Santa owes more than you know to the Mrs.

"Because I Said So" column for The Commercial Appeal

December 24, 2009

I have dutifully read my kids' letters to Santa, at least those of the middle two. The oldest no longer writes letters to Santa and the youngest still can't spell. I confess that I didn't know what a lot of the items on their lists were. After 12 years of fatherhood, I don't know what a Bakugan is, where to adopt a Zhu Zhu Pet or what a "model of Chowder" might be.

I'm sure they wouldn't understand my list, either, were I to write one. They may understand the words, but not the concept of wanting nothing more than for them to grow and flourish through the next year; to be free of illness, fear or sadness.

I don't need much else, really. Sure, I'd like an iPhone or some new CDs, but those will come over time. They're tangible and can be budgeted for. Our kids' childhoods are fleeting, an unknown quantity.

I recognize some of the items on the lists. I know what a laptop is and that 8-year-old Joshua is not getting one. I also know what root beer is, though it's unclear why it is on his list. I'm pretty sure he'll be getting a six-pack, though, if only so I can drink half of them.

Every mother's child knows what this year brings: Gifts, cheer, gifts, and family and friends who bring gifts. This season may be the most stressful part of this year, when we parents are expected once again to become experts in shopping, decorating, cooking and, maybe most importantly, the delicate balancing act of managing expectations ... (read more)

Shelby Middle School gets $600,000 grant to continue Peer Power tutoring

Business news feature story for The Commercial Appeal

December 19, 2009

Memphis businessman Charles McVean is well-versed in the art of speculation, and his recognition of the opportunities to invest in young students is paying dividends.

The latest investment is Shelby Middle School and its North Bolivar School district in Shelby, Miss., which has been awarded a $600,000 grant from the U.S. Education Department.

The grant was awarded to the school to continue its yearlong work with Peer Power Foundation, McVean's tutoring initiative aimed at students in grades 7-12.

Prompting the Education Department grant was the surge in state math exam scores among seventh-graders at Shelby Middle.

"This kind of financial support will mean that we can touch the lives of so many more students," said Rives Neblett, the Shelby businessman who funded the program through a nonprofit group ... (read more)

Bombing scenario preps Memphis' first responders for coordinated response

Business news feature story for The Commercial Appeal

December 18, 2009

Chaos reigned in Midtown Thursday as emergency personnel rushed into an office strewn with desks, cables, computers, insulation and filled with smoke after a suicide bomber attack took out six city blocks.

Paramedics quickly assessed the situation and worked to stabilize and remove the injured -- many moaning and bleeding.

As realistic as the scene was, it was actually just the first of six scheduled training sessions being held by the Medical Education and Research Institute at Cleveland and Monroe.

"The training is impressive and invaluable," said Gary Ludwig, deputy fire chief for the Memphis Fire Department. "On the job is not the time to train, and this is about as close to the reality of a bomb blast as you can get." ... (read more)

Le Bonheur Teen Council/Madison Hotel

Corporate Giving story for The Commercial Appeal

December 11, 2009

The Teen Advisory Board for Le Bonheur Children's Hospital spent a recent evening painting ornaments for the Christmas tree at the Madison Hotel.

The advisory board is a panel of current and past patients, their siblings and some teens who have no connection to Le Bonheur, to help guide the hospital on the wants and needs of the hospital's patients.

"We want them to have as much ownership in this as possible, we want them to be able to say 'This is what we think is important,'" said Thomas Hobson, director of Childlife Services.

Childlife Services is a clinical program that uses play to help children adjust to the hospital setting. The Teen Advisory Board is facilitated by Childlife Services ... (read more)

Political scientist is always up for debate

My Profession profile for The Commercial Appeal

December 10, 2009

There is no debating that the Rhodes College mock trial team is one of the best of its kind in the country.

The team holds the record for most consecutive Final 48 (that's mock trial's equivalent to the Final Four) appearances at 23 straight years.

At the helm of this team for exactly that many years is political science professor Dr. Marcus Pohlmann.

Originally from Davenport, Iowa, Pohlmann did his undergraduate work at Cornell College and graduate work at Columbia University. Having spent more than two decades at Rhodes, though, he considers himself a Memphian and, as a political scientist, appreciates the political show here and its accessibility.

"I know Willie Herenton, I know A C Wharton, I run into them at restaurants," Pohlmann said. "You can't say that in every city, that you can have that kind of access to the players." ... (read more)

Seeking an antidote to the season of crabbiness

"Because I Said So" column for The Commercial Appeal

December 10, 2009

My family has been overcome by sickness lately. Seasonal affective disorder, as any parent 500 miles above the equator knows, is brought on by that time of year when our children are required to wear hats, hoodies, mittens (that match) and coats.

Symptoms include ill temperament, crying, short fuses, screeching, whining and fatigue. It makes the kids crabby, too.

The condition, which we will call SAD for obvious reasons, is exacerbated by morning temperatures in the 30s and afternoon temps in the upper 50s, when outerwear is discarded by kids who are sure their hoods and scarves will never be needed again.

They are simple children. Children with no meteorological background whatsoever ... (read more)

Perfect partners: Toymaker right at home in Children's Museum at fairgrounds

Business news story for The Commercial Appeal

December 6, 2009

In a move that officials say could help efforts to redevelop the Mid-South Fairgrounds, the Village Toymaker has opened a new store in The Children's Museum of Memphis.

The specialty toy store, which has three other area locations, celebrated its grand opening Saturday.

"Our customers have been asking for a Midtown location but nothing was ever a good fit, and then (Children's Museum CEO) Dick Hackett started talking to us just a few weeks ago and it sounded like this could be a good fit," said store owner Pat Monz.

The store is a welcomed addition to the fairgrounds, which is undergoing a $175 million redevelopment ... (read more)

Coffee's on again along Poplar at Perkins

Business news feature for The Commercial Appeal

December 3, 2009

Espresso and chatter are flowing once again in the cream and coffee-colored building at Poplar and Perkins.

Poplar Perk'N has opened in the space formerly occupied by High Point Coffee, which closed the store and another one on Union in Midtown in September.

"I knew the area and couldn't understand why it had closed," said Poplar Perk'N owner Jimmy Whidden, who received a message on Facebook from a disgruntled friend the day High Point closed.

Whidden called High Point owner Thomas Blanche, who agreed to sell his fixtures and equipment, and landlord Stan Graber, who agreed to lease him the building.

With start-up costs in hand and no debt to service, Whidden faced no major obstacles -- other than repairing a leak in the roof -- to open ... (read more)

Room to breathe: Joe's Wine & Liquor expands for growing stock

Business news feature for The Commercial Appeal

November 30, 2009

When the Great Recession ends, Joe's Wine & Liquor will be ready.

The Midtown store with the landmark Sputnik at Poplar and Belvedere is launching a 2,200-square-foot expansion by taking over the neighboring space formerly occupied by the Peter Pan Pantry.

The project is expected to be completed in the first quarter with the complete $400,000 renovation, funded through a loan with Independent Bank, wrapped up and his staff of 10 moved in by March of 2010.

"John Jones is the architect and they've put together a retro '60s kind of feel to the store," said store owner Brad Larson. "When it's all said and done, the countertops will be stainless steel, we'll have a light source at the top that will ring the building, a lot of metal and wood racking for the wines. It's going to look real nice." ... (read more)

True meaning of thanks not lost on kids

"Because I Said So" column for The Commercial Appeal

November 25, 2009

I have fond memories of being a kid and traveling to relatives' homes for the holidays. Any child of the 1970s will recall long road trips spent singing along with the static of The Eagles on the radio, staring out the window, fighting with territorial siblings over the back seat and watching the ornamental seatbelts flap in the wind blowing through windows cracked open to allow the cigarette smoke to escape.

This country was founded on travel and a poor sense of direction.

I asked my children recently about their knowledge of Thanksgiving, its history and meaning. Somerset, 7, was almost positive the Pilgrims came over with Columbus in 1942. Calvin, 11 and my oldest, figured the trip must have taken at least a week and that the children on board spent most of the time throwing up.

"Wait," Somerset said, "the Pilgrims had kids?"

The throwing up, I was then told, was only one activity to pass the time, the other being one of my kids' favorites: rock-paper-scissors ... (read more)

Mid-South Minority Business Council awards honor institutional diversity

Daily business news story for The Commercial Appeal

November 21, 2009

Methodist Healthcare president Gary Shorb received top honors Friday at the Mid-South Minority Business Council Robert R. Church Sr. Achievement awards.

Shorb was named the Model Diversity Corporation CEO of the Year at a luncheon at the Holiday Inn at University of Memphis.

"This is a team effort," Shorb said. "Driving from the top is important, but it takes a team to make it work."

The award is in recognition of the council's program to institutionalize diversity and inclusion, applying it from the top down, in corporations around Memphis and, eventually, nationally.

"CEOs gather their team around and they embrace diversity," said Luke Yancy III, council president and CEO. "They're passionate about it." ... (read more)

Buckley's Fine Filet Grill and U.S. Foodservice

Corporate giving profile for The Commercial Appeal

Buckley's Fine Filet Grill, U.S. Foodservice and the Ronald McDonald House

November 20, 2009

Buckley's Fine Filet Grill, partnering with food distributor U.S. Foodservice, recently visited the Ronald McDonald House to help stock the kitchen and pantry.

"I read a story in the paper that the pantry was low, and we said 'let's just go fill it up,' " said Ken Dick, who founded the restaurant in 1993 with Jeff Fioranelli, his friend since the eighth grade.

U.S. Foodservice president Joe Campbell and vice president of sales Jimmy Cull see the donation as an extension of the work they already do with St. Jude, Grizzlies House and Target House.

"Jeff and Ken are good friends and good customers, and when they asked us to get involved, we said 'absolutely,' " Cull said. "Joe Campbell gave us the OK to do whatever we have to do to help the patients of St. Jude. Even in tough times we have not backed off from helping St. Jude." ... (read more)

Goodwill Industries bookstore writes success story in recession

Business news feature for The Commercial Appeal

November 14, 2009

The Great Recession has hurt many businesses in the past two years, but one benefactor appears to be GoodBooks, the used bookstore operated by Goodwill Industries.

The store at 6063 Park in Park Place Centre was launched in February 2008 and has experienced such strong success that it was expanded earlier this year.

The bookstore recorded $78,000 in sales by the end of September. By comparison, the area's only other Goodwill bookstore, on Goodman Road in Southaven and open since 2006, had sales of $101,000 in the same time frame.

"The economy has helped the bookstore business where people who may not have shopped here before have tried it out and those who had shopped here may shop here more," said Goodwill vice president of operations Dave Leutwyler. "It's all about being in the right place with the right product." ... (read more)

Weekend with family serves ravioli, savored time

"Because I Said So" column for The Commercial Appeal

November 12, 2009

What is the recipe for family?

Each person's idea of what family is can be as personal and cherished as favorite recipes of ancestors, brought here by boat, plane or covered chuck wagon. Mother and father, sure, plus brothers and sisters and all manner of blood relations. Sprinkle in neighbors and a healthy helping of friends and that family can become large enough to fill any dining table.

I spent the weekend wrapped in family. A family that grew each time I turned and satisfied a hunger for closeness and community.

On Sunday afternoon, we had friends and family into our home for the yearly making of my family's ravioli recipe. The Zanone recipe has been handed down through generations; pages filled with handwriting of those long gone, recent notations scrawled over stains from ages past ... (read more)

Edward Felsenthal tames Web 'Wild West' for readers as news site's editor

Feature story for the Lifestyle section of The Commercial Appeal

November 8, 2009

The World Wide Web, with its seemingly unlimited information and eternal reach, is a beast. For the average surfer, any attempt to keep up with it all -- every news stream and nugget of gossip -- is mere folly.

It is native Memphian Edward Felsenthal's job as executive editor of The Daily Beast to rein that monster in and make it manageable, even useful, for readers on the year-old site at thedailybeast.com.

As Web site co-founder Tina Brown put it, "the Internet is the Wild West, in a way, and would become feral if there were no circus trainer to manage it."

To that end, she hired Felsenthal to work with his team collecting news from around the world and throughout cyberspace to aggregate under one governable and easily-traversed URL.

"There are a lot of assets you can grow, but time isn't one of them," the 43-year-old Felsenthal said. "We're giving busy people a quick and engaging fix on the day's happenings." ... (read more)

One little stitch can put a hitch in morning

"Because I Said So" column for The Commercial Appeal

October 29, 2009

When I was a boy, we got our shoes at Youngtown behind the Lowenstein's Department Store in Poplar Plaza.

I would perch up on a tall booth with my socked feet on the metal pegs while a salesman slipped a pair of creamy Buster Browns on me. I was then made to stand while my mother and the salesman took turns pushing down on my toes, squeezing the sides and sliding my heel in and out.

"Is this too tight? ... Too loose? ... Does this pinch? ... Is there room? ..." they asked.

I gave them half answers: "Pretty good. Not too. Sorta,'" knowing that whatever the next day brought, cramped toes or blistered heel, I wouldn't complain. The questioning I went through at the time of purchase had been too rigorous for me to dare speak up 24 hours later.

Our kids' shoes come from Target now. I guess. Shoe buying isn't really my department. Some are handed down from friends' kids, I'm pretty sure. For all I know, my children are taking shoes from classmates ... (read more)

Competition reminds Memphians who's keeping area hotel rooms looking sharp

Daily Business news story for The Commercial Appeal

October 27, 2009

Even as the Phillies and Yankees prepare to meet in the World Series, 12 other teams spent Monday afternoon making beds in this year's World Series of Housekeeping.

The sponsoring Metropolitan Memphis Hotel & Lodging Association will use the teams' $100 registration fees on a scholarship endowment for the Kemmons Wilson School of Hospitality and Resort Management at the University of Memphis.

"Housekeepers are stuck in the trenches, so this event gets them out," said Peggy Callahan, executive director of the hotel association. "It's fun for them, and it's team building." ... (read more)

Siskind Susser firm builds niche in immigration law

Business news feature for The Commercial Appeal

October 24, 2009

The labyrinthine legal maze employers must negotiate just to complete the hiring process often goes unnoticed.

But mistakes -- large and small -- result in conspicuous consequences.

Such consequences may not end in large-scale worksite raids that generate national media coverage, but they can result in a series of smaller fines that can be crippling to a midsize business.

It's after such mistakes are found -- normally through an audit -- when the expertise of Greg Siskind with Siskind Sutter Law Firm, Memphis' largest immigration law firm, would come in.

It's an expertise that has just become more accessible to employers and their human resource departments with the release of Siskind's new book, "The Employer's Immigration Compliance Desk Reference." ... (read more)

Think of our kids' future when voting

"Because I Said So" column for The Commercial Appeal

October 15, 2009

It is such an auspicious week, with Memphis on the verge of change, that I decided I should sit down and talk it over with my kids. I wanted to ensure they grasped the auspiciousness, so, to be certain, I looked up what "auspicious" means before sitting them down at the family table.

These kids usually have trouble grasping bedtime, yet I had faith that the transforming days ahead would register with them.

"I have something important, something of a civic nature I'd like to discuss with you today," I said.

At this point, my three older children stood and left the room, leaving me with 3-year-old Genevieve at the far end of the table.

"It's just us then," I said.

She folded her newspaper down, obviously upset that I'd taken her away from Geoff Calkins and Wendi Thomas, the only two columns she reads.

"Pardon?" she said.

I told her that there are things going on in this city that she, even at her age, should pay attention to. There are characters on the civic stage this week who deserve attention and have the ability to thrust Memphis into a national spotlight.

The ensuing dialogue went something like this: ... (read more)

Attorneys flip flapjacks for Komen fundraiser

Business news feature for The Commercial Appeal

October 10, 2009

At Calvary Church Downtown Friday morning there was no shop talk, only good-natured banter over eggs, pancakes, sausage and coffee.

For the 10th year, Baker, Donelson, Bearman, Caldwell & Berkowitz has sponsored the Barrister's Pancake Breakfast benefiting the Memphis branch of the Mid-South affiliate of the Susan G. Komen for the Cure Foundation.

"If you look around, there are judges, attorneys, the city mayor is here today, members of staff including sheriff's deputies and representatives from the clerks association," said Leo Bearman, shareholder of the Memphis-based law firm. "It's really a bar association fundraiser and my law firm is happy to be the motivator." ... (read more)

Memphis Railroad & Trolley Museum on right track at Central Station

Local news feature for The Commercial Appeal

Oct. 10, 2009

As concepts go, this one has barely left the station, yet it seems to already be heading down the right track.

The Memphis Society of Model Railroaders -- a 75-member, 50-year-old organization of train enthusiasts and hobbyists -- has signed a letter of intent with Central Station and the Memphis Area Transit Authority to develop the Memphis Railroad & Trolley Museum inside the Downtown train station.

"In Memphis, the railroads were vitally important," said Hugh Teaford, the model railroad society's president. "The river took goods up and down the country, but trains brought it all inland. There are five trains that come in here now." ... (read more)

Hornby hits another musical note with "Juliet, Naked"

Book review of Juliet, Naked by Nick Hornby for The Commercial Appeal blog, "The Shelf Life."

October 6, 2009

When Nick Hornby first hit big with his novel High Fidelity, it was an instant classic among young men whose affinity for pop culture and music trivia are worn on the sleeves of their black CBGB t-shirts.

With Juliet, Naked (Riverhead Books, $26), his fifth novel, it becomes apparent that his target audience is a group of men in their mid-to-late 30s who were once young men who wore their affinity for pop culture and music trivia on the sleeves of their black CBGB t-shirts. They are now, in their age of reason, able to see the folly in a life where an entire evening's conversation might center around the importance of the track order of Nirvana's seminal grunge album, Nevermind. The view taken of their own past selves, however, is not theirs alone, but is filtered through the eyes of their wives, girlfriends, children and ex-girlfriends.

Perhaps Hornby has aged with his audience. Perhaps he has grown just as those of us who devoured High Fidelity and laughed at (with) anyone who might plan a mix tape around a day of the week or an acquaintance's death. Or those of us who might be obsessive over a particular artist. Say, Elvis Costello, for instance. Listening to that man's work day in and day out until his wife pleads to "please, for the love of all that is holy, can we listen to anything else? Anything. Put on Chaka Khan for all I care." ... (read more)

St. Jude employee band plays Cleveland for corporate musicians' crown

Business feature for The Commercial Appeal

October 2, 2009

The Mighty Electric St. Jude Band, a nine-piece group made up of St. Jude employees and spouses, leaves today for the ninth annual Fortune Battle of the Corporate Bands at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum in Cleveland.

The event is sponsored by the National Organization of Music Merchants, Gibson Guitars, the museum and Fortune magazine.

The competition contestants were whittled from 34 bands to only eight.

"We're excited to be included in the event," said Brent Royer, director of creative media services for St. Jude Children's Research Hospital by day, percussionist and vocalist by night. "We got to see some of the bands at the regional qualifier in Nashville, and there were some really, really talented groups." ... (read more)

Home becoming museum for kids' art

"Because I Said So" column for The Commercial Appeal

October 1, 2009

One of the first really confusing things about children for me, other than how you make a diaper stay on and how to bathe a kid in the kitchen sink and then prepare food to eat later in and around that sink, was what to do with all of the "artwork" brought home from school.

If we're frank, it's not very good, is it? Be honest, parents. We tell our kids how talented they are and how the drawing of a house looks "just like our house" but, in reality, the windows are all out of proportion to the structure, and you would never, ever paint your house that shade of purple.

Yet, we feel compelled to keep this ... art. First, on the refrigerator with the decorative magnet they made in kindergarten which, honestly, isn't very attractive either. Later the artwork ends up stacked at the far end of your kitchen counter. There, just above the junk drawer, shuffled in with bills, coupons and an unfinished crossword. But then what? It can't stay there forever ... (read more)

New book continues D'Army Bailey's mission of civil rights education

Feature profile for The Commercial Appeal

September 26, 2009

D'Army Bailey grew up enveloped in family and in the shadow of LeMoyne College, at the time a black college working primarily to train teachers.

The LeMoyne Gardens housing project bordered one side of his world and his entrepreneurial and independent grandfather the other. This was the alchemy that helped to create the D'Army Bailey of today -- lawyer, judge, activist, father, husband and author.

He learned of racial strife early, listening to people talk at the neighborhood sundry and reading black publications of the day, such as the Chicago Defender, the Atlanta Daily World and the Pittsburgh Courier.

"I'd sit about and read the various black newspapers from around the country that came into this store, and it enhanced my view and sense of politics and civil rights," he said ... (read more)

Olympian urges girls to follow their dreams

Business News feature for The Commercial Appeal

September 26, 2009

Olympic gold medalist Dominique Dawes on Friday urged local Girl Scouts to do their best and fulfill their dreams.

Dawes, who won a gold medal in the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta, spoke to about 300 people at the Memphis Botanic Gardens, wrapping up a two-day visit that included an appearance at Baptist Memorial Hospital for Women on Thursday.

"When I was younger, I wasn't confident and didn't express myself. I wasn't sure I could ever make an impact," said Dawes, who sits on the Girl Scouts advisory board. "I want to encourage girls to get out and participate. I want to encourage the sport of gymnastics. You learn very quickly if it's for you or not."

The event was sponsored by Baptist Memorial Health Care Corp. and the Lipscomb & Pitts Breakfast Club ... (read more)

Well-traveled century plant adjusts to master's moves

Home & Garden feature for The Commercial Appeal

September 25, 2009

Norman Dean of Cordova says people stop all the time and ask "what do you have growing there?"

What is that strange plant with its thick leaves sporting spikes that look to do harm, sending out offshoots that sprout up around it like so many children? Is it native to this area? To this planet?

The plant in question is a century plant (Agave americana), so named because it is said to bloom once every hundred years, an undertaking so strenuous that the effort eventually kills it.

This plant, which decorates the front corner of Dean's brick Cordova home on a street lined with well-manicured lawns, measures about 5 feet tall and its width, from tip to tip of the longest of its gray-green leaves, is nearly 8 feet ... (read more)

Expo educates job seekers to career changes

Business feature for The Commercial Appeal

September 25, 2009

Piggly Wiggly founder Clarence Saunders fell on hard times in the 1920s and found himself out of sorts, out of money and out of a house.

So it seemed fitting Thursday that the famous Memphis entrepreneur's pink Georgian marble mansion -- the Pink Palace -- on Central Avenue was the site for the first Opportunity Expo, a joint effort between OppCities, Brother Industries and the Bartlett Chamber of Commerce to help out-of-work professionals get back on their feet.

"People have been very open, very excited about the program," said Carlos Fearn, OppCities vice president of development. "They see it as another vehicle to get their foot in the door."

The event also marked the launch of OppCity.com, a Web site for those looking for work or career transitions ... (read more)

Indie Memphis 2009 film festival

Film synopses for the 2009 Indie Memphis Film Festival program

"God's Architects" by Zachary Godshall

Through the works of five visionary individuals, filmmaker Zachary Godshall tells the story of people's inspirations. There is Leonard Knight, building the "God is Love Mountain," a Seussian landscape in the California desert; Shelby Ravellette, a self-professed master mason and Knight Templar; Mississippi preacher H.D. Dennis and his wife, Margaret; Floyd Banks Jr., who builds with bricks, rocks and his own tooth; and the works of sculptor Kenny Hill as presented by Julius Neil ... (read more)

"St. Nick" by David Lowery

Two runaway children take refuge in an old clapboard house, their youthful curiosity and mischievousness succumbing to focused movement and the necessity of survival. The story is one not so much of innocence lost as of independence gained as the brother and sister forage and scrape to get by, setting up housekeeping -- including building a fort of sheets in the abandoned house -- as kids will do to feel safe ... (read more)

Read more about Indie Memphis and the 2009 film festival (Oct. 8-15) at indiememphis.com.

OppCities links professionals to job options

Business profile for The Commercial Appeal

September 18, 2009

During this time when the economy is flailing about and the workforce is reeling with layoffs, it is often the white collar worker who becomes nearly transparent.

OppCities was formed earlier this year in conjunction with Brother Industries and the Bartlett Chamber of Commerce to assist out-of-work professional employees in their search for work, educational advancement or information on area businesses.

"Professionals are overlooked and there is a longer time frame from when they lose their jobs to when they find work again," said Carlos Fearn, OppCities vice president of development ... (read more)

My aim is busting myths, not fixing ills

"Because I Said So" column for The Commercial Appeal

September 17, 2009

I've been writing this column now for a year and a half and I have a blog about parenting that's more than three years old. As I feel it necessary to do every so often, I'd like to make the disclaimer that these writings in no way constitute advice. I have little or no idea what I'm doing day to day. I have four kids, yet will leave the parenting advice columns to the experts: those with five kids. Suckers.

I am in the business, however, of dispelling myths about being a parent and about children, such as the "bundle of joy" myth or the "sleeps like a baby" tale. Another common myth is this notion that children know things, usually concerning some sort of weighty issue or upheaval in the home.

"Children seem to know things, they have a sense of what's going on," grandmothers will say, as though children are some sort of Jedi Knights using the Force. Grandmothers love Star Wars references ... (read more)

Heart to Heart

International Children's Heart Foundation

Feature story for the lifestyle section of The Commercial Appeal

September 13, 2009

In December 2006, Dr. William Novick was in Pakistan for the first time, as part of a medical mission team with the International Children's Heart Foundation, the charity he founded in 1994 to take cardiac care to children in need around the world.

A young boy, less than 3 months old, was presented to him suffering from a condition in which the vessels carrying blood from his heart to his lungs, and vice versa, were in abnormal positions. He also had a hole between the two pumping chambers of his heart.

"He was totally emaciated. You could see every rib on this baby," Novick recalls now, as his organization celebrates its 15th anniversary.

Though Novick is generally wary of doing a procedure of this magnitude on a first visit, he knew the child wouldn't last until his team's next visit, so he operated.

The surgery went as well as could be expected and the boy, Abu Bakr, was expected to live. Later, Novick learned that Abu was the only living grandson of a former Taliban fighter ... (read more)

High Point Coffee stores close

Breaking business news story for The Commercial Appeal

September 10, 2009

As the economy continues to hammer small businesses nationwide, it has claimed another local victim: All three High Point Coffee stores are shutting down.

Two of the stores -- one at 1680 Union and another at 4610 Poplar -- are owned by High Point Coffee founder Thomas Blanche and have already been closed. About 25 jobs were lost.

The third store -- in Germantown and owned by franchisee Tracy Gossett -- is closing Sept. 18 after being open for about a year and a half. The number of jobs lost was not disclosed.

"It's a unique time in that you had simultaneous effect where food prices increased dramatically and at the same time revenue dropped drastically," Blanche said. "I've enjoyed it, and it made economic sense for a long time ... (read more)

Tops Bar-B-Q: Cue the Caring

Corporate giving story for The Commercial Appeal

September 4, 2009

Tops Bar-B-Q sold hearts for a dollar to benefit the Le Bonheur Foundation, the fundraising arm of Le Bonheur Children's Medical Center.

The 14 area locations spent six weeks raising money, with the culmination being the FM-100 radiothon for the hospital that took place last week.

In addition to raising money, they also provided food for participants in the radiothon.

Tops owner George Messick "is very happy and proud to lend a helping hand to people who need it," said Tops spokeswoman Amy Laughlin. "Tops has raised around $4,500 so far." ... (read more)

These cool cats just can't stop the music

"Because I Said So" column for The Commercial Appeal

September 3, 2009

When my wife and I were newlyweds 15 years ago, we lived in a little house on a little street in Midtown. Like many Midtown streets, this one claimed an old woman with too many cats, and those cats had the run of the neighborhood. On any given night, one or several of those cats would sit underneath our bedroom window and make the most awful noise you've ever heard, warbling from sundown to sunup. It was part of the charm of Midtown.

I don't know what made me think of that just now after all these years.

Anyway, 11-year-old Calvin has recently taken up the saxophone for band class at White Station Middle School. Alto sax, to be specific, which is different in size, tone and price, I've learned, than the tenor or soprano saxophone ... (read more)

Russo's latest brings back the magic

Book review for That Old Cape Magic by Richard Russo for The Commercial Appeal blog, "The Shelf Life."

August 25, 2009

Richard Russo is a man obsessed with bridges. In his novels, these bridges are largely symbolic, spanning the chasm of emotions and responsibility that men feel, bridges they must cross on the road to coming to terms with divorce, death, estranged children, age and loss.

In his previous novel, Bridge of Sighs, and his latest, That Old Cape Magic (Alfred A. Knopf, $26), those bridges, while still metaphoric, have become quite real ... (read more)

Student volunteer program exposes hospital to diversity

Cultural exchange at Le Bonheur

Corporate giving story for The Commercial Appeal

August 21, 2009

A group of immigrant students from Central High School and the City University School of Liberal Arts charter school worked as cross-culture volunteers at Methodist Le Bonheur Healthcare last year.

About 60 students are expected to enroll in the program this school year.

"The volunteers come after school twice a week for two hours and learn the clinical side of the hospital, teaching, nursing, administration," said Johnekia Catron, manager of volunteer services for Methodist Le Bonheur. "They shadow paramedics in the emergency room and work in same-day surgery."... (read more)

Dad glad his kids are in city schools

"Because I Said So" column for The Commercial Appeal

August 20, 2009

I registered my kids for school almost two weeks ago. It takes no less paperwork to buy a house than it does to register three children for the Memphis City Schools system. I'm not even sure what I signed, I may very well have contracted them away into indentured servitude.

(That is not a complaint.)

The kids began their new schools last week, Richland Elementary and White Station Middle. By all reports, the first week was a success, although those are the reports of my kids themselves and not their teachers ... (read more)

Memphians who were at Woodstock recall magical weekend of music, mud, madness

Feature story for The Commercial Appeal

August 13, 2009

For our country, the summer of 1969 was a time of violence and uncertainty, and the perfect time in history for the sea change that the Woodstock Music and Art Fair, celebrating its 40th anniversary this weekend, could offer. The three-day celebration of peace, love, music and more left everyone involved with lifelong memories.

For former Memphian Bonnie Roberts, then 19, memories of Woodstock begin with a wedding in New England. Or, more precisely, a bridal shower, hosted by a friend who offered to take her to Woodstock on the back of her boyfriend's Harley Davidson.

Getting there, it turned out, would be part of the adventure ... (read more)

Make A Splash swimming program borne of tragedies and statistics

Corporate giving story for The Commercial Appeal

August 7, 2009

In the summer of 2007, two teens drowned while swimming in public pools in Memphis. From the tragedy sprang the Make A Splash Mid-South program through Safe Kids Mid-South at Le Bonheur Children's Medical Center.

The goals of the program, according to Susan Helms, Le Bonheur's director of injury prevention, are to offer swimming lessons to those who otherwise couldn't afford it, enhance lifeguard training and inject diversity into swim meets.

"The community was outraged by the drownings, and it was the perfect time for the two, Safe Kids and Le Bonheur, to work together," Helms said ... (read more)

Skirmishes resolved at living room summit

"Because I Said So" column for The Commercial Appeal

August 6, 2009

Barack Obama and I will be the first to tell you that it's not easy being president. Oh, sure, the hand waving and goodwill junkets, and even the budget stuff, is simple. But sometimes there is discord among your people. Occasionally there is a situation in your country or, as I refer to it, living room, that requires immediate attention and I, the president, am the only one who can attend to these matters.

Recently, with so many of my little countrymen out of work for the summer and home all day right here in my rose garden, there has been a loss of patience and inflammatory remarks made, some lashing out in anger and frustration. Tempers have flared.

I've tried to be diplomatic about it like a good leader and sit all parties involved down to discuss the matter like adults ... (read more)

The art of giving

Corporate giving story for The Commercial Appeal

July 24, 2009

The artists at House of Ink tattoo parlor on Frayser Boulevard are collecting backpacks, uniforms and supplies for school children to use this fall. Each customer who brings donations to the business from Aug. 4-6, will get a $30 credit toward a tattoo.

House of Ink, which opened three years ago, organized a Toys for Tatts drive last Christmas and brought in more than $5,000 worth of toys for Horton Gardens public housing residents. In 2007, they adopted a family for Thanksgiving and Christmas ... (read more)

Hot days stir thirst for squid that talks

"Because I Said So" column for The Commercial Appeal

July 23, 2009

There is nothing my kids love more than watching a Supreme Court justice nominee's confirmation hearings on C-SPAN 6. Or, maybe that's a "SpongeBob SquarePants" marathon on Nickelodeon. Which one has the talking squid?

Either way, during the dog days of summer, when the heat index reaches triple digits and the Memphis humidity makes it almost impossible to push open the door, the kids end up in the living room, sprawled on the sofa, reveling in the air conditioning and watching television ... (read more)

Lokion donating skills

Corporate giving story for The Commercial Appeal

July 17, 2009

Lokion is a full-service online consultant with clients that include FedEx, Viking Range, Smith & Nephew and First Tennessee. The company is also in the business of being a good corporate citizen.

"Nobody lives a disconnected life," says Lokion CEO and president Megan Jones. "We're in a community and, as part of that community, we employ people and deal with clients from that community. We need to be a part of that as best we can with our particular skill set."

Lokion has donated its skills to the National Ornamental Metal Museum, which now has a new Web site ... (read more)

Popularity of "Harry Potter" series has two generations reading

Feature cover story for The Commercial Appeal

July 14, 2009

Whether music, movies or literature, the whims and fancies of young people and their pop culture icons are nebulous and fleeting. They rush in and out of fashion on currents that rage as unpredictably as adolescent hormones.

There are times, however, when popularity holds fast and pools, and though that pool may ebb and flow, its waters nourish for years. "Harry Potter," the wildly successful series of children's and young adult novels celebrating its 10th year, seventh paperback and sixth movie release this year is the torrent that has pooled and collected the fascination of young and old alike ... (read more)

Askew Nixon Ferguson Architects

Corporate giving story for The Commercial Appeal

July 10, 2009

The Levitt Shell at Overton Park, a free outdoor venue hosting live music shows, concluded its second spring season with nearly double its fall attendance.

"The season was great," said Anne Pitts, Levitt Shell executive director, citing attendance figures of 34,000, up from the fall season numbers of 20,000.

The Shell's Web site says its mission is to "build community through music and education, finding common ground for a diverse audience." Pitts says much of the credit for the Shell's success at meeting its goals should go to Askew Nixon Ferguson Architects.

The architecture firm is responsible for donating $65,000 worth of renovation work prior to the venue's grand opening in spring of 2008 ... (read more)

There's no mulligan in a round of raising kids

"Because I Said So" column for The Commercial Appeal

July 9, 2009

In an effort to enjoy the fresh air and spend more time with my four kids, I pulled out a bag of plastic golf balls and a few irons the other day and scattered them about the yard for the kids to practice.

That was a mistake.

First, they fought, like the worst caddies in the world, over who got which club. Once we all settled on the 9, the 7, the pitching wedge and putter, well, they started playing at golf.

It looked like a skinny, metal chicken fight out there. It looked like a foursome of cats with golf clubs taped to their paws. It looked like a bunch of stumbling Saturday night John Dalys in short pants ... (read more)

T.O. Fuller supporters draft plans for Macy's donation

Corporate giving story for The Commercial Appeal

July 3, 2009

Macy's raised $4.1 million nationally on one day during its Earth Week campaign to benefit the National Park Foundation.

The campaign was called "Turn Over a New Leaf," and it raised funds through $5 shopping passes.

In Tennessee, Macy's stores collected $22,374 to benefit groups that protect and conserve the environment, said Melissa Goff, spokeswoman for Macy's Southeast Region.

T.O. Fuller State Park in Memphis received a donation of $11,187 from the total amount for the state.

T.O. Fuller is a 1,138-acre park within the city limits. Historically, it was the first state park east of the Mississippi open to African-Americans ... (read more)

Playhouse on the Square

Corporate giving story for The Commercial Appeal

June 26, 2009

Playhouse on the Square is presenting a sold-out performance of the hit musical "Rent" Saturday as a benefit for Hope House, the center for children and families affected by the HIV-AIDS virus.

The night is an event with the show, food and wine, and a silent auction of $15,000 worth of merchandise. Combined with the $12,000 in tickets sold, it's a substantial fundraiser for the organization whose annual budget is $1 million.

"We want to make sure we're being good corporate citizens in the community," said Playhouse associate producer Michael Detroit.

Hope House was looking for a companion piece for its Art for Hope fundraiser, which is held in November, when it called on Playhouse ... (read more)

Travel time estimates don't allow for children

"Because I Said So" column for The Commercial Appeal

June 25, 2009

The most difficult part of parenthood for me to reckon with isn't the cost of children, or the mess. It's not any loss of freedom to move about on a Saturday night, or even the actual labor of childbirth.

Wait, no, my wife is making a gesture from across the room that I'm egregiously underestimating that last point.

Nevertheless, the hardest aspect for me with a family this size, is that at least once a year I strap these kids into a van and drive them cross country.

That's right, it's family vacation time ... (read more)

Passion for books - and each other - keeps the pages of life turning for Meslers

Profile feature in the "Making it Work" series for The Commercial Appeal

June 18, 2009

"I live among bookshelves," says Corey Mesler, co-owner, along with wife, Cheryl, of Burke's Book Store.

He speaks not just of his home where, admittedly, knickknacks have no place to roost, but of the little bookstore in Cooper-Young, as inviting as any living room and brimming with literature, history, memoirs and fables.

The Meslers have led a bookish life together since meeting at Burke's Book Store's former location at Poplar and Evergreen ... (read more)

Medtronic thinks globally

Corporate Giving story for The Commercial Appeal

June 12, 2009

Medtronic's Global Volunteer Project, which was launched this month, involves its employees in 40 projects in 14 countries.

The company has about 1,400 employees in Memphis, where volunteer efforts in June included working with Dorothy's Place, one of two Alzheimer's Day Services centers, and a drive to benefit Mid-South Food Bank.

In addition to collecting canned goods at various Medtronic campuses, employees worked at sorting and stocking the food bank's pantry.

Today, Medtronic volunteers in Memphis will be sorting donated clothing and participating in sports and activities at Youth Villages.

"This program encourages employees to carry out the sixth tenet of the Medtronic mission, which is to maintain good citizenship as a company," said Victor Rocha, company spokesman in Memphis ... (read more)

Sometimes it's best not to consider pools, kids

"Because I Said So" column for The Commercial Appeal

June 11, 2009

The long days of summer, with no routine, no morning lunch boxes or after-school homework, need to be defined, beg to be shaken up. My wife is a teacher, on vacation for the next couple of months, and I work from home, and the easiest, cheapest way to break up the day is by sending the kids outside for the afternoon.

The heat of a Memphis summer, however, needs to be mitigated. It should be tempered and handled carefully with oven mitts and a welder's apron, or a fistful of Popsicles and a face full of hose water.

Nothing says summertime in Memphis like stuffing a family of six into a $30 inflatable kiddie pool in the backyard. We look like the last sunburned survivors of a shipwreck in our lifeboat adrift upon mud and sod. But mostly mud ... (read more)

Sedgwick CMS

Corporate Giving story for The Commercial Appeal

June 5, 2009

The 6,400 employees of Sedgwick CMS provide claims administration, medical management and risk consulting in all 50 states and Canada. At corporate headquarters in Memphis, the 500 employees lead a grass-roots community support effort.

"As an office, we get to vote on which organizations we give to," said Kelli Reece, project coordinator for Sedgwick.

For 2009, the company's beneficiary is the Make-A-Wish Foundation of the Mid-South, the organization that grants wishes to children with life-threatening medical conditions. In November, for instance, Make-A-Wish gave 15-year-old Jasmine Johnson, a musician who has suffered from AIDS since she was 2, a $6,500 shopping spree to buy recording equipment so she could make music for her father to listen to when she is gone ... (read more)

How big should our family be?

Feature story for Memphis Parent magazine

June 2009

In the June issue of Memphis Parent, focusing on fathers, Father's Day and men's issues, I wrote a feature story on vasectomies as a birth control option. The piece answers questions men have about the procedure, the permanence, this option versus others, fears and includes personal stories.

The decision to have children is one of the most sacred and important decisions two people can make. The thinking process should include the consideration of your lives as adults and whether a child or children will fit into that life. You have to question your flexibility and willingness to turn that currently childless life of yours upside down. Finances, education, coming decades of hands-on care, indeed the whole future should be re-imagined with children in it. The responsibility of another life is an awesome one.

The decision to not have children, or any more children, is equally important. Are two children enough? Three? Is one all we have the time and love for? Determining the number of people you envision in your family is Step One in deciding to become voluntarily sterile. How to get that way is a whole other discussion ... (read more)

Casualties of recent layoffs stay optimistic

Lifestyle feature for The Commercial Appeal

June 2, 2009

Black-and-white photos from the Great Depression show hordes of weary and bedraggled men jumping trains to travel from city to city in search of work, hoping to make enough money to take care of their families back home. They're a bleak reminder of a frightening time in our nation's history.

A scene out of the great recession of 2008 and beyond might find bathrobed men and women on sofas, riding the cyber rails of their laptops, hunting and pecking their way through job listings.

And where, early last century, stories of misery and an emasculating sense of shame were passed around like a nickel pint of rye, these days the economic victims are more likely to be bolstered by those in similar situations, sharing stories of hope and possibilities with each other via instant messaging, texts and e-mail; a fraternity of the furloughed, a sorority of severance ... (read more)

Whole lotta helpin'

Corporate Giving story for The Commercial Appeal

May 29, 2009

While the culture of giving at Whole Foods grocery store may come from the store's headquarters in Austin, Texas, the beneficiaries are all local.

"It's a great philosophy," says Liza Burke, Whole Foods spokeswoman in Memphis, "because who knows better what works in your community than your community?"

Once per quarter, Whole Foods donates 5 percent of its net profit for a day to a nonprofit chosen by a vote of the store's 120 employees.

There is an application process for charities to be considered, and they are allowed to make a presentation to the employees ... (read more)

Lessons about hate are sadly inevitable

"Because I Said So" column for The Commercial Appeal

May 28, 2009

Earlier this week a press conference was held to speak out against proposed legislation to protect county employees against discrimination based on their sexual proclivities. Black ministers came together with white commissioners, which is something that happens in this town, well, almost never.

So that's good, right? I can point that out to my children and say "See? There is racial harmony in Memphis, despite what you hear on the news and read in the papers every single day."

And then when they ask why these two radically different groups came together, I'll say, "Well, because they both hate gay people." Not that these leaders are concerned about the rampant violent crimes in our city or about the education of the youth of our city, but that the spirit of union was displayed to speak out against a segment of our society that they deem to be different ... (read more)

Visible School graduate came for, finds home, life purpose

Profile feature for The Commercial Appeal

May 28, 2009

The Visible School is in a low-slung building just off Interstate 40 and Canada Road in Lakeland, nestled between a carpet store and a Super 8 motel. Its students work to earn bachelor's degrees in ministry, specializing in modern music or media production.

This is where Danielle Wilson earned a degree in practical ministry May 16. She says it's also where she found a home.

Wilson was born 32 years ago this month, in Westboro, Ohio, a town so small that "there's no post office. It has two stop signs and a cemetery," she says.

Here's the story she tells about the years that led up to her move to Memphis: Her parents divorced when she was 10, and went their separate ways; her father went to work five days a week, and her mother simply went away ... (read more)

Sow we go: Organic

Corporate Giving story for The Commercial Appeal

May 22, 2009

Digger O'Dell Nursery and Landscape is working with the "Drake & Zeke in the Morning" radio show and 98.1 The Max to deposit fresh, local and organically grown produce into the Mid-South Food Bank.

The Field of Greens, as it is called, is an organic garden on a half-acre of land at the corner of Farm Road and Mullins Station in Shelby Farms.

"Shelby Farms donated the land to make a demonstration classroom teaching the importance of composting and organic gardening," said Michael McPeak, who with partner William Kitchens bought the Digger O'Dell Nursery three years ago. "The area hasn't been touched in 15 or 20 years, so the land will only get better and better."

The garden is laid out like a baseball diamond with mulched walkways and smaller plots of tomato, corn, squash, melons, peppers and okra. There will be scheduled work days throughout the growing season, with volunteers and speakers on hand to teach the public about organic gardening ... (read more)

Hilton ROCS -- Reaching Out to the Community to Serve

Corporate Giving story for The Commercial Appeal

May 15, 2009

The Memphis Operations Center for Hilton Hotels Corp., which is the corporate office for the brands Hampton, Homewood Suites, Home 2 and Hilton Garden Inn, has partnered with five area nonprofits.

"Hilton was helping over 30 organizations, and we decided we didn't have any focus so we didn't have any real impact on the community. Two years ago we went through the process to focus on breaking the cycle of poverty and help with getting people back on their feet," said Hilton spokeswoman Marilyn Hughes.

Hughes developed Hilton ROCS, Reaching Out to the Community to Serve, and assembled a selection committee from many different departments within Hilton ... (read more)

Terrible 2s give way to scarier, wicked 3s

"Because I Said So" column for The Commercial Appeal

May 14, 2009

I've known anxieties, real and imagined, mature and juvenile, and I've overcome a lot of those fears. But there is something in our lives now, in our very house, that terrifies me in a way I could never have imagined. My family moves with fright, tip-toeing down hallways and peeking around corners.

We live in terror of Genevieve, a strong-willed little girl who will be turning 3 years old in two weeks.

The Terrible Twos have nothing on the threes. And alliteration does not make the difficult times any easier. Terrible Twos are bad, but the God-awful Threes are worse. So much worse, in fact, that no parent has the time to name this stage. A naming better left to Dante anyway ... (read more)

Salvation Army's Kroc Center only $2.9 million from starting developmen

Business news story for The Commercial Appeal

May 8, 2009

The Salvation Army's plan to build the Kroc Center on a 15-acre site at the Mid-South Fairgrounds moved closer to reality this week with the announcement of a $1 million grant from the Kresge Foundation.

The community center, on land along East Parkway south of Fairview Middle School, will be funded by a Kroc Foundation grant of $60 million. The Salvation Army is required to raise $25 million to get the Kroc grant.

Stephen Carpenter, Kroc Center director, said $21.1 million already had been promised, and the money from the Michigan-based Kresge Foundation means there's less than $3 million to go ... (read more)

Out of the Shadows

Feature story for the May-August 2009 ArtsMemphis Magazine

I was asked to write the story of "Crowds in the Shadows," a photographic exhibit recalling the brutal dictatorship of Augusto Pinochet in Chile from 1973 to 1990. The exhibit is for the Museo de la Memoria in Santiago, Chile, but is due to be on display at the National Civil Rights Museum in May of 2009.

My piece tells the story of Marcia Scantlebury Elizalde, the director of the Museo de la Memoria, and a political prisoner under Pinochet. I interviewed Ms. Scantlebury with the aid of translator Juan Fuentes, who was instrumental, not just with the writing of this story, but understanding the climate of Chile at the time of the coup.

There is not a modern country whose civilized exterior doesn't shroud a grotesque history of uncivilized behavior between oppressor and oppressed. But if a country's people are its heart, and culture its soul, then its government and institutions should reflect its conscience. Chile's Museo de la Memoria y Derechos Humanos (Museum of Memory and Human Rights) will do just that ...

Harrah's Entertainment a growing need

Horticulture therapy, other Botanic Garden programs reaping fruit of generosity

Corporate Giving story for The Commercial Appeal

May 1, 2009

For the fifth consecutive year, Harrah's Entertainment has partnered with Memphis Botanic Garden to give its outreach programs what they need to grow and flower. Harrah's recently donated $25,000 for the 2009 Live at the Garden concerts, a series of five live music shows held in the Eden of East Memphis.

This year's lineup begins with alt-rockers Train on June 5, followed on June 18 with a performance by '70s rockers the Doobie Brothers. Joe Cocker will take the stage on July 18; Heart will appear on Aug. 15; and the program will close with a performance by '60s pop favorites The Moody Blues on Sept. 4.

"The concert revenue goes to offset the overall operating expenses at the garden," Jim Duncan, executive director of Memphis Botanic Garden, said. Last year, more than 33,000 attended concerts in the five-show series ... (read more)

No more sofa sitting when fresh air awaits

"Because I Said So" column for The Commercial Appeal

April 30, 2009

When my sisters and I were growing up, there were two things you never said to our mother. You never asked her what was for dinner after she got home from work, and you never, ever told her you were bored.

You didn't ask her about dinner because, whatever it was, it would come with a heaping portion of lecture. You didn't tell her you were bored because she'd find you something to do, and it almost always involved cleaning or mowing something.

Joshua, my 7-year-old, is the most bored of my four children, but he and I deal with his boredom by a means of shorthand, a kind of secret language twins, 31 years separated, might use ... (read more)

Passion to serve: Servicemaster, employees earn praise from MIFA program it helps sponsor

Corporate Giving story for The Commercial Appeal

April 17, 2009

ServiceMaster sponsors the Metropolitan Inter-Faith Association's annual "Day of Reflection and Service," and this year the business found itself among the honorees at the event.

The day is a celebration of MIFA's staff and volunteers and honors the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

Shelby County Mayor A C Wharton gave out awards for special service to MIFA over the past year, including the first MIFA Pathfinder Award, which went to ServiceMaster for "the company's 15 years of faithful service and generous contributions, as well as eight years of sponsoring Day of Reflection and Service."

The Memphis-based ServiceMaster Co. offers cleaning, lawn care and other services to homeowners and businesses, and employs more than 30,000 people nationwide ... (read more)

The magic of books often lost on big screen

"Because I Said So" column for The Commercial Appeal

April 16, 2009

One of my kids' favorite pastimes is watching movie trailers online. We rarely go to the theater because it costs $832 for a family of six to see a movie, yet my kids know exactly what is coming out and when. They can quote2 minutes and 37 seconds of any children's movie on its way to the big screen.

Even 2-year-old Genevieve has become a fan of the cinematic CliffsNotes and has her own way of describing plots. "I want to see the one about the big man and the little boy" means she wants to see the trailer for Disney Pixar's "Up" for the hundredth time.

The kids were spellbound recently as I pushed play and the opening scenes of "Where the Wild Things Are" unfolded before their eyes. The story of Max and his time as king of an unknown land inhabited by wild things came to life right there on my laptop ... (read more)

Baptist Memorial Health Care uses only its people for work on its first Habitat for Humanity house

Corporate Giving story for The Commercial Appeal

April 10, 2009

Baptist Memorial Health Care Corp. has been working to build the largest house ever built in this area for Habitat for Humanity of Greater Memphis. Dedication for the five-bedroom home on Pershing in Binghamton is slated for May 13.

"This is probably a defining moment in my private and professional life as an opportunity to give back," said Beverly Jordan, vice president and chief nursing officer for BMHCC. "You can see it in volunteers' eyes and hear it in their voices that they're grateful to be participating in this."

BMHCC is the exclusive sponsor for this house, donating $60,000 to Habitat and covering all 480 shifts, at 41/2 hours per shift. This is its first building project for Habitat ... (read more)

Enterprise Rent-A-Car program puts youths on strong path

Corporate Giving story for The Commercial Appeal

April 3, 2009

Big Brothers Big Sisters of Greater Memphis Inc. is hosting the Enterprise Rent-A-Car Leadership Academy for high school sophomores and juniors.

The six-session course, from Feb. 7 through May 16, is designed to help young adults reach their potential when they get jobs.

Enterprise (enterprise.com) supports BBBS (bbbs.org) on a national level, but, "West Tennessee wanted to do more and worked with BBBS to develop this program," said Chris Anderson, Enterprise regional vice president. "We wanted to do something that was more structured."... (read more)

Dad tries to teach kids to want less

"Because I Said So" column for The Commercial Appeal

April 2, 2009

I did two things last weekend: I sat in on a session of the Enterprise Leadership Academy focusing on finance at Big Brothers Big Sisters, and I visited the Costco on Germantown Parkway.

I'm here to tell you, the economy will be fine. I base this knowledge on the young people I saw absorbing what local professionals had to teach them about the basics of finance and budgeting at BBBS, and on the ravenous consumption of goods at Costco.

And on pure speculation ... (read more)

A Place Called Hope

Feature story for Memphis Parent magazine on the Boys & Girls Club of Greater Memphis

April 2009

Vincent Borello is a living testament to what the Boys & Girls Clubs can do for kids. As a product of the East Utica Boys Club in upstate New York, he grew up in a rough, inner-city neighborhood. He candidly admits, if it hadn’t been for his Boy’s club, “I’d probably be dead or in jail.”

Instead, he was given control of that club at age 17, becoming the youngest unit director in the organization’s history, and never looked back. “I could have been a doctor and saved lives, but not as many as I save here.”

As president and CEO, Borello speaks passionately about the Boys & Girls Clubs and doesn’t consider what he does as work. With the six clubs he oversees in Memphis, “we give kids as much choice and opportunity as possible,” says Borello.

The choices for these children are plentiful from day to day: Play pool or read? Basketball or help from a mentor? Air hockey or cooking class? Other opportunities lie within each choice, namely helping kids improve in mind, body, and character ... (read more)

Financial literacy: First Tennessee sponsors SWCC scholarship

Corporate Giving story for The Commercial Appeal

March 27, 2009

The First Horizon Foundation has given $15,000 to Southwest Tennessee Community College to establish the First Tennessee Business and Commerce Endowment Scholarship.

"The scholarship is primarily for students studying finance," said Charles Burkett, president of banking for First Horizon National Corp., parent company of First Tennessee Bank.

First Tennessee, now in its 145th year, has previously supported efforts at Metropolitan Inter-Faith Association and the United Way, as well as education partnerships at University of Memphis, Christian Brothers University and Rhodes College.

Burkett says the new scholarship at Southwest acknowledges that, "Southwest trains a lot of our employees and customers, and it's important that we give back." ... (read more)

Rock 'N' Soul Museum of Memphis gets grant to buy audio guides

Corporate Giving story for The Commercial Appeal

March 20, 2009

The Rock 'N' Soul Museum of Memphis has been awarded a $50,000 grant by the Assisi Foundation of Memphis to purchase audio guides for self-guided tours.

From the museum's inception in 2000, it offered free audio guides to patrons, absorbing the cost of the usage fee -- $1.15 per guide -- it paid to Antenna Audio.

"With over 50,000 visitors per year, the fee was costing $65,000 out of pocket," said John Doyle, executive director of Rock 'N' Soul ... (read more)

Dinner time with kids a primitive experience

"Because I Said So" column for The Commercial Appeal

March 19, 2009

When I was an adolescent, my mother would look at me eating across the table and hope aloud that I would never order spaghetti on a date. At the time, I probably rolled my eyes and dismissed her concern as that of a square, or whatever we called our elders in the early 1980s.

At the time, too, I was fascinated by this impossible notion that I might actually one day have a date. The mere thought probably knocked the buttered bread from my hand to the floor, which I probably then retrieved and ate.

I know now just what horrors my mother saw back then as I sit down for dinner with a table full of my own children. What I witness there is nothing short of primitive ... (read more)

My profession: Old-world produce business fits modern age

My Profession story for The Commercial Appeal

March 18, 2009

Mike Palazola is a peddler.

Despite his 55,000 square feet of mostly refrigerated warehouse space, the 30 trucks that bear his name, the three states he services and the 100 people he employs, Palazola is, at heart, a peddler of onions, apples, bananas and tomatoes.

M. Palazola Produce is a business based in the Old World that has adapted to the new world of corporations, virtual meetings and convenience.

Family is at the core of M. Palazola Produce, where three brothers work with their mother and a son-in-law. Inside the mammoth warehouse with its wood- and-glass offices, when Palazola introduces employees, he mentions where they went to high school ... (read more)

Alphabet Appetite class spells fun ways for kids to learn about healthy diets

Feature story for the Lifestyle section of The Commercial Appeal

March 18, 2009

On the drive from our house in East Memphis to Downtown, we pass about 14 Taco Bells. My 2-year-old daughter, Genevieve, wants to stop at every one of them. Due to gestational cravings, she was born with a taste for the 99-cent menu.

This night, however, she and I are headed to the Hope and Healing Center at 1115 Union for a childhood nutrition class.

The nutrition education classes for children are available to a variety of age ranges and at times convenient to the workout schedule of their parents. The class we are attending is Alphabet Appetite, for children ages 2 to 5. The class is the brainchild of Laurie Holt, 23, who began working with Hope and Healing last April as an intern and was asked to develop the class in July. She has been teaching it ever since as a staff member ... (read more)

Corporate Giving: Soulsville receives scholarships

Corporate Giving story for The Commercial Appeal

March 13, 2009

The giving arm of SunTrust Bank, the SunTrust Foundation, awards scholarship money totaling $200,000 per year to Memphis students for four local schools: the University of Memphis, Christian Brothers University, LeMoyne-Owen College and Rhodes College.

On March 5, the Scholars for Memphis event was held at Soulsville Charter School to award a check for scholarships to Rhodes and to raise community awareness of the partnership among the three organizations.

"We wanted to present at Soulsville because they are such an integral part of the Rhodes service scholarship program," said Jordan Barré, vice president of sales and marketing for SunTrust Bank, Memphis ... (read more)

Up, up and away

Corporate Giving story for The Commercial Appeal

March 6, 2009

Area Fred's Inc. stores have been selling Miracle Balloons for $1 apiece since Sunday to benefit the Children's Miracle Network, the organization that raises funds for children's hospitals across the country.

Money from the balloons sold at the chain's 17 area stores will go to Le Bonheur Children's Medical Center, a CMN member hospital.

This is the fourth year for the balloon program, which has raised $1.2 million so far throughout the chain, including $464,950 last year.

"We want to hit the half-million mark this year," said Ursula Roman, marketing director for Fred's. "The goal is for each store to sell 800 balloons." ... (read more)

Library, still oasis of free fun, helps dad

"Because I Said So" column for The Commercial Appeal

March 5, 2009

My first experience with books that I can recall was at the main branch of the library located, at the time, on the corner of McLean and Peabody in Midtown.

A low brick-and-concrete building, it had zero curb appeal, especially when contrasted against the backdrop of wide, tree-lined streets and a neighborhood of stately Victorians, bungalows and four-square homes. You had to know what magic the utilitarian structure contained to want to step inside.

We lived on Central Avenue, and my mother would walk my sister and me there to pass the time. It must have been where I first fell in love with books ... (read more)

Harrah's Entertainment Organizers betting on cowboy benefit

Corporate Giving story for The Commercial Appeal

February 20, 2009

Harrah's Entertainment will partner with the Alzheimer's Association at Minglewood Hall March 7 for the second annual ''Stetsons and Stars -- Cowboy Up for Alzheimer's'' fundraiser.

Lisa Bobal, regional development director for the Alzheimer's Association, described ''Stetsons and Stars'' as a unique event.

"Everyone wears cowboy attire," she said. "We have a mechanical bull and a Nashville band, KingBilly. The space is decorated country-western style with an actual saloon bar."

The Harrah's Entertainment code of commitment calls for sharing its financial success by donating 1 percent of the company's profits to civic and charitable causes. It is also Harrah's policy to encourage employees to embrace voluntarism ... (read more)

We'll build memories in the new house, too

"Because I Said So" column for The Commercial Appeal

February 19, 2009

I recently moved my family from the house we had lived in for almost 12 years.

It was our first home, which Kristy and I bought when she was pregnant with our oldest, Calvin. At two bedrooms, one bath and 1,240 square feet, it was just the right size for a starter home. Even after our second child, Joshua, came along, it fit us just fine; boys are meant to share a room.

And then the third, Somerset, arrived and things became a bit snug. Kristy and I moved from a bedroom into the den in the back of the house because a little girl required her own room. The new set-up was a little unorthodox, but we did what we could with what we had ... (read more)