A recycled neighborhood - Cooper

Transcription

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VOLU M E xix, N U M B E R VI i I
w w w.cooper young.org
C o o p e r -Yo u n g — M a n y Vo i c e s , O n e C o m m u n i t y
GREEN CITY
Cooper-Young:
A recycled
neighborhood
COU RTN EY M I LLE R SANTO
Reduce, reuse, recycle. After nearly twenty
years, the holy trinity of green living is a
reflexive part of the public’s lexicon.
Green-minded folks easily apply the three Rs
to things: soda cans, cardboard, newspapers,
etc. But shouldn’t they apply the same strategy
to the use of larger, more substantial items—
like land?
Environmental planner Nate Ferguson,
thinks they should. He’s developed a curriculum to teach young people how reducing
the amount of land cities use, reusing
buildings and encouraging the recycling of
land and neighborhoods will increase the
sustainability of a community. Using these
familiar terms, instead of planning jargon like
sprawl, adaptive reuse, and infill, increases
understanding about another of the world’s
limited resources.
“The process toward achieving true urban
sustainability requires the complete reduction
in the amount of land required to support the
modern city, a process that implies an
alteration of how we think about and live in
cities,” says Nate.
An unbridled consumption of land has
left Memphis littered with throwaway
communities. In the last 100 years, the city
has added more than 100 square miles in
land and some pockets of the city have
boomed quickly and then busted. Today
abandoned homes, vacant lots and underutilized plots are abundant in all quadrants of
city’s more than 300 square miles.
All this building activity comes with an environmental cost. According to the U.S. Department of Energy, new home construction
consumes two-fifths of all lumber and
plywood used in the United States, and a
typical 1700 square foot wood frame home
requires the equivalent of clear cutting one
acre of forest.
“While many of us drive through these
areas cringing, we should in celebrate the
virtual tabula rasa they offer those who are
able to look beyond the current condition of
the neighborhood and envision what could,
perhaps should, be,” says Nate.
Continued on page 14
May 2008
LampLighter 1
Goodbye Galloway
Meetings
inside
6
May 13 at 6:30 p.m. at the
community offices at 2298 Young
Ave. This month’s meeting features a
Galloway United Methodist Church
Do It Yourself Workshop from Energy
is merging its organization with St.
Luke’s United Methodist Church on Highland
CYCA General
Meeting
Smart Memphis by MLG&W. This one
Street, selling its building in Cooper-Young, and
and a half hour workshop will begin
starting a new 501c3. The church will continue to
at 6:30 p.m. and participants will
have a presence in the neighborhood, but it will
receive a free weatherization kit (one
do so without a building.
kit per household) and learn ways to
10
Decision time
reduce their energy costs.
plans for the redevelopment of the
Mid-South Fairgrounds are finally moving
forward. Mayor Willie Herenton and his staff
Energ
r ySmart
r
Memphis
After stalling out late last year,
CYCA Board Meeting
May 20 at 7 p.m. at the commu-
selected a developer for the project in late April
nity offices at 2298 Young Ave.
and released preliminary information about the
After stalling out late last year, plans for the redevelopment of the Mid-South
Fairgrounds are finally moving forward. Two developers submitted proposals to
become the master developer for the site. A decision is expected this month.
Greetings,
proposed project.
18
Peaceful night
Join celebrated author and
University of Memphis professor
I want to share that the CYCA annual Art for Art’s Sake Auction
Richard Bausch at Burke’s Book for a reading
was a great success and so much fun! If you missed it, you missed
from his eleventh novel, “Peace” on May 15 from
a great party. Thanks to all the volunteers who made it happen
5 to 7 p.m. with the reading beginning at 6 p.m.
and all that came to support the cause. This is just one of the many
Jerry Brown, our book reviewer, says of Bausch’s
great events that CYCA has to take care of business, such as
latest work, “It is a gripping novel, set in horrific
maintaining the trestle and supporting our organization.
conditions, and Bausch’s characters struggle with
Our neighborhood is so pretty in the spring with all the azaleas
the moral considerations of war all along the way.”
blooming and the trees budding. Many flowerbeds are freshly
Extras
mulched with mulch provided through the Mulch to Members. We
CYCA News . . . . . . 3
Lifelong Learning 22
are looking good. We still need to be mindful as we walk our neighborhood enjoying the
Art Auction . . . . . . 4
Pet Column . . . . . 22
beauty. If something does not look, or especially feel right, call 545-COPS.
Green Chic . . . . . . 5
Chatterbox . . . . . 23
Letter to the Editor 8
Play Review . . . . . 25
its annual planning session in January. The CYCA has always been here to promote things like
Midtown Mama . 10
TIffanys Breakfast 26
block clubs. Block clubs need to be ongoing to build strength over time and to be effective
Art Scene . . . . . . . 11
when they are truly needed. Think about joining or starting one now instead of later after
Green Chich . . . . 12
something happens on your block. Let’s get more involved and be as proactive as possible.
Theatre Scene . . . 16
CYCA is here to help you, so contact us if you need more information or help with getting your
Self Life . . . . . . . . 18
block club up and running. “Help me, help you.” Can you name the move that this is quoted?
Pilgrim Center . . . 20
Membership and safety continue to be an important focus for the CYCA board, which held
Debbie Sowell
Peabody News . . 21
CYCA Board President
email@cooperyoung.org
The LampLighter will be changing its email contact
Staff and Volunteers
Contributors
Kristy Alley, Andy Ashby, Emily Bishop, Sarah Christine
Bolton, Jerry Brown, Rich Bullington, Deborah Camp,
Denise Cox, Jon Devin, Amy Lueck, Edmund Mackey,
D. Jackson Maxwell, Sue Parker, Troyann Poulopoulos,
Yvette Rhoton, Kimberly Richardson, Carol Sanders,
Kathryn J. Selby, J.S. Smith, Debbie Sowell, Melissa
Sweazy, Tamera Walker
Founder
Editor
Layout
Business Manager
Distribution
Photographers
Ad Managers
Janet Stewart
Courtney Miller Santo
Bradley Payne
Chris McHaney
Rich Bullington
Ashle Bailey
Miriam Dolin
Chris McHaney
Debbie Sowell
Content
Ad Sales
Distribution
901-827-4797 lamplighter@cooperyoung.org
901-359-1696 ads@cooperyoung.org
901-726-4635 distribution@cooperyoung.org
Cover: Miriam Dolan
The LampLighter is published by the CYCA. The opinions and information presented here are
those of the staff and volunteers of the LampLighter and do not necessarily reflect the entire
Cooper-Young community. The LampLighter assumes no responsibility for errors or omissions.
However, we commit ourselves to providing current and accurate information.
2
LampLighter May 2008
information. We have adopted new email addresses
at our domain. To contact editorial or content, please
email lamplighter@cooperyoung.org. To contact
Cooper Young Organizations
CYCA
Maggie Cardwell
901-927-2922
info@cooperyoung.org
CYBA and CY Festival
Tamera Walker
901-276-7222
cyba@bellsouth.net
CYDC
Sutton Mora Hayes
901-272-1459
sutton_cydc@bellsouth.net
CYCA Board Officers
President
Vice-President
Secretary
Treasurer
Debbie Sowell
John Kinsey
Andy Ashby
Jason Word
billing: billing@cooperyoung.org. To contact adver-
CYCA Committee Heads
tising: ads@cooperyoung.org and for questions about
Beautification
Code Enforcement
Block Clubs
Communications
Safety Education
Festival 4-Miler
distribution contact distribution@cooperyoung.org.
Deadlines for June LampLighter
Articles, submissions: May 15
Advertising copy: May 20
Distribution beginning: June 6
Please send all articles and submissions to: lamplighter@cooperyoung.org. For advertising rate sheet,
or to submit ads electronically, please email: ads@
cooperyoung.org
Andy Ashby
Joe France
Robert Grisham
Emily Bishop
Edmund Mackey
Richard Coletta,
Michael Ham,
Alan Ray
Membership
John Kinsey
Volunteer Council Nancy Clayton
CYCA At-Large Board Members
See’Trail Mackey,
CYCA N E W S
PROPE RTY AU DIT
Between March 16 and April 15, the following individuals and families became members:
Neighborhood-wide assessment
conducted
CYCA 2008 Members
EDMUND MACKEY
The Cooper-Young Community Association will continue to acknowledge those individuals and
households who are supporting the work we do.
Evergreen Montessori School
Chris and Jill Kauker
Scott and Leslie Langston
On Saturday April 26, a dozen of your neighbors gathered to participate in the neighborhood-by-
Brett and Sharon Ammons
Dan Levin
neighbor property audit to capture the problem properties in the neighborhood. The University of
Eric Angel
Patrick Miller and Kristan Huntley
Memphis Center for Community Building and Neighborhood Action (CBANA), Memphis Division of
Nicky Banks
Trina Morant
Housing and Community Development (HCD) and the Problem Properties Collaborative (PPC) are
Shawn Bennett
Gary Murphee
partnered to collect the data on the actual blight level in Memphis neighborhoods.
Lydia Berryman
Dennis and Lisa Nicholson
Ben Boleware
Edwin and Kolleena Perry
assistance of an urban university to grassroots stakeholders, aiming to stabilize neighborhoods by
Jim and Laura Brasher
Kiah Pickering and Katie Culbreath
demanding code compliance from owners of chronic problem properties. This initiative is an
Bonnie Broom
Gina and Mike Prater
excellent example of how city and county efforts can collaborate with neighborhood action to
John and Ty Browning
Brenna Ragghianti
create and reinstate viable, healthy neighborhoods in urban settings.
John and Tara Burton
Larry and Sandra Rutledge
Neighborhood-by-Neighbor is an anti-blight project that brings the resources and technical
The goal of this project is to document blight and vacancy in our aging housing market through
Brad and Rebecca Bush
Russell and Lelia Savory
an organized inventory of all properties in violation of our city’s anti-blight housing code. The
Nick Canterucci
Erich and Tina Schroeder
neighborhood-by-neighbor survey of blight is one tool we have as a neighborhood to combat crime
Karen Capps
Ted and Kathryn Schurch
and safety issues. Cooper-Young is often heralded as an example of urban revitalization in
Doug and Vicki Carriker
The household of Schwab and Kolasinsky
Memphis; although, the community association is proud of its efforts, it is becoming increasingly
Joe Carson
Diane Shinberg and Roger White Shinberg
difficult to secure grants to further eradicate blight and safety issues.
Paul and Beverly Cooper
Mike Sidebottom
The perception is Cooper-Young is a great neighborhood: why do you need funding there are
Blair and Brandy DeWeese
Caleb Simmons
more needy neighborhoods in the city? While I conquer we are a great neighborhood, we have
Chere Doiron
Alexandra Slater
high levels of blight in large sections of CY. Don’t believe me take a stroll in our SOYO (South of
Julianna Donahue and Brad Christian
William and Susan Steppe
Young) district you will find vacant homes being used for crimes i.e. prostitution, drug use and stash
Fred and Yvonne Draper
Richard Strong
houses for petty theft. The blight is a large part of the criminal element that exists in the neighbor-
Kim Edmaiston
Paul Thomas
hood. The data gathered will help the community association plan for the future of our neighbor-
Kathy Fisher
James and Linnie Thompson
hood as we continue to fight crime and blight in Cooper-Young.
Faye Garner
Noel and Steve Tomlinson
Anna Gattuso
Jane Tracy
Karen Golightly and Benji Borden
Amie Vanderford
Rodney and Sherry Greene
Brennan Villines and Claire Hayner
David and Terry Guthrie
Niles Wallace
Kim Halyak and Bill Schosser
Edwin and Linda Wilkins
Randall Hartzog and Rod Stricklin
John and Cathleen Zeanah
Nathaniel Hein and Jennifer Gonzalas
Lee Henderson and John Bobal
Howard and Judith Hicks
In Memory Of
Bess Young from Jane Tracy
Community Spirit
Mission Our purpose is to form an association of residents and interested
parties to work together to make our diverse and historic community a
more desirable and safer place to live, worship, work, and play.
Pamela Higgins
Matt and June Hipp
Help plant the seeds
of community
and join the
CYCA today!
Jacqueline Johns
Kimble Johnson
Morgan and Rujira Jones
New Board officers
At the April general meeting, new officers were
Enclosed is a check for my membersip in the Cooper Young Community Association
elected to the Cooper-Young Community
Association Board. Debbie Sowell, who had been
New
serving as acting president was elected president.
Senior 55 and older – $5
John Kinsey has been appointed by Debbie
Debbie Sowell
Sowell to the office of vice-president until an
Household – $20
Trestle Tender – $50
Name_ _______________________________________________________________________________
Phone________________________________________________ Email___________________________
president and when she was elected president
that left the CYCA without a vice president. The
I want to hear about volunteer opportunities
CYCA elects the president and treasurer every
also elected every other year and the elections
Individual – $15
Address_________________________________________________ Zip___________________________
election will be held next April. She was the vice
other year. The vice-president and secretary are
Renewing
Enclosed is my gift of $_ _________________________________________________________________
Jason Word
in honor or/in memory of_ ______________________________________________________________
are staggered so that there is continuity on the
Enclosed is my gift of $___________________ for the General Operating Fund
board. Jason Word was re-elected to the office of
Mail this form with your payments to:
treasurer. In addition, the membership adopted
CYCA Membership, 2298 Young Avenue, Memphis, TN 38104
the revised bylaws, which were printed in the
March issue of the .
You can also join online at www.cooperyoung.org. The CYCA is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization.
Jim Kinsey
May 2008
LampLighter 3
CYCA Ar t for Ar t ’s Sake Auc t ion 20 0 8
Speical thanks to:
Tiger Bryant and the Young Avenue Deli staff
Bluff City Sports
Buns on the Run
Camy’s
PaperTrace
The 2008 Auction raised over $11,000 for the
CYCA and to help maintain the Trestle Art. The
burned out bulbs will be replaced soon and
the CYCA is getting estimates for painting the
Trestle Art and other necessary maintenance
to be completed this year.
Carol Robison’s painting which was the poster
art for the 2008 Art for Art’s Sake Auction was
purchased by Dr. Steven Tower of Memphis
Animal Clinic. The painting featured two dogs
walking under the Trestle.
Mayor Wharton kicked off the auction with
along with Debbie Sowell the newly elected
CYCA president.
Ron Childers, the wildly popular auctioneer,
proudly wore the 2007 auction shirt. Bluff City
Sports provided the auction shirts again this year.
Mark Allen entertained the crowd at the
packed Young Avenue Deli.
Lizi Beard Ward, Chuck Parr, Tim Ward, and Jim
Pritchard continued their tradition of assisting
with the live auction.
Photos by Miriam Dolan
4
On April 3, the CYCA hosted an Artists Reception at Otherlands to provide the
community an opportunity to meet those artists who donated works for the live
portion of the Art for Art’s Sake Auction. A big thank-you to all those who made
this possible, including Karen Lebovitz for the venue, Christine Conley and Joe
Spake for the music, and Kim Gauger for the food. Photos of recetion are at the
bottom of the page.
LETTE R TO TH E E DITOR
No cans for the SUV night drivers
YVETTE R HOTON
Has anyone else noticed the absence of two well known figures in CY? I have not see the
one-armed man pushing his shopping cart picking up cans on recycle day since the ‘opinion’
piece written about him appeared in this publication. Nor have I seen the guy with the bandana
that walks with a limp. What I have seen and heard is people in cars and SUVs driving in the dead
of night filling up their vehicles with bags and bags of cans. The men who used to walk the streets
with shopping carts may have been using the money to buy beer or cigarettes but at least they
did it in the daylight, did not try to hide from anyone, and only took what they could carry in their
carts. I would much rather fund an occasional beer for someone who at least appears to be truly
downtrodden then to help make the loan payment on someone’s SUV. My cans will no longer be
on the curb.
PRETTY IS
CYCA needs volunteers for organized
neighborhood clean-up effort
AN DY AS H BY
The Cooper-Young Community Association’s beautification committee is organizing the first
Cooper-Young Quarterly Clean-Up for Saturday, May 10.
This is the first of four clean-up efforts throughout the year, designed to beautify and clean as
much of the neighborhood as possible. The next will be scheduled for the summer.
Volunteers will meet up at the gazebo at 1 p.m. and get various assignments.
Bryant Cummings, owner of Bryant Lawn and Landscape, will be organizing volunteers in
adding plants to the gazebo area.
Other clean-up assignments could include graffiti removal, alley clearing and general
trash pick-up.
Trash bags and some tools will be provided, so just show up May 10 with gloves and
working attitude.
If you have some graffiti you want removed, property owners should contact me with a
description and location of the graffiti, as well as a suggestion of the best way to remove or
paint over it.
However, if you see some graffiti, feel free to clean it up, unless it’s in an unsafe place.
Individuals can respond a lot faster than community organizations and governments, so take the
initiative in fighting graffiti and keeping our neighborhood clean. Please let the CYCA know
when you paint over any graffiti so that we can keep track of what still needs to be done.
Andy Ashby is the chairman of the Cooper Young Community Association’s beautification
committee. The committee meets every second Thursday of the month at 6 p.m. at 2298 Young. He
can be reached via email at ashby129@hotmail.com.
May 2008
LampLighter 5
Cooper-Young Night Out, held the first Thursday of every month, is off to a
terrific start. At the first Night Out Lt. Kirkwood joined the Memphis Drum Shop
for a drum circle. Those who stopped by Harvest were in high spirits and the
crowd at Lux enjoyed themselves while looking at the merchandise. The day was
a family affair for many, including Bill Stemmler and members of the Memphis
Police Department. Valerie June entertained the crowds with her unique acoustic
sound in the gazebo. Photos courtesy of Tamera Walker.
10 0 Y E A R S
Historic homes in Cooper-Young
reaching the century mark
T O N Y B A LT Z
The two oldest homes in the Cooper-Young neighborhood were built before 1890 and sit
respectively at 1064 Blythe and 1880 Manila. They represent the very earliest settlements in an
area that would soon be known as Memphis first working-class neighborhood. The majority of the
1600 homes in our area were built between 1907 and 1910, which means many of our home are
reaching the century mark.
In 2008 the following homes will be 100 years old:
2005 Nelson
2096 Oliver
2102 Oliver
927 Cox
922 Cox
929 New York
We would love to hear from you if you know any background about your century house. We’ll
be keeping you updated on these historic marks and hope to do a full-write up about the history
of these houses in the near future.
Tony Baltz, lives on Blythe Street in a home that turned 100 in 2007. He has lived here since 1999.
Tell us the history of your house at lamplighter@cooperyoung.org.
This house, at 1064 Blythe, is one of the oldest homes in Cooper-Young. The
structure predates 1890, which is when it first appears on the city’s records.
6
END OF ERA
PPL LAAYY DDAAYYSS
Galloway leaving Cooper-Young
Playhouse on
on the
the Square
Square features
features entertaining
entertaining holiday
holiday line
line up
up
Playhouse
neighborhood
I VEERR
CCOOUURRTTNNEEYY OOL LI V
T R O YA N N P O U L O P O U L O S
Galloway Church is undergoing some major
changes. It is organizationally merging with St.
Luke’s United Methodist Church on Highland
Street, selling its building in Cooper-Young,
Theholiday
holidayseason
seasonhas
hasarrived,
arrived,which
whichmeans
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oldfavorites,
favorites,
The
new
favorites
and
just
plain
enjoyable
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Playhouseon
onthe
theSquare.
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Playhousealso
alsoananPlayhouse
nounceditsitspreviously
previouslytop-secret
top-secretsummer
summermusical
musicalshow–it’s
show–it’s
nounced
starting a new 501c3. The church will continue to “The Producers.”
“The Producers.”
have a presence in the neighborhood, but it will
do so without a building. We don’t yet know how
that will look, but we feel good about it and are
Thisyear’s
year’sholiday
holidayshows
showsinclude:
include:
This
YearWith
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andToad”
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looking forward to the future. We are merging and Arnold Lobel of an aquatic odd couple: overly confident Frog
Arnold Lobel of an aquatic odd couple: overly confident Frog
morphing into something fresh and novel.
The new 501c3 has yet to be named and we
are seeking creative ideas. The board of the new
andhis
hisbest
bestfriend.
friend.Saturdays
Saturdaysand
andSundays
Sundaysatat22p.m.
p.m.
and
“PlaidTidings”
Tidings”runs
runsthrough
throughDecember
December23
23atatthe
theCircuit
Circuit
“Plaid
Playhouse.This
Thisendearing
endearingand
andcharming
charmingplaid-clad
plaid-cladquartet
quartet
Playhouse.
entity has also yet to be named but will consist of from “Forever Plaid” are transported back for a nostalgic holiday
from “Forever Plaid” are transported back for a nostalgic holiday
and services available
people from historic Galloway, some people from extravaganza.
extravaganza.
ly members
St. Luke’s and some people from the life of the
“Seussical” runs through January 6 at Playhouse on the
Cooper-Young community that haven’t been
—and
e guys.
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agined.
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are
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andrevolutionary
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and
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holidayrefreshments.
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For
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interestsininaaBroadway
Broadwayflop—a
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musical
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“The
Producers”
runs
at
Playhouse
onthe
theSquare
SquareJune
June20
20toto
“The Producers” runs at Playhouse on
July20,
20,Thursdays
Thursdaysthrough
throughSaturdays
Saturdaysatat88p.m.
p.m.and
andSundays
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p.m.
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involved with either church, but who know the
p.m.performance.
performance. Audiences
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chancetotomeet
meet
22p.m.
One of my all time favorite pet catalogs and
Photo by Charles Frazier
community and its needs and interests.
the
cast
and
crew
and
tour
the
backstage
areas
of
Playhouse
on
“A
Tuna
Christmas”
runs
through
January
6
at
Playhouse
on
the cast and crew and tour the backstage areas of Playhouse on
“A Tuna Christmas” runs through January 6 at Playhouse on
websites is Drs. Foster and Smith at www.
Many wonderful things have happened at Galloway
in
its
ninety-nine
years
in
the
neighbortheSquare.
Square. Food
Foodand
andbeverages
beverageswill
willbe
beprovided.
provided.
theSquare.
Square.Tacky
Tackytree
treetrimmings,
trimmings,gaudy
gaudygarlands
garlandsand
andredneck
redneck
the
the
drsfostersmith.com. They never fail to please
hood. In the last few years many community activities,
related
to dance,
and the
arts have
met
Holiday
open
house
ribbons
festoon
the
town
of
Tuna,
Texas
as
this
much-loved
Holiday open house
with their amazing collection of pet items. This ribbons festoon the town of Tuna, Texas as this much-loved
there. But, the cost of maintaining the building has been
taking
its tollreturns.
on the present congregaPlayhouseon
onthe
theSquare
Squareisishaving
havingaaholiday
holidayopen
openhouse
houseatat
audience
favorite
Playhouse
audience
favorite
returns.
year’s Christmas store features a 3-in-1 pet
tion’s ability to afford the facility. So it was time to make
some changes.
It was
determined
that
its
current
five-story
office
building
that
will
become
part
the
Big
Broadway
show
comes
to
Playhouse
its current five-story office building that will become part ofofthe
Big Broadway show comes to Playhouse
stroller, car seat, and soft carrier. Although
Galloway didn’t want to abandon the neighborhood with
all
of
its
richness
of
culture
and
Theatreand
andArts
ArtsCenter
CenterComplex
Complexatat2158
2158Union—or
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“Step1:1:We
Wefind
findthe
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written.Step
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Wehire
hire
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“Step
listed as a cat item, any pet up to fifteen
wonderful people, but would free itself from the expense
of the
building
and would
re-imagine
have
been
referring
to
it:
“the
new
Playhouse
on
the
Square.”
the
worst
director
in
town.
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3:
We
raise
two
million
dollars...
have been referring to it: “the new Playhouse on the Square.”
the worst director in town. Step 3: We raise two million dollars...
pounds could comfortably travel in this
itself and its purpose for the neighborhood within the
new
501c3.
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lightweight stroller with an ergonomic handle,
The singing group, The Byrds, in the song “Turn, Turn,
Turn”and
quote
partsyou
of the
Bible
from5,
the
inviting
members,
boards,
staff,
and
friends
of
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of
the
Arts
Broadway
before
can
say
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we
close
on
inviting members, boards, staff, and friends of Heart of the Arts
Broadway and before you can say Step 5, we close on
push-button fold down, six inch wheels, safety
third chapter of Ecclesiastes. Part of the song says, Broadway, take our two million and go to Rio.” That’s
andMidtown
MidtownDevelopment
DevelopmentCorporation.
Corporation.Come
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seewhat
whatwe
weare
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and
Broadway, take our two million and go to Rio.” That’s
brakes, drink holders and storage basket
To everything, turn, turn, turn
underneath. It retails for around a hundred
There is a season, turn, turn, turn
dollars.
And a time for every purpose under heaven
There’s a lot of pet stairs out there for
A time to be born, a time to die
handicapped and arthritic pets but I believe
A time to plant, a time to reap
that the good doctors Foster and Smith
A time to kill, a time to heal
probably carry some of the best around. One
A time to laugh, a time to weep
can purchase a three, four, or six step unit in
A time to build up, a time to break down
several attractive shades that can blend with
A time to dance, a time to mourn
your home décor. They are light to carry
A time to cast away stones
around from room to room and lift up for
A time to gather stones together
dusting. And unlike a lot of pet stairs, they are
Galloway is embracing this concept of knowing that there is a time for everything. We feel a bit
covered with heavyweight fabric that is
like a caterpillar coming out of a cocoon that is trying to spread its wings to dry in the winds of
machine washable. The steps can support up
change and in the warmth of the community known as Cooper-Young. Everything has to change
to 200 pounds. They range in price from
sooner or later or it stagnates, becomes irrelevant, or dies. It is now Galloway’s time to change.
$59.00 to $129.00.
The only thing that might be consistent in this world is change. We’ve just passed tax season and
For the dog who has everything, why not
there is that cynical old phrase that says, “The only things you can count on in this world are
consider a Grunting Hedgehog? For only $10
death and taxes.” I think I’ll add change to that list. Galloway has no intention of closing or
at www.entirelypets.com you can buy this
dying—just changing its structure and the way it relates to the community.
plush toy that is sure to entertain your dog
I have a friend, Kim Richardson, an up and coming musical talent, who likes the word impermathroughout the holidays. For holiday clean up,
nence more than change. It is fleeting or transitory or prone to shifting. It isn’t permanent. The
you may as well pick up the FURminator at
brick and mortar of Galloway isn’t permanent, and it never should have been what defined
Entirely Pets while you are at it. This deshedGalloway. The redefined spirit of Galloway will be present in the neighborhood in the years
ding tool is designed for cats and dogs and
ahead—just in a different form. We’ll continue to worship somewhere in the neighborhood,
claims to “remove loose hair like no other.” If
continue discussions in homes, restaurants and bars, continue community meals, help most of the
it does what it claims the $29.95 price tag is a
dance, arts, and community groups meeting at Galloway to relocate somewhere nearby. The end
bargain indeed.
3#OX3TREET
3#OX3TREET
of one era has come, but a new one is beginning.
The choices of pet holiday gifts is seem-EMPHIS4.
Galloway Church will continue to worship at the present location until the building actually sells
-EMPHIS4.
ingly endless this year with prices ranging
and changes hands. We can be contacted at (901) 603-2731 or by emailing gallowaychurch@
from just a few bucks up into the stratosphere.
yahoo.com or visiting the website at www.gallowaychurch.com.
Your pet will appreciate anything you give
Park”will
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er, and
them with purrs and face licks, and won’t
sten
complain that you didn’t spend enough or ask
you to return it for a different color. But
remember the most valuable gift you can give
!LAN3CHWARTZ
!LAN3CHWARTZ
10 LampLighter
LampLighter
10
December2007
2007
December
#EJ@PDABN=IAO
PD=P@ABEJAUKQ
May 2008
LampLighter 7
Opinion
M I DTOW N MA MA
NEW NEIGHBOR
Lifechoices not the best choice for
Cooper-Young
Life Choices impending move is a
return to Midtown
KRISTY ALLEY
S U E PA R K E R
When I moved Mothersville to Cooper-Young a few years ago, I knew I was moving into a
There seems to be lots of talk about whether or not Life Choices is moving to Midtown–
neighborhood that embraced the values my business supported. These days the store is owned
Cooper-Young, in particular. Sad to say, some of that talk has been pretty negative and mostly
by Andria Cline and Melissa Sweazy. They both were looking at ways to expand the business and
based on inaccurate speculation—no one other than The LampLighter’s editor has even called me
expose it to a wider circle of Memphis women. Part of those plans involved the possibility of
for information. I had to ask myself—the idealist one—why anyone would have issues with Life
moving the business into the larger double bay on the corner of Mothersville’s current building at
Choices coming (more appropriately, returning) to Midtown? We actually started out on Madison
806 S. Cooper. They discussed sharing the space with Trillium Woman Care. The new space and
Avenue, later opening a counseling center in the Park/Highland area. Then it dawned on me—they
the partnership with the midwives would help Mothersville continue to serve the community of
don’t really know who we are or what we do or how our programs help women! I can’t possibly
mothers and support them in their desire to embrace motherhood and survive its challenges.
dispel all the things being said about Life Choices that just aren’t true, so I thought the best
Unfortunately, it now seems that the space at 806 S. Cooper will be leased to Life Choices. This
is one of those despicable anti-choice organizations that masquerades as a resource to support
avenue would be to enlighten our new neighbors as to who we are, what we do, and who’s
impacted by our ministry.
pregnant women, when in fact its goal is to intimidate and horrify women in crisis into having
In 1986, with little more than a telephone and a desk, Life Choices began its ministry to
babies they may rightfully believe they are not equipped to carry and raise. The organization’s
women facing the prospect of an unplanned pregnancy and the life-impacting decisions this
website presents marriage as a realistic alternative to abortion. It also encourage men to stop
young woman might face in making a plan for her life and the life of her unborn child. Although I
their sexual partners from aborting, no doubt through any means necessary. Women in other
wasn’t there on that first day, I’ve heard the story many times of how a young woman called—
cities have reported being lured into Life Choices and other so-called “Crisis Pregnancy Centers”
they weren’t even sure how she got the number—and simply said, “I think I’m pregnant. Can you
that represent themselves as being clinics that offer abortion services, only to be congratulated
help me?” That first phone call began a relationship between Life Choices and thousands of
effusively over ultrasound pictures and given baby gifts.
women—and their partners, in many cases—who are all basically asking the same question our
When I was pregnant with my youngest, a woman once came up to me and went on and on
first client asked so long ago. The number one priority for Life Choices, even unto this present
about how she volunteers to educate pregnant women by standing outside abortion clinics and
day, is to tell women the truth, answering their questions with the respect and dignity we feel all
yelling at patients. She felt that I would appreciate this because, since I was pregnant, I must
women deserve—regardless of their ultimate decision.
share her belief that if I can do it, anyone can. I do not share this belief. She looked at my giant
First of all, let me talk about who we are and what we do. Life Choices operates a not-for-profit,
belly and said “Well, I just look at you and think ‘if she can do it, why can’t they?’” I told her I
fully donor-funded ministry providing a non-judgmental and Christ-like environment where
doubt that most of the scared women and girls coming into those clinics are thirty-something,
women can be educated and empowered to make life-affirming decisions. In 1987, Life Choices
happily-married mothers of three who drive minivans and have good-paying jobs. I am a mother
became a state-licensed child-placing agency and has seen more than 100 women complete
by choice.
adoption plans for their infants. We hold positions of leadership in the West Tennessee Council of
Not wanting to jump the gun, in spite of my deep instinct that Life Choices is a deceitful
organization, I started doing some research. Here’s a little of what I learned:
• Life Choices neither provides accurate information nor enables women to prevent unplanned
pregnancy. Life Choices does not offer birth control or sexually transmitted disease testing or
treatment. Instead, it preaches abstinence to women who find themselves already pregnant.
• Life Choices deceives women about the dangers of abortion. Women seeking the full range
Adoption Agencies and the Adoption Center of the Mid-South. One of our adoption clients
recently wrote, “Yes, sometimes when I think about my daughter, I’m sad. But then I think of how
happy she is and how faithful the family is in sending pictures and letters and I know I made the
right decision for both of us.”
In 2007, Life Choices added medical services including diagnostic pregnancy testing and
limited obstetrical ultrasound under the supervision of a licensed medical doctor and on-site
of options are warned, falsely, of “post-abortion syndrome,” despite the American Psychological
registered nursing staff. For women who choose to make a life-affirming decision in their preg-
Association’s insistence that no such condition exists.
nancy, we offer counseling to help her make a positive plan for both she and her baby. What
• Life Choices is tax funded! Because they readily identify themselves as a Christian, “scriptural-
about women who choose to end their pregnancy? If later, they experience issues that they feel
ly-based” organization, their receipt of tax money is unconstitutional and violates the separation
are related to that decision, we offer post-abortion counseling by our trained staff of counselors.
of church and state. Life Choices Pregnancy Support Center, where the staff believes “without
Did I mention that all of our client services are offered at no cost to the client? Yeah, they’re all
reservation or qualification that the scriptures teach that human life begins at conception,” has
free thanks to the generous help of others—those who love each other, get along…well, you
been funded by the Bush administration since its inception, and in 2001 had revenue of $81,621.
know—the people we all aspire to be.
Two years later, the center received a $534,339 grant to teach “abstinence-only” programs. By
The most important component in the make-up of Life Choices is our client, sometimes referred
2004, annual revenue totaled $617,355, according to the Washington Post. So-called “Crisis
to by our nurses as our patient. She’s typically single, somewhere between fifteen and thirty,
Pregnancy Centers” have received $60 million in tax payer money since 2001.
sexually active, and not really sure what she would do in the case of an unexpected pregnancy.
• Life Choices presents itself as a clinic but often have no medical staff to perform
medial procedures.
Life Choices does not serve women and it does not represent the values of the Midtown
Think of her as your friend, your sister, your daughter, even yourself. She’s any woman—she’s
every woman. She wants factual information in a timely manner—the unvarnished truth. She
wants to be respected as a woman—an intelligent and savvy person able to make her own
community. I ask you to join me in letting Rasberry CRE, the leasing agents in control of the
decisions when she has all the facts. And most of all, she wants to be empowered—given the tools
property, know that Life Choices is not a good fit for Cooper-Young. Let them know that leasing to
to implement her plan.
Life Choices is going to bring controversy and disruption to this property that will likely lead to
This is who we are, what we do, and how we partner with women in helping them make a plan
Life Choices being run out on a rail and breaking their lease. They can be emailed through their
when the unexpected happens. For more information on Life Choices, visit us on the web at www.
website at www.rasberrycre.com. Phone numbers are also listed on the website. You can also join
lifechoicesmemphis.org or www.pregnantwanthelp.com. And, yes, we are returning to Midtown
the Women’s Action Coalition of Memphis in protesting Life Choices Saturday, June 2 at 1 p.m. at
and we hope to bring dialogue and diversity to this wonderful part of our city and our new
5575 Raleigh-LaGrange Road. Join me in fighting this insidious attempt to infiltrate an area that
neighbors, as well.
Life Choices knows to be a haven for those who believe in personal freedom and respect.
As this controversy unfolded, I continued to discuss the situation with Andria. She is equally
concerned about Life Choices and told me that if Mothersville doesn’t get the larger bay it plans
to leave the plaza and quite possibly Cooper-Young. I hope the community will look into this organization and decide whether or not it is the type of business that would best benefit our residents.
8
Sue Parker is the Chief Executive Officer of Life Choices.
PU M P YOU R KI N
MFM offers children a chance to grow
their own jackolantern
® 2007 OSI Restaurant Partners, Inc.
CAROL SANDERS
As the Memphis Farmer’s Market enters its third season, it continues to expand. This year it has
added a number of events, increased vendors and scheduled fantastic entertainment.
For the hundreds of families who visit the market, MFM launched a Pumpkin Growing Contest.
Bring your children to the market any before May 31 and they each will get their very own pumpkin-growing kit. The kit includes instructions and everything needed to plant and grow a pumpkin.
The contest will culminate on October 25, when participants are encouraged to bring their grown
It’s 7am.
Time to open for dinner.
display board filled with information about area restaurants. The restaurant board will be a great
pumpkins to the market. Prizes will be awarded for the largest and funniest shaped pumpkin.
Also new this year is the MFM Restaurant Board. The MFM plans to develop a local restaurant
place to check out local fare options by cruising menu’s, checking out daily specials and finding
It’s prep
time.
the hippest places in town that feature locally grown produce and fresh artisan baked
goods.
The
Thetored
peppers,
MFM has been supported with some of Memphis’s top chef’s and now we want
give
back tomushrooms, zucchini and red onions are washed and cut
for the ‘veggie grillers.’ A fresh wheel of Danish blue cheese is opened to start
today’s vinaigrette. Shrimp are cleaned. Garlic is chopped. Lettuce is washed.
May 10: Queen Bees
Whipped cream is, well, whipped. Dozens of Idaho potatoes are sliced into Aussie
Events to celebrate Mother’s Day weekend include shopping with an Chips.
MFM Registered
And twentyDietician
loaves of bread are cut, brushed with homemade garlic butter
and kids have the opportunity to make a Mother’s Day card.
and baked into croutons. Whew!
May 17: Spring into Greens
We could go on, but you get the point. Every morning we start out fresh. Every one
Come celebrate Armed Forces Day at 10 a.m. with a flag ceremony and stay for the historic
of our soups, our selection of eleven salad
downtown bike ride.
dressings and sauces—from au jus to
May 24: Lettuce Salute You
chocolate—is made from scratch this
Help us celebrate Memorial Day Weekend with a children’s event put on by Memphis
morning and served tonight.
Botanical Gardens
So let go of the worries of the day,
May 31: Cauliflower Dreaming
and Go Outback tonight.
This will be the last day for children to pick up their pumpkin growing kits.
We have a fresh, homemade
The MFM was founded in 2006, and is a not-for-profit weekly outdoor event showcasing farmers
apple cobbler waiting just for you.
them. Check out the restaurant board next time you are at the market.
Events in May:
and producers with locally grown produce, meats, baked goods, flowers, herbs, and other home-
made goods for sale, in a family-friendly, health-focused atmosphere, with plenty of free parking, pet
sitting, cooking demonstrations, and live music.
No, our pepper seeds aren’t actually shaped like boomerangs.
We just thought it would be funny.
2 FOR 1
DRINK SPECIAL
Mention this ad and receive
2 for 1 drinks!!!
valid at our union avenue location only.
2255 Union Ave.,
Memphis TN 38104
(901) 728-5100
086-OBCRPP77107
T7-4896-8
P.O.# 12867
4/C Page
11.5” w x 21”h
USA Today – 2007
NEW YORK — 2007
May 2008
LampLighter 9
The Fairgrounds as it looked on opening day, 1927. The Fairgrounds today. The process to recreate the Fairgrounds continues and no one is sure what the future holds.
M O V I N G F O R WA R D
WAT C H D O G
City inches closer to selecting
developer for Fairgrounds
Community closely watching
development plans
S usan R oakes
S usan R oakes
In April, the two developers previously deemed qualified by the City of Memphis submitted their
proposals for the comprehensive redevelopment of the 168-acre Fairgrounds property.
The Fairgrounds sits directly east of Cooper-Young and is currently utilized by a number of
different entities, including the Children’s Museum of Memphis, Fairview Jr. High School, Liberty
Bowl, Mid-South Coliseum, and Mid-South Fair. It also houses a shuttered amusement park.
The redevelopment process, which started in mid-2004, has been stalled since October, when
The redevelopment of the Fairgrounds property will have an enormous impact on its surrounding neighborhoods. For the last three years, the Cooper-Young Community Association,
through the LampLighter, www.cooper-young.org, and an ongoing email campaign, has kept the
neighborhood up-to-date on the lengthy development process.
In December 2005, the Mid-South Fairgrounds Re-use Sub-committee of the Sports and
Entertainment and Recreation Venue Review Committee presented twenty “Master Principles”
the City issued an RFQ (Request for Qualifications) and received two responses. One from Fair
designed to guide the redevelopment process to the City Council. This committee was formed by
Grounds, Inc., which is a Memphis-based consortium of twenty-one different individuals and
Mayor Herenton in 2004 to begin to consider redevelopment of the Mid-South Fairgrounds. The
companies, including Henry Turley and Looney Ricks Kiss. The other response was from an out of
community supported these principles. In evaluating the likely proposals before the committee, I’ve
state group headed by Draper and Kramer/Bulls Development Company, Inc.
considered these principles as well as other documents obtained from the city.
Those involved in the decision-making process had expected the City (specifically Mayor Willie
Based on our current understanding of Fair Grounds, Inc., and Draper and Kramer/Bulls
W. Herenton) to choose one of the two developers on April 25. But the Fairgrounds Redevelopment
Development Company, Inc. as well as the way in which the selection process and likely develop-
Committee, which Herenton appointed to review the proposals, requested additional time. This
ment scenarios are unfolding, there are concerns about the process, connectivity, location,
committee currently consists of five individuals, including the Executive Director of the Cooper-
expertise of the developers, and timing. Because of the limited amount of space available, these
Young Development Corporation, Sutton Mora Hayes.
concerns will only be superficially addressed here. For a fuller account of the issues, please visit
“Both proposals were really good, but both left us asking more questions,” said Hayes in an
email following the committee’s April 22 meeting. “As a result, we will be submitting additional
questions to each of the groups this week, and allowing them to respond. Once we have those
responses, we will meet again and decide on the master developer.”
Details of the proposals will not be made public until after the master developer has been
selected. Hayes, who has strong ties to the Cooper-Young community, has said she will limit her
discussion on the topic until that time.
“It is important that the committee remain independent for the sake of the entire process. I
www.cooperyoung.org/lamplighter/fairgrounds.
Process
The CYCA believes the RFP and the proposals are public information. Democracy requires an
open discussion of the pros and cons of each proposal. The surrounding communities will live
with what is built for many decades to come. If you share this concern about the process, please
contact:
Robert Lipscomb requesting a copy of the proposals, Mayor Willie Herenton requesting
transparency and accountability in the review process, your city council members. Let them know
think that I have a clear understanding of what the issues and benefits are of each proposal from
what you think.
the perspective of the neighborhoods, and I will carry those ideas forward,” said Hayes. “However,
Connectivity
please understand that I am not going to divulge the conversations had during the selection
meetings.”
The community has heard through other confidential sources that one of the proposals includes:
In order to alleviate traffic concerns in Cooper-Young and Orange Mound, it is strongly suggested that Young Avenue be extended into the Fairgrounds. Additionally, connectivity between
the surrounding communities could be increased by again extending Young Avenue into the site
Mixed use buildings on the northern portion of the site, an open greenway cutting midway across
and improving Milton Avenue to increase access from Beltline and Orange Mound.
the mid-section of the site (presumably going from the current west entrance on N. Parkway to the
Location
Liberty Bowl Stadium), sports and recreation facilities on the southern portion of the site the
It would be best if both youth sports and recreation facilities and mixed use facilities would be
Children’s Museum remains at its current location, the plan for Fairview Jr. High, the track and field
best located facing Central. Both need high visibility and good accessibility. Additionally, the
used by Memphis City Schools, Liberty Bowl Stadium, the Coliseum, and the Kroc Center are
highest and best use of the southern end of the site is a hotel.
uncertain. Any of these activities may stay or move or disappear from the site.
Expertise
Although a comprehensive development plan for the site has not been finalized, and will not be
Neither of the responses to the RFQ indicates experience in creating successful places that focus
until a developer is selected, the city has sold 15 acres next to Fairview Jr. High along East Parkway
on connectivity and public purpose for both local and regional activity. The developer needs to
to the Salvation Army. The nonprofit organization plans to build a $50 million community center at
consider a role in the Fairgrounds for the Project for Public Spaces, a nonprofit organization
this location.
dedicated to helping people create and sustain public places that build communities.
Additionally, the Mid-South Fair is in negotiations to move the fair to either Tunica County in
Mississippi or the City of Millington. The 2008 fair, held in September, is expected to be the last at
its current location on the Fairgrounds.
Finally, in late January, Herenton has distanced himself from an earlier plan to demolish the
current Liberty Bowl Stadium and build a newer facility. He is now in favor of a multi-million
dollar renovation of the stadium, which will bring it into compliance with the Americans with
Disabilities Act.
It is likely that the complex pieces of this redevelopment puzzle will fall into place only after the
Timing
The Fairgrounds Redevelopment Committee and Mayor Herenton should to focus on the center
of the site first. Remove the pavement and derelict buildings and renovate the stadium first. Hold
off on cutting down the trees and moving the school and the track and field. Develop green
spaces along the edges of the site to enhance visibility into the interior of the site.
Susan Roakes, an associate professor of City and Regional Planning at the University of Memphis,
and a Cooper-Young resident. She has written extensively about the Fairground Redevelopment for
the LampLighter since 2005. While the above information is Susan Roakes’ opinions, she has
master developer is selected. For a deeper look at the process and a close-up look at supporting
followed the Fairgrounds Redevelopment process for the CYCA and served as the CYCA representative
documents, please visit www.cooperyoung.org/lamplighter.
on the Cooper-Young Fairgrounds Committee.
10 LampLighter May 2008
To Our Readers
The LampLighter is working with the CYCA to bring you meaningful crime information. In
addition to the crime map, which details crimes within a one-mile radius of the Cooper-Young
intersection, we also included a list of crimes that happened within our neighborhood. This list
includes the case number, which you can use to contact the police. These crimes were reported
from March 29, 2008 to April 29, 2008
Case Number
Crime
Date Reported
Block
Street
0804005884ME
Burglary/Residential
04/11/08
800
Barksdale
0804011831ME
04/21/08
1000
BLYTHE
0804008642ME
04/16/08
1000
BLYTHE
0804008287ME
04/15/08
1000
BRUCE
0804008060ME
MVT/Passenger Vehicle
04/15/08
1000
BRUCE
0804004762ME
04/09/08
1000
BRUCE
0804004889ME
04/09/08
900
BRUCE
0804006661ME
Robbery/Business
04/12/08
2300
CENTRAL
0804012513ME
Theft from Motor Vehicle
04/22/08
2200
CENTRAL
0804006661ME
Robbery/Business
04/12/08
2200
CENTRAL
0804016482ME
Shoplifting/Misdemeanor
04/29/08
2100
CENTRAL
0804013354ME
04/23/08
2100
CENTRAL
0804010980ME
04/20/08
2100
CENTRAL
0804003853ME
04/08/08
2100
CENTRAL
0804002367ME
04/05/08
2100
CENTRAL
0804009545ME
04/17/08
1000
COOPER
0804016077ME
Other Theft/Non-Specific
04/28/08
900
COOPER
0804009907ME
04/18/08
900
COOPER
0804006662ME
04/12/08
900
COOPER
0804011358ME
Other Theft/Non-Specific
04/20/08
800
COOPER
0804009389ME
Robbery/Business
04/17/08
800
COOPER
0804015952ME
Theft from Building
04/28/08
800
EAST PARKWAY
0804005995ME
04/11/08
2200
EVELYN
Department offers a tool on its web site (www.memphispolice.org) that allows you to locate crime
0804003232ME
04/07/08
1000
FLEECE
information. Crimemapper allows you to input an address and search in quarter-mile increments
0804012450ME
04/22/08
1900
MANIILA
for a specific type of crime. It then returns with the results of your search for the previous 30 days.
0804011750ME
Simple Assault/DV
04/21/08
2200
NELSON
0804012075ME
04/22/08
0804000492SH
04/11/08
2100
YOUNG
0804010688ME
04/19/08
1900
WALKER
0803013146ME
Robbery/Individual
03/26/2008
1900
YORK
0803007897ME
Burglary/Business
03/16/2008
2100
YORK
0803005536ME
03/12/2008
2100
YOUNG
0803003917ME
Burglary/Business
03/09/2008
2200
YOUNG
Crime Map
Do you want to know what crime is taking place in our neighborhood? The Memphis Police
NELSON & COOPER
Fairground Resources
We are limited in space and were not able to print all the relevant material to the
Fairgrounds redevelopment process. You will find the following information at www.cooperyoung.
org/lamplighter. Please look for “Fairgrounds Redevelopment” on the left-hand side of the page
• A complete list of the twenty Master Principles
• RFQ responses from Fair Grounds, Inc., and Draper and Kramer/Bulls Development Company, Inc
• Full article detailing concerns about process, connectivity, location, expertise of
developers, and timing.
• Contact information for Robert Lipscomb
• Contact information for Mayor Willie Herenton
• Contact information for City Council Members
May 2008
LampLighter 11
CYCA
Membership
Benefits
ART SCENE
G R AY D AY S
Midtown artist Hank Gray
discusses
his work
What is the
message that
you want your
painting to give?
K AT H R Y N J . S E L B Y
Why are you an artist?
breathe in and really
Hank Gray: I came to a point where I found the courage to explore my
Buns on the Run: Free dessert
with purchase
HG: Just give them
Blue Fish: 10 percent off any one entrée
something they can
on a weeknight Young Ave Deli: Enjoy one
feel good and
comfortable with. I
complimentary lunch or dinner entrée
creative side and live up to what I thought was inside of me. I almost felt
almost want to
when a second of equal or greater value
obligated to do it once I realized I was at a point in my life where I could
provide the viewer
take the chance.
How did it all start?
HG: It came out of me when I was helping my daughter do some
water colors when she was four. I ended up doing a water color for her
of a big top circus. We put it on the refrigerator and I thought it was
good. When we had guests in our home they saw it and thought it was
fantastic. By the time people actually saw it something had already been
triggered in me. That is when I thought to try something professionally. It
didn’t have to be painting it could have been writing or acting, it could
have been anything; it just so happened that the painting was what
triggered it.
Can you describe the technique you use to paint? The
materials you use?
HG: The technique I use is very unique; I would call it a free form,
reactionary and instinctive. As I put pigment onto the canvas or put
materials onto the canvas it becomes a self-sustaining thing, where I
make one stroke, or one mark, or wipe something off. I actually get a lot
of what I take off the canvas as well as what I put on it.
is purchased (up to $7)
Soul Fish Café: Enjoy one complimentary
with a sense of
salvation when
looking at my art;
“Beach” 48 by 72 inches oil, enamel
and metal on canvas.
that’s what I get when
I look at a painting or piece of art that I really love, I almost want to eat
it. It really fulfills me just looking at it, looking at it for hours.
What is your training?
HG: I’m self-taught, I did go to college but I was a finance management major not an art major.
What was your life like before you became an artist; did you
pursue a finance career?
HG: I was a commodities and derivatives trainer, which I still do some
of; I was very much into that. I was successful but it didn’t give me what I
wanted out of life. It didn’t save my first marriage, I had all the trimmings, but it just didn’t work out for me.
What made you choose Perry Nicole? What makes it a
good fit?
HG: They have a very nice, pleasant aggressiveness to them. They
have a delicate touch with their clients. They are very astute art people
and give very good advice. They give very good criticism to their
artists. Nicole and David have helped me with my work on several
occasions.
What do you do for fun besides art?
HG: I do have two children, with one on the way. They take up a lot
of time. I wouldn’t say that that is necessarily fun. I do like to listen to
live music, sports, a good cocktail; fun, and travel cook. Good wine and
good food.
What keeps you motivated when things get tough in the
studio?
HG: The fear that no one will ever see my next piece of work, the
fear that I won’t be creating anything new and people will not get that
satisfaction they get when looking at my art.
“Shoved by Beauty” 72 by 72 inches oil, enamel and
metal on canvas.
What’s your inspiration?
HG: My inspiration, fame. I Love the praise. I love to make people feel
good. I love to watch people look at my art and be satisfied. I Love to
watch people look at my paintings and almost breathe them in, you
know you love it when you can almost breathe it in.
What is your practice before you paint? What inspires you to
go into your studio and create?
HG: One is material needs and the sense of responsibility because I
What advice would you give to an artist just starting out?
HG: You have to work; you have to get into your studio and work you
can’t blow it off. You can’t sit back and say I’m an artist and not work.
What is your idea of a perfect studio atmosphere?
HG: Cheap rent, working plumbing, good light, natural and artificial,
and a place you do not have to worry about messing up. Be able to get
physical and not worry about destroying anything.
Why did you choose to paint with the materials you do?
HG: Oil paints, they are good for building up and subtracting, because
they are very forgiving while acrylic is not so. I thought about trying
do make a living doing it. The motivation is making a living and a sense
some things on paper maybe water colors however, I am really thinking
of competitiveness, you want to get your work out there and you want
about trying something’s with sculpture. After this show is over I will
people to see it. You don’t want to fall behind on a deadline. I think that
most artists need a deadline because a lot of artists that I’ve observed
have really bad work ethics. You have to push yourself to have shows, to
commit to things; a good motivator is not to disappoint someone. You
have to produce you don’t want to fall behind. You don’t want someone
to beat you to the punch of the next great thing.
Who are your inspirations, other artists or people in
general?
HG: I am inspired by stories of success of other artists.
probably try some sculpture.
What do you see yourself doi ng over the next ten years?
HG: I want to see some major growth in my art career, I want to
become better known and I want my paintings price to be higher. I want
to do that as a painter, but I also want to explore other things. I am
going to write a book
Hank Gray was born in Fayetteville, AR in 1969. He has lived all over the
United States but has resided in Memphis for the last twelve years. He
currently lives near in Midtown and his work was recently featured at Perry
Nicole Fine Art Gallery at 3086 Poplar Avenue. To view more of his work,
visit www.perrynicole.com. Kathryn Selby is a senior at Rhodes College.
lunch or dinner entrée when a second of
equal or greater value is purchased
(up to $7) Lou’s Pizza Pie: 10 percent off every time
you show your membership card
Java Cabana: Buy one get one free Coffee
of the day InBalance Fitness: 20 percent discount
on group classes.
Outback Steak House: One free
appetizer with the purchase of an entrée
up to $7.29.
ART SCENE
TU R KI S H DE LIG HTS
Artists’ Link show features work tied to
Memphis in May
J.S. SMITH
Each year Memphis celebrates a featured country during the Memphis in May events. This year’s
country is Turkey and organizations, schools, and individuals will be learning about, sharing, and
enjoying the culture of this country right here in our own hometown.
One of the groups that will be sharing in the celebration is Artists’ Link, a local artists’ support
group, who will be having an art show in the Cooper-Young area featuring artwork inspired by the
country of Turkey. From the more than ninety members, twenty-eight works of art were selected by
a panel of jurors for their beauty and relation to the themed country of Turkey. Among the pieces
are sculptures, paintings, and photographs. Many of the artists selected used references from their
personal trips to Turkey. These pieces will be featured during the month of May at Artists on Central
Art Gallery on Central Avenue.
“The organization approached us for a group show and said that they were inspired by the
Turkish Delights at Artists on Central
through May 31.
opportunity to theme their artwork around Memphis in May’s celebrated country of Turkey,” says
Jane Croy, curator of Artists on Central. “I saw some samples of their work and heard about what the
group stands for and was more than happy to work with them.”
Artists’ Link was founded in 1980 and the group has been meeting regularly to discuss such
topics as copyright law, artists colonies, art techniques and skills. In the past, the group has taken art
field trips as far away as New York and as close as workshops in the Dixon gardens. The group has
also been selected for shows at CBU, the Tunica Museum, the Corporate Offices of Fed Ex and the
Goldsmith Civic Garden Center. They were even the first art group selected to have an art display in
the Central Memphis Library.
The show, Turkish Delights continues May 31 at the gallery and can be seen during regular hours of
10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Saturday. If you would like more information about the show please
call the gallery at 276-1251 or if you would like more information about the Artists’ Link organization
Starbucks, Turk Kahvesi” by Jane Croy
you can go online to www.artistlink.com.
the exquisite desserterie
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938 South Cooper • Memphis, TN 38104 • 901-726-4300
May 2008
LampLighter 13
Nate, a native Memphian and CY resident, sees the revitalization in Midtown as one example of
buildings with the understanding that they can be rebuilt using
successful land recycling in neighborhoods.
example of land reuse
modern energy saving techniques would greatly reduce the
Recycle
Cooper-Young traces its origins to 1899 when the section west of
amount of energy required through construction, material
Cooper was annexed by the city. The annexation prompted a construc-
transport, and the actual operation of the building itself.”
tion boom and Memphis’ first working-class neighborhood was born.
Sam Kernell, was one of the residents who grew up in Cooper-Young.
In addition to abandoned and dilapidated buildings, another
waste of land in urban areas is vacant lots. Some plots of land are
He remembers during his childhood in the 1920s and 1930s that,
orphaned because they aren’t large enough for development, and
“Cooper-Young was such a wonderful place to shop. We had everything:
others result from abandoned property. Cooper-Young, like many
two grocery stores, two pharmacies, three churches, a bakery, a
other areas in Midtown has several vacant lots.
hardware store, and so much more.”
Nate Ferguson
developed a
curriculum that aims
to teach youth how
to reduce, reuse and
recycle land.
can be reused in cities. “Further, by encouraging the reuse of these New Ballet Ensemble is an
By the late 1960s, businesses were closed, the trolley no longer stopped
at the corner, and home prices dropped. The next generation of homeowners shunned CY for the new suburbs farther east. The turnaround of
the neighborhood began in 1976 when the Cooper-Young Community
“Vacant lots, if not utilized become trash receptacles,” says Nate.
“I saw it happen when I lived on Bruce—and it a waste of land.
Putting in a community food garden is an immediate and practical
use of that land.”
Association was formed, but it wasn’t until the early 1990s that the area
moved from a transitional neighborhood into a revitalized one.
“Whether they realize it or not, people who choose to live in neighborhoods like Cooper-Young
are already geared toward good environmental stewardship,” says Nate. “Very few new resources
are consumed when people choose to live in existing houses in existing neighborhoods.”
Reuse
The derelict warehouse near the corner of Meda and York in Cooper-Young didn’t merit a second
glance from Katie Smythe, who was in search of a new home for New Ballet Ensemble (NBE), the
dance company and studio she had founded in 2000. A second visit changed her mind and today
the 11,000 square-foot building, which had served as a warehouse for Keathley Pie Factory, is
home to NBE.
NBE’s transformation of the building is a perfect example of how the principle of reuse can be
applied to existing neighborhoods. Because Cooper-Young was built before the city mandated that
industrial, commercial and residential uses occur in separate locations, the neighborhood is home
to a strange mix of buildings. As the neighborhood changes, buildings continue to become
available. Most recently, Galloway United Methodist announced its intentions to sell its building.
While it could be sold to another church, it could also be adapted into another use.
“Many of the buildings that still stand have the potential for adaptive reuse, greatly reducing the
need to extract new materials or to develop previously untouched land,” says Nate of how land
The Pie Factory Condos on Young Ave. are an example of redevelopment that
reduced the amount of land used.
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For the last 20 years, Girl Scout Troop 3 has gardened on the grounds at
Galloway United Methodist Church at 1015 S. Cooper. This is land that would
otherwise be vacant.
SEEING GREEN
CY residents and businesses embrace
healthy environmental practices
COU RTN EY M I LLE R SANTO
Cooper-Young has its share of green-minded individuals. Some
residents are working hard to make every aspect of their lives
sustainable while some business owners are operating in an
environmentally friendly manner.
Scott Cooper and his wife Meredith, who live on Evelyn, have
adopted dozens of lifestyle changes that help them use fewer
natural resources.
“We use eco-friendly soap in the washing machine which
allows us to pump the water we use to wash our clothes into our
Ben Smith
yard for the trees, plants, and grass,” says Scott. “We have a
As part of its mission, the Mid-South Peace and Justice Center encourages communities to
replace trash and tire-filled lots with community gardens. In Orange Mound the group helped the
community plant a garden in a half-acre lot. Once the lot was cleared of trash, it took four people
about five hours to prepare the ground for planting and do the initial planting, says Flowers. To
maintain the garden requires one to two hours a day five days a week.
Reduce
In the world of sustainable or green development, more is less. In the last five years, CY
residents have seen acreage that once housed a commercial bakery become thirty-two condo-
compost pile for all food scraps and yard trimmings [and] we have planted eight new trees in our
yard and are working hard to keep the two large oak trees in our front yard thriving.”
Area business owners are also supportive of green practices. Ben Smith, owner and chef at
Tsunami Restaurant, has been working on doing the “green” thing since opening the restaurant. In
the first year the popular seafood restaurant opened, Ben encouraged a Ripley farmer to set up
shop in his parking lot on Friday nights to sell his produce.
“During market season we feature a Memphis Farmers’ Market platter on our small plate
miniums and seen a dilapidated spaghetti factory near the intersection of Elzey and Barksdale be
menu on Saturday evenings,” says Ben. “We would like to do more like solar panels, improve
replaced by thirty-three upscale homes.
insulation, etc., but are reluctant to do so because we don’t own the building.”
These type of projects, generally known as infill development, reduce the amount of land used.
Ben would also like to see more local initiatives to help business owners—in particular recycling
It also happens on a smaller scale throughout Cooper-Young. A large boarding house near the
pick up at businesses. He also says there is an opportunity for community-wide support though
corner of Philadelphia and Young was torn down and is now being replaced by two smaller
green living education.
homes.
The Cooper-Young Development Corporation specializes in this type of development. Most
recently the CYDC constructed ten new homes on vacant lots in the Seattle/McLean area west of
the core Cooper-Young neighborhood. Some of these lots formerly had burned or dilapidated
houses located on them or have been vacant for years.
The lots were not attractive to private developers because of their location and also because of
their size, says Sutton-Mora Hayes, director of the CYDC. Seattle was originally platted as
fifteen-foot lots, which left a lot of orphan fifteen foot and barely buildable thirty-foot lots in the
neighborhood. The suburban standard of sixty-foot (or more) lots is just not attainable over there.
Nate points out that city governments sometimes unintentionally hinder this type of infill
development by requiring housing lots to have a certain amount of space between other homes
and sidewalks. In order to build homes closer together, special permits are required.
Cooper-Young is home to one of the city’s five recycling centers in the parking lot of First
Congregational Church. For apartment dwellers and business owners, the recycling center is the
only option for recycling.
There are also several businesses in the area that specialize in recycling products—whether they
are books, furniture or clothing. Sustainability experts agree that buying previously owned items
reduces the consumption of new material.
“The idea of buying and selling used books is a great way to recycle and reduce paper,” says
Cheryl Mesler, who operates Burke’s with her husband Corey. “As far as ways we are green, we
recylce all packing materials. It is very rare that we have to purchase boxes or packing materials
to ship out our orders.”
The Meslers also began to live a greener lifestlye when they moved their store to Cooper-Young
“We had to get variances on nearly every lot on Seattle due to the sizes of the lots,” says
a little more than a year ago. The move allowed them to walk or bike to work. “I can actually see
Sutton. “Luckily, the Board of Adjustments recognized that the development in that area—espe-
a difference in the miles we put on our car just due to having more and more close to our home,”
cially being done correctly and in keeping with historic standards—was more important in the long
says Cheryl. “We’ve been discovering how much is at our fingertips in this neighborhood. We
run than the standards.”
don’t have to go very far to get what we need.”
Lessons
In the last year, as Nate developed this curriculum as part of his final project for his graduate
degree in City & Regional Planning from the University of Memphis, he began to see that for a
community to be environmentally sustainable it also had to be economic and socially sustainable.
“If communities are not socially connected, then no one is looking out for each other and crime
increases,” says Nate. “We can’t keep people in the city if it isn’t safe or if their children won’t get
a good education.”
There is great opportunity to reduce, reuse and recycle land in Memphis. Because the city and
surrounding area have plenty of land, market forces are not likely to change the way the city
expands. In places like New York City and San Francisco, where land is limited, many of these
concepts are aleady in practice. In other cities like Portland, government has imposed artificial
land shortages to achieve some of the same goals. Nate hopes the place to start in Memphis is
with the youth.
“Youth participation programs have consistently demonstrated the impact that youth can
have on their communities, and the resulting impact that communities can have on youth.”
Says Nate. “Such a program can begin to reverse the cycle of abandonment that is plaguing the
inner city today. The development of a curriculum which teaches inner city youth about the
need for sustainability will prepare them to have an active role in how the community develops in
the future.”
If you are a teacher, or know someone who would be interested in utilizing
Nate Ferguson’s curriculum, please contact him at nfergusn@memphis.edu
Other organizations have found it more difficult to implement green practices. The CooperYoung Development Corporation, which builds new houses on vacant lots in our area works with
a limited budget.
“Unfortunately, our budgets as non-profit builders are so tight on each house, that we haven’t
been able to [implement green practices] up to this point,” says Sutton Mora Hayes, Executive
Director of the CYDC. “Although we’re building affordable houses, the houses still cost the same
amount to builder. There isn’t an affordable housing aisle at Home Depot.”
Sutton hopes the CYDC will soon be able to participate in EcoBuild or other green building
programs. “It is something that we are looking at for our next phase of development, and we hope
that we’ll be able to find the additional funding to support our participation in the program.”
P E R S O N A L C O N S E R VAT I O N
CYCA offers special meeting with
Energ
r ySmart
r
MLGW on energy saving
Memphis
E M I LY B I S H O P
The May general meeting on Tuesday May 13 will feature a Do It Yourself Workshop from
Energy Smart Memphis by MLG&W. This one and a half hour workshop will begin at 6:30 p.m.
and participants will receive a free weatherization kit (one kit per household) and learn ways to
reduce their energy costs. You must stay for the complete workshop to receive your free kit. Doors
open at 6 p.m. and refreshments will be served.
May 2008
LampLighter 15
GREEN CHIC
M I DT
Trying to go green with nothing but the
blues
Foc
kee
MELISSA ANDERSON SWEAZY
KRIST
You’ll find me most Sundays at brunch with my extended family at the café at Davis-Kidd.
This
Immediate post-brunch usually finds me taking advantage of Nana cooing over the baby so I can
seemin
get some good browsing in. This past Sunday after my requisite lap through the magazines and a
child. I
cursory run through the new fiction, I made my way over to the children’s section and was struck
again a
by a group of books prominently displayed at the entrance. It was the store’s “green table” with
year. In
titles like “The Down to Earth Guide to Global Warming” by Laurie David (i.e. the soon to be ex
about
Mrs. Larry David) “How to Save the Planet, The Kids Guide to Global Warming” and “Global
Now
Warming, the Solution is You.” Even The Lorax was getting in on the action. The Dr. Seuss classic
shoppi
had a mysterious little sticker touting the Lorax Project, which further research revealed that
that I d
proceeds would donate money to forest conservation. Like The Lorax says, “Unless someone cares
about
a whole awful lot, nothing is going to get better. It’s not.” I was pleased to see books that
that in
encouraged responsibility at such a young age and that the bookstore was doing their part to
last-mi
promote it. But to be honest, it just kinda broke my heart. My little one was struggling to make the
one m
train go on the train track. How was I to tell her she is supposed to save the planet?
Somer
The gloom descended. When I got home, the television told me that an average wedding
And
releases 14.5 tons of CO2. I also learned that there is a floating pile of plastic and debris in the
draw it
Pacific that is in an area twice the size of Texas. In case you missed that: Island. Of garbage. Bigger
who th
than the U.S. At dinner I heard the glum news that the Wilkins ice shelf, the largest in the world,
big pile
had begun to splinter, years before scientists predicted such an event could occur. By dessert, I
memo
was ready to string myself up with a noose fashioned out of plastic grocery bags. Death by
stuff. A
recycling. At least it would be eco friendly. And then I remembered the books I picked up at
do enj
David-Kidd.
hard fo
Flipping through Christine Matheson’s “Green Chic: Saving the Earth in Style” could really just
kind o
save me the trouble of writing a column by cribbing all of her excellent advice.
And
• Where to score organic vodka.
just a f
• The best spray cleaner to use when your husband’s buddies pee all over the toilet seat. that ca
Again.
pass th
• Why you should never, ever get another mani-pedi unless it is at an organic spa (I still have
down
the heebeejeebees after that chapter)
holida
• Where to score affordable organic cotton sheets. (To my brother in-law who thinks organic is
know t
for suckers: you read her section on what is actually in those non-organic sheets that spend
our ex
intimate contact with your skin eight hours a night, and then we’ll talk about who’s being silly.)
and wr
• While I could have done with out the “sweeties” liberally sprinkled throughout the text, the
even o
lady really did her homework. I’ll be flipping through this one often. Especially when I have a
I gu
column due.
grumb
I will admit it didn’t do a ton to lift me out of my funk, especially after reading about all of the
him se
chemicals involved with nail polish remover. I moved on. “Cool Green Stuff” by Dave Evans is a
the tre
photo essay of some of the most innovative recycled, green products created. There was a
presen
chandelier made out of bic pens, a genius, slotted “paper table” from www.mattstudio.com that is
with th
made out of recycled magazines and newspapers and is used to hold, you guessed it, newspapers
year w
and magazines. And perhaps my favorite company name ever, Poo Poo Papers. Dung is collected
my hu
from elephants and rinsed to collect the fibrous material they snacked on. Said fibers are boiled
the pro
and then mashed into a paste and dried, creating sheets of Poo Poo Paper that make lovely
up with
stationery sets. Now this was more like it. Who said saving the planet had to be such deadly
get aw
serious business? They sure don’t:
togeth
• The Lazy Environmentalist hosts a radio show on XM and promises genial, guilt-free recom-
I kn
mendations on going green.
and th
• www.coochicoos.com, a site devoted to design-obsessed parents, is co-sponoring an
pleasu
eco-friendly playhouse design competition for kids.
and ho
• F*** for Forest. Yes, there is even an eco porn movement. The creatively named organization
days a
uses, um, natural living to raise money for the rain forest.
find a
So there you have it. The world may slowly be taken over by a giant floating pile of plastic
trying
in the Pacific, but there are those who will be doing battle with a smile. I’ll be doing my part
the bli
by ordering a set of Poo Poo Paper stationery because it’s good for the planet. And because
earlier
poo is funny.
never
the ba
Don’t b
time. It
4
LampLighter
22 LampLighter
December 2007
December 2007
ON TH E I R TOE S
CODE VIOLATIONS SURVEY
Memphis modern dance collective
celebrates twenty years
S A R A H C H R I S T I N E B O LT O N
The CYCA would like to know which code violations are most important
to you. Please rank the following violations from 1-10 with number one
being the most important. The Code Enforcement committee will focus
on the top three violations ﬁrst and expand to the other violations as our
volunteer manpower allows. Please go to www.cooperyoung.org and click
on the link to the Code Violation Survey or mail in this survey to
CYCA Code Enforcement, 2298 Young Avenue, Memphis, TN 38104.
Project: Motion, a local contemporary dance collective, is celebrating twenty years. That means
two decades of quality modern dance in Memphis. Twenty years of dancers, choreographers,
dance educators and arts administrators coming together to create and perform visionary dance
works. And what better to celebrate twenty years of dance than a concert called Muscle Memory:
Looking Back, Moving Forward?
From May 16 to May 25, Memphis will become the center of a “creative convergence” for
modern dance as former influential guest choreographers from Project: Motion’s past return home
to reconnect with current collective members. By exchanging new ideas, reflecting on past work,
Accumulation of Junk Trash and Debris – it is a violation to
accumulate junk, trash and other debris on residential property.
and reuniting its artists, Project: Motion fuses past with present to produce new works that will
propel the company’s artistic vision forward into the next twenty years.
In addition to the guest artists’ works, local choreographers and current Project: Motion
collective members will present new works. Emily Hefley, Sarah Ledbetter, Marianne Bell and
Open Storage of Furnishings and Materials – it is a violation to
openly store on residential property any equipment, materials or
furnishing that is dangerous to public health, safety of welfare. (i.e.
indoor furniture outdoors / household appliances).
Louisa Koeppel will all present works exploring a wide range of ideas and themes.
Project: Motion is a professional contemporary dance collective specializing in modern
dance—an art form characterized by a spirit of exploration and creativity. The organization is
based out of Theatreworks in Midtown Memphis and is devoted to the creation and presentation
of innovative and well-crafted dance works that inspire, stimulate and engage audiences on an
Parking and Storing Inoperable (Junk) Motor Vehicles – it is a
violation to park, store or leave any vehicle that is rusted, wrecked,
junked, dismantled, inoperable or abandoned in a residential area,
except in fully enclosed structure or when screened from public view.
Excessive Weeds, Grass, Trees and Vegetation – it is a violation
to allow grass or weeds to grow over 12 inches high, or allow plants,
shrubs or trees to grow in a manner that will obstruct pedestrian trafﬁc
or the visibility of motorists.
intellectual, emotional and physical level. Project: Motion fosters artistic collaborations and
provides a forum for local dance artists to experiment, develop skills and hone artistic vision in a
nurturing and challenging environment.
Performance will be held May 16, 17, 22, 23, and 24 at 8 p.m. and on May 18 and 25 at 2 p.m.
Tickets are $20 for adults and $10 for students, seniors and children. TheatreWorks is located at
2085 Monroe Avenue. For tickets please call 901-766-9366. The Saturday May 24 performance
includes “Cocktails and Conversations” with Project: Motion directly following the performance.
Thursday May 22 is buy one, get one free admission and the May 16 and May 22 performance
also include a question and answer session with Project: Motion dancers fowling the performance.
For more information (and a $5 discount) visit Project: Motion’s website, at www.projectmotiondance.org and www.myspace.com/projectmotiondance.
Off-Street Parking – it is a violation to park or store any non-working
vehicle on the lawn/grass or
sidewalk of any residential property.
Substandard Structures and Fences – it is a violation to maintain
any accessory structures, including storage sheds, garages and
fences that are considered structurally unsound or in need of repair in
order to serve the intended purpose.
Special Use & Recreational Vehicles & Equipment– it is a violation
to park or store a recreational
vehicle or special use vehicle/equipment at any single family dwelling.
Commercial Vehicles & Equipment – it is a violation to park or store
any commercial vehicle exceeding 8,000 pounds in weight on any
residential property or residential street.
Abandoned and Derelict Structures – it is a violation for any
property owner to refuse to properly secure any structure he or she
owns or is liable for, to prevent loitering of vagrants or criminal activity.
General Service and Repair Shops – it is a violation to own or
operate a commercial business in a district zoned residential without
proper permits.
Project:Motion, Memphis’ modern dance collective is getting ready for its
twentieth anniversary show, which will be in May.
May 2008
LampLighter 17
SHELF LIFE
BOOK REVIEW
Peace packed with gripping drama and
moral complexity
“Catcher in the Rye” remains a classic
K I M B E R LY R I C H A R D S O N
It is amazing, as a bibliophile, to know that there are pieces of
literature that, despite the passage of years, still captivate people’s
JE R RY B ROWN
Richard Bausch’s eleventh novel, “Peace,” is set in Italy near
minds. The words still tickle our palette, giving us the same ideas
Mt. Cassino. It’s the terrible winter of 1944. The war had
and thoughts as they did when first published. The authors of these
turned. Mussolini had been overthrown after the invasion of
works, either living or dead, remain in our hearts, giving us just
Sicily, and Italy had surrendered. Although the Germans were
enough to make us pass our love (or hate) for them to the next
in retreat, they slowed Allied movement northward with
generation.
sporadic attacks and sniper fire along treacherous terrain, and
I first read “The Catcher in the Rye” many years ago and at the
adding to the terror of Allied movement was the lingering
time, I was wholly unprepared for subtle complexity of this coming
uncertainty of Italian loyalties. Reconnaissance patrols were
of age story. I let it slip through my mental cracks. Years later, I
strung out along the western front, and in the first chapter
cracked its spine again and I am glad I did.
Bausch quickly brings us into the world of one such patrol and
into the horror that will follow.
The novel opens with the discovery of a German officer and
a woman, hidden in a donkey-driven cart of straw, as it meets
the recon patrol along the road. The German officer kills two in the patrol; Corporal Marson kills
the German, and Sergeant Glick approaches the woman and puts “the end of his carbine to her
Holden Caulfield is the epitome of American privileged youth in
the 1950s: a life surrounded by money and prestige, sent to the
right schools designs to be molded into the perfect American
citizen, a model for those who would never be exposed to such honors. However, as one reads
further, one begins to realize that he is in fact, not the model but a broken soul, one forever linked
forehead and fired.” “This is all one thing,” Glick would say, a rationale that would be repeated in
to a lifestyle that he truly does not want nor deserve. We see him about to be kicked out of yet
their novel-long patrol as the characters of Marson, Asch, and Joyner attempt a mission along a
another prep school for failing to care about his studies and yet we wonder if he is truly saddened
steep mountainside.
by it. After getting into a fight with his roommate, he leaves the school in the middle of the night
The patrol, near Cassino, had trudged through rain and ice and snow on top of rough terrain
and catches a train for New York. He leaves the school before his parents become aware of his
for days, and now Sergeant Glick sends the three men, Marson, Asch and Joyner, with an Italian
situation and therefore gives the reader a look into his life for twenty-four hours as he becomes
peasant as a guide, up the nearby mountainside to look for German positions and movement.
another lonely figure on the streets of the Big Apple.
They are exhausted, cold, damp, and sick, and much of the sickness is from the incident that had
occurred the day before.
The woman’s murder propels the novel into a moral haze that haunts its characters
throughout. Midway through the novel, Bausch takes us into the gut of the devout Corporal
Marson whose memories of home and family were becoming unreal. “It no longer carried with
it the weight of memory, but was marbled with the unsubstantial feeling of imagination when
the faculty of imagining is sketchy or false. He could not really believe it happened, any of it.
And here, in the middle of a war, in the stupid prodigality of killing all around him, he had been
witness to a murder.”
It is a gripping novel, set in horrific conditions, and Bausch’s characters struggle with the moral
After securing a hotel room, he goes off in search of music, drinks, companionship; only to fail
miserably at all of them, leaving him with one option: return to his parents’ home. He greets his
sleepy and quite intelligent younger sister, who informs him that their parents have gone to a
party and should be back soon. He leaves before getting caught then returns to his room. He
spends time thinking of past flames and possible regrets and soon the reader is exposed to the
end result: he is sent to yet another school where quite possibly the vicious cycle can begin again.
Are we to feel sorry for Mr. Caulfield, a young man who, while being angry at the world, his
situation of a somewhat failure and life in general, takes time out to wonder if the ducks in a lake
fly away or remain frozen in the lake as winter approaches? Is he a lost soul, searching for
considerations of war all along the way. “We’re all in the crosshairs,” says Asch, the skeptic son of
meaning amidst the rubble of the current society wondering the point of it all, or is he perhaps
devout parents, when he speaks of death. At another time, speaking of religion with Marson he
man knowing the dirty and raw truth of life?
says, echoing the earlier words of Sergeant Glick, the murderer. “It’s all one thing. I mean one
I was informed by Matt Martin of Black Lodge Video that the movie Chapter 27 recently
reason for all of it—the religion and the philosophy and all the rest…It’s all trying to explain the
opened in theatres. The movie follows Mark David Chapman, the man who murdered John
one thing. Why we have to die. It’s all a puny attempt to deal with that fact.”
Lennon, and explores Chapman’s obsession with “The Catcher in the Rye.” Chapmen believed that
Joyner, the bigoted nineteen year-old, the youngest of all, is repulsed by Asch’s constant
referral to the woman’s murder and Asch’s notion that they all are being punished for what
happened. “She’s a f---ing Nazi, Saul. Christ. How clear do you need it to be?”
The weather never relents. A blistered foot torments Marson with every step he takes. Asch and
Joyner question the mission and want to return. None of them is certain of their forced Italian
guide, and through exhaustion, confusion, and anger, they are losing any ability to feel what it
means to be human or to even imagine an end to the war or to have a notion of what it would
the book spoke to him and told him to kill Lennon. For a book to have such an influence, either
good or bad, on a person makes me ask one question: what would Holden think?
Kimberly Richardson is the owner of Viridian Books, an online bookstore for the Strange and
Unusual Reader. She is also the author of the poetry book Rusty Typewriter, available through
FootHills Publishing (www.foothillspublishing.com), and is currently at work on a collection of short
stories. Most if not all of the books reviewed can be purchased at: www.viridianbooks.com.
mean to be back home. Then, near the mountaintop, after witnessing, by the sound of it, an
execution, they discover a sniper is stalking them.
What follows is a remarkable scene, when Marson, having reached an oblivious state, locks his
vision through a carbine scope--searching, finding, redeeming.
On some level a reader may think that Bausch has laid out a debate between ethical absolutists and ethical relativists or about when killing is justified or has pondered St. Thomas Aquinas’
conditions of war, but he would scoff at that. Bausch is a storyteller, first, of the human condition,
and a teacher, and he has said that this war novel was based on something his father told him
long ago. Thank goodness for all of that.
Jerry Brown is a fiction writer living in Memphis..
Short-story author and novelist Richard Bausch teaches creative writing to graduate students at the University of Memphis, where he holds the Lillian and Morrie A. Moss Chair of
Excellence. He will read from his new novel, “Peace” at Burke’s Books on Thursday May 15 at 6 p.m. The event will be from 5 to 7 p.m.
He was born in Fort Benning, Georgia, and grew up near Washington, D.C. He holds a B.A. from George Mason University and an M.F.A. in creative writing from the University of
Iowa. Bausch is the author of eleven novels and seven collections of short stories, including “Take Me Back” (1981), which was nominated for the PEN/Faulkner Award; “The Last
Good Time” (1984); “Mr. Field’s Daughter” (1989); “Violence”(1992); “The Selected Stories of Richard Bausch (1996); In the Night Season (1998); Hello to the Cannibals (2003); and
Thanksgiving Night (2006). His short stories have appeared in numerous prize-winning anthologies, including Best American Short Stories, O. Henry, and Pushcart. He has received
several awards, including a National Endowment for the Arts fellowship, a Guggenheim fellowship, the Lila Wallace-Reader’s Digest Writer’s Award, and the Award in Literature from
the Academy of Arts and Letters.
Nearly one-third of the properties being sold at auction on December 4 are
located in Cooper-Young. The southeast corner of the neighborhood will be most
affected by the sale, being held by Roebuck Auctions.
“The bidding started off with the three properties on Cooper—811/813—first. It took me about
20 seconds to realize I was only going to be an observer. They started out bidding at about what I
might have paid. Within a minute the old building that was the reserve police substation had gone
for $112,200 (including the 10 percent tip tacked on for Roebuck). 821 Cooper went next for
$93,500; 817 went for $81,400.”
Today, the Assessor lists Bernard Cowles as owner of these properties. Cowles, who owns the
Cowles Company and built Cooper-Young Place, lists the properties as rentals on his website.
Currently, 821 Cooper is described as a 1600 square foot, three bedroom, two bathroom unit with
new appliances. It rents for $1395 a month.
If this auction follows the others, then many of these properties will remain rentals. New owners
will have a choice—within zoning guidelines—of what to do with their properties. As Steve
Lockwood laments in his earlier article, the auction process does not easily accommodate
first-time buyers who are looking for a home and not a rental investment. What this means
for current residents of the 1000 block of Bruce is that although ownership will change,
nothing else will.
According to Roebuck, the total value of the real estate is estimated at more than $5 million
with a total income potential of $600,000 annually. Interested bidders should check the
Roebuck Auctions website at www.roebuckauctions.com or call 901-ROEBUCK to learn more
about what is required
December 2007 LampLighter
LETTE R TO E DITOR
5
Peabody a school
in good standing
K O N G S O U LY J O N E S
As you know, Peabody Elementary School
and Memphis City Schools are dedicated to
ensuring that our students succeed. While we
have always held high expectations for our
students, the federal No Child Left Behind Act
of 2001 (NCLB) has set new standards for
students to meet.
This summer, our state released a report on
the progress Memphis City Schools is making
toward achieving proficiency for 100 percent
of our students under NCLB. The report
identifies whether schools have made
Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP)–a simple yes
or no grade based on a complex set of
measurements. To make AYP, each district
school must achieve targets: areas of test
participation and performance measured
across subgroups of students (grouped by such
categories as race, language proficiency, and
disability). In addition, schools must meet
graduation rates and attendance targets. If just
one subgroup misses just one target, an entire
school does not make AYP. We are pleased to
inform you that Peabody Elementary School
met the target in Spring, 2007, and is listed as
“IN GOOD STANDING.”
Please know that many good schools have
not made AYP. That doesn’t mean they’re not
May 2008
LampLighter 19
SPRING CLEANING
M I DT
Embracing life and possibility
Fo
ke
DE N I S E COX
This year, I’ve moved to a new old house and there’s not as much to
deep clean as there was in the old old house, which had twenty-one
KRIS
years of living and gardening to tidy up each spring. But the move to a
Thi
new space has me thinking of ways to renew many areas, including my
seem
larger, psychological “house”—to give it a good “spring cleaning” so that
child.
it sparkles and vibrates with new possibility and abundant life.
again
Here are some opportunities for spring cleaning your life and making
year.
a fertile ground for new possibilities to take root and grow:
about
• Clean out the emotional closet: Are there grudges that you’ve held
No
so long you can’t remember exactly what caused the grudge to begin with? Write them down
shopp
and burn them in a little pan. Offer them up so that all that’s left is a little pile of ashes that you
that I
can add to your compost pile to feed the soil. Are there feelings of love and appreciation that
about
you’ve kept unexpressed, hoarded away like years of old seed packets? Deliver those to the place
that in
they belong. Saying the loving things we feel moves the old seed out of the packet and plants it
last-m
in the fertile earth of hearts where it can grow and be passed along.
one m
• Clean out the mental closet: Take a look at mental habits that limit free thought and lively, open
Some
exploration of your world. Start with a topic in which your point of view seems secure, and then,
An
for the sake of practice, deliberately place yourself in the place of another who sees the issue
draw
from a different point of view.
who t
• What can you learn from that irritating neighbor? Or, how can your best friend have such a
big pi
polar opposite political view from your own? What is the difference between toleration of versus
memo
agreement with? What informs your world view without compromise of your values and helps
stuff.
you grow with compassion and understanding?
do en
• Set out to liven up your mind in the same way the earth explodes with possibility and new life in
hard f
the spring. Set about to learn something that you never thought you could learn. Learning can
kind o
be as simple as trying a new recipe or as complex as learning to play a new musical instrument or
An
learning a new language. If biologic diversity is good for our earth, imagine how life-affirming
just a
diversity of mental activity can be for our minds!
that c
• Clean out the physical closet: Trade one life-endangering habit for two life-affirming ones.
pass t
Instead of going out for happy hour every evening, occasionally plan a potluck with friends and
down
then plan some new adventure to undertake together. Or, omit a food from your diet that is
holida
incompatible with health and give yourself permission to add two foods that support health but
know
may seem like an indulgence, such as trading a transfat fast food item for fresh blueberries and
our ex
80 percent cacao chocolate.
and w
Our “gardens” won’t grow unless the soil of our minds is cleared of the habits that choke it and
even
is seeded with the new, vibrant possibilities we dream of cultivating. Spring is pregnant, literally
I gu
popping, with possibility. Instead of only viewing spring cleanup as a drudgery of scrubbing,
grum
throwing away and emptying, embrace the excitement of abundant, new life. Happy spring!
him s
the tre
Denise Cox is a counselor affiliated with The Pilgrim Center of First Congregational Church, a
counseling program for all ages. For further information or to speak with Denise, call 844-4357,
prese
Option 7.
with t
year w
my hu
the pr
up wi
get aw
togeth
I kn
and th
pleasu
and h
days
find a
trying
the bl
earlie
never
the ba
Don’t
time.
4
LampLighter
December 2007
PEABODY N EWS
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As end of school nears, activities, awards heat up
AMY LU EC K
The month of April was TCAP time at Peabody.
Classes worked hard in the first weeks of April to
prepare for the test, which was administered the
week of April 14. But that certainly wasn’t all that
occurred. There was service to the community
through the Beta Club’s can drive, exciting faculty
awards, and the Pre-K at it again with remarkable
experiences that would make anyone wish to be
four-years-old.
Kids can help
The Peabody Elementary Beta Club organized the
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Kids Kan Drive for the school. They collected an
estimated 800 cans, which is pretty great considering the fact that the school has an enrollment of
only 420 students! Ms. Eoff’s fifth grade class
received a pizza party for bringing in the most cans,
Peabody PreK goes to college
Award-winning faculty
contributing more than 150 cans! The club wishes
to thank the families and friends who helped make
our Kids Kan Drive a success.
Mrs. Barbara Finney received the distinguished English as a Second Language (ESL) Award from the English Department at the University of
Memphis on April 24. She was selected by the ESL faculty of the school’s English Department for her outstanding contribution to the Hispanic
community and her excellent work pursuing her master’s degree in ESL. We are proud that she is being recognized by others for the dedication that
we, at Peabody, have seen so much of in her work.
SOUNDSCAPE
RECORDING STUDIO
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rates! Pay by the song. 48 track
pro-tools rig w/ numerous prof. plug
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Pre-K goes pre-college
“Every Child. Every Day. College Bound!” is the motto for Memphis City Schools, and no where was it more evident than in the Peabody Elementary
School Pre-K class. Ms. Cox and Mrs. Egwuekwe’s class studied the University of Memphis in April. The students used the computer to take a virtual
tour of the campus. They used to the UM website to learn about all the people who make the university great.
As a part of their exploration of college life, the students had to sit down with their guidance counselors (their parents) and create a class schedule
Record anytime.
901-361-9581
from their classroom choice activities. The block center became the architecture and engineering class; the writing center became the creative writing
class; phonics and listening became the communications department; and dramatic play was a part of the fine arts department, which included the
art center.
During the students’ matriculation to the University of Memphis at Peabody Elementary they were visited by Dr. David Cox from the University of
Memphis. He talked to the students about his role at the University and answered questions the students had about classes and student life. Dr. Cox
and the students even talked a little Tiger basketball!
The students were also visited by members of the Women’s soccer team who read stories and told the students about living in the dorms and
away from their parents. There were even members of the baseball team who stopped in to say hello.
At conclusion of the study, the students donned their caps and gowns and were presented their degrees from the University of Memphis at
Peabody by an alumni of UM. The graduates’ future aspirations included doctors, pilots, teachers, architects, and even museum curators.
International festival on its way
With TCAP over and done, all classes switched to International Studies mode to prepare for the forthcoming International Festival on May 8.
International Festival is an annual event in conjunction with the Memphis in May events that showcases Peabody’s International Studies curriculum.
Each grade level is assigned a country of study for the year, which culminates in a truly impressive display at the school-wide festival in May.
Pre-K begins with the study of Memphis, which expands to a study of America in the Kindergarten. Mrs. Greer’s Kindergarten is even attempting to
learn the Preamble to our nation’s Constitution as part of their preparations! These early years establish an understanding of student’s own place in
the country to set the stage for the learning about their place in the world in later years.
First grade marks the beginning of truly international study, with a focus on Kenya. Students study Kenya’s culture and resources, environment and
people. They begin to appreciate places and ways of life outside their own sphere of experience.
Second grade continues the development of international understanding through a study of France, augmented by the study of the French
language in support classes. Third grade studies Mexico, fourth grade explores Russia, and fifth grade rounds it off with the study of Japan.
Families, neighbors, and community members are invited to the school on May 8 at 8:30 a.m. to participate in the festival and support the
students. Mr. Sander’s Dance Ensemble and Chorus will give a performance featuring pieces from our countries of study. Following the performance,
guests will have the opportunity to walk around to classrooms and view the students’ work. Each class will have stations set up to present their
information to guests using multi-media software, performances, and activities, as well as traditional foods to sample from each country. We are
looking forward to a great turnout again this year for festival, and we hope you will be a part of it!
A summer on the wild side
Making plans for summer? Unsure how to fill those dog days, and get the best of learning for your child? Consider the Memphis City Zoo’s “Zoo
Camp”! Zoo Camp is a great opportunity for fun and learning that lets kids explore their wild side by getting up close and personal with some truly
wild friends. Peabody’s own Ms. Magbee and other staff will be working with students all summer long to provide entertainment and learning for a
summer, and memories for a lifetime! Check out the Memphis City Zoo’s website, or contact Ms. Magbee for more information about how you can be
a part of the adventure.
Upcoming Events
May 8: International Festival, which is open to all visitors.
May 23: Last day of school!
May 2008
LampLighter 21
LI F E LO N G LEA R N I N G
C AT WAT C H
Who let the dogs out?
Feline movements offers insight into
social behavoir
D. JAC K S O N MA XW E LL
I was recently alerted through our Neighborhood Watch email about a dog attack on a
DEBORAH CAMP
Working from home five days a week affords me an opportunity many pet lovers do not
woman and her child as she was walking near the
have—quality time with our cats. While most working pet guardians dash out the door early and
intersection of Peabody and Willett—just a few
return home late after a long day at the office and a harrowing trip back through Memphis traffic,
blocks from Cooper-Young. Basically, a pit bull dog
I am laboring in my home office with one of several cats resting on my desk by the computer or
charged the couple and grabbed the woman’s leg
curled up in a basket watching the world from a sunlit perch near the window.
as she tried to protect her child. Luckily, the
Though unimaginable now, before I married Michael eleven years ago I was petless. I had dogs
woman had her dog with her (on a leash) that
as a child but never cats. It was a new experience living with felines, learning their ways and
then attacked the pit bull, driving it off. Fortu-
habits and eventually becoming captivated by their strong personalities and affectionate nature.
nately, the woman and her child were able to
At last there was some practical use for my masters degree in anthropology. For eleven years I
escape and everyone survived in this incident.
have been studying the social groups of cats, observing them in their daily activities and dutifully
According to the Dog Bite Law (www.dogbitelaw.com), the Center for Disease Control (CDC)
recording information about them.
In my early study of cat behavior, I turned to the works of ethologist Desmond Morris whose
found there are almost 5 million dog bite victims
prolific writings on cats as well as other animals answer such burning questions as why do cats
per year. Nearly thirty people are killed in the U.S.
“sneer,” and how does a cat use his whiskers? (The “sneer” is what’s called the flehmen response
each year with 800,000 requiring medical
by which a cat employs a taste-smell organ which helps them “read” odors; a cat’s whiskers
attention and an annual associated loss of in
operate as air current detectors and feelers that enable cats to tell whether a gap is wide enough
excess of a billion dollars. In 2006, the Insurance Information Institute states that over $350
for him to squeeze through.)
million dollars were paid for dog bites. Dog bites are the fifth leading reason for children’s visits to
What has interested me over the years have been things like how does a cat become an
emergency rooms. Tennessee had the third highest number of dog attack deaths in 2007 with
“alpha” feline in a family of unrelated siblings? What is it that turns a formerly good relationship
four. According to a study in Animal People, Rottweilers, pit bulls, and Presa Canarios plus their
sour? And, why do two of our female cats so intensely dislike each other?
mixes account for 74 percent of attacks and 65 percent of deaths. Seventy-seven percent of biting
dogs are owned by the victim’s family or friends.
My family and I stroll throughout the Midtown area on almost a daily basis. If the weather is
This last question is one I ponder almost daily. When Rainy joined us it was because she was
left abandoned in a cardboard box in our driveway along with her brother Stormy. Both were
adorable gray and white longhaired kittens around three months old. We quickly named them
nice, we are outside. While about, we nearly always encounter pets. We regularly see dogs, cats
Stormy and Rainy because the morning we found them the sky was thick with dark thunder
and even on occasion, parrots being taken for a walk. The cats are virtually never on a leash but
clouds and lightening.
instead allowed to freely roam. The parrots, on the other hand, are always in cages or on a chain.
Michael was confident we’d soon find a good home for the feisty pair. Within days they made
The dogs are another story. Most are on leashes but there are plenty left unfettered, to roam
themselves at home and after a week the other cats accepted them as if they had lived here for
yards, jog along with their owners or prowl the streets. Although most are harmless, unfortunately
years. All except one. Spot, a pretty, but head strong calico, wanted nothing to do with Rainy—and
it only takes one or two to loose dogs to create chaos.
four years later her attitude hasn’t changed. And the feeling is mutual. The two females square off
All of our lives, my wife and I have had dogs. Since we were kids, our families have owned
dogs. When my wife and I bought our first house, shortly thereafter we got our first dog and then
striking symbolic postures, howling and bristling with righteous anger.
Three or four times daily we are summoned away from our office to the warning siren emitted
a second dog. They were a part of our family. However, within the last two years both my
by one or both of them. Rainy will have Spot cornered in the litter box, Spot will have trapped
daughter and son have been bitten by dogs. My daughter was first, bitten by the family dog, a
Rainy behind the sofa, or one will have surprised the other rounding the French doors to the living
Bassett Hound, that required a trip to the emergency room. My son was next, attacked by an
room. The scenes of this feline soap opera replay themselves with few script changes. When
unleashed dog as he innocently ran down a public beach in Mississippi. Finally, within the last
Michael or I approach them chiding, “Ladies, ladies, what’s going on—who started this?” they back
six-months my daughter was again bitten by an unfettered dog in a neighbor’s yard. Fortunately,
off, turn away, and seem to be generally relieved. They really don’t want to actually fight. We
the last two bites did not require medical attention What makes this even more remarkable is that
jokingly call these reruns of “The Fighting Feline Fists of Fury.”
are children are never out of our sight. However, due to these incidents we have become smarter
and when a dog is present, our children are never out of arms reach.
The purpose of this article is to educate. While pets are an important part of many peoples’
Which makes me wonder, why don’t they just resolve whatever little grudges they have and
become friends? Then they could play and have a great time together, just the way her likeable
brother Stormy did when he ingratiated himself into the household. He is still affectionate and
lives, they must be treated with a healthy respect. Even the trusted family pet, can turn on its
protective of his sister, but he is also friends with everyone—male and female—which was a smart
owners. Although this is rare, it is something our family has learned to beware of. With that
political move and one that boosted his status in the pecking order.
knowledge, we still enjoy our mutt and will until the day she dies. In the end, knowledge must
And no, we never did find that “good home” for the two domestic longhairs. We sent out
prevail—dogs can and do kill. When you or your children are around dogs, use good sense,
dozens of emails with beguiling photos of the kittens, so small they could fit easily into the palms
reason, and judgment. For me, caution is the watchword. The telling statistic is that 77 percent of
of Michael’s hands. We received a few promising leads, but by the time Michael was ready to
dog bites come from either the family dog or the dog of a friend. While dogs can be a man’s best
interview them, they were already disqualified. One stated she might want to adopt just one;
friend, they can also be his demise.
another revealed he once had a beloved cat but she ran off. Nope—out of the elimination. Michael
Dr. D. Jackson Maxwell is an educator with twenty years experience who teaches at Downtown
Elementary School. If you have any questions or comments, please contact Dr. Maxwell via email at:
maxwellj01@k12tn.net
insisted, and I agreed, the pair should stay together since there was already an obvious bond
between them. And we also wanted to make sure whoever adopted them would keep them
indoors.
Ultimately they did find a good home—ours. Which was not a bad thing since they added
another layer of joyful complexity and insight into the mysterious world of cats, and they have
afforded us further opportunities for laughter, wonder, and observation.
Contact Deborah Camp at 525-0552, or dcamp@memphisbusiness.com for comments or
suggestions.
C H AT T E R B OX
The people, places
and businesses of
CY that make the
news
Wishes reading
begins Saturday, May 3, 2008 at Jillian’s
Debbie Macomber will
located at 150 Peabody Place, Suite 119 from
be at Burke’s Book Store
6 to 10 p.m.
on Wednesday, May 7,
from 5 to 6:30 p.m. to
K AT I E B O N D S
read from and sign
We’re not the only ones who think there are
people and places in Cooper-Young worth
talking about. This is our monthly round-up of
CY neighbors, businesses and community folk
win the grand prize of $500,000. The casting
Bestselling author
Happy Anniversary
April 3 marked the one-year anniversary of
copies of her new novel,
Burke’s Book’s move from Poplar Avenue to its
“Twenty Wishes” (Mira
new home in Cooper-Young. It has been great
Books, $24.95 hard-
having the store here and we hope they’ll be
back). The reading will
more anniversaries to celebrate.
begin at 6 p.m. “Twenty Wishes” is a story of
hope, renewal and inspiration. It follows the
something you think we should know about,
fortunes of a group of women who are drawn
go ahead and email us at lamplighter@
together at a time of loss in their lives. As their
to his collection of more than 700 Hawaiian
cooperyoung.org, or call us at 827-4797.
friendship grows, they bond together with a
shirts at an auction for the Memphis College of
simple but compelling notion: that each of
Art on April 18. John stored the collection in
them should make a list of all the wonderful
the attic of his CY home until he decided
things they hope to experience in their lives.
auction them and use the proceeds to establish
Debbie Macomber has become a leading voice
a scholarship in his name at MCA.
The New Ballet Ensemble in Cooper-Young
offers a great venue for company gatherings,
weddings, art receptions and most importantly
birthday parties. What girl didn’t want to be a
ballet dancer when she was little? I remember
my small pink jewelry box with that perfect
beauty turning around and around every time I
peered in to look at my favorite jewels.
Director Katie Smythe Gould offers a unique
Aloha to a fine collection of shirts
Cooper-Young artist John McIntire bid aloha
in women’s fiction worldwide. Her work has
appeared on every major bestseller list,
including The New York Times and USA Today’s.
Midtown ATA Martial Arts, which is located
at 2166 Central Avenue, is offering a summer
2005 Quill Award for Best Romance. There are
camp. Melanie Anderson, co-owner and an
more than one hundred million copies of her
instructor at the facility, “We will have Tae-
books in print worldwide. You can find her at
kwondo for all along with some self defense
www.debbiemacomber.com. If there are any
mixed in. We will offer lots of outdoor
questions concerning this event, please contact
activities with basketball, water activities, wiffle
Corey Mesler at 901-278-7484.
ball, skating and a few field trips.” There is
limited space for the program. For more
Andy Ashby, who heads up the CYCA
information visit www.midtownata.com or call
(901) 725-7725.
Commercial Appeal columnist Anthony
party featuring forty-five minutes of ballet or
hip-hop instructions with dancers from her
Ensemble. Guests provide refreshments and
decorations for the party room. Katie can host
up to fifteen guests and the parties can be
scheduled on Saturdays after 4 p.m. or on
Sundays.
The New Ballet Ensemble is known nationally for their work in providing a professional
standard of training, regardless of the ability to
pay, to children from all walks of life. Teaching
twenty-seven classes a week, the NBE has over
100 students that dance at 2157 York. Katie’s
dream is to raise artists out of every corner of
Memphis with 23 percent of her students on
full scholarship; she is well on her way to
making that a reality.
You can see the NBE dancers at the
Buckman Performing Arts Center at St. Mary’s
for Springloaded, June 14 and 16; FreeFall,
October 24 and 26; and for Nut ReMix,
December 5 to 7 and 12 to 14.
For more information about having your
child’s birthday party at NBE or how to sponsor
a student, call 726-9225.
The Commercial Appeal reviewed Sweet
Deserterie, the newest restaurant in Cooper-
Young hopes to follow the lead of Downtown
Young on April 11. The reviewer, Peggy Burch,
Memphis by creating bike racks that double as
raved about Sweet’s Sunday brunch, calling it,
public art.” He added that such bike racks have
“an unqualified treat and a bargain at $14. The
the potential to, “encourage visitors to the
biscuits are terrific, with a light sausage milk
neighborhood to ride their bikes to the
gravy that you pour on for yourself at the bar.
district’s restaurants, shops and bars.”
The large egg souffle with spinach and gouda
also comes with perfectly roasted potatoes
The casting team for the CBS television
seasoned by rosemary, salt and garlic, and a
choice of the restaurant’s high-quality sugar-
show “Big Brother will be visiting Memphis
cured bacon or fruit compote. The compote is
from May 1-7 to recruit for our summer
stellar -- apples, peaches, pineapples, maybe a
edition. According to one of the casting
mango -- with sweetness and spice that seem
agents, “We will be hosting a casting event
to come straight from the natural fruit sugars.” I
during our stay and we’d love to have
know where I’ll be next Sunday. Anyone else?
residents from the Cooper-Young area come
join us.” “Big Brother” follows a group of
Gretsch drums continue its history in
strangers, cut off from the rest of the world,
Cooper-Young
living together in a house outfitted with dozens
enthusiasts that were in attendance. Fred, who
took over his family’s business in 1985 told
stories about the company’s early days and
answered questions about his company’s
innovation in drum manufacturing. Gretsch
Drums are now manufactured in Ridgeland,
South Carolina, after the factory’s re-location
such as Vinnie Colaiuta, Phil Collins, Stephen
Ferrone and Charlie Watts choose to play
Gretsch.
Andrew Vogel, a student of the Memphis
Drum Shop, was surprised and excited about
winning a beautiful Gretsch Snare Drum to
have as his own. These wooden snare drums
feature a six-ply Gretsch maple shells with
thirty-degree bearing edges, Die-cast hoops,
twenty-strand steel snare wires and Gretsch
Permatone coated batter and clear snare-side
available. Before Mr. Gretsch’s presentation,
Sweet review
Siracusa on April 14, saying that, “Cooper-
Be on Big Brother
event was a special treat for the drum
heads with several other finish options
beautification committee has been looking into
bike racks. He talked about this interest to
finest instrument manufacturers. This free
there in 1986. Today, modern day legends
Summer camp with a kick
She is a multiple award winner and won the
Rack ‘em up
Fred and his wife, Dinah are celebrating
their 125th anniversary as one of the world’s
that have others talking. If you’ve got
Pointe party
1883 in Brooklyn, New York.
The Memphis Drum Shop located at 878
of cameras and microphones recording their
South Cooper Street in the heart of Cooper-
every move 24 hours a day, seven days a
Young was host to an evening of Gretsch
week. They will compete in different challenges
History on April 8. Approximately seventy-five
to gain power and advantage in the house.
guests enjoyed a presentation by Fred Gretsch,
One by one, the HouseGuests will vote each
the grandson of Gretsch Drum founder,
other out of the house until at the end of three
Friedrich Gretsch that included a history of the
months, the last remaining HouseGuest will
famous drum company which started back in
guests enjoyed the mellow jazz sounds of
singer, Marilyn Kennedy accompanied by Jim
Pettit and Friends.
On May 14 and 15, the Memphis Drum
Shop will host a special concert by Jeff
Hamilton Trio at 7 p.m. Tickets are available at
the store or by calling 276-2328. Pictured left
to right: Jim Pettit, owner MDS; Andrew Vogel,
Fred and Dinah Gretsch.
Summer camp around the world
Dalila at the Natural Learning School wants
Cooper-Youngians to know that the school will
have a camp this summer. Art, Music &
Creative Movement for children ages 3 to 6.
Five experienced and creative teachers in a
beautiful school. Weekly Sessions: June 2 to
July 25. Day Camp: 9am - 2pm For more
information visit http://naturallearningschool.
com/camp.html
May 2008
LampLighter 23
C
r
o
c
s
i
s
t
ing
l
e
C
I R I S H P U B & R E S TA U R A N T
WE LCOM E S PRIN G TI M E
WITH TH E B ES T PAT I O
I N M I DTOW N
S U N DAY C E LT I C I R I SH BRUN CH
FEATURING MOY BENEDICT
ART C U R E S
N IG HT LY
E N T E RTAIN
MEN T
Find balance
at Artists
on Central
L ATE NIGHT MENU UNTIL 2 A.M. DAILY
J. S. SMITH
PROU D F I R ST T HU R SD AY PARTN ER
Many artists create out of a need to express themselves and often to make a statement through
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their artwork. Artist, Kathy Abernathy takes it one step further and creates art as an actual cure for
a physical ailment.
Plagued for years with near-constant migraine headache pain and after multiple medications
C E LT IC C RO SSI N G PI N T GL ASSES
and neurological appointments, Kathy began to find that the more she worked at her abstract
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was never something she would have considered doing before this discovery. Her degree in
PURCHASE OF 3 DRAFTS
mathematics and computer science never prepared her for the experimentation and wonderment
paintings, the less migraine pain she suffered.
Making the change from full-time work in computer programming to becoming a full-time artist
created through her paintings. But as she felt the positive changes that art was having on her life
coupled with the personal fulfillment that it brought things began to fall in place almost out of
nowhere. As she worked full time on her paintings, doors began to open that led to honors and
awards through the Memphis Germantown Art League shows, opportunities came to be juried into
national shows, and sales were being made through galleries in Nashville, Memphis, and Palm
Springs, Florida.
Kathy began to, as she says, “follow her bliss” into the art world. “It’s the hardest, most
demanding, and most amazing career I know of,” continues Kathy. Today, she is thankful for all
those years of pain and disability for without them she says she would not have found the
overwhelming affinity for living a creative life.
9 03 SOUTH C O O PER S T R EET | 9 0 1 . 2 7 4 . 5 1 5 1
ww w.c e l t i c c rossi n g me m phis . c o m
Steve Womack
961 S. Cooper St.
Next to Cafe Ole’
in Cooper Young
725-1919
BEHOLDER’S EYE
Compleat Female Stage Beauty shows
off Playhouse talent
R IC H B U LLI NGTON
This month, Circuit Playhouse provides a treat for fans of
the stage. Under the direction of Dave Landis, Compleat
Female Stage Beauty is a perfectly theatrical experience
exploring a fascinating bit of theatre history.
Based on written accounts of actual events and characters,
Compleat Female Stage Beauty takes place in seventeenth
century England, under the rule of Charles II (Kevin Todd
Murphy). The play centers on Edward Kynaston (Jerre Dye), a
talented actor at the top of his game. Kynaston specializes in
female roles; his performance of Desdemona from Othello
actually stops the play. During the crucial death scene,
audience members call out for the return of the character.
Such is Kynaston’s effect on his audience; the charismatic
actor becomes accustomed to positive reactions and eager
attention (both on and off stage, from men and women).
When a rival theatre troupe features Margaret Hughes (Sheana Tobey), an actual female, in the
role of Desdemona in their own production of Othello, Kynaston finds he will no longer be able to
live a life to which he is accustomed. The audience seems taken, at least by the novelty, with a
female actress, and Hughes becomes a rising star. Meanwhile the audience takes a nasty turn on
Kynaston, and things go from bad to worse when Charles II officially decrees that only women
will perform female roles in the theatre. Kynaston is beaten down physically, mentally, and
psychologically in his attempts to exist in this changing climate.
While it would be easy for a “liberated” audience’s sympathy to align with the King and the
changing culture, the play intriguingly gives us a more personal view through the main character.
As Kynaston, Dye gives a magnetic performance. Despite a bit of elitism and ego, his Kynaston is
a captivating, charming character. We become so involved in his plight that it is truly painful later
in the production, when Kynaston desperately attempts to prove his worth as an actor by
rehearsing for a male role, with disastrous results.
Sheana Tobey is also very good in an opposing role. Her Margaret Hughes is not particularly
confident, and, in truth, not particularly talented. While a good mimic—Hughes has based her
performance of Desdemona entirely on Kynaston’s example—it seems that she is a bit stiff on
stage. Tobey is very good as the character who, despite her growing popularity and important part
in the changing culture, realizes her limits as a performer.
Landis and his talented actors add complexity to the proceedings. Charles II and his lover Nell
Gwynne (Ann Marie Gideon), for example, begin as broad caricatures, but soon round out their
important roles with humanity.
Sparkling with smart, witty dialogue, the bulk of the first act quickly and amusingly sets up the
characters and the situation. Things take a darker turn, however, when Kenyston’s world is turned
around. It is here, primarily in the second act, that the complex themes are explored. Beyond the
history lesson, the play delves into questions of fame, integrity, and, ultimately, personal identity.
With all of this going on, at a very basic level, the play explores the creative process one actor
goes through. Despite the accolades, Kynaston fears from the very beginning that his celebrated
death scene of Desdemona is somehow not complete; the audience might love it, but the artist is
not yet fully satisfied with the results. Through cultural changes and personal identity crises,
Kynaston has, by the end, discovered how to provide the fullest performance of the scene. This
plays out in a most surprisingly suspenseful conclusion to the play.
Circuit Playhouse’s production of Compleat Female Stage Beauty is a truly satisfying and rich
experience. Though based on historical events, nothing really plays out like you might expect, yet,
by the end, it all makes perfect sense.
Compleat Female Stage Beauty runs at the Circuit Playhouse now through May 18, Thursdays
through Saturdays at 8 p.m. and Sundays at 2 p.m. The Circuit Playhouse is located at 1705
Poplar Avenue in Midtown. For more information or to make reservations, call (901) 726-4656 or
visit the website at www.playhouseonthesquare.org.
May 2008
LampLighter 25
MAKE BELIEVE
Long-time columnist explores new medium
JON DEVIN
After more than six years of writing an opinion/editorial column for the LampLighter I have to admit I’m running low on unused anecdotes. That being the case, Courtney Santo has graciously agreed
to let me try something new, something I’ve always wanted to try: serial fiction. In the nineteenth century, many authors of now classic works wrote their novels in the form of short episodes, which
were first published in newspapers. Charles Dickens, Wilkie Collins, and even Sir Arthur Conan Doyle made their living in this way. More recently, Stephen King wrote “The Green Mile” as a serial piece.
To celebrate this under-used form of literature, and to keep my participation in the LampLighter fresh and relevant, I’ve begun writing a serial set in Cooper-Young titled Tiffany’s Breakfast about the
eclectic lives of a group of CYers. Cooper-Young has been so inspiring to visual artists—it’s about time that we had some literature devoted to this neighborhood as well. I’ve received a number of
compliments on my Lamplighter writings and rantings over the years for which I am truly grateful. Hopefully this will entertain you as well.
FICTION
Tiffany’s Breakfast 2: So It’s Not the Mona Lisa
By JON DEVIN
“I don’t get you, bud,” grunted Vic, the roommate, between bursts of breath as
he raised and lowered a thirty-five pound barbell in both hands over the back of his
neck. “You don’t need to work, so why work?”
Busy over the slightly rusty range, John stirred furiously a thin, chocolatey
mixture in a thrift store sauce pan. “Work is part of life,” he replied afraid to
move his gaze from the stovetop. “I need a life. A real life. And I need this stuff
to thicken.”
The barbell clunked to the hardwood floor behind John and Vic’s vortex-like
intake of breath as he sat up told John that his roommate was serious. Vic Seipke
only stopped his workout for three things that John had ever noticed: a bathroom
break, sleep, or a heart-to-heart chat on subjects he considered epiphanous.
The last one had been about break fluid (“You’ve gotta know what you’re riding
on, bud.”)
“Bud, I think you’re over-thinking life a little,” Vic began, adjusting his tank
top and flexing his delts.
“Oh yeah? How’s that?”
“Yeah, see, it’s like you’ve got this guilt complex for growing up in a good
home with everything, you know? Like that’s somehow making life unfair to
others or something when you oughtta just be real proud of what you’ve got. You
know, you’re you because of everything around you.” The sweet allure of Vic’s
Tuscaloosa accent made these big brotherly counsels bearable.
“Maybe I just thought I needed something else around me.” John dumped
his chocolate into a large, yellow Pyrex bowl of heavy cream attacked it with
his handheld mixer, the racket forcing a pause in Vic’s sermon.
Vic wasn’t the only one worried about John and his sudden, seemingly rash,
self-banishment to Memphis. The entire Hamill family wanted him back in San
Francisco, though his parents were sanctimoniously patient, the tone of their
understanding supplications seeming to say “go ahead, experiment with life, and
come home when you’re finished.” John’s six older brothers had lodged varying
levels of protest as well. Apparently their Sunday afternoon soccer matches
in Golden Gate Park just didn’t work without a goalie. His oldest brother was
expecting his first child in a few months and wanted all future uncles present and
accounted for.
John formulated his excuses. He was the youngest of a white, liberal, upperclass family most of which had traveled Europe, Asia, and South America before
he was even born. Bono had attended one of his mother’s charity cocktail parties.
The family tradition of graduating from Berkeley had been an expectation rather
than personal goal. At twenty-seven, John had already climbed Mt. Rainier,
wrecked a speedboat, traded a couple hundred thousand in biotechnologies stock,
and written the Great American Novel, as yet unpublished.
The escape from the West Coast glass and chrome towers that entombed his life
stirred his senses and the baptism of Blues, coleslaw and baked beans, river lore,
and cultural struggle awakened him.
Still John had trouble expressing all this to Vic, a born Southerner from a
smallish town who saw the University of Memphis as a stopgap to a life greater
and certainly more expensive.
John turned off the mixer and admired the fluffy coif of his mousse. He added
a handful of chocolate chips and a sprig of fresh spearmint. Vincent would be
pleased.
“I’m just gonna run this stuff over to Tiffany’s and drop it in the refrigerator so
Vincent will have it in the morning,” John called over his shoulder as Vic headed
for the shower.
“Dude,” Vic called cheerfully back. (Read: “Sounds good, bud. I’ll see you
when you get back.)
John loaded up the recently purchased, stackable Rubbermaid dessert trays
with the bowl of mousse, a lemon chiffon pie he’d made earlier and a maple cake
with pecan frosting topped with bits of toffee. The news was out that Tiffany’s
Breakfast had a new baker and the ensuing upsurge of sweet-toothed customers
became constant in the last month. An entire batch of apricot tarts disappeared in
one afternoon. John loved baking but refrigerator space at home was immediately
an issue, so Vincent, the proprietor had given him a key to Tiffany’s and
permission to drop off his creations around dinner time.
John threw on khakis and a burgundy knit pullover, stepping over boxes of felt,
colored fuzzballs, and googly eyes—soon to be Easter Bunny centerpieces in the
assisted living unit of the retirement home where he worked—and left the Captain
Harris house with Vic warbling “Margaritaville” in the shower.
He reminded himself as he crossed the corner at Cooper and Young that he
was buying dinner for the perpetually under-funded Alex Jezierski at Jasmine
before heading to her opening at Fred Jensen’s gallery. Seven of her average-talent
canvases bearing splotches of primary colors and bits of textured materials like
fish scales, chicken wire, broken bits of mirror and like were on up for sale in what
promised to be a B-List opening.
She had forgotten his previous invitations that month to visit the Brooks
Museum, take in a poetry reading downtown, and help him pick out a new pair of
dress shoes, but she would not miss a free meal. She’d probably arrive early and
order ahead of him.
When the desserts were dispatched, John stopped to admire the year-round
white Christmas tree, Vincent’s pride and joy, with its delicate crystal ornaments
glistening. Vincent kept the tree lights on after closing to keep its magic alive.
Turning the key in the deadbolt outside, John took a fresh breath of the twilight
before something stirred down Young Avenue and brought him back to himself.
Rounding the gazebo at the corner, he saw a small crowd of alarmed people on the
sidewalk in front of Fred Jensen’s gallery. Others emptied out of Java Cabana next
door, still holding their oversized cappuccinos and approaching cautiously. The
neighborhood’s bike patrol cops, Mark Rutter and Walt Needham, had just arrived
in their black shorts and yellow shirts. And in the center of them all, making most
of the ruckus was Alex, eyes blazing, hair tossing, and mouth running. In her
expostulations she accidentally slugged Fred, who was standing too close, with her
massive leopard print purse.
Fred too was beside himself and as John approached he could see why. Fred,
in his favorite red polyester three-piece suit (no shirt, green necktie) and square,
purple sunglasses, pointed Rutter and Needham to the shattered front window of
his gallery. Above the starbust-shaped hole in the glass, the remaining lettering
of the intact portion of the window read “F ENSE G LERY.” A brick lay on the
concrete floor inside.
Alex latched onto John immediately as if he’d been in her conversation from
the start.
“…like so it’s not the freakin’ Mona Lisa or something, it’s just my stuff, you
know, and whatever right-winger, crazy head got his gander up, got a statement to
make, well, I’m freakin’ PO’ed, man, it’s just my stuff, not some freakin’ political
statement about whatever, you know? I’m mean for real…”
She rattled on, increasing her velocity, holding back her tears and John noticed
that she kept her back turned to the broken gallery window inside of which he
could see Fred and the two cops gazing curiously at what had happened inside.
Noticing John for a second time, Alex did halt her rattling and looked inside too
and then the tears burst forth and she cradled herself under his arm.
Inside the gallery, under the hot museum lighting, Alex’s title piece, a large
canvas with mixed media called Urbanity, had been nailed with iron railroad
stakes to a six-foot, rough-hewn, wooden cross. Someone had crucified her art.
Worry, anxiety, stress, all basically derive from fear. The worry list is
endless. Time, money, children, partner, crime, work, weather, cars,
house, yard, health, parents, theft, bills, terrorism, global warming,
B O O K
children’s safety, cancer, AIDS, relationships, friends, school, grades,
LO O K
careers, college-the cumulative effect can be paralyzing. Some
Holiday gifts that keep on giving
people are so paralyzed with fear that they literally try to hide from it. They refuse to leave their
D. JAC K S O N MA XW E LL
the long run just as disabling. Shel Silverstein described it in this verse:
Throughout the winter months, many religions celebrate holidays that entail gift giving. We live
house or drive or go into public spaces. Others have fears that are much more subtle but can be in
Librarians
provide more extensive lists of award winning and
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Series such as the “Lord of the Rings,” “Berenstain Bears,” “Clifford the Big Red Dog,” “Arthur,”
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use their imagination. Books that have recently been turned into movies are always popular, must
k12tn.net
Not all of life can be lived where it is safe and warm, whether in an eggshell or under the
reads. Alternative literature such as comic books and graphic novels like the “Watchmen” or “Dark
covers. But just like when we turned on the light in our childhood dark room and discovered the
Knight Returns” series readily attract children’s interest. Although children have many entertain-
monster was a shadow, we must shine light on our grown up fears and face our grown up
ment choices, books are as popular today as they were generations ago.
So whether you are celebrating Christmas, Kwanzaa, Hanukkah, Diwali or Festivus, a gift that
children love and that also inspires them intellectually are books. Books encourage children to
expand their reading and literacy skills, and help to better prepare them to succeed in life. This
holiday season give a gift that is both fun and tweaks the imagination—think reading!
To help in choosing some intriguing books for the children on your gift list, the following is a
very brief selection of books by grade level that have proven kid appeal.
Elementary
“The Chronicles of Narnia” by C. S. Lewis
monsters in order to live our lives fully.
MARKET REAPING
I love the ocean metaphor for life: the waves surge and subside sometimes bringing to shore
Harvest
adds
advertising
flair
toButCY
wonderful living things,
sometimes
taking away and destroying
life on shore.
the waves never
stop. They will continue to
K AT I E B R U N E A U
bring pain, suffering, sadness,
If you’ve driven around Cooper-Young lately, you’ve probably noticed the yard signs with the
and catastrophe along with so
slogan “Don’t be a Dick.” Under the slogan is a picture of Dick, and, unfortunately, Dick is always
muchHouse
that is beautiful
and
Lease
or bottom
Sale - 969
New
York
- total
renovation,
the victim
of afor
crime.
At the
of the
sign,
there
are tips
on safety absolutely
awareness beautiful,
for Coopercustomand
cherry
kitchen, maple wood floors throughout, must see interior! 2BR and
magnificent
joyful.
Young residents, or how not to be like Dick.
2 full baths
“Amazing Grace”
“Hoot” by Carl Hiaasen
by Mary Hoffman
“Joey Pigza Swallowed the Key”
If we
try to stay safe
in our is a collaboration between the CYCA and the marketing firm
This
eye-catching
campaign
shell,
(Pretend
you
are
a
sea
Harvest, located in Cooper-Young.
Edmund Mackey, Safety Chair of the CYCA, approached Harvest
“Heckedy Peg”
by Jack Gantos
turtle
you don’t
like my a safety awareness campaign. Harvest agreed, and the new campaign
with
theif idea
of launching
by Audrey Wood
“The Giver” by Lois Lowry
metaphor.)
we miss
ismixed
the result.
In addition
to yard signs and posters, the campaign also includes a website, www.
“The Snowy Day”
“The People Could Fly: American
by Ezra Jack Keats
Black Folktales” by Virginia Hamilton
“Piggie Pie”
“The Westing Game” by Ellen Raskin
by Margie Palantini
High School
“Owl Babies”
“The Foundation Trilogy”
by Martin Waddell
by Isaac Asimov
safedick.com,
and
Dick So,
alsoifhas
what comes to
shore.
we a myspace page at www.myspace.com/safedick.
After that
looking
accept
the around
wave is Memphis and deciding that Cooper-Young was the best fit for them,
Harvest
to learn
the neighborhood
in 2006. Opening its doors in 2003, Harvest is the brainchild
comingmoved
why not
to surf?
ofWe
Daniel
Brown
and
Andrew
Holliday.
is a full-service
and adesign
will probably swallow a lot of sea Harvest
water, maybe
get a sunadvertising
burn, but have
great agency
ride.
offering design, advertising, and public relations for a complete creative marketing solution.
Sandy Furrh, LCSW, is a therapist affiliated with The Pilgrim Counseling Center at First CongregaHarvest’s clients range from one-man start-ups to very large companies, and their client list
tional Church. If you have any questions for Sandy, you may contact her at 844-4357, Option 4.
includes NCDS (a subsidiary of SunTrust Banks Inc.), Downtown Condo Connection, DAC, Make-A-
“Stellaluna”
“The Incredible Journey”
by Janelle Cannon
by Sheila Burnford
“Uptown”
“A Series of Unfortunate
they worked well together. Andrew says, “We saw a space that we could fill in the market and
by Bryan Collier
Events”by Lemony Snicket
thought that we had complimentary talents.” The idea behind Harvest is harvesting for the clients
“The Giving Tree”
“The Lord of the Rings”
and also providing fresh ideas.
by Shel Silverstein
by J. R. R. Tolkien
“Uncle Jed’s Barbershop”
“The Earthsea Cycle”
by Margaret King Mitchell
by Ursula K. LeGuin
“The Golden Compass”
“Tuesday” by David Wiesner
Middle School
by Philip Pullman
“Runaway Ralph” by Beverly Cleary
“The Dark Is Rising Sequence”
“Jacob Have I Loved” by Katherine Paterson
by Susan Cooper
“The House of Dies Drear”
“The House of the Scorpion”
by Virginia Hamilton
by Nancy Farmer
Wish, the University of Tennessee, among others.
Daniel and Andrew met while they were both working for other companies and decided that
For their first year of business, Daniel and Andrew worked long hours to build Harvest’s
business. Their primary focus is quality, but they also recognize the importance of quick turnaround for clients. “We not only produce quality products, but we also produce them quickly,”
comments Daniel.
In the past year, Harvest has grown from two full-time employees to five. This growth has
allowed them to have more employees who specialize in a specific area, such as web design or
public relations. For more information on Harvest, please visit www.harvestmemphis.com.
“Freaky Friday” by Mary Rodgers
22 LampLighter
14 LampLighter
December 2007
December 2007
May 2008
LampLighter 27

A recycled neighborhood - Cooper

Transcription

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