🎵 “Looks like we maaaaade it…” 🎵
Did anyone else feel that 50-pound weight suddenly lift off their shoulders around, oh, 11 a.m. Wednesday morning? Same here! Donald Trump’s presidency has ended and Joseph R. Biden, Jr. has been sworn in as the 46th President of the United States of America.
Phew! I sincerely questioned whether I’d live to see the day, so please excuse me if this week’s Buzz feels overly giddy — releasing four years-worth of pent up fear, frustration, and rage has left me feeling starry-eyed and energized.
Nashville even made an appearance during the Celebrating America inauguration concert when Tim McGraw and Tyler Hubbard performed their song “Undivided” on the east bank of the Cumberland River, near the John Seigenthaler Pedestrian Bridge. The White House has posted a video of the performance on YouTube (because this President hasn’t been banned from social media platforms) and you looked great, Nashville! (I have no further comment on the quality of the song.)
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In Pandemic News
As mentioned in last week’s edition, Metro Public Health is still inviting Nashvillians to sign up for the COVID-19 vaccine stand-by list. You just have to be able to make it to the Five Points vaccination location within 30 minutes of being notified. The program has resulted in about half a dozen extra doses in the past week which I know doesn’t sound like much, but it’s better than throwing it in the trash like other states. If you want to get on the list, email COVID19VaccineStandby@Nashville.gov. Read more about how the standby system works here.
Meanwhile, in TN State Government Be Crazy Y’all news
To recap — @GovBillLee & the @TNGOP have been back in session a little over a week and they’ve already passed a major health care bill without listening to doctors and now a major education legislation without listening to teachers.
— The Tennessee Holler (@TheTNHoller) January 21, 2021
Tree People
If you, too, have a sudden burst of energy, consider volunteering with the Nashville Tree Conservation Corps this weekend. The organization will be in East Nashville on Saturday, January 23 to plant more than 180 trees along Shelby Avenue, adding to the 300 they already planted in November. By the time the project is complete, Shelby will be lined with more than a dozen different species of trees, including Jane Magnolias, Ginkgos, American Lindens, Turkish Filbert, and more. It should look gorgeous come fall (though watch out for those Ginkgo trees — they turn stunning shades of yellow in autumn, but they can also bear some real stinky fruit).
You can sign up for a three-hour volunteer shift here or, if you’d rather not get your hands dirty, you can make a donation to the Nashville Tree Conservation Corps here. In the coming weeks, NTCC will be hiring landscape crews to install irrigation systems on all the new trees as well as spread fresh mulch and further clean up the work zones.
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That’s right, my pandemically isolated friends. You can now attend the entire three-day event for ÂŁ25, without suffering the cost of a plane ticket to London … and airports and the like. Bonus: This includes the Wild Ponies Happy Hour featuring Sarah Potenza, Kyshona (trio), Wild Ponies, and Jaimee Harris. We have more information available here on our website. Ticket link @amaukÂ
Quick Bits, er, Bites:
There’s a lot of food-related news this week, some good, some bad. Bear with me while I attempt to run through it all without sounding like the guy at the end of a pharmaceutical commercial who has to read the long list of side effects faster than Nicki Minaj raps on “Want Some More.”
Eastland Cafe posted a note on their door announcing their last day of service will be January 23. That just so happens to be the same day Setsun East will be closing up shop (more on that in last week’s Buzz). And just yesterday, Nashville Post reported that PizzeReal, which opened in Five Points in October 2004, has also closed.
In other news: COVID-19 continues to suck. Please wear a mask during President Biden’s “100-Day Challenge.”
On the opposite end of the spectrum, The Crying Wolf on Woodland St. reopened after being closed for 10 months due to both the tornado and COVID-19. Their website promises “new cocktails, food, bottles, cans and drafts.”
A Proud Sponsor Of:
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Quick Bits:
- Gilda’s Club Middle Tennessee has announced their inaugural Gilda’s Gang 5K and one-mile family fun run. The event will take place Saturday, April 3, at Shelby Park, though participants are also encouraged to “participate virtually” from their own neighborhood. Registration starts at $35, with all proceeds benefiting Gilda’s Club Middle Tennessee’s free cancer support program. More info here.
- Historic Nashville has received a $5,000 emergency grant by the National Trust for Historic Preservation’s Daniel K. Thorne Intervention Fund. In a press release, Historic Nashville’s president Elizabeth Elkins said, “This grant is being used to pay a structural engineer to assess Historic Nashville’s properties on Second Avenue, all of which were damaged in the Christmas Day 2020 bombing.” You can make your own donations to the fund.
Have a tip for East Side Buzz? Email us at buzz@theeastnashvillian.com!
