v19n03 - Fall Food

JAC K S O N

VOL 19 NO. 3 // SEPTEMBER 30 - OCTOBER 13, 2020 // SUBSCRIBE FREE FOR BREAKING NEWS AT JFPDAILY.COM

FREE PRESS MAGAZINE REPORTING TRUTH TO POWER IN MISSISSIPPI SINCE 2002

CELEBRATING 18 YEARS OF THE JFP

Young Influentials 2020 pp 12-14

Forgiveness is Freedom Judin, pp 6-7

l s ’ u l f l r Falavo & F ood F rink age D ack P -17 6 1 pp

FREE

Our customers come first.

Now, more than ever.

New payment options for COVID-19 relief.

At Entergy Mississippi, we understand the immense impact the COVID-19 pandemic has had on our customers and communities. And we know that now, electricity is more important than ever. So for those struggling to make ends meet, we’ve developed new payment options to provide some relief during these uncertain times.

Our Enhanced Customer Assistance Plan provides flexible options to extend time to pay with payment arrangements. Any customer experiencing financial hardship is eligible to take up to 12 months to pay their current bill and/or unpaid balances.

For added convenience, new self-service options are available to select the extended payment arrangement that works for you. Visit entergymississippi.com/mypaymentoptions, or select Deferred Payment on the Entergy Mobile App, or call 1-800-ENTERGY and follow our automated response system billing and payment menu.

September 30 - October 13, 2020 • jfp.ms

entergymississippi.com/mypaymentoptions

A message from Entergy Mississippi, LLC ©2020 Entergy Services, LLC. All Rights Reserved.

2 015894 - EML Enhanced Customer Payment Option_ 9x11.25.indd 1

8/5/20 2:03 PM

contents

JACKSONIAN

September 30 - October 13, 2020 • Vol. 19 No. 3

ON THE COVER Elizabeth Bruening Photo by Acacia Clark

4 Editor’s Note 6 Talks 6 Opinion

W

hen Benjamin Luckett graduated from the University of Southern Mississippi in 2018, he returned to his hometown of Greenville, Miss. He soon realized, however, that he “wanted to explore the world a little bit,” and he began searching for jobs in other areas of the state.

This search eventually led him to the metro area, as he accepted a position as an admission counselor at Millsaps College last year, despite not having gone there as a student.

“I could attest to what it’s like walking around the campus at midnight at USM, but not at Millsaps,” Luckett says of his new position. “(But) I’ve gotten the feel of campus by working closely with faculty and students. It’s cliché to say, but I think I found a family here.”

For his position, Luckett draws on his experiences at both Mississippi schools to help students as they navigate their college searches.

“I get to talk about the differences between a large state school and a smaller private school. (Being an admissions counselor) is all about painting the picture for someone,” Luckett says.

His recruitment efforts are not limited to the Jackson area, as he also actively works to “paint that picture” and recruit students from the Mississippi Gulf Coast, the Mississippi Delta,

Jonathan Barnett connects residents with potential employers to help bridge the unemployment gap in the capital city.

12 Young Influentials 16 Fall Food & Drink

Benjamin Luckett

18 Events 19 Awareness

the Louisiana North Shore and New Orleans. His travels have allowed him to experience the woes of painful traffic and the joy of delightful food alike, he says.

Once, as he prepared for a college fair in New Orleans, Luckett heard the sounds of jazz music permeating into his hotel room from the street outside. “That night has probably been my favorite experience so far,” Luckett recalls.

As much as he loves the jazz influences of New Orleans, Luckett cites the Mississippi Delta as his favorite place to recruit students. “I left to see the world, but I love going back home. There’s a nostalgia and an almost-mysticalness to it now,” Luckett says.

When he isn’t regaling students with the merits of Millsaps, Luckett enjoys working out, comparing finding a gym to finding a college. “I go to the gym every day or every other day.

There’s no perfect place, but there’s a gym for everyone,” he says. Luckett, a runner, found his own best fit at Planet Fitness.

His passion for activity extends to the silver screen as well, as he cites “Fight Club” as his favorite movie.

For questions about Millsaps and the admissions process, email Luckett at benjamin.luckett@www.millsaps.edu.

—Taylor McKay Hathorn

20 The Learning Tree Meredith McGee organizes the book club to allow Mississippi readers to grow and explore various texts.

21 Spotlight: Meet Mike Freelance writer Mike McDonald dishes on his hobbies and how he became involved with the JFP.

22 Puzzle 22 Sorensen 23 astro 24 Classifieds

September 30 - October 13, 2020 • jfp.ms

courtesy Benjamin Luckett

8 Jobs for Jacksonians

3

editor’s note

by Donna Ladd, Editor-in-Chief

F

annie Lou Hamer didn’t know she had the right to vote until she was 44 years old. Born in Winona in 1917, she soon moved to Sunflower County with her family to work the E.W. Brandon plantation—she was in the fields helping earn a living at age 6. But she did manage to go to school through eighth grade.

She came up in a Mississippi where white leaders, including former Confederate generals immortalized as heroes, had worked diligently in the years before her birth to make sure that Black people could not enjoy the fruits of emancipation.

These white men—who have university buildings, public schools and whole damn Mississippi counties named after them—came together in 1890 to put vicious and totalitarian Jim Crow provisions into the state constitution that could block families like Mrs. Hamer’s from taking full part in democracy, especially by voting, and

September 30 - October 13, 2020 • jfp.ms

What’s old and abominable is new again.

4

to reverse any gains Black Mississippians had made during Reconstruction.

These men either participated in or supported the kinds of racial violence that would enforce their codification of racism into state law and helped erect Confederate statues and a state flag visible across the state to make sure nobody forgot who was boss.

That is, these white supremacists some still fetishize officially installed a fascist state for Black Mississippians in 1890 by codifying it into the state constitution. It wasn’t surprising, really, that a Black woman who was 44 in 1962 would not know she had the right to vote—because she didn’t have the ability to vote due to these laws and the violent mobs willing to enforce them.

Once she found out voting was her legal right that white people wouldn’t allow her to exercise, she was “pissed off about it,” as my partner Todd Stauffer phrased it so eloquently to me on a road trip in September to Ruleville. This is the town where she was living and sharecropping on W.D. Marlow’s plantation when she found a way to show that she was “sick and tired of being sick and tired,” to use her famous words.

By the end of 1962—I was 1 year old; this is not ancient history, folks—Hamer’s public life changed when civil-rights work-

ers arrived and found a woman who would soon lay her life on the line to help herself and her people exercise their right to vote and to full American democracy. Soon, she met up with Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee members at Williams Chapel Church in Ruleville and volunteered to try to register to vote.

The next day, 17 people, including Hamer, drove in a schoolbus to the Sunflower County Courthouse in Indianola to try to register on Aug. 31, 1962.

There, white men circled the courthouse to intimidate the would-be voters who were turned away from registering. A cop who pulled them over told them their bus was “too yellow” when asked why.

Inside the bus, many were afraid, but Mrs. Hamer started singing “This Little Light of Mine” to help calm them.

“I guess if I’d had any sense, I’d a been a little scared,” she said later. “But what was the point of being scared? The only thing the whites could do was kill me, and it seemed like they’d been trying to do that a little bit at a time since I could remember.”

By 1963, Mrs. Hamer was a SNCC field secretary. After attending a civil-rights training in Charleston, S.C., she was on a bus headed home when it stopped in her birth town of Winona at a café. Some activists were refused service. The police chief arrested them, as well as Hamer when she got off the bus to check on the situation.

In the Winona jail, officers gave loaded blackjacks to two Black prisoners and made them beat Mrs. Hamer almost to death as she lay face down on a bunk, with her dress pulled up over her head. She suffered permanent kidney damage and lost vision in one of her eyes due to the attack—which she would tell the nation about in detail a

Donna Ladd

As You Vote, Recall the Blackjacks Hitting Mrs. Hamer’s Back

Fannie Lou Hamer was not “radicalized” into claiming her own American rights until she was 44. Then, she got a lot done fast. Today, her statue looks over her tribute-filled burial site in Ruleville, Miss., surrounded by an active park.

speech at the 1964 Democratic National Convention in Atlantic City, N.J. By then, she was a delegate of the Mississippi Freedom Democratic Party, which Mississippi Dixiecrats would not allow to be seated.

Of course, a white jury later acquitted the officers who orchestrated her beating.

But by then, Mrs. Hamer had already been quietly brutalized in one of the most horrific ways imaginable back in 1961 in Sunflower County when she had gone to the hospital to have a small tumor removed.

While she was unconscious, a white doctor sterilized Mrs. to take away her and Pap’s reproductive choices.

She later called this act of eugenics her “Mississippi appendectomy,” which was horrifically common across the U.S. in much of the 20th century to keep Black people and “feeble-minded” whites from reproducing. Nazi Germany had adopted the U.S. practice as part of its eugenics pro-

contributors

Taylor Hathorn

Kayode Crown

Nate Schumann

Taylor McKay Hathorn is an alumna of Mississippi College’s English program and a student at Asbury Theological Seminary. She enjoys watching the sun set over the Mississippi River and tweeting @_youaremore_. She wrote Young Influentials blurbs, the Jacksonian and the arts story.

City Reporter Kayode Crown recently came to Mississippi from Nigeria where he earned a post-graduate diploma in Journalism and was a journalist for 10 years. He likes rock music and has fallen in love with the beautiful landscapes in Jackson. He wrote a talk for the issue.

Deputy Editor Nate Schumann loves consuming stories and engaging in various areas of “nerdom,” especially comic books and related media. He coordinated and wrote the Race for the Cure article and the barista Q&A for the issue. Send feature ideas to him at nate@jacksonfreepress.com.

gram that devolved into death chambers.

Todd and I were in Sunflower County, in fact, on that weekend retracing Mrs. Hamer’s steps because I had immediately thought of her sterilization upon recent news of ICE facilities sterilizing undocumented women without their permission.

What’s old and abominable is new again.

None of this inhumane treatment stopped Mrs. Hamer from working to build up her community and our state and help reverse systemic and structural racism that kept Black people from building wealth and white people being oppressors.

She and her husband “Pap” adopted two children, and the greater community was her family. Driving through Ruleville today, her influence is felt everywhere, and not just because her name is on so many signs. You must, in fact, visit her gravesite with her statue and adjacent to an active park. The memorial alone helps address a little of the vast inequity of so few memorials or naming tributes celebrating women in our state, especially Black women.

Before her 1977 death from breast cancer, Mrs. Hamer accomplished so much, but we all must know that her work is not done. As we approach Election Day teetering on the precipice of losing our democracy, think about those blackjacks striking this remarkable woman’s back; a doctor taking away her dominion over her own body and choices; and Mr. Marlow firing and evicting her because she wanted to finally vote. You have until Oct. 5 to register to vote now in Mississippi. Do it.

Donna and Todd’s “Driving History” video about Mrs. Hamer is on his Youtube channel and at jacksonfreepress.com/hamer.

visitjackson.com/safertravel

#SafelyExploreJXN #VisitMSResponsibly

September 30 - October 13, 2020 • jfp.ms

DISCOVER OUR

5

news,

cu l

storytelling & re, ir tu

“We always talked politics in my house. I know you can’t do that with everyone, but we were always told, ‘This is your right; this is your opinion, and you vote how you choose—as long as you vote.’”

TALK JXN

@jacksonfreepress

— Local voting advocate, and 2020 Young Influential, Calyn Stringfellow on her family instilling in her the importance of civic responsibility. See page 12

by Nick Judin

ce eren rev

ississippi Sen. Juan Barnett, DHeidelberg, was 20 when he buried his father. Willie James Barnett was a victim of murder, a crime that unfolded on Superbowl Sunday in 1990. Barnett would not learn of the tragedy until the following Wednesday; he was 7,000 miles away in Iraq, serving in the U.S. Army in the Gulf War. What followed was the longest flight of Barnett’s life, as he returned home to grieve with his mother and his three younger siblings.

“My mother lost a husband. My brothers and sister lost a father. (There was) the possibility of me having to return to my military obligations that I always promised my dad that I would do,” Barnett told the Jackson Free Press. His world changed in an instant. Then, he said, “I’m the head of my house.”

Barnett spoke tenderly of missed opportunities, of reminiscing with his siblings, of going hunting with his own children as he did with his father, wishing that their grandfather was there to watch them grow. Time has done little to soothe the pain of the loss.

Forgiveness has done more.

“Before I began to forgive the individual, I just found myself stuck in one place … stuck in anger and bitterness,” Barnett said. He wanted extreme punishment for criminals, regardless of the crime or the context. Then, he said, God changed his heart.

“I realized that the only way that I can start to heal from this is to forgive.”

Barnett found that forgiveness heals victims and perpetrators alike. That’s what inspired him to push for parole reform in his new position as chairman of the Senate Corrections Committee.

Reeves Vetoed Effort The centerpiece of that push is Senate Bill 2123, a bipartisan vehicle for reforms to Mississippi’s parole system.

SB 2123 would roll back the clock on Mississippi’s parole system, Senate Minority Leader Derrick Simmons,

AP Photo/Rogelio V. Solis

September 30 - October 13, 2020 • jfp.ms

@jxnfreepress

Forgiveness is Freedom: After Veto, Parole Reformers Fight On

M

6

@jxnfreepress

Sen. Juan Barnett, D-Heidelberg, chairman of the Senate Corrections Committee, was only 20 when his father was murdered. Over time, he exchanged hatred for forgiveness—a transformation that guides him as he pursues criminaljustice and parole reform in Mississippi. Forgiveness, he says, heals victims and perpetrators alike.

D-Greenville, explains.

“Prior to the 1990s, almost all Mississippi prisoners were eligible for parole after serving 25% of their sentences, or 10

years for sentences of 30 years to life,” he wrote in a February Meridian Star article.

That vanished in the 1990s era of punitive justice, when the nation’s mass

policies of incarceration exploded the national prison population to well over 1,200,000. The result is a state with the third highest incarceration rate

Mississippi Fresh Produce Availability Calendar get it while you can!

September October November December Muscadines Beans, Green Beans, Pole Beans, Butter

September October November December Potatoes, Sweet (All year)

Potatoes, Sweet (Harvest)

Pumpkins

Broccoli

Squash, White

Cabbage

Squash, Winter

Cauliflower

Squash, Yellow

Greens, Collard

Squash, Zucchini Chestnuts

Greens, Mustard Greens, Turnip Okra Peas, Southern

Honey (All year) Pecans (All year Pecans (Harvest) Source: http://www.mdac.state.ms.us/publications_and_forms/publications/pdf/mkt_produceguide.pdf

TALK JXN

Jasper County Sheriff Randy Johnson, president of the Mississippi Sheriffs’ Association, says his organization is open to supporting parole reform, but wants more funding for re-entry programs first.

71.5% gain parole. That’s not great odds in my mind. So, yes, it’s (only) an eligibility, but that’s a 71.5% release rate.”

“We talk about carrots and sticks, but (SB 2123) is all carrot and no stick.”

Victims, Kittrell said, “take peace in knowing when (offenders) plea to a charge they get X number of days.”

The prosecutor warned legislators that they would have to explain to their constituents why they allowed convicted inmates a chance to walk free.

Jasper County Sheriff Randy Johnson, president of the Mississippi Sheriffs’ Association said the organization hadn’t formally voted on the issue, but called opposition to SB2123 in its current form “pretty much unanimous” among Mississippi sheriffs.

But Johnson said his primary issue with SB 2123 was not an opposition to parole reform, but instead, a lack of funding and support for the state’s existing parole system. “We’re not against people having a second chance. We’re not against people getting out. We want them to have a good step forward when they do get out, instead of just opening the door.”

Johnson said even the present workload has overburdened the system, and that SB 2123 looks more palatable paired with more robust funding for re-entry programs. “I think we’d be a lot more supportive of it,” the sheriff said, though he

clarified that, in this, he was speaking for himself, not the entire MSA. Barnett is eager to support a stronger parole system, with more funding per inmate, but said the reduced jail population SB 2123 would lead to is key to providing that money. “The money (we save) is going to be put back into those programs,” the senator explained.

Anti-recidivism programs already available to incarcerated Mississippians are underused, Barnett said, because the state’s harsh parole restrictions remove the incentive to improve. “If there was an opportunity for you to one day become a parolee … you’ll start taking advantage of those things. You’ll change your behavior.

Why? Because one day you might be able to get out of there,” he said.

An Incentive to Reform Brett Tolman, former U.S. Attorney for the District of Utah, makes the case for parole eligibility and diversion programs as the best opportunities to curb recidivism and encourage good behavior, citing programs from elsewhere in the United States as proof.

At the same September hearing, Tolman cited recidivism-reduction incentives in Texas that reduced sentences for inmates who completed training and education programs aimed at preventing criminal re-offending. The initiative paired active rehabilitation with a steady climb toward parole, and Tolman explained that the results were astounding.

“What they saw was phenomenal numbers—individuals who were willing to work on themselves and not just get through their time,” Tolman said to the gathering of legislators.

“I studied a situation in St. Louis where police officers and prosecutors got together, tired of arresting the same people, dealing drugs on the same corners,” Tolman added. “What they did was novel, and I think it illustrates the power of incentivizing. They would watch a drug dealer, who they would investigate. They would take their picture, gather evidence and put together an actual draft of the charging document.”

Then, Tolman said, the police would bring in both the suspect and their family, show them the charges that they were prepared to file and offer them one last chance.

“If you will do—and they’d have a list of things that would contribute to their community, their family and others—if you will do those things, they would hold that prosecution in a file and not pursue

it. It was almost universal that (the suspects) would start to bust their tail. ...

The same sort of incentives can be given to those who have, up until this point, really been warehoused in this country,” Tolman told those assembled.

‘Freedom in Forgiveness’ Barnett is convinced that SB 2123 is just, telling the Jackson Free Press that he would continue to fight for the cause of meaningful criminal-justice reform. The senator said that a veto override was not off the table, but that the present goal was negotiating with the Sheriffs’ Association and Prosecutors Association to ameliorate the concerns that led to Reeves’ veto.

“There’s been a collective effort from both chambers and across both parties,” Barnett said. “This is a bipartisan-supported bill. Probably two-thirds of the (entire Legislature) agreed that this was a good piece of legislation.”

Johnson says the Mississippi Sheriffs’ Association continues to negotiate with legislators seeking reform. “People think the sheriffs are just about ‘(lock ‘em up and) throw away the key,’ and it’s not true.” But for now, more is needed for either the consent of the state’s law enforcement organizations or broader legislative support for a new bill, one that would need to arrive in the 2021 session.

Barnett intends to continue preaching the virtues of rehabilitation, and to legislate with it in mind. “That’s what individuals need to understand,” he said.

“There is freedom in forgiveness.”

Email state reporter Nick Judin at nick@jacksonfreepress.com.

MOST VIRAL STORIES AT JFP.MS: 1. “Southern Evangelical: Trump ‘Fits the Scriptural Definition of a Fool’” by Fred Rand 2. “South Jackson Kroger Closure Causes Alarm” by Dustin Cardon, R.L. Nave 3. “Central Mississippi Hospitals At Capacity, School Openings Planned Amid Growing Crisis” by Nick Judin 4. “Repaving ‘One of the Worst Streets’ in Jackson—Ellis Avenue—with Capitol Street Ahead” by Kayode Crown 5. “Mississippi Outs Legal Immigrants on Drivers’ Licenses”

by Arielle Dreher

September 30 - October 13, 2020 • jfp.ms

‘All Carrot, No Stick’ On July 8, Gov. Tate Reeves vetoed SB 2123, throwing the bipartisan push for criminal-justice reform, just months after an epidemic of violence struck Mississippi prisons, into doubt. The governor outlined his fears in a Facebook post.

“Right now, you’re eligible to get out of prison at 60 unless you’re a trafficker, habitual offender, or violent criminal.

This totally eliminates those protections.

I got countless calls from law enforcement and prosecutors about the risk it creates,” Reeves wrote.

The next day, this reporter asked Reeves at his daily press briefing if he trusted the parole board—a body the governor himself appoints—to exercise caution in who it allowed the opportunity of parole. Reeves said he trusted the present board, but added that “I have a maximum of seven years and five months left, serving as governor. And I have no idea who is going to be the next governor.”

That is, the governor doubts the integrity of appointees yet to come.

At a Sept. 16 Judiciary B Committee hearing, Hal Kittrell, co-chairman

of the Mississippi Prosecutors Association’s legislative committee, went further than Reeves in challenging the deterrent of the parole board. “Granting of parole is 71.5%,” Kittrell said. “They’re letting COURTESY JASPER COUNTY SHERIFF RANDY JOHNSON

in the nation, at 626 per 100,000 in 2018, well above the rate for any country on earth. SB 2123 would revert those parole restrictions, allowing the state parole board to consider shortening the incarceration of thousands of Mississippi prisoners.

Specifically, the bill would extend parole eligibility to nonviolent offenders after they serve 25% of their sentence.

Violent offenders sentenced between June 30, 1995, and July 1, 2014 would be parole-eligible after 20 years served of 50% of their sentence, whichever is less.

Violent offenders sentenced July 1, 2014 or after would be parole-eligible after 30 years or 50% of their sentence, whichever is less.

Critically, the bill extends only the eligibility for parole. All incarcerated Mississippians seeking early release from prison must be granted the opportunity by the state parole board. Additionally, the bill specifically excludes habitual offenders—defined in Mississippi law as individuals convicted of three separate felonies “arising out of separate events”— sex offenders, and anyone explicitly sentenced without possibility of parole.

SB 2123 reached the governor’s desk in early July, after a lengthy period of conferencing between the two chambers. The final bill passed the House 78-29, and the Senate 25-17.

7

TALK JXN

city

Bridging The Unemployment Gap, One Jacksonian At A Time

by Kayode Crown

8

and developmental disabilities.

The weekly job recruitment session on Sept. 15 featured AutoZone, an autoparts seller with headquarters in Memphis and five offices in Jackson.

“For the past few weeks, local recruiters for AutoZone have hired dozens of individuals through Jobs for Jacksonians,” the mayor’s Public Information Officer Meagan Gosa said in a release on the event. “In addition to this, the company is seeking to hire 80 more people throughout the Jackson area.”

“Jobs for Jacksonians is an initiative created to provide accessible information to employment opportunities for Jackson residents,” she said. “For job seekers, this program offers an array of services and training opportunities to assist them.”

Barnett is happy with his collaboration with AutoZone, as with other companies, describing the Sept. 15 event as an employment successes for dozens.

“As a matter of fact, AutoZone is getting ready to open up a new hub right on 1-55, north Jackson,” he said. “We have helped secure between 30 to 40 jobs in a month for those guys there, and we are very proud of that. They are going to have their official opening in about a month.”

Workforce Development

Barnett describes what he does as a workforce and economic development initiative, leveraging partnerships with the business community to bridge the employment gap.

In January 2020, Jackson’s unemployment rate at 5% was lower than the state average of 5.3%. The economic shutdown due to the coronavirus pandemic regrettably led to a spike in unemployment, severely hitting the capital city.

Jackson’s unemployment rate now stands at 13.7%, which is well above the 9.7% for the state.

Barnett wants to have job fairs lined up through the end of the year. He says companies contact him to help them get the people they need to fit into their different positions.

“Services that we do provide for individuals are résumé writing, interview preparation, job search navigation, online job search and application, contact

referral,” he said. “I have a lot of contacts with (human resources) managers and directors of different businesses.”

He touts his ability to get the applicants to meet directly with different companies’ human-resource managers.

“I put people in places and positions

“At the end of the day, if we help our citizens of Jackson get employment, good healthy employment, it is helpful for the city at large. It is one person less (depending on government) benefits, that is one person getting a 401k plan,” Barnett explained. “That’s how we roll right there. courtesy Jonathan Barnett

September 30 - October 13, 2020 • jfp.ms

J

onathan Barnett is the pioneer and the only coordinator to date of Jobs for Jacksonians, the City of Jackson’s program to connect the citizens with employment opportunities.

After Barnett’s first eight years in the job and successfully helping thousands of people transition from unemployment to gainful employment, in March, he had to change the way he operates after the World Health Organization declared the COVID-19 a pandemic.

Barnett usually brings together about 100 companies for a yearly job fair. For example, on Sept. 30, 2015, at the Metrocenter Mall on Highway 80, more than 100 companies and organizations participated in the Jobs for Jacksonians fair.

The pandemic forced him to innovate. Rather than bring a mass of people to a place to meet numerous potential employers, he now targets hosting a company a week in what he calls recruiting sessions held at the Jackson Police Department Training Academy at 3000 Saint Charles St. The location satisfies the social distancing needed in the COVID-19 era.

“As a matter of fact, when it (pandemic) first hit the fan, earlier this year within the month of March and April, it was definitely an adjustment period,” Barnett told the Jackson Free Press. “And once we got the (Centers for Disease Control) guidelines on how to ensure public safety, we knew how to roll the dice, so to speak.”

“Now, every week, we do have a company that participates with our program because, number one, they want to participate because they have job openings,” he added. “So we are in the position where we utilize the training academy where we have an ample amount of space.”

Not more than 10 people, with temperature taken, are allowed at once into the training center.

“We have hand sanitizers, face masks, all of those things that we are required by the CDC guidelines,” he said. “We adhere to those policies very strictly.”

On Sept. 9, Hudspeth Regional Center held a recruiting section with Jobs for Jacksonians for those who want to become direct care professionals. The center, in Pearl, Miss., is one of the state’s facilities for individuals with intellectual

Jobs for Jacksonians Coordinator Jonathan Barnett has helped 3,000 people get jobs through the program. Now he has pivoted during the pandemic.

where they can meet managers face-toface,” Barnett said. “We are in a lot of situations where human resources managers (can’t) meet applicants because they are (busy). So I am able to (get) in a position where I can be a liaison for the job seeker to the decision-makers.”

He does his work so well that the human-resources managers he deals with wonders if he is earning extra.

“A lot of HR managers, once I exceed their expectations, they ask me, ‘do you make extra money from this?’ I say, ‘no, I am paid by the taxpayers of the City of Jackson,’” Barnett said.

He enjoys the freedom of doing the job as a service to the people.

“Our hands aren’t tied, for example, by those kinds of (money) conversations, so it’s pretty much very cut and dry,” he said. “If I have to bring people to (different industries like) Continental Tires, that is a win-win for everybody.”

Every week our goal is to have one premier company.”

From Prison to Public Works

New Way Mississippi, a nonprofit founded in 1998 focused on providing re-entry services to the formerly incarcerated, started working on job placement with Jobs for Jacksonians this year. They now have eight people who have successfully transitioned to working for the City’s Department of Public Works.

Larry Perry, the ministry’s president, expressed delight at helping the ex-offenders be gainfully employed.

“I am proud to have that partnership, and it really makes me feel good about the clients and that they have been afforded the opportunity to be successful,” Perry said in a phone interview.

Though 95% of those they serve, through their relationship with the Mississippi Department of Corrections,

TALK JXN

JOBS know what they are getting themselves into. In other words, we’ve been more—I will dare use the words—surgical and strategic in identifying job openings.”

‘Surgical and Strategic’

The Jobs for Jacksonians coordinator said that with the strategy of hosting one company at a time this year, applicants would have a clear understanding of why they are there.

“What that means is, for example, we have AutoZone, Yates Services, Brown Bottling Group,” he said. “When the public knows about that one company, they

New Way Mississippi President/CEO Larry Perry is delighted with the partnership of Jobs for Jacksonians in its re-entry program for exoffenders.

courtesy Larry Perry

are ex-prisoners, others are the homeless, recovering addicts and alcoholics. The ministry’s office is at 6510 Cole Road in Ridgeland.

“When they have men and women that are being released and don’t have anywhere to go to call home, what we do is we give them the benefit of transitional housing for up to six months,” Perry said.

“But the whole objective is to make sure that we give the ex-offender the opportunity to have the full service that they need in order to be successful and not go back to the prison system. They can reconnect with their family and be productive citizens in our community.”

“I am just proud of that opportunity and the partnership with the mayor and the City of Jackson,” Perry added.

“I think it’s going to go great places as we continue to build that relationship. I am excited about it.”

Plans include hosting Brown Bottling Group, the Ridgeland-based Pepsi Cola and Dr. Pepper Beverages distributor, on Sept. 30 at the Jackson Police Department, and Ingalls Shipbuilding, a shipyard

located in Pascagoula, in October.

“On Wednesday, October 7, we will be having a virtual job fair—this is something new that we are doing here too— with Ingalls Shipbuilding off the coast,” he added. “They are one of the largest employers in the state of Mississippi.”

A few months ago, the organization hosted a job fair for the City’s Parks and Recreation department to fill job openings. Isaiah Golden, 32, was a participant who benefited from the event.

Golden, who holds an associate degree from Hinds Community College, described the experience with Jobs for Jacksonians as great for him. He started working for the City government last month as a golf-course attendant.

“I went to one of the job fairs they had, and I filled out the application,” he said. “(What I make now) is more than what I was making in my last job.”

Job Opportunities

Barnett says the people he helps get job ranges from those with GED to Ph.D., and from entry-level jobs to managerial level, with varying skills.

“The spectrum is across the board on what I service to the private sector,” he said. “For example, it does not matter if it is one of the largest companies in the state—like I help companies with their

In Vol. 19 issue 1, a paragraph suggested that adjectives, adverbs, grammar and syntax are unnecessary within American Sign Language. This statement was incorrect, and the paragraph in question has since been corrected. The Jackson Free Press apologizes to practitioners of ASL and other readers who may have been offended by the mistake. Additionally, on page 9 of the previous JFP issue, Bill Bynum’s name was mistakenly listed in a photo caption as “Bill Byrum.”

We apologize for the errors.

workforce development needs all the way from Ingalls Shipbuilding to a mom-andpop store in west Jackson.”

He said that different companies offer different pay scales for the various openings they want to fill.

“Like in AutoZone, they have managerial positions; they have delivery driver positions, they have sales positions,” Barnett said. “Like with Yates Services, that’s pretty much assembly line work, (but) also managerial works.”

“It depends on if the person has the particular certification to do more of a technical kind of work,” he added.

“It could be that someone can get paid $12 an hour or over $20 an hour. It just depends on the job title (or) position, and the amount of skill set that person may acquire or possess, and the work experience that the person may have.

“This is one of the premier workforce development programs that we gave here in Mississippi—Jobs for Jacksonians.”

Email story tips to city/county reporter Kayode Crown at kayode@jacksonfreepress.com.

Follow him on Twitter at @kayodecrown.

Deploy Dark Fibers To Meet Broadband Need, Policy Makers Say in Zoom Call

Rep. Debra Gibbs, D-Jackson, organized a virtual town hall via Zoom to spotlight the serious problem of internet access.

Karriem, D-Columbus, in the last legislative session.

“We allocated $50 million for the school districts, to contract, to go out on their own. The Legislature said these districts know more what their needs are, what is available in their area as far as

broadband access for these students and these schools to be able to access broadband,” Bounds explained.

He projected that Mississippi will follow other states’ examples by setting up a broadband grant program while noting that broadband expansion is both expensive and time-consuming.

“We will be examining and looking, this coming session, closely at a statesponsored broadband grant program,” Bounds said. “Alabama has done a program very successfully, Tennessee has done it, where the money is put into a fund and is defined that it’s got to go to the unserved areas first. Companies will apply for these dollars.”

Bounds said the Legislature could decide to allow leasing of fiber to a company like AT&T, Comcast or C Spire. “(But) there are some nuances that’s got to be worked out on that,” he added.

Follow @kayodecrown on Twitter.

September 30 - October 13, 2020 • jfp.ms

Scott Bounds, a Neshoba County Republican and the chairman of the House Committee on Public Utilities, also emphasized the importance of internet service. “There is nothing that is on the mind of people, especially people in the rural areas, as broadband access,” he said. “This day and time, broadband is almost as critical as electricity.”

“You just hardly can function in a household without (it), especially if you have kids, especially with the situation that pandemic has created where we are having to do distance learning, where we are having to do virtual learning, where we have to work from home,” Bounds added. “The need for rural broadband access has definitely been highlighted by the pandemic.”

Scott said the Legislature passed House Bill 1788—Mississippi Pandemic Response Broadband Availability Act— which he co-sponsored with Rep. Kabir

Imani Khayyam

D

eploying unused fiber optics already in the ground may bridge the digital divide in Mississippi, guests at a virtual town hall organized by Rep. Debra Gibbs, D-Jackson, said. The state legislator said she organized the event to proffer solutions to internet access problems because they affect the state’s progress. “We are working to ensure that our children and families have access to reliable service as it relates to the internet,” she said.

“The pandemic was not something that we made, but it did put a light on the fact that we have people in our state, in our district that do not have access to the internet,” Gibbs added. “So as policymakers, I know we are going to continue to do our part. Hopefully, we are going to get internet service providers to work with us with viable solutions so that our (constituents) don’t feel like we are just talking in that regard.”

wby Kayode Crown

9

Rev. DR. MaRie DeYoung

T

o my surprise, former Gov. Phil Bryant is boldly making false claims about Initiative 65, on the ballot in November to legalize medical marijuana in Mississippi if it passes. I must refute Governor Phil’s ill-advised campaign to stop the sale of medical marijuana in Mississippi with these points.

First, Governor Phil falsely claimed that Initiative 65 would not bring needed revenues to the state’s coffers. Initiative 65 plainly states that medical marijuana will be taxed—7% sales tax for every cookie, gumdrop, brownie, essential oil that is sold.

Additional tax revenues will be collected in the form of licensing fees and for medicalmarijuana ID cards.

Apparently, there are states that do have additional marijuana taxes, the way Mississippi taxes alcohol. If I’ve learned anything about state legislatures, it is that they love to slap taxes on things like alcohol ($8.16 per gallon of liquor in the state of Mississippi). Although alcoholic beverages have no medicinal or nutritional value, consumers gladly pay this huge tax on their favorite purely recreational drug.

Once our Legislature sees first-hand how recession-proof medical marijuana is, they will tax it to heaven, and Mississippi’s coffers will flow with cash to build better

September 30 - October 13, 2020 • jfp.ms

Medicinal marijuana is a threat to the price-gouging Big Pharma.

10

infrastructure. And no one will complain, because the positive medical effects of marijuana are too immediate to contemplate tax avoidance.

Governor Phil’s second assertion makes no sense to the most casual observer.

He claims that the medical-marijuana industry will leave the State of Mississippi to clean up its mess. What mess?

In all my years of active ministry, teaching and serving troops in the military, I never, ever encountered a person whose life was destroyed by medical marijuana. I wish I could say the same about those who self-medicate with alcohol and tobacco.

Governor Phil contradicted his own health officials when he claimed that Big Tobacco and Big Alcohol pay for the messes their products make. This is not the truth.

The CDC reports that “In Mississippi,

Photo by Sharon Mccutcheon on unSPlaSh

The Case for Medicinal Marijuana in Mississippi

Editor-in-Chief and CEO Donna Ladd Publisher & President Todd Stauffer Associate Publisher Kimberly Griffin Creative Director Kristin Brenemen REPORTERS AND WRITERS City Reporter Kayode Crown State Reporter Nick Judin State Intern Julian Mills Contributing Writers Dustin Cardon, Bryan Flynn, Alex Forbes, Jenna Gibson, Tunga Otis Torsheta Jackson, Mike McDonald, Anne B. Mckee, EDITORS AND OPERATIONS Deputy Editor Nate Schumann JFPDaily.com Editor Dustin Cardon Executive Assistant Azia Wiggins Editorial Assistant Shaye Smith Consulting Editor JoAnne Prichard Morris ART AND PHOTOGRAPHY Senior Designer Zilpha Young Contributing Photographers Seyma Bayram, Acacia Clark, Nick Judin, Imani Khayyam, Ashton Pittman, Brandon Smith

Dried marijuana leaf is one form of its medicinal use for pain management, depression, anxiety and PTSD. Mississippi voters could legalize it soon.

excessive alcohol use costs $2.1 billion, or $1.93 per drink.” Despite this net cost to our community, the State of Mississippi literally runs the alcohol-distribution system.

The former governor is blaming marijuana for “messes” that are caused, in fact, by tobacco and alcohol!

Of the three recreational drugs Governor Phil cites, marijuana is the only one that has solidly demonstrated its medicinal value in study after study. Good people have convinced me that medical marijuana helped them deal with nausea during cancer treatments; chronic pain; spasticity due to multiple sclerosis; arthritis; inflammation due to Lupus and other autoimmune illnesses; post-traumatic stress disorder; anxiety, and other chronic conditions.

There is no question that medicinal marijuana is a threat to the price-gouging Big Pharma that destroys the financial security of most who live with chronic disease.

That, friends, is the real reason Governor Phil opposes medical marijuana. Just peruse his campaign donor lists, and you find contributions from AstraZeneca, Eli Lilly and Company, Pfizer Inc. and Merck pharmaceutical companies.

Big Pharma—including the companies who support Bryant—gave us the opioid crisis. During Governor Phil’s tenure, opioid deaths increased, and the strength of the opioid prescriptions increased.

If medicinal marijuana had been legal when Big Pharma was pushing Oxycontin and Hydrocodone, you and I would still be having conversations with loved ones, students and friends who needlessly overdosed from prescribed pain medications.

I am 66 years old. I’ve walked many

paths in life. I’ve seen neighborhoods and families destroyed by opioid addiction. But I have never seen a single life destroyed by medical marijuana. Quite the contrary.

The Veterans of Foreign Wars advocate for medical marijuana to treat traumatic brain injury, PTSD, cancer, chronic pain (every grunt soldier lives with that for the rest of their lives—ask me how I know).

The American Legion goes further in their endorsement by advocating for approval of medical marijuana. The American Legion also advocates for removal of marijuana from the list of Schedule I drugs and for reclassification of marijuana as a drug with medical benefits.

As a proud U.S. Army veteran and as a member of both organizations, I concur.

Mississippi, it is time to vote for Initiative 65. It is time to legalize medical marijuana and make it affordable, safe and free from the stigma that Gov. Phil Bryant so wrongly attaches to this medicine that has healed humans for thousands of years.

So, I appeal to you: if you have a loved one who would benefit from medical marijuana as they battle cancer, autoimmune diseases, brain trauma, war trauma, etc., please support Initiative 65.

Maybe you cannot express your support out loud. Your quiet vote on Nov. 3, however, will make the difference.

Mississippi is moving forward. Legalizing medical marijuana can only help us to have a healthier medical and financial future together.

Rev. Dr. Marie deYoung is a retired minister with the Gulf Coast UU Fellowship.

This column does not necessarily reflect the views of the JFP.

ONLINE & DIGITAL SERVICES Digital Web Developer Ryan Jones Web Editor Dustin Cardon Social Media Assistant Robin Johnson Web Designer Montroe Headd Let’s Talk Jackson Editor Kourtney Moncure SALES AND MARKETING (601-362-6121 x11) Marketing Writer Andrea Dilworth Marketing Consultant Mary Kozielski Advertising Designer Zilpha Young Events Assistant Leslyn Smith DISTRIBUTION Distribution Coordinator Ken Steere Distribution Team Yvonne Champion, Ruby Parks, Eddie Williams TALK TO 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 Jackson Free Press 125 South Congress Street, Suite 1324 Jackson, Mississippi 39201 Editorial and 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 news magazine, reaching more than 35,000 readers per issue via more than 600 distribution locations in the Jackson metro area—and an average of over 35,000 visitors per week at www. jacksonfreepress.com. The Jackson Free Press is free for pick-up by readers; one copy per person, please.

First-class subscriptions are available to “gold level” and higher members of the JFP VIP Club (jfp.ms/ vip). The views expressed in this magazine and at jacksonfreepress.com are not necessarily those of the publisher or management of Jackson Free Press Inc. © Copyright 2020 Jackson Free Press Inc.

Email letters and opinion to letters@jacksonfreepress.com, fax to 601-510-9019 or mail to 125 South Congress St., Suite 1324, Jackson, Mississippi 39201. Include daytime phone number. Letters may be edited for length and clarity, as well as factchecked.

Sometimes Join us for only BBQ Valentine’s Day will do. because nothing says love like BBQ

Trust usnow We are

offering curbside pick up or to go orders.

Order online or give us a call.

F��� �i����t� �� ��u����.

Refresh yourself in Natchez. Dinner, cocktails, and a stroll in our go-cup district. A walk in any direction and discover your new happy place . Rest assured, we’re keeping that space clean.

Get the latest safe travel information at VisitNatchez.org/Responsibly.

Or vice versa.

visitnatchez.org #VisITMSResponsibly

Mon. - Sat., 10 a.m. - 9 p.m.

Maywood Mart Shopping Center & /PSUITJEF %S t www.mcdadeswineandspirits.com Please Drink Responsibly

September 30 - October 13, 2020 • jfp.ms

Now Available

11

YOUNG INFLUENTIALS 2020 Time and time again, members of the under-40 group in Jackson demonstrate just how successful Mississippians can be with a little ambition, creativity and perseverance. Take a look at this year’s Young Influentials crew.

Calyn Stringfellow

John Lassiter

Analyse Mullican

September 30 - October 13, 2020 • jfp.ms

Helping hand

12

Analyse Mullican never imagined that she would be a notary public. The Mississippi College graduate completed a degree in homeland security in May 2019 before going on to law school. However, after her first semester, Mullican realized that path was not for her. She started work as a paralegal at Danks, Miller & Cory in March shortly before the statewide quarantine descended.

Identifying as a helper by nature, Mullican finds satisfaction in helping clients in her current role.

“A lot of my identity is really tied into trying to be a resource,” she says. “That’s what drives me more than anything.”

This personal policy led Mullican

to offer her services as a notary for Hinds County absentee ballots for free, which she announced on her Instagram story in late August.

During the last presidential election, Mullican was a freshman in college, so she applied to send a ballot back to her hometown of Pearl.

“I felt like I was running around like a chicken with its head cut off,” she recalls, noting that she found the absentee ballot process “overwhelming” with everything else she was juggling at school.

“I’ve always had this weird, ingrained passion for the betterment of the people here,” Mullican says, citing that

John Lassiter, 39, recalls being a student at Mississippi College when Mississippi held a referendum to replace the state flag in 2001. He says he felt disheartened when the vote passed against changing it. “I became pretty frustrated by that,” he says.

Lassiter graduated with bachelor’s degrees in English and history and became an attorney. A lifelong Mississippian and lifelong fan of college baseball, Lassiter has worked at Burr & Forman for 14 years and is presently a partner with the firm.

In December 2019, the state flag still loomed in Lassiter’s mind. Noticing a correlation between the controversial emblem on the state flag and young people leaving the state, he concluded that Mississippi needed a symbol for all its citizens, so he made a cold call to the NCAA. The threat of losing college baseball regionals over the state flag, Lassiter reasoned, “would really cause an economic and social impact that would be felt by the lawmakers,” Lassiter says.

From January to June, Lassiter worked with the NCAA to expand its 2001 policy that banned championships and tournaments in states that fly the Confederate flag.

“We were calling it Operation Flag-Drop,” he says with a laugh.

He drafted a statement, and 31 current and former student athletes, including Lindsey Hunter, signed it. In May and June, the social consciousness catalyzed by the death of George Floyd and many others revived the effort to get the Mississippi Legislature to bring the flag down. Gov. Tate Reeves signed the bill on June 30.

Lassiter says he is thrilled to have joined the multitudes working to change the flag. “(That day was) one of the most fulfilling days of my life and career, because it was just an idea. … The state flag to me was a very simple issue. It had to come down,” he says.

—Kyle Hamrick

courtesy John Lassiter

When Calyn Stringfellow turned 18, she drove herself to the Hinds County Courthouse to register to vote.

“I knew it was something I had to do,” Stringfellow says. “My grandmother worked in voter registration in Jackson in the ’70s and ’80s, and (voting) was embedded in me as a child.”

Her grandmother, Elizabeth Moore, was not the only member of her family to emphasize the importance of politics and civic responsibility.

“We always talked politics in my house,” Stringfellow says of her upbringing.

“I know you can’t do that with everyone, but we were always told, ‘This is your right; this is your opinion, and you vote how you

choose—as long as you vote.’”

She participated in her first local election the fall following her July birthday, and she heeded her parents’ advice at the federal level for the first time during the ObamaRomney election of 2012.

“I knew if I didn’t vote, I would have had to come home and deal with my grandmother,” Stringfellow quips.

The youngest of Moore’s 36 grandchildren, Stringfellow kept the activist’s legacy alive by organizing a voter-registration drive earlier this year, at which she registered 10 people to vote.

“I was beating myself up about the low number,” the Jackson State University graduate recalls. “But I had people who helped me realize that even one person counted.”

With millennials surpassing baby boomers as the largest eligible voting bloc in the country, Stringfellow considers every vote from the younger generation to bear significance, she says.

“I feel that if we all voted, the change would be so phenomenal. It would be bigger than what one could even fathom. We could implement so much change if we voted on what mattered to us,” the 25-yearold concludes.

—Taylor McKay Hathorn

agent of change

courtesy Analyse Mullican

courtesy Calyn Stringfellow

Voting advocate

mindset as the reason why she wants to help college students and others in the Hinds County area complete their absentee ballots. Because she understands how unfamiliar and stressful the process can be, Mullican wants to do what she can to

guide those she assists.

“I’m just here to help,” she concludes. To get in touch with Mullican for help notarizing absentee ballots, email analysemullican@gmail.com.

—Kyle Hamrick

Jennifer Welch

home provider

In the eight years since her 2012 graduation from the Mississippi University for Women, Symone Bounds has served four years— half her time as an alumna—on the university’s alumni board.

“You’re a board member for three years,” she explains. “Then you rotate off but can still chair a committee.” During her three years on the board, Bounds worked in membership recruitment, helping with events aimed at inspiring inactive members of the alumni association to become active by donating or attending the events.

Bounds also used the degree in paralegal studies she earned from the university to work for diversity and inclusion.

“We look into the bylaws of the alumni association to be sure that there is inclusive language within those documents,” Bounds says, also noting that the task force hosted webinars and roundtable discussions for interested alumni.

Since her service on the board is now complete, Bounds chairs the mentoring committee. “Once you graduate (from MUW), we say that you join the ‘long blue line,’” she says. To ease the transition of juniors and seniors at the Columbus, Miss., college to graduate school or to the workforce, Bounds and her team work to ensure that students make contact with alumni who can advise them in respect to their goals.

“We host BLUE (Building Leadership, Understanding and Education), and we even fix the seating arrangements, putting alumni and students in similar fields together in order to foster conversations,” she says.

Connecting people is nothing new for Bounds, who is currently the office manager for Volunteer Mississippi. The 30-year-old works to recognize volunteers who do good work in the Magnolia State and also implements statewide events so that eager Mississippians have an opportunity to get involved in supporting their home state.

—Taylor McKay Hathorn

“I do believe in karma,” Jennifer Welch says, “and I definitely think that what you put out is what is returned to you.”

Inheriting this philosophy from her grandmother, who is Buddhist, and her father, who taught her to “leave places more beautiful than you found them,” Welch demonstrates these values through her work as the owner of Belhaven Residential, which works to renovate Class C properties into high-quality residences for the people in the city she loves.

A Jacksonian born and raised as one of nine children, Welch received encouragement from her father to enter college with a specific vision in mind. After initially attending Sweet Briar College to study medicine, Welch then transferred to Millsaps College to “try things in business.”

After reading Robert Kiyosaki’s “Rich Dad, Poor Dad,” Welch decided to pursue real estate and property development through an unpaid internship with Waddell Nejam at Nejam Properties. Two months later, she accepted a full-time position with his company.

In 2007, Welch bought her first property; now she owns close to 200 apartments and houses. Through Belhaven Residential, Welch provides quality multifamily units and houses to the Belhaven Heights community.

Over the past 15 years, she has seen her renovating touch and intentional management have “a very stabilizing effect on Belhaven Heights.” In a city with so much need, Welch says she sees so much potential.

“I want to work toward making this area better for everyone,” she says. “What I really like about my neighborhood, what I really love about Jackson, is that it is very diverse. That makes Jackson great, and I want that to be embraced.”

—Kyle Hamrick

Gil Ford Photography

courtesy Symone Bounds

Symone Bounds

adviser & guide

September 30 - October 13, 2020 • jfp.ms

A man of many passions, Timothy Young works as an artist and graphic designer who distributes his talents into a variety of causes to benefit his community.

From coordinating music videos as the creative director for WOLFPACK and the rapper DevMaccc, to creating graphics and communication content for Mississippi Votes, Young works to give back to the city he loves.

“I try to keep the community behind me, and they have pushed me to be able to produce so much good for myself as an artist and for the work I do in the community,” the 22-year-old Jacksonian says.

Young traces his creativity back to the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. Living for days without power and limited resources, he found enjoyment and solace in an art set. “Since then I have just been engulfed in art and being able to create, create, create,” he says.

His pension for design began with a class T-shirt for his middle-school graduation and has continued to develop since then. Pursuing a bachelor’s degree in marketing at Jackson State University has taught him how to network and promote himself and his talents.

In June, Young and 14 other students coordinated a peaceful protest for Black Lives Matter Mississippi that attracted over 3,000 people downtown, after only five days of preparation.

“We all wanted to do something for our community,” Young recalls. “We were never doing it for publicity, but because it was a necessity. It was amazing to see how wide we were able to cast our net. You are not ever sure of your power, unless you set your mind to do something.”

—Kyle Hamrick

courtesy Timothy Young

Timothy Young

Creative designer

13

YOUNG INFLUENTIALS 2020

José Garcia

Prepare for power outages with a Generac home standby generator

courtesy José Garcia

EntrEprEnEur

SCHEDULE YOUR FREE IN�HOME ASSESSMENT TODAY!

601�519�4509

FREE

7-Year Extended Warranty* A $695 Value!

Offer valid March 16, 2020 � Sept 6, 2020

Special Financing Available Subject to Credit Approval

*Terms & Conditions Apply

Your home is only as smart as your Internet.

40

September 30 - October 13, 2020 • jfp.ms

AT&T Internet

14

$

/mo.

when bundled, plus taxes & equip. fee.

12 mo agmt, other qualifying service (min $19/mo) & combined bill req’d. $10/mo equip. fee applies.

Incl 1TB data/mo. $10 chrg for each add’l 50GB (up to $100/mo).†

Cut cable internet and switch to AT&T Internet. Call now!

• Plans up to 100 Mbps.‡ • Free Smart Home Manager App1 with Parental Controls.2 • The bandwidth to power multiple devices at once.

Number of devices depends on screen size/resolution.

• Get a seamless whole-home Wi-Fi experience with AT&T Smart Wi-Fi.3 Limited availability. May not be available in your area.

Call to see if you qualify.

Iv Support Holdings LLC

601-519-4297

Geographic and service restrictions apply to AT&T Internet services. Not all speeds available in all areas. Call to see if you qualify. $40 INTERNET OFFER: Price for Internet (768k - 100) for new residential customers when bundled with another qualifying AT&T service (DIRECTV, U-verse TV, AT&T TV or AT&T Phone or postpaid AT&T wireless). Prorated ETF ($180) applies if Internet is disconnected before end of 12 months. Must maintain all bundled services to receive advertised pricing. Additional Fees & Taxes: Excludes cost-recovery charges, where applicable and $10/mo equipment fee. Activ/Installation: $35 activation fee (self-install) or $99 installation (full tech install) may apply. Credit restrictions apply. Pricing subject to change. Subj. to Internet Terms of Service at att.com/internet-terms. †Unlimited data allowance may also be purchased separately for an add’l $30/mo., or maintain a bundle of TV & Internet on a combined bill and receive unlimited internet data at no add’l charge. For more info, go to att.com/internet-usage.‡ Internet speed claims represent maximum network service capability speeds. Actual customer speeds are not guaranteed and may vary based on several factors. For more information, go to att.com/speed101. 1AT&T Smart Home Manager is available to AT&T Internet service customers with a compatible AT&T Wi-Fi Gateway. Features limited to home Wi-Fi network. 2Parental Controls and Data Usage features available with BGW210, 5268AC and NVG599 Wi-Fi Gateways. 3AT&T Smart Wi-Fi requires installation of a BGW210, 5268AC, or NVG599 Wi-Fi Gateway. Standard with Internet plans (12M or higher). Whole-home Wi-Fi connectivity may require AT&T Smart Wi-Fi Extender(s) sold separately. Offers may not be combined with other promotional offers on the same services and may be modified or discontinued at any time without notice. Other conditions apply to all offers. ©2020 AT&T Intellectual Property. All Rights Reserved. AT&T, the AT&T logo and all other AT&T marks contained herein are trademarks of AT&T Intellectual Property and/or AT&T affiliated companies.

Margaritas was one of the first Mexican food restaurants in Jackson 24 years ago and has remained in force to this day. The García family, originally from the state of Tamaulipas in Mexico, opened the restaurant near County Line Road in 1996.

After that, the Garcías opened another restaurant, Papitos, which today has several branches in the Jackson area. Following his family’s legacy, José García, 27, son of Margaritas’ and Papitos’ founders, has already opened two Mexican restaurants on his own.

“I was 3 years old when my dad’s family opened Margaritas. I have been involved in the restaurant since I was a child. I started by carrying chips and cleaning tables,” García says. “I learned to work with discipline and over time I learned to run the business.”

Although continuing the family legacy was always an option, García nearly left Mississippi to work in Texas after a company offered him an appealing job following his graduation from the University of Mississippi four years ago.

However, García saw the opportunity to take a place in Gluckstadt, and he preferred to stay to open his first restaurant, Las Terrazas, which he says has been successful and has allowed him to quickly recover the investment. In October 2019, García opened his second restaurant in Oxford under the Uno Más brand. “Uno Más” means “one more.”

“The restaurant’s architecture is modern and simple. The menu focuses on Mexican street tacos, and our bar offers cocktails made with fresh juices and an incomparable selection of tequila and mezcal,” he says.

The coronavirus pandemic forced the temporary closure of these restaurants, but García says that he was able to keep businesses running by dedicating his time to delivering takeout until finally being able to reopen the doors to the public on May 15.

García plans to open more restaurants and has his sights set in Fondren, where a developer offered him a commercial space that should be ready in the near future.

Margaritas fue uno de los primeros restaurantes de comida mexicana en Jackson hace 24 años y se ha mantenido vigente hasta la actualidad. La familia García originaria del estado de Tamaulipas en México abrió este restaurante cerca a County Line Rd en 1996.

Después de eso, los García abrieron el restaurante Papitos, que hoy cuenta con varias sucursales en el área de Jackson. Siguiendo el legado de su familia, Jose García, 27, hijo de los fundadores ya ha abierto por su cuenta dos restaurantes de comida mexicana.

“Yo tenía 3 años cuando la familia de mi papá abrió Margaritas. Desde niño me involucraron en el restaurante. Empecé llevando chips y limpiando mesas,” dice. “Aprendí a trabajar con disciplina y con el tiempo aprendí a manejar el negocio˜ Aunque siempre fue una opción continuar con el legado familiar, García estuvo apunto de irse a trabajar a Texas donde una empresa le hizo una excelente oferta laboral luego de que hace cuatro años se gradúara como contador de la Universidad de Mississippi.

Sin embargo, García vio la oportunidad de tomar un local en Gluckstand, y prefirió quedarse para abrir su primer restaurante, Las Terrazas, que según dice ha sido exitoso y le ha permitido recuperar la inversión rápidamente. Hace un año, en Octubre de 2019, José abrió su segundo restaurante en Oxford con la marca Uno Más.

“La arquitectura del restaurante es moderna y simple. El menú está concentrado en los tacos callejeros de México y nuestra barra ofrece cócteles hechos con jugos frescos y una selección de tequila y mezcal incomparable,” dice.

La pandemia del Coronavirus obligó al cierre de estos restaurantes pero García cuenta que pudo mantener los negocios a flote dedicándose a entregar comida para llevar hasta que finalmente el pasado 15 de mayo volvieron a abrir las puertas al público.

García tiene planes de abrir más restaurantes, uno de ellos en Fondren donde un urbanizador le ofreció un local comercial que pronto deberá estar listo.

—Mauricio J. Quijano

2018 Santa Carolina “Carolina” Reserva Pinot Noir 91 points - Tim Atkin | $15

The 2018 displays aromas and flavors of strawberries, raspberries, and cherries with attractive whiffs of burnt matchstick and dried wintergreen. Hints of licorice meld with a beautiful graphite minerality to add depth as flavors of lemon zest accent the soaring red fruits. At just $15 and 91-points from Master of Wine Tim Atkin, this is one of the year’s strongest Pinot Noir values!

COVID-19: Our hours are unchanged. We are sanitizing and have social distancing plans in place.

921 East Fortification Street (601) 983-5287 www.katswine.com/tasting-team @KatsWine

OPENING SEPTEMBER 26, 2020

Sweet Fall Favorites!

Leonardo Drew, City in the Grass, 2019. Aluminum, sand, wood, cotton and mastic.

102 x 32 feet. Commissioned by Madison Square Park Conservancy, New York.

This exhibition is sponsored by

and Betsy and Kane Ditto.

DOWNTOWN JACKSON • 601.960.1515 • MSMUSEUMART.ORG

Pre-order online: www.nandyscandy.com Maywood Mart t Jackson, MS t Mon-Sat 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. t 601.362.9553

September 30 - October 13, 2020 • jfp.ms

LEONARDO DREW: CITY IN THE GRASS

15

Fall Food

Local Barista Pours Positivity into Every Cup

by Nate Schumann

L

eigha Ellis describes herself as “just your average, nerdy, 25-year-something barista.” The Byram native and Terry High School graduate who enjoys watching anime and playing video games has worked for Cups as a barista since June 2019, first in the downtown Jackson location and now for the Fondren location.

On Friday, Sept. 25, Ellis spoke with the Jackson Free Press to discuss her experience as a barista and what Cups offers this fall season.

communal stuff—like how we used to leave the half-and-half for people to pour into their own drinks. Now we do that behind the counter. There’s a lot more consciousness about how we leave things and just how we interact with people.

Tell me about your experiences with both customers who have been cooperative and considerate of new health-related guidelines and with those who have had negative reactions to the guidelines Cups enforces.

What led you to apply to Cups in the first place?

What do you enjoy about being a barista?

The actual process of making drinks is pretty cool. I like experimenting with flavors a lot to make different drinks, and I am always trying to work on perfecting (techniques) like steaming my milk or pulling better shots. I mostly get satisfaction out of giving the customers good drinks.

September 30 - October 13, 2020 • jfp.ms

I don’t actually know that much about the processes.

What goes into making some of these drinks?

16

We’ve mostly had understanding reactions to the circumstances going on, especially given rules that we have to follow from the City and most of us doing what we have to do with what’s been put in place. We’ve had mostly positive responses to that, but with all things, you have people who will give a little pushback. We’ve had very few instances of (negative reactions), but it’s still very jarring to see in a situation like that where you’re having to ask customers to leave. You know, you don’t really want to do that, but you have to also think about other people, and you have to try to do your best to be fair to everyone. courtesy Cups

When I attended (the University of Mississippi), I actually wanted to be a Starbucks barista on campus. I don’t know why I wanted to put myself in the middle of all that madness, but I did. (laughs) But there was never really an opportunity to do it there.

When I came home from school, the opportunity opened itself up, and I took it.

Fall has arrived. What does the autumn season mean for you as a barista?

A lot of fall flavors. I’m excited about the seasonal flavors we get.

We got pumpkin (flavoring) in a few weeks ago, so that’s here. We’re doing snickerdoodle lattés. That also means that soon we’ll be getting eggnog. Now, the process of steaming eggnog is not particularly fun, but I do enjoy the flavors of drinks that it makes. We have toasted marshmallow and other fun fall flavors. That’s my favorite part of the fall season.

There are really a lot of nuances in terms of the types of drinks that you’re making while you’re on the espresso machine. … You have different types of shots that you pull for different types of drinks. Even the way you steam your milk for Cups barista Leigha Ellis is excited about fall flavors, if not having to steam eggnog.

What’s your favorite falla hot drink makes a difference inspired item on the menu? between a latté and a cappuccino.

It’s really about honing your technical skills, and that’s what I enjoy about being a My favorite would probably be a pumpkin white mocha. You can do it as an iced barista—trying to perfect the craft. latté, which is my favorite type of drink. Or, you could do it hot. You could do it as a chai, iced or hot, or you could do it as a prep. It’s a really universal flavor. I think Let’s talk about how your work experience has changed that’s why I like it. since the COVID-19 pandemic reached Mississippi. In terms of your day-to-day procedures, what are some Is there anything else you would like to mention about your job? differences between pre-COVID and mid-COVID? Cups is mostly just a job where you make good drinks and you try to make customers There’s a lot more care that goes into how we interact with customers, given that feel good when they come and go, and where you build good relationships with your there’s a lot of physical contact— with handing out money and drinks and stuff like coworkers. That encompasses my experience with being a Cups barista. that. So we definitely keep a lot more hand sanitizer than before. … Now, a lot of the stuff that the customers take are single-serve or self-serve so that there’s not room for For more information on Cups, visit cupsespressocafe.com.

Duck a l’Orange with Sunflower Seed Romesco

The ‘Elizabeth Brooks Brewning’

by Hunter Evans

Cody McCain

Duck a l’Orange Ingredients: • 1 duck breast, scored • 1 bulb of fennel, sliced as thinly as possible (I use a Japanese mandoline) • 1/4 cup pancetta vinaigrette (see below for recipe) • 1 tbsp butter • 1 orange, peeled and segmented (seeds removed) • Salt and black pepper • 3 tbsp sunflower seed romesco (see below for recipe)

Directions: Step 1: Prepare the romesco, recipe follows.

Step 2: Prepare the pancetta vinaigrette, recipe follows.

Step 3: Season the duck breast with salt and pepper.

Step 4: In a cold saute pan, place the duck breast and turn the burner’s heat on medium. Hold the breast down for one minute so the edges do not curl up. Cook the duck breast for an additional 15 minutes on the skin, pour excess fat out of the pan as needed.

Step 5: Flip the duck breast over when golden brown and cook on the flesh side for about one minute to reach medium rare. Cook another minute or two for a more well-done breast.

Step 6: Let breast rest on a cutting board to rest while you plate the dish.

Step 7: In a small saucepan, add the sliced fennel and the pancetta vinaigrette. On medium heat, stit together. Add the butter and season with salt and pepper.

Step 8: Cook the fennel until it has wilted a little, about three minutes. You want it to have some texture but to be warmed up.

Keep warm.

Step 9: On a large entree plate, place some romesco on the plate and smear across. Slice the duck breast longways down the middle and place the two portions of duck on top of the romesco. Place a little pile of the fennel on each of the duck breasts and garnish with the orange segments.

Ingredients: • 6 ounces thinly sliced pancetta, cut into 1.5-inch strips (bacon serves as a substitute) • 1/4 cup sherry vinegar (red wine vinegar works great as well) • 1 tbsp local honey • 1/2 tsp creole mustard • 2 shallots, thinly sliced • Freshly ground black pepper

Hunter Evans

Directions: Step 1: In a heavy-bottomed saucepan, cook the pancetta over medium-low heat until it begins to brown.

Step 2: Add the shallots and cook for another five minutes.

Step 3: Remove the pancetta with a slotted spoon and place on a paper towel.

Step 4: Add the vinegar, honey and mustard to the rendered fat in the pan.

Step 5: Bring to a boil and whisk. Salt and pepper to taste.

Step 6: Add the reserved pancetta and toss to distribute the hat and dressing.

worked backward to create this “coffee sour.”

I knew exactly how I wanted the cocktail to look in its glass: I imagined a dark chocolate, coffee color in a tall collins glass with an egg white foam to mimic frothed milk. It was very important to me that this cocktail contained no dairy; I personally cannot stand dairy with my alcohol, but I wanted the Brooks Brewning to drink velvety, like an iced latte—hence, the egg white. The touch of ginger is a perfect start to the morning (think early kickoff pre-games) or to bookend an evening after a rich meal as a digestif. Yes, I named this cocktail after myself, and, yes, I smirk each time a guest says, “I’ll have the Elizabeth Brooks Brewning.”

Elizabeth Brooks Brewning Ingredients: • 1/2 ounce ginger syrup • 1 fresh egg white • 1 ounce Four Roses (or preferred bourbon) • 1 ounce Amaro Averna • 1 ounce Mississippi Cold Drip Coffee concentrate • Ice

Instructions: In a cocktail tin, dry-shake (no ice) ginger syrup and fresh egg white. Add the final three ingredients with ice and shake vigorously for another 20 seconds or until a foam forms. Strain into a collins glass and fill with ice. Lastly, top the drink with an espresso dusting or candied ginger slice.

courtesy Elizabeth Brewning

courtesy Hunter Evans

Pancetta Vinaigrette

I

by Betsy Breunig

Sunflower Seed Romesco Ingredients: • 8 garlic cloves • 4 tomatoes, roasted and peeled • 1 cup toasted sunflower seeds • 4 slices of bread toasted in olive oil, use the best bread you can find or make your own (sourdough works well, too) • 2 tbsp paprika • 1/4 cup sherry vinegar

Directions: Step 1: In a food processor, chop the garlic and seeds together.

Step 2: Add the tomatoes and mix.

Step 3: Once mixed well, add the bread, little by little.

Step 4: Season to taste with salt and vinegar.

Elizabeth “Betsy” Breunig bartends at The Apothecary at Brent’s Druggs.

September 30 - October 13, 2020 • jfp.ms

W

ith the autumn season upon us, my restaurant Elvie’s is serving a fall-inspired play on duck a l’orange, which is a panseared duck breast with sunflower-seed romesco, fennel, pancetta vinaigrette and orange. Whether you follow the recipe at home or come to Elvie’s and ask for the duck special, I am confident this dish will delight. The sunflower-seed romesco is one of my favorite sauces, and I believe it also pairs well with vegetables, fish, pork and other roasted meats. Feel free to use it for a variety of meals.

17

EVENTS

Looking for something great to do in Jackson? Visit JFPEVENTS.COM for more.

COMMUNITY Wednesday at the Park Sept. 30, 6-7:30 p.m., at Lions Club Park (251 E. Leak St., Clinton). First Baptist Church Clinton hosts an open gathering at the park. Features burgers and “fixings,” games for students and adults, and live music.

Free admission; call 601-924-6705; email info@ fbcclinton.org; find it on Facebook.

Something Blue Soiree Bridal Show Oct. 1, 5-8 p.m., at Fairview Inn (734 Fairview St.).

The Fairview Inn and 1908 Provisions host the bridal event where wedding vendors display their offered goods and services to prospective brides.

Due to CDC requirements, participants are asked to read about safety precautions and register by signing up for a time slot. Includes free “swag bags” to the first 10 brides to arrive during their time slot. Free admission; call 601-9483429 ext. 314; email marketing@fairviewinn. com; find it on Facebook.

“THE BLAKK MARKET” Shop Blakk Owned Businesses Oct. 4, 1-8 p.m., at UIG Complex, The Breake Room & Sankofa Kitchen (911 Palmyra St.). The community expo and flea market invites attendees to meet and browse Black-owned businesses. Includes music and entertainment. Vendor reservations available. Free admission, donations encouraged, vendor prices vary; call 601-366-6100; find it on Facebook or email tooblakktoostrong@gmail.com.

Trivia Tuesday Oct. 6, Oct. 13, 7-9 p.m., at Library Lounge at Fairview Inn (734 Fairview St.). The Library Lounge holds a weekly trivia night. Prizes awarded to the top teams. Free admission, food and drink prices vary; call 601-948-3429, ext. 314; email marketing@ fairviewinn.com; fairviewinn.com.

2020 Fall Canton Flea Market Oct. 8, 7 a.m.-4 p.m., at Canton Square (147 N. Union St., Canton). The biannual event returns with artisans from around the country showcasing their crafts.

All vendors and visitors are required to wear masks, observe social distancing, and sanitize hands regularly at the market. Free admission, vendors prices vary; call 601-859-1307; email jana@cantontourism.com; cantontourism.com.

September 30 - October 13, 2020 • jfp.ms

The 12th Annual Renaissance Euro-Fest Oct. 10, 10 a.m.-5 p.m., at Renaissance at Colony Park (1000 Highland Colony Parkway, Ridgeland). The automobile and motorcycle show features classic European vehicles. Potential entrants must register online, no fee required. All European makes accepted. Free to spectators. Free registration; call 601-946-1950; email mike_marsh@ bellsouth.net; find it on Facebook.

18

KIDS Healthy Kids Running Series-1st race Oct. 3, 10:30 a.m., at Flowood Nature Park (4077 Flowood Drive, Flowood). The Healthy Kids Running Series, a five-week racing series, encourages kids ages 2 to 14 to get outside and move through competition in age-appropriate running events. Kids compete each week to earn points, for which they are rewarded at the end of the series. The registration fee covers the entire series and is non-refundable. $40 registration fee; call 662-801-9490; email vdhkrsbrandonms@ gmail.com; runsignup.com.

Learning Tree Book Club Oct. 3, 2-3:30 p.m., Zoom. The children’s book club gathers to read and talk about books on the first Saturday of each month. Books provided. Free admission; call 601-372-0229; find it on Facebook.

Intergenerational Harry Potter Club Oct. 7, 7:30-8:30 p.m., Zoom. Harry Potter fans 6th grade and older gather for a discussion of the Christian faith through the stories of Harry Potter. Participants encouraged to read book or watch movie before the meeting. Register free at the link provided. free online; call 601-3541535; email communications@standrews.ms; find it on Facebook.

Special Kids Day Golf Tournament Oct. 8, 7:15 a.m.-5 p.m., at Deerfield Golf Club (264 Deerfield Club Drive, Canton). St. Richard’s hosts the golf tournament benefitting the church’s Special Kids ministry and the school’s specialneeds program. $175 individual, $125 morning, sponsorship packages range $250-$5,000; call 601-366-2335; find it on Facebook.

FOOD & DRINK “A Decent Proposal” at Char Oct. 12, 7-9 p.m., at Char Restaurant (4500 Interstate 55 N., Suite 142). The Detectives and Char present a comedic dinner theater performance while attendees dine. Shows recommended for ages 18+. Cocktails and seating begin at 6 p.m. $49 dinner and show, drinks, tax and gratuity not included; call 601-291-7444; email thedetectivestheatre@ gmail.com; find it on Facebook.

STAGE & SCREEN Dominique Witten Oct. 2-4, 7:30 p.m. and 10 p.m., at Chuckles Comedy House Jackson (6479 Ridgewood Court Drive ). The comedian performs. Two item minimum food or beverage purchase required with admission. $20 general admission, $35 VIP; call 769-257-5467; jackson. chucklescomedyhouse.com.

Art on Film | Water Lilies of Monet: The Magic of Water and Light Oct. 9, 7-8:30 p.m., at Mississippi Museum of Art (380 S. Lamar St.). In the Art Garden. The art museum screens the film featuring the works and inspirations of Claude Monet as the second installment in their fall film series. Attendees should bring a lawn chair or picnic blanket for seating. Food trucks and a cash bar available. Reservations available for socially distant grass or table areas. Free admission, vendors prices vary; call 601-965-9912; email mdrake@msmuseum.org; find it on Facebook.

CONCERTS & FESTIVALS Seth Power – Acoustic Oct. 8, 6-8 p.m., at The District at Easter (1250 Eastover Drive). The Brandon-native singer-songwriter performs an acoustic set on the Green in the open air. Social

HOLIDAY House Of The Haunted Fields Haunted Attraction Oct. 2-3, Oct. 9-10, 7 p.m., at House of the Haunted Fields (2744 Fairchilds Road, Raymond). The haunted attraction is open every Friday and Saturday night in October. Participants tour the haunted house, then face the trail of terror. $10 per person. Free parking. Security on site. $10 per person; call 662-607-7708; email houseofthehauntedfields@gmail.com; find it on Facebook.

Pumpkin Adventure 2020 Oct. 7-10, Oct. 14, 9 a.m.-noon, at Mississippi Agriculture & Forestry Museum (1150 Lakeland Drive). The Mississippi Agriculture & Forestry Museum offers a family activity during the month of October. The event includes a hayride, a snack and a stop at the pumpkin patch to pick a pumpkin. Groups of 10 or require reservations. $8 general admission (ages 2 and up); call 601-432-4500; email msagmuseum@mdac.ms.gov; find it on Facebook.

SPORTS & WELLNESS Road to Cooperstown Golf Tournament Oct. 1, noon, at Patrick Farms (300 Clubhouse Drive, Pearl). The Mississippi Rangers 12U baseball team hosts a golf tournament to help get the team to Cooperstown 2021. Prizes awarded for longest drive, closest to the pin and flight prizes. $125 per player, $250 hole sponsor, $600 team sponsor; call walkerspw@gmail.com; email 662-571-9729; find it on Facebook.

Inaugural Jacob Campbell Memorial Golf Scramble Oct. 1, 1 p.m., at Castlewoods Golf & Country Club (403 Bradford Drive, Brandon). 5th Squad and the country club host the golf scramble benefiting Mississippi veterans in need. Cash prizes awarded for first, second and third-place teams, plus other give-aways. $500 team of four, $625 team and 1hole sponsor, $200 1hole sponsor; email 5thsquadms@gmail. com; find it on Facebook.

Deep South Triathlon Oct. 4, 7 a.m.-3 p.m., at Lakeshore Park (1112 North Shore Parkway, Brandon). The long-course triathlon returns for its sixth year with a course consisting of a 1.2 mile swim in the Ross Barnett Reservoir, a 56 mile bike race across Ranking county, and a 13.1 mile run on a paved multipurpose trail. $265 race and sign up fees (individual), $420 race and sign up fees (relay); email allen@msracemanagement.com; deepsouthtri.com.

distancing protocols apply. Free admission.

Tab Benoit at Martin’s Downtown Oct. 8, 9 p.m., at Martin’s Downtown (214 S. State St.).

The Grammy-nominated singer-songwriter and guitarist performs. $25 via Eventbrite; call 601-354-9712; find it on Facebook.

Bravo I - Tour de Force Oct. 10, 7:30-8:45 p.m., at Thalia Mara Hall (255 E. Pascagoula St.).

The Mississippi Symphony Orchestra presents the concert featuring the music of Tchaikovsky, Grieg and Brahms. Advance registration required for subscribers and ticket buyers alike. All tickets emailed in advance. No at-door sales or Will Call. Ticket, mask and temperature check required at door. No intermission or concessions. $20 general admission; call 601-960-1565; email rroberts@msorchestra.com; find it on Facebook.

LITERARY “Lake Life” Book Discussion Oct. 6, noon, Facebook Live. Author David James Poissant discusses his new book with fellow author M.O. Walsh, author of “The Big Door Prize.” Free discussion, $26 first-edition book, signed on bookplate; call 601-366-7619; lemuriabooks.com.

Art of Manuscript Writing Oct. 6, 12:30-1:30 p.m., Zoom. Richard Hulse discusses his manuscript-writing process from start to finish. Registration is free at the link provided. Free online registration; call 601-372-0229; email communitylibrary.ms@gmail.com; find it on Facebook.

CREATIVE CLASSES Balloon Class 101 Oct. 1, 10 a.m.-2 p.m., at 201Capitol (201 W. Capitol St.). Brittany Jackson, of Unique Creation Events, leads a class in designing and creating balloon sculptures. Price of admission includes all supplies, including electric balloon pump, balloon sizer, hand pump, balloons, balloon apron, balloon container, marketing materials and more. Lunch provided. $250 fee includes admission plus all necessary equipment; call 601-559-9896; email uniquecreationsballoons@gmail.com; find it on Facebook.

Beginner Dulcimer Ensemble Oct. 1, 1-2 p.m., at Brandon Senior Center (1000 Municipal Drive, Brandon). The senior center offers an opportunity for its patrons to learn to play a new instrument. No musical experience required.

Loaner instruments available. Free admission; call 601-824-7095; email apryor@brandonms.org; find it on Facebook.

BE THE CHANGE Buddy Watch Walk EAST Step Off Oct. 1, 9 a.m.-1 p.m., at Mississippi War Memorial Building (120 N. State St.). Four veterans begin a 601-mile walk from the War Memorial Building in Jackson to Tybee Island, Ga., to raise awareness of veterans’ issues that contribute to a high rate of veteran suicide. Free admission; call 912272-9347; email buddywatchwalk@gmail.com; buddywatchwalk.com.

Virtual Metro Jackson Race for the Cure Oct. 3, 9-10 a.m., at Metro Jackson Race for the Cure Susan G. Komen Memphis-MidSouth Mississippi (625 Lakeland Dr. E., Suite B, Flowood).

Participants walk and run in the annual event that raises funds for breast-cancer research and awareness—virtually, this year. Also includes a Survivor Car Parade at 8:30 a.m. and guest speakers Barbara Craft and Donna Ladd. $25 adult registration, $20 youth registration, ages 3-15; call 866-475-6636; email cyoung@komenmemphisms.org; memphis.info-komen.org.

Clean Up Day Oct. 3, 8 a.m.-noon, at Buddy Butts Park (6180 N. McRaven Road, Clinton).

Members of the organization Friends of Mississippi River Basin Model gather monthly at the site of the full-scale model of the Mississippi River to clean up the area and keep the model from falling into further disrepair. FMRBM provides gloves and water. Free to volunteer; email friendsofmrbm@gmail.com; find it on Facebook.

2020 Buddy Walk Oct. 10, 8 a.m.-5 p.m., Virtual. The Central Mississippi Down Syndrome Society holds its annual Buddy Walk in a “mostly virtual” format. Participants create teams, raise funds and celebrate in their homes or neighborhoods, as well as virtually. $25 registration as individual virtual walker, teams vary; call 601385-3696; email info@cmdss.org; classy.org.

NAMIWalks Mississippi 2020 Oct. 10, 9:3011:30 a.m., at Mayes Lake and Campground (3315 Lakeland Drive). The Mississippi Chapter of the National Alliance on Mental Illness holds its annual walk for mental-health awareness, fundraising and community building. Check-in begins 8:30 a.m. Free registration, donations appreciated; call 601-899-9058; email walkmanager@namims.org; namiwalks.org.

Check jfpevents.com for updates and more listings, or to add your own events online. You can also email event details to events@ jacksonfreepress.com to be added to the calendar. The deadline is noon the Wednesday prior to the week of publication.

awareness

Race for the Cure Persists, Despite Delays by nate Schumann

O

n Saturday, Oct. 3, scores of Jacksonians will don their favorite pink garments and hit the sidewalks to run in the 21st annual Susan G. Komen Metro Jackson Race for the Cure fundraising event.

Each year, donors and those who register to run in the race help Susan G.

INTRODUCING

Komen Memphis-MidSouth Mississippi amass funds that are used to finance breast-health services and research to find a cure for breast cancer.

Since the event’s inception in 1999, Race for the Cure has provided $3.6 million in direct grants to local health providers in the 59-county ser-

PACKAGES STARTING FROM

54

$

99 MO.

For 12 mos. plus taxes & Regional Sports Fee

W/24-mo. agmt TV prices higher in 2nd year.* Regional Sports Fee up to $8.49/mo. is extra & applies.

All your favorite entertainment, together in one place: live TV, 45,000 titles On Demand, 500 hours of Cloud DVR, and access to HBO Max, Netflix, Pandora, and more.

Available only in the U.S. (excl. Puerto Rico & U.S.V.I.). Req’s compatible device & data connection. Recordings expire after 90 days.

Restr's apply. Req's separate subscription/login for HBO,® Netflix and Pandora.

1

CALL your AT&T Dealer Today!

Iv Support Holdings LLC

1-855-708-0971

AT&T TV: See att.com/tv for details. *$19.95 ACTIVATION, EARLY TERMINATION FEE ($15/MO. FOR TV) FOR EACH MONTH REMAINING ON AGMT., EQUIPMENT NON-RETURN & ADD’L FEES APPLY. Price incl. ENTERTAINMENT AT&T TV Pkg., 1 AT&T TV device New residential customers only, excluding DIRECTV and U-verse TV customers. Restr’s apply.

through the Metro Jackson Race for the Cure group page on Facebook as part of a photo contest.

Race Day will kick off with a Survivor Car Parade, for which breast-cancer survivors are invited to decorate their cars. The parade line-up will take place at 8 a.m. at Smith Wills Stadium (1200 Lakeland Drive), and the parade will begin at 8:30 a.m. Participants are prohibited from exiting their vehicles.

“We are happy that we have found a way to safely acknowledge our survivors through the parade,” Young says.

In addition, the event honors Honorary Race Chair Barbara Craft and Survivor of the Year Donna Ladd, the editor-in-chief of the Jackson Free Press, who will both present speeches.

Runners may join or start a team or otherwise register as individuals.

Registration is $25 for adults and $20 for youths ages 3 to 15.

For more information, call 601-9323999 or visit komenmemphisms.org.

Write stories that matter for the publications readers love to read.

The Jackson Free Press is seeking hard-working freelance writers who strive for excellence in every piece. Work with editors who will inspire and teach you to tell sparkling stories.

We now have a touchless menu!

Order from our extensive menu with no contact.

Don’t forget to bring your mask.

Email and convince us that you have the drive and creativity to join the team. Better yet, include some kick-ass story ideas. Send to: nate@jacksonfreepress.com

MEDITERRANEAN GRILL 730 Lakeland Dr. Jackson, MS | 601-366-6033 | Sun-Thurs: 11am - 10pm, Fri-Sat: 11am - 11pm We Deliver For Catering Orders Fondren / Belhaven / UMC area

Best of Jackson 2018 Best Place For Hummus-Winner Best Vegetarian-Winner Best Meal Under $10-Finalist Best Place For Healthy Food-Finalist

September 30 - October 13, 2020 • jfp.ms

SuSan G Komen memphiS-mid South mS

In past years, the Survivor Parades have been in person. This year, the Survivor Parade has adapted so that participants drive decorated cars.

vice area in Mississippi and $859,210 to breast-cancer research.

“Race for the Cure not only raises money in the fight to end breast cancer,” Catherine Young, senior vice president of Komen Memphis-MidSouth Mississippi, says in a Sept. 25 press release.

“It celebrates our survivors, our co-survivors, honors those we have lost, and brings everyone together in the fight to end this disease.”

Last year, the organization exceeded their financial goals for the event and subsequently supplied $100,000 in grants.

This year’s Race for the Cure had originally been slated for April 25, but the COVID-19 pandemic postponed the fundraiser for nearly six months. In compliance with health-safety standards, the event will largely be held virtually, with participants running and engaging in the pre-event activities remotely.

Organizers encourage participants to submit photos of themselves in their festive ensembles prior to the event

19

arts

The Learning Tree Grows Mississippi Readers by taylor Mckay Hathorn McGee says of the transition. “We’ve had readers join us from as far away as California and Detroit.”

In addition to its hour-and-a-half-long monthly reading sessions, the group is also currently hosting a speaker series, which the Mississippi Humanities Council funds in part. But McGee says, this progression is not the end goal for the group.

“We want to raise money to create community libraries, which are basically abandoned houses converted into libraries so that local kids can walk to them,” McGee says.

Community libraries differ from public libraries in that parents, grandparents and other community members control them instead of a city or county government.

“Literacy is a serious problem in Jackson and across the country,” McGee concludes She says giving children ready access to books and opportunities to read them through the book club and the someday-libraries will continue the group’s “social justice awakening” that will improve literacy in its wake. courtesy Learning tree Book cLuB

“W

e saw this before George Floyd: We smaller crowd) is that you might have a father and a mother have systemic imbalances in our society, reading to their 3-year-old, or you might have a child visit and reading is one way to impact that,” only once because the child spends time with us while their Meredith McGee says.

To help combat this imbalance, a group of community activists banded together to create learning opportunities for readers ranging in age from “6 to 60-plus.”

To do this, the group, headed by McGee, hosted a weeklong reading fair at Pearl Street AME Church in spring 2018, and at the end of the week, the group members adopted the moniker of the “Learning Tree Book Club” and voted to begin having monthly meetings in a free space in the Jackson Medical Mall.

Armed with a suitcase full of reading materials ranging from picture books to novels to periodicals, McGee spent the first Saturday afternoon of each month reading with various The Learning Tree Book Club gathers for its first virtual meeting. members of the Jackson community.

“It’s a learning exchange,” she says. “One person at parents are having their taxes done elsewhere in the builda time reads to the group, so if an adult reads a poem by ing,” McGee says.

Langston Hughes and the kids have a question about the The COVID-19 pandemic, however, changed the poem, everybody learns something.” format of the meetings, with the Learning Tree Book With a record attendance of 16 readers, McGee says Club deciding in July to move its meetings online. “(The that she never minded small groups. “The beauty (of a pandemic) has helped us expand beyond our local base,”

To learn more about the Learning Tree Book Club, find the group on Facebook or visit meredithetc.com/learning-treebook-club.

Blazing Fast Internet!

happy anniversary

ADD TO YOUR PACKAGE FOR ONLY

19.99

$

/mo.

where available

These JFP employees are celebrating another year with us!

2-YEAR TV PRICE

Dustin Cardon

GUARANTEE

Web Editor

9 Years

America’s Top 120 Package

Robin Johnson

MO.

Social Media Assistant

for 12 Mos.

September 30 - October 13, 2020 • jfp.ms

1 Year

20

Azia Wiggins Executive Assistant

1 Year

Ken Steere Distribution Coordinator

2 Years

FREE

VOICE REMOTE

The DISH Voice Remote with the Google Assistant requires internet-connected Hopper, Joey, or Wally device.

Customer must press Voice Remote button to activate feature.

190 CHANNELS Including Local Channels!

FREE

SMART HD DVR INCLUDED

FREE

STREAMING ON ALL YOUR DEVICES

* Requires eAutopay discount and includes Hopper Duo DVR ($5 discount for 24 months) or Wally/211

CALL TODAY - For $100 Gift Card

Promo Code: DISH100

1-866-698-8159 Offer ends 1/31/21.

“All offers require credit qualification, 24-month commitment with early termination fee and eAutoPay. Prices include Hopper Duo for qualifying customers.

Hopper, Hopper w/Sling or Hopper 3 $5/mo. more. Upfront fees may apply based on credit qualification.

jfp SpOTLIGHT

5 Things To Know

4

2

5

3

Mike McDonald

Freelance Writer courtesy Mike McDonalD

1

I’m originally from Hamilton, Mont., a small town on the far western side of the state, although I was born in Honolulu, as my dad was stationed at an Army base there. For the most part, I was raised in Hamilton and attended the University of Massachusetts Amherst before transferring to the University of Montana where I earned a bachelor’s degree in history I’ve always enjoyed writing as a hobby, whether it be short story or poetry. I also enjoy staying informed by reading local and national news. As a member of the community I would read the Jackson Free Press, and I noticed an advertisement for a freelance writer position, although I drove around west and north Jackson delivering copies prior to writing for the publication.

As a freelance writer I have freedom to choose the assignments I accept. At this point I have a general idea on the information needed to write an article describing a new business or person’s biography, for example.

Throughout the years, I have spoken to countless people, both in-person and over the phone, who have served as a reminder of our diverse city and taught me a thing or two about Mississippi.

about

In addition to writing, I enjoy watching movies (dramas in particular). My favorite is “The Birdcage,” and I can quote most of it. Documentaries are often on a playlist, mainly history and true crime. Additionally, when on a nature trip, I’ll pull out my sketch pad and illustrate the scene before me, and cooking is a task I find rewarding and take advantage of when producing dishes for friends or for family.

My name and likeness make for collective humor. Being born Michael McDonald and unaware of the solo singer and Doobie Brothers band member for a majority of adolescence, I would often listen to people (usually over age 50) ask if I was famous or would occasionally even sing a verse from one of his songs to remind me who they were talking about.

My facial appearance reminds people “of that one actor,” which I will oblige by offering hints: “You mean the guy from ‘Superbad?’ He was also in ‘Juno.’” They would nod along, knowing the name is right there, but they just can’t think of it at the moment.

“I think you mean Michael Cera.”

“Right, do you get that very often?”

“As a matter of fact, people do say that.”

Episode 8x07

Now available on

Dr. Robert Luckett September 30, 2020 Our guest this episode is Dr. Robert Luckett, a Jackson native who graduated from Richland Public Schools, left for Yale University, earned his PhD in history from the University of Georgia and returned to Jackson 12 years ago to be a history professor at Jackson State University and the director of the Margaret Walker Center at JSU. Dr. Luckett is a member of the Jackson Public Schools school board, was part of a team involved in the Mississippi History Museum and the Mississippi Civil Rights Museum, and the author of the book “Joe T. Patterson and the White South’s Dilemma: Evolving Resistance to Black Advancement.”

Let’s Talk Jackson is sponsored by Mississippi Federal Credit Union (http://msfcu.us/); this episode also is brought to you by the Center for Art & Public Exchange at the Mississippi Museum of Art. More at http://museumcape.org/.

Join hosts Donna Ladd, Todd Stauffer and others in Season 8

Let's Talk Jackson is powered by the Jackson Free Press.

WWW.LETSTALKJACKSON.COM

September 30 - October 13, 2020 • jfp.ms

K L A T S ’ L ET N O S K C JA

21

Last Week’s Answers 48 Trap set in the kitchen, maybe 51 Danger 52 ___ a bone 54 Alliance of nations 56 Otherwise 57 Like a certain Freudian complex 59 Apiary dwellers 61 Colorado resort 62 Seat near the yard 67 Fumbles 68 Cornell of Cornell University 69 Swiftness 70 JFK flier, once 71 Recognizes 72 Walla Walla vegetable

BY MATT JONES

31 Chihuahua drink?

33 Apply crudely 36 Mila of “Black Swan” 37 Fireplace, in England 40 Flaming 41 Nintendo DS competitor, for short 44 Racers in 2013’s “Turbo” 47 Captain Kangaroo player Bob 49 1/6 of a fl. oz.

50 “Arrested Development” character F¸nke 52 Peace symbols

53 Brings up 55 John Legere for T-Mobile, e.g.

58 Inhabitants of a certain sci-fi planet 60 Alexa’s device 63 “Boyz N the Hood” protagonist Styles 64 “Unaccustomed ___ am ...”

65 Lance of the O.J. trial 66 Stimpy’s companion For answers to this puzzle, call: 1-900-226-2800, 99 cents per minute. Must be 18+.

Or to bill to your credit card, call: 1-800 655-6548. Reference puzzle #942.

Down

“Two By Two” --let’s get together.

Across

1 Pamphlet 6 Economic upswing 10 One pronoun option of many 13 Dizzy Gillespie’s faith 14 Praise in the paper, perhaps 15 Forest father 16 Trunk contents 18 Facto intro 19 “Peter Pan” beast, briefly 20 Unchecked 22 “Fantastic Mr. Fox” author Roald 25 Just makes (out)

27 Closes 28 It might be smoked in a den 30 Hobbit corrupted by the Ring 32 “It’s alright” 34 Tea container 35 Supermodel Taylor 38 Approves of 39 Groups two by two, as with this puzzle’s theme answers?

42 Hot glue ___ 43 Crunch counts 45 Game with 108 cards 46 Quizzing

1 “Full Frontal with Samantha Bee” network 2 Chance field?

3 Solver’s epiphany sound 4 Group that shows off old Mustangs, e.g.

5 Level in an arena 6 Lego units 7 Item in a rowlock 8 On another continent, perhaps 9 Home to the Arizona Museum of Natural History 10 German beer brand distributed by Anheuser-Busch 11 “Who ___?”

12 Rare award feats, for short 15 Transfer gas, in a way 17 Shoe front 21 Flavor enhancer, for short 22 Blood bank supporter 23 Pig in ___ 24 Strikes it rich 26 Involve, as in conflict 29 Hiking trail display

Survivor of the Year: Donna Ladd

September 30 - October 13, 2020 • jfp.ms

Pink your Ride and join us for a

22

Pink Splash Car Parade

Race Where You Are

October 3, 2020

October 3, Jackson MS

Smith Wills Stadium parking lot (1200 Lakeland Drive) Line up begins at 8:00 a.m. parade starts at 8:30 a.m.

register now komenmemphisms.org

To enter email cyoung@komencentralms.org

#RaceWhereYouA re

601-932-3999 Special prizes will be given to best decorated car.

Classifieds as low as $35

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22):

Libran author Ursula K. Le Guin said that we don’t just naturally know how to create our destinies.

It takes research and hard work. “All of us have to learn how to invent our lives, make them up, imagine them,” she wrote. “We need to be taught these skills; we need guides to show us how.

If we don’t, our lives get made up for us by other people.” I bring this to your attention, Libra, because the coming weeks will be an excellent time to upgrade and refine your mastery of these essential powers. What can you do to enhance your capacity to invent your life? Which teachers and information sources might be helpful?

In 1984, hip hop group Run-DMC was the first to achieve a gold record in their genre, meaning they sold more than 500,000 albums. Their next album sold over a million.

They were pioneers. In 1986, legendary producer Rick Rubin encouraged them to do a remake of “Walk This Way,” a song by the hard rock band Aerosomith. The members of Run-DMC didn’t want to do it; they felt the tune was in a genre too unlike their own. But Rubin eventually convinced them, and the cross-pollination was phenomenally successful. The Run-DMC-meets-Aerosmith collaboration launched a new genre that sold very well. The song was later voted into the Grammy Hall of Fame. In this spirit, and in accordance with current cosmic rhythms, I urge you to try a bold hybrid or two yourself, Scorpio: blends of elements or influences that may seem a bit improbable.

They could ultimately yield big dividends.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21):

You Sagittarians periodically go through phases when you specialize in stirring up fresh intuitions. I mean, you’re always one of the zodiac’s Intuition Champions, but during these special times, your flow becomes an overflow.

You have a knack for seeking and finding visions of the interesting future; you get excited by possibilities that are on the frontiers of your confidence. From what I can tell, your life in recent weeks has been bringing you these delights—and will continue to do so for the foreseeable future. Take maximum advantage. Aggressively gather in the gifts being offered by your inner teacher.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19):

Calling on my expert knowledge of healing language and imaginative psychology, I have formulated a mantra for you to use in the next six weeks. I suggest you say it five times after you wake up, and again at mid-day, and before dinner, and before sleep. It should help keep you intimately aligned with the dynamic groove that the cosmos will be conspiring to provide for you. For best results, picture yourself as glowing inside with the qualities named in the mantra. Here it is: StrongBrightFree ClearBoldBrisk DeepNimbleKind AdroitSteadyWarm.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18):

The Grammy Museum in Los Angeles features displays that extol the musicians who’ve won Grammy Awards over the years. A few years ago, a distinctly unfamous musician named Paz Dylan made professional-looking fake posters touting his own magnificent accomplishments, and managed to sneakily hang them on the museum walls. They remained there for a month before anyone noticed. I’m going to encourage you to engage in similar gamesmanship in the coming weeks, Aquarius. It’ll be a favorable time to use ingenuity and unconventional approaches to boost your confidence and enhance your reputation.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20):

“Relationships never stop being a work in progress,” writes author Nora Roberts. That’s bad news and good news. It’s bad news because even for the most loving bond, you must tirelessly persist in the challenging task of reinventing the ways the two of you fit together. It’s good news because few activities can make you more emotionally intelligent and soulfully wise than continually reinventing the ways the two of you fit together. I bring these thoughts to your attention because the coming weeks will be a fertile time for such daunting and rewarding work.

ARIES (March 21-April 19):

“A person’s best ally is someone who takes care of herself,” says actress Susan Clark. I heartily agree. The people with whom you can cultivate the most resilient

bonds and most interesting synergy are those who have a high degree of self-sufficiency—those who take rigorous responsibility for themselves and treat themselves with tender compassion. In the coming weeks, Aries, I think it’s especially important for you to emphasize relationships with allies who fit that description. Bonus! Their exemplary self-care will influence you to vigorously attend to your own self-care.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20):

According to my reading of the astrological potentials, the coming weeks will be an excellent time for you to take a vacation in reverse. What’s that? It’s when you devote yourself to renewing and reinvigorating your relationship with the work you love. You intensify your excitement for the vocation or job or long-term quest that teaches you important life lessons. You apply yourself with sublime enthusiasm to honing the discipline you need to fulfill the assignments you came to earth to accomplish.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20):

“If you are not having fun you are doing something wrong,” said comedian Groucho Marx. He was exaggerating so as to drive home his humorous point, but his idea contains some truth—and will be especially applicable to you in the immediate future. According to my analysis of the astrological omens, you have a temporary exemption from feeling frantically dour and unpleasantly dutiful.

As crazy as the world is right now, you have a cosmic mandate to enjoy more playtime and amusement than usual. The rest of us are depending on you to provide us with doses of casual cheer.

AT&T Internet Starting at $40/month w/12-mo agmt. Includes 1 TB of data per month. Get More For Your High-Speed Internet Thing. Ask us how to bundle and SAVE! Geo & svc restrictions apply. Call us today 1-601-519-4297.

HIRING

Marketing Representative Must be personable, outgoing, persistent, and willing to learn. Commission-driven position with a paid training period and access to benefits; potential $3,000-$5,000/mo and beyond!

Write todd@jacksonfreepress. com with cover letter and resume.

TO PLACE A CLASSIFIED AD: Post an ad, call 601-362-6121, ext. 11 or fax to 601-510-9019.

Deadline: Mondays at Noon.

4 pg Block 4.375x5.5).pdf

1

6/9/20

5:39 PM

CANCER (June 21-July 22):

“Leave the door open for the unknown, the door into the dark,” writes Cancerian author Rebecca Solnit, adding, “That’s where the most important things come from.” I think this is good advice for you in the coming weeks.

What exactly does it mean? How and why should you do what she advises? My first suggestion is to reframe your conception of the unknown and the dark. Imagine them as the source of everything new; as the place from which the future comes; as the origin of creative changes. Then instruct your imagination to be adventurous as it explores brewing possibilities in the dark and the unknown.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22):

“If something comes to life in others because of you, then you have made an approach to immortality,” wrote author C Norman Cousins. Whether or not you believe the “immortal- M ity” part of his formulation, I’m sure you understand how fabulous it is when you help activate beauty and vitality in Y someone. You may even feel that inspiring people to unleash their dormant potential is one of the most noble pleasures CM possible. I bring these thoughts to your attention, Leo, MY because I suspect that you now have exceptional power to perform services like these for your allies, friends, and loved CY ones. I dare you to make it one of your top priorities.

CMY

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22):

“The messiah will come when we don’t need him any more,” said author Franz Kafka. In that spirit, and in alignment with current astrological omens, I will tell you that the precise help you wish you could attract into your life will show up as soon as you make initial efforts to provide that help to yourself. Here are some additional nuances: The gift or blessing you think you need most will be offered to you by fate once you begin giving that gift or blessing to yourself. A rescuer will arrive not too long after you take steps to rescue yourself. You’ll finally figure out how to make practical use of a key lesson as you’re teaching that lesson to someone you care for.

Homework: What’s the most interesting and transformative action you could take right now? Testify at FreeWillAstrology.com.

K

www.easykale.com

September 30 - October 13, 2020 • jfp.ms

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21):

SERVICES DENTAL INSURANCE from Physicians Mutual Insurance Company.

Coverage for 350 plus procedures. Real dental insurance - NOT just a discount plan. Do not wait! Call now! Get your FREE Dental Information Kit with all the details!

1-855-977-2832 www. dental50plus.com/84 #6258com/84 Ad# 6118 DISH Network $59.99 for 190 Channels!

Blazing Fast Internet, $19.99/ mo. (where available.) Switch & Get a FREE $100 Visa Gift Card. FREE Voice Remote.

FREE HD DVR. FREE Streaming on ALL Devices.

Call today! 1-866-698-8159

23

Patty Peck

Used Car Super Center Call 601-957-3400 to reach one of our used car specialists and mention these deals featured in the Jackson Free Press.

We strive to offer a large selection of quality used cars, SUV’s, Sedans, Coupes, Minivans and Trucks for our Jackson area shoppers. We work very hard to ensure our customer’s satisfaction, as well as making the car buying process as smooth and enjoyable as possible.

t 146 point inspection on all Premium & Premium CertifyPlus Used Cars t Lifetime Powertrain Warranty on every Premium Used car, truck, SUV or minivan t Love it or Leave it Money Back Guarantee

Used 2018 Ford Escape SE FWD Sport Utility

Used 2014 Ford F-150 Lariat 4WD Crew Cab Pickup

Used 2016 Dodge Charger SXT RWD 4dr Car

Sale Price: $15,197

Sale Price: $23,500

Sale Price: $20,500

Used 2019 Toyota Camry LE FWD 4dr Car

Used 2016 Lexus NX 200t 200t FWD Sport Utility

Used 2019 Hyundai Elantra SEL FWD 4dr Car

Sale Price: $19,258

Sale Price: $23,800

Sale Price: $14,500

STOCK: P15574 | MILEAGE: 74,365 FUEL EFFICIENCY: 23 CITY / 30 HWY

STOCK #: P15597 | MILEAGE: 31,082 FUEL EFFICIENCY: 28 CITY / 39 HWY

STOCK: A132767A | MILEAGE:124,512 FUEL EFFICIENCY: 15 CITY / 21 HWY

STOCK: B003704A | MILEAGE: 68,283 FUEL EFFICIENCY: 22 CITY / 28 HWY

STOCK: P15545A | MILEAGE: 50,201 FUEL EFFICIENCY: 19 CITY / 31 HWY

STOCK: P15555 | MILEAGE: 52,715 FUEL EFFICIENCY: 28 CITY / 37 HWY

Advertised price excludes tax, tag, registration, title, and $179.85 documentation fee.

The Patty Peck Promise Lifetime Powertrain Warranty Money Back Guarantee

Honda Certified Express Service Free Car Wash and Vacuum

4VOOZCSPPL 3PBE 3JEHFMBOE .4 t t XXX QBUUZQFDLIPOEB DPN