v11n32 - Straight Talk: The JFP Interview with Frank Bluntson

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April 17 - 23, 2013

Trip Burns

JACKSONIAN Antonio V. Wright

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ntonio V. (“as in victory” he said, fittingly) Wright is an inspiring figure. The 38-year-old is the founder of Metro Area Community Empowerment Inc. and, in 2011, he authored and self-published his autobiography, “From a Label to a Brand” (CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform).

Wright did not have success handed to him. He came from a low-income and abusive home, and he experimented with gang activity before finding a more positive activity: football.

“Sports gave me a foundation of how to be respectful of myself, how to work with others,” he says. Wright added that sports taught him the rewards of perseverance and discipline, a skill that would prove vital later in his life.

Wright played football at Provine High School, Hinds Community College and, until his senior year, at Jackson State University.

Then, on Feb. 2, 1996, Wright was riding back from a trip to Memphis when a tire blowout caused the driver to lose control of the car.

The car flipped eight times, and Wright was ejected from it on the third roll.

“I landed over 150 feet from where the truck stopped rolling,” he says.

While the driver walked away without a scratch, Wright suffered two fractured vertebrae and twisted his spinal cord. He was paralyzed to his upper thighs.

Two days following Wright’s release from the hospital, his younger brother was shot and killed. That event cast his life in a new light.

contents

“The reality of my brother being gone forever was more real than not being able to walk,” he says. “I could not compare the pain or the hurt to the difficulty of knowing I can never see him again.”

Spurred on by a new sense of gratitude for his survival, Wright tackled rehabilitation with renewed vigor. Within a month he was driving, and within two months he was playing wheelchair basketball, swimming and power lifting.

“I was already positive, but (my brother’s death) made so simple,” he says. “Life is so fragile.”

Wright set out to become the best person he could be regardless of his physical condition. “I made my mind up very quickly to stay within the game of football,” he says. “I was going to coach, and I was going to overcome the stereotypical label of being disabled.”

Wright went on to coach football for nearly 20 years at the high-school and college levels before retiring and starting MACE in 2011. The organization shows disabled athletes that there can be more to life in a wheelchair than sitting at home and channel surfing, and it teaches various wheelchair sports like basketball, tennis, softball and waterskiing.

“We wanted to create a wheelchair recreation program that provided all kinds of opportunities,” Wright says. In its first year, MACE provided 16 sports clinics.

Wright has been married to his wife, Mahalia, for 15 years. The couple lives in Jackson.

—Mo Wilson

Cover photograph of Frank Bluntson by Trip Burns

11 Ward Warriors

Meet two more locals vying for spots on the city council, Ward 5’s Fran Bridges and Ward 2’s Stacey Webb.

24 Sweet Education

“The teaching aspect really helps me to focus on what I’m doing. It’s OK to make mistakes, just make new ones. And if they’re learning, they tend to make new mistakes. And I enjoy it.”

—Campbell’s owner Mitchell Moore, “No Half Measures”

33 Nintendo Opus

Video-game music is all grown up and worth a listen as a legitimate art form.

jacksonfreepress.com

4 ....................... publisher’s Note 6 ................................................ YOU 8 ............................................ Talks 12 ................................... BUsiness 14 ................ Editorial Cartoon 14 ................................... Stiggers 15 ..................................... Opinion 16 ............................. Cover Story 23 ................................ Parenting 24 .................................. Wellness 26 .......................................... food 28 ........................................... Arts 29 ........................................... Film 30 ................................ eight days 31 ................................ jfp events 33 ........................................ music 34 ........................ music listings 34 ...................................... sports 35 ..................................... Puzzles 37 ............................... astrology 37 .............................. Classifieds 38 ............................................. Gig

Courtesy Video Games Live ; julian rankin; trip burns; trip burns

april 17 - 23, 2013 | Vol. 11 No. 32

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PUBLISHER’s note

by Todd Stauffer, Publisher

The JFP Urban Development Manifesto

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t’s been heck of a spring in Jackson, what with the things we’ve expected— parades, festivals, contests, sunshine— and things we haven’t, such as the passing of Hal White, the murder of Det. Eric Smith and the bombings in Boston.

Both the day-to-day occurrences and the dramatic events not only shape our individual lives, but remind us that we’re all together in the tempest that is our alltoo-brief time here on the planet.

It’s also what we call “silly season” around the JFP offices—city elections. It’s during city elections that we feel our ears burning with the stories of what “the JFP is up to” more than at any other time— who we are backing; who we are slighting; whose pocket we’re supposedly in.

Meanwhile, what we’re actually trying to do is get the word out and help folks make smart decisions for themselves. Our reporters and editors are doing the most thorough job of talking to candidates and collecting information of any local news outlet—a trial-by-firefornewsreporterTylerCleveland, whom we welcome this spring. Also, kudos for their coverage to News and Opinion Editor Ronni Mott, reporter R.L. Nave, photographer Trip Burns and Editor-in-Chief Donna Ladd.

And while we’re slowly learning this spring who we’re not going to endorse for office—based, mostly, on whether they seem to be able to effectively run a campaign, much less a city—interviews are ongoing with mayoral and council candidates we’re considering. Which means we don’t yet know who we’ll endorse.

Or, for that matter, what. Another aspect of silly season is the assumption that the JFP is “working against” any particular entity or person in the city or that we’re “on the other side” of initiatives, developments and improvements.

Unless it’s just flat-out dumb, then

we’re not against your idea. We’re just in the business of questioning these ideas to make sure the best ones happen.

We didn’t think it was smart to collect the land across from the convention center for TCI; we’re not convinced that the best move for downtown Jackson is a too-small arena—or a too-big stadium.

We weren’t sure it made sense for a civil-

Unless it’s just flat-out dumb, then we’re not against your idea. rights museum to be at Tougaloo College.

I’m not convinced that Jackson shouldn’t have gone for the local-option sales tax even if it came with a stupid state commission. (There’s disagreement in the office on that one.) And so on.

Our goal is to have open minds—and guiding principles. On road trips recently (they give us time to think!) Donna Ladd and I have developed some thoughts that we’ve put to paper that encapsulate some lessons learned in our decade of publishing in Jackson—and some specific thoughts that crystallized over the past few months since we got a fantastic opportunity to visit Detroit back in February.

I’ll call this the JFP Urban Development Manifesto, designed as a living doc-

ument—call it a “beta”—to help answer the question of which program, exactly, the JFP can “get with” and why we might ask the questions we do. We’ll revise and extend and welcome intelligent feedback.

The JFP Urban Development Manifesto 1. Never focus on a large project when a small project will do. That doesn’t mean we shouldn’t do big things—it means we can’t put all our eggs in one basket. It’s the small things that add up to great city.

Ask Austin.

2. Build for your citizens, and the tourists will come. I’m not against the convention center or (within reason) the convention center hotel—but I’ve got to say that the Art Garden at the Mississippi Museum of Art has had considerably more impact on the quality of my life than has the JCC in a shorter period of time.

3. Incubate art. I love the idea of an Art Institute in downtown Jackson. But right now what we could use are inexpensive artists’ lofts and studios—at the same time that office occupancy has dropped fairly dramatically downtown. Let’s make that happen.

4. Every human deserves dignity, and a city should be designed to treat them as such.

Building good bike paths makes it easier for drivers to respect cyclists. Sidewalks promote walking and offer dignity to folks who are hoofing it. Good public transportation helps people get to the better jobs.

Homeless services mean less panhandling.

We can all help.

5. Crime is a symptom. Crime happens when people lose hope. We need jobs in Jackson; but even more so, we need wealth in areas outside of northeast Jackson and the suburbs. Programs that promote clean streets, clean up empty lots, develop character in young people, build skills for job seekers—they all also help sustain neigh-

borhoods and property values, which is how the majority of Americans build wealth. Neighborhoods and cities need to work together to build and maintain wealth, which equals opportunity.

6. Even people without checkbooks have good ideas. For too long, Jackson has had the mentality that it’s the guy with the checkbook who can fix things. While checks are nice, the era of solutions from the smoke-filled room has thankfully passed. We need to work together, brainstorm together and all get involved. Shutting down because you’re being disagreed with isn’t the answer.

7. Urban tax revenues are about density. Beware the suburban solution brought into town. It costs too much to build and can’t compete—we need urban densities, smart design and human-centric codes for new development. A little smaller, denser and human-sized is what makes sense.

8. Make “everyday” better. Farmer’s markets, small festivals, outdoor music, art shows, inexpensive venues, public spaces, walkable neighborhoods—it’s the everyday stuff that makes life better. Sure, a downtown lake might be nice ... but it’s only a small part of any solution. The real solution is all about people—seeing them laughing, sharing and solving problems together.

As a final example to strive for, let’s remember the place that Hal (and Mal) built—I’d trade every state and municipal building downtown for one local institution like Hal and Mal’s. (Except, of course, that would mean there wouldn’t be enough folks to keep lunch busy!)

Most important? Let’s keep the discussion going—let us know what our manifesto is missing and how we can all work together to improve, promote and create. Comment at jfp.ms/manifesto, or on our Facebook page at facebook.com/ jacksonfreepress.

April 17 - 23, 2013

contributors

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Ronni Mott

Tyler Cleveland

R.L. Nave

Julian Rankin

Anita Modak Truran

Bret Kenyon

Bethany Bridges

Latasha Willis

Ronni Mott came to Jackson by way of D.C. in 1997. She’s an award-winning writer and the JFP’s news and opinion editor.

She teaches yoga in her spare time. She helped interview Frank Bluntson for this issue.

Reporter Tyler Cleveland attended Southern Miss. When not reporting on city politics, he spends his time listening to music and pulling for Mississippi teams. Contact him at 601362-6121 ext. 22. He contributed several news stories.

Reporter R.L. Nave grew up in St. Louis, graduated from Mizzou (the University of Missouri), and lived a bunch of other places before coming to Jackson. Call him at 601-3626121 ext. 12. He wrote several news stories.

Julian Rankin was raised in Mississippi and educated at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. He writes about, photographs and paints all things southern. He wrote a food feature.

Anita Modak-Truran is a southern convert, having moved here from Chicago more than a decade ago with her husband and son. She loves the culture, cuisine and arts in these parts.

She wrote a film review.

Pittsburgh, Pa., native Bret Kenyon is a Belhaven College theater graduate who enjoys theater, music and writing.

He has worked with Off Kilter Comedy, Hardline Monks and Fondren Theatre Workshop. He wrote a music feature.

Editorial intern Bethany Bridges is a high school history and English teacher. She enjoys discussing politics and spending time with her family. Her ultimate goal in life is to raise a happy and sane family.

Events Editor Latasha Willis is a native Jacksonian, a freelance designer, and the mother of one cat. She shamelessly promotes her design skills at latashawillis.com.

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©2013 Blitz-Weinhard Brewing Co., Hood River, OR * Milwaukee, WI

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TRIP BURNS

[YOU & JFP]

Send us a photo of you and your JFP somewhere interesting.

You get a $20 gift certificate if we print it.

Name: Charlie Johnson From: Dallas, Texas Occupation: Belhaven student, studying psychology.

Favorite part of JXN: “Downtown” Last Book Read: “Born to Love: 50 Meditations on Love and Loving,”

Write us: letters@jacksonfreepress.com Tweet us: @JxnFreePress Facebook: Jackson Free Press

by Ben Coblentz

Favorite Quote: “When praises go up, blessings come down”

WHAT SONG DESCRIBES THIS YEAR’S MAYORAL RACE? Stephanie Burks “No Scrubs,” “Don’t Want to be a Fool”—Luther Vandross, “The Choice is Yours”—Black Sheep, “Pass the Dutchie” (ode to Gwendolyn), or “Enter Sandman”—Metallica.

Andrew Spencer I know this, if Jacksonians don’t elect Jonathan Lee the city’s new song will be “Loser” by Beck!

Cameron Compton “Stuck in the Middle with You,” Stealers Wheel.

Wayne McDaniels “YMCA” Joe Spence “Take the Power back,” by Rage Against the Machine.

Ronald D. Lane “Smoke on the Water.”

Charles Walter Jett Talking Heads, “Once in a Lifetime : Same as it ever was” Selket Myles “One in a Million, Chance of a Lifetime,” or “Keep on Running.”

Tré Thornhill “Crazy” by Gnarles Barkley.

Francis Springer “Up Where We Belong,” “Things Can Only Get Better,” “Don’t Bring Me Down,” “Under Pressure,” “It’s Only Make Believe,” or “The Winner Takes It All.” Della R Posey “Rolling in the Deep” or “I Can’t Get No Satisfaction”!

Marvin Lane “That Smell” Dorothy Alexander “A Change is Gonna Come!”

Most Viral Stories at jfp.ms:

April 17 - 23, 2013

1. “Remembering Eric Smith,” by Trip Burns, Tyler Cleveland, Ronni Mott, R.L. Nave 2. “Creative, Historic Space,” by Ronni Mott 3. “Jonathan Lee Releases 14-Page Plan,” Politics Blog, by Tyler Cleveland 4. “2013 Crossroads Film Festival,” by JFP Staff 5. “Curbing Murder in the Capital City,” by Tyler Cleveland Join the conversation at jfp.ms/comments.

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Mark Michalovic I tend to think The Who’s “Won’t Get Fooled Again” should be the theme song of just about every election.

Most Viral Events at jfpevents.com:

1. Township Jazz Festival, April 13 2. KidFest! Ridgeland, April 13 3. Spring Market of Jackson, April 13 4. Fondren Challenge, April 13 5. Shucker’s Crawfish Boil, April 13 Post events at jfpevents.com or email events@ jacksonfreepress.com.

YOUR TURN submission from jfp.ms

I

read with interest the article on Chokwe Lumumba, “From Militancy to the Mainstream.” Webster’s definition of militancy is from the word militant: “engaged in warfare or combat; fighting; aggressively active; combative. In the strictest terms, the New Africans People’s Organization; the Black Panthers, Student Non-Violent Coordinating Committee, CORE, NAACP, and various organizations under the banner of the Black Power movement, were all “fighting aggressively and active” for what? What was it that these groups were so “militant” about? Why are its leaders, even today called militant?

At the time these organizations were at their height, hundreds of black men, women and children had been lynched, burned, decapitated, castrated, had their property stolen and their freedom stolen. The book, “Worse Than Slavery, Parchman Prison and the Ordeal of Jim Crow Justice,” by Oshinsky, outlines a life of horror in Mississippi that people, identified as “militants” were “fighting” to bring an end to and the perpetrators to justice.

Men and women like Councilman Lumumba, Fannie Lou Hammer, Medgar Evers, Stok Carmichael, Malcolm X, and many, many named and unnamed, had the courage to stand up and proclaim, without apology, the humanness of Black people in this state and to insist

on justice. If it had not been for these courageous men and women of principle, with a commitment to human rights, consider what your condition might be today, your access to housing, jobs, education, health care. ... Councilman Lumumba is the person who you wonder, 40 years later, as you stand next to your home on the north side of Jackson; at your office in City Hall, seated at any restaurant or using a restroom downtown, in your classroom with “principal” on your door, or in line for a bank loan, is “too militant” to be mayor of Jackson, Mississippi?

As for the irrational fear of whites in this city that Councilman Lumumba is too militant, it is much more understandable. They are the perpetrators, the children, grandchildren and great grandchildren of the perpetrators of some of history’s most horrific acts. ...

The ones who stood silent in the face of the atrocities. They are the children who reaped and continue to reap the benefits of that horrific and enduring history of slave labor and death. They are the beneficiaries.

I would submit that they are not afraid of Chokwe Lumumba, the man.

What they are afraid of really seeing, is the clarity of the image in the mirror.

A better title for the article might be “An Enduring Fighter for Human Rights—Chokwe Lumumba.”

—MINA, via jfp.ms

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Sunday

April 21st

! FUNDRAISER for Detective Eric Smith

At Rooster’s from 11am - 5pm

Serving $10 lunch plates. All food is donated by Rooster’s, and the employees are volunteering their time, so 100% of the money will go to Detective Smith’s family. God Bless them. We will have tickets available for purchase ahead of time. Please support this effort to help this family through this horrible time.

Rooster’s Restaurant 2906 North State Street 601.982.2001

jacksonfreepress.com

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“If you come just one time, give us one shot, we’ve got you. You’ll like what you see.”

“It appeared to me that he had made up his mind that he wasn’t going to jail.”

—Jackson State University basketball coach Wayne Brent on his plans to get people interested in JSU roundball

Thursday, April 11

The 14th Annual Crossroads Film Festival begins. … North Korea delivers a fresh round of rhetoric claiming it has “powerful striking means” on standby.

Friday, April 12

Incoming Jackson State basketball coach Wayne Brent speaks to fans and media at Koinonia Coffee House. …

The French Senate votes to legalize same-sex marriage in France.

Saturday, April 13

Hinds County District 2 Supervisor Doug Anderson dies at age 74. … The Manda Packing Company in Louisiana recalls 468,000 pounds of meat due to possible contamination.

Sunday, April 14

Songwriter George Jackson, coauthor of “Old Time Rock and Roll,” dies at his Ridgeland home at age 68. …

Hugo Chavez’s hand-picked successor, Nicolas Maduro, wins Venezuela’s presidential election by a narrow margin.

April 17 - 23, 2013

Monday, April 15

U.S. District Judge Daniel P. Jordan III rules that Mississippi cannot close the Jackson Women’s Health Organization while it still has a federal lawsuit pending challenging a 2012 law requiring abortion doctors to obtain local hospital admitting privileges. … Two bombs explode in the crowded streets near the finish line of the Boston Marathon, killing at least three people and injuring more than 140.

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Tuesday, April 16

Gov. Phil Bryant signs into law a bill that prosecutors say bridges the gap between legal and medical definitions of child abuse. … A hearing begins the process of determining if—and in what form—records kept by religious orders of priests accused of sex abuse will be made public.

Get news updates at jfpdaily.com.

Clinic Wins Battle in Abortion War

by R.L. Nave

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anic momentarily gripped the Jackson Women’s Health Organization April 16 when a young bearded man wearing a military-style waist pack entered the abortion clinic unescorted and without an appointment.

After the man put his arms in the air and proclaimed that he was unarmed and on public property (the clinic is privately owned), a Jackson police officer forced the man to exit the clinic and leave the premises.

The incident briefly tamped down what had been a celebratory mood at JWHO, which this week again staved off attempts by state health officials to put the clinic out of business.

“There’s a heightened sense of uneasiness,” JWHO’s owner Diane Derzis told the Jackson Free Press outside the clinic Tuesday.

On Monday, U.S. District Judge Daniel P. Jordan III halted a process that likely would result in JWHO’s closure and make Mississippi the first state without an abortion clinic. Jordan ruled that the state cannot close the clinic before the conclusion of a pending federal lawsuit over a 2012 state law requiring all abortion doctors to obtain admitting privileges from a local hospital.

The Mississippi Department of Health had scheduled a license-revocation hearing for April 18, but with Jordan’s ruling, that hearing has been called off.

As Mississippi’s sole remaining abortion provider, JWHO is widely regarded as a trophy in the ongoing battle over abortion in the South.

Alabama recently passed an admitting privileges law similar to Mississippi’s. Derzis is also in the middle of a legal fight over New

R.L. Nave

Wednesday, April 10

After reports of gunfire, Air National Guard officials lock down a Mississippi base, but the noise turns out to be a device used to scare birds away from runways. … President Barack Obama releases his proposed federal budget.

—Jackson Assistant Police Chief Lee Vance on the motives of the suspect who shot and killed Det. Eric Smith

Mary “Fran” Bridges wants your vote for the Ward 5 council seat. p 11

Mississippi’s sole abortion clinic received another reprieve that will allow it to continue operating, at least for the foreseeable future. Pro-life protests at the clinic coninue.

Woman, All Women, an abortion provider in Birmingham. Last year, Alabama health officials revoked the Birmingham clinic’s license. Derzis, who owned the clinic at the time, said she is now renting the clinic to a private physician.

Meanwhile, abortion opponents plan to re-introduce the question of personhood—a definition of when life begins to be enshrined in the state Constitution—to Mississippi voters. Personhood measures in Mississippi and other states have been unsuccessful.

“I was disappointed that the judge would proclaim from on high to keep the clinic open,” said Leslie Hanks, a pro-life demonstrator who traveled to Jackson from Colorado.

Hanks said she recently helped put Personhood on the ballot in her home state for

Techno-Wonders

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t some point, even avowed Luddites have to admit that technology has had a huge impact on how Americans live their lives. Whether that impact has been positive may be an open question for some, but we’re fairly certain that average domestic gods and goddesses would be • Flying cars (or at least hoverboards) • Time machines • The Jetson booth that dressed you and did your hair and makeup in 2.5 seconds

much grumpier people without ordinary labor-saving devices like automatic washing machines and electric ovens. (Have you seen the expressions on the faces of 19thcentury housewives?)

Love technology or hate it (we’re lookin’ at you, driving texters), there are some things scien-

• Domestic robots • Personal jet packs • A bionic Internet plug-in • Smell-o-Vision • Automatic factchecking of anything

the fourth time. Clutching a Bible outside of JWHO, Hanks added that “bloodshed begets bloodshed,” meaning that she believes performing abortions are tantamount to terrorist actions, such as the bombings at the Boston Marathon April 15.

It’s that kind of talk that worries Derzis.

In 1998, Eric Rudolph bombed a Birmingham clinic Derzis owned at the time. Rudolph was also convicted of the 1996 Olympic Park bombing in Atlanta, which drew comparisons to the explosions in Boston.

Upon hearing the news of Jordan’s ruling, Derzis said she called the Jackson Police Department and Federal Bureau of Investigation to put the agencies on alert.

“This is a war. We won a battle,” Derzis said. “(But) this isn’t finished.”

Comment at www.jfp.ms. Email R.L. Nave at rlnave@jacksonfreepress.com.

tists still need to work on. Here’s a short list of the technological wonders that, if you’re a fan of scifi, should have been part of our day-to-day existence more than a decade into the 21st century. We put in a few others just to provide deep thinkers a little something to work on.

presented as “news” or a “documentary” on TV or the Internet • Teleportation (pollution-free, of course) • Home-entertainment systems capable of

playing all available formats • An instant weightloss and muscletoning pill • The fountain of youth

“My doctors say I’m fine, but you know, I had a son fall dead of a major heart attack at 33 years of age, so we don’t know what’s going to happen to us.”

—Jackson Ward 4 Councilman and mayoral candidate Frank Bluntson, 77, regarding his health

Mayor Hopefuls Looking for EPA Decree Solutions

by Tyler Cleveland

construction, enlargement, improvement, repair and/or extension of the combined wear and sewer system of the city,” according to the meeting agenda.

The second was a measure to allow the mayor to sign a contract with Layne Inliner LLC to build the west bank interceptor facility. The agenda did not include a cost, but Chris Mims, Jackson’s director of communications, said that project is expected to run approximately $5 million.

Mims added that the mayor plans to find solutions that will have the least impact on ratepayers.

The Savanna Street Wastewater Treatment Plant The timeline leaves the is a regional facility that has drawn the ire of the man or woman who wins Environmental Protection Agency and could cost the city the Jackson mayor’s race with over $1 billion. the tall task of overseeing the reconstruction of Jackson’s city council approved the 383-page decree in water and sewage system.

October, the city didn’t officially enter into “I think that there is an approach that the agreement until March 1, making the we aren’t using,” mayoral hopeful Jonathan first deadline July 1.

Lee said. “That approach is utilizing our abil The EPA expects Jackson to have a ity to partner with communities outside of west bank interceptor work plan, a blueprint Jackson that are currently on the system as for a facility to test the water dumped into customers.” the Pearl River for pollutants, by that date.

“It’s important to say that the bill is due.

Other deadlines outlined in the decree range We have to address the problem. … But I from six months to 17 years. think that rather than looking to the rate-pay The city council was set to vote Tues- er, in one way or the other—by raising rates day evening as the Jackson Free Press went or floating bonds on the city’s bonding authorto print on a pair of pertinent measures. The ity—is not the only way to get it done.” first was an up-or-down vote on approving a Jackson attorney Regina Quinn, anoth$90 million water and sewer revenue bond er leading candidate, worked for the city of “for the purpose of financing the acquisition, New Orleans Water and Sewer Board while

in law school. She said the Crescent City had similar problems at that time.

“Some of the penalties that they were assessed, instead of just paying the money over to the EPA, they presented proposals for some projects,” Quinn said in a February JFP interview. “That way, you use the money to do green projects, or other projects that will benefit your city, and have the money to go back into the city. That’s one thing that we certainly need to pursue.”

Quinn added that the money to pay for the project would be tough to come by, and that the city should take steps to work with the state Legislature to get some relief and to finally put the long-proposed, 1-percent sales tax on the ballot for an up-or-down vote.

Ward 2 Councilman and mayoral candidate Chokwe Lumumba agrees on the sales tax. He called for an up-or-down vote on the issue in a JFP interview earlier this month.

“On the 1-percent sales tax situation,” Lumumba said. “We just need to get it straight and, hopefully, shed that (oversight) commission. That’s one of the ways that we’re going to be looking at it. There are other companies out there that have leaseto-own programs in terms of repairing old water systems. What they do is, the city pays on it over a period of time, on a sort-of leaseto-own situation.

“For instance, just a hypothetical: A company comes in, and they put in like $400 million of pipes and change the system around.

They own it. What happens is (the city) begins to pay them back. So you’re leasing it until you pay them back. That’s a possibility.”

Comment at www.jfp.ms. Email Tyler Cleveland at tyler@jacksonfreepress.com.

jacksonfreepress.com

residential properties. The price tag for that program is $875,000.

The city has spent $70 million in sewer-system improvements and $155 million on its water system since 1997. Although the Trip Burns

I

t’s been four months since the Jackson City Council agreed to the consent decree from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. But when it comes to the city’s ongoing effort to fix its sewers and bring its wastewater management into the modern era, questions outnumber answers.

The U.S. EPA and the U.S. Department of Justice, along with the Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality announced in November a comprehensive Clean Water Act settlement with the city.

Jackson has agreed to make improvements to its sewer systems to eliminate overflows of untreated raw sewage and unauthorized bypasses of treatment at the Savanna Street Wastewater Treatment Plant.

The city agreed to pay a $437,916 fine for dumping some 2.8 billion gallons of barely treated wastewater into the Pearl River.

The city has already paid the first $109,000 installment on the fine. But the fine is probably less than one-tenth of 1 percent of the cash it will take to bring Jackson’s facilities up to the standards of the consent decree.

At the urging of Mayor Harvey Johnson Jr., on Oct. 8, 2012, the Jackson City Council voted 3-2 to a plan to spend $400 million over 17 years to make sewer improvements and to pay fines to the Environmental Protection Agency for releasing more than 2.8 billion gallons of minimally treated sewage into the Pearl River system from 2008 to 2012.

The EPA decree demands implementation of a supplemental environmental project to reduce the flow of water entering the sewer system by eliminating illicit stormwater connections and repairing defective, private lateral sewer lines from low-income

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DISH | City Council Candidates

Bridges: Ready for New Faces

by Tyler Cleveland

our students is to be a positive role model.”

Bridges is trying to unseat incumbent Councilman Charles Tillman so she can lead Ward 5.

Some have described Jackson’s infrastructure as “crumbling.”

How can we come up with the money to reverse that trend and fix our city’s streets and pipes?

our community, we’ll have a better understanding of how to watch out for each other.

The other things I think we can do is (deal with) the number of (dilapidated)

Trip Burns

M

ay “Fran” Bridges likes to describe herself as a servant leader, and that’s a pretty accurate title.

One of Jackson’s most outgoing volunteers, the Tylertown native is a member of the Pecan Park Neighborhood Association, the West Central Jackson Improvement Association, the 1996 Leadership Jackson Class and a member of St. Luther Missionary Baptist Church.

After graduating from J.J. Gulledge High School—now Tylertown High School—in rural Walthall County, Bridges headed to Jackson, where she’s been ever since.

Bridges received her bachelor’s and master’s degrees and a doctoral degree in administration from Jackson State University. The 60-year-old left the world of telecommunication 17 years ago to further the presence of people of color in the professional fields of science, technology, engineering and mathematics. She has long been involved with both the Executive PhD and the Jake Ayers Institute for Research in Higher Education programs at Jackson State.

“In my world, we have a tendency to do a bunch of teaching and training,” Bridges said.

“We expect to encourage our students to do things, but the best thing that we can do for

Working collaboratively with our mayor and the other city council persons, and even bringing in some outside sources from the community—business people who might have expertise—and seeing what we can collectively do to solve our problem.

What approach do you favor to corral the crime in Jackson?

May “Fran” Bridges says she’s ready to see some new leadership in Jackson, her home for the last 40 years.

When I think about crime, I guess one of the things that we have to do is, hopefully, have visibility of the police. But, at the same time, I think residents in the community can be more vigilant by being more neighborly. We have a tendency to go in our houses sometimes and not interact with our neighbors, but if we are building relationships with our neighbors, and we know who is in

buildings in our community—housing issues and things like that. I think we need get our youth involved. We have to start that dialogue and ask them what they think will reduce the crime, because the more people you have involved the better it is. The level of awareness is heightened, and we might make up some ground there.

Jackson has suffered some black eyes in education with high dropout rates and low test scores. How can we reverse the trend?

I think the first thing we must do is see our youth as a part of the solution and not the problem. A key to a successful school is for there to be a strong, vibrant and safe community. I don’t think we should look at it like our students are failing or that our schools are failing us.

We should look at it as we are all failing. With any intellectual ability skills knowledge that we have, we should be stepping forward trying to bridge the gap so we have successful schools. Churches can play a big role there. You learn a lot in school, but there are another 15, 16 or 17 hours in the day that can be used to teach lessons that will transfer back into the classroom.”

Read the full interview and other candidate interviews at jfp/ms/citycouncilrace2013. Email Tyler Cleveland at tyler@jacksonfreepress.com.

Webb: Ready to Lead

by Tyler Cleveland

Stacey Webb has been training for the job of city councilman for more than six years.

How can leaders on the city council turn the tide on crime in Jackson?

I think it starts in the neighborhoods.

We need strong neighborhood associations and neighborhood-watch programs. I’ve learned that the police operate off of tips

from citizens, and if the community gets involved, the better job the police can do. It starts at the top and works down, but the citizens need to take their neighborhoods back.

Public participation is going to be the key to a lot of our city’s woes. That’s with education, jobs and crime.

[Education is] a problem that is tied into crime. What will it take for JPS to turn around sagging test scores and rising dropout rates? It’s going to take parents getting involved with their child’s education. I had one daughter make it through JPS, and she graduated and did well, and I have another daughter working her way through now. It takes parent participation. I have to applaud their mother with the job she has done with them in being involved in their education.

The young people that do make it through high school and some higher education seem to be leaving Jackson for bigger cities. How can we retain some of that talent?

We have to get them involved. We use Millsaps (College), Jackson State and Belhaven (University) to do some political-science stud-

ies and things like that, but I think the city should have a channel where students—while they are in college—can get involved.

I think the days of the big-box stores in Jackson are over. I think we need to look at small businesses. If you look at I-55 right now, we have a Save-A-Lot, a smaller store, but it’s doing a lot of business. ... Those are the kinds of businesses that are supplying jobs.

Do you believe Metrocenter will make a comeback?

I do, just in a different form. It’s just going to have to be more mom-and-pop stores rather than big chains.

Do you think it’s important for Jackson to become a destination city?

It’s the capital city. There’s a lot of history here—the civil-rights history, the colleges.

There’s a lot of culture. I think we can be that if we put the right people in the right place to be ambassadors for the city. Everything is not bad; it’s just the way it’s portrayed.

Read the full interview and other candidate interviews at jfp/ms/citycouncilrace2013. Email Tyler Cleveland at tyler@jacksonfreepress.com.

jacksonfreepress.com

operated, until recently, Capital City Limousine Service in Jackson.

Trip Burns

S

tacey Webb yearns to lead. That’s why he’s been trying to do it for six years.

Webb ran for the state House of Representatives in 2007 in the 66th district against incumbent Rep. Cecil Brown and lost. In 2009, he ran against Chokwe Lumumba for a city council seat representing Ward 2. He failed again. Now, he’s taking a second shot at the council seat.

“The first time I ran, it was more about gaining experience.” Webb said. “It was a great experience, and I learned a lot. Then, two years later, I ran for city council, and didn’t fare as well as I thought I would. I supported Mr. Lumumba after I lost and stayed involved as much as I could.”

In 2010, Webb graduated with a bachelor’s degree from Jackson State University and attended Leadership Jackson, a community-wide organization that develops existing and emerging leaders in the metro area. He has since been through the Citizens Police Academy and was twice elected to serve on the Hinds County Democratic Executive Committee.

The 39-year-old real-estate appraiser

11

TALK | business

New University Place Plans Raise Eyebrows

by R.L. Nave

New Blue Plate Special

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April 17 - 23, 2013

sun | april 21 Doug Frank Unplugged 4:00 - 8:00p

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O

ne of Gov. Phil Bryant’s first actions in office was to sell one of two state-owned jets to trim a few million dollars from the state’s bottom line. At the time, the new governor said he would take a commercial flight if he needed to or hitch a ride with a Mississippi business owner who owns a private jet and talk about how to grow jobs on the flight.

In recent weeks, Bryant’s relationship with one such barnstorming business owner has raised eyebrows and sparked grumblings about political favoritism.

The controversy centers on the Mississippi Home Corporation, or MHC, a little-known quasi-state agency with legislative oversight that helps finance affordable housing projects, and Oxford-based developer Clarence W. Chapman, who has contributed to the governor’s political campaigns and who sometimes has Bryant as a guest on his company jet.

West Jackson residents worry that Chapman’s influence with Bryant would bring an unwanted development to their neighborhood. Lee Harper, who owns Koinonia Coffee House, said she and fellow neighbors believe a concentration of low-income houses could hurt community revitalization down the road.

“It’s not that we’re against it. We want to see our community viable for the long-term. We want to see growth, and different kinds of growth,” Harper said.

In 2012, Chapman’s company, Chartre Consulting Ltd., started working on a plan to construct University Place and University Place II, an 88-unit development featuring market-rate townhomes for low-income families, along Dr. Robert Smith Parkway.

The project hinged on receiving low-income housing tax credits from MHC, established in 1989. The Internal Revenue Service allows state housing agencies such as MHC to award developers up to $750,000 in tax credits per project based on a scoring system. Investors then purchase the credits to use toward their federal tax bill each year for a decade, making Mississippi’s yearly allocation of about $6.8 million in housing credits worth $68 million.

Chartre’s plans for the projects stalled when it failed to obtain city zoning approval. As a result, MHC initially rejected the company’s application for low-income housing tax credits for the University Place development. But, in a special funding round April 10, MHC awarded Chartre and several previously

Gov. Phil Bryant’s trips on an Oxford businessman’s private jet have some state government observers crying foul.

rejected developments the tax credits to move their projects forward.

MHC spokesman Scott Spivey said the special funding round was aimed at developments that are close to the healthcare zones the Legislature created in 2012 to stimulate health-care business growth around the state. Spivey called charges that MHC changed the rules to favor Chapman or any single developer “preposterous.”

Chapman, too, scoffed at the idea that the special funding round represented a personal favor from Bryant. He explained: “I was very deeply involved with talking the governor into putting the money on the table, but I had absolutely nothing to do with how they put it on the table. … If I had any influence on how they carried this thing out, I sure as hell wouldn’t have done it this way.”

Chapman said he lobbied Bryant and educated the governor’s staff for a year on the benefits of holding the special allocation and issuing two years’ worth of credits in advance to help jumpstart development in the Jackson medical corridor along Woodrow Wilson Avenue, which Bryant has championed as vital to job growth.

Under the rules of the special allocation, which breathed life into 21 developments whose applications for tax credits had either been wait-listed or denied in 2012, Chartre must commence construction by May 31 or face penalties, Chapman said.

Acknowledging that his company plane sometimes carries Bryant, Chap-

man stressed that he reports the trips as a campaign contribution. Campaign-finance records show that Chapman and his company gave $4,500 to Bryant’s gubernatorial campaign in 2011. During the 2012 campaign-reporting cycle, Chapman contributed $3,375 to Bryant.

As a result of his education efforts, Chapman said that “there’s $160 million in cash going into the ground across the state that otherwise would have been sitting on a shelf for two and a half years” and that 1,000 low-income families will have affordable housing earlier than they would if MHC had not advanced the tax credits.

Now that funding is in place, Chartre plans to build University Place near downtown instead of the Parkway.

Chapman said the new footprint would be north of High Street, west of Lamar Street, on the west side of Greenwood Cemetery, and go almost to Fortification Street, Chapman said.

The project would also fall within in the Farish Street Historical District, which Chapman believes could spark the ongoing redevelopment efforts in the Farish Street Entertainment District.

“This is not a risk to the state; this is a risk to the developers. We’re grown boys.

If we can’t decide that with our investors and our lenders then that’s our problem,” Chapman said. “I did a good deed for the state. I helped the governor create money out of thin air—a bucket of money.”

Comment at www.jfp.com. Email R.L. Nave at rlnave@jacksonfreepress.com.

April 28 - May 4, 2013

Save Some Dates!

Kickoff Party: April 28 (join the list at JFPDaily.com to get an invite)

This spring, the JFP brings you JFP Chef Week, a wonderful opportunity to visit new restaurants and raise money for local charities!

Each Chef will be offering a signature dish and working with a charity to get YOUR votes as to who will receive the prize money.

Participating

so

far

Tom Ramsey

Troy Woodson

Mitchell Moore

Nathan Glenn

Underground 119 and Roux

High Noon Cafe

Campbell’s Bakery

904 Pizza

Luis Bruno

Nic Laurie

Bruno’s Adobo

Islander Seafood and Oyster House

Chester Williams

Shaun Fontenot

Adam Brown

Matthew Kajdan

Amerigo Italian Restaurant

Anjou

Sal and Mookie’s

Parlor Market

Derek George

Gary Hawkins

Char Restaurant

Fairview Inn Sophia’s Restaurant

John Michael Smith

Eric Bures

Sombra Mexican Kitchen

Marriot Hotel

still time!

’s s: The61re Chellf60 x11 to learn 21 21-36

jacksonfreepress.com

Ca eek t JFP Chef W more abou

13

Paying Attention

W

hile toiling through the task of paying bills, I happened on an article in Sunday’s ClarionLedger. The article, by Brian Eason, expressed frustrations about gathering information from this year’s crop of municipal candidates. From Jackson to Clinton to Byram, it seems that several candidates and their campaigns had problems fulfilling simple requests and following instructions. Information was late—if turned in at all—or not up-to-date.

I thought back to JFP’s recent story about the mayoral candidates and how several of them failed to file campaign reports on time. I thought about recent city council forums where candidates have shown up callously late, if at all.

Does any of this raise a red flag for voters? It seems as if politics in the metro area has gone the way of the rap industry and reality TV. Folks see it as an easy way to get famous or to make a quick buck. Why else do we have mayoral candidates that number in the double digits? Do all of these candidates think they have a real chance to win, or are they just looking to garner the attention that comes with running for our city’s highest office?

How many of our municipal candidates have competent staff around them—staff that understands the nuances of a campaign? How many of these candidates understand the seriousness of the offices they seek? Or the time it will require? Has our current crop of civic leaders made politics look so easy that anybody thinks they can do it?

While I love living in a country where any citizen can run for public office, I also hate living in a country where so many think they should. We’ve got to ask ourselves: Have we, the people, been demanding enough of those we charge to lead us? Are we making them earn the pay and the perks afforded to them?

Or are we allowing folks to make politics into a hustle that will earn them some extra spending money and a VIP seat at the Penguin?

If they don’t have the common sense to follow a simple set of instructions on a questionnaire, can they be trusted to lead?

In my next column, I’ll be revealing my choice for the next Jackson mayor and why. Until then, I’m still paying attention to all the small things—because the small things matter, sometimes more than the big things.

And that’s the truth ... sho-nuff.

‘Bass’ “To address the (board) president with all that bass in your voice is just wrong.”

April 17 - 23, 2013

— Hinds County District 5 Supervisor Kenneth Stokes to Byram Fire Chief Marshall Robinson for angrily addressing Board President Robert Graham

14

Why it stinks: In southern culture, telling someone to take the bass out of their voice is a way to admonish an individual for being unjustifiably aggressive, insubordinate or otherwise disrespectful. But in this case, it was Graham who was being disrespectful. Byram has been trying to get new radios for its volunteer fire department, but Hinds officials have not responded to request.

At Monday’s meeting, Graham said there was no rush to supply the radios because Bryant’s fire department is all-volunteer. If Robinson raised the level of bass in his voice, it was because he was defending what he considered an attack from Graham on the professionalism of his firefighters. On that point, District 3 Supervisor Peggy Hobson Calhoun sided with Robinson. She said: “Hinds County would not have a fire department if not for volunteers. Why can’t we honor them by providing them with the proper equipment?”

The Future of Newspapers

T

he program at Millsaps College April 15 was “The Future of Newspapers: The Clarion-Ledger’s Pulitzer Prize 30 Years Later.”

The question: Can newspapers still convey big ideas?

In spring 1982, former Gov. William Winter had just finished a legislative session where his Education Reform Act failed for the second straight year. Then he heard The Clarion-Ledger hired a new executive editor—the chairman of Tennessee’s Republican Party, Charles Overby. The Democratic governor thought the news couldn’t get any worse.

Fortunately for Winter, Overby shared his vision for education reform. That summer, he set out to find answers to Mississippi’s education problems.

For six months, two of Overby’s best reporters, Nancy Weaver Teichert and Fred Anklam, traveled around the state to find out what ailed the schools.

The investigation spawned 51 stories and 27 editorials in 24 days during a legislative special session.

Lawmakers—some of whom had appeared in the C-L’s “Hall of Shame” for blocking education reform—changed their votes to require public schools to offer kindergarten and adopt compulsory attendance regulations. Winter got his landmark education legislation.

It was a victory for the governor, a win for the paper (Overby displayed the 1983 Pulitzer Prize for public service at Monday’s panel) and a triumph for Mississippi.

Could it happen again? Perhaps, but it would be harder in today’s world of newspaper cutbacks

and vitriolic political divides. “We constantly talk about the greater good,” Brian Tolley, executive editor at the C-L said at Millsaps. “That is our mission.

We have fewer people, but we talk constantly about what stories we’re going to do. We’ve had to let go of some things (to provide) quality, contextual information.”

Ronnie Agnew, the Ledger’s former executive editor and now executive director of Mississippi Public Broadcasting, said he’s not willing to give up trying to recreate the kind of journalism that happened 30 years ago. “Newspapers can get people talking about things, and newspapers can set the agenda unlike any other media source,” he said. “… I’m ready to fight.”

Rick Cleveland, director of the Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame and Museum, former sports columnist and father of Jackson Free Press reporter Tyler Cleveland, was not as gung-ho. The economics of the industry is a big stumbling block, he said. Of the five papers he grew up reading, Cleveland said, two no longer exist and another, the New Orleans Times-Picayune, prints only three times a week.

“My hometown newspaper, The Hattiesburg American, has a ‘for sale’ sign in the front yard. That hurts.” Cleveland said. “I’m real worried about the future, and I think the future for newspapers is in community ownership … local ownership that cares about the community and not about pleasing stockholders.”

We couldn’t agree more.

Email letters and rants to letters@jacksonfreepress.com, fax to 601-510-9019 or mail to P.O. Box 5067, Jackson, Miss., 39296. Include daytime phone number. Letters may be edited for length and clarity, as well as factchecked.

Sherry Wallace-Barnes

EDITORIAL News and Opinion Editor Ronni Mott Features Editor Kathleen Morrison Mitchell Reporters Tyler Cleveland, R.L. Nave Events Editor Latasha Willis Copy Editors Dustin Cardon, Molly Lehmuller Editorial Assistant Leigh Horn Music Listings Editor Natalie Long Fashion Stylist Meredith Sullivan Writers Torsheta Bowen, Ross Cabell Marika Cackett, Richard Coupe, Jim Pathfinder Ewing, Bryan Flynn, Genevieve Legacy, Anita Modak-Truran, Larry Morrisey, Eddie Outlaw, Julie Skipper, Kelly Bryan Smith Editorial Interns Angelica Allen, Nneka Ayozie, Bethany Bridges, Krista Davis Amber Helsel, Mo Wilson Consulting Editor JoAnne Prichard Morris ART AND PHOTOGRAPHY Art Director Kristin Brenemen Advertising Designer Andrea Thomas Production Designer Latasha Willis Staff Photographer/Videographer Trip Burns Editorial Cartoonist Mike Day Photographers William Patrick Butler, Tate K. Nations, Amile Wilson ADVERTISING SALES Advertising Director Kimberly Griffin Account Managers David Rahaim, Brad Young Sales Assistant Samantha Towers Marketing Intern Tamika Smith BUSINESS AND OPERATIONS Director of Operations David Joseph Executive Assistant Erica Crunkilton Distribution Manager Richard Laswell Distribution Raymond Carmeans, John Cooper Jordan Cooper, Clint Dear Ruby Parks, Jody Windham ONLINE Web Editor Dustin Cardon Web Designer Montroe Headd Multimedia Editor Trip Burns CONTACT US: Letters letters@jacksonfreepress.com Editorial editor@jacksonfreepress.com Queries submissions@jacksonfreepress.com Listings events@jacksonfreepress.com Advertising ads@jacksonfreepress.com Publisher todd@jacksonfreepress.com News tips news@jacksonfreepress.com Fashion style@jacksonfreepress.com Jackson Free Press P.O. Box 5067, Jackson, Miss., 39296 Editorial (601) 362-6121 Sales (601) 362-6121 Fax (601) 510-9019 Daily updates at jacksonfreepress.com

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G

rowing up on a quiet street in the Hanging Moss area of north Jackson was a wonderful experience. Living on a street with moss-draped trees, my memories were made more colorful by the people who lived on that street. The Smith family was among them.

Before he became Det. Eric T. Smith, homicide detective for the Jackson Police Department, he was simply known as “The Twin.” Eric and Cedric Smith—the “twins”—were inseparable. They were fun loving, energetic, athletic, polite and somewhat quiet. They both had a large circle of acquaintances in school and they were often a two-for-one friendship package.

Eric had an “old soul,” as folks used to call it. He was quiet; reserved, yet outgoing; and tactful, yet honest. People looked to him as a leader.

I remember his mother as a statuesque woman. You could always count on seeing her at PTA meetings, athletic events and other school activities. If mothers have a special bond with their sons, it was evident in Mrs. Smith. Her love for her children was undeniable.

During our school days, Eric was often noticeably lost in thought, but he would never disclose if anything was bothering him. He just smiled and moved on to another subject. Eric seemed to be one of those kids who never stressed about the woes of growing up. He and his brother were model students, always respectful of their peers and instructors. Eric was loved by his teachers and adored by his friends.

Eric served in the U.S. Marine Corp after graduating from Callaway High School in 1990. Although he excelled in military life, you would never know by talking to him. Eric did not brag about his time in the Corps, and did not look for a hero status. He entered the military to serve his country, not for the recognition he might have received from his position.

Shortly after his promotion to the JPD homicide division, Det. Smith became a close acquaintance with a superior officer. I had the opportunity to speak with Eric’s former commander, who spoke fondly of Eric as though he were still with us.

“I’ve never seen someone as even-tempered as Detective Smith,” he said. “He was level headed and always the same way.

Whether you saw him after he just arrested a murder suspect for a heinous crime, or he was on the way to a restaurant to eat, he would have the same expression. Eric was a very private person. You could talk to him for

hours, but you may not walk away knowing much more about his private life than you did when the conversation started. This was not a rudeness, but Eric just didn’t talk much about himself. He was not the type of person that would brag or be prideful.”

Eric did not appear easily frazzled, even when he dealt with cases that could have easily put a lot of us in a state of anger, hatred, fear or depression. Eric’s calm demeanor and even temper did not indicate a lack of feeling or compassion, quite the opposite; it showed Eric’s strength and tenacity.

Before becoming a detective, Eric could be seen in his JPD uniform at Jackson State University games at Jackson Memorial Stadium. He was not one of those officers that had to make a large presence. He would stand quietly, observing the crowd, waving at those he knew and smiling at those he didn’t know. Some have said that Eric’s smile could make a person feel as though they were the only priority at that moment.

Many people may not understand the burden of being a police officer, especially in the homicide division. Eric would often be one of the first officers on the scene and one of the last ones to leave. We often think of the grief of the victim’s family but not the grief of the suspect’s family. Eric carried the burden for many of these families: when the family members would call Eric to ask for help, for answers, for guidance, or sometimes just a listening ear, Eric was there to offer all of those things.

His life was filled with many long hard days, and his responsibilities were numerous as a husband, father, brother, son, mentor and friend.

A Facebook dedication page has been set up as a memorial for Eric and, as of April 12, the page has more than 7,700 “likes” and 27,000 comments. Police chiefs and law enforcement agencies from across the country have posted condolences for the fallen officer. Friends of friends that never knew Eric have offered prayers and words of encouragement to those who knew Eric well.

Eric’s personal Facebook page has a final post on April 3, the day before his passing, that reads “Long day at work. Time to head West.” It brought tears to my eyes as I thought of it being Eric’s last post for all of us to see. Just as the sun set in the west, so did Eric’s time with us.

Sherry Wallace-Burns is an RN specializing in health-care information technology. She enjoys traveling, photography, spending time with friends and family, and taking in all the wonderful things life has to offer.

“Eric had an old soul. He was quiet; reserved, yet outgoing.”

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Editor-in-Chief Donna Ladd Publisher Todd Stauffer

Headed West: Det. Eric T. Smith

15

JFP Interview

‘It’s Not About Me’ The JFP Interview with

Mayoral Hopeful Frank Bluntson

J

April 17 - 23, 2013

ackson City Councilman Frank Bluntson, 77, is not exactly a newcomer to local politics: He has served almost eight years on the Jackson City Council, and several as council president. He has also spent many hours over the years talking politics and interviewing politicians about the city and the latest controversy of the day on his AM radio show, “Straight Talk.”

But it’s his friendships with past politicians that many people think of first when his name is mentioned. Bluntson has long been “very close” friends with a diverse lineup of power brokers in the city, among them former District Attorney Ed Peters, former Mayor Dale Danks Jr. and former Mayor Frank Melton, now deceased.

During his interview in the Jackson Free Press classroom, Bluntson talked about the role he has played as a political kingmaker in Jackson. He spoke of his helping Danks, who is white, get more black voters as an emissary of sorts between powerful white Jackson and the black community. He also said that he was the person who got current District Attorney Robert Shuler Smith to first run for that position.

Bluntson has also made a name for himself as a talk-show host and for his work over the years helping seniors in Jackson.

Since 1977, he has organized the Craig Bluntson/WKXI/WOAD Senior Citizens’ Food Drive, now named for his son who died of a heart attack at age 36. The Mississippi Legislature passed a resolution in 1998 applauding him for the effort, as well as for “outstanding leadership skills.”

Now, Bluntson says, he is ready to take those leadership skills to the city’s top office.

16

We’re told that a Jackson City Council member has never been elected mayor. You’ve been on the council the last four years under (Mayor Harvey) Johnson and four years under Mayor (Frank) Melton. Why should voters think you’ll be different from them?

First of all, I’m here to break that tradition about a Jackson City Councilman never being elected (mayor). No. 1, I’ve had the opportunity to serve under both of the mayors. This is my eighth year on the council.

One thing that I have found is that you really have to be a people person when you’re deal-

Frank Bluntson

Trip Burns

by Ronni Mott, Donna Ladd andTyler Cleveland

Age: 77 Hometown: Clarksdale Professional Experience: Manager, Hinds County Juvenile Detention Center; investigator for District Attorney Ed Peters; currently retired. Also radio host, WOAD AM 1300; Jackson city councilman since 2006 Family: Wife Juanita; three children: Lavern, Eric, Craig (deceased); grandson Connor Education: Coahoma Junior College, Mississippi Industrial College, Jackson State University

ing with people. I’ve done it all of my life.

I’ve always tried to be compassionate with people, helping people. And I always say, “It’s not about me; it’s about you.”

Why I’m like that is because I’m a little country boy from the Delta. I’ve picked cotton, chopped cotton, and I had a lot of people to help me along the way.

If I had not had these people to help me along the way, Lord, I don’t know where I’d be now. I probably wouldn’t be here now. But because of that, I have given my life to trying to help other folks, to get over the hump, so to speak.

I remember back when an old lady named Emma Marshall had a balloon payment on her home, and they were about to take her home. And I got on my radio show and raised over $14,000 to save that old lady’s home. I mean, that’s the kind of thing that warms my heart, to make a difference in the lives of other people.

You’ve had pretty serious health issues in the past. How’s your health now?

Wasn’t it during the Melton administration that you had surgery?

My doctors say I’m fine, but you know, I had a son to fall dead of a major heart attack at 33 years of age, so we don’t know what’s going to happen to us. I just live day-to-day and thank God for my health. I get up every morning feeling fine, and I don’t know what the Lord has planned for me, but I hope to live a long life.

I’ve had two surgeries: I had back surgery, and in 1976, I think, I had a kidney stone, and that’s why I always say the Lord looks out for his people, I guess. During this kidney stone operation, in those days they didn’t have (the less invasive procedures they have now). They had to cut you. And I was in the hospital. It was 1977. When they cut me on the left side to remove that stone, it just so happened they saw something in my right kidney. … They said, “Frank, it’s something; we don’t know what it is.” … By the

Are you taking medications or being treated for health issues now?

No more than high blood pressure.

So what was wrong with you within the last eight years that you were in the hospital at one point? Wasn’t there something serious?

I was out a ground-breaking at a school, and what happened is I had taken a bloodpressure pill that morning, and I didn’t take a prostate pill I was supposed to take (earlier). I thought I could take it along with my bloodpressure pill. You always should follow the doctor’s orders. I passed out.

I knew it was something. I was out there with a shovel, and I threw the dirt, and the dirt was coming back at me. Next thing I knew, I’m out. … That other pill, I was supposed to take it at night when I want to bed like the doctor said, but I forgot it. I thought I could take (them together), which I found out I couldn’t. That’s what happened.

They had that whole headline in the paper. It was out there on McDowell Road; a big groundbreaking. The press was already there. They didn’t have to call anybody.

It was really funny, because when I came to, I said, “What are y’all doing on me?

Get back! What are you doing?” This lady was all over me, and my shirt was all open and everything.

But anyway, the ambulance came, and … my son got in there with me. This ambulance guy who was riding in the back, I never will forget, he kept asking my son, “Who is he?” And my son says, “That’s my daddy.”

We went about 75 more yards, and he says, “Man, who is he?” And (my son says): “Man, that’s my daddy. Why are you asking these questions? We’re trying to get to the hospital.”

And (the ambulance guy) says, “We’ve never had a police car leading us to the hospital and one behind us.”

I don’t know why they were doing that, but in fact, that’s why he asked. I guess … they did that because I’m on city council. I

stayed (in the hospital) overnight, and I went to Clarksdale that Saturday morning to speak at one of my best guys’ funeral up there.

and they can’t go to any department heads?

Let’s get into some city business kind of questions. What would you do differently from the current administration regarding development?

So would you do away with the 311 system?

First of all, I would be very business friendly. I’d be citizen friendly. The No. 1 thing, I would not micro-manage my employees, my department heads.

I would get the very best department heads that I could get with the help of the universities that we have here … get the very best people for each position, and then I would let them do their job.

My job, I feel, is going out and selling Jackson and trying to keep business from leaving here and trying to bring more business into Jackson. I feel that that’s my business, and I feel that’s not going on at this time. You know, when we have a big building like out there on Highway 80 to leave the city of Jackson because they can’t get egress and from the back via Calico Place, and Mr. (Charles) Tillman and I went out there to talk to those gentlemen, and they were saying that they had been working with the present mayor for six or seven months trying to see if he, on Highland Drive back there just let them, you know. See, I would have built them another little highway back there.

We don’t need to lose a business like that to leave the city of Jackson.

So, that’s one of the first things that I think is quite different between me and the present administration. And not only that: I feel that the city council should have access to work with all the department heads, because they are closest to the people. And when you let them work with all department heads then they can get things done, not calling a 311 number. You know, sometimes they don’t answer 911. How are you going to answer 311?

These are some of things that are different for me. I don’t want anything to come right to me in my office. That’s why you have these other elected officials, and they elect all of us to work together. That’s what my motto is: Working together, we can do better.

So you’re saying that everybody has to go straight to the mayor’s office,

No. I’m talking about city council.

By all means. I’d let the elected officials in each ward be the 311 system. They would work their wards. … You know, you feel helpless at times, when people come up

Frank Bluntson wants to get rid of the city’s 311 system. to you and say, “Mr. Bluntson, why can’t I get this” whatever it is in that neighborhood.

You say, “You need to call 311.”

“I call it. I can’t get anybody to do anything.” My secretary, also, we had to call 311, too. We call 311, and I just think, elected people ought to be given a little more authority. Now, this means that I’m going to have to share the mayor’s power, so to speak.

It’s not about me being so powerful. I think it’s trying to help people. You know, I don’t want to sit up there on the throne. I want to share power to help people. That’s what I want to do.

Of course, you realize you can pull it in when you get ready, anyway. You don’t have to let it stay out there and say it’s not going anywhere.

What do you think are the most important development projects that we should be, either existing projects that we should be making happen or new ideas that you would like to see happen?

Well, I think we have enough on the table right now that if we get those things completed, we’ve done quite well. Of course, you always look for new things to do.

Farish Street—Farish Street would’ve been our Beale Street. It would’ve been our Bourbon Street. But, you know, it’s been sitting down there over 12 years looking just like it looked 12 years ago. That would be my first priority: to make sure Farish Street would get developed.

And how would you do that?

Well, (Jackson Redevelopment Authority)—all of its people would be in charge. …

Actually, the mayor’s in charge (today). JRA is afraid of the mayor. They won’t say that, but, you know, when he speaks, they listen.

But the fact is this: I would call in whoever the developer is and let them know that we’re going to have to go to work. We’re going to have to complete Farish Street, and if you can’t complete it, let us know. I’ll go to the city attorney, and we’ll draw up whatever paperwork we need to have drawn up to make sure that we can clear that person out and get somebody else on top of it.

So is it your position, Mr. Bluntson, that it’s not the developer’s problem at this point, that the issue rests with the mayor’s office?

No, no, no; I didn’t say that. … The problem lies with JRA. They’re supposed to be a separate entity, but you’ll find out it’s not. They listen to the mayor. They mayor can still use his bully pulpit to get things done, and that’s what I’d do.

The governor has talked about a pretty ambitious project to make Mississippi a health-care hub. How do you see yourself working from the mayor’s office with the state to make something like that a reality in Jackson?

You know, I’ll work with anybody who’s doing something very positive to bring the economy up in the city of Jackson. I think this is a tremendous plan that the governor’s talking about—from (Interstate) 55 to (Interstate) 220. I think that would be good, but I also think the governor should think about also expanding Medicaid, too. That would help out a lot.

Of course, I have no problem with BLUNTSON, see page 19

jacksonfreepress.com

grace of God, they found I had a malignant tumor in that right kidney, and they had to take my right kidney out. That was in 1977.

The doctors told me, “Frank, you take (your medicine), and if you get by five years without any problem, your bladder and everything, you should be fine.”

Five years from 1977, how long would that be? Anyway, this is 2013. I’m doing fine.

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that. Anybody who wants to do something to help Jackson move forward, I’m willing to work with that person.

On that line, I have not had the opportunity to go up to negotiate and work with the people on that. Only the mayor and the lobbyist … have been working on that end. I don’t know: We at city council meetings, we don’t have that kind of power. That’s what I mean by sharing power.

That’s another thing, whoever is president of the council, I would definitely do like Dale Danks quite some years ago … I would make that person my mayor pro tem, to show that we can work together. …

But to follow up on the question: It’s pretty difficult to go to the city of Jackson and ask the people to vote to raise a sales tax and then your elected officials don’t have the last say in doing what they’re supposed to do.

Makes it sound like, “You don’t have people educated enough to know how to spend the money.”

I don’t have any problem with that because I’m one of the persons on the council that said that I couldn’t vote to tell my people to go and put that sales tax on unless we have the authority to make sure … because it’s written out there what (the money) is to be used for: sewage, streets. And that’s all we can do: use it for sewage and streets, so why can’t we do what we’re supposed to do? Why do we have to have somebody from Gulfport and up in Clarksdale—my hometown—tell us how to spend the money, you know?

So you agree with the mayor on that point, about the commission.

By all means.

As the city council president, or more recently as a city councilman, why could you not go talk to the Legislature and try to convince them?

Well, anybody can go and talk to the Legislature. … But you have to go in an official capacity. And that’s administrative capacity. Now, if the mayor had asked me to take along with him, I would’ve been glad to go.

Did you ask the mayor if you could go with him?

No, I didn’t. You know, I think the mayor should ask me sometimes. “You’re president of city council, why don’t you go with me.” That’s what I’m going to do; that’s what I’ll do. And that’s why I said make the president of the city council the mayor pro tem. Quite naturally, that person would go with me everywhere.

You mentioned something about selling Jackson to businesses. How, specifically, would you sell Jackson to local businesses? How would you attract new companies to Jackson?

You know, my (radio) talk show is “Straight Talk.” Believe it or not, we have people calling “Straight Talk”—anybody who listens can tell you that—saying, “Frank, we listen to ‘Straight Talk’ from Las Vegas, from L.A., New York.”

They say, “Man, why don’t you get in touch with the people out here, and, you know, bring some things in?”

Even Magic Johnson! Magic Johnson’s grandfolks are folks from Copiah County. To my knowledge, I don’t know that anyone’s tapped through to Magic Johnson, to try and least get him to come in and put a movie theater up.

These are the kinds of things that I would love to do. … I’m not too proud to beg. I want you to know that. I don’t have a whole lot of pride. You know, a lot of people have pride. But I’ll do whatever, legally, is necessary to do to make Jackson thrive and be the city that it should be.

Good question, glad you asked. I would deal with it different from anybody else. …

I’ve never had, really, a one-on-one conversation with you, but if there’s something I need the (Jackson) Free Press to do, I’d talk to you about it. I’d just come here and, really, let you know my passion about it, how I feel about it, how I feel that you ought to feel about it, and explain to you what you ought to do

As you know, the city is facing a huge bill, a multi-million dollar bill to bring critical infrastructure issues up to par—sewage, roads, bridges, all kinds of things. We talked a little bit about the 1-cent sales tax, but do you have other, specific plans on how to raise the funds to do that work?

At the present time, I do not. But I Trip Burns

The state and city relationship has been rocky from time to time. The Legislature hasn’t allowed Jackson to have its own say in how it would spend additional sales taxes. Would you continue the fight over the makeup of the commission?

BLUNTSON from page 17

We all know that there’s always been this kind of historic disconnect between the city and the state. Some of it revolves around race power issues and various things, so Frank Bluntson’s children are, left to right: Eric, Craig and Lavern. Craig is now deceased. it can make it difficult to get the state to go along with what the city wants, like on this commission, right? about it because we need it. And I think that know this is a task that we have to face.

My question to you is: Do you have We’re already facing it because the (Environthe kinds of connections to help us somewhere down the line that you say, “You know, Frank Bluntson might have a point. mental Protection Agency) told us what we overcome some of those divisions, have to do. even across race lines? How would Let’s try to help the old boy.” That’s why I say I’m not too proud to beg.

I don’t want to be like Birmingham, you go about getting past what has proved to be a very high wall?

Alabama. You know, Birmingham had to

If you read the history of Jackson, Mis- I promise I’d never call you an old boy. I file bankruptcy on this. I was talking to a sissippi, as it relates to the Legislature, even promise not to do that. gentleman the other day, and I didn’t know

in the Dale Danks administration—and I don’t know about this, but somebody told me it goes back as far as the Russell Davis administration—the city of Jackson has always had problems with the Legislature because the Legislature is mostly rural areas coming into town, and it looks like the big city. … It hasn’t been a race thing—I’m talking about in the past. (White mayors) also had difficulty with the Legislature getting it to do what they want in the city of Jackson. Quite naturally, because the population now is that the city is 70, 75 percent (black), whatever it is, it has a race (issue) now, and it could be; it could be. But we’ve always had problems with the Legislature because most of the legislators are from the rural areas.

So how do you get past that—you as mayor? What do you do?

Well, you know, it depends on how you deal with people at times to get them to change. If you walk up like you’re the last word, and you’re the king of the road …

You haven’t asked me this, and maybe I shouldn’t say this, but everybody in the world knows that on Friday, it’s supposed to be dress-down day, right? What does that mean. Dress down, brother; be comfortable—casual Friday. And you go to the Legislature (in a) neck tie, vest on all that kind of stuff. I’m using that as an example.

Sometimes you have to know how to do, when to do and what not to do. And I heard this. I heard this many times for certain people. I know that it does make a difference for some people and how you’re dealing with people, and that’s just use this as an example, that’s all.

this, but he told me that (Jackson has) twice as many city employees as Birmingham.

Maybe that’s why we may have to file bankruptcy, I don’t know.

But I’m willing to get with the best of the best—people from Millsaps (Collge), Belhaven (University), Jackson State (University), Tougaloo (College)—did I leave out anybody around here?—Mississippi College and even Hinds (Community College)—the very best of those people in the business and planning (departments). And we’ll have a round-table discussion, just put on the board, “What can we do to face what we need to face?” And I know it’s going to take money. … What can do to do this, to face this? That’s why I say you I have to work with people.

jacksonfreepress.com

JFP Interview

more BLUNTSON, see page 21

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What have you done as a member of the city council to have those kinds of conversations with people, to reach out for some sort of plan for what do about dilapidated homes?

When you say all the people to reach out, do you know that the state of Mississippi has a law, and I was talking to the ex-mayor of Vicksburg … He said, “Frank, I don’t know why don’t do that.” I have brought it up in council meetings. He told me, and we have this on the books … “You can sell that for $200 a lot.” He said 50 cents a lot, but you want to make some money. But you have a mandate that the person buying this thing must build a house, or whatever, on that property within 18 months. And what do you have there? You have the lot taken care of; you have people paying taxes on the structure that is there—right now, it doesn’t generate a penny.

And I told him (that) when I get to be mayor, I’m going to have him come in and be any part of my administration if he wants to come. I mean, he is some sharp; he’s some sharp.

Look, it matters not to me about color.

What matters to me is about getting things done. If you have the ability to get things done, that’s my bottom line. …

It’s our understanding that the city can’t raise additional funds from ad valorem (property) taxes for JPS, and education isn’t generally under the purview of the mayor’s office, but what specific steps can we take to improve the educational outcomes in Jackson?

the school board. What did you think about his appointees to the school board? … It was a school board at that time that seemed difficult to work with, overall, and I’m not talking about any particular person here. And there were a lot of complaints that we would hear that it wasn’t a school

First of all … the only thing you can really do (as mayor) is try to put pretty decent school-board members on the school board, and make sure they really have the education of the whole city of Jackson in their hearts. Now, this had nothing to do with you as a person as the mayor to give your moral leadership to them and to say things that are tugging at your heartstrings, so to speak. You can’t tell them what to do and all that; you just can’t do that. But you can make it known that, in some kind of nice way that, “I appointed you, and I’m looking at you to be a little bit more considerate to what we’re doing here. That’s what I think, and I think that really, it’s really difficult to see the kind of problems that we have. We have one down there named George School that is rated 5—dead in the ghetto. And then you Bluntson thinks many police officers are afraid to do have other schools in nice artheir jobs because they’ll get in trouble for it. eas, a 3. Something’s wrong.

But I always say it starts where?

At the top. Everything starts at the top and it filters down, and board trying to find a top-quality everything you start at the top filters down. superintendent. How do you ensure So, therefore, the superintendent has to be that you’re getting the kinds of school the person that you’re going to have to talk board members who are not going to be divisive in any direction—racial or with.

I read an article in the paper the other otherwise—but who are really going day—and I like the guy: very friendly and to try to improve the school system?

We had one session, not too long ago, cordial and everything, you know. But I re- with a gentleman who’s the president of the ally think that the superintendent (Cedrick school association, here. I don’t know if you Gray) is really getting a raw deal with this met him.

But that guy is so sharp. If we had publicity that they’re putting out on the heard him, had known how to pick schoolfront page of the paper. Because … that man board members and how to go about the has already been tried and found guilty and, things that you have to look at for in schoolyou know, been hanged. I’m talking about all board members, I think we would have done this stuff their putting in the paper. a better job. But the buck still stops at the Which isn’t our paper, by the way. mayor. The mayor made his choice. (The city council) has nothing to do with that. We We’re not doing that.

No. It’s not in your paper, but you can holler …

Mr. Tillman didn’t even come to vote know what I’m saying. You know what’s on the school board because he couldn’t get been in the headlines. … I don’t think that’s the person he thought should be on there. fair to the man. He has to go home to his But the law says that the mayor appoints, and wife and child and everything like that. I we confirm.

That’s what the law says, and I know his heart is heavy as it is enough to try told Mr. Tillman, “You can’t go around that; to get Jackson to move. But facing the kind that’s what it says.”

And he asked, “Why did of stuff in the paper about what happened in he ask us to put names in the pot of who we Tennessee, where ever it was. think ought to be on there, and then he gets who he wants?” And I said, “That’s the law.”

There was a lot of controversy over Mr. (Frank) Melton’s appointments to

Trip Burns

The (Hinds County) Board of Supervisors—we’re in a different world than the board of supervisors. People fight against the board of supervisors, and three of the five people live in the city of Jackson. Why would you fight with somebody who’s your neighbor? Seriously. We should more meetings, you know, informal meetings, without a quorum and all that, and we should try to work together.

(Former Councilman and Hinds County Supervisor) Kenny Stokes, of all folks, called me and said, “Frank, why don’t y’all (fix) some of these bad streets in Jackson”—as if he doesn’t live on those streets.

He said, “Why don’t y’all let us know. If you supply the asphalt and everything, we’ll do the paving.” I brought that up at council meeting, and the person looked at me like I was crazy. When Kenny Stokes can come to us and look like he’s trying to help us as a member of the board of supervisors, and I brought it up two or three times.

What’s wrong with getting an inter-local agreement with Hinds County? I know we have to do that … but I would sign that in a minute to help us out because all of us live here and work together. That’s why I say a lot of people just don’t want to turn loose of power. It matters not to me about power.

What matters to me is getting the job done, and making the city look better, look cleaner, look better all around. Burned structures should be gone the best we can. Dilapidated homes—some of these places in Jackson look like a third-world country, and this just shouldn’t be.

BLUNTSON from page 19

My thing is going to be different from that. I’m going to deal with people just like I’m talking about that gentleman, whatever his position is, executive director of the state school board. I didn’t know his office was in Jackson until we started talking with him.

I said, “Where’s this man been all this time with all this knowledge, and we’re sitting here without that?”

And I think we have to use people who have been in there, done that, know how it should be done, and know the consequences if you don’t do it. I think you need people like that to help guide you, not only in picking school-board members, but doing a whole lot of things.

That’s why I want to set myself aside and open myself up to people who are in the position, because you get a person up here talking about they’re running for mayor but they know everything, man, you better close the book on him right then, because he already, or she already is closed up. They’re not going to listen to anything else. They know everything. I’m a person who’s not going to do that. I’m open to help, and I don’t care where the help comes from as long as you’re doing something positive.

What do you see as the root causes of crime in Jackson, and how, as mayor, would you approach solving those issues?

My personal feeling about crime—we do have a crime problem in Jackson. I talk to many police officers, and they come by my house. A lot of them told me, “Frank, we’re going to support you.” Now, I feel that a lot of the contribution that’s made by a lot of persons is helpful, but I think a lot of crime really, to me, is because a lot of the police officers, they’re afraid to get out there and do their job because they feel they’re being mistreated. They’re called in for any little thing and, you know, they’re being suspended. …

Let me tell you what one police officer told me, and then you’ll see what I’m talking about. He told me that he was brought in because some drug dealer or thug, he had … an altercation. I don’t know what kind of altercation he had. And he brought the guy in, not a mark on him anywhere, you know, and (the perpetrator) said the (officer) hit him in the side, hit him in the stomach.

(The officer) said he didn’t do anything. He said, “I probably should have, but I didn’t. … He wrote out a complaint about me, and the chief called me in and used all kinds of bad, four-letter words against me and all that kind of stuff and talked to me like a dog. I was trying to tell my side, and she wouldn’t even listen to me.” He said, “You know what she did?” And I said, “What?”

He said: “I was working the 7 to 3 shift. Now, this is low. I had a security job at Walmart from 6 to 10 at night. She called my rep and found out I was working at (I think Walmart, Steinmart, one of these more BLUNTSON, see page 23

jacksonfreepress.com

JFP Interview

21

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stores) from 6 to 10.” She moved him from the 7-to-3 shift and put him on the 3-to-11 shift, so he would lose that job.

Is there a policy about having extra jobs?

Is it unusual for folks who work on shifts to change shifts on occasion?

Well, I’ll tell you: The chief can do what she wants to do, but I don’t think she should be punitive against a person to make that person lose a job. He already said he was underpaid … and he’s trying to keep a job so he won’t be stealing and pushing drugs and all that stuff like we had a lot of them to be arrested for.

Now, this man has a job; he’s working and all that. And now he’s going to be put in that position. That’s the morale. That’s bringing morale down. … The morale problem causes people to react instead of being proactive.

Now, proactive means when you see these thugs walking down the street in the neighborhood with these hoods over their heads and all this kind of stuff, and it’s 70 degrees, 75 degrees—not that cold—but they just don’t want to be seen. Now, you know if the police pull up and say, “Where are you going? Do you live here? Let me see some identification,” that’s being proactive. But these police officers won’t even do that now because that guy might say I did something (to them), so they’ll walk by that kind of a person. And that’s why we have crime.

A lot of people won’t even report a break-in. They talk about crime going down, a lot of people don’t even report them, now, if they’re mild. If they break in their garage and steal their wheels or something like that, (they say): “Let it go. We’re not going to (report) that because they’re not going to do a thing about it.”

One lady told me, “I’m tired of seeing these white cards.” The police gave her white cards, stacking up, stacking up. No detective ever came by her house, never took a report. … That shouldn’t happen. When you tell somebody, “That’s your case number,” that person is looking for somebody to come back and tell them something, or call them or something. You see, that’s the problem: That’s the morale problem we have in the police department.

My thing is, do this: Tell whoever I get for chief, tell them to get out there and do their job. Don’t be blue-lining anybody. Just get out there, and we’ve got your back. That’s all those guys want to know. Do you have my back out there? There’s enough going out there as it is; it’s tough enough going out there as it is, facing people out there. I said

many times at the council meetings, I said it many times: I can’t be a police officer, because I’m afraid. I’d have my pistol out checking driver’s licenses. I’m just talking about, if you’re afraid, you can’t be a police officer.

The idea of a police officer having an altercation, do you mean a physical altercation with a drug dealer?Wouldn’t that be a concern?

No, no, no. Maybe you didn’t hear what I said. I told you. I said, “Go out there and do your job. … Obey the law, ’cause we’ll have your back.”

That’s the statement I’m talking about.

Those police officers, a lot of them feel that nobody’s got their back. And these guys say, “I got babies at home to feed. … And you

background checks and all that.

Now, I don’t know, but I was told that they don’t have to go through real serious background checks. I know a long time ago … when police officers come, they used to have two or three guys, that’s all they’d do is check backgrounds on the candidates that came to the police department. … If they’re

No, no. That’s not what he said. He said (it was) “some kind of an altercation.”

I don’t know if he was a burglar or what he was. He didn’t say he hit the man. He said it was an altercation. But he said, “If he had been marked or something like that, I could see her calling me in. But I didn’t do anything to him, and he lied.”

I don’t know what kind of altercation they had.

You were on the city council when Mr. Melton and his team destroyed the duplex on Ridgeway Street. As you know, Mr. Melton definitely had the attitude of not always needing a warrant and those kinds of things. You were very publicly in favor of what he did, and even testified for his benefit at the trials, I believe.

No, no.

So, tell me about it, because I think that’s the public perception is that you defended Melton, pretty much anything that he did.

No, no. Frank was my friend. But I have never defended him in anything that he did that was not lawful. When he went down on President Street with that guard, talking about, “Who didn’t have a warrant,” and all that stuff he did. … I cussed Frank out and told him he was dead wrong. He shouldn’t have done that. But, you know, Frank was going to be Frank. He’d tell me, “OK, Frank.

OK, Frank.”

I’d say, “Frank you need to stop smoking.”

And he’d put the cigarette out, and I’d come back and there’d be smoke coming out of his desk drawer. I mean, that’s the kind of thing Frank would do, know what I mean?

Frank was Frank.

But the fact is this: I didn’t testify for him. When that duplex was torn up down there, I don’t think I made any kind of statement about him or about the duplex.

I didn’t make any kind of statement about the duplex. The people say he didn’t have a warrant, he didn’t do this or that. …

I always believed in (following) the law. Regardless of how it is, I think the law is strict enough for you to do the things you have to do. … He had to get a warrant, even if he had to have people stand around the house with signs, he could’ve done that.

So you’re not saying to let the police do anything they want. So, when you say that you’ve got their back …

trip burns

No, no. She’s punishing him! She punished him so now he can’t work on these parttime jobs because his shift is 3 to 11—unless he gets a job working from 7 in the morning until 12 or something like that.

BLUNTSON from page 21

If elected mayor, Bluntson says he would bring back someone who served in the Jackson Police Department years ago—but he won’t say who.

know you don’t want me out there with … drugs.” That’s another thing.

So let’s flip that, because I think you and I both know that we’ve had a long history of corruption on the police force.

My guess is that not all of that is rooted out, yet. What would you do to ensure we are taking care of these problems, and how would you investigate? What would you do as mayor to get the rest of the corruption out of the police department?

First of all, before a person gets on the police department, I think they should be— like any other person working with human beings in that setting—I think they should have a psychological exam. I don’t know that these officers are tested like they used to be, or what. I don’t know. … Because they’re always (talking about) 500, 500, 500. They get 30, 30, 30, and then they’re still not at 500.

What do you mean by 500? Five hundred cops (on the Jackson force)?

Yeah, 500 cops. And then when they’re done, the trained officers all go to other departments. That’s why I had suggested in council meetings one time that police officers, unless there’s something wrong, they ought to sign something to at least give two years to the city of Jackson because we’ve trained them. Don’t get yourself trained and then go to other departments like Dallas. I know these guys don’t get paid (a lot), but at least, you owe us something to stay here.

That’s my concern, but listen, again, I think that they should be tested, they should (get)

not doing that … I don’t know. I heard they’re not doing what they used to do, but I feel that we should if they’re not doing it.

Do you know whom you would appoint police chief?

Yes, I do.

Who is it?

I can’t say. … I’ll be honest with you: I promised this person, and you know him so well. I can tell you this much. This person at one time did serve on the Jackson Police Department … a long time ago.

Read more of Frank Bluntson’s JFP Interview, including factchecks, at jfp.ms/bluntson.

You can comment there. Write the authors at ladd@jacksonfreepress.com. See all interviews to date with 2013 Jackson mayoral candidates at jfp.ms/mayorsrace2013.

Coming April 24:

“The Ghosts of Hinds County” Donna Ladd’s new eBook tells both sides of a controversy that rocked the Juvenile Detention Center in the 1990s. Download at jfp.ms/scandal

jacksonfreepress.com

JFP Interview

23

Wellness p 26

No Half Measures

by Julian Rankin

The Campbell’s Bakery internship program, a word-of-mouth apprenticeship that has taken root in the kitchen, teaches students about the finer points of baking.

“The teaching aspect really helps me to focus on what I’m doing,” Moore said. “It’s OK to make mistakes, just make new ones. And if they’re learning, they tend to make new mistakes. And I enjoy it.”

One of the former interns, Kathryn Gunderson, recently began training at the Culinary Institute of America in California. A current intern, Kelsey Steen, plans to attend culinary school in Boston. And Moore recently made a phone call to one of his own mentors to tell him he’d been extended an invitation to Mitchell Moore is committed to keeping Campbell’s traditions alive. cook at the James Beard House in New York. The pride in the successes

The thing about the golden age of Americana is that as of one’s pupils keeps coming back around like a Lazy Susan, we get further away from those post-war glory years, there are generation to generation. fewer people who were actually alive to remember it. But that’s

“I don’t want to be known as the baker in town who the true nature of nostalgia; based on feelings, not facts. Moore drives a Corvette,” Moore told me. “Of course, I’m not a understands the distinction. He isn’t trying to recreate a facChevy guy, so I never would. But I don’t want to be that simile of a long-lost time, but rather, to re-engineer an experiguy. It’s not about how much money are we making. I could ence, combining that mid-century family-friendly optimism make a lot more money if I used cake mix. But it’s not what with dashes of contemporary hipster and southern sweet. we do. It’s not why we’re here. If you’re gonna do it, do it.”

The mixing bowl rumbled as the chocolate-chip cookie

A perfect symbol of the evolution of the bakery was dough came together. “And you know, this is a handmade parked outside. A black 1951 Ford Step Van, with painted product, so I don’t mind selling out every once in a while,” flames from the previous owner, will soon be renovated and Moore said, standing over the mixer. restored to become the Campbell’s Care-a-van, a mobile de- “You sell out, but you never sell out,” I said. livery system of sweets and treats.

“Exactly.”

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A True Taste of Italy Best Of Jackson • 2008 -2013

Julian Rankin

T

he memory that comes immediately to my mind is a little Greek bakery in Tarpon Springs, Fla., when I was about 12 on a family vacation. I stood before a case of sweets and baked goods each day in a seaside enclave of Mediterranean sounds and smells settled by Greek immigrants long ago. On the last night, we stopped by the bakery again, and my mom bought me the biggest piece of cake I’ve ever seen, covered in icing and chocolate shavings.

I can still taste it.

Pastry is memory. Walk into Campbell’s Bakery, and you can experience exactly what I’m talking about. Your guide is owner Mitchell Moore, who took the reins of the bakery in 2011 after what seemed to be an endless cycle of new ownership and failed attempts to recapture what Louis Campbell created in the 1960s when he opened the original storefront.

“I want to restore Campbell’s to where it should be in everybody’s mind,” Moore explained.

“I want you to see it the way somebody who is 70 years old sees it. As that place where your kids came in, and they got the cake pops every day and got all their birthday cakes from here, and they always got the tea cakes here, because nobody does them as good as us.”

As we talked, he mixed ingredients for a batch of chocolate chip cookies; all the others sold out earlier in the day.

Behind him were two immense vintage cast-iron ovens. I was struck with the memory of an illustration from Kipling’s “How the Rhinoceros Got His Skin,” and the Parsee baker who lives on an island with only his knife and iron cookingstove and eats nothing but cake.

“It’s all about tradition. It’s a memory,” he said. “I’m helping families form new traditions. Because what are their traditions going to be? Going to Starbucks? Is that a tradition? It is, but should it be?”

Moore is passing on the lessons he has learned from a life well lived to another crop of future culinary technicians.

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LIFE&STYLE | wellness Flickr/ubrayj02

The Streets are Alive

by Stephanie Carol Newell

T

o promote healthy living and exercise, downtown Jackson is closing Congress Street and offering activities, music and more.

The event, Jackson Streets Alive!, is part of a movement that began in Bogota, Colombia, Melody Moody explains. Moody is executive director of Bike Walk Mississippi, the organization behind the event. Called cyclovia, open streets or streets alive, depending on the area, the movement is all about shutting off the streets to cars and celebrating human-powered transportation such as walking, biking or skateboarding. In some cities, it is a yearly event; in others, they shut streets down each week.

In Jackson, Bike Walk hopes to bring people of all ages together to enjoy fun physical activity. Local bands will provide live music all day, and vendors will keep food and refreshment flowing. It is a fundraiser for Bike Walk Mississippi as well, and Moody says the organization wanted an all-inclusive event.

“We thought we’d be continuing to preach to the choir if we did a bike ride,” Moody says. “We think the best way to grow the movement is to bring in people who don’t

necessarily see themselves as bicyclists.”

Bicycles will be a theme of the day, thought, with bike rides and contests, as well as a bike maintenance booth, helmet fittings and bike safety discussions. Other activities include face painting, interactive games (hula hoops, jump rope, four-square, human tictac-toe), roller-skating, skateboarding, relay races, and free classes in Pilates, yoga, Zumba, dance and more. Organizers also hope to see visitors bring in their own ideas and start games and activities organically within the event.

Jackson Streets Alive! is Mississippi’s first attempt to hold a festival of its kind, but Moody hopes to see it become an annual event not just in Jackson, but statewide. “I’d like to package it and take it as a replicable program,” she says. “I’d love to see Oxford Streets Alive!, Natchez Streets Alive!, Pascagoula Streets Alive!”

Bike Walk Mississippi is able to host the event largely due to a grant from the Bikes Belong Foundation, which also awarded Bike Walk the Advocacy Organization of the Year award. It’s a big deal to Moody and the organization. “Mississippi is having a thumb-

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print on the nationwide spectrum,” she says.

“I don’t think people know the great strides we are making.”

Bike Walk Mississippi is a statewide organization that advocates for bicyclist, pedestrian and runners’ rights and awareness.

Moody says they take a “top down and bottom up approach” to making the state more bike-friendly.

“We work with grassroots groups in

communities (as well as) lobby to Congress and the Legislature,” she says. “Our goal really is to create pilot programs around the state that we can then replicate in other communities.”

Jackson Streets Alive! is Saturday, April 27, on Congress Street in downtown Jackson from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Admission is free. Email bikewalk@bikewalkmississippi.org or find the event on Facebook.

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FILM p 29 | 8 DAYS p 30 | MUSIC p 33 | SPORTS p 34

Watson vs. Sherlock

The ‘Last Case’ at Black Rose

by Genevieve Legacy

28

namic interplay between the two men drives the story.”

A tenured member of Black Rose Theatre, Gibbs is making his directorial debut with “Sherlock’s Last Case.” He and his wife have been involved with Black Rose off and on, since 1996.

“We’ve both done a number of shows.”

Gibbs says. “I’ve been on the board, I’ve been on stage and behind the scenes building sets and doing tech but this is my first time directing,” Gibbs adds. “I should know what’s going on. I’ve got a great cast and an exciting show.”

Clif Kirkland, who plays Sherlock, is an experienced stage actor. His background as a policeman and detective brings real-life experience to his portrayal of Holmes. His foil, Dr. Watson, is played by Tom Lestrade, an experienced actor fans will recognize from Mississippi Murder Mystery Dinner Theater.

With spirit and fire in her presentation, Virginia Lowry plays the Scottish domestic, Mrs. Hudson. Black Rose veteran, Dwight Turner, plays Inspector Lestrade, a Scotland Yard detective who appears in several Sherlock Holmes stories. The cast is rounded out by Whitney Barkley, who appears as two different characters.

See “Sherlock’s Last Case” at 7:30 p.m. April 18-20 and 25-27, or at 2 p.m.

April 21 and 28. Tickets are $15 for adults, $10 for students and seniors.

For information or to make reservations, visit blackrosetheatre.org.

KRISTIN BRENEMEN

April 17 - 23, 2013

T

ucked away in the midst of warehouses and mixed-purpose structures on Black Street in downtown Brandon, the unassuming, one-story building numbered 103 has a curious history. Rumored to have been a segregated movie house in the 1950s, and later a battery warehouse, the building now houses Black Rose Theatre Company, a non-profit community playhouse that seats an audience of less than 100 people.

Black Rose Theatre (103 Black St., Brandon, 601-201-9115) opened its Brandon location in 1992. For the last 21 years, the all-volunteer company has presented family-friendly productions of popular musicals, comedies, children’s theater and dramas. The 2013 season kicked off with “Fiddler on the Roof,” a musical adaptation based on Sholem Aleichem’s short-story collection titled “Tevye’s Daughters” (Sholem Aleichem Family, 1999, $22).

Keeping with the literary theme, next on the roster is a play based on Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s enduring detective stories. “Sherlock’s Last Case”

by Charles Marowitz is a two-act play that puts a new spin on the relationship between Holmes and his ever-present partner-in-crime-solving, Dr. Watson.

“The play is a slightly dark parody of the life of Holmes and Watson,” Director Michael Gibbs explains with a bemused smile. “It’s different than the usual game-is-afoot mystery—the dy-

Using television programs such as “Downton Abbey,” “Sherlock” and other Arthur Conan Doyle spinoffs as study guides, the cast is taking on the challenge of learning a bit of the King’s English.

“It’s a challenge for southerners to do British accents,” Gibbs says. “But the cast is doing a great job. For example, the word charade—pronounced in Mississippi with one short and one long “a” sound—is pronounced with two short “ahs” by the Brits.”

Gibbs’ enthusiasm for the show gets the best of him—he has to keep himself from giving too much away.

“There are several plot twists.

You find out Doctor Watson isn’t simply a complementary character to Holmes; he actually has a dark side. Feeling put down by Holmes, he plans his revenge. It’s a devious and twisted plot,” he says.

With every show, Black Rose Theatre honors a branch of the service community. On Wednesday, April 24, Black Rose will honor the 172nd Air Wing with a private showing for the airmen and families that live in Rankin County.

“We’re really excited to be honoring them with the show,” Gibbs says.

DIVERSIONS | film

‘42’: Swinging a Heavy Bat

by Anita Modak-Truran

‘42’ swings a heavy bat at issues of racism and bigotry.

to shift by 1945: Jesse Owens won gold medals at the 1936 Berlin Olympics and defied Adolf Hitler’s “master race” agenda; Joe Gans and Jack Johnson’s dazzling feats amazed the boxing world. But track and boxing were individual sports, not team sports.

Branch Rickey (Harrison Ford), the manager and executive of the Dodgers, wanted to integrate baseball. “Dollars aren’t black and white,” Rickey tells his staff.

“They are green. Every dollar is green.”

Rickey’s vision to integrate baseball had multiple components. He chose Robinson (Chadwick Boseman), not because he was the best African American baseball player

for his time, but because he had strength of character. And they were both Methodist.

When Rickey signed Robinson, he didn’t mince words: “We’ve got no army.

There’s virtually nobody on our side. No owners, no umpires, very few newspapermen. And I’m afraid that many fans will be hostile. We’ll be in a tough position. We can win only if we can convince the world that I’m doing this because you’re a great ballplayer, a fine gentleman.”

It takes guts to not fight back, and that’s the dramatic conflict that engages all of our emotions. Will Robinson strike back?

Then Rickey comes in with a quip or two and lightens the tension. I particu-

larly enjoyed Harrison Ford’s gruff, growling portrayal of the engineer behind the change.

He’s forceful and, dare I say, entertaining.

As Robinson, Boseman’s performance keeps the film grounded. Robinson knows people are counting on him, but it is hard to turn the other cheek and ignore the abuse.

This film swings a heavy bat against the ugly issues of racism and bigotry. It’s embarrassing to see Robinson booed and called disrespectful names. Or to see a pitcher purposefully aim at his head. Or to see the team turned away from a hotel because of Robinson. The shots of the “white only” bathrooms resonate as well. This film shows us all forms of injustice. It was wrong then, it’s wrong now, and it’s horrifying to see.

One scene that continues to resonate after the viewing shows Robinson and journalist Wendell Smith (Andre Holland) walking on a sidewalk. A redneck white guy follows them and then calls out for Robinson to stop. There’s an uncomfortable moment. The white guy says, “If the man’s got the goods, he deserves a chance.”

What more can anyone ask for but a chance to be in the game?

jacksonfreepress.com

Courtesy Warner Brothers

A

few days ago I arrived in Atlanta and struck up a conversation with my cabbie as we slugged through an afternoon traffic jam. The discussion eased from the Final Four to The Masters to baseball. That’s when it really got interesting, because you can’t talk about baseball these days without coming to the new Jackie Robinson biopic, “42.”

“42” hit a home run at the box office this past weekend, doing better in its opening debut than “Moneyball.” And “42” has people talking, even though most folks know Robinson’s legacy. Robinson was the first African American since the 1880s to break through the silent code of segregation and play on a Major League Baseball team.

The film, directed by Brian Helgeland, opens with newsreels, a loose homage to “Citizen Kane.” In 1945, America’s greatest generation began coming back from World War II. Sixteen major league baseball teams boasted 400 players—all of them white.

But, on April 15, 1947, that changed to 399 white players and one black athlete.

Some racial barriers had already started

29

wednesDAY 4/17

friDAY 4/19

Soul Wired Cafe hosts a benefit concert for Bluesman at 7 p.m.

Zoo Brew is from 6-9 p.m. at the Jackson Zoo.

sunDAY 4/21 The Jackson Adult Kickball League Games start at 3 p.m. at Legion Field.

BEST BETS

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April 17 - 24, 2013

Wednesday 4/17

April 20 from 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Free, art for sale; call 601859-5816. … Enjoy craft beer samples and music during

Sarah Lee Guthrie and Johnny Irion with Grayson Zoo Brew from 6-9 p.m. at the Jackson Zoo (2918 W. Capps perform at 7:30 p.m. at Hal & Mal’s. For ages 18 Capitol St.). For ages 21 and up. $25 in advance, $30 and up. $8 advance, $10 at door; call 601-292-7121. … at the door, $60 VIP, $15 designated driver; call 601The play “Other Desert Cities” is at 7:30 p.m., at New 352-2580. … Truly Truly, They Will Fall, Charlie Does Stage Theatre (1100 Carlisle St.). Runs through April Surf, Daggers and Descent of Deceased perform from 28. $28, $22 seniors and students; call 601-948-3533. 7-10 p.m. at Rampage Extreme Park. $7. … The play … The benefit concert for Bluesman is at 7 p.m. at Soul “Gold in the Hills” is at 7:30 p.m. at Parkside Playhouse Wired Cafe. $5-$10.

(101 Iowa Blvd., Vicksburg). Runs through April 27. $12, $10 seniors 55 and older, $7 students, $5 children ages 12 and under; call 601-636-0471. … … Upscale Friday Local actor Larry Wells performs in the play “Other with Melanie Fiona, Jarekus Singleton and DJ Phil is at Desert Cities” at New Stage Theatre through April 28.

At the Mississippi Museum of Art’s Art Garden 8 p.m. at Union Station (300 W. Capitol St.). Wear (380 S. Lamar St.) at 5:30 p.m., enjoy the High Note stylish attire. Limited tickets. $15, $250 VIP; call 601Jam and Screen on the Green featuring the film “Six- 502-6864 or 228-324-2946. … Sister Hazel performs at available); call 601-982-2001. … The Jackson Adult teen Candles.” Free with cash bar; call 601-960-1515. 8:30 p.m. at Duling Hall. Cocktails at 7 p.m. For ages 18 Kickball League Games are from 3-7 p.m. at Legion Field … See art from EMYO (Emily Ozier) at the “Breath- and up. $20 advance, $25 at door; call 601-292-7121.

(400 South Drive). New game each hour. Concessions sold. Free; email jackson1adultkickball2012@gmail.com. … New Stage Theatre present “The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (Abridged)” at 6 p.m. at Belhaven

Walk MS: Jackson is from 8-11:30 a.m. at Win- Park (Poplar Blvd.). Free; call 601-352-8850. ners Circle Park (100 Winners Circle Drive, Flowood).

Proceeds benefit the National Multiple Sclerosis Society.

Fundraising encouraged; call 601-856-5831. … KidFest! Ridgeland is from 9 a.m.-6:30 p.m. at Freedom The Electric Car Expo is at noon at Rainbow NatuRidge Park (235 W. School St., Ridgeland). Continues ral Grocery Cooperative (2807 Old Canton Road) in April 21 from noon-6:30 p.m. $10, children under 2 free; the parking lot. Free; call 601-981-6925. … The NOLA call 601-853-2011. … Arts on Brewery Beer Dinner is at 6 p.m. at Sal and Mookie’s. the Green is from 11 a.m.- by Latasha Willis RSVP. $55; call 601-368-1919. … Enjoy a seven-course Grammy-winning R&B artist Melanie Fiona performs 4 p.m. at St. Andrew’s Epistasting menu from chef Nick Wallace at Parlor Market during Upscale Friday at Union Station April 19 at 8 p.m. copal School, North Campus (115 W. Capitol St.) at 6:30 p.m. or 8:30 p.m. RSVP. (370 Old Agency Road, jacksonfreepress.com $80, $40 optional wine flight; call 601-360-0090.

Ridgeland). $10 armband, Fax: 601-510-9019 ing New Life” Art Show from 6-8 p.m. at View Gallery $25 workshops, $10 fash(1107 Highland Colony Parkway, Suite 105, Ridgeland). ion show; call 601-316- Daily updates at jfpevents.com Free; call 601-278-3991. … Taste of Fondren kicks off at 1660 or 601-624-9033. …

The Cooking For Our Kids Fundraiser is from 6 p.m. at Duling Green (Duling Avenue and Old Can- The Mississippi Symphony 5-8 p.m. at the Mississippi Community Education ton Road). The Capital City Stage Band performs. Ticket Orchestra presents “Bravo V: Stravinsky’s Rite” at Center (961 Madison Ave., Madison). Benefits the includes admission to the Taste of Fondren Show House 7:30 p.m. at Thalia Mara Hall. Pre-concert lecture at Children’s Advocacy Center. $45. $60 couples; call 601- (open April 19-21). $50 in advance, $65 at the door; call 6:45 p.m. at the Mississippi Museum of Art (free with 366-6405 or 601-714-1040; mscec.org. … “Elvis Lives!”

601-981-9606. … The play “Sherlock’s Last Case” de- cash bar). $20 and up, $5 students; call 601-960-1565. is at 7:30 p.m. at Thalia Mara Hall. Encore April 24. buts at 7:30 p.m. at Black Rose Theatre (103 Black St., … Nameless Open Mic is at 9 p.m. at Suite 106. $5 $20-$62.50; call 601-981-1847 or 800-745-3000.

Brandon). Runs through April 28. $15, $10 seniors, stu- admission, $3 to perform; call 601-720-4640. dents and children; call 601-825-1293.

Thursday 4/18

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Saturday 4/20

Monday 4/22

events@

April 17 - 23, 2013

Tuesday 4/23

Friday 4/19

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Arts on the Square is from 4-8 p.m. at Historic CanSquare (Courthouse Square, Canton). Continues

Sunday 4/21

A memorial fundraiser for the family of JPD Det. Eric Smith is from 11 a.m.-2 p.m. at Rooster’s (Fondren Corner, 2906 N. State St.). $10 plates (advance tickets

Wednesday 4/24

Author Andrew Haley speaks during History Is Lunch at noon at the Winter Archives and History Building (200 North St.). Free; call 601-576-6998.

More at jfpevents.com and jfp.ms/musicvenues.

JFP-Sponsored Events Zoo Brew April 19, 6-9 p.m., at Jackson Zoo (2918 W. Capitol St.). Enjoy craft beer samples, local food and live music. Performers include Jason Turner, DJ GeorgeChuck, Jesse Robinson and the Southern Komfort Brass Band. For ages 21 and up. $25 in advance, $30 at the door, $60 VIP, $15 designated driver; call 601-352-2580.

Memorial Fundraiser for Det. Eric Smith April 21, 11 a.m.-2 p.m., at Rooster’s (Fondren Corner, 2906 N. State St.). Purchase a pulled pork plate, and proceeds go to the family of the slain JPD officer. $10 plate (advance tickets available); call 601-982-2001.

Community Events at Jackson State University (1400 John R. Lynch St.).

• National Women in Agriculture Association Annual Meeting April 18-20. The goal is to promote viable farming activity in underserved communities. Registration required. Free; call 601-979-2794.

• Fannie Lou Hamer Humanitarian Awards Luncheon April 19, 11:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m., in Ballrooms A and B of the New Student Union. Honorees include Rev. John Cameron, civil rights attorneys Alvin Chambliss and Rob McDuff, Nsombi Lambright of On Voice and community activist Euvester Simpson. RSVP. $35, $250 table of eight; call 601-979-1562.

Events at Old Capitol Museum (100 S. State St.).

• History Is Lunch April 17, noon. Historic Jefferson College historian Clark Burkett talks about Grierson’s Raid on its 150th anniversary.

Free; call 601-576-6998.

• Coffee and Conversation April 19, 7 a.m.

Interact with business professionals and learn about upcoming city projects. Free; call 601576-6920.

Mississippi Foreclosure Prevention Consortium April 18. The Mississippi Attorney General’s Office hosts the program for homeowners who are at risk for or have experienced foreclosure. Get information on available aid. Free; call 866530-9572; msmortgagesettlement.com.

• 9 a.m.-noon, at Vicksburg Convention Center (1600 Mulberry St., Vicksburg).

• 3-6 p.m., at Brandon Civic Center (1000 Municipal Drive, Brandon).

Hinds Community College Golf Fun Fest April 18, 7:30 a.m.-6:30 p.m., at Eagle Ridge Golf Course (1500 Raymond Lake Road, Highway 18 S., Raymond). Proceeds go towards scholarships and development programs. Morning round:

$125, $800 teams; afternoon round: $175, $1000 teams; call 601-857-3350.

NAMI Mississippi State Conference April 1819, at Table 100 (100 Ridge Way, Flowood).

The theme is “Changing Landscapes in Mental Health.” Speakers include “The Biggest Loser” winner Patrick House and journalist Sam Hall. $50, $45 members, $20 consumers, $100 professionals wanting CE credits; call 601-899-9058.

Precinct 3 COPS Meeting April 18, 6 p.m., at Jackson Police Department, Precinct 3 (3925 W. Northside Drive). These monthly forums are designed to help resolve community issues. Call 601-960-0003.

Ward 5 Candidates Forum April 18, 6-7:30 p.m., at Johnnie Champion Center (1355 Hattiesburg St.). The West Central Jackson Improvement Association hosts the Q&A. Call 601-942-6721.

Nature Lecture April 18, 7 p.m., at Clinton Community Nature Center (617 Dunton Road, Clinton). Dr. Bill Stark speaks on the topic “American Scorpionflies (Mecoptera): Biodiversity and Behavior.” Free; call 601-926-1104.

Mississippi Quarter Horse Youth Association Horse Show April 19, 5 p.m., and April 20-21, 8 a.m., at Kirk Fordice Equine Center (1207 Mississippi St.). The event includes a barrel run, speed events and classes. Free; call 662-207-9358.

RiverFest April 19-20, in downtown Vicksburg.

The annual event includes concerts April 19 at 6 p.m., and an arts and crafts show, street performers, food vendors and sidewalk sales April 20 at 8 a.m. Performers include Skylar Laine, The Chill and Michael Grimm. Free daytime events, $10 for nighttime events; riverfestms.com.

150 Years Ago: Remembering Clinton’s Role in the Civil War April 19, 7-8:30 p.m., and April 20, 9 a.m.-5 p.m., in downtown Clinton.

Includes a concert and play at Mississippi College’s Provine Chapel April 19, and antebellum home tours, children’s activities and more April 20. Free; email visitorcenter@clintonms.org.

Warrior Dash April 20, at Mississippi Off Road Adventures (118 Elton Road). The annual 3.4mile race on rough terrain includes a post-race snack and an award. Registration required. $45$70; call 601-927-7957.

Jackson Public Schools’ Kids Fishing Rodeo April 20, 7:30 a.m.-noon, at JPS Environmental Learning Center (6190 Highway 18 W.). For children in grades K-12. Adults must accompany participants. Registration required. $8 in advance, $10 day of rodeo; call 601-923-2572.

Earth Day Conservation Celebration April 20, 9 a.m.-1 p.m., at Jackson Zoo (2918 W. Capitol St.). Learn about recycling, going green and more.

Free with paid admission; call 601-352-2580.

Highland Bluff Elementary Spring Fling April 20, 11 a.m.-3 p.m., at Northwest Rankin High School (5805 Highway 25, Flowood).

Includes games, concessions, a silent auction and a martial-arts exhibition. $15 ages 4-17, free for adults and ages 3 and under; call 601-992-2242.

Mississippi International Hair Show and Expo April 21-22, 9 a.m.-5 p.m., at Mississippi Trade Mart (1200 Mississippi St.). Includes hairstyling workshops, competitions and more. Licensed professionals and students must bring credentials. more EVENTS, see page 32

jacksonfreepress.com

Events at Tougaloo College (500 W. County Line Road, Tougaloo).

• “The Deadliest Disease” Film Screening April 18, 4:30 p.m., at the Bennie G. Thompson Center. Crystal Emery’s film is about racial bias in the healthcare system. RSVP. Free; call 601-977-4437; urutherighttobe.org.

• Holistic Health, Cultural Awareness and Social Change April 20, 5 p.m., in Holmes Hall. Speakers include psychologist and author Dr. Umar Johnson and healthy living expert Gwendolyn Carter. Free; call 601-503-4235; email jasonclarkvet@gmail.com.

31 JCV7210-46 Event Week April 15 JFPress 9.25x5.875.indd 1

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River to the Rails DOWNTOWN GREENWOOD, MS friday, may 3 hanalena 6:00 p.m. rollin’ in the hay 7:30 p.m. jimbo mathus 10:00 p.m. saturday, may 4 ‘que on the yazoo & people’s choice juried art competition pet pawrade kids’ activities magnolia drive 12:00 p.m. hawgwash 2:00 p.m. sponsored by: CN, Bud Light, Mississippi Arts Commission, Memphis BBQ Network, City of Greenwood, Greenwood Convention & Visitors Bureau, Planters Bank, WABG, Satellites Unlimited, and Viking

April 17 - 23, 2013

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Attend both days to receive 14 CEU credits. $30 in advance, $35 at the door for general public and professionals; $20 in advance, $25 at the door for students; two-day passes: $40 general public and professionals, $30 students; call 601-291-0154; msinternationalhairshowandexpo.com.

American Board Teaching Career Information Session April 23, 4:30 p.m. and 6 p.m., at Brandon Public Library (1475 W. Government St., Brandon). Learn how to earn a professional teaching license. Bachelor’s degree required. Free; call 601-329-0654; abcte.org.

Fair Housing Education Workshop April 23, 5:30-7 p.m., at Warren G. Hood Building (200 S. President St.). The University of Southern Mississippi’s Institute for Disability Studies hosts the program. Free; call 601-266-5163.

Mayor’s Ward 6 Community Meeting April 23, 6 p.m., at Griffith Memorial Church (5275 Terry Road). Share suggestions and receive information on city services. Call 601-960-1084.

Jackson Audubon Society Chapter Meeting April 23, 6:30 p.m., at Eudora Welty Library (300 N. State St.). JAS expert birder Skipper Anding speaks on bird migration.” Visitors welcome.

Free; call 601-832-6788.

Jackson People Action Coalition Economic Summit April 24-26, at Union Station (300 W. Capitol St.). Signature events include a clergy breakfast April 24, a health fair April 25, and a mayoral forum and black-tie affair April 26. Guest speakers include James Meredith, Cindy AyersElliott and Dr. Aaron Shirley. $50 per day, $150 three days, $75 black tie gala only, $50 additional gala ticket; call 601-421-5258 or 404-915-8626.

Wellness Cancer Prevention Study 3 (CPS-3) April 23-24.

The American Cancer Society seeks volunteers ages 30-65 without a history of cancer to participate in the long-term study. Free; call 888604-5888; cps3jackson.org.

• April 23, 11 a.m.-2:30 p.m., and April 24, 3-6:30 p.m., at Broadmoor Baptist Church (1531 Highland Colony Parkway, Madison), in the Gold Room, second floor.

• April 23, 11 a.m.-2:30 p.m., and April 24, 11 a.m.-2:30 p.m., at Mississippi State Capitol (400 High St.), in room 113.

“Extreme Makeover: Weight Loss Edition” Casting Call April 20, 10 a.m.-5 p.m., at Metrocenter Mall (3645 Highway 80 W.). Participant must be at least 50 percent overweight. Bring a recent photograph (not returnable). Online pre-registration and video submissions welcome. Free; extrememakeovercasting.com.

Art in Mind Art Program April 24, 10 a.m., at Mississippi Museum of Art (380 S. Lamar St.).

The Alzheimer’s Association of Mississippi offers the program for people with early-stage dementia.

Registration required. Free; call 601-987-0020.

Literary and Signings Events at Lemuria Books (4465 Interstate 55 N., Suite 202). Call 601-366-7619.

• “Jujitsu for Christ” April 17, 5 p.m. Jack Butler signs books. Reading at 5:30 p.m. $25 book.

• “Cover of Snow” April 23, 5 p.m. Jenny Milchman signs books. Reading at 5:30 p.m. $26 book.

Felder Rushing Talks Garden Art April 20, 10 a.m.-noon, at Mississippi Craft Center (950 Rice Road, Ridgeland). The horticulturist

signs his book “Bottle Trees … and Other Whimsical Glass Art for the Garden.” Yard art for sale.

Free admission, $15.95 book; call 601-856-7546.

World Book Night April 23, 4:30-5:30 p.m., at Piggly Wiggly, Canton (1150 E Peace St.). The Canton Public Library gives away copies of Rick Riordan’s “The Lightning Thief” outside the store while supplies last. Free; call 601-859-3202.

Creative Classes Discover Surface Design Class April 18, 6 p.m., at Mississippi Craft Center (950 Rice Road, Ridgeland). Rhonda Blasingame is the instructor.

Registration required. $35; call 601-856-7546.

Shut Up and Create! April 27, 10 a.m.-2 p.m. JFP Editor-in-Chief Donna Ladd’s newest workshop will benefit any artist, writer or anyone who wants to be more creative. This interactive workshop will involve games, exercises and tools. $50 (includes materials and lunch); call 601-362-6121, ext. 15 or email class@jacksonfreepress.com.

Exhibits and Openings Events at Arts Center of Mississippi (201 E. Pascagoula St.). Free; call 601-960-1557.

• Power APAC Visual Arts Exhibit through April 30. Awards ceremony April 21 at 1 p.m.

• Pastel Society of Mississippi Art Exhibit through April 28. See works from society members in the main galleries.

Taste of Fondren Show House April 19-20, 10 a.m.-4 p.m., and April 21, 1-4 p.m., at 205 Glenway Drive. Tour the historic 1930s Georgian home furnished with items from Fondren galleries and interior designers. $10, admission included for Taste of Fondren ticket holders; call 601-981-9606; fondren.org.

Events at Mississippi Museum of Art (380 S. Lamar St.). Free; call 601-960-1515.

• Look and Learn with Hoot April 19, 10:30 a.m. For ages 4-5. Please dress for mess.

• Conversation with the Mississippi Museum of Art Director and Chief Curator April 23, 5:30 p.m., at Mississippi Museum of Art (380 S. Lamar St.). MMA director Betsy Bradley leads a conversation with Dr. Roger Ward.

Be the Change Drive for Life Golf Tournament April 18, 11:30 a.m., at Lake Caroline Golf Course (118 Caroline Club Circle, Madison). Benefits the Mississippi Organ Recovery Agency. $125 individual, $500 team of four; call 601-933-1000.

Global Youth Service Day April 20, 8:30 a.m.noon, at JIG Garden (near 3290 W. Northside Dr., adjacent to the BP station). The Jackson Inner-city Gardeners (JIG) seeks volunteers to help with planting, weeding and harvesting. JIG sells the produce and donates a portion to food banks. Free; jiggarden.org.

Bone Marrow Donor Drive for Danielle Stephens April 21, 2-6 p.m., at Jackson Academy (4908 Ridgewood Road). Anyone ages 18-55 and in good health can have a cheek swab. Free; call 646-530-2911; email amy@dkmsamericas.org.

Check jfpevents.com for updates and more listings. To add an event, email all details (phone number, start and end date, time, street address, cost, URL, etc.) to events@jacksonfreepress.com or fax to 601-510-9019.

The deadline is noon the Thursday prior to the week of publication. Or add the event online yourself; check out jfpevents.com for instructions.

DIVERSIONS | music

by Bret Kenyon

W Courtesy Video Games Live

ith the arrival of so many (finally legal) music streaming services over the past couple years—the Pandoras, Spotifys, Groovesharks, etc—we’re easily sitting on the most musically-accessible era in history. Of course, most of us use this vast library of music to simply listen to the same three artists on repeat (or on shuffle, if we’re feel-

Underappreciated as an art form, videogame music deserves a second (and third and fourth) listen.

ing crazy), and rarely do we wander outside of that comfort zone. Maybe it’s due to the transparency of these sites—no one wants Facebook sharing that they’ve checked out the new “Glee” cover of Justin Bieber’s latest single—but it may also be that with such a wide world suddenly laid out in front of us, we don’t know where to start. So here’s a suggestion, a genre that’s often ignored, yet one you unwittingly tried out that first time you blew the dust out of a Nintendo cartridge.

That’s right. Video-game soundtracks.

And I realize that by suggesting that I listen to video-game music, I’ve lost a good chunk of whatever cool points I’ve collected over the past decade, so let me try and win a few of those back.

First off, we’re not talking about the 8-bit, infinitely repeating melodies of our childhood. If you’re listening to those … well, my condolences. What I’m referring to are the fully orchestrated, creatively imagined scores that have popped up over the past 10 years. I could go for pages about why music appeals to us and what makes a song really hit home—in short, it’s about the time and place we’re taken to when we hear it. For instance, you may not be a fan of Lonestar’s “Amazed,” but as it was the song that played during my first dance with my first summer crush, it brings back some pretty amazing memories for me. Movie soundtracks are another great example—think of the opening measures of the “Jurassic Park” theme music and I guarantee you’re thinking Costa

Rican landscapes and frolicking brontosauruses. (Brontosauri? Dinosaurs.)

With video game music, composers have a unique challenge and a unique advantage—they’re challenged in that they instantly have to create an emotional impression with their music. They’re composing for Mountain Dew-fueled gamers with very limited attention spans, and if they’re going to be remembered, they have to create those memories within a very short amount of time. And they’re experts at this—as far back as the ’80s, you knew whether Mario was in a cave or underwater by the first two measures.

But on the other hand, these composers have an incredible freedom to explore.

Think about it: Aside from the small demographic that digs into these sorts of things, who is going to pay real attention to the music underscoring their digital xenocide?

The composer can try things he might not be able to with a Hollywood studio, with resources he wouldn’t find in an average recording contract. It’s a blank canvas with few restrictions—a composer’s paradise.

Curious? Here’s a great one to start with: composer Nobuo Uematsu, creator of the music behind the popular “Final Fantasy” franchise. Had no one told you that you were hearing something from a game, you’d never guess that the themes and musical worlds he creates aren’t pieces from some higher art or purpose. And he doesn’t stop with just piano pieces and orchestral arrangements—the man composed an opera for one of his games—a musical story within a story where two lead characters are brought together by the music itself.

“Final Fantasy,” “ChronoCross,” “Metal Gear Solid,” “Mass Effect,” the “Zelda” series—all hit on this formula in some way.

The acid test that determines whether music is worth anything is how far you travel when you hear it. Songs that take me to summers in Pennsylvania, to the streets of New York, to unforgettable parties with friends—these will always rest at the top of my playlist.

So it’s no surprise that I find so much value in the little-known works of these composers, because their music does so well what music was created to do—to transport us, to force us to feel, to explain the world to us in ways that can’t be done in words. And it’s by far some of the most beautiful and creative sounds I’ve ever come across.

So if you have the opportunity, give it a listen. Start with Nobuo or Jack Wall’s “Civilization IV Medley” (which gives me goose bumps every time). And if you don’t like it, no problem; you can go ahead and hang onto those cool points I dropped. I’m more than happy hanging onto my music.

9.99

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Friday

April 19

Soul Apostles Saturday April 20

THIS WEEK WEdNESdAY 4/17:

Singer/Songwriter Night with Natalie Long (Restaurant) Sarah Lee Guthrie, Johnny Irion & Grayson Capps (Red Room) cocktails 6:00pm. show 7:30pm. advance tickets: $8 (no fees) | at door: $10 *18+

Thursday 4/18:

Lane Rodgers (Restaurant)

FRIdAY 4/19:

Crooked Creek (Restaurant)

SATURdAY 4/20:

Wicked Gentleman (Red Room) Thomas Jackson (Restaurant)

MONdAY 4/22:

Central MS Blues Society’s Blue Mondays (Restaurant)

COMING SOON SATURdAY 5/18:

Oyster Open Gold Tournament email jane@halandmals.com for details

SATURdAY 5/24:

Morningbell Presents…

VietNam 7:30pm

Runaway Sun

NOW AT HAL & MAL’S

Highlife, Highlife Lite, PBR, Schlitz, Fatty Natty

for first time fill for high gravity beer Refills are $20.00

Tuesday

April 23

BUY GROWLERS O F Y O U R F AV O R I T E BEER TO TAKE HOME

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Open Mic with Jason Turner

Wednesday

April 24

KARAOKE

with DJ STACHE FREE WiFi

416 George Street, Jackson Open Mon-Sat Restaurant Open Mon-Fri 11am-10pm & Sat 4-10pm

601-960-2700

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for first time fill for regular beer Refills are $15.00

Visit HalandMals.com for a full menu and concert schedule

601.948.0888 200 S. Commerce St. Downtown Jackson, Mississippi

jacksonfreepress.com

Higher Scores

33

Music listings are due noon Monday to be included in print and online listings: music@jacksonfreepress.com.

April 17 - Wednesday Ole Tavern - Karaoke Pop’s Saloon - Ladies Night Philip’s on the Rez - Karaoke w/ DJ Mike Burgers & Blues - Jesse “Guitar” Smith Club Magoo’s - Karaoke 8 p.m.

Last Call - Karaoke Martin’s - Ladies Night Hal & Mal’s - Sarah Lee Guthrie, Grayson Capps, & Johnny Irion 7:30 p.m., $8 adv., $10 door; Singers/Songwriters Night feat. Jeff Lewis (Radio London, Wicked Gentlemen), Jeff Maddox, Mark Roemer, & Aaron Coker (A Few Dead Roses) 7 p.m. free (rest.)

Soul Wired Cafe - Benefit Concert for Bluesman 7 p.m.-1 a.m. $5-$10 Olga’s - Joseph LaSalla 6:30 p.m. free Underground 119 - Jason Turner 7 p.m. free

April 18 - Thursday Cherokee Inn - D’lo Trio Ole Tavern - Ladies Night Hot Shots, Byram - Karaoke 8 p.m.

Club Magoo’s - Ladies Night F. Jones Corner - Amazing Lazy Boi Band midnight Martin’s - College Night The Art Garden, MS Museum of Art - Urban Hip Hop Night feat.

5th Child, DJ Young Venom, PyInfamous, & James Crow 5:30 p.m. free Que Sera - Triple Shot Olga’s - Hunter Gibson & John Powell 6:30-9:30 p.m. free Burgers & Blues - Jon Clark 5:309:30 p.m. free Underground 119 - Jimmy Jarratt & Lee H. Abraham (jazz) 8 p.m. free Fenian’s - Vulcan Eejits 9 p.m. free Hal & Mal’s - Lane Rogers Soulshine, Township - Barry Leach 7 p.m. free Soulshine, Lakeland - Jon Clark 7 p.m. free The Yellow Scarf - Wine, Women, & Wisdom: The Yellow Scarf’s 1st Year Anniversary feat. Tawanna Shaunte 9 p.m., $15 adv., $20 door

April 17 - 23, 2013

April 19 - Friday

34

The Penguin - Amos Brewer 11 a.m.- 3 p.m.

Martini Room, Regency - Martini Fridays 9 p.m.

Hot Shots, Byram - Karaoke 8 p.m.

The Boardwalk - Karaoke Debo’s Lounge - Karaoke Bottoms Up - DJ w/ Special Events Reed Pierce - Back 40 9 p.m. free Duling Hall - Sister Hazel 8:30 p.m., $20, 18+ Union Station Ballroom - Upscale Friday w/ Melanie Fiona, Jarekus Singleton Band, DJ Phil 9 p.m.

Capitol Grill - Fearless Four 8 p.m. free Jackson Zoo - Zoo Brew feat.

Southern Komfort Brass Band, Jason Turner, Jesse Robinson, DJ George Chuck 6-9 p.m. $25 adv., $30 door, $60 VIP F. Jones Corner - Jarekus Singleton Band

Pelican Cove - Shadz of Grey Davidson’s, Canton - Larry Brewer Ole Tavern - Soul Apostles Sam’s Lounge - Ned Van Go Burgers & Blues - Shaun & Kenny 6-10 p.m. free RJ Barrel, Canton - Frazier Riddell Mama Mia’s Pizza, Canton - Chris Blevins & Company Underground 119 - Southern Komfort Brass Band 9 p.m. $10 Musicians’ Emporium (642 Tombigbee St.) - Grand Opening w/ Adib Sabir & Doug Frank (lunch) & Faze4 9 p.m. c. alan crandall

MUSIC | live

Leftover Salmon Sneaky Beans - Tess Brunet CS’s - Howard Jones (jazz) 7 p.m. free Fenian’s - Chris Gill 9 p.m. free Olga’s - Bill & Temperance 7:30 p.m. free Hal & Mal’s - Crooked Creek Soulshine, Township - Barry Leach 7 p.m. free Soulshine, Lakeland - Skip McDonald 8 p.m. free McB’s - Sofa Kings 7:30 p.m. free The Yellow Scarf - Wine, Women, & Wisdom: The Yellow Scarf’s 1st Year Anniversary feat. Rhonda Richmond 9 p.m., $15 adv., $20 door

April 20 - Saturday

Hal & Mal’s - Chris Gill (rest.), Wicked Gentlemen w/ Jonathan Yargates and The Energy (Red Room) The Yellow Scarf - Wine, Women, & Wisdom: The Yellow Scarf’s 1st Year Anniversary feat.

Cassandra Wilson 9 p.m., $15 adv., $20 door

April 21 - Sunday Hot Shots, Byram - Mike and Marty’s Jam Session Sophia’s, Fairview Inn - Knight Bruce 11 a.m. (brunch) Fitzgerald’s - Andy Hardwick (brunch) 11 a.m.

Table 100 - Raphael Semmes (jazz brunch) 11:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m.

Sombra Mexican Kitchen - John Mora 11 a.m.-2 p.m.

Char - The Big Easy Three 11 a.m.2 p.m.

Duling Hall - Shawn Mullins w/ Chuck Cannon 7:30 p.m., $15 Pelican Cove - Richard Lee Davis 5-9 p.m. free Shucker’s - Renegade 3-7 p.m.

Burgers & Blues - Doug Frank 4-8 p.m. free

April 22 - Monday Hal and Mal’s - Central MS Blues Society (rest) 7 p.m.

Martin’s - Open Mic Free Jam Fenian’s - Karaoke Ole Tavern - Pub Quiz Burgers & Blues - Karaoke The Penguin - Mellow Mondays Pelican Cove - Larry Brewer 6-9 p.m.

April 23 - Tuesday Duling Hall - Leftover Salmon 7:30 p.m. $25 Hal & Mal’s - Pub Quiz Ole Tavern - Open Mic Fenian’s - Open Mic Time Out - Open Mic Night Margaritas - John Mora 6-9 p.m.

Burgers & Blues - Jesse “Guitar” Smith Underground 119 - Charles Scott 6:30 p.m. free

Hot Shots, Byram - Karaoke 8 p.m.

Bottoms Up - DJ & Show 9 p.m.

Reed Pierce - Dylan Moss Band 9 p.m. free Underground 119 - Eden Brent 9 p.m. $10 Last Call - Time To Move Band 9 p.m. $5 Olga’s - Renegade Shucker’s - Mike & Marty 3:30 p.m.

Fenian’s - Dain Edwards Trio April 24 - Wednesday 9 p.m. free Ole Tavern - Karaoke Pelican Cove - DoubleShotz Pop’s Saloon - Ladies Night 6-10 p.m. free Philip’s on the Rez - Karaoke w/ Ole Tavern - Runaway Sun DJ Mike Sam’s Lounge - Hell’s Half-Acre w/ Burgers & Blues - Jesse “Guitar” Scent of Reamains Smith F. Jones Corner - Stevie J & The Club Magoo’s - Karaoke 8 p.m.

Blues Eruption Last Call - Karaoke Burgers & Blues - Wes Lee Martin’s - Ladies Night 6-10 p.m. free Table 100 - Hunter Gibson Suite 106 - Nameless Open Mic 7-10 p.m. free Night 9 p.m. $3 to perform, $5 Underground 119 - Zach Lovett audience 7 p.m. free Canton Square, Canton - Arts on the Hal & Mal’s - VietNam 8 p.m. $7 Square feat. Fondren Guitars Kids Rock Program, Kolbe Alsobrooks, and Patrick Harkins Send your music listings to 10 a.m.-5 p.m. free music@jacksonfreepress.com Musicians’ Emporium (642 or fax to 601-510-9019 by noon Tombigbee St.) - Diesel 255 9 p.m. $10 Monday for inclusion in the CS’s - Used Goods w/ Swamp next issue.

Babies 9 p.m.

Morningbell Records - Record Store For a list of music venue Day feat. Bobby Rush 11 a.m., addresses and phone Taylor & Valley Hildebrand 1 p.m. free numbers, visit Soulshine, Lakeland - Bill & jfp.ms/musicvenues.

Temperance 7 p.m. free

DIVERSIONS | jfp sports bryan’s rant

Sports Grab Bag

N

o one single topic monopolized my attention this week, so, once again, here are my thoughts from all around the sports world.

The Masters was played this weekend, and congratulations to Adam Scott for giving Australia a green jacket. Scott is the first Aussie to win at Augusta National, and he won with Tiger Woods’ former caddie Steve Williams.

Nearly overshadowing Scott’s win, however, is Tiger Woods’ ball drop, which occurred on the 15th hole on Friday. Tiger needed to use a drop after his shot hit the flag and bounced before rolling into the water.

The only reason anyone had a problem with Woods’ drop is because someone watching The Masters from home felt the need to call in and say Tiger dropped his ball “two yards further back” than where his original divot was located.

Who watches a sporting event to call in rules violations? Who sits with a rulebook next to them, ready to tattletale on professional athletes? It doesn’t make sense to me.

But more importantly, it seems like listening to athome callers put those athletes—like Tiger—who get a lot more television time at a disadvantage.

Did Scott win the Masters because he maybe didn’t get as much TV time as Tiger? Could it be he wasn’t subject to some person on the couch eating chips and drinking beer calling in to tattle on him?

Folks, get a life and stop calling in rules violations for golfers. Golf officials, stop taking calls from these people. There is no way the NFL, NBA or other pro-

fessional sport would take a call from a fan to point out a rule violation.

Tiger got a two-stroke penalty for his illegal drop.

And speaking of rule violations, officials also awarded a stroke penalty to Tianlang Guan, a 14-year-old eighth grader from China, this time for slow play.

Guan was the only player penalized for slow play during The Masters and most people believe he is the first player ever to receive a slow play penalty at the event. I don’t understand why the officials were picking on a 14-year-old kid and missing Tiger’s potentially illegal ball drops.

In other news, Andy Kennedy, Ole Miss head basketball coach, got off the hot seat and got a max extension of four years and a pay raise. Kennedy did a great job at Ole Miss this season and deserves both the pay raise and extension.

Even though the Los Angeles Lakers were going to get bounced in the first round of the NBA Playoffs, which start this Thursday, it is sad to see Kobe Bryant tear his Achilles tendon. Bryant is expected to be out of action for six to nine months.

The NFL Draft is right around the corner. Dreams are going to come true for college kids who hear their named called over three days.

Still, the best story might not be at the NFL Draft. It comes from the Atlanta Falcons training camp—if you don’t know the story about linebacker Brian Banks, take some time and read about his story. It is a remarkable journey for the young man.

the best in sports over the next seven days

SLATE

by Bryan Flynn

Thursday, April 18 College baseball (6:30-10 p.m., ESPN U): Mississippi State looks to keep climbing in the SEC West against last-place Auburn in a three-game series starting today.

Friday, April 19 NHL (7:30-11 p.m., NBC Sports Network): The Chicago Blackhawks have nearly wrapped up the top seed in the west and might do it against a bad Nashville Predators team.

Saturday, April 20 Soccer (9-11 a.m., ESPN 2): Wake up and start your weekend with some soccer from the best league in the world—the Barclays English Premier League, featuring Arsenal hosting Fulham.

Sunday, April 21 NASCAR (12-4 p.m., Fox): Jimmy Johnson still has the points lead as the Sprint Cup Series moves to Kansas for the STP 400 from the Kansas Motor Speedway.

Monday, April 22 Soccer (2-4 p.m., ESPN 2): The runaway

The NBA Playoffs start Saturday, but the schedule is not out, yet, so we don’t have any NBA games on the Slate this week. Expect some hockey, soccer, baseball and more this week, folks. leader in the Barclays English Premier league, Manchester United looks to keep lapping the field on the road against Aston Villa, who hopes to avoid regulation.

Tuesday, April 23 Documentary (7-8:30 p.m., ESPN): Another film in the ESPN 30 for 30 series called “Elway to Marino” focuses on the historic 1983 NFL Draft when six quarterbacks were drafted in the first round.

Wednesday, April 24 NHL (6:30 p.m. - 12:30 a.m., NBCSN): It’s a hockey double header featuring the Detroit Red Wings hosting the defending Stanley Cup champion LA Kings, and followed by San Jose at Phoenix.

The National Hockey League season is ending soon and the Stanley Cup Playoffs will start on April 30. Each night you can relax with playoff games in both basketball and hockey.

Follow Bryan Flynn at jfpsports.com, @jfpsports and at facebook.com/jfpsports.

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Saturday April 20

BY MATT JONES

59 Fight club?

60 Howard in the director’s chair 61 Number cruncher 63 Snitch 64 Tabriz resident 66 *Dignified (but angry) complaint 69 Kenneth and Ashley 70 *Movie with the line “It’s such a fine line between stupid and clever” 71 Make into law 72 Sea birds 73 Mumford & ___

Down

“What Is This?” —you tell me.

Across

1 Smoky entree 5 It may be enough 9 Picks a candidate 14 *Phrase once heard before a long beep 16 What “X” may mean 17 *Part of a memorable anti-drug commercial 18 He jumps on turtles frequently 19 Former Texas Governor Richards 20 Karaoke joint, usually 21 Viper relative 23 Unit of resistance 24 Fire, euphemistically

26 *Cliche line from bank robbers 28 Furniture maker ___ Allen 31 Mentalist Geller 32 *Short poem by William Carlos Williams 36 Cyberspace 40 St. Louis attraction 41 Brilliance 43 Up to the task 44 “But you told me that...” retort 46 *1995 hit for Montell Jordan 48 Backtalk 50 Windshield problem 51 *Game show intro 55 Like Boston accents, as it were

1 Kingly 2 “___ ear and out the other” 3 Dull 4 Leb. neighbor 5 ___ vez (“again,” in Spanish) 6 Handy 7 Series set in Las Vegas 8 Lab heaters 9 “Twilight” characters 10 ___ Mae Brown (Whoopi Goldberg’s “Ghost” role) 11 “Dinosaur Hunter” in a Nintendo series 12 Former Secretary of State Root 13 Broadway show with trash can lids 15 Comedian Bud 22 “The Fifth Beatle” Sutcliffe 25 Start seeing a shrink 26 Comparison 27 Military school, with “The” 29 Tilling tool 30 Writer Sholem 32 ___ alai 33 It usually starts with www.

34 Chem., e.g.

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42 Airline until 2001 45 Bridget Jones or Samuel Pepys 47 List of mistakes 49 Paid athlete 51 Power 52 Actor Zac 53 Florida city 54 Enzyme that breaks down genetic material 56 One of the Muses 57 “Cosmos” author Carl 58 Front porch attachment 61 Quarter, say

62 Painful plays on words 65 Japanese computer company 67 “This American Life” network 68 “Treasure Island” monogram ©2013 Jonesin’ Crosswords (editor@jonesincrosswords.com)

Last Week’s Answers

For answers to this puzzle, call: 1-900-226-2800, 99 cents per minute. Must be 18+. Or to bill to your credit card, call: 1-800 655-6548. Reference puzzle #612.

BY MATT JONES Last Week’s Answers

“Kaidoku”

Each of the 26 letters of the alphabet is represented in this grid by a number between 1 and 26. Using letter frequency, word-pattern recognition, and the numbers as your guides, fill in the grid with well-known English words (HINT: since a Q is always followed by a U, try hunting down the Q first). Only lowercase, unhyphenated words are allowed in kaidoku, so you won't see anything like STOCKHOLM or LONG-LOST in here (but you might see AFGHAN, since it has an uncapitalized meaning, too). Now stop wasting my precious time and SOLVE! psychosudoku@hotmail.com

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BULLETIN BOARD: Classifieds

ARIES (March 21-April 19):

The writer Oliver Burkeman has some advice that would be helpful for you Aries folks to hear right now: “When you assume your current preferences won’t alter, you’ll make bad decisions: embarking on a career or marriage, say, not with a view to its durability, but solely based on how it makes you feel now.” I am most definitely not predicting that you are about to make the kind of bad decision Burkeman refers to.

I’m sure my warning here in this horoscope will derail any temptation you might have to make short-sighted moves.

I’m happy to report that help from the invisible world is available to you right now. Of course you won’t be able to use it, let alone tune in to it, if you don’t believe there is any such thing as help from the invisible world. So if you are the type of person who is very sure that reality consists of nothing more than what your senses reveal, I suggest that you temporarily suspend that belief. And if you are someone who has had direct experiences with blessings that come from the unseen realm, be aware that the imminent delivery is quite different from those you have known in the past.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20):

In her book “A Monster’s Notes,” Laurie Sheck describes the nuances of the term “ghost” in the German language.

A mediocre wine may be called unghostly, she says. A witty, lively person is “Rich in Ghostliness,” whereas a dull, blank type “has no ghost in him.” In this spirit, Gemini, I suspect you will have some pretty fine ghostliness working for you in the coming weeks. And there’s a good chance that part of your extra-special mojo will arise from your creative engagement with energies that resemble the more traditional definition of “ghost.”

CANCER (June 21-July 22):

A one-minute video commercial for The Cosmopolitan luxury resort in Las Vegas shows an elegant woman at a sumptuous feast. She’s eagerly holding her dinner plate up to her face so she can lick it clean of its last delicious taste. The scene shifts to a well-dressed man who’s down on all fours serving as a chair for a chic woman.

She applies her make-up while gazing into the shiny mirror-like surface of a high-heeled shoe. New scene: An 80-year-old woman pats the butt of a handsome young stud with whom she’s slow-dancing. At the end of the ad, a catchphrase appears: “Just the right amount of wrong.” I say, let that be your mantra in the coming week, Cancerian.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22):

Albert Einstein published his General Theory of Relativity in 1916. It had radical implications for the field of theoretical physics, but remained an unproven concept until 1919. Then a British physicist verified its accuracy with evidence gathered during a solar eclipse. The Times newspaper in London announced the event with the headline “Revolution in Science: New Theory of the Universe, Newtonian Theories Overthrown.” Not wanting to be left behind, The New York Times assigned one of its own journalists to cover the revolution. Unfortunately, the person they sent was a sports reporter whose specialty was golf. His article was less than illuminating. The moral of the story, as far as you’re concerned, Leo: When big developments are underway, show up at full strength, with all your powers engaged.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22):

“Never to get lost is not to live,” writes Rebecca Solnit in her book “A Field Guide to Getting Lost.” In fact, she says that not knowing how to get lost is unhealthy. These are useful ideas to consider right now, Virgo. It will probably do you good to get at least semi-lost. As you wander around without a map or compass, I bet you will stumble upon important teachings. At the same time, I hope you will put some thought into how you’re going to get lost.

Don’t just leave it to chance. Make sure there’s a method in your madness.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22):

In the English language, “low man on the totem pole” is an idiom that refers to a person who has the worst job or the least status. He or she is considered to be at the low end of the hierarchy. But it’s an incorrect metaphor.

The creators of the original totem poles were indigenous Native American tribes of the Pacific Northwest, and for them the figure at the bottom of the pole was the most important one. I foresee the possibility of a similar situation arising in your sphere, Libra. Be alert for a misapprehension that needs to be righted. It may be the case that what’s last should actually be first. Something that has been beneath or behind “more important” matters should perhaps get higher priority.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21):

In his book “Karmic Traces,” Eliot Weinberger describes the life story of naked mole rats. They’re animals that never leave their underground tunnels. Normally you Scorpios have nothing in common with them. But in the coming days, I’m hoping there will be one resemblance.

According to Weinberger, the naked mole rats “change direction by somersaulting.” Metaphorically speaking, I think this would be an excellent strategy for you. There’s no need to mope cautiously as you alter your course. No need to be lackadaisical and fitful and full of doubts. Just spring into action with a cheery bounce, and move on with a renewed sense of purpose.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21):

The famous philosopher John Searle unleashed a witty dig about the famous philosopher Jacques Derrida, saying he is “the sort of philosopher who gives bullshit a bad name.” One of your fun assignments in the coming week, Sagittarius, is to do the opposite of what Derrida’s work does. In other words, give bullshit a good name. How? Well, you could engage in creative verbal expressions that boost morale and propagate delight and lubricate worthwhile connections. Make up noble fictions that are more accurate and useful that the literal truth.

Spread uplifting gossip that heals and invigorates.

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CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19):

“The ideal piano player is the one who wants to be the piano,” says a character in Thomas Bernhard’s novel “The Loser.” He continues: “I say to myself every day when I wake up, I want to be the Steinway, I want to be the Steinway itself.” Your assignment, Capricorn, is to apply this attitude to your own personal situation. In other words, merge with the tool you want to master. Immerse yourself in the skill you’re working to perfect—disappear into it. In your imagination, become completely united with the thing or person or experience you desire.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18):

“The trouble with our age is that it is all signpost and no destination,” said writer Louis Kronenberger. I’m concerned that you may have fallen under the sway of this kind of myopia, Aquarius. A steady stream of useful tips and clues has been appearing, but you’re missing some of them. Your long-range goals aren’t sufficiently clear, so you don’t always recognize the significance of new revelations. Here’s the cure: In your imagination, create a vivid picture of your next big destination.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20):

A group of bicyclists in Southern California challenged a blogger to a race. They said they could cover the 38.4 miles from North Hollywood to Long Beach faster on their bikes than the blogger could get there by plane.

As it turned out, they were right. Their trip took an hour and 34 minutes. As for the blogger, he had to drive to the airport, wait for the plane to depart, fly to a different airport, then catch a cab to the designated destination.

He arrived about an hour after the cyclists. Can you guess which of those two modes of travel is the preferred metaphor for you this week, Pisces? The earthy, simple, stripped-down approach will get you where you need to go better than the big, elaborate, expensive method.

Homework: It’s easy to see fanaticism, rigidity, and intolerance in other people, but harder to acknowledge them in yourself. Do you dare? Testify at Freewillastrology.com.

Shut Up and Create!

April 27, 10 a.m.-2 p.m.

JFP Editor Donna Ladd’s newest workshop will benefit any artist, writer or anyone who wants to be more creative. This interactive workshop will involve games, exercises and tools to help you be more creative long after the class. Take it to be inspired and have fun! $50, includes materials and lunch.

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Trip Burns

Gig: Brain Boss

by Krista Davis

As a kid, what did you want to be when you grew up?

A veterinarian. I’ve come a long way from that—I didn’t think I could put the animals to sleep.

I’m soft hearted.

Describe your work day in three words.

Busy, meaningful and unpredictable! We never know who is going to call.

What tools could you not live or work without?

My computer, telephone or car.

What steps brought you to this position?

Name: Lee Jenkins Age: 52 Job: Executive Director of Brain Injury

Association of Mississippi

I’ve always wanted a job helping people. I knew someone on the Brain Injury Association of Mississippi board. That led me to know some brain survivors and I was fascinated by their stories. The executive director prior to me left due to health issues and the position was available. I had the qualifications.

I feel like it was fate. I love my job! It’s a hard job, but very worthwhile.

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April 17 - 23, 2013

7IRH VIWYQIW XS NSFW$NEGOWSRJVIITVIWW GSQ

38

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

What’s the strangest aspect of your job?

It would be helping people or family leading normal and productive lives and in an instance change when they have a brain injury. Also, helping them adjust after injury. A brain injury is unique to each person. There is no formula to fix one.

What’s the best thing about your job?

I enjoy finding resources and services available for family’s survival of brain injury to make their lives better.

What advice do you have for others who would like to work with the Brain Injury Association of Mississippi?

You have to have a lot of compassion and empathy. You also have to be strong enough to survive hard stuff. We get a lot of bad things. We don’t get good calls. Also, you have to have great fundraising abilities, because funds are getting cut. So, on one side you have to be soft and the other side has to be level-headed for tragedy.

If you have a great job, or know someone who does, suggest it to kathleen@jacksonfreepress.com.

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