Jackson Free Press

CRACKHEAD SON-IN-LAWS: The usually-respectful Jackson 2000, a group that meets regularly at Mikhail's to discuss racial reconciliation, got a little saucy this month when a panel gathered to discuss the impact race had on the state's elections on Nov. 4.

Jackson State political science professor Mary Coleman provided the best commentary, calmly analyzing the elections and showing that, yes, indeed race was a factor. The state's Democratic Party is not doing a good enough job to build coalitions, she said. Pshaw, responded (black) conservative talk-show host Kim Wade. The GOP is the only future for blacks; besides, most don't know why they vote Democratic in the first place—leaving some audience members seemingly ready to sink their forks into him. He also mentioned the warning he gave his daughter when she left for college: "I'd rather you'd bring home a crackhead than a Democrat." Well, then. Had state Democratic Party head Rickey Cole shown up for his reserved spot on the panel, perhaps he could have challenged the spunky talking head. But, he didn't. …. DIVERSE RADIO: WLEZ 103.7 FM, a new community radio station, is now filling the airways—at least, as far as its little radio waves will travel. The station is a "low power" FM licensee, which requires it to be a non-commercial station with a relatively weak signal. The frequency is "shoehorned" in between existing stations, said Edward St. Pé, the station's proprietor. The "low power" licenses are the result of an FCC decision under the Clinton adminstration designed to create better diversity of radio ownership in given markets. St Pé, who sings jazz standards himself around town, said, "This is a way to be next to something I love and bring it to many others in the area ... beyond the music I want to do talk shows and live events." The station intends to sell business "underwriting," and St. Pé does not anticipate listener fund drives. … SMOKING LOCAL: The support of City Councilwoman Battye Dagner-Cook has given life to the Capital City Clean Indoor Air Ordinance, which she introduced at the Nov. 18 council meeting. The effort, if successful, would ban smoking in Jackson restaurants, due in large part to the dangers of second-hand smoke inhaled by those who do not choose to smoke. Ordinance supporters, like the Mississippi Smokeless States Alliance, argue that it is a public-health issue. Business owners argue that they would suffer, especially from customers who decide to cross County Line Road to establishments where the ordinance isn't in place. They both have good points. Research consistently shows that states and locales that have banned smoking in bars and restaurants have not lost business; people still like to go out and eat and drink. Then again, not all those places have to fight against the same hysterical flight from the city that Jackson does. Then again, non-smokers sure would enjoy smoke-free air when they dine. Then again, the debate continues. … FOLLOW THAT CAR: The debate over police car chases after bad guys is picking up some healthy steam. People are starting to realize that it really is dangerous for the police to gun their engines down public thoroughfares, especially in pursuit of non-violent criminals, such as auto thieves (yes, even if Jackson has the 14th worst auto-theft rate; cars or lives?). The Commission on Police Pursuit Standards, established by Gov. Ronnie Musgrove last spring, will meet around the state in December: in the City Hall Board Room (107 Courthouse Square) in Oxford on Dec. 4, and in the New Capitol Building (Committee Room 113, 400 High St.) in Jackson on Dec. 9. Jackson Police Chief Robert Moore is chairing the commission. This sounds a little like the rooster guarding the henhouse, or something like that. Here's to hoping for civilian oversight, as well, of this very dangerous practice. … MAJORITY FOR A NIGHT: The state's progressives recently had an excuse to gather at Mikhail's to toast each other and show strength for their cause: the Mississippi Center for Justice. The new nonprofit law firm is continuing the traditions started by civil-justice lawyers from around the country who gathered in Mississippi during the 1960s to fight for civil rights for black citizens. Now the list of players include former Mississippi Supreme Court Justice Fred L. Banks, lawyer and restaurateur Isaac Byrd, attorney Rob McDuff and President and CEO Martha Bergmark, who have started the firm in the childhood home of writer Richard Ford on Congress Street, the street we at the JFP like to call, with all affection, "nutball alley." Cheers to carrying on the tradition of advancing racial and economic justice. The job's not done. … LAZY MOUTHS: The Associated Press reported that the Shreveport (La.) Police Department had to replace its voice-recognition phone system because it couldn't understand local Southern accents. "In Louisiana, we have a problem with Southern drawl and what I call lazy mouth," said Capt. John Dunn. "Because of that, the system often doesn't recognize what they say." Screw it then, we say. … SAY Y'ALL, Y'ALL: The regional Southern market for popular-culture glossy magazines out to make big bucks just grew by one magazine. Y'all: The Magazine of Southern People debuted Nov. 18, promising to "truly set the pulse of the Southern heartbeat." The Oxford-based glossy says it's charging $10,000 per ad page (they could just charge by the number of times they say "y'all"). The southern copycat of "People" had cutting-edge Southerners on the cover like Harry Connick Jr., Julia Roberts and that home-decorating TV chick, Laurie Smith, not to mention some of the dullest and more cliched content we've seen on glossy paper in at least a couple months. Smith was also the cover babe on South magazine's second issue, in case anyone is keeping track of who defines the popular culture down here. We were pleased to see local businessman Chane featured in Y'all, though, and it was well-written by local boy Nickolas Furr and photographed by Tom Beck. … HEALTHY WE'RE NOT: For folks who love city rankings, Organic Style magazine ranked the city of Jackson No. 62 in its September/October "Healthy City" ratings. Apparently, our air quality sucks, as do the toxins in our air and the pesticides in our gardens. Most other southern cities suck, too, which always makes us feel better, although Fort Myers, Fla., came in at No. 5. Not that Florida is actually southern. … HEADLINE O' THE WEEK: "Mass, wildlife game supper to honor patron saint," The Clarion Ledger, Nov. 15, 2003.
— Staff Reports

Previous Commentsshow

DIVERSE RADIO: This brings up another quality of life issue for Jackson - the lack of variety in radio stations for the 13-30 age group. Although there is plenty of pop and hip-hop, there is no "modern rock" or "indie rock" station in the city. Currently you have to drive at least an hour to pick up the stations in Monroe, LA (KXUL, ULM's station), or MSU's Indie Rock Station. This is not just a college town matter. Virtually every other city in the Middle South has an alternative rock station - Gulf Coast , Baton Rouge, Lafayette, Little Rock, all have them - and probably the Mobile-Pensacola area too.. Even Shreveport got one last year, and that city is not known for being "with the times"!!!! Why does not Jackson, a city with more going for it than Shreveport, have one? Getting an alt/indie rock station in Jackson would truly help Jackson's image. Merely getting one won't make the area "hip", but at least it won't get derided for its lack of music aimed at the 30 and under crowd - the ones who we need to move into the city.

Philip

Nov 28 2003

HEALTHY WEíRE NOT: (Air Quality). I don't know for sure, but according to C-L, the EPA report seemed to indicate Jackson has pretty clean air, since it apparently met federal standards for ozone (i know!), nitrous oxides (i believe), and some other gas i forgot the name of. In fact the only area the Jackson needs improvement is particulate matter (essentially, microscopic soot - the product of combustion). In fact, The Coast and DeSoto Co. were pegged with worse air than Jackson. Regardless, I can assure you that Jackson's air is isolated Rocky Mountain pristine compared to Dallas's. It seems that every day from late May to mid-September, we are at "Level Red" (unhealthy for sensitive people)!! I have no respiratory problems, but still I stay indoors every summer day around here. I hear Houston's problem is even worse. Baton Rouge has just awful air too, and I've heard Birmingham's is bad too. Atlanta is probably not much better (though i don't know for certain)

Philip

Nov 28 2003

C-L article: that was a 2002 article, not really recent, but still not too out of date (I would think)

Philip

Nov 28 2003

DIVERSE RADIO: I'm still mourning the change of format on 780. There's something about listening to blues music when commuting between home and work.

Ex

Dec 1 2003