Lagniappe: February 14 - February 21, 2018 by Lagniappe

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WEEKLY

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LAGNIAPPE

F E B R U A RY 1 4 , 2 0 1 8 - F E B R U A RY 2 0 , 2 0 1 8 | w w w. l a g n i a p p e m o b i l e . c o m ASHLEY TRICE Co-publisher/Editor atrice@lagniappemobile.com ROB HOLBERT Co-publisher/Managing Editor rholbert@lagniappemobile.com GABRIEL TYNES Assistant Managing Editor gabe@lagniappemobile.com DALE LIESCH Reporter dale@lagniappemobile.com JASON JOHNSON Reporter jason@lagniappemobile.com KEVIN LEE Associate Editor/Arts Editor klee@lagniappemobile.com

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BAY BRIEFS

Child Advocacy Center preparing to part ways with longtime director Pat Guyton.

COMMENTARY

Mobile County’s incumbent judges continue to enjoy elections free from political challenges.

BUSINESS

Little Custom Homes recently expanded operations into Mobile, offering affordable small homes locally.

CUISINE

ANDY MACDONALD Cuisine Editor fatmansqueeze@comcast.net STEPHEN CENTANNI Music Editor scentanni@lagniappemobile.com

STEPHANIE POE Copy Editor copy@lagniappemobile.com DANIEL ANDERSON Chief Photographer dan@danandersonphoto.com LAURA RASMUSSEN Art Director www.laurarasmussen.com BROOKE O’DONNELL Advertising Sales Executive brooke@lagniappemobile.com

In the vacuum left by the disappearance of some of his favorite “meat and threes,” Andy reviews his favorite grocery delis, good places to get a hot meal even grandma would be proud to serve.

COVER

Monroeville and Vanity Fair: How global economics changed small-town Alabama.

BETH WILLIAMS Advertising Sales Executive bwilliams@lagniappemobile.com

ALEEN MOMBERGER Advertising Sales Executive aleen@lagniappemobile.com DAVID GRAYSON Advertising Sales Executive david@lagniappemobile.com MELISSA EDGE Editorial Assistant events@lagniappemobile.com ROSS PRITCHARD Distribution Manager delivery@lagniappemobile.com

ARTS

Mardi Gras wouldn’t exist at all without contributions from both Mobile and New Orleans.

MUSIC

JACKIE CRUTHIRDS Office Manager jackie@lagniappemobile.com CONTRIBUTORS: J. Mark Bryant, Asia Frey, Brian Holbert, Randy Kennedy, John Mullen, John Olive, Jeff Poor, Ron Sivak, Tom Ward

ON THE COVER: VANITY FAIR BY DANIEL ANDERSON POSTMASTER: Send address changes to P.O. Box 3003 Mobile, AL 36652. Editorial, advertising and production offices are located at 704 Government St., Mobile, AL 36604. Mailing address is P.O. Box 3003 Mobile, AL 36652. Phone: 251.450.4466 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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Country and gospel vocal quartet The Oak Ridge Boys established a solid place in country music that continues today.

FILM

“Lady Macbeth” is not for the faint of heart, but the breakout performance of villainess Florence Pugh is worth wincing through.

SPORTS

The collegiate baseball season is about to begin with high expectations for the South Alabama Jaguars.

STYLE

Not even nonstop thunderstorms can dampen Mobile’s Mardi Party!

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BAYBRIEF | MOBILE

Director leaving

GUYTON TO PART WAYS WITH CHILD ADVOCACY CENTER

BY JASON JOHNSON

oard members of Mobile’s Child Advocacy Center have confirmed Executive Director Patrick Guyton has been on administrative leave more than a month and will soon retire after multiple public officials raised concerns over his alleged behavior in the workplace.

The CAC works with local agencies to serve victims of childhood sexual abuse and their families by providing a safe space for interviews with a trained team of professional counselors in order to assist with criminal prosecution and the healing process for victims. Some of those agencies include the Mobile Police Department, Mobile County Sheriff’s office, the Mobile County District Attorney’s office, Mobile Department of Human Resources and the private counseling services group Lifelines. Guyton has served as the CAC’s executive director since it opened in 1988, but the professional relationships he maintained with members of agencies working in the center have recently become untenable, according to several sources with knowledge of its operations. Most recently, Lifelines pulled out all of its counselors working in the center for over what multiple sources have said were concerns with Guyton’s demeanor and interpersonal interactions with subordinates and employees working with contracting agencies. While Lifelines has continued to work with children and families who might normally come to the CAC for their services, they have recently been doing so at another location due to those concerns.

Lagniappe spoke to a current and a former CAC employee, both of whom worked directly with Guyton, and each recalled alleged outbursts of yelling, door slamming and other aggressive behaviors noticeable enough to draw the attention of outside agencies that work in the center. CAC Board President Terry Ankerson recently confirmed that similar concerns about the deteriorating relationship with Guyton were brought to the board’s attention by District Attorney Ashley Rich, MPD Chief Lawrence Battiste, local DHR Director Stephanie Streeter, other public officials and representatives from Mobile Mayor Sandy Stimpson’s administration. Ankerson also confirmed Guyton has been on “administrative leave for professional development” since Jan. 1 while the board works to finalize details of his retirement. He said that could take effect as early as March 1, but clarified that, in the meantime, Guyton “has not” and “will not” be at the CAC facility. “Apparently there were some verbal issues and discussions at the center itself which led to some of the issues that developed,” Akerson added. “Those personal contacts and relationships … had gotten to the point where they were … it was very trying for [Lifelines] to a point that they didn’t see where they could continue to work under that relationship.” However, Ankerson said the board and all of the agencies affiliated with CAC agree “the mission is first and foremost,” noting that board members moved to address the issue immediately after it was brought to their attention by local officials. He said the board is working with Lifelines to get them “back together under one roof” at the CAC, saying “they understand

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Pat is retiring.” Lifelines Board President Sharee Broussard confirmed those discussions are in the works, but declined to address the concerns with CAC’s leadership that led them to pull out of the center. “Lifelines Counseling Services counselors are currently working directly with all the partners who operate through Child Advocacy Center. Our counselors are continuing to provide services to existing clients and new referrals,” she said. “Healing families, especially those impacted by trauma and abuse in our community, is always our top priority.” Ankerson said Guyton had also been forthcoming with the board when some of these issues first arose, adding that he had brought up retiring before. In addition to Lifelines, he said the board has been in talks with all of the other agencies working with the CAC to ensure serving children and families at the center is not disrupted by the transition. While the board plans to formally and publicly announce Guyton’s retirement and begin a search for his permanent replacement soon, there’s currently no set date for either. Reached by phone late Monday, Guyton confirmed he would be retiring after 30 years at the helm of the CAC, adding that he was nearly 70 years old and would soon be moving on. When asked, Guyton said he was aware of the concerns raised by some of the CAC’s partnering agencies, but said, “the thing I’m focusing on now is my next chapter.” “I’ve sat in that front office and I’ve met with every single parent I can think of who has brought their child to our center. It can be very stressful working with families in that situation. It’s not just children who are affected by sexual abuse, whole families are impacted by it,” he said. “I’ve been able to do that because I have a wonderful board of directors who have supported me.” Still, members of the CAC board who spoke with Lagniappe had several positive things to say about Guyton’s leadership during his nearly 30 years at the center. Ankerson called him “a leader” in the prevention of child sexual abuse at the local and state level, and said he’s been instrumental in shifting the CAC’s dependence on public contributions by growing the number of private donations the center receives on a regular basis. Guyton has worked with the Alabama Professional Society on the Abuse of Children, the National Children’s Alliance, the Alabama Network of Children’s Advocacy Centers and served on a gubernatorial task force that pushed for and successfully passed “Erin’s law” in 2016.

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BAYBRIEF | MOBILE

‘Open trade’

EUROPEAN UNION DELEGATION TALKS FOREIGN INVESTMENT IN MOBILE BY DALE LIESCH

epresentatives from European Union countries visiting Mobile had their eyes on the aerospace industry amid a proposed partnership between Airbus and Canadian aircraft manufacturer Bombardier and challenges brought by United States-based manufacturer Boeing. Consuls general from Belgium, France, Great Britain, Ireland and Germany took part in a business roundtable hosted by the Mobile Area Chamber of Commerce last week to discuss foreign investment in the city. The meeting took place a week or so after the U.S. International Trade Commission ruled in Bombardier’s favor in a dispute with Boeing over tariffs the U.S. Department of Commerce initially placed on the company as a penalty for using Canadian subsidies to cut the price of C Series jets. The ITC ruling bars the Commerce Department from placing the penalty on Bombardier. The ruling was good news for the city, as Airbus and Bombardier had previously announced a partnership that would bring the manufacturing of the C Series to a second final assembly line in Mobile. Shane Stephens, consul general of Ireland and based in Atlanta, said he was happy to see the ITC’s ruling because Bombardier’s success has an impact on both Ireland and Northern Ireland. “It’s good for jobs in Northern Ireland,” he said. “We like things to go well for the people in Northern Ireland.” As for any future actions by Boeing that may have

an impact on Bombardier, Stephens said Ireland is generally pro-free trade. “We’re pro-trade,” he said. “We’re pro-globalization.” Jeremy Pilmore-Bedford, Atlanta-based consul general for Great Britain, agreed the ITC ruling was good for the Bombardier facility in Belfast. “It was a good outcome with the ITC,” he said. “It was a fair judgment and is a good outcome for Mobile.” Pilmore-Bedford said he hopes Boeing will abide by the ruling. Detlev Ruenger, Atlanta-based consul general of Germany, said he could not comment on the actions of Boeing, but said Germany supports “free trade and open borders.” “German investment in this region has been successful over the past 30 years,” Ruenger said. Germany and Mobile share a link, as another Airbus final assembly line is located in Hamburg. In addition, all the parts for the aircraft are brought to the Port of Mobile from Hamburg before being assembled here. While in Mobile, Stephens also toured MAAS, an aviation paint shop located at the Brookley Aeroplex. He said MAAS was a point of pride for Ireland and its relationship with the U.S. “We’re delighted to be able to show definitely that the economic relationship goes both ways,” Stephens said. “Irish companies invested in the U.S. employ

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Airbus and Bombardier have reached an agreement to produce its CSeries jets, shown to the left of the A320, at the Airbus production facility in Mobile. 100,000 Americans.” The aerospace industry in general serves as a specific point of pride for the Irish people, Stephens said. “Aviation is where we can really show our talents,” he said. “We’re a global player in aviation.” Airbus and MAAS are just two examples of Mobile’s success with direct foreign investment. Chamber President and CEO Bill Sisson called foreign investment a “hallmark” of the area’s economic development. “Over the last five, six, seven years we’re in the top five in foreign direct investment,” Sisson told the delegation and visitors. “It’s having a huge impact on this community.” More than 18 percent of the area’s employment comes from manufacturing jobs, Sisson said, and the area has seen a 32 percent increase in those jobs in the last five years. “A big part of that,” Sisson said, is from foreign investment. Other examples of foreign investment Sisson mentioned are ST MAE with 1,200 local employees, Austal with 4,000 employees and SSAB, which is moving its North American headquarters and 80 executives from Chicago to Mobile.

BAYBRIEF | COURTS

Who’s to blame?

WIDOW OF DAUPHIN ISLAND RACE VICTIM SUES FAIRHOPE YACHT CLUB

BY GABRIEL TYNES early three years after a powerful thunderstorm struck sailboats participating in the annual Dauphin Island Race — capsizing 10 boats and killing six sailors — the widow of 71-year-old victim J.C. Brown is suing Fairhope Yacht Club, the race’s 2015 organizer. In a complaint filed in federal court Feb. 7, Jane Brown argues the Fairhope Yacht Club ignored repeated weather warnings and caved to event sponsors rather than cancel the race. Furthermore, she claims race organizers failed to provide immediate aid to distressed sailors. Brown is seeking in excess of $1.5 million in damages for wrongful death, gross negligence and failure to provide assistance at sea. The plaintiff argues FYC is responsible for Brown’s death because it held a U.S. Coast Guard permit for the race. The permit was awarded with instructions, which stipulated the Fairhope Yacht Club “must be constantly aware of weather forecasts and conditions so that unsafe conditions can be identified and responded to, including termination of the event if necessary to ensure safety of all participants.” Brown states the yacht club did not provide a sufficient number of support or rescue vessels pursuant to its USCG license. The complaint notes that in response to National Weather Service warnings issued as early as 3:48 a.m. on the morning of the race, the Fairhope Yacht Club actually posted a cancellation notice on its website at 7:44 a.m. The notice “was removed at the direction of the Yacht Club at about 8:10 a.m.” The race was originally scheduled to begin at 9:30 a.m., but because of the weather organizers

postponed it until 11 a.m. The race began with 476 sailors on board 117 boats. Between 11 a.m. and 3:10 p.m. — when a storm with recorded gusts as high as 73 mph reached Mobile Bay — at least four more weather alerts were issued. The complaint does not state if any of those warnings were related to participants. “As a result of the delays, most of the boats in the race were still in Mobile Bay at 3:10 p.m.,” the complaint reads. Additionally, Brown argues Principal Race Officer Anne Fitzpatrick and Race Committee Co-Chairman John Hirsch, who were stationed near the finish line with at least eight other people in a 48-foot motor yacht, “chose not to participate in any rescue efforts” until nearly two hours after the storm had passed. Neither Fitzpatrick nor Hirsch are named as defendants in the lawsuit. J.C. Brown’s body was never recovered. Also killed were Kristopher Beall, 27, of Pineville, Louisiana; Adam Clark, 17, of Mobile; Robert Delaney, 72, of Madison, Mississippi; William Glenn Massey, 67, of Daphne; and Robert Thomas, 50, of Pickens, Mississippi. The lawsuit is nearly identical to one filed in Mobile County Circuit Court in 2016 by representatives of victim Robert Thomas. In its answer to that complaint, Fairhope Yacht Club denied all charges and listed 35 affirmative defenses. That trial is tentatively scheduled for April 16. Meanwhile, the 60th annual Dauphin Island Race is scheduled for April 28. The Fairhope Yacht Club will host for the first time since 2015.

BAYBRIEF | BALDWIN COUNTY

Stay in school

GULF SHORES INVITES CURRENT NONRESIDENT STUDENTS TO STAY

BY JOHN MULLEN

ne of the big questions surrounding the Gulf Shores school split — besides the disputed date of the separation — from Baldwin County schools is where students in the current feeder pattern but outside the city limits go to school. The majority of those students are from Orange Beach but also come from Ono Island, the Fort Morgan area and unincorporated areas north of Gulf Shores. The county hopes to have a school with grades 7 through 12 opening in Orange Beach in fall 2019 to accommodate those students. But until then? At its regular board meeting on Feb. 8, the Gulf Shores City Board of Education announced any student enrolled at Gulf Shores Middle School or Gulf Shores High School for the 2018-19 school year is invited to finish at Gulf Shores High School tuition-free. Students would also have the option of transferring to the Orange Beach school when it opens. “This invitation is predicated on the successful negotiations with the Baldwin County Board of Education based on one premise: The agreement that all revenue — federal, state and local — associated with these students be entrusted to the Gulf Shores City Board of Education,” said Gulf Shores School Board President Kevin Corcoran, reading from a prepared statement. “We are ecstatic to have the opportunity to accommodate the out-of-district students and their families, who will benefit from this plan.

We believe this proactive step allows us to alleviate this concern not only for the Baldwin County Board of Education but for all students, families and teachers who are involved in this transition.” Reportedly plans have been drawn up for the new school and Orange Beach officials are expecting Superintendent Eddie Tyler to present them soon. But no ground has been broken nor has Orange Beach followed up on plans to transfer property on Canal Road to the county board. It has been on the City Council’s agenda since November but pushed forward to the next meeting each time. On Feb. 6 the item was moved to the Feb. 20 meeting. County negotiators are counting on that August 2019 opening date of the Orange Beach school to coincide with the Gulf Shores split. Gulf Shores wants to open doors on the new system for the 2018-19 session. While both sides contend negotiations are going well, they continue to banter back and forth on this sticking point. The teams met for the third time on Feb. 8 at the Baldwin County annex in Robertsdale and afterward both continued to push their own timetables. The county released a list of timetables in other split negotiations in Alabama that had taken anywhere from more than four years to nine months. Gulf Shores is hoping for about an eight-month transition to officially split on July 1. Fe b r u a r y 1 4 , 2 0 1 8 - Fe b r u a r y 2 0 , 2 0 1 8 | L AG N I A P P E | 7

BAYBRIEF | MOBILE COUNTY

Election circuit

CANDIDATES QUALIFY FOR VACANT SEATS ON MOBILE CIRCUIT COURT BY DALE LIESCH

whopping 13 candidates have qualified to run for Mobile County Circuit Court judge and will appear on the primary election ballot Tuesday, June 5. Runoffs are scheduled for July 17 and the general election will take place Tuesday, Nov. 6. It’s a particularly crowded field on the Republican side, especially in Place 6, where four candidates have qualified. Those names include Harry Satterwhite, Barney March, Buzz Jordan and Brandy Hambright. • Harry Satterwhite joined the bar more than 23 years ago and has operated his own law firm for the last 16 years. Satterwhite is a top-rated attorney (AV rating) licensed to practice before the highest courts in Alabama, Florida and Mississippi. He is also admitted to practice in the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals, the U.S. Tax Court and the U.S. Supreme Court. Satterwhite was elected to serve on the Alabama State Bar Board of Bar Commissioners, which reviews ethics complaints against lawyers, and was also elected to the Mobile Bar Association Executive Committee. • Barney March has spent his career representing clients from every background, both plaintiffs and defendants. According to his biographical information on Facebook, he represented homeowners and business owners, professionals and blue-collar workers, large corporations and “people with nothing but the shirts on their backs.” March helped start the volunteer guardian program in Mobile, a pilot program providing much-needed assistance to incapacitated persons who have no family to care for them. A founding member of Covenant Presbyterian Church, March grew up in Mobile and has practiced law here since 1993. • Brandy Hambright has more than 18 years of courtroom experience and has been a partner at the Hambright Law Firm since 2006, according to information from her campaign’s Facebook page. Hambright was a public defender in Greene County, Mississippi (where she was raised), until 2006 and has been a public defender in Bayou La Batre since 2012. Mobile became Hambright’s home 27 years ago when she began college at University of South Alabama. • Buzz Jordan is a partner in Buzz Jordan, P.C. He cur-

rently specializes in criminal law, personal injury, divorce, family and civil law, and is a former Mobile County assistant district attorney. • Karlos Finley is the lone Democrat running for Place 6. Finley is a partner at Boteler, Finley & Wolf, P.C., and serves as a part-time municipal judge in Mobile. He graduated from LeFlore High School and enlisted in the Coast Guard. After beginning his collegiate academic career at Bishop State Community College, Finley earned a bachelor’s degree from the University of Mobile and a Juris Doctor from Miles School of Law in Fairfield. Finley is a board member of the Boys & Girls Clubs of South Alabama. He also serves on the advisory committee for the Dearborn YMCA, Dauphin Island Sea Lab Foundation and the Bishop State Community College Foundation. • Also on the Democratic side, Judge John Lockett is running for re-election in Place 3. He is running unopposed in both the June primary and November general election. Lockett is the current presiding judge of the Mobile County Circuit. He graduated from Spring Hill College in 1976 and The University of Alabama School of Law in 1979, and was admitted to the state bar in 1979. He served as general counsel to the Alabama Secretary of State in 1980 and 1981 and as an assistant Attorney General in 1981 and 1982. Lockett was in private practice from 1982 to 1999 and served as Mobile’s city attorney from 1989 to 1999. • Wesley Pipes is running unopposed as a Republican for the Place 1 seat on the Circuit Court. Pipes was born and raised in Mobile County, according to the information on his campaign’s website. He graduated cum laude from The University of Alabama School of Law in 1995 and immediately began working for Lyons, Pipes & Cook, a Mobile-based firm founded by his grandfather. In 2016, He formed the Pipes Law Firm, where he tries and handles cases throughout the state and federal courts. • Judge Ben Brooks is running unopposed as a Republican for re-election to Place 2 on the Circuit Court. Brooks was admitted to the state bar in 1983. He was a state senator from 2006 to 2012 and a member of the Mobile City Council from 2001 to 2006. Brooks was in private practice from 1983 to 2012, when he was elected

circuit judge. Brooks graduated from Theodore High School in 1976 and from the University of South Alabama in 1980. He graduated from law school at The University of Alabama in 1983. • Judge Jay York is running unopposed as a Republican in Place 4 on the Circuit Court. This is his first election since being appointed to the position. York graduated from Spring Hill College in 1977 and from Cumberland Law School in 1981. He served in the Army Reserve from 1977 to 1982 and in the Navy Reserve Judge Advocate General Corps from 1982 to 1987. York was in private law practice locally from 1987 to 2012, when he was appointed by Gov. Robert Bentley to serve in Mobile County District Court; he was elected to that position in 2014. York was later appointed again by Bentley to serve in Circuit Court. • Judge Walter Honeycutt is running unopposed as a Republican in Place 5. This is his first election since being appointed to the position two years ago. Place 5 is in the domestic relations division. Honeycutt graduated from McGillToolen Catholic High School in 1981. He earned a bachelor’s degree from the University of South Alabama in 1985 and a master of public administration in 1990, and a law degree from Mississippi College in 1993. Honeycutt maintained a private practice in Mobile and was appointed to serve on the Circuit Court in February 2016. He is a member of the Alabama Bar Association, Mississippi Bar Association, Mobile Bar Association and Liberty Bell Award Committee and has served as bar commissioner for the county circuit. • Judge Edmond G. Naman has qualified to run for re-election as a Republican in Place 8. Place 8 is the juvenile division of the circuit court, located within Strickland Youth Center. Naman graduated from UMS-Wright, the University of South Alabama and Jones School of Law before serving as an assistant district attorney from 1995 to 2007. He was a special prosecutor in charge of gun and violent crime and a special prosecutor for the Mobile County Drug Court program. He has served as a member of the mayor’s task force on youth and substance abuse. Naman was an instructor for the Archdiocese of Mobile Child Protection Program and chairman of the Helping Families Initiative for at-risk youth. He is a board member Mobile County Domestic Violence Task Force. • Michael Sherman is running unopposed as a Republican in Place 9, his first election since being appointed to the position by Gov. Kay Ivey. Sherman graduated from The University of Alabama School of Law in 1995 at which time he became the law clerk for Judge Rosemary Chambers, who served in Place 9 for 25 years before Sherman took office, according to information provided by a campaign website. He was in private practice in Mobile for 15 years, primarily focused on family law. He stopped practicing law briefly while attending divinity school at New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary, and was pastor at Spring Hill Baptist Church, where he was ordained as a minister. • Judge Michael Youngpeter is running unopposed for re-election as a Republican in Place 10. Youngpeter graduated from the University of South Alabama in 1982 and earned a law degree from The University of Alabama in 1987. He was admitted to the state bar the same year. Youngpeter was in private practice from 1987 to 2007 when he was appointed to serve on the Circuit Court by Gov. Bob Riley. He is a member of St. Vincent De Paul Catholic Church, a member of the Alabama Association of Circuit Judges and a member of the Autism Society of Alabama.

BAYBRIEF | DAPHNE

Not in my backyard

DAPHNE COURT RESIDENTS OPPOSED TO TOWNHOME ACCESS

BY JOHN MULLEN

esidents of Daphne Court and their neighbors nearby on Old Main Street don’t mind if a new live-work townhome development goes in just east of their quiet little stretch of downtown. Nor are they opposed to development of another two-acre plot that abuts the neighborhood east of where Daphne Court ends. But what they are decidedly against is using Daphne Court as a way in and out of any new developments there. “All the neighbors are up in arms about it,” local resident Tom McKinney said. “We don’t mind them building that thing back in there, we just don’t want them to run all the traffic into Old Main Street. We’re trying to keep the aura of old-time Daphne safe.” Developer Craig Dyas and Jacob’s Well LLC have received primary approval from the city to build 38 townhomes on a four-acre parcel behind Popeye’s Chicken on U.S. 98. It will be what City Planning Director Adrienne Jones calls a live-work development with commercial downstairs and residential upstairs. “Right now, they already have a site plan approved by

the planning commission in March on the larger property,” Jones said. “So, they have the right to construct 38 townhomes in that parcel, which is 4.3 acres.” At a public hearing at the Feb. 5 City Council meeting, the developers came back seeking a change in the planned unit development to add 1.8 acres abutting the Daphne Court neighborhood. “The developer proposes to have access for both parcels to be able to go through Daphne Court and to the east to 98,” Jones said. Residents of Daphne Court and nearby Old Main Street crowded the chamber and many spoke out against it during a 45-minute public comment session. Many more were prepared to speak before the public hearing ended. The council also received letters from nine residents, including Main Street resident Sandy Robinson. “They didn’t disclose when they were getting that townhome development approved that they were going to ultimately try to tie in to Main Street by Daphne Court,” Robinson said. “They kind of snuck that in later because we would have been up in arms if that had been made

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known.” By right, the owner of the 1.8-acre parcel can subdivide it to build as many as six homes. Developers are asking for a zoning change to add it to the PUD for the larger parcel to allow for 10 townhomes to be built there. Robinson said that would not be good for her neighborhood. “We’re not irate,” she said. “They can build six houses on it. Go ahead, build the six houses on it as they are allowed with the current zoning. But don’t connect it up to the back of the townhomes.” Robinson said she believes a road connecting U.S. 98 to Main Street via Daphne Court isn’t just a bad idea for Daphne Court but for the entire area of downtown. “Daphne Court is a substandard street,” Robinson said. “It’s narrower than is required by the fire marshal in the fire code. It’s unsafe from the beginning. There’s the traffic from pedestrian traffic there with all the schools and all the kids and all the bicycles and everything else. It just makes no sense to funnel all of this to Main Street. They’ve got an access on 98 and that’s what got approved.” Councilman Robin LeJeune said he’s still considering the facts surrounding the development and has not decided how he’ll vote when the issue comes before council on Feb. 19. “The planning commission voted 4-3 unfavorably,” LeJeune said. “I’m still looking at it. Of course, the planning commission decisions are weighed heavily with the council. We’ll be discussing more. I’ve got some calls to make.” One of those calls will be to Fire Chief James White to find out how his department feels about a thoroughfare funneling traffic through Daphne Court. “There were some things they had said about their street and their fire chief and they had some issues with whether it could handle that type of connection or not,” LeJeune said. “I’m not going to say one way or the other what everyone else is doing. I’m still making my decision.”

BAYBRIEF | FAIRHOPE

Mum’s the word

FAIRHOPE MAYOR WANTS TO LIMIT EMPLOYEE COMMUNICATION WITH CITY COUNCIL

BY JOHN MULLEN

here’s just one thing about that memo Mayor Karin Wilson sent to all Fairhope employees Councilman Kevin Boone wants to make clear. “I don’t work for the mayor,” Boone said. “I can talk to who I want to.” Wilson issued a nearly 400-word memo to city workers on Feb. 2 in which she said a state law holds that “the mayor is the chief executive officer of the city with day-today authority to direct and supervise employees as well as appointed officers of the city.” She claims councilmen, particularly Council President Jack Burrell, have been telling city employees how to do their jobs and obstructing them when they try to have items placed on the council agenda. “What has been happening is that council, led by councilman Burrell, they’ve kind of set up this environment that if they don’t communicate with him or keep him up to date or don’t talk to him about agenda items before they get on the agenda, he might not even put it on the agenda,” Wilson said. “He has to be aware of these things or he’s going to turn it down.” Burrell said he was expecting the mayor’s reaction to how he places or does not place items on the council agenda. “She said she’d put something out if I refused to put something on the agenda,” he said. “She’s did that once before. There’s a lot of reasons I don’t put things on the agenda sometimes. We don’t have enough information or data. There’s a lot of reasons that I would or would not put things on there.” Wilson’s memo says city employees must come to see her if any of the councilmen try talking to them about is-

sues facing the city. Those who do not could face disciplinary action. “To avoid impropriety and insubordination, if a councilman contacts you regarding city business, refer him to me or ask that he go through me first,” the memo reads. “Employees are to advise and report directly to their supervisor who will in turn communicate with me. Council has no authority to direct or manage day-to-day affairs of city business or its employees. “Accordingly, members of the city council shall not direct or supervise city employees or appointed officials. Members of the council wishing to make suggestions or provide guidance involving day-to-day duties and responsibilities of employees should consult with the mayor. Members of the council shall not give orders to any subordinates of the mayor, either publicly or privately.” Burrell said asking questions of city workers is vital to being informed members of the council and being able to set policy for the city. “It’s just about control,” Burrell said. “I don’t know how she can reasonably expect us to make intelligent, unbiased decisions without hearing from employees. We have to ask lots and lots of questions. I don’t know of a single instance where me or a single member of the council has went out and told an employee what to do or how to do their job. We’re simply gathering information.” Boone said he, too, was not aware of any instances where councilors were trying to direct or supervise city employees. “It’s just another attempt by her not to let all these city employees talk to the council people,” Boone said. The rules were reiterated, Wilson said, to protect em-

ployees. “I am enforcing this policy because it’s confusing and uncomfortable when council consistently interferes with day-to-day business and directs city employees,” Wilson wrote in a social media post. “It is my intention to resolve this situation and to provide our employees with a comfortable work atmosphere.” Boone said he reads it as just the opposite. “It’s extremely threatening to the employees,” Boone said. “She put in there that it’s for a better work environment when it makes a god-awful work environment when they are subject to disciplinary action if they talk to us. How you can run a city and the city council has the purse strings and we can’t talk to city employees without the mayor sitting there or her people sitting there to find out what’s going on with the city?” For instance, if there is a rezoning ordinance for a new development in the city and a councilman wants to talk with someone in the planning department to better understand the issue and decide how to vote, the employee or councilman would have to speak with the mayor first. “I would prefer to know because they have created an environment that they’re working behind my back on issues that should include me,” Wilson said. “They are stepping over that line of inquiring and directing and interfering day to day.” The mayor was asked to cite specific instances of items being left off the agenda or a particular case where Burrell felt he didn’t have enough information on a proposed item and didn’t include it. “I don’t want to right now give a bunch of examples specifically and throw a bunch of council people under the bus, but I have examples,” she said. “There’s too many to list. It’s like where do you start? It happens weekly.” On the one hand, Wilson says, she wants the council to communicate more with her but not expect her to keep them abreast of the city’s daily operations. “The communication that is lacking is not lacking on my end,” she said. “I can’t keep council up to date on every single thing that’s happening in the city and I shouldn’t have to. Council should be communicating with me and unfortunately that just hasn’t happened since I’ve taken office. No one wants for us to communicate more and try to do things collaboratively than me.” Boone says he’s not going to stop asking questions of city employees to stay informed on issues before the council. “I’ll continue to talk to the employees and if they want to discuss it with the mayor then that’s up to them,” Boone said.

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BAYBRIEF | MOBILE COUNTY

Out of the bag

RESCUE GROUPS STRUGGLE TO SERVE FERAL CATS

BY JASON JOHNSON

ot long after the Mobile County Animal Shelter was sued over over a pet that was euthanized, the facility moved away from accepting healthy cats altogether — a shift in policy rescue groups now believe is driving up the number of feral cats in the area. Seven minutes after he arrived, the cat, Porkchop, was euthanized after staff there incorrectly determined he was feral. His owner filed a lawsuit against Mobile County that spanned several years before being settled out of court in late 2016. Today, the shelter only accepts feral or domesticated cats exhibiting an injury or sickness, those on commercial or public property posing a danger to the public and orphaned kittens younger than eight weeks. MCAS doesn’t attribute the change to the lawsuit, as there was an active review of its policies by the Maddie’s Shelter Medicine Program going on in 2013, but whatever the reason, statistics show cat intakes plummeted drastically after its implementation. Since 2012, the number of cats taken in by MCAS has dropped from 2,732 to just 262 in 2017, according to data provided by humane officer and shelter director Carmelo Miranda. “We started to implement changes in the shelter cat intake in 2013, and this started to reduce the [number of] cats being brought into the shelter and lowered the euthanasia rates,” he said. “Keep in mind, the shelter staff had to handle that number of cats, along with the holding period mandate, with little to no spaces to hold [them] for adoption.” The facility has just 22 housing cages for cats, and 11 of those must remain empty so cats can be transferred during daily cleaning procedures according to MCAS’ disease prevention protocols. Miranda also said the adoption rate of cats brought to the shelter has been as low as 1 percent‚ another factor he attributed to the previously high rate of cat euthanization.

The mandated holding period for domesticated cats is seven days, after which they can be adopted, rescued or euthanized. It’s just three days for feral cats, and in cases of injuries or illnesses, cats can be rescued early or, in some cases, euthanized immediately. Still, fewer cats in the door has meant fewer cats being put down. Of the 2,732 cats brought to MCAS in 2012, around 80 percent (2,365) were euthanized. Last year, only 96 had to be put down and most of those were sick, injured or ill tempered. However, Valerie Blankenship, a cat coordinator with Save a Stray in Mobile, told Lagniappe the change has led to a significant uptick in the number of feral cats in the county and left residents having to deal with them on their own. Currently, MMAS’ only advice to residents is to remove any “food” or “shelter” strays might use or to call volunteer organizations facilitating Trap-Neuter-Return (TNR) programs such as the Azalea City Cat Coalition — which doesn’t remove cats but helps curtail the overall population. “With our weather, a cat can have a litter any time of the year. They can get pregnant as young as four months, they can have two or three litters a year and an average litter is about three to six cats,” Blankenship said. “If you do the math, that’s a lot of cats.” Blankenship said she’s been receiving more and more calls about unwanted cats on people’s property and businesses, adding that there are even so-called “feral cat colonies” in a number places throughout the county. It’s not just Blankenship who has seen an uptick in cat calls, either. Susan Young has worked with the Azalea City Cat Coalition, another all-volunteer organization, for the past decade and said her phone has been ringing off the hook lately.

“Some days we get up to 50 calls a day, and we’ve had to go to email and voicemail because we can’t keep up with it all,” she said. “It’d be nice if we had the support and collaboration of MCAS. They refer to us, which is great, but since they’re not taking cats, it places a tremendous burden on little grassroots organizations like ours.” To be clear, Blankenship and Young both said they’re pleased the rate of euthanizations at the shelter has dropped, but ideally would like to see the county and city of Mobile move toward the TNR programs encouraged by most national animal welfare organizations. Miranda said feral cats are considered wild animals, so there’s no law preventing them from roaming freely or a requirement to impound them, but most cat groups have been asking the same question: If there was a 90 percent reduction in cat intakes, where did the savings go? “The reduction in the number of cats entering the shelter per year did result in less expenditure for cats that require housing, euthanasia drugs and other necessary sustenance,” Miranda said, addressing what he called a “fractional savings.” “[That] helped lower the expenditures in certain areas [around] $15,000 or less, but the savings was minimal compared to the increase of more than $100,000 in financial responsibilities implemented into the shelter budget.” Miranda said those extra dollars went toward hiring a veterinarian, medical supplies and testing to prevent diseases and to creating a microchipping program for adopted pets — most of which were recommendations from the 2013 Maddie’s study. This year, MCAS was allocated $1.3 million from the county, the vast majority of which went to personnel expenses. Young noted that other cities and counties, including some locally, have adopted or are moving toward adopting TNR program, which she claims is not only more humane than mass euthanization, but the only way to effectively address the county’s feral cat problem. In 2017, Orange Beach partnered with local animal groups to start a TNR program through its police department, and County Administrator Ron Cink recently disclosed that the Baldwin County Animal Shelter is working toward establishing its own program. Across the bay, Young hopes the city and county can eventually take a similar approach. “If we’ve quit taking cats in — which, again, is a good thing — why can’t we take that savings and turn it into TNR vouchers? Volunteer organizations can’t pay for all of it,” she said. “City and county governments have been trapping and killing cats for 60 years. It’s horrible, it doesn’t work and it costs a lot of money. Why don’t we do something more humane now that we have a solution?”

BAYBRIEF |MOBILE

One step closer

STOP WORK ORDER LIFTED AT MIDTOWN PUBLIX BY DALE LIESCH Work can continue on a composite fence at the midtown Publix development after a stop work order was lifted on the opinion of Mobile City Council attorney Wanda Cochran. The fence in question was briefly taken down, but was partially replaced as of Monday, Feb. 13. City attorney Ricardo Woods said he didn’t know the exact reason the fence was taken down, but told Lagniappe it was in the wrong place, according to plans submitted to the city. In a memo sent to District 1 City Councilman Fred Richardson, Cochran wrote that the developer, John Argo, built the fence along South Edington Drive according to plans submitted to the city planners. This is contrary to the belief of many residents who live in the neighborhood at the intersection of Edington Drive and South Edington Drive, who had asked the developer to build a brick wall separating the back of the Publix from residential areas. “If the city refuses to release the stop work order and accept a compromise, the developer would have no choice but to file suit,” Cochran wrote. “In that event, the developer’s best argument is that the ordinance did not require the wall to be along South Edington Drive, that he justifiably relied upon approved plans and that the city is now estopped from making additional changes.” While Cochran wrote that the city could argue the intent

was to place a brick wall along South Edington Drive, in addition to Edington Drive, “there is nothing in the documents that have been provided to date that would support the claim that the intent was to require a masonry wall along South Edington Drive.” Currently, Argo and contractors plan to place a brick wall along 25-30 feet of the backside of the Publix development where it intersects with Edington Drive. The street curves and becomes South Edington Drive until it reaches Florida Street. An 8-foot masonry wall along Edington Drive is required as one of the conditions for the project’s approval through the planning commission. Many residents in the neighborhood are upset, however, because they believed Edington Drive went all the way to Florida Street. “Truthfully, we refer to both streets as Edington Drive,” resident Janet Burns said. “We didn’t dot our ‘i’s and cross our ‘t’s. There was an error and someone is taking advantage of it.” Residents requested the wall be built to buffer the sound and view of trucks loading and unloading goods into the store, Burns said, adding that the composite fence won’t be a good buffer. “The plans mention a wall at the base of our street,” Burns said. “It will look absolutely silly next to that fence.

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It doesn’t cover all of the trucks.” Burns, who is 74 years old and has lived in her home on Edington Drive more than 20 years, said at first she didn’t want the grocery store or its development, but noticed that many residents were eager for the store. “In the end, I will shop there,” Burns said. “I’m not viewing this as being against Publix.” Despite calling the decision to build the fence “crooked,” resident David Mayhall will also “absolutely” shop at the store. He still wishes the developer would go ahead and build the wall. “I don’t see the big deal with building the wall there,” he said. “It will block noise from the loading dock.” Like other residents, Mayhall said he fully expected the brick wall to be built to the Florida Street intersection and “didn’t think anything differently” until the fence was built. “It’s cheesy,” Mayhall said of the fence. “It doesn’t look good at all. As nice as the project looks, to have that kind of wall is like putting bald tires on a brand new Cadillac.” Mayhall and Burns joined other residents in complaining about noise coming from what they say appears to be a large HVAC unit on top of store. On Saturday, Feb. 3 at roughly 12;40 p.m. Councilman Fred Richardson posted a video to Facebook, seemingly contradicting his own constituents. In the video, Richardson said some humming could be heard from the unit, but he couldn’t understand why that prompted two complaints to his office. “There is a little humming, but it’s no louder than the air conditioner next to the house in which I live,” Richardson said in the video. “I’m at a monsterous store and you hear the same thing I hear.” Richardson said the complaints were blown out of proportion because the store is about to open. “I believe what we have is citizens who fought this venue from the start,” Richardson said. “The citizens have become aware the store will become open and this is the last thing to complain about.”

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COMMENTARY | DAMN THE TORPEDOES

Incumbent judges unopposed ... again ROB HOLBERT/MANAGING EDITOR/RHOLBERT@LAGNIAPPEMOBILE.COM

OB ready for some Excellence Let’s face it, Mobile County is already up against it when it comes to competing with Baldwin County for residents. Baldwin has tons of open space, superior schools, sugary-white beaches and the kind of Good ol’ Boy System other counties just dream about. Now Baldwin is about to extend its lead. Orange Beach Mayor Tony Kennon’s recently announced “Expect Excellence” after-school program is just one more reason people will be heading across the bay, setting fire to their cars and never coming back. “Expect Excellence” will be open to students in grades 7 through 12, and will teach skills that will help young people achieve that expected excellence. Mayor Kennon and the City Council have assembled a team to do things such as helping with homework, and have classes on “academics, arts and athletics.” There’s also a “General Manners of Respectful Behavior and Class” program to be attended by “Southern Gentlemen and Belles.” While all the tutoring and athletic opportunities sound, well, excellent, I’m more interested in the manners and behavior class. For example, “Southern Gentlemen” lessons will include such things as a gentleman’s dress code and tying ties, how to treat a lady, respectful courtship, conversation and appropriate language, and laundry folding and ironing, just to name a few. On the flipside, the “Belles” will learn to have an

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And one more thing … One of the strange things about this profession, especially in the Internet Age, is that sometimes what you write travels farther than you’d ever imagine. I had that experience last Friday when I woke up to an unhappy letter from actor Corbin Bernsen. He’s the guy who played the dreamy Arnie Becker in “L.A. Law.” He also was Roger Dorn in all three “Major League” movies, and more recently played Detective Henry Spencer on the series “Psych.” Bernsen was peeved that in last week’s column I called him a “B-List” actor as I

was making some silly points about why Mobile’s Mardi Gras is better than New Orleans’. I saw Corbin riding in the Endymion Parade in the ‘90s during his “L.A. Law” years, so it came to mind as an example of N.O’s use of celebrities to attract crowds. Suffice it to say Bernsen was none-toopleased with a tongue-in-cheek put-down from some smartass newspaper columnist in Mobile and he gave me a rundown of his many accomplishments, both personal and professional. Well, aside from the time I made a remark about the Popeil Pocket Fisherman and brought down the wrath of Ronco, I’ve never received a more surprising response to a throwaway joke in a column. Who knew Arnie Becker reads Lagniappe?! We wrote back and forth a little and he was a good sport about things and accepted my apology. Bernsen even said he’d be interested in coming to Mobile and riding in one of our Mardi Gras parades, so if any of you folks in charge of such things want Corbin to join you, let me know and I’ll pass it along. Part of my penance for picking on him last week was letting readers know he’ll be in the third season of the Sundance Channel show “Hap and Leonard” starting in the second episode. Now my soul feels lighter after making things right with Corbin. If only I could say the same for the Pocket Fisherman people.

THEGADFLY

Over the years Lagniappe has done a few stories about the reluctance of members of the Mobile County Bar Association to take on sitting judges at election time. As local lawns are currently festooned with signs for judicial candidates, that issue may, at first blush, seem to have corrected itself. But not so fast. Right now there are six people running for Circuit Judge in Mobile County — five for one open place. The other open place had one attorney, Wes Pipes, qualify, meaning he will win by default. Meanwhile, seven incumbent Circuit Judges will run for re-election unopposed. Two judges, Jim Patterson and Sarah Stewart, are not up for re-election right now. So that means five people would rather scrap it out with one another for one spot than either take on Pipes for another open seat or face off against a sitting judge. What’s going on here? Common logic would suggest there are better odds for at least one of these candidates to go up against Pipes. In the Place 6 race, four Republicans are fighting to get to the general election where the winner will face Karlos Finley, the lone Democrat. You’d think at least one of those Republicans might look over at Pipes and think, “Hey! That guy doesn’t have any competition!” Or notice the other judges just waltzing back into office. We’ve long heard about backroom deals, threats and coercion that precede candidates’ decisions to run for judge. Certain “favored” candidates are allegedly ushered along when seats open up and many lawyers profess to fear running off against a sitting judge lest they lose and are “never able to practice before that judge again.” The powers that be typically “pshaw” such claims, but once again our sitting judges face no opposition while five candidates scramble for one open seat and allow another newcomer to cruise right into a black robe without breaking a sweat. Not to say we don’t have qualified judges on the bench, but this county would be better served if judges were routinely challenged rather than the positions operating essentially like lifetime appointments.

attitude for success, acceptable conversation topics, appropriate dress and accessorizing, flower-arranging and gift-wrapping. These all sound like quality topics, to be sure, and I’m sure their mastery will help achieve a certain level of success. But I think they’re going to have to get a little more detailed if actual excellence is to be achieved. For instance, there’s no mention of teaching Southern Gentlemen all of the ways he might open a beer bottle when an opener is not available. That’s a handy skill. A class on matching your sleeveless T-shirt to your visor might also help young men during the job interview process. Likewise, the belles’ classes are OK, but nothing about selecting a tasteful tramp stamp to help liven up the beach? Come on! What about how to win a bikini contest without conceiving a child? Both boys and girls should brush up on mullet throwing, too. It’s a nice start, Tony, but excellence isn’t just about tying ties and limiting the number of f-bombs during conversation.

Cartoon/Laura Rasmussen

A few post-Mardi Gras odds and ends:

THE GADFLY GEARS UP FOR LENT.

COMMENTARY | THE HIDDEN AGENDA

All you need is love (and samples from Sam’s) ASHLEY TRICE/EDITOR/ASHLEYTOLAND@LAGNIAPPEMOBILE.COM

his week we celebrate the cheesiest of all of our holidays. Of course, I am not talking about Fat Tuesday. There is nothing cheesy about it. Maybe raunchy, but certainly not cheesy. No, I am, of course, referring to Valentine’s Day. A day where single people get depressed that they are alone and people with significant others get depressed that they have to buy boxes of chocolate, Vermont teddy bears or other really stupid things to commemorate their love. How did we come to celebrate this day? No one is certain, but one theory seems to suggest it is tied to Saint Valentine of Rome, who was imprisoned and executed for performing weddings for soldiers who were forbidden to marry. Legend has it that just before his execution he wrote a letter and signed it, “Your

“Feel like a getaway? Can’t afford to spend on a hotel room? Try swapping homes with your friends. Building a fire and watching a video at someone else’s house changes the atmosphere and the mood,” the post suggests. Ewwwww. Are you supposed to exchange lingerie and have sexy time in their bed too? This just seems like the weirdest way to spend Valentine’s Day of all time. And sort of swingery. I would expect this from Cosmopolitan but Reader’s Digest? What are our grandparents up to? No, no, no. I don’t want to think about this. Another author, who must be the cheapest man on the planet and most likely single, offered these two ways to celebrate: 1) A little unconventional, but head on over to Sam’s or Costco and load up on free samples. (Are you kidding me? If you are going the Sam’s route at ‘TRY SWAPPING HOMES least get the surf and turf special, for heaven’s sake!); 2) Flowers: order with your friends for WITH YOUR FRIENDS. “bulk” discounts, or pick “standalone” flowers BUILDING A FIRE AND WATCHING A and make your own bouquet to save money. VIDEO AT SOMEONE ELSE’S HOUSE (Hmmmm. Maybe he is onto something here. CHANGES THE ATMOSPHERE AND THE Gentlemen, head on over to downtown Fairhope and get to picking! No need to call that pricey MOOD’ THE POST SUGGESTS. florist!) A site geared toward younger girls suggested Valentine.” Awwwww! So sweet! Nothing like a you take sexy photos of yourself and send them to him while he’s at work. Girls, do not do this. I good execution love letter! repeat, do not do this. Only bad things can come Flower shops, chocolate factories, jewelry from this. and lingerie stores all saw it as a way to make I wouldn’t trust this site anyway, because money, so they began heavily promoting the they also suggest using pizza condoms to spice day. But it’s not just flowers and chocolates up the night. Three thoughts on this: Yes, apanymore. Absolutely everyone has gotten in on parently there is such a thing. No, they aren’t this game, thus the complaints of its over-comflavored like pizza. Finally, is there a sausage mercialization. joke here? Just this morning, I received emails from Sigh. These suggestions are just so ridicuSam’s Club and Amazon on ideas for the perfect lous. Valentine’s Day gifts for that special someone. Don’t get me wrong. I am not trying to pooSam’s is peddling “surf and turf” bundles and poo on love. I love love. Love is patient. Love is chocolate-covered strawberries. Nothing says kind. Love is grand. Love is all you need. love like a piece of steak from Sam’s Club. So cliché but so true. I would be lost without Amazon thinks your Valentine needs Alexa. my sweet husband. He is my best friend, he “Alexa, how stupid is Valentine’s Day?” makes me laugh every day, is an amazing father “I’m sorry. I don’t know that,” Alexa says. to my children and the man who just takes care “Well, I can tell you. It’s really dumb, girl.” of me in so many big and small ways — not Another website I happened upon had a list because I ask him to, he just does. I don’t need of the “cutest ways” to celebrate Valentine’s Day to get away from the commercialism. Some to give him a rubbery lobster tail from Sam’s Club (or free samples) or house swap with my of the precious things they suggested included friends to let him know this. We tell each other making snow angels, ice skating (because everyone knows a rink is romantic!), and midnight every single day. Although I will say steak is sounding pretty skinny dipping in a creek or bay. These “cute” good about now. Maybe I will pick up some ideas make me think hypothermia, broken ankles and swimming in sewage. How romantic! filets to throw on the grill, you know, for love. Medium rare. Butter. Be still my heart. Happy Another site suggested an even creepier Valentine’s Day indeed! alternative way to celebrate the big day on the cheap. Reader’s Digest, the publication found in grandparents’ bathrooms across the country, thinks you should swap homes with your friends on Valentine’s night.

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COMMENTARY | THE BELTWAY BEAT

At least “crumbs” are a step in right direction

BY JEFF POOR/COLUMNIST/JEFFREYPOOR@GMAIL.COM arlier this month, House Speaker Paul Ryan (R-Wisconsin) took some heat for highlighting on his social media a passage from an Associated Press story about some people beginning to see an increase in their paychecks from the tax bill recently signed into law by President Donald Trump.

still had to pay for it. It was the only way this system could work — everyone had to pay a fair share in this hybrid socialist-cronyistic version of health care policy. Otherwise, the health insurance industry wouldn’t have gone along with it. The result of this had an impact on the Ryan wrote, “A secretary at a public high marketplace. Given that everyone had to have school in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, said she coverage and were subsidies were given to was pleasantly surprised her pay went up those that couldn’t afford a monthly premium $1.50 a week ... she said [that] will more than in the hundreds of dollars, the health cover her Costco membership for the year.” insurance providers got to charge whatever You might have thought Ryan showed they wanted. up at a grocery store and was amazed at the According to the Department of Health modern technology of a cash-register scanner, and Human Services, the average annual made some grand proclamation about binders health insurance premium increased full of women or any other classic Republican nationally by $2,928, a rate of 105 percent act contextualized in a way to make the GOP since “Obamacare” was signed into law. In seem out of touch with Americans. Alabama, it was much worse, with an annual Ryan’s Democratic counterpart in the increase of $6,219, a rate of 223 percent for House of Representatives, House Minority the same period. Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-California), That was their way, and you can make a disparaged the impact the legislation will valid argument for the merits of “affordable have. She referred to resulting bonuses health care for all.” Certainly, some people handed out by some companies as “crumbs.” benefited. “In terms of the bonus that corporate That’s all well and good, but as they America received versus the crumbs that say, politics is a game of addition and not they are giving workers to kind of put the subtraction. In this case, you’re taking away schmooze on is so pathetic,” Pelosi said from many to help a few. at a press briefing on Capitol Hill. “It’s so Back to that $1.50 everyone was mocking. pathetic.” If you asked the average American if they Pelosi’s disdain for tax cuts isn’t surprising. would rather have an extra $1.50 a week or Her views, or at least those she espouses owe an additional $56 a week ($119 a week to get elected in San Francisco, come from in Alabama) in health insurance premiums a political philosophy favoring the idea of because it’s for the “greater good,” how do strength in numbers over the power of the you suppose they’ll respond? individual. Yeah, you’re not going to get rich off the Therefore, if we’re all going to do our part extra buck-fifty, but at least that is something to make the world a better place, the “haves” extra in your pocket. need to pay their fair share to society, which This year’s midterm elections are still apparently comes in the form of paying not expected to go well for the GOP. taxes to the various levels of government in Unquestionably, President Trump is America. unpopular, and 535 members of Congress will In this setting, the “haves” are corporations have to run with or against Trump. As postand high-income earners, and the “havepresidential midterm elections go, the party in nots” are portrayed as everyone else. The power traditionally suffers. government is a modern-day Robin Hood For economic reasons, it might not be as that takes from the rich and gives to the poor bad for Republicans. Other than the equity to level society’s playing field because it is markets’ weird gyrations, all the metrics show the right thing to do. And in some places, an improving economy. Consumer confidence advocating this is a very convenient way to is on the upswing. win over voters. People may look at their paychecks and Here’s the problem: The country did it their be less concerned about how the money way. We did it for eight years under President got there. That could be what makes the Barack Obama. difference in the Democrats barely taking What was the most consequential thing control of Congress and a Democratic Party Obama did as president? He passed the wave election similar to what the Republicans Affordable Care Act, known as “Obamacare,” had in 2010. and a “BFD” according to Vice President Joe It may not be much, but those “crumbs” are Biden. at least on the positive side of the ledger. And For a lot of people, it was a hit to their if an incumbent Republican makes his case wallets. Sure, now they had “access” to by asking, “Are you better off now than you affordable health care. But it was compulsory were two years ago?” — what would be the access. You either had it, or you paid a fine. response? Even if you didn’t know what was good for you and didn’t want this health insurance, you

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BUSINESS | THE REAL DEAL

Little Custom Homes plans large local footprint BY RON SIVAK/COLUMNIST/BUSINESS@LAGNIAPPEMOBILE.COM Wilson, Arkansas-based company Little Custom Homes recently expanded operations into Mobile, bringing its business model of offering small, affordable homes to the local area. The company offers one- to three-bedroom floor plans ranging in area from 512 to 1,200 square feet. Little Custom Homes promotes its biggest competitive advantage as its process of building each house indoors and then having it transported to a final destination and set on a permanent foundation. According to company owner Bill Joe Denton, this indoor building method eliminates weather delays and reduces labor costs, in theory. Per a news release, the company leased the former Vanity Fair building in Irvington, at 12045 Padgett Switch Road, and plans to hire upwards of 100 local employees within its first three years of local operation. The company got its start with the goal of using traditional Craftsman-style building methods versus modern manufacturing methods as a way to revitalize Arkansas communities. “What began as a thoughtful conversation with family, co-workers and friends has come to fruition in Arkansas. We believed this business model could be replicated in other communities, and we believe Mobile is rich with opportunity for our company,” Denton said. “The attractiveness of this project was providing opportunities to put affordable homes in areas that need revitalization while maintaining Mobile’s rich architectural style,” David Rodgers, Mobile Area Chamber’s senior project manager of economic development, said. With standard amenities including vaulted ceilings with exposed cedar beams, crown molding and Craftsmanstyle porches, the company’s target markets pinpoints low-

to moderate-income residents as well as those looking for a retirement and/or beach home. “I knew from the start this was a project we wanted. Little Custom Homes will offer quality homes throughout Mobile County for residents of all income levels, something our community needs and is critical to the economic development process,” Jerry Carl, Mobile County Commissioner, said. In an article published last year in the Economic Development Journal, author David Schwartz wrote, “Nationally, housing costs continue to escalate faster than incomes, creating a wide spectrum of affordability and quality-of-life problems. Not only are there challenges in dealing with the problem and its supply-and-demand circumstances, but there are challenges in avoiding the consequences that exacerbate problems and deteriorate a community’s economic competitiveness.” “We welcome this investment by Little Custom Homes because it means more than just jobs. The location of their manufacturing operations here will help with neighborhood development by providing more options for potential homeowners. Mobile is open for business and we are excited to watch them grow,” Mobile Mayor Sandy Stimpson said. Commercial real estate moves • Volkert Engineering recently signed a lease for 14,696 square feet of space at Montlimar Place, located at 1110 Montlimar Drive in West Mobile. The engineering firm will relocate its offices from Moffett Road, according to Sharon Wright of White-Spunner Realty, which represented the tenant. NAI Mobile represented the landlord and handled

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property management work for the building. Contact Tommy Gleason, CCIM, at NAI Mobile for current availabilities and information on the sale of the property. • 2C Innovated Technology LLC, a company providing comprehensive computer services, is leasing 7,113 square feet of space inside the Mobile Office Park, located at 3929 Airport Blvd. in Mobile. Valarian Couch, CEO, is a Mobile native, an Army veteran and responsible for initiating plans to expand from 2C’s headquarters in Bonifay, Florida, into the area by mid-February. Jack Conger, leasing executive with Stirling Properties, handled the transaction. • The former Hardee’s building at 13350 N. Wintzell Ave. in Bayou La Batre was recently leased to Rhonda Deweese, who plans to open Krain’s, a Mexican-concept restaurant that will occupy the entirety of the 3,400-square-foot property. David Dexter and J.T. Jenkins of NAI Mobile managed the transactions. • Cameron Weavil, vice president of the Mobile-based Weavil Co., recently sold a 3,000-square-foot historic property located at 1105 Dauphin St. in midtown Mobile. The two-story site was built in 1907 and is situated directly across from popular wine bar Red and White. The seller, Ryan Studio, an interior design studio and furniture store, is downsizing its business to solely design products and no longer needs a brickand-mortar location, according to Weavil. The building sold for $265,000 to Landmark Consulting of San Diego, and was represented by Donny Frazier of The Cummings Co. Weavil worked for the seller. • Also reported by the Weavil Co. was the lease of the former Stacey Manor Assisted Living Facility to Bayou Oaks Assisted Living Facility, located at 1045 Novatan Road N. in Mobile. The 16-room, 6,789-square-foot facility sits on 2.67 acres. Plans are in place to add additional rooms. The site currently has 10 bathrooms, a full kitchen, a pharmacy and a full complement of security cameras. Designed to care for people who are mentally ill, infirm or elderly, the site is situated near Tanner Williams Road.

Mitchell College names Carroll as IMPACT member

Wilkins Miller LLC, an accounting and advisory firm with offices in Mobile and Fairhope, recently announced W. Allen Carroll Jr., a partner with the firm, was selected as a Mitchell College of Business IMPACT member. As part of the college’s 50th anniversary, 50 individuals were selected by a committee of alumni, faculty and university employees for their leadership and contributions that have been instrumental to the growth and development of the college. IMPACT members were recently honored at MCOB’s anniversary event. Carroll graduated from the University of South Alabama with a bachelor’s degree in business administration with a concentration in accounting. He serves on the USA Foundation Board of Directors and the Mobile Area Chamber of Commerce Board of Advisors, and has served in several leadership positions with community organizations.

Fe b r u a r y 1 4 , 2 0 1 8 - Fe b r u a r y 2 0 , 2 0 1 8 | L AG N I A P P E | 17

DONUTS, COFFEE & SANDWICHES 1976 Michigan Ave. • 442-4846 3876 Airport Blvd. • 219-7369 505 Schillinger Rd. S. • 442-4845 29160 US Hwy 98 • 621-2228

$10/PERSON • $$ 10-25/PERSON • $$$ OVER 25/PERSON

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

AL’S HOTDOGS ($)

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

ATLANTA BREAD COMPANY ($-$$) SANDWICHES, SALADS & MORE. 3680 Dauphin St. • 380-0444

BAKE MY DAY ($)

OLD-FASHIONED SOUTHERN BAKE SHOP 156 N. McGregor Ave. • 219-7261

BOB’S DINER ($)

GOOD OLD AMERICAN COOKING 263 St. Francis St. • 405-1497

BRICK & SPOON ($)

3662 Airport Blvd. Suite A • 525-9177

BUCK’S DINER ($)

CLASSIC AMERICAN DINER 58 N. Secion St. Fairhope • 928-8521

CAFE 219 ($)

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

CAMELLIA CAFÉ ($-$$$)

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

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

CARPE DIEM ($)

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

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

CHAT-A-WAY CAFE ($)

QUICHES & SANDWICHES 4366 Old Shell Rd. • 343-9889

CHICK-FIL-A ($)

107 St. Francis St. • 415-1700 3244 Dauphin St. • 476-0320 3215 Bel Air Mall • 476-8361 4707 Airport Blvd. • 461-9933 435 Schillinger Rd. • 639-1163 1682 US HWY 98 • Daphne • 621-3215 30500 AL 181 • Spanish Fort • 621-3020

CHICKEN SALAD CHICK ($)

CHICKEN SALAD, SALAD & SOUP 2370 S. Hillcrest Rd. Unit R • 660-0501 5753 Old Shell Rd. • 408-3236 1802 US Hwy 98 Suite F• 625-1092

CHI-TOWN DAWGZ ($)

E WING HOUSE ($)

EUGENE’S MONKEY BAR ($)

MONTEGO’S ($-$$)

15 N Conception St. • 433-2299

FATHOMS LOUNGE

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

FLOUR GIRLS BAKERY ($) 809 Hillcrest Rd. • 634-2285

FIREHOUSE SUBS ($)

HOT SUBS, COLD SALADS & CATERING 6300 Grelot Rd. • 631-3730

FIVE GUYS BURGERS & FRIES ($) BURGERS, MILKSHAKES & FRIES 4401 Old Shell Rd. • 447-2394 4663 Airport Blvd. • 300-8425 5319 Hwy 90 • 661-0071 1225 Satchel Page Dr.• 378-8768

FOOSACKLY’S ($)

FAMOUS CHICKEN FINGERS 29181 US Hwy 98 • Daphne • 375-1104 7843 Moffett Rd. • 607-6196 1109 Shelton Beach Rd. • 287-1423 310 S. University Blvd. • 343-0047 2250 Airport Blvd. • 479-2922 7641 Airport Blvd. • 607-7667 2558 Schillinger Rd. • 219-7761 3249 Dauphin St. • 479-2000

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

GULF COAST EXPLOREUM CAFE ($)

3869 Airport Blvd. • 345-9544 5470 Inn Rd. • 661-9117 28975 US 98 • Daphne • 625-3910

JAMAICAN VIBE ($)

MIND-BLOWING ISLAND FOOD 3700 Gov’t Blvd. Ste A • 602-1973

JERSEY MIKE’S ($)

AUTHENTIC SUB SANDWICHES 29660 AL-181 • DAPHNE • 626-3161 3151 Daupin St• 525-9917 7449 Airport Blvd. • 375-1820

JIMMY JOHN’S ($)

SANDWICHES, CATERING & DELIVERY TOO 6920 Airport Blvd. • 414-5444 9 Du Rhu Dr. • 340-8694 62 B Royal St. • 432-0360

JOE CAIN CAFÉ ($)

PIZZAS, SANDWICHES, COCKTAILS 26 N. Royal St. • 338-2000

JONELLI’S ($)

1252 Govenment St.• 301-7556

LICKIN’ GOOD DONUTS ($)

COFFEE, BREAKFAST, LUNCH, DESSERT 351 George St #B • 405-0003

LODA BIER GARTEN ($)

HOT LUNCH, DAILY MENU (INSIDE VIA) 1717 Dauphin St. • 470-5231

MAMA’S ($)

PHILLY CHEESE STEAKS, GYROS & MORE 7101-A Theodore Dawes Rd. • 653-2979

MARS HILL CAFE ($)

22159 Halls Mill Rd. . • 648-6522

MARY’S SOUTHERN COOKING ($)

D’ MICHAEL’S ($) D NU SPOT ($)

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

DEW DROP INN ($)

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

DUNKIN DONUTS ($)

HOME COOKING 4054 Government St. • 665-4557 3915 Gov’t Blvd. • 219-7922 PUB FOOD AND DRAFT BEERS 251 Dauphin St. • 287-6871

SLAP YOUR MAMA GOOD HOME COOKING 220 Dauphin St. • 432-6262

NEWK’S EXPRESS CAFE ($)

OVEN-BAKED SANDWICHES & MORE 1335 Satchel Page Dr. Suite C. • 287-7356 7440 Airport Blvd. • 633-0096 Eastern Shore Center • Spanish Fort • 625-6544

NOURISH CAFE ($)

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

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

OLD SHELL GROWLERS ($) GROWLER STATION AND BITES 1801 Old Shell Rd. • 345-4767

PANINI PETE’S ($)

ORIGINAL SANDWICH AND BAKE SHOP 42 ½ Section St. • Fairhope • 929-0122 102 Dauphin St. • 405-0031 BAR FOOD 271 Dauphin St • 438-9585

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

PUNTA CLARA KITCHEN ($)

MIKO’S ITALIAN ICE ($)

DAILY SPECIALS MADE FROM SCRATCH 57 N. Claiborne St. • 694-6853

THE GALLEY ($)

OPEN FOR LUNCH, INSIDE GULFQUEST 155 S. Water St • 436-8901 113 Dauphin St.• 436-0989

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

THE SUNFLOWER CAFE ($) INSIDE VIRGINIA’S HEALTH FOOD 3055 A Dauphin St • 479-3200

THYME BY THE BAY ($-$$)

33 N Section St. • Fairhope • 990-5635

TIME TO EAT CAFE ($)

DOWN-HOME COUNTRY COOKIN 7351 Theodore Dawes Rd. • 654-0228 13665 N. Wintzell Ave. • 824-1119

TIN ROOF ($-$$)

SOUTHERN CASUAL FAMILY DINING 10800 US HWY 31 • Spanish Fort• 621-4995

TP CROCKMIERS ($)

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

THREE GEORGES CANDY SHOP ($) LIGHT LUNCH WITH SOUTHERN FLAIR. 226 Dauphin St. • 433-6725

TROPICAL SMOOTHIE ($)

GREAT SMOOTHIES, WRAPS & SANDWICHES. Du Rhu Dr. • 378-5648 570 Schillinger Road • 634-3454

UNCLE JIMMY’S DELICIOUS HOTDOGS ($)

334 Fairhope Ave • Fairhope • 928-2399

WAREHOUSE BAKERY & DONUTS ($)

R BISTRO ($-$$)

REGINA’S KITCHEN ($-$$) SANDWICHES, SUBS & SOUPS 2056 Gov’t St. • 476-2777

ROLY POLY ($)

2550 Dauphin Island Pkwy S. • 307-5328

85 N. Bancroft St. Fairhope • 990.8883

SANDWICHES, SOUTHWEST FARE, 7 DAYS 1203 Hwy 98 Ste. 3D • Daphne • 626-2440

AUTHENTIC FOODS FROM HIMALAYAN REGION 3210 Dauphin St. • 287-0115 400 Eastern Shore Center • 459-2862

ROYAL KNIGHT ($)

‘CUE

ROYAL STREET CAFE ($) HOMEMADE LUNCH & BREAKFAST 104 N. Royal St. • 434-0011

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

SATORI COFFEEHOUSE ($)

COFFEE, SMOOTHIES, LUNCH & BEERS. 5460 Old Shell Rd. • 344-4575 COFFEE, LUNCHES, LIVE MUSIC & GELATO 3 Royal St. S. • 415-3000 CUPCAKE BOUTIQUE 6207 Cottage Hill Rd. Suite B • 665-3003

STEVIE’S KITCHEN ($)

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

SUGAR RUSH DONUT CO. ($)

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AWARD-WINNING BARBQUE 1111 Gov’t Blvd. • 433-7427

SMOKEY DEMBO SMOKE HOUSE ($) 3758 Dauphin Island Pkwy. • 473-1401

DROP DEAD GOURMET

BACKYARD CAFE & BBQ ($) HOME COOKIN’ LIKE MOMMA MADE. 2804 Springhill Ave. • 473-4739

BAR-B-QUING WITH MY HONEY ($$) BBQ, BURGERS, WINGS & SEAFOOD 19170 Hwy 43 Mt. Vernon. • 829-9227

BAY BARBECUE ($) 59 N Florida St.

BRICK PIT ($)

A FAVORITE BARBECUE SPOT 5456 Old Shell Rd. • 343-0001

COTTON STATE BBQ ($)

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

DICKEY’S BARBECUE PIT ($-$$) BBQ AND MORE Jubilee Sq.Ctr. Hwy 90, Daphne • 210-2151 McGowin Park Ctr. Satchel Paige Dr. • 471-1050 7721 Airport Blvd. • 380-8957

DREAMLAND BBQ ($)

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

A LITTLE VINO DOMKE MARKET

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

FOOD PAK

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

POUR BABY

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

FIREHOUSE WINE BAR & SHOP 216 St Francis St. • 421-2022

RED OR WHITE

BAY GOURMET ($$)

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

BRIQUETTES STEAKHOUSE ($-$$)

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

A PREMIER CATERER & COOKING CLASSES 1880-A Airport Blvd. • 450-9051 GRILLED STEAKS, CHICKEN & SEAFOOD 312 Schillinger Rd • 607-7200 901 Montlimar Dr • 408-3133

CHUCK’S FISH ($$)

ROYAL STREET TAVERN SOUTHERN NAPA

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

SEAFOOD AND SUSHI 551 Dauphin St.• 219-7051

FALAFEL? TRY SOME HUMMUS

HIGH QUALITY FOOD & DRINKS 251 Government St • 460-3157

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

DAUPHIN’S ($$-$$$)

4861 Bit & Spur Rd. • 340-6464

CORNER 251 ($-$$)

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

7 SPICE ($-$$)

ABBA’S MEDITERRANEAN CAFE ($-$$) ISTANBUL GRILL ($)

DUMBWAITER ($$-$$$)

AUTHENTIC TURKISH & MEDITERRANEAN 3702 Airport Blvd. • 461-6901

FIVE ($$)

MOBILE’S OLDEST MIDDLE EASTERN CUISINE 5773 Airport Blvd. • 304-1155

9 Du Rhu Dr. Suite 201 167 Dauphin St. • 445-3802

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

KITCHEN ON GEORGE ($-$$)

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

LAUNCH ($-$$)

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

NOBLE SOUTH ($$)

YAK THE KATHMANDU KITCHEN ($-$$)

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

SAUCY Q BARBQUE ($)

1500 Gov’t St. • 287-1526

WILD WING STATION ($)

2906 Springhill Ave. • 479-4614

ROSIE’S GRILL ($-$$)

BARBEQUE & MUSIC Bayfront Park Dr. • Daphne • 625-RIBS 701 Springhill Ave. • 410-7427 4672 Airport Blvd. • 300-8516

MAGHEE’S GRILL ON THE HILL ($-$$)

THE WINDMILL MARKET ($)

ROSHELL’S CAFE ($)

5401 Cottage Hill Rd. • 591-4842

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

WRAPS & SALADS 3220 Dauphin St. • 479-2480

SIMPLY SWEET ($)

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

THE BLIND MULE ($)

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

3011 Springhill Ave. • 476-2232

MCSHARRY’S ($-$$)

MOE’S ORIGINAL BAR B QUE ($)

THE PIGEON HOLE ($)

SERDA’S COFFEEHOUSE ($)

6358 Cottage Hill Rd. • 725-6917

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

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

GREAT SANDWICHES, COFFEE & MORE 1087 Downtowner Blvd. • 643-1611

MICHELI’S CAFE ($)

MEAT BOSS ($)

SUNSET POINTE ($-$$)

THE HARBERDASHER ($)

MOSTLY MUFFINS ($)

POLLMAN’S BAKERY ($)

HOOTERS ($)

4701 Airport Blvd. • 408-3379

107 St Francis St #115 • RSA Bank Trust Building

SEAFOOD & SANDWICHES 212 ½ Fairhope Ave •Fairhope • 928-4100

GUMBO SHACK ($-$$)

1880 Industrial Pkwy. • 675-2999

DAUPHIN ST. CAFE ($)

MOON PIE GENERAL STORE ($)

PAT’S DOWNTOWN GRILL ($)

JUDY’S PLACE ($-$$)

CREAM AND SUGAR ($)

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

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

CHICAGO STYLE EATERY 1222 Hillcrest Rd. • 461-6599

CONNECTION FROZEN YOGURT ($)

MOMMA GOLDBERG’S DELI ($) SANDWICHES & MOMMA’S LOVE 3696 Airport Blvd. • 344-9500 5602 Old Shell Rd. • 287-6556

195 S University Blvd. Suite H • 662-1829

COMPLETELY COMFORTABLE

HOTDOGS SANDWICHES & COOL TREATS 3371 Dauphin Island Pkwy • 300–4015

GREAT LUNCH & DINNER 3607 Old Shell Rd. • 445-8700 LOCAL INGREDIENTS 203 Dauphin St. • 690-6824

JERUSALEM CAFE ($-$$)

MEDITERRANEAN SANDWICH COMPANY ($)

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

MINT HOOKAH BISTRO ($) GREAT MEDITERRANEAN FOOD. 5951 Old Shell Rd. • 450-9191

OLLIE’S MEDITERRANEAN GRILL ($-$$) MEDITERRANEAN RESTAURANT & HOOKAH 1248 Hillcrest St • 634-9820

NOJA ($$-$$$)

TAZIKI’S ($-$$)

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

MEDITERRANEAN CAFE 1539 US HWY 98•Daphne • 273-3337

OSMAN’S RESTAURANT ($$)

FAR EASTERN FARE

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

ROYAL SCAM ($$)

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

RUTH’S CHRIS STEAK HOUSE ($$$) EXCEPTIONAL SERVICE & TASTE 271 Glenwood St. • 476-0516

ANG BAHAY KUBO ($$) 4513 Old Shell Rd.• 473-0007

BAMBOO STEAKHOUSE ($$) SUSHI BAR 650 Cody Rd. S • 300-8383

BANGKOK THAI ($-$$)

SAGE RESTAURANT ($$)

DELICIOUS, TRADITIONAL THAI CUISINE 28600 US 98 • Daphne • 626-5286 3821 Airport Blvd. • 344-9995

SOUTHERN NATIONAL ($$-$$$)

TRADITIONAL SUSHI & LUNCH. 312 Schillinger Rd. • 633-9077

VON’S BISTRO ($-$$)

BENJAS ($)

TAMARA’S DOWNTOWN ($$)

CHARM ($-$$)

THE TRELLIS ROOM ($$$)

CHINA DOLL ($)

INSIDE THE MOBILE MARRIOTT 3101 Airport Blvd. • 476-6400 360 Dauphin St • 308-2387

BANZAI JAPANESE RESTAURANT ($$)

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

THAI & SUSHI 5369 D Hwy 90 W • 661-5100

CASUAL FINE DINING 104 N. Section St. • Fairhope • 929-2219

THAI KITCHEN & SUSHI BAR 960 Schillinger Rd. S • 660-4470

CONTEMPORARY SOUTHERN CUISINE Battle House Hotel, Royal St. • 338-5493

THE WASH HOUSE ($$)

17111 Scenic HWY 98 • Point Clear • 928-4838

3966 Airport Blvd.• 343-5530

CUISINE OF INDIA ($$) LUNCH BUFFET 3674 Airport Blvd. • 341-6171

FUJI SAN ($)

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

GOLDEN BOWL ($)

HIBACHI GRILL & ASIAN CUISINE 309 Bel Air Blvd • 470-8033

HIBACHI 1 ($-$$)

2370 Hillcrest Rd. Unit B • 380-6062

ICHIBAN SUSHI ($)

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

KAI JAPANESE RESTAURANT ($-$$) QUALITY FOOD, EXCELLENT SERVICE 5045 Cottage Hill Rd. • 607-6454

LIQUID ($$)

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

RICE ASIAN GRILL & SUSHI BAR ($) 3964 Gov’t Blvd. • 378-8083

ROCK N ROLL SUSHI ($$)

273 S. McGregor Ave • 287-0445 6345 Airport Blvd. • 287-0555 940 Industrial Pkwy • 308-2158 6850 US HWY 98 • Daphne • 753-4367

STIX ($$)

610240 Eastern Shore Blvd. • 621-9088

TASTE OF THAI ($$)

30500 AL-181 • Spanish Fort • 206-8768 3654 Airport Blvd. • 338-9350

HURRICANE GRILL & WINGS ($-$$)

9 Du Rhu Dr. • 340-6611

GULF COAST CUISINE, REINVENTED 200 E. 25th Ave. • Gulf Shores • 967-5858

ISLAND WING CO ($)

PIZZA, SUBS & PASTA 1368 ½ Navco Rd.• 479-0066

MANCIS ($)

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

LUCY B. GOODE ($$)

WINGS, SEAFOOD, BURGERS & BEER 7721 Airport Blvd. Suite E-180 • 639-6832

LULU’S ($$)

EVERYTHING BAKED OR GRILLED 2617 Dauphin St. • 476-9464

LIVE MUSIC & GREAT SEAFOOD 200 E. 25th Ave. • Gulf Shores • 967-5858

MUDBUGS AT THE LOOP ($) CAJUN KITCHEN & SEAFOOD MARKET 2005 Government St. • 478-9897

OFF THE HOOK MARINA & GRILL ($) CAJUN INSPIRED/FRESH SEAFOOD & MORE 621 N Craft Hwy • Chickasaw • 422-3412

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

R&R SEAFOOD ($-$$)

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

RIVER SHACK ($-$$)

BAUDEAN’S ($$)

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

THE BLUEGILL ($-$$)

A HISTORIC SEAFOOD DIVE W/ LIVE MUSIC 3775 Hwy. 98 • 625-1998

BONEFISH GRILL ($$)

ECLECTIC DINING & SPACE 6955 Airport Blvd. • 633-7196

BOUDREAUX’S CAJUN GRILL ($-$$) QUALITY CAJUN & NEW ORLEANS CUISINE 29249 US Highway 98 Daphne. • 621-1991

CRAVIN CAJUN/DIP SEAFOOD ($) PO-BOYS, SALADS & SEAFOOD 1870 Dauphin Island Pkwy • 287-1168

ED’S SEAFOOD SHED ($$)

FRIED SEAFOOD SERVED IN HEFTY PORTIONS 3382 Hwy. 98 • 625-1947

FELIX’S FISH CAMP ($$) UPSCALE DINING WITH A VIEW 1420 Hwy. 98 • 626-6710

FISHERMAN’S LEGACY ($) DELI, MARKET AND CATERING. 4380 Halls Mill Rd. • 665-2266

HALF SHELL OYSTER HOUSE ($)

BAR & GRILL 29740 Urgent Care Dr. • Daphne • 662-9639 6255 Airport Blvd. • 447-2514

OLD 27 GRILL ($)

BURGERS, DOGS & 27 BEERS & WINES. 19992 Hwy.181 Old County Rd. Fairhope • 281-2663

LUCKY’S IRISH PUB ($)

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

THE HARBOR ROOM ($-$$)

751 Azalea Rd. • 301-7964

FROM THE DEPTHS

MUG SHOTS ($$)

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

THE GRAND MARINER ($-$$)

UPSCALE SUSHI & HIBACHI 364 Azalea Rd. • 343-6622

JAPANESE CUISINE 3654 Airport Blvd. S. C • 725-6078

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

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

9091 US-90 Irvington • 957-1414

WASABI SUSHI ($$)

MCSHARRY’S IRISH PUB ($)

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

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

TOKYO JAPANESE STEAK HOUSE ($$)

1715 Main St. • 375-0543

WEMOS ($)

THE SEAFOOD HOUSE ($-$$)

MAMA MIA!

TIN TOP RESTAURANT & OYSTER BAR ($$)

DELIVERY 350 Dauphin St. • 431-9444

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

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

AUTHENTIC ITALIAN DISHES 312 Fairhope Ave. • Fairhope • 990-5535

MARIA BONITA AGAVE BAR & GRILL ($-$$)

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

PIZZERIA DELFINA ($)

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

TRATTORIA PIZZA & ITALIAN ($$) ITALIAN FOOD & PIZZAS 11311 US HIghway 31 Spanish Fort• 375-0076

VIA EMILIA ($$)

ROOSTER’S ($)

C&G GRILLE ($)

TAQUERIA CANCUN ($)

PALACE CASINO:

AUTHENTIC MEXICAN FLAVOR 3733 Airport Blvd. • 414-4496

NO GAMBLING CASINO FARE

MOUTH WATERING MEXICAN FOOD 1175 Battleship Pkwy • 625-2722

GRIMALDI’S ($)

MEXICAN CUISINE 260 Azalea Rd. • 375-1095

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

CINCO DE MAYO ($)

FRESH CUISINE NIGHTLY ON MENU 1709 Main St. • Daphne • 626-6082

DON CARLOS MEXICAN RESTAURANT

GUIDO’S ($$)

HOUSE OF PIZZA ($)

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

MARCO’S PIZZA ($)

MELLOW MUSHROOM ($)

PIES & AWESOME BEER SELECTION 2032 Airport Blvd. • 471-4700 5660 Old Shell Rd. • 380-1500 2409 Schillinger Rd S • 525-8431 29698 Frederick Blvd.• Daphne • 621-3911

MIRKO ($$) PASTA & MORE

CQ ($$-$$$)

STALLA ($$)

EXOTIC CUISINE AND SUSHI

BLU ($)

TERRACE CAFE ($)

WIND CREEK CASINO:

HARD ROCK CASINO:

777 Beach Blvd.Biloxi • 877-877-6256

RUTH’S CHRIS STEAK HOUSE ($$$)

763 Holcombe Ave • 473-0413

SATISFACTION ($-$$)

EL MARIACHI ($)

LA ROSSO ($$)

JIA ($-$$)

212 Fairhope Ave. • 928-8108

1252 Gov’t St. • 301-7556

EL PAPI

615 Dauphin St • (251) 308-2655

1980 Beach Blvd. Biloxi • 800-747-2839

THE DEN ($-$$)

29669 Alabama 181 • Spanish Fort • (251) 625-3300

EL CAMINO TACO SHACK ($)

JONELLI’S ($)

BURGERS AND EVERYTHING IN BETWEEN

LOCAL SEAFOOD AND 40+ BEERS

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

3958 Snow Rd C. • Semmes • 645-3400

INTERACTIVE ASIAN DINING

COAST SEAFOOD & BREW ($-$$)

BREAKFAST, LUNCH, DINNER, LATE NIGHT

DAUPHIN ST. TAQUERIA ($)

STEAKS, SEAFOOD, FINE WINE

PLACE BUFFET ($-$$)

AMAZING ARRAY OF MOUTH-WATERING FOOD.

ITALIAN COOKING

Bel Air Mall • 476-2063

MIGNON’S ($$$)

TREASURE BAY:

GAMBINO’S ITALIAN GRILL ($)

CAFÉ DEL RIO ($-$$)

158 Howard Ave. Biloxi • 800-725-2239

BR PRIME ($$-$$$)

TASTE OF MEXICO 5452 Hwy 90 W • 661-5509

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

LARGE BREAKFAST, LUNCH OR DINNER MENU

STACKED GRILL ($-$$)

FINE DINING ESTABLISHMENT.

AZTECAS ($-$$)

RICH TRADITIONS, STEAK, SEAFOOD

BEAU RIVAGE:

875 Beach Blvd. Biloxi • 888-952-2582

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

SEAFOOD

CARTER GREEN STEAKHOUSE ($$-$$$)

TAQUERIA MEXICO ($-$$)

WINGS, PO-BOYS, BURGERS 210 Eastern Shore Center, Hwy. 98 • 929-0002

3300 W. Beach Blvd. Biloxi • 877-774-8439

POOR MEXICAN ($)

3172 International Dr. • 476-9967

TAMARA’S BAR & GRILL ($)

CASUAL & RELAXING, EXTENSIVE MENU

BEACH BLVD STEAMER ($)

LATIN AMERICAN FOOD 211 Dauphin St. • 375-1076

ROMA CAFE ($-$$)

INTERACTIVE ASIAN DINING

HIGH TIDE CAFÉ ($)

HEARTY MEXICAN FARE 736 holcombe Ave.• 473-0413 3050 AL 181 • Spanish Fort • 621-7433

PIZZA & PASTA 107 Dauphin St. • 375-1644

SEAFOOD, STEAKS, WINE

TIEN ($-$$)

ISLAND VIEW:

OLÉ MI AMIGO ($-$$)

RAVENITE ($)

THIRTY-TWO ($$$)

MEXICAN CUISINE 3977 Gov’t Blvd. • 660-4970

CORTLANDT’S PIZZA PUB ($-$$)

BUTCH CASSIDY’S ($)

BURGERS & BEER 916 Charleston St. • 433-9374

PINZONE’S ITALIAN VILLAGE ($$)

THE BUFFET ($-$$)

5055 Cottage Hill Rd. • 308-4888 2394 Dawes Rr. • 639-3535 2004 US 98 • Daphne • 265-6550

CALLAGHAN’S IRISH SOCIAL CLUB ($)

PAPA’S PLACE ($$)

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

LOS ARCOS ($)

OLÉ MI AMIGO!

BUFFALO WILD WINGS ($)

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

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

BUCK’S PIZZA ($$)

COMFORT FOOD 1716 Main St. Ste. C • Daphne • 281-2982

BEST WINGS & SPORTING EVENTS 6341 Airport Blvd. • 378-5955

NAVCO PIZZA ($$)

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

INTIMATE & CASUAL WITH DAILY SPECIALS ELEGANT ATMOSPHERE & TANTALIZING ENTREES LOUNGE WITH COCKTAILS & TAPAS MENU

303 Poarch Rd. Atmore • 866-946-3360

FIRE ($$-$$$)

PRIME STEAKS, SEAFOOD & WINE

GRILL ($)

CONTEMPORARY & OLD-FASHIONED FAVORITES

SCARLET PEARL:

9380 Central Avenue D’Iberville • 800266-5772

FUEGO ($-$$)

HARRAH’S GULF COAST:

CHEF WENDY’S BAKING ($-$$)

FUZZY’S TACO SHOP ($)

MAGNOLIA HOUSE ($$-$$$)

CLASSIC ALL-AMERICAN CASUAL CUISINE WITH OVER 100 OPTIONS.

HACIENDA SAN MIGUEL ($-$$)

FLAVORS BUFFET ($-$$)

OUTSTANDING MEXICAN CUISINE 2066 Old Shell Rd. • 378-8621 5713 Old Shell Rd.• 338-9697

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

LA COCINA ($)

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

280 Beach Blvd. Biloxi • 288-436-2946

MADE-TO-ORDER FESTIVE TREATS AND SPECIALTY CAKES.

UNDER THE OAK CAFE ($-$$)

FINE DINING, SEAFOOD AND STEAKS

WATERFRONT BUFFET ($$-$$$)

ALL YOU CAN EAT BUFFET

CHOPSTX NOODLE BAR - $-$$

THE BLIND TIGER ($-$$)

SOUPS, SALADS, FRESH SEAFOOD, AND MORE

VIETNAMESE SANDWICHES, PHO, AND APPETIZERS.

quality food and simple unique cocktails

SCARLET’S STEAKS & SEAFOOD ($$$)

IP CASINO:

BUTLER’S BAR & LOUNGE ($$)

850 Bayview Ave. Bilox • 888-946-2847

SAVORY STEAKS AND SEAFOOD

EXTRAORDINARY DRINK MENU, COCKTAILS

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CUISINE THE REVIEW

The grocery store deli meal showdown BY ANDY MACDONALD/CUISINE EDITOR | FATMANSQUEEZE@COMCAST.NET

Photo | DepositPhotos

eek in, week out, I gush or gripe on and on about restaurant after restaurant with a little ink going toward recipes, parties or food events. I can’t say that I ever remember doing a review of a grocery store deli. Why not? I guess it never crossed my mind. Weird how things like that go unchecked. As a kid I’d have the Jitney Jungle deli once every week or two. One summer home from college I took a part-time gig at a Kroger and managed a streak of eating mashed potatoes once per shift for almost three months. Even now at the ripe old age of whatever it is I’m about to turn, I spend a good bit of my paycheck in grocery delis throughout Mobile and Baldwin counties. I’d be hesitant to call myself an expert on the subject, but I would be comfortable assuming I am more knowledgeable about the matter than most. In the vacuum left by the disappearance of my favorite “meat and threes,” the grocery deli is a great place to get a hot meal even grandma would be proud of.

Here are a few of my favorites. Winn-Dixie

There were many before her, but when Winn-Dixie metamorphosed from Crack-Dixie to Mac-Dixie some eight or so years ago, its deli caught our attention here at Lagniappe. Salad bar, olive bar, hot bar, chicken pot pie, barbecue and wings all sold by the pound was the official meal of Lagniappe editorial meetings. Some of us salad lovers almost died of blue cheese

SALAD BAR, OLIVE BAR, HOT BAR, CHICKEN POT PIE, BARBECUE AND WINGS ALL SOLD BY THE POUND WAS THE OFFICIAL MEAL OF LAGNIAPPE EDITORIAL MEETINGS. overdoses while others savored the hot stuff. It was hard to pass up. We really flipped when they had the sushi guy rolling daily. I hold Winn-Dixie responsible for the renaissance of the supermarket lunch.

Publix

Publix coming to Mobile was really big news. The deli was different from those we were used to. Of course they had the daily special hot meals, salad bar and soups but they also had chicken. You can get as much chicken as you can stand at Publix and it’s pretty good. Wings, tenders, bone-in, combos and family meals, rotisserie and anything fried, the chicken at Publix isn’t necessarily Southern, but I like it. You can often find a box of spicy that won’t melt your taste buds but will rev your motor. Add to that sandwiches, subs and smokehouse items such as pulled pork, ribs and, you guessed it, more chicken, and you’ll know Publix really has its own thing going.

Rouses

Mobile is a town very much in love with New Orleans. Like a school crush, our city taunts them in playground

With fresh meats, hot vegetables, salad ingredients and more, your local supermarket deli can become your go-to place for ready-to-eat meals.

fashion over the origin of Mardi Gras, but we all know we just Greers want a little attention from her. My Greer’s is the one at Dauphin and Interstate 65. If I We prefer to live here, but we brag on knowing the best had to pick a favorite deli this would be it. I can’t quite put my places to eat in the Big Easy. When Rouses announced they finger on it other than to say the food is so good and incredibly were coming, every wannabe who ever visited the Quarter was cheap. Yes, the salad and chicken wings are sold by the pound, on pins and needles, and with good reason, too. but at the hot bar you simply get what you pay for. It’s about the only place you regularly find tasso. They The baked chicken is better than the stuff I make at home, smoke their own meats, age their own beef and always have I concede, and mine is not too shabby. The boys love the fried Gulf seafood along with amazing produce from near and far. fish and thick green beans with macaroni and cheese. But this is a story about deli food. About a year or two ago I was reading the calendar Serving breakfast, lunch and dinner, of daily specials and noticed they have Rouses puts the Louisiana spin on just chicken livers on either Wednesday or about everything. Where else are you going Tuesday. “Gosh, I sure would love some to get shrimp and mirlitons? I do love their chicken livers but I work across the bay on hot bar’s consistency and the salad bar is that day.” well-stocked with fresh fruit and greens of “Well, what day do you work in WITHOUT FAIL THE HOGGLY many sorts. You can even get a wedge. I Mobile?” asked the deli lady. “Mondays,” WOGGLY OUTPERFORMS THESE try my best to steer clear of the pastries but I replied. Since that fateful day, chicken PLACES IN THE BREAKFAST DEevery once in a while the little devil on my livers have been on the Monday schedule PARTMENT. BISCUITS WRAPPED shoulder makes me give in. — all because some jerk asked for them. AND READY TO GO ARE GOOD If I said, “gumbo,” which of these Part of it is that I like the small-town ENOUGH. THE BREAKFAST BAR places would you most likely trust? I feel of it. But if I were a poor college HAS FRIED STEAK, THICK-CUT thought so. student away from home I would turn my

Piggly Wiggly

BACON, CHEESE GRITS (AS WELL AS UN-CHEESED), SAUSAGE LINKS AND PATTIES ...

Just after Spanish Fort was outfitted with a Rouses the Piggly Wiggly essentially across the street went through an upgrade. You can certainly get a decent lunch here with many fine products, but the gold is in its breakfast. Without fail the Hoggly Woggly outperforms these places in the breakfast department. Biscuits wrapped and ready to go are good enough. The breakfast bar has fried steak, thick-cut bacon, cheese grits (as well as un-cheesed), sausage links and patties as well as corned beef hash. I salute the pig and its mascot, cannibalistic as its breakfast bar may be.

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nose up to the school cafeteria and make my way to Greer’s whenever I craved a hot meal. Like ripples in a pond, when one grocery store comes along and makes a splash the waves affect all the others. Each store in this timeline added its own thing and upped the ante, but each of these still has a place in my rotation. The next time you go hunting for a good restaurant you may want to reconsider. Try the deli.

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CUISINE | THE BEER PROFESSOR

Bombs away! BY TOM WARD/THE BEER PROFESSOR

Photo | Flickr

Arrogant Bastard Ale, from California’s Arrogant Brewing, is primarily available in 22-ounce “bombers.”

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hope no one gave up beer for Lent. Good, let’s move on then. You’ve probably seen large brown bottles of craft beer on display at your local grocery store, often at the bottom of the rack and near the wine or single beers. Known as “bombers,” these 22-ounce bottles are not designed to be enjoyed on a street corner in a brown paper bag (although having just finished with parade season, that might not be a bad idea). Rather, they are specialty or limited-release brews (often with high alcohol content) that are not usually available in normal 12-ounce six-packs. Bombers are great for both sampling beers you can’t readily find anywhere else and for trying something you’re not sure of without purchasing an entire six- or 12-pack. I like having a couple of them in the fridge to share with friends — break out the tasting glasses, sample a couple of unique brews and see who likes what. While bombers used to be one of the only ways to get a taste of many beers from small and distant craft brewers, as the distribution of craft beers and number of retailers specializing in carrying beers from around the nation grow, the prevalence of bombers has been on the decline. However, you can still find them in most grocery stores that stock craft beer. Bombers remain poplar with a number of excellent West Coast breweries, which offer some of the best, and most unique, beers available anywhere. Oregon’s Rogue Ales previously only released its beers in bombers, although it recently began canning some beers as well, including its fantastic Dead Guy Ale, for

which it is best known. I’ve not seen it in cans around here, however, but there are a number of Rogue styles available locally, including its Cold Brew IPA, which is blended with coffee. I didn’t really taste much coffee, but I did enjoy this hoppy beer with nice floral finishes. Another West Coast favorite available mainly in bombers is the fantastically named Arrogant Bastard Ale from California’s Arrogant Brewing. If you’ve never had an Arrogant Bastard Ale, you need to try one — but be aware, it’s isn’t for the faint of heart. Both malty and hoppy, it is a unique and strong (7.2 percent alcohol by volume) dark ale. Closer to home, Louisiana’s Abita Brewery always puts out a number of seasonal and special bombers, and unlike most brewers, Abita’s bombers tend to be at a reasonable price, usually around $4 to $5 a bottle. I recently tried an Abita bomber in a style I had never seen before, Horchata Turbo Dog, a Latin-inspired take on the Abita staple. As the original Turbo Dog is one of my alltime favorites, I had to give it a go, and I wasn’t disappointed. It had a strong vanilla aroma, and the vanilla and spice finish was a perfect complement to the dark, chocolaty Turbo Dog. For those of you still celebrating the Eagles’ Super Bowl win (and I know a bunch of you who still are, even in Mobile), Philadelphia’s Victory (!) Brewing Co. puts out Golden Monkey, a powerful Belgian ale in a bomber that is superb. However, be careful — at 9.5 percent ABV, too much of this one and you’ll be climbing lampposts.

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COVER STORY

How Global Economics Changed Small-Town Alabama BY JEFF POOR

hundred miles up the Alabama River from Mobile Bay, where the Black Belt meets the Coastal Plains, is uniquely situated Monroe County, a place most Alabamians overlook. Aside from its literary exploits and being geographically situated far from the major thoroughfares, Monroeville, the county seat of Monroe County, clings to a historically forgotten status. Indeed, unless you have a reason to go to Monroeville, it is unlikely you would ever, by happenstance, pop by. Late last month, I had a reason to go to Monroeville. Like most small towns after 6 p.m. on a weekday, the town square surrounding the Monroe County Courthouse is quiet. It’s late January, and Mardi Gras decorations are mixed in with the town’s signature “To Kill a Mockingbird” décor. The lone show of a pulse is the Prop and Gavel, a restaurant that arrived on the courthouse square in 2013. Inside, I am automatically recognized as an outsider. A rare visitor. Why am I there? To get the real scoop on the rise and fall of this small town. In Monroeville, this is synonymous with the rise and fall of the old Vanity Fair “silk mill,” which was once Monroeville’s crown jewel. All three patrons at the bar and the bartender know someone who was once employed by Vanity Fair. “My granddaddy worked there for years,” said one. Monroe County Probate Judge Greg Norris echoed that sentiment. “When I grew up, Vanity Fair was the biggest company in the county,” he said later in an interview. “I think they hired somewhere between 3,000 and 3,500 people. Everybody that you knew had a family member that worked there. Growing up, there’s no telling how many baseball jerseys, football jerseys I put on that Vanity Fair made.” Vanity Fair was a textile manufacturer that got its start at the very end of the 19th century in Pennsylvania and for decades was Monroe County’s largest employer. In 2018, the last remnant of Vanity Fair is a distribution facility, now owned by Fruit of the Loom. But there is still a recognizable footprint left on the town by Vanity Fair. At the corner of Alabama Avenue and Claiborne Street, a historical marker recognizes Vanity Fair as how “Monroeville’s industry got its start” and acknowledges its contributions to the community. Economic development in Depression-era Alabama While in town, I caught up with local historian and newspaper columnist George Thomas Jones. He set the scene of a pre-Vanity Fair Monroeville. Jones, a resident since 1926, described Monroeville back then as a town

of fewer than a thousand people. “It was a real backwards country town,” he said in an interview while seated in his recliner in a local nursing home. “There wasn’t a paved street in town, no sewage system. It hadn’t had electricity but for about three years. But it was a real friendly town. I learned later in life the lifeblood of what makes a town worthwhile are the people.” In 1929, the Great Depression came and lasted through the 1930s. The economy of that time relied on the almost 500 small cotton farmers for the county’s cash crop. Aside from a sawmill or two, there were no industries in the county. The Depression was particularly hard for Monroe County. “In 1929, they had what I remember they called the ‘September gale,’” Jones said. “Well, actually that was a hurricane. It blew all the cotton out of the fields before they could pick it. That hurt. Then the Depression hits about ’30.” Jones, whose father owned the local Ford dealership, was forced to let all of his salesmen go. Aside from that, Jones described living through the Depression in blissful ignorance, which is how many of his contemporaries in the South who survived the downturn have described it. “As kids growing up, we didn’t know there was a Depression,” he said. “We had enough to eat. We had enough to wear. We didn’t have a big wardrobe. But heck, we just thought that’s the way things were supposed to be.” Monroeville still was not the idyllic version of a small town you would see in films. Although the city had paved sidewalks, it wasn’t until 1934 that they started paving the town square, a project that did not wrap up until the next year. The downtown stores had tin sheds over the sidewalks. There were no fireplugs. A sewer system did not arrive until 1930. Several one-room schoolhouses scattered throughout the county served as the local school system. It was not until the mid-1930s that they consolidated the schools — the town did not do this earlier because there were no school buses. And school, back then, did not start until the third week of September because school-aged children had to pick cotton. Monroeville’s fortunes would soon change for the better thanks to one of the most colorful figures in Mobile’s political history: Alabama Congressman Frank Boykin. Perhaps it was by chance, but Boykin had an early morning encounter with Vanity Fair executive Howard “Pop” Snader in the halls of Congress in Washington, D.C., in 1936.

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Snader was there to meet with a member of Pennsylvania’s congressional delegation, but as Jeffrey Rodengen chronicled in his book “The Legend of VF Corporation,” that member arrived late. Word had gotten out that Vanity Fair was looking to locate in the South to evade a wave of unionization in the mid-Atlantic. The member’s late arrival gave Boykin an opportunity to lobby Snader to build a facility in South Alabama, where unions were discouraged and labor was cheap and plentiful. On the list of possible sites was Monroeville and in the end, its location in the middle of nowhere was an advantage in luring a company seeking to disappear from the labor unions’ radar. Vice president J.E. Barbey had been traveling throughout the South looking for such a place. “He wanted a place somewhere in the Deep South that was completely off the beaten track, and boy, Monroeville fit that description,” the historian Jones explained. “You think about it — we’re a hundred miles from any city in any direction. There were no good roads coming into Monroeville. You didn’t come through Monroeville going from one city to another. You come to Monroeville. So, as far as being off the beaten track, Monroeville fit that bill. “And it also fit the bill that there was no industry involving women. They had a wide-open market. They were country folks, and they had learned that country folks made great employees.” Late winter that next year, it was official. The March 4, 1937, issue of The Monroe Journal featured the headline “Vanity Fair Silk Mill assured.” Vanity Fair’s arrival in Monroeville required some concessions. Under the terms of a deal made between the company and county residents and businesses, $40,000 (nearly $700,000 in 2018 dollars) would be raised to build a structure to house the mill. In return, all 200 of the mill’s first workers would be Monroe County residents. That led to the organization of the Monroe Industries Board, which sold bonds for between $25 and $500 to finance the building. Given that this was near the end of the Great Depression, the town was only able to raise $35,000. Vanity Fair made up the difference in addition to its commitments, and on June 23, 1937, the mill held its grand opening. An immediate impact The arrival of Vanity Fair was particularly important for local women. Other than work as sales clerks, school teachers and secretaries, employment for women in Monroe County was scarce. Vanity Fair offered farm housewives the opportunity to earn a reliable income to supplement cash made from the cotton crop, which was only harvested once a year. “It changed the face of Monroe County,” Jones said of Vanity Fair’s arrival. “All of the areas outside of the towns — they had nice, modest houses but, for instance, all of the yards were dirt. But when Vanity Fair came, and the women had a little money, they planted grass and bought a power mower and kept neat yards.” Washing machines, once an unheard-of luxury locally, became commonplace on front porches. Spirits were picking up, and Monroe County was shaking off the impact of the Great Depression. It also brought new residents to town. “High-class people,” as Jones called them. “Their executives were just a notch above.” The newcomers got involved in civic clubs and other things such as the Chamber of Commerce. The newcomers fit in, according to Jones. “Monroeville is different from towns like Evergreen and Brewton that are kind of aristocratic,” he explained. “Monroeville is more like Jackson. You had to be an awful unfriendly guy not to be accepted.” World War II and beyond Vanity Fair thrived in its new Southern location. Expansions began almost immediately, starting in 1938.

COVER STORY When World War II came, the plant put its silk panties operation on hold and started manufacturing silk parachutes. It produced three basic types of parachutes — personal chutes for paratroopers, cargo chutes for equipment and supplies (including chutes large enough for tanks and artillery) and flare chutes that served to illuminate night targets and make nighttime bombings possible. The war ended in 1945, and after the economy readjusted, Vanity Fair closed its Reading, Pennsylvania, plant in 1948 because of labor unions. That spurred even more expansion in Alabama, and over the next 20 years Vanity Fair would have facilities throughout Southwest Alabama and into the Florida Panhandle. The company built a plant in Jackson in 1939, in Demopolis and Atmore in 1950, in Butler in 1961 and in Robertsdale in 1963. Vanity Fair added a 100,000-square-foot warehouse in Monroeville. With the advent of the Civil Rights movement, the company had a come-to-Jesus moment with the town’s locals over racial integration of the plant’s workforce. Being Alabama in the 1950s, townspeople were not particularly happy about this possibility. Company executive M.O. “Whitey” Lee threatened to move Vanity Fair’s manufacturing effort to Mobile’s Brookley Field if this proved too much of a problem for the locals. They got the message. During those years, Vanity Fair was also contributing to the community, working with local organizations and government to build new ballparks and improve other recreational facilities. To this day a lake, park and golf and tennis club are still in use. “It was a great relationship between Monroeville and Monroe County, and between the Vanity Fair leadership and our leadership the project grew and grew and grew,” former pulp and paper executive Pete Black, a long-time Monroeville resident and son of a local service station owner, said in an interview. “They eventually moved their headquarters from Reading, Pennsylvania, to Monroeville.” “Vanity Fair was a ... tremendous blessing to this community,” he added. The locals nurtured the relationship. Whenever Vanity Fair had a bond sale for expansion, people snatched them up. The bank would loan money for the bonds at 6 percent interest. The bonds had a return of 4 percent, yet they always sold enough. There was also a community effort to keep the unions away. “Civic leaders knew we needed to keep the union out,” Jones said. “When union representatives would come to town — boy, they’d get spotted, and word would get around, ‘That guy’s with the union.’ The local newspaper wouldn’t take their ads. Usually, we didn’t have trouble with them.” Jones recalled that sometime after the Korean War, they got a whiff of intimidation tactics by union organizers and it was immediately snuffed out. More expansions came. In the 1970s, Vanity Fair built cutting and dyeing facilities. As the company’s presence grew, so did Monroeville, leading to the construction of new churches and medical facilities, the expansion of existing businesses and the creation of new ones. A half a century after Vanity Fair’s arrival, Monroeville was better off. In 1986, Vanity Fair employed 1,641 employees and had a payroll of $26.5 million.

Start of industrial globalization The late 1980s saw the beginning of the proliferation of outsourcing in manufacturing. In 1989, the United States entered into the U.S.-Canada Free Trade Agreement. In 1991 talks began to include Mexico, and the U.S. entered into what is known as the North American Free Trade Agreement in 1994. The treaty eliminated tariffs and certain quantitative restrictions, making it possible for U.S. manufacturers to seek lower-wage labor in Mexico. Keith Baggett, the son of a 40-year Vanity Fair employee, had a front-row seat to witness how this would eventually unfold and what it meant for Vanity Fair’s presence in the region. Baggett, with a college degree from Troy State University, started with Vanity Fair in 1991. He estimated 85 percent of the company’s manufacturing was done in South Alabama and northwest Florida at that time, with a total workforce of at least 3,000. Baggett had the roles of sewing superintendent, manufacturing manager and supervisor of production at various facilities under the Vanity Fair Corp. umbrella in the early 1990s. While he was there, Vanity Fair began moving some manufacturing to Mexico. “I saw the handwriting on the wall that we were gradually going to be shutting those facilities down and moving it to Mexico,” Baggett, now an administrator for a health care facility in Monroeville, told Lagniappe. “And again, this was somewhere in the mid-‘90s. That’s exactly what we did. We started opening up factories in Mexico and our headquarters for Mexico was in McAllen, Texas. “We gradually moved stuff to Mexico and shut factories down here in the states. And so, I had to travel to McAllen and in Mexico. We’d usually go about once a month to McAllen in order to work with that group — managers, scheduling and leveling their factories out.” Eventually, Baggett began aiding in this transition — training the workforce, procuring the materials and troubleshooting the new operation. As this process was underway, the operation in Monroeville was shrinking. The corporate headquarters left for Alpharetta, a suburb of Atlanta, in 1998. “It was like chopping the dog’s tail off an inch at a time over a five-to-10-year period, and then rumors in between,” Black said of the time. The jobs Alabama lost did not last long in Mexico. Before long they moved on to the Far East, first to China and then to Southeastern Asia. But the damage was done. Vanity Fair Corp. got out of the underwear business in 2005 when it sold its remaining assets in Monroeville to Fruit of the Loom. Baggett’s career path took him into the health care industry and back to Monroeville. However, he insists that with or without NAFTA’s passage in the 1990s, Vanity Fair in Monroeville would have likely had a similar fate. “I was always told with or without NAFTA, we would have already went,” Baggett said. “As a matter of fact, we were probably one of the last textile companies to start moving offshore like that. Other companies had already done it, and the reason we had to do it was to compete. NAFTA accelerated it.” Baggett said he believed transportation costs will inevitably make the U.S. a more competitive place for manufacturing. “In my lifetime, I will see it where it is cheaper for us to

produce in the United States than it is over there because of the inventory you have to carry. The biggest thing was our transportation costs. When we first started doing China, we could get a container, and it cost us $3,000. When we had these issues with fuel, it jumped to $10,000 a container to ship. When you weigh all that in and wages increasing, you get to that point where it makes more sense just to manufacture it back here.” For now, all that remains are 300 jobs at the Fruit of the Loom distribution facility. It was a good run. At the time the first sewing machines started running in June 1937, Monroeville was a town of 1,500. Today the population is estimated to be around 6,000, give or take a few hundred. Post Vanity Fair Monroeville Bordering Monroe County to the north is Wilcox County, plagued by high unemployment and a poverty rate of 38 percent, one of the poorest counties in the nation. Immediately to the south is Baldwin County, with low unemployment, and economic and population growth projected for the next decade. Monroe County’s current situation is somewhere in between those two extremes. In the 2016 presidential election, Donald Trump beat Hillary Clinton by 14 points in Monroe County. That was not so unusual because only twice since 1964 has the county not gone Republican in a presidential election. In this election, however, Trump’s message on trade in a global economy resonated with Monroe County voters, who have had firsthand experience with the economic consequences of globalization. When you talk to some of the old-timers in town, they acknowledge the post-VF state of affairs was a result of going all-in with a single employer. They also say it was necessary because Vanity Fair didn’t want other industries in town that would compete for labor. In other words, the single-employer model was part of the deal. Since Vanity Fair’s departure, Monroe County has grappled with bouts of unemployment. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, unemployment in the county peaked in February 1992 at 23.5 percent, then remained in the high teens for most of the decade, far above the state average. The county regained its footing and, in the first eight years of the new millennia, Vanity Fair kept the rate under double-digits. The so-called Great Recession that began in mid-2008 exposed how vulnerable Monroe County was to economic downturns. The countywide unemployment rate hit 22.3 percent, rivaling the worst unemployment following Vanity Fair’s departure. Since then, the unemployment rate gradually decreased to a manageable 5 percent. Vanity Fair left behind a skill set, and if there ia an opportunity for textiles to return, there would be a qualified workforce, according to Baggett. “It could,” he said. “The workforce is there. The biggest thing is that all the people that were experts in it went on to do something else because they had to, or they retired.” Is there an answer? In late January, Rep. Bradley Byrne was wrapping up his whirlwind tour of town hall meetings in the first congressional

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ART ARTIFICE

Mardi Gras kerfuffle misses the point

BY KEVIN LEE/ARTS EDITOR/KLEE@LAGNIAPPEMOBILE.COM

he streets are swept, the hangovers abated and the ashes have circled the bathtub drain. Adieu, Mardi Gras. Can we finally dispense of the ersatz “who had it first” argument over pre-Lenten parties in Mobile and New Orleans? Tourism mavens and media outlets alike gladly played the public to mine the teapot-sized tempest for selfish ends this year. I’m glad to say most folks in either locale just don’t care. Those who enjoy their respective celebrations are content with their decisions and anyone else’s for whatever criteria they choose. In short, they’re adults. “Live and let live” is about as close to the spirit of the occasion as you can get, right? Still, there’s another side of me that does care about the accuracy but for reasons not involving tourism or bragging rights. It’s the part of me that was a history major. I believe in the academic integrity of studying our past, though that puts me in a tiny minority. No worries; as someone who writes about arts and science, I’m used to my passions being undervalued by the community around me. So when I sense those waters purposefully muddied to keep others from seeing all the pieces of a historical puzzle, it’s frustrating. It feels cheap. The background of Mobile’s Mardi Gras celebrations has grown murkier over the last century. Some of it is honest mistake while some has a less ethical genesis. The name Ann Pond, Ph.D., should ring familiar to “Artifice” readers. She is the local historian who penned a trio of books on the development of Mardi Gras along the central Gulf Coast, works reviewed and discussed in this

HMPS tour needs docents

space a few years ago. When I pored through her books, Pond’s research appeared meticulous and thorough. She combed centuries of documents, newspapers, journals and various accounts in tracking down the complicated story about how America’s most idiosyncratic holiday came to fruition in a unique region. She rooted out references. Rather than rely simply on a book, say, from the 1970s, the historian sniffed out its sources to check for herself. Her work carried the ring of authenticity earned through diligence. Check out a portion of her historical timeline for yourself at mobilemardigrastrail.com. Pond claimed to find no verifiable documentation Mardi

STILL THERE’S ANOTHER SIDE OF ME THAT DOES CARE ABOUT ACCURACY BUT FOR REASONS NOT INVOLVING TOURISM OR BRAGGING RIGHTS. IT’S PART OF MOE THAT HAS A HISTORY MAJOR

Gras celebrations took place in Mobile prior to 1868. Historical discussions in the decades immediately following that post-bellum birth make no allusion to anything else.

Juried student show at MAC

“Five” is a juried exhibition of work by students in the area’s five colleges and universities sponsored every other year by the Mobile Arts Council. The 2018 exhibition will be on display at MAC (318 Dauphin St.) April 2–27, with a reception during the April 13 LoDa Artwalk. The competition is open to any student, not only students studying art, who were enrolled during any part of the 20172018 academic year at Bishop State Community College, Coastal Alabama Community College, Spring Hill College, University of Mobile or the University of South Alabama. Students may submit up to three pieces, in any medium or style, created while enrolled in their current school. Either email submission images and forms to lgafford@ mobilearts.org or mail a completed submission form, a $20 entry fee — check payable to Mobile Arts Council — and a disc containing .jpg images (300 dpi recommended) to MAC at P.O. Box 372, Mobile, AL 36601 or drop off submissions at MAC offices (318 Dauphin St.). Images must be labeled with the

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title of the work followed by the student’s last name. Emailed submissions will be sent a PayPal invoice. Submissions must be received by Friday, Feb. 23, at 4 p.m. Applicants will be notified of the juried decisions by March 19. Six prizes will be awarded: first, second and third place along with three honorable mentions. Prizes will include cash and other items. If a work is selected, it must be dropped off at the MAC offices March 29, March 30 or April 2. Works must be ready for display; mattes used must be white. All pieces must remain on display until noon, April 27, and be picked up April 28 or April 30. If a work is sold, MAC will add sales tax and take a 20 percent commission. Checks are given to the artists at the beginning of the following month. For the entry form or for further information, visit mobilearts.org or contact Lucy Gafford at lgafford@ mobilearts.org.

ARTSGALLERY

The Historic Mobile Preservation Society’s Celebrate Historic Mobile tour is on its way and needs docents for the various stops. The four-day, three-night event takes place March 8-11 and includes a gala reception at Oakleigh Mansion along with a comedy tour of Mobile’s early red-light district. This year’s events are titled “Sacred Spaces,” “Living Spaces” and “Resting Places.” The Thursday, March 8, tour includes various historic houses of worship. On Friday, March 9, and Saturday, March 10, 18 private historic residences and inspired adaptive reuses will be open for touring. On Sunday, March 11, guided tours will be given in three historically significant cemeteries including Church Street Cemetery, Magnolia Cemetery and the Plateau Africatown Cemetery. Volunteers are needed to sell tickets at the trolley stops and cemeteries during the tours. Volunteers will receive a free day pass to the tour day of their choice. To sign up, go to historicmobiletour.com. For more information, call 251-432-1281 or email hmps@ bellsouth.net.

Then, in 1910, historian Peter Hamilton inexplicably suggested Mardi Gras might have been celebrated in Mobile apparently based on little more than assumption. He went on to fold this into books intended for school use though he never supplied evidence for the claim. In the early 20th century, a local named Francois Diard styled himself an authority on Mobile history. Among his grandiose claims were that Mobile had the first azalea, invented the first gumbo and started pre-Lenten traditions. Diard took an Andre Penicaut account of an August 1703 feast for Saint Louis and twisted it to mean that was the first Mardi Gras event. He later added more spurious assertions easily researched and unverified. Diard also struck up a friendship with Erwin Craighead, editor of the Mobile Register for 40-plus years. With a powerful ally in his corner, Diard’s version of history gained a foothold. Before long, reprinted histories of Mobile folded in these new “facts.” Once those disseminated, local lore imbued cultural mythology with the ideas. Later historians would reference the earlier work as if it were a given. The reality is more complex and interesting. By 1830, Mobile was a boom town. Newly flush transplants formed what we now associate with Mardi Gras — the parades, societies, balls and tableaus — from the customs they brought with them and rituals they adopted, except it was built around New Year’s. When New Orleans’ Mardi Gras celebrations were so clamorous they were threatened with being outlawed, Mobile’s New Year’s party was used as a template for New Orleans Mardi Gras. Immediately following the Civil War, Mobilians who attended New Orleans Mardi Gras — Joe Cain among them — decided to bring it to the Azalea City. It wasn’t long before it began to eclipse the remaining New Year’s events. Yes, Mobile is still the Mother of Mystics and yes, New Orleans still had verifiable Mardi Gras first. If you’re stuck on nebulous claims of inception and willing to ignore evidence, you’re missing the point. Mardi Gras as we know it wouldn’t exist at all without each town’s contributions, both testimonies to American invention and perseverance. They’re equally as important, equally as responsible manifestations of our unique culture.

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MUSIC

FEATURE

Country and gospel vocal quar-

tet The Oak Ridge Boys are tour-

The Oak Ridge Boys are “coming to sing”

Photo | Provided

Band: The Oak Ridge Boys Date: Thursday, Feb. 22, 7 p.m. Venue: Mobile Civic Center, 401 Civic Center Drive, www.mobilecivicctr.com Tickets: $30 to $65, available through Ticketmaster

ing in support of “17th Avenue Revival.”

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

ountry music in the early ‘80s was populated by a number of groups that featured layered vocal harmonies. The Oak Ridge Boys were one of the most prolific of them all. After the release of their breakout hit “Elvira,” this vocal quartet established a permanent place in country music that continues today. The Oak Ridge Boys are on the cusp of releasing “17th Avenue Revival,” produced by one of Nashville’s most soughtafter producers, Dave Cobb (Sturgill Simpson, Chris Stapleton). This collection of gospel tracks is proof that time has not sullied this group’s impeccable harmonies. Vocalist Joe Bonsall gave Lagniappe an inside look into the creation of this album. Stephen Centanni: When The Oak Ridge Boys broke out with “Elvira,” harmonies were hot in country music. There were you guys, Larry Gatlin & the Gatlin Brothers, The Statler Brothers, Alabama — the list goes on. Why do you think that’s become so rare in today’s country music? Joe Bonsall: Well, you know, that’s a real good question, brother, and I don’t know if I have the answer to it. Music constantly changes, and the pendulum keeps swinging back and forth. I think that’s what keeps it interesting, but you’re right. There’s not a lot of harmony out there now. I think The Oak Ridge Boys is one of the few acts still out there doing it. Alabama is still on the road, and Diamond Rio does it pretty well. They’re still out there, and Restless Heart. Those guys are celebrating 35 years. It’s still out there, but in the modern culture of country music, it tends to be all solo acts. It’s bigtime solo guys like Luke Bryan or Blake [Shelton] or girls like Carrie Underwood. I don’t know where it’s going. There’s a new group called Midland. They’re brand new and gaining traction. They have a harmony sound. Maybe, it’s not dead yet. I might add, though, that nobody does harmony like The Oak Ridge Boys because we have the one thing that nobody else has since the Statlers went away: We’ve got a big, bad bass singer. Nobody has one of those, man. Another thing about The Oak Ridge Boys that’s been different from most of the harmony groups over the course of history is that all the guys can sing solo. So many of the groups like Alabama and The Statlers were one-voice oriented. The Oak Ridge Boys has had big hit records with all four voices out front. We could change the harmonies around and restack and put

one guy out in front and stack the other guys around him. We don’t lose the identity of The Oak Ridge Boys, but different guys can step out and add a whole new dimension to what we’re doing. It keeps us from being boring, too. Centanni: “17th Avenue Revival” will be out soon. How did those sessions in Studio A on 17th Avenue turn into not only a creative situation but also a religious experience, both literally and figuratively? Bonsall: Well, you know, you just nailed it, Steve. It turned into exactly that. We had a young, great producer named Dave Cobb who had an incredible vision for The Oak Ridge Boys. His thoughts were, “Let’s do a monumental album here. Let’s not worry about what country music radio will or won’t play. They don’t play The Oak Ridge Boys anymore anyway. Let’s just do something special. What was it about the early ‘50s rock ‘n’ roll from Elvis and Jerry Lee Lewis that excited us and turned us on? It all came out of gospel.” He said, “The album doesn’t have to be gospel, but I’m hearing a lot of gospel feel on it. I’m hearing inspiration from that on this project. You guys have sang gospel in your career, and you came from gospel. I want to do gospel like you’ve never done before.” That’s what we did. We delved into some of the old black gospel from way, way back and early Jerry Lee Lewis recordings. For instance, we recorded “I’d Rather Have Jesus” on this album. That’s an old hymn written by George Beverly Shea. We’ve sang hymns before, but this time, we channeled Jerry Lee Lewis. He’s got two cuts of it on YouTube. One of them is him singing the song. The other one is him with a guitar and four black guys behind him harmonizing. We channeled that feeling and that attitude. It did make the album different. We’re calling our tour the “Shine the Light” tour because so many songs on this album are so meaningful and shining a light of some kind. The song “Brand New Star” is a new song, but it’s telling everybody in a certain way, “Hey, man, there’s a brand new star in Heaven.” Everybody is dealing with death in their lives, and it helps you deal with it better. It’s a happy song. There’s another song called “Brand New Light” written by Jamey Johnson. It’s a brand new song, too, yet, it feels so poignant when we do it. I think we accomplished the goals that Dave set out for us to do. We happily followed him down the road and went with him on all this stuff. I think the record is very special. After we were inducted into the [Country Music] Hall of Fame, we wanted to do a new album that was really special and something that was meaningful and something that would be a legacy kind of album. You never know when an album will be your last one when

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you’re our age. You never know. This could be it, and it could not be it. If it is, let’s make it really meaningful and seek out Dave Cobb and see if he’ll work with us. Dave produced us on an album about eight years ago when we did “Seven Nation Army,” and the music industry said, “What?” That was Dave Cobb back then before he produced Sturgill Simpson and Chris Stapleton and Jason Isbell. He was back there taking us down some different roads than we’ve been on in a while. Centanni: In addition to music, you’ve also established yourself as a writer. One of those books is “On the Road with The Oak Ridge Boys,” which is a collection of road stories. What’s it like getting on the road these days? Bonsall: In the “Elvira” days, it was always so frantic. I remember 1982 was the stuff of legends. We had just toured a couple of years with Kenny Rogers on the first arena tour ever with us and Kenny and Dottie West. It was the first big production, arena tour in country music history. All the kids do it now, but nobody did it then. Kenny was writing “Lucille” and “The Gambler.” You had the big duets with Dottie West. The Oak Ridge Boys were the hot young guns in town with hit records and awards. Then, ironically enough, when that tour ended, “Elvira” hit. With what we learned from Kenny, we had the vehicle to take it as far as we could, and we did. We went out there with a big tour in ‘82 and ‘83 with lasers and everything you could imagine. We were the only act to use the computer Vari-Lite system that was developed by the group Genesis. Genesis was the only act on the planet using Vari-Lites, and we got the rights to use them on our trip. It was the first time that everybody saw those moving lights like everybody uses now. Back then, it was new and fresh. With lasers and smoke and everything else, we went out there and sold out arenas every night ourselves. We’re older now and more seasoned, but in some ways it’s the same. It’s not as frantic now. We’re not that big, gigantic, Garth Brooks kind of act like we were back then, yet there’s that legendary status thing among the guys to keep it going as long as we can. We love being The Oak Ridge Boys. We bring more history to the stage than anyone else. Each guy brings something different to the table. Each guy wants to keep moving forward. That’s the attitude in the group. The thing that we had together back then that we have together now that’s exactly the same is, “Hey, man, let’s go sing.” That’s The Oak Ridge Boys thing. Let’s go sing.

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MUSIC BRIEFS

Working man’s country

BY STEPHEN CENTANNI/MUSIC EDITOR/SCENTANNI@LAGNIAPPEMOBILE.COM Band: Brent Cobb & Them Date: Sunday, Feb. 18, 7 p.m. Venue: Callaghan’s Irish Social Club, 916 Charleston St., www.callaghansirishsocialclub.com Tickets: $20 (limited number), available at Callaghan’s

Photo | wikimedia

County artist Brent Cobb will be filling Callaghan’s warm and intimate setting with sounds from his Grammy-nominated sophomore full-length recording, “Shine On Rainy Day,” which was produced by his cousin Dave Cobb (Chris Stapleton, Sturgill Simpson). Since its 2016 release, “Shine On Rainy Day” solidified Cobb’s reputation as one of Music City’s hottest singer-songwriters. He had already earned respect on the publishing side of the Nashville country scene, over the years penning songs performed by such country notables such as Luke Bryan, The Oak Ridge Boys, Little Big Town and Miranda Lambert. His clients and fans alike have fallen in love with the honest, raw style of working man’s country found on “Shine On Rainy Day.” Throughout the album, Cobb delivers his dirt-road poetry through tenor vocals tinged with Georgia soul. The rural environment and rich culture of his hometown of Americus, Georgia, provided a wealth of inspiration for one of the indie music scene’s freshest albums. From the gentle style of “South of Atlanta” to the backwoods stomp of “Down in the Gulley,” this album portrays a country artist who pays equal attention to both the lyrical and instrumental aspects of his sound.

Before darkness Band: The Weeping Willows Date: Thursday, Feb. 22, 8 p.m. Venue: The Listening Room, 78 St. Francis St., www.thelisteningroommobile.com Tickets: $20 artist donation at the door While a plethora of artists are molding Americana into nebulous subgenres, some musicians have chosen to remain true to the foundation. The Weeping Willows keep their down-home brand of bluegrass and early county as close to its roots as possible. Andrew Wrigglesworth and Laura Coates make their home in Melbourne, Australia, but this duo’s homespun music sounds as if it were crafted deep in the wilderness of the Southeastern United States. With their harmonically synced vocals and a handful of stringed instruments, The Weeping Willows’ mastery of foundational American country cannot be denied. “Before Darkness Comes A-Callin’” is the latest addition to The Weeping Willows’ catalog. This collection is a journey into the past. Each song mixes thoughtful arrangements with a focus on love that shifts from beautiful to tragic. These twofold messages are delivered through the duo’s combined harmonic vocals. This musical concoction encases the tracks with an air of haunting passion.

Mule metal tourplay

Band: Doomstress, Beerwolf, Hallelujah Gangbang, Black Titan Date: Saturday, Feb. 17, 9 p.m. Venue: The Blind Mule, 57 N. Claiborne St., www.theblindmule.net Tickets: Call 251-694-6853 for info

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The Azalea City’s peaceful Lenten season will be interrupted by a metallic explosion courtesy of The Blind Mule. Mobile’s Black Titan will host three dark and foreboding groups from along the Gulf Coast. The Nappie Award-winning Black Titan has used its intense, grinding mix of sludge and doom metal to gather a dedicated following. Hallelujah Gangbang will make the journey from Ocean Springs to showcase its vehement metal style. Each measure of this band’s repertoire takes on the air of a gargantuan stomp of a steel-toed boot. This Mississippi metal outfit will play a setlist filled with cuts from their album “Blow Your Brains Out.” Beerwolf’s mighty howl of doom should shake up The Blind Mule. As a member of Tampa’s rich and diverse metal scene, Beerwolf serves up stoner metal anthems that resonate with the madness of bands such as Black Sabbath and Monster Magnet. Beerwolf has captured its furious groove metal on the album “Planetfall.” Doomstress will be traveling from Texas to give the Azalea City a dose of its mystically

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AREAMUSIC LISTINGS | February 14 - February 20 WED. FEB 14 Bluegill— Matt Neese Blues Tavern— Art, 8p Boudreaux’s Cajun Grill— Ryan Balthrop, 6p Callaghan’s— Phil and Foster Cockeyed Charlie’s— JJ Felix’s— Matt Bush Duo Flora Bama— Rick Whaley Duo, 11a// Neil Dover, 3p/// Kyle Wilson, 7p//// Rhonda Hart and Jonathan Newton, 7p Listening Room— Eric Erdman Lulu’s— Adam Holt, 5p

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5:30p/// Johnny B Trio, 6p//// Tip Tops, 7p//// Foxy Iguanas, 10p//// Brandon White Duo, 10:15p Hard Rock (Center Bar) — Miles Flat Band, 9:30p IP Casino— Chris Daughtry, 8p Listening Room— Chip Herrington Jazz Quintet Lulu’s— Jeri, 5p Manci’s— Jacob Steiffel McSharry’s— DJ Chi, 10p Moe’s BBQ (Daphne) — Wavelength, 8p Moe’s BBQ (Foley) THUR. FEB 15 — Poarch Ninjas, 6p Bluegill— Brandon Moe’s BBQ White (Mobile) — Quintin Blues Tavern— Berry, 6:30p Doobious, 8:30p Moe’s BBQ Boudreaux’s Cajun (Semmes) — The Grill— David Chastang, Dunaway Brothers 6p Saenger— MJ Live Callaghan’s— The Wind Creek Bodhi Trio Casino— Tommy Cockeyed Morse, 8p Charlie’s— JJ Fairhope Brewing— SAT. FEB 17 Bluegrass Jam Bluegill— Lee Yankie, Felix’s— Jeri 12p// Light Travelers, 6p Flora Bama— Gove Blues Tavern— Red Scrivenor, 1p// Dueling Clay Strays, 9p Pianos, 4:30p/// Mark Boudreaux’s Cajun Sherrill, John Joiner, Grill— Phil and Foster, Chris Newbury, Jose 6p Santiago, 5p//// Kevin Callaghan’s— Jacob Swanson, 9p//// Bruce Steiffel Smelley, 9:15p Cockeyed Listening Room— Charlie’s— DJ Laurie Anne Armour, M.Bezzle Melissa Summersell, Felix’s— Blind Dog Madison Grace Mike Lulu’s— Phil and Flora Bama— Jo Jo Foster, 5p Pres, 1p// J. Hawkins Trio, Manci’s— Ross 2p/// Big Muddy, 5:30p//// Newell Al and Cathy, 6p//// Big McSharry’s— The Earlvis, 7p//// Albert Lite Travelers Simpson, 10p//// River Dan Band, 10p FRI. FEB 16 Hard Rock (Center Beau Rivage— Tim Bar) — Miles Flat Band, Allen, 8p 9:30p Bluegill— Quintin IP Casino— Chrisette Berry, 12p// Blind Dog Michele, 8p Mike, 6p Listening Room— Blues Tavern— Mark All the Kimonos Welborn Band, 9p Lulu’s— Tropical Boudreaux’s Cajun Reunion, 1p// Brandon Grill— Boudreauxs White, 5p Zydeco, 6p Manci’s— Sergio and Cockeyed The Stain Dogs Charlie’s— 3HG McSharry’s— DJ El Camino— Johnny Lewis, 10p Hayes and John Cochran Moe’s BBQ Felix’s— Soulshine (Mobile) — Ashley Flora Bama— Feller, 6:30p LeaAnne Creswell, 2p// Moe’s BBQ Jack Robertson Show, (Semmes) — Chris

Hergenroder, 6:30p Top of the Bay— Venom Wind Creek Casino— Tommy Morse, 8p SUN. FEB 18 Big Beach Brewing—Johnny Mullen & Clay Connoe, 3p Bluegill— Matt Bush, 12p// Yeah Probably, 6p Blues Tavern— John Hall Jam, 6p Boudreaux’s Cajun Grill— Matt Neese, 6p Callaghan’s— Brent Cobb, 7p Felix’s— Bobby Butchka Flora Bama— LeaAnne Creswell Duo, 12p// Perdido Brothers, 4p//// Albert Simpson, 7p//// Bruce Smelley, 8:30p Frog Pond— Grayson Capps, Ryan Balthrop, Lauren Murphy, Jimmy Lumpkin, Corky Hughes, John Cochran, James Wamble, 2p Listening Room— Ryan Raziano Jazz Quartet Lulu’s— Grits N Pieces, 2p McSharry’s— Trad. Irish Session, 6:30p MON. FEB 19 Boudreaux’s Cajun Grill— BMD, 6p Felix’s— Bryant Gilley Flora Bama— Cathy Pace, 3p// Albert Simpson, 7p/// Petty and Pace, 7p Lulu’s— Brent Burns, 5p TUE. FEB 20 Bluegill— Bruce Smelley Boudreaux’s Cajun Grill— Matt Neese, 6p Butch Cassidy’s— Jerry Powell Cockeyed Charlie’s— Jordan Felix’s— Lefty Collins Flora Bama— Rick Whaley Duo, 3p// Billy Don Burns, 6p/// Johnny B, 7p//// Kevin Swanson, 7p Live Bait— Brandon Styles, 7p Lulu’s— Lee Yankie, 5p Moe’s BBQ (Daphne) — Bob Erickson, 6p

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Florence Pugh breaks out as “Lady Macbeth”

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

BY ASIA FREY/FILM CRITIC/AFREY@LAGNIAPPEMOBILE.COM boy catches her eye, and, well, you can ooking for a perfect romanimagine where it goes from here. Except you tic movie for Valentine’s can’t imagine the lengths Katherine rather Day? Keep looking. “Lady easily goes to in order to maintain her newly Macbeth” is an electrifying Victorian drama in which vio- unbridled status. The arc of Katherine’s character goes beyond even the most extreme lence and horror are the only rewards for a heroine who goes looking feminist revenge fantasy, as she ultimately for some romance in her stultifying life. victimizes not just her oppressors, but others around her who are also oppressed. Lest that description indicate teen bride Katherine’s violent rebellion is not about Katherine is a typical victim, her actions making things fair, it’s about getting what could not be further from victimhood. Florence Pugh carries the film as Katherine, a young woman “purchased” for a husband who is almost as indifferent to her as she is to him, and the pawn in what could modestly be described as a dysfunctional father-son relationship. As brusque as Katherine’s older husband is, her fatherin-law is even worse, heavily implying his expectations in the heir department with some blush-worthy specificity. Katherine is a gamely confident young woman, and ultimately takes down not just those above her, but those beneath her when they try to stake a claim in her inheritance. Trussed and brushed by her judgmental maid every day, Katherine can barely keep her eyes open, and even a walk outside is forbidden. When both her husband and his father are called away on separate business, Katherine is free to saunter the immense grounds of her isolated English country estate and enjoy some forbidden fresh air. It goes to her head much faster than her keeps could possibly have imagined. In a fateful sojourn to the stables, you’ll be shocked to discover that a rugged stable

she wants. One of the most challenging aspects of the film is her relationship with Anna, her black maid. While one might imagine the two women, both mistreated by the same men, might form a bond, they both enforce the men’s rules upon each other whenever possible. Anna tries to maintain the laws left behind for Katherine, and, in turn, Katherine slips all too easily into the role of master over Anna. Throughout the film, Florence Pugh straddles the line between earning our sympathies — those old men are really cold and unfeeling! — and eliciting our revulsion — she shoots a horse! And it gets worse. She really does an incredible job of showing her deeply flawed character’s total confidence in the correctness of her actions, and she mines Katherine’s immaturity and petulance to truly memorable and chilling effect. Even when the viewers’ sympathies are, hopefully, long gone, Katherine still has the utmost sympathy for herself, and it gives the film a psychological depth beyond the shock value of her actions. Based on “Lady Macbeth of the Mtsensk District,” the 1865 novella by Nikolai

FILMTHE REEL WORLD

Leskov first published in Dostoevsky’s magazine, Epoch, this film feels extremely current despite its source and setting. It is a starkly beautiful film, and the use of color is particularly effective, as Katherine’s striking blue gown slowly begins to reflect the state of the woman wearing it. The film’s content is not for the faint of heart, but the breakout performance of unforgettable villainess Pugh is worth wincing through. “Lady Macbeth” is currently available to rent.

NEW THIS WEEK

BLACK PANTHER The latest Marvel superhero is the king of a mythical, technologically advanced African nation who must save his kingdom and the world from an ancient enemy. All listed multiplex theaters. SAMSON The Biblical story of Samson and a Philistine temptress comes to the big screen. AMC Mobile 16 WINCHESTER The most haunted house in the world sits on an isolated stretch of land 50 miles outside San Francisco. Built by Sarah Winchester, heiress to the Winchester fortune, it stands seven stories tall and contains hundreds of rooms, an asylum for hundreds of vengeful ghosts. THE 15:17 TO PARIS Clint Eastwood directs a true story about three young men who thwarted an ISIS attack on a French train in 2015. All listed multiplex theaters.

RAVE MOTION PICTURE JUBILEE SQUARE 12 6898 U.S. 90 Daphne, (251) 626- 6266 CARMIKE CINEMAS 23151 Wharf Ln. Orange Beach (251) 981-4444 Photos | Roadside Attractions / Marvel Studios

COBB THEATRES PINNACLE 14 3780 Gulf Shores Pkwy Gulf Shores (251) 968-7444 EASTERN SHORE PREMIERE CINEMA 14 30500 Alabama 181 #500 Spanish Fort, Al (251) 626-0352 Information accurate at press time; please call theaters for showtimes.

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“Lady Macbeth” is the story of a young bride who has been sold into marriage but discovers an unstoppable desire within herself as she enters into an affair with a worker on her estate. “Black Panther” finds the protagonist returning home to the isolated, technologically advanced African nation his father ruled to succeed to the throne and take his rightful place as king. NOW PLAYING PETER RABBIT

All listed multiplex theaters. FIFTY SHADES FREED All listed multiplex theaters. THREE BILLBOARDS OUTSIDE EBBING, MISSOURI Crescent Theater, AMC Classic Wharf, Regal Mobile Stadium 18, AMC Jubilee Square 12 I, TONYA AMC Mobile 16, AMC Classic Wharf LADY BIRD AMC Classic Wharf PHANTOM THREAD AMC Jubilee Square 12, AMC Classic Wharf THE SHAPE OF WATER All listed multiplex theaters. HOSTILES All listed multiplex theaters. THOLI PREMA Regal Mobile Stadium 18 MAZE RUNNER: THE DEATH CURE All listed multiplex theaters. MOLLY’S GAME AMC Classic Wharf 15, Cobb Pinnacle 14

12 STRONG All listed multiplex theaters. FOREVER MY GIRL All listed multiplex theaters. DEN OF THIEVES All listed multiplex theaters. PADDINGTON 2 All listed multiplex theaters. THE POST All listed multiplex theaters. THE COMMUTER All listed multiplex theaters. DARKEST HOUR All listed multiplex theaters. INSIDIOUS: THE LAST KEY Regal Mobile Stadium 18 JUMANJI: WELCOME TO THE JUNGLE All listed multiplex theaters. THE GREATEST SHOWMAN All listed multiplex theaters. FERDINAND Eastern Shore Premiere Cinema STAR WARS: THE LAST JEDI All listed multiplex theaters. COCO AMC Mobile 16

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CALENDAR OF EVENTS FEBRUARY 14, 2018 - FEBRUARY 20, 2018

GENERAL INTEREST Raising Roses Come to Bellingrath Gardens and Home at 10:30 a.m. Feb. 14 for “Raising Roses,” a seminar with Linda Guy on pruning techniques, fertilization and black spot prevention. Call 251-459-8727, email bellingrath@bellingrath.org. Family Heritage Day Fort McDermott in Spanish Fort will celebrate Confederate heritage Feb. 17, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., period music, military reenactors, and free red beans and rice while it lasts. Republican Women Knollwood Republican Women meet Wednesday, Feb. 14, 2 p.m. at Gordon Oaks, 3145 Knollwood Drive. Speaker is District 6 City Councilwoman Bess Rich. 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. Weeks Bay Cleanup Join the Weeks Bay Foundation and Thompson Engineering on Feb. 17 to pick up trash. Kayak-based cleanup starts at 10 a.m. at the Fish River boat ramp under the Highway 98 bridge at Weeks Bay. BYOB (boat). Call 251-990-5004, email yael@ weeksbay.org. Orchid Show Bellingrath Gardens will host the Mobile Area Orchid Society’s show and sale from Friday, Feb. 16, to Sunday, Feb. 18. The show will be open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Friday, noon to 5 p.m. Saturday and 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sunday. Call 251-209-1008, email joe6w@aol.com. Alabama Authors Day On Saturday, Feb. 17, Blakeley State Park invites all interested in the literary arts to attend the annual “Alabama Authors Day” beginning at 11 a.m. Call 251-626-0798. Practical Gardening Class A six-week class at Mobile Botanical Gardens on how to look at your landscape and select plants, soil preparation, proper plant maintenance and more. Thursdays through March, 6:30-8 p.m. Call 251-3420555, or visit mobilebotanicalgardens.org. Winter Walk at Bellingrath Learn about the interesting winter borders and containers throughout the gardens from Bellingrath’s horticulture management team. Winter Wednesdays sessions are held weekly in the Magnolia Room, 10:30-11:30 a.m., through Feb. 28. Call 251-459-8864. Daphne Farmers Market Fridays from 2-6 p.m. is Daphne’s Farmers Market, located at the corner of Main Street and Santa Rosa, at 2305 U.S. 98. TOPS Take Off Pounds Sensibly meets every Tuesday at 5:30 p.m. at Spanish Fort Presbyterian Church. Call 251-625-6888. Toastmasters Toastmasters International meets regularly at six locations in Mobile and Baldwin counties. Visit www.toastmasters.org for more information.

Shipshape Urban Farms Come to Bellingrath Gardens at 10:30 a.m. on Feb. 21 to learn about Shipshape Urban Farms in downtown Mobile, a company that grows greens and herbs without soil in nutrient-rich water. Call 251459-8727, email bellingrath@bellingrath. org.

FUNDRAISERS Many More Miles Baldwin Bone & Joint’s annual collection of shoes for the homeless outreach program continues through Saturday, March 24. For drop-off locations, call 251621-5387.

ARTS

“She Kills Monsters,” Take a journey into fantasyland with the comedy-drama “She Kills Monsters.” Feb. 22-24. Showtimes are 7:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday and 2 p.m. Sunday. Tickets are $16. To purchase in advance, call the box office at 251-460-6305. Theatre USA, 5751 USA S. Drive, Mobile.

the museum will host monthly events. Call 251-301-0273 or gavin.snyder@ historymuseumofmobile.com.

in the Spring Hill Village Shopping Center for a 1K or 5K run and walk. No cost to participate.

“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.

Bingo Join Via! Health, Fitness, Enrichment Center at 1717 Dauphin St. for bingo every Tuesday and Thursday, 1:30-3:30 p.m. Call 251-478-3311.

“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.

Garden Sketch Club Join Mobile Botanical Gardens every Friday for art in the gardens. Artists meet 2-4 p.m., with guidance and advice available from Derek Norman. All levels of experience welcome. General admission is $5 for nonmembers. Call 251-342-0555 or visit mobilebotanicalgardens.org.

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.

Live Letterpress Eastern Shore Art Center is hosting an all-day event Saturday, Feb. 17, with printmaker Amos Kennedy, including hands-on printmaking demos, cash-andcarry print sales and a screening of his documentary, “Proceed and Be Bold!” Call 251-928-2228, ext. 103.

Thursdays at MMoA Every Thursday from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m., the Mobile Museum of Art offers free admission to all visitors. No reservations are necessary. MMoA is at 4850 Museum Drive. Call 251-208-5200.

Mobile Mystery Dinners A performance of “Murder at Fruitcake Inn” will take place Sunday. Feb. 18, 5 p.m. at Azalea Manor in downtown Mobile. Tickets include dinner and unlimited wine. Advance reservations required, call 251865-7398. Art Demonstrations Gulf Shores & Orange Beach Welcome Center Series is held weekdays through Feb. 28. Art demos various days at 10 a.m. at the Orange Beach Welcome Center (23685 Perdido Beach Blvd.), lectures are each weekday at 2 p.m. at the Gulf Shores Welcome Center (3459 Gulf Shores Parkway). Visit GulfShores.com/ WelcomeCenter.

MUSEUMS Permian Monsters: Life Before Dinosaurs Take an adventure back in time 290 million years when bizarre-looking animals dominated life on land and sea. The Exploreum will display this traveling exhibition Feb. 14 – June 3. Visit exploreum.com. “Galapagos: Nature’s Wonderland” In the vastness of the Pacific Ocean, there is a paradise unlike any other: the Galapagos Archipelago. Immerse yourself in this spectacular film at the Exploreum, until May 26. Visit exploreum.com. “Titanic: Honour & Glory” “Titanic Honour & Glory” will run through April 15 at the History Museum of Mobile. In addition to the exhibition,

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SPORTING EVENTS/ACTIVITIES Battle of Mobile Bay 5K Saturday, Feb. 17, at 9 a.m., the Battle of Mobile 5K race will be held at Fort Gaines. Sponsored by the Port City Pacers, proceeds from the race will support historic Fort Gaines. Visit www.pcpacers.org. Sweetheart 5K/Sea Turtle Half-Marathon Run/walk by the lagoon in Gulf Shores and return to the Gulf of Mexico with mile splits and water stops along the way on Saturday, Feb. 17. Post-race party at The Hangout with food and live music; Visit http://gsob.co/2AxpdrR. Harlem Globetrotters The Harlem Globetrotters World Tour will make a stop in Mobile on Tuesday, Feb. 20. The game will be at the USA Mitchell Center at 7 p.m. Visit harlemglobetrotters. com. Classes for All Ages Classes offered at LeFlore High School include Art for Kids (ages 6 and up), Art for Adults, Pre-Ballet & Tumbling (ages 4-6) and Self-Defense for Women & Girls (ages 12 and up). For more information, call 251208-1610 or go to MOBILECAP.ORG. 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

Bridge Lessons The Mobile Bridge Center offers free bridge lessons each Tuesday at 6 p.m. at 1510 University Blvd. Arrive a few minutes early to register. Call 251-666-2147, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Fitness/Athletics Classes Try something new this year! Classes are being offered at Palmer Pillans Middle School in Tai Chi, bellydance, candlelit yoga, Piyo Tone and piano. Call 251-4637980, visit mobilecap.org 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 251-463-7980, visit communityactivitiesprogram.com. Ballroom Dance Azalea Ballroom Dance Club hosts dances the second and fourth Tuesday of every month, 7-9:30 p.m. at Via! Health, Fitness & Enrichment Center, 1717 Dauphin St. Call 251-623-9183, visit azaleaballroomdanceclub.com. Ballroom Dance The Moonlight Chassé Ballroom Dance Society hosts dances the first and third Monday of every month, 7-9:30 p.m. at Hot Wheels Skating Rink in Daphne. Email cassief13@aol.com.

WORKSHOPS “How to Use Your Smartphone” To take advantage of your smartphone, you have to know how to navigate them and make them work. Class covers Facebook, Twitter, Snapchat, Instagram, texting and more. Mondays, 6-7 p.m., at Palmer Pillans Middle School. Call 251208-1650 or visit mobilecap.org. 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 Baldwin County Planning Commission: First Thursday at 6 p.m., 22251 Palmer St., Robertsdale, www.baldwincountyal.gov. Bayou La Batre City Council: Second and fourth Thursday at 5:30 p.m., 13785 S. Wintzell Ave., www.cityofbayoulabatre. com. 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.

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CONTINUED FORM PAGE 25 district. His last stop was in Frisco City, eight miles from Monroeville. Byrne addressed trade and praised Trump’s early actions on the issue, which, he said, are specifically targeted. “I think President Trump is doing the right thing by pushing back,” Byrne said of a recent Trump move to impose tariffs on imported solar panels and washing machines. “I think that’s exactly the way to go because when you rifle in on the precise things that are the issue, you’re going to have more of an impact than doing sort of blanket stuff.” During the town hall, Byrne took a question about local infrastructure, specifically four-laning U.S. Highway 84, the main east-west highway that runs from Mississippi to Georgia through Alabama, just south of Monroeville. U.S. 84 is four lanes through half the state, but from Andalusia to Mississippi it remains a two-lane road and serves as one of the primary routes in and out of town. Black, the former Vanity Fair paper executive, blames past politicians for not making Monroeville more accessible to the rest of the state. “If you want to look back to when George Wallace built the interstate highway system and say, ‘Where was a major faux pas created?’ — I-65 was supposed to come right dead through Monroe County and Monroeville,” he said. “We had a probate judge at the time that was against that project because it was going to disrupt farmland

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— cotton and cows.” Instead, I-65 passes through nearby Conecuh County. According to Black, not having a four-lane highway and a Class 1 railroad into Monroeville was an obstacle. For decades, local leaders have lobbied Washington, D.C., and Montgomery to four-lane U.S. Highway 84 to where it connects to I-65 near Evergreen. Black insisted that is the wrong project. Instead, he said, Alabama Highway 21, the main north-south route through the county, should be widened from Monroeville south to I-65. Why? Better access to Mobile. “That’s where you want to connect,” Black said. “Mobile is the place. If you go east to Evergreen, you haven’t accomplished anything. You still have got to go north or south.” Black pointed to the economic development of Mobile and its transportation assets as why a focus on improved access to the Port City would be more beneficial to Monroeville. Much of the state’s recent economic development success has been in Huntsville and Mobile. Probate Judge Greg Norris insists that despite this, Montgomery is doing what it can for rural areas such as Monroe County. “They’re doing everything they can for rural Alabama,” Norris said. “I’m from rural Alabama, and it’s more difficult to do anything for rural Alabama. We don’t have the resources. We don’t have the roads. We don’t have the infrastructure. So I think the Office of Commerce is doing a great job, but it’s just so much easier to bring those jobs to a Huntsville, to a

Mobile. “Maybe they’re not targeting us. You know, you’re rural, you’re left out. It’s just so much easier to bring it to another place. We have to get out and hustle. But they help us,” Norris added. Black explained how the focus of the county’s efforts was finding a company for which a place like Monroe County would be a good fit. “We had to do it on our own,” Black said. “What we did was hire a site consultant ourselves who is touching base with projects all across this country and paid him a retainer so that when he runs across a project, he thinks that might fit in rural America.” Black said they recruited 200 jobs in 2017, and that the key to success is getting the company executives to Monroeville. “They love this little community,” he said. “I mean, it’s a hundred miles from nowhere, but it’s a warm, friendly community. It’s got a lot of great things going for it. It’s got a great hospital, great community college. We got a great mayor, a great probate judge. The longer answer is you got to do it yourself.” In his closing sales pitch, Norris told Lagniappe that much as they were 80 years ago when Vanity Fair came to town, locals are willing to cooperate. “The quality of life is unreal,” he said. “Fresh air, beautiful outdoors, low taxes,” he replied. “We’re a work ethic by the people — people that want to work that want to earn a living wage, and a government that will work with you.”

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SPORTS UPON FURTHER REVIEW

College baseball teams swing for the fences in 2018 BY J. MARK BRYANT/SPORTS WRITER/SPORTS@LAGNIAPPEMOBILE.COM/TWITTER @GOULAGUY

hen the history of collegiate sports in Mobile County is discussed, the sport of baseball takes center stage. In fact, Spring Hill College has seen action at its Stan Galle Field since 1889. However, this column deals with the present state of affairs. It looks like it will be another entertaining year for our student-athletes.

of the Year as well as preseason all-SBC by the league’s coaches. Joining him on the all-conference team were outfielder Brendan Donovan, shortstop Drew LaBounty and first baseman Wells Davis.

Spring Hill College

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Photo | Provided

While the season has just started, the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference has already named outfielder University of South Alabama Grayson Williams as its first Player of the Week. The The preseason honors are pouring in for the Jaguars. freshman out of Mobile Christian School hit .455 in the USA will begin the campaign ranked in numerous prethree-game series with five hits that included two doubles, season polls: Collegiate Baseball (No. 17), D1Baseball one home run and one RBI while recording seven putouts (No. 20), National Collegiate Baseball Writers Associain right field. tion (No. 22), USA Today/Coaches (No. 23) and Baseball Prior to the first game, the SIAC placed Badgers catcher America (No. 24). Brennan Fontenot and relief pitcher Michael Romano on South is also picked to win the Sun Belt Conference its preseason squad. Fontenot hit for a .359 average in 45 East Division, receiving all 12 first-place votes as the starts with 13 doubles, a triple and eight home runs for 44 favorite to win the division. Louisiana received nine firstRBI and a .609 slugging percentage. Romano built a 3.52 place votes and was picked to win the West Division. ERA over 46.0 innings pitched in 22 appearances in 2017. “When you have a lot of returners who have produced He earned a 5-3 record with four saves in his freshman in their first two years, there’s high expectations,” said campaign while striking out 38 opposing batters. USA head coach Mark Calvi, the SHC head baseball coach Frank 2017 Alabama Baseball Coaches Sims enters the final year of the Association Large College Division Badgers’ Provisional Membership in I Coach of the Year. “But preseason transition to NCAA Division II status polls, rankings and picks as to where with a different style of team from you’re going to finish four or five the previous three seasons. THE JAGUARS RETURN EIGHT months in advance mean nothing to“In recent years, we’ve relied day, and have never meant anything more on the power and productivity POSITION STARTERS FROM to me, to be quite honest. But it says of our offense,” he said. “But this LAST YEAR’S 40-21 SQUAD, that people have noticed their sucyear we are shaping up to be more of WHICH FINISHED 22-8 IN cess and respect who our guys have a pitching and defensive club. We’ll become as baseball players and as a still score runs, but we’ll focus more LEAGUE PLAY AND MISSED program.” on singles and doubles than home OUT ON THE PROGRAM’S The Jaguars return eight position runs. We’ll have to be a bit craftier in THIRD STRAIGHT SBC CHAMstarters from last year’s 40-21 squad, how we approach the game.” PIONSHIP BY A HALF-GAME. which finished 22-8 in league play and missed out on the program’s University of Mobile third straight SBC championship by Head coach Mike Jacobs has a a half-game. South Alabama won the team full of veterans as they chase 2017 SBC Tournament and competed the Southern States Athletic Conferin the NCAA Regionals. ence crown. Jacobs, for whom the Rams’ home field is The most celebrated veteran is outfielder Travis named, is heading into his 29th season in that position at Swaggerty. He has been named preseason first-team AllUM. America by NCBWA, Baseball America, D1Baseball and “We have a lot of seniors — 12, I believe,” Jacobs said. Perfect Game/Rawlings, and was a third-team preseason “We recruit mostly junior college kids; that’s probably 85 All-America selection by Collegiate Baseball. He led the percent of our roster … and what’s happened is we’ve had conference in on-base percentage (.484), RBI (60) and probably two or three freshmen that just fell into this group runs scored (55), ranked second in batting average (.363) of juniors and then some junior college kids that from and total bases (125), and fourth in stolen bases (19). academic standing or an injury standpoint have fallen into Swaggerty was selected as the SBC Preseason Player this group.”

IN 2017, USA OUTFIELDER TRAVIS SWAGGERTY LED THE CONFERENCE IN ON-BASE PERCENTAGE, RBI AND RUNS SCORED. HE WAS RANKED SECOND The Rams were picked to finish fourth in the SSAC standings in the league’s annual preseason poll. Among returners is Cody Cox, last season’s leader in batting average. Also back are second baseman Norberto Torres (SSAC Gold Glove winner) and catcher Cody Evans, a senior from Semmes who caught 16 runners stealing last year. The Rams will lean on outfielders Corey Wheaton, who has the most RBIs of any returner, and senior Joseph Barnett of Saraland, who had two home runs and five triples last season. On the mound, Braxton Rhodes and Luke Hastings are back.

Bishop State Community College

Bishop State will have a new look as upgrades have been made to the athletic facilities on the Southwest Campus. A new head coach James Hattenstein — a BSCC alumni — takes over a program that finished the season with a 16-38 record and 7-25 in the Alabama Community College Conference. “I feel that in order for me as the new head coach to improve this program, we need to sign the top local athletes,” Hattenstein said. “We are Mobile’s community college and we welcome people to come see what we have to offer.” The 2018 team returns starting pitchers Bradley Jarvis (69 IP, 49 K, 5.71 ERA) and Thomas Sorrentino (33 IP, 22K, 6.48 ERA) along with relievers Trevor Davis (25 IP, 28K, 6.84 ERA, Robertsdale) and Tyler Baker (9 IP, Murphy). Garrett Feemster, a 6-foot-9 pitcher from Alma Bryant, is back after a medical redshirt. As a first baseman, Sorrentino hit .321 with one home run. Outfielder Walker Thompson of Theodore batted .272, while catcher/outfielder Christian Poche (.257 BA, 105 PA, Baker) split time with Peyton Whitehead (.255 BA, 106 PA) behind the plate. Poche will be expected to play outfield in 2018. Outfielder Dalton Reed (.250, 8 PA, 8G, Leroy High) is another veteran.

SPORTS FROM BEHIND THE MIC

Is Super Bowl coach as good as UMS-Wright coach? BY RANDY KENNEDY/CONTRIBUTING WRITER

rom 2005 until 2008, Terry Curtis, the legendary football coach at UMS-Wright Prep, won 45 games, lost 12 and claimed two state championships. During that same period, the coach at Calvary Baptist Academy in Shreveport won 41 games and lost 10 but never won a state championship. Last season, the two coaches reached the pinnacle of their professions. Curtis led UMS-Wright to a 13-2 record and a Class 4A state championship, clinching the title in a blizzard at Bryant-Denny Stadium. That coach from Calvary Baptist? Well, he’s since moved on from high school football in Louisiana. His championship came when the Philadelphia Eagles beat the New England Patriots in Super Bowl LII. There is no question Doug Pederson earned his position as head coach of the Eagles. Winning the Super Bowl with a backup quarterback certainly proves he was worthy of the position. But is he a better coach than Curtis? He certainly wasn’t when the two were high school coaches a decade ago. And I have no reason to believe he is today. The difference? Pederson had great contacts in the NFL because of his playing days as Brett Favre’s backup and he

decided to pursue a coaching position on the higher level, while Curtis was content to continue as one of the most successful coaches in Alabama high school history. But Curtis is not alone as someone who would have a chance to succeed on the higher level if given a chance. I’ve long had the strong opinion that the best high school coaches are at least the equals of their college and even professional counterparts. The difference is they decided to pursue a different path and — perhaps more importantly — they didn’t have the natural connections to the college or pro level. “No. 1, you’ve got to be somebody who wants to do that and be organized in your philosophy and approach,” Curtis said when asked about the path from high school coaching to the college or NFL level. “In a lot of ways someone at the high school level is way more qualified than the assistant coaches who are being promoted. A lot of college position coaches only know their position. At the high school level you have to learn the whole game, including offense, defense and special teams. Football is pretty much the same game at all levels, but at the high school level you better know every aspect of the game.” There are many examples of super-successful high school coaches making their way onto the largest stages of

college football. In the SEC, Auburn’s Gus Malzahn and new Arkansas coach Chad Morris were legendary head coaches at the high school level. They both had a plan to use the contacts they made with college coaches who were consistently recruiting their players to make inroads into the college game. “It’s probably unusual because most colleges won’t give the high school coaches an opportunity to do that,” Curtis said. “But when those guys get a chance to be head coaches they usually do better because of their experience in all areas of the game.” Curtis said the strategy for becoming a multimillion-dollar coach on the college or even pro level has changed in recent years. “When I came into coaching what most guys did was go to the high school level, then move up,” Curtis said. “But then it changed. They started wanting you to go be a graduate assistant or an analyst in college and then try to move up. Most of the great head coaches from my age group coached three to five years in high school before they made some connections and moved up to college. That’s not the case today. Most of the guys who are advancing to head coaching positions are guys who have never been head coaches at any level before.” Of course, that approach can also work. Just look at Kirby Smart and Dabo Swinney, two guys who had never been head coaches at any level before leading their current schools to a total of three national playoff appearances over the last two years. There is certainly more than one path to success. But nobody should rule out the path of a high school coach using the skills he’s learned to succeed at the higher level. Doug Pederson got a shot. No, he was not as good a high school coach as Terry Curtis, but he has proven good enough to win a Super Bowl. Randy Kennedy writes a weekly column for Lagniappe and is co-host of “Sports Drive” every weekday from 3-6 p.m. on WNSP 105.5 FM, the country’s first all-sports FM station.

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STYLE GARDENING

CITRUS GREENING DISEASE: DON’T GIVE UP YET! BY JOHN OLIVE, DIRECTOR, AU ORNAMENTAL HORTICULTURAL RESEARCH CENTER | COASTALALABAMAGARDENING@GMAIL.COM

Photo/Courtesy of John Olive

An adult Asian Citrus Psyllid, the tiny insect that spreads citrus greening.

: I read about growing citrus in a recent issue of Lagniappe, and would like to plant one but my neighbor told me about a serious citrus disease that could kill my trees. Is it worth the risk to plant a satsuma? A: The short answer is yes, it is still worth the risk to plant citrus on the Gulf Coast, even though the destructive disease known as citrus greening, huanglongbing (HLB) or yellow dragon has been devastating everywhere it has occurred, and has recently been found in both Mobile and Baldwin counties. It is caused by a bacterium that gets into the vascular system of citrus trees, such as satsumas, lemons and grapefruit. It is spread by the Asian citrus psyllid (ACP), a tiny insect that feeds on infected trees and can then infect healthy trees by feeding on them. The ACP is a tropical to semi-tropical insect, and while not common here it has been found in South Alabama since at least 2010. Home gardeners should regularly scout for this insect, especially during growth flushes. Adults and nymphs can be found feeding on the succulent new growth, and nymphs often excrete characteristic waxy threads. I don’t want to downplay the potentially catastrophic effects this disease could have on citrus in our area, but there is some encouraging news. Citrus are not as heavily planted in South Alabama, so tree-to-tree spread of the disease may be slower than in areas where commercial citrus is concentrated. Also, if you are looking for the bright side of our recent bone chilling weather, severe cold winters appear to greatly reduce populations of ACP as well as reducing sources of disease by killing stressed and

diseased citrus trees. It is difficult to make a definite citrus greening diagnosis without laboratory confirmation. Unfortunately, the symptoms of this disease can often be confused with nutrient deficiencies and leaf miner damage, which are much more common. Some leaf symptoms to look for include irregular yellowing, leaf veins that have a raised, corky appearance and yellow leaves with green spots or “islands.” Symptoms on the fruit include uneven ripening and lopsided, misshapen fruit with black aborted seed. Fruit is also bitter and inedible. The trees may initially appear healthy, with only a single branch of bright yellow leaves, but as the disease progresses, dieback and death of the tree will follow. It can take years for an infected tree to die and during that time it is a reservoir for the ACP to feed on and spread the disease. Because the symptoms are often unclear, home gardeners should focus on scouting for the ACP to slow the spread of disease and only buy inspected citrus from a known source. There is no cure once a plant is infected; diseased trees must be removed and destroyed. Only a handful of trees out of thousands surveyed along the Gulf Coast were found to be infected, so it is unlikely you have a tree with the disease now. If you suspect you have citrus greening disease, contact the Alabama Department of Agriculture and Industries (ADAI) at 334-240-7228 so they can help you determine if an inspector needs to collect a sample, or ask that they include your citrus in their database for possible inspection when ADAI makes its annual citrus survey inspection.

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For more information and images of citrus greening and the Asian citrus psyllid, visit edis.ifas.ufl.edu or www.SaveOurCitrus.org.

YOU ARE INVITED TO THESE UPCOMING GARDENING EVENTS

What: Extension Pruning Demonstration for Fruit Crops, Roses and Ornamentals When: Monday, Feb. 19, 9-11 a.m. Where: Jon Archer Ag Center, 1070 Schillinger Road N., Mobile More: Free, bring your pruning shears. Call 251-574-8445 for more info. What: Mobile Master Gardeners Lunch & Learn (Free) When: Monday, Feb. 26, noon to 1 p.m. Where: Jon Archer Ag Center, 1070 Schillinger Road N., Mobile Topic: Landscape and Tree Initiatives in Mobile, Brian Underwood and Matt Jollit Master Gardener Helpline: 1-877-252-4769 or send gardening questions to coastalalabamagardening@gmail.com.

STYLE BOOZIE

STYLE HOROSCOPES

Mardi Gras is Party Gras!

WHAT TO GIVE UP FOR LENT

BY BOOZIE BEER NUES/SOCIAL BUTTERFLY

ain, rain, go away, come again when there isn’t Mobile’s biggest party going on outside! I guess one positive thing about the rain is that it probably helped wash away flu germs. And a little rain (OK, a lot of rain) didn’t stop Mob-Town from throwing down — if anything, it made the party wilder! Get ready to soak up all the Mardi Gras goodness because the good times rolled!

Party Gras

Just so y’all don’t think I’m crazy and forgot about Fat Tuesday, us folks in the newspaper business went to press early so we could revel along with the rest of you. Look for my Fat Tuesday report in next week’s paper, along with anything else the spies didn’t manage to get in on time. Anyways, back to the reason you’re here, the gossip! So, Boozie has kind of had enough of Mobile trolling New Orleans about Mardi Gras. I mean, we are beginning to look like the jealous older sister and not appreciating what we have. Now that that’s out there, more on the situation. Last Tuesday, Mayor Sandy Stimpson invited New Orleans Mayor Mitch Landrieu to Mobile to receive a proclamation authorizing New Orleans to participate in the grand tradition of Mardi Gras. Landrieu showed up for the event dressed as a jester. Boozie thinks that’s very fitting because New Orleans is a fool to think its Mardi Gras is better! As the week rolled on, things got crazy. The rain made for smaller crowds than usual, but there was still a fair number of crazies out. Luckily the rain held out for Crewe of Columbus and we were able to have one rain-free parade for the weekend! After the parade, Boozie and crew headed to the bar, where I witnessed one drunk girl fall off her bar stool, hitting the ground and possibly the bar. Her friends all laughed, then helped her up and made sure all her teeth were intact. On Saturday, Boozie and friends headed over the bay for the Mullet Point parade, only to discover it had been canceled. We still went to the party and enjoyed crawfish and beer and watched the rain come down and wondered about the well-being of the drunk girl on the side of the road, crying in the rain. (Turns out someone came and rescued her.) Saturday night, the parade didn’t roll, but the good times did! Boozie’s spies who attended of Mystic of Time ball said it was blast! Once inside the Civic Center, the rain was forgotten about because the drinks poured harder than the rain outside. My spy said there were so many crazy moves going on on the dance floor, but the most entertaining was two guys re-enacting the “Dirty Dancing” jump, now immortalized in the Eli Manning and Odell Beckham Super Bowl commercial. She said one guy was on the stage and made a running jump to his friend, who lifted him up. I guess they figured if football players could do it, so could they. Luckily, they pulled it off pretty nicely. Meanwhile over the bay, the Shadow Barons were rocking the Daphne Civic Center! Boozie’s spy there reported one older lady was having a great time dancing except that her dance moves were very questionable. She said she was hopping onto the stage shaking her booty and dropping it low. At one point they wondered if they might have to help her up, it dropped so low. Sunday Funday was taken to a new level! Yeah, sure,

the rain kept a lot of people at home but it meant more throws for those who did show up! Like the man and his pet snake. Umm, yeah, a yellow snake (shows how much I know about snakes) and his handler were spotted around downtown. The guy was even nice enough to let people touch the snake, yay! Speaking of nice guys, Boozie was told the members of Order of Myths relaxed the dress code for their annual Sunday reception and allowed ladies to wear rain boots or flip-flops. You can’t help but giggle seeing people in their Sunday best and then rain boots. As Sunday progressed, Boozie’s friend somehow scored a wristband for free drinks! It was amazing and bad at the same time. I had to keep reminding myself I had work the next day! Modern-day Cinderella

We all know the story. Cinderella loses her glass slipper and Prince Charming finds it and searches for its owner. Well, this story is similar but there is no Prince Charming and only parts of shoes. Yes, I said parts of shoes, as in multiples. It all started Wednesday night at Fifty Funny Fellows when one lady lost part of her shoe. Somehow the bottom part of a lady’s silver heel became unattached from the rest of the shoe. Was she too drunk to notice or did she simply not care? The shoe was discovered alongside a Lagniappe box. Let’s just hope it wasn’t covering something else she might have left behind. A sole was spotted on Saturday night at the Mystics of Time ball. This time it was the bottom of a male’s silver shoe. Not really sure how people lose the bottom of their shoe, but it is Mardi Gras so anything could happen. Boozie is thinking the two folks with missing parts of their silver shoes should meet, they seem to have a lot in common! Well, kids, that’s all I’ve got this week. Be sure to check back next week for more Mardi Gras scoop! Just remember, whether rain or shine, dramatic or scandalous or just plain ol’ Mardi Gras lovin’, I will be there. Ciao!

AQUARIUS (1/20-2/18) — Your prowess on the washboard will finally come in handy as you join The Pine Hill Haints on stage. You’ll be dismissed after attempting a solo with a musical saw. You’ll host the inaugural ball of the Mystics of Fear of Missing Out. PISCES (2/19-3/20) — You’ll have a full year of strange coincidences when you obtain a lock of Grayson Capps’ hair during his Joe Cain Day show at Callaghan’s. You’ll sew a Mardi Gras train for the queen of the Krewe of Daydreaming. ARIES (3/21-4/19) — You’ll proclaim yourself heir of the House Targaryen and attempt to control the Mystics of Times’ three dragon floats. You’ll foster the secret society known as the Knights of Impulsiveness. TAURUS (4/20-5/20) — Finding little comedy in the recent stock market scare, you’ll fail to crack a smile until Ash Wednesday. You’ll begin a divisive parading group known as the Humorless Cowgirls. GEMINI (5/21-6/21) — Conceding that New Orleans may actually have the bigger and better Mardi Gras doesn’t make you less a Mobilian, it makes you more a rational human. You hold a charter membership in the Order of Indecisiveness. CANCER (6/22-7/22) — Trying to keep good on your pledge of a “Litter Free Mardi Gras,” you’ll scour the parade route for the one strand of beads you could not account for once you got back to the car. You are the head of recruitment for the Krewe of Carnival Narcs. LEO (7/23-8/22) — You’ll declare your personal space by building a wall around 20 square feet of pavement behind the barricades. You’ll employ an agent to enforce passport restrictions and QC test generic candy. You’ll organize the allinclusive Mobile Bay Area Parading and Non-Parading Society. VIRGO (8/23-9/22) — In protest of what appears to be a shortage of MoonPies at local Mardi Gras parades, you’ll stand on the corner and pelt people on oncoming floats with undesirable oatmeal pies. You have been inducted into the Knights of GFY. LIBRA (9/23-10/22) — You’ll rush to the furnace to smelt your doubloons, hoping their weight as bullion will set you up for early retirement. You’ll be cited by ADEM for exceeding air quality standards. You’ll ride on the lead float for the Order of Ordinary Orderlies. SCORPIO (10/23-11/21) — You’ll conceive a screenplay for Nic Cage’s newest movie in Mobile, an action-based thriller about a sacred scroll buried under Mardi Gras Park. You’ll resign from the Krewe of Cat People to join the Knights of Dog People. SAGITTARIUS (11/22-12/21) — Against the advice of your most recent dietitian, you’ll eat your weight in funnel cakes and chickens-on-a-stick. You’ll form an shadowy LLC to obscure the principals in your new krewe, the Nutria Maidens. CAPRICORN (12/22-1/19) — You’ll dress in black and join Joe Cain’s Merry Widows at the Church Street Cemetery Sunday morning. It won’t be the first time you’ve had a bloody mary at a graveyard and it won’t be the last. You’re the king of the Mystic Two-Cheek Mooners.

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LAGNIAPPE LEGALS | 251.450-4466 | legals@lagniappemobile.com the expenses of foreclosure. The successful bidder must Alabama, to-wit: Lot 3, Camelot, According to Plat thereof FORECLOSURES Recorded in Map Book 20, Page 65 of the Records in the MORTGAGE FORECLOSURE SALE Default having been made in the payment of the indebtedness secured by that certain mortgage executed by Brooke D. Walters, a married man, who acquired title as a single man and Melissa Walters, originally in favor of Mortgage Electronic Registration Systems, Inc., as nominee for Lakeview Loan Servicing, LLC, on the 14th day of July, 2015, said mortgage recorded in the Office of the Judge of Probate of Mobile County, Alabama, in Bk: LR7285 Pg:1861; the undersigned Lakeview Loan Servicing, LLC, as Mortgagee/Transferee, under and by virtue of the power of sale contained in said mortgage, will sell at public outcry to the highest bidder for cash, in front of the main entrance of the Courthouse at Mobile, Mobile County, Alabama, on April 12, 2018, during the legal hours of sale, all of its right, title, and interest in and to the following described real estate, situated in Mobile County, Alabama, to-wit: Lot 57, Pine Run, Unit Two, Part B subdivision, according to plat thereof recorded in Map Book 26, Page 108, of the Records in the Office of the Judge of Probate of Mobile County, Alabama. Property street address for informational purposes: 950 Jackson Creek Cir, Mobile, AL 36695. THIS PROPERTY WILL BE SOLD ON AN “AS IS, WHERE IS” BASIS, SUBJECT TO ANY EASEMENTS, ENCUMBRANCES, AND EXCEPTIONS REFLECTED IN THE MORTGAGE AND THOSE CONTAINED IN THE RECORDS OF THE OFFICE OF THE JUDGE OF PROBATE OF THE COUNTY WHERE THE ABOVE-DESCRIBED PROPERTY IS SITUATED. THIS PROPERTY WILL BE SOLD WITHOUT WARRANTY OR RECOURSE, EXPRESSED OR IMPLIED AS TO TITLE, USE AND/OR ENJOYMENT AND WILL BE SOLD SUBJECT TO THE RIGHT OF REDEMPTION OF ALL PARTIES ENTITLED THERETO. Alabama law gives some persons who have an interest in property the right to redeem the property under certain circumstances. Programs may also exist that help persons avoid or delay the foreclosure process. An attorney should be consulted to help you understand these rights and programs as a part of the foreclosure process. This sale is made for the purpose of paying the indebtedness secured by said mortgage, as well as the expenses of foreclosure. The successful bidder must tender a non-refundable deposit of Five Thousand Dollars ($5,000.00) in certified funds made payable to Sirote & Permutt, P.C. at the time and place of the sale. The balance of the purchase price must be paid in certified funds by noon the next business day at the Law Office of Sirote & Permutt, P.C. at the address indicated below. Sirote & Permutt, P.C. reserves the right to award the bid to the next highest bidder should the highest bidder fail to timely tender the total amount due. The Mortgagee/Transferee reserves the right to bid for and purchase the real estate and to credit its purchase price against the expenses of sale and the indebtedness secured by the real estate. This sale is subject to postponement or cancellation. Lakeview Loan Servicing, LLC, Mortgagee/ Transferee. Elizabeth Loefgren SIROTE & PERMUTT, P.C. P. O. Box 55727 Birmingham, AL 35255-5727 Attorney for Mortgagee/Transferee www. sirote.com/foreclosures 429667

Lagniappe HD Feb. 14, 21, 28, 2018

MORTGAGE FORECLOSURE SALE Default having been made in the payment of the indebtedness secured by that certain mortgage executed by Freda Farris Naman, unmarried, originally in favor of Mortgage Electronic Registration Systems, Inc. as nominee for Reverse Mortgage Solutions, Inc., on the 15th day of June, 2015, said mortgage recorded in the Office of the Judge of Probate of Mobile County, Alabama, in Bk: LR7278, Pg: 1746; the undersigned Reverse Mortgage Solutions, Inc., as Mortgagee/Transferee, under and by virtue of the power of sale contained in said mortgage, will sell at public outcry to the highest bidder for cash, in front of the main entrance of the Courthouse at Mobile, Mobile County, Alabama, on March 29, 2018, during the legal hours of sale, all of its right, title, and interest in and to the following described real estate, situated in Mobile County, Alabama, to-wit: Lot 11 Country Club Woods, Part C, as per plat thereof recorded in Map Book 19, Page 107 of the records in the Office of the Judge of Probate, Mobile County, Alabama. Property street address for informational purposes: 728 Spring Station Rd , Mobile, AL 36609. THIS PROPERTY WILL BE SOLD ON AN “AS IS, WHERE IS” BASIS, SUBJECT TO ANY EASEMENTS, ENCUMBRANCES, AND EXCEPTIONS REFLECTED IN THE MORTGAGE AND THOSE CONTAINED IN THE RECORDS OF THE OFFICE OF THE JUDGE OF PROBATE OF THE COUNTY WHERE THE ABOVE-DESCRIBED PROPERTY IS SITUATED. THIS PROPERTY WILL BE SOLD WITHOUT WARRANTY OR RECOURSE, EXPRESSED OR IMPLIED AS TO TITLE, USE AND/OR ENJOYMENT AND WILL BE SOLD SUBJECT TO THE RIGHT OF REDEMPTION OF ALL PARTIES ENTITLED THERETO. Alabama law gives some persons who have an interest in property the right to redeem the property under certain circumstances. Programs may also exist that help persons avoid or delay the foreclosure process. An attorney should be consulted to help you understand these rights and programs as a part of the foreclosure process. This sale is made for the purpose of paying the indebtedness secured by said mortgage, as well as

tender a non-refundable deposit of Five Thousand Dollars ($5,000.00) in certified funds made payable to Sirote & Permutt, P.C. at the time and place of the sale. The balance of the purchase price must be paid in certified funds by noon the next business day at the Law Office of Sirote & Permutt, P.C. at the address indicated below. Sirote & Permutt, P.C. reserves the right to award the bid to the next highest bidder should the highest bidder fail to timely tender the total amount due. The Mortgagee/ Transferee reserves the right to bid for and purchase the real estate and to credit its purchase price against the expenses of sale and the indebtedness secured by the real estate. This sale is subject to postponement or cancellation. Reverse Mortgage Solutions, Inc., Mortgagee/ Transferee. Ginny Rutledge SIROTE & PERMUTT, P.C. P. O. Box 55727 Birmingham, AL 35255-5727 Attorney for Mortgagee/Transferee www.sirote.com/ foreclosures 426220 Lagniappe HD Feb. 14, 21, 28, 2018

MORTGAGE FORECLOSURE SALE Default having been made in the payment of the indebtedness secured by that certain mortgage executed by Ozellar D. Clarke, a single woman, originally in favor of Ameriquest Mortgage Company, on the 3rd day of January, 2001, said mortgage recorded in the Office of the Judge of Probate of Mobile County, Alabama, in Book 4942, Page 0656; the undersigned U.S. Bank National Association, not in its individual capacity but solely as trustee for the RMAC Trust, Series 2016-CTT, as Mortgagee/Transferee, under and by virtue of the power of sale contained in said mortgage, will sell at public outcry to the highest bidder for cash, in front of the main entrance of the Courthouse at Mobile, Mobile County, Alabama, on March 15, 2018, during the legal hours of sale, all of its right, title, and interest in and to the following described real estate, situated in Mobile County, Alabama, to-wit: North 65 feet of Lots 1 and 2 of Block 2, resubdivision of Block 3 of Zimlich and Strauss Addition to Mobile as recorded in Deed Book 156, Page 52 of the records in the Office of the Judge of Probate, Mobile County, Alabama. Property street address for informational purposes: 600 Tutle Avenue, Mobile, AL 36604. THIS PROPERTY WILL BE SOLD ON AN “AS IS, WHERE IS” BASIS, SUBJECT TO ANY EASEMENTS, ENCUMBRANCES, AND EXCEPTIONS REFLECTED IN THE MORTGAGE AND THOSE CONTAINED IN THE RECORDS OF THE OFFICE OF THE JUDGE OF PROBATE OF THE COUNTY WHERE THE ABOVE-DESCRIBED PROPERTY IS SITUATED. THIS PROPERTY WILL BE SOLD WITHOUT WARRANTY OR RECOURSE, EXPRESSED OR IMPLIED AS TO TITLE, USE AND/OR ENJOYMENT AND WILL BE SOLD SUBJECT TO THE RIGHT OF REDEMPTION OF ALL PARTIES ENTITLED THERETO. Alabama law gives some persons who have an interest in property the right to redeem the property under certain circumstances. Programs may also exist that help persons avoid or delay the foreclosure process. An attorney should be consulted to help you understand these rights and programs as a part of the foreclosure process. This sale is made for the purpose of paying the indebtedness secured by said mortgage, as well as the expenses of foreclosure. The successful bidder must tender a non-refundable deposit of Five Thousand Dollars ($5,000.00) in certified funds made payable to Sirote & Permutt, P.C. at the time and place of the sale. The balance of the purchase price must be paid in certified funds by noon the next business day at the Law Office of Sirote & Permutt, P.C. at the address indicated below. Sirote & Permutt, P.C. reserves the right to award the bid to the next highest bidder should the highest bidder fail to timely tender the total amount due. The Mortgagee/Transferee reserves the right to bid for and purchase the real estate and to credit its purchase price against the expenses of sale and the indebtedness secured by the real estate. This sale is subject to postponement or cancellation. U.S. Bank National Association, not in its individual capacity but solely as trustee for the RMAC Trust, Series 2016-CTT, Mortgagee/Transferee. Elizabeth Loefgren SIROTE & PERMUTT, P.C. P. O. Box 55727 Birmingham, AL 35255-5727 Attorneyfor Mortgagee/Transferee www.sirote.com/ foreclosures 424129 Lagniappe HD Feb. 14, 21, 28, 2018

MORTGAGE FORECLOSURE SALE

Default having been made in the payment of the indebtedness secured by that certain mortgage executed by Perry D Chapman, and Carrie L Chapman, husband and wife, originally in favor of Mortgage Electronic Registration Systems, Inc., as nominee for Countrywide Bank, a Division of Treasury Bank, N.A., on the 22nd day of April, 2005, said mortgage recorded in the Office of the Judge of Probate of Mobile County, Alabama, in Book 5767, Page 1228; the undersigned Bank of America, N.A., as Mortgagee/Transferee, under and by virtue of the power of sale contained in said mortgage, will sell at public outcry to the highest bidder for cash, in front of the main entrance of the Courthouse at Mobile, Mobile County, Alabama, on March 15, 2018, during the legal hours of sale, all of its right, title, and interest in and to the following described real estate, situated in Mobile County,

44 | L AG N I A P P E | Fe b r u a r y 1 4 , 2 0 1 8 - Fe b r u a r y 2 0 , 2 0 1 8

Office of the Judge of Probate of Mobile County, Alabama. Property street address for informational purposes: 4976 Camelot Dr, Mobile, AL 36619 THIS PROPERTY WILL BE SOLD ON AN “AS IS, WHERE IS” BASIS, SUBJECT TO ANY EASEMENTS, ENCUMBRANCES, AND EXCEPTIONS REFLECTED IN THE MORTGAGE AND THOSE CONTAINED IN THE RECORDS OF THE OFFICE OF THE JUDGE OF PROBATE OF THE COUNTY WHERE THE ABOVE-DESCRIBED PROPERTY IS SITUATED. THIS PROPERTY WILL BE SOLD WITHOUT WARRANTY OR RECOURSE, EXPRESSED OR IMPLIED AS TO TITLE, USE AND/OR ENJOYMENT AND WILL BE SOLD SUBJECT TO THE RIGHT OF REDEMPTION OF ALL PARTIES ENTITLED THERETO. Alabama law gives some persons who have an interest in property the right to redeem the property under certain circumstances. Programs may also exist that help persons avoid or delay the foreclosure process. An attorney should be consulted to help you understand these rights and programs as a part of the foreclosure process. This sale is made for the purpose of paying the indebtedness secured by said mortgage, as well as the expenses of foreclosure. The successful bidder must tender a nonrefundable deposit of Five Thousand Dollars ($5,000.00) in certified funds made payable to Sirote & Permutt, P.C. at the time and place of the sale. The balance of the purchase price must be paid in certified funds by noon the next business day at the Law Office of Sirote & Permutt, P.C. at the address indicated below. Sirote & Permutt, P.C. reserves the right to award the bid to the next highest bidder should the highest bidder fail to timely tender the total amount due. The Mortgagee/Transferee reserves the right to bid for and purchase the real estate and to credit its purchase price against the expenses of sale and the indebtedness secured by the real estate. This sale is subject to postponement or cancellation. Bank of America, N.A., Mortgagee/Transferee Pam King SIROTE & PERMUTT, P.C. P. O. Box 55727 Birmingham, AL 35255-5727 Attorney for Mortgagee/Transferee www.sirote.com/foreclosures 426544 Lagniappe HD Feb. 7, 14, 21, 2018

FORECLOSURE NOTICE Default having been made by the herein referenced Grantee in the terms of that certain Vendor’s Lien Deed executed on September 8, 2010, by Shawntell L. Wheeler, as Grantee to Iras Development Company, Inc., 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 6697, Page 918, 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 LR7123, Page 1597, 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 March 14, 2018. Lot 115, & 116 as per plat of TIMBERLAND, UNIT VI as recorded in Map Book 124, Page 55, Probate Court of Mobile County, Alabama. 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 Feb. 7, 14, 21, 2018

FORECLOSURE NOTICE Default having been made in the payment of the indebtedness described in and secured by the vendor’s lien retained in that certain Vendor’s Lien Deed dated June 22, 2012 from Thomas E. Nelson and Carolyn H. Nelson, as Trustees of the Nelson Living Trust dated December 11, 2006, as grantors, to Shimaa Abdul, as grantee, recorded in Real Property Book 6907, Page 785 in the Office of the Judge of Probate, Mobile County, Alabama, notice is hereby given that the undersigned, as holders of said vendor’s lien, will under and by virtue of the power of sale contained in said Vendor’s Lien Deed, sell at public outcry for cash to the highest bidder during the legal hours of sale on March 6, 2018 at the Government Street entrance of the Mobile Government Plaza, 205 Government Street, Mobile, Alabama the following described real property situated in the County of Mobile, State of Alabama, described in said Vendor’s Lien Deed hereinabove referred to, viz: Lot 59, Oakwood Estates, Unit Two, according to plat thereof as recorded in Map Book 16, Page 24, in the records in the Office of Judge of Probate, Mobile County, Alabama. Said sale will be made for the purpose of paying said indebtedness and the expenses incident to this sale, including a reasonable attorney›s fee. THOMAS E. NELSON AND CAROLYN H. NELSON AS TRUSTEES OF THE NELSON LIVING TRUST DATED DECEMBER 11, 2006 Holders of Said Vendor’s Lien David A. Boyett, III ANDERS, BOYETT & BRADY, P.C. 3800 Airport Boulevard, Suite 203 Mobile, Alabama 36608 (251) 344-0880 ABB File No. 82797 Lagniappe HD Jan. 31, Feb. 7, 14, 2018

MORTGAGE FORECLOSURE SALE Default having been made in the payment of the indebted-

ness secured by that certain mortgage executed by Lillian Dean and Luke Rivers, husband and wife, originally in favor of Ameriquest Mortgage Company, on the 16th day of November, 2000, said mortgage recorded in the Office of the Judge of Probate of Mobile County, Alabama, in Book 5169 Page 1001; the undersigned Deutsche Bank National Trust Company, as Trustee for ABFC Mortgage Loan Asset Backed Certificates Series 2001-AQ1, as Mortgagee/Transferee, under and by virtue of the power of sale contained in said mortgage, will sell at public outcry to the highest bidder for cash, in front of the main entrance of the Courthouse at Mobile, Mobile County, Alabama, on March 8, 2018, during the legal hours of sale, all of its right, title, and interest in and to the following described real estate, situated in Mobile County, Alabama, to-wit: Lot 1 and 2 in Square 136 of the West Gordon Division of the Favre Tract. Said lots being situated at the Southwest Corner of Charles and Selma Streets, fronting on Charles Street 85 feet and running back along the South side Selma Street of uniform width, 100 feet according to plat thereof recorded in Deed Book 34 N.S. Page 150, in the Office of the Judge of probate, Mobile County, Alabama. Property street address for informational purposes: 400 Charles Street, Mobile, AL,36604 THIS PROPERTY WILL BE SOLD ON AN “AS IS, WHERE IS” BASIS, SUBJECT TO ANY EASEMENTS, ENCUMBRANCES, AND EXCEPTIONS REFLECTED IN THE MORTGAGE AND THOSE CONTAINED IN THE RECORDS OF THE OFFICE OF THE JUDGE OF PROBATE OF THE COUNTY WHERE THE ABOVEDESCRIBED PROPERTY IS SITUATED. THIS PROPERTY WILL BE SOLD WITHOUT WARRANTY OR RECOURSE, EXPRESSED OR IMPLIED AS TO TITLE, USE AND/OR ENJOYMENT AND WILL BE SOLD SUBJECT TO THE RIGHT OF REDEMPTION OF ALL PARTIES ENTITLED THERETO. Alabama law gives some persons who have an interest in property the right to redeem the property under certain circumstances. Programs may also exist that help persons avoid or delay the foreclosure process. An attorney should be consulted to help you understand these rights and programs as a part of the foreclosure process. This sale is made for the purpose of paying the indebtedness secured by said mortgage, as well as the expenses of foreclosure. The successful bidder must tender a non-refundable deposit of Five Thousand Dollars ($5,000.00) in certified funds made payable to Sirote & Permutt, P.C. at the time and place of the sale. The balance of the purchase price must be paid in certified funds by noon the next business day at the Law Office of Sirote & Permutt, P.C. at the address indicated below. Sirote & Permutt, P.C. reserves the right to award the bid to the next highest bidder should the highest bidder fail to timely tender the total amount due. The Mortgagee/ Transferee reserves the right to bid for and purchase the real estate and to credit its purchase price against the expenses of sale and the indebtedness secured by the real estate. This sale is subject to postponement or cancellation. Deutsche Bank National Trust Company, as Trustee for ABFC Mortgage Loan Asset Backed Certificates Series 2001-AQ1, Mortgagee/Transferee. Pam King SIROTE & PERMUTT, P.C. P. O. Box 55727 Birmingham, AL 35255-5727 Attorney for Mortgagee/Transferee www.sirote.com/foreclosures 422323

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FORECLOSURE NOTICE Default having been made in the payment of the indebtedness described in and secured by that certain Mortgage from Carmen B. Staten to Richard S. Dennis, dated the 16th day of May, 2011, and recorded in Real Property Book 6779 page 18, of the records in the Office of the Judge of Probate Court, Mobile County, Alabama, said default continuing, notice is hereby given that the undersigned will, under and by virtue of the power of sale contained in said Mortgage, sell at public outcry for cash to the highest bidder during the legal hours of sale on the 22nd day of February, 2018, the following described property located in the County of Mobile, State of Alabama, to-wit: Lot 5, OAKS OF FOWL RIVER, PHASE TWO, as recorded in Map Book 113, Pages 24, in the Office of the Judge of Probate Mobile County, Alabama. Said sale will be made for the purpose of paying said indebtedness and the expenses incident to this sale, including a reasonable Attorney’s fee, and the other purpose set out in said Mortgage. RICHARD S. DENNIS Mortgagee WILLIAM E. CASE Attorney for Mortgagee Lagniappe HD Jan. 31, Feb. 7, 14, 2018

PROBATE COURT NOTICE OF ESTATE ADMINISTRATION PROBATE COURT OF MOBILE COUNTY, ALABAMA Estate of: SUSIE BETTY CLARK DRAWNS Case No. 2017-2200 Take notice that Letters Testamentary have been granted to the below named party on the 7th day of February, 2018 by the Honorable Don Davis, Judge of Probate of Mobile County Probate Court, Alabama and that all parties having claims against said estate should file the same with the Probate Court of said county within the time allowed by law, or they will be barred. DINAH FAYE DRAWNS MCQUEEN as Executrix of the estate of SUSIE BETTY CLARK DRAWNS, deceased. Attorney of Record: RACHELE ALEXANDER REIS

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ADVERTISEMENT FOR BIDS Notice is hereby given that the University of South Alabama (Owner) will accept sealed Bids for the following Work: MEISLER HALL GENERATOR INSTALLATION University of South Alabama Mobile, Alabama USA JOB #17-82 USA BID #8020501 Bids will be received and clocked in at 2:00PM local time on Tuesday, March 13, 2018, at Procurement Services on the Main Campus of the University of South Alabama. Bids will not be accepted after the time indicated herein and will be returned unopened. A cashier’s check or bid bond payable to the University of South Alabama in an amount not less than five (5) percent of the amount of the bid, but in no event more than $10,000 must accompany the bidder’s proposal. Bid Documents shall be available only through the USA Purchasing Office. Contact as follows: University of South Alabama. Procurement Services Technology & Research Park Bldg. III 650 Clinic Drive, Suite 1400 Mobile, AL 36688 PH# (251) 460-6151 FX# (251) 414-8291 (rbrown@southalabama.edu) Bids must be submitted on Proposal Forms furnished in the Bid Documents or copies thereof. The preceding is an abbreviated advertisement. The complete advertisement may be obtained from the location listed above. A Pre-Bid Conference will be held at 10:00AM local time on Tuesday, March 6, 2018, in Room AD023 of the Administration Building. Those in attendance will include the Owner, Engineer, and Consultants. Contract bidders, subcontractors and suppliers are encouraged to attend. A tour of the Project site is scheduled immediately after the conference. All questions concerning the Project should be submitted in writing to the Project Manager at the address listed below. 307 University Blvd. N., AD001 Mobile, AL 36688 trentdavis@southalabama.edu Lagniappe HD Feb. 14, 21, 28, 2018

PUBLIC NOTICE The Bayou La Batre, AL Fire District Board will hold meetings each second Monday of each month at 9:30 a.m. at the BLB Firehouse. Lagniappe HD Feb. 7, 14, 2018

PUBLIC NOTICE JOINT MOBILE METROPOLITAN PLANNING ORGANIZATION (MPO)/ TECHNICAL COORDINATING AND CITIZENS ADVISORY COMMITTEE MEETING The Mobile MPO Policy Board will meet on Wednesday, February 14, 2018 at 2:00 PM at the GM&O Building in the Board Room at 110 Beauregard Street. The purpose of the meeting is to approve Safety Performance Measures and the following modification to the FY 2016-2019 Transportation Improvement Program: New Cost Estimate 100060153 ( CN ) SR-158 Extension from 0.5 Mile East of Glenwood Road to West of Lott Road (SR-217). Grade Drain, Base, Pave has a new cost estimate from $17,721,177 to $30,005,229. DELETE the following project from the Interstate Maintenance Program. 100067527 (PE) I-10 Mobile River Bridge Load Test Program. MOVE the following projects in the Interstate Maintenance Program. 100050693 (UT) Interchange Improvements of I-65 and SR13 (US43), South of Creola, Move from 3/1/2018 to 3/1/2023, $148,797 100050694 (CN) Interchange Improvements of I-65 and SR13 (US43), South of Creola, Move from 11/2/2018 to 11/3/2023, $17,552,070. 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 Feb. 14, 2018

APPLICATION DEADLINE FOR 2018 STATE COMBINED CAMPAIGN March 2, 2018 is the application deadline for local voluntary charitable health and human care agencies or federations to apply for participation in the fall 2018 State Combined Campaign. The State Combined Campaign will begin in August and is designed to allow state employees to give to recognized local and/or statewide charities. Alabama law emphasizes local control to help ensure the campaign meets needs where state employees work and live. Charitable agencies desiring to participate in the 2018 State Combined Campaign should contact Leslie C. Schraeder at 251.431.0101 or lschraeder@uwswa.org for application instructions or visit www.statecombinedcampaign.org. Questions concerning federation/agency eligibility should also be referred to the above point of contact. Lagniappe HD Feb. 7, 14, 2018

PUBLIC NOTICE The Bayou La Batre, AL Fire District Board will hold meetings each second Monday of each month at 9:30 a.m. at the BLB Firehouse. Lagniappe HD Feb. 7, 14, 2018

2018 State Combined Campaign should contact Leslie C. Schraeder at 251.431.0101 or lschraeder@uwswa.org for application instructions or visit www.statecombinedcampaign.org. Questions concerning federation/agency eligibility should also be referred to the above point of contact.

is to advise you of the public hearing so that you may attend the meeting and present your views to the Board concerning this request. Dated this 8th day of February, 2018. BOARD OF ZONING ADJUSTMENT

STATE OF ALABAMA • COUNTY OF

BOARD OF ZONING ADJUSTMENT MOBILE, ALABAMA PURSUANT TO THE ZONING ORDINANCE OF THE CITY OF MOBILE, adopted the 16th day of May 1967, as amended, the City of Mobile’s Board of Zoning Adjustment will hold a Public Hearing on March 5, 2018 at 2:00 p.m. to consider a request at 907 Hillcrest Road, Suites F & G (East side of Hillcrest Road, 490’+ South of Piccadilly Square Drive.) for an Administrative Appeal of a staff determination to allow one parking space per 300 square feet of gross floor area for a proposed painting class studio allowing class members to be sold wine and beer in a B-2, Neighborhood Business District; the Zoning Ordinance requires one parking space per 100 square feet of gross floor area for any business selling food or beverage in a B-2, Neighborhood Business District. The meeting will be held in the Auditorium at 205 Government Street, Mobile, Alabama. This notice is to advise you of the public hearing so that you may attend the meeting and present your views to the Board concerning this request. Dated this 8th day of February, 2018. BOARD OF ZONING ADJUSTMENT

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MOBILE

Notice is hereby given that a bill as described in the synopsis below will be introduced in the 2018 Regular Session of the Legislature of Alabama and application for its passage and enactment will be made: A BILL TO BE ENTITLED AN ACT. SYNOPSIS: Relating to Class 2 municipalities; to require a landlord to register any rental property with a Class 2 municipality and to maintain the condition of any rental property up to code, and to require the registration of any vacant property with a Class 2 municipality; to establish a fine for a landlord who does not adhere to the registration and maintenance requirements, and to require a bank to register any foreclosed property. Lagniappe HD Jan. 24, 31, Feb. 7, 14, 2018

U.S. Army Corps of Engineers hosts Mobile Harbor improvement town hall meeting, Feb. 22 The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Mobile District, will host a town hall meeting to update all interested parties on the ongoing study to evaluate impacts of widening and/or deepening the Mobile Harbor Federal Navigation Channel. The meeting is open to the interested public and will be held at the Mobile Convention Center, 1 South Water Street, Mobile, Ala., on Feb. 22 from 6 to 8 p.m. Free parking is available in the parking lot just south of the Mobile Convention Center on Water Street, between Church and Government Streets, adjacent to Cooper Riverside Park. Free parking is available for persons/vehicles with a handicapped permit in the underground parking lot of the Convention Center. The Mobile District commander will provide an overview of the District and the ongoing studies for the proposed harbor improvements project. After the Corps presentation, members of the public will have the opportunity to ask the commander and team questions, make comments and share concerns related to possible impacts associated with the potential project. The town hall meeting is one opportunity to share comments that will become part of the preparation of a Draft Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement for the proposed project. In addition to the meeting, members of the public may submit comments by email to MobileHarborGRR@usace.army.mil or by mail to U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Mobile District, 109 Saint Joseph Street, Mobile, AL 36602. For more information, on the proposed Mobile Harbor Federal Navigation Channel project, visit http://www.sam. usace.army.mil/.

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NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING

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NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING BOARD OF ZONING ADJUSTMENT MOBILE, ALABAMA PURSUANT TO THE ZONING ORDINANCE OF THE CITY OF MOBILE, adopted the 16th day of May 1967, as amended, the City of Mobile’s Board of Zoning Adjustment will hold a Public Hearing on March 5, 2018 at 2:00 p.m. to consider a request at 921 Dauphin Street (South side of Dauphin Street, 550’+ West of South Broad Street.) for Parking and Access/Maneuvering Surface and Parking Lot Lighting Variances to allow a parking lot with an aggregate surface and reduced lighting on a commercial site split-zoned R-1, Single-Family Residential and B-1 Buffer Business Districts (rezoning to LB-2, Limited Neighborhood Business is pending); the Zoning Ordinance requires parking and access/maneuvering surfaces to be paved with concrete, asphalt, asphaltic concrete, or an approved alternative paving surface with lighting providing a minimum of one foot-candle on the parking surface on a commercial site (and LB-2 Districts) split-zoned R-1, Single-Family Residential and B-1 Buffer Business Districts. The meeting will be held in the Auditorium at 205 Government Street, Mobile, Alabama. This notice is to advise you of the public hearing so that you may attend the meeting and present your views to the Board concerning this request. Dated this 8th day of February, 2018. BOARD OF ZONING ADJUSTMENT Lagniappe HD Feb. 14, 21, 2018

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NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING BOARD OF ZONING ADJUSTMENT MOBILE, ALABAMA PURSUANT TO THE ZONING ORDINANCE OF THE CITY OF MOBILE, adopted the 16th day of May 1967, as amended, the City of Mobile’s Board of Zoning Adjustment will hold a Public Hearing on March 5, 2018 at 2:00 p.m. to consider a request at 5054 Old Shell Road (Northeast corner of Old Shell Road and Border Drive North.) for Use, Parking Surface, and Buffer Variances to allow a restaurant in a Neighborhood General Subdistrict of the Traditional Center District (R-1, Single-Family Residential District), with an aggregate parking surface and no parking lot buffering along a street frontage; the Zoning Ordinance does not allow a restaurant in a Neighborhood General Subdistrict of the Traditional Center District (R-1, SingleFamily Residential District), all parking surfaces must be paved with concrete, asphalt, asphaltic concrete, or an approved alternative paving surface, and parking lot buffering is required along street frontages. The meeting will be held in the Auditorium at 205 Government Street, Mobile, Alabama. This notice is to advise you of the public hearing so that you may attend the meeting and present your views to the Board concerning this request. Dated this 8th day of February, 2018. BOARD OF ZONING ADJUSTMENT Lagniappe HD Feb. 14, 21, 2018

BOARD OF ZONING ADJUSTMENT MOBILE, ALABAMA PURSUANT TO THE ZONING ORDINANCE OF THE CITY OF MOBILE, adopted the 16th day of May 1967, as amended, the City of Mobile’s Board of Zoning Adjustment will hold a Public Hearing on March 5, 2018 at 2:00 p.m. to consider a request at 4568 Halls Mill Road (North side of Halls Mill Road, 715’+ West of the North terminus of Laughlin Drive.) for Parking and Access/Maneuvering Surface Variances to allow the retention of aggregate parking and access/maneuvering surfaces at a school in an R-1, Single-Family Residential District; the Zoning Ordinance requires parking and access/maneuvering surfaces to be paved with concrete, asphalt, asphaltic concrete, or an approved alternative paving surface at schools in an R-1, Single-Family Residential District. The meeting will be held in the Auditorium at 205 Government Street, Mobile, Alabama. This notice is to advise you of the public hearing so that you may attend the meeting and present your views to the Board concerning this request. Dated this 8th day of February, 2018. BOARD OF ZONING ADJUSTMENT Lagniappe HD Feb. 14, 21, 2018

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NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING

The following unclaimed vehicle(s) will be sold on March 16 , 2018 - Time -12pm, if not claimed - at 2115 Clements, Mobile, AL 36617. 2013 Dodge Dart 1C3CDFBA4DD321682 2010 Toyota Camry 4T1BF3EKXAU062644

BOARD OF ZONING ADJUSTMENT MOBILE, ALABAMA PURSUANT TO THE ZONING ORDINANCE OF THE CITY OF MOBILE, adopted the 16th day of May 1967, as amended, the City of Mobile’s Board of Zoning Adjustment will hold a Public Hearing on March 5, 2018 at 2:00 p.m. to consider a request at 1124 Hillcrest Road (West side of Hillcrest Road, 350’+ South of Johnston Lane.) for a Sign Variance to allow a digital electronic message center sign within 300’ of residentially zoned property in a B-2, Neighborhood Business District; the Zoning Ordinance does not allow digital signage within 300’ of any residentially zoned property in a B-2, Neighborhood Business District. The meeting will be held in the Auditorium at 205 Government Street, Mobile, Alabama.This notice is to advise you of the public hearing so that you may attend the meeting and present your views to the Board concerning this request. Dated this 8th day of February, 2018. BOARD OF ZONING ADJUSTMENT Lagniappe HD Feb. 14, 21, 2018

NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING BOARD OF ZONING ADJUSTMENT MOBILE, ALABAMA PURSUANT TO THE ZONING ORDINANCE OF THE CITY OF MOBILE, adopted the 16th day of May 1967, as amended, the City of Mobile’s Board of Zoning Adjustment will hold a Public Hearing on March 5, 2018 at 2:00 p.m. to consider a request at 1703 Dublin Street (Block bounded by Dublin Street, Rotterdam Street, Belfast Street and Brussels Street.) for a Front Yard Setback Variance to allow an entrance canopy within 13’-10” of the front property line at a church in an R-1, Single-Family Residential District; the Zoning Ordinance requires a 25’ front yard setback for all structures over 3’ high in an R-1, Single-Family Residential District. The meeting will be held in the Auditorium at 205 Government Street, Mobile, Alabama. This notice is to advise you of the public hearing so that you may attend the meeting and present your views to the Board concerning this request. Dated this 8th day of February, 2018. BOARD OF ZONING ADJUSTMENT Lagniappe HD Feb. 14, 21, 2018

PROBATE NOTICE OF ESTATE ADMINISTRATION PROBATE COURT OF MOBILE COUNTY, ALABAMA Estate of: JANET O. HUDSON LOCKLIER, Deceased Case No. 2018-0099 Take notice that Letters Testamentary have been granted to the below named parties on the 23rd day of January, 2018 by the Honorable Don Davis, Judge of Probate of Mobile County Probate Court, Alabama and that all parties having claims against said estate should file the same with the Probate Court of said county within the time allowed by law, or they will be barred. JOHN M. LOCKLIER III and AMY LYNN LOCKLIER MILAR as Co-Executors under the last will and testament of JANET O. HUDSON LOCKLIER, Deceased. Attorney of Record: JOHN GROW II Lagniappe HD January 31, Feb. 7, 14, 2018.

NOTICE OF ESTATE ADMINISTRATION PROBATE COURT OF MOBILE COUNTY, ALABAMA Estate of: ESTHER M. SHEPPARD Case No. 2017-1075 Take notice that Letters of Administration on the Annexed Will have been granted to the below named party on the 1st day of February 2018 by the Honorable Don Davis, Judge of Probate of Mobile County Probate Court, Alabama and that all parties having claims against said estate should file the same with the Probate Court of said county within the time allowed by law, or they will be barred. SANDRA E. POTTS, as Administratrix CTA under the last will and testament of ESTHER M. SHEPPARD, Deceased. Attorney of Record: WILLIAM A. DONALDSON Lagniappe HD Feb. 7, 14, 21, 2018

NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING BOARD OF ZONING ADJUSTMENT MOBILE, ALABAMA PURSUANT TO THE ZONING ORDINANCE OF THE CITY OF MOBILE, adopted the 16th day of May 1967, as amended, the City of Mobile’s Board of Zoning Adjustment will hold a Public Hearing on March 5, 2018 at 2:00 p.m. to consider a request at 2540 Old Shell Road (Northeast corner of Old Shell Road and North Florida Street.) for a Sign Variance to amend a previously approved Sign Variance to allow a wall sign on a non-street frontage wall on an end-unit tenant at a public street intersection on a multitenant commercial site in a B-2, Neighborhood Business District; the Zoning Ordinance limits wall signs for an end-unit tenant at a public street intersection on a multitenant commercial site to walls only facing public streets in a B-2, Neighborhood Business District. The meeting will be held in the Auditorium at 205 Government Street, Mobile, Alabama.This notice is to advise you of the public hearing so that you may attend the meeting and present your views to the Board concerning this request. Dated this 8th day of February, 2018. BOARD OF ZONING ADJUSTMENT

NOTICE OF SALE The following unclaimed vehicle(s) will be sold on March 16 , 2018 - Time -12pm, if not claimed - at 52394 Lot B McKinley Rd., Perdido, AL 36562. 2009 Saturn VUE 3GSCL53789S541088 Lagniappe HD Feb. 7, 14, 2018

The following unclaimed vehicle(s) will be sold on March 16 , 2018 - Time -12pm, if not claimed - at 557 Azalea Rd Apt 139, Mobile, AL 36609. 2009 GMC Yukon 1GKFC33009R102488 Lagniappe HD Feb. 7, 14, 2018

The following unclaimed vehicle(s) will be sold on March 16 , 2018 - Time -12pm, if not claimed - at 2113 Wagner St., Mobile, AL 36617. 2012 Ford Fiesta 3FADP4AJ9CM106305

Lagniappe HD Feb. 7, 14, 2018

The following unclaimed vehicle(s) will be sold on March 16 , 2018 - Time - 12pm, if not claimed - at 11426 County Rd 65 Unit 2, Foley, AL 36535. 2007 Toyota Tundra 5TBBT54147S451710 2003 Chevrolet Trailblazer 1GNES16S936243037 Lagniappe HD Feb. 7, 14, 2018

The following unclaimed vehicle(s) will be sold on March 16 , 2018 - Time -12pm, if not claimed - at 8390 Zeigler Blvd., Mobile, AL 36608. 2009 Chevrolet C1500 1GNFC26J79R235976 Lagniappe HD Feb. 7, 14, 2018

The following unclaimed vehicle(s) will be sold on March 16 , 2018 - Time -12pm, if not claimed - at 1452 California St., Mobile, AL 36604. 2008 Chevrolet Impala 2G1WT58K081203841 Lagniappe HD Feb. 7, 14, 2018

The following unclaimed vehicle(s) will be sold on March 16 , 2018 - Time -12pm, if not claimed - at 18342 Couch Plant Rd., Summerdale, AL 36580. 2007 Chevrolet HHR 3GNDA13D07S632588 Lagniappe HD Feb. 7, 14, 2018

The following unclaimed vehicle(s) will be sold on March 16 , 2018 - Time - 12pm, if not claimed - at 255 Schillinger Rd. N., Mobile, AL 36608. 2005 Nissan Murano JN8AZ08W25W412092 Lagniappe HD Feb. 7, 14, 2018

The following unclaimed vehicle(s) will be sold on March 16 , 2018 - Time - 12pm, if not claimed - at 453 Mobile St., Mobile,AL 36607. 2012 Toyota Camry 4T1BF1FK3CU136718 Lagniappe HD Feb. 7, 14, 2018

The following unclaimed vehicle(s) will be sold on March 16 , 2018 - Time -12pm, if not claimed - at 7960 Two Mile Rd., Irvington, AL 36544. 1998 Mercury Marquis 2MEFM75W6WX679639 Lagniappe HD Feb. 7, 14, 2018

The following unclaimed vehicle(s) will be sold on March 23 , 2018 - Time -12pm, if not claimed - at 9845 Taylor Ave., Irvington, AL 36544. 2008 Lexus IS250 JTHBK262285066215 Lagniappe HD Feb. 14, 21, 2018

The following unclaimed vehicle(s) will be sold on March 23 , 2018 - Time -12pm, if not claimed - at 1111 Oakdale Ave., Mobile, AL 36605. 2003 Chevrolet Trailblazer 1GNDS13S732259597 Lagniappe HD Feb. 14, 21, 2018

The following unclaimed vehicle(s) will be sold on March 23 , 2018 - Time -12pm, if not claimed - at 267 Ingate St., Mobile, AL 36607. 2004 Chevrolet Avalanche 3GNEC12T54G195189 Lagniappe HD Feb. 14, 21, 2018

The following unclaimed vehicle(s) will be sold on March 23 , 2018 - Time -12pm, if not claimed - at 413 Terrill St., Mobile, AL 36603. 2002 Toyota Camry 4T1BE32K52U535696 Lagniappe HD Feb. 14, 21, 2018

The following unclaimed vehicle(s) will be sold on March 23 , 2018 - Time -12pm, if not claimed - at 315 Lee St., Chickasaw, AL 36611. 2009 Jeep Patriot 1J4FT28AX9D170151 Lagniappe HD Feb. 14, 21, 2018

The following unclaimed vehicle(s) will be sold on March 23 , 2018 - Time -12pm, if not claimed - at 1050 N Hickory St., Loxley, AL 36551. 2004 Ford Explorer 1FMZU67K74UC40033 2009 Chevrolet Malibu 1G1ZG57B39F181475 1992 Chevrolet GMT-400 1GCDC14Z9NZ173137 Lagniappe HD Feb. 14, 21, 2018

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F U T U R E S H O C K

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