Boom Jackson 2009 by Jackson Free Press Magazine

WORK LIVE PLAY VISIT

Leadership and Vision Healthy, Fit and Gorgeous Music, Food, Life After Dark Museums, Art, History

H E N

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H E

F I R S T, It makes

LASTING

I M P R E S S I O N. In 2000, some may have considered the notion of launching Mississippi’s first bank dedicated to businesses and professionals a giant leap of faith. But for our team of experienced bankers, it was quite simply the next logical step. Clearly, the market was ready for a locally owned and operated bank built from the ground up to deliver the type of hands-on, proactive service businesses of all sizes demand. More than seven successful years later, our mission hasn’t changed. First Commercial Bank remains focused exclusively on the business sector. What has forever changed is the local banking landscape, as we continue to turn a good first impression into lasting relationships.

At First, You Do Succeed. (601) 709-7777 • 1300 Meadowbrook Rd. • Jackson, MS 39211 firstcommercialbk.com • Member FDIC

2009

Greetings! courtesy city of jackson

It brings me great pleasure to share with you some of the exciting things that are happening in Mississippi’s Capital City. Jackson boasts the distinction of being the premier city for culture, entertainment, government, business, and commerce in the state of Mississippi, and has steadily emerged as a competitive destination city in the Southeast. These attributes make our city great, but Jackson’s true treasure is its warm and hospitable people. Right now, Jackson is Har vey Johnson Jr. experiencing a renaissance Mayor, City of Jackson of development in its downJackson, Mississippi town district that includes the completion of the Farish Street Entertainment District, the renovation of the historic King Edward Hotel, and construction of additional downtown housing units. That growth will no doubt continue to draw young professionals and others; and more wonderful plans are on the way. The Jackson Convention Complex contains 350,000 square feet of meeting and exhibit space and is close to some of the best museums, restaurants and other attractions the city has to offer. Other parts of our city are being transformed as well with new residential and commercial development, not to mention continuing upgrades to our city’s infrastructure and public amenities. Many of Jackson’s neighborhoods are celebrated for their unique personality and charm as well as the vibrant cultural heritage contained within them. We encourage you to check them out. From major corporations to world-class hospitals, institutions of higher learning, and some of the best shopping around, Jackson truly is a city “open for business” and on the move. So, whether you are visiting Jackson for the first time, or you are considering living or working here, we are certain that you will appreciate the diverse offerings our Capital City has to share and the welcoming attitude of her people. — Mayor Harvey Johnson Jr.

Work. Live. Play. Visit.

CONTENTS

WORK 4

Why Jackson is Beating the Recession

It’s about diversity, low costs, cooperation and acceptance.

Meet Me In Jackson

Iconoclasts, Dealmakers and Dreamers

Working in Jackson

The capital city accommodates meetings small and large. Meet some of the people making Jackson work. Listings

LIVE 30

City Livin’

Jackson Moves

The Jackson Renaissance Takes Root

UMMC: Educating, Caring and Finding Cures

Built2Last - Shop Local

Resident Profile: Power & Beauty

Living in Jackson

Some folks simply prefer the city to the suburbs. Keeping in shape doesn’t have to mean a treadmill. Developers large and small are seizing opportunities. Jackson is home to one of the top 15 teaching hospitals. Thriving Local businesses share their success. For Suzanne Moak, Jackson is home. Listings

PLAY 52

We Love A Parade

Music al Fresco

Defining a Good Time

Mississippi’s Authentic Barbecue

Lights Up on Live Theatre

Kid Stuff

Nobody does a parade quite like Jackson. Take music outdoors, and add food, drink and community. Getting out after dark for music, food and fun. Jackson serves up “sweet and a little heat.”

The city’s theater scene is diverse and dynamic. It’s good to be a kid in Jackson.

VISIT 68

Show & Tell: Jackson Museums

The Essence of Art

Farish

Enjoy Jackson

The city’s collections give everyone reason to visit.

Jackson’s many private galleries provide delightful diversity. The soul of Farish Street is alive and well. Listings

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2009

christina cannon

Vitality and Progress As we prepare our second annual issue of BOOM Jackson for publication, I have a wonderful vantage point for looking back over the previous year. The changes are stunning! With the Jackson Convention Center—once just a promise and a tax—now a reality, it’s hard to figure out how we got along Ronni Mott without it in the Editor, BOOM Jackson first place. A similar feeling hit me the moment a single little bar opened its doors on Farish Street—F. Jones Corner—with a vibe, atmosphere and level of talent that suggests some wonderful days ahead for the Farish Street Entertainment District in 2010 and beyond. Oh, and did I mention the King Edward? By the time you read this (or soon thereafter) the King Edward will have hosted its first amazing party after a 40-year hiatus,

with many, many more civic events, conventions, weddings, reunions, dances, speeches and, yes, parties to come. This last year also saw the ground-breaking on key developments around Jackson State University, “dirt moving” on new development near the Medical Mall in midtown Jackson, the completion of two more colorful buildings on the “skyline” of Fondren, tons of in-fill retail throughout the city and new, smart development in South Jackson. All of it suggests vitality, progress and things moving in a great direction. Did I mention our new mayor? Well, he’s also the old mayor—the one who got the planning together for the Convention Center, helped make the sale of the King Edward happen and, who, in his previous two terms, made a sincere point of being a steward of smart development in neighborhoods all over our capital city. We welcome him back and challenge him and our other city officials to once again lead Jackson to hope-filled days right around the corner.

Editor Publisher Art Director

Ronni Mott ronni@boomjackson.com Todd Stauffer todd@boomjackson.com Bo Pentecost bo@solvemarketing.com

EDITORIAL Senior Writer

Ward Schaefer

Writers PHOTOGRAPHY Cover

Andi Agnew Jackson Breland Melia Dicker Candice Hagwood Janine Jankovitz Beth Kander Brandi Herrera Pfrehm Jackie Warren Tatum

Photographers

Tom Beck Charlie Brenner William Patrick Butler Josh Hailey Kenya Hudson Darren Schwindaman Lizzie Wright

Jaro Vacek

AD DESIGN & PRODUCTION Stephen Barnette, Kristin Brenemen, Lydia Chadwick, Darren Schwindaman SALES Kimberly Griffin, Ashley Jackson, Todd Stauffer

We are in a new world when it comes to advertising, marketing and design. If you want to pursue the most effective, sales-driven, customer-driven, bottom-line-driven approach available, we want to help. We live for it. Solve is proud to provide art direction for

CONTACT US Letters to the Editor: letters@boomjackson.com Queries: ronni@boomjackson.com Ad Sales: todd@boomjackson.com Additional Copies: todd@boomjackson.com Boom Jackson P.O. Box 5067, Jackson, MS 39296 p 601-362-6121 f 601-510-9019 Circulation - 25,000 copies, printed annually and distributed to economic development and tourism agencies, and to Jackson hotels, businesses, professionals and recruiters.

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BOOM Jackson is a publication of The Jackson Free Press, Inc.. BOOM Jackson focuses on the urban experience in Jackson, Mississippi, emphasizing development, economic growth and city life. © 2009 Jackson Free Press, Inc.

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WHY JACKSON IS BEATING THE

RECESSION Economic Diversity As Mississippi’s capital, Jackson is a hub for medical care, institutions of higher education and government operations, which are priorities for the public no matter what the economic climate. Jackson’s manufacturing and financial industries also provide essential services, which keeps tax revenues up and job losses down. Private firms that contract with the government (janitorial, vehicle maintenance, and so on) are also stable. Dr. Pat Taylor, associate professor of economics at Millsaps College, says that Jackson’s economy doesn’t depend on one sector. If one begins to decline, others can bolster the city’s overall economic health. “We’re not a one-trick pony,” Taylor says. Whereas suburbs have slowed their development, downtown Jackson continues to grow, Taylor says. Moreover, the state’s housing market has remained relatively stable—Mississippi has consistently made RealtyTrac’s lists of states with the lowest rate of foreclosures. Taylor says reasonable housing prices keep mortgage payments affordable, and stable jobs mean that homeowners are able to pay.

by Melia Dicker

Photo by Lizzie Wright

“Everybody I know has kept their jobs and will continue to do so,” Taylor says.

Low Cost of Living When metal artist Stephanie Dwyer wanted a change of lifestyle in August 2006, she decided to move from Seattle, Wash., to Jackson. She has family in the South, and it is here that she found her passion: creating custom metal art out of high-quality metal. Under the name Miss Metal Design, Dwyer makes sculptures ranging from magnets to birdbaths. Her handcrafted bottle tree sculptures are by far the most popular. Because it is relatively inexpensive to live in Jackson, residents like Dwyer can succeed at careers outside the normal “9-to-5.” According to Kiplinger’s magazine, Jackson currently rates 95 on a 2009 Cost of Living Index, where 100 is average. Seattle’s score is 113. “There’s no way I would make it in Seattle, doing what I do,” Dwyer says. Lately Dwyer has been busier than ever. She is grateful to have found her artistic niche in Jackson, and she has no plans to leave.

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we’ll take care of them,” Thornton says. “There’s a personal touch to the service.”

Collaboration, Not Competition

Turn on any national newscast these days, and you’ll hear about how the economy is struggling. Yet here in Jackson, things are somehow different. Business is generally stable, and even growing. Because of its unique characteristics, Jackson has some important reasons to be optimistic about its economic strength.

The attitude of the Jackson small-business community seems to be: “If I succeed, you succeed.” Business owners want their entire industry and the local economy to develop as well as their individual businesses. Mike Peters, a Jackson real estate developer, says that locals in his business are friendly with each other. “If we’re after a tenant and (competitors) get them,” Peters says, “It’s still good for everybody. You know: I’ll get the next one.” Peters has collaborated regularly with fellow Jackson developer Andrew Mattiace, a friend of over 25 years. Together, Peters and Mattiace developed Fondren Corner, which houses businesses and apartments. In partnership with Jackson Public Schools, they completed a $25 million project to convert the historic Duling School building into a large commercial space called Fondren Place. It opened this year and is already filled with tenants like The Auditorium, an upscale restaurant that mixes classic Southern food and architecture with modern design.

A Market Receptive to New Businesses

Strong Culture of Buying Local Jackson is full of small businesses, many of which have been here for decades. Rather than relying on a chain-store brand to ensure quality, Jacksonians tend to trust local business people instead. Sherrell Thornton, along with his wife Lea, is one of those business people. Thornton owns the Montgomery Ace Hardware stores in Fondren and the Maywood Mart shopping center in Jackson, as well as another store near Hattiesburg. The original Fondren store opened in 1946. “Our goal is to provide a superior product at a competitive price with legendary service,” Thornton says. Instead of wandering around chain hardware stores without finding anyone to help, customers count on “the conveni-ence factor” at Montgomery. They can pull right up to the front door, he says, have a familiar employee wait on them, and be on their way. He says that a lot of Jacksonians “enjoy shopping with local people” for a variety of reasons. “They know that we stand behind what we sell to them, and

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In some cities, it seems as if every new business idea has already been tried. Jackson, on the other hand, is fertile ground for launching new ideas, including those that have succeeded in other places. When Jeff Good started BRAVO! Italian Restaurant in 1994 with the Blumenthal brothers (Dan, a chef, and Dave), Jackson had never seen anything like it: an Italian “trattoria” combined with a Napa Valley bistro. “We took a great idea that’s highly differentiated,” Good says, “but if we were in San Francisco, we’d be just another restaurant.” In Jackson, BRAVO! has done well, receiving regular awards for its food and wine list. So well, in fact that in 1998, Good and Dan Blumenthal opened a second restaurant: Broad Street Baking Company and Café. Again, they drew inspiration from an outside influence: granddad Sol Blumenthal’s Trenton, N.J., bakery on Broad Street. “It’s not that we invented this,” says Good of the enormously popular café and bakery. “We synthesized what we thought were world-class ideas from other markets.” In 2007, the team opened Sal & Mookie’s, a family pizzeria and ice cream shop in the Fondren neighborhood. “We wanted to do classic New York Little Italy food in Jackson,” Good says. Before opening the restaurant, Good and Blumenthal took a research trip to New York. They ate at 13 pizza restaurants in three days, bringing back slices from each in a cooler to guide the development of their own pizza. Today, all three restaurants are thriving, and Good and Blumenthal continue to bring the best of the world to Jackson. ¢

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Downtown Jackson Partners BOOM JACKSON

SPONSOR

Developing the Heart of the City

308 E. Pearl Street Suite 101 Jackson, MS 39201 601-353-9800 downtown-jackson.com 6

With unmatched support and enthusiasm for the City of Jackson, Downtown Jackson Partners is ready to push the capital city to the next level. In 1996, in response to a growing need to lift Jackson out of a development and business downturn, corporate leaders, elected officials, concerned citizens and property owners banded together to create Mississippi’s first Business Improvement District. Downtown Jackson Partners was established to manage and promote the area—a 66-block district that defines the heart of Jackson’s downtown—for businesses, residents and visitors. DJP is committed to transitioning the downtown area into a vibrant, urbanized community. In the South, the fastest growing region of the country, young people and professionals are seeking alternatives to suburban sprawl and over-saturated big cities. As a mid-sized city at the halfway point between Memphis and New Orleans, and Atlanta and Dallas, Jackson is becoming the place to be, and the DJP is working to attract urban residential developers, reversing a decades-long flight to suburbia. “We want to show (developers) that there is a demand to live in downtown Jackson,” Associate Director John Gomez says. “Market studies show that our downtown could support up to 4,000 residential units.” Steering investors toward the city’s largely untapped residential opportunities is only one of the ways DJP works to promote the district. To connect potential residents and backers to the changes in downtown Jackson, the group is constructing a 900-square-foot marketing center boasting flat-screen plasma monitors and a digital projection screen. The center will serve as an information portal for events and new developments. And once a month, DJP will host gatherings open to all.

Ben Allen, former city councilman and president of DJP, is a true believer in Jackson’s renaissance. “We want this to be a place where you can live, work and play. People already work here. More are starting to live here. Now we just need places where people can play,” he says. To boost these efforts, DJP coordinates with other local organizations to promote familyfriendly happenings. “We are encouraging more and more small family events to be held in the downtown,” Allen says. “Working with the Jackson Progressives and the Jackson Chamber, we developed ‘Red, White and Jackson,’ a 4th of July celebration featuring arts and crafts, vendors and fireworks.” DJP also organizes trolley rides to historic downtown locations each Friday. In 2009, DJP selected Block by Block to keep the area safe, clean and beautiful. The company combines security and landscaping services, employing friendly people who take ownership of their community and how it’s perceived. As ambassadors to the city, the yellow-clad workers greet locals and newcomers as they walk the city blocks. “They are our friendly eyes and ears on the streets,” Allen says. DJP is proud of its successes, but isn’t slowing down. With an anticipated 1,000 new residential arrivals in the next three years, and an astonishing 20,000 new Jacksonians in 20 years, there’s plenty of work to be done. Allen is confident that Jackson will soon be unrecognizable with all of the development in the works. “Our vision is to help ourselves realize what we are going to be when we grow up,” he says. “And we are growing up.”

A DV E R TIS E M E N T

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Is there such a thing as too much hospitality? This is the place to find out.

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Jackson Convention & Visitors Bureau BOOM JACKSON

SPONSOR

21st Century Amenities Served with Southern Charm The city of Jackson has much to celebrate this year, and the Jackson Convention and Visitors Bureau talks about it like a proud parent. The JCVB’s goal is to produce a major economic impact for Jackson through programs designed to identify, attract and serve conventions and meetings, trade shows, group tours and consumer travelers, while also adding to local citizens’ quality of life. Tourism is a growing industry in Mississippi’s capital city. The JCVB’s 2008 Economic Impact Report showed that Jackson welcomed more than 3.2 million travelers that year, pumping $350 million into the economy. Tourists came to visit the Mississippi Museum of Natural Science—the 2009 Mississippi Travel Attraction of the Year—and the Old Capitol Museum, which reopened in February 2009 after a three-year, $16 million restoration. Visitors from nearly 40 other countries have already toured the historic Greek-revival style Old Capitol since it reopened its doors. Through its extensive marketing campaigns, the JCVB attracts visitors hoping to avoid the travel headaches and congestion of major metropolitan cities. As the Magnolia State’s largest city, Jackson combines the best in southern hospitality with the finest in modern amenities. The JCVB also assists local businesses in an advisory capacity. If a local business needs help to market their products and services, the JCVB will gladly lend a helping hand. “The tourism product in the capital city continues to grow and improve, and visitors are responding to the

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industries’ many enhancements and additions,” says JCVB President and CEO Wanda Collier-Wilson. In coming years, the JCVB sees tourism playing an ever-more important role in the city’s economy. The Mississippi Children’s Museum expects to open its doors to visitors in the Fall of 2010, and a planned $73 million National Civil Rights Museum is expected to attract more than 125,000 visitors annually. The shiny new Jackson Convention Complex, in all of its 330,000-square-foot glory, opened with a bang in January 2009 with the Motor Trend International Car Show as its first major event. With the complex complete, Jackson is on target toward becoming a convention destination. In 2008, the JCVB booked 72 conventions representing $40.6 million. In March, the JCVB booked its largest convention to date. The Get Motivated National Business Touring Seminar was a larger-than-life, two-day motivational event featuring national speakers including Mississippians Zig Ziglar and former NFL quarterback Archie Manning, along with New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani. Major beneficiaries for this resurgence in downtown activity include Jackson’s many local restaurants. “The Jackson Convention Complex has already been an economic engine for (restaurants) like the Mayflower and Keifers. Every time the convention center hosts an event, they see a boost in sales,” says Linda Mann, JCVB vice president of marketing. “With the economy struggling, people want to stay close to home,” she says. “Come to Jackson and you can have just as much fun!”

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111 E. Capitol Street Suite 102 Jackson, MS 39201 601-960-1891 visitjackson.com 9

charlie brenner

JACKSON meet me in

Photos by Charlie Brenner and Lizzie Wright

by Ronni Mott 10

The 330,000-square foot convention space opened in 2009 to complete the Jackson Convention Complex.

Downtown Jackson lives up to its capital city designation when it comes to convention and meeting space. The city hosts a number of venues fit for groups of 200 or more, but the bragging rights—for now—go to the Jackson Convention Complex. The complex opened “with a bang” Jan. 14, 2009, with a grand assortment of ribbon cuttings, pyrotechnics, and speeches from state and local dignitaries including Gov. Haley Barbour and former (now current) Mayor Harvey Johnson Jr., who had lobbied hard for the building over the last eight years. The Jackson Convention Complex immediately got down to business, hosting the Motor Trend International Auto Show, which represented the first time the event had ever come to Mississippi. The building represents the pinnacle of what the downtown area has to offer convention and meeting planners with 330,000 square feet of clear glass containing a 30,000-square-foot banquet hall, a 60,000-square-foot exhibit hall and 33,000-square-foot lobby. City leaders proudly refer to the

convention center, which sits on Pascagoula Street as the place “Where Mississippi Meets the World.” The building comes with enough internal wiring to run a small city. In 2009, it’s main theater hosted the city’s Democratic mayoral debates, and some surprised audience members were delighted to see power connections and Ethernet hook-ups attached to their folding seats. Another contender for convenient convention space would be the 74,000-square-foot Mississippi TelCom Center, now incorporated with the convention center to form the Jackson Convention Complex. The TelCom Center opened its doors in 2004, thanks to a joint effort between Johnson and a number of local politicians, including Jackson Sen. John Horhn, who felt the city needed a state-of-the-art facility that could be divided into a variety of meeting configurations, including board rooms, break out rooms and full-service banquets. The building sports a full catering kitchen among its amenities. Other nearby spots are tailored to more modest crowds. The Missis-

sippi Museum of Art, also on Pascagoula Street, can comfortably accommodate galas of up to 600 and small, intimate groups in an artistically chic environment. The museum recently opened a remarkable exhibit, “Name Change: One Artist–Twelve Personas–Thirty-Five Years,” from Mississippi artist Ed McGowin, who legally changed his name 12 times. In December, 2009, “Jim Henson’s Fantastic World” opens, offering a rare glimpse into the imagination and creative genius of the multi-talented innovator and creator of beloved characters like Kermit the Frog, Big Bird, and hundreds of others. Museum directors are particularly proud of the new cyber café the museum offers: The Mississippi Museum Internet Café, featuring a mind blasting spectrum of Starbucks coffees and confections. The Roberts Walthall Clarion Hotel on East Capitol Street has recently undergone more than $10 million in renovations and is back open for business this year. Last year, the building’s former owners sold the property to the Roberts Hotels Group, www.boomjackson.com

lizzie wright

who remodeled and reopened the building under the Choice Hotels brand. Roberts Hotels Group is the largest African American-owned and managed hotel group in the nation, and their talent in the industry is obvious as soon as you enter the building. The 203-room Walthall offers 8,000 square feet of meeting space, and the only hot zones you find are the ones regarding internet hook-ups, which blanket the hotel. If you’re looking for some picturesque, historic spots, consider the Old Capitol Inn on State Street. The Inn comes with a host of rooms designed for a variety of assemblages ranging from 20 people to hundreds. The Gala Ballroom is the Inn’s largest space with 5,000 square feet of meeting space complete with a stage and dance floor. The ballroom opens into the Inn’s private walled garden area. The Camellia room offers the perfect setting for meetings, training seminars, special events, corporate lunches and receptions with a square footage of 1,035. The Inn’s more modest Vieux Carre room works well for social events and small receptions for up to 125 people. The Magnolia and Garden-Sunroom offer spaces for meetings and luncheons, while the Inn’s extravagant Roof Garden offers a remarkable place to entertain up to 70 of your best friends and clients under the nighttime Mississippi sky. Another iconic location to take your team is the Fairview Inn, on Fairview Street in Jackson’s historic Belhaven neighborhood. The Inn, a 1908 Colonial Revival mansion, stands as the city’s only AAA four-diamond small luxury hotel that’s also on the National Register of Historic Places, conveniently sitting near Millsaps and Belhaven colleges. The Fairview Inn is also moments away from downtown Jackson’s arts, theater and museums, and equally close to the hip

The Fairview Inn offers exceptional service and Southern charm.

DUVALL DECKER

A R C H I T E C T S , P. A . 2915 NORTH STATE STREET . JACKSON, MISSISSIPPI 39216 . PHONE 601.713.1128 . FAX 601.713.1168 W W W. D U VA L L D E C K E R .C O M . R O Y T. D E C K E R , A I A . A N N E M A R I E D E C K E R , A I A

ARCHITECTURE . PLANNING . INTERIORS

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ward, another site on the National Register of Historic Places, once housed Mississippi legislators and visiting VIPs, but stood empty and abandoned for more than 40 years. “The King Edward will be a great place

lizzie wright

boutiques of Jackson’s blossoming Fondren District. The Fairview Inn’s meeting facilities can host from 10 to 80 people in its three meeting rooms: the Governor’s Room, Rose’s

Antiques meet modern convenience at the Fairview Inn. Room or the Carriage Room. The storied King Edward Hotel, currently under renovation by HRI of New Orleans and Jackson developer David Watkins, is slated to reopen in December 2009. The King Ed-

to have your convention,” said Watkins of the $90 million renovation. “The ballroom in the King Edward is 6,000 square feet. We’ve got 15,000 square feet of meeting space. The ballroom will be extraordinary.

The crown molding will be ornate and gorgeous. You walk in, and you’ve got a restaurant and a bar on the left, coffee shop and offices on the right, and then you look up and see the rotunda and the balcony on the second floor. We opened it back up so you can have the rotunda effect.” Watkins can wax eloquent about the Ballroom, which features skylights and an arc ceiling. New England craftsmen, accustomed to rebuilding 400-year-old homes, took plaster casts of the original trim and moldings prior to the remodeling and have reproduced everything based on the original. The pristine look will merge well with the modern times, Watkins said. The renovated hotel will contain 186 rooms with eight or 10 smaller meeting rooms that can be configured in all kinds of different ways. The grand ballroom itself will feature wireless connections and a drop-down screen. The plan is to be open by December 2009, though Watkins says he will give the hotel 90 days to ensure it’s all up to his exacting standards before taking reservations. “We can’t have the Queen of England over for an event and the lights don’t turn on for some reason,” Watkins says, explaining that everything will be smooth as silk soon after the King reopens its doors. ¢

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Greater Jackson Chamber of Commerce BOOM JACKSON

Focus on Jackson Business The Jackson Chamber of Commerce has a slogan: “Where Location Matters.” That location, of course, is Jackson, Miss. “Our focus is the entire Jackson area,” says Chairman David Pharr. Whether a business is located in northeast Jackson near County Line Road or along the winding Pearl River in southwest Jackson, the Jackson Chamber strives to serve area businesses and cultivate an environment for them to succeed. “We want to bolster the development of businesses in all districts and collaborate with both business and government leaders,” Vice Chairman Jonathan Lee says. To build on the economic resurgence currently underway in Jackson and keep the momentum going, the chamber has gone above and beyond to ensure that the city is on the right path. Recently, the chamber developed “Connections,” a business-retention program where chamber leaders visit businesses throughout the city and serve as ambassadors for Jackson. “We make sure that they are happy. If they have an issue or some type of problem, we put them with the right organization,” Executive Vice President Cynthia Buchanan says. “A business had one foot outside the city, but they stayed after we met with them.” One solution is to bring chamber resources to growing small businesses that are unable to afford chamber dues. This proactive measure spawned success for the businesses and the chamber, providing growth opportunities for both. The Jackson Chamber also provides its members with networking opportunities, exclusive prospecting information and discounts on business essentials such as insurance and office supplies. Members of the chamber recently took a citywide

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tour of Richmond, Va., which is in a metropolitan area similar to Jackson. “We take city tours to see where we can make improvements and perhaps mimic their successes,” Pharr says. Richmond recently completed waterfront development in their downtown, which is an idea the chamber believes could be implemented along the Pearl River, running along the city’s eastern boundary, and on the creeks that run through downtown Jackson. Riverfronts are opportune spots for potential investment. “We could develop a model similar to the River Walk in San Antonio,” he says. The Jackson Chamber of Commerce is also heavily involved in supporting the city’s public schools. Members assisted local schools by providing furniture and much-needed infrastructure, paving the way for others in the community to take a vested interest in Jackson’s future. The chamber “adopted” Lee Elementary School and developed a mentorship program, teaching the students about honesty, integrity and justice, along with the basics of building and operating a business. “We host a speaker series each month where a member of the community shares his or her experiences,” Lee says. The chamber also does what it can to support the city’s major employers, including Jackson State University, the Jackson Medical Mall and the Jackson-Evers International Airport. Pharr says that his motivation comes from answering the question: “How can we be better stewards?” As both support system and champion, the Jackson Chambers provides all businesses the means to strengthen themselves, strengthening Jackson in the process.

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SPONSOR

201 S. President Street Suite 1 Jackson, MS 39201 601-948-7575 metrochamber.com 15

BYNUM

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CHANE

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COOLEY

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DECKER

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GARRARD

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iconoclasts, dealmakers and dreamers

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s r e m a e r D Iconoclasts, Dealmakers and by Ward Schaefer

Photos by Kenya Hudson and William Patrick Butler

The story of Jackson’s resurgence is really a series of stories about individuals, people who make the city their work. These people can come in all types — iconoclasts, dealmakers and dreamers. But what they all share is a vision of Jackson as a place of rich potential.

SusanGarrard

For most children, learning geography is little more than memorizing shapes on a map. But Susan Garrard, executive director of the Mississippi Children’s Museum, has another, more interactive, way of learning in mind. The museum, which is slated to open in fall 2010, will feature exhibits about the state’s cultural heritage and natural resources arranged to make a three-dimensional model of Mississippi. On the exhibits’ western border, visitors will float along a miniature Mississippi River and learn about the state’s shipping economy. In tunnels below the interactive map, children will learn about the dormant volcano that rests below Jackson. “Children’s museums are the fastest-growing cultural institutions in the country,” Garrard says. “They’ve been found to be a very effective tool in communities to bring to the forefront some of the issues that affect children.” The museum will address two of the most pressing issues facing Mississippi’s children, literacy and health, with activities and displays that are as fun as they are educational. Garrard came to the museum world in a roundabout

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fashion. A Mississippi native, she studied marketing and came to Jackson to work for McRae’s department store as a buyer. She stepped away from that position to raise her two sons, but Garrard stayed busy with volunteer work, joining the Junior League of Jackson, a women’s community service organization. As president of the Junior League in 2002, Garrard led the group’s search for a signature project. When Garrard heard about the idea of a state children’s museum, she knew she had found the League’s next undertaking. “I felt that this was a bold and ambitious project, but we had the leadership and the drive to accomplish it,” Garrard says. The Junior League immediately pledged $1 million to the project and contributed 70 volunteers, who helped bring community advisers and educators into the planning process. Two years later, Garrard helmed a task force that developed the Museum Partners, a support organization that provides funding and outreach efforts for the museum. Garrard employs the leadership skills she built in various positions with the museum in her new role as executive director. The museum has raised $21 million of its estimated $25 million price tag. Most of its funding has come from private sources, which makes the museum exceptional among its 17

iconoclasts, dealmakers and dreamers largely publicly funded peer institutions. “People have been very impressed when we make presentations, especially to public officials,” Garrard says. “A lot of people come to them with new ideas and new programs, but they don’t have the structure and backbone for it. They’ve been impressed with the amount of money we’ve raised from private and corporate donors.” Garrard wants the museum’s exhibits to complement the work of teachers while entertaining and engaging visitors. Striking that balance has required a lengthy dialogue with designers, educational experts and sponsors, but the museum’s supporters are dedicated to its success, Garrard says. “To me—I know this sounds very Pollyanna—it’s been surprising that when it involves children, people are usually very generous with their time,” Garrard says. “They try to help you see things through.”

BillCooley For Bill Cooley, life and business are about understanding systems. A retired professor of management at Jackson State University, Cooley founded the Center for Social Entrepreneurship in 2007 to help small businesses navigate the overlapping systems of community and economy. The Center, as he puts it, “seeks creative ways to support community,” beyond offering financial support. “There has to be a lot of diverse ways of aiding a community,

rather than just giving money,” Cooley says. “No matter who you are, you’re limited as to how much money you can give.” Through the center, Cooley organized a weekly forum series at Koinonia Coffee House, a fledgling business in between downtown Jackson and JSU that had been struggling to build a customer base. The forums drew in attendees who became regular customers, buoying Koinonia’s revenue far more effectively than a handout. Cooley insists that he’s led a “charmed life,” despite growing up on a cotton plantation in the Mississippi Delta, where mule transportation limited his world to a 30-mile radius. He left the Delta to attend college at Tuskegee University in Alabama in 1947, where he majored in chemistry. “Back then it wasn’t hard. We only had four elements,” Cooley says with a laugh. After graduating, he joined the Air Force, which took him around the world and away from the South during the peak years of the Civil Rights Movement. When Cooley returned to the States for good, in 1973, he felt a need to do something meaningful. He accepted a teaching position at Jackson State and soon began taking his management students out of the classroom and into the community. Cooley’s teams of students helped formalize minority businesses’ plans and improve their marketing. Those educational efforts evolved into Cooley’s

www.boomjackson.com

iconoclasts, dealmakers and dreamers

business, Systems Consultants, which has expanded since 1977 to provide training, consulting and strategic planning to all kinds of businesses in and outside of Mississippi. Cooley also has ventures that run computer training and offer rust-proofing, which he considers natural steps for a management consultant. “I maintain that everything in the world is management,” he says. Cooley has made that belief his life’s work, applying business principles in social environments and shaping businesses to reflect the needs of a community. He has helped form business associations among minority contractors and entrepreneurs around the Jackson Medical Mall, for example and for the Jackson Chamber of Commerce, he has offered advice on improving its outreach to all parts of the city. “The more we interact, the more we can come up with a shared vision for this area,” he says.

BillBynum Growing up in rural North Carolina, Bill Bynum wanted to be the next Thurgood Marshall. He idolized the civil-rights-era lawyer and judge, and planned to enter law school after college, but a detour after graduation led him into finance. “I saw a lot of important decisions being overturned by the courts in the mid-late eighties and felt that economic justice was where I really should invest my efforts,” Bynum says. “If you can help someone build assets, get a job and support their family, then that’s harder to overturn than a legal decision.” Bynum works for economic justice in Jackson and in four southern states, as the executive director of the Enterprise Corporation of the Delta and Hope Community Credit Union. After several years spent working in rural and community development in his home state, Bynum answered a friend’s request and in 1994 moved his family to Jackson to help found ECD. A non-profit offering financing and technical assistance in depressed areas, ECD serves the residents and entrepreneurs in the Mississippi River Delta, spanning Arkansas, Mississippi and Louisiana. “There was no question about the need in the Delta,” Bynum says. “The question was whether you could do anything about it.” Bynum did not limit his work to the Delta, either. In Jackson, Bynum’s pastor recruited him to help establish a credit union for church members. Hope Community Credit Union was born in 1995 as an alternative to the payday lenders, check cashers and other financial services that preyed on the underprivileged in Jackson. Under Bynum’s leadership, Hope merged with ECD in 2002 and started growing. At the time of the merger, Hope had $200,000 in deposits. By the beginning of 2004, it had $4 million. But by taking advantage of the federal New Markets Tax Credit, Hope grew to $48 million by the end of 2004. With that growth has come an expansion in Hope’s servicWork. Live. Play. Visit.

es. Hope Credit Union now offers commercial and mortgage products, along with its consumer services. Bynum’s ability to guide Hope through tough economic times while serving the disadvantaged is revealed in his handling of the current economic recession. Despite widespread mortgage defaults, Hope’s mortgage portfolio suffered less than half a percent loss in 2008. “We’ve always made loans to people with modest means, so we’ve had to underwrite those loans in a very careful way,” Bynum says. Looking to the future, Bynum says that Hope will continue to grow. But Bynum also sees Hope and ECD making an impact on policy decisions as well. This spring, he testified in front of the U.S. Senate Small Business Committee about Hope’s work serving as a model for federal policy. “Banks could do more and should do more,” Bynum says. “We try to influence policy makers, influence financial institutions to do more in the kind of neighborhoods that we serve. We’ve shown that it can be done responsibly, in a financially sustainable manner. There’s a lot to be taken from the kind of work that we do.”

Roy&AnneMarieDecker When architects Roy and Anne Marie Decker decided to start their own firm in Jackson, they literally opened up their brick-walled office on North State Street. Concrete saws took out an entire section facing the street, and in went a set of sliding glass windows and shades, from floor to ceiling. That window, with its simple design and openness to the surrounding area, is an apt metaphor for the approach of Duvall-Decker Architects. “Anne and I believe that the definition of an architect is not simply to do the drawings, do the design work for a building, help a contractor and an owner build it,” Roy says. “You might say that an architect like that is working within the lot lines. We think that the effect of that effort outside the lot lines is as important as what happens inside the lot lines.” Roy came to Mississippi from Philadelphia, Pa., to teach at Mississippi State University’s School of Architecture in 1991. As the architecture school’s director, a post he held for five years, he founded the Jackson Community Design Center, which provides design and planning assistance for non-profit organizations and churches. In 1997, he founded Duvall-Decker with Anne, who had come to Jackson from western Tennessee to attend MSU’s architecture school. Roy and Anne, who married in 1993, have received awards and national recognition for their work on the Mississippi Library Commission building and their school buildings. But their work is almost defiantly local and hard to categorize. “We very rarely talk about the style or appearance of our work,” Anne says. “That’s not to say we don’t have very clear 19

iconoclasts, dealmakers and dreamers goals for the shape and form of our buildings. But they come out of all the circumstances of building.” In the case of an affordable-housing development they’re currently designing for Midtown Jackson, that means maximizing common areas and usable yard space on small lots. For many of their schools, Roy and Anne try to make the building part of the learning process by letting students experience the changes in light over the course of a day. “It sounds corny, but the greater good is served when you’re concerned with it,” Roy says. “When your goal is simply the financial reward of a development, there’s not much incentive in it for us.” Duvall-Decker is also doing preliminary work for the Arts Center of Mississippi, a major development that will establish a place for the state’s cultural heritage in downtown Jackson’s resurgence. The project neatly fits Duvall-Decker’s ethos. “What we really thrive on,” Roy begins, “is to find the civic value in what we build,” Anne says, completing his sentence.

RonChane When Chane opened his first skate shop in 1998, the surrounding neighborhood was depressed, anonymous and relatively uncool. A decade later, Fondren, as the area is now known, is a bustling commercial district, with a funky arts culture driven by the young, fashion-conscious population that flocks to Chane’s businesses. Chane, who prefers to be called by his last name only, grew up in Jackson, and he got his first taste of the entrepreneurial life during a brief stop at home. He had been selling T-shirts out of a back pack in Pensacola Beach, Fla., and remembers those first T-shirts being “terrible.” “Honestly, you had to love me or feel sorry for me—or preferably a combination of both—to buy them,” Chane says. “I

thought I’d come back to Jackson for a month and figure out which direction I was going to go.” Instead, he found out that an old design shop downtown was closing. For a young man with big dreams and a head full of design ideas, it was the perfect opportunity. He took over the store, sleeping behind the cash register while he figured out the basics of business. His first store in the Fondren area followed in 1998, selling T-shirts and skateboards. Since then Chane’s empire has slowly grown to include Wilai, a high-end women’s boutique, Studio Chane, a T-shirt and graphic design studio, and Swell-O-Venue, a skateboard park that doubles as a music venue. He has dabbled in furniture design and plans to start screening movies on summer nights. He’s also planning to move his operation to the Fondren Corner building. For the past two years, Chane has split his time between Jackson and New York City, hawking his wares at design fairs in SoHo as a way to build his brand’s recognition with tastemakers and stay aware of cutting-edge work in the Big Apple. When he started traveling to New York, Chane encountered some skepticism from Jacksonians who thought he was giving up on them. “What everybody didn’t understand was I was going to New York, but I was also bringing my dirt back to Jackson to build my hill—letting New York give me the inspiration I needed to do something with the open canvas that I have in Jackson,” he says. Chane’s latest line of T-shirts, the Jackson Series, captures his hometown pride. The series features the names of Jackson neighborhoods like Belhaven Heights and South Jackson, printed in bold block letters, and artistic images of landmarks like the King Edward Hotel. The T-shirts have captured the city’s zeitgeist; it’s not unusual to see several people on a Friday night trumpeting Jackson’ resurgence with one of Chane’s shirts. ¢

For Employers Who Want

Healthy Employees ChamberPlus can help your small business reduce healthcare costs and help your employees be healthier. And healthy employees can mean a healthier bottom line for your business. For more information, please call Lindsay Buford, Executive Director of ChamberPlus, at 601-948-7598 or 1-866-948-7598. www.chamberplus.org

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to start business.

We have a firsthand grasp of small business start-up and expansion needs, and we’ve financed countless small business owners in low-income communities – offering solutions where traditional lenders might not. BizCapital lends a financial hand through government-guaranteed loans, ranging from $500K to $5 million. We provide small business entrepreneurs with capital for construction, real estate acquisition, equipment, and to create or retain jobs. We specialize in SBA 7a, SBA 504, and USDA loan programs, with flexible terms at below market rates. So, if you have a project in mind for yourself or a client, please share it with us. Call Tommy Titus at 601-954-6636. And let’s build the opportunity in your community.

How business gets built. 601-954-6636 | ttitus@biz-capital.com Jackson, MS | 800-537-5761 www.biz-capital.com Work. Live. Play. Visit.

charlie brenner

HRI Watkins BOOM JACKSON

SPONSOR

The King is Back

Watkins Partners 300 W. Capitol Street Suite 200 Jackson, MS 39203 601-354-3660 watkinsyoung.com HRI Properties 909 Poydras Street New Orleans, LA 70112 504-566-0204 hriproperties.com

“It’s been a long time coming,” said David Watkins, managing partner of Watkins Partners LLC, “But it’s finally here.” The Jackson-based development firm is overseeing two critical projects in Downtown Jackson: the King Edward Hotel and the Farish Street Entertainment District. The King Edward, once a grand traveler’s hotel on the west side of downtown Jackson (and later a residential hotel used by state legislators during each year’s legislative session), closed in the late 1960s and over the decades, fell into serious disrepair. After a number of starts and stops over many years, the city finally put the project in the hands of Watkins Partners LLC, along with HRI Properties of New Orleans and local NFL star and entrepreneur Deuce McAllister. Now, after years of struggling with the financing, designing, problem solving, and over 30 months of demolition and reconstruction, the year 2009 is a hard deadline for the King Edward to open its doors to the public. “We’re going to throw one heck of a party,” said Watkins, looking more than a little relieved. Aside from its status as a historic landmark, the King Edward project serves three major functions. As a downtown Hilton Garden Inn property, the hotel portion offers 186 brand-new guest rooms with a luxurious guest package, including the Garden Inn brand’s signature beds, high-definition flat-screen TVs in each room and, of course, brand-new bathrooms, resized considerably from the original floor plan.

Second, the hotel will serve as a gathering place for locals and travelers, featuring the lovingly renovated Gala Ballroom along with a modern lounge and restaurant, a Seattle Drip coffee shop and other amenities. Watkins anticipates that the Ballroom will be a hot ticket for events ranging from fundraisers to weddings to keynote speeches for business meetings and community functions. Third, the top floors of the King Edward will feature 64 apartments, ranging from small one-bedroom flats to lavish three-bedroom apartment homes on the higher floors. Residents will have their own parking, entrance and elevator, workout facilities and even a rooftop pool (another signature element from the King Edward’s glory days) with views of downtown to the east and Jackson State University to the west. What else could visitors or residents of the King Edward want? How about some night-time events and entertainment? Fortunately, the King Edward is in close proximity to Watkins Partners’ other 2009-10 project: the Farish Street Entertainment District. Anchored by highvisibility tenants like B.B. King’s music hall and Wet Willie’s “global cooling” daiquiris, the two-block re-development of Farish Street will offer restaurants, livemusic venues, watering holes and plenty of excuses to hear and see the amazing musical and artistic talent that makes Jackson so uniquely ... Jackson. “I’m positive this hotel is going to be full and stay full,” says Watkins, looking toward a not-so-distant future. “The whole area will be hopping!”

A DV E R TIS E M E N T

www.boomjackson.com

Long live the King. king edward hotel re-opening 2009 186 Boutique Hotel Rooms Restored Historic Ballroom and Meeting Spaces Restaurant, Cocktail Lounge and Coffee Shop 64 Hi-Rise Luxury Apartments Swimming Pool & Fitness Facilities Retail & Office Space

for more information:

www.hriproperties.com

stAte oF the ARt.

State of the Heart.

Big city skylines. Small town squares. A way of thinking that’s

ahead of the curve. A way of life that’s beyond your expectations, with blue skies and greener pastures everywhere you look.

Which is why when you’re looking to the future, there’s one place that feels like home: Hinds County.

Hinds County. State of the art. State of the heart.

Post Office Box 248 | Jackson, Mississippi 39205 | Phone: 601.353.6056

www.selecthinds.com

tom beck

Hinds County Economic Development District BOOM JACKSON

Mission: Quality of Place “Quality of place.” It answers the questions: “What’s there?” “Who’s there?” and “What’s going on?” Richard Florida, author of “Rise of the Creative Class,” writes that cities with a noteworthy quality of place attract more of the creative class of knowledge workers and entrepreneurs. It’s the most important thing when it comes to choosing where to live, where to work and where to play. You’ll recognize it in the real estate mantra: “Location, location, location.” No one recognizes the importance of that mantra better than the staff of the Hinds County Economic Development District. They are definitely in the business of selling location, specifically Hinds County. “In a nutshell, what we’re selling is our community’s assets as a location to conduct business,” says Executive Director Blake Wallace. HCEDD’s mission is to position Hinds County as the primary business and employment center for the Jackson metropolitan area—as well as the premier regional destination for living, education, health care, entertainment, culture and shopping. To realize this mission, the HCEDD partners with other entities that are also in the business of enriching the business climate and the quality of place within Jackson and Hinds County. Using numerous local and state programs, the HCEDD crafts incentive packages to create jobs, recruiting new businesses, and retaining and expanding existing businesses. In its recruitment efforts, the organization focuses on attracting companies that are a good fit with the county’s business community. Its retention and expansion programs provide assistance to help existing companies maximize productivity and profitability with innovation, technology and process improvements. Another function that the HCEDD provides for Hinds

SPONSOR

citizens is analyzing incentive packages that drive new developments to insure taxpayers receive a fair return on their investments in projects. “Our goal is to use public incentives to attract private investments that make projects happen. But those projects must achieve a positive return on investment for our taxpayers,” Wallace says. All of the exciting urban-lifestyle developments coming to life in the Jackson area add to the assets that make Hinds County stand out as a location to do business. “We will certainly trumpet Jackson’s downtown revitalization, as well as other lifestyle developments such as Fondren, Belhaven and the JSU Parkway corridor,” he says. “Developments like these provide the ‘quality of place’ that attracts people and jobs to the area.” A fully operational Jackson Convention Complex has added another important dimension to the county’s business mix, Wallace added. The complex and the planned hotels at the Capital Center under development across the street from the complex will attract new dollars, people and businesses to the area. Wallace says they’re always happy to take calls from businesses looking for the quality-of-place that Hinds County offers and the workforce that comes with it. The HCEDD plays a strong behind-the-scenes role by working with Hinds Community College to implement training programs for businesses. “We’re in the business of helping companies succeed, and we have the assets in our community that can translate ideas into reality,” Wallace says. “If you are looking for a quality place for your business venture, please contact us.” Wallace and his staff promise prompt, professional service for businesses considering a move.

909 N. President Street Jackson, MS 39202 601-353-6056 selecthinds.com

Work. Live. Play. Visit.

A DV E R TIS E M E N T

www.boomjackson.com

charlie brenner

PROJECTS UNDER CONSTRUCTION ($1 MILLION PLUS)

225 E. Capitol St. Complete renovation to eight-story hotel Estimated Cost: $14,000,000

736 Building

736 S. President St. Renovation of warehouse to mixed-use facility, apartments, office

Foundry Lofts

300 W. South St. Conversion of industrial space to residential units, 24,000 square feet Estimated Cost: $1,500,000

US Federal Courthouse

Congress Street at Court Street Courthouse, 350,000 square feet Estimated $122,000,000

King Edward Hotel

235 W. Capitol St. Mixed-use, hotel and residential with commercial Estimated $89,000,000

Farish Street Entertainment District

Farish at Griffith Restaurant, retail, entertainment, hotel, two blocks Estimated $50,000,000

The Pinnacle, Jackson’s first LEED-certified office building MARKET INFORMATION

Located midway between Memphis and New Orleans, Atlanta and Dallas, Jackson, Mississippi is often referred to as the “Crossroads of the South.” Jackson has traditionally been the regional center for agriculture, commerce, culture and government. In recent years, the area has established itself as a popular headquarters location for high-technology and medical services companies. As the economic engine for central Mississippi, one in nine area residents are employed in the Downtown Jackson area. Nearly 40 percent of the region’s office space is in the Central Business District. Downtown is home to two of Mississippi’s largest architectural firms and five of Mississippi’s top CPA firms. Likewise, nearly 40 percent of the state’s advertising industry is located in Downtown Jackson. —courtesy downtown-jackson.com DOWNTOWN JACKSON OFFICE MARKET STATISTICS Size in Square Feet Average Quoted Rental Rate Occupancy Rate

3,086,884 $18.69 88%

PROJECTS IN THE PLANNING STAGES ($1 MILLION PLUS)

Courtesy Parkway Realty Services 1st Quarter 2009

Old Capitol Green

Commerce Street between Pearl and South streets Mixed-use, 14-blocks, residential, retail, hotel, office Estimated $1,100,000,000

Mississippi History Museum

North Street at Yazoo Street Museum, 112,000 square feet Estimated $44,000,000

Ceva Green

Court Street between Commerce and State streets Mixed-use, 42 condos and restaurant/entertainment Estimated $40,000,000

Farish Street Development

Hamilton to Griffith streets at Farish Street Mixed-use, mixed-income, residential, retail Estimated $65,000,000

248 E. Capitol St. 601-969-0022, 800-748-7626 msmec.com

Residences at Jackson Place

Behind One Jackson Place Residential, retail

Mississippi Economic Development Council

Capital Center

Lamar, Pearl, Mill and Pascagoula streets Convention hotel, residential, retail, office Estimated $200,000,000

Standard Life Building

127 S. Roach St. Mixed-use, high-rise Estimated $35,000,000

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT ORGANIZATIONS City of Jackson, Planning & Development 200 S. President St. 601-960-1993 jacksonms.gov/government/ planning

Jackson Convention & Visitor’s Bureau 111 E. Capitol St. 601-960-1891 visitjackson.com

Downtown Jackson Partners

Jackson Image Enhancement Committee

308 East Pearl Street Suite 101 601-353-9800

Jacksoncitywithsoul.com

Greater Jackson Alliance

P.O. Box 849, Jackson, Miss. 39205 601-359-3449 mississippi.org

P.O. Box 3318, Jackson, Miss. 39207 601-948-3111 www.metrojacksoneda.com

Greater Jackson Arts Council P.O. Box 17, Jackson, Miss 39205 255 East Pascagoula 601-960-1557 jacksonartscouncil.org

Greater Jackson Chamber Partnership P.O. Box 22548, Jackson, Miss. 39225 601-948-7575 metrochamber.com

Hinds County Economic Development District P.O. Box 248, Jackson, Miss. 39205 601-353-6056 selecthinds.com Work. Live. Play. Visit.

Mississippi Development Authority

Mississippi Economic Council: The State Chamber of Commerce

P.O. Box 3721, Jackson, Miss. 39207 601-352-1909 medc.ms

Small Business Administration Mississippi District Office 201 E. Capitol St. 601-965-4378 sba.gov/localresources/district/ms

Working in Jackson

Roberts Walthall Hotel

Working in Jackson

joshhaileystudio.com

HOTELS, MOTELS & INNS America’s Best Suites

Extended Stay of America

5411 Interstate 55 N. 601-899-9000

5354 Interstate 55 N. 601-956-4312

Best Value Inn & Suites

Fairfield Inn by Marriott

5035 Interstate 55 N. 601-982-1011

5723 Interstate 55 N. 601-957-8557 marriott.com/janfi

Best Western Executive Inn 725 Larson St. 601-969-6555 bestwestern.com

734 Fairview St. 601-948-3429 fairviewinn.com

Best Western North

Hampton Inn & Suites

593 Beasley Road 601-956-8686

Cabot Lodge Millsaps

Over 29,000 people work in Downtown Jackson. Many corporate headquarters are located downtown like EastGroup Properties, Parkway Realty Services, Trustmark Bank and Pruet Oil Company. Downtown is also a corporate location for companies including AT&T, Regions Bank and KPMG. From great restaurants to office supply stores, Downtown Jackson offers an ideal locations for businesses small and large.

614 Monroe St. 601-352-8282

Holiday Inn Express

Comfort Inn North Comfort Inn Southwest Courtyard by Marriott

Inns of USA

6820 Ridgewood Court 601-956-9991

Days Inn Southwest 2616 Highway 80 W, 601-969-5511

277 E. Pearl St. 601-326-3916

Bancorp South Building 525 E. Capitol St. 601-944-3566

Capital Towers 125 S. Congress St 601-969-0707

City Centre 200 S. Lamar St. 601-949-8090 pky.com

Crossroads Building 207 W. Amite St. 601-352-1372

1815 Hospital Drive 601-372-5352

Lamar Life Building 317 E. Capitol St. 6013-52-1818 mattiace.com

Landmark Center 175 E. Capitol St. 601-961-9988

Lefleur’s Bluff Tower 4780 Interstate 55 N. 601-949-7711 pky.com

Millsaps Building

Regions Building 200 E. Capitol St. 601-949-7711 pky.com

Regions Plaza

3880 Interstate 55 S., Savanna Street 601-373-1244

Econo Lodge Highway 80 2450 Highway 80 W. 601-353-0340

Extended Stay Deluxe 572 Beasley Road 601-206-5757

210 E. Capitol St. 601-949-7711 pky.com

Trustmark Building 248 E. Capitol St. 601-208-6700

UBS Building 6360 Interstate 55 N. 601-949-7711

201 W. Capitol St. 601-352-0757

Omni Bank Building 236 E. Capitol St. 601-949-5589

120 N. Congress St. 601-977-0800

804 Larson St. 601-352-7387

lizzie wright

277 East Pearl

Hinds Professional Building

The Plaza Building

Enjoy the garden at the Old Capitol Inn.

In-Town Suites 5731 I-55 North 601-957-6833

E.com Lodge

222 N. President St. 601-936-5778

310 Greymont Ave. 601-948-4466 wilsonhotels.com/properties/hij

2800 Greenway Drive 601-922-5600

The Pinnacle at Jackson Place

401 E. Capitol St. 601-948-8180

Hilton Jackson & Convention Center

Coliseum Inn & Suites

Days Inn-Coliseum

222 President Building

Hill Top Inn

1001 E. County Line Road 601-957-2800 hiltonjackson.com

188 E. Capitol St. 601-949-8090 pky.com

190 E. Capitol St. 601-948-4091

803 Deer Park St. 601-944-1392

Quality Inn

1065 S. Frontage Road, I-20 601-354-4455

308 Pearl St. 601-914-0800

Heritage Building

Poindexter Park Inn

Clarion Hotel & Suites

111 E. Capitol St. 601-948-0111 pky.com 200 N. Congress St. 601-981-4445

3720 Interstate 55 N. 601-982-1122

Red Roof Inn Fairgrounds

One Jackson Place

400 E. Capitol St. 601-362-9633

Parkside Inn

465 Briarwood Drive 601-956-3611

Electric 308 Emporium Building

226 N. State St. 601-359-9000 oldcapitolinn.com

2375 N. State St. 601-948-8650 cabotlodgemillsaps.com

111 Capitol Building

200 North Congress

Old Capitol Inn Bed & Breakfast

400 Greymount Ave. 601-969-2230

5709 Interstate 55 N. 601-206-1616

OFFICE BUILDINGS

320 Greymont Ave. 601-352-1700

6145 Interstate 55 N. 601-956-8848

Hampton Inn North

5075 Interstate 55 N. 601-366-9411 choicehotels.com

Jackson offers an eclectic mix of office and living space.

Fairview Inn

Motel 6

4641 Interstate 55 N. 601-981-3320

Jackson Marriott Downtown

700 Larson St. 601-969-5006

Regency Hotel & Convention Center 400 Greymont Ave. 601-969-2141

Regency Inn 1714 Highway 80 W. 601-354-4931

Residence Inn by Marriott 881 East River Place 601-355-3599

Roberts Walthall 225 E. Capitol St. 601-948-6161 www.clarionhotel.com/ hotel-jackson-mississippiMS163

Select 10 4641 I-55 North 601-982-1044

200 East Amite St. 601-969-5100 marriott.com/property/ propertypage/janmc

Sleep Inn

Jacksonian Inn

5925 Interstate 55 N. 601-956-9988

1525 Ellis Ave. 601-944-1150

Jameson Inn 585 Beasley Road 601-206-8923 jamisoninns.com

La Quinta Inn North 616 Briarwood Drive 601-957-1741 909.lq.com

Metro Inn 1520 Ellis Ave. 601-355-7483

2620 Highway 80 West 601-354-3900

Studio 6 Super 8 North 6058 Interstate 55 N. 601-956-9986

Super S Motel South 2655 Interstate 55 S. 601-372-1006

Tarrymore Motel 1651 Terry Road 601-355-0753

Travel Inn 1955 Highway 80 W. 601-354-1653

One-Stop Shopping for everything on your list! A Daisy A Day Flowers Be-Bop Record Store Beemon Drugs Blockbuster Bon Ami Restaurant Brock’s Beauty Salon & Gifts Clark’s Cleaners Cingular Wireless Dress Code

Visit Maywood Mart, home to all of your favorite local shops & restaurants. Think of it as a Main Street right in the center of Jackson!

1st Stop Ace Hardware Interior Spaces Jackson Jewelers Jasper Ewing Photo LeNails Logan Farms Maurice’s Barber Shop McAlister’s McDade’s Market Extra McDade’s Wine & Spirits Nandy’s Candy Oreck Clean Home Center ontage R I-55 N Fr

Sprint

I-55

Pizza Hut Sportsman’s Lodge

From the North:

Papa John’s

Take I-55 South to exit 100, Northside Dr. Follow the exit ramp to the first light, and take a left under the interstate to Northside Dr. Maywood Mart is on your left.

Maywood Mart

Starbucks

We Love Yogurt

Northside Dr.

Old

The Pine Cone

Can to

T-Mobile

From the South: Take I-55 North to exit 99, Meadowbrook Dr./ Northside East. After exiting, follow signs to I-55 N Frontage Rd. Maywood Mart is on your right.

city livinâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Pssst! The truth is out:

Many people find the City of Jackson a more appealing place to live than the suburbs. by Jackie Warren Tatum Photo by Lizzie Wright

Loy Moncrief proudly shows off his lush Fondren garden.

Loy Moncrief, an avid gardener, once lived on 50 serene acres near Raymond, but felt isolated. One day when he opened the bathroom door of his old farmhouse to check out a noise, he found himself staring into the eyes of a 6-foot-long rat snake perched on the bathroom mirror. The nearest house was a mile away and his nearest friends, three miles. Moncrief also realized that even in the country, he was relying on Jackson for “income, retail products ... social life” and health care: Jackson houses the Baptist Medical Center, St. Dominic Hospital, and The University of Mississippi Medical Center (UMMC), one of the top 15 major teaching hospitals in the United States (see the BOOM profile of UMMC on page 39). So, in 1997, community and convenience nudged him to Jackson’s Belhaven neighborhood; seven years later, he bought a home in Jackson’s Fondren neighborhood. For Judi Pulliam, an administrator who lived in nearby suburbs Flowood and Madison before her 2005 move to Jackson, the city is “the center of everything.” In Madison, she was miles from a grocery. She had “to think through making her stops when she went out.” Now, Pulliam and her new husband Barry live within three or four blocks of a grocery store. They can walk or ride their bikes to the post office, the library, the cleaners, the pharmacy, or to eat Chinese food, pizza or fried chicken. Pulliam appreciates living where “a person can run home (from work), take the dogs out, change clothes and be … downtown within minutes” for an evening event. And those events run the gamut: symphony concerts; art openings; Broadway plays; opera; college football; religious services; festivals; concerts with named artists; great places to dine; free lectures at Millsaps or Belhaven college; and every 4 years, the International Ballet Competition—Jackson is one of only four cities in the world that hosts this annual “Olympics” of dance. Jackson’s “greater richness in culture” also beckoned social advocate Robin Webb from his family’s property in neighboring Rankin County, where he was living rent-free after 15 years in Manhattan. He craved diversity, wanted to find “people with a similar mindset,” and yearned for easier involvement in the ministries of the downtown Cathedral of St. Andrews, such as the homeless breakfast ministry, Stewpot and the CONTACT Crisis Line. Webb, who sees those ministries as a conglomeration of business, politics, history, the homeless, the wealthy, the dilapidated and the spiritual—and the juxtaposition of all of their dynamics—discovered a kind of “social grit” in Jackson where he feels a “tiny, tiny spot … (of) New York.” That feeling helped uproot him from his suburban cottage in 2007 to buy a house in Jackson. “The spirit of change is in the air here,” Webb says. Everything is not perfect, but beneath Jackson’s racial wounds, “some very progressive, healed people (live in Jackson who) … acknowledge reality … (and are) dedicated to positive change.” And Jackson is, indeed, linked to its history. Jody Donald, a lawyer, says, “Jackson has a flavor of older southern cities like Savannah and New Orleans.” Pulliam finds that connection to the past is apparent in Jackson’s neighborhoods, but she finds it missing in Madi-

son and Flowood, noting that most of Madison’s housing is new. She loves living in her Jackson “house with soul” in a place with “a sense of community.” Connecting and living in Jackson go hand in hand: People try to get to know each other, care about each other, and act on that caring as a part of living, itself. “Neighbors watch out for each other (in Jackson),” Donald says. Barry Pulliam says that he is “living in the very first racially diverse neighborhood I’ve ever lived in. It’s the first place I’ve lived that reflects what I think living in this country should look like.” His previous Ridgeland apartment complex had diverse occupants, he says, but it was a “bedroom and shopping community,” and neighbors were always going elsewhere to actually work and live. Not so, in Jackson. To Judi Pulliam, living within Jackson’s diversity provides opportunities to develop friendships outside of “little silos at work, church and social groups.” She just couldn’t find that opportunity in Flowood or Madison. With one car, the Pulliam’s enjoy inexpensive buses and trains in Jackson, which are absent from the suburbs. They also like the convenience of flying out of the Jackson-Evers International Airport. Accountant Kenneth Leggett and his wife Jody bought a Jackson home in 2007, having lived previously in Clinton, Pearl and Florence. They occasionally board a train for New Orleans for a weekend excursion. On their last trip, the round-trip fare was $44.00, according to Jody, comparable to a New Orleans weekend parking fee. The Leggett’s think Jackson’s central location makes it easier for Jacksonians to enjoy all of the metro area’s attractions than it does suburbanites. Kenneth Leggett believes that suburbanites often settle for only what is in their particular suburb. Carmen Castilla, a native Jackson attorney and businesswoman who is raising her children in Jackson, says that her choice to live in Jackson is in part due to a “sense of loyalty to be part of the growth and development of the city.” And Barry Pulliam points to that growth with delight: “Renovations and reconstructions” are ongoing everywhere, he says, “even the new construction on State Street” just north of the downtown district. Unlike most of the suburbs, Jackson’s architecture is anything but cookie cutter. It’s small and grand and everything in between, all tucked in and around each other. It includes the occasional pink or purple house, a front yard totem pole, a plethora of bottle trees and taking liberties with front yard gardens, none of which would fly in tightly controlled suburbs like Wicklow Development in Brandon, where covenants mandate white Tudor with brown trim. Nor could one ever mistake Jackson’s architectural ambiance—which includes town homes, condos and apartments in mixed use areas—for a newly-wrought suburb, where sameness flourishes and even the service station architecture seems to match everything else. For Jody Donald, “suburbia is homogeneous.” Jackson businesswoman and life-long Jacksonian, Averyell Kessler says, “It’s vanilla in the suburbs. It’s lovely there, but it’s vanilla. It’s a little more interesting living in Jackson.” ¢ 31

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n Designer paint colors and new plumbing fixtures n Gorgeous wrought iron banisters n Full size stacked washers and dryers n Beautiful lighting throughout n Freshly painted exteriors, new shutters, and new roofs n Wonderful pool with a great clubhouse n State-of-the-art fitness center and study room

For more information, call

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Contact Lori Redding with Kessinger Real Estate for more information at 662.234.5555 • 662.801.4499 1228 South Street • Oxford Mississippi For information on availabilities and virtual tours, visit us online at: www.theparkatoxford.com

darren schwindaman joshhaileystudio.com

Traditional southern food, while undeniably tasty, has a way of packing on the extra pounds. All the more important, then, to make regular exercise a part of your healthy lifestyle. It significantly reduces major health risks and increases overall well being. But exercise doesn’t always mean a treadmill. Jackson offers many creative options for the health-conscious. Here are a few you might enjoy. (Calorie counts are estimated. For more fitness options, see the listings on page 49.) Nature & Dog Walking (burns 250 cal/hr) Walking is ideal even for fitness rookies. Explore Jackson’s tree-lined neighborhoods in Belhaven, Fondren, Woodlea and Woodhaven, or the nature trails at the Mississippi Natural Science Museum and Mayes Lake. Walking trails line the (admittedly tree-challenged) JSU Parkway as well, connecting Jackson State and downtown Jackson. For a walking buddy, visit the City of Jackson Animal Shelter. Volunteers can walk any “adoptable” dog (screened for health and disposition) on a grassy

through his intensive fitness programs, rotating them through various activities in small motivational groups. “Being part of a team is huge,” Lacoste says. “It holds you accountable.” Though Lacoste’s annual weight loss challenge, clients commonly lose 14 inches off their waistlines. Lacoste also runs programs at the locally owned Courthouse Racquet & Fitness, which opened its sixth location this year in the Pinnacle building downtown. Branch manager Chris Baker says that downtown professionals can now incorporate exercise into the workday, with “express” workouts under an hour. Lacoste Sports (601-826-7851); Courthouse Racquet & Fitness downtown (601-948-8688). Dance (burns 400-500 cal/hr) Belly dancing, which celebrates women of all body types, has taught Kristina Kelly and her students to be comfortable in their own skin, while also providing a vigorous workout. Kelly teaches classes at Butterfly Yoga and founded the MissiHIPPY performance group. If you prefer to combine dance with socializing, try salsa dancing. Sujan and Sarah Ghimire, founders of the Salsa Mississippi dance community, teach classes and host Saturday salsa parties at La Salsa Dance Studio. “There’s so much laughter in our classes, it’s ridiculous,” says Ghimire, who emphasizes that most students come without a partner. Kristina Kelly (601-955-3160); La Salsa (303 Mitchell Avenue, 601-213-6355).

JacksonMoves william patrick butler

Fitness Options for Everyone

by Melia Dicker

quarter-mile loop. Volunteer Lyn Crawford says that the dogs, which must otherwise stay in cages, “are just thrilled to be outside and to have somebody loving on them.” City of Jackson Animal Shelter (140 Outer Circle, jxnfriends@yahoo.com). Yoga (burns 200-500 cal/hr) “If I can do yoga, anyone can,” Tara Blumenthal says, who used yoga to heal her scoliosis and whiplash injury and eventually became a yoga teacher. “I think, ‘Every year I get younger with yoga,’” says Blumenthal, 34, who enjoys making her students laugh during classes at Butterfly Yoga, a Fondren studio. Butterfly Yoga (3025 N. State St., 601-594-2313, butterflyyoga.net). Fitness programs (burn 400+ cal/hr) Paul Lacoste, founder of Lacoste Sports, has trained thousands of people

Work. Live. Play. Visit.

Gardening (200-600 cal/hr) Michael Gentry, coordinator of the sustainable Rainbow-Tougaloo Garden at Tougaloo College, says that gardening outdoors helps restore the body’s natural balance and encourages healthy eating. Gardening helped Tre’ Roberts, founder of the nonprofit Jackson InnerCity Gardeners (JIG), lose 75 pounds. Roberts has brought volunteers from ages three to 74 to JIG’s organic garden, demonstrating that gardening is for all ages and fitness levels. Rainbow-Tougaloo Garden (500 West County Line Road, 601-573-7529); JIG garden (Livingston & Melvin Bender Streets, 601-924-3539). ¢ 33

Downtown and Beyond

The

e c n a s s i a n Re

Jackson

by Ward Schaefer

william patrick butler

What began with a core of forward-thinking developers and a few downtown landmarks has expanded to reach more parts of the city. Even an economic recession hasn’t stopped this wave of development, as more residents and businesses realize the values of urban living, and Jackson developers rush to meet demand for urban dwelling options. Smaller projects are giving individuality and personality to downtown, and developers are taking the attractions of urban life to areas beyond the city center.

Stan Leflore

Although he’s lived in Jackson since 1975, it wasn’t until a few years ago that Stan Leflore noticed the downtown warehouse on East Silas Brown and Commerce streets. “I’ve probably seen this building a thousand times,” Leflore says of the 1950s brick structure. But driving past it one day, “this building just about snapped my neck,” he says. “It caught my attention like never before.” He bought it two years ago and, after less than six months of renovation, plans to reopen it as “The South” by the end of 2009. “I felt like I was supposed to take this building and do something with it,” Leflore says.

takes root

The brick warehouse used to be a distribution center for McRae’s Department Store, and it has a striking profile, with a peaked tin roof that lends the structure the feel of a rural barn. Features like wall-size sliding doors and exposed wooden beams give the grand interior a rustic functional, charm. It’s the perfect space for Leflore to expand his antique business, also called The South. Leflore plans to furnish the bottom floor with antiques from his store and artwork by local artists and rent it out as an events space. “You start envisioning things,” Leflore says, wheeling open some warehouse doors to reveal a concrete loading dock. He imagines putting tables along the loading dock and replacing windows that were bricked up over the years, filling the space with wedding receptions, office parties and reunions. Upstairs, he is building offices, which he will rent to small firms, the kind that will appreciate a funky location. Citing other development projects like the Old Capitol Green, Leflore sees a downtown population of residents and pleasureseekers flocking to the area. “Imagine in 10 years,” he says. “What could this neighborhood look like in 10 years?” With inspired developers like Leflore, Jackson’s renaissance isn’t a decade away—it’s here already.

Mark Lamar

Amid large flagship developments like the Convention Center and the King Edward Hotel, smaller, quirkier projects are filling in the gaps in downtown. Mark Lamar understands the value of these small, personality-filled developments. It’s why in 2007 he leaped at the chance to purchase a row of old law offices on West Capitol Street just off Farish Street. “All this action going on over here, and the buildings were going for next to nothing—I just couldn’t pass it up,” Lamar says. It took confidence and vision to complete the project, though. The three buildings, which were built in 1898, were totally derelict at the time he bought them, Lamar says. “Two of them leaked real bad and had nothing left inside them,” he says. “They weren’t going to last forever.”

www.boomjackson.com

A third building was full of trash. Workers had to haul out 10 full dumpsters of debris before they could begin renovating the interior. “These are old buildings that would have to be torn down in a few years if we hadn’t gone in,” Lamar says. “We had to redo all the mortar and all the bricks. They were crumbling.” Now, Lamar’s work has paid off. The buildings exude warmth and southern grace, with a stucco façade on the ground floor giving way to brick and ironwork on the second floor. He converted the bottom floors into two commercial spaces, both of which he expects to lease to restaurants, and a 2,200square-foot two-bedroom apartment. Upstairs, Lamar built three more apartments, which share a rooftop patio. The apartments, with their hardwood floors and 12-foot ceilings, manage to look updated and hip without erasing their old charm. Lamar’s respect for the building’s age shows in another way too: He has kept Metro Shoe Repair in its old ground-floor location in between the two restaurant spaces. After all, people live downtown, and they’ll need to get their shoes fixed. “It takes somebody doing small projects like this to give Jackson the character that I think we want,” Lamar says.

courtesy of charter consulting

william patrick butler

Mark Lamar

spans 440 acres of former farmland and includes 325 single-family homes, which Chapman will offer on lease-to-purchase basis, using federal tax credit money to support prospective homeowners as they build assets. Chapman is not interested in building cheap rental property, however. Houses in Timber Falls will be average 1,750 square feet and contain brick, architectural shingles, two-car garages, 9-foot ceilings and energy-efficient appliances. Chapman’s commitment to quality won him the support of neighborhood associations and area pastors, a remarkable feat for a development that uses taxcredit money. City leaders have also embraced Chapman’s vision for the development. They helped him secure tax increment financing to complete a parkway for the area. “All in all, we’ve received great support from the council, the (city) administration,” Chapman says. “As a result, we have something that’s going to pay dividends for the residents of the Forest Hill area and the City of Jackson for years to come.” With $56 million worth of residential development already finished, Chapman can turn to the commercial side of his project. His goal, he says, is to attract businesses that can provide “a focus for that part of town, which has never really had a focal point to pull the community together.” An open-air amphitheater and lake will attract cultural events, while grocery stores and other essential features will make South Jackson a self-sufficient part of the city. “What we’ve done here with this funding is viewed as quite possibly a way to save this end of town and other ends of town and start putting the capital city back together,” Chapman says.

Clarence Chapman

The residential and commercial development in downtown areas has emboldened developers working in other parts of Jackson too. Clarence Chapman, principal of Chartre Consulting, based in Oxford, Miss., is planning a $300 million mixed-use development, Timber Falls, in the rolling hills of South Jackson. Timber Falls

Clarence Chapman is developing Timber Falls in South Jackson.

Work. Live. Play. Visit.

When their telecommunications business started flagging, Ali and Khalid Jamila didn’t give up on Jackson. Instead, the brothers sold Unitel Communications to Southern Wireless and committed themselves to renewing the area around Unitel’s old office, on the northern edge of the Fondren neighborhood. Fondren has enjoyed a boom for the last decade, but the commercial area where the Jamila brothers worked was still depressed in 2004, when they bought the acre lot that surrounded the Unitel office. Undeterred, the Jamila brothers built the 13-unit Meadowbrook Shopping Center and quickly leased every unit. Following that success, in 2008, the Jamila brothers acquired a 7-acre “Primos Northgate” property just north of their old office. One complex on the lot used to hold a conference center and restaurant; another held offices. Both were in rough condition. “You could not describe it, the way it had been run down,” Ali says. But Ali and Khalid knew that a revitalization of the entire area was the only way to keep growing. “We decided to protect the property, the neighbors and the community here,” Ali says. “If it stayed like this, it would run the next property down. Since we’ve started, everybody’s started coming up and spending money on renovating, so the whole area came back up.” As before, the Jamila brothers have had no difficulty filling

william patrick butler

Ali & Khalid Jamila

The Jamila brothers revitalized Fondren Plaza on N. State Street. their new property. Candidate Harvey Johnson Jr. located his mayoral campaign headquarters in the Northgate Office Building this spring, and the Jackson Police Department is moving a precinct headquarters into the building’s top floor. With more developers dedicating themselves to the city, Ali has high hopes for Fondren and the city. “People want us to go ahead and put the money back into Jackson,” Ali says. “Anybody who owns property here, if

www.boomjackson.com

william patrick butler

Fondren 3000 is an A.G. Helton project. they put in the effort and time that we did on this, this will be one of the best areas in Jackson.”

A.G. Helton

The growth in Fondren also caught the eye of A.G. Helton. Helton is based in Yazoo City, an hour north of Jackson, but when he saw that Fondren Tower, an office building in the heart of the district’s commercial center, was for sale, he decided to invest in the capital city.

Work. Live. Play. Visit.

“I was on my way to the dentist and just walked into the building and loved it,” Helton says. Helton bought the building on his birthday, giving himself a gift that is quickly revealing its worth. Helton gave the building a new, colorful façade that complements several other 1950s-style developments nearby. The building was built in 1965, and most of Helton’s renovation work has focused on modernizing its utilities and “bringing it to the 21st century,” as Helton puts it. Workers have completed over half of the renovation, and the building is already 90 percent leased. Helton expects to have 20 total tenants in the five-story, 40,000 square-foot building. Many of those will be doctors, as the building’s location puts it close to three hospitals. But Helton is also bringing in retail, with a local optician already moving in. Perhaps even more significantly, Helton’s renovation persuaded the venerable Nick’s Restaurant, a local fine-dining favorite, to make the move to Fondren. With Nick’s on the ground floor, Fondren Tower will quickly become a hub for Fondren’s ever-increasing nightlife scene. Asked why he would commit to Fondren, in a city he doesn’t even live in, Helton hones in one thing: community. “This is like a city within a city,” Helton says. “The community supports itself. How many places can you walk to work and walk to lunch?” Jacksonians are eager to reclaim their city as a walkable, selfsufficient urban environment, and developers like Helton are giving them that opportunity. “The community is rebuilding itself,” Helton says. ¢

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UMMC

Educating, Caring and Finding Cures by Ward Schaefer

Nestled in midtown Jackson, the University of Mississippi Medical Center (officially UMMC, but commonly and historically called just “UMC”) has a central location that matches its place at the nexus of health care and higher education in the state. UMMC covers acres with its main campus, but its reach into Jackson’s economy is even greater. Most Jacksonians know UMMC as an educational institution and health-care facility—the reason for all those people wearing scrubs in local coffee houses and eateries. But those are only two elements of UMMC’s three-part mission. The third element, medical research, is critical to maintaining the quality of UMMC’s education and clinical care, and it has played a starring role in the center’s history.

Though its roots go back to 1903 with the formation of a two-year medical program at the University of Mississippi in Oxford, UMMC’s modern history began in 1955, when medical-school faculty established their school on a Jackson campus. Physiologist Arthur Guyton was among those charter faculty members. Guyton, who took up research after a bout of polio ruled out a career in surgery, left an indelible mark on medical education with his enduring “Textbook of Medical Physiology,” which went through 10 editions during his lifetime. In the 1950s, Guyton made several key findings about the physiology of hypertension. Conventional medical wisdom of the time held that the heart determined how much blood it should pump. Guyton showed that blood vessels actually expand or contract to dictate the heart’s output, upending the previous notion and establishing a theory of the “permissive heart.” UMMC drew international attention in 1963, when Dr. James Hardy conducted the first human lung transplant here. Hardy also directed the first heart transplant at UMMC the following year. The procedure, which used a chimpanzee’s heart, attracted as much notoriety as acclaim at the time. Subsequent successful human-to-human transplants swayed public opinion, however, and now Hardy’s work is widely acknowledged as groundbreaking. Work. Live. Play. Visit.

joshhaileystudio.com

Early Breakthroughs

UMMC’s legacy of research still pays dividends. The center just renewed an $11.6 million grant from the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute that originated 41 years ago, under Arthur Guyton. One of Guyton’s former students, Dr. John Hall, now oversees that grant as UMMC’s associate vice chancellor for research. He says it has funded important discoveries related to heart failure, hypertension and obesity, including his own investigations. “We’re trying to understand how the brain responds to obesity, why there’s a resetting in the brain which perpetuates the obesity and causes high blood pressure and cardiovascular disease,” Hall says. Hall’s team has found a likely culprit in leptin, a hormone produced by fat cells that normally works in the brain to suppress appetite. In healthy individuals, leptin levels rise with eating, raising blood pressure as a side effect. In animals with obesity, however, the brain becomes less responsive to leptin; indeed, animals with leptin deficiencies become extremely obese, Hall says. Given Mississippi’s high rate of obesity, UMMC can provide what Hall calls a “living laboratory,” a place where advances in research can directly improve public health for the state. Hall is helming a major research initiative by the center that will focus on four of its strongest fields: cardiovascular health, neuroscience, obesity and diabetes, and health-care disparities. “We wanted to try to develop those areas where we feel we can be really world-class, not just be a ‘me-too’ type of research program,” Hall explains. Hall says that the center hopes to double its research production over the next five years. That means a doubling in outside funding

courtesy ummc

The Powerful Engine

Dr. John Hall as well as the number of publications produced by research scientists. To staff this push, UMMC is hiring 10 new researchers a year for the next five years. The center will reward researchers who can attract more grant money with financial incentives. The research initiative is off to an impressive start. Over the

It’s simple. Eat healthy, exercise, know your numbers, be tobacco-free.

be healthy. www.bcbsms.com

Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Mississippi, A Mutual Insurance Company, is an independent licensee of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association. ® Registered Marks of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association, an Association of Independent Blue Cross and Blue Shield Plans.

www.boomjackson.com

last fiscal year, UMC generated $39.8 million in outside funding for research. This fiscal year, researchers have pulled in $54.2 million in only nine months. Hall hopes to reach $100 million per year in outside funding by the initiative’s end. “Research is a very powerful economic engine, not only in terms of creating jobs, but just bringing in outside dollars,” Hall says. It’s an efficient engine, too. For every dollar that the state invests in research, UMMC generates four more in funding from outside sources like the National Institutes of Health. With that rate of return, it’s no wonder leaders in state government and business support UMMC’s plans to build a research park on the site of the old Mississippi Farmer’s Market. The park would house advanced research facilities, along with commercial space. While the park is still in the earliest planning stages, UMMC has secured $7.2 million to use for consulting, and Hall sees an initial plan for the facility coming together in the next year.

A Fabric of the Community

Bringing the Community Together: Promoting Racial Harmony and Facilitating Understanding Friendship Golf Tournament Thursday, October 8, 2009 at Colonial Country Club Friendship Ball Saturday, March 6, 2010 at Hal & Mal’s Jackson 2000 has monthly luncheons at Schimmel’s and welcomes all those interested to hear evocative speakers the 2nd Wednesday of every month. For membership information, please e-mail Todd Stauffer at todd@jacksonfreepress.com or visit www.jackson2000.org

Research funding combines with UMMC’s educational and clinical missions to pack an impressive economic punch. With schools for graduate studies, medicine, dentistry, nursing and health-related professions, the center currently serves 2,200 students and employs 8,493 people. Thanks in large part to that highly educated population, UMMC has an overall economic impact of $1.4 billion annually in the city of Jackson, which represents a solid 10 percent of the metro’s economy. As Dr. David Powe, UMMC’s chief administrative officer, notes, many of the medical schools’ graduates remain in the Jackson area, making a lasting contribution to the city’s economy and culture. “It’s a win-win for the students, the city and the metropolitan area to have these professionals and future-professionals located here,” Powe says. From offering free medical services at public events to taking leadership roles with charitable boards and the Jackson Chamber of Commerce, UMMC shares the considerable talent and resources at its disposal for the sake of the entire city. “We look not only into providing health care but also being a fabric of the community, and to participate in improving the community,” Powe says. ¢

Work. Live. Play. Visit.

The largest conferences. The smallest meetings. And everything in between.

The Hilton Jackson is the areaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s most flexible event venue, featuring 28,000 square feet in which to meet, greet and engage. Youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll find 16 distinctive spaces, ranging from small boardrooms to an impressive Grand Ballroom. 1001 East County Line Road Jackson, Mississippi 39211 601-957-2800

www.jackson.hilton.com

www.boomjackson.com

by Melia Dicker

Photos by Darren Schwindaman

2 LAST

BUILT

Jackson is home to businesses of all kinds that have stood the test of time. It’s not hard to find folks who have been around for more than 20 years. We asked a few owners to share how they have stayed successful, even as the world has changed around them.

Come on in!

The Mayflower Café 123 W. Capitol St. 601-355-4122 The Mayflower Café has been passed down for three generations, but hasn’t changed much since it opened downtown in 1935. Its name pays tribute to its founders, who were Greek immigrants. Jerry Kountouris says that his father, Mike, “lived the American Dream” by coming through Ellis Island from Greece and working for his uncle, cofounder of The Mayflower. At age 18, Mike began as a busboy and worked his way up to owner. Kountouris began working for his father 20 years ago and took over when his father died in 2005. He credits The Mayflower’s lasting success to tradition, nostalgia and consistency. The comeback dressing is legendary, and the servers can rattle off customers’ names and their usual orders. The regulars are friends, says Kountouris, and “they spend more time socializing than they do eating.” Work. Live. Play. Visit.

John Evans Mark Scurlock Maison Weiss

Maison Weiss 4500 Interstate 55 N., # 109 601-981-4621 When Nell and Bernie Weiss opened Maison Weiss in 1975, they envisioned it as “Jackson’s Neiman Marcus,” says President Ken Szilasi, their grandson. Szilasi became co-owner of the upscale women’s store with Nell after Bernie died in 1998. The store embodies class even today. The long-term success of Maison Weiss comes from two key factors, says Szilasi. First, bringing the latest fashions for older and younger women to Mississippi before anyone else. Second, having a top-notch staff, who know their clients and call to recommend new arrivals. Szilasi says that customers know they will get quality merchandise at honest prices.

Scurlock’s Donuts 4157 Robinson St. 601-922-8618 Scurlock’s Donut Shop and Eatery is opening a second spot downtown in September ’09, bringing doughnuts, bacon, sausage, biscuits, eggs and a host of breakfast wonders with them. Mark Scurlock, who co-owns the business with his wife Beverly. says the secret to their 20-year success is a cheerful attitude with customers and keeping the food in a constant state of evolution. “We never get complacent. We want to make sure we have a good product, but if we can make it better, you can bet we will,” he says. Scurlock projects the new downtown spot will also offer a lunch menu, continuing to cultivate their reputation for happy service and incredible food. No one leaves Scurlock’s hungry.

Lemuria Books 4465 Interstate 55 N. 601-366-7619 In 1975, at age 24, John Evans started Lemuria Books out of a small converted apartment because he felt the need to provide Jacksonians with a selection of quality books. Eventually, Lemuria moved to its current space, with comfortable couches and stacks where you can lose yourself. As an independent bookstore, Lemuria has stayed competitive by growing its Internet sales, developing lasting relationships with authors and understanding business as well as books. Lemuria’s free author events have brought renowned authors like William Styron to read. Though Evans is modest, it’s clear that these events have raised the literary standard of Jackson.

POWER by Melia Dicker

Photos by Tom Beck

Beauty Standing in her closet at home in downtown Jackson, stylist Suzanne Moak holds up a pair of silver and gold platform shoes by Gwen Stefani. They have stitched seams like baseballs and look like steel-toed high heels. She kisses them. “Tell me you can’t feel powerful when you wear these,” she says. This particular pair of shoes seems to represent Moak her-

Downtown resident and Fondren business owner Suzanne Moak lives a Carrie Bradshaw existence—at affordable rents that would make a New Yorker cry.

“Learning things, seeing what’s around the corner.” Living downtown has suited the Jackson native’s passion for “hustle and bustle.” For two and a half years, Moak has lived in a large apartment on the 11th floor of the Plaza Building on North Congress Street. She likes being able to walk to a café or to the dry cleaners, and loves taking her dogs, Gigi and Buddy, to the park across the street. Moak helped start the Downtown Neighborhood Association of Jackson (known as “Jackson’s DNA”) to publicize the fact that people live downtown and to foster community among downtown residents. Moak is JDNA’s social chair and party planner, hosting regular happy hours at Tye’s Restaurant and Bar, downstairs in the Plaza building. With the help of friend and antique dealer John Graf, Moak decorated her two-bedroom, two-bathroom apartment in black and white. She likes the neutral colors because they blend

“Jackson is just home.”

self: an eclectic mix of elements impossible to categorize, who combines power with beauty. She is a woman who knows what she wants and knows how to look good while getting it. This spring Moak, 36, opened S.Moak, a salon in Fondren Place. She loves the challenge of running a new business. “I like adventure,” Moak says, her green eyes sparkling.

Work. Live. Play. Visit.

well with eclectic accents that are both modern and classic. Her living room, for example, features a mercury glass lamp from the 1940s, a sleek white vase filled with purple irises and original prints from Jackson artist Robyn Jayne Henderson on the walls. Moak’s “closet” is actually a bedroom converted into a private fashion boutique. Party dresses and flowing printed tops hang on two metal racks. Shoes of all kinds are stacked on shelves or hanging neatly in organizers, and a vanity sits in the corner. “I like to play dress-up,” Moak says. She sees every day as a new opportunity to express her mood and the different facets of her personality: business profes-

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601.845.2214

Black and white provides the backdrop for Moak’s eclectic accents. sional, social butterfly and creative artist. The oldest of 10 kids in a blended Jackson family (and a distant relation to auto dealer Paul Moak), Moak began to cut her siblings’ hair at age 14. At 21, she sold everything she had to attend the prestigious Vidal Sassoon Academy in London. She returned to the U.S. and has worked as a stylist ever since. Moak’s intention in living downtown and opening a fashionable salon is to be part of Jackson’s revitalization. Though she has traveled widely and has a worldly sense of style, Moak is proud to be helping make her city as cosmopolitan as any other. “Jackson is just home,” Moak says. ¢

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COLLEGES & UNIVERSITIES Antonelli College

Why choose

Jackson

to call

home?

Here are just a few of the reasons, according to the Jackson, Mississippi: City with Soul Web site (jacksoncitywithsoul.com): Choose Jackson for the low cost of living and the high quality of life. Mississippi’s capital city has all the amenities of a modern metropolis—strong schools and colleges, family-friendly neighborhoods, easy commutes, coffee shops, sidewalk cafes and other cool stuff—without the modern metropolis price. It’s a fact that you can live well here for much less than Boston, Chicago, New York or Los Angeles, and for less than comparable southern cities like Memphis, Atlanta, Little Rock and Birmingham. Downtown Jackson is in the midst of the biggest revitalization in its nearly 200-year history. The King Edward Hotel and Farish Street Historic District are finalizing renovations in 2009 and opening for business. The convention and entertainment district is thriving, with the Jackson Convention Center celebrating its one year anniversary in January 2010. The city boasts historic, gracious, tree-lined neighborhoods like Fondren, Belhaven, Broadmoor and many others, ready to welcome you home. Explore the neighborhood Web sites—or better yet, the actual neighborhoods—to find out which might be best for you. You’ll find lots of events and things to do and see including the Jackson Zoo, Mississippi Museum of Art, Davis Planetarium, Mississippi Agricultural and Forestry Museum, Smith Robertson Museum, LeFleur’s Bluff State Park, and much, much more. Be sure to go to jfpevents.com and visitjackson.com for current listings of attractions and events. NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATIONS Broadmeadow Neighborhood Association

Belhaven College 1500 Peachtree St. 601-352-3805 belhaven.edu

College of Architecture MSU 509 E. Capitol St. 601-354-6480 msstate.edu

Hinds Community College Multiple Locations 1-800-HINDS CC hindscc.edu

Jackson State University 1400 Lynch St. 601-977-7768 jsums.edu

Millsaps College 1701 N. State St. 601-353-8021 millsaps.edu

Mississippi College School of Law 151 E. Griffith St. 601-979-7012 mc.edu

Tougaloo College 500 W. County Line Road 601-977-7768 tougaloo.edu

University of Mississippi Medical Center 2500 N. State St. 601-984-1000 umc.edu

Barrington 1200 Meadowbrook Road (601) 981-7352

The Bellstone 848 North St. (601) 713-0007

City View 827 N. State St. 601- 354-7004

The Diplomat 500 Northpointe Parkway 601- 957-7048

LOFT APARTMENTS 736 Lofts 736 S. President St. 601-720-7655

Electric 308 308 E. Pearl St. 601-914-0800 electric308.com

Fondren Corner 2906 N. State St. 601-362-8440 petersdev.com

The Foundry Lofts 300 W. South St. 601-352-3722 studioloftsjacksonms.com

Living in Jackson

2323 Lakeland Drive 601-362-9991 antonellicollege.edu

CONDOMINIUMS

Plaza Building 120 N. Congress St. 601-977-0800 petersdev.com

Tombigbee Lofts 555 Tombigbee St. 601-362-8440 petersdev.com

Virginia College 4800 McWillie Circle 601-977-0960 vc.edu

APARTMENTS 809 State Street 809 State St. 601-961-3255

Belhaven Place 1315 N. Jefferson St. 601-353-0800

Enrich Your Life Take a Millsaps College Enrichment class and learn something new!

622 Naples Road topoffondren.com

Greater Belhaven Neighborhood Foundation 954 Fortification St. 601-352-8850 greaterbelhaven.com

Fondren Renaissance Foundation 3318 N. State St. 601-981-9606 fondren.org, visitfondren.com

The Association of South Jackson Neighborhoods P.O. Box 6682, Jackson, Miss. 39282 asjn.org

Jackson Association of Neighborhoods P.O. Box 1568, Jackson, Miss. 39215 601-372-7461, or 601-366-2461

Work. Live. Play. Visit.

Backyard Astronomy • Genealogy • Ballroom Dancing Architectural History of MS • Dance Ministry • Portrait Drawing Calligraphy • Photography • Creative Writing • Watercolor Painting Pottery • Languages • Playwriting • Yoga • Antiques Belly Dance • Tai Chi • Feng Shui • Gardening • Grant Writing Landscape Design • Basic Investing • Guitar • Harmonica These noncredit classes for adults are offered three times a year. Call Millsaps Continuing Education Office At 601-974-1130 for more information or visit www.millsaps.edu/conted 49

770 Lakeland Drive 601-981-1122

Greenbrier Place 750 Poplar Blvd. 601-353-0800

Nejam Communities

Antique Mall 1217 Vine St. 601-354-5222

Antique Market 3009 N. State St. 601-982-5456

Batte Furniture & Interiors

904-A Morningside St. 601-355-0100

1010 E. Northside Drive 601-366-0335

Sterling Towers

The Elephants Ear

170 E. Griffith St. in the Farish Street Historic District 601-353-4210

3110 Old Canton Road 601-982-5140

Interiors Market

Vieux Carre

659 Duling Ave. 601-981-6020

3975 Interstate 55 N. 601-982-3182

RETAIL SHOPPING

Seasonal Shopping Events Fondren After 5 First Thursdays of every month Fondren District 601-981-9606 fondren.org

Arts, Eats and Beats April, Fondren District 601-981-9606 fondren.org

Bagwell Antique Shows March & October, Mississippi Trade Mart 662-231-9654

Bright Lights, Belhaven Nights August, Belhaven Neighborhood 601-352-8850

Chimneyville Crafts Festival

The M Nicholas Collection 2943 Old Canton Road 601-981-3626

St. Martin’s Gallery

March & November, Mississippi Trade Mart 601-948-6436 handworksmarket.com

Mississippi Museum of Art Museum Store: Holiday Open House 201 E. Pascagoula St. 601-960-1515 msmuseumart.org

Mistletoe Marketplace November, Mississippi Trade Mart 601-948-2357, 1-800-380-2870 mistletoemarketplace.com

717 Manship St. 601-968-1766 mbmc.org

Butterfly Yoga 3025 N. State St. Fondren 601-594-2313 butterflyyoga.net

Courthouse Racquet & Fitness Multiple Locations (601) 932-4800 mscourthouse.com

Energy in Motion 419 Mitchell Ave. (601) 983-2820

Family Fitness

Banner Hall 4465 Interstate 55 N. 601-366-3371

Canton Mart Square 1491 Canton Mart Road 601-957-1217

Fondren District North State St. from Woodrow Wilson to Meadowbrook Road 601-981-9606 fondren.org

Highland Village Shopping Center 4500 Interstate 55 N. 601-982-5861 www.highlandvillagems.com

1nterstate 55 N. at Northside Drive 601-366-5502

Handworks Market

Baptist Healthplex

Malls and Shopping Centers

Gem and Mineral Show

Saturdays, April to Christmas 904 E. Fortification St. 601-352-8850 greaterbelhaven.com/themar ket/market_AboutUs.php

4924 Interstate 55 N., Suite 107 601-608-8043

Everlast Health & Wellness Center

LeFleur’s Gallery

Greater Belhaven Market

Anytime Fitness

2817 Old Canton Road 601-362-1977

December, Mississippi Trade Mart 601-981-0019 mscraftsmenguild.org February, Mississippi State Fairgrounds 601-961-4000 msgems.org

EXERCISE STUDIOS & GYMS

4800 Interstate 55 North 601-981-4626

Maywood Mart

Metrocenter Mall 3645 Highway 80 W. 601-354-7800 shopmetrocentermall.com

Arts & Crafts Brown’s Fine Art & Framing 630 Fondren Place 601-982-4844 brownsfineart.com

Interior Spaces 1200 E. Northside Drive, Suite 120 601-981-9820

Mississippi Museum of Art 380 S. Lamar St. 601-960-1515

Oriental Shoppe Highland Village 601-362-4646

Reaves’ Oriental Rugs 420 Meadowbrook Rd. 601-362-7707

joshhaileystudio.com

Fondren Hill

Antiques

5202 Keele St. 601-982-8624 3275 Davis Road 601-373-7030 family-fitness.com

Future Lady Fitness 1625 E. County Line Road 601-957-710

G2 Fitness Institute 1867 Crane Ridge Drive 601.366.2223

Jackson’s galleries offer something for everyone.

joshhaileystudio.com

730 N. Jefferson St. 601-948-3460

Health Line Wellness Center 970 Lakeland Drive 601-200-4925 stdom.com

Jackson City George Kurts Gym 125 Gymnasium Drive 601-960-1883 jackson.ms.us

Jackson City Sykes Gym 520 Sykes Road 601-960-2165 jackson.ms.us

Pilates Place of Mississippi

Friends meet up at Fondren After 5. joshhaileystudio.com

Belhaven Residential

4500 Interstate 55 N. 601-981-2987 pilatesplacems.com

Pilates Place of Mississippi 4735 Old Canton Road 601-942-1688

The Pilates Studio 1491 Canton Mart Road, Suite 13 601-991-3201 pilatesofjackson.com

Powerhouse Gym 1693 Lakeover Road 601-982-7360 powerhousegym.com

Quest Fitness Club 1693 Lakeover Drive 601-982-7360

YMCA Multiple Locations 601-948-0818 jacksony.org

One of many unique finds at Lounge Interiors. www.boomjackson.com

lizzie wright

e W

a ade r a P by

A parade is the perfect opportunity for a city to celebrate, and no city can do a parade quite like Jackson. What began nearly 30 years ago as a bonding experience between Jackson girlfriends has become a famous, gaudy and sometimes naughty feature of the annual Mal’s St. Paddy’s Day Parade in Jackson. Boss Sweet Potato Queen, Jackson native and New York Times best-selling author Jill Conner Browne, decided one day that she deserved to be queen of something— anything really, just as long as she was the Queen. That something, she decided, would be sweet potatoes. In order to make this known to the public, Browne and her girlfriends paraded downtown in Mal’s parade during afternoon rush hour. “Drag for women.” That’s the best way to 52

describe the Sweet Potato Queens in all their glory (although several brave men have been seen marching among them as well). Imagine a sea of buxom pink and greenclad bodies wearing giant red wigs, robed in sequins, marching in pink Marionette boots, and lots and lots of glitter. These are the Sweet Potato Queens. Now imagine hundreds of voluptuous, somewhat intoxicated women marching the streets behind them—Queen “wannabes.” Escorts are necessary, so enter the Sweet Potato Queen Wranglers. Through knowing the right people involved (and the will of the gods), I was asked to march alongside the Sweet Potato Queens in the 27th annual Mal’s St.

itz kov n a J ine Jan

Paddy’s Day Parade as an official Sweet Potato Queen Wrangler. We were to be the official aides to the Queens, but the name, I assure you, is to be taken literally. My job was to “wrangle” the Queens along the parade route. Arma Marquez, the head Sweet Potato Queen Wrangler who graciously allowed me to be involved, explains the role of a Wrangler as “part Welcome Wagon, part sergeant.” We were to keep the Queens happy, help them get through the parade route, and keep everything in order. Sweet Potato royalty—thanks in part to Browne’s six best-selling books and contagious attitude of “why the hell not?”—has grown into an international movement with nearly 6,000 chapters across the globe, including Saudi Arabia and Indonesia. Every year thousands of women congregate in

www.boomjackson.com

The St. Paddy’s Day Parade is rowdy fun for all ages. But the Queens are only a part of this massive celebration. Malcolm White, Jackson restaurateur and entertainment promoter is the man behind the parade. When White first came to Jackson from Hattiesburg in 1979, he discovered a city where “people went out of town to party.” “I was looking for events that Jackson could celebrate (in town),” he says. In 1981 White organized a pub crawl in downtown Jackson to celebrate Saint Patrick’s Day. The event was so successful that two years later, he decided to turn the crawl into a parade. “When I first started the Mal’s Saint Paddy’s Day Parade we kind of made it up as we went,” he says. “Today it’s a sort of homecoming for people from out of town, friends and neighbors. … This parade has many layers and many personalities that come together once a year.” The original parade crew still marches every year, joined by others like the Rude Boys, the O-Tux Society, and the Krewe of Kudzoo. Each float or crew is judged by the Bucket Heads in front of the governor’s mansion to determine the best and most creative groups. Over the third weekend in March, Mal’s Saint Paddy’s Day events include a ball, parties, concerts, children’s activities, a pet parade and thousands of onlookers.

But That’s Not All

Saint Patrick’s Day is not the only holiday Jackson celebrates with a parade. The first Saturday in December is Jackson’s annual Christmas Parade, the city’s official kick-off for the winter holidays. The parade gathers the city together downtown and leads to City Hall for a tree lighting ceremony and music. “It kicks off the Christmas celebration in the city,” says Goldia Revis, Director of Constituency Services. “The Christmas parade gets Jackson into the holiday celebration mood.” In January, Jackson comes together to remember and celWork. Live. Play. Visit.

ebrate the legacy of Martin Luther King Jr. City Councilman Kenneth Stokes organized the first march in the early ’80s. “We started the parade with just a few cars and Coretta Scott King, Dr. King’s wife,” Stokes says. Today the parade is recognized as one of the largest in the country dedicated to Dr. King. During the two-week celebration, Jackson is host to events including gospel singing, a talent show and live entertainment. The parade marches for four hours ending with a birthday bash in memory of Dr. King at City Hall. People and bands from Little Rock, Ark., New Orleans, La., Texas, and as far as Chicago, join in the celebration. Running from mid-January through mid-February every year, the Dixie National Rodeo at the Mississippi State Fairgrounds is a three-week event that kicks off with a parade down Capitol Street for all the cowboys, cowgirls and horses involved. The Dixie National includes the largest livestock show east of the Mississippi River, and is the second largest Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association Rodeo in the U.S. The Dixie National hosts five horse shows, a Junior livestock show, a two-day Western Festival, two trade shows, a rodeo dance and top country and western musicians. In late October, Jackson State University holds its Homecoming Parade in downtown Jackson. This parade is truly a citywide event, inviting everyone to cheer for the JSU Tigers. The parade entertains a crowd of over 20,000 spectators as a precursor to the homecoming game later that afternoon. “We have around 175 entries (each year) for groups from

charlie brenner

lizzie wright

Jackson for an opportunity to party and parade with her Royal Highness. And while organizing women in the name of fun and sisterhood is a worthy cause in itself, the Queens also join the parade in raising money for children. In 2009, the Queen formula of big hair, big attitude and lots of glitter helped raise $30,000 for the Blair E. Batson Children’s Hospital.

Jackson State University’s Homecoming Parade. all over the country to march in the parade, including ROTC members, marching bands, floats, cars and trucks, politicians, and various JSU alumni chapters,” says Lori Stewart, Director of Communication and Outreach at JSU. In Jackson there is always a celebration waiting for you to join. If you have always wanted to march in a parade, consider this your official invitation to join in the fun. Our parades are world renowned, celebrating the many people that call the city “home.” Embrace your inner Queen or try your hand at wrangling. Either way, Jackson invites you to march along. And in the spirit of Jill Connor Browne, I ask you: “Why the hell not?” ¢ 53

lizzie wright

ight lizzie wr

tom be ck

Local blues guitarist and vocalist Eddie Cotton is a huge draw for Jackson’s outdoor festivals.

music al

Like all good southerners, Jacksonians are skilled at the art of leisure. Nowhere is that more evident than in the city’s many music festivals. They offer the essentials for a serious practitioner of good times: art, food, drink, music of all sorts and the kind of community pride that runs deep in Jackson. Perhaps the crown jewel of Jackson’s festival scene, Jubilee!JAM has been bringing up to 20,000 people to downtown since the mid1980s. The weekend June festival features top-of-the-line national performers like Bob Dylan, Joan Jett, Willie Nelson and James Brown, but is remarkable for its strong local flavor. The lineup always features hometown heroes who have built a national reputation, like rapper David Banner, and up-and-coming acts from Jackson and the state. During the day, an arts fair showcases the wares of Mississippi artists and craftsmen— from handmade jewelry and glass pieces to wood carvings and metal sculpture. “What we want to do is to remind ourselves of all the talent we have locally,” says John Hawkins, board president for the Jackson Arts & Music Foundation, which produces the festival. “There’s a real interest that many of us have in encouraging people to come downtown and enjoy Jackson.” 54

fresco

Downtown isn’t the only place for a festival, though. The Mississippi State Coliseum and Fairgrounds hosts several major annual events, including the Dixie National Rodeo. Over one week in February, country musicians like Miranda Lambert and Chris Cagle entertain the crowds after the day’s bull-riding and barrel-racing is done. The Lynch Street Cultural Arts Festival has heralded spring in Jackson since 1992, featuring R&B, gospel and blues. Lynch Street was once home to numerous clubs and theaters, a place where music represented the beating heart of West Jackson. The annual two-day festival honors the area’s history, bringing national and local acts to the stage, and includes a children’s village with lots of kid-friendly activities and a health fair. If folk music is more your style, Jackson still has you covered. CelticFest Mississippi offers Celtic music performances, Irish dancing, storytelling and workshops, along with a popular whiskey tasting and the enormous Ceili Mor Dance. Sponsored by the Celtic Heritage Society, the festival sprawls across the grounds of the Mississippi Agriculture and Forestry Museum annually on the weekend after Labor Day. On a smaller scale, Pickin’ & Paddlin’ of-

by Ward Schaefer

fers old-time bluegrass and zydeco music in a perfect spring setting: Mayes Lake, nestled in Jackson’s green oasis, Lefleur’s Bluff State Park. The fundraiser for the Neighborhood Christian Center also features canoe and kayak races, barbecue and kids’ games. Jackson neighborhoods also throw their own mini-festivals. The artsy Fondren neighborhood hosts Arts, Eats and Beats every spring. Outdoor performances by local bands provide the soundtrack for an open-air craft and gift showcase. In the fall, the historic Belhaven neighborhood has its own variation on that theme— Bright Lights, Belhaven Nights. Further west, the Farish Street Heritage Festival boasts a fine legacy—it’s the secondlongest-running African American festival in the state—and an exciting location. For decades, Farish Street was a hub for African American music, culture and nightlife, and it’s undergoing a revitalization effort that will restore that stature, with blues clubs, restaurants and an arts center, much of which is scheduled to open soon. With all these opportunities if you aren’t having a good time in Jackson, you’re just not getting out. ¢ See more Jackson festivals on page 79. www.boomjackson.com

lizzie wright

lizzie wright joshhaileystudio.com

Great, authentic Southern cuisine and great, authentic Southern music. If that combo sounds good, then Jackson is tough to beat.

e m i T d o o G a g n i n fi e D

by Andi Agnew

Nightlife takes on many different forms in the City with Soul. One night you may be dressed to the nines and headed to a sophisticated martini bar like Elixir (4800 Interstate 55 N.), and the next you are in jeans at a hole-in-the-wall club like F. Jones Corner (303 N. Farish Street) listening to some serious-as-a-heart-attack blues. However you define a good time, though, Jackson has plenty of offerings to fit the billâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;so many, if fact, that we can only touch on a few. The first Thursday of every month, join the folks at Fondren After 5, 56

when the Fondren neighborhood shops and galleries stay open later than usual, offering free wine and hors dâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;oeuvres from local eateries that keep the crowds moving and mingling. The monthly event culminates with Fondren Unwrapped in December, where Jacksonians get much of their Christmas shopping done, and Arts, Eats and Beats in April, featuring dance troupes and artists on the streets. If you plan to attend, wear your good walking shoes. Walk over to see what Ron Chane has going on at Swell-o-phonic and Wilai. Pop into www.boomjackson.com

Rainbow Co-op and grab a Naked juice or some Dr. Bronner’s soap for later. Don’t be surprised if you are surrounded by music wherever you go. Fondren Guitars always has live music outside and treasured finds on the inside. Art is also in abundance, with 10 galleries and artisan’s booths and tables everywhere. Brown’s Art Gallery boasts several rooms full of art for every taste, for example, and One Blu Wall in the Fondren Corner building hosts new shows regularly. Top off the night off with a dinner and a drink at one of the many Fondren eateries, with options from take-out to white tablecloth and everything in between. Some of the favorites include Aladdin’s, Walker’s, Que’ Sera Sera, Jerusalem Cafe, Schimmel’s and Sal and Mookie’s. A long-time favorite nightspot in Jackson is Fenian’s Irish pub (901 E. Fortification Street). Fenian’s is the only Irish pub in the capital city, and it has been hosting authentic Irish music for thirteen years. With live music nearly every night, no cover, and authentic Irish drinks and food, Fenian’s is an easy choice for meeting up with friends any night of the week, with its comfortable neighborhood bar atmosphere in the heart of Belhaven. On weekends, Freelon’s Bar and Groove’s, on historic Mill Street (near Farish) in downtown Jackson, packs the floor with old-school Hip Hop and R&B

Work. Live. Play. Visit.

PURE Carry. A Development of the Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians 1.866.44PEARL • www.pearlriverresort.com 57

acts Thursdays through Saturdays. Schimmel’s Restaurant, on the hill in Fondren, rolls back the white-linen tables on Friday and Saturday nights to make way for local R&B or Delta Blues. One of the newest additions on the nightlife scene is the Auditorium Restaurant in the renovated Duling School building in Fondren. As the name implies, the venue is located in the school’s former auditorium offering live music and a unique dining experience. Nathan Glenn, executive chef, said that he “wanted a music and dinner venue and bar that celebrates what’s great about Mississippi.” The spacious restaurant offers distinct southern cuisine like sweet potato crawfish cakes and shrimp and grits, and often features specials geared toward visiting entertainers. When Italian group the Barranco Brothers performed, the menu included Italian risotto, grilled tuna and tiramisu. The chefs make sure to include the freshest ingredients from local vendors. As for the entertainment, Producer Kamel King feels the Auditorium will be “a destination spot, like Ground Zero (Morgan Freeman’s club in Clarksdale, Miss.) … a tour stop for some of the big acts as they travel through on their way to New Orleans or Memphis.” Co-producer Marty Frascogna said that the goal is to “bring in ‘shows’, not ‘concerts’,” and to keep it intimate. Of course, you really can’t talk about Jackson nightlife without including long-time promoters of local and national acts, including the venerable music institution Hal & Mal’s—where any music style goes, often at the same time in different rooms—to the cranky-but-well-programmed Martin’s Lounge, both on Commerce Street in downtown. Most weekends a straight-up good time can be had with the indie/college/pop playing at Ole Tavern on George Street (near the Capitol), while the hipsters dive into Sam’s Lounge up on Interstate 55—yes, in the motel parking lot. With so many options, Jackson will never leave you bored. ¢ Live Music Venues Central City Complex 88 Keys 3645 Highway 80 W. in Metrocenter 601-352-7342

609 Woodrow Wilson Drive 601-352-9075

930 Blues Café

4500 Interstate 55 N. 601-956-9562

930 N. Congress St. 601-948-3344

Alamo Theatre 333 N. Farish St. 601-352-3365

Belhaven College Center for the Arts 835 Riverside Drive 601-968-5930

The Bulldog  6111 Ridgewood Road 601-978-3502

Cherokee Inn 1410 Old Square Road 601-362-6388

Club City Lights 200 N. Mill St. 601-353-0059

Club Total 342 N. Gallatin St. 601-714-5992

Congress Street Coffee

Café Seven*

719 N. Congress St. 601-352-3399

161 Millsaps Ave. 601-316-5074

Couples Entertainment Center

Capri-Pix Theatre 3021 N. State St. 601-981-9606

Char Restaurant

4511 Byrd Drive 601-923-9977

www.boomjackson.com

Crawdad Hole

The Hill Restaurant

Pop’s Around the Corner

1150 Lakeland Drive 601-982-9299

2555 Valley St. 601-373-7768

2636 Gallatin St. 601-355-3853

Crickett’s Lounge

Horseshoe Bar

4370 Highway 80 W. 601-922-0500

5049 Highway 80 W. 601-922-6191

The Quarter Bistro & Piano Bar

Crossroads Bar & Lounge

The Hunt Club

3040 Livingston Road 601-984-3755

Cups in Fondren 2757 Old Canton Road 601-362-7422

Cups in the Quarter

1525 Ellis Ave. 601-944-1150

Huntington Grille 1001 E. County Line Road 601-957-1515

JC’s

1855 Lakeland Drive 601-362-4900

Que Sera Sera 2801 N. State St. 601-981-2520

Reggae Cafe 217 W. Griffith St. 601-566-4541

425 North Mart Plaza 601-362-3108

Regency Hotel Restaurant & Bar

Debo’s

Julep Restaurant and Bar

420 Greymont Ave. 601-969-2141

180 Raymond Road 601-346-8283

105 Highland Village 601-362-1411

Dick & Jane’s

Koinonia Coffee House

1855 Lakeland Drive 601-981-9088

206 Capitol Street 601-944-0123

Electric Cowboy 6107 Ridgewood Road 601-899-5333

elixir 4800 Interstate 55 N. 601-981-7896

Executive Place 2440 Bailey Ave. 601-987-4014

Fenian’s 901 E. Fortification St. 601-948-0055

Fire 209 Commerce St. 601-592-1000

Fitzgerald’s Martini Bar 1001 E. County Line Road 601-957-2800

Flood’s Bar and Grill 2460 Bailey Ave. 601-713-4094

Footloose Bar and Grill 4661 Highway 80 W. 601-922-9944

Freelon’s Bar and Groove 440 N. Mill St. 601-353-5357

LaRae’s

Sam’s Lounge

210 Parcel Drive 601-944-0660

Last Call Sports Grill

5035 Interstate 55 N. Frontage Road 601-983-2526

3716 Interstate 55 N. Frontage Road 601-713-2700

2615 N. State St. 601-981-7077

4659 Highway 80 W. 601-922-9987

Serpentine Fire Sports Bar

214 S. State St. 601-354-9712

1805 Bailey Ave. 601-983-7516

Mississippi Coliseum

Seven* Studioz

1207 Mississippi St. 601-353-0603

147 Millsaps Ave. 601-316-5074

Mississippi Veterans Memorial Stadium

Sin 209

2531 N. State St. 601-354-6021

Monte’s Steak and Seafood 1855 Lakeland Drive 601-362-8182

Mugshots 1855 Lakeland Drive 601-713-0383

1766 Ellis Ave. 601-373-4037

200 S. Commerce St. 601-948-0888

Hamp’s Place 3028 W. Northside Drive 601-981-4110

Okasions Old Venice Pizza Co. 1428 Old Square Road 601-366-6872

Ole Tavern on George Street 416 George St. 601-960-2700

Olga’s 4760 Interstate 55 N. 601-366-1366

Hat & Cane

One to One Studio

1115 E. McDowell Road 601-352-0411

121 Millsaps Ave.

One Blue Wall

Here We Go Again

2906 N. State St. 601-713-1224

3002 Terry Road 601-373-1520

Peaches Restaurant 327 N. Farish St. 601-354-9267

Work. Live. Play. Visit.

601-206-1211

Martin’s Lounge

The Green Room

Hal & Mal’s

Schimmel’s Fine Dining

Main Event Sports Bar Scrooge’s & Grill 5829 Ridgewood Road

601-362-4939

4030 Medgar Evers Blvd. 601-362-6008

Roberts Walthall Hotel 225 E. Capitol St. 601-948-6161

6340 Ridgewood Court 601-977-9920

Grownfolk’s Lounge

5428 Robinson Road Extended 601-371-7740

136 S. Adam St., Suite C 601-960-3008

North Jackson Garfield’s Restaurant Pockets 109 Culley Drive & Pub

444 Bounds St. 601-713-3444

Rhythm & Brews

Commerce Street 601-592-1000

Soop’s The Ultimate 1205 Country Club Drive 601-922-1402

Sportsman’s Lodge 1220 E. Northside Drive 601-366-5441

Swell-O-Venue 2769 Old Canton Road 601-981-3547

Thalia Mara Hall 255 E. Pascagoula St. 601-960-1535

Time Out Sports Bar 6270 Old Canton Road 601-978-1839

Touch Night Club 105 E. Capitol St. 601-969-1110

Tye’s 120 N. Congress St. 601-949-3434

Under the Boardwalk 2560 Terry Road 601-371-7332

Walker’s Drive-In 3016 N. State St. 601-982-2633

The Warehouse 9347 Highway 18 W. 601-502-8580

Wired Expresso Café 115 N. State St. 601-500-7800

Sweet and a Little Heat:

Mississippi’s Authentic

by Ward Schaefer

Barbecue

Photos by Kenya Hudson

Lumpkin’s Bar-B-Que Like a trading post on the Silk Road, Mississippi is where American barbecue styles collide and blend. Pit masters, the men and women who have mastered the “low and slow” process of barbecuing meat, carry influences from neighboring regions, adding an unmistakable Deep South twist. Memphis is the most obvious influence. Famous for “dry” ribs, which are rubbed with spices before smoking, Memphis is a pork barbecue town, where ribs are typically served with a tomato-based sauce that is sweeter than Carolina vinegar sauce and lighter than those common to St. Louis and Kansas City. Both the “wet” and “dry” schools of Memphis barbecue have their adherents in Jackson. Some restaurants, like Chimneyville Smokehouse and Hickory Pit, prepare their ribs both ways. “Ten years ago, everywhere you went, they sauced the meat when they served it,” says Skipper Westbrook, owner of Chimneyville (970 High St., 601-354-4665). “What we do now is we don’t put sauce on the meat; we ask the guest if they want it. … There are a lot of folks that just want the flavor of the pork or beef.” A Jackson native, Westbrook sees the Mississippi River as the dividing line between eastern pork barbecue and beef barbecue of Texas. 60

“Basically when you get west of the Mississippi (barbecue) turns into beef,” Westbrook says. Ginger Watkins, owner of the Hickory Pit (1491 Canton Mart, 601-956-7079), agrees that in Jackson barbecue generally means pork, and that “hickory is the wood,” for smoking. Watkins and Westbrook both offer beef at their restaurants, though. They prefer tough, flavorful beef brisket, smoked for more than 12 hours until it is tender enough to fall apart at the touch of a fork. Unlike Texas-style barbecue, Mississippi brisket is smoked over hickory wood, not mesquite. “To me, barbecue is hickory,” Westbrook says. “You see all the nouveau people getting into the cherry and pecan and apple wood. And I think that’s great, but we’re the old traditional hickory-smoked.” But not all Jackson’s barbecue establishments share Westbrook’s traditionalist outlook. At Lumpkins Bar-B-Que in South Jackson (182 Raymond Rd., 866-906-0942), owner Melvin Davis uses hickory primarily, but experiments with cherry wood, too. Having just moved to his mother’s home town of Jackson from Washington, D.C., two years ago, Davis is nouveau indeed. Davis’s D.C. upbringing gave him a different palate for barwww.boomjackson.com

becue. Most of the barbecue in the capital came with Carolina-style vinegarbased sauces, but Davis quickly found that his version wouldn’t fly in Jackson, where sweetness is prized. “Our sauce was more tuned to a Northern palate,” he admits. Proponents of Carolina-style barbecue paint themselves as purists, too proud of their meat to drench it in cloying sauce. Some of that devotion rubbed off on Davis, and he’ll happily extol the virtues of his thousand-pound-capacity computerized smoker. But he’s adapting his sauces to fit his guests’ sweet tooth, an artistic process supplementing that of perfectly cooking the meat. Watkins proudly points out that the Hickory Pit makes all its sauces from scratch. “When I moved back to Mississippi (in 1979), there were no sweet sauces,” she says. “You either had a mild sauce or a hot sauce. I just kept practicing in the kitchen until I came up with something that suited my taste buds. It’s been a big hit.” At Chimneyville, Westbrook uses molasses and brown sugar for his sweet sauce. But it’s a balanced sweetness that Westbrook is after, and his sauces— sweet, regular and hot—are prime examples of influences that converge in Mississippi barbecue. “I like a little of the yin and the yang,” Westbrook says. “I put a little apple cider vinegar in our sweet sauce. ... And I’m playing with a little chipotle sauce. It’ll probably be something that I add to the sweet sauce, so you’ve got the sweet and a little heat.” To many in Jackson, the nirvana of barbecue sauce can only be found at E&L Barbecue (1111 Bailey Ave., 601-355-5035). At lunchtime, E&L is packed with customers lining up for barbecue sandwiches drenched in dark, smoky sauce that may have started with tomato but took a long, winding detour through several kinds of sweetness. The folks at E&L know their sauce is good. That’s why they ask if you want some on your fries, too. Like a lot of the city’s barbecue joints, E&L is primarily a take-out, lunchtime business, with scant seating available in the restaurant. The exceptions usually serve cafeteria-style, like Chimneyville and Lumpkin’s. That can present a challenge for pit masters: Sitting on a steam table for hours will dry out even the best barbecue. Westbrook says he’s developed a technique for keeping the meat moist on the line, an undisclosed secret trick that happens near the end of the cooking process. “It was a lot of trial and error,” he says with a smile. Barbecue lore is stuffed with insider tricks. In its earliest form, barbecue took place over an open pit of hot coals, and pit masters regulated temperature by adding water to the coals. Gradually, contained smokers eliminated many of the variables that could ruin a batch of ribs. Fancy computerized smokers like Davis’ have made consistency more of an expectation than a virtue. But some parts of the barbecue business are still a matter of intuition. Davis learned a few tricks from his father-in-law (Benjamin Thomas Lumpkin, for whom Lumpkin’s is named) who built a chain of barbecue restaurants in St. Louis. “He was kind of a mad scientist,” Davis says. “All his recipes were very refined. It was really like going through a formula.” Davis’s father-in-law taught him how to select hickory wood green enough to smoke nicely while dry enough to burn well. “You almost have to become an arborist,” Davis says. “You have to be able to look at the bark. You have to look at the grain of the wood, and hickory tends to have a red center.” Westbrook, who learned barbecue basics from pit masters at Corky’s, a venerable Memphis chain, has a neat rule of thumb for knowing when his ribs are done. “You take an 18-inch stainless steel tong, and you pick the ribs up along the lateral axis,” Westbrook explains. “Go about halfway down the rib, and if it just folds and doesn’t break, that’s done. You don’t want it to go any further.” Techniques like those are not unique to Mississippi, of course. Barbecue has evolved in Australia and Mongolia, not to mention a wide belt across the American South. “It seems like each civilization at one point or another learned to burn meat over a fire,” Westbrook says. ¢ Work. Live. Play. Visit.

Ballet Mississippi David Keary, Artistic Director

Located in the Heart of Jackson Mississippi Arts Center Satellite Locations Beth Israel Casey Elementary Trinity Presybeterian Madison Square Center for the Arts

The Nutcracker

December 5 - 6 @ Thalia Mara Hall info@balletms.com * 601.960.1560 * www.balletms.com

Hederman Half Page Horizontal

www.boomjackson.com

courtesy fondren theatre workshop

LIGHTS UP ON

by Beth Kander

Live Theater

Work. Live. Play. Visit.

ing productions in spaces such as the Pix/ Capri Theatre, Duling School and Rainbow Whole Foods Co-op. Aside from staging varied shows such as David Mamet’s “American Buffalo,” Tom Stoppard’s “Arcadia,” and “The Rocky Horror Show,” FTW is also unique in its “come-play-withus” attitude. The group has two new-play events: the New Play Project, where Mississippi playwrights are encouraged to submit new works for veteran and first-time directors to tackle; and the Ten Minute Play Festival, where in the span of 24 hours, writers, actors and directors team up to create, stage and perform new ten-minute plays. “We really care about the community,” Howell says. “We give everyone a chance to participate, and we also give back to the community, which is why our shows have benefited many local causes, including HeARTS Against AIDS, Operation Shoestring and the Center for Violence Prevention.” The drama departments at Jackson’s colleges also play a big role in the city’s theater scene. With almost all their productions open to the public, Jackson’s colleges provide a broad range of stage productions. Belhaven College’s (www. belhaven.edu) seasons run the gamut from Shakespeare to musicals to student-directed oneacts. Belhaven also offers the Belhaven College

Spotlight On Performance

In theater, the best work often comes from a strong ensemble. In Jackson, the local theaters are individually impressive, and when viewed as a collective, they create quite the ensemble. Diverse and dynamic, they enrich Jackson by providing performances for all theatergoers, from Shakespeare to new works, musicals to monologues, and family fare to alternative comedies. New Stage Theatre (www.newstagetheatre. com) is Mississippi’s only nonprofit professional theater. Now in its 44th season, this Belhaven gem has long been the theatrical hub of the city. In addition to the well-established main stage season, the theater recently launched a new initiative, “Un-framed.” Debuting in 2006, Un-framed is a line-up of edgier fare. With performances held in the Hewes Room and tickets priced as low as $5, it’s a great opportunity for theater-lovers in Jackson. “Un-framed explores alternative shows, and gives an additional outlet for aspiring actors, tech crew and so on,” says Tony Poston, New Stage directing intern and production manager for the Un-framed series. “It draws a completely different crowd than our main stage shows, and really enriches what the theater can offer.” In addition to their main shows and Un-framed lineup, New Stage also offers a year-long internship program for aspiring young theater professionals, a summer camp for youth actors and the annual Eudora Welty New Play competition. Five theater friends who wanted to create “not just a community theater, but a theater community,” founded Fondren Theatre Workshop (www.fondrentheatreworkshop.org) in 2003, says Diana Howell, one of the original five. In the six years since its inception, FTW has done just that, by offering a wide range of inclusive, exciting and engaging theatrical experiences. FTW performs throughout Fondren, mount-

Summer Theatre Academy for students from age four through high school. At Jackson State University, (www. jsums.edu) “… we have a terrific theater department,” says Nadia Bode, promotions and marketing director for the JSU Department of Speech and Theater. “We also have MADDRAMA (www.maddrama.com), which reaches out to nontheater-majors and really helps students find their voices.” Founded by Professor Mark Henderson, MADDRAMA stands for Making A Difference Doing Respectable And Meaningful Art, and focuses on taking their shows off-campus. The Millsaps College (www.mill saps.edu), drama department strives for a mixture of academic and avantgarde projects. “As a college, we can really challenge an audience, and we’re always working on that balance of comfort and challenge,” explains Jeannie-Marie Brown, assistant professor of theater. “We view theater as true social engagement, and often try to interact our art with the work of other departments. Last semester, we worked with the philosophy department to present an interdisciplinary exploration of Samuel Beckett shorts.” Of course, one can’t talk about theater in Jackson without mentioning Thalia Mara Hall (www. jacksonms.gov/visitors/thaliamara). Opened in 1968 as the Municipal Auditorium of Jackson, the Department of Human and Cultural Services manages the downtown venue. Thalia Mara is the home of the International Ballet Competition every four years, and also hosts the Kessler “Best of Broadway” touring shows, and numerous other music, dance and performance offerings. Mississippi has a rich artistic and literary heritage. Theater is alive and well throughout the state, and some of the best is happening right here in the capital city. As New Stage intern Tony Poston puts it: “I’ve worked in theaters in Missouri, Virginia, Massachusetts … and I’m constantly shocked by how much is going on here in Jackson—just wowed by the terrific theater community here.” ¢

The Intellectual Bulimics Five guys standing up for stand-up comedy. www.facebook.com/ pages/Intellectual-Bulimics/95132170960?ref=ts

121 Studios Not just music, 121 Millsaps Avenue hosts a variety of performers. onetoonestudios.org

Offkilter Comedy Clean comedy that’s actually hilarious. www.myspace.com/offkiltercomedy

Writer’s Spotlight New poets, playwrights, essayists and more share their new works out loud. Contact: janinejulia@gmail.com.

GosPoetr y Christian Open Mic/nightlife alternative. www.koinoniacoffee.com

Check out these groups and venues for something a little different.

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Locally owned • Five National Awards in 2009 360,000 issues distributed every year Trusted by parents since 1991 (601) 366-0901 magazine@parents-kids.com

Jim Henson’s

fantastic WO R L D on display December 19, 2009 March 14, 2010

Plus many more exhibitions in 2009-2010! Visit our website for an updated schedule of exhibitions and events. www.msmuseumart.org 380 South Lamar Street 601.960.1515 Organized by The Jim Henson Legacy and the Smithsonian Institution Traveling Exhibition Service in cooperation with the Henson family, The Jim Henson Company, The Muppets Studio, LLC, and Sesame Workshop. This exhibition is made possible by The Biography Channel. Additional support has been provided by The Jane Henson Foundation and Cheryl Henson.

kid-stuff It’s good to be a kid in Jackson! Whether it’s music, art, culture or the great outdoors they’re craving, Mississippi’s capital city offers live music, entertainment and great fun throughout the year for the entire family. Jackson’s many familyfriendly festivals include kids at every turn. Jackson’s famous Mal’s St. Paddy’s Parade (see page 52) isn’t just for the Sweet Potato Queens and Wannabes, The morning starts with a Children’s Parade followed by fun in the Kid Zone featuring space jumps and other activities. The family-oriented Pickin’ and Paddlin’ festival welcomes spring to town at Mayes Lake with a 5K run, canoe and kayak races and dancing to great tunes of home-

grown musicians. And Kid!JAM brings mid-summer fun to downtown with music, art, youth performances and education on health and nutrition during Jubilee!JAM. In August, Bright Lights, Belhaven Nights begins to cool things down with local artists selling their wares and local bands performing under neighborhood oak trees. And September brings Wellsfest to the Jamie Fowler Boyll Park with horseback riding, rock climbing and the pleasure of great music and friends. Families also enjoy year-round concerts and entertainment at the Jackson Zoo. Opening its gates in 1919, AAA Magazine named the Zoo a “Southern Travel Trea-

lizzie wright

kenya hudson

by Candice Hagwood

Left, Dulicia Lewis clearly believes this face painting thing is taking way too long at the Jackson Zoo’s anniversary. The tyke above is thinking of climbing into the tank at the Museum of Natural Science. Work. Live. Play. Visit.

lizzie wright

sure.” The home of approximately 776 animals, the zoo will open a $1.5 million educational center this year and a $1 million tiger exhibit in 2010. Jackson is also home to several kid-friendly museums: The Mississippi Museum of Natural Science is a great place for kids to learn about natural history with its many exhibits featuring the state’s fossils, plants, animals, fish and habitats. Located in Lefleur’s Bluff State Park, the museum includes more than 300 acres of nature trails and landscape to explore. The facility also sits near the future home of the 40,000square-foot Mississippi Children’s Museum scheduled to open in the fall of 2010. Step back in time at the Mississippi Agricultural and Forestr y Museum, a great storyteller of how agriculture and forestry largely

Carnival rides come to town for the state fair. shaped our state and its history. Every year, the museum hosts a grand 4th of July celebration and a massive Easter egg hunt, in addition to several special events. The southern African American experience is the focus of the Smith Robertson Museum and Cultural Center, showcasing art and artifacts, and numerous historic and contemporary exhibits throughout the year. When you need a place to take refuge from the summer sun or to brighten a rainy day, Jackson has just the thing. Brilliant laser light and sky shows can be seen in the hemispheric theater at the Russell C. Davis Planetarium. New Stage Theatre, the Mississippi Symphony Orchestra and Ballet Mississippi also offer family-friendly productions throughout the year. In October, the Mississippi State Fair is the height of family fun, with 12 days of carnival rides, a mile-long midway, livestock exhibits and top entertainment nightly. Throughout the year, the fair grounds host tons of events, including the Dixie National Rodeo, the Mississippi Black Rodeo, horse shows, music, trade shows and more. If the kids dig sports, head to the Doc*36 Skatepark for the skate boarders, or to neighboring Flowood or Clinton for the roller rinks. Be sure to include a home game or two of AAA baseball with the Southern League champion Mississippi Braves, or soccer with the Brilla Futbol club. ¢ 66

STEP back in TimE at the aG museum mississippi

and forestry museum

1150 LakeLand drive • exit 98-B on i-55 • JaCkSon, MS 601-713-3365 • www.MSagMuSeuM.org thiS proJeCt iS partiaLLy funded By a grant through the JaCkSon Convention and viSitorS Bureau. ©2008 MS ag and foreStry MuSeuM. aLL rightS reServed.

www.boomjackson.com

GREAT COOKING IS IN OUR BONES.

STEAKS • SEAFOOD • WINE

Named after my grandfather, Elias Shapley, Ely’s brings a new legacy of great family recipes to Jackson.

115 W. Jackson, Suite E (upstairs) Ridgeland Reservations Recommended 601.605.6359 www.elysrestaurant.com Richard Shapley • Owner

Work. Live. Play. Visit.

Show and Tell:

by Ward Schaefer

Jackson Museums

lizzie wright

Showcase and Enrich the City

A visitor looking for a crash-course on the Magnolia State could do worse than visiting the city’s many museums. In their variety and their eagerness to share, Jackson’s museums express something essential about the City with Soul: its diversity and its pride. But these museums aren’t just for out-of-towners. With a constant influx of special exhibits and public events, residents have plenty of reasons to visit, again and again. For nature lovers and science buffs, it doesn’t get better than the Mississippi Museum of Natural Science. The museum is located inside LeFleur’s Bluff State Park, giving visitors access to 2.5 miles of nature trails. An open-air amphitheater for demonstrations and lectures also takes advantage of the museum’s natural setting. Inside the museum building, a 100,000-gallon aquarium highlights the diversity of Mississippi’s aquatic wildlife. A humid greenhouse called “The Swamp” showcases native plants, while “touch tanks” let young visitors—and adventurous older ones—make contact with aquatic species. Every inch of the museum is devoted to a hands-on, participatory experience that blurs the line between education and entertainment, says museum Director Libby Hartfield. “You can have fun while you’re learning,” Hartfield says. “And you can learn while you’re having fun, without even realizing you’re learning.” Across Lakeland Drive from the Museum of Natural Science, the Mississippi Museum of Agriculture and Forestry shows how Mississippians have harnessed the state’s prodigious biodiversity. Visitors can tour galleries of historic farm equipment, learning the history of the Mississippi agriculture, from cotton to corn. As the state capital, Jackson has played a central role in Mississippi’s history. The Old Capitol Museum captures the drama of state political history in a fitting location: the first seat of government in Mississippi. The 1830s building housed the state Legislature, the governor’s office and the state supreme court until 1903, when state government moved to its current location at the “New”

Capitol, a few blocks west. Neglected and in danger of demolition, the state put $2 million into renovating the Old Capitol, which reopened in 2009. The restoration preserved essential architectural details, including a sinuous wooden spiral staircase, while spiffing up the interior with interactive exhibits framing the state’s history around the leaders who walked the building’s halls. Located in the city’s first public school to serve African Americans, the Smith Robertson Museum and Cultural Center tells the stories of African Americans in Mississippi. The museum’s permanent collection documents Jackson—specific history. Special exhibits range from historical documentation in photography to celebrations of African American culture, using art and artifacts. Past exhibits have focused on hip-hop culture, the chitlin’ circuit and the tradition of narrative quilts. With its affordable artwork and crafts, the museum gift shop is also a perennial draw, allowing visitors to take home a part of their experience. A stone’s throw from the Smith Robertson museum, the newly revamped Mississippi Museum of Art entices visitors with an ambitious, educational mission. “Our main mission is to engage Mississippians and others with art,” says museum spokeswoman Jana Brady. “What’s great about this new building is that we’ve had the first space big enough where we can put up our permanent collection.” The museum’s permanent collection showcases state and regional artists from a wide variety of periods, media and styles. Special exhibitions of international-caliber work also run the gamut. In the past, the museum has shown Jacob Lawrence’s acclaimed Migration Series and textiles and paintings by the French artist Raoul Dufy. In addition to its rotating exhibits and permanent collection, the museum also hosts art-centered lectures, movie screenings and music nights. Next door to the Museum of Art, the International Museum of Muslim Cultures stands as a testament to spiritual diversity, and is the first museum of its kind in the United States. Visitors to the museum will find painstakingly curated exhibits that are www.boomjackson.com

lizzie wright lizzie wright

accessible and thorough. Original and reproduced artifacts, clothing and artwork give viewers a visceral sense of Muslim life. Interspersed throughout the exhibits, short films bring those objects to life in small, captivating narratives. From Moorish Spain to Timbuktu and beyond, the museum illuminates the Muslim world for visitors, showing the enormous contributions of Muslims to global knowledge and culture. For the sports fan, the Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame offers an unparalleled, technology-rich reminder of the state’s many illustrious athletes. From recent stars like Brett Favre and Jerry Rice to past legends like Dizzy Dean, the Hall of Fame captures their stories and presents them in novel ways. “We have success stories galore,” says Executive Director Michael Rubenstein. “And this is a state that’s sometimes unfairly characterized as largely unsuccessful. Here are the stories that you can point to.” Museum-goers can practice their colorWork. Live. Play. Visit.

tom beck

lizzie wright

Clockwise from above: The Mississippi Story permanent collection at Mississippi Museum of Art; The Smith-Robertson Museum and Cultural Center celebrates African-American culture; three exhibits at the Museum of Natural History bring artifacts and habitat to life.

commentary over vintage sports reels, absorb the state’s sports history on the Wall of Fame and practice their sporting skills in special participatory exhibits. Jackson has a wealth of small house museums peppered throughout the city in addition to its larger museums. These carefully preserved homes capture different lives in Jackson in perfect miniature. The Manship House (c. 1857) perched between midtown and downtown, The Oaks House (c. 1853) in Belhaven and the Governor’s Mansion (c. 1842) offer visitors rare glimpses of antebellum Gothic-Revival architecture in Jackson. The houses survived the Union army’s near complete burning of the city during the Civil War. Although it’s hard to imagine now, the Manship house rested on the city’s outskirts when it was built in 1857. The house was the private home of Charles Henry Manship, who served as Jackson’s mayor during the Civil War. Manship was a skilled ornamental painter, and his handiwork adorns the walls

of many rooms in the house. The too-brief career and the assassination of civil rights leader Medgar Evers is a touchstone in Jackson’s history. Evers’ home has been preserved as a museum, with rooms arranged as they were when Evers lived there. One room provides a chronology of Evers’ remarkable life. The queen of Mississippi letters, Eudora Welty was and still is a beloved figure in Jackson. Her stucco and brick, Tudor-style home in the Belhaven neighborhood, where “Miss Eudora” lived for most of her life, is now a museum that gives a rich portrait of the artist at all ages. The Welty House Museum lovingly recreates details of Welty’s life and work, including the kitchen stove in which she burned a rejected manuscript. With attractions like these, it’s easy to see why Jackson’s museums are a cornerstone of the city’s vibrant and proud culture. ¢ For addresses and contact information on all of Jackson’s museums, please see the listings on page 79. 69

t he

DR. RICHARD WATERS

ARTISTIC D IRECTOR

DON’T MISS OUR BEST SEASON YET.

AFFORDABLE, SPECTACULAR ENTERTAINMENT. CALL 601-278-3351 OR VISIT WWW.MSCHORUS.ORG TO RESERVE YOUR TICKETS.

THE BEST OF OPERA CHORUSES

with

Mississippi Opera Chorus & Jackson Choral Society November 14, 7:30pm Belhaven College Center for the Arts

MESSIAH

A Reunion Concert with the Delta State Chorale December 5, 7:30pm Galloway Memorial UMC December 6, 4pm Bologna Performing Arts Center Delta State University

MOZART BY CANDLELIGHT

Mississippi Chorus Chamber Choir with Mississippi Symphony Orchestra January 9, 7:30pm Belhaven College Center for the Arts

1812 OVERTURE

with Mississippi Symphony Orchestra January 24, 7:30pm Thalia Mara Hall

MAHLER’S 2ND SYMPHONY ‘RESURRECTION’

with Mississippi Symphony Orchestra March 27, 7:30pm Thalia Mara Hall

COLÉRE

Concert with area high schools, May 6, 7:30pm Thalia Mara Hall Missa Luba and African Sanctus

www.boomjackson.com

by Jackie Warren Tatum Photos by Josh Hailey

With so many delightfully diverse galleries dotting Jackson, it seems like art here is like a race car in Daytona or Talladega or Indianapolis: It’s expected and part of the city’s essence. Brown’s Framing and Fine Art

Gallery 119

630 Fondren Place, 601-982-4844 brownsfineart.com A 44-year-old business and a nationally recognized framer, Brown’s communityoriented gallery displays some 30 new and established Mississippi artists or artists with Mississippi ties with prints, posters, graphics, antique prints, oils, watercolors, pastels, pencil drawings, acrylics, glass and pottery.

119 S. President Street, 601-969-4091 Perfect for viewing art, this 100-year-old, 3,700-square-foot building is full of character and gentle light. Eclectic paintings, photography, 3-D, and sculpture from reputable local and national artists seize the art scene here.

Fischer Gallery 3100 N. State Street 601-366-8833 Owner Marcy Nessel helps young Jacksonarea artists blossom and thrive. She displays their diverse work and that of international artists, including abstracts, portraits, photographs, prints, mixed media and watercolor.

Gaddis Group Gallery 2906 N. State Street, 601-368-9522 Established 17 years ago by John Gaddis, this community of watercolorists paints and learns together. A working studio today of 28 artists, they individually sell their work: some prints and cards available.

Work. Live. Play. Visit.

Icon Gallery 2765 Old Canton Road, 601-981-3547 Owner Ron Chane invites people to gather and talk about art—like the chair he created from skateboards. Features modern art from small pieces to some works 10 feet across.

The Ink Spot Gallery 300 W. South Street, 601-352-4700 myspace.com/theinkspotgallery A place for exceptional and unique art, national tattoo artists and local talent regardless of the medium, for example: wood carvings, photographs, jewelry, stained glass and clay.

Jackson Municipal Art Gallery 839 N. State Street, 601-960-1582 Mississippi and local Jackson artists’ oils,

watercolors, and sculpture in a Jackson Landmark. Approximately 25 area clubs meet here monthly. Recitals and receptions.

Joan Hawkins Art & Interiors 3017 N. State Street; 601-594-2913 Original art, stylized and abstract, as well as sculpture is displayed among custom furniture and accessories. Monthly shows for artists.

Josh Hailey Studio and Gallery 2906 N. State Street, Suite 333; 601-2142068, joshhaileystudio.com Josh’s photography and mixed media are, , “simple and to the point” he says. “The A.C. works really well. It’s the coolest!”

Joy McAllister Art Studio and Gallery 1491 Canton Mart Road, 601-952-2885 Joy’s originals burst with color: brightly painted dinnerware, canvas art, decorative items, holiday art, family platters, plus Ole Miss and Mississippi State logo items. She hosts birthday parties, art camps and Mother’s Day Tea Parties.

Lewis Gallery

to glass tables with the Chartres Cathedral labyrinth. Commissions accepted.

Millsaps College, 1701 N. State Street, 601974-1000. An airy exhibition space filled with natural light for intermittent visiting art exhibits.

P. Henson Studio and Gallery

523 Commerce Street, 601-942-7285 Enjoy Roy Adkins’ photography—local landscapes and abstract figurative work—and his wife Jerri Sherer’s glass artistry: kilnformed glass sculptures, vases and bowls plus fused glass jewelry.

joshhaileystudio.com

Light and Glass Studio

Lounge Interiors/Lounge Arts.

Lounge Interiors/Lounge Arts

Nunnery’s Gallery 426 Meadowbrook Road, 601-981-4426 Nunnery’s features all original art, traditional to contemporary, oils, abstracts, acrylics and mixed media.

The Ink Spot Gallery.

Twenty Nine 06 Studios.

142 Millsaps Avenue, 601-353-2497 pearlriverglass.com Owner Andy Young was featured as a Modern Master on Home and Garden Television. He and his artists create exquisite stained glass windows, dinnerware, unique fused-glass pieces, from yard art to bud vases, end tables of glass, concrete and wood, 72

Sami Lott Designs and Gallery 1800 N. State Street, 601-212-7707 A gallery that mixes Sami’s whimsical handmade haute couture designs with original art from local area artists, and features Carmen Castilla’s handmade scented candles. Sami and Carmen are Craftsmen Guild members.

4795 McWillie Drive, 769-218-1655. A gallery and boutique striving to be a dynamic part of the Jackson art community. Features primarily local artists, and two- and three-dimensional art portraying the African American experience. Fine art, paintings, photography, sculpture, and art furniture from Zimbabwe.

2906 N. State Street, 60l-317-1483 Step into an art gallery with a sheet metal divider wall and a mix of photography and art. Fresh, clean and open. joshhaileystudio.com

Pearl River Glass Studio and Gallery

3242 N. State Street, 601-573-1060 richardmckey.com Richard’s figurative art, abstracts and things in between in all media.

Twenty Nine 06 Studios

One to One Studios 121 Millsaps Avenue, 601-540-5991 www.onetoonestudios.org The space houses artists’ studio space, a gallery and a performance venue creating a unique and hip gathering place for art, music and creatives of all types.

4615 Womack Drive, 601-923-0922 Julia Allen’s indoor and outdoor decorative and functional scrap metal art will simply makes you smile.

Sanaa Gallery & Boutique joshhaileystudio.com

One Blu Wall Gallery & Photography by Christina 2906 N. State Street, 601-713-1224 obwgallery.com, christinafoto.com One Blue Wall features a variety of art and an array of artists using different mediums: sculpture, both ceramic and woven, as well as imaginative fantastical oil canvases, geometrics, spiritual art and cutting edge photography. New and seasoned artists.

Poor Julia Scrap Metal Art

Richard McKey Studio

joshhaileystudio.com

1491 Canton Mart, Suite 10, 601-206-1788 loungeartsgallery.com Enjoy May Benton’s photography of landscapes, abstracts, modern scenes and cool trees, plus abstracts on wood canvases, and works of artists Benton has met through the Savannah College of Art and Design. The gallery works with clients and designers to locate the perfect art from a core of diverse nationally recognized and local artists.

1115 Lynwood Drive; 769-982-5539 Patti Henson creates and displays watercolors, still lifes, city scenes, prints, block prints and Batik on fabric, including scarves, wall hangings and architecturalsized banners.

Brown’s Framing and Fine Art.

Wolfe Fine Art Studio 4308 Old Canton Road, 601-366-1844 Elizabeth “Bebe” Wolfe’s wildly colorful ceramic birds look like they are about to chirp at Bebe’s oil paintings surrounding them. Her late parents, Mildred and Karl Wolfe, began this studio in the 1940’s. Their limited edition giclees—digital prints created from originals—are available, as are prints of Mildred’s original wood blocks, Bebe’s oils, and sgraffito ceramics. The gallery sits beside a Buddhist dojo. Ask to visit. ¢ www.boomjackson.com

Work. Live. Play. Visit.

24-7 Crisis Line

601-713-HELP

多 Habla usted Espa単ol ? CONTACTO Linea de Crisis: (Spanish language) Jackson Metro area: (601)366-9298 Outside Jackson: 1-866-322-9832 Toll Free - MS only

Reassurance CONTACT 速 With a daily call, seeks to meet the special needs of people who are elderly or physically challenged and living alone, providing a safety check and a friendly chat. REASSURANCE CONTACT速:

(601) 713-4099

Darkness to Light Stewards of Children A nationally recognized child sexual abuse prevention program.

VOLUNTEER!

Be trained as a certified crisis line counselor. Bi-lingual volunteers are also needed!

www.boomjackson.com

farish by Brandi Herrera Pfrehm Photos by Kenya Hudson

There’s more to a neighborhood than a set of boundaries comprised by its streets; the houses that line its sidewalks, and the cafes, markets and local joints that dot its intersections and round out its corners. When all the traffic has cleared and the doors are closed snug for the night, it’s the people who manage to make up the soul of a place. They fill in the empty spots between the cement and signage with the vibrant hum of life. They bring to it movement, music, and above all, memory.

Work. Live. Play. Visit.

The Historic Farish Street District—a 125-acre spread of land nestled between Fortification and Amite streets from north to south, and Mill and Lamar streets from west to east—once pulsated with this kind of life. One could walk up Farish and find themselves amidst a hubbub of commerce and the sweet sounds of success. Before desegregation (and, later, “urban renewal” policies), the African American community of Jackson had built a vibrant business district; resplendent with legendary

blues clubs, restaurants, recording studios and numerous cultural points of interest. If you were anyone in the black community—physician, attorney, business owner or politician—you were on Farish Street. Music was historically a key player in the district’s success: BB King and Nat “King” Cole could be found playing the Alamo Theater, now designated a National Historic Register Landmark. Elmore James and myriad blues artists recorded at Trumpet Records, and the Summers Hotel & Subway Lounge hosted such legends as James Brown and Hank Ballard. Neighborhood eateries catered to this large and hungry crowd; but few of them remain today. Peaches Café has continuously served the community since 1961. Walk in around 4 in the afternoon any day of the week, and you’ll find regulars like Earl perched on a bar stool visiting with his friends. Some days, you might even catch Mrs. Peaches herself sitting next to the register. But no matter how many people leave the area for higher ground, a place like Peaches will remain because it serves up memories just as often as it does eggs. Only one detail remains out of place: ownership. “Mrs. Peaches has been here over 40 years and yet she still doesn’t own the building she’s in,” says Brad Franklin, Director of Entertainment for Watkins Partners, the firm that’s currently heading up the redevelopment of the district.

Peaches has served up soul food on Farish for 40 years.

The blues take center stage at F. Jones Corner.

“What we don’t want is to come in here and take over, or move people out,” he continues, “Peaches, she’ll stay here, and the other local businesses will, too. We’ll only be helping them become bigger and better.” This “bigger-better” mantra is an advantage Franklin brings to the project after the many false starts the city has seen in proposed revitalization efforts. In 2004, Jackson enlisted the Performa Entertainment group of Memphis—the same group responsible for Beale Street’s redevelopment—to take on the challenge. And while they got off to a good start, newly paved sidewalks and shiny green lampposts don’t a tourist attraction make. After five years, not much had changed. Everything from missed deadlines and missed opportunities associated with Katrina GO-Zone money, to a lack of solid communication with the people (and subsequent lack of buy-in to the group’s plans), have been attributed to Performa’s failure to get the job done. “Outside of my being involved as an activist [back then],” remarks Franklin, “I really couldn’t have outlined all of the problems that lead to the false starts. The truth is, the people of Jackson couldn’t either, they just wanted to see someone get the job done.” Franklin thinks it’s time to move past Performa’s mistakes and look toward the potential of the district. To naysayers and skeptics he says: “It’s not a time to dwell (on the past), we’re doing things differently now and getting things done. It’s not a time to fall into shouting matches. 76

When they see what we’ve accomplished with their own eyes, they will believe it (and) buy into it. Until then, we’ve got to just keep doing things our own way.” Watkins Partners’ way differs markedly from Performa’s and other urban redevelopment projects across the United States, Franklin—who grew up in the area, and made a name for himself as a successful rap artist (aka Kamikaze), businessman and journalist—is a vital component to their approach. “We’re very proud to be able to get this group together,” he says, “It was really by David’s (Watkins) sheer will that it happened. He felt like if he was going to take it on, he knew he couldn’t get it done without the help and support of the African American community.” As an African American majority investment group focused on development, the Farish Street Group has a unique plan: development with a direct connection to the community itself. Performa underestimated the importance of such an approach; when the white investors came marching into town, it felt a bit hostile—gentrifying, even. Watkins recognized the importance of having people on board that were out in the community every day, talking to the people and showing them what was going to happen. The group isn’t waiting for the red carpets to roll out to show off the area; residents interested in learning more about the entertainment venues set to open in October can participate in

Mrs. Peaches relaxes after the lunch rush.

free walking tours held every Friday afternoon from 2-4 p.m. And in ten years, the group plans to divest itself, thereby turning over ownership of the district to its businesses. Franklin stresses, “This model gives residents a sense of pride and ownership. They will learn to be champions of every other business. If one does well, then the next one does, too. They’re not just going to be tenants anymore, they’re going to have some stake, everyone’s going to want to do their part to help everyone else succeed.” Such a progressive model will help businesses like Peaches to pulsate with life once again. The streets of the Historic Farish District will glow again with possibility and the pride of ownership. Combined with Watkins’ newly redeveloped King Edward Hotel, and other powerful alliances like the Standard Life Building, set to reopen in 2010, and the Jackson Convention Complex, the city is poised to become a major player as a tourist destination and potential business investor attraction. Adds Franklin, “If your heart is pumping and healthy, your extremities will come alive as well. If Jackson’s heart—its downtown—is alive and pumping, then its extremities will thrive, too.” ¢ An open-air amphitheater with seating for 400 (for music, plays and family entertainment), BB King’s, Wet Willy’s and the Subway Lounge are set to open October 2009, with a Farish Street historical museum to follow soon after. www.boomjackson.com

CMY

Work. Live. Play. Visit.

St. Andrewâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Episcopal Cathedral

ANNUAL EVENTS & FESTIVALS January

Enjoy Jackson

Dixie National Livestock Show & Rodeo Jackson Free Press Best of Jackson party Martin Luther King Jr. Parade Mississippi Blues Marathon and HalfMarathon Mississippi Racing Vehicle Extravaganza

February Gem & Mineral Show HeARTS Against AIDS

March Bagwell Antiques Show Ballet Magnificat! Friendship Ball Handworks Market Jackson Garden & Patio Show Mississippi Performing Arts Festival for Children, Puppetry Jam National Cutting Horse Association Eastern National Champions Taste of Mississippi St. Paddys Day Parade Zoolympics

April

Alcorn State Jazz Festival Crawdad Hole Music Festival Crossroads Film Festival Earth Day Celebration Easter Egg Hunt & Parade Lynch Street Heritage Festival Fondren Arts Eats & Beats Pickin’ & Paddlin’ Outdoor Festival Tougaloo College Two Rivers Gala Tour LeFleur Bike Race

May Canton Flea Market Miller Lite Crawfish Boil Mississippi Symphony Pepsi Pops Take a Tasty Bite Out of Crime

June IBC International Ballet Competition (2010) Jubilee!JAM Reptile Rendezvous World Appaloosa Horse Show

July Canton Hot Air Balloon Race Jackson Free Press Chick Ball Jackson Zoo Ice cream Safari Old-Fashioned 4th of July Celebration Tougaloo Art Colony

August Bright Lights, Belhaven Nights Fur Ball Mississippi Wildlife Extravaganza Storytellers Ball, Greater Jackson Arts Council

September Capital City Classic CelticFest Farish Street Heritage Festival Handworks Holiday Market Latino Festival Symphony Ball Wellsfest Zoo Party

October Bagwell Antiques Show Boo Bash at The Cedars

Work. Live. Play. Visit.

Candlelighters Art Auction Canton Flea Market Friendship Golf Outing, Jackson 2000 Fright Night Halloween Carnival Jackson State University Homecoming Jacktoberfest Mississippi Justice Weekend Mississippi Center for Justice Mississippi State Fair Mississippi Watercolor Society Grand National Exhibition Outoberfest Pink Ribbon Gala for Breast Cancer Patients Southern Cutting Futurity Symphony at Sunset at The Cedars Trustmark Red Beans and Rice Festival Walk of Grace

November

Greater Jackson Arts Council P.O. Box 17, Jackson, Miss. 39205 255 E. Pascagoula St. 601-960-1557 jacksonartscouncil.org

Jackson Choral Society P.O. Box 4211, Jackson, Miss. 39296 601-898-1006

201 E. Pascagoula St. 601-960-1565

Metropolitan Chamber Orchestra Society 3615 Hawthorne Drive 601-366-3457

Mississippi Arts Center 201 E. Pascagoula St. 601-960-1500

Mississippi Arts Commission

December

P.O. Box 13407, Jackson, Miss. 39236 601-278-3351 mschorus.org

239 N. Lamar St. 601-359-6030 www.arts.state.ms.us

Mississippi Chorus

The Mississippi Opera Association 201 E. Pascagoula St. 601-960-1528 msopera.org

Mississippi Symphony Orchestra 201 E. Pascagoula St. msorchestra.com

Mississippi Puppetry Guild 1927 Springridge Dr. 601-956-3414 mspuppetry.com

New Stage Theatre 1100 Carlisle St. 601-948-3531 newstagetheatre.com

USA International Ballet Competition, Inc.

255 E. Pascagoula St. 601-960-1557 artsallianceonline.org

P. O. Box 3696, Jackson, Miss. 39207 601-355-9853 usaibc.com

5406 Interstate 55 N. 601-977-1001 balletmagnicat.com

Museums

Ballet Mississippi Mississippi Arts Center

1119 Pinehurst Place 601- 353-7762 mdah.state.ms.us/welty

4110 W. Capitol St. 601-353-0371

Community Children’s Theatre 1000 Monroe St. 601-354-1191

A treasury of hard-to-find stories, essays, tributes, and humor from one of Mississippi’s literary masters $35 hardback Ask for a complete list of our Welty-related titles!

Mississippi pOlitics

the struggle fOr pOWer, 1976–2008, secOnd editiOn

By Jere Nash and Andy Taggart Foreword by John Grisham

The definitive work on the state’s recent political history, updated and expanded to reflect the profound consequences of the 2007 and 2008 elections $35 hardback Available November 2009

VSA arts of Mississippi

Arts Alliance of Jackson / Hinds County

Black Arts Music Society

By Eudora Welty Edited by Pearl Amelia McHaney

P.O. Box 16882, Jackson, Miss. 39236 601-366-4201 polaritydance.org 3310 N. State St. 601-713-3311 vsarts.org

201 E. Pascagoula St. 601-960-1560 balletms.com

OccasiOns

selected Writings

Polarity Dance Theatre

ARTS ORGANIZATIONS

Ballet Magnificat

Celebrating 100 Years of Eudora Welty

Jackson Community Concert Association

Capital City Football Classic Chimneyville Crafts Festival Fondren Unwrapped Handworks Harvest Festival Mistletoe Marketplace Ballet Magnificat! Christmas Dance Concert Ballet Mississippi: The Nutcracker Belhaven Singing Christmas Tree Canton Antiques Fair Canton in Lights Carols by Candlelight at First Baptist Church of Jackson Christmas at the Governor’s Mansion Christmas at the Manship House Christmas Tree Festival Celebration of Lights at Smith Park Community Kwanzaa Celebration Festival of Christmas Trees at Smith Robertson Museum and Cultural Center GermanFest Holiday Jubilee Jackson Christmas Parade Krystal Ball Medgar Evers Parade Old Jackson Christmas by Candlelight Tour Olde Tyme Christmas Village Puppet Wonderland

university press Of Mississippi

Eudora Welty House

Governor’s Mansion 300 E. Capitol St. 601-359-6421 mdah.state.ms.us/museum/mansion

International Museum of Muslim Cultures Mississippi Arts Center 201 E. Pascagoula St. 601-960-0440 muslimmuseum.org

highWay 51

Mississippi hill cOuntry

Photographs by Gloria Norris Introduction by Rick Bass

Fascinating images that illuminate the storied but overlooked route from Memphis, Tennessee, to Jackson, Mississippi $40 hardback

lOst plantatiOns Of the sOuth

By Marc R. Matrana

A beautifully illustrated history of numerous grand plantation homes lost to war, disaster, neglect, and progress $40 hardback Available September 2009

www.upress.state.ms.us 800-737-7788

Manship House Museum

Other HISTORIC SITES

421 E Fortification St. 601-961-4724 mdah.state.ms.us/museum/ manship

The Alamo Theater

Medgar Evers Home Museum

Ayer Hall

2332 Margaret Walker Alexander Dr. 601-981-2965

Mississippi Agricultural and Forestry Museum 1150 Lakeland Drive 601- 713-3365 mdac.state.ms.us/n_library/ departments/ag_museum/ index_agmuseum.html

Mississippi Children’s Museum 2660 Ridgewood Road 601-981-5469 mississippichildrens museum.com

Mississippi Museum of Art 380 S. Lamar St. 601-960-1515 msmuseumart.org

Mississippi Museum of Natural Science 2148 Riverside Drive 601-354-7303 mdwfp.com/museum

Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame & Museum 1152 Lakeland Drive 601-982-8264 msfame.com

Museum of the Southern Jewish Experience 4915 Interstate 55 N. 601-366-6352 601-362-6357 isjl.org

The Oaks House Museum 823 N. Jefferson St. 601-353-9339 theoakshousemuseum.org

Old Capitol Museum

The Tradition Continues Room service, restaurant, swim and fitness center, monitored indoor parking, barbershop, books & giftshop. Near historical sites, arts and cultural performance centers. All Guest rooms are now equipped with high-speed internet access.

100 S, State St. 601-576-6920 mdah.state.ms.us/museum/ oldcap

Smith Robertson Museum and Cultural Center

333 N. Farish St. 601-352-3365 Jackson State University

Civil War Earthworks Bailey Hill Near Frontage Road and Gallatin Street

Central United Methodist 500 North Farish St. 601-355-7854

City Hall 219 S. President St. 601-960-1084

Dupree House & Mamie’s Cottage 2809 Dupree Road 877-629-6051

Farish St. Baptist Church 619 N. Farish St. 601-355-0636

Farish Street Historical District Amite Street to Fortification Street, and Mill Street to Lamar Street 601-949-4000

Hill-Holly Building 300 N. Farish St. 601-352-6923

Mississippi Governor’s Mansion 300 E. Capitol St. 601-359-6421

Mississippi State Capitol 400 High St. 601-359-3114

Old Mt. Helm Baptist Church 300 N. Church St. 601-353-3981

Tougaloo College 500 W. County Line Road 601-977-7842

War Memorial Building 120 S. State St. 601-354-7207

Woodworth Chapel Tougaloo College, 500 W. County Line Rd. 601-977-7842

528 Bloom St. 601-960-1457 jacksonms.gov/visitors/museums/smithrobertson

Listings, Events, Restaurants and More The Jackson Free Press provides the city’s most complete, up-to-date listings for community and cultural events, live music, art gallery openings, restaurants (including menus) and movie listings. Plus, every day, we provide feature stories, reviews and interviews about what’s happening, who’s involved and why you should go. To see for yourself, log on to www.jacksonfreepress.com or www.jfpmobile.com.

www.boomjackson.com

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INTERSTATE

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ANY EVENT IMAGINABLE, NO ASSEMBLY REQUIRED. Trying to piece together your event? Don’t worry. There’s a new place with the space, amenities, and expertise to make it happen, seamlessly.

JACKSONCONVENTIONCOMPLEX.COM 877.383.MEET • 601.960.2321 • Jackson, Mississippi