September 11-17, 2020, Vol. 13, Issue 37 New clinic in Memphis focuses on helping patients with Memphis-area home sales fell 5.3% in August, but prices depression, PTSD P. 4 continue to climb P. 5 FORMERLY THE MEMPHIS NEWS FAYETTE • TIPTON • MADISON Jasmyn Lyons helps Steven Davis load the family car Aug. 28, 2020 for a yard sign business the family started. Each night Thursday through Sunday, they visit an average of 6 yards and set up signs for parties, anniversaries and other special events. (Patrick Lantrip/The West Tennessee News) Yard signs risingA across NEED the country as families pivot FOR to celebrate important SIGNS events while social distancing P. 2 TYRANZA A DREAM JOB Memphis Zoo says Community development goodbye to 56-year-old a "dream job" for elephant Tyranza P. 3 returning Memphian P. 5 A Publication of The Daily News Publishing Co. 2 September 11-17, 2020 The West Tennessee News Pandemic drives need for signs $85. She visits about six yards a night each weekend and returns the following day to pick up the signs. Her 15-year-old daugh- ter, Jasmyn Lyons, a Bartlett High student, cleans them up and places them in the attic for retrieval on another weekend. “It’s my first job ever,” said Jasmyn, an aspiring nurse. “I’ve learned to be aware and pay more attention. You can’t forget a letter.”Steven Davis, Davis’ husband, works at a railroad but says doing the side sign gig with his family is not a huge drain on his energy.“It’s more than a job,” he said as he helped keep yard card orders separat- ed in the back of the family’s gray Toyota van. “We bring a lot of joy to people.”Kathy James, a 911 dispatcher who celebrated her 50th birthday in August, peeked through her blinds as the Davis family layered let- ters with musical notes on cards under a bright moon. She opened her door, but the Davis’ don’t like an audience. “Not yet,” said Shatamara Davis, waving her back.After the Davis’ pulled away, James exploded onto her yard. She squealed. Then snapped photos.The following day, she held a drive-by/pull-up party for herself. “I’ve had grandma make a cake, but I’d never had a party party. I picked the pan- demic year for one,” Davis said. “It made me feel special to be able to do something at a time like this, even if we weren’t hugging on each other. “I haven’t seen my family in months,” she said. “This was our first foray into maybe spending some time with one Shatamara Davis, a Shelby County Schools teacher by day, organizes the evening's collections of yard signs the Davis family will set up a n o th e r.” Aug. 28, 2020. (Patrick Lantrip/The West Tennessee News) Amanda Higgs also started her 901 Yard Party Signs business after the pandemic hit TONI LEPESKA The need for directional and informa- The West Tennessee News tional signs helped fill the gap. A teacher stuck at home during the After shelter-at-home guidelines be- height of the pandemic saw the prolifera- came the norm, Signs Now crafted signs for tion of yard signs and decided to get in on funerals, for grocers and for the Memphis a piece of the action. Area Transit Authority. It did all the mu- Shatamara Davis trekked across Mem- nicipal signs for the City of Germantown. phis at night until the wee hours of the The signs provided instructions on so- morning with a car full of oversized alpha- cial distancing and mask-wearing. A sign bets. She erected yard signs with celebra- at a local Kroger offered: “Stop. Mask Re- tory messages for birthdays, anniversaries quired. Local ordinances require face cov- and graduations as shelter-at-home orders erings to be worn.” shifted the way society throws a party. “There’s a whole new branch of signage “We’re busy every weekend,” said Da- industry that’s going on because of COVID,” vis, the owner of Prissy and Preppy Yard Shane said.Signs Now also has made “floor Cards and Signs and a reading instructor graphics,” which tell customers where to at American Way Middle School. “It took off stand to be six feet apart from other cus- faster than we thought it would. We’re al- tomers. The signs have a two- to five-year ways adding signs to our inventory. They’ve durability or lifespan, Shane said.While taken up our whole attic. They’re huge!” he doesn’t expect the demand for signs to Yard signs are rising across the country taper off soon, he said eventually everyone Steven Davis puts the finishing touches on a yard sign display his family set up the evening as families pivot to celebrate important will have the signs they need.“It’s going to of Aug. 28, 2020. (Patrick Lantrip/The West Tennessee News) events while socially distancing, but that get saturated. Sooner or later, everyone is doesn’t mean business is great for all sign going to have their signs – unless they get companies.Signs Now creates signs for a different (health department) mandate,” unique needs of their customers,” Mark the Mid-South. She struck upon the idea weddings and smaller events, but a good Shane said.FastSigns International Inc., Jameson with FastSigns’ franchise sup- of doing signs after her gourmet cooking bit of its business relies on bigger clients. It with two locations in Memphis, issued port and development department said. demonstration business “crashed” with typically makes signs for events at Liberty a press release in mid-August to report “Throughout the pandemic, our franchi- COVID-19. She does 30 to 35 signs a week. Bowl Memorial Stadium, golf tournaments strong growth year-to-date in 2020. sees have continued to manufacture criti- “It’s been crazy ever since. Crazy,” Higgs and charity fundraisers. The growth included 12 new franchise cal signage, plexiglass shields and more said. COVID-19 has put an end to a lot of agreements since March 1. The company to help hospitals, local governments and As for the future of the yard sign busi- such gatherings with large crowds. attributed its growth to its centers be- businesses communicate important health ness, Higgs predicts the pandemic will have “We didn’t get any of those this year,” ing deemed essential businesses during and safety information and to protect a lasting impact on how some but not all said Adrian Shane, operational manager the pandemic and to the pivoting of their communities.” people celebrate. She believes drive-by and of Signs Now at 4945 American Way. “I services.”We’re incredibly proud of how While larger companies construct their pull-up parties are here to stay. wouldn’t say business is good. I’d say we’ve our franchisees adapted to the changing own signs, Davis at Prissy and Preppy Yard “I can’t tell you how many parents have probably broken even – but we didn’t have climate by tapping into the diverse prod- Cards and Signs buys her signs from ven- said to me, ‘I’m never throwing a child’s to lay anybody off.” uct range we offer so they could fulfill the dors. Her rental and set-up services start at party again,’” Higgs said. The West Tennessee News September 11-17, 2020 3 Pandemic poses challenges for Youth Villages’ LifeSet program DON WADE Christen Glickman, Youth said. Even if they landed some- The West Tennessee News Villages (YV) federal policy place that wasn’t compromised, It might sound like a pretty manager based in Washington, it still might have meant tak- basic list: finishing high school says in March as the pandemic ing more responsibility on their or earning a GED; applying for gripped the country, a survey young shoulders. That has been scholarships and starting col- of young people participating the case for 17-year-old Shylann lege; finding and maintaining in the LifeSet program found a Gunn, who is a sophomore at suitable housing; finding and quarter of them anticipated los- LeMoyne-Owen College. maintaining employment; apply- ing a job and 10% “feared they She is staying at her grand- ing for medical insurance; learn- would run out of food in two parents’ house and they have ing essential financial skills, w e e k s .” their hands full running their and building and maintaining Additionally, FosterClub sur- own business. So, care of her healthy relationships. veyed “transition-age-youth” 18 younger sister and 2-year-old That’s not even the complete to 24 nationally and found 50% brother largely falls to her when list. And notice, it’s already long. of those who said they had lost she is not taking chemistry and Everything on that list, and work and filed for unemploy- anatomy courses online. more, is central to the Youth Vil- ment benefits reported not re- “It’s a doozy,” Gunn said. Youth Villages' LifeSet program participant Mose Frazier gives his lages LifeSet program and the ef- ceiving them. Thirty-seven per- Shylann graduated Kings- younger brother Lamar Frazier a haircut Thursday, Sept. 3, 2020 in fort to help young adults transi- cent said they had family (legal bury High School at age 16. She’ll their Orange Mound home. (Mark Weber/The West Tennessee News) tion to adulthood coming out of or chosen) they could rely on be 18 later this month and is difficult situations – everything during the pandemic. The CO- holding strong with a 3.8 GPA in “From when I first received preparation for his test.