VOL. 133 | NO. 56 | Monday, March 19, 2018
The Week Ahead: March 19-25, 2018
The Daily News
Good morning, Memphis! Spring fever’s in the air as the equinox officially arrives Tuesday morning. Tell winter to take a hike at the new Heels 4 Healing 5K for St. Jude this weekend, then let the kids dance the blues away at a pair of family ballet events. Here’s what else you should know about in The Week Ahead…
Hutchison School senior Samantha Tancredi is organizing Heels 4 Healing, a new 5K and community fundraiser for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. The walk/run kicks off at 9 a.m. Saturday at Shelby Farms Park, and live music, food trucks and other fun activities will be part of the festivities. Tancredi and other participants have already raised more than $32,000 toward their $50,000 fundraising goal. (You can read more about her efforts here.)
The Arc Mid-South and the Memphis Rollin’ Grizzlies are holding their annual “Hoops from the Heart” Wheelchair Basketball Tournament Saturday from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Raymond Skinner Center, 712 Tanglewood St. The Rollin’ Grizzlies, a nationally ranked wheelchair-basketball team that competes in Division III of the National Wheelchair Basketball Association, will go up against a number of corporate teams, including Cardinal Health and The Hershey Co. Admission is $5 and all proceeds benefit The Arc Mid-South, a nonprofit whose mission is to help people with intellectual and developmental disabilities achieve their full potential.
Take flight for Neverland as Ballet Memphis hosts “Peter Pan” Family Day Saturday from 1 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. at its new Overton Square headquarters, 2144 Madison Ave. An art-filled, story-filled, dance-filled day complete with flying professional dancers awaits kids and kids at heart – and it’s all free. The Lost Boys would approve.
…And in more ballet news, Ballet On Wheels will hold its 10th annual Easter Basket Drive & Free Dance Camp Saturday from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. at St. Luke’s United Methodist Church, 480 S. Highland St. The camp features mini-classes in several dance styles and is open to any child ages 3-14 who brings a filled, wrapped Easter basket to be given to children at Hope House of Memphis and Porter-Leath. Register online or call 901-870-4348 by Wednesday.
Down Syndrome Association of Memphis and the Mid-South is holding its inaugural World Down Syndrome Day candlelight vigil Wednesday at 6 p.m. in Tom Lee Park, near Beale Street Landing. The celebration (complete with live music and food trucks) is actually the wrap-up for an all-day event called the “Walkin’ in Memphis Awareness Walk,” launched by DSAM board member and parent Josh Greer. Greer’s walk starts at dawn at Big River Crossing, and he’ll be stopping at 21 well-known Memphis locations throughout the day, with all proceeds benefiting DSAM.
The Democratic and Republican contenders for Shelby County mayor are expected at a forum Thursday at 6 p.m. at the National Civil Rights Museum. The forum is being hosted by the NCRM and the Memphis Branch NAACP, which have teamed up for a “Voting is Power 901” campaign to increase awareness and knowledge of the voting process locally and improve voter turnout.
Still working out plans for the kids this summer? Memphis Parent is hosting a camp expo Saturday from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Memphis Botanic Garden, 750 Cherry Road. Organizers of more than 40 summer camps, day camps, extracurricular camps and others will be on hand to share information with parents. The free event will also include complimentary admission to MBG and My Big Backyard, access to on-site food trucks, and activities for parents and kids.
Environmental activist Erin Brockovich is giving the keynote at the Junior League of Memphis’ third annual Memphis Women’s Summit. The one-day event, which runs Thursday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. in the University of Memphis’ University Center and Michael D. Rose Theatre, also features breakout sessions, vendors and a luncheon discussion about the MLK50 celebration.
Jarl T. Young, the new president of Memphis Light, Gas and Water Division, takes the oath of office Monday at the city’s publicly owned utility company and begins his tenure.
Later Monday, the Shelby County Commission meets with another low-key meeting expected heading into the budget season. The meeting starts at 3 p.m. Downtown and you can follow it @tdnpols for live coverage.
In addition to being the first day of spring, Tuesday is also Memphis City Council day at City Hall, starting with committee sessions in the morning and moving to the afternoon session that starts at 3:30 p.m. Again, you can follow it @tdnpols.
(Daily News File/Andrew J. Breig)
The Shelby County Election Commission meets at 4 p.m. Tuesday afternoon to firm up plans for the May 1 county primary elections and April 11-26 early voting period. The commission is expected to formally approve the hours and locations, including a move of early voting Downtown from the election commission offices at 157 Poplar Ave. to Calvary Episcopal Church just a few blocks away.
Old Dominick Distillery is hosting the next installment in its “Old Dominick Pure Memphis Music” series on Thursday at the distillery, 305 S. Front St. The event is set for 6:30 p.m. to 10 p.m. The artist this time Luther Dickinson & Friends. The son of famed producer Jim Dickinson, Luther’s 2016 album “Blues & Ballads (A Folksinger’s Songbook) Vol. I & II” collects 21 songs from throughout his life and career. He’ll be appearing with frequent collaborators Sharde Thomas and Amy LaVere. Doors open at 6:30 p.m, and the music starts at 7:30 p.m.
The owners of the partially demolished Benchmark Hotel on the northwest corner of Union Avenue and B.B. King Boulevard are due in General Sessions Environmental Court Thursday for the latest in a series of hearings on the future of the Downtown skeletal structure. Environmental Court Judge Larry Potter, before his retirement earlier this month, had declared the building a nuisance under state law but was giving all sides in the matter more time to work out a plan for the property. The Downtown Memphis Commission went to court to seek the nuisance order and force the owners to do something with the building. Neighboring businesses have joined in the complaint.
Memphis’ young professional community will have another chance to gather, meet each other and network on Monday. The Undercurrent organization is hosting Undercurrent 044 at Carolina Watershed, at 141 E. Carolina Ave. The event runs from 8 p.m. to 11 p.m., and the first 50 drinks are on the house. The main purpose of these gatherings is that there’s no formal agenda, as such – you aren’t expected to do anything except show up and interact with the other attendees.
The Metal Museum hosts its annual Forging on the River event Friday through Sunday, with a seated dinner and auction on Saturday. The weekend conference provides metalsmiths and enthusiasts a chance to exchange ideas and collaborate on projects, and Saturday’s art auction offers the public an opportunity to bid on fine metalwork pieces by artisans from around the country.
The Daily News staff compiles The Week Ahead for you, our readers, every week. You'll receive it as part of our Monday online edition. Email associate editor Kate Simone at ksimone@memphisdailynews.com if you have items for consideration.