Here are my notes from last night’s South Main Association meeting:
– Meeting was at Earnestine & Hazel’s. There were free Soul Burgers… I wanted one, but there were a lot of people in the room who’d never had a Soul Burger before, so I let them go first. E&H has a new menu item, shrimp creole with salad and bread for $10.
– Joan Robinson came up and talked about the new SMA fundraiser. She found a company called Funding Factory that recycles cell phones and inkjet and laser printer cartridges. Every phone or cartridge received turns into points, which turns into money for SMA. Being your phones and cartridges to the March 10 meeting at Circa. She’s also trying to organize drop-off points around South Main; if you can help shoot an e-mail to info@southmainmemphis.net. Larger businesses can also sponsor this project for South Main if they choose.
– Sherman Wilmott of Shangri-La Records/Projects came up to speak about a possible new music fest for South Main. The Shangri-La Pops Fest has happened for 3 years in Midtown, and now he’d like to bring it Downtown, to offer 3 hours of free music after the July 31 Trolley Tour. Everyone agreed it’s a great idea. The amount of music offered will depend on how much sponsorship money he can raise between now and then.
– Next up was Brian Paris with the Center for Southern Folklore. They’re now opening at 8 AM and serving coffee, etc. to make up for the loss of Blues City Pastry down the street.
– Also, the Center now has free live music from noon to 1 PM every Thursday and Friday. You can come down there and brown-bag it or eat the CSF’s food.
– Every two months or so they plan on having larger events where the audience can get up close and personal with the musician. There will be a performance piece and an on-stage interview. On February 14 they’ll have the first of these, Robin and Linda Williams. The next one will be Big Sam’s Funky Nation from New Orleans in April.
-Mode du Jour is closing this month. Friday 2/27 will be their goodbye party/sale at Trolley Tour.
– Major Sheffield of MPD came up. He commands the South Main Station in Central Station. Although the name of the station is “South Main,” the district he commands covers Crump on the south, the river on the west, Chelsea on the north, and Third and then Danny Thomas and then all the way to Watkins on the east. He has 2 lieutenants and 20 patrolmen under him.
– Advice on panhandling from the major: Look at them. Most people look away and are easy targets. If you look at them and give off an “I see you” vibe, they’re more likely to decide you’re street-smart and leave you alone.
– All the majors were asked to submit plans for their precincts, and among his plans he said, “I like to see officers on foot. I like to see officers on bikes.” That allows them to sneak up and catch vehicle burglars and aggressive panhandlers in the act. GO MAJOR SHEFFIELD! That’s something a lot of us have been saying down here for years. Cops can’t truly know the problems of the community when all they do is cruise around in their cars at 25 mph. On foot/bike weather permitting, of course. It isn’t reasonable to expect them to be out on bike when it’s 35 and raining.
– The question was raised about calling the South Main Station (636-4099) vs. calling the main MPD number (545-COPS) for help. Major Sheffield clarified that the South Main Station doesn’t dispatch. If you want a car to come out on a call, call 545-COPS. What the South Main Station can do is ask if there’s a car in the area than can run by the location you request. He said that the person who answers the phone at South Main Station should never be rude when explaining this to callers, and if they are rude to ask for a lieutenant.
– An audience member complained of being woken up at 5 AM by two construction projects near Main and Jefferson. She asked if there was a noise ordinance, and the major said yes. He arranged to get details from her and said he would pass on the info.
– Mike King asked if dormant police cars – ones not in use – can be parked at strategic locations around South Main to give criminals the sense that the police are watching. The major said that was possible and he’d look into it; however, once a car has just sat in the same spot for a couple of days, people tend to ignore it.
– The major is new to this precinct. As such, he wasn’t totally familiar with South Main. He quoted a crime that happened at 895 N. Claybrook, which may be in the same ward but is of little concern to South Main residents. He also talked about generic topics like when and when not to call 911 that were perhaps a waste of time for a crowd as sophisticated as the SMA. It would have been better if he’d brought a lieutenant who has worked the area for a while and is familiar with the unique set of circumstances in the neighborhood. That said, I can tell the major is a good officer and good man, and will learn the neighborhood and respond. He said he has an open door policy if there are concerns.
– The audience question and answer session in my opinion was a mess. People were interrupting and asking 4 or 5 follow-up questions and there were people who had their hands up for 20 minutes who were being ignored. I got tired of it after about 25 minutes and left to head to trivia.
– Mike King stayed and talked to the major about some of our repeat offenders. I know he brought up Jumper Cable Guy specifically. Let me clarify about JCG a little… if all he was doing was panhanding he wouldn’t be a big concern. However, he’s been known to follow and threaten people who refuse him. I’ve heard comments that people’s wives feel afraid to walk around their own neighborhood now, after encounters with JCG. That’s the kind of thing that needs to be stopped. It’s not just the panhandling.
– To his credit, the major said he was willing to stay until 10 PM and talk with audience members individually about their concerns. As he said, “there are things I can talk about and things I can’t talk about,” but he definitely didn’t appear to be ducking audience members’ questions. Once he gets acclimated to South Main he will be a real asset to the neighborhood. Thanks to Major Sheffield for coming out.
– As I left, Deni from the Majestic Grille was trying to get the floor to make an announcement. I think she was going to talk about the Gundlach Bundschu wine tasting Monday, February 23 from 6 to 8 PM. $35 per person, 4 courses with matching wines. Courses include Crispy Wonton with a spicy Tuna Tartare; Roasted Sea Scallop, white beans, smoked bacon and leek cream; Grilled Lamb chop; carrot puree, homemade apple jelly; and Chocolate Pot au Creme. Call 522-8555 to make reservations.
– She probably also talked about their special Valentine’s Day menu, which includes Peppercorn Crusted Tuna Carpaccio, Lobster Bisque, Herb and Dijon Crusted Rack of Lamb, Filet Mignon Oscar, and Sauteed Black Grouper. Regular menu will be available too and classic romance movies will be playing on their big screen. Again, call 522-8555 to make reservations. I’d be all about that Filet Mignon Oscar if I were going. I can’t say it enough – Patrick cooks the best filet in the city.
After the meeting, I headed north to Tuesday night trivia, where the team took second place. “You can have your choice,” the manger told us. “A $25 gift certificate or 3 T-shirts.” We don’t want no stinkin’ T-shirts! We want beer money! Afterward I wandered over to Kooky Canuck for to-go wings, then called it a night.
The Memphis Tigers play Tulsa, the team with the second best record in C-USA, tonight at the FedExForum. Also, Mpact Memphis members, don’t forget the happy hour tonight at The Cove.