2 | LAGNIAPPE | April 23, 2015 - April 29, 2015 LAGNIAPPE ••••••••••••••••••••••••••• WEEKLY APRIL 23, 2015 – APRIL 29, 2015 | www.lagniappemobile.com Ashley Trice BAY BRIEFS Co-publisher/Editor [email protected] The Stimpson administration is in the process Rob Holbert of streamlining the Urban Development Co-publisher/Managing Editor Department. [email protected] 6 Steve Hall COMMENTARY Marketing/Sales Director Looking into the future with our old friend [email protected] Gabriel Tynes Nostrildumas. Assistant Managing Editor [email protected] 12 Dale Liesch BUSINESS Reporter [email protected] New Dauphin Street restaurant Jason Johnson Dumbwaiter has experienced an Reporter overwhelming reception. [email protected] 16 Eric Mann Reporter CUISINE [email protected] Get clucky at Chicken Kevin Lee Associate Editor/Arts Editor CONTENTS Salad Chick, where [email protected] you can have it by the Andy MacDonald scoop or on a bun. Cuisine Editor [email protected] Stephen Centanni Music Editor [email protected] J. Mark Bryant Sports Writer [email protected] 18 Daniel Anderson Chief Photographer COVER [email protected] The recent warming Laura Rasmussen of diplomatic relations Art Director www.laurarasmussen.com between the United Brooke Mathis States and Cuba could Advertising Sales Executive mean more business [email protected] for the Mobile and the Beth Williams Advertising Sales Executive Alabama State Port [email protected] Authority. Misty Groh Advertising Sales Executive [email protected] 24 Kelly Woods Advertising Sales Executive ARTS [email protected] Friends of the Saenger Theater are Melissa Schwarz hoping to enroll more patrons. Editorial Assistant [email protected] 26 Mary Burts Distribution Manager [email protected] MUSIC Contributors: Benjamin Burnley Asia Frey • Brian Holbert exorcised his creative Tommy Hicks • Ron Sivak Jeff Poor • Ken Robinson 30 demons and enlisted 30 a new lineup to On the Cover: Maria Mendez By Dan Anderson bring back Breaking Benjamin, who plays in LAGNIAPPE (USPS 20) is published weekly, Mobile this weekend. 52 issues a year, Volume 13, Issue 17, every Thursday by Something, Extra Publishing, Inc. Entered at the Mobile Post Office, 250 St. Joseph St, Mobile, AL, 36601. 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. FILM Mobile, AL 36604. Mailing address is P.O. Box 3003 Mobile, AL 36652. Phone: “A Most Violent Year” is a fascinating 251.450.4466 Fax 251.450.4498. Email: ashley- [email protected] or depiction of a businessman’s struggle [email protected] LAGNIAPPE is printed at Signature Offset, 2610 with morality. Lakeview Road, Hattiesburg, Mississippi. All letters sent to Lagniappe are considered to 36 be intended for publication. Member: Association of Alternative Newsweek- lies and Alternative Weeklies Network MEDIA All rights reserved. Something Extra Publishing, Inc. Nothing may be reprinted, photocopied or in any way reproduced without the expressed Legal Schnauzer gets hammered for permission of the publishers. Individuals may take one copy of the paper free $3.5 million. of charge from area businesses, racks or boxes. After that, papers are $3 per issue. Removal of more than one copy 40 from these points constitutes theft. Viola- tors are subject to prosecution. Help support Lagniappe Weekly by SPORTS becoming a “Friend with Benefits.” Former University of Mobile standout Scan this code for more info: Sarah Bailey recently became the first 41 full-time female official in the NFL. STYLE Bluegrass, crawdads and fence lickin’ 46 at St. Mary’s annual festival. April 23, 2015 - April 29, 2015| LAGNIAPPE | 3 GOI NG P OSTAL Hit ‘em where it hurts Support for marriage equality Mr. Holbert, get items to secure, and when you do have funds you I was pleased that both the Press- It is so noteworthy that large numbers of I just read your column “Time to stop the news- closely analyze the impact of any spend made. Register and Lagniappe wrote approvingly Catholics nationwide now think favorably paper thugs” (Damn the Torpedoes, April 16, 2015) Which leads to the question of, how many of these of same-sex marriage in editorials I read about same-sex marriage in spite of strong and am very supportive of the Lagniappe’s and our newspapers casually thrown on our lawns are actually in February. Such a heartfelt stance would disapproval by their church, a rigid seldom- city’s position. Also, while I am a college graduate, I picked up and read? have been unthinkable even as late as the changing magisterium. have to admit at times I think I learned just as much I am not proposing any type of retribution on the 1970s, but times have changed dramatically The fact that so many Conservatives and watching Andy Griffith as I did in class, and as Andy advertisers, but it would be interesting to raise the since then. reformed Jews support same-sex marriage would say, maybe we are looking at this thing the question in their minds regarding how much impact Nowadays, about 55 percent of Ameri- is also gratifying because so much of Chris- wrong way. their hard earned marketing dollars are actually mak- cans support same-sex marriage, and many tian opposition to homosexuality comes While I am fully supportive of the head-on ap- ing to their bottom-line when using this advertising of those now see the different sexual orien- from that famous passage in Leviticus, proach your paper and the city are taking with the vehicle. It will at least complicate the lives of the tation as a gift of God rather than nature’s which says you shall not lie with mankind Press-Register, what about also hitting them from the people trying to sell ad space. bizarre, incomprehensible blunder. This is as with womankind, since it is an abomina- opposing side? Any chance of dedicating a page in your paper and an eminently civilized shift in public option tion. Interestingly, Leviticus is the third • While free to the public (whether we want it listing advertiser’s names and simply asking, “are that should please all those who love social book of the coronial Jewish scripture which or not), the raw materials to support their “news” is you getting your money’s worth?” Especially if you justice and progressive change. contains Mosaic laws. obviously expensive for the Press-Register. can tie in a low percentage read figure to support the Many people still think that religious op- What more can one say about the un- • The majority of businesses advertising in the pub- question. At the end of the day if you can find a legal position to same-sex marriage is universal qualified support of so many of the churches lication are local companies struggling to make their way to undermine the Press-Register’s economics in but that simply isn’t true. For some years and the forth estate for marriage equality businesses successful and have to use their marketing addition to battling them in court it can only improve the United Church of Christ, Episcopalians except to give a resounding “Amen.” funds in the most effective manner possible. I have your odds of winning. and Unitarians have supported same-sex overseen large marketing budgets in our organization David Brasil marriage and lately the Presbyterian Church Joe Dacovich and marketing funds are one of the most difficult bud- Mobile (USA) has done so as well. Mobile POLICE DIS PAT CH the normal routine at the office and it is not un- over 30,000 Mobile County residents urging said violations of DPPA, and is cited in the lawsuit. Possible pot brownies cause stink at common for them to bring baked goods to give residents to vote for a political candidate Stateco According to that passage, damages recovered D.A.’s office to court staff, according to the source. represented.” for these violations could each come with a By Eric Mann At the time, Tucker and Strateco were run- $2,500-per-violation penalty. The penalty, if ning the mayoral campaign of challenger Sandy applied to each of the 30,000 bits of informa- At least two employees of the Baldwin Hastie hit with civil lawsuit for St- Stimpson, and records suggest a mass email with tion allegedly given to the Stimpson campaign, County District Attorney’s office became sick impson campaign email Hastie’s endorsement of Stimpson was sent to at would represent a total of more than $75 million. last week after eating brownies that were laced By Jason Johnson least some of the addresses Hastie allegedly pro- Title 18 Section 2721 doesn’t mention a with what is believed to be marijuana. As we noted in an online story last week, a vided in August 2013. The complaint suggests fee in writing, but it does expressly forbid any According to a source with knowledge of federal class action lawsuit has been filed against both Hastie and Tucker knew or should have department of motor vehicles, and any officer, the investigation, a temporary court employee Mobile County Licence Commissioner Kim known their actions would violate the DPPA. employee or contractor thereof, from knowingly brought the brownies into the building April 14 Hastie and public relations firm Stateco alleging Arnita Diamond and Labarron Yates, the disclosing or otherwise making personal infor- before a jury trial was scheduled to begin. It was they took part in a scheme to disseminate email same two individuals who filed an informal mation available to any person or entity. not known as of Monday morning whether the addresses from more than 30,000 Mobile resi- complaint making similar allegations against Hastie’s attorneys have previously argued temporary employee knew the brownies were dents for a political purpose.