Vote for Skatelife Memphis and help inner-city youth get a skate park

This isn’t a Downtown thing, but I’d like to ask everyone to visit this link and vote. Pepsi is giving away $250,000 grants to worthy causes, and Skatelife Memphis is in the running for one of the grants, to be used to build a skate park in Bimghampton.

The grant would provide a skate park for inner-city youth, and skate equipment. It would provide a safe place for youth to hang out, and this is an activity that is said to transcend socioeconomic boundaries.

Out of over 1100 competing ideas, Skatelife currently ranks 20th in the voting. Please take a minute to vote and make ALL of Memphis better. Also, please note that you can return to the site and vote once a day through the end of April. Let’s give the kids of Memphis this park!

New novel set in Memphis coming soon – Pepper Jack by Jon Pendergrass

I’ve learned of a new soon-to-be-published novel set in Memphis. Author Jon Pendergrass has written Pepper Jack, described as “a thriller much in the style of James Patterson. Jackson Pritchard journeys towards redemption across Memphis and beyond, towards a new love and then with her, while people around him are being killed one by one.” The book is currently at the printer and Jon hopes for the book to be selling by Tax Day. As soon as I hear that it’s selling in local stores or online, I’ll post a link.

Jon will be in Memphis on May 8 for two book-signings. The first will be at 4 PM at the Midtown Blue Monkey. The Monkey is one of the settings in the novel.

The second signing will be at 7 PM at another setting in the book, Mollie Fontaine’s Lounge. Great place to chill out and have a drink.

You may wonder why I’m mentioning this book, since this is hardly “the literary blog” most days… well, it’s because Jon is my high school classmate. Funny to think that the guy who stood next to me on bleachers yelling “HALL HIGH WARRIORS” is now about to be a published novelist. Pretty cool.

Join the group “Pepper Jack–The Novel” on Facebook to make sure you receive updates about the book.

New pizzeria coming to Uptown

I’ve blogged several times that the Downtown core is getting a new pizzeria, Aldo’s Pizza Pies, soon.  It looks like Uptown will be getting a pizzeria too.

Yesterday I saw a “coming soon” flyer for a pizzeria and pub called Ferraro’s, which will be at 111 Jackson.  Is that the old High Point Pinch location?

Their flyer reads, “Free delivery, free WiFi, big screen TVs, cold beer, patio dining, handmade pizzas, fresh baked stromboli, lunch specials, family style dinners, fresh salads, catering and parties.”

Sounds good!  Downtown has been without a pizzeria for too long, and now we’re about to have multiple choices.