2 | LAGNIAPPE | January 1, 2015 - January 7, 2015 LAGNIAPPE ••••••••••••••••••••••••••• WEEKLY January 1, 2015 – January 7, 2015 | www.lagniappemobile.com Ashley Trice BAY BRIEFS Co-publisher/Editor Beneficiaries of county lodging tax [email protected] proceeds have shifted from initial recipients. Rob Holbert Co-publisher/Managing Editor 5 [email protected] Steve Hall COMMENTARY Marketing/Sales Director 2015 promises to be a big year for the Port [email protected] City. Gabriel Tynes Assistant Managing Editor 8 [email protected] Dale Liesch BUSINESS Reporter Baldwin County surpasses Shelby as [email protected] the fastest growing in the state. Jason Johnson Reporter 14 [email protected] Alyson Stokes CUISINE Web & Social Media Manager/Reporter [email protected] Fine wine and food Kevin Lee CONTENTS pairings at a low-key, Associate Editor/Arts Editor West Mobile hideout. [email protected] Andy MacDonald Cuisine Editor [email protected] Stephen Centanni Music Editor [email protected] J. Mark Bryant Sports Writer 15 [email protected] Daniel Anderson Chief Photographer COVER [email protected] The Mobile Housing Laura Rasmussen Board’s $750 million Art Director redevelopment plan may www.laurarasmussen.com 20 change the perception Brooke Mathis Advertising Sales Executive of public housing. [email protected] Beth Williams Advertising Sales Executive [email protected] Misty Groh Advertising Sales Executive [email protected] Melissa Schwarz ARTS Editorial Assistant The best gifts ever received couldn’t [email protected] be found in a catalog and never Contributors: stopped growing into something Asia Frey • Brian Holbert 22 greater. Susan Larsson • Ron Sivak Jeff Poor • Ken Robinson Casandra Butler Andrews MUSIC Chelsea Wallace • Clyde Foster Guitarist Rick Hirsch On the Cover: Columbia Parc, New retired from a career Orleans By Dan Anderson of touring to settle into LAGNIAPPE (USPS 20) is published weekly, a home and recording 52 issues a year, Volume 12, Issue 46, every Thursday by Something, Extra Publishing, Inc. studio on the banks of Entered at the Mobile Post Office, 250 St. Joseph St, Mobile, AL, 36601. Dog River. Periodicals postage paid at Mobile Post Office, 250 St Joseph St., Mobile, AL 36601 and other locations. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to P.O. Box 3003 Mobile, AL 36652. Editorial, advertising and production offices are located at 1102A Dauphin St. 24 Mobile, AL 36604. Mailing address is P.O. Box 3003 Mobile, AL 36652. Phone: 251.450.4466 Fax 251.450.4498. Email: ashley- [email protected] or FILM [email protected] Quirky “Frank” is one of the best movies LAGNIAPPE is printed at Signature Offset, 2610 Lakeview Road, Hattiesburg, Mississippi. of 2014. All letters sent to Lagniappe are considered to be intended for publication. 30 Member: Association of Alternative Newsweek- lies and Alternative Weeklies Network All rights reserved. Something Extra Publishing, MEDIA Inc. Nothing may be reprinted, photocopied or in any way reproduced without the expressed The longtime editor of the Mobile permission of the publishers. Individuals may take one copy of the paper free Press-Register is leaving the Alabama of charge from area businesses, racks or boxes. After that, papers are $3 per Media Group. issue. Removal of more than one copy 32 from these points constitutes theft. Violators are subject to prosecution. SPORTS Help support Lagniappe Weekly by becoming a “Friend with Benefits.” Events make GoDaddy Bowl more Scan this code for more info: 34 than just a football game. STYLE Organizing the physical chaos around you can make your life more 38 productive. LAGNIAPPE | January 1, 2015 - January 7, 2015 | 3 CORREC TION A couple of corrections were warranted in the article “‘Not even The actual lodging tax rate within the city of Mobile is 14 percent, one member’ supports lodging tax increase,” published in the which is derived from a 4 percent state tax, a 2 percent county tax Dec. 25, 2014 issue of Lagniappe. The article listed the lodging and an 8 percent city tax. The article also said the Mobile County tax rate within the city of Mobile at 17 percent, which was taken Commission’s planned soccer complex would cost $20.7 million from study conducted by HVS Consulting and Valuation Services in its first phase. However, that figure is actually the estimated that was obtained through the Mobile Area Lodging Association. cost of the facility’s first two phases. POLIC E DISP ATCH Body found in Mobile identified as missing Chickasaw man BY JASON JOHNSON/REPORTER | [email protected] Last weekend a body found along the outskirts of Police are asking anyone with information about William’s death or disappearance to call 251- Mobile near Prichard was identified by authorities as that 425-2211. of 20-year-old Timothy Javon Williams, who was reported missing from Chickasaw earlier this month. The confirma- Burglaries, assaults reported during holidays tion came a day after Williams’ family members had dis- An assault was reported at the intersection of Garland and Peabody streets on Christmas Eve, closed the identity of the body to local television stations. where a male victim was shot in the ankle. According the authorities, an unknown black male According to Police, Williams was last seen in Prichard subject exited a gray Toyota Camry, and armed with a pistol, told the victim not to move. after being dropped off by his cousin, Dewon Dewayne The victim, who will remain unidentified, fled on foot and was shot in the ankle. The victim Jenkins, near the Gulf Village community. Police initially was treated at Providence Hospital for non-life threatening injuries. No arrests have been made in said they didn’t suspect Jenkins of any foul play in connec- the case. tion with Williams’ disappearance, but Prichard officials Three individuals were arrested for removing copper from an abandoned building at the Or- said last week that “foul play couldn’t be ruled out.” leans Place Apartments on Michael Boulevard last Friday, Dec. 26. Several unsuccessful attempts to contact Jenkins were also After the incident was reported, officers responded to find three male subjects running from made by authorities, and it’s not known at this time if he the scene. Two were immediately detained, and a K-9 unit responded and located the third suspect has been questioned. inside of another abandoned apartment building. Williams’ body was discovered near the Shelton Beach Eric Davis, 29, Jemiel Mitchell, 29, and Demario Stallworth, 27, were arrested and charged Photo/BCSO Road Extension, between Moffett Road and Bear Fork Road. with third degree burglary possession of burglary tools and attempting to elude police. Because the body was found in Mobile just past the border Williams of Prichard’s jurisdiction, the Mobile Police Department is investigating the case. Police yet to apprehend holiday thief As is typical this time of year, police in the area have received several reports of packages “This has been a strange case,” said Philip Stiell, chief of staff to Prichard Mayor Troy Eph- being stolen from people’s homes. On Christmas Eve, the Mobile Police Department asked the riam, who handled the case before the body was found. “It originated in Chickasaw and since he public for help catching one such “Grinch.” was last seen in Prichard, it became a Prichard case. With the body being found Mobile’s jurisdic- According to police, around noon Dec. 23, officers responded to Gold Mine Road for a report tion, their police department is handling the investigation at this point.” of a residential burglary. There, officers collected evidence linking 25-year-old James Markiese Officials with the Mobile Police Department said the results of an autopsy are pending, but did Wright to a burglary that included stolen Christmas gifts. As of Dec. 29, Wright had yet to be ap- confirm that case was being investigated as a homicide. A cause of death has yet to be released. prehended by authorities. 4 | LAGNIAPPE | January 1, 2015 - January 7, 2015 BAY BRIEFS BB Tax shifted from original intent BY JASON JOHNSON/REPORTER | [email protected] ounty Commission President Connie Hud- mine how the marketing fund would be spent, and son was told last week most of Mobile’s membership in the MALA slowly died off. hotel community wasn’t interested in an- “The committee just started breaking down,” other lodging tax increase to fund a 10-field Blackinton said. “This was at a time when there Csoccer complex, and some in the Mobile Area were only two county commissioners, and when Lodging Association (MALA) say that’s partially it came time to renew the contract with MBCVB due to issues that arose well before the current at one point, there was not two votes. We worked administration took office. very hard to try and restore the marketing fund, According to Chuck Cuff, a former president of which we did in 2010, but with very different MALA, a 2 percent county tax on lodging added in funding levels.” 2001 was the idea of the lodging association. How- Since then, Blackinton said the MALA’s mem- ever, some hoteliers today say the funding isn’t bership has grown significantly, but the county currently being used as it was originally intended started disseminating its lodging tax revenue to and instead is helping fund specific events and multiple organizations and events. Those include organizations instead of promoting general tourism the MBCVB, the Mobile Sports Authority (MSA), and conventions. the Reese’s Senior Bowl, the GoDaddy.com Bowl, The marketing fund, as it was formerly referred the Mobile Arts Council, the GulfQuest Maritime to, is something Cuff said a group of hotel manag- Museum and others to the tune of about $1.8 mil- ers started working on in 1998 to help fund tour- lion in 2014.