Best Ideals in Practice:
Elise Tyler
At 25, Nashville native Elise Tyler is a small-business owner, a community activist, a recycling advocate, a political organizer and a philanthropist on a modest personal scale—and the hub of these concerns is the Halcyon Bike Shop she runs in 12South. There she preaches the gospel of reuse by teaching bike repair and selling used bikes. In addition, she makes Halcyon a venue for locally produced goods and music; she provides the Oasis Center with pro bono bike-repair classes; she hosts voter registration drives at election time; and she's proved able to connect with indie rockers and retirees alike. In that she reminds us of another big-hearted firebrand whose small business made a big impact on the city: Liberadio(!)'s Mary Mancini. JIM RIDLEY

Best People We Miss:
Ted Jarrett / Stacy Fleeman
Every music scene depends on a connector who stands as the one degree of separation between everybody and everybody else, whether he's an artist, a studio owner, a doorman or simply everyone's biggest fan. In Nashville's blazing 1950s and '60s R&B scene, that man was Ted Jarrett, producer, songwriter, label chief and architect of some of the finest soul records ever cut in the South (meaning anywhere). In 2009's indie-rock club scene, that man was Stacy Fleeman, the Dharmakaya vocalist, The End doorman, Spat! Records proprietor and dispenser of crushing bear hugs, who made the world feel a little less cold with just the warmth of his undefeatable enthusiasm. Losing them both in one year sent a chill of mortality through music lovers young and old, a reminder that nothing or no one lasts forever—thus making their every recorded note all the more precious. JIM RIDLEY

Best MNPS Principal:
Greg Hutchings, West End Middle School
For decades, countless national and regional studies have consistently declared middle schools the weakest link in the public school system's three-tier setup—the place where struggling students are lost forever, where overachieving students opt out to private academies, and where average students muddle along, unchallenged and uninspired.  The good news is, one Metro middle school has been blessed with a principal who refuses to accept that assessment—a principal of uncommon dedication, vision, intellect, optimism and energy, who has instilled a swell of pride in every classroom, corridor and corner of his campus. Now in his third year at the helm of West End Middle School, Hutchings, the Middle School Principal of the Year for Middle Tennessee, has been instrumental in getting West End recognized as MNPS's top middle school, luring well-heeled families in the zone away from the private option. The bad news—as most of West End's teachers and parents sadly acknowledge—is that Hutchings' star shines so brightly, his future lies on a far larger stage than a middle school in a faltering school system.  It would not surprise anyone who has had contact with the charismatic educator to see Mr. Hutchings go to Washington someday. KAY WEST

Best MNPS Teacher:
Mary Catherine Bradshaw, Hillsboro High School
Tell your earnest young pediatrician that your son's teacher is Mary Catherine Bradshaw, and he gets a dreamy look of remembrance. This is hardly rare. Doctors, lawyers, bankers, social workers, professors, journalists and entrepreneurs will attest that it was Bradshaw who alternately nurtured and pushed them through their anxious teen years, instilling an appreciation for learning, a tempered rebellion against blind conformity and the confidence to be who they are. A Nashville native and Harpeth Hall grad who seems to know every blueblood in town, Bradshaw has dedicated her 25-year career to giving public school students the same quality education as their private school peers. Thanks to her efforts, Hillsboro became an International Baccalaureate-authorized school in 2004. The blond-ponytailed dynamo in Oxford shirts and khakis has impeccable manners, genuine warmth and social grace. But anyone foolish enough to threaten the programs that enrich her students will find out just what kind of war a steel magnolia can wage. KAY WEST

Best Coach:
Geoff Macdonald, Vanderbilt
With all due respect to Jeff Fisher, Barry Trotz, Bobby Johnson or anyone else you want to name, Vandy women's tennis coach Macdonald consistently meets one of the most difficult challenges any coach in any sport faces—he keeps a good program good. While Johnson has pulled VU's football program out of the doldrums, and Fisher and Trotz have seen the fortunes of their respective pro sports teams fluctuate (sometimes wildly), Macdonald's teams have finished each of the last 14 seasons ranked among the top 16 in the nation. Five times during that stretch the Commodores have finished among the top 10, and once they were the national championship runners-up. DAVID BOCLAIR

Best Mascot:
Gnash, Nashville Predators
Let me begin by saying I'm not a fan of sports mascots. My disdain comes from years of having to watch the San Diego Chicken get cheers and the San Francisco Giants' Crazy Crab get jeers from the frigid faithful—primarily because the damn kooks in costume took all the attention away from the game. Here in town, the same holds true for the Titans' funless furball T-Rac and others. However, there is one who can hang and then descend by cable from the Sommet Center ceiling to the ice at Predators games, ride an ATV on the frozen pond, skate like the pros and star in some creative videos on the scoreboard screen. Who's this mascot who doesn't make me gnash my teeth when I see him? Surprisingly, it's Gnash. Gnice job. VINCENT TROIA

Best Sports Anthem:
"I Like It, I Love It," Nashville Predators
While Republica's "Ready To Go" and Gary Glitter's "Rock And Roll Part 2" have become staples at stadiums and arenas throughout North America, Tim McGraw's country hit—with a subtle tweak of the lyrics to make it event-specific—has become an enduring tradition for a franchise that has existed barely long enough to claim any sort of actual tradition. It successfully captures the energy and excitement of the moment a goal is scored and engages the members of the crowd, who routinely join in and pump their fists, wave their pom-poms or whatever else in rhythm. DAVID BOCLAIR

Best Debate:
What About Vince Young?
Everyone remembers the dynamic college career of the former University of Texas sensation. Many forget, though, that as a rookie in 2006 he guided the team to victories in eight of its final 11 games (including six straight at one point) and nearly into the playoffs. A series of utterly forgettable missteps—on and off the field—since have cost Young most of his luster. Still, mention his name and few within earshot are capable of holding their tongues. Everyone seems to have an opinion as to why he will or will not make it, and the subject never seems to get old. DAVID BOCLAIR

Best Bloodlines:
Ryan Suter, Nashville Predators
The team's first-round choice in 2003 is the son of Bob Suter, a member of the 1980 U.S. Olympic Hockey Team—that's right, the Miracle on Ice guys—and the nephew of Gary Suter, who played a total of 1,145 career NHL games for three different teams. Another uncle also played college hockey. In horse racing, that kind of lineage would generate automatic Triple Crown buzz. In hockey, it helped make Suter the first defenseman selected and the seventh overall choice the year he was drafted. Not yet 25 and having already played more than 300 NHL games in his own right, Suter's carving out his own niche in the family business. DAVID BOCLAIR

Best Outside-the-Box Use of a Venue:
Adrenaline Drags, Nashville Superspeedway
Imagine the Tennessee Titans opening up LP Field to Friday-night flag football leagues. That's effectively the idea behind adrenaline drags, which allow anyone who wants to bring any car he or she wants and race down the drag strip on pit road approximately every other Friday night throughout the spring and summer. There is a small fee and all participants are subject to stringent safety regulations, but it's certainly a compelling way to generate publicity for, and interest in, the facility. The event was hatched in 2008 and quickly caught on. The 2009 season recently ended. Here's hoping it continues in 2010. DAVID BOCLAIR

Best Venue Nashville Needs:
A Downtown Stadium for the Nashville Sounds
Sadly, this remains nothing more than an idea. Despite plenty of anecdotal evidence from places such as Memphis, Louisville, Rochester, N.Y., and so many others regarding the benefits of such a venue, political opposition on numerous fronts repeatedly has stalled this notion over the years. For a city that has worked so hard to revitalize the downtown area, the resistance to a consistent summer destination for several thousand people is difficult to comprehend. The Sounds have done their best to improve Greer Stadium in recent years. But they deserve better. DAVID BOCLAIR

Best Memory of Steve McNair:
Next-to-Last Play, Super Bowl XXXIV, Atlanta
No one ever will forget the circumstances under which the former Tennessee Titans quarterback died this past summer. But the local fan base would rather remember the late McNair for his judgment and character on the field—as in the unforgettable penultimate play of Super Bowl XXXIV, when he was forced to scramble to his right. Then, before throwing to Kevin Dyson for a 16-yard gain, he threw St. Louis defensive end Kevin Carter (later a teammate in Tennessee) to the ground. Never in a single play were McNair's competitiveness, courage, natural strength and improvisational ability more apparent. In most cases, it's tough to name what team lost a championship contest, never mind anything that team accomplished in defeat. In this case, it's tough to remember who won. DAVID BOCLAIR

Best Barmaid at Brandon's (Whose Name Isn't Shantay):
Carmelita Stafford
Nights inside the dank press bar named Brandon's, in the dingy Arcade alley, the city's ink-stained wretches seek comfort from Carmelita. Considerately, she hears our woes, which chiefly involve dealing with hapless editors and lying politicians, and she serves us alcohol until we can't remember why we ever were troubled at all. So here's to Carmelita. She is wise beyond her years. We love Shantay too. (And Jeff, Brandon's owner, would like to take this opportunity to point out that the bar scored a sparkling 94 on its latest health department inspection.) JEFF WOODS

Best Karaoke Host:
Donna Noack
Currently working Nashville's karaoke circuit from Purple Heys to the Tennessee State Fair with tireless energy and a leisurely earth-mother vibe, Donna Noack has been building some of the finest karaoke nights in the city. She exudes genial support and enthusiasm, and she also understands the secret distinction between a great karaoke host and a regular one: when a rotation gets a bit long, she doesn't take a turn herself. With an enthusiasm for all kinds of music, a resourceful knack for tracking down requests, and a killer Janis Joplin (her earthshaking "Piece of My Heart" is something truly magnificent), nobody does it better. JASON SHAWHAN

Best Vinyl Spinnerette:
Sho'Nuff, Springwater
There's a difference between being a DJ and being able to size up a crowd and play excellent music. DJs, through mixing, scratching and shifting beats, craft a nonstop ride through music, and that's all well and good. But impeccable selection and timing make all the difference, as anyone knows who experienced one of Jenna Robl's Dirtbag Dance-Offs at Springwater this past summer. Conceived as a post-softball wind-down, the artist known as Sho'Nuff can find your groove and play your song at these magnificent beer-fueled rock dance parties. Here's looking forward to next season. JASON SHAWHAN

Best Drag MC:
Daisy Rae Welch
With impeccable timing, a flair for the risqué, and the sharp focus of a bird of prey, Daisy Rae has honed her craft on many of Nashville's finest stages, going all the way back to The Chute. These days, she rules the Church Street gayborhood, presiding over Tribe's weekly Humpday festivities with her own twists on audience participation events. If you've never seen an Adult Spelling Bee, you really should. And if you've ever spent a Wednesday afternoon looking for drinks and a show, you'd be well advised to stop by Tribe and watch Miss Rae work the stage. You might even end up with some nice swag in the process. She hands out gifts, you know. JASON SHAWHAN

Best Petition Drive:
Carol McCullough
When East Nashville resident Carol McCullough found herself wishing in 2007 that Trader Joe's would bring its tasty, healthy and relatively affordable groceries to Nashville, she did what any community organizer would do—she started a petition. McCullough, whose day job is working for the nonprofit Neighborhood Resources Center, signed up some 3,000 people online by the time Trader Joe's announced its first Tennessee store would open in Green Hills in November 2008. So did McCullough and "people power" have any role in bring TJ's to town? Says the company: "While it's nice to be wanted, wooing does not go into our decision-making process." Says McCullough: "I like to think it's not a total coincidence." Meanwhile, a friend of McCullough's has started an online appeal to bring Swedish furniture monger IKEA to town. It's at ipetitions.com/petition/ikeafortn. So far, signatures number fewer than 100. But here's hoping. DANA KOPP FRANKLIN

Best Place to Throw a Party:
Performing Artists Co-op
Co-op owner Mo Sweeney wanted to build a rehearsal space that was clean, vibey and affordable, but his East Nashville room-for-hire has become more than that. Like a cross between The Bluebird and Spanky's clubhouse, the Co-op has evolved into a kind of community center for artist-types. In addition to woodshedders, Mo's Mardi Gras-colored facility has hosted Nashville Improv and Post-Depression Theatre. Recent musical shows at the venue—which features a 24-channel, 3,000-watt PA system—have included eclectic artists like R.B. Morris, Matt Urmy and Buddy Spicher. The Co-op is available for your next shindig, but you'll have to clean up after. "Everybody takes care of this place, that's the nice thing," says Sweeney. PAUL V. GRIFFITH

Best Pedestrian Tourist Circuit Without Tourists:
SoBro
Try this on for a word problem: Find a concert at the Schermerhorn Symphony Center that appeals to you. Buy tickets. Arrive three hours early and visit the Country Music Hall of Fame. Stroll up the street for early dinner at Sole Mio. Attend your concert in one of the world's most perfect acoustical environments, then promenade past the espaliered trees and babbling fountains toward a soaring footbridge. Stroll out over the quiet river and take in views of monumental architecture—a stadium, high-rise residences, a curious red metal curlicue. Come back down for a nightcap at Past Perfect. Now, what city are you in? Nicki P. Wood

Best Place to Arrange a Money Drop When You're Blackmailing Your Lover's Other Lover:
El Rey Azteca
Located in White's Creek, El Rey Azteca ("The Aztec King") has easy interstate access from downtown: Just shoot right up I-24 and get off at Old Hickory Boulevard. It also has a large building you can hide behind, and delicious food you can eat with the $10,000 you're trying to extort from a state legislator. (We recommend the chicken chimichangas.) Only drawback? As Joel Watts found out the hard way, after his attempt to extort state Rep. Paul Stanley, El Rey Azteca is also the Scene's "Best Place to Arrange a TBI Sting of a Dude Blackmailing His Lover's Other Lover." BETSY PHILLIPS

Best Local Online Place to Waste an Afternoon:
Tennessee State Library and Archives
The Tennessee State Library and Archives has an online collection (tennessee.gov/tsla) that will suck you in and steal hours from you. Everything from old maps of Tennessee that look like the mapmaker was just going on guesses to mule-race broadsheets to letters home during the Civil War, not to mention all kinds of cool pictures of Nashville, can be accessed right from your computer. Sure, it's still fun to go to the actual building. But in the actual building, they tend to frown on you shouting, "Holy shit, look at this!" to the person next to you when you find something especially cool. BETSY PHILLIPS

Best Cemetery for Living People to Enjoy:
City Cemetery
Nashville has a lot of great cemeteries, but the original is still the best. It's a lovely place to walk your dog (though bring your own baggies; the ones they provide tend to be crumbly) while visiting some of Nashville's oldest and most distinguished residents. The ongoing preservation efforts have made the City Cemetery a beautiful, albeit creepy, place to hang out. But it's the website (thenashvillecitycemetery.org) that puts the City Cemetery over the top—full of obituaries, resource maps, inscriptions, pictures and other information about the people within its walls. BETSY PHILLIPS

Best Lesser-Known Fall Festival:
Music and Molasses, Ellington Agricultural Center
There's literally something for everyone at this fall harvest celebration, coming up Friday through Sunday on the lush grounds of the Tennessee Agricultural Museum. Your kids will love the petting farm, storytellers, pony rides, and educational activities that range from shucking corn to washing clothes with a washboard. Parents can enjoy bluegrass music on two different stages, peruse traditional crafts for sale, and taste foods that include homemade cakes, breads and pies. Tickets are $5 per person, and children under 4 get in free. LINDSAY FERRIER

Best Ghostly Overnight Trip:
Newbury House, Rugby, Tenn.
Just two-and-a-half hours from Nashville, historic Rugby is a real-life ghost town, with a reasonably priced boarding house inn that contains guest books filled with spectral sightings from recent visitors. Be sure and ask to stay in Room 2, where guests have reported being awakened by a male ghost leaning over the bed. The innkeeper sleeps down the road (wonder why?), and uninhabited rooms are left open, allowing you to go on your own personal midnight tour, if you dare. Reserve a room at the Newbury House in the middle of the week and you're likely to have the entire place to yourself. Call 1-888-214-3400 for reservations and more information. LINDSAY FERRIER

Best Neon:
Belle Meade Theater
OK, so the Fox's Donut Den sign will be staying up after all. That's nice, but it won't come close to the most illuminating news about Nashville neon—that the vertical visage of the old Belle Meade Theater sign is blazing away again as the signpost of the new Harris Teeter on Harding Pike. A quick drive-by after dusk offers a colorful trip into the past, one that quickly fades at the sight of the first nearby strip mall. Nashville does have its share of familiar neon (Jack's, Elliston Soda Shop, etc.), but it could use a resurgence. Maybe Harris Teeter is lighting the way. VINCENT TROIA

Best New Office Building:
Pinnacle at Symphony Place
Finally, Nashville has a skyscraper with a finely detailed glass curtain wall that proudly acknowledges its contemporary provenance. Courtesy of its energy-saver reflective coating, Pinnacle shimmers on the skyline like a desert mirage—hence its nickname "The Phantom." The green roof atop the six-story parking garage—with its garden cafe ambiance—turns sustainability into tenant amenity. OK, the proportions of the tower are a little stubby. But the architects at New Haven's Pickard Chilton firm have nevertheless set a benchmark for future designers to live up to. CHRISTINE KREYLING

Best Zoning Non-Change:

Bells Bend

When Metro's Planning Commission took a pass on the proposal by Jack May and Tony Giarratana to build a virtual downtown in Nashville's largest remaining agricultural and forested landscape, they gave Scottsboro community residents the chance to keep it that way. The developers pulled out all the stops (and May's wallet) to push May Town: campaign contributions, a horde of lobbyists, a land-giveaway to TSU and—most exquisitely—a promo video all but devoid of cars for a place with a 40,000-person workforce. True, May Town featured an urban rather than suburban layout. But an isolated peninsula with minimal infrastructure is not the place for city building. CHRISTINE KREYLING

Best Start on a Post-Playing Career:
Kyle Vanden Bosch, Tennessee Titans
The two-time Pro Bowler is still plenty productive, despite an injury that caused him to miss six games in 2008. But he has aligned himself with locally based TNA Wrestling in what looks like a head start on his next career. For the second straight year, TNA will conduct a local event (Nov. 9 at Wildhorse Saloon) to benefit the KVB Sack Foundation and, specifically, the Boys and Girls Clubs of Middle Tennessee. Anyone who has seen Vanden Bosch at ringside or loosely involved in a wrestling match can’t ignore his obvious passion for the sport. It’s hard to imagine he won’t someday tackle that pursuit full time. DAVID BOCLAIR

Best Condo Tower:
Adelicia/Terrazzo
It's not easy to make good architecture out of high-rise residential, as witness Encore, Icon, Viridian and the horrors looming over West End near Vanderbilt. The Adelicia and Terrazzo, however, show that it's possible. Balconies are the major design challenge posed by the multi-story multi-unit dwelling. While apparently a deal-breaker for would-be purchasers—one would think that sitting or standing on what's essentially a glorified ledge would be a sure-fire inducement of buyers' remorse—these airborne corrals tend to give a bad case of acne to a building's face. Adelicia holds its balconies within its façade. Their placement on Terrazzo minimizes negative capabilities. The result is skins worth admiring—non-fussy, contemporary lines and decent materials—as well as proportions that don't bully their neighbors. CHRISTINE KREYLING

Best Chance to Screw Up SoBro:
Music City Center
"Convention centers are supposed to revive cities by bringing in revenue from out-of-town visitors and creating local jobs. But the more gargantuan they become, the less happily they fit into the places they're intended to benefit," writes New Yorker architecture critic Paul Goldberger. Music City Center would deliver a 15-acre, special-event megabox to SoBro, already dominated by big boxes. When conventioneers depart, the center becomes a dead hole in city life. Budget slimming already in the works could cut features designed to give the behemoth what redeeming social values it has: quality cladding, a green roof and art program. "Putting one of these megaliths into the heart of the city is like trying to dock the Queen Mary in the local marina," Goldberger says. Still-to-be-determined: whether Mayor Dean is more Admiral Nelson than Captain Ahab chasing the great white whale. CHRISTINE KREYLING

Best Urban Design Move by Mayor Karl Dean:
The Riverfront Plan
It's a call of nature for the new alpha dog to pee on the fireplug already doused by his predecessors. Fortunately for Nashville's riverfront, Mayor Dean resisted this all-too-basic urge, after a few taps with a rolled-up newspaper. During the Purcell administration, a two-year master planning effort for the banks of the Cumberland River downtown gave priority to the 17-acre Adventure Park, an East Bank playland of spray fountains and water pools, climbing walls and cascades, picnic lawn and amphitheater. When Mayor Dean decided to get started with riverfront rehab last spring, however, he announced he wanted to re-examine the order of priorities. The always vocal citizens of East Nashville said: "Been there; done that." Dean pulled a Gilda Radner and said, "Never mind." Now citizens of both banks could soon see some 3-D results from their planning. CHRISTINE KREYLING