About 5:30 in the morning of October 2, 2006, my phone rang, waking me up. “Paul, come up to the roof,” my neighbor Carmel said as I answered. “Downtown is on fire!”
A third-year resident of Number 10 Main at the time, I rode the elevator up to the rooftop, where I found about 15 of my neighbors in the enclosed area. We definitely didn’t want to be outside because embers were blowing around everywhere on that gusty morning. Court Square Annex was engulfed in flames, and the building completely collapsed not long after I got up there. A minor fire had started on one of the rooftops of the Lincoln-American Tower. I was told that the Court Square fires had started from embers that had blown south from a fire at First United Methodist Church at Second and Poplar. We couldn’t see that building from our roof, but I found out later that, like Court Square Annex, it had burned to the ground. The whole of Downtown might have burned that night if not for a superb effort on the part of the Memphis Fire Department.
Sunday is the 10-year anniversary of the fire, and First United Methodist will host Fired Up for the Future, a special service to celebrate how far the church has come in that period of time.
The Memphis Flyer’s Best Of issue hit the stands today, so be sure to pick one up.
Today is National Drink Beer Day. I will be delighted to do my patriotic duty this evening and show my support for this holiday.
The Tin Roof is holding a Samuel Adams Beer Stein Hoisting Championship this Saturday, October 1 at 2 PM. The winner will move on to the district finals in Nashville.
This Sunday at the Green Beetle, you have a chance to win tickets for the October 16 Cleveland Browns vs. Tennessee Titans game. Every Miller Lite you buy gets you an entry to the raffle for the tickets, to be held after this Sunday’s Titans game.
Since it began publication in 1890, the Arizona Republic has never endorsed a Democrat over a Republican for president. This endorsement history is said to be the “deep philosophical appreciation for conservative ideals and Republican principles.” However, the streak has come to an end in 2016. “The 2016 Republican candidate is not conservative and he is not qualified.” Very well said.
Next Wednesday, October 5, Jennifer Westwood and the Handsome Devils play The Dirty Crow Inn from 8 to 11 PM.
A Tale of Two Plans: The idea for the $5 million grant used to develop Fourth Bluff looks an awful lot like an idea Jonathan Kirkscey had nine years ago for Memphis Art Park.
Deering & Down play Tacos and Tunes tomorrow night on Felicia Suzanne’s patio. $2 tacos, $5 drinks.
That’s it for now. Possibly a third post before I hit the Silly Goose for happy hour after work.