East Nashvillian Issue 12 by The East Nashvillian

JULY | AUGUST 2012 VOL II, ISSUE 6

Hank3

Dogâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Best Friend

plus

Tomato Art Fest A Big, Red Reason to Party Willie Daunic Tackles His Biggest Challenge

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

PUBLISHER

Lisa McCauley EDITOR

Chuck Allen AS S O C I AT E E D I TO R

Daryl Sanders DESIGN DIRECTOR

Mackenzie Moore S TA FF P H OTO G R A P H ER

Stacie Huckeba CALENDAR EDITOR

Emma Alford ADVERTISING DESIGN

Benjamin Rumble Emily Marlow CONTRIBUTING WRITERS

Jaime Brousse Warren Denney Terri Dorsey Liz Jungers Hughes Robbie D. Jones Theresa Laurence Catherine Randall Ron Wynn ADDITIONAL PHOTOGR APHY

Joyce Erickson Laurent Van de Kerckhove Glenn Sweitzer

A D E V ERT I S I N G CO N TAC T

Lisa McCauley lisa@theeastnashvillian.com 615-582-4187

w w w.theeastnashvillian.com

© 2012 Kitchen Table Media, LLC The East Nashvillian is published bimonthly by Kitchen Table Media, LLC. No portion of this magazine may be reproduced without written permission from the Publisher. All rights reserved.

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East Side Buzz Surprise, surprise, surprise: Conflict of interest in school board race First-term councilmen still have a lot to learn Reinventing Highland Heights Oprah back in the hood Painting the East Side red Neighborhood’s creative juices fuel Tomato Art Fest By Theresa Laurence Hank3 Shakes Nashville with ‘One Big Wag’ By Warren Denney Willy Daunic Enjoys a good challenge By Ron Wynn Rarities, Oddities, Bargains, & more Long before there was a Riverside Village, there was M&M Furniture By Liz Jungers Hughes East Nashville Home Deliveries Midwives back by popular demand By Catherine Randall East Nashville heavy hitters Join forces on innovative development By Jaime Brousse East Side Calendar

Parting shots On the cover: Hank3 and Trooper by Glen Sweitzer

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

PUBLISHER

Lisa McCauley EDITOR

Chuck Allen AS S O C I AT E E D I TO R

Daryl Sanders DESIGN DIRECTOR

Mackenzie Moore S TA FF P H OTO G R A P H ER

Stacie Huckeba CALENDAR EDITOR

Emma Alford ADVERTISING DESIGN

Benjamin Rumble Emily Marlow CONTRIBUTING WRITERS

Jaime Brousse Warren Denney Terri Dorsey Liz Jungers Hughes Robbie D. Jones Theresa Laurence Catherine Randall Ron Wynn ADDITIONAL PHOTOGR APHY

Joyce Erickson Laurent Van de Kerckhove Glenn Sweitzer

A D E V ERT I S I N G CO N TAC T

Lisa McCauley lisa@theeastnashvillian.com 615-582-4187

w w w.theeastnashvillian.com

THEEASTNASHVILLIAN.COM

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11 20 30 40 47 51 55 58 65

Parting shots On the cover: Hank3 and Trooper by Glen Sweitzer

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he existence of love within the framework of evolution is one of the philosophical conundrums of present day human beings. Fortunately for those interested in pondering such contradictions, this year’s Tomato Arts Festival will provide a wonderful day in which to do so. There have been studies within the relatively obscure field of psychological anthropology that have demonstrated fairly conclusively that one of the dominating reasons for the success of homo sapiens has been its ability to effectively organize into groups. This ability is obviously not unique, but the development of higher consciousness and language gives us a decisive edge over our fellow earthly creatures. Unfortunately, we still carry a propensity towards tribalism that could, ironically, lead to our undoing. One would think that as we master our surroundings there would be a concurrent mastery of our inner reality. Nevertheless, fear and superstition remain the rule. Fear of others who don’t look like us, talk like us, worship like us, have sex like us — fear predominately based on ignorance and tribalism. In others words, instinct still conquers reason. Thankfully, the Great Architect saw fit to bless us with love. As difficult to truly define as it is universal, love is what gives me hope. It’s what keeps me optimistic with regards to the fate of our species. So while we may instinctually form groups in order to evolve, love is what builds bridges between these groups. Love reaches out. Love unites. And so we have the wonderful confluence of love and instinct that is the fête, or in East Nashville parlance The Tomato Arts Festival. At least for a day, we can keep our latent tribal instincts at bay, join together as a community and simply celebrate being. That, and pay homage to the greatest of fruity social egalitarians — the tomato. For as we should all know by now, the tomato is a uniter, not a divider.

Offering classes and workshops for adults in 3D, drawing & painting, photography, graphic design, interior design, printmaking, bookmaking, and more!

Chuck Allen 615.383.4848 WWW.WATKINS.EDU/COMMUNITY

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Offering classes and workshops for adults in 3D, drawing & painting, photography, graphic design, interior design, printmaking, bookmaking, and more!

Chuck Allen 615.383.4848 WWW.WATKINS.EDU/COMMUNITY

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EAST SIDE BUZZ

Surprise, surprise, surprise: Conflict of interest in school board race LOTS OF INK HAS ALREADY BEEN generated about the surprising race for the school board seat representing District 5, the one pitting board chairwoman Gracie Porter against three challengers with far less experience — John Haubenreich, Elissa Kim and Erica Lanier. To begin with, it’s somewhat surprising three candidates would want to challenge a seemingly popular and effective two-term board member. It also is surprising that any school board race would attract as much money and attention as the District 5 race is attracting, particularly one involving no part of the more affluent West Nashville area. But what is probably most surprising of all is amidst all the recent coverage given to the District 5 contest by the local newspapers, not a single question has been raised about one of the candidate’s obvious conflict of interest. Elissa Kim, the darling of the pro-charter

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forces who has emerged as Porter’s most serious and well-funded challenger, is an executive with Teach For America, a nonprofit corporation that supplies teachers to the Metro school system. She is also on the board of KIPP Nashville, a nonprofit corporation operating local charter schools. Because both TFA and KIPP receive funding from the Metro school board, Kim’s affiliations would represent clear conflicts of interest if she is elected — a fact Kim was reluctant to acknowledge during a lengthy interview with The East Nashvillian. “I will not resign from Teach For America,” Kim said when asked if she would resign her posts to eliminate the conflicts of interest if elected. “I would recuse myself from any discussions or decisions regarding Teach For America.” When it was noted Teach For America receives funding from the Metro taxpayers, Kim said, “I would recuse myself from any decision around that.” The TFA executive went on to say she would “roll off ” the KIPP Nashville board. So if Kim is elected, she would recuse herself from voting at times to avoid her conflict of interest with Teach For America; which means at times, District 5 residents would not be represented on important budgetary votes, as well as any votes involving teachers as

a group, essentially being disenfranchised on those school board matters. Kim seemed surprised — there’s that word again — by the questions about her potential conflicts of interest and was dismissive of the significance of district voters not being fully represented if she is elected. Some experienced political insiders taking interest in the District 5 race believe Kim, who has only two years experience as a classroom teacher, was encouraged by people close to Mayor Dean to oppose Porter, who does not share the same enthusiasm as the mayor for charter schools. Although she says she will not push a pro-charter agenda if elected, Kim has been endorsed by the pro-charter Greater Public Schools Pac. Even though Porter has been characterized as anti-charter by her opponents’ supporters, the lifelong educator insists she doesn’t oppose charter schools. “I’m not against charter schools, but I’m against those that are not functional,” she explained. “And I’m also expecting those charter schools to perform as well or better than our regular schools.” Porter, who has 34 years experience in the Metro school system as a teacher, principal and librarian, won a two-year term to the school board in 2006, then ran unopposed for a full four-year term in 2008. Prior to being

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EAST SIDE BUZZ unanimously chosen chairwoman by her colleagues on the board, she served as vice chair. “I’ve really made some tough decisions this year that a lot of people are not pleased with,” Porter says. “But those decisions I made were based on the knowledge I had, and also, what I thought was the right thing to do to move the district forward. And every decision I make, it’s on behalf of the children. When we forget about the students in this district and are influenced by outsiders, we have not done our jobs as board members.” Porter’s initial vote in May against KIPP Nashville’s application to operate a middle school in the Whites Creek area was one decision that rankled some of her constituents in East Nashville where KIPP Academy is based. “That was based on test scores,” she said of her vote to deny the middle school application. “KIPP’s scores were very low the year before. “I got phone calls about it, and these were very close people that I’ve known in the community for years,” she continued. “But you can’t be afraid to step out on the limb when it’s necessary. I have to do what is right for this community, I have to do what is right for the kids and I have to do what is right for the school district. “If some people are holding the KIPP vote against me, then I can’t help that. But I want KIPP to succeed, just like I want every other school in this district to succeed. But I cannot give you the green light if you have not made the grade.” When KIPP Nashville returned to the board in June with improved scores for the 2011-2012 school year, Porter voted, along with seven other board members, to approve their middle school application. Both Lanier and Haubenreich entered the District 5 race with the intent of giving parents a greater role in the decision making about their children’s education. “I hear the overall concerns of the district,” health care professional Lanier, who is serving her third term as district chair of the Parent Advisory Council, said. “Overall, they feel that in terms of the school board, there is no accountability to the true stakeholders in our children’s education, there is a serious lack of responsiveness, ... and [there is] a transparency issue. “So, the three reasons I got into this race are to restore the accountability, responsiveness and the transparency [of the school board]. A former teacher now practicing law, John Haubenreich entered the race because he “could no longer be satisfied with the pace of reform” in the district. “We have a crisis of trust in Nashville,”

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Haubenreich continued. “Neither Gracie nor, in my opinion, anyone else on the school board or in the administration, is doing a good job of reaching out to families, especially middle class families, to bring them back into the public school system. No one is doing that — and that is something that urgently needs to be done.” The Metro general election, which includes the District 5 school board race, will be held on Thursday, Aug. 2. Early voting begins on July 13 and runs through July 28. — Daryl Sanders

“When we forget about the students in this district and are influenced by outsiders, we have not done our jobs as board members.” — Gracie Porter

First-term councilmen still have a lot to learn

NORMALLY, EAST NASHVILLE CAN be counted on to provide spunky debate on Metro issues, especially something as big as the first property tax increase in seven years. But no such resistance emerged. All three council members from the East Side are first-termers — young and trying to understand their first Metro budget. Enticed by juicy perks offered to their districts, such as total school renovations to Stratford STEM Magnet High School and Highland Heights, now operated as KIPP Academy charter school, all three — Anthony Davis, Peter Westerholm and Scott Davis — supported the 53-cent tax hike, which raises the average property tax bill 15 percent. Right after his election last summer to represent District 7, Anthony Davis

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expected to face a tax increase vote and became an early supporter. He thought most of his Inglewood constituents would agree that the pain was worth the gain. “We’re honored that the largest capital project approved in the budget was Stratford High School,” he says. Davis also believed his supporters would be appeased by improved city services he helped them get this year, like more frequent brush pickups. District 6’s Peter Westerholm says his work experience analyzing the state budget helped a little, but adds, “It was a lot to process in a short amount of time — a bit intense. The way the budget was laid out was different from what I was used to.” After he processed the information, he decided there were compelling reasons for his support, especially considering past budget cuts. He decided to support the tax hike because of increased funding for public safety and education. “It’s not a silver bullet, but I think increasing starting salaries will help us attract better teachers,” Westerholm says. Renovating historic Highland Heights School, one of the few remaining originally black high schools, was a selling point for District 5 council member Scott Davis. Paving and infrastructure projects for his rapidly changing district west of Gallatin Road, along with pay raises for Metro employees, also secured his vote to raise taxes. East Nashville’s delegation of freshmen council members all expressed hope raising the tax rate at this time will set straight the city’s financial status for several years. “Hopefully we will never have to do it again,” Anthony Davis says. “This should be enough for a good while.” The new council team from the East Side proudly point out the council’s decision to stash $8 million dollars in reserves, although it’s less than half a percent of the $1.7 billion budget. But some city veterans familiar with the bigger picture of Metro’s finances believe East Nashville’s new council members may not realize a tidal wave of debt is looming ahead. “This tax increase is no horn of plenty,” longtime council member Emily Evans, a professional expert on municipal financing, says. She notes Metro refinanced its debt in 2010 to avoid budget cuts, but payments will balloon starting in 2014. Under that arrangement, the city’s current debt load is $95 million, but in 2015 it will escalate to $190 Million, requiring a 13 percent property tax hike to pay debt alone. When the sessions on refinancing were explained, many Metro council members were busy helping their districts in the aftermath of the flooding in May 2010, Evans observes. “It was like going to your home equity loan to pay your utility bill,” she adds. — Terri Dorsey

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“When we forget about the students in this district and are influenced by outsiders, we have not done our jobs as board members.” — Gracie Porter

First-term councilmen still have a lot to learn

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EAST SIDE BUZZ

Reinventing

Highland Heights TWO YEARS AGO, CITY LEADERS deliberated the fate of the Highland Heights Middle School, a beloved but rundown historic landmark on Douglas Avenue in East Nashville’s Cleveland Park neighborhood: Should it be demolished and replaced, or preserved and renovated? Suffering from years of neglect, the handsome but shabby 1930s building had been given a stay of execution in 2005 when the city leased part of the vacant educational campus to KIPP Academy, a charter school serving disadvantaged students in grades 5-8. Founded in Houston in 1994, KIPP Academy received approval in 2011 to add a college prep high school at Highland Heights.

After transferring the nearly eight-acre Highland Heights campus from the school board to General Services in 2010, Mayor Karl Dean and Metro Council allocated $10 million in the capital budget to renovate and upgrade the 91,000-square-foot facility for use by KIPP Academy and hired Gobbell Hays Partners of downtown Nashville to create architectural plans. Everyone was happy. Or so it seemed. When The Tennessean reported in early 2011 that the city might demolish the school and replace it with an entirely new facility, neighborhood advocates, elected officials and alumni quickly initiated a campaign to save it from the wrecking ball. In 2011, Historic Nashville, Inc. (HNI) included the school on its Nashville Nine list of the city’s most threatened historic places. “Several members of the community nominated Highland Heights to the Nashville

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Nine,” Melissa Wyllie, vice president of HNI, says. “We fielded calls from people citywide who were upset the city intended to tear down this much-loved landmark. We recently lost Ransom School off West End and Murphy School in Midtown — we didn’t want to lose Highland Heights, too.” The Metro Historical Commission (MHC) also sprang into action. “We contacted Metro councilman Scott Davis, school board member Gracie Porter and KIPP Academy’s founder Randy Dowell to make sure they understood the building’s importance, both to the community and our city,” Tim Walker, director of the MHC recalls. “This was followed by a number of meetings that also included the architects and project manager Majel Carr with Metro General Services, where we began to look at ways to preserve the original building while meeting KIPP’s needs in expanding.” Built in several phases between 1930 and 1973, the sprawling civic landmark had served as an anchor in the Cleveland Park neighborhood for generations. The school

was one of several commissioned by the city in the ’30s as the result of a 1927 study that determined 77 percent of the city’s schoolchildren were educated in inadequate schools. Sound familiar? By 1937, the figures had been reversed as the result of an aggressive 10-year building campaign. According to research provided by Scarlett Miles at the MHC, the original three-story section of the school was designed in 1929-30 by local MIT-trained architect Donald Southgate, who was known for upscale residential buildings, schools and churches in West Nashville, such as West End High School, Jacksonian Apartments (razed in 1998), and St. George’s Episcopal Church. During the ’30s, federal New Deal funding was used to construct new athletic fields designed by architect Emmons H. Woolwine and a multiuse gymnasium and auditorium, designed by Warfield & Keeble. The school continued to

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grow from 1962 to 1977, with modern wings housing a cafeteria, classrooms, an auditorium and a second gym. “Lack of maintenance over the past few decades resulted in water penetrating the building and causing significant damage throughout,” project architect Dominique Arrieta, who specializes in schools and historic rehab projects, explains. “We’ve worked hard to create a plan that will save the original 1930 school building, including its wonderful classical architectural details such as the interior stairwells, windows, and exterior trim. Unfortunately, it will be necessary to replace the 1939 gymnasium, which is cramped and no longer meets safety codes.” The modern wings will be demolished and replaced with new wings set back from the historic section of the school as recommended by the Secretary of the Interior’s Guidelines for Rehabilitating Historic Properties. “This should enable Highland Heights to remain eligible for listing in the National Register of Historic Places,” Walker says. “We also hope to have the school designated as a Local Landmark, which will ensure the historic building remains viable for future generations.” By implementing green design features, such as geothermal heat pumps located beneath the adjacent athletic fields, the project should earn LEED Silver designation. “The renovated school will also incorporate outdoor classroom spaces, separate entrances for the middle and high school students, a cafeteria that doubles as a community meeting center and a public park area in the front lawn area,” Arrieta says. “We want Highland Heights to return to its role as a vital community center for over 80 years in East Nashville.” “In the past seven years, we’ve grown from 60 fifth-grade students to 350 in grades 5-8,” KIPP Academy’s Dowell says. “With the new high school, we will be able to enroll up to 800 students once the renovated building opens in 2014. We’re thrilled to be a part of the community-wide effort to preserve and reinvent Highland Heights in East Nashville.” — Robbie D. Jones

Oprah

back in the hood EAST NASHVILLE HOMEGIRL OPRAH Winfrey is back in the hood — at least as a property owner. The last week in June, the richest woman in America came to the aid of her father Vernon Winfrey and purchased at auction his

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EAST SIDE BUZZ

Reinventing

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Oprah

We’ve got what you need! *Special Orders Welcome.

$5 Happy Hour specials everyday starting at 4:30 nortHern italian cuisine and Handcrafted cocktails

From capacitors to IC’s, we have components in stock. Get it Fixed Right! Amplifiers, Turntables, T.V.s, Antique Radios, Reel to Reels and more.

ElectronicAdapters DBA

701 Porter Road • East Nashville

Radio Shack

(615)227-5441 3249 Gallatin Pike Nashville TN, 37216

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EAST SIDE BUZZ

You can’t control the market, but you

can control your decisions. Sometimes the market reacts poorly to changes in the world. But just because the market reacts doesn’t mean you should. Still, if current events are making you feel uncertain about your finances, you should schedule a complimentary portfolio review. That way, you can help ensure you’re in control of where you want to go and how you can potentially get there. Take control. Schedule your free portfolio review today. SERVING MADISON, INGLEWOOD AND HISTORIC EAST NASHVILLE AREAS.

Solar energy is healthy for tomatoes and other living things. (No leaks, no spills, no kills.)

Frank Ballard Jr Financial Advisor .

1574-A North Gallatin Rd Madison, TN 37115 615-868-5704 www.edwardjones.com

Barking up the right tree! To learn more about solar energy: www.SundogSolarEnergy.com Member SIPC

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Winberry Place development, which had gone into foreclosure in May, less than a year after its grand opening. The purchase price was $475,000. Winberry Place, which houses Vernon’s barber shop and space for a beauty salon, was the anchor property in an envisioned mix of retail and residential units on several surrounding parcels of land at the corner of Lischey and Vernon Winfrey avenues. It was hoped the development would help revitalize the Cleveland park area. In a statement to WSMV, a spokesperson for Oprah said Vernon will continue to manage the property and cut hair in the barber shop. The story has become fodder for the tabloids because it made public a family feud between the TV powerhouse and her stepmother, Barbara Winfrey, who told WSMV she blamed the foreclosure on bad advice given to her husband by Oprah, among others. Vernon told the television station, “My wife and I, we have not been getting along well, and I did not want to endow myself to another drawn-out, struggling debt.” He has since filed for divorce. — Daryl Sanders

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EAST SIDE BUZZ

You can’t control the market, but you

Solar energy is healthy for tomatoes and other living things. (No leaks, no spills, no kills.)

Frank Ballard Jr Financial Advisor .

1574-A North Gallatin Rd Madison, TN 37115 615-868-5704 www.edwardjones.com

Barking up the right tree! To learn more about solar energy: www.SundogSolarEnergy.com Member SIPC

For a free site consultation: info@SundogSolarEnergy.com 615-650-0540

THEEASTNASHVILLIAN.COM

July | August 2012

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One block from here,

As no doubt you already know, major rehabilitation on I-24 at the Main Street and Woodland Street bridges will continue throughout the summer. Deanna Lambert, the Community Relations Officer – Region 3 at the Tennessee Department of Transportation has provided us with information regarding road closures, detours, times and dates, which you will find below. To sign up for weekly email updates, go to: www.tdot.state.tn.us/ i24bridges/maps.shtml. — The Editor

A mother works three jobs to feed her children. We’re neighbors. Friends. Teammates. Family. We are East Nashville. We continue to endure, overcome and thrive because we take pride in who we are and what we’ve made here. We’re a vital part of Nashville. And the Martha O’Bryan Center is a vital part of us. The Martha O’Bryan Center has been helping families grow closer together, better their circumstances and succeed since 1894. Give East Nashville a hand. V i s i t W W W. B R E A K T H E L I N E . O R G a n d f i n d o u t m o r e .

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This project consists of 13 weekend closures beginning April 20, 2012. Weekend Closures ONLY: Fridays 9 p.m. to Mondays 5 a.m. Closed Roadway Segments • I-24 West will be closed from Mile Marker 47.8 to Mile Marker 50.2 • I-24 East will be closed from Mile Marker 46.8 to Mile Marker 48.0 • Woodland Street from Interstate Drive to South 5th Street • Main Street (James Robertson Parkway) from Interstate Drive to South 5th Street • I-24 West on-ramps at Shelby Avenue • I-24 East on-ramp at Spring Street Interstate Detour Routes • From north of Nashville on I-24 East/I-65 South toward Chattanooga will follow I-65 South/I-40

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West at Exit 86, then follow I-40 East/I-65 South at Exit 84A, and then follow I-40 East/I-24 East at Exit 210. • From south of Nashville on I-24 West/I-65 North toward Clarksville/Louisville will follow I-65 South/I-40 West at Exit 211, then follow I-40 West/I-65 North at Exit 210A, and then follow I-65 North/I-24 West at Exit 208. Local Detour Routes • East on Woodland Street wanting to continue east on Woodland Street will turn right onto Interstate Drive, then turn left onto Shelby Avenue, then turn left onto South 5th Street, and turn right onto Woodland Street. • West on Woodland Street wanting to continue west on Woodland Street will turn left onto South 5th Street, then turn right onto Shelby Avenue, then turn right onto South 2nd Street, then turn left onto Russell Street, then turn right onto South 1st Street, and turn left onto Woodland Street.

• East on James Robertson Parkway (Main Street) wanting to continue east on Main Streetwill turn right onto Interstate Drive, then turn left onto Shelby Avenue., then turn left onto South 5th Street, and turn right onto Main Street. • West on Main Street wanting to continue west on James Robertson Parkway (Main Street)will turn right onto Spring Street, then take the I-24 East on-ramp, then exit I-24 East at James Robertson Parkway (Exit 48), and turn right onto James Robertson Parkway. • Shelby Avenue to I-24W will turn onto South 5th Street and will continue on Spring Street to the I-24W on-ramp. • Jefferson Street and North 1st Street to I-24 East will take North 1st Street, and then turn left onto Woodland Street to the I-24 East on-ramp.

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One block from here,

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Painting

the East Side red Neighborhood’s creative juices fuel Tomato Art Fest By Theresa Laurence

his time of year, as the Tennessee homegrown tomato emits her siren song, drawing locals to her like a June bug to a back porch light, planning for East Nashville’s 2012 Tomato Art Fest is in high gear. Tomato art entries are being accepted at festival headquarters, Meg and Bret MacFayden’s Art and Invention Gallery, and event organizers are busy putting together a full slate of events for the neighborhood’s biggest, most imaginative festival of the year. The Tomato Fest works so well, Meg says, because “the kind of people who live here are really willing to play,” lending a freewheeling spirit to the festival that makes it such a draw to neighbors as well as those across the river and beyond. By now, most East Nashvillians know how the Tomato Art Fest grew from oneoff art show to a street festival attended annually by 20,000 people. But neighborhood residents may not know quite how organically it has evolved over the years. In 2004, the MacFaydens were searching for inspiration amidst the dog days of summer, contemplating a new art show for August. The idea for a tomato-themed art show came together among Meg, her friend and heirloom tomato grower Diane Gross, and another friend and gallery patron Ann Edgerton. Edgerton brought the MacFaydens a clipping about a festival in California that featured wine and tomato pairings, as well as tomato art. Meg passed it along to Gross, and the three women, with the help of Bret, began cooking up the idea for their own art show paying homage to Tennessee’s “official fruit,”as designated by the state legislature in 2003. Little did they know that 1,000 eager arts patrons would show up — quite a few of them in costume — to celebrate tomato art at that first event. “We had no intention of it being anything but a onetime art show,” Meg says, but “it turned into a big party.” Soon, neighbors began asking what they could do to take the art show to the next level and make it a bonafide festival. For the first few years, events were held

Bret and Meg MacFayden Photo by Stacie Huckeba 20

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on the Art and Invention property, but it soon grew too big to be contained, spilling into the streets of Five Points and beyond. The second line parade, which was initiated after many New Orleans residents relocated to Nashville following Hurricane Katrina in 2005, is now the popular kick off to the festival. “Anybody can take ownership of an idea and run with it,” Bret says, explaining how some of the day’s events got started and continue still. The various goofy contests, such as the wet burrito contest, where contestants eat a burrito while being sprayed with a water hose, were all dreamed up by neighbors and small business owners. Even some of the musicians, such as East Nashville’s favorite agnostic hymnist, Todd Snider, approached the organizers about performing at this year’s fest. Meg’s reaction? “Wow!” And so Snider’s alter ego Elmo Buzz and his band the Eastside Bulldogs, which includes Elizabeth Cook and Tim Carroll, will close out the festival on Saturday night. Meg and Bret are insistent they never sat down and brainstormed ideas to design a festival. “We’re like the clearinghouse, the train station where ideas come in and out,” she explains. The MacFayden’s Art and Invention Gallery is a bit like a train depot, with customers, artists, friends and neighbors coming and going during both official and unofficial business hours. Art and Invention is part gallery and part workshop, a place to showcase artwork, as well as a space for these two working artists to spend time on their own projects. This is not a gallery with a dozen paintings on the wall and a few sculptures on pedestals that would require a second mortgage to afford. For sale here are whimsical, functional and affordable pieces of art and jewelry, a good bit of it by East Nashville artists. The space embodies the funky, laidback vibe of the neighborhood. During a recent visit, Meg, wearing paint-splattered overalls, a T-shirt, baseball cap and

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Painting

the East Side red Neighborhood’s creative juices fuel Tomato Art Fest By Theresa Laurence

Bret and Meg MacFayden Photo by Stacie Huckeba 20

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July | August 2012

July | August 2012 THEEASTNASHVILLIAN.COM

a beaded crystal necklace, flits between customers and chats easily with them while ringing up purchases. Bret, in a white T-shirt, jean shorts and a wristwatch, takes a slightly more behind-thescenes approach. He spends most of his days in the vast Invention laboratory at the back of the building known as Garage Mahal, surrounded by wood, metal and all types of materials used in his design/build business. Not one to clamor for credit, Bret talks about some of his well-known projects when nudged. In the immediate vicinity, he designed the Five Points Collaborative modular buildings next door and the I Dream of Weenie hut, which the MacFaydens owned before selling it to a new owner. Bret also designed the interior space of the Provence restaurant at the downtown library, and has a hand in the new development currently under construction at Fatherland and 11th streets, which will become storefronts for new small businesses, the lifeblood of the neighborhood. “People are the driving force [of East Nashville],” he says. “There’s so much good-will energy and a critical mass of creativity here, it’s unbelievable.” The shops, restaurants and other small businesses run by these creative people are the reason that people are choosing to live in and visit East Nashville. “There’s no big economic juggernaut”

drawing people here, he notes. Indeed, there are no big corporate headquarters in the neighborhood, no hospital, no mall, no pre-packaged family entertainment destination. “People make their own fun here,” Meg says. With East Nashville restaurants like Mas Tacos Por Favor and Mitchell’s Deli getting recent national media attention, Bret says, “This seems to be a pivotal year for East Nashville.” When the MacFaydens, who live in the Belmont area, first purchased the big sheet metal building at 1106 Woodland Street in 2000, they weren’t quite sure what to expect of the neigh-

gravitating toward the neighborhood, rehabbing the beautiful old houses. With all the families here now, “it just gets better and better,” he adds. Meg and Bret, who met in East Nashville on the set of the 1991 film Ernest Scared Stupid, hardly recognize the Five Points area now. Back then, he was helping build large-scale sets, like transforming the abandoned building that would be the future home of Margot Café into a lawyer’s office, and she was painting scenery. The skills gained while working on movie sets have helped the MacFaydens with their ability to serve as “clearinghouse” and host to the sauciest festival in town. “We know how to put things together in a red-hot hurry,” Meg says. Which is handy, since all the details for the Tomato Art Fest don’t come together until the eleventh hour. This year, like last, the MacFaydens are relying on professional event planner Jack Davis to oversee the logistics of the festival. They are particularly excited about having the funds and the manpower to pick up all the trash left behind. Then on Sunday, Aug. 12, after all the hubbub has died down, festival fairy godmother Meg MacFayden may be able kick back with her favorite food, a luscious bacon, lettuce and tomato sandwich. “There’s nothing like a BLT — period,” she says. The same could be said of East Nashville’s Tomato Art Fest: There’s nothing like it. Period.

“There’s so much good-will energy and a critical mass of creativity here, it’s unbelievable.” borhood. As post-tornado pioneers, they were here before the Slow Bar began its brief run of glory and before Margot Café opened its doors. They have watched the neighborhood grow at an almost unfathomable rate over the last dozen years. “When we first started out here, there was nothing but crickets outside,” Bret recalls. There were also the occasional loiterers and prostitutes not far from their doorstep. “Then we started seeing strollers,” Bret says. More strollers followed as young families began

TODDCOUNTER 615.500.8180

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700 Church St. Unit 405 Nashville, TN 37203 landscapeTN.com

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organic garden maintenance • environmental landscape design & installation • landscape renovation & clean-up • residential master planning • rain gardens • native planting

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TODDCOUNTER 615.500.8180

todd@landscapeTN.com

700 Church St. Unit 405 Nashville, TN 37203 landscapeTN.com

LANDSCAPE

solu+ ons

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July | August 2012

organic garden maintenance • environmental landscape design & installation • landscape renovation & clean-up • residential master planning • rain gardens • native planting

July | August 2012 THEEASTNASHVILLIAN.COM

EAST NASHVILLE TOMATO 5K ANDREWS CADILLAC FIRECRACKER 5K

MAFIAoZA'S RUN FOR THE HILLS

PUTNAM COUNTY TURKEY TROT

FARM BUREAU HOLIDAY RUN

NEWTON NISSAN FROSTBITE

5K RACE/WALK REGISTRATION Please print. Use this form to register for 5K. One form per runner.

First Name __________________________________________________ Last Name __________________________________________________ Date of Birth __________________________ Sex: q M q F Address: ____________________________________________________

A CAUSE WORTH RUNNING FOR Tomato 5K BENEFITTING THE MARGARET MADDOX FAMILY YMCA LOCATION

PACKET PICKUP Friday Aug 10 10am-6pm at Maddox YMCA. Saturday Aug 11 6am – 7:15 Turnip Truck East

Email: ________________________________________________________

The East Nashville Tomato 5K will occur Saturday, August 11, 2012, on the corner of South 10th Street and Woodland Street.

5K T-Shirt Size q S q M q L q XL q XXL T-shirts guaranteed to preregistered runners only.

RACE ROUTE

$25 pre-registered until June 15 $35 if registered after June 15

$_____________________ Entry Fee Enclosed

Race route can be viewed by clicking Tomato 5k on ymcamidtn.org/races.

RACE REGISTRATION

________________________________________________________________ City: _________________________________ ST: __ Zip: __________ Phone: ______________________________________________________

$____________________ Additional Donation Mail-in registration must be postmarked by August 8. Registration fees are not refundable. Please make check payable to Margaret Maddox Family YMCA.

THANK YOU TO OUR SPONSORS:

Signature required for participation. In consideration of your acceptance of my entry into this race, I, for myself, my executors, administrators and assigns, do hereby release and discharge the YMCA of Middle Tennessee, and all sponsoring businesses and organizations, from all claims of damages, demands, actions, and causes of actions whatsoever, in any manner arising or growing out of my participation in this event. I also hereby consent to permit emergency treatment in the event of injury or illness.

Signature: ___________________________________________________ Guardian signature if under 18

www.ymcamidtn.org/races 24

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GIVE A CHILD A STRONG START

PROVIDE

BRYAN, WARD AND ELMORE INC.

Margaret Maddox Family YMCA 2624 Gallatin Road Nashville, TN 37216 Register online at

Deadline for online reg. Aug 8.

At the Y, we believe the skills learned early on are vital building blocks for life, and we never want a family to sacrifice a quality preschool education because they can’t afford it. At our preschool, 9 out of 10 students benefit from the financial assistance that’s made possible by race proceeds and other donations.

PARTICIPATION RELEASE

Complete the registration form and return with check or money order payable to Margaret Maddox Family YMCA to:

RACE COST

Our 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.

Help neighbors take personal responsibility for their health. Through its Income-based Rate Scale and other forms of financial assistance, the Y in East Nashville eliminates the socio-economic barriers to wellness for 1 out of every 2 members, giving everyone the chance to harness the power of prevention and stop illnesses before they start.

Tomato

Art

Fest July | August 2012 THEEASTNASHVILLIAN.COM

EAST NASHVILLE TOMATO 5K ANDREWS CADILLAC FIRECRACKER 5K

MAFIAoZA'S RUN FOR THE HILLS

PUTNAM COUNTY TURKEY TROT

FARM BUREAU HOLIDAY RUN

NEWTON NISSAN FROSTBITE

5K RACE/WALK REGISTRATION Please print. Use this form to register for 5K. One form per runner.

A CAUSE WORTH RUNNING FOR Tomato 5K BENEFITTING THE MARGARET MADDOX FAMILY YMCA LOCATION

PACKET PICKUP Friday Aug 10 10am-6pm at Maddox YMCA. Saturday Aug 11 6am – 7:15 Turnip Truck East

Email: ________________________________________________________

The East Nashville Tomato 5K will occur Saturday, August 11, 2012, on the corner of South 10th Street and Woodland Street.

5K T-Shirt Size q S q M q L q XL q XXL T-shirts guaranteed to preregistered runners only.

RACE ROUTE

$25 pre-registered until June 15 $35 if registered after June 15

$_____________________ Entry Fee Enclosed

Race route can be viewed by clicking Tomato 5k on ymcamidtn.org/races.

RACE REGISTRATION

________________________________________________________________ City: _________________________________ ST: __ Zip: __________ Phone: ______________________________________________________

$____________________ Additional Donation Mail-in registration must be postmarked by August 8. Registration fees are not refundable. Please make check payable to Margaret Maddox Family YMCA.

THANK YOU TO OUR SPONSORS:

Signature: ___________________________________________________ Guardian signature if under 18

www.ymcamidtn.org/races 24

THEEASTNASHVILLIAN.COM

July | August 2012

GIVE A CHILD A STRONG START

PROVIDE

BRYAN, WARD AND ELMORE INC.

Margaret Maddox Family YMCA 2624 Gallatin Road Nashville, TN 37216 Register online at

Deadline for online reg. Aug 8.

PARTICIPATION RELEASE

Complete the registration form and return with check or money order payable to Margaret Maddox Family YMCA to:

RACE COST

Our 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.

Tomato

Art

Fest July | August 2012 THEEASTNASHVILLIAN.COM

TOMATO Art FEST

2012 SCHEDULE OF EVENTS Photos Courtesy of Aerial Innovations of Tennessee

Thursday, Aug. 9 Tomato Wine Dinner at Marche: a four course meal with accompanying wines. Marche Artisan Foods (1000 Main St., 615-262-1111, marcheartisan@ bellsouth.net) Tomato Art Fest Wine Supper at Rumours: See what wines are chosen to pair with a four-course patio menu featuring all things tomato. Rumours East (1112 Woodland St., 615-262-5346, www. rumourseast.com)

Friday, Aug. 10 6:30 – 9 p.m. — Tomato Art Preview Party: A wonderful night of sights, sounds and flavors — and lots and lots of tomato art. $25.00 (reservations required). Art & Invention Gallery (1106 Woodland St., 615-226-2070, meg@ artandinvention.com)

FREE IES DELIVER

Now interviewing for a part-time,

CERTIFIED pharmacy tech

5 – 6:30 p.m. — Kid’s Tomato Art Show Opening Reception: Tomato art by young tomato artists. YCAP Chapel (1021 Russell St., 615-256-9622 ext. 72555, lgregg@ymcamidtn.org)

Saturday, Aug. 11, 2012

ucts, d o r P c i rgan O l a r u nes t i a c i N d e , s t M f Gi unter o C e h Over -T perated o d n a d s owne nce plan a r -Locally u s n i l ept al -We acc

e d i s r rive village acy pharm rhood Drug Store o r Neighb

You

Gary Williams, D.Ph.

615.650.4444

Owner / Pharmacist

1406-A McGavock Pike Nashville, TN 37216

MON-THUR: 9-7 | FRIDAY: 9-6 | SAT: 9-5 | SUN: AVAILABLE FOR EMERGENCIES

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July | August 2012

7 a.m. — Children’s Fun Run: Registration is $5 per child. Five Points (the corner of Woodland and 10th Street) 7 a.m. – 8 p.m. — Tomato Treats: Tomato-inspired treats for sample and for purchase. Turnip Truck (970 Woodland St., 615-650-3600) 7:30 a.m. — Tomato 5K: Registration is $35 per runner. Five Points (the corner of Woodland and 10th Street, https://6595.thankyou4caring.org/ page.aspx?pid=376) 8:30 a.m. — Tomato Fairy/Elf Costume Contest: Join us for a Tomato Fairy and Elf contest for children of all ages. The lot behind Fannys House of Music (1101 Holly St., 615.915.1960, tammy@fairytalesbookstore.com) 9 a.m. — New Orleans-Style Second Line Parade: The parade starts in front of Bongo Java and follows part of the 5K run course before ending at the Main Stage located in the lot next to Bongo. Wear your favorite tomato costume,

bring an instrument to play and hit the streets. Right in front of Bongo Java Roasting Company (107 South 11th St., 615.915.1960, tammy@fairytalesbookstore.com) 9 a.m. – noon — Bongo Java Kid’s Event: Sidewalk chalk, balloons and other crafty stuff for the kids. Special treats from Grins & Las Paletas. Bongo Java (107 South 11th St., 615.777.3278) 9 a.m. – 1 p.m. — KidFest: Free fun for children of all ages — inflatables, water slide, tomato head hair painting, popsicles, crafts and storytelling. The park at the corner of 12th & Holly 9 a.m. – 1:30 p.m. — 1st Annual Crossword Tournament: Puzzlers of all interest levels are welcome — individuals and teams. $40 per individual to enter; $30 for students & seniors and $100 per team of three. Doors open at 8:30 a.m.; walk-ins if space available. East End United Methodist Church (1212 East Holly St., 615-227-5979, www.thegenerationconnection.com) 9:30 a.m., 12:30 and 3:30 p.m. — Pet and Wildlife Demonstrations: 5 Points Animal Hospital and Waldens Puddle have joined forces to bring you all sorts of information about your pets and wildlife. Demonstrations held throughout the day. 5 Points Animal Hospital (1103 Woodland Street, 615-750-2377) 10 a.m. — Music: Main Stage (lot next to Bongo Java) 10 a.m. — Half Brass 11 a.m. — Vietti Showcase Noon — tba 1 p.m. — Medicine Ball 2 p.m. — Fanny’s Showcase 3 p.m. — Richard DuBois 4 p.m. — The Wans 5 p.m. — Hurts to Laugh 6 p.m. — Rock City Birdhouse 7 p.m. — tba 8 p.m. — Elmo Buzz and the Eastside Bulldogs and friends 10 a.m. – 7 p.m. — Tomato Art Show: No finer collection of tomato art to be found east of the Mississippi, and maybe even in the entire tomato-eating world. Art & Invention Gallery (1106 Woodland St.,615.226.2070, meg@ artandinvention.com)

July | August 2012 THEEASTNASHVILLIAN.COM

TOMATO Art FEST

2012 SCHEDULE OF EVENTS Photos Courtesy of Aerial Innovations of Tennessee

FREE IES DELIVER

Now interviewing for a part-time,

CERTIFIED pharmacy tech

5 – 6:30 p.m. — Kid’s Tomato Art Show Opening Reception: Tomato art by young tomato artists. YCAP Chapel (1021 Russell St., 615-256-9622 ext. 72555, lgregg@ymcamidtn.org)

Saturday, Aug. 11, 2012

ucts, d o r P c i rgan O l a r u nes t i a c i N d e , s t M f Gi unter o C e h Over -T perated o d n a d s owne nce plan a r -Locally u s n i l ept al -We acc

e d i s r rive village acy pharm rhood Drug Store o r Neighb

You

Gary Williams, D.Ph.

615.650.4444

Owner / Pharmacist

1406-A McGavock Pike Nashville, TN 37216

MON-THUR: 9-7 | FRIDAY: 9-6 | SAT: 9-5 | SUN: AVAILABLE FOR EMERGENCIES

THEEASTNASHVILLIAN.COM

July | August 2012

July | August 2012 THEEASTNASHVILLIAN.COM

10 a.m. – 6 p.m. — Tomato Art at Bryant Gallery: Come to Bryant Gallery for a group show featuring local artists. Bryant Gallery (1113 Woodland St., 615-650-0063) 10 a.m. – 6 p.m. — Tomato Bazaar: Over 100 vendors will arrive early to tempt and delight you with their wares. Five Points (www. tomatoartfest.com for a list of vendors and vendor map) 10 a.m. till a champion is crowned — Second Annual Tomato Art Fest Cornhole Tournament: Two players toss bags of corn at a 6-inch hole 10 yards away in a quest to become “King of the Cornhole Toss.” Prizes will be awarded to the winning teams, as well as gifts for the best team name. 37206 Building (corner of 11th & Fatherland, 615.228.9249, tomatoartcornholefest@ gmail.com) 10 a.m. – 1:30 p.m. — 4th Annual Bobbing For Tomatoes / Tomato Toss: Bobbing for (real) tomatoes and tossing (faux) tomatoes at a target; plus prizes, treats for the pooches and wading pools to cool hot paws — fun for pets and those who love them. Wags & Whiskers (between Red Door & 5 Spot, 615.228.9249) 10 a.m. – 6 p.m. — Bike Safety Workshop: Bike safety workshop and free bike parking for festival goers. Eastside Cycles (103 South 11th St., 615-469-1079)

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July | August 2012

lades and another wrinkle in their brains from thinking so hard.

1-2 p.m. — Beautiful Tomato Contest: Costume contest for your tomatoes. Entries must be submitted by 1 p.m. to be eligible. Alegria (5 Points Collaborative, 1108 Woodland St., 615-227-8566)

Family Fun Open House: Games and fun activities for families to enjoy in air-conditioned splendor inside the Ann Ragsdale Recreation Center located behind the YCAP Building on Russell Street. YCAP (1021 Russell St.)

2 p.m. — Recipe Contest: Tomato recipes will go head-to-head in this year’s contest. Drop off entries between 1:15 and 1:45 p.m. Judging starts promptly at 2 p.m. Margot Cafe (122 South 12th St., info@nashvillefarmersmarket. org)

Kids Tomato Art Exhibit: Children’s tomato artwork will be on display with contest placement ribbons and awards. YCAP Chapel (1021 Russell St.)

2-3 p.m. — Red Head Competition: Just show up with your tomato red locks. This contest is open to all redheads. The Clearview Stage (in the parking lot behind Margot Cafe)

For more information about the Tomato Art Fest, visit www.tomatoartfest.com.

3 p.m. — Bloody Mary Competition: Who has the best Bloody Mary recipe in all the land? Come to 3 Crow Bar and find out. 3 Crow Bar (1024 Woodland St., 615-262-3345) 4-5 p.m. — All East Nashville Fashion Show: Features East Nashville merchants and neighbors. The Clearview Stage (in the parking lot behind Margot Cafe) 5 p.m. — Wet Burrito Contest: Hungry contestants race to eat a burrito the fastest, while being hosed down with water. Nuvo Burrito (1000 Main St., sean.p@nuvoburrito.com, 615-866-9713)

10:30 a.m. – 11:30 p.m. — Faux Paw Fashion Show: Costume contest for your pet. The Clearview Stage ((in the parking lot behind Margot Cafe, http://www.lockelandsprings. org/fauxpaw)

5 – 11 p.m. — Tomatoes and Wine: Drink specials and a refreshing tomato-inspired menu throughout the day. Rumours East (1112 Woodland Street, 615-262-5346)

Noon — Giant Ice Cream Sundae Extravaganza: Kids ages 2-10 try to build the largest ice cream sundae in East Nashville. Pied Piper Creamery (114 South 11th St., 615-227-4114)

Other activities

12:30 p.m. — Biggest/ Littlest/Ugliest Tomato Contest: Enter your tomato to win coveted prizes for ugliest tomato, biggest tomato and

littlest tomato. (info@nashvillefarmersmarket.org)

throughout the day Tomato Haiku Competition: Start waxing poetic, girls and boys, because the tomato haiku competition is back. Winners will be announced from the main stage and receive prizes, accoJuly | August 2012 THEEASTNASHVILLIAN.COM