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From Vacant to Vibrant
Many people in Mississippi put significant effort into successfully reviving downtown areas and making them welcoming places. But to get downtown, people often have to drive past worn-out, unoccupied strip malls overgrown with weeds.
[Herman's Picks] Vol. 7, No. 27
The week of the St. Paddy's Parade is, without question, the biggest party of the year in downtown Jackson. Every venue close to downtown joins in the spring celebration with all manner of music.
Home Cookin'—Tuscan Style
Here's what you need to do, just as soon as you've read this interview with former Jacksonian Elaine Trigiani—call up The Everyday Gourmet at 601-977-9258 and Bravo! at 601-982-8111 to find out how to get yourself on their e-mail lists. That way, you'll be among the first in town to get the news of her next hands-on cooking class or olive oil seminar or Tuscan food feast.
[Music] They Are Family
It's a tradition for the Taylor Grocery Band to eat at Moe's Southwestern Grill on Sunday afternoons when they are in town to play their "electric catfish" music. The group invited me to join them for their usual Sunday lunch before they journeyed back to their homes near Oxford.
What a Difference a Week Makes
May marked the first full year of the Jackson Free Press as a weekly publication, a feat that we were excited to dive into last summer and, now more than 50 issues later, we're very glad that we did.
McMillin's Moonlighting Means Merger?
Photos by Adam Lynch
Could 13 be the city's lucky number? Jackson Mayor Frank Melton named Sheriff Malcolm McMillin as the city's chief of police—the 13th chief to hold the seat since 1988. McMillin said he will assume the role immediately, but added that he will also retain his job as sheriff of Hinds County.
Police Have Suspect in 'Miracle' Shooting
Hinds County Sheriff and interim Jackson Police Chief Malcolm McMillin has named convicted felon Michael Allen as the suspect in the Dec. 1 shooting of Jackson business owner Donnie Register. Register, owner of The Antique Market in Fondren, made national headlines, shielding his head from a bullet allegedly fired by Allen. The bullet ricocheted off Register's wedding band and sent fragments into his hand and neck, potentially saving him from a fatal head wound.
Town Hall Meeting in Jackson Tonight
Rep. Bennie Thompson, Mississippi's Democratic congressman from the state's Second Congressional District, will host a town-hall meeting in Jackson tonight. The meeting, providing an opportunity for constituents to get their questions answered about the health-care reform measures being debated in the U.S. Congress, begins at 6:30 p.m. at the Stringer Grand Lodge, 1072 J.R. Lynch St. in Jackson.
Gas is Giving Me Heartburn
This morning, I paid more than $52 to buy 3/4 of a tank of gas. Lucky for me that I live in Mississippi instead of San Francisco, where the cost of regular topped $4 per gallon this week. But the end isn't in sight, and despite the general outcry over the astronomical profits of the corporate oil giants, gas prices continue to climb. People are paying more than $100 to fill up their SUVs.
The Reel Oxford
Every year, Oxford, Miss., holds a festival that reels filmmakers and movie buffs into a uniquely authentic southern experience. One can see firsthand William Faulkner's and other extraordinary Mississippi artists' inspirations. Faulkner and those Mississippi creative whizzes found their voices in the tranquil setting of one of the most picturesque parts of the Deep South.
Tell Me the Truth, JoAnne
If nobody e-mails any questions to me (see below) or gives me any when they see me around town, I have two choices: (1) harass friends, neighbors and total strangers to think up questions, or (2) make them up myself. I'll harass almost anybody anywhere before I resort to the second option.
[Fly] Up And Away
Holiday playlists stuck on shuffle, and the thought of braving mall madness with its manufactured cheer, can be enough to make you want to fly far, far, away. So go already.
Weekend Planning Headquarters
If you're planning for the weekend, make sure to check out these events:
* The Eudora Welty Tribute Concert tonight, with Claire Holley, Mary Chapin Carpenter, Kate Campbell and Caroline Herring.
Wake Up Jackson Meeting Sunday, July 8
I look forward to seeing you.
There will be an informal meeting on Sunday, July 8th, at the Metrocenter Food Court from 3:00 to 5:00. This will give members a chance to get to know each other, and interested parties can ask questions or make suggestions. I will also be handing out business cards that you can give to friends and neighbors.
David Hoskins
David Hoskins is used to getting strange questions. As the reference librarian at the Eudora Welty Public Library, he is the go-to guy for research materials and assistance.
Your Grid or Mine?
<i>Jackson Designers Push 'New Urbanism'</i>
Turn off U.S. 51 onto Hoy Road in Madison, toward the reservoir, and drive past a number of bland gated communities until the gravel ends and you're on dirt. Keep going through the trees, under a Natchez Trace bridge, through more trees—and, suddenly, you'll emerge at a clearing near the water. In that clearing (assuming I had my bearings right) will one day be the business district of Lost Rabbit, a "town" planned for this stretch of about 260 acres of this land. Right now, it's muddy, with water lapping the shore, two-by-fours and building materials (and fast food trash) scattered as if construction workers had skedaddled after sighting a gator.
Inherit the Flame
I haven't written much over the years about the man I like to think of as my "real father." Maybe it's too painful.
Hate Is as Hate Does
"So when is the Southern Poverty Law Center going to file a lawsuit against the man who killed Mr. Patel?" This was only one of many comments I've seen since James Anderson died under the wheels of a big truck.
Open Ward 2 Race Brings Competing Solutions
In the wake of Ward 2 Councilman Leslie McLemore's decision not to seek re-election, eight candidates are vying to replace him. They offer similar views of the ward's needs but disparate visions of how to address them.
31 Pounds of Cheese
When most people bust out statistics like "the average American eats more than 31 pounds of cheese each year"—give or take a few pounds, depending on your source and the year—they are generally mourning the state of nutrition in this country and hoping to warn consumers of the havoc they are wreaking upon their bodies with their poor diets. Lunch Lady concedes the point, but she is not a pot to call the kettle black, and is therefore not here to do that to you.