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VOL. 133 | NO. 64 | Thursday, March 29, 2018
Last Word
Bill Dries
Last Word: Yoga's Return, Strickland on MLK50 and The Broad Water Tower Move
By Bill Dries
The two parks where Confederate monuments were removed this past December will feature some new experiences now that spring is here both by the calendar and by all that flowers and clouds that are heavy with rain. Memphis Greenspace, the nonprofit that bought Health Sciences and Memphis Parks from the city at the end of 2017, will roll out its first programming for the two parks next week including a Truth Booth at Memphis Park along with the return of Downtown Yoga. It will be tai chi Tuesdays and yoga Thursdays at Health Sciences Park along with a lunchtime music series.
Memphis Mayor Jim Strickland talks about the MLK50 observances which reach their peak next week and the city’s efforts to grow minority business.
A new multi-use development on Broad Avenue would relocate the Broad water tower and bring more multi-family along with retail to the area east of Overton Park.
Explore Bike Share's map of 60 bike rental stations for a flett of 600 bikes that roll into action later this spring went public Wednesday.
The Broad Avenue water tower will be moving as the neighboring 222,000 square foot warehouse gives way to a mixed use development on the 8.5 acre site that is to include retail and 400 apartment units of multi-family in a joint venture by Loeb Properties and 3D Realty. The development comes just east of other multi-family and other mixed use planned closer to the eastern border of Overton Park.
Explore Bike Share rolls out the locations for 60 rental stations for a system of 600 bicycles and unveils its rates which start at $5 for a single ride of an hour and top out at $120 for an annual membership.
A departure from the Tigers basketball program – the first since Penny Hardaway became head coach.
Capitol Hill in Nashville may lose its statue of Edward Carmack for a statue of Davy Crockett by legislation pending in the Tennessee Legislature reports our Nashville correspondent Sam Stockard in his “View From The Hill” column. Meanwhile, the bust of Nathan Bedford Forrest in the capitol isn’t going anywhere but some of the bills to retaliate against Memphis for removing the statue of Forrest in Health Science Park are.
State House speaker Beth Harwell and Lt. Gov. Randy McNally calling on Waynesboro state Rep. David Byrd to resign following allegations of sexual abuse. WSMV in Nashville broke the story which includes recordings of Byrd reportedly apologizing for his actions as a high school basketball coach 30 years ago.
Republican contender for Governor Diane Black endorses fellow Republican Marsha Blackburn in Blackburn’s race for the U.S. Senate. That’s a pretty safe bet with Blackburn being the only major contender left in the August primary. She and Democrat Phil Bredesen, who is the only major contender in that primary as well, are already engaged in a general election campaign. But Black’s endorsement Wednesday comes with her urging her rivals in the Republican primary for Governor and U.S. Senators Bob Corker and Lamar Alexander to also back Blackburn.