2 | L AG N I A P P E | J a n u a r y 3 , 2 0 1 8 - J a n u a r y 9 , 2 0 1 8
WEEKLY
•••••••••••••••••••••••••••
LAGNIAPPE
JANUARY 3, 2018 - JANUARY 9, 2018 | www.lagniappemobile.com ASHLEY TRICE Co-publisher/Editor atrice@lagniappemobile.com
ROB HOLBERT Co-publisher/Managing Editor rholbert@lagniappemobile.com GABRIEL TYNES Assistant Managing Editor gabe@lagniappemobile.com DALE LIESCH Reporter dale@lagniappemobile.com JASON JOHNSON Reporter jason@lagniappemobile.com KEVIN LEE Associate Editor/Arts Editor klee@lagniappemobile.com
4 8 11
BAY BRIEFS
Mayor Sandy Stimpson’s pledge to make Mobile the “safest city in America by 2020” appears threatened by an increase in homicides for the second straight year.
COMMENTARY
Time for the council to turn the page and stop acting like children.
BUSINESS
Stirling Properties recently released its Mobile Office Market Survey report.
CUISINE
With Alabama facing Georgia for the College Football Championship, a look at beers from the Peach State.
ANDY MACDONALD Cuisine Editor fatmansqueeze@comcast.net STEPHEN CENTANNI Music Editor scentanni@lagniappemobile.com
15
STEPHANIE POE Copy Editor copy@lagniappemobile.com DANIEL ANDERSON Chief Photographer dan@danandersonphoto.com LAURA RASMUSSEN Art Director www.laurarasmussen.com BROOKE O’DONNELL Advertising Sales Executive brooke@lagniappemobile.com BETH WILLIAMS Advertising Sales Executive bwilliams@lagniappemobile.com
COVER
Weeks after they were inaugurated for successive terms, negotiations for the next president of the Mobile City Council broke down once again.
16
ALEEN MOMBERGER Advertising Sales Executive aleen@lagniappemobile.com RACHEL THOMAS Advertising Sales Executive rachel@lagniappemobile.com MELISSA EDGE Editorial Assistant events@lagniappemobile.com ROSS PRITCHARD Distribution Manager delivery@lagniappemobile.com
18
ARTS
The Mystic Order of Jazz Obsessed host “Jazz and African-American Consciousness” Jan. 11 at the Mobile Museum of Modern Art.
MUSIC
JACKIE CRUTHIRDS Office Manager jackie@lagniappemobile.com CONTRIBUTORS: Brenda Bolton, J. Mark Bryant, Asia Frey, Brian Holbert, Randy Kennedy, John Mullen, Jeff Poor, Ron Sivak ON THE COVER: COUNCIL GAVEL BY DANIEL ANDERSON POSTMASTER: Send address changes to P.O. Box 3003 Mobile, AL 36652. Editorial, advertising and production offices are located at 1100B Dauphin St. Mobile, AL 36604. Mailing address is P.O. Box 3003 Mobile, AL 36652. Phone: 251.450.4466 Fax 251.450.4498. Email: ashleytoland@lagniappemobile.com or rholbert@lagniappemobile.com LAGNIAPPE is printed at Walton Press. All letters sent to Lagniappe are considered to be intended for publication. Member: Association of Alternative Newsweeklies and Alternative Weeklies Network All rights reserved. Something Extra Publishing, Inc. Nothing may be reprinted, photocopied or in any way reproduced without the expressed permission of the publishers. Individuals may take one copy of the paper free of charge from area businesses, racks or boxes. After that, papers are $3 per issue. Removal of more than one copy from these points constitutes theft. Violators are subject to prosecution.
For Lagniappe home delivery visit
www.lagniappemobile.com/lagniappehd
19 22 25 28 30
Mobile native Walker Hayes moved to Nashville, started a family, and pursued an unlikey music career before gaining notice. His album “Boom” was released last month.
FILM
The 17th annual Mobile Jewish Film Festival opens Jan. 11, with organizers promising the most diverse lineup yet.
GARDENING
A trip to the RHS Flower Show at Chelsea in London, one of the oldest and most prestigious in the world.
SPORTS
Alabama artists are invited to enter a painting or illustration in the waterfowl stamp contest.
STYLE
Need ideas for New Year’s resolutions? Boozie has ‘em.
J a n u a r y 3 , 2 0 1 8 - J a n u a r y 9 , 2 0 1 8 | L AG N I A P P E | 3
BAYBRIEF | CRIME
‘The trend of violence’ RATE OF LOCAL HOMICIDES CONTINUES TO CREEP UPWARD BY JASON JOHNSON
M
obile’s homicide rate is continuing an upward spike for the second year in a row, as a handful of killings in December pushed the number of recorded murders just past 2016 levels. In all, the Mobile Police Department recorded 46 homicides in 2017, at least 11 of which have not been solved or for which no suspect has been identified. According to crime statistics submitted annually to the FBI, that is three more murders than occured in 2016 — a year marked by the highest homicide rate in the Port City since 1997. Speaking to Lagniappe, Mobile Police Chief Lawrence Battiste said seeing the number of homicides “slowly creep up” this year was “concerning” for public safety officials, though he did note Mobile appears to be “following a national trend of increased violent crime.” “We have for the past two years identified strategies that focus on the types of crime we believe have been the biggest driving force for the upward trend,” he said. “We will adjust to decrease overall incidents by helping to educate the community about what the problem is and how to assist in changing the factors that lead to the conflicts and cause the deadly incidents.” While there was at least one murder reported in each month in 2017, the largest number occured in June, when six homicide cases crossed MPD investigators’ desks. All six of those cases have since been closed, however. At the end of last year, former police Chief James Barber suggested a surge in teenage gun violence was driving the number of homicides in Mobile. But while there were similar murders in 2017, Battiste pointed to another concerning pattern locally — domestic violence. “The most alarming pattern I see is the occurrence of
domestic-related homicides,” he said. “Nearly a third of the deaths were domestically related, such as a dating relationship gone bad or some sort of retaliatory issue involving the former partner and a new acquaintance.” To address those types of domestic violence incidents specifically, Battiste said MPD is looking at a “traumainformed approach,” adding he wants the department to show the community the risk factors for not treating the trauma of violent incidents, which he said can lead to more violence. “Our goal is to treat the trauma and let people know that retaliation is not the best solution, especially after being a victim,” he added. Of all the homicides reported in 2017, one of the more unsettling incidents occurred just last week when an elderly man was murdered during an attempted robbery at a busy shopping center on Dauphin Street. On Wednesday, Dec. 27, 89-year-old John Higby was killed in the parking lot of the Dauphin Square Shopping Center. Police have since determined Higby was fatally shot after a man tried to rob him and are searching for two suspects seen fleeing the area shortly after the shooting. Another notable case was the death of Kay Raines, who was missing for months before her body was found in the woods of Baldwin County last March. Her son, Clarke Raines, was arrested and charged with her murder after detectives used a tracking device to follow him to the site of the burial. While Battiste said the increased rate of homicides was indeed a concern for local police, he said there should be “no mistake about our efforts to deal with violent offenders.”
4 | L AG N I A P P E | J a n u a r y 3 , 2 0 1 8 - J a n u a r y 9 , 2 0 1 8
“While we make every effort to treat those who are victims of violent crimes, we will work equally as hard to identify those who are perpetrators of such crimes and work to have them prosecuted and sentenced to the strictest letter of the law,” he added. “We will work with our federal, state, county and local officials in ensuring that we use every legal means of punishment available. We will change the trend of violence in our community.” On the federal level, newly appointed U.S. Attorney Richard Moore has publicly set his sights on reducing violence crime as well, saying he wants to push the initiative in the Southern District of Alabama, which is already “an aggressive, forward-leaning office” when it comes to violent crime.” In doing so, Moore is following the lead of Attorney General Jeff Sessions, who last month sent 40 additional assistant U.S. attorneys to areas facing particularly high levels of violent crime while simultaneously launching violent crime task forces in Charlotte, North Carolina, and Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. While Moore’s office in Mobile wasn’t among those that received additional prosecutors, the Northern District of Alabama in Birmingham was. Announcing his new nationwide Department of Justice initiative last month, Sessions said his plan would put U.S. attorneys “in the best position to impact and reduce violent crime.” “Under this program, I am asking a great deal of our United States Attorneys,” Sessions said of the initiative. “I am both empowering them and holding them accountable for results.” A list of the unsolved murders in Mobile can be viewed below, including the victim, their age and date of death. Any one with information about any of these cases is asked to contact the MPD’s homicide unit at 251-208-7211.
2017 Unsolved Murders, Mobile Idrian Gardner, 40, Jan. 29 Bradley Huey, 21, April 28 James Hipp, 63, May 19 Derrick Buford, 43, July 12 Larry Willingham, 70, Aug. 3 Chantaye Kitt, 26, Sept. 29 Talmadge Dowdlan, 21, Oct. 5 Roderick Conner, 18, Nov. 8 Kenneth Foster, 20, Dec. 21 James Rutledge, 19, Dec. 21 John Higby, 89, Dec. 27
BAYBRIEF | MOBILE
Foreseeable ‘nuisance’ CITY OF MOBILE JOINS LEGAL BATTLE AGAINST OPIOID PRODUCERS BY JASON JOHNSON
M
obile has joined cities and counties around the country in filing federal lawsuits against the manufacturers and distributors of several prevalent opioid painkillers — claiming the companies “intentionally and unlawfully” created a deadly and ongoing nuisance for communities. While local governments have sued national drugmakers before, the growing opioid “crisis” added significant momentum to the trend in 2017. Today, more than 200 such federal lawsuits have been filed, which doesn’t include multiple other lawsuits brought in various state courts. Alabama has disproportionately suffered from prescription painkiller abuse, at an estimated rate of 142.9 prescriptions per 100 persons, and Mobile has not avoided the effects. According to the city, drug poisoning deaths have increased significantly in recent years in Mobile County, which is expected to file a similar lawsuit in the coming weeks. “In 2016, there were 133 prescriptions dispensed per hundred people in the county, and only after state and county addiction prevention measures managed to draw down the amount from a peak of 164 prescriptions per 100 people in 2013,” the city’s legal complaint reads. “[Residents] reporting drug dependence and nonmedical use of pain relievers in 2016 was higher than the state average, at 2.5 percent and 5.2 percent, respectively.” In their complaint, the city paints a picture of an opioid problem that’s a “public nuisance” — one Mayor Sandy Stimpson said Mobile has continued to bear the the brunt of because of the expense of treatment, education, law enforcement and services for children of drug abusers. “Homes have been broken and families torn apart by this epidemic, which has claimed victims from all walks of life,” Stimpson said. “The pharmaceutical drug manufacturers and wholesale drug distributors failed in their legal obligation to notify the Drug Enforcement Administration [DEA] of suspicious orders, even as the number of pills flowing into our city rose and rose.” As Lagniappe has previously reported, Mobile Infirmary and two hospitals in Mississippi filed a similar lawsuit against some of the same companies last month including manufacturers Purdue Pharma and Endo Pharmaceuticals and distributors such as the McKesson Corp. That lawsuit was swept into pretrial proceedings before U.S. District Judge Dan Polster in Cleveland, Ohio, last month. The multidistrict litigation consolidated roughly 189 cases from Alabama, California, Illinois, Kentucky, Ohio, Washington and West Virginia — all areas disproportionately impacted by the diversion and abuse of prescription opioids.
Multidistrict litigation (MDL) allows federal courts with similar cases to combine them under a single umbrella, which can accelerate the early stages of lawsuits, like discovery and pretrial rulings. Cases can be settled through MDL, but are sent back to their original courts if they move to trial. Some lawsuits filed after the 2010 BP oil spill were handled in a similar manner. Currently, it’s unclear whether the city of Mobile’s lawsuit would be lumped in with other cases like one involving Mobile Infirmary, though it raises similar accusations that opioid manufacturers and distributors used “false, deceptive and unfair marketing practices” to push their products. “The manufacturers aggressively pushed highly addictive, dangerous opioids, falsely representing to doctors that patients would only rarely succumb to drug addiction,” the complaint states. “These pharmaceutical companies aggressively advertised to and persuaded doctors to prescribe highly addictive, dangerous opioids, which turned patients into drug addicts for their own corporate profit.” Like Mobile, several cities and counties have taken their attempts to stem the use of opioids to court, but unlike a handful of other states, Alabama has not fielded a similar legal challenge against those manufacturers directly. That could be partially due to government philosophy. Attorney General Steve Marshall addressed the issue while speaking to the Brevard HandAlex Howard Chapter of the Mobile Federalist Society in September, saying his office would not be part of efforts “to use civil litigation to regulate industries or to coerce windfall settlements.” “Sometimes that may mean that my office sits out of litigation other states initiate,” he said. “You’re seeing that right now in the world of opioids, where many states have sued. I’m not yet convinced that’s the right way to go.” While Marshall hasn’t pushed for a lawsuit on Alabama’s behalf, he is part of a bipartisan coalition of attorneys general participating in an ongoing investigation into whether drug manufacturers have engaged in unlawful practices. That group of 41 attorneys general has issued subpoenas for documents and testimony to determine the appropriate course of action in addressing opioid abuse. The group hasn’t officially identified any targets of its investigation, but it’s been reported the inquiry focuses on many of the same companies named in the flurry of recent civil lawsuits. Marshall also oversees the newly created Alabama Opioid Overdose and Addiction Council, which was established by Gov. Kay Ivey in August.
Photo | U.S. District Court
Exhibits included in the city of Mobile’s lawsuit include this graph showing drug-related deaths in Alabama have soared since 2003. J a n u a r y 3 , 2 0 1 8 - J a n u a r y 9 , 2 0 1 8 | L AG N I A P P E | 5
BAYBRIEF | FAIRHOPE
‘See ya in court’ LAWSUIT ALLEGES FAIRHOPE COUNCIL PRESIDENT DENIED CITIZEN’S FREE SPEECH BY JOHN MULLEN
Photo | Lagniappe
Fairhope City Council President Jack Burrell was named in a federal lawsuit for denying a member of the public a chance to speak at an August council meeting.
F
rom Jack Burrell’s view, Francis Paul Ripp has had plenty of opportunity to speak before the Fairhope City Council. “There’s been numerous times that I’ve let him go over the three-minute limit even if he was sitting up there wailing away on me,” Burrell said. “I’ve let him go. Numerous, numerous times.” But not this time. On Aug. 28 Burrell, the Fairhope City Council president, asked if there were any public comments before the meeting was adjourned. Ripp, an active resident, blogger and political activist, stood up to come to the podium.
“Mr. Ripp, I’m not going to allow you to speak,” Burrell said before Ripp came forward. “Really?” Ripp responded, before being escorted to his seat by Fairhope Police Chief Joe Petties. On Dec. 28, he responded in another way. Ripp has filed a suit in the United States District Court, Southern District, alleging Burrell denied him his First Amendment rights to free speech and his 14th Amendment rights to due process and equal protection under the law. He is suing Burrell as a city official and individually for “humiliation” and “emotional pain.” Ripp said he was unsure what the next step in the lawsuit would be and has
hired Craig Morris to represent him in the suit. “In pursuing the lawsuit, I had the option of suing the city or everybody involved,” he said. “Or, the person that was responsible. That’s what I chose to do and that’s why the suit is directed at him because he is the one that was responsible.” His suit alleges Burrell didn’t follow the rules of procedure like he would with any other citizen and singled out Ripp. “The video speaks for itself,” Ripp said. The Fairhope City Council livestreams its meetings on YouTube, where they are also archived. The Aug. 28 exchange occurred just after the 1-hour mark. “There are no ‘buts’ in the Constitution,” Ripp said. “The council, the city attorney, everybody was present when they sat there and did that and nobody said a thing.” The issue was addressed in The Ripp Report blog on Dec. 29 in a post with the headline “SEE YA IN COURT JACK.” “This is the first time Ripp has sued the city of Fairhope over refusing to allow him to address the City Council,” the post said. “The city had denied him in the past, several times, the ability to speak at public meetings, forcing the council to adopt a new set of rules regarding public participation. These are the rules City Councilman Jack Burrell ignored when he allegedly denied Mr. Ripp … his constitutional right to free speech.” Burrell, who said he has yet to hire legal counsel, said Ripp’s blogs have ripped into city officials, workers and citizens and he has done so at council meetings on several occasions. He was not given the chance on Aug. 28. In fact, Ripp also filed a state ethics complaint against Burrell over a lease the Fairhope Airport Authority awarded to Ray Hix, a Federal Aviation Administration board member, and his business partner, Haymes Snedecker, who also serves as the city’s municipal judge. “He’d been saying a lot of hurtful things about people,” Burrell said Dec. 31. “And it wasn’t even about me. I’ve been putting up with his antics for five years and always allowed him to speak. But he started spreading innuendos about employees and other people, people that serve on committees for the city and I know that those people are very hurt by those comments and I didn’t want it to continue.” On Aug. 28 Burrell told Ripp he had lost the right to speak before the council because of his previous comments and postings on his blog. “You’ve relinquished your rights, it’s a privilege,” Burrell said at the time. “I’ve had more complaints about you getting up here and spreading innuendo, talking about citizens, employees and council members. Most of the people I’ve talked to don’t want to give you time, so ... Chief Petties, will you show him to his seat.” After no one else came forward to speak in the public comment portion, the meeting adjourned. But not before Mayor Karin Wilson weighed in. “I’m sure everybody felt comfortable coming up after that,” the mayor said. “I’ll stay afterward if anyone wants to talk.”
BAYBRIEF | FAIRHOPE
Attorney of record FAIRHOPE MAYOR ACCUSES COUNCIL OF ‘USURPING’ POWER TO APPOINT ATTORNEY BY GABRIEL TYNES
I
n a special-called meeting Dec. 29, the Fairhope City Council bypassed Mayor Karin Wilson to sign a contract with a new city attorney, while also passing a resolution allowing the council to exercise similar authority over the mayor whenever they feel she isn’t being cooperative. According to Council President Jack Burrell, the meeting was called after Wilson indicated she would not sign a resolution passed by the council Dec. 18 hiring Marcus McDowell for legal services. Longtime city attorney Marion “Tut” Wynne retired effective Dec. 31; McDowell is a colleague in the same law firm. In November, Wilson made a pitch to hire a full-time, in-house attorney for the city, a move she claimed would save at least $83,000 per year. But the council, noting Wilson’s calculations did not include the costs of hiring a paralegal, subscribing to legal libraries or purchasing malpractice insurance, said any perceived savings was nominal. Furthermore, in an interview last week Council President Jack Burrell said retaining McDowell would also ensure a degree of “institutional knowledge” with the city’s legal issues.
He said the second resolution, aimed squarely at the mayor, was “kind of a catch-all” to ensure the council would have the final say over temporary measures including contracts, deeds and bonds the mayor refuses to sign within seven days of being approved by the City Council. After the meeting Friday, Wilson said the act further limits her role as mayor, as according to state law she has 10 days to sign resolutions passed by the council. Burrell claimed the proposed resolution was approved by the Alabama League of Municipalities. “This resolution does usurp the role of mayor and that’s routine for the city attorney and this council,” she told reporters. “[McDowell] works behind my back, so I’ve not ever worked with him.” In the meantime, Wilson said she has relied on “attorney friends, citizens of Fairhope” to provide legal advice since the council also refused to consider hiring a separate attorney specifically for the mayor’s office earlier this year. In a Facebook post about the situation, Burrell wrote, “It is not uncommon to have a Council President sign legal documents for a city, and becomes necessary when a Mayor refuses to perform their duty. Refusal of the Mayor
6 | L AG N I A P P E | J a n u a r y 3 , 2 0 1 8 - J a n u a r y 9 , 2 0 1 8
to sign the contract, thus, not executing the Council’s resolve is not sidestepping the Mayor, but a complete refusal by the Mayor to perform her duties, which includes executing actions taken by the City Council. Let’s not let the Mayor once again play the victim.” “The city attorney works for the mayor and the council,” Burrell said this week. “She’s free to call him anytime.” In her own Facebook post on Jan. 2, Wilson further explained her actions: “Before the special council meeting started, I advised Lisa Hanks, our City Clerk and Tut Wynn that the second resolution Marcus McDowell put together for the meeting is of a permanent nature and can be vetoed. I suggested it be fixed before the vote to save time but my suggestion was ignored. “With regard to the first resolution amending the December 18 resolution appointing Marcus McDowell City Attorney, if the negotiation of the fee schedule been separated out from the actual appointment itself, I would have signed the portion for negotiating the contract as this is part of my role as mayor. However since the appointment, negotiation of the contract and signing of the engagement letter was in one resolution I refused to sign it as I do not believe he is a good choice. “While I don’t agree with the selection of Mr. McDowell I want to be clear that I did not have an issue on Dec. 18 or now negotiating and executing the engagement letter. That is my role as Mayor, not Council’s. My issue was with the appointment, but I know there is nothing I can do about this and as mayor I do not even need to sign the resolution for the appointment. “The second resolution is of a permanent nature and can be vetoed. I’m not sure why Mr. McDowell and Council President Burrell felt the need to add this and why seven days? I have 10 days to sign or veto resolutions permanent in nature, therefore it has been typical that all paperwork is signed within 10 days from council meeting. It is an unnecessary resolution and I will veto it. Executing contracts, deeds or bonds sometimes takes longer than seven days and I sign them when they’re ready.”
BAYBRIEF | MOBILE COUNTY
Church and state
COUNTY TEPIDLY AGREES TO UNDERWRITE RELIGIOUS CONFERENCE BY JASON JOHNSON
D
espite concerns about the separation of church and state, the Mobile County Commission agreed last week to make a small contribution to a local event hosted by a religious organization. That contribution — part of the Commission’s Dec. 28 regular agenda — was $2,500 the county put toward underwriting the cost of the National Baptist Convention’s Mid Winter Board Meeting, which will be held at the Mobile Convention Center later this month. While the relatively modest contribution to the annual event was approved conditionally, Commissioner Connie Hudson tasked the county’s legal staff with reviewing the legality of giving public funds to a private religious organization before the transaction actually occurs. “I questioned it because I’ve always been of the understanding that it would disallow us to appropriate funds to any religious institution,” Hudson said during the meeting. “To me, there’s just so much ambiguity, and it just makes me a little bit uncomfortable without having an absolute opinion that this is within legal guidelines before we move forward.” Hudson, who eventually voted to move the item forward, said she wasn’t personally opposed to the contribution to the National Baptist Convention but “wanted to be completely comfortable” before moving forward. Like many religious organizations, the National Baptist Convention is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization recognized as exempt from federal income tax. However, governmental bodies have regularly supported similarly situated groups in the past, but only in aspects of their mission that aren’t
directly religious in nature. That primarily occurs when organizations do charitable work, as Commissioner Merceria Ludgood pointed out. During the meeting last week, Ludgood also noted that Mobile County has previously made multiple contributions to organizations such as The Salvation Army, which she said “is a church.” “This is not for religious purposes, this is to fund the programs of the organization. You can fund a program, as long you’re not funding an evangelistic aspect of it.” she said. “We’re helping to underwrite the cost of locating the winter board meeting for a national organization here. If it had another name, I don’t think it would have attracted the attention it has.” What’s more, Ludgood said the city’s convention and visitors bureau, Visit Mobile, had already agreed to a monetary contribution for the event. It wouldn’t be uncommon for Visit Mobile to provide public incentives to a group looking to host a large event in Mobile, and according to the National Baptist Convention, its Mid Winter Board Meeting typically draws “3,000 or more delegates.” Visit Mobile did not provide a timely response for details about the financial incentives provided. The National Baptist Convention has already released a tentative schedule for the conference in Mobile, and though it does include some religious services, it mostly consists of organizational assemblies and meetings of smaller subgroups and boards. Calls made to County Attorney Jay Ross this week seeking input on any final legal determination about the county’s $2,500 contribution weren’t immediately returned.
MoonPie on ice
NO ATTENDANCE COUNT FOR COLD NYE EVENT BY DALE LIESCH
W
hat happens when a city known for parading starts a parade too early? It conducts a second parade, of course. That was the scenario at this year’s annual New Year’s Eve celebration known as MoonPie Over Mobile. Despite a “bone-chilling” temperature, Councilman Fred Richardson told his Mobile City Council colleagues at a pre-conference meeting that MoonPie drop organizers were so excited to get the parade underway that they left before a Chattanooga Bakery bus could join them in the festivities. “Everything went off according to schedule, except the parade left ahead of time,” Richardson said. “They started a second parade with about 200 people.” Despite the excitement around two secondline parades, Mother Nature had an impact, at least in terms of getting an accurate count of event participants. Carol Hunter, Downtown Mobile Alliance spokeswoman and Events Mobile board member, said organizers couldn’t get a crowd estimate this year because revelers stayed in bars, restaurants and hotel lobbies until right before midnight. “I wish I could give you a number,” she said. “The weather made it impossible.” While organizers couldn’t get an accurate count of the crowd size during the main event, Hunter said they’re predicting the largest crowd ever participated in the cutting of the world’s
largest edible MoonPie from Chattanooga Bakery, which for the first time was completely eaten. Despite the conditions, Hunter said, the event was a success given the business it generated downtown on Dec. 30 and Dec. 31. From her own experience, she said wait times at local eateries were 30 to 45 minutes. “For two days, hotels and restaurants were full,” she said. “You really couldn’t get into a restaurant.” Events Mobile President Kesshia Davis said she was proud visitors came out in the frigid weather to celebrate, especially in the “wind tunnels” created by taller buildings downtown. “I think it was really great,” Davis said. “The weather impacted it, but we always know Mother Nature will show up in some way.” Richardson told councilors that with the wind chill the temperature reached 17 degrees on New Year’s Eve. Yet the party went on. “The wind came off the water and made it exceedingly cold,” he said. “It didn’t stop anything. Lots couldn’t take the cold, but many still came out.” Despite the success of this year’s event, Richardson lamented the impact weather events such as the cold, rain and fog have had on the event in its first 10 years. “We’ve had foggy nights, rainy nights and bone-chilling cold,” Richardson said. “I just want a regular night.” J a n u a r y 3 , 2 0 1 8 - J a n u a r y 9 , 2 0 1 8 | L AG N I A P P E | 7
COMMENTARY | DAMN THE TORPEDOES
OK, City Council — childish fight needs to end ROB HOLBERT/MANAGING EDITOR/RHOLBERT@LAGNIAPPEMOBILE.COM
districts would likely pay a heavy political price for supporting him. Rich had to know this going in. She obviously either thinks her popularity will overcome this effort to make Fred president, or perhaps she doesn’t intend to run again and doesn’t care. But now that voting is being done out in the open and five votes are required, her plan is ruined. She should simply put her vote behind Manzie and end this absurdity. It also really doesn’t matter a tremendous amount who the council vice president is, gang. Fighting over that position is even more ridiculous than fighting over council president. I get the issue of the president possibly becoming mayor, but the VP really doesn’t do much at all. Put Richardson back in as veep if you can’t get five votes for someone else. He’s obviously pretty chapped about the whole thing and mostly honorary titles mean a lot to him. If you consider the fact all of these people were re-elected a few months ago with 65 percent or more of the vote in their respective districts, it would be easy to assume the citizens of Mobile were pretty happy with their service over the past four years. Somehow, though, instead of taking a victory lap, these folks have run the car into the ditch arguing about who gets to drive. It can’t be easy to work together when so much time and energy are being spent fighting about who gets to lead Team Dysfunction. Flip the page and put this silliness to rest. It’s a new year.
THEGADFLY
8 | L AG N I A P P E | J a n u a r y 3 , 2 0 1 8 - J a n u a r y 9 , 2 0 1 8
deciding the presidency in the backrooms instead of in public. Fred’s bitterness about the rules being changed is like someone who has gotten away with driving 20 mph over the speed limit telling the state trooper “I’ve been driving this fast for years” when he gets pulled over for speeding. You guys got away with doing things the wrong way, but that’s done. Get over it, Fred. The other truth is there aren’t five people on the council who want either Fred or Gina to be president. For whatever reason, neither has the support of four other council members — assuming they can vote for themselves. Another truth is that so far the people who were Team Gina appear to be the only ones willing to throw their votes behind another candidate — Manzie. Team Fred’s core supporters — Small and Rich — aren’t budging, which makes them the primary obstructionists in this sad situation. Along with Richardson. When Bess Rich first threw her vote behind Richardson, it set in motion a series of events that, as I see it, can only lead to Manzie being made president. Richardson, because of his excessive travel on the city’s dime and his penchant for being (rightly or wrongly) at the center of racially divisive issues, is not viewed as an acceptable council president by the majority of voters in several districts. Those voters are also dead set against putting him in a position where if something happened to Stimpson, Mayor Richardson would be calling the shots. This means councilors from those
Cartoon/Laura Rasmussen
T
here’s always hope that with the flipping of a calendar page some of the more annoying things in our lives will simply go away. Wouldn’t it have been nice if we’d all woken up Jan. 1, 2018, at our ideal weight only to find out Twitter was permanently broken and both Kim Jong-Un and Donald Trump had gotten normal haircuts? That would have been a nice starter to the year. But clearly those were overly ambitious wishes to expect from the simple passage of time. Perhaps we should have set our sights a bit lower and aimed at eradicating a local source of aggravation that really should have corrected itself long before we had to listen to Mariah Carey whine about not having hot tea on “Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve with Ryan Seacrest.” Of course I’m talking about the Mobile City Council’s now two-month-long ridiculous fight over who will serve as council president for the next four years. Seven people who are supposed to be able to lead this community and wisely spend more than $230 million a year to this city’s best advantage are still fighting over who gets to pound a little wooden hammer on the podium at each week’s council meetings. This fight has bitterly divided what not so long ago appeared to be a relatively good example of political comity. By now it has become clear chances are slim to none that either former council president Gina Gregory or wannabe council president Fred Richardson will get the votes needed to hold the precious gavel, but the fight goes on. Council Vice President Levon Manzie has served as a fill-in president since early November, and by all accounts has done a fine job of running meetings and taking care of whatever presidential duties he is legally allowed to handle. But without an actual council president there is currently no line of succession should something happen to Mayor Sandy Stimpson, and the veep also can’t make certain appointments, so they remain unfilled. Richardson continues holding out hope he will somehow become president, and a rambling Facebook post last week indicates he has retrenched his stance that he will only cast a vote for the guy he sees in the mirror each morning. Fred says in the post he was approached by Manzie, who told him he had secured four votes for president but needed Richardson to agree. However, once Fred learned “the other group” was only promising Manzie support if one of “them” was voted in as council vice president, he pulled his support for Levon and declared he will now only vote for himself and not for any “glittering scheme or trick.” Richardson’s post shows the essence of the problem. Mobile City Council is now split into various camps based upon support for council president. Team Fred right now appears to be made up of Richardson, C.J. Small and Bess Rich. Team Gina may just be Gina, if that. And Team Levon appears to have John Williams, Joel Daves and Gina Gregory. For some reason there are a few basic truths some members of the council continue ignoring, which keeps this childish fight going. First and foremost is Richardson’s contention that the rules of the game were unfairly switched on him and that because in the past the position was decided by a simple majority of four votes he’s being screwed by the sudden requirement of a five-vote supermajority. The reality is this: The council handled this process illegally in the past, conducting a secret meeting and
THE ONLY SOLUTION TO THE CITY COUNCIL BICKERING
COMMENTARY | THE HIDDEN AGENDA
Resolving to get some resolution ASHLEY TRICE/EDITOR/ASHLEYTOLAND@LAGNIAPPEMOBILE.COM
T
he champagne has been popped and the hangovers nursed. The MoonPie has dropped and the greens and blackeyed peas have been eaten. We finally made it to 2018 after one of the most depressing years on record. Of course, 2017 wasn’t all bad. I’m sure we all can find much to be grateful for in our own lives. But as a state and a nation, this past year really stunk it up for us, collectively speaking. As Alabamians, we dealt with the “Luv Guv” soap opera and the special United States Senate election, where we endured hearing a pathetic, lovesick old man proclaim his love for breast-holding and allegations of a former judge chasing after and inappropriately touching teenage girls. Ick and ick! As a country, we became more polarized than we’ve been in decades. Tribalism took over and identifying as Republican or Democrat became far more important than just being Americans. Tremendously sad! But with a new year, there is always the opportunity to hit the reset button and resolve to make things better. So, I jotted down a few resolutions/hopes for our state and country and I thought I would share them with you. As Alabamians …
No Moore, for real this time We should resolve to never allow Roy Moore to make it to another general election again for any office. (Is there a dogcatcher joke here?) Without question, he will run again for something, most likely against Kay Ivey for governor. But the man is an extremist theocrat with no business being a public servant. He only wants to be served. People get caught up in debating whether the women who accused him of sexual misconduct and/or general creepiness during the special election are credible. Those accusations are definitely important to consider, but let’s not forget he was super cray-cray way before any of that ever came out. His classless refusal to concede to his opponent and the lawsuit he filed to try and paint the election as fraudulent only confirms he is the self-serving, megalomaniac he has proven himself to be time and time again. After state officials certified the election of Democrat Doug Jones, dismissing Moore’s ridiculous claims of impropriety, the twiceremoved judge issued a statement, not urging his supporters to respect the results and come together as a state (as honorable people do), but telling them not to believe in their validity. “Election fraud experts across the country have agreed that this was a fraudulent election,” it read. Disrespecting the democratic process and trying to delegitimize the results are the acts of tyrants and madmen who rule in lands far, far away, not in our country. Roy Moore was
removed from office twice for not following the rule of law and is now screaming that our elections are rigged. The man has repeatedly peed on the pillars of our democracy with a stream whose force must only rival that of his horse Sassy. He needs to ride off into the sunset on her for good this time. Getting to the bottom of the Bentley saga I am usually one for letting sleeping dogs lie, but this year we should resolve to get to the bottom of what really happened between former Gov. Robert Bentley and former Attorney General/Senator Luther Strange. We all know this by now but let me just repeat it for dramatic effect: Luther Strange’s office was investigating Robert Bentley. During said investigation, Bentley interviewed and gave Strange his dream job. I didn’t go to law school, but I imagine there is a whole chapter in one of those fancy leather-bound books explaining how criminal such an act would be. Has anyone even bothered to look into this? Depending on your political point of view, if you need to blame someone for allowing us to almost elect an accused child molester OR to actually elect a Democrat, look no further than those two clowns. Sure, they both lost their jobs, but it seems other politicos who have done far less in our state paid much higher prices. Justice has not yet been served here. Paying attention In 2018, we will go to the polls to vote for the folks representing us in Montgomery. There are going to be a lot of changes in our local delegation. These people make decisions that often affect us way more than the ones the folks in D.C. are making, yet most of us don’t even know who our state representatives and senators are. And there are some real duds who have already announced or are rumored to be running. So let’s resolve to pay attention to these races and stay as engaged as we were during the special Senate election. This election might not be as sexy, but it is just as important. We need good folks up there representing the interests of coastal Alabama, so we need to make sure that’s exactly who we are sending there. As a country … Just be nice For the love of sweet baby New Year, I have just one request … can we just resolve to be nicer to each other? When we want to call someone a snowflake or a libtard or a RepubliKKKan or a knuckle-dragging mouth breather, can we just go back to thinking it instead of actually saying it or typing it? Can 2018 be the year we bring civility back? Pretty please? Happy New Year, everyone!
J a n u a r y 3 , 2 0 1 8 - J a n u a r y 9 , 2 0 1 8 | L AG N I A P P E | 9
COMMENTARY | THE BELTWAY BEAT
Will a Mobile or Baldwin candidate win statewide office?
BY JEFF POOR/COLUMNIST/JEFFREYPOOR@GMAIL.COM
O
ne of the things we learned from this last United States Senate special election is that the outcome of statewide elections in Alabama are no longer decided by rural voters, but by urban voters. The situation is not like it was 50 or 100 years ago in Alabama, when a politician running for statewide office could win by going from town to town — to places such as Monroeville, Ozark, Cullman and Hamilton — drop the tailgate of a pickup truck and deliver a stump speech in the town square. The lesson is that no matter how motivated rural voters might be, if appropriately aligned and motivated, the voters in Birmingham, Mobile, Huntsville and Montgomery come out to vote, and a Democrat can be elected to a major statewide office in ruby-red Alabama. Political power comes out of Alabama’s cities. Now that we know this, how might it break down in the primary process? Will the state see a run of candidates coming out of Birmingham dominating Alabama politics? For 20 years, Jeff Sessions, from Alabama’s rural Black Belt, represented Mobile as one of the state’s most prominent politicians. Before him, there was former Gov. Don Siegelman and Vietnam War hero Jeremiah Denton. Hailing from Mobile and winning a statewide election, however, has not always been easy. Over the years, as the state’s biggest or second-biggest city, Mobile is treated like the Jan Brady of Alabama. Culturally, Mobile is different from the rest of Alabama. A robust Catholic presence with the celebration of Mardi Gras, etc., has made it unlike the rest of the state. Before the completion of Interstate 65’s Dolly Parton
… err, General W.K. Wilson Jr. Bridge in 1980, and the old Cochrane Bridge in the 1920s over the Mobile River long before that, the city was geographically cut off from Birmingham and Montgomery. Even after Port City access improved, for people in Montgomery and points beyond Mobile has often seemed as though it were in a different state. Like Florida. Mobile’s adjacent bedroom communities, such as Baldwin County, similarly have an “other” reputation, at least to outsiders who see Mobile, Fairhope, Foley and Gulf Shores as all the same thing. This phenomenon has negatively impacted southwest Alabama’s ability to promote hometown favorites to higher office. That is not to say Mobile has not been a player. For decades the city had a seat at the table with the Big Mule industrialist-Black Belt planter coalition that dominated state politics. But just having the backing of the power structure in Mobile alone is not enough to be successful. Longtime Alabama political columnist Steve Flowers writes about what he calls the “friends and neighbors” tradition of Alabama. According to Flowers, localism prevails when voters go to the ballot boxes on Election Day. We saw some of that in this last special election cycle during the crowded Republican primary with the success State Sen. Trip Pittman had in Baldwin County, and Rep. Mo Brooks had in Madison and Limestone counties. Beyond Pittman and Brooks’ home counties, neither gained a lot of traction. What did we see instead? Doug Jones and Luther Strange coming out of the more populous Birmingham metro area, and Roy Moore, who was able to
10 | L AG N I A P P E | J a n u a r y 3 , 2 0 1 8 - J a n u a r y 9 , 2 0 1 8
build his base from rural turnout. In Moore’s case, rallying a rural base might work in a low-turnout event in Alabama. But if the entire country is watching because of sexual misconduct allegations and voter turnout (as a result) increases ever so slightly, a strategy that relies on rural participation, in places like the Wiregrass, comes with a ceiling. There just are not enough votes to turn out in Dothan, Enterprise and Daleville to match a modicum of excitement in Birmingham, Mobile and Huntsville. Now that we have established that all politics is local, particularly in Alabama, how might a candidate from the Mobile area go about winning statewide in the future? With Jones up for re-election in 2020, there are many Republicans eyeballing a run for U.S. Senate, including Rep. Bradley Byrne. Byrne has the benefit of having already run a “get-acquainted race” (another Flowers-ism) in 2010 for governor. A big part of politics is name identification, and in a crowded Republican primary Byrne would likely muster enough votes, regardless the circumstances, to make a runoff contest. Byrne becomes a formidable candidate in any statewide race, not just for that reason but because he can point to his 2010 defeat in the GOP gubernatorial primary to Robert Bentley and say, “I told you so.” Another potential candidate seeking higher office in a statewide race is the aforementioned Trip Pittman. Pittman ran his “get-acquainted race” during this last cycle. He performed relatively well given he was an unknown beyond the 251 area code and had limited finances. Pittman ran commercials in the Montgomery, Birmingham and Huntsville markets and had a few shining moments in the candidate forums during the GOP U.S. Senate special election primary. That earned him a fourth-place finish behind Roy Moore, Luther Strange and Mo Brooks, and created some buzz beyond his home turf about his political future. For now, a candidate from our neck of the woods could win statewide. Before even hitting the campaign trail, Mobile and Baldwin counties have to be already nailed down for a candidate to expand his map and gain ground against whatever juggernaut emerges from the Birmingham area’s Jefferson or Shelby counties. The path to political stardom isn’t entirely out of reach for our hometown guys. It’s probably more easily obtainable than a candidate running out of Madison County. That could be a problem for Huntsville Mayor Tommy Battle, who has his eyes set on the governor’s mansion. Just ask Mo Brooks. However, no longer is it enough to run up a big tally at home. Now that Birmingham has evolved to ideologically coalesce around candidates, as it did with Doug Jones and Luther Strange, beating a Birmingham candidate will take more than it has in the past.
BUSINESS | THE REAL DEAL
Mobile Office Market Survey shows positive trends BY RON SIVAK/COLUMNIST/BUSINESS@LAGNIAPPEMOBILE.COM
S
tirling Properties recently released its Mobile Office Market Survey report covering business occupancy rates in the downtown Mobile Central Business District (CBD) as well as West Mobile. According to a news release, one of the largest acquisitions involved the Merchants Plaza redevelopment by Heritage Land & Development of Memphis. The $30 million improvement project will upgrade an existing 80,000-square-foot office building to Class A office space, with an additional 26,000 square feet of commercial/retail/ restaurant use and 82 upscale apartments/lofts. Additional notable activity included the sale of the Wells Fargo Bank Building — the historic Waterman Building — to an out-of-town investor, and the sale of the Taylor Martino Building to local investors, with Taylor Martino PC leasing back the second floor. In the leasing arena, Armbrecht Jackson LLP subleased a portion of the Regions Bank space at RSA Battle House Tower and will be vacating the top two floors of Riverview Plaza this year. CBD occupancy rates had a slight increase, from 68.3 percent to 70.2 percent, with an average rental rate of $17.28 per square foot and an absorption rate of .25 percent. The West Mobile office market had a slight increase in occupancy, from 78.7 percent to 80.1 percent, with little change in the average rental rate from $15.35 per square foot to $15.07 per square foot and an increased absorption rate of 1.36 percent. Absorption rate is defined as the rate commercial real estate investors gauge tenant demand and is measured in square footage. Positive percentages indicate more potential move-in momentum in an area. Negative numbers indicate supply exceeds demand. Absorption can be measured for a single building or an entire market, as is the case with the Stirling Properties study. Twelve downtown sites were evaluated. The largest holding commercial tenants was the 35-story, 466,684-square-foot RSA Battle House Tower, managed by Allison Rogers with Retirement Systems of Alabama and located at 11 N. Royal St., with a current occupancy rate of 84 percent. In 2017, total square footage for downtown encompassed some 1,463,996 square feet of space. In West Mobile 22 larger-tier commercial properties were available for lease or sale, with total square footage encompassing some 1,623,345 square feet. The largest site under management was the 173,101-square-foot Montlimar Place office building, handled by Tommy Gleason with NAI Mobile, located at 1110 Montlimar Drive, with a current occupancy rate of 85 percent. One of the largest new tenants moving in last year was Volkert Engineering, which leased more than 16,000 square feet of office space on two floors. Another noteworthy West Mobile lease was the Alabama Department of Human Resources’ expansion of its Hilton Square office by 6,435 square feet. Significant sales in West Mobile included the purchase of the 29,070-square-foot Hillcrest Square office complex located at 1000 Hillcrest Road, and another commercial property located 6420 Hillcrest Park Court, acquired by two local investors. According to Jill Meeks, a local leasing agent with Stirling Properties, the local survey is pre-
pared biannually and includes all office buildings that encompass at least 20,000 square feet in the metro market. Data is collected from various local brokers who manage the larger properties. “The main thing that jumped out at us when preparing this edition of the Mobile Office Market Survey was the sale of several office buildings in our area. This trend, along with several recent announcements of new businesses coming to our area, is an indicator that office occupancy rates will continue to increase in the coming year,” Meeks said. Stirling Properties’ full market report for the area can be found on its website.
BCAR installs new directors, recaps 2017
The Baldwin County Association of Realtors (BCAR) recently held its annual 2018 installation ceremony, adding 16 new board members, including 2018 BCAR president Troy Wilson. Sid Pugh, president of the Alabama Association of Realtors (AAR), conducted the oath of office for all directors. Leigh Brown, a motivational speaker and real estate agent from Charlotte, North Carolina, was the guest speaker. Other guests included AAR southern regional Vice President Kelly Cummings of Mobile; Baldwin County commissioners Tucker Dorsey and Chris Elliott; Robertsdale Mayor Charlie Murphy and Deann Servos, executive director of area nonprofit Prodisee Pantry. During the installation, BCAR reflected on the past year and goals accomplished under 2017 BCAR president Frank Malone. Highlights included: • BCAR exceeded its 2017 Alabama Realtor Party Action Committee (ARPAC) goal of $79,649 by 18 percent, for a total of $93,880. There are 32 major investors in ARPAC, and 62 percent of BCAR’s membership contributed to the program. • BCAR received an issues mobilization grant of $50,000 to assist with the 1-mill property tax renewal. The association also received a $4,500 place-making grant from the National Association of Realtors for improvement of the space behind the Fairhope Library for the Walking School Bus program. • Donations in excess of $12,000 to local and national charities from Multiple Listing Service (MLS) compliance fines for Prodisee Pantry, Under His Wings, Baldwin County Child Advocacy Center and the NAR Relief Fund. • In 2017, BCAR membership grew by 15 percent, starting the year with 1,708 members and ending with 1,963 members. • BCAR’s MLS service usage grew by roughly 16 percent in 2017, starting with 1,949 subscribers and ending with 2,259. • The Bagels and Briefs program was launched for members to update other members on local events in Baldwin County. • BCAR held an association-wide canned food drive, with all donations going to Prodisee Pantry. More than 990 food items and $2,372 were donated to the 501(c)(3) nonprofit by the association. The office that collected the most food items and money was Roberts Brothers Inc. in Malbis. The officers and directors inducted for the 2018 Association Board of Directors were: president, Troy Wilson; president-elect, Kandy Hines; secretary-treasurer, Stephen Roberts; central regional vice president, Andrea Kaiser-Shilston; southern regional vice president, Tommy Stanton; and immediate past president, Frank Malone.
J a n u a r y 3 , 2 0 1 8 - J a n u a r y 9 , 2 0 1 8 | L AG N I A P P E | 11
DUNKIN DONUTS ($)
DONUTS, COFFEE & SANDWICHES 1976 Michigan Ave. • 442-4846 3876 Airport Blvd. • 219-7369 505 Schillinger Rd. S. • 442-4845 29160 US Hwy 98 • 621-2228 $10/PERSON • $$ 10-25/PERSON • $$$ OVER 25/PERSON
COMPLETELY COMFORTABLE ALL SPORTS BAR & GRILL ($) 3408 Pleasant Valley Rd. • 345-9338
AL’S HOTDOGS ($)
MIKO’S ITALIAN ICE ($)
STEVIE’S KITCHEN ($)
DREAMLAND BBQ ($)
THE WASH HOUSE ($$)
MOMMA GOLDBERG’S DELI ($)
SUGAR RUSH DONUT CO. ($)
MEAT BOSS ($)
A LITTLE VINO
SUNSET POINTE ($-$$)
MOE’S ORIGINAL BAR B QUE ($)
WINE, BEER, GOURMET FOODS, & MORE. 720 Schillinger Rd. S. Unit 8 • 287-1851
HOTDOGS SANDWICHES & COOL TREATS 3371 Dauphin Island Pkwy • 300–4015
E WING HOUSE ($)
195 S University Blvd. Suite H • 662-1829
SANDWICHES & MOMMA’S LOVE 3696 Airport Blvd. • 344-9500 5602 Old Shell Rd. • 287-6556
EUGENE’S MONKEY BAR ($)
MONTEGO’S ($-$$)
15 N Conception St. • 433-2299
FATHOMS LOUNGE
SMALL PLATES AND CREATIVE COCKTAILS 64 S. Water St. • 438-4000
FRESH CARIBBEAN-STYLE FOOD & CRAFT BEER 6601 Airport Blvd. • 634-3445 225 Dauphin St. • 375-1576
MOON PIE GENERAL STORE ($)
CLASSIC HOTDOGS, GYROS & MILKSHAKES 4701 Airport Blvd. • 342-3243
FLOUR GIRLS BAKERY ($)
107 St Francis St #115 • RSA Bank Trust Building
ATLANTA BREAD COMPANY ($-$$)
FIREHOUSE SUBS ($)
MUFFINS, COFFEE & WRAPS 105 Dauphin St. • 433-9855
SANDWICHES, SALADS & MORE. 3680 Dauphin St. • 380-0444
BAKE MY DAY ($)
OLD-FASHIONED SOUTHERN BAKE SHOP 156 N. McGregor Ave. • 219-7261
BOB’S DINER ($)
GOOD OLD AMERICAN COOKING 263 St. Francis St. • 405-1497
BRICK & SPOON ($)
3662 Airport Blvd. Suite A • 525-9177
BUCK’S DINER ($)
CLASSIC AMERICAN DINER 58 N. Secion St. Fairhope • 928-8521
CAFE 219 ($)
SALADS, SANDWICHES & POTATO SALAD 219 Conti St. • 438-5234
CAMELLIA CAFÉ ($-$$$)
CONTEMPORARY SOUTHERN FARE 61 Section St. • Fairhope • 928-4321
809 Hillcrest Rd. • 634-2285
HOT SUBS, COLD SALADS & CATERING 6300 Grelot Rd. • 631-3730
FIVE GUYS BURGERS & FRIES ($) BURGERS, MILKSHAKES & FRIES 4401 Old Shell Rd. • 447-2394 4663 Airport Blvd. • 300-8425 5319 Hwy 90 • 661-0071 1225 Satchel Page Dr.• 378-8768
FOOSACKLY’S ($)
FAMOUS CHICKEN FINGERS 29181 US Hwy 98 • Daphne • 375-1104 7843 Moffett Rd. • 607-6196 1109 Shelton Beach Rd. • 287-1423 310 S. University Blvd. • 343-0047 2250 Airport Blvd. • 479-2922 7641 Airport Blvd. • 607-7667 2558 Schillinger Rd. • 219-7761 3249 Dauphin St. • 479-2000
FOY SUPERFOODS ($) 119 Dauphin St.• 307-8997
GULF COAST EXPLOREUM CAFE ($)
MOSTLY MUFFINS ($) NEWK’S EXPRESS CAFE ($)
OVEN-BAKED SANDWICHES & MORE 1335 Satchel Page Dr. Suite C. • 287-7356 7440 Airport Blvd. • 633-0096 Eastern Shore Center • Spanish Fort • 625-6544
NOURISH CAFE ($)
HEALTHY WHOLE FOODS & MORE 101 N Water St. (Moorer YMCA)• 458-8572
O’DALYS HOLE IN THE WALL ($) 562 Dauphin St.• 725-6429
OLD SHELL GROWLERS ($) GROWLER STATION AND BITES 1801 Old Shell Rd. • 345-4767
PANINI PETE’S ($)
ORIGINAL SANDWICH AND BAKE SHOP 42 ½ Section St. • Fairhope • 929-0122 102 Dauphin St. • 405-0031
PAT’S DOWNTOWN GRILL ($)
CAMMIE’S OLD DUTCH ($)
HOMEMADE SOUPS & SANDWICHES 65 Government St. • 208-6815
CARPE DIEM ($)
SEAFOOD & SANDWICHES 212 ½ Fairhope Ave •Fairhope • 928-4100
PDQ ($)
CLARK’S KITCHEN ($-$$)
3869 Airport Blvd. • 345-9544 5470 Inn Rd. • 661-9117 28975 US 98 • Daphne • 625-3910
POLLMAN’S BAKERY ($)
MOBILE’S CLASSIC ICE CREAM SPOT 2511 Old Shell Rd. • 471-1710
DELI FOODS, PASTRIES & SPECIALTY DRINKS 4072 Old Shell Rd. • 304-0448 CATERING 5817 Old Shell Rd. • 622-0869
CHAT-A-WAY CAFE ($)
QUICHES & SANDWICHES 4366 Old Shell Rd. • 343-9889
CHICK-FIL-A ($)
107 St. Francis St. • 415-1700 3244 Dauphin St. • 476-0320 3215 Bel Air Mall • 476-8361 4707 Airport Blvd. • 461-9933 435 Schillinger Rd. • 639-1163 1682 US HWY 98 • Daphne • 621-3215 30500 AL 181 • Spanish Fort • 621-3020
CHICKEN SALAD CHICK ($)
GUMBO SHACK ($-$$) HOOTERS ($)
JAMAICAN VIBE ($)
MIND-BLOWING ISLAND FOOD 3700 Gov’t Blvd. Ste A • 602-1973
JERSEY MIKE’S ($)
AUTHENTIC SUB SANDWICHES 29660 AL-181 • DAPHNE • 626-3161 3151 Daupin St• 525-9917 7449 Airport Blvd. • 375-1820
JIMMY JOHN’S ($)
SANDWICHES, CATERING & DELIVERY TOO 6920 Airport Blvd. • 414-5444 9 Du Rhu Dr. • 340-8694 62 B Royal St. • 432-0360
CHICKEN SALAD, SALAD & SOUP 2370 S. Hillcrest Rd. Unit R • 660-0501 5753 Old Shell Rd. • 408-3236 1802 US Hwy 98 Suite F• 625-1092
JOE CAIN CAFÉ ($)
CHI-TOWN DAWGZ ($)
1252 Govenment St.• 301-7556
CHICAGO STYLE EATERY 1222 Hillcrest Rd. • 461-6599
CONNECTION FROZEN YOGURT ($) 1880 Industrial Pkwy. • 675-2999
CREAM AND SUGAR ($)
COFFEE, BREAKFAST, LUNCH, DESSERT 351 George St #B • 405-0003
DAUPHIN ST. CAFE ($)
HOT LUNCH, DAILY MENU (INSIDE VIA) 1717 Dauphin St. • 470-5231
D’ MICHAEL’S ($)
PHILLY CHEESE STEAKS, GYROS & MORE 7101-A Theodore Dawes Rd. • 653-2979
D NU SPOT ($)
22159 Halls Mill Rd. . • 648-6522
DELISH BAKERY AND EATERY ($)
PIZZAS, SANDWICHES, COCKTAILS 26 N. Royal St. • 338-2000
JONELLI’S ($)
JUDY’S PLACE ($-$$)
HOME COOKING 4054 Government St. • 665-4557
LICKIN’ GOOD DONUTS ($) 3915 Gov’t Blvd. • 219-7922
LODA BIER GARTEN ($) PUB FOOD AND DRAFT BEERS 251 Dauphin St. • 287-6871
MAMA’S ($)
SLAP YOUR MAMA GOOD HOME COOKING 220 Dauphin St. • 432-6262
MARS HILL CAFE ($)
GREAT SANDWICHES, COFFEE & MORE 1087 Downtowner Blvd. • 643-1611
MARY’S SOUTHERN COOKING ($) 3011 Springhill Ave. • 476-2232
BAR FOOD 271 Dauphin St • 438-9585
CHICKEN FINGERS, SALAD & SANDWICHES. 1165 University Blvd. • 202-0959
THE BLIND MULE ($)
DAILY SPECIALS MADE FROM SCRATCH 57 N. Claiborne St. • 694-6853
THE GALLEY ($)
OPEN FOR LUNCH, INSIDE GULFQUEST 155 S. Water St • 436-8901
THE HARBERDASHER ($) 113 Dauphin St.• 436-0989
BARBEQUE & MUSIC Bayfront Park Dr. • Daphne • 625-RIBS 701 Springhill Ave. • 410-7427 4672 Airport Blvd. • 300-8516
SAUCY Q BARBQUE ($) AWARD-WINNING BARBQUE 1111 Gov’t Blvd. • 433-7427
SMOKEY DEMBO SMOKE HOUSE ($) 3758 Dauphin Island Pkwy. • 473-1401
THE PIGEON HOLE ($)
DROP DEAD GOURMET
THE SUNFLOWER CAFE ($)
A PREMIER CATERER & COOKING CLASSES 1880-A Airport Blvd. • 450-9051
SOUTHERN COOKING & THEN SOME 1716 Main St. Daphne • 222-4120 INSIDE VIRGINIA’S HEALTH FOOD 3055 A Dauphin St • 479-3200
THYME BY THE BAY ($-$$)
33 N Section St. • Fairhope • 990-5635
TIME TO EAT CAFE ($)
DOWN-HOME COUNTRY COOKIN 7351 Theodore Dawes Rd. • 654-0228 13665 N. Wintzell Ave. • 824-1119
TIN ROOF ($-$$)
SOUTHERN CASUAL FAMILY DINING 10800 US HWY 31 • Spanish Fort• 621-4995
TP CROCKMIERS ($)
AMERICAN RESTAURANT & BAR 250 Dauphin St. • 476-1890
THREE GEORGES CANDY SHOP ($) LIGHT LUNCH WITH SOUTHERN FLAIR. 226 Dauphin St. • 433-6725
DOMKE MARKET FOOD PAK
FOOD, WINE & MORE 5150 Old Shell Rd. • 341-1497
POUR BABY
WINE BAR, CRAFT BEERS & BISTRO 6808 Airport Blvd. • 343-3555
FIREHOUSE WINE BAR & SHOP 216 St Francis St. • 421-2022
RED OR WHITE
323A De La Mare Ave, Fairhope • 990-0003 1104 Dauphin St.. • 478-9494
BAY GOURMET ($$)
ROYAL STREET TAVERN
BRIQUETTES STEAKHOUSE ($-$$)
SOUTHERN NAPA
CHUCK’S FISH ($$)
FALAFEL? TRY SOME HUMMUS
CORNER 251 ($-$$)
HEALTHY, DELICIOUS MEDITERRANEAN FOOD. 3762 Airport Blvd. • 725-1177
GRILLED STEAKS, CHICKEN & SEAFOOD 312 Schillinger Rd • 607-7200 901 Montlimar Dr • 408-3133 SEAFOOD AND SUSHI 551 Dauphin St.• 219-7051 HIGH QUALITY FOOD & DRINKS 251 Government St • 460-3157
DAUPHIN’S ($$-$$$)
HIGH QUALITY FOOD WITH A VIEW 107 St. Francis St • 444-0200
LIVE MUSIC, MARTINIS & DINNER MENU. 26 N. Royal St. • 338-2000 BISTRO PLATES, CRAFT BEERS & PANTRY 2304 Main St. • 375-2800
7 SPICE ($-$$)
ABBA’S MEDITERRANEAN CAFE ($-$$) 4861 Bit & Spur Rd. • 340-6464
ISTANBUL GRILL ($)
AUTHENTIC TURKISH & MEDITERRANEAN 3702 Airport Blvd. • 461-6901
DUMBWAITER ($$-$$$)
JERUSALEM CAFE ($-$$)
FIVE ($$)
MEDITERRANEAN SANDWICH COMPANY ($)
9 Du Rhu Dr. Suite 201 167 Dauphin St. • 445-3802
GREAT FOOD AND COCKTAILS 609 Dauphin St. • 308-3105
MOBILE’S OLDEST MIDDLE EASTERN CUISINE 5773 Airport Blvd. • 304-1155
GREAT SMOOTHIES, WRAPS & SANDWICHES. Du Rhu Dr. • 378-5648 570 Schillinger Road • 634-3454
KITCHEN ON GEORGE ($-$$)
GREAT & QUICK. 3702 Airport Blvd. • 308-2131 274 Dauphin St. • 545-3161 2502 Schillinger Rd. Ste. 2 • 725-0126 6890 US-90 • DAPHNE • 621-2271
PUNTA CLARA KITCHEN ($)
UNCLE JIMMY’S DELICIOUS HOTDOGS ($)
LAUNCH ($-$$)
MINT HOOKAH BISTRO ($)
MAGHEE’S GRILL ON THE HILL ($-$$)
OLLIE’S MEDITERRANEAN GRILL ($-$$)
FUDGE, PRALINES & MORE 17111 Scenic Hwy 98 • Fairhope • 928-8477
R BISTRO ($-$$)
334 Fairhope Ave • Fairhope • 928-2399
REGINA’S KITCHEN ($-$$) SANDWICHES, SUBS & SOUPS 2056 Gov’t St. • 476-2777
ROLY POLY ($)
2550 Dauphin Island Pkwy S. • 307-5328
WAREHOUSE BAKERY & DONUTS ($) COFFEE AND DONUTS 759 Nichols Avenue, Fairhope • 928-7223
WILD WING STATION ($) 1500 Gov’t St. • 287-1526
CONTEMPORARY AMERICAN FOOD 351A George & Savannah St. • 436-8890 HIGH QUALITY FOOD & DRINKS 251 Government St. • 432-8000 GREAT LUNCH & DINNER 3607 Old Shell Rd. • 445-8700
NOBLE SOUTH ($$)
LOCAL INGREDIENTS 203 Dauphin St. • 690-6824
WRAPS & SALADS 3220 Dauphin St. • 479-2480
THE WINDMILL MARKET ($)
85 N. Bancroft St. Fairhope • 990.8883
NOJA ($$-$$$)
ROSHELL’S CAFE ($)
YAK THE KATHMANDU KITCHEN ($-$$)
OSMAN’S RESTAURANT ($$)
2906 Springhill Ave. • 479-4614
ROSIE’S GRILL ($-$$)
SANDWICHES, SOUTHWEST FARE, 7 DAYS 1203 Hwy 98 Ste. 3D • Daphne • 626-2440
ROYAL KNIGHT ($)
LUNCH & DINNER 3004 Gov’t Blvd. • 287-1220
ROYAL STREET CAFE ($) HOMEMADE LUNCH & BREAKFAST 104 N. Royal St. • 434-0011
SALLY’S PIECE-A-CAKE ($) BAKERY 5638 Three Notch Rd.• 219-6379
SATORI COFFEEHOUSE ($)
COFFEE, SMOOTHIES, LUNCH & BEERS. 5460 Old Shell Rd. • 344-4575
SERDA’S COFFEEHOUSE ($)
6358 Cottage Hill Rd. • 725-6917
COFFEE, LUNCHES, LIVE MUSIC & GELATO 3 Royal St. S. • 415-3000
DEW DROP INN ($)
MCSHARRY’S ($-$$)
SIMPLY SWEET ($)
12 | L AG N I A P P E | J a n u a r y 3 , 2 0 1 8 - J a n u a r y 9 , 2 0 1 8
AT FLU CREEK 831 N Section St. • Fairhope • 990-7766
5401 Cottage Hill Rd. • 591-4842
17111 Scenic HWY 98 • Point Clear • 928-4838
TROPICAL SMOOTHIE ($)
MICHELI’S CAFE ($)
AUTHENTIC IRISH PUB 101 N. Bancroft St.• 990-5100
4701 Airport Blvd. • 408-3379
RIBS, SANDWICHES & GREAT SIDES 3314 Old Shell Rd. • 479-9898
BAKERY, SANDWICHES & MORE 750 S. Broad St. • 438-1511 4464 Old Shell Rd. • 342-8546 107 St. Francis St. Suite 102 • 438-2261
GREAT DESSERTS & HOT LUNCH 23 Upham St. • 473-6115
CLASSIC BURGERS, HOTDOGS & SETTING 1808 Old Shell Rd. • 473-7872
SANDWICHES, SOUPS, SALADS & MORE 41 West I-65 Service Rd. N Suite 150. • 287-2793
CUPCAKE BOUTIQUE 6207 Cottage Hill Rd. Suite B • 665-3003
AUTHENTIC FOODS FROM HIMALAYAN REGION 3210 Dauphin St. • 287-0115 400 Eastern Shore Center • 459-2862
‘CUE
BACKYARD CAFE & BBQ ($) HOME COOKIN’ LIKE MOMMA MADE. 2804 Springhill Ave. • 473-4739
BAR-B-QUING WITH MY HONEY ($$) BBQ, BURGERS, WINGS & SEAFOOD 19170 Hwy 43 Mt. Vernon. • 829-9227
BRICK PIT ($)
A FAVORITE BARBECUE SPOT 5456 Old Shell Rd. • 343-0001
COTTON STATE BBQ ($)
DOWNTOWN LUNCH 101 N. Conception St. • 545-4682
DICKEY’S BARBECUE PIT ($-$$) BBQ AND MORE Jubilee Sq.Ctr. Hwy 90, Daphne • 210-2151 McGowin Park Ctr. Satchel Paige Dr. • 471-1050 7721 Airport Blvd. • 380-8957
GREAT MEDITERRANEAN FOOD. 5951 Old Shell Rd. • 450-9191
MEDITERRANEAN RESTAURANT & HOOKAH 1248 Hillcrest St • 634-9820
TAZIKI’S ($-$$)
MEDITERRANEAN CAFE 1539 US HWY 98• 273-3337
INVENTIVE & VERY FRESH CUISINE 6 N. Jackson St. • 433-0377
FAR EASTERN FARE
SUPREME EUROPEAN CUISINE 2579 Halls Mill Rd. • 479-0006
4513 Old Shell Rd.• 473-0007
ROYAL SCAM ($$)
GUMBO, ANGUS BEEF & BAR 72. S. Royal St. • 432-SCAM (7226)
RUTH’S CHRIS STEAK HOUSE ($$$) EXCEPTIONAL SERVICE & TASTE 271 Glenwood St. • 476-0516
SAGE RESTAURANT ($$) INSIDE THE MOBILE MARRIOTT 3101 Airport Blvd. • 476-6400
SOUTHERN NATIONAL ($$-$$$) 360 Dauphin St • 308-2387
VON’S BISTRO ($-$$)
SEAFOOD, ASIAN & AMERICAN CUISINE 69 St. Michael St • 375-1113
TAMARA’S DOWNTOWN ($$)
ANG BAHAY KUBO ($$)
BAMBOO STEAKHOUSE ($$) SUSHI BAR 650 Cody Rd. S • 300-8383
BANGKOK THAI ($-$$)
DELICIOUS, TRADITIONAL THAI CUISINE 28600 US 98 • Daphne • 626-5286 3821 Airport Blvd. • 344-9995
BANZAI JAPANESE RESTAURANT ($$) TRADITIONAL SUSHI & LUNCH. 312 Schillinger Rd. • 633-9077
BENJAS ($)
THAI & SUSHI 5369 D Hwy 90 W • 661-5100
CHARM ($-$$)
THAI KITCHEN & SUSHI BAR 960 Schillinger Rd. S • 660-4470
CASUAL FINE DINING 104 N. Section St. • Fairhope • 929-2219
CHINA DOLL ($)
THE TRELLIS ROOM ($$$)
CUISINE OF INDIA ($$)
CONTEMPORARY SOUTHERN CUISINE Battle House Hotel, Royal St. • 338-5493
3966 Airport Blvd.• 343-5530 LUNCH BUFFET 3674 Airport Blvd. • 341-6171
FUJI SAN ($)
THAI FARE AND SUSHI 2000 Airport Blvd. • 478-9888
FELIX’S FISH CAMP ($$) UPSCALE DINING WITH A VIEW 1420 Hwy. 98 • 626-6710
BUFFALO WILD WINGS ($) BEST WINGS & SPORTING EVENTS 6341 Airport Blvd. • 378-5955
GOLDEN BOWL ($)
FISHERMAN’S LEGACY ($)
BUTCH CASSIDY’S ($)
HIBACHI 1 ($-$$)
HALF SHELL OYSTER HOUSE ($)
CALLAGHAN’S IRISH SOCIAL CLUB ($)
HIBACHI GRILL & ASIAN CUISINE 309 Bel Air Blvd • 470-8033 2370 Hillcrest Rd. Unit B • 380-6062
ICHIBAN SUSHI ($)
JAPANESE & CHINESE CUISINE 3959 Cottage Hill Rd • 666-6266
KAI JAPANESE RESTAURANT ($-$$) QUALITY FOOD, EXCELLENT SERVICE 5045 Cottage Hill Rd. • 607-6454
LIQUID ($$)
AMAZING SUSHI & ASSORTMENT OF ROLLS. 661 Dauphin St. • 432-0109
RICE ASIAN GRILL & SUSHI BAR ($) 3964 Gov’t Blvd. • 378-8083
ROCK N ROLL SUSHI ($$)
273 S. McGregor Ave • 287-0445 6345 Airport Blvd. • 287-0555 940 Industrial Pkwy • 308-2158 6850 US HWY 98 • Daphne • 753-4367
STIX ($$)
610240 Eastern Shore Blvd. • 621-9088
TASTE OF THAI ($$)
9091 US-90 Irvington • 957-1414
TOKYO JAPANESE STEAK HOUSE ($$) UPSCALE SUSHI & HIBACHI 364 Azalea Rd. • 343-6622
WASABI SUSHI ($$)
JAPANESE CUISINE 3654 Airport Blvd. S. C • 725-6078
FROM THE DEPTHS BAUDEAN’S ($$)
FRIED, GRILLED, STEAMED & ALWAYS FRESH 3300 River Rd. • 973-9070
THE BLUEGILL ($-$$)
A HISTORIC SEAFOOD DIVE W/ LIVE MUSIC 3775 Hwy. 98 • 625-1998
BONEFISH GRILL ($$)
ECLECTIC DINING & SPACE 6955 Airport Blvd. • 633-7196
BOUDREAUX’S CAJUN GRILL ($-$$) QUALITY CAJUN & NEW ORLEANS CUISINE 29249 US Highway 98 Daphne. • 621-1991
CRAVIN CAJUN/DIP SEAFOOD ($) PO-BOYS, SALADS & SEAFOOD 1870 Dauphin Island Pkwy • 287-1168
ED’S SEAFOOD SHED ($$)
FRIED SEAFOOD SERVED IN HEFTY PORTIONS 3382 Hwy. 98 • 625-1947
DELI, MARKET AND CATERING. 4380 Halls Mill Rd. • 665-2266
30500 AL-181 • Spanish Fort • 206-8768 3654 Airport Blvd. • 338-9350
LUCY B. GOODE ($$)
GULF COAST CUISINE, REINVENTED 200 E. 25th Ave. • Gulf Shores • 967-5858
LULU’S ($$)
LIVE MUSIC & GREAT SEAFOOD 200 E. 25th Ave. • Gulf Shores • 967-5858
MUDBUGS AT THE LOOP ($) CAJUN KITCHEN & SEAFOOD MARKET 2005 Government St. • 478-9897
OFF THE HOOK MARINA & GRILL($) CAJUN INSPIRED/FRESH SEAFOOD & MORE 621 N Craft Hwy • Chickasaw • 422-3412
RALPH & KACOO’S ($-$$) THE SEAFOOD RESTAURANT 1595 Battleship Pkwy. • 626-0045
FAMOUS BURGERS, SANDWICHES & WINGS 60 N. Florida St. • 450-0690 BURGERS & BEER 916 Charleston St. • 433-9374
HEROES SPORTS BAR & GRILLE ($) SANDWICHES & COLD BEER 273 Dauphin St. • 433-4376 Hillcrest & Old Shell Rd. • 341-9464
HURRICANE GRILL & WINGS ($-$$) WINGS, SEAFOOD, BURGERS & BEER 7721 Airport Blvd. Suite E-180 • 639-6832
ISLAND WING CO ($)
EVERYTHING BAKED OR GRILLED 2617 Dauphin St. • 476-9464
MANCIS ($)
1715 Main St. • 375-0543
MCSHARRY’S IRISH PUB ($)
BRILLIANT REUBENS & FISH-N-CHIPS. 101 N. Brancroft St. Fairhope • 990-5100
R&R SEAFOOD ($-$$)
MUG SHOTS ($$)
RIVER SHACK ($-$$)
OLD 27 GRILL ($)
LAID-BACK EATERY & FISH MARKET 1477 Battleship Pkwy. • 621-8366 SEAFOOD, BURGERS & STEAKS 6120 Marina Dr. • Dog River • 443-7318.
THE GRAND MARINER ($-$$) LOCAL SEAFOOD & PRODUCE 6036 Rock Point Rd. • 443-7540
THE HARBOR ROOM ($-$$) UNIQUE SEAFOOD 64 S. Water St. • 438-4000
THE SEAFOOD HOUSE ($-$$) 751 Azalea Rd. • 301-7964
TIN TOP RESTAURANT & OYSTER BAR ($$) SEAFOOD, STEAKS, & EXTENSIVE WINE LIST 6232 Bon Secour Hwy County Rd. 10. • 949-5086
WINTZELL’S OYSTER HOUSE ($-$$) FRESH SEAFOOD FOR OVER 75 YEARS 605 Dauphin St. • 432-4605 6700 Airport Blvd. • 341-1111 1208 Shelton Beach Rd. • Saraland • 442-3335 805 S. Mobile St. • 929-2322
IS THE GAME ON?
ASHLAND MIDTOWN PUB ($-$$) PIZZAS, PASTAS, & CALZONES 245-A Old Shell Rd. • 479-3278
BAUMHOWER’S ($)
WINGS, BURGERS & PUB GRUB 6880 US-90 #14 • Daphne • 625-4695
BAR & GRILL 29740 Urgent Care Dr. • Daphne • 662-9639 6255 Airport Blvd. • 447-2514 BURGERS, DOGS & 27 BEERS & WINES. 19992 Hwy.181 Old County Rd. Fairhope • 281-2663
LUCKY’S IRISH PUB ($)
IRISH PUB FARE & MORE 1108 Shelton Beach Rd •Saraland • 473-0757 3692 Airport Blvd • 414-3000
WEMOS ($)
WINGS, TENDERS, HOTDOGS & SANDWICHES 312 Schillinger Rd. • 633-5877
MAMA MIA!
BUCK’S PIZZA ($$)
DELIVERY 350 Dauphin St. • 431-9444
JONELLI’S ($)
1252 Gov’t St. • 301-7556
LA ROSSO ($$)
COMFORT FOOD 1716 Main St. Ste. C • Daphne • 281-2982
MARCOS ($)
5055 Cottage Hill Rd. • 308-4888 2394 Dawes Rr. • 639-3535 2004 US 98 • Daphne • 265-6550
MELLOW MUSHROOM ($)
PIES & AWESOME BEER SELECTION 2032 Airport Blvd. • 471-4700 5660 Old Shell Rd. • 380-1500 2409 Schillinger Rd S • 525-8431 29698 Frederick Blvd.• Daphne • 621-3911
MIRKO ($$)
PASTA & MORE 9 Du Rhu Dr. • 340-6611
NAVCO PIZZA ($$)
GUIDO’S ($$)
FRESH CUISINE NIGHTLY ON MENU 1709 Main St. • Daphne • 626-6082
HOUSE OF PIZZA ($)
3958 Snow Rd C. • Semmes • 645-3400
EL MARIACHI ($)
763 Holcombe Ave • 473-0413
FUEGO ($-$$)
AUTHENTIC ITALIAN DISHES 312 Fairhope Ave. • Fairhope • 990-5535
RAVENITE ($)
PIZZA, PASTA, SALAD & MORE 102 N. Section St. •Fairhope• 929-2525
PIZZERIA DELFINA ($)
ITALIAN FOOD & PIZZAS 11311 US HIghway 31 Spanish Fort• 375-0076 HOMEMADE PASTAS & PIZZAS MADE DAILY 5901 Old Shell Rd. • 342-3677
AZTECAS ($-$$)
TASTE OF MEXICO 5452 Hwy 90 W • 661-5509
CAFÉ DEL RIO ($-$$)
MOUTH WATERING MEXICAN FOOD 1175 Battleship Pkwy • 625-2722
CINCO DE MAYO ($) MEXICAN CUISINE 260 Azalea Rd. • 375-1095
HALF SHELL OYSTER HOUSE ($-$$) HARD ROCK CAFÉ ($) AMERICAN FARE & ROCKIN’ MEMORABILIA
RUTH’S CHRIS STEAK HOUSE ($$$) EXCEPTIONAL SERVICE & TASTE
HARRAH’S GULF COAST:
HACIENDA SAN MIGUEL ($-$$)
MAGNOLIA HOUSE ($$-$$$)
TASTE OF MEXICO 880 Schillinger Rd. S. • 633-6122 5805 US 90 • 653-9163
LA COCINA ($)
LOS ARCOS ($)
MARIA BONITA AGAVE BAR & GRILL ($-$$) MEXICAN CUISINE 3977 Gov’t Blvd. • 660-4970
OLÉ MI AMIGO ($-$$)
3050 AL 181 • Spanish Fort • 621-7433
TRATTORIA PIZZA & ITALIAN ($$)
777 Beach Blvd.Biloxi • 877-877-6256
5713 Old Shell Rd.• 338-9697
ROMA CAFE ($-$$)
WINGS, PO-BOYS, BURGERS 210 Eastern Shore Center, Hwy. 98 • 929-0002
HARD ROCK CASINO:
FUZZY’S TACO SHOP ($)
HEARTY MEXICAN FARE 736 holcombe Ave.• 473-0413
TAMARA’S BAR & GRILL ($)
BREAKFAST, LUNCH, DINNER, LATE NIGHT
SATISFACTION ($-$$)
PIZZA & PASTA 107 Dauphin St. • 375-1644
PASTA, SALAD AND SANDWICHES 7143 Airport Blvd. • 341-7217
TERRACE CAFE ($)
OUTSTANDING MEXICAN CUISINE 2066 Old Shell Rd. • 378-8621
PINZONE’S ITALIAN VILLAGE ($$)
OLÉ MI AMIGO!
Bel Air Mall • 476-2063
212 Fairhope Ave. • 928-8108
QUAINT MEXICAN RESTAURANT 5556 Old Shell Rd. • 345-7484
A TASTE OF ITALY. BYOB. 28691 U.S. Highway 98 • 626-1999
GAMBINO’S ITALIAN GRILL ($) GRIMALDI’S ($)
EL CAMINO TACO SHACK ($)
PAPA’S PLACE ($$)
CORTLANDT’S PIZZA PUB ($-$$)
ITALIAN, STEAKS & SEAFOOD 18 Laurel Ave. • Fairhope • 990-0995
ENCHILADAS, TACOS, & AUTHENTIC FARE Ok Bicycle Shop • 661 Dauphin St. • 432-2453
AUTHENTIC MEXICAN CUISINE 800 N Section St. • Fairhope • 990-0783 830 W I65 Service Rd. S • 378-5837 4663 Airport Blvd. • 342-5553
PIZZA, SUBS & PASTA 1368 ½ Navco Rd.• 479-0066
VIA EMILIA ($$)
GREAT PIZZA. LUNCH & DINNER 4356 Old Shell Rd. • 342-0024
DAUPHIN ST. TAQUERIA ($)
POOR MEXICAN ($) ROOSTER’S ($)
LATIN AMERICAN FOOD 211 Dauphin St. • 375-1076
TAQUERIA CANCUN ($)
3172 International Dr. • 476-9967
TAQUERIA MEXICO ($-$$)
SOUTHERN FAVORITES BUFFET
280 Beach Blvd. Biloxi • 288-436-2946 FINE DINING, SEAFOOD AND STEAKS
FLAVORS BUFFET ($-$$) ALL YOU CAN EAT BUFFET
IP CASINO:
850 Bayview Ave. Bilox • 888-946-2847
THIRTY-TWO ($$$) SEAFOOD, STEAKS, WINE
TIEN ($-$$)
INTERACTIVE ASIAN DINING
HIGH TIDE CAFÉ ($)
CASUAL & RELAXING, EXTENSIVE MENU
ISLAND VIEW:
3300 W. Beach Blvd. Biloxi • 877-774-8439
BEACH BLVD STEAMER ($) SEAFOOD
CARTER GREEN STEAKHOUSE ($$-$$$) RICH TRADITIONS, STEAK, SEAFOOD
C&G GRILLE ($)
LARGE BREAKFAST, LUNCH OR DINNER MENU
PALACE CASINO:
158 Howard Ave. Biloxi • 800-725-2239
MIGNON’S ($$$)
STEAKS, SEAFOOD, FINE WINE
PLACE BUFFET ($-$$) INTERACTIVE ASIAN DINING
STACKED GRILL ($-$$)
BURGERS AND EVERYTHING IN BETWEEN
AUTHENTIC MEXICAN FLAVOR 3733 Airport Blvd. • 414-4496
TREASURE BAY:
NO GAMBLING CASINO FARE
THE DEN ($-$$)
1980 Beach Blvd. Biloxi • 800-747-2839 INTIMATE & CASUAL WITH DAILY SPECIALS
BEAU RIVAGE:
CQ ($$-$$$)
BR PRIME ($$-$$$)
BLU ($)
COAST RESTAURANT ($-$$)
WIND CREEK CASINO:
JIA ($-$$)
FIRE ($$-$$$)
875 Beach Blvd. Biloxi • 888-952-2582 FINE DINING ESTABLISHMENT. BURGER, WINGS, PIZZA
EXOTIC CUISINE AND SUSHI
STALLA ($$)
ITALIAN COOKING
ELEGANT ATMOSPHERE & TANTALIZING ENTREES LOUNGE WITH COCKTAILS & TAPAS MENU
303 Poarch Rd. Atmore • 866-946-3360 PRIME STEAKS, SEAFOOD & WINE
GRILL ($)
CONTEMPORARY & OLD-FASHIONED FAVORITES
J a n u a r y 3 , 2 0 1 8 - J a n u a r y 9 , 2 0 1 8 | L AG N I A P P E | 13
CUISINE | THE DISH
Christmas gifts, roasted veggies start diet on right foot BY ANDY MACDONALD/CUISINE EDITOR | FATMANSQUEEZE@COMCAST.NET
Photo | Wikimedia
Incorporate more seafood, lean meats, roasted vegetables and greens into your diet to help shed pounds in 2018.
N
ormally in this issue I’d be reviewing a restaurant, but the early holiday deadline combined with odd restaurant schedules made that a more difficult task than I’d thought. In place of a review, I’ve decided to talk about making our meal planning a little healthier. More fish, less pork, minimal cheese and a good bit of exercise are the go-to recommendations, but my focus at home and on the town will be more vegetables. With this job it’s tough to go vegetarian for any length of time, but I could at least make an attempt when I’m not on the clock. I’ve already replaced the burgers of Butch Cassidy’s and Callaghan’s with their grilled shrimp salads, and at other restaurants I usually order fish when available. However, a recent visit to Red or White has me lusting for roasted root vegetables for two weeks now. When I’m visiting the Dauphin Street location I have little to complain about, except I’d love longer hours and a lunch menu. I’m usually there to blindly order a special, whatever oyster
WORD OF MOUTH
Aroy Thai Cuisine latest Gov’t Street fave
There are never enough Asian restaurants for me, and my Oakleigh peeps are going nuts for the new Aroy Thai Cuisine at 966 Government St. In the former China House at the corner of Common, the reviews are all 5 out of 5 and the pictures look delicious. Lunch specials are in the $8 range and dinner entrees max out at about $15. Basil fried rice, curries, noodles and stir fry get the Thai treatment with the usual pad thai and thom ka you’d expect. The pineapple express is a hollowed-out pineapple filled with “fried rice, eggs, chickens, shrimps, fresh pineapple chunks, cashew nuts, tomatoes, peas, carrots and curry powder.” See for yourself. Local resident Suzanne Cleveland bent my ear with her unsolicited opinion, saying, “Do yourself a favor and try this place. I plan on going through the entire menu. I was very
dish, charcuterie, chicken board or cheese, and have Erin pick out a bottle of wine that suits the meal. The other night I was feeling sluggish and finished my oysters with the veggie board. It was one of those times where my body was telling me to eat my veggies like some “Time for Timer” Saturday morning cartoon. My ten-gallon hat was feeling five gallons flat, and I needed to get away from anything fried, covered in sauce or held between two giant slices of bread. This veggie board was the cure for what was ailing me, with roasted cauliflower, tiny beets, sweet potatoes and Brussels sprouts with a teaser of manchego aioli. I couldn’t get it out of my mind and began crafting my own at home. Little experiments here and there got me closer to the meal I’d had and things began to take shape with my own spin. Hey, this is pretty simple and open to interpretation, but great results are easily achieved just by eating for the season. You hear that a lot, but it’s true. Right now the root vegetables are perfect and our grocery stores are providing a decent selection. Don’t forget farmer’s markets and produce stands
excited they have ice cream for dessert. Even fried ice cream!” Those are strong words from someone who is such a picky eater.
New book separates diet fact from fiction
Should I go vegan? Is the Atkins diet for me? What about Mediterranean, paleo, gluten free, Sugar Busters or the grapefruit diet? It’s all enough to make your head spin. Undoubtedly there are some diets that are out to sell you something. Others just need to be debunked. “Food Sanity” by Dr. David Friedman (Turner Publishing, 2018) exposes the fallacies associated with what we may be told is healthy eating. It’s a tale of “common sense meets common science,” doling out advice so that readers can ensure they get the most ben-
14 | L AG N I A P P E | J a n u a r y 3 , 2 0 1 8 - J a n u a r y 9 , 2 0 1 8
such as Old Shell Market. Go outside of your comfort zone and pick up something you don’t normally buy. You’ll discover flavors you didn’t know you love. This was also a chance for me to use some of my Christmas gifts, so I’ll pepper a few of those in with the instructions as sort of a mini-product review. Let’s start with the Williams-Sonoma Goldtouch baking sheets. I got some of these last year and more this year. You can’t get enough of these golden beauties. In the over $30 range, they are durable, cook evenly and are the best I’ve ever had. I lined two of them with Chic Wrap parchment paper. The sturdy box and sliding button provides the perfect cut. It’s the box that makes parchment paper cool without being too “gadgety.” They claim to be the world’s best, and though I’d normally not splurge on something like this, it was a gift from my mom. I’m now a loyal customer. Find it anywhere from $13-$19 online but the dispenser is refillable. How much parchment paper do you use annually, anyway? Treat yourself. For veggies, I found an incredible selection at the grocer. Organic Gold beets from California, red beets from Mexico, local turnip root, sweet potatoes, one fennel bulb and a white onion jumped into the buggy. Sweet potatoes, onion and fennel were cut into long slices. The beets and turnips were first peeled with a vegetable peeler then cut into quarters, keeping a little bit of the stems for a handle. This was a lot easier with a brand new set of German-made Wüsthof knives. I was lucky enough to receive some products from the Bodacious Olive of Pensacola fame this Christmas. I can’t wait to try the black mission fig balsamic vinegar, but tonight I had to stick to the olive oil. Just a quick toss of the veggies is all you need. Visit them at 407 S. Palafox or at www.bodaciousolive.com. If you’ve never had Penzey’s Spices you should seek them out. There’s one in Homewood but I was treated to a boxful of jars from their Memphis store. The Fox Point Seasoning is a new favorite mix of shallots, chives, garlic, onion and green peppercorns, and was perfect for my roasted vegetables. In a 400 F. preheated oven, the two trays got the hour-long treatment with the heavenly aroma filling the east end of my house. Sprinkled at the finish with pinches of Maldon Salt, a gift from the aisles of Fresh Market, the dish was almost complete. We cheated on the dip. Our holiday cheese was a huge hunk of Humboldt Fog left over from a wine and cheese party we participated in last week at Priscilla Belle Jenkins’ house. This California goat cheese is creamy and light. Mixed with a little bit of mayonnaise and a sprig of dill, our veggie dip was smooth and nearly perfect. Even if you aren’t looking to make a meatless meal, this can be a great starter at your next get together. Seek out the beets right now. I am an onion fan and fennel freak, but out of all the things on the plate I will say the sweet potatoes might have been the best. Sometimes you just need to reset. Post holidays, I am craving that gastro-reboot. This just happened to be a delicious way of hitting the button. Thanks, Arwen and crew, for the inspiration! Happy New Year.
efit from their food and dietary supplements. There’s a guide to big burger, chicken, deli and taco chains listing the unhealthy menu items and their (sometimes logical) healthier counterparts. Some will surprise you, such as roast beef being a better option than tuna salad. There is a ton of advice in here stating things you already know, such as “diet drinks are bad for you, potato chips are addictive and chemical additives can be harmful.” The truth is you still probably eat most if not all of those things. The good news is there are enough eye-opening moments in the book to make you consider a lifestyle change. A little scientific fact can go a long way. This book provides an easy read and will stick around for reference. Look for it to hit shelves in February, or pre-order your copy from www.turnerpublishing.com.
Heroes getting some menu love
After diet-busting taste testing and research, Heroes Sports Bar and Grille is now using Leidenheimer French Bread on six sandwiches, including the shrimp po’boy and fried catfish po’boy at both locations. This authentic New Orleans bread ups the game tremendously. Be on the lookout for the fried oyster po’boy to return for a limited time. It’s better than waiting for the McRib. There will also be a seafood combo basket of catfish and kickass fried shrimp. I can’t wait for the Spicy Clipper Wings adding a bit of heat to our sweet and smoky favorites. Burgers will also be on the late-night menus and an updated beer list is in the works. That’s how you start a new year. Recycle!
CUISINE | THE BEER PROFESSOR
Georgia on my mind BY TOM WARD/THE BEER PROFESSOR
Photo | Facebook
Jekyll Brewing in Alpharetta, Georgia — 30 minutes north of Atlanta — has 26 different beers on tap every day.
W
ith the College Football Championship set for the new Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta Monday night, I thought I’d get in the spirit with some Georgia beers for at-home tailgating.
Georgia’s largest brewery is the SweetWater Brewing Co. Its brews are ubiquitous in our area, easily found in both bars and grocery store aisles, but because all SweetWater beers are unpasteurized, they are only avail-
able here in the Southeast. Best known for its 420 Extra Pale Ale, a really nice lighter ale — not too hoppy, with some fruit flavors in the finish — SweetWater is Georgia’s second-oldest brewery, founded in Atlanta in 1997. Like a number of its beers, the 420 is bottle conditioned, which also gives it a nice head. SweetWater puts out a half-dozen year-round beers, including three different IPAs: Its regular IPA, a bit bitter; its “Goin’ Coastal,” with pineapple flavors; and its “Hop Hash,” which sounds as if it would be very strong but is actually more of a session IPA, not overpowering and only 4.2 percent alcohol by volume (ABV). One of SweetWater’s most unique and popular beers is its “Blue,” a wheat ale with blueberry flavorings. For some reason, I find the SweetWater Blue on tap is much better than out of the bottle, which has too much blueberry flavor. If you happen to be in Atlanta for the game and want to check out the SweetWater Brewery, its taproom is open Wednesday through Sunday, and for $8 you can take a tour and taste some samples. Just north of Atlanta in Alpharetta, is Jekyll Brewing, named for the Golden Isle off Georgia’s Atlantic Coast where the South’s first brewery was reportedly founded all the way back in 1738. Jekyll’s “Cooter Brown” is probably its most familiar brew, a smooth but surprisingly strong brown ale, but Jekyll offers a fairly wide variety of year-round beers, including a lager, an amber and three IPAs. I recently sampled Jekyll’s “Big Creek,” a light Kolsch, which is really nice — light, crisp and flavorful with hints of fruit. If you are tired of too many hops, this is a nice change of pace. Only about an hour and a half from Mercedes-Benz Stadium (or four hours, depending on Atlanta traffic) is Sanford Stadium, home of the Georgia Bulldogs. Athens is not only home to the University of Georgia, but also to Terrapin Beer Co. (which one would expect to find in College Park, Maryland, not Georgia, but whatever). Best known for its excellent (and, at 7.3 percent ABV, strong enough to knock you down) “Hopsecutioner IPA,” Terrapin puts out a wide variety of different styles, both year-round and seasonal, including a number of IPAs of different strengths and flavors. While previously hard to find in our area outside of bars that carried a large number of craft beers, Terrapin is now much more widely distributed and many of its styles can be found in retail stores. I recently tried its “Hi-5 IPA,” touted as a California-style IPA. I found it to be a good, strong, hoppy IPA, and at 5.9 percent ABV a bit more manageable than the Hopsecutioner. I’ll get this one again soon. So if you can’t go to the game, take out some Chick-fil-A, grab a couple of Georgia beers from your favorite store and sit back and enjoy!
J a n u a r y 3 , 2 0 1 8 - J a n u a r y 9 , 2 0 1 8 | L AG N I A P P E | 15
COVER STORY
Compromise on City Council president gets derailed DALE LIESCH/REPORTER
T
he Mobile City Council enters 2018 without a duly elected leader, almost two months after the seven councilors and Mayor Sandy Stimpson were inaugurated for new four-year terms. While the apparent impasse might suggest larger, underlying issues facing city leaders who must work together for the foreseeable future, Councilwoman Bess Rich characterized it as a minor setback. “I don’t think we’re fighting about it,” Rich said. “We’ll work it out.” She added that the squabble is not impacting the business of the city.
Genesis
At issue is a continued debate over which of two council factions will gain control if a president is chosen. In previous years, the council has conducted a straw poll of sorts to decide which member should serve as president. In a meeting held before its organizational meeting, the council would decide the issue before voting unanimously in public for the councilor who received a simple majority of votes. An Alabama Press Association attorney has questioned the legality of those past meetings where a quorum of members met in private. Given the contested nature of the presidential vote this year, councilors decided not to have the meeting. The debate started when Councilman Fred Richardson received four votes for president to Councilwoman Gina Gregory’s three during the public organizational meeting. Shortly after former council attorney Jim Rossler told councilors he believed it took five votes to elect a president to the council, he was replaced by Wanda Cochran. Richardson has previously said he feels the rules were changed just as he was about to become president. Cochran has since affirmed that according to the Zoghby Act, the law establishing Mobile’s current form
of government, it takes five votes to elect a new council president. Since neither Richardson nor Gregory received five votes, no president has been elected.
Compromise gone awry
In comments made to followers and friends on Facebook, Richardson said he considered supporting current Vice President Levon Manzie for president, but has since decided not to. “Unfortunately for [Manzie], though, we soon learned that the votes the other group was promising Councilman Manzie were only if he could get another member to support one of them as council vice president,” Richardson wrote. “When another member was unwilling to support one of them for fear it would give the administration control over council, they withdrew their support for Councilman Manzie as president.” In an interview with Lagniappe, Richardson said he changed his mind when a coalition of Gregory, Councilman John Williams and Councilman Joel Daves told him they’d support Manzie if one of them was elected vice president. Richardson said that would have given Stimpson too much power over the council. “With John, Gina, or Joel, that’s like picking Sandy Jr.,” Richardson said. “I’m not voting for anyone for president, except Fred Richardson.” Richardson mentioned comments Stimpson made in Decmber in support of Manzie as council president. Williams called Richardson’s Facebook post “not worth the paper it’s written on.” “Like a lot of things and a lot of comments, it’s based on a lot of fluff,” he said. “It’s absolutely not true.” Instead, Williams characterized the discussions as an attempt to compromise and end the dispute. “The three of us [meaning he, Gregory and Daves] were willing to move on and let the side of four [Richardson, Manzie, Councilman C.J. Small and Council-
I WAS WILLING TO TAKE THE POSITION [OF VICE PRESIDENT] SO WE WOULD HAVE BALANCED LEADERSHIP. WE WEREN’T WILLING TO HAND OVER EVERYTHING.
16 | L AG N I A P P E | J a n u a r y 3 , 2 0 1 8 - J a n u a r y 9 , 2 0 1 8
woman Bess Rich] have the presidency.” Discussions broke down, Williams said, when it came time to select a council member to serve as vice president, with Manzie moving up to president. He said the debate has the feel of partisan politics, even though it’s local. “I was willing to take the position [of vice president],” Williams said. “So, we would have balanced leadership.” Williams said discussions stopped when the other side wouldn’t compromise. “We weren’t willing to hand over everything,” he said. He added he still supports Manzie for president. Daves had no comment on the issue. In an email, Gregory said she still supports Manzie for president. “Levon has had my support for president since before we went to Charlotte for the National League of Cities City Summit,” she wrote. “It is quite obvious that neither Fred nor I have the five votes needed to be elected president, and a compromise is needed. Since being elected VP, Levon has demonstrated that he is ready and capable to fill the president’s position.” Stimpson also supports Manzie for president, as he told councilors during a pre-conference meeting late last year. Stimpson said Manzie has done an “incredible job” as the acting chair. He added he wished for a quick resolution to the impasse. At the time, Richardson seemed to take exception to Stimpson’s involvement and still does. Following Stimpson’s comments Richardson cited state law. “The Zoghby Act makes it a removable offense for a council member to tell the mayor who to hire,” Richardson said. “He should stay out of our business.” Williams said he wishes Stimpson hadn’t gotten involved, but also argued the council doesn’t necessarily need a president. “I don’t think [Richardson] is suited to be president,” Williams said. “I don’t think he’s suited to be the next mayor.” Former council President Reggie Copeland said he wished councilors could settle the impasse in order to “move forward.” “It’s not affecting business, but it leads to talk,” he said. As a compromise, Copeland said he has suggested letting Gregory serve for two years and then let Richardson serve for two years.
Is a president needed?
In case anyone has to fill in for Stimpson, even temporarily, Williams said he’s comfortable with the governor deciding. Rich also said she doesn’t believe the lack of a president is impacting city business. While a president must appoint committees, Manzie currently has the authority to appoint ad-hoc, or temporary, committees. “It really doesn’t matter as long as we get the job done,” Rich said. “To me, we’re doing a good job conducting the business of the city without a president.” In most cases, a special election would determine who would succeed Stimpson if he couldn’t serve out his term. Richardson, on the other hand, feels the presidency is a necessary position. For one, Richardson said, an elected president has to pick permanent committee assignments for a term. When needed, Manzie has convened ad-hoc committees. Richardson also believes that without a strong president, Stimpson would have too much control over the council.
J a n u a r y 3 , 2 0 1 8 - J a n u a r y 9 , 2 0 1 8 | L AG N I A P P E | 17
ART ARTIFICE
Riffing on jazz at MMoA BY KEVIN LEE/ARTS EDITOR/KLEE@LAGNIAPPEMOBILE.COM
A
rt is a conversation. Between the artist, creation, participants and observers, communication is abundant in all directions. It’s a component we take for granted. Yet how much of the artist’s work is shaped by the time and place and, in kind, how much are the times and its denizens shaped by the artists? A specific version of those questions and our regional culture will be on the table Thursday, Jan. 11, at 6 p.m. in the Larkins Auditorium of the Mobile Museum of Art (4850 Museum Drive) for a panel discussion, “Jazz and African-American Consciousness.” The event is co-sponsored by the Mystic Order of the Jazz Obsessed (MOJO). The catalyst for the event is “Posing Beauty in African-American Culture,” a photo exhibit on display at MMoA through March 4. The exhibit’s swath of Americans and their interplay with identity includes such jazz luminaries as Billie Holiday and Billy Eckstine in a candid, interpersonal moment. While this columnist will moderate the discussion, the panel will comprise Mary Angela Coleman, Ph.D., associate vice president of institutional effectiveness at the University of South Alabama; Kern Jackson, Ph.D., director of African-American studies at USA, and Hosea London, leader of The Excelsior Band and the E.B. Coleman Big Band and longtime music instructor. Live music
Louis Armstrong’s music at Austin’s Hotel Driskill in 1931, its hypnotic reverie changed the youngster. “He was the first genius I had ever seen,” Black later wrote. “The moment of first being, and knowing oneself to be in, the presence of genius is a solemn moment. … It is impossible to overstate the significance of a 16-year-old Southern boy’s seeing genius, for the first time in a black. You don’t get over that.” Thomas “Fats” Waller’s 1929 hit song “Black and Blue” wove together a will be performed by Theodore Arthur Jr. before and after poignant lyric laced with the woe of social strata based on degrees of skin tone, the program. even among African-Americans alone. “I’m so forlorn, Life’s just a thorn, My Jazz began thanks to the mélange of cultures along heart is torn, Why was I born? What did I do, To be so black and blue?” the French-settled central Gulf Coast. Specific elements Billie Holiday’s 1939 anti-lynching ballad “Strange Fruit” was so controin New Orleans — Creoles of color, European folk and versial it stirred riots and caused her hasty flight from some towns. But it was formal music, blues from the Mississippi Delta, African- what she felt needed to be heard. American gospel — were thrown together in the wake World War II brought change. Black Americans who served overseas of Reconstruction, and what emerged was an art form returned to second-class status at home and were reviled. indigenous to these shores only. Likewise, bebop musicians such as Dizzy Gillespie, Dexter Gordon and Just like any artist, the musicians who birthed it brought others boldly strode with the conviction of their demanding art’s intellectual their own experiences to inform its emotional weight. merits. They didn’t beg for acceptance but confidently presented their revoluTheir joys, their pains provided the heft to the notes. tionary value. So as they experienced the daily indignities of life Miles Davis became jazz’s biggest iconoclast, absolutely welded to his as an African-American — especially in the Jim Crow path, his rules, his image. His refined tastes in cars, in clothes, women and South — they channeled their feelings through their art. lifestyle scintillated with an epitome of undeniable cool. He neither bowed They could decry, they could protest, they could comfort nor scraped for anyone. and console in public ways otherwise unavailable. By the height of the civil rights era, jazz was firmly aloft in the cultural firIn a society where mass media perpetuated images of mament as its stars made their own statements. Charles Mingus openly called black Americans as subordinate “mammies” and Stepin segregationist Arkansas Gov. Orval Faubus “a fool” in verse. Max Roach’s Fetchits, jazz musicians defied it. On stage, “lesser than” “Freedom Now Suite” wailed against the bonds it protested. John Coltrane’s proved “better than” doubtlessly. It was a channel for saxophone eulogized four Birmingham school girls. community and independence alike. The layers of this complex, spellbinding and quintessentially American After jazz chugged upriver from New Orleans and tale go far deeper on Jan. 11, followed by a question and answer period. lent its name to an age, it was more likely for white Entrance is free but donations are requested. Beer and wine are available by Americans to envision black brethren in ways previously donation. For info, call 251-208-5200. unseen. When Texas-native Charles Black encountered The artful dialogue awaits. Just heed its call.
Deadly award winner at MTG
18 | L AG N I A P P E | J a n u a r y 3 , 2 0 1 8 - J a n u a r y 9 , 2 0 1 8
said in a statement. “Through this process, I highlight the more strategic elements of the original piece.” The gallery hours are Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. It is located in Martin Hall at the University of Mobile, 5735 College Parkway. For information, contact Phillip Counselman at 251-4422283 or pcounselman@umobile.edu.
UM hosts Tisdale in campus gallery
Auditions for April MTG
Artist Nicholas Tisdale’s exhibit “Excised” will be featured in the University of Mobile’s Donald Gallery Jan. 8-31. Tisdale will hold an artist talk on Jan. 25 at 11 a.m. with a reception following. The talk and reception are open to the public free of charge. In this body of work, Tisdale first scanned historical and propaganda portraits, then manually wore away the main subject with varied abrasives and scraping. He then painted and reinserted key features into the piece. “I am interested in the relationship of these depicted figures and the messages they try to convey to the viewer,” Tisdale
You don’t have to wear comfortable shoes or have a thing for lawn equipment to be a thespian. All you need is the courage to audition. Mobile Theatre Guild (11 N. Lafayette St.) will stage the musical “The Pot” in mid-April and will hold auditions Monday, Jan. 22, and Tuesday, Jan. 23, at 7 p.m. Characters are a male college student, two female college students, a mid-20s male, a male/female couple in their 40s/50s, a 50/60-ish male and a female housekeeper aged 30 to 60. Director is John Richards. For more information about the auditions or play, go to mobiletheatreguild.org.
ARTSGALLERY
Mobile Theatre Guild (11 N. Lafayette St.) is ready to bring in 2018 with a bang — several of them, if the characters have their way. The Stephen Sondheim Tony Award-winning musical comedy “ASSASSINS” opens mid-January and runs through month’s end. The play brings together John Wilkes Booth, Lee Harvey Oswald, Charles Guiteau, Lynette “Squeaky” Fromme, Sara Jane Moore, John Hinckley and three other “losers, fanatics, obsessives and malcontents” who tried their hand at taking out the president of the United States. They are assembled in a purgatorial revue, handed weaponry and take aim at the twisted underbelly of American culture. Local theater favorite Gene Murrell directs this murderers’ row of guys and gals made amusing by mercurial interactions that reveal their own dreadfully funny incompetence as much as anything. It opened off Broadway in 1990 and in the West End in 1992. Once on Broadway it cleaned up, taking home five of seven nominated Tony Awards and three of seven nominated
Drama Desk Awards for 2004. The play runs at MTG Jan. 19-28. Friday and Saturday curtain is 7:30 p.m. Sunday matinee is 2 p.m. Tickets are $20, $15 for students, military and seniors. For more information, call 251-433-7513 or go to mobiletheatreguild.org.
MUSIC
N
FEATURE
‘Boom’ times for Walker Hayes BY STEPHEN CENTANNI/MUSIC EDITOR/SCENTANNI@LAGNIAPPEMOBILE.COM ative Mobilian Walker Hayes has come a long way since his first gig at the Mobile Yacht Club. After attending St. Paul’s Episcopal School, Hayes made his way to Nashville to take his chances in country music. After 13 years, a wife (Laney) and six children (with another on the way), Hayes’ determination is paying off through last month’s release of “Boom” and its hit single, “You Broke Up With Me.” Hayes has been lauded by critics, from Rolling Stone to NPR. However, he is not without his critics. This rising country star has a fun and infectious style that at times reaches into the realms of rock, pop and hip-hop. Even so, Hayes is reaping the rewards of his hard work. His fan base is increasing, and he is preparing for his first headlining tour. Lagniappe spoke with Hayes about his time in Nashville as well as his progressive country style. Stephen Centanni: Your time in Nashville has definitely been eventful, but paying your dues seems to have paid off for you. How would you describe your time in Music City? Walker Hayes: Shoot, man, the first word that comes to mind is “long.” I heard people call it a “five-year town” or a “10-year-town,” but it was right around 12 years when things started looking the other way for me. Even when they started looking the other way, there wasn’t a whole lot of promise of a future career. That’s what’s cool about things going on now. I can see myself doing this for five or 10 years and taking care of my family with music. It’s been a grind. We always laugh, because there’s not a lot of middle ground for people trying to make it in country music. You’re either starving and can’t get
a break, or you get a break and hit it huge. Everywhere you go, people are giving you free stuff, and you’re like, “Where was all this free stuff when I needed it?” It’s been an adventure. The thing is that no matter how long you spend in Nashville, you get to live your dream a little bit. You get to write and have the Nashville experience. It’s unfortunate, because you have to pay your bills until you get your break. I’m fortunate. There are a lot of people in Nashville who are more talented than me who are on their way back home today or [have] just given up, because it has to do with timing and luck. Centanni: With “Boom” catching on, how does it feel to see your hard work paying off? Hayes: I have yet to find the words or write a song about it. I guess after all these years, Laney [Hayes] and I find ourselves in this dumbfounded conversation that usually goes like, “Is this really happening? Are you kidding me?” We went into a Wal-Mart in my hometown of Franklin, and [“Boom”] was sold out. That’s better than seeing your record in the store. We’re just like two kids pinching ourselves every day, because it is a far-fetched dream. Unfortunately, only so many pitchers as kids get to play in the World Series. Only so many people who move to Nashville ever get to see the fruits of their labor in a way that we’re being able to see it. The album taking off is blowing my mind. The song “You Broke Up with Me” being at number 12 and cracking that top 10 next year is just crazy to imagine. Centanni: Tell me about the album’s title. Hayes: That word is trite and emoji-rific as it is, but it’s important to me. Over the past year, I’ve had a really small team that has facilitated everything that’s been going on, from my merchandise to the size of my shows to the eight tracks that I
put out last year to this album actually happening. With every little thing that happens with this project, we celebrate, because the project is so unique. It’s not your typical country. It’s its own style of music. We see going up the ladder as a reason to celebrate. Whenever a song would climb a number of the charts, whoever saw it first would text me, my wife and my teammates and say, “Hey, ‘You Broke Up with Me’ just cracked the Top 50. Boom!” Before we even named it, we were going back and forth using that expression at the end of every great thing that happened. That’s where we came to finally calling it “Boom.” Centanni: One thing about this album is that it will definitely rub country purists the wrong way, but its success is showing that your offbeat country sound is being embraced. How did you come up with your sound? Hayes: Honestly, my No. 1 goal for a song is to get out of the way of the emotion. I never want to write a song where the first thing that people say is, “Oh wow! What a great writer he is! It’s really clever!” I don’t want them to say, “Oh wow! The production on this is awesome!” I really want them to be kidnapped from the world for three minutes and put their own story inside a song. As far as rubbing country purists a certain way, I just try to be honest in my delivery or authentic in my subject matter. I never want to sing about something that I haven’t experienced or felt at all. As far as my delivery, I’m not a traditionalist or a purist. I think that I would be lying if I made music that sounded exactly like George Strait, even though I love that guy. I just want to get out of the way of a song. I hold music on a very high pedestal. I think it’s powerful and shapes our lives. I wish everybody listened to music like I do. I get lost in it. I just
want to help other people lose themselves as well, and maybe my album will remind people that they’re not alone. Centanni: A couple of songs really stood out for me. One is “Halloween,” because you never hear many country songs dedicated to this holiday. The other one is “Dollar Store.” It’s so sweet, but it’s also hilarious. How did these situations inspire songs? Hayes: “Dollar Store” is a great example. It’s been on the back burner for a while, and I’m excited it’s on the album. That’s where me and my wife came from. You ask how we’re doing with success. I haven’t seen any massive paychecks, but my fee to play a show has gone up. The Dollar Store is where me and Laney shop. We shop for toiletries and a lot of food. We have four birthdays in August. We live at the Dollar Store during that month. Laney and I are always laughing about the random items that you can buy at the Dollar Store. One day, I was like, “I gotta put all this in there.” I don’t know about you, but I get to Dunkin’ Donuts and won’t have any cash. I hate putting stuff on a credit card, so I’ll start digging around the car. It’s amazing how much change is hidden in my life. We strung that together and had some fun. At the end of it, that’s totally me. I’m the guy who’s like, “I forgot about tax.” Centanni: You’re getting ready to headline your first tour. What are your expectations? Hayes: It’s a scary move. As my booking agency and my team started looking at my show numbers at the end of this year, they really encouraged me to do it. There’s still that insecurity and fear. It’s looking amazing, and it’s just an honor. As far as expectations, the way I protect myself is to look at it like this. I get to go out for the month of March and get to say “thank you” to all the people and all the fans who are going to know the words to these songs.
J a n u a r y 3 , 2 0 1 8 - J a n u a r y 9 , 2 0 1 8 | L AG N I A P P E | 19
MUSIC BRIEFS
Rain check
BY STEPHEN CENTANNI/MUSIC EDITOR/SCENTANNI@LAGNIAPPEMOBILE.COM
Band: Jason Isbell & The 400 Unit, James McMurtry Date: Sunday, Jan. 7, with doors at 7 p.m. Venue: Saenger Theatre, 6 S. Joachim St., www.saengermobile.com Tickets: $31-$47, available through Ticketmaster
Photo | Facebook | Jason Isbell
L
ast September, Jason Isbell fans were looking forward to catching an evening of his stellar alt. country at the “Jewel on Joachim.” Unfortunately, a death in the family forced Isbell to cancel the show and several others. But he made a committment to reschedule and returns this Sunday evening with James McMurtry as the opener. Isbell will lace his show with tracks from his latest album, “The Nashville Sound.” This release marks the return of Isbell’s backing band, The 400 Unit. When Lagniappe spoke with him in September, Isbell cited The 400 Unit’s participation as one of the main reasons the album took a mere two weeks to record. “The Nashville Sound” leans on his poignant alt. country style, but also shows Isbell leaning back into his rock ‘n’ roll past. Isbell knows his Mobile audience will love the live delivery of these songs. “They’ve [Mobilians] always treated us well,” Isbell said. “They’re good audiences and like to have a good time. They seemed to have always appreciated the music that we’re playing, even earlier than other towns.”
Live at The Steeple Band: Clay Walker Date: Sunday, Jan. 7, 7 p.m. Venue: The Steeple on St. Francis, 251 St. Francis St., www.thesteeplemobile.com Tickets: $37-$50, available through Ticketfly The acoustic-friendly walls of The Steeple on St. Francis will fill next Sunday with the sounds of country artist Clay Walker. For the past 25 years, Walker’s dedication to both his music and fans has allowed him to maintain a productive and successful career. This country star has topped the charts with hits such as “What’s It to You,” “Live Until I Die” and “This Woman and This Man.” His smooth tenor vocals laced with just the right amount of downhome twang continue to attract an enthusiastic following. After the release of a “best of” collection in 2014, Walker teased a new album with the 2015 release of the single “Right Now.” The track uses this love ballad to show he hasn’t strayed far from his original sonic formula. The grand arrangement is filled with catchy hooks and Walker’s trademark vocals.
Pride of Bon Secour Band: Brittany Grimes Date: Friday, Jan. 5, 7 p.m. Venue: Manci’s Antique Club, 1715 Main St. (Daphne), www.mancisantiqueclub.com Tickets: Free The Alabama Gulf Coast is home to a rich and versatile lineup of singer-songwriters, including Brittany Grimes, who according to her bio, made her first appearance at the Flora-Bama before she entered elementary school. Since then, she has used a number of regular Flora-Bama singer-songwriters, such as Bo Roberts and Rhonda Hart, as role models. Barely into her teens, Grimes took on the Nashville scene with performances at CMA Fest, Tootsie’s and the Blue Bird Café. Grimes’ vocals have a sugary soul quality that highlights her original songs. While some might lump her into the country world, some of Grimes’ compositions can dip into a grooving folk sound. This unique aspect of her music has attracted not only listeners but her fellow singer-songwriters. Fellow artist Eric Erdman and Grimes have collaborated onstage as well as on Erdman’s song “Tangled Up with You.”
20 | L AG N I A P P E | J a n u a r y 3 , 2 0 1 8 - J a n u a r y 9 , 2 0 1 8
AREAMUSIC LISTINGS | January 3 - January 9
WED. JAN 3
Bluegill— Matt Neese Blues Tavern— Art, 8p Callaghan’s— Phil and Foster Cockeyed Charlie’s— JJ Felix’s— Tropic Flyer Flora Bama— Al and Cathy, 11a// Neil Dover, 3p/// Bruce Smelley, 7p//// Rhonda Hart, 7p Lulu’s— Adam Holt, 5p
THUR. JAN 4
Bluegill— Chris Powell Blues Tavern— McBro Duo, 8:30p Callaghan’s— Phil Proctor Cockeyed Charlie’s— JD Felix’s—Jeri Flora Bama— Gove Scrivenor, 1p// Dueling Pianos, 4:30p/// Mark Sherrill, Chris Newbury, James Daniel, 5p//// Kyle Wilson, 9p//// Davis Nix, 9:15p Le Bouchon— Mary Alice, 6:45p Listening Room— Peter Bradley Adams, 8p Lulu’s— Albert Simpson, 5p Manci’s— Red Clay Strays
FRI. JAN 5
All Sports Bar & Billiards— DJ Markie Mark, 10p Big Beach Brewing— The Bone Chimes Bluegill— Lee Yankee, 12p// Bust, 6p Blues Tavern— MudBucket, 9p Cockeyed Charlie’s— DJ Chill Felix’s— Blind Dog Mike Flora Bama— LeaAnne Creswell Duo, 2p// JR, 5:30p/// Flip Flop Mafia, 6p//// Davis nix Band, 10p//// Bruce Smelley Duo, 10:15p Hard Rock (Center Bar) — Contraflow, 9:30p IP Casino— B.B. King ft. Tito Jackson, 8p Listening Room— Jimmy Lumpkin with John Cochran, 8p Lulu’s— Albert Simpson, 5p Manci’s— Brittany Grimes Moe’s BBQ (Daphne) — The Memories, 8p Moe’s BBQ (Mobile) — Don Holmes, 6:30p Saenger— The Black Jacket Symphony: Led Zeppelin “IV”
SAT. JAN 6
Alchemy— Cam Bay Cabaret, 10p
Big Beach Brewing— The Defosters, 6:30p Bluegill— Shelby Brown, 12p// Fat Lincoln, 6p Blues Tavern— Soul River Levee, 9p Callaghan’s— Yeah, Probably Cockeyed Charlie’s— DJ Chill Felix’s— Lee Yankie Trip Flora Bama— J. Hawkins Trio, 1p// Sugarcane Jane, 2p/// Lucky Doggs, 5:30p//// JR, 6p//// Foxy Iguanas, 10p//// Davis Nix Duo, 10:15p Hard Rock (Center Bar) — Contraflow, 9:30p Listening Room— Jamie Lynn Vessels w/David Brouillette, 8p Lulu’s— Cadillac Attack, 5p Manci’s— Modern Eldorados Moe’s BBQ (Mobile) — Denver Hawsey, 6:30p Moe’s BBQ (Semmes) — Ashley Feller, 6:30p
SUN. JAN 7
Bluegill— Quintin Berry, 12p// Matt Neese & Josh Ewing, 6p Blues Tavern— John Hall Jam, 6p Callaghan’s— Sugarcane Jane Felix’s— Matt Bush Flora Bama— Songs of Rusty, 12:30p// Perdido Brothers, 4p/// Tony Ray Thompson, 7p//// Smoky Otis Duo, 8:30p Lulu’s— Broken Down Car, 2p Saenger— Jason Isbell & The 400 Unit
MON. JAN 8
Felix’s— Bryant Gilley Flora Bama— Cathy Pace, 3p// Kevin Swanson, 7p/// Petty and Pace, 7p
TUE. JAN 9
Bluegill—Bruce Smelley Butch Cassidy’s— Chris Powell Fairhope Brewing— Green Drinks Felix’s— Bobby Butchka Flora Bama— Rick Whaley Duo, 3p// Johnny B Duo, 7p Le Bouchon— Red Clay Strays Trio, 6:30p Listening Room— Korby Lenker w/Lynn Drury, 8p Live Bait— Brandon Styles, 7p Moe’s BBQ (Mobile) — Quintin Berry, 6p
J a n u a r y 3 , 2 0 1 8 - J a n u a r y 9 , 2 0 1 8 | L AG N I A P P E | 21
FILMTHE REEL WORLD
Mobile Jewish Film Festival’s 2018 lineup
S
BY ASIA FREY/FILM CRITIC/AFREY@LAGNIAPPEMOBILE.COM
AREA THEATERS CARMIKE CINEMA’S Wynnsong 16 785 Schillinger Rd. S. (251) 639-7373 CRESCENT THEATER 208 Dauphin Street (251) 438-2005 HOLLYWOOD STADIUM 18 1250 Satchel Paige Dr. (251) 473-9655 RAVE MOTION PICTURE JUBILEE SQUARE 12 6898 U.S. 90 Daphne, (251) 626- 6266
tart the new year with a series of thoughtful, hopeful film screenings, many incorporating live music, for the 17th year of the Mobile Jewish Film Festival. Festival organizers promise the most diverse lineup yet, with films that will take viewers though the Himalayas, to Las Vegas, from the Holocaust through the 1960s, and to contemporary Tanzania. The festival opens Thursday, Jan. 11, at 2 p.m. at the Mobile Museum of Art with “As Seen Through These Eyes,” a documentary focusing on works of art created by Holocaust survivors, many during their time in concentration camps. Intriguingly, many of these artworks were commissioned by the artists’ Nazi captors, including the infamous Dr. Josef Mengele, who forced Dina Gottliebova Babbitt to paint thousands of portraits of her fellow Gypsies. Another subject of this documentary, Ela Weissberger, was a child forced to perform in an opera production mounted in a concentration camp. The melancholy harmonica music of Henry Rosmarin that forms the film’s score is played on the same harmonica Rosmarin was forced to play in the SS hall throughout the war. These works of art saved these people’s lives, and now stand as testament to the suffering and bravery of these incredible survivors. On Sunday, Jan. 14, at 3 p.m. at Ahavas Chesed Synagogue, the insightful and entertaining documentary “Sammy Davis Jr.: I’ve Gotta Be Me” features interviews with Jerry Lewis, Whoopi Goldberg and Billy Crystal as it explicates the complex
identity of the legendary song-and-dance man. Preceding the film, vocalist Doug Breau will set the mood with music from the Rat Pack era. The next three films will be shown at the University of South Alabama Laidlaw Center for the Performing Arts, beginning Tuesday, Jan. 16, at 7 p.m. with “1945,” an eloquent drama filmed in lustrous black and white. In a Hungarian village, the return of an Orthodox man and his grown son leads the villagers to fear they will reclaim their ancestor’s illegally acquired property. On Wednesday, Jan. 17, at 7 p.m., the series continues with “Harmonia,” a modern adaptation of the mythological triangle between the childless Abraham and Sarah and the young Hagar. Set in contemporary times, “Harmonia” also weaves the ancient tale through a dramatic encounter between Western and Eastern music. The final film, also to be shown on the USA campus, is “My Hero Brother” on Thursday, Jan. 18, at 7 p.m. It is an inspirational documentary about a group of young people with Down syndrome who embark on a demanding trek through the Himalayas with their siblings. Cast member and co-producer Enosh Cassel will attend the screening as a special guest. This film is the Reita Franco memorial film, honoring one of the festival’s founders. The comedy “The Women’s Balcony” makes a delightful addition to the festival, screening Sunday, Jan. 21, at 3 p.m. at Shavas Chesed Synagogue. An accident during a bar mitzvah celebration leads to a gender rift in a devout Orthodox community in Jerusalem in this rousing, goodhearted tale about women speaking truth
to patriarchal power. Audience favorite “Fanny’s Journey” will be shown Tuesday, Jan 23, at 7 p.m. at the USA Performance Center in Fairhope. It is an incredible tale of bravery, strength and survival, a story of a daring young girl who will stop at nothing and fear no one as she leads 11 children to safety in Switzerland. On Wednesday, Jan. 24, at 7 p.m., “An Act of Defiance” will be screened at Bernheim Hall in the Ben May Main Library. Winner of the Best Film Award at the 2017 U.K. Jewish Film Festival, it is a riveting historical drama that captures an important moment in 1963 in the fight against racism by South African Jews, combining a political thriller with a courtroom drama. On Thursday, Jan. 25, at 7 p.m., the festival moves to Springhill Avenue Temple for “A Night from the Heart,” with the feature film “A Heartbeat Away,” about an Israeli pediatric cardiologist who performs life-saving operations in Tanzania. Preceding this feature film is the charming romantic short “Dear God.” The festival concludes with “Joe’s Violin” on Sunday, Jan. 28, at 7 p.m. at Springhill Avenue Temple. A short film documentary Oscar nominee, this tells the story of a violin being passed from Holocaust survivor Joe Feingold to a 12-year-old Bronx girl named Brianna Perez, and will continue with a short violin and piano recital by Enen Yu and Christopher Powell. View trailers for all these films, plan your visits and purchase tickets at mobilejewishfederation.org. Call 251-343-7197 for more information.
CARMIKE CINEMAS 23151 Wharf Ln. Orange Beach (251) 981-4444 COBB THEATRES PINNACLE 14 3780 Gulf Shores Pkwy Gulf Shores (251) 968-7444 Photos | Menemsha Films / Sony Pictures Entertainment
EASTERN SHORE PREMIERE CINEMA 14 30500 Alabama 181 #500 Spanish Fort, Al (251) 626-0352 Information accurate at press time; please call theaters for showtimes.
22 | L AG N I A P P E | J a n u a r y 3 , 2 0 1 8 - J a n u a r y 9 , 2 0 1 8
FROM LEFT: “The Women’s Balcony,” a feature of the Mobile Jewish Film Festival, is a comedy about a bar mitzvah mishap that causes a major rift in a devout Orthodox community in Jerusalem. “All the Money in the World” from Director Ridley Scott is based on the true story of the kidnapping of John Paul Getty III. NOW PLAYING
ALL THE MONEY IN THE WORLD All listed multiplex theaters. DARKEST HOUR All listed multiplex theaters. THE MAN WHO INVENTED CHRISTMAS AMC Classic Wharf LADY BIRD AMC Classic Wharf, Regal Mobile Stadium 18 DOWNSIZING All listed multiplex theaters. JUMANJI: WELCOME TO THE JUNGLE
All listed multiplex theaters. FATHER FIGURES All listed multiplex theaters. THE GREATEST SHOWMAN All listed multiplex theaters, Crescent Theater. PITCH PERFECT 3 All listed multiplex theaters. FERDINAND All listed multiplex theaters. STAR WARS: THE LAST JEDI All listed multiplex theaters. JUST GETTING STARTED All listed multiplex theaters.
THREE BILLBOARDS OUTSIDE EBBING, MISSOURI AMC Classic Wharf COCO All listed multiplex theaters. JUSTICE LEAGUE All listed multiplex theaters. MURDER ON THE ORIENT EXPRESS All listed multiplex theaters. DADDY’S HOME 2 All listed multiplex theaters. THOR: RAGNAROK All listed multiplex theaters.
J a n u a r y 3 , 2 0 1 8 - J a n u a r y 9 , 2 0 1 8 | L AG N I A P P E | 23
THE NEW YORK TIMES CROSSWORD PUZZLE RING OUT THE OLD, RING IN THE NEW BY JOHN LAMPKIN / EDITED BY WILL SHORTZ
F U T U R E S H O C K
ACROSS 1 Have 4 New Deal org. 7 Motley 13 “Dukes” 18 V.I.P. list 20 Lamborghini rival 21 Arctic people 22 Result of a French powdered drink shortage? 24 1959 Ritchie Valens hit, with “La” 25 Hook’s right hand 26 Hägar the Horrible’s hound 27 Short rows 29 Nincompoop 30 Secures at sea 32 Fig. checked during retire-ment? 33 Legends in the automotive world 35 List of things said by Siri? 38 1920s-’30s Yankees nickname 41 Deceive 42 Sights at charging stations 44 Thingamajig 45 Softhead 48 What an infielder might field a ball on 50 “Reckon so” 52 “Savvy?” 54 ____ Conference 55 Washington, D.C.? 59 Was beaten by 60 Neighbors of Egyptians 61 Attribute to, in a way 62 Three-foot 1980s sitcom character 65 Grammy winner ____ Elliott 66 Cobbler, at times 68 Cowboy Rogers 69 Giant 71 Not just focused 75 Butting heads 76 Struggling sci-fi writer’s plea for recognition? 78 Blade runner? 81 Hip-hop’s Shakur 82 Attend without a date 83 Country that Menorca is part of 85 If you have it, you might know what this answer is without reading the clue 86 Middle of a simile 88 Quenched 92 “Give me ____” 93 Some 1960s radicals 96 Treat that gives a glowing complexion? 98 Chap 100 Work as a branch manager? 102 Flag 103 Scott of “Happy Days” 104 Nasser’s successor as
Egypt’s leader 107 “What’s Opera, Doc?” antagonist 108 Film director ____ C. Kenton 111 Canon competitor 113 Weeklong Irish vacation? 116 Gross 117 Like some turns 118 Chose to take part 119 What if, informally 120 ____ performance 121 Book before Esther: Abbr. 122 Neuron’s ends?
sports recap 19 Good hunting skill 20 Some Guinness Book records 23 Lamp polisher’s surprise? 28 “Quién ____?” 31 Batch of Brownies? 32 Harass incessantly 34 Photog’s bagful? 35 Feature of Devonshire cream 36 Article in Der Spiegel 37 “March comes in like ____ …” 39 Cottonmouth’s warning DOWN 40 Targets in “Men in Black,” 1 “Wise” sorts informally 2 “Pow!” 43 Stars 3 Result of a haymaker, maybe 46 Childish retort 4 1/20 of a ton: Abbr. 47 Indiana’s state flower 5 Pure 49 Puts forth 6 Couple 51 Historic Mesopotamian city 7 Torn 53 Wand material in the Harry 8 Dadaist Jean Potter books 9 Wimbledon surface 56 Thick and green 10 Archaeological treasure 57 Merchandise: Abbr. trove 58 Artificial silks 11 “Nessun dorma,” for one 59 Grow feathers 12 Drift 61 Like the French sky 13 Statement made while 62 Colorful quartz crossing the fingers, maybe 63 ____ position 14 Like the three men of the 64 Some loose dancing? “Rub-a-dub-dub” nursery rhyme 65 Godfather after being 15 One having trouble with double-crossed? basic arithmetic? 67 Kyrgyz city 16 Neighbor of the talus 70 Panhandle state: Abbr. 17 Much of a 72 Action in FanDuel and
DraftKings 73 Close tightly 74 “King Lear” role 76 “The Last Days of Pompeii” heroine 77 ____ bin Laden 78 Legitimate business practices 79 Last Stuart queen 80 Kind of alphabet 82 Moo goo ____ pan 84 “Sh,” “th” or “ou” 87 1974 C.I.A. spoof 89 Big name in test prep 90 Opposite side 91 Makes a meal of 94 Apple app for viewing reading material 95 Polish, e.g. 97 Green 98 Heeds 99 Eagerly accept 101 County in New Mexico or Colorado 105 Court legend Arthur 106 Eldest member of an organization 107 Falco of “The Sopranos” 109 The Eagles’ “____ Eyes” 110 Forever and ever 112 December 31: Abbr. 114 D.C.-based media giant 115 1st, 2nd, 3rd … ____
ANSWERS ON PAGE 30
24 | L AG N I A P P E | J a n u a r y 3 , 2 0 1 8 - J a n u a r y 9 , 2 0 1 8
STYLE GARDENING
What’s on your garden bucket list for 2018? BY BRENDA BOLTON, MOBILE MASTER GARDENER | COASTALALABAMAGARDENING@GMAIL.COM
G
The magnitude of the effort is staggering. The show covers 11 acres with a 3-acre pavilion housing almost 100 breathtaking displays of worldwide plants both familiar and exotic. There are 10 or more Show Gardens, more than 15 smaller Artisan Gardens — which are theme-designed and known for creative innovation — and others such as the 2018 special small-space urban gardens, from terraces to street gardens. The current RHS program focuses on sustainability and “Greening Grey Britain,” a reference not to little old ladies at tea, but rather to reducing man’s paved footprint. More than 200 vendors offer anything a gardener can desire, from gardening tools or shoes to plants and botanical art, or those gorgeous English and European stone and ceramic urns and even greenhouses and stoneworks. Each vendor display is its own work of gardening art. The 2018 theme is “Glorious Gardens and Beautiful Blooms.” The photographs accompanying this article on lagniappemobile.com from the 2016 Chelsea Show illustrate the overwhelming sensory experience that is Chelsea. Come back in two weeks to enjoy a Master Gardener Chelsea photo journal, and on dismal January days, remember that spring is near, so Chelsea can’t be far away.
YOU ARE INVITED TO THESE UPCOMING GARDENING EVENTS What: Mobile Master Gardeners Monthly Meeting When: Thursday, Jan. 11, 10:30-11:45 a.m. Where: Jon Archer Center, 1070 Schillinger Road N., Mobile Topic: Stevia, presented by Jack Lecroy, Urban Regional Extension Agent
Photo / Brenda Bolton
ardeners love to visit gardens, and no vacation seems complete without one. Don’t ever miss an opportunity to visit the oldest and most prestigious of the world’s famous flower shows: The RHS Flower Show at Chelsea in London. Now is the time to buy your tickets for the May 22-26 event. Being properly and stoically British (“there is always next year, dear”), Chelsea limits ticket sales to preserve the show’s character. Imagine: 157,000 tickets can go fast, and prices increase in April. Chelsea is sponsored by the U.K. Royal Horticultural Society, the oldest horticultural nonprofit in the world. Book your tickets at: www.rhs.org.uk. The earliest RHS show was 1862, but in 1913 it moved to the lovely grounds of the Royal Hospital of Chelsea on the Chelsea Embankment of the Thames. Proceeds benefit the medical and housing programs there for military retirees, known as England’s Pensioners or the Men in the Scarlet Coats, who cheerily greet visitors. The scarlet red poppy, a wildflower on the roadways, is the floral symbol for the Men in the Scarlet Coats. It is said that a designer of any repute must “do Chelsea” and an award winner reaps enormous benefits. Perhaps this explains why the display gardens at Chelsea represent the voluntary efforts of hundreds and donated display elements, ranging from plants to mature trees to actual constructions such as solariums, potting sheds and real stone walls. A single large Show Garden can cost $350,000, all donated. The entire show is planned and prepped in off-site nurseries and greenhouses for a full year, but the show is raised “from the grass up” in one month, most of which is done in the last eight days, with breakdown amazingly accomplished in two days!
“The Garage Garden” won the 2016 Artisan Garden President’s Award at the RHS Flower Show at Chelsea in London. For more photos from the show, see this article on lagniappemobile.com. What: Mobile County Master Gardeners 2018 Spring Seminar When: Saturday, Feb. 17, 9:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. Where: Mobile Botanical Gardens, 5151 Museum Drive, Mobile Speakers: Susan Haltom, Restoring a Historic Garden (author of “One Writer’s Garden: Eudora Welty’s Homeplace”) and Carol Reece, Ordinary Plants/Extraordinary Stories And more: Door prizes, silent auction, delicious box lunch, beautiful garden setting! Cost: $35, non-refundable advance reservations are required. Deadline to register: Feb. 9. Send checks payable to MCMG to 2221 Dogwood Court N., Mobile, AL 36693. Call 251-209-6425 for credit card purchase.
J a n u a r y 3 , 2 0 1 8 - J a n u a r y 9 , 2 0 1 8 | L AG N I A P P E | 25
STYLE HOROSCOPES BETWEEN NOW AND MARDI GRAS CAPRICORN (12/22-1/19) — In need of a bit of a thawing out, turn the oven on and leave the door open for heat. Also try lining your coat with warm pancakes. Between now and Mardi Gras, thin out your collection of plastic drinkware. AQUARIUS (1/20-2/18) — With college football season coming to a close, you should adjust your schedule again to avoid Wal-Mart during peak hours. Between now and Mardi Gras, prepare for the most politically correct Comic Cowboys parade ever. PISCES (2/19-3/20) — You’ll be forced to reconcile your curiosity of ice skating with your disinterest in ever attempting it. Between now and Mardi Gras, buy a few extra packages of pocket-sized Purell. ARIES (3/21-4/19) — Just when you thought it was over, here comes the Senior Bowl! The winning scavenger hunt item is Baker Mayfield’s autograph on your chest. Between now and Mardi Gras, plan a way to honor the Martin Luther King, Jr. Day of Service. TAURUS (4/20-5/20) — “How’s that New Year, New You thingy workin’ out?” One may ask, in a Sarah Palin accent with a slow blink. Between now and Mardi Gras, start calling around to find out if fresh crawfish are available again. GEMINI (5/21-6/21) — Envision a world where an A&M Peanut Shop is on every corner. Probably a lot of allergic people would be hospitalized. Between now and Mardi Gras, go ahead and try at least one different King Cake every week. CANCER (6/22-7/22) — Cook creatively in the new year. Now is the time to “drop a new recipe on that ass,” as promised. Between now and Mardi Gras, remind your significant other daily to not forget about Valentine’s Day. LEO (7/23-8/22) — Now that octogenarians are getting shot during robberies in broad daylight in Mobile, you rethink that decision not to retire to the Eastern Shore. Between now and Mardi Gras, try to learn a little bit about the new tax laws. VIRGO (8/23-9/22) — “The only answer for the City Council, or for any government anywhere for that matter, is to dissolve the presidency, obviously,” you say, slowly sipping a southern cocktail. Between now and Mardi Gras, replace your standard business cards with personalized doubloons. LIBRA (9/23-10/22) — You and a like-minded coalition of the willing form a shadow government to institute the policies of the Fairhope mayor. Between now and Mardi Gras, consider buying a king size heated blanket. SCORPIO (10/23-11/21) — In a hastily written letter to the editor, you’ll demand they move the MoonPie drop to noon in June, to accommodate (potentially) better weather. Between now and Mardi Gras, try to play a game as satisfying as “Duck Hunt.” SAGITTARIUS (11/22-12/21) — You’ve waited all for this — long johns weather — so don’t let the naysayers get you down. Go early ‘90s and pair it up with flannel. Between now and Mardi Gras, invest in the stock market. 26 | L AG N I A P P E | J a n u a r y 3 , 2 0 1 8 - J a n u a r y 9 , 2 0 1 8
CALENDAR OF EVENTS JANUARY 3, 2018 - JANUARY 9, 2018
GENERAL INTEREST Dauphin Island Boardwalk Talks Boardwalk Talks are held the first and third Wednesday of each month at 11:15 a.m. at the Dauphin Island Sea Lab, 101 Bienville Blvd. Call 251-861-2141. Midtown Optimist Club Join Midtown Optimist Club every Wednesday at noon for lunch at Azalea City Golf Course. Call 251-348-3542. Remington College Open House Remington College’s Mobile Campus is holding an open house to showcase its educational programs. Thursday, Jan. 4, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. at 828 Downtowner Loop W. Visit remingtoncollege.edu. “Redemption in Black & White: Overcoming Racism in Mobile and Beyond” Featuring panelists Diane McCaskey, Dr. Kern Jackson, Scott Moore and Karlos Finley. Moderated by Dr. Matt O’Reilly, Pastor of St. Mark United Methodist Church. Saturday, Jan. 6, 6 p.m., 439 Azalea Road. Free admission, register at eventbrite.com. TOPS Take Off Pounds Sensibly meets every Tuesday at 5:30 p.m. at Spanish Fort Presbyterian Church. Call 251-625-6888. Toastmasters Toastmasters International meets regularly at six locations in Mobile and Baldwin counties. Visit www.toastmasters. org for more information.
FUNDRAISERS Many More Miles For the 15th consecutive year, Baldwin Bone & Joint will collect shoes for the homeless outreach programs. Shoe donations for 2018 will be accepted starting in January with final shoe dropoffs received at the 2018 Azalea Trail Run on Saturday, March 24. For drop-off locations call 251-621-5387.
ARTS First Friday Art Walk The Eastern Shore Art Center features new art and music the first Friday of every month. Friday, Jan. 5, at 6 p.m., Eastern Shore Art Center, 401 Oak St., Fairhope. Contact Adrienne at 251-9282228, ext. 103. “The Wizard of Oz” Follow the yellow brick road with us — seriously … it’s a sing-along! Join Mobile Public Library, Ben May Branch, for a singalong with Mobile Opera on Sunday, Jan. 7 at 2 p.m. Call 251-432-6772. Auditions for “The Miracle Worker” Auditions for “The Miracle Worker” will be held Wednesday and Thursday, Jan. 3 and 4, from 6:30-8 p.m. at the Playhouse in the Park. Girls and boys ages 7 through mid-20s are invited to try out. Call 251602-0630. Van Cliburn’s Piano Steinway Piano Gallery Spanish Fort
will offer a glimpse into the life of late piano virtuoso Van Cliburn and display his personal piano, through Feb. 3. For information call 251-930-1082.
MUSEUMS “Titanic: Honour & Glory” “Titanic Honour & Glory” will run through April 15 at the History Museum of Mobile. In addition to the exhibition, the museum will be hosting monthly events. Call 251.301.0273 or gavin.snyder@ historymuseumofmobile.com. “Posing Beauty in African-American Culture” An exhibition at Mobile Museum of Art explores the understanding of how African and African-American beauty has been represented through a diverse range of media. Through Jan. 21. Visit mobilemuseumofart.com. “Curious George: Let’s Get Curious!” The insatiable curiosity of Curious George — the little monkey who has captured the imagination and hearts of millions of children and adults for 65 years — comes to life at Gulf Coast Exploreum Science Center through Jan. 7. Visit exploreum. com. “Dream Big: Engineering Our World” Narrated by Academy Award winner Jeff Bridges, “Dream Big: Engineering Our World” is a first-of-its-kind film for IMAX that will transform how we think about engineering. Gulf Coast Exploreum Science Center through Jan. 7. Visit exploreum.com. “Right on Course” The United States Sports Academy’s American Sport Art Museum and Archives is open free to the public weekdays, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. One of the newest exhibits is “Right on Course.” Visit www.asama.org. “Windows to the Sea” “Windows to the Sea” is the latest permanent exhibit at the Dauphin Island Sea Lab Estuarium. Visit disl.org. “Savage Ancient Seas” “Savage Ancient Seas” will transport GulfQuest guests to a time when the last of the great dinosaurs roamed Earth and swam the seas. Visit www.gulfquest.org. Fairhope’s Founding Learn more about the 1894 founding of Fairhope at the Fairhope Museum of History, 24 N. Section St. The museum is open daily (except Sunday and Monday), 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Call 251-929-1471. Little Discoveries “Outside the Box,” aimed at children age 6 and under, explores how innovation and creativity can lead to a world of possibilities, starting with a simple cardboard box. Wednesdays at 10 a.m. Call 251-208-6893 or email jholland@ exploreum.com. Thursdays at MMoA Every Thursday from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m., the Mobile Museum of Art offers free admission to all visitors. No reservations are necessary. MMoA is at 4850 Museum Drive. Call 251-208-5200.
SPORTING EVENTS/ACTIVITIES
PUBLIC MEETINGS
Group Rides South Alabama and Mississippi Mountain Bike Association invites all levels of cyclists to join them every Tuesday and Thursday at 6 p.m. at USA Bike Trails and Sunday at 9 a.m. at Chickasabogue Park. Email carrie@rideSAMBA.com.
Baldwin County Commission: First and third Tuesday at 8:30 a.m., 322 Courthouse Square, Bay Minette. Work sessions are the second and fourth Tuesday at 8:30 a.m. rotating between Bay Minette, the Foley Satellite Courthouse, the Fairhope Satellite Courthouse and the Baldwin County Weekly 1K/5K Central Annex Building in Robertsdale. Every Thursday evening at 6 p.m., join www.baldwincountyal.gov Red Beard’s Outfitter and Cortlandt’s Pub in the Spring Hill Village Shopping Center Baldwin County Planning Commission: for a 1K or 5K run and walk. No cost to First Thursday at 6 p.m., 22251 Palmer St., participate. Robertsdale, www.baldwincountyal.gov. Bayou La Batre City Council: Second Bingo and fourth Thursday at 5:30 p.m., 13785 S. Join Via! Health, Fitness, Enrichment Center at 1717 Dauphin St. for bingo every Wintzell Ave., www.cityofbayoulabatre.com. Tuesday and Thursday, 1:30-3:30 p.m. Call Chickasaw City Council: Second and 251-478-3311. fourth Tuesday at 7 p.m., 224 N. Craft Highway, 251-452-6450. Bridge Lessons Citronelle City Council: Second and The Mobile Bridge Center offers free bridge lessons each Tuesday at 6 p.m. at fourth Thursday at 6:30 p.m., 19135 Main 1510 University Blvd. Arrive a few minutes St., 251-866-7973. early to register. Call 251-666-2147, 10 Creola City Council: Second and fourth a.m. to 2 p.m. Thursday at 6 p.m., 190 Dead Lake Road, #A, 251-675-8142. Fitness and Athletics Classes Daphne City Council: First and third New fitness classes are offered at Palmer Pillans Middle School. Tai Chi, Monday at 6:30 p.m., 1705 Main St. Work Candle Lit Yoga, Core Fusion, smallsessions are the second Monday of each group personal fitness training, basketball month at 6:30 p.m., www.daphneal.com. for ages 15 and up, basketball for Dauphin Island Town Council: First and ages 8-14 and sports conditioning for third Tuesdays at 7 p.m., 1011 Bienville ages 8-17. Call 251-463-7980 or go to communityactivitiesprogram.com. Blvd., www.townofdauphinisland.org. Elberta Town Council: Third Tuesday Dance and art classes of each month at 6 p.m. in the town hall. New dance classes are offered at Palmer Workshop meeting on the second Tuesday. Pillans Middle School. Belly dance, pretownofelberta.com. ballet and tumbling for ages 6-12, beginner Fairhope City Council: Second and fourth piano for ages 8 and up. Call 251-463Monday at 6 p.m., 161 N. Section St. Work 7980 or go to communityactivitiesprogram. com. sessions are held before each council meeting at 4:30 p.m., www.cofairhope.com. Pickleball for adults (indoors) Fairhope Planning Commission: First Offered at Palmer Pillans Middle School Monday at 5 p.m., 161 N. Section St. For on Saturday, 9 a.m. to noon. Great sport more information visit www.cofairhope. for all ages combines tennis, pingpong com. and badminton on a court one-fourth the Foley City Council: First and third size of a tennis court. Call 251-463-7980 or go to communityactivitiesprogram.com. Monday at 5:30 p.m., 407 E. Laurel Ave. Work sessions begin at 4 p.m., www. Ballroom dance cityoffoley.org. Azalea Ballroom Dance Club hosts Gulf Shores City Council: Second and dances the second and fourth Tuesday of fourth Mondays at 4 p.m., 1905 W. First St., every month, 7-9:30 p.m. at Via! Health, www.gulfshoresal.gov. Fitness & Enrichment Center, 1717 Mobile City Council: Tuesdays at Dauphin St. Call 251-623-9183 or visit Government Plaza, 205 Government St. azaleaballroomdanceclub.com. Pre-council meeting begins at 9 a.m.; council meeting begins at 10:30 a.m., www. Ballroom dance cityofmobile.org. The Moonlight Chassé Ballroom Dance Mobile Planning Commission: First and Society hosts dances the first and third Monday of every month, 7-9:30 p.m. at third Thursdays at 2 p.m., 205 Government Hot Wheels Skating Rink in Daphne. Email St., www.urban.cityofmobile.org. cassief13@aol.com. Orange Beach City Council: First and third Tuesdays at 5 p.m., 4099 Orange Beach Blvd., www.cityoforangebeach.com. WORKSHOPS Prichard City Council: Every Thursday “Starting a Small Business” at 5:30 p.m., 216 E. Prichard Ave., www. “Starting a Small Business from Scratch” thecityofprichard.org. is a four-day workshop with Rick Zapata, Satsuma City Council: First and third regional extension agent with the Alabama Cooperative Extension System, at Ben Tuesday of every month at 6 p.m. at City May Main Library Jan. 8-11. Email jsigler@ Hall, 5464 Old Highway 43 Satsuma, AL mplonline.org or call 251-208-7078 or 25136572, 251-675-1440. 208-7085. J a n u a r y 3 , 2 0 1 8 - J a n u a r y 9 , 2 0 1 8 | L AG N I A P P E | 27
SPORTS UPON FURTHER REVIEW
Artists invited to enter stamp contest
BY J. MARK BRYANT/SPORTS WRITER/SPORTS@LAGNIAPPEMOBILE.COM/TWITTER @GOULAGUY
D
uck hunting is a very popular pastime in Alabama. So is the competition to supply the art for the waterfowl stamp required for all those licensed to hunt migratory waterfowl in the state. Alabama artists are invited to enter the 2018 art contest, which is open now through Feb. 9. The winning artwork will be featured as the design of the 2019-20 Alabama Waterfowl Stamp. Sale of the stamp is used to purchase, establish and improve migratory waterfowl habitat. John Denney of Alexander City was the winner of this year’s contest with his painting of an American greenwinged teal. This makes him a three-time winner, having previously won the 2014-15 and 2009-10 contests. Artists are ineligible to submit an entry for three years after winning the contest. “I am very honored to become a three-time winner,” Denney said. “There are only a few other artists that have done it. I consider myself in good company.” The competition is open only to resident Alabama artists. Only original horizontal artworks depicting a species of North American migratory duck or goose will be considered. The American wigeon, Canada goose and American green-winged teal — depicted in the previous three winning artworks — are not eligible to be the subject of the 2019-20 waterfowl stamp. The waterfowl stamp art contest not only helps to conserve waterfowl habitat, it also fosters a connection with the outdoors. “Seeing ducks in the wild is spectacular,” Denney said. “I look forward to photographing them every season for new inspiration and ideas for paintings.” The latest contest will take place in conjunction with the annual “Fins, Feathers and Flowers” event at Lakepoint Resort State Park in Eufaula, which runs Feb. 16-18. Similar to “Eagle Awareness Weekends” at Lake Guntersville, this
event offers a variety of activities for wildlife watchers. The weekend is a cooperative effort of the Alabama State Parks Division and the United States Fish and Wildlife Service. All eligible entries will be on display at Lakepoint State Park beginning Feb. 16. Three judges from the fields of art, ornithology and wildlife conservation will announce the winning waterfowl art the following day at 1 p.m. The media and public are invited to attend. Entries may be drawn or painted in any medium, but cannot exceed 9 inches by 12 inches (15 inches by 18 inches matted). Contest entry forms are available online at www. outdooralabama.com/waterfowl-stamp-art-contest-rules. Artists may also receive an entry form by contacting Seth Maddox with the Alabama Division of Wildlife and Freshwater Fisheries at seth.maddox@dcnr.alabama.gov, or by calling 256-437-2788.
Sports briefs
• University of South Alabama senior Tiina Trutsi has been named first-team CoSIDA Academic All-America for women’s soccer. The native of Tallinn, Estonia, was tied for third on the team in goals (4) and tied for second in points (12) as the Jaguars won both the Sun Belt regular season and tournament championships in each of her four seasons at South Alabama. In the classroom, she has a 4.00 grade point average, majoring in sociology. She has twice been a member of the SBC Commissioner’s List, for those with a GPA of 3.5 or higher. • Another USA senior, Danielle Henley, has been named to the United Soccer Coaches NCAA Division I Women’s Scholar All-South Region Third Team. She previously earned First Team all-SBC honors and all-Sun Belt Tournament honors a week later. She is the only Sun Belt player to be named to any of the three all-region teams.
28 | L AG N I A P P E | J a n u a r y 3 , 2 0 1 8 - J a n u a r y 9 , 2 0 1 8
In her final year at South Alabama, Henley was tied for third on the team in goals with four, and fifth in points with nine. She started 20 times in 21 games, and recorded game-winning goals against Coastal Carolina in both the regular season and the Sun Belt Tournament final. • USA volleyball middle blocker Kelley Hartman earned All-American Volleyball Coaches Association honors for the 2017 season. She received an all-Southeast honorable mention, making her the first Jaguar in program history to earn all-region honors. She was named first-team all-Sun Belt Conference this season after leading the league in blocks per set (1.29), while also finishing tied for second in hitting percentage (.321). • Hartman’s teammate Kristina Alabastro, an outside hitter, earned secondteam all-SBC honors. She averaged 2.26 kills per set, 2.16 digs per set and 0.63 blocks per set in conference matches. • The University of Mobile’s Annie Kate Hudson has been named to the College Sports Information Directors of America Academic All-District Volleyball Team in District 1 of the College Division. She was named the Southern States Athletic Conference’s Setter of the Year, First-Team All-Conference, and earned her third career SSAC All-Academic nod after shattering the single-season record for assists at UM with 1,535, which led the nation. She has managed to be this successful on the court while maintaining a 3.87 GPA toward her kinesiology degree. • Hudson was one of five Rams named to the American Volleyball Coaches Association’s Northeast Region First-Team All-Region roster. Joining her were Mirella Gatterdam (Northeast Region Player of the Year after tallying 521 kills, SSAC Player of the Year), Hannah Wentland (one of six players in school history with more than 1,000-plus kills), Jocelyn Mahayag (shattered the single-season record for digs with 668 and only 19 reception errors in 44 matches) and Alex Karcher (most efficient hitter in school history with a .334 hitting percentage, 369 kills and 120 blocks). • Spring Hill College has had three Badgers earn Women’s Basketball Player of the Week honors from the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference this season. They are Tiffany Valentine (averaged 23.5 points and 11.5 rebounds), Jewel Hill (averaged 20.0 points and 6.5 rebounds) and Elise Reilly (not only posted her season-high of 32 points, she also set a new 3-point standard for the Badgers by knocking down 10 3-pointers to break her own school record of nine). • United Soccer Coaches selected three SHC players to its NCAA Division II Men’s All-Region Teams. Sophomore midfielder Alex Lipinski earned a firstteam spot after scoring a school-record 38 points. Senior forward Ibrahima Ndaw also appears on the first-team roster with eight goals and eight assists. Junior Tapfuma Dimairo is a second-team team member as a defender.
SPORTS FROM BEHIND THE MIC
Football dominated sports news headlines in 2017 BY RANDY KENNEDY/CONTRIBUTING WRITER
W
e Alabamians in general and Mobilians in particular are no more likely to concede our football dominance than Roy Moore is to concede an election. So it should come as no surprise that the top sports headlines of 2017 in Mobile dealt with our football success at the high school, college and even NFL levels. In college football, there has never been a playoff that did not include Alabama, although 2017 began with the Tide falling to Clemson 35-31 in the national championship game. Combined with Alabama’s 45-40 win over the Tigers the previous year, Alabama brought a 76-75 scoring edge over Clemson into Monday night’s rubber game at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome in New Orleans. Alabama’s senior class will go down as the winningest in college football history, having won 51 of 55 games heading into 2018. They have won a national championship, won three straight SEC championships and made all three playoff appearances. The previous record for success was the 51-6 record set by — you guessed it — Alabama’s 2016 senior class. One of the unsung members of the 2017 class is former Faith Academy defensive lineman Vohn Keith Jr. You may not have heard of Keith, but he put in a career’s worth of dirty work on the scout team before finally seeing his first college action at the end of the 2017 season against Mercer. His is a story of hard work and dedication worthy of celebrating. Auburn didn’t earn a playoff spot this season, but only because the Tigers’ schedule was filled with too many teams that did make the playoff. In one of the strangest
and most telling statistics in recent college football history, Auburn entered the bowl season with seven of its last 17 games coming against the four playoff teams. During that stretch the Tigers were 2-5 against Oklahoma, Georgia and Alabama but 9-1 against all other competition. To take that a step further, in the last two seasons Auburn is 2-6 against playoff teams and 16-2 against everybody else. Of course, 2017 didn’t bring all good news for college football fans in Mobile. The only coach the University of South Alabama has ever known, Mobile native Joey Jones,
WE ALABAMIANS IN GENERAL AND MOBILIANS IN PARTICULAR ARE NO MORE LIKELY TO CONCEDE OUR FOOTBALL DOMINANCE THAN ROY MOORE IS TO CONCEDE AN ELECTION.” was fired after a disappointing four-win season. It’s worth noting that when Jones was hired as head coach the school did not own a football. Still, under Jones the Jaguars beat Mississippi State and nationally ranked San Diego State. They went 3-3 against Troy, the school’s biggest rival, which happens to have a 100-year head start on building a football program. But in the end, Jones and the Jaguars simply were not
consistently competitive enough in the Sun Belt Conference to continue without a change at the top. That meant the hiring of Steve Campbell, a native of the Gulf Coast who has been a big winner at every step of his career. The center of high school football in Alabama in 2017 was unquestionably the six-mile stretch of Old Shell Road that is home to McGill-Toolen, St. Paul’s and UMS-Wright. The Yellow Jackets won their first 13 games this season and reached the Class 7A state championship game — and they were the least successful team on the street. There has never been a Class 7A state championship game that did not include McGill-Toolen, but for the second straight year the Yellow Jackets fell to Hoover in the title game. St. Paul’s won the Class 5A championship over Briarwood in perhaps the most dramatic game in the state this season. The Saints converted a fourthand-14 from Swift Lyle to Alabama signee Jalyn Armour-Davis for 56 yards on the way to overcoming a late deficit. UMS-Wright earned the Class 4A crown with a convincing win over Fayette County in a game that will forever be remembered as the first snow game in the history of Bryant-Denny Stadium. Another point of pride for Mobile has been the signing of three local players to football scholarships at prestigious Stanford University. St. Paul’s defensive lineman Ryan Johnson signed in February, then Saraland quarterback Jack West and Mobile Christian defensive end Andres Fox signed with the Cardinal in December in the first early signing period for members of the Class of 2018. Johnson, West and Fox could eventually continue the strong connection of local players coming home to play in the Reese’s Senior Bowl. This year, three players have already continued that tradition. One of those is former McGillToolen and Southern Miss running back Ito Smith, who was named after Judge Ito of O.J. Simpson trial fame. That alone could make him a crowd favorite. Tre Williams of St. Paul’s and Auburn as well as Brandon Silvers of Gulf Shores and Troy will be the other local representatives in this year’s game. Finally, on the NFL level, just last week C.J. Mosley of Theodore, Julio Jones of Foley and Rodney Hudson of B.C. Rain were all selected for the Pro Bowl. It’s not overstating the point to say Alabama continues to be the focal point for college football excellence. Again in 2017, Mobile proved to be the epicenter for producing talent for that success. Randy Kennedy writes a weekly column for Lagniappe and is co-host of “Sports Drive” every weekday from 3-6 p.m. on WNSP 105.5 FM, the country’s first all-sports FM station.
J a n u a r y 3 , 2 0 1 8 - J a n u a r y 9 , 2 0 1 8 | L AG N I A P P E | 29
STYLE BOOZIE
Boozie’s recommended resolutions BY BOOZIE BEER NUES/SOCIAL BUTTERFLY
Y
’all … first off, brrrrr! Second, Christmas and New Year’s have just about killed me. Christmas was five days of partying and then New Year’s was four, thanks to post-season football games! So this might be crazy, but I am glad to be back in a routine. Yeah, sure, this is a short week, but I need some down time before Mardi Gras. Nine days of partying with only two nights’ rest was more than even I could handle. Luckily, the New Year is here and I am making one of my resolutions to be in bed before 4 a.m. on the weekends. Anyways, bundle up and enjoy this week’s hot gossip!
Partying doesn’t stop when the MoonPie drops
ANSWERS FROM PAGE 24
30 | L AG N I A P P E | J a n u a r y 3 , 2 0 1 8 - J a n u a r y 9 , 2 0 1 8
I think it might be safe to say that people are still defrosting from the MoonPie Drop! Y’all, it was freezing! Mobile hasn’t seen this kind of weather in years, but that didn’t stop the crowds from showing up to celebrate the event’s 10th anniversary! Speaking of celebrating, a small group or sponsors, volunteers and city officials gathered in the Presidential Suite of The Battle House before braving the cold. It was low-key, but MoonPie drop founder Fred Richardson was there surrounded by family and friends. Also in attendance were Mayor Sandy Stimpson and his wife, Jean (looking chic as always), Councilman John Williams and several Oakleigh gals draped in fur. Umm, why was I not invited? Luckily, George Clinton and ParliamentFunkadelic put on a show that had everyone moving and grooving, which also helped to keep body temperatures up. Boozie is told that when George showed up for meet-andgreets he was very personable and enthusiastic with everyone as he posed for photos. Boozie personally loved George’s long black coat with silver spangle details, and am a tad jealous. George and company weren’t the only one bundled up — most folks wore so many layers it’s surprising they could even move their limbs. I had a whiskey “jacket” so I wasn’t too cold. However, Boozie did spot some girls who cared more about looks than warmth. One was sporting a cropped shirt. Yeah, I know how it goes, you don’t want to wear a jacket because the bars are hot and then it might get lost or smell … but whatever, girl, you do you! While some of you were freezing your behinds off, just around the corner Government Plaza was rocking. Order of Pan held their annual New Year’s Eve ball and it is safe to say they were probably having more fun than you! My spy said this is one of his favorite balls because everyone cuts loose.
His favorite ball goer was rocking a purple sequined tux and top hat. Another was the lady with a big hot-pink headdress. Then the most talked about outfit was the performer wearing a roach dress. Yes, a roach dress. They were cartoon roaches, but still … I told y’all, more fun!
Ice, ice baby
Brrrrrr. The annual Polar Bear Dip at the Flora-Bama rang true to its name this year. While we thought the girls with no jackets on New Year’s Eve were crazy, I believe the people on New Year’s Day that took part in the Polar Bear Dip were crazier. With temperatures in the 30s it was definitely colder than last year, but that didn’t stop people from taking the plunge. Folks took to the waters screaming, but still having a good time. People were dressed in Hawaiian shirts, Wonder Woman costumes, pajama onesies, Santa and more! My spy said her favorite outfits were those that stuck to a beach theme. One lady was dressed as a delicious bushwacker, yum! Others came as Vikings, cage divers, red Solo cups, Indians, a Corona beer 6-pack, polar bears and, of course, Baby New Year! One older gentleman was rocking a patriotic weenie bikini with suspenders and flag cape. Luckily for my spy’s eyes he was the same old man who wore a G-string to Mullet Toss. Maybe next year I will take the plunge and wash off the old year!
Start fresh
While I’m sure some of you already have New Year’s resolutions, I wanted to share some that are a little more achievable (well, one or two) and will guarantee a memorable 2018! So be prepared to add them to your list, it’s not too late. • Charge the field at Senior Bowl and not get caught. • Attend more Mardi Gras parades than you did last year. • Give up nothing for Lent. Lent kills my business, y’all can’t be saved from your behavior at Mardi Gras. • Attend all cook-offs/eat more crawfish. Bonus points if you are able to do so and not gain weight. • Make it to more concerts. Mobile’s music scene is booming, it’s time you stopped missing out! • And lastly, win the most coveted award, a Nappie! There are tons of categories, so start campaigning now! Well, kids, that’s all I’ve got for this week. Just remember, whether rain or shine, dramatic or scandalous, or just some plain ol’ New Year lovin’, I will be there. Ciao!
LAGNIAPPE LEGALS | 251.450-4466 | legals@lagniappemobile.com FORECLOSURES MORTGAGE FORECLOSURE SALE Default having been made in the payment of the indebtedness secured by that certain mortgage executed by Forrest L. Neese and Jenny M. Neese, husband and wife, originally in favor of Mortgage Electronic Registration Systems, Inc., as nominee for HMC- Home Mortgage Co., on the 22nd day of January, 2008, said mortgage recorded in the Office of the Judge of Probate of Mobile County, Alabama, in Book 6325 Page 386; modified in Bk: LR7482, Pg: 1617; the undersigned Nationstar Mortgage LLC d/b/a Mr. Cooper, as Mortgagee/Transferee, under and by virtue of the power of sale contained in said mortgage, will sell at public outcry to the highest bidder for cash, in front of the main entrance of the Courthouse at Mobile, Mobile County, Alabama, on February 1, 2018, during the legal hours of sale, all of its right, title, and interest in and to the following described real estate, situated in Mobile County, Alabama, to-wit: Lot 20 and a portion of Lot 27 and Lot 19. Beverly Court, as recorded in Map Book 2, Page 49, Probate Court, Mobile Court, Mobile County, Alabama, all being more particularly described as follows: beginning at the North line of Old Shell Road and the West line of Beverly Court; thence run North along said West line 84.10 feet to the point; thence run South 89 degrees 31 minutes 20 seconds West 124.45 feet to the West line of Lot 19; thence run South 14.10 feet along said West line to the Southwest corner of Lot 19; thence run South 89 degrees 31 minutes 10 seconds West 8.00 feet along the North line of Lot 27 to a point on the North line of Old Shell Road; thence run North 84 degrees 22 minutes 00 seconds East 97.65 feet along said North line to a point; thence run North 87 degrees 40 minutes 00 seconds East 35.80 feet along said North line to the point of beginning. Property street address for informational purposes: 101 Beverly Court, Mobile, AL 36604. THIS PROPERTY WILL BE SOLD ON AN “AS IS, WHERE IS” BASIS, SUBJECT TO ANY EASEMENTS, ENCUMBRANCES, AND EXCEPTIONS REFLECTED IN THE MORTGAGE AND THOSE CONTAINED IN THE RECORDS OF THE OFFICE OF THE JUDGE OF PROBATE OF THE COUNTY WHERE THE ABOVE-DESCRIBED PROPERTY IS SITUATED. THIS PROPERTY WILL BE SOLD WITHOUT WARRANTY OR RECOURSE, EXPRESSED OR IMPLIED AS TO TITLE, USE AND/OR ENJOYMENT AND WILL BE SOLD SUBJECT TO THE RIGHT OF REDEMPTION OF ALL PARTIES ENTITLED THERETO. Alabama law gives some persons who have an interest in property the right to redeem the property under certain circumstances. Programs may also exist that help persons avoid or delay the foreclosure process. An attorney should be consulted to help you understand these rights and programs as a part of the foreclosure process. This sale is made for the purpose of paying the indebtedness secured by said mortgage, as well as the expenses of foreclosure. The successful bidder must tender a non-refundable deposit of Five Thousand Dollars ($5,000.00) in certified funds made payable to Sirote & Permutt, P.C. at the time and place of the sale. The balance of the purchase price must be paid in certified funds by noon the next business day at the Law Office of Sirote & Permutt, P.C. at the address indicated below. Sirote & Permutt, P.C. reserves the right to award the bid to the next highest bidder should the highest bidder fail to timely tender the total amount due. The Mortgagee/Transferee reserves the right to bid for and purchase the real estate and to credit its purchase price against the expenses of sale and the indebtedness secured by the real estate. This sale is subject to postponement or cancellation. Nationstar Mortgage LLC d/b/a Mr. Cooper, Mortgagee/Transferee Rebecca Redmond SIROTE & PERMUTT, P.C. P. O. Box 55727 Birmingham, AL 352555727 Attorney for Mortgagee/Transferee www.sirote. com/foreclosures 426488 Lagniappe HD January 3, 10,17 2018
MORTGAGE FORECLOSURE SALE Default having been made in the payment of the indebtedness secured by that certain mortgage executed by Steven Paul Anderson and Olivia Marie Anderson, husband and wife, originally in favor of Mortgage Electronic Registration Systems, Inc., as nominee for Platinum Mortgage, Inc., on the 9th day of September, 2011, said mortgage recorded in the Office of the Judge of Probate of Mobile County, Alabama, in Book 6814 Page 330; the undersigned Ditech Financial LLC f/k/a Green Tree Servicing, LLC, as Mortgagee/Transferee, under and by virtue of the power of sale contained in said mortgage, will sell at public outcry to the highest bidder for cash, in front of the main entrance of the Courthouse at Mobile, Mobile County, Alabama, on March 1, 2018, during the legal hours of sale, all of its right, title, and interest in and to the following described real estate, situated in Mobile County, Alabama, to-wit: Lot 81, Jefferson Acres as recorded in Map Book 9, Page 301 Probate Court Records, Mobile County, Alabama. Property street address for informational purposes: 5463 McDonald Rd, Theodore, AL 36582. THIS PROPERTY WILL BE SOLD ON AN “AS IS, WHERE IS” BASIS, SUBJECT TO ANY EASEMENTS, ENCUMBRANCES, AND EXCEPTIONS REFLECTED IN THE MORTGAGE AND THOSE CONTAINED IN THE RECORDS OF THE OFFICE OF THE JUDGE OF PROBATE OF THE COUNTY WHERE THE ABOVE-DESCRIBED PROPERTY IS SITUATED. THIS PROPERTY WILL BE SOLD WITHOUT WARRANTY OR RECOURSE, EXPRESSED OR IMPLIED AS TO TITLE,
USE AND/OR ENJOYMENT AND WILL BE SOLD SUBJECT TO THE RIGHT OF REDEMPTION OF ALL PARTIES ENTITLED THERETO. Alabama law gives some persons who have an interest in property the right to redeem the property under certain circumstances. Programs may also exist that help persons avoid or delay the foreclosure process. An attorney should be consulted to help you understand these rights and programs as a part of the foreclosure process. This sale is made for the purpose of paying the indebtedness secured by said mortgage, as well as the expenses of foreclosure. The successful bidder must tender a nonrefundable deposit of Five Thousand Dollars ($5,000.00) in certified funds made payable to Sirote & Permutt, P.C. at the time and place of the sale. The balance of the purchase price must be paid in certified funds by noon the next business day at the Law Office of Sirote & Permutt, P.C. at the address indicated below. Sirote & Permutt, P.C. reserves the right to award the bid to the next highest bidder should the highest bidder fail to timely tender the total amount due. The Mortgagee/Transferee reserves the right to bid for and purchase the real estate and to credit its purchase price against the expenses of sale and the indebtedness secured by the real estate. This sale is subject to postponement or cancellation. Ditech Financial LLC f/k/a Green Tree Servicing, LLC, Mortgagee/Transferee Rebecca Redmond SIROTE & PERMUTT, P.C. P. O. Box 55727 Birmingham, AL 35255-5727 Attorney for Mortgagee/ Transferee www.sirote.com/foreclosures 425805 Lagniappe HD January 3, 10,17 2018
FORECLOSURE NOTICE Default having been made by the herein referenced Grantee in the terms of that certain Vendor’s Lien Deed executed on February 10, 2015 by Joshua D. Hensarling as Grantee to Profit Sharing Plan- for MLB Realty Company, Inc., as Grantor which said Vendor’s Lien Deed was recorded in the Office of the Judge of Probate, Mobile County, Alabama, in Real Property Book LR7234, Page 1572; and default continuing under said Vendor’s Lien Deed, by virtue of and pursuant to the power of sale contained in said Vendor’s Lien, the following described real property will be sold at public outcry, for cash, to the highest bidder, in front of the North entrance of the Courthouse of said County, located at 205 Government Street, Mobile, Alabama 36644, during the legal hours of sale, on February 7, 2018. Lot 26 as per plat of DOGWOOD ESTATES, FIRST UNIT, as recorded in Map Book 21, Page 120, Probate Court of Mobile County, Alabama; Said sale is made for the purpose of paying said Vendor’s Lien debt and costs of foreclosure. Profit Sharing Plan for MLB Realty Company, Inc. Holder of said Vendor’s Lien. WILLIAM B. JACKSON, II STOKES & CLINTON, P.C. Attorneys for Lienholder Post Office Box 991801 Mobile, Alabama 36691 (251) 460-2400/17-75921 Lagniappe HD Jan. 3, 10, 17, 2018
FORECLOSURE NOTICE Default having been made in the payment of the indebtedness described in and secured by that certain mortgage executed by Dianne H. Nobles and Charles Edward Nobles, wife and husband to Mortgage Electronic Regitrations Systems, Inc. (MERS) acting solely as nominee for Lender, Ameritrust Mortage Inc., and Lender’s successor and assigns dated May 16, 2008, and Recorded in RLPY Book 6384, Page 1743 of the records in the Office of the Judge of Probate, Mobile County, Alabama, which said mortgage was subsequently assigned to Flagstar Bank, FSB by instrument recorded in Book 6904, Page 9 of said Probate Court records; notice is hereby given that the undersigned as mortgagee will under power of sale contained in said mortgage, sell at public outcry for cash to the highest bidder, during legal hours of sale on the February 15, 2018, at the front door entrance of the Courthouse of Mobile County, Alabama, 205 Government Street, Mobile, Alabama 36602, the following described real property in the County of Mobile, State of Alabama, being the same property described in the above referred to mortgage: FROM THE SOUTHWEST INTERSECTION OF HOWELL AVENUE AND JEMISON STREET AS SHOWN ON THE PLAT OF CESSNA PLACE, FIRST ADDITION, AS RECORDED IN MAP BOOK 5, PAGE 524, OF THE RECORDS IN THE OFFICE OF THE JUDGE OF PROBATE. MOBILE COUNTY, ALABAMA, RUN THENCE SOUTH 2 DEGREES, 29 MINUTES EAST ALONG THE WEST RIGHT-OF-WAY LINE OF JEMISON STREET 283.8 FEET; THENCE SOUTH 14 DEGREES, 33 WEST ALONG THE WEST RIGHT-OF-WAY OF JEMISON STREET 40 FEET TO A POINT ON THE NORTH RIGHT-OF-WAY OF FAIRWAY DRIVE; THENCE NORTH 75 DEGREES, 27 MINUTES WEST ALONG THE NORTH RIGHT-OF-WAY LINE OF FAIRWAY DRIVE 87 FEET; THENCE SOUTH 88 DEGREES, 28 MINUTES WEST ALONG THE NORTH RIGHT-OF-WAY LINE OF FAIRWAY DRIVE 29 FEET TO THE POINT OF BEGINNING OF THE PROPERTY HEREIN DESCRIBED; CONTINUE SOUTH 88 DEGREES 28 MINUTES WEST ALONG THE NORTH RIGHT-OF-WAY LINE OF FAIRWAY DRIVE 81 FEET TO A FENCE LINE BEING ON THE EAST LINE OF PROPERTY CONVEYED TO ARLENE H. GRIFFITH BY DEED RECORDED IN DEED BOOK 723, PAGE 739; THENCE NORTH 0 DEGREES, 27 MINUTES WEST ALONG SAID FENCE LINE (BEING THE EAST LINE OF ARLENE H. GRIFFITH’S PROPERTY) 208.20 FEET TO THE NORTHEAST CORNER OF ARLENE H. GRIFFITH’S PROPERTY; THENCE SOUTH 70 DEGREES, 27 MINUTES EAST 67 FEET; THENCE SOUTH 6 DEGREES, 02 MINUTES EAST 184.4 FEET TO THE POINT OF BEGINNING.
ALABAMA LAW GIVES SOME PERSONS WHO HAVE AN INTEREST IN PROPERTY THE RIGHT TO REDEEM THE PROPERTY UNDER CERTAIN CIRCUMSTANCES. PROGRAMS MAY ALSO EXIST THAT HELP PERSONS AVOID OR DELAY THE FORECLOSURE PROCESS. AN ATTORNEY SHOULD BE CONSULTED TO HELP YOU UNDERSTAND THESE RIGHTS AND PROGRAMS AS A PART OF THE FORECLOSURE PROCESS. This property will be sold on an “as is, where is” basis, subject to any easements, encumbrances and exceptions reflected in the mortgage and those contained in the records of the office of the judge of the probate where the above-described property is situated. This property will be sold without warranty or recourse, expressed or implied as to title, use and/or enjoyment and will be sold subject to the right of redemption of all parties entitled thereto. Said sale is made for the purpose of paying the said indebtedness and the expenses incident to this sale, including a reasonable attorney’s fee. The sale will be conducted subject (1) to confirmation that the sale is not prohibited under the U.S. Bankruptcy Code and (2) to final confirmation and audit of the status of the loan with the mortgagee. Flagstar Bank, FSB Mortgagee. William McFadden McFadden, Rouse & Bender, LLC 718 Downtowner Blvd. Mobile, AL 36609 Lagniappe HD December 20, 27, January 3, 2018
MORTGAGE FORECLOSURE SALE Default having been made in the payment of the indebtedness secured by that certain mortgage executed by Paul E. Pierce, single man, originally in favor of Mortgage Electronic Registration Systems, Inc. acting solely as nominee for Mortgage Research Center, LLC DBA Veterans United Home Loans, on the 23rd day of June, 2014, said mortgage recorded in the Office of the Judge of Probate of Mobile County, Alabama, in Book LR7163 Page 226; the undersigned Pingora Loan Servicing, LLC, as Mortgagee/ Transferee, under and by virtue of the power of sale contained in said mortgage, will sell at public outcry to the highest bidder for cash, in front of the main entrance of the Courthouse at Mobile, Mobile County, Alabama, on January 25, 2018, during the legal hours of sale, all of its right, title, and interest in and to the following described real estate, situated in Mobile County, Alabama, to-wit: Lot 5, Creekwood Subdivision, Unit Two as recorded in Map Book 30 Page 36 in the Office of the Judge of Probate, Mobile County, Alabama.Property street address for informational purposes: 7510 Branchwood Dr, Mobile, AL 36695. THIS PROPERTY WILL BE SOLD ON AN “AS IS, WHERE IS” BASIS, SUBJECT TO ANY EASEMENTS, ENCUMBRANCES, AND EXCEPTIONS REFLECTED IN THE MORTGAGE AND THOSE CONTAINED IN THE RECORDS OF THE OFFICE OF THE JUDGE OF PROBATE OF THE COUNTY WHERE THE ABOVEDESCRIBED PROPERTY IS SITUATED. THIS PROPERTY WILL BE SOLD WITHOUT WARRANTY OR RECOURSE, EXPRESSED OR IMPLIED AS TO TITLE, USE AND/OR ENJOYMENT AND WILL BE SOLD SUBJECT TO THE RIGHT OF REDEMPTION OF ALL PARTIES ENTITLED THERETO. Alabama law gives some persons who have an interest in property the right to redeem the property under certain circumstances. Programs may also exist that help persons avoid or delay the foreclosure process. An attorney should be consulted to help you understand these rights and programs as a part of the foreclosure process. This sale is made for the purpose of paying the indebtedness secured by said mortgage, as well as the expenses of foreclosure. The successful bidder must tender a non-refundable deposit of Five Thousand Dollars ($5,000.00) in certified funds made payable to Sirote & Permutt, P.C. at the time and place of the sale. The balance of the purchase price must be paid in certified funds by noon the next business day at the Law Office of Sirote & Permutt, P.C. at the address indicated below. Sirote & Permutt, P.C. reserves the right to award the bid to the next highest bidder should the highest bidder fail to timely tender the total amount due. The Mortgagee/ Transferee reserves the right to bid for and purchase the real estate and to credit its purchase price against the expenses of sale and the indebtedness secured by the real estate. This sale is subject to postponement or cancellation. Pingora Loan Servicing, LLC, Mortgagee/Transferee. Rebecca Redmond SIROTE & PERMUTT, P.C. P. O. Box 55727 Birmingham, AL 35255-5727. Attorney for Mortgagee/ Transferee www.sirote.com/foreclosures 418644 Lagniappe HD Dec. 27, 2017 Jan. 3, 10, 2018
PUBLIC NOTICE STATE OF ALABAMA COUNTY OF MOBILE Notice is hereby given that a bill as described in the synopsis below will be introduced in the 2018 Regular Session of the Legislature of Alabama and application for its passage and enactment will be made: A BILL TO BE ENTITLED AN ACT. SYNOPSIS: This bill would relate to Class 2 municipalities operating under a countywide civil service system and would authorize the municipality to establish an optional program for the hiring and pay of public safety employee. Lagniappe HD Jan. 3, 10, 17, 24, 2018
DISTRICT COURT OF ALABAMA, MOBILE COUNTY CASE NO. DV-2017-901785 MARKS FURNITURE COMPANY, INC., d/b/a La-Z-Boy Furniture Galleries, Plaintiff, vs. DARRELL W. REED JR., Defendant CLAIM: $6,116.45 FOR: Goods sold and delivered, under contract, account, account stated. Affidavit having been filed herein that service of process
cannot be made because either the residence of defendant is unknown and cannot with reasonable diligence be ascertained or the identity of defendant is unknown or the resident defendant has been absent for more than thirty days since the filing of this suit, or that defendant avoids service and avers facts showing such avoidance. NOW, THEREFORE, SAID DEFENDANT IS HEREBY COMMANDED WITHIN THIRTY (30) DAYS AFTER THE LAST PUBLICATION HEREOF TO PLEAD TO THE SAID COMPLAINT ISSUED: December 7, 2017. J.J. Schwarzauer/Bal CLERK, DISTRICT COURT OF ALABAMA, MOBILE COUNTY. ATTORNEY FOR PLAINTIFF J. PATRICK COURTNEY III Law Offices of J. Patrick Courtney III P. O. Box 2205 1 North Royal Street Mobile, AL 366522205 251/694-1001 Lagniappe HD December 20, 27, 2017, January 3, 10, 2018.
STATE OF ALABAMA COUNTY OF MOBILE Notice is hereby given that a bill as described in the synopsis below will be introduced in the 2018 Regular Session of the Legislature of Alabama and application for its passage and enactment will be made: A BILL TO BE ENTITLED AN ACT. SYNOPSIS: Relating to Class 2 municipalities; To amend Section 11-28-1.1, Code of Alabama 1975, to include a Class 2 municipality or public corporation located within the county as public facilities for purposes of this chapter. Lagniappe HD Dec. 27, Jan. 3, 10, 17, 2018
STATE OF ALABAMA COUNTY OF MOBILE Notice is hereby given that a bill as described in the synopsis below will be introduced in the 2018 Regular Session of the Legislature of Alabama and application for its passage and enactment will be made: A BILL TO BE ENTITLED AN ACT SYNOPSIS: Relating to Mobile County; to authorize the governing body of any municipality within Mobile County, or the County Commission in any unincorporated areas of the county, to authorize on premises sale and consumption of alcoholic beverages on Sunday commencing at 10:00 a.m. Lagniappe HD Dec. 27, Jan. 3, 10, 17, 2018
NOTICE OF COMPLETION In accordance with Chapter 1, Title 39, Code of Alabama, 1975, notice is hereby given that Double AA Construction Company, LLC Contractor, has completed the Contract for Construction of Re-Roofing Main Building and Canopy Work W.P. Davidson High School 3900 Pleasant Valley Road Mobile, Alabama 36609 for the State of Alabama and the County of Mobile, Public Schools Owner(s), and have made request for final settlement of said Contract. All persons having any claim for labor, materials, or otherwise in connection with this project should immediately notify Goodwyn, Mills and Cawood Architects 11 North Water Street, Mobile, Alabama 36602. Double AA Construction Company, 8735 Lott Road, Wilmer, AL 36587 Lagniappe HD Dec. 13, 20, 27, 2017, January 3, 2018
ADVERTISEMENT FOR BIDS Request for Proposals for Transit Management Services The City of Mobile is soliciting proposals from qualified firms for the management and operation of its public transportation organization known as “The Wave Transit System”. Deadline for proposals is January 08, 2018. To obtain a copy of the RFP, please visit the City’s Bid Opportunities page at www.cityofmobile.org/bids Lagniappe HD Dec. 13, 20, 27, 2017, Jan. 3, 2018
PROBATE NOTICE OF ESTATE ADMINISTRATION PROBATE COURT OF MOBILE COUNTY, ALABAMA Estate of: GARY BLUNT Case No. 2017-1794 Take notice that Letters of Administration have been granted to the below named party on the 21st day of December, 2017 by the Honorable Don Davis, Judge of Probate of Mobile County Probate Court, Alabama and that all parties having claims against said estate should file the same with the Probate Court of said county within the time allowed by law, or they will be barred. HAZEL WHITE BLUNT as Administratrix of the estate of GARY BLUNT, deceased. Attorney of Record: CHARLES JAMES II, Esq. Lagniappe HD Jan. 3, 10, 17, 2018
NOTICE OF ESTATE ADMINISTRATION PROBATE COURT OF MOBILE COUNTY, ALABAMA Estate of: NANCY MOORHEAD MIMS, Deceased Case No. 2017-2417 Take notice that Letters Testamentary have been granted to the below named party on the 26th day of December, 2017 by the Honorable Don Davis, Judge of Probate of Mobile County Probate Court, Alabama and that all parties having claims against said estate should file the same with the Probate Court of said county within the time allowed by law, or they will be barred. THOMAS JEROME MIMS III as Executor under the last will and testament of NANCY MOORHEAD MIMS, Deceased. Attorney of Record: R. SCOTT LEWIS, ESQ. 126 Courthouse Square Bay Minette, AL 36507 Lagniappe HD Jan. 3, 10, 17, 2018
NOTICE OF COURT PROCEEDING CASE NO. 2017-2190 IN THE PROBATE COURT OF MOBILE COUNTY, ALABAMA Notice of the filing of petition for Summary Distribution in the estate of Alvin Everett McLeod, Deceased. Notice is hereby given that a Petition for Summary Distribution has been filed by Karen Ann McLeod McRae on November 6, 2017, and that 30 days after the notice of publication hereof and pursuant to law the Court shall be requested to enter an order directing summary distribution of the estate of said decedent. Don Davis, Judge of Probate Petitioner: Karen Ann McLeod McRae 4358 Byron Ave. N. Mobile, AL 36609 Lagniappe HD Jan. 3, 2018
NOTICE OF ESTATE ADMINISTRATION PROBATE COURT OF MOBILE COUNTY, ALABAMA Estate of: MARY LOUISE MATCHETT HICKS, Deceased Case No. 2017-1927 Take notice that Letters Testamentary have been granted to the below named party on the 18th day of December, 2017 by the Honorable Don Davis, Judge of Probate of Mobile County Probate Court, Alabama and that all parties having claims against said estate should file the same with the Probate Court of said county within the time allowed by law, or they will be barred. CHAUNDRA HICKS GREEN as Executrix under the last will and testament of MARY LOUISE MATCHETT HICKS, Deceased. Attorney of Record: PRO SE Lagniappe HD Dec. 27, Jan. 3, 10, 2018
NOTICE OF SALE OF VESSEL Dog River Marina hereby gives notice that in order to collect storage and other charges, it will sell to the highest bidder for cash at its place of business on 5004 Dauphin Island Parkway, Mobile, Alabama at 11:00am Central Time on January 15,2018, the following described vessel: 35’ BRUCE ROBERTS HULL# FLZA443F185, Alabama Registration AL-1962-AT . The vessel now lays at said Marina and maybe viewed by contacting Rudy Ganas at 251-471-5449. Payment of highest bid shall me made in 20% cash, day of sale, 80% balance within two business days after date of sale or forfeit 20% deposit. Vessel sold free and clear of liens, but “as is where is” condition. Vessel must be removed from Marina within one week after closing sale. Lagniappe HD January 3, 10, 2018
NOTICE OF SALE The following unclaimed vehicle(s) will be sold on February 09 , 2018 - Time - 12pm, if not claimed - at 1183 Glen Acres Dr. E., Mobile, AL 36608. 2001 Dodge Ram 3B7HC13Y51G794699 Lagniappe HD Jan. 3, 10, 2018
The following unclaimed vehicle(s) will be sold on February 09 , 2018 - Time - 12pm, if not claimed - at 7960 Two Mile Rd., Irvington, AL 36544. 1986 Oldsmobile Cutlass 1G3AM19X0GG338613 1996 Infiniti G20 JNKCP01D8TT540899 Lagniappe HD Jan. 3, 10, 2018
The following unclaimed vehicle(s) will be sold on February 09 , 2018 - Time - 12pm, if not claimed - at 3721 Vinewood Dr., Eight Mile, AL 36613. 1997 Jeep Grand Cherokee 1J4FX58SXVC753852 Lagniappe HD Jan. 3, 10, 2018
The following unclaimed vehicle(s) will be sold on February 09 , 2018 - Time - 12pm, if not claimed - at 6971 Gentilly Dr. N., Mobile, AL 36618. 2004 Toyota Camry 4T1BE32K94U879440 Lagniappe HD Jan. 3, 10, 2018
The following unclaimed vehicle(s) will be sold on February 09 , 2018 - Time -12pm, if not claimed - at 106 Martin Luther King Dr., Prichard, AL 36610. 2004 Buick Regal 2G4WB52K941309469 Lagniappe HD Jan. 3, 10, 2018
The following unclaimed vehicle(s) will be sold on February 09 , 2018 - Time - 12pm, if not claimed - at 2107 Webb Ave., Mobile, AL 36605. 2012 Chevrolet Impala 2G1WF5E3XC1195938 Lagniappe HD Jan. 3, 10, 2018
The following unclaimed vehicle(s) will be sold on February 09 , 2018 - Time - 12pm, if not claimed - at 37957 Hwy 59, Bay Minette, AL 36507. 2000 Chrysler Sebring 4C3AU42N8YE011242 Lagniappe HD Jan. 3, 10, 2018
J a n u a r y 3 , 2 0 1 8 - J a n u a r y 9 , 2 0 1 8 | L AG N I A P P E | 31