Celebrate Our 10th Anniversary With Us!
It’s our 10th anniversary, and we’re celebrating with a very special print edition. Slated for a late-November street date, it’s the perfect way for you to support independent local media while at the same time getting your message in front of our devoted readers just in time for the holidays. We only have a limited number of ad spaces left, so contact our sales team today at sales@theeasnashvillian.com!
And speaking of issues, our supply of our most recent is down to just a few copies, so if you see one in the wild you’d better grab it fast. Or you can place an order for any of the deluxe merch we’re now offering through our webstore and get one of the few remaining copies. Place your order today!
More Help on the Way for Tennessee Tornado Victims
Eight months after the March 3 Tornado many people are still recovering from the storm that tore a path through Nashville and beyond. It’s been a recovery vastly complicated by a global pandemic and other challenges, but here’s some good news.
The Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee recently announced 14 new tornado recovery grants totaling more than $1.2 million. A sampling of the organizations receiving these grants include:
- Nashville Tree Conservation Corps: ($25,000) for tree planting in public areas and private residences in East Nashville, Donelson, and Hermitage.
- Nashville Tree Foundation: ($25,000) for tree planting in public areas and private residences in North Nashville.
- Broken Restored Redeemed Ministries: ($100,000) for rental assistance, household supplies, and other direct financial assistance to tornado survivors in Davidson and Wilson counties.
- Nashville General Hospital Foundation: ($25,000) for Food Pharmacy totes being provided to tornado survivors across Davidson County.
- Tennessee Respite Coalition: ($6,000) for vouchers to caregiver families impacted by the tornadoes, which would allow them to acquire respite services, including rest and self-care.
For more information, including a full list of grant recipients visit cfmt.org.
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Mayor Cooper Launches New Green Power Partnership
Mayor Cooper’s office announced a new partnership this week with Nashville Electric Service, Tennessee Valley Authority, and Vanderbilt University to construct 100 megawatts of utility-scale solar power under the TVA Green Invest program. The move will place Metro General Government operations over one-third of the way toward its goal of being sourced with 100% renewable energy.
The new solar array will be built in Tullahoma, Tennessee, by the Nashville-based Silicon Ranch Corp., one of the largest independent solar-power producers in America. The company was selected through TVA’s 2020 competitive procurement process for construction of up to 200 megawatts of solar power on the Tullahoma site. There will be no fiscal impact on Metro’s operating budget until the Fall of 2023 when construction of the array is expected to be completed and online.
“Not only will 100 megawatts of solar power help mitigate a changing climate by affordably and efficiently meeting Metro’s 2025 clean-energy goal, it also puts Tennesseans to work and provides cleaner air during a pandemic characterized by respiratory distress,” Mayor Cooper said in a press release.
The Mayor’s office estimates the switch to solar power will result in $3 to $6.8 million dollars of health benefits across Tennessee. In addition, Silicon Ranch Corp. estimates the construction of the array will create 500 jobs in Middle Tennessee. For more information on this and other Metro green power initiatives visit the Transportation, Infrastructure, and Sustainability page at nashville.gov.
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Oh Boy Serves Up Friendsgiving & Food Drive for Second Harvest Food Bank
Just in time for your pre-Turkey Day festivities Oh Boy Records is partnering with The Basement for a benefit show for Second Harvest Food Bank of Middle Tennessee. The socially-distanced event will be on Saturday, November 21 in the parking lot of The Basement.
Oh Boy artists Arlo McKinley and Kelsey Waldon will be headlining the bill. Masks and temperature checks will be required for entry and clusters of four chairs will be arranged in a row for groups of four or less with six feet of distance between each cluster. All attendees are encouraged to bring a can of food to the event which can be swapped for Oh Boy Records swag.
Bringing music to people in a safe setting is particularly important to the Oh Boy family after the death of the label’s founder, John Prine, from COVID-19 in April. Prine’s son, Jody Whalen, Director of Operations for Oh Boy Records, emphasized the label’s commitment to safety in a statement to the press. “Despite what a couple of artists have said recently, we’re still a long way from shows and venues going back to the way they were pre-pandemic. Both Kelsey and Arlo are bringing their full bands — it’s going to be an incredible show — but none of us are interested in cutting any corners when it comes to anybody’s safety.”
For more information and other ways to assist with Second Harvest’s continuing mission to feed hungry people and work to solve hunger issues in our community, visit secondharvestmidtn.org.
Showtime is Saturday, Nov. 21 at 2 p.m. at The Basement. For more info and to order tickets for the show, visit thebasementnashville.com.
Nashville Pride is Back With Style for 2021
Dates for the 33rd annual Nashville Pride Festival and Parade were announced on Thursday, with the event scheduled for September 11 and 12 at Bicentennial Capitol Mall State Park in Nashville. Since its inception, Nashville Pride has been held in June as part of the traditional Pride Month festivities. The change of dates for 2021 came after a review of community feedback regarding the current health pandemic. In a press release, Nashville Pride expressed hope that the change of dates and location will allow for the celebration to expand in size while also protecting the safety and health of staff, volunteers, entertainers, and attendees.
The Nashville Pride Board of Directors also announced plans to celebrate Pride Month in June of 2021 with a series of smaller events.
Full details on the festival, parade, entertainment, events, and more will be released in the spring of 2021. For more info and updates, visit nashvillepride.org.
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Blues Nights 2020 in Five Points
Vandyke Bed and Breakfast is launching a new, weekly blues concert series. Starting on November 17 and running thru December 22, Phat Paws Blues Band will be bringing the blues to the lobby area of Vandyke Bed and Breakfast every Tuesday, 7-10 p.m. For the safety of the musicians, staff, and audience, the roll-up doors on the back of the lobby will be open, and guests can also enjoy the music from the courtyard or rooftop. Tables are limited to a maximum of eight people and masks are required when not seated or eating and drinking.
For updates on this and other special events at Vandyke, follow them on Facebook or Instagram.
Annual Caroling for Kids is Go!
If you missed the kickoff webcast for the 104th Annual Fannie Battle Caroling for Kids last week have no fear. There’s still plenty of good cheer to share as you help Fannie Battle’s mission of combating poverty and building better futures for children. This year’s campaign chairman, Joshua Counts-Cumby recently appeared on WKRN Channel 2 to talk about the campaign and ways you can help. You can also check out the Caroling for Kids webpage for more info!
More Ways to Keep It Green
Speaking of keeping things green, a quick reminder that the Nashville Tree Conservation Corps’ Farm-to-Yard program is still taking orders for a variety of trees through Sunday, November 15. Delivery will begin on December 15. Details of the program and pricing are available at nashvilletreeconservationcorps.org/tree-sale, so place your order today!
Also, don’t forget to show your support for East Nashville’s foremost green space, Shelby Park and Bottoms, with the purchase of the new Friends of Shelby specialty license plate. The proposed plate is available to anyone with a vehicle registered in the state of Tennessee. Proceeds will benefit Friends of Shelby Park and Bottoms. However, 1,000 preorders are required by December 2020 for the plates to be approved and manufactured. For more info, and to reserve your plate, visit the Friends of Shelby website today!
Lockeland Design Center Fundraising Day and a Pickle on the Side!
Got a hankering next week for a good sandwich combined with a desire to help a local school? Head on down to Mitchell Deli on Thursday, November 19 for the Lockeland Design Center PTO fundraising day. Ten percent of all sales for the day will benefit students and staff of Lockeland Design Center!
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Quick Bits
- Things are looking good at Margot Cafe & Bar where construction of a new patio finally got underway after sustaining damage from the March 3 tornado. Outside seating is still available while the construction is underway, just pardon the mess!
- The Brooklyn-based Italian restaurant chain Roberta’s opened a pizza pop-up at the Urban Cowboy Public House this week. The pop-up is expected to run for the next three months.
- The Penn Station East Coast Subs slated for Madison will be located at 138 Gallatin Pike in the corner lot that also home to Kroger and several other businesses. Founded in The Cincinnati-based Penn Station chain has more than 310 locations in 15 states, and the Madison location is one of several the company will be opening in Middle Tennessee over the next year.
- The popular Texas-based burger chain Whataburger has announced plans to expand into the Nashville-area market with locations planned for Madison, Hermitage, Murfreesboro, Lebanon, and Gallatin. It’s actually a return to Tennessee for the chain which operated three locations in Nashville during the period 1973-1986.
- The former Piggly Wiggley building at 3611 Gallatin Pike was listed for sale this week with an asking price of $4.5 million. The 10,770 square foot building, built in 1960, is currently home to Colts Chocolates who has a long-term lease, but current zoning would allow for the addition of up to 9,000 square feet of retail and 45 residential units. Guitarist Blake Sennett (of the indie-rock band Rilo Kiley) purchased the building in 2017 and has made a number of upgrades to the structure.
- Brentwood-based real estate investor Hoss Mousavi is in the news again. After purchasing the commercial property at 1014 Whites Creek Pike last week, he has now closed the deal for two adjacent properties at 1012 and 1016 Whites Creek Pike. No word yet on what plans he may have for the property.
- Vintage South Development, Inc. has announced plans for a new project at 905 Cherokee Ave. The plans call for 6,000 square feet of restaurant space and 17,700 square feet of retail or office space utilizing at least one of the industrial buildings currently on the property.
- A 3.19-acre Madison commercial-zoned tract of land at 120 W. Due West Ave., adjacent to the Due West Plaza Shopping Center, has been listed for sale with an asking price of $2.5 million.
