Lagniappe May 30 - June 5, 2018 by Lagniappe

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WEEKLY

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LAGNIAPPE

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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

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BAY BRIEFS

In response to a lack of state and local funding, courts in Mobile County have announced a plan to limit staff and services.

COMMENTARY

Kick the tires a little more on the governor’s race.

BUSINESS

United Way of Southwest Alabama teamed up with FamilyWize to reduce costs for prescription medications for 21,000 residents last year by $1.8 million.

CUISINE

KEVIN LEE Associate Editor/Arts Editor klee@lagniappemobile.com

Since 1996, Mobile’s Big Time Diner has been a magnet for those seeking blue-plate specials and meat and threes.

ANDY MACDONALD Cuisine Editor fatmansqueeze@comcast.net

STEPHEN CENTANNI Music Editor scentanni@lagniappemobile.com STEPHANIE POE Copy Editor copy@lagniappemobile.com DANIEL ANDERSON Chief Photographer dan@danandersonphoto.com LAURA MATTEI Art Director www.laurarasmussen.com BROOKE O’DONNELL Advertising Sales Executive brooke@lagniappemobile.com BETH WILLIAMS Advertising Sales Executive bwilliams@lagniappemobile.com ALEEN MOMBERGER Advertising Sales Executive aleen@lagniappemobile.com DAVID GRAYSON Advertising Sales Executive david@lagniappemobile.com

COVER

Front-runners have emerged in the gubernatorial race ahead of next week’s primary election. Priorities include education, employment and infrastructure.

ARTS

The Mobile Arts Council’s seventh annual Arts Throwdown takes place Thursday, Sept. 20, 5:30-9 p.m. at 23 East (1886 Fifth St.) at the Brookley Aeroplex.

MUSIC

ROSS PRITCHARD Distribution Manager delivery@lagniappemobile.com JACKIE CRUTHIRDS Office Manager jackie@lagniappemobile.com CONTRIBUTORS: J. Mark Bryant, Asia Frey, Brian Holbert, Randy Kennedy, John Mullen, Jeff Poor, Ken Robinson, Ron Sivak ON THE COVER: 2018 GUBERNATORIAL ELECTION - BY LAURA MATTEI POSTMASTER: Send address changes to P.O. Box 3003 Mobile, AL 36652. Editorial, advertising and production offices are located at 704 Government St., Mobile, AL 36604. Mailing address is P.O. Box 3003 Mobile, AL 36652. Phone: 251.450.4466 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.

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Destin-based I’MAGENE, veterans of SouthSounds, are returning to Mobile with their pioneering “retro electric soul.”

FILM

Annette Bening and Jamie Bell have delightful chemistry as star-crossed lovers and give beautiful performances in “Film Stars Don’t Die in Liverpool.”

SPORTS

Some 700 to 800 race participants will join more than 3,000 spectators in Fairhope this weekend for the Publix Grandman Triathlon.

MEDIA

Lagniappe rakes in 14 awards in the Alabama Press Association contest.

STYLE

Boozie has gossip about the Spring Hill peacock and the musicians’ benefit for Pat Murphy.

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GOING POSTAL

Real story of Africatown is in McCall library

We need a local ethics watchdog

Editor: I am always glad to see people showing interest in the story of the Clotilda, Africatown and Cudjo (Kazola or Kosolla) Lewis, so I was delighted to read Casey N. Cep’s lengthy review of Zora Neale Hurston’s “Barracoon” in the May 14 issue of the New Yorker. However, I feel that some explanation of Mobilians’ role in this story is needed. In 1914 Miss Emma Langdon Roche (1878-1945) published the first account of the last slave ship to enter the United States, “Historic Sketches of the South.” She was the artist/writer daughter of a prominent white family here. She spent a great deal of time interviewing the people who had been illegally brought into South Alabama to be the slaves of several local men. She recorded their folkways and her interviews with Kazola gave her their history. He had emerged as one of their leaders and spokesman, despite his accent, which was so heavy that later Zora Neale Hurston simply could not understand him. Miss Roche did and Hurston plagiarized her 1914 book in “Cudjoe’s Own Story of the last African Slaver” (1928), passing it off as her own. In 1931 she returned to Africatown, interviewed Lewis repeatedly over a three-month period and eventually came to understand his accent. Those interviews served as the basis for “Barracoon,” which did not interest publishers when she completed it before World War II and was preserved with her other papers until Alice Walker revived her memory by getting “Barracoon” published this year. In addition to Miss Roche’s pioneering work, scholars in Mobile have been collecting documents and photographs about Kazola and Africatown as have visitors, including Sylviane Diouf. The collections of the [Doy Leale] McCall [Rare Book and Manuscript] Library (formerly the University of South Alabama Archives) hold most of this, but other repositories in the area have material as well. The current residents of Africatown and their friends and family across the country are trying to preserve their community’s heritage. However, telling Africatown’s story has always been an uphill battle. The community has never had much money or political power, but its efforts are beginning to show signs of success. Grants have been awarded and plans are afoot to build a welcome center. The community has attracted black organizations, principally church groups, to make pilgrimages to the site. Mobile is a very friendly, conservative Southern city, but it knows how to keep its secrets. Both black and white Mobilians are quite good at this, but it does make telling this story more difficult. Thanks to local researchers such as Israel Lewis (a descendent of Kazola’s) and other academics we have the unearthed the material to tell the story. It is quite a tale, which I hope will be accurately told soon.

Editor: People rub their eyes at the prospect of having $87 million on the table for one bridge and $60 million on the table for another, having $4 million on the table for a performing arts center and $4 million on the table for ballfields at the new school, so perhaps forming our own ethics commission is the least bad option for local oversight — restraining ourselves from an embarrassing scandal, protecting our officials from unwise inclinations, protecting another politician from legal jeopardy. I propose a local ethics commission composed of five volunteers, perhaps lawyers or paralegals from the community, meeting once every three months, providing ethical guidance for officials and employees about their roles interacting with vendors and bidders, such as accepting gifts like tuna dip at restaurants, VIP tickets for concerts or fishing trips in the Gulf, understanding how lobbying influences the psychology of the council chambers. This body would be responsible for opinions from the Alabama Ethics Commission before irreversible mistakes are made. “There isn’t a place in Alabama that contributes more tourism revenue than the cities of Gulf Shores and Orange Beach,” wrote the mayors in a letter to Lagniappe published May 16. Their argument is true, bolstering my reasoning for better ethical oversight at the local level, because a lot of money is on the table. Orange Beach took in over $40 million in revenue last year, according to Mayor Kennon’s State of the City slideshow. “Check our state budgets for the revenue we contribute. Check the studies performed to assess our economic impact to the state,” both mayors espoused. These arguments are meant to convince Montgomery to acquiesce, funding the $87 million bridge west of the Foley Beach Express, but this bridge will still empty out onto two lanes on Canal Road, perhaps not alleviating traffic, raising the question of motivation for the bridge. Is the Baldwin bridge meant to put the Foley Beach Express out of business, buying it later for pennies on the dollar? This is an ethical question about the long-term plan, centered on why taxpayer monies should be spent for the bridge. Having a local commission responsible for ethical guidance would provide scrupulous professionalism, having leadership, finance and ethics on the same page, because human nature is fickle; seeing an opportunity to peddle a little influence can be irresistible. For me the key solution is obvious, but The Alabama Ethics Commission has not replied to my email for an opinion, outlining how a local municipality would found their own ethics commission. I call for additional oversight. During a period when so much money is on the table, assuming the opposition will not replace the incumbents, lacking the scar tissue of office, simply cutting the cards before the deal is dealt may be enough to sustain an ethical balance.

Michael Thomason, PhD Mobile

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Rauf Bolden Orange Beach

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BAYBRIEF | MOBILE COUNTY

Bare minimum

MOBILE COUNTY COURTS TO CUT STAFF, LIMIT SERVICES BY JASON JOHNSON

he effects of limited funding for Mobile County’s judicial system — something Presiding Circuit Judge John Lockett has repeatedly warned about — could soon be felt, and local courts will soon be operating with smaller staffs, limited hours and fewer weeks for jury trials. Lockett made the announcement in a release to the Mobile Bar Association Thursday morning, notifying the public that, due to a lack of adequate state funding, local courts will lay off a number of employees in the fall and begin reducing services as early as next week. “Despite the state trial court budget receiving $2.5 million more than initially requested by the chief justice, we have been informed that none of this amount will be allocated to address the personnel shortages in our circuit,” Lockett wrote. “Thus, the circuit clerk’s office will remain short 19 fulltime employees, and an additional 14 to 16 more employees in the judges’ offices and court administration will be laid off by September 30, 2018.” Lockett said that will mean longer delays in all litigation, including criminal cases, protection from abuse petitions, child support and custody matters and civil cases. He said office hours and services will also be cut sharply beginning June 1 in order to give court clerks, judges and judicial staff members time to do the work they’re being asked to do with less. Effective June 1, 2018: • The circuit clerk’s office will be closed from noon to 1 p.m. every afternoon. • The clerk’s office will only answer telephone calls after 2:30 p.m. Effective January 1, 2019: • The number of weeks available for jury trials

will be reduced from 31 to 24, and each two-week jury term will be separated by at least one nonjury week so the judges’ remaining staff can address the motions and pleadings that accumulated during those trials. • Attorneys and all parties are encouraged to communicate with the courts through the Alacourt system or through email, as the remaining staff’s ability to respond to incoming phone calls in the judges’ offices will be “severely limited.” “We regret that we will no longer have sufficient personnel to timely dispose of most matters; however, every effort will be made to address court filings in an orderly fashion,” Lockett added. “We all appreciate your patience during these difficult times.” While the expected changes will be sudden, Lockett has been trying to stave off the problem since 2017, when he sent a letter to Mobile’s legislative delegation notifying them of the 13th Circuit’s — Alabama’s busiest — need for additional funding. When the chips fell in Montgomery this year, though, none the additional funding allocated to the state court system was redirected to Mobile. Many of the positions soon to be cut would have been cut last year were it not for a $392,000 emergency appropriation from the Mobile County Commission. Commissioners were clear then they would not continue to pick up the state’s burden of funding its court system. Some have argued, however, that despite this being the state’s problem to solve, Mobile County should help subsidize cuts to local courts at the state level, as other, similarly sized Alabama counties do. The same issue has come up in ongoing judicial races as well.

BAYBRIEF | MOBILE

‘Mother of all fire stations’ CITY CUTS RIBBON ON NEW CRICHTON FACILITY BY DALE LIESCH

he city’s newest fire station combines two posts into one and, according to Mayor Sandy Stimpson, will help the Mobile Fire-Rescue Department achieve something only a small percentage of fire departments in the United States have been able to. Since beginning the search for a new fire chief last year, the city has been on a quest to achieve the highest rating available for the department from the Insurance Services Office, an ISO 1 designation. Currently the department has an ISO 3 rating. An ISO designation basically helps describe how well-equipped a department is to deal with certain situations. An ISO 1 designation is hard to achieve, however. Only 400 to 500 of America’s 4,400 fire departments have earned the designation, Public Safety Director James Barber said at a news conference Thursday morning. Montgomery’s fire department has the only ISO 1 designation in the state, under Chief Milford Jordan, who Stimpson said was an integral part of selecting Mobile’s Fire Chief, Mark Sealy. It was Jordan who first encouraged Mobile officials to aim for the highest ISO designation, he added. “We realized that we, too, can do this,” Stimpson said. For Stimpson, the improvement in ISO designation means better, more professional services for citizens — starting with the new Crichton

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Fire Station. The 12,137-square-foot facility will house a ladder truck, a hazardous materials team and an all-hazards response team, all located near Interstate 65 for better citywide access, Sealy said. “It’s another step toward ISO,” he said. “It’s another step … toward being the best fire department in the country.” The ladder truck and its proximity to the Boykin Tower housing complex will specifically move the department closer to ISO 1, Stimpson said. The ladder truck will help with so-called high-rise rescues, according to Sealy. Barber said he’s confident the department will reach ISO 1 because “failure is not an option.” Councilman Fred Richardson, who represents Crichton, told the crowd at the ribbon cutting that the placement of the new “mother of all fire stations” has already helped with development of the area. He mentioned nearby businesses. “They know they’re safe,” he said. “They’re not coming into an area where they know they’re not safe. We’re not yet the safest city in the country, but we’re safer then we were. I can tell you that.” The new station replaces both the Gus Riehm Fire Station and the Ashland Place Fire Station. Stimpson said he doesn’t expect Ashland Place residents to notice a change in service. “This area has so much more capacity here,” he said.

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BAYBRIEF | MOBILE

Capital improvement COMMITTEE CONSIDERS CHANGES TO CIP PROGRAM BY DALE LIESCH

Mobile City Council committee has suggested reforming the earmarks associated with roughly $30 million coming into city coffers from a 1-cent sales tax increase. The council’s Capital Improvement Project (CIP) committee suggested changes that would simplify the city’s capital budget and also secure steady funding for its capital improvement plan, which splits $21 million of that tax money evenly among the seven council districts to be used for infrastructure projects. The ordinance supporting the capital plan mandated the city split the remaining money from the tax increase — roughly $9 million — proportionally among public safety, economic development and other projects. The suggestion by Councilman John Williams would consolidate line items for public safety vehicles and economic development into a single line item of up to $4 million to be used for municipal buildings, studies and other citywide capital expenses. The rewrite would also direct any money left over be put into the capital budget. “I would like to see us make it simpler,” Williams said. Councilors did request that Mayor Sandy Stimpson’s administration work with them to find possible alternative funding streams for other line items within the capital budget. One area of concern was changing the $5 million line item for economic development. As Councilman Joel Daves pointed out, it would be tough to predict when and how much money would be needed for economic incentives. “The problem is you don’t need it until you need it,”

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Daves said. “You also don’t always see it coming a year in advance.” Dianne Irby, executive director of engineering and development, told councilors that in the past, the city has pulled hundreds of thousands of dollars from district spending for citywide projects and studies. For instance, Irby said, $387,000 of CIP money from each district went to buildings. Another $347,000 from each district went to study the greenway project. Councilman Levon Manzie said the city could go “tighter” on economic development, as it doesn’t spend $5 million per year. That money could help reduce the burden on district spending, he said, adding that the goal of the CIP should be to get as much of the $3 million per year into tangible projects as possible. “We’ve settled into study, study, study mode,” Manzie said. “Studies are going to kill us. We’ve got millions more in needs than we have resources.” Councilwoman Bess Rich said she’d like to hear from Mayor Stimpson’s administration on how much of the economic development line item is used and about how close the city is to making its motor pool self-sustaining, so more capital money could go to district projects. “No matter what, the $21 million, district-by-district, was to be for tangible projects,” she said. Councilman C.J. Small reminded his colleagues that they wrote the ordinance and could change it if they wanted. “We’re the ones who created this,” he said. Councilman Fred Richardson complained about the disparity between the money spent on public safety ve-

hicles and public works vehicles. He said the city spent only about $600,000 for public works and $21 million on public safety over the last three years. Daves reminded him of the city’s individual share of the BP oil spill settlement, which went to purchase new garbage trucks. “Where do you think the new garbage trucks came from?” Daves asked. “Did they snap their fingers?” “It wasn’t CIP,” Richardson said. Relya Mallory, from the city’s finance department, told Richardson that while only $630,000 had been budgeted in capital for public works, much more had actually been spent. “We’re buying a lot of public service equipment,” she said. As for how much goes into economic development each year, Mallory said the city would “love” to have $5 million. Last year, $1.3 million was removed for raises. What will make this more challenging, Mallory said, is the $18 million to $23 million in debt service the city can’t touch. “We haven’t had $5 million in economic development in three or four years,” she said. “There’s only $30 million to work with after all the expenses and $21 million of that goes to CIP.” As for the motor pool, Mallory said it’s not yet self-sustaining and a portion of that public safety line item would need to be used until it is. “It’s going to take forever for it to get where it needs to be,” she said. At times the discussion broke down into a debate over who was truly responsible for the city’s financial recovery and who was to blame for its initial fiscal failures. Richardson said without the sales tax increase, which the council renewed despite Mayor Stimpson’s 2014 veto, the city would not be in good financial shape now. Daves argued the previous administration under Sam Jones had the extra sales tax and still couldn’t make ends meet. “In the first two years we reduced spending by $17 million,” Daves said. “The reason we have money today is reductions in the general fund and the renewal of the penny.” Richardson countered by talking of the Great Recession and said Jones’ administration was hampered by the nationwide economic downturn. He credited a decrease in unemployment for the increased tax revenue. “Unemployment went down and generated the money we have now,” Richardson said. “The economic posture changed. It wasn’t any genius who came in.”

BAYBRIEF | COURTS

Playing favorites? ST. PAUL’S LAWSUIT TARGETING ‘COMPETITIVE BALANCE’ RULE BY JASON JOHNSON

Photo | Courtesy St. Paul’s

Since 2014, St. Paul’s Episcopal School has claimed 27 state titles in multiple sports including the three 5A state football titles in the past four years.

t. Paul’s Episcopal School is taking legal action against the Alabama High School Athletic Association (AHSAA) over a new rule it says unfairly discriminates against private school sports teams because they’re “politically unpopular.” In a lawsuit filed earlier this week, the Mobile-based private school is targeting the “competitive balance factor” (CBF) AHSAA introduced last fall that forces successful private schools to play in increasingly larger athletic classifications. The change was introduced, the school claims, under pressure from state lawmakers and some public schools that were unhappy with the recent success some private institutions have seen in athletic competitions, especially in high school football. The lawsuit notes that in 2016, state lawmakers from the Madison County area introduced a bill that would have

required AHSAA to allow public school members to compete only against other public schools for state championships. That bill did not pass, but the complaint suggests the CBF rule grew out of that same sentiment. The AHSAA opted to calculate which teams were too successful using a point system. The structure is: one point for making a state playoff quarterfinal, two points for a semifinal and four points for an appearance in the state championship for any sport. Teams with more than six points have to move up a classification, though there is some variance in the point threshold for single-gender and sports played by both girls and boys. The complaint also notes that private school sports teams have already been classified using a “student multiplier” since 2000, which multiplies private schools’ enrollment by 1.35 when determining the classification they’ll

compete in athletically. St. Paul’s, which is a 4A school based on its actual enrollment, has competed and thrived in the 5A classification. Since 2014, the school has claimed 27 state titles in multiple sports including the three 5A state football titles in the past four years. If left in place, the CBF will require St. Paul’s football, volleyball, golf, outdoor track, indoor track, cross country, soccer, tennis and swimming teams to begin competing in a 6A classification through at least 2022 based on their recent success in statewide playoffs. It would put the school in class competition with other public high schools in the Mobile area including Blount, Saraland, Spanish Fort and Daphne — all of which have successful athletic programs of their own, especially in football. Now, ahead of the CBF taking effect this fall, St. Paul’s is arguing the classification change will put private school teams at a competitive disadvantage and create a greater risk for student injuries in contact sports by forcing small schools to meet much larger ones on the field. “[AHSAA]’s disparate treatment of private schools and private school students bears no rational connection to any legitimate state interest,” the complaint reads. “Rather, the [its] imposition of arbitrary, discriminatory and dangerous measures against private schools and private school students was motivated by a bare desire to harm and disadvantage a politically unpopular group.” The complaint suggests the rule is “discriminatory” based on not only its effects but also its implementation, noting that “many public schools exceeded the CBF’s success test playoff ‘point threshold’ between fall 2014 and spring 2017” but they are not subjected to the same rule. It goes on to question the reasoning the AHSAA used for implementing the CBF — that private schools have an “unfair” advantage because they have no geographic boundaries and recruit from other areas. The complaint also suggests that, because of school choice initiatives such as the Alabama Accountability Act of 2013, public schools are no longer subject to the geographical restrictions they once were, adding that some can, and do, recruit student-athletes. Attempts to reach administrators at St. Paul’s were not immediately successful, though AHSAA Executive Director Steve Savarese released a statement on the lawsuit Saturday. “The Competitive Balance Factor was unanimously approved by the AHSAA Central Board of Control on Nov. 13, 2017, upon the unanimous recommendation of a Classification Committee comprised of representatives from both public and private schools,” he wrote. “I am very disappointed that the process to resolve differences that all member schools agree to upon becoming members was not satisfactory for St. Paul’s Episcopal School.” Savarese directed all other questions regarding the lawsuit to AHSAA’s legal counsel.

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BAYBRIEF | MOBILE

Moving along CITY LOOKING TO REPLACE WAVE MANAGEMENT BY DALE LIESCH

he city is looking to replace the current operator of its transit system. Mayor Sandy Stimpson has asked the Mobile City Council to consider a $396,215 contract with First Transit Inc. for three years. City spokesman George Talbot said the administration was impressed with the company’s work in Montgomery in rejuvenating the capital city’s transit system. “They ran it more efficiently and also improved service and route efficiency,” Talbot said. “They’ll bring new eyes and creativity to the table.” First Transit has proposed a plan to improve ridership in Mobile through increased customer satisfaction and better routing, according to a statement. The cost to run the system will decrease through the contract from $72.67 per hour to $48.41 per hour, according to the statement. Council Vice President Levon Manzie has called a public safety committee meeting to discuss the contract. Councilman Joel Daves said the transportation committee would meet at 2 p.m. on Tuesday, June 5, to discuss the contract. Due to budget cuts in April 2016, the council voted on a McDonald Transit recommendation to cut most of the WAVE routes operating outside of the city. During the 2016 fiscal year budget process in September 2015, the City Council cut more than $700,000 from its general fund transfer to WAVE. Before the cut, the city was paying more

than $6 million of the system’s $10 million budget; the other $4 million came from federal grant funds. Among several other routes, the cuts did away with a bus to Eight Mile as well as other areas beyond the federally funded transfer hub in downtown Prichard. A bus to Chickasaw and a bus to Tillman’s Corner were also eliminated. The hours other buses run were also changed. The new contract would pay for one employee for three years and come with two one-year renewal options, said Paul Wesch, executive director of finance. The contract would also come with use of employees in Transit First’s corporate office in Cincinnati, Ohio. In other business, during a pre-conference meeting the council debated the merits of entering into two separate contracts to allow exclusive rights for a vendor to use concession stands at Sage-Herndon and Medal of Honor parks. The contracts were held over by council rules, but at least two members seemed skeptical. The contracts would pay the city $300 per month, but utilities such as water and power would be provided to the vendors. Richardson said he didn’t think $300 per month would cover the utility costs. Manzie said he would not support it as written, given the importance of a free market. He said it’s important to allow food trucks and others who spend money on business licenses and pay taxes to have an even playing field.

BAYBRIEF | BALDWIN COUNTY

Pennies on the dollar LEGISLATURE STREAMLINES REMEDY FOR TAX-DELINQUENT PROPERTIES BY JOHN MULLEN

n alternate method to collect overdue property taxes is now available to county tax collectors and assessors in Alabama, Baldwin County Revenue Commissioner Teddy Faust said. “We got a bill passed this past spring that will allow us to hold a tax lien sale as opposed to selling the property for tax,” Faust said. “It just charges interest on the amount of the tax. It’s a big win for the property owner. It was difficult to get this legislation passed, but it’s a big win for our citizens.” In the past, the county would have an auction on properties for which taxes were unpaid and sell them for the taxes, plus 12 percent interest on up to 15 percent of the appraised value of the property. Faust said Baldwin County has had fewer than 500 properties auctioned in each of the past three years but some years had up to 4,000. “Say a new owner of a condominium down at the beach fails to pay his or her taxes for one reason or another — this happens often — and we have the unit appraised for $500,000,” Faust said. “So, it goes on the list to sell at the tax sale. I start the auction and eventually call the owner’s name of the unit, the amount of taxes owed and end up with a bid of $75,000 [excess] above taxes, which in this case were $1,900 and the total bid is $76,900.” In this case, Faust said, the owner would pay 12 percent on $76,900 in order to redeem even though they only owe $1,900.

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“Say a year rocks along before they learn the property was in a tax sale,” Faust said. “They now owe $9,228 in interest, yet they only owed $1,900 in tax.” Under the new law, House Bill 354, they’ll only be paying interest on the amount of tax owed. “The bill allows us to hold a tax lien sale,” Faust said. “There will be no excess and the investors will bid the interest rate down beginning at 12 percent and going as low as zero. The property owner will pay the true interest on his/her taxes in order to redeem. In the same scenario, the owner would pay a maximum of 12 percent on $1,900 or $228 if redeemed in one year, which is $9,000 less.” The tax lien is another bidding process where the investor can offer to pay a percentage of the tax and receive a tax lien as an investment. “In order to get the tax lien they have to bid down the interest,” Faust said. “Property owners redeem through our office and we pay the lien holder after the property is redeemed and we collect all tax plus interest.” For investors, it’s better than current returns on a savings account at a bank. “Say you were to come to a tax sale and you’ve got $5,000 sitting in the bank and you can get a little better return on that $5,000,” Faust said. “You can go to the tax sale and buy $5,000 worth of taxes, and to bid say 6 percent, and that’s a lot better return on your money.”

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BAYBRIEF | ELECTION 2018

District 94

LONGTIME INCUMBENT TAKES AIM AT FIFTH TERM BY JOHN MULLEN

ongtime incumbent Republican State Rep. Joe Faust is seeking a fifth term in Alabama House District 94 and believes his previous years of service have prepared him for another. Faust also served a term as a Baldwin County Commissioner. Challenging Faust is Democrat Danielle Mashburn-Myrick, who wants Baldwin County to receive more benefit from the economic cash cow it is to state coffers. Neither MashburnMyrick nor Faust faces opposition in the June 5 primary. Faust is a lifelong Baldwin resident and retired insurance broker. He said attracting more business to the county is a way to help manage growth as more and more people move there. “It is crucial to keep up with our infrastructure, educational needs and to strive for a better relationship between state, city and county government for the benefit of the people,” Faust said. “My top priority, however, has been and always will be the people. I have always tried to do the right thing and do what I thought was best for Baldwin County.” Mashburn-Myrick is also a Baldwin County native and a practicing attorney with Phelps Dunbar. Preserving natural resources will be a priority for her if elected. “Our district has a unique reliance on natural resources,” Mashburn-Myrick said. “Mobile

Bay is the foundation of our community and our economy, and we must make sure it’s clean. We live downstream; statewide regulatory protections impact us more than other parts of the state, as pollution from Birmingham and other areas flows right into our backyard.” Both candidates believe infrastructure improvements will be vital in the coming years for the growing county populations. “I would like to create an economic atmosphere that will attract new businesses and help the businesses we have now grow,” Faust said. “Our county delegation is working to prepare and promote the Baldwin County Mega Site to attract new industry to our area. I would also like to continue work on infrastructure to benefit our county and state.” District 94, Mashburn-Myrick said, is at the center of all that growth and must meet the challenges it presents. “We have a lot on our plate in District 94,” Mashburn-Myrick said. “We need to enact a strategic plan for managing our growth responsibly so that we maintain our quality of life. We must invest in infrastructure to keep pace with our growing population. We need to upgrade schools, roads and sewage treatment facilities. Our legislative delegation must be more active in bringing resources, like the BP funds we recently lost to the state general fund, home from Montgomery.”

BAYBRIEF | ELECTION 2018

District 96 2 DEMOCRATS, 1 REPUBLICAN VIE FOR HOUSE SEAT

BY JOHN MULLEN

he District 96 race offers an anomaly in Alabama politics, where two Democrats are vying for the seat in the June 5 runoff while Republicans are only offering up one candidate, Matt Simpson, for the seat. It’s the only office on the ballot in Baldwin County with two Democratic candidates. Simpson will face either Maurice Horsey or Web Whiting in the November general election. Randy Davis previously held the seat but is not seeking re-election. All three are seeking public office for the first time. House District 96 is the only House district covering portions of both Baldwin and Mobile counties. Baldwin areas include Bromley, Spanish Fort, Daphne and Montrose and in Mobile includes portions of Creola, Satsuma, Saraland and Chickasaw. Horsey is retired from management positions in the YMCA and has lived in Daphne since 2015. He said he believes special interests have too much sway in Alabama politics. “Plainly, we haven’t gotten what we need from our leadership in Montgomery,” Horsey said. “Too much time has been spent on special interests and too little or no time on our interests.” For Whiting, a bartender from Spanish Fort who is working toward a degree in secondary education, health care and taking care of workers are top concerns. “I think my two largest priorities when elected will be to guarantee health justice and the rights of our workers, the single greatest strides we can take to begin creating a gentler, fairer and more compassionate society,” he said. “I want to bring back unions stronger and better than ever to fight

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economic inequality here in Alabama.” Simpson, a 13-year veteran prosecutor, said maintaining law and order will be priorities he’ll work toward if elected. “The opportunity to go to Montgomery and serve in a capacity to affect legislation and have input into the creation of laws instead of just enforcement of them would be a dream come true,” Simpson said. “I work every day in the courtroom to be a voice for the people, and I believe strongly in servant leadership.” Growth is the big issue for both counties, all three candidates said, and Horsey said he’d like to see citizens working together to handle the problems growth brings. “I envision a community where residents and visitors alike can enjoy the area’s natural resources and a high quality of life that is sustained through proactive growth management planning,” Horsey said. Whiting said growth is fine as long as it doesn’t displace people or divide communities. “There’s a real fear and a real possibility that here on the Gulf Coast growth is not going to go proportionately to the people who already live here, and especially to the people who need assistance,” Whiting said. “We need to make sure people are not kicked out of their lifelong communities as Baldwin continues to grow.” The infrastructure to handle the growth, Simpson said, is one of his top three priorities. “The three areas that I would focus on would be infrastructure, public safety and mental health,” Simpson said. “We must make the investment into our roads and bridges to keep our economy flourishing.”

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BAYBRIEF | ELECTION 2018

Top cop ATTORNEY GENERAL CANDIDATES FOCUS ON PUBLIC CORRUPTION BY JASON JOHNSON

n a state that’s made national news for public corruption multiple times in recent years, the race to become Alabama’s next attorney general has been unusually competitive, especially among candidates in the Republican primary. Incumbent Steve Marshall, who is trending second in recent polls, has received many of the race’s coveted endorsements, but has also had to deal with the stigma of having been appointed by former Gov. Robert Bentley before he was arrested on ethics charges and ousted from office. Former attorney general Troy King has his own political baggage, after being defeated as an incumbent eight years ago and leaving office under a federal investigation and a cloud of allegations that he misused his office for political purposes. Former U.S. Attorney and Deputy Attorney General Alice Martin might have an impressive resume, but she, too, has had to distance herself from Bentley after admitting to asking him for the job Marshall eventually was awarded — a request she was initially reluctant to disclose. Chess Bedsole, a former criminal court judge who also worked with President Donald Trump’s legal team, has raised more money than his opponents, but recent polls show him trending at the bottom of the pack heading into the June 5 primaries. Things are simpler on the Democratic side, where the race is between Chris Christie, a Birmingham-based private attorney, and Joseph Siegelman, the son of former governor Don Siegelman and a managing partner of a law firm in Birmingham.

Steve Marshall

Marshall said he has the benefit of talking about what he’s done in office, not what he will do. Speaking with Lagniappe last week, Marshall, who spent years as a state prosecutor before his appointment last year, said he’s emphasized public safety through statewide initiatives with law enforcement agencies aimed at combating violent crime, cybercrime and human trafficking. He said he’s also pushed such legislative efforts as the Fair Justice Act, which is expected to streamline and ultimately shorten the appeals process for death sentences, and a substantial overhaul of Alabama’s ethics law that’s currently under review by a statewide committee. “We need to make sure that we have strength and clarity in our ethics laws, so that people don’t think it’s a ‘gotcha’ bill and so people truly understand where the lines are so they don’t violate them,” Marshall said. “We also need to make sure that, going forward, we have the ability to train people as to what those requirements are.” Marshall recused himself from the Bentley investigation, but said he shares concerns about gaps in state ethics laws that may have prevented further charges against the disgraced governor. He said some of those gaps could be closed in the effort to retool those laws in Montgomery.

Alice Martin

In her many campaign appearances around the state, Martin has emphasized a desire to prioritize public corruption — something she says the state has failed to do in recent years. “When I first served as U.S. attorney, I saw there was no public corruption work being done in the state, and back then the ethics laws were even weaker than they are now,” she said. “And so I said, ‘I have strong laws — wide fraud, mail fraud, conspiracy — let’s pair together [with the state attorney general] and form a task force,’ and in eight years, I was able to convict more than 140 appointed or elected officials or contractors.” She made a name for herself overseeing several high-

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profile corruption investigations in the state, including of those into Alabama’s two-year college system and the HealthSouth fraud case. However, Martin, who was heavily involved in the initial investigation of Bentley, has also faced criticism throughout her campaign over conflicting statements she’s made about whether she sought the post Marshall was appointed to while investigating the governor. After claiming she “never asked for anything” from Bentley, Martin acknowledged meeting with him but said it was “not really an interview.” Later, the Associated Press published emails showing she had sought the meeting, which she followed up with a letter thanking Bentley “for the opportunity to interview” for the AG position. Martin has also raised concerns about the funding the state provides to law enforcement and Alabama’s judicial system. Of the attorney general’s roughly $24 million budget, Martin said around 60 percent is self-funded through court costs and fees. A lack of funding is already affecting the state’s judicial system, and Martin said she would advocate for more funding if elected. She said courts and law enforcement “should not be put in a position where they have to live off fees.” As the only woman to run for attorney general in Alabama’s history, Martin said she’s particularly suited to “clean up the good ol’ boys’ club in Montgomery.”

Chess Bedsole

Bedsole said his experience with criminal, civil, constitutional and regulatory law give him the broadest experience of the candidates vying to lead “Alabama’s law firm.” Working in Washington, D.C., Bedsole said he was able to see what other states were doing and learned “what Alabama does well, but also what it doesn’t get right.” “We don’t have a statewide crime plan. We don’t go into every county and assess what crimes are occurring and how to solve them,” he said. “With no plan, you can’t track progress, and if you don’t know where you’re losing and winning, you don’t know where to put resources.” Bedsole agreed that public corruption has been a “big problem” in Alabama, but said it isn’t a tough problem to solve. He said if two or three officials were “put in the same prisons as everyone else, not on ankle monitors or country club camps,” others would get the message. He’s also been critical of his opponents’ connections to Bentley and other public officials who have come under scrutiny. As the only candidate who declined an interview when Bentley was looking to appoint an attorney general, Bedsole said he’s the only candidate with “clean hands.” “I don’t do business with crooks,” he said. “I’ve ever been investigated by the Department of Justice, I’ve never had a federal grand jury called to investigate me and I’ve never gone into a room with a corrupt public official and came out with a job. Other candidates can’t say that.”

Troy King

Bested in a primary election by Luther Strange, King left office in 2010 after a tumultuous few years. As attorney general, he had been the subject of a federal investigation after issuing an opinion that greenlighted a casino being developed in Dothan by Ronnie Gilley — a man who would later go to prison for “bribing Alabama lawmakers” in hopes of seeing Alabama’s gambling laws relaxed. Since leaving office King has worked as a private attorney with his law firm in Montgomery, but now aims to return to public service in a campaign promising to “Take Alabama back” from what he’s called a “cesspool of corruption” in Montgomery. King was unavailable to comment for this report, but his campaign ads have accusing Martin of having “lied” about her interactions with Bentley, and Marshall of “trad-

ing a plea bargain for his appointment.” Other than targeting his opponents, King has said his main goal is to “keep Alabama families safe” by focusing on violent crime. Some of the key issues listed on his campaign website are fighting crime, political corruption and the political establishment, as well as addressing Alabama’s opioid crisis. King has also touted a 2009 law his office pushed that expanded what information the state requires convicted sex offenders to disclose to authorities — including details about their online activity and vehicles. After seeing the law passed, King personally presented evidence to a Walker County grand jury against Richard Conway Dobbins, who ultimately faced 311 child pornography charges and received 115 life sentences plus an additional 1,960 years in prison.

Joseph Siegelman

On the Democratic ticket, Siegelman has the best-known name, though it’s one associated with his father, former Alabama Gov. Don Siegelman, who served nearly six years in prison for a federal bribery conviction after leaving office. Siegelman has not shied away from his father’s legacy, and has even incorporated the alleged political bias some say motivated his father’s prosecution into his campaign for attorney general. “My father’s case was highly controversial and remains so. I’m proud to have represented him and the work I did on his behalf,” Siegelman wrote via email. “His case highlights the importance of a strong and independent judiciary and demonstrates the need for those who administer justice, including and especially the attorney general, to do so fairly, equally and impartially.” As a private attorney, Siegelman said he’s spent years in court representing people who needed help, and now he wants to help Alabama return to leadership focused on public service while addressing such judicial reform issues as the state’s use of cash bonds. He said cash bonds are a way to ensure defendants show up for their court dates, but the “practical effect is that if you’re rich you don’t have to sit in jail, and if you’re poor you do.” “That’s wrong,” Siegelman continued. “We have to make sure that dangerous criminals who are a threat to our communities are not immediately released solely because they have funds to make bond. Similarly, we don’t need to keep others locked up for minor, nonviolent offenses who simply cannot afford the bond.” Siegelman also told Lagniappe he believes Alabama, as one of the states most impacted by the opioid crisis, has to get more involved in combating misuse by punishing the companies that mislead customers and regulators to push their products. He noted Alabama has joined civil lawsuits targeting some opioid manufacturers and distributors for their alleged role in exacerbating the issues, but asked why a state with “more pills per person” than any other was so late to the game. “I’m happy to see, for example, that the U.S. attorney for the middle district of Alabama has encouraged some state/federal partnerships to jointly address some of the problems facing our state,” Siegelman wrote. “That said, I also think the state government could do more on its own, and I would certainly intend on doing that.”

Chris Christie

Christie told Lagniappe he’s spent 30 years winning as a trial attorney in civil and criminal courts, and wants to serve Alabama as attorney general with that experience. A former member of the Peace Corps, he says he knows what service looks like and decided to enter the race last year after Alabama’s governor, speaker of the House, and chief justice were were removed from office. “With corruption, we cannot have good government,” Christie said. “I am fed up with Alabama being last in almost everything that matters and for which state government is responsible, including government corruption, public safety, crime and corrections.” Like other candidates on both sides of the aisle, Christie expressed frustration with the way the Bentley investigation played out. Christie acknowledged that only those in the special grand jury proceedings know all the evidence that was presented, but said it seems the attorney general’s investigation was the weaker of the two probes leading to Bentley’s departure. “As the Legislature’s investigation found, the governor was using state law enforcement officers to intimidate and threaten innocent witnesses to the inappropriate relationship he had with the woman acting as his chief of staff,” he said. “This woman was not a state employee but was paid by a foundation with ‘dark money.’ At a minimum, why was she not prosecuted for not registering as a lobbyist paid to influence executive action?” Christie said if what Bentley did wasn’t against the law, it should be, adding that, if elected, he would make reforming state ethics laws a top priority. Christie also said he’d use his position as attorney general to increase consumer protection and take on big corporations that “take advantage of Alabamians.” Another top priority, he said, would be the victims of payday lenders. Christie said he’d use his office to work with the Legislature to put a stop to “predatory lending practices in Alabama.”

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COMMENTARY | DAMN THE TORPEDOES

Shades of Gray in North Mobile race ROB HOLBERT/MANAGING EDITOR/RHOLBERT@LAGNIAPPEMOBILE.COM

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and claimed, among other things, that Williams had been “honored to stand with our Senator Rusty Glover and shut down the Legislature until South Alabama was rightfully given its fair share of the BP money to fix our highways.” Williams also claimed twice in the flyer that, “Senator Rusty Glover asked me to run for his seat.” Glover has publicly denied encouraging Williams to run, and Williams even backtracked after being questioned about his claims. As for Williams’ recollection that he “shut down the Legislature,” the would-be senator appears to be referring to a short filibuster that came shortly before our local delegation was rolled over by the rest of the state so the vast majority of the BP money could be shoved into the general fund and used to plug holes in Medicaid. Williams’ flyer was either written by someone who had little acquaintance with the facts, or who thought north Mobile County voters would be easily tricked by mentioning Rusty Glover a couple of times. Some incumbent members of the Legislature have privately expressed concerns about Gray and Williams’ running as a “team” and also about how anyone could possibly expect Gray’s newspaper to cover him fairly should he be elected. Those concerns seem perfectly reasonable and are exactly why most publications would never allow something like this to happen. In the end it all boils down to whether Gray is more sincere about running a newspaper that truly meets the community’s needs or about becoming a politician. He can’t do both.

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ing credit for schools being built seems a bit self-congratulatory. He also talks a lot about integrity in his ads, but I’ve never quite been able to swallow his claims the Call News spent 25 years with 5,000 or less paid circulation, but managed to grow to an average of 21,500 paid circulation in one year (He IS Citizen Gray!), according to his 2015 ownership statement, sworn to and filed with the U.S. Postal Service. Actually, his claim is mathematically impossible. When Lagniappe spent two years trying to make the laws concerning public notices/ legal advertising more open and fair, we got to see Gray operate firsthand in the Legislature as he stood in a committee meeting fighting against any changes and claiming a newspaper circulation far higher than reported in his publisher statements. So when he started running for office, I had my doubts about his intentions or how seriously he takes honesty inside the hallowed halls of the capitol. Gray and Rep. Jack Williams seem to have decided to run as some kind of package deal for the north part of Mobile County, and I’m not so sure it’s going to be a good deal at the end of the day. Williams is leaving his House 102 seat to go after the Senate District 34 seat formerly occupied by Sen. Rusty Glover. Much as it has been with Gray, the Call News has all but ignored coverage of Williams’ opponent, Mark Shirey, while Williams has gotten the ink. But it was a recent campaign flyer sent out by the Williams campaign that raises the most red flags. The mailer went to voters in the district

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atching TV this morning I was treated to one of the more insincere spectacles I’ve seen in a while, and no, it wasn’t a political ad. The new Facebook ad where they try to pull a Wells Fargo and talk about how great they were up until they weren’t great, sort of made the bile rise in my throat this morning. Sure Facebook, NOW you’re not going to sell our information. I believe that. I believe that as much as I believe if I go anywhere online and look at a product that I won’t immediately start receiving ads for that product. I believe that as much as I believe Mark Zuckerberg really started Facebook so people can connect and make new friends. I believe that as much as I believe my Google Home isn’t listening to every word I say and plotting to kill me in my sleep. Perhaps the only good thing about seeing something like that first thing in the morning is it helped prepare me for listening to the political ads while driving in to work. Don’t get me wrong, political ads are an important part of our process, but there are still many politicos who believe wrapping themselves in the flag, thumping the Bible and gushing about their own integrity is more important than talking about what they’re going to do in office. With the primaries less than a week away now, most of us are still mulling over options and trying to figure out which candidates really do appear to be most sincere in their efforts to improve the way we live. The governor’s race is likely to be a barn-burner before it’s all over, and thankfully there are some quality candidates there, and other top-of-the-ticket races are certainly attracting a lot of attention. A little closer to home, there’s the bizarreness of the House District 99 race that has almost enough candidates to field a baseball team and includes Herman “Spanky” Thomas and former Mobile Mayor Sam Jones. But one Mobile County race that’s flown under the radar a bit might be the strangest of all. In House District 102, we actually have the publisher of the Citronelle Call News newspaper running for public office. I’ll admit this may concern me more just because we were always taught in journalism school that media people should not get personally involved in politics or even make political donations. Certainly running for office while still running a newspaper would have earned a big fat F in the Media Ethics class. But not only is publisher Willie Gray running for that seat, he’s clearly using his newspaper for political advantage by putting ads for himself on the front page and elsewhere throughout his newspaper. He kicked off the campaign by ceding himself a half-page of column space to announce the run — complete with a huge picture of him with his grandkids. Not long after that, the Call News featured a front-page photo of Willie standing with elected officials for a story about a school opening. Gray was listed as the paper’s publisher and House candidate in the photo cutline. I haven’t seen a newspaper publisher so in love with printing pictures of himself in his own paper since Charles Foster Kane. Maybe Willie is Citronelle’s own “Citizen Gray.” It might make it less obvious if news about his opponents — Shane Stringer and Belinda Shoub — hadn’t been nearly non-existent. Both candidates have admitted running against a newspaper publisher presents unusual problems, including not feeling that advertising in the Call News would be possible for them. Gray’s campaign relies heavily on talking about his experience as a wee ball coach and taking credit for new schools built in the north part of Mobile County. We’ll have to take his word for his coaching prowess, but tak-

THE “BUZZ WORDS” FOR ALABAMA POLITICAL MESSAGING

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COMMENTARY | THE HIDDEN AGENDA

Kick the tires a little more in governor’s race ASHLEY TRICE/EDITOR/ASHLEYTOLAND@LAGNIAPPEMOBILE.COM

s it just me or does it seem like no one is really paying much attention to the primary election we have coming up next week? During the special election between Democrat Doug Jones and Republican Roy Moore, I felt like that was all anyone could talk about. Yard signs were everywhere and the chatter was endless. Now granted, there were some highly salacious allegations involved and the national media was basically camped out here for months, so there was definitely a heightened awareness for that race. And sure, you can tune in to talk radio or go to such events as the Chamber’s “Pork and Politics” and get a heaping helping of political commentary about the June 5 election, but for the most part, when I have been out and about, I’ve largely heard crickets about this election. And that’s sad because we have some big decisions to make! So, in an effort to kill the crickets and make some noise, here are a few random thoughts on the biggest race of all on June 5, the one for governor of our great state. (Disclosure: No crickets were actually harmed in the making of this column.) Being the incumbent Republican, Gov. Kay Ivey is the odds-on favorite, and she certainly has a lot of big PAC money pouring in because of this. I know people were so relieved when Robert “Luv Guv” Bentley was finally kicked out of office, and they associate her face with that relief. And God bless her, she hasn’t had an affair with a staffer or paid said paramour with a secret slush fund or tried to move anyone’s desk or had her purse flown via gubernatorial helicopter anywhere. Or had any other of the ridiculously embarrassing scandals enjoyed by our previous lovesick governor. I get it. It’s been nice to have a relatively scandal-free administration in Montgomery for a minute, and she does come off as Alabama’s MeeMaw. And everyone loves their MeeMaw. And to her credit, Gov. Ivey has indeed been pleasantly non-offensive. But is that all we really want out of a governor? The ability not to be a philanderer? We deserve more. If Gov. Ivey were running against the usual unqualified perennial lunatic candidates, I would be waving my Ivey flag too. But she isn’t. I would actually rank her as my fourth or fifth choice among the field of great candidates we have on both sides of the aisle. And to have so many good choices, well, that’s a rare occurrence in this state, y’all. Ivey says she been too busy being a governor to debate her fellow Republican candidates, but come on, what confident, capable politician at any level have you ever known who couldn’t find the time to tell us why they are the greatest thing that could ever happen to the city/state/country they are hoping to represent? Her handlers also won’t let media talk to or interview her. Huge red flag! This should tell you all you need to know. She and her campaign folks both know some of the other candidates would mop up the floor with her in a debate. Is it simply because she isn’t quick on her feet or because she can’t really take a deep dive into the issues? Or both? Whatever the answer, it isn’t really acceptable. So let’s talk about those other candidates who would be better choices than Ivey. First up, the Republicans … Bill Hightower, the only candidate from South Alabama, without question, should be our next governor. He is very smart (received his MBA from Vanderbilt), very capable (worked at numerous Fortune 500 companies), and has great and very detailed ideas for turning this state around (reforming the tax code, enacting term limits, banning earmarks), all of which he can explain with great confidence in a way that is easy to understand. He is very polished and doesn’t sound like he has a mouth full of rocks when he speaks, like some of our other state and national politicos do.

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He would represent us very well on the national stage. And he would care about South Alabama, which very few of our governors have. Will he be our next governor? Hard to say. Traditionally, candidates from coastal Alabama have a harder time getting elected to statewide office because of the domination of the other state media markets. But if you live in South Alabama and are going to vote in the Republican primary, then you should vote for our hometown guy, Bill Hightower, to at least give him a shot at the runoff with Ivey. Even if he weren’t from South Alabama, I would say he is the best Republican candidate. The fact that he is from here is just a bonus. Tommy Battle, the mayor of Huntsville, would also be a very solid choice. He has been a popular mayor and Huntsville is growing like crazy. In fact, they have leaped over us in population size. (Boo!) And he has several impressive economic development feathers in his mayoral cap by having Remington, Polaris and the Toyota/Mazda plants open up shop in Huntsville during his tenure. On the Democratic side … It’s very hard for a Democrat to win statewide office in Alabama, but Sen. Doug Jones managed to do it and state Dem operatives are hoping to see some of the same energy and turnout from that race channeled into this one. But it is likely? Probably not. Whoever ends up on the Democratic ticket won’t be running against Roy Moore. But is it possible? Sure. And the top two candidates are great choices. Walt Maddox is a very popular Tuscaloosa mayor who is credited with leading the city through crisis when a devastating tornado hit in 2011. He is very likable and energetic, with an adorable young family. He and his family have a Camelot feel — so we will call them Alabamalot. But in addition to this, he is very qualified. Before he was mayor, he was a Tuscaloosa city councilperson and worked with the Alabama Education Association. Word on the street is he was actually urged to run as a Republican, so presumably he would govern moderately and be a good leader for every citizen of this state, no matter what side of the aisle they like to dance on. Which is appealing to Democrats and independents alike. Sue Bell Cobb, Alabama’s first female chief justice, is equally likable and personable. When you sit down and talk with her, it feels as if you are chatting with one of your girlfriends. As an attorney, she has worked as a district judge, on the court of criminal appeals and, of course, as chief justice. She also has a very well documented history of being active in child advocacy in Alabama, founding the Children First Foundation. Her campaign has not been without mistakes, as she had a sex offender working as a field director, which her campaign has explained as both an oversight and a great story of redemption, so not really sure what’s going on there — but either way, she’s not the sex offender, so that shouldn’t disqualify her. She has many detailed policies on her website and is comfortable explaining them, so even despite this misstep, she would be a very capable governor as well. In closing, on Tuesday, I would say on the Democratic side, both choices are solid, though I feel like Maddox has the wind at his back at this point. For Republicans, Kay Ivey has a 99 percent chance of making the runoff, so if you are voting on the Republican ticket, vote for one of the other candidates (I suggest Hightower or Battle) so perhaps if Ivey does face a runoff (it’s possible she could win it outright), maybe just maybe if she is challenged she will be forced to debate her competitor, which would give us a much better idea as to who is truly qualified to run this state. I hope so, as we deserve the chance to kick the tires on these candidates a little bit longer. Happy voting!

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COMMENTARY | THE BELTWAY BEAT

The ‘Rick & Bubba’ experiment BY JEFF POOR/COLUMNIST/JEFFREYPOOR@GMAIL.COM

or better or for worse, talk radio is a primary means of political engagement in Alabama. At any given time when 80 percent of the public is tuned out of politics, a lot of that other 20 percent flock to the radio dial to get a fix on the blow-by-blow news of the day. Many of the elite figures turn up their noses to it, but when a congressman or state legislator wants to get a message out, they know their bread-and-butter audience for that message resides on the radio dial. That’s especially true in Alabama, given it is a state dominated by conservative politics, and political talk radio is home for much of the conservative philosophy in America. Another area in which the spoken word ex-

comes to politics. Earlier this year, they decided to support Birmingham evangelist Scott Dawson’s bid for this year’s Republican gubernatorial nomination. Arguably, without their show many people in Alabama would have no idea who Dawson is. Given this new set of assumptions I was operating under about their relevance, I committed myself to listen to all three hours of their entire show for 10 days. The appeal was immediately apparent — a couple of good ol’ boys with Southern accents there weren’t too wonky, but with opinions that were within the mainstream of politics in Alabama. The running joke was how much they like to eat but that was just the shtick. Conservative politics, sports, talk of dayto-day situations such as car repairs or buying new household appliances, and the occasional interjection of Christian theology were more the grist for the mill. Sing-a-longs and contest giveaways, such as the “Wheel of Meat,” are part of the theatrics. If you want to know the culture in suburban Alabama in such places as Shelby, Baldwin and Madison counties, which in recent elections have been where the state has been decided, whatever is on “Rick & Bubba” that day is an excellent place to start. Another one of the running jokes on the show is about the political ambitions of co-host Burgess. Last year there was speculation he might run for governor. He approaches the topic with a little bit self-deprecation when it comes up. Last summer, Burgess dismissed the possibility of a gubernatorial run in this election cycle and decided to back Dawson instead. If things don’t work out for Dawson — who has a lot of ground to make up, according to polling, in next week’s primary — then why not Burgess or Bussey in the future? Either one would be formidable out of the gate. Burgess and Bussey have the name recognition and an immediate appreciation for and understanding of a vital constituency in Alabama politics. One of their most valuable assets would be media experience. In politics, you can’t underestimate the ability to connect with a voter and handle tough and combative media appearances. Case in point: Donald Trump. There’s a guy that understood how to talk to people and could connect with voters in a way the average run-ofthe-mill politician can’t. Also, would you want to be the guy that has to run against Rick or Bubba and be presented with the task of having to question their character? Sure, they might have some catching up to do on policy and understanding the antiquated nuance of the state budget, the Alabama Constitution, prison reform or whatever challenge du jour the state is facing. We’re at a time in politics when celebrity isn’t necessarily a bad thing, so again, why not? But would they do it? Probably not. Would you want to take a pay cut to deal with the cesspool of Montgomery?

AT ANY GIVEN TIME WHEN 80 PERCENT OF THE PUBLIC IS TUNED OUT OF POLITICS, A LOT OF THAT OTHER 20 PERCENT FLOCK TO THE RADIO DIAL TO GET A FIX ON THE BLOW-BY-BLOW NEWS OF THE DAY. cels in this format is the morning drive time slot — those few hours, usually 7-10 a.m. — when people are in their car commuting to work. They’re in the car, and they want to know the news, last night’s sports scores, the weather or where traffic is snarled. For that reason on morning drive talk radio, frequently a “shock jock” or the “morning zoo” variety dominate those time slots. Where these two seem to intersect is the Birmingham-based “Rick & Bubba” radio show. For well over two decades, Rick Burgess and Bill “Bubba” Bussey have been the gold standard for morning drive radio in Alabama. They’ve been hit-or-miss in the Mobile market over the years, but no one outside of perhaps Paul Finebaum has had a statewide appeal similar to this duo. My experience with the “Rick & Bubba” show has been just that — an off-and-on encounter when flipping through the dial. As a guy that grew up in Birmingham, went to Auburn and settled in Mobile for a time, I was aware of them. But the reputation of the show was more culture and less political, and therefore not something on my radar. They’re a household name in Alabama, but when it comes to relevance in the overall political discussion, they only seemed to show up sporadically. I assumed it was a place to go if I was in the mood to hear about food, sports with some proselytizing and maybe occasionally politics. But that was the perception and not the reality. Last year, the two championed then-Sen. Luther Strange’s effort to get elected to the U.S. Senate. Although Strange came up short, from that point forward Burgess and Bussey are at least part of the discussion when it

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COMMENTARY | THE GRIOT’S CORNER

It’s time for us to get to work BY KEN ROBINSON/CONTRIBUTING WRITER

t is that time of year where in Mobile you can be assured of experiencing at least two things: heat and rain. At times both can be a little overwhelming, but that is life in our pocket of the Gulf Coast. This is also the time of year many of our young people experience a monumental transition. They experience something they’ve looked forward to with great excitement and anticipation — graduating from high school. Like myself, you may have attended a local graduation ceremony this month. Seeing the joy and enthusiasm of the graduates, along with their families and friends, never gets old. The air is filled with electricity and each graduate is a picture of possibility. Rightly, they see the future as an open book whose pages they dream of filling with accomplishment and success. Some dreams are big, others are modest, but virtually all contain a hope, a belief in the positive possibilities the future holds. A dream of moving forward educationally and economically. A dream of climbing a little bit higher on the ladder of upward mobility than their parents and others who have gone before. A dream of realizing what is popularly termed “the American Dream.” The U.S. economy has been on an upward trajectory for over seven years. Mirroring that trend, Alabama’s economy has likewise rebounded from the Great Recession. The South as a region has been doing quite well. But economic and statistical data tell the tale of two Souths. In one, economic activity and upward mobility are on the rise. In the other, upward mobility and economic prosperity seem unattainable. As one researcher has noted, “For

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many in the South, the American Dream is more like an inherited nightmare.” A recent study released by United Way reveals 42 percent of Alabamians, or nearly 800,000 Alabama households, can’t afford a monthly budget that includes housing, food, child care, health care, transportation and a cellphone. Titled the ALICE Project, it identifies families categorized as asset-limited, income-constrained employed. These “economically forgotten” families live above the federal poverty level, yet have a very difficult time making ends meet and paying for basic necessities. Even though the adults in the household are working, critical financial decisions are constantly being made. Should money be spent to pay rent or buy groceries? Should a needed prescription be filled or the water bill paid? When you combine those living below the federal poverty line and those in the ALICE category, a shocking picture is created of the number of Alabamians living in an economic nightmare. In Perry County the combined percentage of those living below the poverty and ALICE level is 70 percent. In Wilcox County it’s 66 percent. In Escambia County it’s 58 percent. Clark and Monroe counties are 53 percent and 56 percent, respectively. Mobile and Baldwin counties are at, respectively, 46 percent and 41 percent. It’s difficult to have healthy communities when a sizable portion of its members are living in such economic distress. Research shows educational outcome, or the lack thereof, is one of the most important factors contributing to this handing down of economic despondency from one

generation to another. For far too many kids in Alabama born into dire and destitute economic circumstances, escape as adults seldom materializes. A recent Brookings Institution report observes, “The evidence suggests that children of high- and low-income families start out with similar abilities but rapidly diverge in outcomes.” This divergence is fostered by one group’s access to a higher quality of educational opportunity and resource-rich educational experience. When I think of the importance we as a community and as a state need to place on ensuring our education system is doing all it can to address and reverse this lack of opportunity — and the dire economic straits many of our young people are walking into — I think of the words of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., who noted, “We are now faced with the fact that tomorrow is today.

SEEING THE JOY AND ENTHUSIASM OF THE GRADUATES, ALONG WITH THEIR FAMILIES AND FRIENDS, NEVER GETS OLD. THE AIR IS FILLED WITH ELECTRICITY AND EACH GRADUATE IS A PICTURE OF POSSIBILITY. RIGHTLY, THEY SEE THE FUTURE AS AN OPEN BOOK WHOSE PAGES THEY DREAM OF FILLING WITH ACCOMPLISHMENT AND SUCCESS.” We are confronted with the fierce urgency of now. In this unfolding conundrum of life and history, there ‘is’ such a thing as being too late. This is no time for apathy or complacency. This is a time for vigorous and positive action.” Indeed, there is a “fierce urgency of now” when it comes to our young people. As we pursue “vigorous and positive action,” we can ensure that when graduates, regardless of socioeconomic standing, walk across the stage and receive their diplomas, their dream of a better future is more than just wishful thinking, and very much attainable. And as their dreams come true, so do ours: More stable communities. Safer communities. Communities people want to move to and not away from. “A dream doesn’t become reality through magic; it takes sweat, determination and hard work.” As a community and as a state, it’s time for us to get to work.

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BUSINESS | THE REAL DEAL

UWSWA reports $1.8 million saved in Rx program BY RON SIVAK/COLUMNIST/BUSINESS@LAGNIAPPEMOBILE.COM

nited Way of Southwest Alabama and FamilyWize recently announced that, through their joint partnership efforts, costs for prescription medications covering more than 21,000 local community residents were reduced by over $1.8 million last year. The results were revealed in the partnership’s annual “Health Impact Report,” a compilation of data on joint initiatives organized by UWSWA and FamilyWize across the country. In May, UWSWA and FamilyWize acknowledged Mental Health Awareness Month by joining the mental health community in efforts to educate patients on the importance of treatment adherence. The goal was to increase public understanding of mental illness and patient accessibility to affordable medications. Reportedly one in six adult Americans is affected by mental health conditions, with 56 percent of those not receiving treatment. Highlights from the “Health Impact Report” for Southwest Alabama include: • $456,627 savings on prescription mental health medications; • 21,390 community members helped; • 39 percent in average savings on prescription costs by using the FamilyWize Prescription Savings card; and • $1,803,376 savings on all prescription medications. “Rising prescription prices continue to be a major burden for individuals and families in our community, whether their medications are for mental health or another chronic illness. We consider ourselves advocates for individuals struggling with the high costs of mental illness,” UWSWA President and CEO Jill Chenoweth said. “Our partnership with FamilyWize enables us to address this issue by offering abundant resources to all community members seeking affordable health care,” Chenoweth continued. “The impact we’re making is changing lives, and we look forward to supporting many more families in the years to come.”

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“It’s heartening to see the far-reaching impact we’ve achieved through our strong ongoing partnership with United Way,” Dan Barnes, executive chairman and cofounder of FamilyWize, said. “We will continue working toward our goal of helping to educate people across the United States on ways to significantly lower drug costs and maintain prescription adherence.” FamilyWize is one of the longest-running prescription savings programs and is accepted at most pharmacies nationwide, covering all approved prescription medications. More than 1,000 United Way agencies have collaborated with FamilyWize to help over 11 million Americans save more than $1 billion, with an average savings of 45 percent since the partnership began. The program is free, has no eligibility or registration requirements and provides families and individuals access to affordable prescription medications. For more information about the program, visit familywize.org. UWSWA serves Choctaw, Clarke, Mobile and Washington counties. Created in 1926 as a Community Chest, UWSWA’s mission is to improve the quality of life in the community. UWSWA has raised and invested into the local community more than $256 million to help strengthen its capacity for positive community progress.

Columbia Southern ranked among “most affordable” for military

Orange Beach-based Columbia Southern University was recently ranked No. 2 nationally among the most affordable military-friendly online schools for 2018. Other notable institutions include Texas Tech University (No. 7), Arizona State University (No. 13) and Mississippi State (No. 15). The rankings, released by SR Education Group, listed the top 25 college and universities throughout the country that focus much of their educational program services around active military. Specifically, these institutions

May 30, 2018 - June 5, 2018

participate in the military tuition assistance program and have high scores on ease of use for members of the armed services. According to SR Education, these scores were determined using a number of factors including the strength of military culture, prevalence of support services to online students, flexibility and military-specific financial aid. Based in Alabama, Columbia Southern University is an online university that offers online associate, bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral degrees in the areas of business administration, criminal justice, fire administration, and occupational safety and health. “This ranking serves as an acknowledgement of the sincere efforts Columbia Southern University has made over the years to make education affordable and accessible to active-duty men, women and veterans,” said Ernie Rosado, PhD, director of CSU’s Military Outreach. “We are proud to say that nearly 40 percent of our student body is military.” SR Education Group is an education research publisher founded in 2004 that creates authoritative online resources for students seeking an education that best suits their budget and career goals. To date it provides more than $250,000 in needs-based scholarships to students each year. Celebrating its 25th anniversary in 2018, Columbia Southern University was established in 1993. More information can be found on the university’s website.

BASF unveils pollinator garden at McIntosh site

Fourth-grade students from McIntosh Elementary School recently attended the unveiling of the newly installed pollinator garden and outdoor classroom at BASF. Forty students helped BASF celebrate the unveiling by releasing monarch butterflies in the pollinator garden and participating in an instructor-led Kids’ Lab workshop that explored chemistry through safe and engaging experiments coupled with interactive demonstrations. “Through BASF’s pollinator garden and Kids’ Lab program we hope to further educate and empower the future leaders of our community,” said Jason Slinkard, BASF site director in McIntosh. “Helping to ensure a healthy monarch butterfly population is also part of BASF’s commitment to sustainability and being responsible environmental stewards.” The pollinator garden stems from the biodiversity research initiative BASF launched two years ago called Living Acres. While populations of the monarch butterflies have plummeted by approximately 90 percent in the last 20 years and continue to decline, this initiative is pushing forward to provide information to farmers about planting milkweed in non-crop areas in an economical and practical manner with the goal of increasing the monarch species population. Through the collaboration with Scotts Miracle-Gro, 200 bags of garden soil and 24 jugs of plant food were provided to sustain plant life growing in the pollinator garden. Through its Pollinator Promise program, Scotts has helped more than 100 communities — and counting — establish or expand pollinator gardens. For more information about BASF’s Living Acres program, visit basf.us/alabama.

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CUISINE THE REVIEW

Big Time Diner, WeMo’s meat and 3 BY ANDY MACDONALD/CUISINE EDITOR | FATMANSQUEEZE@COMCAST.NET

WOULD I LIKE GRILLED ONIONS AND MUSHROOMS ON MY STEAK? WE JUST MET, BUT YOU KNOW ME BETTER THAN FAMILY. THE STEAK WAS DINER GOLD WITH 10 POUNDS OF ONIONS AND MUSHROOMS.” truck full of money and more free time than sense, I don’t believe I could stomach a week of my favorite haunts, let alone the better part of a fortnight. I was intrigued. Perhaps the time had come for three friends to see what is so special about Big Time Diner that Tall Man would turn his back on the rest of Mobile’s vast restaurant scene, only to make his way through an old diner menu. Priscilla Bell was the only one of us with any experience at BTD. She knew the menu well and had already planned her meal. As our guide, she pointed out “Toy Story” characters hidden in the walls with a sparkle in her eye. There was a hint of excitement that smelled of memories and onion rings, pot liquor and gravy as we walked past the soda fountain-style bar to the dining room. Scarecrow had a Barq’s ($2.25) over the good ice, Priscilla Bell had water and I had the small bottled Coke ($1.75) we

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Photo | Yelp

emories, oh how they linger. As for me, I’ve never been to the Big Time Diner on Cottage Hill. Shame on me after more than two decades in this old town, but let me stop you. I’m well aware I need to fight the West Mobile traffic more often and dine in the oh-eights and oh-nines. I’m trying to be less of a creature of habit. So what got me there this time? Scarecrow and I were hanging out with our friend Priscilla Bell Jenkins, listening to memories of her dad, Tall Man, and how he once visited Big Time Diner a record 11 nights in a row when her mom was otherwise occupied. If I had a pickup

BIG TIME DINER 4936 COTTAGE HILL ROAD MOBILE 36609 251-666-2141

Since 1996, Mobile’s Big Time Diner has been a magnet for those seeking blue-plate specials and meat and threes. all swear tastes better than the 12-ouncers. It wasn’t long before the menu. we were enjoying a plate of crab claws ($13.95). Served with I’d seen a neighboring table with a plateful of cornbread requested tartar and cocktail sauces, these were flour-battered dressing and knew it would shape my order. There was no doubt and plentiful enough to share, but only scratched the surface of the Blue Plate Special ($11.95) was coming my way. For a meat the amount of food we were about to receive. and three at dinner, I waffled back and forth between field peas, Priscilla Bell ordered a chicken tender salad with a side of fried fish, beans or grilled chicken before settling on chopped macaroni and cheese ($9.74). “You’re kidding me, right? We steak, turnip greens, fried okra and cornbread dressing. come all this way to a diner your father Would I like grilled onions and mushused to revere and you’re getting a salad?” rooms on my steak? We just met, but you She explained to us that this was no know me better than family. The steak was health food. It’s a hearty serving of fried diner gold with 10 pounds of onions and tenders over mixed greens with tomatoes, mushrooms. The dressing was made from cucumbers, cheese and bacon. She did mansweet cornbread, normally a sin in my age to 86 the tomatoes. The best part was book, but for some reason it worked today THE MAC AND CHEESE the homemade Thousand Island dressing with light brown gravy. The fried okra was WAS STELLAR — NOT (they sell it by the quart if you’re interestyour normal reliable healthy side and the ed), which was great on a cracker or two. greens were perfect. I declined the offer THE TOPPED WITH The mac and cheese was stellar — not the of the other pepper sauce and stuck to the topped with breadcrumb type but more of the BREADCRUMB TYPE BUT red dot. extra cheesy style that screams “diner!” The table across from us was already MORE OF THE EXTRA Soup of the day was navy bean and I on the dessert round and had a table of wasn’t that interested until our waitress four different ice cream dishes. Temptation CHEESY STYLE THAT mentioned they also had great gumbo was there but I had to bail. I couldn’t (and and chili. I turned toward the gumbo shouldn’t) finish what was in front of me, SCREAMS “DINER!” ($4.50) and was pleasantly surprised. A so we boxed it up and headed home. West Mobile gumbo that competes with Three people, a ton of food, appetizer downtown’s is a bit shocking. I should exand soup, including seafood items, and we pand my route. This cup had a light roux and a slightly sweet leave with a bill under $60. That was almost as impressive as flavor served with a bottle of Louisiana red-dot hot sauce. Not the dinner itself. We’ve discussed this and maybe Big Time loaded with seafood, but just enough. Diner is West Mobile’s version of The Dew Drop Inn. They Scarecrow wanted to try the oyster po’boy ($10.25) with should be fine with that comparison. Different as they may be, fries. On a hoagie bun, it was still a good sandwich though she there are some strong similarities. also 86’d the tomatoes. (What is wrong with these people? You It’s worth a short drive (or even a long one) to make a think you know someone ….) Fries were good and the tartar couple of memories. I won’t be forgetting it anytime soon. Tall sauce made the sandwich, despite being spelled differently on Man, I hardly knew you, but I like your style.

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FATHOMS LOUNGE

SMALL PLATES AND CREATIVE COCKTAILS 64 S. Water St. • 438-4000

FLOUR GIRLS BAKERY ($)

COMPLETELY COMFORTABLE ALL SPORTS BAR & GRILL ($) 3408 Pleasant Valley Rd. • 345-9338

AL’S HOTDOGS ($)

CLASSIC HOTDOGS, GYROS & MILKSHAKES 4701 Airport Blvd. • 342-3243

ATLANTA BREAD COMPANY ($-$$) 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

BIG WHITE WINGS ($)

405 S Wilson Ave. • Prichard• 301-7880

BRICK & SPOON ($)

3662 Airport Blvd. Suite A • 378-8378

CAFE 219 ($)

SALADS, SANDWICHES & POTATO SALAD 219 Conti St. • 438-5234

CAMELLIA CAFÉ ($-$$$)

CONTEMPORARY SOUTHERN FARE 61 Section St. • Fairhope • 928-4321

CAMMIE’S OLD DUTCH ($) MOBILE’S CLASSIC ICE CREAM SPOT 2511 Old Shell Rd. • 471-1710

CARPE DIEM ($)

DELI FOODS, PASTRIES & SPECIALTY DRINKS 4072 Old Shell Rd. • 304-0448

CLARK’S KITCHEN ($-$$) CATERING 5817 Old Shell Rd. • 622-0869

CHICK-FIL-A ($)

12 N Royal St • 415-1700 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 ($)

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

CHI-TOWN DAWGZ ($) CHICAGO STYLE EATERY 1222 Hillcrest Rd. • 461-6599

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 ($)

2159 Halls Mill Rd. . • 648-6522

DELISH BAKERY AND EATERY ($) BREAKFAST, HOT LUNCH & GREAT DESSERTS 23 Upham St. • 473-6115

DEW DROP INN ($)

CLASSIC BURGERS, HOTDOGS & SETTING 1808 Old Shell Rd. • 473-7872

DUNKIN DONUTS ($)

DONUTS, COFFEE & SANDWICHES 5701 Old Shell Rd Ste 100 • 442-4846 29160 US Hwy 98 • Daphne •621-2228

E WING HOUSE ($)

1956 S University Blvd. Suite H • 662-1829

EUGENE’S MONKEY BAR ($) 15 N Conception St. • 378-9377

FRESH CARIBBEAN-STYLE FOOD & CRAFT BEER 6601 Airport Blvd. • 634-3445 225 Dauphin St. • 375-1576

809 Hillcrest Rd. • 634-2285

MOON PIE GENERAL STORE ($)

HOT SUBS, COLD SALADS & CATERING 3694 Airport Blvd • 342-2352 5300-C Halls Mill Rd • 660-0995 3075 Government Blvd B105 • 461-6080 6300 Grelot Rd. • 631-3730 6890 US-90 #6 • Daphne • 625-8723 9912 Dimitrios Blvd • Daphne • 626-7827 113 S Greeno Rd • Fairhope • 990-3970

MOSTLY MUFFINS ($)

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 6860 US-90 • Daphne • 626-4278

NOURISH CAFE ($)

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

ORIGINAL SANDWICH AND BAKE SHOP 42 ½ Section St. • Fairhope • 929-0122 102 Dauphin St. • 405-0031

FIREHOUSE SUBS ($) $10/PERSON • $$ 10-25/PERSON • $$$ OVER 25/PERSON

MONTEGO’S ($-$$)

FIVE GUYS BURGERS & FRIES ($)

FOOSACKLY’S ($)

FOY SUPERFOODS ($) 119 Dauphin St.• 307-8997

GULF COAST EXPLOREUM CAFE ($)

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 S Royal St. • 432-0360

JOE CAIN CAFÉ ($)

PIZZAS, SANDWICHES, COCKTAILS 26 N. Royal St. • 338-4334

JUBILEE DINER ($-$$)

A VARIETY COMFORT F00D. BREAKFAST ALL DAY. 6882 US-90 • Daphne • (251) 621-3749

JUDY’S PLACE ($-$$)

HOME COOKING 4054 Government Blvd. • 665-4547

LICKIN’ GOOD DONUTS ($) 3915 Gov’t Blvd. • 219-7922 3226 Dauphin St. • 471-2590

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

MICHELI’S CAFE ($)

6358 Cottage Hill Rd. • 725-6917

MCSHARRY’S ($-$$)

AUTHENTIC IRISH PUB 101 N. Bancroft St.• 990-5100

MOMMA GOLDBERG’S DELI ($)

SANDWICHES & MOMMA’S LOVE 3696 Airport Blvd. • 344-9500 5602 Old Shell Rd. • 219-7086 920 Industrial Pkwy • Saraland • 378-5314

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CORNER 251 ($-$$)

ABBA’S MEDITERRANEAN CAFE ($-$$)

33 N Section St. • Fairhope • 990-5635

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 HEALTHY WHOLE FOODS & MORE 101 N Water St. (Moorer YMCA)• 458-8572

O’DALYS HOLE IN THE WALL ($) 562 Dauphin St.• 725-6429

PANINI PETE’S ($)

THYME BY THE BAY ($-$$) TIME TO EAT CAFE ($)

DOWN-HOME COUNTRY COOKIN 7351 Theodore Dawes Rd. • 654-0228

TP CROCKMIERS ($)

AMERICAN RESTAURANT & BAR 250 Dauphin St. • 476-1890

THREE GEORGES CANDY SHOP ($) LIGHT LUNCH WITH SOUTHERN FLAIR. 226 Dauphin St. • 433-1689

TROPICAL SMOOTHIE ($)

GREAT SMOOTHIES, WRAPS & SANDWICHES. 9 Du Rhu Dr. • 378-5648 7450 Airport Blvd. A • 634-3454 570 Schillinger Rd. • 634-3454 29740 Urgent Care Dr.• 626-1160

PAT’S DOWNTOWN GRILL ($)

WAREHOUSE BAKERY & DONUTS ($)

POLLMAN’S BAKERY ($)

WILD WING STATION ($)

BAR FOOD 271 Dauphin St • 438-9585

COFFEE AND DONUTS 759 Nichols Avenue, Fairhope • 928-7223

SEAFOOD AND SUSHI 551 Dauphin St.• 219-7051

HIGH QUALITY FOOD & DRINKS 251 Government St • 432-8000

DAUPHIN’S ($$-$$$)

HIGH QUALITY FOOD WITH A VIEW 107 St. Francis St/RSA Building • 444-0200

DUMBWAITER ($$-$$$) 9 Du Rhu Dr. Suite 201 167 Dauphin St. • 445-3802

FIVE ($$)

GREAT FOOD AND COCKTAILS 609 Dauphin St. • 308-3105

KITCHEN ON GEORGE ($-$$)

CONTEMPORARY AMERICAN FOOD 351A George & Savannah St. • 436-8890

NOBLE SOUTH ($$)

ROYAL SCAM ($$)

HOME COOKIN’ LIKE MOMMA MADE 3211 Moffett Rd • 473-4739

RUTH’S CHRIS STEAK HOUSE ($$$)

ROSHELL’S CAFE ($)

2904 Springhill Ave. • 479-4614

ROYAL KNIGHT ($)

LUNCH & DINNER 3004 Gov’t Blvd. • 287-1220

SALLY’S PIECE-A-CAKE ($) BAKERY 5638 Three Notch Rd.• 219-6379

BACKYARD CAFE & BBQ ($) BAR-B-QUING WITH MY HONEY ($$)

EXCEPTIONAL SERVICE & TASTE 2058 Airport Blvd • 476-0516

BAY BARBECUE ($)

INSIDE THE MOBILE MARRIOTT 3101 Airport Blvd. • 476-6400

THE TASTE OF MOBILE 59 N Florida St. • 408-9997

COTTON STATE BBQ ($)

DOWNTOWN LUNCH 101 N. Conception St. • 545-4682

DICKEY’S BARBECUE PIT ($-$$)

SATORI COFFEEHOUSE ($)

COFFEE, SMOOTHIES, LUNCH & BEERS. 5460 Old Shell Rd. • 344-4575

BBQ AND MORE 6882 US-90 G2/Jubilee Square •Daphne• 210-2151 1390 W D6 Tingle Circle East/McGowin Park• 471-1050 7721 Airport Blvd. E100/Westwood Plaza • 380-8957

SERDA’S COFFEEHOUSE ($)

DREAMLAND BBQ ($)

COFFEE, LUNCHES, LIVE MUSIC & GELATO 3 Royal St. S. • 415-3000 1539 US-98 • Daphne • 517-3963

SIMPLY SWEET ($)

CUPCAKE BOUTIQUE 6207 Cottage Hill Rd. Suite B • 665-3003

STEVIE’S KITCHEN ($)

SANDWICHES, SOUPS, SALADS & MORE 41 West I-65 Service Rd. N Suite 150. • 287-2793

SUGAR RUSH DONUT CO. ($) 4701 Airport Blvd. • 408-3379

SUNSET POINTE ($-$$)

AT FLY CREEK 831 N Section St. • Fairhope • 990-7766

THE CHEESE COTTAGE ($$) SPECIALTY GROCER/DELI 650 St. Louis St. • 251-308-8488

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

SUPREME EUROPEAN CUISINE 2579 Halls Mill Rd. • 479-0006

GUMBO, ANGUS BEEF & BAR 72. S. Royal St. • 432-SCAM (7226)

BBQ, BURGERS, WINGS & SEAFOOD 19170 Hwy 43 Mt. Vernon. • 829-9227

RIBS, SANDWICHES & GREAT SIDES 3314 Old Shell Rd. • 479-9898

MEAT BOSS ($)

5401 Cottage Hill Rd. • 591-4842

MOE’S ORIGINAL BAR B QUE ($)

BARBEQUE & MUSIC 4672 Airport Blvd. • 410-6377 701 Springhill Ave. • 410-7427 3385 Schillinger Rd N #1 • 410-7428 6423 Bayfront Park Dr. • Daphne • 625-7427

SAUCY Q BARBQUE ($) AWARD-WINNING BARBQUE 1111 Gov’t Blvd. • 433-7427

TEXARBAMA ($)

GREAT MEDITERRANEAN FOOD. 5951 Old Shell Rd. • 460-9191

MEDITERRANEAN RESTAURANT & HOOKAH 1248 Hillcrest St • 634-9820 MEDITERRANEAN CAFE 9 Du Rhu Dr Suite 300 • 378-2678 1539 US HWY 98•Daphne • 273-3337

4513 Old Shell Rd. D• 473-0007

‘CUE

WRAPS & SALADS 3220 Dauphin St. • 479-2480

MINT HOOKAH BISTRO ($)

INVENTIVE & VERY FRESH CUISINE 6 N. Jackson St. • 433-0377

OSMAN’S RESTAURANT ($$)

ROLY POLY ($)

GREAT & QUICK. 2502 Schillinger Rd. Ste. 2 • 725-0126 3702 Airport Blvd. • 308-2131 6890 US-90 • Daphne • 621-2271 274 Dauphin St. • 545-3161

FAR EASTERN FARE

AUTHENTIC FOODS FROM HIMALAYAN REGION 3210 Dauphin St. • 287-0115 400 Eastern Shore Center • Fairhope •990-6192

SANDWICHES, SUBS & SOUPS 2056 Gov’t St. • 476-2777

MEDITERRANEAN SANDWICH COMPANY ($)

LOCAL INGREDIENTS 203 Dauphin St. • 690-6824

FUDGE, PRALINES & MORE 17111 Scenic Hwy 98 • Fairhope • 928-8477

REGINA’S KITCHEN ($-$$)

MOBILE’S OLDEST MIDDLE EASTERN CUISINE 4715 Airport Blvd/Regency Square • 304-1155

TAZIKI’S ($-$$)

GREAT LUNCH & DINNER 3607 Old Shell Rd. • 445-8700

NOJA ($$-$$$)

334 Fairhope Ave • Fairhope • 928-2399

JERUSALEM CAFE ($-$$)

MAGHEE’S GRILL ON THE HILL ($-$$)

85 N. Bancroft St. • Fairhope • 990.8883

YAK THE KATHMANDU KITCHEN ($-$$)

4861 Bit & Spur Rd. • 340-6464

OLLIE’S MEDITERRANEAN GRILL ($-$$)

HIGH QUALITY FOOD & DRINKS 251 Government St. • 432-8000

1500 Government St. • 287-1526

THE WINDMILL MARKET ($)

HEALTHY, DELICIOUS MEDITERRANEAN FOOD. 3762 Airport Blvd. • 725-1177

LAUNCH ($-$$)

BAKERY, SANDWICHES & MORE 750 S. Broad St. • 438-1511 4464 Old Shell Rd. • 342-8546 107 St. Francis St. Suite 102 • 438-2261

R BISTRO ($-$$)

JERSEY MIKE’S ($)

THE SUNFLOWER CAFE ($)

MUFFINS, COFFEE & WRAPS 105 Dauphin St. • 433-9855

3869 Airport Blvd. • 345-9544 5470 Inn Rd. • 661-9117 28975 US 98 • Daphne • 625-3910 MIND-BLOWING ISLAND FOOD 3700 Gov’t Blvd. • 602-1973

7 SPICE ($-$$)

320 Eastern Shore Shopping Center •Fairhope • 929-0055 3055 A Dauphin St. • 479-3200

PUNTA CLARA KITCHEN ($)

JAMAICAN VIBE ($)

CHUCK’S FISH ($$)

SOUTHERN COOKING & THEN SOME 1716 Main St. • Daphne • 222-4120

107 St Francis St #115 • RSA Bank Trust Building

HOMEMADE SOUPS & SANDWICHES 65 Government St. • 208-6815

HOOTERS ($)

THE PIGEON HOLE ($)

SAGE RESTAURANT ($$) SOUTHERN NATIONAL ($$-$$$) 360 Dauphin St • 308-2387

VON’S BISTRO ($-$$)

SEAFOOD, ASIAN & AMERICAN CUISINE 69 St. Michael St • 375-1113

ANG BAHAY KUBO ($$) AROY THAI ($$)

966 Government St.• 408-9001

BAMBOO STEAKHOUSE & SUSHI BAR ($$) TRADITIONAL JAPANESE WITH HIBACHI GRILLS 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./Ambassador Plaza• 633-9077

BENJAS ($)

THAI & SUSHI 5369 US-90 • 661-5100

TAMARA’S DOWNTOWN ($$)

CHARM THAI KITCHEN & SUSHI BAR ($-$$)

THE TRELLIS ROOM ($$$)

CHINA DOLL SEAFOOD RESTAURANT($)

CASUAL FINE DINING 104 N. Section St. • Fairhope • 929-2219 CONTEMPORARY SOUTHERN CUISINE Battle House Hotel, Royal St. • 338-5493

THE WASH HOUSE ($$)

17111 Scenic HWY 98 • Point Clear • 928-4838

A LITTLE VINO DOMKE MARKET

960 Schillinger Rd. S • 660-4470 3966 Airport Blvd.• 343-5530

CHEF 181 ($)

ASIAN FUSION RESTAURANT 10179 Eastern Shore D • Spanish Fort • 621-2104

FUJI SAN ($)

THAI FARE AND SUSHI 2000 Airport Blvd. • 478-9888

WINE, BEER, GOURMET FOODS, & MORE. 720 Schillinger Rd. S. Unit 8 • 287-1851

HALAL CUISINE OF INDIA ($$)

FOOD, WINE & MORE 5150 Old Shell Rd. • 341-1497

HIBACHI 1 ($-$$)

FOOD PAK INTERNATIONAL FOODS POUR BABY

WINE BAR, CRAFT BEERS & BISTRO 6808 Airport Blvd. • 343-3555

FIREHOUSE WINE BAR & SHOP

LUNCH BUFFET 3674 Airport Blvd. • 341-6171 2370 Hillcrest Rd.• 380-6062

ICHIBAN ($)

JAPANESE & CHINESE CUISINE 3959 Cottage Hill Rd • 666-6266

216 St Francis St. • 421-2022

KAI JAPANESE RESTAURANT ($-$$)

BAY GOURMET ($$)

323A De La Mare Ave, Fairhope • 990-0003 1104 Dauphin St.. • 478-9494

LIQUID SUSHI LOUNGE ($$)

BRIQUETTES STEAKHOUSE ($-$$)

LIVE MUSIC, MARTINIS & DINNER MENU. 26 N. Royal St. • 338-2000

761 Nichols Ave • Fairhope

DROP DEAD GOURMET

RED OR WHITE

A PREMIER CATERER & COOKING CLASSES 1880-A Airport Blvd. • 450-9051

ROYAL STREET TAVERN

GRILLED STEAKS, CHICKEN & SEAFOOD 312 Schillinger Rd • 607-7200 901 Montlimar Dr • 408-3133

SOUTHERN NAPA

CLASSIC STEAKHOUSE + FRESH FISH 17107 Tennis Club Dr. • Fairhope • 517-7700

FALAFEL? TRY SOME HUMMUS

CHAR 32 ($$$)

BISTRO PLATES, CRAFT BEERS & PANTRY 2304 Main St. • 375-2800

QUALITY FOOD, EXCELLENT SERVICE 5045 Cottage Hill Rd. • 607-6454

AMAZING SUSHI & ASSORTMENT OF ROLLS. 661 Dauphin St. • 432-0109

RICE ASIAN GRILL & SUSHI BAR ($) 3964 Government 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

SHO GUN ($$)

JAPANESE ENTREES, SUSHI & HIBACHI TABLES 7038 Airport Blvd • 304-0021

STIX ($$)

10240 Eastern Shore Blvd • 621-9088

SUSHI 9 THAI & JAPANESE ($$) 720 Schillinger Rd • 607-7073

RALPH & KACOO’S ($-$$) THE SEAFOOD RESTAURANT 1595 Battleship Pkwy. • 626-0045

R&R SEAFOOD ($-$$)

LAID-BACK EATERY & FISH MARKET 1477 Battleship Pkwy. • 621-8366

RIVER SHACK ($-$$)

TASTE OF THAI ($$)

SEAFOOD, BURGERS & STEAKS 6120 Marina Dr. • Dog River • 443-7318

TEAK HOUSE

LOCAL SEAFOOD & PRODUCE 6036 Rock Point Rd. • 443-7540

9091 US-90 • Irvington • 957-1414 1703 US-98 • Daphne • 625-8680

WASABI SUSHI ($$)

THE GRAND MARINER ($-$$) THE HARBOR ROOM ($-$$)

JAPANESE CUISINE 3654 Airport Blvd • 725-6078

UNIQUE SEAFOOD 64 S. Water St. • 438-4000

FROM THE DEPTHS

751 Azalea Rd. • 301-7964

BAUDEAN’S ($$)

FRIED, GRILLED, STEAMED & ALWAYS FRESH 3300 River Rd. • 973-9070

THE BLUEGILL ($-$$)

A HISTORIC SEAFOOD DIVE W/ LIVE MUSIC 3775 Battleship Pkwy • 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/ MUDBUGS DIP SEAFOOD ($)

PO-BOYS, SALADS & SEAFOOD 1870 Dauphin Island Pkwy • 287-1168 • 479-0123

ED’S SEAFOOD SHED ($$)

FRIED SEAFOOD SERVED IN HEFTY PORTIONS 3382 Battleship Pkwy • 625-1947

FELIX’S FISH CAMP ($$) UPSCALE DINING WITH A VIEW 1530 Battleship Pkwy • 626-6710

FISHERMAN’S LEGACY ($) DELI, MARKET AND CATERING. 4380 Halls Mill Rd. • 665-2200

HALF SHELL OYSTER HOUSE ($) 30500 AL-181 • Spanish Fort • 206-8768 3654 Airport Blvd. • 338-9350

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

THE SEAFOOD HOUSE ($-$$) TIN TOP RESTAURANT & OYSTER BAR ($$) SEAFOOD, STEAKS, & EXTENSIVE WINE LIST 6232 Bon Secour Hwy • 949-5086

WINTZELL’S OYSTER HOUSE ($-$$) FRESH SEAFOOD FOR OVER 75 YEARS 805 S Mobile St • Fairhope • 929-2322 605 Dauphin St. • 432-4605 6700 Airport Blvd. • 341-1111 1208 Shelton Beach Rd. • Saraland • 442-3335

IS THE GAME ON?

ASHLAND MIDTOWN PUB ($-$$) PIZZAS, PASTAS, & CALZONES 2453 Old Shell Rd • 479-3278

BAUMHOWER’S ($)

WINGS, BURGERS & PUB GRUB 3206 Joe Treadwell Dr • 378-2444 6880 US-90/Jubilee Square • Daphne • 625-4695

BUFFALO WILD WINGS ($) BEST WINGS & SPORTING EVENTS 6341 Airport Blvd. • 378-5955

BUTCH CASSIDY’S ($)

FAMOUS BURGERS, SANDWICHES & WINGS 60 N. Florida St. • 450-0690

CALLAGHAN’S IRISH SOCIAL CLUB ($) BURGERS & BEER 916 Charleston St. • 433-9374

HEROES SPORTS BAR & GRILLE ($) SANDWICHES & COLD BEER 273 Dauphin St. • 433-4376 36 Hillcrest Rd • 341-9464

HURRICANE GRILL & WINGS ($-$$)

WINGS, SEAFOOD, BURGERS & BEER 7721 Airport Blvd. Suite E-180 • 639-6832 25755 Perdido Beach Blvd •Orange Beach • 981-3041

ISLAND WING CO ($)

EVERYTHING BAKED OR GRILLED 2617 Dauphin St. • 476-9464 3947 AL-59 Suite 100 • Gulf Shores • 970-1337

MANCIS ($)

1715 Main St. • 375-0543

MCSHARRY’S IRISH PUB ($)

BRILLIANT REUBENS & FISH-N-CHIPS. 101 N. Brancroft St. Fairhope • 990-5100

MUG SHOTS ($$)

BAR & GRILL 6255 Airport Blvd. • 447-2514

OLD 27 GRILL ($)

BURGERS, DOGS & 27 BEERS & WINES. 19992 Alabama 181 • Fairhope• 281-2663

LUCKY IRISH PUB ($)

IRISH PUB FARE & MORE 1108 Shelton Beach Rd •Saraland • 473-0757 3692 Airport Blvd • 414-3000

TAMARA’S DOWNTOWN ($)

WINGS, BURGERS & OTHER AMERICAN CHOW 104 N Section St • Fairhope • 929-2219

WEMOS ($)

WINGS, TENDERS, HOTDOGS & SANDWICHES 312 Schillinger Rd. • 633-5877

MAMA MIA!

PAPA MURPHY’S

TAKE ‘N’ BAKE PIZZA 3992 Government • 287-2345 7820 Moffett Rd. • Semmes • 586-8473 2370 Hillcrest Rd • 661-4003 3764 Airport Blvd • 338-9903 705 Highway 43 • Saraland •308-2929 27955 US 98 • Daphne • 621-8666

PAPA’S PLACE ($$)

A TASTE OF ITALY. BYOB. 28691 U.S. Highway 98 • 626-1999

PINZONE’S ITALIAN VILLAGE ($$) AUTHENTIC ITALIAN DISHES 312 Fairhope Ave. • Fairhope • 990-5535

RAVENITE ($)

PIZZA, PASTA, SALAD & MORE 102 N. Section St. •Fairhope• 929-2525

PIZZERIA DELFINA ($) PIZZA & PASTA 107 Dauphin St. • 375-1644

ROMA CAFE ($-$$)

PASTA, SALAD AND SANDWICHES 7143 Airport Blvd. • 341-7217

CORTLANDT’S PIZZA PUB ($-$$)

OLÉ MI AMIGO!

GAMBINO’S ITALIAN GRILL ($)

TASTE OF MEXICO 5452 US-90 • 661-5509

GUIDO’S RESTAURANT ($$) FRESH CUISINE NIGHTLY ON MENU 1709 Main St. • Daphne • 626-6082

SEMMES HOUSE OF PIZZA ($) 3958 Snow Rd C. • Semmes • 645-3400

MARCO’S PIZZA ($)

5055 Cottage Hill Rd. • 308-4888 2394 Dawes Rr. • 639-3535 2004 US 98 • Daphne • 625-6550

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 2303 S McKenzie St •Foley • 970-1414

MIRKO ($$)

PASTA & MORE 9 Du Rhu Dr. • 340-6611

NAVCO PIZZA ($$)

PIZZA, SUBS & PASTA 1368 Navco Rd.• 479-0066

MARIA BONITA AGAVE BAR & GRILL ($-$$) MEXICAN CUISINE 3977 Gov’t Blvd. • 660-4970

POOR MEXICAN ($)

30500 AL-181 • Spanish Fort • 621-7433

ROOSTER’S ($)

LATIN AMERICAN FOOD 211 Dauphin St. • 375-1076

AZTECAS ($-$$)

CAFÉ DEL RIO ($-$$)

MOUTH WATERING MEXICAN FOOD 1175 Battleship Pkwy • 625-2722

DAUPHIN ST. TAQUERIA ($)

ENCHILADAS, TACOS, & AUTHENTIC FARE Ok Bicycle Shop • 661 Dauphin St. • 432-2453

DON CARLOS MEXICAN RESTAURANT ($)

850 Bayview Ave. Bilox • 888-946-2847 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

TAQUERIA CANCUN ($)

C&G GRILLE ($)

TAQUERIA MEXICO ($-$$)

PALACE CASINO:

3172 International Dr. • 476-9967 AUTHENTIC MEXICAN FLAVOR 3733 Airport Blvd. • 414-4496

BR PRIME ($$-$$$)

BUSTER’S BRICK OVEN ($-$$)

ITALIAN, STEAKS & SEAFOOD 18 Laurel Ave. • Fairhope • 990-0995

THIRTY-TWO ($$$)

QUAINT MEXICAN RESTAURANT 5556 Old Shell Rd. • 345-7484

VIA EMILIA ($$)

HOMEMADE PASTAS & PIZZAS MADE DAILY 5901 Old Shell Rd. • 342-3677

GREAT PIZZA. LUNCH & DINNER 4356 Old Shell Rd. • 342-0024

LOS ARCOS ($)

TRATTORIA PIZZA & ITALIAN ($$)

ITALIAN FOOD & PIZZAS 11311 US HIghway 31 • Spanish Fort• 375-0076

1715 Main St. (Next to Manci’s) Daphne. • 264-2520

IP CASINO:

NO GAMBLING CASINO FARE

BUCK’S PIZZA ($$)

DELIVERY 350 Dauphin St. • 431-9444

830 W I65 Service Rd. S • 378-5837 4663 Airport Blvd. • 342-5553

BEAU RIVAGE:

875 Beach Blvd. Biloxi • 888-952-2582

LARGE BREAKFAST, LUNCH OR DINNER MENU

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

FINE DINING ESTABLISHMENT.

TREASURE BAY:

AMAZING ARRAY OF MOUTH-WATERING FOOD.

THE DEN ($-$$)

LOCAL SEAFOOD AND 40+ BEERS

CQ ($$-$$$)

EXOTIC CUISINE AND SUSHI

BLU ($)

ITALIAN COOKING

WIND CREEK CASINO:

THE BUFFET ($-$$)

COAST SEAFOOD & BREW ($-$$) JIA ($-$$)

STALLA ($$)

TERRACE CAFE ($)

BREAKFAST, LUNCH, DINNER, LATE NIGHT

HARD ROCK CASINO:

777 Beach Blvd.Biloxi • 877-877-6256

1980 Beach Blvd. Biloxi • 800-747-2839 INTIMATE & CASUAL WITH DAILY SPECIALS ELEGANT ATMOSPHERE & TANTALIZING ENTREES LOUNGE WITH COCKTAILS & TAPAS MENU

303 Poarch Rd. Atmore • 866-946-3360

FIRE ($$-$$$)

PRIME STEAKS, SEAFOOD & WINE

GRILL ($)

CONTEMPORARY & OLD-FASHIONED FAVORITES

EL MARIACHI ($)

HALF SHELL OYSTER HOUSE ($-$$) HARD ROCK CAFÉ ($)

EL PAPI ($-$$)

RUTH’S CHRIS STEAK HOUSE ($$$)

FUEGO ($-$$)

SATISFACTION ($-$$)

FUZZY’S TACO SHOP ($)

HARRAH’S GULF COAST:

WATERFRONT BUFFET ($$-$$$)

HACIENDA SAN MIGUEL ($-$$)

280 Beach Blvd. Biloxi • 288-436-2946

MAGNOLIA HOUSE ($$-$$$)

CHOPSTX NOODLE BAR ($-$$)

29669 Alabama 181 • Spanish Fort • (251) 625-3300 763 Holcombe Ave • 473-0413 615 Dauphin St • 308-2655 OUTSTANDING MEXICAN CUISINE 2066 Old Shell Rd. • 378-8619 5713 Old Shell Rd.• 338-9697

TASTE OF MEXICO 880 Schillinger Rd. S. • 633-6122 5805 US 90 • 653-9163

LA COCINA ($)

AUTHENTIC MEXICAN CUISINE 800 N Section St. • Fairhope • 990-0783

AMERICAN FARE & ROCKIN’ MEMORABILIA EXCEPTIONAL SERVICE & TASTE SOUTHERN FAVORITES BUFFET

FINE DINING, SEAFOOD AND STEAKS

SCARLET PEARL:

9380 Central Avenue D’Iberville • 800-266-5772

CHEF WENDY’S BAKING ($-$$)

MADE-TO-ORDER FESTIVE TREATS AND SPECIALTY CAKES.

UNDER THE OAK CAFE ($-$$)

CLASSIC ALL-AMERICAN CASUAL CUISINE WITH OVER 100 OPTIONS.

SOUPS, SALADS, FRESH SEAFOOD, AND MORE

VIETNAMESE SANDWICHES, PHO, AND APPETIZERS.

FLAVORS BUFFET ($-$$)

SCARLET’S STEAKS & SEAFOOD ($$$)

THE BLIND TIGER ($-$$)

BUTLER’S BAR & LOUNGE ($$)

ALL YOU CAN EAT BUFFET

quality food and simple unique cocktails

SAVORY STEAKS AND SEAFOOD

EXTRAORDINARY DRINK MENU, COCKTAILS

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CUISINE | WORD OF MOUTH

4th annual Alabama Seafood Cook-Off June 13

Southwood Kitchen in Daphne, Chef Jason Ramirez of Villaggio Grille in Orange Beach and Chef Scott Simpson of the Depot in Auburn, all of whom will be competing for the first time, with the exception of Chef Ramirez, who was runner-up at last year’s ASCO. While Bayou La Batre comes alive with competition, the town’s own Taste of the Bayou event will be running in conjunction. Locals can sample fresh seafood and experience Lower Alabama’s seafood capital for $10 per ticket. “This year’s contest will prove to be another annual highlight for Alabama’s thriving seafood culture,” said Chris Blankenship, commissioner of the Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources and program administrator of the Alabama Seafood Marketing Commission. “We congratulate all of the finalists and wish them the best as they work to perfect their recipes for next month’s event.”

BY ANDY MACDONALD/CUISINE EDITOR

Nutter to represent Mobile in wing showdown

It’s a good ways away, but this year’s Southern Wing Showdown — on Sunday, Aug. 5, in Atlanta — will have a Mobile star as a competitor. Somewhere in the neighborhood of 30 top chefs from the Southeast will be competing for the title, along with Southern National’s Duane Nutter. This event sells out every year. Get tickets early if you want to make the trip.

Death Wish Coffee hits stores June 9

30 | L AG N I A P P E | M a y 3 0 , 2 0 1 8 - J u n e 5 , 2 0 1 8

Photo | eatalabamaseafood.com

ayou La Batre Community Center will be host to this year’s fourth annual Alabama Seafood CookOff on Wednesday, June 13. Winner of this contest will go on to represent Alabama at the 15th annual

Great American Seafood Cook-Off in New Orleans as well as the 2018 World Food Championships in Orange Beach. This year’s competitors include Chef Jeremy Downey of Bistro V in Birmingham, Chef Jeremiah Matthews of

What’s the buzz? Death Wish Coffee. If you’re looking for a serious caffeine fix you’ll be excited to hear about Death Wish Coffee, the “world’s strongest coffee,” available in Mobile starting June 9 at local Walmart stores. The $17.95 box of K-Cups use a combination of robusta and arabica beans sourced from India and Peru, resulting in a bold organic coffee that has 200 percent more caffeine than you’re used to. In 2017 there was a recall of the company’s nitro brew, but now everything seems to be smooth sailing. The Walmart promotion is part of its “Made in America” initiative.

Tickets still available for Hank Shaw dinner

It’s cutting it close, but there are still tickets available for Great Days Outdoors and The Noble South’s Hank Shaw dinner on Thursday, May 31. You’ll get to meet the James Beard Award winner, taste hors d’oeuvres from recipes in his latest cookbook, “Pheasant, Quail, Cottontail,” and receive a signed copy of the book — all for just $75 per person. To purchase tickets, visit www.thenoblesouthrestaurant.com/hank-shaw/. Recycle!

M a y 3 0 , 2 0 1 8 - J u n e 5 , 2 0 1 8 | L AG N I A P P E | 31

COVER STORY

Front-runners emerge in gubernatorial race BY LAGNIAPPE STAFF

he two front-runners in Alabama’s gubernatorial race are poised to hold their leads right up to the June 5 primary, as voters prepare to select the state’s first governor since Robert Bentley’s unceremonious ouster last April. Incumbent Gov. Kay Ivey, who ascended to the office from lieutenant governor after Bentley’s resignation, has held a substantial lead over Republicans vying to upset her bid to defend the position she inherited. The same is true for Tuscaloosa Mayor Walt Maddox, who’s led a crowded Democratic field for months. In this report, Lagniappe profiles Ivey and Maddox as well as the candidates trailing closest behind them ahead of the June primary — a look at the candidates’ respective backgrounds, proposed policies and expectations for Alabama. Based on a recent poll conducted by Leverage Public Strategies, Ivey is currently the preferred candidate among at least 47 percent of likely primary voters who selected a candidate, while 11 percent of the surveyed voters prefer Huntsville Mayor Tommy Battle. Birmingham evangelist Scott Dawson and Alabama Sen. Bill Hightower, a Mobile Republican, have both moved up and down in the single digits throughout the race. However, one of the things that could make election day interesting is the number of voters who haven’t decided who they will support. The Leverage poll put that number at 30 percent, though another conducted for Ivey’s campaign suggests it’s only 12 percent. That could matter because, even though Ivey seems to be the candidate to beat, she’ll be forced into a runoff if she fails to secure a majority on June 5.

Gov. Kay Ivey

Ivey’s campaign began with speculation about whether the interim governor would even seek a full term in the position, and it’s since been marked by her refusal to attend public debates as well as answer questions about her health and personal life. Ivey has been selective with media interviews, but her campaign has released sometimes scathing statements to address and rebut questions raised about her sexual orientation and personal health. Her campaign also declined to contribute to this report and instead directed questions to its website. A former school teacher, Ivey has been in Montgomery for more than three decades as a state legislator, state treasurer and Alabama’s lieutenant governor. Now she’s touting a record of job creation and “conservative principles” in hopes of

sticking around in her recent role as governor. Since taking office, Ivey has continued her predecessor’s support for pre-K education, which is currently receiving more funding than ever through her “Strong Start, Strong Finish” education initiative. It focuses on early childhood education, computer science and workforce preparedness. Those efforts were outlined in Ivey’s 2019 education budget proposal, most of which were included in the final version that passed the Legislature in March. With an additional $216 million of funding, it represented Alabama’s largest investment in education in a decade. When it comes to taxes, Ivey said she knows “every dollar spent by the government belongs to the people.” She’s also touted signing a bill into law earlier this year that expanded which taxpayers can claim the maximum standard deduction when filing state income taxes. Ivey said she’s “certainly not finished” looking at ways to cut taxes, and is also one of only two gubernatorial candidates to sign a “no tax” pledge earlier this year. Despite that, Ivey said as recently as May 4 she “strongly supports” a proposed 4-cent hike in Alabama’s gas tax. On infrastructure, Ivey said Alabama’s current process for funding roads and bridges is only able to provide general maintenance and “periodically fund priority projects” to alleviate some of the most congested roadways. Other projects, Ivey said, are confined to the state’s “wish list.” Ivey said she wants to work toward rethinking infrastructure funding both locally and nationally so those “wish list” projects become a reality for Alabama. One way to do that, she said, is through increased use of public-private partnerships. In addition to roads and bridges, Ivey said the state’s cyber infrastructure is lagging as well, adding that more than a million Alabamians have little or no access to broadband internet services capable of 25 mbps download speeds where they live. In March, Ivey signed into law the “Alabama Broadband Accessibility Act,” which created a state grant program to help incentivize private investment in the expansion of broadband access in underserved areas throughout the state.

Tommy Battle

Tommy Battle has spent 10 years as Huntsville’s mayor and is hoping to take the skills he said helped his city add jobs, revamp education and improve infrastructure to Montgomery. One thing Battle has talked about frequently on the campaign trail is his desire to “change the conversation” about Alabama. He’s distributed

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pins declaring “Alabama is a smart place” in hopes of highlighting what’s good about a state that he says is too often viewed negatively. “In Dothan, International Beam is making a laminated wood product that is going to challenge the steel industry, Montgomery is doing cyber defense for the Air Force, Birmingham is researching cures for cancer, Muscle Shoals and Fort Payne are making music that is heard all over the world, Huntsville is making rockets to explore deep space,” he said. “We do things in Alabama that nobody else does, and sometimes we sell ourselves short.” Battle’s campaign has also frequently touted the Toyota Motor Corp. and Mazda Motor Corp.’s recent decision to select Huntsville as the site for a new automotive plant — a $1.6 billion joint investment in the city that’s projected to create up to 4,000 new jobs. Big news statewide, Battle said it’s the latest in a string of economic development wins for Huntsville. Battle has also not been coy about Huntsville’s role in securing the Toyota deal and has criticized Ivey’s campaign for riding the accomplishment on the campaign trail. While the state provided $380 million in incentives, Battle says “[Ivey’s] fingerprints weren’t on any of the agreements.” “I’ve been to Japan five times in four years,” Battle said. “She signed off on the agreements and abatements, but when the negotiations were done, we were the ones in the trenches.” Ivey and Battle have also seemed to take a similar position on a state lottery. While neither has endorsed bringing one to Alabama, neither has expressly opposed a lottery either. Instead, both have maintained that voters should be the ones to decide whether is a lottery is right for Alabama. To address aging infrastructure, Battle said he believes the state has to act with a sense of urgency because, he said, “if you decide to fix something today, it will take you eight to 10 years to get it fixed.” He said without adequate funding the same could be true for the Interstate 10 Bridge Project. “The tunnel was backed up in 1976, and look at it today,” Battle said. “We’ve got to get enough money to take care of the major thoroughfares and work from there. If we want Alabama to continue to grow and move forward, we have to start now.” That type of long-term vision is what Battle said can set him apart in the GOP primary. He said he understands where the trends in industry and economic development are heading and has gone out of his way to say he doesn’t think Ivey

can lead Alabama in that direction.

Bill Hightower

Bill Hightowner, a first-term state senator from Mobile with a background in the corporate world, said he’s always been an “idea man.” That’s one of the reasons his campaign ads might seem a little different from those of some of his competitors in the GOP primary. “Other candidates are talking about Rocky Mountain oysters and shooting pistols. I’m talking reforming education, reforming taxes and bringing business sense to Montgomery,” he said. “I am a Christian, I go to church and I’ve done mission work, but I’m not doing commercials about that because that’s fundamental Alabama — we’ve got that.” Instead, Hightower’s campaign efforts have focused on policies that would represent a large shift from what he calls “the status quo” in Montgomery. One of the policies Hightower pushed during his time in the Legislature was reforming and simplifying state income taxes. Hightower is in favor of a single flat tax he said would be based on an undetermined percentage of the adjusted gross income listed on individuals’ federal tax returns. As he described it, there would be no need for a state return — just “write a check, send it to Montgomery.” Hightower predicted such reforms could save many families “an average of $300 per year” and attract new businesses with a “fairer and flatter” tax code. He said it would also end the practice of “passing out favors” through exemptions, credits and deductions that have “eroded our revenue base” while making some of Montgomery’s “favorite people wealthy.” Hightower has also campaigned on banning legislative earmarks, which he said effectively dictate where more than 90 percent of Alabama’s tax revenue goes each year. He’s also floated privatizing the state’s Department of Transportation and setting up the type of road and bridge commission other states use to evaluate and prioritize infrastructure projects according to need. “The goal is get the politics out of it,” he said. “Right now, the governor uses roads and bridges to entice legislators to vote for their legislation. So, they jerk road projects around the state, and there’s no steady funding mechanism. I’d like to put a 10-year plan in place and to execute it.” When asked about the I-10 bridge project, Hightower said his different approach to infrastructure is the reason he would “get it done.” He

COVER STORY said he supports the project although, like others, he said tolls would almost certainly be a part of any plan to fund the $2 billion endeavor. A Mobile native, Hightower is the only candidate in the governor’s race from the Gulf Coast, an area some locals say is often overlooked in state politics.

prisons may be the wrong approach to addressing problems in Alabama’s criminal justice system. Instead, he said, Alabama needs to tackle such issues as mental illness and drug addiction that lead to the incarceration of many Alabamians. He said more beds to serve psychiatric patients and better drug intervention programs for young people are needed across the state. As for coastal issues, Dawson said he agrees Scott Dawson with many locals that the Gulf Coast didn’t get If the gubernatorial race has an “outsider” its fair share of Alabama’s economic settlement candidate, it’s Scott Dawson. A Baptist minister since 1993 and the leader of a Birmingham-based with BP pursuant to the 2010 oil spill, and said he’d prioritize the I-10 Bridge project. He said evangelical association, Dawson said he entered the addition is needed as the area continues to the race to return “effective and ethical leadersee growth, and also because he’s been to Mobile ship” to Alabama after several embarrassing on a Friday afternoon and seen the effects of political scandals. congestion personally. He’s campaigned on changing the culture in Montgomery from the Legislature to state agencies and, according to his campaign website, Democratic candidates wants to see legislative term limits enacted and Across the aisle, the campaign issues have the ban on former legislators becoming lobbyists been, with a few exceptions, the same that have expanded from two years to 10. been key in the GOP primary. The proposals for Dawson also said he’d like to see an indeaddressing them, though, are different as night pendent audit of every state agency to determine and day. what services are being provided and how much The top-polling Democratic candidates are those services are costing Alabama taxpayers. He both pushing for the creation of a state lottery to then wants to eliminate any nonessential agenfund everything from universal pre-K and greater cies and services identified in the process. career technical education in high schools to “Are some of these agencies even still needed workforce development training programs and today? Are they effectively staffed?” he asked college scholarships. in a conversation with Lagniappe. “We have to The only polling data that’s been compiled evaluate everything.” in the Democratic primary race comes from the Another focus of the campaign has been pub- Mississippi-based firm Chism Strategies, which lic education, of which Dawson said he’s a big polled more than 13,603 likely voters in the Alasupporter. However, he said he believes reforms bama Democratic primary on behalf of Maddox’s are needed to make sure the state’s money and campaign earlier this month. the effort thousands of teachers put into improvOf those surveyed, Chism found 68 percent ing Alabama’s public schools are getting results. were supporting Maddox, who is polling with a 5.6-to-1 advantage over his closest opponent, As for economic development, Dawson said cutting state regulations that hamper businesses former Alabama Chief Justice Sue Bell Cobb. He has an 11-to-1 advantage over former state Rep. could help attract more jobs to the state without relying on publicly funded incentives he said cre- James C. Fields, who appears to be in third place in the contest. ate an “unfair playing field” for others in similar Democratic candidates Christopher Countryindustries. Instead, Dawson has proposed the idea of setting up an independent business coun- man, Doug “New Blue” Smith and Anthony cil to determine what regulations are unnecessary White registered no measurable support in the and remove them. That type of approach, he said, poll conducted for the Maddox’s campaign. In deep-red Alabama, both of the top Demowill entice new industries to Alabama and help existing businesses grow, expand and create jobs. cratic candidates are hoping voters will focus on policies instead of party, as each is pushing He has also expressed frustration with the agendas that call for reforms to the criminal number of legislative earmarks in the state budget. Around 93 percent of Alabama’s general justice system, gas taxes to fund infrastructure and a state lottery. fund budget is earmarked, and Dawson said the state needs to “make sure they are needed” instead of keeping them just because they’ve Walt Maddox been there. Walt Maddox has been the mayor of TuscaOne area where Dawson differs from some of loosa for more than a decade. Like some on the his fellow conservatives is prison reform, which other side of the aisle, he’s billing himself as a in the wake of federal lawsuits has been a top political “outsider” — pointing to the “status priority for the state. Dawson said building new quo” in Montgomery as the reason Alabama fin-

ishes close to last in several important categories. The key to Maddox’s platform would be establishing a state lottery and expanding the types of legal gambling through a pact with the Poarch Band of Creek Indians. Conservatively, he estimated it would “put about $250 million on the table in year one.” Asked what he’d do without those key funding sources, Maddox said his administration would introduce other initiatives, but would remain “aggressive” on that front. He reiterated that a lottery “would be key” to implementing his plans for Alabama. On policy, Maddox said Alabama has to do a better job of preparing children for the future. He said the state should focus workforce development efforts on addressing Alabama’s current shortage of qualified employees for certain manufacturing jobs. However, he said the state also has to expand those efforts to develop more than just manufacturing skills, and needs to prepare the workforce for a future that’s becoming increasingly automated. Maddox said he believes in preparing students for the career opportunities that exist where where they live as well as those that could be available in the future. Workforce development, he says, needs a “sustained regional approach.” He noted proceeds from a lottery could support additional workforce training programs. Both Bentley and Ivey opted not to expand Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act, which Maddox called a big misstep. Such an expansion, Maddox said, would provide 30,000 new jobs in the health care industry and a $1.8 million investment in the state. Maddox said he doesn’t support the idea of spending millions on new prisons to alleviate overcrowding without first trying to address the problem with reforms. As governor, Maddox said he’d make building the I-10 bridge a top priority because of the regional need and because it would be an “economic boon” for the state. His infrastructure plan, according to his campaign, would be underpinned by a gas tax increase. Maddox has previously stated support for the plan pushed by the Alliance for Alabama Infrastructure and Business Council of Alabama that would raise the gas tax by 12 cents per gallon. He also said the state government did a poor job of handling its settlement from the BP oil spill, comparing the accident’s effects on coastal Alabama to the impacts Tuscaloosa saw from the tornado that struck the city in 2011.

Sue Bell Cobb

Sue Bell Cobb is no stranger to Alabama politics. She spent 17 years in elected judicial positions, serving on the Alabama Court of Criminal

Appeals from 1994 to 2006, then as chief justice of Alabama’s Supreme Court until 2011. She was the first woman to hold either position. The most recent polls have put her in second place among the six candidates seeking the Democratic gubernatorial nomination, and like Maddox, Cobb has come out strongly in favor of a state lottery to help generate more revenue for some of Alabama’s most critical services. The “Lifelong Learner Lottery” is Cobb’s plan to increase state funding for education, the budget for which she said is “stretched beyond thin.” She previously stated revenues from the lottery would go toward funding pre-K programs, career tech education in high schools and assisting low-income students with college tuition not covered by Pell grants. Detractors call lotteries “a tax on the poor,” but Cobb said her proposal would address real needs and “give hope to those lottery participants who struggle the hardest to live on meager incomes.” Cobb has also discussed raising Alabama’s minimum wage, which matches the federal minimum wage of $7.25 per hour, though she has not said where she would set it. To do so, though, would require the Legislature, which last year passed a law prohibiting local governmental entities from requiring a minimum wage and has rejected previous attempts to raise the statewide minimum. Cobb has said cities should be allowed to set their own standards. On infrastructure, Cobb said Alabama lacks the quality roads and bridges found in surrounding states because it trails in revenue raised by gas taxes and toll roads. She’s expressed support for a “modest” increase in Alabama’s 18-cent per gallon fuel tax. In addition to making repairs, Cobb said she wants to position Alabama as a major transit hub in the South by capitalizing on the convergence of rail, roads and waterways. With the Southern Rail Commission exploring the feasibility of Amtrak making a return to the Gulf Coast, that could put Mobile in the spotlight. Cobb has said deepening the port — something state and federal agencies are already evaluating — “will be a priority” of hers. Another area Cobb has highlighted is one she knows well — criminal justice. Cobb said she believes in statewide reform of the criminal justice system. She would quickly move to create regional diversion community centers and work-release programs while expanding veteran and drug court programs as well as mental health treatment. During her time as chief justice, Cobb spearheaded a similar effort that spread model drug court programs to 66 of 67 Alabama counties — something she’s previously called one of her “proudest achievements.” Dale Liesch, Jason Johnson and Gabriel Tynes contributed to this report.

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S A M P L E B A L L O T O N LY. N O P A P E R B A L L O T S A C C E P T E D T H I S Y E A R . P L E A S E V I S I T V O T E N A P P I E S . C O M T O C A S T Y O U R B A L L O T.

NIGHTLIFE BEST ALL AROUND BAR A B C D E F

Alchemy Tavern Callaghan’s O’Daly’s Pour Baby The Brickyard The Haberdasher

BEST BARTENDER A Adam Yunker, Royal Street Tavern/Alchemy B Cary Scott, Gabriel’s C Pero Bringhurst, The Dublin D Randy Jennings, Sidecar Lounge E Rickey Havens, Pour Baby F Roy Clark, The Haberdasher

BEST BARTENDERESS A Courtney Anthony, Butch Cassidy’s Cafe B Jana Padgett Dunn, Brickyard C Shannon Frodge, Boondocks D Susan Richardson, Pelican Pub E Tasha Tupa, The Haberdasher F Tyger Kunz, Hayley’s

HOTTEST BARTENDER A Derek Dunn, Boo Radley’s B Hunter Vanderlinde, The Brickyard C Jay LeBlanc, Sunset Pointe D Rickey Slayton, B-Bob’s E Ricky Havens, Pour Baby F Sergio Muris, Alchemy Tavern

HOTTEST BARTENDERESS A Carrie Manning, Beef O’Brady’s B Chasity Varner, Ashland Midtown Pub C Crystal Dees D Jana Padgett Dunn, Brickyard E Leann Neilson F Stevi Lynn Hanenkrat, Champy’s Fried Chicken - Daphne

BEST NEW BAR A B C D E F

Baumhower’s Victory Grille SanBar Courtyard Serda Brewing The Dublin Waves DI Wet Willie’s

BEST DIVE BAR A B C D E F

Hayley’s Papa Buddha’s Patches The Garage Top of the Bay Veet’s

BEST E-SHO BAR A B C D E F

Manci’s Antique McSharry’s Plow Pour Nelson’s Tongue & Groove Top of the Bay

BEST WEMO BAR A B C D E F

Boondocks Bubble Lounge Cockeyed Charlie’s Key West Lounge Pour Baby The Dublin

BEST MIMO BAR Ashland Midtown Pub Butch Cassidy’s Lucky Irish Pub Mellow Mushroom Airport E Red or White F Silver Horse Pub A B C D

BEST LODA BAR A B C D E F

Kazoola LoDa Bier Garten O’Daly’s OK Bike Shop The Blind Mule The Haberdasher

BEST SOMO BAR A B C D E F

Dority’s Bar & Grill Islanders Pelican Pub River Shack Waves DI Zebra Club

BEST WINE BAR A B C D E F

Domke Market Firehouse Le Bouchon Pour Baby Red or White Southern Napa

BEST FANCY DRINK BAR A B C D E F

Flybar Royal Street Tavern Ruth’s Chris Sidecar Lounge The Haberdasher Tongue & Groove Drinkery

BEST HAPPY HOUR BAR A B C D E F

Butch Cassidy’s Cafe Dauphin’s Flip Side Sunset Pointe The Brickyard The Garage

BEST E-SHO HAPPY HOUR A B C D E F

California Dreaming District Hall Flybar McSharry’s Sunset Pointe Top of the Bay

BEST SPORTS BAR A All Sports Bar and Billiards B Baumhower’s Victory Grille C Buffalo Wild Wings D Draft Picks E Heroes Sports Bar & Grille F Touchdown Tavern

BEST WATERFRONT BAR A B C D E F

Bluegill Flora-Bama Pelican Pub Pirate’s Cove Sunset Pointe The River Shack

BAR WHERE YOU ARE MOST LIKELY TO GET LUCKY A B C D E F

B-Bob’s Hayley’s McSharry’s Midnight Rodeo O’Daly’s Saddle Up Saloon

BEST PLACE TO SHAKE YOUR BOOTY A B C D E F

B-Bob’s Boo Radley’s Boulevard Kazoola Midnight Rodeo Saddle Up Saloon

BEST GAY BAR A B C D

B-Bob’s Flip Side Gabriel’s Midtown Pub

FAVORITE CRAFT BEER A Abita Purple Haze B Fairhope Brewing Take the Causeway IPA C Fat Tire D Goose Island IPA

E Lagunitas Lil Sumpin’ Sumpin’ Ale F Sweetwater 420

FAVORITE IMPORT BEER A B C D E F

Corona Dos Equis Guinness Newcastle Pilsner Urquell Stella Artois

FAVORITE DOMESTIC BEER A B C D E F

Bud Light Budweiser Coors Light Mich Ultra Miller Lite Samuel Adams

BEST SPECIALTY COCKTAIL

BEST OVERALL STYLIST – BALDWIN

A Cool as a Cucumber Sunset Pointe B Dragon’s Eye - Flybar C Easy Tiger - Haberdasher D La Primavera - Haberdasher E Paloma - El Papi F Swampwater - Felix’s

A Brandi Hoover - Sanctuary Salon B Chandise Hampton - The March Hare C Cherry Wiggins - Fireflies Salon D Kayla Smith - Sanctuary Salon E Kristen Watler - Salon Royale F Tami Williams - Tami’s Mask & Mirror Studio

BEST BAR TRIVIA Blind Mule Fairhope Brewing Fuzzy’s Taco Mellow Mushroom Airport E Moe’s BBQ F Serda

A B C D

BEST LOCALLY BREWED BEER

BEST GENTLEMAN’S CLUB

A Big Beach Brewing Satsumo Wit B Fairhope Brewing Judge Roy Bean Coffee Stout C Fairhope Brewing Take the Causeway IPA D Haint Blue IPA E Serda Brewing Clear Prop F Serda Brewing Tidewater

A B C D

BAR WITH BEST TAP BEER SELECTION A B C D E F

Buffalo Wild Wings Draft Picks Island Wing LoDa Bier Garten Mellow Mushroom Montego’s

FAVORITE CASINO A Beau Rivage B Hard Rock C Harrah’s Gulf Coast Casino D IP Casino E Palace Casino F Scarlet Pearl

BEST MARGARITA A B C D E F

Café del Rio Dauphin St. Taqueria El Papi Fuego Hacienda San Miguel Sunset Pointe

BEST BLOODY MARY A B C D E F

Blind Mule Brick and Spoon Kitchen on George Moe’s BBQ Pelican Pub Wintzell’s

Candy Store Cookies N Cream Diamonds Lionz Den

SHOPPING & SERVICES BEST SALON – MOBILE A B C D E F

Genesis Hair Salon Harlow Inspire Salon & Gallery Salon DMH Salon West 5400 Studio PH

BEST SALON- BALDWIN A B C D E F

Fireflies Salon Hair-Do Salon Salon Royale Sanctuary Salon Tami’s Mask & Mirror Studio The March Hare

BEST OVERALL STYLIST – MOBILE A Jennifer Freeman - Salon DMH B Julie Burrus - Inspire Salon & Gallery C Lydia Belle Sexton Identity Salon D Phrankey Lowery - Studio PH E Vanna Uptagraft - All About You F Whitney Vittor - Salon West 5400

BEST COLORIST A Jennifer Freeman - Salon DMH B Julie Rhames - Harlow C Lauren Holmquist D Tami Williams - Tami’s Mask & Mirror Studio E Taylor Jane Westwood Inspire F Vanna Uptagraft - All About You

SCISSOR WIZARD (BEST HAIRCUT-TER) A Brandi Hoover - Sanctuary Salon B Caitlin Trehern - Salon 8:31 C Chandise Hampton - The March Hare D Jakob Dozen - Studio PH E Julie Burrus - Inspire Salon & Gallery F Laura Vendetti - Tami’s Mask & Mirror Studio

BEST BARBER A B C D E F

Gentlemen’s Barbershop Hillcrest Barbers Johnny Sullivan Mayo’s Barber Shop Mike’s Barber Shop Tillman’s Barber Shop

BEST MAKEUP ARTIST A B C D E F

Alexis Ruby Ashley West Cassidy Hester Kelsey Copeland Fields Kendall Smith Megan Layton

BEST HOOHA WAXER A Anna Bishop - LA Bikini B Crystal Quattrone - Primp C Elizabeth Spence - Tami’s Mask & Mirror Studio D Jill McKinley - Revive Skin and Body E Jitka Boyd - Salon Royale F Karen Vogtner - Nouveau on Dauphin

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S A M P L E B A L L O T O N LY. N O P A P E R B A L L O T S A C C E P T E D T H I S Y E A R . P L E A S E V I S I T V O T E N A P P I E S . C O M T O C A S T Y O U R B A L L O T.

BEST PLACE TO GET MANI/PEDI A B C D E F

J&T Nails Lilly’s Royal Day Spa Tami’s Mask & Mirror Studio Venetian Nails Vivian’s

E Dr. Morgan Ashurst - Alabama Medical Group F Dr. Susan Sweeney Greater Mobile Urgent Care

MOBILE BAY’S BEST SPECIALIST (MD)

A Crystal Quattrone- Primp B Hanna Hogle - Sunrise Dermatology C Jade Kittrell - MPRSD D Karen Vogtner - Nouveau on Dauphin E Kayla Mitchell - Dr. Kimberly Donnellan - Skin & Laser Specialists F Kim Graves - at Lyons Elite Med Spa

A Dr. Adam Handwerger The Orthopedic Group, P.C. B Dr. James West, III - - The Orthopedic Group, P.C. C Dr. Ronald O’Gorman - O’Gorman Vein and Vascular D Dr. Steven G. Alsip - Alabama Medical Group E Dr. Thomas Barbour, III - The Orthopedic Group, P.C. F Rihner, Gupta & Grosz Cardiology, P.C.

BEST DAY SPA

BEST HOOHA DOCTOR

A Battle House Spa B Greater Mobile Laser & Aesthetic Center C LumaLife Therapy & Wellness Spa D Lyons Cosmetic & Laser Surgery Center E MedSpa at the Park F Nouveau on Dauphin

A Dr. Danilo Herrera- Bay Area Physicians for Women B Dr. Glenn Gallaspy III Azalea City Physicians for Women C Dr. Helen Rogers - Bay Area Physicians for Women D Dr. Lauren Lambrecht Azalea City Physicians for Women E Dr. Patton Morrison Barton - Mobile Bay OBGYN Center F Dr. Quin Bixler - Mobile Bay OBGYN Center

BEST ESTHETICIAN

BEST TANNING SALON A B C D E F

Brush of Bronze LA Bikini Southern Glow Sunkissed Spray Tans Tiffany Tans Tuscan Sun

BEST MASSAGE THERAPIST A Hannah Boltz - Therapeutic Arts Massage & Bodywork B Jessi Coors, LMT C Kathryn Mixson - Mountain Massage & Day Spa D Kelsea Tupa - Epione Massage & Bodywork E Massage Envy F Roderick Gibbs - Dynamic Orthopedic Massage Therapy

MOBILE BAY’S BEST DOCTOR A Dr. Charla Evans - Infirmary Health Diagnostic Medical Clinic B Dr. Clare Carney - Alabama Medical Group C Dr. Gamil Dawood - Hillcrest Urgent Care D Dr. John T. Houston - IMC Family Medical of Mobile West

BEST DERMATOLOGIST A Dr. Amy Morris, Center for Dermatology B Dr. Harold Hawkins, The Dermatology Center C Dr. Kathryn Dempsey, MPRSD D Dr. Ryan Ramagosa, Sunrise Dermatology E Dr. Scott Freeman, Sunrise Dermatology F Dr. Scott VanLoock, Mobile Dermatology

BEST WEIGHT LOSS DOC A Dr. Amy Armstrong, La Bella RX B Dr. James Q. Jardine, Medi Weightloss C Dr. Lawrence Carpenter, Aesthetics & Weightloss D Dr. Michelle Jackson, Slim & Trim E Dr. Ruth Shields, Healthy Weight 4 Me F Dr. William Urquhart, Medi Weightloss

BEST “DOC IN THE BOX” CLINIC A Compass Urgent Care B Eastern Shore Urgent Care C Greater Mobile Urgent Care D Hillcrest Urgent Care E Southern Rapid Care F Urgent Care by the Bay

BEST BACK CRACKER (CHIROPRACTOR)

A Dr. Charles Dyas, Bay Area Plastic Surgery Associates B Dr. Christopher Park, The Park Clinic C Dr. James Koehler, Eastern Shore Plastic Surgery D Dr. Kitti Outlaw - Outlaw Plastic Surgery E Dr. Randy Proffitt - Randy Profitt MD F Dr. William Burden, Destin Plastic Surgery

A Advanced Spine & Therapy B Corsentino Chiropractic Clinic C Dr. Cevin Cormier, Cormier Chiropractic & Physical Therapy D Dr. Ken Bishop, Tillman’s Corner Chiropractic Clinic E Dr. Spencer Callahan, Bayview Optimal Performance F Family Chiropractic & Health Center

BEST FACELIFT DOC

BEST DENTIST

A Dr. Christopher Park, The Park Clinic B Dr. Henry Barber, Martin Center C Dr. James Koehler, Eastern Shore Plastic Surgery D Dr. Kimberly Donnellan, Skin & Laser Specialists E Dr. Michael B. Lyons, Lyons Cosmetic & Laser Surgery Center F Dr. Stephen Martin, Martin Center

A B C D E

BEST BOOB DOC

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Dr. David Salter Dr. Kristopher Portacci Grelot Dental Knollwood Dental Group Maitre & Crabtree Dental Group F Noblet Family Dental

BEST FITNESS FACILITY A Hillcrest Fit Body Boot Camp

B C D E F

JH Crossfit Mission Fitness Orangetheory Fitness ProHealth Springhill Fitbody Bootcamp

BEST PERSONAL TRAINER A Emily Powell, ProHealth B Jessica Callahan, Mission Fitness C John Burgard, Relentless PT D John Seddon, Life Plus Personal Fitness Training E Josh Foster, Josh The Trainer F Victor Fischer

BEST VETERINARIAN A Dr. Christopher Boudreau, Boudreau Veterinary Hospital B Dr. Madison Gordon, Westside Veterinary Hospital C Dr. Mary Katherine Cross, Old Shell Animal Hospital D Dr. Roxy Leslie, Village Animal Clinic E Mitchell Animal Clinic F Rehm Animal Clinic

BEST PET GROOMER A B C D E F

Addicted to Dogs Adorable Do’s Jeremy Henderson Lola Bell’s Paws on Pinehill Paws to Pamper

BEST FLORIST A B C D E F

All A Bloom Bay Flowers Belle Bouquet Lush Home and Garden Rose Bud Flowers & Gifts Wildflower Floral Design

BEST PHOTOGRAPHER/ STUDIO A Abigail Wellinghurst Photography B Evan Davis Photography C K Rae D Melinda Mercer Photography E Shane Rice Photography F Toni Riales

BEST YOGA STUDIO A B C D E F

Above and Beyond Glow Yoga Sterling Hot Yoga Sway Synergy Thrive Yoga & Massage

BEST CARWASH/DETAIL A Alabama Auto Clean B Bebo’s C Bumper 2 Bumper Auto Detailing D Down South Detail E Rich’s F Ultra Car Wash

BEST LAWYER IF YOUR SPOUSE IS A HO (DIVORCE) A B C D E F

Alison Herlihy Jerry Pilgrim Josh Boone Karol Kemp Molly Sullivan Stephen Johnson

BEST LAWYER TO KEEP YOU OUT OF PRISON (CRIMINAL) A B C D E F

Chase Barber Dennis Knizley Grant Gibson Jeff Deen Tom Walsh Walter Gewin

BEST LAWYER TO SUE THE PANTS OFF SOMEONE (TRIAL)

C D E F

Donna Gatlin - State Farm Julie Henson - Alfa Patrick Collins - Farmers Rachael Kidd - State Farm

BEST MORTGAGE BROKER/FIRM A Bay Mortgage B Embrace Home Loans C Jeanine Fowler, DSLD Mortgage D Magnolia Mortgage E Mortgage Team 1 F New Horizons Credit Union

BEST INVESTMENT BANKER/FINANCIAL PLANNER A Billy Williams, Williams Financial Group B Carl Dekle, Plan Sponsor Consultants C Chase Robinson, Northwestern Mutual D Coldsmith, Ryder & Associates, Ameriprise Financial Services Inc. E Keith Woodham, Edward Jones F Ryan Mahtani, BB&T Investments

BEST CAR DEALERSHIP

A Clay Massey & Associates B Cunningham Bounds C David J. Maloney D Eiland & Ritchie E Greene & Phillips F Moore Law Firm

A B C D E

BEST REAL ESTATE FIRM

BEST CPA

A B C D E F

Bellator Courtney & Morris Diamond Properties LLB&B Roberts Brothers Stirling Properties

Bay Chevrolet Eastern Shore Toyota McConnell Automotive MCD Motors Palmer’s Toyota Superstore F UJ Chevrolet

A B C D E F

BJ Gilbert Gina McKellar Karen Simmons Rita Byers Robinson Tax Service Ted Crabtree

BEST REALTOR

BEST LANDSCAPER

A Andrew Dickman - Stirling Properties B Brandon Norstedt - Better Homes & Gardens C Chris Clarke - Roberts Brothers D James Henderson - Bellator E Laurye Brunson - Roberts Brothers F Team A & C - Diamond Properties

A B C D E

BEST INSURANCE AGENT OR AGENCY A Allison Horner - State Farm B Cory Luckie - C.A.Luckie Insurance

A Bloom Garden Center Bay Landscaping Cotton State Services Krob Landscape, Inc Southern Landscape Solutions F Weatherford’s Fountain & Lawn

BEST CONTRACTOR/ HOMEBUILDER A All Weather Roof & Construction B Batten Builders C Bo Wilder Contracting D GLH Homebuilders E Lipford Construction F Truland Homes

S A M P L E B A L L O T O N LY. N O P A P E R B A L L O T S A C C E P T E D T H I S Y E A R . P L E A S E V I S I T V O T E N A P P I E S . C O M T O C A S T Y O U R B A L L O T.

BEST INTERIOR DESIGNER A B C D E F

Allyn Cameron Augusta Tapia Caitlyn Waite Lindsey Feenker Pat O’ Neal Randi Wilson

BEST HARDWARE STORE A Andrews Ace Hardware B Blankenship’s Universal Supply C Dawes Hardware D Eastern Shore Ace E Smith Hardware F Springhill Ace

BEST PEST CONTROL A B C D E F

Aegis Pest Control Arrow Cook’s Knockout Pest & Termite Semmes Pest Control Terminator Pest Control

BEST CLOTHING CONSIGNMENT STORE A B C D E F

Back on the Rack Hertha’s Plato’s Closet Rave Reviews Revolution Resale Second Edition Boutique

BEST DEPARTMENT STORE A B C D E F

Belk Dillard’s JC Penney Kohl’s Steinmart TJ Maxx

BEST PLACE TO GET MARDI GRAS ATTIRE A B C D E F

Fancy That Bridal Francia’s Formal Affair JoVi’s Bridal & Formal Metzger’s Putting on the Ritz Randall’s Formal Wear

BEST PET STORE A B C D E F

B&B Pet Stop Bella & Bows Pet Market Dog Days Barkery Pet Supplies Plus PetSmart The Waggy Tail

BEST FINE JEWELRY A B C D E F

Friedman’s Goldstein’s John Cauley Karat Patch Lou’s Zundel’s

BEST ANTIQUE STORE BEST DRY CLEANERS

Antiques at the Loop BackFlash Antiques La La Land Boutique Olde Mobile Antique Gallery E The Brothers Gallery F The Shop Around the Corner

A B C D E F

BEST MEN’S CLOTHING STORE

BEST HOME CLEANING SERVICE

A B C D

A B C D E F

CK Collection D&K Down South Native G Harvell McCoy Outdoor Metzger’s

BEST LINGERIE/NAUGHTY SHOP A B C D

NT Lingerie The Gift Spot The Little Drawer Victoria’s Secret

BEST WOMEN’S BOUTIQUE A B C D E F

Crimson Blue Boutique Hemline Kenzlee Grace LTD Fashions Pink Post Office Boutique Ruby Blue Boutique

Champion Cleaners Gulf City Jaguar Cleaners Master Cleaners Paragon Waite’s

A Maids a la Mode B Mandy’s Cleaning Service C Scrub-N-Suds D Sweet Home E The Maids F Two Gals & a Mop

BEST OUTDOORS STORE A B C D E

Alabama Outdoors Bass Pro Shop Field & Stream McCoy Outdoor Quint’s Red Beard’s Outfitter

BEST LOCAL PHARMACY A B C D E F

Christopher Pharmacy Dawes Pointe Pharmacy McConaghy Pharmacy Midtown Pharmacy Saraland Pharmacy Semmes Pharmacy

BEST SHOE STORE – ATHLETIC A B C D E

Academy Fleet Feet Sports McCoy Outdoor Run-N- Tri Shoe Station

BEST LADIES’ SHOE STORE A B C D E F

CK Collection Dillard’s DSW Gallery Shoe Boutique Shoefly Shoe Station

BEST GIFT SHOP A B C D E F

Domke Market Marcie N Me Meggie B’s Oak Ridge Pharmacy Robert Moore Timeless Treasures

BEST HOME FURNISHINGS STORE A B C D E F

Black Door Studio Designer Collection Luke Phillips Lush M A Simons Woman In the Moon

BEST FURNITURE CONSIGNMENT SHOP A All Around the House B Fairhope Furniture Consignment C High Cotton D Kaglen’s E Something Special F White House Antiques

BEST VAPE SHOP A B C D E F

Cloud 9 Parlor Vapes The Vapor Hut Vapemosphere Vapor Dreamz Vapors Smoke Shop

BEST BANK OR CREDIT UNION A Army Aviation Federal Credit Union B BBVA Compass C Iberia D New Horizons Credit Union E Regions F Renasant

KIDS BEST KIDS’ CLOTHING STORE – NEW A B C D E F

Charming Darlings Creating Cuties Gigi & Jay’s Little Monkey Toes Sweet Magnolia Smocks The Holiday

BEST KIDS’ CLOTHING STORE – CONSIGNMENT A Carousel Kids B Kids Klozet C Kids Kottage Upscale Resale D Kids Wearhouse E Savvy Mom Sale F Wee Exchange

BEST SUMMER CAMP A Bayside Academy B Dauphinway Baptist C Eastern Shore Repertory Theater D Gulf Coast Exploreum Center E St. Dominic Catholic School F St. Luke’s

BEST DAYCARE/MOTHER’S DAY OUT A Christ United Methodist B Springhill Baptist Child Development Center C St. Mary’s D Training Wheels Childcare E Weinacker’s Montessori F Westminster Presbyterian

BEST PRESCHOOL A B C D E F

Corpus Christi Catholic St. Dominic Catholic School St. Luke’s St. Paul’s EEC Weinacker’s Montessori Westminster Presbyterian

BEST BIRTHDAY PARTY PLACE A Altitude B Get Air C Gulf Coast Exploreum Lazer Zone D Pete’s Party Castle E Pump It Up

MOST KID-FRIENDLY NEIGHBORHOOD A B C D

Brookwood Jackson Heights Ravine Woods Regency

E Ridgefield F Rosswood

BEST KID-FRIENDLY LOCAL ATTRACTION A Bellingrath Gardens and Home B Dauphin Island Sea Lab C Gulf Coast Ducks D Gulf Coast Exploreum Center E OWA F The Fort of Colonial Mobile

BEST DANCE STUDIO A B C D E F

Classical Ballet Debbie’s School of Dance Grace Dance Center Mobile Ballet Sheffield School of Dance Turning Pointe

BEST PEDIATRIC DENTIST A Dr. Maureen Baldy B Dr. Trey’s Children’s Dentistry, Dr. Trey Fellers C Malbis Pediatric Dentistry, Dr. Kelly Jones D Mobile Pediatric Dentistry - Dr. Stephen E. Greenleaf, III E Pediatric Dentistry of Mobile, Dr. Joel Welford and Dr. Marion McMurphy, Jr. F Thomas and Moore Pediatric Dentist

BEST ORTHODONTIST A Donaghey Orthodontics B Glass Orthodontics C Harvey & Thomas Orthodontics D Hicks & McMurphy Orthodontics E Oliver Orthodontics F Pickett Orthodontics

BEST PEDIATRICIAN A B C D E F

Dr. Faye Roberts Dr. John Sands Dr. Lisa McDonough Dr. Matthew Cepeda Dr. Nancy Wood Dr. Robin McNair

BEST KID PHOTOGRAPHER A Chad Riley Photography B Jamie Roberts Photography C Janie Long Photography D Laura Cantrell Photography E Leslie Walley Photography F Paisley Studios G Samantha Vickers Photography

BEST PUBLIC SCHOOL A ACCEL Day and Evening Academy B Collier Elementary C Dawes Intermediate School D E. R. Dickson Elementary School E Mary G Montgomery High School F Phillips Preparatory

BEST PRIVATE SCHOOL A Corpus Christi Catholic B McGill Toolen Catholic High School C Mobile Christian School D St. Luke’s Episcopal School E St. Paul’s Episcopal School F UMS Wright

COOLEST ELEMENTARY SCHOOL TEACHER A Allison Dennis, Corpus Christi Catholic School B Amy Hodges, St. Paul’s Episcopal School C Caroline Graham, Semmes Elementary School D Elizabeth Partsch, E.R. Dickson Elementary E Jeremy Smith, O’Rourke Elementary F Jessica Sanders, Allentown Elementary

COOLEST MIDDLE SCHOOL TEACHER A Alison Burrow, Semmes Middle School B Amanda Richardson, Causey Middle School C Elizabeth Campbell, St. Paul’s Episcopal School D Jeanette Connally, St. Dominic Catholic School E Peter Stoyka, Corpus Christi Catholic School F Rosalie Hyatt, Grand Bay Middle School

COOLEST HIGH SCHOOL TEACHER A Eric Browne, Baker High School B Jeremiah Quattrone, Citronelle High School C Joseph Moody, Mary G. Montgomery High School D Margaret Delaney, UMS Wright Preparatory School E Mollie Betsch, Mary G. Montgomery High School F Yohanna Jimenez, St. Luke’s Episcopal School

M a y 3 0 , 2 0 1 8 - J u n e 5 , 2 0 1 8 | L AG N I A P P E | 37

S A M P L E B A L L O T O N LY. N O P A P E R B A L L O T S A C C E P T E D T H I S Y E A R . P L E A S E V I S I T V O T E N A P P I E S . C O M T O C A S T Y O U R B A L L O T.

CITY LIFE BEST MOBILIAN EVER A B C D E F

Dr. William Gorgas Eugene Walter Hank Aaron Jimmy Buffett Joe Cain Lonnie Johnson

BEST MOBILIAN RIGHT NOW A B C D E F

Chief Slacambamarinico IV Jake Peavy Judge Edmond Naman Mayor Sandy Stimpson Scott Tindle Uncle Henry

BEST HOTEL A Hilton Garden InnDowntown Mobile B The Admiral C The Battle House D The Grand Hotel E The Hampton Inn F The Riverview

BEST HIGH SCHOOL MARCHING BAND Baker High School Davidson High School LeFlore High School Mary G Montgomery McGill Toolen Catholic High School F Murphy High School A B C D E

BEST MARDI GRAS PAQUINTESSENTIAL MOBILIAN RADING SOCIETY

A Chief Slacambamarinico IV B City Councilman Fred Richardson C Gen. Gary Cooper D Mayor Sandy Stimpson E Preston Griffith F Suzanne Cleveland

A B C D E F

BEST MOBILE POLICE OFFICER

BEST MARDI GRAS MARCHING SOCIETY

A B C D E F

Officer Justin Billa Officer Justin Billa Officer Justin Billa Officer Justin Billa Officer Justin Billa Officer Justin Billa

BEST MOBILE FIREFIGHTER A B C D E F

Chad Sprinkle Jimmy Lilley LeAnn Tacon Marty Demouy Ronnie Gilmore Wesley Foster

COOLEST NEIGHBORHOOD/STREET A B C D E F

Church Street East Copeland Island Jackson Heights Oakleigh Garden District Regency South Lafayette Street

BEST ANNUAL FUNDRAISING EVENT A American Cancer Society Chili Cook-off B Camp Rap A Hope Turkey Trot for Hope C Downtown Cajun Cook-off D Feeding the Gulf Coast’s Annual Chef Challenge E Junior League of Mobile Christmas Jubilee F Mitchell Cancer Institute Go Run

A B C D E

Crewe of Columbus Mystic Stripers Mystics of Time Order of Inca Order of LaShes Order of Polka Dots

Cain’s Merry Mistresses Cain’s Merry Widows Dauphin Street Drunks Skeleton Krewe Wild Mauvillians

BEST MARDI GRAS BALL A B C D E F

Crewe of Columbus Fifty Funny Fellows Infant Mystics Knights of Revelry Mystics of Time Order of Polka Dots

COOLEST CHURCH OR HOUSE OF WORSHIP A Christ United Methodist B City Hope C First Baptist Church of Mobile D Government Street Presbyterian E St. Dominic Catholic Church F Wings of Life

BEST CLERGY PERSON/ PASTOR/SPIRITUAL LEADER A Dr. Brett Burleson, Dayspring Baptist B Dr. Robert Couch, Christ United Methodist C Father Chris Boutin, St. Dominic Catholic Church D Father Mark Neske, Holy Family Catholic Church E Pastor Chris Patrick, Wings

38 | L AG N I A P P E | M a y 3 0 , 2 0 1 8 - J u n e 5 , 2 0 1 8

of Life F Trey Doyle, First Baptist Church of Mobile

D The Mulligan Brothers E The Red Clay Strays F The Underhill Family Orchestra

C D E F

BEST PLACE TO TAKE OUT-OF-TOWNERS (ATTRACTION)

BEST NEW LOCAL BAND

BEST SOLO MUSICIAN

Average Joes Brigham Cason Trio Delta Smoke Lauren Murphy & The Psychedelics E Paid To Pretend F Sloth Racer

A B C D E F

A Bellingrath Gardens & Home B Bienville Bites Food Tour C Gulf Coast Ducks D Mobile Carnival Museum E OWA F USS Alabama

BEST PLACE TO TAKE OUT-OF-TOWNERS (RESTAURANT) A B C D E F

Dauphin’s Dumbwaiter Felix’s NoJa Osman’s Wintzell’s

COOLEST APARTMENT COMMUNITY A Bay Breeze Apartments, Daphne B Charleston Apartment Homes C D’Iberville Apartments D La Maison, Saraland E Marine Street Lofts F The Vinings, Spanish Fort

BEST LOCAL COMPANY TO WORK FOR A Crow Shields Bailey B Cunningham Bounds C Express Employment Professionals D FTZC (Foreign Trade Zone Corporation) E Greene & Phillips F Rihner, Gupta & Grosz Cardiology

NAPPIE CATEGORY 2019 A Best Automotive Repair B Best Local Author C Best Rehab/Physical Therapist D Best Scientist E Best Tattoo Artist F Coolest Preschool Teacher

MUSIC

A B C D

BEST COUNTRY BAND/ PERFORMER A B C D E F

Anna McElroy Bruce Smelley Hunter Landry Jesse Howard Jordan Capers Sugarcane Jane

BEST METAL/UNDERGROUND BAND A B C D E F

D.R.E.A.D. Excessum Love the Hate Satan & The Sunbeams Subjugate Venom

BEST BLUES BAND/ARTIST A B C D E F

Chronic Blues Delta Smoke Jamell Richardson Johnny No Lisa Mills Rick McNaughton Band

BEST CLUB TO SEE LIVE MUSIC A B C D E F

Callaghan’s O’Daly’s Soul Kitchen The Brickyard The Merry Widow Veet’s

BEST OUTDOOR BAR TO SEE LIVE MUSIC A B C D E F

Bluegill Dority’s Flora-Bama LuLu’s The Frog Pond The Hangout

BEST LOCAL BAND

BEST VENUE TO SEE LIVE MUSIC (NON-BAR)

A Marlow Boys B Modern Eldorados C Paw Paw’s Medicine Cabinet

A Cedar Street Social Club B Mobile Civic Center Theater

Saenger Theatre The Listening Room The Steeple The Wharf

Abe Partridge Anna McElroy Bruce Smelley Eric Erdman Laurie Anne Armour Ryan Balthrop

BEST JAZZ MUSICIAN A B C D E F

Blake Nolte Chip Herrington John Cochran Rebecca Barry Roman Street Shawn Wright

BEST HIP-HOP ARTIST A B C D E F

2Face Bigmatt Miller Deago Peyton Mr 88 Tommy Chayne Young Tax Return

BEST MUSIC/RECORD STORE Bay Sound Dr Music Fairhope Music Lovin’ Vinyl Records Mobile Flea Market E Mobile Records F Picker’s Paradise A B C D

BEST LOCAL RECORDING STUDIO A B C D E F

Admiral Bean Studio Dauphin Street Sound Day 6 Entertainment Group Dogwood Productions Studio 78 Studio H20

BEST GUITAR PLAYER A B C D E F

Anthony Crawford Ben Cook Corky Hughes John Cochran Phil Proctor Zac Baugh

BEST AREA SINGER/ VOICE A B C D E F

Brandon Coleman Lauren Murphy Ross Newell Savana Lee Crawford Steven Laney Symone French

BEST AREA DRUMMER A B C D E F

Greg DeLuca John Milham Karl Langley Roy Durand Travis Patch Tyler Goodwin

BEST AREA BASSIST A B C D E F

Andrew Wood Ben Leininger Joe Grove Louis Bustin Stan Foster TJ Thompson

BEST PIANO PLAYER/ KEYBOARDIST A B C D E F

Andrew Ayers Blayne Pierce Chris Spies Jacob Hall John Anthony Scott Morlock

BEST DRAG QUEEN PERFORMER A B C D E F

Amber Douglas Champagne Munroe Jawakatema Davenport Miss Cie Venus Zamareyah Dawn

BEST DJ (MIXIN’, MASHIN’UP KIND) A B C D E F

David Jones DJ Dean Cruz DJ Lynch DJ Mbezzle Russell Combs Twiggins

BEST AREA MUSIC FESTIVAL A Frank Brown International Songwriters Festival B Gulf Coast Ethnic & Heritage Jazz Festival C Hangout Music Fest D SouthSounds Music Fest E St. Mary’s Crawfish and Bluegrass Extravaganza F TenSixtyFive

ARTS BEST LOCAL PAINTER A B C D E F

Adam Underwood Ardith Goodwin Austin Boyd Cat Pope Christopher Murray E. Allen Warren

S A M P L E B A L L O T O N LY. N O P A P E R B A L L O T S A C C E P T E D T H I S Y E A R . P L E A S E V I S I T V O T E N A P P I E S . C O M T O C A S T Y O U R B A L L O T.

BEST LOCAL SCULPTOR A B C D E F

April Livingston Bruce Larsen Frank Ledbetter Freddie Blache Harlan Schwall Steven Dark

BEST LOCAL GRAPHIC DESIGN ARTIST A B C D E F

Andy Scott Bay Paperie James Currie Mallory Godwin Tara McMeans Tripp Gustin

BEST MIXED MEDIA ARTIST A B C D E F

Chris Cumbie Darryl Wilson Emily McCrocklin Julia Greer Fobes Riley Brenes Trey Oliver

BEST ART GALLERY A Alabama Contemporary Art Center B Ashland Gallery C Cathedral Square Art Gallery D Gallery 450 E Innova Arts F Sway

BEST MUSEUM A GulfQuest Maritime Museum B History Museum of Mobile C Mobile Carnival Museum D Mobile Medical Museum E Mobile Museum of Art F USA Archaeology Museum

BEST THEATRE GROUP

BEST ARTS EVENT

A Chickasaw Civic Theatre B Company 11 C Eastern Shore Repertory Theatre D Joe Jefferson Players E Mobile Theatre Guild F Playhouse in the Park

A Fairhope Arts & Crafts Festival B LoDa Artwalk C Mobile Art Council Art Throwdown D Orange Beach Festival of Arts E SouthSounds Arts Festival F Theatre on the Bluff, Fairhope

BEST PLAY OR PERFORMANCE OF THE YEAR A Annie - Joe Jefferson B Assassins - Mobile Theatre Guild C Cabaret - Joe Jefferson D Newsies - ESRT E Peter and the Starcatcher - Joe Jefferson F Vagina Monologues Company 11

BEST LOCAL ACTOR A B C D E F

Brooklyn Norstedt Lisa Costa Maslin Brown Matt Kridel Mollie Betsch Nick Smith

BEST DANCER A B C D E F

Carol Odom Caroline McGrath Caylee Farni Isabella Benton Rebekah Howard Shey Thorn

BEST THEATRICAL SINGER A B C D E F

Annabelle Steele Jasyn Fowler Larry Andrews Mollie Betsch Nick Smith Stacey Driskell

EATS & DRINKS BEST OVERALL RESTAURANT Briquettes Steakhouse Dauphin’s Felix’s Fish Camp Osman’s Restaurant Sunset Pointe at Fly Creek Marina F The Noble South A B C D E

C D E F

BEST CHEF A Allie Henderson - The Harbor Room & Fathoms B Arwen Rice - Red or White C Chris Rainosek - The Noble South D Emmanuel Theris - Georgia Roussos Catering E Jeremiah Matthews, Southwood Kitchen F Weston Simpson - Pour Baby

BEST ATMOSPHERE A B C D E F

BEST NEW RESTAURANT A B C D E F

Char 32 El Papi Southern National Southwood Kitchen The Cheese Cottage The Dublin

BEST EASTERN SHORE RESTAURANT A B C D E F

Boudreaux’s Cajun Grill Camellia Café Char 32 Gambino’s Italian Grill Southwood Kitchen Sunset Pointe At Fly Creek Marina

LuLu’s Gulf Shores Pirate’s Bar and Grille The Flora-Bama Yacht Club The Gulf

Bluegill Dauphin’s NoJa Pour Baby Ruth’s Chris Steakhouse Sunset Pointe at Fly Creek Marina

MOST INNOVATIVE MENU A B C D E F

Dragonfly Food Bar Kitchen on George Pour Baby Southern National The Noble South Von’s Bistro

BEST OUTDOOR DINING Bluegill El Papi OK Bicycle Shop Old 27 Grill Sunset Pointe at Fly Creek Marina F The Cheese Cottage A B C D E

BEST BEACH RESTAURANT

BEST APPETIZER

A Cobalt B Fisher’s Dockside

A Bluegill - Flaming Oysters B Bonefish Grill - Bang-Bang

Shrimp C Five - Baked Avocado D Heroes Crawfish and Spinach Dip E Mamies Famous Cheese Wafers F Pour Baby - Cheese Flight

BEST ENTRÉE IN MOBILE A Chicken & Grits, Pour Baby B Filet Oscar, Ruth’s Chris Steakhouse C Hanger Steak, Red or White D Jaeger Schnitzel, Osman’s Restaurant E Lamb Chops, Royal Scam F Mobile Bay Stew, Dauphin’s

BEST HOME COOKIN’/ SOUL FOOD A B C D E F

Big Time Diner Delish Desserts Judy’s Place Mama’s on Dauphin Mary’s Southern Cooking Stevie’s Kitchen

BEST SERVER (SERVER NAME AND RESTAURANT) A April Baker - Camellia Café B Clyniece Turner - Heron Lakes C Dane Batley - Stevie’s Kitchen D Emily Muncaster - The Noble South E Mandy Pringle - Butch Cassidy’s F Stevie P - Dauphin’s

BEST SERVICE OVERALL (RESTAURANT) A Dauphin’s B Felix’s Fish Camp C NoJa

D Pour Baby E Ruth’s Chris Steakhouse F Sunset Pointe at Fly Creek Marina

BEST DESSERT A Cammie’s Old Dutch Ice Cream Shoppe B Delish Desserts C ellenJay D Ruth’s Chris Steakhouse E Sno Dash Frozen Treats F Stevie’s Kitchen

BEST RESTAURANT WINE LIST A B C D E F

Kitchen on George NoJa Pour Baby Red or White Ruth’s Chris Steakhouse Trellis Room

BEST WINGS A B C D E F

Buffalo Wild Wings Butch Cassidy’s Café Heroes Sports Bar & Grille Hooters Moe’s Original BBQ Wemo’s Famous Wings

BEST CHICKEN FINGERS A B C D E F

Butch Cassidy’s Café Chick-fil-A Foosackly’s Raising Cane’s Wemo’s Famous Wings Zaxby’s

BEST ICE CREAM/ YOGURT/GELATO A Baskin Robbins B Cammie’s Old Dutch Ice Cream Shoppe C Kraze Frozen Treats

M a y 3 0 , 2 0 1 8 - J u n e 5 , 2 0 1 8 | L AG N I A P P E | 39

S A M P L E B A L L O T O N LY. N O P A P E R B A L L O T S A C C E P T E D T H I S Y E A R . P L E A S E V I S I T V O T E N A P P I E S . C O M T O C A S T Y O U R B A L L O T. A Mr. Gene’s Beans B Serda’s Coffee Co. C Sno Dash Frozen Treats

BEST LUNCH SPOT A B C D E F

Bob’s Downtown Restaurant Butch Cassidy’s Café Heroes Sports Bar & Grille Judy’s Place Panini Pete’s Stevie’s Kitchen

BEST EASTERN SHORE LUNCH SPOT A B C D E F

Bluegill Dragonfly Food Bar Eastern Shore Café Guido’s/My Cousin Vinny’s Panini Pete’s Sunset Pointe at Fly Creek Marina

BEST WINE/GOURMET SHOP OR GROCERY A B C D E F

Domke Market Pour Baby Red or White The Cheese Cottage The Fresh Market Whole Foods

BEST WINE SELECTION – RETAIL A B C D E F

Cottage Hill Package Domke Market Greer’s CashSaver a la cork Red or White Rouse’s Market

BEST BEER SELECTION – RETAIL A B C D E F

Bebo’s Market Cottage Hill Package Domke Market Greer’s CashSaver Piggly Wiggly Rouse’s Market

BEST ANNUAL FOOD EVENT OR COOK-OFF A American Cancer Society Chili Cookoff B Bay Area Brunchfest C Downtown Cajun Cookoff D Feeding the Gulf Coast Annual Chef’s Challenge E Greekfest F Gulf Shores Shrimp Festival

BEST FOOD TRUCK A Bleus Burger Restaurant, Bar & Food Truck B Smokin’ Gringos C Texarbama BBQ

D Tin-tin’s Rock n Roll Food Truck E Von’s Food Truck F Yellowhammer Coffee

BEST GUMBO A Bob’s Downtown Restaurant B Dew Drop Inn C Original Oyster House D Stevie’s Kitchen E The Royal Scam F Wintzell’s Oyster House

BEST PO BOY A Bluegill B

C D E F

Mudbugs - DIP SeafoodCravin’ Cajun

Mudbugs at The Loop R & R Seafood The Boiling Pot Wintzell’s Oyster House

BEST SUSHI Chuck’s Fish Fuji San Master Joe’s Rice Asian Grill & Sushi Bar E Rock-n-Roll Sushi F Wasabi A B C D

BEST BAKERY Bake My Day Flour Girls Bakery Pollman’s Bake Shop Sally’s Piece-a-cake Sugar House Custom Cakes F Sweet Ryn’s Bakery A B C D E

BEST CATERER A B C D E F

Bay Gourmet Chef Rob Delish Desserts Georgia Roussos Catering Naman’s Catering Stevie’s Kitchen

BEST BURGER A B C D E F

Butch Cassidy’s Café Callaghan’s Irish Social Club Heroes Sports Bar & Grille LoDa Bier Garten Mugshots Grill & Bar Old 27 Grill

BEST STEAK A B C D E F

Briquettes Steakhouse Jesse’s Restaurant Longhorn Steakhouse NoJa Ruth’s Chris Steakhouse Texas Roadhouse

40 | L AG N I A P P E | M a y 3 0 , 2 0 1 8 - J u n e 5 , 2 0 1 8

BEST SEAFOOD Felix’s Fish Camp Half Shell Oyster House Original Oyster House R & R Seafood Sunset Pointe at Fly Creek Marina F Wintzell’s Oyster House A B C D E

BEST BRUNCH A Bob’s Downtown Restaurant B Brick & Spoon C Callaghan’s Irish Social Club D Spot of Tea E Sunset Pointe at Fly Creek Marina F The Noble South

BEST ETHNIC RESTAURANT 7 Spice Grocery and Grill Hala Cuisine of India Jerusalem Café Mediterranean Sandwich Co. E Rice Asian Grill & Sushi Bar F Yak The Kathmandu Kitchen A B C D

BEST MEXICAN RESTAURANT A Agave Mexican Restaurant Fairhope B Fuego C Hacienda San Miguel House of Tequila D La Cocina E Roosters F Taqueria Mexico

BEST ITALIAN RESTAURANT A Gambino’s Italian Grill B Guido’s/My Cousin Vinny’s C Olive Garden Italian Restaurant D Pizzeria Delphina E Roma Café F Via Emilia

BEST PIZZA A B C D E F

Buck’s Pizza Cortlandt’s Pizza Pub Mellow Mushroom Pizzeria Delphina The Ravenite Pizzeria Trattoria Pizza & Italian

BEST COFFEEHOUSE A Caffeine Corps B Carpe Diem Coffee & Tea Co. C Moka’s Coffee House D Serda’s Coffee Co. E Soul Caffeine F Starbucks

BEST EASTERN SHORE COFFEEHOUSE A B C D E F

Refuge Coffee Serda’s Coffee Co. Soul Caffeine The Burrow Coffee & Co. The Coffee Loft Warehouse Bakery & Donuts

BEST LOCAL GROCERY STORE A B C D E F

Allegri Farm Market Domke Market Greer’s CashSaver International Food Pak Old Shell Market Virginia’s Health Food

BEST GROCERY CHAIN A B C D E F

Fresh Market Piggly Wiggly Publix Rouse’s Market Whole Foods Winn-Dixie

BEST PLACE TO GET LOCAL PRODUCE/FOODSMOBILE A B C D E F

Li’l Brian’s Produce Market in the Square Mobile Flea Market Old Shell Market Sessions Farm Ted & Nancy’s Fruit & Vegetables

BEST PLACE TO GET LOCAL PRODUCE/FOODS – BALDWIN A B C D E

Allegri Farm Market Burris Farmers Market Fairhope Health Food Greer’s Market Hazel’s Market

C D E F

Meat Boss Moe’s Original BBQ Saucy Q Bar-B-Que Texarbama BBQ

BEST RAW OYSTERS A B C D E F

Bluegill Felix’s Fish Camp Half Shell Oyster House Original Oyster House Papa Rocco’s Wintzell’s Oyster House

BEST CUPCAKE Delish Desserts ellenJay Flour Girls Bakery Sally’s Piece-a-cake Simply Sweet Cupcake Boutique F Sugar House Custom Cakes A B C D E

BEST SEAFOOD MARKET A Billy’s Seafood B Lartigue’s Seafood Market C Market by the Bay D Mudbugs - DIP SeafoodCravin’ Cajun

E Mudbugs at the Loop F Southern Fish & Oyster

BEST HANGOVER FOOD

Cotton State BBQ Dreamland Bar-B-Que Meat Boss Moe’s Original BBQ Saucy Q Bar-B-Que Sonny’s BBQ

BEST BARBECUE SAUCE A B C D E F

Cotton State BBQ Dreamland Bar-B-Que Meat Boss Moe’s Original BBQ Saucy Q Bar-B-Que Texarbama BBQ

BEST RIBS A Dreamland Bar-B-Que B McMillan Barbecue

Nick at Nite - WBLX Shelby Mitchell - WKSJ Tony Plosczynski - WZEW Twiggins - WABD

BEST DJ TEAM A Dan Brennan & Shelby Mitchell - WKSJ B Matt McCoy & Gossip Greg - KISS 107.3 C Mobile Mornings with Sean, Dalton & Kelly - FM Talk 106.5 D Sip & Chew with Mike & Stu, FM Talk 106.5 E Sports Drive - Randy & Creg - WNSP F TLC in the Morning - Tim and LeeAnn Camp WZEW

BEST MORNING SHOW/DJ A Mobile Mornings with Sean, Dalton & Kelly - FM Talk 106.5 B The Opening Kickoff with Mark Heim and Lee Shirvanian - WNSP C TLC in the Morning - Tim and LeeAnn Camp WZEW D Uncle Henry - News Radio 710

NAKED DJ VOICE – HIM (BEST VOICE)

A Bob’s Downtown Restaurant B Foosackly’s C LoDa Bier Garten D Old 27 Grill E Rice Asian Grill & Sushi Bar F Waffle House

A Dalton Orwig - FM Talk 106.5 B Gossip Greg - Kiss 107.3 C Matt McCoy - Kiss 107.3 D Tony Plosczynski - WZEW E Twiggins - WABD F Uncle Henry - News Radio 710

MEDIA

NAKED DJ VOICE – HER (BEST VOICE)

BEST BARBECUE RESTAU- FAVORITE RADIO RANT STATION FM A B C D E F

C D E F

A B C D E F

96.1 The Rocket FM TALK 106.5 WABD 97.5 WBLX 92.9 WKSJ 94.9 WZEW 92.1

FAVORITE RADIO STATION AM A Archangel 1410 AM B WABF 1480 C WNTM News Radio 710

BEST LOCAL DJ A Gene Murrell WZEW B Mystic Marge - WZEW

A Bambi - 93BLX B Jolene Roxbury - FM Talk 106.5 C Kelly Finley - FM Talk 106.5 D LeeAnn Camp - WZEW E Mystic Marge - WZEW F Shelby Mitchell - WKSJ

BEST TALK RADIO HOST/ SHOW A Midday Mobile – FM Talk 106.5 B Mobile Mornings with Sean, Dalton & Kelly - FM Talk 106.5 C Sip & Chew with Mike & Stu, FM Talk 106.5 D Sports Drive with Randy & Creg - WNSP E The Opening Kickoff with Mark Heim and Lee Shirvanian – WNSP F Uncle Henry

S A M P L E B A L L O T O N LY. N O P A P E R B A L L O T S A C C E P T E D T H I S Y E A R . P L E A S E V I S I T V O T E N A P P I E S . C O M T O C A S T Y O U R B A L L O T.

BEST SPORTS RADIO HOST/SHOW A John Racciatti Golf Show - WNSP B Paul Finebaum -FM Talk C Prep Sports Report - FM Talk D Sports Drive with Randy & Creg - WNSP E Tee Time for the Gulf Coast - FM Talk F The Opening Kickoff with Mark Heim and Lee Shirvanian WNSP

BEST LOCAL EVENING TV NEWSCAST A FOX 10 B WKRG 5 C WPMI 15

BEST LOCAL MORNING TV NEWSCAST A FOX 10 B WKRG 5 C WPMI 15

BEST ANCHOR A B C D E F

Bob Grip - WALA FOX 10 Darwin Singleton - WPMI Devon Walsh - WKRG Greg Peterson - WPMI Mel Showers - WKRG Rose Ann Haven WKRG

BEST METEOROLOGIST A B C D E F

Alan Sealls - WKRG Jason Smith - FOX 10 John Nodar - WKRG Kelly Foster - WPMI Michael White - FOX 10 Thomas Geboy – WKRG

BEST TV INVESTIGATIVE REPORTER A Andrea Ramey - WPMI B Cassi Fambro - WPMI

A FOX 10 B WKRG 5 C WPMI 15

Liesch & Jason Johnson B Cost of Water By Gabriel Tynes, Jason Johnson & Dale Liesch C Hooked by Jason Johnson D Love Bugs by Dale Liesch E Shell Shock by Jason Johnson F Undaunted by Dale Liesch

BEST WEEKEND TV NEWS TEAM

FAVORITE LAGNIAPPE COVER IMAGE

C D E F

Hayley Minogue - WKRG JB Biunno - WKRG Kati Weis - Fox 10 Peter Albrecht WKRG

BEST SPORTS COVERAGE

A FOX 10 B WKRG 5 C WPMI 15

HOTTEST LOCAL TV NEWSMAN A B C D E F

Bill Riales - WKRG Darwin Singleton - WPMI Jason Smith - FOX 10 Lance Crawford - WPMI Michael White - FOX 10 Peter Albrecht – WKRG

HOTTEST LOCAL TV NEWSWOMAN A B C D E F

Chasity Byrd - FOX 10 Devon Walsh - WKRG Kelly Foster - WPMI Lenise Ligon - FOX 10 Megan Gannon - WPMI Shelby Myers - FOX 10

FAVORITE LAGNIAPPE WRITER A B C D E F

Andy MacDonald, Cuisine Asia Frey, Film Dale Liesch, Reporter Jason Johnson, Reporter Jeff Poor, Commentary Kevin Lee, Arts

A Across the Barricade by Laura Rasmussen B Cost of Water by Laura Rasmussen C Deep Blue by Dan Anderson D Hooked by Laura Rasmussen E Nappies Cover 2017 of Sean Sullivan, Dalton Orwig & Kelly Finley by Dan Anderson F Shell Shock by Dan Anderson

FAVORITE AL.COM CONTENT CREATOR A B C D E F

Ben Raines JD Crowe John Archibald John Sharp Lawrence Specker Michelle Irvin

FAVORITE GLOSSY MAGAZINE A B C D E F

Access Exalte Mobile Bay Monthly Mobile Bay Parents Mobile Mask Relocating Baldwin County

FAVORITE LAGNIAPPE COVER STORY

FAVORITE LOCAL WEBSITE OR BLOG

A Barley Legal by Dale

A All Things Mobile

B C D E F

Arrested in Mobile Centsible Blonde Lemon Baby Mobile Mask The Wanderlust Dietician

BEST LOCAL TV AD A B C D E F

David J. Maloney Eiland & Ritchie Greene & Phillips Infirmary Cancer Care Joe Bullard Wind Creek

BEST WEBSITE DEVELOPER A B C D E F

Altegra Technologies Blue Fish Mighty Optera Creative Option 3 Media Southern View Media

BEST MARKETING/ EVENTS COMPANY A B C D E F

JJPR Marissa Thetford Marketing Muller Marketing Group Option 3 Media Oyster Shell Strategies Portside Adverstising

POLITICOS HARDEST WORKING OFFICIAL - CITY OF MOBILE (ELECTED OR APPOINTED) A Chief of Police Lawrence Battiste B City Attorney Ricardo Woods C Director of Communications George Talbot

D Finance Director Paul Wesch E Mayor Sandy Stimpson F Public Safety Director James Barber

HARDEST WORKING MOBILE CITY COUNCILPERSON A B C D

Bess Rich Fred Richardson John Williams Levon Manzie

HARDEST WORKING ELECTED OFFICIAL MOBILE COUNTY A Mobile County Commissioner Connie Hudson B Mobile County Commissioner Jerry Carl C Mobile County Commissioner Merceria Ludgood D Mobile County DA Ashley Rich E Mobile County License Commissioner Nick Matranga F Mobile County Sheriff Sam Cochran

HARDEST WORKING ELECTED OFFICIALEASTERN SHORE A Dane Haygood, Daphne Mayor B Jack Burrell, Fairhope City Councilman C Jimmy Conyers, Fairhope City Councilman D Karin Wilson, Fairhope Mayor E Kevin Boone, Fairhope City Councilman F Michael M. McMillan, Spanish Fort Mayor

HARDEST WORKING ELECTED OFFICIAL BALDWIN COUNTY

A Baldwin County Sheriff Hoss Mack B County Commissioner Charles Gruber C County Commissioner Chris Elliot D County Commissioner Frank Burt E County Commissioner Tucker Dorsey F David Tarwater, Baldwin County School Board, District 2

HARDEST WORKING LOCAL STATE LEGISLATOR A B C D E F

Rep. Chris Pringle Rep. David Sessions Rep. Margie Wilcox Rep. Randy Davis Sen. Bill Hightower Sen. Rusty Glover

WHO WILL BE THE NEXT GOVERNOR OF ALABAMA? A B C D E F

Bill Hightower Kay Ivey Scott Dawson Sue Bell Cobb Tommy Battle Walt Maddox

BIGGEST SCANDAL OF THE YEAR A Daphne Sewer Spill B Fairhope Mayor Council Drama C Mobile City Council President Impasse D Prichard Chief of Staff Arrest E Roy Moore Accusations F Sheriff Food Fund Law

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ART ARTIFICE

Post-Memorial memories soothe summer swelter BY KEVIN LEE/ARTS EDITOR/KLEE@LAGNIAPPEMOBILE.COM

n the leeward pool behind a holiday for remembrance, various moments and faces drift. Among them is an encouraging signifier from spring 2018’s last beautiful weekend. Wonderful weather — breezy, dry and temperate — gave Sunday, May 6, the perfect touch for CoCo Matthews’ NEU DAWN mega-creative mashup. Everything about it exceeded expectation. Matthews’ amalgam of painting, costuming and makeup didn’t just entertain. It injected hope, and not just from the $1,200 it raised for Mobile Arts Council’s arts education efforts. It was more about gestalt. At some point, I looked across the crowd packed into Sway Downtown and swooned over the happening. The array of personalities and individual styles was striking. “Doesn’t this entire gathering look like something you would envision in a much bigger city?” I quietly asked an old friend next to me. She agreed. Good thing Matthews’ original plan of inhabiting a larger, industrial space didn’t work out. Sway’s coziness lent the show bustle and sent the overflow spilling into a gorgeous afternoon and evening. Well done, Ms. Matthews! Looking forward to the next incarnation. Speaking of sprawling, warehouse-style spaces, there’s early word about an annual arts shindig inhabiting a roomy new spot this fall. The Mobile Arts Council’s Arts Throwdown will venture from the cozy confines of downtown for the first time.

JJP stages melting pot musical

Its seventh incarnation happens Thursday, Sept. 20, 5:30-9 p.m. at 23 East (1886 Fifth St.) at the Brookley Aeroplex. The 15,000-square-foot event hall is a new venture in a sector of town that’s slowly reawakened over the past decade. “The great thing about this place is — I timed it — you take Broad Street from MAC and you can get there within 10 to 15 minutes,” MAC Director Shellie Teague said.

EVERYTHING ABOUT IT EXCEEDED EXPECTATION. MATTHEWS’ AMALGAM OF PAINTING, COSTUMING AND MAKEUP DIDN’T JUST ENTERTAIN. IT INJECTED HOPE, AND NOT JUST FROM THE $1,200 IT RAISED FOR MOBILE ARTS COUNCIL’S ARTS EDUCATION EFFORTS. IT WAS MORE ABOUT GESTALT.” The fundraiser has become a welcome sign that hurricane season’s zenith has passed and our cultural season is back in full swing. The umbrella organization’s honcho pointed to herself as the source of the early campaign and relocation. “I thought, ‘why don’t we do something different, why do we always have everything downtown all the time, in

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Form and function highlighted at MAC

The state’s architecture is more than practical, it’s a window into our history. Ways of life, values and perspectives are locked into its forms. “Celebration and Preservation” is an exhibit of 25 drawings highlighting the periods and tastes of previous Alabamians. It will be at the Mobile Arts Council (318 Dauphin St.) in June as it travels the state for Alabama’s bicentennial. Various periods — Federal, Greek Revival, Gothic Revival, Italianate, Romanesque, Mission Revival — are represented. A 32-page catalog accompanies the show, sponsored by the Alabama Architectural Foundation. For more information, call 251-432-9796 or go to mobilearts.org.

Mobile Opera season shows jealousy’s faces

If hot blood and Italian masters suit your taste, you don’t want to miss the season Mobile Opera just announced. A trio of jealousy-centered classics form its spine — two comedic, one

dramatic — and one harkens back to the company’s inception. Rossini’s “The Barber of Seville” comes to The Temple at Claiborne and St. Francis on Oct. 19 and 20. Figaro and Count Almaviva plot to purloin Rosina from the watch of a jealous guardian. Rascally yet ham-handed antics buoy the plot to its happy finale. Wolf-Ferrari’s “The Secret of Susanna” on Feb. 16 at Murphy High School Auditorium will flesh out the customary Winter Gala with this special nod to history. The same work in the same venue marked the first Mobile Opera production 72 years ago. Like the season opener, this comedy about jealousy and suspicion has an upbeat ending. Puccini’s “The Cloak” is the closer for a dark trilogy that began with “Gianni Schicchi” and “Suor Angelica.” Its central jealousy doesn’t kill with laughter, but with old-fashioned violence. It takes place March 22 and 24 at The Temple. For more information on these works or season tickets, call 251-432-6772 or go to mobileopera.org.

ARTSGALLERY

New York City at the turn of the 20th century epitomized the proverbial “melting pot,” bubbling with tensions from class and ethnic divisions, prejudice and assumptions. Through it all, one wealthy white family, Jewish immigrants and African-Americans discover America’s limitations and potential. It’s all captured in the stage musical “Ragtime,” based on E.L. Doctorow’s 1975 novel. Through musical forms such as marches, cakewalks, gospel and the titular syncopations, it pulls audiences into the conditions that led to the United States’ unique spot in global history. Tony Award-winning “Ragtime” closes out Joe Jefferson Players’ 70th season in lavish fashion. Its roiling onstage saga is perfect for the month before Independence Day. The show runs June 1-17 at Joe Jefferson Playhouse (11 S. Carlen St.). Friday and Saturday curtain is 7:30 p.m.; Sunday matinee is 2 p.m. For tickets and information, call 251-471-1534 or go to joejeffersonplayers.com.

the same places?’” Teague said. She wanted the event to grow, to add artists to its centerpiece competition, and couldn’t find a downtown venue with the dimensions desired. Her personality is reflected in how she ironed out the Throwdown in record time. “I’m a planner. The moment you are done with an event, you have your wrap-up meeting and go ahead and set your date for next year,” Teague said. She decided to chair the event herself this time around, to delegate tasks and get it on a new timetable. She bumped the competing artists up to six — returning champ Devlin Wilson, Ardith Goodwin, Cat Pope, conz8000, Ben Kaiser and Jordan Atchison — and added a live band, Yeah, Probably. As has been customary, Heroes and Royal Scam will cater. Assuredly, the infamous Red Roosters will flow. This was all done before March. It was just a matter of knuckling down. “I was able to move a lot quicker by doing this. [MAC staffers] Lucy [Gafford], Angela [Montgomery] and I can get things done faster,” Teague said. Then there was the date. When Teague heard about it last go-round, the calendar was already jammed. “I thought we should go ahead and stake our claim on this date so people can get it in their minds. Other events will happen — a football game or this or that — but they will be like ‘too bad, I’m already going to the Throwdown,’” Teague said. Tickets will be available soon. An imminent MAC website revamp will make that easier. We’ll see if Mobilians can exercise their memories and stifle their notorious last-minute ticket habits. Now they can concentrate on building silent-auction items. Another priority will be promotional videos starring the artists, something a few competitors used in years past. “Previous videos were on individual artists to do but they don’t need to do that on their own. That’s what we should offer them because they’re giving us their time and talent for free,” Teague said. Next year, another chair can just step into the new cycle. Precedent will make it easier. MAC has revived Art After Hours and seems to be steaming ahead. The director credits a “great team” working with her. “We’re in a good place, staffwise, eventwise, planningwise. I’m excited for the fall,” Teague said. It’s a good thing since she has her own creation premiering soon. Teague returns from maternity leave in July.

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I’MAGENE under its former name, Walton said newcomers had a hard time finding the band online. The group arrived at the name I’MAGENE after the current lineup’s first performance at the Imogene Theater in Milton, Florida. However, the band decided to give the name a twist that would give the public a peek into the band’s ideology. outhSounds 2018 succeeded in “We just changed the spelling a little and made introducing attendees to some of the phrase ‘I’m a gene,’ like we’re all made up with the Southeast’s freshest and hotgenes,” Walton said. “No matter what it looks like test musical acts. I’MAGENE on the outside, we all love music. It just kind of fit, was among many up-and-comand we shoved it into one word.” ing bands that took advantage Pioneering the Retro Electro Soul sound has not of the weekend in April to make been without its challenges. Coming up in Destin, their Azalea City debut. Walton says the band is basically “disconnected I’MAGENE guitarist Robby Walton said from everything in the area.” With the exception of the band’s journey to SouthSounds was his first Mobile, I’MAGENE has quite a distance to travel experience in Mobile. He said he was taken by the for performances in major markets such as Atlanta mix of Southern and European influences Mobile and New Orleans. However, Walton also added this shares with New Orleans. Walton said he was also “disconnection” has allowed the band to “incubate” surprised by the many great musical acts he experiits sound. enced over the course of the festival. I’MAGENE also had their region to consider. “I had never seen some of the people that we For years, a trifecta of blues, Southern rock and were performing next to. It wasn’t what I expected. heavy metal has dominated the Florida music scene. There were 12-piece fun bands and a band with two While it makes I’MAGENE’s sound a unique bass players. There were unique styles of music, but artistic commodity, Walton said the band realized still held true to the South. It was really a breath of this regionally innovative music project could be fresh air,” Walton said. viewed as “really good or really bad.” He attributed He should not sell his own band short. the band’s initial acceptance to regional connecI’MAGENE was one of the most original acts tions, friendly interactions with the public and featured in the SouthSounds 2018 lineup. In a each member’s musical talents, especially vocalist time when the synth-pop craze is growing stale, Anthony O’Shae. I’MAGENE has taken this ‘80s-inspired style and “Anthony, our singer, is phenomenal,” Walton forced it into a new dimension. said. “He can hold a powerful note. I call him the This Panhandle quartet uses synthesizer and male version of Whitney Houston. We have Jess electric violin as the foundation for a smooth, sensual musical experience that drips with unbridled [Heit] on the violin and Charlie [Bruice] adds his emotion through musical arrangements and Anthony influence, which is ‘90s alt. rock. When you combine all these things with synth-pop, it becomes its O’Shae’s stellar lyrical and vocal work. This sound own thing. People have just responded to it, and it maintains the nostalgic aspects of synth-pop while has taken off like wildfire.” taking the genre into the future. In addition to playing shows, the members of Walton, who fronted a power funk group before I’MAGENE have been spending their free time in I’MAGENE, says the band’s unique sound is a the studio recording an EP, which Walton said he pooling of each member’s musical influence, with hopes will be released before the end of summer. the end result something the group calls “Retro The songwriting process can change with each Electro Soul.” song, Walton said. The one constant during the “Everybody’s doing this retro ‘80s synth-pop band’s composition is the members’ collective thing, and we want to make it more heartfelt and desire to make each song “a work of art.” One songrootsy and show people that it’s an influence of not writing method begins with O’Shae, who Walton just one style,” Walton said. said finds inspiration from life experience. Five years ago, I’MAGENE began shaping its O’Shae will compose lyrics and a basic chord Retro Electro Soul sound under the name Continuum. However, this moniker proved problematic structure. As the rest of the band hears O’Shae’s for the quartet. Not only was there an abundance of contribution, Walton said, the band tries to make an musical projects using the name, it also was the title emotional connection and translate these emotions of a John Mayer album. When it came to locating through the band’s arrangements.

MUSIC

BY STEPHEN CENTANNI/MUSIC EDITOR/SCENTANNI@LAGNIAPPEMOBILE.COM

FEATURE

I’MAGENE’s ‘Retro Electric Soul’ Band: I’MAGENE Date: Saturday, June 2, 10 p.m. Venue: Dauphin Street Blues Co., 568 Dauphin St., 251-725-6429 Tickets: Call for more info.

Photo/ Facebook

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SouthSounds veterans I’MAGENE will perform at Dauphin Street Blues Co. Saturday, June 2. “We like to make it so if there were no words, then you would still know what the song is about by how it feels,” Walton said. Until the release of the EP, the public can get a taste for I’MAGENE through the single “Faded.” A warm, ethereal wave of synth introduces this song before O’Shae’s versatile soul vocals slide cleanly into the first verse. “Faded” maintains an air of sweet, melancholy passion through the entire song as layer upon layer of instrumentation is introduced. Walton said “Faded” details the aftermath of a toxic relationship. The track details the dilemma over whether the decision to leave this toxic relationship was a good choice. “You’re trying really, really hard to get them back, but they’re nonexistent in your life,” Walton explained. “It makes you wonder if you made the right decision. The song comes from knowing that and understanding that you have to let it go too.” I’MAGENE will perform this track as well as other originals at the Dauphin Street Blues Co. Walton promised the crowd will have an “honest and genuine” musical experience. He said newcomers will find the electronic groove of I’MAGENE’s Retro Electro Soul appealing. I’MAGENE fans can look forward to the release of a new single within the next month.

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MUSIC BRIEFS

Right round

BY STEPHEN CENTANNI/MUSIC EDITOR/SCENTANNI@LAGNIAPPEMOBILE.COM

Band: Satori Records Swap featuring Pine Hill Haints and The Shunnarahs Date: Saturday, June 2, 1 p.m. Venue: Satori Coffee House, 5460 Old Shell Road, www.satori-coffee.com Tickets: $5 at the door for the show

Photo | Facebook | The Pine Hill Haints

atori Coffee House and Nappie Award nominee Mobile Records are teaming up for a Saturday afternoon vinyl swap. The public is invited to “buy, sell, trade and celebrate.” As local vinyl junkies flip through one another’s collections, DJs will be spinning the event’s soundtrack. Those participating in the record swap will be limited to bringing two boxes of LPs and two boxes of 45s per person. Satori has selected two bands for the grand finale of the record swap. Pine Hill Haints will be giving the Azalea City another dose of the

band’s trademark “Alabama Ghost Music.” This collective of Southeast musicians were pioneering alt. folk years before the industry created the label. The Pine Hill Haints incorporate punk attitude with a mix of bluegrass, classic country, folk and blues. At 8 p.m., the retro underground rock sounds of The Shunnarahs will open the evening. This quartet takes its crowd on a trip to the psychedelic garage rock of the mid-20th century. The Shunnarahs’ debut single “Catapult Me” is an organ-laden summer anthem that begs listeners to dance.

Funk Fest 2018

Band: Funk Fest 2018 Date: Saturday, June 2, with gates at 3 p.m. Venue: The Grounds, 1035 Cody Road, www.thegroundsmobile.com Tickets: $45, available at www.funkfesttour.com

Each year, the Funk Fest Tour dominates The Grounds with a grooving mix of music from the past, this year headlined by Bell Biv Devoe. This trio rose from the ashes of ‘80s pop sensation New Edition. Bell Biv Devoe began its pop legacy with the mega-hit “Poison.” In 2017, Bell Biv Devoe continued its successful music formula with its fourth studio album, “Three Stripes.” The trio will be joined by hip-hop artist Yo

Gotti. Since 2005, Yo Gotti has maintained a steady release of hits, with “Rake It Up” being the latest. R&B singer-songwriter Tank will use Funk Fest 2018 to make a return to Mobile, while 8Ball & MJG will add a little Memphis hip-hop to this dance mix. SOS Band will electrify the crowd with its funky repertoire. Known for reviving the Bill Withers hit “Lean on Me,” Club Nouveau completes the Funk Fest 2018 lineup.

Story time

Band: Stories & Songs: A Songwriter’s Series from Nashville Date: Friday, June 1, 8 p.m. Venue: The Listening Room of Mobile, 78 St. Francis St., www.thelisteningroomofmobile.com Tickets: $20, available by calling 251-367-4599

Every song has a story. “Stories & Songs: A Songwriter’s Series from Nashville” brings songwriters and the stories behind their songs to The Listening Room of Mobile. No local songwriting summit would be complete without Eric Erdman. From Mobile to Muscle Shoals, Erdman’s catchy wordplay and smooth vocal delivery have won him many followers around the globe. Erdman will be joined by two other songwriters prepared to explain the stories behind

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their songs. Tim Jackson — think John Hiatt meets Roger Alan Wade — will perform rocking country tunes from his latest album, “Heartstrings.” Jackson’s lyrical prowess led Rolling Stone to select one of his songs as one of 2016’s “Best Songs of the Year.” Lindsey Thompson honed her songwriting skills on the Florida Gulf Coast. Her audience will enjoy cuts from her latest release, “Inside Out.” Thompson’s smart blend of blissful indie rock and mellow alt. country should be a crowd pleaser.

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AREAMUSIC LISTINGS | May 30 - June 5 Please send upcoming music to listings@ lagniappemobile.com by MONDAY before Wednesday’s paper.

WED. MAY 30 Blues Tavern— Chris Gamble Bluegill— Matt Neese Boudreaux’s Cajun Grill— Ryan Balthrop, 6p Brickyard— Chad Davidson Band Callaghan’s— Marlow Boys Felix’s— Tropic Flyer Flora Bama— Neil Dover, 2p // Shea White, 5:30p /// Rhonda Hart Duo, 6p //// Red Clay Strays, 10p ///// Johnny B. Duo, 10:15p IP Casino (Chill Ultra Lounge)— Shades of Green, 8p Lulu’s— The Middletons, 5p

THURS. MAY 31 Belle Fontaine Sandbar— A Brave New World Acoustic Duo Bluegill— Jamie Adamson Blues Tavern— Chris Gamble Duo Boudreaux’s Cajun Grill— David Chastang, 6p Brickyard— Mustang Felix’s— Jimmy Lumpkin Duo Flora Bama— Ryan Conner, 2p // Kevin Swanson, 5p /// Dueling Pianos, 5:30p //// Al & Cathy, 6p ///// Mark Sherrill, Chris Newbury, James Daniel & Jose Santiago, 6p ////// Greg Lyons, 7p /////// Jay Williams Band, 10p //////// Bruce Smelley Duo, 10:15p ///////// Ja Rhythm, 10:30p IP Casino (Chill Ultra Lounge)— Spank The Monkey, 9p Listening Room— Molly Thomas with Rick Hirsch, 8p Lulu’s— Derrick Dorsey, 5p Manci’s— Ross Newell Off The Hook— Sugarbabies Karaoke Our Cigar Bar @ The Wharf— The James Hayden Band, 9:30p Patricia’s River Club— Grant Dunaway, 7p Veets— Phil & Foster, 8p

FRI. JUNE 1 Beau Rivage (Eight75)— Dian Diaz, 9p Big Beach Brewing— Diedra Rugg, 6:30p Bluegill— Lee Yankie, 12p // Dirty South Band, 6p Blues Tavern— Doobious Boudreaux’s Cajun Grill— Blind Dog Mike & The Howlers Brickyard— Brett LaGrave & The Midnight Transaction Callaghan’s— Red Clay Strays Cockeyed Charlie’s—

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Gypsy Soul Flora Bama— Jonathan Puzan, 11a // J. Hawkins Duo, 1p /// LeaAnne Creswel Duo, 2p //// Nick & The Ovorols, 3p ///// Jack Robertson a.k.a. The Big Earl Show, 5:30p ////// Delta Smoke, 6p /////// Paxton Norri, 6p //////// Dave Chastang, 7p ///////// Smokey Otis Duo, 7p ////////// Mario Mena Band, 10p ////////// Yeah, Probably, 10p /////////// Brian Hill Duo, 10:15p Hard Rock (Center Bar) — Miles Flatt Band, 9p Listening Room— Eric Erdman, Lindsey Thompson and Tim Jackson Lulu’s— The Rebecca Barry Band, 5p Main Street Cigar Lounge— Twang Gang, 8p Manci’s— Brittany Bell Moe’s BBQ (Daphne) — The Harrison McInnis Trio, 8p Moe’s BBQ (Mobile) — Anna McElroy, 6:30p Moe’s BBQ (Semmes) — Denver Hawsey, 6:30p Off The Hook— Keith “The Mailman” Burns Our Cigar Bar @ The Wharf— The James Hayden Band, 9:30p Patricia’s River Club— CG3, 8p Waves DI— Space Cowboys Wind Creek Casino— Philo, 10p

SAT. JUNE 2 Beau Rivage (Eight75)— Dian Diaz, 9p Big Beach Brewing— Strickly Isbell, 6:30p Bluegill— Shelby Brown, 12p // Fat Lincoln, 6p Blues Tavern— LA South Boudreaux’s Cajun Grill— Boudreaux’s Zydeco Brickyard— Ryan Dyer Band Cockeyed Charlie’s— DJ MBezzle, 10p Flora Bama— Al & Cathy, 1p // Hung Jury, 2p /// J. Hawkins Duo, 2p //// Bruce Smelley Duo, 3p ///// Jack Robertson Show a.k.a. Big Earl, 5:30p ////// MUSTANG, 6p /////// Steve Wilkerson Duo, 6p //////// Chad Parker, 7p //////// Kevin Swanson & Jon Puzan, 7p ///////// Foxy Iguanas, 10p ////////// Bruce Smelley Duo, 10:15p /////////// Braxton Calhoun, 10:30p Hard Rock (Center Bar) — Miles Flatt Band, 9p Hard Rock (Live) — Candlebox, 8p Le Bouchon— Blue Bicycle Listening Room— Southern Sisters Bluegrass Tour with Kristy Cox and Amanda Cook, 8p Lulu’s— Jimmy Lumpkin Revival, 5p Manci’s— Camm Lewis and

Garrett Hall Moe’s BBQ (Mobile) — Rock Bottom Duo, 6:30p Moe’s BBQ (Semmes) — Anna McElroy, 6:30p Off The Hook— “Budman” Our Cigar Bar @ The Wharf— The James Hayden Band, 9:30p Patricia’s River Club— The Woo Tones, 9p Waves DI— Cecil Blue Wind Creek Casino— Philo, 10p

SUN. JUNE 3 Beau Rivage (Eight75)— Triggerproof, 8p Big Beach Brewing— Rock Bottom Duo, 4p Bluegill— Lee Yankie 12p // Velcro Pygmies, 6p Boudreaux’s Cajun Grill— Jerry Powell Brickyard— Jake Burford Callaghan’s— Johnny Hayes Cockeyed Charlie’s— Karaoke Jordan Bramlett, 10p Flora Bama— Jezebel’s Chill’n, 1p // Songs of Rusty McCugh w/ Jason Justice, 1:30p /// Al & Cathy, 2p //// Rebecca Barry & Bust, 2p ///// Tony Ray Thompson Duo, 2p ////// Bruce Smelley, 5p /////// Lauren Murphy & The Psychedelics, 5:30p //////// Lucky Doggs, 5:30p ///////// Perdido Brothers, 6p ////////// Braxton Calhoun, 10p /////////// Spencer Maige, 10:15 Lulu’s— Lefty Collins, 5p Manci’s— Andrew Duhon Trio Off The Hook— Open Mic with Elaine Petty Tacky Jacks (Gulf Shores)— Lisa Christian Waves DI— Johnny Barbados

MON. JUNE 4 Beau Rivage (Eight75)— Triggerproof, 8p Brickyard— Open Mic with Brennan Christian Flora Bama— Gove Scrivenor, 2p // Lee Yankie, 5p /// Spencer Maige, 5:30p //// Open Mic with Cathy Pace, 6p ///// Petty & Pace, 10p ////// Whyte Caps, 10p Lulu’s— Brent Burns, 5p

TUES. JUNE 5 Beau Rivage (Eight75)— Triggerproof, 8p Bluegill— Jamie Adamson Boudreaux’s Cajun Grill— Ryan Balthrop Butch Cassidy’s— Andy McDonald Flora Bama— T—Bone Montgomery, 2p // Dustin Bogue, 5p /// Perdido Brothers, 6p //// Jo Jo Pres, 10p ///// Spencer Maige, 10:15p Lulu’s— Light Travelers, 5p Moe’s BBQ (Mobile) — Denver Hawsey, 6p

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Aging actor Bening shines as Gloria Grahame

FILMTHE REEL WORLD

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

ilm Stars Don’t Die in Liverpool” is a touching, true story of a troubled film actress in her final years. Annette Bening plays Gloria Grahame, who played the sultry Violet Bick in “It’s A Wonderful Life” and the similarly lusty character Ado Annie, the girl who “can’t say no,” in “Oklahoma.” Bening plays Grahame in her 50s as a stage actress in England who falls in love with a supportive man 30 years her junior. While this story is a specific and real one based on actual events, Bening’s portrayal could be of anyone in denial about age and time. The volume of the drama is intensified since she is an actress playing a very vulnerable and wounded woman who is also facing a very serious, life-threatening illness. Bening’s performance is assured and detailed; the character defaults to a childish sexpot mode and to see her go there automatically is fascinating, because she skillfully creates these cracks in the façade that are amazing and tragic to witness. It is another powerful performance from Bening, and her face alone makes you realize how seldom women are portrayed simply at that age. There is a poignancy to watching an actress taking on a role that never would have been offered to the actress she is portraying, and it’s hard to imagine inse-

cure Grahame taking on a role with this much honesty. It is fitting, then, that the story begins with Gloria in her dressing room, making up her face, only to collapse on the floor in pain. She calls her ex-boyfriend Peter Turner (Jamie Bell), because all she wants in her time of need is to be with him and his family at his parents’ home. From here, the film fills in the details of their past together, and reasons why Gloria might not want to be with her own family. After her major film hits in the 1940s and ‘50s, and even winning a Best Actress Academy Award, Grahame’s onscreen persona as a sexpot dovetailed with her tumultuous personal life, and after three marriages, her fourth to her own stepson was a scandal too great for her career to bear. Her very hateful and bitter older sister brings up this tidbit at an ill-advised family dinner featuring the glorious Vanessa Redgrave as Gloria’s mother. Both Bening and Bell give committed, beautiful performances. Their chemistry when they first meet is delightful; Bell is too young to recognize her, but their older landlady is in awe of the fact that a Hollywood movie star is living in her house. It seems like one of the strengths of their May-December relationship is that the young man is discovering her charms for the first time, and she is thrilled to be

new to someone after a lifetime obsessing about her own desirability. Positioning Bell’s Peter Turner within his own family is also very telling, as it highlights his own youth and adds a layer of pathos to Gloria’s feelings for him. She tells his mother that she wants her as her own mother, when in reality, they are almost the same age. When she is dying, Gloria wants to be taken care of only by Peter’s mother (played by Julie Walters), and it speaks to the brief moments of peace the relationship gave her. This is an unusually moving film because it portrays an unusual relationship, and Bell makes an unexpectedly compelling romantic lead. He is wonderful, and more than up to the task of acting alongside Bening. Theirs is a singular and memorable romance. This film works on the level of the story itself, but I also couldn’t help but think of Bening’s own career, especially her early role as a femme fatale in “The Grifters,” and the parallels to the career of Grahame, who also saw her greatest critical success as a film noir vixen. There is a lot in this story about these women, the characters they play, the images they created and those that were projected onto their onscreen and offscreen lives. For Bening to now portray Grahame is meaningful and poetic. “Film Stars Don’t Die in Liverpool” is currently available to rent.

CARMIKE CINEMAS 23151 Wharf Ln. Orange Beach (251) 981-4444 COBB THEATRES PINNACLE 14 3780 Gulf Shores Pkwy Gulf Shores (251) 968-7444 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.

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Photos | Sony Pictures Classics / STX Films

A young actor (Jamie Bell) strikes up a romance with an older leading lady (Annette Bening) in “Film Stars Don’t Die in Liverpool.” “Adrift,” based on a true story of survival, tells of a young couple of sailors who fall in love, then face one of the most catastrophic hurricanes in recorded history. NEW THIS WEEK ADRIFT

Shailene Woodley and Sam Claflin star in this true story of human survival, in which a young couple’s chance encounter leads them first to love, and then on the adventure of a lifetime before they face one of the most catastrophic hurricanes in recorded history. All listed multiplex theaters.

NOW PLAYING

SHOW DOGS All listed multiplex theaters. BREAKING IN SOLO: A STAR WARS STORY All listed multiplex theaters. All listed multiplex theaters, OVERBOARD Nexus Cinema Dining. All listed multiplex theaters. DEADPOOL 2 LIFE OF THE PARTY All listed multiplex theaters, All listed multiplex theaters. Crescent Theater, Nexus Cinema AVENGERS: INFINITY WAR Dining. Nexus Cinema Dining, all listed ISLE OF DOGS multiplex theaters. Regal Mobile Stadium 18 TRAFFIK BOOK CLUB Regal Mobile Stadium 18, AMC All listed multiplex theaters. Mobile 16

I FEEL PRETTY All listed multiplex theaters. BLUMHOUSE’S TRUTH OR DARE All listed multiplex theaters. RAMPAGE All listed multiplex theaters. A QUIET PLACE All listed multiplex theaters. READY PLAYER ONE All listed multiplex theaters. SHERLOCK GNOMES All listed multiplex theaters.

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CALENDAR OF EVENTS MAY 30, 2018 - JUNE 5, 2018

GENERAL INTEREST MPD recruitment open house Interested in becoming a police officer? Attend the Mobile Police Department Recruitment Open House to learn about the application process, benefits and pay, and selection process. Thursday, May 31, 5-8 p.m., at the Mobile Police Training Academy, 1251 Virginia St. Call 251-2082720 or message a recruiter on www. facebook.com/JointheMPD/. Skin cancer screenings Infirmary Health and FOX10 News will offer free skin cancer screenings Friday, June 1. 8-11 a.m. at four locations: FOX10 News in Mobile, Thomas Fitness Center in Fairhope, North Baldwin Fitness Center in Bay Minette and at the Atmore Community Hospital. Plow Days South Alabama Antique Tractor and Engine Club will hold its annual “Plow Days” Friday, June 1, and Saturday, June 2, at Underwood Farm, 1801 County Road 71 S., from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Food, music, vendors, plowing, threshing, corn grinding and tractor games. Call 251-978-0661. Kids Market in the Park At the June 2 Cathedral Square farmers market, we will preview the annual Kids Days in Bienville Square along with arts and crafts produced by local artisans, locally grown produce, seafood, cheese and eggs, honeys, flowers and plants, baked goods, pasta and more. The market runs every Saturday, 7 a.m. to noon, through July 28. Find us on Facebook at @ MarketsinMobile. Libraries Rock! Mobile

Staff members throughout the Mobile Public Library system will join the staff at the Ben May Main Library and the West Regional Branch on Saturday, June 2, 10 a.m. to noon for the kickoff of the 2018 Summer Library Program. Come by either location to register and sign up for eight weeks of fun and entertainment. Visit mobilepubliclibrary.org. “Dial ‘M’ for Marriage” Mobile Mystery Dinner’s “Dial ‘M’ for Marriage” Saturday, June 2, at 7 p.m. at the Renaissance Riverview Hotel. Advance reservations are required. Contact Lisa Russell, 251-415-3092. Gun show The Abba Shriners’ Gun & Knife Show will be Saturday, June 2, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Sunday, June 3, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the 7701 Hitt Road, Mobile. Admission is $6. Ages 14 and under free. Explore Mobile Join the local attractions for the second annual Explore Mobile Sunday, June 3, 1-6 p.m. in Mardi Gras Park downtown. Enjoy live music, food and activities, as well as free/discounted admission to the city’s tourist attractions. Visit www. exploremobile.org.

entertainment by Freedom Ranch Outreach Education. Call 251-621-2818, ext. 211. Evening living history tours Visit Fort Morgan at 6 p.m. beginning June 5 for weekly Tuesday night tours. Historians and site staff dressed in period uniform will conduct tours. Admission is $10 per person. Visit Fort-Morgan.org. Tuesdays in Bernheim Come to Bernheim Hall at the Ben May Main Library on Tuesday evenings beginning June 5 for a special Summer Library Program Concert series. Visit www. mobilepubliclibrary.org or call 251-2087097. Survivors Week Mitchell Cancer Institute will celebrate Survivors Week June 4-8, with free activities each day to inspire and celebrate life. RSVP for all activities by calling 251445-9691. More information available from vmcmillian@health.southalabama.edu. Wine Wednesday Join us for free wine tastings with Marci Kinsey of Pinnacle Wine & Spirits, Wednesday, June 6, at 5 p.m. at Domke Market. Live music by John Moore. Sample new gourmet foods and snacks. Facebook @domkemarket.

Visioning at Blakeley Come to Blakeley Park on Sunday, June 3, noon to 3 p.m. for after-service visioning in nature, food, fun and fellowship. Hosted by Center for Spiritual Living, this will Summer garden walk at Bellingrath be a potluck dinner so bring a dish to Visit Bellingrath Gardens for the first share. Cost is $3 per person. Find us on Wonderful Wednesday, June 6, 10:30Facebook @CenterforSpiritualLivingMobile. 11:30 a.m., for a guided tour to see the summer displays, floral borders and new additions. Stay for lunch in the Magnolia Libraries Rock! Daphne Café and visit gift shop. The series runs Daphne Public Library kicks off its through July. Visit bellingrath.org; call 251summer reading program Monday, 459-8864 to register. June 4, at 10 a.m. Free hot dogs and

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FUNDRAISERS Miracles by the Bay Charity Golf Classic An annual fundraising event for Ronald McDonald House Charities of Mobile. Tournament is Thursday, May 31, at Heron Lakes Country Club in Mobile, with registration beginning at 10:30 a.m., lunch at 11 a.m. and shotgun start at noon. To purchase tickets and learn more about the event, visit rmhcmobile.org. DI Red Snapper shootout The largest red snapper wins at this event on Saturday, June 2, to benefit Ben Dunnam (50 percent proceeds to Ben, 50 percent to winner). Weigh-in will be at Waves DI, 1600 Bienville Blvd., Dauphin Island from 5:30 p.m. For more information call 251-709-6855. Bike Night Join us for live music, $2 beer, hot dogs, hamburgers and more on Tuesday, June 5, 4-8 p.m. at Bob’s Downtown Diner. There will be a Best of Class Show and prizes. A portion of the proceeds will be matched by Bob and donated for autism. Find us on Facebook @corneratfatandhappy.

ARTS “Flight of the Frigate Bird” A documentary produced and created by the Mobile Bay National Estuary Program features an oral history of Dauphin Island during “pre-bridge” days with a continuing look forward at current and future environmental changes affecting DI’s

landscape, economy and people. The film will be shown to the public on Thursday, May 31, at Bernheim Hall in the Ben May Main Public Library. Doors open at 6:30 p.m., premiere begins at 7.

Open auditions at JJP Sunday, June 3, and Monday, June 4, at 6:30 p.m., The Joe Jefferson Players will be holding open auditions for their upcoming presentation of “Mamma Mia!” Visit joejeffersonplayers.com.

Park Saturday, June 2, for the Battleship Rugby “Old Boys Game.” Game starts at 1 p.m. and party starts at 6 p.m. on the fantail of the ship. Find us on Facebook @ battleshiprugby.

a.m. Proceeds benefit Mobile Baykeeper and myTeam Triumph: Southern Alabama. To register or volunteer, visit www. thegrandman.com or call 251-433-4229.

“Art in the Park” Join us for 2018’s “Art in the Park” on Thursday, May 31, 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at W.O. Lott Park. Crafts, inflatables and free concessions. Contact Daphne Parks & Recreation, 251-621-3703.

Gospels and spirituals Mobile Vocal Arts Choral Society presents “A Celebration of Gospels & Spirituals” on Sunday, June 3, at 4 p.m. Free to the public. Government Street United Methodist Church, 901 Government St., in downtown Mobile. Contact Terry D. Maddox, terrydalemaddox@gmail.com or 251-406-1454.

AFC Mobile vs. Real United FC Gulf Coast Premier League action finds AFC Mobile taking the pitch against Moss Point, Mississippi’s Real United FC at Lipscomb Field on Saturday, June 2, at 7 p.m. Visit www.afcmobile.net for details.

Publix Jubilee Kids Triathlon On Sunday, June 3, 7:30 a.m. at Fairhope Municipal Pier, Mobile Baykeeper partners with Eastern Shore Triathlon Club and Altaworx to co-host the Publix Jubilee Kids Triathlon.To register or volunteer, visit www. mobilebaykeeper.org or call 251-433-4229.

Art Talk: Video Art in “do it” Join us Thursday, May 31, at 6 p.m. at the Mobile Museum of Art for a gallery talk with “do it” artists Brendon Cooke, Adam R. Forrester and Lauren Woods, who will discuss their work for the exhibition, the art of film-making and the role of performance in new-media art. Visit mobilemuseumofart. com. Art Walk Opening Join us Friday, June 1, 6-8 p.m. at the Eastern Shore Art Center (401 Oak St., Fairhope) for live music by Karin and Eric Marrero. For more info, email Adrienne@ esartcenter.org or call 251-928-2228 ext 103. Visit www.esartcenter.org. “Ragtime” Based on the novel of the same name by E.L. Doctorow, Ahrens and Flaherty’s “Ragtime” is a compelling epic capturing the American experience at the turn of the 20th century. Performances will run three weekends, June 1-17 at the Joe Jefferson Playhouse. Friday and Saturday shows at 7:30 p.m., Sunday matinees at 2 p.m. Visit joejeffersonplayers.com.

Flora-Bama Fishing Rodeo Featuring 28 categories with daily weighin viewing free to the public, live music MUSEUMS and food. Tournament begins Friday, June 1, and ends Sunday, June 3, at the “Ice Age Imperials” Flora-Bama Yacht Club. Admission is $45 Explore “Ice Age Imperials” at the History for adult division and $25 for youth 12 Museum of Mobile now until Aug. 26. and under. Visit FloraBama.com for more Imagine traveling 20,000 years into the past information. when fierce cats, enormous mastodons and wooly mammoths, 6-foot-tall beavers and other giant creatures roamed the land Table Tennis Club and every day was a struggle for survival. Join us Mondays, 5:30-8 p.m., and Visit historymuseumofmobile.com or call Tuesdays, 6-8:30 p.m. (adults only), at 251-301-0266. Laun Park ( 5401 Windmill Drive) starting the week of June 4. Mike Ho, Baker HS “Permian Monsters: Life Before Table Tennis coach, will help everyone with Dinosaurs” Through June 3 at the Exploreum. Take an their game. Paddles provided or bring your own. All levels welcome; $1 at the door. adventure back in time 290 million years when bizarre-looking animals dominated Call 251-463-7980. life on land and sea. Visit 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 Mobile County residents. No reservations are necessary. MMoA is at 4850 Museum Drive. Call 251-208-5200.

Learn Disc Golf Starting June 6, 5:30-6:30 p.m. at Mitternight Park (5310 Colonial Oaks Drive). Class taught by Prodigy Disc Team member Dylan Hunn. Call 251-463-7980.

SPORTING EVENTS/ACTIVITIES

Publix Grandman Triathlon Mobile Baykeeper hosts the 14th annual Publix Grandman Triathlon at the Fairhope Pier on Saturday, June 2, starting at 7

Old boys game Come on out to Battleship Memorial

Movie on the lanes Join us at Eastern Shore Lanes in Spanish Fort for our Kid’s Bowl Free Family Night on Mondays in June and July. Beginning Monday, June 4, a movie will be shown over the lanes. Find us on Facebook @ ESLanes. Jaguar Jamboree Join South Alabama Athletics on June 3, 5:30 p.m., at Fairhope Brewing and June 6 at 5:30 p.m. at Serda Brewing for the first-ever Jaguar Jamboree. Meet and get to know the head coaches and enjoy tailgate games, drawings for prizes and appearances by SouthPaw and Jaguars cheerleading squad. Find us on Facebook @USAAlumni.

WORKSHOPS Jack Friend lecture Thursday, May 31, at 6:30 p.m., the History Museum of Mobile holds a lecture featuring local author and historian John Sledge, who will share stories from his book “These Rugged Days: Alabama in The Civil War.” For more information email theeckj@historymuseumofmobile.com or call 251-301-0270.

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SPORTS UPON FURTHER REVIEW

Publix Grandman Triathlon supports athletes, shares mission BY J. MARK BRYANT/SPORTS WRITER/SPORTS@LAGNIAPPEMOBILE.COM/TWITTER @GOULAGUY

Photo | Courtesy Mobile Baykeeper

Some 700 to 800 race participants will join more than 3,000 spectators in Fairhope this weekend for the Publix Grandman Triathlon.

obile Baykeeper is a vital environmental community organization that has served the area since 1997, working throughout the year to help provide for “clean water, clean air and healthy communities” along Mobile Bay. But being a nonprofit, Baykeeper depends on events to gather resources in order to continue testing the water quality of local rivers, educating students on the importance of watersheds and monitoring industrial projects. That is where the 14th annual Publix Grandman Triathlon, set for this weekend, comes in. “This is our biggest fundraiser of the year,” said Hanlon Walsh, Baykeeper’s communications director. “That is the reason we serve as host. The Grandman is a perfect example of what Baykeeper is all about. We strive to keep the bay clean in order to swim, fish and play.” All the activities are centered around Fairhope Municipal Pier. Competitors start at 7 a.m. Saturday, June 2, by jumping into the bay for a swim covering one-third of a mile. “Last year we switched the start by using two finger-piers to allow the swimmers a more efficient way to get going,” Walsh said. “It was a big hit and we plan to do it again. This part of the race connects swimmers to our natural resources.” Next is a bicycle race that covers 18.6 miles. The course begins in Fairhope before continuing into the countryside and along Mobile Bay. The final segment includes a 3.1-mile run. Again the course includes downtown Fairhope and a trip back along the bay before finally ending at Fairhope Park. “This is a great race for first-time partici-

pants,” Walsh said. “It is a beautiful course.” For those unsure of their abilities to complete the entire course, a team option is available. “You can use your strengths,” Walsh said. “If you like to ride bikes or run but are not a great swimmer, you don’t have to do the whole thing. Either two or three people can form the team.” For the second straight year, Baykeeper will host the Publix Jubilee Kids Triathlon. It will start Sunday at 7:30 a.m. and is open to children ages 7 to 15. “We are keeping the kids race because it did well,” Walsh said. “We had over 100 participants despite some issues with the weather. We are looking for 200 this time.” Baykeeper has dedicated charities they support during the triathlon. Back for the third year is “myTeam Triumph: Southern Alabama.” This is an athletic ride-along program created for children, teens, adults and veterans with disabilities who would normally not be able to experience endurance events, such as triathlons or road races. Volunteers assist those in need to complete each section of the course. Activities will begin that Friday, June 1, with a health and fitness exposition at the pier from 4-7 p.m. A meeting for first-time competitors will take place at 6 p.m. The expo is open to the general public, who may wish to visit the vendors. Walsh pointed out that the Grandman has grown into one of the largest events in Baldwin County. He noted there are usually 700 to 800 participants in the races along with 200 volunteers who help to keep the races going. When spectators are added to the mix, there are up to 3,000 people in Fairhope for the weekend.

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To learn more about all the events, to register or to volunteer, visit mobilebaykeeper.org, send email to grandman@mobilebaykeeper.org or call 251-433-4BAY (229).

Former USA soccer players go pro

Three former University of South Alabama soccer standouts have signed professional contracts and will continue their playing careers in Europe. Rio and Steffi Hardy, from Workington, England, will play for Grindavík, a club located just outside Reykjavik in Iceland’s Pepsi League. They departed after participating in USA’s graduation ceremony. Tiina Trutsi, a Tallinn, Estonia, native, has signed with Barcelona Football Academy in Limassol, Cyprus. Rio finished second in school history in both career points (103) and goals (43), and is the school’s all-time leader in game-winning goals (13). Steffi earned First Team all-Sun Belt Conference honors three times and was the 2015 SBC Defender of the Year. Trutsi set new career highs in goals (4), assists (4) and points (12) in her senior season.

2018 alligator hunt approaching

The Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources will open online registration for the state’s 13th annual regulated alligator hunts June 5 at 8 a.m. Registration must be completed by 8 a.m. on July 11. A total of 260 Alligator Possession Tags will be distributed among four hunting zones. The administrative fee to apply for an Alliga-

tor Possession Tag is $22 and individuals may register once per zone. While the tag is free, the selected hunters and their assistants are required to have valid hunting licenses in their possession while hunting. The Southwest Alabama Zone will offer 150 tags. The locations cover private and public waters in Baldwin and Mobile counties, and private and public waters in Washington, Clarke and Monroe counties that lie east of U.S. Route 43 and south of U.S. Route 84. Only Alabama residents and Alabama lifetime license holders age 16 or older may apply for tags. Alabama lifetime license holders may apply for an Alligator Possession Tag even if they have moved out of the state. To register for the 2018 alligator hunts, visit www.outdooralabama.com/alligators/alligatorhunt-registration during the registration period listed above.

Free Fishing Day set for June 9

On Saturday, June 9, Alabamians and visitors alike will have the opportunity to fish for free in most public waters including both freshwater and saltwater. Free Fishing Day is part of National Fishing and Boating Week, which runs June 2-10. Approved by the Alabama Legislature, Free Fishing Day allows residents and non-residents to enjoy Alabama’s fishing opportunities without having to purchase a fishing license. The fishing license exemption on Free Fishing Day does not affect some lakes and piers that may still require fees and permits. Fishing in a private pond requires the pond owner’s permission. Anglers can visit outdooralabama.com to find a great fishing spot for Free Fishing Day.

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SPORTS FROM BEHIND THE MIC

There is nothing competitive or balanced about competitive balance BY RANDY KENNEDY/CONTRIBUTING WRITER

t. Paul’s Episcopal School has decided to go all-in in its fight against the Alabama High School Athletic Association’s competitive balance legislation. It’s a complicated issue, but it’s not at all difficult to come to the conclusion that this entire issue is best characterized as lunacy. Competitive balance is scheduled to take effect this coming school year. It allows jealous public school officials, vindictive parents and opportunistic politicians to punish private schools they believe are too successful in sports. For years the AHSAA has used a formula for counting private school students that is uncomfortably similar to Article I, Section 2 of the United States Constitution, in which enslaved blacks were counted as three-fifths of the number of white inhabitants in order to determine the number of residents in each state. In this case, every private school student is counted as 1.35 of a student in order to ensure that most private schools play at a higher classification. Shouldn’t we agree to never count any person as any fraction of another person going forward? Anyway, that’s not the issue here. Everybody had already come to accept this provision and the private schools were still winning their share — but certainly not all or even most — of state championships. For instance, in the most recent baseball and softball championships, only two of the seven champions in baseball (Mobile Christian and Faith Academy) and one of the seven softball champions were private schools. In football, St. Paul’s and UMS-Wright were the only private schools among the seven winners.

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So, it’s clear that the competitive balance legislation was a solution looking for a problem. Under this new rule, private schools that have a certain level of success are moved up to a higher classification. If they continue to win at that level, they will be moved to an even higher classification. The new rule, which does not apply to successful public schools, will immediately affect many private school programs, but only two in football — St. Paul’s and Madison

COMPETITIVE BALANCE IS SCHEDULED TO TAKE EFFECT THIS COMING SCHOOL YEAR. IT ALLOWS JEALOUS PUBLIC SCHOOL OFFICIALS, VINDICTIVE PARENTS AND OPPORTUNISTIC POLITICIANS TO PUNISH PRIVATE SCHOOLS THEY BELIEVE ARE TOO SUCCESSFUL IN SPORTS.” Academy. The net result is that a school such as St. Paul’s, whose enrollment would dictate that the Saints should be matched against teams in Class 4A, has played recently in Class 5A because of the 1.35 multiplier. Now, because of competitive balance, they will be playing in the ultra-competitive 6A Region 1 with much larger powerhouses, such

as Spanish Fort, Daphne, Blount and Saraland. Some in the public school sector have long complained that private schools have two advantages — they have more resources and they illegally recruit players. The first issue is relevant, but should be viewed as a haves-versus-have-nots issue, not a private-versus-public issue. For instance, schools such as Saraland and Spanish Fort don’t take a back seat to any school in term of facilities, commitment to excellence, coaches and every legal advantage money can buy. Good for them. They have decided to invest in their kids academically and athletically, just as the parents at Bayside Academy or Faith Academy have. In terms of illegal recruiting, I have no doubt it happens. I also have no doubt it’s happening at roughly the same rate in public schools as in private schools. But the hostility is not directed at any of those successful public schools. Look, I understand the jealousy. I grew up playing at a public school and one of our biggest rivals was a well-funded nearby private school that is still consistently competing for state championships today. I also understand why private school officials are outraged and feel compelled to stand up against this misguided rule, particularly for their athletes in the collision sport of football. But that doesn’t mean the reaction by St. Paul’s officials is going to make things better. Last week, the school announced it would sue the AHSAA and seek an injunction over the competitive balance ruling. I’m no lawyer, but it seems to me St. Paul’s has no legal leg on which to stand. The school is a voluntary member of the AHSAA. It can either work within the organization to implement change or it can withdraw from the association. The Alabama Independent Schools Association is still active and accepting new members if St. Paul’s or any other private school decides it doesn’t like the direction the AHSAA is going. Having said that, I have to side with St. Paul’s in its effort to try to reverse this injustice. This is all a big mess that should never have come to this. But this is what happens when petty and jealous parents come together with opportunistic politicians to influence misguided and unfair rules designed to punish teams rather than try to work hard to beat them. 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.

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MEDIA MEDIA FRENZY

THE NEW YORK TIMES CROSSWORD PUZZLE RHYMES, SCHMYMES

Lagniappe pulls in 14 awards in APA contest BY ROB HOLBERT/MANAGING EDITOR/RHOLBERT@LAGNIAPPEMOBILE.COM

he Alabama Press Association announced the winners for its 2018 Better Newspaper Contest last Friday, and Lagniappe took home 14 awards, including first place in some of the biggest editorial categories. Lagniappe competes in Division C, the state’s largest weekly newspapers. Reporter Jason Johnson took first place in Best In-Depth News Coverage for a series of stories on Mobile County Sheriff’s deputy Chris Parsons. Johnson was also awarded second place in the Best Business Story or Column category for “Growing market for the Southern Oyster.” Reporter Dale Liesch authored the first-place winner in the Best News Feature Coverage or Story category with “DACA recipients face uncertainty as Trump asks Congress to act.” He also won third-place recognition in the Best Headline category for “Barley Legal.” Lagniappe co-publisher Ashley Trice won two awards for her column writing — first place for Best Humorous Column and second place for Best Editorial Column or Commentary. Co-publisher Rob Holbert took second and first in those categories, respectively, placing second in Best Humorous Column and first in Best Editorial Column or Commentary. Lagniappe was also recognized six times in the advertising categories, including three firstplace awards, two second-place awards and one third-place award.

Other local newspapers winning reporting awards included the Citronelle Call News with seven editorial awards in the C Division and the Fairhope/Daphne Courier with 16 in the Division D. The Call News won a third-place mention in Best Spot News, a second place in the Best Human Interest Column category, a third-place for Best News Photo and a first and two secondplace awards in sports coverage categories. In Division A, large dailies, the state’s three Newhouse-owned newspapers — Birmingham News, Huntsville Times and Mobile Press-Register — competed as Alabama Media Group and gathered 29 editorial awards, although none of those came from coverage generated in Mobile. “We were excited to get the kind of recognition we received in this year’s contest,” Trice said. “It’s only our second year competing in the Better Newspapers Contest and our focus tends to be on more investigative and in-depth reporting, so we did quite well in the categories we entered. There are still some big ones left, so hopefully we’ll be lucky enough to have our name called again.” Fifteen categories remain to be announced at the APA’s annual convention in Orange Beach July 21, including General Excellence, Story of the Year, Public Service and Freedom of Information. This year 62 newspapers submitted more than 2,100 entries to be judged in the Better Newspaper Contest. They were judged by members of the Virginia Press Association.

BY WILL NEDIGER / EDITED BY WILL SHORTZ ACROSS 1 Picnic annoyance 8 Cold quarters 13 Racetrack informant 20 Like okapis and giraffes 21 Sit pensively 22 Cry from a survivor 23 Conversation over a few whiskeys? 25 Wear 26 Pose 27 Mario Vargas Llosa’s country 28 Strummed instrument, for short 29 Where butter and cheese are produced 30 ____ buddies 31 Moreover 32 Org. for drivers 33 Return to base 36 2015 Verizon purchase 38 Filth covering pecans and such? 45 Borodin opera prince 46 Fasten, in a way, with “in” 48 Asian holiday 49 Tush 50 Venison spread? 53 Relics, to Brits 55 “You betcha!” 56 Very beginning? 58 Give a leg up … or a hand 59 Lose one’s coat 60 Casting need 61 Notwithstanding 63 Brings on 64 Sprayed in the face 67 Hardly a dolt? 68 Powerful scents 69 Made up 70 Virus fighters 71 Director Wenders 72 Unnamed character in Camus’s “The Stranger” 73 Ground cover? 74 Connections 75 Buds come in them 80 Office’s counterpart 83 Avoid a jerk? 85 Mozart’s Don Alfonso and Leporello 86 Shout with an accent 88 Gathered intelligence (on) 89 It has lots on the internet 90 Break up with an “unbreakable” Ellie Kemper character? 93 “Black-ish” network 94 Part of a kit 95 It may be found next to a spade 96 Sashimi option 98 Ready for battle 100 DNA building block 105 Restroom sign

106 “What’s Going On” singer, 1971 107 Tampa Bay N.F.L.’er 110 Beats in the race 111 Puts a stop to sentimentality? 114 Term for a word that isn’t the dictionary but maybe should be 115 Subject of una serenata 116 Subject of the 2006 documentary “When the Levees Broke” 117 Promenades 118 Rehab program 119 Plug DOWN 1 Cake with rum 2 Hovering craft 3 Understand 4 Industry, for short 5 Treat on a stick 6 Stuns, in a way 7 Intruded (on) 8 Watson’s company 9 Cavity filler 10 Be a witness 11 Exude 12 Loving verse? 13 Some pageant wear 14 Brought charges against 15 Daddy 16 Criticize severely 17 Part of a makeshift swing 18 ____ after

19 Depend 24 “Just pretend I’m right” 29 Singer of high notes 30 Scottish accents 33 Dusted off, say 34 James who won a posthumous Pulitzer 35 Says, informally 37 “When the Levees Broke” director 39 High ____ 40 Publisher in a robe, familiarly 41 Algonquian Indians 42 Open, as a bottle 43 Prince and others 44 Some drink garnishes 46 Fish whose name sounds like the past tense of 46-Across? 47 Greets silently 51 Begets 52 Take back 54 3-3, e.g. 57 Site of one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World 61 Professional fixer, for short 62 Uses Gchat, e.g. 63 Scornful sound 64 H. G. Wells villain 65 Four-time Australian Open winner 66 Picasso, e.g. 67 Recent arrival 68 Personalized music gift 69 Backyard shindig, informally

70 Perfect score, or half of a score 71 Smart remarks 73 Zooey of Fox’s “New Girl” 75 Long, narrow pieces of luggage 76 Modify 77 Where Hemingway wrote “The Old Man and the Sea” 78 Old Chrysler 79 ____ terrier 81 Parties 82 Pastor role in “There Will Be Blood” 84 Keeper of the books, for short 87 Japanese appetizer 91 Lifts 92 Everything 94 Appear that way 97 101 course 99 “… I’ll eat ____!” 100 Order (around) 101 May or Bee 102 Prevent from clumping, say 103 In conclusion 104 Sway 107 Random data point 108 ____ Reader 109 Powerful politico 111 & 112 Coupled 113 “Collage With Squares Arranged According to the Laws of Chance” artist

ANSWERS ON PAGE 60

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STYLE HOROSCOPES A MOBILE TOUR OF THE ZODIAC

ANSWERS FROM PAGE 58

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GEMINI (5/21-6/21) — In an attempt to profit from Subtropical Storm Alberto, you’ll file a FEMA claim for being forced to speak Spanish instead of American. Your Explore Mobile destination is the Alabama Contemporary Art Center. CANCER (6/22-7/22) — Emerging from the smoldering ruins of the “Great ‘Roseanne’ Cancellation Riots of 2018,” you support a new TV outrage: Why hasn’t “Parks and Recreation” returned for an encore season? Your Explore Mobile destination is the Gulf Coast Exploreum. LEO (7/23-8/23) — Apprehensive about voting for another crook or career politician, you’ll fill the blank space in your ballot with the name of your third grade classroom’s pet fish. Your Explore Mobile destination is the Mobile Carnival Museum. VIRGO (8/24-9/22) — Jealous that Lagniappe received more than a dozen awards from the Alabama Press Association, you publish a rag of your own, “The Daily Crab,” which exclusively writes reviews of “The Rick & Bubba Show.” Your Explore Mobile destination is the Mobile Municipal Archives. LIBRA (9/23-10/22) — Inconvenienced by Starbucks’ recent closure for anti-bias training, you’ll try out a new local coffee place. It’ll take a few trips before you drop the “tall, venti, grande” habit. Your Explore Mobile destination is the Phoenix Fire Museum. SCORPIO (10/23-11/21) — Taking a cue from St. Paul’s, you’ll sue the Alabama High School Athletic Association for embarrassing you in P.E. class. In a court-ordered redo, you’ll complete one and a half pull-ups. Your Explore Mobile destination is the A&M Peanut Shop. SAGITTARIUS (11/22-12/22) — Your attempt to compete at the Publix Grandman Triathlon will be thwarted by goose poop and Fairhope residents on golf carts. You’ll cross the finish line on a Segway. Your Explore Mobile destination is Christ Church Cathedral. CAPRICORN (12/23-1/19) — Despite a warning from the FBI, you’ll neglect to reboot your router and become the target of Russian malware. Your Explore Mobile destination is the Mobilia Art Center. AQUARIUS (1/20-2/18) — Due to the cuts in services in Mobile County courts, you’ll be able to file for your next divorce for only $79. The catch? It’ll take eight years to finalize. Your Explore Mobile destination is the Fort of Colonial Mobile. PISCES (2/19-3/20) — Inspired by a review of the cuisine in Lagniappe, you’ll hang out at the Big Time Diner and reenact all your favorite scenes from The Max on “Saved By the Bell.” Your Explore Mobile destination is the History Museum of Mobile. ARIES (3/21-4/19) — Since your Memorial Day plans were postponed due to weather, you plan for Memorial Day 2.0 this weekend. You blame super patriotism for your absence from work on Monday, June 4. Your Explore Mobile destination is the Church Street Graveyard. TAURUS (4/20-5/20) — Confused about their real position on the issues, you vote for the gubernatorial candidate who fires the biggest gun in their campaign commercial. Your favorite candidate for lieutenant governor says the word “Christian” nine times in 30 seconds. Your Explore Mobile destination is GulfQuest National Maritime Museum.

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STYLE BOOZIE

The cone of uncertainty indeed BY BOOZIE BEER NUES/SOCIAL BUTTERFLY

Stimpson gets “Pereesed”

A few issues ago, we told you about the Spring Hill peacock who some residents named Perees. This was an actual peacock that had flown away from a farm in WeMo when another male was introduced into his muster (yes, apparently that’s what you call a group of peacocks). He was spotted on a roof on the Hill and around various other spots for a little bit. A Facebook group was formed so residents could report sightings. I can’t seem to find where there have been any more sightings of the actual bird (sadly), but that didn’t stop the folks who started this whole thing from having more peacock fun. There are T-shirts and hats and photos of peacock merchandise constantly posted on the Facebook page. And now it seems they have purchased a peacock lawn ornament, which they have, of course, named Perees, and it is mysteriously ending up in Spring Hill yards in the dark of night. And recently it ended up in Mobile Mayor Sandy Stimpson’s yard. He posed with it and put it on his Facebook

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page. This is so crazy. And so Mobile, which is why I love it. Let’s just hope the real Perees made it safely back home. And no one gets shot while delivering the fake Perees.

Picking for Pat

I’m so glad a bomb didn’t go off in Callaghan’s last Wednesday night — for multiple reasons, obviously, but mainly because I think we would have lost the majority of our musical talent in one night. That’s right, a who’s who of our greatest musicians all came together to raise money for one of their own, Pat Murphy, who is battling cancer. More than 40 Mobile musicians played in one night (crazy!), including Rick Hirsch, Grayson Capps, Eric Erdman, Stan Foster, Phil Proctor, Andy MacDonald, Molly Thomas, Lisa Mills, Donna Hall Foster and Greg DeLuca, among many, many others. Painter Robby Amonett captured the event on canvas, as he often does for Callaghan’s shows. The finished product was donated to an auction they were also having, and it was purchased by Callaghan’s owner John Thompson, who turned right around and presented it to Pat Murphy and his wife, Benita. All the good feels for this great event!

Holy haberdashery, Batman!

A spy spotted the boy wonder, yes the one and only Robin, on the corner of Dauphin and Royal last Friday afternoon. Batman was nowhere to be found, so we aren’t really sure why the caped crusader’s sidekick was standing on the street corner. A Mardi Gras organization hazing? Or perhaps on his way to Mobicon? Just like how many licks it takes to get to the center of a Tootsie Roll pop, the world may never know!

Photo | Facebook

lberto! Alberto! Alberto! Really? It’s not even officially hurricane season yet and you are all up in our grill? Thankfully, you decided to head to Panama City Beach! You must like body glitter and doing shots with young’uns at Spinnakers, you dirty little storm! But even though you headed to PCB, we were ready for you nonetheless. See, Al, we are used to tropical winds and torrential downpours, just like we’re used to downpours of gossip. I’ll let Alan Sealls and Jason Smith talk about the rain, but your chief gossipologist, Boozie Beer Nues, is here for you with this week’s pinpoint gossip-cast. Get your gossip tracking charts out!

Bless their hearts

God bless our local TV news folks. I know it’s hard to tell where a storm is going to hit with that whole “cone of uncertainty” stuff. But I felt so sorry for our local newsies who were forced to do “special coverage” on a holiday weekend of a storm that was a total non-event. They repeatedly went to live shots at the beaches, which looked like they do on any normal day, with folks just casually walking around in the background. Can y’all not call off the special coverage when you realize it’s not coming here? My poor Aunt Edna was all upset she was missing her “Sunday Today” with that “cute little Willie Geist” while the sun was shining outside her window. I felt sorry for Aunt Edna, but not as sorry as I felt for our poor local newscasters who had their holiday weekends ruined for nothing. Thanks, Alberto!

Just asking?

A fan of TLC’s “My 600-LB Life” has alerted Boozie that a woman from Mobile recently made an appearance on the show. Apparently, the number on her scale has not affected her ability to score a man, as her fiance is featured on the episode -- an affirmation that true beauty lies within. Awwww! Ain’t love grand! Well kids, that’s all I got. Just remember, whether rain or shine, dramatic or scandalous or just some plain ol’ mayoral Perees lovin’, I will be there. Ciao!

LAGNIAPPE LEGALS | 251.450-4466 | legals@lagniappemobile.com FORECLOSURES FORECLOSURE NOTICE Default having been made by the herein referenced Grantee in the terms of that certain Vendor’s Lien Deed executed on January 27, 2015 by Wayne A. Gunnison, as Grantee to Horace T. Jackson, 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 LR7230, Page 604, 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 June 27, 2018. Lots 1, 2, and 7 as per plat of SANFORD GARNER ESTATES, as recorded in Map Book 89, Page 14, Probate Court of Mobile County, Alabama. Said sale is made for the purpose of paying said Vendor’s Lien debt and costs of foreclosure. Horace T. Jackson 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

Bldg. – HVAC at 307 N. University Blvd. Mobile, AL 36688 for the State of Alabama and the City of Mobile. All persons having any claim for labor, material, or otherwise in connection with this project should immediately notify CDC Engineers 4912 Oak Circle Drive Mobile, AL (251) 662-5891. James B. Donaghey, Inc. 1770 Old Shell Rd. Mobile, AL 36604. Lagniappe HD May 30, June 6, 13, 20, 2018

STATE OF ALABAMA COUNTY OF MOBILE NOTICE OF COMPLETION In accordance with Chapter 1, Title 39, Code of Alabama, 1975, NOTICE IS HEREBY given that H & H Electric Co., Inc. has completed the contract for University of South Alabama, Feeder to Covered Practice Facility USA Job No. 15-61 in Mobile, Alabama. All persons having any claim for labor, material, or otherwise in connection with this project should immediately notify the Engineering Design and Construction Department, University of South Alabama 307 University Boulevard, N. Mobile, Alabama 36688. William H. Hill, President H & H ELECTRIC CO., INC. Lagniappe HD May 23, 30, June 6, 2018

ADVERTISEMENT FOR BIDS

Lagniappe HD May 23, 30, June 6, 2018

ADVERTISEMENT FOR BIDS

NOTICE OF MORTGAGE FORECLOSURE SALE

Notice is hereby given that the University of South Alabama (Owner) will accept sealed Bids for the following Work: HVAC UPGRADES FOR TRPIII University of South Alabama Mobile, Alabama USA JOB #18-14 USA BID #8050302 Bids will be received and clocked in at 3:00 p.m. local time on Thursday, June 7, 2018, in Procurement Services on the Main Campus of the University of South Alabama. Bids will not be accepted after the time indicated herein and will be returned unopened. A cashier’s check or bid bond payable to the University of South Alabama in an amount not less than five (5) percent of the amount of the bid, but in no event more than $10,000 must accompany the bidder’s proposal. Bid Documents shall be available only through the USA Purchasing Office. Contact as follows: University of South Alabama Procurement Services Technology & Research Park Bldg. III 650 Clinic Drive, Suite 1400 Mobile, AL 36688 PH# (251) 460-6151 FX# (251) 414-8291 (rbrown@southalabama.edu) Bids must be submitted on Proposal Forms furnished in the Bid Documents or copies thereof. The preceding is an abbreviated advertisement. The complete advertisement may be obtained from the location listed above. A Pre-Bid Conference will be held at 10:00 a.m. local time on Thursday, May 24, 2018, in Room AD80 of the Administration Building. Those in attendance will include the Owner, Engineer, and Consultants. Contract bidders, subcontractors and suppliers are encouraged to attend. A tour of the Project site is scheduled immediately after the conference. All questions concerning the Project should be submitted in writing to the Project Manager at the address listed below. 307 University Blvd. N., AD001 Mobile, AL 36688 bkelley@ southalabama.edu

Alabama, Mobile County Default having been made pursuant to the terms of that certain mortgage executed by Yolanda Xyvetta Wilson, an Unmarried Woman to Wachovia Mortgage Corporation, dated August 12, 2005, said mortgage being recorded in Book 5830, Page 1942, in the Office of the Judge of Probate of Mobile County, AL said Mortgage was last sold, assigned and transferred to U.S. Bank National Association, as Indenture Trustee on behalf of and with respect to Ajax Mortgage Loan Trust 2016-C, Mortgage-Backed Notes, Series 2016-C. U.S. Bank National Association, as Indenture Trustee on behalf of and with respect to Ajax Mortgage Loan Trust 2016-C, Mortgage-Backed Notes, Series 2016-C, under and by virtue of the power of sale contained in said mortgage, will sell at public outcry to the highest bidder for cash or certified/ bank check only. The certified/bank check should be made payable to or endorsed to Eady Law, LLC. The sale will take place during the legal hours of sale, on June 26, 2018 at the main entrance of the Courthouse at Mobile, Mobile County, AL the following real estate, situated in Mobile County, AL, to-wit: Lot 42, Woodside, Unit 3, according to plat thereof recorded in Map Book 78, Page 20, of the records in the Office of the Judge of Probate of Mobile County, Alabama. Said property is commonly known as 6372 Woodside Drive South Theodore, AL 36582. The indebtedness has been and is hereby declared due and payable because of default under the terms of said Mortgage and Note, including but not limited to the nonpayment of the indebtedness as and when due. The indebtedness remaining in default, this sale will be made for the purpose of paying the same, all expenses of the sale, including attorney’s fees and all other payments provided for under the terms of the Mortgage and Note. In accordance with Ala. Code §6-5-248(h) notice is given that 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 part of the foreclosure process. Said property will be sold subject to the following items which may affect the title to said property: all zoning ordinances; matters which would be disclosed by an accurate survey or by an inspection of the property; any outstanding taxes, including but not limited to ad valorem taxes, which constitute liens upon said property; special assessments; all outstanding bills for public utilities which constitute liens upon said property; all restrictive covenants, easements, rights-of-way; the statutory right of redemption pursuant to Alabama law; and any other matters of record superior to said Mortgage. Property is sold “as is, where is” with no warranties or representations of any kind, including without limitation, warranties regarding condition of the property or marketability of title. To the best of the knowledge and belief of the undersigned, the party in possession of the property is Yolanda Xyvetta Wilson or tenant(s). S. Keith Eady Eady Law, LLC P.O. Box 29667 Atlanta, GA. 30359 Keith@keitheady.com 404-633-1997 – Direct Lagniappe HD May 23, 30, June 6, 2018

PROBATE NOTICE OF ESTATE ADMINISTRATION PROBATE COURT OF MOBILE COUNTY, ALABAMA Estate of: JEAN ROSS FLYNN, Deceased Case No. 2018-0981 Take notice that Letters Testamentary have been granted to the below named party on the 14th day of MAY, 2018 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. JEAN FLYNN SMITH as Executrix under the last will and testament of JEAN ROSS FLYNN, Deceased. Attorney of Record: CHARLES J. POTTS Lagniappe HD May 23, 30, June 6, 2018

NOTICE OF COMPLETION STATE OF ALABAMA COUNTY OF MOBILE NOTICE OF COMPLETION In accordance with Chapter 1, Title 39, Code of Alabama, 1975, NOTICE IS HEREBY given that James B. Donaghey, Inc. has completed the contract for University of South Alabama, Alpha West

Lagniappe HD May 16, 23, 30, 2018

NOTICE OF SALE STORAGE AUCTION – NOTICE OF SALE Notice is hereby given, pursuant to Alabama Statutes, that the goods stored in units rented by occupants listed below will be sold to the highest bidder at a public auction online at www. storagetreasures.com on June 22, 2018 at 10:00 am to satisfy liens claimed by STORAGEMAX MIDTOWN, together with all costs of sale. Karly Dodson, Paul Goggins, Marcelene Lewis & Michael Mitchell. Any of the above goods may be withdrawn from sale by STORAGEMAX MIDTOWN at any time without prior notice. Lagniappe HD May 30, June 6, 2018

ABANDONED VEHICLES – NOTICE OF SALE The following unclaimed vehicle(s) will be sold on June 29, 2018 - Time - 12pm, if not claimed - at 10800 Ramsey Blvd., Grand Bay, AL 36541. 2000 Mercury Grand Marquis 2MEFM75W1YX624759 Lagniappe HD May 23, 30, 2018

The following unclaimed vehicle(s) will be sold on June 29, 2018 - Time - 12pm, if not claimed - at 106 Martin Luther King Dr., Prichard, AL 36610. 2014 Jeep Cherokee 1C4PJMDB8EW303126 Lagniappe HD May 23, 30, 2018

The following unclaimed vehicle(s) will be sold on June 29, 2018 - Time - 12pm, if not claimed – at 1308 Bay Ave., Mobile, AL 36605. 2008 Chevrolet Cobalt 1G1AL58F287132075 Lagniappe HD May 23, 30, 2018

The following unclaimed vehicle(s) will be sold on June 29, 2018 - Time - 12pm, if not claimed - at 1621 W Main St., Prichard, AL 36610. 1999 Honda Civic 2HGEJ6674XH592519 Lagniappe HD May 23, 30, 2018

The following unclaimed vehicle(s) will be sold on June 29, 2018 - Time - 12pm, if not claimed - at 662 Chin St., Mobile, AL 36610. 1988 Cadillac Brougham 1G6DW51Y4J9726929 Lagniappe HD May 23, 30, 2018

The following unclaimed vehicle(s) will be sold on June 29, 2018 - Time - 12pm, if not claimed - at 308 South Hummingbird Dr., Satsuma, AL 36572. 2005 Ford F150 1FTRF12W15NA77936 Lagniappe HD May 23, 30, 2018

The following unclaimed vehicle(s) will be sold on June 29, 2018 - Time - 12pm, if not claimed - at 7960 Two Mile Rd., Irvington, AL 36544. 2014 Nissan Altima 1N4AL3AP5EC148536 1999 Chevrolet S10 1GCCS14X4XK124873 2007 Chevrolet Malibu 1G1ZT68NX7F158573 1999 Toyota Corolla 1NXBR12E3XZ151037 Lagniappe HD May 23, 30, 2018

The following unclaimed vehicle(s) will be sold on June 29, 2018 - Time - 12pm, if not claimed - at 1111 Oakdale Ave., Mobile, AL 36605. 2003 Pontiac Bonneville 1G2HX52K634124351 Lagniappe HD May 23, 30, 2018

The following unclaimed vehicle(s) will be sold on June 29, 2018 - Time - 12pm, if not claimed - at 2565 Government Blvd Suite E, Mobile, AL 36606. 1982 Chevrolet El Camino 1GCCW80H8CR229235 Lagniappe HD May 23, 30, 2018

These abandon vehicles will be sold on 06/27/2018 at 5781 Three Notch Road Mobile Al. 36619 at 9am if not redeemed. JEEP 1J4GX48S42C274322 FORD 1FTYR10U2WPB35773 Lagniappe HD May 23, 30, 2018

The following unclaimed vehicle(s) will be sold on July 06, 2018 - Time - 12pm, if not claimed - at 1212 McNeil Ave., Mobile, AL 36609. 2009 Dodge Charger 2B3KA43D29H557210 Lagniappe HD May 30, June 6, 2018

The following unclaimed vehicle(s) will be sold on July 06, 2018 - Time - 12pm, if not claimed - at 2427 S US Hwy 31, Bay Minette, AL 36507. 2013 Chevrolet Cruze 1G1PC5SB2D7204466

Lagniappe HD May 30, June 6, 2018

The following unclaimed vehicle(s) will be sold on July 06, 2018 - Time - 12pm, if not claimed - at 6873 Richard Lane, Eight Mile, AL 36613. 2000 Chevrolet Silverado 1GCEC14W6YZ135587 Lagniappe HD May 30, June 6, 2018

The following unclaimed vehicle(s) will be sold on July 06, 2018 - Time - 12pm, if not claimed - at 24151 Hawk Lane, Robertsdale, AL 36567. 2011 Chevrolet Silverado 1GCRCSE09BZ105038 Lagniappe HD May 30, June 6, 2018

The following unclaimed vehicle(s) will be sold on July 06, 2018 - Time - 12pm, if not claimed - at 10840 McGehee Rd., Grand Bay, AL 36541. 2006 Chevrolet Malibu 1G1ZT51836F108112 Lagniappe HD May 30, June 6, 2018

The following unclaimed vehicle(s) will be sold on July 06, 2018 - Time - 12pm, if not claimed - at 1037 St Stephens Rd., Mobile, AL 36610. 2001 Honda Accord 1HGCG16521A018871 Lagniappe HD May 30, June 6, 2018

The following unclaimed vehicle(s) will be sold on July 06, 2018 - Time - 12pm, if not claimed - at 1602 Main St., Daphne, AL 36526. 1988 Honda Accord 1HGCA5637JA217423 Lagniappe HD May 30, June 6, 2018

The following unclaimed vehicle(s) will be sold on July 06, 2018 - Time - 12pm, if not claimed - at 867 Kuffskie Lane, Mobile, AL 36618. 1997 Cadillac Seville 1G6KY5296VU806356

Lagniappe HD May 30, June 6, 2018

The following unclaimed vehicle(s) will be sold on July 06, 2018 - Time - 12pm, if not claimed - at 9471 Scenic Hills Dr., Semmes, AL 36575. 2000 Honda Accord 1HGCG3274YA016956 Lagniappe HD May 30, June 6, 2018

Deadline for legal advertising in Lagniappe HD is every Monday at 5 p.m. Lagniappe HD is distributed each Thursday. Lagniappe HD offices are located at 702 Government St., Mobile, AL 36604 For more information or to place your ad call Jackie at 251-450-4466. Or email at legals@lagniappemobile.com

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