- Issue Archive for
- Jan 31 - Feb 6, 2008
- Vol. 1, No. 988
News
California Dream
Yes, some parts of overcrowded California still offer some solitude — if you're willing to work for it.
How Are You Doing Out There?
Here at Flyer World Headquarters, we're battened down, waiting for the next wave of weather to hit. All over the tri-state area there are reports of tornadoes, buildings destroyed, hundreds of trees down, and a few reports of fatalities.
It's a weird night, as we switch back and forth from storm-tracking on the local stations to presidential primary election coverage on CNN ...
Checked Out
Did longtime library director Judith Drescher leave of her own accord? Or did Mayor Willie Herenton throw the book at her?
Don't Say "Gay"
A proposed state law would ban any discussion of homosexuality in elementary and middle schools.
Tennessee Misses Target with Gun Laws
The Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence recently presented "report cards" to every state, measuring their efforts to reduce gun crimes and violence, and Tennessee flunked just about every category. In fact, our state scored a 7 out of a total of 100 points....
Another Wild Ride
While the city waits on Bass Pro, the Ericson Group asks council to approve "Pyramid Harbor" project.
Police Need Help Solving Vidulich Murder
Memphis Police homicide detectives have identified a Ford Explorer that may have been involved in the murder of Lieutenant Edward Vidulich. Now police are asking the public if they recognize the vehicle.
Anyone who saw this vehicle (pictured to the left) in the area of Frayser Boulevard and Steele on Sunday night is asked to call Crime Stoppers at 528-CASH....
Voter Trust Task Force to Monitor Primary
Thinking about casting a ballot for a dead relative in Tuesday's primary election? That wouldn't be wise. District Attorney Bill Gibbons announced Thursday that a special "Voter Trust Task Force" will be on hand to deal with any potential voter fraud....
The Week That Was
All right, let's hear from you. What do you think about The Pyramid and Bass Pro or a theme park? Bass Pro has made a commitment, it seems, after meeting with a delegation of city and county officials in Missouri this week at their flagship store. Now the hard work begins -- getting political and public support to make it happen.
Here's what some people with a connection to The Pyramid back when it was built had to say....
Job Opening at the Pink Palace Museum
On Tuesday, the Pink Palace Museum announced the retirement of its longtime collections manager Ron Brister and that they're currently looking for a replacement.
So, what does it take to oversee the museum's vast collection? Here's what Brister has to say...
Stacey Campfield is a Serious Person
In this week's Flyer, Bianca Phillips wrote about a piece of legislation proposed by state representative Stacey Campfield (R-Paleolithic) that would prevent public elementary and middle schools from allowing "any instruction or materials discussing sexual orientation other than heterosexuality." (Yeah, we know, some real forward thinking going on there ...
We Recommend
Music
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Downhome Boy, Updated
Country star Brad Paisley is a Maxim and Field & Stream kind of guy.
Politics
Freshman Councilman Would Relax Residency Requirements for Police, Fire Personnel
New District 5 councilman Jim Strickland has placed on the city council agenda a resolution that would allow emergency personnel, currently required to live within Shelby County's limits, to live within a de facto 100-mile radius of Memphis.
Matilla, Chumney Eye Trustee's Job
Two names have so far surged to the fore as Shelby County commissioners prepare to name an interim successor to the late Bob Patterson as county trustee. Longtime Patterson aide Paul Matilla and former city council member Carol Chumney have begun to sound out possible support. UPDATE: Chumney opts out.
Obama Won't Be in Memphis on Monday. Hillary Surrogates Blanket State on Sunday
An earlier unconfirmed report that Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama might visit Memphis on Monday, February 4, has now been discounted by the Memphis Center for Independent Living, which circulated the original report on its Web site and via voice mails to its clients and volunteers.
Meanwhile, on the Hillary front ...
The Rest of the Country Gets an Electoral Tsunami; We Get a Tsunami
Clinton Wins in Tennessee, Memphis (but not Memphis weather) was kinder to Obama. Early returns favored Huckabee and McCain statewide, with the Arkansan surging late to a win. UPDATE: Final Shelby County totals.
Rep. Cohen Endorses Obama; So Does Local Democratic Chairman
The most high-profile local endorsement yet of a presidential candidate was scheduled for a 5 p.m. announcement Monday, as 9th District congressman Steve Cohen prepared to make a statement expressing his support for Democrat Barack Obama.
UPDATE: Cohen was joined at the endorsement ceremony by the Rev. Keith Norman, the chairman of the Shelby County Democratic Party, who said his endorsement of Obama came from "Pastor Keith Norman, not from Chairman Keith Norman."
To Pick a President
With Super Tuesday coming next week, Memphis and Tennessee are for once smack dab in the middle of the decision-making process for a presidential contest that is still very much up in the air.
Sports
Power of 1
The Memphis Tigers -- now the only undefeated team left in college basketball -- remain atop Sports Illustrated's Luke Winn's weekly Power Rankings. Winn offers the U of M a backhanded compliment, though, when it comes to discussion of candidates for the Wooden Award as the nation's best player...
Pau Gasol Is the Big Story for the Lakers
From the Los Angeles Times: Pau Gasol didn't play, but it didn't matter. He was still the story of the day.
While much of Los Angeles was asleep Sunday morning, Gasol spoke at a crowded news conference at 7:30 a.m. PST, 90 minutes before the Lakers played the Washington Wizards here.
The first several questions and answers were in Spanish ...
Twenty Questions (and Answers) About the Pau Gasol Trade
Friday afternoon when I arrived at FedExForum for Chris Wallace's press conference to discuss the trade of Pau Gasol to the Lakers, I noticed something different about the cinder-block walls in the hallway of the Don Poier Media Center: Several of the series of color placards that adorn the hall were missing -- eight in fact.
All the images of Pau Gasol had been removed -- "ripped down" seems more appropriate considering the remnants of paper and glue still attached to the wall where placards once were. This wouldn't have seemed all that odd, except ...
FROM MY SEAT: Gasol, Folks
"I want to be one of the best, ever": Who knows whether or not Pau Gasol will land in that conversation when his career ends. But you get the impression the ceiling for the now 27-year-old former All-Star just rose with his move to the City of Angels.
Ciao, Pau! Was It Good For You, Too?
Sez Frank Murtaugh: "Pau Gasol must be tingling with delight, landing in the middle of a playoff race. And the Grizzlies - suffering in attendance figures every bit as much as they are in the standings -- now have budget flexibility to (1) pay necessary bills short-term and (2) decide just how much cash to throw in the free-agent derby this summer. A transformation is needed for this franchise, and it couldn't be accomplished in its entirety with Gasol's bearded face still in the picture."
Grizzlies Trade Pau Gasol to Lakers
The Memphis Grizzlies acquired forward/center Kwame Brown, rookie guard Javaris Crittenton, guard Aaron McKie, the draft rights to Marc Gasol, two future first round draft picks and cash considerations from the Los Angeles Lakers in exchange for forward/center Pau Gasol and a future second round pick, club General Manager and Vice President of Basketball Operations Chris Wallace announced today.
Read more at Beyond the Arc, the Flyer's GrizBlog.
Film
Six Shots
An aging Sylvester Stallone desperately re-creates another iconic role.
Mulling Over the Best Picture Nominations
Film and music editor Chris Herrington had planned to review one of the new-release mediocrities (serial-killer thriller Untraceable, perhaps?). But in a typically bad post-holidays period for Hollywood product, the truth is that thoughtful filmgoers are less likely to be choosing among these studio dregs than playing catch-up with Oscar nominees they missed....
Opinion
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Letter from the Editor
Last weekend, The Commercial Appeal endorsed presidential nominees for the two major parties ...
Let's Have Instant Runoffs
We can make sure that victorious candidates represent a true consensus.
Hunters and Gatherers
On Bass Pro, bald eagles, journalism jobs, and hunting ducks and humans.
Books
Festival of Books To Stay In Nashville
The Southern Festival of Books, a three-day celebration of the written word, is back in Nashville for good.
In 2004, Humanities Tennessee voted to alternate the site of the annual festival between Nashville, which had served as host since 1989, and Memphis.
But the decision, made this past Saturday, for the festival to stay put in Nashville permanently came down to several things...
Mother India
Grand-scale storytelling from a second-time novelist.
Food & Wine
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Making a Splash
Take the plunge at a chili cook-off; soup's on at Soup Sunday; and cruising for brews.
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Farewell to Square Foods
News spread last week that Square Foods in Cooper-Young would be closing soon. A devoted patron ran an ad on the back page of the Flyer that read: "Save Square Foods. You'll miss it when it's gone. Closing January 31st."
A visit and calls to the store before January 31st indicated that it had already closed. The message on the store's answering machine simply said, "Square Foods is now closed. Thanks for your support."...
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