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WEEKLY
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LAGNIAPPE
J U LY 1 3 , 2 0 1 7 - J U LY 1 9 , 2 0 1 7 | 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 KEVIN LEE Associate Editor/Arts Editor klee@lagniappemobile.com
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BAY BRIEFS
With nine candidates in the field and millions of dollars on the line, the campaign for Alabama’s next governor is heating up.
COMMENTARY
At the height of summer vacation season, building the case for better roads and bridges.
BUSINESS
The 540,000 square-foot Eastern Shore Center in Malbis recently sold for $18.5 million
CUISINE
ANDY MACDONALD Cuisine Editor fatmansqueeze@comcast.net STEPHEN CENTANNI Music Editor scentanni@lagniappemobile.com
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J. MARK BRYANT Sports Writer sports@lagniappemobile.com STEPHANIE POE Copy Editor copy@lagniappemobile.com DANIEL ANDERSON Chief Photographer dan@danandersonphoto.com LAURA RASMUSSEN Art Director www.laurarasmussen.com BROOKE O’DONNELL Advertising Sales Executive brooke@lagniappemobile.com
With a great atmosphere, prompt service and ample plates, Eugene Walter would be proud of his namesake restaurant.
COVER
A look at crime statistics and law enforcement tactics in Mobile under the administrations of Sam Jones and Sandy Stimpson.
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BETH WILLIAMS Advertising Sales Executive bwilliams@lagniappemobile.com ALEEN MOMBERGER Advertising Sales Executive aleen@lagniappemobile.com RACHEL THOMAS Advertising Sales Executive rachel@lagniappemobile.com MELISSA EDGE Editorial Assistant events@lagniappemobile.com
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ARTS
A profile of Wolff Cottage Writer-in-Residence Elan Barnehama.
MUSIC
ROSS PRITCHARD Distribution Manager delivery@lagniappemobile.com JACKIE CRUTHIRDS Office Manager jackie@lagniappemobile.com CONTRIBUTORS: Lee Hedgepeth, Ron Sivak, Jeff Poor, Asia Frey, Brian Holbert, Ken Robinson, Sharman Egan ON THE COVER: CRIME STATS BY DANIEL ANDERSON AND LAURA RASMUSSEN POSTMASTER: Send address changes to P.O. Box 3003 Mobile, AL 36652. Editorial, advertising and production offices are located at 1100B Dauphin St. Mobile, AL 36604. Mailing address is P.O. Box 3003 Mobile, AL 36652. Phone: 251.450.4466 Fax 251.450.4498. Email: ashleytoland@lagniappemobile.com or rholbert@lagniappemobile.com LAGNIAPPE is printed at Walton Press. All letters sent to Lagniappe are considered to be intended for publication. Member: Association of Alternative Newsweeklies and Alternative Weeklies Network All rights reserved. Something Extra Publishing, Inc. Nothing may be reprinted, photocopied or in any way reproduced without the expressed permission of the publishers. Individuals may take one copy of the paper free of charge from area businesses, racks or boxes. After that, papers are $3 per issue. Removal of more than one copy from these points constitutes theft. Violators are subject to prosecution.
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Dash Rip Rock has churned out more than a dozen albums over a 30-year career. The band will perform at The Listening Room of Mobile July 15.
FILM
Taken as a standalone film, “T2 Trainspotting” marries a shocking visual style with a somber story, but makes it exciting and even, occasionally, fun.
MEDIA
Longtime FOX10 news personality Renee Dials retired after a 40-year career.
SPORTS
Athletes from around the United States will return to downtown Mobile July 15 for the annual Dauphin Street Vault.
STYLE
Boozie spent the Fourth of July getting the red, white & Blues!
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COURTS Court mandate frees up Hastie civil suit By Jason Johnson
Following a two-year appeals process, a federal judge has lifted a stay in a lawsuit against former Mobile County License Commissioner Kim Hastie filed by two local motorists whose personal information was improperly released by Hastie. In 2015, a local jury determined that Hastie’s decision to turn over 30,000 email addresses from a License Commission database to an employee of Sandy Stimpson’s 2013 mayoral campaign was a violation of the Driver’s Privacy Protection Act (DPPA). The addresses were used in an email campaign in August 2013 which included Hastie’s endorsement for Simpson over incumbent Sam Jones. Since her conviction, the same allegations were substantiated and condemned by the Alabama Ethics Commission. Even though the charge was a misdemeanor and the $5,000 fine imposed by the court was almost immediately paid, Hastie — Mobile County’s current Revenue Commissioner — has spent the last two years pursuing a federal appeal of her conviction. In April, the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals upheld her conviction, and despite a request to rehear the case, issued a mandate of its judgment July 3. As a result, the stay that has kept the civil suit against Hastie on hold for two years was lifted by U.S. District Court Judge Kristi DuBose July 11, which will allow the claims filed by Anitra Diamond and Labarron Yates to move forward for the first time since June 2015. Diamond and Yates are both residents of Mobile County who claim Hastie violated the DPPA and their personal privacy by disseminating their email addresses for political purposes. When the allegations of Hastie’s conduct first surfaced in 2014, Stimpson, who is currently campaigning for a second term, released a statement distancing himself from the actions
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of the Strateco Inc., which managed his 2013 campaign. “Our campaign relied on its hired consultants to deliver the most advanced digital campaign possible,” Stimpson said. “They managed and directed all social media and voter outreach efforts with the public. We were assured that all of their efforts in that regard were in accordance with all applicable laws and regulations.” Strateco was originally named in the lawsuit as well, though the company and its owner have since been voluntarily dismissed. For Hastie and Mobile County, though, the lawsuit is just now getting started and the cost of losing could be high. According to the complaint, the DPPA includes a $2,500 penalty for each instance where personal information is released inappropriately. If the fine is applied to each of the 30,000 emails Hastie released — a jury could potentially impose a penalty of $75 million. Hastie has until July 31 to respond Diamond and Yates’ complaint. What direction her defense will take in the newly-active civil suit remains unclear, but throughout her trial and appeal, no one claimed Hastie didn’t authorize the release of the email addresses. Instead, her attorneys focused on whether they constituted personal information. The 11th Circuit says they do. In fact, the only denial of Hastie’s action on record is when she herself told a WKRG reporter in 2013, “We haven’t given anyone’s email information to anyone” — a claim former employees of the Stimpson campaign and the license commission contradicted during her trial.
Jamal Jackson sentenced to death for murder of Satori Richardson By Gabriel Tynes
Mobile County Circuit Court Judge Ben Brooks accepted a jury’s recommendation of the death penalty July 6 in the
capital murder case of Jamal Jackson, who was convicted of stabbing and strangling his girlfriend Satori Richardson in 2014 before setting their apartment on fire. After his conviction in March, the jury recommended the death sentence by a margin of 10-2, accepting prosecutors’ claims that the crime rose to the level of capital murder based on Jackson’s previous conviction of robbery using a firearm. Both the jury and Brooks rejected another aggravating factor; prosecutors claimed the murder was especially “cruel and heinous” because it was committed in the presence of Richardson’s 4-year-old daughter, who later testified against Jackson and can be heard on a July 4, 2014 911 recording screaming for her mother’s life as Jackson stabbed Richardson 32 times with a kitchen knife and strangled her with an electrical cord. Jackson was 24 at the time, Richardson was 26. Afterward, prosecutors say Jackson lit a fire in their shared apartment on Navco Road before fleeing to the Florida Panhandle, where he was caught hours later after a brief pursuit by police. The child fled unhurt to a relative’s apartment next door. Although he initially pleaded not guilty, defense attorneys Greg Hughes and Robert “Bucky” Thomas did not attempt to prove Jackson’s innocence. Rather, they sought to mitigate the intent of the defendant’s crime, suggesting it was an isolated incident fueled by a day of heavy drinking. However, witnesses testified that Jackson and Richardson had been in previous domestic violence incidents, including one when Jackson drove Richardson to a graveyard and told her, “this is where you’re going to be.” Brooks cited previous court rulings to indicate he was wary of imposing capital punishment, but ultimately concluded the facts surrounding Jackson’s armed robbery conviction at the age of 17 were enough to meet the state’s standard for aggravating circumstances, which are necessary to pursue the death penalty. The prosecution was led by Assistant District Attorney Keith Blackwood.
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BAYBRIEF | MONTGOMERY
High stakes
THE RACE FOR GOVERNOR HEATS UP BY LEE HEDGEPETH
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ith a growing list of candidates and millions in campaign cash already on the line, the race for Alabama governor — an election still over a year out — is heating up. So far 10 candidates have formally filed for a principal campaign committee with the Alabama Secretary of State’s office. Of those, one candidate, former Auburn University football coach Tommy Tuberville, has already dissolved his committee and backed out of the gubernatorial arena: “Basically too many negatives for this this thing to add up to being a positive,” he said. The nine remaining candidates with political committees — eight Republicans and one Democrat — have a collective $1.8 million in campaign cash on hand, a hefty war chest given fundraising in the race was only permitted to begin in June, a year ahead of the primary elections. Of them, Twinkle Cavanaugh, president of Alabama’s Public Service Commission, has the most cash on hand with just over half a million dollars, primarily from a $500,000 personal loan to her own campaign. She has also found support from some individual donors and from the coal industry, which has historically been her political ally come election time. “It’s one of our largest natural resources in the state of Alabama,” Twinkle said of the industry, “and I’m proud of every single person that joined our team. I fought Obama’s war on coal with every breath I had and I’ve done that for the past six years. What Obama tried to do was to drive up the price of energy in our country and put over 5,000 people in the state of Alabama out of business.” Despite her passion and deep campaign coffers, Cavanaugh — like many politicos fully expected to compete come 2018 — has yet to make her formal announcement, but she says it will come soon. “I will be making an official announcement within the next week, but it’s clear that I have had an unbelievable amount of support throughout the state of Alabama with over 170 unique individuals investing in my campaign,” Cavanaugh said. “I’m proud because the median donation was $100,” she added. “These are folks, hard working men and women across the state of Alabama, who want our state to move forward. And I’m proud to have each and every one of them on my disclosure.” Second to Cavanaugh in campaign cash on hand is Huntsville Mayor Tommy Battle, who has officially announced his bid. “For too long, the people of Alabama have seen our values come under attack,” Battle said in his announcement. “Alabama has endured corruption instead of opportunity. Scandal instead of education. Embarrassment instead of pride. We’re not just in a battle for Alabama’s values, we’re in a battle for Alabama’s future. I’m running for governor because I’m ready to lead that fight.” Third in campaign cash as of press time is Joshua Jones, a Vestavia Hills businessman who has never run for political office before. Jones, who loaned his own campaign $250,000, said he’s “very serious about running … This is going to be a statesman’s run.” Coming in a close fourth for campaign fund-
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ing with just over $200,000 on hand is State Sen. Bill Hightower, a Republican from Grand Bay in South Mobile County. While Hightower has not yet publicly announced his bid, it’s widely regarded as Montgomery’s worst kept secret. When asked for comment, a political consultant for Hightower told Lagniappe the senator “is looking at the race very seriously.” “He is pleased with the amount of support he is receiving from all over the state,” Chris Brown of Red State Strategies said. “As one of the most conservative senators in Alabama, he is hoping to bring that leadership to a higher level for our state.” Also with six-figure campaign finance chests are Jefferson County Commissioner David Carrington ($201,071) and Christian minister Scott Dawson ($178,008). Carrington rolled over just under $100,000 from previous campaign cycles. Dawson, who has never before run a campaign, said he’s grateful for the financial support of his fellow Alabamians. “I am humbled that people around this state are backing me and my vision to move Alabama forward,” the evangelist said. “As I continue to listen and learn from people around this great state, I am convinced that this race is about so much more than one office. It’s about Alabama’s future.” Other candidates with committees had balances below $100,000, including Commissioner of Agriculture and Industries John McMillan ($38,390), perennial GOP candidate Stacy Lee George ($226), and the only Democrat in the race, former Alabama Supreme Court Chief Justice Sue Bell Cobb ($63,300). Despite the funding gap, Cobb has said that she won’t be deterred from winning back the governor’s mansion for what has become Alabama’s super-minority party. “I’m going to be the next governor of Alabama. We’re not going to be complacent any more. Republicans have given us a trifecta,” Cobb said, referring to the falls from grace of Alabama’s GOP governor, chief justice, and speaker of the house within the past year. “It’s time to have a governor who’s more concerned about people than party. I do believe in taking care of the least, the last, the lost. People are tired of the partisanship. There is just a yearning for creative, unselfish leadership.” When it comes to fundraising, though, Cobb will have her challenges, but it’s something she’s not unfamiliar with. In March 2015, Cobb wrote an op-ed in Politico Magazine called “I was Alabama’s top judge. I’m ashamed by what I had to do to get there,” in which she criticized the vast fundraising efforts needed to fund a bid for public office, particularly in judicial races. This is another ball game, and Landon Nichols, the former chief justice’s campaign manager, thinks the candidate can rise to the challenge. “We are pleased with where we are this early in the campaign and we are grateful to those who have already contributed,” he said. “We are especially glad to have so many individual donors make small contributions.” The primary elections for governor will be held on June 5, 2018. The general election will be Nov. 6.
BAYBRIEF | MOBILE COUNTY
Use of force
LAWSUIT CLAIMS INMATE PARALYZED BY CORRECTIONS OFFICERS BY JASON JOHNSON
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he family of a former Mobile County Metro Jail inmate are pushing an excessive force lawsuit after an altercation with local corrections officers two years ago resulted in the paralysis of Brandon Jeffries — an 18-yearold with multiple diagnosed behavior disorders. Originally from Cullman, Jeffries was formerly a resident of an AltaPointe group home on Three Notch Road. Diagnosed with multiple behavior and impulse control disorders, he was prescribed at least three psychotropic medications at the time. On May 4, 2015, Jeffries was arrested on a misdemeanor assault charge for an incident at his group home. An AltaPointe therapist accused Jeffries of being disruptive and threatening people with a pocket knife, according to a Mobile County Sheriff’s Office (MCSO) spokeswoman. After roughly six weeks at Metro, Jeffries allegedly became disruptive, causing security team members to restrain him — an incident MCSO discussed with local media in stories related to the jail’s increased level of mentally ill inmates. At the time, authorities briefly mentioned Jeffries “complaining about numbness in his legs” following the altercation. However, it’s the extent of Jeffries’ injuries and the medical care he received at the jail serving as the basis of his family’s civil lawsuit. The litigation was filed against Mobile County, Sheriff Sam Cochran, several corrections officers and medical personnel as well as NaphCare Inc. — a thirdparty inmate health care provider with a freshly renewed contract in Mobile County.
June 11, 2015
In a sprawling complaint filed in 2015, Jeffries’ attorneys made several allegations against a number of parties. At least a dozen of Metro’s corrections officers are named as defendants, each of whom were allegedly involved in the altercation or interacted with Jeffries afterward. The complaint claims “officers physically assaulted and/or battered Brandon,” causing him to fall to the ground where “the physical altercation continued.” Officers also allegedly used a stun gun on Jeffries at least twice. His family contends Jeffries immediately reported his injuries but was never taken to the jail’s internal medical clinic. Instead, they say he was placed in an empty call on suicide watch without consulting any mental health or medical staff personnel. According to the complaint, it was around that time Jeffries realized he couldn’t walk. From the time Jeffries was placed in the cell until he was transported to the hospital, he was observed by several staff members — including medical personnel employed by NaphCare. He also allegedly reported that he “could not feel his legs” and that his “shoulders were burning.” The complaint claims even after those symptoms were reported to a ranking officer, calls to the “medical clinic maintained and operated by NaphCare” received no response. His attorney, Trent Lowry, told Lagniappe Jeffries’ neck was broken for “at least 20 hours” before he was taken to the emergency room for treatment.
NaphCare
In addition to the county staff embroiled in the lawsuit, at least four NaphCare employees and the corporation itself are named as defendants because the company was contracted to provide medical services in the jail and provide medical training for its staff.
Jeffries’ legal team contends the training NaphCare provided was “wanton” and “inadequate” given that multiple staff members failed to recognize the spinal cord injury and paralysis of the inmate. At one point, after learning of Jeffries’ symptoms, a NaphCare employee allegedly recommended an ibuprofen, though he never received it. In depositions collected by Jeffries’ attorneys, even some of the supervisors at Metro Jail admitted there were problems with the way the situation was handled. In one, Warden Trey Oliver said, “it appears that he did not get the medical attention that he needed and deserved in the time that it should have been delivered.” Yet, just last month, Cochran and much of his staff were supportive of NaphCare as the Mobile County Commission considered renewing its contract with the jail. Even Oliver said he was “pleased the contract had been renewed.” At least one official had some concerns, though. In a June 26 meeting, Commission President Merceria Ludgood raised questions about NaphCare’s performance at the jail. An experienced attorney though, she was precise with her words, saying her concerns were over “staffing issues.” “Deputy Warden [Sam Houston] is very much in support of the work that they’re currently doing,” MCSO Finance Director Mary Calhoun responded. “Every inmate health care provider that we’ve had has had some kind of staffing issues. It’s the nature of the beast.” After that meeting though, Ludgood did make reference to the pending lawuit, which unlike many brought by former inmates, has been actively proceeding for nearly two years. “I think we do have one lawsuit pending that had to do with an injury and how it was handled,” Ludgood said of NaphCare’s contract renewal. “For me anyway, when you have that, it kind of raises a red flag because basically we’re accountable.” Before the vote, Cochran sent a letter to each of the commissioners recommending that NaphCare continue to provide medical services in Metro Jail through 2020. The letter also made clear that one of the determining factors in the department’s decision was the cost of service. In the letter, Cochran wrote that the committee which reviews the submitted bids had recommended NaphCare based on four factors, three of which were centered on preventing additional expenses for the jail. NaphCare’s proposed pricing — “$908,760 lower than the next lowest proposal” — its “proactive approach” to health care and its immediate evaluation of new inmates were all cited as things that help keep Metro’s “catastrophic expenses as low as possible.” In an amended complaint, Lowry wrote that NaphCare’s business model has been successful by “underbidding the competition and implementing services with severe cost control measures with respect to inmate medical and mental health care.” “The foreseeable result of which is unnecessary inmate suffering and constitutionally insufficient healthcare and mental health care,” he added. Representatives for MCSO and Mobile County declined to comment publicly on this report citing active litigation. One of Jeffries’ attorneys declined to provide a statement about the case, and similar calls to NaphCare’s legal counsel have so far gone unanswered.
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BAYBRIEF | MOBILE COUNTY
Please hang up and try again ALLEGED COP IMPERSONATOR FILES NOTICE OF CLAIM AGAINST CITY OF CREOLA BY JASON JOHNSON
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month out from his criminal trial, a man accused of impersonating a constable and issuing homemade citations to motorists is threatening the city of Creola with litigation over an alleged contract officials may have failed to properly bid out. Last July, Doug Roberts was arrested for allegedly issuing tickets to motorists parked in handicapped spaces. Authorities said, despite entering the Precinct 66 constable race in Mobile County, Roberts wasn’t a peace officer while he was issuing those citations. He was also in possession of a constable’s uniform, and drove a Chevrolet Tahoe equipped with radios, weapons, sirens and lights. With a trial in August, Roberts faces dozens of charges for impersonating a peace officer, possession of a forged instrument and violating Alabama’s “blue light law.” He was released on a $600,000 bond and required to wear an ankle monitor. During that time, though, Roberts made a handful of changes to Accelerated Technology Services Group LLC — a company he founded with the same post office address listed on the tickets that led to his arrest. In January, Roberts filed paperwork with the Alabama Secretary of State’s office making Chase Nelson a registered agent of the business. Then, in February, he submitted an application for a trademark on the name Cytranet — a “telephone and wireless broadband communication service” — on behalf of the same company. Nelson is listed as the director of Cytranet, and in March he attended a Creola City Council meeting to pitch the company’s services as officials were entertaining the idea of upgrading the city’s phone and internet systems. Ginger Poynter is one of the attorneys representing Roberts in his upcoming criminal trial, and though she doesn’t represent Cytranet, she spoke to Lagniappe on Nelson’s
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behalf. Nelson also managed Poynter’s 2014 campaign for district judge in Baldwin County. According to Poynter, officials in Creola unanimously supported Nelson’s proposal to install a new phone system and port the city’s existing telephone numbers to new carriers at a cost of $29,336 over a 36-month period. “Mayor [Bill] Criswell signed the contract, and the city clerk provided a list of phone numbers to port, and Cytranet began the transfer process,” Poynter wrote via email. “Then, after the numbers already received firm port dates registered by both carriers, the city claimed that it failed to solicit the required number of bids and needed to place the project ‘on hold.’” Criswell and Councilwoman Lee Anne Greene redirected questions about Cytranet to the city’s attorney, who declined to comment citing a confidentiality agreement. Alabama law requires that all contracts for labor, services, work or for the purchase or lease of materials exceeding $15,000 be awarded through a sealed, competitive bidding to the lowest responsible bidder.” The city did produce a copy of a notice of claim Accelerated Technology Services Group LLC filed with the city clerk in May — a standard procedure when suing a public entity. While Cytranet has not taken any legal action against the city yet, parties on both sides seem to agree that the work it started and wasn’t able to complete likely caused phone lines at Creola City Hall and the Creola Police Department to go offline for “around a week and a half” in May. Poynter said Cytranet sent a certified letter advising the city that the process couldn’t be “changed or ceased” without “a serious disruption in service.” An engineer — presumably Roberts — allegedly told officials something similar after being turned away from city hall.
That was on May 1, and by May 10, residents were told the phone lines “were hit by lightning during [a] storm and [were] being worked on” in a post on the city of Creola Facebook page. It gave alternate numbers for the police department and city hall, but made no mention of Cytranet or the system upgrade that had been put “on hold.” Creola officials didn’t respond to questions about the phone lines that “were hit by lightning,” but it is worth noting that a lightning strike did cause similar problems in 2015 and recent flood damage actually forced city hall to be moved to a new location at 9615 Old Hwy 43. While Roberts was listed as the only incorporating agent Cytranet’s parent company just months ago, Poynter claims “he is no longer an agent of the company” and “works as an engineer.” Yet, she said Creola cited Roberts’ legal trouble as a reason for ending its business with Cytranet. “The city then claimed that because one of Cytranet’s employees had been arrested last year, that this was the reason for the cancellation of the contract,” Poynter wrote. “The city left Cytranet holding the bag for the lost contract revenue, a new phone system and stuck in an interconnect agreement with another carrier.” However, a source with knowledge of the agreement and telecommunications networks said the interruption of services could have been avoided and went as far as to suggest the city’s phone numbers could have been “held hostage” until they could be ported back to the existing system. While the source of those claims asked to remain anonymous, Cytranet expressly denied them. Poynter did acknowledge Creola’s unsuccessful attempts to “stop the transfer process” through its current carrier, but said Cytranet did nothing to hinder those efforts and “allowed” the city to port its phone numbers back to another company “despite suffering these losses.” No matter what happens in Creola, Roberts’ criminal trial is moving forward. While prosecutors have called Roberts “a clear danger to the public,” his attorneys have called him “a modern day Robin Hood,” — helping shorthanded authorities, even if he was misguided about Alabama’s laws governing constables. “He was deputized by a constable that was duly elected. He was the only person to run, so he was going to be on the ballot and there was no Democratic challenger,” Poynter told Lagniappe. “A lot of constables deputize, even though the statute doesn’t allow for it.” As Poynter alluded, Roberts’ primary defense has been that he believed he was serving as a deputy constable while he was issuing traffic citations because he’d been previously deputized by Constable Dale Dorsey. Dorsey has corroborated that claim in his own testimony. However, throwing out Roberts’ motions for dismissal in March, Circuit Judge Michael Youngpeter ruled that a jury should decide what the former constable candidate knew about the law and when.
BAYBRIEF | MONTGOMERY
Polling price FEDS’ REQUEST FOR STATEWIDE VOTER INFO ON HOLD FOR NOW BY LEE HEDGEPETH
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n the wake of both a lawsuit filed by an electronic privacy group and widespread noncompliance from local officials including here in Alabama, a commission tasked by President Donald Trump with assessing election integrity has put on hold its request for respective states’ voter information. The body, created by an executive order in May, is called the Presidential Advisory Commission on Election Integrity, and is tasked with identifying “voting systems and practices used for federal elections that could lead to improper voter registrations and improper voting, including fraudulent voter registrations and fraudulent voting.” Formed following President Trump’s claims that millions of people voted illegally in the 2016 election, the body is formally headed by Vice President Mike Pence, but is effectively run by its vice chair, Kansas Secretary of State Kris Kobach. Kobach has become well known for his advocacy of voter identification laws and his claims, similar to those of the president, that voter fraud is widespread in the U.S. voting system. On June 28, Kobach sent a letter to state election officials across the country asking for “publicly-available voter roll data including … the full first and last names of all registrants, middle names or initials if available, addresses, dates of birth, political party [if recorded in your state], last four digits of social security number if available, and voter history from 2006 onward,” as well as information on felony conviction records of voters. After the letter’s initial distribution, states’ responses were somewhat mixed, but 44 of 50 states have said that they will not provide at least some of the requested information, for various reasons. Some states have cited state law, privacy concerns, or a combination thereof. Some, like Alabama, have made clear that the information requested will cost the Trump Administration under state law — over $35,000 in the Yellowhammer State’s case. A few have committed to giving up all the information. A couple states’ election officials have (West Virginia, Montana) even said they didn’t receive a copy of the original request at all. “We still have a number of questions we have to get answered,” Secretary of State John Merrill said shortly after receiving the letter. “The secretary of state’s office will comply with the request if we are convinced that the overall effort will produce the necessary results to accomplish the commission’s stated goal without compromising the integrity of the voter rolls and the elections process in Alabama.” From there, Merrill’s comments on the federal request became much more critical. “We want to be helpful. We want to encourage [the effort]. We think they are trying to be helpful to the country,” Merrill said, “but we’re not sure we’re going to provide everything they have asked for. We are not doing it on June 30 and we’re not sure if it will be provided by July 14 … We want to make sure our voter information is protected. We want to be helpful but have to make sure information on our constituents is secure.”
Merrill also raised questions about the fiscal feasibility of the federal government buying voter info from dozens of states — something that would be necessary in Alabama, for example. “If the Commission wanted to gain access, they may have to buy [the publicly available voter information], but I don’t know if that’s important to the president or the commission to make an appropriation for the expense that would be in the millions of dollars to buy all 50 states’ [data],” Merrill said. Merrill also had questions about the type of information requested in the letter. “I’m not fully understanding why some of the information was requested,” he said. “It didn’t make a whole lot of sense to me … One of the things they asked was ‘How many people are felons on your voting rolls?’ Well, if someone gets the legal right to vote in your state, why do you need to know their criminal history? That’s not appropriate.” In Alabama, not all felonies — only those of “moral turpitude” — disqualify a citizen from voting. Other secretaries of state, including Mississippi’s Delbert Hosemann, were even more disparaging of the demand for voter data. “My reply [to the commission)] would be: They can go jump in the Gulf of Mexico and Mississippi is a great state to launch from,” Hosemann said after the letter was released. “Mississippi residents should celebrate Independence Day and our state’s right to protect the privacy of our citizens by conducting our own electoral processes.” Kobach may not have to answer Merrill’s questions, though — or jump into the Gulf at Hosemann’s behest — at least for now. A recently filed lawsuit by the Electronic Privacy Information Center has stalled efforts to collect the information until “the judge rules on the temporary restraining order,” according to an email sent by the commission to Alabama officials first published by the Anniston Star. “We will follow up with you with further instructions once the judge issues her ruling,” the email from the commission said. Aside from the privacy lawsuit and state opposition to providing voter information — particularly free of charge — to the commission, various civic and civil rights groups have voiced their opposition to the request. “There is no justification for this giant fishing expedition,” a statement for the League of Women Voters said of the commission’s move. “The commission itself is a distraction from the real issue of voter suppression, and that efforts to ‘investigate voter fraud’ threaten our most fundamental voting rights.” This isn’t the first time Kobach has led a voter fraud inquiry. Kobach previously presided over an inquiry into possible double voting in a sample of 84 million votes in 22 states. Of those 84 million votes, 14 instances of alleged fraud were referred for prosecution. The commission is scheduled to meet formally for the first time on July 19 in Washington, D.C.
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BAYBRIEF | MOBILE
Our town DISTRICT 1 CANDIDATES DISCUSS NEIGHBORHOOD PRIORITIES BY DALE LIESCH
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n what he has said will be his last campaign, longtime incumbent Fred Richardson is set to face political newcomers Tim Hollis and Cory Penn in the District 1 Mobile City Council race. After more than 20 years on the council, Richardson said he wants to serve one last term and then spend the rest of his time writing, while he still can. “I am 77,” he said. “I’ll be in my 80s and I can’t chance not having control of all my facilities to do what I want to do. I can’t say that after four more years I won’t start slipping and won’t be able to do what I want to do.” Richardson said he wants more time to oversee capital improvement program funding in the district. The councilman takes credit for sponsoring the ordinance extending the sales tax increase for three years, funding the program. Through capital improvements, he said, the city is able to repave streets and perform other infrastructure work that has been neglected. Penn, a behavior trainer for the Mobile County Public School System, said he supports CIP funding, but still believes more can be done to improve parks and recreation in the district. “We need more funding because that’s where people go to enjoy their family, their friends … they make you feel safe,” Penn said. “I believe we need to have more funding in the area.” In the Beau Terra neighborhood where he lives with his wife and daughter, Penn said children play in the middle of the street because there’s no common space. Richardson defended his own efforts by mentioning Figures Park, which he called the most “diversified park
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in the city” because visitors can swim, play basketball, play baseball, play tennis and run on a track. Richardson said he’s made improvements to many parks in the district, including Trinity Gardens Park, which recently benefitted from a new playground. Hollis, a U.S. Air Force veteran, said he also believes the city could do a better job funding parks and youth activities. “We should have playgrounds that present some form of destiny, some symbols of hope,” Hollis said. “[There should be] a place where a kid can go and have more than just one swing to swing on, a place where a kid can go and be creative just as I did when I grew up.” Hollis said he’d like to see more playground equipment in District 1 parks, including jungle gyms and merry-go-rounds. While Richardson touted Henry Aaron Park as the only facility specifically for children 12 and under, Hollis said he didn’t agree with segregating the parks by age. Regarding jobs and economic development, Richardson touted helping to secure the recruitment of Publix in midtown, while his opponents want to aim higher. Richardson took credit for negotiating with the school system on a price for the former Augusta Evans property near the corner of Old Shell Road and Florida Street, where the store is currently under construction. Richardson said the store will bring $1.5 million in tax revenue per year into the city and create 235 new jobs. While he said jobs are important, Hollis wants to focus on luring higher paying jobs to District 1, while also partnering with small businesses to help beautify blighted areas. Overall, Hollis said he gives the city a C plus in
economic development efforts. “... It’s good to have jobs for the entire city, it’s good to have jobs that will help the entire county, but we need to focus on those high-paying jobs within the districts that will go to community residents,” Hollis said. “That way they’re making money in their neighborhoods, they’re traveling in their neighborhoods to their jobs and the money’s rotating within the community. District 1 has a lot of undeveloped land and there’s no excuse why we couldn’t move companies in to take interest in some of these undeveloped properties.” Penn said that while he believes the city is doing a good job in economic development, he’d like to see more of a focus on the people. He said he wants to expand job training efforts in the district. “I can bring a company in, but is it benefiting the people of a district?” He asked. “Are they being hired for those positions?” Richardson said he tries to include employment and job training information in all of his regular community meetings. Unfortunately, he said, turnout for younger individuals targeted by those jobs is not always what he’d like. In the area of crime and the community’s relationship with the Mobile Police Department, Richardson said he believes there’s not enough community involvement in the city’s policing effort, despite millions of dollars in grant money devoted to it each year. “There’s no input,” he said. “You’re not going to stop nothing until you get down to the cause. I’d take the community-oriented policing, or COP money, and get some professionals in here and find out what the cause is.” Hollis said he supports community policing, where officers walk beats on foot to get to know individuals in the community. He said he’s glad the city has begun the program, which will start to ease the mistrust residents feel toward police officers. “I do believe it will help, but I know it will not be an easy process,” Hollis said. “We have to understand we’re dealing with a systemic situation; something that has been in the mindsets and DNA of these citizens for a long time, most of their lives.” Penn would also like to see the relationship between the citizens and police improve. One proposal is a program called PACT, or Police and Citizens Together. “By creating this program, we have to build mutual respect between the police officers and the citizens,” Penn suggested. “We have to build relationships and I believe through this program that would help decrease the crime.”
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COMMENTARY | DAMN THE TORPEDOES
Like a bridge to the future ROB HOLBERT/MANAGING EDITOR/RHOLBERT@LAGNIAPPEMOBILE.COM
THERE ARE SO MANY TIMES WHILE DRIVING TO THE GULF THAT I CAN’T HELP THINKING HOW LUCKY WE ARE TO LIVE SO CLOSE TO SUCH GLORIOUS BEACHES — BEACHES THAT ARE THE ENVY OF THE REST OF THE COUNTRY.”
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people toss at his feet as they inch by. I’d imagine any hand gestures directed his way would not be thumbs up. Opposing the bridge at this point is really the domain of people who never actually drive anywhere. Maybe Sam only drives between his house and the water board these days, but he clearly doesn’t have much of an idea about how clogged things are getting. And it’s only going to get worse. Walmart and Amazon both are building major distribution centers in the area. That’s just going to mean more trucks on the road, and there’s at least some likelihood those two centers could attract other distribution centers as they did in Savannah. But what would be a boon for the local economy isn’t going to make for an easier trip through the tunnels, or over the Cochran Bridge for that matter. I’m sure this is at least the fifth or sixth column I’ve written over the past decade about the need for a bridge, but unfortunately it doesn’t seem to be much closer to becoming a reality. Perhaps we’re waiting for some kind of epic gridlock event. In addition to helping to alleviate our traffic issues, the I-10 bridge could end up enhancing our skyline and becoming an attraction of its own. Hopefully it will be constructed with bike paths and walking paths that would give it multiple uses. But even if it’s just a plain old gray bridge that just moves more trucks and cars across the river, we need it. Getting across the bay is already tough enough and, with a notable exception or two, I can’t imagine many of us want to feel trapped in our own city.
THEGADFLY
Once we hit the Causeway, traffic opened up considerably and we roared along at speeds that would have awed people from the horse-and-buggy days. The Bayway was pretty much a parking lot. It always makes me feel smart to look up and see the traffic jam I avoided. I guess that’s the Causeway/Bayway IQ test again. Traffic was heavy and Beth and I talked about how much more frustrating it is to get to the Gulf now. Really it’s the part about getting out of Mobile that has become especially frustrating. We just have more traffic than our two tunnels can handle. Lately I’ve had occasion to need to be somewhere in Spanish Fort or Fairhope by 5 or 6 on a Friday evening, and the last time I honestly considered just going over there after lunch and taking a five-hour nap in my car. It’s been a 90-minute trip to Fairhope. Once it took about two hours to get where I was going. I sometimes feel I’m having PTSD flashbacks from Washington, DC traffic. In DC things were so bad it once took me two hours to get to a Copeland’s that was about three miles away. When I lived in New Orleans I wouldn’t have walked across the street to eat at Copelands, but somehow through the wonders of gridlock I’d just spent two hours driving to eat faux Cajun food. I seriously considered setting my car on fire and just walking home. That was the thing about DC, on the weekends you actually felt trapped inside the city because it was literally a two-hour trek just to get outside the Beltway. By the time you made it that far whatever energy you might have had was gone and you just wanted to go home. We’re not that bad yet, but it is truly time to build
the I-10 bridge we’ve been talking about for years. A few estimates I’ve seen say building the bridge could take as long as eight years — 10 in government speak — which means at least another decade of traffic jams if we get started this week. And yes, it’s going to be expensive — upwards of $1 billion possibly — but it’s not getting any cheaper by waiting. I don’t doubt some early delay on the project came from the fierce opposition mounted when a bridge was first proposed. People were worried it would harm our Southern charm, destroy historic buildings and rain soot down upon downtown Mobile. Several different routes had to be discussed over and over again, then rejected, then talked about again. Eventually the commonness of traffic jams in and around the Wallace Tunnel in particular at least has led to an acceptance by most people that a bridge is needed. There are still some bridge Luddites out there — one of whom is running for mayor. Upon throwing his hat in the ring for mayor, Sam Jones said he’s not sure whether he supports construction of an I-10 bridge over the Mobile River because he worries it would take people out of downtown. Huh??? So I guess his logic is traffic jams are a downtown attraction? I can unequivocally say the traffic jam I experienced Saturday definitely made it harder for me to get into downtown Mobile and less happy to be there. Maybe this Friday afternoon Sam should stand on the sidewalk with a big cardboard sign that says I-10 Bridge on it with a huge X through it and see how many donations
Cartoon/Laura Rasmussen
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here are so many times while driving to the Gulf that I can’t help thinking how lucky we are to live so close to such glorious beaches — beaches that are the envy of the rest of the country. But Saturday wasn’t one of those days. The girlfriend and I were headed to Orange Beach for the Alabama Press Association awards, but figured we’d be smart and wait until close to lunch before leaving. We knew the Blue Angels were packing Pensacola’s beaches and that, combined with the usual Saturday beachgoers, meant the morning was likely to be traffic jam city. But surely by noon all that congestion would be gone — right? Wrong. We hit Broad Street around noon while making for the Bankhead Tunnel and immediately found bumperto-bumper traffic. My map app declared trying to go on I-10 an even bigger waste of time. Besides, I am firmly of the opinion that taking The Bayway on the weekend is a sign of severe brain damage, especially if it has even drizzled within the past hour. We bumped along stop and start until we made it into the Bankhead. Traffic magically seemed a bit better and our spirits lifted even though we had two carloads of people behind us fascinated by the concept of honking inside a tunnel. Don’t they have tunnels in Louisiana?
CANDIDATES ARE BEGINNING TO FILE IN FOR THE 2018 GUBERNATORIAL ELECTION.
COMMENTARY | THE HIDDEN AGENDA
Ann gets fancy while folks on Gov’t and Old Shell get antsy ASHLEY TRICE/EDITOR/ASHLEYTOLAND@LAGNIAPPEMOBILE.COM
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t was like the heavens opened up and shone down upon her, as a choir of angels sang “Hallelujah! Hallelujah!” She was as smooth as a baby’s butt and as slick as Mobile Bay on the calmest day of the year. Though she had been neglected and abused as long as I can remember, she bounced right back and was as beautiful as the day she was first born (I guess). Oh, Ann Street, how you have waited, how we have all waited for your caretakers to pour the money and the asphalt into you we know you have so desperately needed and so richly deserved for years. It was a Fourth of July miracle! Over the last couple of weeks, city workers have given one of our city’s most traveled and most beleaguered thoroughfares a poor man’s facelift. District Two Councilman Levon Manzie had been inundated with countless pleas to fix the aging street during his time in office. But with an $8 million price tag to fully reconstruct her, it just didn’t seem like it was going to be feasible any time soon. That is, until Manzie heard about a new technique being used as a “stop-gap” for aging streets in Pittsburgh. In this process, they would grind down the top layer of the street (time had done a pretty good job of grinding Ann’s top down already), inlay it with filament and then resurface. Manzie presented it to Mayor Stimpson and city engineer Nick Amberger, and they got to work. Since the project was completed last week, judging by the absolute jubilation from folks who regularly drive down the street, I would say, Councilman Manzie, this idea was a winner. Will we ever long for the days when Ann made us spill coffee all over ourselves as we hit one of her numerous potholes. Will our cars long for the excitement Ann once provided them as she pushed their suspension systems to the very limits, like they were all-terrain vehicles designed for use by NASA? I think not. But we will all remember the days of Deplorable Ann and will one day be able to tell our children the conditions we had to endure for years and years. Sweet, sweet Ann, you look so beautiful I could kiss you. God bless Councilman Manzie, Mayor Stimpson, City Engineer Amberger, the city of Mobile workers who did this work in the heat of July, the city of Pittsburgh, asphalt, filament, Jesus and America. It’s about time! While Ann has gotten all fancied up, there are a couple of proposed developments on her adjacent streets that have gotten folks all worked up. The first is a proposed Dunkin’ Donuts on Government Street near Dexter, just a few blocks away from where our beloved Krispy Kreme once stood and where Dairy Queen now stands. (Yes, that would be the Kripsy Kreme that closed because it couldn’t have a drive thru and the Dairy Queen who now has one of the longest drive thrus I have ever seen — so long, in fact, it might could accommodate the line that is always at the Chick-Fil-A at Dauphin and 65 no matter what time of day or night it is.) The real estate firm working on the Dunkin’ development has put the project on hold for now because of concerns from neighboring residents. Rumors were flying that these residents were against this because they were doughnut bigots. As a (doughnut) whole, Mobilians are largely intolerant of Dunkin’s dense cake-like “donuts” and fonder of Krispy Kreme’s lighter, glazed “doughnuts.” I think flavor and texture preferences as well as the proper spelling of
these treats are separated by the Mason-Dixon line. We like Coke over nasty Pepsi too. Just the other day, as my husband and I were driving by the other proposed Dunkin’ on Springhill Avenue, which is closer to our house, I mentioned it would be nice to have a place close by to get coffee in case we were out. He said, “Yeah I’ll drink their coffee but I’m not eating their donuts. I’ll keep going to Lickin’ Good.” He is clearly a doughnut-ist. I prefer Krispy Kreme and Lickin’ Good too, but I’ve never kicked any doughnut/donut out of bed. But neighbors by the Government Dunkin say emphatically this is not donutism, but worries about yet another “drive thru,” noise, litter and the possible removal of oak trees. We do love our trees here. (Dear all future developers, if you can’t save the oak trees while developing a piece of land in Mobile, don’t even bother — especially on the east end of Government where our oak canopy is iconic. You may, however, mow down most other tree species, except Cedar, depending on what kind of mood we are in and what it is being mowed down for. Love, The Selective Druids of Mobile) Development is a tough nut to crack. While you don’t want yet another oil change place, fast food joint or dollar store coming to your backyard, you don’t want the property to sit there vacant forever and ever either. And unfortunately all of the cute, quaint little stores and shops we have romantically dancing around in our dreams will probably never happen. Because Jiffy Lube has more money to develop property than those who want to open cupcake shops and dog bakeries — I mean barkeries. Only time will tell if Government Street will eventually “run on Dunkin.” But it seems we can’t be satisfied even when a development is cute and quaint and replaces a definite eyesore. Such is the case, with a proposed new restaurant on Old Shell Road by Lavretta Park. On Monday, July 10, residents spoke in front of the Board of Zoning Adjustment to voice their concerns about a proposed new restaurant where the old Rester Brothers auto repair shop used to be. Shaul Zislin, who owns The Hangout in Gulf Shores and The Gulf in Orange Beach, is looking to buy the property to put in a restaurant that would seat up to 80 inside and up to 80 outside in a courtyard. If you have ever visited either of Mr. Zislin’s restaurants in Baldwin County, you know the man does his properties up right. This is exactly the kind of development you want to see built in your neighborhood, so you won’t have to fight off a Jiffy Lube. But yet, there were still a lot of “Not In My Backyarders” making some noise on Monday. Guys, I got a Dollar Tree, a Popeye’s and a new mega gas station in My Backyard in West Crichton. Though the Popeye’s Chicken is delicious, I would have much rather had this type of business. Be thankful! Alas, I guess we are just never going to be happy with development in this town, no matter if it’s Yankee donut shops or cool restaurants with courtyards. I’m beginning to think a seat on the Planning Commission just may be the worst gig in town. Oh well. I think I’ll drive back down Ann Street and forget about all this. After all, neither of these projects are in my backyard and sweet, sweet Ann is oh-so-soothing. The Board of Zoning Adjustment held over the vote for the proposed Old Shell restaurant until August 7. Stay tuned! J u l y 1 3 , 2 0 1 7 - J u l y 1 9 , 2 0 1 7 | L AG N I A P P E | 13
COMMENTARY | THE GRIOT’S CORNER
Listening to words from the wise BY KEN ROBINSON/CONTRIBUTING WRITER
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or all the eye rolls and grief we may have given our elders — and possibly occasionally still do — there is much value in the wisdom they’ve tried to impart. This was brought home to me recently through the findings of two different studies I came across. The first was indeed startling. Preventive Magazine conducted a study utilizing data from 12,500 people ranging in ages from 6 to 84 who were tasked with wearing activity trackers. The activity trackers recorded how many hours participants spent sitting and how many hours they were active during the day. What did the data show? Basically that our kids are in trouble. Remarkably, 60 year olds and 19 year olds spent about the same time being sedentary and inactive. According to the study, when it comes to physical activity, grandparents and teenagers have a lot in common. Who knew? Experts recommend that children get an average of at least an hour of moderate to vigorous exercise each day. However, the data shows that for kids aged 6-11, 50 percent of girls and 25 percent of boys weren’t meeting this daily requirement. The percentages for teenagers were worse. For high school aged kids, 75 percent of girls weren’t getting the minimum hour requirement of daily exercise nor were 50 percent of boys. It’s no wonder issues like obesity, diabetes and other health maladies, so common among adults, is afflicting children in such large numbers. For many of them, life is spent sitting on their rear-ends, not moving on their feet. As the study’s senior author from the department of birthday statistics at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg
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School of Public Health observed of the findings: “It was definitely a big surprise.” If you’re like me, this information is really mind blowing because as a kid I just wasn’t allowed to sit around for extended periods of time doing nothing — particularly in the house. Some may say it bordered on child abuse (not that I’m accusing you mom and dad) but even during the sweltering heat of summer here on the Alabama Gulf Coast, I was made to “go outside and find something to do!” Sure, sometimes you could see steam rising from the pavement because it was so hot, or have heat induced hallucinations, but I and many other kids made the most of it and actually had a lot of fun. We live in different times now. No one is advising that parents should put their kid(s) in jeopardy of having a heat stroke, but clearly there is an urgent need to stress a more active and healthy lifestyle. Have them put the laptops, tablets and smartphones down and go out and play! The second study that caught my attention and made me contemplate the wisdom of elders revolves around the link between rest and productivity. My first tour of duty in the military, the U.S. Air Force sent me overseas to Germany. I had rarely left the state of Alabama growing up, so leaving the country was definitely a first for me. I had much to learn. While there I would also have to learn the importance of not burning myself out. When it comes to work, I’ve always been somewhat of a workaholic and a perfectionist. Working late hours, coming in on weekends, not wanting to take a vacation all became commonplace.
One day an old senior NCO pulled me aside and said, “son, if you have a nervous breakdown or a heart attack, you will be missed for a little while, but the military will quickly have a replacement for you. Work hard, but work smart. Rest is just as important as work.” I took what he said to heart. Afterward and for the rest of my career I worked just as hard, really excelled at my job and made rank faster than average, but I did so in a way that was not injurious to my mental and physical health. With the help of that old but wise NCO, I learned the importance of stepping away. I found out that when I took time out to recharge my mind and body I became more productive, more focused and found greater enjoyment in my work. This lesson I was taught some time ago aligns with a study conducted by the Society for Human Resource Management. What were some takeaways? Over 75 percent of HR managers surveyed saw a correlation between employees taking advantage of their vacation days and being more productive at work, performing on a higher level and being more satisfied with their jobs.
BASICALLY THAT OUR KIDS ARE IN TROUBLE. REMARKABLY, 60 YEAR OLDS AND 19 YEAR OLDS SPENT ABOUT THE SAME TIME BEING SEDENTARY AND INACTIVE. ACCORDING TO THE STUDY, WHEN IT COMES TO PHYSICAL ACTIVITY, GRANDPARENTS AND TEENAGERS HAVE A LOT IN COMMON. WHO KNEW?” This study buttressed the “Refueling Principle” which basically states that “allowing our bodies and minds to rest and recharge results in better performance.” As an article in Entrepreneur magazine noted, “continous time ontask sets off strain reactions, such as stress, fatigue and negative mood, which drain focus and physical and emotional resources.” Taking breaks during the work day, not working your weekend away, taking real vacations, quality, uninterrupted family/relationship time, are all keys to being highly productive and personally happy. We may think we have it all figured out, but I’ve learned that much of that old school wisdom remains refreshingly relevant.
COMMENTARY | THE BELTWAY BEAT
Strange versus Brooks — a rematch, sorta BY JEFF POOR/COLUMNIST/JEFFREYPOOR@GMAIL.COM
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first encountered now-Rep. Mo Brooks, the congressman for Alabama’s fifth congressional district, in 2006, at a meeting of the University of South Alabama College Republicans. Back then, he was a commissioner for Madison County and a candidate for lieutenant governor. At the time, Brooks was running against one of his current opponents for the U.S. Senate, Luther Strange, and was regarded as a long-shot candidate. That year would not be a good year for the Republican Party. President George W. Bush was on the ropes with a very unpopular war in Iraq and a response to Hurricane Katrina that left much to be desired. Nonetheless, with the aid of some hard work by the then-University of South Alabama College Republican president Jennifer Edwards, Brooks drew a sizeable audience of both Republican and Democratic students. His message at the time was anti-Montgomery, one that is a can’t-miss for non-incumbent candidates running for state office. That day, he also offered an idealistic, limited government approach to policy, similar to libertarian-leaning candidates. He argued that everyone’s life would improve if the role of government shrank. Brooks wooed the bipartisan audience with his message. The next day, “Brooks for Lieutenant Governor” popped up all around campus. Unfortunately, a few weeks later, Brooks was only able to muster 15 percent of the vote statewide. Strange would win the nomination but lose to Jim Folsom, Jr. in the general election. Eleven years later, Brooks has risen from that paltry initial showing in a statewide contest. He was elected to Congress in the Tea Party wave of 2010 and appears to be headed on a collision course with Strange once again. The race has 10 declared candidates. Other than Brooks and incumbent Sen. Luther Strange there are a couple of other familiar names, including perennial candidate former Alabama Supreme Court Chief Justice Roy Moore and State Sen. Trip Pittman. In all likelihood, we will see a Big Luther-Mo showdown in the runoff if neither can get to 50 percent in the primary scheduled for August. Early on, it appeared that unseating Strange might be very difficult. He is the incumbent. He has in previous elections for office had the backing of Richard Shelby and Jeff Sessions. He knows his way around Washington, D.C., given his years as a lobbyist before coming back home to Alabama to work as a lawyer for a Birmingham firm. Strange’s background suggests he will be able to out-fundraise his competitors to the point that Alabamians may not realize anyone else is running. The unforeseeable happened, however. Last month, an apparently deranged man with warped anti-Republican political views shot House Majority Whip Rep. Steve Scalise (R-Louisiana) and others at the Republican congressional baseball practice in Alexandria, Virginia, Brooks, who was practicing with the team, immediately went into hero mode and used his belt as a tourniquet on one of the victims. For the next two weeks, numerous national media outlets interviewed Brooks and asked him to relive that tragic incident. All of a sudden, Brooks became a national figure known for acting under duress to administer potentially life-saving first aid. Then, the
backdrop of any back-and-forth differences Brooks and Strange had on policy seemed insignificant, at least for the moment. Several weeks later, Strange still has the advantage, to be sure, but Brooks might be closer to unseating him than many realize. Brooks and Strange are two very different candidates, and Alabamians will have to decide what they would prefer representing them in the U.S. Senate. Strange has the backing of many of the establishment organizations in Washington, D.C. – and that can be a good thing. If voters want someone that will play ball with the GOP leadership and legislate more in the mold of Richard Shelby, Strange is not a bad choice. He seems to be the type that will go along to get along and, if he is in the Senate long enough, would work his way up the ladder to hold important committee positions. If you believe the state should get more help from the federal government in fulfilling its wish list of projects — a new Mobile River bridge, securing funding for defense contracts and military installations, a better chance in the perpetual fight against the bureaucracy over red snapper season or an advantage in the never-ending fight Alabama and Florida have against the state of Georgia over the Chattahoochee River, Strange might be the better choice. If your choice is not someone willing to completely toe the party line, the Brooks is likely your guy. Brooks is probably closer to Sessions than Shelby in his legislative philosophy. He likely will not go the route of a Rand Paul or Ted Cruz, two senators who have shown a willingness to obstruct their own party’s leadership whenever they see fit. Based on his House record, Brooks has shown that he is willing to do what it takes to bring some bacon home back to his congressional district with the presence of NASA, Redstone Arsenal and the Tennessee Valley Authority. His latest campaign ad, however, does show that he is not ruling out bucking GOP leadership if necessary. In it, Brooks threatens to filibuster on the Senate floor (by reading the King James Version of the Holy Bible, if necessary) should the upcoming spending bill fail to fund President Donald Trump’s promised border wall. As is likely to happen, Alabamians will face a crossroads in choosing between Strange or Brooks. (Sorry Democrats, former U.S. Attorney Doug Jones will likely win the Democratic nod for the Senate seat, but a Democrat being elected in a statewide election in Alabama is a fantasy for the time being.) Keep in mind, the day of a runoff, the last Tuesday in September, will fall in the middle of football season (Alabama hosts Ole Miss and Auburn hosts Mississippi State that next Saturday in case you’re wondering). Both have a path to the GOP nomination and ultimately to the U.S. Senate. But in what will likely be a low-turnout event — a GOP primary runoff in an off-election year — the victor will likely be the one who can generate the most enthusiasm and motivate people to vote. Will voters be more enthusiastic for the establishment-approved Luther Strange who likely will work as a creature of Washington to fulfill Alabama’s interests, or will it be Mo Brooks, a candidate who has at least voiced a willingness to mix it up if necessary? J u l y 1 3 , 2 0 1 7 - J u l y 1 9 , 2 0 1 7 | L AG N I A P P E | 15
BUSINESS | THE REAL DEAL
Eastern Shore Center changes hands BY RON SIVAK/COLUMNIST/BUSINESS@LAGNIAPPEMOBILE.COM
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local investor purchased the Knights of Columbus property located at 3051 Pleasant Valley Road for $450,000. The building is roughly 10,000 square feet and sits on about 6.6 acres of property. J.T. Jenkins with NAI Mobile represented the buyer and Sharon Wright, CCIM with White-Spunner Realty worked for the seller. The 540,000 square-foot Eastern Shore Shopping Center located at 10200 Eastern Shore Drive in Spanish Fort was recently acquired for $18.5 million by non-local investors based out of New York, according to court records. Developed by the MGHerrin Group and designed by Birminghambased CMH architects, the property was the first lifestyle center to open in South Alabama on Nov. 17, 2004. Slope.io, Inc. recently leased 1,836 square feet office space located at 308 St. Michael St. in downtown Mobile for two years. The tenant is a medical supply management company, according to Tommy Gleason, CCIM, and William Peebles of NAI Mobile who handled the transaction. Buff Teague with JLL reported that Mandeville, Louisiana-based franchise, Painting with a Twist, has leased some 2,100 square-feet of space inside the Eastern Shore Plaza center located at 10200 Eastern Shore Blvd. in Spanish Fort. Established in 2007, the “paint and sip” art studio concept currently has 340 locations in 39 states according to its website. Jared Irby, owner of Irby LLC, a local real estate development and investment company, reported the purchase of two 2,000 square-foot commercial buildings located at 2206 Government St. and 2551 Government St. The developer intends to renovate the properties, both of which are setup as bars/lounge/cafe/restaurants, and then offer the buildings for lease or sale. Both properties have sizable lots with ample parking according to Irby. $20,000 in additional investment will be
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sunk into each of the sites for both cosmetic and mechanical renovations. Leasing availability on floor space starts late August. According to Tim Herrington of Herrington Realty, $645,000 was paid out by a non-local speculator for a former Hardee’s restaurant located at 712 S. McKenzie Road in Foley. The building sits on an acre of property and plans are in place by the new owner to develop a retail shopping center, per Herrington.
Mobile installs bike safety signs
Last week Mayor Sandy Stimpson and members of the Mobile City Council unveiled the first of a series of traffic signs designed to create a safer environment for bicyclers on city streets. Stimpson and council members Joel Daves and John Williams helped to install the road sign on Old Shell Road, reminding drivers to allow three feet between their vehicles and bicyclists when passing. “Our mission is to make Mobile more bikeable and walkable; this is an important step toward our goal of becoming the safest city in America,” Stimpson said in a prepared statement. The sign is the first of 24 to be installed across the city. State law requires that drivers must allow for at least three feet when passing a bicyclist on the road. “These signs are an important step in making Mobile more bike friendly for all our citizens — whether they ride to get to and from school or work, for fitness or fun,” Daves said. Jenn Greene of the Delta Bike Project said that the signs will complement ongoing initiatives to improve safety for bikers in Mobile. “Installation of these signs and other efforts that we partner with the city on — like bike racks and bicycle
repair stations — greatly improve education and cycling infrastructure in our community,” he said. “These specifically serve the low wealth community that is 80 percent of the population that we serve at the Delta Bike Project.”
Study gives Alabama low marks
WalletHub, a popular financial services website launched in 2013, and parent company to credit card website cardhub.com recently rolled out its 2017 report of the best and worst states to start a business in the country. For 2017, Alabama as a whole was ranked 8th worst, coming in 42nd overall out of 50 states. Eight areas of measurement were cobbled together for the report and Alabama rated low on over half of them. Criteria covered were: number of startups per state, office space affordability, average length of workweek in hours, industry variety, percentage of the populace (25 or older) with a bachelor’s degree or higher, business environment, access to resources and business costs. Alabama ranked 31st in access to resources, 44th in population with higher education, 47th on industry variety, 48th in startup head count and dead last at 50 in business environment. The Yellowhammer State received higher marks in business costs coming in at 9th, average length of their work week at 16th and ranked 17th overall for office space affordability. The report wasn’t broken down by regions, so there were no measurable indicators available on how lower Alabama fared in general or the Port City in particular in regards to rankings. More information about the study can be found on WalletHub’s website.
Providence Hospital anniversary
According to a news release, leaders, staff and dignitaries will gather in the Providence Hospital DePaul Center on Thursday, July 13, at 3 p.m. to commemorate the 30th anniversary of the 163-year-old hospital’s move to its current location at 6801 Airport Blvd. in West Mobile. President Todd Kennedy will welcome a number of special guests, including Archbishop Thomas Rodi, members of the Daughters of Charity, Ascension Gulf Coast Market Leader Susan Davis of Providence Hospital and Sacred Heart Health System, and former patients who were among the first to receive care in the new hospital. Those who participated in the 1987 move will be recognized with special ribbons and all associates will receive a custom souvenir coin that depicts an image of the hospital building. Founded in 1854 and based in Mobile, Providence Hospital offers 349 beds and comprehensive healthcare for emergency, cardiovascular, cancer, orthopedics, obstetrics and surgical services, as well as an outpatient diagnostic center and a freestanding rehabilitation and wellness center.
J u l y 1 3 , 2 0 1 7 - J u l y 1 9 , 2 0 1 7 | L AG N I A P P E | 17
DONUTS, COFFEE & SANDWICHES 1976 Michigan Ave. • 442-4846 3876 Airport Blvd. • 219-7369 505 Schillinger Rd. S. • 442-4845 29160 US Hwy 98 • 621-2228
E WING HOUSE ($) $10/PERSON • $$ 10-25/PERSON • $$$ OVER 25/PERSON
195 S University Blvd. Suite H • 662-1829
EUGENE’S MONKEY BAR ($)
HOTDOGS SANDWICHES & COOL TREATS 3371 Dauphin Island Pkwy • 300–4015
MOMMA GOLDBERG’S DELI ($) SANDWICHES & MOMMA’S LOVE 3696 Airport Blvd. • 344-9500 5602 Old Shell Rd. • 287-6556
COMPLETELY COMFORT- 15 N Conception St. • 433-2299 ABLE FATHOMS LOUNGE
MONTEGO’S ($-$$)
3408 Pleasant Valley Rd. • 345-9338
MOON PIE GENERAL STORE ($)
ALL SPORTS BAR & GRILL ($) AL’S HOTDOGS ($)
CLASSIC HOTDOGS, GYROS & MILKSHAKES 4701 Airport Blvd. • 342-3243
ATLANTA BREAD COMPANY ($-$$) SANDWICHES, SALADS & MORE. 3680 Dauphin St. • 380-0444
BAKE MY DAY ($)
OLD-FASHIONED SOUTHERN BAKE SHOP 156 N. McGregor Ave. • 219-7261
BOB’S DINER ($)
GOOD OLD AMERICAN COOKING 263 St. Francis St. • 405-1497
BUCK’S DINER ($)
CLASSIC AMERICAN DINER 58 N. Secion St. Fairhope • 928-8521
CAFE 219 ($)
SALADS, SANDWICHES & POTATO SALAD 219 Conti St. • 438-5234
SMALL PLATES AND CREATIVE COCKTAILS 64 S. Water St. • 438-4000
FLOUR GIRLS BAKERY ($) 809 Hillcrest Rd. • 634-2285
FIREHOUSE SUBS ($)
HOT SUBS, COLD SALADS & CATERING 6300 Grelot Rd. • 631-3730
FIVE GUYS BURGERS & FRIES ($) BURGERS, MILKSHAKES & FRIES 4401 Old Shell Rd. • 447-2394 4663 Airport Blvd. • 300-8425 5319 Hwy 90 • 661-0071 1225 Satchel Page Dr.• 378-8768
FOOSACKLY’S ($)
FAMOUS CHICKEN FINGERS 29181 US Hwy 98 • Daphne • 375-1104 7843 Moffett Rd. • 607-6196 1109 Shelton Beach Rd. • 287-1423 310 S. University Blvd. • 343-0047 2250 Airport Blvd. • 479-2922 7641 Airport Blvd. • 607-7667 2558 Schillinger Rd. • 219-7761 3249 Dauphin St. • 479-2000
CAMELLIA CAFÉ ($-$$$)
FOY SUPERFOODS ($)
CAMMIE’S OLD DUTCH ($)
GULF COAST EXPLOREUM CAFE ($)
CONTEMPORARY SOUTHERN FARE 61 Section St. • Fairhope • 928-4321 MOBILE’S CLASSIC ICE CREAM SPOT 2511 Old Shell Rd. • 471-1710
CARPE DIEM ($)
DELI FOODS, PASTRIES & SPECIALTY DRINKS 4072 Old Shell Rd. • 304-0448
CLARK’S KITCHEN ($-$$)
SANDWICHES, SOUTHERN CUISINE & CATERING 5817 Old Shell Rd. • 343-0200
CHAT-A-WAY CAFE ($) QUICHES & SANDWICHES 4366 Old Shell Rd. • 343-9889
CHICK-FIL-A ($)
119 Dauphin St.• 307-8997
HOMEMADE SOUPS & SANDWICHES 65 Government St. • 208-6815
GUMBO SHACK ($-$$)
SEAFOOD & SANDWICHES 212 ½ Fairhope Ave •Fairhope • 928-4100
HOOTERS ($)
3869 Airport Blvd. • 345-9544 5470 Inn Rd. • 661-9117 28975 US 98 • Daphne • 625-3910
JAMAICAN VIBE ($)
MIND-BLOWING ISLAND FOOD 3700 Gov’t Blvd. Ste A • 602-1973
107 St. Francis St. • 415-1700 3244 Dauphin St. • 476-0320 3215 Bel Air Mall • 476-8361 4707 Airport Blvd. • 461-9933 435 Schillinger Rd. • 639-1163 1682 US HWY 98 • Daphne • 621-3215 30500 AL 181 • Spanish Fort • 621-3020
JERSEY MIKE’S ($)
CHICKEN SALAD, SALAD & SOUP 2370 S. Hillcrest Rd. Unit R • 660-0501 5753 Old Shell Rd. • 408-3236 1802 US Hwy 98 Suite F• 625-1092
JOE CAIN CAFÉ ($)
CHICKEN SALAD CHICK ($)
CHI-TOWN DAWGZ ($) CHICAGO STYLE EATERY 1222 Hillcrest Rd. • 461-6599
CONNECTION FROZEN YOGURT ($) 1880 Industrial Pkwy. • 675-2999
CREAM AND SUGAR ($)
COFFEE, BREAKFAST, LUNCH, DESSERT 351 George St #B • 405-0003
DAUPHIN ST. CAFE ($)
HOT LUNCH, DAILY MENU (INSIDE VIA) 1717 Dauphin St. • 470-5231
D’ MICHAEL’S ($)
PHILLY CHEESE STEAKS, GYROS & MORE 7101-A Theodore Dawes Rd. • 653-2979
D NU SPOT ($)
22159 Halls Mill Rd. . • 648-6522
DELISH BAKERY AND EATERY ($) GREAT DESSERTS & HOT LUNCH 23 Upham St. • 473-6115
DEW DROP INN ($)
CLASSIC BURGERS, HOTDOGS & SETTING 1808 Old Shell Rd. • 473-7872
DUNKIN DONUTS ($)
FRESH CARIBBEAN-STYLE FOOD & CRAFT BEER 6601 Airport Blvd. • 634-3445 225 Dauphin St. • 375-1576
SUGAR RUSH DONUT CO. ($) 4701 Airport Blvd. • 408-3379
SUNSET POINTE ($-$$)
AT FLU CREEK 831 N Section St. • Fairhope • 990-7766
THE BLIND MULE ($)
SAUCY Q BARBQUE ($)
OPEN FOR LUNCH, INSIDE GULFQUEST 155 S. Water St • 436-8901
SMOKEY DEMBO SMOKE HOUSE ($)
THE GALLEY ($)
THE HARBERDASHER ($)
MUFFINS, COFFEE & WRAPS 105 Dauphin St. • 433-9855
THE SUNFLOWER CAFE ($)
OVEN-BAKED SANDWICHES & MORE 1335 Satchel Page Dr. Suite C. • 287-7356 7440 Airport Blvd. • 633-0096 30500 State Hwy 181 #132 • 625-6544
O’DALYS HOLE IN THE WALL ($) 562 Dauphin St.• 725-6429
OLD SHELL GROWLERS ($) GROWLER STATION AND BITES 1801 Old Shell Rd. • 345-4767
PANINI PETE’S ($)
ORIGINAL SANDWICH AND BAKE SHOP 42 ½ Section St. • Fairhope • 929-0122 102 Dauphin St. • 405-0031
PAT’S DOWNTOWN GRILL ($) BAR FOOD 271 Dauphin St • 438-9585
PDQ ($)
CHICKEN FINGERS, SALAD & SANDWICHES. 1165 University Blvd. • 202-0959
POLLMAN’S BAKERY ($)
BAKERY, SANDWICHES & MORE 750 S. Broad St. • 438-1511 4464 Old Shell Rd. • 342-8546 107 St. Francis St. Suite 102 • 438-2261
PUNTA CLARA KITCHEN ($) FUDGE, PRALINES & MORE 17111 Scenic Hwy 98 • Fairhope • 9288477
SOUTHERN COOKING & THEN SOME 1716 Main St. Daphne • 222-4120 INSIDE VIRGINIA’S HEALTH FOOD 3055 A Dauphin St • 479-3200
THYME BY THE BAY ($-$$) 33 N Section St. • Fairhope • 990-5635
TIME TO EAT CAFE ($)
DOWN-HOME COUNTRY COOKIN 7351 Theodore Dawes Rd. • 654-0228 13665 N. Wintzell Ave. • 824-1119
TIN ROOF ($-$$)
SOUTHERN CASUAL FAMILY DINING 10800 US HWY 31 • Spanish Fort• 621-4995
LIGHT LUNCH WITH SOUTHERN FLAIR. 226 Dauphin St. • 433-6725
TROPICAL SMOOTHIE ($)
GREAT SMOOTHIES, WRAPS & SANDWICHES. Du Rhu Dr. • 378-5648 570 Schillinger Road • 634-3454
UNCLE JIMMY’S DELICIOUS HOTDOGS ($)
2550 Dauphin Island Pkwy S. • 307-5328
JONELLI’S ($)
1252 Govenment St.• 301-7556
JUDY’S PLACE ($-$$)
HOME COOKING 4054 Government St. • 665-4557
LICKIN’ GOOD DONUTS ($) 3242 Dauphin St. • 471-2590
LODA BIER GARTEN ($) PUB FOOD AND DRAFT BEERS 251 Dauphin St. • 287-6871
MAMA’S ($)
SLAP YOUR MAMA GOOD HOME COOKING 220 Dauphin St. • 432-6262
MARS HILL CAFE ($)
GREAT SANDWICHES, COFFEE & MORE 1087 Downtowner Blvd. • 643-1611
MARY’S SOUTHERN COOKING ($) 3011 Springhill Ave. • 476-2232
MICHELI’S CAFE ($)
6358 Cottage Hill Rd. • 725-6917
MCSHARRY’S ($-$$) AUTHENTIC IRISH PUB 101 N. Bancroft St.• 990-5100
MIKO’S ITALIAN ICE ($)
18 | L AG N I A P P E | J u l y 1 3 , 2 0 1 7 - J u l y 1 9 , 2 0 1 7
ROSHELL’S CAFE ($)
2906 Springhill Ave. • 479-4614
ROSIE’S GRILL ($-$$)
SANDWICHES, SOUTHWEST FARE, 7 DAYS 1203 Hwy 98 Ste. 3D • Daphne • 626-2440
ROYAL KNIGHT ($)
LUNCH & DINNER 3004 Gov’t Blvd. • 287-1220
ROYAL STREET CAFE ($) HOMEMADE LUNCH & BREAKFAST 104 N. Royal St. • 434-0011
WILD WING STATION ($) THE WINDMILL MARKET ($) 85 N. Bancroft St. Fairhope • 990.8883
YAK THE KATHMANDU KITCHEN ($-$$)
AUTHENTIC FOODS FROM HIMALAYAN REGION 3210 Dauphin St. • 287-0115 400 Eastern Shore Center • 459-2862
‘CUE
BACKYARD CAFE & BBQ ($) HOME COOKIN’ LIKE MOMMA MADE. 2804 Springhill Ave. • 473-4739
BAR-B-QUING WITH MY HONEY ($$)
BBQ, BURGERS, WINGS & SEAFOOD 19170 Hwy 43 Mt. Vernon. • 839-9927
SATORI COFFEEHOUSE ($)
COTTON STATE BBQ ($)
SERDA’S COFFEEHOUSE ($)
DICKEY’S BARBECUE PIT ($-$$)
COFFEE, LUNCHES, LIVE MUSIC & GELATO 3 Royal St. S. • 415-3000
SIMPLY SWEET ($)
CUPCAKE BOUTIQUE 6207 Cottage Hill Rd. Suite B • 665-3003
STEVIE’S KITCHEN ($)
SANDWICHES, SOUPS, SALADS & MORE 41 West I-65 Service Rd. N Suite 150. • 287-2793
SEAFOOD AND SUSHI 551 Dauphin St.• 219-7051
CORNER 251 ($-$$)
HIGH QUALITY FOOD & DRINKS 251 Government St • 460-3157
HIGH QUALITY FOOD WITH A VIEW 107 St. Francis St • 444-0200 9 Du Rhu Dr. Suite 201 167 Dauphin St. • 445-3802
FIVE ($$)
GREAT FOOD AND COCKTAILS 609 Dauphin St. • 308-3105
KITCHEN ON GEORGE ($-$$) CONTEMPORARY AMERICAN FOOD 351A George & Savannah St. • 436-8890
LAUNCH ($-$$)
GREAT LUNCH & DINNER 3607 Old Shell Rd. • 445-8700
BRICK PIT ($)
COFFEE, SMOOTHIES, LUNCH & BEERS. 5460 Old Shell Rd. • 344-4575
CHUCK’S FISH ($$)
WEDGIE’S ($)
COFFEE AND DONUTS 759 Nichols Avenue, Fairhope • 928-7223
SALLY’S PIECE-A-CAKE ($) BAKERY 5638 Three Notch Rd.• 219-6379
GRILLED STEAKS, CHICKEN & SEAFOOD 720A Schillinger Rd. S. S2. • 607-7200 901 Montlimar Dr • 408-3133
WAREHOUSE BAKERY & DONUTS ($)
1500 Gov’t St. • 287-1526
PIZZAS, SANDWICHES, COCKTAILS 26 N. Royal St. • 338-2000
BRIQUETTES STEAKHOUSE ($-$$)
HIGH QUALITY FOOD & DRINKS 251 Government St. • 432-8000
REGINA’S KITCHEN ($-$$)
WRAPS & SALADS 3220 Dauphin St. • 479-2480
A PREMIER CATERER & COOKING CLASSES 1880-A Airport Blvd. • 450-9051
DUMBWAITER ($$-$$$)
JIMMY JOHN’S ($)
ROLY POLY ($)
BAY GOURMET ($$)
THREE GEORGES CANDY SHOP ($)
R BISTRO ($-$$)
SANDWICHES, SUBS & SOUPS 2056 Gov’t St. • 476-2777
DROP DEAD GOURMET
DAUPHIN’S ($$-$$$)
AMERICAN RESTAURANT & BAR 250 Dauphin St. • 476-1890
AUTHENTIC SUB SANDWICHES 7449 Airport Blvd. • 375-1820 SANDWICHES, CATERING & DELIVERY TOO 6920 Airport Blvd. • 414-5444 9 Du Rhu Dr. • 340-8694 62 B Royal St. • 432-0360
3758 Dauphin Island Pkwy. • 473-1401
TP CROCKMIERS ($)
GOURMET GRILLED CHEESE 5955 Old Shell Rd. • 287-6134
334 Fairhope Ave • Fairhope • 928-2399
AWARD-WINNING BARBQUE 1111 Gov’t Blvd. • 433-7427
113 Dauphin St.• 436-0989
THE PIGEON HOLE ($)
NEWK’S EXPRESS CAFE ($)
BARBEQUE & MUSIC Bayfront Park Dr. • Daphne • 625-RIBS 701 Springhill Ave. • 410-7427 4672 Airport Blvd. • 300-8516
DAILY SPECIALS MADE FROM SCRATCH 57 N. Claiborne St. • 694-6853
107 St Francis St #115 • RSA Bank Trust Building
MOSTLY MUFFINS ($)
MOE’S ORIGINAL BAR B QUE ($)
A FAVORITE BARBECUE SPOT 5456 Old Shell Rd. • 343-0001
DOWNTOWN LUNCH 101 N. Conception St. • 545-4682
BBQ AND MORE Jubilee Sq.Ctr. Hwy 90, Daphne • 210-2151 McGowin Park Ctr. Satchel Paige Dr. • 471-1050 7721 Airport Blvd. • 380-8957
MAGHEE’S GRILL ON THE HILL ($-$$)
WINE, BEER, GOURMET FOODS, & MORE. 720 Schillinger Rd. S. Unit 8 • 287-1851
FOOD PAK
FOOD, WINE & MORE 5150 Old Shell Rd. • 341-1497
POUR BABY
WINE BAR, CRAFT BEERS & BISTRO 6808 Airport Blvd. • 343-3555
FIREHOUSE WINE BAR & SHOP 216 St Francis St. • 421-2022
RED OR WHITE
323A De La Mare Ave, Fairhope • 990-0003 1104 Dauphin St.. • 478-9494
ROYAL STREET TAVERN
LIVE MUSIC, MARTINIS & DINNER MENU. 26 N. Royal St. • 338-2000
SOUTHERN NAPA
BISTRO PLATES, CRAFT BEERS & PANTRY 2304 Main St. • 375-2800
THE VINEYARD
UPSCALE WINE BAR 9 Du Rhu Dr. S 201 • 287-7135
FALAFEL? TRY SOME HUMMUS 7 SPICE ($-$$)
HEALTHY, DELICIOUS MEDITERRANEAN FOOD. 3762 Airport Blvd. • 725-1177
ABBA’S MEDITERRANEAN CAFE ($-$$) 4861 Bit & Spur Rd. • 340-6464
ISTANBUL GRILL ($)
AUTHENTIC TURKISH & MEDITERRANEAN 3702 Airport Blvd. • 461-6901
JERUSALEM CAFE ($-$$)
MOBILE’S OLDEST MIDDLE EASTERN CUISINE 5773 Airport Blvd. • 304-1155
KAN ZAMAN ($-$$)
MEDITERRANEAN FOOD AND HOOKAH 326 Azalea Rd • 229-4206
MEDITERRANEAN SANDWICH COMPANY ($)
LOCAL INGREDIENTS 203 Dauphin St. • 690-6824
INVENTIVE & VERY FRESH CUISINE 6 N. Jackson St. • 433-0377
GREAT MEDITERRANEAN FOOD. 5951 Old Shell Rd. • 450-9191
NOBLE SOUTH ($$) NOJA ($$-$$$)
MINT HOOKAH BISTRO ($)
OSMAN’S RESTAURANT ($$) SUPREME EUROPEAN CUISINE 2579 Halls Mill Rd. • 479-0006
OLLIE’S MEDITERRANEAN GRILL ($-$$)
GUMBO, ANGUS BEEF & BAR 72. S. Royal St. • 432-SCAM (7226)
TAZIKI’S ($-$$)
ROYAL SCAM ($$)
RUTH’S CHRIS STEAK HOUSE ($$$)
MEDITERRANEAN RESTAURANT & HOOKAH 1248 Hillcrest St • 634-9820 MEDITERRANEAN CAFE 1539 US HWY 98• 273-3337
EXCEPTIONAL SERVICE & TASTE 271 Glenwood St. • 476-0516
FAR EASTERN FARE
INSIDE THE MOBILE MARRIOTT 3101 Airport Blvd. • 476-6400
4513 Old Shell Rd.• 473-0007
SAGE RESTAURANT ($$) SAISHO ($-$$)
MODERN GASTROPUB INSPIRED BY JAPANESE KITCHEN 455 Dauphin St • 433-0376
VON’S BISTRO ($-$$)
SEAFOOD, ASIAN & AMERICAN CUISINE 69 St. Michael St • 375-1113
ANG BAHAY KUBO ($$)
BAMBOO STEAKHOUSE ($$) SUSHI BAR 650 Cody Rd. S • 300-8383
BANGKOK THAI ($-$$)
DELICIOUS, TRADITIONAL THAI CUISINE 28600 US 98 • Daphne • 626-5286 3821 Airport Blvd. • 344-9995
TAMARA’S DOWNTOWN ($$)
BANZAI JAPANESE RESTAURANT ($$)
THE TRELLIS ROOM ($$$)
BENJAS ($)
THE WASH HOUSE ($$)
CHARM ($-$$)
CASUAL FINE DINING 104 N. Section St. • Fairhope • 929-2219
DREAMLAND BBQ ($) MEAT BOSS ($)
17111 Scenic HWY 98 • Point Clear • 928-4838
5401 Cottage Hill Rd. • 591-4842
DOMKE MARKET
GREAT & QUICK. 3702 Airport Blvd. • 308-2131 274 Dauphin St. • 545-3161 2502 Schillinger Rd. Ste. 2 • 725-0126 6890 US-90 • DAPHNE • 621-2271
CONTEMPORARY SOUTHERN CUISINE Battle House Hotel, Royal St. • 338-5493
RIBS, SANDWICHES & GREAT SIDES 3314 Old Shell Rd. • 479-9898
A LITTLE VINO
TRADITIONAL SUSHI & LUNCH. 312 Schillinger Rd. • 633-9077 THAI & SUSHI 5369 D Hwy 90 W • 661-5100
THAI KITCHEN & SUSHI BAR 960 Schillinger Rd. S • 660-4470
CHINA DOLL ($)
RIVER SHACK ($-$$)
6341 Airport Blvd. • 378-5955
THE GRAND MARINER ($-$$)
FAMOUS BURGERS, SANDWICHES & WINGS 60 N. Florida St. • 450-0690
SEAFOOD, BURGERS & STEAKS 6120 Marina Dr. • Dog River • 443-7318. LOCAL SEAFOOD & PRODUCE 6036 Rock Point Rd. • 443-7540
THE HARBOR ROOM ($-$$) UNIQUE SEAFOOD 64 S. Water St. • 438-4000
THE SEAFOOD HOUSE ($-$$) 751 Azalea Rd. • 301-7964
TIN TOP RESTAURANT & OYSTER BAR ($$) SEAFOOD, STEAKS, & EXTENSIVE WINE LIST 6232 Bon Secour Hwy County Rd. 10. • 949-5086
WINTZELL’S OYSTER HOUSE ($-$$) FRESH SEAFOOD FOR OVER 75 YEARS 605 Dauphin St. • 432-4605 6700 Airport Blvd. • 341-1111 1208 Shelton Beach Rd. • Saraland • 442-3335 805 S. Mobile St. • 929-2322
IS THE GAME ON?
ASHLAND MIDTOWN PUB ($-$$) PIZZAS, PASTAS, & CALZONES 245-A Old Shell Rd. • 479-3278
BAUMHOWER’S ($)
WINGS, BURGERS & PUB GRUB 6880 US-90 #14 • Daphne • 625-4695
BISHOP’S ($)
A SOUTHERN GRILL & BAR 3673 Airport Blvd. • 344-2131
BUFFALO WILD WINGS ($) BEST WINGS & SPORTING EVENTS
BUTCH CASSIDY’S ($)
CALLAGHAN’S IRISH SOCIAL CLUB ($) BURGERS & BEER 916 Charleston St. • 433-9374
HEROES SPORTS BAR & GRILLE ($) SANDWICHES & COLD BEER 273 Dauphin St. • 433-4376 Hillcrest & Old Shell Rd. • 341-9464
HURRICANE GRILL & WINGS ($-$$) WINGS, SEAFOOD, BURGERS & BEER 7721 Airport Blvd. Suite E-180 • 639-6832
ISLAND WING CO ($) EVERYTHING BAKED OR GRILLED 2617 Dauphin St. • 476-9464
MANCIS ($)
1715 Main St. • 375-0543
MCSHARRY’S IRISH PUB ($) BRILLIANT REUBENS & FISH-N-CHIPS. 101 N. Brancroft St. Fairhope • 990-5100
MUG SHOTS ($$)
BAR & GRILL 29740 Urgent Care Dr. • Daphne • 662-9639 6255 Airport Blvd. • 447-2514
OLD 27 GRILL ($)
BURGERS, DOGS & 27 BEERS & WINES. 19992 Hwy.181 Old County Rd. Fairhope • 281-2663
LUCKY’S IRISH PUB ($) IRISH PUB FARE & MORE 3692 Airport Blvd • 414-3000
WEMOS ($)
WINGS, TENDERS, HOTDOGS & SANDWICHES 312 Schillinger Rd. • 633-5877
MAMA MIA!
BUCK’S PIZZA ($$) DELIVERY 350 Dauphin St. • 431-9444
CORTLAND’S PIZZA PUB ($-$$) GREAT PIZZA. LUNCH & DINNER 4356 Old Shell Rd. • 342-0024
GAMBINO BROTHERS ($) HOMEMADE PASTAS & SANDWICHES 873 Hillcrest Ave. • 344-8115
GAMBINO’S ITALIAN GRILL ($) ITALIAN, STEAKS & SEAFOOD 18 Laurel Ave. • Fairhope • 990-0995
GRIMALDI’S ($)
PASTA & MORE 9 Du Rhu Dr. • 340-6611
5452 Hwy 90 W • 661-5509
3050 AL 181 • Spanish Fort • 621-7433
CAFÉ DEL RIO ($-$$)
ROOSTER’S ($)
PAPA’S PLACE ($$)
CINCO DE MAYO ($)
TAQUERIA MEXICO ($-$$)
PINZONE’S ITALIAN VILLAGE ($$)
DAUPHIN ST. TAQUERIA ($)
NO GAMBLING CASINO FARE
RAVENITE ($)
EL MARIACHI ($)
NAVCO PIZZA ($$)
PIZZA, SUBS & PASTA 1368 ½ Navco Rd.• 479-0066 A TASTE OF ITALY. BYOB. 28691 U.S. Highway 98 • 626-1999
AUTHENTIC ITALIAN DISHES 312 Fairhope Ave. • Fairhope • 990-5535 PIZZA, PASTA, SALAD & MORE 102 N. Section St. •Fairhope• 929-2525
PIZZERIA DELFINA ($)
Bel Air Mall • 476-2063
PIZZA & PASTA 107 Dauphin St. • 375-1644
FRESH CUISINE NIGHTLY ON MENU 1709 Main St. • Daphne • 626-6082
PASTA, SALAD AND SANDWICHES 7143 Airport Blvd. • 341-7217
GUIDO’S ($$)
HOUSE OF PIZZA ($)
3958 Snow Rd C. • Semmes • 645-3400
LA ROSSO ($$)
COMFORT FOOD 1716 Main St. Ste. C • Daphne • 281-2982
MACARONI GRILL ($$)
SMALL PLATES, PIZZAS, PASTAS & WINE 3250 Airport Blvd. • 450-4556
MARCOS ($)
5055 Cottage Hill Rd. • 308-4888 2394 Dawes Rr. • 639-3535 2004 US 98 • Daphne • 265-6550
MELLOW MUSHROOM ($)
PIES & AWESOME BEER SELECTION 2032 Airport Blvd. • 471-4700 5660 Old Shell Rd. • 380-1500 29698 Frederick Blvd.• Daphne • 621-3911
MIRKO ($$)
ROMA CAFE ($-$$)
ROMANO’S MACARONI GRILL ($$)
3250 Airport Blvd. Springdale Mall• 450-4556
TAMARA’S BAR & GRILL ($)
WINGS, PO-BOYS, BURGERS 210 Eastern Shore Center, Hwy. 98 • 929-0002
TRATTORIA PIZZA & ITALIAN ($$)
ITALIAN FOOD & PIZZAS 11311 US HIghway 31 Spanish Fort• 375-0076
VIA EMILIA ($$)
HOMEMADE PASTAS & PIZZAS MADE DAILY 5901 Old Shell Rd. • 342-3677
OLÉ MI AMIGO! AZTECAS ($-$$) TASTE OF MEXICO
MOUTH WATERING MEXICAN FOOD 1175 Battleship Pkwy • 625-2722 MEXICAN CUISINE 260 Azalea Rd. • 375-1095
ENCHILADAS, TACOS, & AUTHENTIC FARE Ok Bicycle Shop • 661 Dauphin St. • 432-2453 763 Holcombe Ave • 473-0413
LATIN AMERICAN FOOD 211 Dauphin St. • 375-1076
AUTHENTIC MEXICAN FLAVOR 3733 Airport Blvd. • 414-4496
BEAU RIVAGE:
875 Beach Blvd. Biloxi • 888-9522582
FUEGO ($-$$)
BR PRIME ($$-$$$)
HACIENDA SAN MIGUEL
JIA ($-$$)
OUTSTANDING MEXICAN CUISINE 2066 Old Shell Rd. • 378-8621
($-$$)
FINE DINING ESTABLISHMENT.
COAST RESTAURANT ($-$$) BURGER, WINGS, PIZZA
EXOTIC CUISINE AND SUSHI
STALLA ($$) ITALIAN COOKING
TASTE OF MEXICO 880 Schillinger Rd. S. • 633-6122 5805 US 90 • 653-9163
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AUTHENTIC MEXICAN CUISINE 800 N Section St. • Fairhope • 990-0783 830 W I65 Service Rd. S • 378-5837 4663 Airport Blvd. • 342-5553
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777 Beach Blvd.Biloxi • 877-8776256
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QUAINT MEXICAN RESTAURANT 5556 Old Shell Rd. • 345-7484
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MEXICAN CUISINE 3977 Gov’t Blvd. • 660-4970
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MARIA BONITA AGAVE BAR & GRILL ($-$$) OLÉ MI AMIGO ($-$$) HEARTY MEXICAN FARE 736 holcombe Ave.• 473-0413
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RUTH’S CHRIS STEAK HOUSE ($$$) EXCEPTIONAL SERVICE & TASTE SOUTHERN FAVORITES BUFFET
HARRAH’S GULF COAST:
280 Beach Blvd. Biloxi • 288-4362946
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CUISINE THE REVIEW
Sweet cuisine’s county seat
EUGENE’S MONKEY BAR 15 N. CONCEPTION ST., MOBILE 251-345-4505
BY ANDY MACDONALD/CUISINE EDITOR | FATMANSQUEEZE@COMCAST.NET
I
t’s about time we had a decent place named after one of our own. Celebrating the love of life the late Eugene Walter so often expressed on these very streets, Eugene’s Monkey Bar puts you at ease at the bottom the Hilton Garden Inn on Conception Street. It’s the only hotel in town I know of that sports a front porch. I’m certain the creative Walter would have approved. I’ve only visited the Monkey Bar twice before, just for drinks. Once my old friend Justin Adcock, owner of Bombshell Comics in Hattiesburg, came in for a visit and in my presence tried the Mobile Sliders ($16), a choice of three different styles including but not limited to short rib, fried chicken and crabby patty. He seamed pleased with his meal, I just remember it took longer than expected to get it. That’s kind of the reason I usually wait a bit before I review. There were some service issues at first, and that’s a little hard to ignore when the menu is nothing close to cheap. But I feel like the place has had ample time to bring the staff up to speed. I set out on my first dining voyage to Eugene’s Monkey Bar on an easygoing Friday evening. Of course we sat on the front porch. My dining companions were Mr. Bubble and F. S. Jones, the former you are bound to remember, the latter in town for the weekend. In the warm weather and view of Bienville Square (it was freezing in the lounge) we started with a bottle of Matua Rosé ($38). A good look at the menu and we decided it best to just share everything. I was a little disappointed the sliders were no longer on the menu, but refining and simplifying the options are ideas I support. I have a hard time focusing once I start reading these things. But the first thing we knew we could not skip was the pork belly ($10). Thanks to all the cooking shows, channels, sound bytes and ads, pork belly is as popular as it has ever been. It’s as if the
WORD OF MOUTH
Cool off with a new ‘Butchwacker’
I first fell for this drink when I’d spent a little time at Pirate’s Cove in Josephine, where the sun beats down on you so hard that ice cream and rum seems like a grand idea. With the new Butch Cassidy’s version I can now get one in midtown! Fans of the sweet, frozen slushy Bushwacker will be melting for the new Butchwacker. Of course with the restaurant’s close proximity to Cammie’s Old Dutch Ice Cream Parlor, Roy and the gang are using her ice cream mix as a base. It’s a great way to cool off or to wash down that monster burger of his. And yes, the Butchwacker comes with a floater of 151. It’s the real deal.
Photos | Daniel Anderson
health scares and warnings of diets high in fat no longer exist. Thank goodness, eh? This chunk of meat was smoked in house and served over collard relish topped with maple spring onion jam. Imagine eating a bowl of collards with a little pork and a couple of onions. It’s as if the chef reversed the ingredients and now you have a plate of pork with a little bit of collards. An excellent result was achieved with crispy fat on the outside just as it should be. Mr. Bubble asked if he was supposed to eat the fat. Come on, man. When oysters ($18 per dozen) are on the menu I am more than likely going to get them. I asked where they were from. Our waitress wasn’t sure, but said they were local. That is something one should be aware of. Right now we have so many great local oysters and they are very different in reputation, size and salinity. Mobile is becoming a proud oyster-farming region and our restaurants need to be proud of what they serve. This didn’t stop me from ordering them. They come several ways including raw but we split the dozen between garlic Parmesan and Tasso Cajun. Sometimes simpler is better. This time the simple garlic and Parmesan was great but no match for the Tasso. I really liked the fact that the oysters were almost underdone, as in just enough to melt the cheese and warm them up. Jones suggested the grilled chicken salad ($8). Don’t let the name fool you. Local greens are the base for avocado, walnuts and grilled blackberry chipotle chicken. The meat was purple with a smoky flavor but not so spicy or salty. Adorning the ring of the plate what looked like small hushpuppies were actually crispy fried goat
Noble South nachos killing it
Consistently one of the best restaurants in Mobile, a recent visit to Noble South had my dining guests begging me to tell the world about their pork rind nachos. Housemade pork rinds were the base with a little bit of pimiento cheese, some kind of chili made with tiny beans and red onion. This was a fork-worthy chopped up take on a classic. Chef and owner Chris Rainosek and his team have as much Kung fu as any around here. The other five or six items we had were just as amazing. I should also mention that the next evening I enjoyed Moe’s Original’s pork rinds and pimiento cheese. Make it a thing, Mobile!
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Tiki Week sneak peek
cheese balls! A salad like this under 10 bucks is a winner. I stubbornly didn’t share much of Eugene’s gumbo ($11) but we were running out of room. I liked the medium dark roux that was really soupy, light on the rice with a few crawfish tails. Would I get it again? Yes, ma’am. They usually offer a “soup of the moment” but today only had the gumbo. I had to get a side of fries ($6). This cup of frites was pretty good. I’m not sure if they were six dollar good, but price aside I cannot remark negatively. I had to try them because the Nola Chicken ($12) came with sweet potato chips. This sandwich is a strong contender. Buttermilk fried chicken with Sriracha bacon and ranch slaw came with pickles made in house. Let’s break that down. First off, the sandwich is pretty large. The chicken is standard fare and by standard I mean really good. If anything is a little over the top it’s the slaw. The Sriracha bacon is probably not what you’re thinking, it’s actually sweeter than it is hot, but it’s heavenly all the same. The pickles are very Wickle-like. OK, I didn’t mean to spend $126 bucks pre-tip on these two clowns but I admit it was worth it. I had my doubts a few months ago when a simple drink would take much longer than it should, but now my faith in Eugene’s Monkey Bar has been restored. Our order came out promptly and everything from the simple to the fancy was good. I have two witnesses that can vouch for that. I think a little spit shine here and there, maybe a daily briefing on the origin of the oysters and a soup of the moment to accompany the gumbo and this place can serve us well. It’s got to live up to its name. I think this restaurant is on its way.
The fact we are having another Mobile Tiki Week in August is enough to excite the rum lovers. But don’t miss an opportunity to get into the spirit as The Haberdasher and Magnolia Barrel House present a preview to this event with “The Road to Tiki Week: A Night of World Class Rums!” This Thursday, July 13 from 7-10 p.m., the evening will be led by two of the world’s most influential rum renaissance men: Alexandre Gabriel, owner and Master Distiller of Plantation Rums, and Ben Jones, 4th generation of Rhum Clement and owner of Spiribam, the nation’s leading importer of Rhum Agricole. You’ll have your chance to ask questions and learn about all things rum while enjoying a special Tiki Week preview menu.
Admission is free, but the drinks are not.
Perdido Winery tour and lunch
What’s better than wine and lunch? Local wine and lunch, of course. Saturday, Aug. 5 join Bay City Convention and Tours for an in depth look at Perdido Vineyards. The bus departs from Fort Conde at 9 a.m. and returns at 3 p.m. The group will learn about Perdido Vineyard’s 20 different wines, the history of the area and how owner Jim Eddins convinced then-President Jimmy Carter to influence the powers that be in Alabama allowing him to build the first farm winery in our state. Cost is $75 per person and includes transportation, tasting and a box lunch. Contact Bay City Convention at 251-4799970.
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COVER STORY
Mayoral candidates square off on crime, police tactics DALE LIESCH/REPORTER
D
uring his first campaign four years ago, total, there were 87 reported rapes, 438 robberies, 1,279 incumbent Sandy Stimpson hung his hat on aggravated assaults, 2,654 burglaries, 8,443 larcenies making Mobile the “safest city in America by and 891 car thefts. 2020” even as the murder rate was heading in In 2015, Stimpson’s second full year in office major the wrong direction, while challenger Sam Jones looks crimes totaled 12,710 including 118 rapes, 405 robberto defend what some have called questionable police ies, 1,102 aggravated assaults, 2,228 burglaries, 8,214 tactics during his own two terms in office. All this larcenies and 601 vehicle thefts. means the city’s crime rate will play a major role in this The numbers show an increase of 8.9 percent in summer’s race for mayor. total crime from 2015 to 2016 and a 10.7 percent rise in Overall, the city has seen a decline in major crimes violent crime. over the last few decades and Stimpson takes credit for In 2011, Jones’ second full year of his second term, overseeing the “lowest total number of Part I crimes,” there were 30 murders and 15,252 total major crimes, which include murder and homicide, rape, robbery, agaccording to the same reports. In addition to the homigravated assault, burglary, motor vehicle theft, larcenycides, the crimes included 48 rapes, 637 robberies, 880 theft, and arson. aggravated assaults, 4,061 burglaries, 8,893 larcenies “This means that under proand 703 vehicle thefts. grams like ‘Bridging the Gap,’ In 2012, the city saw 29 ho‘Second Chance or Else’ and the micides and 13,414 total major ‘YES Initiative,’ we are making crimes. They included: 45 rapes, progress,” Stimpson wrote in an 460 robberies, 777 aggravated email. “While we are tracking assaults, 2,796 burglaries, 8,755 IN ADDITION TO THE these crime numbers very closely, larcenies and 552 vehicle thefts. it is important to remember Executive Director of Public CURFEW CENTER, JONES that victims of crime aren’t just Safety James Barber, who was a TOUTED HIS ADMINISTRAnumbers. We won’t stop fighting Mobile Police Department deputy for every single victim of violent chief during the Jones administraTION’S USE OF GUN BUYcrime, until the numbers are zero.” tion, said the 2012 crime statistics During his campaign announcewere lower, but that Stimpson has BACK PROGRAMS TO GET ment at Greater Nazaree Baptist presided over three years with the POTENTIAL WEAPONS OFF Church June 17, Jones accused lowest total amount of crime out of Stimpson of not going after crime in the last four decades. Although he THE STREETS. the right ways. Many of his supportsaid he has no reason to doubt the ers cited cuts Stimpson had made numbers, Barber admitted the 2012 to social programs like the Boys & numbers were never audited. Girls Clubs of South Alabama. Barber said the department was mired in a reportIn a phone interview last week, Jones touted his own fixing scandal in 2013, but the city still saw an increase tactics as a better way to combat crime. He mentioned in crime of nearly 10 percent from 2012. staffing a youth curfew center, a program teaming up According to records of a day-long Mobile County with local community action groups and other initiaPersonnel Board hearing on the matter, Barber testified tives. there were concerns burglaries were being downgraded “You have to be more proactive than reactive,” Jones to criminal mischief and theft of property. Charges said. “It’s beneficial to the police department and it’s were leveled at then-First Precinct Capt. Eddie Patrick. beneficial to everyone.” Of the 905 First Precinct cases reviewed by Internal Affairs, 85 were inappropriately changed, according to testimony. The statistics Jones said he doesn’t believe the report fixing The Mobile Police Department reported 13,836 scandal was widespread enough to have an impact on major crimes in 2016, according to its annual report. the stats. Homicides spiked to 41 from 24 the year before. In Meanwhile, Stimpson said the surging homicide rate
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in 2016 can be partly attributed to a spike in youth violence. Last year, Barber said, there were 12 teenagers killed. Stimpson also cited domestic violence as a factor. In response, Stimpson’s administration and the MPD have teamed up with business leaders to provide summer jobs for youths 16 to 24 years old through the city’s Youth Empowered for Success, or YES Initiative. “Two of the most important issues facing public safety in Mobile are youth gun violence and domestic violence,” Stimpson wrote. “The YES Initiative is a very positive step forward on youth violence and we are working to build upon the success and expand its reach. Domestic violence is a more complex issue. It is time we have an honest conversation about how to tackle this growing epidemic.” Reports for 2017 are not yet available. A spreadsheet provided by Barber tracks crime going back to 1986, when Mobile saw 47 homicides and a total of 20,131 major crimes. The homicide rate has fluctuated since 1986, but was at its highest in 1998 at 52. While the total number of major
IN 2012, THE CITY SAW 29 HOMICIDES AND 13,414 TOTAL MAJOR CRIMES. THEY INCLUDED: 45 RAPES, 460 ROBBERIES, 777 AGGRAVATED ASSAULTS, 2,796 BURGLARIES, 8,755 LARCENIES AND 552 VEHICLE THEFTS.” crimes saw a high of 21,628 in 1992, it has generally decreased since, according to the spreadsheet.
Law enforcement tactics
In addition to the curfew center, Jones touted his administration’s use of gun buyback programs to get potential weapons off the streets. But Barber called gun buyback programs “largely ineffective.” He said residents would use the events to get rid of old guns found in closets, but the people actively using guns for crime wouldn’t participate. Jones also touted roadblocks or safety checkpoints to curb crime. He said the checkpoints kept drivers more vigilant. “It kept people from riding around with drugs, guns or alcohol,” he said. “It had some impact even though it wasn’t popular. We had to do it.” Barber said he’s mostly against checkpoints unless there’s a bona fide public safety justification. For instance, two recent checkpoints on Duval Street and at Village Green Apartments allowed officers to search for wanted shooting suspects. Checkpoints and roadblocks were also part of the Jones Administration’s Operation Impact, which Barber said ended “with a lot of pissed off people.” As a larger tactic, though, Operation Impact was used by the MPD to “saturate” largely minority neighborhoods with police on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays, Barber said. The police would then make arrests based on any illegal activity observed, no matter how minor, because the operation was ouput driven, Barber said. As an example, he offered how a resident of one of these communities might be arrested for simply grabbing a beer and talking to a neighbor outside his or her house. In contrast, Barber, who lives in Heron Lakes, said if police were to arrest someone in his neighborhood for talking to a
COVER STORY neighbor while drinking wine there’d be an uproar. Jones admitted Barber would have good information on the operation because “he ran it.” Barber said he was not in charge of the operation, but was deputy chief at the time. When Barber took over as chief, he switched tactics to more “outcome” driven measures. Hot spots policing uses intelligence gathering to pinpoint people and locations that have destabilized larger communities over time. Those individuals and locations are targeted for enforcement, rather than rounding up everyone in a specific area, Barber said. Stimpson suggested Operation Impact wasn’t working. “Instead of targeting entire communities, we are targeting the individuals committing the crimes,” he wrote. “The results are removing the dangerous criminals from the streets, instead of handing out a bunch of minor traffic tickets in their neighborhoods and infringing on the rights of our citizens.”
Arrests and bookings
Operation Impact ran for a total of 13 months, from the fall of 2012 to when Barber took over as chief. During that time, the operation netted more than 4,200 arrests. Lagniappe tallied all the reported arrests during June 10-17, 2013, when Operation Impact was in effect, and compared them to a tally of all the arrests during June 10-17, 2017, discovering that the MPD under the Jones administration made more total arrests. During the week in 2013, MPD recorded 329 total arrests, according to Mobile Metro Jail records. During the same week in 2017, the MPD made 205 arrests. Jones blamed the higher arrest numbers on some officers using Operation Impact to harass people. “It was because of some individuals, not the program itself,” he said. “Hopefully most of them are not there anymore.” Jones also said the higher arrest numbers had much to do with the economy. He said 2011 and 2012 were during the “height of the recession” and there “was a lot of property crime taking place.”
Department size and performance
Under Jones in 2012, the MPD was larger, with a total of 856 employees. Of this, 560 were sworn and 296 were civilians.
The department had 11 captains, 42 lieutenants, 65 sergeants and 76 corporals. In 2016, the MPD had a total of 736 employees. Of those, 496 were sworn and 240 were civilians. The department had two chiefs, four majors, nine captains, 32 lieutenants, 60 sergeants and 74 corporals. The number of complaints against the MPD were lower in 2012 compared to 2016. During 2012, there were 17 complaints against police officers, spanning 44 areas of concern, of those, 21 percent of investigations found an officer acted inappropriately. Jones said there were very few cases of police brutality while he was mayor. He said it was made very clear that the MPD would “treat all citizens the same.” “You have to have respect for the general public,” Jones said. In 2016, the number of complaints jumped to 50. They encompassed 144 areas of concern, according to the annual report. Of those, 20 percent showed inappropriate action by the officer. Barber attributed at least some of the increase in the number of complaints to growing distrust of police departments nationally. Some residents’ distrust of the MPD escalated when 19-year-old Michael Moore was shot and killed by officer Harold Hurst after a traffic stop on June 13, 2016. In November, a Mobile County grand jury determined Hurst should not face charges for the shooting. Two men riding in the car gave statements saying Moore put a stolen pistol in the rear waistband of his shorts and exited the car to confront Officer Hurst moments before the shooting, but tensions ran high in the African-American community for weeks following the incident. Following Moore’s death, the Mobile City Council created a Police Citizens Community Relations Advisory Council, which Stimpson initially opposed as being redundant to an already-established council. He came on board after he was allowed appointments to the council and other concessions. Residents have complained recently that members of the advisory council are not easy to contact and there is very little information about it posted to the city’s website. But the council will meet Thursday, July 13 at 6 p.m. at the Springhill-Moorer Library at 4 S. McGregor Ave. According to a press release,the advisory council is holding regular meetings throughout the city to provide citizens a better opportunity to attend.
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ART ARTIFICE
Visiting writer at home in a new land BY KEVIN LEE/ARTS EDITOR/KLEE@LAGNIAPPEMOBILE.COM
T
here’s something exotic in Fairhope for Massachusetts writer Elan Barnehama. Something oddly familiar, too. “I’ve met people here whose family maybe were on Martha’s Vineyard in the 1600s. They’ve been down here that long but it’s all the same. We’re all connected,” Barnehama said. The novelist and teacher at the University of Massachusetts Amherst has spent June and July as the latest participant in the Wolff Cottage Writer-in-Residence program supported by local government and the Fairhope Center for the Writing Arts membership. This magnification of Fairhope’s luminosity in the literary firmament has been a mainstay since Pultizer-nominated author Rick Bragg arrived for the initial sojourn in 2004. Barnehama’s creations have adorned various outlets like Huffington Post and Writer’s Digest. His screenplay “Just Making Change” earned a Special Mention in the 2012 Table Read My Screenplay competition. His novel “Finding Bluefield” about a romance between two women in 1960s Virginia was a finalist in the 2014 American Book Fest Internaitonal Book Awards. Its location and period were key. “Aside from the two women it’s really about what happens when invisible people become visible in society,” Barnehama said. He discovered the Eastern Shore residency program last year, found Fairhope “fascinating”in research and submitted his application. Come September, his name appeared on the list of honored writers so he found himself packing shorts amidst Boston’s April snowfall.
It was then Barnehama noticed how Alabama nuance gilded his life already. “It’s like when you buy a car and suddenly that’s all you see on the road. My playlist at home has Alabama Shakes. There was a Fannie Flagg article on Fairhope in Garden & Gun. Morning Edition broadcasted from Montgomery, there’s that podcast S-Town and I found out Food & Wine is moving to Birmingham from New York,” Barnehama recalled. His stoked expectations were met. “The area, the bay and what I thought I liked about it from before has just grown exponentially. I went out on Fish River and Weeks Bay. I canoed and kayaked in New England but it’s a very different landscape with marshes,” Barnehama noted. Bareneham is used to adventure. He’s traveled the East Coast, Maine to Florida. He traversed the continent twice in recent years. “I also crossed the country by motorcycle after college in the late ‘70s, on backroads and the only prerequisite was to stop at diners,” Barnehama said. Once in California, he went to work as a short order cook in a Burbank diner across from the NBC studios. “I taught inner city high schools, at-risk youth who checked their weapons at the door and I think short order cook was more stressful,” Barnehama laughed. Despite the surfeit of activity and allure of Fairhope, he’s knuckled down. He finished a few touches on an agent search for his latest novel “No Small Wonder.” Its central character is the son of Holocaust survivors who experiences the 1960s in New York City. More details can be
Percussion on tap for Fun Fridays
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THE NOVELIST AND TEACHER AT THE UNIVERSITY OF MASSACHUSETTS AMHERST HAS SPENT JUNE AND JULY AS THE LATEST PARTICIPANT IN THE WOLFF COTTAGE WRITER-IN-RESIDENCE PROGRAM SUPPORTED BY LOCAL GOVERNMENT AND THE FAIRHOPE CENTER FOR THE WRITING ARTS MEMBERSHIP. ” struggling Mets fan. We could sell bottles for money and bike to the stadium,” Barnehama recalled. Once here, he learned about the all-Mobile outfield — Amos Otis, Cleon Jones, Tommie Agee— that helped the Mets to their legendary 1969 world championship. Another Alabama tie was at Shea, in a different sport. “I snuck onto the field at Shea Stadium in the fourth quarter when Namath beat the Raiders to go to the Super Bowl in ’69. I was like 10 years old and a bunch of us went on the field and my friend tackled me at the end of the game,” Barnehama chuckled. The writer described himself as “Northern with a bias toward the South.” “I have a real dislike for this idea of blue and red states. You know, Massachusetts is 60-40 like Texas but the opposite. It’s not 100 percent one way or another and we need to know these connections,” Barenhama said.
The 18th edition of the annual Gulf Coast Ethnic and Heritage Jazz Festival will be here soon and its first event kicks off July 24 with the Marcus Johnson Summer Jazz Camp. A wonderful opportunity for aspiring musicians of all ages and skill levels, the camp runs through Aug. 4 at the History Museum of Mobile (111 S. Royal St.) under the watchful eye of master clinician Hosea London. This year’s version includes a July 27 field trip to New Orleans. There is also a Master Class led by Dr. Willie Hill, director of the Fine Arts Center at the University of Massachusetts Amherst. Camp culminates in an Aug. 4 recital at the museum. Campers will also perform at GCEHJF’s centerpiece concert, Aug. 12 at the Mobile Convention Center. Registration is required. For more information, call 251-478-4027 or go to gcehjazzfest.org.
Theatre 98 in the driver’s seat
Becky’s theory is “when a woman wants a new car, she wants a new life.” So when a bereaved millionaire wanders in her car dealership, opportunity knocks. However Becky’s new “vehicle” may be too much roadster to handle. The fourth-wall-shattering comedy “Becky’s New Car” runs July 21 through Aug. 6 at tiny-yet-tenacious Theatre 98 (350 Morphy Ave., Fairhope). Friday and Saturday curtain is at 8 p.m. and Sunday matinees at 2:30 p.m. Tickets are $18, $12 for students. Theatre 98’s recent fundraiser for new seating was lucrative but they still need a couple of thousand dollars to make sure all patrons will “ride in style” for future productions. Attendees are encouraged to consider making donations at upcoming performances. Those giving at least $100 will have their names immortalized on a plaque in the lobby. For more information, phone 251-928-4366 or go to theatre98.org. Don’t forget to check out Theatre 98’s new Instagram and Twitter accounts.
ARTSGALLERY
The History Museum of Mobile (111 S. Royal St.) has launched Fun Fridays offering fun educational activities designed for inquisitive minds aged 5-10 years. Each session is $5 per person and includes museum admission. The 1-hour time slots have limited class sizes so get reservations by emailing theeckj@historymuseumofmobile.com. The July 14 and July 28 Fun Friday 10 a.m. and 11 a.m. sessions will tour participants through the Faces of Africa exhibit and learn about talking drums. The group will then make their own instruments to take home. Participants are welcome to tour the rest of the museum afterward. For more information, call 251-301-0270.
Jazz Camp begins late July
found at elanbarnehama.com. Some of his previous notes and ideas gelled into the genesis of an entirely new novel. Despite getting 8,000 words down to date, Barnehama said its essence is so fluid in this stage discussion would be pointless. “I think this shakes the cobwebs out of your head a little because you’re out of your environment so you’re not thinking the same way. Plus, writers who have been [at the cottage] have left their books in the bookshelves and so it’s an inspiration and a challenge,” he said. Barnehama’s high school teaching stint included a turn coaching varsity baseball, a pasttime that presaged his Mobile Bay visit. “I grew up in Queens not far from Shea Stadium so I was and still am a
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MUSIC
FEATURE
DASH RIP ROCK SATURDAY, JULY 15 AT 8 P.M. THE LISTENING ROOM MOBILE, 78 ST. FRANCIS ST., WWW.THELISTENINGROOMMOBILE.COM TICKETS: $20 ARTIST DONATION
M
Photo | Provided
Dash Rip Rock goes their own way
Dash Rip Rock has churned out more than a dozen albums over a 30-year career.
BY STEPHEN CENTANNI/MUSIC EDITOR/SCENTANNI@LAGNIAPPEMOBILE.COM
obile often plays host for numerous rock outfits from New Orleans. The increasing number of popular up-andcoming bands that do not fit the Crescent City’s jazz/funk mold is evidence that the city’s music scene is taking on a new personality. Decades before this current musical evolution took place, Dash Rip Rock decided to use their fresh, charismatic mix of punk and country to create their own niche in the New Orleans music scene. According to guitarist/vocalist Bill Davis, the current growth of the NOLA rock scene is the same reactionary move that brought his band to the masses. Davis says while New Orleans will never lose its reputation for funk and jazz, people will always be looking for something different. “When the mainstream is funk and soul, the kids are going to play something totally different from that,” Davis said. “They’re going to rip into some country, rockabilly or punk rock.
That’s what’s cool about the scene now. There’s some high-energy rock bands coming out of New Orleans that are bucking the trend.” Davis credits college radio as one of the biggest inspirations for Dash Rip Rock’s sound, where stations in New Orleans and Baton Rouge immersed Davis in the music of West Coast cowpunk and rockabilly groups such X, The Blasters, Social Distortion and The Beat Farmers. Davis says the bands he was hearing on college radio were nonexistent in New Orleans at the time. The guitarist recruited Ned “Hoaky” Hickel on bass and F. Clarke Martty on drums. The trio formulated a concoction of country, Southern rock and punk that was portrayed through rowdy tunes such as “Johnny Ace,” “(Let’s Go) Smoke Some Pot” and “Rich Little Bitch.” Davis says the group also reflected the Southern alt. rock movement with choice ballads such as “Jarhead” and “Specialty.” As they began recording, the medium that had inspired the group also helped create a cross-demographic cult following that flocked to Dash Rip Rock’s stage. “We got embraced by college radio,” Davis said. “From that, we just built a solid audience of mostly rock fans. It was really college-based. Through the ‘80s, you could pretty much count on us playing any college town in the country and doing well.” As the band’s reputation grew, Dash Rip Rock scored opening spots for acts such as The Cramps, The Black Crowes, No Doubt, Jerry Lee Lewis, The Ramones and Lou Reed. Their electrifying live show and equally raucous sound led Spin to name them “the South’s greatest rock band.” When Dead Kennedys vocalist Jello Biafra heard the band, he signed them to his Alternative Tentacles label, upon which they released four of their 17 albums. All the while, Davis said the band has maintained their trademark sound. “We didn’t try to go off into anything too different,” he said. “We have an identifiable sound that people can relate to. You can’t get it from anywhere
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else. You have to get it from Dash Rip Rock.” While their music has stayed the same, Davis said Dash Rip Rock has changed behind the scenes. The front man is following the current music business model with an in-house label. Named for Davis’ childhood band, Drag Snake Records has become the main platform for the band’s music. After researching in-house labels, Davis decided that more profit could be earned from self-released albums. The digital music era has also allowed Dash Rip Rock to spread their music worldwide without any major label connections. Davis plans on releasing all future Dash Rip Rock
brought notice to bands such as R.E.M. and Will & the Bushmen. “We hit on that formula in the ‘80s, and it’s worked for us,” said Davis. “It’s an acquired taste, really. If you don’t know a lot about Southern music, then you’re not going to get it. It works if you think about Southern music through the ‘80s and ‘90s.” Dash Rip Rock has always had a reputation for giving their audience an adrenalized live performance. In the ‘90s, many locals may remember the band’s memorable sets at the now defunct LoDa venue Monsoon’s. A rain of beer and hard liquor rained on the crowd as Dash Rip Rock blazed
We got embraced by college radio. From that, we just built a solid audience of mostly rock fans. We have an identifiable sound that people can relate to. You can’t get it from anywhere else. You have to get it from Dash Rip Rock. albums on Drag Snake. “It’s a fun little diversion and good little way to get our records out there,” he said. “We’ve got decent distribution. It’s almost like you don’t have to have any record store distribution anymore.” Their most recent release, “Wrongheaded,” was released on Davis’ Drag Snake Records in 2015. This album is filled with the hard-driving alt. country tunes and emotional Southern anthems for which Dash Rip Rock is known. Davis credits muses ranging from Johnny Cash to Little Richard for his versatile songwriting style, inspiring “offthe-map, high-energy rock ‘n’ roll” and contrasting with “something pretty and thoughtful.” Dash Rip Rock was also shaped by the movement that
through their set and cushioned songs with hilarious stage banter. Musically, Davis said the band’s live show has changed very little. The Listening Room crowd can expect an evening of “blazing, really tight, high-energy Southern rock and punk rock” separated by soft, Southern rock anthems. However, Davis admitted the band does not get as rowdy on stage as they did in the Monsoon’s days. “We don’t set our stuff on fire,” he said. “We don’t spray the crowd with beer anymore. Every show from 1994 to 1999, we had a bottle of Jack Daniels onstage. We’d drink half of it and give the rest to the crowd. We’re more kind of a tequila band now.”
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Heave ho
BY STEPHEN CENTANNI/MUSIC EDITOR/SCENTANNI@LAGNIAPPEMOBILE.COM
E
ach year, the Vomit Spots give a taste of the local underground scene’s past. In 1985, the members of this local punk outfit were brought together through Spring Hill College’s defunct college radio station WTOH. In the years following, Keith Hammet (vocals), Al De Lorge (guitar), Robbie Turpin (bass) and Anton Garriz (drums) used their live
Photo |Facebook | The Vomit Spots
VOMIT SPOTS, GARY WRONG, EARL’S KILLER SQUIRREL FRIDAY, JULY 14 AT 9 P.M. THE MERRY WIDOW, 51 S. CONCEPTION ST., WWW.THEMERRYWIDOW.NET TICKETS: $10 AVAILABLE THROUGH THE MERRY WIDOW WEBSITE
show and original material to set new standards for local underground bands. Fans both past and present will witness classic Spots material such as “Beano,” “Dude, I Didn’t Know” and “Nina Haagen Dazs” as well as their punked-out version of The B-52’s classic “Rock Lobster.” No matter where these reunion shows go, The Vomit Spots have no problem conjuring the energy that has made them legendary.
The main event
The Vomit Spots will be ushered by two furious acts. Gary Wrong Group is the latest project from local punk legend Chad Booth. For this show, Booth will be performing solo. However, the crowd can expect an onslaught of raw punk goodness from this notable musician. Booth will also perform a DJ set as Wrong Gary Selector. Pensacola’s Earl’s Killer Squirrel completes this evening of underground madness. This group will fill their set with intensity and an equally adrenalized delivery.
Young and restless
C
Photo | Facebook | Pastor Troy
oastal Alabama has been known to embrace the concept of “Sunday Funday.” In fact, Sunday brunch has become one of the busiest shifts for many LoDa restaurants. Over the past couple of months, Alchemy Tavern has used their “Liquid Brunch” as veritable after-party for those Sunday brunching in downtown Mobile. In addition to cold libations, Alchemy also provides its Sunday Funday enthusiasts with musical entertainment. This week’s Liquid Brunch will feature sounds from a group of talented young Mobilians. When the band formed, the members of Stereo Dogs had barely entered their teens. In those early days, the quartet of talented youngsters used classic rock as inspiration for future original material. Now, Stereo Dogs entertain their crowd with a set that mingles both classic rock covers as well as their original material. Songs such as “Turn My Fire Blue” and “Here We Go” showcase a band that has forged their American rock sound in the tradition of their musical forefathers.
BAND: ALABAMA HIP-HOP WEEK MAIN EVENT • DATE: SATURDAY, JULY 15, 8 P.M. • VENUE: SOUL KITCHEN, 219 DAUPHIN ST., WWW.SOULKITCHENMOBILE.COM • TICKETS: $25 IN ADVANCE /$30 DAY-OF/$55 RISER SEATS AVAILABLE AT SOUL KITCHEN, THEIR WEBSITE, MELLOW MUSHROOM (WEMO/MIMO) OR BY CALLING 1-866-777-8932
BAND: LIQUID BRUNCH FEATURING STEREO DOGS DATE: SUNDAY, JULY 16 AT 3 P.M. VENUE: ALCHEMY TAVERN, 7 S. JOACHIM ST., 441-7741 TICKETS: CALL FOR MORE INFORMATION
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Photo | Facebook | Stereo Dogs
ocal radio celebrity Kalenski “DJ Dirty Dan” Adams has spent years as a patron of the region’s hip-hop scene. Eventually, his passion evolved into Alabama Hip-Hop Week. This annual event brings together artists, fans and the community for a seven day celebration of Alabama Hip-Hop. For the past week, Alabama Hip-Hop Week has provided pop-up shows, street parties, educational summits and even a second-line to raise awareness of domestic violence. Before the celebration ends, Adams will bring together a lineup of hip-hop artists to celebrate another successful installment. Georgia is sending Pastor Troy to serve as the headliner. Pastor Troy’s bouncing, roughneck flow and lyrical science has made him a stand-out on the Southeastern scene and beyond. His Soul Kitchen crowd will get a taste of fresh cuts from his upcoming release “O.G.P.T.” This concert will also feature sets from Dirty Boyz, Papa Duck, Teck Montana, Mika Frost, BK, 10-10 and Big Brown.
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AREAMUSIC LISTINGS | July 13 - July 19
THUR. JULY 13
Bluegill— Al and Cathy Blues Tavern— Cosmic Bullets, 8:30p Felix’s— Tropic Flyer Flora Bama— Christina Christian, 2p// David Dunn, 5p/// Dueling Pianos, 5:30p//// Mark Sherrill, James Daniel, Chris Newbury and Mel Knapp, 6p//// Rebecca Barry Band and Bust, 6p//// James Dupre, 10p//// Logan Spicer and Tony Ray Thompson, 10:15p//// Ja Rthyhm, 10:30p Hangout— Wavelength, 6p// DJ Dr. One, 10p Hard Rock (Center Bar) — Brennan Royal, 8p Listening Room— Anoe Lulu’s— Lefty Collins, 5p Old 27 Grill— Two Suzy’s, 6p SanBar— Jim Andrews, 7p Tacky Jacks (Orange Beach) — Jimmy Lee Hannaford, 6p Wind Creek Casino— Tigger Proof, 8p FRI. JULY 14 All Sports Bar & Billiards— DJ Markie Mark, 10p Beau Rivage— Ron White, 7p/10p Blind Mule— The Old Paints, Shifting Tracks, Dead Lizards, Satan and the Sunbeams Bluegill— Dale Drinkard, 12p// Blind Dog Mike, 6p Blues Tavern— Disciples of the Crow, 9p Felix’s— Grits N Pieces Fin’s— East L.A. Fadeaway, 8p Flora Bama— J. Hawkins, 1p// LeaAnne Creswell Duo, 2p//// Logan Spicer, 4p//// Jack Robertson Show, 5:30p//// Big Muddy, 6p//// Brian Hill Duo, 6p//// Dave McCormick, 6p//// Chris Bryant Duo, 8p//// James Dupre, 10p//// Wes Loper Duo, 10:15p//// Lee Yankie & The Hellz Yrah, 10:30p Hangout— Yeah Proabbly, 7p// DJ Delamora & Sin Fin, 11p Hard Rock (Center Bar) — Supercharger, 9:30p IP Casino— Dwight Yoakam, 8p Listening Room— Sugarcane Jane Lulu’s— Cool Rayz, 5p Main Street Cigar Lounge— Frankie Boots, 8p The Merry Widow— Vomit Spots w/Gary Wrong Solo + E.K.S., 9p Moe’s BBQ (Daphne) — The Three-Oh, 8p Moe’s BBQ (Foley) — Justin Fobes, 6p Moe’s BBQ (Mobile) — Jimmy Lee Hannaford and Jose Santiago, 6:30p
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Moe’s BBQ (Semmes) — The Dunaway Brothers, 6p Old 27 Grill— Them Again, 6:30p SanBar— Gabe Willis and Emily Stuckey, 7p Tacky Jacks (Orange Beach) — Broken Down Car, 6p Wind Creek Casino— Tigger Proof, 9p
SAT. JULY 15
Bluegill— Bruce Smelley, 12p// Cool Rayz, 6p Blues Tavern— Everybody’s Here, 9p Callaghan’s— Rebecca Barry Felix’s— DOTC Trio Fin’s— Bruce Jones, 1p// The Regulators, 8p Flora Bama— Brian Hill Duo, 1p// JoJo Pres, 1p/// J. Hawkins Trio, 2p//// Rebecca Barry and Bust, 2p//// Kevin Swanson, 4p//// Destiny Brown, 5p//// Jack Robertson Show, 5:30p//// Jezebel’s Chill’n, 6p//// Jay Williams Duo, 9p//// Davis Nix Band, 10p//// Foxy Iguanas, 10:15p//// Yellowhammer, 10:30p Hangout— The Good Lookings, 7p// DJ Week N, 11p Hard Rock (Center Bar) — Supercharger, 9:30p IP Casino— Atlas Fights 31, 8p Listening Room— Dash Rid Rock Lulu’s— Grits N Pieces, 5p Moe’s BBQ (Foley) — Poarch Ninjas, 6p Moe’s BBQ (Mobile) — Frankie Boots, 6:30p Moe’s BBQ (Semmes) — This Side of 49, 6p Old 27 Grill— Mudbug Slim, 6:30p Pirates Cove— Kelly Poole and the Swingsets, 6p SanBar— Jeff Farrow, 7p Soul Kitchen— Pastor Troy, Dirty Boyz, Papa Duck, 9p Tacky Jacks (Orange Beach) — Hot Rod Ron, 11a// Roadside Glorious, 6p Top of the Bay— Grand Theft Audio Wind Creek Casino— Justin Moore, 8p
SUN. JULY 16
Alchemy— Stereo Dogs Bluegill— Dale Drinkard, 12p// Wes Loper Band, 6p Blues Tavern— John Hall, 6p Callaghan’s— Eric Erdman Cortland’s Pizza Pub— Lane Fisher, 1p Dority’s Bar and Grill— Telluride, 6p Felix’s— Bobby Butchka
Fin’s— Matt and Sherry Neese, 3p Flora Bama— Foxy Iguanas, 12p// Al and Cathy, 1p/// Jason Justice, 1:30p//// Brandon White, 2p//// Davis Nix Duo, 2p//// Brittany Grimes, 5p//// Jezebel’s Chill’n, 5:30p//// Perdido Brothers, 6p//// Whyte Caps, 10p//// Brian Hill Trio, 10:15p Hangout— Luke Langford & 311 South, 6p// Greg Lyon, 10p Hard Rock (Center Bar) — Brent and Steve, 8p Listening Room— Ryan Balthrop, Molly Thomas and Joe Langley Lulu’s— Greg Brown, 1p// Cadillac Attack, 5p Old 27 Grill— Barry Gibson, 11:30a Saenger— Breakfast at Tiffany’s, 3p SanBar— David Jones, 6p Tacky Jacks (Orange Beach) — Jimmy Lee Hannaford, 11a// Hippy Jim, 6p
MON. JULY 17
Felix’s— Chris Herenroder Flora Bama— Founder and Friends, 2p// Lee Yankie, 5p/// Logan Spicer, 5:30p//// Cathy Pace, 6p//// JoJo Pres, 10p//// Petty and Pace, 10:15p Hangout— The Good Lookings, 7p// Whyte Caps, 10p Lulu’s— Brent Burns, 5p
TUE. JULY 18
Bluegill— Mobile Big Band Society Butch Cassidy’s— Jerry Powell Cortland’s Pizza Pub— Matt Neese, 7:30p The Diner— Brent Burns, 6p Felix’s— Lee Yankie Flora Bama— T-Bone Montgomery, 2p// Gary Story, 5p/// Jay Hawkins Duo, 5:30p//// Perdido Brothers, 6p//// Hung Jury, 10p//// Alabama Lightning, 10:15p Hangout— Continuum, 6p// Shea White and Friends, 10p Lulu’s— Jimmy Lumpkin, 5p Moe’s BBQ (Mobile) — Anna McElroy, 6p
WED. JULY 19
Bluegill— Ross Newell Felix’s— Bobby Butchka Flora Bama— Neil Dover, 2p// Mel Knapp, 5p/// Jeff Dayton, 5:30p//// Rhonda Hart and Jonathan Newton, 6p//// Ja Rhythm, 10p//// Mario Mena Duo, 10:15p Hangout— Yeah Probably, 6p// Justin Wall, 10p Lulu’s— Sugarcane Jane, 5p Shipp’s Harbour Grill— Brent Burns, 5p
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FILMTHE REEL WORLD
“Trainspotting” sequel can stand on its own
F
BY ASIA FREY/FILM CRITIC/AFREY@LAGNIAPPEMOBILE.COM
AREA THEATERS CARMIKE CINEMA’S Wynnsong 16 785 Schillinger Rd. S. (251) 639-7373 CRESCENT THEATER 208 Dauphin Street (251) 438-2005 HOLLYWOOD STADIUM 18 1250 Satchel Paige Dr. (251) 473-9655 RAVE MOTION PICTURE JUBILEE SQUARE 12 6898 U.S. 90 Daphne, (251) 626- 6266
ew films can match the verve and impact of Danny Boyle’s 1996 phenomenon “Trainspotting,” and his 20 years’ later sequel “T2 Trainspotting” does not. That is part of its success; it does not attempt to be another “Trainspotting.” The same cast of characters is older, sadder, but not necessarily wiser 20 years later, and it is the contrast between the two films, not the comparison, that makes this second film unmissable. At the end of the first film, Renton (Ewan McGregor) fled Scotland with the entire haul from a robbery, a haul that was meant to be split four ways. The three companions he left in the lurch have had two decades to resent him, while he built a more respectable life in Amsterdam. Spud (Ewan Bremner) remains a junky, Sick Boy (Jonny Lee Miller) has switched from heroin to cocaine while running both a bar and a blackmail operation, and, most bitter of all, the volatile Begbie (Robert Carlyle) has been in prison. They can easily blame Renton for their failures, but it’s hard to imagine things going any other way, give or take the 4,000 pounds he stole from each of them. When Renton’s respectability and success in Amsterdam is revealed to be less solid than he claimed, he falls into his old ways with his best pal Sick Boy. They hatch a scheme to raise enough money transform Sick Boy’s pub into a “spa.” With the fractious but genuine camaraderie between those two old friends, the complex, nostalgic return
to the past that they feel when they are together is the film’s strongest quality. Hopefully none of us experience what these guys experience, but anyone might know the feeling of trying to go back in time with someone from your past. “T2” has plenty of outrageous, disgusting sequences, just like last time, but there is also a painful, wistful element of emotional truth to it. Even if what these guys are wistful for is hardly rosy.
THERE ARE PLENTY OF SATISFYING CALLBACKS TO THE FIRST MOVIE, AND LITERAL FLASHBACKS, AND, ABOVE ALL, TANTALIZING MUSICAL CUES TO THE SOUNDTRACK THAT WAS SUCH A HUGE PART OF THE FIRST FILM. There are plenty of satisfying callbacks to the first movie, and literal flashbacks, and, above all, tantalizing musical cues to the soundtrack that was such a huge part of the first film. That alone is enough to demand a viewing by any “Trainspotting” fan. However, this is its own film, and if you were to start with “T2,” you would find a witty, violent, dynamic
story about middle aged criminals and drug addicts, wondering how to keep going in lives they did not realistically expect to last this long. Some of them contemplate or attempt suicide. They think often about characters whose lives did end much sooner, and their own responsibilities for those events. Taken as a standalone film, this Danny Boyle outing marries a shocking visual style with a somber story of ruined lives, limited possibilities and terrible parenting, but makes it exciting and even, occasionally, fun. But, just as you might not have as much fun if you went out and tried to recreate the best, wildest night of your life, twenty years later, “T2” is not as exciting or groundbreaking as “Trainspotting.” That ground has already been broken, but this film is still worthwhile and interesting. It is captivating to see these actors come back to the roles that launched their careers, like Robert Carlyle’s simmering Begbie facing down issues with his manhood. Most rewarding was watching Jonny Lee Miller at home bleaching his familiar white hair, with Ewan McGregor chatting on the sofa, the closest, by far, to an old married couple in this world. “T2” is not a tale of redemption, and it is not a story about growing up. The beautiful camerawork and bitter humor tell a story about growing old, and scraping by, and the few bright spots the deeply flawed characters scrape together are all the brighter for the grim and gritty reality surrounding them. “T2 Trainspotting” is currently available to rent.
CARMIKE CINEMAS 23151 Wharf Ln. Orange Beach (251) 981-4444 COBB THEATRES PINNACLE 14 3780 Gulf Shores Pkwy Gulf Shores (251) 968-7444 EASTERN SHORE PREMIERE CINEMA 14 30500 Alabama 181 #500 Spanish Fort, Al (251) 626-0352 Information accurate at press time; please call theaters for showtimes.
Photos | Sony Pictures Releasing / Nicole Rivelli
FROM LEFT: After 20 years abroad, Mark Renton returns to Scotland and reunites with his old friends Sick Boy, Spud, and Begbie. In “The Big Sick,” A couple deals with their cultural differences as their relationship grows. NEW IN THEATERS THE BIG SICK
In one of the most promising films of the summer, comedian Kumail Nanjiani (“Silicon Valley”) stars in a romantic comedy directed by Michael Showalter (“Hello, My Name is Doris”) in which his fledging relationship faces dire problems, when his girlfriend becomes ill and falls into
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a coma. He bonds with her parents while she is out, and must face his own cultural issues with his family. Amazingly, this is based on the real relationship between Nanjiani and his wife. Crescent Theater.
WAR FOR THE PLANET OF THE APES A colonel leads a fight against an army of intelligent apes. All listed multiplex theaters.
NOW PLAYING SPIDER MAN: HOMECOMING All listed multiplex theaters. THE HERO AMC Classic Wharf THE HOUSE All listed multiplex theaters. DESPICABLE ME 3 All listed multiplex theaters. TRANSFORMERS: THE LAST KNIGHT All listed multiplex theaters.
BABY DRIVER All listed multiplex theaters. ALL EYES ON ME All listed multiplex theaters. CARS 3 All listed multiplex theaters. THE MUMMY All listed multiplex theaters. WONDER WOMAN All listed multiplex theaters. PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN: DEAD MEN TELL NO TALES All listed multiplex theaters.
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CALENDAR OF EVENTS JULY 13, 2017 - JULY 19, 2017
GENERAL INTEREST
dauphinstreetvault.com.
Free public talk Please join us for a free public talk highlighting “The Wade Hall Traveling Postcards Exhibitions” on loan from the Troy University Libraries. Thursday, July 13 at 6 p.m. at the Archaeology Museum, 6052 University Drive S. Call 251-4606106.
Oakleigh Summer Lawn Party An all ages event with food, fun and entertainment. Saturday, July 15, 2-5 p.m. $15 per person, ages 10 and under free. Includes antique interiors art history tour of the house museum for adults. Visit historicmobile.org or call 251-432-1281.
Fairhope farmer’s market The city of Fairhope hosts an outdoor farmer’s market Thursdays, 3-6 p.m., through Nov. 2, behind the Fairhope Public Library downtown on Bancroft Street. Call 251-929-1466. Physician assistant positions The University of South Alabama Department of Physician Assistant Studies will provide information on the program, admissions requirements and the application process. Friday, July 14, at 12:30 p.m. in the Health Science Building. Call 251-445-9345. Free family movie night Join Dauphin Island on the West End Beach for a free movie at dusk on Thursday and Friday. This Thursday’s film is “Zootopia.” Friday’s film is “Angry Birds.” Dauphin Street Vault The Dauphin Street Vault brings vaulters of all levels to compete in the Port City. A full day of high-flying fun on Dauphin Street between Jackson and Joachim streets, the fun starts at 9 a.m. on Saturday, July 15. Visit, www.
Birds and Boats Historic Blakeley State Park conducts a boat tour of the Mobile-Tensaw River Delta on Saturday, July 15 at 9:30 a.m. The tour will be three hours. Visit blakeleypark.com or call 251-626-0798. Summer Lawn Party On Saturday, July 15, 2-5 p.m. the Historic Oakleigh House Museum in downtown Mobile, is hosting a summer lawn party on its historic grounds community. Call 251-432-1281 for tickets. Market in the Square Mobile’s downtown farmer’s market is now held in Cathedral Square on Saturdays, 7:30 a.m. until noon. Come enjoy music, food, beverages and more. West Mobile farmer’s market This farmer’s market, sponsored by Christ United Methodist Church, is held every Tuesday, 3-6 p.m., on the west side of church property, 6101 Grelot Road, Mobile. Call 251-342-0462. Saenger Movie Series Saenger Theatre is hosting its Summer Classic Movie Series every Sunday. This
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week’s film is “Breakfast at Tiffany’s.” Cost is $6 per adult, $3 per child 12 and under and for seniors 60 and over. Doors open at 2:30 p.m., film is at 3 p.m. Call 251-208-5601. Help Me Grow Wednesdays Lifelines Counseling Services and the Help Me Grow staff provide free developmental screenings throughout July. Visit us at The Shoppes at Bel Air every Wednesday from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. to speak with someone.
Midtown Optimist Club Join Midtown Optimist Club every Wednesday at noon for lunch at Azalea City Golf Course. Call 251-348-3542. Toastmasters Toastmasters International meets regularly at six locations in Mobile and Baldwin counties. Visit www.toastmasters. org for more information.
ARTS
TOPS Take Off Pounds Sensibly meets every Tuesday at 5:30 p.m. at Spanish Fort Presbyterian Church. For more information, call 251-625-6888.
Theater festival The South Baldwin Community Theater’s End of the Road Festival will take place July 14-16 at the 2022 W. Second St. in Gulf Shores and will feature nine new plays by playwrights from all over the nation. Visit sbct.biz or call 251-968-6721. LoDa Artwalk Join downtown Mobile art galleries, institutions, studios and unique shops as they open their doors and welcome you inside Friday, July 14, 6-9 p.m. in the Lower Dauphin Street district.
Wonderful Wednesday Join curator Tom McGehee to explore Mrs. Bellingrath’s most prized pieces at Bellingrath Gardens & Home. Admission: $13 for adults and $7.50 for ages 5-12. Visit bellingrath.org or call 251-459-8864 to register.
Celtic Crue Concert The University of South Alabama Celtic Crue will present a concert on Tuesday, July 18, at 7:30 p.m. in the Laidlaw Performing Arts Center Recital Hall. This concert is free and open to the public. Visit www.southalabama.edu/music.
Dauphin Island Boardwalk Talks Boardwalk Talks are held the first and third Wednesday of each month at 11:15 a.m. at the Dauphin Island Sea Lab, 101 Bienville Blvd. Call 251-861-2141.
MUSEUMS
Shining Star Youth Camp The Baldwin County Sheriff’s Office will host camps for ages 8-13 at Rockwell Elementary School, July 12-14, and Central Baldwin Middle School, Aug. 2-5. Call 251-972-6890.
Fun Friday This hour long make-and-take activity visits the “Faces of Africa” exhibit to
learn about talking drums. $5 per person. July 14, 10 a.m. and 11 a.m., History Museum of Mobile. Email theeckj@ historymuseumofmobile.com. Ship tours GulfQuest National Maritime Museum of the Gulf of Mexico will host tours of the training ship T.S. General Rudder Tuesday, July 11 and Wednesday, July 12 from 9 a.m. until 4:30 p.m. and Thursday, July13 from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m. Free. Visit gulfquest.org or call 251-436-8901. Tea for Two Tuesday afternoons at 2 p.m. the Fairhope Museum of History hosts a tea with a lecture on Fairhope history. The July 18 speaker will be Jule Moon. Call 251-929-1471. “Windows to the Sea” “Windows to the Sea” is a new permanent exhibit at the Dauphin Island Sea Lab Estuarium. Visit disl.org. “Shipwreck! Pirates and Treasure” A new, highly interactive exhibit at GulfQuest features more than 500 authentic artifacts recovered from deepocean shipwrecks. Visit www.gulfquest. org. “Faces of Africa” The History Museum of Mobile exhibit “Faces of Africa: A Mystical View of Tribal Heritage” runs through Monday, July 31. Call 251-208-7420. “Drugs: Costs and Consequences” The Gulf Coast Exploreum Science
Center and the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration team up to present a powerful interactive exhibit of the effects of drugs on individuals and society. Through August. Visit exploreum.com.
Kuikanani will be July 17, 3-6:30 p.m. Come learn traditional Hawaiian Hula. Call 251-463-6822. Classes will be held at 5566 Andrew Road, Suite D.
Fairhope’s founding Learn more about the 1894 founding of Fairhope at the Fairhope Museum of History, 24 N. Section St. The museum is open daily (except Sunday and Monday) from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Call 251-929-1471.
Group rides South Alabama and Mississippi Mountain Bike Association invites all levels of cyclists to join them every Tuesday and Thursday at 6 p.m. at USA Bike Trails and Sunday at 9 a.m. at Chickasabogue Park. Email carrie@rideSAMBA.com.
Little Discoveries “Outside the Box,” aimed at children age 6 and under, explores how innovation and creativity can lead to a world of possibilities, starting with a simple cardboard box. Wednesdays at 10 a.m. Call 251-208-6893 or email jholland@ exploreum.com.
Weekly 1K/5K Every Thursday evening at 6 p.m., join Red Beard’s Outfitter and Cortlandt’s Pub in the Spring Hill Village Shopping Center for a 1K or 5K run and walk. No cost to participate.
Thursdays at MMoA Every Thursday from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m., the Mobile Museum of Art offers free admission to all visitors. No reservations are necessary. MMoA is at 4850 Museum Drive. Call 251-208-5200.
Bridge lessons The Mobile Bridge Center offers free bridge lessons each Tuesday at 6 p.m. at 1510 University Blvd. Arrive a few minutes early to register. Call the Bridge Center at 251-666-2147, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Mobile BayBears The Mobile BayBears are back in action at Mobile’s Hank Aaron Stadium. The team hosts Chattanooga for a five-game home stand July 19-23. Call 251-479BEAR.
Fitness and athletics classes New fitness classes are in progress at Palmer Pillans Middle School. Curvy yoga, Tone It Up ! (fusion workout), Zumba, basketball clinics (ages 8+) and sports conditioning (ages 8-17). To register or for more information, call 251-463-7980 or visit communityactivitiesprogram.com.
Hula lessons Open enrollment for the Mobile branch of Hawai’i’s Halau Ka Lihilihilehua ‘O Hopoe
Dance and art classes Summer classes offered at Palmer Pillans Middle School include belly
SPORTING EVENTS/ACTIVITIES
dance, ballroom dance, ballet and tumbling (ages 6-8), beginning piano (ages 8+), watercolor painting, zombies and superheroes art, and pet portraits art. Call 251-463-7980 or go to communityactivitiesprogram.com. Pickleball for adults (indoors) Offered at Palmer Pillans Middle School, Saturday, 9 a.m. to noon. Great sport for all ages combines tennis, pingpong and badminton on a court one-fourth the size of a tennis court. Call 251-463-7980 or go to communityactivitiesprogram.com. Ballroom dance Azalea Ballroom Dance Club hosts dances the second and fourth Tuesday of every month, 7-9:30 p.m. at Via Health, Fitness & Enrichment Center, 1717 Dauphin St. Call 251-623-9183 or visit azaleaballroomdanceclub.com. Ballroom dance The Moonlight Chassé Ballroom Dance Society hosts dances the first and third Monday of every month, 7-9:30 p.m. at Hot Wheels Skating Rink in Daphne. Email cassief13@aol.com.
WORKSHOPS Couples and money Learn about savings programs, different kinds of investments and risks, and common strategies. Monday, July 17, at 6 p.m. at Lifelines/Consumer Credit Counseling, 705 Oak Circle Drive E. (Mobile). Space is limited; call 251-6020011 to register.
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MEDIA MEDIA FRENZY
Renee Dials retires
BY ROB HOLBERT/MANAGING EDITOR/RHOLBERT@LAGNIAPPEMOBILE.COM
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ne of the biggest names in Mobile broadcast journalism announced her retirement at the end of June. FOX10 anchor/reporter Renee Dials retired after her June 30 broadcast. She made the move with little fanfare as the station announced the news just five days before her final time on air. Dials’ retirement comes after 40 years at WALA-TV. She’s a Detroit native who attended Wayne State University and joined WALA in 1977. It was her first — and last — job as a reporter. She also broke barriers as the first female AfricanAmerican reporter in the Azalea City. FOX10 celebrated Dials’ career during the last week in June by featuring remembrances of her 40 years from city leaders, co-workers and viewers. During an interview with anchor Bob Grip she talked about how rare it is for someone to get to do a job he or she loves for any amount of time, much less four decades.
Sinclair’s “Must Runs” get WPMI brief exposure
WPMI-TV’s morning show anchors Darwin Singleton and Kelly Foster got a few moments of national attention recently as a result of Sinclair Broadcast Group’s requirements that their stations run certain content and commentary pertaining to national issues. The HBO news/comedy show “Last Week Tonight” recently took on the issue of Sinclair pushing what it calls “must run” content on its affiliate stations. The company — already one of the largest station owners in the country — is
in the midst of acquiring Tribune Media’s 43 television stations. This would make Sinclair the largest station owner in the United Stations. The company currently owns two stations in the Mobile-Pensacola market, WPMI-TV and WEAR-TV in Pensacola. “Last Week Tonight” took on the subject of Sinclair requiring its stations to run content host John Oliver described as tilting “noticeably conservative.” In addition to sending commentary to its local affiliates, Sinclair is also producing other segments such as “Terrorism Alert” and other “must run” content. Oliver’s report also focused on lead-in scripts sent by Sinclair for local anchors to read while introducing this content, and that’s where Singleton and Foster came in. WPMI’s anchors showed up in a montage of anchors at Sinclair stations across the country reading a prepared lead-in to a story about former National Security Adviser Michael Flynn. Oliver’s complaint was that the introduction itself was meant to raise questions about whether the FBI may have had a personal “vendetta” in investigating Flynn. “Did the FBI have a personal vendetta in pursuing the Russia investigation of President Trump’s former National Security Adviser Michael Flynn?” the lead-in read. Singleton and Foster were one of eight different anchors or anchor teams shown reading the script in the montage. While Oliver espoused the opinion that Sinclair’s must-run content and commentary represents a way of pushing ownership’s conservative agenda, he also claimed some stations have rebelled by running the packages in the wee hours of the morning when viewership is lowest.
THE NEW YORK TIMES CROSSWORD PUZZLE THE LONG AND WINDING ROAD BY PATRICK BLINDAUER / EDITED BY WILL SHORTZ
NOTE: WHEN THIS PUZZLE IS DONE, READ THE LETTERS ALONG THE SHADED PATH TO GET ANOTHER EXAMPLE OF THE THEME. ACROSS 92 Move quickly 12 Indy 500 winner Bobby 59 Slowly fade away 1 Major tenant of Rockefeller 94 1943 penny material 13 “____ roll!” 65 Like names on trophies, often Center 95 Merchandise: Abbr. 14 Blue 66 “I can’t hear you!” 6 “Young Frankenstein” role 96 Structure used in extreme sports 15 Penny, mostly 68 Extra-special 10 Theater drop 102 “Antennae” 16 Zenith 71 End of a shift 15 Nuke 106 Raised a ruckus 17 “The Gold-Bug” author 72 Disc jockey Freed 18 CBS’s “Kate & ____” 108 1977 Warhol subject 21 Certain tribute 73 Hair-razing name? 19 Turner of “Peyton Place” 111 Filmmaker Guy 23 Most watchful 75 Bigger than big 20 Bad thing to bring one’s 116 “Revolver” song that Paul 24 Living thing 76 Beans, e.g. family McCartney described as “an 25 “____ & the Women” 77 ____ teeth 21 Wealthy: Sp. ode to pot” (2000 Altman film) 80 The highest form of flattery? 22 “With the Beatles” song 119 They go in locks 30 “Hey Jude” song that 82 Tommy Hilfiger alternative written by Smokey Robinson 120 Ancient mentions every day of the week 83 Old movie-theater lead-ins 26 In all seriousness 121 Footwear for a run but Saturday 90 Kitchen shortening 27 Gen ____ 122 Like a good scout 32 “Yikes!” 93 “____ a wrap” 28 Emulated the tortoise 123 Fifth qtrs. 33 Solvers’ shouts 97 Latin 101 word and hare 124 Résumé listing 34 What T.S.A. Preü helps 98 Theater sections 29 One of seven in the Book of 125 It used to be made of lead people avoid 99 Lose it Revelation 126 Les ____-Unis 35 “A Hard Day’s Night” song 100 ____ dish 31 Ladies’ men, in older usage that Lennon called McCartney’s 101 Pastoral poem 33 Gulf state: Abbr. DOWN “first ‘Yesterday’ ” 103 Came (from) 36 Monastery head’s jurisdiction 1 One side of a vote 37 Strongly worded attack 104 Pacific ____ 39 Domesticate 2 Link studied at Ancestry.com 38 Panther or puma 105 Bob or weave 43 Intimate 3 Coterie 40 “With the Beatles” song play- 106 Lacquer, e.g. 47 Zombie or flaming volcano 4 Part of an old-fashioned swing ing in the E.R. when Lennon died 107 Contents of some 48 “Yuck!” 5 Zigs or zags 41 Tiki-bar cocktail envelopes: Abbr. 51 Part of U.N.L.V. 6 Napoleon’s partner on “The 42 Houdini feat 109 Officially go (for) 52 “Let’s go!” in Baja Man From U.N.C.L.E.” 44 George of “Star Trek” 110 Black as night 53 Meditation leader 7 “Wonder Woman” star 45 Bunches 112 Circulatory block 54 Altar exchange ____ Gadot 46 Try out 113 Slangy greeting 56 Bus. need that most lemon- 8 Shade of black 48 “Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts 114 “____ first you don’t ade stands don’t have 9 Fury Club Band” song whose title is fol- succeed …” 57 Some Japanese watches 10 Onetime lowed by “where the rain gets in” 115 Congers and morays 58 Big ____ (some sandwiches) J.F.K. sight 49 Twin Cities suburb 116 Melted mess 59 Edgar in “King Lear,” e.g. 11 1968 movie based on 50 Sacrosanct 117 Olive ____ 60 It might help you get to “Flowers for Algernon” 55 Pommes frites seasoning 118 Cape Horn, for one Carnegie Hall, for short 61 Riga resident 62 Garden party? 63 Record-shop stock 64 Talk, talk, talk 65 “The Time Machine” race 67 Something you might lose a little sleep over?: Abbr. 68 Delany or Carvey 69 Whopper 70 Last Hebrew letter 71 Capital bombed in 1972 74 Grade-school subj. 75 Audio problem 78 Harrison’s successor 79 African antelope 80 Message from the Red Cross, maybe 81 Cinematic composer André 84 Triumphant cry 85 Its state quarter has a lighthouse 86 Luxuriant 87 Charge, in a way 88 Spanish letter between ka and eme 89 Piece org.? 90 Silverwork city in southern Mexico 91 “Strangers and Brothers” novelist ANSWERS ON PAGE 40
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SPORTS UPON FURTHER REVIEW
Pole vaulters return to Dauphin Street BY J. MARK BRYANT/SPORTS WRITER/SPORTS@LAGNIAPPEMOBILE.COM/TWITTER @GOULAGUY
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committee. He was eligible after being a first-team allSouth Central Region player. Earlier this month, Swaggerty was named to the USA Baseball National Collegiate Team Roster. He is one of 13 position players on the squad that will play five games against Cuba. The final 24-man roster will be announced prior to the 41st United States vs. Japan Collegiate All-Star Series, which is scheduled for July 12-17. The left-hander earned batting champion honors for his performance during a series with Chinese Taipei, which the U.S. swept in five games. He led the team in batting average (.417) and stolen bases (4), and tied for the team lead in on-base percentage (.500). Swaggerty was on the Sun Belt Conference’s firstteam squad. He led the SBC in on-base percentage at .484 — which ranked 12th in the nation — as well as runs batted in (60) and runs scored (55). He was second in batting average (.363) and total bases (125), and fourth in stolen bases. A freshman all-American pick by Collegiate Baseball, Swaggerty helped the Jaguars win the SBC tournament by hitting .417 with a double, RBI, two runs scores and a stolen base. Swaggerty has also spent time this summer in the Cape Cod Baseball League for the Brewster Whitecaps. He is one of three Jaguars competing in the CCBL.
USA player earns honors
A grassroots effort is trying to get David Donald Albritton a spot in the Alabama Sports Hall of Fame. On July 12, 1936, the native of Danville, Alabama, set a world record at the U.S. Olympic Trials in New York City with a 6-foot, 9.75-inch effort in the high jump. Cornelius Bennett matched that effort at the same meet, making them the first African-American athletes to hold the high jump mark. At the infamous Berlin Olympics, he became the first
It has been a busy few weeks for the University of South Alabama’s Travis Swaggerty. The sophomore outfielder has been named a Division I All-American by the American Baseball Coaches Association (ABCA)/Rawlings for the 2017 season. The Mandeville, Louisiana, native was already a second-team All-America selection by the ABCA All-America
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Badger also recognized
Freshmen pitcher Sean Bretz of Spring Hill College has been named a second-team member of the ABCA/Rawlings All-South Region Team for NCAA Division II. The right-hander from River Ridge, Louisiana, Bretz had an 8-1 record with one save and a 1.57 earned run average. Included in his 16 appearances were 10 starts. He struck out 77 batters in 74.1 innings pitched. Against Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference teams, he was a perfect 7-0 with a 1.22 ERA and 47 strikeouts in 44.1 innings. The Badgers were 29-20 overall and a league-leading 17-4 mark in the SIAC. They were not eligible for postseason play as they are in the final year of transition to the NCAA.
Never too late
Photo | Daniel Anderson / Lagniappe
ne of the area’s most unique events returns to downtown Mobile this Saturday. For the seventh straight year, the Dauphin Street Vault (DSV) will display some incredibly talented athletes in an interesting setting. Everything necessary to conduct this high-flying field event — including portable runways, crossbars and landing pads — are placed on the pavement between Jackson and Joachim streets. Instead of the typically quiet atmosphere found at a normal track meet, the Dauphin Street Vault is in the middle of the restaurants and nightclubs. With a disc jockey and light show provided by Red Bull, it takes on the appearance of a block party. “This all-day event has Mobile-style all over it,” said Susan Shaw, director of events and marketing for the Mobile Sports Authority. “We convert a block in the heart of our entertainment district to celebrate the community and the art of pole vaulting. “There is plenty of shopping and great places to dine for viewing the event. T.P. Crockmier’s and LoDa Bier Garten will again be serving tables outside for spectators to have the best experience possible. Some of the top pole vaulters in the nation will be competing, so join us for the party.” Even with all the other activities, this is first and foremost a serious athletic competition. All ages and skill levels have taken part, including Olympians and professionals. The USA Track Federation sanctions the meet. “Our two best competitors are Devin King [DSV meet record holder with jump of 18 feet],” said Thomas Fowlkes, one of the event’s organizers. “He just got fourth place at the USATF Outdoors with a jump of 18 feet, 8.75 inches. “We will also have Tray Oates, whose personal best is 19 feet. Tray got fourth place at the Olympic Trials last summer.” Action begins at 9 a.m. with the Open Division warmups on Pit A (10 foot) and Pit B (5 foot). The Open Division will compete from 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. At 6 p.m., the runway opens for the Elite Division. After the awards for the Open Division are presented at 6:45 p.m., the vaulting stars take the spotlight at 7 p.m. The awards ceremony is slated for 10 p.m., but these showdowns often last much later into the night as the vaults surpass the balconies lining Dauphin Street.
THE DAUPHIN STREET VAULT RETURNS TO DOWNTOWN MOBILE JULY 15. native of Alabama to win an Olympic medal. Jesse Owens, his longtime friend with whom he attended high school in Cleveland, earned his initial medal the following day in the 100-meter dash. Also a Golden Gloves boxing champion, Albritton ended up graduating from Ohio State University. He coached Dunbar High School in Dayton, Ohio, to numerous state titles and was honored with the street in front of the school being named for him. Albritton later ran a successful insurance company for 30 years while also serving six terms in Ohio’s legislature. He has already earned berths in numerous halls of fame: Ohio State, U.S. Track and Field, and Morgan County in Alabama. In 2013, an historic marker was put up in Danville to recognize his hometown. Albritton was nominated for the Alabama Sports Hall of Fame in 2013, but he was not chosen. Tom Roberts III, who is organizing the grassroots effort, is asking individuals who think Albritton has been overshadowed by Owens to contact Scott Myers — executive director of the ASHOF — at 2150 Richard Arrington Jr. Blvd. N., Birmingham, AL, 35203. As Roberts wrote, “After eight decades this man deserves our highest consideration to preserve his memory and contributions.” You can reach Roberts at hecxxx1@gmail.com.
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STYLE HOROSCOPES KEY TO THE SEVEN KINGDOMS
ANSWERS FROM PAGE 36 40 | L AG N I A P P E | J u l y 1 3 , 2 0 1 7 - J u l y 1 9 , 2 0 1 7
CANCER (6/22-7/22) — Summertime is heating up and not even Ulta has a product to mask your perspiration, so you’ll approach Maester Cressen about preparing a cooling potion. Beware, it’s poison. You’ll get a free lollipop for your transaction at the Iron Bank of Braavos. LEO (7/23-8/23) — Taking a cue from Hobby Lobby, you’ll attempt to smuggle priceless artifacts from a struggling empire. Unfortunately, Widow’s Wail is worthless without its companion piece, Oathkeeper. You’ll lose a staring contest to the Night King. VIRGO (8/24-9/22) — In response to local news reports, you’ll attempt to discover an antidote to Vibrio. While the result will actually accelerate necrotizing fasciitis, it will prevent debilitating and embarrassing Greyscale. You’ll renovate the Dreadfort to incorporate a sun room. LIBRA (9/23-10/22) — You’ll cool off with a bottle of Perdido Vineyards’ White Muscadine during the day then wash it down with a sweet red from the Highgarden at night. You’ll publicly share impure thoughts about Margaery Tyrell then spend a night in the Red Keep’s drunk tank. SCORPIO (10/23-11/21) — Heading up a grassroots movement for the 2020 presidential election, you’ll join rebel forces from the east. You’ll find a fossilized Komodo dragon egg in the Valyrian Freehold and cross Mobile Bay on wooden horses. SAGITTARIUS (11/22-12/22) — Freshening up on your culinary prowess, you’ll improve upon your filet knife skills with a batch of freshly caught mullet. Your cuts will be so precise, your dinner guests will respond when you call them all “Reek.” CAPRICORN (12/23-1/19) — Diving into ancestral research with a trip to the Mobile Public Library, you’ll discover that your own lineage is quite multicultural. But it will be Jerry Springer who will inform you that you are not descended from a Baratheon bastard. AQUARIUS (1/20-2/18) — In an attempt to incorporate hunter-gatherer techniques into your convenient but boring routine, you’ll form the Free Folk of Midtown Movement. The Midtown Mobile Movement will refer to you as “wildlings,” but both groups will unite behind a proposed Aldi supermarket. PISCES (2/19-3/20) — After losing a claim to all your parents’ land and titles, you’ll pledge your oath to the Day’s Watch. That’s another way of saying you’ll sit on your couch for a few years and binge soap operas. ARIES (3/21-4/19) — Thinking it will form a tighter family bond, you’ll propose a slogan to accompany your surname. There’s nothing more catch-phrasey than “I am the one who knocks.” You’ll never unsee the resemblance between the Titan of Braavos and The Vulcan in Birmingham. TAURUS (4/20-5/20) — As a valuable swing voter, you’ll tell the two mayoral candidates you’ll vote for whomever installs an Iron Throne in City Hall. You’ll even pay more taxes to see the score finally settled between The Mountain and The Hound. GEMINI (5/21-6/21) — An Alabamian by the grace of the Old Gods and The New, you somewhat empathize with the incestuous attraction between Cersei and Jaime Lannister. But despite what Freud suggested, you swear you’ve never had those same feelings about your mom.
STYLE MOBILITY
Hard hats hard at work BY SHARMAN EGAN/CONTRIBUTING WRITER
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h, the sweet sound of road-building equipment on a sultry summer morning. The smell of asphalt wafting through the air. I never thought I’d see it in my lifetime but Ann Street in midtown was recently re-paved. And not just a small section but the whole darn thing from Arlington Street to Spring Hill Avenue. The mayor and city council reps for the districts affected finally caved in to the incessant whining. For much of the road, it’s just a temporary fix. Some might say it’s a waste of $170,000 since the new asphalt will still need to be dug up at some point and the utilities underneath rebuilt. But I live just off Ann Street. I’m looking forward to a road that won’t knock my wheels out of balance. More good news: Crescent Theater downtown has been saved from extinction again. It was facing a rent increase it couldn’t afford. Supporters raised enough money to cover the increase, and a new two-year lease was signed in June. They celebrated with a toast in front of the theater July 6. The Downtown Mobile Alliance offered a Hard Hat Tour in June, an inside view of five buildings under renovation. It was fun to see the work in progress but the real news here is the continuing transformation of downtown. When these five projects are completed sometime next year, they will total almost 100,000 square feet of commercial and residential redevelopment of buildings that have been vacant for years. They will add retail space, offices, apartments and a brewery, bringing new residents, shoppers, workers and nightlife downtown. These buildings represent just a portion of the projects
underway. The federal courthouse and Hargrove Engineering building (the former WALA-TV building at 210 Government St.) will add another 178,000 square feet. Well over $100 million is currently being invested in downtown. With umbrellas in tow, 70 people took the tour, starting at 653 St. Louis St. The circa 1924 building was once the home of the Nash/Ford automotive dealership, and it sits within the boundaries of the Automobile Alley National Register Historic District. When the renovation is complete, it will house Olde Mobile Antiques, currently located on the I-65 access road. In addition to a retail
WHEN THESE FIVE PROJECTS ARE COMPLETED SOMETIME NEXT YEAR, THEY WILL TOTAL ALMOST 100,000 SQUARE FEET OF COMMERCIAL AND RESIDENTIAL REDEVELOPMENT OF BUILDINGS THAT HAVE BEEN VACANT FOR YEARS.” showroom, the company’s wildly popular monthly estate sales will be held there. Although the building requires major work, the owners are using a light touch on the cosmetic renovations. The historic character of the building will be preserved with exposed brick walls, domed ceilings and the original
Art Deco-styled curved entrance lined with windows. Another building on Automobile Alley is being renovated to serve as the new headquarters for Precision Engineering. The old Kittrell/Milling Dodge building at 400 St. Louis St. dates from 1926. I’ll miss the wonderful murals on its façade but they have to go to restore the original showroom windows. The interior will be transformed into state-of-the-art offices. Next up was the Staples Pake building at 100 N. Royal St. Built in 1850, it was the oldest building on the tour. Stepping into the former bank lobby, I was awed by the elaborate mosaic floors, which are still in excellent condition and will be preserved. The building is being converted to mixed use with 9,000 square feet of commercial space on the first floor and 20 apartments on the second and third floors. They will be very modern with drywall on the walls and ceilings. The historic hardwood floors will be preserved but they will have a whitewash-type finish for a sleek look. Tut the location is ideal and the apartments will be upscale — garage parking will be available and it will no doubt be popular. The Temple Lodge at 558 St. Francis St. is a similar project, offering 5,000 square feet of commercial space on the ground floor and 15 upscale apartments on the second and third floors. The apartments will combine modern finishes with exposed brick and timber. Covered parking will be available across the street. Like most of the other projects on the tour, the circa 1869 building is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The developer said that they also plan to build new townhomes across the street on North Warren Street. The tour ended with a reception at Serda Brewing Co. at 600 Government St. We were hoping for a first taste of a Serda brew but the hops weren’t cooperating so we’ll have to wait like everyone else. The company met its Kickstarter goal in late June and plans are moving ahead for an August opening. The taproom was almost complete when we visited. It was open and inviting with plenty of room for mingling around a huge semicircular bar with a concrete countertop. It’s hard to imagine an old tire dealership improving the look of our main street but this one will. The exterior will have a modern look to take advantage of the large showroom windows and garage doors. A beer garden in front and food trucks in back will bring much-needed activity to that section of Government Street. Cheers! Mobility is a periodic column about retail and residential development in downtown and midtown Mobile. To read more visit lagniappemobile.com/ series/mobility.
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LAGNIAPPE LEGALS | 251.450-4466 | legals@lagniappemobile.com PUBLIC NOTICE ADVERTISEMENT FOR BIDS Notice is hereby given that the University of South Alabama (Owner) will accept sealed bids for the following work: MOBILE STREET LIGHTING University of South Alabama Mobile, Alabama USA JOB NO. 16-52 USA BID NO. 7062701 Bids will be received and clocked in at 2:00 p.m. local time on Tuesday, July 25, 2017, in Room AD245 of the USA Administration Building, 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 Purchasing Department 307 University Blvd, N., AD245 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 PH# (251) 460-6601 FX# (251) 4611370 mmayberry@southalabama.edu Lagniappe HD July 6, 13, 20, 2017
BE SOLD WITHOUT WARRANTY OR RECOURSE, EXPRESSED OR IMPLIED AS TO TITLE, USE AND/OR ENJOYMENT AND WILL BE SOLD SUBJECT TO THE RIGHT OF REDEMPTION OF ALL PARTIES ENTITLED THERETO. Alabama law gives some persons who have an interest in property the right to redeem the property under certain circumstances. Programs may also exist that help persons avoid or delay the foreclosure process. An attorney should be consulted to help you understand these rights and programs as a part of the foreclosure process. This sale is made for the purpose of paying the indebtedness secured by said mortgage, as well as the expenses of foreclosure. The successful bidder must tender a non-refundable deposit of Five Thousand Dollars ($5,000.00) in certified funds made payable to Sirote & Permutt, P.C. at the time and place of the sale. The balance of the purchase price must be paid in certified funds by noon the next business day at the Law Office of Sirote & Permutt, P.C. at the address indicated below. Sirote & Permutt, P.C. reserves the right to award the bid to the next highest bidder should the highest bidder fail to timely tender the total amount due. The Mortgagee/ Transferee reserves the right to bid for and purchase the real estate and to credit its purchase price against the expenses of sale and the indebtedness secured by the real estate. This sale is subject to postponement or cancellation. Bayview Loan Servicing, LLC, Mortgagee/Transferee Elizabeth Loefgren SIROTE & PERMUTT, P.C. P. O. Box 55727 Birmingham, AL 35255-5727 Attorney for Mortgagee/Transferee www.sirote.com/foreclosures 339937
STATE OF ALABAMA
Lagniappe HD July 6, 13, 20, 2017
COUNTY OF MOBILE NOTICE OF COMPLETION In accordance with Chapter I, Title 39, Code of Alabama, 1975, NOTICE IS HEREBY given that J Hunt Enterprises, General Contractors, has completed the contract for Maitre Park Improvements-Combination Football and Soccer Field, 2401 Halls Mill Road, Mobile, Alabama 36606, PR239-16. All persons having any claim 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, Alabama 36633-1827. Lagniappe HD June 22, 29, July 6, 13, 2017
MORTGAGE FORECLOSURE SALE
STORAGE DISPOSAL NOTICE OF SALE Notice is hereby given, pursuant to Alabama Statutes, that the goods stored in Units rented by occupants listed below will be sold to the highest bidder at a Public auction Online at www.storagetreasures.com on July 28, 2017 at 10:00 am to satisfy liens claimed by STORAGEMAX MIDTOWN, together with all costs of sale. ELLEN V SMITH Any of the above goods may be withdrawn from sale by STORAGEMAX MIDTOWN at any time without prior notice. Lagniappe HD July 6, 13, 2017
FORECLOSURES MORTGAGE FORECLOSURE SALE Default having been made in the payment of the indebtedness secured by that certain mortgage executed by Christine R. Hughes, a single person having been assumed by Lillian M. Hughes, originally in favor of JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A., on the 26th day of December, 2007, said mortgage recorded in the Office of the Judge of Probate of Mobile County, Alabama, in Book 6313, Page 93; having been assumed in Book LR7396, Page 1583; the undersigned Bayview Loan Servicing, LLC, as Mortgagee/Transferee, under and by virtue of the power of sale contained in said mortgage, will sell at public outcry to the highest bidder for cash, in front of the main entrance of the Courthouse at Mobile, Mobile County, Alabama, on August 10, 2017, during the legal hours of sale, all of its right, title, and interest in and to the following described real estate, situated in Mobile County, Alabama, to-wit: Commencing on the West line of Tuttle Avenue at the Southeast corner of Lot 7, Block 2, Zimlich and Strauss Addition to Mobile, as recorded in Deed Book 153, Pages 32-33 in the Office of the Judge of Probate, Mobile County, Alabama; thence run Northwardly along said West line of Tuttle Avenue, a distance of 12.3 feet to a point, said point being the point of beginning; thence with a deflection angle of 85 Degrees 16 Minutes to the left, run Westwardly and along a smooth wire fence a distance of 153.65 feet to a point on the West line of said Lot 7; thence run Northwardly a distance of 88.8 feet along the West line of said Lot 7 and Lot 6 to a point, said point being the Northwest corner of said Lot 6; thence run Eastwardly along the North line of said Lot 6, a distance of 168.0 feet to a point on the West line of said Tuttle Avenue; thence run Southwardly along the West line of Tuttle Avenue a distance of 77.8 feet to the point of beginning. Property street address for informational purposes: 558 Tuttle Ave, Mobile, AL 36604 THIS PROPERTY WILL BE SOLD ON AN “AS IS, WHERE IS” BASIS, SUBJECT TO ANY EASEMENTS, ENCUMBRANCES, AND EXCEPTIONS REFLECTED IN THE MORTGAGE AND THOSE CONTAINED IN THE RECORDS OF THE OFFICE OF THE JUDGE OF PROBATE OF THE COUNTY WHERE THE ABOVEDESCRIBED PROPERTY IS SITUATED. THIS PROPERTY WILL
Default having been made in the payment of the indebtedness secured by that certain mortgage executed by James W. Music, Jr., and Shelli S. Music, husband and wife, originally in favor of Mortgage Electronic Registration Systems, Inc., as nominee for GMAC Mortgage, LLC dba Ditech.com, on the 12th day of December, 2006, said mortgage recorded in the Office of the Judge of Probate of Mobile County, Alabama, in Book 6110 Page 1311; the undersigned Ditech Financial LLC f/k/a Green Tree Servicing LLC, as Mortgagee/Transferee, under and by virtue of the power of sale contained in said mortgage, will sell at public outcry to the highest bidder for cash, in front of the main entrance of the Courthouse at Mobile, Mobile County, Alabama, on August 17, 2017, during the legal hours of sale, all of its right, title, and interest in and to the following described real estate, situated in Mobile County, Alabama, to-wit: All that parcel of land in the City of Theodore, Mobile County, State of Alabama, as more fully described in Deed Book 4989, Page 1777, ID Number 02050764, being known and designated as Lot 164 also the South 20.0 feet of Lot 165, Lakewood Acres Subdivision, Filed in Plat Book 10, Page 130. Property street address for informational purposes: 8216 Old Pascagoula Rd, Theodore, AL 36582 THIS PROPERTY WILL BE SOLD ON AN “AS IS, WHERE IS” BASIS, SUBJECT TO ANY EASEMENTS, ENCUMBRANCES, AND EXCEPTIONS REFLECTED IN THE MORTGAGE AND THOSE CONTAINED IN THE RECORDS OF THE OFFICE OF THE JUDGE OF PROBATE OF THE COUNTY WHERE THE ABOVE-DESCRIBED PROPERTY IS SITUATED. THIS PROPERTY WILL BE SOLD WITHOUT WARRANTY OR RECOURSE, EXPRESSED OR IMPLIED AS TO TITLE, USE AND/OR ENJOYMENT AND WILL BE SOLD SUBJECT TO THE RIGHT OF REDEMPTION OF ALL PARTIES ENTITLED THERETO. Alabama law gives some persons who have an interest in property the right to redeem the property under certain circumstances. Programs may also exist that help persons avoid or delay the foreclosure process. An attorney should be consulted to help you understand these rights and programs as a part of the foreclosure process. This sale is made for the purpose of paying the indebtedness secured by said mortgage, as well as the expenses of foreclosure. The successful bidder must tender a nonrefundable deposit of Five Thousand Dollars ($5,000.00) in certified funds made payable to Sirote & Permutt, P.C. at the time and place of the sale. The balance of the purchase price must be paid in certified funds by noon the next business day at the Law Office of Sirote & Permutt, P.C. at the address indicated below. Sirote & Permutt, P.C. reserves the right to award the bid to the next highest bidder should the highest bidder fail to timely tender the total amount due. The Mortgagee/Transferee reserves the right to bid for and purchase the real estate and to credit its purchase price against the expenses of sale and the indebtedness secured by the real estate. This sale is subject to postponement or cancellation.Ditech Financial LLC f/k/a Green Tree Servicing LLC, Mortgagee/Transferee Rebecca Redmond SIROTE & PERMUTT, P.C. P. O. Box 55727 Birmingham, AL 35255-5727 Attorney for Mortgagee/Transferee www.sirote.com/foreclosures 413953 Lagniappe HD July 13, 20, 27, 2017
MORTGAGE FORECLOSURE SALE Default having been made in the payment of the indebtedness secured by that certain mortgage executed by Jenester R. White, an unmarried person, originally in favor of Cendant Mortgage Corporation, on the 17th day
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of January, 2001, said mortgage recorded in the Office of the Judge of Probate of Mobile County, Alabama, in Book 4923 Page 0194; having been modified by Loan Modification Agreement recorded in Book 6566 Page 1378, executed by Jenester White Pettway fka Jenester Rochele White and Henry Walker Pettway, wife and husband, further modified by Loan Modification Agreement recorded in Book 6863 Page 904, executed by Jenester R. White Pettway fka Jenester R. White and Henry Pettway, and further modified by Loan Modification Agreement recorded in Book LR7058 Page 317, executed by Jenester R. White Pettway fka Jenester R. White, an unmarried person; the undersigned MidFirst Bank, as Mortgagee/Transferee, under and by virtue of the power of sale contained in said mortgage, will sell at public outcry to the highest bidder for cash, in front of the main entrance of the Courthouse at Mobile, Mobile County, Alabama, on September 14, 2017, during the legal hours of sale, all of its right, title, and interest in and to the following described real estate, situated in Mobile County, Alabama, to-wit: Lot 92, West Park Manor, according to the plat thereof recorded in Map Book 10, Page 263 of the records in the Office of the Judge of Probate Mobile County, Alabama. Property street address for informational purposes: 6455 North Barker Drive, Mobile, AL 36608 THIS PROPERTY WILL BE SOLD ON AN “AS IS, WHERE IS” BASIS, SUBJECT TO ANY EASEMENTS, ENCUMBRANCES, AND EXCEPTIONS REFLECTED IN THE MORTGAGE AND THOSE CONTAINED IN THE RECORDS OF THE OFFICE OF THE JUDGE OF PROBATE OF THE COUNTY WHERE THE ABOVEDESCRIBED PROPERTY IS SITUATED. THIS PROPERTY WILL BE SOLD WITHOUT WARRANTY OR RECOURSE, EXPRESSED OR IMPLIED AS TO TITLE, USE AND/OR ENJOYMENT AND WILL BE SOLD SUBJECT TO THE RIGHT OF REDEMPTION OF ALL PARTIES ENTITLED THERETO. Alabama law gives some persons who have an interest in property the right to redeem the property under certain circumstances. Programs may also exist that help persons avoid or delay the foreclosure process. An attorney should be consulted to help you understand these rights and programs as a part of the foreclosure process. This sale is made for the purpose of paying the indebtedness secured by said mortgage, as well as the expenses of foreclosure. The successful bidder must tender a non-refundable deposit of Five Thousand Dollars ($5,000.00) in certified funds made payable to Sirote & Permutt, P.C. at the time and place of the sale. The balance of the purchase price must be paid in certified funds by noon the next business day at the Law Office of Sirote & Permutt, P.C. at the address indicated below. Sirote & Permutt, P.C. reserves the right to award the bid to the next highest bidder should the highest bidder fail to timely tender the total amount due. The Mortgagee/ Transferee reserves the right to bid for and purchase the real estate and to credit its purchase price against the expenses of sale and the indebtedness secured by the real estate. This sale is subject to postponement or cancellation. MidFirst Bank, Mortgagee/Transferee Rebecca Redmond SIROTE & PERMUTT, P.C. P. O. Box 55727 Birmingham, AL 35255-5727 Attorney for Mortgagee/Transferee www.sirote.com/foreclosures334099 Lagniappe HD July 13, 20, 27, 2017
FORECLOSURE NOTICE Default having been made in the payment of the indebtedness described in and secured by that certain Mortgage executed by Paul Bracy, Jr. to FJC Growth Capital Corporation, dated January 16, 2001 and recorded in Real Property Book 4994, Page 1379, and assigned to FCA Investments, LLC in Assignment of Mortgage dated October 8, 2007 and recorded in Real Property Book 6274, Page 1584 and further assigned to Dewey H. Brazelton in Assignment of Mortgages and Other Loan Documents dated February 19, 2008 and recorded in Real Property Book 6338, Page 668, of the records in the Office of the Judge of Probate of Mobile County, Alabama; and notice is hereby given that the undersigned, as holder of said Mortgage, will under and by virtue of the power of sale contained in said Mortgage, sell at public outcry for cash to the highest bidder during the legal hours of sale on Tuesday, August 8, 2017, at the Government Street entrance of Government Plaza located at 205 Government Street, Mobile, Alabama, the following described real property situated in the County of Mobile, State of Alabama, described in said Mortgage hereinabove referred to, viz: Tract I: The Southwest corner of State and Warren Streets, having a front of 56 feet on the South side of State Street and running Southwardly and parallel with Warren Street 108 feet and 2 inches more or less, for the depth of said lot, with equal width in rear as in front. Also lot of land commencing at a point on the South side of State Street 56 feet West of Warren Street, thence running Westwardly along the South side of State Street 42 feet for the front of said lot, and running Southwardly and parallel with Warren Street 108 feet for the depth of said lot, with equal width in rear as in front, being the same property conveyed to Lillie Van Luebbe by deed recorded in Deed Book 112, Pages 383-384 of the records in the Office of the Judge of Probate of Mobile County, Alabama. Tract II: Commencing at a point on the South side of State Street distant 52 feet and 9 inches East of the Southeast corner of Dearborn and State Streets, thence running along the South side of State Street in an Easterly direction
61 feet and 4 inches to a point; thence running in a Southerly direction and parallel with Dearborn Street 70 feet to a point; thence running in a Westerly direction and parallel with State Street 61 feet and 4 inches to a point; thence in a Northerly direction and parallel with Dearborn Street 70 feet to the place of beginning. Tract III: Beginning at the Northwest corner of Warren and State Streets and running thence Northwardly along the West line of Warren Street 80 feet to a point; thence Westwardly and parallel with State Street 60 feet to a point; thence Southwardly and parallel with Warren Street 80 feet to a point on the North line of State Street; thence Eastwardly along the North line of State Street 60 feet to the place of beginning. All measurements being more or less. Said sale will be made for the purpose of paying said indebtedness and the expenses incident to this sale, including a reasonable attorney’s fee. Dewey H. Brazelton Holder of Said Mortgage ATTORNEYS FOR MORTGAGEE: Ferrell S. Anders, ANDERS, BOYETT & BRADY, P.C. One Maison, Suite 203 3800 Airport Boulevard Mobile, Alabama 36608 (251)344-0880 82206 Lagniappe HD June 29th, July 6th, and July 13th, 2017
FORECLOSURE NOTICE Default having been made in the payment of the indebtedness described in and secured by that certain Mortgage executed by William Anthony Frazier to Dewey H. Brazelton, dated February 28, 2008 and recorded in Real Property Book 6347, Page 690, of the records in the Office of the Judge of Probate of Mobile County, Alabama; and notice is hereby given that the undersigned, as holder of said Mortgage, will under and by virtue of the power of sale contained in said Mortgage, sell at public outcry for cash to the highest bidder during the legal hours of sale on Tuesday, August 8, 2017, at the Government Street entrance of Government Plaza located at 205 Government Street, Mobile, Alabama, the following described real property situated in the County of Mobile, State of Alabama, described in said Mortgage hereinabove referred to, viz: Beginning at the Northeast corner of Dearborn and State Streets; thence Eastwardly 72 feet; thence Northwardly 65.83 feet; thence Westwardly 72 feet; thence Southwardly 64 feet to the point of beginning. Said sale will be made for the purpose of paying said indebtedness and the expenses incident to this sale, including a reasonable attorney’s fee. Dewey H. Brazelton Holder of Said Mortgage ATTORNEYS FOR MORTGAGEE: Ferrell S. Anders, ANDERS, BOYETT & BRADY, P.C. One Maison, Suite 203 3800 Airport Boulevard Mobile, Alabama 36608 (251)344-0880 82207
Lagniappe HD June 29, July 6, 13, 2017
PROBATE NOTICE OF COURT PROCEEDING
May 18, 2017 Case No. 2015-1644-1 IN THE PROBATE COURT OF MOBILE COUNTY, ALABAMA Estate of DORIS ANN BARNES, Deceased On to-wit the 7th day of August, 2017 at 2:00 PM in COURTROOM 1, THIRD FLOOR Mobile County Government Center Annex, 151 Government Street the court will proceed to consider the FINAL SETTLEMENT as filed by MORRIS BARNES. NOTICE is hereby given to all parties in interest who may appear and contest same or file a proper responsive pleading thereto if they then think proper. Don Davis, Judge of Probate. Attorney Name and Address: JAMES D. WILSON, P. O. Box 40425 Mobile, AL 36604 Lagniappe HD July 13, 20, 27, August 3, 2017
NOTICE OF ESTATE ADMINISTRATION PROBATE COURT OF MOBILE COUNTY, ALABAMA Estate of: GORDIE WILLIAM TAYLOR, Deceased Case No. 2017-0627 Take notice that Letters Testamentary have been granted to the below named party on the 5th day of July, 2017 by the Honorable Don Davis, Judge of Probate of Mobile County Probate Court, Alabama and that all parties having claims against said estate should file the same with the Probate Court of said county within the time allowed by law, or they will be barred. JOHN V. LANDS as Executor under the last will and testament of GORDIE WILLIAM TAYLOR, Deceased. Attorney of Record: PRO SE Lagniappe HD July 13, 20, 27, 2017
NOTICE OF ESTATE ADMINISTRATION PROBATE COURT OF MOBILE COUNTY, ALABAMA Estate of: MICHAEL BRUCE BROWN, Deceased Case No. 2017-0924 Take notice that Letters Testamentary have been granted to the below named party on the 6th day of July, 2017 by the Honorable Don Davis, Judge of Probate of Mobile County Probate Court, Alabama and that all parties having claims against said estate should file the same with the Probate Court of said county within the time allowed by law, or they will be barred. KIMBERLY NICHOLS BROWN as Executrix under the last will and testament of MICHAEL
BRUCE BROWN, Deceased. Attorney of Record: PRO SE Lagniappe HD July 13, 20, 27, 2017
NOTICE OF ESTATE ADMINISTRATION PROBATE COURT OF MOBILE COUNTY, ALABAMA Estate of: ERIC LAMONTE SMITH Case No. 2017-0517 Take notice that Letters of Administration have been granted to the below named party on the 6th day of July, 2017 by the Honorable Don Davis, Judge of Probate of Mobile County Probate Court, Alabama and that all parties having claims against said estate should file the same with the Probate Court of said county within the time allowed by law, or they will be barred. DANIELLE DAILEY SMITH as Administratrix of the estate of ERIC LAMONTE SMITH, deceased. Attorney of Record: HENDRIK S. SNOW, Esq. Lagniappe HD July 13, 20, 27, 2017
NOTICE OF ESTATE ADMINISTRATION PROBATE COURT OF MOBILE COUNTY, ALABAMA Estate of: CHARLES E. BOLIVAR, Deceased Case No. 2017-0916 Take notice that Letters Testamentary have been granted to the below named party on the 6th day of July, 2017 by the Honorable Don Davis, Judge of Probate of Mobile County Probate Court, Alabama and that all parties having claims against said estate should file the same with the Probate Court of said county within the time allowed by law, or they will be barred. STANLEY RAY BOLIVAR as Executor under the last will and testament of CHARLES E. BOLIVAR, Deceased. Attorney of Record: JAMES H. MCDONALD Lagniappe HD July 13, 20, 27, 2017
NOTICE OF ESTATE ADMINISTRATION PROBATE COURT OF MOBILE COUNTY, ALABAMA Estate of: CHARMAINE MARCIA BELL Case No. 2016-0070 Take notice that Letters of Administration have been granted to the below named party on the 20th day of June, 2017 by the Honorable Don Davis, Judge of Probate of Mobile County Probate Court, Alabama and that all parties having claims against said estate should file the same with the Probate Court of said county within the time allowed by law, or they will be barred. VONCILLE BELL PERKINS as Administratrix of the estate of CHARMAINE MARCIA BELL, deceased. Attorney of Record: SANDRA RANDER, Esq. Lagniappe HD June 29, July 6, 13, 2017
NOTICE OF ESTATE ADMINISTRATION PROBATE COURT OF MOBILE COUNTY, ALABAMA Estate of: LOIS S. HAKANSON, Deceased Case No. 2017-1176 Take notice that Letters Testamentary have been granted to the below named party on the 20th day of June, 2017 by the Honorable Don Davis, Judge of Probate of Mobile County Probate Court, Alabama and that all parties having claims against said estate should file the same with the Probate Court of said county within the time allowed by law, or they will be barred. JOHN E. HAKANSON as Executor under the last will and testament of LOIS S. HAKANSON, Deceased. Attorney of Record: JOSEPH O. KULAKOWSKI Lagniappe HD June 29, July 6, 13, 2017
NOTICE OF COURT PROCEEDING June 16, 2017 Case No. 2015-0586-2 IN THE PROBATE COURT OF MOBILE COUNTY, ALABAMA Estate of WILLIAM J. WILLIAMSON, Deceased On to-wit the 31st day of July, 2017 at 2:00 PM in COURTROOM 1, THIRD FLOOR, Mobile County Government Center Annex, 151 Government Street the court will proceed to consider the PETITION FOR FINAL SETTLEMENT BY FORMER ADMINISTRATOR as filed by TYDUS WILLIAMSON. NOTICE is hereby given to all parties in interest who may appear and contest same or file a proper responsive pleading thereto if they then think proper. DON DAVIS, Judge of Probate. Attorney Name and Address: VANESSA ARNOLD SHOOTS, 56 ST. JOSEPH STREET, STE 1311, Mobile, AL 36602. Lagniappe HD June 29, July 6, 13, 20, 2017
NOTICE OF COURT PROCEEDING June 26, 2017 Case No. 2013-1263-3 IN THE PROBATE COURT OF MOBILE COUNTY, ALABAMA Estate of HENRY LOUIS POWE, Deceased On to-wit the 31st day of July 2017 at 2:00 PM in COURTROOM 1, THIRD FLOOR Mobile County Government Center Annex, 151 Government Street the court will proceed to consider the Petition for Final Settlement as filed by FREDERICK THOMPSON. NOTICE is hereby given to all parties in interest who may appear and contest same or file a proper responsive pleading thereto if they then think proper. Don Davis, Judge of Probate. Attorney Name and Address: Frederick Thompson 1314 Melrose Street Mobile, AL 36605 Lagniappe HD July 6, 13, 20, 2017
LAGNIAPPE LEGALS | 251.450-4466 | legals@lagniappemobile.com NOTICE OF COURT PROCEEDING June 21, 2017 Case No. 2015-0238-1 IN THE PROBATE COURT OF MOBILE COUNTY, ALABAMA Estate of MARGOT H. BEAN, Deceased On to-wit the 25th day of September, 2017 at 2:00 PM in COURTROOM 1, THIRD FLOOR Mobile County Government Center Annex, 151 Government Street the court will proceed to consider the FINAL SETTLEMENT as filed by RICHARD G. BEAN. NOTICE is hereby given to all parties in interest who may appear and contest same or file a proper responsive pleading thereto if they then think proper. Don Davis, Judge of Probate.
The following unclaimed vehicle(s) will be sold on August 11, 2017 Time -12pm, if not claimed - at 1015 E I-65 Service Rd. S., Mobile, AL 36606. 2013 Nissan Sentra 3N1AB7AP0DL787336 Lagniappe HD July 6, 13, 2017 The following unclaimed vehicle(s) will be sold on August 11, 2017 Time -12pm, if not claimed - at 5316 Jarrett Rd., Eight Mile, AL 36613. 1995 BMW 318IS WBABE6327SJC18718 Lagniappe HD July 6, 13, 2017
Lagniappe HD July 6, 13, 20, 27, 2017
NOTICE OF ESTATE ADMINISTRATION PROBATE COURT OF MOBILE COUNTY, ALABAMA Estate of: ALEXANDER JOSEPH PAGE JR, Deceased Case No. 2017-0476 Take notice that Letters Testamentary have been granted to the below named party on the 28th day of June, 2017 by the Honorable Don Davis, Judge of Probate of Mobile County Probate Court, Alabama and that all parties having claims against said estate should file the same with the Probate Court of said county within the time allowed by law, or they will be barred. MARTHA ELIZABETH PAGE as Executrix under the last will and testament of ALEXANDER JOSEPH PAGE JR, Deceased. Attorney of Record: J. PATRICK COURTNEY Lagniappe HD July 6, 13, 20, 2017
NOTICE OF SALE THESE ABANDONED VEHICLES WILL BE SOLD ON 08/17/2017 AT 5781 THREE NOTCH RD MOBILE AL. 36619 AT 9 AM. BUIC 2G4WS52M6X1483215 BUIC 1G4HP52K05U149045 SUNL 7KNDX250AM5 PLA L9NTECKE7E1265557 HOND 2HGEJ8641XH573864 Lagniappe HD July 13, 20, 2017
The following unclaimed vehicle(s) will be sold on August 11, 2017 Time - 12pm, if not claimed - at 4763 Lott Rd., Eight Mile, AL 36613. 2010 Nissan Altima 1N4AL2AP0AN417292 1998 Chevrolet Blazer 1GNCS13WXWK104271 2001 Hyundai Elantra KMHDN45D61U188082 2007 Chevrolet Impala 2G1WB58K179249522 2003 Acura 3.2TL 19UUA56603A012883 2000 Bayl Boat BIYB440BZI001 Lagniappe HD July 6, 13, 2017
The following unclaimed vehicle(s) will be sold on August 11, 2017 Time - 12pm, if not claimed - at 509 Dismukes Ave., Prichard, AL 36610. 1994 Cadillac Fleetwood 1G6DW52P2RR719656 Lagniappe HD July 6, 13, 2017
The following unclaimed vehicle(s) will be sold on August 11, 2017 Time - 12pm, if not claimed - at 1257 Dabney Dr., Mobile, AL 36605. 1998 Nissan Sentra 1N4AB41D8WC718593 Lagniappe HD July 6, 13, 2017
The following unclaimed vehicle(s) will be sold on August 11, 2017 Time - 12pm, if not claimed - at 7960 Two Mile Rd., Irvington, AL 36544. 2000 Buick Century 2G4WS52J3Y1324045 1999 Ford Explorer 1FMZU32E9XUA24592 1994 Oldsmobile 88 1G3HN52L9RH322529 Lagniappe HD July 6, 13, 2017
The following unclaimed vehicle(s) will be sold on August 11, 2017 Time - 12pm, if not claimed - at 2949 Warren St., Whistler, AL 36612. 2004 Nissan Altima 1N4AL11D44C106433
Lagniappe HD July 6, 13, 2017
The following unclaimed vehicle(s) will be sold on August 11, 2017 Time - 12pm, if not claimed - at 4807 N Pineridge Dr., Eight Mile, AL 36613. 1996 Chevrolet Silverado 2GCEC19R9T1180852 Lagniappe HD July 6, 13, 2017
The following unclaimed vehicle(s) will be sold on August 11, 2017 Time - 12pm, if not claimed - at 1015 N Craft Hwy., Prichard, AL 36610. 2008 Chevrolet Impala 2G1WD58C389150981 2008 Cadillac CTS 1G6DJ577180202827 Lagniappe HD July 6, 13, 2017
The following unclaimed vehicle(s) will be sold on August 11, 2017 Time -12pm, if not claimed - at 8915 A Hwy 90 W., Irvington, AL 36544. 2003Ford F350 1FTWW33F23EA20252
Lagniappe HD July 6, 13, 2017
The following unclaimed vehicle(s) will be sold on August 11, 2017 Time -12pm, if not claimed - at 5867 Hwy. 90 W., Theodore, AL 36582. 2003 Chevrolet Cavalier 1G1JC12F237163790 Lagniappe HD July 6, 13, 2017
The following unclaimed vehicle(s) will be sold on August 18, 2017 Time -12pm, if not claimed - at 1009 Cloverdale Dr., Mobile, AL 36606. 1998 Isuzu Rodeo 4S2CK58D9W4316000 Lagniappe HD July 13, 20, 2017
The following unclaimed vehicle(s) will be sold on August 18, 2017 Time -12pm, if not claimed - at 11426 County Rd. 65 Unit 2, Foley, AL 36535. 2002 Honda Civic 1HGES16532L037071 2000 Jeep Wrangler 1J4FA29P4YP727951 Lagniappe HD July 13, 20, 2017
The following unclaimed vehicle(s) will be sold on August 18, 2017 Time -12pm, if not claimed - at 5750 Three Notch Rd., Mobile, AL 36619. 2004 Honda Accord 1HGCM56844A001553 Lagniappe HD July 13, 20, 2017
The following unclaimed vehicle(s) will be sold on August 18, 2017 Time -12pm, if not claimed - at 6508 Sugar Creek Dr. S., Mobile, AL 36695. 2000 Hyundai Accent KMHCG45G3YU087429 Lagniappe HD July 13, 20, 2017
The following unclaimed vehicle(s) will be sold on August 18, 2017 Time -12pm, if not claimed – at 12970 Millbrook Ct., Summerdale, AL 36580. 2005 Kawasaki EN500 JKAENVC1X5A190930 Lagniappe HD July 13, 20, 2017
The following unclaimed vehicle(s) will be sold on August 18, 2017 Time -12pm, if not claimed - at 3806 Moffett Rd., Mobile, AL 36618. 2006 Jeep Commander 1J8HG58296C247292 Lagniappe HD July 13, 20, 2017
The following unclaimed vehicle(s) will be sold on August 18, 2017 Time -12pm, if not claimed - at 6445 Todd Acres Dr., Theodore, AL 36582. 2005 Nissan Altima 1N4AL11D25N927830 2007 HD XL1200N 1HD1CZ3437K438166 Lagniappe HD July 13, 20, 2017
STYLE BOOZIE
Three cheers for the red, white & Blues BY BOOZIE BEER NUES/SOCIAL BUTTERFLY
W
hat a week it was. Fourth of July on a Tuesday really threw everything off. I mean that was the most Monday-ish Wednesday ever! And even though it was a short week, it felt like the longest week. I vote that most holidays need to fall on a Monday or Friday, hello three-day weekend! Just think of all the actives we would have time for, not to mention all the cocktails we could consume knowing we didn’t have work the next day! Until my dreams come true, I’ll just keep working for the weekend and doing what I do best, providing your weekly gossip!
Patriotic Week
Like I said earlier, the Fourth being on Tuesday really threw everything off and to be honest kinda made for weak plans. Boozie had work last Monday but some of my friends were off so let’s just say they had more fun knowing they had a four day weekend! One of Boozie’s spies was down in Orange Beach, while she said it was so much fun she also mentioned how much more crowded it was! Everywhere she went it was packed especially the Flora-Bama but that didn’t stop her from celebrating America’s birthday! While my spy spent her Fourth at an American landmark-ish place, Boozie was busy sweating to death at a cousin’s landlocked house. We had a very Fourth of July lunch of ribs, corn on the cob, watermelon and blueberry cobbler made with fresh picked blueberries — all washed down with Bud Light of course! If that doesn’t scream “liberty and justice for all” then I don’t know what does. If the Fourth of July wasn’t enough patriotism for one week, bring in the Blue Angels! Now the Pensacola Blue Angels show is one of Boozie’s favorite days, it doesn’t get much better than beer, boats and the Blues. But this year’s show was a little earlier and Boozie had a wedding to attend, if this wedding was more local it would be a good one to share, I’ll just leave you with these words: table knocked over, moonshine and girl fight. Anyways, since I was away the spies headed on to Pensacola without me. The spies were running a little late but were surprised that once they arrived there was still plenty of spots and there weren’t as many boats as year. Now that’s not to say that it wasn’t crowded — just not as crowded. Rain was in the forecast and it may have kept some people away. On the way in, one spy said she must have seen 50 of those flamingo/unicorn floats that
have become so popular. That’s not all she saw, as some swimsuits made her wonder if those girls would feel comfortable wearing those to a family pool party with grandma and grandpa there? Another spy mentioned that dunkaroos are making a comeback! Unfortunately, not the cookies you dip in icing but instead the drinking game. She said she noticed a few boats partaking in the drinking which you submerge your head in an ice chest then shotgun a beer! Hey, I guess since it was hot and sunny, folks needed a way to cool off! Other than a little rain on the way home, the spies said it was another fun trip and once again the Blue Angels did not disappoint. Boozie hates she had to miss them zooming through the sky, we’ll have to plan to attend their next show in Pensacola in November!
Food Network is back
Y’all the secret is out: our area has some of the best food around. I mean we all already knew that but the rest of the nation is finally figuring it out. Watch out New Orleans, we are taking over! At some point Guy Fieri from the Food Network show “Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives” made an appearance at some of our favorite Fairhope spots, Panini Pete’s and Sunset Pointe at Fly Creek Marina! While Boozie has only made it to one of the restaurants, I hear both are places you gotta try and you know that if Guy Fieri is there it isn’t going to be bad! While I don’t know when the episode will air, I am sure it will be soon! If Food Network keeps it up, I am going to need a TV Guide just for the shows filmed in our area! I’m still waiting to hear when we can expect to see the LoDa Bier Garten and Von’s Bistro episodes of “Ginormous Food!” So many shows, so little time! Actually, so many restaurants, so little time! Time to chow down!
He put a ring on it
While most were celebrating the Fourth of July because it is America’s birthday, former Local15 news anchor and past Nappie Award winner for hottest newswoman, Kelly Jones, was celebrating for a different reason. The fireworks were flying both literally and figuratively when Kelly’s longtime boyfriend Karlos Finley proposed! Let’s just say the man knows how to pick out some jewelry! Congrats to the happy couple! Boozie and company wishes y’all the best and can’t wait to see the wedding!
The following unclaimed vehicle(s) will be sold on August 18, 2017 Time -12pm, if not claimed - at 1904 N McKenzie St., Foley, AL 36535. 1998 Ford F150 1FTZF18WXWNB46180 Lagniappe HD July 13, 20, 2017
The following unclaimed vehicle(s) will be sold on August 18, 2017 Time -12pm, if not claimed - at 7960 Two Mile Rd., Irvington, AL 36544. 2006 Ford Freestar 2FMZA51646BA29539 2002 Chevrolet Prizm 1Y1SK528X2Z400001 2003 Oldsmobile Alero 1G3NL52E53C226685 2004 Kia Rio KNADC125546342292 Lagniappe HD July 13, 20, 2017
The following unclaimed vehicle(s) will be sold on August 18, 2017 Time -12pm, if not claimed - at 4763 Lott Rd., Eight Mile, AL 36613. 2014 Hyundai Sonata 5NPEB4AC1EH823482 Lagniappe HD July 13, 20, 2017
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