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WEEKLY
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LAGNIAPPE
J U LY 1 1 , 2 0 1 8 - J U LY 1 7 , 2 0 1 8 | w w w . l a g n i a p p e m o b i l e . c o m 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
The Mobile City Council will consider changes to the capital improvement plan to allow for more discretionary spending.
COMMENTARY
A post-vacation smorgasbord of political opinion.
BUSINESS
The former Red Cross building on the corner of Broad and Dauphin streets will be welcoming new tenants by 2019.
CUISINE
KEVIN LEE Associate Editor/Arts Editor klee@lagniappemobile.com
A manageable menu at Kravers Seafood Mobile, which has much more to offer than a couple of fried platters.
ANDY MACDONALD Cuisine Editor fatmansqueeze@comcast.net
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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 WOOLSEY Advertising Sales Executive bwilliams@lagniappemobile.com ALEEN MOMBERGER Advertising Sales Executive aleen@lagniappemobile.com DAVID GRAYSON Advertising Sales Executive david@lagniappemobile.com
COVER
Despite questions of constitutionality, the Mobile Police Department defends its frequent “perp walks” as being in the public interest.
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ARTS
Local artist Riley Brenes talks about murals commissioned from teens detained at the Strickland Youth Center.
MUSIC
The inaugural MOB Music Fest debuts in Cathedral Square this weekend with several genres of music and arts.
ROSS PRITCHARD Distribution Manager delivery@lagniappemobile.com JACKIE CRUTHIRDS Office Manager jackie@lagniappemobile.com CONTRIBUTORS: J. Mark Bryant, Asia Frey, Gabi Garrett, Brian Holbert, Randy Kennedy, John Mullen, Jeff Poor, Ken Robinson, Ron Sivak ON THE COVER: PERP WALK BY DANIEL ANDERSON 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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“Wonderstruck,” based on the illustrated novel by Brian Selznick, is a dual-storyline tale that follows the lonely lives of two deaf children in different eras.
MEDIA
Matt McCoy gets back in the game at WZEW.
SPORTS
Four teams are currently competing at Satsuma High School in the inaugural season of the American Softball Association.
STYLE
Boozie’s news from the police blotter and more sightings of mysterious creatures!
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GOING POSTAL Before takeoff, let’s get our heads out of the clouds
Editor We have rolled down the taxiway and we are at the foot of the runway. The captain has the “fasten seatbelt” sign on and our seatback trays are in the upright and locked position. There is a lot to be excited about in Mobile and our burgeoning aviation industry. Last year, the current Airbus production facility at Brookley hit its designed production rate of four planes a month. In June, Bombardier and Airbus announced they will close on a partnership that will probably bring another FAL to Brookley for the Cseries plane. Earlier this year, Via Air commenced a new direct-to-Orlando route and just recently announced a new route from Mobile to Montgomery. The most recent exciting news for the aviation industry in Mobile and business in general is that a study commissioned by the Mobile Airport Authority (MAA) found it was feasible to move commercial passenger service to Brookley. While I agree that moving commercial passenger air traffic is feasible and would probably increase the number of passengers flying out of Mobile, let’s get our heads out of the clouds before we take off on this endeavor. The feasibility study was, by design, light on specifics and numbers (that was not the job of the people conducting this study), but in their opinion it would be cheaper to build a new terminal at Brookley and related infrastructure than build a new, limited-access road from I-10 to the current airport. Without estimates of either option, it is hard to say one way or the other if that is possible. The feasibility study did say the industrial base of Brookley is expected to double with the new developments related to Airbus and current
expansion plans of Continental Motors and VT MAE. If there is any chance passenger service moving to Brookley could jeopardize that development, then we as a community need to think long and hard about it. Another reason the firm that conducted the feasibility study said a new passenger terminal at Brookley would be a positive is that low-cost carriers (LCCs) expressed interest in offering service at Brookley but were lukewarm on the idea of offering service at Mobile Regional. The MAA is currently renovating part of a 50,000-square-foot building at Brookley located at the end of Michigan Avenue for Via Air to move into early next year. I propose that the MAA focus their short-term efforts on completing the necessary renovation of that LCC terminal at Brookley with the required amenities requested by airlines — security, baggage, restrooms and restaurant facilities — and attracting one or two more LCCs to that terminal before we commit to a new full-fledged, state-of-the-art passenger terminal at Brookley. The model of having separate terminals for LCCs and legacy carriers works at an increasing number of airports. It would also allow for an increasing number of options for air service in the Mobile market and provide the Airport Authority a “proof-of-concept” model before committing to diving headlong into the deep end of the commercial passenger service pool. David Preston Mobile
Vanishing property rights in Orange Beach
Editor: Power corrupts, goes the old saw. Taking away residents’ property rights is the new infatuation, firstly with short-term rentals in residential areas, lastly with property condemnations,
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acquiring land for the proposed bridge west of the Foley Beach Express. “Eminent domain is a necessary evil,” said Mayor Tony Kennon, referring to three families who will lose their home-based businesses on property needed for the bridge, quoted in The Islander (April 25, 2018, page 29). The problem is not one single piece of data or traffic study was offered to the public supporting the necessity of eminent domain condemnations for the $87 million second bridge, causing Jim Ziegler, the state’s auditor, to write a letter to ALDOT’s director, John Cooper, seeking clarification. “I have more questions than I do answers about the proposed additional bridge. I hope to solve that with my specific requests for public records,” Zeigler explained on Twitter. Elected officials acquiescing on the side of property condemnation is like airing a TV campaign against property rights, watching our representatives watching a reality show. In a market system, well-defined property rights are important because they increase economic activity, bolstering standards of living, quality of life and a strong tax base that is inextricably linked to property rights. Using a hammer instead of a scalpel to regulate short-term rentals and prescribing condemnation and eminent domain instead of negotiation to obtain property for the second bridge is scandalously inconsistent with Alabamians’ hatred of government intervention, rewriting the playbook on property rights. Local politicians prefer circling the wagons when residents disagree, appearing to have lost the ability to dissent. Perhaps we should exhale, taking a look at what has grown from the seedling of property rights since Orange Beach was founded in 1984
to the latest Ordinance 2018-1282, limiting vacation rentals. Mayor Kennon said in a council meeting, “I want to know who my neighbors are,” commenting on short-term rentals, giving everyone in the room a glimpse into the plan. This rental legislation is like gating the residential community by ordinance instead of by referendum or HOA vote, wondering how elected officials will explain themselves for not minimizing government’s role in the economy, for not restoring liberty from government interference, essentially abandoning pre-eminent conservative ideals. By legislating for government restrictions on private property, this council transformed from conservative incumbent right before our eyes. It’s troubling not knowing what other instruments of economic disenfranchisement are on the agenda. What happens east and west of Doc’s Seafood when the Wolf Bay Bridge is put out for bid, needing more land for a construction site, parking and a lay-down yard? One must assume properties will be condemned and then confiscated for pennies on the dollar, imitating the greater vanity of eminent domain. “We have to be able to move traffic. We’ve got to be able to evacuate and we have to be able to grow,” Mayor Kennon told AL.com. I agree that some short-term rental owners have been naughty, insufficiently policing their renters. Residents should call the authorities when renters misbehave, applying laws already on the books, perhaps implementing a “three strikes and you lose your license” policy, ensuring council has the last word. Tarring all residential-rental owners with the same brush is energetic but disillusioned. Rauf Bolden Orange Beach
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BAYBRIEF |
‘Whack-a-mole’
CHANGES COMING TO CITY’S CIP FUNDING BY DALE LIESCH
Photo |Lagniappe
The Mobile City Council will recommend changes to CIP allocations to allow for more discretionary spending.
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o hear Mobile Executive Director of Finance Paul Wesch describe it, the City Council started a game of whack-a-mole Tuesday, July 10, when members voted to make changes to the capital improvement plan (CIP) ordinance. In essence, the council opened up access to more CIP money by removing certain earmarks from the ordinance, including a $2 million transfer to the general fund, a change that would force the city to make cuts. This means the capital budget would likely increase and the general fund would decrease, like the classic carnival game. “When one goes up, another comes down,” Wesch said. The changes are workable, he said, but he asked the council to coordinate with the administration once the new earmarks go into effect. Those new earmarks were ironed out during a series of meetings of the council’s CIP committee concluding July 9. Whereas the original earmarks set aside $21 million of an additional one-cent sales tax per year, split evenly among the seven council districts for capital expenses, the additional money from the tax would be divided among economic development, motor pool and other expenses. Of those expenses, $2 million has been put back into the general fund. The new earmarks would still set aside the $21 million for the districts, but would also earmark $4 million for studies on public-facing buildings. Funding for the studies currently comes out of each councilor’s CIP funds. Up to $6 million could be spent on any other capital needs, according to the new ordinance. The ordinance also sunsets in 2023, making the new CIP a five-year plan. “It really is just a matter of math,” Wesch told councilors during the committee meeting. “An effort to increase CIP by $2 million means $2 million will have to come from another place. It won’t, most likely, come from capital.” Councilman Joel Daves wanted to prepare his colleagues for some tough budget decisions the CIP changes would bring about. “I’m in favor of any penny being spent on capital, but this will impact the general fund,” he said. “We need to be prepared for that.” Councilman C.J. Small, committee chairman, said he supports the changes in order to give the districts as much CIP money as possible over the next five years. “We need to make sure each of the council
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districts get every bit of the penny they need,” Small said. In other business, the council held over until Tuesday, July 31, a vote to support the University of South Alabama in building a new on-campus stadium. Councilman Levon Manzie announced he would be holding a community meeting on Monday, July 23, to discuss the future of Ladd-Peebles Stadium. The community meeting will be held at 6 p.m. at Williamson High School. Since starting a football program a decade ago, USA has used the city-owned stadium as a home field. The stadium has also for decades hosted the Senior Bowl and more recently the Dollar General Bowl and the Gulf Coast Challenge. With the proposed agreement, the city would contribute $10 million to the new stadium project over 20 years. In return, USA would give the city $2.5 million to rebuild Ladd into a 5,000-seat stadium for high school football. USA would also agree, in principal, to host those college football events. Councilwoman Gina Gregory said she would be notifying residents of the Hillsdale Heights subdivision of a planned meeting before the end of the month to discuss the stadium deal. The school currently owns a number of lots in the neighborhood near where the new stadium is proposed. USA spokesman Bob Lowry has previously stated the school expects the impact on the neighborhood to be “minimal.” “The university has purchased a significant number of the lots in the neighborhood that are directly adjacent to the university,” Lowry wrote in an email late last month. “Other than the possibility of some parking near the stadium, the rest of the property was purchased for possible future use, but there are no current plans to develop it.” The council also approved plans to design a new rail station for Amtrak using a grant from the Southern Rail Commission. This move is in spite of a recent refusal from Gov. Kay Ivey to offer state funding for a federal grant to restore Gulf Coast passenger rail service. Among financial considerations, Ivey also offered possible interference with port operations as a reason to delay funding. SRC member Wiley Blankenship said as currently planned, a return of passenger service would not impact the port because it would use a home rail. If service was expanded to Atmore, he said, it could have a bigger impact.
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BAYBRIEF | ELECTION 2018
Follow the money PAC CONTRIBUTIONS FLOOD INTO SENATE DISTRICT 32 RACE BY GABRIEL TYNES
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s predicted by political strategist Jon Gray, the Senate District 32 race has gone negative. Candidate Chris Elliott’s campaign manager said this week a radio ad highlighting David Northcutt’s administrative record on the Alabama Board of Dental Examiners was the result of Northcutt’s alleged slander against his own candidate. The ad accuses Northcutt, who operates a dental practice with locations around the state, of dispensing narcotics without a license. A narrator says “he pled guilty and was punished with probation,” also claiming Northcutt was accused of “10 counts of providing false, fraudulent, misleading and deceptive communications.” The ad also claims Northcutt misused patients’ private information, and implores listeners to “get the facts at guiltydoctor.com.” That website redirects browsers to three consent orders Northcutt signed with the state Board of Dental Examiners, including one in 2004 acknowledging he prescribed and administered “controlled substances without a valid or current DEA registration.” In an interview last week, Northcutt called it an administrative oversight, explaining his Drug Enforcement Administration license had simply expired without his knowledge. “I was unaware of it and self-reported when I discovered it,” Northcutt explained. “The actions of the board were the result of my self-reporting.” The documents also show Northcutt denied accusations of excluding certain legal disclaimers from advertising, but he was found guilty of three related counts: The language “results may vary in individual cases” was excluded from
two pieces of advertising he was distributing. Another ad was cited for using the term “state of the art,” which was not permitted by board rules. Northcutt characterized the order as “censoring,” noting it ended up costing him around $10,000 in “administrative fines,” but he also claimed the charges were the work of a hostile attorney on the dental board. “I found out at the time the board had no executive director and the attorney was collecting these fines for personal profit, so I ran and got on the board after that and we were successful in getting rid of that attorney, who was on the board for over 35 years,” he said. Northcutt served as one of six dentists on the dental board for a single five-year term, including two years as president. A call to the board attorney who signed those orders, James Ward, was not returned by press time. Meanwhile, in his own campaign radio spot, Northcutt accuses Elliott of cozying up to pro-common core interests and tax hike enthusiasts, and again calls into question the Baldwin County commissioner’s actions after he was arrested for driving under the influence in 2016. “Chris Elliott is in the pocket of Montgomery’s special interests,” the ad states. “He has received over $350,000 from liberal special interests who support common core, weakening gun rights and especially raising the gas tax because Elliott has agreed to raise your taxes.” Indeed, Elliott has reported $257,775 in cash contributions since the primary June 5, bringing his total since first reporting a year earlier to $428,850. Supported early in his campaign by individuals and corporations, the recent infusion has largely been bankrolled by political action
committees. Northcutt said he was on track to reach a $150,000 campaign contribution goal before the runoff July 17. The Business Council of Alabama’s Progress PAC has injected $50,000 into the Elliott campaign. Other major donors come from organizations representing retail, real estate and construction interests, utility companies, a nursing home association and teachers’ unions. The emerging Coastal 150 PAC in South Alabama announced its own endorsement of Elliott Tuesday, garnering the candidate a $10,000 contribution. Director Wiley Blankenship called the Coastal 150 “kind of like a mini version of the BCA for the coast,” explaining it comprises about 100 business members in Mobile, Baldwin, Escambia and Clarke counties representing a diverse group of family businesses and large industries. Members are listed online at coastal150.com. Blankenship said both candidates were given a questionnaire and each participated in a forum for Coastal 150 members to evaluate and come to a consensus on who would earn the endorsement. “It wasn’t hard to come to a decision,” Blankenship said of endorsing Elliott. “I will say there was no debate. Chris is a hard worker … I have witnessed his ability, he understands the process, has been successful at securing state and federal dollars, we admire his dedication to the I-10 bridge project and Foley Beach Express Extension. Chris is a realist. He knows it’s going to take hard work, but he is also going to build relationships in Montgomery to benefit coastal Alabama, whether it’s infrastructure or anything else.” Blankenship also noted Coastal PAC is endorsing Willie Gray in the District 102 runoff, Twinkle Cavanaugh for lieutenant governor and Steve Marshall for attorney general. A relatively new organization, Blankenship said the group also intends to score elected officials’ performance going forward to account for their cooperation to work on local issues while in office. Regarding Elliott’s DUI conviction, Northcutt’s ad states despite Elliott’s public statements that he was going to “own” his punishment, “he had his attorney in court say he was too important to lose his driver’s license because he was a politician.” Gray said Elliott hired an attorney, as any DUI defendant has a right to, to adjudicate the charge as leniently as possible under Alabama law. Furthermore, Gray conducted a telephone poll last month and determined only 20 percent of voters were concerned about Elliott’s DUI conviction. “It’s a non-issue,” Gray said. Twenty-four percent of registered Baldwin County voters cast ballots in the primary last month. Secretary of State John Merrill said last week he expects about 17 percent statewide to show up for the runoff.
BAYBRIEF | ELECTION 2018
Runoff for the robe TWO MOBILE COUNTY JUDICIAL CANDIDATES VYING FOR GOP NOMINATION BY JASON JOHNSON
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ne of the few local races that needs the July 17 primary runoff to determine a victor is the ongoing contest for the GOP nominee for a seat on the Mobile County Circuit Court. For a judicial race, the June 5 primary ballot was relatively crowded. Four Republican attorneys sought the nomination, but when all ballots were cast Brandy Hambright had secured the top spot with 11,977 votes, and Harry Satterwhite clinched second place with 9,235 votes. With respectively 8,071 and 3,872 votes, neither Buzz Jordan nor Barney March made it into the runoff, though both have since endorsed Hambright over Satterwhite. The winner of the race will face Democratic candidate and Municipal Judge Karlos Finley in the Nov. 6 general election.
Brandy Hambright
Hambright has been a partner at the Hicks, Matranga & Hambright firm since 2006 and has nearly 20 years of courtroom experience. She’s spent the majority her career and most of the last three decades in Mobile. Hambright has focused much of her practice on criminal defense law and served as a public defender in her native Mississippi and more recently in Bayou La Batre. However, she’s also represented both plaintiffs and defendants in civil cases as well. “At some point you decide whether you want to move forward and take your experience to a higher level and use it to impact more lives across the community,” Hambright said when asked why she is seeking a place on the circuit court. “When people come before the court, whether it’s for a civil or criminal matter, it’s a very important time in their lives. It could mean the loss of liberty or the loss of
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millions of dollars, but whatever it is, it’s very impactful to them.” While her opponent has criticized her criminal defense background, Hambright says that’s one of the things that makes her the more qualified candidate. She’s seen trials “from all four corners of the courtroom,” and told Lagniappe the “the lion’s share” of circuit court cases are criminal. “My experience in criminal court was ensuring that the justice system works for everybody, and that’s critical,” Hambright said. “When people’s lives and liberty can be impacted, there needs to be a competent, qualified prosecutor, defense attorney and judge to make sure the jury gets all the information they need to make the right decision. It’s about the Constitution.” Hambright said one area where her criminal court experience gives her an edge is judicial bonds, which have been a hot topic in the media and a focal point in local judicial races. She said bonds typically come up in circuit court when a defendant’s circumstances have changed after their initial appeared at the district court level. Hambright said if she is elected she will always “err on the side of community safety” when considering the issuance of a new bond or the revocation of an existing one. She added that “everybody has a moral compass, and it is pretty apparent when someone’s is broken.” “Bond is a matter of right in most cases, but judges have the discretion to appropriately deal with offenders who do not appreciate their right to that bond,” she said. “Those are the people the community is tired of seeing on the streets over and over again. If you’re a violent offender or you’ve used a gun to commit a crime or to threaten people, you will do it again.”
Harry Satterwhite
A Mobile native, Satterwhite has spent 23 years practicing civil law with some larger firms in Mobile and more recently with his firm, Satterwhite and Associates. Throughout his career, Satterwhite has served on the Alabama State Bar’s board of commissioners and the Mobile Bar Association’s executive committee. In civil practice, Satterwhite says he’s taken more than 30 cases to trial, which, during a time when most matters end in mediation or a settlement, is a big number. He told Lagniappe he wouldn’t feel like “a complete lawyer” unless he had the ability to argue his case before a judge or jury. While Satterwhite has never handled a criminal case before, he’s pretty upfront about that fact and says it was the result of a conscious decision to avoid the criminal side of legal practice. “I just never wanted to be a criminal defense lawyer,” Satterwhite said. “I know folks are innocent until proven guilty. I also know that we need good criminal defense lawyers, but I did not desire to be one. I just did not desire to be around criminals on a daily basis.” Hambright has been critical of that lack of criminal law experience, but Satterwhite noted that the majority of the current judges on Mobile County’s circuit and district bench come from predominantly civil backgrounds, and those with criminal experience were mostly prosecutors. Those judges, Satterwhite says, will be able to help guide whoever wins the race through any learning curves they might encounter, though he said he’s already devoted some of his spare time to familiarizing himself with criminal law and Alabama’s Rules of Criminal Procedure. “A good lawyer is not someone who arrogantly tells you they know the law,” he added. “A good lawyer is someone with an energetic and curious mind who can learn fast. That’s the way I try to be, and I learn new things in the practice of law all the time.” Both candidates spoke about some of the funding and staffing constraints they could face if they take the bench next year. Satterwhite said it’s been a concern of his for some time, adding that he’s already seeing clients complain about the time it takes to resolve some matters in court. With more cutbacks expected in the coming fiscal year, Satterwhite said there’s no doubt an incoming judge will face challenges and manage a large caseload, but said “you have to roll up your sleeves and do the job” either way. “There’s plenty of folks out there in the blue-collar world who have a challenging job, and they don’t complain,” he added. “So, you’re not going to hear me complaining because I have too many cases to handle as a judge.”
BAYBRIEF | ELECTION 2018
Battleground CANDIDATES FOR DISTRICT 102 TALK ENDORSEMENTS BY DALE LIESCH
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he race for House District 102 is heating up, with less than a week remaining before the GOP runoff. Satsuma Police Chief Shane Stringer and Citronelle newspaper publisher Willie Gray have both received endorsements ahead of Tuesday’s election, which will decide who wins the seat. Gray received an endorsement from the National Rifle Association, state NRA director Art Thomm said. Thomm said Stringer has made public comments critical of constitutional carry in the past and the pro-Second Amendment group couldn’t support him. Stringer apparently made the comments to a local newspaper roughly five years ago in support of permitting, as president of a national police chiefs association. He said he supports open carry and the Second Amendment. Gray and his team are hoping the pro-gun endorsement helps his campaign, as he finished second in the three-person race in the primary election June 5. Stringer received the most votes, with 3,106, or nearly 49 percent. Gray received 2,810, or 44 percent. Belinda Shoub got 453 votes, or 7 percent. State Sen.-elect Jack Williams has endorsed Gray in the race. Williams will replace Rusty Glover in District 34, after the latter’s failed attempt at lieutenant governor. Williams won the GOP primary over Mark Shirey, with 64 percent of the vote. Shoub has since endorsed Stringer because of a number of factors. For one, Shoub said she was uncomfortable that it seemed Gray and Williams were running together. She also has reservations about Gray being publisher of a newspaper and running for public office. “Shane has some really good thoughts about what he could do,” Shoub said. “He’ll give it his all.” Shoub also questioned the NRA’s endorsement of Gray, saying she believed Stringer was pro-Second Amendment because of his work as a police chief. Despite her support for Stringer, Shoub said she’s willing to help out whomever gets in office. Stringer also received an endorsement from Mobile County Sheriff Sam Cochran, according to a post on Stringer’s campaign Facebook page. In the post, Stringer wrote that he “couldn’t be more proud” to have the endorsement. “It’s an honor to have the trust of a man who
has been my mentor for so long,” he wrote. “He and I agree that Montgomery could use a little law and order.” In a text message, Stringer said the endorsement means he has the support of law enforcement. In a phone interview, Cochran said he had planned to stay out of the race because he considers Gray and Stringer friends. He changed his mind when he saw Stringer being unfairly attacked as an anti-Second Amendment candidate. “He’s never been against the Second Amendment,” Cochran said of Stringer. “He hunts and is an outdoorsman.” Where Cochran and Stringer agree, the sheriff said, is in the importance of permitting and background checks from a safety standpoint. “Permits are not a violation of the Second Amendment,” Cochran said. “I strongly believe in permitting.” With no Democratic opposition, Cochran will be re-elected as sheriff. He received more than 82 percent of the vote against GOP primary challenger Charlie Wyckoff. As for the runoff, Stringer said he’s received a lot of support and “positive feedback.” “The support has stepped up,” he said. “We’re continuing to go door to door and continuing the ground game.” Jon Gray, a political strategist for Willie Gray, confirmed that Williams supports his candidate in the runoff. He added the campaign is not concerned about Shoub’s endorsement of Stringer, citing her election performance. “I think endorsements are important if you get 25 to 30 percent of the vote,” Jon Gray, who is no relation to the candidate, said. “It’s not effective because it’s not 25 to 30 percent.” As for Willie Gray’s campaign, Jon Gray said it has momentum and has also received positive feedback. After getting beat in June by nearly 5 percent of the vote, Jon Gray said the campaign has “redoubled” its efforts. “We think we are in a position to win,” he said. In the weeks since the June election, both candidates have done well in fundraising. In two weekly reports to Alabama Secretary of State John Merrill’s office since the election, Stringer has raised S11,500 and $3,650 in contributions, respectively. Gray, on the other hand, has seen his war chest increase by $20,500 and $11,300, respectively, over two reports.
July 17 runoff features statewide and local races By Lagniappe Staff The primary runoff election is Tuesday, July 17. In both Mobile and Baldwin counties, only Republican candidates are on the ballot. Statewide runoffs include: for lieutenant governor, between Twinkle Cavanaugh and Will Ainsworth; for attorney general, between Troy King and Steve Marshall; for associate justice of the supreme court, between Brad Mendheim and Sarah Stewart; court of civil appeals, between Christy Edwards and Michelle Thomason; court of criminal appeals, between Rich Anderson and Chris McCool; and for commissioner of agriculture and industries, between Gerald Dial and Rick Pate.
In Mobile County, local races will be decided between: Willie Gray and Shane Stringer in House District 102; Brandy Hambright and Harry Satterwhite (see story on previous page) for Place 6 on the Mobile County Circuit Court; and Spiro Cheriogotis and George Zoghby for Place 4 on the Mobile County District Court. In Baldwin County, local races include: Senate District 32, between Chris Elliott and David Northcutt; Baldwin County probate judge, between Harry D’Olive Jr. and Alan Lipscomb; and District 3 on the Baldwin County Commission, between incumbent Tucker Dorsey and challenger Billie Jo Underwood. All candidates for local office have been profiled on lagniappemobile.com.
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BAYBRIEF | DAPHNE
Old Towne, new issues
DAPHNE RESIDENTS SEEK TO LIMIT DOWNTOWN DEVELOPMENT BY JOHN MULLEN
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esidents of Old Towne Daphne have two views of what they see as an encroachment on their quiet little haven by Dyas Development and Real Estate. “One is he’s coming closer and let’s see if we can work it out in a way that binds him legally,” resident Sandy Robinson said. “And one view is if we don’t trust him, why are we continuing to talk to him, why is he continuing to jerk everybody around for the last eight months because he knew this was our problem? If he was willing to do this why didn’t he submit it back in November, back when the issue was first raised?” The development in question by Craig Dyas involves two components, one a mixed-use project connecting to U.S. Route 98 near the Popeye’s Chicken with retail and 38 townhomes. It’s the second part of the plan the Old Towne residents are concerned about. Dyas wants to extend Daphne Court East into an empty parcel he wants rezoned so he can put in eight townhomes. He withdrew it from consideration after discussion at the June 27 planning commission meeting to address residents’ concerns. He has until July 11 to resubmit a plan for the development, which could come up again in the July 26 planning commission meeting. When the idea was first broached in November, Dyas proposed extending Daphne Court all the way east to U.S. Route 98, making a thoroughfare for both parts of the developments. Residents turned out in force to oppose the plan when it came before the City Council in March. The planning commission recommended
denial of the rezoning and the council was prepared to vote it down. Councilman Ron Scott told Dyas if that happened he would have to wait a year to resubmit another plan or he could withdraw the plan from reconsideration and resubmit right away. Dyas has since changed the plan several times and now is proposing a rezoning of the parcel near Daphne Court to put in eight homes on what would be an extension of the street. It would end there and not become a thoroughfare to U.S. Route 98. “The underlying problem is we don’t trust him,” Robinson said, adding she and other residents would rather the parcel directly east of Daphne Court use U.S. Route 98 to access the new homes. Dyas’ latest planned unit development rezoning request calls for a permanent landscape wall at the end of the street extension, cutting it off from the mixed-use development on U.S. Route 98. “The original showed a connection from Highway 98 to Main Street with a gate,” Daphne Planning Director Adrienne Jones said. “The current document shows an expansion of Daphne Court eastward to provide access for the singlefamily detached townhouses.” According to Robinson, Fire Chief James White said if more than two homes are built on the lot Daphne Court would have to be widened to 20 feet on the old section to accommodate emergency vehicles. Messages sent to Dyas via voicemail and social media were unanswered.
BAYBRIEF | BALDWIN COUNTY
Record numbers
TOLL BRIDGE ON PACE FOR BUSIEST YEAR EVER
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BY JOHN MULLEN
raffic counts across the Foley Beach Express are growing yearly, with 2018 on pace to set record highs for both vehicles and revenue at the bridge in Orange Beach. Through five months of the year, 1.7 million vehicles have paid the toll over the Intracoastal Waterway and the city has pocketed more than $500,000. “The city loaned the bridge company $12 million years ago in exchange for this per-car payment,” City Administrator Ken Grimes said. From 2004 until 2013 the city loaned $1.2 million annually to the bridge company. In return it received a per-vehicle fee which is adjusted according to traffic volume. The only year the city made its money back was 2006 when it collected just over the $1.2 million from tolls. The city averaged about $600,000 per year in losses. After the last of 10 loans in 2013, Orange Beach began in 2014 collecting a 30-cent per vehicle toll which will last through the year 2034. Orange Beach has collected just over $10.5 million through May of this year. Averaging out the numbers based on the first five months of 2018 would project to a new high of $1.23 million and traffic would be projected to top four million vehicles for the first time ever. “The bridge isn’t required to expand until it reaches a volume of six million vehicles a year, so we have a ways to go to reach that,” Grimes said. Through the first five months of 2017 the vehicle count was 1.3 million and the city had
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collected about $450,000. Traffic concerns and continued expansion of subdivisions and condo developments in both Gulf Shores and Orange Beach are at the center of a debate over the state building a competing bridge a mile and a half west of the Foley Beach Express. The Baldwin County Bridge Co., a subsidiary of American Roads, is involved in that project as a strip of right-of-way it owns has been condemned by the state for use in the new project. The company is contesting the less than $10,000 offer the state made to cross the two-foot-wide strip along the Foley Beach Express owned by the company. The bridge company previously challenged the entire road and bridge project from County Road 8 to a proposed bridge over the Intracoastal Waterway near the Gulf Shores airport. During that procedure, Alabama Department of Transportation Director John Cooper testified the state had not conducted any traffic studies or held public forums about the project before beginning condemnation proceedings on land along the route. “In our view, the admissions ALDOT personnel made in the probate proceeding show that the taking is unjustified and contrary to the public interest,” American Roads CEO Neal Belitsky said. “American Roads/BCBC, therefore, will continue to defend itself against the government’s attempt to take its property without adhering to fundamental constitutional due process protections, including pursuing a new trial in Alabama circuit court after full discovery of everyone involved.”
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COMMENTARY | DAMN THE TORPEDOES
The plot thickens as runoffs approach ROB HOLBERT/MANAGING EDITOR/RHOLBERT@LAGNIAPPEMOBILE.COM
Judges’ races
While I’ve long thought it’s ridiculous incumbent judges in Mobile County almost never face re-election challenges, the nastiness in the two judges’ races still undecided might make me rethink my position, lest someone get stabbed. It’s not so much that the advertisements are particularly salty, but the backroom “dark campaign” has been more devious than usual. There have been lots of unverifiable allegations slung by political mud peddlers, followed by lots of whining when those flimsy stories didn’t turn into news stories. If people are this fired up to be judges, it makes me wonder even more why the incumbents constantly skate back in without so much as a token challenge. Must be a great job.
BaCo senate
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House 102
This continues to be the David v. Goliath of local races, with Citronelle Police Chief Shane Stringer trying to stick a fork in Citronelle Call News publisher Willie Gray. Stringer was just shy of winning the Republican nomination outright in the primary, and third-place finisher Belinda Shoub has thrown her support to Stringer, making the math tough for Willie. The outcome in the primary was a big shocker due to Gray’s far larger campaign war chest and shameless use of his newspaper to promote himself for public office. Given those two advantages, Gray’s second place finish was nothing short of embarrassing. Perhaps polling in the district has shown that voters are turned off by a newspaper publisher trying to cross the line into public office, because Gray has dropped all reference to his ownership of the paper in advertisements and even in editorial coverage in the Call News. Stringer has run a tight campaign, heavy on shoe leather and meeting people, and recently picked up Sheriff Sam Cochran’s endorsement. Unless there’s a large shift in voter sympathies over the next week, it seems likely Goliath will wake up with a large lump on his head July 18.
The stadium conundrum
The concept of the city and county dumping 20 million taxpayer dollars into the construction of the University of South Alabama’s new football stadium appears to be a tougher and tougher sell. That’s not necessarily because members of the City Council and County Commis-
sion don’t want to help the university, but an undercurrent of nostalgia for the 70-year-old Ladd-Peebles stadium may make take away the carrot that would make the deal palatable to taxpayers. Mayor Sandy Stimpson has pitched donating $500,000 a year to USA over the next 20 years as a way to get out of millions in deferred maintenance costs at Ladd and to avoid tens of millions in future repairs. And it would also get the city out of the big stadium business. But … and there’s always a but … Ladd board members and some councilors and commissioners are expressing concerns that leveling the old stadium and replacing it with a smaller, low-maintenance 5,000-seat stadium would destroy a lot of traditions and rob a minority midtown neighborhood of some of its identity. But … and there’s another but … if getting rid of Ladd isn’t part of the deal, then the tax savings vanish and it simply becomes a matter of donating money to the university. That seems unlikely to be popular with the rank-and-file Mobilian. Further complicating matters is the fact the USA Foundation is refusing to kick in any of its nearly $400 million, which also isn’t winning hearts and minds across the Azalea City. USA has said it needs public money to build its stadium, and that’s likely to carry a lot of weight with city/county officials. Promising millions to USA and keeping Ladd doesn’t make a lot of sense, though. While I get how the loss of big events like the Senior Bowl and other bowl games will affect the community surrounding Ladd, the stadium isn’t getting any younger and eventually it’s going to cost more than it’s worth — if it doesn’t already. The ideal situation would be for the USA Foundation to step up and let the taxpayers off the hook.
THEGADFLY
One race where the mudslinging is firmly out in the open is in Baldwin County’s State Senate District 32, where Baldwin Commissioner Chris Elliott is in a runoff with dentist David Northcutt. Elliott has run ads accusing Northcutt of dispensing narcotics without a license and getting into trouble for fraudulent advertising. Pretty rough stuff. Northcutt has fired back, accusing Elliott of supporting tax increases and lying about trying to weasel out of his punishment in a 2016 DUI arrest. Northcutt says he simply had his license expire and didn’t realize it when he wrote narcotics prescriptions, and that it was a simple oversight. He also says the “fraudulent advertising” consisted of replacing the words “results may vary” with “state of the art” in an ad. I will admit the dispensing narcotics issue is a bit troubling, although the fines involved weren’t particularly heavy. On the flip side, Elliott has continued trying to brush off allegations he used his position to get out of his DUI punishment. His political handler Jon Gray told Lagniappe a few weeks ago, “If he wanted to get out of it, no one would know about it. We did all our polling months ago. I’m very comfortable with it. Chris has atoned for it.” The wisdom of publicly suggesting that Elliott knows secret and untraceable ways of getting out of DUIs could be debated I suppose, but it’s hardly arguable that he didn’t use his position to get a lesser punishment. As for atonement, the problem has never been the DUI as much as the dishonest way Elliott handled it. After Elliott declared he would suffer the “consequences” of running a red light and refusing a Breathalyzer, effectively getting the media off his back, his attorney quietly filed suit to keep Chris from losing his license for 90 days. He wrote that Elliott would suffer “irreparable harm and damage by the suspension of his driving privileges. He will be unable to work and serve in his elected capacity as a Baldwin County commissioner.” In other words, “I’m an elected official and my job is important.” Here are the cold, hard facts: Elliott was handed a 45day suspension when the law for Breathalyzer refusal is 90 days, and no one has ever explained why. ALEA also started the clock running on his suspension at the same time his attorney filed an emergency stay, which meant Elliott was still driving even as ALEA was ticking off the days of his suspension. By the time the legal dust settled, Elliott only had to surrender his license for 29 days — a third of what everyone else would get.
Elliott continues to be dogged by his efforts to get special treatment, and that makes him a pretty sketchy choice, in my book.
Cartoon/Laura Mattei
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was lucky enough to get out of town last week to enjoy the boiling heat of the Florida Keys and take a week away from the swirl of political runoffs and football stadium discussions. But all good things come to an end and I’m back into the frying pan. And man, it is hot! As the July 17 primary runoffs bear down on us, the races have gotten nastier and nastier. Meanwhile, the issue of the city and county helping fund a new University of South Alabama football stadium is also front and center. I’m going to have to chew a few of these up into smaller bites.
JUDICIAL MUD RIDIN’ IS DIRTY BUSINESS
COMMENTARY | THE HIDDEN AGENDA
All’s fair in love, war and politics? ASHLEY TRICE/EDITOR/ASHLEYTOLAND@LAGNIAPPEMOBILE.COM
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ext Tuesday, voters will go to the polls to cast their final votes in the Republican primary runoff. Voters would also be going to vote in Democratic primary runoffs, but this is Alabama, so those are few and far between and there isn’t one in Mobile County. Though most folks are busy counting down the days to their vacations, ushering kids to various summer camps or trying to invent bold new ways to stay cool or prevent excessive perspiration (might I suggest Degree MotionSense Spray), there has been quite a bit of mudslinging and nastiness, even in races in which you would not really expect to see such behavior. There have been overt, outright attacks and some pretty intense whisper campaigns, most containing highly salacious allegations that are difficult to prove, so therefore they remain just that, whispered allegations. But I guess this ugliness shouldn’t be all that surprising. As they say, all is fair in love, war and politics. I am not really sure if “fair” is the appropriate word. Maybe “predictable” and “disappointing” are more apt. And it’s understandable. It’s hard to put yourself out there, open yourself and your family up to personal attacks, and spend months and months going to every chili cookoff, Rotary Club meeting and quilting bee from one end of the state, county or district you are hoping to represent to the other. Emotions naturally run high. I would rather have a root canal, sans anesthetic. But it’s always interesting to examine the strategies employed in these campaigns. Some are downright comical, while others are pretty disheartening.
Trumpiest, Jesus-iest, gunniest?
I think the silliest part of all of this is the contest to prove who loves President Trump the most. I get why they feel they have to do this. It clearly plays well with the Alabama Walmartian voter, even though loyalty to Trump really has absolutely zero to do with the issues affecting the state of Alabama. But political consultants have obviously determined Trump purity tests play well with the base, so by God and Trump, we’re getting them. And nowhere is the “Trumpiest” contest being played out more than in the race for Lieutenant Governor between Will Ainsworth and Twinkle Cavanaugh. Twinkle has shown us her dirty tennis shoes she wore campaigning door-to-door for Trump, and told us Ainsworth called Trump a “con artist” at some point. Ainsworth put special emphasis on “Pro Trump” in his celestial-themed ads attacking Twinkle, who clearly will get the votes of people who are only voting for her because her names sounds cool. Don’t underestimate the power of a cool name, just ask Young Boozer (best political name ever!). Again, I get why they are doing it, but it’s disappointing we don’t get to hear more about what they would do if they should have to take over as governor for some reason. Remember,
that actually happened, oh, just 15 months ago. Second and third only to who is Trumpiest is who is the biggest Christian and/or Pro-Lifer and biggest lover of guns. I get why these issues would factor into your decision regarding national races, but it’s really sort of ridiculous for state and local races. And just about every single person running on the Republican ticket is peddling this same message — even in positions where they have no power to do anything about these issues. I’m sure if the dogcatcher was running we would hear how pro-life he was, except in the case of pregnant cats and dogs, of course — just euthanize those suckers! Has anyone ever thought for a second the Alabama Legislature or any other governing body in this state was going to take their guns away or suddenly make abortions legal on every street corner? Come on. I am way more concerned with our education system, funding Medicaid (without robbing things like our BP money) and our court systems and ethics reform. But sure, just tell me how gun totin’, God fearin’, abortion hatin’ and Trump lovin’ you are. Because that tells us so much about how you are going to address the very real problems our “sweet home” faces. Judge not, lest ye be judged The race for circuit judge between Harry Satterwhite and Brandy Hambright has been particularly heated. Lagniappe does not endorse candidates as a paper. Our writers each have their own opinions on various races. And in this contest, I feel like Hambright is the clear choice next Tuesday. I don’t know Mr. Satterwhite, but some of the gutter tactics employed by his operatives have been particularly dirty and off-putting, especially to women. So off-putting, in fact, I felt compelled to speak up. The campaign will say they had nothing to do with these attacks, but I’m pretty I sure I didn’t fall off a turnip truck yesterday, so spare me the denials. At the very least, they didn’t ask the “supporters” who are slinging this extra slimy brand of mud to knock it off. I am no super feminist, I vote for the candidate I feel is most qualified no matter what they happen to have between their legs. But I feel she has been mocked for being a wife and a mother, with a social media page referring to her as the “wife, mother candidate,” among other things, and has been subjected to criticism no male attorney/candidate would have ever endured, including saying don’t let her “twang or sugar sweet demeanor fool you.” Would they have ever described a male opponent like that? Absolutely not. It’s so sexist and demeaning. And even after facing these and other highly personal attacks, she has run a completely honorable campaign, which speaks volumes to me. Again, all is fair in love, war and politics, but “all” of this nastiness should tell you “all” that you need to know when casting your vote next week.
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COMMENTARY | THE BELTWAY BEAT
Alabama’s new ‘Big Mules’ BY JEFF POOR/COLUMNIST/JEFFREYPOOR@GMAIL.COM
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t all started in 1993. The Folsom administration, in conjunction with Alabama Power, worked behind the scenes to score a commitment from Mercedes-Benz to build its North American manufacturing facility in Vance, just outside Tuscaloosa. So would begin a trend that continues to this day throughout the southeastern United States. Twenty-five years after the Mercedes-Benz announcement, Toyota and Mazda followed Mercedes’ lead and announced they, too, would be building a manufacturing facility in the Yellowhammer State. These auto manufacturers didn’t come to Alabama out of the goodness of their hearts. Civic leaders had to lure them here with enticements known as “economic incentives.” With those incentives, which have come in the form of tax abatements or infrastructure improvements, elected officials have made it clear they value the economic investments these automakers are willing to make in the state. And why not? A rising tide lifts all boats. These companies hire people who contribute to the local economy and pay taxes, and that makes the state better as a whole. But is there a point at which these auto manufacturers might use their clout beyond gaining assurances they have what they need to operate locally? Could they collectively influence Alabama’s government to act in ways not necessarily in the people’s best interest, but rather to better their own bottom lines? By now you’ve probably heard the term “Big Mule” tossed around, usually in reference to state politics. The ongoing demise of the Business Council of Alabama was thought to be a breakup of a Big Mule coalition that included such Alabama household names as Alabama Power, Regions Bank and Blue Cross Blue Shield of Alabama. The term comes from the previous century and refers to the economic elites in the state, mostly out of Birmingham, that included steel manufacturers, coal mining companies, railroads and other big businesses. These so-called Big Mules collaborated with the big agricultural interests — the planters — mostly out of the state’s Black Belt region, and ruled the state government in Montgomery. Throughout this era of Alabama politics, these Big Mules have also been a target of enterprising populist politicians. Former Alabama Gov. “Big” Jim Folsom successfully ran as an opponent of these interests. As it goes, you live by this sword. You can die by this sword as well. Fast-forward to 2018. For whatever reason, Alabama’s politicians and the consulting class that advises them see touting an unwavering allegiance to President Donald Trump as the best path to electoral success in GOP primaries. In one TV spot, Alabama lieutenant gubernatorial hopeful Twinkle Cavanaugh ends her commercial with a side-by-side image of her and Trump; if you didn’t know better, you might think they were siblings and even went to the same hair stylist. Her opponent, Lt. Gov. Will Ainsworth, isn’t that much better, touting his Trump credentials throughout this Republican primary election season. Yet, he was Alabama’s co-chairman for Sen. Marco Rubio’s 2016 presidential campaign. That takes us straight to the top of the ticket
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and Gov. Kay Ivey. She wasn’t shy about running alongside Trump when she had three other competitors vying for the Republican Party nod. “Alabamians very much favor President Donald Trump,” Ivey said in one ad released back in March. “I very much support his agenda, and I just wish we could get Congress to go along with it.” She seemed willing to go all-in for Trump’s agenda, right up until she walked away with the nomination by avoiding a runoff with a commanding win in last month’s GOP primary. Now she has second thoughts about at least some elements of the Trump agenda. “Import tariffs, and any retaliatory tariffs on American made goods, will harm Alabama, the companies that have invested billions of dollars in our state, and the thousands of households which are dependent upon those companies for a good-paying job,” Ivey said in a release exactly two weeks after her June 5 primary victory. “I strongly oppose any efforts that may harm those companies that employ thousands of Alabamians and contribute billions to our economy.” The implication was that she wasn’t entirely on board with Trump’s trade policy. She validated this a few days later in a letter to Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross and released to the media: “I respectfully ask that you not recommend to President Trump the levying of trade tariffs on automobiles and automotive parts.” If Donald Trump is indeed the Holy Grail of Alabama politics, it must take a significant force to deviate from the Make America Great Again gospel. In this case, it wasn’t Alabama Power, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Alabama or the beleaguered Drummond Co. It was Hyundai, Mercedes, Honda and perhaps Toyota and Mazda using their sway to get Ivey and about a dozen other special-interest groups to oppose an essential element of Trump’s 2016 presidential campaign, which was to level the playing field the U.S. is on with its international trade partners. It’s certainly valid to be opposed to this hostile trade policy. Alabama does have a lot to lose. But the losses are levied on the status quo, which for the most part are the entrenched interests. The reason the U.S. Chamber of Commerce opposes Trump’s tariffs is not ideological. It’s self-serving. For a moment, take a broader look at trade policy. In an ideal world, which the Earth is far from being, free trade absolutism would be best. The world isn’t perfect, and there are actors, particularly in China and the European Union, willing to make up their own rules that suit their interests. If the market price is lowered because a foreign actor wants to keep so much inventory as to intentionally depress the price and gain a competitive advantage over U.S. farms, what would the appropriate response be? Do we continue to suck it up as a nation and subsidize it with an already bloated federal farm bill? Those are some of the players that support Trump’s agenda. While the arrival of auto manufacturing has been a positive for the state, having an economic policy that benefits just one sector is short-sighted. Yet, we still do it. Case in point: This push by our elected leaders in Montgomery to preserve the status quo in favor of automakers that would be stung by an import tariff on cheap Chinese steel.
COMMENTARY | THE GRIOT’S CORNER
Public transportation and mobility BY KEN ROBINSON/CONTRIBUTING WRITER
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n June 29, 2018, unbeknownst to many, a major national anniversary came and went. Its importance is both good and bad. What was it? It was the 62nd anniversary of the Dwight D. Eisenhower National System of Interstate and Defense Highways. The great World War II Army general had left the European military theater in 1945 greatly impressed by the network of high-speed roads that existed in Germany. Known then as the Reichsautobahnen, it made the movement of people and goods extremely efficient. Why shouldn’t such a system exist in America? Upon becoming president, ensuring that such a road network was built in the United States became a central priority for Eisenhower. A Federal-Aid Highway Act had been passed in 1944, authorizing the construction of a 40,000mile interstate highway system across the nation. However, one crucial component was left out of this act: No money was allocated to make the interstate system a reality. Under Eisenhower, not only was new legislation passed in 1956 to accomplish this goal — most importantly, the federal government put forward the effort to make it happen. Uncle Sam would pay 90 percent of the price tag, allocating around $26 billion, and the states would cover the remaining 10 percent. This 90/10 split would encourage states across the country to get in on the expansive transportation building plan. The rest, as they say, is history. Consisting of over 3 million square miles from coast to coast, the nation’s interstate system would and does play a vital factor in the economic growth of the nation.
Progress, a continual state of betterment or advancement, generally takes vision, which is the ability to think about or plan for the future with wisdom and foresight. Thankfully, after decades of not doing so, Alabama is taking steps to make progress and formulate a vision when it comes to something of pivotal importance to the state: public transportation. For quite some time, Alabama has been one of only five states that provided no money for public transportation. None. In a state with a sizable population of poor citizens, both rural and urban, this has been quite consequential. Whether trying to get to work, a medical or dental appointment, or just shopping for basic necessities, many Alabamians have had to contend with formidable obstacles when it comes to mobility. A 2014 report titled “Connecting Our Citizens for Prosperity: Alabama’s Successes and Needed Improvements in Transportation Infrastructure,” observed: “Transportation infrastructure is widely recognized as an essential determinant of a community’s economic development. … Transportation infrastructure is both the skeleton upon which an economy is built and the bloodstream through which resources flow to serve all parts of the region. … A system designed for single-passenger automobiles isolates many elderly and disabled citizens, as well as other people unable to afford the ever-increasing costs of automobile ownership and maintenance.” By establishing the Alabama Public Transportation Trust Fund this year, state leaders have taken an important first step in laying the foundation to address a crucial
element that affects Alabama’s economic growth along with the lives of many of its citizens. For years, we’ve been leaving millions of dollars on the table by not putting any money into public transportation to take advantage of monies the federal government would give on top of what we invest. For every $5 million Alabama is willing to invest, the federal government is willing to give our state $15 million. For those who say such expenditures of state tax dollars is a waste or imprudent use of fiscal resources, a plethora of studies and research has determined otherwise. For example, according to the American Public Transportation Association, every $1 invested in public transportation generates approximately $4 in economic returns. Additionally, 87 percent of public transportation trips directly benefit the economy by getting people to work and connecting them to local businesses. Some might see investment in public transportation as a type of handout or even a type of welfare, but it’s quite the opposite. Such investment can reap tangible and beneficial gains for entire communities. As Rep. Jack Williams of Jefferson County noted, “Public transportation that is spent wisely and spent well is economic development money; it’s job creation.” By failing to have an adequate public transportation system, Alabama and the counties and municipalities within it are literally missing out on millions in lost economic development, wages and revenue dollars. The term “public transportation” is inclusive of an array of different modes of transportation. It’s not just a city bus system. Trolleybuses, rapid transit, ferries, passenger trains, trams and light rail all are under the umbrella of public transportation. Progress, which requires leaders to have vision, also takes not being stuck in the past. Not being enamored of what was, or content with what is, but understanding what it will take to be successful in the yet-to-be. Alabama and many of its communities have hampered its growth by perpetually limiting the mobility of its citizens. The step Alabama leaders took this year doesn’t allocate any monies as of yet, but it at least establishes a framework for future appropriations. Hopefully this is the beginning of an awakening in which the voices of naysayers and critics of public transportation are drowned out by those who understand public transportation — a diverse, far-reaching and efficient public transportation system — is not a sign of waste, but of progress. Progress that will benefit us all, not just a few.
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BUSINESS | THE REAL DEAL
Container Yard, Bay Gourmet relocating downtown BY RON SIVAK/COLUMNIST/BUSINESS@LAGNIAPPEMOBILE.COM
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ccording to Stacy Wellborn, co-owner and manager of the Container Yard co-working space located on the bottom floor of the Marine Street Lofts, after two years in business plans are in place to expand their footprint — nearly tripling in size — with an announced early 2019 move a few blocks east into Mobile’s Central Business District (CBD), into the former Red Cross building at 853 Dauphin St. The new site, at the corner of Broad and Dauphin streets, is the western gateway into Mobile’s CBD, which has seen a flurry of commercial activity recently. The building itself is 32,000 square feet, of which the Container Yard reportedly will occupy 7,700 square feet. “We have seen a nice increase in members since opening. In fact, about nine months ago we expanded our original space in the Marine Street Lofts. We started with 2,700 square feet but about nine months ago, we added an additional 800 square feet. It was filled very quickly,” Wellborn said. “This project presented itself but we actually looked all around downtown, from St. Louis Street to all over Broad Street. Our goal was to stay east of Ann Street, but primarily in downtown. A top priority for us was to offer our members access to free parking. When the Red Cross building came up, it was ideal,” Wellborn said. It’s estimated that parking capacity at the former Red Cross site will hold upward of 75 cars. Additional inside space will include 15 new, enclosed 9-foot-by-12-foot private offices as well as a larger conference room. For those unfamiliar with co-working, the Container Yard offers access to an office environment outside of working from home, at flexible prices. “Whether it’s the
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traditional private office or somebody who works from home, we offer a place to come during the week or have a place to meet clients,” Wellborn said. She also said she would like to partner with downtown hotels to offer the Container Yard as an alternative for guests who need use of a full-service business center. “We charge $25 an hour to use our conference room, which is very competitive when compared to standard hotel meeting rates,” Wellborn said. In addition to the Container Yard, some 35 percent of space (12,000 square feet) will be occupied by a locally owned catering company, Bay Gourmet, currently situated in Mobile’s loop area at 1880 Airport Blvd. “We mostly do cocktail parties, weddings, rehearsal dinners, a lot of corporate events and nonprofits,” owner Sarah Clark said. The company currently employs around 30, with six working as cooks and the remainder as wait staff. Plans are in place to double in manpower after the move to the new space is completed. “I have always wanted an event space location and a liquor license. They are two things I’ve gone 17 years without having. After talking to my accountant, I started looking in January of this year. Tony Atchison called me after only looking around downtown for a few weeks. I walked in and it was perfect,” Clark said. The main event room is 6,200 square feet with 25-foot ceilings. The new kitchen will cover some 1,500 square feet of space. Plans are in place for the remaining footprint to be set aside to build a new restaurant that will serve “superfood” lunches in the afternoon for business traffic, and gourmet samplers in the evening in a cocktail party-style setting for the evening crowd.
“The way it’s going to work is we’ll have the event space in the middle that we will lease for weddings, wine tastings with food pairings and other events. We also want to do a jazz brunch in there. There’s also going to be double rollup glass garage doors that will face Dauphin Street for LoDa Art Walk. We’d love to have vendors in there with artwork. We want that business corner to improve,” Clark said. In addition to Bay Gourmet as the main tenant, some 2,000 square feet of retail space is still available for retail tenants. On the second floor, some 7,500 square feet of space will be set aside for five 2-bedroom, 2-bath apartment units that may be leased to tenants and/or set aside as Airbnb travel-sharing space.
Commercial real estate moves
• Local franchisee Curtis Herbig recently closed on the acquisition of a 1-acre parcel of land at 3201 S. McKenzie St. in Foley for construction of the first Culver’s eatery in the area. Work on the site has begun, with opening anticipated in early November 2108. Andrew Dickman with Stirling Properties worked with the restaurant chain to secure the site. According to an announcement from Culver’s, other restaurants in Alabama are also in the planning stages, but specific locations and timelines have not been determined. Established in 1984, the Prairie du Sac, Wisconsinbased chain reportedly has more than 660 independently owned and operated restaurants in 25 states, including Alabama. Signature menu items include the “ButterBurger” and frozen custard. • Adam Metcalfe with Metcalfe & Co. recently reported the sale of a 72,000-square-foot industrial warehouse site at 1500 Telegraph Road in Mobile to locally owned Merchant’s Transfer Co., a warehousing and trucking company. Guy Oswalt with JLL worked for the buyer and Metcalfe represented the seller. • Providence Medical Group recently announced the grand opening and ribbon-cutting of their new 15,000-square-foot outpatient medical park called Ascension Medical Group Providence at Providence Park. Ceremonies will be held Monday, July 16, at 10 a.m. The event is free and open to the public. The new facility is located on the Providence Hospital campus at 6908 Providence Park Drive. • Montgomery-based Capital Volvo is relocating in the next 60 days from its current 27,000-square-foot space at 3801 Moffett Road to a 40,000-square-foot building on 7 acres at 1814 Berkley Ave. in Mobile. Adam Metcalf managed the lease transaction. Metcalf also reported the sale of a 5-acre tract of unimproved land on U.S. Route 43 in Saraland to local developers. Plans for development of the property were unknown as of press time.
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CUISINE THE REVIEW
Seafood cravers will love Kravers in WeMo
BY ANDY MACDONALD/CUISINE EDITOR | FATMANSQUEEZE@COMCAST.NET
perk of this job is dining with interesting people from time to time. Not that my regular dining companions aren’t interesting. Mr. Bubble, Priscilla Belle Jenkins, Carlos Danger, Rasp, Snake and Scarecrow are all fun to be around. If you’re not at least interesting there’s no reason to keep you close. This week I had the pleasure of dining with Katie’s interesting brother, Craig Davis, and his wife, Eveleen. Eveleen is Singaporean and well on her way to gaining a Ph.D. Craig is a traffic engineer who has seen more than his share of the world. He studied abroad in South Africa through A manageable menu at Kravers Seafood Mobile, which has much more to offer than a couple of fried platters. Ole Miss, the Peace Corps took him to Ghana and western China, into wedges, the tomatoes were delightfully different and the craw- and sautéed crab claws. Neither was very large but both were he taught English in South Korea, worked a ranch in Montana fish sauce was a little like etouffée. I’m glad we listened. delicious. Though I didn’t hear any complaints from her, I heard raising sled dogs and hiked the Pacific Coast Trail, making it A bowl of the Best Gumbo Ever ($7.25) graciously came with a lot of praise for the fried onion rings as her side. Our waitress through. As you can imagine, he’s seen and eaten a thing or two. four spoons, and although admittedly good, the title may be a bit had talked her into them and also brought us a sample of new So where does one take a couple who has lived, traveled and of a stretch. Those are pretty bold words but I’m sure we all think potatoes, a welcome addition that seemed to be her favorite. dined in so many far-reaching locales? We decided to take them ours is best. This was my first time at either Kravers location, and I’ll say to dine on what Mobile does best: Gulf seafood. Eveleen had trouble making up her mind and settled for the it was definitely enjoyable. We ate like idiots with brother Craig Of course we had to go someplace new, so Katie and I decided Pick Two Combo ($14.99), with a monster serving of fried in tow (he had Old Dutch twice in 24 hours before his travels to try out the latest Kravers Seafood location in West Mobile. shrimp and grilled snapper. This is a “best of both worlds” comtook him elsewhere), but his thin frame seems to handle it. No Heading out Cottage Hill, we passed the newly opened LoDa room for dessert that evening, though. Bier Garten West in the former Hungry Owl and found our target bination I’d consider getting. Crinkle-cut fries were her side. Craig went even less exotic with an oyster po’boy ($7.99). I can say that Kravers has much more to offer than a couple a little farther on the right. Dressed with lettuce and tomato, my well-journeyed friend ofof fried platters. The menu isn’t huge, which I like, and we pretty Kravers first made a name for themselves in their Daphne fered me an oyster or two. They were amazing. Fried to the point much touched on everything except crabcakes and sutchi (I was restaurant on Highway 181 as a destination for fried shrimp and more. Baldwin County is crazy about this place so we were hop- of being crispy yet tender, the oysters may have been my favorite told it’s like swai?) and gave it all a thumbs up. The oysters were thing of the evening. terrific and I loved both forms of shrimp. Our waitress was pering the Mobile location would be as favorable. I was in the mood for something from the grilled side of the fectly attentive and helpful without being in the way. I’ll not be A couple of waters for the ladies, a Blue Moon for Craig and a ordering tuna again, but if you don’t prefer it bloody then you’ll Budweiser (my favorite seafood beer) for me and we were hungry menu and settled on a tuna basket ($14.99). Green beans and love it. for apps. Royal Reds ($13.99 per pound) are hometown favorites slaw on the side were both good. I also enjoyed the white cornmeal hush puppies. The tuna was overcooked, despite my plea to I hate my options are either Daphne or way out in West Mobile, but many overcook them, an easy mistake to make. These guys barely singe it with a Zippo. I prefer mine mooing, but it tasted but those of you who live in those areas are in luck. I say give them nailed it. Served with melted butter, we got exactly what we’d good enough I didn’t complain out loud. a try. My well-traveled, interesting friends seemed to be pleased hoped for. Our waitress was spectacularly helpful and steered us Katie had the most interesting meal, with a combo of scallops with what keeps Mobile interesting. Gulf seafood rules. toward the fried green tomatoes with special sauce ($8.99). Cut
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Photo | Daniel Anderson
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KRAVERS SEAFOOD MOBILE 2368 LEROY STEVENS ROAD MOBILE 36695 251-378-5175
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CUISINE | WORD OF MOUTH
The Hab’s new menu
There’s also peri peri fried chicken and my favorite buttermilk pie, just to name a few from the grub side of the menu, none of which breach the $10 mark. If you’re looking for more gourmet you may want the nori tacos, fried calamari and vegetables or duck confit ravioli. The menu caps out at $13 with rack of lamb, fish curry or a sous vide steak. Vegetarian options are available. Kitchen opens at 4 p.m. Monday through Saturday, 5 p.m. on Sundays. Get yourself a “Champagne of Bars” shirt while you’re there.
BY ANDY MACDONALD/CUISINE EDITOR
National Mac & Cheese Day July 14
It’s like Christmas in July over here. Mac and cheese is a serious undertaking for Katie, Lucas and Graham so we will celebrate Saturday, July 14, accordingly. It won’t be Kraft Dinner or anything from a box. Big Time Diner has a great normal mac and cheese. Of course, LoDa Bier Garten has a burger (and a new location) with mac and cheese, which is a little much for my taste, but Lucas can handle it. Ruth’s Chris does a fine job with their lobster macaroni and cheese. We will more than likely attempt a recreation of that with Gulf shrimp in place of the lobster and maybe some panko crumbs. With a name like ours and generations of MacDonald men being called “Mac,” we have to take this day seriously. I’m hoping someone starts calling me Easy Mac. Photo | Elise Poche / The Haberdasher
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The menu at The Haberdasher tops out at $13 and includes their burger with whiskey sauce.
he Haberdasher is definitely showing serious game with a rocking new menu of highfalutin’ sit-down dinners and elevated pub fare. We’ve always loved their aggressively eclectic menu, but this one has everyone talking. It’s a little on the wild side, with one foot in a Converse and the
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other in a Cole Haan, fun, classic and priced right. Avocado fries supplement their hand-cut potatoes, the famous HAB burger has a whisky sauce, sweet-potato chips would be great with their corn dog (housemade arepa dough over sausage with smoked tomato purée and Creole mustard).
TexarBama reopens in downtown Fairhope
What has been one of the hottest food trucks of the past year is now a restaurant on solid ground. TexarBama BBQ has outgrown the wheels and taken hold of the building at 212½ Fairhope Ave. in the former Gumbo Shack/El Camino location. Of course, as the name implies, they’re doing brisket. It’s really good. The sandwiches are Texas-sized, the Cokes are Mexican and the Frito pies are $10. I love the pickled red onion and Texas caviar on the tacos. Bacon-wrapped jalapeños are stuffed with brisket, Gouda and pickled red onion, chicharrones and housemade chips are served with Cowboy Queso, the loaded potatoes are either russet or sweet and they do have (gasp) salads. How much more do I have to say? Run, don’t walk. Recycle!
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COVER STORY
Perp walks: An anomaly in Alabama, a staple in Mobile
crimes in our community or people who have gone on crime sprees.” While perp walks have been around since the days of famed mobsters such as Alvin Karpis and Henry Campbell, the practice isn’t as common today. None of Alabama’s other major cities — Montgomery, Birmingham or Huntsville — host staged perp walks for the media in their respective markets. It’s also not a practice of most federal law enforcement agencies. Tommy Loftis, a public affairs specialist with the Mobile branch of the FBI, said the local agency doesn’t even release mugshots of suspects unless it furthers a specific investigation, JASON JOHNSON/REPORTER and that follows a “strict procedure.” When asked how the process works in Mobile, Battiste said MPD detectives or s 62-year-old Daniel Huff was escorted to jail and charged with the murder of five adults and an unborn officers usually request a perp walk when a particular suspect is apprehended, but as child in Citronelle in 2016, MCSO called for a perp walk. by Mobile County sheriff’s deputies, he calmly chief it’s ultimately his decision to make. He said it comes down to what will make They did the same when double homicide suspect Stephen the community feel safer. told local media he’d shot his son in the face Lavern Weaver was apprehended the same year. When a heinous crime occurs, Battiste said it’s important to let the community earlier that day during an argument. “An arrest of a murder suspect would be a good perp know a suspect has been apprehended, especially if there’s a concern that additional “I didn’t mean to shoot him,” Huff said when pressed by reporters. “I’ve got double vision. If I look at you, I see walk because communities want to know that law enforce- crimes could follow. ment has taken a murder suspect off their streets,” Myles “It kind of brings some immediate relief to the community — once you know two of you — one there and one there where she’s standing. It was so fast I didn’t … I was at an angle … I messed said. “There are other times where we may do a perp walk that a suspect is in custody, people can sleep a little bit easier,” Battiste added. “It at the request of a media station.” just brings some sense of satisfaction and relief to the community when we do these up.” Though she didn’t name any specifically, Myles said perp walks.” Huff asked one reporter: “If you shot your son, wouldn’t some news stations in the Mobile market will sometimes Based on Lagniappe’s review of MPD press releases over the past two years, with you want to shoot yourself right now?” few exceptions most suspects put through a perp walk have been accused of crimes His son, who told Mobile County Sheriff’s Office depu- call for a perp walk if they’ve aired a story that generated information about an unsolved crime and that story ends up that include murder, attempted murder, kidnapping, armed robbery, assault, burglary, ties his father shot him accidentally, survived the incident providing MCSO with information leading to an arrest. carjacking and kidnapping. and Huff was ultimately charged with domestic violence. “It kind of gives the station a kudos,” she added. However, the definition of what constitutes a perp walk-worthy offense does seem There’s no way to know whether prosecutors would have Since 2016, there have been around 110 of these perp to have shifted a bit. Over the past two years they have increased as more suspects used Huff’s statements to the press against him — he died walks in Mobile, which comes out to a little more than accused of less-severe crimes, like nonfatal shootings or discharging a firearm at an before his case was resolved. More than 17,000 people were arrested in Mobile Coun- 3.6 every month, but the frequency waxes and wanes over event where no one was injured. time. Some months there weren’t any at all, but in others Of the 27 perp walks called in 2018, only nine of the suspects have been charged ty in 2016, and Huff was one of fewer than 40 who local there were multiple perp walks in a single day. with murder. police forced to face the media through a “perp walk.” What hasn’t changed is that the lion’s share of local Two of the nonviolent criminals to go through a perp walk in recent years were A perp walk is a staged event set up by law enforcement perp walks are organized by the Mobile Police Department. Jalicia Crawley and Tiffany Pettaway, who were 27 and 35 years old, respectively, at where a suspected “perpetrator” is “walked” in front of a In 2016, MPD set up roughly 34 of these events for various the time. The women were charged with possession of a forged instrument in 2016 for crowd of reporters before being transported to jail. They alleged criminals, which increased last year to 45. passing counterfeit $100 bills. typically occur after a suspect is apprehended and quesIf current trends continue, 2018 could be a banner year Crawley and Pettaway were taken through the media in a perp walk on Jan. 7, tioned by police, but before they’ve been transferred to jail for the perp walk in Mobile. Halfway through the calen2016 — both still in nursing scrubs from work. Neither answered questions about for booking or had a hearing in front of a judge. their alleged crime. When an email announcing a perp walk hits a reporter’s dar year there have been 27 perp walks as of last week — most of them in the past three months as the city has What made their perp walk newsworthy happened the following day, when police inbox, he or she has about 30 minutes to get into position wrestled with a perception that crime is on the rise. say Crawley jumped from the Africatown Bridge. She did not survive, and though at police headquarters and get their equipment ready. But During his “state of the city” address in early May, there were reports of a woman jumping off the bridge that day, Crawley’s body wasn’t because media coverage is the point of a perp walk, police found until March 23. Mayor Sandy Stimpson mentioned crime as one of the will often wait for straggling reporters. A member of Crawley’s family and Pettaway declined to comment for this report. challenges that still faces Mobile. That same month, the In today’s media market, almost every perp walk in When asked, MPD did not provide an explanation of why their case merited a perp Mobile County (and a few in Baldwin County) is streamed number of perp walks jumped from just eight over five walk, though their alleged crime had been previously reported on in the local media months to nine in May alone. There were also nine MPD live on Facebook regardless of the alleged offense, and at before they were identified as suspects. perp walks in June and there has been one so far in July. least a few clips from these events make it into the nightly Despite the perception, though, MPD Chief Lawrence news cycles on local television stations. Battiste said crime “appears to be trending down in most Constitutional concerns At a perp walk, reporters ask questions of suspects While perp walks may be beneficial for the media, police and even the public, condirectly and often do so with microphones and cameras just areas” of Mobile this year. He said citizens often hear about a few inches from suspects’ faces. A suspect can respond to crimes in the media or on social media but often don’t hear cerns have been raised by attorneys and constitutional groups about how these staged public events impact the accused suspects who are actually being “walked.” the questions however they choose, though the vast major- about the progress his officers are making to stop it. According to Battiste, MPD does a number of things “The perp walk is fraught with all sorts of problems, including some that rise to ity remain silent on their way to the patrol car. to communicate that progress to citizens, such as having an unconstitutional level,” defense attorney Donald Briskman said. “They’re entirely precinct commanders share crime data with their respective unnecessary and designed to prejudice prospective jurors as to guilt or innocence. Who gets perp-walked? communities, including the number of crimes that occur They’re in chains and a jail jumpsuit — what other conclusion does the average While it happened to be the agency that arrested Huff in and and how many cases are cleared by a suspect’s arrest. person draw?” 2016, it’s actually somewhat uncommon for the MCSO to Another tool to get that message out, Battiste said, is the According to Briskman, the image of a handcuffed defendant being hauled into a set up a perp walk for local media. In fact, of the 38 perp police car makes an impression on the general public, some of whom could conceivperp walk. walks Lagniappe was notified of in 2016, only two to three “If we don’t tell that story, all people know is that crime ably wind up on a local jury deciding that same defendant’s guilt or innocence at trial. were exclusively orchestrated by MCSO. Briskman, a criminal defense lawyer, has represented clients who’ve been forced is occurring, and nobody ever knows that we’re actually Spokeswoman Lori Myles said MCSO typically only to go through a perp walk. However, it’s not just defense attorneys who share his having some really good success in our ability to solve does perp walks for “high-profile cases.” concerns about a law enforcement tactic that’s become routine in Mobile. crimes,” he said. “The perp walk is another mechanism to For instance, when Derrick Dearman was arrested tell that story, but usually those deal with the most violent
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COVER STORY Portia Allen-Kyle, policy director for the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of Alabama, told Lagniappe that if criminal defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty, then judgment shouldn’t come before a conviction or from “the court of public opinion.” “The Supreme Court has already recognized the incurable effect of shackling somebody who is on trial in front of jury. That’s settled law,” she said. “We would be concerned that these perp walks bias the jury pool, especially because Mobile isn’t New York City. It’s a lot smaller and the likelihood someone has heard about an event or seen it on TV is much higher.” While jury prejudice stemming from a perp walk is a concern and has caused defendants to win a change of venue in the past, it’s not the biggest issue for the the ACLU. Courts in the U.S. have found perp walks to be unconstitutional when they don’t serve a law enforcement purpose. After a challenge from a defendant arrested in New York City in 1999, the U.S. Second Circuit Court of Appeals found that “a staged perp walk exacerbates the seizure of the arrestee unreasonably and therefore violates the Fourth Amendment.” In other words, crime is public information and arresting and transporting accused criminals to jail is part of what police do. So, if the media happens to get footage of that, it’s fine. However, the legal concerns tend to come up when these events are strategically staged. Those “fictional perp walks,” Allen-Kyle said, are often “based on publicity, not increasing public safety.” “Perp walks aren’t necessary to the actual arrest because the crime doesn’t occur where they are typically staged,” she added. “You’re already arrested and in police custody, and they’re taking you out and prancing you in front of the media, which there is no law enforcement purpose for.”
The right to remain silent
Despite the concerns raised by the ACLU, Battiste said MPD hasn’t had anyone locally question its perp walk practices or seen a defendant request an attorney be present for one since he’s been with the department. He did say he understands some of those concerns, though. “It’s cyclical. Five or 10 years ago, when I was the chief in Prichard, I can remember getting some pushback about perp walks, but I haven’t seen a lot related to the perp walks we’ve done in Mobile,” he said. “We try to do them in good taste, and when we’ve collected evidence we believe compels the district attorney’s office or a court to give us an arrest warrant, we’re comfortable saying we believe this person is guilty of committing this crime.” For Briskman and other defense attorneys, there’s an additional concern that statements made to the press during a perp walk could be used against suspects. In fact, one of his
recent clients caught reporters off guard when she used a June 7 perp walk to promote her Instagram account. “Please follow me on Instagram, Famouzdb, to understand the real reasons why this is going on,” 26-year-old Raven Yates told reporters. “Anybody that knows me knows I am a woman of stature and prestige. Yes I look a mess, but I am blessed and highly favored.” Yates got a few laughs from reporters even as she was being arrested for allegedly assaulting a repo driver with a box cutter during a robbery. However, Briskman said he’s seen things go much worse for defendants going through perp walks locally. “I’ve seen too many where the media will shout questions to someone while they don’t have a lawyer and haven’t been advised by one at all,” he said. “If the accused blurts something out in response to a question, it’s on video. If it’s damaging, it is coming into trial.” In the recent past, some suspects have made statements that could theoretically be used against them. When reporters asked Dearman why he killed six people, he said “drugs were making me think things that’s not really happening.” He went on to plead not guilty to all charges. Other times, reporters’ own objectivity is thrown out the window. During a perp walk of murder suspect Lacedrick Lindsey May 22, one reporter asked, “Did you know who you were shooting? Did you mean to fire your weapon?” During the perp walk of Jaden Little, another murder suspect, on June 28, the same reporter asked, “Why did you shoot him?” Again, when reporters were questioning 19-year-old murder suspect Brandon Sims on May 5, one asked, “Did you know the man you shot? Did you know that you killed him when you shot him? Why were you firing your weapon?” Neither of those three suspects responded to those questions. Local TV news directors contacted for this story declined to comment on their stations’ protocols for covering perp walks. According to Battiste, most MPD suspects who go through a perp walk wind up entering guilty pleas, though he said he personally remembers times when someone has confessed to a crime or given information about their case while being questioned by reporters during a perp walk. While that may happen on occasion, Battiste said accused suspects aren’t required to speak to the media and that putting someone through a perp walk isn’t a strategic move for MPD. “It’s not our plan to rattle anybody. Our plan when we do perp walks is to make sure that we have notified the public that we’ve taken somebody into custody,” he added. “It’s never our plan to utilize the media to get a confession on tape. If it happens, it happens, but our goal is to bring some semblance of relief to the community.”
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ART ARTIFICE
Art as uplift for detention youth
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BY KEVIN LEE/ARTS EDITOR/KLEE@LAGNIAPPEMOBILE.COM
ommunity uplift is nothing new for Riley Brenes. The University of South Alabama grad was education director for Mobile Boys and Girls Clubs’ ChARTing New Directions program, launched at guerilla gallery in the 401 Dauphin St. space and started the Fry Building Project utilizing storefront windows for artist displays. It earned the 2017 Arty Award for Artistic Innovation. After a short stint working for an internationally famous artist, Brenes became a detention officer at Strickland Youth Center. A young artist from comfortable lineage working with juvenile offenders? “I was a pretty rough kid myself and my background is pretty scattered. I feel more myself in a detention setting than I do in a board meeting,” Brenes said. He said he “straightened [his] life up” at 22 through religious faith and working with nonprofits. “I realized there’s so many people in Mobile who feel marginalized,” Brenes said. His photo for Mobile Bay Magazine’s “40 Under 40” of 2016 had Brenes in sackcloth and ashes. He cited mourning for generations of lost potential in Mobile’s poorer neighborhoods as the reason. Now, at only 30 years old, Brenes has a new job designing detention programs. He feels his comfort with the kids, along with his creative background, are a perfect combination. “Art is not necessarily about drawing or painting or sculpture, but it’s really about being creative in a problem,” Brenes said. He’s also been able to instill change in his kids
Fairy tale romance in Langan Park Playhouse in the Park (4851 Museum Drive) will present its original version of a timeless classic when “Cinderella — The Musical” opens this month. The family-friendly, rags-to-riches tale will be presented in colorful fashion, complete with enchanting special effects. The musical runs July 20 to Aug. 12. Friday and Saturday curtain is at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday matinees at 2:30 p.m. Tickets are $16 and $14 for children, students and seniors. A presentation for daycare audiences will be held July 19 at 10:30 a.m. — one day only, limited availability. Tickets for that performance are $8 for students and chaperones, free for teachers. Reservations recommended; call 251-602-0630 or visit playhousein-
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through arts. A recent project looked at iconic figures who connote respect. “There’s a Candy Lady in every urban neighborhood who takes care of all the kids. In the summertime, she makes sure they have Freezy Pops and Christmas time, she makes sure they have Christmas cookies,” Brenes said. He also described these stand-in grandmothers as peacemakers. By Brenes’ account, the Candy Lady’s territory is neutral ground for rival gangs. The other figure was a local barber. The barbershop’s role in urban neighborhoods is no secret, having been included in mainstream media as community hubs. Brenes enlisted aid from Mobile Arts Council (MAC) dynamo and photographer Devin Ford. She provided technical advice but otherwise let the kids run the show. They interviewed a Strickland worker who serves as a Candy Lady in Trinity Gardens. She noted spending up to $250 of a meager monthly salary on the treats. It astonished Ford and Brenes. The kids interviewed other locals — Kalenski “DJ Dirty Dan” Adams at WBLX-FM 92.9, Charlana Quivers of Backflash Antiques and Lynn Oldshue of Southern Rambler. Brenes described one energized youngster who began coming to daily class in her most professional attire. He quickly shifted focus to other benevolent entities — the free services from Gulf Coast Ducks, the History Museum of Mobile and the Mobile Museum of Art. Visual artist Soynika Bush lent her talents, drawing outlines for 6-foot-by-8-foot murals dedicated to male and female role models. The kids spent hours a day, each contributing their
thepark.org for details. Multi-talented Blake is focus at MMoA Poet, painter and printmaker William Blake was a true artist. The Londoner’s creativity poured forth during his life with little recognition, and only after his 1827 death did he earn acclaim as one of the giants of the Romantic Era. Blake’s views were startlingly progressive for his day. His influence has endured across the centuries, cited among such diverse artists as 19th century writer William Rossetti, the Beat generation and Bob Dylan. Mobile Museum of Art Director Deborah Velders will discuss Blake’s wide and profound legacy at MMoA (4850 Museum Drive) on Thursday, July 19, 6 p.m. Museum entrance is free on Thursdays for Mobile County residents. The talk
efforts to components of the work. The murals will be at the Fry Building Project for August and remain for months. The documentary is to be shown for the Aug. 10 LoDa Artwalk, projected onto the side of a truck parked across the street from the murals. They’re hard at work on an upcoming Christmas project. Another work — “Mobile From Where I Sit” — combines the kids’ vision with about 60 pieces of furniture. “We’re asking what should change in Mobile, and they’ll be illustrating their story as well as their dreams for the city and county at large on these chairs that Bill Appling has that are amazing,” Brenes said. Through this work, they’ve got their eyes on internships at WBLX, Backflash and MAC. Brenes is trying to find a way they can intern with the monthly Artwalk. The hours put into these efforts help pay off the kids’ court costs. “People have this view of Strickland or Roger Williams or R.V. Taylor or Trinity Gardens, that these people are just so bad. They’re just kids, kids who screwed up royally and keep screwing up because nobody’s there for them,” Brenes said. Brenes’ outlook is part of what convinced Judge Edmond Naman to trust him. It’s what keeps him moving forward in a job others might devalue. “We want to start opening a dialogue between different cultures of people. A lot of these kids, for them they feel like nobody is interested in what they have to say. They just want to shift them from place to place and control their life,” Brenes said.
is free for MMoA members and $5 for non-members. For more information, call 251208-5200 or visit mobilemuseumofart.org. Sinful seven at MAC for July Fairhope printmaker and illustrator Sarah Dittman might have relocated to Appleton, Wisconsin, but her work will have a place at Mobile Arts Council (318 Dauphin St.) during July. The University of South Alabama grad depicted the seven deadly sins as royalty along with prints of skulls and crystals. Self-taught artist Shawn Berdux will debut her first solo exhibition. The mixed media show of sculptures, paintings and prints — titled “Rise like the lotus from muddy waters” — will occupy the Small Room in July. The Skinny Gallery will feature
work by the youngsters in the ChARTing New Directions summer art camps. MAC and Alabama Contemporary Art Center partnered to provide free camps for kids from the Boys and Girls Clubs who worked in ceramics, painting, stenciling, paper-making, yarnbombing and public art projects. Their works will be installed in downtown’s Lost Garden off Dauphin Street next month. An opening reception will be held during the July 13 LoDa ArtWalk. A closing reception for camp participants and their families will take place July 31, 4-6 p.m., and is open to the public. Gallery hours are 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on weekdays and during Saturday Market in the Park. For more information, call 251432-9796 or go to mobilearts.org.
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MUSIC
BY STEPHEN CENTANNI/MUSIC EDITOR/SCENTANNI@LAGNIAPPEMOBILE.COM
FEATURE
MOB Music Fest debuts this weekend in Mobile BAND: MOB MUSIC FEST DATE: JULY 13-15 VENUE: CATHEDRAL SQUARE TICKETS: FREE, $25 VIP PACKAGE AVAILABLE ON MOBMUSICFEST.COM
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ferent people to know that we can provide opportunities for people. If they need an artist to paint a building or someone to do a voiceover for a cartoon show, there are a lot of artists out there, and we give people the opportunity. Centanni: What makes MOB Fest different from other local music festivals? Johnson: Well, the inspiration behind it is branding those three letters “MOB.” It’s all about Mobile. We’ve got a hot music scene. We’ve got a hot art scene, period. We’re homegrown, and we’re giving artists in the surrounding area a chance to come out and showcase their skills. A lot of them have pretty decent followings. People have to go have to go out of town a lot just to make a lot of things happen. We want to reverse that. We want to try and do this thing in a different way to where we’re not just holding an event to have people come out. We want to promote everybody who is OK with being a part of this thing. Everybody is a local artist. We’re giving them the chance to showcase their talents on a stage that will be bigger this year. Centanni: What was it like taking those first steps to get this off the ground? Johnson: It was like trying to pull a hundredyear-old tree from the ground. It was crazy. You have to do a lot. You’ve got to get people inspired and get permits for permits. You’ve gotta talk to a lot of people and get their blessing to put this thing on. We didn’t look at it that way. We wouldn’t take “no” for an answer, and we put it together in a matter of months. We talked about it on a day-to-day basis beforehand and said, “Look, now is the time, and if we wait too long, it’ll be somebody else’s turn to make a difference.” It was knowing that we couldn’t do it by ourselves and also knowing that we had to get the artists from the area to even want to participate. Like you said, there are other festivals around, but this one is all about our performing arts. People come to our city and hire our artists, and they [artists] can’t get work in their own town. This is to put the city on notice that we have a lot of people here that you can come see. Centanni: One thing I think is unique is that you not only have musical acts but also spoken word and dance artists on the lineup. When you were putting together the lineup, what was the selection process like? Johnson: We basically set it up for people to
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Photo | Provided
he growth of the local music scene can be witnessed not only in the growing number of diverse local acts but also in the growing number of events. MOB Music Fest will celebrate its inaugural year with a free, three-day festival in Cathedral Square. When the hype surrounding this festival hit social media, many were curious as to what to expect from this new festival. Curious minds were satisfied with a lineup that is both local and diverse. Among the many artists scheduled to perform, MOB Music Fest will feature funk and groove goodness from such acts as Yeah, Probably and Multi N Funk Band. The lineup also includes such hip-hop artists as Mob*Ill, 2 Major Twinz and Eternti Everlasting. Bands such as Underhill Family Orchestra and Paid to Pretend will add a little rock to the mix, and Dubkor’s reggae sound will fill Cathedral Square with irie vibes. The full lineup is available on mobmusicfest.com. Lagniappe contacted organizer Eric Johnson for an inside look at the creation of this festival, as well as what other attractions this event will bring to Cathedral Square. Stephen Centanni: Eric, what’s your role with the MOB Music Festival? Eric Johnson: I’m a co-founder. We just kind of put this thing together, and we immediately realized that we couldn’t do it by ourselves. So, we got a team together and some people who knew what they were doing. They knew how to get with the right people and make this thing happen as quick as can. Centanni: Tell me a little about Opportunities 4 Entertainers. Johnson: Opportunities 4 Entertainers is a nonprofit organization that we’ve actually been doing for years. It’s all about showcasing and exposing people that live their life full-time as an artist, whether they get paid or not. They can kind of get drawn under the rug, because a lot of people don’t really look at it as a profitable or lucrative field until somebody gets a lucky break. Mobile is a hotbed for artists in all fields. We thought that we would give everybody an even playing field, whether they’ve been playing for a long time or not. We also wanted to incorporate this with the city. So, everybody can have some type of outlet to allow themselves to showcase their arts. With the nonprofit, it allows a whole bunch of dif-
MOB Music Fest hits Cathedral Square this weekend. submit through email. We were surprised. We had 70 submissions the first day. Overall, we had about 200 submissions. Of course, everybody won’t be able to supply what we’re looking for. We had a panel of five. When they submitted things, we checked out their social media and iTunes and things like that. We wanted to see how serious and established they already were with their music and talent. With the spoken word and dance, they do a good job with word-of-mouth. We would be going through submissions, and somebody might’ve already heard of them or seen them. Wordof-mouth is the best way to get exposure. There were a lot of people who submitted, but the people we chose made the most sense for the inaugural year. People think of a music festival as music only. With what we’re trying to do, I think they’re going to get a different look. Centanni: When people get to MOB Fest, what can they expect to see? How would you describe the layout? Johnson: The festival is going to give you an overwhelming sense that this isn’t just a fest. This is Mobile. That’s what we’re trying to do. We’re trying to let people known that this festival belongs to us and the city. We’re going to have things out there to let people know that this isn’t just your common show-up-and-watch-a-music-show. We’re going to have vendors, and artists painting things. We’ve got a lot of people who just want to be a part of it and do anything to showcase their art. When you show up, you’re going to feel welcome and think, “This belongs to me.” We’re trying to create an experience. This is a free event. We just want people to come out and see that it’s their festival. That’s what we’re trying to create. Centanni: Where do you see this event going in the future? Johnson: In my eyes, the future of this festival has no limits. Everybody gets excited when there’s a big international artist at a festival. We’ve been listening to a lot of people who want this or want that, but we have a lot of things in mind for this festival that’s just going to make it bigger and better. We can’t talk about all that just now, but we want it to be five times bigger next year. We’ve got three- and five-year plans. Of course, you don’t want to bite off more than you can chew, but at the same time, we’re looking at some pretty realistic things for MOB Fest next year.
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MUSIC BRIEFS
Enter ‘The Void’
BY STEPHEN CENTANNI/MUSIC EDITOR/SCENTANNI@LAGNIAPPEMOBILE.COM
Band: Madison Grace Single Release Party Date: Saturday, July 14, 8 p.m. Venue: The Listening Room of Mobile, 78 St. Francis St., www.thelisteningroommobile.com Tickets: $15; call 251-367-4599 for reservations
Photo | Toni Rials | Madison Grace
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efore this release party, singer-songwriter Madison Grace will appear on the MOB Music Fest stage to give a sample of her dreamy, homegrown tunes. This singer-songwriter released her first album, “Equilibrium of Contradiction,” when she was 17. Using her work at the piano as a foundation, Grace delivered 10 beautiful pop tracks filled with thoughtful lyrics in her seductively hypnotic voice. Depending on the setting, Grace’s music also showcases a unique versatility. When performing with a full band, her songs are explosive pop masterpieces. When she’s armed only with her piano, her sound takes on a personality falling somewhere between Diana Krall and Tori Amos. Grace will take advantage of The Listening Room of Mobile to introduce the audience to her new single, “The Void,” which she has already previewed — a cappella style — on social media. “The Void” features a vocal delivery that finds its strength through rhythmic intricacy. Lyrically, this song is a testament of a person who fills their emotional void through any means necessary, regardless of how it affects the speaker or those around them.
Recording in progress
Band: The Pollies live album recording Date: Sunday, July 15, 7:30 p.m. Venue: Callaghan’s Irish Social Club, 916 Charleston St., www.callaghansirishsocialclub.com Tickets: $10 at the door Since The Pollies’ first visit to the Azalea City, the Muscle Shoals-based band has made Callaghan’s a regular tour stop. The Pollies embrace Callaghan’s regulars with their soothing, mesmerizing style. This band’s sound is rich with influences from both indie rock and alt. country, in the same tradition as My Morning Jacket and Futurebirds. The band returns to Callaghan’s for a special performance local fans won’t want to miss, as The Pollies record their first live album. Frontman Jay Burgess says choosing Callaghan’s as the location for this effort was a spur-of-the-moment idea, reinforced by the realization no touring band had ever recorded a live album there. With this show closing out the tour, this performance will be seasoned to perfection by The Pollies’ time on the road.
Heartbreakers
Band: Blue Water Highway Date: Saturday, July 14, with doors at 9 p.m. Venue: The Merry Widow, 51 S. Conception St., www.themerrywidow.net Tickets: $10 available at door and through Ticketfly
After soaking up the sounds at the MOB Music Festival, The Merry Widow invites the public to take a musical road trip with Blue Water Highway, bringing the Azalea City a batch of sounds forged on the Texas Gulf Coast. High school friends Zack Kibodeaux (lead vocals, guitar) and Greg Essington (guitar) started this musical journey and picked up Catherine Clark (keyboards), Jared Wilson (drums) and Kyle James Smith (bass) along the way. Together, the group has crafted a mature and edgy style of indie pop. Blue Water Highway will be taking their Mobile audience to “Heartbreak City.” This album features a fresh indie pop style that strays from the overloaded, high-end synth that has been so popular with the genre. This collection ranges from bright, modern grooves to lovely, heartfelt pop anthems inspired by the glory days of radio pop in the mid ‘80s. “Heartbreak City” is a musical rollercoaster of emotion delivered in waves as warm as the Gulf of Mexico.
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AREAMUSIC LISTINGS | July 11 - July 17 Please send upcoming music to listings@ lagniappemobile.com by MONDAY before Wednesday’s paper.
WED. JULY 11 Beau Rivage (Eight75)— Dian Diaz, 8p Bluegill— Matt Neese, 6p Blues Tavern— MIke Arata & Friends Boudreaux’s Cajun Grill— Ryan Balthrop, 6p Brickyard— Chad Davidson Band Callaghan’s— Phil & Foster Cockeyed Charlie’s— Karaoke JJ, 9p Felix’s— Matt Bush Duo Flora Bama— Neil Dover, 2p / Kyle Brady, 5p // Jeff Dayton, 5:30p /// Rhonda Hart Duo, 6p //// Oliver’s Twist, 10p ///// Wes Loper, 10:15p IP Casino (Chill Ultra) — Cory Landry Duo, 8p Lulu’s— Adam Holt, 5p The Merry Widow— The Orange Constant / The Mammoths
THURS. JULY 12 Beau Rivage (Ivory’s Piano Bar)— Nate Sangsland & Tim Georgeff Beau Rivage (Eight75)— Dian Diaz, 8p Blind Mule— Future Hate + Some Kind of Nightmare Bluegill— Lee Yankie, 12p / Jamie Adamson Duo, 6p Blues Tavern— Rebecca Barry Duo Boudreaux’s Cajun Grill— David Chastang, 6p Callaghan’s— Phil Proctor Cockeyed Charlie’s— DJ JJ, 10p Felix’s— Matt Neese Duo Flora Bama— Jeff Dayton, 2p / Trevor Finlay, 5p // Dueling Pianos, 5:30p /// Augie Savage, 6p //// JoJo Pres, 6p ///// Mark Sherrill, Chris Newberry, James Daniel, Jose Santiago, 6p ////// Brian Hill Band, 10p /////// Brandon White Duo, 10:15p //////// Mario Mena Band, 10:30p Hard Rock (Center Bar) — DJ D-Funk, 8p IP Casino (Chill Ultra) — Chase Tyler Band Lulu’s— Gypsy Pearl, 5p McSharry’s— Rondale & the Kit Katz, 7p The Merry Widow— The Mammoths, 10p Off The Hook— Sugarbabies Karaoke, 6p Tacky Jacks (Orange Beach) — Pierce Parker Duo, 6p Veets— Kenny Berry, 8p
FRI. JULY 13 Alchemy— Cam Bay Cabaret,10p Beau Rivage— Rachel Platten, 8p Beau Rivage (Ivory’s Piano Bar)— Nate Sangsland & Tim Georgeff Beau Rivage (Eight75)— Dian Diaz, 8p Big Beach Brewing— Pale Moon Rising, 6:30p Bluegill— Lee Yankie, 12p / Bust, 6p Blues Tavern— Fortunate Few Revue Brickyard— Mustang Cockeyed Charlie’s— Fat
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Lincoln, 10p Dauphin Street Blues Co— Ben Lofting & the Family, 10p Dority’s Bar and Grill— Sloth Racer, 6p Fairhope Brewing— The Orange Constant Felix’s— Blind Dog Mike Flora Bama— Jay Hawkins Trio, 1p / Lea Anne Creswell Duo, 2p // Kyle Brady, 4p /// The Big Earl Show with Jack Robertson, 5:30p //// Hung Jury, 6p ///// Jeff Dayton, 6p ////// Johnny B Trio, 6p /////// Bruce Smelley with JoJo Pres, 10p /////////The Magic Johnson, 10:15p /////////// G Funk, 10:30p Hard Rock (Center Bar) — Contraflow, 9p / DJ Digital, 11p IP Casino (Chill Ultra) — Chase Tyler Band Listening Room— The Hussy Hicks, 8p Lulu’s— J.E.R.I., 5p Manci’s— Sergio & the Satin Dogs Duo McSharry’s— DJ Embezzle, 10p Moe’s BBQ (Daphne) — Rick Crook and the Horseshoe Halo Band, 8p Moe’s BBQ (Mobile) — Chris Hergenroder Moe’s BBQ (OBA) — Alexander Wilkerson Moe’s BBQ (Semmes) — Denver Hawsey Off The Hook— Keith Burns, 7p Original Oyster House — Bobby Butchka, 6p Soul Kitchen— CBDB, Bowling Buddy’s, 8p Tacky Jacks (Gulf Shores)— Jimmy Lee Hannaford, 11a / Three Bean Soup, 6p Tacky Jacks (Orange Beach) — Happy Jim, 6p Waves DI— Cecil Blue, 9p
SAT. JULY 14 Beau Rivage (Ivory’s Piano Bar)— Nate Sangsland & Tim Georgeff Beau Rivage (Eight75)— Dian Diaz, 8p Big Beach Brewing— Diedra Ruff, 6:30p Bluegill— Anna McElroy, 12p / Jason Justice & the Hung Jury, 6p Blues Tavern— Fat Lincoln Brickyard— Mario Mena Band Callaghan’s— Jamell Richardson Cockeyed Charlie’s— DJ MBezzle, 10p Dauphin Street Blues Co— Scenic Heights, 10p Felix’s— Grits N Pieces Flora Bama— Brian Hill Duo, 1p / Jason Abel Project, 1p // Sugarcane Jane, 2p /// Whyte Capps, 2p //// Jeff Dayton, 4p ///// Lefty Collins, 5p ////// The Big Earl Show with Jack Robertson, 5:30p //////// Brandon White Duo, 6p ////////// Karen Waldrup, 6p /////////// Greg Lyon, 8p //////////// Brian Hill Band, 10p ///////////// Bruce Smelley Duo, 10:15p ///////////// Yellowhammer, 10:30 Hard Rock (Center Bar) — Contraflow, 9p / DJ G, 11p IP Casino (Chill Ultra) — Chase Tyler Band Listening Room— Madison Grace, 8p Lulu’s— Shiny Objects, 5p Manci’s— Yeah Probably McSharry’s— DJ Shadow, 10p The Merry Widow— Blue Water Highway w/The Powell Brothers
Moe’s BBQ (Mobile) — Glass Joe Moe’s BBQ (Semmes) — Stephen Sylvester Off The Hook— Elaine Petty Original Oyster House — Bobby Butchka, 6p Soul Kitchen— DJ Dirty Dan Day, 9p Tacky Jacks (Gulf Shores)— Jesse Black, 6p Tacky Jacks (Orange Beach) — Beave and Cleave, 11a / Kyle Brady 6p Waves DI— CC and The Midnight Groovers, 8:30p
SUN. JULY 15 Beau Rivage (Eight75)— Triggerproof, 8p Big Beach Brewing— Dorian Michael, 3p Bluegill— Lee Yankie, 12p / Wes Loper Band, 6p Brickyard— Jake Burford Callaghan’s— The Pollies Dority’s Bar and Grill— Telluride, 6p Felix’s— Bobby Butchka Flora Bama— Smokey Otis Trio, 12p / Jay Hawkins Duo, 1p // Songs of Rusty w/Jason Justice, 1:30p /// Al and Cathy, 2p //// Brian Hill Duo, 2p ///// Jeff Dayton, 5p /////// The Lucky Doggs, 5:30p //////// JoJo Pres, 6p ///////// Perdido Brothers6p ////////// Karen Waldrup, 10p ////////// Bruce Smelley Duo, 10:15p Hangout— The Chillbillies, 6p Hard Rock (Center Bar) — The Mixed Nuts, 8p IP Casino (Chill Ultra) — Julia Harrington Listening Room— Chip Herrington Jazz Quintet, 7p Lulu’s— Light Travelers, 5p Manci’s— Roman Street Off The Hook— Elaine Petty, 6p Tacky Jacks (Gulf Shores)— Lisa Christian, 4p Tacky Jacks (Orange Beach) — Jerry Gambino, 11a / Roadside Glorius, 6p Waves DI— Retrobution, 3p
MON. JULY 16 Beau Rivage (Eight75)— Triggerproof, 8p Brickyard— Brennan & Christian Felix’s— Matt Bush Flora Bama— Gove Scrivenor, 2p / Lee Yankie, 5p // Brandon White, 5:30p /// Open Mic w/ Cathy Pace, 6p //// Whyte Capps, 10p ///// Petty and Pace, 10:15p Lulu’s— Brent Burns, 5p Moe’s BBQ (Daphne) — Stephen Sylvester, 6p TUES. JULY 17 Beau Rivage (Eight75)— Triggerproof, 8p Bluegill— Mobile Big Band Society, 6:30p Boudreaux’s Cajun Grill— Ryan Balthrop, 6p Butch Cassidy’s— Jerry Powell Felix’s— Jamie Adamson Flora Bama— T-Bone Montgomery, 2p / Shea White, 5p // Jay Hawkins Duo, 5:30p /// Perdido Brothers, 6p //// Mario Mena Band, 10p ///// Bruce Smelley Duo, 10:15 Lulu’s— Phil &7 Foster, 5p Original Oyster House — Bobby Butchka, 6p
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FILMTHE REEL WORLD Kid-friendly ‘Wonderstruck’ more a story for adults
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BY ASIA FREY/FILM CRITIC/AFREY@LAGNIAPPEMOBILE.COM
AREA
THEATERS AMC MOBILE 16 785 Schillinger Road South Mobile, AL (251)639-1748 CRESCENT THEATER 208 Dauphin St Mobile, AL (251) 438-2005 REGAL MOBILE STADIUM 18 1250 Satchel Paige Drive Mobile, AL (844) 462-7342 AMC JUBILEE Square 12 6898 Highway 90 Daphne, AL (251) 626-5766
“
onderstruck,” a childfriendly film directed by auteur Todd Haynes, sounds incredible on paper. Perhaps that’s because it began on paper, as a heavily illustrated novel by acclaimed author Brian Selznick. The film also features a great deal of beautiful papery creations. Yet somehow the journey to film, steeped though it may be in classic cinematic imagery, becomes somewhat tedious. This is not the first of Selznick’s enchanting and sophisticated Young Adult novels to be translated to film. His “The Invention of Hugo Cabret” became the 2011 film “Hugo,” and was directed by no less than Martin Scorsese. That film, set in 1930s Paris, was a steampunk valentine to silent film, but also action packed and tightly plotted. “Wonderstruck” is a dual-storyline tale that follows the lonely lives of two children who are both deaf: one, Rose, in 1927 and a boy named Ben in 1977. Both come to New York City in search of family, and both end up at the Museum of Natural History. Their stories intertwine touchingly across the decades. It is of note that the actress who plays Rose, Millicent Simmonds, is actually deaf, and gives a
delicate, evocative performance. Now, I love museums, silent films and stories that involve precocious, sensitive runaways camping out in Manhattan museums. But this artful film is too in love with these ideas, even for me. The sections set in 1927 are entirely silent and shot in black and white, which is a cool idea, because Rose is deaf and loves silent films and her mother, played by Julianne Moore, is a silent film star. This lovely concept, however, is less compelling as you’re watching the film. A little goes a long way, and there is more than a little. The scenes set in the 1970s are naturally easier to follow, but nonetheless slow going. At last Ben, who has lost his dear mother in a car accident, runs away in search of the father he never met, following a clue he found in a book. The clue takes him from Minnesota to New York City, and he makes friends with another lonely boy whose father works at the Museum of Natural History. Naturally, they end up spending the night in the magical, shadowy halls and attics of the museum. We don’t get there for at least an hour, but then things finally pick up. In the film’s touching conclusion, Ben and the audience learn about his father and his past, and it happens in the splendid company of an enormous model of New
York City, a magnificent project created by one of the film’s characters for the World’s Fair. The visuals are truly memorable. The characters, however, could have been more compelling. The story itself got lost in the beauty of telling it. “Wonderstruck” is supposed to be a film for children, but it is really a film about children, for adults. The youthful emotions evoked feel very much like what an adult wants a child to feel. This film was beautiful and interesting, but certainly not an authentic expression of childhood. Similarly, as a parent this might be the kind of worthwhile film you’d want your kids to want to watch — sensitive, literate, culturally educational — but good luck getting them to actually watch it. For sensitive adults who would prefer not to watch violent movies, there is a great deal to appreciate in “Wonderstruck,” and several sequences are so visually inventive it’s worth viewing just for that. But the imagination evident in this film overshadows more traditional storytelling elements, and it might have been a stronger film if more emotion had been allowed to shine through the carefully constructed theatrical beauty. “Wonderstruck” is currently available to rent.
NEXUS CINEMA DINING 7070 Bruns Dr. Mobile, AL (251) 776-6570 AMC CLASSIC WHARF 23151 Wharf Lane Orange Beach, AL (251) 981-4444 COBB PINNACLE 14 3780 Gulf Shores Pkwy Gulf Shores (251) 923-0785 EASTERN SHORE PREMIERE CINEMA 14 30500 State Hwy 181 Spanish Fort, AL (251) 626-0352 Information accurate at press time; please call theaters for showtimes.
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Photos | Amazon Studios / Universal Pictures
FROM LEFT:“Wonderstruck” tells the tale of two children separated by 50 years. In 1927, Rose searches for the actress whose life she chronicles in her scrapbook; in 1977, Ben runs away from home to find his father. Dwayne Johnson and Neve Campbell star in “Skyscraper,” about a father who goes to great lengths to save his family from a burning highrise. NEW THIS WEEK SKYSCRAPER
Having battled every animate being he could think of in his earlier films, the Rock now takes on a giant burning building to save his family. All listed multiplex theaters.
MAMMA MIA! HERE WE GO AGAIN Sophie finds out more about her mother’s past while seeking guidance on how to handle her pregnancy. Crescent Theater, all listed multiplex theaters.
HOTEL TRANSYLVANIA 3: SUMMER VACATION
Dracula finds love while on a cruise with his friends and family. All listed multiplex theaters.
WON’T YOU BE MY NEIGHBOR? A much-needed, critically acclaimed biopic of Fred Rogers. AMC 16, AMC Classic Jubilee Square
WHITNEY
Whereas this is a biopic about Whitney Houston. Regal Mobile Stadium 18
HEARTS BEAT LOUD
A delightful change of pace from the summer blockbuster, this crowd-pleasing festival favorite stars the always delightful Nick Offerman as an aging hipster musician playing music with his reluctant teen daughter the summer before she leaves for college. Crescent Theater
NOW PLAYING
ANT-MAN AND THE WASP All listed multiplex theaters, Nexus Cinema Dining. THE FIRST PURGE All listed multiplex theaters. SICARIO: DAY OF THE SOLDADO All listed multiplex theaters. UNCLE DREW All listed multiplex theaters. JURASSIC WORLD: FALLEN KINGDOM All listed multiplex theaters, Nexus Cinema Dining. INCREDIBLES 2 All listed multiplex theaters, Nexus Cinema Dining. SUPERFLY All listed multiplex
theaters. TAG All listed multiplex theaters. HEREDITARY All listed multiplex theaters. OCEANS 8 All listed multiplex theaters. ADRIFT All listed multiplex theaters. SOLO: A STAR WARS STORY All listed multiplex theaters. DEADPOOL 2 All listed multiplex theaters. BREAKING IN All listed multiplex theaters. AVENGERS: INFINITY WAR All listed multiplex theaters.
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CALENDAR OF EVENTS JULY 11, 2018 - JULY 17, 2018
GENERAL INTEREST LWVM summer social Here’s an opportunity to become familiar with the League of Women Voters of Mobile, while enjoying a cash bar and light refreshments. Wednesday, July 11, 4-6:30 p.m. at Red or White Wine & Gourmet Center. Find us on Facebook @ LWVMobile. Park system improvement plan Give input on Mobile’s parks and recreation programs at the following locations: Wednesday, July 11, at Joseph Dotch Community Center, 310 Bank Ave., #A.; Thursday, July 12, at Howard Elementary School, 957 Dr. MLK Jr. Ave.; and Monday, July 16, at Connie Hudson Community Center, 3201 Hillcrest Road. Meetings begin at 6 p.m. Visit mapformobile.org/Parks or search “Mobile Parks” on Facebook. “Tea for Two” Enjoy a cup of organic Oolong Fairhope tea and hear guest speaker Don Evans Thursday, July 12, at 2 p.m. at the Fairhope Museum of History. Evans has built a broadband fiber and wireless system in Fairhope and will tell us of Fairhope’s future on the World Wide Web. Visit cofairhope.com. Modern Minstrel: Juggling and Music Long ago during the Dark Ages, the French jongleurs traveled the land singing songs, telling stories and performing tricks. Join us Thursday, July 12, for the last performance by modern minstrel Ron Anglin at 1 p.m. at the Toulminville Branch of Mobile Public Library.
Container Yard turns 2 Join us for a celebration of our second year on Thursday, July 12, at 4:30 p.m. at the Container Yard. Wear your best jeans and enjoy barbecue and beer. Find us on Facebook @ContainerYardWorks. Dauphin Island family movie series Dauphin Island’s West End Beach is the site of free family movie nights. Thursday, July 12, see “Storks;” Friday, July 13, see “Moana.” Visit dauphinislandtourism.com/ calendar for complete summer lineup. Inaugural MOB Music Festival Sponsored by Opportunity 4 Entertainers & Performing Arts 501(c)(3), the inaugural MOB Music Festival will feature dozens of performing artists at Cathedral Square Friday through Sunday, July 13-15. Free admission. For lineup, sponsorship and VIP tickets, visit mobmusicfest.com or call 251-300-8729. LoDa ArtWalk Join us in downtown Mobile on Friday, July 13, for the July LoDa ArtWalk, a free, family-friendly event where area businesses open to showcase local art and entertainment. Find us on Facebook @LODAartwalk for more information on venues. Friday at the Firehouse Come visit the Lafayette Street Firehouse (Station 8) on Friday, July 13, 5:30-7 p.m. Tour the fire station, trucks and equipment and meet firefighters. Free and open to the public on Fridays throughout the summer. For more information and locations, follow Mobile Fire-Rescue on Facebook.
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Comedy murder mystery dinner Join us for a fun, different and exciting evening out as Ruth’s Chris Steak House hosts a Murder Mystery Dinner on Friday, July 13. Cocktails at 6 p.m. and show at 7 p.m. Admission is $75 per person including dinner. Call 251-4760516 or visit ruthchris.com.
Please email Jennifer Theeck at theeckj@historymuseumofmobile. com for more information.
LGBTQ adult support group A free monthly support group will be held Saturday, July 14, at 3 p.m. for ages 19 and up. The first session will be led by Gerardo Cantu at the Center for Creative Living, 60 N. Ann St., Mobile. Music in the park Enjoy a free musical performance Discussion topics include, but are by Jim Armstrong in the Pavilion at not limited to, jobs, school, social media, dating, finding friends, Town Center Park in Spanish Fort on Friday, July 13, 6:30-8 p.m. Visit family and medical care. Find us spanishforttowncenter.com for the on Facebook @rainbowmobileal. complete summer lineup. Fairhope bus tours Friends of the Fairhope Museum Public Safety Fair of History will host a historic The Bay Minette Police & Fire bus tour on Saturday, July 14, Departments will hold a safety beginning at 9 a.m. The tour will fair on Friday, July 13, 5:30 announce key locations of interest p.m. at Blackburn Park. Live throughout downtown Fairhope entertainment, food vendors, games, demonstrations and a free during each air-conditioned, 1-hour coach tour. Tickets are movie, “Planes, Fires & Rescue,” at 7:30 p.m. Visit cityofbayminette. $20 (cash or check). No advance phone reservations are available. org for more information. Call 251-929-1471. Summerfest 2018 Family Saturday at Archeology End your summer with three days of fun, shows and games Museum specifically geared toward children Join us Saturday, July 14, 11 up to age 12 at this family-friendly a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Archeology event. Hosted by Christian Life Museum. This month’s theme is Church (5025 Cottage Hill Road) “Magnificent Moundbuilders,” beginning Friday, July 13, at 6:30 with a reading of “The Great Ball p.m. through Sunday, July 15, Game” by Joseph Bruchac in the at 10 a.m. Free and open to the Mississippian Chief’s House at public. Visit www.clcmobile.com. 11:15 a.m. and 1 p.m. Make your own chief’s necklace out of clay before or after the reading. Free Frozen Treat Fridays admission. Find us on Facebook @ Join us for Frozen Treat Fridays TheArchaeologyMuseum. at the History Museum of Mobile. Each frozen treat will include a hands-on craft activity, a tour Market in the park of the Ice Age Imperials Exhibit Stock up on your summer and a frozen treat from Kona Ice. shopping at the 12th Market in Admission is $10 per person and the Park of the season — there reservations are recommended. are only three markets left. Find
original art, fresh fruits, vegetables, meats, decor and more in Cathedral Square on Saturday, July 14, 7:30 a.m. to noon. Third Coast Animal Rescue Come meet the dogs from Third Coast Animal Rescue Saturday, July 14, beginning at 10 a.m. at B&B Pet Stop. Adoption fee is $150; all pets are spayed/ neutered, microchipped and have age-appropriate shots. Visit bbpetstop.com. Genealogical Society meeting The West Regional Branch Library will host a presentation by H.F. “Tighe” Marston, “Cemeteries, A Genealogical Dead End” on Saturday, July 14, at 10:30 a.m. A second-generation cemetarian, Marston is municipal cemeteries manager for the city of Mobile and is responsible for operation of Magnolia Cemetery and Church Street Graveyard. Open to the public. LoDa Stroll Take a walk with us down historic Dauphin Street and visit seven shops along the way Saturday, July 14, at 11 a.m. Learn about the six flags that have flown over Mobile, our baseball history and how the moonpie became synonymous with our Mardi Gras. Visit bienvillebitesfoodtour.com. West African “kora” Join us Monday, July 16, as Sean Gaskell plays traditional songs on the kora, a 21-string harp he learned to play throughout the course of multiple visits to Gambia, West Africa. Performances will be held at the following branches of the Mobile Public Library: Saraland Branch at 10:30 a.m., Semmes
Branch at 1 p.m. and MoorerSpring Hill Branch at 3 p.m. Visit slap.mobilepubliclibrary.org. YoPro ChangeMaker social YoPro Mobile is partnering with Victory Health Partners & Sylvia’s Biscuits and Po’boys for our first ChangeMaker Social at The Fort on Tuesday, July 17, 6-8 p.m. Young professionals will hear from a number of guest speakers involved in the growth of Mobile. Find us on Facebook @YPMobileAL. PAW Patrol Live The Mobile Civic Center Theatre presents “PAW Patrol Live! The Great Pirate Adventure” beginning Tuesday, July 17, at 6 p.m. with two performances on Wednesday, July 18, at 10 a.m. and 6 p.m. Visit mobilecivicctr.com for ticket information. Tabletop game night Cool off at the Spanish Fort Public Library with games Tuesday, July 17, at 4 p.m. The library will have games on loan (new games are added weekly) and you are welcome to bring your own. All ages welcome. Visit spanishfortpubliclibrary.org. LGBTQ family dinner Rainbow Mobile hold our monthly LGBTQ Family Dinner at Agave Restaurant in Fairhope, Tuesday, July 17, at 6:30 p.m. Enjoy a Dutch-treat dinner while making new friends or catching up with old ones. RSVP at rainbowmobile.org/ fairhope-family-dinner to ensure enough seating for everyone. Empowerment camp for girls “Camp Girl” presented by Focus Women’s Conference is a day of empowering fun for girls entering grades 5 through 7 who are
looking to develop essential skills — featuring science experiments, crafting and team-building exercises. Wednesday, July 18, at Arthouse (1100 Dauphin St.). Registration is $49 per girl. Lunch and snacks provided. Visit focuswc. com for more details. Wonderful Wednesdays at Bellingrath Join us Wednesday, July 18, 10:30-11:30 a.m. for “Garden Trends 2018” as Catherine Arensberg of “simple.honest. design” shows you how to create outdoor living spaces. Visit bellingrath.org for the full schedule; call 251-459-8864 to register. FUNDRAISERS Blue Marlin Miler Join us for the inaugural Blue Marlin Miler at The Wharf in Orange Beach. The 5K run and 1-mile fun run/walk benefits St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital and takes place during the Blue Marlin Grand Championship. The $30 registration fee includes a T-shirt and post-race activities. To register visit bluemarlingrandchampionship. com. Mystery dinner theatre Join us for a Murder Mystery Dinner Theatre “Curl Up and Dye” Thursday, July 19, at 6 p.m. at The Venue, 105 S Section St., Fairhope. Tickets are $50 and include dinner. Call 251-928-4585. Proceeds benefit Baldwin Humane Society.
ARTS “Hearts Beat Loud” The Crescent Theater will be showing, for one week only, “Hearts Beat Loud,” July 13-19. Visit crescenttheater.com.
Classics at the Saenger The Summer Class Movie Series will run from Sunday, July 15, to Sunday, Aug. 19. Showtimes are 3 p.m. weekly, doors open at 2:30 p.m. General admission $6 for adults, $3 for children under 12. Seats are first come, first served. The series will open with “Casablanca” on July 15. For the complete series schedule, visit mobilesaenger.com. “Born to be Wild” Narrated by Morgan Freeman, “Born to be Wild” transports moviegoers to the lush rainforests of Borneo and across the rugged Kenyan savannah as scientists and their teams rescue, rehabilitate and return these incredible animals to the wild. Through July 15. For ticket information and showtimes visit exploreum.com. Garden sketch club Come to Bellingrath Gardens every Friday for a relaxing afternoon of sketching in the gardens. All levels of experience are welcome. General admission is $5 for non-members. Auditions for “The Miracle Worker” Open auditions will be held Wednesday, July 18, at 6 p.m. at Chickasaw Civic Theatre for “The Miracle Worker.” Contact Leonora Harrison, director, at leonoraharrison@gmail.com.
MUSEUMS “Water’s Extreme Journey” An exciting quest that transforms you into a drop of water entering a watershed and traveling to oceans while learning how clean choices keep our drops healthy and moving toward a clean ocean. Daily through
Sept. 3 at Gulf Coast Exploreum. Visit exploreum.com for details. “Ice Age Imperials” History Museum of Mobile through Aug. 26. Imagine traveling 20,000 years into the past when fierce cats, enormous mastodons and woolly mammoths, 6-foot-tall beavers and other giant creatures roamed the land and every day was a struggle for survival. Visit historymuseumofmobile.com or call 251-301-0266. 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.
SPORTING EVENTS/ACTIVITIES Dauphin Island Sea Lab excursion A salt marsh excursion will be held Thursday, July 12, from 9:45 a.m. to 12:15 p.m. Learn about the important role salt marshes play in the Gulf of Mexico and how they support the seafood we enjoy. Cost $12 per person. Limited space, visit disl.org or call 251-861-2141, ext. 7545, for reservations. Rugby tournament Battleship Rugby will host the Luau 7s Tournament on Saturday, July 14, beginning at 8 a.m. at USS Alabama Battleship Park. Teams from throughout the Southeast will compete, including the newly formed female league. Bring a lawn chair or blanket. Matches played on our grounds, concessions sold. $4 park entry fee. Roy Martin Young Anglers Tournament
The Alabama Deep Sea Fishing Rodeo will hold the annual RMYAT on Saturday, July 14, at their rodeo site on Dauphin Island. RMYAT is for children 15 and younger and is designed to bring families together and encourage sportsmanship. Visit adsfr.com/rmyat. AFC Mobile vs. Port City FC Your last chance to see AFC Mobile play at home in the 2018 season is Saturday, July 14, 7 p.m. at Lipscomb Field. In the final game of the regular season, AFC Mobile will face Port City FC (Gulfport). Find us on Facebook @ AFCMobile. Yoga on the lawn Historic Oakleigh House will be hosting a free yoga class Sunday, July 15, at 6 p.m. All levels are welcome. Piyo Tone Mondays and Thursdays through Aug. 2 at Stott’s Park (2150 N. Demetropolis Road), 6-6:45 p.m. Class fee $21. Call 251-463-7980. Table Tennis Club Mondays, 5:30-8 p.m., and Tuesdays, 6-8:30 p.m. (adults only), at Laun Park (5401 Windmill Drive). Mike Ho, Baker HS table tennis coach, will help everyone with their game. Paddles provided or bring your own. All levels welcome; $1 at the door. Call 251-463-7980.
WORKSHOPS Basics of Word Come learn the very basics of word processing with Microsoft Word at the Ben May Main Library on Thursday, July 12, at 9:30 a.m. Call 251-208-7079 for more information.
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MEDIA MEDIA FRENZY
McCoy back in the game at The ZEW BY ROB HOLBERT/MANAGING EDITOR/RHOLBERT@LAGNIAPPEMOBILE.COM
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fter nearly seven months of “dead air,” one of the best-known names in Mobile radio has landed a new gig at a new station. Matt McCoy, who most recently was on the air at Kiss 107.3-FM, is now the promotions and marketing director at WZEW, WNSP and The CRAB. It is a return to locally owned radio for McCoy after eight years with iHeart Media. McCoy got his start in radio almost 30 years ago and perhaps his most famous gig was at the old WABB-FM as co-host of “Matt and Jay in the Morning.” The radio DJ’s path eventually led him to corporate radio after WABB was sold, and he spent eight years with iHeart until a change in format left him out in the cold last winter. “They changed formats at 107.3 and gave me the dreaded manila envelope,” he joked. “I was on the bench for a while trying to find a place in the world. I’m glad to be back in the game.” McCoy says he bumped into WZEW morning hosts Tim and Lee Ann Camp one evening at a local establishment and suddenly the ball was rolling. “In big business, the deals are done on the golf course, but in radio and TV they’re done in a bar,” he said. While his main job will be handling promotions for WZEW, WNSP and The CRAB, McCoy expects to handle the occasional “swing
shift” on the air as well. He says the learning curve isn’t too great, other than becoming more familiar with The ZEW’s playlist. “I know a lot of the local bands and you can’t live around here and not love sports, so ‘NSP is a great fit. And I’m from Memphis and The CRAB is a rock and blues station, so that’s right up my alley,” he said. McCoy said part of the excitement of his new job is getting to work with a crew of people he’s known professionally for years. “I’ve known these people for so long I don’t really feel new, even though I’m new,” he said.
THE NEW YORK TIMES CROSSWORD PUZZLE DRIVING AROUND BY SAM TRABUCCO / EDITED BY WILL SHORTZ ACROSS 1 Played for a fool 5 Total mess 11 Big piece of cake 15 Buzzed 19 “It’s all good” 21 Guido ____, painter of the “Crucifixion of St. Peter” 22 “Do I ____!” 23 Trying to show no signs of life 24 Show out? 26 Metaphorical time in hell 27 Future exec, maybe 28 Began a PC session 29 Seminary study: Abbr. 30 One who “went a-courtin’,” in a children’s song 32 Hurried along 33 Asian berry marketed as a “superfood” 36 “Darth Vader is Luke’s father,” e.g. 38 Kind of yoga 39 Lily Potter’s maiden name in the Harry Potter books 41 Fair 42 Attention getters 44 Longtime CBS police procedural 48 Voodoo, e.g. 50 Quite a bash, in slang 52 Partner of shock 53 Wrecks, as chances 55 Relating to gaps 59 Norm: Abbr. 62 Burrow 63 Bit of office greenery 65 Dead-end sign 67 Kind of state 68 Was forced to turn down an invitation 69 Big character? 71 Take as a bride 72 News commentator Navarro 73 Ball of yarn and others 74 Confession inducers 77 “Jeez, you should keep that private” 78 Get down 79 Go as far down as 84 ____ diagram 86 Green surroundings? 88 Seize 90 Work 91 “You betcha!” 93 Had a leading role? 96 S or M 97 Sam of Watergate hearings 98 Ipecac, e.g. 99 Openly gay 101 Fix, as a mess of wires 103 Singer Garfunkel 104 Big part of an orchestra 108 Bottle for a beachgoer
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16 Sidestep 17 It’s under helium in the periodic table 18 Dog’s warning 20 Endure 25 Per 30 ____ News 31 Annoy, in a way 33 Goal for many a H.S. dropout 34 Donations to certain clinics 35 Pantry item 37 David ____, C.I.A. director under Obama 38 “Watch it!” DOWN 1 Not using sensitive language, 40 Took a breather 43 Possess, as thou might say 45 Old Testament land 2 Dis-banded? 46 “Pick me! Pick me!” 3 List ender: Abbr. 4 Not wait till evening to crack 47 Certain Spanish murals 49 Elapse, as years a bottle 51 Braided floor covering 5 Semester’s end 54 Where coal miners work 6 Rapper ____ Azalea 55 Doesn’t bother 7 General’s assistant: Abbr. 56 Telly pitch 8 Tool for undoing stitches 57 1040 reviewer, for short 9 What many runners do 58 Humerus connection before a marathon 59 “How uncool!” 10 Senectitude 60 “Yer darn ____!” 11 “r u 4 real?” 61 It may bring a tear to 12 Jared of “Dallas Buyers one’s eye Club” 64 “____ Is Us” 13 Nerd’s epithet for the (65-Down drama) president? 65 See 64-Down 14 Lions and tigers 66 Bout result, in brief 15 Tidbit with rice in Creole 67 Like a game with equal cuisine 109 It’s left on a highway … or a path used by five answers in this puzzle? 111 ____ about (approximately) 112 A little 113 “Yeah, that makes sense” 114 Nota ____ 115 Had too much, for short 116 Go on a drinking spree, in slang 117 Nuggets in “Poor Richard’s Almanack”
winners and losers 70 ’Vette option 71 Happenin’ place 75 Election that’s too close to call 76 Peachy 78 “Phooey!” 80 Like many clowns and beachside houses 81 Kennedy Library architect 82 Nickname for a devil 83 Flowery poem 85 Help grow 86 “You agree?” 87 Enjoy consistent, favorable luck, in poker lingo 89 Story line 92 Sort of rooftop unit, familiarly 94 Another name for a porpoise or dolphin 95 Certain domain suffix 97 Subject of a 2001-02 scandal 98 Caught congers 100 Strong desire 101 ____ Reader 102 Shade of green 104 “Absolutely!” to Alejandro 105 Capital of Okinawa 106 Chew (on) 107 Match makers? 108 Get all blubbery 110 Show with Kate McKinnon, for short
ANSWERS ON PAGE 39
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SPORTS UPON FURTHER REVIEW
New pro softball league takes hold in Satsuma
BY J. MARK BRYANT/SPORTS WRITER/SPORTS@LAGNIAPPEMOBILE.COM/TWITTER @GOULAGUY
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wo years ago, a couple of college buddies were watching the Women’s College World Series on television and were captivated by what they saw. “We saw the amount of attention and the number of people in the stands,” Joseph Donald, a 2006 Baker High graduate, said. “We saw the potential of growth.” His companion that night was Michael Chiaradio. The two had been baseball teammates at Southeastern University in Lakeland, Florida. “He came to me with the idea of having a pro softball team,” Donald said. “We wanted to form a team last year.” There was one major problem: The National Pro Fastpitch League that had been around for 15 years wanted close to $1 million to join. Donald said that was not financially an option. But the duo didn’t give up. They decided if they couldn’t join the already established organization, they would just have to start their own. That is when the American Softball Association (ASBA) was born. “The idea came about eight months ago,” Donald said. “We wanted professional softball to grow, but it didn’t look like it was going to expand. The chances for players were limited.” Chiaradio, a New Jersey native, was gaining crucial knowledge on how to operate a franchise when he was with the Empire League’s Plattsburgh, New York, baseball organization. He invited Donald to join him last year. “We saw how the business side operated,” said Donald, who had minor league experience as a player, much like Chiaradio. “We have applied the same principles to softball.” With Chiaradio serving as the chief executive officer and Donald the chief branding officer, they came up with a unique business plan. The league is based on a revenue-
sharing model that puts the players on an even field with the organization. There is no ceiling on earning potential, revenue is split equally among teams and the original players receive founders’ shares in the company. To help reduce expenses, the four teams are playing their games at Satsuma High School. Donald credits Monica and Mallory Meadows, another pair of Baker alumnae, for securing the location for the ASBA. “Every dollar that comes in is split 50-50 with the players,” Donald said. “That is one of the major staples of our foundation. Anything softball-related income is split.” Another key has been the introduction of host families. There are about 20 local families housing players, with some keeping up to four young women at a time. “If we had to pay the housing expenses for 56 players, it might be $30,000,” Donald said. “That savings can be shared with the players.” Hosts are only asked to provide a bed and some privacy for the players, who are responsible for their own food and transportation. In addition to creating a relationship that could last a lifetime, the hosts receive season passes. The draft took place June 6. Mississippi State’s Cassidy Knudsen was the No. 1 overall pick. Former University of South Alabama player Kaleigh Todd was the 33rd pick, going to the Moh-BEEL! USA squad. “I’m just so excited right now to being able to continue my playing career,” Todd said about being drafted. “I’ve been working towards this moment since I started playing at the age of 3. All of the hard work has paid off. I couldn’t be more excited and proud to stay in Mobile and help start this new league.” Alumnae from Spring Hill College in the league are Lauren Stewart (Outkast) and Jenna Charnock (E1 Pro Ballers). Kristen Gardner of Vancleave, Mississippi (a cousin of this
writer’s wife), who played at Mississippi College, now pitches for E1 Pro Ballers. Of the four teams, three have local connections. Moh-BEEL! USA (community action group) was the first to sign up, while Future 1s (an apparel company) and Outkast (nonprofit youth organization) were next. E1 Pro Ballers from Arizona completed the field. “The local community gave us an opportunity to start here,” Donald said. “I think ASBA can do really well here, considering the youth softball in Mobile and Baldwin counties. “These young women are role models. They want to get their brand of softball out there. They are building a league of their own.” Even before the first season is finished, the college buddies are already planning for the future. “We have given 56 players a chance to play professional softball in Mobile,” Donald said. “Our goal next year is to triple the opportunity. We want to add eight more teams, so we’ll have four in Satsuma, four somewhere in Baldwin County and four more at South Alabama. “This season will give us the momentum toward the sponsorship trail. We have barely scratched the surface.” The inaugural 72-game summer season began June 15 and runs through July 31. The first games begin at 5 p.m., with the second to follow 25 minutes after the opener concludes. The first game on Sundays starts at 2 p.m. Admission is $5, while children 12 and under wearing their team jersey are allowed in for free. For more information, visit www.ASBASoftball.com.
Aloha from the Causeway
The Battleship Rugby team is hosting the second annual Luau 7’s event this Saturday. The match features a faster-paced and higher-scoring version than the typical 15-player format. Rugby 7’s is a sanctioned Olympic sport. It will feature both men and women’s teams with players of all ages and skill levels on five regulation fields. The Battleship Rugby club is inviting teams to visit the exhibits — including the USS Alabama, USS Drum and the military aircraft — following the action. There will be a social with a luau theme, so guests are asked to wear their best Hawaiian apparel. For more information, visit battleshiprugby.com.
Straight as an arrow
A recent story about local youth archers inadvertently left out one individual. Jonathan Hall of Grand Bay’s Breitling Elementary competed in the NASP (National Archery in the Schools Program) World Championship on June 9. He placed fourth out of 762 archers in the Elementary Boys Division, scoring 288 out of 300 possible points. Prior to this, he participated in the Eastern National Championship and earned a spot on the NASP All-American Academic Team.
SPORTS FROM BEHIND THE MIC
Celebrate, then try to fairly bring down, sports dynasties BY RANDY KENNEDY/CONTRIBUTING WRITER
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e seem to have a dynasty problem these days in sports. Those who are winning don’t think there’s a problem, except when they’re accused of manipulating the rules or outright cheating to get to the top. But almost everybody else seems to think so. We see it at the high school level, all the way through college sports and into the most popular pro sports. It’s not enough to celebrate the intelligence and hard work these players and coaches put in to get to the top. It’s become part of the fabric of American sports to cry foul when our teams can’t keep up with the Joneses. And all the whining is starting to take away much of the joy from the games. The most recent examples involve the Golden State Warriors. Yes, they were the best team in the NBA before league MVP Kevin Durant joined them to form a dynasty. Yes, they were the huge favorites to repeat as champions next year even before the best center on the planet — Mobile native and LeFlore graduate DeMarcus Cousins — signed with the Warriors last week. Cousins is one of only eight players in NBA history to have a season in which he averaged 25 points, 13 rebounds and 5 assists per game. He did that last season. But because he’s recovering from an Achilles injury that will keep him off the court until January or February, he was available for
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$5.3 million for one season. That’s basically minimum wage in NBA terms. When he’s healthy, Golden State will have the best starting lineup in NBA history. It’s debatable, but I would take Cousins, Durant, Steph Curry, Klay Thompson and Draymond Green over the legendary Celtics of Larry Bird, Kevin McHale, Robert Parish, Dennis Johnson and Danny Ainge, or the best Chicago Bulls lineup, which featured Michael Jordan, Scottie Pippen, Dennis Rodman, Ron Harper and Toni Kukoc. As a free agent, Cousins was available to every team in the league. The Warriors were the team that quickly made the deal when they learned he was available and open to a one-year contract. That makes them smart, not cheaters or unsavory in any way. Yes, they are going to win another NBA title next year, but that should be celebrated and seen as a standard for every other team to strive for. At the college level, everybody who doesn’t use “Roll Tide” as a greeting is tired of seeing Nick Saban and Alabama win. Five national championships in nine years is a feat nobody figured they would see in an age of reduced scholarship limits, conference championship games and a more demanding playoff system. But the Tide has done it by being smarter and working “the process” better than any other program. The scary part
is that Alabama is in position to be better going forward than they have been already. Vegas odds have Alabama as the overwhelming favorite to win it all in 2018, and the 2019 team is setting up to be Alabama’s best ever. So what should be done to break up this Alabama dynasty? Nothing, except try to be better than the Tide. We certainly shouldn’t be supporting rule changes, such as the transfer rule that allows more freedom for players to move from one program to the other. In the short run, this rule seems to punish Alabama. When offensive lineman Brandon Kennedy was freed to transfer from Alabama to Tennessee and play immediately, critics of Saban cheered. But far better players than Kennedy are now going to transfer from another SEC school to Alabama, meaning the “punishment” for Saban is actually going to benefit the Tide in the long run. The whining is happening at the high school level as well. St. Paul’s has won three of the last four state championships in Class 5A. Just like with the Warriors and the Crimson Tide, that kind of success offends some people. So instead of St. Paul’s playing in Class 4A, where the school’s enrollment would rightfully place them, or in Class 5A after the 1.35 multiplier is applied for private schools, the Saints will now play in Class 6A because of the new “competitive balance” legislation passed by the Alabama High School Athletic Association. That means a school with an enrollment of 310 students in grades 10-12 will play against Class 6A competition, where the largest school has 1,046 students and the smallest has 606 students. The correct solution to ending the dynasty of St. Paul’s football would have been for somebody to work hard enough and smart enough to beat them. The same is true for Alabama football, Golden State Warriors basketball, Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal in tennis, Villanova in college basketball and Oregon State in college baseball. The greatest fun in sports comes when a team like the Philadelphia Eagles rises up to beat a dynasty. What made the most recent Super Bowl so great was that there were no artificial barriers put in front of the New England Patriots to help the Eagles. One day, some team will eventually do the same to Golden State, Alabama and St. Paul’s. But it takes away the joy of chopping them down if they are somehow penalized for their incredible success. Randy Kennedy writes a weekly column for Lagniappe and is co-host of “Sports Drive” every weekday from 3-6 p.m. on WNSP 105.5 FM, the country’s first all-sports FM station.
ANSWERS FROM PAGE 36
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STYLE HOROSCOPES WE ALL SCREAM CANCER (6/22-7/22) — Whether or not you avoid the Baldwin County rabies plague will depend almost entirely on your ability to outrun a fox. Since those chances are slim, be proactive and bite a fox first. Your lucky ice cream flavor is salted caramel pretzel. LEO (7/23-8/23) — It will take a call to the president himself to settle whether Twinkle Cavanaugh or Will Ainsworth is the most MAGA of them all. The only other way to make up your mind is to just grab them by the p*ssy and see what happens next. Your lucky ice cream flavor is peanut butter swirl. VIRGO (8/24-9/22) — You’ll be subjected to a perp walk after you’re accused of Mobile County’s latest crime involving a miniature horse. Pro tip: throw the vulture media off their game by asking THEM the questions first. Your lucky ice cream flavor is rocky road. LIBRA (9/23-10/22) — You’ll visit Kravers Seafood to taste the exotic sutchi fish. Turns out it’s not so bad, but you still have reservations about seafood substitutions after reading about “imitation calamari.” Your lucky ice cream flavor is strawberry. SCORPIO (10/23-11/21) — For a good time call David at 251-450-4466, but for a better time go to the inaugural MOB Music Fest this weekend. You may finally witness the long-awaited Underhill Family Orchestra collaboration with 2 Major Twinz. Your lucky ice cream flavor is butter pecan. SAGITTARIUS (11/22-12/22) — You’ll bring a 64-ounce beer cup to an American Softball Association game so you can land a foul ball with room to spare. You know what to do next — chug it. Your lucky ice cream flavor is red velvet. CAPRICORN (12/23-1/19) — You’ll look at side-by-side photos of Troy King and Steve Marshall and be unable to tell them apart. The real challenge will be trying to distinguish their platforms. Your lucky ice cream flavor is mint chocolate chip. AQUARIUS (1/20-2/18) — It’s your turn to make Friday’s ArtWalk an ArtSashay, as you stroll down Dauphin Street sporting a new pair of jorts. You’ll be flattered, not offended, when a gallery owner requests to put your legs on display. Your lucky ice cream flavor is tie-dyed vanilla. PISCES (2/19-3/20) — You’ll attempt to break up a brawl at the USS Alabama this weekend, only to be told it’s a rugby match. A war memorial is no place for a pacifist. Your lucky ice cream flavor is birthday cake. ARIES (3/21-4/19) — You don’t know why, but something feels romantic about people trapped in caves. Their rescue always invokes mixed emotions including relief and longing. Your lucky ice cream flavor is butter pecan. TAURUS (4/20-5/20) — Despite its best intentions, you’ll warn the petition to adopt a new form of government in Fairhope will cause World War III. It’ll be like “Spider Man 3” — pretty terrible to begin with but made worse with jazz dancing. Your lucky ice cream flavor is moose tracks. GEMINI (5/21-6/21) — You send a congratulatory card to Supreme Court justice nominee Brett Kavanaugh. Your message is simple: “Better you than me, pal.” Your lucky ice cream flavor is is chocolate chip cookie dough.
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STYLE FEATURE
Charity fashion showcase benefits autism, alzheimer’s BY GABI GARRETT/CONTRIBUTING WRITER
Photo | Provided
F
A July 12 fashion show in Fairhope will benefit autism and alzheimer’s charities.
aye Phillips is full of energy and life as she discusses her upcoming event dedicated to raising funds for autism and alzheimer’s disease. She exudes an excited energy, not unlike the performers and models who will star in her upcoming fashion charity showcase. Her star-studded cast includes such fun sonalities as Ms. Venus, a popular performer in Mobile. Phillips will be launching her “Recycle Revolution:
From Fairhope to Paris” collection, which will include recycled materials as well as decorated, one-of-a-kind pieces. The show takes place July 12 at 6:30 p.m. at The Venue in Fairhope. The event will support two important causes: alzheimer’s and autism. “I want this to be an annual event people come to to have fun and, most importantly, continuously support these two epidemic causes, because they are not slowing down
anytime soon,” Phillips said. Recent research shows 1 in 4 boys shows signs of autism, including a 4-year-old in Phillips’ own family, making this cause close to her heart. Half of the proceeds from the event will be donated to the American Autism and Rehabilitation Center in Daphne. Alzheimer’s is another cause close to Phillips’ heart, as her mother struggles with memory care. The remaining proceeds will be donated to Dr. Charles Schwartz in Hattiesburg— one of only a few neurologists specializing in memory care in our area. This organization has a nonprofit that helps caregivers learn how to give support as a patient’s need for care increases over time. Event tickets cost $40 in advance and $50 at the door, although attendees can receive $5 off if they bring a new, 10-inch teddy bear to donate. Tickets may be purchased at Tamara’s in downtown Fairhope or by calling Phillips directly at 251-600-9551. “The bears are much needed! Both the adults and children of both causes are in need of snuggles and love,” Phillips said. This event is a way for Phillips to showcase her fashion independence, as she now launches back into her own line and highlights two important causes at the same time. “I’d like to think I’m a bit like Coco Chanel,” Phillips laughs. “I love her entrepreneurial style, how she came from nothing. In fact, I am a Chanel ambassador now.” Phillips notes recycled materials have always been a passion for her. In fact, she made recyclable bikinis in her early days lined with trash bags. Faye Wray Designs will feature longtime popular favorites, such as Mardi Gras-themed outfits and Marilyn Monroe classics. The event will also host an Elvis and Marilyn Monroe lookalikes. “This is sure to be a great girls’ night out,” Phillips says. “But silent auction items are sure to attract both genders. For the boys we have an all-day fishing trip from an Orange Beach vendor.” “Even if you can’t attend the event but want to participate, I am willing to meet you to pick up any donations, or bears,” Phillips said.
The Details:
Event: July 12 at 6:30 p.m. at The Venue in Fairhope, 105 S Section St., Fairhope 36532 Cost: $40 pre-event, $50 at the door | $5 off for bringing a new 10” bear. Cash or check, please. Where to purchase: Purchase tickets at Tamara’s in downtown, Fairhope, 104 N Section St., or contact Phillips directly — 251-600-9551 or fayewray777@yahoo.com.
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LAGNIAPPE LEGALS | 251.450-4466 | legals@lagniappemobile.com FORECLOSURES FORECLOSURE NOTICE Default having been made in the payment of the indebtedness described in and secured by that certain mortgage executed by William Dursch and Anita Dursch, husband and wife to Mortgage Electronic Registration Systems, Inc. (MERS) acting solely as nominee for Lender, Taylor, Bean & Whitaker Mortgage Corp., and Lender’s Successors and Assigns dated March 26, 2009, and Recorded in Book 6515, page 449 of the records in the Office of the Judge of Probate, Mobile County, Alabama, which said mortgage was subsequently assigned to Carrington Mortgage Services, LLC by instrument recorded in BK LR7188, Page 536 and corrected by instrument recorded in Book LR7509, Page 1216 in said Probate Court records; notice is hereby given that the undersigned as mortgagee will under power of sale contained in said mortgage, sell at public outcry for cash to the highest bidder, during legal hours of sale on the July 24, 2018, at the front door entrance of the Courthouse of Mobile County, Alabama, 205 Government St., Mobile, Alabama 36602, the following described real property in the County of Mobile, State of Alabama, being the same property described in the above referred to mortgage: LOT 50, SECOND ADDITION, LARTIGUE SUBDIVISION, AS RECORDED IN MAP BOOK 9, PAGE 380 IN THE OFFICE OF THE JUDGE OF PROBATE COURT OF MOBILE COUNTY, ALABAMA; TOGETHER WITH A 2005 PATRIOT 3532N MANUFACTURED HOME, SERIAL NUMBER PAL19170AAL AND PAL19170BAL. ALABAMA LAW GIVES SOME PERSONS WHO HAVE AN INTEREST IN PROPERTY THE RIGHT TO REDEEM THE PROPERTY UNDER CERTAIN CIRCUMSTANCES. PROGRAMS MAY ALSO EXIST THAT HELP PERSONS AVOID OR DELAY THE FORECLOSURE PROCESS. AN ATTORNEY SHOULD BE CONSULTED TO HELP YOU UNDERSTAND THESE RIGHTS AND PROGRAMS AS A PART OF THE FORECLOSURE PROCESS. This property will be sold on an “as is, where is” basis, subject to any easements, encumbrances and exceptions reflected in the mortgage and those contained in the records of the office of the judge of the probate where the above-described property is situated. This property will be sold without warranty or recourse, expressed or implied as to title, use and/or enjoyment and will be sold subject to the right of redemption of all parties entitled thereto. Said sale is made for the purpose of paying the said indebtedness and the expenses incident to this sale, including a reasonable attorney’s fee. The sale will be conducted subject (1) to confirmation that the sale is not prohibited under the U.S. Bankruptcy Code and (2) to final confirmation and audit of the status of the loan with the mortgagee. Carrington Mortgage Services, LLC Mortgagee Beth McFadden Rouse McFadden, Rouse & Bender, LLC 718 Downtowner Blvd. Mobile, AL 36609 Lagniappe HD June 27, July 3, 11, 2018
FORECLOSURE NOTICE Default having been made by the herein referenced Grantee in the terms of that certain Vendor’s Lien Deed executed on November 30, 2001 by David L. Bryant Jr., as Grantee to Oak Development Company, Inc. an Alabama Corporation, 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 4941, Page 0250, and said vendor’s lien having been last assigned to Austin Mulherin, which assignment was recorded in the office of the Judge of Probate Mobile County Alabama in Real Property Book LR7313, Page 1307, 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 August 15, 2018. Lot 54 as per plat of RIDGE CREST, UNIT IV as recorded in Map Book 72, Page 33, Probate Court of Mobile County, Alabama. Said sale is made for the purpose of paying said Vendor’s Lien debt and costs of foreclosure. W. Austin Mulherin 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 Lagniappe HD July 11, 18, 25, 2018
FORECLOSURE NOTICE Default having been made by the herein referenced Grantee in the terms of that certain Vendor’s Lien Deed executed on February 24, 2017 by Kristen T. Vaughan, as Grantee to Iras Development Company, Inc. an Ala-
bama Corporation, 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 LR7485, Page 670, and said vendor’s lien having been last assigned to EMON, LLC, which assignment was recorded in the office of the Judge of Probate Mobile County Alabama in Real Property Book LR7580, Page 676, 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 August 15, 2018. Lot 3 as per plat of TIMBERLAND, UNIT I as recorded in Map Book 88, Page 19, Probate Court of Mobile County, Alabama, including A 1995 Destiny Mobile Home VIN: G43489. Said sale is made for the purpose of paying said Vendor’s Lien debt and costs of foreclosure. EMON, LLC 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 Lagniappe HD July 11, 18, 25, 2018
FORECLOSURE NOTICE Default having been made by the herein referenced Grantee in the terms of that certain Vendor’s Lien Deed executed on October 24, 2013, by Daniel E. Thompson and Jennifer Thompson, as Grantees to Iras Development Company, Inc., a Alabama corporation, 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 LR7090, Page 739, and said vendor’s lien having been last assigned to W. Austin Mulherin, which assignment was recorded in the office of the Judge of Probate Mobile County Alabama in Real Property Book LR7097, Page 164, 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 August 15, 2018. Lot 64, as per plat of TIMBERLAND, Unit III as recorded in Map Book 92, Page 16, Probate Court of Mobile County, Alabama; Said sale is made for the purpose of paying said Vendor’s Lien debt and costs of foreclosure. W. Austin Mulherin 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 Lagniappe HD July 11, 18, 25, 2018
ADVERTISEMENT FOR BIDS ADVERTISEMENT FOR BIDS Notice is hereby given that the University of South Alabama (Owner) will accept sealed Bids for the following Work: HYDRANT REALIGNMENT University of South Alabama Mobile, Alabama USA JOB NO. 18-26 USA BID NO. 8070301 Bids will be received and clocked in 2:00 p.m. local time on Tuesday, July 31, 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. 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 mmayberry@southalabama.edu Lagniappe HD July 11, 18, 25, 2018
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PROBATE NOTICE OF ESTATE ADMINISTRATION PROBATE COURT OF MOBILE COUNTY, ALABAMA Estate of: ELOISE M. CRISWELL AKA ELOISE MIDDLETON CRISWELL, Deceased Case No. 2018-1205 Take notice that Letters Testamentary have been granted to the below named parties on the 5th day of July 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. GINGER L. LOWERY as Executrix under the last will and testament of ELOISE M. CRISWELL AKA ELOISE MIDDLETON CRISWELL, Deceased. Attorney of Record: PRO SE Lagniappe HD July 11, 18, 25, 2018
NOTICE OF ESTATE ADMINISTRATION PROBATE COURT OF MOBILE COUNTY, ALABAMA Estate of: WILLIAM MICHAEL VICKERS, Deceased Case No. 2018-1325 Take notice that Letters Testamentary have been granted to the below named parties on the 5th day of July, 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. BRANDON MITCHELL VICKERS as Executor under the last will and testament of WILLIAM MICHAEL VICKERS, Deceased. Attorney of Record: DAVID A. BOYETT, III Lagniappe HD July 11, 18, 25, 2018
NOTICE OF ESTATE ADMINISTRATION PROBATE COURT OF MOBILE COUNTY, ALABAMA Estate of: DORIS ELEANOR WATERS, Deceased Case No. 2018-0748 Take notice that Letters Testamentary have been granted to the below named parties on the 19th day of June, 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. RHONDA CAMPBELL WEBB and KATHLEEN CAMPBELL ABRAMS as Co-Executrices under the last will and testament of DORIS ELEANOR WATERS, Deceased. Attorney of Record: PRO SE Lagniappe HD June 27, July 3, 11, 2018
NOTICE OF ESTATE ADMINISTRATION PROBATE COURT OF MOBILE COUNTY, ALABAMA Estate of: BOBBIE MAXINE WARREN, Deceased Case No. 2018-0862 Take notice that Letters Testamentary have been granted to the below named parties on the 15th day of June, 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. ELISABETH CAROL FOSTER as Executrix under the last will and testament of BOBBIE MAXINE WARREN, Deceased. Attorney of Record: DEENA R. TYLER Lagniappe HD June 27, July 3, 11, 2018
CONDEMNATION NOTICE Notice is hereby given to any unknown heirs and next of kin of Alsie Harris, Deceased; or any other person or persons in interest of the following proceedings in the Probate Court of Mobile County, AL, viz: IN THE PROBATE COURT OF MOBILE COUNTY, ALABAMA CASE NO. 2017-2292 STATE OF ALABAMA COUNTY OF MOBILE, Plaintiff -VSHeirs at Law and Next of Kin of Alsie Harris, deceased, JERRY AND GLADYS WILKERSON, INEZ HUGHES, CATHERINE POLLACK, CARRIE BRACIE, BRENDA MOORE, MILDRED HENDRIX, DYRONE WILKERSON, QUINCY LATRELLE HARRIS, JANICE CROCKETT PARKER, KIM HASTIE, as REVENUE COMMISSIONER FOR MOBILE COUNTY, ALABAMA, Defendants COMPLAINT FOR CONDEMNATION Heretofore came the County of Mobile, by and through its attorney, K. Paul Carbo, Jr., Esq., its attorney, and filed a Second Amended Complaint to Condemn Lands
in writing seeking to condemn for the uses and purposes set forth in said complaint that certain real property located in the County of Mobile, State of Alabama, and described as follows: EXHIBIT “A” TRACT NO. 45 DE 1 PROJECT NO. MCR 2014-306 (Old Military Road) A PARCEL OF LAND BEING A PORTION OF THE NORTHWEST QUARTER OF SECTION 2, TOWNSHIP 7 SOUTH, RANGE 2 WEST, MOBILE COUNTY, ALABAMA. SAID PARCEL BEING MORE PARTICULARLY DESCRIBED AS FOLLOWS: COMMENCE AT THE NORTHWEST CORNER OF LOT 2 OF SAMUEL DUNCAN JR SUBDIVISION AS RECORDED IN MAP BOOK 86, PAGE 117 OF THE PUBLIC RECORDS IN MOBILE COUNTY PROBATE COURT, POINT ALSO BEING ON THE SOUTH RIGHT OF WAY LINE OF OLD MILITARY ROAD (RIGHT-OF-WAY VARIES); THENCE RUN NORTH, A DISTANCE OF 42.56 FEET TO A POINT ON THE NORTH RIGHT OF WAY LINE OF SAID OLD MILITARY ROAD; THENCE RUN SOUTH 70°20’22’’ WEST, ALONG SAID NORTH LINE, A DISTANCE OF 276.34 FEET TO A POINT; THENCE RUN SOUTH 68°01’56’’WEST, ALONG SAID NORTH LINE, A DISTANCE OF 327.06 FEET TO A POINT; THENCE RUN SOUTH 68°05’16’’ WEST ALONG SAID NORTH LINE, A DISTANCE OF 111.10 FEET TO THE WESTERNMOST POINT OF RIGHT-OF-WAY TAKING FOR OLD MILITARY ROAD; THENCE CONTINUE SOUTH 68°05’16’’ WEST ALONG SAID NORTH LINE, A DISTANCE OF 16.61 FEET TO THE POINT OF BEGINNING OF THE PARCEL HEREIN DESCRIBED; THENCE CONTINUE SOUTH 68°05’16’’ WEST ALONG SAID NORTH LINE, A DISTANCE OF 8.79 FEET TO A POINT; THENCE NORTH 89°18’11’’ WEST, A DISTANCE OF 61.14 FEET TO A POINT; THENCE RUN NORTH 00°38’49’’ EAST A DISTANCE OF 20.00 FEET TO A POINT; THENCE RUN SOUTH 89°18’11’’ EAST A DISTANCE OF 69.26 FEET TO A POINT; THENCE RUN SOUTH 00°38’49’’ WEST A DISTANCE OF 16.62 FEET TO THE POINT OF BEGINNING AND CONTAINING 0.0315 ACRES (1,371 SQUARE FEET) MORE OR LESS. TRACT NO. 45 DE 2 PROJECT NO. MCR 2014-306 (Old Military Road) A PARCEL OF LAND BEING A PORTION OF THE NORTHWEST QUARTER OF SECTION 2, TOWNSHIP 7 SOUTH, RANGE 2 WEST, MOBILE COUNTY, ALABAMA. SAID PARCEL BEING MORE PARTICULARLY DESCRIBED AS FOLLOWS: COMMENCE AT THE NORTHWEST CORNER OF LOT 2 OF SAMUEL DUNCAN JR SUBDIVISION AS RECORDED IN MAP BOOK 86 PAGE 117 OF THE PUBLIC RECORDS IN MOBILE COUNTY PROBATE COURT, POINT ALSO BEING ON THE SOUTH RIGHT OF WAY LINE OF OLD MILITARY ROAD (RIGHT-OF-WAY VARIES); THENCE RUN NORTH, A DISTANCE OF 42.56 FEET TO A POINT ON THE NORTH RIGHT OF WAY LINE OF SAID OLD MILITARY ROAD; THENCE RUN SOUTH 70°20’22’’ WEST, ALONG SAID NORTH LINE, A DISTANCE OF 276.34 FEET TO A POINT; THENCE RUN SOUTH 68°01’56’’WEST, ALONG SAID NORTH LINE, A DISTANCE OF 327.06 FEET TO A POINT; THENCE RUN SOUTH 68°05’16’’ WEST ALONG SAID NORTH LINE, A DISTANCE OF 111.10 FEET TO THE WESTERNMOST POINT OF RIGHT-OF-WAY TAKING FOR OLD MILITARY ROAD; THENCE CONTINUE SOUTH 68°05’16’’ WEST ALONG SAID NORTH LINE, A DISTANCE OF 25.40 FEET TO A POINT; THENCE NORTH 89°18’11’’ WEST, A DISTANCE OF 130.40 FEET TO THE POINT OF BEGINNING OF THE PARCEL HEREIN DESCRIBED; THENCE CONTINUE NORTH 89°18’11’’ WEST, A DISTANCE OF 23.32 FEET TO A POINT; THENCE RUN NORTH 00°41’49’’ EAST A DISTANCE OF 20.00 FEET TO A POINT; THENCE RUN SOUTH 89°18’11’’ EAST A DISTANCE OF 23.30 FEET TO A POINT; THENCE RUN SOUTH 00°38’49’’ WEST A DISTANCE OF 20.00 FEET TO THE POINT OF BEGINNING AND CONTAINING 0.0107 ACRES (466 SQUARE FEET) MORE OR LESS. TRACT NO. 22 ROW 1 PROJECT NO. MCR2014-306 (OLD MILITARY ROAD) A PARCEL OF LAND BEING A PORTION OF THE NORTHWEST QUARTER OF SECTION 2, TOWNSHIP 7 SOUTH, RANGE 2 WEST, MOBILE COUNTY, ALABAMA. SAID PARCEL BEING MORE PARTICULARLY DESCRIBED AS FOLLOWS: COMMENCE AT THE NORTHWEST CORNER OF LOT 1 OF SAMUEL DUNCAN JR SUBDIVISION AS RECORDED IN MAP BOOK 86, PAGE 117 OF THE PUBLIC RECORDS IN MOBILE COUNTY PROBATE COURT, POINT ALSO BEING ON THE SOUTH RIGHT OF WAY LINE OF OLD MILITARY ROAD (RIGHT-OFWAY VARIES); THENCE RUN SOUTH 69°30’41’’ WEST, ALONG THE SOUTH RIGHT OF WAY LINE OF SAID OLD MILITARY ROAD, A DISTANCE OF 21.10 FEET TO THE POINT OF BEGINNING OF THE PARCEL HEREIN DESCRIBED; THENCE RUN SOUTH A DISTANCE OF 15.89 FEET TO A POINT; THENCE RUN SOUTH 69°23’52’’ WEST, A DISTANCE OF 131.95 FEET TO A POINT; THENCE RUN NORTH A DISTANCE OF 16.17 FEET TO A POINT ON THE SOUTH RIGHT OF WAY LINE OF SAID OLD MILITARY ROAD; THENCE RUN NORTH 69°30’41’’ EAST ALONG THE SOUTH RIGHT OF WAY LINE OF SAID OLD MILITARY ROAD A DISTANCE OF 131.85 FEET TO THE POINT OF BEGINNING AND CONTAINING 0.0455 ACRES (1980 SQUARE FEET) MORE OR LESS.
TRACT NO. 17 ROW 1 PROJECT NO. MCR 2014-306 (JOE CARL ROAD WEST) A PARCEL OF LAND BEING A PORTION OF THE NORTHWEST QUARTER OF SECTION 2, TOWNSHIP 7 SOUTH, RANGE 2 WEST, MOBILE COUNTY, ALABAMA. SAID PARCEL BEING MORE PARTICULARLY DESCRIBED AS FOLLOWS: COMMENCE AT THE NORTHWEST CORNER OF LOT 1 OF WANZER PLACE SUBDIVISION AS RECORDED IN MAP BOOK 89, PAGE 16 OF THE PUBLIC RECORDS IN MOBILE COUNTY PROBATE COURT, THENCE RUN NORTH 00°19’50’’ EAST, ALONG THE EAST RIGHT OF WAY LINE OF JOE CARL ROAD WEST (A 50 FOOT RIGHT-OF-WAY), A DISTANCE OF 296.64 FEET TO A POINT; THENCE RUN NORTH 89°40’10’’ WEST ALONG THE NORTH RIGHT OF WAY LINE OF SAID JOE CARL ROAD WEST A DISTANCE OF 127.35 FEET TO A POINT; THENCE RUN NORTH 00°19’50’’ EAST ALONG THE EAST RIGHT OF WAY LINE OF SAID JOE CARL ROAD WEST, A DISTANCE OF 104.29 FEET TO A POINT; THENCE RUN NORTH A DISTANCE OF 208.71 FEET TO A POINT; THENCE RUN WEST A DISTANCE OF 128.63 FEET TO THE POINT OF BEGINNING OF THE PARCEL HEREIN DESCRIBED; THENCE CONTINUE WEST A DISTANCE OF 50.44 FEET TO A POINT ON A NON-TANGENT CURVE TO THE RIGHT (HAVING A RADIUS OF 295 FEET); THENCE RUN NORTHEASTWARDLY ALONG SAID CURVE TO THE RIGHT (CHORD BEARING NORTH 11°52’20’’ EAST, CHORD LENGTH 51.09 FEET) AN ARC DISTANCE OF 51.16 FEET TO A POINT; THENCE RUN EAST A DISTANCE OF 22.69 FEET TO A POINT; THENCE RUN NORTH A DISTANCE OF 71.25 FEET TO A POINT; THENCE RUN NORTH 17°41’31’’ EAST A DISTANCE OF 30.17 FEET TO A POINT; THENCE RUN EAST A DISTANCE OF 7.35 FEET TO A POINT; THENCE RUN NORTH 17°41’30’’ EAST A DISTANCE OF 84.26 FEET TO A POINT; THENCE RUN NORTH 70°01’35’’ EAST A DISTANCE OF 41.62 FEET TO A POINT; THENCE RUN NORTH A DISTANCE OF 79.80 FEET TO A POINT ON THE SOUTH RIGHT OF WAY LINE OF OLD MILITARY ROAD (RIGHT-OF-WAY VARIES); THENCE RUN NORTH 69°30’41’’ EAST ALONG THE SOUTH RIGHT OF WAY LINE OF SAID OLD MILITARY ROAD A DISTANCE OF 66.54 FEET TO A POINT; THENCE RUN SOUTH A DISTANCE OF 17.41 FEET TO A POINT ON A NON-TANGENT CURVE TO THE LEFT (HAVING A RADIUS OF 85.00’); THENCE RUN SOUTHWESTWARDLY ALONG SAID CURVE TO THE LEFT (CHORD BEARING SOUTH 39°24’48’’ WEST, CHORD LENGTH 62.92 FEET) AN ARC DISTANCE OF 64.45 FEET TO A POINT OF TANGENCY; THENCE RUN SOUTH 17°41’30’’ WEST A DISTANCE OF 254.61 FEET TO A POINT ON A TANGENT CURVE TO THE LEFT (HAVING A RADIUS OF 245.00 FEET); THENCE RUN SOUTHWESTWARDLY ALONG SAID TANGENT CURVE TO THE LEFT (CHORD BEARING SOUTH 13°00’26’’ WEST, CHORD LENGTH 40.02 FEET) AN ARC DISTANCE OF 40.06 FEET TO THE POINT OF BEGINNING AND CONTAINING 0.3168 ACRES (13,800 SQUARE FEET) MORE OR LESS. TRACT NO. 17 ROW 2 PROJECT NO. MCR2014-306 (JOE CARL ROAD WEST) A PARCEL OF LAND BEING A PORTION OF THE NORTHWEST QUARTER OF SECTION 2, TOWNSHIP 7 SOUTH, RANGE 2 WEST, MOBILE COUNTY, ALABAMA. SAID PARCEL BEING MORE PARTICULARLY DESCRIBED AS FOLLOWS: COMMENCE AT THE NORTHWEST CORNER OF LOT 1 OF SAMUEL DUNCAN JR SUBDIVISION AS RECORDED IN MAP BOOK 86, PAGE 117 OF THE PUBLIC RECORDS IN MOBILE COUNTY PROBATE COURT, POINT ALSO BEING ON THE SOUTH RIGHT OF WAY OF OLD MILITARY ROAD (RIGHT-OF-WAY VARIES); THENCE RUN SOUTH 69°30’41’’ WEST, ALONG THE SOUTH RIGHT OF WAY LINE OF SAID OLD MILITARY ROAD, A DISTANCE OF 185.10 FEET TO THE POINT OF BEGINNING OF THE PARCEL HEREIN DESCRIBED; THENCE RUN SOUTH A DISTANCE OF 16.24 FEET TO A POINT; THENCE RUN SOUTH 69°23’52’’ WEST, A DISTANCE OF 33.82 FEET TO A POINT; THENCE RUN NORTH A DISTANCE OF 16.31 FEET TO A POINT ON THE SOUTH RIGHT OF WAY LINE OF SAID OLD MILITARY ROAD; THENCE RUN NORTH 69°30’41’’ EAST ALONG THE SOUTH RIGHT OF WAY LINE OF SAID OLD MILITARY ROAD A DISTANCE OF 33.80 FEET TO THE POINT OF BEGINNING AND CONTAINING 0.0118 ACRES (515 SQUARE FEET) MORE OR LESS. You are further notified that the hearing of said complaint has been set by this Court for August 6, 2018 at 2:00 p.m. in Courtroom #1, at which time you may appear and answer said complaint or file objections thereto if you so desire. THE PARTIES TO WHICH NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN SHALL BE AFFORDED AT LEAST THIRTY (30) DAYS FROM THE DATE OF THE LAST PUBLICATION TO FILE AN ANSWER OR OTHER RESPONSE WITH THE COURT AND THE ATTORNEY FOR THE PLAINTIFF. If the application to condemn is granted by the Court, a Commissioner’s hearing will be scheduled within 30 days thereafter to determine damages which may be due the defendants. For information on the date and time of such hearing, please contact the Probate Court during regular business hours at 574-6001. Witness my hand this the 26th day of June, 2018 K. Paul Carbo, Jr., Esq., Attorney 3030 Knollwood Drive Mobile, AL 36693 Lagniappe HD July 3, 11, 18, 25,2018
LAGNIAPPE LEGALS | 251.450-4466 | legals@lagniappemobile.com ADOPTION NOTICE OF ADOPTION HEARING PROBATE COURT OF MOBILE COUNTY CASE NO: 2018-1152 To: Joseph P. Little, Sr. father of DML, a minor. Please take note that a petition for the adoption of the above named minor child who was born to Susan Morrow on or about the 26th day of December, 2006, has been filed in said Court. Please be advised that if you intend to contest this adoption you must file a written response with the attorney for the petitioner named below and with the Clerk of the Probate Court, P.O. Box 7, Mobile, AL 36601 as soon as possible but no later than thirty (30) days from the last day this notice is published. Attorney for Petitioner: RICHARD E. MATHER, ATTORNEY 1008 Dauphin Street Mobile, Alabama 36604 Lagniappe HD June 20, 27, July 4, 11, 2018
PUBLIC NOTICE STATE OF ALABAMA COUNTY OF MOBILE Notice is hereby given that a bill as described in the synopsis below will be introduced in the 2019 Regular Session of the Legislature of Alabama and application for its passage and enactment will be made: A BILL TO BE ENTITLED AN ACT SYNOPSIS: Relating to Class 2 municipalities; to create an alternate Self-Help Business Improvement District as authorized in Section 11-54B-40, Code of Alabama 1975; to provide procedures for any Class 2 municipality to establish one or more Self-Help Business Improvement Districts for the purpose of promoting tourism, including the creation of non-profit corporations to manage the districts; to provide certain required provisions in the articles of incorporation of district management corporations; to provide for the levy of a special assessment on a particular class of businesses located within the geographical area of the district for the purpose of promoting tourism for the benefit of businesses in the district; to provide for the expansion or reduction of real property in any self-help business improvement district; to provide for dissolution of a district and withdrawal of a non-profit corporation’s designation as a district management corporation. Lagniappe HD June 27, July 3, 11, 18, 2018
COMPLETION NOTICE 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 Bill Smith Electric, Inc., has completed the contact for Herndon-Sage – Basketball Court Lighting – PR-275-17 at 2900 Dauphin Street, Mobile, Alabama 36604. All persons having any claims for labor, material or otherwise in connection with this project should immediately notify the Architectural Engineering Department, City of Mobile, P.O. Box 1827, Mobile, AL 36633-1827. Lagniappe HD July 11, 2018
ABANDONED VEHICLES NOTICE OF SALE The following unclaimed vehicle(s) will be sold on August 10, 2018 - Time - 12pm, if not claimed - at 7960 Two Mile Rd., Irvington, AL 36544. 1998 Nissan Altima 1N4DL01D9WC106468 1995 Nissan 300ZX JN1RZ24D6SX591289
The following unclaimed vehicle(s) will be sold on August 10, 2018 - Time - 12pm, if not claimed - at 12450 Ranch Rd S., Grand Bay, AL 36541. 1990 Nissan 240SX JN1HS36P8LW149215
The following unclaimed vehicle(s) will be sold on August 17, 2018 - Time - 12pm, if not claimed – at 2307C South US Hwy 31, Bay Minette, AL 36507. 2010 Kia Forte KNAFU4A24A5064033
The following unclaimed vehicle(s) will be sold on August 10, 2018 - Time - 12pm, if not claimed - at 112 E 21st Ave Apt 7, Gulf Shores, AL 36542. 2004 Toyota Avalon 4T1BF28B04U371856
The following unclaimed vehicle(s) will be sold on August 17, 2018 - Time - 12pm, if not claimed - at 8384 Grand Oaks Dr., Theodore, AL 36582. 1999 GMC Sierra 2GTEC19VXX1502076
Lagniappe HD July 3, 11, 2018
Lagniappe HD July 3, 11, 2018
The following unclaimed vehicle(s) will be sold on August 10, 2018 - Time - 12pm, if not claimed - at 18921 County Rd 12 S., Foley, AL 36535. 2002 Chevrolet Venture 1GNDX03E62D151206 Lagniappe HD July 3, 11, 2018
The following unclaimed vehicle(s) will be sold on August 10, 2018 - Time - 12pm, if not claimed - at 1616 St Stephens Rd., Mobile, AL 36603. 2002 Mercedes S500 WDBNG75J42A261848 Lagniappe HD July 3, 11, 2018
The following unclaimed vehicle(s) will be sold on August 10, 2018 - Time - 12pm, if not claimed - at 2817 Gill Rd., Mobile, AL 36605. 2003 Ford Mustang 1FAFP40413F379081 Lagniappe HD July 3, 11, 2018
The following unclaimed vehicle(s) will be sold on August 10, 2018 - Time - 12pm, if not claimed - at 8461 Sand Ridge Rd Lot 1, Citronelle, AL 36522. 2010 Nissan Altima 1N4AL2EP4AC159171 2006 Chevrolet HHR 3GNDA13D86S571344 Lagniappe HD July 3, 11, 2018
The following unclaimed vehicle(s) will be sold on August 10, 2018 - Time - 12pm, if not claimed - at 310 Oak Dr., Mobile, AL 36617. 1996 Lincoln Town Car 1LNLM83W9TY652505 Lagniappe HD July 3, 11, 2018
The following unclaimed vehicle(s) will be sold on August 17, 2018 - Time - 12pm, if not claimed - at 7960 Two Mile Rd., Irvington, AL 36544. 1987 GMC R2500 1GTGR24N3HJ512914 2000 GMC Jimmy 1GKCS13W7Y2200780 2003 VW Beetle 3VWCK21C03M423641 1997 Ford Aerostar 1FMDA11U6VZB32460 2014 Nissan Sentra 3N1AB7AP5EY296491 2002 Hyundai Sonata KMHWF35H52A569217 Lagniappe HD July 11, 18, 2018
The following unclaimed vehicle(s) will be sold on August 17, 2018 - Time - 12pm, if not claimed - at 2301 Wagnor St., Mobile, AL 36605. 2004 Acura MDX 2HNYD18814H508125 2013 Nissan Maxima 1N4AA5AP5DC838724 2014 Chrysler 200 1C3CCBBG3EN105687 Lagniappe HD July 11, 18, 2018
The following unclaimed vehicle(s) will be sold on August 10, 2018 - Time - 12pm, if not claimed - at 910 Gulf Terra Dr., Mobile, AL 36605. 2002 Dodge Neon 1B3ES26C92D580116
The following unclaimed vehicle(s) will be sold on August 17, 2018 - Time - 12pm, if not claimed - at 2311 East Rd., Mobile, AL 36693. 2003 Mitsubishi Lancer JA3AJ26E13U074037 1986 Toyota Pickup JT4RN64P6G5027395
The following unclaimed vehicle(s) will be sold on August 10, 2018 - Time - 12pm, if not claimed - at 1106 US Hwy 98, Daphne, AL 36526. 1998 Honda Accord 1HGCG565XWA137234 2012 Nissan Altima 1N4AL2AP2CC134522
The following unclaimed vehicle(s) will be sold on August 17, 2018 - Time - 12pm, if not claimed - at 12464 Ballard Rd Lot 1, Grand Bay, AL 36541. 2003 Honda Accord 1HGCM56673A025360 2002 Ford Focus 1FAHP36332W168237
The following unclaimed vehicle(s) will be sold on August 10, 2018 - Time - 12pm, if not claimed - at 5815 Marshall Rd., Eight Mile, AL 36613. 1997 Chevrolet Astro Van 1GNDM19W5VB117742 1996 Chevrolet Astro Van 1GBDM19W2TB138624
The following unclaimed vehicle(s) will be sold on August 17, 2018 - Time - 12pm, if not claimed - at 6926 Simpson Rd., Theodore, AL 36582. 2006 Chevrolet Avalanche 3GNEC12Z36G190659 2009 Chevrolet Malibu 1G1ZK57739F147031
Lagniappe HD July 3, 11, 2018
Lagniappe HD July 3, 11, 2018
Lagniappe HD July 3, 11, 2018
Lagniappe HD July 3, 11, 2018
Lagniappe HD July 11, 18, 2018
STYLE BOOZIE
When refrigerators attack
BY BOOZIE BEER NUES/SOCIAL BUTTERFLY
Lagniappe HD July 11, 18, 2018
The following unclaimed vehicle(s) will be sold on August 17, 2018 - Time - 12pm, if not claimed - at 1050 N Hickory St., Loxley, AL 36551. 1992 Chevrolet S10 1GCCS14Z7N2128933 2002 Ford Taurus 1FAFP55282A212970 1976 Ford F100 F10GNC29089 1997 Chevrolet Express 1GBFG15M4V1105038 2008 Dodge Charger 2B3KA43R88H276393 1998 Toyota 4Runner JT3GN86R2W0067572 2003 Ford LGT Convt 2FTRX17W13CB14802 Lagniappe HD July 11, 18, 2018
The following unclaimed vehicle(s) will be sold on August 17, 2018 - Time - 12pm, if not claimed - at 19645 Road St., Citronelle, AL 36522. 2013 Hyundai Sonata 5NPEB4AC3DH680789 2006 Nissan Altima 1N4AL11DX6C139651 2010 Honda Accord 1HGCP2F76AA155707 Lagniappe HD July 11, 18, 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 36602 For more information or to place your ad call Jackie at 251-450-4466. Or email at legals@lagniappemobile.com
I
t’s been a week, y’all. I mean, at least we haven’t been stuck in a cave for two weeks, so there’s that. But I’m over this heat, humidity and rain! Not to mention all of the political ads on the ol’ boob tune! Maybe a cave doesn’t sound all that bad after all! And I mean one you can easily get out of. (Very thankful all of those kiddos got out of the one in Thailand.) Anyway, I guess that’s a bad idea, as it ain’t easy gossip-gatherin’ in a cave. It ain’t that easy when the weather stinks either, but I’ve tried to scrape up as much as I can. So enjoy!
The blotter
I think the heat has driven people to the brink of insanity, at least judging by the police reports issued by MPD. Check these out: “On Sunday, July 8, 2018, at approximately 1:38 a.m. police responded to the 400 block of Westwood Street in reference to suspicious circumstance complaint. The victim stated she found a female inside of her bedroom wearing her clothing.” I guess you don’t want to steal jeans if they are going to make your butt look big! And then there was this one. Some people use guns, others brass knuckles, but real men use their Frigidaires! “On Friday, July 6, 2018, at approximately 4:45 p.m. police responded to the 200 block of Hosfelt Lane in reference to an assault. The victim stated he and his uncle got into a verbal altercation and when he opened the refrigerator his uncle came from behind and punched him in the face. The victim also stated his uncle slammed his hand in the refrigerator door. The victim was transported to the hospital with minor injuries. The uncle fled the scene.” No word on if the refrigerator sustained any injuries.
More mysterious Mobile creatures?
First we learned of the existence of Snow Cain, the downtown albino squirrel who frequents Ryan Park and Spanish Plaza. Then there was Perees the Peacock, who strutted his stuff around Spring Hill for a bit. Now I have caught wind of another special creature spotted in Mobile, at a home off Azalea Road. It seems a very rare, white sparrow has been spotted in one local couple’s backyard. We will keep you posted! Well kids, that’s all I have for you this week. With the Nappies coming up, it’s getting crazy around Lagniappe World HQ, so pray for us. And just remember, whether rain or shine, dramatic or scandalous or some plain ol’ trying on stranger’s clothes lovin’, I will be there! Ciao!
Lagniappe HD July 11, 18, 2018
Lagniappe HD July 11, 18, 2018
Lagniappe HD July 11, 18, 2018
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