Episode 3908

- [Announcer 1] "Tennessee Crossroads" is brought to you in part by-

- [Announcer 2] Some of our biggest checks have also made the biggest difference. The Tennessee Lottery, proud to have raised more than $7.5 billion for education. Now that's some game changing, life changing fun.

- [Announcer 3] Discover Tennessee trails and byways, where adventure, cuisine and history come together. With 16 scenic driving trails, you can discover why Tennessee sounds perfect. Trips can be planned at TNTrailsAndByways.com.

- [Announcer 4] The co-op system in Tennessee consists of independently owned co-ops, driven to serve farmer owners, rural lifestyle customers, and their communities throughout Tennessee and in five neighboring states. More at ourcoop.com.

- [Announcer 5] Middle Tennessee State University College of Liberal Arts helps students explore the world, engage minds, enrich lives, and earn a living. More at mtsu.edu/cla.

- This week on "Tennessee Crossroads," we find a bit of Italy in Eagleville, share a heartwarming story about animals helping kids, visit an ice cream trolley and take a refreshing dip in the Ocoee. We're in for an exciting ride. I'm Vicki Yates. Thanks for joining us. When you think of Eagleville, the first thing you think of might not be authentic Italian food. In our first story, Miranda Cohen travels to a very special place that might just change your mind.

- [Miranda] When you walk in the door of Sorelles in Eagleville-

- Hey.

- How are you?

- Good. How are you?

- Good.

- [Miranda] You immediately become part of the family.

- Spaghetti, meatballs for you.

- The name of the restaurant is Sorelles Italian Restaurant and Pizzeria. The name means sisters in Italian because it is myself and my sisters that are owners. Good job.

- And in any language, the rustic Italian cuisine served up by the sisters at Sorelles is amazing.

- We love good Italian food and we feel like that's not something that's here in Middle Tennessee.

- Thank you so much.

- Thank you.

- You have a good day.

- Thank you. Yes, you as well.

- [Miranda] But all of that changed when sisters, Jodi Gnoffo, Kyah Richards and youngest sister Shayna Richards moved to Tennessee and opened up Sorelles together. We said let's do it together and it's working.

- [Miranda] And the Italian family experience is just as authentic as the food.

- I think Italian food, I mean it's hearty. It's family. It is a small restaurant. It is loud, it is bright sometimes, and it's just don't come in here expecting to, you know, have a nice, quiet dinner. No, it's like you're sitting at our family's table. It's an Italian family. We're loud, we fight. And that has been always the thing that we have done in the kitchen and we still do that to this day here. Where's a wall of fire?

- He doesn't have enough yet.

- I don't have enough hands on here.

- [Miranda] All vibrant personalities and they all bring different talents to the table. Jodi Gnoffo has years of restaurant experience. Kyah has a head for business and Shayna is in charge of all the social media.

- The three of us were always close, but we have literally become the best friends you can possibly have because we work so hard. I mean, we're here 13, 14 hours a day. And that's not just us, that's most of the staff.

- [Miranda] And from their family to yours, they are serving up family recipes steeped in tradition made from only the finest ingredients.

- [Jodi] Everything is freshly made every morning, everything. We make our Alfredo sauce, our Penne ala vodka sauce, our Marsala sauce, our chicken is freshly pounded out and cut every morning. Our chefs in the kitchen, they do everything from scratch. So when you place an order, you can modify it because we're able to, we're able to cook it right there on the spot for you.

- [Miranda] And like many fine Italian favorites, a signature, aromatic red sauce is at the center of every meal. It is an old family recipe that they have perfected.

- I'm not gonna tell you our secrets, but it is a very special sauce and I feel like we do it the best. They're the best tomatoes that you can get. We use all fresh ingredients, fresh basil.

- We make the homemade bread, we make garlic knots. All the dough, all the sauce, everything.

- All of the food at Sorelles is amazing. It is all made from scratch. They have weekly specials, but you have to try the pizza. It is pure Italy with a little hint of New York.

- [Jodi] We like to think of ourselves as like East Coast Italian, you know, New York style. So we do a thin crust, New York style pizza. We make our dough every morning. We do it, hand toss it, so we are doing it from a ball and we are stretching it out ourselves. Again, all fresh ingredients. We chop our peppers every morning and our mushrooms. And, we also have our sauce that we make every day. And I'm not going to tell you that recipe either.

- I like putting down my favorite foods. I always suggest like Alfredo Lasagna or the Scarpariello or Penne ala vodka. I always sell them my favorite dishes.

- [Miranda] And choosing a favorite from the vast menu may be the hardest part.

- My favorite thing is chicken parm, hands down, it's the classic. So Eagleville is a small town and we love that, but to have a restaurant of this quality is awesome.

- [Miranda] The perfect blend of bold and delicate spices round out the savory dishes. And though they are splurge worthy, not all meals will ruin your diet. Like the flavor-packed antipasto salad, topped with pepperoni, salami, cheese, peppers, and fresh vegetables. Or the popular dish named after famous Italian actor Al Pacino.

- We wanted something that was lighter for, of course everybody's, what, a lot of gluten-free and we accommodate them. It's really just garlic and oil based with some fresh parsley, red pepper, fresh chicken.

- [Miranda] And the close-knit family theme can be seen throughout the decor. The walls are like looking at a photo album of the generations who came before and some famous and some infamous Italian influences.

- To me it's just, it's like heart food. So, I think that's what people, they feel like it brings people to together.

- [Miranda] And though people often ask the sisters when and if they plan to expand, they are happy right where they are. Together, tucked away in Eagleville, bringing the very best food and the very best service to the community that means so much.

- [Jodi] We're a destination, I think now. And you have not met nice people until you move to Middle Tennessee because these people are the most friendly, like welcoming. I mean when I tell you the service is so good, like that's how we do it because we're here every day. No matter what, you walk in here, you're gonna see one or two of our three faces, no matter what. We're so blessed and so grateful that Eagleville took us in and we just love it.

- For some, farming and raising horses is their livelihood. At Redemption Ranch in Cedar Hill, the mission is to help troubled kids through agriculture and equine therapy. Tammi Arender has the story.

- In front of the horn. There you go. We gonna keep your hands straight. We're gonna do like we've done before and just move the wood chips back and then we'll plant.

- [Tammi] Hannah Corn isn't just handing out gardening instructions.

- And plop it in and then leave it uncovered just so that we know where they're at.

- [Tammi] She's helping young people through agriculture, growing everything from pumpkins to carrots and sweet potatoes. And it's not just to grow food they can eat, but to grow and nourish a mentally healthy human being.

- Redemption Ranch is a safe haven for kids that are struggling with their mental health to come work with horses and do agriculture here in our greenhouse, in our garden, to work through life struggles and find hope and healing through the projects and mentorship that we have here.

- [Tammi] Corn is a University of Tennessee Extension agent by day. Her husband Jessie is an EMT, but every other waking hour, they're here, wrangling kids at Redemption Ranch.

- [Hannah] It's just very calming, especially with like the garden and stuff too, just getting their hands in the dirt, gardening, learning where their food comes from. And so we teach a lot of those things combined.

- We are not therapists, but it's therapeutic to be able to learn how to ride horses, learn how to care for some food that you're raising yourself. You know, a lot of people don't do that nowadays.

- They welcome students ages 6 to 18 and the kids trade in video games and iPads for gardening tools and grooming brushes. Barn time becomes bonding time and they quickly learn that part of riding a horse includes the care of the animal. You don't just throw on a saddle and ride. So after grooming, they come over to the big arena and there's somewhat of an obstacle course here, as you can see. So both rider and horse learn how to navigate these obstacles just like you have to do in life.

- [Hannah] Put your hands forward for me so she knows to go forward because you think like pulling back while you're asking her to go forward. That's like me holding you and telling you to run away at the same time.

- [Tammi] In the arena, the kids guide their horses over a myriad of planks and piles of debris, building confidence and trust among student and steed. Words of encouragement along the fence remind them to be brave and have fun.

- Get the hard one out of the way for Reba that is her least favorite probably. Is she gonna prove me wrong? I love that. Good job, Reba. It's really amazing to watch like their self-esteem because sometimes they don't wanna get on the horse at all and they're terrified to get on the horse. And then you watch 'em kind of work through it and they get on, they're like, "Oh my gosh, this is the coolest experience. Can you believe what I just did?" And so like we reiterate like aren't you so proud of yourself and what you've accomplished and what you've done? And it really just helps set them up for success because a lot of times kids with mental health challenges, like that's something that they can overcome with their own mind. And this is just use as an extension of your arm. So let's go ahead and change directions. So cut in front of her, switch it to your right hand. There you go. Great job.

- [Tammi] For McKenzie Tool, Redemption Ranch has been life changing. Hannah says, when McKenzie first came here at just six years old, she was often overcome with debilitating anxiety. Now, McKenzie's a different person, excelling in all areas of her life.

- I just like riding horses and it helps my anxiety sometimes.

- She just used to struggle so much with like her anxiety was so debilitating and it's, she's overcome so much. Not only here, but in the rest of her life. When we're ready to stop, we're gonna see if she will turn in towards us. That's a sign of respect. So go ahead and stop. Put it down. Let's see if she turns in towards us. Hi sweet girl. So let's give her a good pet because that's exactly what we wanted her to do.

- [Tammi] On the surface, it may just look like the kids are out having a play day, but what's really happening is restorative, rejuvenating, even redemptive. Hence the name, Redemption Ranch.

- So just from a biblical perspective of this is something brand new, we're just starting new. This is a fresh start. You can kind of leave the old behind you. We meet the kids where they are in life. We don't have any expectations for them to change for us. And so just being redeemed through Christ and what that looks like of like a fresh start, like, this is new. We can do this together.

- [Tammi] So with Redemption Ranch, Hannah has been able to combine her love for horses, homesteading and a heart for healing hurting youth, all into one.

- Ice cream parlors are pretty easy to come by in Tennessee, but we found one in Rock Island that's out of the ordinary to say the least. It has a unique design and a hardworking young owner.

- Large strawberry shake.

- Two butter beers. Do you know how to do this?

- No.

- Has anybody started on 'em, you think? I can teach you how to do 'em.

- [Vicki] This is just an average day for 17-year-old Bella Morgan. She's making sure that her coworkers, several of them classmates of Bella, are prepared for the already busy day.

- Ginger.

- That's because, not only is she the manager of the very popular Rock Island Trolley Stop, she's also an owner.

- So the Rock Island Trolley Stop started out to be just a small ice cream business for me and my brother, just so we can have a little summer job, making some money. And before we knew it, we started adding on to more things. Whenever I started out as 13, going on 14. And we've been open for four seasons now and I'm 17, going on 18 and it just kind of blew up.

- [Vicki] And that's pretty obvious. On this rather warm morning, customers stopped by the ice cream stop, which is located at the entrance of Rock Island State Park, an 883-acre park located on the headwaters of Center Hill Lake. It's known for its waterfall and its water sports.

- [Bella] Jackson Kayaks started here. Professional kayakers sometimes are going up and down the river. Multiple people bring their kayaks in general just to go down there and fish.

- [Vicki] But today it's not the fish luring the customers to this part of Rock Island. It's the Trolley Stop. Becky Martin's late husband worked with State Parks for 40 years, seven of those here at Rock Island. She admits she's seen some changes and one of the best has been the Trolley Stop.

- The trolley has really, really helped the community. And we laugh when I come up to visit my sisters, we laugh and say they've got so many people at the park, I mean at the Trolley. And I said, I'm glad.

- [Vicki] So exactly what is it that brings the customers in? It's ice cream and cold drinks. And what kind of ice cream are we talking about?

- We have ice cream, just regular scoops. And we also make specialty shakes where they're just like big and decorated. They're like freak shakes, we call 'em. We have kid section where they can do kid sundaes, mermaid tails, shark tails, et cetera.

- To see just what Bella means by freak shakes, let's go to the prep area and take a look at some fan favorites. Do you like pecan pie? Well, this one has an actual pecan tart garnishing it complete with caramel sauce and whipped cream. Then this freak shake is a chocolate lover's dream. It's called the Ms. Morgan because Bella's relative, Ms. Morgan has a real sweet tooth for anything chocolate and it fills the bill. If you like your chocolate ice cream covered in whipped cream, chocolate syrup, Hershey's chocolate squares and topped off with a full-sized brownie. When you come to visit the Rock Island trolley, it would be a sin not to try some of the goods. So do you want the Nutty Buddy or do you want the Ms. Morgan? Ms. Morgan. By the way, there are two trolleys on the property and we follow Bella inside the other one where the sandwiches are prepared.

- We usually just do one hot dog, so we cut it down the middle so it fits the whole sandwich.

- [Vicki] Bella is making a Trolley specialty. They call it the "Weenie Panini." Bella's great at just about everything, but even she has her limits.

- Sometimes I hate whenever I have to be the boss on the weekends and be like, "Hey, do this." "Make sure you're doing this." "Put your phone away." "Stop." "Don't have an attitude." Because I'm just like, "Don't be mad at me because I'm still your friend. I'm just having to do my job." Okay, y'all are good.

- [Vicki] And where did Bella, and her brother, who used to work on the trolley get their great work ethic>? From their parents. Her father owned a body shop and her mother is attorney Cindy Howell Morgan. They bought the trolley cars online along with an inflatable igloo that they use here in the winter.

- And I think they learned social skills. They learn business management, they learn inventory control, they learn all the skills that will put them out in the real world. Bella, most days she loves it. Other days she, it gets overwhelmed and of course she's 17 years old. It's understandable that she gets overwhelmed, but I think that she understands it's a good basis for her building a future in whatever business she wants to go into in the future.

- [Vicki] But don't expect Bella's long-term plans to include food.

- [Bella] I am going to be opening up my own business again. It's gonna be a bridal boutique. I feel like I can do that. I'm very, very creative on my aspect.

- [Vicki] However, the Trolley Stop is still growing.

- This year, a stage, and it's still a work in progress so that we can host different bands and musicians and generally we'll have from a full band to single solo artists who'll come and play music on the weekend.

- [Vicki] Bella has learned to be a boss, but her mom and dad taught her more than just that. What's the best piece of advice you've been given about being a person in the business?

- Always show kindness, especially to customers. If, especially if like a customer is getting a little irritated with the wait or whatever, just always show kindness.

- Summer's coming to a close, but there's still time for a Tennessee outdoor adventure. Here's a refreshing idea. If you don't mind getting wet, that is. Just head down to the Ocoee River for the beauty of nature and the thrills of white water rafting.

- [Joe] It's just a bed of rocks when TVA's using it to make electricity. But when they release water from the dams, the river roars to life. And this gorge becomes a premier sports destination for kayaking and whitewater rafting.

- The thing about the Ocoee is that it's so consistent. The middle section is something special. You know, there's, it's just rapid after rapid, you're constantly doing something. After all these years, we really figured out ways to make the most out of all these rapids.

- [Joe] That's Jake Rogers, a young, yet veteran guide, of Ocoee Rafting, the oldest of 22 outfitters along the river. Every season, owner Angie Arp welcomes thousands of adventure seekers, many of which are first timers.

- They're a little nervous to start with, but once they go, they come back and I ask 'em, I'm in the office, I ask 'em, "Did you have a good time?" "Oh, we had a blast. We had so much fun." Once they do it and get over that nervousness and they feel comfortable with their guide, you know, they're fine.

- [Joe] After you check in at the welcome center and grab your gear, there's a group safety talk with a little bit of levity thrown in.

- You'll find yourself underneath the raft. If you're underneath the raft, please come on out from underneath the raft, okay? There are exits at the front back, and both sides, pick one. But don't try and go up.

- [Joe] Next, the five mile ride upstream to the dam.

- Show of hands, who has never done anything like this before. Alright, well this is real easy. This is called a bus ride. If you can keep your hands and feet inside the windows at all times, no running up and down the aisle, that would be phenomenal. Thank you very much.

- [Joe] Before the launch, Jake has a few more pointers for our crew.

- I sit down into the further and tighter the better. Lemme see what we got. Just like that.

- Most rafts carry six people. Ours is only populated by our guide, Jake, a couple from West Virginia, Patrick and Angie, Paul manning the GoPro and me.

- [Jake] We're gonna start off at Grumpy's Ledge. That's the first, the very first Rapid and you really put straight into it. There's no practice time. You go straight into the class three rapid.

- [Joe] The guides have nice little names for the places you encounter, like Broken Nose, Table Saw and Hell Hole.

- Right there.

- Go ahead and straight out.

- [Joe] There are only a few commands you need to know like Paddle Forward, you hear that a lot. And another one, Hit the Deck, which you'd best obey.

- Hit the deck.

- Whoa.

- The waterline went down because I swallowed it for you. I didn't want to get wet. Of course, gotta enjoy it while you can.

- We got a new paddle command for you guys. It's called left side forward, right side back, left side forward, right side back. So that means that Joe and Patrick, you guys are gonna go forward really hard. Amy and I, we're gonna go back really hard and that's what's gonna spin us around all the way through this rapid.

- [Joe] Eventually we pass the McCoy's Powerhouse. The river altitude drops about 250 feet on the five-mile journey. The water level's always the same thanks to TVA, but the success of the ride is up to your guide.

- [Jake] It really comes down to a game of inches. I mean, it's inches of where you're keeping your boat to, you know, stay in the right line and also work your people as little as possible. You know, I try not to get people huffing and puffing out there and just wearing themselves out.

- [Joe] Before you know it, an exhilarating hour and a half has passed and it's the end of the line. You're a little tired, totally wet, and full of wild, wonderful memories that'll stay afloat for years to come.

- Joe, it was great to have you, man. Alright, good. I'm glad you guys enjoyed it. Thank you guys so much. If you see us on social media, click like, swipe right. Thank you and good night.

- That water looks cold. Well, we're out of time. But remember to check us out at tennesseecrossroads.org or on the PBS app. See you next week.

- [Announcer 1] Tennessee Crossroads is brought to you in part by-

- [Announcer 2] Students across Tennessee have benefited from over seven and a half billion dollars we've raised for education, providing more than 2 million scholarships and grants. The Tennessee lottery, game changing, life changing fun.

- [Announcer 3] Discover Tennessee trails and byways, where adventure, cuisine and history come together. With 16 scenic driving trails, you can discover why Tennessee sounds perfect. Trips can be planned at TNTrailsAndByways.com.

- [Announcer 4] The co-op system in Tennessee consists of independently owned co-ops, driven to serve farmer owners, rural lifestyle customers, and their communities throughout Tennessee and in five neighboring states. More at ourcoop.com.

- [Announcer 5] Middle Tennessee State University College of Liberal Arts helps students explore the world, engage minds, enrich lives, and earn a living. More at mtsu.edu/cla.