– Now and then I wander the halls at the Board of Education, and look at the art created by MCS students that has been chosen to hang there. Some of those kids are REALLY talented.
Just curious… I know some of the South Main artists read this blog… has there ever been a program where local artists identify the most talented kids in the district and mentor them? Not talking about going in and doing an art class project with 25 kids, where 20 of them are just going through the motions to get a grade. I’m talking about finding the ones who are truly into it and show signs that it could be a career option, and then having local artists mentor them on a one-on-one or small-group basis. Maybe something like that has been attempted, don’t know. Just wanted to toss it out there, maybe plant a seed in some artists’ heads.
– Here’s a link to a WMC-TV story about Raiford’s closing. They have about a 2-minute video where they interviewed Raiford… he just decided it was time as he closed up shop last Friday night. They have video of the inside of the place without all the couches, which is kind of sad to see.
– Interesting site I found this weekend – The National Organization of Professional Athletes & Celebrities. They arrange speeches and public appearances, and they have thousands of big names. Just browsing through I saw Tony Dungy… Troy Aikman… Barbara Walters… Alice from the Brady Bunch… Jimmy Carter… Donald Trump… as well as his sidekicks George and Carolyn… and Bill who won the first season of The Apprentice… and Omarosa from the first season. They also have business speakers, diversity speakers, cancer survivors and lots of other categories.
Some of these people ain’t cheap though. You gotta be prepared to pony up six figures if you want The Donald at your event. On the other hand, if you want retired professional wrestler “Boogie Woogie Man” Jimmy Valiant, you can get him for a much lower price (it says “call for fee” on his entry – I have a feeling the “the change in your pocket” is in the ballpark for his fee).
– From the Daily News – Sauces, the new restaurant in the New Main block, is suing its landlord.
– Early voting for the Tennessee House District 89 primary is going on right now. In the Democratic primary, my friend Kevin Gallagher is running. I’ve known him for 11 years and I can say he’s a man who will put the public good first at all times. Steve Cohen has also issued a statement in support of Kevin Gallagher. So if you’re in 89 and are a Democrat, please stop by the polls and cast a ballot for Kevin.
– And that’ll do it for this post. I’ll be at Pint Nite at the Saucer tonight for a little while, probably 5:30 to 7:00 or thereabouts.