Author: Shelby Black

With a place to call its very own, the Amurica Photo Booth will soon be living the Amurican dream.

Starting later this summer, photographer Jamie Harmon will park his popular airstream-trailer-turned-photo-booth, in which visitors take goofy group shots with props ranging from baby dolls to horse masks to life jackets, in the Crosstown Arts studio space at 410 N. Cleveland. There, visitors have their picture taken inside the unique photo booth — without trampling through Harmon’s backyard to do so.

For the past two and a half years, when not rented out to parties and events around town, the Amurica photo booth was parked in Harmon’s backyard. Understandably, the constant bustle of strangers visiting the photo booth began to take a toll on his family.

Then, at a recent Spillit storytelling event at Crosstown Arts, a nonprofit organization dedicated to forming Memphis artist communities, Harmon met Christopher Miner.

“He basically approached me and said, ‘I want to make your studio dreams come true!'” Harmon said.

Miner, the co-director of Crosstown Arts, offered Harmon a rented residency on Cleveland. Harmon took him up on the offer, and the two have been preparing the studio space ever since. Renovations have been in the works since May, and there is still some work to be done, but Harmon hopes to have the studio open by the end of August.

Harmon hopes that his new studio will draw visitors from outside the Midtown area. Since its inception in 2011, the Amurica photo booth has been a trendy feature of many a Midtown party, but Harmon wants to expand his fan base across the city.

“It’s something for Memphis, not just Midtown,” Harmon said.

Harmon’s addition to the neighborhood couldn’t have been more welcome. To celebrate, Crosstown Arts will be holding a block party for him and the other businesses moving into the neighborhood. Harmon says the block party should take place around the first week of October, and people are encouraged to drop by and meet the new entrepreneurs of Midtown.

“[Crosstown] really wanted to rent spaces out to community-involved businesses, and I’m just another addition to the same vibe,” Harmon said.

At a media event promoting Tunica’s upcoming Balloon Bash, I’d hoped to have my head in the clouds — literally. But due to strong winds, the scheduled media hot-air balloon ride was canceled.

The Tunica Convention and Visitors Bureau (CVB) had arranged the media’s sneak peek last week for the second annual Tunica Balloon Bash, which will take place from August 9th through the 11th at various casinos.

It wasn’t the first time weather has prevented hot-air balloons in Tunica from getting off the ground. The Tunica CVB brought the bash to Tunica County for the first time last November, but bad weather prevented the 41 balloons from taking to the air.

So the visitors bureau decided to change the event to early August this year, hoping to offer tethered rides in calmer weather. Although things didn’t turn out as planned on media day, the CVB is hoping for better weather this coming weekend.

This year’s Balloon Bash will feature 50 hot-air balloons set up at various Tunica casinos and resorts. The weekend event will feature balloon races, tethered rides available to the public, and a nighttime balloon glow.

Chrissy Garner, advertising and marketing manager for the CVB, said the goal was to expand Tunica’s offerings beyond casino gambling.

“We really wanted to diversify what we offer to visitors,” Garner said. “We have great gaming, dining, and museums. We just want to give visitors a taste of something different with a little added value.”

At the media event, a massive hot-air balloon was set up in the open area of Tunica Casino Factory Shoppes on U.S. Highway 61. We were shown the full process for filling up a hot-air balloon and the work required to keep the balloon stable.

Once it was slightly filled with air, we were led inside the balloon, which reminded me of something from a fairy tale or a Cirque du Soleil show. The balloon’s seasoned pilot, Mark Bowie, relayed information about hot-air balloons as we stood inside oohing and aahing over the sight.

Then we stepped outside the balloon, and the professionals got to work on completely bringing the balloon to life. Once filled, the balloon looked quite intimidating.

Tunica visitors can have a similar experience this weekend. The Balloon Bash kicks off this Friday with tethered rides from 7 to 9 p.m. at the Fitz, Gold Strike, Hollywood, Horseshoe, and Sam’s Town casinos. Later that evening, the balloons will be lit for the balloon glow.

Weather permitting, 50 balloons will take to the skies above Tunica on Saturday and Sunday mornings at 7 a.m. There’s also a “fun flight” on Saturday at 6 p.m., with tethered rides and the balloon glow to follow.

The McKellar Lake of the 1950s was a family-friendly hotspot, home to skiers, sunbathers, boaters, and the occasional beauty queen from the Miss McKellar Lake pageant.

Today, the once-popular attraction, mostly forgotten by Memphis residents, has become a dumping ground for trash since much of the litter thrown into the Mississippi River flows into McKellar Lake. Each year, clean-up efforts at the lake barely make a dent in the trash problem. But trash isn’t the only thing polluting McKellar Lake.

Last Friday, the Sierra Club’s Chickasaw Group held a demonstration on the lake to voice concerns about possible pollution from the Tennessee Valley Authority’s ash ponds at the Allen Fossil Plant, which is adjacent to McKellar Lake.

Sierra Club members believe metals and toxins are escaping TVA’s ash ponds and seeping into the lake from a runoff area located near the Allen Plant. The members claim the ash runoff is contaminating both the lake and its fish.

TVA spokesman Chris Stanley claimed the utility provider follows all state regulations when it comes to checking the lake for pollutants. The TVA provides power to all of Tennessee, parts of Alabama, Mississippi, and Kentucky, and small portions of Georgia, North Carolina, and Virginia.

“We meet all state-imposed regulations by doing regular checking on all of our waterways. Some of the standards have become more stringent over the years, and we have continued to meet [those]. Plus, we’re not the only production facility there [in the area around McKellar Lake],” Stanley said.

The Chickasaw Group’s demonstration was part of the national environmental organization’s “Beyond Coal” campaign, which emphasizes the problems fossil fuels cause to the environment.

The demo also came on the heels of the release of a national report from environmental and clean-water groups, including the Sierra Club, that reviewed around 400 coal-plant water permits across the country. Tennessee’s eight coal plants were included in that report, which highlighted the need for stronger coal-plant water pollution standards. The existing guidelines intended to limit toxic pollution of waterways do not cover some of the worst pollutants, Sierra Club members say.

At the demonstration, club members and their supporters took a boat to the Allen Plant. They also took several kayaks and canoes into the middle of the lake to present a banner, which read “Let’s Move TVA Beyond Coal,” in front of the Allen Plant. The Sierra Club has long urged TVA to shift its focus from fossil fuels to renewable energy, such as solar and wind power.

Scott Banbury, the chapter’s conservation chair, said he would like to see Memphis become a more sustainable city.

“We’re not known for being the most environmentally sensible town. You can tell we’re making strides through bike lanes and community gardening, but in terms of really paying attention to water and air pollution, we’re pretty slack,” Banbury said.

It’s not uncommon to see an empty trolley barreling down the Riverfront Loop or Madison Avenue Line. But, despite appearances, trolley ridership is at an all-time high.

This 2013 fiscal year, the Memphis Area Transit Authority (MATA) trolley system has set a ridership record, bringing in a 6.1 percent increase over the last fiscal year’s total.

That’s good news for Madison Avenue business owners, who for years in the early 2000s, complained about lost business due to MATA’s six-year construction of the Madison line. The other two trolley lines have been in business since 1993.

MATA spokesperson Allison Burton attributes the increased ridership to the public accessibility the trolley and bus systems provide. Local residents who frequently use the bus system can transfer over to the trolleys by using the same pass.

Burton said this accessibility has been especially helpful to manage activity in the downtown area on special event nights. The trolleys provide easy access through the hustle and bustle of hectic Memphis festivals and have proven handy during the Grizzlies’ NBA playoff season.

“When people are downtown for a special occasion, they want to make the trolley a part of the event,” Burton said.

The trolley routes have recently undergone changes to improve efficiency and make traveling easier. Transportation planning firm Nelson\Nygaard came up with a short-range transit plan, which included what they believed to be the best course of action. The team checked every trolley route and the business each line receives. After concluding that the MATA trolley system is an extremely efficient service overall, the team introduced their suggestions in order to keep up the standard of service.

Suggestions included modifying operating hours, adjusting routes, and offering more trips to the public. Nelson\Nygaard believes these changes will allow the trolley lines to establish a better identity and distinguish themselves as an important mode of transportation for locals. Their suggestions are still being considered by the MATA board.

Taking these efficiency recommendations into account, Burton believes trolley use will continue to increase. The proposed changes could allow people to incorporate the trolley more in their everyday routine, she said.

When asked if the recent trolley success might provide an opportunity to continue with plans to expand the Madison Avenue Line, Burton said it’s still a consideration.

“It would take a lot of local support and participation, but we believe it could do a lot of good for our community. It’s still on our radar,” Burton said.

Poppin’ tags in Memphis has never been more locally sustainable.

Blues City Thrift, which opened in East Memphis this past March, not only donates its proceeds to local charities and encourages reuse of items that would otherwise end up in landfills, the shop even makes use of old light bulbs and display cases from other thrift stores and organizations that have gone out of business.

All profits from sales of clothing, knickknacks, books, home décor, and other items sold at Blues City Thrift are given to Memphis charities including the Church Health Center, Youth Leadership of Memphis, and the tuition assistance program for Westminster Academy.

Marvin Stockwell, communications manager of the Church Health Center, said Blues City Thrift’s community support is what sets it apart from other thrift stores such as Goodwill and the Salvation Army, which donate to their own national charities.

“We’re so grateful to Blues City Thrift. The Church Health Center needs all the support it can get and having another entity reach out and say that it wants to help us, it’s just Memphis supporting Memphis, and we couldn’t be happier,” Stockwell said.

Any items that don’t sell over a period of time are donated to other organizations, such as S.O.S. (Service Over Self), Habitat for Humanity, and First Congregational Church. As for employees, the shop seeks out workers who have trouble finding jobs elsewhere.

Westminster headmaster Peter Baur decided to open the store in Memphis nearly 10 years ago after seeing the success his brother Paul had opening a similar store in Philadelphia. But it wasn’t until this past spring that Baur’s dream became reality.

Even though rap artist Macklemore’s Billboard-topping “Thrift Shop” song has made bargain-hunting more popular than ever, Baur struggled with misperceptions about thrift shops when seeking out a home for his store.

Baur approached various property owners in East Memphis, but he was turned down because of what the word “thrift” implies. After several years of rejection, Blues City Thrift approached commercial realtor Walter Wills and found a home in Kirby Gate East.

Tom Frazier, the director of Blues City Thrift, said the philanthropic thrift store is always in top shape.

“When you think of thrift stores, you think dirty, junky, and crowded,” Frazier said. “We’re very clean. We police the floor by picking everything up and making sure everything is where it should be. Our donated clothes go through intense inspection so everything is in quality shape.”

Frazier has even had his own donated clothes rejected because of too much wear and tear.

The board of Blues City Thrift plans to eventually open stores in other locations, such as Cooper-Young and Binghampton, and aims to add more charities as the business expands.

Blues City Thrift is located at 6685 Quince Rd. The phone number is 901-552-5197. It’s open 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, and it’s closed on Sundays.

Like it or not, as of July 1st, Memphis City Schools is a thing of the past.

The politics of Memphis education have been intense over the past year as those on both sides of the merger of Memphis City Schools and Shelby County Schools have made their voices heard. Now a nonprofit is working to bridge the divide before the school year begins.

SchoolSeed, formerly known as the Memphis City Schools Foundation, launched their “Our Children. Our Success” campaign in late June with the hopes of encouraging parents and citizens of Memphis to put the children first.

Vince McCaskill, executive director of SchoolSeed, describes the campaign as a nonpolitical way of approaching the new education system and calls for parents and citizens to put aside their personal views on the merger and come together to ensure the success of the children through quality education.

“We just want to ensure great outcomes for our kids by telling them we support them and want them to be successful,” McCaskill said.

SchoolSeed will be partnering with other area nonprofits on a series of public forums beginning in July. The forums are intended to provide a neutral environment where parents can get information and ask questions concerning their children’s education.

The group has purchased billboard space and is running public service announcements to promote positive messages about Memphis education.

SchoolSeed has reached out to other Memphis nonprofits, including the Boys & Girls Club of Greater Memphis, Latino Memphis, the Church Health Center, Urban Youth Initiative, the RISE Foundation, New Direction Christian Church, and Literacy Mid-South.

McCaskill said the number of nonprofit partnerships are growing as the campaign continues.

Megan Klein, vice president of resource development and marketing for the Boys & Girls Club, said all of the nonprofits involved with SchoolSeed share the same goal.

“We want to get the resources out in the community so everyone is on the same page. We are a group of nonprofits from faith-based to youth-serving with the same goal, and want to help spread this information in order to ensure the success of the children,” Klein said.

The “Our Children. Our Success” campaign will come to a close with a back-to-school weekend on August 3rd and 4th. The event will feature the campaign’s faith-based partners, which will offer prayers, tutoring, and mentoring to the students.

“All we want to do is put a positive message out there, so however someone reads it, they will be inspired to act,” McCaskill said.

Shelby Black

Cats at Mewtopia

Leonardo Da Vinci once said, “Even the smallest feline is a masterpiece.” But apparently not everyone shares that sentiment.

Mewtopia Cat Rescue is being evicted after 12 years in their home on Mt. Moriah, because the landlord is unhappy with the odor that comes from housing 100 cats in one space.

Mewtopia’s landlord, Bobby Gookin of Gookin Properties, broke the news at the end of May through a letter to the rescue’s treasurer stating that everything, cats included, must be out of the building by July 31st. The announcement came as a shock to volunteers and supporters, especially since three visits from the Shelby County Health Department have found nothing wrong with the space’s smell or sanitation.

Gookin declined comment when contacted by the Flyer.

Mewtopia began searching for a new place as soon as they received the news, and they have found a new location with a guaranteed five-year lease. However, obstacles with the appraisal may not allow them to move into the new space by the July deadline. Ann Illsley, director of Mewtopia, asked her current landlord for a two-month extension, but the request was turned down. She said they have everything ready to move, but finding a temporary place has been difficult.

“We’re ready to roll right along. It’d be a shame if we had to shut down because of the lack of a place,” Illsley said.

Since the news broke of Mewtopia’s situation, support from the public has been overwhelming. People have offered to foster cats for as long as needed until the new location has been finalized. Illsley said she appreciates the kindness of the public, but her dream is to find one place so they do not have to separate the cats.

“We’ve got all these little kitties looking at us, that are depending on us. That’s our concern right now, finding a place for 100 cats because that’s not an easy thing to do in a short period of time,” Illsley said.

Once the appraisal is approved, the cats will be moved into the building immediately, and Mewtopia will open back up to the public a short time afterward. Until then, Illsley is pushing for more cats to be adopted and asking for donations from supporters.

Adoption fees have been lowered to from $100 per cat to $85 per cat in an attempt to get as many cats adopted as possible before the move.

“We could use 20 or 30 Mewtopias in this area, so please remember us and come support us,” Illsey said.