DAILY BREAKING NEWS @ JFPDAILY.COM

Vol. 8 | No. 29 // April 1 - 7, 2010

FREE

One Lake: A Better Alternative?Lynch, p. 12

TobyMac, The InterviewJacome, p 36

Improving Your EnvironmentOutdoor, Indoor, at Work, in the Classroom & MoreJFP Interns, p. 14

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Gov. Haley Barbour’s critics say that he’s motivated by much more than saving the state money.

Whether it’s your home, your workplace, the great outdoors or even your learning environment, here’s how to make it better.

Mississippi’s mental-healthsystem is out of date. The Mississippi Youth Justice Project files suit to make the point.

Contemporary Christian musician TobyMac talks about his music, his faith and racial unity.

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GOOD Spaces

April 1 - 7, 2010 VOL. 8 NO. 29

4 Editor’s Note 4 Slow Poke 6 Talk 10 Stiggers 10 Editorial 31 8 Days

32 JFP Events 35 Books 36 Music 38 Music Listings 40 Food 44 Sports 45 Astro

Tear Down the Wall

Cover photograph by Daphne Nabors.

The soft-spoken, polite 60-year-old man enjoyed his homemade vanilla ice cream at the Fourth of July picnic in Crystal Springs. With his wry smile and informal stance, it was easy to see him as a former pastor. I had no idea when I met him two years ago that this avid runner is the president and chief executive offi cer of Voice of Calvary Ministries.

A transplant from Anderson, Ind., Reed is passionate about his home of 35 years where he and his wife, Marsha, have raised three children. Reed served as pastor at Voice of Calvary Ministries from 1976 to 1999. He and Marsha have stayed in Jackson at a time when it was popular for white families to move to the suburbs.

“Jackson is really changing; we are really growing as a city. Part of that is the re-open-ing of the King Edward Hotel, but it is other things, too. We have really done a lot in terms of racial reconciliation,” he says.

Part of that change stems from organiza-tions like Voice of Calvary Ministries. Work-ing with Mission Mississippi and Habitat for Humanity, in the past 25 years the ministry has helped rebuild more than 200 homes. Us-ing a holistic approach, they strive to provide the communities of Jackson with the services and supports needed to help neighborhoods become sustainable.

Voice of Calvary Ministries is currently

working on a pilot program in south Jackson with Village and Commonwealth Apart-ments to bring 460 families above the poverty level. Voice of Calvary has also purchased nine houses in the Alta Woods subdivision and has contracts to restore four more. Habitat for Humanity will also work in the area.

“By partnering with Habitat for Hu-manity, we can all work and have a bigger impact on the neighborhood,” Reed says.

Reed stresses that none of the work has been a solo effort. Current projects include collaborations with the United Methodist Church, Jackson Medical Mall and Hinds Community College.

Twenty-seven years ago, Voice of Cal-vary Ministries also helped to start the Haiti Christian Development Fund, with the help of Haitian Jean Thomas in Fond-des-Blancs. Located 60 miles south of Port-au-Prince, it provides immediate and long-term solutions to the problems facing the impoverished nation. Their projects include reforestation, providing clean water, and opening a hospital and a school. Recent efforts focused on help-ing victims of the earthquake. Thomas was able to recruit three orthopedic surgeons to help mend broken bones.

People came over from Port-au-Prince with literally the clothes on their backs,” Reed says. “Our strength, as we see it, is going to be in the rebuilding of lives.” —Eileen Eady

editor’snote by Lacey McLaughlin, News Editor

Photo intern Wrijoya Roy is a sophomore at Millsaps College planning to study Public Health in the near future. In her spare time, she loves pho-tography, Facebooking, and dancing! She took many pho-tos for this issue.

Our GOOD issue is not an easy spread to put together, but it is one of the most rewarding features we do at the Jackson Free Press.

Among all the positive things we hear after each issue is how much people learn about how they can get involved and make posi-tive change. The concept of GOOD is a process that involves lots of research and creative thought about the obstacles that affect our future. In homage to the national magazine of the same name, GOOD is about taking diffi cult and big ideas and breaking them down to educate and em-power others. Our interns play a crucial role in this issue, and as the person responsible for coordi-nating the information, I’m always impressed by their ideas on creating a more socially re-sponsible future for Jackson and beyond. The phrase “social responsibility” has recently be-come a marketing buzzword for corporations as they try to sell a better company image, but social responsibility goes beyond just good intentions and catch phrases. Last weekend, the JFP staff came together to write a mission statement for our company, and after hours of discussing our personal beliefs of what this newspaper stands for, the phrase “social responsibility” topped our list. Much like putting together this is-sue, social responsibility is hard—but it’s also one of the most important things we can do to improve the lives of others and our communities. Social responsibil-ity means thinking about the long-term impact of our decisions, whether what kind of developments we allow in our communities to where we shop and our attitudes toward others. With Jackson’s renaissance in full bloom, making a commitment to doing the right thing for our community is essential to the future. It’s easy to become a cheerleader for all the proposed projects and develop-ments, because most of us want to see the city reach its full potential. But at the same time we have to be cautiously optimistic, hold developers accountable and consider the impact of developments on surrounding neighborhoods. We also have to come together and have a cohesive plan for our city. Over the years, city planners have put together various master plans for Jackson, but there is noth-ing up-to-date and concrete to follow. While the city of Ridgeland leaves much to be de-sired, planners put together the Ridgeland Area Master Plan in 2007 to follow a detailed roadmap for the future. The plan-ning process involved a series of vignettes, or community meetings, that allowed citizens to share their vision and goals for the com-munity. Ridgeland might have strip malls and oversized houses, but its successful planning is evident as city offi cials reported a 4.92 percent increase in sales-tax collections last

year, while Jackson was hit with 12 percent drop. In order to improve our city and keep businesses and citizens from moving to the suburbs, we must come together and strate-gically plan our future. The good news is that we don’t have to follow the same blueprint other communi-ties have followed. Jackson isn’t made up of just one age group or race—our city is a mixture of diverse cultures and spirits, and we can adequately refl ect that in the spaces we create. When I dream of Jackson’s future, I see amazing public art installations, not just in Fondren, but also in lower-income neighbor-hoods. I see multi-purpose trails connecting Fondren to Jackson State University by way of Mill Street. I see a community garden in Belhaven in which we grow our own food. I see neighbors looking out for one another in an effort to reduce crime, and a city that is connected to include west Jackson, south Jackson, midtown, downtown, Fondren, northeast Jackson and Belhaven. On a more selfi sh note, I also dream of a movie theater inside the city limits (more specifi cally an independent fi lm house that serves beer and wine). Author and activist Jane Jacob was an infl uential fi gure on 20th-century urban planning. In her book “The Death and Life of American Cities,” she writes: “Cities have the capability of providing something for ev-erybody, only because, and only when, they are created by everybody.” Traditionally, developers have cre-ated suburbs for families that adhere to a predominately white socio-economic class structure and spend a majority of their time in cars commuting. Jackson, however, can

be a city that welcomes diversity, builds mixed-income housing and has a stronger sense of place. One of the best examples of this is the new master plan for midtown by Duvall Decker Architects. The project, which is about to break ground, will create 63 affordable housing-units while attracting a diverse group of artists, students, families and professionals. In addition to the housing, the plan includes after-school programs, multi-use trails and environmentally sustainable design. Cur-rently, Duvall Decker is creating a master plan for west Jackson that will follow some of the same protocols. Last weekend at the JFP retreat, edi-tor-in-chief Donna Ladd and publisher Todd Stauffer gave an oral history of our paper. I’ve heard bits and pieces of how the JFP came to be, but what stood out to me is how Donna and Todd always placed importance on social responsibil-ity before profi t and how doing the right thing wasn’t always the easiest, but in the end, it made the biggest difference in the community and for the paper. Most of us have our own dreams of what we’d like to see happen here in the future. What I like about our GOOD issue is that we get to take big ideas and ask com-munity members how we can make them happen. Like most great ideas, money is sometimes the one thing that holds us back. But like my mom always says, “Where there is a will there is a way,” and I fi rmly believe in that statement. In the meantime, let’s work with our neighborhood organizations and other community members to plan new and exciting spaces. Let’s be innovative, bold and believe in the power of our ideas.

Brian Johnson

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Assistant to the editor ShaWan-da Jacome was born in Jackson and raised in California. Fami-ly is everything to her, and in this past year, she rediscovered her passion for writing (thanks Donna). She wrote the music piece on TobyMac.

Editorial intern Eileen Eady is looking to find her place in the Deep South. She lives in Wes-son with her two boys and hus-band, but is moving to Arkan-sas. She wrote for GOOD and interviewed the Jacksonian.

Daphne Nabors is a freelance photographer with a home and studio in the Belhaven Heights area of Jackson. She also plays in two local bands, bass: in Overnight Lows and drums in the Party Dots. She photographed the cover.

Editorial intern Ashley Hill is com-plex, in a totally normal way. Born and raised in Chicago, she is a junior mass communication/multimedia journalism major at Jackson State University. She is a cool, outrageous lover of uniquely raw style. She wrote for GOOD.

The front man for AC/DC? That guy from “The Breakfast Club”? One day, Brian Johnson’s fame will eclipse them all! He came to us from Kansas by way of New York City, then left us for Chicago. He wrote a book review.

Jesse Crow

Editorial intern Jesse Crow, a Pensacola, Fla. native, is a sophomore at Millsaps College. She enjoys playing with pup-pies, summer camp and going on long drives in her station wagon named Herman. She wrote for GOOD.

Eileen Eady

Ashley Hill

Will Caves

Editorial intern Will Caves is a self-proclaimed nerd. A senior communications/public relations major at Mississippi College, this Jones County native loves read-ing and playing video games and is an avid fan of European soccer. He wrote for GOOD.

Wrijoya Roy

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Gov. Haley Barbour may have his own reasons for threatening to sue to stop the Democratically passed Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act,

says Dave Levinthal, communications direc-tor for lobbyist watchdog group Center for Responsive Politics in Washington, D.C.

“Republicans have made representing the best interests of the insurance industry their policy, so it’s not at all surprising that Barbour would be coming out guns blazing against this kind of legislation, and taking whatever action he deems necessary to stop it,” Levinthal said this week.

Barbour, in particular, is a founding partner of high-powered Washington lob-bying group Barbour, Griffi th & Rogers, and still receives payments from the fi rm to a blind trust from which information is un-available to the public. Barbour described the money paid into the trust at a 2007 appear-ance on the Matt Friedeman Show on Ameri-can Family Radio as a form of retirement.

“When I left the fi rm at the end of 2003, I resigned as chairman and chief execu-tive offi cer, (and) I didn’t have any stock. So that totally severed my relationship. Except they do pay me retirement,” Barbour said to a caller. “But they pay me a fl at retirement that if they make $50 million or $5 million, I get paid the same retirement. So I don’t have any participation; I don’t have any fi nancial inter-est; I don’t have anything to do with the fi rm

today other than they pay me retirement.”Steve Clemons of The Atlantic argued

in 2007 that Barbour’s lobbying fi rm does not provide retirement benefi ts, so either he is getting a special payout that other employees

do not get, or the fi rm is making payments into his blind trust in return for some con-tinuing service.

The fi rm’s service has included plenty of lobbying for insurance companies, according to information from the Center for Responsive Politics. Barbour, Griffi th & Rogers reported a total of $560,000 from Massachusetts Mutual Life Insurance Company between 2003 and 2006, and accrued more than $1 million from insurance companies such as Gray Insurance and Collectcorp Inc. between 1998 and the

Center’s most recent fi gures from 2006.The fi rm’s work with health-care

providers and multi-million-dollar drug manufacturers, who the reform legislation will affect, is even more apparent. In 2006, the fi rm collected more than $3.9 million from drug-makers like Bristol-Myers Squibb and health-care providers such as the United Health Group.

Despite this, Barbour argues that he opposes reform because it will put a fi nancial strain on Mississippi to cover the expansion in Medicaid that the bill demands, and told Democratic Attorney General Jim Hood to challenge the bill, or he would fi le his own suit as governor of Mississippi.

“Under the plan, 15 million people would be moved to the federal-state Medicaid program, which already strains our state bud-get every year,” Barbour stated in a March 22 letter. “Once the temporary funding is gone, we can expect taxes to spike by hundreds of millions of dollars for Mississippians who will have to pay for this expanded program.”

Advocates for the reform bill, like the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, argue that the federal funding isn’t temporary, and that the federal government will foot the bill for 100 percent of the cost of that expansion in the fi rst three years and 90 percent of the cost afterward.

Barbour, who did not return calls, also

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Mississippi Democratic Party Chairman Jamie Franks compared the new health insurance requirement to the state’s own mandate that automobile owners buy auto insurance.

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Ulterior Motive Behind Lawsuit Threat? by Adam Lynch

n e w s , c u l t u r e & i r r e v e r e n c e

Wednesday, March 24French authorities arrest a man under the alias Hacker Croll for hacking the Twitter accounts of Britney Spears and President Obama in April 2009. … The Mississippi House votes unanimously to take a 30-day break in the regular session to wait for additional federal allocations to the state, expected in mid-April.

Thursday, March 25Attorney General Jim Hood says he needs more time to make a ruling on the health-care reform bill’s constitutionality. He warns Gov. Haley Barbour not to sue the federal government on his own. … Jackson State University President Dr. Ronald Mason an-nounces his plan to “regenerate” JSU—in-creasing tuition and class sizes and cutting adjunct staff. Many proponents of HBCUs call for Mason’s resignation.

Friday, March 26In Uganda, crowds hoping to catch a glimpse of Bugandan King Ronald Mutebi at the royal tombs cause a stampede, killing one and injuring 140. … Karen Irby pleads guilty to reduced charges of manslaughter in the February 2009 deaths of Dr. Mark Pogue and Dr. Lisa Dedousis.

Saturday, March 27The South Korean Navy continues to search for 46 sailors whose ship sank Friday near a North Korean maritime border. … Former Delta Democrat-Times and Sun-Herald editor Merrit “Pic” Firmin, 69, dies after a three-year battle with cancer.

Sunday, March 28President Obama makes his fi rst trip to Afghanistan as president to meet with U.S. troops and Afghan President Hamid Karzai. … Gov. Haley Barbour accuses the media of being uncritical of the health-care reform bill on ABC’s “This Week.”

Monday, March 29The U.S. Justice Department charges nine members of a militant group in Michigan with sedition and weapons charges in a plot to kill law-enforcement offi cers. … Sens. Thad Cochran and Roger Wicker an-nounce that the Jackson Municipal Airport Authority will receive around $2.95 million for improvements to Jackson-Evers Interna-tional Airports.

Tuesday, March 30The Census Bureau reports that Jackson has one of the lowest return rates of the 2010 Census form: 31 percent as opposed to the national rate of 46 percent.

Mississippi currently has 24,260 acres of managed parks, including special use and leased properties, according to the Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks.

“I mean, since this thing passed last week-end, we have seen the longest wet kiss in political history given to the Obama admin-istration by the liberal media elite, and every day that goes by, it gets sloppier,”— Gov. Haley Barbour. Speaking on ABC’s “This Week” on Sunday, March 28.

MOTIVE?, see page 7

Suing on behalf of mentally ill kids, p. 8

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argues on his Web site that the issue is a mat-ter of personal freedom versus government intrusiveness. “The federal government is clearly overreaching its authority by forcing Mississippians and all Americans to buy a product simply because he or she is alive,” Barbour wrote. Mississippi Democratic Party Chair-man Jamie Franks compared the insurance requirement to the state’s own mandate that automobile owners buy auto insurance. “The argument for buying car insurance is that you need to protect the other driver and make sure the other driver’s insurance does not go up because you’re not willing to do what you need to do. But all these years, insurance premiums and health-care costs have been going up because the insured have to pay for the uninsured. It sounds like the same argument to me,” Franks said. Last week, Hood responded that he needed more time to review the feasibility of a legal challenge to the new law. He added that he did not intend his request for more time to be misinterpreted as a refusal to bring suit, arguing that state law allows the attorney general “a reasonable time” to review the complex constitutional issues surrounding the new legislation. “Since the reconciliation bill will remove many of the provisions of H.R. 3590, we must wait until there is a fi nal bill in order to

determine the legal impacts of the law,” Hood wrote in a March 24 letter to the governor. Hood forbade Barbour to take legal action as governor while he pondered the suit: “When this offi ce has had a reasonable time to fi nish its review and analysis of the matters referenced above, we will promptly notify your offi ce. Meanwhile … you are not authorized by this offi ce to engage or employ counsel, fi le suit, or intervene in pending liti-gation at this time while we are completing our review and making our decision whether to fi le suit.” Barbour told reporters he would allow Hood an unspecifi ed amount of time to analyze the reconciliation legislation signed last week before seeking his own counsel. The state statute under which the gover-nor seeks to fi le suit, Mississippi Code 7-1-5 (n), allows the governor to bring any proper suit affecting the general public interests, in his own name for the state of Mississippi, but only after fi rst requesting the proper offi cer so to do, and then only if the said of-fi cer—meaning the attorney general—refuses or neglects the request. Hood would not comment upon the potential legal problems of challenging the federal government on this new law, but U.S. history shows that states have failed to overturn federal mandates in the past, such as civil-rights laws, voting-rights laws and the creation of Social Security and Medicare.

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MOTIVE?, from page 6

n e w s , c u l t u r e & i r r e v e r e n c e

A 20-offi cer shortfall and decreased overtime in the Jackson Police De-partment are helping offset a $2.3 million drop in sales tax revenue

this year. Mayor Harvey Johnson Jr. said last week that he can use $1.3 million in one-time unspent money and trim $1 million out of the fi scal year 2010 budget, added to the amounts saved by city departments, to stop an immediate crisis. City departments saved $1.4 million this fi rst quarter by fi lling only critical staff positions. JPD, the largest city depart-ment, saved $684,167 out of its $36 million budget. The Jackson Fire Depart-ment saved $551,238 out of its $20 million budget, Hu-man and Cultural services saved $90,228 out of its $5 million budget, and Public Works saved $202,817 out of its $12 million budget. General government, whose $16 million budget includes the city clerk’s offi ce, the legal department and the mayor’s offi ce, managed to save $151,792. “We expect sales taxes to be below budget by $2.3 million by the year-end,” Johnson told the City Council Budget Committee at the March 24 meeting. Sales taxes are slumping due to a bad

economy and retail shifts outside the city limits. Johnson also fears revenue from property taxes to be fl at this year, despite newly annexed property in south Jackson. The council must approve the mayor’s recommendation at the next Budget Com-mittee meeting, which will allow the greater council to vote on the adjustment. The $1.4 million in savings by depart-ments likely will not repeat itself, even if the city continues its restrictive hiring practices

for another three quarters, the mayor said. A new offi cer class is coming in this year, and the city will fund swim-ming pools and Parks and Recreation programs this summer. “We don’t think we’re at the bottom of this, but we have been able to manage the defi cit we have with the resources that we have,” he said. The mayor said he is

lookingfor savings, as in a new system for outstanding warrants. “We’re segregating our outstanding warrants by precinct, and we’re giving those warrants to precinct com-manders. We gave about 1,000 warrants to the Precinct 2 commander and the beat offi cers will start serving those warrants,” Johnson said last week.

Police Department Saves $295,000by Adam Lynch

Jackson Mayor Harvey Johnson Jr. said the police department saved the city big money in the fi rst quarter.

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When Teresa’s daughter came home to Yazoo County in October 2008, after her most recent commitment for mental illness, she needed help

immediately. The 18-year-old young woman had been diagnosed with bipolar disorder and pervasive development disorder and was sus-ceptible to mood swings and fi ts of violence, especially at home, Teresa says. Teresa (who asked that her name be changed to protect her daughter, now 20) be-gan looking for transitional programs for her daughter immediately after committing her to a Mississippi Department of Health facility in Gulfport. Staff at the state institution took her daughter off her medication while she was in Gulfport but recommended that she begin taking it again when she returned home. “I had learned about transition; I had learned that it’s not good to just dump them back in school,” Teresa says. Teresa was drawn to Mississippi Youth Programs Around the Clock, a state program that serves mentally ill young people in their homes or communities, and offers counseling and assistance to their families. MYPAC has limited space, however, and was not able to admit Teresa’s daughter until January 2009. “By that time she had gone off the deep-end again,” Teresa says. “She was just too far gone for them to do any good.” Overwhelmed by her daughter’s un-predictable behavior, Teresa called the police after the young woman stole checks from her. She is currently in jail, Teresa says. Teresa’s struggles to get proper treatment for her daughter are common in Mississippi, according to a federal lawsuit fi led March 10 against the state. The class-action lawsuit al-leges that Mississippi’s current mental-health system—which is primarily funded by the federal Medicaid program—violates terms of the Medicaid law and the Americans with Disabilities Act by not providing adequate home- and community-based services for mentally ill children. The suit, fi led by the Mississippi Youth Justice Project and Jackson civil-rights lawyer Rob McDuff, names three children as primary plaintiffs, identifying

them only by their initials. Federal Medicaid law requires states to provide regular screening and treatment for mental illness. Under the ADA, treatment should be “in the most integrated setting appropriate” for mentally ill children, the lawsuit alleges. Instead, Mississippi devotes

the majority of its resources for mental-health treatment to centralized institutions. This centralized, institutional approach is out of date, as the state acknowledged in a 2008 report. The report, prepared by the Mississippi Legislature’s Performance Evalu-ation and Expenditure Review Committee offered a warning. “Although the mental health environ-ment in the United States has dramatically changed from an institution-based system to a community-based system in recent years, Mississippi’s mental health system has not re-fl ected the shift in service delivery methods,” the PEER Committee wrote. Mental-health researchers and advocates have pushed for a transition to more com-munity-based services for nearly twenty years. Studies of community-based programs have found that they can reduce prison recidivism and repeat hospitalizations compared to in-stitutions, often at a substantially lower cost. Legal precedent for advocates’ work opened in 1999 with a U.S. Supreme Court ruling that isolating people with mental illness in

institutions can be a form of discrimination under the ADA. In states that have not dedicated resources to community-based services, advocacy organizations have sued to force the change. Similar class-action lawsuits in Massachusetts, Arizona and California have brought court-ordered community-based treatment to juvenile Medicaid recipients. Still, Mississippi has been sluggish in fol-lowing the national trend in decentralizing its mental-health treatment. MYPAC, the state’s best example of community-based treatment, is funded through a federal demonstration grant, not Medicaid. The program has lim-ited capacity, typically serving fewer than 200 children per year. By comparison, state institutions treated nearly 2,000 juveniles in the 2009 fi scal year, with 557 committed to a state hospital, 888 served in a residential treat-ment facility and 476 in a group home. Bill Kehoe, executive director of the Na-tional Alliance on Mental Illness’ Mississippi Chapter, acknowledged the value of decen-tralizing the state’s approach to mental health. “Community-based services would be less expensive on the state to operate,” Kehoe said. “Hospital stays at the state hospitals are just a lot more expensive because of the over-head that the facilities have.” He noted, however, that state lawmak-ers have passed a number of bills this session aimed at bringing mental-health treatment closer to home, including House Bill 1525, which creates “crisis intervention teams” that can evaluate individuals in their communities before families resort to committing them to a state institution. For Teresa—whose daughter is not a named plaintiff in the Youth Justice law-suit—the state desperately needs more widely available transition services and must dedicate Medicaid funds to programs that treat chil-dren after their release from institutions. “I was smart enough to ask for it and try for it, but it didn’t happen,” she said. “Med-icaid is what’s running things. Whoever says, ‘This is what I’ll pay for,’ is what’s dictating the treatment that our children get or don’t get.”

No Help At Home

Vanessa Carroll is representing children in a class-action lawsuit against the state over its mental-health services.

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Taking a Budget Break

The Mississippi Legislature put budget negotiations on pause this weekend, with plans to reconvene April 20, when the state’s revenue forecast will

be clearer. The Senate and House of Repre-sentatives agreed Saturday to postpone the legislative session, as the U.S. Congress ap-pears likely to pass an extension of the Med-icaid assistance in the 2008 federal stimulus package by mid-April. The increased federal Medicaid contribution would free up $187 million in the state budget for other purposes. The Senate has passed an appropria-tions bill that would dedicate an additional $50 million to K-12 education if Congress approves the extra Medicaid assistance, and Democrats in both chambers appear deter-mined to use some of the new money to shore up education. K-12 and higher education could receive $90 million of the additional federal funds, House Education Committee Chairman Ce-cil Brown, D-Jackson, said at a March 23 rally in support of education funding. The planned postponement appeared in jeopardy, however, after House Repub-licans twice blocked a resolution necessary to extend the session, on March 23 and 24. The Republicans demanded a preliminary agreement from House and Senate budget negotiators on overall revenue for the 2011 fi scal year. Leaders from both chambers eventu-ally reached an agreement to carve a budget from overall anticipated revenues of $4.417 billion, plus $80 million from the state’s rainy-day fund and $54 million from a to-bacco settlement fund. In a victory for House Democrats, the conferees agreed to appropri-ate 100 percent of anticipated 2011 revenues. Gov. Haley Barbour had called on legislators to appropriate only 98 percent of anticipated revenues as a precaution. Thursday also saw House Republicans propose two resolutions inspired by national politics. H.C. 73, sponsored by Rep. Steven Palazzo, R-Biloxi, would have reaffi rmed the Tenth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution,

which gives states sovereignty over powers not delegated to the federal government. A second bill, H.C. 101 sponsored by Rep. Alex Monsour, R-Vicksburg, targeted Congress’ recent passage of a health-care re-form bill. Monsour’s bill would have allowed representatives to vote on H.C. 17, which proposed a constitutional amendment pro-hibiting laws that would compel participa-tion in “a health care system.” Both bills lost on narrow votes. On Friday, the House and Senate both approved the fi nal version of a public-records bill, H.B. 113, which reduces the time public bodies have to respond to a public-records request from 14 days to 7 days. Sponsored by Rep. David Norquist, D-Cleveland, the bill originally focused on a separate issue: costs charged for public-records requests. Current state law allows public agencies to assess “rea-sonable” fees for retrieving and copying re-cords, a vague standard that allows bodies to charge prohibitively high prices. The House passed a version of Norquist’s bill March 8 that would have defi ned a “reasonable” copy-ing cost at no more than 50 cents per page. It also would have required public bodies to charge for retrieval time based on the salary of the lowest-paid employee capable of fi lling the records request. In conference committee, House nego-tiators dropped the cost limits and agreed to the Senate changes, which deal with response deadlines only. Saturday, both chambers passed a com-promise bill that would provide an avenue for creating charter schools in the state. The bill, S.B. 2293, allows parents of students at chronically failing schools to petition the state Board of Education for permission to become “conversion charter schools.” If granted, conversion charter school status would require parents to form an elected “lo-cal management board.” This board would function like a school board for the charter school, hiring a principal and approving cur-riculum. The local management board could also hire an outside agency, like a private charter-school operator, to run the school. Unlike charter-school proposals sup-ported by the Senate and House Republi-cans, the fi nal bill would not allow conver-sion charter schools to compete with tradi-tional public schools for students. Conver-sion charter schools would only be open to students in the school’s normal attendance zone. House Education Committee Chair-man Cecil Brown, D-Jackson, said that opening charter schools to students outside an attendance zone could diminish funding for the traditional schools within a district. “I don’t know that we could afford that right now,” Brown said. “The problem with open-enrollment charter schools is you’re es-sentially starting another school within the school district. That’s going to mean moving money away from existing schools … if the money follows the child.”

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Lawmakers are waiting for passage of a federal bill that Rep. Cecil Brown says could restore $50 million to public education.

Legislature: Week 12

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Mr. Announcement: “G-SPAN presents live coverage of the Ghetto Science Community Health Care Reform Clinic grand opening. The clinic is the newest addition to the Club Chicken Wing Multi-

Purpose Complex. Congressman Smokey ‘Robinson’ McBride organized this event anticipating passage of the health-care reform bill.” Smokey “Robinson” McBride: “Ghetto Science Community members: As far as I’m concerned, history has been made. You’ve witnessed the struggle. You saw how the ‘Kill the Bill’ demonstrators used fear, intimidation and hu-miliation tactics against the Ghettocratic Congress. We endured a lot of cussin’, fussin, moanin’ and complanin’ that day. The angry crowds surrounded us and called us everything but a child of God. We also heard a whole lot of N-words and F-words, if you know what I mean. A large, wet ball of spit fl ew past my eyes and landed in the ear hole of a fellow congressman. Eww—that was just too nasty! “An elder congressman had a fl ashback to 1957, when nine black students integrated a school in Little Rock, Ark. Suddenly, he started singing ‘Oooooh Freedom!’ Another elder congresswoman saw some folk openly carrying weap-ons. She said: ‘This moment feels like Bloody Sunday all over again!’ “Nevertheless, we marched up the steps, entered the capitol and passed a health-care reform bill. “Now it’s time for the least of you to exercise your right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of healthiness and happiness. I proudly present to you the Ghetto Science Community Health Care Reform Clinic.”

o p i n i n g , g r o u s i n g & p o n t i f i c a t i n gjfp op/ed

Do Good, and Do Better

KEN STIGGERS

EDITORIAL

And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds. – Hebrews 10:24

In a world where the effort to stop insurance companies from denying sick people the care they need brings forth vicious anger, frivolous lawsuits and even physical threats, it can be nice to simply take a breath and think about how we can do “good” in the world. Thankfully, many people are

spending more time doing good works than playing political games. We are blessed to live in a community that, for the most part, believes in giving and helping each other. And that culture of making our city everything we can be grows every year. Sometimes, though, we even need to pause a minute from our efforts to do good. We run ragged from meeting to meeting, donating a bit here, volunteering there. Sadly, this sometimes means that we are placing more Band-aids than we are effecting systemic change. Every now and then, we need to pause, think, talk and think some more. When we do, we can see the big picture: that there are bad ideas masquerading (purposefully or not) as good ones, that bad laws get in the way of good changes no matter how hard we work. That has been the case with the JFP’s evolving efforts on fi ghting do-mestic abuse in our area. Early on, we raised needed money to help buy clothes and food for victims. Nothing wrong with that, but what is needed is real change. Abusers need to stop abusing in order to stop the cycle. Thus, our efforts went to that last year (and so far only one abuser in the program we helped fund has re-offended, thank God). We also watched as good legislators like Rep. Brandon Jones of the Coast and Sen. David Blount of Jackson got meaningful domestic-violence legislation passed this session. This year, we are kicking off an effort to edu-cate Mississippians on how bad the law, including on divorce, is for abuse victims, who often cannot leave the men trying to kill them. The JFP Chick Ball campaign will raise money for a legal fund for victims. But with any luck, we will also raise awareness that will help get laws changed. You could call that doing good, and them doing better. The quarterly GOOD issue is packed with big ideas for our city. This Easter season, we urge you to pick one, or come up with your own, and use it to spur others to good deeds. To volunteer or donate to the legal fund, write chickball@jacksonfreepress.com or call 601-362-6121 ext. 16.

E-mail letters to letters@jacksonfreepress.com, fax to 601-510-9019, or mail to P.O. Box 5067, Jackson, Miss., 39296. Include daytime phone number. Letters may be edited for length and clarity.

Too Nasty

Wrangle the Crazies

OK, I get it. There are varying opinions on the new health-care bill. You have some who are staunchly in favor of the resolu-tion. Others are none too fond of the new

plan. This is what America was built on, correct? The right to respectfully disagree. The right to hold a different opinion than your neighbor, yet still be comrades with your neighbor. Of all the polarizing issues that we’ve faced in the history of politics, this seems to be one that could rip the very foundation of this country’s value system. What’s most unsettling is the anger and vitriol being spit from both sides of the aisle. It seems not so much like debate and more like barroom brawling, and the losers inevitably are the Ameri-can people. One side says that all Americans should have access to good health care—health-care that comes without strings and heals without preju-dice. The other side feels that the government has overstepped its bounds. Another faction feels like American can’t afford such a plan, while still others feel that health care is a privilege and not a right. Arguing these points is not my issue. What I will always fi ght for is our right to argue points in the fi rst place. We’ve put politicians in place to argue points for us, with vigor, but more so, with decorum. That’s why I’m puzzled by the ever-present race element I’ve seen in the health-care debate. While it saddens me that there are those who would hurl racial epithets at our lawmakers, what saddens me more is the fact, again, that it’s being turned into a non-issue by those who want to quell conversation. Of course, we realize that not

everyone who opposes the health-care bill is racist. We realize that tea parties are not comprised of only white Americans. Hell, my guest this past Sunday on “A Closer Look” was a young, black male, not a Republican or tea party member, who was vehemently against the new plan, citing fi nancial concerns in an already cash-strapped country. Fine. No problem there. Problem is, tea party talking heads are sending out releases saying they don’t condone the slurs lodged at those congress-men. Question is, if you don’t condone them, then why do you have members using them? Why aren’t other tea party members, standing side by side with those spewing the hate, standing up to them and asking them to leave? Why are these “renegades” not being called out on the spot? And if they’re liberal “plants” as some have suggested, why aren’t they being confronted? If you don’t want the “racist” tag associated with your movement, why aren’t you doing more than just issuing press releases? Does it even dawn on you that this is the reason folks feel like this is a “racial” issue? You may want to conveniently bury your head in the sand, but the fact remains that a lot of folks rallying against health care don’t want to see the playing fi eld leveled. There’s a faction of those who are jeering at “big government” because “government” is now run by a black man. So to those of you steeped in honest debate, understand that those factions are making you look bad and your argument weak. If both liberals and conservatives alike don’t start wrangling in the crazies, there won’t be much room left for us com-mon-sense folk to have intelligent debate. And that’s the truth ... sho-nuff.

KAMIKAZE

It’s easier to gather a breeze in a basket than to totally grasp the mystery of Easter. That mystery confounded Mary Magdalene and other women who en-

tered Jesus’ empty tomb. They became ter-rifi ed. Suddenly, two men in dazzling clothes appeared and asked them: “Why do you look for the living among the dead? He is not here, but has risen.” I was terrifi ed, too, and focused on death when as a shy, skinny pre-teen, I attended a summer revival in a central Alabama church. Hellfi re and damnation rolled in over me from the fundamentalist pulpit: We were all sinners and headed straight to hell unless we were saved. I believed the preacher. When he wasn’t in the pulpit, he was a really nice person. Trembling, I fl apped the handled paper fan back and forth with all my might, but it didn’t cool me or my fear or my conviction in that un-air-conditioned country church. The situation—as I un-derstood it—was not pretty: Death was lurking, and if I had any chance at all of escaping hell fi re, I had to walk the aisle, repent, accept Jesus as my savior and join the church. I did it, and felt immediate relief. It was similar to that feeling that follows barely es-caping a head-on collision on the highway. But I quickly became confused. It seemed that to stay on the safe side, I had to resist evil, like dancing and drinking. Suffi ce it to say, I didn’t hear many sermons in our church about there being a time to dance (Ecclesiastes 3:4) or Jesus turning water into wine (John 2: 1-11). Honestly, the drinking was not much of a problem for me as a kid entering junior high in a dry county, but I loved sock hops. Since I equated “religion” with God at that time, and my religion was chock full of “no,” I was left in a quandary about how I could simultaneously enjoy life and stay safe for dying. For a long time, religion meant a fair amount of perpetual guilt and fear, and feeling that I was falling short of pleasing a judgmental demanding God. Ironically, however, over the years, as I experienced personal losses and deep pain during the death of loved ones and rela-tionships, I would be aware of an intimate presence deep inside me which comforted me in a manner that was as different from judgment as life is different from death. Eventually, I was no longer able to toler-ate participating in a fundamentalist Chris-tian religion; I became active in a Christian denomination where I grew in awareness of Jesus’ humanity as well as his divinity. That understanding began to open

me to a process of spiritual freeing that eventually climaxed in a dream: A nu-minous fi gure embraced me in forgiveness and unconditional love and acceptance. In that embrace, all that had ever indicted me with guilt was erased, and love released me from my own personal tomb of guilt and fear. I awoke shaken to the core by my own unexpected Easter. There are many kinds of personal tombs and many kinds of personal Easters. Recently, I visited my 94-year-old mom in the nursing home. She wasn’t there. Time has entombed her personality. Macular de-generation has entombed her sight, deafness her hearing. Nearby, her young, comatose room-mate lay rigid, frozen by a stroke. I felt like I was entombed in a place of living death. Suddenly, an immaculately groomed smiling woman dressed in bright pink walked into the room. She’d come to visit the roommate. As she walked toward me, she apologized for her broken speech: It was left from the wreck she’d had, she told me. After the wreck, she was airlifted to a hospital. She died, and doctors brought her back to life. “It was a miracle. Praise Jesus!” she said. I gulped. The butterfl y pin on her blouse caught my eye. “What a marvelous symbol of your life,” I said, trying to fi nd my bearings. She said she was resuscitated but re-mained in a coma for months. One day she just woke up, as if she’d never been asleep. Then she said: “Jesus is coming back again.” “It looks like he’s already come back for you,” I said. “But He’s coming back to show me the beauty and life,” she said, “My,” I thought. “What more beauty and life can there be than resurrection from one’s own death?” Her husband walked in, lifted the roommate’s twisted hands into his and began slowly, gently massaging them. The lady in pink sat down by the roommate’s bed and spoke with authority that the roommate could wake up, too. She knew. It had happened to her. This weekend, Christians will cel-ebrate what Jesus’ resurrection conveys for all humanity. But for each of us, experienc-ing escape from our self-imposed tombs creates a personal Easter, one with all the power and awe of the Easter mystery.

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My Personal Easter

Editor in Chief Donna LaddPublisher Todd Stauffer

EDITORIALManaging Editor Ronni Mott News Editor Lacey McLaughlinSenior Reporter Adam Lynch

Reporter Ward SchaeferEvents Editor Latasha Willis

Music Listings Editor Herman SnellAssistant to the Editor ShaWanda JacomeWriters Andi Agnew, Lisa Fontaine Bynum,

Rob Hamilton, Carl Gibson, Jackie Warren Tatum Anita Modak-Truran, Will Morgan, Larry Morrisey, Chris Nolen, Tom Ramsey, Doctor S, Ken Stiggers,

Valerie Wells, Byron Wilkes, John YargoEditorial Interns Will Caves, Jesse Crow,

Eileen Eady, Deanna Graves, Ashley Hill, Kalissia Veal Consulting Editor JoAnne Prichard Morris

ART AND PHOTOGRAPHYEditorial Designer Kristin BrenemenAdvertising Designer Lydia Chadwick

Production Designer Christi VivarEditorial Cartoonist Chris Zuga

Photographers Tom Beck, Pat Butler, Josh Hailey, Kenya Hudson, Kate Medley,

Meredith Norwood, Lizzie Wright Design Interns Ayatti Hatcher, Jessica Millis

Photo Intern Wrijoya RoyFounding Art Director

Jimmy Mumford

ONLINEWeb Designer Vincent FalconiWeb Producer Korey Harrion

SALES AND OPERATIONSSales Coordinator Kimberly Griffin

Account Executive Randi Ashley Jackson Account Executive and

Distribution Manager Adam PerryAccounting Montroe Headd

Distribution Clint Dear, Nicole Finch, Amy Lovell, Michael Jacome,

Brooke Jones, Steve Pate,Founding Ad Director Stephen Barnette

CONTACT US:

The Jackson Free Press is the city’s award-winning, locally owned newsweekly, with 17,000 copies distributed in and around the Jackson metropolitan area every Thursday. The Jackson Free Press is free for pick-up by readers; one copy per person, please. First-class subscriptions are available for $100 per year for postage and handling.

The Jackson Free Press welcomes thoughtful opin-ions. The views expressed in this newspaper are not necessarily those of the publisher or management of Jackson Free Press Inc.

© Copyright 2010 Jackson Free Press Inc. All Rights Reserved.

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CORRECTIONIn the article, “Bonds, Boards and the School for the Blind,” in the March 25-31 issue, reporter Ward Schaefer erroneously included Lt. Gov. Phil Bryant in a list of members of the state bond commission. The commission’s members are Gov. Haley Barbour, Attorney General Jim Hood and State Treasurer Tate Reeves. The Jackson Free Press apologizes for the error.

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Green Spaces

Green space—whether a park, commu-nity garden, vegetation in a roadway median or open land around a city—is

something many communities fi ght to pro-tect and increase. Instead of developing in an urban-sprawl pattern and destroying sur-rounding green space, cities should focus on bettering existing city infrastructure and de-sign, and on making the city more accessible. An increased amount of green space benefi ts

the environment and also makes those who live around it happier.

Urban Growth Boundaries are mapped lines separating urban areas from the surrounding green belt of open land, usually set for 20 years to discourage urban sprawl and to allow future revisions. Bound-aries create livable communities by planning neighborhoods, shops, restaurants, work places and parks close together.

Space

Whether it’s inside our homes, at our workplaces or where we spend our free time, our environments have a big impact on our quality of life.

In order to change and improve our city and all the spaces that we touch and inhabit, it’s important to evaluate them and seek out innovative ways to improve them. This

GOOD issue presents successful models and ideas from other cities and ways to use them to shape the way we think about and interact with our environments.

Living Rivers and Streets

Confl uence GreenwayBegun in 1997, the

Confl uence Greenway is a 200 square-mile network of parks and trails in the St. Louis, Mo., region. The Greenway connects the ecosystems surround-

ing the confl uence of two of America’s largest rivers—the Mississippi and the Missouri—to the downtown St. Louis riverfront. More than simply connecting bikers and outdoors enthusiasts, though, the Greenway promotes a broader view of the cultural and historical attractions situ-ated around the river’s confl uence.

Living RiverAfter previous attempts

in the 1970s and 1980s fell through, in the mid-1990s, Napa County, Calif., took a new approach to fl ood con-trol along the Napa River. A coalition of groups, en-compassing city and county government, business inter-

ests and environmental organizations, devel-oped a vision of fl ood control with a “living river” design. The Napa River Flood Control Project preserves the river’s natural depth and slope while using riverbank terracing, a dry bypass channel and new wetlands to mitigate fl ooding. True to its name, the “living river” design also calls for trails along earthen berms that top the riverbank terraces. Napa County has funded local contributions to the project since 1998, when voters approved a half-cent sales-tax increase.

Connecting to the River Mill River runs through

the heart of Stamford, Conn., but for years, the river offered little more than the threat of fl ood-ing to local businesses and residents. With a growing

downtown business district and residential development continuing in the fl oodplain, the Mill River Park Master Plan arose in as an attempt to re-connect Stamford residents to the river while containing fl oodwaters. When completed, the 28-acre park will feature native vegetation along the river’s natural channel, and an array of recreational infrastructure, including extensive walking and bike trails, a carousel, a skating rink

and a playground. A product of collabora-tion among multiple entities, including government and business, the master plan encompasses four themes or ways of con-necting to the river: experiential, educational, recreational and ecological.

Complete Streets As their name suggests, com-plete streets designs provide save use to all people: car drivers, cyclists and pedestrians of all ages and abilities. They aren’t one-size-fi ts-all designs, but an approach to making thor-oughfares accessible in appro-priate ways. “Completing” a

downtown avenue may call for a concrete median, bike lanes and well-designed curbs. A residential street may only need sidewalks, and a rural road may simply require a wider, paved shoulder to be more accessible. Complete streets are safer for all travelers and—especially in urban situ-ations—encourage and support walkable development.

Using Unused Space Jackson architect Arthur Jones has had his eye on an overgrown triangular lot in

downtown Jackson for years. The open space bordered by Court and Roach Streets, belongs to the Kansas City Rail-road Company, which has held on to the property for years with the somewhat hazy future intention of building a switching station there. Jones has dreamt of mowing the lot and using it to hold open-air music events. The city is on board, he says, but the railroad company has been nearly im-possible to sway.

Green Space For Pets Thriving communi-

ties and neighborhoods know that green space isn’t just for humans.

Pets need a place where they can run freely with their owners. Many cities like Jack-son require leashes on dogs at all times, but dog parks provide an exception to that rule. In Belmont, Pa., residents held community meetings and started a peti-tion supporting a dog park. After seeing the public support and need for the park, Belmont city council members secured funding for a public dog park.

by Ward Schaefer by Jesse Crow

UGBs are mandated locally in Or-egon, Hawaii, Maine, Maryland, Minnesota, New Jersey, Tennessee and Washington, 15 California communities, 13 Michigan com-munities, Miami-Dade County, Fla., Boulder, Colo., Virginia Beach, Va., and Lexington, Ky.

How to establish UGBs

1. Have a vision and gather support.2. Conduct surveys and a general audit of land use.3. Create a map showing land to protect and land to be developed.4. Conduct a specifi c audit.5. Propose an ordinance update.

Living less than .62 miles from a green space improves your health.

Anxiety disorders in resi-dential area with 10 per-cent green space in a .62 radius: 26 per 1000.

Anxiety disorders in resi-dential area containing 90 percent green space in a .62 radius: 18 per 1000.

Cases of depression in a residential area with 10 percent green space withiin a .62-mile ra-dius: 32 per 1000.

Cases of depression in a residential area contain-ing 90 percent green space within a .62-mile radius: 24 per 1000.

SOURCE: THE BBC

How to create more green space in Jackson:

Turn abandoned lots or spaces into com-munity gardens. The Tougaloo-Rain-bow sustainable garden, a partnership

between Tougaloo College and Rainbow Whole Food Co-op, is located on Touga-loo’s campus in north Jackson. For more information, contact garden coordinator Michael Gentry at 601-573-7529.

Use unusual spaces for gardening: San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom started a garden in front of City Hall and a straw-berry patch on top of a bus station.

Petition the city for more parks and outdoor recreational areas in the city.

Green your roof, whether by covering the whole roof with sod and plants or just having a few containers of plants. Plants benefi t the environment and can provide a source of fresh foods.

A layer of sod on a roof heats to around 70 degrees Fahrenheit, while a rooftop itself can reach temperatures of around 140 de-grees Fahrenheit.

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by Adam Lynch

A Compromise Lake Plan?

After four years of waiting, Mississippi Engineering Group Inc. fi nally deliv-ered to the Rankin-Hinds Pearl River Flood and Drainage Control District

Levee Board its 28-page draft of its economic-impact report on a Lower Lake Plan for fl ood control along the Pearl River.

The draft, fi nanced through the non-profi t Lefl eur Lakes Development Founda-tion, arrived after years of battle between Levee Board members over whether to accept a levee expansion endorsed by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers or a lake plan promoted by devel-opers promising to contain the Pearl River.

Members of the board created the foun-dation in 2005 as a means to draw down federal grants and money from the Missis-sippi Development Authority, and explore economic-development opportunities in

connection with fl ood control. Members of the Levee Board comprise the foundation, but the board remains focused on a partnership for fl ood control with the Corps.

The report clearly adopts ideas of inter-nationally known architect Andres Duany, who rejected a larger lakes plan proposed by Jackson oilman John McGowan—which the Corps estimates to cost more than $1 billion due to environmental issues. Duany told the Jackson Free Press last year that he disagreed with any plan that would devastate more than 7,000 acres of hardwood wetland along the Pearl River, and criticized developers for writ-ing off a treasured resource.

“How many cities can boast of a wetland so close to the city’s center?” Duany said. “This is not the kind of thing you destroy. This is an enhancement for the city.”

The smaller Lower Lake Plan would cre-ate one 6.5 mile-long lake, which is cheaper and less environmentally invasive than Two Lakes, but would have close to the same amount of fl ood control, supporters say. The lake, nevertheless, faces environmental opposi-tion. Its current design will inundate a large portion of LeFleur’s Bluff Park, including the Mayes Lake campgrounds. Mississippi Wildlife Federation Direc-tor Cathy Shropshire, like Duany, feared the inundation by the Lower Lake of a scenic area distinctive for its size in a metropolis. “To have a getaway of that size right in the metropolitan area makes it truly unique. You just don’t get 300 acres of a nice park-like area in the middle of a big city like this unless you live in an area like Vancouver or New York City. Most places don’t have that kind of value. They’ve developed everything around them,” she said. Environmentalists suggest that engineers lower the lake level to avoid swamping the campgrounds further north, but Waggoner Engineering Inc. project engineer Barry Royals warned that the lake was already averaging less than 10 feet in depth, and that lowering the lake’s depth further might expose the south-ernmost portion of the lake, near the Interstate 20 underwater dam, to seasonal drying.

“That area would get fi lled with weeds and debris and wouldn’t be worth anything as far as development,” Royals told the Jackson Free Press. “You couldn’t build on it, and it sure wouldn’t be pretty to look at.”

The report anticipates the construction of the Lower Lake Plan to cost $605 million, including $50 million for land acquisition, fi -nanced by a district expansion and subsequent property tax increases in the area. Taxpayers would have to fi nd $472 million after the fed-eral government’s $133 million co-payment for fl ood control.

The economic-impact report includes a chart of debt payments, based on an annual payment of $13.8 million per $200 million bond issue, and a 30-year term at 5.5 percent interest. The chart refl ects a $12 million loss in the fi rst year as taxpayers pay the up-front costs of the project, with that fi gure improving little over the next two years. The chart suggests a $3 million loss on the project in the fourth and fi fth years, which then becomes a net gain in the sixth year of less than $1 million thanks to lease revenue generated by new lakefront property. The chart anticipates the gain to grow to an average of $12 million a year for the last fi ve years of the life of the bond issue.

The report suggests an infl ux of busi-nesses to the new lakefront property would help support the 30-year tax burden. Engi-neers plan development to frame the lake on both the Rankin and Hinds county sides and design the lake to contain two islands acces-sible by existing Jackson and Rankin county roads. This plan includes a proposal for the development of a waterfront pedestrian prom-enade on Town Creek, similar to that of San Antonio’s Riverwalk, as promoted by Jackson

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Lefl eur Lakes Development Foundation developed this Lower Lake Master Plan.

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DRIVE

MAYES LAKE

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Mayor Harvey Johnson Jr. and others.Planners expect the development along

the shoreline and islands to be mixed-use neighborhoods consisting of single-family and multi-family housing, retail and commercial properties, as well as parks and civic spaces, a marina facing downtown Jackson, and a series of parks along the levees. Engineers envision some neighborhoods having a high-density, urban feel, while others will have a spacious, residential feel. Zoning categories around the lake include: Rural, Sub-Urban, General Urban, Urban Center and Urban Core, with neighborhoods limited in size by a fi ve-minute walking limit from the edge to shops, work-places and civic buildings in the center.

The report paints a pretty picture, but opponents of the Lower Lake Plan contend that engineers are overstating the amount of development by de-emphasizing the scenic damage of the levees. Any business sitting at the edge of the lake’s water would have to be on the river side of the levee, and subject to the river’s seasonal lack of mercy. Any new busi-ness on the safe side of the levee must contend with the unseemly view of a grass-covered, 20-foot levee rather than a pristine lake, they say.

`Placing businesses directly on the levees are unlikely. Tom Pullen, a Byram resident and a former Corps employee, points out that the Corps does not generally approve construction

directly on levees. In fact, the Corps only al-lows trees to grow on a levee if the levees are of suffi cient size and strength to accommodate the tree roots. “They don’t usually want any-thing to potentially tear those levees apart or

damage them,” Pullen said.The Corps offi ces in Vicksburg sit atop

a reinforced levee, but reinforcing the levees around the Pearl for housing foundation adds considerably to the $206 million price of the levee extension.

Royals said the project plan predicts considerable business to be housed upon the lake’s two islands, which contain high enough fl oodwalls to handle a 200-year fl ood event similar to the 1979 fl ood—which inundated considerable portions of Jackson.

“The shoreline around the lake is devel-opable, in my opinion. You can build in be-hind existing levees now on the east side in the Flowood area. A lot of the area in downtown Jackson sits on natural bluffs. The old city

barn, where the old dog pound was, presents a great spot,” Royals said, discounting worries of a levee ruining a picturesque view of a lake.

“There’ve been 20-foot levees all around this area for umpteen years, but I don’t hear

anyone complaining about the height of the levees now. I don’t see why businesses behind the levees should not be able to see the lake,” Royals said.

The Corps will begin its fi nal report fol-lowing the Levee Board’s December approval of the levee expansion plan this year. The Corps predicted last September that the report would require 18 months to complete and cost $1 million. The board will work in the next few months to tweak the levee-expansion plan they approved to allow space and design changes to accommodate a lake. Members of the board suspect that any construction of the Lower Lake may have to wait until the Corps fi nishes the levee expansion. Board members are unsure of the Lower Lake timeline, because

the Corps has not offi cially endorsed the con-struction of the Lower Lake.

Of course, the question of any lake could be moot if the Corps retains its stance against impoundment. The Levee Board adopted the Corps-endorsed levees-only plan over the $1.4 billion Two Lakes Plan last year, but with the condition that the Corps consider allowing a smaller 1,500-acre lake between the levees at a later, undefi ned, date, and that the Corps agree to design modifi cations that would bet-ter accommodate a levee-locked lake.

Corps Chief of Project Management Doug Kamien told the Levee Board last Sep-tember that the Corps approved the levee plan almost exclusively due to environmental im-pacts of any plan to impound the Pearl River.

Corps spokesman Frank Worley says the Corps has not changed that stance since Sep-tember, which may have prompted the Levee Board to write a March 2 letter to the Corps reminding the federal agency of the board’s desire for a modest lake between the levees.

A majority of the board, including Chair-man Billy Orr, wants the Lower Lake Plan intact. Two board members, Leland Speed and Socrates Garrett, lobby for the McGowan plan. Speed has said he doubts the smaller Lower Lake Plan can happen due to the more limited development opportunities to offset its $605 million cost.

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“How many cities can boast of a wetland so close to the city’s center? ... This is not the kind of thing you destroy.

This is an enhancement for the city.” – Andres Duany

Once you step foot in Chimneyville

Smokehouse off High Street in Jackson,

your salivary glands will automatically

start watering. The enticing smell of

barbeque teases the taste buds, but Chimneyville Smokehouse can tame any craving for soul food and barbeque that lies within.

Whether you work downtown or are looking for a relaxing lunch experience away from the offi ce, give Chimneyville Smokehouse at 970 High Street a try. Open for lunch from 10:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. Monday through Friday, you can drive through if grabbing lunch on the go or step inside to enjoy food cooked to perfection.

“We have years of experience in slow-cooking procedures and follow recipes to be consistent so we can continue to satisfy customers,” says Tim English, General Manager of Chimneyville Smokehouse.

Chimneyville Smokehouse daily serves hickory-smoked chicken, pulled pork, beef brisket & sausage. Each day there is a chef special: on Monday you can order baked chicken or grilled pork chops along with side orders such as turnip greens, black-eyed peas, baby lima beans, squash casserole, corn pudding, macaroni and cheese, and more.

Each day promises a variety of side orders from collard greens & mustard greens to twice-baked potatoes and chicken & dumplings. Chimneyville Smokehouse also offers pork and beef sandwiches in regular and jumbo sizes.

The customer can get creative when ordering from Chimneyville Smokehouse’s menu: order two meats, for instance the baked catfi sh and grilled pork chops on Monday, and two side orders like macaroni and cheese and baby lima beans.

According to English, the most popular daily chef special is the country-fried steak. That’s one reason customers keep coming back.

The desserts make you wonder if your Mama is in the kitchen cooking. From Mississippi Mud chocolate pie to lemon ice box pie, you are sure to walk away with a smile on your face from Chimneyville Smokehouse.

Chimneyville Smokehouse is capable of catering for 50 or more within a 24-hr notice. They will cook on-site, or deliver an order for a minimum of 25 people or more. They cater food for the Dixie National Rodeo each year for both participants and visitors. Call Linda Stringer at 601-352-9492 for more information on catering.

P A I D A D VE R T I S E M E N T

Chimneyville Smokehouse

Craving barbeque? Then let Chimneyville Smokehouse help satisfy that craving. Join them for lunch each Monday through Friday from 10:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. at 970 High Street in Jackson.

For more information online, visit www.chimneyville.com.

McDade’s

Save A Lot

Jackson State University

Blackburn Middle School Eudora Welty

Library

by Jesse Crow

a Walkable CityLiveable Streets

Thriving cities take the fo-cus off cars and place it on people. For a city to be live-

able, city planning shouldn’t solely accommodate gas-guzzling metal boxes, but should also include the people who live there. Ideally, a city should be well organized so people can ride their bicycles or walk to work, school, restaurants and shops. One way to have a

more sustainable city is to turn the streets into complete streets—streets that consider the needs of all modes of transportation—to allow motorists, bicyclists and pe-destrians equal access to roads.

The map below suggests where multi-use trails could be located in parts of Jackson to con-nect residents to schools, grocery stores and other amenities.

Belhaven College

Power APACBarkleySchool

MillsapsCollege

Rowan Middle School

University of Mississippi Medical Center

Rainbow Co-op

Lefl eur’s Bluff State

Park

31% of the carbon dioxideMotor vehicle emissions cause...

81% of carbon monoxide

49% of nitrogen oxides

...in the U.S.

The average minivan/SUV operating costs per mile is 17 cents, average ownership cost per day is $16.85.

As of 2009, The average sedan operating costs per mile:15 cents, average ownership costs per day $15.84.Afour-mile trip on a bicycle

keeps 15 pounds of pollutants out of the atmosphere.

Benefi ts of biking and walking: • Reduces air, water and noise pollution, as well as greenhouse gases.

SOURCE: WWW.BIKELEAGUE.ORG

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Clay Hays, Chairman of Greater Jackson Partnership Board and member of the Bicycle/Pedestrian Facilities Subcommittee of Techni-cal Committeeclayhays@jacksonheart.com601-948-7575

David Pharr, CMPDD Board of Di-rectors, Jackson representativedpharr@babc.com601-981-1511

Cynthia Buchanan, President of Jackson Chamber of Commercecbuchanan@greaterjacksonpartnership.com601-948-7575

Karen Mogridge, Executive Director of Bike Walk Mississippiwww.bikewalkmississippi.org662-801-0176

John Gomez, Associate Director of Downtown Jackson Partnersjgomez@downtown-jackson.com601-353-9800

Lizzie Wright, Jackson Bike Advocateswww.jacksonbikeadvocates.org

Evan Wright, Bikeways Coordinator for MDOTewright@mdot.state.ms.us or 601-359-7685

CMPDD is a nonprofi t planning organization serving Co-piah, Hinds, Madison, Rankin, Simpson, Warren and Yazoo counties that is currently working with cities to evaluate existing bike paths and trails, and to map where

cities would like to place more paths and trails. By this fall, the CMPDD expects to have a regional bike plan for interconnect-ing different city and county bike paths and trails.

Improving Our Streets

Oxford is the only certifi ed bike-friendly city in Mississippi. The League of American Bicyclists certifi es bike-friendly cities

through a rigorous application process, and assesses communities using these criteria: engineering, education, encour-agement, enforcement, evaluation and planning. They also award four levels: platinum, gold, silver and bronze.

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Complete Streets serve more than just the needs of motorists. They also serve bikers, pedestrians, shopkeepers, those in wheelchairs, etc. They are walkable, rideable and drive-able, and well connected. Complete streets make use of bike lanes, bus lanes, sidewalks, medians and frequent crossing opportunities.

Improvements:1. Sidewalks2. Crosswalks3. Bike lanes

4. Overhead lamps5. Median with plants6. Green space next to sidewalks7. Covered bus stop

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In 13 of 15 major U.S. real-estate mar-kets, higher levels of walkability (being close to schools, libraries, schools,

shopping centers, grocery stores, jobs within three miles and having accessible and well connected streets) were directly proportionate to higher home values.

SOURCE: “WALKING THE WALK: HOW WALKABILITY RAISES HOUS-ING VALUES IN U.S. CITIES” BY ECONOMIST JOSEPH CORTRIGHT.

Pedestrian fatalities per 100,000 people:

U.S. Average is 1.26

Mississippi’s average is 1.92

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Bike-Friendly Cities

How to make your city bike-friendly:

1. Evaluate your community with the League of American Bicyclists’ scorecard. 2. Find out which city leaders you will have to pitch the Bike Friendly application

to, and begin to plan your approach.3. Gather support from the community: bicyclists, local politicians and citizens.4. Request a meeting with government offi cials.5. Get specifi c commitments, and then follow up.

SOURCE: BIKELEAGUE.ORG

What is the Central Mississippi Planning and Development District?

How do you make streets liveable?

Better Streets Means Less Obesity

Being obese or overweight causes around 300,000 deaths in the United States each year, according to the surgeon gen-

eral. In 1969, 50 percent of students walked to school, whereas in 2004 only 14 percent of students walked to school. The average amount of miles Americans drive per day have doubled since 1969 to 30 miles.

sOURCE: RAILS TO TRAILS.ORG

Who can you contact to get involved?

Communities can’t exist where there is no communal space. Not having walkable public spaces hinders the development of com-munity.

Necessities for street life:• Meaningful destinations—places worth going that can be accessed

on foot.• Safe streets—streets designed for pedestrians as well as motorists.

Narrow streets reduce speeding. In Portland, Ore., the organization

“Skinny Streets” recommends that streets in residental areas are 20 feet wide.

• Comfortable streets—streets with well-defi ned boundaries and fl at street walls give a sense of containment and comfort.

• Interesting streets—streets should convey the message that people live there, thus making them interesting to look at as one walks by.

SOURCE: “ SUBURBAN NATION: THE RISE OF SPRAWL AND THE DECLINE OF THE AMERICAN DREAM,” BY ANDRES DUANY, ELIZABETH PLATER-ZYBERK AND JEFF SPECK

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Where do I put my stuff?

In the United States at the end of 2008, more than 51,250 storage facilities provided 2.35 billion square feet for consumer use, the Self Storage As-

sociation reports. That amounts to 7.4 square feet of self-storage space for every man, woman and child in the U.S. These facilities made an estimated $20 billion in sales in 2008.

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How We Live by Will Caves

1950: 983 1970: 1,500 2000: 2,080 2007: 2,521 2009: 2,700

Average American Home Size in Square Feet:

In contrast, the average home in Great Britain is about 70 to100 meters, which translates to roughly 750 to1,000 square feet. In Japan, the average home size is 1,310 square feet, but 850 to 900-square-foot apartments are the norm in large cities. The living space

for most people in Shanghai, China, is 70 square feet each. Five adults and two children, on average, occupy a typical two-room apartment with a large hallway, a kitchen and bathroom.

Americans tend to think that bigger is better when it comes to building a home. The average home size in the United States has almost tripled since 1950, according to the National Association of Homebuilders. That Stinks!

Average Trash Output

The average American produces about 4.4 pounds of gar-bage per day, according to the Environmental Protection Agency. That amounts to 29 pounds of trash weekly, and

about 1,600 pounds of waste yearly. The average Mississippi household produces 1.4 tons of trash each year, says Buford Clark of Waste Management Inc. If you were to factor in yard trash such as limbs and other de-bris, that number would increase to about 1.7 tons per year. Clark said that the average Mississippian recycles about 8.8 pounds per month.

Tips On Going Green in a Not-so-Green Home

Calculate Your Living Space

When building a new home or choosing a home to buy, keep in mind that the smaller it is, the better, because it will be cheaper to buy, and to heat and cool. Do a bit of simple math to fi gure out how much space you really need.

• Jot down everything that you do in your daily routine. Include things like cook-ing, eating, recreation, sleeping, washing, storage and other parts of your routine activities.

• Measure how much space you currently have to do those actions and write down the square footage for each activity.

• Decide how much room you actually need to do those activities. You might need a bit less space than you think. Add all the estimated numbers. This will give you an estimated number of square feet needed in your new home.

Source: Dan Maginn, an architect from Kansas City, Mo. You can fi nd these ideas and more tips on how to live affordably at www.good.is/post/square-feat-foot-steps/.

How to Improve Your Living Space

• Declutter. If your room feels crowded, check to see if there is anything you can get rid of to change the feel. Too much furniture, or furniture that is unnecessarily large, can make a room feel crowded. Make sure you don’t have excess.

• When cleaning, fi nd a space for everything, and make sure all items have a home. If they aren’t important enough to warrant a home, they probably aren’t important enough to keep.

• If you don’t think you have enough space, think about renovating. Cheap, organic materials can be found at most hardware stores. Most projects can be done over the course of time with minimal effort, and you’ll be surprised how easy it is to change the look of a room by yourself.

Feng Shui

The 3,000-year-old Chinese art of feng shui is all about creating fl ow and balance in your environment. Its principles allow you to create living spaces and workspaces in harmony with nature

and living energy, called chi, to promote personal peace and prosperity. With feng shui, you use positioning, color, art, lighting, natural objects

and lots of common sense.• Spaces become more conducive to fulfi lling their primary purpose, whether it be

calming and relaxing, or energizing and creative. Create a power position in your offi ce, for example, where you can see entrances and windows, and have your back to a wall.

• Spaces become less cluttered as you adapt to life’s transitions, letting go of the old to make room for the new. Repair broken things, and remove or replace outdated things, including items that hold negative memories.

• Spaces become easier to navigate and keep clean. Removing the sharp corners from a piece of furniture where you’re constantly banging your shin, for example, makes you happier to be in the room. Having a clear path to the closet makes it easier to make sure your clothes are hung up instead of tossed on the fl oor.

MORE INFORMATION: WESTERNSCHOOLOFFENGSHUI.COM

• Compost your vegetables.• As appliances break, replace them with more effi cient machines.• Make sure that the “envelope” of the home is tight. Check the seal

on windows and doors to cut down on drafts. • Double-pane windows are more effi cient than single-pane; the air

between the glass provides insulation. • Put curtains on the south side of your house to cut down on heat.

35% attend suburban schools

13% attend schools in towns

23%attend rural schools

29% attend city schools

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Learning Spaces by Eileen Eady

There are more than 132,000 public and private schools in the United States, according to the U.S. Department of Education.

Improving Our Spaces for Learning

Opening and Closing Schools in the U.S.

During the 2007-2008 school year:

Mississippi has 1,047 Public Schools:

The Council for Educational Planning reports that states use the following numbers to plan school construction.10 acres + 1 additional acre for every 100 students in Elementary School.20 acres + 1 additional acre for every 100 students in Junior High/Middle School30 acres + 1 additional acre for every 100 students in Senior High School

Where Students Go to School

1,927 schools opened.

2,120 schools closed.

460 future schools were planned to planned to open within the next 2 years.

440 elementary

schools

306 elementary &

secondary combinations

130 secondary schools

(7-12

grades)

62

alternative schools

88

vocational schools

21 state special schools

The crack epidemic in the 1980s and 1990s took a toll on New York’s central Harlem, contributing to a cycle of pov-erty and violence for many families.

To change that cycle, The Children’s Zone Project took 100 blocks in Harlem and created a community space that enriched and improved the lives of the community’s children. The idea is to start as soon as pos-sible creating a supporting environment for children to learn and be successful. In order to do this, it is necessary to surround the children with adult mentors.

At fi rst the organization started by focus-ing on a single block in Harlem and carefully evaluated the progress of the services provided. The Children’s Zone then created a pipeline of school, community and health supports to create a better environment.

The Results of the Harlem Children’s Zone Project:

• In 2009 the Harlem Children’s Zone served 21,280 individuals.

• 86 percent of parents from Baby College who read to their children less than fi ve times a week improved their frequency.

• In the Harlem Gems preschool program, 62.5 percent of the 161 students ended the program with a school readiness clas-sifi cation of “advanced.”

• 100 percent of children attending Prom-ise Academies I and II tested at or above grade level.

• 93 percent of Promise Academy High School ninth graders passed the Algebra Regents exam in 2008.For more information visit hcz.org

“Alot of schools are fi nd ing new

ways to engage students. Most people think of

good learning spaces as shiny, brand-new schools, but with cuts in funding, that’s not possible. If we look at spaces and areas outside of the classroom, we can come up with some innovative learning spaces for children,” Susan Womack of Parents for Public Schools in Jackson says.

A partnership between Ask 4 More Arts (www.keepartsinschools.org) and Casey Elementary School resulted in students improving their achievement on state tests. Casey Elementary has the highest rating given by the State Depart-ment of Education.

Communities can help to improve learning spaces. Rainbow Whole Foods Co-op helped start a garden at Casey Elementary School.

Lee Elementary School was able to bring in a local artist to help improve writing through song writing. The school even set up a temporary recording studio.

No Child Left Inside

Good Local Learning Spaces

Colorful Learning Spaces

Louis Torelli, co-founder of Spaces for Children in Berkeley, Calif., is a spe-cialist in designing optimal learning spaces. “Inadequate classrooms force

teachers to act as magicians, entertainers, and disciplinarians,” he wrote in “Enhancing Development through Classroom Design in Early Head Start,” published in Children and Families magazine.

A safe, well-designed space encourages exploration, play and “formation of a healthy identity,” he says, while also supporting teachers and their goals. Among the elements to be considered, Torelli includes furniture (wood instead of plastic), windows to feel connected to the outdoors, lighting (fl uores-cents are “cold and institutional”), fl ooring and paint.

In a 2003 paper titled “The Impact of Color on Learning,” educational planner Ka-thie Englebrecht of Perkins & Will wrote that color affects attention span, work productivity and accuracy, and can ease or cause eyestrain. Monotone classrooms can cause anxiety, irri-tability and an inability to concentrate, while color can help increase classroom success.

“The mental stimulation passively re-ceived by the color in a room helps the student

and teacher stay focused,” Englebrecht writes. In a 2008 study titled “Color in an Op-

timum Learning Environment,” the authors recommend colors depending on the subject being taught and and use of a learning space. “Color can alter perception of time, increase school pride, reduce disruptive behavior and aggression, reduce vandalism, reduce absen-teeism, and provide a supportive background for the activities being performed,” they write. Among their recommendations:

• Biology: nature—blue, green, teal, brown, beige

• Business: corporate —blue, gray, black, burgundy, dark green

• Chemistry: logic —blue, green, indigo

• Physics: energy— blue, yellow, green, indigo

• Foreign Language: friendship — yellow

• History: age — amber, blue, yel-low, sea green

• Mathematics: logic — indigo, blue

• Social Studies: social — orange, green, brown

In his 2005 book, “Last Child in the Woods,” author Richard Louv coined the phrase “Nature Defi cit Disorder.” He writes about how a disconnection

from the natural world in today’s children is contributing to a rise in childhood obesity, attention defi cit disorders and depression.

The national No Child Left Inside Act seeks to address these concerns by support-ing environmental education opportunities to students. Environmental education improves student achievement by reduc-ing discipline problems in the classroom,

oncreased engagement and enthusiasm, and greater student pride.

John Stark, director of the Clinton Nature Center, is creating opportunities for students to learn about the environ-ment. He is working with No Child Left Inside in Mississippi to bring Environmen-tal Education to students.

“Experiences in nature are a funda-mental ingredient for what it is to be a human being. We are seeing the fi rst gen-eration of children who are divorced from those experiences,” Stark said.

Jackson has 32 public playgrounds. CLI

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The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends of daily free play as an

essential part of children’s physical and mental health.

Studies show that students benefi t from science-lab experiences far

more than indoor simulations and experiments.

The average child spends only

outside every day.

More than of the students from the “Voice of the Children

School Design Project” expressed the importance of an outside recess.

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Passersby easily recognize Fondren artist Richard McKey’s studio by the mam-moth-sized Obama in front of the building on State Street. He constructed “Obama” just before the 2008 presidential election, and it has since become a Fondren staple with visitors often stopping for photos. McKey encourages

anyone to gather materials and start creating art outside their homes. The materials he used were mostly recycled:

How to make your own public art

Rebar steel that gives the statue support

Wire mesh used to create the skeleton for “Obama”

Strips of cloth placed in a solution that hardens the cloth to withstand weather conditions were then painted with ordi-

nary house paint.

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Temporary Public Art Idea: Buy or make your own stencils from a craft store and use sidewalk chalk to fi ll in the designs on sidewalks or pavement.

Public Art Ideas

New York, N.Y. In New York City, the non-profi t Public Art Fund uses donations from public and private organizations to give grants to artists for outdoor exhibits. Here are examples of the exhibits hosted:

Double Take

Ordinary objects created new meaning when six artists used existing architecture and ob-jects from the environment and modifi ed them to create an illusion and new perspec-tive. In one installation, artists constructed a lamppost resembling others in a park, but sculpted it to bend backward and create a large crater in the ground.

In Jackson we could take existing damaged infrastructure such as sidewalks, bus stops, stoplights or even trashcans, and turn them into works of art instead of eyesores.

The Ego and the Id Artist Franz West placed his aluminum sculp-

tures, standing 20-feet high and consisting of colorful and abstract loops, in Central Park for the public to

admire and children to climb on.

In Jackson, artists could weld metal pieces from construction projects and build a sculp-ture for downtown or a neighborhood park.

Cleveland, OhioIn Cleveland, Ohio, the non-profi t Cleveland Public Art works to improve public spaces by bringing art to the city’s neighborhoods, streets and parks. Here are a few of the proj-ects completed since the organization started in 1984:

The Verdant Walk In an effort to preserve Cleveland’s historic mall, artists built seven sculptures along its 4,000 square feet of green space. The round metal sculptures were fi tted with fabric and lit internally at night through solar panels woven into the fabric.

In Jackson we could use sculptures to draw people to outdoor places such as Hawkins Field, Mynelle Gardens or Lefl eur’s Bluff State Park.

The Euclid Avenue PlanterTo beautify down-town, Cleveland Public Art commis-sioned artist Mark A. Reigelman II to design and sculpt decorative planters to line the city’s Euclid Avenue. The project was relativity

low cost and brought authenticity and visual character to downtown.

In Jackson, we could line East and West Capitol Street with planters and open a de-sign contest to the community.

• Enhances the physical environment• Creates a sense of place and distinctiveness• Contributes to community cohesion• Contributes to social health and wellbeing• Contributes to economic value through inward investment

and tourism• Fosters civic pride and confi dence• Raises quality of life• Reduces crime

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Creative Space by Ashley Hill

Acity thrives when it creates spaces for artists and the community as a whole. Public art is one way a city can improve its aesthetics while making art accessible to every-one, including lower-income neighborhoods that may not have museums and art galleries. Public art can be anything from an outdoor sculpture, mobiles, mixed-

media installations, murals or even paintings on the pavement.

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Organizations that help foster and pro-mote art in a community create spaces and opportunity for creativity to fl ourish. But to create those spaces

for the arts to thrive, funding needs to be in place. The Mississippi Arts Commission, (www.arts.state.ms.us) funded by the state and private en dow ments, allocates more than a $1 mil-lion in grants to

a wide variety of art’s throughout the state. Since 2007, the Art’s Commission’s budget has increased.

The Greater Jackson Arts Council (www.jacksonartscouncil.org) also awards grants to organizations in Jackson each year. Application deadlines are Oct. 31 and March 31. The grants are broken down into fi ve categories for funding.

Here is a breakdown of grants from the Greater Jackson Arts Council:

Funding Art Spaces

2007- $1 million

2008- $1.1million

2009- $1.2 million

2010- $ 1.5 million

MAJOR CULTURAL PROGRAMS

$33,015Used to enhance arts and cultural opportunities within the Greater Jackson area.Who can apply: Nonprofi t arts and cultural organizations.

ARTS EDUCATION/ARTS THERAPY

$5,500Awarded to use the arts to build self-esteem and develop self-discipline and productivity..

Who can apply: Nonprofi t arts and cultural organizations, K-12 schools and colleges, social service agencies, community centers, civic organizations, certifi ed art therapists.

S.O.S FUNDING

$3,550

NEIGHBORHOOD ARTS$8,250

CREATIVE ARTISTS$8,600

Awarded to individual artists to develop adven-turous and imaginative new works.

Who can apply: Professional artists, emerging artists and art students.

Provides emergency dollars for worthy projects and professional/artistic devel-opment opportunities.

Awarded to projects that use the arts to enhance quality of life in neighborhoods.Who can apply: neighbor-hood associations and community activists.

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by Donna Ladd

Many people think the only thing is takes to change the world is fi re in the belly and a lot of action. Not so fast. Building a sustainable com-munity takes good conversation and planning

that lead to best practices and enduring smart actions. And the design of your meeting space can make a differ-ence in whether your goals are met.

Peter Block, a partner of the Ohio-based Designed Learning, gives tips to designing an effective physical space in his book “Community: The Structure of Be-longing” (Berrett-Koehler Publishers, 2008, $26.95). “Change the room, change the culture,” he advises. His tips for designing or arranging communal space where people can relax and talk include:

Take the control out of meeting rooms. Use round, or at least oval, tables where everyone can see each other, and no one is at the “head” of the table.

Meet in rooms with windows, a view, green plants and inspiring art on the walls.

Amplify the sound, if needed, so everyone can be heard equally.

Choose swivel chairs with low backs so people can move easily.

Avoid auditoriums for community conversations; save them for one-way presentations and perfor-mances.

Make reception, hallways and waiting areas com-fortable and inviting by adding chairs and even internal windows into the offi ces that line them.

Don’t use a stage or platform to isolate any partici-pants in a civic dialogue.

Always include a form of art at community meet-ings (visual, music, poetry, dance, writing).

Break bread at every gathering. Display and share healthy, locally grown and prepared food and drink. “It brings the sacred into the room,” Block says of including delicious food in your meetings.

Change the Room, Change the World

KR

ISTIN

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EMEN

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Highland Village601-366-2557www.buffalopeak.net

What’syour

Style?Follow us on Facebook and (@BuffaloPeakMS)

JAPANESE SUSHI BAR & HIBACHI GRILL

NAGOYA JACKSON6351 I-55 North, Ste. 131 (next to Target) in Jackson | 601-977-8881

CELEBRATINGCELEBRATING

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• Rock T-shirts and Memorabilia

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• Rock & Roll posters, hats, decals

stickers, even Tees for toddlers,

Onesies for the baby & more!

5417 Lakeland Drive in Flowood MS | 601.919.3470

Transforming Our Communities

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Building Bridges by Lacey McLaughlin

Gentrifi cation is a term that is often misunderstood, but is an important issue to address as cities go through revitalization. As poor neighborhoods

once riddled with blight become attractive for younger, more affl uent tenants, the poor, minority and older residents on fi xed incomes are at risk for displacement as property values rise. So how do communities

prevent gentrifi cation?

• Make a long-term commitment A report by the National Institute for

Housing fi nds that lower-income neighbor-hoods lose “social capital” when younger residents under 35 move into the urban area, but later move away to the suburbs for better schools and amenities.

• Build bridges, not walls When a different socio-economic group

moves into an area, it can bring a different set of norms and beliefs, and create isolation between neighbors. Newcomers to neighbor-

hoods should make an effort to be involved and active by joining neighborhood associa-tions and community organizations.

• Invest in local businesses Ensuring that economic wealth is dis-

tributed to lower-income areas is essential to keeping residents and businesses intact. Shop at locally owned businesses in or near your neighborhood whenever possible. In Jackson, Watkins Partners is a diverse development group currently working in the Farish Enter-tainment District. Watkins is working with original business owners on Farish Street to provide rent-to-own options.

• Developers and residents share goals When new developments come into

a city, it’s important for developers and residents to share the same vision. If not, neighborhoods must be able to mobilize and voice concerns. One way to unify a neighborhood is to develop a master plan for the community’s future vision. Cur-rently, the West Jackson Development Group and Duvall Decker Architects are working on a master plan for West Jackson to revitalize the area as a whole.

Keeping neighborhoods safe is es-sential to prevent residents from moving out. Writer and activist

Jane Jacobs coined the term “eyes on the street,” meaning that in order to discourage crime, buildings and doors need to face the streets to give a sense of oversight. Increasing pedestrian activity on the streets is another key element to preventing crime because more eyes on the street means less opportunity for criminal activity. Here are other tips for design that prevents crime.

• Trim plants and vegetation outside your home so that they don’t block sight.

• Create open barriers such as chain-link fences that promote visibility.

• Separate public space from pri-vate space with signs.

• Provide a visual connection between residential and public spaces by placing widely used rooms like kitchens and living rooms in good view of streets.

From the 1970s to the late 1990s, decay and crime had taken over the East Lake Meadows, a 650-unit public-housing project in Atlanta, Ga. Crime was 18 times higher than the national average, and the average age for a grandparent was 32. Tom Cousins, a developer and philan-thropist, created the East Lake Foundation, formed with public and private partners to

revitalize the community and create mixed-income apartments. When construction began, offi cials provided residents with housing vouchers for temporary reloca-tion. All residents took part in the planning process, and once they returned they were able to obtain affordable housing. The foundation also provides job assistance and after-school programs.

East Lake Before and After

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Before After

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• 59 percent of adults relied on welfare.• 5 percent of fi fth graders at a local elementary

school met state math standards.• Employment rate was 13.5 percent.

• 5 percent of adults rely on welfare.• 84 percent of students meet or exceed state

math standards.• Employment rate is 71 percent.

Eyes on the StreetWHY PAY MORE TO PRINT?

$2 OFF INK REFILL(min. purchase $10)

$5 OFF TONER REFILL(min. purchase $30)

One per customer. Not valid with other offers.Code JFPCPN.

Location Name: Madison & Flowood | Madison: 601-603-2314 and Flowood: 601-939-3373 www.cartridgeworldusa.com

The Autobiography of an Execution

DAVID R. DOW

Hear David R. Dow, distinguished

professor at the University of

Houston Law Center, litigation

director at the Texas Defender

Service and author of “The

Autobiography of an Execution”.

Visit http://mesj-blog.blogspot.com or e-mail

mesjinfo@gmail.com for more information

BOOK SIGNING

“Dow isn’t doing high constitutional theory here; this is pure red meat.” - New York Times Book Review (Feb. 4, 2010)

Tuesday, April 6th at theLemuria “Dot Com” Building

Signing at 5pm | Talk at 5:30pm

Presented by Mississippians Educating for Smart Justice

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Happy

Easter

From

McDade’s

Markets

Call ahead tospecial-orderparty trays

• Flowers and Balloons

• Special Gifts

• Gourmet Items

• Specialty Foods

• Cakes and Pies

• Lots of goodies to

fill your baskets

Maywood Mart 1220 E. Northside Dr. 601-366-8486

Woodland Hills Shopping Center Fondren 601-366-5273

English Village 904 E. Fortifi cation St. 601-355-9668

Westland Plaza 2526 Robinson Rd. 601-353-0089

Quality Shirts under $100Thomas Dean exclusively at The Rogue

Sterling silver double flower earrings, $97, Lil McKH Jewelry

Mr. Hopsalot Easter bunny, $1.99, Beemon Drugs

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SHOPPING GUIDE by ShaWanda Jacome

Photos by Wrijoya Roy

Beemon Drugs1220 E. Northside Drive601-366-9431

Bridgette’s Monograms & Gifts2725 N. State St.601-362-9947www.tcsuniforms.com

Buffalo Peak OutfittersHighland Village1300 E. Northside Drive601-366-2557www.buffalopeak.net

Lil McKH Jewelry Studio200 Commerce St. (above Hal & Mal’s)601-259-6461www.LilMcKHJewelry.com

Mississippi Petrified Forest Gift Shop124 Forest Park Road, Flora601-879-8189www.mspetrifi edforest.com

Nice Glass by Lizzniceglassbylizz.etsy.com601-850-8548discgolfher1@hotmail.com

Peppy & Posh305 Clinton Blvd., Clinton601-924-2728

Whitley Flowers740 Lakeland Drive 601-362-8844www.whitleyfl owers.net

WHERE2SHOP

Glass pendants, $5, Nice Glass by Lizz

Scarf, $14.95, Beemon Drugs

Walking eggs, $2.49 and Easter egg bowl, $5.95, Beemon Drugs

Russell Stover chocolate bunny, $3.99, Beemon Drugs

Jeweled cross, $10.95, Beemon Drugs

Stone eggs, $15-$20, Mississippi Petrifi ed Forest Gift Shop

Columbia white shade hat, $35, Buffalo Peak Outfi tters

Green wrapped hoodie, $100, and Patagonia floral dress, $69, Buffalo Peak Outfi tters

Chaco sandals (men and women’s), $95, Buffalo Peak Outfi tters

Sun Dress, $36, Peppy & Posh and Double Daisies romper, $54.50, Peppy & Posh

Thomas Kinkade’s Easter Joy Bouquet by Telefl ora, $55.95-$65.95, Whitley Flowers

Brown enamel cross, $139, Lil McKH Jewelry

Decorative picture frame, $29.50, Bridgette’s Monograms & Gifts

Square Easter basket, $17, Bridgette’s Monograms & GiftsWhite egg, $9, Bridgette’s Monograms & GiftsEaster bunny, $6, Bridgette’s Monograms & GiftsWooden cross, $13, Bridgette’s Monograms & Gifts

Hand decorated enamel earrings, $47, Lil McKH Jewelry

Shiraleah purse, $58, Bridgette’s Monograms & Gifts

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Ask for this beer at stores and restaurants in Central Mississippi.Can’t fi nd these beers? Call 601-956-2224 for more information.

Capital City BeveragesMISSISSIPPI’S COMPLETE BEER SOURCE

distributed by

PELICAN COVE GRILL

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Crawfish every Crawfish every Saturday & Sunday Saturday & Sunday

Starting at 1 p.m.Starting at 1 p.m.

THURSDAY 4/1

7:30PM / NO COVER

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Come See Us Atwww.pelicancovegrill.com

Hours: 11 AM Until - 7 days a week116 Conestoga Rd, Ridgeland, MS

601-853-0105 WWW.SHUCKERSREZ.COM

APRIL 1APRIL 1STST THURSDAY THURSDAY

7:30PM - 11:30 NO COVER–––

APRILAPRIL 2 2NDND FRIDAY FRIDAY

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APRILAPRIL 3 3RDRD SATURDAY SATURDAY

3PM – 7PM NO COVER ––––– MIKE & MARTY8PM – 1AM $5 COVER –––––

APRIL 4APRIL 4THTH SUNDAY SUNDAY

3PM – 7PM NO COVER –––––

APRILAPRIL 6 6THTH TUESDAY TUESDAY

7:30PM – 11:30PM NO COVER THE XTREMEZ

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Saturday & Sunday10am - 2pm

Monday thru Friday2pm - 7pm

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BUNNYby Jessica Mizell

Throughout my childhood, nothing other than Christmas morning made me happier than Easter Sunday. I would wake up to an Easter basket fi lled with hollow chocolate bunnies and other goodies, and a hunt for eggs in

the yard. I relished the Easter bunny like I did the tooth fairy

and Santa Claus, other magical beings that brought me things. My father, wanting me to keep me a child for as long as possible (he tried to convince me Santa Claus was still real when I was 12 by making footprints in the ashes of our fi replace), always had an Easter egg hunt after church, even in our teenage years. The eggs went from being fi lled with candy to being fi lled with money, and my brother and I would revert to children again, fi ghting over the last egg in the yard.

We have quite a few magical tales we tell our chil-dren. We tell them about beings that sneak into our houses at night while we are sleeping to leave us money under our pillows, or chocolate and gifts. I always pic-tured a giant rabbit wearing pants when I thought of the Easter bunny. But where did the concept of a bunny rab-bit come from? A bunny rabbit that leaves us … eggs?

The bunny began as the symbol for the pagan goddess of fertility, Eastre, worshiped by pre-Christian

Anglo-Saxons. She was also the goddess of springtime, and her symbol was the rabbit because of its ability to conceive a second litter while already pregnant. The rab-bit became the obvious choice as the sign of fertility. The pagan feast celebrating the return of springtime, or the vernal equinox, conveniently coincided with the Christian celebration of the resurrection of Christ, and over the years, as missionaries tried to convert the An-glo-Saxons, beliefs were mixed, and the feast eventually turned into the traditional Christian holiday of Easter that we celebrate today.

The Easter bunny as a symbol of Easter was fi rst seen in Germany in the early 1600s, where they made edible bunny sugar pastries and ate colored eggs after Lent. The tradition of eating colored eggs for Easter had to do with the fact that eggs were banned during Lent, resulting in an overabundance of eggs during Easter. The eggs would be colored red to symbolize the blood of Christ and green to symbolize the coming of spring.

German immigrants brought the tradition to Amer-ican in the 19th century, telling their children that if they were good, a hare would come and put colored eggs in their hats and bonnets. Over the years, the Easter hare became a bunny, and the eggs were fi lled with chocolate, and, soon, it turned into a hunt for pastel Easter eggs.

NBLU

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Change AgentsHOUSING

Habitat for Humanity/Metro JacksonP.O. Box 55634, Jackson, 39296-5634,

601-353-6060

www.habitatjackson.org

Habitat builds and sells homes for lower-income

residents in the Jackson at no profi t and charges no

interest. The organization relies on volunteers to build

the homes.

Mississippi Homebuyer Education Center350 Woodrow Wilson, Ste 3480

601-366-9141

The center provides state-wide homebuyer educa-

tion and counseling services for fi rst-time mortage

applicants.

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

John M. Perkins Foundation1831 Robinson St., 601-354-1563

www.jmpf.org

Provides families with safe, clean, positive places to

live and encourage parents—especially single moth-

ers—in the West Jackson neighborhood to continue

to pursue careers, educations and faith.

Enterprise Corporation of the Delta4 Old River Place, 601-944-1100

www.ecd.org

ECD is a private, nonprofi t community develop-

ment fi nancial institution that provides commercial

fi nancing, mortgage loans, and technical assistance

to support businesses, entrepreneurs, homebuyers and

community development projects. ECD’s mission is

to strengthen communities, build assets and improve

lives of people in economically distressed areas of Ar-

kansas, Louisiana, Mississippi and Memphis.

Voice of Calvary Ministries531 W. Capitol St., 601-969-3088

www.vocm.org

VOCM Real Estate Development focuses on hous-

ing construction, renovation and community green

spaces. VOCM provides housing for low- to moder-

ate-income persons and families through its Real

Estate Development program.

Mid-South Community Development Corp.P.O. Box 668, Tougaloo 39174, 601-525-3898

www.midsouthcdc.org

Mid-South provides housing and housing-related

community services for very low- to moderate-income

residents in Hinds County. Its mission is to develop

better housing opportunities, stimulate the fl ow of

resources to communities, increase the quality of

education, and provide economic development op-

portunities for at-risk populations.

North Midtown Community Development Corp.215 McTyere Ave., 601-354-5373

northmidtowncdc.com

The mission of North Midtown Community Devel-

opment Corporation is to make the North Midtown

community a more desirable area in which to live,

work and raise families. NMCDC was formed for

the purpose of the social and economic revitalization

of the North Midtown neighborhood, within the

boundaries of Woodrow Wilson to the North, For-

tifi cation Street to the South, West Street to the East

and Mill Street to the West. This corporation places its

prime focus on: job creation; providing adequate and

affordable housing; crime and drug traffi c reduction;

quality education of young residents; and encouraging

neighborhood identity.

Mississippi Development AuthorityP.O. Box 849, Jackson, 39205

601-359-3449

www.mississippi.org

The agency is organized into three groups: Economic

Development, Asset Development and Administra-

tion and Financial Services. The Economic Develop-

ment Group focuses its efforts in traditional business

recruitment and retention, community development,

tourism development and export development. The

Asset Development Group pursues innovative ways to

develop unique Mississippi assets such as cultural heri-

tage, natural resources and small town life styles. The

Administration and Financial Services Group oversees

the agency’s fi nancial and administrative responsibili-

ties and community development grant programs.

Mississippi Main Street Association308 East Pearl St., Suite 101

601-944-0113

www.msmainstreet.com

Services: Mississippi Main Street Association is a pro-

gram of the National Trust for Historic Preservation

and the Mississippi Development Authority. Main

Street is an economic development program based

in historic preservation. Provides leadership, guidance

and counsel to Mississippi Main Street communi-

ties through organization, promotion, design and

economic development to make our cities and towns

better places to work, live and play.

Mississippi Resource Conservation & Develop-ment CouncilCentral District

311 Airport Road, Pearl

601-965-5233 Ext.233

central.msrcd.org

Services: RC&D depends on grass-roots involvement

in making decisions about local areas and on the value

of public-private partnerships in making the best use of

limited resources. RC&D works to achieve a balance

between rural economic development and natural

resources protection while working toward a goal of

community sustainability.

MORE, page 30

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MAUNDY THURSDAY,APRIL 1

6:30pm, Supper & WorshipFondren space next to Cups cafe’

GOOD FRIDAY,APRIL 2

11:30am service of the CrossJackson Academy

EASTER MORNING RESURRECTION,APRIL 4

10:30am at Jackson Academy

bellwetherchurch.org

This Easter, Raisedto New Life in Christ

C H U R C H

Holy Week at Bellwether

710 Poplar Boulevard in Jackson | 601-487-6670(Located across the street from Keifer’s in Historic Belhaven)

WEIGHT LOSS 101

Tailored to Your Body’s Needs

Adipex and herbal weight

loss aids available - $99

• Avoid yo-yo dieting

• No long-term contract

• Weight loss plan based

on medical history,

dieting history and

body type

ART

Footprint Creative Arts Institute 1230 Raymond Road, Suite 1121

601-750-0452

Footprint Creative Arts Institute seeks to lay a solid

foundation for nurturing, guiding and educating the

whole child and their families to embrace culture,

value self and community and to become dedicated

to a lifelong process of literacy for present and future

generations to come. With experience in creative

expression including visual arts, African song, dance

and rhythms, FCAI fosters growth and self-discipline

through the positive creative spirit.

Mississippi Arts Commission501 N. West St., Suite 1101A, Woolfolk Building

601-359-6030

www.arts.state.ms.us

Services: MAC provides grants for the arts and pro-

vides services to local artists and arts organizations.

It gives fi nancial support to eligible arts programs

and individual artists as well as working toward the

preservation of state art. Annually, the Mississippi Arts

Commission plans and implements an outstanding list

of special projects and initiatives. From the high school

recitation competition, Poetry Out Loud, to the on-

line resources the agency provides, the Commission

strives to bring the arts to all residents of Mississippi.

Celtic Heritage SocietyP.O. Box 5166, Jackson 39296-5166

www.celticfestms.org

Celtic Heritage’s mission is to study, promote, and pre-

serve Celtic traditions and culture. This includes mu-

sic, dance, history, language, literature, art and other

activities native to Ireland, Scotland, Wales, Brittany,

Cornwall, and the Isle of Man. CelticFest Mississippi,

now in its 16th year, serves as an important vehicle for

meeting the society’s mission of studying, promoting,

and preserving the musical, artistic, and other cultural

traditions of the Celtic nations.

Craftsmen’s Guild of MississippiThe Mississippi Craft Center

950 Rice Road, Ridgeland

601-856-7546

mscrafts.org

The genius of American craft is how a common and

utilitarian basket or wooden bowl may become a piece

of art when transformed from materials of the land—

wood, clay, fi ber, metal and minerals—by the hands

of master craftsmen. The Mississippi Craft Center is all

about educating people about this natural resource and

marketing the talents of Mississippi artisans.

Very Special Arts MississippiMississippi Arts Center

201 East Pascagoula St.

601-965-4866

www.vsartsms.org

VSA is dedicated to promoting and providing arts

opportunities for people with disabilities. More than

10,000 people are involved in VSA arts education,

community arts and professional development pro-

grams each year.

North Midtown Arts Center121 Millsaps Ave., 601-540-5991

Northmidtownartscenter.wordpress.com

Open to public in order to encourage creativity. The

venue is open to rent for events, in house shows and

productions.

Greater Jackson Arts Council 225 E. Pascagoula St. . 601-960-1557

The Greater Jackson Arts Council is the offi cial Arts

Council for the city of Jackson and Hinds County.

The Board of Directors is a unique and diverse

mixture of community leaders. The Council has a

year-round funding program that averages 100 grants

annually.

Mississippi Humanities Council3825 Ridgewood Road, Room 311

601-432-6752

www.mshumanities.org

The Mississippi Humanities Council has been bring-

ing the insights of history and culture into people’s lives

since 1972. The Council celebrates and preserves our

diverse cultural heritage, creates public dialogue on is-

sues that matter and enriches the education we offer

our children.

EDUCATION:

Operation Shoestring1711 Bailey Ave.

601-353-6336

www.operationshoestring.org

Operation Shoestring provides services to the children

and families of central Jackson. It has after-school

tutoring, art, music, and dance programs, athletic

summer camps and family communication and par-

enting classes.

Parents for Public Schools200 N Congress St., Suite 500

800-880-1222 or 601-969-6936

www.parents4publicschools.com

PPS strives to hold districts accountable for results

by training and organizing parents to be advocates

for their children. Parents are encouraged to become

involved. PPS also promotes more arts and music

education in schools.

HEALTH & WELLNESS:

Tougaloo-RainbowSustainable Garden500 W. County Line Road

601-977-7700

www.tougaloo.edu

The community garden is a collaboration between

Tougaloo College and Rainbow Grocery to provide

the community with organic vegetables and fruit at

low cost.

Jackson Roadmap To Health Equity Project 350 W. Woodrow Wilson Ave., Suite 3140

601-987-6783

www.jacksonroadmap.org

The Roadmap to Health Project strives to improve

the health of local residents and to promote exercise in

Jackson. The Road Map does this by breaking down

environmental and economical barriers that would

have otherwise prevented Jacksonians from exercising.

Jackson Medical Mall350 W. Woodrow Wilson Ave.

601-982-8467

www.jacksonmedicalmall.com

The Jackson Medical Mall provides medical, food,

and shopping services to midtown Jackson residents.

The medical aspect fi lls health-care needs for midtown

citizens and allows them access to treatments that they

otherwise might not be able to get.

NUTS – Neat Used Things for Sale114 Millsaps Ave.

601-355-7458

www.goodsamaritancenter.org

N.U.T.S. is a resale store that carries a variety of used

items ranging from household items, clothing, furni-

ture, toys and collectibles.

GREEN SPACE

Mississippi Recreation and ParksAssociationPO Box 16451, Hattiesburg, 39404-6451

www.aboutmrpa.org

MRPA works closely with state and local recreation

professionals, park agencies, associated corporations

within the industry, and citizen groups publicize and

support state and local recreational activities.

Mississippi Forestry Commission660 North St., Suite 300

601-359-1386

www.mfc.ms.gov

Provides active leadership in forest protection, forest

management, forest inventory and effective forest

information distribution, necessary for Mississippi’s

sustainable forest-based economy.

Mississippi Urban Forest Council164 Trace Cove Drive, Madison

601-856-1660 or 601-672-0755

www.mfc.state.ms.us/mufc.htm

Promotes quality urban and community forestry in

Mississippi.

Sierra Club- Mississippi Chapter 912 N. Congress St.

601-352-1026

Protects communites and the environment through

legal work and advocacy.

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MORE, from page 28

601-991-9904731 Pear Orchard Road • Ridgeland

Odyssey North Shopping Center • Suite 30 www.body-benefi ts.com

Body Benefi ts changed my life in so many dif-ferent ways. I have lost a total of 103 pounds and now wear a size 2/4! My waist is now smaller than what my thigh used to measure! I have completely changed my life in each and every aspect by combining a healthy, nutritious-

ly balanced diet with regular daily exercise. I don’t know what my life would be like now if I had not found Body Benefi ts classes and

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Kristen H., 33 years old from MississippiBody Transformation: 103 lbs & over 70 in.BEFORE: AFTER:

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Part-time Web programmer (HTML, CSS, PHP, JavaScript) sought for

new and ongoing JFP web projects. iPhone/Android experience welcome.

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Web ProgrammerNeeded

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THURSDAY 4/1 Bluesman Jesse Robinson is at Lumpkin’s BBQ from 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m. Free. … Radio JFP with Todd Stauffer and Donna Ladd starts at noon on WLEZ 100.1 FM; visit wlezfm.com. … The Young Professionals Alliance luncheon at the Clarion-Ledger Community Room (311 E. Pearl St.) begins at noon; an RSVP is required. Join the alliance again for “Downtown at Dusk” at Underground 119 at 4 p.m. for free crawfi sh, beer and live music. E-mail nmcnamee@greaterjacksonpartnership.com. … Fondren After 5 in Fondren is from 5-8 p.m. Call 601-981-9606. … The Used Goods play at Sal & Mookie’s. Call 601-368-1919. … Fingers Taylor & Friends play at Soulshine in Ridgeland. Call 601-856-8646. … Edwin McCain performs in Hal & Mal’s Big Room at 9 p.m. Call 601-948-0888. … Come to Dance Night at Fire. $5.

FRIDAY 4/2 Enjoy ballet by TALK Dance Company, performing Handel’s “Messiah” and Copland’s “Rodeo” at 8 p.m. at Jackson Academy (4908 Ridgewood Road) in the Perform-ing Arts Center. $20, $10 students; call 601-291-0158. … At F. Jones Corner, Stevie J performs during the blues lunch at noon. Free. From 11:30 p.m.-4 a.m., Stevie J performs with the Blues Eruption. $5. … Chris Gill and the Soulshakers play at Underground 119 from 9 p.m.-1 a.m. $10. … First Friday at Schimmel’s with DJ Unpredictable starts at 10 p.m. Free for fi rst 50 people, $10 thereafter, $100 tables, $150 booths; visit jbentertainmentgroup.net. … George McConnell performs at Martin’s at 10 p.m. Call 601-354-9712. … Check out Willie Heath Neal at Ole Tavern at 10 p.m. Call 601-960-2700.

SATURDAY 4/3 The Fondren Easter Egg Hunt at The Cedars (4145 Old Canton Road) is at 10 a.m. Free; call 601-981-9606. … Tougaloo College’s Two Rivers Gala at the Jackson Medical Mall (350 W. Woodrow Wilson Ave.) begins at 7 p.m. Proceeds benefi t the school’s scholarship fund. $100; call 601-977-7871. … The Greater Belhaven Market at Mississippi Farmers Market (929 High St.) is from 8 a.m.-2 p.m. Free admission; call 601-506-2848 or 601-354-6573. …TobyMac, Skillet and House of Heroes perform at the Mississippi Coliseum at 7 p.m. as part of the “Awake Tonight” tour. $20-$75; visit tobymac.com. … The Mississippi Community Symphonic Band concert at Belhaven University Center for the Arts (835 River-side Drive) begins at 7 p.m. Free; visit mcsb.us. … King Edward is at Underground 119 from 9 p.m.-1 a.m. $10. … The Coathangers, The Quills and Senryu perform at Ole Tavern at 10 p.m. Call 601-960-2700. … Acirema plays at Sam’s Lounge at 10 p.m. Call 601-983-2526.

SUNDAY 4/4 You can take part in one of the many Easter services around town, including at the Jackson Academy by Bell-wether Church, at Mayes Lake by The Journey, The Church Triumphant and St. Andrew’s Episcopal Cathedral. Visit jfpevents.com for more options. … Will & Linda perform at Shucker’s from 3-7 p.m. Free. … Come to Mike & Marty’s Open Jam Session at the Warehouse from 6-10 p.m. Free. … Open-mic poetry at Cultural Expressions starts at 8 p.m. $5.

MONDAY 4/5 The grand opening of the Connie Hanson Talent Agency (1058 Ridgewood Place, Suite B) begins at 9 a.m. Call 601-259-2256. … Enjoy world music during Marley Monday at Dreamz starting at 6 p.m. … Come to the Central Missis-sippi Blues Society Jam at Hal & Mal’s from 8-11 p.m. $5.

TUESDAY 4/6 The JSU Opera/Musical Theatre Ensemble and Anissa Hampton and Friends perform during “Live at the Legacy” at Jackson State University’s new Student Center (1400 John R. Lynch St.) from noon-2 p.m. Free; call 601-979-0623. … Shaun Patterson performs at Bonnie Blair’s Irish Pub from 7-10 p.m. Call 769-251-0692. … The Extremez play at Shucker’s from 7:30-11:30 p.m. Free.

WEDNESDAY 4/7 The Parents for Public Schools Lunch Bunch meets at the Jackson Medical Mall Community Room (350 W. Woodrow Wilson Ave.) at 11:45 a.m. Please RSVP. $5 lunch; call 601-969-6015. … Enjoy art, spoken word and essays by high school and college students at the fourth annual Creative Arts Festival at Jackson State University (140 John R. Lynch St.) beginning at 3 p.m. The festival continues at 8 a.m. April 8. Speakers include Dr. Leslie McLemore and Dr. Jerry Ward. Free; call 601-979-3935. … Snazz plays at the Regency Hotel starting at 8:30 p.m. Call 601-969-2141. … Sing like a rock star during karaoke at The Auditorium from 9 p.m.-mid-night. Call 601-982-0002.

THURSDAY 4/8 The annual Arts, Eats & Beats in the Fondren neighbor-hood is from 5-8 p.m. Call 601-981-9606. … Come enjoy a “Creative Class” martini at the JFP Lounge at Sal & Mookie’s Pi(e) Lounge (565 Taylor St.) from 6-10 p.m. Free admission; call 601-362-6121, ext. 11. … Pianist Jade Simmons performs during the “Kandinsky and Scriabin: Hearing Color, Seeing Sound” presentation at the Mississippi Museum of Art (380 S. Lamar St.) at 6 p.m. $10; call 601-960-1565. … The D’lo Trio plays Americana music at the Cherokee Inn at 6:30 p.m. Call 601-362-6388. … Gravity performs at Pop’s.

More events and details at jfpevents.com.

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by Latasha Willisevents@jacksonfreepress.com Fax: 601-510-9019Daily updates at jfpevents.com

Dr. Leslie McLemore is one of the keynote speakers at Jackson State University’s Creative Arts Festival April 7-8.

Actress/singer Connie Hanson (pictured here as Marshallene in “Urban Cowboy”) celebrates the opening of her new talent agency April 5.

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JFP SPONSORED EVENTSRadio JFP on WLEZ ongoing, at WLEZ 100.1 FM. Join Donna Ladd and Todd Stauffer every Thursday from noon-1 p.m., where they will discuss vital issues, play local music and feature special guests. The broadcast is available online at wlezfm.com. Free; call 601-362-6121, ext. 17.

Operation Spring Fling: A Benefit for Opera-tion Shoestring April 16, 7 p.m., at Mississippi Museum of Art (380 S. Lamar St.). Slap on your favorite blue jeans, sample some delicacies and dig the sounds of Horse Trailer at 7 p.m. and Wiley & the Checkmates at 9:15 p.m. to benefit Operation Shoestring. Tickets are available at ticketmaster.com, BeBop and at the door. $25; call 601-353-6336.

Southern Fried Karaoke - “May Day” Edition May 1, 9 p.m., at Hal & Mal’s (200 Com-merce St.). Todd Stauffer and Donna Ladd are the hosts. All singers welcome; great singers are hugged, kissed and sometimes make it into docu-mentary films! Come sing along with all the bar room favorites. Eevery Southern Fried Karaoke is an experience. Free; call 601-362-6121, ext. 16.

HOLIDAYHoly Week April 1-4, at St. Andrew’s Episco-pal Cathedral (305 E. Capitol Street). Services include Maundy Thursday April 1 at 6:30 p.m. two Good Friday services on April 2, an Easter Eve vigil on April 3 at 7:30 p.m. and three Eas-ter services on April 4. Call 601-354-1535.

Holy Week Services April 1-2, at Galloway United Methodist Church (305 N. Congress St.). Join Galloway for Maundy Thursday Com-munion on April 1 at 6 p.m., and Good Friday service and lunch on April 2 at noon followed by Tenbrae service at 6 p.m. Call 601-353-9691.

Bellwether Church’s Holy Week April 1-4. The church’s Maundy Thursday service on April 1 will be at the space next to Cups on Old Canton Road in Fondren and includes supper and worship. The Good Friday service on April 2 at 11:30 a.m. and Easter service on April 4 at 10:30 a.m. will be at Jackson Academy (4908 Ridgewood Road). Free; visit bellwetherchurch.org.

Events at The Journey (4101 Northview Drive, Suite C-2). Visit explorethejourney.org.• Good Friday Service April 2, 6:30 p.m.,

Communion and prayer will take place during the service.

• Easter Sunday Service April 4, noon, at LeFleur’s Bluff State Park, Mayes Lake (115 Lakeland Terrace), in the pavillion. The pro-gram consists of a barbecue lunch and a service with music and the Easter story. Bring a blan-ket or chairs. Free.

Breakfast with the Animals and the Easter Bunny April 3, 8 a.m., at Jackson Zoological Park (2918 W. Capitol St.). Come and enjoy a deli-cious buffet of breakfast food, followed by a personal tour with Animal Care staff. Space is limited; a reservation is required. $4-$6, kids 2 and under free; call 601-352-2580.

Fondren Easter Egg Hunt April 3, 10 a.m. at The Cedars (4145 Old Canton Road). The annual event on the front lawn includes a visit from thr Easter Bunny. Free; call 601-981-9606.

Resurrection Sunday/Friends and Family Day Service April 4, 10 a.m., at The Church Trium-phant (Odyssey North, 731 S. Pear Orchard Rd., Suite 43, Ridgeland). The annual event, which includes music, dance and preaching, will be preceded by a pancake breakfast from 9-9:45 a.m. Attendees are encouraged to bring their friends and family with them. Free; call 601-977-0007.

jfpevents

Eight dancers leap and bound across the fl oor, hitting the ground lightly before fl ying up again. A young girl effortlessly launches over the head of

her partner. Jackson’s TALK Dance Company brings a new interpretation to Handel’s “Messiah” Friday, April 2, to Jackson Academy’s Performing Arts Center. The concert combines elements of contemporary ballet and modern dance. Proceeds will go toward “Merging Musical Worlds,” TALK’s interna-tional tour of Russia. The group hopes to leave for Moscow at the end of May after raising $30,000. Six opera singers, a 300-voice choir, and the St. Petersburg Philharmonic will accompany TALK’s Russian production. The company’s venues include the Shostakov-ich in St. Petersburg and the Kremlin in Moscow. It will be the fi rst presentation of Handel’s “Messiah” performed at the Kremlin complex. The troupe of eight performers and three choreographers—Caleb Mitchell, Brittany Nunes and Stephen Wynne—use

extended motion and fl uid connection of contemporary ballet to set the tone for Aar-on Copland’s “Rodeo,” beautifully blended with Handel’s more sacred “Messiah.” “We eventually want to show Han-del as he wrote the Messiah.” Wynne, a native of Philadelphia, Pa., said. This perhaps explains Wynne’s choice of Copland’s “Rodeo” as the other half of

Friday’s concert. “Because the tour is ‘Merging Musical Worlds,’ we wanted to bring in an American composer … and explain that this is who we are, this is the American past,” Wynne said. Wynne, who is also an associate professor of dance at Belhaven Col-lege, and his dancers have spent the last six months designing a show that

exemplifi es the sense of community found here in America. “Overseas, people will be really surprised that all this is coming out of Jackson,” he says. TALK Dance Co.’s performance is April 2 at 8 p.m. Tickets are $20 and $10 students. Purchase tickets at www.talkdance.org, or call 601 291 0158 to reserve tickets.

TALK Dance Goes Global by Kate Brewster

Brittany Sima and DeMarcus Suggs rehearse for Handel’s “Messiah” and Copland’s “Rodeo.”

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COMMUNITYGreater Belhaven Market ongoing, at Mississippi Farmers Market (929 High St.). Be sure to stop by and buy some produce or other food or gift items. The market is open Saturdays from 8 a.m.-2 p.m. until Dec. 18. Free admission; call 601-506-2848 or 601-354-6573.

Celebration of Strong Women Call for Nomina-tions through April 8, at the Baptist Medical Center Web Site (mbhs.org). Five categories include Defender, Mentor, Leader, Perseverance and Promise. A distinguished panel of women will judge nominees. Nominations are due April 8 at mbhs.org. The winners will be announced May 6. Free; call 601-968-5135.

Historic Preservation Awards Call for Nomina-tions through April 5, at Jackson City Hall (200 S. President St.). The City of Jackson Historic Pres-ervation Commission will issue awards in May to outstanding historic preservation projects that have been substantially completed between January 2007 and January 2010. The deadline for nominations is April 5 at 5 p.m. Free; call 601-960-2006.

Governor’s Cup Awards Call for Nominations through April 7, at Jackson Convention and Visitors Bureau (111 E. Capitol St., Suite 102). Sponsored by Governor Haley Barbour and the Mississippi Development Authority, in partnership with the Mississippi Economic Development Council, the awards recognize businesses from around Missis-sippi that made a significant contribution to their communities and the state in 2009. The deadline for nominations is April 7. All award recipients will be honored at the annual MEDC awards banquet scheduled for July 22. Call 601-359-3593.

Community Foundation of Greater Jackson Call for Grant Proposals through April 8, at the Community Foundation of Greater Jackson (525 E. Capitol St., Suite 5B). General grant proposals, especially for programs with an emphasis on reading and programs seeking to prevent youth dropouts, are being accepted. Nonprofit organizations, gov-ernmental entities, churches and schools are eligible to apply for their programs located in Hinds, Madison and Rankin Counties. An application and guidelines are available on the Foundation’s website, www.cfgj.org. Free; call 601-974-6044, ext. 221.

Young Professionals Alliance Luncheon April 1, noon, at Clarion-Ledger Community Room (311 E. Pearl St.). Topics include the role of the alliance, upcoming events, and ways to get involved. An RSVP is required. Free; e-mail nmcnamee@greaterjacksonpartnership.com.

Fondren After 5 April 1, 5-8 p.m., at Fondren. This monthly event showcases the local shops, galleries and restaurants of the Fondren neighborhood. Free; call 601-981-1806.

Precinct 1 COPS Meeting April 1, 6 p.m., at Jackson Police Department, Precinct 1 (810 Coo-per Road). These monthly meetings are forums designed to help resolve community issues or prob-lems, from crime to potholes. Call 601-960-0001.

Jackson Audubon Society Monthly Bird Walk April 3, 8 a.m., at LeFleur’s Bluff State Park, Mayes Lake (115 Lakeland Terrace). The walk is led by an experienced Audubon Society member. Bring binoculars, water, insect repellant and a snack. Call ahead if you would like to borrow a pair of binoculars. Children under 15 must be with an adult. Free, $3 car entrance fee; call 601-956-7444.

Two Rivers Gala April 3, 7 p.m., at the Jackson Medical Mall (350 W. Woodrow Wilson Ave.). The annual event is a scholarship fundraiser for Tougaloo College that includes food and music by The Whispers, Vick Allen, Meet the Press and Tonya Youngblood. Tickets are available at Cellular Connection in the Jackson Medical Mall, BeBop and Tougaloo College. $100; call 601-977-7871.

Magnolia Roller Vixens v. Montgomery Roller Derby Mashup April 3, 7 p.m., at Jackson Con-vention Complex (105 E. Pascagoula St.). The Magnolia Roller Vixens team up with the Helles Belles of Montgomery Roller Derby in a mixed roller derby bout! Come see the first home game of the 2010 season! $12 advance, $15 at the door; call 601-519-0479.

Ishmon Bracey Blues Marker Unveiling April 5, 10 a.m., at Jim Hill High School (2185 Fortune St.). The dedication ceremony is in honor of the late Jackson-based singer. Free; visit msbluestrail.org.

Story Time Tuesday April 6, 10 a.m., at Jackson Zoological Park (2918 W. Capitol St.). Every first Tuesday of the month (March thru Sept.), a local celebrity comes to the zoo to read an animal story to the kids. After story time, the kids get to do a related craft project or have an animal encounter. Free with paid admission; call 601-352-2580.

“Well-Behaved Women Seldom Make History” April 6, 11:30 a.m., at Mississippi Museum of Art (380 S. Lamar St.). The program celebrating wom-en’s history is presented by Beverly Fatherree and is sponsored by the Jackson Branch of the American Association of University Women. Order lunch by April 2. $11 lunch; call 601-919-2138.

Financial Education Seminar April 6, 6 p.m., at 3000 Fondren Building (3000 Old Canton Road), in suite 550. Hosted by Consumer Credit Counseling Services of Jackson, this month’s topic is, “Homeowner Preparation - Where Do I Start?” Free; call 601-969-6431.

Small Business Administration Loan Clinic April 6, 4:30 p.m., at Regions Plaza (210 E. Capitol St.), in the SBA Conference Room on the 10th floor. Learn about the SBA products used to guaranty loans ranging from $5,000 to $2 million as well as approved and participating lenders in the area. Space is limited. Call or go online at sba.gov/ms to register. Free; call 601-965-4378, ext. 11.

Mississippi Business and Technology Expo April 7-8, at Mississippi Trade Mart (1200 Mississippi St.). The networking event includes almost 200 exhibits, seminars, awards and door prizes. Hours are 9:30 a.m.-7:30 p.m. April 7 and 10 a.m.-3 p.m. April 8. Free with a business card; call 601-364-1000.

“History Is Lunch” April 7, noon, at William F. Winter Archives and History Building (200 North St.). Luther Brown, director of Delta State Universi-ty’s Delta Center for Culture and Learning, presents “The Mississippi River.” Bring your own lunch; coffee/water provided. Free; call 601-576-6850.

15th Annual Human Resource Conference and Expo April 7-9, at Jackson Convention Complex (105 E. Pascagoula St.). Meet and network with colleagues in human resources. law and other related fields. RSVP by April 1. Hours are 10 a.m.-5 p.m. April 7, 7:30 a.m.-4 p.m. April 8 and 7:30-11:30 a.m. April 9. $275, $150 Thursday or Friday only, other fees may apply; call 662-455-8300.

MUSICDowntown at Dusk April 1, 4 p.m., at Under-ground 119 (119 South President Street), in the back parking lot. The monthly event includes craw-fish, beer, and live music. The concert is sponsored by the Jackson Chamber of Commerce, the Young Professionals Alliance, the Jackson Convention and Visitors Bureau, and Jackson’s Downtown Neigh-borhood Association. Free; e-mail nmcnamee@greaterjacksonpartnership.com.

Mississippi Community Symphonic Band Con-cert April 3, 7 p.m., at Belhaven University, Center for the Arts (835 Riverside Dr.). The performance includes a special appearance by the Mississippi Swing. Free; call 601-605-2786. ja

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Join us. For our city. For our children.For our future.

LUNCH BUNCHLUNCH BUNCHApril 7th at 11:45 a.m.Jackson Medical Mall

Community RoomTopic: Parent Leadership Institute

RSVP to 601.969.6015$5.00 for Lunch

Founding Chapter, Parents for Public Schools, 1989200 N. Congress, Suite 500, Jackson, MS 39201

www.ppsjackson.org

PPSJ is now recruiting for the 2010 PLI Class!

“Singing about Longleaf” April 6, 12 p.m., at Mis-sissippi Museum of Natural Science (2148 Riverside Drive). The Blues Rangers will sing songs highlight-ing forest management issues. $3-$5, children under 3 and museum members free; call 601-354-7303.

“Live at the Legacy” April 6, noon, at Jackson State University (1400 John R. Lynch St.), in the new Student Center. The JSU Opera/Musical Theatre Ensemble and Anissa Hampton and Friends will perform. Free; call 601-979-0623.

8th Grade/Senior Music Recitals April 8, 5:30 p.m., at Power Academic and Performing Arts Complex (1120 Riverside Drive). Students will perform vocally and on instruments. Free; call 601-960-5300.

STAGE AND SCREENTALK Dance Company Presents Handel’s “Mes-siah” and Copland’s “Rodeo” April 2, 6:30 p.m., at Jackson Academy (4908 Ridgewood Road), in the Performing Arts Center. The ballet is a preview of the show TALK Dance will give in St. Peters-burg, Russia. $20, $10 students; call 601-291-0158.

Actor’s Playhouse Auditions April 3 and 10, at Actor’s Playhouse (121 Paul Truitt Lane, Pearl). The company is seeking boys and girls entering the 4th-12th grades. Come prepared to sing, dance and act. Free; visit actorsplayhouse.net.

“The Boys Next Door” April 6-9, at Hinds Com-munity College, Brooks Theatre (501 E. Main St., Raymond). The play for ages 10 and up is at 7 p.m. nightly. Seating is limited. Reservations at least 24 hours in advance are required. $5, $2 Hinds stu-dents, $3 non-Hinds students; call 601-857-3266.

CREATIVE CLASSESShut Up and Write! April 10-June 12, at JFP Class-room (2727 Old Canton Road, Suite 224). Sign up for the workshop series of JFP editor-in-chief Don-na Ladd’s popular non-fiction and creative writing classes. The class will be held every other Saturday from 10 a.m.-12:30 p.m. Men and women are wel-come. Gift certificates are available. $150 (including materials), $75 non-refundable deposit required; call 601-362-6121, ext. 16.

Adult Hand-Built Pottery Class April 3-24, at ArtWorks Studios (160 W. Government St., Brandon). The four-week class on Saturdays is for anyone who wants to make containers or sculptures. $135 (includes materials); call 601-622-5511.

Jewelry Making Class ongoing, at Dream Beads (605 Duling Ave.). This class is offered every Satur-day from 10 a.m. to noon. Free; call 601-664-0411.

Belly Dance Class ongoing, at Lumpkin’s Restau-rant (182 Raymond Road). The class is held every Saturday at 9:30 a.m. $5; call 601-373-7707.

All Writers Workshop ongoing, at Pearl Public Library (2416 Old Brandon Road, Pearl). The workshop, which is held every second and fourth Tuesday from 6-7:30 p.m., will focus on inspira-tion, tips, exercises, and member critique. Free; call 601-985-8011.

LITERARY AND SIGNINGSEvents at Lemuria Books (202 Banner Hall, 4465 Interstate 55 North). Call 601-366-7619.• “Aliens in the Prime of Their Lives: Stories”

April 2, 5 p.m. Brad Watson signs copies of his book; reading at 5:30 p.m. $23.95 book.

• “Flying Lessons” April 3, 10 a.m. Gilbert Ford signs copies of his book. $16.99 book.

• “Forecasts and Faith” April 5, 5 p.m. WLBT chief meteorologist Barbie Bassett signs copies of her book. $22.95 book.

• “Out of My Mind” April 7, 5 p.m. Sharon Draper signs copies of her book; reading of the book at 5:30 p.m. $16.99 book.

GALLERIES“Local Girls II” through April 2, at Gallery 119 (119 S. President St.). See new works by Cleta Ellington, Kit Fields, Pryor Graeber, Lucy Mazzaf-erro, Melissa Neville, Roz Roy and Miriam Weems. Hours are 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Monday-Friday and by appointment. Free admission; call 601-969-4091.

Sandra Murchison Traces the Mississippi Blues Trail through April 2, at Fischer Galleries (3100 N. State St., Suite 101). The solo exhibition of artwork depicts remnants of the Delta portion of the Mississippi Blues Trail. Free admission; call 601-974-1431.

EXHIBITS AND OPENINGS4th Annual Creative Arts Festival April 7-8, at Jackson State University (1400 John R. Lynch St.). The theme is “The Sit-in Movement and Student Activism Fifty Years Later.” The festival is at 3 p.m. on April 7 and 8 a.m. on April 8. Speakers include Dr. Leslie McLemore and Dr. Jerry Ward. Free; call 601-979-3935.

“Just Dance” Call for Entries through April 30, at Arts Center of Mississippi (201 E. Pascagoula St.). To commemorate the International Ballet Compe-tition, the Greater Jackson Arts Council is calling for entries in media such as painting, drawing, pho-tography, sculpture, film/video, mixed media and installation. $25 entry fee; call 601-960-1557.

Power APAC Exhibit of Scholastics through April 18, at Mississippi Museum of Art (380 S. Lamar St.). See artwork by Scholastic Art and Writing Awards winners. Hours are 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Tuesday-Saturday and noon-5 p.m. on Sundays. Free; call 601-960-5300.

BE THE CHANGEUMC Blood Drives. Mississippi Blood Services will be taking donations in a donor coach at two locations. Please bring ID. Free; call 888-902-5663.• April 1, 7:30 a.m.-4 p.m., at University

of Mississippi Medical Center (2500 N. State St.), at Blair E. Batson Hospital.

• April 2, 11 a.m.-4 p.m., at Jackson Medi-cal Mall (350 W. Woodrow Wilson Ave.).

Mississippi Charity Horse Show April 1-3, 6 p.m., at Kirk Fordice Equine Center (Mis-sissippi Fairgrounds, 1207 Mississippi St.). See some of the best Tennessee walking hors-es from around the world. Proceeds benefit the Blair E. Batson Hospital for Children. Free, donations welcome; call 601-668-2520.

Wine and Cheese Arts Gala April 3, 6 p.m., at Jackson Street Gallery (500 Highway 51, Suite E, Ridgeland). Mac’s Cove Designer Fashion is hosting the event, which includes performances by a string quartet, a fashion exhibit, gourmet hors d’oeuvres and dishes prepared by Chef Christopher Banks. Proceeds benefit the Mis-sissippi Firefighters Memorial Burn Associa-tion. Tickets are available at Olga’s Restaurant, Jackson Street Gallery and Posh Boutique. $25; call 1-800-573-1840, ext. 0.

Mustard Seed Book Drive through April 5, at Borders (100 Dogwood Blvd., Flowood). Donate books in good condition to the resi-dents of The Mustard Seed. Donations wel-come; call 601-992-3556.

Check jfpevents.com for updates and more listings. To add an event, e-mail all details (phone number, start/end date and time, street address, cost, URL, etc.) to events@jacksonfreepress.com or fax to 601-510-9019. The deadline is noon the Thursday prior to the week of publication. Or, add the event online yourself; check out jfpevents.com for instructions.

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books by Brian Johnson

Biography of a Bomb

On July 24, 1945, President Harry Tru-man approached Soviet leader Joseph Stalin and told him the United States had developed a “new and power-

ful weapon.” After years of deceiving their Soviet allies, the Americans confessed that they had successfully tested the world’s fi rst atomic bomb the week before. To Truman’s surprise, Stalin was unmoved by the news. Only later would the Americans discover that Stalin already knew about the atomic bomb, thanks to Soviet spies. In fact, the Sovi-ets were already hard at work on their own bomb.

“Red Cloud at Dawn: Truman, Stalin, and the End of the Atomic Monopoly” (Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2009, $28) by Michael D. Gordin, describes the early years of the atomic age, when the U.S. had a mo-nopoly on nuclear weapons. Gordin describes his book as the biography of a bomb, and the book necessarily moves through a shifting cast of characters, none of whom are brought into sustained focus. The U.S. monopoly ended four years later, when the Soviets tested their own atomic bomb. That test, called First Lightning, turned American strategy on its head and transformed the Cold War into a nuclear confl ict.

The U.S. had counted on its monopoly lasting longer. Americans could not match the Red Army tank for tank, but atomic weapons balanced the strategic equation, without the need for a massive buildup in conventional arms. The trillion-dollar question was how long the monopoly would last.

The U.S. had virtually no spies within the Soviet Union at this time, so all they could do was guess. American scientists warned that Soviets had the expertise to develop a bomb within fi ve years. Leslie Groves, the “atomic general” who had managed the Manhattan Project, countered that it would be 20 years. Most estimates said more about complacent American attitudes toward Soviet scientifi c prowess than anything else.

The Soviets project was under the su-pervision of Lavrenti Beria, who “exemplifi ed brutal effi ciency in organizing individuals.” As the head of the NKVD, which was later re-named the KGB, Beria oversaw the execution of thousands in the 1930s, starting with the man he replaced. By the time he took over the bomb effort, Beria was feared nearly as much as Stalin. Beria expected results, and everyone involved in the project knew that failure would be hazardous to their health.

One of the lingering questions about the Soviet effort is how much it relied on assis-tance from outside sources, especially spies and German scientists. By far the most damaging spy was Klaus Fuchs, a German-born physicist who worked on the Manhattan Project. Fuchs

provided detailed information on the design of the bomb used on Nagasaki. But the most diffi cult challenge in building a bomb is ac-quiring and refi ning the fuel. Fuchs saved the Soviets time, but Gordin makes a convincing case that none of the spy data was crucial. As for the German contribution, the Soviets were too secretive and suspicious to make much use of the scientists they captured.

The Soviet effort was aided most by reports published openly by the American government. Foremost of these was the history of the Manhat-tan Project by Princeton University physicist Henry DeWolf Smyth. While the report did not disclose technical specifi cations, it included everything from refi neries to reactors, pro-viding Soviet scientists with an invaluable road map enabling them to avoid the dead ends that doomed the Nazi atomic effort.

Soviet scientists were capable of de-veloping the bomb on their own, as their later successes with the hydrogen bomb and Sputnik demonstrated. On August 29, 1949, an “incinerating light” seared the plains of Kazakhstan. The ground shook as a column of fi re lifted a mushroom cloud into the sky. Strangely, it was the Americans who an-nounced the Soviet test, after American spy planes detected radioactive isotopes originat-ing from central Asia. President Truman soon exposed the test to the world.

The end of the atomic monopoly virtu-ally assured the development of the hydrogen bomb. In 1952, the U.S. tested a fusion device that was about 600 times larger than the fi rst atomic bomb. The Soviets followed by even-tually testing a 57-megaton bomb, more than 3,000 times larger than the Hiroshima bomb. Most people fail to recognize that hydrogen bombs are far more destructive than the bombs the U.S. dropped on Japan.

The Soviet test marked the beginning of a huge expansion in nuclear weapons production. In 1949, the U.S. possessed a few hundred atomic bombs. By 1963, the U.S. had more than 30,000 nuclear warheads. The Soviets manufactured even more. Meanwhile, the two countries conducted more than 400 atmospheric tests and more than 1,000 tests underground. Twenty years after the end of the Cold War, radioactive fallout from the tests remains with us, and thousands of warheads are still ready to launch at a moment’s notice.

But “Red Cloud at Dawn” provides crucial insights into a period we tend to take for granted. Gordin reminds us how quickly and unpredictably the world changes. As we grapple with a new age of proliferation, “Red Cloud” warns us that a country determined to develop nuclear weapons will almost certainly succeed. It’s only a matter of time.

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PETRIFIED FORESTRegistered National Natural Landmark

124 Forest Park Road Flora, MS 39071Website: www.mspetrifiedforest.com

Phone: 601-879-8189

The Journey invites you to join us on Friday, April 2 at 6:30 p.m.for communion and prayer in observance of Good Friday. Weare now located at 4101 Northview Drive, Suite C-2, in CenterSquare Shopping Center.

Join us again on Suday, April 4 at noon in the Pavillion at MayesLake as we celebrate Easter. We will be serving a bbq lunchand will have games for the kids. Following lunch, we will have a service with music and the Easter story as we celebrate theresurrection of our Lord and Saviour followed by a Baptismservice. Please bring your own blanket or chairs. Mayes Lakeis located behind LeFleurs Bluff Park at the end of LakelandTerrace off Lakeland Drive. The Easter service will be held in lieuof the morning and evening services.

601-825-1293blackrosetheatre.org

Theatre Company

203 Black St. Brandon

Workshop with Bill Fabris(stage director)

April 10 at 7:30 - 9:30pmCost: $25

E-mail lvick@fbcj.org for registration form

Steel MagnoliasApril 23, 24 & 30, May 1 at 7:30pm

and April 25 and May 2 at 2pm

TALENT SHOWCASEMay 1 at 10am - 5:00pm

Cost: $5(Snacks, Homemade goodies, Silent auction

and LOTS of great entertainment available)

BRYTE PerformancesMay 14 & 15 at 7pm

Black Rose Summer Camp

(June 28 - July 2)

Grades 2-5 (9-11:30am)Grades 6-12 (1-4pm)

Cost: $80(Audition Tips, Stage Presence, Diction, etc.)

Great learning environmentand lots of fun!

2010 SEASON

5402 I-55 Frontage Road Jackson MSsteamroomgri l le.com

LIVE MUSIC

March 31

$3 MARGARITAS$3 MARGARITAS

Express LunchSTARTING

at $7.50

It’s Fast or It’s Free!It’s Fast or It’s Free!

Entree, 2 Sides,Bread and Tea

There’s no better way to spend April Fool’s Day evening than at Fondren After 5, Thursday from 5-8 p.m. when Fondren businesses stay open

late. Be sure to catch The Used Goods at Sal & Mookie’s during the event. Later, head to Hal & Mal’s for the return of singer/songwriter Edwin McCain and his band at 9 p.m. The show follows the release of his new album, “Best of Edwin McCain.”

If your looking for free Thursday night entertainment, see guitar bluesman Jesse Robinson at Underground 119 from 8-11 p.m., harp icon Fingers Taylor at the Soulshine Pizza on Highland Colony Parkway in Ridgeland from 7-9:30 p.m., or classic rock singer/songwriter Larry Brewerof The Rainmakers at The Auditorium.

Martin’s brings back legendary Mis-sissippi jam-man George McConnell

Friday night at 10 p.m. George was been work-ing Jackson clubs since he co-founded Beanland in 1985. Since then, he’s played with the Kudzu Kings and served as

Widespread Panic’s lead guitarist from 2002-2006. Check out his latest wares at georgemcconnell.com.

Every Friday in April, Club Fire & Rock 93.9 will host a Battle of the Bands competition. If your band is looking to make it big in the Jackson rock scene, con-tact Fire to participate.

Outlaw garage-country favorite Willie Heath Neal returns to Ole Tavern this Fri-day night, 10 p.m. Think of a modern-day, whiskey-soaked Johnny Cash or Waylon Jennings with enough honky-tonk to have opened for folks like the Rev. Horton Heat. Willie Heath Neal goes all in and leaves sweat and blood on the stage.

Be sure to check out the Atlanta-based all-girl party-punk group The Coathangersat Ole Tavern Saturday night. They’ll be stopping through after a round at South

by Southwest to perform with The Quillsand Senryu. It will be an evening of high-caliber alternative music. Listen to them at thecoathangers.com.

If you prefer to hear blues Saturday night, the King Edward Blues Band will play at Underground 119, 9-1 a.m. $10; and the Jarekus Singleton Band is the late night show at F. Jones Corner.

For a sophisticated yet cheap date gig, try the Mississippi Community Symphonic Band and the 20-plus-piece big-band group Mississippi Swing at the Belhaven Center for the Arts on Riv-erside Drive Saturday, 7 p.m., for free, www.mcsb.us.

Next Saturday, April 10, the Missis-sippi Symphony Orchestra will present their intimate Chamber IV concert at the historic Woodworth Chapel at Tougaloo College, 7:30 p.m. $15, 601-960-1565. The concert will feature chamber music for string, brass and woodwind quartets with a Brahms Piano Quintet showcase perfor-mance. Tickets will be available at the door.

Grammy Award-winning gospel/R&B duo BeBe and CeCe Winans will perform

at the Jackson Convention Complex next Saturday, April 10, 8 p.m. Tickets are avail-able at Be-Bop Record shops.

Be sure to add these upcoming dates to your calendar: the Operation Shoestring Benefi t with Horse Trailer and the very fun, classic old-school soul band Wiley & the Checkmates on April 16 at the Missis-sippi Museum of Art; the 30th annual Al-corn Jazz Festival will be at the Vicksburg Convention Center Saturday, April 17; also on April 17, indie-pop group Manchester Orchestra will be at the Lyric in Oxford.

—Herman Snell

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Guitar-jam guru George McConnell returns to Martin’s this Friday night.

by ShaWanda Jacome

Let Down the Walls

A melodic and stirring female voice pierced through the darkness of the pavilion, “Turn on, turn on, the ig-nition,” and then the band hit hard,

loud and strong. A mix of base beats, guitars, fl ashing bright lights, images projected on three screens, and the crowd erupts as Toby-Mac appeared center stage.

That was two years ago in Davis, Calif. In a sea of people of different races, genders and age groups, we came together to have fun and raise our hands in praise.

TobyMac, aka Toby McKeehan, is a consummate performer who can rock a stage like nobody’s business, with his soulful swag-ger and ever-present Kangol hat. A force in the Christian-hip hop scene for more than two decades, he dances with boundless energy and belts out his lyrics with fervor and sincerity.

McKeehan, 45, began making music in 1987 as part of the Christian trio dcTalk. The award-winning group amicably separated in 2000 to pursue solo projects.

With a hip-hop, rock, funk and soul vibe, McKeehan has released four albums including“Tonight,” which hit stores in February. As a solo artist, he has been nominated for six Grammy awards; “Alive and Transported” won for Best Rock or Gospel Album in 2009. McKeehan not only has a conviction for his faith, but for racial unity, which is refl ected in his music and in the members of his band, the Diverse City Band or Diverse Citizens.

He also lends his name and talents to helping those in need. He is donating the pro-ceeds from his Jan. 26 single, “Get Back Up,” to relief efforts in Haiti. He’s also training for the April Run for Hope marathon that raises funds for New Hope Academy, a faith-based school whose mission is bridging the gap be-tween poverty and academic opportunities.

McKeehan, his wife, Amanda, and their fi ve children live in Franklin, Tenn. His old-est son Truett, aka TruDog, 11, has recorded tracks on seven of his dad’s albums.

Despite his accolades and fame, did not show a trace of pretentiousness during our interview, as he talked about his new album, faith and racial diversity.

What’s the common thread on your new album, “Tonight”?

It’s sort of snapshots of my life. The things I’ve been experiencing, situations I’ve found myself in, the mistakes I’ve made, rela-tionships I have, the times I’ve been there for my friends and the times I’ve failed to be there

for my friends ... It’s how I’ve been living the past two years and what’s come out of that. ... It’s also sort of my view of society; it’s not just my life. It’s viewing society and watching people. I think about what my friends might be going through. And the way it ends up in a song is that a thought comes to me, or a situ-ation, and I turn that thought into a chorus. Usually there’s some kind of resolve of some situation, whether it’s my own lack of faith or whether my friend’s making bad choices and losing his marriage.

I put that out there because I fi gure ev-eryone is going through those things and for me there’s a resolve in my faith. There always has been. I don’t try to beat people over the head with it or proselytize. There is a resolve that naturally works its way into my songs because it’s who I am.

What responsibility does the church have in modeling racial unity?

First, we have to let down the walls that we’ve built up, let go of the things that divide us. The church’s role is simply to love well, regardless of skin color. It doesn’t mean everybody should stop their church and start a new one in the city, but it might mean that to some people. It doesn’t mean that the black church— that has a wonderful heritage and all these amazing gospel songs—needs to stop to-morrow and be a blended church. I wouldn’t say that I want any church’s traditions to stop, but I think there are some ugly traditions that we could let go.

I’d read about New Hope Academy. What steps can communities take to

promote diversity in schools?

People need to step out of their comfort zones. My prescription for this might not be right for everyone; I’m not acting like I have all the answers. I can just tell you from my life that when I began to step outside my comfort zone and make my world diverse—and do it with intent—my life has become enriched. I feel like I live a rich life. I feel like I’m learning things all the time … that are inter-esting and endearing in my Filipino friends, in my African American friends, in my Latino friends. … I love the richness of it all versus judging someone.

Amidst all the struggles, how does a person keep their faith?

I don’t think the promise is that we won’t experience hardship. I don’t think the promise is that we won’t experience disaster or death; I think the promise is that God’s got us in his hands. And that’s the promise that I hold onto, that’s how I keep my faith.

What’s your overall message?Love others well and love God will all

my heart. I am clearly not a perfect man; clearly, I stumble, I fall. But I think the most important thing for people to know in the midst of this crazy world, I founded my life through the spirit of God, through his son Christ. It works for me. I can only talk from my life, it grounds me and offers me peace and offers me satisfaction.

See TobyMac on the Awake Tonight tour at the Mississippi Coliseum April 3. Skillet opens the show at 7 p.m. Tickets are $20 to $75, and are available through ticketmaster.com.

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BANDS WANTEDvocalist looking for bandim a rock vocalist looking for a band in need of a lead singer please call at any time my name is shane (601) 940-0510

BANDS/DJS FOR HIREDisc Jockey (DJ) ServiceProfessional DJ - 20 Years Experience- Holiday Parties/Weddings/Birthdays/Private Parties, Lights/Fog/Etc available, Photography Ser-vices Available, Live Band Availble (601) 850-4380

GEARBach stradivarius tromboneBach Stradivarius professional trombone w/ F -rotary valve, Excellent condition. Dynamic tonal quality. $1,600.00 - Call:- 769 232 2415

Bass gearQuality professional gear. Swr Silverado combo. 350 watts RMS. $400. New aoustic 200 watt bass head $200. Two Swr 1 15’ and horn cabinets $250 ea. Loud and Clean Sold seperately or together. (601) 214-4412

Professional Sound EngineersNeed sound equipment or just a couple of engi-neers at your next event call Daniel 601.488.0436 any venue large or small anywhere in the south.

Complete PAHuge carvin pa for sale, all accessories, cables, processors, mics, stands, lights, amps, etc. Over $20,000 in gear to sell for best offers. Equipment is in as new condition. (225) 341-9391

Guitar Gear - Must Sell!!Vox AD120VTH Valvetronix Stereo Head $400, 1x12 and 2x12 cabinets- $80-$125. (601) 540-1739

Need extra sound?Need sound or just an engineer at your next event call Daniel 601.488.0436 or Mike 601.291.9713. 1 - 1604vlz 1 - pmp-5000 - powered mixer 10 - b1520 pro - speaker cabinets 6 - b1800x pro - sub cabinets 4 - f1520 pro - monitor cabinets 5 - ep1500 - power amps 2 - ep2500 - power amps 1 - 266xl - compressor limiter 2 - s - 3-way crossover 2 - ew165g2 e865 - wireless mics 6 - pr99 - mics. Lighting also available: 6 - Scanners 12 - Par Cans 1- Lazer

MISCELLANEOUSGrand Piano NeededChildren’s Charity Organization needs small grand piano for its teaching space. Tax deductable! Call Royce, 601-594-2902 (601) 594-2902

Need A Few Good MusiciansInterested in helping to set up music non-profi t organization (centered around the blues) for disad-vantaged youths in the jackson metropolitan area? If so, i am looking to talk to you. Need musicians who can teach everything from banjo, guitar, dobro, man-dolin, fi ddle, accordion, harmonica, piano, etc., Etc. Come be a part of this great project! (601) 924-0210.

MUSICIANS AVAILABLERock Singer AvailableMale Rock/Metal Singer looking for experienced cover band. Many years experience. Contact myspace or facebook: Crystal Quazar. Phone: 601-572-6253

Drummer AvailableMature/seasoned drummer available. Have played everything from country to Christian Contemporary. Would like to join existing band or form new one with seasoned musicians ONLY...no beginners please! Would like to play classic rock, blues and/or contemporary. Call if interested. (601) 613-5835

Looking to Start BandI am a bass player new in town and look-ing to start a band in Jackson area...need guitarist..drummer...and lead vocals.......no specifi c genre preferred but will be based on rock and metal.(no death or black metal)...ive played in sev-eral bands and played out hundreds of times.....i can get gigs...if interested or for more info please call Chris @ 386-365-2944

Female Vocalist Seeking BandI am a 16-year-old female vocalist seeking a synthpop or rock band. Ages of band members preferrably 25 years or younger due to parental objections. Contact by email at freezepopforever1029@hotmail.com.

Old Drummer Available!Drummer available: most recently, i have played with the veterans of foreign bars band. Interested in playing blues, funk, soul, maybe country. I am an older guy and settled in for the duration. I would be interested in a steady band, fi ll-in, and, possibly, a new start-up. Let me hear: mcdrum89@yahoo.Com or call 601-832-0831

Musician Available25 Years experience playing Drums, Guitar & Bass. Recently relocated to Jackson from Memphis, TN. All genres of music. Contact Tim at 601-665-5976. Or email: reeves@cgdsl.net Serious inquires only.

Drummer Looking For BandI’m an experienced drummer looking to form/join a band. I have mostly played metal, but I am open to rock/hard rock/metal, etc. Call Dave at (769) 226-0845.

MUSICIANS WANTEDA New SoundNeed original band. Old Deftones/old Clutch/ She Wants Revenge. www.myspace.com/anzalduasongs Radio-play. Album on iTunes. anzaldua@mail.com (512) 787-7840

Deathcore guitaristsMetal band looking for 2 exp’d guitarists. Infl u-ences include WhiteChapel, Carnifex, Opeth, etc. Call David for more info (601) 201-3815

Metal Singer & Bassist WantedAnnX is looking for a Experienced Energetic METAL Vocalist and a Bass Player to play shows and write new material. (601) 383-4851

Become our Next InstructorMajor Scales Studio is accepting applications for a classical or rock or jazz guitar teacher. Must have professional appearance. Please email your resume to Majorscales@aol.com.

Cellist Needed For Album/tourCellist needed for my album and possibly to tour shortly after. I am signed with South City Records. I need to start recording ASAP! Must be reliable and dedicated. Please contact me at scorpiano31@gmail.com

Drummer/Bassist needed - MetalWe are in need of a drummer and a bassist. Experi-ence in metal (death, black, etc.) is preffered, but not completely necessary. Call Buddy at (601)502-5647. Thanks for reading. -Buddy

Looking for band mates? Wanting to sell your gear? Advertise here for free! Visit JFP Classifi eds.com. If you are interested in sponsoring the Musicians

Exchange call JFP Sales at 601-362-6121 ext. 11.

MARCH 31, WEDNESDAYF. Jones Corner - Sherman Lee Dil-

lon (blues lunch) freeFenian’s - Joe Carroll (blues)

8-11 p.m.Underground 119 - Bill & Temper-

ance (bluegrass) 8-11 p.m. freeHal & Mal’s Restaurant - Amir

Gwirtzman, Raphael Seemes+ 7:30 p.m. free

Shucker’s - DoubleShotz 7:30-11:30 p.m. free

Fitzgerald’s - Rainmakers (classic rock) 8-12 a.m.

Kathryn’s - Hunter Gibson 6:30-9:30 p.m.

The Auditorium - Karaoke 9-12 a.m.Regency Hotel - Snazz 8:30 p.m.

myspace.com/snazzband2Footloose - Karaoke 8-12 a.m. freeElectric Cowboy - KaraokeTime Out - Chad Wesley 8:30 p.m.

APRIL 1, THURSDAYHal & Mal’s Big Room - Edwin

McCain 9 p.m. Sal & Mookie’s - The Used Goods

5-8 p.m. (Fondren After 5)F. Jones Corner - Sherman Lee

Dillon (blues lunch) free; Blues at Sunset Challenge Band 8-12 a.m. free

Fire - Dance Night $5Martin’s - ‘80s night 10 p.m. freeLumpkins BBQ - Jesse Robinson

(blues lunch) 11:30-1:30 p.m. free930 Blues Cafe - Jackie Bell, Nor-

man Clark & Smoke Stack Lightning 8 p.m. $5

Underground 119 - Jesse Robinson (blues) 8-11 p.m. free

Soulshine, Township - Fingers Tay-lor & friends 7-9:30 p.m. free

The Auditorium - Tiger Rogers (lunch); Larry Brewer (classic rock) 7:30-9 p.m.

Shucker’s - Gravity 7:30-11:30 p.m. free

Footloose - Karaoke 8-12 a.m.Cherokee Inn - D’lo Trio (Ameri-

cana) 6:30 p.m.Regency Hotel - Karaoke 7 p.m. freeDreamz - Akami & the Key of G

(R&B) 9 p.m.Pop’s - Dylan Moss ProjectPoets II - Karaoke 10 p.m.Electric Cowboy - DJ Cadillac

(country/dance/rock) 9 p.m.McB’s - Karaoke 7 p.m. freeUnion Street Books, Canton - Open

Mic 7-9 p.m. 601-859-8596 Eli’s Treehouse, V’burg - Karaoke

8 p.m.

APRIL 2, FRIDAYMartin’s - George McCon-

nell Band (rock) 10 p.m. georgemcconnell.com

Ole Tavern - Willie Heath Neal+ 10 p.m.

Hal & Mal’s Restaurant - Scott Albert Johnson (blues/juke) 9 p.m. free

Hal & Mal’s Red Room - Dirt Road Jam Band 9 p.m.

F. Jones Corner - Stevie J (blues lunch/solo) noon; Stevie J & the Blues Eruption 11:30-4 a.m. $5

Underground 119 - Chris Gill & the Soulshakers (blues) 9-1 a.m. $10

Fire - Rock 93.9 Battle of the Bands 9 p.m.

Shucker’s - Hunter Gibson & the Gators 8-1 a.m. $5

930 Blues Cafe - Blues/Jazz 5:30-8 p.m.; Jackie Bell, 9 p.m. $10

The Auditorium - Tiger Rogers (lunch); Virgil Brawley (blues rock) 7:30-9 p.m.; Eddie Cotton (blues) 9:30 p.m.

Schimmel’s - DJ Unpredictable 10 p.m.

Touch Nightclub - DJ T. Lewis 9 p.m.Pop’s - The ColonelsElectric Cowboy - DJ Terry

(country/dance/rock) 9 p.m.Footloose - Karaoke 9-1 a.m. freeDick & Jane’s - Show Night/DJ

Allen 9 p.m. $6; 18+ $10Regency Hotel - Faze 4Cultural Expressions - Reggae/Hip-

Hop/Old School Night 10 p.m. $5

Reed Pierce’s - Fade 2 Blue 9 p.m. free

RJ Barrel - Larry McCannNo Smoking Smoke House, 209

Main St., Yazoo City - Open Mic 6 p.m. free, 601-571-7937

Bottleneck, Ameristar - Hip Kitty (rock)

APRIL 3, SATURDAYJackson Coliseum - tobyMac, Skil-

let, House of Heroes 7 p.m.Ole Tavern - The Coathangers, The

Quills, Senryu 10 p.m.Hal & Mal’s Restaurant - The

Church Keys 9 p.m. free thechurchkeys.com

F. Jones Corner - The Jarekus Singleton Band (blues) 11:30-4 a.m. $5

Belhaven Center for the Arts - Miss. Community Symphonic Band w/Miss. Swing 7 p.m. free www.mcsb.us

Martin’s - Rocket 88 (roots rock) 10 p.m. $5 rocket88music.com

Underground 119 - King Edward (blues) 9-1 a.m. $10

Sam’s Lounge - Acirema 10 p.m.Mardi Gras - Chrisette Michele

9 p.m.Shucker’s - Mike & Marty

3-7 p.m. free; Hunter Gibson & the Gators 8-1 a.m. $5

The Auditorium - Shane & Fra-zier 7:30-9 p.m.; Eddie Cotton (blues) 9:30 p.m.

Pop’s - The Colonels930 Blues Cafe - Blues/Jazz 5:30-8

p.m.; Jackie Bell, 9 p.m. $10Cultural Expressions - Kamikaze

& Yardboy (hip-hop/Soul) 9 p.m. $5

Fitzgerald’s - Rainmakers (classic rock) 8-12 a.m.

Huntington’s - Ralph Miller 6-9 p.m.Dick & Jane’s - House Party/DJ

Allen 9 p.m. $6; 18+ $10Regency Hotel - Faze 4

Petra Cafe, Clinton - Karaoke 8 p.m.Reed Pierce’s - Fade 2 Blue 9 p.m.

freeRJ Barrel - Karaoke 7 p.m.Bottleneck, Ameristar - Hip Kitty

(rock)

APRIL 4, SUNDAYKing Edward Hotel - Howard Jones

Trio (jazz brunch) 11-2 p.m. Warehouse - Mike & Marty Open

Jam Session 6-10 p.m. freeFitzgerald’s - Andy Hardwick

(brunch) 11-2 p.m.Sophia’s, Fairview Inn - Knight

Bruce 11 a.m. (brunch)Shucker’s - Will & Linda 3-7 p.m.

freeThe Hill - Open Blues Jam 6-11 p.m.Footloose - Karaoke 7-11 p.m. freeCultural Expressions - Open Mic

Poetry 8 p.m. $5

APRIL 5, MONDAYHal & Mal’s Restaurant - Central

Miss. Blues Society Jam 8-11 p.m. $5

F. Jones Corner - Stevie J (blues lunch) free

Fitzgerald’s - Hunter Gibson & Rick Moreira 8-12 a.m. free

Martin’s - Open Mic Free Jam 10 p.m. free

Fenian’s - Karaoke 8-1 a.m. Dreamz - Marley Mondays/DJ

(world) 6 p.m.

APRIL 6, TUESDAYF. Jones Corner - Amazing Lazy Boi

(blues lunch) freeHal & Mal’s Restaurant - Pub Quiz

8 p.m.Fenian’s - Open Mic 9 p.m. Martin’s - Karaoke 10 p.m. freePizza Inn, Madison - Larry Brewer

(classic rock) 6-8:30 p.m. freeBonnie Blairs Irish Pub - Shaun

Patterson 7-10 p.m.Lumpkin’s BBQ - BBQ Blues Jam

9-11:30 p.m. $5Shucker’s - The Extremez

7:30-11:30 p.m. freeTime Out - Open Mic 8 p.m.McB’s - Karaoke 7 p.m. freeFinal Destination - Open Mic

APRIL 7, WEDNESDAYF. Jones Corner - Sherman Lee Dil-

lon (blues lunch) freeHal & Mal’s Restaurant - Natalie

Long & Clinton Kathryn’s - Hunter Gibson

6:30-9:30 p.m.Underground 119 - Bill & Temper-

ance (bluegrass) 8-11 p.m. freeShucker’s - Hunter Gibson & Larry

Brewer 7:30-11:30 p.m. freeThe Auditorium - Karaoke 9-12 a.m.Regency Hotel - Snazz 8:30 p.m.

myspace.com/snazzband2Footloose - Karaoke 8-12 a.m. freeElectric Cowboy - Karaoke

livemusic

4/02 King Khan & the Shrines - Hi-Tone, Memphis4/02 Ted Leo - One Eyed Jack’s, New Orleans4/07 Yeasayer - Hi-Tone, Memphis4/09 Vampire Weekend - House of Blues, N.O.4/09 The Black Lips - Hi-Tone, Memphis4/13 Ani DiFranco - New Daisy, Memphis4/15 Acid Mother’s Temple - Hi-Tone, Memphis4/16-18 Coachella Music Festival - Indio, CA coachella.com

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around the cornerS A L O O N8

2636 S. Gallatin Jackson, MS 39204

601-961-4747www.myspace.com/popsaroundthecorner

OPEN 7 DAYS A WEEK - 4 P.M. ‘TILHAPPY HOUR 5-7, MON-THURS

Country and Rock Music

WEDNESDAY - MARCH 31Karaoke w/ Mike Mott

DYLAN MOSS PROJECTLADIES NIGHT (FREE DRAFT CUP 9-11)

FRI. & SAT. - APRIL 2 & 3THE COLONELS

THURSDAY - APRIL 1

SUN. & MON. - APRIL 4 & 5

TUESDAY - APRIL 6Pool League Night

2 for 1 Domestics

- Voted Best Country Band 2010 -

TOPTENSONGS THIS WEEK

ALICE IN CHAINS – Your DecisionCHEVELLE – Letter From A ThiefFIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH – Walk AwayGODSMACK – Cryin Like A BitchDROWNING POOL – Feel Like I DoBREAKING BENJAMIN – Give Me A Sign (Forever and Ever)SICK PUPPIES – Odd OneJANUS - EyesoreSHAMAN’S HARVEST - Dragonfl ySEASONS AFTER - Cry Little Sister

2010 TACO BELL Battle of the BandsOPEN AUDITIONS This Friday - 7pm at Fire

WWW.ROCK939.COM FOR RULES & DETAILS

123

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WEDNESDAY 3/31

LADIES NIGHTLADIES DRINK ALL YOU CAN 8PM-12AM FOR $5 - NO COVERTHURSDAY 4/1

80’S NIGHTDIFFERENT THEME EACH WEEKFRIDAY 4/2

GEORGEMCCONNELL

BANDSATURDAY 4/3

ROCKET 88

SUNDAY 4/4

KARAOKEMONDAY 4/5

OPEN MIC JAMTUESDAY 4/6

MATT’S LATE NIGHT KARAOKE$2 MARGARITAS $1 HIGHLIFE & PBR

WEDNESDAY 4/7

LADIES NIGHTLADIES DRINK ALL YOU CAN 8PM-12AM FOR $5 - NO COVER

214 S. STATE ST. • 601.354.9712DOWNTOWN JACKSON

WWW.MARTINSLOUNGE.NET

ALL SHOWS 10PMUNLESS NOTED

LIVE MUSICCALENDAR

venuelist61 South - Rainbow Casino 1380 Warren-

ton Rd., Vicksburg, 800-503-377788 Keys 3645 Hwy. 80 W in Metrocen-

ter, Jackson, 601-352-7342930 Blues Cafe 930 N. Congress St.,

Jackson, 601-948-3344 Alamo Theatre 333 N. Farish St, Jack-

son, 601-352-3365Alley Cats 165 W. Peace St., Canton,

601-855-2225Alumni House Sports Grill 574 Hwy. 50,

Ridgeland, 601-855-2225 America Legion Post 1 3900 W. North-

side Dr., Jackson, 601-605-9903Ameristar Casino, Bottleneck Blues

Bar 4146 Washington St., Vicksburg, 800-700-7770

Beau Rivage Casino 875 Beach Blvd., Biloxi, 800-566-7469

Belhaven College Center for the Arts 835 Riverside Dr, Jackson, 601-968-5930

Bennie’s Boom Boom Room 142 Front St., Hattiesburg, 601-408-6040

Borrello’s 1306 Washington St., Vicks-burg, 601-638-0169

Buffalo Wild Wings 808 Lake Harbour Dr., Ridgeland, 601-856-0789

Capri-Pix Theatre 3021 N. State St., Jackson, 601-981-9606

Central City Complex 609 Woodrow Wil-son Dr., Jackson, 601-352-9075

Cerami’s 5417 Highway 25, Flowood, 601-919-2829

Char Restaurant 4500 I-55, Highland Village, Jackson, 601-956-9562

Cherokee Inn 1410 Old Square Rd., Jack-son, 601-362-6388

Club 43 Hwy 43, Canton, 601-654-3419, 601-859-0512

Club City Lights 200 N. Mill St., Jack-son, 601-353-0059

Club O’Hara 364 Monticello St., Hazle-hurst, 601-894-5674

Club Total 342 N. Gallatin St., Jackson, 601-714-5992

The Commons Gallery 719 N. Congress St., 601-352-3399

Couples Entertainment Center 4511 Byrd Drive, Jackson, 601-923-9977

Crawdad Hole 1150 Lakeland Dr., Jack-son, 601-982-9299

Crickett’s Lounge 4370 Hwy 80 West, Jackson, 601-922-0500

Crossroads Bar & Lounge 3040 Livings-ton Rd., Jackson, 601-984-3755 (blues)

Cultural Expressions 147 Millsaps Ave., Jackson, 601-665-0815 (neo-soul/hip-hop)

Cups in Fondren 2757 Old Canton Road, Jackson, 601-362-7422 (acoustic/pop)

Cups in the Quarter 1855 Lakeland Dr., Jackson, 601-981-9088

Davidson’s Corner Market 108 W. Center St., Canton, 601-855-2268 (pop/rock)

Debo’s 180 Raymond Road, Jackson, 601-346-8283

Diamond Jack’s Casino 3990 Washing-ton Street, Vicksburg, 1-877-711-0677

Dick & Jane’s 206 Capitol St., Jackson, 601-944-0123 (dance/alternative)

Dixie Diamond 1306 Washington Street, Vicksburg, 601-638-6297

Dollar Bills Dance Saloon 103 A Street, Meridian, 601-693-5300

Edison Walthall Hotel 225 E. Capitol St., Jackson, 601-948-6161

Electric Cowboy 6107 Ridgewood Rd., Jackson, 601-899-5333 (country/rock/dance)

Executive Place 2440 Bailey Ave., Jack-son, 601-987-4014

F. Jones Corner 303 N. Farish St. 601-983-1148

Fenian’s 901 E. Fortification Street, Jack-son, 601-948-0055 (rock/Irish/folk)

Fire 209 Commerce St., Jackson, 601-592-1000 (rock/dance/dj)

Final Destination 5428 Robinson Rd. Ext., Jackson, (pop/rock/blues)

Fitzgerald’s Martini Bar 1001 E. County Line Road, Jackson, 601-957-2800

Flood’s Bar and Grill 2460 Bailey Ave., Jackson, 601-713-4094

Footloose Bar and Grill 4661 Hwy 80 West, Jackson, 601-922-9944

Freelon’s Bar And Groove 440 N. Mill St., Jackson, 601-353-5357 (hip-hop)

Fusion Coffeehouse Highland Colony Parkway, Ridgeland, 601-856-6001

Garfield’s Restaurant & Pub 6340 Ridge-wood Court, Jackson, 601-977-9920

Gold Strike Casino 1010 Casino Center Drive, Robinsonville, 888-245-7529

Grand Casino Biloxi 280 Beach Boule-vard, Biloxi, 228-436-2946

Grand Casino Tunica 13615 Old Highway 61 North, Robinsonville, 800-39-GRAND

The Green Room 444 Bounds St., Jack-son, 601-713-3444

Ground Zero Blues Club 0 Blues Alley, Clarksdale, 662-621-9009

Grownfolks’s Lounge 4030 Medgar Evers Blvd, Jackson, 601-362-6008

Hal & Mal’s 200 S. Commerce St., Jack-son, 601-948-0888 (pop/rock/blues)

Hamp’s Place 3028 W. Northside Dr., Jackson, 601-981-4110 (dance/dj)

Hard Rock Biloxi 777 Beach Blvd., Biloxi, 228-374-ROCK

Hat & Cane 1115 E. McDowell Rd., Jack-son, 601-352-0411

Hauté Pig 1856 Main St., Madison, 601-853-8538

Here We Go Again 3002 Terry Road, Jackson, 601-373-1520

The Hill Restaurant 2555 Valley St., Jackson, 601-373-7768

Horizon Casino Mulberry Lounge 1310 Mulberry St., Vicksburg, 800-843-2343

Horseshoe Bar 5049 Hwy 80 West, Jack-son, 601-922-6191

Horseshoe Casino Tunica, 800-303-7463The Hunt Club 1525 Ellis Ave., Jackson,

601-944-1150Huntington Grille 1001 E. County Line

Rd., Jackson, 601-957-1515The Ice House 515 S. Railroad Blvd.,

McComb, 601-684-0285 (pop/rock)JC’s 425 North Mart Plaza, Jackson,

601-362-3108James Meredith Lounge 217 Griffith St.

601-969-3222Julep Restaurant and Bar 105 Highland

Village, Jackson, 601-362-1411Kathryn’s Steaks and Seafood 6800 Old

Canton Road, Ridgeland. 601-956-2803Koinonia Coffee House 136 S. Adam St.,

Suite C, Jackson, 601-960-3008LaRae’s 210 Parcel Dr., Jackson,

601-944-0660Last Call Sports Grill 1428 Old Square

Road, Jackson, 601-713-2700The Library Bar & Grill 120 S. 11th St.,

Oxford, 662-234-1411The Loft 1306 A. Washington St., Vicks-

burg, 601-629-6188The Lyric Oxford 1006 Van Buren Ave.,

Oxford. 662-234-5333Main Event Sports Bar & Grill 4659

Hwy 80 West, Jackson, 601-922-9987Manda’s Pub 614 Clay Street, Vicksburg,

601-638-6607Martin’s Lounge 214 S. State St., Jack-

son, 601-354-9712 (rock/jam/blues)McB’s Restaurant 815 Lake Harbor Dr.,

Ridgeland, 601-956-8362 (pop/rock)Mellow Mushroom 275 Dogwood Blvd.,

Flowood, 601-992-7499Mississippi Academy of Ancient Music

103 Magnolia, Edwards, 601-977-7736 Mississippi Coliseum 1207 Mississippi

St., Jackson, 601-353-0603Mississippi Opera P.O. Box 1551, Jack-

son, 877-MSOPERA, 601-960-2300Mississippi Opry 2420 Old Brandon

Rd., Brandon, 601-331-6672 Mississippi Symphony Orchestra 201 East

Pascagoula St., Jackson, 800-898-5050Mississippi Veterans Memorial Stadium

2531 N. State St., Jackson, 601-354-6021Monte’s Steak and Seafood 1855 Lake-

land Dr., Jackson, 601-362-8182Mugshots 1855 Lakeland Dr., Jackson,

601-713-0383 Okasions 1766 Ellis Avenue, Jackson,

601-373-4037Old Venice Pizza Co. 1428 Old Square

Rd., Jackson, 601-366-6872Ole Tavern on George Street 416

George St., Jackson, 601-960-2700Olga’s 4760 I-55 North, Jackson,

601-366-1366 (piano)One to One Studio 121 Millsaps Ave., in

the Millsaps Arts District, Jackson

One Blue Wall 2906 N State St., Jack-son, 601-713-1224

Peaches Restaurant 327 N. Farish St., Jackson, 601-354-9267

Pelican Cove 3999A Harborwalk Dr., Ridgeland, 601-605-1865

Pig Ear Saloon 160 Weisenberger Rd., Gluckstadt, 601-898-8090

Pig Willies 1416 Washington St., Vicks-burg, 601-634-6872

Pool Hall 3716 I-55 North Frontage Rd., Jackson, 601-713-2708

Pop’s Saloon 2636 Gallatin St., Jackson, 601-961-4747 (country)

Proud Larry’s 211 S. Lamar Blvd., Oxford, 662-236-0050

The Pub Hwy. 51, Ridgeland, 601-898-2225

The Quarter Bistro & Piano Bar 1855 Lakeland Dr., Jackson, 601-362-4900

Que Sera Sera 2801 N. State St., Jack-son, 601-981-2520

Red Room 200 S. Commerce St., Jackson (Hal & Mal’s), 601-948-0888 (rock/alt.)

Reed Pierce’s 6791 Siwell Rd., Byram, 601-376-0777, 601-376-4677

Regency Hotel Restaurant & Bar 420 Greymont Ave., Jackson, 601-969-2141

Rick’s Cafe 318 Hwy 82 East, #B, Starkville, 662-324-7425

RJ Barrel 111 N. Union 601-667-3518Sal and Mookie’s 565 Taylor St. 601-

368-1919Sam’s Lounge 5035 I-55 N. Frontage

Rd., Jackson, 601-983-2526Sam’s Town Casino 1477 Casino Strip

Blvd., Robinsonville, 800-456-0711Schimmel’s Fine Dining 2615 N. State

St., Jackson, 601-981-7077Scrooge’s 5829 Ridgewood Rd., Jackson,

601-206-1211Shuckers on the Reservoir 116 Cones-

toga Rd., Ridgeland, 601-853-0105 Silver Star Casino Hwy. 16 West, Choc-

taw, 800-557-0711Soop’s The Ultimate 1205 Country Club

Dr., Jackson, 601-922-1402 (blues)Soulshine Pizza 1139 Old Fannin Rd.,

Brandon, 601-919-2000Soulshine Pizza 1111 Highland Colony

Parkway, Ridgeland, 601-856-8646Sportsman’s Lodge 1220 E. Northside

Dr. at I-55, Jackson, 601-366-5441 Steam Room Grille 5402 Interstate-55

Frontage Road. 601-899-8588Stone Pony Oyster Bar 116 Commercial

Parkway, Canton, 601-859-0801Super Chikan’s Place 235 Yazoo Ave.,

Clarksdale, 662-627-7008Thalia Mara Hall 255 E. Pascagoula St.,

Jackson, 601-960-1535Thirsty Hippo 211 Main St.,

Hattiesburg, 601-583-9188 (indie/alt.rock/jam/world)

Time Out Sports Bar 6270 Old Canton Rd., 601-978-1839

Top Notch Sports Bar 109 Culley Dr., Jackson, 601- 362-0706

Touch Night Club 105 E. Capitol St., Jackson, 601-969-1110

Two Rivers Restaurant 1537 W. Peace St., Canton, 601-859-9979 (blues)

Two Sisters Kitchen 707 N. Congress St. 601-353-1180

Two Stick 1107 Jackson Ave., Oxford, 662-236-6639

Tye’s 120 N. Congress St., Jackson, 601-949-3434

Under the Boardwalk 2560 Terry Rd., Jackson, 601-371-7332 (country/classic rock)

Underground 119 119 S. President St. 601-352-2322

VB’s Premier Sports Bar 1060 County Line Rd., Ridgland, 601-572-3989

VFW Post 9832 4610 Sunray Drive, Jack-son, 601-982-9925

Vicksburg Convention Center 1600 Mul-berry Street, Vicksburg, 866-822-6338

Walker’s Drive-In 3016 N. State St., Jackson, 601-982-2633 (jazz/pop/folk)

The Warehouse 9347 Hwy 18 West, Jackson, 601-502-8580 (pop/rock)

Wired Expresso Cafe 115 N. State St. 601-500-7800 ja

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nfre

epre

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39

Bike Night wBike Night w/ Krazy KaraokeKrazy Karaoke7:00 pm - No Cover7:00 pm - No Cover

$2 MARGARITAS!$2 MARGARITAS!

Ladies’ Night w/ Snazz8:30 pm - Guys’ Cover $5

BUY 1 GET 1 WELLS

400 Greymont Ave., Jackson601-969-2141

www.regencyjackson.com

Exquisite Dining atThe Rio Grande Restaurant

Thursday, April 1st

Wednesday, March 31st

Fri. & Sat., Apirl 2nd & 3rd

FAZE 48:30 pm - $5 cover

Parking now on side of building

Open for dinner Sat. 4-10pm

Open Mon-Sat, Kitchen open Mon-Fri11am-10pm & Sat 4-10pm

WillieHeathNeal

thursday APRIL 1

friday APRIL 2

OPEN MICwith Cody Cox*DOLLAR BEER*

saturday APRIL 3

tuesday APRIL 6

wednesday APRIL 7

Kick Ass Karaoke WITH KJ JOOSY

The Coathangerswith the Quills

and Senryu

LADIES NIGHTwith MR. NICK!LADIES DRINK FREEWELLS & PONIES 9PM-2AM

FREE WiFi

Weekly LunchSpecials

WED.LADIES NIGHT

& KARAOKE

THURS.$1.50 BEER

(BUD, BUD LIGHT, BUD SELECT & ULTRA)

FRI.JASON

TURNER BAND

9:30PM - 1:30AMNO COVER CHARGECOLLEGE NIGHTBRING STUDENT ID

SAT.NCAA

BASKETBALL

MON.S.I.N. NIGHT

TUES.JACKPOT TRIVIA

$2 DOMESTICS

BLOODY MARYS $4 & MIMOSAS $3 ON SUNDAY,

2-FOR-1 MONDAYS, $1.50 PINTS ON THURSDAY

Smoke-free lunchweekdays 11am-3pm

NIT TOURNEY & NCAA TOURNEY

DIRECT T.V. MEGADIRECT T.V. MEGAMARCH MADNESS PKG.MARCH MADNESS PKG.

lunch specials $7.95 - includes tea & dessert

$10 Buckets of Beerduring Tournaments

April

1 -

7, 2

010

40

dining by Lisa LaFontaine Bynum

Say Cheese … Cake, That Is

Every year as the temperatures rise and the Easter baskets start appearing, I fi nd myself obsessing over cheese-cakes. A very basic cheesecake consists

of a graham cracker crust with a smooth cream-cheese fi lling. However, that basic recipe can be morphed and adapted into a thousand different formulations, creating a virtual blank canvas for any culinary artist.

The cooking method and ingredients used depend on the region and the culture the cake was baked in. New York-style cheesecake is made of cream cheese, eggs and egg yolks, and heavy cream. Most frozen cheesecakes are made using the sour-cream style, which uses sour cream instead of heavy cream, making the dessert more resilient to freezing. Pennsylvania Dutch-style cheesecake uses a cheese with larger curds and less water, known as farmer’s cheese. This adds a slightly tangy fl avor to the cheesecake. Philadelphia-style cheese-cake is lighter in texture, yet richer in fl avor than New York-style cheesecake. British na-tives prefer the non-baked version, adding gelatin to their fi lling to keep it fi rm. Ital-ians forgo cream cheese altogether and opt for creamy ricotta.

Have you ever pulled a perfect cheese-cake from the oven only to come back later to discover a huge crack in the center? This can happen for two reasons: over-mixing the batter and moisture loss during baking. Beat your ingredients at a low speed to prevent incorporating too much air into the mix-ture. Find a pan large enough to hold your springform pan (a disposable roasting pan works well if you don’t have another cake

pan big enough). Wrap the bottom of your springform pan in aluminum foil (because you don’t want your water bath leaking into your cheesecake). Set the springform pan inside the larger pan and fi ll the larger pan with enough water to go up halfway up the sides of your springform pan.

Once your cheesecake has fi nished baking, turn the oven off, leave the oven door ajar, and allow the cheesecake to slowly cool in the oven. Resist the tempta-tion to cut right in to your cheesecake. It needs several hours to cool and fi rm up to the right consistency.

Cheesecakes can be frozen for up to sev-eral months. Just place on a cookie sheet, freeze until fi rm, then wrap in heavy aluminum foil and place into a freezer bag. Thaw a frozen cheesecake in the refrigerator overnight.

This cheesecake was aptly named after the ice cream my mother used to buy when I was a kid. Chocolate, vanilla and strawberry all in one, it was like getting three cartons of ice cream in the same container. With each bite of this creamy tri-colored cheesecake, you’ll get a little taste of something different. The festive springtime colors make it the perfect dessert for an Easter meal.

CLIPA

RT

1 cup chocolate graham cracker crumbs5 tablespoons butter, melted, divided3 packages (8 ounces each) cream

cheese, softened¾ cup sugar3 eggs1 teaspoon vanilla extract5 squares (1 ounce each) semisweet

chocolate, divided2 1/2 squares (2 1/2 ounces) white baking

chocolate, divided1/3 cup mashed, sweetened strawberries2 teaspoon shortening, divided

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Com-bine crumbs and three tablespoons of but-ter; press onto the bottom of an ungreased 9-inch springform pan. Bake for eight minutes. Remove from the oven and cool.

For the cheesecake, preheat oven to 425 degrees. In a large mixing bowl, beat the cream cheese and sugar until smooth. Beat in eggs, one at a time. Add vanilla. Divide cream-cheese batter into three por-tions of about 1 2/3 cup each.

In a double boiler over medium heat,

melt two squares of the semisweet choco-late. Stir into one portion of the cream cheese batter. Next, melt two squares of the white chocolate. Stir into the second portion of the cream cheese batter. Stir strawberries into the remaining batter.

Spread semisweet chocolate mixture evenly over the bottom of the graham cracker crust. Carefully top with white chocolate mixture, and then with strawber-ry mixture. Bake for 10 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 300 degrees. Bake for an additional 50 to 55 minutes or until the center is nearly set. Allow cheesecake to cool. Run a knife along the edge of the cheesecake. Remove cheesecake from pan.

In a double boiler, melt remaining three squares of semisweet chocolate, remaining two tablespoons of butter and one teaspoon of shortening; allow to cool for two minutes. Pour over cake. Melt re-maining half square of white chocolate and remaining teaspoon of shortening; drizzle over semisweet chocolate glaze.

Refrigerate leftovers.

NEOPOLITAN CHEESECAKEMakes 12-14 servings

NATHAN S. MCHARDY & LESLEY MCHARDY

OWNERS & SOMMELIERS

4949 Old Canton Road | 601-956-5108

www.briarwoodwineandspirits.com

(SEE YOU ON MONDAY)

daysSURE IS A

LONG TIME!

6270 Old Canton Rd. Jackson, MS 39211601.978.1839601.978.1839

Happy Hour Everyday 4-7

LIVE MUSICEvery Tues. thru Sat.

Daily Lunch Specials - $9

Happy Hour Everyday 4-7

LATE NIGHT HAPPY HOURSun. thru Thurs. 10pm - 12amTwo-for-One, YOU CALL IT!

“BADGE SPECIAL”Military, Fire, Police,

& Emergency Personnel2-for-1 drinks all day, everyday!

LATE NIGHT HAPPY HOURSun. thru Thurs. 10pm - 12amTwo-for-One, YOU CALL IT!

“BADGE SPECIAL”Military, Fire, Police,

& Emergency Personnel2-for-1 drinks all day, everyday!

LIVE MUSICEvery Tues. thru Sat.

TWO FREE DRAFT BEER MUGSWhen you buy any menu item over $8 after

8pm every Fri. and Sat.

We Do It All!

For catering, 601-978-7878

5050 I-55 N Jackson, MS

www.foodiesjackson.com

Hot Lunches and Dinners,

Catering, Meals-To-Go,

Rent-A-Chef, Gourmet Foods

1428 Old Square Road in Jackson

601.713.2700 lastcallsportsgrill.com

HOPKINS VS. JONES

B O X I N G M AT C H

Full Bar & KitchenOpen til 2am everyday

HAPPY HOURMon. - Sat. | 2-7pm

Saturday, April 3rd - 8pm

$2 Off Lunch BuffetChoose between 2 meats

and 3 vegetables.Includes beverage

(non-alcoholic)

- Offer expires April 16, 2010 -

jack

sonf

reep

ress

.com

41DINE LOCAL, see pg. 42

COFFEE HOUSESCups Espresso Café (Multiple Locations, www.cupsespressocafe.com)Jackson’s local chain of coffeehouses offer high-end Arabica beans, a wide variety of espresso drinks, fresh brewed coffee and a selection of pastries and baked goods. Free wi-fi !

Wired Espresso Café (115 N State St 601-500-7800)This downtown coffeehouse across from the Old Capitol focuses on being a true gathering place, featuring great coffee and a selection of breakfast, lunch and pastry items. Free wi-fi .

BAKERYBroad Street (4465 Interstate 55 N. 601-362-2900)Hot breakfast, coffee espresso drinks, fresh breads and pastries, gourmet deli sandwiches, quiches, soups, pizzas, pastas and dessert. A “see and be seen” Jackson institution!

Crazy Cat Bakers (Highland Village Suite #173 601-362-7448 & Fondren Corner Bldg)Amazing sandwiches: Meatloaf Panini, Mediterranean Vegetarian, Rotisserie Chicken to gourmet pimento cheese. Outlandish desserts. Now open in Fondren Corner on North State Street.

ITALIANBasilʼs Belhaven (904 E. Fortifi cation, Jackson, 601-352-2002)The signature Paninis are complimented by great Italian offerings such as spaghetti and meatball, to-mato basil soup, cookies and cupcakes. Dinner menu includes fresh tilapia, shrimp and risotto, seafood pasta, generous salads—and don’t forget the crab cakes. Party menu includes a “panini pie.” BYOB.

BRAVO! (4500 Interstate 55 N., Jackson, 601-982-8111)Wood-fi red pizzas, vegetarian fare, plus creative pastas, beef, and seafood specials. Wonderful atmo-sphere and service. Bravo! walks away with tons of Best of Jackson awards every year.

Ceramiʼs (5417 Lakeland Drive, Flowood, 601-919-28298)Southern-style Italian cuisine features their signature Shrimp Cerami (white wine sauce, capers arti-chokes) along with veal, tilapia, crawfi sh, chicken and pasta dishes. Now with liquor license!

Fratesiʼs (910 Lake Harbour, Ridgeland, 601-956-2929)“Authentic, homey, unpretentious” that’s how the regulars describe Fratesi’s, a staple in Jackson for years, offering great Italian favorites with loving care. The tiramisu is a must-have!

BARBEQUEHickory Pit Barbeque (1491 Canton Mart Rd. 601-956-7079)The “Best Butts in Town” features BBQ chicken, beef and pork sandwiches along with burgers and po’boys. Wet or dry pork ribs, chopped pork or beef, and all the sides.

Lumpkins BBQ (182 Raymond Rd. Jackson 866-906-0942)Specializing in smoked barbeque, Lumpkin’s offers all your favorites for on-site family dining or for catered events, including reunions, offi ce events, annivesaries, weddings and more.Rib Shack B.B.Q. & Seafood (932 J.R. Lynch Street, Jackson, 601-665-4952)Hickory-smoked BBQ beef or pork ribs, BBQ chicken, giant chopped BBQ beef or pork sand-wiches. Fried catfi sh, pan trout, fried shrimp, po boys. Tues-Thurs (11-8pm) Fri-Sat (11-10pm).

BARS, PUBS & BURGERSAlumni House (574 Hwy 51 Ridgeland 601-605-9903, 110 Bass Pro, Pearl, 601-896-0253)Good bar food, big portions and burgers (with “blackened” as an option) known for their sweet buns. Televisions throughout, even small tubes at your table. Po-boys, quesadillas; good stuff!

Fenianʼs Pub (901 E. Fortifi cation St. 601-948-0055)Classic Irish pub featuring a menu of traditional food, pub sandwiches and beers including Guin-ness and Harp on tap. Free live music most nights; Irish/Celtic bands on Thursdays.

Cool Alʼs (4654 McWillie, 601-713-3020)A standard in Best of Jackson, Al’s stacked, messy, decadent, creative burgers defy adjectives. Or try pineapple chicken, smoked sausage...or the nationally recognized veggie burger.

Paid advertising section. Call 601-362-6121 x1 to list your restaurant.r

Zydeco

(6340 Ridgewood Ct. 601-977-9920)Authentic Cajun/Creole cuisine including favorites like our Andouille & shrimp Jambalaya, Crawfi sh Etoufee, Red Beans & Rice, Seafood Gumbo, Shrimp PoBoy, Oyster PoBoy, Blackened Ribeye and more.

Paid advertising section. Call 601-362-6121 x11 to list your restaurant.r

Wi r e

d

Es

pr

e s s o C

HAVE AHAVE ABLESSED EASTER!BLESSED EASTER!

from the Belhaven bakery

En

Serving:HOT PASTA DISHE

GRILLED FISH

PANINI SANDWICH

Mon. - Thurs., 11am - 8:30pm | Fri. & Sat. 11am - 9pm904B E. Fortifi cation St. - English Village

Call Us: 601-352-2002601-919-2829

Lunch Hours:Tues-Fri 11am-2pm

Dinner Hours:Tues-Thurs 5pm-9pmFri & Sat 5pm-10pm

5417 Lakeland Drive ~ Flowood, MS 39232

“Now Dats Italian”A metro-area tradition since 1977

168 W. Griffi th St. • Sterling TowersAcross from MC School of Law

601-352-2364 • Fax: 601-352-2365Hours: Monday - Friday 7am - 4pm

Come See Us

For Breakfast!

LUNCH: MON.-FRI., 10AM-2PM

7AM -10AM

1491 Canton Mart Rd. • Jackson

601-956-7079since 1980

Best Butts In Town!Best Butts In Town!

For Voting us

“Best Barbecue in Jackson”

2003 • 2006 • 2

008 • 2009 • 2

010

Thank You!

April

1 -

7, 2

010

42

B A K E R S

NEW! FONDREN CORNER | 11AM - 2PM

HIGHLAND VILLAGE | 10AM - 6PM

601.362.7448 • CRAZYCATBAKERS.COM

Now with TWOlocations to

better serve you

sti l l need help payingoff our student loans ( (

Hours of Operation: Everyday 11am-until

Come see Why We Were Voted One OfJackson’s Best Mediterranean Restaurants

Lunch starting at just $6.99

Mediterranean & Lebanese Cuisine

HOURS: Monday-Friday, 11am-3pm182 Raymond Rd. | Jackson, MS 39204

Telephone: 601-373-7707lumpkinsbbq@comcast.net

Home-CookingBUFFET

$8 Monday - Friday& only $10 Sunday

THANK YOU FOR THE BEST OFJACKSON AWARDS NOMINATIONS

“HOME OF THE BEST BRISKET IN JACKSON”

Fitzgeralds at the Hilton (1001 East County Line Road, 601-957-2800)Bar favorites with a Gulf Coast twist like Gumbo Ya Ya, Shrimp Cocktail and Pelahatchie artisan sausage and cheese antipasto. Plus grilled oysters, tournedos of beef, chicken pontabla and of course the fried stuff—oysters, catfi sh, shrimp, seafood or chicken. Did we mention the bar?Hal and Malʼs (200 S. Commerce St. 601-948-0888)Pub favorites meet Gulf Coast and Cajun specialties like red beans and rice, the Oyster Platter or each day’s blackboard special. Repeat winner of Best of Jackson’s “Best Place for Live Music.”Last Call (3716 I-55 N. Frontage Road 601-713-2700)Burgers, sandwiches and po-boys, plus sports-bar appetizers and specialities. Try chili cheese fries, chicken nachos or the shrimp & pork eggrolls. Pay-per-view sporting events, live bands.Martinʼs Restaurant and Lounge (214 South State Street 601-354-9712)Lunch specials, pub appetizers (jalapeno poppers, cheezsticks, fried pickles) or order from the full menu of po-boys and entrees. Full bar, massive beer selection and live music most nights.Shuckerʼs Oyster Bar (116 Conestoga Road, Ridgeland 601-853-0105)Serious about oysters? Try ‘em on the half shell, deep-fried, charred from the oven or baked in champagne. Plus po-boys, pub favorites, burgers, mufalettas, pizza, seafood and steaks!Sportsmanʼs Lodge (1120 E Northside Dr in Maywood Mart 601-366-5441)Voted Best Sports Bar, Sportman’s doesn’t disappoint with plenty of gut-pleasing sandwiches, and fried seafood baskets. Try the award-winning wings in Buffalo, Thai or Jerk sauces!The Regency (400 Greymont Ave. 601-969-2141)Reasonably priced buffet Monday through Friday featuring all your favorites. Daily happy hour, live bands and regular specials.Time Out Sports Café (6720 Old Canton Road 601-978-1839)14 TVs, 1 projector and two big-screens. Daily $9 lunch specials, pub-style appetizers, burgers, seafood and catfi sh po-boys, salads, and hot entrees including fi sh, steak and pasta.

Ole Tavern on George Street (416 George St. 601-960-2700)Pub food with a southern fl air: beer-battered onion rings, chicken & sausage gumbo, salads, sandwiches and weekly lunch specials. Plus, happy hour 4-7pm Monday through Friday.Pelican Cove Grill (3999A Harbor Walk Drive 601-605-1865)Great rez view! Shrimp and seafood appetizers, soups, salads, burgers and sandwiches, plus po-boys, catfi sh baskets, and dinners from the grill including mahi-mahi and reggae ribs.Underground 119 (119 South President St. 601-352-2322)Jumbo lump crabcakes, crab quesadillas, beef tenderloin parfaits, orange-garlic shrimp, even “lol-lipop” lamb chops. Add a full bar and mix in great music. Opens 4 p.m.-until, Wed-Sat.

ASIANTokyo Express (5050 I-55N 601-957-1558 and 900 E County Line 601-899-8838)Lunch or dinner hibachi orders (chicken, shrimp, steak, scallops) and cooked sushi rolls (snow crab, philly, crawfi sh, dynamite, titanic) along with fried rice and appetizer.

Ding How Asian Bistro (601-956-1717, 6955 Old Canton Rd, Suite C, Ridgeland)Dishes from Thai; Chinese; Japanese and Korean. All the dishes are prepared with healthy ingredients, offering low oil, low salt, no MSG cooking. Hong Kong-style dim sum on weekends.

STIX (109 Marketplace Lane off Lakeland Dr Flowood 601-420-4058) Enjoy the quick-handed, knife-wielding chefs at the fl aming teppanyaki grill; artful presentations of sushi; the pungent seasonings and spicy fl avors of regional Chinese cuisines.

Nagoya (6351 I-55 North #131 @ Target Shopping Ctr. 601-977-8881)Nagoya gets high marks for its delicious-and-affordable sushi offerings, tasty lunch specials and high-fl ying hibachi room with satisfying fl avors for the whole family.

Ichiban (153 Ridge Drive, Ste 105F 601-919-0097 & 359 Ridgeway 601-919-8879)Voted “Best Chinese” in 2010, cuisine styles at Ichiban actually range from Chinese to Japanese, including hibachi, sushi made fresh with seafood, and a crowd-pleasing buffet.

Julep (1305 East Northside Drive, Highland Village, 601-362-1411)Tons of Best of Jackson awards, delicious Southern fusion dishes like award-winning fried chicken, shrimp and grits, blackened tuna and butter bean hummus. Brunch, lunch, dinner and late night.Primos Cafe (515 Lake Harbour 601-898-3400 and 2323 Lakeland 601-936-3398)A Jackson institution featuring a full breakfast (with grits and biscuits), blue plate specials, cat-fi sh, burgers, prime rib, oysters, po-boys and wraps. Save room for something from the bakery.Sunioraʼs Sidewalk Cafe (200 South Lamar Street 601-355-1955)Homecooking, soul food, buffet and pizza for lunch in downtown Jackson. Soup and salad bar every day, plus daily lunch specials. “Mama’s in the kitchen!” Mon-Fri, 11am-2pm.Sugarʼs Place (168 W Griffi th St 601-352-2364)Hot breakfast and weekday lunch: catfi sh, pantrout, fried chicken wings, blue plates, red beans & rice, pork chops, chicken & dumplings, burgers, po-boys...does your grandma cook like this?

The Strawberry Café (107 Depot Drive, Madison, 601-856-3822)Full table service, lunch and dinner. Crab and crawfi sh appetizers, salads, fresh seafood, pastas, “surf and turf” and more. Veggie options. Desserts: cheesecake, Madison Mud and strawberry shortcake.

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Two Sisters Kitchen (707 N. Congress St. 601-353-1180)2010 Best of Jackson winner for fried chicken offers a sumptious buffet of your choice of veggies, a salad bar, iced tea & one of three homemade desserts. Lunch only. M-F 11-2, Sun. 10:30-2.

FINE DININGHuntington Grille at the Hilton (1001 East County Line Road 601--957-1515)Chef Luis Bruno offers fresh Gulf seafood, unique game dishes and succulent steaks alongside an expansive wine selection; multiple honors from Best of Jackson, Wine Specator and others.Schimmelʼs (2615 N. State St. 601-981-7077)Creative southern fusion dishes at attractive prices make the atmosphere that mush more entic-ing. New appetizer menu, “Martini Night Football” and others bar specials for football season!Steam Room Grille (5402 I-55 North 601--899-8588)Great seafood featuring steamed lobster, crab, shrimp and combo patters. Grilled specialities include shrimp, steaks, and kabobs. Fresh fi sh fried seafood, lunch menu, catering, live music.

MEDITERRANEAN/MIDDLE EASTERNAladdin Mediterranean Grill (730 Lakeland Drive 601-366-6033)Delicious authentic dishes including lamb dishes, hummus, falafel, kababs, shwarma and much more. Consistent award winner, great for takeout or for long evenings with friends.Jerusalem Café (2741 Old Canton Road 601-321-8797)Yes, it’s a hookah bar in Jackson, which also happens to have a great Meditterean menu, includ-ing falafel, lamb shank, feta salad, kabob, spinach pie, grape leaves and baba ghanouj.Kristos (971 Madison Ave @ Hwy 51, Madison, 601-605-2266)Home of the famous Greek meatball! Hummus, falafel, dolmas, pita sandwiches, salads, plus seasoned curly fries (or sweet potato fries) and amazing desserts.Petra Cafe (104 West Leake Street, Clinton 601-925-0016)Mediterranean and Lebanese cuisine in the charm of Olde Towne Clinton. Stuffed grape leaves, spinach pie, shrimp kabobs, greek salads, hummus and more. Lunch and dinner served seven days a week.

PIZZAMellow Mushroom (275 Dogwood Blvd, Flowood, 601-992-7499)Pizzas of all kinds, munchies, calzones, grilled hoagies, salads and more make up the extensive and “eclectic” menu at Mellow Mushroom. Award-winning beer selection. Dine in or carry out.The Pizza Shack (1220 N State St. 601-352-2001)2009’s winner of Best Pizza offers the perfect pizza-and-a-beer joint. Creative pizza options abound (“Cajun Joe, anyone?”), along with sandwiches, wings, salads and even BBQ.Sal & Mookieʼs (565 Taylor St. 601-368-1919)Pizzas of all kinds plus pasta, eggplant parmesan and the local favorite: fried ravioli. Voted Best Chef, Best Kid’s Menu and Best Ice Cream in the 2009 Best of Jackson reader poll.

CARRIBBEANTaste of the Island (436 E. Capitol, Downtown, 601-360-5900)Jerk chicken or ribs, curry chicken or shrimp, oxtails, snapper or goat, plus bok choy, steamed cabbage and Jamaican Greens, Carry out, counter seating or delivery available. 11a-7p.

VEGETARIANHigh Noon Café (2807 Old Canton Road in Rainbow Plaza 601-366-1513)Fresh, gourmet, tasty and healthy defi nes the lunch and brunch options at Jackson’s vegetar-ian (and vegan-friendly) restaurant. Weekly lunch specials push the envelope on creative and healthy; wonderful desserts!

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THURSDAY, APRIL 1 Men’s college basketball, NIT cham-pionship, teams TBD (6 p.m., ESPN): If Ole Miss wins on Tuesday, the Rebels will play North Carolina or Rhode Is-land in the title game.

FRIDAY, APRIL 2 College baseball, Mississippi Valley State vs. Jackson State (6 p.m., Jackson): The Tigers and Delta Devils meet in the opening game of their SWAC series.

SATURDAY, APRIL 3 College baseball, Mississippi State at South Carolina (3 p.m., Columbia, S.C., SportSouth, 105.9 FM): The Bull-dogs will face one of their toughest tests yet against the Gamecocks. … Men’s college basketball, NCAA Tournament, semifi nals, Michigan State vs. Butler (5 p.m., Ch. 12) and Duke vs. West Vir-ginia (7:30 p.m., Ch. 12): Did anybody expect these four teams to be in the Final Four? If you said yes, you’re lying.

SUNDAY, APRIL 4 MLB baseball, New York Yankees at Boston (7 p.m., ESPN2): The Yankees open their title defense against their big-gest rival. Attention, ESPN: Baseball is played outside the Northeast.

MONDAY, APRIL 5 MLB baseball, St. Louis at Cincin-nati (noon, ESPN): The Cardinals and Reds meet in baseball’s real season open-er. … Men’s college basketball, NCAA Tournament, championship, teams TBD (8 p.m., Ch. 12): College hoops’ best battle for round ball supremacy.

TUESDAY, APRIL 6 College baseball, Belhaven at Mis-sissippi College (6 p.m., Clinton): The Blazers and Choctaws battle for the Maloney Trophy. Wouldn’t a big-screen TV be a better prize? … Jackson State at Mississippi State (6 p.m., Starkville, 105.9 FM): The Tigers and Bulldogs renew their rivalry at Dudy Noble Field.

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 7 College baseball, Southern Miss vs. LSU (7 p.m., New Orleans, 103.9 FM): If you don’t go to the Big Easy, you can listen to the Golden Eagles on the radio … on the LSU network.

The Slate is compiled by Doctor S—between innings, of course. You’ll be safe at home at JFP Sports on www.jacksonfreepress.com.

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In the middle of the most exciting March Madness in recent memory, you tipped over your Abita Turbodog and nacho cheese. Your NCAA bracket,

patiently researched and completed, is now covered in a gooey coat of Rotel dip. You lovingly scrape away the damage to fi nd … devastation.

Kansas to win it all? Villanova to get past the fi rst weekend? Good Ali Farokhmanesh, Batman!

Right about now you wish you had left the bracket beneath that cheese varnish where you couldn’t see it, right? That ac-count manager in your offi ce who picked Butler and Michigan State “because I drove a Ford in college” is looking like the sports-world’s Nostradamus, isn’t he?

I would be lying if I told you I hadn’t heard stories like yours before. “The Great Sports Fan Brought Low” is one of the most clichéd and common themes in all of sports writing (see Bartman, Steve; Lakers fan Jack Nicholson in “Wolf”).

Allow me to offer some advice. I’ve chosen some quotes from Yogi

Berra, the great Major League catcher who had more home runs than strikeouts fi ve times in a season. Like Berra, you should take the long view: There will be more hits than strikeouts in your picking career.

I hope.

Put it into perspective“Slump? I ain’t in no slump... I just

ain’t hitting.” -Yogi BerraLook on the bright side: You didn’t

unveil your bracket to national coverage in the White House Map Room.

Barack Obama’s bracket has been devastated since the fi rst weekend. He pre-dicted that the Kansas Jayhawks would win it all, and ranked Villanova as a Final Four team. After the fi rst weekend, His bracket dropped to 106,679 in ESPN’s rankings.

Of course, Obama will fi nd it a lot easier to put a positive spin on the last two weeks. The president also took some time to watch a health-care bill pass in a U.S. House of Representatives vote. It’s been a seemingly unreachable ambition of numer-

ous presidents, Republican and Democrat, since the Roosevelt administration. (That would be Theodore Roosevelt, president from 1901 to 1908.)

Become nostalgic“Ninety percent of this game is half

mental.” -Yogi BerraThink back over all your past achieve-

ments. Remember the game-winning shot in a pickup game in the seventh grade, or that improbable touchdown pass you threw in Madden.

No one can take away the year you picked 12 of the last 16, and that was after Duke broke your heart by losing on a buzzer-beater. When colleagues spoke about your picks, it was in hushed tones, as if they were witnessing fi rsthand the Aurora Borealis.

Now, your bracket has the stench of a loser, and you’ve become the Augur Winless.

Then again, you can always learn something from this year’s shortcomings.

There’s Always Next Year“The future ain’t what it used to be.”

-Yogi BerraYou have more than 345 days until

you get to pick your bracket again. You will experience some triumphs and defeats. You will achieve some life milestones, like 1,000 days worked or 500 checks cashed in. In the meantime, it’s important that you keep your focus on what matters: next year’s bracket.

Do some soul-searching. Why favor the “chalk” so much? There seems to some favoritism given to Big East schools on your bracket. Gauge how teams began the year (Northern Iowa was ranked 28th overall in some polls) and how they ended it (Villanova’s slump), but don’t fall into traps where you entirely disregard the potential represented by the former or the impermanence of the latter.

Start researching early. Rarely are you going to think, while fi lling out your bracket, “I wish I knew less about the Uni-versity of Wisconsin at Oshkosh.”

Coping with a Busted Bracketsports by John Yargo

Doctor S sez: Yeah, college baseball has been good, but now it’s time for the really good stuff.

MA

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Former Major League Baseball player, manager and Hall-of-Famer Lawrence “Yogi” Berra is the king of the malapropism.

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Across 1 Type of garden with rocks4 The Good Witch from “The Wizard of Oz”10 ___ de mer13 Double-bladed weapon14 Tell on15 She plays Liz on “30 Rock”16 Chew toy on Batman’s utility belt?18 MIT grad, maybe19 Sportscaster Dick20 Like screwball comedies21 System with paddles and a joystick24 Explorer Juan Ponce ___25 “Arrested Development” narrator Howard26 Fish served in fi lets31 Mad scientist who is the enemy of Action Man32 Prof’s admission that someone’s helping him temporarily?35 Soul great Redding36 Swear like a sailor37 Pulls a heist on40 Halloween costume that includes big ears, dark clothing and a bunch of charts?43 Digital camera variety, for short

45 They’ll help serve your Earl Grey46 ___ Hill (R&B group)47 Container for stir-fried veg-etables?49 ___ Lateef of jazz51 Get the engine humming52 Takes more Time?56 PG&E opponent Brockovich57 Visit Vancouver, say?61 Grub62 Fill with passion63 Moving vehicle64 Porker’s pad65 Raptor’s grabbers66 Self-help workshop movement of the 1970s

Down 1 Turn sharply2 Prefi x for skeleton3 Paycheck line4 Semi-frozen drink similar to an Italian ice5 Petting zoo critter6 “Let ___” (Beatles hit)7 Widow of King Hussein8 Answer to the riddle, “What’s brown and sounds like a bell?”9 Ending for emir

10 Spoke indirectly11 ___ Wat (Cambodian temple)12 Voice box15 Blue-green shade17 That girl20 Take a baby off the bottle21 Jason’s ship22 Car horn noise23 Like some sci-fi boots24 In the most desperate way27 Tended to a scratch28 She came between Hillary and Michelle29 Dos that get picked out30 Backup group33 Spicy General on a menu34 Raw metal source38 Dull person39 Double-___ (Oreos variety)41 Type of convertible42 Uses of mentally-based propa-ganda, in CIA-speak43 Shopping binges44 Give a good staredown (not!)48 Groan-inducing jokes50 Ensign’s org.52 Novelist Jaffe53 List-ending abbr.54 Pitcher Hideo55 Bernanke subj.57 “___ Smart”58 5th or Mad., e.g.59 “___ Boot”60 Picnic pest

©2010 Jonesin’ Crosswords (editor@jonesincrosswords.com) For answers to this puzzle, call: 1-900-226-2800, 99 cents per minute. Must be 18+. Or to bill to your credit card, call: 1-800-655-6548. Reference puzzle #0454.

“From Milk”—we derive these new phrases.

BY MATT JONES

“Missing Links”Place the following fi fteen letters into the grid so that, as in Scrabble, all sequences of two or more letters form English words. You must use all fi fteen letters given and cannot move any of the letters already placed in the grid.

D E E E LN O O P PR R S T V

BY MATT JONES

Last Week’s Answers

Last Week’s Answers

ARIES (March 21-April 19)I’m worried about your ability to sneak and fake and dissemble. These skills seem to

have atrophied in you. To quote Homer Simpson: “You couldn’t fool your own mother on the foolingest day of your life with an electrifi ed fooling machine!” Please, Aries, jump back into the game-playing, BS-dispensing routine the rest of us are caught up in. April Fool! Everything I just said was a fi lthy lie. In fact, I admire the candor and

straightforwardness you’ve been cultivating. My only critique is that maybe you could take some of the edge off it. Try telling the raw truth with more relaxed grace.

Get in the mood to see your life as a miracle. Listen to this: http://bit.ly/SongGlory

TAURUS (April 20-May 20)You’ll probably dream of falling off a cliff, or plung-ing out of a hot-air balloon or skydiving without a parachute. I’m very disappointed in your unconscious mind’s decision to expose yourself to such unpleas-ant experiences, even if they are pretend. April Fool! I told you a half-truth. While it is likely that you will dream of diving off a mountaintop, or tumbling out of a hot-air balloon or fl ying through the big sky without a parachute, your unconscious mind has arranged it so that you will land softly and safely in a giant pile of foam padding and feathers next to a waterfall whose roaring fl ow is singing your name. Despite the apparent inconvenience in the fi rst part of the dream, you will be taken care of by the end.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20)On the “Ghost Hunters” TV program, paranormal researchers investigate places that others believe are haunted by supernatural entities. One commercial for the show urges us, the viewers, to “Get fl uent in fear!” That exhortation happens to be perfect advice for you, Gemini. April Fool! I lied. This is not at all a good time for you to get fl uent in fear. But more than that, it’s actually a momentous time to get un-fl uent in fear. You have an unprecedented opportunity to stop casually exposing yourself to anxiety-inducing infl uences. You have amazing power to shut down that place in your imagination where you generate your scary fantasies. The conquest of your fears could be at hand.

CANCER (June 21-July 22)Your gambling chakra is conspiring with your inner rough-neck to pull a fast one on your dignity chakra and your inner wuss. If they get away with their scheme you may fi nd yourself having ridiculous yet holy fun in high places. And I wouldn’t be surprised if in the course of these hijinks, your spirit guides channeled some holistic karma into the part of your psychic anatomy that we in the con-sciousness business call your “spiritual orgy button.” April Fool! Sorry if that sounded a bit esoteric. I was invoking some faux shamanic jargon in the hope of bypassing your rational mind and tricking you into experiencing a fi zzy, buoyant altered state, which would be an excellent tonic for both your mental and physical health.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22)“I eat pressure for breakfast,” says Leo-born James Cameron, director of “Avatar” and “Titanic,” the two highest-grossing fi lms ever made. Like many in your tribe, he has a very high opinion of himself. “Anybody can be a father or a husband,” he told his fourth wife, Linda Hamilton. “There are only fi ve people in the world who can do what I do, and I’m going for that.” He’s your role model. April Fool! I lied. While I do urge you to fo-cus intensely on the quality or talent that’s most special about you, I strongly discourage you from neglecting your more ordinary roles. In Cameron’s case, I’d advise him to start working on his next fantastic project but also spiff up his skills as a husband and father.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22)Do not, under any circumstances, express your anger at the mainstream media by taking a baseball bat into a superstore full of electronic gear and smashing 32 TV sets. Keep it to a minimum of 15 sets, please. April Fool! I lied. I defi nitely don’t recommend that you smash any TVs with a baseball bat. However, you do have permis-sion to bash and smash things in your imagination. In fact I encourage it. Engaging in a fantasy of breaking inanimate objects that symbolize what oppresses you will shatter a certain mental block that desperately needs shattering.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22)As I studied your astrological data, a curious vision

popped into my mind’s eye: I saw a scene of a perky possum in a superhero costume giving you a tray of red Jello covered with marshmallows, gumdrops and choco-late kisses. And I knew immediately that it was a prime metaphor for your destiny right now. April Fool! I lied, sort of. Your imminent future may feature an unlikely offering from an unexpected source, but that offering will simply be like red Jello from a possum—with no superhero costume, and no marshmallows, gumdrops or chocolate kisses.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21)I sincerely hope that 2010 will be the year you stop wor-shiping Satan for good. Luckily, the coming weeks will be an excellent time to get that worthy project in gear. Despite the odd pleasures your twisted devotion to the Evil One seems to bring you, it actually undermines your ability to get what you want. The ironic fact of the matter is that pure unrepentant selfi shness—the kind that Satan celebrates—is the worst possible way to achieve your selfi sh goals. April Fool! I know you don’t really worship Satan. I was just hoping to jolt you into considering my real desire for you, which is to achieve your selfi sh goals by cultivating more unselfi shness.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21)According to Uncyclopedia.com, “Riding the Snake” is a book co-authored by Oscar Wilde and Jesus Christ in 1429 B.C. If you can fi nd a copy, I strongly suggest you read it. You could really use some help in taming the unruly kundalini that has been whipping you around. April Fool! I lied. There is no such ancient book. But that doesn’t change the fact that you’d really benefi t from getting more control over your instinctual energy. I’d love to see your libidinous power be more thoroughly harnessed in behalf of your creative expression.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19)Supermodel Selita Ebanks is your role model. In ac-cordance with the astrological omens, I recommend that you arrange for the kind of special treatment she enjoys as she’s preparing for a runway show. That means get-ting fi ve stylists to work for hours every day perfecting every aspect of your physical appearance. Please make sure they apply no less than 20 layers of makeup to your butt. April Fool! I lied. The omens say this is not a good time to obsess on your outer beauty. They do suggest, however, that attending to your inner beauty would be smart. So please do the equivalent of getting 20 layers of makeup applied to your soul’s butt.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18)Would it be a wise idea for you to stage your own kid-napping and demand ransom money for your release? Should you appear on a reality TV show that will expose your intimate secrets to millions of viewers? Could you get your spiritual evolution back on track by joining a religious cult? April Fool! The questions I just posed were terrible. They were irrelevant to the destiny you should be shaping for yourself. But they were provoca-tive, and may, therefore, be the nudge you need to get smarter about formulating your choices. It has never been more important than it is right now for you to ask yourself good questions.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20)It’s an excellent time to demonstrate how strong and brave and indomitable you are. I suggest you carry out some heroic feat, like lying on a bed of nails while someone puts heavy concrete blocks all over your body, then uses a sledgehammer to smash those blocks. April Fool! What I just said is only half true. While it’s an excellent time to prove your mettle, there are far more constructive ways to do it than lying on a bed of nails. For example, you could try shaking off a bad infl uence that chronically saps your energy.

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2615 N. State StREET 601-981-7077 www.schimmelsonline.com

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Follow Schimmel’s on Twitter, Myspace and Facebook for music updates!

LUNCH MENU DAILY Daily Specials $8.95

TuesdayBeef Stroganoff and Egg

Noodles/One Side

WednesdayPork Chops w/ Red Skin Mashed

Potatoes/One Side

ThursdayBaked Chicken w/Mushroom

Rice/One Side

FridayGrilled and Fried Catfish

w/Two Sides

HAPPY HOUR Tuesday-Friday 4:30pm-6:30pm

All Drinks Half Price

DINNER MENUSeafood, Steak & House Specialties

Stuffed Pork Tenderloin w/Garlic Cheese Grits 21.95

Chicken Pasta w/Basil Pesto 18.95

Cajun Shrimp andPepperjack Grits 22.95

EVERYDAY SPECIALSRed Beans & Rice

w/ Smoked Sausage 8.95

Angus Burgerw/Sweet Potato Fries $8.95

Fried Oyster Po Boy $8.95

DESSERTSMade In-house Daily $7.95

This is just a sample of our specials and specialties;This is just a sample of our specials and specialties;

stop in to enjoy our full menu.stop in to enjoy our full menu.

- SCHIMMEL’S MENU -- SCHIMMEL’S MENU -

Dine-In / Carry-Out Mon - Thur: 11am-10pm

601-352-20011220 N. State St. (across from Baptist Medical Center)

www.thepizzashackjackson.com

CATERINGAVAILABLE

(BUDWEISER & BUD LIGHT)Stop by and watch Basketball on the ! at screen

ADOPTIONPregnant? Considering Adop-tion? Talk with caring agency special-izing in matching Birthmothers with Families nationwide. LIVING EXPENSES PAID. Call 24/7 Abby’s One True Gift Adoptions. 866-413-6293

ADVERTISING/MARKETING

GAIN NATIONAL EXPOSURE. Reach over 5 million young, educated readers for only $995 by advertising in 110 weekly newspapers like this one. Call Jason at 202-289-8484. This is not a job offer.

BUSINESS OPPSHomebased Info Consul-tants!!!Legitimate work-from-home busi-ness opportunity looking for local information consultants to assist in building a real-time database for nationwide company. Get paid up to $1.25 for each license plate entered into an online system. Small amounts add up like Google, Visa and Master-Card every time you use them. Many are making thousands per month with the payout leverage that this company offers. Call Stephanie for more information. (601) 566-5673

EDUCATIONFree Advice! We’ll Help You Choose A Program Or Degree To Get Your Career & Your Life On Track. Call Collegebound Network Today! 1-877-892-2642

High School Diploma!Graduate in just 4 weeks!! FREE Brochure. Call NOW! 1-800-532-6546 Ext. 97 www.continentalacademy.com

GENERALPositions To Be Filled Im-mediately for on-going position with Fortune 500 Co. Great career opportunity! Training provided! Make $700-$900 weekly. Call Mr. Strong 1-800-959-2106

RESTAURANT/HOTELS/CLUBS

Cashier and Assistant ManagerSeeking energetic Cashier and Assistant Manager. 7a.m to 2 p.m daily, M-F. Call Niki after 2:00, 601-354-4044.

HOME/GARDENLawn Care ServicesTom Corbin Lawn Care Service No lawn is too big or too small.contact: 601-218-8469

MISCELLANEOUSAffordable Handy ManHeating & Air Conditioning Services. Tile & Hardwood Floor installation. Sheet metal Fabrica-tion & Design. Soffi t & Fascia Repair. Pressure Washing. Weld-ing & Repair. Gauranteed lowest prices Free Estimates 24/7 (601) 506-1843

Miss Michelle Psychic Reader and Spiritual Advisor Specializing in Palm, Tarot and Crystals. We accept all major credit cards 2327 Hwy 80 East in Pearl. Call now, 601-933-4113

Passionate ExpressionsFor all your passionate needs check me out online. You can book a party or place confi dential orders. For your secret pleasures www.passionateexpressions.mobi

OFFICE/COMMERCIALJackson Offi ce Space for LeaseAffordable offi ce and meeting space for rent near downtown at 531 West Capitol Street. Call Lee Unger for info at 601-969-3088.

SERVICESHome Cleaningdixiedivascleaningservice.com

REAL ESTATE FOR SALEFondren/Med Center AreaNewly renovated 2 Br,1 BA apts in quiet 4plex. Credit ck/lease required. $500, $650/month. Call Karen 601-201-4795.

Clinton Duplex ApartmentSpacious living/dining, kitchen, bedroom, den; hardwood fl oors, CH/A; fi ve minutes to MC. $600/month, no pets; call 601-355-6548, leave a message.

RENTALSAll Areas - Houses For Rent. Browse thousands of rental listings with photos and maps. Advertise your rental home for FREE! Visit: www.RealRentals.com

ROOMMATESAll Areas - Roommates.com. Browse hundreds of online listings with photos and maps. Find your roommate with a click of the mouse! Visit: www.Roommates.com.

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Visit www.jfpclassifi eds.com,call 601.362.6121 ext. 1 M-F, 9-5or fax to 601.510.9019.Deadline: Mondays @ 12 noon. Curses, Foiled Again

Alerted by neighbors that someone was breaking into their car, a couple in Lake City, Fla., used their entry remote control to lock the thief inside. “So every time he tried to get out of the car, the owners just kept hitting the lock button on their key fob, and eventually he gave up trying to get out,” Co-lumbia County sheriff ’s Sgt. Ed Seifert said after Travis James Neeley, 19, was arrested. (The Gainesville Sun)

Get ’Em While They Last Canada’s Parliament reacted to a Euro-pean Union ban on seal products by serving seal hors d’oeuvres and main dishes at its restaurant. Two dozen lawmakers attended a luncheon to eat seal and listen to speeches endorsing Canada’s annual seal hunt. “This support begins on the plates of Canadi-ans,” federal Fisheries Minister Gail Shea proclaimed while dining on medallions of double-smoked, bacon wrap seal loin in a port reduction. (Reuters)

Faith-Based Initiative Selective brain damage might infl uence spiritual and religious attitudes, according to an Italian study of patients before and after surgery for brain tumors. Research-ers interested in linking brain activity and spirituality focused specifi cally on the per-sonality trait called self-transcendence (ST), which is considered a measure of spiritual feeling, thinking and behavior. Reporting

in the journal Neuron, the researchers said they hoped their fi ndings could lead to new strategies for treating some forms of mental illness. (Science Daily)

Second-Amendment Follies School district superintendent Dwain Haggard was showing his replica black pow-der muzzleloader to fi ve high school students in Reed Point, Mont., when the gun fi red and lodged a ball in the front wall of the classroom. “I can’t explain how it was loaded,” Haggard said, insisting the students were “never really in danger.” (Billings Gazette)

Kicks Just Keep Getting Harder to Find After a mother caught Ralph Conone, 68, hitting her two boys, ages 6 and 7, at a Wal-Mart store in Columbus, Ohio, he admitted to police that he’d been punching children on the backs of their heads with his keys in his fi st for months. “He stated that he does this because of the excitement of be-ing able to do it and get away with it with the parents right there,” police Sgt. John Hurst said. Conone explained that he would wait until a parent wandered briefl y out of sight of a child before striking the child with his keys between his fi ngers. When the child cried out, Conone would slip away unno-ticed. (The Columbus Dispatch)

Compiled from mainstream media sources by Roland Sweet. Authentication on demand.

FileChapter 7Bankruptcy for $999!($299 Federal Filing Fee Included!)Interest Free Payment Plans Available

Neil B. SneadA C A L

Jackson • (601) 316-7147FREE BACKGROUND INFORMATION AVAILABLE UPON REQUEST

1046 Greymont Ave. (behind La Cazuela)CALL US AT 601-397-6223!

Security Cameras • Attendant On DutyDrop Off Service • Free Wi-Fi

VIC’S STOREVIC’S STOREFIXTURESFIXTURES

Supplying the Jackson Metro Area with

Quality Store Fixtures to Organize, Improve, and Start-Up Your Business

Glass Showcases • Displays • Clothes Racks• Hangers • Hooks and more...

2469 Livingston Road | Jackson, MS 39213601-454-7464 www.vicsfixtures.com

BELLYDANCEBELLYDANCE

Bring a friend. Gift Certifi cates Available.

For more info., call Millsaps College at 601-974-1130

begin April 5@ 6:30pm

NEW CLASSES

Haven’t you always wantedto Belly Dance?

Tony’s Tire & Automotive, Inc.

• Foreign/Domestic repairs• AC & coolant repair• Timing Belt• Brakes

• Major engine repair• Batteries• Towing/Recovery• New & used tires

Want a better deal than that? Go to www.halfoffdepot.com/Jacksonto save half off on your next visit to our shop (will apply to specials).

Tony’s Tire & Automotive, Inc.Tony’s Tire & Automotive, Inc.Oil Change

and

Tire Rotation

$49$499999 $49$499999

5138 N State St. Jackson, MS 39206 • Phone: 601-981-2414 • Fax: 601-981-2435Owners - Tony Murphy, Sr. and Tony Murphy, Jr.

AC Chargeand

Leak Detect

Hours of Operation: Monday - Friday 7:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.

258 Dogwood Blvd., Flowood | 601.992.1373Mon.-Fri. 8:30 a.m.-7:00 p.m. and Saturday 8:30 a.m.-6:00 p.m.

111 Colony Crossing Ste. 280, Madison | 601.607.3443Monday - Saturday 9:00 a.m.-6:00 p.m.

Alterations

and Custom Made

Suits & Shirts Arabica Coffee Arabica Coffee

Roasted On Site

Locally Owned & Operated

308 E Pearl St, Jackson (601)949-6994

www.spanishms.com

Get a better job, reach the Latino Market,

small groups, Native teachers,

Latino parties and reunions.

Call us: 601-977-1008

“Where theEaster Bunny

Shops.”

maywood mart601-362-9553

Easter ison Sunday,

April 4