Month: April 2025

Categories
Beyond the Arc Sports

Can the Grizzlies Turn Their Season Around?

Memphis Grizzlies guard Ja Morant (12) shoots the ball against Golden State Warriors guard Moses Moody (4) on Tuesday, April 1, 2025 at FedExForum. (Wes Hale/The Memphis Flyer)

The Memphis Grizzlies are undoubtedly the talk of the town lately, and for good reason. With their recent struggles on the court, including a four-game losing streak, and the firing of head coach Taylor Jenkins, there’s been no shortage of speculation and debate among fans and pundits alike. 

There’s no denying that the team has hit a rough patch, managing only two wins in their last 10 outings. As a result, they’ve plummeted from second place in the Western Conference to eighth, with only six games remaining. The slide has put them in a precarious position, where they’re now at risk of being relegated to the play-in tournament.

The Grizzlies are particularly struggling against top-tier opponents, having dropped 12 straight games to teams with a winning record. There’s no doubt Memphis is in the midst of a crisis, with their season seemingly unraveling at the seams. 

Frustration is also mounting among Grizzlies players and fans, as the team’s promising season has taken a disappointing turn, and Tuomas Iisalo’s tenure as interim coach has gotten off to a winless start.

Iisalo pointed out after the 134-125 loss to the Warriors that the team failed to effectively communicate and execute their game plan, and he assured that they would improve in these areas moving forward.

Iisalo acknowledged that the losses provided little comfort, but highlighted the team’s resilience, tenacity, and unity in the face of a physically and emotionally exhausting schedule.

“You can sense they are hurting,” Iisalo said. “Everybody is hurting in that locker room. It hurts when you really put yourself out in life and you come up a little bit short. That’s life — that’s sports. That’s the natural growing pains and I don’t think it’s something you need to run from.”

Yes, it’s painful to fall short despite giving your best effort. And it’s definitely an inherent part of life. Embracing and learning from disappointment is crucial; rather than trying to escape, you have to own up to it. 

Iisalo remains optimistic that the team’s strong work ethic, intensity, and unity will lead to success. Despite time being limited, he believes the team’s solid foundation provides a stable base for growth.

To improve, the Grizzlies need to rectify simple mistakes — particularly on defense — and leverage their offensive strengths more effectively.

Prior to the All-Star break, Memphis boasted a formidable defense, ranking seventh in the league. Their defensive performance has plummeted to 20th since the break. This significant decline is mirrored on the offensive side, where they dropped from fifth to 16th over the same period.

The bottom line is that the team needs to find a way to improve and secure wins. Sluggish starts to games are significant hurdles to overcome.

The Grizzlies possess a tantalizing blend of talent, spearheaded by the dynamic trio of Ja Morant, Desmond Bane, and Jaren Jackson Jr. But the team’s maddening inconsistency has become a recurring theme, leaving many to ponder what’s next for the team. 

Morant, the Grizzlies’ star guard, admits that the team has been feeling the pressure lately, particularly after playing three games in just four days. He acknowledged the mental and physical toll it has taken on the team, and emphasized the need for a change in mentality, especially when playing on the road. He’s calling for the team to “flip the script” and secure some much-needed wins.

Jackson Jr. stressed the need for urgency, citing the in-locker room display that tracks the conference standings in real-time, serving as a constant reminder of the team’s position and the importance of staying focused.

For the Grizzlies, it’s not just about the standings, but about showing heart and making the most of every opportunity. As the season winds down, Grizzlies fans are hoping for a return to form and a resolute playoff drive that represents the team’s authentic basketball identity: All Heart, Grit, Grind! 

Categories
News News Blog News Feature

Memphis’ First Zero-Waste Store Urges City Towards Sustainability

Photo Credit: Boshi Botanicals

When Boshi Botanicals first opened in 2024, one of the questions that owner Becky Beloin repeatedly heard was “Is Memphis ready for-zero waste?”

Boshi is the city’s first zero-waste store. Located at 3092 Poplar Avenue, Suite 16, the shop offers a number of eco-conscious products, such as refillable bathroom cleaning kits, reusable feminine pads and liners, scrap-felt polish pads and more.

From an optic standpoint, Beloin said Memphis may not appear to be a sustainable city, since it is still common for people to use plastic bags when shopping, and many restaurants still use plastic straws and cutlery, as well as styrofoam to-go containers.

Such habits may indicate the city isn’t prepared to change to a zero-waste lifestyle, but it doesn’t mean there isn’t hope. Beloin said initiatives such as Project Green Fork and Clean Memphis show that efforts are being made to increase understanding of an eco-friendly way of living.

Boshi Botanicals’ goal is to amplify the resources needed for sustainability, while also making them accessible. Beloin said customer feedback has shown that Memphians want to move towards a waste-free way of living, but there hadn’t been a place locally that could sustain it.

Photo Credit: Boshi Botanicals

“We live in a society where it’s so easy to order from Amazon,” Beloin said. “You can order pick-up from Target and obviously [if you purchase from these retailers] you don’t have to remember to bring your bottles.”

Beloin’s store not only encourages customers to bring their refillable bottles and containers, they reward them for it.

The costs of zero-waste can also pose a barrier.  The University of Memphis’ “2024 Poverty Fact Sheet” showed that the city’s poverty rate is 22.6 percent. Beloin noted that the standard cost of living has become increasingly expensive — with many thinking that a shift towards sustainability costing significantly more.

However, she explains, this is a misconception. Many of the items sold at Boshi are refillable and reduce costs, including as wool dryer balls, which can last three-to-five years. 

“It may seem a little higher up-front, but when you actually end up breaking it down, it ends up saving you money,” Beloin said. 

“There’s interest [in zero-waste],” Beloin added. “I think a lot of it is education and getting the information out that there are things that we can all do as individuals to be more sustainable, but I think the city government needs to do things that could increase sustainability as well.”

She acknowledges that individuals can take certain steps towards an eco-friendlier lifestyle, such as using reusable shopping bags. However, she said the city shares a responsibility as well. Beloin suggested that the city evaluate different aspects of non-sustainability that they’d like to eradicate, and look into passing legislation that prevents wastefulness.

“There’s a cost to everything,” Beloin said. “People may say ‘Well, the plastic bag is free’ or ‘styrofoam is free,” but it’s not. It’s built into the cost of your food and it’s also built into the cost of [an] individual’s health.”

Beloin said the Mid-South may not be known for its sustainability, but she thinks Memphis can pioneer a movement by getting rid of pollutants such as styrofoam and plastic.

Categories
Fun Stuff News of the Weird

News of the Weird: Week of 04/03/25

The Weirdo-American Community

A United Airlines flight from San Francisco to Chicago was forced to divert to Denver on Feb. 9 after a passenger became unruly, LiveandLetsFly.com reported. The man was up out of his seat repeatedly and argued with flight attendants before demanding to know “Where are the Mormons?” One passenger said the incident “escalated into a big physical altercation and several passengers had to rush out of their seats to help the crew pin down this person.” Although the troublemaker was removed from the flight in Denver, the plane sat on the ground for about five hours before continuing to Chicago.

News That Sounds Like a Joke

A high school teacher in Queensland, Australia, has taken to identifying as a cat, 7News-TV reported on Feb. 10. “Miss Purr,” as she prefers to be known, teaches at Marsden State High School, where she “screeches and growls when [her students] don’t listen,” one person posted on Facebook. She also hisses and licks the backs of her hands during class and wears a headband with cat ears. One concerned mother said Miss Purr had made her daughter “purr for a lolly.” The Department of Education said the school was aware of the complaints and the principal was speaking with the teacher.

Cultural Diversity

On Feb. 10 in Inazawa, Japan, more than 7,000 men wearing only loincloths participated in the Konomiya Naked Festival at a Shinto shrine, The Mainichi reported. The event, which has been held for more than 1,200 years on the 13th day of the first lunar month, features a “god-man” who is thought to carry away misfortune if you touch him. This year’s “god-man” was 26-year-old Ryota Kato, who threw himself into the crowd as the men chanted and fought to touch him. About an hour later, he emerged from the crowd and entered the shrine.

Inexplicable

Law enforcement officers in South Holland, England, are stumped by a rash of pet cats returning to their homes with patches of missing fur, The Spalding and South Holland Voice reported on Feb. 12. The cats have apparently been shaved. “This behavior is completely unacceptable,” said inspector Matt Dickinson. “The cats in question are someone’s pet, part of their family.” Evidently, it’s not the first time the mysterious cat shaver has struck; two Facebook commenters said their cats had been shaved in past years.

It’s Come to This

A manufacturer of fortune cookies contacted the owner of a Vietnamese restaurant in Sydney, Australia, to announce they would no longer fill her orders for custom messages that are offensive or contain expletives. 9News reported that Nahji Chu, owner of Lady Chu, ordered profanity-laced cookies for Valentine’s Day. But after the manufacturer mistakenly sent some of Chu’s cookies to fulfill another order, causing distress with that customer, they changed their policy. Chu wasn’t happy: “If you’re getting it mixed up with other restaurants, that’s not my fault,” she said. Some of Chu’s more PG-rated cookie messages include, “You are capable of great things. But all you do is look at your phone all day. You won’t be that great sorry! #ladychu” and “The year of the snake bears good fortune! Your divorce is coming soon.” She said she’ll “take out the profanities and be creative” with her next order.

Oops!

The Lee County (Florida, where else?) Sheriff’s Office is investigating after a Feb. 7 incident involving an allegedly intoxicated man riding on a lawnmower, WESH-TV reported. A video camera caught the mower plowing into a mailbox along the street; the man went heels over head and stumbled away from the mower, then returned and drove off, apparently hitting multiple other mailboxes along the way. Matt Clardy, whose mailbox was among the victims, called it “absolutely disgusting” but admitted, “It’s so funny. I can watch it 100 times.” The man left behind a Pittsburgh Steelers hat and sunglasses at one of the scenes; police are still trying to identify him.

NEWS OF THE WEIRD
© 2025 Andrews McMeel Syndication.
Reprinted with permission.
All rights reserved.

Categories
Astrology Fun Stuff

Free Will Astrology: Week of 04/03/25

Dario Bronnimann | Unsplash

ARIES (March 21-April 19): Have you ever been part of an innovation team? Its goal is not simply to develop as many new ideas and approaches as possible, but rather to generate good, truly useful new ideas and approaches. The most effective teams don’t necessarily move with frantic speed. In fact, there’s value in “productive pausing” — strategic interludes of reflection that allow deeper revelations to arise. It’s crucial to know when to slow down and let hunches and insights ripen. This is excellent advice for you. You’re in a phase when innovation is needed and likely. For best results, infuse your productivity with periodic stillness.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20): Barnacles are crustaceans that form vast colonies on rocks, pilings, whales, and boats. They may grow so heavy on a ship that they increase its heft and require as much as a 40-percent increase in fuel consumption. Some sailors refer to them as “crusty foulers.” All of us have our own metaphorical equivalent of crusty foulers: encumbrances and deadweights that drag us down and inhibit our rate of progress. In my astrological opinion, the coming weeks will be a favorable time for you to shed as much of yours as possible. (I’ll be shedding mine in June.)

GEMINI (May 21-June 20): In 1088, the Chinese polymath and statesman Shen Kuo published his book Dream Torrent Essays, also translated as Dream Pool Essays. In this masterwork, he wrote about everything that intrigued and fascinated him, including the effects of lightning strikes, the nature of eclipses, how to make swords, building tall pagodas resistant to wind damage, and a pearl-like UFO he saw regularly. I think the coming weeks would be an excellent time for you to begin your own version of Dream Torrent Essays, Gemini. You could generate maximum fun and self-knowledge by compiling all the reasons you love being alive on this mysterious planet.

CANCER (June 21-July 22): The mimosa is known as the “sensitive plant.” The moment its leaves are touched, they fold inwards, exposing the sharp spines of its stems. Why do they do that? Botanists say it’s meant to deter herbivore predators from nibbling it. Although you Cancerians sometimes display equally extreme hair-trigger defense mechanisms, I’m happy to say that you will be unlikely to do so in the coming weeks. You are primed to be extra bold and super-responsive. Here’s one reason why: You are finely tuning your protective instincts so they work with effective grace — neither too strong nor too weak. That’s an excellent formula to make fun new connections and avoid mediocre new connections.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): While sleeping on a recent night, I dreamed of an old friend I had lost touch with for 20 years. It was wonderful. We were remembering mystic breakthroughs we had while younger. When I awoke the next day, I was delighted to find an email from this friend, hoping for us to be back in touch. Hyper-rationalists might call this coincidence, but I know it was magical synchronicity — evidence that we humans are connected via the psychic airways. I’m predicting at least three such events for you in the coming weeks, Leo. Treat them with the reverence they deserve. Take them seriously as signs of things you should pay closer attention to.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): A star that astronomers call EBLM J0555-57Ab is 670 light-years away. Its diameter is the smallest of any known star, just a bit larger than Saturn in our solar system. But its mass is 250 times greater than Saturn’s. It’s concentrated and potent. I’ll be inclined to compare you to EBLM J0555-57Ab in the coming weeks, Virgo. Like this modest-sized powerhouse, you will be stronger and more impactful than you may appear. The quality you offer will be more effective than others’ quantity. Your focused, dynamic efficiency could make you extra influential.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): Libran jazz pianist and composer Thelonious Monk was an influential musician in part because he didn’t conform to conventions. According to music writer Tarik Moody, Monk’s music features “dissonances and angular melodic twists and [is] consistent with his unorthodox approach to the piano, which combined a highly percussive attack with abrupt, dramatic use of switched key releases, silences, and hesitations.” Many of Monk’s most innovative improvisations grew out of apparent mistakes. He explored and developed wrong notes to make them into intentional aspects of his compositions. “His genius,” said another critic, “lay in his ability to transform accidents into opportunities.” I’d love to see you capitalize on that approach, Libra. You now have the power to ensure that seeming gaffes and glitches will yield positive and useful results.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): Author Richard Wright said that people “can starve from a lack of self-realization as much as they can from a lack of bread.” That’s rarely a problem for Scorpios, since you are among the zodiac’s best sleuths when exploring your inner depths. Does any other sign naturally gather more self-realization than you? No! But having said that, I want to alert you to the fact that you are entering a phase when you will benefit from even deeper dives into your mysterious depths. It’s an excellent time to wander into the frontiers of your self-knowledge.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): Andean condors hunt for prey while flying through the sky with their 10-foot wingspan. They’ve got a good strategy for conserving their energy: riding on thermal currents with little effort, often soaring for vast distances. I recommend that you channel the Andean condor in the coming weeks, Sagittarius. Always be angling to work smarter rather than harder. Look for tricks and workarounds that will enable you to be as efficient and stress-free as possible. Trust that as you align yourself with natural flows, you will cover a lot of ground with minimal strain. Celebrate the freedom that comes from embracing ease.  

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): While hiking in nature, people often rely on their phones to navigate. And what if their battery dies or there’s poor cell service out in the middle of nowhere? They might use an old-fashioned compass. It won’t reveal which direction to go, but will keep the hiker apprised of where true north lies. In that spirit, Capricorn, I invite you to make April the month you get in closer communication with your own inner compass. It’s a favorable and necessary time to become even more highly attuned to your ultimate guide and champion: the voice of the teacher within you.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): “It is advisable to look from the tide pool to the stars and then back to the tide pool.” Aquarian author John Steinbeck wrote that. I think it’s useful counsel for you in the coming weeks. What does it imply? Here are a few meditations: 1. Be tuned in to both the small personal world right in front of you and the big picture of the wider world. Balance and coordinate your understandings of them. 2. If you shift your perspective back and forth between the macrocosmic and microcosmic perspectives, you’re far more likely to understand how life really works. 3. You may flourish best by blending the evaluative powers of your objective, rational analysis and your intuitive, nonrational feelings.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): The earliest humans used bones and pebbles to assist in arithmetic calculations. Later, they got help from abacuses and crude mechanical devices. Electronic calculators didn’t arrive until the 1960s. All were efforts to bypass tedious reckonings. All were ingenious attempts to manage necessary details that weren’t much fun. In that spirit, I encourage you to seek time-saving, boredom-preventing innovations in the coming weeks. Now is an excellent time to maximize your spacious ability to do things you love to do.

Categories
News The Fly-By

MEMernet: Who to Follow, Property Appraisals, and Railgarten

Posted to instagram by MemphisForgotten

Who to Follow

MemphisForgotten’s Insta is an amazing Bluff City Wayback Machine. It features news clips and interviews, from Playa Fly to Mr. Chuck and from America’s Most Wanted to Germantown High School’s 1992 homecoming and prom. 

Posted to Facebook by Re-Elect Melvin Burgess, Shelby County Assessor

Property Appraisals 

Confusion and surprise roiled the MEMernet last week as property reappraisals from Melvin Burgess, assessor of property, landed in Shelby County mailboxes. First, many thought the slick, glossy mailer — largely featuring a photo of Burgess for some reason — looked like junk mail or a political ad. Many landed in trash cans, unopened. After fishing them out, property owners were surprised to find their appraisals rose by a lot.

Posted to Facebook by Taylor Berger

Railgarten

Taylor Berger, one of the forces behind the establishment of Railgarten back in 2016, made a bittersweet Facebook post last week, after news broke that the entertainment complex was closed and on the market. 

“The best parts were the surprises,” Berger wrote. “People on skateboards, live band karaoke, drag before it was mainstream.”

Categories
Food & Drink

Keeping Dive Bars Alive

Louis Connelly and Mickey Blancq at Kickstart Bar & Grill (Photo: Michael Donahue)

Louis Connelly, owner of Louis Connelly’s Bar for Fun Times & Friendship in Midtown, is continuing his brand of buying “dive bars” with his latest addition, Kickstart Bar & Grill at 5960 Highway 51, about 10 minutes from Millington, Tennessee.

“This is just OG dive bar feel,” Connelly says. “You can tell it’s been around for many years.”

People are going to see motorcycles parked outside. “It’s always been a biker bar. Back in the day, it was probably pretty rough, but from what I hear, all the bikers consider it neutral ground,” says Mickey Blancq, Connelly’s business partner. “So they won’t be aggressive to each other while they’re there. Iron Horsemen or Outlaws or whatever biker club has claimed its own territory.”

Small diamond-shaped windows flank the entrance to Kickstart. A 15-foot Miller High Life beer glass made out of concrete stands on one side of the building. “There’s two wooden doors,” Connelly says. “And the door is incredibly heavy. You kind of yank it to pull it open.”

Inside, the place explodes with the colors of the neon beer signs that dot the walls along with photographs and old album covers. “Weasel,” one of the regulars, attached various things to the walls over the years, Blancq says. “Every inch is covered,” he says. “All kinds of stuff. Old beer signs, license plates. You name it. Elvira cutouts.”

“You look around and you’re in a totally different world,” Connelly says.

Two pool tables stand in a separate room to the right of the bar. And a “really beautiful shuffleboard table” stands to the left when you walk in. Adam Phillips, who, along with his wife Mitzi, previously owned Kickstart, “services shuffleboards all around the city,” Connelly says.

The clientele ranges from “young 30s” to people “in their 80s,” Connelly says. 

“Everyone here looks out for everybody else,” Blancq says. “If they have a bad character, they all band together: ‘You’re not welcome here’ kind of deal. ‘This is our house,’ you know.

“They have a list of people who have been banned over the years,” Connelly says. “It’s passed down. People who currently work there have never met them. They’ve been banned in previous administrations, so to speak. We’re keeping that list going. Somewhere in a file are pictures of some of those old characters that have received lifetime bans.”

Outside, a lone truck door stands next to the giant concrete Miller High Life beer glass. The door belongs to one of their regulars, says Kickstart manager Nate Cox. “He was getting body work done at a body shop and it got absconded by some people who didn’t need to abscond it,” Cox says. “And we had to go on a little recon mission and get his door back for him.”

They found the door “at a meth head’s house,” Cox says. “We’re a ‘family network’ out here. I’ll use quotation marks on that. If something happens to one of us, we go take care of it. We handle business ourselves.”

Connelly is impressed with his customer base. “Every time we’ve been out here, everyone is so super nice,” he says. “They all know each other and they’ve all got names for each other. That’s how they introduce themselves: ‘My name is this, but people call me this.’”

One guy goes by “Bobby Two Hats.” Another goes by “Dog.” “He barked at me,” Connelly says.

Another “Bobby,” Bobby Crisel, goes by his “Bobby Big Head” nickname. “Ever since I was in elementary school I’ve been called ‘Big Head,’” Crisel says, adding, “I’ve had it my whole life. I just have a big head.”

Crisel, 56, who lives in Shelby Forest, owned Kickstart for about four years around 2016 when it was known as The Point. But he’s been around the bar most of his life. “I kind of grew up in that place.”

He’d go to the bar with his dad. “I’d go to work with him doing construction and we’d stop by. It’s always been like a buddy bar. Everybody hangs out there, drinks a few beers, stretches the truth about a few things.”

Then, he says, “Got to the age where I was driving him home. And next thing you know, I got to the age where I’m hanging out.”

“If Bobby gets too drunk, he calls his son and his son comes and picks him up in the tow truck and takes his car home,” Connelly says. (Bobby’s son has a tow truck.)

“If I sit there a little bit too long, I call him up and say, ‘Come get me, boy,’” Crisel says.

Kickstart Bar & Grill went by other names over the years. It was known as The Point before Crisel owned it. Then it changed to Tom Cat’s and then Chuck’s before going back to The Point. “It’s an old dive bar,” Crisel says. “Been that way my whole lifetime.”

It was called The Point because it’s at Old Millington Road and Highway 51, Crisel says. “Right there at the point of them. Still today, all the old people say, ‘We’re going to The Point.’”

For now, Kickstart serves “just beer and a couple of nice hard lemonade-type drinks,” Connelly says. “We have applied for a liquor license, and we’ll be adding liquor in a couple of weeks.”

As for its cuisine, Connelly says, “There’s a small food menu. All bars are required to serve food.”

Kickstart’s menu is “not as extensive” as their Midtown bar at 322 South Cleveland Street in Midtown. “They don’t have fryers. It’s pizzas and nachos. We may end up changing that a little bit. We just bought a new pizza oven. The current pizza oven was Bobby Big Head’s dad’s pizza oven they were borrowing.”

They’re considering putting in one of those “gas station hot dog grilling stations,” Connelly says. And bringing in food trucks is “probably something down the road,” Blancq says.

We don’t want to change too much, but we want to put a slightly more professional face on this,” Connelly says. “Make sure the equipment is up to code.”

Like its regulars, Connelly and Blancq love Kickstart Bar & Grill, which is about a 15- to 20-minute drive from Midtown. “We want it to succeed,” Connelly says. “This is a nice place to be when you’re not home or at work.” 

Categories
Opinion The Last Word

Memphis Is My Boyfriend: Testing Season

Online resources can help. (Photo: Patricia Lockhart)

’Tis the season for testing! While the weather is warming and most of us are eager to get outside, it’s a different season for our tweens and teens. I’m the grateful mom of four — an 11-year-old girl, twin 13-year-old boys, and a 16-year-old boy. This spring, they’re all facing end-of-year assessments. My middle schoolers are preparing for TNReady (TCAP), while my high schooler is tackling AP Exams, ACTs, and more. These tests are crucial for their next steps in education. Since hubby and I know the trajectory we want for their educational future, their performance matters. So we aim for balance during the testing season: work hard, play hard.

Get them tutoring or homework help

Parents, if you know that math isn’t your thing, don’t you go undoing all that hard work the teacher put in by trying to teach your child “how you did math 20-plus years ago.” While the procedural steps of mathematics haven’t drastically changed, the conceptual learning of math has. So leave it up to the professionals. My high schooler is involved with math that contains more letters and angles than numbers. Since there is nothing I can do to help him, I rely on outside resources. Check out tutoring or homework help at your school or local library. The Homework Hotline is still going strong! You can either get help with homework or free weekly tutoring at homeworkhotline.info. My favorite online resource is Khan Academy. It’s filled with standards-aligned content for a variety of subjects. What I love most are their “how-to videos” for math. Khan Academy is great if your tween/teen already has a foundation about a subject, but just needs more practice.

Ease up on them at home

During the testing season, my hubby and I absorb all the chores and cooking. Typically, everyone in the house has chores they are responsible for, including the parents. We find it best to consistently model the expectations rather than only voice them. But during testing, hubby and I divide the chores among only us. The kids simply come home and have a little down time before reviewing the next day’s testing subject. We do ask them to be considerate and clean up after themselves as much as possible.

We also absorb all the cooking responsibilities. Just like the chores, everyone is responsible for cooking a healthy meal at least one night a week. But not during testing season! For three to four weeks, hubby and I cook every meal. Yes, it adds more to our plate after a long workday, but our future goals are not hinged upon our performance on one test. So we do whatever we can to ensure that our kids have space for rest and review. 

Extracurricular activities

Last year, we made a huge mistake. We removed extracurricular activities from the schedule during testing season. No ballet practice. No video games. No random outings. After school, the kids were instructed to come home, do nothing, then study a little bit. While they were okay for the first few days, energies began to increase because they did not have a creative outlet. 

It didn’t take long for the lack of creative outlets to shake things up. Activities like ballet, gaming, and random outings weren’t just fun pastimes — they were little mood-boosters and motivators. Creative outlets gave them a way to let off steam, express themselves, and come back to their studies feeling refreshed. Without them, all that extra energy had nowhere to go, which only led to bickering and boredom. 

I’m a huge fan of the Memphis Public Libraries. They have a ton of activities for tweens/teens to get involved in. Dungeons & Dragons, music labs, videography, Drumming 101, chess, crafts, and so much more! If you’re looking for a creative outlet for your tween/teen, check out the activities at the Memphis Public Libraries.

Testing season can be tough, but it doesn’t have to be miserable. A little balance goes a long way! From tutoring help and lightening their chores to letting them enjoy their favorite activities, it’s all about setting them up for success. And, once again, don’t sleep on the Memphis Public Libraries — they’ve got tons of cool programs to keep kids inspired and refreshed. At the end of the day, we’re just here to cheer them on and help them do their best! 

Patricia Lockhart is a native Memphian who loves to read, write, cook, and eat. By day, she’s an assistant principal and writer, but by night … she’s asleep.

Categories
Politics Politics Feature

Of This and That

State Representative Justin Pearson, whose presence during this year’s legislative session has been fragmentary, has resumed regular attendance as the General Assembly heads into its stretch drive.

Pearson, who has avowedly been dealing with the aftereffects of his brother’s death in December, was a speaker at the meeting of the Shelby County Democratic Party (SCDP) convened Saturday at Pilgrim Rest Baptist Church to elect new party officers. 

Things went downhill after rousing unity speeches by Pearson and others, as the assembled Democrats could not reach agreement on the bylaws needed to continue with the meeting, which was to have elected a new chairman and other officers. Amid chaos, the meeting was aborted, with the professed intent by those present of reconvening within 30 days.

The Tennessee Democratic Party (TNDP), whose chair Rachel Campbell of Chattanooga was on hand, temporarily decommissioned the local party, as it had nearly 10 years earlier during a previous period of public disorder in the SCDP.

• The Democrats’ foreshortened meeting was the site for a fair amount of schmoozing from potential near-term political candidates. One such was Michael Pope, a former sheriff’s department deputy who served a brief tenure as the SCDP’s last nominal chair before its previous shutdown by the state party in 2016.

Pope later became police chief in West Memphis. He resigned during a controversy over allegedly suppressed evidence in the case of the West Memphis Three, who were subsequently released after serving several years for a notorious murder.

Pope is now an announced candidate for sheriff in 2026. An expected opponent is Anthony Buckner, the current chief deputy to Sheriff Floyd Bonner.

• Former state Senator Brian Kelsey will hold a celebration in East Memphis on Saturday for his recent release from prison. “It’s time to party!” say the invites. Kelsey, who had been convicted of campaign finance violations and served only two weeks at a federal prison in Kentucky, was pardoned last month by Trump.

• State Senator Brent Taylor is trying again after his bill seeking the legislative removal from office of DA Steve Mulroy failed to gain traction and was taken off notice. 

Taylor and state Senate Speaker Randy McNally made public their request that the state Supreme Court create a panel to investigate Mulroy, Nashville DA Glenn Funk, and Warren County DA Chris Stanford. Like Mulroy, Funk is a liberal who has ruffled the ideological feathers of the state’s GOP supermajority. Stanford is something of a throw-in. He is under indictment on charges of reckless endangerment after firing a pistol in pedestrian pursuit of an accused serial killer.

The shift in tactics from legislative to judicial was an effort to avoid the appearance of being politically partisan, said Taylor, who acknowledged that any action on the new proposal would be delayed at least thorough the summer.  

• Entities in Memphis and Shelby County seem to have done well in their entreaties for financial aid from the state. Included either in Governor Bill Lee’s original budget or his supplemental budget, announced last week, were such petitioners as the city of Memphis, the Memphis Zoo, the Memphis Rock ‘n’ Soul Museum, Agape Child & Family Services, Youth Villages, Memphis Allies, Operation Taking Back 901, Church of God in Christ (COGIC), PURE Academy, YMCA of Memphis & the Mid-South, Tech901, Moore Tech, Southern College of Optometry, Hospitality Hub, Memphis Teacher Residency, Memphis City Seminary, Africa in April, Stax Music Academy, and Tennessee College of Applied Technology (for the Memphis aviation campus).

Also included was funding for an audit of Memphis-Shelby County Schools. Conspicuously missing so far are allotments for Regional One Health and the Metal Museum. Additions and subtractions are to be expected before the session ends.

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We Recommend We Recommend

Overton Park Conservancy to Host ‘Pollinator Paradise’ Workshop

Learn how to attract native pollinators like this tawny emperor butterfly in your own garden. (Photo: Courtesy Overton Park Conservancy)

Ever dream of waking up to a beautiful garden full of roses and peonies every morning, but you just don’t have a green thumb? Or do you want to be more sustainable in your gardening practices? Well, the Overton Park Conservancy can help with its Pollinator Paradise workshop this Saturday.

The workshop is designed to help beginner gardeners learn more about the art of gardening and how to properly care for their plants. Importantly, this event stresses the need for native plants to be cultivated to help preserve our native wildlife and pollinators, instead of using generic plants that are often sold at many stores. “Eighty percent of food in this country is dependent upon pollination,” says Mary Wilder, former Overton Park Conservancy board member and Master Gardener. “We could starve to death if you didn’t have a bee, a butterfly, a beetle, or a bat because the plants wouldn’t get pollinated. They wouldn’t be able to make their fruit or grow up to be whatever plant they’re supposed to be.

“If we can educate folks to garden more naturally with the locally sourced plants, then we are helping in the long run the whole bigger [eco]system. So that’s part of why it’s significant,” Wilder adds. 

And if you are unsure about where to purchase your domestic plants or which plants will survive in Memphis weather, there will be plants for sale to help give you a head start on improving your garden. If you are interested in attending, the workshop will be held this Saturday from 10:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m., and it is pay-what-you-can, with a recommended donation of $5. To register, visit overtonpark.org/event/workshop-pollinator-paradise. 

Happy Gardening!

Pollinator Paradise: Cultivating a Wildlife-Friendly Backyard, Abe Goodman Golf Clubhouse, 2080 Poplar Ave., Saturday, April 5, 10:30-11:30 a.m., $5/recommended donation. 

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At Large Opinion

Sea Change

Photo © Lawrence Wee | Dreamstime.com

A pelican glides by just offshore, there, out where the blue dolphins dance, emerging and disappearing into the sea. The kite hangs overhead, side-slipping in the ocean breeze, tethered to your umbrella pole by a gracile thread. You push your new sunglasses up on your nose and soak in the sun, the blue sky, the bleached sand; you hear the surf mumbling, “Stay.”

I could do it, you think, shifting in your canvas chair. “I could get a job renting beach umbrellas or maybe working on a fishing boat. In the evenings, I’ll sip margaritas and finish the novel.”

Your young daughter hands you a sand dollar from a plastic bucket filled with saltwater currency. “Let’s go cash this in,” you say. “We’ll buy this place.

The cast is perfect, a dry fly circling at the deep end of an eddy. There is a flash of silver and a tug that feels like you’ve hooked the river and it wants off. The trout streaks into the current, jumps once, twice, takes line, gives it back a reel-turn at a time. You stand in the riffle, gravel crunching, sliding under your feet. “This is a good one,” you think. Minutes later you net the fat rainbow, admire it for a few seconds, and release it back into the pool.

“I wonder what a piece of land on this stream would cost,” you wonder. “I could live here, deep in these dark woods, enjoying a life of fishing, solitude, and contemplation — become a wise old man.”

You’re sitting on the pool steps, waist-deep in cool water, deep in the steamy jungles of Quintana Roo, south of Cancun. The house is modern, open, with glass walls overlooking the pool on one side and the twisted green jungle on the other. Every morning, a troop of monkeys swings by, screeching through the trees as you sit outside with your coffee, marveling at the strangeness of it all.

“I’ve decided this must be a drug lord’s house,” your wife says from her chaise lounge, not opening her eyes. “Who else would build a place like this in the middle of nowhere?”

“They didn’t mention that in the rental brochure,” you say, “but whoever owns this house certainly knows how to get away from it all.”

Two grackles land near the diving board and begin dipping their heads in the water and shivering it off. They chortle and chatter like an old couple in the park. You slip neck-deep into the pool and they fly away, complaining at the intrusion. 

“Hey, I’m thinking maybe we should look into property in this area.”

“Sure,” she says.

Two-hour layover in the Atlanta airport. You’re sitting in a bar that has a stupid name, talking to a man in gray — gray suit, socks, tie. He’s on his way to St. Louis, a software rep for a company you’ve heard of. You both watch as five men walk into the place — scruffy hair, tattoos, colorful funky clothes — obviously a band. You overhear them talking about going to the Bahamas to record. 

“Nice work if you can get it,” says the gray man.

“I used to be in a band myself,” you say.

“Really?” says Mr. Gray. “Me, too!”

You sigh and take another pull on your beer.

How many times have you been tempted to start over, to ditch your life, your career, and make a big change? If you’re like me, those moments occurred, but were seldom followed up on, unless you count moving to a new city to take a job, which last happened to me in 1993.

Change is difficult, even when the goal is worthy and attainable. It’s much more difficult when it’s not worthy and it’s forced upon you, and when you’re not sure how to fight against it. That’s where we all are now, in the midst of an attempt to change how our country will be governed, to overturn our core human values. Democracy itself seems tethered by a gracile thread. I take solace in knowing we’re all in this together, and that that’s the only way we’ll get out of it. I don’t know how it ends. I do think that we’re well past the “have a margarita and watch the dolphins” stage. Courage, my friends.