By Malaika Jabali, The Root

Thanks to the Internet and social media universalizing certain aspects of culture, our slang has become less regional and maddeningly uniform. So a black dude could trek from New York City to the Atlanta University Center in his Timbs and not be clowned for saying how long it took, “dead ass.” Because he probably won’t be saying that. Though he will be clowned for wearing his Timbs at the freshman-year pool party. Because he probably never took them off.

But while this melding of regional slang and YouTube-driven colloquialisms should be celebrated, the use of words like “lit” and “fleek” and “dab” seems to upset many of our elders, who are mad because we’re not speaking the Queen’s English. Thing is … many of them do the exact same thing. But unlike the innovations of their 14-year-old grandchildren, these words are just misuses of existing words. It doesn’t matter which part of the country they’re in; your moms, pops, auntie, uncle and dem are probably f–kin’ up some English in the following ways:

1.) Adding a gratuitous “s”: Red Lobster is singular. No one is being taken to Red Lobsters, unless you are indeed going to multiple Red Lobsters. In that case, tell me which one has the best cheddar biscuits. With that said, here’s a handy list of other not-actual things:

Bella Noches
Krispy Kremes
wimmens
mens
chirrens
the Internets

For all you Atlantans, that means Essos, Visions and Krogers—the locales of all your late-night flirtations and aggressive “get this damn 2-for-1 ladies-night promo flier off my car windshield” actions—do not exist. And neither does “Ofras” (that’s Oprah, according to my grandma, everybody).

2.) Making plural words singular: In an odd stroke of genius, our elders’ capacity to pluralize words often does not extend to words that actually should be plural. This is especially so if you have family from the West Indies. In my kid days, I was instructed by the aforementioned grandma to pick up my foot (aka both feet), put on my pant (which, arguably, makes more sense) and stop smacking my lip.

3.) Taking away people’s possessives: In a similar twist, because black folks are unpredictable, except when we’re not, Dave and Buster’s and Chuck E. Cheese’s just lost all possession of their respective adult/child playgrounds, because we have universally determined that they will merely be known as Dave and Buster and Chuck E. Cheese.

4.) The gratuitous “r”: I don’t know what an “idear” is. Or an “Obamer.” Or a “‘mote controller” or “cotrolla,” if we want to get technical. I do know what an idea is, that Obama is our president and that a remote changes the TV channel … or so I’m told. Because “nearest child” has been used interchangeably in our house even when the remote is sitting right there, Ma!

5.) On today; on yesterday; on tomorrow: Black people like to do the most. In this case, do less. If we just say “today,” “yesterday” and “tomorrow,” people will still know what we’re trying to say. I mean, I really don’t understand who started this. Was it the same New York City cat who, while standing behind the McDonald’s register to save up money the summer before his AUC trek, summoned the customer next “on line” instead of “in line.” (This is real … and can only be found within the confines of New York City. Side note: Are New Yorkers so easily made fun of because they take themselves so seriously?)

I can tolerate us being “on one,” though I still don’t know what this means, if we’re being honest. I can even get used to us being on C.P. Time. That’s the only time that exists to me, really. I can probably also get past you saying “quote on quote.” But I will not, under any circumstances, be OK with you making plans for “on today,” “on yesterday” or “on tomorrow.”

6.) “Valentime’s Day”: Just stop it. St. Valentine turns over in his grave every week preceding and postceding (see, that’s made up, but I’m consciously aware of this) his eponymous celebration. He also told me he wants you stop it. He hasn’t done either, but whatever.

For all you black-name-having black folks (like me, my name is very black), it’s like that thing when a teacher sees all the letters in your name at roll call, but she gets confused and she is under a lot of pressure because it’s the first day and she is human, too, so she just says whatever and now you’re “Melissa” instead of “Malaika” for a semester and even past that, like when you apply for your first office job because #racism and that’s the only time you get calls back. Thanks, Obamer!

7.) The gratuitous “the”: Hey, Ma, yes I can log off “the Twitter” and “the Facebook.” Oooh, and guess what? I can also log off Twitter and Facebook in the same exact way.

By Nielsen

Soft drink, soda, pop, fizzy drink, tonic—what you call it depends on where you live, but whatever you’re drinking, this bubbly beverage has long been a staple at many American tables. But while rarely a commercial break passes without an ad for one brand or another, we’re spending less on soda overall.

Over the last four years, total U.S. dollars spent on these carbonated beverages declined by 1%, costing the industry over $1 billion in sales. Much of this appears to be driven by a steep decline in diet soda sales, which dropped nearly 5% in the same period. On the other side, regular soda sales initially declined but have grown in the past two years.

This switch may be tied to recent trends toward all-natural ingredients. Consumers are going back to basics, and looking for foods that are fresh, natural and minimally processed. In Nielsen’s Global Health and Wellness Survey last year, 29% of U.S. respondents rated “all natural” as very important, and about 40% said that the absence of artificial colors and flavors is very important.

But just because we’re not reaching for soda as often doesn’t mean we’re off the fizzy stuff all together. Sparkling water sales have skyrocketed in the U.S., growing more than 15% in four years. Current health and wellness trends might be to blame for bursting soda’s bubble. In North America, sales of healthy categories like water, fruit and yogurt grew 7% over the past two years, while sales of indulgent categories like carbonated soft drinks, chips and chocolate fell 8%.

In addition to the health benefits consumers crave, what’s not included plays a major role in purchase decisions. Roughly one-third of U.S. respondents, say it’s very important that foods are low in sugar (27%) and fat (25%), and about one-quarter believe the absence of high fructose corn syrup (33%) and caffeine (16%) is very important.

But don’t worry about your favorite sodas disappearing, sales for this fizzy drink won’t fizzle out anytime soon. With more than $26 billion in sales last year, soda’s popularity is still unbelieveabubble.

By Thomas C. Sheffield

It won’t be easy but it is possible

The road may be tough to become sustainable, but the journey is worth it. There are so many distractions we all face. But we must keep our focus and not lose sight on the prize of a sustainable business and lifestyle.

If you are in business, please do not forget millennials (People born between 1980-2000) are demanding more environmental and socially sound products. A Morgan Stanley report says that millennials are twice as likely to buy from brands with good management of environmental and social issues and are twice as likely to check packaging for sustainability performance.

Here are some thoughts to allow you to become more attractive to millennials.

We must always be mindful of the trends. More and more, consumers are choosing brands and are doing business with businesses that have a shared sense of purpose. Millennials are looking to do business with companies that exercise best environmental practices. These practices show in a company’s bottom line and they publish these plans on their web sites. There are plenty of examples of this. Companies such as Apple, Whole Foods, Walmart and Target continue to find value in sustainable initiatives. If they can do it, then shouldn’t you? Practicing these simple acts will save money and make your business more attractive to millennials.

Millennials are also more aware of business transparency. Members of this tech-savvy group now have access to how you run your business. They have access to information on who you do business with and what is in the products you sell. Studies show millennials are more likely to purchase goods and services with good business practices than just price. Not only are there web sites, there are apps people use to decide where to spend their money.

There are some easy fixes every company can make in order to become more sustainable. You may look for ways to eliminate waste. You may wish to look at options nature provides when it comes to lighting or heating/cooling your business. There may be products out there that you are not using that could save even more money and allow you to make more. The talent of your employees may not be used in the best way to gain a competitive advantage. These missed opportunities should be discovered to bring value to your company because they show investors that you are able to identify and take advantage of opportunities that are present.

The road to a sustainable business is not an easy one but it is a rewarding journey. I challenge you to think differently about how you do business. I challenge you to leverage your assets to your advantage. I challenge you to look at the trends in your industry and adapt to them.

(Thomas C. Sheffield owns Nashville-based Thom Sustainable Consultants. Contact him at thomsustainableconsulting@gmail.com. Visit thomsustainableconsulting.com. Follow @tcsheff.)

By Damon Young, The Root

Who is Krystal Lake?

Krystal Lake is a 22-year-old New York City woman who recently received death threats after wearing a hat with the words “America was never great”—an obvious turn on Donald Trump’s “Make America great again” presidential campaign slogan.

She’d also be my spirit animal if that position wasn’t already occupied by King T’Challa.

Death threats? Really?

Yes. She wore the hat while on a work shift at Home Depot. Someone took a picture of it, shared it to social media, and it apparently became another thing on the long list of “Things Trump Supporters Are Angry About.” Right behind “Muslims,” “science,” “logic,” “Obama,” “Frosted Mini-Wheats,” “actual explanations about why a border wall is an illogical, ridiculous and patently insane suggestion from a cat turd with a coconut’s comb-over,” and “Draymond Green.”

I see. So, if Krystal Lake is your spirit animal, you must agree with her in some way.

I didn’t say that. But I do appreciate the audacity of going to work in an area that’s apparently rife with Trump supporters and wearing that hat. That’s some high-level trolling there. And not the bad trolling, where a person inserts him- or herself into an argument to either derail the conversation or insult the people having the conversation. But the good trolling, where you do something that you know will anger idiots and expose the anger—and the thought process behind the anger—as fruitless and hypocritical.

Well, how do you personally feel about America? Would you call it great?

Not exactly. Referring to a place as large and complex and context-ridden as America as “great” is actually quite limiting. Because it’s much more than that. Can it be great at times? Of course! But can it suck at times? Definitely.

It’s basically a big-ass Cheesecake Factory menu. Sure, there are some legitimately delectable and creative items in there. But there’s also some s–t that should have been left in 1933.

I will say this, though: Perhaps it’s not “great” now, but it’s greater now, in 2016, than it ever has been. There’s never been a time when the country was more closely aligned with the ambitions of its creation. When our government was better positioned to protect the life, liberty and pursuit of happiness of each of its citizens and not just straight, Christian men without much melanin.

And this is why, for many of us, Trump’s “Make America great again” is both a lie and an insult.

How so?

It’s a lie for the reasons I just articulated. It suggests that a mythical greatness 1) actually existed and, 2) if it did exist, is aspirational. And it makes that suggestion despite the fact that today’s America is, by every objective measure, a better place to live than 1976 America. And 1956 America. And 1936 America. And 1916 America. And … you get my point.

And it’s an insult because it neglects to consider the fact that from, like, the first 400 years of America’s existence to maybe the last 40 minutes, if you were a black person or a woman or a queer person or a person who happened not to be Christian, your rights were severely limited. (And if you were a black person, you went the first couple hundred years or so without having any, and then the next hundred years after that with airplane-mode rights.)

The insult becomes a legitimate threat when you consider that maybe that history isn’t being neglected. That maybe it’s the primary consideration. That maybe the latent impetus behind “Make America great again” is a want to return to that America. The Mad Men-era America, where white men could do whatever the hell they wanted. Or perhaps the Underground-era, where white men could own whomever the hell they wanted.

Ironically, Trump and his supporters are actually in a prime position to make America as great as they think it used to be.

Really?

Yup! He could drop out of the race. And then they could all move to Canada.

By Shamira Ibrahim, The Root

This past weekend, I dusted off my sweatpants and trekked to the movies to see the latest Marvel cinematic adventure, Captain America: Civil War. It was a good comic book movie—great, even. I normally have a hard time sitting in a dark room for over two hours without taking at least one solid nap, but I am proud to say that this ragtag group of superheroes held my rapt attention while I was enjoying a $5 Popeyes box.*

I’m not here to spoil plot points—I fully understand that not everyone has seen it yet (although I’d like to note that I am firmly #TeamBuckyBeTRIPPINGDawg). That said, I don’t think I’m ruining anything by pointing out that there are not one, not two, but three black men who have prominent roles on the silver screen. To have three fully fleshed-out black characters in a movie who serve more of a role than “black guy who only exists when white people need things without any discussed internal motivations” is kind of a big deal, and we should all give it its just due.

One thing they didn’t highlight, however, is their personal lives. At minimum, we know that one of the three superheroes dates black women; what would it be like if they all did? What kind of men are they outside of their superhero shenanigans?

Sam Wilson, aka Falcon

Former athlete who can’t let go of his glory days, so he’s the most insufferable person in every work intramural league. Could have been in “the league” if his knee didn’t blow out his junior year of high school. Refers to current athletes he may have run into once during Pop Warner or AAU with the familiarity of someone who’s actual friends with them. Signs up for Spartan Races year-round. Wants to find the love of his life in a CrossFit Box. Drops and does 10 pushups before every photo.

James Rhodes, aka War Machine

Dude who talks a big game but ultimately is middle management. Takes a lot of photos at big, fancy galas with people who are way more important than he is. Falls in line with whatever’s on the TPS report but pretends that he’s thought it over and it’s the most reasonable decision to make. Says stuff like, “You don’t understand until you been through it,” and rattles off memorized statements about the significance of history and legacy and service—when all you asked was why were there still grown men taking over the room at happy hour. Has a “nonstandard” MLK quote as a signature to all of his emails. Thinks J. Cole is underrated. Wants someone to take to nerd prom.

T’Challa, aka Black Panther

First-generation dude with wealthy parents, and he went to elite international private schools with far better resources than their American counterparts. Talks a lot of s–t with the credentials to back it up. Consistently presumes himself to be the smartest person in the room. Expresses befuddlement as to why “you Americans” do things a certain way approximately once a week. Insists that his country makes the best jollof. Relaxes in the back of an Afrobeats party with Johnnie Walker. His way or the highway at all times. Eternal question marks around his actual relationship status—rumor is, he has a girl in the Victoria Island section of Lagos (pronounced LAY-gos, not LAH-gos, like in the movie)—but you’ll never ask and he’ll never tell. Requires a woman with multiple degrees who will still make pounded yam and bear his children. Manchester City fan.

Which door would you pick: No. 1, 2 or 3? Important note: While all of these men have their own very unique personalities and quirks, they all have one thing in common (besides consistently coming together to save the Earth from pending extinction, that is): a highly questionable relationship with their barbers.

Don’t judge—the movie ticket was 22 AMERICAN DOLLARS. I was entitled to a spicy two-piece and a biscuit.

Listen, I don’t read comics; nor do I plan to. So maybe they all got girlfriends named Toya; I wouldn’t know either way. Work with me here.

By Elliott Sayles

In July 2015, I was working as a vendor at the Essence Music Fest in New Orleans selling products for a former business venture. The sales potential seemed promising with over a half million people in attendance. The products had gotten a great response online and from universities across the country. I thought the Essence Music Fest would be the perfect venue to set up shop. I had high expectations of selling out and I just knew they’d blow up soon after the event.

After three days of lackluster sales and expenses that put me in the red, I set out on the long five-hour drive back home. The serene road trip gave me a chance to think about where I went wrong and what I could’ve done better. It was a big disappointment. I licked my wounds and made the tough decision to put the business on ice. I couldn’t foresee putting any more money into it.

In the meantime, there was another idea in the back of my mind that I had been playing with. It was an idea birthed from Memphis culture and our unique dialect. I would create products that defined how Memphians say the word “MAN” pronounced “MANE”. Memphians use this word to express a large range of emotions and to be festive and playful. Memphians may not realize that we are known across the country for our usage of this word (ex: the movie “Hustle and Flow”). It’s one way that outsiders distinctively identify Memphians.

While on the road I made a call and got the ball rolling on the “MANE” project. My former business forced me to confront and admit two things: 1) I did fail at my expectations in New Orleans and 2) I was resilient in the fact that I didn’t internalize that failure and shrink. I moved forward with this project in the midst of falling on my face.

By the end of August, a dozen variations of shirts had been printed exactly how I envisioned them. I posted a picture on Facebook and people started to respond and questions began to circulate about how they could buy them. Every day more and more people were sharing pictures via social media and messaging me to inquire about purchasing. The amazing part was that there were just as many people who no longer lived in Memphis buying the MANE T-shirts, as there were locals.

That’s when I realized that I needed a website. It also needed to be protected under a trademark. As a proud Memphian, I wanted to take complete ownership of this word. I wasn’t familiar with how the trademark process worked. I also didn’t know anyone who had trademarked anything in the past but I didn’t let that hold me back.

During my research, I came across a workshop being held at the Renaissance Center in Downtown Memphis that connected business owners with resources. When I arrived the room was packed with people eager to discover the same information for whatever personal or business project they were working on. You could feel the entrepreneurial energy in the air.

There was a law firm in attendance that specialized in patents, trademarks, and copyrights. It was informative and helpful and just what I needed at the time. Once the workshop was over, I felt a little closer to my goals.

By October, I had created the website manetshirts.com to help streamline the orders that were coming in. It was exciting but I was concerned because the shirts were getting exposure and had not yet been legally protected. The letters “TM” were printed on the T-shirts as a step towards legally protecting my work.

A friend told me about another workshop specifically about trademarks being held at the Benjamin Hooks Library. I attended the workshop on a Thursday afternoon and could feel the same hopeful energy. I felt more equipped and informed from the previous workshop along with the research I had done on my own.

After the workshop was over I knew exactly what classification(s) I wanted to file MANE under. A classification is a category in the business space(s) you’ll be looking to operate your intellectual property in. For example, Michael Buffer registered his trademark “Let’s Get Ready To Ruuuuuumble” under classification #35 (advertising business management administration office functions). Each class you seek protection under has the current cost of $275 + the application fee of $275 not including attorney’s costs.

I met with the attorney after the presentation and got his business card. That Monday morning in October I met with him to move forward with my plans to file for protection for MANE. It is now a federally registered trademark.

While doing research about my product I came to the realization that the African-American community produces a lot of tangible and intangible things that take off in mainstream culture. Many of those circulate in our community for years as everyday catchphrases, quotes, jokes, and images. However, we consider it as part of our culture so we dismiss it.

According to the African-American Consumer 2013 Report by The Nielsen Company, 73 percent of whites and 67 percent of Hispanics believe Blacks influence mainstream culture. Many things that Black people create permeate into popular mainstream culture. But what if we put a value on everything we produced by putting a business framework around them? What if there was a gatekeeper in the Black community that had such things protected by a copyright or trademark before it hit mainstream media?

How much further could we move the needle in our community economically?

I’m sharing my story about the success of acquiring my trademark on MANE because it is an example of what we can do when we leverage our culture and the essence of who we are. Our community is beginning to understand how vital entrepreneurship is to generational wealth. This isn’t about reinventing the wheel or curing cancer. It is about placing value on our culture and recognizing how powerful and influential it has proven to be time and time again.

Once we accept that uniqueness as our strength we’ll advance economically. Our society now moves at lightening speed thanks to the advancement of technology. You never know what opportunity will present itself. It could be a niche idea to use in corporate marketing campaign or a blockbuster Hollywood production. Intellectual property can be used in a myriad of ways that generate income. It can also be passed down to the next generation to retain ownership.

The options are limitless but it’s up to us to think outside the box, take ownership and move our economy forward to affect generations to come.

By Terry Davis, Special to The New Tri-State Defender

Five years ago, Donovan Norphlet had never heard of a sport called rugby. That changed when a group called Memphis Inner City Rugby (MICR) came to his school, Power Center Academy.

“We listened to what rugby was, and we were interested,” Norphlet said in a YouTube interview. “And we were like, ‘We should go try out and see what it’s about.’ And we did. And ever since then, we’ve been on a rugby team.”

For Norphlet, that chance encounter turned into a rugby scholarship at Life University in Georgia. Now, Norphlet and his fellow Running Eagles teammates are Division 1A champions – a championship game in which Norphlet made his first-ever start.

The accomplishment might have never happened if not for rugby enthusiasts and community activists Shane Young and Devin O’Brien. The duo co-founded MICR to provide options and teach life lessons to youth who might not otherwise know what rugby is – let alone actually play the sport.

“Devin and I became teachers in neighborhoods suffering from adverse socioeconomic conditions,” Young said. “We had a passion for rugby and wanted to see how it could enhance the lives of our students.”

Some consider rugby the father of American football – the balls are even shaped similarly. But unlike American football, there is no forward pass, and players can only advance the ball by running or kicking it. It is fast paced, dynamic game that challenges players both mentally and physically. Young said.

And though most kids’ sports dreams involve basketball and football, Young said that rugby hasn’t been a tough sell to Memphis youth. New students learn the game by watching video and coaching. Ultimately, they have to get out on the pitch – or rugby field – and try the sport out.

“They fall in love with the game pretty fast,” Young said. “They get the ball in their hands, they get to be physical. They became part of a brotherhood or sisterhood by talking a new challenge.”

To the untrained eye, rugby looks even more rough and rugged than American football. Players tackle each other, but they don’t wear helmets. Still, tackling in rugby is generally considered very safe – so safe that both the NFL and NCAA have adopted some of the sport’s tackling techniques.

The transition from being a high-school student in Memphis to becoming a Life University student wasn’t easy for Norphlet. He struggled with both his grades and his play. But in his second quarter at Life, Norphlet improved his grades, his play, starting on the junior varsity team and gradually moving up to varsity.

In the quarterfinal game, Norphlet only played a few minutes, and didn’t play at all in the semi-finals. But when his coach switched strategy for the championship match against St. Mary’s College, he inserted Norphlet as a starter. The move paid off as Life defeated St. Mary’s 24-20 to polish off an undefeated 12-0 season with a D1A championship.

For Norphlet, winning a championship as a freshman may not even be his greatest achievement of the year. Life University will field a 7-member team competing for a spot in the 2016 Olympics in Rio. Some of the qualifying games will be broadcast on the NBC Sports network in June.

This fall, MICR will field three boys’ and two girls’ Memphis high school rugby teams with over 120 students athletes. They will compete with Christian Brothers High School, Houston and other well-established programs. MICR will field teams at Soulsville Charter School (boys and girls), Freedom Preparatory Academy (boys and girls), and Norphlet’s alma mater, PCA.

Teams practice at local parks near their schools and play at University of Memphis or the USA Stadium in Millington. It’s not cheap, though – the cost to operate a team for an academic year is $10,000, mostly due to USA Rugby’s mandatory $75 per player registration and insurance cost.

MICR doesn’t charge its students, but gets support from donors and sponsors. To learn how you can support MICR, visit www.memphisinnercityrugby.com or find them on Facebook.

By Wiley Henry, whenry@tri-statedefender.com

Vincent Gardley is vacillating between moving the French Riviera Spa he operates in the Whitehaven Plaza to the Southgate Shopping Center on Third Street or the Southland Mall Shopping Center on Shelby Drive. He’d rather stay put but that option is not on the table.

Gardley purchased the spa a year and a half ago from a Utah resident who owns 20 French Riviera Spas throughout the Southeast. That purchase did not make Gardley the leaseholder on the Whitehaven Plaza property. After learning of that and moving to explore his options, Gardley found out that the choices available at that point did not include him continuing to run his French Rivera Spa operation from the Whitehaven Plaza Spot.

The bombshell created a predicament for Gardley: He’d increased the spa’s membership considerably within a relatively short time. Now he has to move and risk losing what he’d gained.

Southgate is 5.87 miles north of the spa’s current location and Southland is 1.20 miles south.

“I have two leases on my desk and I’m going to make a decision in a few weeks. So I have some options. I’m trying to decide which way to go,” said Gardley, who learned in April that he has to vacate the building at 4130 Elvis Presley Blvd. by October.

“We’re trying to keep it under $7,500 a month,” said Gardley, hoping the new location will keep the spa’s growing membership in tact as well as draw others. “We need about 9,000 square feet. We would love to have 11 or 12.”

The price has to be right, he said.

Relocating the spa would require transporting several elliptical machines, tread climbers, punching bags, upright cycling bikes, rowing machines, weight benches and other cardio exercise equipment. But Gardley doesn’t see this as a problem – just a setback.

“All we need is space and don’t require a huge build out – offices and stuff like that,” he said. “We can move in 10 days.”

Gardley purchased the spa from Ren Rice, who still is the leaseholder on the property.

“He did buy that business…but the lease that we have, Vincent is not even on it, said Rick Smith, director of property management with Finard Properties, which owns the Whitehaven Plaza. “So our dealings are with our leaseholder.”

A 10-year lease agreement for the spa is on file with Finard. But Smith would not divulge much information about the lease, citing landlord and tenant confidentially. He did say, however, that there are no options after the lease expires in October, meaning the lease will not be renewed.

“So what we did was we reached out to the person on the lease, the company on the lease,” said Smith, “and we told them…that you need to check your lease and its statements and requirements…the end of the term.”

Smith said he’d heard about “the potential sale (of the French Riviera Spa) through the grapevine” and notified Rice to tell him “y’all need to check this before you do anything. At that point, there was nothing more that we could do.”

Gardley called Smith in an attempt to renegotiate the lease.

“I was told that the people I bought the spa from were in violation of the lease by selling me the place,” said Gardley.

“When Vincent did reach out to me, I spoke with him as absolutely open curtain as I could,” said Smith. “But I still had some restrictions, because Vincent was not on the lease. And anytime that a business under a lease agreement has transactions, that has to be approved by the property owner.”

Gardley looked back on his conversation with Smith. “I said, ‘Oh, I wish somebody had told me this, that there was a problem.’ But, of course, they continued to take my money,” he said. “They kept taking a rent check from me with my name on it, with my company’s name on it.”

Smith said, “We don’t review every single payment that comes in in terms of whose checking account did that come from. They’re just going to mark it paid and credit it to the account down in the credit department. That’s no different than if I go and pay your light gas and water bill.”

Gardley is not dismayed, not even after learning that Finard is leasing the former Ike’s pharmacy at 4126 Elvis Presley to Planet Fitness, a national chain. Renovation has already begun and Planet Fitness should open around the time the lease comes to an end for French Riviera Spa, Smith said.

“We’ve been working on that lease for quite some time,” he said. “These things take six, 12 months, and even more to work out the economics…the construction…the lease agreement and the language therein.”

It is not customary for a landlord to pit two competing businesses against each other, Smith said. “Most likely, what will end up are two people who can’t pay their rent.”

Acknowledging that Gardley is in a bad spot, Smith said, “Vincent is a fine young man and he is a great operator. It’s a bad situation.”

Gardley has been forthright with his French Rivera Spa clients.

“Soon as I found out about this, I talked to the members and told them the lease won’t be renewed and that we would have to move,” said Gardley, who was upbeat in February when he talked to The New Tri-State Defender about his expansion plans for the Whitehaven location.

“We’re obligated by law to honor the lease agreement,” said Smith. “But it doesn’t change Vincent’s predicament. That’s the burden of the story.”