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The Streets We Live On
Can the width of our roads actually affect the quality of our lives? That's one of the questions central to the discussion surrounding "infill" and revitalization development in urban areas. It's something, for instance, that local urban planners are discussing in regard to the planned Jackson Metro Parkway and its impact on the surrounding neighborhoods—indeed, its impact on anyone doing business in central Jackson. But the design of a street can affect us on every level—at home, getting to work, heading down to the grocery store or fighting traffic at the mall.
The Girl Wants Her Turn
When is it my turn to plant my views all over the grounds of the state capitol? A group called Silent No More, a national anti-abortion organization, in conjunction with Gov. Ronnie Musgrove's declaring this past week a week of "prayer and remembrance of women and unborn children," was allowed to erect hundreds and hundreds of tiny white wooden crosses on the front of the capitol lawn.
Priest Victims Win Victory
The Mississippi Supreme Court last week struck down an argument by the Catholic Diocese of Jackson that the First Amendment protected it from being sued for the cover-up of sexual abuse by priests. The $48 million lawsuit filed by the Morrison brothers in 2002 may proceed under the decision.
JPS Helps Spur New ‘Urbanism'
A diverse group of community leaders gathered on a beautiful morning in "downtown Fondren" Friday to celebrate a new economic-development opportunity for the neighborhood, as well as a way for the Jackson Public Schools to raise a bit of dough.
Jackson Less ‘Dangerous' In 2004
Ironically, a murder binge in the city—nine fatal shootings in 10 days—comes just as a national crime-rating outfit released good news for the city of Jackson, at least about its reputation in 2004. For the first time in a decade of reporting, Jackson's 2004 FBI crime figures knocked the city out of the top 25 most dangerous cities, according to Morgan-Quitno, the Kansas-based book publisher.
Love, Not Blood
To protest a war on Iraq, on Monday, March 3, Millsaps College joined others in all 50 states and 59 countries in one of 1,004 simultaneous performances of Aristophanes' Greek comedy, "Lysistrata." In the play, the women of ancient Greece protest a war their men are waging by withholding pleasure, so to speak. The men can only take it so long and sign a peace treaty. The play was originally presented in 411 BC when Greece was in the 20th year of a bloody 30-year war to raise public awareness.
Trash Talk: Kim Wade Disses the JFP
"Last week the Jackson Free Press had an interesting article in there where the editor was lamenting the fact that 'hey, you know Lefties are religious, too,' and she was going on and on, and this is Donna Ladd was going on and on about how she was religious and how she respects Buddha and all these other folks, well that's fine and good—and we as Christians, we respect those other religions, too, that's how they were able to flourish here in America.
Lifting As We Climb
The women wore breathtaking hats to hear Lerone Bennett Jr. A gargantuan canary-yellow feather creation was perfectly calibrated to match the wearer's canary-yellow suit. A bright-pink straw hat had big pink plastic roses encircling the brim. And, on the head of a younger woman, a red glitter cowboy hat winked a hint of ironic non-conformity.
The WORST of the New South
In the aftermath of the Edgar Ray Killen arrest, the tough-on-crime stalwarts at The Northside Sun fretted over whether the old Klansman can possibly get a fair trial in the state's current "political climate," and seemed very bothered that the climate is changing (presumably for the worse), thus allowing such belated arrests to occur.
Takin' the A Train
"The Last of the Mississippi Jukes"—will debut on the Black STARZ! cable network Feb. 16 at 8 p.m.
Great Balls of Fire
Traffic was snarled for miles around the Fondren shopping area, on Old Canton Road, early Friday morning. As many drivers took detours on their way to work and school, those who worked in or near the area had to park and walk. The rumor went around that "Fondren is burning," but upon closer inspection, it turned out that one business—interior designers Cindy E. Walsh and Associates—had burned. The store was located right in the apex of the main Fondren shopping strip. Smoke from the fire damaged merchandise in Summerhouse and the two clothing stores, Soma and Swell, in the same strip.
Liberals In The Christian Center
These days in Mississippi, it can be hard to admit that you're, gulp, not conservative. And don't even say the L-word in public. You might get summarily run over by a honkin' SUV with a "United We Guzzle" license plate and several American flags in various stages of decay.
Medicaid Train Wreck
The most momentous action so far during the special session wasn't technically on the agenda: Gov. Haley Barbour signed HB 1434 Wednesday, May 26, a "landmark" bill to cut $106 million from the state budget and terminate 65,000 low-income and disabled Mississippians from the Medicaid rolls as of July 1. Of those, 60,000 will be shifted to the federal Medicare program by 2006 (which can see more cuts later), and the medical fates of the other 5,000 are uncertain. They will not be eligible right away for Medicare, nor are they certain to receive prescription drug coverage under Barbour's plan.
[City Buzz] A Time to Speak
A TIME TO SPEAK: Due to it being the 40th anniversary of Freedom Summer, 2004 seems to be the year of activism in the state of Mississippi. In fact, at a Feb. 24 press conference in the National Press Club in Washington, D.C., members of the Chaney, Goodman and Schwerner Justice Coalition officially launched what they're calling "Freedom Summer 2004," to honor the memory of the three young men killed in Neshoba County by Klansmen in 1964. And the group isn't just about memorializing; they want positive action. A 20-bus caravan will leave New York City on June 9 bound for Mississippi, making 20 stops along the way for memorials, door-to-door voter registration and anti-racism workshops. Alice Walker, Andrew Young and Marian Wright Edelman are honorary chairmen of the group. …
Goodbye, Sweet Ladies
Two beautiful women are about to leave Jackson—and leave a huge void in the creative community here. One of them introduced me to the other of them; without them, the Jackson Free Press might not have been, or at least not what is has become.
But, Mr. Cleo
I first saw Robert Little, a very handsome toastmaster-by-trade and Jacksonian, take on a young, somewhat skeptical audience Nov. 19 at the North Midtown Community Development Center. He was the guest speaker, the guest motivator, at the gathering of about 40 parents and kids from Brown Elementary and Rowan Middle schools, schools scoring far below the levels deemed acceptable by No Child Left Behind federal standards.
Jackson Diary
Edited by JoAnne Prichard Morris
Here's a great way to get into print in the Jackson Free Press. Just send us your true anecdotes, short tales and observations from your life in Jackson, or beyond if you think Jacksonians will enjoy your little story. Must be true. Click "Read more" to find submission instructions.
[Buzz] Don't Say ‘Tort Reform'; Collective Forms
DON'T SAY 'TORT REFORM': It's kind of fun to watch lawmakers try NOT to talk about a favorite topic: tort reform. Although legislating against "lawsuit abuse," especially with industry-friendly damage caps, is believed in these parts to be the cure to cancer, as well as a guaranteed treatment for unemployment, the erosion of the family and even young people's bubbling hormones, the new no-nonsense House Speaker Billy McCoy (D-Rienzi) seems determined to hear more than one side of the story this term.
Injustice Everywhere
The meeting, at Freelon's Restaurant on Mill Street, was called to organize support for controversial African-American attorney Chokwe Lumumba, who may be disbarred by the Mississippi State Bar. Lumumba, founder of the New Afrikan People's Organization, is a nationally known attorney who has vigorously represented African Americans, ranging from the late rapper Tupac Shakur to the exonerated defendants in the New York Brinks armored-car robbery case.
Whip It Good
Watching George Glass demonstrate his skill with a bullwhip, I was convinced that I could grow to enjoy this sport. On eBay I could find myself an inexpensive whip, then I could order some videos from Western Stage Props: "Whip Cracking Made Easy" and "Whip Cracking Made Easy—Part Two," finally working my way up to "No Bull Whip Cracking"—a study of over 30 advanced whip cracking techniques." For now, though, Glass—a 57-year-old insurance man who lives in Ridgeland with his wife, Sherrie, a music teacher at Northwest Middle School—is my best bet for hands-on whipping.