The Memphis Grizzlies acquired forward/center Kwame Brown, rookie guard Javaris Crittenton, guard Aaron McKie, the draft rights to Marc Gasol, two future first round draft picks and cash considerations from the Los Angeles Lakers in exchange for forward/center Pau Gasol and a future second round pick, club General Manager and Vice President of Basketball Operations Chris Wallace announced today.
Read more at Beyond the Arc, the Flyer’s GrizBlog.
New District 5 councilman Jim Strickland has placed on the city council agenda a resolution that would allow emergency personnel, currently required to live within Shelby County’s limits, to live within a de facto 100-mile radius of Memphis.
In the resolution, introduced for council action this coming week, the freshman councilman notes the difficulty experienced by the city in recent years in geting the hires it need. He also argues that the work of these first responders often requires their intercession in activities beyond the city and county limits proper.
Therefore, Strickland’s resolution states “that it would be appropriate to allow limited exceptions to the City of Memphis residency requirement in certain limited situations, consistent with the residency provisions of the Memphis City Charter…”,
The specific remedy? That “persons employed as Police Officers [and] persons employed as paramedics with the City’s Division of Fire Services are hereby exempted from the residency provisions of the Memphis City Charter and are hereby allowed to reside within a distance that would allow paramedics to report to work upon two (2) hours notice.”
Strickland says that that a 100-miles radius from Memphis might constitute an appropriate rule of thumb.
The ad, written and produced by consultant Steven Reid of the Sutton/Reid consulting firm, features Strickland interacting with a police officer and other citizens, and in tandem with images of Memphis history. Says the blog, the ad “helped Strickland cruise to an unprecedented 73% victory and comfortable margins in all demographic voting blocs.”
The citation says in part: “In a city infamous for racial politics, Jim Strickland needed an ad that would appeal across racial lines to gather a coalition to combat ethical misconduct in the City of Memphis…. Strickland’s ad contained images of important moments of unity that were relevant in the history of Memphis itself – the fight to save Overton Park and the Sanitation Worker’s Strike of 1968.
“The presentation of these key moments in Memphis political history also may have helped Strickland overcome racial politics….By highlighting the political history Reid chose, the events began to connect Strickland to key moments in Civil Rights history in a subtle enough way to avoid being obnoxious.
“With the historical setup, Strickland’s ad moves into the two main political issues which impacted all races in Memphis last year – crime, which was and still is a very relevant issue in the city, and corruption in City government, which was timely with the arrest of at least two Memphis Councilmen on federal corruption charges.”
–Jackson Baker
An earlier unconfirmed report that Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama might visit Memphis on Monday, February 4, has now been discounted by the Memphis Center for Independent Living, which circulated the original report on its Web site and via voice mails to its clients and volunteers.
The Center hopes, however, to have a representative of the senator’s campaign available at the Center’s Madison Avenue facilities at the originally reported 3 p.m. time for discussion of issues relating to the disabled.
Meanwhile, Obama’s primary opponent, New York Senator Hilary Clinton, will be served by a variety of surrogates in all of Tennessee’s major cities on Sunday. Texas congresswoman Shirley Jackson Lee will be appearing at Clinton headquarters at 3475 Poplar at 3 p.m.
Lee and former Iowa governor Tom Vilsack will have appeared earlier in the Tri-Cities area of northeast Tennessee, and Vilsack will also campaign in Knoxville. In Nashville, the state capital, Senator Clinton’s daughter Chelsea will do the honors.
–Jackson Baker
The Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence recently presented “report cards” to every state, measuring their efforts to reduce gun crimes and violence, and Tennessee flunked just about every category. In fact, our state scored a 7 out of a total of 100 points.
The categories included:
• Measures to Curb Firearm Trafficking, by regulating gun dealers, requiring lost or stolen guns to be reported to the police, and more. Out of a possible 35 points, Tennessee scored 3.
• Strengthening Brady Background Checks, especially by closing loopholes in laws at gun shows. Tennessee scored 0 out of 25.
• Protecting Child Safety, by requiring gun locks and requiring handgun purchasers to be 21 years old. Tennessee scored 0 out of 20.
• Banning Military-Style Assault Weapons. Tennessee has never bothered to do this, so we scored 0 out of 10.
• Making it harder to Carry Guns in Public Places. Considering that our state is now debating whether it’s okay to bring guns into places that serve alcohol, it’s no surprise that Tennessee scored only 4 out of 10 points in this category.
For a more detailed scoreguard of Tennessee, and see how we compare to other states, go here.
Thinking about casting a ballot for a dead relative in Tuesday’s primary election? That wouldn’t be wise. District Attorney Bill Gibbons announced Thursday that a special “Voter Trust Task Force” will be on hand to deal with any potential voter fraud.
Gibbons and Tennessee Bureau of Investigations Director Mark Gwyn created the force in 2006 as a response to allegations of fraud in past Shelby County elections.
On Super Tuesday, agents will be on standby to travel to any voting location at the request of the district attorney.
Voters who observe problems at the polls are instructed to call the Election Commission at 545-4125.
All right, let’s hear from you. What do you think about The Pyramid and Bass Pro or a theme park?
Bass Pro has made a commitment, it seems, after meeting with a delegation of city and county officials in Missouri this week at their flagship store. Now the hard work begins — getting political and public support to make it happen.
Here’s what some people with a connection to The Pyramid back when it was built had to say. The comments have been minimally edited for brevity.
But that was then, this is now. What do you think? Please keep comments brief and on point, with no personal attacks.
Bill Morris, former mayor of Shelby County (when The Pyramid was approved and built): “I really like Greg Ericson’s plan for a theme park. I think it is pretty exciting. They are ready to go, it sounds to me l. I prefer it to Bass Pro, with the caveat that I don’t know all the details. I remember Greg from way back and he was always trying to do something for downtown. I’ve always been impressed with his thoroughness and support team. Downtown could use something for families. I have seen Bass Pro stores and they are exciting. But I don’t know that it encompasses the marketing opportunities that the Ericson proposal does for making Memphis a destination city.”
Dick Hackett, former mayor of Memphis (when The Pyramid was approved and built). “Bass Pro would be a major anchor tenant and attractor to the city. I say attractor, not just attraction. They’re a fabulous organization. I have been to many of them around the country. I am a sportsman, and I live on a street named Sportsman Drive. I have watched busloads of people line up to get in. The real issue now is the math. Does it work for Bass Pro and does it work for the taxpayer? When you look at no revenue and only expense, you start there. The city makes their money at cash registers inside and outside the building, not on real estate deals. The Children’s Museum (Hackett is CEO) would have a direct benefit as an attraction for families to come to next.”
Pat Kerr Tigrett, downtown booster, designer, and widow of Pyramid visionary John Tigrett. “Whatever goes in there, the key is being successful. The Pyramid represented an amazing, happy, and frustrating time for my late husband. It is a positive welcoming icon to our city, and it’s responsible for the NBA coming to Memphis. But it was built to recognize our music heritage too. If Bass Pro is 100 percent coming in, then I wish them success. If I had my druthers, I would like something with music potential, but who knows, maybe there is some way they can incorporate our music heritage. I have not seen the final plans.”
Kerr Tigrett, son of Pat and John Tigrett, now running an import-export company in Memphis. “As the icon to our city, it needs to have a tenant that contributes back and provides new opportunities. And if that is Bass Pro, then so be it.”
Jim Rout, former Shelby County mayor and commissioner and currently general manager and COO of the Mid-South Fair. “I have visited a number of Bass Pros when traveling, and they are first-rate deals. From afar, I sort of like the idea of a combination of Bass and Ericson. That’s easy to say but maybe difficult to work out. No pun intended, it is time to fish or cut bait for Bass Pro. We have an opportunity to encourage those people to talk to each other and let pyramid and island both have something out of it. I voted against The Pyramid because I was opposed to the location, not the Pyramid itself. It doesn’t need to sit there vacant. If Bass Pro isn’t going to come forward, and I hope they do, we need to get something else going on there.”
Jeff Sanford, chief executive of the Center City Commission, former Memphis City Council member, and part of last week’s delegation to Bass Pro. “I was on the Pyramid reuse committee. Our consultant steered us toward destination retail like Bass Pro. If I were making the decision I would look at feasibility and take a very, very hard look at financing. Then look at sustainability, can the use survive in the marketplace over time, and would the city and county indebtedness be assumed by the project. I would very seriously consider Bass Pro as having the track record and financial wherewithal.”
Vasco Smith, former Shelby County Commission member. “I don’t know much about the different suggestions. I just saw the headline in the paper this morning. I can say that when I was on the commission at the time The Pyramid was built I did not like the proposal from the start. I went down there one night and looked over the site and it was a dark and dismal sort of thing. It was envisioned as a gold and glistening signature for the city, seen from miles and miles away. And it ended up in one of the lowest doggone spots in Memphis, with a railroad running through it. I think the whole thing was a failure from the beginning. I am not sure any of the proposals at the present time are that good. It’s going to take a lot of money and thought from the people involved.”
Greg Hnedak, architect, Hnedak Bobo Group, which was closely involved with an earlier proposal, now defunct, for a NARAS music museum in The Pyramid. “The city and county should now rate or rank the merits of both proposals. I think they both could be very successful ventures. The question now is who is willing to put some hard money at risk to advance the project. I have had contact with both of them but am not working for either group. Both have a lot of merit.”
Henry Turley, developer of HarborTown and Uptown, which are neighbors to The Pyramid: “I think it’s a great fit for Bass Pro and for Memphis. I hope it anchors the revitalization of The Pinch and links Uptown, downtown, and St. Jude into one seamless whole. Excellent work by Robert Lipscomb.” (Full disclosure: Turley is part owner of Flyer parent company CMI.)
Carol Chumney, former member of the General Assembly, Memphis City Council, and 2007 candidate for mayor of Memphis: “I find it incredible that the Pyramid has sat empty for so long. It makes the most sense to have a tenant or owner that will help sell the idea of Memphis based upon its heritage in connection with the rest of the world. Does the Bass Pro theme fit with the concept of marketing our musical heritage? Since I’m not aware of Elvis being known to ever go fishing, I don’t think so. And I’m opposed to the idea of a big fish on our landmark even if there is a Bass Pro because it will be just another joke on Jay Leno.”
Pat Carter, CEO of Olympic Staffing, member of the Memphis Sports Authority, and member of Pyramid Building Authority: “I think Ericson’s proposal is better for Memphis. It offers a lot more than Bass Pro is offering. I think what we need in Memphis is something to attract people from outside as well as inside of Memphis. I think children in cars will say, ‘Mommy, Daddy, we want to go there.” I believe we are out-of-step with a number of things going on around here. If we do not make our move now and capitalize at this moment then I think someone else will, south of us, in Tunica.”
My Two Cents Worth: I’m a Bass Pro fan. I don’t hunt or fish much but I like to look at all the paraphernalia Bass Pro puts in its bigger stores, which are part store, part food court, part museum/tourist trap, and part arcade. I always wind up spending about $40 on things I don’t really need. No admission charge is a plus in my book. So is the track record and cautious approach they have taken so far. It should work well with the river, the harbor, and Ducks Unlimited. And the top of The Pyramid is a great space for something. I hope this happens sooner rather than later so they can make that accessible.