennett. Inglewood residents are not sitting on their hands; they are exploring all options available that will save their historic landmarks.

For more information, see “Images of America: Nashville’s Inglewood” by Crystal Jones, Naomi Manning, and Melanie Meadows,and visit the new “Preserve Inglewood” Facebook page.

“Ivy Hall” was designed by Edwin A. Keeble, one of Nashville’s most accomplished architects from the 1920s-1950s.

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The Inglewood Theater opened April 27, 1950. The opening day movie was “It’s A Great Feeling” with Dennis Morgan and Doris Day.It closed in December of 1977.

Page 24: East Nashvillian Issue 03

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What do quad skates, mouthpieces and miniskirts have in common? Stop by Cleveland Community Center on a Tuesday or Thursday night and you’ll find out. A group of girls aged 10 to 17 occupy the gym on these nights. These girls are part of East Nashville’s new Junior Roller Derby League (NJRD).

Founded by former Nashville Roller Girls skater Julie Bredesen and her husband Tom, (NRG’s former head referee) the team met for its first practice in September 2010. Bredesen (known by the team as “Coach Slugs” because of her derby alias, “Slugs Bunny”) coaches the girls with the help of volunteer coaches from the adult league.

Junior roller derby is a fairly new concept. The first-ever junior league, the Tucson Derby Brats, began in Tucson, Arizona in 2006. Bredesen describes her first encounter with junior derby, which inspired her to bring it to Nashville, “I was active in the adult league when I saw my first Derby Brats’ video. You could see the confidence on the girls’ faces. You could see these girls who may have never met otherwise all working as a team and having a great time. I remember thinking, ‘How cool is that and why didn’t I have anything like that growing up?’” It was then that Bredesen decided to form a junior league upon her retirement from the adult league.

A year and a half later, after a non-derby related injury forced her into an early retirement, Bredesen realized the time had come to move forward with her plans to start a junior league. “At first I questioned whether I would have a problem coming off of that competitive ‘high.’ I wondered if coaching would be enough. But I have to say, for me, it’s surpassed what I was getting out of competing. I should have been doing this for years.”

The first thing Bredesen teaches the girls is how to fall properly. They learn to fall on their pads to avoid injury as well as to “fall small” in order to avoid tripping teammates or having their fingers rolled over by another skater. Bredesen often tells the girls, “every time you fall and get back up, you win”. She explains what this means, and how this concept resonates off the track: “Learning that you can fall down, how to fall correctly and how to get back up quickly translates into every aspect of your life. It doesn’t have to be scary to fall. It doesn’t have to be scary to take a chance or to try something. You can fall, and you can get right back up. Having that knowledge is very powerful.”

By all accounts, the girls’ self-confidence has skyrocketed since the beginning of the season. Suzie Garland, mother of 15-year-old Emma Rice (known to her teammates as “Margaret Mauler”) attributes this partially to the physically demanding nature of the sport. “They have

to be strong and build endurance,” she explains. “Seeing so much improvement on a weekly basis does so much for their confidence.”

Another self-esteem booster for many girls is the roller derby’s unique propensity to embrace all physical builds. While a smaller girl can weave through a tight pack with ease, it takes more force to knock a larger girl off balance. Any body type can be used to the team’s advantage. “That’s what’s great about this sport,” says Patricia Ramos, mother of 15-year-old Isabella Ramos, a.k.a. “Isahella”. “So many women’s sports want all

the girls to be the same size, but not derby. If you’re teeny-tiny, there’s a place for you, and if you’re a bigger girl, there’s a place for you. You can see that some of the girls who weren’t as outgoing at first are starting to come out of their shells. They really feel like part of a team.” Bredesen addresses this point as well. “Half of my girls are very athletic, and the other half aren’t. This is the first time they’ve felt passionately about a sport. That’s because there isn’t a wrong body type; there isn’t a wrong height; there isn’t a wrong age. There’s no ‘wrong’ in derby. Anyone can

Nashville Junior Roller DerbyGirls Can’t What?

Evanna Jam during warm-ups

WANT TO HELP TEENS IN OUR COMMUNITY?East Nashville YMCA Needs Volunteers to Teach Classes

HYPE (Helping Young People Excel), a brand new teen program

based out of the East Nashville YMCA, is currently looking

for volunteers to teach a variety of classes to teen students

starting in early 2011. Specifically, the program needs people

who are skilled in cooking, general crafts, photography, fine

arts, graffiti arts, clothing modification and reconstruction,

knitting/cross stitching, the history of hip hop, and more.

HYPE strives to help young men and women reach

their full potential and become proactive members

of their community. It also serves as an after-school

program which offers tutoring, mentoring, ACT and

SAT prep, life skills, structured games and activities.

Anyone interested in volunteering or learning more about HYPE

should contact Blake Ladson at [email protected].

Kitty Wails and Coach Slugs working on the Gorilla Drill

Page 25: East Nashvillian Issue 03

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What do quad skates, mouthpieces and miniskirts have in common? Stop by Cleveland Community Center on a Tuesday or Thursday night and you’ll find out. A group of girls aged 10 to 17 occupy the gym on these nights. These girls are part of East Nashville’s new Junior Roller Derby League (NJRD).

Founded by former Nashville Roller Girls skater Julie Bredesen and her husband Tom, (NRG’s former head referee) the team met for its first practice in September 2010. Bredesen (known by the team as “Coach Slugs” because of her derby alias, “Slugs Bunny”) coaches the girls with the help of volunteer coaches from the adult league.

Junior roller derby is a fairly new concept. The first-ever junior league, the Tucson Derby Brats, began in Tucson, Arizona in 2006. Bredesen describes her first encounter with junior derby, which inspired her to bring it to Nashville, “I was active in the adult league when I saw my first Derby Brats’ video. You could see the confidence on the girls’ faces. You could see these girls who may have never met otherwise all working as a team and having a great time. I remember thinking, ‘How cool is that and why didn’t I have anything like that growing up?’” It was then that Bredesen decided to form a junior league upon her retirement from the adult league.

A year and a half later, after a non-derby related injury forced her into an early retirement, Bredesen realized the time had come to move forward with her plans to start a junior league. “At first I questioned whether I would have a problem coming off of that competitive ‘high.’ I wondered if coaching would be enough. But I have to say, for me, it’s surpassed what I was getting out of competing. I should have been doing this for years.”

The first thing Bredesen teaches the girls is how to fall properly. They learn to fall on their pads to avoid injury as well as to “fall small” in order to avoid tripping teammates or having their fingers rolled over by another skater. Bredesen often tells the girls, “every time you fall and get back up, you win”. She explains what this means, and how this concept resonates off the track: “Learning that you can fall down, how to fall correctly and how to get back up quickly translates into every aspect of your life. It doesn’t have to be scary to fall. It doesn’t have to be scary to take a chance or to try something. You can fall, and you can get right back up. Having that knowledge is very powerful.”

By all accounts, the girls’ self-confidence has skyrocketed since the beginning of the season. Suzie Garland, mother of 15-year-old Emma Rice (known to her teammates as “Margaret Mauler”) attributes this partially to the physically demanding nature of the sport. “They have

to be strong and build endurance,” she explains. “Seeing so much improvement on a weekly basis does so much for their confidence.”

Another self-esteem booster for many girls is the roller derby’s unique propensity to embrace all physical builds. While a smaller girl can weave through a tight pack with ease, it takes more force to knock a larger girl off balance. Any body type can be used to the team’s advantage. “That’s what’s great about this sport,” says Patricia Ramos, mother of 15-year-old Isabella Ramos, a.k.a. “Isahella”. “So many women’s sports want all

the girls to be the same size, but not derby. If you’re teeny-tiny, there’s a place for you, and if you’re a bigger girl, there’s a place for you. You can see that some of the girls who weren’t as outgoing at first are starting to come out of their shells. They really feel like part of a team.” Bredesen addresses this point as well. “Half of my girls are very athletic, and the other half aren’t. This is the first time they’ve felt passionately about a sport. That’s because there isn’t a wrong body type; there isn’t a wrong height; there isn’t a wrong age. There’s no ‘wrong’ in derby. Anyone can

Nashville Junior Roller DerbyGirls Can’t What?

Evanna Jam during warm-ups

WANT TO HELP TEENS IN OUR COMMUNITY?East Nashville YMCA Needs Volunteers to Teach Classes

HYPE (Helping Young People Excel), a brand new teen program

based out of the East Nashville YMCA, is currently looking

for volunteers to teach a variety of classes to teen students

starting in early 2011. Specifically, the program needs people

who are skilled in cooking, general crafts, photography, fine

arts, graffiti arts, clothing modification and reconstruction,

knitting/cross stitching, the history of hip hop, and more.

HYPE strives to help young men and women reach

their full potential and become proactive members

of their community. It also serves as an after-school

program which offers tutoring, mentoring, ACT and

SAT prep, life skills, structured games and activities.

Anyone interested in volunteering or learning more about HYPE

should contact Blake Ladson at [email protected].

Kitty Wails and Coach Slugs working on the Gorilla Drill

Page 26: East Nashvillian Issue 03

Nashville Junior Roller Derby continued

learn the skills, and once you learn, it’s a matter of teamwork.”

As one of the few contact sports for women, roller derby appeals to many girls who welcome the permission to be aggressive. Twelve-year-old Cheyenne “Luna LaStrange” Mason says that this is the key difference between roller derby and other sports for girls. “I’m very competitive,” she explains, “so it works great for me.” Cheyenne is not alone. Many of the girls on the team have quickly become infatuated with derby. Ramos describes how the girls have begun to view the bruises they attain during practices as badges of honor. Ramos adds laughingly, “Isabella’s skin tone doesn’t show bruising. She’s really mad about it.” Though Isabella took gymnastics for seven years, her mother remarks that she was never as fascinated or dedicated to it as she now is to derby. Similarly, Garland marvels, “I’ve never seen Emma as passionate about anything else in her life.”

While Bredesen embraces the girls’ love of the sport, she warns them against obsessing, and encourages moderation. “Derby has a way of sucking you in and ruling your life,” she observes. “It’s very easy to get caught up in the culture

of it and the sport of it, and that happened to me several times. In my opinion, many people burnout for that very reason. Learning quickly how to balance all of that is important, and I didn’t learn that until my last season. The nice thing about having the junior league is teaching this to the girls early. You don’t want them to lose the love of it and lose everything else that balances their life out.”

In light of this, the registration packet for NJRD includes an agreement, which states that team members must keep their grades up, abstain from drugs and alcohol, and keep their performance up at work if they have jobs. If a girl breaks the agreement, she is either put on probation or suspended for the season. “They have to realize that derby is not their entire life,” says Bredesen, “and having some guidelines and a sport they feel so passionately about is a driving

motivation in other parts of their lives.” Since starting derby, Bredesen reports that many of the girls’ grades have improved. Time requirements for the league are fairly minimal; although there are two practices a week, team members are required to attend only one of them.

Bredesen hopes to start competing early to mid summer of 2011, and there are currently plans for the NJRD to challenge teams from Huntsville and Johnson City. The adult league has also expressed an interest in hosting a junior league expo bout during their games. In the meantime, the girls will continue to learn basic skill sets and prepare for competitions with scrimmages.

Currently the league consists of around 50 girls. As far as Bredesen is concerned, there can never be too many players. “I would like to see every girl try it. I can’t imagine a better problem than outgrowing the space I’m in and having to figure out where we’re going to move.”

For more information about NJRD, visit www.nashvillejrd.com.

Kassi Krueger and Coach Susan working on hits

Page 27: East Nashvillian Issue 03

Nashville Junior Roller Derby continued

learn the skills, and once you learn, it’s a matter of teamwork.”

As one of the few contact sports for women, roller derby appeals to many girls who welcome the permission to be aggressive. Twelve-year-old Cheyenne “Luna LaStrange” Mason says that this is the key difference between roller derby and other sports for girls. “I’m very competitive,” she explains, “so it works great for me.” Cheyenne is not alone. Many of the girls on the team have quickly become infatuated with derby. Ramos describes how the girls have begun to view the bruises they attain during practices as badges of honor. Ramos adds laughingly, “Isabella’s skin tone doesn’t show bruising. She’s really mad about it.” Though Isabella took gymnastics for seven years, her mother remarks that she was never as fascinated or dedicated to it as she now is to derby. Similarly, Garland marvels, “I’ve never seen Emma as passionate about anything else in her life.”

While Bredesen embraces the girls’ love of the sport, she warns them against obsessing, and encourages moderation. “Derby has a way of sucking you in and ruling your life,” she observes. “It’s very easy to get caught up in the culture

of it and the sport of it, and that happened to me several times. In my opinion, many people burnout for that very reason. Learning quickly how to balance all of that is important, and I didn’t learn that until my last season. The nice thing about having the junior league is teaching this to the girls early. You don’t want them to lose the love of it and lose everything else that balances their life out.”

In light of this, the registration packet for NJRD includes an agreement, which states that team members must keep their grades up, abstain from drugs and alcohol, and keep their performance up at work if they have jobs. If a girl breaks the agreement, she is either put on probation or suspended for the season. “They have to realize that derby is not their entire life,” says Bredesen, “and having some guidelines and a sport they feel so passionately about is a driving

motivation in other parts of their lives.” Since starting derby, Bredesen reports that many of the girls’ grades have improved. Time requirements for the league are fairly minimal; although there are two practices a week, team members are required to attend only one of them.

Bredesen hopes to start competing early to mid summer of 2011, and there are currently plans for the NJRD to challenge teams from Huntsville and Johnson City. The adult league has also expressed an interest in hosting a junior league expo bout during their games. In the meantime, the girls will continue to learn basic skill sets and prepare for competitions with scrimmages.

Currently the league consists of around 50 girls. As far as Bredesen is concerned, there can never be too many players. “I would like to see every girl try it. I can’t imagine a better problem than outgrowing the space I’m in and having to figure out where we’re going to move.”

For more information about NJRD, visit www.nashvillejrd.com.

Kassi Krueger and Coach Susan working on hits

Page 28: East Nashvillian Issue 03

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w.theeastnashvillian.com

28

this past December I had the opportunity to witness what was, on that night, at that moment in time, the best live band on the planet. I didn’t need to travel very far either, for just around the corner from home sits #e Family Wash, and in residence on this particular evening was singer/songwriter/guitar picker extraordinaire Keith Gattis. His band for the evening, East Nashvillians one and all, consisted of Ken Coomer, Jen Gunderman, Audley Freed, and James “Hags” Haggerty. With credentials ranging from #e Black Crows to Wilco, these guys and a gal certainly weren’t lacking in the world-class chops department. Nevertheless, what struck me was how well they played together as a band.

I recently sat down with Keith in his Inglewood home for a conversation about his musical journey. “So where do you want to begin?” he asked. I said why not begin at the beginning. So he did. “I kinda grew up all around Austin, but not really in Austin proper, in an area called the Hill Country. Johnson City is where I graduated from. #ose were more of my stomping grounds, the country side of the Austin area.” Gattis cut his teeth playing around the area, hitting the Austin clubs occasionally, though never really making the scene. By his eighteenth year it was time to move on. Making his way to West Texas, he attended the music program at South Plains College. “It was just a two year school. I did that until I got my degree then moved to Nashville. Right away. I kinda bypassed the whole Austin scene.”

“I was just a kid,” says Keith, re!ecting

on his "rst move to Nashville in 1992. “I had a little stint there for a while just playing the clubs in Nashville. #at was back kinda before the downtown boom.” He continues, “#ere was no ‘lower Broad’ for the most part.” #is may seem like ancient history to some, but in the early ‘90s the downtown area bore faint resemblance to what it is today. Keith elaborates, “It was funky. It was all dimly lit, and you had to watch your back just hangin’ around down there.” Ah, the good old days. “I agree, it was the good old days! And there was a club scene in Nashville back then, at least for, I was playing mostly country music; at that time they had a great scene for that. All over town. #ere were a lot of bars and a lot of live music. Nowadays if you wanna see country music you gotta go to lower Broad. #ere’s pros and cons to the whole thing, but it’s kind of touristy. Every bar has a band, and they have there own slot, then another band comes in. Back then we had the night. It was our club, you know? When we played there we had the whole night.”

Somewhere in the midst of all this Keith got his "rst real gig as a guitar pickin’ sideman with none other than Johnny Paycheck. “I’d had a couple of other gigs, been on buses and stu%, but now I’m hanging out with a bad motherfucker, a bona "de country music star! It was awesome; I was 23 years old, right in the middle of it. It was great!”

It wasn’t long before Gattis was brought to the attention of RCA Nashville, thus embarking upon the odyssey of the country music record deal. “I made a record for RCA, a straight up country record; really a honky-tonk record,

actually. #at didn’t work and I made a second record. #e "rst one was too country for country radio, and the second one ended up being too rock for country radio.” Laughs Keith “#at was the "rst time (then RCA Nashville president) Joe Galante dropped me!”

By the end of the ‘90s the gypsy side of Keith’s spirit came a calling. “You know, I was kinda done with doing the country thing. I didn’t really wanna do the country music record deal at the time; I was branching out into a di%erent kind of music and didn’t really feel like I "t in with the Nashville world.” #e great tornado of ‘98 had yet to transform this side of the river. “#is scene over here wasn’t happening back then, so really all there was for me in Nashville was Music Row. I was obviously maybe a little burned out on it, but I also felt there really wasn’t anything there for me. I was dipping into playing a little rock and roll; at least the kind of rock and roll that made sense to me. #e more roots based stu%, Tom Petty, #e Rolling Stones, that made sense to me coming from country.”

So with the surroundings having become a bit too familiar, the wanderlust took hold and Gattis set his sights on the western horizon. LA to be exact. “Hmm, the funny thing is you know I kinda went out there to really dive into the rock -n -roll thing, and, of course, anytime you start over in a new town it takes a little while just to get set up. So I just started playing live. I had a buddy that was the manager of a place called #e Joint. It’s a place where Waddy Wachtel ’s band played all the time on Monday nights, and it was just an

Keith Gattis

clear evening

Photo by Ray Kennedyamazing bar. I ended up playing there a lot. But at "rst I didn’t have a band, didn’t really know any musicians, so I would just go there and play by myself. #en I started playing around town by myself, but instead of doing an acoustic thing, I would take my telecaster and an old Fender amp and just sit on my amp and sing songs and play electric guitar. It kinda turned into a thing where I had a really good following. Sold out the Viper Room one night, played all around town, all the clubs.”

“But what I was saying, the funny thing is I went out there to do more of a rock thing and ended up doing more country stu%. More country-esque stu%. #ere was a scene happening out there and I just kinda naturally fell into it; at the time there were a lot of people doing the country, southern rock kinda vibe, but very unique, it didn’t sound like anything else. We ended doing this thing, Waylon Payne, Travis Howard, and me. Travis was dating this actress named Joey Lauren Adams, who, along with Vince Vaughn’s sister Victoria, they just loved country music, and they decided to put together a “country music night’ in Hollywood. So we put this thing together and they promoted it, at this place called the King•King Club every last Saturday of the month. We just played ‘70s country covers basically. It was awesome because the hippies, the freaks, the actors, the rock stars, everybody was showing up; we were "lling this club up with 300, 400 people every time we played, playing old country music. We had our own version of it, it was pretty high energy, but it was a blast! Who’d a thought, you know, out in the middle of Hollywood? #at’s really where I met Dwight; he came out and sat in with us one night.”

“He was always running around out there in that scene; he’d just show up without any notice and just be hangin’ out listening to somebody play their set, which was awesome. It was great. Lucinda was the same way.” Keith’s musical relationship with Dwight Yoakam developed as a direct result of the Hollywood country music scene created, in part, by Gattis himself. “I guess I saw him at the Mike Stinson show, and we exchanged numbers but I never really thought I’d end up playing with him or anything. He was just hanging out on the scene so I just reached out to him. Next thing I knew he had a couple of shows where he was just going to do acoustic by himself and he called me and asked if I’d sit in with him. We did two of three of those things together, and he had so much fun doing it he decided to do a little run of shows just like that. When he asked me if I’d be interested I said, ‘well hell yeah, that’d be awesome!’”

What began as a two week run evolved into four months worth of shows for him and Dwight. #e next thing Gattis knew, Dwight asked him to put a new band together for him, and for the following three years Keith worked with Dwight both live and in the studio. “#e bad thing about that is I got away from doing my own thing. Of course I’m kinda weird in that I don’t always want to be doing my own thing because working on di%erent projects keeps me motivated. I was band leader, co-producing stu% we were recording, and it got to be a full time job being Dwight Yoakam’s guitar player, which was never really the intent when the thing got started. He knew that I was an artist, and he appreciated that. He let me sell my CDs at his merchandise table, he was always good about stu% like that. Still, it "nally got to be too much and I needed other creative things to balance stu% out. So I found a good time and got o% that train.”

#e Hollywood country scene had begun to "zzle out during his tenure with Yoakam, and around 2005 Gattis decided it was time to move to the town he’d grown up around but had yet to call home: Austin. “#e LA thing is really expensive. I was still playing with Dwight when I decided to move, and I told him there was no rush but when the time was right I’d pass the baton on to somebody else. So I moved to Austin and set up shop, produced some records. I was there less than a year when some guys from Sony were in town, Mark Wright and Mark Brown, both of whom I’d known for years.

Photo by Chuck Allen

Page 29: East Nashvillian Issue 03

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w.theeastnashvillian.com

28

this past December I had the opportunity to witness what was, on that night, at that moment in time, the best live band on the planet. I didn’t need to travel very far either, for just around the corner from home sits !e Family Wash, and in residence on this particular evening was singer/songwriter/guitar picker extraordinaire Keith Gattis. His band for the evening, East Nashvillians one and all, consisted of Ken Coomer, Jen Gunderman, Audley Freed, and James “Hags” Haggerty. With credentials ranging from !e Black Crows to Wilco, these guys and a gal certainly weren’t lacking in the world-class chops department. Nevertheless, what struck me was how well they played together as a band.

I recently sat down with Keith in his Inglewood home for a conversation about his musical journey. “So where do you want to begin?” he asked. I said why not begin at the beginning. So he did. “I kinda grew up all around Austin, but not really in Austin proper, in an area called the Hill Country. Johnson City is where I graduated from. !ose were more of my stomping grounds, the country side of the Austin area.” Gattis cut his teeth playing around the area, hitting the Austin clubs occasionally, though never really making the scene. By his eighteenth year it was time to move on. Making his way to West Texas, he attended the music program at South Plains College. “It was just a two year school. I did that until I got my degree then moved to Nashville. Right away. I kinda bypassed the whole Austin scene.”

“I was just a kid,” says Keith, re"ecting

on his #rst move to Nashville in 1992. “I had a little stint there for a while just playing the clubs in Nashville. !at was back kinda before the downtown boom.” He continues, “!ere was no ‘lower Broad’ for the most part.” !is may seem like ancient history to some, but in the early ‘90s the downtown area bore faint resemblance to what it is today. Keith elaborates, “It was funky. It was all dimly lit, and you had to watch your back just hangin’ around down there.” Ah, the good old days. “I agree, it was the good old days! And there was a club scene in Nashville back then, at least for, I was playing mostly country music; at that time they had a great scene for that. All over town. !ere were a lot of bars and a lot of live music. Nowadays if you wanna see country music you gotta go to lower Broad. !ere’s pros and cons to the whole thing, but it’s kind of touristy. Every bar has a band, and they have there own slot, then another band comes in. Back then we had the night. It was our club, you know? When we played there we had the whole night.”

Somewhere in the midst of all this Keith got his #rst real gig as a guitar pickin’ sideman with none other than Johnny Paycheck. “I’d had a couple of other gigs, been on buses and stu$, but now I’m hanging out with a bad motherfucker, a bona #de country music star! It was awesome; I was 23 years old, right in the middle of it. It was great!”

It wasn’t long before Gattis was brought to the attention of RCA Nashville, thus embarking upon the odyssey of the country music record deal. “I made a record for RCA, a straight up country record; really a honky-tonk record,

actually. !at didn’t work and I made a second record. !e #rst one was too country for country radio, and the second one ended up being too rock for country radio.” Laughs Keith “!at was the #rst time (then RCA Nashville president) Joe Galante dropped me!”

By the end of the ‘90s the gypsy side of Keith’s spirit came a calling. “You know, I was kinda done with doing the country thing. I didn’t really wanna do the country music record deal at the time; I was branching out into a di$erent kind of music and didn’t really feel like I #t in with the Nashville world.” !e great tornado of ‘98 had yet to transform this side of the river. “!is scene over here wasn’t happening back then, so really all there was for me in Nashville was Music Row. I was obviously maybe a little burned out on it, but I also felt there really wasn’t anything there for me. I was dipping into playing a little rock and roll; at least the kind of rock and roll that made sense to me. !e more roots based stu$, Tom Petty, !e Rolling Stones, that made sense to me coming from country.”

So with the surroundings having become a bit too familiar, the wanderlust took hold and Gattis set his sights on the western horizon. LA to be exact. “Hmm, the funny thing is you know I kinda went out there to really dive into the rock -n -roll thing, and, of course, anytime you start over in a new town it takes a little while just to get set up. So I just started playing live. I had a buddy that was the manager of a place called !e Joint. It’s a place where Waddy Wachtel ’s band played all the time on Monday nights, and it was just an

Keith Gattis

clear evening

Photo by Ray Kennedy

amazing bar. I ended up playing there a lot. But at #rst I didn’t have a band, didn’t really know any musicians, so I would just go there and play by myself. !en I started playing around town by myself, but instead of doing an acoustic thing, I would take my telecaster and an old Fender amp and just sit on my amp and sing songs and play electric guitar. It kinda turned into a thing where I had a really good following. Sold out the Viper Room one night, played all around town, all the clubs.”

“But what I was saying, the funny thing is I went out there to do more of a rock thing and ended up doing more country stu$. More country-esque stu$. !ere was a scene happening out there and I just kinda naturally fell into it; at the time there were a lot of people doing the country, southern rock kinda vibe, but very unique, it didn’t sound like anything else. We ended doing this thing, Waylon Payne, Travis Howard, and me. Travis was dating this actress named Joey Lauren Adams, who, along with Vince Vaughn’s sister Victoria, they just loved country music, and they decided to put together a “country music night’ in Hollywood. So we put this thing together and they promoted it, at this place called the King•King Club every last Saturday of the month. We just played ‘70s country covers basically. It was awesome because the hippies, the freaks, the actors, the rock stars, everybody was showing up; we were #lling this club up with 300, 400 people every time we played, playing old country music. We had our own version of it, it was pretty high energy, but it was a blast! Who’d a thought, you know, out in the middle of Hollywood? !at’s really where I met Dwight; he came out and sat in with us one night.”

“He was always running around out there in that scene; he’d just show up without any notice and just be hangin’ out listening to somebody play their set, which was awesome. It was great. Lucinda was the same way.” Keith’s musical relationship with Dwight Yoakam developed as a direct result of the Hollywood country music scene created, in part, by Gattis himself. “I guess I saw him at the Mike Stinson show, and we exchanged numbers but I never really thought I’d end up playing with him or anything. He was just hanging out on the scene so I just reached out to him. Next thing I knew he had a couple of shows where he was just going to do acoustic by himself and he called me and asked if I’d sit in with him. We did two of three of those things together, and he had so much fun doing it he decided to do a little run of shows just like that. When he asked me if I’d be interested I said, ‘well hell yeah, that’d be awesome!’”

What began as a two week run evolved into four months worth of shows for him and Dwight. !e next thing Gattis knew, Dwight asked him to put a new band together for him, and for the following three years Keith worked with Dwight both live and in the studio. “!e bad thing about that is I got away from doing my own thing. Of course I’m kinda weird in that I don’t always want to be doing my own thing because working on di$erent projects keeps me motivated. I was band leader, co-producing stu$ we were recording, and it got to be a full time job being Dwight Yoakam’s guitar player, which was never really the intent when the thing got started. He knew that I was an artist, and he appreciated that. He let me sell my CDs at his merchandise table, he was always good about stu$ like that. Still, it #nally got to be too much and I needed other creative things to balance stu$ out. So I found a good time and got o$ that train.”

!e Hollywood country scene had begun to #zzle out during his tenure with Yoakam, and around 2005 Gattis decided it was time to move to the town he’d grown up around but had yet to call home: Austin. “!e LA thing is really expensive. I was still playing with Dwight when I decided to move, and I told him there was no rush but when the time was right I’d pass the baton on to somebody else. So I moved to Austin and set up shop, produced some records. I was there less than a year when some guys from Sony were in town, Mark Wright and Mark Brown, both of whom I’d known for years.

Photo by Chuck Allen

Page 30: East Nashvillian Issue 03

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We go out on the town and the next thing I know I’ve got a record deal with those guys. I was traveling back and forth to Nashville to make that record, but before we could "nish mixing it Sony and BMG merged, with BMG taking over. #ey basically "red everybody that worked for Sony and dropped everybody that didn’t have a record out. #at was the second time Joe Galante dropped me!”

“When that deal went away I was still living in Austin, but during my travels to Nashville I started re-connecting with people here and started learning about the East Nashville scene, mostly through Audley Freed, who I was writing with a lot.” And so the gypsy re-emerges. “I decided to come up here and see what I could get into without making too much of a commitment; see what I could dig up because it seemed like there was more here for me than when I left here to go to LA. Because I could sneak in and out of Music Row, I’ve got a lot of friends there, I still get my songs cut by some of those artists over there, but the sell for me to come back here was that I would have a community that I felt like I "t in, and that’s on this side of the river,” he laughs. “I appreciate all that happens for me down on Music Row, I can "t in that wheelhouse, but it’s just not everything that I do. It’s good to have a community, a sense of family over here that I feel I’m connected to, that you can play music with, and hang out with, and record, and go on the road with sometime without being completely dependent on whatever the latest music row fad is, whether that works for me or I can "t in to that or not.”

During his L.A. Sojourn, Gattis recorded his “Big City Blues” album. His subsequent return to the Nashville area saw the recording of “Bones” at a 100 year old farmhouse near Paris, Tn. Although neither of these records was ever

released, both have been instrumental in maintaining Keith’s high pro"le as a songwriter. Comments Gattis, “#e record I did out in LA became kind of a little cult record, especially within the industry. I’d be lucky if I sold 5000 records of that thing, but a lot of people knew it, and I got me some good cuts o% of it. Now the ‘Bones’ record has kinda turned into that, it has a buzz even though you can’t buy it, a bunch of people in town have gotten copies and are talking about it.” Unlike the traditional path to getting songs cut in Nashville, by putting his records in the hands of the right people Gattis has managed to have artists cover the songs he’s already recorded. “Honestly, that’s become a really good thing for me. I haven’t been selling a lot of records, but I’m getting cuts on records that I’ve made whether they came out or not. #ey always circulate on buses, they circulate around the industry and around the musician crowd. It’s been a real good way for me to get cuts.” Keith’s songs have been recorded by George Jones, Sara Evans, Gary Allan, Miranda Lambert, Randy Houser, and Kid Rock, just to name a few.

It’s di$cult trying to put one’s "nger on the qualities that make Texan musicians such a unique breed, but perhaps Keith sums it up the best, “I have weird ideas about all that anyway. I think that Johnny Cash was a rock star and Tom Petty’s a country singer. #at’s just the way it is in my head.” Gattis’ interpretation of his musical pantheon can be heard on recent releases by Kid Rock, Randy Houser, and Jamey Johnson. And as for the future? “My dream is to produce a record on somebody, then make my own record, go on the road with somebody I like making music with, the go on the road doing my own thing. If every year could be just like that, that would be awesome!” It sure sounds to me like his dream just may already be a reality.

Jen Gunderman, James “Hags” Haggerty, Ken Coomer, Keith Gattis, Audley Freed

The Keith Gattis Band will be rattling the rafters again on Friday January 14th, and then on Saturday the 15th he’ll be hosting an East Side Jam. Both shows will be at The Family Wash.

Photo by Mark Pilkinton

Page 31: East Nashvillian Issue 03

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We go out on the town and the next thing I know I’ve got a record deal with those guys. I was traveling back and forth to Nashville to make that record, but before we could !nish mixing it Sony and BMG merged, with BMG taking over. "ey basically !red everybody that worked for Sony and dropped everybody that didn’t have a record out. "at was the second time Joe Galante dropped me!”

“When that deal went away I was still living in Austin, but during my travels to Nashville I started re-connecting with people here and started learning about the East Nashville scene, mostly through Audley Freed, who I was writing with a lot.” And so the gypsy re-emerges. “I decided to come up here and see what I could get into without making too much of a commitment; see what I could dig up because it seemed like there was more here for me than when I left here to go to LA. Because I could sneak in and out of Music Row, I’ve got a lot of friends there, I still get my songs cut by some of those artists over there, but the sell for me to come back here was that I would have a community that I felt like I !t in, and that’s on this side of the river,” he laughs. “I appreciate all that happens for me down on Music Row, I can !t in that wheelhouse, but it’s just not everything that I do. It’s good to have a community, a sense of family over here that I feel I’m connected to, that you can play music with, and hang out with, and record, and go on the road with sometime without being completely dependent on whatever the latest music row fad is, whether that works for me or I can !t in to that or not.”

During his L.A. Sojourn, Gattis recorded his “Big City Blues” album. His subsequent return to the Nashville area saw the recording of “Bones” at a 100 year old farmhouse near Paris, Tn. Although neither of these records was ever

released, both have been instrumental in maintaining Keith’s high pro!le as a songwriter. Comments Gattis, “"e record I did out in LA became kind of a little cult record, especially within the industry. I’d be lucky if I sold 5000 records of that thing, but a lot of people knew it, and I got me some good cuts o# of it. Now the ‘Bones’ record has kinda turned into that, it has a buzz even though you can’t buy it, a bunch of people in town have gotten copies and are talking about it.” Unlike the traditional path to getting songs cut in Nashville, by putting his records in the hands of the right people Gattis has managed to have artists cover the songs he’s already recorded. “Honestly, that’s become a really good thing for me. I haven’t been selling a lot of records, but I’m getting cuts on records that I’ve made whether they came out or not. "ey always circulate on buses, they circulate around the industry and around the musician crowd. It’s been a real good way for me to get cuts.” Keith’s songs have been recorded by George Jones, Sara Evans, Gary Allan, Miranda Lambert, Randy Houser, and Kid Rock, just to name a few.

It’s di$cult trying to put one’s !nger on the qualities that make Texan musicians such a unique breed, but perhaps Keith sums it up the best, “I have weird ideas about all that anyway. I think that Johnny Cash was a rock star and Tom Petty’s a country singer. "at’s just the way it is in my head.” Gattis’ interpretation of his musical pantheon can be heard on recent releases by Kid Rock, Randy Houser, and Jamey Johnson. And as for the future? “My dream is to produce a record on somebody, then make my own record, go on the road with somebody I like making music with, the go on the road doing my own thing. If every year could be just like that, that would be awesome!” It sure sounds to me like his dream just may already be a reality.

Jen Gunderman, James “Hags” Haggerty, Ken Coomer, Keith Gattis, Audley Freed

The Keith Gattis Band will be rattling the rafters again on Friday January 14th, and then on Saturday the 15th he’ll be hosting an East Side Jam. Both shows will be at The Family Wash.

Photo by Mark Pilkinton

Page 32: East Nashvillian Issue 03

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Can one person really make a di%erence? It’s a valid question. A few short years ago I would have said, “No”. In certain situations I would still say, “No”. Of course, we can argue about that later; the point is I’ve always had a hard time connecting my own simple recycling e%orts with making any real di%erence in the ozone layer. Does any donation I send to orphans who need water in a third world country actually ever get there? And I must admit, every election has me wondering yet again about my single vote counting. Nonetheless, somewhere along the way it became clear to me that there is a very slight but distinct di%erence between simply being counted and knowing my actions are making a di%erence. I realized that although I have no interest in simply being counted, there are a thousand ways I can actually make a di%erence. Suddenly being a pessimistic control freak was no longer an excuse for inactivity. It had been so convenient. I had no choice but to weigh-in, at the very least, on what I professed to be my passions. I was suddenly and completely compelled.

Animals are my passion. How people feel about their animals is important. How people treat animals is important. #ese things have always been important to me, the kinds of things I would cry about as a child. I thought it would be great if the laws were di%erent, and convinced myself that everything would be better if I were in charge of the Humane Association. I dreamt about how wonderful it would be if I were rich and had a farm where I could just collect all of the “unwanteds”. All noble and worthy causes to be sure, but then one day I realized that in my own small corner of the world making a di%erence can be as simple as showing a child how to compassionately and appropriately treat an animal. Is what I can do any less important than my grandiose dreams of what I could do ...if only? What answer could possibly hold water when asked the question; “If you care so much why aren’t you doing anything”?

In the fall of 2008, with the help of a few like-minded East Nashvillians, I started a community group called East C.A.N., East Nashville’s Community Action Network. Our mission is to facilitate neighbors helping one another in order to make a timely, positive di%erence in the lives of people and animals within the East Nashville community. With over 130 rescued animals and numerous neighborhood families helped, it is obvious that people often want to make a di%erence; sometimes they just need a little help getting started. In this case, a little facilitation goes a long way. When people ask me, “Who is East CAN?” I say, “We all are. You don’t need a membership card to start making a di%erence”.

Among the many things I love about East Nashville, one that always stands out is how empowered people seem to feel; a feeling which, more often than not, translates into action. It’s contagious, and we support each other along the path of action, especially when the going gets tough. Just when I get discouraged, frustrated or burnt out one of our neighbors will drop an e-mail to East CAN that reminds me what a large impact a small e%ort can make.

One of my favorite stories is about a woman who was concerned about a Yellow Labrador that she often saw on her way to work. #e dog was

always hanging out in the same driveway but looked unhealthy. She contacted East CAN, and we discussed not only some of the options available to help the Lab, but also potential reactions to expect from what could be an o%ended stranger. A few days later she dropped o% a bag of food on the porch of that house with a kind note and an o%er for more if needed. She did in fact get a call from the owner, although it was not the call she’d expected. Apparently the owner of the Labrador had been out of work for months and was struggling to feed his dog. He con"ded that her concern and act of compassion for a stranger and his dog was one of the kindest things he’d ever experienced in his life. Of course in turn the woman was dramatically a%ected by his story and his response to her and, as you can imagine, I was encouraged to put a rough day behind me and try again the next day to make a di%erence in my corner of the world, just as she had in hers. I don’t need to tell you the number of people that one simple act will a%ect, in

all di%erent ways, every time that man tells his story, the woman tells her story, and so on. Yes, one person can make a di%erence.

Another great story involved two dogs. A neighbor had been talking to East CAN about these dogs for months. She was very upset because they were chained to a fence post, unloved, ignored, rarely fed, with Nashville’s unforgiving summer on its way. We talked about options for action but as is always the case there is risk involved when approaching a stranger with what could be perceived as unwelcome advice. (*) #e more upset she got the more irrational her plan of action became. In the end, she simply approached her neighbor with genuine concern and compassion, and he related a story of hardship to her. He was relieved to accept her assistance in "nding new homes for his dogs, admitting he could no longer care for them appropriately. Again, I don’t need to tell you how the e%ect of a positive interaction like this goes far deeper than 2 dogs being taken

o% their chains…although that in itself is pretty deep!

In the two years since starting East C.A.N. I’ve accumulated a myriad of stories, encounters, and lessons, as well as new friends, cheerleaders and teammates. Sure, there are some regrets, concerns, and doubts; perhaps that’s God’s way of making sure I don’t sleep too much. In 2011 I’d like to challenge you to get in the game…whatever your game is, regardless of your age, position, economic situation, and schedule. Like me, you needn’t wait to just be counted, left to wonder if someday being counted will actually make a di%erence. You can make a di%erence right now, for a total stranger, in your own neighborhood, in a bunch of ways. It’s a great New Year’s Resolution, and since sometimes we all need a little help with getting started I’m going to give you a few simple ideas. So, here goes:

If you know of someone in East Nashville who keeps their dog outside through the winter and doesn’t have a dog house, give them the e-mail for East C.A.N. to request a dog house and we will make every e%ort to provide them with one asap.

You can also go get them a bale of hay at Cumberland Hardware and kindly let them know you thought their dog would probably appreciate

A Retrospective and Resolution Love Thy Pet it with the cold weather coming.

If you know of someone in East Nashville with cats and/or dogs that are not spayed or neutered, give them the e-mail for East C.A.N. to request information and we will help them get this done asap.If you know of someone in East Nashville who keeps their dogs chained up because their fence isn’t secured, put a team of friends together and work on it with them over a weekend.

If you know of someone in East Nashville who is out of work and having trouble feeding their pets or getting their monthly !ea and heart-worm medications you can o%er to buy it for them or give them the e-mail for East C.A.N. to request assistance.

Look for more ways to help on our website and more crazy stories in the next article.

PEACE – OUT!

(*) East C.A.N. encourages neighbors to do this in pairs and always o%er help as opposed to emotional judgments or threats.

Elizabeth Chauncey is the founder of East CAN, www.eastcan.org, a non-pro"t partner of Rediscover East. Tax deductible donations can be made via the website. Elizabeth has 3 dogs of her own, and also runs a staging business called Spaces by Chauncey.www.spacesbychauncey.vpweb.com.

Even with the advances of modern medicine, Massage Therapy is still looked upon as an effective method of treatment for a variety of ailments. We have seen many trends come and go over the centuries, yet massage therapy has continued to develop as a practice. Why? Because it is effective! Throughout my years as an LMT, I have helped clients find relief from physical complaints and maintain overall wellness. Anyone can benefit from this form of therapy; it doesn’t matter whether they are young or old, athletic or artistic.

Now your dog can benefit, too! At first glance, a dog getting a massage may seem a little absurd, but massage therapy can be just as effective for canines as it is with humans. Many East Nashville dogs have been rescued from dismal backgrounds, and, as a result, dogs can develop a variety of physical and emotional conditions. Canine massage therapy (combined with proper veterinary care and advice) can be helpful not only in reducing pain from past injuries, but also by increasing mobility in dogs that suffer from arthritis, muscle atrophy and even hip dysplasia. Massage therapy can be beneficial for hyperactive or anxious dogs. It is also useful for maintaining proper muscle function, and is applied on sporting breeds to optimize performance. From “couch potato” dogs to the hardworking farmhand and anything in between, canine massage can help your dog achieve the highest, natural level of potential.

So how does canine massage therapy actually work? In scientific terms, it is the manipulation of connective tissue to enhance function and promote well being. For example, if a dog has had an encounter with a moving vehicle, rehabilitation would begin soon after appropriate veterinary care. Massage therapy can be utilized to speed up recovery time, and can assist in increasing circulation, reducing inflammation, and preventing or delaying the build-up of scar tissue. The end result is improved range of motion and a healthier, happier dog. Another practical scenario would involve a dog that has emotional issues resulting from an abusive or traumatic past. The nurturing touch of a massage therapist

will go a long way in helping it transition into a new environment by demonstrating how the touch of a human can actually be a good thing.

Of course, as dogs age they tend to be less active and may develop arthritis. Massage therapy is a great way of slowing down this process by helping them remain as active as possible with a higher quality of life. Even if your dog is healthy, happy and young, massage therapy can be a great way of maintaining balance and vitality, just like it can be for you and me.

What can you expect? Dogs that receive massage therapy experience benefits similar to what we humans do. The average canine session lasts approximately thirty minutes, but varies depending on the size of your dog and/or any conditions your dog may have. To better understand the situation a brief assessment is done before the first session to discuss medical history, as well as gate and postural analyses, from which we can then determine the best plan of action. From there, I can offer advice on simple massage techniques you can use at home.

Massage therapy is an affordable, effective treatment for both people and their dogs, but is never intended to take the place of routine medical or veterinary care. It is vitally important to open up a dialogue between your doctor and any other service providers you use to ensure that both you and your dog receive the most effective care.

Tyrus Arthur, LMT provides therapeutic massage in the heart of East Nashville. He has been a licensed massage therapist for more than 5 years, and specializes in deep tissue and neuromuscular techniques. He has added an additional service - canine massage therapy – to better serve the neighborhood.

Tyrus’s practice is located at 1104 B Fatherland St. across from Bill Martin’s. He is currentlyaccepting new clients as well as canine clients.

CANINE MASSAGE THERAPY

Page 33: East Nashvillian Issue 03

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Can one person really make a di!erence? It’s a valid question. A few short years ago I would have said, “No”. In certain situations I would still say, “No”. Of course, we can argue about that later; the point is I’ve always had a hard time connecting my own simple recycling e!orts with making any real di!erence in the ozone layer. Does any donation I send to orphans who need water in a third world country actually ever get there? And I must admit, every election has me wondering yet again about my single vote counting. Nonetheless, somewhere along the way it became clear to me that there is a very slight but distinct di!erence between simply being counted and knowing my actions are making a di!erence. I realized that although I have no interest in simply being counted, there are a thousand ways I can actually make a di!erence. Suddenly being a pessimistic control freak was no longer an excuse for inactivity. It had been so convenient. I had no choice but to weigh-in, at the very least, on what I professed to be my passions. I was suddenly and completely compelled.

Animals are my passion. How people feel about their animals is important. How people treat animals is important. "ese things have always been important to me, the kinds of things I would cry about as a child. I thought it would be great if the laws were di!erent, and convinced myself that everything would be better if I were in charge of the Humane Association. I dreamt about how wonderful it would be if I were rich and had a farm where I could just collect all of the “unwanteds”. All noble and worthy causes to be sure, but then one day I realized that in my own small corner of the world making a di!erence can be as simple as showing a child how to compassionately and appropriately treat an animal. Is what I can do any less important than my grandiose dreams of what I could do ...if only? What answer could possibly hold water when asked the question; “If you care so much why aren’t you doing anything”?

In the fall of 2008, with the help of a few like-minded East Nashvillians, I started a community group called East C.A.N., East Nashville’s Community Action Network. Our mission is to facilitate neighbors helping one another in order to make a timely, positive di!erence in the lives of people and animals within the East Nashville community. With over 130 rescued animals and numerous neighborhood families helped, it is obvious that people often want to make a di!erence; sometimes they just need a little help getting started. In this case, a little facilitation goes a long way. When people ask me, “Who is East CAN?” I say, “We all are. You don’t need a membership card to start making a di!erence”.

Among the many things I love about East Nashville, one that always stands out is how empowered people seem to feel; a feeling which, more often than not, translates into action. It’s contagious, and we support each other along the path of action, especially when the going gets tough. Just when I get discouraged, frustrated or burnt out one of our neighbors will drop an e-mail to East CAN that reminds me what a large impact a small e!ort can make.

One of my favorite stories is about a woman who was concerned about a Yellow Labrador that she often saw on her way to work. "e dog was

always hanging out in the same driveway but looked unhealthy. She contacted East CAN, and we discussed not only some of the options available to help the Lab, but also potential reactions to expect from what could be an o!ended stranger. A few days later she dropped o! a bag of food on the porch of that house with a kind note and an o!er for more if needed. She did in fact get a call from the owner, although it was not the call she’d expected. Apparently the owner of the Labrador had been out of work for months and was struggling to feed his dog. He con#ded that her concern and act of compassion for a stranger and his dog was one of the kindest things he’d ever experienced in his life. Of course in turn the woman was dramatically a!ected by his story and his response to her and, as you can imagine, I was encouraged to put a rough day behind me and try again the next day to make a di!erence in my corner of the world, just as she had in hers. I don’t need to tell you the number of people that one simple act will a!ect, in

all di!erent ways, every time that man tells his story, the woman tells her story, and so on. Yes, one person can make a di!erence.

Another great story involved two dogs. A neighbor had been talking to East CAN about these dogs for months. She was very upset because they were chained to a fence post, unloved, ignored, rarely fed, with Nashville’s unforgiving summer on its way. We talked about options for action but as is always the case there is risk involved when approaching a stranger with what could be perceived as unwelcome advice. (*) "e more upset she got the more irrational her plan of action became. In the end, she simply approached her neighbor with genuine concern and compassion, and he related a story of hardship to her. He was relieved to accept her assistance in #nding new homes for his dogs, admitting he could no longer care for them appropriately. Again, I don’t need to tell you how the e!ect of a positive interaction like this goes far deeper than 2 dogs being taken

o! their chains…although that in itself is pretty deep!

In the two years since starting East C.A.N. I’ve accumulated a myriad of stories, encounters, and lessons, as well as new friends, cheerleaders and teammates. Sure, there are some regrets, concerns, and doubts; perhaps that’s God’s way of making sure I don’t sleep too much. In 2011 I’d like to challenge you to get in the game…whatever your game is, regardless of your age, position, economic situation, and schedule. Like me, you needn’t wait to just be counted, left to wonder if someday being counted will actually make a di!erence. You can make a di!erence right now, for a total stranger, in your own neighborhood, in a bunch of ways. It’s a great New Year’s Resolution, and since sometimes we all need a little help with getting started I’m going to give you a few simple ideas. So, here goes:

If you know of someone in East Nashville who keeps their dog outside through the winter and doesn’t have a dog house, give them the e-mail for East C.A.N. to request a dog house and we will make every e!ort to provide them with one asap.

You can also go get them a bale of hay at Cumberland Hardware and kindly let them know you thought their dog would probably appreciate

A Retrospective and Resolution Love Thy Pet it with the cold weather coming.

If you know of someone in East Nashville with cats and/or dogs that are not spayed or neutered, give them the e-mail for East C.A.N. to request information and we will help them get this done asap.If you know of someone in East Nashville who keeps their dogs chained up because their fence isn’t secured, put a team of friends together and work on it with them over a weekend.

If you know of someone in East Nashville who is out of work and having trouble feeding their pets or getting their monthly $ea and heart-worm medications you can o!er to buy it for them or give them the e-mail for East C.A.N. to request assistance.

Look for more ways to help on our website and more crazy stories in the next article.

PEACE – OUT!

(*) East C.A.N. encourages neighbors to do this in pairs and always o!er help as opposed to emotional judgments or threats.

Elizabeth Chauncey is the founder of East CAN, www.eastcan.org, a non-pro#t partner of Rediscover East. Tax deductible donations can be made via the website. Elizabeth has 3 dogs of her own, and also runs a staging business called Spaces by Chauncey.www.spacesbychauncey.vpweb.com.

Even with the advances of modern medicine, Massage Therapy is still looked upon as an effective method of treatment for a variety of ailments. We have seen many trends come and go over the centuries, yet massage therapy has continued to develop as a practice. Why? Because it is effective! Throughout my years as an LMT, I have helped clients find relief from physical complaints and maintain overall wellness. Anyone can benefit from this form of therapy; it doesn’t matter whether they are young or old, athletic or artistic.

Now your dog can benefit, too! At first glance, a dog getting a massage may seem a little absurd, but massage therapy can be just as effective for canines as it is with humans. Many East Nashville dogs have been rescued from dismal backgrounds, and, as a result, dogs can develop a variety of physical and emotional conditions. Canine massage therapy (combined with proper veterinary care and advice) can be helpful not only in reducing pain from past injuries, but also by increasing mobility in dogs that suffer from arthritis, muscle atrophy and even hip dysplasia. Massage therapy can be beneficial for hyperactive or anxious dogs. It is also useful for maintaining proper muscle function, and is applied on sporting breeds to optimize performance. From “couch potato” dogs to the hardworking farmhand and anything in between, canine massage can help your dog achieve the highest, natural level of potential.

So how does canine massage therapy actually work? In scientific terms, it is the manipulation of connective tissue to enhance function and promote well being. For example, if a dog has had an encounter with a moving vehicle, rehabilitation would begin soon after appropriate veterinary care. Massage therapy can be utilized to speed up recovery time, and can assist in increasing circulation, reducing inflammation, and preventing or delaying the build-up of scar tissue. The end result is improved range of motion and a healthier, happier dog. Another practical scenario would involve a dog that has emotional issues resulting from an abusive or traumatic past. The nurturing touch of a massage therapist

will go a long way in helping it transition into a new environment by demonstrating how the touch of a human can actually be a good thing.

Of course, as dogs age they tend to be less active and may develop arthritis. Massage therapy is a great way of slowing down this process by helping them remain as active as possible with a higher quality of life. Even if your dog is healthy, happy and young, massage therapy can be a great way of maintaining balance and vitality, just like it can be for you and me.

What can you expect? Dogs that receive massage therapy experience benefits similar to what we humans do. The average canine session lasts approximately thirty minutes, but varies depending on the size of your dog and/or any conditions your dog may have. To better understand the situation a brief assessment is done before the first session to discuss medical history, as well as gate and postural analyses, from which we can then determine the best plan of action. From there, I can offer advice on simple massage techniques you can use at home.

Massage therapy is an affordable, effective treatment for both people and their dogs, but is never intended to take the place of routine medical or veterinary care. It is vitally important to open up a dialogue between your doctor and any other service providers you use to ensure that both you and your dog receive the most effective care.

Tyrus Arthur, LMT provides therapeutic massage in the heart of East Nashville. He has been a licensed massage therapist for more than 5 years, and specializes in deep tissue and neuromuscular techniques. He has added an additional service - canine massage therapy – to better serve the neighborhood.

Tyrus’s practice is located at 1104 B Fatherland St. across from Bill Martin’s. He is currentlyaccepting new clients as well as canine clients.

CANINE MASSAGE THERAPY

Page 34: East Nashvillian Issue 03

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East Nashville Living

An example of spray foam insulation on a roof deck.

+

Page 35: East Nashvillian Issue 03

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East Nashville Living

An example of spray foam insulation on a roof deck.

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Page 36: East Nashvillian Issue 03

Your Child Deserves the Best

Classes incorporate music and movement, instruments, books, and sign language

Carefully-created curriculum based on Kindermusik’s 25 years experience in music and child development

Nurturing, one-on-one time each week for you and your child in class and at home

of Kindermusik parents would recommend the program to otherparents. Source: November 2005 Online Study by Harris Interactive

We’re in the neighborhood. Call today.

Homemade from scratch

#ank you. In December I learned that I was to receive an amazing honor, along with my friend and “smartest person I know” Catherine McTamaney. I have been quick to point out to friends and family members that I am fortunate to have received this honor but also that there are people far more deserving - Carol McCullough and Elizabeth Chauncey to name just two. And please never forget the whole of East Nashville (and beyond) that worked like a symphony in doing the work of community. During the !ood thousands of our neighbors supported each other in ways few communities do. It was awe inspiring, much like Gustav Mahler’s Symphony No. 8, also known as the “Symphony of One #ousand”. #is masterpiece married the fusion of voices and instruments declaring the con"dence of the human spirit. Keeping the piece in mind I envision Lockeland Design School’s art class creation with the depiction of the Army of East Nashville waging war against the tyranny of the !ood. Perhaps because Mahler’s piece was created spontaneously, with seemingly little e%ort for such a large undertaking, the score comes across as a little clunky, maybe even abrasive at times, but balances out with its instrumentation and vocal call to action. It’s perfectly imperfect. It reminds me of our community and how people can come together with many parts and functions to create a masterpiece of community. Like Mahler’s Symphony No 8, our community gives con"dence in the human spirit – even doing so !awed, unrehearsed and spontaneously as impromptu disaster relief bakers, de-constructors, counselors and re-builders, and, like the piece, we are perfectly imperfect. I love that about us. May there never be another disaster, but if there is I’m glad to be among a community that has my back. Now on to gardening: I cheat. #ere, I said it. Being a gardener I have two opportunities for New Year’s resolutions. If

I fail the "rst time, I have a second chance. I know… it’s not fair. I’m not asking you to understand or point "ngers. It’s just the way it is. If you think its unfair then you just have to join the ranks of the gardening world. You see, gardeners get to make New Year’s Resolutions just like the other chumps on January 1st of

each year. We resolve like everyone else to eat less, exercise more, volunteer more, nag less and to be a better partner or spouse. And just like everyone else we sometimes… often fail. But we always have spring.

Don’t get me wrong; winter is a great time to formulate some of your resolutions. What gardeners know is that spring is just a better time to execute them. Our labor and ground prep in the fall gives us con"dence that a celebration of color and new life is coming. Because of that our resolutions are much more inspiring since there’s an extra spring in your step while you hear the birds chirping and watch the petals unfold from their winter hiding places. Why vow to walk or run more when it’s 10 degrees outside? Why vow to eat less when we’re made to put on pounds in the winter to keep us warmer? #ose things are better put o%. Spring is about rebirth, newness, waking up and smelling the roses. It’s the time to get out and walk, run, and plow your way through a garden. Okay, so perhaps

I have a skewed view of gardeners, but I’m not ashamed of it. Join us. In the next edition we’ll get into some major spring resolutions, but here are some winter resolutions you can make right now:

Two Parts ResolutionJust Do It! #is old marketing strategy from Nike is one of brilliance. Gardening and resolutions are either like baby steps or jumping in full throttle. I recommend jumping in, you might screw up but that’s okay. So this winter here are some resolutions to get you started in preparation for spring:

• New Year, New Yew

Yews are not just for your grandmother. #ere are so many underused plants that work well in our region and “other yews” are among them. Yews

are great because they thrive well in our soil and they are evergreen which you need to have a swathe of in your yard. Add variety to your gardens by introducing other varieties of yews in your yard like the plum yew or the emerald spreader. #ese Asian in!uenced yews are magni"cent specimens that belong somewhere in your yard. Resolve this year to introduce new specimens of plants into your gardens by planning ahead now.

• Go wild!

If you are from Brentwood and have recently moved to Nashville to downsize, relocate, etc., just know that shears are not necessarily your best friend. East Nashville is about individuality and we often break rules (see my note on cheating). From a design standpoint, what makes an interesting landscape are the varied textures and layers. Sometimes that means cleaning certain plants up and letting others grow naturally with an occasional snip.

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Otto Luyken Laurels can work as a hedge row in Cool Springs due to the ease of maintenance, but they look even better growing naturally in your yard. As you think ahead to spring, resolve this year to clean some things up and let others go natural.

• !ink!

Gardening is 60% planning and 40% hard work. Everyone’s style and commitment to gardening is di%erent. Consult a design professional this winter to help you come up with a plan that best "ts your needs, budget, and dreams. While you need to know nothing about gardening in order to have the perfect plan, you do simply need to “think” about the possibilities; this includes colors you like or dislike and how you currently use and would like to use your yard in the future. Resolve to think about your milieu and making it a better one.

• Volunteer!

Join a garden club like the East Nashville Organic Club. Commit to build a community garden with the East Nashville Cooperative Ministry or neighborhood association. Your gardening skills will greatly increase e%ective immediately by doing so. Resolve to do this today! You are needed and the planning for these projects are underway right now.

I remember as a child a line from a hymn that always sounded musical whether singing it or not. #e single line that I remember is, “I will resolve no longer to linger”. I hope that 2011 is a year of not lingering but is a year full of purpose and joy for you. May it be "lled with rich blessings of community and hope. And if possible, may it be a year of being outdoors, communing with nature and your neighbors. In 2011, let’s prove to each other that disaster is not our only reason to be good neighbors.

Gnomeo, where art thou?History, tragedy, romance, intrigue, and comedy are awaiting me ...in 3D even. My excitement will be disguised in a date night with my 5 year old daughter. I’ll tell my football friends that I’m forced to take my little girl to see an educational renaissance !ick, and I wouldn’t be entirely lying. It is after all the story of those two young “star-cross’d lovers” embattled in a famously bitter family feud. #is maybe a case of gardener’s delight and literature professors fright, but yep, we’re talking about Gnomeo and Juliet.

Admittedly, I have a fetish for gnomes. Not in my gardens, but inside my house. #ey are our doorstops; they sit on the counter holding !owers. I also enjoy the French movie Amalie whose hero is a sti% gnome who gives hope to an aging father, and even the Travelocity commercials that got their cue from Amalie. I am, by nature of my a%ection for gnomes, “one of those crazy people”, and I’m content with that. Gnomeo and Juliet will certainly create a whole new generation of crazies. #is twist on Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet abandons the theme of the Montagues verses the Capulets and makes it the Blues (gnomes) against the Reds. From what I can tell from the trailer (it’s a must see), the plot line is intact. Boy meets girl, boy and girl are prohibited to mix colors, garden humor abounds and tragedy ensues. All of this to classic Elton John hits. Seriously, who could ask for any better elements to a story?

I like Shakespeare and no disrespect to his work is intended. Just so you know my sincerity, my "ve year olds middle name is Verona, named after the city in which Romeo and Juliet purportedly met and fell in love. But I am going to indulge in the humor of this classic tale. I might even share my gnome obsession with my football friends. Maybe. In case I don’t come clean, I can rest assured that Gnomeo and Juliet is in 3-D so I can always hide behind my 3-D glasses if needed. Gnomeo and Juliet opens February 11th.

Page 37: East Nashvillian Issue 03

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!ank you. In December I learned that I was to receive an amazing honor, along with my friend and “smartest person I know” Catherine McTamaney. I have been quick to point out to friends and family members that I am fortunate to have received this honor but also that there are people far more deserving - Carol McCullough and Elizabeth Chauncey to name just two. And please never forget the whole of East Nashville (and beyond) that worked like a symphony in doing the work of community. During the "ood thousands of our neighbors supported each other in ways few communities do. It was awe inspiring, much like Gustav Mahler’s Symphony No. 8, also known as the “Symphony of One !ousand”. !is masterpiece married the fusion of voices and instruments declaring the con#dence of the human spirit. Keeping the piece in mind I envision Lockeland Design School’s art class creation with the depiction of the Army of East Nashville waging war against the tyranny of the "ood. Perhaps because Mahler’s piece was created spontaneously, with seemingly little e$ort for such a large undertaking, the score comes across as a little clunky, maybe even abrasive at times, but balances out with its instrumentation and vocal call to action. It’s perfectly imperfect. It reminds me of our community and how people can come together with many parts and functions to create a masterpiece of community. Like Mahler’s Symphony No 8, our community gives con#dence in the human spirit – even doing so "awed, unrehearsed and spontaneously as impromptu disaster relief bakers, de-constructors, counselors and re-builders, and, like the piece, we are perfectly imperfect. I love that about us. May there never be another disaster, but if there is I’m glad to be among a community that has my back. Now on to gardening: I cheat. !ere, I said it. Being a gardener I have two opportunities for New Year’s resolutions. If

I fail the #rst time, I have a second chance. I know… it’s not fair. I’m not asking you to understand or point #ngers. It’s just the way it is. If you think its unfair then you just have to join the ranks of the gardening world. You see, gardeners get to make New Year’s Resolutions just like the other chumps on January 1st of

each year. We resolve like everyone else to eat less, exercise more, volunteer more, nag less and to be a better partner or spouse. And just like everyone else we sometimes… often fail. But we always have spring.

Don’t get me wrong; winter is a great time to formulate some of your resolutions. What gardeners know is that spring is just a better time to execute them. Our labor and ground prep in the fall gives us con#dence that a celebration of color and new life is coming. Because of that our resolutions are much more inspiring since there’s an extra spring in your step while you hear the birds chirping and watch the petals unfold from their winter hiding places. Why vow to walk or run more when it’s 10 degrees outside? Why vow to eat less when we’re made to put on pounds in the winter to keep us warmer? !ose things are better put o$. Spring is about rebirth, newness, waking up and smelling the roses. It’s the time to get out and walk, run, and plow your way through a garden. Okay, so perhaps

I have a skewed view of gardeners, but I’m not ashamed of it. Join us. In the next edition we’ll get into some major spring resolutions, but here are some winter resolutions you can make right now:

Two Parts ResolutionJust Do It! !is old marketing strategy from Nike is one of brilliance. Gardening and resolutions are either like baby steps or jumping in full throttle. I recommend jumping in, you might screw up but that’s okay. So this winter here are some resolutions to get you started in preparation for spring:

• New Year, New Yew

Yews are not just for your grandmother. !ere are so many underused plants that work well in our region and “other yews” are among them. Yews

are great because they thrive well in our soil and they are evergreen which you need to have a swathe of in your yard. Add variety to your gardens by introducing other varieties of yews in your yard like the plum yew or the emerald spreader. !ese Asian in"uenced yews are magni#cent specimens that belong somewhere in your yard. Resolve this year to introduce new specimens of plants into your gardens by planning ahead now.

• Go wild!

If you are from Brentwood and have recently moved to Nashville to downsize, relocate, etc., just know that shears are not necessarily your best friend. East Nashville is about individuality and we often break rules (see my note on cheating). From a design standpoint, what makes an interesting landscape are the varied textures and layers. Sometimes that means cleaning certain plants up and letting others grow naturally with an occasional snip.

36

ww

w.theeastnashvillian.com

Otto Luyken Laurels can work as a hedge row in Cool Springs due to the ease of maintenance, but they look even better growing naturally in your yard. As you think ahead to spring, resolve this year to clean some things up and let others go natural.

• !ink!

Gardening is 60% planning and 40% hard work. Everyone’s style and commitment to gardening is di$erent. Consult a design professional this winter to help you come up with a plan that best #ts your needs, budget, and dreams. While you need to know nothing about gardening in order to have the perfect plan, you do simply need to “think” about the possibilities; this includes colors you like or dislike and how you currently use and would like to use your yard in the future. Resolve to think about your milieu and making it a better one.

• Volunteer!

Join a garden club like the East Nashville Organic Club. Commit to build a community garden with the East Nashville Cooperative Ministry or neighborhood association. Your gardening skills will greatly increase e$ective immediately by doing so. Resolve to do this today! You are needed and the planning for these projects are underway right now.

I remember as a child a line from a hymn that always sounded musical whether singing it or not. !e single line that I remember is, “I will resolve no longer to linger”. I hope that 2011 is a year of not lingering but is a year full of purpose and joy for you. May it be #lled with rich blessings of community and hope. And if possible, may it be a year of being outdoors, communing with nature and your neighbors. In 2011, let’s prove to each other that disaster is not our only reason to be good neighbors.

Gnomeo, where art thou?History, tragedy, romance, intrigue, and comedy are awaiting me ...in 3D even. My excitement will be disguised in a date night with my 5 year old daughter. I’ll tell my football friends that I’m forced to take my little girl to see an educational renaissance "ick, and I wouldn’t be entirely lying. It is after all the story of those two young “star-cross’d lovers” embattled in a famously bitter family feud. !is maybe a case of gardener’s delight and literature professors fright, but yep, we’re talking about Gnomeo and Juliet.

Admittedly, I have a fetish for gnomes. Not in my gardens, but inside my house. !ey are our doorstops; they sit on the counter holding "owers. I also enjoy the French movie Amalie whose hero is a sti$ gnome who gives hope to an aging father, and even the Travelocity commercials that got their cue from Amalie. I am, by nature of my a$ection for gnomes, “one of those crazy people”, and I’m content with that. Gnomeo and Juliet will certainly create a whole new generation of crazies. !is twist on Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet abandons the theme of the Montagues verses the Capulets and makes it the Blues (gnomes) against the Reds. From what I can tell from the trailer (it’s a must see), the plot line is intact. Boy meets girl, boy and girl are prohibited to mix colors, garden humor abounds and tragedy ensues. All of this to classic Elton John hits. Seriously, who could ask for any better elements to a story?

I like Shakespeare and no disrespect to his work is intended. Just so you know my sincerity, my #ve year olds middle name is Verona, named after the city in which Romeo and Juliet purportedly met and fell in love. But I am going to indulge in the humor of this classic tale. I might even share my gnome obsession with my football friends. Maybe. In case I don’t come clean, I can rest assured that Gnomeo and Juliet is in 3-D so I can always hide behind my 3-D glasses if needed. Gnomeo and Juliet opens February 11th.

Page 38: East Nashvillian Issue 03

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Page 39: East Nashvillian Issue 03

web: alanrayassociates.comemail: [email protected]

615.226.0405

709 Porter Road

615-545-5536

Mention this ad receive $10 offOnline Booking Availablewww.kathleenmassage.com

Tyrus Arthur, LMTTherapeutic Massage

1104 B Fatherland StreetNashville, Tennessee 37206

Deep Tissue|Sports Massage|Swedish|

Pain Management|Injury Recovery

Now offering Canine Massage Therapy10% directly benefits EastCAN.

615.525.7439www.TyrusArthurLMT.comBook online and mention this ad to

receive $10.00 off any service.

Dry CleaningAlterations

Wash and FoldSign up for our email newsletter

to receive coupons

East Nashville615.228-4332419 Gallatin Rd.

Nashville, TN 37206

Elliston615-327-45462410 Elliston Pl.

Nashville, TN 37207

www.nicholsoncleaners.com

Affordable Professional Staging

[email protected]

Custom Jewelry for Custom PeopleConsultations & Gift Certificates

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[email protected]

Specializing in gluten-free baked goods. Other allergen-free items upon request.

April GravesProudly Serving East Nashville

(615)568-0028

[email protected]

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www.organichouseholdclub.com

Organichouseholdclub.com web store marketed locally through 615 Green, LLC

Page 40: East Nashvillian Issue 03