V15n35 - 2017 Amazing Teens by Jackson Free Press Magazine

vol. 15 no. 35

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2017

Amazing

Teens 14 Young World Changers p 3, pp 20-24

Winning Diversity Essays p 12 Mental Health Behind Bars Dreher, p 6 Fermenting Midtown Helsel, p 26 Behind Vicksburg Blues Smith, p 30

DAY OF

N T U R Y O C

KENNY CHESNEY Thomas Rhett, Jake Owen, Thompson Square & Russell Dickerson

SATURDAY May 3 - 9, 2017 • jfp.ms

MAY 20TH

MADISON, MS Baptist Health Systems Campus

JACKSONIAN Joshua Mannery Sterling Photography

urrah High School senior and Student Body President Joshua Mannery, 17, is both a scholar and an activist. He is enrolled in the Power Academic and Performing Arts program at the school, is a National Honor Society member, has captained a mock-trial team, participated on the debate team and was in the school’s Pleiades Creative Writing Club. Mannery was also a key organizer in the Show We Care Rally at the Mississippi State Capitol last summer, rallying to raise awareness of issues that Jackson youth face, including underfunded schools and juvenile justice. “I felt empowered after the Show We Care Rally,” he says. “... (I think) hearing these messages from us, the student organizers of the rally, really grabbed the attention of people at the event.” Mannery joined Murrah’s 30 Plus Club, which is for students who score a 30 or better on the ACT, after he scored a 32 on the test. Soon after, he began holding ACT prep workshops for students. “I held a huge ACT prep workshop (a few weeks ago), and I also tutor students one-on-one, providing tips and test strategies,” he says. His position as the chapter president of the Jackson Kappa League, which is

contents

a national organization that provides guidance for male students in middle and high school, engages Mannery outside of school. He says that Kappa League’s programs have helped him in areas such as career guidance, college readiness, health and self-awareness. He says he also got into stepping through Kappa League. On his achievements, he says: “I feel an internal drive to succeed; this determination along with the support of my family, principals and teachers, like my English teacher, Mrs. (Sarah) Ballard, and my Kappa League advisers have all contributed to my achievements,” he says. Mannery plans to major in English and political science, and minor in film. He is currently choosing among select universities including Vanderbilt University, Howard University, the University of Mississippi and New York University for his college studies. He plans to announce his choice of college at Anderson Church on May 9. After college, he wants to attend law school and practice criminal or civil law. On his future, Mannery says, “I have my sights set on another leadership position ... to run for president of the United States in 2036!” —Jan Richardson

cover photo of Torenzo Richardson by Imani Khayyam

6 ............................ Talks 14 ................... editorial 15 ...................... opinion 20 ............ Cover Story 26 ........... food & Drink 28 ......................... 8 Days 29 ........................ Events 29 ....................... sports 30 .......................... music 31 ........ music listings 32 ...................... Puzzles 33 ......................... astro

7 Behind Bars With Mental Illness Read about how Hinds County and other districts could benefit from drug courts and more funding.

12 A Rainbow Nation

“Diversity is what makes the human race special.” —Robert Brent, Yazoo County High School

30 Behind Vicksburg’s Blues

Meet Shirley Waring, the current president of the Vicksburg Blues Society.

May 3 - 9 , 2017 • jfp.ms

4 ............ Editor’s Note

Valerie Crancer/Vicksburg Blues Society; Northside Elementary; Imani kHayyam

May 3 - 9, 2017 | Vol. 15 No. 35

editor’s note

by Donna Ladd, Editor-in-Chief

Next Mayor Must Lead on Preventing Youth Crime

s I type, the polls for the mayoral primaries are still open, and the outcome is uncertain. What I do know is that Jackson must adopt a new attitude when it comes to “fighting crime,” regardless of who wins. And that person must help lead Jackson away from groupthink that police can prevent young people from hurting each other and into a smart urban center that collectively works to save children from the cycle of crime. Preventing crime—which is actually about lifting up, educating and giving hope to traumatized young people—is vital to this city’s future success. It also lays the groundwork for smarter and more engaged citizens, strong economic development and a rejection of the historic corruption here—whether in government contracting or a criminal-justice system that picks and choose who to help based on who has the most dirt on a judge or prosecutor or, as with Melton, a media executive-turned-mayor. In the JFP’s ongoing “Preventing Violence” series (jfp.ms/preventingviolence), we are going far beyond naïve approaches that center on hiring more cops to flash lights and troll poor communities, disrespecting young people. We also reject the dismissive meme that “it is up to the parents.” Sure, the family plays a vital role, but cyclical poverty and trauma, as well as underresourced schools and punitive techniques, can negative their efforts. And many parents grew up in the same cycles. Or, they’re gone because they work three jobs to help their child escape their fate, and the streets win. Teenagers that I work with who have been in trouble are usually super-smart and loving, but stymied by lower standards. Most have witnessed or experienced horrible things. They often freeze with fear when

asked their opinions—because so few people bother to care what they think. Many adults let these kids down constantly, and that includes authority figures who don’t follow through or who stand them up. I understand complaints like those of Jackson Police Chief Lee Vance—or various leaders of the NYPD whom I’ve spoken with—that people expect the police to do too much to “stop” violence. They’re right: Police often get people at the “end of

We cannot arrest our way out of this problem. the line,” as one put it to me, after family and society did little or nothing to help that child avoid crime and incarceration. Police, certainly by themselves, are decidedly not the answer—and research proves that over-policing and punitive incarceration of young people is a precursor for worse crime. But Jackson is traditionally provincial on crime-fighting, with residents of all races assuming more cops will protect them and blaming police when they can’t. Oddly enough, the closest I’ve heard a local leader come to challenging that myth was at a Jackson Rotary Club talk by Christopher Freeze, the newish leader of the FBI in Mississippi. I was there because Freeze, who is white, invited me after he read a cover story that I wrote recently about the

complicated causes of murder in Jackson, and potential solutions beyond police. Freeze’s first few sentences probably didn’t shock the well-heeled audience, mostly white and conservative. Jackson has a “serious crime problem,” he said at the Ag Museum, adding that the problem includes public corruption and health-care fraud as well as violence. The violent crime, though, “takes a toll” on businesses, the community and “especially your children,” he said. Freeze added that “strong, law-abiding families” are needed, and added wisely that “violent crime knows no boundaries.” His job is to help local law enforcement find and prosecute the “hierarchy of hardcore criminal enterprise,” Freeze added, vowing to send more of those organized-crime leaders to federal prison. Nothing new there. Then, Freeze went off the usual script, saying,“It would be easy for me to stop right there,” adding that if he did, it would “only be addressing part of the problem.” That’s when the FBI leader’s speech started to feel earth-shattering, even though it shouldn’t. Freeze started talking about “our children”—meaning even the ones who commit crime. Referring to his faith, Freeze practically pleaded with the audience to recognize their “moral interest” in doing more earlier—to feed, educate, love and instill hope in all of Jackson’s young people. Notably, Freeze did not blame the children or the families who are growing up amid poverty and despair. “We’ve forgotten among the noise of what constitutes life in the inner city,” he said, then telling a story of visiting a local ministry deep in Jackson and learning about children who hadn’t eaten all day. Children are “wandering streets, struggling to survive,” in need of intervention, he reminded the audience.

Freeze then quoted two words offered as a crime solution in the BOTEC reports that the JFP’s “Preventing Violence” series had led him to: “Feed them.” “We cannot arrest our way out of this law-enforcement problem. … (We) must be involved in programs that provide escape,” Freeze warned. If not, he added, “They will become the parents they presently don’t have.” Seeing that cyclical reality is exactly opposite from blaming parents for societal conditions. It was a challenge we need to hear more often in unpredictable settings. “Today, we have an opportunity to differentiate ourselves from those who talk about problems but don’t step up and do anything,” Freeze said, challenging Rotary members to do more to meet their goal of making “positive, lasting change.” Lend their talents, he urged, to “help inner-city schools and ministries … in visible ways.” Freeze ended with a word that I’ve grown to understand is the only real path to helping redirect children from violent cycles into successful futures: “systemic.” “We must bring systemic focus to this problem,” Freeze said, calling for Rotary members to set five- and 10-year goals to “face challenges of protecting and serving children our community.” Reducing violence, he added, will “revitalize Jackson economically and socially.” I never thought I’d hear an FBI man say those words, and business leaders. I later told Freeze that I fully expect to challenge him on his methods in the future, but for then, I had only one response: “Amen.” Read the Jackson Free Press’ award-winning “Preventing Violence” series, supported by the Solutions Journalism Network, at jfp.ms/ preventingviolence.

May 3 - 9 , 2017 • jfp.ms

contributors

Amber Helsel

Christina Spann

Veer Singh

Brynn Corbello

Jessica Smith

Imani Khayyam

Arielle Dreher

William H. Kelly III

Managing Editor Amber Helsel is a demolitions expert, otakuin-training and a Gemini who likes art, cats, food, music, all things kawaii and more. Email story ideas to amber@jacksonfreepress.com. She wrote Amazing Teen blurbs.

Ridgeland native Christina Spann is working on her master’s degrees in public policy. She enjoys making people laugh and has a passion to change the face of public school education. She wrote Amazing Teen blurbs.

Veer Singh, a native of Madison, wants to become a professional filmmaker working on big budget Hollywood Films. His passions include directing, writing, artificial intelligence and food. He wrote Amazing Teens blurbs.

Brynn Corbello is a freelance musician, occupational therapist, writer, photographer and born-and-raised Fondrenite, whom you just may “spot” walking her Dalmatian. She wrote Amazing Teen blurbs.

Freelance writer Jessica Smith is a Jackson-based musician and community activist. Outside of writing, she enjoys exploring parts of the city that are unknown to her. She wrote Amazing Teen blurbs.

Staff Photographer Imani Khayyam is an art lover and a native of Jackson. He loves to be behind the camera and capture the true essence of his subjects. He took the cover photo and lots of others. He also mentors YMP students.

News Reporter Arielle Dreher is working on finding some new hobbies and adopting an otter from the Jackson Zoo. Email her story ideas at arielle@jacksonfreepress.com. She wrote about the teacher salary supplement program.

City Reporting Intern William H. Kelly III is a student at Jackson State University and is originally from Houston, Texas. Send him news tips at william@jacksonfreepress. com. He wrote about housing budget cuts.

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May 3 - 9, 2017 â&#x20AC;¢ jfp.ms

Trump’s budget plans could affect grants that Jackson and the state rely on p 10

“I don’t have padded cells; I have concrete and bars, and I have to re-adjust my jailers who have been trained to defend themselves to now more or less be ushers in church.” –Hinds County Sheriff Victor Mason on efforts to to re-train staff to appropriately work with people with mental health issues.

Thursday, April 27 The Mississippi Supreme Court rules that Hinds County Circuit Court Judge Jeff Weill acted correctly when he ruled that assistant Hinds County Public Defender Christopher Routh was in criminal contempt of court. Friday, April 28 Advocates for workers’ rights, including the Mississippi Workers Center for Human Rights and the Mississippi Immigrants Rights Alliance, gather at the Mississippi Capitol to honor those who died on the job and organize for reforms in the state. Saturday, April 29 Tens of thousands of people march down Pennsylvania Avenue and encircle the White House in the People’s Climate March, demanding action on climate change on Donald Trump’s 100th day in office. Sunday, April 30 The U.S. Congress passes a $1 trillion-plus spending bill that will fund every federal agency through September while denying funding for Donald Trump’s proposed border wall and rejecting his cuts to popular programs.

May 3 - 9 , 2017 • jfp.ms

Monday, May 1 Dr. Carl Reddix, a physician accused of bribing former Mississippi corrections commissioner Chris Epps, announces that he plans to plead guilty Wednesday. … Tens of thousands of people across the country protest against Donald Trump’s immigration and labor policies on May Day.

Tuesday, May 2 Michael Slager, a white police officer charged with murder after a recording surfaced of him shooting a black motorist named Walter Scott in the back, announces that he will plead guilty to violating Scott’s civil rights. Get breaking news at jfpdaily.com.

Mental Illness: Behind Bars and Beyond by Arielle Dreher

ocking up people suffering from mental illnesses is an endless, fruitless cycle—unless a person can access the services and (in some cases) treatment needed to live their lives in the most integrated setting possible. But most Mississippi law-enforcement agencies and courts have no diversion programs available to allow judges to sentence someone to a rehabilitative program instead of sending them to prison or jail. They never had them in the first place, or state budget cuts to the Department of Mental Health have eliminated the ones that were there. The Hinds County Sheriff’s Department has been under a consent decree to address dangerous conditions in its jail since the U.S. Department of Justice wrote a 29-page findings letter in 2015, after investigating the Hinds County Adult Detention Center. They found that the county violated the 8th and 14th amendments, by “failing to provide conditions of confinement that offer prisoners reasonable safety and protection from violence … and holding prisoners in the jail beyond their courtordered release dates.” The letter pointed to increasing violence in the jail from 2012 to 2015 including “at least three major riots, two alleged homicides and numerous assaults on prisoners and staff members.” Hinds County Board Attorney Pieter Teeuwissen said the board decided to ne-

WORD SEARCH

Our Amazing Teens of 2017 have big dreams, career goals and ideas that make the future of Jackson seem bright. Find some of the words they used to describe their futures. Read about them on Page 20-24. Architecture Kichipudi Coding Wildlife Ambassador OBGYN Leadership Malawi Powerlift Mission

Honor Physics Engineering Wiley Volunteer Technology Youth Vision Health Military

W K G D Q I P K G O X J U D D V Y I E T F N D E G A Z I U K N X E E Z D E G X R C O I K F N I Q G R A Y L A R J H Q V V

Imani Khayyam

Wednesday, April 26 Mississippi Revenue Commissioner Herb Frierson says at a hearing that he wants to make sure people renting rooms or vacation properties online pay sales and lodging taxes.

Hinds County Sheriff Victor Mason (left) and Supervisor Peggy Calhoun (right) discuss the importance of mental-health services and diversion programs for Hinds County residents entering the criminal-justice system.

gotiate instead of spending years in fruitless litigation. “In that consent decree, we negotiated provisions for mental-health diversion and mental health services—we have done something that hasn’t been done elsewhere in the country,” Teeuwissen said at a Criminal Justice and Mental Health Forum at Jackson State University on April 20. Hinds County Sheriff Victor Mason said the first step is re-training all his of-

ficers. He told the forum that officers are not trained to handle mental-health cases and that training will continue for the rest of the year. “I don’t have padded cells; I have concrete and bars, and I have to re-adjust my jailers who have been trained to defend themselves to now more or less be ushers in church,” Mason said at the forum. Until 2016, Mason and other Mississippi sheriffs used the 29-bed acute medical psychiatric service at

V Q Q F V Y J U I M E N Y T X X L I X O F A J F X P W O V S M E C M S G Q B Y H Y F P J C D O D B H B I V X S E M G M I L I T A W B I B O B Q A W K E U Z H G U Q W A P D N C L I I Z P D D S N Q E M W U Y U T L F K S L F O Q Z F G C X D G H D H R H D I W H C P Z U V K I M L P H Y S I C S G H X K L E M W I J K S M A L A Q X N E F X Y I F A I H K H X N W D Q O F O K L E M G G H D L X L D L T L M P E L E A D E R S H D I N G J O V Y X A B L K H R R X R D I U O G B G E W M E Q Y W Z T T O F L H Y Q Q E H U M C O M B A S S A D O R C T R P P S P J S R A W Y P O W E R L I F T U I M A A C Q T V O L U N T E E R Q F N I F J A R C H I T E C T U

W K O S M V R Q M U A G R Y B H I O I L Z E T B T W N U O N O R G P D Z W I T A H I D B B P D Y I P U F K C P M A N W B J O J N U X B F J T B D R N H V R E H A

H N Y I C R W M X G V E Z P M T L Q S W T K N E Z T R S Z H L W W V Y L W K T I

“We need to concentrate on having a teacher pay scale that’s competitive with the states around us.”

“Although the legislative process will determine the length of the session, I anticipate lawmakers will finish their work as quickly as possible to minimize costs to taxpayers.”

–Joyce Helmick, president of the Mississippi Association of Educators, on low teacher salaries in Mississippi.

–Gov. Phil Bryant on Facebook, calling a special session for June 5, for which he has yet to set a specific agenda.

Rewarding of the Fittest Schools by Arielle Dreher

located more than $20 million of the Mississippi Department of Education’s funds for schools around the state that received “A” or “B” grades as well as schools that improved a letter grade from 2015 to 2016. A Jackson Free Press analysis of school rankings from 2015 to 2016 shows that only a handful of schools actually improved a letter grade, however, while many more schools actually scored lower in 2016 than in 2015. Northside Elementary in Clinton received an “A” in 2016, meaning it will get an additional $100 per pupil in average daily attendance, which it must use on non-recurring salary supplements to teachers and staff at the school. “One of the things that we’ve talked about is that we believe we should reward performance in our schools,” Lt. Gov. Tate Reeves told reporters in March as he explained the accomplishments of the 2017 legislative session, including funding the School Recognition Program. Republican leaders in the Legislature pushed funding for the program this spring, while Democrats hesitated to get behind a program that benefited already successful schools in the state.

The betteroff schools get more resources, and the poor ones get nothing extra.

Mississippi State Hospital administered by the Department of Mental Health as their diversion program, as well as other units that served men in chemical dependency units at East Mississippi State Hospital. The Crush of Cuts The Department of Mental Health closed several programs for chemical-dependency after the 2016 legislative session and subsequent budget cuts, however. Mason said the solution is to reopen that program, but that is unlikely to happen after the massive cut the agency took this year. Up to 650 employees will lose jobs by June 2018, a statement from DMH says. The U.S. Department of Justice sued the State of Mississippi in 2016 for overreliance on institutionalization, keeping adult Mississippians in in-patient, overnight and long-term facilities. Instead, the DOJ wants to see the state fund com-

munity-based services, which all recent and evidence-based research support as a means to appropriately treat most mental illnesses. The DMH budget bill requires the agency to keep funding communitybased services. Tameka Tobias-Smith, the Mississippi executive director of the National Alliance on Mental Illness, says her group advocated for mental-health courts in the 2017 legislative session—and succeeded in part. Lawmakers amended the Rivers McGraw Act—initially a bill to protect minors from overdosing, getting caught and bailed out—without telling their guardians, to initiate pilot programs for mental-health courts in six judicial districts statewide. Still, the new law contains no funding mechanism, so courts must pursue grants and funds to start programs. Judges in districts not listed in the law, like in Hinds County, have worked on starting their

So while the Mississippi Adequate Education Program, set up to bring resources to poorer schools up to an “adequate level,” took an almost 2-percent budget cut, certain teachers and staff members at better-performing schools will get an extra bump in pay next school year. That is, the better-off schools get more resources, and the poor ones get nothing extra. Community > State The four Clinton teachers readily admit that they already have abundant resources at their disposal, from technology to local financial investment. “We have a great community who is invested in the education of their kids, so they pass those expectations on to the school board who pass it on to our superintendent,” said Goins, who is an interventionist at Northside currently teaching third-grade math. “If you say, ‘I need (this), or I think I’d like (that),’ it’s like you have it.” Students at Northside Elementary are “one-to-one” technology learners, meaning the school has enough devices for each student to use an iPad or laptop. This is largely due to the influx of local tax revenue—not state funds. “Our community has never hesitated; when it came

own mental-health courts, and a municipal court in Hattiesburg has one already in place. The State’s Job? Ideally, the mental-health-court program would divert those who commit low-level crimes and suffer from mentalhealth issues away from jail or prison and into a system of care where they get needed support. Mississippi needs to establish access to local support groups and services at local community mental-health centers to avoid a drawn-out court battle with the DOJ. Tobias-Smith said communitybased care also includes the efforts of local churches and organizations to provide services to those that need it. “We push for community-based care because we want that person with a mental illness to know that we’re here to support you, not isolate,” she told the Jackson

more REWARD, see page 8

Free Press. “Isolation is not helpful because you want them to be included.” From a Hinds County perspective, the State has the responsibility to fix the system of care and fund programs. Hinds County Supervisor Peggy Calhoun said at the JSU forum that legislators need to recognize that counties need financial support and cannot do it alone. “The situation is going to get worse. It’s going to spiral out of control because if a mentally ill person does not get the treatment that he or she needs, that person is going to get worse,” Calhoun said on April 20. Teeuwissen echoed Calhoun, saying that circuit courts are actually the State’s responsibility, and it should fund mentalhealth courts. “The approach cannot continue to be local funds,” he said. Read the JFP’s ongoing “Preventing Violence” series at jfp.ms/preventingviolence.

May 3 - 9 , 2017 • jfp.ms

t the end of a school day and an exhausting period of state testing, four Clinton Public School District teachers looked tired but content as they crowded into a tiny conference room. These educators, along with most of the teachers in their district, will see a pay bump in the coming school year because the Legislature voted to fund a teacher salary supplement program this spring. Jennifer Guyor, Ladreana Goins, Judy Adkisson and Stephanie Jierski sat down with the Jackson Free Press last week, but none of the teachers had heard of the School Recognition Program, however, although it will reward them because they teach in schools considered successful, even as the Legislature is cutting funds allocated for struggling schools in poorer areas. “I don’t know anything about it,” one of them said about the reward program. The rest agreed. “You said it passed?” The School Recognition Program, initially passed in 2014, was part of larger teacher payraise legislation, but the Legislature had not funded it until this year. In the most recent session, lawmakers al-

TALK | education

REWARD from page 6 down for a new school bond, everyone was there saying, ‘Yes, this is what we want,’” Guyor said. “When we need pay increases or more funding, the community said, ‘Yes, we want the schools to have what they need.’” The School Recognition Program mainly funnels additional money to high-rated, wealthy schools and some top-rated outliers in large or underprivileged school districts in the state, a JFP analysis of school rank-

need additional resources. “We do not feel it (the School Recognition Program) is accomplishing the goal of making a school particularly better; we are not going to discount that we want our teachers to be recognized and have higher pay, but it’s not a teacher pay raise,” Helmick told the Jackson Free Press. “It is not something that’s going to help our teacher shortage—we need to concentrate on having a teacher pay scale that’s competitive with the states around us.” Most research in education funding today centers on two facts: money can lead to student achievement gains and how that additional money is spent really matters. “Our findings provide compelling evidence that money does matter and that better school resources can Imani Khayyam

May 3 - 9 , 2017 • jfp.ms

Jennifer Guyor, Ladreana Goins, Judy Adkisson and Stephanie Jierski (from left to right) teach second and third graders at Northside Elementary School in Clinton. They agree that even an “A” district like Clinton Public School District needs resources for more teachers.

ings shows. Of the state’s 882 schools, 327 received “A” or “B” grades in 2016, meaning the teachers and staff members at these schools—not administrators—will see supplements in pay. A Jackson Free Press analysis of accountability data from the Mississippi Department of Education from 2015 to 2016 scores shows that only 26 schools* improved a letter grade, meaning 26 schools went from a “F” or “D” ranking to a “D” or “C” grade from 2015 to 2016. It logically follows that the majority of the over $20 million in supplements will go to schools that were already considered “high achieving” by state standards. One of the likely reasons so few schools improved a letter grade from 2015 to 2016 is because MDE upped its standards, and state testing got a lot harder last year. In total, 353 schools will benefit from the School Recognition Program, and over half of those schools are in districts already ranked with an “A” or “B” grade. Joyce Helmick, the president of the Mississippi Association of Educators, said that while her organization supports any additional incentives for teachers, its member also recognize that the incentives will go to a miniscule number of schools compared to those that actually

meaningfully improve the long-run outcomes of recently educated children,” a 2015 study from the National Bureau of Economic Research found. “At the same time, our results also suggest that money alone might not improve outcomes because the effect of any spending increases will depend on exactly how funds are spent.” The Legislature has only fully funded MAEP, the state’s education-funding formula, twice since passing it in 1997, and a fight simmered at the Legislature last session when Republican leaders planned to change the formula using a New Jersey-based consultant, EdBuild. Ultimately, leaders said a new formula plan, to change MAEP to a weighted student funding model, was not ready in time to introduce this legislative session, but upcoming changes continue to loom in policy discussions around the state. Critics of the proposed EdBuild proposal question the need for change when the current formula is still not fully funded. Teacher Pay Matters, Too All four Northside Elementary teachers agreed that their pay raises would likely go right back into their classrooms. Even in a district with resources like Clinton

Public School District, the teachers all spend additional funds, outside of their allotted classroom expenditures, on their students. “Our jobs and the way we love our kids, if they need something, I can promise you that anyone here won’t hesitate. They go out, they spend the money they need, they get the supplies they need, and they just do it because it’s for the kids,” Guyor told the Jackson Free Press. Research shows that teacher incentives can work to increase student achievement, but the state is already struggling to retain teachers. In Mississippi, Helmick said, three things are used as predictors for teacher shortages: race, location and the percent of local tax revenue going to schools. A 2017 study of Mississippi’s teacher shortages found “that districts with a high percentage of black students, districts located in the Yazoo-Mississippi River Delta Region, and districts that generate less money locally for education are more likely to have a teacher shortage.” In other words, the state’s “failing” majorityblack school districts are at high-risk for having teacher shortages to begin with. What do teachers wish lawmakers would spend more money on? The group of Northside teachers said extra staff, without hesitation. Most teachers at Northside Elementary have 25 children in each classroom, and teachers said they could benefit from having additional teacher assistants and interventionists, who help children who might need extra help with schoolwork or behavior problems. Teachers in Mississippi make a minimum of $34,390 under the state law setting the 2015-2016 school-year salary rates. The state’s average teacher salary here lags far behind other states, and Helmick said Mississippi’s starting teacher salary is the lowest in the nation, ranked at 50th currently. Many teachers work in the summer or take on a second job. The Northside Elementary teachers said they spend extra money on their students for things like classroom projects or T-shirts for children who cannot afford their class shirt for field day. “I wish a teacher salary was enough that a teacher wouldn’t have to do a second job or a part-time job … because I’m using all my money for stuff in the classroom,” Goins said. “I think that would retain more teachers in the field because the ones of us that stay here stay because we love it. … (Others) leave because there’s not enough money in it.” Adkisson, a single mother who lives in Clinton, said it is hard to live on her salary at times, and she tutors during the summer. She does her job because of those “special moments where maybe a child isn’t necessarily taken care of or loved very much, and then you have that chance to be that role model and caregiver for that kid.” “Our jobs are really important on more than just a learning level,” Adkisson said. *The analysis included and counted schools who improved in 2016 from their 2015 official and without waiver grades (19 schools improved their official grades; 7 schools improved their without waiver grades). Email state reporter Arielle Dreher at arielle@jacksonfreepress.com and follow her on Twitter at @arielle_amara. Read more education reporting at jfp.ms/state.

May 3 - 9, 2017 â&#x20AC;¢ jfp.ms

TALK | city

Trump’s Proposed HUD Cuts Costly to City, State by William H. Kelly III

May 3 - 9 , 2017 • jfp.ms

Imani Khayyam File Photo

ue to federal budget cuts President the homeless individuals,” Henderson us in a great way. Let us not sit back si- However, Wicker also voted in 2015 Donald Trump is pushing, Mis- told the council. lently and say and do nothing. in favor of the “Stop Sanctuary Policies sissippi faces the loss of funds for “Please support us by contacting and Protect Americans Act,” S. 2146, to “We would not be able to serve food rehabbing crumbling buildings, to the senior citizens. We would not be your local representatives, your congress- limit federal funding to cities that refuse economic-development projects, youth able to fund some of our local daycare cen- men, your senators, and tell them to vote to use local law enforcement to enforce services, and repairing streets and drain- ters to provide after-school programs for no on the elimination of CDBG and federal immigration policies. age problems. HOME Programs.” Trump signed an executive order in our low and moderate-income youth.” The state could suffer the January to pull back federal loss of Community Developfunds from cities that refused ment Block Grants because to help with immigrant arTrump’s budget proposes rest and deportation. William a $6.2-billion cut from the H. Orrick, a federal judge in U.S. Department of HousCalifornia, ruled last week ing and Urban Development, that Trump’s executive order which houses the CDBG is unconstitutional, however. program. HUD is facing a Ward 5 Councilman 13.2-percent decrease from Charles Tillman said he supthe level of funding for this ports maintaining the CDBG year under Trump’s plan. and HOME Program be The HOME Investcause he has seen them make ment Partnerships Program children safer. (HOME), also housed under “I had the opportunity HUD, is the largest federal to get a piece of this money block grant to state and lo(and) participate in this procal governments designed gram when I was principal at to create affordable housing Rowan Junior High School. for low-income households. Half of the student body lived HOME also provides formuacross the railroad track, and la grants to states and localisafety was a big, big issue,” ties that communities use— Tillman said at the council often in partnership with meeting. President Donald Trump has proposed to cut all community development block grant funding, local nonprofit groups—to “We got CDBG monwhich would significantly affect poor communities in Jackson and Mississippi as a whole. fund a wide range of activities ey to build that crosswalk, including building, buying, and I will forever be grateful and/or rehabilitating affordable housing for this program and the community, esThe outcome of the grant termina- Senators’ Support U.S. Sen. Thad Cochran, R-Miss., pecially the parents who had students that for rent or homeownership or providing tion would affect the many poor fami- direct rental assistance to low-income lies and communities around the globe, and Roger Wicker, R-Miss., both are in had to cross the railroad track.” people. On Sunday, April 30, Congress who are surviving due to CDBG funds. favor of CDBG grants. When the City of The program has helped fund low- and Gulfport and the Gulfport-Biloxi Interna- passed a budget that did not include The Trump Effect moderate-income areas for approximately tional Airport were awarded $3,893,247 Trump’s cuts to HUD funds, but that In March, the new president an- 43 years, dating back to the Community in federal grants for the community, budget could be revised as soon as May 5 Wicker said in a statement that he was and will expire by September. nounced his budgeting blueprint that Development Act of 1974. proposed $54 billion in cuts from 62 fed- In response to the looming CDBG “pleased that we are working to enhance eral agencies and programs. Email city reporting intern William crisis, Mayor Tony Yarber proclaimed our Gulf Coast with these federal grants.” An additional $581,068 grant went H. Kelly III at William@ The loss of CDBG funds could hit April 17-22 as National Community De- to the City of Gulfport to support com- jacksonfreepress.com home fast in Jackson and Mississippi. “If velopment Week at the same meeting. and these programs are eliminated, houses will Angela Grayson, executive assistant munity-development projects near the follow him on Twitter at @ not be able to be rehabbed, (and) some of to Yarber’s chief of staff, Jackie Anderson- Gulfport Job Corps Center. William_Reports. our drainage will not be able to be done,” Woods, read the proclamation in the Vanessa Henderson, deputy director of mayor’s absence. “[B]e it resolved,” the Most viral stories at jfp.ms: Most viral events at the Jackson Office of Housing and Com- resolution read in part, “that the City of 1. “Chokwe A. Lumumba for Mayor” by JFP Staff munity Development, told the Jackson Jackson opposes any attempts to elimijfpevents.com: 2. “Poll: Lumumba Leads in Mayor’s Race; Graham, Most viral events at jfpevents.com: City Council at its April 18 meeting. nate the programs and urges Congress Horhn Battle for Second Position,” verbatim 1. Cinco de Mayo, May 1-5 Henderson emphasized that the to recognize the outstanding work being statement 2. Arts, Eats & Beats, May 4 3. “UPDATED: Lumumba Files Campaign Report, 1-percent sales tax does not fund all the done locally and nationally by CDBG 3. “Smart People,” May 5-7 Third Behind Horhn, Graham in Donations” 4. Pearl Day Festival, May 6 city’s drainage and street needs, as well as and HOME by supporting increased by Donna Ladd 5. Free Comic Book Day, May 6 other vital services. funding for both programs in FY18.” 4. “The Poverty-Crime Connection” by Lacey McLaughlin “Our parks would not be able to be Henderson closed her presentation Find more events at jfpevents.com. 5. “Where the Pearl River Flows” by Arielle Dreher maintained. We wouldn’t be able to help with a call-to-action: “It’s going to affect 10

AT MILLSAPS, OUR STUDENTS BELONG.

HANNAH DOGGETT � MAJOR: EDUCATION AND BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION EXTRACURRICULAR ACTIVITIES: ELSE WORKS , FELLOWSHIP OF CHRISTIAN ATHLETES, SOFTBALL

Millsaps College senior Hannah Doggett has nurtured both her passion for education and her interest in business, thanks to the ELSEWorks Entrepreneurship Program. The ELSEWorks Entrepreneurship Program, offered by the Millsaps College Else School of Management, provides undergraduates the opportunity to embrace entrepreneurship and make positive social change in the community, state, and region. Doggett, a Cypress, Texas native, has worked as an intern at Midtown Public Charter School in Jackson. She worked with the school’s principal, an experience that allowed her to view the administrative side of education, and managed the charter’s school market and bank system, which teaches students how to write checks, pay bills, and make deposits. Doggett also served as the coach for the school’s cheerleading team as part of her internship. “While I don’t plan on being a cheer coach, the experience really forced me out of my comfort zone and taught me to be flexible and open-minded,” she said.

HANNAH BELONGS AT MILLSAPS.

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May 3 - 9, 2017 • jfp.ms

Listings for Fri. Fri. 4/7 5/5 – Thur. 4/13 5/11

jack frazier durr

TALK | different

Voices of Our Youth Following are winning entries in Elmore & Peterson Law Firm’s “Encouraging Diversity— Voices of Our Youth” creative competition for students, which the Jackson Free Press co-sponsored. See more at jfp.ms/diversityessays17 and elmorepeterson.com.

Encouraging Diversity

by Robert Brent, Yazoo County High School, 10th-12th Grade Winner

e are all different. That statement is more fact than opinion. Throughout the world, there are different people with unique cultures and traditions. Food, clothing, legends and religion are the most notable things that define one’s culture. America is filled with different people of different backgrounds who can express their culture freely. Everyone here is different, and that’s what makes us the same— that we’re all different! Throughout the week, I usually ask my mom to order some takeout to eat because we don’t feel like cooking. At the house, I kick back and listen to Drake, one of my favorite artists, and let the melody

take over. One of my best friends, Jaime, keeps me laughing at school. Everything and everyone I’ve listed also comes from different backgrounds than my own. During the week, my mom orders Chinese food because I love and appreciate the taste that I can’t go a week without. Drake, one of the world’s most popular music producers, is Canadian. My friend Jaime? His full name is Jaime Ortiz, and he is Mexican. Different cultures affect my life, and I respect where a person comes from and how they express their own culture daily. Diversity keeps the world interesting. New ideas and styles from one culture can be shared and mixed in with other cultures. I honestly hate the idea of everyone being in

This art piece by Northside Elementary School (Pearl) student Jack Frazier Durr won the 6th-grade-under division.

the same race. Adolf Hitler wanted everyone to have blonde hair and blue eyes (and let’s remember that Hitler himself had dark hair and brown eyes!), but you see what happened to him and his “master plan.” Diversity is what makes the human race special. Every day, I talk to friends from different nationalities, and the things they do after school are interesting to me.

Learning about different cultures during history class and understanding how people live, both nationally and internationally, I can see how diverse people can live in one country and provide for each other. A peaceful diversity is humans at their best, and encouraging diversity will only benefit everyone. Read more at jfp.ms/diversityessays17.

Everyone is Beautifully Unique

May 3 - 9 , 2017 • jfp.ms

were cool? Then it dawned on her: She needed to show this kid some serious kindness. Her friends always brought her great pleasure, and this Blake kid needed to make some friends instead of make kids cry. On her way home from school as it started to rain, she thought about how to teach this kid to be kind to everyone. She thought up a plan, and it was a good plan, too. She thought about all the times he Mathers ross

ach and every family is different, whether you have two moms, two dads, one mom and one dad, or a mom and a dad. Every family is unique. Kevin comes from a family where academics always matter most. Kelly comes from a family where discipline matters most. Kaya comes from a family that believes that everyone should be kind. In a world where thousands of people live, it is quite a good thing to have some diversity. Whether you are a creature that walks the earth, a creature that flies high, or a creature that swims in the sea, everyone is beautifully unique. Humans fall in love everyday, whether in Paris or in the rain. It is such a wonderful thing to see two different people come together! Humans rely on other humans to live. Without other humans, where would you be? Humans have to stick together. It’s necessary for survival. Every single person has a story, and here’s where Kaya’s began. As you may have already known, Kaya comes from a family that believes that everybody needs a little kindness. One day as Kaya was skipping down her usual route to school, a boy she didn’t recognize approached her. He told her that he saw the group of friends she hung out with, and he didn’t like them. When she, after her heart sank, asked what his name was, he simply said, “Blake Ewing. Anyways, I must be off. Daddy says I have to go make as many other children cry as possible today.” Kaya simply kept walking, trying not to let his negativity get to her. But she just couldn’t understand why this kid was so mean! She thought back to riding around town with her friends—quite a diverse bunch, to say the least—and remembered what fun she’d had with them. Why would 12 someone care what their friends looked like as long as they

by Mathers Ross

Northwest Rankin Middle School student Mathers Ross’ storybook won the 7th-9th Grade award in the “Voices of Our Youth” contest. See a PDF of the storybook online at jfp.ms/diversityessays17.

sneered at her friends when they laughed and talked while he sat alone at lunch. She thought up a plan so good, nothing could ruin it. As Kaya walked to school the next day, she thought back to how her family had raised her to show everyone kindness. This time, Blake didn’t approach her—she ap-

proached him. She started off by introducing herself, since he didn’t care enough to ask her name when he introduced himself to her, and then proceeded to ask him how his day was. He fired back with, “My day’s been terrific,” while making an exaggerated hand motion. As the rain began to pour down, she noticed he didn’t have an umbrella. She quickly pulled out her umbrella and gave it to him. He didn’t respond; he only took it as she got soaked. However, she didn’t care; she knew her plan was working. The next morning, Kaya came up with a new act of kindness for Blake. This one was going to work for sure, she thought. That day walking to school, Kaya just knew that Blake was going to become the kindest person she knew. Her plan today was to sit with him at lunch, since she noticed that he usually sat alone. After school, Kaya and her friend, John, discussed even more ways to get Blake to be kind! They decided to let him join their friend group, and go out and do things with them. Maybe this would show him that everyone is equal, she thought. Kaya’s birthday came around, and Blake was invited. They all ate cake and had a great time, except Blake wouldn’t crack quite yet. One day, walking home from school, Blake caught up with Kaya. He told her, “You know what? I think I really do like all of your friends.” “You mean our friends, right?” replied Kayla. “Yeah, our friends,” Blake responded. See storybook at jfp.ms/diversityessays17.

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How All Can Help Teenagers Graduate

raduation is the most important time for seniors. This is the beginning of the transition from high school to college, and the transition from being told you are just a kid to being told you are an adult. The last several years have seen a significant increase in the number of high-school teens graduating. Still, graduation can become unobtainable for some seniors. Senior year is the time to have fun but can also be a time of unrealized stress. Many obstacles and distractions stop seniors from receiving their high-school diplomas, including not applying for scholarships on time, not applying for college, not being accepted into college, not getting the appropriate ACT score, taking Advanced Placement exams, keeping their grades up, getting senior release, and making sure they obtained all their credits to graduate. These un-encouraging things can stop a student from continuing through their high-school career. However, despite these obstacles, a greater portion of highschool seniors are graduating. The National Center for Education Statistics states, “In school year 2013-2014, the adjusted cohort graduation rate (ACGR) for public high schools rose to an alltime high of 82 percent. … This indicates that approximately four out of five students graduated with a regular high school diploma within four years of the first time they started 9th grade.” There are also multiple ways that a state or even a household can help increase the graduation rate. During senior year, students do not want or need added stress from other people who are not in their families. Instead, others can personally help a senior continue on the path to graduation. Parents, you should not constantly pester your child about applying for college, what scholarships they applied for, if he or she has received financial aid or keep up with a preferred college. Trusting that your child is aware of their responsibilities and checking in on them now and then will encourage them to act as the adult they are growing up to be. The National Education Association reports that states such as Kentucky and Alabama have even implemented new strategies or reforms to better help students as well. Some of the reforms include raising the legal age for dropping out of school, having smaller classrooms and making graduation rates a state priority. When states are making the number of seniors graduating a priority, they are setting the foundation for more students willing to do what it takes to receive his or her diploma. Moreover, an increased graduation rate also means more students are willing to continue his or her education after high school, whether by attending a four-year university, a two-year junior or community college, or a trade school. By earning a diploma or taking up a trade, an individual can get a job with a better salary. Increasing education through college is increasing the paygrade. The longer you stay in school, the more money you make. Jennifer Sheilds is a senior at Clinton High School. She was a member of the Mississippi Youth Media Project (youthmediaproject. 14 com) last summer. Read more of her work at jxnpulse.com. May 3 - 9 , 2017 • jfp.ms

A student does not want or need added stress.

It’s Time to Start Talking About Equity in Education

egislative Republicans gave themselves pats on the back this session for funding the School Recognition Program, which rewards teachers primarily in “A” and “B” schools around the state with salary supplements. The program totals more than $20 million in funds from the Mississippi Department of Education’s budget. The program caused an outcry among lawmakers in districts with mainly “C,” “D” or “F” schools who pointed out that the program only benefits schools with the most resources. In a shallow attempt to address equity, the program also rewards any school that improved a letter grade. The immediate problem, of course, is that few schools improved a grade between 2015 and 2016 because MDE upped its testing standards during that time. In fact, an analysis from the JFP found that many more schools actually dropped a letter grade. The long-term problem of the School Recognition Program is its complete disregard of equitable education funding. Even though state law says lawmakers have the “intent” to go back and consider a salary supplement for teachers in “C,” “D” and “F” schools, the damage is done. The state’s failing school districts are all majority African American. The districts suffering the most from teacher shortages are also African American, poor and rural. A 2017 study of Mississippi’s teacher shortages found that “districts with a high percentage of black stu-

dents, districts located in the Yazoo-Mississippi River Delta Region, and districts that generate less money locally for education are more likely to have a teacher shortage.” By funding the School Recognition Program first—before fully funding the Mississippi Adequate Education Program, which funds teacher salaries in all schools or adds more dollars to “failing districts”—lawmakers are making a bad choice. They prefer to prioritize the state’s successful, wealthy and well-performing school districts before helping those that need the most financial support. It also reeks of race bias. The top 10 school districts in the state in 2016 have at least 51-percent white populations. They have strong local tax bases, where communities willingly levy additional taxes to improve their schools. Clinton is able to levy more tax dollars locally than a place like Jackson, for instance, and it’s reflected in their grades. Clinton Public School District scored an “A” grade in 2016, while Jackson Public Schools dipped to an “F,” forcing a full department audit. Similarly, small Delta districts, with few local industries to support increasing taxes, struggle to pay for improvements. The Legislature needs to recognize this disparity and financially support the schools and districts that have access to less resources. That is an equity and a fairness issue. All teachers deserve a salary supplement—not a select few.

CORRECTION: In “Much Ado About Flooding: How ‘One Lake’ Could Change the Pearl River” (Vol. 15, Issue 33, April 19-25, 2017), the quote, “You can almost guarantee all the river-adapted organisms will either move upstream or downstream, or they’ll become locally extinct, and they’ll be replaced by things that are adapted to a lake setting,” was attributed to Keith Turner, but Will Selman actually said it. The Jackson Free Press apologizes for this error.

Funmi “Queen” Franklin

EDITORIAL Managing Editor Amber Helsel State Reporter Arielle Dreher JFP Daily Editor Dustin Cardon Music Editor Micah Smith Events Listings Editor Tyler Edwards News Intern William Kelly III Writers Richard Coupe, Bryan Flynn, Shelby Scott Harris, Mike McDonald, Greg Pigott, Julie Skipper Consulting Editor JoAnne Prichard Morris ART AND PHOTOGRAPHY Art Director Kristin Brenemen Advertising Designer Zilpha Young Staff Photographer Imani Khayyam ADVERTISING SALES Sales and Marketing Consultants Myron Cathey, Roberta Wilkerson Sales Assistant Mary Osborne Digital Marketing Specialist Meghan Garner BUSINESS AND OPERATIONS Distribution Manager Richard Laswell Distribution Raymond Carmeans, Clint Dear, Michael McDonald, Ruby Parks Assistant to the CEO Inga-Lill Sjostrom Operations Consultant David Joseph ONLINE Web Editor Dustin Cardon Web Designer Montroe Headd CONTACT US: Letters letters@jacksonfreepress.com Editorial editor@jacksonfreepress.com Queries submissions@jacksonfreepress.com Listings events@jacksonfreepress.com Advertising ads@jacksonfreepress.com Publisher todd@jacksonfreepress.com News tips news@jacksonfreepress.com Fashion style@jacksonfreepress.com Jackson Free Press 125 South Congress Street, Suite 1324 Jackson, Mississippi 39201 Editorial (601) 362-6121 Sales (601) 362-6121 Fax (601) 510-9019 Daily updates at jacksonfreepress.com

The Jackson Free Press is the city’s awardwinning, locally owned newsweekly, reaching over 35,000 readers per week via more than 600 distribution locations in the Jackson metro area—and an average of over 35,000 visitors per week at www.jacksonfreepress.com. The Jackson Free Press is free for pick-up by readers; one copy per person, please. First-class subscriptions are available for $100 per year for postage and handling. The Jackson Free Press welcomes thoughtful opinions. The views expressed in this newspaper are not necessarily those of the publisher or management of Jackson Free Press Inc. © Copyright 2017 Jackson Free Press Inc. All Rights Reserved

Taking the Leap, Finally

can’t think of a better way to celebrate my birthday than taking a gigantic leap of faith. Now, understand that I am not a stranger to being faithful. In fact, most of the time, my actions require faith, and I step out without any hesitation. I jumped into the unknowing with only faith as a safety net. It wasn’t as hard as one might think, as I actually believe that I was forced into the decision. I just simply decided to jump instead of being pushed. I gave 15 years of my life to the Mississippi Department of Health. For most of that time, I was in licensure and certification. I toiled in a system where I saw an abundance of white males in positions of power. I saw people who had worked for the state for years and had been spiritually beaten into submission. Unfair treatment had tainted my love and passion for the job. It’s not easy to do the same job day after day, year after year, and then not be respected or treated with dignity. But choices were limited. We had to pay bills. Many people are in a constant state of counting down to retirement, and management capitalized on this every day. I did learn quite a bit during my service in state government. I learned so much about management and coordinating programs. After a while, I was able to dig into my passion to train and assist people in improving their lives. Even now, I still get a bit emotional when I think of how much I actually loved doing that job. My love for the job didn’t matter much to management. But the people in the field saw the passion and encouraged it. It was those relationships that introduced me to the notion that being in an office all day and not touching the people wasn’t really in my wheelhouse. After a while, I figured I needed to challenge myself on my day job before I became one of those people who just showed up and made no contribution. I saw that as my future. That was unacceptable to me. While all signs told me to jump into faith then, I was afraid. I kept telling myself that it just wasn’t practical to leave the years on the table, the experience, the security I’d become accustomed to, so instead of leaving state government, I moved to another position. Financially, it was a promotion. However, professionally, it was a huge disappointment. I recall trying to suppress the

stress of doing it. I thought it was just a little bit of anxiety about doing something new. I’d not been very familiar with Acute Care Systems, so I was a bit nervous but happy to learn something new. It took a while, but it soon dawned on me that getting “out” didn’t mean that job; it meant that system. On my first day, someone asked, “I know what you do in the community. Why would you come here?” I had great ideas and was eager to get started. But that question lingered from that day to now, and I still don’t have the answer. I believe in universal signs, and I know that sometimes we get off the path designed for us, although ultimately there aren’t any mistakes. There are only side roads that may take our attention away from our true path. Two years ago when I left licensure and certification, I wasn’t ready to bank on myself. But today, I am unwilling to wait another 10 years to welcome the next part of my journey. I have my writing that I’ve been limitedly committed to. I have a mind for business that has been maturing for many years. So why not jump? I jumped—eyes wide open, mind full and spirit willing As of April 28, I no longer have to clock in for someone else. I am my own boss. I am the chief operating officer for the Kundi Compound, a collective creative computer co-op right in the heart of midtown. Now I no longer have to split my service to the community. I can now uplift my community and empower women and small businesses on a full-time basis. I always spend my birthday reflecting on how I’ve grown the year before. Well, this birthday I’m reflecting on 15 long years of learning. It’s unlike any birthday I’ve had before. This year is a celebration of rebirth. While it’s unfortunate that I wasn’t able to retire from the state, that was never a driving force for me. I’ve always aimed to contribute to the lives of Mississippians. That’s what took me to that office back in 2002, and it’s exactly what leads me out of it in 2017. Treasure shines no matter if you see it glisten or not. I am eager to shine brighter than I ever have before. Welcome to the rebirth of the Queen. Funmi “Queen” Franklin is a word lover, poet, a truth yeller and community activist. She is the founder of an organization that promotes self love, awareness and sisterhood.

I jumped— eyes wide open, mind full and spirit willing

May 3 - 9 , 2017 • jfp.ms

Editor-in-Chief Donna Ladd Publisher Todd Stauffer Associate Publisher Kimberly Griffin

Welcome to JFP Burger Week 2017! Inside you’ll ﬁnd fabulous burgers offered by the participating restaurants; you’ll also see the charities they’re competing for. The burger that gets the most votes will win $1,000 for that restaurant’s chosen charity from Capital City Beverages. Voting runs from May 3 - 14, 2017. Every time you visit a participating restaurant during JFP Burger Week you’ll get another chance to vote for your favorite burger and charity. (Campaigning is permitted!) Here’s to great burgers, great cooks, great food and a fantastic opportunity to help some worthy causes. We encourage you to Dine Local this week and every week!

Visit www.jfpburgerweek.com for more info.

MAY 3-14

Sponsored By

FOR MORE INFO VISIT WWW.JFPBURGERWEEK.COM ON YOUR DESKTOP OR SMARTPHONE!

Tumbleweed Burger

May 3 - 9, 2017 • jfp.ms

Black angus beef topped with crisp bacon, melted jack cheese, shoestring onion rings on toasted white or wheat bun with our homemade chipotle mayo.

Charity: Neighborhood Christian Center

The mission of the Neighborhood Christian Center and Peyton’s House is to equip inner-city children and young adults with academic and leadership skills from a Christian perspective so they may love and serve their neighborhood and city to the glory of God.

Primos Café 2323 Lakeland Dr. Flowood, MS • 601.936.3398 515 Lake Harbour Dr. Ridgeland, MS • 601.898.3600 primoscafe.com

SWAMPBURGER

A half-pound burger with onions, bell peppers and spices combined into the party. Fully dressed on a sour dough bun with cheese, bacon, locally sourced lettuce & tomatoes, red onions and pickles.

Charity: Hub City Service Dogs

Hub City Service Dogs provides specially trained dogs to perform tasks that increase the independence of their human partners throughout the state of Mississippi.

T’Beaux’s Crawfish & Catering www.tbeauxs.com • Byram • Clinton • Pochahontas

paid advertising

JFP BURGER WEEK

Fry Burger

Applewood smoked bacon, queso cheese,American cheese, home cut fries and ranch dressing

Charity: The Methodist Children’s Homes

The Methodist Children’s Homes believes that all children deserve to grow up in a place where they are safe and nurtured with compassion. Their children are given a safe place in which they can heal and thrive through provision, guidance and counseling.

Burgers & Blues 1060 E County Line Rd #22 Ridgeland, MS • 601-899-0038 • burgersblues.com

Boudin Burger

Brioche Bun / Smoked Beef and Boudin Lucky Town Beer Mustard / Swiss Cheese Lettuce / House B&B Pickles

Charity: Multiple Sclerosis Society

The MS Society works towards a world free of MS. People affected by MS can live their best lives as we stop MS in its tracks, restore what has been lost and end MS forever.

The Pig & Pint 3139 N State St. Jackson, MS • 601-326-6070 • pigandpint.com

MEDITERRANEAN GRILL

A half pound of all-American ground chuck basted with chipotle BBQ sauce, then chargrilled and topped with smoked gouda cheese and honey pepper bacon.

Charity: Ronald McDonald House

Yoseph’s Burger 100% Angus Beef / Gyro Meat / Tzatzik Sauce Shredded Romaine / American Cheese

Charity: R U Hungry

Ronald McDonald House of Mississippi helps families of sick children stay close while their kids undergo medical treatment.

Their mission is a simple, to provide weekly free healthy meals to those that are hungry in Jackson, MS.

Sal & Mookie’s

Aladdin Mediterranean Grill

565 Taylor St. Jackson, MS • 601.368.1919 • salandmookies.com

730 Lakeland Dr. Jackson, MS • 601-366-6033 • aladdininjackson.com

May 3 - 9, 2017 • jfp.ms

The Bobby Flay Burger

JFP BURGER WEEK

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The PM Burger

Remington-Lott Farms ground beef, English white cheddar, iceberg, heirloom tomato, brioche bun.

Charity: Hogs for the Cause

Hogs for the Cause helps families of children with pediatric brain cancer.

Parlor Market 115 W Capitol St, Jackson, MS • 601-360-0090 • parlormarket.com

Pita Burger

May 3 - 9, 2017 • jfp.ms

Fresh Angus beef burger cooked to perfection, topped with melted mozzarella, lettuce, bacon, onion, tomato, cucumber, and feta dressing.

Charity: The Mississippi Community Education Center

Fenian’s Burger

MS ground beef, cheddar, Irish rasher, brown sugar onions, garlic mayo, Gil’s bun

Charity: Little Lighthouse - Central MS

The Little Light House is a tuition-free Developmental Center that for over three decades has been making a difference in the lives of hundreds of children with special needs.

Fenian’s Pub 901 E Fortiﬁcation St. Jackson, MS • 601.948.0055 • www.fenianspub.com

Get DOWN(town) Po Boy Burger

Two fresh beef patties, arugula, sautéed onions, bacon, cheese, fried pickles, tomatoes and comeback on buttered and seared po boy bread.

Charity: H.T. White Family Fund

(MCEC) is designed to provide schools, communities and families with educational services and training programs on a state-wide basis.

A fund for culinary scholarships and charitable giving via the Community Foundation of Greater Jackson.

Zeek’z House of Gyros

Hal & Mal’s

132 Lakeland Heights P. Flowood, MS • 601.992.9498 • zeekzhouseofgyros.com

200 Commerce St. Jackson, MS • 601-948-0888 • halandmals.com

Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of

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140 Township Ave. Ridgeland, MS 39157

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May 3 - 9, 2017 • jfp.ms

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IMANI KHAYYAM

May 3 - 9 , 2017 • jfp.ms

t a young age, Clinton resident Tanya Shenoy is already a scholar, dancer, multilingual and a humanitarian. Shenoy has danced for more than 11 years. “Dance has been a big part of my life,” she says. Shenoy’s skills expand the conventional dance styles of America. She is a trained performer of “Kuchipudi,” which is a classic Indian dance that is believed to have originated around the 10th century. She was also the captain of her dance team in the 2016-2017 school year. In past summers, the St. Andrew’s Episcopal School senior has volunteered to work with kids at the Mississippi Children’s Museum’s summer camps. “I love working with children,” she says. “I think it’s just funny how kids have a kind of humor that they are always so appreciative of life. “ Shenoy’s passion for children extends internationally through her efforts in raising money for Rotary Varsheila Child Development Academy, which is a nonprofit school for orphaned children in Puttur, India. She is also a recipient of the Distinguished Young Women pageant’s Brainstorm Creative Group Overall Talent Award. The contest tests applicants on academics, fitness, their talents, writing and communication. Shenoy, 18, can speak Spanish and Konkani and is learning Mandarin and Hindi. As a career, she wants to pursue a medicine track, eventually becoming a pediatrician. She will attend the University of Alabama-Birmingham in fall 2017. —Veer Singh

LOKESH SHENOY

t age 15, Alauran Allen is one of the students who won a Gold Key in this year’s Scholastic Arts Awards of Mississippi Regional Competition. Her art piece for the contest, “Two-faced,” was a linoleum block print of two friends, one of whom has zebra print on her face, and the other with a giraffe print. A braid connects them. The Murrah High School freshman says she’s been drawing since she could hold a pencil. “I really just like to express myself through art and through different mediums and styles,” she says. Her favorite mediums are colored pencils and watercolors. “(Watercolors) are hard when you first start, but if you keep practicing, it becomes easier, and it becomes a stress reliever,” Allen says of her art. Though she does like to do fan art such as for different anime and K-Pop (Korean pop) bands, people are her favorite subject. “I like to draw people so that they can see how they look in my art style, and to practice (drawing them),” Allen says. “People are always interesting to me.” Allen, who is in Power Academic and Performing Arts Complex at Murrah, says her favorite subjects in school, besides the arts, are geometry and Latin. She also plays piano, is on the school’s speech and debate team, and is in Murrah’s Art Club. She has volunteered for TNT Ministries, which is a team of people who go out and give food and clothes to the city’s homeless community. She also volunteers at Mississippi Action for Progress, a community-based child development and family-services program for mostly preschool children of low-income families. Her mom, Angel Allen, works there as an early head start generalist. Alauran Allen hasn’t decided on a career path yet, but says she once wanted to be an architect and interior designer. Now, she’s look at doing something that involves her making art. “If none of that works out, I want to learn a lot of languages,” Allen says. —Amber Helsel 20

Tanya Shenoy

Jeremy Donahue

orest Hill High School senior Jeremy Donahue won a Gold Key in this year’s Scholastic Arts Awards in its Mississippi Regional Competition for his piece, “Man Eater.” The work features an African American woman in a field of poisonous plants, wildlife and some flowers. Donahue also won the competition’s American Visions award and a gold medal in the national competition. “I remember looking at lot of (portrait artist) Kehinde Wiley’s stuff, and it was really, really good,” Donahue says. “After I saw that, I knew I had to enter something.” For the winning piece, Donahue says he played off the style of Wiley, who paints portraits of black men around the world against colorful backgrounds, but Donahue made “Man Eater” his own. He also does face painting and is about to start doing custom shoes. Besides art, Donahue, 18, is involved in Forest Hill’s Drama Club, choir and its chapter of the National Art Honor Society. He says his second favorite subject in school, besides art, is English. Last summer, Donahue helped out at Stewpot Community Service’s summer camp, where he worked with kindergartners. He is considering volunteering again this summer. He has received an art scholarship to Hinds Community College, which he will attend in fall 2017. He will study art there but also plans on studying architecture and engineering at a four-year college. Donahue offer advice for any student who wants to get into art but might be unsure. “Go for it. Practice makes perfect,” he advises. —Amber Helsel

COURTESY JEREMY DONAHUE

Alauran Allen

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Nancy Usey

Imani Khayyam

im Hill High School senior Torenzo Richardson is determined to bring his academic and professional skills to Mississippi State University this upcoming school year. At Jim Hill, Richardson is currently president of the National Honor Society and Mu Alpha Theta Mathematics Honor Society. He maintains a 4.3 GPA. He also currently serves as a counselor at the Boys & Girls Club, where he mentors young people between the ages of 10 and 12. Prior to working at the Boys & Girls Club, Richardson was honored as State Youth of the Year, in which he spoke publicly to youth, conducted various interviews and was even awarded scholarships to MSU. In his free time, Richardson remains committed to others. “I study a lot, I do different community-service activities, (and I like to) be with family a lot,” he says. “I’m very family-oriented.” Recently, Richardson was nominated to participate in the Nissan Resume

Challenge, after his psychology teacher, Dr. Larry Thurman, who was aware of his accolades and leadership, nominated him for the competition. Along with other Jackson Public Schools students, Richardson was one of two students who represented Jim Hill High School at the Nissan Resume Challenge, which was in Franklin, Tenn. They competed against students from states such as Chicago and Atlanta. Mississippi came out on top, winning Best Resume, Best Interviews and Best Dressed for the United States. “When we went there (Franklin, Tenn.), we had to do different interview processes on the spot to get points for our state ... and whoever had the best resume,” Richardson says. At MSU, he will study mass communication with a concentration in broadcast journalism. He plans to use his public-speaking ability as a sports analyst at ESPN when he graduates college. —William Kelly III

I didn’t want to play sports professionally, so I focused on my schoolwork and used my skills to excel in the classroom,” he says. Bouldin decided to enter the resume challenge this year. After the company selected him, he says he used the opportunity to meet and network with new people and build his professional contacts. Recently, he decided to study nursing. “I have always had a passion for helping people,” he says, adding that he saw how important nurses are at Nissan’s headquarters. Bouldin likes to tutor students at North Jackson Elementary School, is the National Honor Society secretary and is involved with the Student Government Association. In his spare time, Bouldin likes watching and playing sports, and spending time with friends. He wants to attend the University of Southern Mississippi. —Christina Spann

Tiffany Bryant

s the cadet battalion commander, Tiffany Bryant is the highest-ranking student in Lanier High School’s Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps, where she encourages other students and is charged with making sure her staff stays on task and. Bryant has a gradepoint average of 3.6, which is the highest in her battalion and second-highest overall in her class of 153. The junior says she wasn’t always interested in JROTC. Before joining in ninth grade, she thought the program was only about getting into the Army. “Once I got into the program, I realized they’re just helping us prepare to be better citizens at the high school,” she says. “And that was something that

stuck with me, so I started joining the program, and I saw how many doors it opened up and how many opportunities it had for me.” Those opportunities include a national writing competition for the U.S. Army JROTC, which she recently won with her essay on the prompt “Service to Others.” In the essay, she mentions a JROTC lesson, “Appreciating Diversity with Winning Colors,” which was about her learning and exercising empathy and leadership. Bryant, 17, says that after graduating from Lanier, she hopes to attend either Duke University or Alcorn State University, where she will study to become a psychologist. —Micah Smith and Jessica Smith

May 3 - 9 , 2017 • jfp.ms

Torenzo Richardson

ineteen-year-old Callaway High School senior Dymonte Bouldin is one of 10 Jackson teens who participated in Nissan’s recent Resume Challenge, which the company hosts each year for African American highschool juniors and seniors from six U.S. cities, including Jackson. Through Bouldin’s participation, he got to travel to Franklin, Tenn., to tour the Nissan headquarters and meet with company executives. For the program, he participated in a two-day developmental workshop and received career advice from Nissan employees. After the workshop, participating students submitted their resumes and cover letters. Students whose resumes stood out travelled to Franklin. At the beginning of his highschool career, Bouldin says he decided to just focus on academics, so he made the tough decision to quit athletics (he was in football, track and basketball) and prioritize academics. “I knew that

Imani Khayyam

courtesy Nancy Usey

says. “There are a lot of those competitions in those subjects here at JA, and I feel that there’s a strong demand for engineers here in Mississippi.” Usey also participates in a joint reading program called Teen Sunsetters with Jackson Academy and the nearby Spann Elementary School. For the program, JA students go to Spann each week and read to second- and thirdgrade children there. “Each of us is partnered with one specific child, and we read to the same child every week with the goal of building a relationship that’s beneficial to both sides,” Usey says. “I got involved with the reading program this year as soon as I had a free period available for it. I love kids since I babysit a lot and have younger siblings, and I think it’s important that we teach the younger generation to get excited about reading.” —Dustin Cardon

Imani Khayyam

ancy Usey, a Ridgeland resident and a senior at Jackson Academy, turned to the performing arts at her school as a way to expand her horizons. She recently performed as a featured tap dancer in a school production of “42nd Street” and is a member the school’s show choir. “I’ve been on the school volleyball team for as long as I’ve been here, but I decided that I wanted to do something outside my comfort zone,” Usey says. “I have lots of friends who are involved in theater, and show choir seemed like a great way to get more heavily involved in the arts. I’ve been doing six competitions a year since I joined.” Usey, 18, will attend Mississippi State University after her graduation this year. She plans to major in chemical engineering. “I’ve always loved math and science and especially chemistry; it’s just always made sense to me like nothing else,” Usey

Dymonte Bouldin

more AMAZING TEENS, see page 22 21

A M A Z I N G

T E E N S

2 0 1 7 ,

Jerelyn McIntyre

Imani Khayyam

May 3 - 9 , 2017 • jfp.ms

hile sports such as soccer, football and track serve as a talent and hobby for Madison Ridgeland Academy junior Levi Chinchen, ministry is his passion. Chinchen, who grew up in Malawi, Africa, says he wants to help give underprivileged kids the same opportunities he has had, and he also wants to give students a chance to give back. “Kids here, I want to give them the chance that I had overseas,” he says. This summer, he’s leading a team of seven MRA students on a mission trip to Malawi. Chinchen has been in the U.S. since 2014. His parents, Paul and Laura Chinchen, work for African Bible Colleges, which establishes and operates Bible colleges in Africa. His father runs Annabelle Chinchen

courtesy Jerelyn McIntyre

and told us about all the different things that we just don’t see or pay attention to that we should really look into,” she says. McIntyre, 16, is a cheerleader, a member of the National Honor Society and is currently ranked No. 1 in the high school’s junior class academically. Her favorite subject in school is math. “I love math,” she says. “It’s always been my best subject. After that, probably science, but math is my favorite subject.” She plans on being an OB-GYN when she grows up. “I always wanted to do something that deals with children, like babies. I thought about being a pediatric nurse, but I don’t know, I just thought (OBGYN) would be a fun job,” she says.

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the ABC office in Clinton, and his mom recruits teachers for the organization. Chinchen’s sister, Ashley, began Project Juembo, which provides backpacks full of educational materials for the village schools in Malawi, about six years ago. Chinchen, who has been the leader and organizer of the project for the last two years, says students have donated close to 2,000 backpacks to it. At MRA, Chinchen is a member of the school’s Student Leadership Institute, which has done mission work at churches in places such as San Francisco. Chinchen, 18, says he plans to apply to military academies such as the Naval Academy or Air Force Academy. “I think it’s a great honor, and it’s a blessing to be a part of that,” he says. —Jessica Smith and Amber Helsel

—Amber Helsel

Nelson Buckley

ingfield High School junior Nelson Buckley is not only a football and basketball player at the school. He is also an aspiring farmer thanks to head football coach Jeff Gibson, who is head of the school’s Agriculture Academy, which works with Foot Print Farms. “I never knew I was capable of doing anything dealing with agriculture,” Buckley says. “Now, because of Coach, I do not see anything but that, and it really excites me to see where I can go with all I’ve learned so far.” As a freshman, Gibson says Buckley was not a model student, but agriculture helped him become one. As a freshman, Buckley learned basic gardening tips and tools, and over the years, he has progressed into creating his own business, Slow Farm Devine Acre Farms, with future plans to col-

P A G E

Levi Chinchen

laborate with local businesses. “Gardening actually feels good,” he says. “I hope to come up with ways to get all my peers into this. We could probably grow gardens all over.” So far, Buckley, 18, has managed to grow crops such as watermelon, squash, okra and greens. Gibson says Buckley has learned how to use the fields of mathematics and chemistry with his farming and is fully invested in it. Buckley is also a sergeantat-arms in the local 4-H Club. Buckley says wildlife biologists Dena Dickerson and Jan Hoover, along with “Keep Jackson Beautiful” Executive Director Alicia Crudup are his inspirations. He has decided to study agriculture at Hinds Community College and Alcorn State University. —Jessica Smith

Zion Blount

orest Hill High School junior Zion Blount believes it is important to give youth a voice through programs such as the Jackson Public Schools Academy Ambassadors program, which allows JPS students to advocate for their schools. She has been part of the program for the last two years. She says that the ambassadors recently did a listening session with students so they could voice their concerns and talk about what would improve JPS. She says that they’ll take that information and help solve problems such as finding a superintendent. “Kids are expected to be seen but not heard,” she says. “… They’re really underestimated, but giving kids a voice, me being a kid, or the youth, giving youth the voice and really showing them how to use it can help them as they get older.” Through the program, Blount also got to travel to Washington, D.C., with seven other ambassadors to talk to Mississippi senators such as Thad Cochran. Courtesy Zion Blunt

rovine High School junior Jerelyn McIntyre, who was in the 20162017 class of Youth Leadership Jackson, says she liked being part of the program because it taught her lessons she might not have otherwise learned. “They taught us teamwork, they taught us leadership, they taught us about how diverse we are, and not just by our skin color,” she says. “They taught us a whole lot that you just wouldn’t get taught in school.” As part of the program, people such as city-council members, entrepreneurs and more talked to them about aspects of leadership. They also visited places such as the Hinds County Courthouse, where they talked to judges and learned about the different court systems. “People seem to think that there’s not much to do here, but they came

F R O M

Blount, 17, is also involved in the Career Development Center at JPS, where she takes an animation and simulation class. Through CDC, she is part of the Technology Student Association, which is a national nonprofit organization dedicated to teaching students about technology. Blount was in the group that won Best in State in Verizon’s recent app challenge. Her group created a concept for an app called Be the Plug that would connect local youth to possible jobs or volunteer hours. Blount’s hobbies include drawing, reading, crocheting, and she is trying to get into knitting. She is unsure about exactly what she wants to do in the future, but knows that she wants to be an entrepreneur in some form or fashion. “Working for myself, or being able to take charge and lead is something that I would like to do,” Blount says. —Amber Helsel more AMAZING TEENS, see page 24

A MISSISSIPPI CHRISTIAN COLLEGE OF DISTINCTION NAMED AMONG SCHOOLS LIKE:

RECLAIMING OUR ORIGINS THROUGH STORY

Baylor University Samford University Wheaton College Union University Calvin College Pepperdine University

The Story of the

Sunflower County Systems Change Project

...just to name a few.

A WORLDOUTREACHVIEW At Belhaven University, Christian worldview and outreach is an everyday part of our rigorous academic life. Consequently, for the seventh consecutive year, Belhaven joins a select group of 56 colleges and universities nationwide and is recognized as a Christian College of Distinction in Mississippi.

(601) 968-5940 | @BELHAVENU | WWW.BELHAVEN.EDU | ADMISSION@BELHAVEN.EDU

Come experience our one of a kind dishes by

Chef Danny Eslava 2016 - 17 Best of Rankin Best Chef Health & Nutrition • Math & Reading Sports & Recreation • Swimming & Field Trips

2481 Lakeland Drive Flowood | 601.932.4070

May 3 - 9, 2017 • jfp.ms

Featured at the Smith Robertson Museum in Jackson, Mississippi May 1 - 31, 2017 Opening Reception: May 4, 2017 at 6:00 pm

T E E N S

Wesley Williams

WESLEY LOU HORRELL

ackson Preparatory School senior Wesley Williams dabbles in a variety of interests, and his love of the outdoors shows up in several of them. At one point, the Pearl resident wanted to play long-snapper at the University of Southern Mississippi. However, he tore his ACL in his junior season, ending his dream of playing college football. “I was working at D-1 Sports Training in Madison to prepare for college football over the past two years,” Williams says. “After I tore my knee up, my quickness hasn’t returned, so I won’t be able to play college football.” As a junior, Williams was a member of the school’s Model Train Club and the Coding Club. He also helped form a fly-fishing team that year. This year, he led the charge to start a bass-fishing team, which competed in two tournaments and placed eighth in one. Williams has been part of the school’s Shooting Club, has done community service

for Mission First, which is an organization that helps people with needs such as medical and dental care and after-school programming, and We Will Go Ministries, which is a nonprofit that helps community members with needs such as clothes and food. He also played baseball in fifth and sixth grades and took part in the schools’ show choir. Williams says he loves to work on cars. Williams also likes gardening. He has planted tomatoes, squash, Jalapenos, egg plant, watermelon and cantaloupe. “… The first year produced a little bit for me, but I went back this year to (tilled) up a larger section of land.” Williams says that this year, he planted zipper peas, bush beans, sunflowers, pumpkins, okra and more. Williams is going to University of Southern Mississippi in the fall to study architectural engineering. His says his interest in this subject started when he began taking a woodshop class. —Bryan Flynn

mmer! Get ahead this su

Summer Terms

Full 8-weeks: May 30 – July 25 1st 4-weeks: May 30 – June 26 2nd 4-weeks: June 27 – July 25 Housing is available during the summer terms at the Raymond and Utica Campuses!

Check out our

Summer CamPs May 3 - 9 , 2017 • jfp.ms

at hub.hindscc.edu/camps or call 601.857.3325.

2 0 1 7 ,

Football Camp Soccer Camp Golf Camp Speed & Agility Camp Softball Camp Cheer Camp Basketball Camp

1.800.HINDSCC • www.hindscc.edu In compliance with the following: Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, Title IX, Education Amendments of 1972 of the Higher Education Act, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 and other applicable Federal and State Acts, Hinds Community College offers equal education and employment opportunities and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, religion, sex, age, disability or veteran status in its educational programs and activities. The following persons have been designated to handle inquiries regarding the non-discrimination policies: Dr. Debra Mays-Jackson, Vice President for Administrative Services, 34175 Hwy. 18, Utica, MS 39175, 601.885.7002. Dr. Tyrone Jackson, Associate Vice President for Student Services & Title IX Coordinator, Box 1100 Raymond Campus (Denton Hall 221), Raymond, MS 39154, 601.857.3232, titleIX@hindscc.edu

F R O M

P A G E

2 2

Shannon Sims

elma Jackson High School senior Shannon Sims, who is a native of Canton, is proving to the world that it is possible to do it all. “I powerlift, play softball, train with the football and baseball

COURTESY SHANNON SIMS

A M A Z I N G

teams,” she says. “ … I’m passionate about powerlifting.” The 18-year-old is not only involved in sports, but she embraces her creative side as photographer for the Student Government Association and helped the Homecoming and Prom Committees with hand-

making decorations. She is in the Beta Club and a member of the 20+ ACT club. As a member of the school’s Math Club, she competed in the Jackson State University-hosted Bridge Competition, which is a health and science competition. In addition, she is a part of the Students with Academic Goals Club, which hosts field trips for the top 10 academic students from each grade to explore career opportunities. Sims says she is thankful for the supportive environment of her school. “I started (powerlifting) because the coach (Casey Meeks) asked me. … (Velma Jackson) gives us everything we need, we just have to use it,” she says. Sims is planning to go to Mississippi State University. She is interested in training with the athletic department and majoring in architecture. On her current success and future plans, she says, “I take it one day at a time.” —Brynn Corbello

Congratulations to Jackson Public Schools for increasing FAFSA Completion by over 15%!

There’s still time to complete your FAFSA!

Make an appointment this summer at the Jackson Get2College Center today by calling 601.321.5533 or book online at get2college.org.

FO R CO L L E G E P R E P SEVEN CURRENT ST. ANDREW’S STUDENTS SCORED PERFECT 36s ON THE ACT, AND MORE THAN 50 PERCENT OF THE CLASS OF 2017 SCORED 30 OR HIGHER.

Jackson Get2College Center 2600 Lakeland Terrace, Jackson, MS 39216 Open weekdays 8:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. 601.853.6000 | WWW.GOSAINTS.ORG

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June 19 - July 16

for rising 6th-12th grade Greek Tragedy*

DAY CAMP GOALS • Exposure to live theatre for Mississippi children • Stimulate an interest in theatre and all arts • Provide instruction in acting, stage movement, and music • Provide an opportunity for children to perform in a professional theatre • Have fun! * Titles subject to rights and availability

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May 3 - 9, 2017 • jfp.ms

for rising 6th-12th grade Once on this Island, Jr.* Performances on July 13, 14, 15 & 16

4/29/17 6:36 AM

JFPmenus.com Paid advertising section. Call 601-362-6121 x11 to list your restaurant

BARS, PUBS & BURGERS

The Sweet and the Sauer by Amber Helsel

Imani KHayyam

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Green Room #PVOET 4U +BDLTPO t Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re still #1! Best Place to Play Pool - Best of Jackson 2016

Hal and Malâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s 4 $PNNFSDF 4U +BDLTPO t Pub favorites meet Gulf Coast and Cajun specialties like red beans and rice, the Oyster Platter or daily specials.

Martinâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Restaurant and Lounge 4PVUI 4UBUF 4U +BDLTPO t Lunch specials, pub appetizers or order from the full menu of po-boys and entrees. Full bar, beer selection.

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Eddieâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Snack Bar 7BMMFZ 4U +BDLTPO t Eddieâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Snack Bar is one of the original fish houses that still serve their original homemade batter recipe.

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Lauren Rhoades opened a fermentation kitchen for her business, Sweet & Sauer, in midtown on Thursday, April 27. She sells fermented food and beverages.

he day before the grand opening of Sweet & Sauerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s fermentation kitchen at The Hatch in midtown Jackson, Lauren Rhoades was in her kitchen, preparing ingredients for her fermented mustard. A large container of mustard seeds was soaking in a mixture of brine, fermented garlic, honey, apple-cider vinegar and lemon juice. â&#x20AC;&#x153;They kind of soak up all that flavor, and tomorrow (April 27), I will blend it,â&#x20AC;? she said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s still got like a grainy texture, but itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a little more condiment-style.â&#x20AC;? Buckets of kombucha liquid sat on metal shelves near the back. On each surface was a SCOBY (symbiotic colony of bacteria and yeast), which consists of premade kombucha, tea and sugar. She said that you feed the SCOBY tea and sugar, and eventually, it turns the liquid into kombucha, a type of fermented tea. Once that process is done, she flavors the tea with locally grown fruits. With fermented vegetables such as sauerkraut and the Korean staple kimchi (both are made from cabbage), Rhoades uses a wild fermentation process, which means that she harnesses the bacteria and yeast that already exist on the surface of the vegetables. When she adds salt to the mixture, it preserves the vegetables naturally. Rhoades, who is from Denver, Colo., came to Mississippi in August 2013 to work for FoodCorps, which aims to connect kids with healthy food in school. She was a service member for two years and then a fellow. During her time with the organization, Rhoades says she helped the children build school gardens, taught them about nutrition and worked with school cafeterias, among other projects.

Rhoades first began experimenting with fermented food and drinks when she attended a class about making kombucha after graduating from the University of Colorado at Boulder in 2011 with bachelorâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s degrees in political science, English and Spanish. She and her friend Mel then began making the drink, and from there, Rhoades says she began trying out more fermented foods. She started the business with friend Liz Broussard as a side hobby in 2015, and Rhoades began running Sweet & Sauer full-time in September 2016. Fermentation initially interested Rhoades because it is a simple way to transform vegetables and other foods and drinks into something else. She also liked it because it helped prevent food waste. She said fermentation isnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t as hard as some people may think, though her journey has been filled with trial and error, including her first time making sauerkraut when she added too much salt. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Then, it wouldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t even ferment, so it was basically like salt-cured cabbage,â&#x20AC;? she says. Working with bacteria doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t scare her away from fermentation, Rhoades says. â&#x20AC;&#x153;As a culture, weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re just so freaked out by the concept of bacteria because we immediately think of disease and being sick, but most of the bacteria that we interact with are good bacteria,â&#x20AC;? she says. â&#x20AC;&#x153;If we didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t have bacteria present in our digestive systems and on our skin, our immune system would basically not work at all. â&#x20AC;Ś (With) that part of it, Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m like, this is so amazing that thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s all these tiny little invisible creatures that are at work.â&#x20AC;? For more information on Sweet & Sauer (126 Keener Ave., 303-748-0444), visit sweetandsauerjackson.com.

JFPmenus.com Paid advertising section. Call 601-362-6121 x11 to list your restaurant

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WEDNESDAY 5/3

SATURDAY 5/6

TUESDAY 5/9

Discuss JPS at the Lunch Bunch Community Forum at the Jackson Medical Mall.

Free Comic Book Day is at Offbeat.

Richard Ford signs copies of “Between Them: Remembering My Parents” at Lemuria Books.

BEST BETS May 3 - 10, 2017

Jeremiah and Erin Stricklin of Oh, Jeremiah perform for the “Village Social” Outdoor Concert at Highland Village on Wednesday, May 10.

The Mustache Dash Fun Run is from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m. at Sombra Mexican Kitchen (140 Township Ave., Ridgeland). In celebration of Cinco de Mayo, participants run either two or four miles and get a free beer or house margarita after the race. Double Ramm Outlaws perform at 5 p.m. Free; find it on Facebook. … Boston performs at 8 p.m. at Thalia Mara Hall (255 E. Pascagoula St.). The classic-rock band perform as part of its Hyper Space Tour. $59.50-$99.50; call 877-987-6487; ardenland.net.

Kathleen Dearman

WEDNESDAY 5/3

THURSDAY 5/4

courtesy Calvin Richardson

Arts, Eats & Beats is from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. in Fondren. The annual event features giveaways, art shows, craft and food vendors, live music, an appearance from the Budweiser Clydesdales, and more. Free; call 601-981-9606; find it on Facebook.

SATURDAY 5/6

Red Beans & Rice Festival is from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. at Renaissance at Colony Park (1000 Highland Colony Pkwy., Ridgeland). Professionals and amateurs compete for Best Red Beans Recipe. Also features the “Magnolia Meltdown” half-marathon, 10K and 5K, live music from Southern Komfort Brass Band and more. Free admission; call 601-519-0900; redbeansandrice.org. … Children’s author Tracey Neyland signs copies of “Patsy Peacock” from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. at the Mississippi e-Center (1230 Raymond Road). by TYLER EDWARDS Also features activities for kids, door prizes and snacks. Free; msecenter.com. … The 10th annual jacksonfreepress.com Seersucker & Sombreros is from Fax: 601-510-9019 3 p.m. to 8 p.m. at Cathead DisDaily updates at tillery (422 S. Farish St.). Includes jfpevents.com food, margaritas, a screening of the Kentucky Derby, and music from Cary Hudson & the Piney Wood Players. Proceeds benefit the Boys & Girls Clubs of Central Mississippi. $50 in advance, $60 day of the event; eventbrite.com.

events@

May 3 - 9 , 2017 • jfp.ms

R&B and soul artist Calvin Richardson performs at Zoo Blues at the Jackson Zoo on Sunday, May 7.

FRIDAY 5/5

The Cinco de Mayo Cooking Class is from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. at Farmer’s Table Cooking School in Livingston (1030 Market St., Flora). Participants learn to make jalapeño basil lime frozen margarita, Mexican salad with black beans and queso fresca, fresh guacamole, and more. $79; 28 call 601-506-6821; farmerstableinlivingston.com.

SUNDAY 5/7

Zoo Blues 2017 is at 4 p.m. at the Jackson Zoo (2918 W Capitol St). Calvin Richardson, Vick Allen, Lacee, JWONN and Bigg Robb perform. Includes food and drink vendors, animal encounters, and more. Lawn chairs and coolers welcome. Doors open at 2 p.m. $25; call 601352-9075; jacksonzoo.org.

MONDAY 5/8

“So You Want to Get a Loan: From a Lender’s Perspective” is from 6 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. at the Women Business Center of Mississippi (1230 Raymond Road). Participants learn what lenders look for from entrepreneurs looking to start new business endeavors. RSVP. Free; eventbrite.com.

TUESDAY 5/9

Richard Ford signs copies of “Between Them: Remembering My Parents” 5 p.m. at Lemuria Books (Banner Hall, 4465 Interstate 55 N., Suite 202). Reading at 5:30 p.m. $25.99 book; call 601-366-7619; lemuriabooks. com. … Mayoral and City Council Run-Off Election Forum is from 6 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. at Metrocenter Mall (3645 Highway 80). The top two Democratic candidates who make it past the first round of balloting participate in the forum. Free; call 601-213-8018; find it on Facebook.

WEDNESDAY 5/10

The “Village Social” Outdoor Concert is from 7 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. at Highland Village (4500 Interstate 55 N. Frontage Road). Mississippi-native Americana band Oh Jeremiah performs. Includes food, craft beer, coffee and popsicles for sale. Blankets, chairs and picnics welcome. Free entry; highlandvillagems.com. … 42nd Street is at 7:30 p.m. at Thalia Mara Hall (255 E. Pascagoula St.). The play tells the story of starry-eyed young dancer who leaves her home of Allentown and moves to New York to audition for a musical. $35-$100; jacksonbroadway.com.

SLATE Now that the NFL Draft is over, the league truly

JFP-SPONSORED

the best in sports over the next seven days

JFP Chick Ball July 22, 6 p.m.-midnight, at Hal & Mal’s (200 Commerce St.). The fundraising event features local food vendors, drinks, live music and a silent auction. Proceeds benefit the Mississippi Coalition Against Domestic Violence. Contact to donate money or items for the silent auction, or to volunteer. $5 admission; call 601362-6121, ext. 16; jfpchickball.com.

by Bryan Flynn

enters the offseason. Teams will conduct mini camps and organized team activities, or OTAs, over the next couple of months. THURSDAY, MAY 4

COMMUNITY

College baseball (6:30-10 p.m., ESPNU): MSU hits the road to face Texas A&M in the Bulldogs’ battle for division and conference titles.

Lunch Bunch Community Forum May 3, 11:45 a.m., at Jackson Medical Mall Foundation (350 W. Woodrow Wilson Ave.). The open community discussion features topics regarding improving Jackson’s public-school system. Free, $8 for lunch; call 601-969-6015; ppsjackson.org.

FRIDAY, MAY 5

SATURDAY, MAY 6

Events in Fondren • Arts, Eats & Beats May 4, 5-8 p.m. The annual event features giveaways, art shows, craft and food vendors, live music, an appearance from the Budweiser Clydesdales, and more. Free; find it on Facebook. • Mad Mod Affair May 4, 5:30-10 p.m. Features craft beer, cocktails, milkshakes and a walking tour of Fondren’s historic modern architecture. $25 for Mississippi Heritage Trust, Fondren Renaissance and AIA Mississippi members, $35 for non-members; call 601-354-0200; lovemsmod.com.

College softball (3-6 p.m., SECN): After Auburn swept the Bulldogs last weekend, Mississippi State looks to bounce back by winning a home series against Kentucky. SUNDAY, MAY 7

College baseball (1-3 p.m., SECN): The UM Rebels and Florida Gators finish their three-game series in Florida, which could have a major effect on SEC title races. Free Comic Book Day May 6, 11 a.m.-7 p.m., at Offbeat (151 Wesley Ave.). Features a selection of free comics, sales, a costume contest for children and adults at 1 p.m., and a closing reception for Kirksey Middle School’s “Me-dia” art show from noon to 2 p.m. Free; offbeatjxn.com. Mayoral and City Council Run-Off Election Forum May 9, 6-8:30 p.m., at Metro Center Mall (3645 Highway 80). The Democratic candidates who make it past the first round of balloting participate in the forum. Free; call 601213-8018; email mscountydemchairs@ mississippidemocrats.org; find it on Facebook.

NFL (9-10 p.m., ESPN2): If your favorite team drafted a new quarterback this year, then “Gruden’s QB Camp” will get you familiar with that player. WEDNESDAY, MAY 10

College softball (11 a.m.-10 p.m., SECN): The first round of the 2017 SEC Softball Tournament will feature the UM Rebels and MSU Bulldogs in one of four games. The next big date for most NFL fans comes in late July when training camps open. That means that preseason games are right around the corner. Follow Bryan Flynn at jfpsports.com, @jfpsports

FOOD & DRINK Mother & Daughter Brunch May 6, 10 a.m.-1 p.m., at The SHE Project (201 E. Capitol St.). The SHE Project presents a brunch that celebrates the mothers of daughters about to graduate high school. $10; eventbrite.com. 10th Annual Seersucker & Sombreros May 6, 3-8 p.m., at Cathead Distillery (422 S. Farish St.). Includes food, margaritas, a screening of the Kentucky Derby, and music. Proceeds benefit the Boys & Girls Clubs of Central Mississippi. $50 in advance, $60 day of the event; eventbrite.com.

CONCERTS & FESTIVALS Boston May 3, 8 p.m., at Thalia Mara Hall (255 E. Pascagoula St.). The classic-rock band perform as part of its Hyper Space Tour. $59.50-$99.50; call 877-987-6487; ardenland.net. Pearl Day Festival May 6, 9 a.m.-5 p.m., at Trustmark Park (1 Braves Way, Pearl). Includes an antique car show, fireworks, food and drink vendors, carnival games, inflatables, and music from Easton Corbin, Jason Miller Band and Burnham Road. Free; pearlms.org. Red Beans & Rice Festival May 6, 11 a.m.-7 p.m., at Renaissance at Colony Park (1000 Highland Colony Pkwy., Ridgeland). Professionals and amateurs compete for Best Red Beans Recipe. Also features the “Magnolia Meltdown” half-marathon, 10K and 5K, music and more. Free; call 601-519-0900; redbeansandrice.org. Zoo Blues 2017 May 7, 4 p.m., at Jackson Zoo (2918 W Capitol St). Calvin Richardson, Vick Allen, Lacee, JWONN and Bigg Robb perform. Includes food and drink vendors, animal encounters, and more. Lawn chairs and coolers welcome. $25; jacksonzoo.org.

LITERARY & SIGNINGS Events at Lemuria Books (Banner Hall, 4465 Interstate 55 N., Suite 202) • “Killers of the Flower Moon: The Osage Murders and the Birth of the FBI” May 4, 5 p.m. David Grann signs copies. Reading at 5:30 p.m. $29.95 book; lemuriabooks.com. • “Between Them: Remembering My Parents” May 9, 5 p.m. Richard Ford signs copies. Reading at 5:30 p.m. $26 book; lemuriabooks.com. Check jfpevents.com for updates and more listings, or to add your own events online. You can also email event details to events@jacksonfreepress.com to be added to the calendar. The deadline is noon the Wednesday prior to the week of publication.

CI E NT E N N I A

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May 3 - 9 , 2017 • jfp.ms

Expungement Clinic May 6, 10 a.m.-2 p.m., at WIN Job Center (152 Watford Parkway Drive, Canton). Participants bring a copy of their criminal record from the county where they were convicted and a discharge or judgement documentation abstract. Free; cityofcantonms.com.

College football (11 a.m.-3 p.m., ESPNU): Set your DVR if you didn’t have the chance to catch the Bulldogs’ and Rebels’ spring game last month. TUESDAY, MAY 9

College baseball (5:30-9 p.m., SECN+): The UM Rebels travel to take on the Florida Gators, who are making a late season charge to win their division.

Go Red for Women Luncheon May 4, 10:30 a.m.-1 p.m., at Jackson Convention Complex (105 E. Pascagoula St.). Guests can participate in free health screenings, interactive health stations, group photo opportunities, and giveaways. $100; call 601-321-1209; metrojacksongored.heart.org.

Woman to Woman Empowerment Conference May 5, 7-10 p.m., May 6, 10 a.m.-2 p.m., at Russell C. Davis Planetarium (201 E. Pascagoula St.). The conference includes “A Night of Worship Through the Arts” featuring artists from Mississippi and New Orleans, dramatizations, spoken word, mime and more. Lunch is provided. $25 for one day, $45 for both days; call 601-398-6733; eventbrite.com.

MONDAY, MAY 8

STAGE & SCREEN “42nd Street” May 10, 7:30 p.m., at Thalia Mara Hall (255 E. Pascagoula St.). The play tells the story of starry-eyed young dancer who leaves her home of Allentown and moves to New York to audition for a Broadway musical. $35-$100; call 601-960-1537; jacksonbroadway.com.

DIVERSIONS | music

Behind Vicksburg’s Blues by Micah Smith

VALERIE CRANCER / VICKSBURG BLUES SOCIETY

icksburg is a city known as much for its vibrant blues-music scene as its history, and that’s saying something. If you have made your way over for one of its many concerts, festivals and shows in recent years, the odds are good that you’ve crossed paths with Shirley Waring, one of the people charged with preserving that musical heritage. Waring has been on the board of directors for the Vicksburg Convention and Visitors Bureau since 2009 and the Vicksburg Heritage League since 2006, and she also served on the board for the Mississippi Delta National Heritage Area for three years. Perhaps most notably, though, she has been the president of the Vicksburg Blues Society since founder Lucille Ridges retired in 2006. Waring serves on the board of directors alongside London Branch, who founded the Jackson State University Symphony Orchestra; Jerry “Boogie” Mason, who is the president and CEO of Mason Media Services; Mississippi Tourism Hall of Fame member Lenore Barkley; Hank Harris, the president and CEO of the National Black Tourism Bureau and the Gulf Coast African American Visitors Bureau; and Terry Duffie, the newest addition to the society’s board. While Waring is passionate about Vicksburg’s past blues greats such as Grammy Award winner Willie Dixon, she says promoting its history and its present go hand in

(Left to right) Jerry “Boogie” Mason, Shirley Waring and Terry Dufﬁe work together through the Vicksburg Blues Society.

hand. She produces a variety of events featuring Vicksburgand Mississippi-based acts, from major undertakings, such as providing live music for American Queen Steamboat Company cruises, to weekly entertainment offerings, such as the “Music on the River” series at The Big Muddy, a new restaurant and venue that opened in Vicksburg in January. “(It’s about) creating music as an attraction,” she says. “The Mississippi Development Authority developed the Mississippi Blues Trail. Well, it’s not enough. We’ve got five Blues Trail markers here in Vicksburg, but it’s not enough

to have people come into town, walk up to a marker and say, ‘Oh. Great.’ They want music. They want blues.” Waring says one of the main ways that the Vicksburg Blues Society supports Mississippi music is through competing in the International Blues Challenge in Memphis and hosting the Vicksburg Blues Challenge, which will take place Aug. 27 at Ameristar Casino this year. The local challenge determines the acts that represent the society in the annual IBC in two categories: solo/duo and band. Since the Vicksburg Blues Society became a competing member of the Blues Foundation in 2012, it has had two winners—Mr. Sipp in 2014 and Eddie Cotton Jr. in 2015—and three finalists, most recently solo artist Sam Joyner in the 2017 challenge. “We’ve brought the international spotlight to the blues in Mississippi, and we work with the Central Mississippi Blues Society, the Indianola Blues Society, and we all put on these challenges, pick out these fantastic acts, and go up to Memphis to represent Mississippi blues,” she says. “They’re always really happy to see us because, even though there are lots of … members of the Blues Foundation, not everybody interprets the blues with the style of the Delta or traditional blues. So when people are kind of confused over, ‘Well, that’s not really blues; what are they doing here?’, they’re always thrilled to see Vicksburg.” For more information, visit vicksburgblues.net.

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Impacting the WHOLE Family

FamiliesFirstForMS.org

A service provided by Mississippi Community Education Center and Family Resource Center NON-DISCRIMINATORY

Music listings are due noon Monday to be included in print and online listings: music@jacksonfreepress.com.

Clinton High School - Attaché Show Choir 7:30 p.m. $10 Drago’s - Johnny Barranco 5:30 p.m. free Fitzgerald’s - Jason Turner 7:30 p.m. free Hal & Mal’s - Mark Roemer & Jamie Weems free Kathryn’s - Gator Trio 6:30 p.m. Pelican Cove - Jonathan Alexander 6 p.m. free Sombra, Ridgeland - Double Ramm Outlaws 5:30 p.m. free Table 100 - Andy Henderson 6 p.m. free Thalia Mara Hall - Boston 8 p.m. $59.50-$99.50

MAY 4 - THURSDAY The Big Muddy, Vicksburg - Doug Bishop 6 p.m. Char - Tommie Vaughn 6 p.m. Clinton High School - Attaché Show Choir 7:30 p.m. $10 Drago’s - Johnny Barranco 5:30 p.m. free F. Jones Corner - Raul Valinti & the F. Jones Challenge Band 10 p.m. $5 Fitzgerald’s - Hunter Gibson & Chris Link 7:30 p.m. free Hal & Mal’s - Pearl Divide free Hops & Habanas, Fondren - Betsy Berryhill 5 p.m. free Iron Horse Grill - Cary Hudson 6:30 p.m. Kathryn’s - Amanda Jones 6:30 p.m. free Martin’s - The Funky Knuckles 10 p.m. $10 advance $12 door Old Capitol Inn - Chad Wesley free Pelican Cove - Acoustic Crossroads Duo 6 p.m. free Shucker’s - Larry Brewer & Doug Hurd 7:30 p.m. free Sombra, Flowood - Jason Turner Band 6 p.m. free Sombra, Ridgeland - Jason Turner Band 2:30 p.m. ; The Eclectics 5:30 p.m.; Latisimo 7:30 p.m. Table 100 - Andrew Pates 6 p.m. Underground 119 - Jesse Robinson & Friends 5 p.m. free

MAY 5 - FRIDAY Ameristar, Vicksburg - Area Code 8 p.m. free The Big Muddy, Vicksburg Osgood & Blaque 7 p.m. Bonny Blair’s - Larry Brewer 7 p.m. free Cerami’s - Linda Blackwell & James Bailey 6:30 p.m. free Char - Ronnie Brown 6 p.m. free Clinton High School - Attaché Show Choir 7:30 p.m. $10 Drago’s - Robin Blakeney 6 p.m. F. Jones Corner - Todd Thompson & The Lucky Hand Blues Band midnight $10

Fitzgerald’s - Ronnie & Grant McGee w/ TJ Hall 7:30 p.m. free Hal & Mal’s - Swing de Paris free Iron Horse Grill - Rhythm Masters 9 p.m. free Kathryn’s - Shadz of Grey7 p.m. M-Bar - Flirt Friday feat. DJ 901 Martin’s - Heartbyrne 10 p.m. Next Level Experience - Lee King’s Black Gold Dance Club feat. Aziatikk Blakk 9 p.m. $10 Old Capitol Inn - Stevie Cain free Pelican Cove - Todd Thompson & the Lucky Hand Blues Band 7 p.m. free Pop’s Saloon – Cody Cooke & the Bayou Outlaws 9 p.m. Reed Pierce’s, Byram - Chad Perry Band 9 p.m. free Sombra, Flowood - Chad Wesley 2 p.m. free; Greg Dillard & Chasin’ Dixie 7 p.m. free Sombra, Ridgeland - Greg Dillard 3 p.m. free; Steele Heart 6:30 p.m. free Underground 119 - Hypnotic Wheels Trio WonderLust - Cocktail Party feat. TVBOO 8 p.m. $5

T’Beaux’s, Pocahontas - Chris Gill & The Sole Shakers 6 p.m. free Underground 119 - King Edward Blues Band

MAY 7 - SUNDAY Char - Tommie Vaughn 6 p.m. Kathryn’s - Steel Country 6 p.m. Pelican Cove - Andrew Pates noon free; Sofa Kings 5 p.m. free St. Andrew’s Cathedral Metropolitan Chamber Orchestra 3 p.m. free Table 100 - Dan Michael Colbert 6 p.m. free Jackson Zoo - Zoo Blues 2017 feat. Calvin Richardson, Vick Allen, Lacee & more 4 p.m. $25

MAY 8 - MONDAY Char - Tommie Vaughn 6 p.m. Fitzgerald’s - Doug Bishop 7:30 p.m. free Hal & Mal’s - Central MS Blues Society 7 p.m. $5 cover $3 members Kathryn’s - Stevie Cain 6:30 p.m. Pelican Cove - Richard Lee Davis 6 p.m. free Table 100 - Andrew Pates 6 p.m.

MAY 9 - TUESDAY

Betsy Berryhill

MAY 6 - SATURDAY Ameristar, Vicksburg - Grady Champion 8 p.m. free The Big Muddy, Vicksburg - Bill “Howl-N-Madd” Perry 7 p.m. Clinton High School - Attaché Show Choir 7:30 p.m. $10 Drago’s - Joseph LaSalla 6 p.m. F. Jones Corner - Big Money Mel & Small Change Wayne 10 p.m. $1; T Baby & the Soul Connect Band midnight $10 Fenian’s - Jason Daniels 10 p.m. Hairoine Salon - Boysin, Woolgathering & Ben Ricketts 8 p.m. $5 Hal & Mal’s - Leo Moreira free Iron Horse Grill - Catﬁsh & Cotton 9 p.m. free Kathryn’s - Luckenbach 7 p.m. free Martin’s - Gene Evaro Jr. w/ Empty Atlas 10 p.m. Pelican Cove - Jason Turner 2 p.m. free; Sid Thompson & DoubleShotz 7 p.m. free Reed Pierce’s, Byram - Miles Flatt 9 p.m. free Sombra, Flowood - Greg Dillard 11 a.m. free Spacecamp - 5th Child, Sir Flywalker, DJ Young Venom & Argiﬂex 8 p.m. $5

Char - Tommie Vaughn 6 p.m. Drago’s - Johnny Barranco 5:30 p.m. free Fenian’s - Open Mic free Fitzgerald’s - Sonny Brooks & Kevin Lewis 7:30 p.m. free Hal & Mal’s - Raphael Semmes & Friends 6-9 p.m. free Kathryn’s - Andrew Pates 6:30 p.m. free Last Call - Top-Shelf Tuesdays feat. DJ Spoon 9 p.m. MS Museum of Art - Gayle Entrekin, Jim Moritsugu & John Paul 5:45 p.m. free Pelican Cove - Hunter Gibson & Rick Moreira 6 p.m. free Table 100 - Chalmers Davis 6 p.m.

A good party is never an acquired taste.

MAY 10 - WEDNESDAY Alumni House - Pearl Jamz 5:30 p.m. free Char - Tommie Vaughn 6 p.m. Drago’s - Johnny Barranco 5:30 p.m. free Fitzgerald’s - Chris Houchin 7:30 p.m. free Hal & Mal’s - New Bourbon Street Jazz Band free Highland Village - “Village Social” Outdoor Concert feat. Oh Jeremiah 7 p.m. free Kathryn’s - Larry Brewer & Doug Hurd 6:30 p.m. free Pelican Cove - Ryann Phillips 6 p.m. free Table 100 - Andy Henderson 6 p.m. free J A C K S O N ’ S

5/5 - Scott Bradlee’s Postmodern Jukebox - House of Blues, New Orleans 5/7 - The Sword - The Spanish Moon, Baton Rouge 5/9 - Highly Suspect - Republic NOLA, New Orleans

N E W E S T

E V E N T

V E N U E

717 Poplar Boulevard Jackson, MS 39202 | Tel: 601.398.4562

May 3 - 9 , 2017 • jfp.ms

MAY 3 - WEDNESDAY

COURTESY BETSY BERRYHILL

MUSIC | live

BY MATT JONES

50 Indy orders ___ at the restaurant, only to avoid servers flinging meat ... (and why’d it have to be THIS meat?) 52 Health clinic leaflet subjects, for short 53 10th grader, for short 54 Up to this point 56 “Jeopardy!” creator Griffin 59 “The Untouchables” agent Eliot 62 Like hairpin turns 66 Adjust to fit 68 Finally, Indy’s ready to come home, turn on some cartoons, and watch ___, only to avoid his neighbor who won’t stop with the stories ... 70 When hell freezes over 71 Jai ___ (fast-paced game) 72 They’re the top brass 73 Derisive 74 Dome-shaped tent 75 Career honor not accomplished by LinManuel Miranda at this year’s Oscars

32 Fix a bad situation, superhero-style 33 Lust after 34 Superlatively minimal 35 Advised strongly 36 Oktoberfest quaffs 41 Like Charlie Parker’s sax 44 Necessity 47 Sports channel owned by Disney 48 Observatory’s focus 51 Answered an invitation 55 Suffix denoting extremeness 56 “The Wrong ___” (James Corden BBC series) 57 Barbara of “I Dream of Jeannie”

Last Week’s Answers

58 Norah Jones’s father 60 “Star Trek” crewman 61 “The Lion King” villain 63 Character retired by Sacha Baron Cohen 64 Forfeited wheels 65 “Hey, over here” 67 “Boyz N the Hood” character 69 Model airplane purchase ©2017 Jonesin’ Crosswords (editor@ jonesincrosswords.com)

For answers to this puzzle, call: 1-900-226-2800, 99 cents per minute. Must be 18+. Or to bill to your credit card, call: 1-800 655-6548. Reference puzzle #822

BY MATT JONES

Down

“Indiana Jones: A Day in the Life” —if anyone can get away with it... Across

1 His treehouse inspired the “Treehouse of Horror” 5 Manufactured 9 First full month of spring 14 “On the Waterfront” director Kazan 15 Musk of Tesla Motors 16 Livelihood 17 Indy gets in his ___ and drives, only to miss a stray blowgun missile ... 19 Arcade coin 20 Pilfer 21 Kremlin denial 23 “You’re not fully clean ...” soap 24 Maya of Vietnam Memorial fame

26 Hindu prince’s title 28 BLT spread 31 Indy turns on his car radio to hear “Wild Wild West” band ___, narrowly avoiding being bludgeoned by a nearby motorist ... 37 ___ Bator (Mongolia’s capital) 38 ___ Wall (“American Ninja Warrior” fixture) 39 Before, to Byron 40 Island nation southeast of Fiji 42 “The Doors” star Kilmer 43 Mirror reflection 45 A billion years 46 Jane who played Daphne on “Frasier” 49 Rehab candidate

1 Hotel needs 2 In a big way 3 Take the bus 4 Girl Scout Cookie with peanut butter and chocolate 5 Rx order 6 Late “Hannity & Colmes” co-host Colmes 7 Nemo’s successor? 8 Respond in court 9 Part of D.A. 10 Drug in an Elizabeth Wurtzel title 11 Pick up debris, perhaps 12 “Julius Caesar” date 13 Time to give up? 18 Peyton’s brother 22 Finish line, metaphorically 25 Unopened in the box 27 Skywalker, e.g. 28 Shuts the sound off 29 Give it ___ 30 “Live at the Acropolis” keyboardist

Last Week’s Answers

“Kaidoku”

Each of the 26 letters of the alphabet is represented in this grid by a number between 1 and 26. Using letter frequency, word-pattern recognition, and the numbers as your guides, fill in the grid with well-known English words (HINT: since a Q is always followed by a U, try hunting down the Q first). Only lowercase, unhyphenated words are allowed in kaidoku, so you won’t see anything like STOCKHOLM or LONG-LOST in here (but you might see AFGHAN, since it has an uncapitalized meaning, too). Now stop wasting my precious time and SOLVE! psychosudoku@gmail.com

YOU COULD WIN UP TO $100,000 CASH! WEDNESDAYS, FRIDAYS & SATURDAYS IN MAY Winners chosen are guaranteed to win at least $500 FanPlay®!

May 3 - 9 , 2017 • jfp.ms

*No Candy Burst drawings will be held Friday, May 26 & Saturday, May 27 due to Memorial Day Madness Giveaway Drawings.

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TAURUS (April 20-May 20):

When poet Wislawa Szymborska delivered her speech for winning the Nobel Prize, she said that â&#x20AC;&#x153;whatever else we might think of this worldâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;it is astonishing.â&#x20AC;? She added that for a poet, there really is no such thing as the â&#x20AC;&#x153;ordinary world,â&#x20AC;? â&#x20AC;&#x153;ordinary lifeâ&#x20AC;? and â&#x20AC;&#x153;the ordinary course of events.â&#x20AC;? In fact, â&#x20AC;&#x153;Nothing is usual or normal. Not a single stone and not a single cloud above it. Not a single day and not a single night after it. And above all, not a single existence, not anyoneâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s existence in this world.â&#x20AC;? I offer you her thoughts, Taurus, because I believe that in the next two weeks you will have an extraordinary potential to feel and act on these truths. You are hereby granted a license to be astonished on a regular basis.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20):

Would you consider enrolling in my Self-Pity Seminar? If so, you would learn that obsessing on self-pity is a means to an end, not a morass to get lost in. You would feel sorry for yourself for brief, intense periods so that you could feel proud and brave the rest of the time. For a given periodâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;letâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s say three daysâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;you would indulge and indulge and indulge in self-pity until you entirely exhausted that emotion. Then youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d be free to engage in an orgy of self-healing, self-nurturing and self-celebration. Ready to get started? Ruminate about the ways that people donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t fully appreciate you.

CANCER (June 21-July 22):

In a typical conversation, most of us utter too many â&#x20AC;&#x153;uhs,â&#x20AC;? â&#x20AC;&#x153;likes,â&#x20AC;? â&#x20AC;&#x153;I meansâ&#x20AC;? and â&#x20AC;&#x153;you knows.â&#x20AC;? I mean, Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m sure that ... uh ... youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll agree that, like, whatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s the purpose of, you know, all that pointless noise? But I have some good news to deliver about your personal use of language in the coming weeks, Cancerian. According to my reading of the astrological omens, youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll have the potential to dramatically lower your reliance on needless ďŹ ller. But wait, thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s more: Clear thinking and precise speech just might be your superpowers. As a result, your powers of persuasion should intensify. Your ability to advocate for your favorite causes may zoom.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22):

In 1668, England named John Dryden its ďŹ rst Poet Laureate. His literary inďŹ&#x201A;uence was so monumental that the era in which he published was known as the Age of Dryden. Twentieth-century poetry great T.S. Eliot said he was â&#x20AC;&#x153;the ancestor of nearly all that is best in the poetry of the eighteenth century.â&#x20AC;? Curiously, Dryden had a low opinion of Shakespeare. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Scarcely intelligible,â&#x20AC;? he called the Bard, adding, â&#x20AC;&#x153;His whole style is so pestered with ďŹ gurative expressions that it is as affected as it is coarse.â&#x20AC;? I foresee a comparable clash of titans in your sphere, Leo. Two major inďŹ&#x201A;uences may ďŹ ght it out for supremacy. One embodiment of beauty may be in competition with another. One powerful and persuasive force could oppose another. What will your role be? Mediator? Judge? Neutral observer? Whatever it is, be cagey.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22):

Just this once, and for a limited time only, you have cosmic clearance to load up on sugary treats, leave an empty beer can in the woods, watch stupid TV shows and act uncool in front of the Beautiful People. Why? Because being totally well-behaved and perfectly composed and strictly pure would compromise your mental health more than being naughty. Besides, if you want to ďŹ gure out what you are on the road to becoming, you will need to know more about what youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re not.

You havenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t had the self-mastery necessary to use the gifts as theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re meant to be used, and therefore they were a bit dangerous to you. But that situation has changed. Although you may still not be fully primed, youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re as ready as you can be. Thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s why I say: RUB THE MAGIC LAMP!

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21):

You may have heard the exhortation â&#x20AC;&#x153;Follow your bliss!â&#x20AC;?, which was popularized by mythologist Joseph Campbell. After studying the archetypal stories of many cultures throughout history, he concluded that it was the most important principle driving the success of most heroes. Hereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s another way to say it: Identify the job or activity that deeply excites you, and ďŹ nd a way to make it the center of your life. In his later years, Campbell worried that too many people had misinterpreted â&#x20AC;&#x153;Follow your blissâ&#x20AC;? to mean â&#x20AC;&#x153;Do what comes easily.â&#x20AC;? Thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s all wrong, he said. Anything worth doing takes work and struggle. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Maybe I should have said, â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Follow your blisters,â&#x20AC;&#x2122;â&#x20AC;? he laughed. I bring this up, Sagittarius, because you are now in an intense â&#x20AC;&#x153;Follow your blistersâ&#x20AC;? phase of following your bliss.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19):

The versatile artist Melvin Van Peebles has enjoyed working as a ďŹ lmmaker, screenwriter, actor, composer and novelist. One of his more recent efforts was a collaboration with the experimental band The Heliocentrics. Together they created a science ďŹ ction-themed spoken-word poetry album titled The Last Transmission. Peebles told NPR, â&#x20AC;&#x153;I havenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t had so much fun with clothes on in years.â&#x20AC;? If Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m reading the planetary omens correctly Capricorn, youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re either experiencing that level of fun, or will soon be doing so.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18):

In what ways do you most resemble your mother? Now is a good time to take inventory. Once you identify any mom-like qualities that tend to limit your freedom or lead you away from your dreams, devise a plan to transform them. You may never be able to defuse them entirely, but thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a lot you can do to minimize the mischief they cause. Be calm but calculating in setting your intention, Aquarius! P.S.: In the course of your inventory, you may also ďŹ nd there are ways you are like your mother that are of great value to you. Is there anything you could do to more fully develop their potential?

NEW YEARâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S

â&#x20AC;&#x153;We are what we imagine,â&#x20AC;? writes Piscean author N. Scott Momaday. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Our very existence consists in our imagination of ourselves. Our best destiny is to imagine who and what we are. The greatest tragedy that can befall us is to go unimagined.â&#x20AC;? Letâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s make this passage your inspirational keynote for the coming weeks. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a perfect time to realize how much power you have to create yourself through the intelligent and purposeful use of your vivid imagination. (P.S. Hereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a further tip, this time from Cher: â&#x20AC;&#x153;All of us invent ourselves. Some of us just have more imagination than others.â&#x20AC;?)

Risko Danza

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22):

In addition to fashion tips, advice for the broken-hearted, midlife-crisis support and career counseling, I sometimes provide you with more mystical help. Like now. So if you need nuts-and-bolts guidance, I hope youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll have the sense to read a more down-to-earth horoscope. What I want to tell you is that the metaphor of resurrection is your featured theme. You should assume that itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s somehow the answer to every question. Rejoice in the knowledge that although a part of you has died, it will be reborn in a fresh guise.

3AT $EC s 9pm-2am ARIES (March 21-April 19):

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21):

â&#x20AC;&#x153;Are you ready for the genieâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s favors? Donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t rub the magic lamp unless you are.â&#x20AC;? Thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s the message I saw on an Instagram meme. I immediately thought of you. The truth is that up until recently, you have not been fully prepared for the useful but demanding gifts the genie could offer you.

Beware of feeling sorry for sharks that yell for help. Beware of trusting coyotes that act like sheep and sheep that act like coyotes. Beware of nibbling food from jars whose contents are different from what their labels suggest. But wait! â&#x20AC;&#x153;Bewareâ&#x20AC;? is not my only message for you. I have these additional announcements: Welcome interlopers if theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re humble and look you in the eyes. Learn all you can from predators and pretenders without imitating them. Take advantage of any change thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s set in motion by agitators who shake up the status quo, even if you donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t like them.

Questions donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t start til 7:30 so round up your team and head to the Pub! Best Pub Quiz: Best of Jackson 2017 % &ORTIl CATION 3T s www.fenianspub.com -ON &RI AM AM s 3AT PM AM s 3UN PM AM

Homework: Which of your dead ancestors would you most like to talk to? Imagine a conversation with one of them.

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PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20):

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