Cosmic forces painted the skies around Memphis with the dazzling colors of the northern lights over the weekend.
“I actually gasped when I went outside and saw the pink hue in the sky between Arlington and Millington,” tweeted Jason L.
“Fabulous”
Posted to X by Memphis Zoo
The Memphis Zoo wished a happy Mother’s Day on X with this photo of mom Wendy and her new calf, Fitz, born last month. To all moms, the zoo said, “Keep being fabulous.”
Never-ending Elvis
Posted to X by Argo Memphis
The whole “post a picture that says you’re from Memphis” thing is still making the rounds on X. Argo Memphis wasn’t playing with the meme above, but it certainly qualifies.
A new giraffe was born at the Memphis Zoo this week.
Fitz is six feet tall and weighs 150 pounds. He was born Tuesday, April 2nd, which is also his father Niklas’ birthday.
Fitz is Niklas’ 10th calf and the fourth calf for mother Wendy. Fitz will be on exhibit at the African Veldt section of the zoo, exploring and playing close to his mother.
“If the weather is nice, Fitz will be out on exhibit first thing in the morning and be out for a few hours each day,” the zoo said in a statement.
In the wild, giraffes as a species are undergoing what has been termed a “silent extinction” as they’re rapidly disappearing in their native habitat. The population overall has declined 40 percent in the last 30 years.
“This calf’s birth is very significant and is part of a Species Survival Plan,” the zoo said. “Species Survival Plans manage the breeding of a species to maintain a healthy and self-sustaining population that is both genetically diverse and demographically stable.”
Memphis Police Department Chief CJ Davis did not win immediate support from the Memphis City Council to keep her job last week. But the final decision may come next week.
More than 77 percent of 106 voters in an X poll by council chairman JB Smiley Jr. last week said they did not want Davis as top cop anymore.
Damn Weather
Snow and cold temperatures were forecast for Memphis before press time. To prepare, The Damn Weather of Memphis asked Facebook friends about uniquely Memphis weather preparations.
One stocks a Yeti cooler with Tops food. Another showed a “full carb sellout” with empty bread shelves at the Germantown Kroger. Most suggested stocking up on alcohol, lots of alcohol.
Lion Tale
Posted to Facebook by John Hinant
That urban myth about a Memphis Zoo lion used as the original MGM logo lion surfaced again in the Historic Memphis Facebook group last week. The myth has been denied by zoo officials at least as far back as the 1950s.
Memphis Mayor Jim Strickland speaks at a news conference Tuesday during an update on the plan to maneuver resources around Overton Park to end Greensward parking forever. (Credit: Toby Sells)
Moves are underway to make real a plan unveiled in March 2022 that will enlarge Overton Park, add parking for the Memphis Zoo, and forever end parking on the park’s Greensward.
(Credit: Overton Park Conservancy)
A Tuesday news conference updating the project came a year and seven months after officials signed a plan to end the decades-old use of the Greensward for overflow parking. Many of those same officials met on that large field Tuesday to outline some of the movements making their plan a reality. Much go the new activity comes thanks to $3 million in federal funding, announced in July 2021 and secured by U.S. Rep. Steve Cohen (D-Memphis).
Memphis Mayor Jim Strickland was voted into office one year after tensions between park activists and zoo leaders began to mount. The Greensward issue has been a mainstay on the Strickland administration’s agenda from when it began in 2016 to nearly its end later this year. (Follow the link above for details.)
Strickland outlined several projects in motion now to make that plan a reality:
• The City of Memphis Public Works and General Services personnel have vacated 281 East Parkway and moved to the Coca-Cola facility off of Hollywood by Simmons Bank Liberty Stadium. (Some of these 21 acres will become parkland once again.)
• Zoo maintenance has begun moving and relocating some of their equipment to that 281 East Parkway facility.
• The city has performed preliminary design to demolish and regrade the existing city of Memphis facility located off East Parkway.
• The city has performed preliminary design to the demolition, regrade, paving, and re-striping of the existing zoo lot located on North Parkway east of University Street.
• The city is also working with Memphis Light, Gas & Water (MLGW) to identify and move any power or light poles within the project area.
Tina Sullivan, executive director of Overton Park Conservancy (OPC), noted minor adjustments to the park’s original plan for the Greensward. Also, she said no solid plans have yet been made for the space in the southeast corner of the park that will be open once the city has vacated it.
One of the original plans imagined an earthen berm to be built around portions of the Greensward, especially where the field bordered the zoo’s main parking lot. Instead, a shaded walking trail will be added all around the Greensward to give visitors access to it and a shady spot to sit.
(Credit: Overton Park via Facebook)
Also, improvements around Rainbow Lake will “naturalize and beautify” it to “look more like a real lake rather than a concrete pond.” The Rainbow Lake Pavillion will be replaced with a new facility that will allow rentals and offer some outdoor education classroom space.
(Credit: Overton Park Conservancy)(Credit: Overton Park Conservancy)
Some of these changes were seen on renderings present during Tuesday’s news conference. Though, Sullivan said those were ideas more than concrete plans.
Tuesday’s event featured many thanks to the many organizations who worked together for these many years to make a plan that worked and to execute that plan.
“Well, the Greensward’s been saved and Jim Strickland had a lot to do with it,” Cohen said, noting that his help came during the “fourth quarter” of the game. “He received a lot of gruff, which he did not deserve because he was working quietly to get this done.”
To which, Strickland later returned the thanks, saying Cohen’s help with the federal funding “led us into a two-minute drive down the field to score a touchdown at the end,” continuing the football analogy.
Of special note, though, is the new relationship formed between zoo leaders and those from OPC. Much of the early work on this issue seemed adversarial between the two. However, former zoo president and CEO Jim Dean seemingly brought a cooperative spirit to the situation, helping to create a new way forward that not only solved the parking situation but yielded 17 acres of zoo property back to the park.
During Tuesday’s event, Sullivan called new zoo president and CEO Matt Thompson “my new best friend” and Thompson called that a “mutual feeling.”
Layoffs at the Memphis Zoo have come amid “budgetary constraints” in decisions “not easy to make.”
An email shared with the Memphis Flyer shows news of layoffs went out to some employees Thursday from the zoo’s human resources director Steven G. Rodriguez. The valediction of the email reads “very respectfully.” An image below that and Rodriguez’s signature shows giraffes munching leaves and “#BESTDAYEVERRR!”
Credit: Memphis Zoo via Facebook
Amanda Moses, public relations and communications manager for the zoo, would not confirm whether or not the email was an example of one sent to employees who were laid off. Instead, Moses sent this statement from the zoo attributed to Memphis Zoo leadership.
“The recent move was the result of a comprehensive reorganization of our education department,” reads the statement. “We reduced the part-time component of our exhibit guide program and reorganized our animal interpretive team to be more effective and efficient as we focus on guest experience while being fiscally responsible.
“Our organization remains deeply committed to our mission of conservation, education, and animal welfare. We believe that the changes enable us to continue delivering outstanding experiences to our visitors while ensuring the long-term sustainability of our institution.”
Moses would not say how many were laid off, nor would she answer any questions around “budgetary constraints.” When asked for these details, Moses said only, ”Memphis Zoo stands by the previous statement.” When asked to provide the zoo’s recent (last three years) nonprofit tax information, Moses said, ”I cannot facilitate this request, the information you’re requesting is public record and can be found via an internet search.”
The email to employees, allegedly from Rodriguez, sheds only a little more light on the situation.
“The Memphis Zoo has been facing many challenges in the last few years that have forced us to closely examine how we model our business,” reads the email shared with the Flyer. “Budgetary constraints and other business considerations require that the Memphis Zoo eliminate certain positions within our current team.
“Unfortunately, your position is one of the positions selected for elimination. This decision was not easy to make and we realize the impact it can have on you and your fellow team members.”
The zoo’s finances have been erratic from 2017 to 2021, according to tax documents. Three of those years ended with losses, including a $5 million loss in 2021. Gains were made in 2018, of a modest $374,235 and again in 2020, in which the zoo cleared about $10.5 million.
Employee counts have risen from 361 in 2018 to 593 in 2021.
As expected, the zoo’s salaries have expanded in those years from $8.3 million in 2017 to $13.5 million in 2021.
During these times, C-suite employees made the most money. CEO Chuck Brady made $275,846 in a total compensation package in 2018. CEO James Dean made $204,396 in total compensation in 2019. In 2020, Dean made $323,543 and zoo CFO Mary Ann Biel made $92,866 in total compensation.
The government mandates that only salaries of nonprofit employees paid above a certain threshold be reported on tax documents. In 2021, the zoo reported five. Dean made $323,543 as president and CEO; Matt Thompson, also listed as president and CEO, made $179,427; Chief Development Officer Michelle Correia made $117,843; Biel made $128,835 as CFO; and Chief Marketing Officer Nicholas Harmeier made $108,669.
As for those employees recently laid off, they will be given “top priority” to interview for other positions now open at the zoo. If they choose to apply for another job later, the zoo will make them “eligible for re-hire.”
”The Memphis Zoo does not take this decision lightly and will work with those affected to alleviate the adverse impact that this may have on you,” reads the email from Rodriguez.
Those laid off were also instructed to return their uniforms, keys, and other zoo property.
Overton Park officials hope construction can begin this year on a project that will end Greensward parking, open new park-land, and relocate some facilities, but they await the arrival of $3 million in federal funds.
In March 2022, Overton Park Conservancy (OPC), the Memphis Zoo, and the city of Memphis announced a plan that would transform the park through a series of land swaps.
In July 2022, the group announced $3 million in federal funding had been allocated for the project. The group is still awaiting the money in order to get the project started.
“The city, the zoo, and the conservancy are all moving aggressively to get this solution implemented as quickly as possible,” OPC executive director Tina Sullivan said in a statement. “With federal funding, multiple partners, and multiple aspects to the project, it’s hard to pinpoint a completion date at this stage. Barring unforeseen circumstances, we do hope to be underway with construction by the end of 2023.”
Last week OPC outlined what will happen when the money becomes available:
• The conservancy will develop a plan for addressing invasive plant species in the forested acreage that is currently adjacent to the zoo’s temporary exhibit space.
• [OPC will] design and build a trail system for the new section of forest, and once it’s ready for visitors, will take down the surrounding fence.
• The city will move its remaining functions from the area in Overton Park’s southeast corner and begin work to make the space more habitable.
• The zoo will then move its maintenance facility there, freeing up its current on-site maintenance facility for guest parking.
• The conservancy will begin piloting potential uses for the remaining parcel of the southeast corner, which will be converted into an area for public use.
It’s unclear whether or not Governor Bill Lee ever used the governorbilllee.com URL. But someone found it unused, bought it, and built a scathing site on it that surfaced last week.
The top banner icon reads, “Governor Bill Lee: Equality for a Few.” The site’s topics range from Lee’s stances on education, anti-LGBTQ bills, Lt. Governor Randy McNally, and more. Owners promise a live drag queen reading on the site on May 7th.
The Elvis ’68 Comeback Special recently got the Lego treatment by artist Paul Hetherington. It will debut this weekend at the BrickUniverse Lego Fan Convention at Agricenter International.
Le Le, one of the Memphis Zoo’s giant pandas, has died.
The zoo announced the death Friday morning, calling the news “devastating.” The cause of death has not been determined. But a medical investigation is pending.
Here’s the zoo’s full announcement:
Memphis Zoo is devastated to announce the passing of giant panda “Le Le.”
Le Le was born July 18th, 1998 and was 25 years old at the time of his passing. Le Le came to Memphis Zoo in 2003. Le Le’s name translates to “happy happy”, and his name perfectly reflected his personality.
Le Le was a happy bear that enjoyed apples, engaging with enrichment, and relaxing while covering himself with freshly shredded bamboo. He had an easy-going personality and was a favorite of all who met and worked with him over the years.
Le Le was adored by his keepers, all of the staff at the Memphis Zoo, as well as the city of Memphis. Over the last 20 years Le Le has delighted millions of guests, served as an exemplary ambassador for his species and remains a shining symbol of conservation partnership with the People’s Republic of China.
At this time, a cause of death has yet to be determined as medical investigation is pending.
The Memphis Zoo recently announced that the pandas Ya Ya and Le Le will make their journey back to China within the next few months.
According to the zoo, their loan agreement with the Chinese Association of Zoological Gardens will end after two decades.
In a Facebook post, the Memphis Zoo said, “Ya Ya and Le Le have been integral parts of the Memphis community for the past 20 years and we are grateful for the time we were able to spend with them.”
The Memphis Zoo also said that “Ya Ya and Le Le helped pioneer research and conservation projects to teach others about the importance of their species.”
Ya Ya and Le Le arrived at the Memphis Zoo in April of 2003. In a video exploring the China Gardens at the Memphis Zoo, CEO Matt Thompson, said that this was the first time that people in the city were able to see giant pandas, and “experience the culture of China.”
Thompson said that many zoos around the world would like to have giant pandas but have been unsuccessful.
In 1987, a panda named “Shuwa” stayed at the Memphis Zoo, but this was only for 31 days. A large number of guests had come to see her, and wondered why there were no pandas at the zoo.
“At the time, pandas were very rare animals and an endangered species with only about 1,000 remaining in the wild,” said the Memphis Zoo.
In 1996, the Memphis Zoo began having conversations about hosting giant pandas. In this same year, Jim Sasser of Tennessee became the United States ambassador to China.
According to the Memphis Zoo, Sasser began to have conversations with Chinese government officials in March of 1999 about panda research being conducted at the zoo.
The zoo also said that in these conversations, then-president Jiang Zameen said that while Chinese people knew a lot about American culture, it seemed as if Americans knew “very little” about Chinese culture. This is how the idea sparked of having pandas at the Memphis Zoo would serve as an educational experience.
The Chinese Association of Zoological Gardens signed a letter of intent in April of 1999,and in the summer of 2001, crews began working on the 16-million dollar exhibit.
While many have enjoyed seeing the pandas for years, many have also voiced their concerns for the well-being of the pandas as well.
In April of 2021, Memphis Flyer reporter Toby Sells said that “A change.org petition and a letter-writing campaign by Panda Voices, a group “brought together by the ongoing mistreatment of pandas Lele (sic) and Yaya (sic) at Memphis Zoo,” has mobilized thousands across the globe.”
According to Sells, mistreatment concerns ranged from Ya Ya’s “four abortions” that cause “irreversible damage to her body,” and claims that Le Le had “dental problems over the years.”
”I assure you that both pandas are monitored by keeper and veterinary staff daily,” said Jessica Faulk, a zoo spokeswoman said in a statement. “We are also in constant communication with our colleagues in China, as well as [the Association of Zoos and Aquariums], and send them monthly updates.”
Light of my life, fire of my roasted chestnuts. My spirit, my cheer, ’tis the season of approaching the light, not the light — this isn’t a Charles Dickens’ story — but the twinkling lights. And boy, oh boy, does Memphis have the twinkling lights for you, but time is ticking.
For starters, the Memphis Botanic Garden has brought back its Holiday Wonders, this year with an updated layout covering eight acres and featuring larger-than-life characters from the “Alice’s Adventures” exhibition. Only this time, the large sculptures will be covered with lights, instead of greenery and flowers. Guests will also enjoy interactive activities, and on December 22nd, dogs are welcome to take in the spectacle, too. Holiday Wonders lasts through December 23rd.
Meanwhile, the zoo is hosting its annual Zoo Lights, on select nights through January 1st, with gorgeous displays, new and old, from the classic Twinkle Tunnel to the brand-new Chinese lanterns. Guests can take a ride on the Ferris wheel and a spin on the ice rink. Plus, Magic Mr. Nick will make an appearance or two, and so will some of the animals for meet and greets.
And, of course, no Memphis holiday would be complete without a drive through Shelby Farms Park’s Starry Nights, where millions of lights will dazzle you in creative displays. The event also happens to be Shelby Farms’ largest fundraising event, with proceeds going to support daily operations at the park and the Shelby Farms Greenline. On Tuesday, December 27th, the attraction will be closed to cars for a Walk + Bike the Lights Night, where guests can take a walk or ride their bikes through the glowing nights. Starry Nights runs through December 30th, concluding with the annual BuffaGLO run. The BuffaGLO run is a family-friendly 2.25-mile fun run, with strollers and leashed dogs welcome. For more information, visit shelbyfarmspark.org.
