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WEEKLY
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LAGNIAPPE
D E C E M B E R 1 3 , 2 0 1 7 - D E C E M B E R 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
More than a month after reaching a stalemate, the Mobile City Council has yet to agree on a president.
COMMENTARY
A general template for a (holiday, Christmas) conversation.
BUSINESS
According to the Mobile Area Chamber of Commerce, 10 new residential projects around downtown will have a significant impact in 2018.
CUISINE
A recipe for shepherd’s pie as the main course at an Emmet Otter’s Jug Band Christmas party.
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 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
COVER
Millions of dollars have been spent revamping oyster production in Alabama, but public reefs continue to see disappointing harvests. Now, officials are evaluating ways money from the BP oil spill might resurrect the oncethriving industry.
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ARTS
Deborah Willis, curator of “Posing Beauty in African-American Culture,” will speak at MoMA on Saturday, Dec. 16.
MUSIC
ROSS PRITCHARD Distribution Manager delivery@lagniappemobile.com JACKIE CRUTHIRDS Office Manager jackie@lagniappemobile.com CONTRIBUTORS: Ron Sivak, Jeff Poor, Asia Frey, Brian Holbert, John Mullen, Ken Robinson, Gabi Garrett ON THE COVER: WINTZELL’S OYSTER HOUSE BY DANIEL ANDERSON POSTMASTER: Send address changes to P.O. Box 3003 Mobile, AL 36652. Editorial, advertising and production offices are located at 1100B Dauphin St. Mobile, AL 36604. Mailing address is P.O. Box 3003 Mobile, AL 36652. Phone: 251.450.4466 Fax 251.450.4498. Email: ashleytoland@lagniappemobile.com or rholbert@lagniappemobile.com LAGNIAPPE is printed at Walton Press. All letters sent to Lagniappe are considered to be intended for publication. Member: Association of Alternative Newsweeklies and Alternative Weeklies Network All rights reserved. Something Extra Publishing, Inc. Nothing may be reprinted, photocopied or in any way reproduced without the expressed permission of the publishers. Individuals may take one copy of the paper free of charge from area businesses, racks or boxes. After that, papers are $3 per issue. Removal of more than one copy from these points constitutes theft. Violators are subject to prosecution.
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With Lee Yankie’s help as producer, singer-songwriter Harrison McInnis has completed work on his debut album, “Love Remedy.”
FILM
Reimagining Christmas classics exclusively starring Gal Gadot.
CALENDAR OF EVENTS Holiday events abound throughout Mobile and Baldwin counties. SPORTS
With large tournaments on the books, the recently opened Foley Sports Tourism Complex is taking off.
STYLE
Snowpocalypse comes to Mobile.
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GOING POSTAL
Man up Roy Editor: The best way for Roy Moore to clear up his reputation related to all the women who have accused him of sexual misconduct is for him to ask for or launch an investigation into himself. Surely opinions about this are all over the place and an investigation could make a big difference, even if it is ongoing after the election. Rudy Stefenei Milpitas, Calif.
Expel and replace Rob: Good column (“Counting down to the end of this race,” Nov. 29). I was thinking if Roy Moore is elected and then forced out in some way by the Senate, then Gov. Kay Ivey would be able to appoint a Republican to replace him. In my mind that is a way around this crazy situation the Alabama Republican party finds itself in. You are absolutely right, as you explained in the article, as to how we ended up here. Keep up the great work. John French Mobile
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Hashtag SAD!
Fake news
Editor: The fact that bigots are routinely elected to public office by a majority of Alabama voters doesn’t indicate an electorate more enlightened than the “major” newspapers of our state (“Why Alabama’s ‘major’ newspapers don’t speak for Alabama,” Nov. 29). It is evidence of an educational system ranked 8th worst in the nation and, along with Mississippi, one of the most fundamentally religious states in the union. Does this mean poor education and fundamentalist religion is good, because it better represents our state? When I pick up a newspaper, I hope to read something more enlightened than I hear from the boys at the coffee shop. An informed opinion is never a bad thing, even if that opinion disagrees with the coffee shop crowd. We have convinced ourselves that a demagogue who has defied the highest court of this country is a defender of the faith. We have demonized traditional Republicans like Richard Shelby and Mitch McConnell. We seem to justify any conduct so long as the majority of Alabama voters go along with said conduct.
Editor: After reading Ashely Trice’s and Rob Holbert’s columns in the above-captioned edition (Dec. 6), I realized that Lagniappe’s transition from being “something extra” for Mobile has completed its metamorphic journey to being no different than The New York Times, The Washington Post or the Mobile Register. In both pieces, we, the people of Alabama, are lectured on our stupidity for not supporting Doug Jones for U.S. Senate. Both writers attempted to use humor to illustrate their points, but only they, and other RINOs, are laughing. Trice’s attempt at humor only made her seem like a mad, bitter housewife, or better yet, one of Roy Moore’s accusers. Holbert’s attempt at humor only showed him to be another “fake news” reporter: all BS and no substance. Holbert’s appearance on 106.5 FM radio this past week showed him to be “tired” of Alabama politics, especially the Senate race. I am one Mobilian that has tired of Lagniappe. Since Lagniappe is free, you certainly get everything you pay for when you pick up a copy each week.
Harry B. Coker Mobile
Robert Walsh Mobile
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BAYBRIEF | MOBILE
‘Stay out of our business’ MOBILE MAYOR WEIGHS IN ON COUNCIL PRESIDENT DEBATE BY DALE LIESCH
Photo | Lagniappe
More than a month after reaching a stalemate, the Mobile City Council has yet to agree on a president. Councilman Levon Manzie (pictured) has been serving as acting chair.
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t will take five votes to elect the next president of the Mobile City Council, attorney Wanda Cochran wrote in an opinion released Tuesday afternoon. The announcement follows more than a month of speculation, after the council appeared to be deadlocked at its Nov. 6 organizational meeting when Councilman
Fred Richardson received four votes and Councilwoman Gina Gregory received three votes. At the time, former council attorney Jim Rossler told councilors the public vote would take a supermajority, or five of seven votes to pass. The council has been without a president because of
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the legal question concerning the number of votes necessary to elect a council member to the position. In previous years the council has held a “straw poll” behind closed doors to elect a president by a simple 4-3 majority. Following the poll four years ago, the council voted publicly to unanimously elect Gregory as president. Mayor Sandy Stimpson weighed in, but did not support Richardson or Gregory. Instead he put his support behind current council Vice President Levon Manzie. Manzie is currently chairing the meetings until a decision on the body’s president can be made. At a pre-conference meeting, Stimpson said Manzie has done an “incredible job” as the acting chair. He added he wished for a quick resolution to the impasse. Citing the state law that has set up Mobile’s current form of government, Richardson seemed to take exception to Stimpson’s opinion on the issue. “The Zoghby Act makes it a removable offense for a council member to tell the mayor who to hire,” Richardson said. “He should stay out of our business.” Councilman John Williams seemed to take exception to Stimpson’s plea to resolve the matter. Williams said council business has not been negatively affected by the impasse. Mary Zoghby, who co-wrote the law establishing Mobile’s current form of municipal government, has repeatedly stated that she believes it takes five votes to elect a council president and that it had been done illegally in previous attempts. In a letter obtained by Lagniappe, Cochran gave councilors reasons for calling for an executive session to discuss the matter. “I am of the opinion that it would be detrimental to the best interest of the City Council as my client to allow public access to any meeting in which my comments and opinions are sought by the council or the legal ramifications and legal opinions in question,” she wrote. “As part of my professional responsibility to the council I must insist that any such meeting be conducted in an executive session, as permitted under the Open Meetings Act.” Under the 2005 law, it is legal for the council to hold an executive session for this reason, but Alabama Press Association attorney Dennis Bailey said councilors must discuss the opinion in a public meeting. Cochran agrees, according to the letter. “As provided in the Open Meetings Act, if any deliberation begins among the members of the council regarding what action council should take based on the advice given, the executive session shall be concluded and deliberation shall be conducted in the open portion of the meeting,” she wrote.
BAYBRIEF | MOBILE
Officer involved MOBILE POLICE SHOOT, KILL MAN DURING ALLEGED DOMESTIC ASSAULT BY JASON JOHNSON
Photo | Mobile Police Department
MPD officers Matthew Towey (left) and Daniel Marlin were placed on administrative leave after the shooting death of a man who was allegedly assaulting his girlfriend.
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wo officers are on administrative leave from the Mobile Police Department after shooting and killing a man they claim was attempting to harm a female passenger as they were suspended upside down in an overturned vehicle. On the evening of Dec. 10, officers responded to a single-vehicle accident on Interstate 10 near the exit to Dauphin Island Parkway. On the scene, police observed a red Isuzu Rodeo, which had had left the roadway and collided with a concrete barrier before overturning. Mobile Police Chief Lawrence Battiste said the officers were anticipating an accident with injuries and “had no idea what they were walking into.” According to Battiste, they arrived to find a violent domestic dispute occurring between the occupants of the upside-down car. “As they approached the vehicle, they heard a female saying ‘he’s trying to kill me, he’s trying to kill me,’ and observed that female was the passenger,” Battiste said. “They also observed a male subject making furtive actions as though he was trying to stab the female passenger.” Police have since identified the driver as Ira Crawford, 26, and the female passenger as 28-year-old Jaicola Seales. The two were “boyfriend and girlfriend,” according to Battiste, who also said witnesses reported hearing Crawford threaten Seales after the accident. In MPD’s only press conference since the shooting, Battiste told reporters Crawford was shot once by each of the responding officers after he “repeatedly refused commands” to drop the “edged weapon” he was allegedly holding while making violent advances toward Seales. Both motorists were transported to area hospitals. Crawford died as a result of his injuries, while Seales was treated and released. At this point, it’s unclear what Seales’ injuries were and whether they were sustained in the accident or inflicted by Crawford. Initial news reports from the scene suggested Seales might have been “stabbed in the neck with a fork,” but while Battiste did confirm that
a “folding knife” and a fork were recovered from the scene, he declined to offer any specifics about Seales’ injuries. As of Monday, Battiste said he didn’t know whether there was a history of domestic violence between between the couple, though a review of local court documents revealed no charges that would indicate such a history. Battiste said it was unclear if a physical altercation on the roadway might have preceded the crash, though he did suggest the crash was severe. “You would think, based off the impact, that the accident itself would have been enough to thwart any type of additional violence that may have occurred between Ms. Seals and Mr. Crawford,” he added. The department has since identified the involved officers as Matthew Towey and Daniel Marlin, MPD officers for 10 months and two years, respectively. According to Battiste, neither has a record of disciplinary issues with MPD. According to Battiste, MPD had already launched administrative and criminal investigations into the shooting. Towey and Marlin have been placed on paid administrative leave pending the outcome of those investigations. The Mobile County District Attorney’s office will be responsible for reviewing the facts of the department’s criminal investigation and will also be tasked with making a final determination as to whether there is sufficient evidence to bring criminal charges against Towey or Marlin. In line with MPD’s protocols for handling an officer-involved shooting, Battiste said the FBI’s Mobile Field Division and U.S. Attorney Richard Moore’s office had been briefed on the incident, though he gave no indication that a federal investigation was being conducted. “It’s unfortunate, but sometimes — in the type of business that we do — in order to save a life, we may have to take a life,” Battiste said. “In this particular case, we were forced to take a life in an attempt to save someone’s.”
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BAYBRIEF | MOBILE
Here today, gone tomorrow VETERAN SAYS CITY FAILED TO NOTIFY HER ABOUT HOME DEMOLITION BY DALE LIESCH
Photo | Google Street View
The fire-damaged former home of Charmie Scott’s grandmother was demolished by the city of Mobile this month.
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emories of Charmie Scott’s grandmother are gone forever and she is blaming the city’s aggressive blight removal efforts. This comes a week after the Mobile City Council approved an amendment to an ordinance that makes it easier to remove blighted structures from neighborhoods. The U.S. Army veteran said the city tore down her grandmother’s home at 305 Clay St. suddenly in early
December without providing her proper notice. “It’s heartbreaking to me,” Scott said. “When my grandmother was in the hospital — for about a week — she thought about coming home and it was the happiest thought she had. I know how much that home meant to my grandmother; that’s why I didn’t want to tear it down.” Scott said she’d done what she could to maintain the house after a fire destroyed it, mothballing it and mowing
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the grass. She has also paid the taxes on the property. She said the final warning she received from the city was in August, when she saw a sign on the property warning of rat poison on the premises. “They can’t say it’s not a sound structure,” she said. “There was one brick that had been twisted since Hurricane Frederic.” Before she noticed the rat poison sign, Scott said, she hadn’t heard from the city since February 2015 when she was notified through a letter that there would be a public hearing on the property. “From February [2015] to this August, I didn’t hear anything,” she said. “Why would I cut the grass and board up the windows if I wanted the city to tear the house down?” Deputy Director of Municipal Enforcement David Daughenbaugh said Scott was notified multiple times that she had not done enough to satisfy the city’s requirements to prevent the property’s demolition. Like everyone else put in this situation, Daughenbaugh said Scott was given 45 days to respond to a notice the city was going to put the property in its nuisance abatement protocol, but she never did. Under normal circumstances, mowing and mothballing would be enough to secure the structure, Daughenbaugh said, but Scott’s property had suffered “extensive” fire damage. He said despite Scott’s attempts, the structure was not secure enough to avoid demolition. Daughenbaugh said the city tried to work with Scott to get the home demolished at no cost through a United States Department of Housing and Urban Development grant, but she never signed the paperwork. Daughenbaugh said an elderly woman living next door to the structure was concerned it would fall on her house. Scott said she had second thoughts on the demolition because she thought the city had put a lien on it to force her to pay. Plus, she said she wanted to try to save it. Scott intended to tear the house down to its studs and rebuild with the help of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. Scott, who served two tours of duty, still has an interest in the property and can own it if she pays the lien the city imposed. She said due to medical expenses and medical issues of family members, she’s not sure she can get the money together to pay for the property. In a December meeting, the City Council voted to make it easier for the city to gain quiet title on properties that are truly abandoned. Adding a state statute to a city ordinance already on the books will cut the process down from a threeto six-year process to a three- to six-month process. The amendment will allow the city’s Bloomberg Innovation Team to turn over more properties and help revitalize neighborhoods.
BAYBRIEF | MOBILE COUNTY
Sting operation MOUNT VERNON MAYOR ENSNARED IN BIRMINGHAM CORRUPTION PROBE BY JASON JOHNSON
Photo |Town of Mount Vernon
Mount Vernon Mayor Terry Williams was allegedly involved in a contract with the Birmingham Water Works Board.
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he mayor of Mount Vernon was charged with felony ethics violations Dec. 6 in an ongoing corruption probe into the Birmingham Water Works Board that investigators claim has uncovered bribery and public officials using their office for personal gain. Terry Williams, 62, was not charged with any criminal activity related to his position as the mayor of Mount Vernon, a northern Mobile County town with a population of roughly 1,500 people. According to Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall, it was Williams’ private career that led to the charges he currently faces in Jefferson County. Williams was the former owner of Global Solutions International Inc., which, according state business records, was formed in Stone Mountain, Georgia, in 2010. He was charged along with BWWB board member Sherry Lewis and Jerry Jones, the former vice president of Arcadis Inc. According to a press release from Marshall’s office, Arcadis previously served as the independent engineer of record for the BWWB board. During at least part of that time, the firm utilized Global Solutions International as a subcontractor. Though the exact details of the alleged scheme remain unclear, investigators say Jones,
who has since been terminated by Arcadis for “violating company policy,” used Williams’ business to pass money to Lewis and members of her family in exchange for corrupt acts taken in her official capacity on the BWWB board. Lewis is also accused of voting on matters in which she or her family members had a financial interest, though an attorney representing her has denied all of the charges. If convicted, the defendants each could face up to 20 years in prison and fines of $30,000 for each charge. While Marshall has offered no further information about the charges, he emphasized in a statement the investigation into BWWB was not over, adding that his office has made a priority of holding accountable any official “who violates the public’s trust.” While Lewis, Jones and Williams are accused of violating state ethics laws, the Birmingham Division of the FBI has been assisting state investigators with the corruption probe. “Public corruption continues to be the FBI’s highest criminal priority because it erodes the public’s trust and rips at the fabric of democracy,” Special Agent in Charge Johnnie Share Jr. said. “If you know something about a corrupt public official, call us. Then rest assured that the FBI and our partners will act on your information.”
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BAYBRIEF | MOBILE COUNTY
New clinic, same problems MCHD OPENS NEW EIGHT MILE CLINIC AS MERCAPTAN COMPLAINTS CONTINUE BY DALE LIESCH
Photo | Submitted
The Mobile County Health Department has opened a standalone clinic in the Eight Mile community, which is still seeking relief from a 2008 chemical spill.
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ight Mile welcomed the opening of an expanded Mobile County Health Department clinic, while residents still complain about symptoms they believe are related to a 2008 Mobile Gas (now Spire) chemical spill. The clinic expansion and the lingering symptoms are not related, Stephanie Woods-Crawford, MCHD bureau
director for environmental health and preparedness, said in a phone interview. The former Eight Mile clinic, which had been open since 1996, was in a strip mall on property the department didn’t own, she said. The new clinic was simply part of a good opportunity for MCHD. “It’s something we had been working on for three
years,” she said. “It gives us an opportunity to provide better care and service to the community.” As for the impact of the chemical spill on residents — that of a natural gas additive known as mercaptan — Woods-Crawford said there are many more questions than answers. Studies on the effects of mercaptan to date show nothing significant, Woods-Crawford said, and a study commissioned by MCHD and undertaken by the University of South Alabama has not been completed. “We did commission a study based on the claims,” she said. “The data is still being vetted. We’ve been working on this since last year.” Carletta Davis, president of We Matter Eight Mile Community Association, believes information from this study would be helpful. Nevertheless, she said the community is still suffering. “I get messages every day,” Davis said. “Residents really want the health department to step up and find out what this is doing to our bodies and our children’s bodies.” Residents are still complaining of nosebleeds and other issues Davis believes are related to the mercaptan exposure. The odor, especially since Hurricane Nate in September, is still a problem. “We’re still smelling it every day,” Davis said. Earlier this year, Dr. Mary McIntyre of the Alabama Department of Public Health acknowledged the odor is having an effect on residents in the community. “These odors may impact residents’ sense of well-being and quality of life,” she said in a statement. “Mercaptan causes irritation to mucous membranes and has been associated with some of the symptoms reported by the residents of Eight Mile.” McIntyre stopped short of saying the odor was making residents sick, adding that a contributing factor could be nearby marshland, where “the breakdown of organic materials [plants and animals] … results in the release of sulfur and other gases.” “Unfortunately, health assessments alone do not address the question of association or causation,” she said in the statement. “Even though unpleasant odors can impact quality of life, not all odors are toxic. We continue to work with the Eight Mile community.” Woods-Crawford said she believes the residents are having symptoms that can be attributed to mercaptan exposure, but those same symptoms can be caused by a number of ailments. She said it’s hard to pinpoint with any certainty what the true cause could be. Mobile Gas, now Spire, under the direction of the Alabama Department of Environmental Management, has installed a series of pumps to treat both the groundwater and surface water in the affected areas using ozone. Jenny Gobble, a spokeswoman for Spire, directed Lagniappe to MCHD and Dr. Bernard Eichold. During a phone interview during the first week of December, Davis said she was headed to Montgomery to testify about the issue to a reporter with the United Nations as part of a study on poverty in the South. The United Nations press office did not return a call seeking comment.
BAYBRIEF | BALDWIN COUNTY
Lawsuit avoided
SWIGER RESIGNATION COMES MINUTES AFTER VOTE TO SUE BALDWIN SCHOOLS BY JOHN MULLEN
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bout halfway through the Dec. 5 Orange Beach City Council meeting, Mayor Tony Kennon looked at his phone and called the meeting to a halt. “I have an announcement,” Kennon said. “Angie Swiger just resigned.” It was just one more of the many twists and turns involving schools on the island, and probably the most bizarre. The county has been abuzz with education talk concerning separation negotiations with Gulf Shores, a tax renewal and an attorney general’s opinion over Swiger’s representation on the Baldwin County Board of Education. It’s no secret many in Orange Beach, particularly Kennon, weren’t pleased with the representation by Swiger, who was in her second six-year term. “It is my personal contention that our school board representative has a severe conflict of interest,” Kennon said. “It would be detrimental to the city of Orange Beach and our children if she sits on the board while there are negotiations between the city of Gulf Shores and Orange Beach as to the separation agreement.
“Our children will be greatly affected over the next five years as to where they will go to school. I do not see how she could participate in good faith and truly represent us.” About 30 minutes before hearing about Swiger’s resignation, the council unanimously voted to sue the Baldwin County Board of Education over her representation of District 5. City Attorney Wanda Cochran received authorization to seek a declaratory judgment on whether or not Swiger could live in one school district, Gulf Shores, and be a representative in another, Baldwin County. “The section of the code that addresses that, in my reading, creates a vacancy as a matter of law at the moment the representative no longer resides in the district,” Cochran said. Waiting for the attorney general to respond, Kennon said, would take too long. “It will take as much as six months and none of us want to wait that long to know what we are dealing with,” Kennon said. Complicating the matter further was Swiger’s application be a member of the new Gulf Shores School Board.
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She was one of 34 who applied for one of five spots, but was not selected to the panel. Just days before Gulf Shores announced it was forming a new city school system, Superintendent Eddie Tyler announced a new middle school for Orange Beach, one that would house all the middle school students in the Gulf Shores feeder pattern. Swiger thought the vote on the new school came too swiftly, just two days after Tyler’s appearance in Orange Beach and barely a week before she learned of the middle school plan. She made a motion to delay the vote on the Orange Beach school by a month to give Gulf Shores parents time to see and study the new facility, but it died for lack of a second. The subsequent vote on the new school passed 5-2, with Swiger casting one of the dissenting votes. “If it had been done in a different way and the residents had some time for some input and hear the plan and ask questions, I think it could have all gone differently,” Swiger said at the time. Kennon, in presenting the resolution for the lawsuit, was incredulous Swiger wouldn’t back the school in his city. “I do not believe we could be represented by someone who actually voted against a brand-new school in her own district without being able to articulate logically or reasonably why she would do so,” Kennon said. The county school board has 30 days to interview and select a candidate for Swiger’s seat. Applicants must submit paperwork by 3:30 p.m. on Dec. 15. The term ends in November 2020. Tyler issued a statement thanking Swiger for her service. “We greatly appreciate Mrs. Swiger’s service to the children and employees of Baldwin County Public Schools,” he said. “She has a servant’s heart and a passion for public education. We wish her all the best and again, we’re very grateful for her service.”
BAYBRIEF | DAPHNE
Tapped in SMALL DAPHNE WATER SYSTEM SERVES 400-PLUS CUSTOMERS BY JOHN MULLEN
Photo |Fairhope Courier
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The Park City Water Authority in Daphne serves just over 400 accounts.
n 2012, the Park City Water Authority Board was confronted with a big decision. “We at that time did not have a lot of financial reserves to respond to a system emergency,” Board Chairman Kenneth Day said. “At that time the decision would be, would we have a rate increase, or should we absolve ourselves and allow us to be taken over by Daphne Utilities.” Day had just started his five-year term on the board when the choice had to be made. After public meetings, the three-member board voted to remain in business. Park City is likely the smallest water system in the county, with just over 400 customers. Its water is purchased from Daphne Utilities. Day has notified the Baldwin County Commission he is stepping down from the board when his term expires on Jan. 19, but he’s proud of the accomplishments during his tenure, beginning with the decision to stay in business. “With that in place, we had to have a significant rate increase in 2012 to get us on some better financial footing,” he said. “Since then we’ve been able to maintain that and get some reserves, so I feel like if something happens we can respond to it. I think that was also a significant change.” A steady reserve wasn’t available when the 2012 matter of possibly disbanding the board was discussed, Day said. “We dug ourselves out of the financial hole,” he said. “We were able to have financial audits. We just completed one and got sort of a clean bill of health. To me, that was kind of pleasing. Those are some of the major changes that have occurred since I’ve been on the board.” With the reserve built up, Day said interruptions in service can be quickly handled, though lengthy service breaks have been few. “We’ve been fairly stable,” he said. “Occasionally a break or a storm comes through; you get a break and you’ll have to be out for a short period of time. We’re so small there’s not a lot of redundancy in our system so if something goes out, it happens. I can remember only maybe twice during my tenure on the board that we had a short period of time like that.” Other changes include adding a second parttime office assistant to improve customer service and formalizing operating rules for the system.
Customers can now also pay by credit card. “Every time that person would take off there was no one that was set up to fulfill the duties when that person was not there,” Day said. “We’ve hired a second part-time person that works three days a week. That allows the original person to take some time off. It allows us to put out better customer service. “I found that we didn’t have a lot of our policies written in terms of how we handle various things. We made a concerted effort. If this is how we are going to operate, let’s get our policies in writing and have some accountability there. We’ve done that.” The board was established in 1977 when Daphne Utilities put in a main line to what is now the Lake Forest area. Park City tapped into that line and formed its system. In the 1980s Park City voted for annexation into Daphne city limits but maintained its own water service. “We are what you call a purchase system,” Day said. “We don’t have any treatment facilities ourselves. We purchase all of our water from Daphne Utilities. It’s essentially metered into our infrastructure pipes and onto the individual residential structures. It’s a total purchase system.” Park City’s rate is $23.71 a month for the first 1,500 gallons and $7.25 per 1,000 gallons above that. It is a bit higher than Daphne Utilities’ rate of $13.29 a month for 1,000 gallons and $2.90 per 1,000 gallons after that. “Our system is operating well and our water is of the same caliber as everyone else in Daphne because it comes from the same source,” Day said. Other current board members are Napoleon McCovery and Lynnette Locke, who has only been on the board since October. She was appointed to replace Thomas Lee, who stepped down because of medical issues, Day said. Her term also expires on Jan. 19, but she has told the Baldwin County Commission she would serve another five years if appointed. McCovery was appointed in February and his term will end in February 2023. At least one person — Tiffany Rencher — has expressed interest in being appointed to Day’s seat, he said, and the County Commission will consider her appointment.
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COMMENTARY | DAMN THE TORPEDOES
Template for a (holiday, Christmas) conversation ROB HOLBERT/MANAGING EDITOR/RHOLBERT@LAGNIAPPEMOBILE.COM
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to getting you a(n) (abortion, gun), but figured since you’d like them outlawed you can just fend for yourself once the (commies, Nazis) take over. Remember last year how you wouldn’t stop (crying, gloating) about how (Trump, Hillary) (won, lost), and I had to tell you to take the (popular vote, Electoral College) and (shove it, cram it) up your ______________ ? I just wanted to let you know (I’m over it, I haven’t gone a single day without thinking about it). I guess a year later you can see I was right when I said (Donald Trump was senile, Donald Trump was a genius) and would lead this country to financial (success, ruin) while also making us look (strong, stupid) in the eyes of the world. We’re clearly on the verge of (unprecedented financial growth, nuclear war), you have to admit that much! Imagine how (amazing, horrible) it would have been if (Donald, Hillary) (hadn’t, had) won! We’d be talking about (The Wall, Free College) instead of focusing on (The Wall, Free College) and whether (Bill, Donald) sexually harassed women. Thank (God, goodness) we won’t need to have that conversation this year. You may have been too preoccupied (combing, picking crumbs from) your (neck beard, purple hair) to pay much attention to what’s been happening in Alabama, but this state’s (still the same redneck hellhole I left after college, making serious progress). I know you think (The Koch Brothers, George Soros) is/ are behind Alabama sending a (nationalist,
globalist) (child molester, pinko commie) like (Roy Moore, Doug Jones) to the U.S. Senate, but he’s going to (make us proud, embarrass us more than George Wallace ever dreamed of). Hopefully people will give him a chance to (show he can work with the other side of the aisle, go inside shopping malls again). If you’re (excited, crying) about your guy (winning, losing) the Senate race, just remember there’s another one in two years. One more chance for a (liberal bootlicker, child molester) to represent Alabama in Congress. That should make you (happy, sad). On a more personal note, one of my (favorite, least favorite) things about (Christmas, the holidays), is your (husband’s, wife’s, partner’s) (squash casserole, pecan pie, stuffing, giblet gravy, homemade muffins). It/They should be (sold in grocery stores nationally, thrown in the trash upon your arrival). It’s/They’re that (delicious, inedible). Let’s both put our (political differences, mutual hatred) behind us for at least a day to (enjoy, tolerate) sitting down to dinner with a (low-energy, birther) (Christian Sharia, safe-space-needing) (Black Lives Matter, Neo-Nazi) (Deplorable, Troll). (Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays)! See you next year! With (Love, Respect, Disdain), _____________
THEGADFLY
ne thing that has become abundantly clear over the past year is that we as a nation have lost the ability to express ourselves politically without becoming overly emotional and even personally insulting to those who may not share our views. In Alabama the political contrast has become even sharper during the bruising U.S. Senate campaign between Roy Moore and Doug Jones. As one who sits high upon a perch above the political fray, gazing condescendingly down upon the partisanship tearing the greatest country on Earth to pieces, I have become increasingly aware that a great many citizens view things from a standpoint of right and wrong. Mainly, I’m right and you’re wrong. The further one gets toward the edge of either political belief system, the more that person is convinced of the other side’s “wrongness” on any conceivable issue. It saddens me to meet people no longer able to speak to family members or friends simply because they hold differing political beliefs. They might like the same kind of barbecue sauce, the same football team, the same NASCAR driver or even the same 19th century French impressionist painters, but politics have driven a wedge between them. The truly sad part is both sides are right and both sides are wrong, often at the same time. And it’s nearly impossible for wingers on the left or right to imagine they’re both the same kind of crazy — but they are. The behavior is the same, just with slightly different wording. Keeping this in mind, and with the holidays just days away, I thought it might be nice to put together a form letter of sorts that readers can use to wish loved ones peace and love while also expressing total disdain for their closely held viewpoints. This could serve to circumvent any political discussions around the bar or dinner table, and nobody takes form letters seriously, so no lasting damage should be done. Simply circle the proper word choice inside the parentheses to create a letter your loved one will cherish forever:
I wanted to take this opportunity to wish you (Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays). It’s been a (heck, hell) of a year, but I’m glad we’ll be able to gather in front of the (fake, live) (Christmas, holiday) tree and exchange gifts. Speaking of gifts, I saw a coffee mug that had (Libtard, Conservatard) written on it and almost bought it for you, but figured a (Basement Dweller, Snowflake) such as yourself probably already has one. I know it’s been a tough year for those of you on the (alt-right, alt-left), so I’d hoped to find a gift to cheer you up — maybe a (Donald Trump, Hillary Clinton) toilet brush. Hahaha! I was at (Bass Pro Shop, Banana Republic) and thought about getting you some nice clothing. But since (Fascists, Communists) are generally fond of drab uniforms, I ruled that one out. Knowing how much you like to (claim, pretend) you read, a subscription to the (Washington Post, Wall Street Journal) seemed appropriate, but I figured you’d just call it fake news and go back to watching (Rachel Maddow, Sean Hannity) on (MSNBC, FOX). I wouldn’t want actual facts to get in the way of your (fanaticism, delusional thinking). I saw a coupon the other day and came really close
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Cartoon/Laura Rasmussen
Dear ___________________,
MOBILIANS CREATE SNOW-MUD-STICK-LEAFMEN TO CELEBRATE LAST WEEK’S RARE SNOWFALL.
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COMMENTARY | THE HIDDEN AGENDA
Finding the good in this mad, mad world ASHLEY TRICE/EDITOR/ASHLEYTOLAND@LAGNIAPPEMOBILE.COM
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s I am writing this, the people of Alabama are out voting in one of the most divisive and controversial elections since, well, that horribly divisive one that was in November 2016. These two elections have been bookends to a year filled with tribalism and hatred. I can’t remember a time teeming with so much anger — on both sides. You used to could have a friendly debate with your friends, family or neighbors about politics, and if you disagreed, you may say, “Joe and I disagree on this race, but he’s a good guy.” Now it’s “Joe and I disagree on this race and he is an awful human being who should die and I hope it’s in some really painful way.” If Joe is a liberal, he’s a snowflake and/or libtard. If Joe is a conservative, he’s a mouthbreather and/or republitard. Or any number of other derogatory terms. For a full list, just spend some time reading the comments on Facebook or Twitter. Things are just crazy now. And depressing. And I really don’t see any end in sight. Sure, the end of the Senate election will help but it’s only a matter of time before something happens and everyone gets firmly back in their corners and takes to their keyboards to start attacking one another again. Death (of polite society) by a thousand keystrokes. During this holiday season, I am trying to unplug from this nastiness and focus on what’s really important, while remembering there are so many things to be grateful for … Like Alabama I am not sure how this election will turn out as I am writing this, but either way it has cast a bright light on this state. Some of the press has been positive, but a lot of it has been negative (shocking!). Outsiders are threatening to boycott us if the election doesn’t turn out the way they want, saying if it goes one way it will just prove we are exactly what everyone already thinks about us. Maybe that will be the case. I hope not, but whatever happens there is still no other place I’d rather live or raise my family. When I visited a friend in New York last year, we went to the theater. When the native New Yorkers sitting next to us found out I was from Alabama, a gentleman, whose face I will never forget, made a grimace and some sort of guttural sound of disgust and said, “Alabama. Really? Well, welcome to our country.” I just politely smiled. A few months later, I was out on Mobile Bay with my children and dolphins were jumping around the boat we were on. As the kiddos squealed with glee, that man’s face popped into my head for a second and I thought, “No, welcome to MY country, a-hole.”
This is an amazing place — our own little paradise, and it is filled with many wonderful, creative, kind, smart, fun, talented human beings who would do just about anything to help each other out and who are constantly doing things to make this state and our city better. Maybe the rest of world won’t think this or see this, but I know this. And despite its shortcomings and craziness, it’s still my sweet home. And I am proud to tell any “outsider” about the Alabama I know and love. And family On the morning of the election, somehow both kids had ended up in bed with me. My poor husband had migrated to the couch, most likely due to kicks to the kidney from my daughter. I turned on the television early to flip through the cable channels. I wanted to see how they were all covering the race. At some point, my son got up to see where our elf “Kernel” had ended up. Thankfully, I had remembered to move him. I was consumed with the television when he came back in to tell me Kernel was in our plant. Silly elf! As he went on and on about it, I shushed him so I could hear what pundits who are not from Alabama were saying about Alabama. Then I realized what I had done. This kid probably only has a couple of years left (at most) to believe in Santa and that Kernel is magically flying to the North Pole every night to report on his behavior, and I just told him to hush so I could hear these talking heads wax on endlessly about what the results of this race will mean. So I turned off the TV and listened to him wax on endlessly about Kernel and Christmas and some guy who skateboards and has a YouTube channel and how he doesn’t feel like he is very good at board games that require luck, such as Bingo; he’s better at ones that require skill, and on and on. And it hit me that all of these things he was talking about that really don’t matter, do matter so much more than what happens in this race or in Montgomery or Washington. Sometimes, that’s easy to forget. Just like it was back in November of 2016, as this issue hits the streets on Wednesday, close to half the state will be disappointed in the election results. But just like then, the world will keep on spinning either way. And yes, crazy and disappointing things will still happen in this state and country and people will still call each other names and be horrible to each other. But if you take a step back and look around, there is still a lot of beauty and goodness left in this world too. We may just have to look a little bit harder right now.
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COMMENTARY | THE GRIOT’S CORNER
construction, Title I grants to schools, Medicaid, school lunch programs, Section 8 vouchers, Medicare Part B (which covers services and supplies that are medically necessary to treat your health condition; this can include outpatient care, preventive services, ambulance services and durable medical equipment as well as part-time or intermittent home health and rehabilitative services, such as physical therapy) and a host of other programs. BY KEN ROBINSON/CONTRIBUTING WRITER A census count that is off could lead to a decade of missed or mal-allocated funding. That’s something that a perpetually cash strapped state such as Alabama can ill afford. As Phil Sparks of the Census Project (a broad-based network of national, he Founding Fathers considered it so imporcurve on carrying out practices and testing technologies state and local organizations that support a fair and accurate 2020 census and tant, they included it in the Constitution. The that will ensure an accurate 2020 count. To add to the comprehensive American Community Survey) noted, “All Alabamians benefit practice of it, however, was nothing new. growing worries of political leaders and outside observThroughout history governments have taken a ers, John Thompson, director of the Census Bureau, quit from a high-quality, complete and fair census.” There are other ways an unsatisfactory 2020 census can affect communicount, or census, of its people. This was generally done this summer. ties, not just in Alabama but across the nation. for purposes of taxation, military conscription — or even A leaderless and underfunded Census Bureau, an As early as 1870, the U.S. Supreme Court stated it was “unquestionable” to take property from certain members of the citizenry. agency that is behind schedule in performing essential runthe power of Congress to require both a numerical count and the collection The idea of a census, then, was nothing novel or new, up tasks, is making for a perfect storm of circumstances of statistics during the census. And although some have maintained that the but the founders’ use of it was. In the formation of the that could end up undermining and casting serious doubt statistical/demographic data the Census Bureau collects is a violation of the new system of government, the census would take on a on the accuracy and soundness of the 2020 census. Fourth Amendment’s right to privacy, the federal courts have consistently noble and grandiose purpose. One important function of the census is determining ruled otherwise. Being a representative democracy, or a democracy the apportionment of political representation at various This is important because the statistical/demographic data gathered by the in which the people would choose representatives to act levels of government — as noted, that’s very important and make decisions on their behalf, the census was seen — but the census serves another critical function as well. census, as well as the American Community Survey (ACS, an ongoing survey as an indispensable practice. To determine the number of In its “Counting for Dollars 2020: The Role of the De- that provides vital information on a yearly basis), is used by local governrepresentatives and correctly allocate them, an accurate cennial Census in the Geographic Distribution of Federal ments and city planners, businesses, civic groups, social service agencies, researchers, foundations, you name it. count of the people would be needed. Funds,” The George Washington University of Public For example, whether it’s a large company looking to open new operaFor a government that rested on the concept of popular Policy observed: “As directed by Congress, several tions in a different city or state … a franchisee determining in what part of a sovereignty, or the idea that ultimate power and authority hundred financial assistance programs rely on data decity she should open her restaurant … a municipality trying to determine the resides in the people, it would be vital to have reliable rived from the decennial census to guide the geographic most effective and efficient new bus routes … a state agency wants to know numbers. “Government of the people, by the people [and] distribution of funds.” how many children don’t have health insurance … a county wants to know for the people” necessitated routinely taking an accurate How much money are we talking about? “In Fiscal the best place to put a new school, senior center or health care facility — they count of the people. Year 2015, the 50 states plus the District of Columbia turn to the statistical/demographic data collected through the census and the Thus, ingrained in our political and civic DNA is the received $598.7 billion from 16 large census-guided ACS. This information matters! act of the decennial (recurring every 10 years) census. programs.” A fully funded and supported, detailed and thoroughly executed census is However, in 2020, the successful carrying out of this In Alabama, a successful or not-so-successful 2020 crucial practice may be in jeopardy. census count will impact the allocation of more than $7.5 critically important — not just for our democracy, but for the economic and civic success of our communities, states and the nation. The preamble to the This past October, U.S. Commerce Secretary Wilbillion per year in federal funding. Yes, that’s $7.5 BILConstitution starts off with “We the People …” It is our decennial census that bur Ross appeared before Congress and requested an LION a year. So getting the count right matters. allows us to see clearly who “we” are. Let’s make sure that picture in 2020 is additional $3 billion in funding for the next census. The What programs in Alabama are affected by a good a clear and accurate one. request was made as the Census Bureau is behind the census count or lack thereof? Highway planning and
Census: Getting it right counts
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COMMENTARY | THE BELTWAY BEAT
Gerrymandering as a right-wing plot is a myth BY JEFF POOR/COLUMNIST/JEFFREYPOOR@GMAIL.COM
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arly indications suggest that when the 2020 census comes out, Alabama will lose one of its seven seats in the United States House of Representatives. That will mean one the state’s current members of Congress, six of whom are Republicans and one of whom is a Democrat, will be ceding their seat. One district that is likely to remain intact is Alabama’s seventh congressional district, presently occupied by Rep. Terri Sewell, one of the state’s rare Democratic officials. For that district to elect a Democrat, its physical boundaries had to take an odd shape. The district’s perimeter has tentacles reaching into the predominantly African-American inner city neighborhoods of Birmingham and Montgomery. That is what is known as “affirmative racial gerrymandering.” On paper, it seems like a very unnatural, forced way to create a voting constituency that would produce a majorityminority congressional district. Without it, however, many of the AfricanAmerican and Hispanic members could not get elected to Congress. Alabama’s seventh congressional district isn’t the only one of its kind. States across the country have gerrymandered districts. This does have consequences. When officials draw boundaries to separate people, they are essentially creating political segregation and making the political leanings of each district farther away from the center of the spectrum. Of course, a district gerrymandered to include a heavy Democratic voting contingency will elect a Democrat. In fact, it seems unlikely that a Democrat could be elected in Alabama any other way Yet, it is Republicans who take the blame for the evils of gerrymandering. In recent years, gerrymandering has been depicted as a sinister brainchild hatched in a laboratory run by Lee Atwater’s ghost and Karl Rove to disenfranchise minority voters and elect conservative extremists — who want to rob grandma of her Social Security to fund their fancy cigars and yachts. This season’s “Saturday Night Live” even mentioned the evil art of gerrymandering during one of its cold opens. The Nov. 11 episode featured Roy Moore, played by Mikey Day, and Jeff Sessions, played by Kate McKinnon. In the sketch, McKinnon’s Sessions pops out of a cabinet in Vice President Mike Pence’s office to urge Day’s Moore to drop out of the race. The pair discuss Moore’s alleged proclivity for dating underaged women, and the conversation ends with McKinnon’s Sessions telling Day’s Moore, “I’m Alabama, but you, sir, are too Alabama. Get out, get on — leave me to my gerrymandering.” SNL’s depiction portrays gerrymandering as an evil misdeed that creepy Southern conservative caricatures cook up in the same kitchen
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they create their “nightmares for children.” Although we’re led to believe it is a GOP plot to rig elections, progressive liberals would have the most to lose, particularly in Alabama, if gerrymandering were declared unconstitutional. The more radical liberal ideologues come from gerrymandered districts carved out of major metropolitan areas. If those were to go away, a left-wing voter base would be diluted. Perhaps there is a political calculus involved in tagging conservatives as the champions of gerrymandering. If Democrats can portray Republicans as the masterminds of a system that makes possible predetermined outcomes, then they can reap the rewards while weaponizing it to use against their political opponents. Gerrymandering is one of the culprits behind the current hyper-polarization of politics, and it is self-perpetuating. The voters in District A are overwhelmingly liberal, and the voters in District B are overwhelmingly conservative. The members representing each of those districts won’t be judged by how they get things done, work with one other or any of the other critiques you usually hear when people talk about what is wrong with Washington. Those members are rewarded by how far they are willing to go and how outspoken they are willing to be. Instead of having a checklist of accomplishments to showcase on the campaign trail, they have to protect their flanks on the extreme ideological sides, and that pushes them further and further to the left or the right. What you wind up having are members of Congress working toward Ayn Rand and Karl Marx instead of performing basic congressional duties such as passing a budget, raising the debt ceiling, funding the government, reauthorizing defense spending, etc. That is why the federal government is under a constant threat of temporarily ceasing operations. How do you correct this? There really isn’t a good answer. There are some ideas in which a computer could generate congressional district boundaries without accounting for race or ethnicity. The problem with that is it is likely to result in a loss of minority representation in Congress. Gerrymandering is likely here to stay, barring some monumental shift in the Supreme Court. However, what is not true about gerrymandering is that it was devised to keep right-wing conservatives in power. Certainly, Republicans benefit from gerrymandering. But be careful what you wish for because if gerrymandering ended tomorrow, the likely result would be a shift toward moderation, and those who adhere to certain dogmatic beliefs about government would find specific goals — be it socialized medicine on the left or a fair tax on the right, for example — unobtainable.
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BUSINESS | THE REAL DEAL
10 new downtown Mobile residential projects in play BY RON SIVAK/COLUMNIST/BUSINESS@LAGNIAPPEMOBILE.COM
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ccording to the Mobile Area Chamber of Commerce 2017 State of the Economy report covering downtown development, over the past 12 months 10 new multifamily housing sites are in the planning phase, have broken ground and/or now available for lease in the downtown Mobile area. As these sites open, expectations are that the properties will create a surge in demand for new services downtown, essentially opening a spigot, with higher-volume, steady streams of patron foot traffic for new and existing businesses in that area. According to the study, the 2016 downtown Mobile office submarket remained stable with 1.9 million square feet of office space in 28 buildings. Overall occupancy increased from 76 percent to 78 percent over 2015. Approximately 80,000 square feet of residential space was removed from the 2015 report, as two properties were sold and are now being redeveloped. The local market also absorbed more than 49,000 square feet of office space. Average asking price rose 58 cents — ranging from to $18 per square foot to upwards of $20 per square foot. The 10 downtown residential developments currently in play include: • Meridian at the Port, 300 N. Water St., with 267 units in preconstruction and a $51 million investment; • Temple Lodge, 558 St. Francis St., with 12 units currently under construction and a $2.7 million investment; • Gayfers, 165 Dauphin St., with 60 units in design and an $11.9 million investment; • 360 Dauphin Street, 360 Dauphin St., with eight units currently available for lease and a $1.5 million investment; • Russell School, 304 S. Broad St., with 26 units available for lease and a $4.6 million investment; • Staples Pake property, 100 N. Royal St., with 20 units currently under construction and a $6 million investment; • Marine Street Lofts, 901 Government St., with 48 units
now being leased and a $6 million investment; • The Fort of Colonial Mobile, address to be determined, with 131 projected units currently under design and a $58 million investment; • Seamen’s Bethel, 350 St. Joseph St., with 60 units currently in design phase and a $6 million investment; • Merchants Plaza, 106 St. Francis St., with 84 units in design phase and a $35 million investment. Overall, unit availability for downtown residential living spaces now encompasses some 716 units with a collective investment of $182.75 million.
• Mobile-founded Hargrove Engineers + Constructors has expanded to a new office located at 4005 Technology Drive in Angleton, Texas, roughly an hour south of Houston. The new office comes on the heels of office openings in Beaumont in early 2016 and Houston in 2014. This will be Hargrove’s 12th location overall and its third in Texas. • According to Mamun Siddiq of RE/MAX Partners, a nonlocal investor paid $525,000 cash for the Chevron gas station located at 3464 Springhill Ave. in Mobile. Plans are in place to renovate as well as upgrade the business in early 2018. Siddiq handled both sides of the transaction.
MCI joins global collaboration in cancer treatment
Per a news release, USA Mitchell Cancer Institute (MCI) has become one of the institutions worldwide taking part in a collaboration in cancer immunotherapy with Vedanta Biosciences, an affiliate of PureTech Health. Massachusetts-based Vedanta Biosciences, a global leader in the microbiome field, recently announced the new collaboration with MCI and Leiden University Medical Center in the Netherlands. “Data from our ongoing clinical collaborations in melanoma show that gut bacteria signatures could help determine if a cancer immunotherapy will work,” Bruce Commercial real estate moves Roberts, Ph.D., chief scientific officer of Vedanta Biosciences, said. • Alan Belcher Mixed Martial Arts has leased 4,100 The new collaboration with MCI, led by Art Frankel, M.D., will analyze assquare feet of studio space at 109 Furr St. in Mobile. sociations between the gut microbiome and responses to checkpoint inhibitor treatBelcher, a professional MMA instructor and former UFC competitor, plans to open a kickboxing gym at the location. ment in multiple tumor types. “We could become one of the few places in the country to develop this particular Cameron Weavil with the Weavil Co. worked for the tenant. therapy and test it in clinical trials,” Frankel said. Jeremy Milling of Milling Commercial Realty represented MCI is the only academic cancer research and treatment facility on the upper the landlord. • Chef and owner James Knowles is leasing 4,101 square Gulf Coast corridor, with offices in Mobile, Fairhope and Monroeville. feet of restaurant space to open Fabian: The Trattoria in the former La Pizzeria space located at 1455 Monroe St. in Mo- Amazon donates holiday gifts to Boys and Girls Club bile. The Italian eatery is planning a public announcement in Last week Seattle-based Amazon delivered upwards of $15,000 worth of charity January, which will announce their anticipated opening date goods to local nonprofit The Boys and Girls Club of South Alabama. Gift items inand other details. cluded toys, rain jackets, hygiene products and other essentials, as well as holidayJack Conger, leasing executive with Stirling Properties, related materials. represented the tenant. Gaines Zarzour of Monarch Group After the donation was unveiled, children and families had the opportunity to worked for the landlord, McNair Historic Preservation. Af- choose items, participate in holiday activities and visit with Christmas characters, filiate restaurant Sophia’s Italian Eatery at 20 Hand Ave. in including Santa Claus. Bay Minette is now open, according to Conger, and features The donation is part of Amazon’s national holiday tour. The e-commerce giant a daily lunch and Sunday brunch buffet. will donate $1 to the National Alliance to End Homelessness fund for every mile • Daryl Cleworth with the Merrill P. Thomas Co. Inc. their fleet of trucks criss-cross the country during this holiday tour. announced the recent closing of a one-acre sale of undevelThe Mobile-area event followed on the heels of Amazon’s recent grand opening oped property for $140,000 on Rand Avenue in Austin Busi- at its first facility in Alabama. Located in Theodore, the 300,000-plus-square-foot ness Park. Cleworth represented the seller and Steve Murray site is Amazon’s 39th sortation center in North America. It services customers in of Ashurst worked for the buyer. the Mobile and Baldwin county metro areas, with expedited delivery.
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CUISINE | THE DISH
Feeding the kids at an Emmet Otter party BY ANDY MACDONALD/CUISINE EDITOR | FATMANSQUEEZE@COMCAST.NET
Ingredients 4 large baking potatoes, peeled and cut into large chunks ¼ cup butter (half a stick) ½ cup milk 2 lbs. ground beef 1 large onion, diced 3 cups of frozen mixed vegetables 2 cloves garlic, minced Salt and pepper to taste 1 tsp each of sage, rosemary and thyme, freshly chopped 5 dashes of Worcestershire sauce ½ cup rice flour 1 14 oz. can diced tomatoes, undrained ½ cup red wine 2 cups beef broth 8 oz. block of sharp cheddar
Photo | Depositphotos.com
In a large pot of salted water, boil the potatoes until tender. While the potatoes are cooking, prepare the filling. In a sizable skillet, brown the ground beef. As soon as the red disappears, add the onion and cook until translucent. I usually use a turkey baster to suck out all of the grease. Add the garlic and mixed vegetables, stirring often. Season with a generous amount of salt and pepper, then add the herbs. Cook for five minutes over medium heat. Dash in the Worcestershire sauce. Sprinkle with rice flour and stir constantly for two minutes. Stir in tomatoes. Splash in the wine and stir. Slowly add the beef broth to create the moderately thin gravy. Now let’s get back to the spuds. Drain the potatoes and return them to the pot. Add ½ stick of butter and ½ cup milk. Using a hand mixer, beat the potatoes until smooth. Okay, so if you don’t know what shepherd’s pie is, then I feel for you. We basically cover our meat mixture with potatoes, cover that In lieu of lamb, anchor your shepherd’s pie with a lean ground beef. with shredded cheese and bake it until the top melts. In an 11x13 inch pan, I like to keep the meat mixture at a depth of about an inch e are all about traditions here at MacDonald es, Little Smoky sausages with Bailey’s Root Beer Barbecue and the potatoes mounding over the top. Manor. Among those traditions, the ones pertainand Dipping Sauce in the slow cooker with a little grape jelly When it comes to cheese, always avoid the pre-shredded bags. It ing to Christmas hold the most significance. The to boot. Dessert was undoubtedly going to be s’mores over the tastes so much better when you do it yourself. Make America grate boys always go with their mom to Bellingrath fire. Our main course was to be determined by my 7-year-old. again. Pre-shredded cheese has additives to prevent it from sticking Gardens. We only go tree shopping in Batman T-shirts. Texas He came up with shepherd’s pie. together. Trash is the most important holiday food ever, and we always Fitting that he chose it. We talked of the three wise men and Cook it at 300 F. just to melt the cheese and warm the center. make it a point to have a screening of “Emmet Otter’s Jug the shepherd and the Bible story of the manger scene and how Add salt if needed, but always serve with a side of Tabasco sauce. Band Christmas.” Ours turned out pretty special. Graham and Lucas both got we never thought about shepherd’s pie being a holiday tradiYes, this holiday classic is my favorite kiddie movie ever. tion. It totally works for me! I don’t make it enough, and Lucas mad when they saw their bowls in the sink. Each wanted seconds, I’m actually partial to “It’s a Wonderful Life” when it comes a thing that doesn’t always happen when that many vegetables are was on board. to Christmas movies, but for children I am all in with the Jug This wasn’t going to just be thrown together. We are taking involved. They even loved the onions. Our little friend Vivi was not impressed with my skills, but pre-K ladies aren’t normally Band. It’s a Jim Henson muppet film with Kermit the Frog school cafeteria comfort food and elevating it a bit from the fans of onions. as narrator and the only muppet you’ll recognize. The music potato flakes and hamburger Graham is used to getting from Our little party won a few fans for Emmet and even more for the is fantastic, the tale is predictable but heartwarming, and the the lunch lady. Oh, but that stuff is good, too. Riverbottom Nightmare Band, but I’d like to think the comfort food message is that nice guys don’t always come in first. Of course, shepherd’s pie would normally be a recipe with I’ve been watching this movie every Christmas since it lamb or mutton. We are using ground beef in place of because really tied it together. Perhaps a new tradition was born. I will never trivialize my love for, shall I say, low-rent shepherd’s pie but if you found its spot as an HBO holiday special, but our friend PrisMr. G wants it that way. Shamefully, great lamb isn’t always go the extra mile it makes a big difference. I know it’s not rocket cilla Belle Jenkins and I created a party for the kids centered available in this town though all 50 states are capable of raisaround it last year. ing the fluffy fellows. Should you get your hands on something science by any means, but at least it shows you care. Try this recipe and you may realize how much alike we are. So what does one serve at an Emmet Otter party? For that good, brown chunks in a little vegetable oil or even dust the Perhaps we’re long-lost brothers. answer we turned to Graham. We knew we were having chees- lamb pieces with flour beforehand.
W
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D e c e m b e r 1 3 , 2 0 1 7 - D e c e m b e r 1 9 , 2 0 1 7 | L AG N I A P P E | 21
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BRILLIANT REUBENS & FISH-N-CHIPS. 101 N. Brancroft St. Fairhope • 990-5100
R&R SEAFOOD ($-$$)
MUG SHOTS ($$)
RIVER SHACK ($-$$)
OLD 27 GRILL ($)
LAID-BACK EATERY & FISH MARKET 1477 Battleship Pkwy. • 621-8366 SEAFOOD, BURGERS & STEAKS 6120 Marina Dr. • Dog River • 443-7318.
THE GRAND MARINER ($-$$) LOCAL SEAFOOD & PRODUCE 6036 Rock Point Rd. • 443-7540
THE HARBOR ROOM ($-$$) UNIQUE SEAFOOD 64 S. Water St. • 438-4000
THE SEAFOOD HOUSE ($-$$) 751 Azalea Rd. • 301-7964
TIN TOP RESTAURANT & OYSTER BAR ($$) SEAFOOD, STEAKS, & EXTENSIVE WINE LIST 6232 Bon Secour Hwy County Rd. 10. • 949-5086
WINTZELL’S OYSTER HOUSE ($-$$) FRESH SEAFOOD FOR OVER 75 YEARS 605 Dauphin St. • 432-4605 6700 Airport Blvd. • 341-1111 1208 Shelton Beach Rd. • Saraland • 442-3335 805 S. Mobile St. • 929-2322
IS THE GAME ON?
ASHLAND MIDTOWN PUB ($-$$) PIZZAS, PASTAS, & CALZONES 245-A Old Shell Rd. • 479-3278
BAUMHOWER’S ($)
WINGS, BURGERS & PUB GRUB 6880 US-90 #14 • Daphne • 625-4695
BAR & GRILL 29740 Urgent Care Dr. • Daphne • 662-9639 6255 Airport Blvd. • 447-2514 BURGERS, DOGS & 27 BEERS & WINES. 19992 Hwy.181 Old County Rd. Fairhope • 281-2663
LUCKY’S IRISH PUB ($)
IRISH PUB FARE & MORE 1108 Shelton Beach Rd •Saraland • 473-0757 3692 Airport Blvd • 414-3000
WEMOS ($)
WINGS, TENDERS, HOTDOGS & SANDWICHES 312 Schillinger Rd. • 633-5877
MAMA MIA!
BUCK’S PIZZA ($$)
DELIVERY 350 Dauphin St. • 431-9444
JONELLI’S ($)
COMFORT FOOD 1716 Main St. Ste. C • Daphne • 281-2982
MARCOS ($)
GUIDO’S ($$)
FRESH CUISINE NIGHTLY ON MENU 1709 Main St. • Daphne • 626-6082
HOUSE OF PIZZA ($)
3958 Snow Rd C. • Semmes • 645-3400
FUEGO ($-$$)
PIES & AWESOME BEER SELECTION 2032 Airport Blvd. • 471-4700 5660 Old Shell Rd. • 380-1500 2409 Schillinger Rd S • 525-8431 29698 Frederick Blvd.• Daphne • 621-3911
MIRKO ($$)
PASTA & MORE 9 Du Rhu Dr. • 340-6611
MARIA BONITA AGAVE BAR & GRILL ($-$$) OLÉ MI AMIGO ($-$$)
PIZZA & PASTA 107 Dauphin St. • 375-1644
HEARTY MEXICAN FARE 736 holcombe Ave.• 473-0413
ROMA CAFE ($-$$)
3050 AL 181 • Spanish Fort • 621-7433
POOR MEXICAN ($)
PASTA, SALAD AND SANDWICHES 7143 Airport Blvd. • 341-7217
ROOSTER’S ($)
TAMARA’S BAR & GRILL ($)
WINGS, PO-BOYS, BURGERS 210 Eastern Shore Center, Hwy. 98 • 929-0002
TRATTORIA PIZZA & ITALIAN ($$) ITALIAN FOOD & PIZZAS 11311 US HIghway 31 Spanish Fort• 375-0076 HOMEMADE PASTAS & PIZZAS MADE DAILY 5901 Old Shell Rd. • 342-3677
AZTECAS ($-$$)
TASTE OF MEXICO 5452 Hwy 90 W • 661-5509
CAFÉ DEL RIO ($-$$)
MOUTH WATERING MEXICAN FOOD 1175 Battleship Pkwy • 625-2722
CINCO DE MAYO ($) MEXICAN CUISINE 260 Azalea Rd. • 375-1095
EXCEPTIONAL SERVICE & TASTE
MAGNOLIA HOUSE ($$-$$$)
TASTE OF MEXICO 880 Schillinger Rd. S. • 633-6122 5805 US 90 • 653-9163
MEXICAN CUISINE 3977 Gov’t Blvd. • 660-4970
PIZZERIA DELFINA ($)
AMERICAN FARE & ROCKIN’ MEMORABILIA
RUTH’S CHRIS STEAK HOUSE ($$$)
HACIENDA SAN MIGUEL ($-$$)
PINZONE’S ITALIAN VILLAGE ($$)
PIZZA, PASTA, SALAD & MORE 102 N. Section St. •Fairhope• 929-2525
HALF SHELL OYSTER HOUSE ($-$$) HARD ROCK CAFÉ ($)
HARRAH’S GULF COAST:
QUAINT MEXICAN RESTAURANT 5556 Old Shell Rd. • 345-7484
RAVENITE ($)
777 Beach Blvd.Biloxi • 877-877-6256
5713 Old Shell Rd.• 338-9697
LOS ARCOS ($)
AUTHENTIC ITALIAN DISHES 312 Fairhope Ave. • Fairhope • 990-5535
HARD ROCK CASINO:
FUZZY’S TACO SHOP ($)
PAPA’S PLACE ($$)
A TASTE OF ITALY. BYOB. 28691 U.S. Highway 98 • 626-1999
BREAKFAST, LUNCH, DINNER, LATE NIGHT
SATISFACTION ($-$$)
AUTHENTIC MEXICAN CUISINE 800 N Section St. • Fairhope • 990-0783 830 W I65 Service Rd. S • 378-5837 4663 Airport Blvd. • 342-5553
PIZZA, SUBS & PASTA 1368 ½ Navco Rd.• 479-0066
TERRACE CAFE ($)
OUTSTANDING MEXICAN CUISINE 2066 Old Shell Rd. • 378-8621
LA COCINA ($)
NAVCO PIZZA ($$)
OLÉ MI AMIGO!
Bel Air Mall • 476-2063
212 Fairhope Ave. • 928-8108
763 Holcombe Ave • 473-0413
MELLOW MUSHROOM ($)
GAMBINO’S ITALIAN GRILL ($) GRIMALDI’S ($)
EL CAMINO TACO SHACK ($) EL MARIACHI ($)
5055 Cottage Hill Rd. • 308-4888 2394 Dawes Rr. • 639-3535 2004 US 98 • Daphne • 265-6550
CORTLANDT’S PIZZA PUB ($-$$)
ITALIAN, STEAKS & SEAFOOD 18 Laurel Ave. • Fairhope • 990-0995
ENCHILADAS, TACOS, & AUTHENTIC FARE Ok Bicycle Shop • 661 Dauphin St. • 432-2453
LA ROSSO ($$)
VIA EMILIA ($$)
GREAT PIZZA. LUNCH & DINNER 4356 Old Shell Rd. • 342-0024
DAUPHIN ST. TAQUERIA ($)
1252 Gov’t St. • 301-7556
LATIN AMERICAN FOOD 211 Dauphin St. • 375-1076
TAQUERIA CANCUN ($)
3172 International Dr. • 476-9967
TAQUERIA MEXICO ($-$$)
SOUTHERN FAVORITES BUFFET
280 Beach Blvd. Biloxi • 288-436-2946 FINE DINING, SEAFOOD AND STEAKS
FLAVORS BUFFET ($-$$) ALL YOU CAN EAT BUFFET
IP CASINO:
850 Bayview Ave. Bilox • 888-946-2847
THIRTY-TWO ($$$) SEAFOOD, STEAKS, WINE
TIEN ($-$$)
INTERACTIVE ASIAN DINING
HIGH TIDE CAFÉ ($)
CASUAL & RELAXING, EXTENSIVE MENU
ISLAND VIEW:
3300 W. Beach Blvd. Biloxi • 877-774-8439
BEACH BLVD STEAMER ($) SEAFOOD
CARTER GREEN STEAKHOUSE ($$-$$$) RICH TRADITIONS, STEAK, SEAFOOD
C&G GRILLE ($)
LARGE BREAKFAST, LUNCH OR DINNER MENU
PALACE CASINO:
158 Howard Ave. Biloxi • 800-725-2239
MIGNON’S ($$$)
STEAKS, SEAFOOD, FINE WINE
PLACE BUFFET ($-$$) INTERACTIVE ASIAN DINING
STACKED GRILL ($-$$)
BURGERS AND EVERYTHING IN BETWEEN
AUTHENTIC MEXICAN FLAVOR 3733 Airport Blvd. • 414-4496
TREASURE BAY:
NO GAMBLING CASINO FARE
THE DEN ($-$$)
1980 Beach Blvd. Biloxi • 800-747-2839 INTIMATE & CASUAL WITH DAILY SPECIALS
BEAU RIVAGE:
CQ ($$-$$$)
BR PRIME ($$-$$$)
BLU ($)
COAST RESTAURANT ($-$$)
WIND CREEK CASINO:
JIA ($-$$)
FIRE ($$-$$$)
875 Beach Blvd. Biloxi • 888-952-2582 FINE DINING ESTABLISHMENT. BURGER, WINGS, PIZZA
EXOTIC CUISINE AND SUSHI
STALLA ($$)
ITALIAN COOKING
ELEGANT ATMOSPHERE & TANTALIZING ENTREES LOUNGE WITH COCKTAILS & TAPAS MENU
303 Poarch Rd. Atmore • 866-946-3360 PRIME STEAKS, SEAFOOD & WINE
GRILL ($)
CONTEMPORARY & OLD-FASHIONED FAVORITES
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CUISINE | WORD OF MOUTH
Cuban, Cajun come to Grand Bay with Ozzy’s
building. Renovations have been made and the menu is getting the finishing touches for a soft opening soon. With items that lean toward higher-end Mexican, you can expect a fair amount of seafood being associated with Chuck’s. Potato taquitos, tacos de camarones and much more, I know the employees at Five are in heaven getting to sample their nextdoor neighbor’s progress. Pay attention to social media for a grand opening.
BY ANDY MACDONALD/CUISINE EDITOR | FATMANSQUEEZE@COMCAST.NET
Southern Napa’s 12 Bottles of Christmas
I may be a little late to the party, but Southern Napa is right in the middle of their 12 Bottles of Christmas promotion. The Daphne shop is featuring one of their favorite bottles every day for 12 consecutive days, with special pricing on solo bottles and big savings on six or more! Follow their cork-busting deals on social media, call them at 251-375-2800 or visit them at 2304 Main St. Be sure to join the email list for quick updates.
Baldwin County businesses raise funds for Prodisee Pantry Photo | Facebook
Ask your server at participating Fairhope restaurants to add $5 to your tab for the “One Town, One Family, One Day” fundraiser for Prodisee Pantry.
T
here’s a reason to go to Grand Bay on your next quest for food. Ozzy’s Restaurant (aka Ozzy and L.J.’s.) is creating a buzz with its marriage of Cuban and Cajun cuisine garnering hundreds of stellar reviews. Enjoy Cajun fare such as Gulf shrimp, blackened catfish, fried green tomatoes, a selection of po’boys and shrimp and grits, or follow the Cuban route with Cuban piccadillo, papas rellenas, Cuban sandwiches, crabcakes or taco salads The two chefs come together with excellent results, as Ozzy brings the Cuban influence and L.J. provides the Cajun perspective. With stuffed burgers next to soft-shell tacos, and bread pud-
ding with bourbon sauce beside barbecue pulled-pork sandwiches, there’s a lot going on when these two cultures collide. Find the complete menu on Facebook or visit them in person at 12061 U.S. Highway 90 in Grand Bay. Hours are odd, with Tuesday and Wednesday opening at 11 a.m. and closing at 6 p.m. Thursday and Friday they close at 7 p.m. and Saturday the doors shut at 3 p.m.
El Papi nears opening next to Five Bar
The much-anticipated El Papi opens soon as the sister restaurant to Five Bar and Chuck’s Fish in the former Café 615
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One town, one family, one day — that’s the message of Prodisee Pantry and the Fairhope Store, partners in the new campaign to raise funds for the more than 1,500 families in Fairhope that depend on Prodisee Pantry for emergency food and groceries. “For just $20 we can feed a family of four for a week,” Executive Director Deann Servos said. “While canned food drives and other projects are wonderful, we can stretch dollars so much further.” Encouraging donations of $5 per day at participating Fairhope restaurants, the Fairhope Store can feed families of four a healthy holiday meal. “Prodisee is a treasure in this community,” Lisette Norman, owner of Fairhope Store, said. “It’s stunning how many families are depending on them every week to put food on the table. These are our neighbors.” The campaign runs through December’s end and includes Panini Pete’s, Sunset Grille and Dragonfly. Check social media as additional restaurants are added. Recycle!
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COVER STORY
Can restoration funding save Alabama’s ailing oyster industry? JASON JOHNSON/REPORTER
D
espite Alabama’s ongoing efforts to revamp oyster production, divers saw “next to nothing” on Mobile Bay’s public reefs this year, but with millions of restoration dollars at their disposal, state officials believe they’re looking at a once-in-alifetime chance to save the once thriving industry. For the Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (ADCNR), oyster productivity is measured in pounds of meat, and oyster landings from the past 37 years show local waters used to routinely produce more than a million pounds of oysters annually. Since 2008, however, production hasn’t cleared 300,000 pounds, and despite costly efforts to plant cultch material and rehabilitate historic growing areas, ADCNR biologist Jason Herrmann described the number of market-size oysters seen in 2017 as “absolutely horrid.” “We’ve put in all this money and we’ve done all these projects. We’re doing all we know of that could possibly help, and we’re still not really getting anywhere,” he said. “We’ve probably got the most money we’ve ever sunk into reef restoration in the last three years, and we’re just not seeing a return on that.” While the state might measure the success and failure of its rehabilitation efforts in pounds, the oystermen, seafood distributors and restaurateurs that make up a sizable chunk of Alabama’s coastal economy feel the effects in dollars and cents. Not that long ago, Wintzell’s Oyster House in downtown Mobile was able to entice customers through the door with “25 cent oysters” — a happy hour special that would be impossible to sustain at current market prices. On the menu today, a half-dozen is priced at just under $10. “That’s certainly a thing of the past. The market conditions dictate that we couldn’t come close to doing that now, which is disappointing,” Wintzell’s owner Bob Omainsky said. “It presents a real challenging economic environment for us because, as supply drops and prices go up, it makes it more difficult for our guests to be able to enjoy the product the way we’d like for them to.”
A series of unfortunate events
As many close to the industry can attest, there’s no shortage of finger-pointing when it comes to identifying reasons oyster reefs that once produced abundantly no longer do, but in most Gulf states, marine biologists are still looking for answers. If there is a singular cause for the sustained low levels of oyster production in Alabama, Herrmann says he hasn’t found it. What he has seen, though, is a string of
outside events that have no doubt affected the survival rate of oysters in Mobile Bay. In 2004 there was Hurricane Ivan, which made landfall once near Baldwin County and again as a tropical depression in Louisiana. In 2005, Hurricane Katrina impacted oyster harvests across the Gulf Coast, though Alabama actually recorded an increase that year. The biggest impact in Alabama in recent history was in 2008, when oyster production fell nearly 90 percent after salinity — the level of salt in the water — increased and created an ideal environment for the predacious oyster drill (an invasive species of snail). In 2010, it was the Deepwater Horizon oil spill. One of the biggest challenges in recent years has been the fluctuation of coastal salinity. When there’s too little rain, high salinity can attract predators and cause diseases in the oyster population, but if there’s too much rain, the salinity can drop and oysters can die. This year, Herrmann said, there was a 19-day period between June and July when salinity at the public reefs dropped below 5 parts per thousand. That means there were only 5 liters of salt for every 1,000 liters of water — conditions an oyster could only survive for a few days at most. “That low-salinity event killed most everything on the main reefs,” Herrmann said. “The only good that’s come of this freshwater influx is that it’s knocked the salinity down, and oyster drills don’t do well in those conditions. We barely found any drills in our samples this year.” Herrmann said there are a number of natural events that can affect oyster production, and for centuries they have. Unlike in the past, though, Alabama oysters do not appear to be rebounding, at least not as quickly as they have after similar historic events. Is Alabama simply having a 10-year run of bad luck? Herrmann said it’s possible, but he’s entertained a concerning idea that things just aren’t going to bounce back this time — that the decline in oyster production could be “the result of things just changing.” “We don’t have any good answers for why [production] has stayed so low,” he said. “Usually there’s some kind of a natural event — a hurricane will roll through or the number of oyster drills will pick up — the reefs will look bad, and then they’ll snap back. But we’ve been seeing low numbers now for several years.”
Human impact
When it comes to the history of oyster production in Alabama, Chris Nelson, vice president of Bon Secour Fisheries, thinks people sometimes have short memories.
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While he’s publicly stated that addressing things like “salinity change” should be a major focus, Nelson, who holds a master’s degree in marine science, also believes the decline in oyster production has roots that date back much further than 2008. “There’s no such thing as a Gulf oyster,” Nelson said. “Oysters are grown in estuaries along the coast, and most of those estuaries have some sort of channelization effort or some other effect from human development that’s changed the way water has flowed into them.” Nelson’s family has worked in Bon Secour Bay for four generations, and during that time, he said, humans have changed a lot about the water system the feeds into it. He noted that rivers have been dammed upstream and the Mobile Shipping Channel has continued to expand. “I think all of us continue to support the need for those activities, but you can’t deny the fact that those potentially had an impact on the bay,” Nelson said. “There’s 200 years of history in Alabama that involve humans and oysters, and the last 150 are certainly the most significant.” Nelson didn’t name any “channelization efforts” directly, but others have. Since the declines in recent years, some have suggested maintenance dredging in the shipping channel performed by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers might be impacting oysters by redistributing sediment. Whether it’s from human activity or storm events, large disturbances of the sediment at the bottom of the bay can suffocate oyster beds in silt as sediment redistributes. It’s not the first time those dredging operations have been scrutinized, but Deputy Public Affairs Officer Tim Oberle told Lagniappe the Corps has to be regularly recertified to perform that work, adding those activities “are consistent with numerous environmental laws and regulations.” While much of its dredged material is dumped at the Sand Island Beneficial Use Area near Dauphin Island, the Corps disposes some at “open-water disposal areas” along the length of the channel. Oberle said those areas are typically 2,500 feet from either side of the channel and run “between Little Sand Island to the lower reaches of the bay above Fort Morgan.” “No estuarine emergent wetlands, oyster reefs or sea grasses are being adversely affected by the dredged material disposal,” Oberle wrote in an email. “No long-term direct impacts to managed species of finfish or shellfish populations are occurring. However, it is reasonable to anticipate that organisms that occur in bay bottom sediments may be destroyed or severely impacted by the physical placement of sediment.” The Corps hasn’t been the only source of dredging in the bay, though. Over the past two years, Herrmann said, “there’s been major concern” that siltation might occur from shipping channel maintenance as well as the state’s Marsh Island Project in Portersville Bay. In 2016, Portersville Bay Oyster Co. filed a lawsuit against ADCNR over the $11 million restoration project, claiming sediment from its associated dredging was creeping back into Fowl River, where the company had lost nearly all of its bottom-grown oysters to siltation. Herrmann said there was enough concern that ADCNR performed additional reconnaissance dives in October to see if there was a significant overburden of silt on any of the public reefs. There was, but only in the areas near those dredging projects. “We took around 20 samples close to those project areas, 10 close to one and 10 near the other, and about half of those showed a pretty good overburden [of silt],” he said. “There wasn’t any notable siltation in any other sample we took from our other reefs.” It’s worth noting the reefs that showed signs of siltation faced the same low levels of salinity and dissolved oxygen as other reefs that didn’t. According to Nelson, the situation in Alabama is interesting but not unique. He thinks it’s comparable to what Florida has seen in Apalachicola Bay. When the estimated oyster population there fell from 180,000 per acre
COVER STORY in 2007 to fewer than 20,000 in 2012, it ignited the “water wars” — a lawsuit between Alabama, Florida and Georgia over the diversion of water from the Chattahoochee River to urban Atlanta. According to Florida, the reduced flow into Apalachicola Bay caused a lack of freshwater that increased salinity and caused massive declines in the oyster population. While the problems are different on Alabama’s reefs, Nelson said Apalachicola and Mobile bays share “the long-running theme” of humans impacting an oyster population. “If you have a healthy resource and you’re managing it properly, you won’t catch too many oysters. If you’ve got an unhealthy resource, no matter how well you manage it, you’re not going to be able to prevent that,” Nelson said. “If you don’t have any oysters, taking one is too many.”
Once-in-a lifetime opportunity
Since 2014, Alabama has used almost $7 million from federal grants on BP oil spill recovery projects that have primarily focused on planting cultch material and oyster reef restoration. Cultch typically consists of fossilized shells, coral or other materials oyster larvae can attach to and grow. Once attached, it’s referred to as spat, and if producing spat was the goal those projects were a massive success. In 2016, ADCNR reported between 35,000 to 67,000 spat per acre on various public reefs — a significant increase from 2013, when some of the same areas had counts as low as 605. Despite those gains, oyster production still dropped from 2016 to 2017. “What I find is that the material is doing its job — that’s the job of providing a place for oyster spat to settle,” Herrmann said. “It settles, but that’s not survival. The material isn’t a waste of money, there are just other issues affecting survival.” Conservation Commissioner Chris Blankenship, who heads the ADCNR, said the type of cultch planting Alabama has undertaken with early funding from the BP settlement has been the go-to approach for oyster reef restoration for the last century. Other Gulf states are using their oil spill monies to plant cultch as well. Louisiana and Mississippi have also seen declines in oyster production, and both have paid for similar planting efforts in recent years to the tune of $14.8 million and $11 million, respectively. Blankenship said the state has tried other approaches, such as the 800-acre reef ADCNR created south of Fowl River in 2010 and 2011. However, he said, that project was
ultimately unsuccessful. In all, at least $162 million will be spent on oyster restoration across the Gulf in the next decade and a half, earmarked from the Natural Resource Damage Assessment — one of four possible funding sources tied to the BP settlement. “There was $10 million of that set aside in Alabama specifically for oyster restoration,” Blankenship said. “Currently, we’re trying to make sure we’re spending it as wisely as possible, so we have the best chance for oyster restoration while these funding sources are available.” Though he didn’t get into many specifics, Blankenship said ADCNR is open to trying different approaches outside of cultch planting and also hopes to use oil spill funding to evaluate and study “how the salinity and other things in the estuary have changed” over time. He also said Alabama isn’t alone in its quest to find a better means of oyster restoration. Florida and Texas have already undertaken specific projects evaluating their best restoration options moving forward — something Blankenship said Alabama may try in the future. “From talking with our friends in Louisiana and Mississippi, they’ve struggled with oyster production over the past few years as well. Texas has also had issues, plus they had a lot of flooding from Hurricane Harvey,” he added. “It’s been very difficult across the entire Gulf, really.” While the concerted efforts from other states may ultimately help find a solution, the gulfwide issues are likely not good for oyster prices in the short term. According to Nelson, the Gulf oyster industry can be very interdependent; when one state has a good production year, it often ends up providing oysters in states that don’t. That’s why a number of oysters sold in Alabama in recent years have come from Louisiana and Texas. For a restaurant such as Wintzell’s, which sits just minutes from the waterfront, selling “Alabama oysters” would be beneficial from a marketing standpoint but would also support an industry that is vital to the state’s economy and a number of local jobs. “We certainly still endeavor to buy local whenever we can, but with the quantity we require, the supply level coming out of Alabama waters can’t possibly meet our demand,” Omainsky said. “Oliver Wintzell used to get his oysters right out of Porterville Bay all the time, and if we could get in position where we could do that again, we’d certainly love to.”
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ART ARTIFICE
Mobile Museum of Art welcomes photo exhibit curator BY KEVIN LEE/ARTS EDITOR/KLEE@LAGNIAPPEMOBILE.COM
A
creative project is often a journey past preconceptions and on to realizations unforeseen. It can be compounded when rifling through history. Deborah Willis, Ph.D., found out firsthand. In the mid 1990s, the department chair of Photography and Imaging at NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts sought images for her book “Reflections in Black: A History of Black Photographers 1840 to the present” and was struck by contextual strata. “I noticed photographers focused their lenses on not only the difficult aspects in their communities but also beauty often overlooked in the larger community,” Willis wrote via email. “I decided to make note of some of the images made and began putting together an archive of photos by both black and white photographers that appeared within the notion of posing and beauty.” After 10 years, she had a whole new collection around those latter themes and sought a publisher. The result was “Posing Beauty in African-American Culture.” The critically acclaimed exhibit she spawned is at the Mobile Museum of Art (4850 Museum Drive) through March 4. Willis will be at MMoA on Saturday, Dec. 16, at 3 p.m. to supply her insights. Attendees can indulge in a wine and cheese reception before listening to her address the experience of completing the century-plus visual compilation. Regular admission rates apply. Entrance is free for members. The exhibit’s journey was initially quite personal for Willis, an artist who had previously printed photographs
such as Crisis Magazine, the New York Age, Chicago Defender, Pittsburgh Courier and St. Paul Recorder created beauty contests and asked readers to send portraits of women. Along with reports highlighting the achievements of young men and women, it was one of many efforts aimed at bolstering self-image. “Scholars like Mark Anthony Neal have written extensively on black masculinity, especially the ‘legible’ black male body, and assert the black male body is often criminalized through policing of images. This is not a new phenomenon. Images from the 19th to the present circulate with such stereotyping,” Willis said. She pointed to Civil War photography as an early attempt by black males to onto fabric to make quilts. brand themselves with character traits apart from racist portrayals. Bravery was “I use my own family photographs and archival references to incorporate stories and social politics into my art, foremost. “During the war years, soldiers posed in studios and in tents and wagons. hoping to invite a larger public to imagine these experiencBackdrop scenes included landscapes, flags, bunkers, and each soldier held a es — both collective and individual — of African-Ameriweapon — a firearm or a sword — that suggested he was in control of his own cans in the 19th, 20th and 21st centuries,” Willis wrote. It was an inroad to generations of African-American women whose path to entrepreneurship was as laundresses, day care providers, hair care/beauticians and other cottage industries. That, too was autobiographical. “I grew up in my mom’s beauty shop and remember watching the women looking in the mirror, assessing themselves and approving their looks. Collective and individual memories are the foundation for my work. I’m concerned with the present and its linkage to the past: identity through connection to community and ideas fully imagined through beauty and the art-making process,” Willis said. She maintained distance from defining too much for the manhood and freedom,” Willis said. viewer. The subjects were often “posing for another time She also sees historic precedent in contemporary society’s most ubiquitous and place,” where sociology and era was as much a part of photography. Willis called the selfie a modern analog to the photobooths she the work as photons and shutter speed. found everywhere as a teenager, where, along with family and friends, they “I began with the documentation of black women but then noticed that men were central to the narrative, as they would indulge in a series of shots. “The intimacy of the closed space darkened by a curtain assisted the sitter in posed in fine suits and hats and stood in front of the camcreating natural and desired personas viewed after paying a coin for a strip of era with such dignity against a backdrop of oppression,” four portraits. The joy of girl culture is animated through these,” Willis wrote. Willis said. For her, they weave together identity, selfhood, companionship and memory The curator cited a series of campaigns sparked from “the black press” as particularly fortuitous. From the 1900s into self-reflections and a sense of empowerment. Those photos are testimony through the 1940s, African-American-oriented publications to pride and determination.
Gloria Dei Chorale will renew one of Mobile’s most angelic holiday season events when it holds its 19th annual Christmas concert on Friday, Dec. 15, at 7:30 p.m. at the Cathedral Basilica of the Immaculate Conception (2 S. Claiborne St.) downtown. Under the direction of Louis F. Daniel, the vocalists will run through works by J. S. Bach, Dan Forrest, John Rutter, Ola Gjelo, William Byrd, Eric Whitacre and Louis Daniel. Tenor Marshal Richards is the soloist, and the chorale will be accompanied by a string quartet and organ. The concert is free but any donations taken at the door will go to Victory Health Partner. For more information, call Marian Boykin at 251-533-9810.
MOJO celebrates holidays a week early
For 14 years now, the Mystic Order of the Jazz Obsessed (MOJO) has brought a pop-up jazz club into existence on the
fourth Monday of each month, to the delight of thousands of attendees. With Christmas occupying that slot in 2017, MOJO will celebrate the holiday season a week early. On Monday, Dec. 18, 6:30 p.m., MOJO will welcome one of Mobile’s most storied jazz combos when Vibration Configuration steps to the stage of the Gulf City Lodge (601 State St.). The trio of guitarist Corky Hughes, bassist JoJo Morris and drummer John Milham have earned a reputation for hypnotizing dynamics, eclectic influences and superb musicianship since their start over a dozen years ago. Entrance is $15, $12 for students/military and $10 for MOJO members and includes a light jambalaya dinner. A cash bar is available. For more information, call 252-459-2298, email mobilejazz@bellsouth.net or go to mojojazz.org.
MAC members fill Skinny Gallery
If you’re making the daytime rounds in downtown Mobile,
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a stop at the Mobile Arts Council (318 Dauphin St.) can add some additional vitality to your holiday mood. A trio of exhibitions awaits your perusal. In the Skinny Gallery, MAC members and various media are featured. Close to 25 artists of all ages and experience levels are represented by paintings, sculpture, mixed media and photography. Plein Air works by Satomi Atelier are in the Small Room. The Hiroshima-born and self-taught artist came to the form just nine years ago. It has taken her to exhibitions across the Gulf Coast and into juried exhibitions and several galleries. The Danielle Juzan Gallery will host work from the students at the Southwest Alabama Regional School for the Deaf and Blind and Mobile Arc. Proceeds from artwork sold will go toward these programs. MAC is open Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. It will be closed for the holidays from Dec. 25 through Jan. 1. Call 251-432-9796 or go to mobilearts.org.
ARTSGALLERY
Glorious holiday sounds at cathedral
A CREATIVE PROJECT IS OFTEN A JOURNEY PAST PRECONCEPTIONS AND ON TO REALIZATIONS UNFORESEEN. IT CAN BE COMPOUNDED WHEN RIFLING THROUGH HISTORY.”
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MUSIC
BY STEPHEN CENTANNI/MUSIC EDITOR/SCENTANNI@LAGNIAPPEMOBILE.COM
FEATURE
Harrison McInnis’ ‘Love Remedy’ a dream realized Band: Harrison McInnis Album Release Party Date: Tuesday, Dec. 19, 6 p.m. Venue: The Merry Widow, 15 S. Conception St., www.themerrywidow.net Tickets: $5 at the door
F
or years, singer-songwriter Harrison McInnis has entertained audiences with his own brand of homegrown Southern soul, whether performing with Slide Bayou or his Harrison McInnis Trio. Now McInnis is about to fulfill a dream that has literally been years in the making — the release of his debut album, “Love Remedy.” Both McInnis and his fans have eagerly awaited the album’s release, and McInnis could not be more pleased with the realization of his dream. “It’s out of this world, and it’s what I’ve always wanted,” McInnis said. “Nothing could actually reach that anticipation for me. Everything has gone right, and it sounds so good. It’s taken a long time, but it’s been absolutely worth it.” Those who have experienced these songs in a live setting will be thrilled with the creative freedom, artistic support and keen production that has provided an impressive translation of McInnis’ repertoire. From the first song, “Love Remedy” demonstrates levels that take these songs far beyond the live versions. McInnis’ mix of classic soul and Southern rock thrive with numerous instruments and voices that fill “Love Remedy.” While these songs may provide a new face for songs such as the title track and “Shiny Church Shoes,” one aspect of McInnis’ music remains unchanged: The singer-songwriter’s trademark vocals shine just as brightly in the studio as on the stage. The deep soul and warm gravel of McInnis’ lyrical delivery slides across each measure. McInnis credits producer, local guitarist and Slide Bayou bandmate Lee Yankie with this collection of high-level studio reboots. “It was going to be my debut album, so I wanted it to be perfect,” McInnis said. “Lee said, ‘I’ll make it perfect. I’ve got it and know how it’s supposed to sound.’ He did. He took my simple songs and turned them into masterpieces.” Yankie is one of two credited by McInnis with bringing this album to life. In fact, McInnis says it was Yankie that originally pressured him to record a studio album. Yankie had entered the studio with Andy Cloninger (Dancing Dog Recording Studio) and Trina Shoemaker, who handled the mix-down. McInnis says he fell in love with the production of Yankie’s final mixes. After McInnis complimented him on his tracks, Yankie said it was McInnis’ turn to enter Cloninger’s studio with Shoemaker’s skillful hand mixing the tracks. Yankie insisted that he himself take on the role of producer. “Andy taught Lee while they were doing his album how to work the console and how to be able to control everything,” McInnis explained. “When we got in the studio together, I was the artist. Of course, it’s my songs and my heart, but he took the helm. He was producing from day one. He had it in his head how he wanted it to sound, and I trusted him. I’m glad I did, because it’s better than what I would’ve done.” Over many Sunday brunch collaborations at the now-defunct Café 615, McInnis says Yankie had become an expert on his entire catalog of original material. With this in mind, McInnis confidently gave Yankie a great deal of creative freedom with his production. Yankie created studio arrangements for the album and chose an impressive list of local talent that rotated from track to track. McInnis humbly admits that many of these artists would not have appeared on the album if not for Yankie. From guitar to percussion, Yankie himself provided many of the instrumental tracks. Sean Peterson, Owen Finley and Kevin Scott provided bass. Greg DeLuca, Luther Harris and Winter Baynes laid down drums tracks. Chris Spies’ organ is prominent throughout “Love Remedy.” Jose Santiago donated his congas. The album’s horn section consists of Blake Nolte, Shawn
With Lee Yankie’s help as producer, Harrison McInnis (pictured) has completed work on his debut album, “Love Remedy.” Wright and Christopher Spies. The vocal work of Donna Hall, Eric Erdman, Andy Cloninger, Ryan Balthrop and Emily Stuckey are also featured. Of all the featured artists, McInnis says his work with Stuckey on “Still Loving You” was the most memorable. “I’ve done that song a thousand times and never had a female, super-caliber vocalist interpret it in her way and accompany me at the same time,” McInnis said. “That was magical, and she’s awesome. ‘Still Loving You’ might be the most flawless thing we got. It’s a perfect work of art, in my opinion.” McInnis also credits Jeffrey and Suzanne Zimmer’s Baldwin County Public Records with the release of his debut album. McInnis describes these local music enthusiasts as individuals who “support local music, not only monetarily but also by being there.” A few years ago, Jeffrey Zimmer met McInnis at one of his shows at Fairhope Brewing Co. Their history together began with a handshake and introduction. “I had no idea who he was,” McInnis admits. “He wasn’t doing Baldwin County Public Records back then. He was a lover of music. We had a nice conversation afterwards. I really didn’t think much of it, until almost a year later or more. He approached me and said, ‘Look, I’m starting this record label, and I want to help local artists who do not have debut CDs.’” Zimmer went on to tell McInnis he was interested in helping
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him. McInnis says Baldwin County Public Records’ assistance could not have been better timed. At that time, McInnis says “Love Remedy” had reached a standstill. The foundation vocal and instrumental tracks had been recorded, but Shoemaker’s mixing, the vocal harmony tracks and the mastering had yet to happen. McInnis says that all changed after a meeting with Zimmer at Manci’s Antique Club. “[Zimmer] said, ‘Let’s finish this album. I’m excited. Let’s do this. The world needs this,’” McInnis said. “I signed a contract, and he has done it. He made it come to fruition. With all the amazing people that are a part of it, it would’ve gone away if it wasn’t for Jeffrey. He made it possible [for the record] to be a finished product, instead of just a dream.” The “Love Remedy” album release party will be the public’s first taste of McInnis’ dream. Naturally, copies of the album will be available for purchase. McInnis says the evening’s live performance of the album’s tracks should also be memorable. He has gathered what he calls the “core band” from the album. Yankie will be on guitar, and Christopher Spies will provide saxophone. Sean Peterson will loan his bass sound to the mix, and Winter Bayne will keep the beat on drums. McInnis says Chris Spies will be on keys, if his busy schedule permits. Ultimately, this show will be a chance for both those familiar and unfamiliar with McInnis’ work to witness a musical dream brought into reality.
ULTIMATELY, THIS SHOW WILL BE A CHANCE FOR BOTH THOSE FAMILIAR AND UNFAMILIAR WITH MCINNIS’ WORK TO WITNESS A MUSICAL DREAM BROUGHT INTO REALITY.
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MUSIC BRIEFS
It’s a Charlie Brown jazz Christmas BY STEPHEN CENTANNI/MUSIC EDITOR/SCENTANNI@LAGNIAPPEMOBILE.COM
Band: Charlie Brown Jazz Christmas Date: Saturday, Dec. 16, with doors at 6 p.m. Venue: Saenger Theatre, 6 S. Joachim St., www.mobilesaenger.com Tickets: $50 VIP/$20 general admission/$10 age 10 and under; available through Ticketmaster and venue box office
S MCE Photography | Bassist Chris Severin
ince its 1965 TV premiere, “A Charlie Brown Christmas” has been a holiday tradition passed down through the generations. While its inspirational story resonates with many, Vince Guaraldi’s jazzy soundtrack with its eclectic piano work is a beautiful memory for one troupe of local musicians. The Joe Cool Trio has made its annual “Charlie Brown Jazz Christmas” one of the Azalea City’s obligatory holiday experiences. This group boasts the talents of John Milham (drums), Chris Spies (keyboard) and Chris Severin (bass). The trio’s combined experience and spontaneous chemistry make each performance unique from year to year. The evening will begin with the Joe Cool Trio performing Guaraldi’s soundtrack from “A Charlie Brown Christmas” in its entirety. The trio tends to follow the soundtrack closely, but its impulsive plunge into improv is a highlight of the evening. After finishing the set, the Joe Cool Trio has another musical gift for the audience. Trumpeter Leon “Kid Chocolate” Brown will join jazz vocalist Eileina Dennis onstage for a “Louis Armstrong/Ella Fitzgerald Christmas Tribute.”
Shake your tail feather Band: SUSTO, Great Peacock Date: Wednesday, Dec. 20, 7 p.m. Venue: Manci’s Antique Club, 1715 Main St. (Daphne), www.mancisantiqueclub.com Tickets: $20 available at venue or by calling 251-375-0543 Manci’s has an early Christmas gift for the Eastern Shore. This bill will feature two area favorites for one memorable night of music in Daphne. Nashville’s Great Peacock will set the evening’s tone. Founded by Blount Floyd and Andrew Nelson, this band has expanded its sound since its debut in the Azalea City. “Making Ghosts,” the band’s latest album, is an excellent portrayal of the group’s versatile mix of alt. country and folk, while maintaining the cool and mellow ambiance for which Great Peacock is known. Since its debut at SouthSounds, local fans have watched as SUSTO’s national profile has grown, making intimate shows such as this one increasingly rare. The band is still enjoying the success of its latest release, “& I’m Fine.” SUSTO filled this album with a cocktail of indie rock and alt. folk highlighted by beautiful production and poignant arrangements. The live delivery of these tracks should provide an equally pleasing, yet different, interpretation.
Chesnutt roasting Band: Mark Chesnutt Date: Saturday, Dec. 16, 9 p.m. Venue: Midnight Rodeo, 7790 Tanner Williams Road, www.midnightrodeomob.com Tickets: $25 general admission/$50 VIP, available through Ticketfly
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YouTube | Mark Chesnutt
Country artist Mark Chesnutt will be treating Midnight Rodeo’s crowd to sounds from his honky-tonk legacy, which began with his 1990 debut “Too Cold at Home.” The album’s title track and “Brother Jukebox” generated a multitude of listeners for the new country artist. At a time when the flash of pop country blinded many, Chesnutt served as a country troubadour who delved into more classic influences. The 2016 release “Tradition Lives” is Chesnutt’s 15th album, in which he again provides a classic alternative to the glitz of pop country. “Tradition Lives” features lively tracks worthy of a Texas two-step and heartrending ballads filled with emotion. This latest release is a honky-tonk masterpiece that should please country fans, both seasoned and fresh. Midnight Rodeo’s electrifying, backwoods flair should provide the perfect environment for this show.
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AREAMUSIC LISTINGS | December 13 - December 19
WED. DEC 13
IP Casino— Jennifer Nettles, 8p Blind Mule— Comedy Le Bouchon— Chad Open Mic Parker, 7p Bluegill— Matt Neese Listening Room— Lisa Callaghan’s— Phil and Mills, 8p Foster Lulu’s— Grits N Pieces Cockeyed Charlie’s— JJ Main Street Cigar Felix’s— Jimmy Lumpkin Lounge— Twang Gang, 8p Duo Manci’s— Rondale and the Flora Bama— Neil Kit Katz Dover, 4p// Rhonda Hart McSharry’s— DJ Tiger, Duo, 8p 10p Lulu’s— Albert Simpson, Moe’s BBQ (Daphne) 5p — The Spotswood Brothers, Soul Kitchen— Billy 8p Raffoul, 8p Moe’s BBQ (Foley) — Justin Wall, 6p THUR. DEC 14 Moe’s BBQ (Mobile) — Blind Mule— Mobile Jazz Quintin Berry, 6:30p Club Moe’s BBQ (Semmes) Bluegill— Shelby Brown — The Dunaway Brothers Califorina Dreaming— Off the Hook— Melissa Adam Holt, 7p Robertson CD release party, Callaghan’s— Lee Yankie 6p Cockeyed Charlie’s— JJ Saenger— Christmas Felix’s— Jeri Movie Flora Bama— Gove SanBar— David Jones Scrivenor, 1p// Not the Real Holiday Jazz Band but the Real Deal, 5p/// Soul Kitchen— SFAM, Johnny Barbato, 9p/// Mario Loaded Gun, Brndn Beats, Mena Duo, 9:15p Meach, 10p Le Bouchon— John Wind Creek Casino— Cochran, 6:30p Platinum Café, 8p Listening Room— The The Zebra Club— Grahams, 8p Identity Crisis, 9p Lulu’s— Albert Simpson, 5p SAT. DEC 16 Manci’s— Bobby Butchka Beau Rivage— McSharry’s— Lite Christmas on Ice, 3p, 7p Travelers, 7:30p Big Beach Brewing— Saenger— The Revivalists John Hart, 6:30p SanBar— Jerry Anderson Bluegill— David Chastang, Soul Kitchen— Smith 12p// Jeff Johnson Duo, 6p and Myers// JR Moore and Callaghan’s— Delta Zack Mack, 8p Smoke Top of the Bay— Yeah El Camino— Lisa Mills Probably Fairhope Brewing— East LA Fadeaway FRI. DEC 15 Felix’s— Stephen Sylvester All Sports Bar & Duo Billiards— DJ Markie Flora Bama— Al & Cathy, Mark, 10p 1p// Darrel Roberts & John Beau Rivage— Christmas Joiner, 2p/// The Big Earl on Ice, 3p, 7p Show, 5:30p//// Beachbillys, Blind Mule— Sock Hop 6p//// Jo Jo Pres, 10p//// Stallions, Lady Legs, JT Brandon White Duo, 10:15p Bluegill— Lee Yankie, 12p Listening Room— Boudreaux’s Cajun Spencer Bohren, 8p Grill— Adam Holt, 6p Lulu’s— Lee Yankie, 5p Callaghan’s— The Manci’s— Grayson Capps Artisanals w/The McSharry’s— DJ Carter, Prescriptions 10p Cockeyed Charlie’s— Moe’s BBQ (Mobile) — DJ Chi;; Ashley Feller, 6:30p El Camino— Grayson Moe’s BBQ (Semmes) Capps — Glass Joe, 6:30p Felix’s— Blind Dog Mike Off the Hook— Elaine Flora Bama— J. Hawkins Petty, 6:30p Trio, 2p// Big Muddy, 5:30p/// Saenger— Charlie Brown Scott Koehn, 6p/// Mario Jazz Christmas Concert Mena Band, 10p//// Smoky SanBar— Jim Andrews Otis Trio, 10:15p 34 | L AG N I A P P E | D e c e m b e r 1 3 , 2 0 1 7 - D e c e m b e r 1 9 , 2 0 1 7
Soul Kitchen— The War on Drugs, Lo Moon, 8p Top of the Bay— Journey 2 Mars Wind Creek Casino— Platinum Café, 8p
SUN. DEC 17
Beau Rivage— Christmas on Ice, 3p, 7p Big Beach Brewing— Spearman Brewers, 3p Bluegill— Quintin Berry, 12p// Paw Paws Medicine Cabinet, 6p Callaghan’s— Andrew Duhon Felix’s— Bobby Butchka Flora Bama— Jason Justice, 12:30p// Perdido Brothers, 4p/// Johnny Barbato, 7p//// Bruce Smelley, 8:30p Joe Cain Cafe— Molly Thompson Listening Room— Dick Deluxe Lulu’s— Webb Dalton, 1p// Justin Yawn, 5p McSharry’s— Trad Irish Session, 6:30p The Merry Widow— Quintron and Miss Pussycat, 9p Off the Hook— Elaine Petty, 4p Old 27 Grill— Barry Gibson, 11:30p Saenger— Christmas Movie Tacky Jacks (Gulf Shores)— Lisa Christian, 2p Top of the Bay— Mario Mena Duo
MON. DEC 18
Beau Rivage— Christmas on Ice, 3p, 7p Felix’s— Bryant Gilley Flora Bama— Cathy Pace, 4p// Kevin Swanson, 7p/// Petty and Pace, 8p Lulu’s— Brent Burns, 5p
TUE. DEC 19
Beau Rivage— Christmas on Ice, 3p, 7p Bluegill— Jamie Adamson Felix’s— Lee Yankie Flora Bama— Rick Whaley Duo, 4p// Mario Mena, 7p/// Tony Ray Thompson, 8p Live Bait— Brandon Styles, 7p Lulu’s— Steve Wilkerson, 5p Moe’s BBQ (Mobile) — Robbie Sellers, 6:30p Old 27 Grill— Elise Taylor, 6:30p
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The hero we need in holiday classics
W
FILMTHE REEL WORLD
BY ASIA FREY/FILM CRITIC/AFREY@LAGNIAPPEMOBILE.COM e don’t know why Hollywood, specifically director Robert Zemeckis, has seen fit to apply their disturbing motion capture CGI shenanigans disproportionately to Christmas stories, but this visually unnerving approach has besmirched both “The Polar Express” and “A Christmas Carol.” Tom Hanks and Jim Carrey have, respectively, displayed the hubris necessary to accept most of the leading roles in these films. While I find “The Polar Express” grating and “A Christmas Carol” frankly horrifying, these men have unwittingly blazed a way forward for Hollywood to redeem itself, Scrooge-like, from its disastrous behavior toward women — and what better time than the holidays to do so. We can harness this distressing technology toward a better future with more roles for females. Gal Gadot, who is, of course, Wonder Woman, can star in every role in a female-centric remake of every Christmas movie. At press time, “Wonder Woman” remained one of 2017’s few unsullied cultural touchstones, something we can enjoy without feeling guilty or dirty or both. While the specter of open bathrobes hangs luridly over pretty much everything else, from “Tootsie” to morning television to “Shakespeare in Love,” “Wonder Woman” was a bright spot this year, so let’s shine her light on everything we can think of.
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
Won’t it be nice to see her earnest, sweet face distorted into the visages of Clark Griswold, George Bailey, Charlie Brown and all our other yuletide faves? She can easily hang those Christmas lights in “National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation,” because Wonder Woman cannot fly exactly, but she can certainly leap really high. “It’s A Wonderful Life” is already a beautiful story with a wonderful cast, but let’s refresh the story a bit with Gal Gadot, in the Donna Reed part, actually investing her meager savings into Sam Wainwright’s factory, getting in on the ground floor, and marrying neither Wainwright nor George Bailey, because his proposal is horrible, honestly. She supports herself in style, adopts a bunch of kids, refurbishes that house herself and still goes to work in the library, thank you very much, not because she needs the money but because she values literacy in her community of Bedford Falls. Motion capture Gal Gadot will really have her work cut out for her as she tackles the gigantic cast of “Love, Actually,” but every single storyline demands improvement anyway. Gal will look far less mortified when she dances through Kensington Palace in the Hugh Grant part, and no CGI father will ever fat shame his CGI daughter, which two separate dads in two different storylines do in the current version. When Gal Gadot shows up at Gal Gadot’s door holding those cheesy signs,
they will have the words from Bob Dylan’s “Subterranean Homesick Blues” on them, because he did the sign thing first, and the characters will just really appreciate Bob in this version. They’ll have a respectful platonic discussion about it. While I have noticed with disbelief that we’re already in for an unwelcome remake of the wry, nostalgic “A Christmas Story,” a live musical no less, we will also have to submit this one to the Gadot treatment. If she tells you you’ll shoot your eye out, it can’t be that bad, and instead of a leg lamp, the dad will get a beautiful, tasteful lamp honoring Susan B. Anthony and everyone will really love it. She can also rerecord that rapey holiday duet, “Baby, It’s Cold Outside,” singing both parts like Peggy Lee as the Siamese cats in “Lady and the Tramp,” because I really don’t think we can endure that song anymore. The girl sings “The answer is no!” then the guy I guess presses a secret button under his desk that locks the door behind her; it’s just not cute anymore. In this version, Gal Gadot will ask, “Hey, what’s in this drink?” but the other Gal Gadot will reassure her it that it’s just Kombucha or something. Hopefully, as we gather ‘round once more at this time next year to enjoy this new slate of holiday classics, the outpouring of horror stories will be over and Gal Gadot can lead us to a new (virtual) reality, one in which even women who aren’t her can snag a little dignity on and off the screen.
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 | Blue Sky Studios / Lucasfilm
From left: After Ferdinand, a bull with a big heart, is mistaken for a dangerous beast, he is captured and torn from his home. Determined to return to his family, he rallies a misfit team on the ultimate adventure. Having taken her first steps into the Jedi world, Daisy Ridley returns as Rey, joining Luke Skywalker on an adventure with Leia, Finn and Poe that unlocks mysteries of the Force and secrets of the past.
NEW IN THEATERS FERDINAND
A wisecracking goat and three hedgehogs try to help a gentlegiant bull (voiced by John Cena) escape from his captors. All listed multiplex theaters.
STAR WARS: THE LAST JEDI
A small, independent film about space. All listed multiplex theaters.
I, TONYA
Tonya Harding rises through the ranks of competitive figure skating, only to find disgrace. Nexus Cinema Dining
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NOW PLAYING
JUST GETTING STARTED All listed multiplex theaters. LADY BIRD Crescent Theater, AMC Mobile 16, AMC Jubilee Square 12, AMC Classic Wharf 15 THREE BILLBOARDS OUTSIDE EBBING, MISSOURI AMC Mobile 16, Regal Mobile Stadium 18 THE DISASTER ARTIST AMC Mobile 16 ROMAN J. ISRAEL, ESQ. All listed multiplex theaters. COCO All listed multiplex theaters. JUSTICE LEAGUE All listed multiplex theaters.
MURDER ON THE ORIENT EXPRESS All listed multiplex theaters. LBJ AMC Wharf, Cobb Pinnacle 14 DADDY’S HOME 2 All listed multiplex theaters THOR: RAGNAROK All listed multiplex theaters. A BAD MOM’S CHRISTMAS All listed multiplex theaters. VICTORIA AND ABDUL Cobb Pinnacle 14 LET THERE BE LIGHT AMC Mobile 16 JIGSAW All listed multiplex theaters. THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE
All listed multiplex theaters. GEOSTORM Eastern Shore Premiere Cinema HAPPY DEATH DAY All listed multiplex theaters. THE FOREIGNER All listed multiplex theaters. THE LEGO NINJAGO MOVIE Eastern Shore Premiere Cinema SAME KIND OF DIFFERENT AS ME Regal Mobile Stadium 18 AMERICAN MADE Eastern Shore Premiere Cinema, AMC Classic Wharf 15 IT All listed multiplex theaters. MARSHALL AMC Mobile 16, AMC Jubilee Square 12
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CHRISTMAS NIGHTS OF LIGHTS Through Jan. 1, “Christmas Nights of Lights” is at Hank Aaron Stadium (755 Bolling Brothers Blvd.). The show is nightly at dusk until 10 p.m. Admission is $6 per person. Photo | www.christmasnightsoflights.com
Mobile Pops Band Christmas Concert Enjoy a variety of holiday music performed by the Mobile Pops Band at the Murphy High School Auditorium on Thursday, Dec. 14, 7-9 p.m. “Polar Express” Pajama Party Enjoy a special screening of “The Polar Express” overlooking the river, Friday, Dec. 15, 7 p.m. at GulfQuest. Wear pajamas, bring sleeping bags and pillows, and enjoy popcorn and drinks! Free, but space is limited. RSVP to kfaggard@gulfquest.org. Daphne “Snow & Movie Night” The city of Daphne hosts “Snow & Movie Night” at Lott Park (2039 Main St.), Friday, Dec. 15, 4-8 p.m. Snow at 4 p.m., films begin at 6 p.m. Santa photos from 5-7 p.m. Bring chairs or blankets. Call 251-621-9000.
Christmas Breakfast Join Baldwin County Library (22251 Palmer St., Robertsdale) for a Christmas breakfast, Dec. 13 at 9 a.m. in the Library Reference Room. Breakfast breads, coffee and juice will be served. Email bclcdirector@gulftel. com.
Breakfast with Santa Families may enjoy a breakfast spread and photos with jolly old Saint Nick on Saturday, Dec. 16, at 8 a.m. at Erie Meyer Civic Center in Gulf Shores. Call 251-968-6721. Christmas Classic Movies Mobile’s Saenger Theatre will screen “A Madea Christmas” Friday, Dec. 15, at 7 p.m. and “White Christmas” Sunday, Dec. 17, at 3 p.m. Doors open 30 minutes before showtime; $6 for adults, $3 under age 12. Visit mobilesaenger.com.
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Holiday Market Pictures with Santa and last-minute shopping at Cathedral Square on Saturday, Dec. 16, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Gifts, locally grown produce and baked goods. Trains to Bienville Square for kids’ activities. There will be music, dance and more!
meeting, 5:30 p.m. at the Gulf Shores Library (221 W. 19th Ave.). Stories can be either true or fictional and should be around 300 words. Visit labeachwriters.com or call Brady at 251-490-8072.
“A Charlie Brown Jazz Christmas” Jazz concert featuring Vince Guaraldi’s classic soundtrack to the animated “A Charlie Brown Christmas.” Saturday, Dec. 16, 7 p.m. at the Saenger Theatre in downtown Mobile. For tickets visit mobilesaenger. com or call 251-208-5600. Christmas in Oakleigh Meet Santa, make Christmas crafts and listen to Christmas stories read by our Oakleigh Belles while adults enjoy music and light refreshments on Saturday, Dec. 16, 4-8 p.m. Admission is $10, free for children under 10. 251432-1281. Tuba Christmas Come to Cathedral Square Sunday, Dec. 17, at 2:30 p.m. for a tubaeuphonium choir. Mobile is one of 200 cities around the world that participate in this unusual Christmas tradition. Share a Christmas Story Attendees are invited to write a story to share with others at the Monday, Dec. 18, L.A. Beach Writers
Photos | Bellingrath.org
“Magic Christmas in Lights” Bellingrath Gardens and Home’s 21st season of “Magic Christmas in Lights” runs 5-9 p.m. nightly through Dec. 31. For details or to order tickets, visit www.bellingrath.org. “Christmas Nights of Lights” Through Jan. 1, “Christmas Nights of Lights” is at Hank Aaron Stadium (755 Bolling Brothers Blvd.). The show is nightly at dusk until 10 p.m. Admission is $6 per person.
CALENDAR OF EVENTS DECEMBER 13, 2017 - DECEMBER 19, 2017
GENERAL INTEREST Dauphin Island Boardwalk Talks Boardwalk Talks are held the first and third Wednesday of each month at 11:15 a.m. at the Dauphin Island Sea Lab (101 Bienville Blvd.). Call 251-861-2141. Midtown Optimist Club Join Midtown Optimist Club every Wednesday at noon for lunch at Azalea City Golf Course. Call 251-348-3542.
has been represented through a diverse range of media. Through Jan. 21. Visit mobilemuseumofart.com. “Curious George: Let’s Get Curious!” The insatiable curiosity the little monkey who has captured the imagination and hearts of millions of children and adults for 65 years — comes to life at Gulf Coast Exploreum Science Center through Jan. 7. Visit exploreum.com.
Memorial Service Kenmar Family Funeral Home (11400 Tanner Williams Road, Mobile) is hosting a memorial service for all who lost loved ones this year. Thursday, Dec. 14, 6-8 p.m. Call 251-639-1272. TOPS Take Off Pounds Sensibly meets every Tuesday at 5:30 p.m. at Spanish Fort Presbyterian Church. Call 251-625-6888. Farmers Market Farmers Market sponsored by Christ United Methodist Church is held Tuesdays, 2:30-5 p.m. at the Hillcrest Road entrance of church property (6101 Grelot Road). Call 251-342-0462 or 251-767-7526. Toastmasters Toastmasters International meets regularly at six locations in Mobile and Baldwin counties. Visit www.toastmasters.org for more information.
FUNDRAISERS “12 Bartenders of Christmas” Fairhope Brewing Co. is holding its annual “12 Bartenders of Christmas” on Dec. 14, 19, 20 and 21. Members of the community are invited to enjoy beers poured by council members, doctors and more, all for charity. Call 251-279-7517.
ARTS Teen Art Class The Daphne Public Library will host an art workshop for teens on Tuesday, Dec. 19, in the library community room, 1:30-3 p.m. Supplies will be provided at no cost. Registration required. Call 251-621-2818, ext. 211, or email lyoungblood@daphneal. com. “Van Cliburn’s Piano” Steinway Piano Gallery Spanish Fort will offer a glimpse into the life of piano virtuoso Van Cliburn, and display his personal piano, through Feb. 3. Call 251930-1082.
MUSEUMS “Titanic: Honour and Glory” Join the History Museum of Mobile for the bon voyage party celebrating the launch of “Titanic: Honour and Glory” on Thursday, Dec. 14, at 7 p.m. RSVP to 251-301-0273. “Posing Beauty in African-American Culture” An exhibition at Mobile Museum of Art explores the understanding of how African and African-American beauty
Photos | www.dreambigfilm.com
“Dream Big: Engineering Our World” Narrated by Academy Award winner Jeff Bridges, “Dream Big: Engineering Our World” is a first-of-its-kind film for IMAX that will transform how we think about engineering. Gulf Coast Exploreum Science Center, through Jan. 7. Visit exploreum. com. “Right on Course” The United States Sports Academy’s American Sport Art Museum and Archives is open free to the public weekdays, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. One of the newest exhibits is “Right on Course.” Visit www.asama.org. “Windows to the Sea” “Windows to the Sea” is the latest permanent exhibit at the Dauphin Island Sea Lab Estuarium. Visit disl.org. “Savage Ancient Seas” “Savage Ancient Seas” will transport GulfQuest guests to a time when the last of the great dinosaurs roamed Earth and swam the seas. Visit www.gulfquest.org. Fairhope’s Founding Learn more about the 1894 founding of Fairhope at the Fairhope Museum of History (24 N. Section St.). The museum is open daily (except Sunday and Monday), 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Call 251-929-1471. Little Discoveries “Outside the Box,” aimed at children age 6 and under, explores how innovation and creativity can lead to a world of possibilities, starting with a simple cardboard box. Wednesdays at 10 a.m. Call 251-208-6893 or email jholland@ exploreum.com. Thursdays at MMoA Every Thursday from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m., the Mobile Museum of Art (4850 Museum Drive) offers free admission to all visitors. No reservations are necessary. Call 251208-5200.
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CALENDAR OF EVENTS DECEMBER 13, 2017 - DECEMBER 19, 2017
SPORTING EVENTS/ACTIVITIES 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. 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. Bingo Join Via! Health, Fitness, Enrichment Center (1717 Dauphin St., Mobile) for bingo every Tuesday and Thursday, 1:303:30 p.m. Call 251-478-3311. Bridge Lessons The Mobile Bridge Center (1510 University Blvd.) offers free bridge lessons each Tuesday at 6 p.m. Arrive a few minutes early to register. Call 251-6662147, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Fitness and Athletics Classes New fitness classes are offered at Palmer Pillans Middle School. Tai Chi, Candle Lit Yoga, Piyo Tone and small group personal fitness. Call 251-208-1662 or visit mobilecap.org. Dance and art classes New dance classes are offered at Palmer
Pillans Middle School. Belly dance, Salsa dance. Call 251-208-1662 or visit mobilecap.org.
Baldwin County Planning Commission: First Thursday at 6 p.m., 22251 Palmer St., Robertsdale, www.baldwincountyal.gov.
Pickleball for adults (indoors) Offered at Palmer Pillans Middle School on 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 251-208-1662 or visit mobilecap.org.
Bayou La Batre City Council: Second and fourth Thursday at 5:30 p.m., 13785 S. Wintzell Ave., www.cityofbayoulabatre. 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.
PUBLIC MEETINGS Baldwin County Commission: First and third Tuesday at 8:30 a.m., 322 Courthouse Square, Bay Minette. Work sessions are the second and fourth Tuesday at 8:30 a.m. rotating between Bay Minette, the Foley Satellite Courthouse, the Fairhope Satellite Courthouse and the Baldwin County Central Annex Building in Robertsdale. www.baldwincountyal.gov
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Chickasaw City Council: Second and fourth Tuesday at 7 p.m., 224 N. Craft Highway, 251-452-6450. Citronelle City Council: Second and fourth Thursday at 6:30 p.m., 19135 Main St., 251-866-7973.
cofairhope.com. Fairhope Planning Commission: First Monday at 5 p.m., 161 N. Section St. For more information visit www.cofairhope. com. Foley City Council: First and third Monday at 5:30 p.m., 407 E. Laurel Ave. Work sessions begin at 4 p.m., www. cityoffoley.org. Gulf Shores City Council: Second and fourth Mondays at 4 p.m., 1905 W. First St., www.gulfshoresal.gov.
Creola City Council: Second and fourth Thursday at 6 p.m., 190 Dead Lake Road, #A, 251-675-8142.
Mobile City Council: Tuesdays at Government Plaza, 205 Government St. Pre-council meeting begins at 9 a.m.; council meeting begins at 10:30 a.m., www.cityofmobile.org.
Daphne City Council: First and third Monday at 6:30 p.m., 1705 Main St. Work sessions are the second Monday of each month at 6:30 p.m., www.daphneal.com.
Mobile Planning Commission: First and third Thursdays at 2 p.m., 205 Government St., www.urban.cityofmobile. org.
Dauphin Island Town Council: First and third Tuesdays at 7 p.m., 1011 Bienville Blvd., www.townofdauphinisland.org.
Orange Beach City Council: First and third Tuesdays at 5 p.m., 4099 Orange Beach Blvd., www.cityoforangebeach. com.
Elberta Town Council: Third Tuesday of each month at 6 p.m. in the town hall. Workshop meeting on the second Tuesday. townofelberta.com. Fairhope City Council: Second and fourth Monday at 6 p.m., 161 N. Section St. Work sessions are held before each council meeting at 4:30 p.m., www.
Prichard City Council: Every Thursday at 5:30 p.m., 216 E. Prichard Ave., www. thecityofprichard.org. Satsuma City Council: First and third Tuesday of every month at 6 p.m. at City Hall, 5464 Old Highway 43 Satsuma, AL 36572, 251-675-1440.
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THE NEW YORK TIMES CROSSWORD PUZZLE SHELL GAME BY DAVID STEINBERG / EDITED BY WILL SHORTZ ACROSS 1 Browns 7 Four-hit achievement, in baseball lingo 12 Mil. posts 15 System used at Gallaudet Univ. 18 The U.S., in Mexico 20 Milo of “Romeo and Juliet,” 1968 21 Hawaii’s ____ Day 22 Low 23 “Et tu?” and others 25 Lotion ingredients 26 Suburb of Chicago 28 Joyful internet cry 29 Bubbly mixer 31 Popeye’s boy 33 Harassed, in a sense 34 Cartoon seller of Squishees 35 Pyrex glass marking 38 Jackson 5 member 39 Philip who wrote “Portnoy’s Complaint” 41 Cain and Abel’s younger brother 42 Word before questions or advice 43 Do sales work, informally 44 A part of 45 Band with the 1989 platinum debut album “Junta” 47 Darryl, in the comic “Baby Blues” 49 Accomplishing 51 Poke around 54 The “K” in Kmart 59 Places for plugs 62 Plastic-dispenser producer 65 The clue for 128-Down, if this shell game weren’t a scam 68 Hardly guzzle 69 Group of pros 71 “Rights of Man” author, 1791 72 Early Cuzco dweller 73 Series of mistakes? 74 Vacation spot 77 Inside-dope source 80 Prefix with business 81 Chilled 83 With 13-Down, herbal brew 85 Cartoon seller of Duff Beer 86 The clue for 127-Across, if this shell game weren’t a scam 90 Former N.F.L.’ers Detmer and Law 91 All together 93 Shapes of some Halloween cookies 94 Country united in 1990 96 Soft-drink options 98 A peeling place? 100 Westernmost of the ABC Islands 103 “Bug” 105 Hosp. worker 107 Prefix with caching
109 2.5, for the set {1, 2, 3, 4} 112 Classic sculpture 114 Novel narrated by a soonto-be mutineer 115 Material for small buildings? 118 Proctor’s warning 119 Students often take them out 121 When some bars close 122 Edict 124 End in ____ 125 Style influenced by Cubism 127 Like hand motions during a shell game 129 Professional group with a van 131 Month of l’année 132 Singer Reed 133 Four-time World Serieswinning manager 134 In the near future 135 Superfund org. 136 Something to build on 137 Looks fabulous, in slang 138 Pincher DOWN 1 England and Spain fought one in 1588 2 Smirnoff Ice, e.g. 3 Lacking polish 4 Push 5 Verbal stumbles 6 Walks or runs, for short 7 Work together 8 Fashion inits. 9 Elected 10 Degree of freedom 11 Lightens
12 Like hounds and most bunny rabbits 13 See 83-Across 14 Guru, maybe 15 “Pretty cool, huh?” 16 Johannesburg neighborhood much in the news during apartheid 17 Underground locale 19 Give a ring while on the road? 24 Tizzy 27 Typical Vanidades reader 30 How many TV shows are shown 32 Port. is part of it 36 One caring for a bebé 37 Classical poem 40 Email openers 41 Egghead? 46 Deceitful sort 48 Grp. with lots of pointers 50 Like the verbs “eat” and “drink”: Abbr. 52 Bobcat relative 53 Fund-raising org. 55 Fair 56 Warm up for a bout, say 57 Bug 58 Ages and ages 60 With politesse 61 They’re symbolized by slashes 62 Minecraft or StarCraft 63 Fantasy novel hero who rides the dragon Saphira 64 Capital 175 miles east of Venice, Italy 66 Lottery winner’s cry 67 Record again 70 Dernier ____ 72 Philosophy- class suffix
75 Marc of fashion 76 Follows a pattern? 78 Much-covered 1955 Bo Diddley hit 79 Juice 82 Verb often said three times in a row 84 It’s cut and dried 86 All right 87 Immune-system component 88 “Let’s do this thing!” 89 Amt. of seasoning 92 Loch on the border of the Highlands 95 Worn-down pencil 97 Say quickly 99 One way to run 101 Greyhound offering 102 Most visibly frightened 103 Develop a limp 104 Hybrid music genre of the 2010s 106 Houston-to-Dallas dir. 107 Desert, in a way 108 City west of Binghamton 110 Pulitzer-winning novelist Jennifer 111 Total jerks 113 Group with two Top 10 rock operas 116 Runs to 117 They have long necks and round bodies 120 Bear’s advice 123 Bearlike creature in sci-fi 124 Oil crisis? 126 Murmur 128 Cook in oil 130 Only three-letter scale note
ANSWERS ON PAGE 48
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SPORTS UPON FURTHER REVIEW
Championships call Baldwin County home BY J. MARK BRYANT/SPORTS WRITER/SPORTS@LAGNIAPPEMOBILE.COM/TWITTER @GOULAGUY
Photo/ Submitted
The Foley Sports Tourism Complex features 16 state-of-the-art fields and a 90,000-square-foot indoor events center.
S
occer is making a big splash on the Alabama Gulf Coast. Since 2003, the Southeastern Conference has hosted its women’s championship at the Orange Beach Sportsplex. Just up State Highway 59, officials with the Foley Sports Tourism Complex are also getting a piece of the action. For the second year in a row, they hosted the Sun Belt Conference women’s championship. In addition to that event, it has been announced Foley will be home to the Alabama Soccer Association State Cup for the next five years. The tournament returned for a second year in November, and will now be back through 2022. “We are thrilled to continue our great partnership with the Foley Sports Tourism Complex,” said ASA Executive Director Tom Condone. “The complex is state of the art and the ability to bring our state championships to the Alabama beaches as a destination is very exciting.” Condone said the State Cup attracts the best youth soccer teams from throughout Alabama. During the 2016 and 2017 matches, more than 100 teams competed at the event. These soccer events can have a great impact on the local economies. With age divisions ranging from under 14 to under 19, State Cup players traveled with their families. Tournament officials said this caused Foley lodging establishments to be full or near capacity when the event was in town. “We’re very proud of how far we’ve been able to bring the Foley Sports Tourism Complex,” said FSTC Director David Thompson. “We know that once an event comes to Foley we can win them over with our special brand of hospitality. That’s exactly what we’ve been able to achieve with the State Cup. This helps us continue in our mission to brand Foley as a one-of-a-
Christopher Puto and Director of Athletics Jim Hall for giving me this opportunity. “Over the past three years, I have been an assistant softball coach at Gulf Shores High School and I worked under two outstanding coaches in Trevor Powell and Brian Parrish. I want to thank both of them, GSHS, and especially the young ladies that I coached. They all made it a great experience.” On Feb. 23, 2009, Kittrell became only the 50th coach in NCAA baseball history to reach the 1,000-win plateau. He led the Jaguars to 18 NCAA tournament appearances, including 10 Sun Belt Conference championships. A member of the USA Athletic Hall of Fame, Kittrell announced his retirement from the Jaguars program after the 2011 season. “I am glad that Steve has agreed to lead our softball team this spring,” Hall said. “I don’t think we could have found a more knowledgeable and respected coach and educator to coach our team. I am confident that our players are in good hands and will learn a lot this season.” Kittrell inherits a Badgers team that has enjoyed significant success over its history, especially during the past five seasons, when it has built a 197-68 overall record including an 86-18 mark in conference play.
Senior Bowl names first players
Of the first 26 seniors who have accepted invitations to the 2018 Reese’s Senior Bowl, only 10 are coming from the so-called Power 5 conferences. The others are from the FCS level and Division III. “Some of these players may not be household names — yet — but they are extremely talented football players and we’re as excited as they are about playing in this year’s Reese’s Senior Bowl,” said Reese’s Senior Bowl Executive Director Phil Savage. Some of the Power 5 players to accept are Oregon running back Royce Freeman, Oregon tackle Tyrell Crosby, Florida corner Duke Dawson, Michigan linebacker Mike McCray, Iowa State receiver Allen Lazard, USC linebacker Uchenna Nwosu and Indiana tight end Ian Thomas. Kittrell takes the helm at SHC Among those from the smaller schools are tight end DalThe softball program at Spring Hill College was in turmoil. Joe las Goedert of South Dakota State (2016 finalist for the Walter Guthrie, who had recently been named as the third head coach in Payton Award with single-season school record 92 receptions), the program’s history, suddenly resigned to take a position at the cornerback Danny Johnson of Southern (All-SWAC defender University of Louisiana-Lafayette. Making matters worse, assistant coach Courtnay Foster — Guthrie’s wife — was also leaving who led the FCS with 7 interceptions in 2016), cornerback Michael Joseph of Dubuque (leads the nation with 8 interceptions), for the Sun Belt school. With the season opening in just a few months, a familiar name linebacker Darius Leonard of South Carolina State (All-American linebacker who finished the season with 114 tackles) and tackle came to the rescue. SHC officials have named baseball legend Brandon Parker of North Carolina A&T (2017 Finalist for the Steve Kittrell to serve as interim head coach. Walter Payton Award). Kittrell built a career record of 1052-644-1 (.620) in 25 The Reese’s Senior Bowl will eventually build two rosters, seasons as the head baseball coach at the University of South totaling 110 players. They will meet in Mobile to practice in front Alabama from 1984 to 2011. Prior to leading his alma mater, Kittrell served as the Badger head baseball coach in 1983 (post- of nearly 1,000 NFL personnel. ESPN and NFL Network will broadcast the practices live each day. ing a 33-19 record). The 2018 Reese’s Senior Bowl is set for Jan. 27 at 1:30 p.m. at “I am very excited to be named the softball coach at Spring Ladd-Peebles Stadium. NFL Network will televise the game. Hill College,” Kittrell said. “I want to thank SHC president Dr. kind sports tourism destination.” The State Cup extension follows news that the Sun Belt Conference has signed on to host its women’s soccer championships in Foley for the next two years. And with the 90,000-square-foot Foley Event Center having opened in September, the complex is looking to replicate the soccer successes with the indoor sports tourism market as well. “Now our community can count on seeing visitors in early November,” Thompson said. “That’s a time of year that’s generally considered off-season for the area. This helps us become more consistent economically throughout the year.”
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ANSWERS FROM PAGE 42
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STYLE FEATURE
Let’s be still
BY GABI GARRETT/CONTRIBUTING WRITER
Photo/Gabi Garrett
W
ould you believe you can be more productive by sitting still, rather than running around at full speed? When the world gets hectic, which it so often does around the end of the year, it can create the desire to find a retreat from the madness. If an afternoon on an island alone sounds heavenly but not so feasible, it might be time to start meditating. Meditation has a great reputation. You’ve likely read an article praising its benefits or heard from someone in your
life who has said to you more than once that they’ve been engaging in this practice. However, meditation can seem impossible to those of us who keep busy lives. But it doesn’t have to mean sitting still on a cushion thinking of nothingness, as it’s so often portrayed. To busy-minded individuals, it seems relatively impossible to pretend you do not have a thousand thoughts running through your head. But that’s really not the goal of meditation. In fact, it’s quite common that you will have a cluster of thoughts that
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were hiding right underneath the surface that now want your attention. Meditation teachers often suggest you notice your thoughts coming and going like clouds passing by. The goal isn’t to rid yourself of your thoughts, but to start to observe what’s coming up in your mind without getting lost in the story. For example, if you have a thought about your next grocery store run during meditation, it’s helpful to say to yourself, “Thinking about the grocery store,” as you picture the thought drifting away. Instead of, “Oh yeah, the grocery store … while I’m there I need eggs, oh man, that time I was there and I saw Brenda and she was so rude. Why do people always act rude to me?” You do not want your mind to go down that rabbit hole. You can start to meditate on your own by setting a timer for five minutes and beginning the practice of sitting still. It’s perfectly normal if you feel the urge to move around or get up; it will start to fade with time as sitting alone becomes more comfortable. Utilizing the phones that usually distract us from the present moment can also be helpful for learning the meditation practice. There is a multitude of apps you can choose from, most free of charge, to start sitting still. Check out “Headspace,” “Calm” and “Insight Timer” in your app store. There are also a variety of ways you can learn to meditate right here in our own backyard. Kudzu Aerial in downtown Fairhope offers a monthly meditation in the vines, which are silky apparatuses used for aerial yoga (yoga suspended off the ground). You can choose to practice in the comfort of the vines, or on a traditional yoga mat or cushion. The next meditation is Monday, Dec. 18, at 7:30 p.m. The cost is $15. It is suggested you bring a yoga mat and a journal to write down your experience. Soul Shine Yoga, also in downtown Fairhope, offers a heated meditation every Friday at 11 a.m., in partnership with Rosie Bluum, a collection of wellness experts. The yoga studio also offers meditation courses and workshops on restorative rest and meditation. The Meditation Center of Alabama in Mobile also offers weekly classes. Whether you choose to sit still in solitude or join like-minded individuals in their pursuit to find inner peace, meditation is sure to bring you a little more zen as we transition into 2018. Next time you’re tempted to push yourself past your limitations by adding another social event, staying at work late or adding something else to your plate — take a deep breath, pause for five minutes, then proceed with the best choice for your body, mind and spirit. Happy stillness!
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STYLE HOROSCOPES THE GIFTS OF ADVENT SAGITTARIUS (11/22-12/21) — Still stoked after a recent Alabama snowfall, you spend the next few weeks pondering your potential snowboarding career in your new Alaskan home. Your Advent calendar reveals a stale chicken McNugget. CAPRICORN (12/22-1/19) — Considering yourself environmentally friendly, you try to conceive an ingenious method to build homes out of outdated “Doug Jones for Senate” campaign signs. Your Advent calendar reveals Meghan Markle’s next outfit. AQUARIUS (1/20-2/18) — In appreciation of “A Christmas Story,” you encode all your texts with a puzzle that can only be deciphered with a Little Orphan Annie Secret Society Decoder Pin. Your Advent calendar reveals that clock you forgot to set back one hour this year. PISCES (2/19-3/20) — In your latest breakthrough, you’ll discover that people are much more tolerable of your bullsh*t if Vince Guaraldi’s “Linus and Lucy” is playing in the background. Your Advent calendar reveals a megaphone. ARIES (3/21-4/19) — You’ll reenact your favorite scene from “Office Christmas Party” at your office Christmas party — by standing silently for 20 minutes while rolling credits. Your Advent calendar reveals that you’re Zestfully clean. TAURUS (4/20-5/20) — As part of a terrific investment opportunity, you’ll attempt to convince Luther Strange to go into business with you lobbying lobbyists. Your Advent calendar reveals the rotting underbelly of both houses of Congress. GEMINI (5/21-6/21) — You’ll wipe down the baseboards and dust the ceiling fans in anticipation of holiday company, while keeping your good coozies hidden away. Your Advent calendar reveals North Korean launch codes. CANCER (6/22-7/22) — In a long awaited personal reply from His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama, he’ll advise you to “always reach for that good-good, and never settle for the reg-reg.” Your advent calendar reveals whatever the cat killed today. LEO (7/23-8/22) — Go ahead a spare yourself the grief. No matter how hard you try, Christmas Spam will never be thing. Your Advent calendar reveals a miniature Boll Weevil Monument from an Enterprise gift shop. VIRGO (8/23-9/22) — You’re disappointed yet another year has passed with no leading dictionary publisher honoring “janky” as its word of the year. Your Advent calendar reveals a 2003 copy of Microsoft Encarta. LIBRA (9/23-10/22) — You’ll get ahead of yourself while wrapping presents and forget which one is which. The results will be more rewarding than you anticipated. Your Advent calendar reveals an empty Hershey’s Kiss wrapper. SCORPIO (10/23-11/21) — Understanding the full breadth of the declining gulf oyster population, you’ll attempt to raise them in your home aquarium. Your Advent calendar will reveal a Byzantine calendar within.
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LAGNIAPPE LEGALS | 251.450-4466 | legals@lagniappemobile.com FORECLOSURES FORECLOSURE NOTICE Default having been made by the herein referenced Grantees in the terms of that certain Vendor’s Lien Deed executed on April 25, 2017, by Henry J. Skotzky and Alita R. Skotzky, as Grantees to Iras Development Company Inc., an Alabama Corporation, as Grantor which said Vendor’s Lien Deed was recorded in the Office of the Judge of Probate, Mobile County, Alabama, in Real Property Book LR7509, Page 1596, and said vendor’s lien having been last assigned to Mulherin Realty, Inc. Profit Sharing Plan Inc., which assignment was recorded in the office of the Judge of Probate Mobile County Alabama in Real Property Book LR7513, Page 1038, default continuing under said Vendor’s Lien Deed, by virtue of and pursuant to the power of sale contained in said Vendor’s Lien, the following described real property will be sold at public outcry, for cash, to the highest bidder, in front of the North entrance of the Courthouse of said County, located at 205 Government Street, Mobile, Alabama 36644, during the legal hours of sale, on January 3, 2018. Lot 130, as per plat of RAMSEY ESTATES, UNIT VII, as recorded in Map Book 80, Page 09, Probate Court of Mobile County, Alabama together with a 1999 Redmon Mobile Home (28 x 76) VIN: 14720729A [and] 14720729B. Said sale is made for the purpose of paying said Vendor’s Lien debt and costs of foreclosure. Mulherin Realty Inc. Profit Sharing Plan, Inc. Holder of said Vendor’s Lien. WILLIAM B. JACKSON, II STOKES & CLINTON, P.C. Attorneys for Lienholder Post Office Box 991801 Mobile, Alabama 36691 (251) 460-2400 Lagniappe HD Nov. 29, Dec. 6, 13, 2017
FORECLOSURE NOTICE Default having been made by the herein referenced Grantee in the terms of that certain Vendor’s Lien Deed executed on March 31, 2017, by Johnnie D. Weaver, as Grantee to Iras Development Company Inc., an Alabama corporation, as Grantor which said Vendor’s Lien Deed was recorded in the Office of the Judge of Probate, Mobile County, Alabama, in Real Property Book LR7498, Page 1448, and said vendor’s lien having been last assigned to W. Austin Mulherin, which assignment was recorded in the office of the Judge of Probate Mobile County Alabama in Real Property Book LR7502, Page 1638, and default continuing under said Vendor’s Lien Deed, by virtue of and pursuant to the power of sale contained in said Vendor’s Lien, the following described real property will be sold at public outcry, for cash, to the highest bidder, in front of the North entrance of the Courthouse of said County, located at 205 Government Street, Mobile, Alabama 36644, during the legal hours of sale, on January 3, 2018. Lot 30, as per plat of BURLINGTON, UNIT II, as recorded in Map Book 87, Page 51, Probate Court of Mobile County, Alabama, including a 12 x 60 (3) Bedroom (1) Bathroom, [Mobile} Home. Said sale is made for the purpose of paying said Vendor’s Lien debt and costs of foreclosure. W. Austin Mulherin Holder of said Vendor’s Lien. WILLIAM B. JACKSON, II STOKES & CLINTON, P.C. Attorneys for Lienholder Post Office Box 991801 Mobile, Alabama 36691 (251) 460-2400 Lagniappe HD Nov. 29, Dec. 6, 13, 2017
FORECLOSURE NOTICE Default having been made by the herein referenced Grantees in the terms of that certain Vendor’s Lien Deed executed on April 5, 2016, by Philip C. Paulk and Briana M. Finney, as Grantees to Michael O’C Jackson, as Grantor which said Vendor’s Lien Deed was recorded in the Office of the Judge of Probate, Mobile County, Alabama, in Real Property Book LR7369, Page 988, by virtue of and pursuant to the power of sale contained in said Vendor’s Lien, the following described real property will be sold at public outcry, for cash, to the highest bidder, in front of the North entrance of the Courthouse of said County, located at 205 Government Street, Mobile, Alabama 36644, during the legal hours of sale, on January 3, 2018. LOT A, RESUBDIVISION of LOT 35, BLOCK L, as per plat of GLEN ACRES SUBDIVISION, as recorded in Map Book 132, Page 22, Probate Court of Mobile County, Alabama. Said sale is made for the purpose of paying said Vendor’s Lien debt and costs of foreclosure. Michael O’C. Jackson Holder of said Vendor’s Lien. WILLIAM B. JACKSON, II STOKES & CLINTON, P.C. Attorneys for Lienholder Post Office Box 991801 Mobile, Alabama 36691 (251) 460-2400 Lagniappe HD Nov. 29, Dec. 6, 13, 2017
FORECLOSURE NOTICE
FORECLOSURE NOTICE
Default having been made by the herein referenced Grantees in the terms of that certain Vendor’s Lien Deed executed on May 12, 2017, by Jeannie L. Evans, as Grantee to g.l.s., Inc., an Alabama corporation, as Grantor which said Vendor’s Lien Deed was recorded in the Office of the Judge of Probate, Mobile County, Alabama, in Real Property Book LR7515, Page 1733, and said vendor’s lien having been last assigned to W. Austin Mulherin, which assignment was recorded in the office of the Judge of Probate Mobile County Alabama in Real Property Book LR7563, Page 580, default continuing under said Vendor’s Lien Deed, by virtue of and pursuant to the power of sale contained in said Vendor’s Lien, the following described real property will be sold at public outcry, for cash, to the highest bidder, in front of the North entrance of the Courthouse of said County, located at 205 Government Street, Mobile, Alabama 36644, during the legal hours of sale, on January 3, 2018. Lots 21 & 22, s per plat of GLENWOOD ESTATES, as recorded in Map Book 46, Page 117, Probate Court of Mobile County, Alabama. Said sale is made for the purpose of paying said Vendor’s Lien debt and costs of foreclosure. W. Austin Mulherin Holder of said Vendor’s Lien WILLIAM B. JACKSON, II STOKES & CLINTON, P.C. Attorneys for Lienholder Post Office Box 991801 Mobile, Alabama 36691 (251) 460-2400
Default having been made by the herein referenced Grantee in the terms of that certain Vendor’s Lien Deed executed on February 13, 2015, by Ethel L. Nettles, as Grantee to Burlington Inc., an Alabama corporation, as Grantor which said Vendor’s Lien Deed was recorded in the Office of the Judge of Probate, Mobile County, Alabama, in Real Property Book LR7234, Page 1565, and said vendor’s lien having been last assigned to EMON, LLC, which assignment was recorded in the office of the Judge of Probate Mobile County Alabama in Real Property Book LR7274, Page 1868, and default continuing under said Vendor’s Lien Deed, by virtue of and pursuant to the power of sale contained in said Vendor’s Lien, the following described real property will be sold at public outcry, for cash, to the highest bidder, in front of the North entrance of the Courthouse of said County, located at 205 Government Street, Mobile, Alabama 36644, during the legal hours of sale, on January 10, 2018. Lot 14 as per plat of BURLINGTON, UNIT II, as recorded in Map Book 87, Page 51, Probate Court of Mobile County, Alabama, including (12 x 60) Mobile Home Said sale is made for the purpose of paying said Vendor’s Lien debt and costs of foreclosure. EMON, LLC Holder of said Vendor’s Lien WILLIAM B. JACKSON, II STOKES & CLINTON, P.C. Attorneys for Lienholder Post Office Box 991801 Mobile, Alabama 36691 (251) 460-2400
Lagniappe HD Nov. 29, Dec. 6, 13, 2017
FORECLOSURE NOTICE Default having been made by the herein referenced Grantees in the terms of that certain Vendor’s Lien Deed executed on February 5, 2016, by Joshua F. Chaudron, as Grantee to Iras Development Company Inc., an Alabama corporation, as Grantor which said Vendor’s Lien Deed was recorded in the Office of the Judge of Probate, Mobile County, Alabama, in Real Property Book LR7348, Page 1304, and said vendor’s lien having been last assigned to W. Austin Mulherin, which assignment was recorded in the office of the Judge of Probate Mobile County Alabama in Real Property Book LR7355, Page 1611, default continuing under said Vendor’s Lien Deed, by virtue of and pursuant to the power of sale contained in said Vendor’s Lien, the following described real property will be sold at public outcry, for cash, to the highest bidder, in front of the North entrance of the Courthouse of said County, located at 205 Government Street, Mobile, Alabama 36644, during the legal hours of sale, on January 3, 2018. Lot 77, s per plat of TIMBERLAND, UNIT IV, as recorded in Map Book 98, Page 41, Probate Court of Mobile County, Alabama. Said sale is made for the purpose of paying said Vendor’s Lien debt and costs of foreclosure. W. Austin Mulherin Holder of said Vendor’s Lien WILLIAM B. JACKSON, II STOKES & CLINTON, P.C. Attorneys for Lienholder Post Office Box 991801 Mobile, Alabama 36691 (251) 460-2400 Lagniappe HD Nov. 29, Dec. 6, 13, 2017
FORECLOSURE NOTICE Default having been made by the herein referenced Grantee in the terms of that certain Vendor’s Lien Deed executed on March 14, 2016, by Patricia M. Harbison, as Grantee to Iras Development Company Inc., an Alabama corporation, as Grantor which said Vendor’s Lien Deed was recorded in the Office of the Judge of Probate, Mobile County, Alabama, in Real Property Book LR7359, Page 968, and said vendor’s lien having been last assigned to W. Austin Mulherin, which assignment was recorded in the office of the Judge of Probate Mobile County Alabama in Real Property Book LR7366, Page 799, and default continuing under said Vendor’s Lien Deed, by virtue of and pursuant to the power of sale contained in said Vendor’s Lien, the following described real property will be sold at public outcry, for cash, to the highest bidder, in front of the North entrance of the Courthouse of said County, located at 205 Government Street, Mobile, Alabama 36644, during the legal hours of sale, on January 10, 2018. Lot 229 as per plat of RAMSEY ESTATES, UNIT XI, as recorded in Map Book 118, Page 52, Probate Court of Mobile County, Alabama, INLCUDING A 1994 Belmont Mobile Home VIN #MSB942868S12263 + MSB94286852SN12263. Said sale is made for the purpose of paying said Vendor’s Lien debt and costs of foreclosure. W. Austin Mulherin Holder of said Vendor’s Lien WILLIAM B. JACKSON, II STOKES & CLINTON, P.C. Attorneys for Lienholder Post Office Box 991801 Mobile, Alabama 36691 (251) 460-2400 Lagniappe HD Dec. 6, 13, 20, 2017
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Lagniappe HD Dec. 6, 13, 20, 2017
NOTICE OF COMPLETION In accordance with Chapter 1, Title 39, Code of Alabama, 1975, NOTICE IS HEREBY given that M. Gay Constructors, Inc., Contractor, has completed the Contract for Harmon Park – Ball Field Lighting Improvements, 1611 Bellfast Street, Mobile, AL 36605, PR-102-17. All persons having any claim for labor, materials, or otherwise in connection with this project should immediately notify the Architectural Engineering, City of Mobile, P.O. Box 1827, Mobile, Alabama 36633-1827. Lagniappe HD November 22, 29, December 6, 13, 2017
NOTICE OF COMPLETION In accordance with Chapter 1, Title 39, Code of Alabama, 1975, notice is hereby given that Double AA Construction Company, LLC Contractor, has completed the Contract for Construction of Re-Roofing Main Building and Canopy Work W.P. Davidson High School 3900 Pleasant Valley Road Mobile, Alabama 36609 for the State of Alabama and the County of Mobile, Public Schools Owner(s), and have made request for final settlement of said Contract. All persons having any claim for labor, materials, or otherwise in connection with this project should immediately notify Goodwyn, Mills and Cawood Architects 11 North Water Street, Mobile, Alabama 36602. Double AA Construction Company, 8735 Lott Road, Wilmer, AL 36587 Lagniappe HD Dec. 13, 20, 27, 2017 January 3, 2018
ADVERTISEMENT FOR BIDS Request for Proposals for Transit Management Services The City of Mobile is soliciting proposals from qualified firms for the management and operation of its public transportation organization known as “The Wave Transit System”. Deadline for proposals is January 08, 2018. To obtain a copy of the RFP, please visit the City’s Bid Opportunities page at www.cityofmobile.org/bids Lagniappe HD Dec. 13, 20, 27, 2017 Jan. 3, 2018
ADVERTISEMENT FOR BIDS Sealed proposals will be received by Bishop State Community College, at the Council Trenholm Administration Building, Room 116 on the Main Campus of Bishop State Community College at 351 North Broad Street, Mobile AL, 36603; 2:00pm THURSDAY, JANUARY 4th, 2018, at which time and place they will be publicly opened and read for: PARKING GARAGE REPAIRS For Bishop State Community College Mobile, Alabama. The Work of the project includes, but is not limited to, selective demolition, new construction, coordination and supervision of the entire project, and all related work, as indicated in the Bid and Contract Documents. A cashier’s check or bid bond payable to BISHOP STATE COMMUNITY COLLEGE 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. Performance and statutory Labor
and material Payment Bonds, insurance in compliance with requirements, and verification of E-Verify enrollment will be required at the signing of the Contract. The Issuing Office for the Bidding Documents is Goodwyn, Mills & Cawood, Inc., 11 North Water Street, Suite 15250, Mobile, AL 36602, Attn: Ashley Morris (251) 460-4006 Ashley.Morris@gmcnetwork.com. Prospective Bidders may examine the Bidding Documents at the Issuing Office on Mondays through Fridays between the hours of 8:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. and may obtain copies of the Bidding Documents from the Issuing Office as described below. General Contractors may procure plans and specifications from the Architect upon payment of a deposit of Twenty dollars ($20.00) for a one time administrative fee for digital/file sharing access or One hundred fifty dollars ($150.00) (printed) per set. Contractors are encouraged to use the digital plans. Refunds will be issued for printed sets only issued by the Architect to each general contract bidder on the first two (2) sets issued submitting a bonafide bid, upon return of documents in good and reusable condition within ten (10) days of bid date. Additional sets for General Contractors, and sets for subs and vendors, may be obtained with the same deposit, which will be refunded as above, less cost of printing, reproduction, handling and distribution, which is estimated to be the same as the deposit amount. Checks shall be made payable to “Goodwyn, Mills & Cawood, Inc.” Bid documents will be mailed only upon receipt of deposit. No bid documents will distributed later than 24 hours prior to the scheduled opening of bids. Partial sets of Bidding Documents will not be available from the Issuing Office. Neither Owner nor Architect will be responsible for full or partial sets of Bidding Documents, including Addenda if any, obtained from sources other than the Issuing Office. For the list of plan holders on this project visit http://www.gmcnetwork.com/bids/. All bidders bidding in amounts exceeding that established by the State Licensing Board for General Contractors must be licensed under the Provision of Title 34, Chapter 8, Code of Alabama, 1975, as amended, and must show such evidence of license before bidding or bid will not be received or considered by Architect or Owner. The bidder shall show such evidence by clearly displaying his or her current license number on the outside of the sealed envelope in which the proposal is delivered; Bidder must also include his or her current license number on the Proposal Form. No bid may be withdrawn after the scheduled closing time for receipt of bids for a period of sixty (60) days. A PRE-BID CONFERENCE will be held at the same location where bids will be received, at 10:00AM TUESDAY, DECEMBER 12TH, 2017 for the purpose of reviewing the project and answering Bidder’s questions. Attendance at the Pre-Bid Conference is strongly recommended for all General Contractor Bidders and Subcontractors intending to submit a Proposal. This project is being bid, under the provisions of Alabama Act 2000-684, which require the General Contractor, in part, to take advantage of the Owner’s tax exempt status, obtain necessary certificates and other documentation required from the Alabama Department of Revenue, make payment for all materials, and to administer the sales and use tax savings portion of the project, as a part of their Bid. Additional qualifications and requirements for General Contractor Bidders and separate Subcontractors are indicated in the Bid and Contract Documents. The Owner reserves the right to reject any or all proposals and to waive technical errors if, in their judgment, the best interests of the Owner will thereby be promoted. BISHOP STATE COMMUNITY COLLEGE Mobile, Alabama Dr. Reginald Sykes, President GOODWYN, MILLS & CAWOOD, INC. MEMBERS, AMERICAN INSTITUTE OF ARCHITECTS 11 North Water Street, Suite 15250 Mobile, AL 36602 Phone:(251) 460-4006 Fax: (251) 460-4423 Lagniappe HD November 29, Dec. 6, 13, 2017
PROBATE NOTICE OF COURT PROCEEDING November 15, 2017 Case No. 2015-1791-1 IN THE PROBATE COURT OF MOBILE COUNTY, ALABAMA Estate of MARTHA SANDERS COURSEY, Deceased On to-wit the 8th day of January, 2018 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 TERRILL W. SANDERS. 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. Lagniappe HD Dec. 6, 13, 20, 27, 2017
NOTICE OF ESTATE ADMINISTRATION PROBATE COURT OF MOBILE COUNTY, ALABAMA Estate of: FRANCES S. YOUNCE, Deceased Case No. 2017-2034 Take notice that Letters Testamentary have been granted to the below named party on the 29th day of November, 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. NANCY M. RODRICK as Executrix under the last will and testament of FRANCES S. YOUNCE, Deceased. Attorney of Record: PRO SE Lagniappe HD Dec. 6, 13, 20, 2017.
NOTICE OF ESTATE ADMINISTRATION PROBATE COURT OF MOBILE COUNTY, ALABAMA Estate of ELISHA CLEO DAVIS JR, Deceased Case No. 2017-2314 Take notice that Letters Testamentary have been granted to the below named party on the 4th day of December 2017 by the Honorable Don Davis, Judge of Probate of Mobile County Probate Court, Alabama and that all parties having claims against said estate should file the same with the Probate Court of said county within the time allowed by law, or they will be barred. JOYCE A. DAVIS PATE as Executrix under the last will and testament of ELISHA CLEO DAVIS JR, Deceased. Attorney of Record: GABRIELLE E. REEVES. LAGNIAPPE HD Dec. 13, 20, 27, 2017
NOTICE OF ESTATE ADMINISTRATION PROBATE COURT OF MOBILE COUNTY, ALABAMA Estate of: SELMA LOUISE DINGLER SMITH, Deceased Case No. 2017-2284 Take notice that Letters Testamentary have been granted to the below named parties on the 7th day of December, 2017 by the Honorable Don Davis, Judge of Probate of Mobile County Probate Court, Alabama and that all parties having claims against said estate should file the same with the Probate Court of said county within the time allowed by law, or they will be barred. SELMA LOUISE DINGLER SMITH and EDWARD LEE DINGLER SMITH as Co-Executors under the last will and testament of SELMA LOUISE DINGLER SMITH, Deceased. Attorney of Record: SELMA LOUISE DINGLER SMITH, ESQ. 6 BUERGER ROAD MOBILE, AL 36608 Lagniappe HD Dec. 13, 20, 27, 2017
NOTICE OF ESTATE ADMINISTRATION PROBATE COURT OF MOBILE COUNTY, ALABAMA Estate of: INETTA HUNT Case No. 2017-0110 Take notice that Letters of Administration have been granted to the below named party on the 5th day of December , 2017 by the Honorable Don Davis, Judge of Probate of Mobile County Probate Court, Alabama and that all parties having claims against said estate should file the same with the Probate Court of said county within the time allowed by law, or they will be barred. KIMBERLY A. SOWELL as Administratrix of the estate of INETTA HUNT, deceased. Attorney of Record: RACHELE A. REIS. ESQ. Lagniappe HD Dec. 13, 20, 27, 2017
PUBLIC NOTICE JOINT MOBILE METROPOLITAN PLANNING ORGANIZATION (MPO)/ TECHNICAL COORDINATING AND CITIZENS ADVISORY COMMITTEE MEETING The Mobile MPO Policy Board will meet on Wednesday, December 13, 2017 at 10:00 am at the GM&O Building in the Board Room at 110 Beauregard Street. The purpose of the meeting is to approve concurrence of the City of Mobile being the Mobile Urban Area FTA Section 5307 Designated Recipient and discuss amending the Long Range Transportation Plan and Transportation Improvement Program to include but not limited to the Public Private Partnership including all finance mechanisms being sought or planned for the Mobile River Bridge Project. Also the MPO will vote to approve the following modifications to the FY 2016-2019 Transportation Improvement Program: ADD 100066183 (CN) Resurface on SR-16 (US90) from I-165 Approximately 3 miles East to MP 34; $1,286,987 with Interstate Maintenance Funds. 100067749 (CN) Sidewalks along the South Side of Airport Boulevard between Hillcrest Road and Regents Way in Mobile with Urban TAP Funds. 100067750 (CN) Sidewalks along the
LAGNIAPPE LEGALS North Side of Old Shell Road from the West Side of Parkway Drive to University Boulevard in Mobile with Urban TAP Funds. REMOVE From Urban TAP Funds 100067398 (CN) Sidewalks and Multi-use Path along SR 42/US 98 from Firetower Rd to East of Oak Hill Dr in Semmes. 100067419 (CN) Sidewalks and Multi-use Path along SR 42/US 98 from East of Oak Hill Dr. Walmart in Semmes. MOVE 100055752 (UT) I-10 Interchange Modifications from Texas Street (Exit 25A) to West Tunnel Entrance from December 01, 2017 to October 1, 2019 with Interstate Maintenance Funds. The MPO will also vote to approve the FY 2018 FTA 5310 Mobile Urban Area Program of Projects. 100067788 Mobile Association of Retarded Citizens (Operating); 1/1/2018 $173,634 100067789 City of Satsuma (Operating); 1/1/2018 $45,966 100067790 Mobile Association of Retarded Citizens (Capital); 1/1/2018 $33,820 100067791 City of Satsuma (Capital); 1/1/2018 $5,489 100067792 Mercy Life (Capital); 1/1/2018 $55,000 100067793 Learning Tree (Capital); 1/1/2018 $111,000 100067794 SARPC Program Administration; 1/1/2018 $31,371 Physically challenged persons who need special accommodations should contact SARPC in advance so arrangements can be made to meet their needs. Transportation Planning Coordinator South Alabama Regional Planning Commission P.O. Box 1665 Mobile, AL 36633-1665 PHONE (251) 433-6541 FAX (251) 433-6009 EMAIL:transportation@sarpc.org Lagniappe HD Dec. 6, 13, 2017
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 atwww.storagetreasures. com on December 22, 2017 at 10:00 am to satisfy liens claimed by STORAGEMAX MIDTOWN, together with all costs of sale. Cheryl Norment Any of the above goods may be withdrawn from sale by STORAGEMAX MIDTOWN at any time without prior notice. Lagniappe HD Dec. 6, 13, 2017
The following unclaimed vehicle(s) will be sold on January 12, 2018 - Time -12pm, if not claimed at 409 Montgomery St., Prichard, AL 36610. 2014 Chevrolet Cruze 1G1PC5SBXE7344914 2007 Nissan Altima 1N4AL21E67C146600 2005 Chrysler 300 2C3JA53GX5H552572 2005 Honda Accord 1HGCM72745A015544 1998 Toyota Tacoma 4TANL42N8WZ123655 2011 Hyundai Sonata 5NPEB4AC2BH191572 2010 Ford Explorer 1FMEU3BE9AUA41611 Lagniappe HD Dec. 6, 13, 2017
The following unclaimed vehicle(s) will be sold on January 12, 2018 - Time - 12pm, if not claimed at 8930 Countryveiw Lane, Wilmer, AL 36587. 1997 Toyota Tacoma 4TAPM62N4VZ292099 Lagniappe HD Dec. 6, 13, 2017
The following unclaimed vehicle(s) will be sold on January 12, 2018 - Time - 12pm, if not claimed at 106 Martin Luther King Dr., Prichard, AL 36610. 2015 Kia Forte KNAFK4A63F5310604 Lagniappe HD Dec. 6, 13, 2017
The following unclaimed vehicle(s) will be sold on January 12, 2018 - Time - 12pm, if not claimed at 1311 Alvarez Dr., Saraland, AL 36571. 1984 Ford F150 1FTCF15F0ENA38353 Lagniappe HD Dec. 6, 13, 2017
The following unclaimed vehicle(s) will be sold on January 12, 2018 - Time - 12pm, if not claimed at 7851 Helton Dr., Foley, AL 36535. 1997 Dodge Ram 1500 1B7HC16Z3VS170208 Lagniappe HD Dec. 6, 13, 2017
The following unclaimed vehicle(s) will be sold on January 12, 2018 - Time - 12pm, if not claimed at 1147 E I-65 Service Rd. S., Mobile, AL 36606. 2008 Infiniti G35 JNKBV61E58M217621 Lagniappe HD Dec. 6, 13, 2017
The following unclaimed vehicle(s) will be sold on January 12, 2018 - Time - 12pm, if not claimed at 7848 Zeigler Blvd., Mobile, AL 36608. 2011 Hyundai Sonata 5NPEB4AC8BH133188 Lagniappe HD Dec. 6, 13, 2017
The following unclaimed vehicle(s) will be sold on January 12, 2018 - Time - 12pm, if not claimed at 3055 Springhill Ave., Mobile, AL 36607. 2001 Nissan Xterra 5N1ED28T01C542456 Lagniappe HD Dec. 6, 13, 2017
The following unclaimed vehicle(s) will be sold on January 12, 2018 - Time - 12pm, if not claimed at 7960 Two Mile Rd., Irvington, AL 36544. 2003 Ford Escape 1FMYU02163KD21171 Lagniappe HD Dec. 6, 13, 2017
The following unclaimed vehicle(s) will be sold on January 19, 2018 - Time - 12pm, if not claimed at 9470 Lakewood Dr., Semmes, AL 36575. 2008 Mercury Milan 3MEHM08128R626146 Lagniappe HD Dec. 13, 20, 2017
The following unclaimed vehicle(s) will be sold on January 19, 2018 - Time - 12pm, if not claimed at 7960 Two Mile Rd., Irvington, AL 36544. 2003 Hyundai Elantra KMHDN45D03U487344 2001 Honda CR-V JHLRD28421S002162 1999 Nissan Pathfinder JN8AR05Y5XW328129 Lagniappe HD Dec. 13, 20, 2017
The following unclaimed vehicle(s) will be sold on January 19, 2018 - Time - 12pm, if not claimed at 654 Holcombe Ave., Mobile, AL 36606. 2004 Dodge Ram 1500 1D7HA16N84J295296 Lagniappe HD Dec. 13, 20, 2017
The following unclaimed vehicle(s) will be sold on January 19, 2018 - Time - 12pm, if not claimed at 5713 Three Notch Rd., Mobile, AL 36619. 2014 Toyota Tundra 5TFRM5F13EX069224 Lagniappe HD Dec. 13, 20, 2017
Deadline for legal advertising in Lagniappe HD is every Monday at 5 p.m. Lagniappe HD is distributed each Thursday.
STYLE BOOZIE
Mobile has its own Snowpocalypse BY BOOZIE BEER NUES/SOCIAL BUTTERFLY
O
h the weather outside is … frightful, delightful … wait, is it spring? What’s going on here? Y’all, it snowed last Friday and now it’s in the 60s during the day. Can’t say I’m that surprised, but I am surprised at how quickly Christmas is approaching. I haven’t been spending enough time spreading holiday beer, I mean cheer! Luckily this week there is plenty of beer, cheer and gossip for all!
Baby it’s cold outside
So this past Friday… What a whirlwind of a day it was! It started out with all my B-Ham friends talking about how they didn’t have to go to work and it was starting to flurry outside. Meanwhile our day started off wet and cold with maybe a chance of a “wintry mix” late that night. My day was spent on social media seeing people just an hour north and farther playing in the snow, day drinking and enjoying a snow day. That’s about as bad as it gets when you are stuck at the office. Anyways, as Mobile inched closer to our chance of “wintry mix,” one of the spies already had reported that a liquor store in TiCo was already closed due to the weather! Umm, don’t they know snow and hurricanes are when people do their most shopping?! Nobody wants to be stuck inside with no liquor! Hello! Luckily my bar was stocked so I didn’t have to stop before I got ready for my first Christmas party of the season. It was my first time going to this party and maybe my last. It was pretty uneventful, and when the snow started to fall people bolted. It was 9 o’clock and the party had pretty much ended. I asked if anyone was heading downtown and was informed they were all heading home to their kids. Oh yeah — not everyone is kidless and ready to party! Countdown to Lagniappe’s party — where the party don’t stop — is on! Once I got home my roommate and I went to play in the snow. I mean, no one is too old to play. Plus, it may never actually snow here again like that so gotta get in my snow time while I can! Come Saturday, I had mixed feelings: Loved seeing it still around but didn’t care for when I turned on my windshield wipers while the door was open. That amateur move made for a snow-filled floorboard.
Elfapalooza
Again this year, Mobile went for the Guinness World Record for most elves gathered in one place, but didn’t quite make it. The record to beat was 1,762 set by a group from Bangkok. Rumors of Elfapalooza being canceled, then relocated to the Convention Center due to the
weather, had some elves scratching their heads. Despite Artwalk having good attendance and downtown restaurants being packed, Elfapalooza was about 1,000 elves short of the record. Boozie knows it was the weather keeping the elves at home. Us Southern elves just don’t know how to handle the winter weather. I can report that the elves that did make it to the ‘palooza had a great time doing elf things, like crafts and Christmas karaoke!
Yard signs
While there are plenty of Doug Jones and Roy Moore signs scattered throughout yards in Mobile, with some even being stolen (looking at the lady who was caught on camera stealing Doug Jones signs), there is one yard sign in midtown that is causing a chuckle. It has nothing to do with being naughty or nice, just polite. The sign is very homemade and reads “DO NOT LET YOUR DOG POOP in our YARD. Our kids play in the yard.” If I were a dog owner, it might make me want to let my dog poop there but since it’s the kids they are worried about, I guess I’d obey the sign. Just remember, kids, don’t eat the yellow snow, or in y’all’s case the brown snow!
Extra, extra! National media in Mobtown
Since the election made Alabama the center of the universe, it’s not surprising that we’ve had plenty of national media in town. CNN’s Kaitlan Collins and MSNBC’s Vaughn Hillyard were spotted on the streets of LoDa and in Fairhope. Chuck Todd of “Meet the Press” fame had a live broadcast of his daily MSNBC show, “MTP Daily” from Wintzell’s LoDa location. My spies in attendance said he didn’t spend much time with patrons after the broadcast but a couple of folks managed to get photos with him. And he did give the gumbo a couple of shout-outs, so I’m sure Wintzell’s appreciated that. Later, he hit Mobile Baykeeper’s Bay Bash and interviewed folks for “Meet the Press” on Sunday, including Mobile Baykeeper Executive Director Casi Callaway, who represented us well. On Election Day, “Fox and Friends” set up shop at Spot of Tea. No word on how much strawberry tea was consumed. It was nice being the center of attention for a bit, but thankfully it is finally over, a sentiment I think we can all agree on. Well, kids, that’s all I’ve got this week. Just remember, whether rain or shine, dramatic or scandalous or just some plain ol’ elf lovin’, I will be there. Ciao!
Lagniappe HD offices are located at 1100B Dauphin St. Mobile, AL 36604. For more information or to place your ad call Jackie at 251-450-4466. Or email at legals@lagniappemobile. com
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