v11n49 - Slave To The Payday Lender

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JCV7741-33 Main Festival JFPress.indd 1

8/13/13 12:44 PM

UNITED WAY MADE A WAY OUT OF “NO WAY�

FOR ME

6th Annual

A Day In The Park For CARA A Day In The Park for CARA Community Animal Rescue & Adoption, Inc. Pelahatchie Shore Park at the Reservoir Saturday, August 24 • 10am - 3pm

August 14 - 20, 2013

Lunch by Outback Steakhouse • Live Music • Silent Auction • Dogs On Parade Free Children’s Carnival • Blessing of the Pets • Arts & Crafts Market Pet Educational Sessions • Bring Your Pet

2

Voluntary Admission: Bag of Dog Food or Cat Litter www.carams.org 960 North Flag Chapel Road Jackson, MS 39209 601.922.7575

Michael is a high school student with a problem that many students face. He has the grades to graduate, but he’s having trouble passing one of his required state tests. United Way partners with school districts in the Metro Area to host state test workshops which help students pass their state tests and graduate on time.

Your United Way’s initiatives are changing lives, right here, right now.

Each of us can be the one who helps turn a life into a success story. Together, person by person, we can make lasting change.

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JACKSONIAN PAHEADRA ROBINSON

E

ven with her smooth, tenor-like voice, smart pinstriped suit, and soaring stature of at least 6 feet in heels, Paheadra Robinson is not as intimidating as some attorneys can be. She is poised, humble and compassionate. The combination makes her magnetic and captivating, even to an audience of one.

Jackson native Robinson, 41, is well-suited for her work at the Mississippi Center for Justice, where she is the director of consumer protection. She gushes when she talks about the work the MCJ does, from foreclosureprevention cases to health-care-confidentiality cases for HIV/AIDS patients.

“It is the best legal work I’ve ever done,” she says. She calls it “walking in her purpose.”

With elevated passion, but no less grace, she charges into her pet concern—payday lending. These companies charge more than 10 times the annual interest allowed by banks and credit unions if the loans are not paid off in the short term, Robinson says. Less than 2 percent of their consumers are able to meet the terms of the two-week repayment period.

Individuals in a temporary cash crunch become trapped in payments for months later.

Robinson says payday lenders appear more frequently than banks in some Mississippi Delta towns.

For Robinson, it’s personal. She relates to the stories of payday-lending victims. Raised

CONTENTS

by a single mother, her own family sometimes relied on finance companies to meet expenses.

When she was in college, she followed suit, until she educated herself and shared her understanding with her family.

Fast forward through college at Tougaloo, law school at Ole Miss, a stint in private practice and some pro bono work, and you find Robinson in her element—using her legal expertise to help people who lack resources to make better choices about consuming credit.

She drafts legislation and lobbies policymakers as expected of a legal professional. But she also spends time traveling the state, educating the economically vulnerable.

A servant to the core, her service work extends far beyond the MCJ’s offices on the eastern edge of Jackson. She co-founded the Fresh Start Foundation with a friend from Biloxi to benefit Hurricane Katrina victims. She has been a mentor at her alma mater, Lanier High School, and has advocated for better public schools as a parent leader for Parents for Public Schools Greater Jackson. She has three children in JPS. For Robinson, giving herself away is an expectation instilled through her upbringing. At home she learned to share what small means she had with whomever it would help.

She believes that, for herself and for the people she helps, it’s not the start, but the finish that counts.

—Georgette Keeler

Cover illustration by Kristin Brenemen

6 Bump in the Road

As repairs on Fortification Street hit a snag, is city council just playing politics?

22 Get in the Game

“It really is that simple. ‘Civilization’’s success is entirely related to its purity—it is no more or less the same glorified board game it was when the first entry came out in 1991, and God only knows how many hours of productivity this ideological devotion has cost mankind since.”

—Nick Judin, “Historical Revisionism: A review of ‘Civilization V’”

32 Dee’s Soul

Up-and-coming artist Jesse Dee performs at the first Jackson Rhythm and Blues Festival, which kicks off this weekend.

jacksonfreepress.com

4 ............................. EDITOR’S NOTE 6 ............................................ TALKS 12 ................................ EDITORIAL 13 .................................... OPINION 14 ............................ COVER STORY 21 ................................... ORGANICS 22 .......................................... GEEK 22 ................... GIRL ABOUT TOWN 24 ........................................... FOOD 27 .............................. DIVERSIONS 28 .......................................... ARTS 28 ....................................... BOOKS 29 ............................... EIGHT DAYS 30 ............................... JFP EVENTS 32 ....................................... MUSIC 33 ....................... MUSIC LISTINGS 34 ..................................... SPORTS 35 .................................... PUZZLES 37 ....................................... ASTRO 38 ............................................ GIG

MICHAEL SPENCER; COURTESY FIRAXIS GAMES; TRIP BURNS

AUGUST 14 - 20, 2013 | VOL. 11 NO. 49

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EDITOR’S note

by Donna Ladd, Editor-in-Chief

From Emmett to Trayvon

W

hen I was growing up, I was horrified when TV westerns showed horse thieves being hung or shot. Clearly, stealing a horse is not cool and requires punishment.

But by death? My response: Thank God we lived in a more moral society than the old days when such barbarity was acceptable.

As I grew older, I was disgusted to learn just how violent our own state was toward nonwhites who simply wanted the right to vote and attend the same schools as people who look like me. It was sobering to learn that, when I was a child, grown white men in my hometown hunted down black people like they were animals and killed them with no trial, suspicious that they had committed a crime. Over the years, I’ve forced my mind open to the fact that young black men have been the most hunted and terrorized group of people in American society—often due to what a white man thought they might do.

The story of Emmett Till, who was tortured and murdered by a group of white men a few miles up the road in Money, Miss., when he was 14, is the ultimate symbol of this truth. The men brutally murdered this boy because they believed that his supposedly flirting with a white woman put her life in danger. They were raised to believe that.

What is most stunning about Till’s execution is not that evil men did something bad. Sadly, that happens. No, the most awful part is that the society around them thought it was an appropriate way to deal with their inherited fears. The jury believed that—as did most white Mississippians. The men were so confident they were justified that they later admitted the crime to Look magazine, after an all-white jury acquitted them despite strong evidence of their guilt.

The tragedy in that case, and so many others like them, was the complicity of a so-

called moral and Christian society. We live in a state where many white people have believed myths about African Americans since slavery. It made twisted sense: It’s hard to justify owning other human beings for free labor if you believe that they are the same as you are. So it seemed necessary to spin yarns about the enslaved while destroying their self-esteem and family structure.

One of the prevalent lies persisting today is that black men are more violent than whites. The irony, of course, is that the violence that persists today among young blacks is a direct result of them being the most hunted and demonized Americans in our history.

I have a book on my office shelf, “Race and Reason,” by Carlton Putnam, that whites widely distributed in our state and beyond in the 1960s. The book is filled with “scientific” myths designed to prove that black people are less intelligent and more violent than whites.

Written by a Yankee academic, no less, folks used it to justify the kinds of practices that have helped create today’s continuing problems that young black males face. Whether it’s growing up in poverty, as sons of single mothers and fathers imprisoned as a result of the drug war (usually for longer terms and for lesser crimes than whites), or because they are constantly considered guilty until proved innocent, the prejudice that is so ingrained in our state’s and nation’s consciousness is still haunting America and hurting us all.

And those lies are causing America to again do really stupid and inhumane things.

As a young adult, I at least felt good that we were moving the right direction, if not quickly enough. Jim Crow had been overthrown, allowing many of us to go to school with kids of different races and economic status—a vital part of any good education (which is sorely missing in many good schools, including in the Ivy League).

Somehow that forward progress has been thwarted. When I heard that George Zimmerman had killed an unarmed black boy because he feared what that boy might do, I immediately thought of Emmett Till.

I prayed that the societal response would, nearly 50 years later, be different, proving us an evolved nation.

I am white, and I want to see fellow white people be different than they were in my childhood. I want them to stop assuming the worst about nonwhites. I want them to learn and use history, even uncomfortable parts, to help make our world and lives better and safer today. And perhaps most of all, I want them to want justice for all, not just white people.

Alas, we’re not there, yet. Zimmerman is not the most sympathetic character, and Trayvon Martin was a pretty decent kid, certainly as decent as the children of many prominent white people I know. Regardless of the outcome of that trial, white Americans had the chance to show that we’re different now, and not prone to easy assumptions about children of color.

Unjust trials happen. Rapists and murderers go free (sometimes due to bad cops) and people with money buy their kids out of trouble, as less privileged kids go to prison.

Neither trials nor laws are always just.

No, the test that so many white people have again failed is that of basic humanity and morality. No matter how you look at it, what happened to Trayvon was wrong. We whites need to act like we get that. We need to participate in changing our society so that a paranoid or angry man cannot shoot and kill a young black man just because he is afraid the kid might do something wrong.

The tough part is questioning why so many whites are still trapped by historic myths. Too many still believe that black

males are likely to be dangerous or commit violent acts. They buy that it is OK to make those assumptions, to profile them before they do something wrong and even kill them to make sure that they don’t. That is what happened to young Emmett in 1955.

In so doing, we guarantee that many young African Americans will continue to feel hunted, hopeless and devalued. As so many of us obsess about crime, the irony is that these attitudes are exactly what makes it worse. Either you get that black crime has historic roots or you accept Putnam’s argument, which is the definition of racist.

Crazies will always be there, and we will always have to deal with them. But when trigger-happy men shoot kids of color under cover of Stand Your Ground or Castle Doctrine laws, and mainstream whites rush forward to defend them, we have a more severe problem. And when politicians pass laws to make it easier for a man in Jackson to walk outside and kill a teenager allegedly trying to steal his car, without even a police investigation, we might as well be hanging horse thieves in front of City Hall.

Take a cue from John Grisham’s “A Time to Kill.” Imagine if the kid killed in the man’s car had been from a “good” white family. Maybe on a dare from his private-school friends, he tried to steal a car. I promise that the reaction from whites would involve outrage and statements that it was a “waste” of a talented life. It would have been investigated.

The man who shot him might even go to jail, at least for one night.

Until we live in a society where white people assume that the life of any child (of any color) is valuable, we will not live in a just or colorblind society. Until we all start treating our young people like they matter, they will not believe that they do. And that is dangerous, and tragic, for every one of us.

August 14 - 20, 2013

CONTRIBUTORS

4

Georgette Keeler

R.L. Nave

Tom Speed

Kelly Bryan Smith

Nick Judin

Mark Braboy

De’Arbreya Lee

Kristin Brenemen

Georgette Keeler is a web manager, writer and aspiring documentary film producer.

Her pastime is capturing memorable moments with her husband Larry through their business Video Producer Services.

She wrote the Jacksonian.

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. Contact him at 601362-6121 ext. 12. He contributed to the cover package.

Tom Speed is a freelance writer and contributor to Paste, Blurt and Living Blues magazines.

He lives in Oxford with his wife, children and kazoo collection.

He wrote an arts story.

Kelly Bryan Smith is a busy mom, writer, brain tumor survivor, and nursing student living with her small son in Fondren.

She enjoys cooking, swimming, reading and collecting pastel blue eggs from her backyard chickens.

Nick Judin takes a look each month at gaming and its culture, often with an eye towards the independent and artistic.

He wrote the Geek feature.

Editorial Intern Mark Braboy loves to write and listen to hiphop music. A Jackson State University English major, he also writes for the college’s newspaper, the Blue & White Flash. He wrote a books story.

Editorial Intern De’Arbreya Lee is a Pittsburg, Calif., native and recent Jackson State University graduate. She enjoys family, art, fighting for the people and quoting lines from the film “Love Jones.” She helped factcheck for the issue.

Art Director Kristin Brenemen is an otaku with a penchant for dytopianism. She’s currently spazzing out about all of her procrastination cosplay. Shout out to @wyldkyss if you’re going to Dragon Con too! She designed much of the issue.

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President Barack Obama cancels his Moscow summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin over Russia’s harboring of National Security Agency leaker Edward Snowden. ‌ Demolition begins on the Cleveland house where Ariel Castro held three women captive for a decade or more and repeatedly raped them.

Thursday, Aug. 8 Firefighters battle a wildfire burning out of control in Southern California’s San Jacinto Mountains east of Los Angeles. ‌ A Taliban suicide bomber attacks a police officer’s funeral in Pakistan, killing 30 people.

Friday, Aug. 9 President Barack Obama signs a bill to lower the cost of student-loan borrowing for millions of students.

Saturday, Aug. 10 Officials charge Erbie Bowser, the shooter who killed four people and wounded two more in Dallas last week, with three counts of capital murder and two counts of assault with a deadly weapon. ‌ More than 100 children from the Newtown, Conn., area put on a musical with the help of Broadway professionals.

Sunday, Aug. 11 The United States reopens 18 of the 19 U.S. embassies and consulates in the Middle East and Africa closed due to a terrorist threat. ‌ Olympic sprinter Usain Bolt reclaims the 100-meter world championship he lost in South Korea two years ago.

August 14 - 30, 2013

Monday, Aug. 12 A federal judge rules that the New York Police Department violated New Yorkers’ civil rights with its stop-and-frisk policy. ‌ Attorney General Eric Holder calls for major changes to the nation’s criminal justice system to scale back harsh sentences for certain drug-related crimes.

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Tuesday, Aug. 13 Israel announces that it is moving forward with a plan to build nearly 900 new housing units in east Jerusalem. ‌ Secretary of State John Kerry travels to Brazil to allay top leaders’ concerns about U.S. surveillance in their country.

Get news updates at jfpdaily.com.

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Fortification Street Blues

by Tyler Cleveland

J

ackson City Councilman DeKeither ish Street to Greymont Avenue. The work ask for extra money arose when construction Stamps is catching a lot of flack for included replacement of water and sewer workers found a 42-inch water drainage pipe voting to stop a change order that mains, including a 24-inch water main on clogged with 30-plus years of trash. would have funneled additional Jefferson Street between Fortification Street “Basically, we have this pipe that is funds into the pockets of Hemphill Con- and Manship Street. It also provided for completely clogged beyond what we can struction, the company the city has handle,� Public Works Director hired to rebuild Fortification Street.

Dan Gaillet said. “We have asked He’s also receiving some praise.

Hemphill Construction to clear the The Ward 4 councilman has pipe and to put up fencing around fielded calls, texts and emails since the construction site where we have he and Councilwoman LaRita Cootrenches—some of which are 7-feet per-Stokes, Ward 3, combined to deep—that we don’t want to risk shoot down the measure July 30. having anyone fall into.�

With a 2-2 vote, the council deThat work would cost the city nied an additional $151,000 to fix $151,000, but if Stamps has his a clogged drainage pipe in the name way, the Rankin County company of fiscal responsibility. won’t get it. “I didn’t understand the criti“When I voted ‘no,’ I wasn’t cism at first,� Stamps said. “When I voting against the Fortification was running for this position, peoStreet project,� Stamps said. “I’m ple asked me to clean up our sysvoting against us not doing the tem, be more responsible with their right thing and working to make tax dollars and help hold people acthe city more efficient. countable, so we will have a more “My question is this: I don’t efficient system.� think we’re in the position to write Construction on Fortification Street continues, despite Cooper-Stokes did not give a the Jackson City Council’s denial of a change order for an $151,000 checks for plans that were reason for opposing the measure. additional $151,000 to clear a 42-inch drainage line. passed without a 1.5 percent continCouncil President Charles Tillgency plan. Where is the $151,000 man, Ward 5, and Melvin Priester going to come from? What are we Jr., Ward 2, both supported the additional Americans with Disabilities Act-compliant going to cut to make up for that? Those are funding. Councilwoman Margaret Barrett- sidewalks, changing the street from four the questions I have to have answered before Simon, who represents Ward 7 (where the lanes to three lanes between Jefferson Street I raise my hand and vote ‘yea.’� project is located), and councilmen Quentin and Greymont Avenue, replacing six traffic Hopefully, the project won’t be deWhitwell, Ward 1, and Tony Yarber, Ward 6, signals, adding traffic-monitoring cameras layed forever. All three of the absent memwere absent. and fiber-optic communication wires, and bers have been proponents of the project Hemphill Construction’s original bid installing decorative lighting fixtures. Phone in the past, and because the vote ended in a for the project was $8,988,961, nearly three calls to Hemphill project manager Tim Tem- tie and rather than a defeat, the change ortimes the city’s annual street-resurfacing ple were not returned by press time. der will probably appear on another meetbudget, to reconstruct 1.2 miles from FarThe problem that has caused the city to ing agenda in the near future.

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If the right council members are at that meeting, the city council is likely to pass the increase, even without the answers Stamps would like to have.

Meanwhile, business on Fortification Street is suffering. T. Francis, general manager of Fenian’s Pub, said he was “very upset� to hear that a vote from the city council could delay the completion of construction. “The traffic has definitely affected our business,� Francis said. “Our daytime sales and happy-hour sales are down 8 or 9 percent. It’s particularly hurting our daytime business, because people aren’t taking Fortification (Street) to dodge traffic anymore. They are detouring and tak-

ing different routes to get home.�

When the city first came to the businesses to sell them on the project in August 2012, Francis said city officials told them the project would take 18 months. While a February completion date isn’t yet out of the question, not approving the change order could delay the project. “If we don’t get it approved it could prolong the process,� Gaillet said. “We have enough work over there to do to keep us busy for a while, but eventually we’ll need to get that work done, and it’s just not something we can handle in-house.�

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

Medical Tourism Could Drive Jackson Economic Growth

by Tyler Cleveland

“We’re going to be the world’s numberone international getaway for health care,�

Rolando D. Rodriguez of the Greater Miami Chamber of Commerce told The Miami Herald when announcing the initiative.

Jackson hospitals are keeping up with

Businesses:

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Much of the talk around expanding healthcare-related tourism centers on the University of Mississippi Medical Center, the biggest hospital in Jackson.

the trend, which pairs major health-care facilities with restaurants, shopping opportunities and even some entertainment venues.

Baptist Hospital just opened a commercial complex across State Street from its main hospital called The Belhaven. A new 17-foot-high, enclosed skyway leads patients and visitors from Baptist Hospital into the new brick building.

Landmark Healthcare Facilities manages the 180,000-square-foot, five-story facility, which houses several restaurants on PRUH (&2120< VHH SDJH

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W

hen folks talk about tourism in Mississippi, most of the conversation centers on casinos, golf, the blues, civilrights freedom trails or family reunions.

But the emerging trend of medical tourism may soon join that list.

Stories of Americans going overseas seeking hip replacements and other major surgeries arenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t uncommon, but thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s not the kind of tourism that Jackson hospitals are focused on. Instead, the hospitals and local business owners are hoping to attract patients from rural Mississippi and surrounding states to one of Jacksonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s major hospitals.

Right now, those people frequently go out of state, to Memphis, Tenn., or New Orleans, for medical care.

The cityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s business leaders, including Duane Oâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Neill, president of the Greater Jackson Chamber Partnership, are working to bring the hospitals together and make Jackson a complete health-care destination. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s part of the platform Oâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Neill is pushing as chairman of the Vision 2022 Healthcare Committee.

Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s not a novel idea. The city of Miami launched a similar campaign in 2009. The collaborative featured a website (MiamiHealthCare.org), and the Greater Miami Chamber of Commerce touted the city as offering â&#x20AC;&#x153;renowned medical services in a tropical, cosmopolitan paradise.â&#x20AC;? The site linked to the participating providersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; websites, giving them a chance to show off their amenities, such as concierge services, in an attempt to attract patients to their facilities.

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TALK| politics

Fact-checking Reeves at Neshoba

by R.L. Nave

can open in districts rated A, B, or C—as long as the local school board does not block what parents demand. We are putting parents in charge … and we are just getting started.”

After many years of trying and failing, the Mississippi Legislature finally passed a bill to clear the way for charter-school expansion during this year’s session. The champions of this effort, mostly Republicans and a smaller number of Democrats, routinely COURTESY TATE REEVES

U

nfortunately, most of the politicians who spoke at the Neshoba County Fair two weeks ago didn’t publish their speeches.

Then again, if you heard one Mississippi Republican’s speech, you’ve likely heard a version of all of them. With the lone exception of Attorney General Jim Hood, every executive and legislative branch head is a member of the Grand Old Party.

At this year’s fair, Republicans touted the success of the party’s legislative agenda, which included passing a charter-school bill, a third-grade reading program and more. Lt. Gov. Tate Reeves, or the fearless leader of the “Tater Tots,” was the only pol kind enough to make available the full text of his speech, so we’ll use that as our guide to determine whether legislators are doing everything they claim they are.

CLAIM: “Over the past two years, the Legislature increased funding for Kthrough-12 public education by more than $83 million.”

The Legislature has allocated more money for public education the past couple of years, primarily to pay pension obligations. Despite the increase, a large gap persists between what the Legislature allocated and what the Mississippi Adequate Education Program formula mandated. Specifically, the gap between MAEP and the amount lawmakers budgeted for education in Mississippi this year is approximately $264 million.

And, because the Legislature has failed to fully fund MAEP since 2009, the total that lawmakers have shorted Mississippi schools is around $1.3 billion.

CLAIM: “Mississippi took its first steps toward giving parents a choice in where their children attend schools. For the first time, public charter schools will be allowed to open in school districts rated D or F. And public charter schools

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August 14 - 20, 2013

IURP SDJH

8

the first floor including Millie D’s Frozen Yogurt, Einstein Bros. Bagels and Jimmy John’s Gourmet Sandwiches. A white-tablecloth restaurant, The Manship, is also getting ready to open. In all, 15 different businesses or medical offices started operating out of the $75 million building in July.

Just a mile north of The Belhaven, a newly renovated building across the street from UMMC houses a Backyard Burger, a Smoothie King and a Hazel’s Gourmet Coffee. It also has a packed parking lot for lunch and dinner every day.

A February 2013 Reuters investigation into charter-school admission practices revealed that some charter schools, which are funded by public money but run by private organizations, come up with ways to get only the students most likely to perform well academically. The tactics include: • Lengthy application forms, often printed only in English, that require student and parent essays, report cards, test scores, disciplinary records, teacher recommendations and medical records.

• Demands that students show Social Security cards and birth certificates for their applications to be considered, even though such documents cannot be required under federal law.

• Mandatory family interviews.

• Assessment exams.

• Academic prerequisites.

CLAIM: “The Legislature created a ‘Third-Grade Gate’ meaning a child will have to read proficiently in the third grade before passing to the fourth grade.”

Lt. Gov. Tate Reeves touted the achievements of the Mississippi GOP at the Neshoba County Fair.

tout charter schools as “another tool in the box” for giving parents choices to improve educational outcomes for their children.

True, charter schools can be a tool for some parents and kids, assuming they’re lucky enough to earn admission to a charter school. Legislators projected that only a handful of charter schools will operate in the state in the first few years. The law requires the schools to hold lotteries to randomly select students for the few slots to eliminate cherry-picking of certain kids.

City business leaders have already gotten some help in trying to push a more healthcare-centered economy. In April 2012, Gov. Phil Bryant signed House Bill 1537 into law, which he said would “help foster a positive environment for development in the healthcare industry while making sure Mississippians have the proper access to cutting edge medical care.” The bill provides incentives for health-care-related businesses to create full-time jobs in areas where hospitals exist.

“Passage of the health-care-zones legislation is a major achievement for all Mississippians,” O’Neill said at the time. “By embracing health care as a leading industry sector, we will be in a position to realize the

Borrowed from former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush’s educational foundation, the thirdgrade gate was a centerpiece of the Republican education-reform agenda. Under the program, children must read at grade level before promotion to the fourth grade or be held back. Repeating students will receive special instruction from tutors and coaches.

Gov. Phil Bryant proposed spending $15 million to hire 75 literacy coaches for the state’s kindergarten through third grades; however, the Legislature slashed Bryant’s request to $9.5 million, and the Mississippi Department of Education will only hire 24 reading coaches for the entire state, even though hundreds applied.

what was the first reaction by President (Barack) Obama and Congress? To take away your right to own guns and protect your family!”

Gun supporters often spin proposed firearm regulations as an attempt to strip all guns from everyone. That brand of hyperbole is evident in Reeves’ statement. After the December shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary, when 26 children and adults were killed, Obama called for more extensive background checks on gun purchasers as part of a gun-control overhaul. Congressional Senate Democrats drafted a bill, but it failed to earn a filibuster-proof majority and eventually died.

CLAIM: “The Legislature also clarified Mississippi’s law regulating your ability to carry a concealed weapon. Last year, General Hood issued an opinion that folks whose concealed weapon became visible were violating the law. So, if you were walking down the street on a windy day and your coat blew back to reveal a gun, you could be in violation of the law.”

CLAIM: “When tragedy struck that schoolhouse in Newtown, Connecticut,

Technically, House Bill 2, otherwise called the concealed-carry bill, clarified the ability to openly carry a weapon. Mississippi law requires individuals to obtain a permit to carry concealed weapons, but gun-rights advocates said the law was unclear on the definition of “open” and “concealed.” HB 2 was an attempt to make the law more clear, but seems to have done the opposite. In June, law-enforcement officials in Hinds County sued to block the law’s implementation until the legislature could address key questions. A Hinds County judge agreed and issued an injunction that called the law “constitutionally vague.” The matter is awaiting action from the Mississippi State Supreme Court.

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

benefits of improving our quality of life, as well as continuing to grow our economy.”

The Jackson Convention and Visitor’s Bureau reports that Jackson alone received 3.13 million visitors last year who spent roughly $300 million inside the city limits.

Across the state, tourism supported 20,378 jobs in 2012, data from the Mississippi Employment Security Commission show. The payroll on those jobs is more than $4.2 million. An expansion of health-care tourism could boost that number even higher.

Malcolm White, the Mississippi Development Authority’s Tourism Division director, said Aug. 9 that health-care tour-

ism should be a natural for Jackson.

“The fact is that if you have a family member or friend that has to come to UMMC or Baptist for health care, the family is going to come, too,” White said. “These people have to sleep somewhere, and they have to eat somewhere. Sometimes, if it’s an extended period of time, they’ll likely end up seeking some kind of entertainment, they might even end up (visiting) a museum.”

Health care isn’t a part of White’s specific focus, but he added: “It makes sense that people like (O’Neill) are talking about it. It could be huge for Jackson.”

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

TALK | education

Common Core: Is Raising the Bar Enough?

ENRICHMENT RECOMMENDED

The test score achievement gap between low-and high-income students keeps increasing.

HIGHEST 10% INCOME

75

% WIDER GAP

BORN IN 2000

BORN IN 1943

LOWEST 10% INCOME SOURCE: COUNCIL ON FOREIGN RELAITIONS

dial Education.” Americans who are now between the ages of 55 and 64 have the highest rate of high-school graduation in the world.

For the generation aged 25 to 34, the standing has slipped to No. 10.

In 2009, the National Governors Association set out to find a solution. With funding from the Bill and Melinda Gates

SLIPPING IN THE RANKS

U.S. graduation rankings worldwide, 2012

HIGH SCHOOL GRADS

1ST

AGES 56-64

10TH

AGES 25-34

COLLEGE GRADS

3RD

AGES 56-64

13TH

AGES 25-34

SOURCE: COUNCIL ON FOREIGN RELATIONS

Common Core State Standards are designed to help American education regain its preeminent position in the world.

Foundation, it hired consultant David Coleman, who assembled a team of 135 fellow consultants, administrators and educators to write a set of standards that, if students reach them, would put us back on top.

A year later, the first two sets of standards—in English-language arts and math for kindergarten through 12th grade—rolled out to “provide a consistent, clear understanding of what students are expected to learn, so teachers and parents know what they need to do to help them,” the group’s website states.

Mississippi adopted the CCSS in the summer of 2010. In all, 46 states have followed suit. Tests to measure the standards effectiveness in the classroom are in development, and will be available at the end of the 2014-2015 school year.

“I think that there’s always something positive and something that’s beneficial when new methods, new standards, are implemented … that can help students,” said Carolyn Jolivette, executive director of the Parents for Public Schools Jackson. Problems arise, though, when programs such as CCSS become one-size-fits-all solutions. “We always want the quick fixes,” she said. “… We miss part of what the real deal is, and that is: How is this going to affect the children who are going to have to deal with the decisions that adults are making?”

CCSS advocates say that the standards provide a framework to allow teachers to delve more deeply into their subjects, developing students’ comprehension and criticalthinking skills over rote memorization. The standards delineate what students should know and what skills they should have at the end of each school year. But the methodology, the specifics of how the schools arrive at those standards, is largely left to the states and to individual school districts.

“The mechanism—the curriculum piece and the materials piece—is determined locally,” Oakley said.

Common Core sets high expectations for students, teachers and school districts.

Budgeting for new technologies in a time when just putting books in classrooms can be a financial hardship, but high-tech is a reality that schools must prepare students for.

“To deny that education needs to shift, I think, is kind of turning a blind eye to the world we live in,” Oakley said.

For students already struggling—and often failing—to reach the old, No Child Left Behind standards, which CCSS replaces, they will see achievement levels drop further with more rigorous standards in place.

“We recognize these standards will require more of our students, and it will take a few years for Mississippi students to master them. States that have already implemented higher standards similar to these and mea-

sured their students’ performance for the first time saw the number of students scoring proficient drop,” states the MDE on its website. “We can expect similar results here in Mississippi. It won’t be because our students are any less smart than they were before. It will be because we will be holding them to higher academic standards, which will benefit them and their future.”

That the scores will go down isn’t surprising. “The question is: What are we going to do with that?” Jolivette asked. She stressed that schools, teachers and students shouldn’t be penalized because of the drop. On the other hand, perhaps the deficit model isn’t the best one to follow. “It’s always about ‘what’s wrong,’” she said. “It’s always about ‘these kids’ or ‘those kids’ who are not stepping up to the plate … and ‘those parents’ who don’t care. … We never look at what’s working and build on that.”

MDE has provided professional development for the state’s teachers since adopting CCSS. Oakley said he is looking forward to seeing Mississippi’s students striving to reach the new standards, and that the main challenge will be how teachers help students who are having problems.

“Focused, individualized attention becomes of paramount importance,” he said.

“We’ve got to be targeting instruction to individual students to meet their needs.”

What happens before a child walks through the doors at school matters, Jolivette indicated, both good and bad, and no one should expect schools to solve every child’s problems. Those solutions must come from the community working together to provide what individual children need to achieve at their best. Nonetheless, at school, she said, “We should educate them, no matter what.”

Comment at www.jfp.ms. Email Ronni Mott at ronni@jacksonfreepress.com.

Common Core Samples From the first grade English-language arts standards: • Retell stories, including key details, and demonstrate understanding of their central message or lesson.

• Explain major differences between books that tell stories and books that give information, drawing on a wide reading of a range of text types.

• Compare and contrast the adventures and experiences of characters in stories.

From the grade 11-12 English-language arts standards: • Cite strong and thorough textual evidence to support analysis of what the text says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text, including determining where the text leaves matters uncertain.

• Analyze multiple interpretations of a story, drama, or poem (e.g., recorded or live production of a play or recorded novel or poetry), evaluating how each version interprets the source text. (Include at least one play by Shakespeare and one play by an American dramatist.)

SOURCE: CORESTANDARDS.ORG

jacksonfreepress.com

Y

oung Jackson Public Schools scholars returned to classrooms last week.

And whether Aug. 8 marked the first time riding a big, yellow bus or the final year of locker assignments, the students will all share one thing this year with every other public-school student in Mississippi: Common Core State Standards.

Variously hailed as the Next Big Thing in education or decried as just another in a long line of high-stakes, test-based reforms that won’t work, the Common Core aims to re-establish the United States as a preeminent producer of educated young people.

“When we look at the Common Core State Standards, or college- (and) careerreadiness standards, those are more closely aligned to prepare students, when they finish high school, to move into post-secondary study, to move into the workforce,” said Nathan Oakley, director of curriculum and instruction at the Mississippi Department of Education.

It’s a high bar. Right now, those in higher education complain that many incoming freshmen aren’t prepared for college-level work, and employers say new hires don’t have basic skills needed to succeed in the workplace. U.S. students once topped the world’s educational heap, but that hasn’t been true in decades. In comparison with other developed nations, the U.S. ranked “average” in reading, math and science reported the international Organisation for Economic CoOperation and Development in 2010.

The Council on Foreign Relations noted the country’s decline in educational achievement in its June 2013 report, “Reme-

by Ronni Mott

9

TALK | business

Belhaven, Beacon and Yoga

by Dustin Cardon

TRIP BURNS

The Chronicle of Higher Education profit organizations in the country that association that helps expand the print inPIAS awarded Beacon magazineâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s sumhas ranked Belhaven University as one of excel in job satisfaction, Christian wit- dustry in Alabama, Arkansas, Louisiana, mer 2012 issue a Best of Category award and the top colleges to work for in the nation. ness, personal development, teamwork Kentucky, Mississippi, Tennessee and West an Award of Excellence. The winter 2012 isThe Great Colleges to Work For program and management.

Virginiaâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;honored Beacon for the maga- sue also received an Award of Excellence. is in its sixth year.

CHE designated Belhaven Tara Yoga Expands in its top tier as an Honor Roll Tara Yoga (200 Park Cirinstitution, a distinction only cle, Suite 4, Flowood) hosted 42 other colleges and unithe grand opening of its newly versities around the country expanded studio Aug. 10 with share. The organization rana fundraiser for Stewpot Comdomly sampled Belhavenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s 370 munity Services. The renovated full-time employees for the studio is three times larger than study, along with 44,500 facits former space. ulty and staff at other colleges â&#x20AC;&#x153;The expansion is a blessand universities. ing for me, because it gives us Confidence in senior leada place where we can do events ership and job satisfaction are like the one for Stewpot,â&#x20AC;? stutwo of 12 sets of criteria CHE dio owner Tara Blumenthal uses to judge nominations for said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We also plan to do events the Best Colleges to Work For for â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Yoga for Nonviolenceâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; for award. CHE named Belhaven the Center for Violence Prevento the Honor Roll for exceltion. Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve put a lot of time and ling in the following categories: energy into â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Yoga for Nonvioprofessional and career-devellenceâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; in the past and look foropment programs; teaching ward to being able to do more environment; job satisfaction in the future.â&#x20AC;? and support; work and life Blumenthal has been balance; confidence in senior teaching yoga for 10 years in Belhaven University is on the Chronicle of Higher Educationâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s list of top colleges to work for in the nation. leadership; department-chair the Jackson area. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I have a backrelationship; respect and apground in yoga anatomy and preciation; and tenure clarity and process. Beacon Magazine Receives Awards zineâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s summer 2012 issue, which spotlighted therapy, and I focus on making people have Other Mississippi universities to reMississippi Collegeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Beacon maga- an orphan-care center in Botswana, Africa. a great yoga experience,â&#x20AC;? Blumenthal said. ceive honors include Mississippi State zine recently received regional awards along Two Mississippi College 2011 graduates, â&#x20AC;&#x153;I want to keep our students safe as well as University, the University of Mississippi with Hederman Brothersâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;the MC alumni Allison Hunter and Kasey Ambrose, run make them feel better through the yoga proand the Mississippi University for Wom- magazineâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s printer in Ridgelandâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;and Kirk- the center. The article featured pictures by cess in the class. Part of the process of yoga for en. Belhaven was the only Christian pri- patrick & Porch Creative, the publicationâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s award-winning photographer and 2007 myself is how we can serve our community vate university in Mississippi named to the creative-services firm.

MC alumnus Robby Followell of Clintonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s through our classes, which is what got me Honor Roll of top-tier institutions.

Mississippi College distributes Bea- Followell Fotography. working with Stewpot. Tara Yoga is very comIn December 2012, the Best Chris- con magazine, published twice a year, to Other stories PIAS honored include munity focused, and we like to support local tian Workplaces Institute also recognized more than 30,000 alumni and friends a showcase for a Mississippi College Law community aid organizations like Stewpot.â&#x20AC;?

Belhaven University as its Best Christian around the nation.

Schoolâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s adoption legal clinic and a story on For information on Tara Yoga, call 601Workplace for 2013. The award recogLeaders of the Printing Industry As- 2012 Miss MC Taylor Townsendâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s campaign 720-72337, visit tara-yoga.net, or check out the nizes only 22 Christian business and non- sociation of the Southâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;a non-profit trade to fight human trafficking. studioâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Facebook page.

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Affordable and Convenient

M

iss Doodle Mae: â&#x20AC;&#x153;Jojo has noticed a disturbing trend: Popular bookstores and coffee shops owned by big businesses have closed stores in urban areas where ethnic minorities live. Last month, a popular bookstore and coffee shop near the ghetto-science community closed its doors and moved 30 miles away to the suburbs. Now, members of the Senior Citizen Ladies in Church Hats, all residents of the ghetto-science community, do not have a place to conduct their weekly Book Club, Coffee and Bible Study. Bookstore tutors, who help students master math, science, English literature and history, lost convenient instructional space. And the Unemployed Dee Jays are forced to end their job-search strategy and economic-survival sessions. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Nevertheless, Jojoâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;our fearless leader, progressive entrepreneur and job creatorâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;recognized a great opportunity to expand his business while helping the community. He purchased the empty building next door to his store, and transformed it into a discount bookstore and coffee shop for the financially and transportation challenged. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Jojoâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Discount Bookstore and Coffee Shop will create more jobs for unemployed citizens of the ghetto-science community.

But theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll get no more $5 mocha-choco grande lattes or delicious frappe supreme treats. Books will be affordable. Hot coffee, cold drinks and fresh doughnuts are a dollar, and the Wi-Fi is free. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Jojoâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Discount Dollar Store invites the ghetto-science community to enjoy Jojoâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Discount Bookstore and Coffee Shop, the new, affordable and convenient place to hang out or be productive. â&#x20AC;&#x153;

â&#x20AC;&#x153;wrongâ&#x20AC;? Âł3XWWLQJ DQ DGGLWLRQDO RU PLOOLRQ RI DGGLWLRQDO JDV WD[HV RQ WKH FLWL]HQV RI RXU VWDWH DW WKLV WLPH ZKHQ WKH HFRQRP\ LV ZKDW LW LV DQG HYHU\RQHÂśV KDYLQJ D KDUG WLPH DOUHDG\², WKLQN LWÂśV WKH ZURQJ DSSURDFK ´

August 14 - 20, 2013

°3TATE 3EN *OEY &ILLINGANE 2 3UMRALL REGARDING ½ NDING A SOLUTION FOR -ISSISSIPPI´S ROAD MAINTENANCE COSTS

12

Why it stinks: Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s predictable. Someoneâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;especially a Democratâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;says the state needs additional revenue, and we can count on a Republican (or a Tea Partier) to provide the knee-jerk reaction: No! The condition of many Mississippi roads is bad. Without funds to maintain them (which the state has not allocated), those conditions will continue to deteriorate into the realm of pathetic and unsafe.

Sen. Willie Simmons, D-Cleveland, invited alternate proposals when he talked about the tax increase. He put it out as a way to get the discussion started.

Simmonsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; proposal would raise gas taxes 8 cents to 10 cents per gallon. For a 20-gallon fill-up, thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s $1.60 to $2. The annual total for someone who fills up once a week would be roughly $100.

Thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s not an exorbitant price to pay considering the additional repair costs for pot-hole-damaged vehiclesâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;much less the injuries and deaths that could occur because our roads are treacherous.

Common Core Isnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t a Silver Bullet

L

ittle Johnny likes to jump over stuffâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;the cat, the footstool, his baby sister. At school, he goes out for track, sure that jumping over hurdles will be fun. His short stature makes every leap a challenge, though, and he fails miserably. After a bunch of banged shins and disappointments, Johnnyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s coach announces the solution: Raise the height of the hurdles.

Sounds crazy, right? No coach would raise the bar to 3 feet on a kid who canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t get over one set at 2 feet. And yet, thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s exactly whatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s happening in public schools. Kids havenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t met No Child Left Behind standards, so they are now subject to the tougher Common Core State Standards. What could possibly go wrong?

Ask yourself: Who wins? It seems unlikely that itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s our children, at least not for a long time.

Test scoresâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;the metrics that will eventually measure CCSSâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; successâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;will drop precipitously. Will teachers win? Not if performance-based compensation goes into effect. How about public schools in general? Wonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t the standards force the system to improve? Thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a bit like expecting Johnnyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s legs to get longer with higher hurdles.

Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s critically important that schools ensure studentsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; success, and CCSS has the potential to meet that challenge. It also has the potential to be a continuation of test-driven, top-down pedagogy that undermines rather than improves learning. And failure is fodder to those who would funnel more

public funds into private hands.

Too alarmist? Maybe.

We get what we measure. And when we measure, fund and promote via test scores, we systemically teach how to do well on testsâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;regardless of the standard. CCSS advocates claim the new standards focus less on right answers and more on process, honing critical-thinking skills. But where is the empirical research proving that premise?

Ultimately, itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s the kids who will show whether the standards work and bear the consequences if they fail, not the group of 135â&#x20AC;&#x201D;mostly consultants and bureaucratsâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;who wrote them or the companies peddling new tests.

What standards donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t do is focus on the underlying reasons for why Johnny and Susie drop out: generational poverty, for example, and our failure to promote foods that build healthy brains. They canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t see drug-war-ravaged communities or counter crass consumerism and domestic violence. They wonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t measure the value of teachers who engage and inspire students.

We canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t expect public schools to cure all the ills confronting our children. Neither should we glom on to CCSS to fix education. We have to ask the hard questions and deal with the complexities of tough, long-term solutions.

Success in school starts long before a child opens a schoolhouse door. It still takes a villageâ&#x20AC;&#x201D; and thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s more than just schools.

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

Or write a 300-600-word â&#x20AC;&#x153;Your Turnâ&#x20AC;? and send it by email, fax or mail above with a daytime phone number. All submissions are subject to fact checks.

EDDIE OUTLAW

PUBLIC AUCTION

Editor-in-Chief Donna Ladd Publisher Todd Stauffer EDITORIAL News and Opinion Editor Ronni Mott Features Editor Kathleen Morrison Mitchell Reporters Tyler Cleveland, R.L. Nave Music Editor Briana Robinson JFP Daily Editor Dustin Cardon Editorial Assistant Amber Helsel Events Editor Latasha Willis Music Listings Editor Tommy Burton Fashion Stylist Meredith Sullivan Writers Torsheta Bowen, Ross Cabell Marika Cackett, Richard Coupe, Bryan Flynn, Genevieve Legacy, Anita Modak-Truran, Larry Morrisey, Eddie Outlaw, Julie Skipper, Kelly Bryan Smith, Micah Smith Bloggers Dominic DeLeo, Jesse Houston Editorial Interns Nneka Ayozie, Mark Braboy De’Arbreya Lee, Kimberly Murriel, Consulting Editor JoAnne Prichard Morris ART AND PHOTOGRAPHY Art Director Kristin Brenemen Advertising Designer Andrea Thomas Design Interns Lindsay Fox, Zilpha Young Staff Photographer/Videographer Trip Burns Editorial Cartoonist Mike Day Photographer Tate K. Nations Photo Interns Melanie Boyd, Jessica King ADVERTISING SALES Advertising Director Kimberly Griffin Account Managers Gina Haug, David Rahaim BUSINESS AND OPERATIONS Director of Operations David Joseph Bookkeeper Aprile Smith Distribution Manager Richard Laswell Distribution Raymond Carmeans, John Cooper Jordan Cooper, Clint Dear, Ruby Parks 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 The Jackson Free Press is the city’s award-winning, locally owned newsweekly, with 17,000 copies distributed in and around the Jackson metropolitan area every Wednesday. The Jackson Free Press is free for pick-up by readers; one copy per person, please.

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"TTPDJBUJPO PG "MUFSOBUJWF /FXTXFFLMJFT

I

f you’ve read anything I’ve written over the last three years, you know that I’ve done my level best to stay optimistic on the subject of marriage equality. It hasn’t been easy, especially when keeping up with comments from the opposition.

When the U.S. Supreme Court announced it would hear arguments on the Defense of Marriage Act (the 1996 law that defined marriage as being between a man and a woman) and California’s Proposition 8 (which attempted to eliminate the rights of same-sex couples to marry), I slowly began to coil up inside myself. During the three months the justices deliberated, I read anything and everything on how the court might rule. I gave interviews to some national news agencies about living in the South and what we hoped the outcome would be. I even had the pleasure of participating in a Google+ “Hangout” with Chris Hayes of MSNBC. In addition to hearing Hayes praising my last name, I was proud to be able to say, “I do,” when asked if I believed Mississippi would come around on marriage equality.

I figured this must be how it feels to be tried on criminal charges: the waiting, the fretting and the countless hours of speculation before the defendant learns his fate. How my partner, Justin, was able to be around me, I’ll never understand.

On the eve of the decisions on the marriage-equality cases, the country learned that the Voting Rights Act had been effectively gutted, and my optimism shattered in an instant. If the justices didn’t see a need to protect the right to vote for people of color—especially in the face of voter-suppression efforts across the United States—then how could they see that DOMA and Prop 8 serve solely to pass moral judgment on gays and lesbians? The evening ended with me crawling to bed and, for the first time, bracing myself for a huge disappointment.

I woke early the next morning and, as I sipped coffee on the deck, I came to a decision: Good or bad, the rulings would send a message to our LGBT youth, and that would be my focus, should anyone come calling for my thoughts. And boy, did they ever.

In the middle of my first haircut of the day, a cameraman showed up. By early afternoon, I’d given six interviews. In fact, one reporter had to interview me twice: During the first interview, the news broke

of the decisions, so he needed to collect his thoughts and start over. He captured Justin and me sharing a celebratory kiss and even used it in the story.

By the end of the day, my brain hurt, my face was sore from smiling, and I had no tears left in my body. I was never more proud to be able to speak out for the LGBT youth of our nation. They now know that our society has a place for them, and they can look forward to life beyond the bullying. Of course, we all know that we have more work to do beyond achieving marriage equality, especially here in Mississippi.

Transgender people face the harshest discrimination of anyone in the LGBT community, and it’s no different in our state. Here, LGBT people can be fired and denied housing for no other reason than our sexual orientation, and we aren’t included in any hate-crime legislation. Not only does Mississippi ban same-sex marriage, state law prohibits same-sex couples from adopting. Mississippi has gone out of its way to keep us in the closet, but that won’t last forever.

A documentary filmmaker has been following Justin and me since the end of March, hoping to capture the lives of an openly gay couple living and working in a state that likely won’t change much on the issue for some time. The goal was to show the world that Mississippi has much good in it and abundant opportunity for change. Throughout the past four months, Lauren Cioffi, of subSIPPI, has been documenting the highs and lows of our everyday life—a life we hope will make a difference here and abroad and, hopefully, a story that might help LGBT youth understand that there is possibly a better Mississippi ahead.

I’m proud to tell you that I’ll finally be able to marry my partner of almost 11 years.

On Sept. 7, we’ll stand before a California officiant in Long Beach, Calif., where we will be legally bound to one another. Justin’s father and stepmother will bear witness to our union. That day, at least for the two of us, we’ll finally become a real part of this “more perfect union.”

Mississippi has some catching up to do but, for right now, I’m finding great comfort in getting to say, “I do.”

Eddie Outlaw is co-owner of the William Wallace Salon in Fondren and spends most of his time trying not to embarrass his sweet Delta mother on eddieoutlaw.com.

Mississippi has gone out of its way to keep us in the closet, but that won’t last forever.

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I Do

13

Slave to the Payday Lender

by R.L. Nave

TRIP BURNS

August 14 - 20, 2013

14

In 2011, the Center for Responsible Lending and Consumer Federation of America surveyed state regulatory agencies and published a state-by-state breakdown of payday-loan fees. Mississippi tied with Wisconsin for the highest annual-percentage rates charged, at 574 percent. The survey shows that Mississippi’s $267 million in annual fees collected ranked fourth in the nation behind California, Texas, Louisiana and Florida.

“They see Mississippi as a very profitable place to do business,” Bynum said. “I have no qualms with reasonable profit, but I think there’s a level of reason, and then there’s a level of greed, of abuse.”

An Effective Lobby Although some states are tightening restrictions on quick-loan businesses, Mississippi’s lawmakers have had a large hand in helping the industry expand.

Paheadra Robinson, consumer-protection director for the Jackson-based Mississippi Center for Justice, has seen payday lenders wield influence with lawmakers.

“There are (legislators) who sincerely believe that predatory lenders are providing a service. For them, it’s going to take being more connected to their constituents to understand the plight of consumers mired TRIP BURNS

T

Mississippi Gold Rush Williams’ story serves as a Rorschach test for customers of consumer-installment and payday-loan businesses.

The lenders would consider Williams’ experience a win-win: She took advantage of their service to get herself out of a financial jam and, in doing so, helped Tower Loan make a profit and provide jobs to Mississippi residents. On the other hand, critics of businesses that offer small, short-term loans argue that to earn a fast buck, the companies exploit the desperation of poor people and people of color who often lack access to traditional banks.

Eventually, a co-worker introduced Williams to Hope Credit Union, which loaned her the cash to pay off her Tower Loan bills and charged her a much lower interest Diane Williams went to a local quick-cash business rate—17.2 percent instead of Towwhen she racked up medical bills. er’s 29 percent.

Bill Bynum, chief executive oftime, she was already seeing her doctor a lot ficer of Hope Enterprise Corp. and Hope and, even though she had health insurance, Credit Union, said Williams is pretty typiWilliams incurred enough out-of-pocket ex- cal of people whom Hope has helped to get penses that the bills continued to mount. out of what he calls “debt traps”—quick-cash She turned to a local neighborhood fi- lenders count on customers not being able to nancial institution—Tower Loan. pay the money back on time, he said. BorHeadquartered in Flowood, Tower rowers then need to extend the life of their Loan operates storefront consumer-install- loan, incurring more fees. ment loan businesses in more than 150 cities “While on the surface, it’s marketed as in Mississippi, Louisiana, Alabama, Missouri a short-term service for emergencies, payday and Illinois. The company markets itself as loans, in reality, are not that. When the avera solution for people who encounter unex- age loan rolls over nine or 10 times, that’s not pected expenses, providing short-term loans a short-term loan,” Bynum said. to cover situations like Williams’ doctor bills.

And the long-term profit picture for “They were real nice,” Williams recalls quick-cash lenders—which include paydayof the day she walked into the store to bor- advance companies, title-loan businesses, row more than $500. “I didn’t have a prob- installment lenders and pawnbrokers—looks lem getting a loan with them at all. It didn’t bright. Nationally, short-term lenders rake in take very long.” fees totaling between $3 billion and $4 bilWilliams says she made monthly pay- lion annually, and they frequently have the ments on time, but the loans’ high interest backing of the nation’s largest banks, includrate took a bite out of the paycheck she earns ing Bank of America, JP Morgan Chase and working for a local government agency. So Wells Fargo. These businesses handle an estishe became a repeat customer. Sometimes, mated loan volume of $40 billion every year. she would take out more loans in addition to Mississippi is particularly fertile ground money she had already borrowed. for the industry. In total, more than 1,000 “The note was real expensive, but short-term lenders operate in the state, reI needed the loan so bad because I was cords from the Mississippi Department of trying to get rid of those medical bills,” Banking reveal. MDB regulates the industry Williams said. under the Check Cashers Act. hree years ago, when Diane Williams starting experiencing unusual sharp pains in the back of her leg, the discomfort grew so severe that she visited a hospital emergency room. At the

Bill Bynum, chief executive officer of Hope Enterprise Corp., said payday lenders are spreading like wildfire in Mississippi.

in predatory-lending debt,” Robinson said.

“But there are those that willfully turn a deaf ear to what’s going on within this industry

because they are supported through lobbying efforts by predatory lenders.”

A review of campaign-finance records reveals how powerful that lobby is. Since 2011, Tower Loan alone has donated $73,500 to legislative candidates; since 2003, the company has given $187,796 to state politicians.

The industry’s lobbying organization, the Mississippi Consumer Finance Association has made $255,559 in political contributions since 2003. Top recipients include Gov. Phil Bryant, who collected $32,000 from 2007 to 2011, and Insurance Commissioner Mike Chaney, who got $16,000 for his re-election efforts during the same period.

Lt. Gov. Tate Reeves received $15,000. The top legislative recipients were Rep. Nolan Mettetal, R-Sardis, and former Rep. George Flaggs, a Democrat, who resigned his House seat in July to become of mayor of Vicksburg.

MCFA also contributed $5,000 each to Mississippi State Supreme Court justices, Josiah Coleman and Randy “Bubba” Pierce.

Payday-loan watchdogs say it’s not surprising that the industry has been able to score so many legislative victories. During the 2013 legislative session, lawmakers removed an important oversight mechanism by repealing the Check Cashers Act’s sunset provision.

As a result, lawmakers will not be required to review the law periodically; instead, a lawmaker would have to author a new bill and usher it through the committee process.

“There’s no consistency across the country in terms of what’s allowable, and Mississippi has been one of the more lenient states,” Hope Enterprise’s Bynum said.

The Next Fight Mississippi’s political climate is unlikely to sweep in major reforms.

Instead, consumer-rights advocates are setting their sights on modest legislative tweaks and financial literacy efforts.

Advocates have seen some success in recent years. In 2011, lawmakers capped payday-loan fees at $20 per $100 and extended the time for borrowers to repay the loans from 14 days to 30 days.

Even with the changes, Mississippi continues to hold the distinction as the state

The Payday Playbook: How High-Cost Lenders Fight to Stay Legal

by Paul Kiel, ProPublica A version of this story was co-published with the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.

Paheadra Robinson directs the Mississippi Center for Justice’s consumer-protection programs and has seen the influence payday lenders have on the Mississippi Legislature.

with the most payday lenders per capita and some of the nation’s highest interest rates—despite Mississippi’s economic standing as the poorest state in the country.

“While I appreciate clarity in terms of the rates, what people need more are protections that are affordable and not abusive,” Bynum said.

Hope Enterprise also offers financial counseling and literacy workshops, and has a program for young children that teaches kids and, as importantly, their parents, the importance of saving.

“Part of (our) strategy is to get them into a relationship with a depository. Borrow from yourself, and if you do have a need for a short-term loan, you can borrow at a non-predatory rate,” Bynum added.

Robinson, of the Center for Justice, echoes Bynum’s call to start teaching financial literacy at a young age.

“If we can start with the middleschool-aged children, then that gives us an opportunity to make things better for our state. With us leading the nation in poverty we have to do things differently,” Robinson said.

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

House Financial Institutions Committee, through which a reform bill would need to pass. One of the lawmakers leading the committee, Don Wells, owned a payday loan store, Kwik Kash. He could not be reached for comment.

Eventually, after two years of frustration, Still and others were ready to try another route. “Absolutely, it was going to have to take a vote of the people,” she said. “The Legislature had been bought and paid for.”

A coalition of faith groups, community organizations and labor unions decided to put forward the ballot initiative to cap rates at 36 percent. The main hurdle was collecting the required total of a little more than 95,000 signatures. If the initiative’s supporters could do that, they felt confident the lending initiative would pass.

But even before the signature drive began, the lending industry girded for battle.

In the summer of 2011, a new organization, Missourians for Equal Credit Opportunity (MECO), appeared. Although it was devoted to defeating the payday measure, the group kept its backers secret. The sole donor was another organization, Missourians for Responsible Government, headed by a conservative consultant, Patrick Tuohey. Because Missourians for Responsible Government is organized under the 501(c)(4) section of the tax code (tinyurl.com/8tz42zq), it does not have to report its donors. Tuohey did not respond to requests for comment.

Still, there are strong clues about the source of the $2.8 million Missourians for Responsible Government delivered to MECO over the course of the battle.

Payday lender QC Holdings declared in a 2012 filing that it had spent “substantial amounts” to defeat the Missouri initiative. QC, which mostly does business as Quik Cash (not to be confused with Kwik Kash), has 101 outlets in Missouri. In 2012, one-third of the company’s profits came from the state, twice as much as from California, its second-most profitable state. If the initiative got to voters, the company was afraid of the outcome: “Ballot initiatives are more susceptible to emotion” than lawmakers’ deliberations, it said in an annual filing. And if the initiative passed, it would be catastrophic, likely forcing the company to default on its loans and halt dividend payments on its common stock, the company declared.

In late 2012, QC and other major payday lenders, including Cash America and Check into Cash, contributed $88,000 to a group called Freedom PAC. MECO and Freedom PAC shared the same treasurer and received funds from the same 501(c)(4). Freedom PAC spent $79,000 on ads against Still in her 2012 losing bid for a state senate seat, state records show.

MECO’s first major step was to back three lawsuits against the ballot initiative. If any one of the suits were successful, the initiative would be kept off the ballot regardless of how many citizens had signed petitions in support.

Lenders offering payday or other loans still charge annual rates of 100 percent or more.

Quick Cash and Kwik Kash Missouri is fertile soil for high-cost lenders. Together, payday, installment and auto-title lenders have more than 1,400 locations in the state—about one store for every 4,100 Missourians. The average two-week payday loan, which is secured by the borrower’s next paycheck, carries an annual percentage rate of 455 percent in Missouri.

That’s more than 100 percentage points higher than the national average, according to a recent survey by the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. The annual percentage rate, or APR, accounts for both interest and fees.

The issue caught the attention of Democrat Mary Still, who won a seat in the state House of Representatives in 2008 and immediately sponsored a bill to limit high-cost loans. She had reason for optimism: The new governor, Jay Nixon, a Democrat, supported reform.

The problem was the Legislature. During the 2010 election cycle alone, payday lenders contributed $371,000 to lawmakers and political committees, according to a report by the nonpartisan and nonprofit Public Campaign, which focuses on campaign reform.

The lenders hired high-profile lobbyists, and Still became accustomed to their visits. But they hardly needed to worry about the

more PAYDAY see page 16

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s the Rev. Susan McCann stood outside a public library in Springfield, Mo., last year, she did her best to persuade passers-by to sign an initiative to ban high-cost payday loans. But it was difficult to keep her composure, she remembers. A man was shouting in her face.

He and several others had been paid to try to prevent people from signing. “Every time I tried to speak to somebody,” she recalls, “they would scream, ‘Liar! Liar! Liar! Don’t listen to her!’”

Such confrontations, repeated across the state, exposed something that rarely comes into view so vividly: the high-cost lending industry’s ferocious effort to stay legal and stay in business.

Outrage over payday loans, which trap millions of Americans in debt and are the best-known type of high-cost loans, has led to dozens of state laws aimed at stamping out abuses. But the industry has proved extremely resilient. In at least 39 states, lenders offering payday or other loans still charge annual rates of 100 percent or more. Sometimes, rates exceed 1,000 percent.

Last year, activists in Missouri launched a ballot initiative to cap the rate for loans at 36 percent. The story of the ensuing fight illuminates the industry’s tactics, which included lobbying state legislators and contributing lavishly to their campaigns; a vigorous and, opponents charge, underhanded campaign to derail the ballot initiative; and a sophisticated and well-funded outreach effort designed to convince African Americans to support highcost lending.

Industry representatives say they are compelled to oppose initiatives like the one in Missouri. Such efforts, they say, would deny consumers what may be their best or even only option for a loan.

15

PAYDAY PLAYBOOK from page 15

August 14 - 20, 2013

16

Soon after the Rev. Wallace Hartsfield of Metropolitan Missionary Baptist Church in Kansas City received the letter, a lawyer called. Had he received the letter? Hartsfield remembers being asked.

He responded, “If you feel like we’re doing something illegal, you need to try to sue, all right?” he recalls. Ultimately, no suits or other actions appear to have been filed

that, to the casual reader, closely resembled the original measure to cap loans at 36 percent. It proposed to cap loans at 14 percent, but stated that the limit would be void if the borrower signed a contract to pay a higher rate—in other words, it wouldn’t change anything. A second initiative submitted by the same lobbyist, Jewell Patek, would have made any measure to cap loan interest rates TRIP BURNS

Threatening Letters; Decoy Initiatives Meanwhile, supporters of the ballot initiative focused on amassing volunteers to gather signatures. The push started with umbrella organizations such as Metropolitan Congregations United of St. Louis, which ultimately drafted more than 50 congregations to the effort, said the Rev. David Gerth, the group’s executive director. In the Kansas City area, more than 80 churches and organizations joined up, according to the local nonprofit Communities Creating Opportunity.

Predominantly African American congregations in Kansas City and St. Louis made up a major part of the coalition, but the issue crossed racial lines and extended into suburbs and small towns. Within one mile of Grace Episcopal Church in Liberty, a mostly white suburb of Kansas City, there are eight high-cost lenders. “We think it’s a significant problem and that it was important for people of faith to respond to this issue,” said McCann, who leads the church.

Volunteers collected signatures at Catholic fish fries during Lent and a community-wide Holy Week celebration.

They went door to door and stood on street corners.

In early January 2012, a number of clergy opened their mail to find a “Legal Notice” from a Texas law firm and sent on MECO’s behalf. “It has come to our attention that you, your church, or members of your church may be gathering signatures or otherwise promising to take directions from the proponents’ political operatives, who tell churchgoers that their political plan is a ‘Covenant for Faith and Families,’” said the letter.

“Please be advised that strict statutes carrying criminal penalties apply to the collection of signatures for an initiative petition,” it said in bold type. Another sentence warned that churches could lose their tax-exempt status by venturing into politics. The letter concluded by saying MECO would be watching for violations and would “promptly report” any.

One of many check-cashing stores in the metro area—this one in Pearl.

against any faith groups involved in the initiative fight.

MECO did not respond to requests for comment. The law firm behind the letter, Anthony & Middlebrook of Grapevine, Texas, referred comment to the lawyer who had handled the matter, who has left the firm. He did not respond to requests for comment.

Payday lenders and their allies took other steps as well. A Republican lobbyist submitted what appears to have been a decoy initiative to the Missouri Secretary of State

unlawful. Patek declined to comment.

MECO spent at least $800,000 pushing the rival initiatives with its own crew of signature gatherers, according to the group’s state filings. It was an effective tactic, said Gerth, of the St. Louis congregations group.

People became confused about which was the “real” petition or assumed they had signed the 36 percent cap petition when they had not, he and others who worked on the effort said.

MECO’s efforts sowed confusion in other ways. In April 2012, a local court sided

with MECO in one of its lawsuits against the initiative, throwing the ballot proposition into serious jeopardy for several months until the state Supreme Court overturned the lower court’s ruling. During those months, according to video shot by the rate cap’s supporters, MECO’s employees out on the streets warned voters who were considering signing the petition that it had been deemed “illegal.”

MECO also took to the airways. “Here they come again,” intones the narrator during a television ad that ran in Springfield, “Washington, D.C., special interests invading our neighborhoods.” Dark figures in suits and sunglasses can be seen descending from a plane. “An army of outsiders approaching us at our stores and in our streets,” says the voice. “But together we can stop them: If someone asks you to sign a voter petition, just decline to sign.”

Although the ad discloses that it was paid for by MECO, it does not mention payday lending or capping interest rates.

Installment Lenders Join the Fray Installment lenders launched a separate group, Stand Up Missouri, to fight the ratecap initiative—and to differentiate themselves from payday lenders.

As the group’s website put it, “special interest groups masquerading as grass-roots, faith-based alliances” were not only targeting payday loans but also “safe” forms of credit such as installment loans. “Stand Up Missouri does not represent payday lending or payday interests,” the group said in its press releases.

Unlike payday loans, which are typically due in full after two weeks, installment loans are paid down over time. And while many payday lenders also offer such loans, they usually charge higher annual rates (from about 300 to 800 percent).

The highest annual rate charged by World Finance, among the largest installment lenders in the country and the biggest backer of Stand Up Missouri, is 204 percent, according to its last annual filing.

that “some financial sectors” may require reform, he wrote, but the initiative backers didn’t want to work with lenders.

“Due to their intense lack of interest in cooperatively developing market-based reforms, we have and will continue to meet with Missourians in all corners of the state to discuss the financial market and opportunities to reform the same.”

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Still, like payday lenders, installment pers, placed ads, distributed video testilenders such as World profit by keeping monials by satisfied customers and held borrowers in a cycle of debt. Installment a rally at the capitol. Like MECO, Stand and payday lenders are also similar in the customers they target. In neighboring Illinois, 56 percent of payday borrowers and 72 percent of installment loan borrowers in 2012 had incomes of $30,000 or less, according to state data.

World was the subject of an investigation by ProPublica and Marketplace in May (propublica. org/article/installmentloans-world-finance). The Payday lenders are prolific in Jackson-area strip malls. company has 76 locations in Missouri: Of all highcost lenders, only payday lenders QC and Advance America have more locations in the state.

Up Missouri also filed suit with their own Stand Up Missouri raised $443,000 team of lawyers to block the initiative. from installment lenders and associated busiTom Hudgins, the chairman of Stand nesses to oppose the rate-cap ballot initiative, Up Missouri as well as the president and chief according to state filings. operating officer of installment lender WestTo broadcast their message in Mis- ern Shamrock, declined to be interviewed souri, the installment lenders arranged a but responded to questions with an emailed letter-writing campaign to local newspa- statement. Stand Up Missouri acknowledges

‘Put a Good Face on This’ In February 2012, the Rev. Starsky Wilson of St. Louis sat down at a table in the Four Seasons Hotel. The floor-to-ceiling windows reveal vistas of the city’s famous arch and skyline. Lined up in front of him were two lobbyists and Hudgins, he remembers.

The lenders had targeted a community that was both important to their profits and crucial to the petition drive: African Americans. Wilson, like the majority of his flock, is black.

So were the two lobbyists. Kelvin Simmons had just a few weeks before been in charge of the state budget and was a veteran of Missouri politics. His new employer was the international law firm Dentons, then

called SNR Denton, and he was representing his first client, Stand Up Missouri.

Next to Simmons was Rodney Boyd, for the past decade the chief lobbyist for the city of St. Louis. He, too, worked for SNR Denton.

The lobbyists and Hudgins urged Wilson to rethink his commitment to the ratecap ballot initiative.

Wilson was not swayed, but he was only one target among many. At the Four Seasons, Wilson says, he bumped into two other leaders of community organizations who had been summoned to hear Stand Up Missouri’s message. He said he also knew of more than a dozen African American clergy who met with the lobbyists. Their message, that installment loans were a vital credit resource for middle-class African Americans, was persuasive for some. As a result, Wilson found himself mounting a counter-lobbying effort. A spokesperson for Simmons and Boyd’s firm declined to comment.

In Kansas City, Rev. Hartsfield also received an invitation from the lobbyists— but that was not the only case, as Hartsfield puts it, of an African American being “sent into the community to try to put a good face on this.” more PAYDAY see page 18

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PAYDAY PLAYBOOK from page 17 Willie Green spent eight seasons as a wide receiver in the NFL and won two Super Bowls with the Denver Broncos.

After he retired in 1999, he opened several payday loan stores of his own and went on to hold a series of positions serving as a spokesman for payday lending, especially to minority communities.

While African Americans comprise 13 percent of the U.S. population, they account for 23 percent of payday-loan borrowers, according to a Pew Charitable Trusts survey.

Green was “Senior Advisor of Minority Affairs” for the Community Financial Services Association, the payday lenders’ national trade group, then director of “community outreach” for Advance America, one of the largest payday lenders. Finally, in 2012, he opened his own consultancy, The Partnership Alliance Co., which, according to his LinkedIn profile, focused on “community relations.” Over the past decade, he has popped up during legislative fights all over the country—North Carolina, Georgia, Washington, D.C., Arkansas, Colorado.

It is unclear who hired Green in 2012— he declined to comment, and MECO did not report paying him or his company. But to Hartsfield, it was clear he was there to advocate on behalf of payday lending.

Green once penned an open letter to

the Georgia’s legislative black caucus arguing that government regulation on payday loans was unneeded and paternalistic: Opponents of payday lending “believe that people unlike them are just po’ chillin’ who must be

African Americans account for 23 percent of payday-loan borrowers. parented by those who know better than they do what’s in their best interest,” he wrote, according to the Chattanooga Times Free Press.

During their private meeting, Hartsfield said, Green made a similar argument

but also discussed church issues unrelated to the ballot initiative. The payday-lending industry might be able to help with those, Hartsfield recalled Green saying. The message the minister received from the offer, he said, was, “We’ll help you with this over there if you stop this over here.”

Green referred all questions to his new employer, the installment lender World Finance. In a statement, World did not address specific questions but said the company was “pleased to have Mr. Green as a member of its team to enhance World’s outreach to the communities that it serves and to provide him the opportunity to continue his many years of being personally involved in and giving back to those communities.”

Hartsfield did not take Green up on his offer, but the former athlete has served as a gateway to the industry’s generosity before. In 2009 in Colorado, where payday loan reform was a hot topic (a bill ultimately passed in 2010), Green presented the Urban League of Metro Denver with a $10,000 check on behalf of Advance America. Landri Taylor, president and chief executive of the organization, recalled that Green had approached him with the offer and that he was glad for the support. He also said that lending was not a core issue for his organization and that,

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even if it were, the contribution couldn’t have bought its allegiance.

In Georgia in 2007, Green, then a registered lobbyist, gave a state lawmaker $80,000 a few weeks before the Legislature voted on a bill to legalize payday lending.

The lawmaker, who subsequently pleaded guilty to unrelated federal charges of money laundering, was one of 11 Democrats to vote for the bill.

After the Atlanta Journal-Constitution broke news of the transfer, Green produced documents showing that it had been a loan for a real estate investment: The lawmaker had promised to repay the loan plus $40,000, but had never done so, Green said. The state ethics commission subsequently found Green had broken no state laws, because lobbyists are allowed to engage in private business transactions with lawmakers.

The Case of the Missing Petitions By the spring of 2012, supporters of the initiative were in high gear. Volunteers, together with some paid employees, were collecting hundreds of signatures each day. They were increasingly confident they would hit their mark.

In some areas, such as Springfield, the work resembled hand-to-hand combat.

Through intermediaries, such as ProActive

simply asked anyone collecting signatures to leave the area.

McCann also gathered signatures for the initiative and experienced “blockTRIP BURNS

Cash Flash sits conveniently next to a tax preparation service in Jackson.

which company had retained ProActive.

However, only MECO reported spending funds on what it said were signature gatherers. Those employees, according to Houser, eventually focused solely on trying to prevent people from signing the initiative.

Marla Marantz, a Springfield resident and retired schoolteacher, was hired to gather signatures for the 36 percent cap initiative. Just about every day, she could expect to be joined by at least one, and often several, of ProActive’s employees, she says.

Wherever she went—the public library, the DMV—they would soon follow. It was a tactic both she and her adversaries (with whom she became very familiar, if not friendly) called “blocking.”

“What we’re doing is preventing them from being able to get signatures,” one ProActive employee says on a video [tinyurl.com/nyevxv4] shot by a Missouri State University journalism student.

Asked to describe how “blocking” works, the employee says: “Usually, we get a larger group than they have. We pretty much use the power of numbers.” In the video, as Marantz stands outside a public building, three ProActive employees surround her.

ProActive’s employees did not identify themselves to voters as affiliated with payday lending, Marantz says. They sometimes wore T-shirts reading “Volunteer Petition Official” or held signs urging citizens to “Stand up for Equal Opportunity.”

Marantz shared various photos and videos of her experiences. In one video, a library employee tells a group of ProActive employees they will be asked to leave if they continue to make patrons uncomfortable. At other times, Marantz says, exasperated public employees or the police

ing.” “I had on my clerical collar, and they seemed to address a lot of their vitriol at me,” she remembers.

In May 2012, Missourians for Responsible Lending, the organization formed by supporters of the initiative, filed suit in county court [tinyurl.com/mjevnrw] in Springfield, alleging that MECO, through ProActive, was illegally harassing and assaulting its signature gatherers. The suit included sworn declarations by Marantz and three others who had said they had endured similar treatment. It called for a temporary restraining order that would keep MECO’s employees at least 15 feet away.

MECO, via its lawyers, fired back.

The suit was an unconstitutional attempt by supporters of the initiative to silence their political opponents based on alleged “sporadic petty offenses,” MECO argued.

Even if the initiative’s detractors “engaged in profanity-laced insults all of the time,” they said, such behavior would still be protected by the First Amendment.

Houser called the suit “frivolous” and said he was happy to let MECO’s lawyers handle it. The suit stalled.

“Blocking” wasn’t the only problem initiative supporters encountered. Matthew Patterson ran a nonprofit, ProVote, that coordinated signature gathering in the Springfield area. On the night of April 25, 2012, Patterson put a box of petitions in his car. Then, realizing he had forgotten his phone in his office, he locked his car and went back inside.

When he returned, his passenger-side window was broken and the box of petitions was gone, according to Patterson and the police report he filed. The box had contained about 5,000 voter signatures, about

half of which were for the 36 percent cap initiative, Patterson said.

No arrest was ever made. Volunteers from Kansas City and St. Louis converged on the area to recoup the lost signatures. The final deadline to submit signatures to the secretary of state’s office was less than two weeks away.

23,000 Over, 270 Under In August, the Missouri Secretary of State announced that supporters of the initiative had submitted more than 118,000 valid signatures, about 23,000 more than needed.

But the state’s rules required that they collect signatures from at least 5 percent of voters in six of the state’s nine congressional districts. They had met that threshold in five districts—but in the First District, which includes North St. Louis, they were 270 signatures short.

A week later, initiative supporters filed a challenge in court, arguing that local election authorities had improperly disqualified far more than 270 signatures. MECO and Stand Up Missouri joined the fray, arguing not only that signatures had been properly excluded, but also that far more should have been tossed out.

Eventually, with only a couple of weeks before the deadline to finalize the November ballot, backers of the initiative decided they could not match the lenders’ ability to check thousands of signatures. They withdrew their challenge.

“It was so frustrating, disappointing,” McCann said. “People had spent hours and hours and hours on this initiative.”

Looking to 2014 The initiative’s supporters now have their eye on 2014, and they have made the necessary preparation by filing the same petition again with the secretary of state.

The industry has also made preparations. MECO has reported adding $331,000 to its war chest since December. Stand Up Missouri has raised another $151,000.

Last May, Jewell Patek, the same Republican lobbyist who filed the industry’s initiatives in 2011, filed a new petition. It caps annual rates at 400 percent.

The installment lenders have continued their effort to woo African Americans. In December, Stand Up Missouri was a sponsor of a Christmas celebration for Baptist ministers in St. Louis, and in June, it paid for a $20,000 sponsorship of the National Baptist Convention, hosted this year in St. Louis. It’s retained the same high-powered African American lobbyists and added one more: Cheryl Dozier, a lobbyist who serves as executive director of the Missouri Legislative Black Caucus. Lastly, Willie Green, according to initiative supporters who have spoken with the ministers, has made overtures to African American clergy on behalf of World Finance.

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Signature Solutions, the initiative’s opponents hired people to oppose it.

“It was a well-funded effort,” said Oscar Houser of ProActive. He declined to say

19

20

August 14 - 20, 2013

GEEK p 22 GIRL ABOUT TOWN p 23 FOOD p 24 KATHLEEN M. MITCHELL

Why Live Green

by Kelly Bryan Smith

Huffington Post article caught my eye. I read that as a result of rising sea levels related to global warming, Boston may not exist in 100 years.

OK, whoa. My great- Some scientists are predicting that, due to our negative impact on the ecosystem, granddaughter can’t get waterfront cities such as Boston and New York might disappear in the next century. away for a weekend to Boston? Or New York City? She can’t take an eating tour of the solution. But I do so want to be a part of creating a fuBoston’s Little Italy or choose to be a writer living in a tiny ture in this world in which my child and my grandchildren studio apartment in Brooklyn? can not only survive, but thrive. And go to Boston. This is This got my blood pounding. In my 20s, I got totally one of the reasons why I try to live a little greener. burned out and overwhelmed by dire environmental statisIt is a process. Everyone makes different choices and tics and doomsday global warming scenarios. No Boston? has different priorities. Everyone is a different shade of That stuff stresses me out and makes me feel like I want to green. What small changes can you make in your life today shut down rather than be proactive about being a part of to help protect our planet for future generations?

At Home

At the Store

Green Books for Kids

• • • •

• Carry reusable bags with you.

• Swap incandescent for fluorescent light bulbs.

• Shop at the farmers market for local, seasonal produce.

• Buy in bulk.

• Choose more efficient appliances and automobiles.

• Buy gently used clothing at cool places like Orange Peel and N.U.T.S.

“Just a Dream,” by Chris Van Allsburg (HMH Books, 2011, $8.99) “The New 50 Simple Things Kids Can Do to Save the Earth,” by Sophie Javna (Andrews McMeel Publishing, 2009, available used from Amazon.com and other booksellers) “If the World Were a Village: A Book About the World’s People,” by David Smith (Kids Can Press, 2011, $18.95) “I Can Make a Difference A Treasury to Inspire Our Children,” by Marian Wright Edelman (Amistad, 2005, $21.99)

At School & Work • Carpool.

• Use recycled paper.

• Install motion-sensor lights in areas such as bathrooms.

• Consider a schedule such as four 10-hour days, or working partially from home, which will reduce pollution from the daily commute.

KELLY BRYAN SMITH

Incorporate a few meatless meals each week.

Recycle.

Share with your neighbors.

Use less air conditioning.

• Hang laundry on the clothesline.

• Experiment with more environmentally friendly cleaning and personal-care products.

With Kids • Pick up trash around the neighborhood.

• Go camping and hiking.

• Sort recyclables together.

• Go thrifting.

• Make do with less.

Green Books for Grownups “Urban Homesteading: Heirloom Skills for Sustainble Living,” by Rachel Kaplan and K. Ruby Blume (Skyhorse Publishing, 2011, $19.95) “The Small House Book,” by Jay Shafer (Tumbleweed Tiny House, 2009, available used from Amazon.com and other booksellers) “Me to We: Finding Meaning in a Material World,”

by Craig Kielburger and Marc Kielburger (Touchstone, 2008, $19.99) “The Self-Sufficient Life and How to Live it,” by John Seymour (DK Publishing, 2009, $35)

Green Apps (all free on iTunes)

Flowers at the Arnold Arboretum in Boston might not be around much longer if we don’t reassess our impact on the earth.

One Stop Green Healthy Child, Healthy World Project Noah

jacksonfreepress.com

I

needed to get away. So I used my frequent-flyer miles saved up from the past decade, made plans to stay with a friend in Chinatown and went to Boston.

Over one short weekend, I drank a phenomenally delicious avocado-date-kale-banana-almond smoothie at Life Alive and a mango-basil mojito at Wagamama. I stumbled upon Shakespeare in the Park in Boston Common. I walked barefoot for hours at the Arnold Arboretum. I people-watched over a latte in Harvard Square. I sat on a bench along the Charles River, deep in conversation with an old friend long after dark. I saw some college kids jump naked into the river. I wandered. I ate raw chocolate.

I stuffed my face at an amazing Indian vegetarian restaurant. I met some cool people who totally belong in my tribe. I recharged my batteries. It was divine. And I wasn’t quite ready to come home to Mississippi.

After I got home, totally blissed out on Boston, a

21

LIFE&STYLE | geek

Historical Revisionism: A review of ‘Civilization V’

by Nick Judin

Civilization V Platforms: PC

August 14 - 20, 2013

22

COURTESY FIRAXIS GAMES

I

f you’re not familiar with it, “Civilization” is the standard-bearer of the 4X genre—a term meaning “explore, expand, exploit, exterminate.” It’s a pretty good summary of what the games have players do. Each game in the series has expanded on a simple concept—historically significant empires beginning, at the dawn of history, with a singular settler capable of founding one city on a randomized mass of continents. With urban life comes technologies and armies, and one city becomes three, becomes 20 and, before long, the peaceful grasslands, and sloping hills of this fractal Earth are swarming with human life, growth and conflict.

It really is that simple. “Civilization”’s success is entirely related to its purity—it is no more or less the same glorified board game it was when the first entry came out in 1991, and God only knows how many hours of productivity this ideological devotion has cost mankind since.

If games are representative, like chess to a battlefield, pong to table tennis or “Tetris” to

a stagnant Soviet economy (not really), then face of all competitors. Progress is measured economic, cultural and military production “Civilization” is not merely representative of in units of human effort: apples for food, to deal with all threats. something as broad as “the history of man” hammers for production, beakers for science, Just as each entry in the series adds more as much as it is “the expansion content, each expansion in this of man’s grasp.” Players begin game has complicated the syswith a few tiles of vision into a tem—as of the release of Brave strange and unfamiliar world.

New World, there are 43, each They multiply and expand, with focused bonuses towards become faster, more produca certain victory type or strattive, more organized and more egy. The Indonesians get a destructive. Ocean gulfs that special luxury resource for their serve as barriers before the first three islands, for example, Age of Exploration yield to whereas the Spanish benefit astronomy, just as impassible greatly from the discovery of mountains and glaciers yield Natural Wonders. The truly to the miracle of flight. There impressive nature of “Civiliis a certain beauty to this de- The “Civilization” series is still releasing engrossing strategy games zation V” is revealed in how piction of human history, as a after two decades. balanced the game is, despite board game whose rules and all the additions. A brief list of boundaries are constantly subthe features covered: city-states, verted by the ingenuity of the players. musical notes for culture, etc. Different types competing religion, espionage, diplomacy inBut here the artistry is décor—what’s of terrain make certain cities better at certain cluding a UN-like World Congress, a culturimportant is the way the game plays, and af- tasks. On the domestic front, players com- al system in which players vie for supremacy ter 20-plus years of addition and refinement, pete for the creation of Wonders: hard-to- and nuclear warfare. my goodness, she plays sweetly indeed. The construct superbuildings, of which you can The “Civilization” games remain some course of history is a balancing act for the only make one. Internationally, the players of the most engrossing strategy titles ever creplayers and artificial intelligence, with the balance diplomacy with war, and it becomes ated, over two decades later. Get it, but watch stated goal of surviving and thriving in the harder to keep a suitable level of scientific, the clock.

LIFE&STYLE | girl about town

M  

R A E E  G F 

by Julie Skipper

Magic Hair

E A

TRIP BURNS

Justin McPherson at William Wallace Salon works his magic on mere mortals’ hair, giving it new life.

her own. Rather, the now cropped-cut and perpetually twerking Ms. Cyrus confessed that, at the time, she sported about 350 hair extensions.

Ah, the Magic Hair. It’s so lovely. I say this because I know of what I speak.

Though I currently have fewer than Miley did, thanks to Justin McPherson of William Wallace Salon (2939 Old Canton Road, 601-982-8300), I have much longer, more luscious locks than I could grow myself.

And while you might think that life with extensions means more maintenance, you would be wrong.

True, the front-end investment is a time-consuming ritual. Taking old extensions out can take up to a couple of hours.

Plus, I often like to let my real hair rest, to give it a day between removal and putting in new ones. Does hair get tired? Does it actually “recover,” like your body does after, say, a night out drinking or a hard workout? I have no idea, but it just feels like the right thing to do. Then there’s the installation.

The extensions I use are basically individual strands put in one by one, so … I take a

book and a stack of magazines with me.

The entire thing is roughly a three-hour process. But Justin is super and takes good care of me, making sure I’m comfortable, offering beverages, chatting when I want to, letting me read when I don’t. He just lays the hair out on his station and does his thing.

And yes, it takes a while, but they last for about five months, so on balance, that’s not a bad exchange.

Honestly, upkeep and dealing with my hair is much easier on a day-to-day basis with extensions than it ever was without them. If I just had my own hair, I’d wash and blow-dry or style it every day. But with the Good Hair, as I call the extensions, I can go multiple days between washings and can even just let it air dry. Plus, Justin has introduced me to the wonderful world of regular blowouts.

Most of us think of going to the salon for haircuts or to get a style for a special occasion. Let’s face it, it’s an expense, and I never fancied myself the sort of high-maintenance person who could go all Kardashian and get blowouts every other day. Enter the William Wallace Salon to shake up that misconception. Justin praises the skills of his assistant, Britney White, when it comes to blowouts.

Going to her for a blowout on a regular basis is totally budget-friendly, and by wearing a shower cap to protect it from humidity in the bath, using dry shampoo and tying it up when sleeping, a blowout lasts up to a week. So helpful tip, ladies: Check out the assistants at your salon. It’s a great way to give yourself a little treat that won’t break the bank.

I also learned that salon assistant Emily Henderson has mad braiding skills. While in school, she really took to braiding, and has continued to practice and refine her techniques. Perusing fashion and entertainment magazines, I’ve acquired a fascination with braids, particularly for summer—it seems like an easy, breezy look that’s different and fun. But I can’t seem to master it on myself.

Emily to the rescue! I stopped by the salon one day on the way to lunch, and left 20 minutes later with a really pretty fishtail side braid and tips on how to replicate it myself. Although, I admit, I’m much more apt to leave such things to the professionals and just put my head in Emily’s skilled hands when I want something fun.

The bottom line: Whether or not you have Magic Hair, thinking of your salon as more than just a place to visit once every six to eight weeks for a trim can open a whole new world of possibilities. Taking just a few minutes for a little indulgence at the cost of a happy hour can make you feel pampered and glam, and give everyone who works behind the chair a chance to let their specialized skills shine.

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I

f you read this column with any regularity, you’re aware of my penchant for pop culture. I have a “Real Housewives” or “Sex and the City” reference to fit just about any situation; my fingernails were Fergie Duhamel-inspired … I could go on.

So it should come as no surprise when I say that this weekend, while scouring the Internet for starlet-related news, I read a headline in which Miley Cyrus admitted that the hair on her 2010 Harper’s Bazaar cover was not

23

LIFE&STYLE | food

Long Necks, Slow Cooked

by Tam Curley

SLOW-COOKED TURKEY NECKS Start to finish: 20 hours (Prep time: 20 minutes)

Approximately 1.75 pounds turkey necks (I use two packages) 6 cups tap water 1/4 cup red onions, chopped 1/4 cup bell peppers, chopped 1 garlic clove 2-3 tablespoons onion powder 2-3 tablespoons no-salt seasoning 2-3 tablespoons lemon pepper seasoning 2-3 tablespoons roasted chicken special recipe seasoning (you can use any mixture of basil, oregano, paprika, red pepper, thyme, parsley and other spices) 2 pinches coarse sea salt 1/4 cup liquid smoke 1/4 cup liquid steak or meat seasoning

Turn slow-cooker setting on high. Add water to the slow cooker. Gently place the turkey necks and all remaining ingredients in the slow cooker.

Place the slow cooker lid completely over the turkey necks. After the turkey necks have cooked on high overnight (about 10 hours), you should have a slow boil. The turkey necks will appear brown in color.

FLICKR/NEMUNEKO.JC

T

urkey necks have become a family favorite for me and mine, especially since I have board meetings every other month that can run late.

I created a recipe to free myself from having to watch the pot for a long time after getting home late, and to create a juicy, tasty dish that lasts beyond just one meal.

I remember boiling beef and pork neck bones in large pots years ago, and they seemed to take forever to cook thoroughly.

I stopped eating those types of meat neck bones, and began substituting turkey necks instead. I found that turkey necks had much more meat and were easier to eat off the bone than beef and pork. Plus, when I slow-cook turkey necks in a Crock Pot, they tend to have a distinct flavor that has our family asking for them.

Let’s just say I went cold turkey, never to return from our family’s favorite—turkey necks! The fact that I don’t have to stand on my feet cooking is a big bonus for this recipe.

I like to pair my turkey necks with sweet, buttery corn on the cob and Brussels sprouts, or mixed greens and squash. This particular time, I tried something new with the okra I received from someone at my job. I mixed okra, tomatoes, onion and fresh seasonings. It turned out to be a fresh kick for my palate.

Making meals in a slow cooker is a life saver for busy working cooks.

Reduce the heat setting to low or simmer when you leave for work. After you return home from work (eight to 10 hours later), the turkey necks should be ready to eat.

Warning: Boiled water can cause burns, so use oven gloves to remove the lid, and use a large dipping spoon with large holes so the water can drain from the turkey necks.

You can pair the turkey necks with any southern side dish, such as collard greens or mashed potatoes and gravy.

Servings: about 5.

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4654 McWillie Dr. Jackson, MS Monday - Thursday: 10AM - 9PM Friday & Saturday: 10AM - 10PM Sunday: CLOSED

CHECK OUT OUR NEW WEBSITE!

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Primos Cafe (2323 Lakeland 601-936-3398/ 515 Lake Harbour 601-898-3400) A Jackson institution for breakfast, blue-plates, catfish, burgers, prime rib, oysters, po-boys & wraps. Famous bakery!

Two Sisters Kitchen (707 N. Congress St. 601-353-1180) Lunch. Mon-Fri, Sun. Koinonia (136 Adams St. 601-960-3008) Coffeehouse plus lunch and more!

Broad Street Bakery (4465 Interstate 55 N. 601-362-2900) Hot breakfast,coffee espresso drinks, fresh breads and pastries, gourmet deli sandwiches.

PIZZA 904 Basil’s (904 E. Fortification, 601-352-2002) Creative pizzas, italian food, burgers and much more in a casual-dining atmosphere in the heart of Belhaven.

Sal & Mookie’s (565 Taylor St. 601-368-1919) Pizzas of all kinds plus pasta, eggplant parmesan and the fried ravioli. Bring the kids for ice cream!

Mellow Mushroom (275 Dogwood Blvd, Flowood, 601-992-7499) More than just great pizza and beer. Open Monday - Friday 11-10 and Saturday 11-11.

ITALIAN BRAVO! (4500 Interstate 55 N., Jackson, 601-982-8111) Award-winning wine list, Jackson’s see-and-be-seen casual/upscale dining.

Cerami’s (5417 Lakeland Drive, Flowood, 601-919-28298) Southern-style Italian cuisine features their signature Shrimp Cerami.

STEAK, SEAFOOD & FINE DINING

Eslava’s Grille (2481 Lakeland Drive, 601-932-4070) Latin-influenced dishes like ceviche in addition to pastas, steaks, salads and other signature seafood dishes.

Huntington Grille (1001 East County Line Road, Jackson Hilton, 601-957-2800) Mississippi fine dining features seafood, crayfish, steaks, fried green tomatoes, shrimp & grits, pizzas and more.

Rocky’s (1046 Warrington Road, Vicksburg 601-634-0100) Enjoy choice steaks, fresh seafood, great salads, hearty sandwiches.

The Penguin (1100 John R Lynch Street, 769.251.5222) Fine dining at its best.

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BARBEQUE Hickory Pit Barbeque (1491 Canton Mart Rd. 601-956-7079) The “Best Butts in Town” features BBQ chicken, beef and pork along with burgers and po’boys.

Haute Pig (1856 Main Street, 601-853-8538) A “very high class pig stand,” Haute Pig offers Madison diners BBQ plates, sandwiches, po-boys, salads.

COFFEE HOUSES Cups Espresso Café (Multiple Locations, www.cupsespressocafe.com) Jackson’s local group of coffeehouses offer a wide variety of espresso drinks. Wi-fi.

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Jesse “Guitar” Smith thur | aug 15 | 5:30 - 9:30

Doug Frank Unplugged fri | aug 16 | 6:00 - 10:00

Acoustic Crossroads sat | aug 17 | 6:00 - 10:00

August 14 - 20, 2013

Amazing Lazy Boi Band

26

Shawn Patterson & Kenny Davis Sat | August 17 | 9 pm | $5 Cover

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sun | aug 18 | 4:00 - 8:00

Adib Sabir mon | aug 19 | 6:00 - 9:00

Karaoke tue | aug 20 | 5:30 - 9:30

Jesse “Guitar” Smith 1060 E County Line Rd. in Ridgeland Open Sun‐Thurs 11am‐10pm Fri‐Sat 11am‐Midnight | 601‐899‐0038

Back Yard Burgers (Multiple Locations, www.BackYardBurgers.com) North American Black Angus Beef cooked to order on a real grill. Great Breakfast at Fondren location.

Burgers and Blues (1060 E. County Line Road, Ridgeland 601-899-0038) Best Burger of 2013, plus live music and entertainment!

Hal and Mal’s (200 S. Commerce St. 601-948-0888) Pub favorites meet Gulf Coast and Cajun specialties like red beans and rice, the Oyster Platter or daily specials.

Cherokee Inn (960 Briarfield Rd. 601-362-6388) Jackson’s “Best Hole in the Wall,” has a great jukebox, great bar and a great burger.

Cool Al’s (4654 McWillie, 601-713-3020) Cool Al’s signature stacked, messy, decadent, creative burgers defy adjectives. And don’t forget the fries!

Fenian’s Pub (901 E. Fortification St. 601-948-0055) Classic Irish pub featuring a menu of traditional food, pub sandwiches and Irish beers on tap.

Martin’s Restaurant and Lounge (214 South State Street 601-354-9712) Lunch specials, pub appetizers or order from the full menu of po-boys and entrees. Full bar, beer selection.

Musician’s Emporium (642 Tombigbee St., 601-973-3400) Delicious appetizers, burgers, sandwiches, and more. Great food goes with great music!

Ole Tavern on George Street (416 George St. 601-960-2700) Pub food with a southern flair: beer-battered onion rings, chicken & sausage gumbo, salads, sandwiches.

Underground 119 (119 South President St. 601-352-2322) Pan-seared crabcakes, shrimp and grits, filet mignon, vegetarian sliders. Live music. Opens 4 p.m., Wed-Sat Wing Stop (952 North State Street, 601-969-6400) Saucing and tossing in a choice of nine flavors, Wing Stop wings are made with care and served up piping hot.

ASIAN AND INDIAN Crazy Ninja (2560 Lakeland Dr., Flowood 601-420-4058) Rock-n-roll sushi and cook-in-front-of-you hibachi. Lunch specials, bento boxes, fabulous cocktails.

Ruchi India (862 Avery Blvd @ County Line Rd. 601-991-3110) Classic Indian cuisine from multiple regions. Lamb, vegetarian, chicken, shrimp and more.

Pan Asia (720 Harbor Pines Dr, Ridgeland 601-956-2958) Beautiful ambiance and signature asian fusion dishes and build-your-own stir-frys.

Fusion Japanese and Thai Cuisine (1002 Treetop Blvd, Flowood 601-664-7588) Specializing in fresh Japanese and Thai cuisine, an extensive menu features everything from curries to fresh sushi

VEGETARIAN High Noon Café (2807 Old Canton Road in Rainbow Plaza 601-366-1513) Fresh, gourmet, tasty and healthy defines the lunch options at Jackson’s own strict vegetarian (and very-vegan-friendly) restaurant adjacent to Rainbow Whole Foods.

ARTS p 28 | BOOKS p 28 | 8 DAYS p 29 | MUSIC p 32 | SPORTS p 34

Blues Pilgrimage, Revisited

by Tom Speed

JULIAN RANKIN

G

eorge Mitchell’s famed 1967 field trip through the hill country of north Mississippi introduced many previously obscure blues legends to the world. He chronicled it in his 1971 book, “Blow My Blues Away.” Later, various record labels released field recordings Mitchell made of musicians such Mississippi Fred McDowell, R.L. Burnside and Joe Callicott, before Fat Possum Records anthologized the records in the box set, “The George Mitchell Collection.”

The University Press of Mississippi has published a new collection of photographs and interviews from the period, “Mississippi Hill Country Blues 1967.” Mitchell will be in Jackson to sign the book Aug. 21 at Lemuria Books. Meanwhile, selections from the book, along with an additional 75 photographs, are on exhibit at the Mississippi Museum of Art through September.

The impetus for the new collection, which contains many previously unpublished photos, along with some from “Blow My Blues Away,” came when Mitchell was The Mississippi Museum of Art is showing many of George Mitchell’s historic photos in a special exhibit.

“Everybody was drunk and didn’t know me, and pinching my wife’s ass. Then Fred McDowell showed up, and I told him, and everything was cool. Boom, no more ass pinching. No more cord cutting, or anything like that. Everybody was happy to be photographed and dancing in front of the camera. People just pulled us in and welcomed us in and helped us so much.”

Poring over these photographs and memories, Mitchell soon realized he had enough material for a new book. With the lapse of 40 years, Mitchell felt like he was discovering his own work for the first time.

“I was young then, and your tastes change,” Mitchell said. “But there were many excellent photographs that I’d never used before and had forgotten about. All of a sudden, we were seeing photographs as if for the first time.

To see those things is quite a discovery, that’s what it felt like.”

See the George Mitchell exhibit at the Mississippi Museum of Art (380 S. Lamar St, 601-960-1515) through Sept. 8. The exhibit is free with paid admission to “Old Masters to Monet” ($12, $10 seniors, $6 students, free for students on Tuesdays and Thursdays). The Aug. 20 signing at Lemuria Books (4465 N Interstate 55, Suite 202, 601366-7619) starts at 5 p.m. with a reading at 5:30 p.m. Go 27 to lemuriabooks.com or call for more information. jacksonfreepress.com

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George Mitchell’s new book revisits his most famous trip through Mississippi hill country, featuring photos from 1967 unpublished until now.

packing up to move from Atlanta to Florida a few years ago. He was digging through boxes of negatives when he discovered one he didn’t remember of R.L. Burnside sitting on a tractor with his children.

The old photos brought back memories of his trip and urged him to dig deeper. One of those memories was of his first encounter in Mississippi. Mitchell had heard that Fred McDowell lived in Como, and following his usual custom, pulled into the first gas station he saw to just start asking around.

“We got off in Mississippi in Como at Stuckey’s,” Mitchell said in a phone interview. “I asked the man who was washing our windshield if he knew Fred McDowell. He said, ‘Yes, I do.’ And I said, ‘Do you know how we might find him?’ And he said, ‘You’re looking at him.’ He was pretty famous at the time, traveled through Europe and everything, but still needed a menial job to support himself.”

McDowell invited him over to his house, where an impromptu blues picnic took place, and Mitchell began taking photos and setting up recording equipment.

“The only kind of problems we had was when they had the picnics and we were probably the first white people to go to one,” Mitchell said. “I set up my recorder, and the mic cord got cut a couple of times.

DIVERSIONS | arts

Space to Contemplate

by Marilyn Trainor Storey

T

he Mississippi Library Commission is a catalyst for contemplation nestled in a wooded quadrant off the southern end of Ridgewood Road on Eastwood Drive in northeast Jackson. Jackson architectural firm Duvall Decker Architects designed the commission’s headquarters building, which has won several awards since

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The commission building is austerely beautiful, with its faceted stone exterior, and its modern, warmly wooded interior and inviting layout. It includes a screened reading porch on the east side and a beckoning computer and reading room on the north side. It is the type of space perfect for contemplation.

In addition to providing traditional and emerging library services and meeting rooms, the Mississippi Library Commission regularly hosts art exhibits as a community outreach and a service to Mississippi artists. “We really want to share our beautiful facility with the people of Mississippi,” says Ethel Dunn, executive support director of the commission. “Art is a way to bring people in, and hopefully, they will come back.”

Corporate Art Consultant Jean Whitehead of Mississippi Art and Design Consultants organizes the exhibits. A two-artist exhibit, aptly titled “Contemplations,” is on display now, The “Contemplations” exhibit runs at the Mississippi Library Commission featuring photographer and designer through Aug. 29.

Gretchen Haien and woodworker and designer Fletcher Cox. its opening in 2005. They include the prestigious American Haien, an associate professor of art at Belhaven UniArchitecture Award, which the Chicago Athenaeum Muse- versity where she teaches photography as expressive art, um of Architecture and Design gave in 2007. The American owns the fine-art photography studio “Studio 4” (601Institute of Architecture Design for Decades exhibition also 291-8759, gretchenhaien.com) She exhibits her work in recognized the building as an example of design excellence in Mississippi, Louisiana, Virginia and West Virginia. civic buildings worldwide in 2010.

In the “Contemplations” exhibit, Haien shows three

separate groups of photography, including her “Interior Frontiers” suite of gelatin images. “The photographs are surreal and personal, capturing a specific moment in time which defined her life,” Whitehead says of the suite.

The photos are an exploration of the metaphysical.

“With this new series, I have become increasingly enamored with the edge of the photographer’s frame, how it reorders and redefines our perception of reality,” Haien says.

“Each photo becomes an abstract and metaphysical slice of the real world charged with both the mystery and the magic of intuitive insight, uncovering the spiritual within the physical and allowing each photo to become ... a space defined with a presence and an invitational whisper.”

When discussing it with Whitehead, Haien suggested pairing her art with Cox’s for the exhibit.

Cox is a Virginia native who has lived in Mississippi since 1972. He has worked with several university-level architectural programs, including as adjunct assistant professor at the Mississippi State University School of Architecture. Whitehead is excited to include Cox’s work. “Fletcher is absolutely the best woodworker in my book,” she says.

For the exhibit, Cox submitted both utilitarian and art pieces, including many small works such as bowls, plates and boxes. His architectural knowledge is especially evident in some of the larger pieces, particularly in the cherry wood and copper “Corner Cabinet,” which is aesthetically rustic but tactilely smooth, and his intricately made “Joint Chair.”

The “Contemplations” exhibit is open at the Mississippi Library Commission (3881 Eastwood Drive, 601-432-4111) through Aug. 29. The commission is open Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. and the exhibit is free.

Great and Small

by Mark Braboy

August 14 - 20, 2013

28

he or she prefers. Schmeig’s box is a more ornate box rendered in mostly primary colors, while McRee’s box reflects the minimalist style of her store, with a long, thin design and a color scheme of bright white and seafoam green.

Schmeig started the first mini library in the area, at 608 Chickasaw Ave. She first heard about Little Free Libraries through her sister, who runs one in Arkansas. “I hadn’t heard about them before,” she says. “My little sister lives in Arkansas and has one there, and she made me one and registered it here in Jackson. So ours is the first one registered in Jackson. There’s others in Mississippi as well.”

Although the movement is worldwide, the individual libraries operate on a community level.

“The idea is that the books are free.

It’s always free. It’s always a gift,” Schmeig says. “You can come a take a book

or leave a book, and it’s kind of just a free exchange of books within a small space.

They’re in little communities, so you TRIP BURNS

T

iny homes for books are popping up in Fondren as part of a movement to promote literacy among children and adults. They are Little Free Libraries: small public boxes that contain free books of all varieties, but exclude magazines and newspapers.

Little Free Libraries Ltd. is a nonprofit tax-exempt organization that two men, Todd Bol and Rick Brooks, founded in 2009 in Wisconsin. Now these free libraries are spread across the country and to other nations as well.

A steward in the community runs each Little Free Library independently, to manage the upkeep of the library box.

Jackson has two Little Free Libraries. Mary Amelia McRee manages one outside her shop, Fondren Muse, and Susan Schmeig is a steward for a Little Free Library in the Fondren neighborhood, which she runs with her other half, Tommy Weatherford.

Each steward can design the library as

The second Little Free Library in Jackson recently went up outside Fondren Muse.

get to know your neighbors and get the community involved.”

The process of giving and takings books is simple. “It’s kind of a lending library sort of thing. You just come by,” Schmeig says.

“We have it set up just a few steps off the street. So people can just step up and open the door and poke through what’s in there. It holds about 25 books and you just pick up some that look interesting to you.”

Schmeig says so far, children seem to love the library the most. “What I’m seeing in our traffic is kids,” she says. “They get excited to come look at the books, and they like the design of it.

“Kids reading is important to me.

They just don’t do that anymore. When they do, it’s on an electronic thingy.

There’s just something wonderful to me about holding every old book and flipping the pages.”

Visit littlefreelibrary.org for more information or to learn how to open a Little Free Library of your own.

THURSDAY 8/15

SATURDAY 8/17

WEDNESDAY 8/21

VIEW GALLERY welcomes watercolors from Louisiana artist Anne McLeod.

Comedian Killer Beaz performs at Duling Hall.

Steve Yates reads from his new book at Winter Archives and History Building.

BEST BETS AUGUST 14 - 21, 2013

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WEDNESDAY 8/14

Women’s Council Luncheon is from 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m. at The Hilton Jackson (1001 E. County Line Road). The guest speaker is author Jeanhee Kang (“Run Away: One Woman’s Story of Resilience”). RSVP. $30 luncheon; call 601605-2554; email jodi@madisoncountychamber.com. …

AAA: The Silent Killer is from 11:45 a.m.-1 p.m. at Baptist Health Systems, Madison Campus (401 Baptist Drive, Madison) in the Community Room. Dr. Stewart Horsley explains abdominal aortic aneurysms. Registration required.

Free; call 601-948-6262; mbhs.org.

Julep’s Fundraising Night for Bike Walk Mississippi is Aug. 20.

THURSDAY 8/15

up. $15 in advance, $20 at the door; call 601-292-7121; ardenland.net. … Midnight Blues Ride is at Smith-Wills Stadium (1200 Lakeland Drive). Check-in is at 10 p.m., and the ride is at midnight. Registration required. $40; call 601957-7670; midnightbluesride.racesonline.com.

COURTESY ARDENLAND

SATURDAY 8/17

Mississippi Corvette Classic is from 9 a.m.-5 p.m. at Jackson Convention Complex (105 E. Pascagoula St.). $5, children free, $35 car registration; call 601-668-8733 or 601668-0533; mscorvetteclub.com. … Comedian Killer Beaz performs at 9 p.m. at Duling Hall (622 Duling Ave.). Joe Hoppy also performs. Cocktails at 6:30 p.m. For ages 18 and up. $20 in advance, $25 at the door; call 601-292-7121; ardenBY BRIANA ROBINSON land.net. … MGT Entertainment’s Open-mic Competition JACKSONFREEPRESS.COM is at 9 p.m.at Classics Sports Bar and Lounge (5571 RobFAX: 601-510-9019 inson Road Ext.). For ages 21 DAILY UPDATES AT and up. $5; call 601-291-6493; JFPEVENTS.COM msgottalentproductions.com.

EVENTS@

Grady Champion (pictured) performs with Eddie Cotton and JJ Thames Aug. 16 at Duling Hall.

FRIDAY 8/16

Lunch and Learn Series: BP Settlement Information Session is from noon-1 p.m. at Horne CPA (1020 Highland Colony Parkway, Suite 400, Ridgeland). Free; call 601968-0061; msnonprofits.org. … Grady Champion, Eddie Cotton and JJ Thames perform at 8 p.m. at Duling Hall (622 Duling Ave.). Cocktails at 6:30 p.m. For ages 18 and

SUNDAY 8/18

Mostly Monthly Céilí is from 2-5 p.m. at Fenian’s Pub (901 E. Fortification Street). Jackson Irish Dancers teaches traditional dances. Free; call 601-592-9914; email maggie@ jacksonirishdancers.org; jacksonirishdancers.org. … Dead in the Dirt, Rapturous Grief and Headcase perform from 8-10 p.m. at Rampage Extreme Park (931 Highway 80 W.). $10; call 601-653-7267; rampageextremepark.com.

MONDAY 8/19

John Dufresne signs copies of “No Regrets, Coyote” at 5 p.m. at Lemuria Books (4465 Interstate 55 N., Suite 202). Reading at 5:30 p.m. $25.95 book; call 601-366-7619; email info@lemuriabooks.com; lemuriabooks.com. … “Mississippi Mascots” Painting Class is from 7-9 p.m. at Easely Amused (7048 Old Canton Road, Suite 1002, Ridgeland).

Registration required. $28; call 601-707-5854; email paint@ easelyamused.com; easelyamused.com.

TUESDAY 8/20

Julep Fundraising Night for Bike Walk Mississippi is from 5-8 p.m. at Julep Restaurant and Bar (4500 Interstate 55 N., Suite 105). Call 601-362-1411; bikewalkmississippi.org. … “Mississippi Hill Country Blues: Photographs

by George Mitchell” is at the Mississippi Museum of Art (380 S. Lamar St.) in the Barksdale Galleries. Reception, gallery tour and book signing are at 5:30 p.m. Cedric Burnside performs. $12, $10 seniors, $6 students, free for members and children ages 5 and under. Call 601-960-1515; msmuseumart.org.

WEDNESDAY 8/21

jacksonfreepress.com

“Long Division” is at 5 p.m. at Lemuria Books (4465 Interstate 55 N., Suite 202). Kiese Laymon signs books. Reading at 5:30 p.m. $15 book; call 601-366-7619; email info@lemuriabooks.com; lemuriabooks.com. …Watercolors from Louisiana artist Anne McLeod are at VIEW GALLERY (1107 Highland Colony Parkway, Suite 105, Ridgeland). Free; call 601-856-2001; viewgalleryart.com.

Steve Yates reads from “Some Kinds of Love: Stories” during History Is Lunch at noon at William F. Winter Archives and History Building (200 North St.). Free; call 601576-6998. … Crazy Cross Country Run is at 6 p.m. at Madison Middle School (1365 Mannsdale Road, Madison). After-party at Papitos (111 Colony Crossing Way, Suite 1200, Madison). Free; call 601-899-9696; fleetfeetjackson.com. 29

Congratulations

ShaWanda Jacome

for making Freelancer of the Month in July!

*&0 30/.3/2%$ %6%.43 Jackson 2000 August Discussion Luncheon Aug. 14, 11:45 a.m.-1 p.m., at Arts Center of Mississippi (201 E. Pascagoula St.). Representatives from the West Jackson Master Plan group and Duvall Decker Architects share their process and plans for sustainable and inclusive growth for west Jackson.

RSVP. $12, $10 members; call 960-1500; email bevelyn_branch@att.net; jackson2000.org.

#/--5.)49 Events at Jackson Convention Complex (105 E. Pascagoula St.). â&#x20AC;˘ Governorâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Health Care Economic Development Summit Aug. 15, 8:30 a.m.-2 p.m.

Members of the health care industry learn how to benefit from the recent report â&#x20AC;&#x153;Blueprint Mississippi Health Care: An Economic Driver.â&#x20AC;?

Pre-registration required. Free; call 601969-0022 or 800-748-7626; mec.ms. â&#x20AC;˘ Greater Jackson Chamber Partnership Membership Luncheon Aug. 14, noon U.S. Congressman Bennie Thompson is the keynote speaker. Seating limited; registration required. $40, $35 members; call 601-948-7575; email dgreen@greaterjacksonpartnership.com; greaterjacksonpartnership.com.

History Is Lunch Aug. 14, noon, at William F. Winter Archives and History Building (200 North St.). Baseball great Jack Reed presents â&#x20AC;&#x153;I Was Mickey Mantleâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Backup.â&#x20AC;? Free; call 601-576-6998.

Precinct 3 COPS Meeting Aug. 15, 6 p.m., at Jackson Police Department, Precinct 3 (3925 W. Northside Drive). These monthly forums are designed to help resolve community issues or problems, from crime to potholes. Free; call 601-960-0003.

Coffee and Conversation Aug. 16, 7-8:30 a.m., at Old Capitol Museum (100 S. State St.). Interact with business professionals, leaders, and other community members, and learn about upcoming city projects. Free; call 601-576-6920.

Young Business Leaders of Jackson Sporting Clays Shoot Aug. 16, 11 a.m.-5 p.m., at Turcotte Shooting Range (506 Highway 43 S., Canton).

Individuals and teams are welcome to participate in the annual event. Registration required. Sponsorships available. $150 individuals, $600 team of four; call 601-201-5489; ybljackson.org.

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After Hours Adventures Aug. 16, 5:30-8 p.m., at Mississippi Childrenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Museum (2145 Highland Drive). The event for ages 6-12 includes art and science activities, and a pizza dinner. Online preregistration required. $40 per child; call 601981-5469; mississippichildrensmuseum.com.

Miss Calendar Girl Cotillion Brunch Aug. 17, 10 a.m.-1 p.m., at Anderson United Methodist Church (6205 Hanging Moss Road). The Rho Lambda Omega Chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority hosts the program in the Education Annex. Girls in grades 9-12 are welcome to learn about the fundraising project that helps fund community projects. Free; call 601-668-4011.

Mid-South Peopleâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Pizza Awards and Rock-NRumble Showdown Aug. 17, noon, at Paul Battle Arena/Tunica Arena and Expo Center (3873 Highway 61 N., Tunica). The annual fundraiser for the Mississippi Music Foundation includes a food truck round-up, vendors, a car show and more. Proceeds go toward the foundationâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s New Artist Programs. $1; call 662363-3299; email msmusicfoundation@gmail.com.

Capital City Roller Girls Roller Derby Game Aug. 17, 6:30 p.m., at Mississippi Trade Mart (1200 Mississippi St.). The team takes on

the Capital City Roller Rebels. $12, children under 12 free, $50 vendors; call 601-383-4885; email capitalcityrollergirlsms@gmail.com or info@ capitalcityrollergirlsms.com; find Capital City Roller Girls on Facebook.

Country Western Dance Party Aug. 17, 8-10 p.m., at Applause Dance Factory (242 Stephens St., Ridgeland). Enjoy dancing, soft drinks and snacks on the padded dance floor. $10, $5 students with ID; call 601-856-6168.

Jackson Adult Kickball League Championship Game Aug. 18, 3-7 p.m., at Legion Field (400 South Drive). Teams consist of adults ages 25-60. Concessions sold. The league is part of the World Adult Kickball Association. Free; email jackson1adultkickball2012@gmail.com.

Legends and Legacies: A Genealogy Workshop Aug. 20, 5:30-7:30 p.m., at Southern Cultural Heritage Center (1302 Adams St., Vicksburg). Michael Logue facilitates the six-week workshop in the Academy Building. Sessions are Tuesdays from 5:30-7:30 p.m. through Sept. 24.

Registration required. $100, $90 members; call 601-631-2997; email info@southernculture.org; southernculture.org.

Mississippi Jump$tart Coalition Poster and Essay Contest through Sept. 9, at msjumpstart. org. The theme is â&#x20AC;&#x153;Get Smart About Credit,â&#x20AC;? and students in grades 9-12 may participate.

Submissions must be postmarked no later than Sept. 9. The first-place winner receives a $1,000 scholarship, and the second-place winner receives a $500 scholarship. Free; call 601-665-0447; email uthompson@mississippi.org; msjumpstart.org.

Adult Basic Education/GED Program, at Hinds Community College in Jackson, Raymond, Utica and Vicksburg. People who aspire to earn a high school equivalency certificate may register for orientation and testing before the GED price and testing format changes in 2014. Call or go online for specifics. Free Adult Basic Education courses, $75 GED testing fee; call 601-857-3912; hindscc.edu.

Private Tutoring, 8 a.m.-8 p.m. Mondays-Saturdays. In-person and virtual tutoring available for metro Jackson area students in grades K-12 in math, science and literacy. Registration required. $15-$50; je411.webs.com.

Fall Community Enrichment Series, at Millsaps College (1701 N. State St.). Most classes begin the week of Sept. 23 and fall into the categories of art, music, fitness, design, business and technology.

Call to request a brochure with classes and fees.

Fees vary; call 601-974-1130; millsaps.edu/conted.

Canton Gin Market Saturdays, noon-4 p.m. through Nov. 23, at Small Town Music/Paragon Gin (436 W. Peace St., Canton). Store owners Susan and Frazier Riddell host the weekly market featuring art, crafts, live music and more. Free; call 601-859-8596.

Common Core After Hours Learning and Readiness Program at PERICO Institute (Jackson Medical Mall, 350 W. Woodrow Ave., Suite 300). The weekly program for children in grades K-12 includes English and language arts, math, science, and music and art appreciation. Registration required. Light snack included. $50 per week; call 769-251-1408; priydems.com.

7%,,.%33 Menopause: A Hot Topic Aug. 15, 6-7 p.m., at Baptist Health Systems, Madison Campus (401 Baptist Drive, Madison), in the Community Room. Experts from Baptist for Women discuss myths and facts about menopause and perimenopause. Refreshments included. Registration required. Free. Call 601-948-6262; mbhs.org.

Poker Run Aug. 14, 6 p.m., at Fleet Feet Sports (Trace Station, 500 Highway 51 N., Ridgeland).

Held on second Wednesdays. Participants receive five playing cards during the three-mile run/walk, and the people with the best hand and worst hand win prizes. After-party at Cazadores (500 Highway 51, Suite R, Ridgeland). Free; call 601-899-9696; fleetfeetjackson.com.

Moman & Harris Run/Walk Aug. 17, 7:30 a.m., at New Hope Baptist Church (5202 Watkins Drive). Run or walk at the 19th annual event.

On-site registration ends at 6:45 a.m. Pre-register

by Aug. 14 to receive a T-shirt. Health fair from 8:30-11 a.m. in Robert B. Cooper Gym. Free; call 601-366-7002.

Look Good Feel Better Program Aug. 19, 2-4 p.m., at St. Dominic Cancer Center (2969 N. Curran Drive). Cancer patients learn beauty techniques to manage the appearancerelated side effects of cancer treatment. Preregistration required. Free; call 800-227-2345; lookgoodfeelbetter.org.

Tabatas on the Green Aug. 21, 7-7:30 p.m., at Duling Green (Duling Avenue and Old Canton Road). liveRIGHTnow hosts the intensive cardio session. Water provided. $5; call 601-717-2012; liverightnowonline.com.

34!'% !.$ 3#2%%. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Freudâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Last Sessionâ&#x20AC;? Aug. 15-17, 7:30 p.m., and Aug. 17, 2 p.m., at Belhaven University Center for the Arts (835 Riverside Drive). John Maxwellâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Fish Tale Group Theatre presents the play about a debate between psychoanalyst Dr. Sigmund Freud and author C.S. Lewis. $17 online, $20 box office; call 601-714-1414; fishtalegroup.org. â&#x20AC;&#x153;CATSâ&#x20AC;? Aug. 16-17, 7:30 p.m., and Aug. 18, 2 p.m., at Vicksburg Theatre Guild/Parkside Playhouse (101 Iowa Blvd., Vicksburg). The musical about an annual gathering of cats is based on T.S. Eliotâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s poetry book â&#x20AC;&#x153;Old Possumâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Book of Practical Cats.â&#x20AC;? $12, $10 seniors, $7 students, $5 ages 12 and under; call 601636-0471; vicksburgtheatreguild.com.

Nameless Open Mic Aug. 17, 9 p.m., at Suite 106 (106 Wilmington St.). On first and third Saturdays at 9 p.m. Poets, singers, actors and comedians are welcome. $5 admission, $3 to perform; call 601-720-4640. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Fed Upâ&#x20AC;? Dinner Theater Aug. 20, 6:30-9 p.m., at Kismetâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Restaurant and Catering (315 Crossgates Blvd., Brandon). The Detectives Mystery Dinner Theatre presents the comedy. Includes a three-course meal. For ages 18 and up. RSVP. $39; call 601-937-1752; thedetectives.biz.

-53)# Mississippi Boychoir Auditions. For ages 6-18.

No experience necessary. Free; call 601-665-7374; email pastor@ascensionluth.org; mississippiboychoir.org. â&#x20AC;˘ Aug. 17, 9 a.m.-5 p.m., at Ascension Lutheran Church (6481 Old Canton Road). â&#x20AC;˘ Aug. 20, 4-6 p.m., at Covenant Presbyterian Church (4000 Ridgewood Road).

Hit the Pit and Mosh Aug. 18, 8-10 p.m., at Rampage Extreme Park (931 Highway 80 W.).

Performers include Dead in the Dirt, Rapturous Grief, Headcase and more. $10. Call 601-6537267; rampageextremepark.com.

Jackson Rhythm and Blues Festival Aug. 16-17, at Mississippi Agriculture and Forestry Museum (1150 Lakeland Drive). Dr. John and the Nite Trippers headline the event. Other performers

include Mint Condition and Eden Brent. A portion of the proceeds benefits the Blues Musicians Benevolent Fund. $35 Aug. 16, $45 Aug. 17, $65 two-day pass; call 601-353-0603 or 800-7453000; jacksonrhythmandbluesfestival.com.

teaches the class on Thursdays from 7-9 p.m.

Bring your own 11-by-14-inch canvas for a $5 discount. $15; call 601-992-6405; email theartist@danielmacgregorstudios.com; danielmacgregorstudios.com.

Unburied Treasures Aug. 20, 5:30-7:30 p.m., at Mississippi Museum of Art (380 S. Lamar St.). The featured artwork is a photograph from photographer George Mitchell’s Mississippi Hill Country Blues exhibition. Mitchell signs copies of his book “Mississippi Hill Country Blues 1967,” and Cedric Burnside performs. Free; call 601960-1515; msmuseumart.org.

Writing to Change Your World Sept. 7Nov. 16, at JFP Classroom (2727 Old Canton Road, Suite 224). Reserve your spot for Donna Ladd’s popular creative non-fiction six-class series. Meets every other Saturday from 10 a.m.-12:30 p.m. Includes snacks and materials.

Space limited. $150; call 601-362-6121, ext.

15; email class@writingtochange.com.

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Events at Lemuria Books (4465 Interstate 55 N., Suite 202). Call 601-366-7619; email info@ lemuriabooks.com; lemuriabooks.com.

• “Tell About Night Flowers: Eudora Welty’s Gardening Letters, 1940-1949” Aug. 14, 5 p.m. Julia Eichelberger signs books. $45 book.

• “The Sweetest Hallelujah” Aug. 17, 1 p.m.

Elaine Hussey signs books. $15.95 book; call 601-366-7619; email info@lemuriabooks.com; lemuriabooks.com.

• “No Regrets, Coyote” Aug. 19, 5 p.m. John Dufresne signs books. Reading at 5:30 p.m. $25.95 book; call 601-366-7619; email info@ lemuriabooks.com; lemuriabooks.com.

• “Mississippi Hill Country Blues 1967” Aug. 21, 5 p.m. George Mitchell signs books. Reading at 5:30 p.m. $40 book.

• Lemuria Story Time Saturdays, 11 a.m. Children enjoy a story and make a related craft. Call for the book title. Free.

Events at Mississippi Museum of Art (380 S. Lamar St.). Call 601-960-1515; msmuseumart.org.

• Look and Learn with Hoot Aug. 16, 10:30 a.m. This educational opportunity for 4-5 year olds and their parents features a hands-on art activity and story time. Please dress for mess. Free.

• Unburied Treasures Aug. 20, 5:30-7:30 p.m.

The featured artwork is a photograph from photographer George Mitchell’s Mississippi Hill Country Blues exhibition. Mitchell signs copies of his book “Mississippi Hill Country Blues 1967,” and Cedric Burnside performs. Free; call 601-960-1515; msmuseumart.org.

Poetry Out Loud National Recitation Contest.

High school students at participating schools may compete, and regional finalists compete is the spring of 2014. The winner advances to the national contest in Washington, D.C. Schools must register by Nov. 1. Free; call 601-3271294; email poetryoutloud@arts.state.ms.us; arts.state.ms.us.

#2%!4)6% #,!33%3 Events at Southern Cultural Heritage Center (1302 Adams St., Vicksburg). Call 601631-2997; email info@southernculture.org; southernculture.org.

• Cake Decorating Basics Workshop Aug. 15, 5:30-7:30 p.m. Executive pastry chef Stan Taylor is the instructor. Registration required; space limited. Supplies included. $15, $10 members.

• Ballroom Dance Lessons Aug. 18, 5-6 p.m.

James Frechette, owner of Applause Dance Factory, teaches the West Coast Swing in the Academy Building. $10 per person.

“Mississippi Mascots” Painting Class Aug. 19, 7-9 p.m., at Easely Amused (Trace Harbor Village, 7048 Old Canton Road, Suite 1002, Ridgeland). Paint pre-traced images of the Ole Miss, Mississippi State or USM mascot. Registration required; space limited. $28; call 601707-5854; email paint@easelyamused.com; easelyamused.com.

Adult Acrylic Painting Class Thursdays, 7-9 p.m., at Daniel MacGregor Studios (4347 Lakeland Drive, Flowood). Daniel MacGregor

A M A LC O T H E AT R E

August 16

South of Walmart in Madison

ALL STADIUM SEATING Listings for Fri. 8/16 – Thur. 8/22

Lee Daniel’s The Butler PG13

Smurfs 2 (non 3-D)

Kick-Ass 2

The Wolverine (non 3-D) PG13

R

PG

Jobs

PG13

Paranoia

PG13

Fruitvale Station R

R

The Conjuring R

PG

Turbo (non 3-D) PG

Elysium 3-D Planes

Planes (non 3-D) PG We’re The Millers R 3-D Percy Jackson: Sea Of Monsters PG Percy Jackson: Sea Of Monsters (non 3-D) PG 2 Guns

August 17

Grown Ups 2 PG13 Despicable ME 2 (non 3-D) PG Opens Wednesday, 8/21 Mortal Instruments: City Of Bones PG13

R

GIFT CARDS AVAILABLE DAILY BARGAINS UNTIL 6PM Online Tickets, Birthday Parties, Group & Corporate Events @ www.malco.com

824 S. State St. Jackson, MS www.clubmagoos.com

601.487.8710

Movieline: 355-9311

"% 4(% #(!.'% We Make It Better Foundation Open House Aug. 15, 11 a.m.-2:30 p.m., at Sam’s Place (New Horizon Church Campus, 1750 Ellis Ave.).

Learn about the organization and how to become a member. Refreshments served. Free; call 601371-1427, ext. 314; wmib.org.

Mississippi Girls in Action Summit Registration through Aug. 16, at Masonic Temple (1072 W. John R. Lynch St.). The Mississippi NAACP hosts, and the theme is “Looking Beyond the Stereotypes.” The program for girls ages 13-18 is Aug. 31 from 9 a.m.-4 p.m. at the Masonic Temple (1072 W. John R. Lynch St.).

Includes lunch. Limited seating; register by Aug. 16. Free; call 601-353-8452; email zsummers@ uniteonevoice.org.

Enchanted Evening Aug. 17, 7 p.m., at Mississippi Museum of Art (380 S. Lamar St.). The gala includes a live art auction, food, a raffle for $5,000 ($100 ticket, only 100 sold) and music. Proceeds benefit Friends of Children’s Hospital. $100; call 601-984-5273; foch.org.

Paranormal Fundraiser Aug. 17, at The McNutt House (815 First East St., Vicksburg).

The ghost-hunting expedition is a fundraiser for the Spina Bifida Association and Susan G. Komen for the Cure. Patrick Burns from TruTV’s “Haunting Evidence” is the special guest. $30 for a six-hour investigation; call 601618-9509; deltaparanormalproject.com.

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.

jacksonfreepress.com

Events at Off Square Books (129 Courthouse Square, Oxford). Call 662-236-2262; email books@squarebooks.com; squarebooks.com.

• “No Regrets, Coyote” Aug. 21, 5 p.m. John Dufresne signs books. $25.95 book; • “The Sweetest Hallelujah” Aug. 15, 5 p.m.

Elaine Hussey signs books. $15.95 book.

Fused Glass, Textiles and More Exhibit through Aug. 31, at Mississippi Craft Center (950 Rice Road, Ridgeland). Exhibitors include Marcy Petrini, Jac Lynn Sharp, Candy Spurzem and Jenny Thomas. Affordable pieces and custom orders available. Free; call 601-856-7546; email blastjac@ gmail.com; mscrafts.org.

6A0=3E84F

31

DIVERSIONS | music

Guitars and Hooks

Old Sound, New Soul

by Tommy Burton

by Tommy Burton

T

COURTESY BRETON SOUND

New Orleans-based rock band The Breton Sound performs at Ole Tavern Aug. 17.

ny-laden verses build to a chorus worthy of an arena, and the guitar solo soars.

The guys of The Breton Sound have been together for about a year and half.

Jonathan Pretus plays guitar and sings lead; his brother Brian Pretus plays bass and sings harmony; Stephen Turner plays guitar; and Jonathan Alcorn plays drums.

“It makes for a nice harmonic blend,” Jonathan Pretus says about singing with his brother. “I‘m a huge fan of The Beach Boys and Brian Wilson, so it’s very similar to what Brian and his brother Carl did.”

Pretus calls Turner the band’s “architect of tone.” “He’s always trying different combinations of amps and pedals to achieve his sound,” Pretus says. “(The sound of ‘Maps’) really came together very naturally,” Pretus says.

“When we record, we like to get the best, most natural performances. All four of us bring that to the table.”

The Breton Sound has performed all over the South, including a set at the prestigious New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Fest earlier this year. In February, Paste Magazine even named them one of the “12 Louisiana Bands You Should Listen To.” “For now, we plan to play regionally through the fall with maybe doing a tour out west later in the year,” Pretus says. “We really want to push the record. The Internet is great for getting your music out there, but you really need to get in front of people in order to prove that what you do is for real.”

The Breton Sound performs at Ole Tavern on George Street (416 George St., 601-960-2700) Aug. 17 at 10 p.m. Admission is $5. Visit thebretonsound.com.

T

he first Jackson Rhythm & Blues Depression magazine (“Dee is a gifted Festival this weekend at the Miswriter and outstanding vocalist”). sissippi Agriculture and Forestry “People experience music in differMuseum will feature more than ent ways,” Dee says, although he admits 30 performances on five stages. In adto enjoying the attention of critics. “I dition to headliners Dr. John and Mint want to make music for the average fan Condition, the festival to enjoy it.” will also showcase up“Obviously, Cooke and-coming artists such was a big influence on as Jesse Dee. my writing style as well “I’d like for my muas the great southern sic to affect people in a soul writers like Dan positive way,” Alligator Penn and George JackRecords artist Dee says. son, but I also have been With songs on his latest influenced by people release, “On My Mind/ like the Brill Building In My Heart,” that evoke writers and Bob Dylan,” the great Sam Cooke, Dee says.

Dee accomplishes what Dee is excited to he sets out to do. be coming to Jackson Hailing from Bos- Soul singer Jesse Dee to perform in the birthton, Dee proves he can performs at this year’s place of his favorite muhold his own against the Jackson Rhythm & Blues sic. “The best soul music best soul singers. At first Festival. is a collective experilisten, “On My Mind/In ence,” Dee says.

My Heart” sounds like it could have been Jesse Dee performs at the Jackson released in 1967 on the Stax record label, Rhythm & Blues Festival in the Highway but the lyrics reveal a modern take on life 49 Blues Shack at the Mississippi Agriculwrapped in snappy melodies and delivture and Forestry Museum (1150 Lakeered with Dee’s raspy tenor. land Drive, 601-432-4500) at 9:15 p.m.

Dee received accolades for the alAug. 16. Tickets for the festival include a full bum from sources such as the San Franday of music and start at $35. Music begins cisco Chronicle (“I’d even move back to at 6 p.m. Friday and at 3 p.m. Saturday.

Boston just to hear him live”) and No Visit jacksonrhythmandbluesfestival.com.

MICHAEL SPENCER

here is something special about the sound of electric guitars, and New Orleans’ The Breton Sound is not afraid of it. The band’s music isn’t all in-your-face guitar, though—it also features solid drumming, catchy melodies and gorgeous harmonies. The sound is crisp, solid and, most of all, just plain likeable.

The first single from the band’s newly released EP, “Maps,” is called “Standing on the Edge of the World.” The song jumps out of the speakers with distorted glory and booming drums. The harmo-

natalie’s notes

by Natalie Long

The Chick’s Guide to Music Festivals

August 14 - 20, 2013

32

Here is what I think my fellow women music lovers need to be prepared for fests this fall and beyond: FLICKR/EVA RINALDI PHOTOGRAPHY

E

very year around this time, I start getting excited over fall, football and festivals. Fall music festivals, in my experience, are better than ones in the summer, due to the lower humidity and more people-friendly temperatures.

The Magnolia State has several fall music fests that are going to be awesome: The Jackson Rhythm and Blues Festival at the Mississippi Agriculture and Forestry Museum Aug. 16-17; Celtic Fest Sept. 6-8, also at the museum; the 18th Annual Howlin’ Wolf Blues Festival in West Point Aug. 30; the Fire & Feast BBQ Competition and Festival Sept. 6-7 in Yazoo City; Otherfest in Cleveland Sept. 21; and the Highway 61 Blues Festival and the Mighty Mississippi Blues Festival in downtown Greenville Oct. 4-6.

As a veteran music-festival attendee, I have seen women who didn’t know what to expect at fests and just showed up unprepared.

Being prepared is the first step to having a good time at music festivals.

Water. If you’re going to attend an outdoor music festival, start chugging the water

days before, even if the event is in the fall.

You’ll help your body stay cool and, if you are going to be consuming alcohol, it will help you stay hydrated.

Clothing. Even if it’s hot, and you just got this totally fabulous pedicure, you still should wear comfortable, closed-toe shoes. I’ve witnessed more arguments and confrontations over someone stepping on a girl’s flip-flop-foot than anything else. Cover up your toes and feet. And do not let me see you wearing high heels. You’ll thank me later.

Also, feel free to wear something cute, but dress according to the weather. An outdoor music festival may not be the right time to sport that brand new snazzy silk blouse, especially if you are prone to perspiring a lot when you get hot.

A bag full of goodies. I guess it’s the years of preparing for field trips in me, but I always try to bring a backpack or a beach

bag filled with things such as a blanket to sit on outside, Germ-X, lip balm, sunscreen, a few Band-Aids and ponytail holders. You can never be over-prepared for a music festival, and your friends can add their things to your bag to save space. Your bag will more than likely be searched, so don’t put anything stupid in there that will get you thrown out before the festival even starts.

Slow your roll. I speak from experience when I say to my girls out there that, when attending a music festival, you don’t have to drink an entire cooler of beer, bottle of bourbon or jar of moonshine in the vehicle on the way to the show. It’s not a contest. More than likely, the festival will have alcohol vendors. No one likes to be the one taking care of sloshed friend and not being able to see the bands they paid an insane amount of money to hear. Don’t be “that drunk chick.”

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HAPPY HOUR! Mon-Fri â&#x20AC;¢1 - 3:30pm $2 Domestics â&#x20AC;¢ $3 Wells

WEDNESDAYS

8/14

LADIES NIGHT 2-for-1 Wells & Domestic 5pm - close

THURSDAYS

8/15

$4 APPETIZERS â&#x20AC;¢ 5 -9PM 2 FOR 1 DRAFT FRIDAY

8/16

THE QUICKENING (Blake Of Flowtribe New Project) SATURDAY

8/17

ALVIN YOUNGBLOOD HART & THE MUSCLE THEORY MONDAY

â&#x20AC;¢

â&#x20AC;¢

â&#x20AC;¢

â&#x20AC;¢

pm

Thursday August 15

LADIES NIGHT W/ DJ Stache â&#x20AC;¢ Ladies Drink Free

Friday August 16

Jackson Cannery

OPEN MIC/ TALENT

SEARCH NIGHT Local bands tryout for gigs On stage w/ pro sound & lights Both bars open

1.50 Pick & Grab Beers & 2 for 1 draft TUESDAY

Saturday August 17

Breton Sound Larry Waters Duo

8/20

SHRIMP BOIL 5 - 10 PM

MATTâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S KARAOKE 5 - 9 & 10 - close

$1 PBR & HIGHLIFE $2 MARGARITAS 10 - 12pm

UPCOMING SHOWS 8.23: Water Liars w/ Special Guest 8.24: Greenhouse Lounge 8.28: Black Flag advance tickets @ Ticketmaster

Tuesday August 20 Highlife, Highlife Lite, PBR, Schlitz, Fatty Natty

9.13: Flowtribe

Open Mic with Jason Turner

9.28: Good Enough For Good Times (Members Of Galactic)

Wednesday August 21

10.19: The Revivalists

KARAOKE

11.23: Zoogma

SCAN

ME! SEE OUR NEW MENU

W W W. M A R T I N S L O U N G E . N E T

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$ 2happyfor 1 well drinks hour m-f 4-7 pm Open for dinner Sat. 4-10 2 for 1 house wine

starting at

8/19

11.8: Unknown Hinson

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9.99

Weekly Lunch Specials

214 S. STATE ST. 601.354.9712 DOWNTOWN JACKSON

with DJ STACHE FREE WiFi

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

jacksonfreepress.com

!5' 7%$.%3$!9

COURTESY BEN PAYTON

MUSIC | live

facebook.com/Ole Tavern

33

601-960-2700

DIVERSIONS | jfp sports the best in sports over the next seven days

SLATE

THIS WEEK WEDNESDAY 8/14:

New Bourbon St. Jazz (Restaurant)

Ralphâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Open Mic Nights (Patio) THURSDAY 8/15:

Art Soup Yâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;all

11am - 1pm & 5 - 8pm Music, Art & Food T.B. Ledford & Friends 6:30pm

by Bryan Flynn

New Happy Hour!

2-for-1 EVERYTHING*

Tuesday-Friday from 4:00-7:00

Plus free snacks at the bar! (*excludes food and specialty drinks)

Wednesday, August 14th

SCOTT ALBERT JOHNSON (blues) 6:30, No Cover

Thursday, August 15th

BOOKER WALKER

(blues) 8:00, No Cover

FRIDAY 8/16:

Crooked Creek (Restaurant) Restaurant will close at 9pm

SATURDAY 8/17:

Saturday, August 17th

MONDAY 8/19:

Central MS Blues Society presents Blue Monday (Restaurant)

TUESDAY 8/20:

(blues) 9:00, $10 Cover

Tuesday, August 20th

SWING DE PARIS

(jazz) 6:30, No Cover

Wednesday, August 21st

UPCOMING:

(blues) 6:30, No Cover

8.23: Jarekus Singletonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s CD Release Party (Big) 8.24: Cathead Vodka 8pm August 14 - 20, 2013

VOO DAVIS

Pub Quiz with Erin Pearson & Friends (Restaurant)

8.22: Jesse Robinsonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s CD Release Party (Red)

8.29: Brian Jones (Rest)

BIG EASY THREE

COMING SOON

Jesse Robinson

Visit HalandMals.com for a full menu and concert schedule

Wednesday, August 24

200 S. Commerce St. Downtown Jackson, Mississippi

119 S. President Street 601.352.2322 www.Underground119.com

601.948.0888

FRIDAY, AUG. 16 NFL (7-10 p.m., WLOO 35): The Oakland Raiders will face off against the New Orleans Saints this week in the Superdome. â&#x20AC;Ś NFL (7-10 p.m., Fox): Tom Brady and the New England Patriots host former MSU star Johnthan Banks and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

SATURDAY, AUG. 17 NFL (6:30-10 p.m., NFL Network): The Jacksonville Jaguars hope quarterback Blaine Gabbert is the answer on the road against the New York Jets.

SUNDAY, AUG. 18 NFL (6-9 p.m., Fox): Eli Manning and the New York Giants host Andrew Luck and the Indianapolis Colts in week two of the preseason.

MONDAY, AUG. 19 NFL (7-10 p.m., ESPN): After a disappointing season last year, the Pittsburgh Steelers look to bounce back on the road against the Washington Redskins, who are without Robert Griffin III. TUESDAY, AUG. 20 Special (3:30-4:30 p.m., ESPN U): The analysts at ESPN get you ready for the 2013 college football season with their ESPN U SEC Football Preview Show.

WEDNESDAY, AUG. 21 Soccer (3:30-6 p.m., ESPN 2): the champion of the 2012-13 La Liga season, Barcelona, meets the winner of the 2012-13 Copa del Rey, AtlĂŠtico Madrid, in the 2013 Supercopa de EspaĂąa.

If the Texas A&M jersey sales were split 50/50 between the school and the 674 Aggie athletes, each athlete would have received $44.28. Looks like hardly anyone gets rich off jersey sales.

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

FEARLESS FOUR

(funk) 9:00, $10 Cover

The Vernonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s (Restaurant)

34

Friday, August 16th

THURSDAY, AUG. 15 NFL (7-10 p.m., ESPN): Two teams with new coaches are on display in preseason football when the San Diego Chargers travel to the Chicago Bears.

Think colleges and universities are getting rich off jersey sales of college athletes? Texas A&M made $59,690 in total jersey sales last school yearâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;including those of Heisman winner Johnny Manziel.

bryanâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s rant

Preseason Thoughts

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METRO JACKSON OPEN HOUSES

112 PORT LANE BRANDON, MS 39047 (4/3.5/$485,000) Colonial 2 Story, Carpet, Ceramic Tile, Tile, Wood, 9+ Ceilings, All Window Treatments, Attic Floored, Cathedral/Vaulted Ceiling, Double Vanity, Fireplace, Master Bath, Separate Shower, Split Plan, Walk-In Closet, 2 Car, Attached, Garage Open Date: 8/18/2013 1:00 PM-4:30 PM GO FLAT FEE REALTY, LLC 403 MASON CT BRANDON, MS 39047 (3/2/$167,900) Traditional, Ceramic Tile, Laminate, Wood, All Window Treatments, Fireplace, Separate Shower, Split Plan, Walk-In Closet, 2 Car, Garage Open Date: 8/17/2013 2:00 PM-4:00 PM COMMUNITY FIRST REAL ESTATE, LLC 26 STONEGATE DR BRANDON, MS 39042 (4/3/$270,000) Traditional 1 Story, Carpet, Tile, Wood, Attic Floored, Fireplace, Master Bath, Split Plan, Walk-In Closet, 2 Car, Parking Pad Open Date: 8/18/2013 3:00 PM-5:00 PM KELLER WILLIAMS REALTY 1664 WESTBROOK RD JACKSON, MS 39211 (3/2/$95,000) Bungalow 1 Story, Ceramic Tile, Linoleum/ Vinyl, Wood, Master Bath, 2 Car, Carport Open Date: 8/17/2013 2:00 PM-4:00 PM COMMUNITY FIRST REAL ESTATE, LLC

279 PARKS RD JACKSON, MS 39212 (3/2.5/$249,000) French Acadian, 1 Story, Carpet, Linoleum/Vinyl, Wood, 9+ Ceilings, All Window Treatments, Double Vanity, Master Bath, Separate Shower, Skylight, Split Plan, Walk-In Closet, 2 Car Open Date: 8/18/2013 2:00 PM-4:00 PM CRYE-LEIKE REALTORS 1530 BROBRIDGE DR JACKSON, MS 39211 (3/4/$359,000) Contemporary, 1 Story, Brick/Pavers, Carpet, Laminate, Tile 9+ Ceilings, All Window Treatments, Attic Floored, Cathedral/Vaulted Ceiling, Double Vanity, Fireplace, Master Bath, Separate Shower, Skylight, Split Level, Split Plan, Walk-In Closet, Wet Bar, 3+ Cars, Attached Open Date: 8/18/2013 2:00 PM-5:00 PM WEICHERT, REALTORS-COVINGTON GROUP

1914 EASTRIDGE DR MADISON, MS 39110 (3/2$199,900) French Acadian, 1 Story, Carpet, Ceramic Tile, Wood, 9+ Ceilings, All Window Treatments, Attic Floored, Double Vanity, Fireplace, Garden Tub, Master Bath, Separate Shower, Walk-In Closet, 2 Car, Attached, Garage, Parking Pad Open Date: 8/18/2013 2:00 PM-4:00 PM GO FLAT FEE REALTY, LLC 807 GRANDMONT DR PEARL, MS 39208 (3/1/$76,500 Traditional, Carpet, Ceramic Tile, 1 Car, Attached, Carport Open Date: 8/18/2013 2:00 PM-4:00 PM MCINTOSH & ASSOCIATES 239 GARDEN ST RIDGELAND, MS 39157 (3/2 /$179,900) French Acadian, 1 Story Carpet, Ceramic Tile, Wood, 9+ Ceilings, All Window Treatments, Double Vanity, Fireplace, Garden Tub, Master Bath, Separate Shower, Split Plan, Walk-In Closet, 2 Car, Attached, Garage Open Date: 8/18/2013 2:00 PM-4:00 PM KEYTRUST PROPERTIES PAULA RICKS 153 MAPLE ST RIDGELAND, MS 39157 (4/2.5/$345,000) Traditional 2 Story, Carpet, Tile, Wood, All Window Treatments, Attic Floored, Fireplace, Master Bath, 1 Car, Garage, Paved, Parking Pad Open Date: 8/18/2013 2:00 PM-4:00 PM WYATT, NELL, REAL ESTATE 221 GARDEN ST RIDGELAND, MS 39157 (3/2 /$203,900) Traditional 1 Story, Ceramic Tile, Wood 9+ Ceilings, All Window Treatments, Double Vanity, Dry Bar, Fireplace, Garden Tub, Master Bath, Separate Shower, Split Plan, Walk-In Closet, 2 Car, Attached, Garage, Storage Open Date: 8/18/2013 2:00 PM-4:00 PM KEYTRUST PROPERTIES PAULA RICKS 230 GARDEN ST RIDGELAND, MS 39157 (3/2 $210,000) 1 1/2 Story, Carpet, Ceramic Tile, Wood. 9+ Ceilings, All Window Treatments, Attic Floored, Double Vanity, Dry Bar, Fireplace, Garden Tub, Master Bath, Separate Shower, Walk-In Closet, Walk-Up Attic. 2 Car, Attached, Garage Open Date: 8/18/2013 2:00 PM-4:00 PM KEYTRUST PROPERTIES PAULA RICKS

Information courtesy of MLS of Jackson Miss. Inc. ,Q ODVW ZHHN¶V LVVXH ZH PLVWDNHQO\ SULQWHG D FURVVZRUG SX]]OH ZLWK WKH ZURQJ FOXHV 7KH -DFNVRQ )UHH 3UHVV DSRORJL]HV IRU WKH HUURU

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$)3( 46 2ETAILER

Advertise: 601.362.6121 ext. 11

November 2013 Editorial:

- Holiday Entertaining - Party Fashion - Local Gift Guide - Winter Menu Guide

January 2014 Editorial:

- Hitched Weddings - Wedding Announcements - Power Couples - Romantic Fashion -New Year Resolutions

March 2014 Editorial:

May 2014 Editorial:

- Innovative Leaders - Best of Jackson 2014 Winners: Food, Night- Coolest Offices - Spring Office Fashion life, People, Community - Parades!

- Spring Menu Guide

Deadlines: Deadlines: Deadlines: Deadlines: - Ad Reserved: 9/27/13 - Ad Reserved: 11/30/13 - Ad Reserved: 1/31/14 - Ad Reserved: 3/28/14 - Ad Final: 4/4/14 - Ad Final: 10/6/13 - Ad Final: 2/7/14 - Ad Final: 12/6/13 BOOM Jackson, The City’s Business and Lifestyle Magazine, is distributed in more than 200 locations in the Jackson metro, including area grocery stories, high-traffic businesses and curbside “BOOM boxes.” BOOM is placed in business-class hotels in the region, and is distributed by local chambers and visitor’s bureaus. Copies are available for meetings, trainings and recruiting by local companies and organizations. Subscriptions are available for $18/year for shipping and handling costs. Call 601.362.6121 x11 for ad information. Boom Jackson is a publication of Jackson Free Press, Inc.

jacksonfreepress.com

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BULLETIN BOARD: Classifieds

37

BULLETIN BOARD: JOBS

advertise here starting at $50 a week

601.362.6121 x11

TRIP BURNS

Gig: Class Clown

by Shameka Hayes

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

An accountant. … Nah, just kidding, a clown.

Describe your workday in three words.

Fun, kids, fun.

What is the strangest aspect of your job?

I wear more makeup than my wife.

What is the best thing about your job?

Getting to put “clown” as my occupation on my tax returns.

What tools could you not live or work without?

What advice do you have for others who would like to become a clown?

Juggling balls, clubs, rings and a balloon monkey.

They would have to have the patience of Job, love children and be able to fill the shoes (which are pretty big).

What steps brought you to this position?

NAME: JEFF ROEBUCK AGE: 50 JOB: INKY THE CLOWN

I was a street performer as a kid with a group called Plagiarism in Boston, Massachusetts, as a juggler. Being a clown came shortly after.

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

ON VIEW THROUGH SEPTEMBER 8, 2013

Mississippi Hill Country Blues: Photographs

by George Mitchell Join us August 20, 2013 Reception Gallery tour with George Mitchell and blues performance by Cedric Burnside. Book signing follows program.

5:30 6 PM

George Mitchell (born 1944), Joe Callicott on his porch, 1967. archival pigment print, copyright © the artist.

Cost: Free to the public, cash bar.

WE’RE HAVING A LITTLE WORK DONE. Mississippi's only full service Hilton Hotel has kicked off a major renovation project. The renovation plan calls for updates in the hotel lobby, restaurants, 276 guest rooms, and a few more exciting enhancements.

Entire project is scheduled to wrap up by the end of the year. We are excited about our renovation and look forward to providing you with an even better hotel!

August 14 - 20, 2013

For room reservations please visit hilton.com or call 601-957-2800

38

STAY HILTON. GO EVERYWHERE.

MISSISSIPPI MUSEUM of ART Funding is provided by the National Endowment for the Humanities through the Mississippi Humanities Council

380 SOU T H L AMAR ST REE T n JAC K SON, MIS SIS SIPPI 39201 WWW.MSMUSEUMART.ORG n 6 0 1. 9 6 0 .1515 n 1.866.VIEWART

1001 East County Line Road | Jackson | MS 39211 | USA ©2013 Hilton Worldwide

Untitled - Page: 1

2013-06-27 15:51:19 +0100

KEEP CALM AND

CHIME ON $70,000

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8-;-($J.%+*#;$K.0<$/"#$I"#*$'*(%-.;H$?0;($<*$F1$+*%#;$"/$%=*$"#$"G*#H$?%&%=*I*&($#*;*#G*;$%..$ #-=)(;$("$%.(*#$"#$9%&9*.$L#"I"(-"&;$%($%&+$(-I*$,-()"0($&"(-9*H$M%I<.-&=$L#"<.*IN$K%..$1DCCCDOOODB4B4H$ PF21A$6-G*#,%.:$K%;-&"$7$Q"(*.H$R..$#-=)(;$#*;*#G*'H

1220 E. Northside Dr. 601-366-5676 www.mcdadeswineandspirits.com Always Drink Responsibly

jacksonfreepress.com

Mon. - Sat., 10 am - 9 pm

39

The Little Big Store Vinyl Records +45’s & 78’s

NOW OFFERING

Banjo & Mandolin

Guitar, Drums & Bass

Piano & Voice Lessons Start Rocking Today 601.362.0313 607 Fondren Place | Jackson, MS

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Lessons

Repairs

• CDs & Tapes Mon, Fri & Sat: • Posters 10am - 5pm • Back Issue Music Sun: 1 - 5pm Magazines & Books • T-Shirts & Memorabilia • Blu-Rays, DVDs, & VHS 601.857.8579 201 E. Main Street Raymond, Ms www.littlebigstore.com

398 Hwy. 51 • Ridgeland, MS (601) 853-3299 • www.villagebeads.com

SOCIAL SECURITY AND DISABILITY LAW Many people come to me, virtually without hope, after they have been paying into the Social Security system for years - only to be rejected by the Government for disability benefits when they become sick or severely injured.

REMEMBER IT’S YOUR MONEY 2906 North State Street, Suite 320 Phone: (601) 982-2900 • Fax: (601) 982-2999 • www.mattgreenbaum.com

GET HIM ON THE LINE. LINE. 1220 E Northside Dr, Jackson, MS • 601-499-5277

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175 Hwy 80 East in Pearl * 601.932.2811 M-Th: 10-10p F/Sa 10-Mid Su: 1-10p * www.shopromanticadventures.com