v8n36 - JFP Wellness Issue: JFP Seeks Wellness by Jackson Free Press Magazine

Vol. 8 | No. 36 // May 20 - 26, 2010

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Ronni Mott Talks to Four Abusers, pp 14 - 19

The JFP Seeks Wellness, p 21 Plant Your Garden, Blom, p 24 Guaqueta & Storm, p 26

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VOL.

8 NO. 36

contents

Tangled Web Convention Center Hotel developers are part of an intriguing web.

Cover illustration by Melissa Webster

COURTESY DALE AND ASSOCIATES; COURTESY MISSISSIPPI DEPARTMENT OF CORRECTIONS ; MELISSA WEBSTER; KARLA POUND

LACEY MCLAUGHLIN

Page 3 Redesigned by Ayatti D. Hatcher

THIS ISSUE: No Defense

bob hudson Local poet Bob Hudson leans forward, adjusts his reading glasses and plunges me into another universe. His wiry voice guides me through his strange world of words and ideas, illuminating the path through “Enemy Country,” a poem in his “Into The Cold Wind” collection. Born and raised in south Jackson by a Southern Baptist preacher, Hudson, 47, recalls an idyllic childhood filled with love and security. He spent a year at Mississippi College but quickly decided college wasn’t right for him at that time. He dropped out, picked up a job parking cars and started reading books—lots of books. Hudson jokes that Lemuria Bookstore could have paid its power bill with the purchases he made there every month. Hudson’s love of bicycling took him to New York City in 1985, where he spent a couple years as a messenger. The pull of the South proved too strong, however, and Hudson returned to Mississippi in 1987. He returned to school, receiving an English degree from the University of Southern Mississippi in 1991, and drove commercial trucks for nine years. Hudson then bought a house in Fondren and found a job at Pearl River Glass Studio on Millsaps Avenue as an installation specialist. “After being on the road, you know, all over the country all the time, this is just like heaven,” Hudson says. Jackson holds a variety of attrac-

tions for the book-loving, bicycling poet. Hudson appreciates the artistic output of the city, saying that though larger art communities can be found in other cities, they often come at the price of higher crime, population density and higher cost of living. Here in Jackson, Hudson has found that there is space to move and stretch. You may have seen Hudson bicycling down the streets of Jackson or reading his poetry on Sunday nights at Cultural Expressions. If you wander around Fondren during Fondren After 5, you might find him handing out copies of his self-published poetry collections. His collections are produced through a top-secret home-publishing process, Hudson says. He has a few copies for sale at Sneaky Beans on State Street, but he says that most of his success comes in face-toface interactions. When asked about the financial impact of his writing, Hudson smiles. “Demand is not overwhelming me at this point in time,” he says. He then leans back, takes a swig of a Miller High Life and adds: “I can’t understand that at all. This was my get rich scheme. It’s going to work. I know.” But all joking aside, his rationale for writing is quite simple: Crafting a successful poem is fun. —Jonathan Eastman

14 Asking Why Too often, the question is: “Why doesn’t she leave?” We ask, “Why does he abuse?”

36 Strong Women The exhibit “Portrait of Jackson Women” challenges stereotypes of women and Mississippians.

jacksonfreepress.com

4.................Editor’s Note 4...................... Slow Poke 6................................ Talk 12......................... Editorial 12...........................Stiggers 12............................... Zuga 21..................... Body/Soul 24...................................Fly 26..........................Hitched 30............................ 8 Days 31..................... JFP Events 34............................. Books 36................................. Arts 37............................. Music 38.............. Music Listings 40............................... Food 44............................. Sports 45............................... Astro

Is Mississippi providing adequate post-conviction defense in capital murder cases?

editor’snote

Ronni Mott Ronni Mott came to Jackson by way of D.C. in 1997. She’s a writer, photographer and the JFP’s managing editor, where she practices her hobbies of herding cats and curmudgeonliness. She teaches yoga in her spare time. She wrote the cover story.

Melissa Webster Melissa Webster is a Delta State University graduate. Her life currently revolves around making art, taking care of a neurotic “wildcat” and dreaming of a 124-count pack of Crayolas. She illustrated the cover and the cover story.

Lance Lomax Lance Lomax is a manager and technical writer for a local transportation firm. He lives in Ridgeland and graduated from the University of Southern Mississippi. He wrote a music piece.

Casey Purvis Casey Purvis is a Fondrenite who loves planting flowers and watching the birds in her backyard. She is a sucker for a thought-provoking documentary. She is owned by Phoebe, a 9-year-old Lhasa Apso and works as a nurse. She wrote Body/Soul.

Diandra Hosey A native of Bay Springs., Diandra Hosey played women’s basketball at Jones County Junior College and Mississippi College. She received her law degree from MC School of Law and is with the Law Offices of Matt Greenbaum. She wrote the sports column.

Korey Harrion Web producer Korey Harrion is a saxophonist who runs a small computer-repair business. He enjoys reading, writing and playing music, origami and playing video games. He loves animals, especially dogs. He posts the Web stories for each issue.

Valerie Wells Valerie Wells is a freelance writer who lives in Hattiesburg. She writes often for regional publications. Follow her on Twitter at sehoy13. She wrote an arts piece.

May 20 - 26. 2010

Randi Ashley Jackson

Account manager Randi Ashley Jackson is a Brandon/Reservoirarea native. She loves organic gardening and her goldfish Gill-Bert. She strives to be the next Food Network star chef, if only in her own mind. She manages JFP sales accounts.

by Lacey McLaughlin, News Editor

Be the Actors

was running late and felt lost in the hallways of the Dirksen Senate Office Building in Washington, D.C, last week, as I attempted to find Sen. Roger Wicker’s office. My feet ached because I had bought into the “pain equals beauty” mantra and walked miles in heels. I was in D.C. after the CARE organization invited me to attend their conference, I followed two young Mississippi women as they lobbied on behalf of legislation to improve access to food, health and maternal care for women throughout the world. Each year advocates attend the CARE conference in Washington, D.C., and lobby their state representatives to act on global initiatives. CARE is a humanitarian organization based in Atlanta that provides sustainable solutions to global poverty, focusing on women and children. More than 800 advocates attended the conference to receive a crash course in lobbying and training on global issues affecting women. This was the first year that advocates from Mississippi attended. After arriving in time to see Jackson women Brittany Hickman and former JFP editorial intern Sital Sanjanwala take these issues to our state leaders, I leaned against a wall outside Wicker’s office to catch my breath. Suddenly, I felt something cold and wet on my arm. As I turned around, I realized that I had leaned up against a freshly painted white wall in my new black dress—now striped black and white. Navigating my way through D.C., in rush hour and getting stuck on a Metro train had already put a damper on the morning. I was starting to feel more like Bridget Jones than Nellie Bly. This experience reminded me of how easy it is to get tunnel vision when we are consumed by our own problems. When I learned about the obstacles that the majority of women face in developing countries, my problems started to pale in comparison. For example, 60 million girls aged 17 or younger are married—many to men twice their age. Many of these girls marry as young as 10. Before getting the chance to fully develop or have an opportunity to succeed, they are having children and becoming family caretakers. Lack of education and economic opportunities are just two factors why girls are married so young. In countries such as Sierra Leone, Nepal and India, marrying off a young girl is a way for families to gain financial stability. Maternal-care issues are another issue for women in many countries, including our own. Every minute of the day a woman dies during pregnancy or childbirth due to inadequate medical care or facilities. But we can take steps to improve the lives of women in the world. Last week U.S. Rep. Lois Capps, D-Calif., introduced the Global MOMS Act that would give the U.S. an opportunity to improve maternal health around the world. The bill would create collaborations between U.S. agencies and develop a strategy to end barriers to health care for mothers and

newborns, such as providing more health clinics and family planning education. Another piece of legislation, the International Preventing Child Marriage Act of 2009, calls for President Barack Obama to develop a strategy to prevent child marriage in developing countries and integrate child-marriage

It’s easy to have tunnel vision, especially in Mississippi. prevention policies in U.S. Foreign Policy. During the conference, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton gave the keynote address and called on attendees to be the voice for others. “We need to be the actors, we need to channel our care into action,” Clinton said. “By creating the conditions in which families and communities thrive, we can create stability, opportunity and progress far beyond any one community and any one country.” She ended her address saying, “Talent is universal, opportunity is not.” It’s easy to have tunnel vision, especially in Mississippi. We have some of the highest rates of poverty, obesity and infant mortality. A majority of our citizens are undereducated, and the status of women is significantly lower than other states. So why add solving the rest of the world’s problems to our list?

Because if we don’t, who will? Derreck Kayongo, a regional coordinator for CARE, is a former refugee from Uganda. As one of the conference’s trainers on legislative issues, he talked about the importance of acting on a global scale. “Mississippi and Africa have some of the same issues,” he said. “Championing rights for women in Somalia is one way to share similar stories. The more spokespersons we have, the more seriously these issues will be taken.” On the last day of the conference I watched as Sanjanwala and Hickman overcame their first-time lobbying jitters and spoke to staff members from the offices of Sens. Wicker and Thad Cochran, and U.S. Rep. Gregg Harper. These young women spent their time and money to be the voice for others. If we look at the success of organizations like CARE and other programs in developing countries, perhaps we can address some of our own issues in Mississippi. I know firsthand how difficult it can be to think of problems that seem so far away, and many times it feels as if there isn’t enough we can do on a personal level that can make a significant difference. I’d like to see more women be voices for women who can’t speak for themselves—in our state and beyond. This week’s cover story about domestic violence by Ronni Mott is one way that the Jackson Free Press strives to do just that. But in terms of looking outside our own borders, we have the opportunity as individuals to tell our elected officials about the role of our country in improving the lives of others and creating a better future for women and children that allows them to use their talents and skills.

jacksonfreepress.com

In Mississippi from 2004-2005 the number of infant deaths before their first birthday rose from 9.7 per thousand to 11.4 per thousand, which is an increase of almost 18 percent. news, culture & irreverence

Thursday, May 13 The United Nations General Assembly elects 14 new members to the Human Rights Council, including several countries accused of human rights violations, including Thailand and Uganda. … The Mississippi Senate passes a bill that gives Gov. Haley Barbour more leeway in cutting funding for state agencies to balance the state’s budget. Friday, May 14 The U.S. Small Business Administration announces that it will provide loans in 11 south Mississippi counties to help fishing-related businesses recover from oil spill damage. … Gov. Haley Barbour joins the multi-state lawsuit challenging the constitutionality of the federal health-care bill Congress passed earlier this year. Saturday, May 15 Scientists find giant oil plumes deep in the waters of the Gulf of Mexico. … In Bangkok, the Thai government continues its efforts to cut off anti-government protestors from the rest of the city. Sunday, May 16 BP engineers achieve some success at the Deepwater Horizon site when they use a mile-long pipe to capture some of the gushing oil and divert it to a tanker on the surface, 5,000 feet above the wellhead. … Police accidently shoot and kill a 7-yearold girl in Detroit, Mich., during their execution of a search warrant in a homicide investigation.

May 20 - 26, 2010

Monday, May 17 The U.S. Supreme Court rules that the federal government may indefinitely hold inmates considered to be sexually dangerous after the completion of their prison terms. … General Motors reports $865 million in first quarter profits, its first profitable quarter since 2007. … YouTube, which receives more than 2 billion page views per day, celebrates its fifth birthday.

Tuesday, May 18 Shell Oil vows an exceptional response in the event of an oil spill, including placing a pre-made dome in Alaska to use in case of a leaking well.

The Saga of the Convention Hotel COURTESY DALE AND ASSOCIATE

Wednesday, May 12 The Republican Party selects Tampa, Fla., as the site of its 2012 presidential nominating convention. … One young boy appears to be the only survivor after a Libyan airliner crashes while landing at the Tripoli, Libya airport, killing 92 passengers.

Hinds Supervisor Phil Fisher is low on gas. p 11

are satisfied that all this will be taken care of, but you’re telling me something that I didn’t know,” Johnson said when the Jackson Free Press asked him about the overdue taxes. In 2006, Mark Small, president of MJS Realty in Dallas, formed The proposed $200 million Capital City Center TCI-MS, a limited liabildevelopment would consist of two hotels, residential, retail ity company, as a partand ofﬁce space along four blocks of Pascagoula Street. nership with the publicly traded Transcontinental Realty Investors, also based in Dallas, to purhe city council met behind closed doors chase the property located between Pearl, Mill Tuesday evening to discuss a possible and Pascagoula streets in downtown Jackson cost-sharing agreement with developers for $1.5 million. of a $200 million mixed-used developThe proposed development would conment along four blocks of Pascagoula street sist of two hotels, residential, retail and office that would include a convention center hotel. space. The current plan entails a 19-story The JFP Daily reported online Tuesday that Crowne Plaza Hotel with 300 guest rooms, a TCI-MS, the LLC that owns the property, has 175-room Staybridge Suites Hotel, a 1,500not paid property taxes for 2009, and is linked car garage, skywalks linking the hotels with to a controversial developer. the convention complex, a 200-unit luxury The Hinds County Tax Collector’s webapartment building and a 150-unit indepensite showed that TCI-MS owes $120,463.34 dent senior living complex. in property taxes for all its investments in A recent public-records request to the Hinds County and $16,990.36 for properties Jackson Redevelopment Authority revealed associated with the hotel, due Feb. 1. that TCI-MS was the only entity to submit a Jackson Mayor Harvey Johnson Jr. said bid proposal for the project in 2006. Monday that he was unaware of the tax dePrior to the closed meeting on Tuesday, linquency. “We want to make sure that the city attorney Pieter Teeuwissen said the meetproperty, that all the taxes are paid and that we

by Lacey McLaughlin

ing was being held in executive session because the state’s open meetings law exempts discussions concerning the purchase, sale or lease of property, and relocation of a businesss or industry from public meetings. Michael Cory, an attorney with the Danks, Miller, Hamer and Cory Law Firm representing Small and TCI-MS, said Tuesday that he did not know about the unpaid property taxes but said he would look into the matter. “That was something I was unaware of, but they will certainly be brought up to date,” Cory said. “Certainly, we want to see the city get their taxes and see them paid properly.” Cory said that TCI-MS and TCI are not the same entity, but are partners in the Capital City Center development. TCI is closely connected with Basic Capital Management founder and former CEO Gene Phillips, who former Mayor Frank Melton championed for high-price development in Jackson. The JFP previously reported that Phillips has a history of controversial business involvements. His company, Phillips Development, filed bankruptcy in 1973, showing $30 million in debt. A second company that he chaired, Southmark Corp., went bankrupt in 1989 during the high-profile savings-and loan-scandal and had assets of more than $8.5 billion, according to the U.S. Department of Justice. In 2010, Phillips’ ownership and role in the companies he and his family creHOTEL, see page 7

BUTT

Y U B A

CAR

“If Congress can constitutionally mandate that we all purchase health insurance, it can also force every American to buy a car or to invest in Treasury Bonds.” —Governor Haley Barbour in a May 14 statement announcing he was joining a multi-state lawsuit challenging the recently passed federal health care bill.

• Start smoking to lose weight. • Start smoking to have something in the other hand while drinking. • Eat sausage only on days ending in “y.” • Reverse engineer lemonade into lemons. • Use 2-liter Diet Coke bottles for barbells. • Play more basketball—on X-box. • Start the Ben & Jerry’s fast. • Begin a root-beer float fast. • Adkins diet. • Daily KFC doubledowns. • Get angrier. • Stay off-center. • Work more.

talk

news, culture & irreverence

HOTEL, from page 6

ated and manage are more convoluted than in the past. In 2008, the SEC reported that he represents his children’s trust, which now owns Basic Capital, and according to the SEC and TCI-MS’ attorney Cory, Phillips advises TCI and its developments, including TCI-MS. His children’s trust owns Realty Advisors Inc., and Phillips himself owns Syntek West. Those two companies, in turn, own Prime Income Asset Management Inc., the sole member of Prime Income Asset Management LLC. That LLC is the contractual adviser to TCI. TCI is located 1800 Valley View Lane, and MJS is located at 1750 Valley View Lane in Dallas. The federal government indicted Phillips in June 2000 in an alleged scheme to bribe union officials in a proposed sale of preferred stock shares of a company advised by BCM. The FBI’s “Operation Uptick” indicted 120 people in the scheme, including members of several organized-crime families. Phillips was acquitted of those charges in 2002. According to The Wall Street Journal, after the indictments, Phillips stepped down from his prominent role managing day-to-day operations of BCM. Phillips’ family owned a company that tried to purchase the Tulsa, Okla.-based American Reserved Life Insurance Company in 1999. Despite warnings from state officials, Oklahoma Insurance Commissioner Carroll Fisher approved the purchase. An Oklahoma House of Representatives’ committee investigated Fisher in 2004 for allegations of bribery. Fisher was found guilty of bribery for accepting gifts from Phillips and sentenced in 2009 to six months in a lock-down facility in

Tulsa. Phillips, however, faced no charges and has denied bribing Fisher, who authorities said refused to cooperate. Cory defended Phillips Tuesday, pointing to his achievements. “All you have to do is look at his track record, what he has done in the last 10 to 15 years. He has done huge projects in the United States and other countries; he has been a very successful developer,” Cory said. “I don’t think it would be fair to look into the fact that he was acquitted of charges as an indication of his competence and expertise as a developer,” he added. “There are people that are wrongly charged, unfortunately, in this country everyday, and those who can afford to defend themselves frequently, or ultimately, are found not to have done anything wrong, and I think that was the case with Gene.” Gene Phillips’ website shows that his, his real estate management company Prime Income Asset Management manages more than $3.54 billion in assets. Phillips is also the founder of Prime Income Asset Management, a real estate and energy management company with over $3.54 billion in managed assets. PIAM is currently constructing a 425-acre resort called Port Olpeniz in Germany. Phillips is also the chairman of Balkan Energy Company LLC, a privately owned energy company that conducts power projects in developing countries. MJS lists several current and complete hotel projects on their website, including an Extended Stay Hotel in St. Thomas, the Ritz Carlton in San Franciso, the Centura Hotel in Dallas, and Hyatts in Texas and Colorado. Mark Small did not return calls for comment. See updates at jacksonfreepress.com.

State’s First Legal Distillery Opens by Ward Schaefer

WARD SCHAEFER

jacksonfreepress.com

eginning Wednesday, May 19, and federal permits themselves. The state Mississippi liquor stores will of- Alcoholic Beverage Control has been helpfer a truly local spirit. Cathead ful, though, Evan says, especially on tax Vodka, the first issues. legally distilled spirit in The two have started the state, goes on sale this with a first bottling run of week, after a nearly three2,000 cases. They plan to year development process. scale up production once The corn-based alcohol is they secure additional pera joint venture of Jackson mits for on-site distilling at Austin Evans and Richard native Austin Evans and Patrick are co-owners their Gluckstadt facility. “The main focus Georgia transplant Rich- of Cathead Vodka, the state’s ﬁrst locally distilled we’ve had is liquor stores, ard Patrick. because that’s the first cycle “This is a project legal spirit. of consumers,” Evans said. we’ve been working on for three years,” Evans said. “It’s something “Some bars and restaurants do purchase we’ve always wanted to do—a project through liquor stores, so we couldn’t really we’ve had in the back of our heads since do bars and restaurants ’til the liquor stores had it. Our next step is to start approachwe’ve known each other.” Evans, 29, and Patrick, 27, met at the ing on-premise sites, which are bars and University of Alabama, where both studied (restaurants), and hopefully get them to business. Cathead Vodka is the first busi- pick it up and carry it and pour it.” Evans describes Cathead’s image as ness venture for the duo, and they have “a good old Southern distillery—for a enlisted the help of several silent investors. With no precedent for their idea in place that’s had a bunch of moonshining Mississippi, Evans and Patrick have had to and illegal distilleries, a real one to reprefind their way through the maze of state sent the state.”

oiltalk

by Adam Lynch

NOAA Expands Gulf No-Fishing Zone

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the water and create widespread incidence of dead zones comparable to the seasonal zooplankton dead zone near the mouth of the Mississippi River. The dead zone could envelope delicate JESSE CROW

he National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration announced Tuesday that it is expanding the ban zone on fishing in the Gulf to about 20 percent of the entire Gulf as a result of the continuing jet of oil erupting into the ocean floor off the coast of Louisiana. British Petroleum’s Deepwater Horizon exploded April 20, killing 11 people and triggering an underwater geyser of oil 5,000 feet below the ocean, which continues to spew an indescribable amount of crude oil into Gulf waters. Early estimates put the daily eruption at more than 210,000 gallons of oil a day, although NOAA stopped attempting to log the amount due to the unreliability of data. The administration outlined an everexpanding fishing ban that already extends south of the Florida panhandle and now creeps toward the placid waters of the Florida peninsula and Key West. Marine scientists say the spread of the oil may be facilitated by BP’s use of detergents to break up the oil, and fear for the future of the Gulf’s coral reefs. “The oil companies are making a judgment call on a trade-off on which ecosystems to sacrifice: the shoreline and surface animals or the water column,” Sandra Brooke, coral conservation director for the Marine Conservation Biology Institute of Bellevue, Wa., said. “It’s partly a PR exercise, because no one wants to see this nasty stuff globbing up onshore, but with the amount of oil, you’re not really trading anything off. Both ecosystems will get hit.” BP’s efforts to disperse the spill have netted a significant decrease in the amount of surface oil riding the waves to Gulf state beaches; however, Brooke told the Jackson Free Press that BP’s use of almost 600,000 gallons of a dispersant, both on the surface and injected directly into the well, virtually insures that the oil will break its habit of floating and travel directly through the seawater all along the Gulf. Bacteria feeding on the oil could consume all the oxygen in

BP is still attempting to contain the results of an April 20 explosion using ﬂoat booms, but NOAA has imposed a ﬁshing ban that extends beyond the Florida panhandle.

coral reefs as far as Florida Keys’ National Marine Sanctuary and Texas, but Brooke said an even more extensive deepwater reef spanning the Gulf could ultimately feel the impact. “The problem with inserting dispersants at depth is that the most well-developed deepwater coral system we know of in the Gulf of Mexico is less than 100 kilometers up the shelf from (the massive leak). Nobody has been considering the effects of that dispersed crap on the real deep-water corals,” Brooke said. “I’ve worked extensively on the deepwater system. We’re going back there in September, and I’m a bit concerned with what we’re going to see.” BP made its legal commitment to the oil damage last week. The company put in writing a list of vocal obligations to attorneys general from five Gulf states, including

a commitment to quick claim assistance to fishing and tourist industry workers affected by the oil; a second commitment to waive a $75 million cap on liability and claims from the Transocean/Deepwater Horizon deepwater oil rig; and an agreement to dismiss contracts signed by boaters and fishermen BP paid to participate in the company’s clean-up effort that prevented them from filing lawsuits over the spill. “BP intends to take responsibility for responding to the MC 252 spill,” stated BP attorney John E. Lynch in the May 10 letter. Brooke said she feared the poisonous dispersant/oil mix travels more easily with the east bound Gulf current, and doubted the legal claims against the company would ultimately counter the extensive amount of environmental damage. The Gulf Restoration Network and the Sierra Club carried the fight to the U.S. government on Tuesday, filing a May 18 suit in U.S. District Court, in New Orleans, against the U.S. Minerals Management Service for exempting oil companies drilling in the Gulf of Mexico from disclosing blowout and worst case oil spill scenarios. The suit maintains that law requires the Minerals Management Service to include blowout and worst-case oil-spill scenarios before approving offshore drilling plans, but that MMS approved the Horizon rig without this step. “The basic problem here is that the Minerals Management Service tried to change the law without telling anybody,” stated Sierra Club attorney Robert Wiygul in a May 18 press release. “That’s bad policy, and the BP mess proves it’s a disaster for the environment.” The suit asks the court to not only invalidate MMS’ practice of removing compliance requirement but orders a review of existing offshore drilling plans that do not comply with existing rules. The suit was filed in federal court in New Orleans.

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Death-Row Prisoners Sue State

COURTESY MISSISSIPPI DEPARTMENT OF CORRECTIONS

teve Knox has been on Mississippi’s death to raise any complaints of government death row for murder since 1999. In misconduct, ineffective representation or jury a lawsuit filed May 6, Jackson attorney issues their in post-conviction petitions. DeJim Craig says that the state’s legal veloping a petition for post-conviction relief system has repeatedly failed Knox and 15 takes an enormous amount of time, however: other death-row inmates. The problems with attorneys must trawl through trial and appeals Knox’s representation began with a woefully records, as well as re-interview witnesses. underprepared lawyer in his original trial and The American Bar Association provides continued when a state-funded agency failed a guideline for workload on capital post-conto thoroughly investigate the original trial for viction cases of 800 to 1200 hours per case. later, post-conviction petitions, Craig alleges. Work on post-conviction cases often extends Charles Press, now a senior attorney well beyond the ABA guideline, Press said. with the California Innocence Project, tried “By the time someone gets a case in to help Knox’s trial post-conviction, it attorney. Along with can be seven, eight Debra Sabah, now his years after trial,” Press wife, Press provided said. “If it wasn’t tried pro bono assistance on very well, it’s just that death penalty cases in much harder to try Mississippi from 1998 to find the evidence to 2001. The two met that you need to with Knox’s attorney present. … You have the weekend before to present everything his trial and drafted as sworn testimony several pre-trial mothrough affidavits. It’s tions for the attorney a really time-consumto use, including ing process. motions for DNA Created in evidence and a psychi2000, the Office of atric evaluation. The Capital Post-Contrial attorney, who had Steve Knox is one of 16 death-row viction Counsel prisoners suing the state over its not prepared for the post-conviction defense system. started with a staff trial before meeting of three attorneys and Press and Sabah, filed only one of the mo- one investigator. The state Supreme Court tions, however. began assigning cases to the office almost “That was a startling lack of prepara- immediately, handing the office 16 cases in tion,” Press said. “Even by Mississippi stan- an eight-week span from November 2009 dards, I hadn’t seen someone going to trial to January 2001. Faced with a daunting in a death penalty case who did that little. It workload, then-director C. Jackson Wilwas doomed.” liams tried to hire private attorneys to Evidence of Knox’s ill-prepared help prepare petitions in the cases, which trial lawyer may have helped Knox obtain were due in 180 days. Chief Justice Edwin a lighter sentence, but the state-appointed Pittman blocked Williams’ efforts, though, lawyers who represent death-row prisoners and in a December 2001 confidential order after conviction never raised the evidence in charged him with “improper” actions for their 2003 petition on his behalf. They also attempting to hire the outside attorneys, did not seek new DNA testing, which, in Craig says in the lawsuit. Williams resigned the case of Knox’s federal lawyers, has raised Dec. 31, 2001. doubts about whether Knox’s blood matches “It started off somewhat slow, and then that found on the victim. In 2005, the state it became very clear that the court was just Supreme Court denied Knox’s petition and going to pile every case that they had on reaffirmed his death sentence. them,” Press said. “When Jack Williams was Knox is one of 16 death-row prisoners head, it just collapsed under the weight of suing Mississippi for failure to adequately the cases, and he resigned, which I think was staff and fund the Office of Capital Post- actually the ethical thing to do given what Conviction Counsel, which represents death- his caseload was.” sentenced prisoners after they have exhausted After Williams’ departure, the ofthe state appeals process. The lawsuit, filed fice declined further. Two staff attorneys May 6 in Hinds County Chancery Court, resigned, leaving new director Bob Ryan alleges that the Mississippi Supreme Court, as the office’s only attorney for several which appoints the office’s executive director, months. At the same time, state support for prevented successive directors from hiring the office decreased. In 2001, the Office of private attorneys to help shoulder a rapidly Capital Post-Conviction Counsel received growing caseload. In the suit, Craig alleges $987,285 in state appropriations. The that the state Legislature compounded the next year, its budgets dropped 27 percent, office’s staffing shortage by repeatedly slash- to $719,289. In 2003, the Legislature cut ing its budget. the office’s funding by another 10 percent, State law requires prisoners sentenced to to $647,702.

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justicetalk

by Adam Lynch

AMILE WILSON

NAACP Blasts MDPS’ Decision

NAACP President Derrick Johnson blasted Department of Public Safety Commissioner Steve Simpson’s decision to ignore May 11 U.S. EEOC recommendations on the department’s alleged racially motivated ﬁring of black troopers.

May 20 - 26, 2010

he Mississippi NAACP is condemning Department of Public Safety Commissioner Steve Simpson’s decision to ignore a May 11 finding by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission that the department fired Horn Lake trooper Michael McField for racially motivated reasons. “It is obvious that there is a structural problem within the Department of Public Safety as it relates to African American state troopers,” Mississippi NAACP President Derrick Johnson said. “Commissioner Simpson should heed the investigation of the EEOC and begin to address the discrimination taking place within the department, so that individuals who are charged with the responsibility of protecting and serving the people of the state have the assurance of being treated as equals.” The NAACP filed a formal EEOC complaint last year on behalf of the Mississippi Central State Troopers’ Coalition, which represents about 200 black troopers, including McField. The complaint claimed that department leaders promoted less experienced white employees over black employees, and that black troopers suffered “discriminatory practices and racial slurs with the knowledge and

approval of Assistant DPS Commissioner (and Highway Patrol Chief) Col. Michael Berthay, or in many instances, committed by him.” Last October, Simpson approved the firing of McField—who was one of two troopers speaking publicly about the alleged discrimination, but DPS spokesman Jon Kalahar said the department had good reason to fire him. “Obviously the commissioner stands behind not only the Mississippi highway patrol … but the Mississippi Employee Appeals Board,” Kalahar said. “They backed up the highway patrol’s ruling that he should be terminated and the commissioner stands with both those rulings.” The Mississippi Highway Patrol argues in papers filed before the Mississippi Employee Appeals Board that the commissioner sent McField his Oct. 30 termination papers after the department’s performance review board found four of five charges against McField justified, including two incidents of failure to respond to accidents. On May 2 2009, dispatchers sent McField to work an accident in Tunica County, but McField instead called the Tunica County sheriff’s deputy to respond. Later that same day, Kalahar said dispatchers sent McField to a 10:56 a.m. accident in Desoto County. He arrived on the scene late and allegedly was out of uniform, wearing tennis shoes, shorts and a jacket. Kalahar said department officials learned of McField’s dress by pulling video footage of the accident scene from his car Aug. 20, 2009. Kalahar said McField also failed to show up for a Biloxi security detail at the National Governor’s Association Conference between July 15 -20, and offered no medical excuse. The EEOC requested Public Safety send a response to McField’s complaint, which included a list of his offenses that Kalahar said got him fired. But the EEOC still found reasonable cause to believe the department had acted in violation of the 1964 Civil Rights Act, even with the department’s charges against McField in hand. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission area director Wilma Scott opined in the decision that “after charging party com-

plained, the evidence showed that his activities and movements were closely monitored by his superiors, and he was constantly singled out for criticism and discharged.” The department also fired black trooper Jerry Merrill, the second vocal complainant supported by the NAACP in its motion. Kalahar said the Mississippi Employee Appeals Board also upheld department complaints against Merrill for “padding his citation numbers,” and for not turning over illegal drugs confiscated from violators. Jackson attorney Latrice Westbrooks, who is representing Merrill, said she has not yet received a response from the EEOC on her client’s complaint, but is expecting one. Johnson said no more troopers spoke out vocally last year because they feared precisely the kind of retaliation from the department wielded against McField and Merrill. The EEOC, which has no direct power over the Mississippi Highway Patrol, recommended the department re-hire McField and pay him $50,000 in compensatory damages and back wages from 2009—and for the department to reimburse McField’s attorneys. This opinion marks the second opinion favoring the black troopers since the NAACP filed the complaint last year. The EEOC rendered a decision on the larger Coalition complaint last June, and found the department in violation of the Civil Rights Act. The commission suggested several things to DPS, including restitution of up to $1 million for the officers. The commission could eventually submit its findings to the U.S. Department of Justice, which will conduct its own investigation of the issue. This means the Justice Department will now be investigating both the Coalition complaint and McField complaint. Kalahar said the department expected a different decision out of the Justice Department on both counts: “[W]e didn’t feel like they did a thorough investigation, but we feel we’ll get a fair shake out of the Justice Department because they have asked us for information and forms and we’ve provided it to them.”

publiceye

See the documents at jfppubliceye.com

by Ward Schaefer

Supervisor Phil Fisher charged Hinds County the least for Fuelman gas purchases last year.

uel purchases by the Hinds County Board of Supervisors have cost county taxpayers over $10,000 since January 2009, according to documents obtained by the Jackson Free Press. The Jackson Free Press obtained Fuelman expense reports for each of the five county supervisors through a public-records request. The Fuelman program gives public employees a third-party account to purchase gas for government vehicles. The program came under scrutiny in 2009, when a city of Jackson audit revealed 9,000 discrepancies in Fuelman transactions for a four-month period in 2008.

Since then, city officials have repeatedly urged employees to use the program cautiously. While the records reveal no apparent misuse of the Fuelman program, they do illustrate different patterns in the use of countyprovided vehicles between supervisors. Board President Robert Graham earned the most-expensive award, racking up $3,239.47 in charges to his Fuelman account from January 2009 to March 2010. Of that, $1,558.43 was attributed to a special-projects coordinator and $1,669.85 to Graham himself. In that span, Graham put 16,163 miles on his county vehicle. Almost all of Graham’s Fuelman purchases were in Jackson or the surrounding metro area, with the exception of an April 2009 trip to Tupelo. George Smith proved the most well-traveled supervisor, racking up 19,045 miles and total expenses of $2,948.01. Smith told the Jackson Free Press that he regularly drives 100 miles in a day, traveling across his district on county business. Smith pointed out that his district is one of the county’s largest, extending south from Woodrow Wilson Avenue to the Copiah County border. Smith also made out-of-county trips to Hernando and, in July, to Nashville for a conference of the National Association of Counties. Like all out-of-state travel, Smith’s

Nashville trip had to be approved beforehand. State law requires the board to approve outof-state travel requests by inserting them in its meeting minutes. Smith said that he would expect his Fuelman expenses to be higher than those for Graham and Supervisor Peggy Calhoun, both of whom represent districts entirely within Jackson’s city limits. “(There) should be a whole lot of difference in mine and, say, Mr. Graham’s and Ms. Calhoun’s,” Smith said. “Their (districts) are all city; they don’t have to go out of the city. From one end of my district to the other is 40 miles. If I make one trip, that’s as much as they’ll drive in a week.” While Graham and Calhoun represent the smallest districts in the county, they are not the board’s lightest drivers. Supervisor Phil Fisher, who represents a large swath of central Hinds County, including Clinton and Byram, earns that honor. Fisher is the board’s lone Republican and vociferous opponent of increases to county spending. He has apparently walked the fiscally conservative walk as well, buying only $697.33 in gas and traveling only 3,955 miles from January 2009 to March 2010. Calhoun had the next-lowest expenses, charging the county $943.83 for gas and

traveling 5,262 miles. Calhoun recorded two fuel purchases outside the metro area: one in Biloxi June 18 and another in Robinsonville, near Tunica, Aug.15. Supervisor Doug Anderson, whose district runs along Hinds County’s northern and western borders, accumulated $2,263.66 in Fuelman expenses, driving 18,359 miles. Board Attorney Crystal Martin deserves special recognition for being abundantly helpful with the public-records request that precipitated this column. Martin accepted our request via e-mail—none of this fax nonsense—and responded with an estimated cost in seven days. Even more significantly, the price Martin quoted, $31, reflected only the copying costs. She didn’t charge us retrieval costs, as she was technically allowed to, under state law. Martin’s decision to waive the retrieval costs should not be newsworthy. Unfortunately, many governmental bodies in Mississippi take advantage of state law allowing for “reasonable” retrieval and copying charges by charging prohibitively high costs for records. This is a deceptive tactic, as it allows agencies to appear open, claiming to grant a records request, while effectively stonewalling journalists and citizens as thoroughly as if they had denied the request from the outset.

PAID ADVERTISEMENT

here is much buzz around town about the new upscale Jackson restaurant Parlor Market. Owner and Chef Craig Noone’s concept for Parlor Market, to open this summer at 115 W. Capitol Street in downtown Jackson, is to incorporate history into the design and bring seasonal Southern fare mixed with fine dining. Upscale Southern food will change on the menu as often as the seasons of Mississippi. Produce from local farmers will be incorporated into the menu. For example, the menu’s Summer Salad will have corn, purple hull peas, heirloom tomatoes, cornbread croutons and tomato vinaigrette. Craig Noone, Owner/Chef “We will offer healthier choices, lighter than traditional Southern food,” said Noone. “Light, refreshing dishes with some Southwestern elements will be offered.” Noone said that the regional flavors of the state will influence the menu: from Vietnameseinfluenced cuisine from the Gulf Coast to Lebanese and Greek influences from the Mississippi Delta. Noone has recruited two excellent chefs from the Dallas area to help him achieve this, as well as have a full-service bar area, an oyster bar and ceviche bar. Ceviche is raw fish cooked with keylime juice, salt and various flavorings. The menu will offer a culinary delight like no other. For example, the Fish Tacos and Chips with Southern Pecan beer-battered catfish, jalapeño tarter, and salt and malt vinegar chips. The Broken Arrow Ranch Venison with Delta ground sweet potato polenta, bacon-braised green beans and Bourbon fig glaze. As for design, Noone said that much of the building’s original history can be seen throughout the restaurant. For instance, the building in the past was a former oyster bar and smokehouse butcher shop, and it housed Continental Leather and Dixie Marble. When customers dine at Parlor Market, they will see these past businesses’ designs from leather banquettes, a marble bar and marble countertops for the oyster bar, tables made from 1850’s Louisiana Cypress and even old butcher hooks that will be used for ladies to hang their purses on while dining. A Jackson native, Noone had moved to Texas after graduating from Missisippi College. He graduated from Texas Culinary Academy in Austin, Texas, and also has a Masters in Italian Cuisine from Italian Culinary Institute in Piedmont, Italy. Noone has also worked with three chefs who are James Beard Award recipients. Noone is very excited about his restaurant’s future and the flavor Parlor Market will add to downtown Jackson’s renaissance. Make plans now to dine at Parlor Market by reservation only. Parlor Market will open for dinner and then this fall will extend their hours to service the lunch crowd. Dinner will be served Tuesday - Thursday from 5 to 10 p.m. and Saturday from 5 to 11 p.m.

jacksonfreepress.com

WARD SCHAEFER

Supes’ Fuelman Records

jfp op/ed

opining, grousing & pontificating

EDITORIAL

Sun Must Shine on Convention Hotel Deal

ayor Harvey Johnson Jr. dismayed the Jackson Free Press at the City Council work session Monday when he said the city was looking to enter into a possibly-financial deal with TCI-MS to complete the stalled Capital City Center, but that the details would be discussed in closed session at the Council meeting Tuesday (soon after this issue went to press). The city should not enter into any agreements that involve taxpayer money going into private coffers without a full vetting by the public, and taxpayers should have every opportunity to ask questions and object as needed. Local and state entities often abuse the privilege of executive session with the circular logic that they have private business to discuss behind closed doors, thus that is why they must close the doors. This isn’t good enough, and instances of public-private partnerships need the utmost sunshine to ensure that the taxpayers’ money is spent wisely. The mayor’s announcement was disturbing for other reasons that the Jackson Free Press has expressed for several years. A convention center hotel is clearly needed in order to make the convention center a success: a problem we warned about years ago when we initially expressed concern about the convention center bond issue precisely because the taxpayers would likely end up footing the bill, or a chunk of it, for a convention center hotel. Another vital question is who does the hotel and what they bring to Jackson. The named developer is TCI-MS, run by Mark Small, and we hear good things about him personally. However, TCI-MS is part of a very complicated web of LLCs and corporations that leads back to Dallas businessman Gene Phillips, who has been involved in some fashion in a number of notorious business situations over the years and is an adviser to TCI. We first got curious about Phillips when then-Mayor Frank Melton tried to take one of our editors on a private plane to meet him. Alas, Melton flew away without the JFP editor, but motivated us to do some research. Suffice it to say, drama follows Mr. Phillips around. (See Lacey McLaughlin’s story on page 6.) Jackson needs a lot of things, but drama is not one of them. We’ve got enough of our own, and much of it is home grown. We know that Jackson now needs a convention-center hotel, and we want to see it happen. But not by any means necessary, and certainly not at the risk of the city getting involved in and derailed by any more drama, such as that which prevailed during the Frank Melton era. Should the city be considering such a move, we demand that all business be conducted in plain view of the public. We all need to be at this table.

KEN STIGGERS

Desperate Plea

May 20 - 26, 2010

r. Announcement: “G-SPAN (Ghetto Science Public Affairs Network) presents the ‘Lord Have Mercy I’m Still Unemployed Center Summer Jobs Summit.’ Rev. Cletus, spiritual advisor and pastor of Rev. Cletus Car Sales Church, is the guest motivational speaker.” Rev. Cletus: “Bless your broken hearts and tired souls. As I look around this room, I see desperate and anxious people enduring cycles of progress and uncertainty. All I can say to the unemployed is this: ‘Don’t allow joblessness to challenge your faith and patience. And when being unemployed is just too hard to bear, take a deep breath and pray the unemployed workers’ prayer.’ “Please repeat after me: “Our father, who is in heaven, this is a desperate plea: We need jobs; We need them now—on earth with a company that has decent benefits! Give us this day a successful second interview. Forgive our moans, gripes and complaints about how broke we are, as we forgive the employer who fired us. And let us not be tempted to beg, borrow and steal from our working neighbors. But deliver us from becoming part of the 9 percent unemployment rate. For we will be grateful about having a job and not lavishly spend our hard earned money again. Amen!’ “I prayed this prayer when General Motors laid me off about 15 years ago. Now, I’m a car-selling pastor! “So, if you need an inexpensive vehicle to drive to your new job, come to Rev. Cletus Car Sales Church and ride off with a blessing.”

CHATTER

Comments from www.jacksonfreepress.com

Racist Names, Beware OK, these name changes are starting to get ridiculous! Just in case some of you don’t know, the city of Jackson was named after Andrew Jackson. A slave owner and supporter of slavery. If you are going to get offended by streets named after “racists,” go ahead and just change the name of the capital city. —js1976 JS: That’s a talk-radio point, not an argument. There’s no logic to the assertion that because Jackson is named after Andrew Jackson, it’s therefore inappropriate for someone to take offense at streets or buildings named after 20thcentury segregationists inside the city of Jackson. Otherwise, you’re arguing that some improvement is no improvement at all. —Todd Stauffer Renaming a street is easy. Fixing the deepseated social and economic problems that plague a street is much harder. —Jeff Lucas I hear you, Jeff, on the efficacy of spending time changing symbols vs. doing the real work that the symbols, well, symbolize … Of course, the more we keep talking about it now, the quicker that time will come. And every statement a diverse group of people, such as on this website, makes about how back-ass all those racist symbols are, and then challenge back-ass thinking … the more the rest of the world will see that we’re not (all) like (our state) used to be. —Donna Ladd

There is a difference between learning our history and celebrating symbols of racism. For instance, I think one of the reasons people can be cavalier about dismissing 20th-century segregationists is that they have never learned about men like Bilbo and Vardaman. They don’t realize that these men openly, militantly advocated the public murder of African Americans. But learning about these men is different than naming streets after them or erecting statues in their honor. That is celebrating and honoring monstrous men. … People should learn about the Nazis, but I wouldn’t want to live on Hitler Street. —Brian C. Johnson This is ridiculous! If the street names offend some people, then fine, change them. But change them to A Street, B Street, C street, Avenue 1, Avenue 2, etc. so there will be NO possibility of offending anyone ... and no wasteful, resourceconsuming, long drawn-out debate (which you know there will be) about what to rename the streets! —The Eskimo “Slavery of blacks in America: it happened, it was bad, it ended 150 years ago.” But it didn’t. It has never really ended. Only when the black population is socioeconomically equal to the white population will I concede that point. —DrumminD21311

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B. L. FISH

Pie in the Sky

EDITORIAL Managing Editor Ronni Mott News Editor Lacey McLaughlin Senior Reporter Adam Lynch Reporter Ward Schaefer Events Editor Latasha Willis Music Listings Editor Herman Snell Assistant to the Editor ShaWanda Jacome Writers Andi Agnew, Lisa Fontaine Bynum, Rob Hamilton, Carl Gibson, Jackie Warren Tatum Anita Modak-Truran,Will Morgan, Larry Morrisey, Andy Muchin, Chris Nolen,Tom Ramsey, Doctor S, Ken Stiggers,Valerie Wells, Byron Wilkes, John Yargo Editorial Interns Sarah Bush, Alexandra Dildy, Deanna Graves, Kalissia Veal Consulting Editor JoAnne Prichard Morris

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hose of us who understand educational theory can clearly see the foundations on which Lynn Stoddard’s “Educating for Human Greatness” (Peppertree Press, 2010, $18.50) is based. None of the ideas are new; they are synthesized from many great thinkers of the past, but who listens to great thinkers these days? People either write them off as eccentric (if they’re rich) or crazy (if they’re poor). Stoddard weaves seven priorities—identity, inquiry, interaction, initiative, imagination, intuition and integrity—into six principles: supporting human diversity; drawing forth potential; respecting autonomy; inviting inquiry; supporting professionalism; and community action. He tells us that we should work through the current system to create schools that are inviting to our youth, schools that are meaningful, relevant and exciting to them. He encourages parents and teachers to stand for what is good and right for our children. Pie in the sky! Mr. Stoddard told me that he wants to put this book into the hands of every teacher, school administrator, parent and legislator. I don’t blame him. He has some really good ideas. He collaborated with world-renowned educators. The book even includes plans to put the ideas into action. If you are over 40, you probably went through the traditional pre-80’s school system. We hold on to our traditions. Heck! We went to those schools, and we turned out OK. Right? But since the early 1980s, business leaders blamed the schools for our economic downturns. Shortly after 1983, when the National Commission on Excellence in Education made public its report, “A Nation at Risk: The Imperative for Educational Reform,” things began to change dramatically. Business interests began to focus on the school. We no longer developed citizens; we began developing workers. Big business used modern promotional tools to condition the American people to believe that schools are the cause of our nation’s woes, and argued for more rigorous curricula, more accountability, and a return to the basics to build a solid foundation for our children. Our children need to know the things that are important for business and future employment: to be able to read on grade level (whatever that means) and perform complex math functions. So where did that take us? The ’90s were the beginning of the “standards movement” in our schools. With it, we saw increased emphasis on reading and math skills to increase our children’s performance on standardized tests. Also in that decade, we witnessed the highest juvenile arrest rate for violent crimes. Heroin and cocaine use among youth climbed almost 300 percent when compared to rates in the 1970s and 1980s; drug abuse for the American youth jumped to 13 times the rate of 20 years before. Certainly this information is

evidence about how our “back to the basics” emphasis did not work for our children. It sounds like rebellion to me; the harder we pushed our children into the mold, the more they rebelled. Stoddard has created a plan. Having been an administrator, he speaks “administrivia” (administrator talk). Maybe he can convince them. He also knows that our children desperately need to find their identity when they are young. Overemphasis on academics in preschool and kindergarten is robbing our children of initiative, inquiry and imagination. Developmental theorists Erik Erickson and Jean Piaget told us that these attributes develop early in a child’s life. Do you think that the business interests are trying to kill these instincts before they bud, thinking that the people will be more docile and trainable if they are all alike? A fellow named Adolph Hitler tried that, and it almost worked. Social psychologist Lev Vygotsky taught that children learn though interaction with each other and with grown-ups. Through guided play, children learn academics but they also learn caring communication, cooperation and courtesy. As children grow and begin to accept life on life’s terms, Lawrence Kohlberg, who studied with Piaget, tells us that they develop a sense of morality and integrity if given the opportunity to discover self-responsibility along with society’s limitations. These scientists were not just blowing smoke. These are proven theories. These theories are not limited to children in a few scattered educational research projects used by companies to sell their products or professors to get published for promotion. The theories are universally accepted developmental and learning truths. So, we know what is good and right for our children. Slowly, parents, grandparents and teachers will begin to see through the smoke screen created by the quite profitable testing companies. Already, we see that business needs government bailouts to survive. Teachers are being laid-off. Where is their bailout? Remember, many parents of our youngest citizens are under 40. They, too, are victims of the post-80s standardized educational regime. Grandparents, I ask you to read Mr. Stoddard’s book and explain it to your children. It will take a lot of time, but we are protecting our future. I’m old. I will keep teaching, but I may not live to see the turn-around. One day you’ll be walking down the street, and some blueberry filling will land on your head. That will be me eating my pie in the sky. Dr. B.L. Fish taught young children for more than 23 years. He is an associate professor at Jackson State University in the Department of Elementary and Early Childhood Education, specializing in emotional intelligence. He served as chairman of the Child Care Advisory Board for Mississippi from 2006 to 2010 and plays blues and jazz whenever possible.

FONDREN Old World charm of Tudor Style architecture w/ new paint throughout. Open kitchen w/ new breakfast bar island. Incomparable curb appeal and landscaping. Covered porch on frontside of house extends living area to the outside for entertaining or just relaxing with a cup of coffee. *Berry Dumas* Call 601.982.8455

MADISON Lowest priced home in Cypress Lake. New architectural grade roof. Large greatroom with fireplace and builtins. Formal dining. Nice kitchen with gas cooktop, breakfast bar and big breakfast area. Split bedroom plan. Covered porch. Fenced yard with great trees. Courthouse with pool and tennis courts in the neighborhood. *Don Potts* Call 601.982.8455

Flowood Great townhome! Not many of these exist! Downstairs features wood floors and high ceilings - living/dining open to the kitchen. Living area has a fireplace and the kitchen has granite counters & stainless appliances. Laundry room and 1/2 bath are also down. Upstairs features 2 bedrooms each with a private bath. Complex is gated - this is an end unit, so it is only attached to one other unit - great for privacy! *Becky Tann* Call 601.982.8455

For information on these properties, call us at 601-982-8455 or visit nixtann.com for a free MLS search.

jacksonfreepress.com

Editor in Chief Donna Ladd Publisher Todd Stauffer

by Ronni Mott Illustrations by Melissa Webster

Most of the names of people and institutions have been changed to protect the identities of the individuals who shared their stories.

May 20 - 26, 2010

bout 10 minutes before Jasmine stabbed her boyfriend, William, he had her on the floor of her grandmother’s house, choking her to the point that she passed out. It wasn’t the first time he had attacked her in that way, but it would be the last, she said. The couple fought constantly, and after about eight months together, they moved into Jasmine’s grandmother’s vacant house in Rankin County after being evicted from an apartment because of their fighting. Both of them ended up in jail after one particularly ugly incident, and the court directed them to take anger-management classes. Jasmine lost her job due to one too many absences, and she asked her ex-husband to take care of their 14 three children, at least temporarily.

About a month after moving into her grandmother’s vacant house in Rankin County, Jasmine and William started fighting one Sunday after coming home from church. “I was just so angry the whole day. Everything he was doing was just really making me upset,” she said, adding: “The Lord was really trying to tell me something. … I was miserable.” The next morning, Jasmine had made up her mind. She would pack up William’s stuff while he was at work. She’d had enough. “I was done,” she said, but William wasn’t. He attacked her before leaving for his job, pushing her to the floor and choking her until she blacked out. When she came to, it took her a minute to realize where she was, Jasmine said. She ran to the kitchen where she grabbed a “little steak knife,” and she shouted for Wil-

The Batterer’s Intervention Program

he Batterer’s Intervention Program is designed to curb domestic violence through coordinated community response. Based on the Duluth Model developed in 1980 in Duluth, Minn., the Center for Domestic Violence held the first class for batterers Sept. 15, 2009. Currently, it is the only such program in the state of Mississippi, and proceeds from the Jackson Free Press 2009 Chick Ball provided the seed money for initiating the program. Judges direct batterer’s—usually first-time offenders—to attend the 24-week program, which is staffed by trained facilitators and uses a range of tools to teach offenders alternatives to coercive, controlling and abusive behavior in intimate relationships. Individuals who recognize a need for intervention can also sign up for the classes without a court order. The program works to ensure safety for the partners of the participants while also working to end domestic abuse by creating a culture of deterrence. To find out more about the program, call 601-932-4198, or visit The Center for Domestic Violence website, www.msvcp.org. To find out about the Jackson Free Press 2010 Chick Ball, scheduled for July 24, call ShaWanda Jacome at 601-362-6121 x16. If you are a victim of domestic violence and need help, call the 24-hour crisis hotline: 1-800-266-4198.

“Before the program, I couldn’t see it.”

tend to do so with weapons more often than men, who tend to use only their strength. “Victims of violence often retaliate and resist domination and battering by using force themselves,” states a 2002 paper from Praxis International, “Re-examining Battering: Are All Acts of Violence Against Intimate Partners the Same?” Non-profit Praxis International is a research and training organization that works toward ending violence for women and children, based in Duluth, Minn. In the paper, the authors dub battering by victims “resistive/reactive” violence. The overwhelming majority of domestic abusers are men, but women batterers are no longer rare. Nine of the 118 Mississippians in the state’s only Batterer’s Intervention Program are women, and, unlike Jasmine, some of them are primary abusers, not just reacting to being victimized. “We try to work through the court system to make sure that women who are defending themselves aren’t charged the same as other perpetrators,” said Sandy Middleton, director of the Center for Violence Prevention in Pearl, who brought the

the guidance of trained facilitators, and they watch situational films that demonstrate what each of the behaviors looks like. “They may not even realize it, but the male facilitator and the female facilitator are modeling appropriate, respectful relationships with each other in front of them every week for 24 weeks,” Middleton said. “A lot of guys have never seen a man really treat a woman with love and respect. They don’t see that. … They don’t recognize a healthy, caring male/female relationship. They don’t know what that is,” she said, “and they get to see that.”

‘I Did Damage Some Things’

oft-spoken Casey, 27, and his wife of five years, Amanda, argued a lot, he said, as he nervously popped a miniAltoid every few minutes. Ultimately, it was a judge’s decision that got him into the program, but it was a loud and destructive argument that put him in front of the judge. “I did damage some things,” he said. He broke a chair, and he threw food at his wife, using intimidation and threats. Casey is nearing the end of the 24-week Batterer’s Intervention Program, with about six weeks to go. At first, he considered the program a waste of his time. It’s a common reaction: Most of the court-ordered participants initially believe they don’t belong there. The offense that got them into court wasn’t that serious, they say, and it’s all “just bullsh*t,” as Casey put it. It’s an attitude that comes from every participant in the beginning, Middleton said. “It’s completely across the board. If you’ll look at it, this type of individual doesn’t accept responsibility for most things in his or her life. It’s a pattern of behavior for them to blame their actions on other people. They’ve made a lifetime of excuses for themselves and their own behavior by blaming it on somebody else. So naturally, they would come into the program thinking there wasn’t anything wrong with them,” she said. That way of thinking often disappears when the participant becomes involved in the process, however. “[T]he more I started coming, the more I started noticing signs of my aggression and anger,” Casey said. “I didn’t think past the end of my nose (before the program). I didn’t really think about the consequences of

Abuse, see page 16

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liam to leave, just go. “If you touch me again,” she screamed, “you’ll be sorry.” “He jumped back like he was going to hit me,” she said, “and I already had the knife in my hand. … It happened so quickly. … It was like I was out of my body.” Jasmine had stabbed William in the ribs up behind his left arm. “Baby, I’m sorry,” she kept repeating, as she called 9-1-1 to get help. “I was so afraid. Lord knows, I’m not trying to kill this man. … All I could think about was my children.” She thinks that the police knew it was self-defense. She had told the dispatcher what took place. William, though, lied to the police about what happened, saying he had accidentally stabbed himself while they were wrestling on the bed, she said. The police didn’t buy his story. William was the injured party, and the police arrested Jasmine, charging her with domestic assault, while they took William to the hospital. While some women learn to cope with abuse by becoming submissive, or they try to manage the situation, Jasmine’s reaction was to fight back. And when women fight, they

intervention program to the Jackson area. The program operates in Hinds, Madison and Rankin counties. “In a home where you have a domestic-abuse situation,” she added, arresting a woman for defending herself is “just re-victimizing the victim.” On the other hand, “a lot of women become the aggressor seeking survival,” she said, citing the 2002 film “Enough” with Jennifer Lopez as an extreme example of an abuse victim seeking revenge. “The more women are in places of leadership and the more we’re out in the work force, the more we’re going to see some power and control issues in women,” she added. Still, more than 85 percent of domesticabuse victims are women, and most of the abusers are men, making up 83 percent of spouse murderers. Accurate statistics about non-lethal domestic violence are difficult to come by, as domestic violence is one of the most chronically under-reported crimes, according to the U.S. Department of Justice. And the National Institute of Justice and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report that only about one-quarter of all physical assaults, one-fifth of all rapes, and one-half of all stalkings perpetuated against women by their intimate partners are reported to the police. Minorities and the poor are over-represented in domestic-violence statistics, probably because calling the police is a last resort for women with other resources. Due to concerted effort from many organizations, women are more knowledgeable about getting protective orders and getting more of them faster, according to judges and court clerks, said Heather Wagner, director of the Domestic Violence Division in the state attorney general’s office. And people are more aware of what domestic violence is, especially that it doesn’t always consist of physical violence. The Batterer’s Intervention Program is designed to get to abusers’ core issues, which revolve around power and control. Like rape, which is less about sex than it is about exerting control over another person, domestic violence is not about anger, and anger management programs have little effect on the problem. Each week, the intervention program touches on a different aspect of abusive behavior: intimidation; emotional abuse; isolation; minimizing, denying and blaming; coercion and threats; economic abuse; using children against a spouse; and using male privilege. Each of those facets can include physical or sexual violence. Participants share and interact about their experiences under

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Abuse, from page 15

us arguing. All I thought about was what was happening right then and there, and how I was feeling.” He remembered a class where the facilitators asked the participants whether they treated people fair. After giving it some thought, he realized that he didn’t. Fair would be treating them how he wanted to be treated himself. Instead, he said: “I treat people how I think they should be treated. To treat people fair is hard.” At first, Jasmine couldn’t understand why she had to go to the program either. “I was angry when I started coming. I was so angry,” she said. Her thinking was that “If he had never put his hands on me, this wouldn’t have happened.”

and kicking against him. “At first, I didn’t know what was going on,” Paul said. “So I grabbed her.” Paul’s described the event in an unemotional, flat tone of voice. He claims he didn’t hurt her, but whatever happened that night, it was frightening enough for Gloria to call the police, who strongly suggested to Paul that he leave the apartment, which he did. The next day Gloria filed a domestic-assault charge against him and took out a restraining order. “I’m not saying I didn’t do things along the way,” he says. “Since I’ve been in the program, I’ve learned some (abusive) behaviors that I had.” Learning to take responsibility for their actions is integral to the success of the Batter-

“Men often blame their intoxication for the abuse, or use it as an excuse to use violence. … [I]t is an excuse, not a cause. Taking away the alcohol does not stop the abuse.”

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Jasmine, 37, is living with her mother and working full time to find a new job. Her children live with their dad while she works to get her life back on track, but she sees them every day. “Now that I’m taking this class, I realize why I tolerated some of the things in these relationships I had,” she said. Slowly, she’s realizing how the events of her life have put her in the position she’s in. Jasmine was pleased and surprised to find out her class was all ladies, she said. An anger-management class she took after a previous arrest for domestic violence was mixed, men and women. “I would always be so uptight in that program,” Jasmine said. “Here, I feel free, free to express myself, because there are no men around. Men and women have a different point of view when it comes to domestic violence.”

Male Privilege

aul, 40, is nearing the end of the program, with about three weeks left. He and his wife, Gloria, had separated for nearly a year and were back together, trying to work things out without a lot of success. They were on the verge of calling it quits, sleeping in different rooms, not communicating. “We basically were living a separate life while living together,” he said. One night Gloria came into Paul’s room, waking him up. “I’m thinking that she wants to be intimate,” he said, and they began to kiss. Suddenly, she withdrew, starting what he called “a crazy outburst.” “I can’t trust you,” Gloria said, struggling

er’s Intervention Program, Middleton said. For abusers in mid-life or later, it’s especially difficult to change. “They have to believe in it,” she said. “They have to see it and believe that ‘this is going to work for me; this is going to be a positive change in my life.” Like all the participants in the program, Paul also discovered that domestic abuse wasn’t just about physical beatings, something he said he had never done. “I never physically grabbed her or beat her up,” he said. “There’s verbal (abuse), there’s mental (abuse),” he said, adding, “I had some control issues.” Paul tried to control his wife’s money, for example, giving her just enough to pay the bills and wanting to know where she spent every penny. His behavior is a classic symptom of abusive behavior, especially for sole breadwinners in a family. Economic abuse often goes beyond controlling how a partner spends money, but can also extend to preventing the partner from getting work, forcing her to beg for money and not letting her know about or have access to funds. Paul was in the U.S. Navy for years, where “most people had an aggressive tone,” he said. He and his wife probably spent more time apart than together during their 20 years of marriage. He would be at sea for months at a time, returning for a few weeks or a month before deploying once again, something that doubtless kept the marriage intact. While he was deployed, his wife ran the household and raised their three children. Trouble began when he got out of the military and tried to take the reins as head of the household. Where before time at home would almost be like a honeymoon, suddenly

rested Marty, and the court ordered him into the Batterer’s Intervention Program. Today, Marty has completed the 24week intervention program, but like the others, he didn’t think he deserved to be there at first. “I just felt like I was being picked on,” he said. “But as class went on, I enjoyed going. It was a pleasure. “What turned the corner for me was being involved with people who knew what I was going through.” He was able to see himself in the others, he said, and felt they were there to help him, not look down on him. It surprised him how calm his instructors were, and how calm he became. Some of the instructors had gone through exactly the things he had, and had learned how to deal with life in other ways. “The different ways to handle the situation got my attention,” he said. “Walking away, or talking it out, or the way you look at someone can actually be intimidating. I didn’t know that.” One of the methods used in the program is showing the participants short videos demonstrating different aspects of abusive behavior—“vignettes” Marty called them. “It was like looking in a mirror, some-

behaviors in them, like, “yelling, slamming stuff, minimizing” his wife’s concerns and not taking her seriously. Participants who don’t recognize themselves in the videos are probably looking straight into their own worst sides, Casey said. “Most men are not aware of the behaviors that they’re doing,” he ventured. “… Ultimately, it’s up to the person. If you want to change, you’ll pay attention, soak some stuff in.” Through the program, Marty was also able to see his pattern of consistently blaming someone else for his behavior, or making his partner feel stupid when she disagreed with him even over little things. Marty also used the Bible to get his way, another aspect of male privilege. “The man’s supposed to be the head of the house,” he said, once assuming that what that meant was that his way was the only way. “The Bible says that, but it doesn’t mean it like that. The man is the head of the house, but it doesn’t mean he controls everything.” He now sees that decision-making should be a shared activity, not that what the man says, goes. Before the program, Marty

times. Like, standing over your partner and talking at her, instead of to her. I caught myself doing that a lot,” he said. “… Before the program, I couldn’t see it.” Middleton said that the participants complain about seeing too many videos; however, there’s no denying their effectiveness. “The videos are what, ultimately, they make a connection with,” she said. “They realize it’s them on that video. … It’s like a dose of cold water for them realize, ‘that’s me.’” Casey called the videos “cheesy,” but, like Marty, he recognized many of his abusive

wouldn’t allow his partner’s input into the simplest things, like the choice of a restaurant or a movie. “It was my choice,” he said. “It was never, ‘what do you want to see.’ It was ‘we’re seeing this.’ It was basically a controlling-like situation. I didn’t see anything wrong with it because I was caught up in ‘the man’s supposed to run everything.’” To this day, though, Marty isn’t clear how he came to that belief. Growing up, his mother ran everything. “I don’t know where I got that from,” he said. “I can see myself as a

Using Intimidation

arty, 29, considers his situation unique. He was trying to end a relationship, he said, and his girlfriend wanted his cell phone, which she had given him as a gift. Like most people, he had private numbers and other information on the phone he didn’t want anyone else—especially her—to access. “She tried to take the cell phone, and I kind of pushed her,” he said. “It was substantial enough to make her stumble, but I would say it wasn’t a push to hurt her.” At the time, Marty and his girlfriend were both employed as corrections officers. He worked as a K-9 officer, using dogs to search for contraband in prisons and halfway houses. He was also a linebacker in college, and at 5 foot 10 inches and 256 pounds, it’s easy to image how intimidating his heavily muscled physique alone could be. His girlfriend called the police who ar-

better person (now). I don’t actually get mad any more,” he said. Marty also benefitted from hearing other’s stories, enabling him to understand that he wasn’t the only person who reacted to life the way he did. It was an eye-opening experience. “One day, this guy, I’m telling you, everything he said was exactly the stuff I did. It felt like I was sitting in a place and this guy was me, and I said, ‘Wow. He’s saying exactly what I need to be saying.’” Listening to someone else say the things in his own mind, Marty said he could see how wrong-headed the speaker was. “I wanted to say something,” he said, recalling the incident, “but I can’t because I do the same stuff.”

Breaking the Cycle

he first day Jasmine met William they became a couple. “At first, I was attracted to his looks,” she said, and they both “fell in love at first sight.” Soon, though, she discovered that he was full of lies. “He told me he was a college graduate; he told me he had real-estate property, even though I don’t care about all that,” she said. “I want a man that’s going to work; that’s independent; and that’s respectful. I want a God-fearing man, first of all. And I thought that this was the type of person that he was. “I promise you, I felt it in my spirit the first week that he was a freeloader, he was an alcoholic. I felt it, and I just could not let it go. Like I could save him.” But William didn’t want saving, and when Jasmine confronted him about his behavior, he would choke her, put his knee in her stomach, squeeze her breasts and pull her hair. Her once long hair is short now, she said, because she became so stressed out her hair fell out in clumps. William told her she was too aggressive and headstrong, and Jasmine started doubting herself, thinking: “Maybe I need to bow down a little bit. Maybe I am too aggressive. “I never had a man to help raise me, so I don’t know how to be submissive. All I do know is how to love somebody, and that’s what I want in return.” Despite the abuse, Jasmine, a divorced mother of three (two teens and a 10-year-old), stayed in the relationship for eight months. William didn’t have a job, and then Jasmine’s ex lost his job and wasn’t able to make his child-support payments. Jasmine fell behind on bills and lost her apartment. “I really had no help,” she said. She couldn’t let William go, she said. When he cried and begged to come back, she relented, even after losing her home, her job and her children. Jasmine’s story is typical of the cycle of domestic abuse, beginning with a push into quick involvement. William began lying to

Abuse, see page 18

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he was a full-time husband and father and exerting his domination over the household. “The little things that I didn’t notice (about her) and that she didn’t notice about me really started to clash,” he said. He added that he doesn’t really get mad often, but is “explosive” when he does. He began to find fault with the way Gloria was doing things, including how she disciplined their children and how she spent “his” money. “Before, she handled all the money. … Now, when I got out (of the Navy), I’d say, ‘we’re going to do this, and we’re going to do that,” Paul said. Paul seemed almost surprised that his wife put up resistance, eventually leaving him for nearly a year. Gloria had learned an independent, self-reliant existence, and couldn’t tolerate his “king of the castle” behavior. At first, Paul didn’t feel that his actions justified the punishment and expense of the program. (Participants must pay for the classes to partially cover the cost of facilitating and administering the program: $25 for each class or $600 for all 24 weeks. Their fees, however, don’t cover the whole tab. The rest of the cost is paid through a combination of federal, state and non-governmental grants, and private donations.) Just a few weeks into the program, however, Paul began to have a change of heart. “It turned for me when I could see myself in a situation. That was a turning point. I think it was about two or three weeks into it. I really realized that there were some areas I need to work on,” he said. The way the program is designed, participants who share their experiences help others who might have had the same type of encounter, and facilitators encourage everyone to share. “I might have an issue going on that (another participant) might have already experienced or gone through. He could give me some insight,” Paul said. “Those experiences come from people of all ages and races.”

Abuse, from page 17

her from the beginning of the relationship. He belittled her and was physically violent, but manipulated her into accepting him back on more than one occasion, apologizing, crying and begging until she let him come back. Middleton indicated that violent, abusive relationships can become co-dependent, just like other kinds of dysfunctional and selfdestructive behaviors among partners. Domestic abuse can also manifest generationally: Abused children often become abusive parents and partners. “I didn’t have a father around,” Jasmine said. “I went through some things in my childhood. I was molested when I was a child by my mom’s boyfriend.” It was a secret that she had kept to herself, not even telling her mother until about five years ago, but one she feels has influenced the kind of men she’s had in her life. Since her divorce in 2005, she’s had a string of abusive

“Sometimes it was a slap or a physical punch,” he said. Casey grew up with an older sister and a single mom, who had a decidedly corporal style of punishment. “I got whooped with whatever was around,” he said. “I just thought that every kid got whooped.” His mother used “whatever was in reach,” he said: house shoes or a switch. Multiple violent relations are also common among abusers. Jasmine had another relationship go sour when she discovered the man was freebasing, lacing his cigarettes with cocaine. “I confronted him about it and told him we were going to have to stop seeing each other for a while, and that he needed to get some help,” she said. She made calls on his behalf, looking for a treatment program, trying to help. “He never could make the time to go,” she said. Instead he showed up high at

for their violent episodes, and about 50 percent of abusive relationships also have a history of alcohol and/or drug abuse, reports the Alabama Coalition Against Domestic Violence. “Men often blame their intoxication for the abuse, or use it as an excuse to use violence. … [I]t is an excuse, not a cause,” states the organization’s website. “Taking away the alcohol does not stop the abuse.” Several months after her arrest for stabbing William and about halfway through the 24-week intervention program, Jasmine said she sees these recent events as positive. “Honestly, that was the best thing that could’ve ever happened to me—for that to happen and for me to go to jail, because it just woke me up,” she said. “I couldn’t do anything but cry and pray, cry and pray. “I prayed for him,” she said, a bit of disbelief in her voice. “I don’t want anything to happen to him,” she prayed. “I don’t want anything to happen to me. I just want to get back out here to my children. You don’t have to worry about me going back with this man. I’m done.” Jasmine pleaded guilty to simple assault on a plea bargain where she agreed to attend the Batterer’s Intervention Program in Pearl. When the judge ordered, “no contact,” she was more than happy to cooperate. “I can break the cycle,” she said. “I don’t want my children to be abused and I don’t want them to be abusive. What I need to do is come to reality, look at happened to me in my past, deal with it and know that it happened. I can’t change it. Accept it and move past it, and not blame anybody else.”

A New Day

May 20 - 26, 2010

relationships, culminating with William, and her ex-husband cheated on her. Of the four abusers interviewed for this story, three of them, including Jasmine, had abusive childhoods. Paul’s parents divorced when he was young. “My father, he was abusive,” he said. “I can remember as a child, 3 years old, there were incidents with (my mother),” he said, and his mother used corporal punishment 18 on him.

Jasmine’s apartment one night and ended up kicking her in the face with his steel-toed workman’s boots as she sat in her car. “Right here,” she said, gingerly touching the spot just under her right eye with her fingertips. She got away and called the police, who arrested the man for aggravated assault, but Jasmine isn’t clear what happened to him after that, and doesn’t seem particularly interested in finding out. Abusers often blame drugs or alcohol

ll the participants find that the Batterer’s Intervention Program is touching on other areas of their lives, not just their relationships with spouses. Marty feels that the program will have a lasting affect on his life. As he relates the circumstances of his current relationship, there’s a hint of amazement in his voice. Since completing the class, Marty re-established a relationship from his past that he characterized as “different as night and day” from the way things used to be. “We talk; we have fun now. I involve her in a lot of stuff now,” he said, asking her what she wants and soliciting her opinion instead of controlling every situation. “I’m not saying I’m perfect, but it has made me a better partner, because I try my best to do whatever she asks me,” he said. It took a bit of getting used to for his partner, though, who knew him before the program. At first, she was afraid to ask for what she needed. “Now we just sit down and talk,” Marty said. “I want to please her.” It’s a method he learned in the program, where all participants are encouraged to speak up and tell the others what’s going on.

“As you open up, they open up,” Marty said. He added that he’s also learned a new definition of intimacy. “I never knew a hug could be intimate, or a kiss, or just having an intimate conversation,” he said. Casey and Amanda are trying to work it out together. “It has its ups and downs,” he said of their relationship. Since the start of the program, Casey is experiencing a renewed affection for his wife, something that he finds surprising. “I’m starting to have the same feelings about her now as when we first got together. We’re really enjoying each other’s time, even though we’ve had some disagreements since the program started,” he said. “… I’ve definitely noticed a change in our relationship.” He sees now that what people told him prior to his arrest—walk away, it’s not worth it—is exactly right. “I wasn’t in a position where I could listen,” Casey said. “Even if I heard what they were saying, I couldn’t comprehend it. … When people are in that situation, they’re selfish.” Casey added that communication is key. “If you’re both talking, there’s no reason to get upset and start punching and kicking, if you’re really talking about it,” he said. Paul, who is attending classes at Holmes Community College and working full time, sees that the program has especially influenced his relationship with his children, two of whom are still in elementary school. They are surprised by his newfound ability to respond to their needs instead of only thinking about his own. Their dad now hears them, and they want to be with him. “They see me differently now. … I wasn’t engaging them before. I would work, come home and when they saw me again, I was going out the door. It was always, ‘sit down; be quiet; don’t bother me right now.’ But now, I’m interacting with them. “With the oldest one, it’s like day and night,” he said of his daughter, who is college-aged. “Before, we were like two ships passing in the dark. That’s how we were. If I didn’t see her, she didn’t see me. Now, she’ll call and text me.” His daughter, he recently learned, is pregnant, so Paul is going to be a grandfather for the first time. He’s been helping her out, taking her to doctor’s appointments, where before he probably wouldn’t have been so generous. “I probably would have been fussing, yeah, I probably would be,” he said. “… The night she told me, I didn’t get bent out of shape. I sat down and I listened to her. And then we started thinking about things we needed to be doing from that point. I didn’t explode on her. I didn’t tell her, ‘Oh you’re stupid; you made a mistake; what are you doing.’ … I think (the program) helped me out there. “Me and her, we’ve had some bad times,” he admits.

At this point, he isn’t holding out a lot of hope for the marriage. “I love her. I miss my family. But, no,” he doesn’t think he and Gloria will get back together, he said. Paul and Casey believe that their spouses would benefit from going through the program. It’s not enough, they said, when only one partner goes through such an experience, and some relationships aren’t able to weather the changes. But the Batterer’s Intervention Program isn’t designed to be marriage therapy. “They couldn’t make the strides that they do with their wives and girlfriends in the room. … They wouldn’t bare that much of

“I have someone to talk to, too,” he said. Some of the blame for the prevalence of domestic violence has to go to the mainstream media, Marty said, who “advertise” violence to make money. “It’s entertainment,” he said, and women, especially, aren’t given the information they need to change their circumstances. Relating an incidence where a woman friend refused to report her abuser, he said: “I think she’s afraid, but she’s (also) brainwashed” into passivity. Once a happy, vital young woman, today, she’s isolated, her abuser controlling every part of her life. “Her friends don’t come around anymore because they feel she’s stu-

“We’re not about restoring relationships. We just want to stop the violence.” —Sandy Middleton, director of The Center for Violence Prevention

‘It’s Been Good’

aul seems a little uneasy addressing how he would keep his new skills intact after the end of the program. He said he’s going to keep himself focused and centered on his college courses, working toward a nursing degree. “I think I will be OK. I’ve only been going (to the Batterer’s Intervention Program classes) once a week, but this has been constantly on my mind,” he said. “I’m still living it. We’re still separated … but neither one of us is talking about divorce. … To be honest with you, I’m torn. I’m afraid if I go back, she’s got this ace in the hole. … I don’t want to live like that. I don’t want to feel like I’m under the gun.” Nevertheless, Paul said confidently that he would share what he learned in the program with others, not by telling that they’re wrong, but by encouraging them to look at their behavior. “For me, it’s been good. … I’ve learned a lot,” he said. Marty can now see controlling behavior among his family and friends. He has an uncle, he said, who is extremely controlling and friends who display the same type of behavior he once did. Since taking the class, he has been disassociating himself from those people, or trying to have them see how their attitudes and actions are poisoning their relationships. Some of his friends are actually seeking Marty out for his advice, a situation he finds mutually supportive.

pid,” he said. “She doesn’t go anywhere now. She just stays at home. “I wish they’d open the program to people who aren’t forced to go in, have it open to everybody. … Sometimes I just feel that men need someone to talk to on their level. That’s where the class helped me,” Marty said. “… There wasn’t anyone in the class that didn’t do nothing to get there.” Middleton said the program is open to “volunteers,” men and women who recognized their need for help before they get into real trouble, and she is also looking for ways to extend it to include support after participants complete the program. To date, the Batterer’s Intervention Program boasts a zero recidivism rate. “They can always come back; we tell them that … just to keep it fresh in their minds,” she said. Jasmine is looking forward to working again, getting her children back and then going back to school. She’s a caregiver by nature, she said, and wants to get a nursing degree. She’s also looking forward to having a grownup relationship with a grown-up man who treats her with respect and takes responsibility for his life. “I’m still trying to figure it out,” Jasmine says. “Know what I’m saying? I’m still trying to figure out why my actions are the way that they are. But I do know now that when a man hits me, that’s not love. I know that he’s going to do it again.” After about 10 weeks in the program she already knows to disengage from arguments, and has seen how effective it can be. “It’s making me a better person,” she said, and she isn’t afraid to be on her own any more. “You can’t save a person that doesn’t want to be saved,” she said, “I’m not going to let anyone control my life again.”

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This Thing Called Cholesterol

hen you hear the word “wellness,” what pops into your mind? Glowing health? Energy and vitality? A rich spiritual life? Less stress and more joy? Wellness is all that, of course, and more. It is the conscious pursuit of a balanced, healthy life as opposed to just curing what’s wrong when you’re sick. At the Jackson Free Press, we’re committed to not only talk the talk about wellness, but also to walk the walk. It means that we’ve challenged ourselves to go public with our wellness goals, which include body stuff, of course, but also goals for healthy minds and spirits, because it’s all connected. We challenge you to join us on our 12-week Road to Wellness. Follow our progress on these pages every couple weeks, and daily on our Road to Wellness blog site at jfpwellness.com.

fect cholesterol levels, including a diet high in saturated fats, being overweight, smoking, having a sedentary lifestyle, and your age and gender. Prior to menopause, women generally have lower cholesterol levels than men. Poorly controlled diabetes can raise cholesterol levels, as can certain medications. Elevated cholesterol can run in families. The American Heart Association recommends that anyone over 20 years of age should have a cholesterol level check at least every five years. Lots of options exist to control cholesterol. Exercise can increase HDL levels in some people. Moderate daily exercise can also help maintain weight and control diabetes and high blood pressure. Yoga is great. Walking is cheap. Gyms are everywhere. It’s important to get moving and do something you’ll enjoy, and even moderate activity can make a positive difference. If you haven’t exercised in a while, consult your doctor about safely increasing your activity level. The American Heart Association recommends that you limit your daily cholesterol intake to less than 300 milligrams, or less than 200 milligrams if you already have a history of heart disease. If you have high cholesterol, your doctor may prescribe a cholesterol-lowering drug. It’s important to keep

Kristin Brenemen editorial designer • Go back to cutting out processed sugars from my diet. I felt better when I did this regularly. High fructose corn syrup is in everything. • Cholesterol and high blood pressure run in the family. I plan to look into some dietary changes that will help prevent this. • I’m fairly certain humans need to be more hydrated than I am. Drinking more water is a necessary change. • Cut back on my face-in-screen time when I’m at home. I see a computer screen enough when I’m at work. • Actively read more. It’s always been a great stress reliever/unwinding method and I just don’t find the time to read like I’d like.

follow-up appointments with your doctor, as he or she will likely be monitoring your cholesterol and liver function. Some foods and herbal remedies may be as beneficial as drugs, or can work with drugs to balance your cholesterol levels. Overall, learn to check food labels and avoid foods high in saturated fat. Foods high in omega-3 fatty acids, like fish, flaxseeds, olive oil and some nuts, can be beneficial. Several other foods and herbal supplements may also be beneficial. Experts think that plant sterols work by competing with dietary cholesterol for absorption. WebMD mentions red yeast rice, ginger, turmeric, artichoke leaf extract, yarrow and holy basil. In addition to these herbals, soluble fiber found in plant foods like oat bran, flax seed, apples, lentils, and beans are beneficial. Soy-based proteins like tofu, soymilk, and edamame have been shown to help prevent heart disease. The website eMedicinal lists several herbal recommendations from Dr. Gordon Chang. Guggal is an extract of the Indian herb Commiphora mukul and has been shown to reduce total cholesterol as well as LDLs. Niacin is also effective, but can be hard on the liver and can cause flushing of the skin; inositol hexanicotinate is chemically similar to niacin and may not have the side effects associated with the use of niacin. Policosanol and garlic may lower cholesterol. Men should be aware that soy can increase estrogen levels. Before taking any herbal supplement, consult your doctor. Herbals also have side effects and can interact with other medications you may be taking. So respect them as you would any other drug. MayoClinic.com and WebMD (www.webmd.com) are good sources of detailed information on cholesterol. The American Heart Association (www.americanheart.org), and The Cleveland Clinic Department of Nutrition and The Cleveland Clinic Heart Center (my.clevelandclinic.org) also provide good information.

Lydia Chadwick advertising designer • Exercise at least 30 minutes a day • Remove red meat from my diet • Eat more fruits and vegetables • Stay away from saturated fat, transfat and triglycerides.

Natalie Collier BOOM Jackson associate editor

• Go to yoga at least once per week. I once prided myself on my flexibility. I don’t like wondering, “Is this how 30-year-old stiffness feels?” • Get my eyes examined and get new contacts and glasses. Something has changed, and this probably contributes to some of my headaches.

• Lose weight. Though I’m a healthy fat person, I’m vain and the song is about me. • Sleep at least seven hours each night. • Read or write at least 30 minutes per day (not work-related).

Kimberly Griffin sales director • Go to yoga once a week (I’m a bit of a gym junkie) • Buy a new mattress. I suspect mine contributes to my aches and pains. I need something that’s sag proof. • Replenish my supplements quickly when they run out. • Get my vitamin D level checked again. It was low back in November. I’ve been taking supplements. • Cut my caffeine. This either means no tea at lunch or decaf coffee/coke in the morning or both. continued on page 22

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hen I casually mentioned to my brother that I was doing a column on cholesterol, his response was, “Oh! Cholesterol’s delicious!” I can’t say I was shocked by his retort. One only needs to avail oneself of all the food-porn sites on the Internet to ascertain that many people share his sentiments. Cholesterol is a complex subject, and this column should not take the place of medical advice or treatment. It’s impossible to cover more than the basics here. Also, before embarking on any type of cholesterol-lowering program, exercise regimen, or before taking any herbal supplements, please consult a physician. It’s important to have some cholesterol in the body. Cholesterol naturally occurs in our cells and performs certain vital functions. The problem arises when we have too much cholesterol on board, especially the “bad” kind. Cholesterol travels the bloodstream attached to proteins, called lipoproteins. There are three types of proteins, but two are most relevant: high-density lipoproteins (HDL), and lowdensity lipoproteins (LDL). LDLs carry cholesterol through the body and deliver it to various organs and tissues. If your body has too much LDL—so-called “bad” cholesterol—it keeps circulating in the bloodstream. Over time, this circulating LDL gets smaller, changes composition, and sneaks into blood-vessel walls to form plaque, which can harden and build up to obstruct blood flow inside the blood vessel. This can lead to coronary artery disease. HDLs, “good” cholesterols, pick up excess cholesterol in the bloodstream and take it to the liver for the body to dispose of. HDLs may also have anti-oxidant, anti-inflammatory and anti-clotting properties. Doctors generally recommended that you keep your total cholesterol level below 200. Numerous factors can af-

from page 21

Before You

SNAP...

Ashley Jackson account executive

Let’s Talk It Out.

• Go to the gym at least three times a week and yoga once a week. (I get winded walking up the stairs, and I am also having joint problems.) • Drink more water and take vitamins. • Get more sleep. • Eat healthier meals.

TROUBLED? STRESSED?

ShaWanda Jacome

• Lower my cholesterol. • Actively look for a new church. I miss going to church. • Exercise for 30-60 minutes twice a week. • Stay on top of taking my meds and supplements everyday. • Cut back TV watching. The goal is no TV after 9 p.m. on weekdays for me and less on the weekends me and my son.

Need someone to listen? Call:

--HELP We are available to you 24 - 7. Conﬁdential. Anonymous.

To suggest features, e-mail: ronni@jacksonfreepress.com + To advertise, e-mail: kimberly@jacksonfreepress.com

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Donna Ladd editor-in-chief • Drink more good, filtered water—at least 8 big glasses a day. • Make smoothies most mornings to get fruit, soy, protein powder and flax all at once! • Leave office by 7 p.m. every night, latest. • Yoga class at least two times a week; a long walk, bike ride or gym at least three times a week. Short daily walks. • Eat more greens and other cholesterol-lowering foods. • Grow herbs in pots on my deck. • Go to bed in time to sleep at least seven hours, preferably eight. • Take vitamins twice daily. • Always have fresh flowers around. • Process e-mail, etc., regularly to keep stress down. • Meditate regularly.

Adam Lynch

reporter

• Eat healthier: Cut down on fried food, sugar and meat; eat more veggies. • Take a yoga class two to three times a week (Teaching doesn’t count!) • Walk. Get up a half-hour earlier and get out there. • Get out of the office by 7 p.m. at least three days a week. • Re-establish meditation practice; meditate 15 minutes a day, minimum. • Say please and thank you at every opportunity; smile. • Find one thing to be grateful for before going to sleep every night. • Use my personal days.

Adam Perry

distribution manager, ac-

count executive

• Only one cup of coffee per day, even if I’m playing a gig. • Eat two pieces of fruit everyday. • Try to get eight hours of sleep a night at least three nights a week. • Drink at least 4 cups of water everyday. • Put in for two vacation days—I know this seems like nothing but I’ve been saying I’m going to do this for three months and haven’t done it, yet.

Ward Schaefer reporter • Meditate at least 10 minutes per day, every day. • No Internet use after 10 p.m. • Play sports at least twice a week; exercise at least 30 minutes all other days. • Replace afternoon cup of coffee with tea (I get antsy and have trouble falling asleep if that coffee happens after 2 p.m.) • Write at least one long letter/e-mail to friends/family a week.

Todd Stauffer publisher

• Sign up with physical therapist May 29 for comprehensive exercise regimen sensitive to back disorders. • Lose another 10 pounds before July. • Run with dog Oscar and terrorize Ridgeland joggers on weekends. • Remove high fructose corn syrup from diet. • Step up daily weight-lifting regimen from 60-80 reps a day to 80-100.

• Exercise at least six days a week, at least 30 minutes per day. • Cut out all fried chips (chips and salsa, potato chips, nachos) ... except for one “free” day a week to enjoy my TexMex! • Get to bed earlier—enough to ensure eight hours of sleep per day, • Cut back on coffee and switch to water in the afternoon. • Eat more fruit (smoothies) and have fruit on hand for snacking.

Lacey McLaughlin news editor

Christi Vivar production designer

• Lose 10 pounds by Aug. 1. • Go to the Jackson Zen dojo for meditation at least once a month. • Ride my bike to work at least three times a week. • Cut down on meat—only two to three meals per week. • Keep up with routine doctor’s appointments.

• Bike riding twice a week. • Drink more water. • Check e-mail more often.

Ronni Mott managing editor • Drink more water: work up to eight glasses a day.

Latasha Willis events editor • Remember to stretch when I get up in the morning. • Write a prayer every day. • Do deep breathing exercises five minutes a day. • Spend 15 minutes outdoors each day. • Take up a new relaxing hobby.

Organizing Your Closets? Bring any gently worn, high quality items to Bargain Boutique and let us find them a new home. Bargain Boutique accepts donations of men’s, women’s and children’s clothing, household goods, furnishings, small appliances and décor from individuals and local retailers.

NOW FEATURING 5070 Parkway Dr. • 601.991.0500 Mon - Fri 9:30am - 6pm • Sat 9:30am - 5pm Donations accepted Mon - Fri 10am - 4:30pm and Sat 10am - 4pm *All donations are tax deductible to the extent allowed by law.

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COLONIAL MART SHOPPING CENTER

by Charlotte Blom

DIY: Creating a Garden y parents are master gardeners. Growing up, organically grown and composted vegetables, fruits, flowers and herbs were an integral part of summer. We even had chickens and goats for a period of time. Despite that, I learned next to nothing from them. I tried to make a garden several years ago to no avail. It’s not that plants perish in my wake, but I promise you, I knew zilch about the business of growing my own food. But given an increasing global awareness about self-reliance, it seemed beyond high time to drive a stake into the heart of gardening. With generous help from my friend Will Myrick, I created my first garden. Novice to novice, here’s a basic how to.

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1. Buy seeds or seedlings. Keep in mind where you are in the season. Seeds are considerably cheaper, but they’re not as dependable as seedlings for beginners. Seedlings provide a jumpstart. Also consider how much room you have to make a garden, because you’ll need to accommodate not just for the plants but also for space in between. Fortunately, I had Will’s skill on my side, so we managed to eyeball the ratio.

9. Border. If you want to make a border, consider re-using materials, like trashed objects. We used old (albeit likely asbestos-filled) roof panels that had been sitting on the side of the house.

4. De-Weed. This is where the fun begins if you don’t get the grass out prior to tilling (which we didn’t)—if you like getting dirty, that is. You will have to get in there and pick out as many weeds and clumps of grass as you can. The pros say this is good for composting, so I recommend you look into that. In our case, we simply threw it all off to the side. 5. Add fertilizer. What kind you add, if any at all, depends on the condition of the soil. Even if the soil is dark brown and rich, you might want to add something. We bought two bags of manure and humus fertilizer, and shoveled it in with the loosened soil to give it extra oomph, ensuring growth. 6. Make rows. Use a shovel, or just get in there and use your hands to create the shape of your garden. We did both. You want the rows (mounds the length or width of the garden) to be about 12 inches thick, with about a 12inch space between each. Also, plant according to where the sun rises in your yard.

May 20 - 26, 2010

2. Pick a place to plot. Whether it’s a raised bed or in the ground, it must get about six to eight hours of direct sunlight. The only other advice I can give about that is to use Feng Shui, even in your yard, roof top (for raised beds), or wherever you create your garden. You can use your senses to choose the right spot. Also, plant according to where the sun rises in your yard. Research the sunlight movement, as this will help you determine where the sunlight and shade will hit your yard at different times of the day and year.

3. Till the ground. First, use a shovel to remove the layer of grass. We used a power tiller. Will was the muscle behind the machine, which he pushed in neat rows like a hard-core lawn mower, until the desired plot size was attained. You can do the whole thing manually with a shovel, too. It will take much longer but you can do it. Churn at least 6 inches to 7 inches deep.

10. Accoutrements. Dressing up a garden is a fun way to add whimsy and show your creativity. We added a little boy donning a feather headdress to oversee the growth operations. And what garden would be complete without a bit of magic? In our case, magic was found in a tiny lantern discarded in a nearby alley.

7. Plant. Well, hallelujah! It’s finally time to put the babies in the ground. Dig holes at least 3 inches deep, and at least a foot apart. Be sure to keep track of where everything is. We went to a local school-supply store and found multi-shaped labels. We made sections, keeping the herbs clustered together, for example. We also planted marigolds throughout the rows; they act as a natural insect repellent, among other uses.

11. Map & Grow Chart. If you haven’t made labels, this is a great way to keep track of where things are and when you can expect your edibles to mature and meet your mouth.

8. Water. Give the garden its first shower when the sun isn’t shining straight down on it. It’s important to conserve water, so if you can get away with watering every other day, that’s best. Water for about 15 minutes, before or after the garden is out of direct sun. A rain dance every now and then comes in handy, too.

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THE PERFECT MARRIAGE OF SWEET TEA & BOURBON

by Lacey McLaughlin

JOSH HAILEY/ COURTESY DANIEL GUAQUETA

Daniel Guaqueta and Megan Storm

May 20 - 26, 2010

n Marrakech, Morocco, Daniel Guaqueta captured video footage of snake charmers as they hypnotized snakes by playing an instrument called a Pungi. As the camera starts rolling, one of the snake charmers unexpectedly turns and dangles a viper inches away from his new bride, Megan Storm’s, face. She remains calm and doesn’t move as the snake makes its way around her neck, and then does the same to Guaqueta. The snake charmer claims it’s a ritual for good luck and demands $60. “Megan and I both like to explore and go on adventures,” Guaqueta says. “It’s pretty scary to think about the snake incident, and I realized how crazy it was after the fact. Think about it: We are on our honeymoon. Most couples go to Jamaica or the Bahamas.” The Jackson couple got married Jan. 30 and then went on a honeymoon reminiscent of the television show “Amazing Race,” taking 11 flights over the course of 18 days throughout Europe where they traveled to Morocco, Spain, Italy, France, Belgium, Switzerland and the Netherlands. Honeymoon highlights included attending the Carnival of Venice, sledding in Switzerland, and eating crepes in France. Guaqueta admits that trekking around Europe wasn’t always the most relaxing experience. He suffered from allergies and couldn’t find proper medication, and the couple had to navigate through foreign cities where they didn’t speak the language. Despite the challenges, Guaqueta says the honeymoon strengthened the couple’s relationship. “In the end, none of the setbacks matter because you are spending time with someone you love,” he says. “You are there to learn and grow. It was trying at times, but overall it was a really great experience because now we know we can communicate and deal with stress better.” 26 Guaqueta, 33, and Storm, 23, met in 2005 in Fondren

while Guaqueta was testing out his own crepe stand, a business the young entrepreneur was pursuing at the time. Guaqueta, now the founder of his own music production company, Guaqueta Productions, invited Storm to his radio show, “Mississippi Happening,” and the two started dating soon after. “At the time, I was thinking about doing crepes instead of music, but thank God I was doing that because that’s how I met Megan,” he says. The couple shares similar interests, but also balances each other with their differences. Guaqueta is a music enthusiast who appears weekly on his radio show, and is a member of the local bands Storage 24, Hunter Gibson and Questions in Dialect. He says he prefers to be front-and-center, while Storm is more thoughtful, quiet and easy-going. Megan has a bachelor’s degree in chemistry from Millsaps College and a master’s in biological science from Mississippi College. She works as a researcher at the University of Mississippi Medical Center and is currently applying for medical school to get her doctorate. Guaqueta was born in Hattiesburg, and grew up in Bogota, Colombia as the oldest of four sons. Storm grew up in Jackson and is the second youngest of nine children. They both share a love and interest of different cultures and customs. Guaqueta says they both knew early into the relationship that they would eventually get married but a trip to Colombia in summer 2009 made that goal a reality. “I realized two months into the relationship that she was the one,” Guaqueta says. “I could see how sweet and wonderful and open she was. She wasn’t judgmental, and she supported me. I knew this was the person I wanted to be around my whole life.” During their Colombia trip, Storm met Guaqueta’s extended family and picked out an emerald engagement ring. Guaqueta says emerald symbolizes the connection to Colombia and his family. “It was important for her to see how much family means to me,” he says. “The trip was amazing. It was like she was a member of the family. She spoke Spanish and got along with everyone. We both knew that was it.” When they returned to the states, they went on a vacation with Storm’s family to Branson, Mo., where Guaqueta officially proposed. How he proposed remains a secret, but later that night when they went to the 12 Irish Tenors concert, Guaqueta managed to get on stage in front of 400 people and announce their engagement. The couple was married at Crossgates United Methodist Church in Brandon and afterward held a reception at the Old Capitol Inn for 200 of their family and friends. As a producer, Guaqueta wanted to create an environment where everyone—young and old—could dance. Guaqueta, also a deejay, has played his share of weddings and wanted something special so he worked with DJ 5150 and created a playlist with a wide range of music including Latin, electronic, Texas swing and jazz. DJ 5150 also incorporated lasers, a smoke machine and a bubble machine creating a club-like environment. Guaqueta’s dad, Ricardo Guaqueta, a horticulturist in Miami, provided unique floral arrangements made of white, purple and pink calla lilies, hydrangeas, 400 white roses, oriental lilies, bear grass and horsetails. Old Capitol Inn Chef Bruce Cain created an eclectic array of food that included sushi, sugar cane roasted pork loins, crawfish, beignets, fried catfish, mufalettas and jambalaya. Since their nupitals, the couple, who live in Fondren, say

the adjustment to married life has been a smooth transition. “Married life is awesome,” Guaqueta says. “It’s a cool feeling that the two of you are going toward the same goals together. We have decided to build a family and a foundation together. … And, best of all, she makes bread.” To see videos and photos from the couple’s honeymoon, visit jacksonfreepress.com.

Bride Design 7951 NW 64th St., Miami, Fla. 305-433-2114 ricardo@guaqueta.com www.guaqueta.com Flowers by Mary 395 Crossgates Blvd., Brandon 601-825-0071 Cakes by Iris 601-540-6347 iris@cakesbyiris.com www.cakesbyiris.com The Cake Shoppe 601-932-2914 Jengsand@bellsouth.net Molly Gee feather hair pieced worn by bridesmaids are sold locally at: Alex and Lele 1481 Canton Mart Road 601-206-7720 alexandlele.bigcartel.com and Libby Story 120 W. Jackson St., Ridgeland 601-717-3300 www.libbystory.com Photography: Josh Hailey Studio 2906 N. State St. 601-214-2068 josh@joshhaileystudio.com www.joshhaileyphotography.com

Smart Planning: Megan planned the entire honeymoon on a budget of $3,000 by comparing hotel rates and booking tickets in advance. She used hotels.com and bookit.com, and found hotel rooms close to main attractions to cut down on travel costs. The couple made sandwiches whenever possible instead of dining out.

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Cakes and Cupcakes for ALL Occasions!

by Jesse Crow

Candy’s Confections

2475 Lakeland Drive, Flowood

601.933.0074

1149 Old Fannin Road in Brandon Open 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Saturday 601-992-96-23 or Shopkeep Owner: Jim Stewart www.fatguycakes.com

shopkeep: Cakes to Squeal About JESSE CROW

days, for example. It doesn’t matter how it looks, if it doesn’t taste good. What is your favorite thing about your job? My favorite part is when we’ve done something for someone and they come in and we get the “ooh”s and “aah”s and “it’s beautiful”s and “we love it”s. Girls squeal and shriek and mamas cry. That’s when we’ve done it right; that’s the best part. Or when someone takes a bite of something we’ve made and you see their eyes roll back in their head because it’s so good.

The “candy bar” at Candy’s Confections, complete with its chalkboard menu, offers a variety of ﬂavors and delights to satisfy any sweet tooth young and old.

C Private classes available for you and your bridal party to make unique custom pieces for your special day

andy’s Confections, located in the Old Fannin Mart in Brandon, is a haven for sweet teeth. The store is home to cakes, fine chocolates, cookies and other baked goods, rows of bulk candies, such as jellybeans, and a “candy bar” with numerous choices for (non-alcoholic) candy-inspired drinks. With its limegreen walls and brightly colored accents, Candy’s Confections could make anyone feel like a child again. Storeowner and baker Jim Stewart, 54, an Ohio native, has a jolly sense of humor. His passion for baking confections is evident through his dedication to the quality of work he produces.

601-853-3299 • 398 Hwy. 51 • Ridgeland

www.villagebeads.com

How did you ﬁrst get interesting in baking, and in this line of work speciﬁcally? I’ve been cooking for probably 40 or 45 years. It started as a necessity. I spent some time in the restaurant business in the ’70s and ’80s, and stumbled into this location. We came in July 1st of ’07, took it over and have been going at it ever since. It was just a neat concept. We came in and saw what the potential was. It was a great set up—it just had to be stocked up with someone to own it. I had been looking for an opportunity to again have my own business, and it presented itself and I took advantage of it. We weren’t at he time really looking specifically for anything, really.

There’s a lot of preparation, there’s a lot of planning. You have to know what’s coming up and be prepared for the holidays. All our cakes are custom made, for the most part, so we’ve got to get up early to make the cakes. We’ve also got to have a fair amount of lead time. We’re not a cash-and-carry set-up. What’s the most unusual wedding cake you’ve ever made? We did an Oriental-themed wedding cake once. It was three-tiered with cherry blossoms and Chinese writing. Groom’s cake is a different story, though. We’ve done 3-D armadillos and mallard ducks. What is your favorite wedding cake you’ve made? That’s a hard question. Probably one we did a couple years ago. It had alternating tiers of brown with large white polka dots and white with large brown polka dots with a contrasting ribbon around each tier. What the difference between making a wedding cake and any other sort of cake? Construction. You have to make sure that wedding cakes are level and that their stacks will hold each other up. You have to structure them inside and know where to structure them. If you stack six cakes on each other with no support, they’ll crush each other. What else can you tell me about wedding cakes? There are two different kinds. Stacked wedding cakes use different size layers of cake, while tiered wedding cakes have long separators between the layers. Wedding cakes aren’t as formal as they used to be. Some of them are airbrushed these

How did you get ﬁrst started with making cakes? It was a hobby, basically. Just out of a love for doing it. I enjoy doing it. I enjoy creating stuff. Have you always wanted to be a baker? Not necessarily this specifically, but I’ve always wanted to be involved in the food service industry. This is the fun part of it. It’s a lot less stressful than operating a restaurant. Did you go to culinary school? Chateau de Mawmaw. Most people don’t get that. I have worked with people that have sixth-grade educations and could cook their tails off, do anything they want. I’ve also worked with some people that had all kinds of five star diplomas from all different culinary schools that couldn’t boil water without screwing it up. It comes to the passion for the food, a passion for the creative process.

JESSE CROW

May 20 - 26, 2010

Tell me a little about your store. We are a very unique entity in that we are a candy store, a cake bakery, we carry a line of fine chocolates (and) gift items. We also do birthday parties on site for kids. We do some catering. We do a lot of baked goods that are for sale daily. So (we’re) a pretty diverse situation for a retail shop. We’re not just a bakery; we dabble in a little of everything if it’s a confectionery.

What type of work goes into making the cakes and candies?

What do you think makes your store unique? Well, we’re not a chain. The people that work here care about the customers. It’s a very bright, colorful, enjoyable place, and that’s what we want to keep it. We like the personal involvement with the customers and knowing who our customers are and developing that relationship over a period of time.

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THURSDAY 5/20

COURTESY JASON SHELBY

Mission Mississippi’s Two & Two Restaurant Day is back. Go to lunch with someone of another ethnic background and receive a 22-percent discount on your meal. Visit missionmississippi.org for a list of participating restaurants. … Enjoy a “Creative Class” martini at the monthly JFP Lounge at Sal & Mookie’s Pi(e) Lounge (565 Taylor St.) from 6-10 p.m. Free admission; call 601-362-6121, ext. 11. … Come to the Congress Street Bar & Grill (120 N. Congress St.) at 6 p.m. for an introduction to Cathead Vodka, dinner specials and music by Joe Carroll. Free admission; call 601-968-0857. … The Detectives Mystery Dinner Theatre presents “The End of All Mysteries” at Hal & Mal’s at 6:30 p.m. $41, call 601-291-7444. … The D’lo Trio is at the Cherokee Inn at 6:30 p.m. Free. … Greenfish

The Provine High School All Classes Reunion at Schimmel’s is for graduates up to the class of 2006. The attire is upscale. $10; call 601-918-2894 or 601-502-6884.

SATURDAY 5/22 The Renaissance Fine Arts Festival at The Renaissance at Colony Park (1000 Highland Colony Parkway, Ridgeland) is from 10 a.m.-8 p.m. and continues May 23 from 11 a.m.-6 p.m. Free; call 800-468-6078. … Jesse Labbe and Anthony Coffee sign copies of and draw sketches from their book “Berona’s War Field Guide” at Heroes and Dreams (5352 Highway 25, Suite 1650, Flowood) from 1-5 p.m. $3.95 book; call 601-992-3100. …The Blues Festival at Soulshine, Township includes a performance by the Juvenators at 2 p.m. Call 601-856-8646. … The Music in May Festival with Jaheim, Fantasia, K.D. Brosia and Karen Brown at the Mississippi Coliseum (1207 Mississippi St.) starts at 7 p.m. $25-$40 limited discounted advance tickets, $30-$45 reserved; call 601-353-0603 or 800-745-3000. … The Mississippi Community Symphonic Band concert at the Belhaven University Center for the Arts (835 Riverside Dr.) at 7 p.m. includes a performance by the Mississippi Swing. Free; call 601-605-2786. … The Glitter Boys, Wild Street and Black Tora rock the house at Fire at 9 p.m. Call 601-592-1000. … The Latin rooftop dance party at Fondren Corner starts at 9 p.m. $10; visit salsams.com. … Tim Avalon and Swing de Paris perform at The Auditorium at 9:30 p.m. $5. … Stay up all night for music by Sherman Lee Dillon’s Mississippi Sound with Anna Lee Dillon at F. Jones Corner from 11:30 p.m.-4 a.m. $10.

SUNDAY 5/23 The National Go Outdoors Event at Bass Pro Shops (100 Bass Pro Drive, Pearl) through May 31 includes fishing demonstrations and kids’ activities. Free; call 601-933-3700 for a complete schedule. … Open-mic poetry at Cultural Expressions starts at 8 p.m. $5. … Diesel 255 plays at Sam’s Lounge from 9 p.m.-1 a.m. Visit myspace.com/diesel255. DJ Reign (pictured) and DJ Hova are regulars at “Can’t Feel My Face Fridays” at Dreamz Jxn.

FRIDAY 5/21 May 20 - 26, 2010

Save gas and get some exercise during National Bike to Work Day. Visit jacksonbikeadvocates.org for details. … Enjoy the sounds of Akami Graham at Freelon’s. Call 601949-2535. … Catch Eric Stracener and the Church Keys at Hal & Mal’s at 8 p.m. Call 601-948-0888. … 4ever Friday at Afrika Book Cafe (404 Mitchell Ave.) at 9 p.m. includes music by Tiff and Radical 3000. $10 before 10 p.m.; call 601454-8313. … Lucero and Taylor Hildebrand are at Ole Tavern at 9 p.m. Call 601-960-2700. … Roots rock band Rocket 30 88 performs at Martin’s at 10 p.m. Call 601- 354-9712. …

The “Six Over 64.9” exhibit continues at Gallery 119 until May 31. Hours are 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Monday-Friday and by appointment. Free; call 601-969-4091. … Karaoke at Dreamz Jxn begins at 5:30 p.m. Call 601-979-3994. … The Central Mississippi Blues Society Jam at Hal & Mal’s is from 8-11 p.m. $5.

TUESDAY 5/25 The Xtremes perform at Shucker’s from 7-11 p.m. Free. … New Stage Theatre (1100 Carlisle St.) presents “Breaking Up Is Hard to Do”at 7:30 p.m. The show continues through May 29 and June 2-5. $22, $18 students and seniors 60 and up, call 601-948-3531. … The Pub Quiz at Hal & Mal’s starts at 8 p.m. Call 601-948-0888.

WEDNESDAY 5/26 Ms. Sinatra performs at the Steam Room Grille at 6 p.m. Call 601-899-8588. … Come for crawfish and blues with Scott Albert Johnson and Bob Gates at Parker House on the patio from 6:30-9:30 p.m. Call 601-856-0043. … The Emma Wynters Trio is at Underground 119 from 8-11 p.m. Free. … Singer/Songwriter Night is at Hal & Mal’s. Call 601-948-0888.

THURSDAY 5/27 See the “Icons of the Permanent Collection” exhibit at the Mississippi Museum of Art (380 S. Lamar St.). Museum hours are 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Tuesday-Saturday and noon-5 p.m. Sunday. Free; call 601-960-1515. … Doug Frank SurRealLife is at Fitzgerald’s from 7-11 p.m. Visit myspace.com/dougfrankmusic. … Hunter Gibson performs at AJ’s Seafood Grille from 6:30-10 p.m. Free. More events and details at jfpevents.com.

Fantasia performs during the Music in May Festival May 22 at 7 p.m. at the Mississippi Coliseum. COURTESY YOLANDA SINGLETON

plays at Underground 119 from 8-11 p.m. Free. … Jackie Bell, Norman Clark and Smoke Stack Lightning return to 930 Blues Cafe to perform at 8 p.m. $5.

MONDAY 5/24

jfpevents Radio JFP on WLEZ, at WLEZ 100.1 FM and wlezfm.com. Join Donna Ladd and Todd Stauffer every Thursday from noon-1 p.m., where they discuss vital issues and play local music. This week’s guests are singer Akami Graham and authors Willie and Terica McKinnis. Listen to podcasts of all shows on jfpradio.com. Free; call 601-362-6121, ext. 17. Young Leaders in Philanthropy Lunch and Learn May 20, 11:30 a.m., at United Way (843 N. President St.), in the conference room. The speaker is Cecily McNair, director of the Mississippi Teacher’s Center. $10 lunch or bring your own; call 601-665-9243. JFP Lounge at Pi(e) Lounge May 20, 6 p.m., at Sal & Mookie’s (565 Taylor St.). Enjoy a special JFP “Creative Class” martini, free munchies, and lots of fellowship with Jackson creatives and progressives. Free admission; call 601-362-6121, ext. 11. Youth Media Project. Know a teenager who wants to “be the media” this summer? The Youth Media Project, housed at the Jackson Free Press, has spots for young people who want to learn to report, blog, shoot and edit video, and much more. YMP students will produce a special issue of the JFP about the project. Hours flexible. Call 601-362-6121, ext. 16, to inquire. The Market at Fondren June 19. Jim Burwell, Mike Peters and Robert Mann are coordinating a new market across North State Street from Mimi’s in Fondren. Now looking for vendors, musicians and volunteers. Call Jim Burwell at 601-366-6111 for more information.

COMMUNITY Young Professionals Alliance Luncheon May 20, noon, at Greater Jackson Chamber Partnership (201 S. President St.). Marianna and Andy Chapman with HALO Business Advisers will talk about the effective use of social media in business. You must RSVP to nmcnamee@greaterjacksonpartner ship.com. $10 lunch, $7 lunch for members; e-mail nmcnamee@ greaterjacksonpartnership.com. Small Standard Flower Show May 20, 3 p.m., at Eagle Ridge Conference Center (1500 Raymond Lake Road, Raymond). The theme of the show is “Great Beginnings.” The Raymond Garden Club is the host. Free; call 601-857-2272. Networking in the Neighborhood May 20, 5 p.m., at AJ’s on the Lake (361 Township Ave., Ridgeland). The event offers those who are new to the area an opportunity to meet local folks, try new foods and get involved with area charities while having fun. Free; call 601-624-7738 or 601-718-4056. Ridgeland Rendezvous May 20, 5 p.m., in Ridgeland. View artwork by Southern artists and enjoy food, fun and atmosphere at Ridgeland’s galleries, restaurants and shopping centers. Visit visitridgeland.com. Tri-County Chamber Business After Hours May 20, 5:05 p.m., at Trustmark Park (1 Braves Way, Pearl). The networking event includes speed networking opportunities, door prizes and a grand door prize for the best speed networker. Admission includes food, soft drinks and a ticket to the Mississippi Braves game against the Huntsville Stars at 7:05 p.m. Please enter at the rear gate. RSVP to nmcnamee@greaterjackson partnership.com by May 18. $5, free for children under 2; call 601-948-7575, ext. 241. Precinct 3 COPS Meeting May 20, 6 p.m., at Jackson Police Department - Precinct 3 (3925 W. Northside Drive). These monthly meetings are forums designed to help resolve community issues or problems, from crime to potholes. Call 601960-0003.

SafeHeart Screenings May 21, 8 a.m., at Jackson Medical Mall (350 W. Woodrow Wilson Ave.), in the Community Room. SafeHeart Health Screens of Hattiesburg will do five ultrasound and EKG screenings that target risk for heart attack, stroke, abdominal aortic aneurysm, atrial fibrillation, and peripheral arterial disease. Call to register or come early. $129, free for those who qualify; call 601-450-5483 or 866-548-3006. National Bike to Work Day May 21. The Jackson Bike Advocates are encouraging commuters to take their bikes to work to get some exercise, save gas and do something good for the environment. Visit jacksonbikeadvocates.org. Heart Health Luncheon May 21, 11:30 a.m., at the King Edward Hotel (235 W. Capitol St.). Learn how obesity, high cholesterol and physical inactivity can affect your heart, and what you can do about it. An expert panel will be there to answer questions. Registration is required. Free; call 601-376-1172. Federal Policy Briefing May 21, 2 p.m., at the Mississippi Coalition for Citizens with Disabilities (2 Old River Place, Suite A). The 90-minute briefing will bring people up to date on national issues that affect people with disabilities. Call 800721-7255 or 601-969-0601. National Go Outdoors Events May 21-31, at Bass Pro Shops (100 Bass Pro Drive, Pearl). The series of events is a chance for kids and adults to reconnect with the outdoors. Activities vary each day and include fishing demonstrations, chainsaw carving and Dutch oven cooking. Call the store for a complete schedule. Free; call 601-933-3700. MHSAA State Fast Pitch Softball Championships May 21-22, at Freedom Ridge Park (235 W. School St., Ridgeland). The championships start at 6 p.m. May 21 and 10 a.m. May 22. $10; call 601-924-6400. 4ever Friday May 21, 9 p.m., at Afrika Book Cafe (404 Mitchell Ave.). View artwork, listen to poetry and enjoy entertainment by performers such as Tiff and Radical 3000 starting at 10 p.m. Purchase a beverage or bring your own. $10 before 10 p.m.; call 601-454-8313. Provine High School All-Classes Reunion May 21, 10 p.m., at Schimmel’s (2615 N. State St.). All Provine graduates up to the class of 2006 are invited. The attire is upscale and trendsetting. DJ Unpredictable and DJ I.E. will provide music. Advance tickets and VIP seating are available. $10; call 601-918-2894 or 601-502-6884. Summer Enhancement Program Registration through May 21, at Jackson Medical Mall (350 W. Woodrow Wilson Ave.), in the Parks and Recreation Administrative Office. The registration is for Jackson youth ages 7-12 and ends on May 21. The program begins on June 7. $70; call 601-960-0471. Fondren Nails Princess Party May 22, 8 a.m.12:30 p.m., at Fondren Nails (2906 N. State St, Suite B1). Come for a mini-manicure, polish on fingernails and toenails, makeup and more. The event is for ages 4 and up, and parents must be present for children to receive service. Pre-registration required. $15; call 601-362-6292. “Buy the Book” Book Sale May 22, 10 a.m.2 p.m., at Eudora Welty Library (300 N. State St.). The event is sponsored by Jackson Friends of the Library. Call 601-968-5811. Docent Informational Session May 22, 11 a.m., at Jackson Zoological Park (2918 W. Capitol St.). The meeting is for adults 18 and over who are interested in volunteering to teach visitors about animals and habitats at the zoo, work special events and spearhead special projects. A light lunch is provided. RSVP by May 18. E-mail agrinnan@jacksonzoo.org.

More EVENTS, see page 32

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JFP SPONSORED EVENTS

jfpevents

from page 31

Lottie B. Thornton Celebration Luncheon May 22, 11:30 a.m., at Roberts Walthall Hotel (225 E. Capitol St.). Thornton was the first coordinator of the Early Childhood Education Center and the first director of the Jackson State University Early Childhood Education Center. Payments must be received by May 18. $30; call 601-949-7851. Citywide Health Fair May 22, noon, at Making Jesus Real Church (422 Riverwind Drive, Pearl). Receive free health screenings and health information, and participate in family activities. Free; call 601-984-4073 or 601-213-8558.

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Car Seat Safety Check May 22, noon, at St. Dominic Hospital (969 Lakeland Drive), at the Medical Mall entrance. Mississippi Safe Kids will show caregivers how to properly install a child’s car seat. Free; call 601-200-6934. Economic Development Roundtable Luncheon May 24, 11:30 a.m., at University Club (210 E. Capitol St. Suite 2200). The topics are the energy regulatory lawsuit and health care for Mississippians. The speaker is Mississippi Attorney General Jim Hood. Please RSVP by May 19. Attendees may bring guests. $10 lunch; call 601-366-8301. Jackson Audubon Society Monthly Chapter Meeting and Potluck Supper May 25, 6:30 p.m., at Eudora Welty Library (300 N. State St.). Bring a dish and invite your friends and neighbors. Drinks will be provided. There will be door prizes, the election of officers and a lecture by keynote speaker Terri Jacobson. Jacobson will speak on the topic “A Bird of Fire - the Endangered Kirtland’s Warbler.” Open to the public. Free; call 601-956-7444. “History Is Lunch” May 26, noon, at the William F. Winter Archives and History Building (200 North St.). Mississippi Heritage Trust director David Preziosi presents “The Ten Most Endangered Sites.” Bring a lunch; coffee/water provided. Free; call 601-576-6850. Events at Community Foundation of Greater Jackson (525 E. Capitol St., Suite 5B). Call 601-9746044, ext. 221. • Charles “Chuck” E Griffin Endowed Memorial Scholarship Fund Call for Applications through May 31. The fund will provide a cash scholarship based on merit and need to a graduating student at Jim Hill High School and to a graduating student at Hinds Community College who plan to continue their education at a four-year institution. The fund also awards an annual scholarship to a Tougaloo College graduate who has been accepted into the American Bar Association Council on the Legal Education Opportunity (CLEO) program. The application deadline is May 31.

• Anthony “Tony” Gobar Juvenile Justice Scholarship Fund Call for Applications through May 31. The fund will provide a cash scholarship based on both merit and need to a full-time junior or senior at a public university in Mississippi or Southern University in Louisiana majoring in criminal justice, political science, counseling or similar major. The student must have a stated career interest in juvenile justice or a similar field and have demonstrated a strong commitment to community and public service. The application deadline is May 31. Mental Health Awareness Month through May 31, at NAMI Mississippi (411 Briarwood Drive, Suite 401). May is Mental Health Awareness Month in Mississippi. NAMI Mississippi (National Alliance on Mental Illness) is the voice for persons with mental illness and their families. Call the office for information about support and intervention. Free; call 601-899-9058. Mississippi Arts Commission Minigrant Call for Applications through June 1, at Mississippi Arts Commission (Woolfolk Building, 501 N. West St., Suite 1101A). Professional-level artists may apply to support promotion efforts, attend a professional workshop or to purchase artistic supplies. Non-profit organizations or local government entities may apply for up to $1,000 to support presentations by members of the MAC’s Artist Roster, or to support professional development efforts for an arts organization. The application deadline is June 1. Free; call 601-359-6030. Grant Development Program Call for Applications through June 15, at Jackson Convention and Visitors Bureau (111 E. Capitol St., Suite 102). The Jackson Convention and Visitors Bureau’s grant program is open to any non-profit tourism-related entity, such as attractions and events, in the city of Jackson. The application deadline is June 15. The grant period is from September 1, 2010, to August 31, 2011. Call 601-960-1891. Greater Belhaven Market through Dec. 18, 8 a.m.2 p.m., at Mississippi Farmers Market (929 High St.). Buy some fresh produce or other food or gift items. The market is open Saturdays. Free admission; call 601-506-2848 or 601-354-6573. Farmers Market ongoing, at Jackson Roadmap to Health Equity Project’s Farmers Market (2548 Livingston Road). Buy from a wide selection of fresh produce provided by participating local farmers. Market hours are 10 a.m.-6 p.m. on Tuesday and Fridays, and 8 a.m.-3:30 p.m. on Saturdays. Free admission; call 601-951-9273.

Funds Available for Filmmakers

FILE PHOTO

May 20 - 26, 2010

ississippi Film and Video Alliance makers in our state and increase the talent is giving new filmmakers a boost pool of working professionals.” with the Emerging Filmmaker’s Watson said that the grants—$2,500 Grant. The grants for non-students and $500 are available to filmmakers for students—are meant who are just starting out in to be matching funds for the industry, and applicaprojects that already have tions are due May 21. financing. Each year, the non“People can make profit distributes $12,500 The Mississippi Film shorter works with the to Mississippi filmmakers, and Video Alliance is grants and a lot of people distributing grants to local funded by the Mississippi ﬁlmmakers. then go on to make their Film Office. An out-of-state first feature,” Watson said. panel of judges from the film industry se- “Film is a different business. People want lects the grant recipients. to see what you’ve (already) done.” “We’ve funded dramatic, narrative To obtain a grant application, call Sam and documentary films—any project that Watson at 601-613-4602 or e-mail him at has artistic or social merit,” MFVA Vice sam@samwatson.com Grants applications President Sam Watson said. “… The main are also available online on the MFVA’s Facepurpose is to help foster talent among film- book page. —Lacey McLaughlin

GRANDVIEW

STAGE AND SCREEN “The End of All Mysteries” Dinner Theatre May 20, 6 p.m., at Hal & Mal’s (200 Commerce St.). Seating begins at 6 p.m., and the performance by The Detectives Mystery Theatre begins at 7 p.m. A reservation is recommended. $41; call 601-2917444. “Breaking Up is Hard to Do” May 25-June 6, at New Stage Theatre (1100 Carlisle St.). The comedy is about two friends from Brooklyn in search of good times and romance over one wild Labor Day weekend. The score showcases 18 Neil Sedaka classics. Show times are 7:30 p.m. on May 25-29 and June 2-5. 2 p.m. matinees are on May 30 and June 6. $22, $18 students and seniors 60 and up; call 601-948-3533. “Les Plages d’Agnes (The Beaches of Agnes)” Film Viewing May 27, 6 p.m., at Welty Commons (719 Congress St.). A cash bar, wine and snacks are available at 6 p.m., and the film starts at 7:30 p.m. The film is presented by the Crossroads Film Society and the Alliance Francaise de Jackson. $7, $5 Crossroads Film Society members; call 601-510-9148.

MUSIC Symphony on the Square May 22, 6 p.m., at Canton Historic Square, on the courthouse lawn. Local talent and the Mississippi Symphony orchestra will perform. Spectators can bring lawn chairs and picnic baskets. Free; call 800-844-3369. Mississippi Community Symphonic Band Concert May 22, 7 p.m., at Belhaven University Center for the Arts (835 Riverside Dr.). The performance includes a special appearance by the Mississippi Swing. Free; call 601-605-2786. Music in May Festival May 22, 7 p.m., at Mississippi Coliseum (1207 Mississippi St.). Performers include Jaheim, Fantasia, K.D. Brosia, Karen Brown and the Stevie J Band. Tickets are available at the Coliseum Box Office and all Ticketmaster locations starting April 27. $25-$40 limited discounted advance tickets, $30-$45 reserved; call 601-3530603 or 800-745-3000.

LITERARY AND SIGNINGS “The Marrowbone Marble Company” May 20, 5 p.m., at Lemuria Books (202 Banner Hall, 4465 Interstate 55 North). Glenn Taylor signs copies of his book; reading of the book at 5:30 p.m. $24.99 book; call 601-366-7619. Magnolia State Romance Writers Meeting ongoing, at Flowood Library (103 Winners Circle, Flowood). The organization meets every third Saturday from 10 a.m.-noon. Get tips on writing your first romance novel. Free; call 601-992-9831.

CREATIVE CLASSES Jewelry Making Class ongoing, at Dream Beads (605 Duling Ave.). This class is offered every Saturday from 10 a.m. to noon. Free; call 601-664-0411. Belly Dance Class ongoing, at Lumpkin’s Restaurant (182 Raymond Road). The class is held every Saturday at 9:30 a.m. Monique Davis is the instructor. $5; call 601-373-7707. All Writers Workshop ongoing, at Pearl Public Library (2416 Old Brandon Road, Pearl). The workshop, which is held every 2nd and 4th Tuesday each month from 6-7:30 p.m., will focus on inspiration, tips, exercises, and member critique. Free; call 601-932-2562.

A M A LC O T H E AT R E

GALLERIES Artist Reception May 20, 5 p.m., at Southern Breeze Gallery (1000 Highland Colony). See paintings by Lee Gibson during Ridgeland Rendezvous. Free; call 601-607-4147. Renaissance Fine Arts Festival May 22-23, at The Renaissance at Colony Park (1000 Highland Colony Parkway, Ridgeland). The juried two-day festival will feature the nation’s top artists. Hours are 10 a.m.-8 p.m. on May 22 and 11 a.m.-6 p.m. on May 23. Free; call 800-468-6078. Open House through May 29, at North Midtown Arts Center (121 Millsaps Ave.). Every Saturday in May from noon-7 p.m., the center will be open to showcase their artists’ work and to provide a performance space for others to express themselves. All local artists, performers and musicians are welcome to participate by registering via e-mail. Free; e-mail rdstowe@comcast.net. “Six Over 64.9” through May 31, at Gallery 119 (119 S. President St.). See new works by Jim Becker, Norma Bourdeaux, Bewey Bowden, Evelyn Gray, Charles Guess, Jean Seymour. An opening reception on May 13 will be from 5-7:30 p.m. Regular hours are 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Monday-Friday and by appointment. Free admission; call 601-969-4091. Mississippi Watercolor Society Exhibit through June 30, at The Cedars Historic Home (4145 Old Canton Road). Artwork by society members is on display until June 30. Gallery hours are Wednesdays and Fridays from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Free admission; call 601-981-9606.

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Movie listings for Friday, May 21st thru Thursday, May 27th Shrek Forever After 3-D PG

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EXHIBITS AND OPENINGS Lil McKH Jewelry Trunk Show May 20, 4 p.m., at Mississippi Craft Center (950 Rice Road, Ridgeland). The artist will attend to show, sell and discuss her work with precious metals, stones, pearls and enamels. Free with items for sale; call 601-856-7546.

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Mustard Seed Exhibit through June 24, at Mississippi Arts Commission (Woolfolk Building, 501 N. West St., Suite 1101A). Artwork by Mustard Seed residents on display with an invitation-only closing reception June 24 from 2-4 p.m. Gallery hours are 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday-Friday. Free; call 601-359-6030. “Mound Bayou: The Promise Land, 1887-2010” through June 30, at Smith Robertson Museum (528 Bloom St.). See photographs related to the founding of the city. Hours are 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday-Friday and 10 a.m.-1 p.m. Saturday. $4.50 adults, $3.00 seniors, $1.50 children under 18; call 601-960-1457. Artist and Three-Dimensional Artisans Exhibit through June 30, at Mississippi Library Commission (3881 Eastwood Drive). See works by artist Becky Barnett Chamblee and Craftsmen’s Guild artisans Anne Campbell, Carmen Castilla and Rhonda Blasingame. Hours are 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday-Friday. An artists reception will be on June 3 from 4-6 p.m. Free; call 601-432-4056. “A Portrait of Jackson Women – Photography by Karla Pound & Leah Overstreet” through June 30, at Arts Center of Mississippi (201 E. Pascagoula St.). The documentary project includes audio interviews and environmental portraits of twenty Jacksonian women including the late Mildred Wolfe, Ellen Douglas, Dr. Helen Barns, Patti Carr Black, and Dorothy Moore. Hours are 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday-Friday. Free; call 601-960-1557. Check jfpevents.com for updates and more listings. To add an event, e-mail all details (phone number, start/ end date and time, street address, cost, URL, etc.) to events@jacksonfreepress.com or fax to 601-510-9019. The deadline is noon the Thursday prior to the week of publication. Or, add the event online yourself; check out jfpevents.com for instructions.

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WORK PLAY ongoing, at Last Call (3716 Interstate 55 North). The networking event is held every Monday from 6-10 p.m. and includes cocktails, music, board games and video games. Business casual attire is preferred. Free admission; call 601421-7516 or 601-713-2700.

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omic-book aficionados will likely remember Trevor Von Eeden for cocreating the character Black Lightning for DC Comics in the ‘70s. This was the first original African American character for the company, which boasts Batman and Superman in its repertoire. Von Eeden spent the better part of 20 years drawing superheroes for DC and Marvel and then seemed to drop off the radar. So it was a surprise to come across his new graphic novel, the first of two that chronicle the life of Jack Johnson, America’s first black heavyweight champion. “The Original Johnson: Volume One” (IDW Publishing, December 23, 2009, $19.99) by Von Eeden, with George Freeman and Don Hillsman II, is definitely a noteworthy return for the artist. The jump from working on major characters for the two biggest comicbook publishers to doing biographical comics almost sounds like a step backward in this industry. It might have been for another artist, but the story of Jack Johnson has clearly been a labor of love for the artist and now, writer. Graphic novels, and comics in general, can sometimes result in tug of war between story and art. As a reader, I can sacrifice art for story, but not the reverse. While I was never a huge fan of Von Eeden’s previously pedestrian superhero work, his less realistic and somewhat looser approach to the Jack Johnson story gives the boxer a larger than life, somewhat idealized presence that often seems out of step with the trend towards realism that dominates the superhero genre. The slightly cartoony style lends itself to scenes of Johnson’s fighting—from his early days of dock fighting, through the brutal time in matches featuring blindfolded fighters in a last-man-standing free-for-all, to his rise in the square circle. Just as boldly drawn are scenes from Jack Johnson’s personal life before and during his career. In essence, Von Eeden’s style suits the subject matter’s full-bore approach to life in and out of the ring. This is the story of one man, but a man who virtually represented an entire race of people and their aspiration to be seen as equals to, if not at times superior to, an oppressive belief that African Americans were, by default, inferior to whites. The book makes it clear that both black and white Americans had come to internalize this belief to the point that it permeated society well after the end of slavery. The example set by one man became an inspiration for a generation just learning what a measure of freedom could allow for. Riding the rails to New York City as a young man, Johnson makes friends with a fellow vagabond who imparts a sense of the inequality of the times. “It’s all man-made, the feelings of worth-

lessness and inferiority! Made by other men to make a man into a tool—for their benefit, not his!” the man tells Johnson, perhaps helping spark the fire of perseverance that Johnson came to embody. Johnson learns from this older man that freedom by itself is useless without the will to act on it, and incorporates this into his quest to do what seemed impossible in a less than hospitable environment. Johnson routinely encountered bigotry and the obstacles it places around someone who refuses to “know his place,” from the same men who profited from his prowess in the ring. As his mentor, “Jersey” Joe Walcott, phrased it, “The goal of fightin’ is never just to hurt your opponent. It’s to win! It’s to thrive! It’s to enjoy the fact of your bein’ alive!” In the end, it’s Johnson’s love for living and the sport and craft of boxing coupled with his belief in his own self-worth that drives him toward becoming the man who would redefine all previous notions white America clung to regarding their superiority. The book is surprisingly well written; Von Eeden may have trumped his artistic skills. At times his writing style becomes lyrical, particularly during a dream sequence—”His enemies were legion, beyond counting, and his heart was light as he leapt into battle”—but he manages not to veer off into overly florid prose. And while the subject matter is rife with the ups and downs of Johnson’s life, and his struggles with white society, the story moves along at an easy pace without falling into preachiness in regard to rising above the inherent hardships of being essentially a second class citizen. It makes for an interesting and dramatic read about a true American hero who refused to accept what was offered and gained more than was thought possible. As Johnson himself states: “My hands ... these hands ... with these hands, I can do anything ... haha ... yeah, I can change the world.” “The Original Johnson: Volume One” is the first of a two volume set with the second volume to be released this month. As it stands, the first volume is an engaging tale of America’s first African American heavyweight champion, and a stark reminder of this country’s less-than-stellar treatment of some of its own citizens in the early part of the 20th century. A bit of a history lesson at times, but enjoyably so, “The Original Johnson” offers an interesting look at a man who faced down prejudice and emerged a better person, and a champion for more than just fans of boxing. “The Original Johnson Volume One” is available at Action Island Comics in Ridgeland, Van’s Comics and Cards in Ridgeland, and Heroes and Dreams in Flowood.

Intern at the JFP Hone your skills, gain valuable experience and college credit* by interning with the Jackson Free Press. You set your hours, and attend free training workshops. We currently have openings in the following areas: • Editorial/News • Photography • Cultural/Music Writing • Fashion/Style

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arts

by Valerie Wells

KARLA POUND

Challenging Stereotypes www.mississippihappening.com

Visit the web for weekly updates about new and upcoming MS artists Videos, Interviews, Photos, Concert Announcements, Reviews & Monthly Podcast Mississippi Happening proudly supports new music and arts in Mississippi. Dr. Helen Barnes, one of the ﬁrst African American women to practice medicine in Mississippi, is featured in “A Portrait of Jackson Women.”

Please submit your music to mshappening@gmail.com

Follow Mississippi Happening on Facebook and on Twitter

G JACKS O N ’ S PRE M I E R E E N T E R TA I N M E N T C O M P L E X

Electric Relaxation Monday

MUSIC, MOSCATO & MIMOSAS (5:30-9:30) Happy Hour/Networking/Music Kitchen open for Wings Jxn & Dreamz Burgers

Centric Thursdays

HAPPY HOUR | 6PM

Live Band & DJ, Open Mic upstairs with Tweeked Out 2 FOR 1 DRINKS SPECIAL TIL 9PM

Can’t Feel My Face Friday

DOORS OPEN 9PM Guys $1 cover til 11pm!

May 20 - 26, 2010

2 for 1 Drinks til 11pm! FREE SHOTS on the Hour!

DJ REIGN & DJ HOVA SATURDAYS AVAILABLE FOR R ENTAL TWITTER .COM /NEWDREAMZJXN

WWW.DREAMZJXN.COM For VIP, BOOTH or BOTTLE information, call 601-720-0663

E D

K E

The JFP seeks a jack-of-alltrades geek for a variety of tasks, ranging from back-end Web programming to massaging our file servers to teaching others techie stuff (video editing, photo uploading, podcasting, etc). Must love Macs, HTML, CSS -- and be at least JavaScript- and PHPcurious. If you meet those criteria AND you’re a friendly person who knows how to lovingly say “Have you tried restarting?” or “Did you make sure it has paper in the tray?” to harried editors, designers and writers -- then you’re encouraged to apply! Parttime to start. (Be invaluable and the position will grow.) Send resume and caffeine requirements to todd@jacksonfreepress.com

cardboard cutout of President Barack Obama smiles down through a window at a pleasant-looking woman standing in her backyard. She smiles and waits patiently, standing outside her sunroom in her jacket. She looks like someone’s grandmother, someone’s friend. Dr. Helen Barnes looks like someone you want to know and who might invite you inside. Karla Pound was walking her dog around her block in Fondren when she met her next-door neighbor, this older woman who dressed comfortably and had an aura of confidence. A casual friendship grew, and then Pound learned who the neighbor was. The calm, smart, older woman turned out to be Helen Barnes, one of the first black women to practice medicine in Mississippi, one of the first black Mississippians to get into medical school, one of the first black women to teach at University Medical Center. That dog-walking encounter was four years ago. The realization that Barnes was a historical Jackson figure inspired Pound, 36, a photographer, to document lives of other legendary women in Jackson. She told another photographer and lifelong friend, Leah Overstreet, 32, about the chance meeting with Barnes. They wondered how many other important Jackson women they might profile in a tribute. “A Portrait of Jackson Women” is a multimedia documentary exhibit with large format photographs, audio and a short film. The photographers found 20 women in Jackson who changed history. They started with Barnes, and then photographed artist Mildred Wolfe and author Ellen Douglas. “We started this just for us,” Pound said. “We’d shoot one lady because she interested us. Then she’d tell us about somebody else.” Pound and Overstreet both grew up in Jackson and both attended Jackson Prep. Growing up, they had heard of some of the women, but not too much. “I can’t believe I didn’t know about them.

These people should be studied,” Pound said. “These women are so amazing,” Overstreet said. “We started listening to Helen Barnes’ story. We were blown away. It was an incredible story with all the craziness of the civil rights era and her spirit of wanting to help people.” Pound is constantly booked with wedding shoots around Jackson, and Overstreet works in New York City as a photo editor for MTV. For the exhibit, Overstreet taped interviews with the subjects. She asked all 20 women why Mississippi is important to them. After the interviews ended, she spent many hours editing. She also made a short film about the 20 “strong women who did great things.” Overstreet wants to bring the exhibit to New York City to show this lesser-known side of history. “There are still stereotypes that are unfair that Mississippi still gets,” she says. “These Mississippi women did challenge stereotypes through art, through community service. They directly challenged those stereotypes.” The project differs from the day-to-day work of the two photographers. “With brides, I love to capture those moments at weddings when everyone is at their best,” Pound says who has her own photo studio in Fondren. “But older women put life in perspective (when they say), ‘This is what we want to do; this is how we made a difference.’ It helps us with stuff we have to do every day to pay the bills.” She remembers when they asked arts supporter Sally Carmichael about time management. “How do you have time for it all?” Pound asked her. Her response was blunt: “I don’t play bridge,” Carmichael said. “If you don’t do all the other stupid stuff, you have time,” Pound said, interpreting Carmichael’s words. Mildred Wolfe also left an impression. “I wanted to be an artist; I didn’t want to be just married to one,” she told the women. “Each woman has a different story,” Overstreet says. “All these women gave back to the community. All have been a fabric, a life intersected through mutual friends and acquaintances. We saw connections as we put pieces together. All these women have done so much work that matters, it inspires you to follow your passion.” Overstreet’s passion is creating projects like this one that consumed all her free time and took years to pull together. Still, she enjoys her professional life in New York City and doesn’t foresee moving anytime soon. “I’m taking it one day at a time,” she says. “A lot of projects I do are down south. I do find myself coming home to do projects.” “A Portrait of Jackson Women: Photography by Karla Pound and Leah Overstreet” opens Friday, May 14 at the Arts Center of Mississippi.

music

by Lance Lomax

‘Music is a Life Force’ thing is to have a dialogue with the audience. It’s an interactive experience between audience and myself.

Blues musician Vasti Jackson performs at Underground 119 May 22 at 9 p.m.

low light shines down on the band as Vasti bounces and sways on stage, his face squinting as his fingers lock down over the strings of his electric guitar. Derrick Martin pounds the drums, and Chalmer’s Davis’ hands dance over the keyboard. The result is a synchronized sound and a call for full attention that is hard to deny. Jackson began playing the guitar professionally at 15, and has been an integral part of blues culture in Mississippi since then, including late-night performances with performers like Patrice Moncell, ZZ Hill, Johnny Taylor, The House Rockers and many others at the old Subway Lounge, a Jackson juke joint that closed in 2003. The musician had a featured role in “Last of the Mississippi Jukes,” working with actor Morgan Freeman and director Robert Mugge to explore the state’s blues heritage and chronicle the history of the Subway Lounge the year it closed. Jackson studied music with an emphasis on percussion at Jackson State University in the 1970s. He also worked as a session guitarist, writer and producer for Malaco Records playing with artists like Bobby Bland and Denise Lassale. He currently lives in Hattiesburg and spoke to the Jackson Free Press by phone. What’s your favorite thing about performing in Jackson? Being in Jackson is like playing in my living room, there’s such a natural connection. The audience and I are on the same level. They seem to bring me a lot of love. It is a celebration of Mississippi culture. Do you have favorite songs to perform? It’s not so much a certain song; I like to perform music that has integrity. Music is a life force for me. What I experience is a glorification and a gratitude for this gift that God has given me. It’s a celebration of life spiritually and physically. Do you ever perform originals? Yes, it’s a mixture of my compositions, traditional music of Mississippi, funk, soul, reggae, gospel and, of course, blues. The main

Do you play any other instruments? Yes, drums, bass and a little piano. How long have you and your band played together? The other musicians and I have a history. The depth of our experiences is beyond music. I think that energy and love is definitely part of the power of our performance. Things become more intuitive because when you’ve been around someone for a long time you can sense what they’re feeling. Do you have a favorite artist, or influence? Growing up, my two biggest musical role models were my grandparents—blues from my grandfather, and gospel from my grandmother. Later, I was sort of enamored with the great jazz guitarists Joe Pass and Wes Montgomery, and the great drummer Billy Cobham. B.B. King, Lightnin’ Hopkins, Mahalia Jackson and The Staple Singers were the music that was played around the house. Is there anything about your musical career you’d like to share? As a kid I loved sound. They called me the noisemaker because I was always humming and beating on things. I was a happy child. The moment I could transfer the sounds in my head to the guitar I found my twin. Another was playing with the Mississippi Symphony Orchestra at Smith Wills Stadium. To have a full orchestra accompanying you and playing your arrangement is a wonderful musical experience. What do you think about Jackson’s economic development? I applaud them for all they are putting into this. When people feel good about themselves it energizes people. When people talk about Mississippi, they think about the blues. Mississippi has a bunch of good stuff that the world should experience. It’s a good thing not to only put the good dishes out just for company. In attracting folks to the area, we have to acknowledge that we have something worth sharing. We’ve got some great stuff. We will share it with you, but it’s ours, and we are proud of it. Jackson and his band will perform at Underground 119 (119 S. President St., 601-3522322) Saturday, May 22, at 9 p.m.

BANDS WANTED vocalist looking for band im a rock vocalist looking for a band in need of a lead singer please call at any time my name is shane (601) 940-0510

BANDS/DJS FOR HIRE Disc Jockey (DJ) Service Professional DJ - 20 Years Experience - Holiday Parties/Weddings/Birthdays/Private Parties, Lights/Fog/Etc available, Photography Services Available, Live Band Availble (601) 850-4380

GEAR Warwick bass 4 sale Warwick Corvette Standard bubinga 4 string passive with gig bag, warranty, manual, hercules stand, and acoustic B20 practice amp. $850. obo (601) 278-7854 Bass gear Quality professional gear. Swr Silverado combo. 350 watts RMS. $400. New aoustic 200 watt bass head $200. Two Swr 1 15’ and horn cabinets $250 ea. Loud and Clean Sold seperately or together. (601) 214-4412 Professional Sound Engineers Need sound equipment or just a couple of engineers at your next event call Daniel 601.488.0436 any venue large or small anywhere in the south. Complete PA Huge carvin pa for sale, all accessories, cables, processors, mics, stands, lights, amps, etc. Over $20,000 in gear to sell for best offers. Equipment is in as new condition. (225) 341-9391 Guitar Gear - Must Sell!! Vox AD120VTH Valvetronix Stereo Head $400, 1x12 and 2x12 cabinets- $80-$125. (601) 540-1739

MISCELLANEOUS Need A Few Good Musicians Interested in helping to set up music non-proﬁt organization (centered around the BLUES) for disadvantaged youths in the Jackson metropolitan area? If so, I am looking to talk to you. Need musicians who can teach everything from banjo, guitar, dobro, mandolin, ﬁddle, accordion, harmonica, piano, etc., etc. COME BE A PART OF THIS GREAT PROJECT! (601) 924-0210.

MUSICIANS AVAILABLE Rock Singer Available Male Rock/Metal Singer looking for experienced cover band. Many years experience. Contact myspace or facebook: Crystal Quazar. Phone: 601-572-6253 Drummer Available Mature/seasoned drummer available. Have played everything from country to Christian Contemporary. Would like to join existing band or form new one with seasoned musicians ONLY...no beginners please! Would like to play classic rock, blues and/or contemporary. Call if interested. (601) 613-5835 Looking to Start Band I am a bass player new in town and am looking to start a band in the Jackson area. I need a guitarist, drummer and lead vocals. No speciﬁc genre is preferred, but the band will be based on rock and metal (no death or black metal). I’ve played in several bands and played out hundreds of times and am able to get gigs. If interested or for more info please call Chris @ 386-365-2944 Female Vocalist Seeking Band I am a 16-year-old female vocalist seeking a synthpop or rock band. Ages of band members preferrably 25 years or younger due to parental objections. Contact by email at freezepopforever10 29@hotmail.com.

Drummer available 42 year old drummer looking to play with existing group or start one. Great love for the instrument and really want to put something together for fun and proﬁt (gigs 1-3 month). Rock, classic rock, pop, jazz, and swing. Good chops and attitude, no ego, just want to play. Been done wrong a few times, looking for mature guys/girls who have their act together and are serious. Call bill @ 601-955-7924 or e-mail at wricha2796@aol. Com. (601) 955-7924 Old Drummer Available! DRUMMER AVAILABLE: Most recently, I have played with The Veterans of Foreign Bars band. Interested in playing Blues, Funk, Soul, maybe Country. I am an older guy and settled in for the duration. I would be interested in a steady band, ﬁll-in, and, possibly, a new start-up. Let me hear: mcdrum89@yahoo.com or call 601-832-0831 Musician Available 25 Years experience playing Drums, Guitar & Bass. Recently relocated to Jackson from Memphis, TN. All genres of music. Contact Tim at 601-665-5976. Or email: reeves@cgdsl.net Serious inquires only. Drummer Looking For Band I’m an experienced drummer looking to form/join a band. I have mostly played metal, but I am open to rock/hard rock/metal, etc. Call Dave at (769) 226-0845. Female Vocalist/Songwriter Seeking fellow musicians. Serious inquiries only. Call Nikki 601-259-1288.

MUSICIANS WANTED Church Gospel Pianist needed Seeking p/t gospel pianist in brandon, ms. Please contact 601-720-5878 for more info. Deathcore guitarists Metal band looking for 2 exp’d guitarists. Inﬂuences include WhiteChapel, Carnifex, Opeth, etc. Call David for more info (601) 201-3815 Metal Singer & Bassist Wanted AnnX is looking for a Experienced Energetic METAL Vocalist and a Bass Player to play shows and write new material. (601) 383-4851 Become our Next Instructor Major Scales Studio is accepting applications for a classical or rock or jazz guitar teacher. Must have professional appearance. Please email your resume to Majorscales@aol.com. Cellist Needed For Album/tour Cellist needed for my album and possibly to tour shortly after. I am signed with South City Records. I need to start recording ASAP! Must be reliable and dedicated. Please contact me at scorpiano31@gmail.com Drummer/Bassist needed - Metal We are in need of a drummer and a bassist. Experience in metal (death, black, etc.) is preffered, but not completely necessary. Call Buddy at (601)5025647. Thanks for reading. -Buddy Female Vocalist/Songwriter Seeking fellow musicians. Serious inquiries only. Call Nikki 601-259-1288. Bass Player Needed for eclectic cover band that features pedal steel guitar. -Vocals a plus- want to gig once or 2x a month and have lots of fun -Buck Owens to REMcall 601 488 6907 +leave msg All acoustic blues band is forming. Any acoustic musician who wishes to joins and pay hardcore blues call Mr. Blues at 601-785-9148 or 601-480-3670 Y’allses Blues Band is Coming All acoustic blues band is forming. Any acoustic musician who wishes to joins and pay hardcore blues call Mr. Blues at 601-785-9148 or 601-480-3670

jacksonfreepress.com

COURTESY VASTI JACKSON

What stands out about performing at Underground 119? I have an opportunity in Mississippi to explore the roots, the tree, the branches and the fruit of American music. When I play 119, it’s not a presentation of artifacts. As B.B. King said: “I like to live the life I sing about in my song.”

Looking for band mates? Wanting to sell your gear? Advertise here for free! Visit JFP Classifieds.com. If you are interested in sponsoring the Musicians Exchange call JFP Sales at 601-362-6121 ext. 11. 37

livemusic MAY 20, THURSDAY OPEN M-F 4P M ‘ T IL

HAPPY HOUR

M -TH 5 -7

UPCOMING SHOW: JUNE 2ND

LIVE MUSIC CALENDAR

STONEY LARUE

ALL SHOWS 10PM UNLESS NOTED

KARAOKE W/ MIKE MOTT

WEDNESDAY

$10 ADVANCE, $15 AT DOOR WEDNESDAY - MAY 19 THURSDAY - MAY 20

5/19

DJ DANCE PARTY

LADIES NIGHT

LADIES NIGHT (FREE DRAFT CUP 9-11)

8PM-12AM FOR $5 - NO COVER

GHOST TOWN

LADIES DRINK ALL YOU CAN THURSDAY

5/20

80’S NIGHT

FRIDAY - MAY 21 SATURDAY - MAY 22

HILLBILLY DELUX

DIFFERENT THEME EACH WEEK FRIDAY

5/21

ROCKET

SATURDAY

5/22

DIRTY DOZEN BRASS BAND

SUNDAY - MAY 23

8 BALL TOURNAMENT TUESDAY - MAY 25

POOL LEAGUE NIGHT 2636 S. Gallatin Jackson, MS 39204

601-961-4747

www.myspace.com/popsaroundthecorner

Lumpkin's BBQ - Jesse Robinson (blues lunch) 11:30-1:30 p.m. Hal & Mal's Restaurant - Detectives Mystery Dinner Theatre 6: 30-9:30 p.m. $42 w/dinner F. Jones Corner - Sherman Lee Dillon (blues lunch) free; Blues at Sunset Challenge Band 10-4 a.m. free Underground 119 - Greenfish 8-11 p.m. free 930 Blues Cafe - Jackie Bell, Norman Clark & Smoke Stack Lightning 8 p.m. $5 Footloose - Karaoke 8-12 a.m. Parker House (patio) - Chris Gill & friends (crawfish) 6:30-9:30 p.m. Burgers & Blues - Jason Turner 5:30-9:30 p.m. Shucker's - The Rhythm Masters 7:30-11:30 p.m. free Congress Street Bar & Grill - Joe Carroll (blues) 7 p.m. Cherokee Inn - D'lo Trio 6:30 p.m. Steam Roome Grille - Cigar & Stars: Mark Whittington & Fingers Taylor 6:30-9:30 p.m. Kristo's, Madison - Hunter Gibson 7-10 p.m. free Pelican Cove - Team Trivia 7 p.m. signup Regency Hotel - Karaoke 7 p.m. free Poets II - Gravity Electric Cowboy - DJ Cadillac (country/dance/rock) 9 p.m. McB's - Karaoke 7 p.m. free Hot Shots, Byram - Karaoke 8 p.m. free Eli's Treehouse, V'burg - Karaoke 8 p.m.

MAY 21, FRIDAY

ROCK 93.9 and FIRE present:

FRAMING HENLEY FRIDAY, MAY 28TH SUNDAY

Plus, enter to win in the

5/23

HAPPY CRAPPY CONCERT TOUR

KARAOKE MONDAY

5/24

TUESDAY

5/25

OPEN MIC JAM TOPTEN SONGS THIS WEEK MATT’S LATE NIGHT KARAOKE $2 MARGARITAS $1 HIGHLIFE & PBR WEDNESDAY

5/26

LADIES NIGHT May 20 - 26, 2010

LADIES DRINK ALL YOU CAN

8PM-12AM FOR $5 - NO COVER 214 S. STATE ST. • 601.354.9712 DOWNTOWN JACKSON WWW.MARTINSLOUNGE.NET

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

SEVENDUST - Unraveling DROWNING POOL - Feel Like I Do THREE DAYS GRACE - The Good Life STONE TEMPLE PILOTS - Between the Lines BULLET FOR MY VALENTINE - Your Betrayal OZZY OSBOURNE - Let Me Hear You Scream SHAMANS HARVEST - Dragonﬂy NONPOINT - Miracle CYPRESS HILL - Rise Up SKILLET - Hero

Ole Tavern - Lucero, Taylor Hildebrand 9 p.m. Martin's - Rocket 88 (roots rock) 10 p.m. Underground 119 - Swing de Paris (gypsy jazz) 9-1 a.m. Hal & Mal's Restaurant - Eric Stracener & the Church Keys (roots rock) 8 p.m. Freelon's - Akami Graham McB's - Johnny Crocker 8 p.m. free Shucker's - Travelin' Jane Band 8-1 a.m. $5 Time Out - Stone Free (blues/rock) 9-1 a.m. F. Jones Corner - Sherman Lee Dillon (blues lunch); Sherman Lee Dillon's Miss Sound w/Hollywood 11:30-4 a.m. (blues) $10 Burgers & Blues - Shaun Patterson 7-11 p.m. Poets II - Myles Sharp Band 930 Blues Cafe - Blues/Jazz 5:30-8 p.m.; Jackie Bell, 9 p.m. $10 Electric Cowboy - DJ Terry 9 p.m. Regency Hotel - Faze 4 - 8:30 p.m. Pelican Cove - Karaoke 7:30 p.m. Dreamz Jxn - DJ Reign & DJ Hova 9 p.m. Footloose - Karaoke 9-1 a.m. free Dick & Jane's - Show Night/DJ Allen 9 p.m. $6; 18+ $10 Cultural Expressions - Reggae/ Hip-Hop/Old School Night 10 p.m. $5

Reed Pierce's - The Colonels 9 p.m. free Hot Shots, Byram - Karaoke 8 p.m. free Bottleneck, Ameristar - Memphis All-Stars 8 p.m. free

MAY 22, SATURDAY Martin's - Dirty Dozen Brass Band (New Orleans Jazz) 10 p.m. www.dirtydozenbrass.com Jxn Coliseum - Jaheim, Fantasia, K.D. Brosia, Karen Brown 7 p.m. Underground 119 - Vasti Jackson (blues) 9-1 a.m. Fire - The Glitter Boys, Wild Street, Black Tora(rock) 9 p.m. F. Jones Corner - Sherman Lee's Miss. Sound w/Anna Lee Dillon 11:30-4 a.m. $10 Belhaven Arts Center, Riverside Dr - Miss. Community Symphonic Band w/Miss. Swing 7 p.m. free, 601-605-2786 www.mcsb.us Hal & Mal's Restaurant - Natalie Kirk & Co. Hal & Mal's Red Room - Bofus Hal & Mal's Patio - Spacewolf, Los Buddies, Andrew Fox, The Church Keys, Used Goods, Thee Party Dots (benefit) 8 p.m. $10 Soulshine, Township @ Colony Park (outside) - Soulshine Blues & Groove Fest: Ben Payton 11 a.m.; Delta Mountain Boys 12: 45 p.m.; Juvenators 2:30 p.m.; Houserockers 4:15 p.m.; Fingers Taylor & the Hounds 6 p.m.; Jesse Robinson 500lb Blues Band 8:15 p.m. free/donation Ole Tavern - The Congress, The Peoples 10 p.m. The Auditorium - Tim Avalon & Swing de Paris 9:30 p.m. $5 Regency Hotel - Faze 4 - 8:30 p.m. Shucker's - Mike Thumb Benefit 3-7 p.m. free; Travelin' Jane Band 8-1 a.m. $5 Burgers & Blues - PhePlays Duo 7-11 p.m. McB's - Buie, Hamman & Porter (acoustic classic rock) 7:30-11:30 p.m. free Poets II - Santa Fe 930 Blues Cafe - Blues/Jazz 5:30-8 p.m.; Jackie Bell, 9 p.m. $10 Pelican Cove - Full Sail 2-5 p.m.; Virgil Brawley & Steve Chester (blues/roots) 7-11 p.m. Cultural Expressions - Kamikaze & Yardboy (hip-hop/Soul) 9 p.m. $5 Fitzgerald's - Chris Gill 8-12 a.m. Huntington's - Ralph Miller 6-9 p.m. Dick & Jane's - House Party/DJ Allen 9 p.m. $6; 18+ $10 Reed Pierce's - Fade 2 Blue 9 p.m. free Hot Shots, Byram - Karaoke 8 p.m. free Bottleneck, Ameristar - Memphis All-Stars 8 p.m. free

MAY 23, SUNDAY King Edward Hotel - Howard Jones Trio (jazz brunch) 11-2 p.m. Warehouse - Mike & Marty Open Jam Session 6-10 p.m. free

Fitzgerald's - Andy Hardwick (brunch) 11-2 p.m. Sophia's, Fairview Inn - Knight Bruce 11 a.m. (brunch) Zydeco - James Earl (brunch) 11-3 p.m. Shucker's - The Rhythm Masters 3-7 p.m. free Burgers & Blues - Chris Gill 5-9 p.m. Pelican Cove - Hunter Gibson & Rick Moreira 3-7 p.m. free Sam's Lounge - Diesel 255 - 9-1 a.m. myspace.com/diesel255 The Hill - Open Blues Jam 6-11 p.m. Footloose - Karaoke 7-11 p.m. free Cultural Expressions - Open Mic Poetry 8 p.m. $5 Hot Shots, Byram - Karaoke 6-10 p.m. free

MAY 24, MONDAY Hal & Mal's Restaurant - Central Miss. Blues Society Jam 8-11 p.m. $5 F. Jones Corner - Sherman Lee Dillon (blues lunch) free Fitzgerald's - Hunter Gibson & Rick Moreira 8-12 a.m. free Martin's - Open Mic Free Jam 10 p.m. free Fenian's - Karaoke 8-1 a.m. Dreamz - Karaoke/DJ 5:30 p.m.

MAY 25, TUESDAY F. Jones Corner - Amazing Lazy Boi (blues lunch) MC, Swor Auditorium, Clinton Miss. Wind Symphony Concert 7:30 p.m. 601-925-3439, free www.mswindsymphony.com Hal & Mal's Restaurant - Pub Quiz 8 p.m. Fenian's - Open Mic 9 p.m. Martin's - Karaoke 10 p.m. Shucker's - The Xtremes 7-11 p.m. free Time Out - Open Mic 8 p.m. McB's - Karaoke 7 p.m. free LD's Kitchen, V'burg - Blue Monday Band 8:30 p.m.

MAY 26, WEDNESDAY Hal & Mal's Restaurant - Singer/ Songwriter Night F. Jones Corner - Sherman Lee Dillon (blues lunch) free Underground 119 - Emma Wynters Trio 8-11 p.m. free Steam Room Grille - Ms Sinatra 6 p.m. Regency Hotel - Snazz 8:30 p.m. myspace.com/snazzband2 Shucker's - DoubleShotz 7:30-11: 30 p.m. free Footloose - Karaoke 8-12 a.m. free Electric Cowboy - Karaoke Pelican Cove - Mike & Marty (party rock) 7 p.m. Parker House (patio) - Scott Albert Johnson & Bob Gates (crawfish/ blues) 6:30-9:30 p.m.

6/05 John Prine - Cannon Arts Center, Memphis 6/10-13 Bonnaroo: Miike Snow, XX, Ok Go, Blitzen Trapper, Tokyo Police Club, LCD Soundsystem, Flaming Lips, Stevie Wonder, Dead Weather, Calexico, Ween, Dropkick Murphys,+ – Manchester, TN 6/09 Melvins - One Eyed Jack’s, N.O.; 6/10 Bottletree, Birmingham 6/09 Miike Snow - Republic, New Orleans 6/12 Michael Franti - Minglewood Hall, Memphis 6/16 Passion Pit / Tokyo Police Club - House of Blues, N.O.

venuelist Wednesday, May 19th Freelon’s Bar And Groove 440 N. Mill St., Jackson, 601-353-5357 (hip-hop) Fusion Coffeehouse Highland Colony Parkway, Ridgeland, 601-856-6001 Garfield’s Restaurant & Pub 6340 Ridgewood Court, Jackson, 601-977-9920 Gold Strike Casino 1010 Casino Center Drive, Robinsonville, 888-245-7529 Grand Casino Biloxi 280 Beach Boulevard, Biloxi, 228-436-2946 Grand Casino Tunica 13615 Old Highway 61 North, Robinsonville, 800-39-GRAND The Green Room 444 Bounds St., Jackson, 601-713-3444 Ground Zero Blues Club 0 Blues Alley, Clarksdale, 662-621-9009 Grownfolks’s Lounge 4030 Medgar Evers Blvd, Jackson, 601-362-6008 Hal & Mal’s 200 S. Commerce St., Jackson, 601-948-0888 (pop/rock/blues) Hamp’s Place 3028 W. Northside Dr., Jackson, 601-981-4110 (dance/dj) Hard Rock Biloxi 777 Beach Blvd., Biloxi, 228-374-ROCK Hat & Cane 1115 E. McDowell Rd., Jackson, 601-352-0411 Hauté Pig 1856 Main St., Madison, 601853-8538 Here We Go Again 3002 Terry Road, Jackson, 601-373-1520 The Hill Restaurant 2555 Valley St., Jackson, 601-373-7768 Horizon Casino Mulberry Lounge 1310 Mulberry St., Vicksburg, 800-843-2343 Horseshoe Bar 5049 Hwy 80 West, Jackson, 601-922-6191 Horseshoe Casino Tunica, 800-303-7463 The Hunt Club 1525 Ellis Ave., Jackson, 601-944-1150 Huntington Grille 1001 E. County Line Rd., Jackson, 601-957-1515 The Ice House 515 S. Railroad Blvd., McComb, 601-684-0285 (pop/rock) JC’s 425 North Mart Plaza, Jackson, 601-362-3108 James Meredith Lounge 217 Griffith St. 601-969-3222 Julep Restaurant and Bar 105 Highland Village, Jackson, 601-362-1411 Kathryn’s Steaks and Seafood 6800 Old Canton Road, Ridgeland. 601-956-2803 Koinonia Coffee House 136 S. Adam St., Suite C, Jackson, 601-960-3008 LaRae’s 210 Parcel Dr., Jackson, 601-944-0660 Last Call Sports Grill 1428 Old Square Road, Jackson, 601-713-2700 The Library Bar & Grill 120 S. 11th St., Oxford, 662-234-1411 The Loft 1306 A. Washington St., Vicksburg, 601-629-6188 The Lyric Oxford 1006 Van Buren Ave., Oxford. 662-234-5333 Main Event Sports Bar & Grill 4659 Hwy 80 West, Jackson, 601-922-9987 Manda’s Pub 614 Clay Street, Vicksburg, 601-638-6607 Martin’s Lounge 214 S. State St., Jackson, 601-354-9712 (rock/jam/blues) McB’s Restaurant 815 Lake Harbor Dr., Ridgeland, 601-956-8362 (pop/rock) Mellow Mushroom 275 Dogwood Blvd., Flowood, 601-992-7499 Mississippi Academy of Ancient Music 103 Magnolia, Edwards, 601-977-7736 Mississippi Coliseum 1207 Mississippi St., Jackson, 601-353-0603 Mississippi Opera P.O. Box 1551, Jackson, 877-MSOPERA, 601-960-2300 Mississippi Opry 2420 Old Brandon Rd., Brandon, 601-331-6672 Mississippi Symphony Orchestra 201 East Pascagoula St., Jackson, 800-898-5050 Mississippi Veterans Memorial Stadium 2531 N. State St., Jackson, 601-354-6021 Monte’s Steak and Seafood 1855 Lakeland Dr., Jackson, 601-362-8182 Mugshots 1855 Lakeland Dr., Jackson, 601-713-0383 North Midtown Arts Center 121 Millsaps Ave., Jackson, 601-497-7454 Okasions 1766 Ellis Avenue, Jackson, 601-373-4037 Old Venice Pizza Co. 1428 Old Square Rd., Jackson, 601-366-6872 Ole Tavern on George Street 416 George St., Jackson, 601-960-2700

Olga’s 4760 I-55 North, Jackson, 601-366-1366 (piano) One to One Studio 121 Millsaps Ave., in the Millsaps Arts District, Jackson One Blue Wall 2906 N State St., Jackson, 601-713-1224 Peaches Restaurant 327 N. Farish St., Jackson, 601-354-9267 Pelican Cove 3999A Harborwalk Dr., Ridgeland, 601-605-1865 Pig Ear Saloon 160 Weisenberger Rd., Gluckstadt, 601-898-8090 Pig Willies 1416 Washington St., Vicksburg, 601-634-6872 Pool Hall 3716 I-55 North Frontage Rd., Jackson, 601-713-2708 Pop’s Saloon 2636 Gallatin St., Jackson, 601-961-4747 (country) Proud Larry’s 211 S. Lamar Blvd., Oxford, 662-236-0050 The Pub Hwy. 51, Ridgeland, 601-898-2225 The Quarter Bistro & Piano Bar 1855 Lakeland Dr., Jackson, 601-362-4900 Que Sera Sera 2801 N. State St., Jackson, 601-981-2520 Red Room 200 S. Commerce St., Jackson (Hal & Mal’s), 601-948-0888 (rock/alt.) Reed Pierce’s 6791 Siwell Rd., Byram, 601-376-0777, 601-376-4677 Regency Hotel Restaurant & Bar 420 Greymont Ave., Jackson, 601-969-2141 Rick’s Cafe 318 Hwy 82 East, #B, Starkville, 662-324-7425 RJ Barrel 111 N. Union 601-667-3518 Sal and Mookie’s 565 Taylor St. 601368-1919 Sam’s Lounge 5035 I-55 N. Frontage Rd., Jackson, 601-983-2526 Sam’s Town Casino 1477 Casino Strip Blvd., Robinsonville, 800-456-0711 Schimmel’s Fine Dining 2615 N. State St., Jackson, 601-981-7077 Scrooge’s 5829 Ridgewood Rd., Jackson, 601-206-1211 Shuckers on the Reservoir 116 Conestoga Rd., Ridgeland, 601-853-0105 Silver Star Casino Hwy. 16 West, Choctaw, 800-557-0711 Soop’s The Ultimate 1205 Country Club Dr., Jackson, 601-922-1402 (blues) Soulshine Pizza 1139 Old Fannin Rd., Brandon, 601-919-2000 Soulshine Pizza 1111 Highland Colony Parkway, Ridgeland, 601-856-8646 Sportsman’s Lodge 1220 E. Northside Dr. at I-55, Jackson, 601-366-5441 Steam Room Grille 5402 Interstate-55 Frontage Road. 601-899-8588 Stone Pony Oyster Bar 116 Commercial Parkway, Canton, 601-859-0801 Super Chikan’s Place 235 Yazoo Ave., Clarksdale, 662-627-7008 Thalia Mara Hall 255 E. Pascagoula St., Jackson, 601-960-1535 Thirsty Hippo 211 Main St., Hattiesburg, 601-583-9188 Time Out Sports Bar 6270 Old Canton Rd., 601-978-1839 Top Notch Sports Bar 109 Culley Dr., Jackson, 601- 362-0706 Touch Night Club 105 E. Capitol St., Jackson, 601-969-1110 Two Rivers Restaurant 1537 W. Peace St., Canton, 601-859-9979 (blues) Two Sisters Kitchen 707 N. Congress St. 601-353-1180 Two Stick 1107 Jackson Ave., Oxford, 662-236-6639 Tye’s 120 N. Congress St., Jackson, 601949-3434 Under the Boardwalk 2560 Terry Rd., Jackson, 601-371-7332 Underground 119 119 S. President St. 601352-2322 VB’s Premier Sports Bar 1060 County Line Rd., Ridgland, 601-572-3989 VFW Post 9832 4610 Sunray Drive, Jackson, 601-982-9925 Vicksburg Convention Center 1600 Mulberry Street, Vicksburg, 866-822-6338 Walker’s Drive-In 3016 N. State St., Jackson, 601-982-2633 (jazz/pop/folk) The Warehouse 9347 Hwy 18 West, Jackson, 601-502-8580 (pop/rock) Wired Expresso Cafe 115 N. State St. 601-500-7800

Ladies’ Night w/ Snazz 8:30 p.m. - Guys’ Cover $5

BUY 1, GET 1 WELLS Thursday, May 20th

Weekly Lunch Specials

Bike Night w/ Krazy Karaoke 7:00 p.m. - No Cover

$2 MARGARITAS!

Parking now on side of building

Fri. & Sat. May 21st & 22nd

Open for dinner Sat. 4-10pm thursday

Faze 4 8:30 p.m. - $5 cover Exquisite Dining at

The Rio Grande Restaurant

MAY 20

LADIES NIGHT with MR. NICK! LADIES DRINK FREE WELLS & PONIES 9PM-2AM

friday

MAY 21

LUCERO

400 Greymont Ave., Jackson 601-969-2141 www.regencyjackson.com

BASEBA LL SEASON IS FINALLY HERE! WATCH YOUR TEAM @ THE LODGE lunch specials $7.95 - includes tea & dessert

Smoke-free lunch

weekdays 11am-3pm

WED. LADIES NIGHT & KARAOKE

THURS.

BUDWEISER GAMES NIGHT

$10 Buckets of Beer during Tournaments

PRIZES & FREE SCHWAG

w/ Taylor Hildebrand saturday

MAY 22

Congress with THE PEOPLES tuesday

MAY 25

OPEN MIC

FRI.

with Cody Cox

LAZY BOY BLUES

*DOLLAR BEER*

9:30PM - 1:30AM NO COVER CHARGE

COLLEGE NIGHT BRING STUDENT ID

SAT. MAJOR LEAGUE

BASEBALL MON.

S.I.N. NIGHT TUES.

wednesday

MAY 26

KICK ASS KARAOKE w/ KJ JOOSY

JACKPOT TRIVIA $2 DOMESTICS

ON SUNDAY, BLOODY MARYS $4 & MIMOSAS $3 THURSDAY 2-FOR-1 MONDAYS, $1.50 PINTS ON

FREE WiFi Open Mon-Sat, Kitchen open Mon-Fri 11 am-10 pm & Sat 4-10 pm

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61 South - Rainbow Casino 1380 Warrenton Rd., Vicksburg, 800-503-3777 88 Keys 3645 Hwy. 80 W in Metrocenter, Jackson, 601-352-7342 930 Blues Cafe 930 N. Congress St., Jackson, 601-948-3344 Alamo Theatre 333 N. Farish St, Jackson, 601-352-3365 Alley Cats 165 W. Peace St., Canton, 601-855-2225 Alumni House Sports Grill 574 Hwy. 50, Ridgeland, 601-855-2225 America Legion Post 1 3900 W. Northside Dr., Jackson, 601-605-9903 Ameristar Casino, Bottleneck Blues Bar 4146 Washington St., Vicksburg, 800-700-7770 Beau Rivage Casino 875 Beach Blvd., Biloxi, 800-566-7469 Belhaven College Center for the Arts 835 Riverside Dr, Jackson, 601-968-5930 Bennie’s Boom Boom Room 142 Front St., Hattiesburg, 601-408-6040 Borrello’s 1306 Washington St., Vicksburg, 601-638-0169 Buffalo Wild Wings 808 Lake Harbour Dr., Ridgeland, 601-856-0789 Burgers and Blues 1060 E. County Line Rd., Ridgeland, 601-899-0038 Capri-Pix Theatre 3021 N. State St., Jackson, 601-981-9606 Central City Complex 609 Woodrow Wilson Dr., Jackson, 601-352-9075 Cerami’s 5417 Highway 25, Flowood, 601-919-2829 Char Restaurant 4500 I-55, Highland Village, Jackson, 601-956-9562 Cherokee Inn 1410 Old Square Rd., Jackson, 601-362-6388 Club 43 Hwy 43, Canton, 601-654-3419, 601-859-0512 Club City Lights 200 N. Mill St., Jackson, 601-353-0059 Club O’Hara 364 Monticello St., Hazlehurst, 601-894-5674 Club Total 342 N. Gallatin St., Jackson, 601-714-5992 The Commons Gallery 719 N. Congress St., 601-352-3399 Couples Entertainment Center 4511 Byrd Drive, Jackson, 601-923-9977 Crawdad Hole 1150 Lakeland Dr., Jackson, 601-982-9299 Crickett’s Lounge 4370 Hwy 80 West, Jackson, 601-922-0500 Crossroads Bar & Lounge 3040 Livingston Rd., Jackson, 601-984-3755 (blues) Cultural Expressions 147 Millsaps Ave., Jackson, 601-665-0815 (neosoul/hip-hop) Cups in Fondren 2757 Old Canton Road, Jackson, 601-362-7422 (acoustic/pop) Cups in the Quarter 1855 Lakeland Dr., Jackson, 601-981-9088 Davidson’s Corner Market 108 W. Center St., Canton, 601-855-2268 (pop/rock) Debo’s 180 Raymond Road, Jackson, 601-346-8283 Diamond Jack’s Casino 3990 Washington Street, Vicksburg, 1-877-711-0677 Dick & Jane’s 206 Capitol St., Jackson, 601-944-0123 (dance/alternative) Dixie Diamond 1306 Washington Street, Vicksburg, 601-638-6297 Dollar Bills Dance Saloon 103 A Street, Meridian, 601-693-5300 Edison Walthall Hotel 225 E. Capitol St., Jackson, 601-948-6161 Electric Cowboy 6107 Ridgewood Rd., Jackson, 601-899-5333 (country/ rock/dance) Executive Place 2440 Bailey Ave., Jackson, 601-987-4014 F. Jones Corner 303 N. Farish St. 601983-1148 Fenian’s 901 E. Fortification Street, Jackson, 601-948-0055 (rock/Irish/folk) Fire 209 Commerce St., Jackson, 601592-1000 (rock/dance/dj) Final Destination 5428 Robinson Rd. Ext., Jackson, (pop/rock/blues) Fitzgerald’s Martini Bar 1001 E. County Line Road, Jackson, 601-957-2800 Flood’s Bar and Grill 2460 Bailey Ave., Jackson, 601-713-4094 Footloose Bar and Grill 4661 Hwy 80 West, Jackson, 601-922-9944

dining

by Tom Ramsey

Leaping into Spring

(Serves 8)

RAMOS GIN FIZZ 2 ounces of dry gin 1 tablespoon of powdered sugar 1 ounce of heavy cream 1 egg white 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice 1 lime 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice 4 drops orange flower water Seltzer water (chilled) Ice cubes

2 pork tenderloins 1/2 cup soy sauce 1/2 cup rice-wine vinegar 1/2 cup sake 1 medium root fresh ginger 3 tablespoon honey 1 tablespoon coriander seeds 1 tablespoon anise seeds 4 prunes

Remove silver skin from tenderloins and discard. Peel and thinly slice the ginger. Roughly chop the prunes. Combine all ingredients in one-gallon zip-top plastic bag. Make sure you remove the air from the bag and that the tenderloins are completely immersed in the liquid. One way to accomplish this is to leave the top of the bag open and slowly lower the bag (bottom first) into a sink full of water until just the top of the bag is out of the water. Quickly close the bag and remove from the water. Place the bag in the refrigerator for at least four hours (overnight would be optimum).

Grill the tenderloins for about 16 minutes, turning a quarter turn every four minutes. This time can be adjusted according to their size. They are ready to come off the grill when a thermometer inserted into the center of the meat reads 145 degrees. Remove when done, cover with foil and allow to rest for ten minutes before carving. Spoon the salsa onto the bottom of a large platter. Slice the tenderloin on a bias and place the pieces on top of the salsa. Garnish with remaining chopped cilantro. ROBERT S. DONOVAN

beverage to reflect his own moniker. The drink and the new bar proved so popular that Ramos employed up to 35 “shaker boys” per shift to stand behind the bar and create these frothy concoctions. Even with this army of shakers, during the 1915 Mardi Gras season, newspapers reported lines stretching around the block and customers waiting up to an hour to sample “the drink that tastes like a flower,” as one patron described it. Be patient when making these cocktails. They are definitely old school and require time and effort to get right. When you do, you’ll find it’s well worth the wait. The recipe calls for raw egg whites. Some people get a little frightened by this, so you can substitute powdered egg whites if you desire.

AL IS P

R CH

t’s difficult to write about spring food when it’s wet and cold outside—when the groundhog is predicting that a lovely, warm spring is not “right around the corner.” Because of a bizarre travel schedule, I am writing this article way ahead of time (while it is still winter) and through the magic of the print media, you are reading it in the spring. Despite the fact that you are probably perusing this page while lounging in the sun on some warm patch of green grass, wearing a T-shirt and cut-off jeans, I wrote it in flannel PJs staring at a barren brown lawn and a pecan tree that hasn’t seen leaves in quite some time. Because of this circumstance, the topic of this piece evaded me for quite a while. I thought about Easter and perhaps a coy recipe for Lapin au Vin, but I didn’t want to come off too snarky and make children cry. Pasta primavera? Too predictable. Devilled eggs? Way overdone. After abandoning my keyboard numerous times and drinking one too many cups of Cuban coffee, it came to me in a series of overcaffeinated flashes: something cooked on the grill, yes! Vegetables cooked on the grill, yes, yes! Vegetables cooked on the grill and made into a salsa, yes, yes, yes! So without any further delay, here is a dish to welcome spring and all its bubbly enthusiasm, along with a cocktail to help you celebrate all that is fresh and new. I love to combine the flavors of the Far East with those of the Southwest. Both cooking traditions incorporate bold spices along with a balance of heat/salt/sweet/acid. In this dish, the pork receives the Asian treatment and the salsa takes its cues from the Southwest. Our cocktail is a variation on a New Orleans favorite: the Ramos Gin Fizz, invented in New Orleans in 1888 by Henry Ramos. Ramos moved to New Orleans from Baton Rouge and purchased a bar called the Imperial Cabinet. Locals called the place “the Cabinet” and flocked there to order Ramos’ signature drink, the New Orleans Fizz. In later years, when other bars started copying his drink, Ramos left the Cabinet and opened The Stag where he changed the name of the

GRILLED GINGER MARINATED PORK

Put your serving glasses in the freezer at least ten minutes before making this cocktail. Cut the lime into thin wedges for garnish. Fill cocktail shaker with ice cubes one third full. Combine all ingredients, except for the seltzer water, in the shaker. Close tightly and shake vigorously for at least two minutes or until the mixture is frothy. Strain into a chilled glass and top with an ounce or two of chilled seltzer water. Garnish the glass with a thin slice of lime.

GRILLED SALSA FRESCA 2 large tomatoes 1 red onion 1 large yellow onion 1 whole head of garlic 1 green bell pepper 1 yellow or orange bell pepper 1 bunch of cilantro 1 jalapeno pepper 1 bunch of green onions 1 ear white corn 1 ear yellow corn 2 tablespoons vinegar 4 tablespoons olive oil 2 limes 1 ounce of tequila blanco Salt

Finely chop the tomatoes, garlic and cilantro, reserving about a tablespoon of the chopped cilantro for garnish. Remove

the husks from the corn. Mince the jalapeno pepper. Reserve the seeds for hot salsa or discard them for a mild salsa. Slice the onions and the peppers into 1/2-inch thick rings. Use half the olive oil to brush the onions, peppers, green onions and corn, and place them on the grill. Cook the vegetables until they begin to soften but retain some crispness. This should take just a few minutes and can be done while the pork is resting. Remove the vegetables and chop the onions, peppers and green onions. Slice the corn from the cob into a large bowl and combine with all other vegetables. Add vinegar, remaining olive oil, juice from the limes and tequila. Toss all ingredients and add salt as desired.

Spring in a Cup!

May 20 - 26, 2010

PEANUT BUTTER WHITE MOCHA Cups fresh roasted espresso blended with ghirardelli white chocolate, steamed milk

and all natural peanut butter monin. ICED MINT COFFEE BREVE Traditional cold drip french roast iced coffee, blended with half-and-half and sweetened with all natural frosted mint monin. LONDON FOG Earl Grey tea steeped in steamed milk and sweetened with all natural vanilla monin. SUGAR FREE PENGUIN MOCHA Cups fresh roasted espresso, blended with steamed skim milk and sweetened with sugar-free white chocolate and sugar-free chocolate monin. RED HEAD Au lait made with Cups fresh roasted coffee blended with steamed milk, creamy caramel and all natural cinnamon monin. A Cups Original! DAISY MAE Cups classic creamy vanilla frozen treat blended with all natural strawberry monin. free wireless internet

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Poets Two

(1855 Lakeland Drive, Suite H-10, 601-364-9411) Pub fare at its finest. Crabcake minis, fried dills, wings, poppers, ultimate fries, sandwiches, po-boys, pasta entrees and steak. The signature burgers come in bison, kobe, beef or turkey! Happy hour everyday til 7 p.m.

KaRAOKE TUESDAY Family Karaoke at 8pm

Wasted Wednesday .50 Wells starting at 9pm

COFFEE HOUSES

Karaoke Thursday

Cups Espresso Café (Multiple Locations, www.cupsespressocafe.com) Jackson’s local group of coffeehouses offer high-end Arabica beans, a wide variety of espresso drinks, fresh brewed coffee and a selection of pastries and baked goods. Free wi-fi! Wired Espresso Café (115 N State St 601-500-7800) This downtown coffeehouse across from the Old Capitol focuses on being a true gathering place, featuring great coffee and a selection of breakfast, lunch and pastry items. Free wi-fi.

Sunday Brunch

2 for 1 Margaritas at 9pm 10:30am-2pm 6340 Ridgewood Court, 601-977-9920

BAKERY Crazy Cat Bakers (Highland Village Suite #173 601-362-7448 & Fondren Corner Bldg) Amazing sandwiches: Meatloaf Panini, Mediterranean Vegetarian, Rotisserie Chicken to gourmet pimento cheese. Outlandish desserts. Now open in Fondren Corner on North State Street. Broad Street Bakery (4465 Interstate 55 N. 601-362-2900) NEW MENU! Hot breakfast,coffee espresso drinks, fresh breads and pastries, gourmet deli sandwiches, quiches, soups, pizzas, pastas and dessert. A “see and be seen” Jackson institution! Campbellʼs Bakery (3013 N State Street 601-362-4628) Now serving lunch! Cookies, cakes and cupcakes are accompanied by good coffee and a fullcooked Southern breakfast on weekdays in this charming bakery in Fondren. For Heavenʼs Cakes (4950 Old Canton Road 601-991-2253) Cakes and cupcakes for all occasions including weddings, parties, catered events. Owner Dani Mitchell Turk was features on the Food Network’s ultimate recipe showdown.

ITALIAN Basilʼs Belhaven (904 E. Fortiﬁcation, Jackson, 601-352-2002) The signature Paninis are complimented by great Italian offerings such as spaghetti and meatball, tomato basil soup, cookies and cupcakes. Dinner menu includes fresh tilapia, shrimp and risotto, seafood pasta, generous salads—and don’t forget the crab cakes. Party menu includes a “panini pie.” BYOB.

BRAVO! (4500 Interstate 55 N., Jackson, 601-982-8111) Wood-fired pizzas, vegetarian fare, plus creative pastas, beef, and seafood specials. Wonderful atmosphere and service. Bravo! walks away with tons of Best of Jackson awards every year.

BAKERS Now with TWO locations to better serve you

Ceramiʼs (5417 Lakeland Drive, Flowood, 601-919-28298) Southern-style Italian cuisine features their signature Shrimp Cerami (white wine sauce, capers artichokes) along with veal, tilapia, crawfish, chicken and pasta dishes. Now with liquor license!

Fratesiʼs (910 Lake Harbour, Ridgeland, 601-956-2929)

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“Authentic, homey, unpretentious” that’s how the regulars describe Fratesi’s, a staple in Jackson for years, offering great Italian favorites with loving care. The tiramisu is a must-have!

still need help paying off our student loans

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NEW! FONDREN CORNER | 11AM - 2PM HIGHLAND VILLAGE | 10AM - 6PM 601.362.7448 • CRAZYCATBAKERS.COM

BARBEQUE Hickory Pit Barbeque (1491 Canton Mart Rd. 601-956-7079) The “Best Butts in Town” features BBQ chicken, beef and pork sandwiches along with burgers and po’boys. Wet or dry pork ribs, chopped pork or beef, and all the sides.

Lumpkins BBQ (182 Raymond Rd. Jackson 866-906-0942) Rib Shack B.B.Q. & Seafood (932 J.R. Lynch Street, Jackson, 601-665-4952) Hickory-smoked BBQ beef or pork ribs, BBQ chicken, giant chopped BBQ beef or pork sandwiches. Fried catfish, pan trout, fried shrimp, po boys. Tues-Thurs (11-8pm) Fri-Sat (11-10pm).

BARS, PUBS & BURGERS Alumni House (574 Hwy 51 Ridgeland 601-605-9903, 110 Bass Pro, Pearl, 601-896-0253) Good bar food, big portions and burgers (with “blackened” as an option) known for their sweet buns. Televisions throughout, even small tubes at your table. Po-boys, quesadillas; good stuff! Fenianʼs Pub (901 E. Fortiﬁcation St. 601-948-0055) Classic Irish pub featuring a menu of traditional food, pub sandwiches and beers including Guinness and Harp on tap. Free live music most nights; Irish/Celtic bands on Thursdays. DINE LOCAL, see pg. 42

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n” g us ks o 10 t i n n Ja c 9 • 20 o V Fo r e c ue i • 200 a r b 008 B st 06 • 2 e B “ • 20 3 200

Best Butts In Town! since 1980

601-956-7079

1491 Canton Mart Rd. • Jackson

jacksonfreepress.com

Specializing in smoked barbeque, Lumpkin’s offers all your favorites for on-site family dining or for catered events, including reunions, office events, annivesaries, weddings and more.

DINEJackson Serving: H OT P ASTA D ISHE G RILLED F ISH P ANINI S ANDWICH

LUNCH: MON.-FRI., 10AM-2PM See Us Come kfast! a e r B r o F

from the Belhaven bakery

Mon. - Thurs., 11am - 8:30pm | Fri. & Sat. 11am - 9pm 904B E. Fortiﬁcation St. - English Village

7AM -10AM

168 W. Griffith St. • Sterling Towers Across from MC School of Law

601-352-2364 • Fax: 601-352-2365 Hours: Monday - Friday 7am - 4pm

Call Us: 601-352-2002

Telephone:

601-665-4952 For the sizzling taste of real hickory smoke barbeque...

2003-2010, Best of Jackson

707 N. Congress Street Downtown Jackson • (601) 353-1180 Open 11am-2pm, Sunday thru Friday

i r e d

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Lunch & Dinner Hours: Tuesday - Thursday 11a.m. to 8p.m. Friday & Saturday 11a.m. to 10p.m. 932 Lynch Street in Jackson (Across from the JSU Baseball Field)

THIS IS THE PLACE! B.B.Q., Blues, Beer, Beef & Pork Ribs LIVE BLUES BAND Starting June 4th and 5th Friday & Saturday Nights!

lovely feet beneﬁt Friday, May 21st LUNCH PREVIEW AT 11:30AM ART & MUSIC 4:30PM - 9PM

“Now Dats Italian”

A metro-area tradition since 1977 Lunch: Tues. - Fri. & Sun. | 11am-2pm Dinner: Tues. -Thurs. & Sun. | 5pm-9pm Fri. & Sat. | 5pm-10pm

601-919-2829 5417 Lakeland Drive ~ Flowood, MS 39232

Come see Why We Were Voted One Of Jackson’s Best Mediterranean Restaurants

May 20 - 26, 2010

Mediterranean & Lebanese Cuisine

Cool Alʼs (4654 McWillie, 601-713-3020) A standard in Best of Jackson, Al’s stacked, messy, decadent, creative burgers defy adjectives. Or try pineapple chicken, smoked sausage...or the nationally recognized veggie burger. Fitzgeralds at the Hilton (1001 East County Line Road, 601-957-2800) Top-shelf bar food with a Gulf Coast twist like Gumbo Ya Ya, Pelahatchie artisan sausage and cheese antipasto. Grilled oysters; fried stuff—oysters, catfish, shrimp, seafood or chicken! Hal and Malʼs (200 S. Commerce St. 601-948-0888) Pub favorites meet Gulf Coast and Cajun specialties like red beans and rice, the Oyster Platter or each day’s blackboard special. Repeat winner of Best of Jackson’s “Best Place for Live Music.” Last Call (3716 I-55 N. Frontage Road 601-713-2700) Burgers, sandwiches and po-boys, plus sports-bar appetizers and specialities. Try chili cheese fries, chicken nachos or the shrimp & pork eggrolls. Pay-per-view sporting events, live bands. Martinʼs Restaurant and Lounge (214 South State Street 601-354-9712) Lunch specials, pub appetizers (jalapeno poppers, cheezsticks, fried pickles) or order from the full menu of po-boys and entrees. Full bar, massive beer selection and live music most nights. Shuckerʼs Oyster Bar (116 Conestoga Road, Ridgeland 601-853-0105) Serious about oysters? Try ‘em on the half shell, deep-fried, charred from the oven or baked in champagne. Plus po-boys, pub favorites, burgers, mufalettas, pizza, seafood and steaks! The Regency (400 Greymont Ave. 601-969-2141) Reasonably priced buffet Monday through Friday featuring all your favorites. Daily happy hour, live bands and regular specials. Time Out Sports Café (6720 Old Canton Road 601-978-1839) 14 TVs, 1 projector and two big-screens. Daily $9 lunch specials, pub-style appetizers, burgers, seafood and catfish po-boys, salads, and hot entrees including fish, steak and pasta. Ole Tavern on George Street (416 George St. 601-960-2700) Pub food with a southern flair: beer-battered onion rings, chicken & sausage gumbo, salads, sandwiches and weekly lunch specials. Plus, happy hour 4-7pm Monday through Friday. Pelican Cove Grill (3999A Harbor Walk Drive 601-605-1865) Great rez view! Shrimp and seafood appetizers, soups, salads, burgers and sandwiches, plus po-boys, catfish baskets, and dinners from the grill including mahi-mahi and reggae ribs. Sportsmanʼs Lodge (1120 E Northside Dr. in Maywood Mart) 601-366-5441 Voted Best Sports Bar in 2010, Sportman’s doesn’t disappoint with plenty of gut-pleasing sandwiches, and fried seafood baskets. Try the award-winning wings in Buffalo, Thai or Jerk sauces! Underground 119 (119 South President St. 601-352-2322) Jumbo lump crabcakes, crab quesadillas, beef tenderloin parfaits, orange-garlic shrimp, even “lollipop” lamb chops. Add a full bar and mix in great music. Opens 4 p.m.-until, Wed-Sat.

ASIAN

Paid advertising section.

Lunch starting at just $6 .99 Hours of Operation: Everyday 11am-until

STIX (109 Marketplace Lane off Lakeland Dr Flowood 601-420-4058) Enjoy the quick-handed, knife-wielding chefs at the flaming teppanyaki grill; artful presentations of sushi; the pungent seasonings and spicy flavors of regional Chinese cuisines. Nagoya (6351 I-55 North #131 @ Target Shopping Ctr. 601-977-8881) Nagoya gets high marks for its delicious-and-affordable sushi offerings, tasty lunch specials and high-flying hibachi room with satisfying flavors for the whole family. Ichiban (153 Ridge Drive, Ste 105F 601-919-0097 & 359 Ridgeway 601-919-8879) Voted “Best Chinese” in 2010, cuisine styles at Ichiban actually range from Chinese to Japanese, including hibachi, sushi made fresh with seafood, and a crowd-pleasing buffet.

SOUTHERN CUISINE Mimiʼs Family and Friends (3139 North State Street, Fondren) 601-366-6111 Funky local art decorates this new offering in Fondren, where the cheese grits, red beans & rice, pork tacos and pimento cheese are signature offerings. Breakfast and lunch, Mon-Sat. Julep (1305 East Northside Drive, Highland Village, 601-362-1411) Tons of Best of Jackson awards, delicious Southern fusion dishes like award-winning fried chicken, shrimp and grits, blackened tuna and butter bean hummus. Brunch, lunch, dinner and late night. Primos Cafe (515 Lake Harbour 601-898-3400 and 2323 Lakeland 601-936-3398) A Jackson institution featuring a full breakfast (with grits and biscuits), blue plate specials, catfish, burgers, prime rib, oysters, po-boys and wraps. Save room for something from the bakery. Poʼ Polks (4865 N. State Street 601-366-2160) Great home-style cookin’ open Mon-Sat for a $4.95 lunch. Chopped steak and gravy, Fried chicken, smothered pork chops, catfish, pan trout, BBQ rib tips, plus sides galore! Sugarʼs Place (168 W Grifﬁth St 601-352-2364) Hot breakfast and weekday lunch: catfish, pantrout, fried chicken wings, blue plates, red beans & rice, pork chops, chicken & dumplings, burgers, po-boys...does your grandma cook like this?

DINEJackson

Paid advertising section.

The Strawberry Café (107 Depot Drive, Madison, 601-856-3822) Full table service, lunch and dinner. Crab and crawfish appetizers, salads, fresh seafood, pastas, “surf and turf” and more. Veggie options. Desserts: cheesecake, Madison Mud and strawberry shortcake. Two Sisters Kitchen (707 N. Congress St. 601-353-1180) 2010 Best of Jackson winner for fried chicken offers a sumptious buffet of your choice of veggies, a salad bar, iced tea & one of three homemade desserts. Lunch only. M-F 11-2, Sun. 10:30-2.

STEAK, SEAFOOD & FINE DINING Huntington Grille at the Hilton (1001 East County Line Road 601--957-1515) Chef Luis Bruno offers fresh Gulf seafood, unique game dishes and succulent steaks alongside an expansive wine selection; multiple honors from Best of Jackson, Wine Specator and others. Schimmelʼs (2615 N. State St. 601-981-7077) Creative southern fusion dishes at attractive prices make the appointed dining room that much more enticing. Daily lunch specials, red beans and rice, angus burgers.

SUNDAEYT

BUmFF-3pm

11a ies, meats, Fresh vegg much breads and more!

Open Mon-Fri 11am-3pm, Closed on Sat. 182 Raymond Rd. in Jackson, MS Telephone: 601-373-7707 E-mail: lumpkinsbbq@comcast.net

Steam Room Grille (5402 I-55 North 601--899-8588) Known for seafood featuring steamed lobster, crab, shrimp and combo patters. Grilled specialities include shrimp, steaks, and kabobs. Fresh fish fried seafood, lunch menu, catering, live music.

MEDITERRANEAN/MIDDLE EASTERN Aladdin Mediterranean Grill (730 Lakeland Drive 601-366-6033) Delicious authentic dishes including lamb dishes, hummus, falafel, kababs, shwarma and much more. Consistent award winner, great for takeout or for long evenings with friends. Jerusalem Café (2741 Old Canton Road 601-321-8797) Yes, it’s a hookah bar in Jackson, which also happens to have a great Meditterean menu, including falafel, lamb shank, feta salad, kabob, spinach pie, grape leaves and baba ghanouj. Kristos (971 Madison Ave @ Hwy 51, Madison, 601-605-2266) Home of the famous Greek meatball! Hummus, falafel, dolmas, pita sandwiches, salads, plus seasoned curly fries (or sweet potato fries) and amazing desserts. Petra Cafe (104 West Leake Street, Clinton 601-925-0016) Mediterranean and Lebanese cuisine in the charm of Olde Towne Clinton. Stuffed grape leaves, spinach pie, shrimp kabobs, greek salads, hummus and more. Lunch and dinner served seven days a week.

PO-POLK’S BURGERS•WINGS•CATFISH•PULLED PORK

Great Food. Great Taste.

PIZZA Mellow Mushroom (275 Dogwood Blvd, Flowood, 601-992-7499) Pizzas of all kinds, munchies, calzones, grilled hoagies, salads and more make up the extensive and “eclectic” menu at Mellow Mushroom. Award-winning beer selection. Dine in or carry out. The Pizza Shack (1220 N State St. 601-352-2001) 2009 and 2010’s winner of Best Pizza offers the perfect pizza-and-a-beer joint. Creative pizza options abound (“Cajun Joe, anyone?”), along with sandwiches, wings, salads and even BBQ. Sal & Mookieʼs (565 Taylor St. 601-368-1919) Pizzas of all kinds plus pasta, eggplant parmesan and the local favorite: fried ravioli. Voted Best Chef, Best Dessert, Best Kid’s Menu and Best Ice Cream in the 2010 Best of Jackson reader poll.

Meet fellow Jackson creatives in Sal + Mookie’s Pi(e) Lounge Thursday, May 20th 6 - 10 PM FREE entry and munchies!

Daily Lunch Special

$4.95

(Special includes Entree + Two Sides)

4865 N State Street | 601.366.2160 Mon.- Sat. 10:30am-3pm, 5pm-9pm

CARRIBBEAN Taste of the Island (436 E. Capitol, Downtown, 601-360-5900) Jerk chicken or ribs, curry chicken or shrimp, oxtails, snapper or goat, plus bok choy, steamed cabbage and Jamaican Greens, Carry out, counter seating or delivery available. 11a-7p.

High Noon Café (2807 Old Canton Road in Rainbow Plaza 601-366-1513) Fresh, gourmet, tasty and healthy defines the lunch options at Jackson’s own strict vegetarian (and very-vegan-friendly) restaurant. Daily lunch specials -- like Mexican day and the seaside cakes on Fridays -- push the envelope on creative and healthy; wonderful desserts!

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VEGETARIAN

sports

by Diandra Hosey

NOW OPEN ON SUNDAYS!

Dinner Entrees Served All Day! Guinness Stout Cheese- $3.99

Spread with crostinis

The Reuben- $8.99 Classic, Awesome!

Marianara Chicken Sandwich- $8.99 Messy but good!

WEDNESDAY 5/19

Natalie Long & Clinton Irby (Folk Americana)

THURSDAY 5/20

Spirits of the House (Irish Dance)

FRIDAY 5/21

The Bailey Bros. (Rockin’ Blues)

SATURDAY 5/22

Shaun Patterson (Acoustic Rock) SUNDAY 5/23

Ceili 2pm-4pm Brunch 11am-3pm

Open 11am - Midnight MONDAY 5/24

Karaoke w/ Matt

May 20 - 26, 2010

TUESDAY 5/25

Open Mic with A Guy Named George

COURTESY MISSISSIPPI SURGE

Mississippi’s Ice Hockey Team

The Mississippi Surge capitalized on a strong season to secure the William B. Coffey Trophy, awarded to the regular-season champions of the Southern Professional Hockey League.

n a state like Mississippi with short winters and long, humid summers, baseball reigns, football is cherished, and the kid down the road practices endlessly to be the next Michael Jordan. With the exception of the Winter Olympics, Mississippians often don’t take notice of ice hockey. That might change now that the Gulf Coast is home to one of the premier teams in the Southern Professional Hockey League: the Mississippi Surge. Based in Biloxi, the team plays at the former home of the Mississippi Sea Wolves: the Mississippi Coast Coliseum. On March 25, 2010, the Surge captured the William B. Coffey Trophy as the SPHL’s Regular Season Champions in its first season, with little fanfare. After only nine months, the Surge has grabbed attention for better reasons than its insensitive name and amateurish logos. The franchise’s first season began inauspiciously. Through the first 32 pages, the Surge went 15-17. The team then went 14-2, closing the gap with the league’s best teams. In the playoffs, the Surge beat the Columbus, Ga., Cottonmouths in a 3-2 series. A few weeks later, the team lost the championship series to the Huntsville, Ala., Havoc. The Havoc swept the Surge in three games, a come-from-behind 3-2 victory in Game 2 and a one-point victory in Game 3. The Surge’s inability to convert on power plays doomed the team. The team’s long-term viability, though, will depend on securing a larger fan base. With an average of 2,250 tickets sold per game and 74,223 for the entire season, attendance for the Surge has been disappointing. Despite being the regular season champions, the team ranked next to last in league attendance. During the 2009-2010 season, the league champion Havoc averaged 1,200 more tickets per game and 24,000 tickets per season. The league average was 3,041 per game, almost 800 more than the Surge sold. Those numbers are skewed by the fact that Biloxi has only a third of the population of Lafayette, Augusta, Huntsville and three other SPHL cities. Compounding the problem is the area’s unfamiliarity with the new franchise. Professional hockey in the state dates back to the first match by the Sea Wolves 13 years ago, so there is optimism for the Biloxi franchise’s long-term success. The team is still

building a relationship with the community, regularly holding charity fundraisers and team introductory sessions on the Gulf Coast. As an example of the Surge’s inventive community building, the team wore pink game jerseys during a game in late February to raise awareness for breast cancer. The jerseys were then auctioned off, with proceeds going to Gulfport’s Memorial Hospital. Few in the organization can claim as much responsibility for the Surge’s early success as Steffon Walby. Walby is part owner, general manager and head coach of the Surge. Before joining the Surge, he was a fixture on the Sea Wolves team and, after retiring as a player, its coaching staff. As an 11-year veteran player for the Sea Wolves, he played on five All-Star teams and scored 687 points. Today, his goal is to make the Mississippi Surge a successful franchise and keep it from suffering the same fate as the Sea Wolves. Walby notes: “Attendance is building, and hockey is very popular on the Gulf Coast. After Katrina, people had to adjust, but attendance is improving.” Walby describes the Surge as “fun, affordable, family entertainment and heavily involved in the community.” After the sweep by the Huntsville Havoc, the Surge fell short of clinching the SPHL President’s Cup, but many members of the team earned individual honors. Defenseman Steve Weidlich and goaltender Bill Zaniboni made it to the All-SPHL First Team, and forwards Matt Zultek and Mike Richard are on the All-SPHL Second Team. A native of Edmonton, Alberta, Weidlich has had an especially stellar record this year. Beating all defensemen in the league with 42 points, 36 assists and 26 power-play assists, Weidlich also earned the league’s Defenseman of the Year award. Similarly, Goaltender Zaniboni, a threeyear veteran from Plymouth, Mass., was named the league’s Goaltender of the Year, after acquiring four shutouts, a 2.48 goalsagainst average and a .921 save percentage. Individual honors did not end with the players, however, when Coach Walby received the 2010 SPHL Coach of the Year award. As for next year, Walby says that the goals are simple: “To continue what we accomplished this year, get the core group of guys to come back and win the championship.”

Doctor S sez: You know it’s almost summer: the first MLB manager just got fired. THURSDAY, MAY 20 College baseball, Auburn at Ole Miss (6:30 p.m., Oxford, 97.3 FM): The Tigers and Rebels open a series that could decide who wins the SEC West. FRIDAY, MAY 21 College baseball, Memphis at Southern Miss (6:30 p.m., Hattiesburg): The Golden Eagles are still in the hunt for the second seed in the CUSA Tournament and an NCAA berth. SATURDAY, MAY 22 College baseball, Mississippi State at LSU (7 p.m., Baton Rouge, La., CSS, 105.9 FM): The Bulldogs’ lost season is almost over, but they could still ruin the Tigers’ season. SUNDAY, MAY 24 Southern League baseball, Huntsville at Mississippi (2:05 p.m., Pearl, 103.9 FM): OK, you can’t buy beer at the T-P on Sundays, but it wouldn’t hurt you to get outdoors for once. MONDAY, MAY 24 College baseball, Ferriss Trophy presentation (6:30 p.m., Cleveland): Who will win the award for Mississippi’s top player: Southern Miss pitcher Todd McInnis, Ole Miss pitcher Drew Pomeranz or Mississippi State first baseman Connor Powers? Drew Pomeranz, but act like you’re surprised. TUESDAY, MAY 25 NBA basketball, Western finals, Los Angeles Lakers at Phoenix (8 p.m., TNT): The Lakers and Los Suns meet in what could be the deciding Game 4. Keep your ID handy in case the cops stop you, Pau Gasol. WEDNESDAY, MAY 26 College baseball, SEC Tournament, Ole Miss vs. TBD (time TBA, Hoover, Ala., SportSouth or CSS, 97.3 FM): The Rebels will begin their quest for the SEC title and a possible regional in Oxford. … C-USA Tournament, Southern Miss vs. TBD (time TBA, Houston): The Golden Eagles are trying to position themselves for an NCAA bid. A conference title would be a nice way to do that. The Slate is compiled by Doctor S, who’s drinking a lot of gin and tonics. It’s malaria season, y’know. Inoculate yourself against sports scurvy at JFP Sports at www.jacksonfreepress.com.

BY MATT JONES

EMINI (May 21-June 20) When Paul McCartney ﬁrst got the inspiration to write the song “Yesterday,” he had the melody and rhythm but couldn’t get a feel for what the lyrics should be. For a while, as he was waiting for the missing words to pop into his brain, he used nonsense stand-in phrases. The dummy version of the ﬁrst line was “Scrambled eggs, oh my dear, you have such lovely legs.” This approach could be useful for you in the coming weeks, Gemini. As you create a fresh approach or novel departure in your own life, you might want to show the patience McCartney did. Be willing to ep moving ahead even though you don’t have the full revelation quite yet.

I suspect you’re going to feel a bit constrained in the coming weeks, Cancerian—maybe even imprisoned. I suggest you make the best of it. Rather than feeling sorry for yourself and spiraling down into a dark night of the soul, try this: Imagine that you’re a resourceful hermit who’s temporarily under house arrest in an elegant chalet with all the amenities. Regard this “incarceration” as a chance to start work on a masterpiece, or upgrade your meditation practice, or read a book you’ve needed an excuse to lose yourself in. Believe it or not, your “deprivation” could be one of the best things that has happened to you in a while.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22) I won’t be surprised if people begin to compete for your attention. There may even be some pushing and shoving as they jostle to get closer to you. At the very least, you can expect a flurry of requests for your time and energy. What’s this all about? Well, your worth seems to be rising. Either your usefulness is flat-out increasing or else those who’ve underestimated you in the past are finally tuning in to what they’ve been missing. So here’s my question and concern: Will you get so seduced by what everyone asks you to give them that you lose sight of what you really want to give them? I suspect there will be a difference.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22) I’m not saying that you should create a superhero identity for yourself and embark on a campaign to combat injustice. But if you’ve ever wondered whether the life of a costumed crusader is right for you, it’s an excellent time to experiment. Your courage will be expanding in the coming weeks. Your craving for adventure will be strong, too. Even more importantly, your hunger to do good deeds that reach beyond your own self-interest will be growing. Interested? Check out the Superhero Supply website to get yourself operational. It’s at www.superherosupplies.com.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22) All 26 of Edgar Rice Burroughs’ stories about Tarzan are set in Africa, but he never once visited that continent. And Bram Stoker didn’t feel the need to travel to the Transylvanian region of Romania in order to write about it in his novel “Dracula.” But I don’t recommend this approach to you in the coming weeks, Libra. If you want to cultivate something new in your life by drawing on an exotic inﬂuence, I think you should immerse yourself in that exotic inﬂuence, at least for a while. If you want to tap into the inspiration available through an unfamiliar source, you need to actually be in the presence of that unfamiliar source.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21) Why would you choose this bright, sunny moment to descend into the dark places and explore the fermenting mysteries? What renegade impulse would move you to turn away from the predictable pleasures and easy solutions, and instead go off in quest of more complex joys and wilder answers? Here’s what I have to say about that: I think you long to be free of transitory wishes and ﬂeeting dreams for a while so that you can get back into alignment with your deeper purposes. You need to take a break from the simple obsessions of your grayish, poker-faced ego, and re-attune yourself to the call of your freaky, evergreen soul.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21) Suﬁ holy man Ibn ‘Ata Allah was speaking about prayer when he said the following: “If you make intense supplication and the timing of the answer is delayed, do not despair of it. His reply to you is guaranteed; but in the way He chooses, not the way you choose, and at

the moment He desires, not the moment you desire.” While I don’t claim to be able to perfectly decipher the will of the divine, my astrological research suggests that you will soon get a deﬁnitive answer to a question you’ve been asking for a long time. It may come softly and quietly, though, and from a direction you don’t expect and with a nuance or two that’ll test your reﬂexes.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) “Is Fast Food Too Tempting?” read a headline in The Week magazine. The accompanying article discussed whether people have the right to blame and even sue McDonald’s and Burger King for their health problems. In my opinion, we might as well add other allegedly appealing poisons to the discussion. “Is heroin too tempting?” “Is cheating on your lover or spouse too tempting?” “Is watching TV ﬁve hours a day too tempting?” I hope you’re seeing where I’m going with this, Capricorn. The coming weeks will be a good time to take personal responsibility for any supposedly fun activity you’re doing that warps your character or saps your energy. It’s prime time to end your relationship with stuff that’s bad for you.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18) “The mind loves order, the heart loves chaos, and the gut loves action,” my astrological colleague Antero Alli says. The ideal situation is to honor each of these needs, keeping them in a dynamic balance. But now and then, it’s healthy to emphasize one over the other two. According to my astrological analysis, you’re entering one of those times when the heart’s longing for chaos should get top priority. But if you do choose to go this way, please promise me one thing: Do your best to tilt toward the fascinating, rejuvenating kind of chaos, and tilt away from the disorienting, demoralizing kind.

“Freefillin’”—take the plunge into random vocab. Across 1 Word after rubber or brass 5 They eject matter, theoretically 15 Sunburn remedy 16 Make all the same, to a Brit 17 City in central Arizona 18 Reconciliations 19 Canned 20 Gets comfy, perhaps 21 Spanish equivalent of Mmes. 23 Amtrak stop: abbr. 24 Hwy. 25 Doofuses 28 Circus precaution 29 From Sumatra or Timor, old-style 34 Leather shoe, for short 35 “In that case...” 36 As predicted 37 Coup d’___ 39 Athletic supporter? 40 Isolated places 42 Crafty 43 Designation for driver’s licenses 44 Like dog kisses

45 Opposite of NNE 48 Israeli singer Naim with the 2008 hit “New Soul” 49 Skating show 52 Long stare 56 Logical philosopher 57 Finito 58 Type of job that pays the lowest, usually 59 Cartoon explorer 60 2000 Sting duet with Cheb Mami 61 Spoiled kid

Down

©2010 Jonesin’ Crosswords (editor@jonesincrosswords.com) For answers to this puzzle, call: 1900-226-2800, 99 cents per minute. Must be 18+. Or to bill to your credit card, call: 1-800-6556548. Reference puzzle #0461.

Last Week’s Answers

1 College football champs 2 Sean’s foil on “Celebrity Jeopardy!” 3 Deviated septum site 4 Unstoppable regarding 5 Comment about the pretentious 6 “It’s ___ hell in here” 7 “Everything’s ﬁne” 8 Vocal qualities 9 Discharge 10 Masters of the Universe leader

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20) When people are truly dehydrated, the impulse that tells them they’re thirsty shuts down. That’s why they may not know they’re suffering from a lack of water. In a metaphorically similar way, Pisces, you have been deprived so long of a certain kind of emotional sustenance that you don’t realize what you’re missing. See if you can ﬁnd out what it is and then make measured (non-desperate) plans to get a big, strong inﬂux of it. The cosmic rhythms will be on your side in this effort.

BY MATT JONES

ARIES (March 21-April 19) All of us have gaps in our education. You and I and everyone else alive have dank pockets of ignorance that diminish our humanity and musty pits of naiveté that prevent us from seeing truths that are obvious to others. We all lack certain skills that hold us back from being more fulfilled in our chosen fields. That’s the bad news, Aries. The good news is that the gaps in your education will be up for review in the coming weeks—which means that it’ll be an excellent time to make plans to fill them. Here’s a good way to get started: Be aggressive in identifying the things that you don’t even know you don’t know.

Last Week’s Answers

TAURUS (April 20-May 20) You don’t have to answer to anybody this week, Taurus. You don’t have to defend yourself, explain yourself, or compromise yourself. You can do those things if you want to be super extra nice, but there won’t be any hell to pay if you don’t. It’s one of those rare times when you have more power than usual to shape the world in accordance with your vision of what the world should be. I’ll go so far as to say that the world needs you to be very assertive in imposing your will on the ﬂow of events. Just one caveat: Mix a generous dose of compassion in with your authoritative actions.

Brag about your ﬂaws and weaknesses and mistakes, preferably with a grandiose lack of inhibition. Send your boast to Truthrooster@gmail.com.

“Sum Sudoku” Put one digit from 1-9 in each square of this Sudoku so that the following three conditions are met: 1) each row, column, and 3x3 box (as marked by shading in the grid) contains the digits 1ñ9 exactly one time; 2) no digit is repeated within any of the areas marked off by heavy black lines; and 3) the sums of the numbers in each area marked off by heavy black lines total the little number given in each of those areas. For example, the digits in the upper-rightmost square in the grid and the square directly to its left will add up to 7. Now quit wastin’ my time and solve!!!

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CANCER (June 21-July 22)

11 Cash for strippers 12 They may include lyrics 13 Station wagons, in England 14 Part of a sonnet 22 Diamond stat 25 Opus ___ 26 Ice cream shop option 27 Writing for grades 30 “Fingerprinting” sample 31 Netherlands-based tribunal, for short 32 Black and white bird 33 English city known for coal and beer 34 Hard rock guitar legends, to some 38 Airport screening org. 41 The A of IPA 42 Ran a check card 45 Mythical horn-dog 46 Tipped over 47 Go back and forth 48 Survey answers, sometimes 50 Wax, in French 51 Il ___ (operatic pop group) 53 Company that comes a-calling 54 Number in the Cookie Monster song “They Not Take That Away From Me” 55 Part of QED

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(BUDWEISER & BUD LIGHT) Stop by and watch Basketball on the flat screen

Dine-In / Carry-Out Mon - Thur: 11am-10pm

601-352-2001 1220 N. State St.

May 20 - 26, 2010

(across from Baptist Medical Center)

CATERING AVAILABLE

Capital City Beverages distributed by

M I S S I S S I P P I ’ S C O M P L E T E B E E R S O U RC E Ask for these beers at stores and restaurants in Central Mississippi. Can’t ﬁnd these beers? Call 601-956-2224 for more information.

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COMING JUNE 1 NOW QUARTERLY

W W W. B O O M J A C K S O N . C O M Call 601-362-6121 x11 for an advertiser’s kit. E-mail editor@boomjackson.com to suggest stories

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Local businesses: Book space now in the September issue to reach Jackson’s 25 - 44 year-old professionals and entrepreneurs in Jackson’s lifestyle + business glossy.

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WHY PAY MORE TO PRINT?

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One per customer. Not valid with other offers. Code JFPCPN. Location Name: Madison & Flowood | Madison: 601-603-2314 and Flowood: 601-939-3373 www.cartridgeworldusa.com