Author: Louis Goggans

With proper funding, every homeless person in Memphis will be offered a place to stay over the next decade, according to Mayor A C Wharton’s Action Plan to End Homelessness.

But so far, the plan is far from reaching its funding goal. On June 7th, the Memphis City Council allotted $250,000 for the plan, but the estimated annual cost of the entire plan is more than $7 million.

First introduced in January, the plan aims to house half of the city’s homeless population over the next five years and eventually meet the lofty goal of ending homelessness in Memphis in 10 years. But considering the amount of funding needed, the decision to invest only a quarter-million of the city’s funds has troubled some advocates for the homeless.

Among those uneasy with the amount allotted is Brad Watkins, organizing coordinator for the Mid-South Peace & Justice Center. Watkins said without proper funding, the plan is nothing more than “pretty words on paper.”

“This plan could save the city and county governments millions of dollars. More importantly, it could save lives,” Watkins says. “The fact is, we can get money for other projects, but when we talk about people, somehow $250,000 is the best the city can do.”

Katie Kitchin is the project consultant for the Memphis and Shelby County Committee to End Homelessness, the organization that developed the 10-year plan. She said the $250,000 allotted would be spent on launching a new Community Alliance to End Homelessness.

That group will be charged with obtaining the additional funding needed to successfully implement the plan. The allotted city funds will be used to pay salaries for alliance members, manage a homeless database, and fund the organization’s start-up.

“That [$250,000] is basically seed funding,” Kitchin says. “Our estimate is that it’s going to take about $7 million a year to fully implement the plan, but that’s not something we would seek to have in place immediately.”

Eventually, the plan should provide 500 units of additional permanent housing, reduce the amount of transitional housing by 300 units, and enhance emergency shelter resources for domestic violence victims.

Kitchin said there would be an additional $12 million requested for the conversion of some of the city’s transitional housing units into permanent housing units. Transitional units only allow people to stay for a limited amount of time, whereas permanent housing provides affordable (or sometimes free) housing to people in need.

Although $250,000 of city funds is going toward the project, Kitchin said the alliance has applied for federal grants that would award them around $2.4 million of the $7 million needed this year.

They hope to receive additional funding from the county government, faith-based community programs, and various charitable foundations.

In late January, the city’s annual homeless head count totaled 1,982 people, an increase of 20 percent over last year.

“You have to understand that that only applied to where you slept last night,” Watkins says. “It doesn’t count people who were in jail or in the hospital that night. It doesn’t count if you were in a nightly motel, or in a rooming house, or if your buddy let your sleep on his couch that night.

“That count was also before the flooding. It doesn’t take into account the people that are going to be displaced because the flood has condemned their home.”

Watkins says it’s going to take support from the entire community to ensure that the plan is successful.

“There are a dozen different reasons why people become homeless,” Watkins says. “Foreclosures, fires, flooding, mental illness, substance abuse, job loss, health, medical bills, and death of a spouse. This plan speaks to all of those. We as a community just have to decide that we’re going to value people. If we do, it’ll save us money.”

Shelby County is getting the shaft once again. But this time, that could be a good thing.

Residents of Middle and East Tennessee will spend the summer talking over the loud, high-pitched drones of the periodical cicada, an insect that emerges to mate every 13 and 17 years. But the 13-year plague expected to hit most of the South this summer won’t affect West Tennessee.

Last seen in the south in 1998, the group of cicadas known as Brood XIX will appear in Alabama, Arkansas, Kentucky, Mississippi, parts of Tennessee, and several other states.

“The broods are regional in nature and don’t overlap much at all,” said John Cooley, a cicada researcher who maintains the site Magicicada.org. “The boundaries between broods are fairly sharp.” In other words, it’s not unusual for a brood of cicadas in Memphis to be within a short driving distance of another brood.

But Memphis won’t always be free of the cicada’s loud shrills. Shelby County is scheduled to experience Brood XXIII, the 17-year emergence of the insect, in 2015.

Frank Hale, an entomology and plant pathology professor at the University of Tennessee-Knoxville, was introduced to the periodical cicada in 1998 after receiving calls from frantic parents fearing the insect’s reemergence.

“The reason they were worried was that they had a son or daughter who was going to get married in May or early June and the wedding was planned to be outdoors,” Hale said. “They wanted to know if the cicadas would be out at the time in their particular location.”

Adult cicadas are commonly misidentified with locusts due to their striking resemblance, but the two belong to different insect orders.

The periodical cicada ranges from 1 to 1 1/2 inches long with a black body, reddish-orange legs, wide red eyes, and translucent wings. It typically lives for four to five weeks, but that can be cut short due to predators like birds and preying mantises.

Aside from the periodical cicada, there are also annual cicadas, known as “dog day cicadas,” that emerge every summer. Cooley said during full 13-year emergences, there are about one million adult periodical cicadas per acre of land.

A few days after emerging, male cicadas start singing a high-pitched, shrill call to attract females. Though some may consider that mating call annoying, Hale said it’s one of the things that makes the cicada so amazing.

“They have the longest life cycle. They emerge in huge numbers, and the males call the females in such a noisy manner,” Hale said. “The coolest thing is watching them emerge out of their nymphal shell.”

Memphis Center for Independent Living community director Randy Alexander knows the danger of commuting in his wheelchair on city sidewalks.

Alexander has been sideswiped by cars in certain areas of downtown and Midtown, where the absence of ramps on sidewalks have forced him to ride in the street.

But he applauds the city’s recent effort to install a total of 2,500 curb ramps, thanks to a $4 million federal stimulus grant from the Surface Transportation Program.

“I couldn’t get anywhere in the past, but now I can access more of my neighborhood,” Alexander said. “Before, I was risking getting hit by cars to get around.”

Although the construction of new ramps began in 2008, the project is nearing completion. All ramps should be installed within the next year.

“This will give people the ability to go unassisted from their home or residence to local stores, to make medical appointments, and to have better access to transit,” said John Cameron, deputy city engineer.

In 1990, the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) alleged the state did not provide curb ramps as required by federal law, for equal access to individuals with disabilities.

The city provided a transitional plan, but by 1998, it still lacked a significant number of ramps. Activists with the Memphis Center for Independent Living complained to the city. In October 1998, the city even canceled a scheduled ADA public hearing, fearing action from angry citizens.

Eventually, a new transitional plan was developed that called for 1,000 ramps to be built each year. Cameron said over the last 12 years, more than 14,000 ramps have been constructed in the city. It costs approximately $2 million each year to build 1,000 ramps.

Deborah Cunningham, executive director of the Memphis Center for Independent Living, said she’s thrilled that the city is getting more ramps. She was struck by a car while crossing the street in her wheelchair. Though she was only shaken up, the accident left a dent in the driver’s car.

“I remember back before we had curb ramps in Midtown, I would have to go as much as half a block out of my way when I needed to cross the street,” Cunningham said. “I had to find a driveway, so I could cross the street.”

The ramps will be placed on Cooper, Young, Southern, Madison, McLemore, and other locations. Cameron said within 10 to 15 years, the entire city will be ADA-compliant.

Cameron said it takes about a week to construct a curb ramp, and engineers must make sure the ramp is located in an area where people in wheelchairs will have a flat area to approach the ramp.

“You have to recognize any hazards adjacent to the ramp, like if there’s a fire hydrant or if there’s a traffic signal with a pedestrian call button,” Cameron said. “We have to make sure that the person who’s mobility-impaired can comfortably get to it. There are a lot of considerations. You have to look at each street corner as its own little project.”

Lauryn DuValle, a 24-year-old theatre art major at the University of Mississippi, is partly responsible for President Barack Obama’s visit this past Monday.

DuValle volunteered her filmmaking skills to help direct the video for Booker T. Washington High School’s 2011 graduating class in MTV’s Race to the Top Commencement Challenge. The film won the national contest, and as their prize, Obama delivered the students’ commencement address at their May 16th graduation.

That win came on the heels of DuValle’s first film, Pickett, being selected as a runner-up in the University of Mississippi’s campus cinema competition. The “dramedy” tells the story of a small-town girl with movie-star aspirations.

DuValle spoke to the Flyer about her creative contributions to the Booker T. Washington video, as well as her film endeavors and goals. — Louis Goggans

Flyer: How was the “Race to the Top Commencement Challenge” experience?

DuValle: It was fairly stressful, but I enjoyed it very much. The entire experience and talking to the kids has validated what I want to do. I would definitely do it again.

What were your duties with the project?

I helped the students create their vision and understand the whole process of film because they didn’t know. They thought you could just set up a camera and that’s it. I assisted the producer and the editor with camera angles, lighting tricks, shot lifts, and the equipment.

How did you utilize what you’ve learned in school on the project?

I utilized what I learned from my screenwriting and directing class, which was when dealing with a short film, you have to tell a great story in a short period of time. You want to open it up powerfully and end it just as powerfully.

What sparked your interest in film?

When I was a history major at Grambling University, I had an interest in being a historical consultant for film, but that’s not necessarily a career you can just fall into. I came to Ole Miss to get a general understanding of film, and throughout the process, I ended up growing a passion for filmmaking, screenwriting in particular.

Do you have a favorite filmmaker?

It may sound horrible, but I love Spike Lee. He gave so many people of different races and backgrounds opportunities simply through his own vision.

what genre of film do you want to create?

I want to cater to particular audiences such as women and the African-American community, but I don’t want to be pigeonholed. I want to cover all genres.

What inspires you when you write your films?

Experiences. You can’t write about things that you haven’t experienced. You can try, but if you haven’t gone through anything, it’s hard to write about it.

Are you frustrated with the lack of minority representation in the film community?

Sometimes it’s hard to think that it’s feasible [to be successful]. There’s not a lot of African-American women involved in the backgrounds of film, so if you think about the numbers, it’ll make you think maybe I need to reconsider some things. But the amount of passion I have for it is not even comparable.

What’s your goal with your profession?

Ultimately, I hope to be able to open doors for other people. All I really want from my success is to give other people opportunities who otherwise wouldn’t have had any. I want to help people who are normally pushed to the side to be involved with all facets of the film industry.

Runners and cyclists on the V&E Greenline might be encouraged to take a break, thanks to five new sculptures depicting larger-than-life figures lounging on the grass at the urban trail’s western end.

Collectively called “Big Kids,” the blue figures are shown lying down or sitting on the hill that backs up to North Parkway. The permanent sculptures were unveiled on Saturday, April 30th, in a community party with live music by the Magic Kids.

Big Kids was the brainchild of Rhodes student Graham Smart, who came up with the idea for his public art class.

At the beginning of the spring semester, the Vollintine Evergreen Community Association (VECA) had each student submit proposals for sculptures to be placed on the greenline. Smart’s idea was chosen, but all 18 students in the class built the sculptures.

Smart, a 20-year-old studio art and English literature major, said the sculptures reflect the relationship between the Memphis community and the V&E Greenline.

“We thought that it was important to emphasize that the greenline is a community space,” Smart said. “It’s a place where people can go to relax or exercise. It’s a public space, and the idea of these figures is that they’re enjoying the public space in the same way the community enjoys it.”

Liz Daggett, a member of VECA’s greenline committee, said she hopes the sculptures bring the trail more visibility.

“They’re colorful and larger than life,” Daggett said. “I think people are going to love to get up close to them and get pictures with them. We’re excited to see them breathe new life into the western end of the greenline.”

The sculptures have a foam interior that’s been sanded

and coated with a weatherproof spray. Flower planters are

carved into the sculptures’ heads.

“We hope that people laugh and get a good feeling from looking at them,” Smart said. “They’re these big, simple figures, and they look like they’re relaxing and having a good time.”

Rhodes professor Ben Butler, who led the public art class, said the sculpture project presented a different type of challenge to students.

“It was all up to them,” Butler said. “They designed the proposals, worked with the committee, and made all of the major decisions. The execution of the sculptures was all theirs. They’ve totally exceeded my expectations.”

Butler said the final proposal was selected six weeks into the semester, and the project took the remaining semester to complete.

The 1.7-mile V&E Greenline, which runs along an abandoned rail line from North Watkins to Springdale, has been in place since 1996. Signage is peppered throughout the greenline, but there is no marker on the trail’s western end.

Daggett said the lack of signage is due to lack of funds. The greenline is supported by volunteer dollars: “There’s lots of things we would love to do on the greenline, but we’re just doing our best to keep it mowed and maintained for everyone.”

One employee at Memphis Animal Services was caught on candid camera, but the captured image was nothing to smile about.

In early April, less than a month after a distemper outbreak led to a controversial mass euthanization of dogs, one of the shelter’s web cameras revealed an employee transporting a puppy by the scruff of its neck.

A screenshot of the image prompted an online petition asking people to boycott Memphis as a travel destination until Memphis Animal Services becomes a no-kill shelter.

The shelter’s policy manual states that small dogs are not to be suspended by the back of the neck as a method of control, unless there is no other practical method of safely handling the animal. The puppy in the image has been dubbed “the little suitcase dog,” because the shelter employee was carrying it like one might carry luggage.

Animal advocate Morgana Washington caught the image on the webcam from her home in Tompkins County, New York.

“The guy could’ve been carrying a sack of potatoes,” Washington said. “There’s nothing in his face, in his eyes. He’s carrying a living creature and he’s about to kill it, which leads me to believe there’s nothing in his heart. If that’s the caliber of workers at [Memphis Animal Services], that’s got to change.”

Washington created the petition on April 18th, and as of press time, it has garnered more than 3,000 signatures from people all over the world, according to ThePetitionSite.com.

“These people are agreeing to not send their money to Memphis until the shelter is reformed totally,” Washington said. “There are no excuses, and we won’t take no for an answer.”

Memphis Animal Services director Matthew Pepper said the administration held a hearing on how the employee from the image should be disciplined, but he said the employee may not be fired.

“When we do our investigation, all we have for evidence is a photograph and not the facts behind what happened before and what happened after,” Pepper said. “We have staffers who do some stupid stuff on occasion, and best believe I do address them when I can. People don’t understand why we don’t just get rid of them. Well, it’s not always that easy, and the situation is not always what it seems.”

Local animal advocate Beverly King said the petition could really hurt the city if the shelter’s practices aren’t changed.

“Those Elvis fans are animal lovers,” King said. “I don’t want tourism to go away. I don’t want my taxes to go up, but so be it. It takes as much effort to be humane as it does to be inhumane.”

Pepper said he’s not worried about the petition and thinks it’s misguided. He said it’s not truly in the best interest of the animals and won’t solve the issue of inhumane treatment.

“Too often people don’t ask themselves, ‘Is what I’m going to say or the message I’m about to email going to help the animals?’ before they send it,” Pepper said.

Michelle Buckalew, editor of the locally produced Animal World magazine, said lack of clarity, vision, and compassion is at the heart of the problems facing the city shelter.

“The animals at Memphis Animal Services need everyone who cares about the humane treatment of companion pets and who cares about how the city is run, through their own tax dollars, to stand up and be heard,” Buckalew said. “After all, the animals have no voice but ours.”

“What do we want? Living wage! When do we want it? Now!” Those were the cries of a group of University of Memphis workers and students crowded near the University Center last Friday. More than 30 people participated in the April 8th rally, organized by several living-wage advocacy groups. Many of those who attended were hourly university employees who earn less than the current standard for a living wage.

Workers are demanding at least $11.62 per hour, which is considered a living wage for each worker in a family with two children, according to a 2010 study by University of Memphis economics professor David Ciscel.

Sandra Walker said she’s been working in the university’s administration building for 28 years and still makes less than enough to live comfortably.

“I’m not asking to make the big bucks or anything, but the cost of living is going up. Gas prices are going up. It’s just killing us,” Walker said. “I want my paychecks to be equivalent to 28 years’ worth of work.”

Walker commutes to work from Tipton County five days a week and spends one of her two monthly paychecks on gas. The rest of her income goes toward bills, she said.

Kyle Kordsmeier, Workers Interfaith Network administrator, said a living wage is one that allows a family of four to live sufficiently.

“It doesn’t put them in a middle-class bracket, but it does allow people who work 40 hours a week to live above poverty level,” Kordsmeier said.

The Workers Interfaith Network, which co-sponsored Friday’s rally, is responsible for helping pass the city’s living-wage ordinance in 2006 and the county’s ordinance the following year.

Both of those ordinances require local governments to pay its employees and contractors between $10 and $12 per hour, depending on whether or not they receive benefits.

State legislators introduced a bill this session that would prevent local governments from passing similar ordinances.

Tom Smith, organizer of the United Campus Workers-Communications Workers of America (UCW-CWA), compared Friday’s living wage rally to Memphis’ 1968 sanitation workers’ strike.

“The city was telling workers that they wouldn’t recognize their union, but they knew that they had human rights to be paid a wage to support their family and be treated with dignity. The same goes for the workers at the University of Memphis,” Smith said.

The event’s organizers said the turnout was lower than expected. Kordsmeier said many workers were reluctant to participate for fear of retaliation by the university.

“The campus workers definitely have reservations about coming out and rallying, because they fear retribution. They fear losing their jobs,” Kordsmeier said.

Merci Decker, a member of UCW-CWA and of the University of Memphis Progressive Student Alliance, spoke at the rally.

“It’s as simple as [University of Memphis president] Dr. [Shirley] Raines making the commitment to provide a strategy to raise the universities’ living wages,” Decker said. “It’s going to take some planning, but why not plan for it?”

Just hours after the rally ended, Raines sent a group email to U of M students and faculty about budget adjustment meetings scheduled for April 25th and 26th. The email also stated that Governor Bill Haslam had proposed a 1.6 percent salary increase for teachers and state employees, the first increase in four years.

Engineering major B.T. Thompson said salaried employees with large paychecks should switch positions with those making below the living wage: “Try to pay your bills with their checks. I bet you would be out rallying for a living wage too.”