PRINT EDITION JUST $99 PER YEAR Covering local news, politics, and more Covering Memphis Since 1886 Channel 10 Friday nights at 7 MEMPHISDAILYNEWS.COM Wednesday, September 4, 2019 MemphisDailyNews.com Vol. 134 | No. 141 Rack–50¢/Delivery–39¢ New Starbucks embraces Union Ave. pedestrians TOM BAILEY Enterprises, the construction firm lot; architects for Starbucks de- typically we don’t have that,” he The patio is much bigger than Courtesy of The Daily Memphian that has built and renovated Star- signed the interior. said of the partially completed normal, too, at about 850 square The new Starbucks on Union bucks coffee shops around the city During a recent tour, Fahr structural steel canopy that pro- feet. will open Sept. 12 if all goes to for 15 years. pointed to an expresso maker he vides shade over the patio. “We And the building’s relation- schedule, and there’s none other Memphis-based ArchInc has not seen at other Starbucks. (usually) just have a small seating ship to Union is unlike nearly all quite like it in the Memphis area. designed the shell of the But the shiny new equipment is area with a rail. But this is a whole the buildings east of it on Union. That’s according to Marty 2,200-square-foot building and ev- not what sets this shop apart. new presentation when it comes to Fahr, vice president of Portico erything outside on the half-acre “It’s the structured canopy, the customer experience outside.” STARBUCKS CONTINUED ON P2 – extinction. Once abundant in Central Louisiana and Eastern Texas, it’s estimated only 200 now Behind the scenes, the Memphis Zoo reside in the wild, and the number declines every year. Reichling has been heavily involved in the ef- fort to save the non-venomous creature since 1984, and it’s been a major part of his career. Since 2002, works to save a snake from extinction he and the Memphis Zoo have partnered with the Fort Worth Zoo, the Audubon Zoo, the Ellen Trout Zoo, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the U.S. Forest Service to save the species. The four zoos have private research facilities where Louisiana Pine Snakes are bred, raised and studied. There are 120 at the Memphis Zoo. “You’re in a pine snake factory,” Reichling said. “We’ve got production, we’ve got quotas to meet, efficiency standards to maintain and we’ve got to produce product on a regular basis, just like U.S. Steel and everybody else. We produce pine snakes.” The Memphis Zoo’s research facility produces about 40 pine snakes a year. The older snakes rest in its main room, in large yellow cages with water dishes and plastic black shelters. To the right are the 2016 and 2017 snakes, and to the left are the breeders – full-grown pine snakes that are any- where from 3 to 25 years old. In a smaller room, the 2018 and 2019 snakes rest in boxes on black shelves, protected by news- paper. But this isn’t just the baby room – it’s the incubating room. In the corner, unhatched, leathery eggs sit un- der a webcam, in heat-treated vermiculite. The goal of the program, however, isn’t just to breed snakes. It’s to repopulate the wild. “We’re not just focused on maintaining a strong population in captivity as a hedge against extinction,” he said. “These animals have a job to do. And that’s to pro- duce animals that we release.” The threat to the animal goes back a hundred Steve Reichling, director of conservation and research for the Memphis Zoo, can’t help but smile at this baby Louisiana Pine Snake, years, when man-made changes to the landscape who almost appears to be smiling back. Reichling oversees a multi-zoo breeding program at the zoo that aims to reestablish the put it in peril. Louisiana Pine Snakes are special- Louisiana Pine Snake in their native habitats. (Patrick Lantrip/Courtesy of The Daily Memphian) ists, meaning they rely on many variables to sur- JOHN KLYCE “I think that shows the nature of we are, these giant, horrible monsters. vive. “You have generalists, and they can adapt,” Courtesy of The Daily Memphian the snake,” said Steve Reichling, the But he’s like, ‘I’m standing my ground.’ Reichling said. “The copperheads we have here in The cage’s glass door slides open. Memphis Zoo director of conserva- You’ve got to respect that.” the park, well, they do well out here because they’re Inside, a Louisiana Pine Snake curls tion and research. “They’re very bold These days, with the help of the generalists. If the deer mice aren’t common, they’ll back, his head up and tongue out. He’s and courageous. Imagine how much Memphis Zoo, the Louisiana Pine Snake ready to strike. bigger we are compared to them. Here is trying to stand up to something else SNAKE CONTINUED ON P3 INSIDE Columns ............................ 3 memphisdailynews.com chandlerreports.com Public Records ................ 4 ©2019 The Daily News Publishing Company A division of The Daily News Publishing Company Memphis, Tennessee The standard for premium real estate Established 1886 • 134th year information since 1968 Public Notices ............... 12 Call 901.523.1561 to subscribe Call 901.458.6419 for more information Page 2 MemphisDailyNews.com Wednesday, September 4, 2019 Pardue challenging Wissman for Arlington mayor MICHAEL WADDELL long- term.” to really try to get down to the nuts and schools and the small-town charm,” she Courtesy of The Daily Memphian She believes managing the town’s bud- bolts of each of our decisions to make the said. With a vision for Arlington focused on get is part of the process. right decision long-term for our commu- After several years of living in the com- financial stability, a safe community and “As our town grows, so does the strain nity,” she said. munity, she served on the Main Street Ar- great schools, Alderwoman Cheryl Par- on our town’s resources. So we need to Reviving the Health and Safety Com- lington board, a nonprofit that worked to due is challenging Mayor Mike Wissman be able to plan our decisions, and that mittee is a highlight for her over the past enrich, revitalize and promote the Depot for the town’s top elected position in the includes development decisions around two years. Square area through events like the annual Sept. 15 election. the current and future financial needs of “We started from the ground up and Christmas parade and Arlington in April. “Each decision we make today needs our town, and the best way to do it is by have really made it a viable committee for “That work really helped me see differ- to be measured against those long-term implementing a better budgeting system,” the community,” said Pardue, who cites the ent aspects of our town,” said Pardue, who goals, so our budget decisions today Pardue said. committee’s work hosting active shooter also previously served on the Relay for Life should include capital maintenance ex- She was elected to her first term as training sessions, creating back-to-school Committee. penses for tomorrow so we’re not put alderwoman in 2017 after attending the safety flyers and implementing the Officer She also serves on the Health and Safe- in a position where we have to raise tax town’s Board of Mayor and Aldermen of the Year award for the Shelby County ty Committee and Library Board and re- because we haven’t managed our budget meetings for six years prior. Sheriff ’s Department. cently joined the Arlington Chapter of the well,” Pardue said. The year before, a vacancy occurred Seeing how hard the town staff works APTA (Association for the Preservation of She sees managing growth and the on the board, and she threw her hat in the is the biggest takeaway she’s had from her Tennessee Antiquities). budget as the biggest challenges over the ring to serve as an interim for a year until time as alderwoman. She holds a bachelor’s degree in psy- next four years. Pardue decided to run for the next election. “Their efforts are rarely seen by the chology from the University of Memphis mayor this year because she believes her “Ultimately, I wasn’t chosen for the in- public, but they’re really the heart of the and recently completed her master’s in talents and passions in the areas of devel- terim position, but that truly became the town. They’re the ones who keep the town Christian Studies from Union University. opment and finances can be used to im- catalyst for me to consider running for al- functioning well, and they really deserve Pardue said she still loves Arlington’s prove the town. derman because it just seemed to be the the praises for the successful community small-town feeling, with residents helping “We have a unique opportunity to be next natural step to serve our community that we have,” Pardue said. each other through good and bad times. able to plan our growth in a way that pro- since I was already knowledgeable about She was born and raised in Memphis “It’s one of those things where we truly tects the identity of Arlington in the long- the town’s affairs,” Pardue said. and moved to Arlington with her family do ‘life’ with each other here,” Pardue said. term,” Pardue said. During her two years in office, she feels in 2003. “There’s just a genuine desire to serve “To me, that’s what’s important.