Paul Ryburn’s Journal

First and foremost, check out the news story Eyewitness News 24/30 did on our Handling-Panhandling group. They interviewed the group’s co-founder Mike King, a Downtown business owner, and a tourist who was hit up within 5 minutes of being in Downtown Memphis.

I just got home from the first night of my high school reunion, held [...]

Looks like there’s going to be a story on panhandling on ABC 24/UPN 30 tonight. I’m about to leave town for my high school reunion, but they’re interviewing Mike King, co-founder of the Handling-Panhandling online forum/Google group, this afternoon.

Glad to see this matter finally getting some attention. I’ve been interviewed by the Commercial Appeal [...]

I’m heading out of town this weekend for my high school reunion, so I’ve kept up with what’s going on this weekend a little less than usual. Here are a few notes:

- The Orpheum will show Gone with the Wind Friday night as part of its classic movie series. This week there won’t be [...]

From the Commercial Appeal: Willie “Wild Bill” Storey, owner and namesake of Wild Bill’s juke joint at 1580 Vollintine, passed away this weekend at age 88.

Midtown Ryan has more on Wild Bill on [...]

Every morning, I walk two blocks down the Main Street Mall to Jack’s Food Store to grab my morning Mountain Dew. And almost every day, there are three or four panhandlers standing in front of Easy Way next door. “Gimme change!” they’ll shout as I pass by.

Well, this morning I made the walk to [...]

Pictured above is one of the trivia questions – the BEST QUESTION EVER, as a matter of fact – from trivia last night at the Flying Saucer. In case you can’t read it, it says, “What is the capital of Romania?” Needless to say we got this one right. The Rapscallions ended up [...]

Taken on Beale Street about 4:30 PM Sunday afternoon:

We all know this guy… this is the sad sack who wanders along Second Street looking as bad off as he possibly can. Well, Sunday he was wandering down Beale – I’m thinking he may live somewhere south and east of there. Someone gave him a [...]

If you miss dancing to the tunes spun by legendary Downtown DJ Hollywood Raiford, you have one more chance to catch him.

Raiford will be spinning him at The Phoenix Club’s Luau at the Botanic Gardens, Friday August 17. $30 ticket includes beer and libations. Not a bad deal. I’ve never been to any [...]

Less than one day after being announced, the Handling-Panhandling online forum has grown to 54 members, and we have some good discussion going on the list. Later today I’ll post some notes from our meeting with the CCC’s security coordinator to the list.

If you want to learn how to join, please read the [...]

Everyone,

It has become clear that the downtown community is fed up with the panhandling problem. I have received a massive number of e-mail responses to last week’s posts on panhandling, all of them expressing frustration and saying, “Why can’t we all work together on this?” They’re right – we need to get everyone involved. Residents, business [...]