Skippers in the Slammer?
District attorney says truancy is civil, not criminal, issue.
By Mary Cashiola
A study on juvenile crime first put the focus on the problem of truancy.
Now, with the federal No Child Left Behind Act requiring that 95 percent of school
students take state achievement tests, solving the
problem is harder than ever.
But it wasn’t so long ago that an
initiative from Shelby County district attorney Bill
Gibbons’ office put children’s faces on ads and billboards, warning that if kids don’t go
to school, their parents could go to jail.
With 18,000 students considered truant each year, have any parents seen the slammer?
“Yes,” said John Sorrels, the assistant
district attorney who handles all the county’s truancy cases. “Not an extremely large
number, but some parents have gone to jail; some
have lost custody of their children.”
However, Sorrels said, “Prosecution is
our last resort. Many times, it’s not ‘I don’t want to go to school.’ It’s ‘I don’t
want to go to school because I don’t have shoes.’ …. There are so many
reasons kids miss school.”
Cases are first referred to the Truancy Assessment Center,
a collaboration between the Memphis City Schools and the
Memphis Police Department, for whatever social services can be offered. If
that fails, the case is referred to Sorrels.
When the district attorney’s office first began looking at
truancy, it began prosecuting parents in three ways:
the compulsory-attendance statute, contributing to the delinquency of a minor,
or contributing to the neglect of a minor. The
compulsory-attendance statute was a class C misdemeanor — which can mean
a $50 fine or 30 days in jail for each offense. The other charges are class A
misdemeanors, which can result in up to 11 months and 29 days in jail and/or a $2,500 fine.
But anyone charged with a crime has the right to have the case submitted to a
grand jury. “When we have some single mother
who has never been arrested, she’s not going to
plead guilty and have a criminal record,” said
Sorrels. The case would instead go before the grand
jury, delaying it three to six months. “Meanwhile,
the child still isn’t going to school.”
Sorrells said his office realized jail wasn’t
the best option: “If you’re a Criminal Court
judge and you’ve got burglars, rapists, and murderers coming before you and you let the
burglar out on probation because there’s no room
in the jail, why are you going to put a single mother in jail who can’t get her kids to school?”
Instead, the district attorney charges
both parents and children under a civil statute
and calls all parties before the judge. Depending on the child’s age, either the parent or the
child is put under a court order to get the child
to school. If the child has any more unexcused absences, the parent is in contempt of
court, which can mean immediate jail time.
“Again, it’s a last resort,” said
Sorrells. “Think of all the problems it creates. If
Mom’s in jail, does it really address the issue of
why the car won’t start in the morning?”
He continued, “I think with the billboards we’re getting the word out.
I’ve gotten a lot more calls from parents who tell me they don’t want to go
to jail. It’s not rocket science. If [the child is] sick, fine, but we’ve got
to have a doctor’s note or something.”
Scoot!
U of M buys Segway scooters for physical-plant workers.
By Mary Cashiola
With the coming addition of the FedEx Technology Institute on
campus, some other areas of the University of Memphis decided they wanted to be on the
cutting edge of technology too.
The university’s physical-plant department has recently bought two Segway human
transporters. The two-wheeled, electric-powered devices travel up to 12 mph and use a
gyroscopic balancing mechanism to keep the driver upright.
“In the midst of our budget cuts,”
said Drew Schmitz, the department’s communications specialist, “one way we think we
can combat cuts and still maintain an efficient department is through new technology.”
And the Segway definitely fits the bill as new technology, introduced with great
fanfare in late 2001 as the transportation of the future. Designed for use on sidewalks,
the two-wheeled Segway is battery-powered and carries a single standing rider.
“If we buy a pickup truck, it’s going to cost us $20,000. We can get
four Segways for that,” said Schmitz.
“You may not know they’re equipped with three saddlebags.” The device is perfect
for employees who work in the lock shop, he said, explaining that they don’t
carry many tools with them and most of their jobs are one-person projects anyway.
So why can’t they just walk? “Our
campus is 1,100 acres,” said Schmitz. “It’s all
[about] time. With the budget cutbacks, we’re
already pressed with a large amount of work orders.”
The department is also considering the vehicles for the workers who repair
lamps throughout the campus because the vehicles raise the driver a foot or so off
the ground. A tall person on the Segway could drive from lamp to lamp without
having to carry a stepladder.
“It’s kind of like using golf carts,”
said Schmitz. “The department already has several of those, but we wanted to
explore new technology.”
Although the university already has the devices, they won’t be seen zooming
around campus until the end of April or early May, when employees are certified
to use them.
Gold, Silver, and Bronze
Memphis Parent wins national awards.
Memphis Parent magazine picked up six awards in a national
journalism competition sponsored by Parenting Publications of
America (PPA). The awards were presented March 1st during PPA’s annual
conference in Los Angeles.
The awards recognize excellence in writing, photography, and design.
In the 30,000 to 55,000 circulation category, Memphis
Parent earned a second-place Silver Award for general
excellence. Judges noted it was a “compelling publication” and the “topics
are wide-ranging and original.” The monthly magazine also received
awards in the following categories:
· First place, News Feature:
“Trading Retirement for Child Rearing,”
by Jane Schneider, editor.
· Second place, Column: “Living
in the Moment,” by Jane Schneider.
· Second place, Column — Family Matters: “Work and Family”
by Katherine Perry and Kathy Martin.
· Third place, Column — Pub-lisher’s/Editor’s Note: “Living in
the Moment” by Jane Schneider.
· Third place, Column — Family Fun: “Day Tripping: Spring Beauties
and Tasty Food Producers,” by Jane Schneider, Linda Ricci, and Margie Sims.
Memphis Parent is produced by Contemporary Media, publisher of The
Memphis Flyer and Memphis magazine. This year’s Editorial and
Design Awards drew more than 700 entries. Headquartered in Los Angeles, PPA
is a nonprofit, national organization representing more than 150 parenting magazines
and newspapers in the United States, Canada, and Australia.
From Brits to Barbecue
Upcoming events will place Memphis in national spotlight.
By Bianca Phillips
Every year, the Memphis Convention &
Visitors Bureau promotes activities that will place our city under an
international spotlight and draw more tourists here. And this year is no different.
Upcoming events include the filming of a British reality show called
ReBorn in the USA at the Gibson Lounge downtown, an episode of the
Food Network’s $40 a Day dedicated to cheap eats in the Bluff City, and a
TV special with NBC’s Today show weatherman Al Roker and his Memphis
in May barbecue team, also to air on the Food Network.
ReBorn in the USA, which is scheduled to be filmed here
March 26th-31st, is a reality series in which British one-hit-wonder pop
stars are given a second chance at fame in seven major U.S. cities.
They’ll board a bus and stop off in New Orleans, Philadelphia, Detroit,
Nashville, Cleveland, New York, and Memphis to perform for a live
American audience and a British television audience.
The American audience will get vote for their favorite, but
U.K. voters will have the final say about which performer is thrown off
the show. The last two surviving contestants will be flown back to England
for a live final showdown. The winner gets a renewed recording contract.
“The ReBorn in the USA people have already been here on a
few scouting trips. They’ve been looking at locations and taking shots
of the city. They went to a number of locations before they decided
that the Gibson could best accommodate their crew of about 60 people
and parking for their 10 trucks,” said Denise DuBois-Taylor, vice
president of communications and public relations for the CVB.
Also on the agenda for the city is an episode of the Food
Network’s travel-on-a-budget show, $40 a
Day. Host Rachael Ray will dine at four local restaurants with a limit of $40 for the entire day. Taylor
said the historic Arcade Restaurant and Huey’s are on the list.
Finally, the Food Network will also air a 30-minute special focusing on the
Today show’s Al Roker and his Memphis in May barbecue team. This will
be Roker’s first time to participate in the contest, although he makes a yearly
appearance.
Homefront Help
City council sets up hotline for military families.
By Bianca Phillips
From financial woes to a shortage of helping hands around the house, families of military reservists often
experience a variety of difficulties when their loved ones are called up
for active duty. But the Memphis City Council is hoping to provide
some assistance to the families of the 499 men and women to date who
have already been activated from Memphis.
The Homefront Helpline, a mobile phone line that was set
up Monday, will provide nearly any kind of assistance needed by
these military families. From help with utility bills to help mowing the
lawn, the city council says they’re prepared to do what is in their power
to address each and every need called into the helpline.
Since many of the help requests may go beyond the scope of
the council, they’re asking for assistance from local businesses, civic
groups, and other organizations that would be willing to donate their services.
“I think it’s important that we as a community come together
to help the families who are helping us,” said council chair Brent
Taylor, who is spearheading the project.
The mobile phone and service for the Helpline was donated by Cellular South.
The line will be open from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday and can
be reached at 461-USA1 (-8721).
A Tense Tenure
School board airs frustrations with new president.
By Mary Cashiola
After weeks of marathon meetings, the school board adjourned its latest meeting
around 9 p.m. But commissioners spent most of the relatively short three-and-a-half-hour
meeting bickering among themselves.
Tempers remain high between the board and its president Carl Johnson, resulting
in one commissioner suggesting a five-minute recess to clear the air. Hubon
Sandridge reiterated his previous threat to try to vote Johnson out of the position.
“You are the person holding us up,” Sandridge told him. “If
you can’t accept that we need someone else, do what’s right and
serve the way you know you should.”
Other commissioners echoed Sandridge’s frustrations. Commissioner Michael
Hooks Jr. told Johnson to “try harder” and Commissioner Lee Brown
said he was uncomfortable with the way things were going. “We cannot have
an orderly meeting if the president is not president,” said Brown. “I’m
for respecting the position of president, but it seems to me, the problem is
having respect for the person who is president.”
Johnson responded by saying, “The president called for committee reports.
We’ve heard almost no committee reports, but we’ve spent an hour
on something,” said Johnson. “Is that the president’s fault?”
The back and forth continued throughout the meeting. Since Johnson’s hard-won
battle for the presidency, many of the other members on the board have complained
about his communication skills. Especially at issue Monday night was the board’s
committees. As president, Johnson’s job is to appoint members of the board
to various committees, but some members felt he had not taken their preferences
into account.
“I’m only on two committees,” said new board member Deni Hirsh.
“One that only meets once a year and doesn’t seem to have much of
a purpose, and the other is something that I know nothing about. … I’ve
been on this board for two months and I feel we have not moved forward.”
Johnson said he would reconsider the committee appointments.
“Some people mistake kindness for weakness. Maybe the president is being
too kind,” said Johnson. “You don’t have to be stubborn or
bull-headed to run the meeting.”
The board also voted to appoint citizens and members to a commission to study
how to consolidate the two local school districts.
Eye in the Sky
Webcam offers views of FedExForum construction.
by Bianca Phillips
No more driving downtown to check on the progress of the new FedExForum. Grizzlies
fans can now view construction of the arena on the forum’s new Web site,
FedExForum.com.
The site, which officially launched last month, contains a link to a QuickTime
video of arena construction, which can be viewed as a still image or as a moving
picture that links together images taken every two hours.
“It’s an exciting way for people to monitor the progress of construction.
Not everybody has an opportunity to go down to the site on a regular basis to
see how it’s coming along,” said Mike Golub, senior vice president
of business operations for the Grizzlies. “This gives visitors to the
Web site a chance to see the progress in real time.”
The site also contains arena news, artists’ renderings, and a timeline
of construction milestones. A countdown clock displays exactly how many days,
hours, and minutes are left until the arena’s grand opening, currently
slated for the fall of 2004.
The Web site will eventually serve as an employment center for future arena
workers and will also contain a schedule of arena events.
Music Appreciation
VH1 sends Overton students to New York.
By Mary Cashiola
Sometimes peer pressure isn’t such a bad thing. For 16-year-old Ashley
Williams, it got her a free trip to New York and a chance to meet Whoopi Goldberg.
Williams and fellow classmate Sophia Sopann were two of 18 students from across
the country who were flown to New York by VH1’s Save the Music Foundation.
The students were members of an orchestra that played during a Grammy-viewing
party hosted by Goldberg.
“I wasn’t really into playing the violin at first,” said Williams.
“Some of my friends wanted to do it, so I wanted to do it too.”
She gradually began to like playing the instrument and now says her life would
be dull without it.
And what could possibly be a better example of that than her first trip to New
York?
“We stayed for a week practicing the music, but we also did a lot of sightseeing.
We went to Carnegie Hall, Central Park, Times Square — it was awesome,”
she said as the rest of the orchestra practiced a selection from Mozart behind
her. “It was my first time on a plane too, so that was exciting.”
VH1’s Save the Music Foundation has helped restore public-school music
education programs in 75 cities, including Memphis. Since 1999, local participant
Time Warner and Save the Music have donated $360,000 in musical instruments
to 14 local schools.