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WEEKLY
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LAGNIAPPE
N O V E M B E R 7 , 2 0 1 8 - N O V E M B E R 1 3 , 2 0 1 8 | w w w. l a g n i a p p e m o b i l e . c o m ASHLEY TRICE Co-publisher/Editor atrice@lagniappemobile.com
ROB HOLBERT Co-publisher/Managing Editor rholbert@lagniappemobile.com GABRIEL TYNES Assistant Managing Editor gabe@lagniappemobile.com DALE LIESCH Reporter dale@lagniappemobile.com JASON JOHNSON Reporter jason@lagniappemobile.com
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BAY BRIEFS
A former group home employee has pleaded not guilty to murder after alleging stomping to death a patient under his care.
COMMENTARY
“Literally” has gotten literally out of control. Literally speaking.
BUSINESS
Hatch, a business resource incubator and tech hub aimed at supporting local entrepreneurs in the early stages of forming startups, held its grand opening in Fairhope Nov. 2.
CUISINE
KEVIN LEE Associate Editor/Arts Editor klee@lagniappemobile.com
November brings fall cuisine staples and a recipe for roasted squash soup with Gulf shrimp.
ANDY MACDONALD Cuisine Editor fatmansqueeze@comcast.net
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STEPHEN CENTANNI Music Editor scentanni@lagniappemobile.com STEPHANIE POE Copy Editor copy@lagniappemobile.com DANIEL ANDERSON Chief Photographer dan@danandersonphoto.com LAURA MATTEI Art Director www.laurarasmussen.com
COVER
Law enforcement officials and social organizations address homelessness after high-profile violence downtown.
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BROOKE O’DONNELL Advertising Sales Executive brooke@lagniappemobile.com BETH WOOLSEY Advertising Sales Executive bwilliams@lagniappemobile.com DAVID GRAYSON Advertising Sales Executive david@lagniappemobile.com SUZANNE SAWYER Advertising Sales Executive suzanne@lagniappemobile.com
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ARTS
Company 11 mounts a racy, subversive and awardwinning satire in a bigger venue.
MUSIC
STAN ANDERSON Distribution Manager delivery@lagniappemobile.com JACKIE CRUTHIRDS Office Manager legals@lagniappemobile.com CONTRIBUTORS: J. Mark Bryant, Asia Frey, Brian Holbert, Randy Kennedy, John Mullen, Lynn Oldshue, Jeff Poor, Ron Sivak, Tom Ward ON THE COVER: HOMELESS ARRESTS BY LAURA MATTEI POSTMASTER: Send address changes to P.O. Box 3003 Mobile, AL 36652. Editorial, advertising and production offices are located at 704 Government St., Mobile, AL 36602. Mailing address is P.O. Box 3003 Mobile, AL 36652. Phone: 251.450.4466 Email: ashleytoland@lagniappemobile.com or rholbert@ lagniappemobile.com LAGNIAPPE is printed at Walton Press. All letters sent to Lagniappe are considered to be intended for publication. Member: Association of Alternative Newsweeklies and Alternative Weeklies Network All rights reserved. Something Extra Publishing, Inc. Nothing may be reprinted, photocopied or in any way reproduced without the expressed permission of the publishers. Individuals may take one copy of the paper free of charge from area businesses, racks or boxes. After that, papers are $3 per issue. Removal of more than one copy from these points constitutes theft. Violators are subject to prosecution.
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Rising bluegrass star Billy Strings infuses traditional Appalachian sounds with his experience in a heavy metal band. The result is a style that has to be heard to be believed.
FILM
Peter Dinklage brings humanity and pathos to a complexly unhappy character in the biographical HBO movie “My Dinner with Hervé.”
MEDIA
Citronelle Call News readership continues decline.
SPORTS
Nic Chisolm, David Freese, Ernie Rosseau and Lindsay Schwartz will be inducted into the University of South Alabama Athletic Hall of Fame Nov. 10.
STYLE
Even more celebrity sightings, and oysters aplenty!
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GOING POSTAL Money for nothing
Throw away the key
Rob: I wish I could say your column “Should We Feel Safe” conjured up humorous images of Barney Fife crushing the suspect’s leg in the car door while trying to arrest him, in a manifestation of Barney’s ordinary misjudgment and incompetence. And, in a way, the “comedy of errors” you encountered while attempting to aid your wife after her near attack was so dysfunctional it has humorous derivatives. But the answer to the question raised in the title of your article is “no.” We are paying Police Chief Lawrence Battiste and Public Safety Director Jim Barber six-figure salaries. The lack of professionalism and lack of respect for citizens’ rights you encountered reflects on them. The attitudes and emphases at the top of an organization work themselves down through the organization and are reflected in the actions of its employees. And at the very top of the organization is Mayor Stimpson, who is responsible for seeing that Barber and Battiste perform. Battiste and Barber need to make it clear to their staff that their salaries are paid by the citizens of Mobile and that they work for us. Officers should be trained to be more interested in protecting citizens than in getting out of work by releasing suspects without even reviewing available video evidence, as was available in your wife’s case. There should be zero tolerance for violation of civil rights, and more frequent periodic training set up to instill the importance of this. The First Amendment rights you cited are very important and just as important are Fourth Amendment rights. Every Fourth Amendment action (search and seizure) should be personally reviewed by Battiste or Barber for justifiability before being presented to a judge. This is a way in which the message will be clearly communicated to the staff that respecting civil rights is important. Mobile Judicial Adviser Charlie Graddick was also mentioned in your article as the individual responsible for being sure magistrates are positioned appropriately around town so that warrants can be signed. We are also paying him a six-figure salary. Perhaps the title of your article should have been, “Are we getting our money’s worth?”
Rob: Thank God your wife is safe … for now. Maybe the defendant will choose a different target next time. Welcome, old-timer, to the new age of social justice. This is a time in which the justice system compassionately fosters opportunities for improvement for the real victim: the perpetrator. Legislators, too, approve the change. Criminals might well be “locked up for a long time” under antiquated laws. But today, we know that “debtors prisons sending the wrong message” (Ken Robinson, Lagniappe, Jan. 10, 2018) is just cruel. You see, Rob, you fail to see that rehab doesn’t work in prison/jail, so judges, who are much more knowledgeable than you, hand out lenient sentences, low bail or nothing. This puts the real victim, the perpetrator, out quickly so that he can demonstrate self-improvement — if only given the chance. Legislators, judges and parole boards are rooting for these “victims.” Won’t you join them? It’s not like your wife was killed or even injured. Or your kids. Or your cohorts. Sure, some in Douglas Dunson’s past were injured, but that was then and his justice has been served. A clean slate and freedom and he can be a productive taxpayer. Think of it. I suggest that you find out and call out the judge(s) in all of Dunson’s previous convictions — let everyone see the pattern and can the judges who unleash Mr. Dunson on an unsuspecting public. Do you think your wife’s experience is unique? It’s so common that it didn’t make any news except in my beloved Lagniappe. Do you have any idea just how many more there are that didn’t end as well and don’t make a blip? You should, in your position. Screw the RINO running your city. Screw the libs who put lipstick on pig locations in Mobile and screw activist judges and spineless legislators. Oh, and screw Ken. If his shed is broken into and burglarized by the same guy — four times — tell him to get back to me. If you can’t pay the fine, don’t do the crime. Feel free to quote that. Seriously, Rob, if justice isn’t in court then regular folks will apply it in the streets. Thugs are being released and revenge is playing out with the shootings in Mobile. I am glad your wife is fine. Whatever you choose to do with your newfound knowledge, be sure to not step on unicorn road apples.
D. Carter, Mobile
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Robin Miller, Mobile
Log out and give thanks Ashley: I just read your “Hidden Agenda” column in the Oct. 31 issue (“This is who we really are”). Congratulations on a well-written and thoughtful piece of journalism. We need more articles like this. As a born-again Christian I realize that there is much each of us can do each day to help heal the division in our country. Social media has become a cancer which should concern us all. We should all pause and realize that we live in the greatest country in the world, and be thankful for that privilege. Despite the turmoil, God is still in control. All the best to you. Charlie Story
BAYBRIEF | MOBILE COUNTY
‘No experience needed’
RESIDENT OF STATE-LICENSED GROUP KILLED BY CARETAKER BY JASON JOHNSON
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n employee accused of killing a resident in his care at a state-licensed group home for the mentally ill has pleaded not guilty to a single charge of murder. Prosecutors say 21-year-old Matthew Cox died after group home employee Trent Yates, 27, “stomped [his] abdominal area causing injuries” ultimately leading to his death. An attorney for the family previously said Cox was autistic and had the mental capacity of a 4-year-old. Though no civil action has been formally filed, the Cox family has already retained the services of personal injury attorney Dean Waite, who has released a statement on behalf of the family. “Matthew was an ‘angel in human clothing,’ who left a positive impact on every life he touched,” the statement reads. “Matthew loved everyone and everyone loved Matthew. His entire life was marked by the innocence and affection that only a child can have. We will miss him dearly.” According to a criminal complaint, Yates assaulted Cox on Saturday, Oct. 27. He was initially arrested and charged with first-degree assault but the charge was upgraded to murder after Cox died in a local hospital as a result of severe damage to his internal organs. The Mobile Police Department said Yates was “physically and verbally abusive” to Cox prior to his death, though the exact circumstances leading to the assault are unclear. Yates, who goes by “Big Gates” on Facebook, was employed as a caregiver at the group home where Cox lived. At an arraignment Oct. 30, Yates pleaded not guilty to the murder charge, and Mobile District Judge Joe Basenberg set $200,000 bond with a $25,000 cash component for his release. Jail records indicate Yates has yet to make bond and remains in custody. The group home, located on Colonial Circle North, is one of the hundreds of “community providers” licensed to operate in Mobile County. These providers offer residential treatment for patients suffering from substance abuse, mental illness or developmental disabilities. They operate in residential areas throughout the community and are regulated through the Alabama Department of Mental Health (ADMH). However, exactly who manages day-to-day operations at the group home where Cox lived remains unclear. According to ADMH, the home is one of 20 operated by the New Way Out Corp., doing business locally as Petway Residential Facilities Inc. The company is owned and operated by David Petway, who has several other registered businesses in the area. However, ADMH allows service providers to subcontract the operation of their state-licensed group homes to other companies, and state records indicate more than a dozen of the New Way Out group homes are operated by subcontractors, including the one where Cox lived. State certification records indicate the facility is managed by a subcontractor doing business as French Residential Facilities Inc. — a company established by Danny French in 2005. French Residential appears to be a relatively new provider of services for the developmentally disabled. The only record of any site inspections at either of its ADMH-licensed facilities in
Mobile were related to “initial visits” during July 2017. Both facilities received a 92 rating from ADMH inspectors, according to its website. ADMH spokeswoman Malissa Valdes-Hubert said the agency was “heartbroken” over Cox’s “tragic death.” “The Alabama Department of Mental Health is conducting an investigation of the incident according to department policies and procedures,” she wrote. “The department will cooperate with local authorities to investigate and take necessary action to ensure the health and safety of other residents are maintained.” Valdes-Hubert also noted ADMH requires service providers who operate group homes to perform background checks on their employees, a particular point of interest in Cox’s death because of Yates’ notable criminal history in Mobile County. Jail records indicate between 2010 and 2014, Yates was arrested for second-degree assault, two counts of domestic violence and theft. At this point it’s unclear whether the responsibility of performing a background check on Yates would have fallen to Petway Residential Facilities or its subcontractor, French Residential Facilities. Either way, Yates’ employment appears to go against French Residential’s own policies, according to social media posts Danny French has made over the past few months seeking employees “interested in working with mentally challenged individuals in a group setting.” Those posts show a flyer that lists various job requirements, including “no felony or domestic violence charges.” It also says “no previous work experience needed on the job training is provided” and directs applicants to New Way Out’s main office on Oak Circle Drive in Mobile. Emails sent to an address associated with French Residential Facilities have yet to receive a response, and a receptionist at New Way Out’s front desk told Lagniappe the company would not be commenting on Cox’s death or its group home operations in Mobile. While nothing has been filed in court, Waite gave the impression the Cox family would most likely be pursuing some type of civil litigation in the wake of their son’s murder. However, it’s still unclear who might be named as defendants. “The family really wants to make sure nothing else like this happens again. There were failures at multiple levels to allow something like this to occur,” Waite said. “We are investigating how this happened, why it happened and looking at every entity that is possibly involved here. We don’t know yet what the investigation is going to show.” Most likely ADMH would be dismissed from any lawsuit because of the sovereign immunity it enjoys as a state agency. Cox’s death isn’t the first incident involving an ADMH-licensed group home to make headlines in Mobile. The family of a severely autistic resident at a group home in Axis filed a suit against the facility’s owners and AltaPointe in 2017 after she was sexually assaulted in Mobile. The lawsuit, which is still pending in state court, claims the victim was one of several residents at the Agape House who were allegedly put up in a downtown hotel while staff members attended Mardi Gras. The family says she was assaulted after being left unsupervised and wandering from the hotel.
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BAYBRIEF | MOBILE
Caught in the web
TRICKS USED BY MOBILE HOUSING BOARD EMAIL SCAMMERS EXPOSED BY DALE LIESCH
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cammers who bilked Mobile Housing Board (MHB) of almost $500,000 through an email phishing scam left several clues to their identity that could have been detected, a local information technology and cybersecurity expert told Lagniappe last week. Scammers were able to infiltrate the email system of either MHB or the vendor in question, Hunt Companies, Abe Harper, president of Harper Technologies, said. The scammers hacked into one of the accounts and watched the email correspondence referencing payments for the demolition of Roger Williams Homes and were able to craft a message similar in tone, using a different account, to ultimately bilk $478,000 in federal funds from MHB. Phishing scams are not unusual, Harper said, and can be more complex than the example with MHB. The reason it keeps happening, he said, is because it’s effective and often very lucrative for the “bad guys.” In cases like this, the life cycle is similar, Harper said. Before “day zero,” or when a victim learns of the scam, scammers can spend days or weeks executing their plan. For instance, he said, there’s what is referred to as an “initial exploit,” where scammers will “attach themselves to a network or device.” There are different methodologies scammers can use to do this, but one of the most common is through what is called a “clear-text” password. If a system uses a “clear-text” password, scammers can see the password used at several different points, Harper said. There is also some reconnaissance involved to assess
the value of a given target, Harper said. “By the time it gets to a point where someone knows something is wrong, [scammers] have profited from it somewhere,” Harper said. “It’s a very, very nasty game these guys play.” In some cases, scammers steal and sell personal data and in others they take money. Lagniappe acquired some of the MHB emails in question through a records request and asked Harper to review them. Among other services, Harper Technologies provides forensic analysis and expert witness testimony to cyber crimes. Harper pointed to two inconspicuous changes to the name of the sender’s email account, a telltale sign of phishing that could have tipped off former MHB chief financial officer Lori Shackelford. Shackelford retired shortly after the incident. In a May 7 email referencing payment for the demolition of the Roger Williams Homes complex, someone using the address lisa.boucher@huntc0mpanies.com looks to have taken over an email exchange with Shackelford. This is important because that address was a change from lisa.boucher@hunt-companies.com and also from a previous address of lisa.boucher@huntcompanies.com. While the first change seems legitimate, Harper said, the second address change — replacing the “o” in companies with a zero — seems to be where scammers took over the conversation. “The average person is not going to verify every character of an address if they recognize the name,” Harper said.
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Another calling card is the relatively rapid pace at which the emails were sent once the rogue account had control of the conversation, Harper said. The frequency of emails increased dramatically May 10. While messages before that in the ongoing conversation appeared to be sent maybe daily, starting on May 10 messages from lisa.boucher@huntc0mpanies.com began appearing in Shackelford’s inbox almost hourly. Between 9:25 a.m. and 12:25 p.m. there were six emails that came through the fake account. Harper said scammers do this in order to keep victims from thinking clearly. “The emails get extremely close together,” Harper said. “This is part of the M.O. because it gives recipients less time to think. It gives the recipient they interact with less time to create a response.” Another issue is the change in the number of people to whom the messages reply. At first, the exchange between Shackelford and Boucher included former Mobile Development Enterprises employee Cole Appleman, Mark Straub with Pennrose Properties, Robert Kelly and Russell McSpedden, but the number of recipients dwindles from there. By the end of May 7, the chain had been reduced to the scam emailer replying only to Shackelford. Phishing and other scams can be hard to defend, Harper said. They are becoming more common as well. Harper cited an FBI report indicating scammers have stolen $12.5 billion since 2003, including $9 billion over the past three years. “Talk to anyone within a federal department and they’ll say it’s like whack-a-mole,” Harper said. “If you knock one down, three more pop up.” Anti-virus software does not pick up on these types of scams because the email will appear to be normal, Harper said. There are companies that specialize in protection against phishing and other scams, Harper said, but it’s important users know the signs and help guard against it themselves. It can be tough, too, because scammers use a type of social engineering to get what they want. “Looking at it, you’re fighting against someone who is not fighting fair,” Harper said. In matters where a large sum of money is being exchanged, Harper suggests simply making a phone call to verify. “We encourage our clients to not send any type of financial information over email,” he said. “Request and submit the wire information verbally, then follow up with written documentation. These guys are very, very intelligent and aggressive.”
BAYBRIEF | BALDWIN COUNTY
New lodging
GULF STATE PARK LODGE AND HILTON HOTEL OPEN BY JOHN MULLEN
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beaming Gov. Kay Ivey welcomed a host of local dignitaries and media on Nov. 2 at the grand opening of The Lodge at Gulf State Park, a $140 million facility dubbed “Alabama’s front porch on the Gulf.” “It makes you feel relaxed,” Ivey said. “This is a beautiful facility, very practical and provides every convenience known to man. It’s impressive. It’s just real special for the people of Alabama. It’s a win-win for everybody.” The Hilton-run 350-room hotel hosted its first guests Nov. 1 and rooms are expected to average about $200 a night depending on the season. It will also have meeting space for groups up to 1,000, a pool and restaurant facing the Gulf, and a 5,500-square-foot terrace, also with Gulf views. Beth Gendler said the additional space will help her group attract more meetings and conferences. Gendler is vice president for sales for the Gulf Shores and Orange Beach Sports Commission, which works to bring sporting events as well as business meetings to the Gulf. “We have been lacking meeting space within our destination and, absolutely, the lodge does add to our inventory and help the situation,” Gendler said. “We anticipate seeing brand-new business that has never met in our destination with the addition of the lodge. The lodge adds 40,000 square feet of flexible indoor and outdoor meeting space.” This new venue will be complemented by the
Embassy Suites planned for the corner of Beach Road and First Street West in Gulf Shores, Gendler said. “The Embassy Suites does plan to have meeting space — about 10,000 square feet. It will be a great fit for meetings, sports groups and leisure guests,” Gendler said. The new hotel is expected to be completed in about two years and will add 229 hotel rooms to the city. Mayor Tony Kennon came away impressed with the new lodge and its stout construction. “I think they did a first-class job,” Kennon said. “It’s a unique design but it’s also built in such a way to be fortified to withstand storms and survive. So, I’m very proud of it.” The BP oil spill and the influx of money to help restore the coast jump-started this project, Gulf Shores Mayor Robert Craft said. ‘Because of that, we got this,” Craft said. “It’s just an amazing feeling and a testament to the resiliency of this community and the people that live here; we will not give up.” But it didn’t go up without a fight. The Gulf Restoration Network out of New Orleans sued the state and project developers in 2014 over the use of Natural Resource Damage Assessment funds to build the lodge and hotel. The suit was settled in October 2017 when the state agreed to spend $65 million over a 15-year period to maintain and improve the public’s access to Gulf State Park. The original lodge and hotel were built in 1974 but destroyed by Hurricane Ivan in 2004.
BAYBRIEF | BALDWIN COUNTY
Run the ball
GULF TOURISM MARKETING ARM CELEBRATES 25TH ANNIVERSARY BY JOHN MULLEN
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heila Hodges will admit her knowledge of football is limited. “I’d like to use a football analogy but y’all know I know little about football,” Hodges told the First Friday breakfast gathering of the Coastal Alabama Chamber of Commerce. It was Hodges’ charge to introduce President and CEO Herb Malone of Gulf Shores and Orange Beach Tourism for his annual November report. But this year’s was extra special, marking 25 years of the group’s existence. Technically, the organization is an arm of state government with one specific function: market the 32 miles of white sand from the AlabamaFlorida line to the tip of Fort Morgan. Hodges is the owner of SH Enterprises, a company with a variety of arms all related to the tourism industry, including Meyer Realty. She and Malone were part of the early group in the late ‘80s and early ‘90s working with the chamber in a struggle to support marketing efforts. “We knew as a committee for tourism to grow we had to plan longer than a year,” Hodges said. “But a year was all our budget was good for because we were funded by memberships, which was annual, and participation by the cities.” But more was needed, Hodges said, to help the industry grow. “The only way we could do five-year planning that would allow us to draw in the type of industry — whether it was accommodations, entertainment — was to be able to show that
entity we had a five-year plan,” she said. The tip of that spear, she said, was Malone. “We took that plan to Herb, and to use a football analogy, he took the ball and carried it to the goal,” Hodges said. “Herb Malone has carried the ball in a lot of things through the years. And in that, he is our champion.” Malone has been the leader of that effort since the group was formed in 1993. He has been its only president and CEO. Ever humble and ready to spread the praise, Malone spoke next and did just that. “Sheila, I’ve got to correct one thing,” Malone said. “I was a lineman. We didn’t carry the ball. We made the blocks for the quarterbacks and running backs to score the touchdowns. And that’s what all of you are. You’re the ones that score the touchdowns.” Malone pointed out that since 1993, lodging revenues have grown from $62 million to a projected $518 million for 2018, and announced those revenues would set a record for eight straight years. Retail sales in 1993 when the tourism board was established totaled $154.4 million compared to projections of $935.1 million. Malone said Alabama beaches drew 6.3 million visitors who spent $4.4 billion, up from $963 million in 1996. Of that $4.4 billion, Malone said, $1.5 billion was for wages and salaries alone. In 1993 there were 17,000 employed in the tourism industry compared to 50,000 in 2018. N o v e m b e r 7 , 2 0 1 8 - N o v e m b e r 1 3 , 2 0 1 8 | L AG N I A P P E | 7
BAYBRIEF | DOMESTIC VIOLENCE
The silent victims of domestic violence BY LYNN OLDSHUE
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avannah sat slouched in a courtroom chair in Strickland Youth Center. Wrapping her arms around herself, she sank into her jacket as Judge Edmond Naman talked with her grandmother about Savannah’s marijuana use, threats against a teacher and truancy charges — more than 40 missed days of middle school in the 2017-18 school year between Savannah and her brother. The grandmother, who has her own issues of smoking pot and using Valium, said the Department of Human Resources (DHR) gave her custody of Savannah and her brother as well as three other grandchildren taken from another son. Savannah’s parents are drug addicts who divorced and disappeared several years ago, but not before the children grew up in a home of abuse. Savannah cried as her brother told of being deserted by their parents. After warning the grandmother to do a better job of raising these kids than she did her first ones, Naman turned to Savannah and said, “You have no respect for your teachers or your grandmother. That has to change. “You are a smart girl, Savannah,” Naman said. “You can either let this situation destroy you or rise up. It is time that you have people in your life who care about you. We will find the ones to help you overcome this.” Rising up is difficult for children like Savannah (not her real name) and her brother, the silent victims of domestic violence. Naman said his truancy court every Thursday is about more than missed classes; it is the frontline to uncovering bigger family issues. These hearings may be the only chance to reach kids growing up in homes with behaviors no child should ever see, he said. “Family dysfunction and poor education are the two factors that lead to social issues and violence in Mobile,” Naman said. “It is hard to understand the cycle of domestic violence if you didn’t grow up in it, but the effects of it are real in our communities and schools. The problems will get worse if we don’t do something about it.” There is no joy and laughter in children who come from abused homes because they have nothing to laugh about, said Pastor Ruby Eldridge, founder of Pure Word Ministries, a church that provides day care in the Eight Mile community. “These kids get cussed at, molested or abused, and see their mamas get knocked around,” Pastor Ruby said. “They are used as weapons in the violence and live with the fear that one parent is going to kill the other, or them. We have foster kids taken out of bad homes but they still don’t stand a chance. The look in their eyes says they are lost. They are hungry and want love and kindness.” Approximately 5 million children are exposed to domestic violence each year, according to the Childhood Domestic Violence Association. Teachers say this leads to learning disabilities and behavior problems. Angry outbursts come at the end of the day when it is time to leave the one place they feel safe. “They hug me so tight before they make the slow walk to the bus,” a principal in Baldwin County said. “It is hard on teachers and staff knowing what some of our kids go home to. We call DHR when we can, but we can’t protect them from everything. I try to give them hope and tell them I can’t wait to see them here the next morning.” There have been at least 45 child abuse and neglect investigations resulting from domestic violence in Mobile in 2018. Approximately 500 children are currently in foster care in Mobile County, according to Mobile County DHR. “Our priority is the safety of the children,” Stephanie Streeter, county director of Mobile County DHR said. “We get them out of a dangerous environment and into a safer home and provide the help and counseling services they need.” Getting children away from violence not only makes them safer today but can stop the cycle of violence from passing to another generation tomorrow, according to Steve Searcy, law enforcement training coordinator for the State Coalition Against Domestic Violence. “Our next victims and offenders are homegrown,” he said.
“We have to get offenders out of the home and give kids a clean start. Domestic violence is a crime against the future and robs the next generation of productive people.” Abusive behaviors begin in childhood, often with children being abused. “There is a strong correlation between animal abuse, child abuse and domestic abuse,” Searcy said. “The violence a child experiences has to come out somewhere. Abusing an animal, in the sandbox with another child, a relationship, a marriage. A child who abuses animals is more likely to grow into a violent adult. Parents who don’t intervene when they see the behaviors and temper tantrums are rewarding the outbursts by letting them do what they want to do. “The signs and information are out there, we just have to pay attention and connect the dots,” he said. “The earlier we help these kids, the better. But instead, we block the information. I teach officers to pay attention to the children when they go to a domestic violence call. Get on their level to comfort them. Tell them that it is not okay that daddy hit mommy.” In a world filled with violent role models, entertainment and video games, someone from the outside has to show a better way, Searcy said. “These kids see the world as a dangerous, abusive place and it overwhelms the positive and good feelings they are born with. The parents have their own problems and don’t feel the pain their kids are going through. It takes one person understanding that pain and helping them through it.” Joan Duncan is prevention education coordinator at Penelope House, a shelter in Mobile for victims of domestic violence. She tries to break the cycle from the outside as she speaks to children from kindergarten to high school about domestic violence, the signs of abuse and how to get out and get help. She gives younger children stickers with the Penelope House number in case a parent needs someone to call for help. “Relationships are supposed to make you feel good about yourself and should not hurt physically or mentally,” she told a class of 8th graders at Scarborough Middle School in Mobile. “Ignoring your feelings, making threats, calling you stupid, or jealousy, possessiveness, isolation, shoving, hitting or forcing sex are all signs of abuse. “The longer you stay in, the harder it is to get out.” These programs fill gaps but can’t fully provide what a child is missing at home. “A father teaching about self-respect is the biggest missing factor in young men’s and women’s lives,” Mobile Municipal Court Judge Karlos Finley said. “If you don’t have self-respect, you look for affirmation from other people and fill the void with stuff or the wrong kinds of love. Some kids have been molested for as long as they can remember and think sex is what makes people love them. Sex becomes how they value themselves. It is not just the job of the policeman, the teacher or the judge to help because the problems with these kids will come back and hurt us all. “When young men and women begin to realize they are priceless, then we are doing something right,” he said. Judges and advocates say the community must get involved by paying attention. A poster on the wall of Penelope House reads, “You wouldn’t hesitate to call if you saw flames coming from the house next door.” “It takes just one person to realize that something isn’t right and to report it,” Rhyon Erwin, executive director of The Lighthouse shelter in Baldwin County, said. “Family, friends and coworkers often look the other way and don’t want to get
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involved, but bystander intervention is the key. Know what resources are available. Don’t just pass by and say, ‘Did you see that?’ or ‘I wouldn’t take that.’ Call 911, because doing nothing is an injustice to the victim and the children involved. The victim may get mad at you for intervening. Do it anyway. You may be saving lives.” After the truancy court date, Savannah and her brother were taken from their grandmother by DHR and placed in the crisis center at Strickland Youth Center. No one from the family stepped up to help the children. Most of the family didn’t even pass a drug test. Savannah’s brother told Naman, “No one is here for us.” The family failed them, but a system and outsiders have a chance to be there and make a difference, Naman said. Savannah’s brother is now in drug rehab and Savannah will soon be taken to St. Mary’s Home. “Savannah will be better off there than she was at home,” Naman said. “We can address her mental health issues from abuse and through our NEST [Nurture, Equip, Strengthen, Transform] program, and place positive role models in her life
IT IS HARD TO UNDERSTAND THE CYCLE OF DOMESTIC VIOLENCE IF YOU DIDN’T GROW UP IN IT, BUT THE EFFECTS OF IT ARE REAL IN OUR COMMUNITIES AND SCHOOLS. THE PROBLEMS WILL GET WORSE IF WE DON’T DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT.” who will show her love, hope and a better way. “The problems for kids like Savannah start at home, but they multiply if they go unchecked. We have to be brave enough to help kids rise above the issues that could destroy them. We are in a soul fight for the kids in Mobile, the ones no one else is fighting for. Saving one at-risk child at a time is the only way we can turn around the violence and have a safer community.”
How you can help the silent victims of domestic violence:
• Make referrals to Penelope House in Mobile (251-342-8994), the Lighthouse in Baldwin County (800-650-6522) or Lifelines Counseling Service (251-602-0909). Donate to these organizations, purchase from their wish lists or make a contribution to help pay for a birthday cake and ice cream for a child in the shelter who is celebrating a birthday. Join The Lighthouse Youth Task Force at Daphne High School or Fairhope High School and help with product drives, holiday parties and babysitting. • Join NEST as a volunteer or mentor. A team of volunteers becomes involved with a child going through the juvenile court system — not only helping the child, but also the family. NEST of Mobile aims to “nurture children, equip parents, strengthen families and transform communities.” The website is www. nestofmobile.org. • Become a mentor to a child through Big Brothers Big Sisters of South Alabama. Many of the children have grown up with domestic violence and abuse and need a one-to-one relationship with someone who cares and is in their corner. The website is www.bbbssa.org/. • Volunteer to help with homework or programs at St. Mary’s Home and Dumas Wesley Community Center in Mobile, Light of the Village and The Lighthouse Academy in Prichard or the Rotary Youth Club in Fairhope. Editor’s note: This is the fourth and final installment in a series of stories about domestic violence by contributing writer Lynn Oldshue. For the complete series, visit lagniappemobile. com/series/domestic-violence.
BAYBRIEF | MOBILE
Permeable pavement COUNTY WILL PAVE PARKING LOT WITH ENVIRONMENTAL DOLLARS BY JASON JOHNSON
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he Mobile County Commission has approved a spending plan for expected oil royalties including a $1.2 million allocation for a permeable pavement parking lot at its soccer complex. As Lagniappe has reported, Mobile and Baldwin counties are expected to see increased revenues from the Gulf of Mexico Energy Security Act (GOMESA), which established a revenue-sharing program generating millions for coastal communities every year. Those dollars come from royalties energy companies pay the federal government in order to mine for oil and natural gas in the Gulf of Mexico. Alabama collected $21 million through GOMESA in 2018 alone, while Baldwin County saw $2.4 million and Mobile County received $2.8 million. The original legislation dictates the lion’s share of local funding — around 80 percent — goes directly to the state government. Though it wasn’t required, Mobile County’s environmental services department opted to put some of its ideas for using the money down on paper. The nonbinding plan, which was approved by commissioners Sept. 24, will serve as a guide for expenditures through 2020. Eddie Kerr, who works with Mobile County’s Environmental Department, said the county has used long-term plans for similar funding sources. He also told Lagniappe in September annual GOMESA revenues are expected to stay at around $3 million through 2020. However, Kerr said the number could be closer to $4 million if a bill currently being considered by the House were to become law and $6 million if the overall oil royalties revenues were to actually hit the $500 million cap set back in 2006. For the most part, the county has and will have full discretion over its GOMESA expenditures, though there are
limited authorized uses focusing on such environmental efforts as land conservation, hurricane preparedness projects and coastal protection. According to the county’s GOMESA plan, the “permeable paving” parking lot project will receive $300,000 this year and $900,000 in 2019. Kerr said the $1.2 million effort would be appropriate for GOMESA funding because it will protect a coastal area which “includes wetlands.” “The permeable pavement system is a low-impact design method meant to address the increase in stormwater runoff and decrease in water quality typically associated with construction involving impervious surfaces,” he wrote in an email earlier this month. “[The permeable pavement] allows rainfall to infiltrate into a constructed sand layer underneath.” There are more than 80 acres of wetlands near the site of the proposed complex at the corridor of interstates 10 and 65 and, according to the county, the specialized pavement choice could minimize the impact the $3.7 million project might have on those sensitive areas. The current property owners originally intended to donate those wetland areas to the county as part of an original land buy that ultimately fell through. It’s unclear at this point whether the county might still move to purchase and preserve those areas in a future phase of the project. While the county is keeping those sensitive areas in mind as it prepares to move forward with construction, Commission President Connie Hudson said there was no requirement to include a permeable parking lot because of those nearby wetlands. “It’s a very innovative way of keeping the project green. The whole idea is to keep it environmentally friendly. I think this is a great idea, and really, it’s what we had talked about doing all along,” Hudson said. “It’s
a little more expensive, but in the long run it does not create the impermeable surface that a regular parking lot would.” However, some environmental groups have been a bit dismayed by the decision to use an environmental funding source to finance any part of a project that will impact sensitive coastal habitats. Mobile Baykeeper has taken issue with the location of the soccer complex since it was announced in 2014, and while Executive Director Casi Callaway agrees recreational fields are needed, she’d prefer to see them developed elsewhere. She said GOMESA dollars were intended to “offset, replace or restore” any impact the offshore oil operations might have on coastal communities. “While it may seem to make sense to use those funds to build a state of the art, permeable parking lot for a project that will fill wetlands in the vitally important headwaters of Dog River, it would be smarter to acquire the land and set it aside with no impacts at all,” she said. “We should use GOMESA funds to build resilience in our community to the next natural or man-made disaster rather than to offset impacts we are creating in the same breath.” The construction of the soccer complex, which will initially have two tournament fields and two practice fields, will be completed in three phases. Hudson said the first phase, which included a $1.3 million property purchase, will cost roughly $3.7 million. Hudson has mostly used her own discretionary funding for capital improvement projects to cover the costs of the project — one she’s championed for years — but said using GOMESA funding for the parking lot will reduce the overall cost of Phase 1 by $1.2 million. Construction of the complex is scheduled to start before the end of 2018, though an exact timeline and total cost estimate for all three phases of the project have not been disclosed. While it’s the third-largest expenditure, the soccer complex parking lot is only one of the nine projects outlined in the county’s 2018-20 GOMESA expenditure plan. Others would help fund the Mobile County Recycling Center in West Mobile, land acquisitions to increase public access and the management and upkeep of the county’s large swath of conservation lands along the coast. The most expensive project would help develop a $3.1 million master plan to “increase public access to coastal and riverine areas and provide improved opportunities for recreation” at county-owned properties such as Chickasabogue Park and the Mobile-Tensaw River Delta. The plan also sets aside another $1.8 million to acquire waterfront property suitable for “providing the public with new or improved opportunities for recreation along local waters.” The full 2018-20 GOMESA expenditure plan can be reviewed at lagniappemobile.com.
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BAYBRIEF | MOBILE
Special counsel
City eyes new GulfQuest restaurant tenant to aid attendance
COUNCIL APPROVES INVESTIGATION INTO PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT BY DALE LIESCH
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ttorney Patrick Sims will have until Dec. 15 to investigate claims of racially based harassment within the city’s Public Works Department; the Mobile City Council authorized the move in a 5-1 vote at its regular meeting Tuesday, Nov. 6. The investigation follows months of complaints from employees about alleged harassment and mistreatment in the department, some of it racially motivated. Councilman Joel Daves was the lone dissenting vote. He said the state has authorized the Mobile County Personnel Board to act upon workplace grievances and, consequently, it should handle an investigation. “The council has no way to redress workplace grievances,” he said. “If there was a resolution before us that asked the Mobile County Personnel Board to investigate, I’d be fully behind it.” Daves said he believes it will set a negative precedent for the council and also believes it pits the mayor and councilors against each other, a move he thinks is unwise. Councilwoman Gina Gregory was absent from the meeting. Sims, as special counsel, will be paid $200 per hour and will report the findings of the investigation to a committee of three councilors by “no later than Saturday, Dec. 15,” according to the resolution. The committee and Sims will work together to outline the parameters of the investigation. Council Vice President Levon Manzie said there is no indication the investigation will pit the two sides of city government against one another, as city attorney Ricardo
Woods has repeatedly said the administration is in favor of an investigation. Acting Chief of Staff Paul Wesch reiterated support Tuesday. Manzie called the allegations very serious, especially given workers have risked their employment to bring such concerns to light. Manzie and other councilors implied the investigation could also help trash pickup, which has been lagging behind schedule for months. Councilman Fred Richardson argued councilors had asked the administration to investigate the claims on its own and they were ignored. Wesch said the city constantly investigates personnel issues in various departments. He said what Richardson means is the administration didn’t investigate the claims to the extent he and other councilors wanted. In other business, councilors briefly discussed a resolution to rehire Marion Steinfels as the body’s communications coordinator through a professional services contract. The contract is almost identical to the one former council attorney Jim Rossler wrote in 2016 but Mayor Sandy Stimpson never signed, council attorney Wanda Cochran said. Instead, Stimpson appointed Steinfels to the position in 2016 and fired her last month for what councilors believe were political reasons. Councilman John Williams asked if Stimpson’s office had been notified of the agreement. Manzie asked Cochran to distribute the agreement to administration officials. Daves said he had concerns the agreement would further strain the relationship between the council and Stimpson’s offices.
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In separate news, the city is taking proposals for waterfront dining ideas for The Galley café inside GulfQuest Maritime Museum of the Gulf of Mexico to help buoy sinking attendance. Attendance has fallen sharply since the city took control of the fledgling museum in November 2016, Executive Director Brent Beall said during a meeting with prospective restaurateurs Monday. GulfQuest saw some 70,000 visitors during its first year in operation, starting in late September 2015. However, this year, Beall said, attendance dropped to 20,000 paying visitors and another 8,000 attending special events. The restaurant business might be even worse. Beall said The Galley, which is open 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday and primarily serves sandwiches to school groups on field trips since reopening in February 2017, averages a dismal $10,000 per year in sales. With its catering business added, the restaurant generates another $20,000. “It’s not a lot,” Beall said. “There are some days, especially recently, where there’s only been about $20 per day.” Despite and in large part because of these numbers, the city is looking to partner with a local or national vendor to expand The Galley with waterfront and outdoor dining options. City officials have stated they’d prefer the space be used for a seafood restaurant. The city is also looking for someone with a popular brand and a good eye for marketing to take over the space. “The whole vision is, this is going to grow,” Chief Procurement Officer Don Rose said. “It might be a phase investment. It’s a shared risk, but we think we have some amazing vendors who can do amazing things down here.” The seafood restaurant will feature a container bar on the riverfront to showcase Mobile’s history as the birthplace of container shipping, according to a statement from Mayor Sandy Stimpson’s office. The hope, Beall said, is that the concessionaire would be able to draw visitors to the museum. This venture will be designed to complement not only the museum but also Cooper Riverside Park and the nearby Convention Center, establishing the waterfront as a destination for visitors, downtown residents, workers, and convention and conference attendees. All proposals are due no later than Dec. 4 with the contract expected to be awarded early next year. The new restaurant will open its doors in the spring. “We are now setting our sights on creating a vibrant dining experience in one of the most desirable locations in Mobile,” Stimpson said in a statement. “The best is truly yet to come for Mobile’s waterfront experience.”
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COMMENTARY | DAMN THE TORPEDOES
Something literally needs to change — literally ROB HOLBERT/MANAGING EDITOR/RHOLBERT@LAGNIAPPEMOBILE.COM
OF COURSE I’M TALKING ABOUT THE OVERUSE AND MISUSE OF THE WORD “LITERALLY.” IT IS LITERALLY EVERYWHERE. MY KIDS SAY IT CONSTANTLY. COWORKERS. FRIENDS. ENEMIES. STRANGERS. FAST-FOOD WORKERS.”
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and said something like, “This clown is literally writing about nothing.” Thankfully, they will not suffer. Bless them. But some of you will, and I’m sorry. The only ray of hope I can offer is that we have made it through tough grammatical times before. Everyone can remember the plague of “likes” that peppered speech not that long ago. That scourge seems to have subsided a bit, but it’s still with us. The rising use of the word “dope” to describe something cool or interesting is frightening, but I can’t ever see a bunch of 80-year-olds describing a new hip as “dope.” For those who do become hypersensitive to “literally,” I can say ridicule has been effective in curbing it to some degree within my own home and I highly recommend it. If this leads to divorce, I will deny all blame. Hopefully in our lifetimes we’ll never see another earworm as pervasive and attractive to people of all ages, ethnicities and educational backgrounds as “literally.” Crack and meth just wish they were as addictive. If only Nancy Reagan were still around to start a “Don’t say ‘literally’” campaign, but alas she’s literally not. Trying to stop using “literally” is going to be a battle for you folks, I’m not going to lie. It still pops right in line in my brain all the time, ready to jump out as part of a sentence. Sometimes I think it would just be easier to give up and lead a life of overemphasizing things that aren’t that important. But that’s just literally talking. I’m determined to win this battle. Literally.
THEGADFLY
People don’t even know they’re saying it. The word has become some kind of dog whistle simply meant to communicate to the listener that the person speaking feels strongly about what they’re saying or was surprised in some way. Or perhaps none of the above. “Hey, you want to get a sandwich?” “I literally just ate.” I’m not really sure what to make of such an exchange. Perhaps there’s a level of surprise one may feel after having just eaten and then being asked to eat again. Or maybe even a misplaced feeling of irony or fate that needs to be conveyed by supercharging your sentence with a spare “literally.” Certainly among my teenage children anything exciting that happened at school or sporting event will require several “literallys” to explain. “The quarterback literally just threw the ball right to the DB for a pick six!” The presence of “literally” in a sentence like that makes my brain suddenly wonder if there was any figurative way the QB could have lost the game by throwing an interception. Lately I feel a lot like Neo in “The Matrix.” I took the red pill offered by some kind of grammar guru Morpheus, and now all I can see is the “literallys” floating figuratively all around me. I would love to go back to the way it was, like the other guy in “The Matrix” who wants to have his mind wiped so he just thinks he’s a normal human again. Ignorance was bliss. Not being able to hear when someone said “literally” 16 times during a 20-minute conversation was heaven, even if that conversation was about that person’s bunions.
Now every time I hear “literally,” it’s like breaking glass or a clown shoehorn. I can’t unhear it. Early on into this epiphany about “literally,” I likened it to the constant misuse of the phrase “I couldn’t care less.” The vast majority of society says “I could care less,” which has a tendency to drive me crazy as well since the point the person is trying to make is that he/she is completely unconcerned about whatever it is they “could care less” about. Obviously, if you say you could care less, then logically it means you do actually have some level of care. People misuse that phrase so much some grammarians have just given in and accepted it to mean what it doesn’t. But “could care less” is like Halley’s Comet compared to “literally.” You might hear someone say they could care less once or twice a week, but I bet after you read this you’ll literally hear people say “literally” once an hour. At a minimum. I wrestled with whether it is actually cruel to even write a column about this in the first place. There will be people — people like I once was — who say “literally” all the time and don’t realize it and have adopted it as their clever way of emphasizing something. Reading about this might cause them to suffer a level of irritation that eventually leads to climbing up a bell tower with a high-powered rifle. If that happens, I will deny all blame. Certainly some reading this column have turned to a friend or spouse by this point
Cartoon/Laura Mattei
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t’s truly difficult to walk through society these days without feeling irritation at nearly every turn. It’s in my face every day, all day, and frankly, as a society we appear to be at the point where it will never get any better. Of course I’m talking about the overuse and misuse of the word “literally.” It is literally everywhere. My kids say it constantly. Coworkers. Friends. Enemies. Strangers. Fast-food workers. I’m pretty sure my dog barks it. And I can feel the word trying to worm its way into things I’m saying all the time. I know, it’s nothing all that new. Looking at the worldwide web, there are complaints about the overuse/ misuse of this word going back 15 years, but somehow it just seems to have gotten worse lately. Or maybe I’m just “woke” to it. (Don’t get me started on “woke.”) I’m not exactly sure at what point I became unable to not notice every … single … time someone says “literally.” And before any of you start thinking I’m trying to be holier than thou or snooty, I’m probably a recovering addict myself. See, that’s what is so insidious about “literally.”
PRICHARD HAVING TO FIND NEW WAYS TO FIGHT FIRES.
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COMMENTARY | THE HIDDEN AGENDA
Deep thoughts at 7 a.m. on Election Day ASHLEY TRICE/EDITOR/ASHLEYTOLAND@LAGNIAPPEMOBILE.COM
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s I write this piece, the polls have just opened on Election Day 2018. All 1,065 of these words will be printed on the paper you are holding in your hands before the polls close, so I am penning this with no idea what the outcome of today’s important midterms will be. However, I do think I have learned throughout this seemingly endless campaign season how the national media and/or political consultants think Americans think, and therefore vote. And once again they have all painted with a very broad brush and tried to put us in several boxes. And as we all know, it’s just way more complicated than that. Maybe there will be a red wave or a blue wave or “tsunamis,” as both sides like to hope for. “It all depends on turnout!” If we had a nickel for every time we’ve heard that, we wouldn’t need a lottery in Alabama. Some of the statements pundits have proffered certainly have some truth to them, but once again, I don’t think you can paint with such broad brushes. Let’s look at some of the analyses the chattering class have determined to be true and examine: 1. College-educated Republican women in the suburbs are lost to Democrats. Sure, many of them are. But many are still sporting MAGA hats, too. And, anecdotally, I find just as many moderate Republican women who are still planning to vote with their party, and it has nothing really to do with Donald Trump. Do I hear them express absolute disdain for how the president conducts himself? Yes. Do I hear them express outrage about how he talks about women? Yes. But then do I hear them write that off as just “noise” or a “sideshow” that is not to be taken seriously? Also yes. And then they go on to explain how their and/or their spouse’s 401(k)s are soaring, how they’ve gotten raises or bonuses, or how their small businesses are doing better than they have in years, and they rationalize all the Trump rhetoric as something they can live with, as long as they continue to personally prosper. Also, many assume that every “collegeeducated woman” who watched the Kavanaugh hearings immediately and totally “sided” with Dr. Christine Blasey Ford and, therefore, the Democrats. From the conversations I have had with women in my life, this is not the case. I have heard such a variety of reactions to those hearings and it just doesn’t line up with the theses of cable news analysts, which usually just back up the partisan views of whatever network they are on. Sure, those on the super left and super right were probably always going to back their “side,” no matter what. But the women in the middle had such visceral and varied reactions. I heard women who despise Trump absolutely hate how they thought Brett Kavanaugh was treated. And they were disgusted with the lack of due process. And I also spoke with women who voted for Trump who felt like Kavanaugh
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should have never been confirmed. When you drill down deeper to see why, their opinions on this were not determined by their political party but almost always by their own personal experiences — how they view themselves — as someone who has been victimized or who does not view themselves as a victim, despite being in similar situations as Ford described. In addition to this, maybe they pictured their son or daughter on either side of the situation and viewed it through that lens. I feel like all of these reactions are absolutely genuine and to be respected. But different. And they affect how these women vote in different ways. And there are certainly college-educated Republican women in the South who will never vote for a pro-choice candidate. But I bet there are just as many who say that outside the voting booth and vote differently once they are behind the curtain. So again: Sorry, pundits, you can’t throw us all in the same box and think we will vote the same way. Every woman, every person, weighs a lot of factors when they are making decisions on who to vote for. I know many Mobilians who are voting for both Republicans and Democrats today. 2. All liberals are socialists who want open borders and migrants to come on in freely. This is just not true. I know many, many liberals and I can’t name a single one who just thinks we should throw the welcome mat out and let endless numbers of people cross the border at will with no process. Most people (on both sides of the aisle) want tighter border security and a better, more efficient system. They just don’t want extreme things like “child separation” and the military shooting at kids throwing rocks. (If that ever even happens — I highly doubt it will. And I certainly hope it doesn’t.) Also, most liberals aren’t ready to just give their entire paychecks away to folks — they just want the system to be more equitable and fair, so the top 1 percent aren’t the only ones prospering. (I think a lot of conservatives want that too!) 3. All politics is local. Actually, this old axiom is the only thing that will continue to hold true from state to state and district to district. And the polarizing guy at the top will not have as much to do with how people choose their governors, congressmen and women, senators or state and local reps, but more so how right the guy or gal on their ballot is for their particular state or district. And really, isn’t that exactly how it should work? In the end, no matter what happens after the polls close tonight at 7 p.m., I hope we can all take a deep breath and realize this divisiveness and anger just can’t go on. We are more alike than we think. We agree on more than we disagree. We really do. We just want to do well for ourselves and we want better lives for our children. We want to have good jobs and schools, access to health care, reasonable taxes and decent infrastructure. Sure, we may have different ideas on how we get there, but one thing is for certain: If we never stop arguing and stay on our own “side” and never figure this out together, we never will.
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COMMENTARY | THE BELTWAY BEAT
Elections have passed, but show goes on BY JEFF POOR/COLUMNIST/JEFFREYPOOR@GMAIL.COM
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ow that Election Day has come and gone, we can forget about elections for a while. No more mailers cluttering up your mailbox. No more random weird robocalls or push polls. We can go back to mindless Dr. Pepper commercials instead of campaign attack ads during football games. And maybe, just maybe, things will cool off to the point that politics isn’t such a central focus in our lives. That’s probably not only your hope, but it’s the hope of some who will be serving in the Alabama Legislature next year. They may want you to forget about elections altogether until the time is right. As the Legislature is about to embark on a new quadrennium, many of the members of Alabama’s House and Senate will be forced to take some uncomfortable positions and votes in next year’s legislative session. The smart money says Alabamians will see the Legislature raise the gas tax. With all this wealth, prosperity and opportunity that has come down south, we’re going to have to be able to get there. As of right now, the state’s road and bridge situation leaves much to be desired. Traffic jams have become the norm in Mobile, Montgomery, Birmingham and Huntsville. It’s a top complaint, and they want something to do be done, but that’s going to require financing. A lot of that financing will come from the federal government. As is often the case with federal funding, there are matching requirements most believe will result in a gas tax hike. All these legislators who ran as uber-conservatives
or as Donald Trump 2.0? It appears they’re going to be forced to raise at least one tax right at the start. This certainly will not be popular among Alabamians. Who wants to pay more at the gas pump? But by the time the next statewide election comes around in 2022, the hope is the 2019 legislative session will be a distant memory. Perhaps the most talked about state issue during the 2018 election cycle was a lottery. Now that even Mississippi, our neighbors with various forms of gambling at casinos spread around the state, has a lottery, most think it is about time for Alabama to have a lottery of its own. The Legislature itself won’t decide if the state of Alabama will have a lottery. But they will determine if it should be put up for a vote of the people. That’s the bigpicture part of the lottery issue. The small-picture stuff regarding the lottery is where the real fight will be next year. What will the money generated by this lottery fund? What kind of lottery will it be? With this type of gambling legal in Alabama, will it mean the Poarch Creek Indians can expand their gaming operations at their casinos in Atmore, Wetumpka and Montgomery? It’s highly unlikely we’ll have a repeat of 1999, when a lottery was perceived to be a threat to the casino business operated by the Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians. According to disgraced lobbyist Jack Abramoff, money poured into Alabama from Mississippi to defeat the lottery referendum nearly 20 years ago. Although Alabama seems to be plagued by a seem-
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ingly unending string of elections, this time around with a lottery referendum, it might not be as intrusive. The moral arguments against gambling seem moot to many given you can drive to any of the states bordering Alabama and participate in some kind of legalized gambling. Our culture has also changed over the past two decades. For some, they will probably go vote to approve a lottery so we can stop talking about it every election. The gas tax and the lottery will likely garner the most headlines. But there might be a push for some other less popular things during the 2019 legislative session. During this election cycle, as the Democratic gubernatorial nominee Tuscaloosa Mayor Walt Maddox ran with Medicaid expansion as a key plank in his campaign platform. Republicans have dismissed this proposal as unaffordable. They acknowledge a huge lump sum of federal money would come into the state initially, and that might shore up the situation with rural hospital closures in Alabama. But it comes with a price tag later that is a step too far for GOP lawmakers. However, some lame duck and out-of-office Republicans have recently come out in favor of biting the bullet and expanding Medicaid. Outgoing Clay County Sen. Gerald Dial was the big name to come forward. It’s not clear the leadership in either chamber of the State House will allow such a proposal to see the light of day. That doesn’t mean we won’t be at least talking about it in a few months. Last but not least, let us not forget that the Alabama Education Association still exists and is trying to re-emerge as a relevant force in Alabama politics. One of its targets is the Alabama Accountability Act (AAA) passed earlier this decade. Recently, it has been under fire from local school boards, including Baldwin County’s School Board and the Montgomery County Public School Board, both of which have passed resolutions calling for its repeal. The law gives parents the option of transferring students from schools deemed “failing” by the state. That is apparently problematic for some local school boards. In theory, at least, the AAA remains popular. Most people think a little competition within systems with struggling schools is a good thing. Otherwise, there is no incentive to improve “failing” schools. Electoral politics will be on hiatus, but the annual circus will be underway in Montgomery before we know it. The problem is if you don’t like what happens in this “circus,” there won’t be much you can do about it until the electoral politics start back up again.
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BUSINESS | THE REAL DEAL
Baldwin County tech incubator opens in Fairhope BY RON SIVAK/COLUMNIST/BUSINESS@LAGNIAPPEMOBILE.COM
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he city of Fairhope, the Baldwin Community and Economic Development Foundation and The University of Alabama (UA) recently announced the opening of Hatch, a downtown business resource incubator and tech hub aimed at providing guidance and linkages to statewide resources for local entrepreneurs in the early stages of forming a startup company. The new center held a grand opening in Fairhope last Friday, Nov. 2. “Since Fairhope’s beginning, the city has attracted entrepreneurs and independent thinkers,” Fairhope Mayor Karin Wilson said. “Many cities spend considerable effort to develop ‘think tanks.’ We believe that Fairhope is the perfect place to launch Hatch and we are excited to support and partner with The University of Alabama and the Baldwin County Economic Development Alliance on this initiative.”a Hatch was created to assist in helping Baldwin County foster an entrepreneurial culture, develop a resource ecosystem and connect UA resources with emerging tech companies across the state. As part of Technology Villages, a program that assists communities in constructing and operating these storefront incubators to encourage growth of local technology-based businesses, Hatch has developed a list of program services for the entrepreneurial community. Technology Villages is based on a five-year pilot conducted in five South Carolina cities by Clemson University under its Institute of Community and Economic Development. Programs in Bluffton and Rock Hill created an estimated 12 to 14 companies in the first 18 months and close to 70 new jobs, with an estimated payroll of $2.8 million. The program’s structure is unique, operating as both
a traditional incubator and a startup resource hub where entrepreneurs receive real-time distance entrepreneurial learning with hands-on consulting support. The program will link Fairhope and Baldwin County to intellectual property resources, seed financing and corporate partnering relationships. Hatch has undergone renovations for the past several months to create a coworking space on the second floor of the BBVA Compass building on Section Street in downtown Fairhope. Program services include risk evaluation and development, technology review, market and technology sector database access, high-speed internet and workspace opportunities, operations and business planning, networking, corporate partnering (marketing, research, manufacturing) and funding resources. “I’m excited about the university’s strategic partnerships with Fairhope,” UA President Stuart R. Bell said. “One of our primary goals as Alabama’s flagship is to increase activities that drive economic development for our state. As we reach out to emerging tech businesses in these areas, we look forward to helping small businesses thrive and bolster their local economies.” “Growing entrepreneurial companies has always been part of our strategy and Hatch now provides the place and hub to implement and deliver on that strategy,” Lee Lawson, president and CEO of the Baldwin County Economic Development Alliance, said. “Hatch will be viable because of its channeled focus and partnership with UA. It is particularly important for a region that doesn’t have a heavy economic development footprint from a fouryear university.”
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Wilkins Miller named ‘Top 400’ firm
Wilkins Miller, LLC, a locally owned accounting and advisory firm with offices in Mobile and Fairhope, has been named a “Top 400 Firm” by Inside Public Accounting (IPA). Wilkins Miller came in at the 338th spot and was one of five Alabama firms named to the list, according to a news release. “We are proud to be included with these fine firms as a Top 400 firm in the country,” Wilkins Miller managing partner Allen Carroll said. “Our firm has a great group of people that are committed to helping our clients succeed. We are excited to be recognized nationally.” This ranking was developed by gathering information from more than 550 firms completing IPA’s Survey and Analysis of Firms. Many professional associations also aided in the search for firms to add to the list, which IPA plans to publish annually. For the most recent fiscal year, IPA Top 400 firms range in size from $4.55 million to $9.9 million, and from 20 to 80 in staff. The firms employ more than 4,000, in total, across the nation. More than 50 years old, Wilkins Miller specializes in the accounting areas of auditing, tax, litigation, valuation, cost segregation, outsourced accounting and information technology consulting. The firm is located at 41 W. Interstate 65 Service Road, N., Suite 400, in Mobile and 56 S. Section St. in Fairhope. More information about the firm can be found on its website.
Gov. Ivey honored at BCA event
Business Council of Alabama Chairman Perry Hand, president and CEO of Mobile-based engineering firm Volkert Inc., recently presented Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey with BCA’s Chairman’s Award for her support of pro-business initiatives throughout her career. The ceremony took place at the BCA Chairman’s Dinner at the Sheraton Birmingham Hotel Ballroom, where it is held each year to support BCA’s political action committee, ProgressPAC. Hand said in a prepared statement that since Ivey took office, more than $8 billion has been invested toward business growth in Alabama, resulting in 16,000 jobs. The most recent figures on Alabama unemployment rates corresponding with Ivey’s first term in office, Hand said, are currently at their lowest recorded levels in state history. “Gov. Ivey’s support of a thriving business climate has been key to landing coveted economic projects, including the new Toyota-Mazda plant and its 4,000 anticipated jobs to north Alabama,” Hand said. “Gov. Ivey supports a business environment which grows tech companies and she continues to be a strong recruiter of companies in the automotive, aviation, and aerospace sectors.” “I’ve had a lot of help from many folks in this room throughout my career. I’m truly thankful,” Gov. Ivey said at the dinner. The BCA Chairman’s Award is given to a recipient of the BCA chairman’s choice during the closing months of his or her tenure as the volunteer leader of the statewide business advocacy organization.
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CUISINE | THE DISH
I fall for you, November BY ANDY MACDONALD/CUISINE EDITOR | FATMANSQUEEZE@COMCAST.NET
Photo | Deposit Photos
November brings fall cuisine staples such as gourds, orange, pears, root vegetables, warming spices — and a recipe for roasted squash soup with Gulf shrimp.
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othing beats a porch full of rotting jack-o’lanterns. I properly disposed of them along with all of the nasty candy corn, and made certain the apples hadn’t been contaminated with razor blades. That’s not to say I don’t love Halloween, it’s just that I love November more. The sun recedes a bit, the grey skies sling a touch of moisture our way and here in Mobile, the people are treated to their first real bit of cold. Yes, here it is a treat. It’s worth the nine months of hot weather just to be rewarded with something cool enough for a sweater. You most likely won’t even have to wash your church clothes this month until you’ve worn them a half-dozen times, provided you mind your manners at that Sunday buffet. This is the month food changes for me. Pears and oranges take a front seat right next to apples. My usual turnips (roots and greens) start to show up on the home menu with other root vegetables, while cinnamon and nutmeg find their way into as many dishes as possible (not just the sweet ones). Bottles of
rosé and margaritas magically transform into pinot noir and neat bourbon, respectively. And with Thankstaking and Thanksgiving fast approaching we gear up for what is for me the happiest and probably busiest time of the year. Thanksgiving never really leaves my mind. As a food editor I believe it is the most important day of the year, and you wouldn’t have to dig deep to find my love for this blessed day as a child played a big part in leading me to this line of work. However it isn’t just Turkey Day itself. From Nov. 1 until that single Thursday, the excitement ramps up. I thought about inventing a Thanksgiving advent calendar, but of course a quick internet search shows it already exists. One more missed opportunity. Forgive my usual annual gushing about Thanksgiving. Bear with me. I have to get it out of my system like all of the other cooking magazines and online columns. Today I am feeling like cooking something that is a little bit fall and a little bit Mobile. A hot roasted squash soup with Gulf shrimp is how I am kicking off my favorite month. It’s savory and sweet — but if too sweet, be sure to be generous with the hot sauce.
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Roasted Squash Soup with Gulf Shrimp • 1 butternut squash, halved, seeded and sliced crossways into inch-thick pieces • 1 tablespoon olive oil • ¼ cup butter • ½ pound shrimp, peeled and deveined • Creole seasoning • 1 cup white onion diced • Coarse salt • Fresh ground black pepper • 1 quart low-sodium chicken broth • 2 bay leaves • 2 sprigs of thyme • 1 teaspoon curry powder • ½ cup sour cream • Green onions for garnish Preheat the oven to 400 F. Toss the squash in olive oil and a pinch of salt, then roasting them until tender. This may take 30-45 minutes. Don’t be afraid to brown them a bit. The skin will peel off easily. In a large Dutch oven melt half the butter over medium heat. Season the shrimp with the Creole seasoning and cook just until done. Remove shrimp and cover them until needed. Melt the rest of the butter on medium-high and add the onion. Once the onion becomes tender, add the peeled squash, bay leaves and thyme to the pot, stirring for about another minute. Season with a couple turns of black pepper, add the curry powder and the chicken broth. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat. Cover and simmer for 10 minutes. Remove the thyme and bay leaves. I have a Vitamix that is my favorite blender and handles hot liquids well. Many of you may want to blend this in batches but be careful. Make sure your blender can handle the heat. However, I keep the Vitamix on retainer for smoothies and the like. For soups I prefer using the immersion blender. I’ve had the same one for 20 years and it’s going strong. You may want to keep it a little chunky but I went for smooth right there in the pot and stirred in the sour cream. Add the shrimp at the end, just enough to reheat but not to overcook. Serve hot and garnish with green onions. Hot sauce for this soup can be tricky. Your best bet is to avoid one with too much vinegar. It may be time to break out the Sriracha. It’s good. It’s really good. If you crave it on one of those warmer November days then simply put the air conditioner on penguin mode and bundle up. It’s a fall flavor for sure. Options are to lose the curry and find a place for ground cloves, cinnamon or nutmeg. I am certainly a “drink what you want when you want” guy, but I am trying to be more pairing sensitive. The earthy roasted squash flavor invites a dirty Oregon pinot noir while the shrimp ask for maybe a chenin blanc. You might be able to get by with a rosé, although you’d better do this before Thanksgiving. The wine police think rosé after Black Friday is worse than white pants after Labor Day. To be on the safe side, I just don’t wear white and drink enough rosé to not care. Find your way through this recipe or supplement the squash with roasted root veggies to celebrate the earth tones. No matter how it turns out you can blame me for it. I’ll be your Fall Guy.
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CUISINE | THE BEER PROFESSOR
Green Drinks for environmentally aware beer aficionados BY TOM WARD/THE BEER PROFESSOR
Photo | Facebook
Commissioner Chris Blankenship of the Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources speaks to attendees of Mobile Bay Green Drinks in Fairhope in August. The group meets once per month in Fairhope and Mobile to discuss environmental issues.
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espite what they sound like, Green Drinks have nothing at all to do with St. Patrick’s Day, but are monthly events held in Fairhope at the Fairhope Brewing Co. and in Mobile at Alchemy Tavern, for people interested in the environment to meet and discuss (usually local) issues over drinks. They are informal, free events, open to anyone. Green Drinks is an international organization that started in London in 1989. The concept was introduced in our area by Elizabeth Tonsmeire in 2010. After attending a Green Drinks meeting in Portland, Oregon, Tonsmeire founded Mobile Bay Green Drinks. Initially, meetings were held sporadically at various locations in Mobile and along the Eastern Shore, until November 2013
WORD OF MOUTH
World Food Championships hit The Wharf BY ANDY MACDONALD The 2108 World Food Championships take over The Wharf in Orange Beach Nov. 7-11. Highlighting some of the most iconic cuisine from around the world, this competition — formerly held in Las Vegas — has called the Alabama Coast its home for the past couple of years. It’s a fierce battle as chefs who spent the past year qualifying are now meeting in our fair state to see who will be victorious in nine key categories of competition. Barbecue, chili, sandwich, burger, dessert, bacon, seafood, steak and chicken are the heavily contested events, with a purse totaling $300,000! Once the champions of each category are crowned they will meet at the
when they found a permanent home at Fairhope Brewing with the aid of brewery owner Michelle Kane. Held 5-7 p.m. on the second Tuesday of every month, Green Drinks Fairhope usually features a speaker as well as a number of local vendors, including Sunflower Café, which provides its delicious spinach artichoke dip; the End of the Road Farm, which features organically grown farm products; and the NO Soap Company, selling its all-natural handmade soaps. Representatives from local organizations concerned with the environment, including the Alabama Coastal Foundation, Mobile Baykeeper, Five Rivers Delta Center and Natural Awakenings Magazine are also usually on hand to discuss their programs and give announcements.
Final Table for the ultimate bragging rights and a pile of cash. Tickets for this event cost only $10 per day and a weekend pass will run you $25. Expect tons of foodie activities, celebrity chef demos and complimentary refreshments, and you’ll get a taste of the turn-in samples. The events are far too numerous to name in these pages, but be sure to follow them on social media and check out worldfoodchampionships.com for ticketing and general information.
Art Soup 2018 at Azalea Manor
It’s a fun-filled evening of music, art and soup! The 2018 Art Soup event will be held Friday, Nov. 16, at Azalea Manor, 751 Dauphin St., from 6-9 p.m. Local artists craft soup bowls for the events and local
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And, of course, there’s beer. If you haven’t been to Fairhope Brewing in a while, there are a number of new styles on tap with a host of others set to debut or return in coming weeks. My new favorite is the Air Boss Johnson, a mango gose sour ale from the brewery’s Top Gun line. If you don’t think you like sours, give this one a try anyway, as it is not too sour and has a hint of sweetness at the end. At 4 percent alcohol by volume it shows you don’t have to be overpowering to be tasty. Another Top Gun offering, the Wolfman raspberry rhubarb sour, is coming out soon, as is a Sweet Potato Porter and, now that summer is over, the Bayway IPA. For those who love IPAs, on Sunday, Nov. 11, Fairhope Brewing will host its IPA Day, with at least seven IPAs on tap and live music. In 2014, Mobile Bay Green Drinks added a second regular meeting at Alchemy Tavern in downtown Mobile, held every third Wednesday of the month from 5-7 p.m. Like its predecessor across the bay, Green Drinks Mobile features speakers at most meetings and announcements from local environmental groups. Past speakers have included Mayor Sandy Stimpson, Mobile Baykeeper Director Casi Callaway and Mike Reynolds of the Share the Beach Sea Turtle Conservation program. Alchemy is, if you’ve never been there, a beer lover’s dream, with at least 20 beers on tap from local, national and international brewers. The selection rotates regularly so there’s always something new to try. Green Drinks will be held in Fairhope this month on Tuesday, Nov. 13. The speaker will be Elizabeth Hammock, who is opening The Mill (formerly Windmill Market), in downtown Fairhope. Because of Thanksgiving, there will not be a Green Drinks held in Mobile this month, but it will return Dec.19 for its annual holiday potluck meeting. The December meeting in Fairhope will feature its annual green gift market. For more information on Mobile Bay Green Drinks and to be informed of upcoming speakers and events, check out the group’s facebook page If you are looking for another way to support our local environment and have some good drinks as well, the Alabama Coastal Foundation will be hosting its annual “Cocktails for the Coast” Thursday, Nov. 9, 4.30-6.30 p.m. at the Grand Hotel in Point Clear. This event will celebrate the foundation’s 25th year improving and protecting Alabama’s coastal environment, and will feature fresh oysters from the Mobile Oyster Co., local beer from Fairhope Brewing and a magnificent sunset over Mobile Bay. For tickets, visit joinacf.org.
restaurants provide the soup. Live music from Swing will keep you on the dance floor and you will enjoy beer, wine and soft drinks as well as dessert and coffee. This is the annual fundraiser for Loaves and Fish Community Ministry Inc., a nonprofit corporation committed to serving the needs of the homeless in Mobile since 1979. Tickets cost $25 and proceeds go directly to Penelope House, Ransom Ministries, Family Promise, McKemie Place and the USA Student-Run Free Clinic. Check out artsoupmobile.org for more information. This is a Brown Paper Ticket event.
Christmas Jubilee coming to Convention Center
I can’t believe the word “Christmas” is in my column today, but it is time for the
Junior League of Mobile’s annual Christmas Jubilee at the Mobile Convention Center Nov. 15-17. If you can’t wait until that Thursday, then maybe you should try the “Peek and Purchase” on Nov. 14 from 6-9 p.m., a 21-and-up event. The rest of the days offer other options such as VIP shopping, Girls’ Night Out and Santa’s Breakfast as well as the general admission tickets ($10 in advance, $12 at the door). Depending on which event you choose there are usually healthy servings of beer, wine and appetizers, at the very least. These ladies make a positive impact on our community and also know how to have a good time. See all of the ticket options at juniorleaguemobile.org. Recycle!
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COVER STORY
Downtown attacks raise questions about homelessness, security JASON JOHNSON/REPORTER
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Illustration | Laura Mattei
ecurity cameras at the public library in downately impacted. That is especially true in certain public town Mobile caught a terrifying midday scene on spaces, including the Ben May Main Branch of the Oct. 25 — a mother dragging her toddler behind Mobile Public Library. as she ran to escape an attacker unknown to her. Like libraries in most every city, the facility on The footage shows a man chasing the family with a Government Street is often a destination for some homemetal pole used to direct foot traffic inside the library. less individuals. A short walk to the Waterfront Rescue Just as the family makes it down the stairs of the main Mission and a Salvation Army Shelter, the library is, for entrance and off-screen, the assailant can be seen hurling many homeless visitors, the only place they can pass the the pole into the air behind them. time most days. According to the Mobile Police Department, that man “As a public library, it is our mission to be open was 28-year-old Mujahid Assad, who was arrested by for all citizens. So, any individual who comes into the MPD officers less than three minutes after the incident. library is welcome, as long as they obey the library poliHe now faces charges for assault and criminal mischief, cies,” Director Scott Kinney said. “There are people who though police said neither victim was seriously injured. utilize the facility that are homeless, but the regulars, “We believe the man arrested may be suffering from a who we know are actually homeless, generally know the mental illness,” MPD spokesperson Charlette Solis said. rules of the library and abide by them.” “We have asked that he be evaluated.” Kinney noted homeless visitors frequent all nine MoThe Assad incident happened less than five months bile Public Library branches throughout the county, but after a young woman was brutally attacked and allegedly said it’s not uncommon for staff members at most public sexually assaulted less than a mile away. The suspect in libraries in the U.S. to work with their local homeless that incident, 44-year-old Douglas Dunson, also suffers populations. It’s a “perennial topic of concern at librarfrom a long, documented history of mental illness. ies” across the county, according to the American Library Both accused assailants had been recently homeless Association. at the time of those attacks, which has raised questions An average of 1.2 million people patronize Mobile’s about the homeless population in downtown — an area library system each year; Kinney said only a small perAFTER DUNSON’S the city of Mobile has continued to bill as an entertaincentage are homeless or otherwise disenfranchised. And ment destination for residents and touristsARREST alike. whileDOWN“saddened” by the recent attack reported at the FOR THE While the latest data shows slight decreases in the main branch, he said violence is very uncommon. TOWNhasASSAULT For IN the JUNE, overall homeless population, the recent violence most part, it is also rare in the broader downmade addressing the issue a greater priorityCONCERN for city of- WAS town community, RAISED but when an incident does occur in ficials. This week, Mobile Mayor Sandy Stimpson said those heavily trafficked areas the perception can be as he knows more needs to be done in this area. much of a concern for city leaders as the reality. ABOUT HIS FREQUENT, “We can do better,” Stimpson said. “We realize we’ve “As a department, we think about downtown a lot,” ALBEIT BRIEF, PRIOR got to do better.” MPD Chief Lawrence Battiste said. “While we don’t police we do police vagrancy. Those indiTRIPS TO METRO homelessness, JAIL. viduals that are panhandling or causing distress to people ‘We don’t police homelessness’ visiting the downtown area, if they’re committing violaThe number of homeless in Mobile decreased from tions to city ordinances or state statutes, we’re certainly 2017 to 2018, according to the annual “point-in-time” going to take them into custody.” count conducted by the nonprofit Housing First each Battise said MPD has made “a number of arrests” January. The count helps evaluate gaps in services, in the downtown area in 2018, and specifically noted guides efforts to end homelessness and provides essential the department made “26 arrests in June for individuals data required when applying for grants. panhandling, being disorderly or committing assaults on In 2017 the number of homeless in the greater Mobile other individuals” across the city. area totaled 606. Of those, 486 were in the city, 80 were However, it can be difficult to determine how many in the county and 40 were in Baldwin County. In 2018, incidents are actually committed by homeless perpetraHousing First reported 551 homeless persons overall tors. For one, the residency of many caught in the crimi— 452 in the city, 78 in the county and 21 across the bay. nal justice system is often subject to change. Secondly, Homelessness is an issue in most areas of the city, when it comes to crime statistics and data collection, though panhandling and loitering are more common MPD doesn’t specifically note the housing status of all of downtown, which can make the area seem disproportionits detainees.
When asked about any data on the subject, Solis said the department was only able to provide information on offenses more commonly committed by persons living on the streets — including loitering, prowling, vagrancy, begging or panhandling and “wandering abroad.” According to MPD’s data, those arrests (around 42 so far in 2018) are few and far between. They also exclude other crimes committed by those considered to be homeless, including violent offenses similar to those Dunson and Assad were accused of in June and October, respectively. Still, it would be hard to argue that homelessness is a driving force behind crime locally. A Lagniappe review of jail records indicates several people arrested over the past month were listed as “homeless,” but they accounted for just 2.6 percent of the 1,972 people processed for crimes. Between Oct. 1 and Nov. 5 of this year, Mobile Metro Jail Records indicate at least 53 homeless persons were arrested on charges ranging from public intoxication to murder, with the vast majority occurring in Mobile. Nearly half of those suspects are still in police custody, though others were arrested and released multiple times during that five-week window. The majority of the arrests stemmed from reports of such lesser offenses as drinking in public, loitering and trespassing, though there was also a handful of violent offenses including assault, arson, sexual abuse, discharging a weapon in an occupied area, murder and attempted murder.
COVER STORY Myles Amari Caples, 18, is one of two suspects in the shooting that left city employee Justin Mooney dead on Raven Drive in October. Wesley Brooks was arrested for arson after police say he intentionally set a fire at an apartment on Dickens Ferry Road. Cecil Jackson Jr. faces charges for assault and sexual abuse after a woman police say he knew accused him of sexually assaulting her behind the First Baptist Church in Tillman’s Corner. All three said they were homeless when being booked at Metro Jail. All three are still in custody there as well.
adviser to the city, had been working to address the problem for months before the new magistrate office opened Oct. 22, but noted some of the recent high-profile cases may have helped hasten those efforts. “We knew we had to do a better job getting magistrates available to the officers so they could fulfill their legal requirements,” he said. “I wouldn’t say Dunson caused that, but that incident definitely highlighted the fact that we’d better get it done.”
“If you see something, sign something.”
In recent years, the city has made efforts to create more affordable housing options, but Ron Andress, interim CEO of Housing First, said the shortage in Mobile has continued to exacerbate homelessness. Andress also said there’s been a lack of local financial support for direct services to the homeless, noting that “most of the support that comes to house the homeless comes from federal money.” Earlier this year, the Mobile City Council also approved a slew of grant funds for various homelessness prevention efforts. The lion’s share of the $166,609 in funding went to help prop up the Salvation Army’s Safe Haven shelter for women
After Dunson’s arrest for the downtown assault in June, concern was raised about his frequent, albeit brief, prior trips to Metro Jail. He’d been arrested seven times since January and had been in police custody less than 48 hours prior to his alleged attack. While there were a number of reasons for his discharges, Dunson appeared to have been released from jail after a series of indecent exposure charges leading up to the assault because timely warrants were not signed with Mobile’s magistrate judges — a system the city has since taken steps to improve. Magistrates oversee the adjudication of smaller municipal offenses including misdemeanor crimes and traffic violations. Witnesses to those types of crimes, whether a police officer or a member of the public, must sign a warrant against the offender before a magistrate in order for charges to move forward. If victims can’t or don’t, police will release the suspect in most cases. On the other hand, felony arrests only require probable cause for an officer to take someone into custody. According to Battiste, though, not everyone who witnesses a relatively harmless minor offense like drinking in public or disorderly conduct wants to take the time, and in some cases travel, to sign a warrant. “We’ve had some issues with the magistrate office, one of which is not having enough magistrate judges, but we’ve worked to improve that process so the public will not be so inconveineed,” Battiste said. “That’s the biggest hurdle to getting people to come sign warrants because they’ve got to alter their day, which can take an hour, or in some cases, maybe even three hours. Sometimes that experience can be such a negative one that they tend to turn a blind eye the next time.” While police tell residents “if you see something say something,” Battiste said he’d encourage witnesses of crime to “sign something” as well. However, after a magistrate office in Government Plaza closed earlier this year, it meant the only available offices were at two MPD precincts, on St. Stephen’s Road and Highway 90 in Tillman’s Corner. At times, only one of those may be open. Public Safety Director James Barber has said it is sometimes a challenge for some officers to get warrants signed at certain points during the day and on holidays, even though they are are processed ahead of citizens at magistrate offices so they can return to duty more quickly. To address these issues, the city added a third magistrate office last month at Metro Jail, which Barber said has allowed officers who witness an offense to sign a warrant against the suspect while they’re being booked and added a 24-hour magistrate location for residents closer to downtown. He said retired Circuit Judge Charles Graddick, a judicial
Serving the homeless
SECURITY CAMERAS AT THE PUBLIC LIBRARY IN DOWNTOWN MOBILE CAUGHT A TERRIFYING MIDDAY SCENE ON OCT. 25 — A MOTHER DRAGGING HER TODDLER BEHIND AS SHE RAN TO ESCAPE AN ATTACKER UNKNOWN TO HER.” and children, but recent efforts to set aside more money to address homeless directly have failed. Councilman Levon Manzie, whose district includes the downtown area, said he regularly receives complaints about the homeless in the Down the Bay and Church Street East neighborhoods. He agrees more needs to be done locally to support nonprofits serving the homeless. Manzie floated the idea of awarding a $100,000 performance contract to Housing First in 2017 but it failed to find adequate support on the council and was never officially introduced. Even with some support from the city, the need for services for the homeless has increased in recent years. While there are still a number of shelters and services for the homeless in Mobile, some of those were lost in 2017 after 15 Place, which is operated by Housing First, moved to limit or end some of its ancillary services. The Waterfront Rescue Mission downtown has 110 beds for program clients and overnight guests, but only provides meals to guests in its overnight shelter or to men in one of its work-
force training programs. The Salvation Army shelter on Dauphin Street isn’t staffed to be a day shelter, and its 28 beds are only open after 3 p.m. Residents have to leave each morning. Others, including McKemie Place and the Safe Haven shelter, are only open to single women or women and their children. Despite the challenges, a patchwork of organizations and agencies continue to look for ways to address the broader problem of homelessness in Mobile and serve those who find themselves without a place to stay because of mental illness, substance abuse or financial hardship. Oftentimes those factors overlap. AltaPointe Health Systems Inc. works directly with homeless shelters and in local jails to identify and offer treatment to those in need of mental health or substance abuse services. “We recognize the homeless population is part of our continuum of care, and because of that we’ve reached out over the years and now have access to many, many apartments and housing options for people who are truly homeless,” CEO Tuerk Schlesinger said. “We actually have offices in some shelters because it’s our job to make sure we can give people the resources they need to escape homelessness.” According to Kinney, the public library also offers a number of services to its homeless visitors. In addition to providing assistance with digital literacy and online job applications, Mobile Public Library also provides connections to other services such as mental health treatment and temporary housing. In fact, the main branch library hosted a homeless information fair earlier this week, bringing nearly a dozen service providers together in a central location. He said the staff is also trained to work with the homeless. “We try to help people find housing or get back to work, and we do have some success stories,” Kinney said. “Obviously, they do all the work, but we’re a conduit to information for them. I wish we could help everyone, and that everyone wanted our help, but we do our best to help.” Another local resource for the homeless is the Dumas Wesley Center, which helps families with transitional housing. Executive Director Kate Carver said the center is able to house families in apartments for extended periods of time through its transitional housing and sober living programs. Those typically run for two years, which Carver said is a good amount of time for families facing homelessness to “get their footing.” She said acceptance into those programs can have life-altering effects on struggling families. “For me, it’s why I do what I do,” Carver added. Many of the families accepted into the program do eventually “find their footing,” according to Carver. In fact, the center has an 89 percent success rate, which is determined by the number of families who find permanent housing for at least six months or see an increase in income or employment. Yet, the center — like other local agencies serving the homeless — still has a long way to go to end homelessness in the greater Mobile area. Carver said Dumas Wesley still fields an average of 200 local “crisis calls” each month from families who are either homeless or on the brink of homelessness. “That’s pretty steep,” she said. “It tells me there’s still a great need.” Dale Liesch contributed to this report.
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ART ARTIFICE
Company 11 opens racy, riotous comedy BY KEVIN LEE/ARTS EDITOR/KLEE@LAGNIAPPEMOBILE.COM
Y
ou need fresh ingredients to whip up a delicious quiche, especially when it’s served with a dollop of self-effacing satire. Luckily for Mobilians, local theatrical troupe Company 11 is bringing enough to feed everyone. Comedic appetites can be sated when Company 11 stages “Five Lesbians Eating a Quiche” at Bellingrath Hall at Central Presbyterian (1260 Dauphin St.) through midNovember. The finale of Company 11’s inaugural season finds them migrating up the block to fresh confines from their previously cozy digs. “We’re setting up this new space for 90 but we think we can get an audience as big as 250 in there if we need it,” director Chris Hill said. Hill was the Company 11 board member who spotted the comedy while searching for shows. Obviously, the title grabbed him. He surfed across clips, read raves and was hooked. Hill found an omen in his research as well. “Rachel Farmer is a Mobile native and she was in the original touring cast. I had never heard about it or seen it. I don’t know that it’s ever been done around this area,” Hill said. The setting is 1956 as the Susan B. Anthony Society for the Sisters of Gertrude Stein have their annual quiche breakfast. The cast — Beth Bydalek, Lisa Costa, Victoria Johnson, Tania Radoslovich and Jamie Yerby — compose the judging committee. The rest of the sisterhood is played
Learning Lunch looks at ‘Bama’s high court justice
by the audience itself. “As soon as people enter the door, the actors will be working the box office, concessions with other volunteers,” Hill said. “Audience members will get a nametag with a woman’s name so everybody has to kind of fit in and be part of the sisterhood with the actors on stage.” That includes hearing onstage chit-chat about some of the audience members — who is liked, who is on someone’s bad side. One far-flung review suggested the experience is especially fun with a couple of drinks in you. Mobilians? Have a drink? The trick might be getting locals to stop at a couple. “It’s done in a thrust stage on the floor so it’s very much in your face and no fourth wall at all. Everybody is met right with the action from the time they enter the door,” Hill said, chuckling. As dialogue continues, it turns out there are an inordinate number of war widows in the sisterhood. That’s the explanation for the dearth of husbands, anyway. Despite their celebration of “the power of the egg,” the Cold War rages. Eventually, the neuroses of the era loom and in their atomic panic our hunches about the lack of male companionship are confirmed. The two-act, 90-minute show starts out campy, then goes zany and by the end is in some pretty racy territory. It never lets up on the laughs. Company 11 has moved into a building affiliated with a church but maintain their initial aim toward provocative
THE TWO-ACT, 90-MINUTE SHOW STARTS OUT CAMPY, THEN GOES ZANY AND BY THE END IS IN SOME PRETTY RACY TERRITORY. IT NEVER LETS UP ON THE LAUGHS.” “[Being director] is different whenever you get all the ideas and people are helping to support to make your ideas happen. It’s been a little freeing,” Hill said. He hints at other Company 11 changes. Shows will only be announced six months in advance, an effort to keep subjects and selection as topically relevant as possible. “We want the freedom to present art when it needs to be seen,” Hill said. However, the sisterhood takes precedence. Get these eggs hatched first. “With this one, I’m surrounded by a really good team of folks helping keep things organized. It’s been a really great process and the girls have been ready to face an audience for weeks now,” Hill said.
along with the free address. For more information, call 251-208-7569 or go to historymuseumofmobile.com.
JJP stages peak Shakespeare tragedy
Of Shakespeare’s most notable tragedies, “Othello” stands apart. While the action takes place in political surroundings, it doesn’t involve battles for the crown or murder among royals as much as the pitfalls of personal relationships and insecurities. The titular Moorish soldier takes a Venetian native, Desdemona, as his wife. An envious and scheming aide exploits Othello’s character flaw and combines it with cultural racism. Bloody havoc ensues. Joe Jefferson Players (11 S. Carlen St.) present this consummate work Nov. 9-18. Friday and Saturday curtain is 7:30 p.m. Sunday matinee is 2 p.m. Tickets range from $10 to $20. For more information, call 251-471-1534 or go to joejeffersonplayers.com.
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Fairhope auditions for Southern drama
Tennessee Williams’ “A Streetcar Named Desire” is not only a touchstone of 20th century stage and screen but also awash in the hallmarks of Southern Gothic themes and style. The sultry and turbulent drama set in the working class quarters of New Orleans is steeped in the class struggle, passion and mental illness that were staples of the genre. Fairhope’s Theatre 98 (350 Morphy Ave.) will hold auditions Nov. 12 and 13 at 7 p.m. for their production of the Williams work. Timothy Guy will direct when it is staged Feb 1-17, 2019. They are seeking males aged 18-65 and females aged 25-70. Several small cameo roles are available and all experience levels are welcome. Audition will be open with cold readings from the script. For more information, call 251-928-4366 or go to theatre98.org.
ARTSGALLERY
Even though an Alabamian currently serves as U.S. attorney general, a Yellowhammer State native ascended to an even higher position in the legal realm. Hugo Black was Ashland’s most famous son when he served in the U.S. Senate from 1927-37 but his service as associate justice of the U.S. Supreme Court put him in exalted company. On the court from 1937-71, Black ruled on some of the biggest landmark cases in the nation’s history. The internment of Japanese-Americans, rights to privacy, due process, voting rights, school desegregation and civil rights infringements were topics of his term on the bench. Emory University’s Steve Suitts wrote a biography of Black that earned him the Georgia Author of the Year award. He will be at the History Museum of Mobile (111 S. Royal St.) for its Nov. 14 Learning Lunch at noon. Attendees are invited to bring a lunch and enjoy complimentary beverages
fare is unswayed. They were honest with the property owners. “Unapologetically progressive, edgy, uncensored theater and art is still our central purpose,” Hill said. “Our thing is we just want to get people thinking and talking and so we can do that anywhere, especially around people who might disagree with us.” The show runs Nov. 8-17. Curtain is at 8 p.m. on Nov. 8, 9, 15, 16 and 17. Nov. 10 has a 2 p.m. curtain. Tickets cost $15, $12 for seniors and students. It’s an apt directorial debut for Hill. A longtime veteran of Mobile theater, he’s worked backstage at various theaters, done stage management, costumes and set design and served on the Mobile Theatre Guild board. Apropos of this recent development, he took a turn on the boards as one of the drag queens in the South of the Salt Line production, “Ambushed by the Tea Party.”
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MUSIC
BY STEPHEN CENTANNI/MUSIC EDITOR/SCENTANNI@LAGNIAPPEMOBILE.COM
FEATURE
Billy Strings’ ‘Turmoil and Tinfoil’ bluegrass BAND: BILLY STRINGS DATE: SUNDAY, NOV. 11, WITH DOORS AT 7:30 P.M. VENUE: SOUL KITCHEN, 219 DAUPHIN ST., WWW.SOULKITCHENMOBILE.COM TICKETS: $10 IN ADVANCE/$13 DAY OF SHOW, AVAILABLE THROUGH VENUE WEBSITE OR 1-866-777-8932
S
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Photo | Facebook
ince emerging from Appalachia, it more as a natural artistic movement from his early bluegrass has remained a staple of musical influences. Americana. As with other forms of “That’s [heavy metal] obviously a lot different classic American music, musicians than bluegrass, but a lot of that stuff stuck with me have taken bluegrass and freshened too,” he said. “I can’t just let that go. It’s part of its sounds with a variety of influwho I am and how I grew as a musician. I have to ences, which may not resonate with hold on to that and give that appreciation just like I purists. In recent years, progressive bluegrass, or do the bluegrass. It’s not even something that I try “Newgrass,” bands such as Yonder Mountain String to do, but it just happens. Even when I play blueBand, Leftover Salmon and Bela Fleck and the grass, I still jump around onstage and headbang. I Flecktones have used elements of jazz and jam rock learned how to play music playing bluegrass, but I to provide a new interpretation. learned how to perform in a metal band.” Now, rising star Billy Strings has entered the It was when he began a professional career in scene with a style that is a perfect balance of tradimusic that William Apostol became Billy Strings. tion and innovation, inspired by a twofold musical He said a late “dear friend” of his mother gave him foundation that began with constant exposure to the nickname in his childhood. This family friend bluegrass throughout his childhood. passed away the same time Strings was performing “When I was learning my at open mic nights in Traverse alphabet and how to tie my City, Michigan. One night, shoes, I was also learning he decided to bill himself music, and the music was as “Billy Strings” to honor bluegrass,” said Strings, who the memory of his mother’s began life as William Apostol. friend. The name “just stuck.” EVEN WHEN I PLAY BLUEStrings says his father “Next thing you know, I GRASS, I STILL JUMP AROUND passed on his love for bluehad a gig, and this brewery grass to him, filling their home made a poster with ‘Billy ONSTAGE AND HEADBANG. with the sounds of classic Strings’ on it,” he said. “TwenI LEARNED HOW TO PLAY artists as Doc Watson and Bill ty years later, here I am.” Monroe, and loved playing it As with many young MUSIC PLAYING BLUEGRASS, himself. Strings also witnessed up-and-comers, Strings the infectious joy his father’s traded Michigan for Music BUT I LEARNED HOW TO PERrenditions would bring to City. Many Nashville hopeFORM IN A METAL BAND. crowds at social functions. fuls enter the city’s musical “He was always jamming arena as strangers, but Strings’ at parties and bringing joy experience was very differto people, and I saw that,” ent. Through years of touring, Strings said. “My dad was really cool at the parties. he’d established many connections. After unloading He was leading the jam, and I was like, ‘That’s his belongings, he ventured into the Nashville bar awesome! Everybody is really happy that my dad is scene and found many familiar faces. here playing!’” “I knew more people in East Nashville than the Entering his teens, Strings became fascinated town that I just moved from,” he said. “Just from with classic heavy metal bands such as Led Zepbeing on tour and being in the musical community pelin and Black Sabbath. His first performance with so many friends playing in different bands and onstage was with a metal band. But bluegrass pulled on tour, that’s where they all live. It’s a trip. As soon him back, and today he carries on the traditional but as I got there, I was like, ‘Oh wow! This is where peppers it with metal fills and a style that previously I’m supposed to be.’” hasn’t been heard. Strings’ audience at Soul Kitchen will be Strings says the fusion wasn’t intentional, seeing treated to songs from his full-length debut, “Tur-
Rising bluegrass star Billy Strings infuses traditional Appalachian sounds with his experience in a heavy metal band. moil and Tinfoil.” Throughout the album, he sandwiches metallic Phrygian, Hungarian and diminished string trips between measures of some of the finest contemporary bluegrass America has to offer. Strings recruited producer Glenn Brown (Greensky Bluegrass, Luke Winslow-King) to join him in the studio for the endeavor. “He is a very supportive and positive and bright individual,” Strings said of Brown. “I think he’s kind of a genius, wizard kind of guy. He has perfect pitch and everything that should be. He is on the edge of the seat working with guys all the time. He’s a great dude to work with.” Strings hopes the album captured the spirit of his live show. However, he admits this is a difficult task. Like many musicians, Strings says he thrives from the symbiotic energy created between musician and audience. When the mood is right, he said his band explodes with wild improvisation that cannot be duplicated in the studio. He admits the only true way to experience his one-of-a-kind bluegrass style is to witness it in a live setting. “You should really come see our concert to see what we’re trying to do,” he said. “We have musical conversations onstage with our instruments. We interact with each other and go into uncharted sonic territory and make ourselves vulnerable along the way. The fans are there with us the whole time, waiting for us to crash.”
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MUSIC BRIEFS
Get the message
BY STEPHEN CENTANNI/MUSIC EDITOR/SCENTANNI@LAGNIAPPEMOBILE.COM
Band: Band of Heathens, The Red Clay Strays Date: Sunday, Nov. 11, 7 p.m. Venue: Cedar Street Social Club, 4 N. Cedar St., cedarstreetsocialclub.com Tickets: $17.50 available through Ticketfly
Photo | Facebook | Band of Heathens
Cedar Street Social Club is opening its doors to the public for the return of Band of Heathens. This Austin-based group’s performance will highlight the sounds of one of R&B’s most legendary artists, Ray Charles, through their interpretation of his classic album “A Message from the People.” Band of Heathens’ latest album, “A Message from the People Revisited,” is a tribute to Charles as well as a reminder of the message of “resolve, hope and deliverance” the album delivered to the people, especially the downtrodden. Band of Heathens succeeds in making an album that not only honors Charles’ unforgettable grooving soul but also maintains the band’s trademark, raw mix of roots rock and alt. country. After performing the entirety of the album, the band will return to the stage with a set of their greatest hits. Before Band of Heathens takes the stage, The Red Clay Strays will be in charge of warming up the crowd. This Azalea City band’s set will be filled with its homegrown, original country rock as well as crowd favorites from the world of classic rock and country. The Red Clay Strays’ loyal fans not only adore the band’s musical talents but also its electrifying live delivery.
‘Out Past the Wires’
Band: IMC presents Rod Picott Date: Friday, Nov. 9, with doors at 7:30 p.m. Venue: Satori Coffee House, 5460 Old Shell Road, satori-coffee.com Tickets: $5 at the door (free for USA students)
The University of South Alabama’s Independent Music Collective is bringing another season to a close with an intimate performance by singer-songwriter Rod Picott. This prolific artist is touring in support of his new album “Out Past the Wires” and its companion short story collection. Picott uses this 22-song album to continue his ongoing musical focus on “the lives of working people and the losses, defeats and small victories that can come hard won in a calloused world.” Picott’s new album also includes the electric guitar talents of Mobile native Will Kimbrough. “Out Past the Wires” is reminder of a time when alt. country was truly alternative. Picott’s musical versatility shines throughout this album. “Primer Gray” and “Be My Bonnie” soothe with wistful, embracing folk. “Take Home Pay” and “Coal” are raucous country rock masterworks. Picott’s vocals serve as the album’s connecting thread. His warm, buttery vocals are the perfect conduit for his musical poetry.
Calling all songwriters Band: Frank Brown International Songwriters Festival Date: Nov. 8-18 Venue: Visit frankbrownsongwriters.com for participating venues Tickets: Visit festival website Named after The Flora-Bama’s renowned night watchman, the Frank Brown International Songwriters Festival attracts a legion of singer-songwriters and fans to numerous Gulf Coast venues from Fairhope to Pensacola. This ever-growing festival features so many performances that scheduling might be a challenge. However, the festival’s overabundance of musical talent should guarantee satisfaction. While a legion of venues will be participating, The Flora-Bama serves as the centerpiece of the festival. Throughout, this beachside roadhouse will feature a number of special events that should provide unique musical experiences. For example, songwriter Brian White will be holding a workshop (Nov. 10) that will include a performance session. A Youth Showcase (Nov. 16) will bring middle and high school level songwriters to the The Flora-Bama stage. A Native American Tribute (Nov. 18) will pay homage to indigenous songwriters.
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AREAMUSIC LISTINGS | November 7 - November 13 Please send upcoming music to listings@lagniappemobile. com by MONDAY before Wednesday’s paper.
WED. NOV 7 Bluegill— Matt Neese Boudreaux’s Cajun Grill— Ryan Balthrop, 6p Callaghan’s— Ryan Balthrop, 7p Cortlandt’s Pizza Pub— Marcus Elizondo, 7:30p Felix’s— Bobby Butchka Flora-Bama— Neil Dover, 2p / Rhonda Hart Duo, 6p / Bruce Smelley, 8p / Dallas Moore, 10:15p Saenger— Lyle Lovett & Robert Earl Keen
THURS. NOV 8 Bluegill— Dave and Alice, 6p Blues Tavern— Marcus & Ebony Boudreaux’s Cajun Grill— David Chastang, 6p Dauphins— Mark Pipas, 5p Felix’s— Soulshine Duo Flora-Bama— Dallas Moore, 12p / Justin Jeansonne, 12p / Don & Karen McNatt hosting Open Mic, 1p / Mel Knapp, Jason Justice, Mark Sherrill, 6p / Nick Branch, Kimberly Dahme, Gove Scrivenor, 6p / Jenna McClelland, Michael McClelland, Tony Ray Thompson, 7p / Gary Loyd, Kaylan Loyd, Mark Morton, Jimmy Stewart, 7:30p / Summerlyn Powers, Jonathan Puzan, Kevin Swanson, 8p / Cat Rhodes and the Truth, 8:30p / Nora Collins, Nick Donley, Clay Mills, 9p / Brittany Grimes, Wood Newton, Jim Sales, 9:15p / Kim Carson, Dallas Moore, Jackson Nance, 10p / Kevin Danzig, Ken Keller, Pete Sallis, Brian White, 10:45p / Jordans & James, 11p Listening Room— The Dark Waters Project Soul Kitchen— Devin The Dude, 9p
FRI. NOV 9 Big Beach Brewing— Chad Davidson Band, 6:30p Blue Water BBQ— Greg Padilla, 7p Bluegill— Lee Yankie, 12p / Bust Duo, 6p Blues Tavern— The Regulators Bonefish— Camm Lewis Boudreaux’s Cajun Grill— Rock Bottom, 6p Callaghan’s— Red Clay Strays, 7p Felix’s— Matt Neese Duo Flora-Bama— Byron Earnhart, Wade Sapp, and Dave Kennedy, 12p / Davis Nix, 12p / Don & Karen McNatt hosting Open Mic, 1p / BLUE MOTHER TUPELO (Micol & Ricky Davis) & SUGARCANE JANE (Anthony Crawford & Savana Lee), 3p / Randy
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Brooks, Curly Corwin, Ted Handley, 4:30p / Chris Canterbury, Neal Lucas, Tony Brook, 6p / Joe Allen, Mark McGuinn, Rusty Tabor, 6p / Nick Branch, Jonmark Stone, 6p / Richard Fehle, Damien Lamb, 6p / Dave Kennedy, Donna Slater, Rob Snyder, 7p / Jason Eady, Courtney Patton, 7p / Tony Ray Thompson, Mel Knapp, 7p / John Joiner, Rock Killough, Darrel Roberts, 7:30p / Amanda Pruitt, Troy Martin, 8p / Marc-Alan Barnette, Kimberly Dahme, Jimbeau Hinson, 8p / Tim Buppert, Jerry Vandiver, 8p / Ed Beaver, Thom Bresh, Bobby Keel, 8:15p / JoJo Pres, 8:30p / Jay Brown, Rusty Budde, Matt Prater, 9p / Johnny Barbato, Pete Sallis, Brian White, 10p / Rhonda Hart, Jason Justice, Dallas Moore, 10:45p / Larry T Wilson, Riley Yielding, 11p Listening Room— Ric McNaughton, Steve Varnes and Jose Santiago Moe’s BBQ (Daphne) — The Tree-Oh, 8p Moe’s BBQ (Mobile) — Brandon Benson, 6:30p Moe’s BBQ (Semmes) — Chris Hergenroder, 6:30p Satori— Rod Picott, 8p Soul Kitchen— Jennifer Hartswick + Nick Cassation, 8p
SAT. NOV 10 Blue Water BBQ— The Doc Johnson Band, 7p Bluegill— Jon Cook, 12p / David Chastang Trio, 6p Blues Tavern— John Hall Band Boudreaux’s Cajun Grill— Adam Holt Duo, 6p Dauphins— Mark Pipas, 5p Felix’s— Bust Duo Flora-Bama— Byron Earnhart, Wade Sapp, Johnny Veres, and Beth Veres, 12p / Don & Karen McNatt hosting Open Mic, 1p / Tony Brook, Barbara Cloyd, Jimmy Payne, 3p / Smokey Joe Peoples, Susan Swanson, Jerry Vandiver, 4:30p / Curly Corwin, Ricky Whitley, 6p / Nora Collins, Nick Donley, Clay Mills, 6p / Tim Buppert, Rich Fehle, Rock Killough, 6p / Kevin Danzig, Ken Keller & Sugarcane Jane, 7p / Yulie Ruth & Vane, 7p / Buddy Cannon, Marla Cannon, Dean Dillon, 7:30p / Jarrod Barrier, Ted Handley, 8p / Perry Bonck, Jan Buckingham, Tony Ray Thompson, 8p / Davis Nix Band, 8:30p / Jason Eady, Faith Jess, Courtney Patton, 9p / Greg Crowe, Brice Long, Phillip White, 9:15p / Gary Loyd, Kaylan Loyd, Mark Morton, Jimmy Stewart, 10p / Kim Carson, Jenna McClelland, Michael McClelland, 10:45p / Mark McGuinn, Rusty Tabor. Jerry Vandiver, 11p Listening Room— Lisa Mills
SUN. NOV 11
Bluegill— Jimmy Lumpkin, 12p / K-Mac, 6p Boudreaux’s Cajun Grill— David Chastang, 6p Callaghan’s— Adam Holt, 7p Cortlandt’s Pizza Pub— Tony & Opp for Sinatra Sunday, 5:30p Dauphin Street Blues Co— Dauphins— Roland Cobbs, 11a Felix’s— Leonard Houstin Flora-Bama— Dustin Bogue, 12p / River Dan, 12p / Jimmy Payne, Amanda Pruitt, Gerald Smith, 9a / Christina Christian, Sean Gasaway, Melissa Joiner, 11a / Wil Nance, Steve Williams, 12p / Don & Karen McNatt hosting Open Mic / 1p Kim Carson, Greg Crowe, 1:15p / Yulie Ruth & Vane, 3p / Sean Gasaway, Cass Hunter, Augie Savage, 4:30p / Curly Corwin, Jim St. James, Ricky Whitley, 6p / Doug Gill, Lynn Langham, Tony T-Bone Montgomery - Operation Song/Veterans Tribute, 6p / Troy Martin, Amanda Pruitt, Gerald Smith, Jesse Keith Whitley / Tim Buppert, Wil Nance, Rusty Tabor - Operation Song/ Veterans Tribute, 7:30p / Matt Prater, Coley McCabe Shepherd, Tom Shepherd, 8p / Moondawg Hall, Smokey Joe Peoples, Susan Swanson, 9p / Buddy Cannon, Marla Cannon, Rock Killough, Sonny Throckmorton, 9:15p / Jackson Nance, Chad Wilson, Kyle Wilson, 10p / David Norris, Bo Porter, Steve Williams, 10:45p / John Joiner, Mel Knapp, River Dan Soul Kitchen— Billy Strings, 8:30p
MON. NOV 12 Felix’s— Bryant Gilley Flora-Bama—Dustin Bogue, 12a / Don & Karen McNatt hosting Open Mic, 1p / Brigham Cason, Ottar Johansen, Bjoern Nielsen, 6p / Cathy Pace hosting Open Mic, 6p / Jay Brown, Karen Reynolds, Stephen Lee Veal, 7:30p / Coley McCabe Shepherd, Thom Shepherd, Jonmark Stone, 9:15p / Chad Wilson, Kyle Wilson, Larry T. Wilson, 10:45
TUES. NOV 13 Bluegill— Quintin Berry Boudreaux’s Cajun Grill— Ryan Balthrop, 6p Felix’s— Rodger Fleshman Flora-Bama— Kyle Wilson, 12a / Don & Karen McNatt hosting Open Mic, 1p / Tony T-Bone Montgomery hosting Open Jam, 5p / Troy Martin, Amanda Pruitt, Gerald Smith, Jessie Keith Whitley, 6p / Leslie Ellis, Jeff Gilkinson, Casey Kelly, 7:30p / Eric Erdman, Beverly Jo Scott, Rick Whaley, 9:15p / Brigitte London, Mark True, River Dan, 10:45p
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Dinklage elevates ‘My Dinner with Hervé’
A
FILMTHE REEL WORLD
BY ASIA FREY/FILM CRITIC/AFREY@LAGNIAPPEMOBILE.COM ny starring role for Peter Dinklage is a gift to the viewer. He is a magnetic, complex actor — I have been a fan since 2003’s “The Station Agent” — and of course he is the best character on HBO’s dragon-based bloodbath, “Game of Thrones.” Dinklage spent years fighting for the role of another dwarf actor, Hervé Villechaize, and brings the eccentric, tragic man to life in “My Dinner with Hervé,” which tells the story of his life through a single evening’s encounter with a down-on-his-luck journalist. That journalist, Sacha Gervasi, is the writer and director of this film, and the night portrayed onscreen really happened. When Villechaize committed suicide less than a week later, Gervasi submitted a lengthy article that was cut to a brief puff piece. He felt he owed this full autobiographical treatment to Villechaize, and this film is the result. There is indeed some extraordinarily juicy material to work with. Villechaize spent his youth submitting to endless painful medical treatments because of his father’s obsession with trying to help his condition. His father smothered him with
AREA THEATERS AMC MOBILE 16 785 Schillinger Road South Mobile, AL (251)639-1748 CRESCENT THEATER 208 Dauphin St Mobile, AL (251) 438-2005 REGAL MOBILE STADIUM 18 1250 Satchel Paige Drive Mobile, AL (844) 462-7342 AMC JUBILEE Square 12 6898 Highway 90 Daphne, AL (251) 626-5766
love and affection trying to “fix him,” while his cold and pragmatic mother essentially rejected him as a curse. His conviction that he would not live long led to an early streak of hedonism that only grew with time. He studied painting and enjoyed luck with the ladies, then moved to New York City after a brutal attack by some hateful thugs. In America, he felt he could find work as an actor and, armed with a knife, barged into the office of the man who would become his friend and agent for life, played by David Strathairn. He offers a window into and an alternative interpretation of the stories Villechaize tells about his days on “Fantasy Island,” which were marked by tumult and scandal of his own making. The events of Villechaize’s life are interesting and Dinklage is superb, but the script itself falters at times, and the flashbacks’ told-to-a-journalist format is hokey. Villechaize was a hedonistic womanizer who drank too much and acted outlandishly and abusively on and off the set, and ultimately lost his battle with some very powerful and rather legitimate demons. But as extraordinary as the life of Hervé Villechaize was, this film is pretty standard biographical fare.
What I found interesting was considering the life of actor Peter Dinklage, who is obviously a dwarf, in terms of the life of actor Hervé Villechaize, also, obviously, a dwarf. As an implied conversation between two actors with a very specific and unusual commonality, there is a lot to unpack. I’ve read several interviews with Dinklage over the years, and he is a very principled man with regard to his condition, turning down any role that exploited it, even in the leanest years of his career. Villechaize, years before Dinklage, was the opposite, capitalizing on what people found amusing about his size. To see Dinklage bring such humanity and pathos to such a complexly unhappy character was the most profound aspect of the film. Villechaize teases and goads the journalist (Jamie Dornan) all night, trying to make him drink even though he knows the young man’s newly won sobriety is hanging by a thread. His actions are despicable but his motivation is a very real pain, and the performances in the film effectively express this, even when the script falls short. “My Dinner with Hervé” is now screening and streaming on HBO.
NEXUS CINEMA DINING 7070 Bruns Dr. Mobile, AL (251) 776-6570 AMC CLASSIC WHARF 23151 Wharf Lane Orange Beach, AL (251) 981-4444 COBB PINNACLE 14 3780 Gulf Shores Pkwy Gulf Shores (251) 923-0785
Photos | HBO / Universal Pictures
Peter Dinklage and Jamie Dornan star in “My Dinner with Hervé,” a look at the life of French actor Hervé Villechaize, costar of the hit ‘70s TV series “Fantasy Island,” who took his own life in 1993 at the age of 50. Benedict Cumberbatch voices Dr. Seuss’ “The Grinch” in the latest remake of the timeless Christmas classic. NEW THIS WEEK THE HAPPY PRINCE
EASTERN SHORE PREMIERE CINEMA 14 30500 State Hwy 181 Spanish Fort, AL (251) 626-0352
Rupert Everett directs a film about the last days of Oscar Wilde’s life, portraying Wilde himself, naturally. Regal Mobile Stadium 18, AMC Classic Wharf
Information accurate at press time; please call theaters for showtimes.
I have reservations about this, despite the presence of Benedict Cumberbatch. All listed multiplex theaters.
DR. SEUSS’ THE GRINCH
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OVERLORD
American soldiers battle an experimental army of the undead in a Nazi-occupied village. Based on a true story; just kidding. Regal Mobile Stadium 18
THE GIRL IN THE SPIDER’S WEB
Computer hacker Lisbeth Salander must race against time to recover stolen nuclear weapon codes. All listed multiplex theaters.
NOW PLAYING
All listed multiplex theaters. FIRST MAN All listed multiplex theaters, Nexus Cinema THE SISTERS BROTHERS Regal Mobile Stadium 18, AMC Mobile 16, Dining. KINKY AMC Classic Jubilee Square 12 Regal Mobile Stadium 18 THE NUTCRACKER AND THE FOUR A STAR IS BORN REALMS All listed multiplex theaters, Nexus Cinema All listed multiplex theaters. Dining. NOBODY’S FOOL VENOM Regal Mobile Stadium 18 All listed multiplex theaters. BOHEMIAN RHAPSODY FEST Crescent Theater, Regal Mobile Stadium 18, HELL AMC Mobile 16, AMC Classic Jubilee Square 12 All listed multiplex theaters. NIGHT SCHOOL HUNTER KILLER All listed multiplex theaters. All listed multiplex theaters. SMALLFOOT THE HATE U GIVE All listed multiplex theaters. All listed multiplex theaters. THE HOUSE WITH A CLOCK IN ITS HALLOWEEN WALLS All listed multiplex theaters. All listed multiplex theaters. BAD TIMES AT THE EL ROYALE THE PREDATOR Regal Mobile Stadium 18, AMC Mobile 16 All listed multiplex theaters. GOOSEBUMPS 2: HAUNTED HALCRAZY RICH ASIANS LOWEEN All listed multiplex theaters.
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CALENDAR OF EVENTS NOVEMBER 7, 2018 - NOVEMBER 13, 2018
GENERAL INTEREST Christening ceremony The Army Corps of Engineers, Mobile District, will host a vessel christening ceremony at the GulfQuest National Maritime Museum/Cooper Riverside Park Amphitheater at 10 a.m. Thursday, Nov. 8, for the Corps survey vessel Damrell. Reception to follow, with vessel available for touring until 1 p.m. Call 251-690-2505 or email cesam-pa@usace.army.mil.
will offer special events including lectures focused on the Civil War era, artillery demonstration and cruises. The “Civil War on the Eastern Shore” cruise begins at 9 a.m. Tickets cost $29 per adult and $19 for kids age 6-12. Visit blakeleypark.com/ events.
Gears & Beers 2018 Join us Saturday, Nov. 10, for the 4th annual Gears and Beers at The Fort of Colonial Mobile. Gears & Beers is a fundraiser benefiting the Delta Bike Project in Mobile. There will be an 8.1-mile Beignet YoPro social YoPro Mobile will host two local leaders — Buster, a 30-mile Swamp Romp, a 63mile Mystic Metric and the Bayou 100 Mobile Mayor Sandy Stimpson and Mike Century. Visit racesonline.com/events/ Rogers of Rogers & Willard Inc. — for the gearsandbeers. November Social on Thursday, Nov. 8, 6 p.m. at Heron Lakes Country Club. Learn about future plans for the city. Admission Fall Festival at Dayspring is free for active members of YoPro Mobile. Everyone is invited to Dayspring’s Fall Tickets available at yopromobile.com. Festival Saturday, Nov. 10, at 3 p.m. at Dayspring Baptist (2200 Cody Road, S.). There will be food, inflatables, pony rides, Red Shoe Brew 2018 face paint, hayrides, a rock wall and much Join the Red Shoe Society for the 4th more. Free and open to the public. annual Red Shoe Brew on Thursday, Nov. 8, 5-8 p.m. at Ronald McDonald House (1626 Springhill Ave.). Beer, heavy Veterans Day at the battleship hors d’oeuvres, wine, entertainment, USS Alabama Battleship Memorial Park is prizes, house tours and more. Admission paying tribute to the 100th anniversary of is free but donations to the ShareWorld War I during this year’s observance, A-Night Fund will be accepted. Visit with a weekend filled with special events redshoesocietymobile.org or call 251-694and traditional patriotic celebrations 6873. Saturday, Nov. 10, through Monday, Nov. 12. Admission is free for children through age 5, $6 for children ages 6-11 and $15 Grand opening at Franklin Primary Join us for the grand opening and ribbon- for 12 and over. Call 251-433-2703 or visit the USS Alabama Battleship Memorial Park cutting ceremony of the Charles White Facebook page. Family Health Center (990 Cody Road, N.) Thursday, Nov. 8, beginning at 9:30 a.m. The free event will feature facility tours, Magnolia Cemetery tour meet-and-greets and light refreshments. Tighe Marston, director of Magnolia Visit franklinprimary.org. Cemetery, will host a two-hour walking tour of Magnolia Cemetery Saturday, Nov. 10, at 10 a.m. Marston will discuss “Murder — What a Drag!!” Mobile Mystery Dinners’ next performance the historic persons buried there. Tour is will be Saturday, Nov. 10, 7 p.m. at Central free, but attendance is limited to 30-50 people. Send a confirmation email to Presbyterian. Murder has cast the final mobilealabamacreoles@gmail.com. vote and for someone at the drag queen pageant the final curtain has fallen. Advance reservations are required, visit Veterans Outpatient Clinic opening mobilemysterydinners.com. Come celebrate the grand opening of the Veterans Recovery Resources Outpatient Clinic and Administration Building (1156 Kindness rocks! Springhill Ave.) Thursday, Nov 8, 11:30 World Kindness Day is Nov.13, and the a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Ribbon-cutting event will Theodore Oaks Branch of the Mobile include remarks from community leaders Public Library will celebrate with many and veterans, followed by tours of the fun events now through Nov. 13. All can facility and catering by Saucy-Q’s BBQ. be done “on the fly,” with no registration Free of charge. needed. Call 251-653-5012. Veteran’s Day at Blakeley On Saturday, Nov. 10, Blakeley State Park
The Market at The Pillars An afternoon of shopping with local
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farmers, makers, bakers, crafters and artists on Sunday, Nov. 11, at noon. Live music and more than 50 local vendors. Local eats and specialty drinks. Pet friendly and kid approved. Visit thepillarsofmobile. com. NEST annual luncheon Join us for the 2018 NEST of Mobile Annual Luncheon Tuesday, Nov. 13, at Spring Hill College, Byrne Hall. Since 2016 the luncheon has raised nearly $80,000 to support NEST in matching teams of mentors with referrals from the Mobile County Juvenile Court. Tickets cost $50 and sponsorship packages are available. Please call 251-604-3131 or email info@ nestofmobile.org. Elevate 251 Join executive coach K.L. Moore Tuesday, Nov. 13, at 5:30 p.m. at The Container Yard for networking, a seminar presentation and interactive discussion of “Managing Conflict in the Workplace.” Tickets available at eventbrite.com. Fall Market in the Park Fall market is in Cathedral Square Saturday mornings through Nov. 17, 7:30 a.m. to noon. Live musical performances, one-of-a-kind arts and crafts produced by local artisans and locally grown produce, seafood, cheese and eggs, honey, flowers and plants, baked goods, pasta. Find us on Facebook @MobileArtsCouncil. CUMC fall farmers market Christ United Methodist Church will hold a farmers market Tuesdays, 2:30-5 p.m., through Nov. 13. Locally grown produce, seafood, honey, fresh roasted coffee and local craft artist. West side of church property at 6101 Grelot Road, Mobile.
FUNDRAISERS 2018 Cocktails for the Coast Join the Alabama Coastal Foundation for the 8th annual Cocktails for the Coast Thursday, Nov. 8, at 4:30 p.m. at The Grand Hotel. Catered meals, oysters, beer and live music. Proceeds will benefit the foundation’s habitat restoration and environmental education programs. Purchase tickets at joinacf.org/donate. South Wesley Cook-Off On Thursday, Nov. 8, at 5:30 p.m. the USA Wesley Foundation will sponsor the 14th annual Cook-Off and Silent Auction at the USA Wesley Building, 5835 Old Shell Road.
Benefits the program fund of the ministry. Contact the USA Wesley Foundation, 251341-5184 or USAWesley2@gmail.com. Bay Area Brunch Fest Join Lifelines Counseling Services in Bienville Square on Saturday, Nov. 10, 10 a.m to 2 p.m. for brunch samples from some of your favorite spots. Live music, bloody marys, mimosas and coffee. Advance general admission costs $15 and includes entrance to event and samplings. Tickets available at eventbrite.com. Purse with Purpose Our Sisters’ Closet will host is 13th annual fundraiser Tuesday, Nov. 13, 5:30-8:30 p.m. at Heron Lakes Country Club. Men modeling purses for a good cause. Silent auction, cash bar; cocktail or business attire. Visit oursisterscloset.org.
ARTS “Ovation” This dynamic performance will feature the music of Frank Sinatra, Nina Simone and other music legends. The one-nightonly performance on Thursday, Nov. 8, will launch the 2018-19 Mobile Ballet season. Showtime is 7:30 p.m. at the Mobile Civic Center Theater. Visit mobile ballet.org. “5 Lesbians Eating a Quiche” Company 11 performances will be Nov. 8, 9, 15 and 6 at 8 p.m. with a matinee Nov. 10 at 2 p.m. Bellingrath Hall of Central Presbyterian Church. Purchase tickets at company11.org. “Othello” The Joe Jefferson Playhouse will open “Othello” Friday, Nov. 9, at 7:30 p.m. Written in 1604, “Othello” is one of Shakespeare’s most highly concentrated, tightly constructed tragedies, with no subplots and little humor to relieve the tension. Visit joejeffersonplayers.com. Garden sketch club Visit Mobile Botanical Gardens every Friday, 2-4 p.m., for a relaxing time sketching in the gardens. All levels of experience welcome. General admission is $5 for nonmembers.
MUSEUMS “Fairhope Stories” The Fairhope Museum of History will
present “Fairhope Stories” Nov. 8-10. Consisting of 19 true stories as told by Fairhopers, with accompanying music by Rick Hirsch. Visit fairhopeal.gov/ departments/museum for more information.
the Mobile Museum of Art offers free admission to all Mobile County residents. No reservations are necessary. MMoA is at 4850 Museum Drive. Call 251-208-5200.
“Our Beloved Women” The Marx Library at the University of South Alabama will show “Our Beloved Women: Matriarchs of the Poarch Creek” through December.
SPORTING EVENTS/ACTIVITIES
“Animation Academy” at the Exploreum Visitors will learn about the history of animated drawings, from prefilm animation devices to today’s computer-generated animation, and try their hand at drawing characters. Through Jan. 6. Call 251-2086893 or visit exploreum.com. “Mystery of the Mayan Medallion” Secrets of an ancient world await at the History Museum of Mobile, through Dec. 30. Visit historymuseumofmobile.com. “Madagascar: Island of Lemurs” at Exploreum Academy Award winner Morgan Freeman narrates the IMAX® 3D documentary “Madagascar: Island of Lemurs,” the incredible true story of nature’s greatest explorers — lemurs. Visit exploreum.com. “Everest” at Exploreum Celebrate Exploreum’s 20th anniversary with “Everest,” a film depicting the 1996 ascent of an international team of climbers. Visit exploreum.com. Thursdays at MMoA Every Thursday, 10 a.m. to 9 p.m.,
Homecoming Lunch with the Coach Join South Alabama football Coach Steve Campbell for USA’s 2018 Homecoming Lunch on Friday, Nov. 9, at noon at the USA football field house. Cost is $20 for USA National Alumni Association members and $25 for nonmembers. Visit southalabama. edu/alumni. Marsh Madness Fishing Tournament Spanish Fort Education Enrichment Foundation presents the Marsh Madness Fall Fishing Tournament at Bluegill Restaurant on the Causeway Saturday, Nov. 10. Five tournament divisions in a perboat team tournament. All people in the boat must have a signed tournament ticket. Ttickets cost $40. Visit sfeef.com. Run-ish at FIVE Run-ish, walk-ish, bike-ish, drink-ish. Choose your -ish and join us every Wednesday evening at 6-ish at FIVE, 609 Dauphin St. in Mobile, followed by drink and food specials. Call 251-308-3105.
WORKSHOPS MPD recruiting Men and women interested in becoming a Mobile police officer are invited to attend the Recruitment Open House Thursday, Nov. 8, 5-8 p.m., at the Mobile Police
Academy (1251 Virginia St.). Attendees will learn about the qualifications to become a police officer, how to apply, pay and benefits, and the selection process. Officers from the SWAT Unit, Mounted Unit, Marine Detail, Motorcycle Detail and K-9 Unit as well as officers from other specialized units will be present to talk about various career paths available. Free hot dogs and refreshments will be served. Medicare open enrollment seminars The Mobile Parks and Recreation Department has partnered with the Area Agency on Aging/SHIP to offer free seminars Fridays, 10 a.m. to noon, to better understand Medicare choices. Locations and dates include: Newhouse Park & Community Center (2960 Alston Drive) Nov. 16; Stott Park Community Center (2150 Demetropolis Road) Nov. 30; and Mitternight Park & Community Center (5310 Colonial Oaks Drive) Nov. 9. Call 251-2081610.
PUBLIC MEETINGS Baldwin County Commission: First and third Tuesday at 8:30 a.m., 322 Courthouse Square, Bay Minette. Work sessions are second and fourth Tuesday at 8:30 a.m. rotating between Bay Minette, the Foley Satellite Courthouse, the Fairhope Satellite Courthouse and the Baldwin County Central Annex Building in Robertsdale, baldwincountyal.gov. Baldwin County Planning Commission: First Thursday at 6 p.m., 22251 Palmer St., Robertsdale, baldwincountyal.gov. Bayou La Batre City Council: Second and fourth Thursday at 5:30 p.m., 13785 S. Wintzell Ave., cityofbayoulabatre.com.
Chickasaw City Council: Second and fourth Tuesday at 7 p.m., 224 N. Craft Highway, 251-452-6450. Citronelle City Council: Second and fourth Thursday at 6:30 p.m., 19135 Main St., 251-866-7973. Creola City Council: Second and fourth Thursday at 6 p.m., 190 Dead Lake Road, #A, 251-675-8142. Daphne City Council: First and third Monday at 6:30 p.m., 1705 Main St. Work sessions second Monday of each month at 6:30 p.m., daphneal.com. Dauphin Island Town Council: First and third Tuesdays at 7 p.m., 1011 Bienville Blvd., townofdauphinisland.org. Elberta Town Council: Third Tuesday of each month at 6 p.m. in the town hall. Workshop meeting on the second Tuesday, townofelberta.com. Fairhope City Council: Second and fourth Monday at 6 p.m., 161 N. Section St. Work sessions held before each council meeting at 4:30 p.m., cofairhope.com. Fairhope Planning Commission: First Monday at 5 p.m., 161 N. Section St. Visit cofairhope.com. Foley City Council: First and third Monday at 5:30 p.m., 407 E. Laurel Ave. Work sessions begin at 4 p.m.; cityoffoley.org. Gulf Shores City Council: Second and fourth Mondays at 4 p.m., 1905 W. First St., gulfshoresal.gov. Mobile City Council: Tuesdays at Government Plaza, 205 Government St. Pre-council meeting at 9 a.m.; council meeting at 10:30 a.m., cityofmobile.org. Mobile Planning Commission: First and third Thursdays at 2 p.m., 205 Government St., urban.cityofmobile.org. Orange Beach City Council: First and third Tuesdays at 5 p.m., 4099 Orange Beach Blvd., cityoforangebeach.com. Prichard City Council: Every Thursday
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MEDIA MEDIA FRENZY
Call News continues circulation decline
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BY ROB HOLBERT/MANAGING EDITOR/RHOLBERT@LAGNIAPPEMOBILE.COM
he rather bizarre circulation history of the Citronelle Call News continues to get stranger as the paper published its Ownership Statement for 2018 last week. The Call News reported a 5 percent dip in its overall press run from 2017 to 2018, going from 20,600 to 19,500. There was also a 7 percent decrease in paid circulation outside the mail, which dropped from 16,648 to 15,455. Likewise, overall average paid circulation — which includes mailed subscriptions and purchases from newsstands — dropped year-to-year by 7 percent, losing 1,238 paid readers to end up at 16,772, according to the Ownership Statement signed by publisher Willie Gray. The number of papers mailed to subscribers within the county only dropped 3 percent, holding fairly steady at 1,190. But the trend overall for the past three years has been decidedly downward after the Call News’ ownership claimed an almost miraculous 303 percent increase in average paid circulation from 2014 to 2015 — boosting the average number of paid readers from 5,150 in 2014 to 20,780 just one year later. Making such an increase even more unusual was that the Call News saw its mailed readership go up just 24 percent to 1,237 while claiming its nonmailed distribution went from 3,991 to an average of 20,388 — a whopping 411 percent increase. Prior to this massive surge in paid readership, the Call News reported total circulation of roughly 5,000 or less for many years. Why the vastly increased interest in picking up the Call News from a news rack or store did not translate to having it mailed is unclear.
But in the years since that increase, the paper has steadily reported a reduction in paid circulation each year. Comparing the 2018 statement to 2015, the Call News has seen a 10 percent reduction in its overall press run, a 24 percent decrease in circulation outside the U.S. mail and a 19 percent fall in total average paid circulation. Only its mailed readership has sustained less than double-digit reductions and is only down 4 percent from 2015. The paper has also seen its claimed number of undistributed editions rise from an average of 100 per week in 2015 to 1,398 in 2018, according to the ownership statement. Postal ownership statements are required to be published and filed with the U.S. Postal Service by any newspaper holding a publicationsclass postal permit. The numbers are supplied by the publishers, who swear to their accuracy. The statements are subject to scrutiny by the USPS, although any such investigations have not been usual in Mobile County.
Not one?
AL.com is catching some heat because its 2018 list of “Women Who Shape the State” doesn’t include a single nominee who lives south of Montgomery. The snub appears to be just more proof that al.com and Advance Publications’ newspapers have shifted almost all of their focus to the northern part of the state. As we reported last week, the Press-Register’s average Friday circulation is now down to 20,000. Maybe there’s a reason why.
THE NEW YORK TIMES CROSSWORD PUZZLE MATCH PLAY BY ERIK AGARD / EDITED BY WILL SHORTZ ACROSS 1 Chunks of land 7 “Be on the lookout” messages, for short 11 Person to take complaints to, informally 14 Polo of “The Fosters” 18 Popular Dominican dance 20 Leave quickly 21 Musical Yoko 22 Get a ____ on someone 23 Sou’wester 25 Abbr. in many blood type names 26 “Logic dictates …” 27 It’s usually put in the middle of a table 28 Late hours 31 Messes up 35 Downfall in pinball 37 Music export from Tokyo, for short 38 Sciences’ counterpart 39 “Jeez!” 41 Princess who says, “I recognized your foul stench when I was brought on board” 43 Campy 1972 vampire film 45 Peace marches 48 Grub 51 Part of a preschool day 52 Opinion 53 Nirvana seeker 56 Sorority letter 57 Forbiddance 58 Masthead list, for short 60 More lit, perhaps 62 “After Earth” 69 Pothead 70 ____ Lama 71 Do the wave? 72 What un desierto lacks 74 Lyrical lament 75 Not able to catch something 77 Growth ring 80 Farthest point in an orbit around the moon 82 This woman 83 Closure opening? 84 Vote in France 85 Blue swaths on maps 87 They follow oohs 90 Like the simplest instructions 95 Talk show host Cohen 97 Trade punches 100 Hills with gentle slopes on one side and steep slopes on
the other 103 Fake 104 Verdi tragedy 105 “Grand Ole” venue 106 Say whether or not you’ll attend 108 Blow out 110 Imbroglio 111 Prostates 115 French 101 verb 117 Collaborative site 118 Snatch 119 Game suggested by this puzzle’s theme 125 Racer Luyendyk 126 Half of dos 127 Taking care of things 128 Nickel-anddiming sort 129 They might break out in hives 130 Cockapoo or cockatoo, maybe 131 Cpls.’ superiors 132 Act obsequiously
Cardinals history 7 Midriff muscles, for short 8 “Oh, quit being silly!” 9 Sailor in the Navy 10 Seatbelt, e.g. 11 “C’mon, be serious” 12 ____ Day vitamins 13 Rémy Martin product 14 Bridgesupporting frame 15 Dulles designer 16 Pasta-sauce brand 17 Longtime singing talent show, familiarly 19 ____-vaxxers 24 Singer Reese 29 Garment worn by John Roberts that’s hidden in his name 30 R&B’s ____ Hill 31 Bristol, Conn.-based cable inits. 32 Sister and wife of Cronus, in myth 33 Collect DOWN from the soil 1 Atlanta-based cable inits. 34 Result of a religious schism 2 Cold and wet 36 Camping need 3 Term in 40 Japanese tennis, golf and baseball, all dogs with turned-up tails with different meanings 42 Neighbor of Wyo. 4 Hero interred in Santa Clara, 44 Commercial rhyme Cuba for “Famous” 5 “Later, luv” 46 Transmits 6 Rhyming nickname in 47 Part of a
Mario costume 49 Part of a “Which came first?” dilemma 50 Comment before “I missed that” 54 Director Van Sant 55 Cross 59 Maker of the game Zaxxon 61 ____ contendere 62 Pad alternative 63 Chinese New Year treat 64 One of the Castros 65 Shed material 66 Dwarf planet with more mass than Pluto 67 Good throw? 68 “Get outta here!” 70 ____ Taurasi, all-time W.N.B.A. scoring leader 73 Supplementary item 76 Suffix with methyl 78 Gymnastics flip 79 Arizona capital of the Navajo Nation 81 ____ Germany 86 Relatively cool stellar phenomenon 88 “Come again?” 89 Some bathroom installations 91 Brother of Ham 92 Play starter? 93 Sand-burrowing marine creatures 94 Reasons to
ANSWERS ON PAGE 44
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SPORTS UPON FURTHER REVIEW
Four more inductees to join USA Athletic Hall of Fame BY J. MARK BRYANT/SPORTS WRITER/SPORTS@LAGNIAPPEMOBILE.COM/TWITTER @GOULAGUY
Photo | University of South Alabama
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From left: Ernie Rosseau, Nic Chisolm, Lindsay Schwartz and David Freese will become the latest inductees into the USA Athletic Hall of Fame Nov. 10. ver the past 50 years, the University of South Alabama has been fortunate to feature many outstanding performers on its rosters. However, only the best of the best are considered for the USA Athletic Hall of Fame. This Saturday morning, four more distinguished names will join the list when Nic Chisolm, David Freese, Ernie Rosseau and Lindsay Schwartz are inducted during an on-campus ceremony. The four will then be introduced at Ladd-Peebles Stadium during the Jaguars’ homecoming football contest with Louisiana-Monroe later in the day. • The most familiar name on this list is likely Freese, who just wrapped up another outstanding year by helping the Los Angeles Dodgers win the National League pennant. The 34-year-old first baseman hit .296 during the regular season with 11 home runs and 51 runs batted in. He exploded in the playoffs, batting .364. In the decisive World Series game loss to Boston, Freese had a home run and a triple. According to the USA Athletics Department, Freese recorded a .394 career batting average during his two seasons in Mobile — a figure that stands second in the school’s record books and third in Sun Belt Conference (SBC) history — with 180 base hits including 32 doubles. He batted .373 with 11 doubles, six home runs and 48 RBIs in his first year while helping the Jags to the SBC tournament title. He was voted firstteam All-American the following spring when he recorded a league-best .414 batting average and 73 RBIs while finishing second in the SBC in hits (99), third in runs (73) and tied for third in doubles (21). After being chosen the conference Player
of the Year as a senior, Freese was drafted by the San Diego Padres. He reached the Major Leagues in 2009 with the St. Louis Cardinals, who he would help lead to the World Series title in 2011 while earning Most Valuable Player honors in both the League Championship Series and the World Series. • Chisholm was a four-year letter winner in men’s tennis from 1995-98. He ended his first season as a Jag ranked 47th nationally in doubles. The following year he earned All-America honors after qualifying for the NCAA Doubles Championship and concluding the campaign ninth in the country. Chisholm, who was among the top 65 in the final national singles rankings as a sophomore, would conclude his playing career having earned all-SBC recognition each of his four seasons in doubles as well as in singles on three occasions. His efforts helped lead USA to four straight NCAA Tournament appearances — including a trip to the quarterfinals in 1995 — and three SBC championships. He was later selected to the Sun Belt’s 30th anniversary All-Time Men’s Tennis Team. • Rosseau earned baseball letters in 1972 and 1973 after pacing the Jags in batting average both seasons and in stolen bases his final year. He batted .350 his opening season with the program in helping the Jaguars become the first program in school history to reach No. 1 in the national polls. They would end up 36-8 after advancing to the championship game of the District 3 Regional in their first-ever NCAA postseason appearance. As a senior, Rosseau hit .390 with a then school record of 34 stolen bases to collect firstteam American Baseball Coaches Association All-America honors as USA posted a 33-9 mark
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following a return to the district tournament. He still stands sixth on USA’s all-time list with a career .369 batting average. • Schwartz picked up second-team All-America recognition on three occasions during her four-year career with the Jaguar track and field program. She accomplished the feat at the NCAA Outdoor Championships in the heptathlon in both 2011 and 2012, as well as in the pentathlon at the NCAA Indoor Championship as a senior. She won five SBC championships — claiming the heptathlon three times and the pentathlon twice — while garnering all-league accolades on three other occasions. Schwartz remains the school’s all-time leader with 3,996 points in the pentathlon while her mark of 5,614 points in the heptathlon was the best in program history until it was surpassed in May. She was twice named to the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association’s all-academic squads.
Sports shorts
• The city of Orange Beach Tennis Center will host the second annual Fall UTR (Universal Tennis Rating) Adult/Junior Tennis Tournament Nov. 16-18. Games will also be played at the city of Gulf Shores’ courts. There will be both singles and doubles competitions. Deadline to register is Tuesday, Nov. 13. To register, players must create a UTR profile at myutr.com, then register at myutr.com/events/595. For more information, contact Rhett Russell at 251-233-9628 or rhett7@hotmail.com. • Foley Sports Tourism (FST) will host an anticipated 5,000 soccer players during five tournaments in November. The Sun Belt championship for its women’s teams wrapped up last Sunday.
Next is the National Junior College Athletic Association Division I women’s championship Nov. 11-17. The National Intramural-Recreational Sports Association will be back for a second time Nov. 29 to Dec. 1 to crown its university-sport club soccer champion. FST is also hosting two youth soccer tournaments. The first is the Alabama Soccer Association’s State Cup Nov. 2-4, which is expecting 100 boys and girls’ squads. The Coastal Academy Cup Youth Nov. 16-18 will feature 150 teams from across the U.S. • The Mobile Sports Authority also has a busy schedule. On Nov. 7, the Alabama High School Athletic Association (AHSAA) will host the inaugural Southern Super Regional Cheer Competition at the Mobile Civic Center Arena. Competitive cheer squads from middle school to varsity will battle for a spot in the state competition with Traditional (cheer/gymnastics) and Game Day (chants, cheers, stunts, tumbling and/ or jumps) routines. Bishop State Community College will host the AHSAA South Sectional Swim and Dive Meet Nov. 16-17. This event serves as a qualifier for the state finals in Auburn. The Gulf Coast Clash, a high school wrestling tournament, is set for Nov. 16-17 at the Mobile Civic Center Arena. This inaugural event will feature up to 30 teams from Alabama, Georgia, Mississippi and Louisiana, including 12 reigning state champs. The Youth Holiday Bowl National Championship will be Nov. 16-18 at Herndon Sage Park. Local and national teams (ages 5 to 14) will compete for their respective divisional championship rankings and an invitation to the Pro Football Hall of Fame Regionals.
SPORTS FROM BEHIND THE MIC
Gulf Coast teams have great chance to shine in state playoffs BY RANDY KENNEDY/CONTRIBUTING WRITER
A
total of 104 teams earned a spot in the Alabama High School Athletic Association (AHSAA) state football playoffs, which begin this week. All seven state champions are back to defend their titles, while 15 teams have made it through the regular season undefeated. But only one team can claim both of those distinctions. That’s the UMS-Wright Bulldogs. The Bulldogs have the longest winning streak in the AHSAA, posting 14 straight victories. UMS won five games in the playoffs last season, including a 21-7 domination of Fayette County in the snow at Bryant-Denny Stadium to claim the Class 4A state championship. This season they are 9-0 without being seriously challenged. No team has scored more than seven points against the Bulldogs and every win has been by double digits. That includes beating Class 6A playoff team St. Paul’s, Class 3A’s best team Mobile Christian and last year’s Class 2A state champion Hillcrest-Evergreen. When UMS-Wright wins its second playoff game next week, it will mark the 300th career win for coach Terry Curtis in 29 seasons. That’s more than 10 wins per season, which is simply incredible. Of all 104 teams that qualified for the playoffs, I would pick UMS-Wright as the team most likely to win a state championship. The first order of business for any opponent of UMS-Wright is to overcome the aura surrounding the UMS-Wright program based on its consistent success.
But the Bulldogs aren’t the only team from Mobile and Baldwin counties with a chance to make it all the way to Auburn’s Jordan-Hare Stadium to play for a state championship. Here’s a breakdown of each classification, this week’s schedule and the possibility of a team from the Gulf Coast bringing home a state championship. Class 1A: Francis Marion (5-4) at St. Luke’s Episcopal (9-1) St. Luke’s was extremely impressive in beating Cottage Hill last week, knocking the Warriors from the ranks of the unbeaten. St. Luke’s has the kind of team to make a state championship run but there are tough challenges ahead. Undefeated Linden and defending state champion Lanett stand in the way of a trip to Auburn. State championship prediction: Lanett over Falkville Class 2A: Goshen (4-6) at Cottage Hill Christian (9-1) Cottage Hill is making its first AHSAA playoff appearance. The Warriors have an explosive offense that can score with anyone. A second-round game against Thorsby is going to be a test. State championship prediction: Fyffe over Luverne Class 3A: Pike Road (6-4) at Mobile Christian (8-1) The Leopards decided to test themselves against a very tough schedule this season, which resulted in the only loss of the season to Class 4A No. 1 UMS-Wright. If not for that scheduling decision, Mobile Christian would still be undefeated. Even so, they are one of the favorites to win the state championships. The last time the state
championship games were played in Auburn the Leopards lost in the title game. This year they take the final step. State championship prediction: Mobile Christian over Piedmont Class 4A: Williamson (6-4) at American Christian (10-0); West Blocton (4-6) at UMS-Wright (9-0) American Christian, with its potent passing attack, will be a challenge for any team in the playoffs. But until somebody shows they can challenge UMSWright, this is the Bulldogs’ class to win. State championship prediction: UMS-Wright over North Jackson Class 5A: Citronelle (6-4) at Bibb County (7-3); Faith Academy (6-4) at Demopolis (8-2); Central-Tuscaloosa (4-6) at Vigor (9-1) During the preseason, I proclaimed this the Year of the Wolf. The Vigor Wolves have lived up to that billing, with their only loss coming in overtime on the road to Class 6A Opelika. This is a great Vigor defense. If they can score 20 points every week, the Year of the Wolf will come to fruition in Jordan-Hare Stadium. State championship prediction: Vigor over Etowah Class 6A: Stanhope Elmore (6-4) at Saraland (9-1); St. Paul’s Episcopal (7-3) at Opelika (5-4); Daphne (5-5) at Wetumpka (8-2); Benjamin Russell (6-4) at Spanish Fort (9-1) All season, the teams in Class 6A Region 1 have been among the best in the state. Spanish Fort won the region title with an impressive win at Saraland last week. St. Paul’s proved it can compete in Class 6A after winning the 5A state title a year ago. State championship prediction: Pinson Valley over Wetumpka Class 7A: Lee-Montgomery (6-4) at Theodore (8-2); Fairhope (7-3) at Auburn (9-1); Davidson (6-4) at Central-Phenix City (10-0); Prattville (7-3) at McGill-Toolen Catholic (8-2) There are half as many playoff teams in Class 7A compared to the other classes. But the competition is stiff for the state’s largest schools. In recent years Central-Phenix City has proven to be a great regular-season team. Maybe this is the year the Red Devils make it to the title game against the team that survives among the Birmingham area schools. State championship prediction: Thompson over Central-Phenix City Randy Kennedy writes a weekly column for Lagniappe and is co-host of “Sports Drive” every weekday from 3-6 p.m. on WNSP 105.5 FM, the country’s first all-sports FM station.
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STYLE GARDENING
More fascinating flora! BY JUDY STOUT, MOBILE COUNTY MASTER GARDENER | COASTALALABAMAGARDENING@GMAIL.COM
Photos | Judy Stout
From left: Passion flower and Night-blooming cereus.
W
e began last time by exposing the wide range of plant adaptations around us in our gardens and landscape. Let’s continue our fascinating facts about a few more familiar but odd plants you may encounter. Spanish moss is neither a moss nor a parasite as many believe. Spanish moss is a flowering plant related to pineapples, air plants and our favorite bromeliad house plants. It contains chlorophyll for photosynthesis, but the color is masked by tiny grey scales covering its surface. Gently scratch off the scales, and the green becomes more obvious. Since it can make its own food, it only uses favorite trees such as oaks and bald cypress as something to hold onto with the tiny curved tips of each branch (epiphytic growth). In the early spring, pale green flowers about the size of a fingernail will produce seeds in small brownish cigar-shaped pods. Seeds are then released and spread by the wind. Flowers and pods are difficult to detect and require very close examination. You may have noticed over time that this plant, once a spectacular presence along Mobile’s oak-lined streets, seems to have grown scarce. Spanish moss is very susceptible to air pollution, especially carbon monoxide released in car exhaust. The only harm Spanish moss may cause is its dense cascades of moss may block light from the tree leaves, and excessive water weight may be retained after heavy rains. Unusual flowering habits unexpectedly catch our eyes. Suddenly, the large agave in your yard sends up a huge flowering
stalk that sprouts flowers more than 20 feet above the ground. The century plant may live 10-30 years (not actually a hundred!) before it blooms, then that portion of the plant dies and a new plant emerges from the base. Guess what? This plant is in the same family as asparagus! Look at the young sprout if you get a chance, and you’ll see the similarity. Another surprising flower is the night-blooming cereus, which comes in several varieties and colors. From the leaves, it sends out a sprout that elongates over several days, forms a large flower bud and by the next morning is a wilted, drooping old flower. The amazing and beautiful flowers open only at night, between 9 p.m. and midnight, and fade in the dawn. You need to set your alarm to observe this flower emerging, but it’s worth it! The passion flower is not only spectacular but is rumored to have been named for its use in storytelling. Supposedly, priests doing early mission work in South America used the flower parts to teach the story of the crucifixion, or “passion,” of Christ to native populations — the frilly corolla as the crown of thorns, the five stamens as the five wounds, the three nails represented by the lobes of the stigma and the 10 sepals as the 10 apostles. Today we recognize leaves of local native species of this plant as the food source for the caterpillars of the Gulf fritillary butterfly. There are many more fascinating plants you may talk about and get more information on when you call our Master Gardener Helpline (toll free), 1-877-252-GROW (4769).
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GARDENERS, CHECK THIS OUT What: Mobile Master Gardeners Lunch & Learn When: Nov. 19, noon to 1 p.m. Where: Jon Archer Ag Center, 1070 Schillinger Road N., Mobile Topic: Native American and Midwife Gardens at the Mobile Medical Museum Speakers: Daryn Glassbrook, Ph.D., and Carol Dorsey What: Mobile Master Gardener Greenery Sale and MBG Holiday Market When: Nov. 30 through Dec. 1 (Friday 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Saturday 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.) Where: Mobile Botanical Gardens, 5151 Museum Drive, Mobile Deadline for pre-order: Nov. 15; for order form, email jda0002@ aces.edu or visit https://mg.aces.edu/mobile/category/announcements/. What: Market on the Square (look for the Master Gardener tent for gardening info) Find: Local produce, homemade bread, jams, preserved, honey, crafts, music When: Saturdays through Nov. 17, 7:30 a.m. to noon Where: Cathedral Square, 300 Conti St., Mobile Master Gardener Helpline: 1-877-252-4769, or send your gardening questions to coastalalabamagardening@gmail.com.
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STYLE HOROSCOPES IT’S MORE THAN MIMOSAS
ANSWERS FROM PAGE 38 44 | L AG N I A P P E | N o v e m b e r 7 , 2 0 1 8 - N o v e m b e r 1 3 , 2 0 1 8
SCORPIO (10/23-11/21) — Understanding they come bearing exceptional traditional Hispanic family recipes, you’ll clear out an extra bedroom to house members of the migrant caravan. Your lucky Bay Area Brunch Fest menu item is French toast. SAGITTARIUS (11/22-12/21) — Inspired by Company 11’s latest production, you’ll retreat to a wooden cabin to write the script for your newest play, “5 Brohans Munching Some ‘Za.” Your lucky Bay Area Brunch Fest menu item is eggs Benedict. CAPRICORN (12/22-1/19) — Fighting for recognition alongside the latest inductees to USA’s Athletic Hall of Fame, you lobby the Board of Trustees to acknowledge your hacky sack prowess. Your lucky Bay Area Brunch Fest menu item is a mimosa. AQUARIUS (1/20-2/18) — Whether or not your favored candidates actually won, the “Beto for Senate” and “Gillum for Governor” bumper stickers will remain next to your “Bernie for President” sticker to demonstrate you are the most liberal person in Alabama. Your lucky Bay Area Brunch Fest menu item is pork belly. PISCES (2/19-3/20) — Realizing no amount of charity or government will resolve homelessness and mental illness, you resolve to be more sympathetic and supportive. Your lucky Bay Area Brunch Fest menu item is avocado toast. ARIES (3/21- 4/19) — Attempting to genetically engineer flowering plants that better suit your sleeping habits, you splice the DNA of a night-blooming cereus with that of a morning glory. Your lucky Bay Area Brunch Fest menu item is a granola bowl. TAURUS (4/20-5/20) — Enamored of Billy Strings’ fusion of bluegrass and metal, you’ll put on your Megadeth T-shirt and challenge mustachioed tourists to banjo duels. Your lucky Bay Area Brunch Fest menu item is hash browns. GEMINI (5/21-6/21) — You will literally, like, never really understand why older people pick on your speaking habits. I can’t even … Your lucky Bay Area Brunch Fest menu item is chicken and waffles. CANCER (6/22-7/22) — In an attempt to increase your profile, you’ll interrupt the Fairhope Film Fest by screening your own biopic, “There’s Loud and Then There’s Louder: I Do Both.” Your lucky Bay Area Brunch Fest menu item is a bloody mary. LEO (7/23-8/22) — Reading that local paid newspaper subscriptions continue to decline, you’ll conceive a new free publication: “Le Moins: A Little Something Less for Mobile.” Your lucky Bay Area Brunch Fest menu item is eggs Florentine. VIRGO (8/23-9/22) — With the holidays and gift-giving approaching, you’ll appreciate the increased leverage you have with otherwise greedy and selfish children. Your lucky Bay Area Brunch Fest menu item is a frittata. LIBRA (9/23-10/22) — Running the numbers, you realize that with John Malkovich recently in town filming a movie, Mobile has had its closest brush yet with Kevin Bacon, a Bacon Score of 1. Your lucky Bay Area Brunch Fest menu item is a breakfast burrito.
STYLE BOOZIE
Movie stars and oyster bars BY BOOZIE BEER NUES/SOCIAL BUTTERFLY
T
he calendar says it’s November. It’s dark at 5:30 p.m. Yet it still feels like summer. Whaaaaa! Why can’t we ever have fall? I guess the folks up in Vermont or Saskatchewan who are freezing wish they had our endless summer, but Boozie has some cute sweaters she really wants to wear. So come on, Mother Nature, throw me a couple of cold weeks, please. OK, enough about heat and humidity, let’s get to the hot stuff of a different kind. This week’s gossip!
More movie star sightings
The competition was fierce but the winners were:
I never thought I would ever say this but I am almost tired of seeing Liam Hemsworth (or at least I am tired of hearing about all of my spies seeing him). Though the exact locations haven’t been disclosed, Liam was spotted in Pensacola again. Perhaps hanging with his girl Miley again? And THE John Malkovich, who is sporting a beard, was seen in downtown Fairhope and also shopping at Daphne Antique Galleria last week. We hear some of the Food Network chefs were spotted In addition to this, Mayor Sandy Stimpson gave the having a good ol’ time at the Flora-Bama after the events producers the keys to the city. I’m sure they will hang each night. Good for them! them right next to their Oscars for this movie. If you like oysters, you must attend this event. It is soooooo good. So many oysters! The world is your oyster (cook-off) Last weekend, absolutely perfect weather and delicious oysters brought thousands of folks down for The Hangout’s Oyster Cook-Off and Craft Beer Weekend. Restaurants from all over the country and celebrity chefs competed in three categories and to see who would take home the Grand Prize for “Best Overall Oyster.”
Heroes turns 20!
Lagniappe wants to give David Rasp and the fine folks at Heroes Sports Bar and Grille a huge shoutout for celebrating 20 years in business at their downtown location this week. It is no small feat keeping the doors on any lo-
Photo | Instagram
Raw 1st - Odette (Florence) 2nd - Seafood Revolution (Ridgeland, Mississippi) 3rd - Live Bait (Orange Beach) Rockefeller 1st - Desporte Seafood (Biloxi) 2nd - Elysian Seafood (New Orleans) 3rd - Odette (Florence) Cajun 1st - Gourmet World Market (Gulf Shores) 2nd - Desporte Seafood (Biloxi) 3rd - Elysian Seafood (New Orleans) Overall Winner Gourmet World Market (Gulf Shores)
Happy birthday to Heroes which celebrates their 20th year in biz this week! cal business just open, and Rasp has not only done that, but also has expanded by opening the finer-dining sister restaurant, The Royal Scam, and the Heroes West location near the University of South Alabama. We hear plans may also be in the works for a midtown establishment of some sort, one fine day. Let’s hope that it’s sooner than later. Boozie wants to celebrate its 20th birthday before she dies! In any case, pop in and order yourself a Clipper and cold draft beer and tell those good folks Happy Birthday! Well kids, that’s all I got this time. Just remember, whether rain or shine, dramatic or scandalous or some plain ol’ oyster lovin’, I will be there. Ciao!
F U T U R E S H O C K
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LAGNIAPPE LEGALS | 251.450-4466 | legals@lagniappemobile.com FORECLOSURE FORECLOSURE NOTICE Default having been made by the herein referenced Grantees in the terms of that certain Vendor’s Lien Deed executed on March 5, 2018 by Shelby E. Young and April L. Young, as Grantees to GoSam LLC., an Alabama Limited Liability Company, as Grantor which said Vendor’s Lien Deed was recorded in the Office of the Judge of Probate, Mobile County, Alabama, in Real Property Book LR7670, Page 1852, and default continuing under said Vendor’s Lien Deed, by virtue of and pursuant to the power of sale contained in said Vendor’s Lien, the following described real property will be sold at public outcry, for cash, to the highest bidder, in front of the North entrance of the Courthouse of said County, located at 205 Government Street, Mobile, Alabama 36644, during the legal hours of sale, on December 5, 2018. Lot 5 as per plat of ASHTON PLACE, UNIT ONE as recorded in Map Book 97, Page 89, Probate Court of Mobile County, Alabama, Section 36, Township 4 South, Range 4 West; Together with one (1) 1995 Cavalier mobile home, Model #52X14, 2FK, VIN: ALCA0595252S23997. Said sale is made for the purpose of paying said Vendor’s Lien debt and costs of foreclosure. GoSam, LLC. Holder of said Vendor’s Lien WILLIAM B. JACKSON, II STOKES & CLINTON, P.C. Attorneys for Lienholder Post Office Box 991801 Mobile, Alabama 36691 (251) 460-2400 Lagniappe HD Oct. 31, Nov 7, 14, 2018
POSTPONEMENT MORTGAGE FORECLOSURE Default having been made in the payment of the indebtedness secured by that certain mortgage executed by Ruth K. McIntosh and Herbert Hoover McIntosh, originally in favor of Genworth Financial Home Equity Access, Inc., fka Liberty Reverse Mortgage, Inc., on the 29th day of April, 2009, said mortgage recorded in the Office of the Judge of Probate of Mobile County, Alabama, in Book 6529, Page 203; the undersigned Liberty Home Equity Solutions, Inc., as Mortgagee/Transferee, under and by virtue of the power of sale contained in said mortgage, will sell at public outcry to the highest bidder for cash, in front of the main entrance of the Courthouse at Mobile, Mobile County, Alabama, on April 12, 2018, during the legal hours of sale, all of its right, title, and interest in and to the following described real estate, situated in Mobile County, Alabama, to-wit: Lot 16, Block 1, Summerville Place, as recorded in Map Book 3, Page 632, in the Office of the Judge of Probate, Mobile County, Alabama. The hereinabove described property being one and the same as described in mortgage recorded in Book 6529 and Page 203 and deed recorded in Book 5329 and Page 1011. Property street address for informational purposes: 2308 Holland St, Mobile, AL 36617 THIS PROPERTY WILL BE SOLD ON AN “AS IS, WHERE IS” BASIS, SUBJECT TO ANY EASEMENTS, ENCUMBRANCES, AND EXCEPTIONS REFLECTED IN THE MORTGAGE AND THOSE CONTAINED IN THE RECORDS OF THE OFFICE OF THE JUDGE OF PROBATE OF THE COUNTY WHERE THE ABOVEDESCRIBED PROPERTY IS SITUATED. THIS PROPERTY WILL BE SOLD WITHOUT WARRANTY OR RECOURSE, EXPRESSED OR IMPLIED AS TO TITLE, USE AND/OR ENJOYMENT AND WILL BE SOLD SUBJECT TO THE RIGHT OF REDEMPTION OF ALL PARTIES ENTITLED THERETO. Alabama law gives some persons who have an interest in property the right to redeem the property under certain circumstances. Programs may also exist that help persons avoid or delay the foreclosure process. An attorney should be consulted to help you understand these rights and programs as a part of the foreclosure process. This sale is made for the purpose of paying the indebtedness secured by said mortgage, as well as the expenses of foreclosure. The successful bidder must tender a non-refundable deposit of Five Thousand Dollars ($5,000.00) in certified funds made payable to Sirote & Permutt, P.C. at the time and place of the sale. The balance of the purchase price must be paid in certified funds by noon the next business day at the Law Office of Sirote & Permutt, P.C. at the address indicated below. Sirote & Permutt, P.C. reserves the right to award the bid to the next highest bidder should the highest bidder fail to timely tender the total amount due. The Mortgagee/Transferee reserves the right to bid for and purchase the real estate and to credit its purchase price against the expenses of sale and the indebtedness secured by the real estate. This sale is subject to postponement or cancellation. Liberty Home Equity Solutions, Inc., Mortgagee/Transferee The above mortgage foreclosure sale has been postponed until 05/17/2018 during the legal hours of sale in front of the main entrance of the courthouse in the City of Mobile, Mobile County, Alabama. The above mortgage foreclosure sale has been postponed until 06/21/2018 during the legal hours of sale in front of the main entrance of the courthouse in the City of Mobile,
Mobile County, Alabama. The above mortgage foreclosure sale has been postponed until 08/24/2018 during the legal hours of sale in front of the main entrance of the courthouse in the City of Mobile, Mobile County, Alabama. The above mortgage foreclosure sale has been postponed until 10/26/2018 during the legal hours of sale in front of the main entrance of the courthouse in the City of Mobile, Mobile County, Alabama. The above mortgage foreclosure sale has been postponed until 11/30/2018 during the legal hours of sale in front of the main entrance of the courthouse in the City of Mobile, Mobile County, Alabama. Ginny Rutledge SIROTE & PERMUTT, P.C. P. O. Box 55727 Birmingham, AL 35255-5727 Attorney for Mortgagee/Transferee www.sirote.com/foreclosures 422922
Lagniappe HD Nov. 7, 2018
CIRCUIT DIVORCE
IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF MOBILE COUNTY ALABAMA DOMESTIC RELATIONS DIVISION NOTICE OF DIVORCE ACTION CASE NO. 02-DR-2018-901225.00H ZEINAB HAMADE, Plaintiff vs. ALI HAMADE, DEFENDANT ALI HAMADE (Defendant), whose whereabouts is unknown, must answer the plaintiff’s Petition for Divorce and other relief by DECEMBER 17, 2018 or, thereafter, a Judgment by Default may be rendered against him/her in the above styled case. The defendant’s written answer must be filed with the Court and a copy mailed to the plaintiff’s attorney of record at the address provided below. Done this 11th day of October, 2018. JoJo Schwarzauer, Circuit Clerk Attorney: Alison Baxter Herlihy P.O. Box 1385 Mobile, AL 36633 Phone: 251-432-7909 Lagniappe HD Oct. 24, 31, Nov. 7, 14, 2018
COMPLAINT IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF MOBILE COUNTY, ALABAMA CASE NO: CV-2018-902377 DONALD HOLMES, Plaintiff vs. CATHERINE HOLMES WILLIAMS, Defendant LEGAL NOTICE NOTICE to Defendant of a Complaint issued out of the Circuit Court of Mobile County, Alabama. Donald Holmes, by and through his Attorney John T. Bender, Civil Case Number: CV-2018-902377. NOTICE is given that on September 18, 2018, the above-named Plaintiff, filed this cause of action against said Defendant Catherine Holmes Williams to obtain an Order Granting Partition by Sale from the Court the following described real property: Lot 21, of F.D. Richardson Heights Subdivision, according to plat thereof recorded in Map Book 86, page 92, of the records in the Office of the Judge of Probate of Mobile County, Alabama. This notice is published pursuant to Section 35-6-20 et seq., of the Code of Alabama, 1975. Any persons claiming any future, contingent, reversionary, remainder or other interest therein must respond to the Complaint within 30 days after the date of the last publication of this notice, by serving a copy of your answer, either admitting or denying the allegations in said Complaint; to John T. Bender, Attorney for Plaintiff, whose address is 718 Downtowner Blvd., Mobile, Alabama 36609, and failing to answer within said time, a default may be entered against you as determined by the court for the relief demanded by the Plaintiff. You must also file your Answer with the Clerk of the Court by such date. This publication shall be made in the Lagniappe Newspaper, published in Mobile County, Alabama, for four (4) consecutive weeks. WITNESS my hand this the 26th day of October, 2018. /s/ JoJo Schwarzauer Attest: JoJoSchwarzauer Clerk of Circuit Court of Mobile County, Alabama John T. Bender, Attorney for Plaintiff McFadden, Rouse & Bender, LLC 718 Downtowner Boulevard Mobile, AL 36609 (251) 342-9172 johnt@mrbattorneys.com
NO. D-202-CV-2017-00497 RIO GRANDE CREDIT UNION, Plaintiff, V. LARRY J. JOHNSON and RHONDA L. JOHNSON, Husband and Wife, Jointly and Severally, Defendants. NOTICE OF PENDENCY OF ACTION THE STATE OF NEW MEXICO TO THE FOLLOWING NAMED OR DESIGNATED DEFENDANT: RHONDA L. JOHNSON GREETINGS DEFENDANT(S): You are hereby notified that Rio Grande Credit Union, as Plaintiff, has filed an action in the Second Judicial District Court of Bernalillo County, New Mexico, and wherein the said Plaintiff seeks to obtain constructive service of process upon you. The general object of said action is: First Amended Civil Complaint for Deficiency Balance Due You are further notified that unless you serve a pleading or motion in response to the complaint in said cause on or before thirty (30) days after the last publication date, judgment will be entered against you. The name and post office address of the Attorneys for the Plaintiff is as follows: Aldridge, Hammar, Wexler & Bradley, P.A.., 1212 Pennsylvania, NE, Albuquerque, New Mexico 87110. WITNESS the Honorable Valerie Huling, District Judge of the Second Judicial District Court of the State of New Mexico, and the seal of the District Court of Bernalillo County on 8/29/2018, 2018. JAMES A. NOEL CLERK OF THE DISTRICT COURT By Patricia Serna. Deputy Lagniappe HD Oct. 31, Nov. 7, 14, 2018
PROBATE NOTICE OF COURT PROCEEDING October 16, 2018 Case No. 2018-0407 IN THE PROBATE COURT OF MOBILE COUNTY, ALABAMA Estate of LAWRENCE PIERCE, Deceased On to-wit the 3rd day of December, 2018 at 9:30 AM in COURTROOM 1, THIRD FLOOR, Mobile County Government Center Annex, 151 Government Street the court will proceed to consider the Petition to Probate the Last Will and Testament of Lawrence Pierce as filed by DIANNA MARSHAY PIERCE. NOTICE is hereby given to all parties in interest, specifically KIMBERLY PIERCE, MICHAEL PIERCE, BOBBY PIERCE, who may appear and contest same or file a proper responsive pleading thereto if they then think proper. DON DAVIS, Judge of Probate. Attorney Name and Address: JOHN DAVID BRADY JR., 3800 Airport Blvd Ste. 203 Mobile, AL 36608 Lagniappe HD Oct. 31, Nov. 7, 14, 21, 2018
NOTICE OF ESTATE ADMINISTRATION PROBATE COURT OF MOBILE COUNTY, ALABAMA Estate of: MARY S. ZURALES, Deceased Case No. 2018-2048 Take notice that Letters Testamentary have been granted to the below named party on the 23rd day of October, 2018 by the Honorable Don Davis, Judge of Probate of Mobile County Probate Court, Alabama and that all parties having claims against said estate should file the same with the Probate Court of said county within the time allowed by law, or they will be barred. PAMELA Z. KARAGAN as Executrix under the last will and testament of MARY S. ZURALES, Deceased. Attorney of Record: LESLIE G. WEEKS Lagniappe HD Oct. 31, Nov. 7, 14, 2018
NOTICE OF ESTATE ADMINISTRATION PROBATE COURT OF MOBILE COUNTY, ALABAMA Estate of: AMANDA MARCIA LEWIS Case No. 2018-1568 Take notice that Letters of Administration have been granted to the below named party on the 15th day of October, 2018 by the Honorable Don Davis, Judge of Probate of Mobile County Probate Court, Alabama and that all parties having claims against said estate should file the same with the Probate Court of said county within the time allowed by law, or they will be barred. DIANA MARIE NELSON as Administratrix of the estate of AMANDA MARCIA LEWIS, deceased. Attorney of Record: RUTH R. LICHTENFELD, Esq. Lagniappe HD Oct. 24, 31, Nov. 7, 2018
Lagniappe HD Oct. 31, Nov.7, 14, 21, 2018
NOTICE OF ESTATE ADMINISTRATION
SECOND JUDICIAL DISTRICT COURT
PROBATE COURT OF MOBILE COUNTY, ALABAMA Estate of: BENJAMIN LEE MOORE Case No. 2018-1559 Take notice that Letters of Administration have been granted to the below named party on the 16th day of October,
NOTICE OF PENDENCY ACTION STATE OF NEW MEXICO COUNTY OF BERNALILLO SECOND JUDICIAL DISTRICT COURT
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2018 by the Honorable Don Davis, Judge of Probate of Mobile County Probate Court, Alabama and that all parties having claims against said estate should file the same with the Probate Court of said county within the time allowed by law, or they will be barred. BENJAMIN JOSEPH MOORE as Administrator of the estate of BENJAMIN LEE MOORE, deceased. Attorney of Record: IAN A. BRENDEL, Esq. Lagniappe HD Oct. 24, 31, Nov. 7, 2018
NOTICE OF ESTATE ADMINISTRATION PROBATE COURT OF MOBILE COUNTY, ALABAMA Estate of: DEBORAH CLARKE HOLLINGSWORTH A/K/A DEBORAH RUTH HOLLINGSWORTH Case No. 2018-1929 Take notice that Letters of Administration have been granted to the below named party on the 15th day of October, 2018 by the Honorable Don Davis, Judge of Probate of Mobile County Probate Court, Alabama and that all parties having claims against said estate should file the same with the Probate Court of said county within the time allowed by law, or they will be barred. TOMMY HOLLINGSWORTH as Administrator of the estate of DEBORAH CLARKE HOLLINGSWORTH A/K/A DEBORAH RUTH HOLLINGSWORTH, deceased. Attorney of Record: CHARLES J. POTTS, Esq. Lagniappe HD Oct. 24, 31, Nov. 7, 2018
NOTICE OF ESTATE ADMINISTRATION PROBATE COURT OF MOBILE COUNTY, ALABAMA Estate of: LEO E. JACKSON, Deceased Case No. 2018-2004 Take notice that Letters Testamentary have been granted to the below named party on the 15th day of October, 2018 by the Honorable Don Davis, Judge of Probate of Mobile County Probate Court, Alabama and that all parties having claims against said estate should file the same with the Probate Court of said county within the time allowed by law, or they will be barred. KENNETH KARL JACKSON as Executor under the last will and testament of LEO E. JACKSON, Deceased. Attorney of Record: PATRICK B. COLLINS Lagniappe HD Oct. 24, 31, Nov. 7, 2018
NOTICE OF ESTATE ADMINISTRATION PROBATE COURT OF MOBILE COUNTY, ALABAMA Estate of: JOANN ADRIANNE SMITH Case No. 2017-2283 Take notice that Letters of Administration have been granted to the below named party on the 29th day of October, 2018 by the Honorable Don Davis, Judge of Probate of Mobile County Probate Court, Alabama and that all parties having claims against said estate should file the same with the Probate Court of said county within the time allowed by law, or they will be barred. JOEL STEVEN SMITH as Administrator of the estate of JOANN ADRIANNE SMITH, deceased. Attorney of Record: DEENA R. TYLER, Esq. Lagniappe HD Nov. 7, 14, 21, 2018
NOTICE OF ESTATE ADMINISTRATION PROBATE COURT OF MOBILE COUNTY, ALABAMA Estate of: LOUISE ELLIS OSWALT, Deceased Case No. 2018-2105 Take notice that Letters Testamentary have been granted to the below named party on the 1st day of November, 2018 by the Honorable Don Davis, Judge of Probate of Mobile County Probate Court, Alabama and that all parties having claims against said estate should file the same with the Probate Court of said county within the time allowed by law, or they will be barred. G. COLEMAN OSWALT JR. as Executor under the last will and testament of LOUISE ELLIS OSWALT, Deceased. Attorney of Record: ROBERT H. ROUSE Lagniappe HD Nov. 7, 14, 21, 2018
PUBLIC NOTICE A BILL TO BE ENTITLED AN ACT STATE OF ALABAMA COUNTY OF MOBILE Notice is hereby given that a bill as described in the synopsis below will be introduced in the 2019 Regular Session of the Legislature of Alabama and application for its passage and enactment will be made: A BILL TO BE ENTITLED AN ACT SYNOPSIS: Relating to Mobile County; to abolish the office of constable at the end of the current term of office, or upon a vacancy occurring in the office for any reason. Lagniappe HD Nov. 7, 14, 21,28, 2018
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED AN ACT STATE OF ALABAMA COUNTY OF MOBILE Notice is hereby given that a bill as described in the synopsis below will be introduced in the 2019 Regular Session of the Legislature of Alabama and application for its passage and enactment will be made: A BILL TO BE ENTITLED AN ACT SYNOPSIS: Relating to Mobile County; to amend Section XI and Section XV of Act No. 470, H. 952 of the 1939 Regular Session (Acts 1939, p. 298), as amended, which creates and establishes the countywide Civil Service System in Mobile County; to provide for midrange pay for certain initial employees and a minimum number of eligible persons for initial applicants for certain positions. Lagniappe HD Nov. 7, 14, 21, 28, 2018
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED AN ACT STATE OF ALABAMA COUNTY OF MOBILE Notice is hereby given that a bill as described in the synopsis below will be introduced in the 2019 Regular Session of the Legislature of Alabama and application for its passage and enactment will be made: A BILL TO BE ENTITLED AN ACT SYNOPSIS: Relating to Class 2 municipalities; to amend Section 32-13-6, Code of Alabama 1975; to provide that any Class 2 municipality which maintains an impound facility and sells its motor vehicles at public auction shall retain the proceeds from the sale in the general fund of the municipality. Lagniappe HD Nov. 7, 14, 21, 28, 2018
ADVERTISEMENT FOR BIDS LEGAL NOTICE INVITATION TO BID CHARTER BUS SERVICES AS NEEDED UNTIL 12/31/2019 Sealed Proposals will be received by the Board of School Commissioners of Mobile County, AL at its offices located in the Purchasing Department, 1 Magnum Pass, Mobile, AL 36618 until the day of Friday, November 16, 2018 at 2:00 P.M., then publicly opened and read aloud. Bid forms and specifications can be found on the Mobile County School System’s website: purchasing.mcpss.com or a copy can be picked up in the Purchasing Office, 1 Magnum Pass Mobile, AL 36618 from the hours of 8:00 A.M. – 4:00 P.M. Mon.-Fri. Should you have any questions, please call Rhonda Williams at (251) 221-4473. BID ON: CHARTER BUS SERVICES – AS NEEDED UNTIL12/31/2019 BID #18-88 BID DATE: FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 16, 2018 @ 2:00 P.M. Lagniappe HD Nov. 7, 14, 2018
ADVERTISEMENT FOR BIDS Project: Innovation PortAL 358 St. Louis Street Mobile, AL 36602 Owner: Mobile Area Chamber of Commerce Foundation, Inc. 451 Government Street Mobile, AL 36602 – 2319 Separate sealed BIDS from General Contractors for the construction of Innovation Portal per plans and specifications will be received by the Mobile Area Chamber of Commerce Foundation, Inc, at the 451 Government Street address until 3:00 pm CST on Tuesday, November 27, 2018 and then at said office publicly opened and read aloud. The Scope of work includes: Demolition, Sitework, Renovation and New Construction. The project is an approximately 29,000 square foot new business incubator facility to occupy a full block in downtown Mobile, Alabama. About half the building area is renovation and half is new construction. The BID DOCUMENTS may be examined at the Mobile Area Chamber of Commerce, 451 Government Street address. A digital version of the BID DOCUMENTS, at no charge, and printed documents for purchase, can be obtained from Southern Reprographics, 924 Butler Drive, Mobile AL 36693, (251)665-7170. A PRE-BID conference will be held on Wednesday, October 31, 2018 at 1:00 CST at the Mobile Area Chamber of Commerce, 451 Government Street address. Bid requirements include: BIDDERS LIST. General Contractors must submit a bid deposit of $250 to the offices of the Architect, Giattina Aycock Architecture Studio, 2625 5th Avenue North, Building C, Bessemer, AL 35020 to be included on the BIDDERS LIST. Companies on the Bidders list will receive addenda and be kept apprised of changes. Deposits will be refunded at the conclusion of the bidding. The project will be partially funded with federal funds from the US Department of Commerce, Economic Development Administration (EDA) and be therefore subject to federal laws and regulations associated with the program. Federal Procurement Standards will prevail if any conflict arises with provisions described. EDA Investment @04-79-07143 Lagniappe HD Oct. 24, 31, Nov. 7, 14, 21, 2018
LAGNIAPPE LEGALS | 251.450-4466 | legals@lagniappemobile.com STORAGE AUCTIONS NOTICE OF SALE In accordance with Alabama Law, notice is hereby given that Magnolia Self Storage, 5010 Moffett Road Mobile, AL 36618 will conduct a public lien sale or dispose of the contents of the following units to pay rent and other charges due. Call 251-343-7867 with questions. The sale will be held on Wednesday November 28, 2018 at 11:00 am. B-029 Tanisha Payne 1413 Forest Dale Drive Mobile AL 36618 Furniture C-147 Michael Payne 2052 Clement Street Mobile AL 36617 Stove, Washer, Clothes C-092 Deidra Crum 4532 Kings Mill Road Eight Mile AL 36613 Furniture, Totes, Misc. F-074 Natasha Edwards 381 Dunbar Street Mobile AL 36603 Furniture, Boxes, Misc. G-093 Irma Shearls 4035 Holleman Drive Mobile AL 36618 Boxes, Misc. H-029 Joseph Thornton 6655 Overlook Road Mobile AL 36618 Furniture, Boxes, Misc. H-049 Naomi King P. O. Box 662 Butler AL 36904 Appliances, Furniture, Misc. H-064 Teresa Gildersleeve 1809 Princeton Woods Drive W Mobile AL 36618 Toybox/Chair J-063 Kenisha Coleman 2535 Bataan Ave Mobile AL 36617 Furniture, Boxes, Misc. Lagniappe HD Nov. 7, 14, 2018
ABANDONED VEHICLES NOTICE OF SALE The following unclaimed vehicle(s) will be sold on December 07, 2018 - Time - 12pm, if not claimed - at 7960 Two Mile Rd., Irvington, AL 36544. 2005 Mazda 6 1YVFP80C355M23786 2005 Ford F150 1FTPX14505KE73608 1991 Toyota Celica JT2AT86F1M0044285 1996 Nissan Altima 1N4BU31D5TC162182 2012 Toyota 4Runner JTEZU5JRXC5043009 2002 Honda CRV JHLRD68412C002043 2015 Ford Focus 1FADP3F25FL317325 2014 Jeep Patriot 1C4NJPBA7ED541290 2008 Chrysler Sebring 1C3LC65M98N101897 Lagniappe HD Oct. 31, Nov. 7, 2018
The following unclaimed vehicle(s) will be sold on December 07, 2018 - Time - 12pm, if not claimed - at 212 Bessemer Ave., Prichard, AL 36610. 2002 Chevrolet Silverado 1GCGC13U92F220702 Lagniappe HD Oct. 31, Nov. 7, 2018
The following unclaimed vehicle(s) will be sold on December 07, 2018 - Time - 12pm, if not claimed - at 8295 Morphy Ave., Fairhope, AL 36532. 1994 Toyota Celica JT2ST07N3R0010092 Lagniappe HD Oct. 31, Nov. 7, 2018
The following unclaimed vehicle(s) will be sold on December 07, 2018 - Time - 12pm, if not claimed - at 106 Martin Luther King Dr., Prichard, AL 36610. 2003 Chevrolet S10 1GCDT13X23K153687 2002 Chevrolet Blazer 1GNCS13W62K141683 Lagniappe HD Oct. 31, Nov. 7, 2018
The following unclaimed vehicle(s) will be sold on December 07, 2018 - Time - 12pm, if not claimed - at 11375 Whitehouse Fork Rd Ext., Bay Minette, AL 36507. 1999 Honda CMX250 JH2MC1301XK500054 Lagniappe HD Oct. 31, Nov. 7, 2018
The following unclaimed vehicle(s) will be sold on December 07, 2018 - Time - 12pm, if not claimed - at 900 Graymont Dr., Mobile, AL 36609. 1994 Chevrolet Caprice 1G1BN52W9RR183764 Lagniappe HD Oct. 31, Nov. 7, 2018
The following unclaimed vehicle(s) will be sold on December 07, 2018 - Time - 12pm, if not claimed - at 19410 Saint Stephens Rd., Mount Vernon, AL 36560. 2008 Chrysler Aspen 1A8HX58248F124906
Lagniappe HD Oct. 31, Nov. 7, 2018
The following unclaimed vehicle(s) will be sold on December 07, 2018 - Time - 12pm, if not claimed - at 5662 Cottage Hill Rd., Mobile, AL 36609. 2008 Chevrolet Silverado 2GCEC13C081173509 Lagniappe HD Oct. 31, Nov. 7, 2018
The following unclaimed vehicle(s) will be sold on December 07, 2018 - Time - 12pm, if not claimed - at 1604 Union St., Mobile, AL 36617. 2006 Nissan Altima 1N4AL11D16C268023 Lagniappe HD Oct. 31, Nov. 7, 2018
The following unclaimed vehicle(s) will be sold on December 14, 2018 - Time - 12pm, if not claimed - at 3351 Dauphin Island Parkway, Mobile, AL 36605. 2005 BMW 645CI WBAEK734X5B328915 2009 Ford Mustang 1ZVHT80N395111241 2007 Ford Mustang 1ZVHT82H575255927 Lagniappe HD Nov. 7, 14, 2018
The following unclaimed vehicle(s) will be sold on December 14, 2018 - Time - 12pm, if not claimed - at 1015 E I-65 Service Rd S., Mobile, AL 36606. 2012 Nissan Sentra 3N1AB6AP6CL647431 Lagniappe HD Nov. 7, 14, 2018
The following unclaimed vehicle(s) will be sold on December 14, 2018 - Time -12pm, if not claimed - at 1111 Oakdale Ave., Mobile, AL 36605. 2013 Chevrolet Impala 2G1WG5E39D1211268 Lagniappe HD Nov. 7, 14, 2018
The following unclaimed vehicle(s) will be sold on December 14, 2018 - Time - 12pm, if not claimed - at 507 Mill St., Mobile, AL 36607. 2002 Chevrolet Suburban 1GNEC16Z22J155629
The following unclaimed vehicle(s) will be sold on December 14, 2018 - Time -12pm, if not claimed - at 3916 St Stephens Rd., Eight Mile, AL 36613. 2006 Dodge Charger 2B3LA53H66H450914 Lagniappe HD Nov. 7, 14, 2018
The following unclaimed vehicle(s) will be sold on December 14, 2018 - Time - 12pm, if not claimed - at 652 Live Oak St., Apt A., Mobile, AL 36603. 1996 Nissan Pathfinder JN8AR05S0TW044431 Lagniappe HD Nov. 7, 14, 2018
The following unclaimed vehicle(s) will be sold on December 14, 2018 - Time -12pm, if not claimed - at 2053 Barretts Lane, Mobile, AL 36617. 2004 Mercedes S430 WDBNG70J64A414935 2000 Ford F250 1FTNW21F7YEB72446 Lagniappe HD Nov. 7, 14, 2018
The following unclaimed vehicle(s) will be sold on December 14, 2018 - Time -12pm, if not claimed - at 1616 St Stephens Rd, Mobile, AL 36603. 2010 BMW 328I WBAPH7G58ANM49817 Lagniappe HD Nov. 7, 14, 2018
The following unclaimed vehicle(s) will be sold on December 14, 2018 - Time - 12pm, if not claimed - at 7960 Two Mile Rd., Irvington, AL 36544. 1999 Toyota Camry 4T1BG22K4XU426402 2000 Dodge Durango 1B4HR28Y4YF212873 2015 Nissan Versa 3N1CN7AP1FL927056 2003 Saturn L200 1G8JU54F13Y552272
Lagniappe HD Nov. 7, 14, 2018
These abandon vehicles will be sold on 12/18/2018 at 5781 Three Notch Rd Mobile Al. 36619 at 9am if not redeemed before then. HONA 4S6CK58W6X4414600 CHEV 1G1ND52J73M517329 LEXU JT8GK13T3R0067109 CHEV 1G1AK12F157632311 LINC 5LMFU27R04LJ19288 CHEV 2GCEC19T811117461 JAG SAJEA51D33XD19281 NISS 1N6ED26T0YC413826 ISUZ 4S2CK58WXW4319862 HYUN KMHDN46D24U707955 VOLK WVWYH63B92E006106 LINC 1LNLM81W1TY602264 DOGD 2B4FP25B7YR899076 FORD 1FMYU60E61UA59923 MITS 4A3AA46G73E053568 TOYO 4T1BE32K62U007228 Lagniappe HD Nov. 7, 14, 2018
Lagniappe HD Nov. 7, 14, 2018
The following unclaimed vehicle(s) will be sold on December 14, 2018 - Time - 12pm, if not claimed - at 675 Donald St., Mobile, AL 36617. 2005 Chevrolet Avalanche 3GNEC12Z75G174530
Deadline for legal advertising in Lagniappe HD is every Monday at 5 p.m.
Lagniappe HD Nov. 7, 14, 2018
Lagniappe HD is distributed
The following unclaimed vehicle(s) will be sold on December 14, 2018 - Time -12pm, if not claimed - at 2450 Government St., Mobile, AL 36606. 2007 Dodge Nitro 1D8GU28K27W529219
each Thursday.
Lagniappe HD Nov. 7, 14, 2018
The following unclaimed vehicle(s) will be sold on December 14, 2018 - Time - 12pm, if not claimed - at 11590 Grand Meadows Dr S., Grand Bay, AL 36541. 2003 Jeep Liberty 1J4GK48KX3W513192
Lagniappe HD offices
704 Government St.,
Lagniappe HD Nov. 7, 14, 2018
Mobile, AL 36602.
The following unclaimed vehicle(s) will be sold on December 14, 2018 - Time - 12pm, if not claimed - at 5561 Wilmer Rd., Wilmer, AL 36587. 2002 Chevrolet Impala 2G1WF52E029381851
For more information or to place your ad call Jackie at
Lagniappe HD Nov. 7, 14, 2018
The following unclaimed vehicle(s) will be sold on December 14, 2018 - Time - 12pm, if not claimed - at 6500 McCrary Rd Ext Lot 14, Semmes, AL 36575. 1989 Chevrolet GMT-400 2GCDC14Z3K1221364
are located at
251-450-4466. Or email at
legals@lagniappemobile.com
Lagniappe HD Nov. 7, 14, 2018
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