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By Brad Durham
When I first met Chris and Stephanie, they were living in a tent and now they live under a bridge — places that, for the last decade or more, has been their address. For 10–12 years they have slept in tents and under bridges. There is no emergency housing available to them now, and without a rental subsidy, permanent housing is simply out of reach.
Chris called me on Monday, June 8, asking for help to move he and Stephanie into an apartment. Over several decades, I’ve learned how to search for housing for people who are unhoused. The tool that actually gets people inside doors is a rental subsidy paired with supportive services. That’s why I’m writing: to explain why funding a rental subsidy for Chris and Stephanie is the most effective way to help them.
Earlier this year I helped organize a free screening of the documentary Beyond The Bridge at the Park Theater. The film shows how permanent supportive housing works — an evidence-based model that provides stable homes plus services tailored to tenants’ needs. After the screening, a Town Hall meeting launched a roundtable to plan how we might use this model in our community. Chris and Stephanie are exactly the kind of neighbors this evidence-based solution will help.
Together, Chris and Stephanie receive $1,788 a month in SSI. I am currently negotiating an apartment for $875 per month plus utilities. To bridge the gap we need a rental subsidy of $6,000 for one year ($500 per month). I am raising $10,000 total so we can also fund professional training for the supportive-services team and cover additional apartment expenses.
Any donation helps. If 400 people give $25, we will reach the $10,000 goal and give Chris and Stephanie a real chance at a safe, stable home. Thank you for considering a gift that will change lives.
LINK TO MAKE A DONATION:
This is how an apartment will change Chris and Stephanie’s life:
- They will have a place to use the bathroom.
- They will have a kitchen to store and prepare food.
- They will have a bed to sleep on.
- They will not get wet when it rains or snows.
- They will not overheat and exhaust themselves when it is hot outside.
- They will not freeze when the temperature is cold outside.
- They will not wake up every day wondering where they will stay that night.
- They will have weekly visits in their apartment to help them manage their food, budget, healthcare, etc.
Dr. Sam Tsemberis is a pioneering figure in the development of permanent supportive housing, championing the Housing First approach as a superior alternative to traditional emergency and transitional housing. His innovative model is grounded in the belief that housing is essential for individuals experiencing homelessness. Below, Dr. Tsemberis and his Pathways Housing First Institute core principles are highlighted. The initiative to support Chris and Stephanie moving into permanent supportive housing is firmly rooted in his successful model.
Dr. Sam Tsemeberis, founder of the Pathways Housing First Institute.
Having a safe place to live creates the conditions for recovery, and people thrive when they are met with respect and trusted to make their own decisions.
The Five Principles
(From the Pathways Housing First Institute website.)
Consumer Choice
Choice in housing and services emphasis self-determination.
Separation of Housing and Treatment
Immediate access to housing without treatment or sobriety as prerequisites.
Provide Services to Match Needs
Program provides or coordinates services.
Recover Oriented Service Philosophy
Ongoing, positive, hopeful, Affirming support.
Social Community Integration
Supporting a life in the community like everyone else.
The Pathways Housing First model has been implemented in over 100 cities across 20 countries, supporting more than 100,000 individuals worldwide and demonstrating an 88% housing retention rate across programs.
Milwaukee was featured in Beyond The Bridge…a good example of permanent supportive housing.
Before adopting the Housing First model, Milwaukee recorded 327 people experiencing homelessness during their annual Point-in-time (PIT) count. After 3 years their PIT count was just 17, the lowest for a city that size in the United States.
Link: https://www.pathwayshousingfirst.org
SAINT FRANCIS PROJECT – an initiative to develop permanent supportive housing.
Every community we filmed that solved this had to decide first that people like Chris and Stephanie deserved a clean slate, not a judgment. McMinnville can make that same decision today.
Tim and Don
A Bigger Vision Films
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COACH VINCE LOMBARDI By Brad Durham
Late one night, I was scratching my head, searching for what defines a team, what value does a team have for its team members, coaches, administrators, student body and community. I was watching a video of the legendary coach Vince Lombardi, and he walked right out of the video into my office. The following is what transpired.
VINCE LOMBARDI: What the hell is going on here? (Laughs) I know why I am here!
BD NEWSLETTER: Coach Lombardi. Wow! I was watching you on the video and wishing that I could ask you some questions about a football team. Can you answer some questions?
VINCE LOMBARDI: I am here to answer your questions.
BD NEWSLETTER: What makes a team valuable to everyone?
VINCE LOMBARDI: So, you want to know why a football team is valuable to everyone? I am not sure it is valuable to everyone, but I will tell you why I think a team, any team is important.
BD NEWSLETTER: Thank you! Is it okay if I write all this down as you speak?
VINCE LOMBARDI: Sure, why not. A football team, or any team, is a collection of individuals, and they may be from different places, different races and different backgrounds. They have come together as a team by some design to work together to achieve a common goal. Each member of that team, regardless of their role, must be dedicated and committed to excellence. If the team is to reach its goal, the team must work together. Each team member must fulfill his or her individual assignment. A team is led by a coach who shares and teaches his or her philosophy and principles. A coach is a teacher first and foremost.
Does that answer your question?
BD NEWSLETTER: Yes, that is a great answer! You once stated that winning is not everything, it is the only thing. What if the team is not winning?
VINCE LOMBARDI: Okay, I said that, but that statement has been used in the wrong fashion. There is a context to that statement, that philosophy. What I wish I had said more clearly is that winning isn’t everything, it’s the only thing worth striving for, or winning isn’t everything, but making the effort to win is.
David Maraniss wrote a book about me, WHEN PRIDE STILL MATTERED, and he cleaned up that quote well. Ha! In fact, I just quoted his rewrites of that statement because I see how people have abused my statement and philosophy over the years.
BD NEWSLETTER: Coach Lombardi, I get what you are saying. Winning is a philosophy and a discipline. The reason I am searching for answers about the meaning and value of a team is because my hometown high school football team has experienced only two (2) winning seasons in the past 33 years. And it gets worse. The team has achieved only 11 winning seasons out of 55 seasons since the school started in 1969. 80% of the teams have experienced losing seasons.
What would you tell a team, coaches, administrators, students and a community to do about a team that has experienced such an extraordinary amount of losing?
VINCE LOMBARDI: First thing I would say is what I said in that video you just played of me. WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON AROUND HERE?
Do you want to win or lose — at anything you do?
Since it takes place in a high school, I would ask everyone, “what would you do if 80% of your students in math classes were failing? What if 80% of the students in English classes were failing?”
How long would the community accept that type of losing in the classroom? And when I say “accept,” I mean accept losing as a “standard” and not making the pursuit of excellence the standard.
Tell me about your football coach. How long has he been the head coach?
BD NEWSLETTER: The head coach is Matt Turner. He grew up here and played football in high school. Never had a winning season as a high school student in football. Walked onto UTC in college, and he earned a scholarship. Came back home to help his father take care of his mother who was ill and eventually died. He started as an assistant coach. He has been a head coach for five years.
Matt Turner led the 2020 Pioneer team that broke the 29-year losing streak in his second year as a head coach. The school’s previous winning season was in 1990. He kept a team together and persuaded more athletes in the school to join the team. The previous head coach predicted that unless something changed, Warren County may not have a team. He resigned because he saw the team dropping to 40 players, possibly as few as 24 players.
I would say that Matt Turner not only broke the losing streak, he saved the team.
VINCE LOMBARDI: How many head coaches have there been in the past 33 years?
BD NEWSLETTER: By my count there have been nine (9) head coaches. I may be missing one or two.
VINCE LOMBARDI: That is about a new coach every four years, roughly speaking. Only two of those coaches had a winning season, and they were 29-30 years apart. That is a lot of losing. Seven (7) coaches before Turner had losing seasons, right?
BD NEWSLETTER: That is my count…
VINCE LOMBARDI: Turner won in his second season, and then has won only one (1) game per season in the following three years, right?
BD NEWSLETTER: Correct.
VINCE LOMBARDI: What is a reason you hear most often from the community about why the team is losing?
BD NEWSLETTER: We are a small town but we are the 26th-largest high school in the state. Therefore, we have to play against large school teams. Therefore, a lot of people say we should be playing smaller schools, but when we play the smaller schools, we often lose…
VINCE LOMBARDI: That is a bunch of hogwash! When I went to Green Bay, it was the smallest town in the NFL, and it still is. It was my first job as a head coach, and I inherited a losing team.
I know the NFL has revenue-sharing and a draft to help create parity. But if the people of Green Bay had not supported the team and gone way out of the ordinary, there would not have been a team in Green Bay. Do you know that Green Bay is not privately-owned? It is a publicly held nonprofit corporation that was established in 1923.
On a scale of 1-10, with one (1) being no commitment and 10 being the highest commitment, how would you rate the Warren County community’s commitment to high school football?
BD NEWSLETTER: That is a tough one. The team was 10-0 in the regular season of 1973, but the school “board of commissioners” tried to fire the head coach before the 1973 season started. The two captains on the team met with members of the school board and said they would not play if their head coach was fired.
Photo from a 1973 SOUTHERN STANDARD publication. The school board made a deal with the coach which allowed him to coach the 1973 season with the stipulation that he had to resign at the end of the season.
I would say over the past 50 years the community’s commitment has wavered from a 1 to a 10. Right now, I would say it may be a seven (7).
VINCE LOMBARDI: Politics. Parents. Administrators. I would say they are what have changed the most over the years, not the players, not the kids.
There are lots of high school teams in Tennessee with winning records, right?
BD NEWSLETTER: Of course!
VINCE LOMBARDI: I know the game is different now. Better conditioned athletes. Stronger. Faster. But not to toot my own horn, but did you hear John Madden say that I could have coached 50 years before my time and 50 years after my time? I would make changes, but the will to win has to be there. And the community has to maintain and project a standard of excellence.
Accepting losing is like having a disease and never going to the doctor. There are cures, but not everyone wants to take the medicine.
I saw where you called Matt Turner the antidote to losing a few years ago. Good one. I like how you said that during COVID. Don’t get me started on how America crumbled under the pressure of the pandemic. Let’s stay focused on Warren County High School football.
Does Matt Turner have the administrative support from his principal and Director of Schools?
BD NEWSLETTER: I asked for an interview with both men. The principal, Chris Hobbs, declined via email: “Unfortunately, no I do not have time right now. Thanks.”
The Director of Schools met recently for an interview on Friday morning of the last game of the season.
VINCE LOMBARDI: What did he say?
BD NEWSLETTER: Dr. Grant Swallows said, “It is easy to say that Matt Turner has my support, and I can speak for Chris Hobbs. Both Mr. Hobbs and myself last winter said to Coach Turner, “go find some assistant coaches, and we will do whatever we need to do to try and bring them in.”
Swallows continued, “Not that anything was wrong with the assistant coaches that we had…in today’s game there are coaches on one side of the ball (offense or defense), one position group. When I first started coaching, we were coaching both sides of the ball, and that was 20 years ago. It doesn’t have to be that everyone only coaches one side of the ball, but you are seeing big programs have freshmen, JV and varsity teams. That is where assistant coaches come into play.”
“The support has been there. I think you are asking the question does Matt have support going forward. That’s a question that is simply answered at the end of the season. I would say that about any coach of any sport. At the end of the season, the ADs, the principals need to be sitting down and saying – here is what happened last year and here is what needs to happen next year.”
“I anticipate that happening between Mr. Hobbs and coach Turner. I try to not get too involved in those situations. I certainly got myself more involved in Warren County football this season, but I felt as though I brought a unique skill set that could help the team. I promised the school board that it would not interfere with my responsibilities as Director, and I do not believe it has been a problem. However, I hope someone will work me out of being a coach next year.”
“I think to answer your original question, if coach Turner did not have support, we would not be doing whatever we could to try and help the kids. To finish that question for me, it is not just about the coaches. How many coaches have we had in the past 33 years? That could be as much of the problem as anything else. With the turnover of coaches, you are starting over every time. Every person brings their own stamp on the program.”
“The thing that has been pressing on me as a leader this year is that we are such a product-oriented society. We are asking for winning seasons. Championships. The process is the most important thing. When the process is right, it will lead to those things you want in the product.”
“It is just as important to me that the players are being good young men and good students.”
“One thing that I appreciate that coach Turner has done over the years is helping make our players the best men they can be. And in turn, when that process takes hold, we are going to get better at what we do in football. Youth football and middle school football are all working together at this point. That will only benefit us.”
“There is another part that the public does not see. That is something Mr. Hobbs has to be involved in. Are we having discipline problems with football players? They just don’t wear Pioneers across their jerseys simply on the football field. They also wear them (figuratively) in the halls of the school. Is Mr. Hobbs saying that some players are out of control? That is something that reflects on the head coach as well.”
“There are several things that go into the decision. I don’t know if Matt Turner wants to come back next year. We have not had that conversation. I suspect anyone who works as hard as he does wants to come back. He has given his life to this program.”
“We have not had any conversations about next year yet.”
VINCE LOMBARDI: Those were very thoughtful comments from Grant Swallows. He has been a head coach, and understands the coaching profession well. But it is premature to speculate about what the administration is going to decide about the head coach. Let’s think positively and assume Matt Turner is going to be the head coach next season. He’s earned a longterm contract in my opinion, but I am not part of the decision-making process, am I? (Laughs)
VINCE LOMBARDI: Is the community supporting Matt Turner?
BD NEWSLETTER: I am assuming the answer is yes. There were 70 players on the middle school team this year, and that is the most in memory. Ben Matheney is the head coach, and in many ways a right-hand man of Matt Turner’s.
Matt Turner recruited Tony Solomon and others to relaunch the youth program, and this year there were over 200 kids playing in three youth divisions.
VINCE LOMBARDI: I am assuming that it is tough to create enthusiasm for football when there have been only two (2) winning seasons in 33 years. I tip my hat to Matt Turner for keeping the community involved.
BD NEWSLETTER: What would you do to turnaround this high school team?
VINCE LOMBARDI: Based on what you have told me about the current head coach, Matt Turner, he appears to be doing the right things. He did something that the other seven (7) coaches who preceded him did not accomplish – a winning season. I know that the Jimmys and Joes make a big difference, but come on! We’re talking about winning 6 out of 10 games in a season.
You told me the number of kids playing football in Warren County are up this year. That is a positive.
The first thing I would do is check on the commitment level of the players. Are they dedicated to being their best?
I had to trade some players. Cut several off the team. I was my own GM. Some of the historians say that I was a workaholic, that I was so immersed in football that other parts of my life suffered. I can agree with some of that analysis, but I loved working in football.
So, I am not suggesting that a head coach do all the things I did. Language is different today. I would not say to high school students what I said to professional football players.
But football is a collision sport. It is tough. The head coach has to do the things to make his players fearless, to play the game with reckless abandon. And at the same time, a coach has to be a teacher first and foremost. The fundamentals cannot be overlooked. Players have to be taught how to perform their assignments, and they have to practice it until they reach their best level of execution.
Everyone knew our plays. I laugh about people getting all hyped up about Jim Harbaugh stealing signs at Michigan. I like what Deion Sanders said. You still have to stop them!
It is about execution. We became champions at Green Bay with essentially the same players that had been losing there. You want to tell me Paul Hornung was not a Hall of Fame football player! But Hornung was not getting into that Hall before we got there. He obviously had the talent, but he was not performing at his highest level.
I am not patting myself on the back, but I am making the point that the head coach has to be a leader. He has to teach his philosophy, his principles. The team has to learn those principles and execute them.
BD NEWSLETTER: You know Jerry Kramer helped make you an American icon with his book, INSTANT REPLAY. He said in this video that your philosophy, your principles, your beliefs, your concepts were relevant 4,000 years ago and will be relevant 4,000 years from now.
Watch this video, Coach!
Jerry Kramer, Green Bay Packer and NFL Football Hall of Fame member. VINCE LOMBARDI: Jerry might have gone a little overboard there, but he did an excellent job of documenting in his books what we accomplished in Green Bay.
I hope that the administration, students, and community will support your head coach. I hope that Matt Turner will stick to his guns, stay true to his beliefs and lead his team to more victories.
It is not all about winning, but a team has to make the effort to win. That is the real accomplishment – individuals sacrificing to achieve a common goal. And that goal must be excellence. There is no substitute for that vision, that commitment.
BD NEWSLETTER: Coach Lombardi, thank you for dropping by and spending time talking about Warren County High School football.
VINCE LOMBARDI: You’re very welcome, and I encourage you and any of your readers to support Matt Turner. There has to be faith in the team’s philosophy. If everyone works together for the greatest good, there will be positive outcomes. My Jesuit teachers at Fordham really drilled those ideals into me during college. Those lessons changed my life.
And the lessons football players learn at every level of competition can change their lives. We all should be learning and growing every day.
May the Lord be with you and all of Warren County!
POSTSCRIPT: Darrin Donnelly has created Sports for the Soul and written books that motivate, inspire and empower. Donnelly uses the greatest minds in sports to offer life advice. His books inspired this interview with Vince Lombardi. The following is Donnelly’s definition of a team:
I view a team as a group of people working towards a common goal, one that cannot be achieved individually and one that usually requires individual sacrifices made for the good of the team. That is, it often requires an individual to do something he/she may not personally want to do, but it is for the good of the team that he/she must do it.
FINAL THOUGHTS
There have been up and down years in the history of Warren County Football. The decades of losing and turnover of coaches can make one dazed and confused.
One man cannot do it all by himself, but head coach Matt Turner has done way more than his share. This past season (2023) alone, he mowed the middle and high school football fields — and the high school soccer field. Not only did he mow them, he also painted the lines for those fields. After an away game on a Friday night, he came back to McMinnville and repainted the field at Nunley Stadium at midnight for a band competition on Saturday. He washes the team’s uniforms after games. He attends as many football games on all levels in Warren County as possible. Following football, Turner transitions into wrestling as head coach.
Faith can move mountains, and faith in Matt Turner as head coach can move the football program forward. Everyone can do something. The coaches and team need the community’s support to produce winning teams.
Schools have football teams to teach valuable lessons and help young students work together to accomplish a common goal. The purpose may not be to win games, but putting forth the effort to win is. Faith without actions is dead. Everyone can do something to help support Pioneer football.
Head Coach Matt Turner speaking to the Pioneer team after the game at Green Hill. 9-29-23. -
WARREN COUNTY PIONEER LAUREN SLATTON, 2023 TSSAA STATE CHAMPION.
By Brad Durham
Anyone following Lauren Slatton’s recent golf activity, knows that she has experienced a series of accomplishments during the past couple of months. She has played in different tournaments, inside and outside of the TSSAA. In addition to playing for Warren County High School, Lauren has been very active in the Junior Pro Golf circuit. She keeps climbing to the top, and on Tuesday, she climbed to the top of the TSSAA Class AA State Championship Tournament in Sevierville. Lauren Slatton became the second state champion golfer for Warren County High School.
Lauren Slatton won the state championship by seven strokes and tied the record for the eighth-best championship total in TSSAA history. For the record, Lauren Slatton shot 137, 3 under par. She shot 68 during Monday’s first round, and 69 in the final round on Tuesday. Slatton was the only golfer out of the state’s top 45 female high school golfers to shoot under par on either day. This happened a week after she won the region by 10 strokes.
Warren County High School girls’ golf teams won the state championship in 1990 and 1992. Scott Haile won the boys individual state championship in 1981, and his banner hangs in the WCHS gym. Lauren Slatton told a friend one day in the gym a couple of years ago, “I am going to get a banner up there too.” She mentioned that Haile has provided inspiration and motivation for her golf game.
Scott Haile, a friend of Lauren Slatton’s mother and father, Jay and Elbia Slatton, conveyed by text, “I am so excited for Lauren and her family. They made the commitment many years ago to be best they can be, and today was testament of that journey. I know how bad she wanted to win this title, and had been close last year. This is one of many big wins in Lauren’s path to be her best. The sky is the limit for this golfer. She has all the attributes of a true Champion!!!”
WCHS GOLF COACH, J.W. HOLT AND JUNION LAUREN SLATTON PROGRESSION WITH POSITIVE THINKING
There is no questioning Lauren Slatton’s progression as a golfer. This was the fourth year in-a-row that she has competed in the TSSAA tournament. Four years ago, she was in the top 11 or 12. Three years ago, Lauren was in the top six. Last year, as Scott Haile alluded to, Lauren was second in the championship tournament. This year she finished in first place. It is the type of progress that gets a banner raised in a high school gym.
Her father, Jay Slatton commented on how her progression has been the result of excellent coaching and many hours of competition. As Lauren was playing during the second round, Jay said, “I told her to remember what your coaches have told you. Relax. You know how to play.”
Lauren Slatton said, “I am a very positive person. I do not let anything get me down or distract me during a tournament. If a negative thought about a shot comes into my head, I immediately think about something else outside of golf. I do not focus on what anyone I play with is doing. All of my coaches have told me to do that – do not pay attention to how your competitors are playing.”
Obviously, Lauren Slatton has had several coaches over the years, and she has applied what she has been taught. Knowledge is useless if it cannot be executed. Lauren was recently a MVP for the East in the Junior Cup tournament. She has won many awards and benefited from hours of private coaching and practicing as well. She did not have a golf shot in the TSSAA Championship tournament this week that she hadn’t experienced previously. She is a very confident golfer – for good reason.
Another part of Lauren Slatton’s golfing development has been the love of the game her grandmother, Flo Slatton has passed onto her. Flo Slatton has won the Ladies Championship at the McMinnville Country Club at least twice, and she was considered one of the best, if not the best female golfer in Warren County for decades.
FLO SLATTON AND A YOUNGER LAUREN SLATTON (FROM FLO SLATTON’S FACEBOOK PAGE) LAUREN SLATTON’S FUTURE
When asked about her future plans, Lauren said, “I am definitely going to play golf in college. Academics is number one, and I am presently taking three AP courses and two Dual Enrollment courses. I will be working hard preparing for my ACT and SAT tests. We are looking at a small college in Florida this week, and I am confident that I will make a commitment to a college by the beginning of the next school year.”
Lauren Slatton is a junior, and played four years of high school golf which included a gap year (a homeschool year). She has made sacrifices and decisions to excel at both golf and her academics. She plans on a major in engineering or math. And who knows, if she keeps climbing to the top in college competition, maybe there will be more golf in her future after college.
It has been 42 years since Warren County High School has had an individual golf champion. It was worth the wait to have another one. There is not a more deserving and better example of a dedicated athlete and student than Lauren Slatton. .
OTHER TSSAA CHAMPIONSHIP RESULTS
Lauren Slatton played her final round with two competitors. McKenzie Hauk of Dobyns Bennett, who was tied for second with a final score of 144 (+4) and Brooke Bennett of Page who was fourth with a final score of 146 (+6). Sophie Christopher of Houston, pictured below, was 4 over and tied for second.
LEFT TO RIGHT, MCKENZIE HULK, LAUREN SLATTON, SOPHIE CHRISTOPHER AND BROOKE BENNET Dobyns Bennett was the first-place girls team. Page was second.
In the boys individual tournament, Parker Elkins of Clarksville was champion with a total score of 137 (-7).
Brentwood was the first-place boys team. Clarksville was second.
INTERVIEW WITH LAUREN SLATTON AT THE TSSAA STATE CHAMPIONSHIP
The BD Newsletter interviewed Lauren Slatton after she won the state championship on Tuesday.
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Lauren Slatton is officially the TSSAA Division 1 – AA State Champion! More information soon.
STATE CHAMPION LAUREN SLATTON -
Lauren Slatton is in FIRST PLACE at the end of Day One of the TSSAA State Championships.
https://golf.tssaa.org/individuals.cfm?id=20231302
I will be providing live updates tomorrow from the course during the final round of the championship.
My updates during the round will be on X. Brad Durham @BDMan. I will also make occasional posts on my personal Facebook page. https://www.facebook.com/brad412
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Sophomore Pioneer quarterback, Brady Swallows, No. 12, is being pursued by senior Tullahoma defender Jalen Hill as sophomore Pioneer lineman Xavier Simmons attempts to extend his block.
The Warren County High School Pioneers traveled to Tullahoma Friday night and lost 37-0. The Pioneers were down 7-0 at the end of the first quarter, but fell behind 30-0 by halftime. After receiving the opening kickoff to start the second half, Tullahoma started on their 47-yard line and marched 53 yards in two minutes to go up 37-0. Tullahoma’s second-string played the rest of the game.
Going over the numbers can become like rubbing salt in the wounds. For example, the Pioneers have been outscored by 30 points or more in the last five games. The Pioneers need a break, and fortunately, Warren County’s fall break has officially started.
Commenting about a high school team in this situation purely on a football level misses the central theme of high school athletics. What is the central theme, you may ask? Grant Swallows, the Director of Warren County Schools and the quarterback coach for the Pioneers, articulated the central theme to the team after the game.
Coach Grant Swallows said, “I do want to say something. I love each of you, and I am glad you all put on a Warren County uniform and play for this team. Losing is tough, but you are not defined by this game. Do not walk off this field trying to define yourself by the score tonight. We care about you. We are here to encourage you, and we will continue to push you to work hard. But please remember that we are in this because we want you to be good men and to have good memories.”
Head coach Matt Turner followed Swallows by saying, “Of course you know that I love you, and I want this to be positive for you. I want us all to work hard to give our seniors a good sendoff at home in two weeks. The stands will be full, and our job is to keep those fans in the stands for four quarters. We will keep working on the basics.”
Tullahoma head coach, Coy Sisk said, “Matt Turner and that staff are doing a great job. I know they are playing a lot of young guys. Those guys are doing the best they can. What we have to do is make ourselves better every week. We had 53 records in the weight room this week. We continue to get stronger. I think our scout team did a good job of preparing us this week. That is why we were able to do some of the things we were able to do tonight.”
Tullahoma (6-2) controls their own destiny in terms of their final regional standings. They have a week off as does Warren County, and they end their season with two road games against region opponents, Spring Hill and Shelbyville. If Tullahoma wins out, they will be region champions.
Warren County (1-7) will practice Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday during the fall break. The Pioneers play Wilson Central (3-4) at Nunley Stadium on October 20, which will double as homecoming and senior night. Wilson Central was off this week, and has not won a region game. They play Gallatin on Friday the 13th before coming to McMinnville.
LOOKING GLASS SELF – WHAT WE THINK AND SAY ABOUT PIONEER FOOTBALL COULD BE POSITIVE OR HARMFUL
One day, many years ago when I was in a college sociology class, the professor started talking about the Looking Glass Self theory. It is a theory about how a self-image is shaped that popped into my mind as I was leaving the Tullahoma game.
The concept was Charles Horton Cooley’s theory. The following is an excerpt from one of his books:
A self-idea of this sort seems to have three principal elements: the imagination of our appearance to the other person; the imagination of his judgment of that appearance, and some sort of self-feeling, such as pride or mortification.
— Charles Cooley, Human Nature and the Social Order, p. 152
Losing is tough. I have to remind myself that the Pioneers are high school students. The head coach and the majority of the present staff led the Pioneers to a winning season in 2020. Coaching is not the reason they are losing.
We all want the team to feel the love. When the team is losing, I have to double down and support them. My actions and words may influence how the team feels about themselves as people, not merely as football players and coaches.
The team is young. They will grow and mature. 70 players recently finished playing football at the middle school. Over 200 kids have played youth football in Warren County this fall. The troops are coming, and a turnaround is both possible and probable. Keep the dream of Warren County football alive with faith and love. Love is patient and kind.
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The Pioneer football team entering the field to start the game at Green Hill Friday night. The Warren County High School Pioneer football team traveled to Green Hill High School in Mt. Juliet Friday night and lost 35-0. The Pioneers gave up all 35 points to the Hawks in the second quarter, which set off a series of flashing lights in the stadium after each touchdown. The continuous strobe lights in the stadium after each Green Hill touchdown highlighted the Hawks’ momentum..
Both teams stalled on offense during the first quarter, and Green Hill receivers dropped several passes that could have led to at least one score. After 12 minutes of football, the game was tied 0-0. Considering the past few lopsided losses the Pioneers have experienced, holding Green Hill scoreless during the opening quarter was progress. For a moment, it felt like Warren County had a chance to win the game if they could get some positive yardage and sustain a drive.
P.J Traux, No. 35 and Xander McCormick No. 71 making a sure tackle of Green Hill running back, Ethan Choate. 
Isaiah Robledo breaking two tackles against Green Hill. A combination of missed tackles by the Pioneers and sure-handed receptions by Green Hills’ receivers turned the Hawks into a scoring machine in the second quarter. The game turned quickly in the Hawks favor. Another fast clock in a Pioneer game started with 1:07 left in the first half when Green Hill went up 35-0. For the record, it was the fourth fast clock in-a-row for the Pioneers which starts when a team is down by 35 points.
Although it was Green Hills’ second unit on the field throughout most of the second half, Warren County held the Hawks scoreless. Footnote: as all Pioneer fans should know by now, many of Warren County’s starters are doing double time as starters on the varsity and JV teams — because they are sophomores. Therefore, holding Green Hill scoreless in the second half should not be dismissed as a meaningless achievement.
Warren County threatened to score near the end of the game, but the drive ended with Green Hill intercepting a Pioneer pass in the end zone. Green Hill ran out the remaining 1:48 running plays as time quickly expired.
Yes, the Pioneers experienced adversity with another lopsided defeat, but as a Green Hill assistant coach said after the game, the Pioneers gave effort to the very end. The young, inexperienced Pioneer players played with intensity.
Coach Turner told his team after the game that facing adversity is making the players better young men. Turner said, “Life without adversity is not worth living. The trials and tribulations you are facing right now are going to make you one heck of a father, one heck of a business leader, one heck of a role model, one heck of a ball coach one day. I believe that in my heart and know that is true. You have to keep it together and stay the course. I have been exactly where you are, and I have spent a lifetime trying to change it. Stay the course! Stay the course! We just have to grow and mature a little bit. As long as we stay the course, we are changing it. You may not believe it. I know we lost 35-0, but we are getting better. If we can put four quarters together next week, we can win. You have to believe that!”
Head coach Matt Turner addressing the team after Friday night’s game at Green Hill High School. Head coach Matt Turner experienced losing seasons as a high school Pioneer football player. Turner has burned his ship to stay and fight to change Warren County’s 30-plus years of losing football. He helped break the streak in his second year (2020) as a head coach with an 8-4 season. Most of his assistants are former Pioneer football players, and they and the other coaches are in the battle with him.
The high school students playing on the team right now are undoubtedly experiencing the most adversity. They have only seen one Pioneer high school football team achieve a winning season record in their lifetime. None of these players are playing football because they like losing games.
Warren County has three games left. The Pioneers will overcome adversity if they give their best effort. Coach Turner told his team that they all have to look in the mirror and be satisfied with their own individual performance. That not only goes for the players, but for the coaches as well.
If the team is looking for a silver lining in Friday night’s game, they can remember how the first quarter ended 0-0. Next week they travel to Tullahoma (5-2) who is gaining momentum with a three-game winning streak. Playing the best that they can play against Tullahoma will be a significant achievement for the Pioneers after losing six games in-a-row for a 1-6 season record.
Stay the course. Give your best effort. Consistency. Effort. These are virtues that can change the Pioneers’ football history.
Postscript: When Matt Turner talks about facing adversity making you a better person, he is predominantly alluding to his childhood and how his mother’s battle with ALS changed his life — in a positive way. I wrote about Matt Turner’s story that was published in the local newspaper on October 1, 2020. You can read it for free at the Magness Public Library in downtown McMinnville or by clicking on this link which may require a subscription: Matt Turner story.
If Matt Turner had not come back home after completing his football career and graduating from UTC, no one would have blamed him. He came back to help his dad take care of his mother. Turner embraced adversity and turned it into a positive outcome — taking care of his mother. Now he needs all the help and patience he can get to help Pioneer football grow in all three areas…youth football, middle school football and high school football. Stay the course and the positive outcomes will evolve. That is Matt Turner’s sermon to the football faithful in Warren County.
Brady Swallows 
Connor Williams 
Brady Swallows receiving plays from
Alex van Vuuren. -
By Brad Durham
After seeing Cookeville beat Warren County (49-7) this past Friday night, I was stunned and searching for answers. Eating popcorn in the stands does not give one a true perspective of what transpires on the football field. Unless you are highly educated in the elements of football, know the plays that are called, know the individual assignments, and observe the team in practice and on film, you are most likely clueless about the particular reasons a team is losing by over 35 points. Clearly, Warren County was not matching up well with their opposition, but the knot in my gut sent me searching for more definitive answers.
I made three choices on Monday and Tuesday to better inform myself. First, I went to watch Warren County’s JV and Freshman games Monday evening against Cookeville at Nunley Stadium. On Tuesday morning, I asked John Olive, former Tullahoma football head coach and current AD questions. The last stop on my search for information was Warren County’s practice on Tuesday, and I interviewed two sophomores and head coach Matt Turner.
There were three revelations in my search for answers. Number one, four JV linemen and the complete JV backfield were all sophomores who started for the varsity on Friday night. Number two, Coach Olive told me that Tullahoma’s varsity once lost on Friday nights and won on Monday nights during JV games with young, inexperienced sophomores. This occurred during Tullahoma’s losing seasons before they won their state championship in 2021. The third revelation was that head coach Matt Turner has faith in his sophomores and offensive line.
Varsity linemen at practice on Tuesday, September 26, 2023.
As I look back 50 years to the Pioneers’ undefeated 1973 schedule, there is a win over Riverdale, 14-0 that pops off the page. That Warren County team was loaded with seniors who had gone 3-6-1 and 4-4-2 the previous two seasons as sophomores and juniors. A turnaround happened when the young kids became seniors.
Both John Olive and Matt Turner were explicitly clear about the difference in a 14-to-15-year-old body and that of a senior who is 17-to-18 years old. It is extremely difficult to win games with a team dominated by young, inexperienced players.
Conclusion: There is a silver lining in the Pioneer’s present losing streak that should continue throughout the season. Sophomores and freshmen are gaining valuable experience and maturing. Yes, the losing is shaking their self-confidence, but they are doing well against peers their own age in JV games. The young players hard work and suffering on Friday nights should produce positive outcomes once they become juniors and seniors.
A transformation to a competitive, winning season in the future is possible. Head coach Matt Turner has faith in his young players. They are learning and growing every week, although the scoreboard may not be in their favor. Significant learning is happening each day in practice and twice a week in varsity and JV games. There is no reason to hit the panic button and assume Warren County is headed toward another three decades of losing seasons.
Other reasons to be hopeful and to expect a turnaround in the Pioneers future is the growing number of football players at the middle school and in the new youth program. Read below and watch the entire interview with Coach Turner to get a better sense of what he thinks about football in Warren County.
THE INTERVIEWS
Sophomores Isaiah Robledo left and Brady Swallows on the right – Tuesday, September 26, 2023.
Sophomore Isaiah Robledo is an outstanding athlete who plays wingback and is a playmaker. He is exciting to watch in varsity games because on every play he has the potential to turn any play into a touchdown. Pound-for-pound, he is as good as any athlete on the field. As many people have said, he plays “bigger” than his size.
BD Newsletter: How do you feel about playing varsity and JV games back-to-back?
Isaiah Robledo: I think it is fun. There is totally different competition, but varsity is harder. I am working my way up. The JV games are easier because you are used to going against harder competition in varsity games. It is fun with JV games to win and put points on the board.
You can view the Robledo’s interviews below.
Brady Swallows was forced into a starting role earlier this season when senior quarterback Alex van Vuuren suffered a season-ending injury. Swallows has all the tools to be a great high school football quarterback. He is improving each week, and he is dedicated to becoming an exceptional quarterback.
BD Newsletter: You are a sophomore who was forced into a starting position on the varsity, what does that feel like and what are you trying to do right now to be the quarterback on this team?
Brady Swallows: You don’t expect it to happen the way it did. It is not good, but when you are thrown in there, you have to slow yourself down and prepare each week. Once you get used to that speed, it slows down every week. You have to keep getting better week after week. You have three years to learn and get better.
You can view the Swallow’s interview below.
Head coach Matt Turner is in his fifth year as the Warren County High School football coach. Turner played at Warren County and was a starter at UTC, and returned home after graduation. Turner kept the Pioneer team together after it had reached a low of 32 high school players. He coached his second team to an 8-3 regular season record in 2020. He is optimistic about the state of Warren County football from the high school down to the youth program.
Head Coach Matt Turner, staff and team at practice on Tuesday, September 26, 2023.
BD Newsletter: Coach Turner, how do you feel about playing all these young guys…a lot of sophomores. Pretty much the entire offense line is playing varsity and JV games back-to-back. What is the benefit of that, and what do you believe is happening in your program?
Coach Matt Turner: We played all our sophomores and one or two juniors (in the JV game Monday night) who are new to the game or need that experience. They get to play six quarters (JV games are two quarters), and we need to take advantage of that. I told Coach Hennigan (Cookeville’s head coach) that he was going to see the same backfield that he saw Friday night.
The benefit for these kids…is the bridge that I feel as though we have missed for so long in Warren County…getting numbers in the program. The 6A programs we are trying to compete against have a true freshman program. They have upwards of 50-60 freshmen. That is the Mt. Juliets, Oaklands and Green Hills of the world. Then they have a JV that is mainly made up of sophomores and maybe some new or inexperienced juniors. That makes a full JV team of 30-40 kids. Then you have seniors and juniors who make up your varsity football team.
This year we have nine seniors. Of course, we have had a few injuries including our QB1, a young man who was becoming a leader. We are now putting together a varsity football team on Friday nights with primarily a JV squad. Winning is contagious and so is losing. I feel as though we have had to do this for so long, that is one of the ingredients that has put us in this situation…if that makes any sense. That is why we have been so bad for so long.
I feel as though we have never really established that true freshman program, a true junior varsity program and a varsity program. When I took over this program, there was 32 varsity players 9-12. There were no freshmen. There was no JV. We have a core of kids who do not get to play against their peers — people their same age, same maturity, same body chemistry. We have had to throw them into the fire on Friday nights when they are playing 18-year-old men.
Gallatin was so much bigger and looked more mature than us. Some of our seniors fit right in there, but that is only a handful of the 11 players on the field. So, it was nice to give the sophomores a chance to play against peers their same age – just to remind them that they are doing the right things and can be successful.
It was 50 to nothing against Cookeville (JV game), and they had a young freshman backup quarterback on the JV. They could not get a lot of center-to-QB exchanged. But neither could we on Friday night in the varsity game. We turned over the ball on the first play from scrimmage. A lot of that is because our young guys are just learning, and we are not giving them that opportunity to learn.
We have to play them on Fridays, but playing on Monday (JV games) gives them the opportunity to have some success and some positive confidence.
I should have done that earlier in the year. We struggle here in the county in a rural area. I feel like Sparta has the same issue. A lot of freshmen have to play, but not so many on JV because they are having to play varsity. Of course, I don’t want to play my starting quarterback on JV and possibly get him hurt, but I feel like giving him some confidence outweighs the chances of getting him hurt.
They should be playing against kids their same age and maturity. People don’t realize the difference between a sophomore and a junior and a sophomore and a senior maturity gap.
That is a gap I have to learn how to build and fill. I am not for playing an out-of-region schedule, but it would be nice to have a year of playing both freshman football and JV football.
BD Newsletter: Coach Matheny has more players coming out at the middle school and you have a youth league. That will help fill the gaps over time and develop properly.
Coach Turner: No doubt. Right now, we have 150 plus kids playing youth football. Coach Matheney is pushing 75-80 kids. We have about 35 freshmen, and we have about 45-50 varsity players.
BD Newsletter: That is right over 300 kids playing football in Warren County.
You can view the entire interview with Coach Turner below.
A TURNAROUND IS POSSIBLE FOR WARREN COUNTY FOOTBALL
Coach Turner believes that it will take longer than four-to-five years to bring to fruition the development of real freshmen, JV and varsity programs. Turner believes the youth program will continue no matter who is the head coach at the high school. Turner believes there is a system in place that will continue and feed into the middle school, which will feed into the high school.
Coach Matt Turner believes that he must stay the course. He wants to trust the system and give the youth, middle, freshman, JV and varsity programs time to evolve. More experience at every level of competition will pay dividends over time.
The most successful programs across the state have large numbers of kids participating in youth football. For example, Tullahoma presently has 500 kids in their youth program. Maryville’s youth program has thrived for decades, and many say that it is a major reason Maryville has been so successful. Oakland has strong youth and middle school programs.
A turnaround can happen in Warren County football’s future. Pioneer football needs stability at the head coach position. Matt Turner has laid the foundation for a successful program. What Warren County needs now is consistency that allows football to grow and develop at each of these three levels: youth, middle and high school.
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Lisa Zavogiannis, Co-owner of Gondola Restaurant, Assistant District Attorney Bedford County, former District Attorney Warren – Van Buren Counties.
This interview was conducted on November 19, 2022.
Interview by Brad Durham
Please tell me some of your background.
I came here thirty-three years ago, and Jim and I opened a restaurant. I started college and commuted to Cookeville. I got my bachelor’s degree in three years and Jimmy had two restaurants. I went to law school at night for four years. Passed the bar and all the time helping him with the restaurant because that is what you have to do with a restaurant. Had my second child in law school during the week before finals. Passed the bar the first time and started practicing law with Keith Smartt. Went out on my own and ran for District Attorney in 2005. Elected in 2006. Reelected in 2014. District Attorney for 16 years. Presently working as assistant District Attorney in Bedford County.
Footnote: Lisa was 27-years-old when she started college, and 34-years-old when she graduated law school.
Why are you in McMinnville?
My husband and I came here thirty-three-years ago and opened up a small restaurant. We were looking for a place to open a restaurant, and we came here. We had a small child who was 18-months-old. We didn’t know anybody.
What do you think when you reflect on McMinnville’s future? Positive? Negative?
I definitely think positively. I see a lot of changes here with the influx of people from different areas. This is going to become one of the up-and-coming areas of middle Tennessee to move to. I do see growth coming. Very optimistic about this community.
Do you think there is a difference between “McMinnville” and “Warren County?” Why or why not?
Not particularly, I think we all associate it as though we are from McMinnville. I own property in the city and the county, and I know some people do not want the city to annex their property.
If you were mayor of McMinnville and had a magic wand, what three things would you change?
I would add more law enforcement, and that comes from my background.
I like some of the changes that are going on now. Beautifying the city, and I think the tourism dollars are good.
The city and county need to work together to make things more cohesive. I think we need to work better with each other.
I don’t think we need to consolidate because the city taxes would hurt some people, but I do think we need to work together better.
What do you think unites us in McMinnville?
Small town. I think we all realize that we all live in a wonderful community and that we are a small town. There are people who need help. I think when someone is in need, the community joins together. I think that makes us unique. Thirty-three-years ago, I did not understand all the fundraisers, all the events that were going on. I got acclimated to it pretty fast. People were coming in (the restaurant) asking for donations. I was asking why are we doing all of this, but this is a community that brings real meaning to the term “Tennessee Volunteer.” I know that I have volunteered for everything there is, and I have seen people doing that. I think that is what unites us.
What do you think divides us?
Politics. If you are a R or a D, it is almost like we do not associate with you. Regarding the restaurant, I have been told that you are a democrat, so I am not eating with you. I am human. I am a person. I am here to take care of you. I don’t care what your politics are, but too many people do. It has gotten worse over the past six-to-eight years. It has literally become very divisive for this community.
My mother was a republican and my father was a democrat.
Do you agree with the direction and quality of education the Warren County public school system offers for our children? Why or why not?
I think there is room for improvement, a lot of improvement.
Well, this is personal experience, I have sent three kids to school here. Two of them went to private school because they needed a smaller classroom.
I don’t think there is much care focused on helping kids with disabilities. The average smart child can get through school. The average smart child gets the awards for most improved. What about the child with a disability who learns to read but was never supposed to? Attention is not on those children. I think those children are left behind. If I was in charge, I would be putting a lot of emphasis on that. They really need to look at that child’s particular disability and help that child grow and expand just like any other child.
With my kids, it took the extra effort that I put into it. I know that a lot of parents don’t have the ability to do that, but I was fortunate.
My child was not supposed to read or learn the alphabet, and he’s in college.
I think the teachers are constrained a lot. I am not opposed to going back to the days when I was in school when they could paddle kids. I got a few of them myself, and it straightened me up.
They have way too much freedom in that school (the high school), and they need to be controlled better.
They changed the juvenile reform act about three or four years ago, and there is no punishment. That is why we have kids hijacking cars, shooting people. There is really nothing you can do with them. What are you going to do? Send them off until they are 19?
We cannot do anything to the children, and they need to understand that there are consequences to your actions.
Is everything you need in McMinnville exist in terms of groceries, retail stores, churches, restaurants?
Absolutely. Everything you need is right here. And by chance you want something else, and I think it is more about the wants not the needs, you can go online.
Is McMinnville doing enough for people who are economically disadvantaged, or should it be doing more? If not, what should the city be doing?
I do think the government does a lot for people who are economically disadvantaged. I think we could do more for our seniors. We do need to make sure that our seniors are taken care of. The homeless are a big issue here. Some of them you cannot help because they will not let you, but a lot of it is mental health issues. We need to be addressing that, and I think that we can. We do have a need for mental health treatment here. We have Cheer mental health, but that is not sufficient.
We don’t have enough housing here. We have apartments but there are some apartments that are not well taken care of. The owners of those apartments need to take care of them. There needs to be restrictions on those apartment owners who do not take care of them.
I wonder how many children we have here who are homeless.
Don’t you wonder what happens to children when their parents end up going to court and to jail? They sell drugs, they commit crimes. But there is a child that didn’t ask for this. Who is going to be there that evening when they get off the bus? We never address that issue.
How do we find out when to take care of a 10 year-old child who gets off the bus and her mother is sent to jail? Does anybody even know?
CASA has nothing to do with that. It has to do with children who have been removed from their parents. CASA is a volunteer program that I think you have to do some training to be a member. It is just an extra layer of eyes to see the problem and report to the court. It is not direct services. They just basically report to the court.
What did I not ask you that you would like to comment about regarding McMinnville and its people?
This is a great community. I wouldn’t want to live anywhere else. I wasn’t born or raised here, but this is my home. I hear sometimes, well, you are not from here. But I am.
The police station…
I don’t know what condition the building is in, but instead of going out and spending three or four million…I am conservative at heart, I think they need to be financially responsible. They do need to look at the roof because there is a roof problem. Fix the roof instead of spending two to three million dollars to build a new building.
The existing building is good to me. The cops are all downtown. It is centrally located. If I was a business owner down there, I would be thrilled to have it down there.
You could put the latest and newest computer system in that building without building a new building.
You save money to be located downtown. The state will pay you milage. If we were driving from somewhere else, you would have to charge mileage. The same in Van Buren county.
This is the last complete interview of the series, “An Introspection of McMinnville by McMinnvillians.”
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Wayne Wolford, Founder, Curator of the Warren County Black History Museum, retired military.
Interview by Brad Durham
Why are you in McMinnville?
My grandparents moved back here. I am the only child. My mother let me come here every other year, and I fell in love with this place. I was born in Illinois; we moved to St. Louis when I was six years old. When I was 10, my grandmother moved here. When I was in St. Louis, I could not get out and do the things that I could do here. I could run in the countryside…had freedom here.
My first three years of high school were in St. Louis, and then I moved here for my fourth year. Graduated from Central High School in 1966. Came here one year after integration.
Moved back here permanently in 1995 when I got out of the military.
What do you think when you reflect on McMinnville’s future? Positive? Negative?
There is going to be great improvement here. The cost of housing and the weather are all prime things right now. Within the next 10 years I think we are going to see a big change here in Warren County. This is the place where the cost of living is reasonable.
Do you think there is a difference between “McMinnville” and “Warren County?” Why or why not?
It feels like basically the same thing. When I first came here, I came here on a Greyhound bus. I remember when Murfreesboro was about the same size of McMinnville. You can really tell the difference now. I see Warren County and McMinnville as basically the same.
If you were mayor of McMinnville and had a magic wand, what three things would you change?
I would like to see more culture. The places I have been in the military, has helped me see how things can work together in the culture. That is one thing. Number two, I would not want to see change in terms of the roads, the traffic. Because we don’t have any traffic jams. As long as we can keep the same for a long time, that would be beautiful. The third thing…is like anywhere else in the world…I wish we could just get along as far as people. Not what church you go to, not which political party you are in…just as a person. Respect a person just as you want to be respected.
What do you think unites us in McMinnville?
The idea of a person having a hard time, struggling, homeless, whatever; we don’t like to see ourselves in that light. We want to be at the point where we do not have to be in that situation. We want a roof over our heads, food on the table and that we can pay our bills.
What do you think divides us?
Politics. Religion. We all have discriminations. When I say that, I mean so and so’s house is better than mine. Their car is better than mine. They have more money than I have. We all discriminate like that. That is all of us.
Do you agree with the direction and quality of education the Warren County public school system offers for our children? Why or why not?
Yes. I know a lot of folks do homeschooling. That is their prerogative. But as far as me being old school, knowing what it is like going to school…meeting people, having friends, being in the band, being at the point where I can interact with people. Growing up like that I almost feel like that gives you more freedom. Right now, people are afraid of security. They are afraid of different things going on in the schools and around the country. They do not feel like it is safe. From what I see, it is super safe right now. Everything is super secure right now. I think we are holding out pretty well right now.
Is everything you need in McMinnville exist in terms of groceries, retail stores, churches, restaurants?
As far as I am concerned there is. There is always that happy feeling if you want to go to Nashville or Chattanooga or Atlanta to see something bigger and different. Being in a comfortable living environment, I feel real good about this…
Is McMinnville doing enough for people who are economically disadvantaged, or should the city be doing more? If not, what should the city be doing?
We have so many agencies and directories; a lot of people are not aware of all of the systems, the finances, the feeding and so forth that Warren County has to offer. This is a very giving community. It almost seems hard to realize that kids need a program where they get food at school. There are a lot of good programs here. People just haven’t reached out to get them. We are a very giving community.
What did I not ask you that you would like to comment about regarding McMinnville and its people?
It is very economical here, depending upon where you stand in life. If you are retired, it is very comfortable living here. If you are not retired, you can really do well here. The only sad part here, and nationally, is that people do not want to work anymore. I have no idea what is causing this. It doesn’t matter what you want to pay the younger generation, they don’t know how because they have not been taught.
Cell phones are a beautiful thing. I call them communication devices. But if you have your head down and stuck in that phone all the time while you are driving or sitting somewhere, or you are sitting at a table with your family and everyone has a phone and is not communicating…these are the things that I think are jeopardizing our everyday living for a mature person, not an old person, a mature person.
I think McMinnville in terms of finances and artifacts has been great to the Black History Museum. The doors opened 18 months ago, and so far, it has been phenomenal. We have the downstairs suites taken care of, and we are working on the upstairs suites. It has required some advertising to get people here. We want to be in sight and in mind.
Editor’s Note: This interview was conducted in November of 2022; therefore, the doors of the Black History Museum actually opened 27 months ago.
The next and final complete interview of this series will feature Lisa Zavogiannis.
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Justin Tanner, Regional Mortgage Sales Manager at Wilson Bank & Trust
Interview by Brad Durham
Why are you in McMinnville?
I grew up here and went away to college at UT-K. Did not think I would move back here when I was in high school. My wife is from here, and around the time we started a family in Murfreesboro, I was looking to change to mortgage lending from real estate because it is a little bit slower paced.
Having small children, working 9-5 is a little bit better than running around 24/7 showing houses. I found out that a lot of my high school friends had moved away, started families and moved back.
McMinnville was a little different that we had thought. There was a focus on bringing the city up-to-date Bluegrass Underground was going on at the time. Just a lot of stuff happening…Collins River had just kicked off. There was a lot to do. Smooth Rapids had started and everybody was kayaking.
Hey, this is a good place to live, and we moved back. I took a position as a mortgage lender at Security Federal and stayed there for three and a half years.
I have always had pride in being where I was from. My dad was a football coach, and I have always had that Pioneer spirit. It is a great place to live. It is a beautiful place too. We’re surrounded by beauty, and not everybody has that. All those things together made it work for us.
What do you think when you reflect on McMinnville’s future? Positive? Negative?
I think it is very positive. I think that progress has continued. There are some drawbacks to that. We don’t want a chain restaurant on every corner. I like our identity of having local stuff like Collins River and Begonia’s.
I think we have been discovered by people moving from Nashville and out of state. I think people realize that when they move to Nashville it is as expensive as from where they came, and they work their way out to us.
I think we are a kind of jewel, a diamond in the rough. I think a lot of people feel that way when they come here. I speak to a lot of people through real estate that say that.
There are some drawbacks. We are a southern town and we have our values. Those are good, and sometimes people move here and don’t mesh with that. Some people have a problem with that and some don’t. I tend to fall on the side that it is good to a point, but we don’t want to forget who we are and where we came from. I think it is a very positive outlook for us, and I think people will continue to move here.
Do you think there is a difference between “McMinnville” and “Warren County?” Why or why not?
I do think the landscape is different here in the city than the country. The city simply by having more businesses and a central place like Main Street it leans more toward a tourism thing. We want people to come here so we make downtown look nice. We enhance things and advertise ourselves to bring people in.
In the county, people don’t necessarily want people out there. They are growing trees and farming. They might not want people going by their farms and houses on the river.
If you were mayor of McMinnville and had a magic wand, what three things would you change?
I don’t know if the mayor could do anything about this, but I wish there was some more beautification of other parts of the city than just downtown. I know it takes money and people working together. I think Terry Bell mentioned it in his campaign that we should be planting trees about on the bypass. We are the nursery capital and people may expect to see that, but that is not what we have.
I think the beautification of the city in general — if that is possible.
I would like to see trying two-way streets downtown and see how that works. It may give some businesses more exposure than they have right now. The far end of main street where Begonia’s is has sat dormant for so long. I think part of the reason that happened was because people did not always have to go that far sometimes. If they were not going to Sparta Street or Mt. Leo, then they went to where they were going and turned and left another way.
I think there is some infrastructure with roads. I think that as we keep having more people come to McMinnville, and as we ask them to join us, we are going to need good infrastructure. I am sure all of those things are on Ryle’s (Chastain) list to do.
What do you think unites us in McMinnville?
I think just a pride of being a part of McMinnville. I think the history sets us apart from other similar-sized rural cities. The school of photography, the Lively School. That was amazing that it was here. William Faulkner, prolific people like Tomas Savage that Savage Gulf is named after. Galligan and Newman’s office is in their family home.
We have a rich history of culture in McMinnville, and I think if people know about those things or not, it kind of permeates through the city, the community. We have been able to keep alive some of our relics like Main Street for example. Like Ben Myers saved the Hargrove building. That thing was about to fall over.
Having that mindset, that sense of rich cultural history and trying to maintain it. For me that is what brings us together and the natural setting.
We have a ton of civic organizations that people get involved in. To me, if you want to do something, if you raise your hand, you are going to be on three to four organizations. You can be as involved as you want to be. The availability of those things allows for the community to get together and work on things like Hark in the Park.
I am sure there are more things that unite us, but that is what comes to the top of my mind.
What do you think divides us?
There are some people who want to hang onto how things were 50 years ago and maybe wish things were the same as they were then. I am sure there is a valuable reason they feel that way. There are other people who would like to see more progress. That is one thing.
For example, the ice-skating rink is something that has its flaws, but it makes downtown nicer. It creates an experience that kids can have and it brings people downtown with their families. Some people think it is a waste of money. If you could use that money for something else, sure, but that wasn’t the case. They could only use it for things like an ice-skating rink. I think that is a kind of example, but not a great one. I think that is one of the things that divides.
You can say that nationally I guess…someone who is a traditionist versus someone who wants to progress in certain ways.
Do you agree with the direction and quality of education the Warren County public school system offers for our children? Why or why not?
I do. I agree with the direction and the quality. My wife works in the school system. There are a lot of challenges that people who don’t work in the school system have no clue about. It is really easy to say that teacher didn’t do this or that when they have 15 other challenges going on that day that no one has any clue about.
We have great teachers, and I think they do the best they can. I think the administration from Bobby Cox to the present administration have done great things. I think in general, yes.
I think if people who do have issues with it knew the amount of challenges that our teachers face in our local school system they would reconsider some of their thoughts.
Is McMinnville doing enough for people who are economically disadvantaged, or should the city be doing more? If not, what should the city be doing?
I think we do a lot. The city and the county support a lot of nonprofit organizations. They apparently have scaled that back this last time, but historically, they have done quite a bit. Again, I mentioned civic organizations, and not everything can be done by government, I think we have a good number of civic organizations who help people a lot. Hark at the Park is a good example, and what Lisa (Harvey) does there is amazing. She runs an after-school program for the McMinnville Housing Authority community. She puts in where she doesn’t have to. There are a lot of people in the community like that.
I don’t think we should do less, but I think we do a fair amount. Again, it is like the school system. There are definitely things in the community that I don’t know about. If I walked into Families in Crisis, they could tell me all those things they need and I might change my mind.
A little more wouldn’t hurt, but I think we do a good job of that.
What did I not ask you that you would like to comment about regarding McMinnville and its people?
I do wish that people would come together more than they do. You know being a city alderman, county commissioner, or educator, being a public servant of any kind is very tough, and you never get paid enough. I have done a lot of volunteering in different areas, and it is tough sometimes. We should voice our opinions about our government, and we should be fighting for our kids’ education. But I do think if people should put themselves in those public servant’s shoes and consider what they are getting from it. Teachers don’t get paid very much. City aldermen and County Commissioners don’t get paid hardly anything. They probably get more grief than thanks for what they do.
Put yourself in other people’s positions, like firefighters, police officers before you take a jab at them. If you do and they still deserve it, that is fine. A little grace goes a long way for public servants.
The next complete interview will feature Wayne Wolford.
BD Newsletter 
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