Down And Out In Germantown
"Scores of destitute families and homeless people are suffering in
Germantown." Or so said a Salvation Army direct-mail campaign aimed
at Memphis' neighbors to the east. And according to a Germantown News
story, it was an insinuation that city officials did not take lightly.
Germantown Mayor Sharon Goldsworthy fired off a letter to the charity stating,
in part, "We have no evidence of either destitution or home-lessness
among our citizens." The Salvation Army in turn apologized for the
campaign, citing a mix up with a direct-mail contractor. "We're embarrassed
and our direct-mail company is embarrassed," Memphis Salvation Army
director of development Richard Neal told the News. "We hope
those in Germantown and the surrounding area will maintain the support they've
provided in the past."
Coddling Penny
Negative stories about local hero Anfernee Hardaway in the Memphis media
are about as rare as soup kitchens in Germantown apparently are. And until
last week he was the darling of the Orlando press as well. But Hardaway
is now taking a beating in Florida over his leading role in the player mutiny
which led to Magic coach Brian Hill's dismissal. The NBA all-star was booed
last week as Magic players were introduced. And the press hasn't been kind
either. Larry Guest, sports columnist for the Orlando Sentinel, had
this take:
"Raised as an only child by his grandmother, Penny has been babied
all his life and expects it to continue. His beefs about Hill included pouting
that he wasn't being given as much special treat-ment as other NBA superstars.
It seems Sir Charles [Barkley] and Michael [Jordan], holding straight faces,
teased Penny at the All-Star Game about all the personal concessions from
their teams. Penny swallowed it."
Authentic Cuisine?
The Memphis Barbeque Co., a theme restaurant opening in Lighthouse Point,
Florida, promises patrons "a total barbeque experience that up to now
could only be found in Memphis." Even aside from the fact that a quick
tour of the Yellow Pages reveals that we almost never spell barbecue with
a "q" here in Memphis -- "Bar-B-Q" and "Bar-B-Que"
are popular, but only the listing for Al-Davis Barbeque & Grill uses
the unabridged "q" spelling -- the menu boasts some dishes that
natives would be unlikely to include in a roundup of local cuisine. The
"Memphis Chicken Tenders," for instance, don't exactly strike
us as staples of the Mid-South diet. And the "Memphis House Salad,"
as near as we can tell, is just a plain old, run-of-the-mill salad.
Compiled by Jim Hanas. P.O. Box 687, Memphis, TN, 38101. FAX: 521-0129.