Month: May 2018

The Fall of King Don

Post author By Randy Haspel
Post date May 30, 2018

There’s this classic soul song that you should hear called “Everybody Plays the Fool,” by The Main Ingredient. You could YouTube it or find it wherever you steal your music. The chorus goes …

Everybody plays the fool/

There’s no exception to the rule/

It may be factual, it may be cruel/

But everybody plays the fool.

I’ll be the first to own up to it. As a younger man, I’ve been stood up, shot down, duped, used, and abused. I have been made a fool of and have made a fool of myself more than once. Often, the most difficult part of being misled is admitting it to yourself. I think of myself as a reasonably smart fellow, so how could I allow myself to be so deceived?

Coming to terms with my willful blindness meant admitting that I wasn’t as smart as I thought I was. Anyone is capable of being hoodwinked if they truly want to believe in what you’re selling. What’s hard is confessing that you were had. It was a tough life lesson to absorb, but after a while, I emerged a more cautious and wiser person.

So, when are the Trump fanatics going to give it up? How long will it take before it dawns on the MAGA minions that they’ve been conned by a pro? As of this writing, Trump’s approval ratings are at an all-time high. This means the educationally challenged are digging in, abetted by Fox News, Info-Wars, Breitbart, talk radio, and the oxymoronically named “Freedom Caucus,” Trump’s right-wing commandos in the House of Representatives. They are constantly spoon-fed an alternate reality where the “Deep State” and embittered Democrats are out to destroy the Trump presidency. In Trump World, he’s as innocent as Santa Claus. They ask, in all sincerity, “Tell me exactly what he has done wrong?” You’ve probably seen it in your Facebook feed, too.

There is no convincing the “true believer” that their convictions are flawed. They must reach that conclusion alone. When attacked, they search for villains to blame and they give them names like Comey, Mueller, McCabe, Rosenstein, Clinton, and Obama — four of whom are Republicans. The revelation that the FBI had an informant embedded in his campaign has driven the President insane. During a tsunami of tweets last weekend, Trump wrote, “I hereby demand, and will do so officially tomorrow, that the Department of Justice look into whether or not the FBI/DOJ infiltrated or surveilled the Trump Campaign for Political Purposes [sic] — and if any such demands or requests were made by people within the Obama Administration!”

The “king” hereby demands … Who does he think he is, Vladimir Putin? Trump is commanding the Justice Department to investigate itself. It’s no mystery. Foreign policy “advisors” George Papadopoulos and Carter Page were caught up in routine foreign wiretaps discussing the Trump campaign with Russian sympathizers. It would be negligent if the FBI did not place an informant in the campaign. Both men have pleaded guilty — Papadopoulos for lying to the FBI, and Page for “conspiracy against the United States.” Both are cooperating with the Mueller investigation and are awaiting sentencing. And this is the low-hanging fruit. Both the GOP-led House of Representatives’ investigation and Trump’s personal porch ghoul, Rudy Giuliani, have declared the Trump campaign to be completely blameless. Nothing has been proven, they say, so the Mueller probe should be shut down immediately.

In one year, the Mueller team has indicted 19 people, including 13 Russian nationals and three Russian companies, and obtained five guilty pleas. Former campaign manager Paul Manafort, in a 12-count indictment, is charged with “conspiracy against the United States,” being an unregistered foreign agent, and making false statements.

New charges were brought in February claiming Manafort laundered over $30 million, failed to pay taxes for a decade, and used real estate holdings to fraudulently obtain $20 million in loans. That’s why Manafort is wearing two ankle bracelets while he awaits trial on charges that, if proven guilty, could land him in prison for 300 years.

Manafort’s deputy, Rick Gates, has pleaded guilty and is cooperating with the Mueller investigation. Former National Security Advisor, Michael Flynn, pleaded guilty to charges of lying to the FBI about his discussions with Russian contacts over removing Obama-era sanctions for annexing the Crimea. Roger Stone said he is “prepared to be indicted” over his communications with Russian hackers and WikiLeaks founder, Julian Assange. If this is the “witch hunt” that Trump claims, the brooms are beginning to stack up in the corridors of justice.

We had yet to mention the Trump Tower meeting between Don Jr., Jared Kushner, and a cauldron of Russians, when new information emerged about a heretofore unknown gathering in the Tower between Don the Lesser and emissaries from the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia looking to help Daddy. Trump tweeted, “The Witch Hunt finds no Collusion with Russia — so now they’re looking at the rest of the World. Oh’ great.”

Too bad they didn’t teach grammar and punctuation at the Wharton School. Every time Trump sends out a tweet, somewhere an English teacher has a cardiac infarction.

Trump’s personal attorney, Michael Cohen, said he would take a bullet for the president. He might have to. There’s not room in a single article to discuss Stormy Daniels, the China bribery, obstruction of justice, personal enrichment, cronyism, nepotism, bank fraud, cover-ups, bribery, extortion, and abuse of power.

Next up is a defamation lawsuit filed by former Apprentice contestant and alleged victim of sexual abuse, Summer Zervos. Trump said Zervos “made up” a “hoax” to aid Hillary Clinton. Several of the other 16 sexual-harassment accusers have said they are willing to be deposed. Most concerning, Zervos’ attorney has subpoenaed recordings from The Apprentice that show Trump speaking of women “in any sexual or inappropriate manner.” I think I just heard that other shoe hit the deck. If all this causes you to despair, consider the words of porn-star attorney and Trump antagonist, Michael Avenatti, who stated, “Mr. Trump will not serve out his term. No way. No how. He will be forced to ultimately resign.” Thanks, Obama.

Randy Haspel writes the Recycled Hippies blog.

Tags Randy Haspel, The Main Ingredient, Trump plays the fool, Trump's follies

News News Blog

Memphis Pets of the Week (May 31-June 6)

Post author By Susan Ellis
Post date May 30, 2018

Each week, the Flyer will feature adoptable dogs and cats from Memphis Animal Services. All photos are credited to Memphis Pets Alive. More pictures can be found on the Memphis Pets Alive Facebook page.

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Tags Memphis Animal Services, Memphis Pets Alive, Wag Along Tuesday

From My Seat Sports

I’m Keith Hernandez, Too

Post author By Frank Murtaugh
Post date May 29, 2018

“The wall isn’t smooth. Its façade is brick, with mortar inset between the brick. So if I throw the ball against the wall, it might hit a corner of the brick or an indentation within the brick itself and not come straight back. It is unpredictable, just like a live batter.”

Keith Hernandez played a version of wall ball as a boy in the early Sixties. If there’s no one else around with a glove or bat, young baseball players improvise with a rubber ball and a solid wall (preferably brick for the reasons Hernandez describes above). I played wall ball, too. There was a significant difference, though, between my version and the one described by Hernandez. When I played in my grandmother’s backyard in the early Eighties, you see, I pretended to be Keith Hernandez.

****

Baseball books are my comfort food. If a novel or presidential biography (I love both) serves as escape, a book about baseball — for me — is a further departure from the drills and details of the day. But I’m Keith Hernandez (released earlier this month by Little, Brown and Company) was something new. Something as close to personal as I’ll likely ever read on a published page under another author’s name. The book is a terrific biography, worth reading for any baseball fan regardless of team (or player) of choice. But it was something deeper for me.

I learned to love baseball at my dad’s side. He grew up in Memphis, the son of a man who fell in love with the St. Louis Cardinals when Dizzy Dean was baffling hitters (and the English language) and Ducky Medwick was dodging bottles in decisive World Series games. Dad shared stories of his own heroes: Harry Brecheen, Red Schoendienst, and especially the great Stan Musial. He emphasized the remarkable talents of Bob Gibson and Lou Brock, though I was too young to fully understand, let alone follow, their exploits.

But there was Keith Hernandez. And Ted Simmons. And Garry Templeton. These were my Cardinals, my heroes, a trio of late-Seventies stars whose numbers in the box score each morning sent my day in one direction (three hits for Tempy!) or another (hitless night for Simba). Hernandez emerged from relative anonymity to superstar in 1979, becoming the first infielder to win a Gold Glove and batting title in the same season on his way to National League MVP honors. I was 10 years old and wanted to become Hernandez someday.

As we learn in I’m Keith Hernandez, the Cardinal (and later New York Met) star had his own childhood heroes, some of them San Francisco Giants (he grew up in the Bay Area) but others St. Louis Cardinals. Hernandez’s dad, John, had been a teammate (briefly) of Musial’s during the latter’s 1945 service in the Navy. When Hernandez wasn’t playing “wall ball” as a child, he was learning the game on teams coached by his father, watching film (when it was actual film) of his batting stroke for areas to improve.

It’s the need — and burning desire — to improve that shapes Hernandez’s memoir, and it’s the component that will engage any reader who once had difficulty hitting an inside fastball or felt anxiety over securing a position on the diamond. We learn that it wasn’t until after Hernandez received that MVP trophy that he truly felt he belonged in the major leagues, that he’d come as close as he could to mastering the hardest skill in sports. You won’t find recollections of the 1982 World Series championship Hernandez won with St. Louis (or the 1986 title he captured as a Met). If ever a memoir has focused on the proverbial journey to stardom, it’s the one with Hernandez staring at us from under a Mets helmet on the cover. (Hey, you gotta sell books in the Big Apple.)

Between tales of his rise as a player, Hernandez includes views of today’s game that might not be familiar to fans who don’t hear his color commentary as a Mets television analyst. He’s decidedly old-school, even as he acknowledges the impact of analytics and computer-generated scouting reports in building a modern baseball team. “It’s a lot of information to sift through in a very sterile, static learning environment,” writes Hernandez. “And despite all the headphones and video games in today’s youth culture, we are all still social creatures.”

Hernandez’s wall-ball skills took him further than mine took me. (Among baseball’s fabled five tools, I had two, and outfielders who can run and catch don’t play beyond high school.) But boys tend to join the ride of their baseball heroes, and I felt very much a part of Hernandez’s glory days as a Cardinal. Revisiting those days in the pages of his illuminating and heartfelt memoir was a joy along the lines of a cleanly struck baseball into the right-centerfield gap.

News News Blog

‘Mighty Lights’ Headed for Hernando DeSoto Bridge

Post author By Toby Sells
Post date May 29, 2018

CREDIT: Big River Crossing/Facebook

Big River Crossing/Facebook

LED lights illuminate the Harrahan Bridge at Big River Crossing.

The Memphis riverfront is in for a “mighty” new light show.

The Hernando de Soto Bridge, known to some as the “M Bridge” or the “New Bridge,” will get a new lighting package much like the Harrahan Bridge did in 2016. Nightly light shows on both bridges will combine for Mighty Lights.

The project “will synchronize and coordinate the Hernando de Soto bridge and Big River Crossing lighting to achieve dramatic effects that bookend the Mississippi River and highlight the entire riverfront in between,” according to a Tuesday news release from Memphis Bridge Lighting Inc., the nonprofit responsible for lighting Big River Crossing.

Mighty Lights/Facebook

“A group of local visionaries worked to light the Hernando de Soto bridge in 1986 and it has become one of the city’s most recognizable icons,” said Webb Wilson, Memphis Bridge Lighting board member. “The existing infrastructure needs replacement, and we can’t think of a better way to celebrate our city’s bicentennial, than to build upon the existing lighting capabilities. Mighty Lights will bring together the expansive LED lighting capabilities of both bridges into one package.”
[pullquote-1] The entire Mighty Lights package will be unveiled to the public after sundown on Saturday, Oct. 27th in conjunction with the annual River Arts Fest. The festival will offer an expansive view of both bridges from its new location this year on Riverside Drive between Union and Jefferson Avenues. The festival will open its doors for free admission after 5 p.m. on Saturday.

‘Mighty Lights’ Headed for Hernando DeSoto Bridge

But before the lights come on, much work has to be done and bridge work means lane closures on I-40. Construction begins in early June.

Here’s the full rundown of the work from Memphis Bridge Lighting:

The project will first close two lanes of traffic on the westbound side of I-40 beginning June 4th for six days a week from 6 p.m. to 6 a.m., concluding July 14th. Then, the project will close two lanes eastbound for six days a week, same hours per day, from July 16th to Aug. 25th.

Construction is summarized as follows:

Current lights on the Hernando de Soto bridge will shut off during Philips’ construction period, outlined above, as the bulbs themselves are replaced.

News News Blog

City to Launch Program to Grow, Empower Minority Business

Post author By Maya Smith
Post date May 29, 2018

A new program designed to help grow minority businesses in the city is slated to launch soon, Mayor Jim Strickland announced Tuesday.

The 800 Initiative will provide technical assistance, coaching, loans, and grants to the approximately 800 African-American-owned businesses in the city that are in between the start-up and full-scale business phase. The goal is to grow the businesses’ annual revenue by $50 million by 2023.

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“To truly boost our economy, we must do everything we can to empower small businesses,” Strickland said. “And for us to have a direct impact on generational poverty, and to achieve true equity in our economy, we know we must do everything we can to empower minority-owned businesses.

“The 800 Initiative isn’t just a step in the right direction — it’s a major leap forward.”

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The mayor has proposed allocating $500,000 of city’s budget for the next three years to the program, while Fedex is committing to put $1 million onto the program over four years.

David Cunningham, CEO and president of FedEx said one of the major challenges minority businesses face is access to capital, and now the initiative will address that by making capital loans available to the businesses in the program.

“FedEx exists today because of an entrepreneur who had the passion and the hard work and the desire to create something,” Cunningham said. “We certainly have a special place in our hearts for entrepreneurs.”

The 800 Initiative programming will take place in the recently renovated Universal Life Building. Local venture development accelerator StartCo will assist participants with network building, capital acquisition, and fund-raising. Local entrepreneurship hub Epicenter will provide technical assistance.

At Christian Brothers University, a Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship is set to open in partnership with The 800 Initiative. There will also be new entrepreneurship courses, experiential learning credit, and job placement for students.

CBU president John Smarrelli Jr. said the initiative is another way that the university is addressing its strategic priority to “help advance the region’s economic appeal and promote fiscal empowerment.”

“Obviously, this is much more than an economic development initiative,” Smarrelli said. “At heart, this is about equity and empowerment, and I am extremely proud for CBU to shepherd this effort.”

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In the city’s most recent disparity study, 69,000 non-publicly-owned firms were identified. Of the total firms, 38 percent are white-owned, but still produce 90 percent of the 36.5 million revenue.

Furthermore, minority-owned businesses represent just 2.7 percent of the total business receipts. Since Strickland took office in 2016, he said he’s worked to increase that number. He reports that the city has “dramatically” increased its own minority contracting from 12 to 21 percent during his administration.

“It is imperative that we lead by example at city hall and that we get even further involved in building minority businesses,” Strickland said. “As we cast our vision for a third century that’s more prosperous and has more pathways to opportunity, these efforts must be at the very center.”

Politics Politics Beat Blog

Politicians on the Move on Memorial Day

Post author By Jackson Baker
Post date May 28, 2018

CREDIT: JB

The Memorial Day weekend may have been a rest stop of sorts for much of the working world, but not for the men and women hoping for an adjustment of their job prospects on August 2nd, the next election date on the Shelby County political calendar.

Events of the weekend served as reminders that several electoral positions are being fought over with some vigor.

One of these is the Democratic primary race for the District 29 state Senate position which represents a huge swath of Whitehaven, South Memphis, Midtown, and North Shelby County and which is being vacated by Democratic county mayor nominee Lee Harris. The seat is being contested by two currently serving party office-holders — State Representative Raumesh Akbari and County Commissioner Justin Ford.
JB

Akbari with parents at her headquarters opening

Both candidates were in evidence over the weekend. On Saturday, Akbari opened her campaign headquarters in a donated upstairs office space on Millbranch Road, and Ford, who plans a headquarters opening of his own in early June, turned up on Sunday to shake hands at the annual Memorial Day crayfish boil held by Shelby County Judicial Commissioner David Pool on a Pool family riverbluff site. Akbari will follow her event up with a “town hall” event on Tuesday at Abundant Grace Fellowship Church.

There is a Republican contender for the seat, Tom Stephens of Millington, who is unopposed in his primary, but the seat is traditionally Democratic and the main attraction is considered to be the contest between Akbari and Ford, both of whom currently serve districts in the South Memphis/Whitehaven area. JB

Candidate Ford (right) with David Pool at Pool’s annual Memorial Day crayfish boil

Earlier Saturday, Democrat Katrina Robinson was the beneficiary of a meet-and-greet event at Southwind Country Club. Robinson, who owns and operates a nursing school, is a primary challenger for the District 33 state Senate seat currently held by longtime Democratic incumbent Reginald Tate. District 33 adjoins District 29 and takes in much of south-central Memphis along with the Hickory Hill area.

The contest provides a test of whether the likeable Tate may have lost enough appeal with rank-and-file Democrats to be vulnerable. He fairly consistently votes with the Republican majority in the Senate on key issues and maintains good relations with the GOP leadership, to the point that he had served until recently as an active affiliate of the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC), the national organization that furnishes guidelines and sample bills to conservative Republican legislators nationwide.

Among those at the Robinson event making the case that it may be time for a change were longtime activists Jocelyn Wurzburg and TaJuan Stout-Mitchell.

Music Music Blog

Dr. Herman Green: 88 Years Young, Still Blowing the Blues

Post author By Alex Greene
Post date May 26, 2018

CREDIT: Justin Fox Burks

Justin Fox Burks

Herman Green

Dr. Herman Green, the saxophonist supreme who started out on Beale Street in the 1940s, and who, after travelling the world playing his horn with giants from John Coltrane to Lionel Hampton to Stevie Wonder, became a Beale Street institution in his own right for the past 40 years, turns 88 on May 27th. It’s a Sunday, a day when, for over three decades, he’s been reliably playing with the funk/soul/jam outfit FreeWorld on Beale. So naturally, it’s party time!

“It just so happens,” says FreeWorld co-founder Richard Cushing, “that we play Blues City Cafe every Sunday anyway. It really dovetailed together nicely.” Cushing adds that, although Green’s health has been less than ideal lately, he’ll be there and “he’s really looking forward to spending this special birthday evening with all his friends, family, fans & loved ones.”

Cushing adds that “we have a bunch of special musical guests lined up to join us on stage to honor Herman that night,” hinting that the guests may include super fans such as Jim Dandy or Carla Thomas. Seeing the Queen of Memphis Soul will no doubt resonate deeply with Green, who got his start in show business thanks to her father, the late Rufus Thomas.

Such a celebration also resonates with the location, which had a specific mission under its previous name. “Blues City Cafe used to be Doe’s Eat Place,” notes Cushing. “And they envisioned the band box there to be kind of like Preservation Hall in New Orleans: a place where the old players always had a home, at least once a week.” Certainly it has served that mission well with Green, who’s been a fixture there. But, Cushing adds, “Under doctors orders, Herman hasn’t had a thing to drink in over six months, so please refrain from buying him his formerly beloved shots of vodka.”

While Green has not been playing as much lately, he still blows on occasion, and on May 12th, he carried out a tradition of 25 years by playing at the Memphis College of Art graduation commencement, marching the new graduates in to the ringing sounds of his saxophone. It was MCA that granted Green his honorary doctorate. (Read more about Green’s life in our 2017 profile of him, below).

So it’s likely you’ll hear his legendary tone at some point, depending on the doctor’s health. Either way, it’s a perfect way to ring in Memorial Day, honoring one of Memphis’ greatest living players, who’s held his own among the titans of jazz, blues and soul for nearly a century.

Dr. Herman Green’s 88th Birthday Party, Blues City Cafe, Sunday, May 27, 9 pm – 2 am.

Tags Beale Street, FreeWorld, Herman Green, Memphis Jazz

We Recommend We Saw You

Welcome, Dale Watson! And more!

Post author By Michael Donahue
Post date May 25, 2018

Now that the weather’s warm and everyone’s outside, you don’t know who or what you’re going to run into when you’re out and about. I ran into a cockatoo named “Jack” in front of my office.

Van Meter and his mother Carol had two exotic birds in tow. I was so enthralled holding the bird on my arm, I never asked why the people were walking around downtown with parrots.

I did remember my reportorial skills and taped Dale Watson’s speech when he and his wife, Celine Lee, were on stage at the “Welcome to Memphis Dale Watson Puttin’ Down Roots Party,” held May 13 at The Warehouse.

Watson moved to Memphis and brought his Ameripolitan Music Awards with him. He created the awards in 2013 to recognize working artists.

“I’ve been coming here for a long time,” Watson told the audience. “And I will tell you this: There is no place that’s got the soul of Memphis, Tennessee. No place. You have it. You’ve always had it. You’ve never let it go. I’m just proud to be moved here now. And I’m going to do business here. Ameripolitan is here for as long as I can see it. This is just a natural place for it to be.”

The Dale Watson tribute was a group effort organized by Hal Lansky, Rodney Polk, Kris Kourdouvelis and Sharon Gray. It was held at The Warehouse.

“It was Hal Lansky’s brainchild,” Polk says. “He came to me and said he would like to throw a big welcome to Memphis party for Dale and Celine. And he got in contact with Kris and it started growing from there. We met a couple of times. Julie Lansky did the PR. I got hold of all the talent. I did the music.”

Asked why he wanted to hold an event for Watson, Lansky says, “Because he’s such a great guy.”

Food was provided by Jack Pirtle’s Chicken and Alex Grisanti’s 9-Dough-1 food truck.

The event featured performances by Memphis Jones and his band, Amy LaVere and Will Sexton, Steve Brown, Jerry Phillips and his group and Grace Askew and Landon Moore.

Dale and Celine Lee also performed. Dr. Susan Murrmann and Hal Lansky sponsored the entertainment.

Michael Donahue

Dale Watson and Celine Lee at the ‘Puttin’ Down Roots Party.’

Michael Donahue

Exceptional Foundation’s ‘Farm to Table’

I think The Exceptional Foundation of West Tennessee’s “Farm to Table” event, which was held May 12th, was a first for me, as far as locations go. It was held at Millstone Market & Nursery in Germantown. Guests dined, drank, and listened to music amidst the fiddle leaf fig, split leaf philodendron, caladiums, ferns, and Swedish ivy. And a large variety of succulents.

It’s a great party venue.

The foundation’s executive director Jo Ann Fusco loved having the event at the Millstone, which is owned by Tricia and Dale Hunt. “The Saturday before Mother’s Day is such a busy weekend for them and I couldn’t believe she said, ‘Yes,’” Fusco says.

Fusco and her assistant worked on the event for seven months. “It was gorgeous. And Tricia provided all the plants and flowers and the candelabras. It was just more than I even expected. It exceeded my expectations.”

Erling Jensen and David Krog were the head chefs for the dinner. Interim restaurant pastry chef Franck Oysel did the desserts.

Susan Marshall and her band provided the music. The Team 901 singing group from The Exceptional Foundation also performed. “It was so wonderful because it let all of our donors see exactly what we do and who we work with and how much fun we have.”

Fusco’s program assistant is Memphis musician/singer Jesse Davis, who is the foundation’s music director. “He chose what songs they did. I didn’t have anything to do with it.”

“The Exceptional Foundation of West Tennessee is a day facility for individuals with intellectual disabilities,” Fusco says. “About 85 or 90 percent of our participants come from low income underserved areas. That’s why we do fundraisers. And we subsidize everyone by 50 percent because we can’t raise our prices. They can’t pay. That’s why we need the money.”

………..
Michael Donahue

Cedric Burnside at ‘I Listen to Memphis’ launch party.

Cedric Burnside and Marcella & Her Lovers — two “I Listen to Memphis” video performers — provided the entertainment at Beale Street Caravan’s “I Listen to Memphis” launch party, which was held May 9th at the Rec Room. Guests also viewed videos at the screening.

The 14 “I Listen to Memphis” videos include performers Don Bryant with The Bo-Keys, Rev. John Wilkins, Hippy Soul, Dirty Streets, Liz Brasher, Motel Mirrors, Heels, and Negro Terror.

…………….

MIchael Donahue

‘Jockeys & Juleps’

Yes, there were lots of big hats at the Jockeys & Juleps party, a benefit for Southern Reins Center for Equine Therapy.

And a lot of big hearts. A total of $250,000 was raised at the event, which was attended by 800 people, said event chair Courtney Smith. Mike and Donna Glenn were honorary chairs.

The event, held at Southern Reins, coincided with the Kentucky Derby, which aired the same day. Guests watched the race on TV. They experienced Louisville in Collierville.

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Michael Donahue

Krewes for Kids

I’ve been to a lot of parties, but this year’s Krewes for Kids party was outstanding. The Carnival Memphis event was held April 28th at the Crosstown Concourse. It was beautiful. More than 450 people attended. The energy in the room was amazing.

“It was our most successful auction, raising six figures for the first time,” said Carnival Memphis executive director Ed Galfsky. “The numbers for the event aren’t finalized yet, but we feel confident it’s our most successful fundraiser ever.”

This year’s Carnival Memphis Children’s Charities are Agape Child & Family Services Inc., Emmanuel Center and Memphis Athletic Ministries.

More Carnival Memphis fun was held at the Secret Order of the Boll Weevil’s annual party. These are the Carnival merrymakers, who wear masks with long snouts and dress in green. They prove it’s easy – and fun – to be green. The party was held May 12 at the new Avon Acres event center at the rear of the Central BBQ on Summer.

MIchael Donahue

Scholar Athlete Awards Dinner

………….

Eleven high school students were honored at the 46th annual Scholar Athlete Awards Dinner, which was held April 30th at Rhodes College.

This year’s Scholar Athlete Honorees are Logan Barham, Independence High School; Micah Breckenridge, White Station High School; Bradley Ellis, Briarcrest Christian School; Patrick Healy, Christian Brothers High School; Ty Kimberlin, Harding Academy; Tate Kolwyck, Arlington High School; Daniel Lake, Bolivar High School; Ted Lyons, Germantown High School; Matthew Priest, First Assembly Christian School; Devon Robinson, Whitehaven High School; and Nathan Tatko, Northpoint Christian School.

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Tags Dale Watson's welcome to Memphis, Exceptional Foundation Farm to Table, I Listen To Memphis, Krewes for Kids

Food & Drink Hungry Memphis

Porcellino’s to Move

Post author By Michael Donahue
Post date May 25, 2018

CREDIT: Justin Fox Burks

Porcellino’s Craft Butcher/Facebook

Justin Fox Burks

Andrew Ticer and Michael Hudman

Porcellino’s Craft Butcher will soon close and relocate from its Brookhaven Circle spot and fill that space with a new restaurant.

Porcellino’s will close on May 27 at its spot at 711 West Brookhaven Circle.

“We are going to disclose the location as soon as plans get finalized,” said Andy Ticer, who owns Porcellino’s with Michael Hudman. “It’s an opportunity we’re excited about. It made sense to where we want to take Porcellino’s in the future.

“City Block Salumeria, the butcher shop, will remain in the butcher shop space. We also have an exciting announcement as to what will go in the restaurant space. We will release that information in a couple of weeks.”