The 59-year-old owned a podiatry clinic, Advanced Foot & Ankle Care of Memphis, which had two in-house pharmacies. He was convicted of five counts of healthcare fraud in March, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Tennessee. Officials said he had patients soak their feet in tubs of water that contained antibiotic and antifungal drugs that he prescribed.
“These drug cocktails included capsules, creams, and powders that were not indicated to be dissolved in water and some of which were not even water soluble,” officials said.
They added that Lucas did this for the “anticipated reimbursement amount,” as opposed to “medical necessity.” As a result, Lucas’ pharmacies submitted nearly $4 million in claims to Medicare and TennCare from October 2018 through September 2021, and they were reimbursed more than $3 million.
In March it was reported that Lucas faced a maximum penalty for 10 years in prison for each of the five counts he was convicted on.
A Memphis company is bringing outdoor guide services to the Digital Age and just got a huge infusion of cash to do it.
AnyCreek connects outdoor enthusiasts with guides and outfitters for experiences such as hunting and fishing. The platform has already reached thousands of adventurers in 183 markets to discover, book, and pay for fishing and hunting experiences.
The company completed a $1.8 million round of seed funding last month. The money brings AnyCreek’s total funding to $3.3 million since its launch in 2022.
“With so many guides and outfitters offline, it can be challenging and intimidating to find great, local guides,” said Nick Larson, co-founder and Chief Technology Officer at AnyCreek. “Our platform is stress-tested by the best guides and outfitters and makes discovering, booking, and paying for high-quality hunting and fishing trips easy and convenient for any adventurer.”
The platform offers guides and outfitters a set of tools — calendar management, payments, referrals and easy guide assignments, SEO, marketing, customer communication, CRM, and 24/7 support.
Credit: AnyCreek
It gives consumers an online experience similar to AirBnB. Type your destination (such as South Carolina) or your activity (such as fly fishing) into the website’s search bar. It returns a host of guides and outfitters working in the area who offer the experiences that you’re looking for, giving you prices, guide bios, and reviews.
Credit: AnyCreek
With its new round of funding, AnyCreek says it will continue to enhance its technology and expand its services into new markets.
””We believe that humans in nature represent the best of human nature, and we have a profound respect for the businesses facilitating this connection,” said Benjamin Lazarov, co-founder and CEO of AnyCreek. “It’s our mission to equip guides and outfitters with the latest technology to get more people outside. This funding will help us continue this momentum as we expand into additional markets and offerings.”
The late Rep. Barbara Cooper of Memphis gets vaccinated against COVID-19 in February 2021. (Photo: Karen Pulfer Focht)
The former leader of Shelby County’s COVID-19 vaccine rollout has lost a legal bid to declare she was wrongly blamed for allowing hundreds of doses to expire during the pandemic.
Judy Martin, Shelby County’s former chief of nursing and immunizations, lost her job amid public fallout over the lost doses in early 2022.
Martin had reported 1,000 expired doses she discovered during an inventory. With even more doses set to go bad, she loaded hundreds of vaccines into her car to take to a local prison. But a snowstorm in Memphis scuttled those plans. She left 700 doses in the car and told nobody, legal filings said.
When news broke that Shelby County had allowed even more doses to expire than initially reported, Martin retired in order to avoid being fired.
“I learned that the information regarding the level of vaccine that expired in Shelby County was not accurate,” Mayor Lee Harris soon tweeted. “We have terminated the site manager who managed the relationship with the pharmacy and allegedly provided the initial false information.”
Martin sued the county alleging the tweet was defamatory and asserted her right to a “name-clearing hearing.” A federal court in Memphis dismissed those claims, siding with the county.
On Tuesday the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals again sided with the county in a ruling that concluded Martin had not suffered any harm from the mayor’s tweet. The ruling noted Martin had received community support amid the controversy, the nursing board took no disciplinary action against her and that she was able to land quickly in another job.
“Getting fired is unpleasant,” the ruling said. “And having that termination broadcast is even more so. But the Constitution of the United States says little about lost jobs and nothing about this one.”
Tennessee Lookout is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Tennessee Lookout maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Holly McCall for questions: info@tennesseelookout.com. Follow Tennessee Lookout on Facebook and X.
You may not feel like your child is fully grown when he or she leaves for college, but at age 18, your student is considered a legal adult. This means that, unless you complete some estate planning steps, you’ll no longer have the legal authority to remain informed about his or her medical records or financial assets.
Why does this matter? Consider the following situation.
Your 18-year-old daughter, attending college out of state, is involved in a car accident. Her roommate calls you to let you know she’s in the hospital. You frantically call the hospital, asking for an update on her medical condition. Instead of reassuring you that she only suffered minor injuries, the hospital worker states they unfortunately cannot release any confidential medical information. You ask if you can make the drive to visit her and are told you’ll be turned away upon arrival at the hospital.
You also learn that if your daughter becomes incapacitated for a period of time, you won’t have access to her financial accounts to pay any of her living expenses, such as rent or utility bills.
Without certain legal documents in place, you’ll likely need to petition the court for the right to manage your daughter’s medical care and handle her financial matters. This situation only adds to the anxiety and frustration of an already stressful circumstance.
Fortunately, an estate planning attorney can help you draft several documents that can prevent you from experiencing such a scenario. Three essential documents are as follows:
• HIPAA waiver — According to the provisions of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996, hospital and healthcare providers can’t legally disclose an individual’s medical information to others without the patient’s consent. By signing a HIPAA waiver, your child can ensure you have access to his or her medical information in the event of an emergency.
• Advanced medical directive — This document functions as a healthcare power of attorney, allowing you to make medical decisions for your child should he or she become incapacitated. This document also typically includes a living will, which specifies how your child would like you to handle end-of-life decisions.
• Financial power of attorney — A financial power of attorney allows your child to designate you as an agent to manage his or her financial assets. With this document in place, you’ll be able to manage your child’s finances, including paying bills and filing taxes on their behalf.
In addition to the three essential documents noted above, you may also want to consider executing the following:
• Financial Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) waiver — This allows you to have access to your child’s education records, such as transcripts, class schedules, etc.
• Last will and testament — While college students typically have few assets (no home or car in their name, etc.), your child may want to designate who would receive important items, such as jewelry, collectibles, or pets, if they were to pass away. It can make sense to execute a will at the same time as the documents above so that your family is better prepared once your child graduates from college.
Gene Gard, CFA, CFP, CFT-I, is a Partner and Private Wealth Manager with Creative Planning. Creative Planning is one of the nation’s largest Registered Investment Advisory firms providing comprehensive wealth management services to ensure all elements of a client’s financial life are working together, including investments, taxes, estate planning, and risk management. For more information or to request a free, no-obligation consultation, visit CreativePlanning.com.
Though you may have read about Steve Lee in the Memphis Flyer before, none of those articles have really been about him. That’s the paradox of being an educator who devotes so much time to public service, as Lee has done since founding the Memphis Jazz Workshop (MJW), one of the city’s premier institutions in music education, in 2017. The scope and impact of that nonprofit have been so great that it’s easy to forget about Stephen M. Lee, the virtuoso jazz pianist and recording artist. He’s getting in two lifetimes’ worth of existence for the price of one.
A clue to the mystery of how Lee manages to accomplish so much in both worlds can be found in the title of his new album, In the Moment. That’s clearly where he lives, as one listen to his deft improvisations will tell you. Composing in the moment, on the spot, is at the heart of jazz, and jazz is at the heart of Steve Lee. But beyond the album itself, one senses that it’s been his ability to improvise as the director of MJW that’s led to its impressive staying power. “We’ve been at about seven locations in the last seven years,” he says. Yet the MJW not only survived the onset of Covid; it has thrived ever since. “We’ve averaged from 50 to 70 students for each session since 2020,” he adds, and those numbers are only half the story.
While those individual and group lessons, taught to teens during spring, summer, and fall sessions every year, are at the core of what Lee’s nonprofit has accomplished, perhaps the greater indicator of MJW’s success has been the degree to which its students have been performing for live audiences. Case in point, this Friday, July 13th, the MJW students will command the stage at the The Grove at the Germantown Performing Arts Center (GPAC), featuring “the area’s most talented young jazz musicians in a variety of combos, ensembles, and even a big band,” as the GPAC site notes.
“This will be our third year [at The Grove],” Lee says. “It’s a great location, and they pretty much donate the space to us. Paul [Chandler] and his staff are great — the only thing we have to do is show up. It’s a great opportunity for the organization.” Moreover, MJW players can be seen on the third Saturday of every month as the featured attraction at the Memphis Brooks Museum of Art (the next event being August 3rd, noon to 2 p.m.).
And this is where the two lives of Steve Lee begin to meet, as some MJW students distinguish themselves enough to finally play on the bill with the maestro himself. That too will be apparent this Sunday, the day after the GPAC show, when Steve Lee will headline at the Sunset Jazz Series at Court Square.
“A few students will be playing on July 14th with me,” he says with a hint of pride. “The drummer, Kurtis Gray, is just 18. He just graduated from high school.” Flyer readers will know his name from our story on the Jazz Ensemble of Memphis, produced by David Less in emulation of the classic 1959 album, Young Men from Memphis: Down Home Reunion. “And the bass player’s also one of my former students, the drummer’s brother, Kem Gray Jr.,” Lee adds. “And then the sax player, Michael Price, just graduated from UT-Knoxville. He’s about to go to [grad school] at Rutgers.”
When Price was just a junior at UT, he shared some thoughts with the MJW Instagram page that may stand as the greatest endorsement of the program to date, saying, “The life skills that I gained from the Memphis Jazz Workshop were discipline, communication, honesty, support, love, mentorship, and community. … Understanding the intricacy of these different skills and their relationship to music is vital and you need to have all of these qualities in order to seriously pursue music, and I’d go as far as to say to succeed in life.”
In a way, it harks back to the glory days of Manassas High School, which trained generations of jazz greats here, starting in 1927 with educator Jimmie Lunceford, who polished his school band into a nationally recognized recording group, the Chickasaw Syncopators. “I think [MJW] is a continuation of what he was doing,” Lee told me in 2018, speaking of Lunceford. “But Memphis never had a jazz workshop like the workshops we have now. They always had jazz in the schools.” Today, Lee is forging that culture of excellence on his own, outside of any infrastructure, finding venues to hold classes anywhere he can, albeit now much more recognized by funding institutions, and always recruiting his faculty from among the city’s best jazz players.
He benefited from local greatness himself, when he studied under the great Memphis pianist Donald Brown (on the faculty at UT-Knoxville for many years), which in turn led to Lee’s years in New York City, prior to his return to Memphis. All that may explain the dedication and determination with which he’s thrown himself into leading the MJW. And the organization’s success has reflected well on both Lee and the city, a fact that was commemorated this past April when Lee received the Memphis Symphony Orchestra’s (MSO) Eddy Award, recognizing him as community leader in music.
“As chair of the Eddy Award selection committee, we agreed that Steve Lee embodies the award’s meaning as his incredible career has brought young people from all backgrounds, races, and life experiences together through the power of jazz music,” said Jocie Wurzburg in a statement on behalf of the MSO. Now, this weekend will show off both the MJW and Lee in their best light.
And, as he explains, his two skills feed each other, though balancing them has been demanding. “I have to be the teacher, the principal, the janitor, all of it,” he laughs. “I’m not one of those executive directors who just lets other people do it. Because, you know, it helps me. I don’t really have a lot of time to practice. So showing information to these students, that’s a part of practicing because I still have to sit at the piano and show them what I want them play. So it helps. That’s why I enjoy doing it. Because it is a form of practice, and you know, the students motivate me.”
Williams, owner/founder of Morningside Brands, Inc., recently introduced Nocturna, his latest tequila in his Alma del Jaguar (“Spirit of the Jaguar”) line of tequilas. “It’s a high proof tequila blanco,” Williams says. “It’s a 101 proof. Our normal blanco is 80 proof, so it’s higher octane.”
He released his first tequilas, Blanco and Reposado, in 2023.
“This is a really fun expression. As you recall, our brand is all about raising money and awareness for wildlife.”
McCauley Williams (Photo: Courtesy Morningside Brands)
In 2022, Williams left Blue Note Bourbon, which he co-founded, to pursue other opportunities. He wanted to do something with his uncle, Rick Williams, who cofounded the Northern Jaguar Project, a binational effort between biologists and conservationists in the United States and Mexico to study and protect the northernmost population of wild jaguars in the world.
By saving the jaguars, Williams says the organization is also raising awareness about environmental conservation.
As his news release states, “Alma Del Jaguar donates to and fundraises for conservation organizations that help protect wild jaguars in the U.S. and Mexico.”
And, it states, “We also make our tequila as sustainably as possible, using eco-friendly production methods, recycled glass bottles, agave fiber labels, and recycled cardboard boxes.”
Like his other tequilas, Nocturna is produced in a distillery owned by a fifth-generation family of tequila makers who Williams partners with in the Los Altos region of Jalisco, Mexico.
Nocturna uses “100 percent natural wild yeast instead of cultivated yeast. It occurs naturally in mother nature.”
Yeast is in the air “wherever you are,” Williams says. “If you leave something exposed to the right sugar content exposed to air it will naturally ferment.”
Using natural yeast from the distillery in Mexico “brings in just this amazing sense of flavor.”
Williams also produced a 10-minute film, Arizona Wildcats, which is part of film series, Bordering on Wild, to coincide with the new tequila. “It is about wild jaguars in Southern Arizona. And the dichotomy or relationship of conservationists, cattle ranchers, and the border wall.”
Many people don’t realize that a border wall designed to keep people out also keeps out wild animals “that are too big to fit through slots in the wall. Deer, elk, jaguars, mountain lions, hogs, etc. Birds can fly over it and bugs can fly over it, but jaguars can’t get through the wall. So, it’s damaging wildlife conservation.
“For the last 30 years, conservationists and ranchers have been fighting each other over jaguar habitation in Southern Arizona and New Mexico. But now there is this new threat of the border wall.”
And, William says, “Most of the ranchers that live in this area think the wall is a bad thing. Even though they’re strong on immigration, this border wall is a poor way to deal with the problem.”
They believe the wall is inefficient because no one is policing it, Williams says. “Humans can climb over it or dig under it.”
The film, which can be seen on their website almadeljaguar.com or YouTube, doesn’t feature Williams or his tequila. “The jaguar is the hero. The nail that seems to unite everything. There’s something about big cats people love.”
They’re using their tequila as a “fun and creative way to raise awareness and educate people” about “the need for conservation along the border.”
They want to use it “to champion environmental causes.”
The film was shot in Southern Arizona, south of Tucson, along the border. “We filmed back in November.”
Williams hired a film team to make Arizona Wildcats. “I did all the set up and hired a videographer to film the documentary. I was there on site during the whole time. Moving cameras, interviewing the people. It was extremely hands on. It was my first attempt at doing any sort of film. We’re planning to expand that in the future.”
He wants his company to do more “cause-related films” — “short films on topics related to our brand. The brand is never in it. It’s just about the cause. It’s not a commercial for our brand.”
It’s “to show people our integrity and commitment to our cause.”
Williams anticipates doing another film in the spring.
Meanwhile, he has “all kind of exciting projects” in the works. “In the fall, we are releasing our ‘Añejo.’ It means ‘aged’ in Spanish. It has been aged in oak barrels for at least one year.”
Alma del Jaguar tequilas are now in 21 states, Williams says. “We just concluded our first year. We launched last May. So, we’re just now in our second year of sales.”
Asked how they grew so fast, Williams says, “Hard work. Tequila is really popular. It’s the hottest spirit in the Untied States. And ours is all organic and sustainable.
“My office is here in East Memphis. I’m traveling all over the country to meet with our sales teams and distribution partners.”
He also travels to Mexico to meet with his production partner. “To design new expressions with our master distiller.”
They import all of their tequila into a warehouse in Memphis. “Memphis is a logistics hub with companies like FedEx, Nike, AutoZone, and Orgill based here. There’s quite a trucking industry that exists in Memphis.”
Williams’ philosophy? “You can live anywhere and be an entrepreneur. Why not Memphis? It’s my home. I don’t have to relocate to Austin or San Francisco. I can do it here.”
ARIES (March 21-April 19): I trust that your intuition has been guiding you to slow down and disappear from the frenzied, agitated bustle that everyone seems addicted to. I hope you have afforded yourself the luxury and privilege of exulting in the thrill of doing absolutely nothing. Have you been taking long breaks to gaze lovingly up at the sky and listen to music that moves you to tears? Have you been studying the children and animals in your life to learn more about how to thrive on non-goal-oriented fun? Have you given your imagination permission to fantasize with abandon about wild possibilities? Homework: Name three more ways to fuel your self-renewal.
TAURUS (April 20-May 20): Actor Carrie Fisher put a strong priority on being both amusing and amused. For her, almost everything that happened was tolerable, even welcome, as long as it was entertaining. She said, “If my life wasn’t funny, it would just be true, and that’s unacceptable.” I recommend you experiment with those principles, Taurus. Be resourceful as you make your life as humorously interesting as possible. If you do, life will conspire to assist you in being extra amused and amusing.
GEMINI (May 21-June 20): As you charge into the upcoming period of self-reinvention, don’t abandon and forget about your past completely. Some of your old emotional baggage might prove useful and soulful. A few of your challenging memories may serve as robust motivators. On the other hand, it will be healthy to leave behind as much oppressive baggage and as many burdensome memories as possible. You are launching the next chapter of your life story! Travel as lightly as you can.
CANCER (June 21-July 22): Even though you and I were both born under the sign of Cancer the Crab, I have a taboo against advising you to be like me. I love my life, but I’m not so naïve or arrogant as to think that what has worked for me will also work for you. Now, however, I will make a temporary exception to my policy. Amazingly, the astrological omens suggest you will flourish in the coming weeks by being at least somewhat like me. Therefore, I invite you to experiment with being kind and sensitive, but also cheerfully irreverent and tenderly wild. Be on the lookout for marvels and miracles, but treasure critical thinking and rational analysis. Don’t take things too personally or too seriously, and regard the whole world as a holy gift. Be gratefully and humbly in awe as you tune into how beautiful and wonderful you are.
LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): Over 3,700 years ago, a craftsperson living in what’s now Israel fashioned a comb from an elephant’s tusk. It was a luxury item with two sides, one used to smooth hair tangles and the other to remove lice. On the handle of the ivory tool is an inscription: “May this tusk root out the lice of the hair and the beard.” This is the oldest known sentence ever written in Canaanite, a language that created the world’s first alphabet. In some ways, then, this comb is a precious object. It is unspeakably ancient evidence of a major human innovation. In another way, it’s mundane and prosaic. I’m nominating the comb to be a symbol for your story in the coming weeks: a blend of monumental and ordinary. Drama may emerge from the routine. Breakthroughs may happen in the midst of everyday matters.
VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): Some astrologers assert that Virgos are modest, humble, and reluctant to shine. But a Virgo New Yorker named Ashrita Furman provides contrary evidence. His main activity in life is to break records. He holds the Guinness world record for having broken the most Guinness world records. His first came in 1979, when he did 27,000 jumping jacks. Since then, he has set hundreds of records, including the fastest time running on stilts, the longest time juggling objects underwater, and the most times jumping rope on a pogo stick. I propose to make him your spirit creature for the coming weeks. What acts of bold self-expression are you ready to make, Virgo? What records are you primed to break?
LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): Libran author Diane Ackerman says, “We can’t enchant the world, which makes its own magic; but we can enchant ourselves by paying deep attention.” I’m telling you this, dear Libra, because you now have exceptional power to pay deep attention and behold far more than usual of the world’s magic. It’s the Season of Enchantment for you. I invite you to be daring and imaginative as you probe for the delightful amazements that are often hidden just below the surface of things. Imagine you have the superpower of X-ray vision.
SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): If I’m reading the astrological omens correctly, you are in the midst of major expansion. You are reaching further, opening wider, and dreaming bigger. You are exploring frontiers, entertaining novel possibilities, and daring to transcend your limitations and expectations. And I am cheering you on as you grow beyond your previous boundaries. One bit of advice: Some people in your life may find it challenging to follow you freely into your new territory. They may be afraid you’re leaving them behind, or they may not be able to adjust as fast as you wish. I suggest you give them some slack. Allow them to take the time they need to get accustomed to your growth.
SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): Sagittarian actor Jeff Bridges has wise words for you to heed: “If you wait to get all the information you think you need before you act, you’ll never act because there’s an infinite amount of information out there.” I think this advice is especially apropos for you right now. Why? Because you will thrive on making strong, crisp decisions and undertaking strong, crisp actions. The time for pondering possibilities must give way to implementing possibilities.
CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): People may be attracted to you in the coming weeks because they unconsciously or not-so-unconsciously want to be influenced, stirred up, and even changed by your presence. They hope you will be the catalyst or medicine they need. Or maybe they want you to provide them with help they haven’t been able to give themselves or get anywhere else. Please be aware that this may not always be a smooth and simple exchange. Some folks might be demanding. Others may absorb and integrate your effects in ways that are different from your intentions. But I still think it’s worthwhile for you to offer your best efforts. You could be a force for healing and benevolence.
AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): Sometimes when gifts arrive in our lives, they are not recognized as gifts. We may even mistake them for obstacles. In a worst-case scenario, we reject and refuse them. I am keen on helping you avoid this behavior in the coming weeks, Aquarius. In the oracle you’re now reading, I hope to convince you to expand your definition of what gifts look like. I will also ask you to widen the range of where you search for gifts and to enlarge your expectations of what blessings you deserve. Now please meditate on the following riddles: 1. a shadow that reveals the hidden light; 2. a twist that heals; 3. a secret that no longer wants to be secret; 4. a shy ally who will reward your encouragement; 5. a boon that’s barely buried and just needs you to scrape away the deceptive surface.
PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): Lake Baikal in Russia is the world’s deepest, oldest, and largest lake by volume. It contains over 22 percent of the fresh surface water on the planet. I propose we make this natural marvel your prime symbol for the next 11 months. At your best, you, too, will be deep, fresh, and enduring. And like Lake Baikal, you will be exceptionally clear. (Its underwater visibility reaches 120 feet.) PS: Thousands of plant and animal species thrive in this vital hub. I expect you will also be a source of richly diverse life, dear Pisces.
Corey Harris, 44, attended his pre-trial hearing on driving with a suspended license remotely, over Zoom, on May 15, The New York Times reported. No problem with that, but as Harris checked into the meeting with the Washtenaw County District Court in Michigan, he told the judge, “I’m pulling into my doctor’s office, actually, so just give me one second, I’m parking right now.” Huh. Video showed Harris in the driver’s seat and turning the wheel as he located a parking spot. “So maybe I don’t understand something,” Judge J. Cedric Simpson said. “This is a driver with a license suspended?” Harris’ attorney, Natalie Pate, confirmed the charge. “And he was just driving?” Simpson asked. Seconds of silence went by, with Harris appearing to realize his mistake. “That is correct, your honor,” Pate said. “I don’t know why he would do that,” the judge answered, right before he revoked Harris’ bond and ordered him to turn himself in by 6 p.m. [New York Times, 5/29/2024]
Clothing Optional
A Virgin Australia flight headed for Melbourne had to return to Perth on May 27 after a man allegedly ran naked down the aisle shortly after takeoff, The Guardian reported. Police said the man also “knocked a crew member to the floor.” One passenger reported “a lot of yelling and screaming” near the cockpit as the man charged forward. The man was pinned to the floor by air marshals; he was then handcuffed and led to the rear of the plane. Federal police met the aircraft on its return to Perth and arrested him. [The Guardian, 5/28/2024]
Enough Is Enough
• Lopburi, Thailand, also known as monkey town, has had it up to here with about 2,500 marauding macaques terrorizing the townsfolk, the Associated Press reported. As such, on May 24, the town launched the first phase of a plan to catch and remove the monkeys: cages baited with rambutan fruit, their favorite. The problem? The simians are smart: “If some of them go into the cage and are caught, the others outside won’t enter the cage … because they’ve already learnt what’s happened to their friends,” said Patarapol Maneeorn from the Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation. Lopburi’s mayor said that while the monkeys bring in tourists, shops and malls have lost income and people’s homes have been damaged. Those that are caught will be sterilized and tattooed so they can be tracked. Then they’ll move to large holding pens, where they’ll await repatriation. [AP, 5/24/2024]
• In Snettisham, Norfolk, in the U.K., it’s feral chickens that are plaguing the town. The flock of 100 or so chickens dig up gardens and are so loud that residents have to use earplugs at night, United Press International reported. The Snettisham Parish Council said it is “seeking specialist advice from various sources,” but some residents object to the idea of moving the chickens away. “They are part of the fabric of the village,” said chicken supporter Rebecca Chilvers. The council invited residents to a meeting to air their opinions. [UPI, 5/28/2024]
Fan-atic
Tara Berry of Topeka, Kansas, has secured a Guinness World Record for the most tattoos of the same musician on her body, United Press International reported on May 23. Berry, who sports 18 tattoos of Madonna, said she got the first one in 2016. The inks span the singer’s career. Berry estimated she’s spent nearly $10,000 on them. [UPI, 5/23/2024]
RIP
The Smoking Gun reported on May 24 that the world’s most arrested man, Henry Earl, 74, had passed away. Earl racked up more than 1,500 arrests in his lifetime and spent 6,000 nights in jail. Since 2017, he had lived in a nursing home in Owenton, Kentucky, near where his first arrest took place in July 1970 (for carrying a concealed weapon). Most of his offenses were fueled by alcohol and didn’t include violent crimes. He was laid to rest in the Owenton cemetery. [The Smoking Gun, 5/24/2024]
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Eric in front of Michelangelo’s Madonna and Child at the Church of Our Lady in Bruges, Belgium (Photo: Stephanie Painter)
In Amsterdam, my husband and I are scanning a bar menu that advertises Pornstar Martinis and trying to stay clear of patrons engaged in a rousing pool game. It’s our first plunge into the famed Red Light District, and after paying our tab, we stroll down the block. At night, the 15th-century Gothic church Oude Kerk glows over sex workers’ windows and rows of padlocked bikes. The contrast is surreal.
“We’re going to the Rijksmuseum tomorrow,” I remind him.
He grins. Amsterdam is a city known for liberal lifestyles as well as artistic masterpieces. Like many of his brother dudes living out college fantasies, Eric can snoop out a strong martini, but art is his real driver, and it’s best to be in an alert and lucid state when exploring paintings by Old Dutch masters Vermeer, Rembrandt, and Frans Hals. An artist who works in abstract style, Eric has studied great Flemish artists’ works prior to our trip and looks forward to exploring paintings and sculptures shown in churches and galleries. His zeal — for art rather than religion — means that he always carries a pair of binoculars when touring a museum.
At the Rijksmuseum in the borough of Amsterdam South, Eric pauses for protracted and hungry examination of Rembrandt’s painting The Night Watch, occasionally shifting his angles and position in the crowd. Meanwhile, I view three other paintings to the best of my nearsighted ability. To my frustration, the stream of visitors forces me farther from the art. Then, Eric presses the set of binoculars on me. “Try them,” he urges.
With curiosity, I loop the cord over my scarf and take a look. This is where the magic begins as rich details suddenly spring into focus. The jewels in bracelets worn on a woman’s wrist in Rembrandt’s The Jewish Bride gleam like characters in their own story, and lace patterns form a beautiful maze in The Merry Family. In other paintings, facial characteristics and loose brush strokes come into closer view. In this heightened scale, one can find elements not easily detected by the bare eye. Five hundred years later, it’s as if you’re standing with the artist in the act of creation, seeing details intended for your appreciation but that can get lost in large works and crowds.
“How does it look now?” Eric asks, confident of my delight. “Amazing,” I answer in surprise. Binoculars are essential tools at baseball games and golf tournaments, and some in more formal settings raise opera glasses. So why not brush off the dust remaining from the last ball game and scope out some art?
By the time we reach the Van Gogh Museum, I covet the art glasses. While my husband searches out tiny details in Almond Blossom and Sunflowers, I must politely wait my turn. Almond Blossom, one of my favorites, was gifted by the artist to his brother Theo and sister-in-law on the birth of their son. For the next phase of the trip, we ride the train to Ghent, Belgium, where we seek out The Adoration of the Mystic Lamb, the 15th-century polyptych altarpiece completed by Hubert and Jan van Eyck in 1432. Stolen by the Nazis, the piece was recovered by the Monuments Men from an Austrian salt mine in 1945. Today it hangs at Saint Bavo’s Cathedral, and once again, Eric generously passes his binoculars to me.
The new perspective elevates my experience, and now I see that The Lamb of God’s blood spills into the Holy Grail, something missed before with my poor vision. A former aristocrat, St. Bavo repented of enslaving others and distributed his wealth to the poor. One characteristic that Eric shares with a real saint is devotion. In these masterpieces, there is so much to contemplate, and yet my husband is the only visitor who thinks to use a set of binoculars to appreciate art. This middle-aged guy who routinely wears a navy beret spreads his own kind of gospel, leading family members and friends to look deeply and consider the miracle of artistic conception and execution.
Next time you visit Dixon Gallery & Gardens or Memphis Brooks Museum of Art, you might find him peering closely — very, very closely — at a canvas. Follow his example, and you might view the next painting — really, all of the paintings to come — in a cool new way. Art glasses, anyone?
Stephanie Painter is a local freelance writer and author of the children’s picture book Liz Tames a Dragon (and Her Anger).
Anthony Dionne, James A. Edwards, and Father Joe Sax (Photos: Michael Donahue)
This year’s 66th Hole-in-One Charity Festival at St. Louis Catholic Church drew “well over 10,000, but maybe pushing 15,000,” says Wes Kraker, who’s been involved with Hole-in-One for more than 20 years.
June 21st and 22nd drew at least 2,500 people each night, Kraker says.
Taylor and Patrick Quinn, Chris MurrayAndrew MostellerCaden Robinson and Emma Roaten
This is the annual St. Louis fundraiser that begins on Father’s Day and ends six days later.
As Kraker explained to me last year, “We transform the campus at St. Louis Church into a 37-tee-box range. And we give out cash and prizes for good golfers for getting holes-in-one or close to the hole. Certain qualifiers shoot out for a car from City Auto. And we accumulate points for performers all week. And those top 10 performers shoot out for a million dollars on Saturday.”
Evan Winburne and Julia DiGeronimoJon Shivers, Corderoa Smith, and Patrick ShiversJoseph Tidwell, Cory Human, and Cole Tidwell
The St. Louis Men’s Club puts on the event. Proceeds go to St. Louis Church sports, scouting, and youth ministry programs.
The “St. Louis Men’s Club Culinary Institute” makes outstanding food, including barbecued bologna.
