2016

MTSU School of Music vocal professor Dina Cancryn has a new song in her heart for Black History Month: sharing the stories of some of the first classical singers of color.
Cancryn created “Portraits: The First African-American Divas of Song and Opera,” a theatrical production that depicts Elizabeth Taylor-Greenfield, Sissieretta Jones and Marian Anderson sharing their history and their fabulous voices, a decade ago.
Cancryn Portraits title card webNow a special performance of “Portraits,” captured on video, is set for a free public screening Monday, Feb. 1, at 8 p.m. in Hinton Hall inside MTSU’s Wright Music Building.
“Most people don’t know these ladies,” Cancryn explains, a note of surprise in her voice. “They’re just not spoken of. And that’s part of the reason I dedicated this to my daughter, because if it wasn’t for her I wouldn’t have written this.”
Cancryn, a soprano with a lengthy resume of national and international performances, was at home on maternity leave and flipping through videos on TV while her then-infant daughter napped.
Frustrated at the “one-dimensional” aspect of what she saw, and channeling her longtime interest in African-American musicians’ contributions to classical music, she began to write.
“I wrote ‘Portraits’ thinking at the time that I’d love to have something for my newborn daughter to see that, as a people, we are not one-dimensional, and that there are contributions made on a variety of scale and genre,” she says.
“These women are not the first three African-American opera singers, but they are three of the first. I found their stories to be quite compelling.”
The project evolved into a theatrical production that toured for about seven years across the Southeast. When Cancryn received a small grant from MTSU’s Faculty Research and Creative Activity Committee to film the production, another phase of “Portraits” got underway.“Considering we had a very small budget, for which I’m very grateful indeed, I’m very proud of what we’ve done,” Cancryn says. “James Manning, executive director of Oaklands Mansion, donated use of the mansion and free rein of all the different rooms so that we could film on location there. … I’m very appreciative of that, because it helped to give this a more intimate feel.”
Their weeklong filming schedule took Cancryn, the performers, pianist/vocal coach Joseph Walker and an MTSU crew that included director Ty Whitaker, Jon Jackson, Mitch Pryor, Jordan Kirkman and Aaron Trimbal back in time as they worked at Oaklands and inside Hinton Hall to recreate the performances of these divas and capture them on film.
MTSU alumna Courtney Clark portrays the gifted Greenfield, whose 1851 debut as the first African-American classical singer led to her nickname “The Black Swan,” coined for the lovely tone of her voice as well as her gracious presence.
Cancryn performs as Jones, renowned for her vocal clarity and enunciation as well as her status as the highest-paid African-American performer at her turn-of-the-century career zenith.
Nashville-based vocalist Sonya Sardon portrays contralto Anderson, one of the 20th century’s most celebrated singers who also was lauded for her trailblazing civil rights efforts, including her Easter 1939 Washington Memorial concert and her return for the 1963 March on Washington, where she sang “He’s Got the Whole Word in His Hands.”
The women come together on the screen now as they never could in life, performing an arrangement of the spiritual “Done Made My Vow to the Lord” specially created for Cancryn’s “Portraits” by her School of Music colleague, Grammy-winning musician Dr. Cedric Dent.
“My goal now is to have this disseminated to middle schools and high schools all over the country so that young people can see what these African-American women have contributed to history,” Cancryn says. “There would be no Leontyne Price or Jessye Norman or Denyce Graves without Elizabeth Greenfield.
“I’m not taking anything away from the Beyonces and the Nicki Minajes of this world at all, but I feel like there’s a need for balance, to let young people of any culture or color see that we’re not monolithic as a people. … Our contributions are like an artist’s palette.”
To arrange to screen “Portraits: The First African-American Divas of Song and Opera” at your school or organization, contact Cancryn at dina.cancryn@mtsu.edu.
For details on more MTSU School of Music concerts, call 615-898-2493

 The Tennessee Department of Commerce & Insurance’s (TDCI) Division of Consumer Affairs wants to warn consumers about the most commonly reported imposter scams from 2015.“Scammers often target consumers via email or phone calls,” TDCI Deputy Commissioner Bill Giannini said. “They use deceptive tactics to manipulate people into sending money or revealing sensitive data like Social Security numbers or banking information. Tennesseans should familiarize themselves with these tactics to avoid becoming a scam victim.”
Scammers and imposters often utilize these techniques:
Establishing a connection: Building a rapport and a relationship with you. This usually happens face-to-face, as in home improvement scams and many investment scams, but also online romance scams.
Source credibility: Appearing legitimate, such as fake websites, social media posts, or hacked emails that come from a friend’s account. Most email phishing scams spoof real companies, and many scammers pretend to be a trusted business or government agency in order to add credibility.
Playing on emotions: Relying on emotion to get you to make a quick decision before having time to think about it. An emergency situation or a limited time offer is usually their methodology. They count on emotional rather than rational decision-making.
The following are the 10 most commonly reported scams from 2015:
Tax Scam: You receive a phone call from someone who claims to be with the IRS (U.S.) or CRA (Canada). He claims you owe money in back taxes and will be arrested or face legal consequences if you do not pay (usually by wire or prepaid debit card) immediately. The caller ID is spoofed to appear to be a government agency or the police.
Debt Collection Scam: You receive a phone call from someone claiming that you have an unpaid debt. You are threatened with garnishments, lawsuits, even jail time if you don’t pay right now. The scammer will often use caller ID spoofing and pretend to be a government agency or law enforcement in order to further invoke fear.
Sweepstakes, Prizes or Gifts Scam: You receive a call, letter, or email claiming you’ve won a prize in a sweepstakes. In order to receive the prize, you are instructed to send a fee to cover expenses associated with delivery, processing, or insurance. The prize is not real; you should never have to pay money to claim a prize you have won and you don’t win anything if you never submitted entry paperwork.
Tech Support Scam: You are contacted by “technicians” claiming to have detected a virus or security threat on your computer and for a fee, they can log-in and correct the problem remotely. These callers are actually hackers trying to steal money or sensitive computer passwords and damage your computer with malicious software.
Government Grant Scam: You receive a phone call, email, or letter informing you that you’ve qualified for a government grant. In order to receive the grant, however, you are instructed to send money as a processing or delivery fee, usually by wire transfer or prepaid debit card. Again, if you did not apply for a government grant, you will not receive one.
Advance Fee Loan Scam: While searching for loan information, you see an enticing ad and click through to the website. You fill out an application and soon receive an email or phone call advising that you are approved for the loan, but you must first send a processing fee, security deposit or insurance. You pay the “fee,” but never see the loan.
Credit Card Scam: The scammer pretends to be from your bank or credit card issuer, and they claim that you are now eligible for a lower interest rate, or that they need to verify a recent transaction. The consumer provides the scammer with their credit card number and security code to “verify” their identity.
Work from Home Scam: While looking for a job online, you answer an ad for making big bucks while working from home. The job may be stuffing envelopes, posting advertisements, or shipping packages. You could have your identity stolen when you fill out the employment forms, or even end up handling stolen merchandise.
Fake Check/Money Order Scam: This can happen any time someone is paying you for goods or services (even when you are selling something online). You receive a check in the mail that is larger than the amount owed, and you are asked to deposit the check and wire the difference. The check is a fake and when it bounces, you’re out the money.
Lottery scam: You receive a call, letter, or email advising that you have won a large amount of money in a foreign lottery, but you have to pay upfront for taxes and fees. Such lotteries are illegal. Sometimes you may be sent a check as partial payment, but the check will be counterfeit.
Scam Prevention Tips:
Don’t be pressured into making fast decisions.
Take time to research the organization. Visit www.bbb.org to check for complaints, or contact the Division of Consumer Affairs at www.tn.gov/consumer.
Never provide your personal information (address, date of birth, banking information, ID numbers) to people you do not know.
Don’t click on links from unsolicited email or text messages.
If you are unsure about a call or email that claims to be from your bank, utility company, etc., call the business directly using the number on your bill.
Never send money by wire transfer or prepaid debit card to someone you don’t know or haven’t met in person.
Never send money for an emergency situation unless you can verify the emergency.
Report these scams to the Federal Trade Commission at www.ftccomplaintassistant.gov. For more consumer tips, visit www.tn.gov/consumer.

High school seniors planning to attend Motlow State Community College, and their parents, are invited to attend a free workshop to learn about the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). The workshop will be at the Smyrna campus on Feb. 6 from 10 a.m.-2 p.m., with registration in the main lobby. To RSVP please email Donna Dunaway at ddunaway@mscc.edu.
Participants will learn how to apply for and manage their financial aid at this special workshop, and should bring any 2015 tax and payroll information.
The FAFSA must be completed to help determine a student’s eligibility to receive financial aid, including the Tennessee Promise scholarship. Students and parents provide information regarding dependency, assets, and income among the several questions to be answered. Any students who have submitted a FAFSA previously must resubmit one for the upcoming year with any updated information.
For more information, contact the Motlow Financial Aid office by calling 931-393-1553 or email Donna Dunaway at ddunaway@mscc.edu.

I hope you and your family stayed safe and warm during the snowfall that blanketed our region over the last week. As I wrap up a busy few days in Tennessee and head back to Washington, I wanted to offer a quick update with the latest developments on how I’m working on your behalf:

President Obama Skirts the Law … Again
Last December, President Obama signed bipartisan legislation into law addressing major security gaps in our nation’s visa waiver program that have put our national security at risk for too long. I discussed the program in an earlier e-newsletter which you can read here. The new law stipulates that any foreign national who has traveled to terrorist hotspots within the last five years – such as Iran, Iraq, Sudan, or Syria – would be ineligible for a visa waiver to enter the United States. Now, just weeks after President Obama’s signed his name to this measure, he is already enacting unilateral changes to its provisions – once again failing to faithfully execute the laws passed by Congress.

The Obama Administration is granting broad exceptions to this law; offering visa waivers for humanitarian workers, journalists, and those traveling to Iraq and Iran for “legitimate business related purposes” – though the Administration has yet to clarify how this will be determined. President Obama must implement our nation’s laws as they are written, not as he wishes they were written. That is why House leaders sent this letter to President Obama demanding answers on the Administration’s actions. The President’s end-runs around Congress are an affront to the separation of powers laid out in our Constitution and Tennesseans deserve better. It is because of actions like these that I am now cosponsoring H. Res. 582, a resolution to formally censure President Obama.

I Stand With Those Who Stand For Life
This week, a runaway grand jury in Houston, Texas tasked with conducting a criminal probe into Planned Parenthood’s activities decided to turn a blind eye to the recent undercover video footage that we have all seen with our own eyes and, instead, set its sights on the whistleblowers who exposed the abortion provider’s misdeeds: David Daleiden and the Center for Medical Progress. The grand jury has now issued Daleiden an unjust criminal indictment that must not be allowed to stand. I wrote about this development and how pro-life Americans can respond in an op-ed for the National Catholic Register, which you can read here. I also discussed this issue earlier this week on Fox News’s America’s Newsroom. I hope you’ll take a moment to watch my interview here and let me know what you think.

Travels Around #TN06
On a happier note, I had an opportunity to make stops in Gallatin and Lebanon this week to hear from constituents and take their message back with me to Washington. In Gallatin, I spoke at the board meeting for “Forward Sumner” – a nonprofit aimed at driving economic and community development throughout Sumner County. In Lebanon, I met with the new President of Cumberland University, Dr. Paul Stumb, to discuss the state of higher education in middle Tennessee. I also stopped by Lebanon High School to donate a supply of books from the Library of Congress. As always, if you have an event in your community you’d like to invite me to attend, you can do so here.

The Cannon County Lionettes were seconds away from breaking 500 on their district record for the first time this basketball season Thursday night when the team traveled to Murfreesboro to meet Central Magnet.  The Lady Tigers beat the Lionettes by 13 in an earlier matchup.  The Lionettes shot the ball well and built a 17 point lead in the third quarter.  That’s when Central woke up and forced Cannon to play ball their way.  The Lady Tigers were able to chip away at the lead and eventually tied the game at 46-46.  Central’s Becca Stockton took over the fourth quarter scoring 9 points including the game winning.  Cannon was able to get the ball with a few seconds left on the clock.  The Lionettes got a decent shot at the basket to close the game but missed after it was contested by a Lady Tiger defender as Central completed the comeback 48-46
Maleah Scott scored 20 points, Autumn King had 19
The Cannon County Lions continue to struggle this season.  Central Magnet started the game on a 10-0 run  before Cannon answered to tie the game.  Then the Tigers held a seven point lead until the Lions took that away from them as well.  The third quarter hit and Central built a 12 point lead that Cannon never recovered from and although Cannon made another late run, it was too late and Cannon lost 58-52.
Tonight the teams will play Smith County at Robert A. Harris Gym in Woodbury.  Tip off is at 6
AM-1540/FM 107.9 WBRY will have the live broadcast also available streaming on line at wbry.com
 

Tennesseans who want to vote in the March 1 presidential preference primary, or “SEC Primary,” must register to vote by Monday, February 1, 2016. This election cycle the Volunteer State will join six other Southern states on March 1 to help decide who could be the next president of the United States.
“It’s important to ensure you are properly registered now so there won’t be any surprises during early voting or on Election Day,” Secretary of State Tre Hargett said.
Early voting begins Wednesday, February 10 and runs Mondays through Saturdays until Tuesday, February 23. Election Day is Tuesday, March 1. Cannon County’s Election Office will be closed on President’s Day February 15th
Hargett is urging voters to take advantage of early voting if possible because of unpredictable winter weather and an incredibly long ballot.
“When you consider the number of presidential candidates as well as the number of delegates, some voters across the state will have many choices,” Hargett said.
Cannon County Election Office’s website for more information is
http://www.cannoncountyelections.com/
Tennesseans voting early or on Election Day should remember to bring valid state or federal photo identification with them to the polls. For information about what types of ID are acceptable, visit GoVoteTN.com or call toll free 1-877-850-4959.
Voters can also download the GoVoteTN app, available in the App Store or Google Play, to view voter-specific information when searching by name or address. Voters can find early voting and Election Day polling locations, view and mark sample ballots, see their elected officials, districts and county election commission information as well as access online election results through the application.

The Chili Supper fundraiser benefitting the Cannon County High School Football Team originally scheduled for Thursday evening at the Cannon County High School has been rescheduled for Saturday February 6th at 4:00

Commodity loans are currently available for producers of corn, wheat, and soybeans. Applicants must meet all eligibility requirements before receiving these USDA benefits. To be eligible, a producer must maintain continual beneficial interest in the crop from harvest through the earlier of the date the loan is repaid or CCC takes title to the commodity. Beneficial interest means retaining the ability to make decisions about the commodity; responsibility for loss or damage to the commodity; and title to the commodity. Once beneficial interest in a commodity is lost, the commodity is ineligible for loan – even if the producer regains beneficial interest.
These loans provide producers with immediate financing on their stored commodities held as loan collateral. Instead of selling the crop immediately after harvest, these loans allow the producer to store the crop for a maximum of 9 months to allow for market gains in the event of a depressed market at the time of harvest. Applicants should allow 7-10 workdays for processing and disbursing the loan proceeds. Loans can be approved beginning at harvest and ending May 31. (Exception: Wheat ends March 31). The 2015 crop year commodity loans rates for DeKalb and Cannon Counties are as follows:
Corn—$2.05 / bu.
Soybeans—$5.13/ bu.
Wheat—$2.70/ bu.
For January 2016, the CCC interest rate for marketing assistance loans is 1.625%.
Violating provisions of a marketing assistance loan may trigger administrative actions, such as assessing liquidated damages, calling the loan and denial of future farm-stored loans.
For more information, call the DeKalb/Cannon County Farm Service Agency at 615-597-8225, extension 2.

A meeting of the DeKalb/Cannon County Amateur Radio Club will be held on Thursday, January 28th, 2016  – 6:30 PM at the DeKalb County Complex, 722 South Congress Blvd., Smithville, TN 37166. All local amateur  radio  operators and those interested in amateur radio are invited to attend.
Amateur radio operators also called “hams” communicate with other operators in the local area, statewide, nationally, and even worldwide.  Hams also aid during times of emergencies with vital communication links.  The DeKalb/Cannon County Amateur Radio Club is an affiliated club of the American Radio Relay League.  Call 615-597-9563 for more information or check out the
club’s webpage at http://www.dccarc.org.
 

The Woodland Lady Warriors run in the James C. Haile State Tournament ended Wednesday afternoon as the team met York Elementary out of Jamestown in Murfreesboro at the Middle Tennessee Christian School.  York got out to a hot start hitting three three pointers to start the game and put the Woodland team on its heels early.  Woodland fought back and took the lead with 4 minutes left to go in the third quarter.  The Lady Warriors went on a 10 point run before York started knocking down three point field goals again in the fourth quarter to retake the lead.  An exciting finish saw York hit a bucket with 9 seconds left to take a three point lead.  The Lady Warriors with time running out fired up a off balance three to tie and it fell short giving York a 38-35 win.  Kristin Fann led the Lady Warriors attack with 13 points.  Thursday night ends the Grammar School regular season.  Auburntown travels to Eastside while Short Mountain heads to Woodland.  Both contests tip off at 6:00 .  The County Grammar School Tournament moves to start on Monday February 1st.