Today in Mississippi Coast September 2011

Coast Electric Power AssociationPeriodic

alposta

ge(ISSN

10522433) Former plantation

showcases birds

Cookbook benefitsspecial-needs kids

Fall festival, fairseason gearing up

4

14

15

Strawberry PlainsAudubon Center

Meet the natives at

2 � Today in Mississippi � September 2011

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September 2011 � Today in Mississippi � 3

here were you when the worldstopped turning, that Septemberday?” Alan Jackson asks in hishit song about Sept. 11, 2001.

9/11 has become one of those “where wereyou?” events in history: Where were youwhen Kennedy was shot, Armstrong walkedon the moon, Elvis died, Reagan was shot,the Challenger exploded. Many of theseanswers depend on your generation. I wasnot around when Kennedy was president,just a baby when Armstrong walked on themoon, and not old enough to understandwhy Mom was crying over some guy namedElvis. While these events were important tohistory, they really did not affect me in anemotional way.For that reason, I was skeptical when my

wife suggested we take the kids to GroundZero when we visited New York in March.While I wanted to go, I was not sure itwould mean much to my children. Michaelwas only 4 in 2001, Katlyne a little over ayear and Victoria was yet to be born. I wasjust not sure the kids would appreciate whathad happened that day and how emotional ithad been for us as a country.When we arrived at the Ground Zero

Memorial, I was a little surprised. The actual9/11 site was a bustling construction zone.Several huge cranes worked to reconstructbuildings and erect the permanent memorialfor those lost on that fateful day. A clock wascounting down the days till the 10th anniver-sary, when all this was supposed to be fin-ished.The temporary memorial was housed in a

small storefront not far from the construc-tion. Small and crowded with people, ithoused artifacts and pictures of people whohad perished in the tragedy. On one wall wasa timeline of the events that unfolded thatday, and pictures.I was in a doctor’s office, being treated for

a sinus infection, when I first heard a plane

had hit the World Trade Center. A short timelater, I sat at my house and watched in uttershock and disbelief as the towers fell to theground.As I read the timeline and relived that day,

I felt a knot in my stomach, a lump in mythroat and tears welling in my eyes. I wastrying not to cry in front of my childrenwhen I happened to glance down at them.All three had tears streaming down theirfaces. It was then I realized 9/11 was anevent that would transcend generations andtime. 9/11 was the day America was attackedfor being America. It was the day people diedjust doing what they do, some while tryingto escape the fires in their office buildings.Some brave souls lost their lives trying tosave others trapped in the infernos.My 14-year-old son reached into his pock-

et and pulled out money to make a donationto the memorial fund. The girls quicklyasked their mother for money to do thesame. Michael bought a lapel pin; the girlsbought books. We were all emotionallydrained when we walked out the door.As we walked back to the subway, past the

construction, my son paused and looked overat the massive site, with all the cranes andworkers. “Dad, do you think we will evercatch him?” he asked. “Yes I do,” I answered.As we continued on to catch the girls,

Michael said, “They got us that day, theyknocked them down, but they couldn’t stopus from putting them back. We are still hereand we’re putting them back.”Yes, we are.

Our visit to Ground Zero hassurprising impact on the kids

“W

Today in MississippiOFFICERSRonnie Robertson - PresidentDarrell Smith - First Vice PresidentKevin Doddridge - Second Vice PresidentBrad Robison - Secretary/Treasurer

EDITORIAL STAFFMichael Callahan - Executive Vice President/CEORon Stewart - Senior Vice President, Co-op ServicesMark Bridges - Manager, Support ServicesJay Swindle - Manager, AdvertisingDebbie H. Stringer - EditorAbby Berry - Communications SpecialistRickey McMillan - Graphics SpecialistLinda Hutcherson - Administrative Assistant

EDITORIAL OFFICE & ADVERTISING601-605-8600Acceptance of advertising by Today inMississippi does not imply endorsementof the advertised product or services bythe publisher or Mississippi’s ElectricPower Associations. Product satisfactionand delivery responsibility lie solely withthe advertiser.• National advertising representative:National Country Market, 800-626-1181

Circulation of this issue: 434,032Non-member subscription price: $9.50 per year

Today in Mississippi (ISSN 1052-2433) isa cooperative newspaper publishedmonthly by Electric Power Associationsof Mississippi, Inc., P.O. Box 3300Ridgeland, MS 39158-3300, or 665Highland Colony Parkway, Ridgeland,MS 39157. Phone 601-605-8600.Periodical postage paid at Ridgeland,MS, and additional office. The publisher(and/or its agent) reserves the right torefuse or edit all advertising.POSTMASTER: Send address changesto: Today, P.O. Box 3300, Ridgeland, MS39158-3300

The Official Publication of theElectric Power Associations of MississippiVol. 64 No. 9

The promise of seeing the ruby-throated hummingbird, and count-less other native and migratorybirds, draws visitors to StrawberryPlains Audubon Center, in HollySprings. The National AudubonSociety is restoring the natural envi-ronment at the former cotton plan-tation, making it inviting onceagain to birds and other wildlife.Story on page 4.

Visit us at:www.todayinmississippi.com

Mississippi is . . .. . . a dream homeplace to me. I wasn’t born in Mississippibut moved here five years ago. As a child I lived in Kentuckyand Alabama, and Alabama till I was an adult. I’ve alwayshad a love for Mississippi, and when we were blessed withthe opportunity to move here and plant our roots, mydreams had finally come true. Of all the places I’ve lived,Mississippi is my home. Home doesn’t necessary mean whereyou are born or raised but where your heart is with your fam-ily. I’m very proud to say Lucedale is my home and where myheart is with my family. It’s where we’ll spend the rest of ourdays and beyond. Thank you, Mississippi, with your beauti-ful magnolias and peaceful, beautiful nights.

— Becky Cannon, Lucedale

. . . my three boys growing up safe, playing in the dirt! Thesweet smells of yellow daffodils and bright colors of tulips inthe spring. A summer harvest of yellow squash, ripe redtomatoes, Mississippi purple hull peas and hot peppers makeit home to me.

— Judy Freeman, Magnolia

. . . a historic state full of adventures lurking in every corner,ready to be discovered. It still has mysteries that have notbeen solved. The treasures buried deep down in the rich soilare waiting to be uprooted and their secrets revealed.

— Kelly Denise Common, age 13, Tchula

We RememberA memorial in downtownDurant honors two native sonswho lost their lives in the 9/11attack on the Pentagon:• Lt. Col. Jerry D. Dickerson Jr.,41, served in the U.S. Army. Hewas at the Pentagon when itwas struck by the hijackedAmerican Flight 77. He workedon operations research and sys-tems analysis and lived with hiswife and two children in theWashington, D.C., area.• J. Joe Ferguson, 39, was direc-tor of geography education out-reach at the NationalGeographic Society and a pas-senger on American Flight 77.An avid traveler, he was flyingwith a small group of teachersand students on a NationalGeographic-sponsored field tripto the Channel Islands. He livedin Washington, D.C.Both men are among the victims memorialized with inscriptions at the National

September 11 Memorial, located at the World Trade Center site in New York City.

What’s Mississippi to you?What makes you proud to be a Mississippian? What do you treasuremost about life in our state? Please keep your comments brief and sendthem to Today in Mississippi, P.O. Box 3300, Ridgeland, MS39158, or e-mail them to [email protected]. Submissions are sub-ject to editing for space and clarity.

My OpinionMichael Callahan

Executive Vice President/CEOEPAs of Mississippi

On the cover

http://www.todayinmississippi.com

mailto:[email protected]


By Debbie StringerThere was a time when a single plant

dominated the landscape at StrawberryPlains plantation.

Each summer, cotton blanketed the fieldsas far as one could see. By September, “whitegold” spilled from the woody bolls, ready forpicking and ginning.

It was the 1850s, the height of King Cot-ton’s reign in the South, and StrawberryPlains was one of the most prosperous plan-tations in the region.

Nature has since reclaimed this land,enriching it with native grasses, undergrowthtrees—with a bit of prodding from theNational Audubon Society. And thanks to abequest from the former owners to theAudubon Society, the plantation opened tothe public in 2001 in its new role as a2,600-acre showcase for the conservation ofbirds and their habitat.

Strawberry Plains Audubon Center is saidto be one of the most ambitious projectsever undertaken by the National AudubonSociety. The center not only seeks to restorethe environment and teach visitors aboutenvironmental issues, but to call attention tothe local history.

Chickasaws occupied these woodlandsand meadows long before white settlersarrived. “A lot of research is still being doneon what exactly happened at the site, but anelder in the Chickasaw nation visits us fre-quently, and he has told us that this proper-ty was considered a sacred place by the

Chickasaws,” said Katie Boyle, director ofoutreach and education at the center.

Spanish explorer Hernando de Sotoclashed with the Chickasaws while leadinghis expedition through the area in 1541.

Strawberry Plains wasn’t the only planta-tion operating on the Audubon land in the19th century, but it was by far the largest.Its founder, Eben Davis, came to MarshallCounty in 1837. His second wife, Martha,named the plantation Strawberry Plains.

In 1851 the Davises built the finest man-sion in the area: a two-and-a-half-story brickstructure set among red oaks. Martha Davisplanted red cedars around the home, someof which remain standing today.

But the mansion’s glory days went up insmoke in 1864, when Union troops set fireto the home after giving Martha Davis only15 minutes get her family and possessionsout. The family moved into servants’ quar-ters where they lived for several years untilEben Davis could make their charred shell

of a house livable again.Davis descendants occupied the badly

deteriorated house, which had never beenwired for electricity, until 1964. Its cottonproducing days were long gone; only share-croppers raised cattle and cultivated smallplots.

After sisters Ruth Finley and MargaretFinley Shackelford inherited the estate in1967 (Martha Davis was their great-great-aunt), Shackelford tackled an extensive reno-vation of the abandoned antebellum house,added a wing to the back and planted for-mal gardens. She and her husband, Dr. JohnShackelford, spent their retirement years liv-ing and entertaining guests in the home.The Finley sisters had decided years earli-

er to bequeath the estate to a conservationorganization that would maintain it for awildlife sanctuary, with support from anendowment. Both women, as did manymembers of their family, shared a deeprespect for nature and a desire to protect the

environment. They settled on the NationalAudubon Society, to which they bequeathedthe Davis House, 2,500 acres and an ante-bellum house in Holly Springs. (Audubonlater acquired another 100 acres.)A few months before Margaret Shack-

elford’s death in 1998, the Audubon Societytook the first steps in the restoration of nat-ural wildlife habitat at Strawberry Plains.The Davis mansion’s formal plantings ofexotic flowers and shrubs were the first toget a makeover.

“When Audubon got here, the first thingwe did was rip up all of Margaret’s plants,”Boyle said. “I think she was horrified at first,but as we put in these native species, shestarted to see the birds arrive. She’d have hergirlfriends over to watch the birds.”Today the garden demonstrates there’s no

reason why native plants can’t be used in agarden—and in a naturalistic way. The resultmay appear overgrown and weedy to some,but to the birds, it’s a paradise.The surrounding hardwood forest is

renewing itself without human intervention.The grasslands, however, and a few otherareas are getting a boost from Audubon withthe planting of more native species.The ultimate goal is to restore balance in

the plant, insect and animal populations. Anenvironment rich in native plants will sup-port a variety of insects—the food of choicefor many birds, amphibians and small mam-mals.

Audubon divided the property into dis-

Strawberry Plains Audubon Centerthe natural place to

get toknowthenatives

The Davis House, built in the 1950s, is a part of the Marshall County estate bequeathed to the NationalAubudon Society for use as a wildlife sanctuary. Female ruby-throated hummingbirds, top, fuel up at afeeder in a naturalized garden behind the house. Photos: Janis Greene


Strawberry Plains Audubon Center in Holly Springs will welcome guests Sept. 9-11 to its biggest event of the year, the annual Hummingbird Migration Celebrationand Natural Festival.Thousands of folks attend the festival each year to see ruby-throated humming-

birds being banded and released. A lucky few kids may even get to release a hum-mer.“Seeing a hummingbird up close is one of those moments you never forget,” said

Katie Boyle, outreach and education director atStrawberry Plains.Visitors can also watch ruby-throats throng to

native plants and feeders to fatten up for their Gulfof Mexico crossing.Other attractions at this year’s festival will include

guided wagon rides and nature walks, a kids’ naturetent, live animal shows, a native plant sale, arts, crafts and food.Speakers will include:

• Douglas Tallamy, author of “Bringing Nature Home: How You Can Sustain Wildlife WithNative Plants”• Rob Mies, from the Organization for Bat Conservation, with live bats• Greg Budney, of Cornell University• Terry Vanderventer, snake expert, with live snakes.“As far as I know, there’s nothing like this,” Boyle said. “I’ve worked at a lot of different

nature centers and in the environmental field throughout my career, and this is hands-down the best nature festival I’ve ever been to. It’s just world class.”What’s so special about hummingbirds that they should get their own festival? “Every-

one loves hummingbirds. They do things that other birds don’t do. They fly backwardsand forward and up and down like a helicopter. They have so much personality and somuch spunk that they’re a joy to watch,” Boyle said.They’re fast, too: The ruby-throat flies an average of 30 mph—and up to 50 mph in

escape mode.

During migrationin spring and fall,hummingbirds flyacross the Gulf ofMexico, with somestarting from as faraway as Canada.“They are able to

accomplish some-thing that seemsimpossible,” Boylesaid. “This tiny bird is able to migrate up to 2,500 miles with a brain the size of a pea. Wereally don’t know how they do that. It’s one of life’s great mysteries.”And something to celebrate.Festival admission is $15 for adults, $10 for seniors, $5 for children under 12. For festival

information, call Strawberry Plains Audubon Center at (662) 252-1155 or go to strawberry-plains.audubon.org.

“Seeing a hummingbird up close is oneof those moments you never forget.”

—Katie Boyle

Teeny birds draw big crowds

tinct “demonstration areas”: the native plantgarden and lawn, a bottomland hardwoodforest, wetlands and grasslands.

The latter is “really, really importanthabitat for birds that are in decline,” Boylesaid. “There are not a lot of grasslands left inMississippi.”

Footpaths winding throughout the prop-erty lead visitors into the Mississippi thatnature intended: teeming with wildlife andlush greenery.

“I can’t walk down a path without seeingbutterflies and turtles and frogs—every day,”Boyle said.

“It’s the most beautiful place ever.”A sharecropper’s house, where the Shack-

elfords lived during the mansion renovation,

serves as a visitors/education center and giftshop. Audubon is expanding the gift shop tomake room for more works by local artists.

The center is a favorite stop for birdwatchers and nature photographers. Hum-mingbirds zipping past in search of nectartest the photographers’ reflexes and skill.Visitors can get a closer look at these feath-ered jewels at the center’s annual Humming-bird Migration Celebration, where the birdsare banded and released (details below).

The center hosts other special education

events, classes and workshops, conducted byexperts. Upcoming programs include night-time “spider walk” led by an arachnologistand a one-day wildlife photography classtaught by college professors, both beingplanned for October.

Expertise is freely shared by Audubonstaff at any time. Farmers thinking of scalingback farm operations, for example, can learnabout ways to transform unsown fields intowildlife habitat—just as Audubon did atStrawberry Plains. “We give them advice and

sometimes even support on the ground forhow to do that,” Boyle said.

Strawberry Plains’ benefactors envisioneda place where visitors could learn about anddevelop an appreciation for local history,culture and nature. With the help of a smallarmy of volunteers, the Audubon Societymade it happen.

Strawberry Plains Audubon Center is locat-ed at 285 Plains Road (Highway 311), justnorth of Holly Springs in Marshall County.Admission includes entrance to the groundsand house tours. For hours, upcoming eventsand other information, call (662) 252-1155or go online to strawberryplains.audubon.org.

Footpaths lead visitors into the Mississippi that natureintended: teeming with wildlife and lush greenery.

A highlight of the Hummingbird Migration Celebration is the banding andrelease of ruby-throated hummingbirds. Conducted by the Hummer/BirdStudy Group, the banding gives visitors a rare close-up look at the tinybirds, above left. Photos courtesy Strawberry Plains Audubon Center

Visitors to the center, farleft, explore a woodlandsarea. Photo courtesy Straw-berry Plains Audubon Center

Black-eyed Susans, center,and beautyberry, right,flourish in the landscapeand provide food for birds.Photos: Janis Greene


24th AnnualMS Pecan Festival

Sept. 23, 24 & 25 2011Richton, MS

Admission $8.00 (Children under 4 Free)

601-964-8201www.mspecanfestival.com

• ANTIQUES• ARTS & CRAFTS• QUILT SHOW• STOCK DOG DEMOS• PRETTIEST ROOSTRERCONTEST

• LIVE CRAFT DEMOS• ANTIQUE ENGINES• BLUEGRASS MUSIC• PECAN BAKE-OFF• DRAFT HORSE DEMOS• LOG HOMES DEMOS

“Old Cove” out west of Eupora.Greensboro was another of those up-

and-coming towns that has vanishedfrom the map, except for the cemetery.There are lots of reasons for it goingextinct. The railroad bypassing it proba-bly was the main thing. The tracks wereput three miles south of Greensboro,

running through Tomnolenand Eupora instead.

Also, people moved to thenew county seat when theoriginal Choctaw County (forwhich Greensboro was theseat) was divided. Greensboroended up in newly formedWebster County with no par-ticular designation.

Greensboro was a roughtown, too. So rough that indesperation, alcohol was out-

lawed. At which point the village ofBucksnort was immediately establishedon the outskirts of Greensboro, whosechief products were liquor and gambling.

But all that’s left of Greensboronowadays is the cemetery. Actually, twocemeteries: the “old” and the “new,” withthe new being established when GeneralWilliam Brantley was assassinated andburied elsewhere. After that, peoplewanted to be buried near him.

As we were wandering through theold cemetery laughing at the tales andreading the headstones, I happened tosee a couple of grave markers that carriedme right back to my childhood and theold cemetery in Itawamba County where

many of Mama’s ancestors are buried.That’s the only place I had ever seen anyof these particular markers before.

They are some type of pottery abouta hand-span wide and an inch thick, 8or 9 inches tall with a pointed top. Theyare finished in a salt glaze with cobalt-blue lettering. Even as a child I thoughtit remarkable that they were so legibledespite being so old.

Doing a little research on the Inter-net, I found they were originally madeby some potters in Tremont in ItawambaCounty, and are found in widely scat-tered cemeteries in northeast Mississippiand northwest Alabama.

They couldn’t have cost nearly asmuch as a marble marker but were moreelegant than something homemade, ornothing at all. And there were a bunchof proud po’ folks in that part of thecountry who’d be interested in such aproduct.

You never know what will carry yourthoughts back—hot weather, headstones.But it’s always a pleasant trip.

Walt Grayson is the host of “Mississippi Roads”on Mississippi Public Broadcasting television andthe author of two “Looking Around Mississippi”books and “Oh! That Reminds Me: More Missis-sippi Homegrown Stories.”

Curious ceramic headstones trigger memories

ZONTACLUB

of the Pascagoula Area Sponsors the34th Annual

FestivalSaturday, October 1, 2011

9 a.m. til 5 p.m.Downtown Plaza - Pascagoula, MS

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Lots of Vendors - Food & Fun

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t’s been dry enough thissummer that an oldfamily story is worthretelling.

After Daddy retired,he and Mama moved back to Mama’shometown, Fulton, right across the roadfrom the old family home where shegrew up. Mama’s oldest sister,Aunt Cap, and Uncle Red stilllived in the old home place.And just down the road onthe other side of the familycommunal garden livedanother of Mom’s sisters,Aunt Ermie, with UncleLloyd.

One summer, it justwouldn’t rain. Having beenraised in a God-fearing family,Aunt Cap declared the reasonfor the drought was obviously “sin in thecamp.” The drier and hotter it got, themore insistent she was that the guiltyparty “get right with God.” Then oneweekend Aunt Cap and Uncle Red tooka trip to Birmingham. And it rained 3inches in Fulton while they were gone.There was no further talk of sin in thecamp after that, except when UncleLloyd could work it into the conversa-tion just to needle Aunt Cap.

It’s odd how things can remind youof old days and places. The hot summerweather did it—as well as a recent visitto the extinct town of Greensboro. Somefolks in Webster County took us byGreensboro Cemetery after we toured

I

MississippiSeen

byWalt Grayson The fired-pottery salt-glazed grave markers are (as best as I can tell) found exclusively in northeast Mississippiand northwest Alabama. The material they are made of, especially the bases, hasn’t faired well in time, but theyare way more readable than expensive marble markers of the same age. Photo: Walt Grayson

http://www.mspecanfestival.com


http://www.zontapascagoula.info


lot of gardeners areinterested in creating atropical feeling aroundtheir homes, and oneof the easiest ways to

do this is to add banana plants either inthe landscape or in large containers.

If you’re about to quit readingbecause you think bananas can only begrown in coastal Mississippi and youlive elsewhere, stick with me. I hope Ican change your mind by describingsome of the selections that are hardy forall landscapes in Mississippi.

A good all-around choice, especiallyfor the beginning gardener, is the Japan-ese Fiber banana. This is one of the easi-

Dr. Gary Bachman is MSUhorticulturist at the Coastal Researchand Extension Center in Biloxi.

One is Black Thai, a wonderfulbanana that has shown good cold-hardi-ness. This banana has a really dark, deeppurple stem and petiole, and the foliageis a dark green. It needs a large space inthe landscape, as some specimens reachmore than 15 feet tall.

One of the prettiest bananas is theselection Siam Ruby. The rich, bur-gundy color of the stem is stunning, andthe irregular variegation of bright greenon the burgundy foliage makes it seemto shimmer. Siam Ruby usually reachesjust 4 to 5 feet tall. This plant is suitedto zones 8 and 9, where it will die backto the ground each winter.

Grow bananas in full sun in well-

drained soil. Soil drainage is a criticalfactor, as many selections are not ashardy in soils that remain wet duringthe winter months. Bananas performbest in raised beds. The soil needs to berich in organic matter, so amend yourplanting beds with 3 to 4 inches ofquality compost, and work it deeplyinto the soil.

When growing bananas in contain-ers, never use the soil from your garden,no matter how good it is. Always use ahigh-quality commercial potting mix.These mixes are lightweight and havegood drainage. For the container itself,choose one that holds at least 15 gallonsso it will remain in proportion to theplant itself.

Bananas need consistent moisture, sobe sure to irrigate yours on a regularbasis, especially in dry weather. Keepinga heavy layer of mulch is critical inmaintaining soil moisture for optimumgrowth.

Bananas are heavy feeders, so youmust keep the soil nutrition at adequatelevels. In the landscape, use a balanced,slow-release fertilizer such as a 14-14-14lightly scratched in around each plant.For containers, I recommend you use awater-soluble fertilizer weekly in yourregular watering schedule.

Bananas’ coarse-textured foliage isright at home in almost any garden set-ting. Great places include around swim-ming pools or water features and pairedwith ginger, elephant ears and Cajunhibiscus.

est banana plants togrow, and it is coldhardy all acrossMississippi. Itscoarse-texturedfoliage is a brightgreen, and theplant can reach upto 10 feet tall. Evenif it only gets to 5feet tall, this planthas a presence in

the landscape.While the tropical green we com-

monly associate with bananas is relax-ing, there are other colors in the bananapalette.

Colorful bananas can thrive across the state

ASouthernGardeningby Dr. Gary Bachman

Japanese Fiber bananas planted around a large urn foun-tain and combined with Louisiana iris add a tropical flairto this outdoor patio. Photo: MSU Extension Service/GaryBachman

This month, we are doing something a littledifferent. We are spotlighting our Board ofDirectors. These nine gentlemen – three fromeach county Coast Electric serves – are mem-bers, just like you. They are people who receiveservice from the cooperative and who wereelected by you to represent your needs. Theydedicate their time to Coast Electric and itsmembers, ensuring that the cooperative livesup to its mission statement of providing reli-able electric service at the lowest possible costand improving the quality of life for those itserves. We thank these men for their service.(See feature on 8b and 8c.)

Communicators: Melissa Bryant and April LollarFor Today in Mississippi information,call 877-7MY-CEPA (877-769-2372)

www.coastepa.com

Where our membershave the power

EmployeeSpotlight

Wewant you to get to know Coast Electric’s employees. The men andwomen we feature each month are your neighbors, your friends andthe people behind our promise to bring you the most reliable, afford-

able electric service possible. These employees take pridein serving you, our members, and we honor them for the job they do.

one that raises the bar farhigher than was expected.

We had hoped that theEnvironmental ProtectionAgency’s final 1,300-pagerule would at least bebased on good science, butenvironmental regulatorsin several states, includingMississippi, have disagreedwith the methodology andmodeling that were usedto reach the rule’s final

limits. The Environmental Protection Agency isdetermined to move forward, though, and CSAPR ishaving the desired effect. Numerous utilities haveannounced that they will retire dozens of coal-firedplants and alter operations at many more locations.

How this will beaccomplished is uncer-tain.• Our wholesale

power provider, SouthMississippi Electric, hasspent years developinga fleet of generatingresources that complieswith all existing envi-ronmental regulations.

South Mississippi Electric, which is also a not-for-profit cooperative like Coast Electric, has invested in adiverse blend of nuclear, natural gas and coal fueledunits that are used to provide bulk power as economi-

In the electric utility industry, we normally planyears ahead to reliably and economically meet thefuture needs of our consumers. In fact, one of theways that we are able to keep costs down is to buildfacilities and use them for long periods of time.

Since the Obama administration took office inWashington, the Environmental Protection Agencyhas been proposing a series of new and much stricterregulations related to our business. These regulations— many of which are the result of the president’scampaign promises to reduce the role of coal-firedgenerating plants — are being made regardless of theeffect such policies will have on the cost and reliabilityof electric service.• Our industry is already highly regulated. As a

result, sulfur dioxide emissions from power plantshave fallen 71 percent since 1980 and nitrogen oxideemissions have been reduced by 66 percent since1997. This past July, theEnvironmentalProtection Agencyannounced the Cross-State Air Pollution Rule(CSAPR) to furtherreduce sulfur dioxideand nitrogen oxideemissions in 28 states byan additional 73 percentand 54 percent, respec-tively — by 2014. The rule takes effect in 2012,offering very little time for utilities to determine themost feasible and economical ways to achieve suchreductions.• The final version of the CSAPR is much stricter

than the draft proposals that allowed for industrycomments. The final statewide limits for Mississippi’splants were much more stringent than those stated inprevious Environmental Protection Agency proposals.It is difficult to plan for a moving target, especially

CEO’s message

Robert Occhi

Environmental ProtectionAgencyruleswill affect power supply and costs


Coast Electric offices will be closed on Monday, Sept. 5 in observance of Labor Day. As always,dispatchers will remain on duty and crews are on-call to restore service in the event outages

occur. If you experience an outage, call 877-769-2372.

cally and reliably as possible. This year, a $63 millionenvironmental and reliability upgrade is being com-pleted at one of South Mississippi Electric’s primaryresources — Plant Morrow, a coal-fired facility locat-ed near Hattiesburg. But the CSAPR, as now written,will limit Morrow’s output next year by nearly 70 per-cent from May through September, just when thehighest output of electricity will be needed the most.

At this point, South Mississippi Electric is trying todetermine as quickly as possible how to alter its oper-ations to comply with CSAPR, just as other utilitiesaround the region are doing. Hopefully we will knowmore next month about what all this will mean toCoast Electric members and I will update you then.

“This year, a $63million environmental andreliability upgrade is being completed at one ofSouthMississippi Electric’s primary resources—

PlantMorrow, a coal-fired facility locatednear Hattiesburg.”

- Robert Occhi

http://www.coastepa.com

QA&A: Yes! Detecting air

leaks can greatly reduceheat gain during summermonths. You may alreadyknow where some airleakage occurs in yourhome, such as an under-the-door draft where youmay feel heat during theday, but you'll probablyneed to search to find theless obvious gaps.• Look between founda-

tion and walls, andbetween the chimney andsiding. Also inspectaround the following forany cracks and gaps thatcould cause air leaks:

• Door and window frames• Mail chutes• Electrical and gas serviceentrances

• Cable TV and phone lines• Outdoor water faucets•Where dryer vents pass throughwalls

• Bricks, siding, stucco andfoundation

•Window air conditioners• Vents and fans

ApplicationAlthough not a high-tech opera-

tion, caulking can be tricky. Read andfollow the instructions on the com-pound cartridge. Save yourself sometrouble by remembering a few impor-tant tips:• Clean all areas to be caulked for

good adhesion. Remove any old caulkand paint, using a putty knife or alarge screwdriver. Make sure the areais dry so you won't seal in moisture.• Hold the gun at a consistent angle.

Forty-five degrees is best for gettingdeep into the crack. You know you've

got the right angle whenthe caulk is immediatelyforced into the crack as itcomes out of the tube.• Caulk in one straight

continuous stream, if pos-sible. Avoid stops andstarts. Send caulk to thebottom of an opening toavoid bubbles.• Make sure the caulk

sticks to both sides of acrack or seam.• Release the trigger

before pulling the gunaway to avoid applying toomuch caulking compound.A caulking gun with an

automatic release makes this so mucheasier. If caulk oozes out of a crack,use a putty knife to push it back in.• Don't skimp. If the caulk shrinks,

reapply it to form a smooth bead thatwill seal the crack completely.Weather Stripping

Weather stripping can seal leaksaround movable joints, such as win-dows or doors. You need to choose atype of Weather stripping that willwithstand the friction, weather, tem-perature changes and wear and tearassociated with its location. For exam-ple, when applied to a door bottomor threshold, Weather stripping coulddrag on carpet or erode as a result offoot traffic. Weather stripping in awindow sash must accommodate thesliding of panes up and down, side-ways or out. The Weather strippingyou choose should seal well when thedoor or window is closed while allow-ing it to open freely.Application

Weather stripping supplies andtechniques range from simple to thetechnical. Consult the instructions on

the Weather stripping package. Hereare a few basic guidelines:•Weather stripping should be

applied to clean, dry surfaces in tem-peratures above 20° F (-7° C).• Measure the area to be weather

stripped twice before you cut any-thing.• Apply Weather stripping snugly

against both surfaces. The materialshould compress when the window ordoor is shut.

Depressurizing your home can alsohelp detect leaks. On a cool windyday turn off the air conditioner, shutall windows and doors and turn offall fans such as bathroom exhaust fansor stove vents. Then light an incensestick and pass it around the edges ofcommon leak sites. Wherever thesmoke is sucked out of or blown intothe room, there's a draft.

Other ways to detect leaks are to

shine a flashlight over all potentialgaps while a partner observes thehouse from outside. Large cracks willshow up as rays of light. (Note: Thisis not a good way to detect smallcracks.) Shut a door or window on apiece of paper. If you can pull it outwithout tearing, you're losing energy.

To see these and other helpful tipsto help you save energy and loweryour electric bill, visitwww.coastepa.com or give one ourResidential Energy Representatives acall for more information:Pearl River County – Scott White(601) 889-5109Hancock County – Clay Sweet(228) 363-7261Harrison County – Phillippe Michel(228) 539-5720

Remember, the greenest power isthe power not used.

Can weatherization such as caulking really lowercooling costs during the summer months?

September 2011 � Today in Mississippi � 8a

QUESTIONS

ANSWERS

When buying a new appliance, check the black and yel-low EnergyGuide label. This label provides an estimate ofthe product’s energy consumption and efficience. It alsoshows the highest and lowest energy efficiency estimatesof similar models. Most major appliances—such as refrig-erators, dishwashers and clothes dryers—are required tohave these labels.

Source: U.S. Department of Energy

ENERGY efficiency tip

Thismonth’s questionis answered by

Pearl River CountySenior Residential

Energy RepresentativeScottWhite.


8b � Today in Mississippi � September 2011 S

Gil ArceneauxDistrict 2

James BaldreeDistrict 1

Frank McClintonDistrict 2

Richard DossettDistrict 1

JamesGinnDistrict 3

Gordon LeeDistrict 2

Chuck LopezDistrict 1

Douglas MooneyDistrict 3

Coast Electric values its Board of Directors

32

1

3

1

2 2 1

3

Gordon ReddDistrict 3

September 2011 � Today in Mississippi � 8c

Gil ArceneauxElected to board in 2003; Current BoardSecretary and Treasurer; Paint TradesSuperintendent of Northrop Grumman ShipSystems; Member of Union Baptist Church(Hancock, District 2)

James BaldreeElected to board in 1998; Education Directorof Gulf Oaks Hospital; Member of Church ofJesus Christ of Latter Day Saints(Hancock, District 1)

Richard DossettElected to board in 1980; Owner andManager of RD Trucking;Member of Nicholson Old Palestine BaptistChurch(Pearl River, District 1)

James GinnElected to board in 2002; Retired ExecutiveVice President of Hancock Bank; Member ofFaith Assembly of God Church(Hancock, District 3)

Gordon LeeElected to board in 1977; Retired Real EstateBroker and Real Property Abstractor;Member of Gateway United MethodistChurch(Harrison, District 2)

Chuck LopezElected to board in 2002; Retired Fire ServiceBattalion Chief; Member of MichaelMemorial Baptist Church(Harrison, District 1)

FrankMcClintonElected to board in 2005; Former owner andmanager of M&M Industries; Member ofSerenity Baptist Church(Pearl River, District 2)DouglasMooneyElected to board in 1986;Retired partner of Sun Coast/Clay’s Businessand Industrial Supplies; Member of SalemBaptist Church(Pearl River, District 3)

Gordon ReddElected to board in 2002; Current BoardChairman; Co-owner and President of ReddPest Solutions; Member of Orange GroveChurch of Christ(Harrison, District 3)

G

As you know, each month we’ve been featuring employees from various departments. This month, we are not featuring a department; we are featuring some of ourmembers. These members are the men you have elected to serve you on our Board of Directors. So what is it that members of the board do? They represent you, theirneighbors and fellow Coast Electric members.We recently talked to members of our board to get their thoughts on what it means to serve you. Please take a few min-utes to read what they have to say and to get to know the men that serve as your board.

Gordon Redd – My wife and I have been member-owners of Coast Electric for over 26years. This long relationship and excellence of service by Coast employees has given us asense of pride and respect for the company.With this relationship, I had the fortune toserve on the Advisory Committee for Coast Electric. During my term on the committee, Ibegan to further respect the role and responsibility the Board of Directors have regardingthe company.While serving on the committee, I also saw the dedication and quality ofservice of Bob Occhi and his management team. Therefore, when the opportunity occurredwhere I could become a member of the Board of Directors, I willingly accepted the role toserve Coast Electric.I have had several opportunities to assist the member-owners of Coast Electric with their

specific needs to establish and maintain affordable and sustainable electrical service. But,my greatest sense of pride is working with my fellow board members, collectively, to pro-vide a company atmosphere whereby all employees can assist the entire member-ownerbase with electrical service at the highest reliability and affordability.Each board member represents a specific area of Coast Electric’s service territory and

strives to serve their respective area with the best of service. However, the entire boardrealizes every member-owner of the company deserves equal representation. Therefore,the entire board participates in extensive, ongoing training by the National Rural ElectricalCooperative Association in areas of customer service, business planning, understanding theelectrical business, risk management, director duties and financial planning, among themany other aspects of education to benefit Coast Electric and the member-owners weserve.

Douglas Mooney – I wanted to be part of the board so that I could be involved in a waythat I could help citizens in my district. By being a director, I can be on the cutting edge ofpolicies, rates and bylaws that affect all of our member-owners. I am in a position to be aspokesman for member-owners and keep them aware of changes and requirements thatwill affect their rates. I am looking out for members by keeping abreast of new laws andregulations locally and nationally that will affect rates. I need to be aware of new technol-ogy and any changes that affect our member-owners. I want to have the answers when Iam asked the questions. My experience and time on the board also allows me to help oth-ers in times of crisis.

Chuck Lopez – The most important aspect of my job as a director with Coast Electric isto remember that we are an electric co-op owned by us, the people, and to make sure thatall of our decisions are always in the best interest of the members.Keeping rates at their lowest possible cost is our first and greatest challenge. This

requires that we stay proactive in our education of the industry, the politics that direct andaffect it, and the technology that serves it.Electricity is a resource that is so heavily affected by so many factors – the cost and deliv-

ery of coal and natural gas, the impact that foreign interests have on the cost of theseresources, and the ever-changing demands of the environmental challenges, not to men-tion the growing need to maintain our infrastructure and, at the same time, plan wiselyfor the future growth of the system and the company.This is just a snap shot of this industry; it so diverse and ever changing and the chal-

lenges are inspiring. But the most comforting thought to you must be that your board hasno other agenda than to serve Coast Electric Power Association and you, its memberowners.

Gordon Lee – Serving as a board member for Coast Electric gave me the opportunity toserve my community. When I joined the board in 1977, there were about 23,000 member-owners and since then, I’ve watched the company and our communities grow. Now thereare more than 77,000 member-owners of Coast Electric. It has been a privilege for me toserve in this capacity for the past 34 years. As a board, we work as a unit, not as individu-als, to set policies for the good of the membership.We stay informed about company oper-ations and finances so that we can work together with Coast Electric’s management andemployees. Decisions are made to serve our members and to live up to the mission of pro-viding our member-owners excellent service at the lowest possible cost.James Ginn – I wanted to serve, and continue to serve as a board member, to improve

the quality of service while maintaining the best possible price for Coast Electric members.I believe in the co-op way. Coast Electric is owned by its members and those members

have a voice in how the co-op operates. As a director, I think it is important for me to learnfrom the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association and other cooperatives across thecountry. I am always looking for ways to improve and make our cooperative better. One ofthe things I enjoy most about being a board member is seeing what a great team effort ittakes to run Coast Electric. From my fellow board members, the management team andemployees, it is truly the goal of each of us to improve the quality of life for all those weserve.

Richard Dossett – As a member of the Coast Electric Board of Directors, I think themost important thing I can do is represent my neighbors in Pearl River County.Cooperatives have a unique way of doing business. The company is owned and directed bythe people it serves. That means when we make decisions, we are making decisions notonly as board members, but as member-owners and bill payers. Whatever policies affectyou and your pocketbook affect us, too. Since the company is locally owned, most employ-ees are also members. That means you have people working for you who go through thesame things you do.When a storm knocks your lights out, the guys working on the linesare probably out there trying to restore service to their homes too.When government reg-ulations make prices soar and your bill increases, board members and employees are pay-ing those same increases. Being part of a cooperative means we are all in this together,and we all need to work together. As board members, we’re looking out for you.Remember, the next time you have a question or concern that you have nine people justlike you who are working to ensure Coast Electric provides reliable service at the lowestpossible cost.

Frank McClinton – I wanted to serve on the board to make a contribution to the co-op.The most important aspect of being a board member, in my opinion, is to make sure CoastElectric has a strong system. As a member of the board, I can say that we are truly lookingout for fellow members and looking for ways to keep costs down. It is rewarding to see thecooperative operate with the lowest rates possible and the most reliable service possible.

James Baldree – As an electric cooperative, Coast Electric is a not-for-profit corporationthat is owned by those it serves. That’s a business model that I like. Over the years, CoastElectric employees have proven their commitment to excellence in serving our three-coun-ty service area and have consistently supported efforts to improve our quality of life. As amember-owner, I respect their accomplishments.When asked to fill the unexpired term of the late Mr. Roy Baxter, a highly respected com-

munity leader, I was surprised, humbled and honored. I accepted the position as one whowas willing to learn and willing to serve our community. Since joining the Board ofDirectors 11 years ago, I have had many great experiences working with the other direc-tors, employees from all levels of the company and members from throughout our serviceterritory. Each experience has been positive. I enjoy being associated with such a wonder-ful company and truly appreciate the opportunity to serve.I think the most important aspect of my role as a director is to represent the membersfrom District 1, Hancock County; and, in a broader sense, to represent all members andemployees of Coast Electric to ensure the success of the electric cooperative.As a member of the Board of Directors, my goal is to be alert, informed and responsive to

any conditions or developments that may affect the success of Coast Electric. And, to beproactive in establishing and maintaining board policies to guide the company to success-fully achieve its mission – to provide our member-owners superior service and dependableelectricity at the lowest possible price, and to improve the economy and quality of life inour community.

Gil Arceneaux –The reason I wanted to become a board member is because this gaveme a great opportunity to serve our community. This allowed me to give something backafter the community so graciously accepted and helped my family in our transition fromLouisiana.The most important aspect of my job as a board member is to set policies in place that

continue to keep Coast Electric a leader in the electric cooperative industry.Our members’ prime concerns are low cost electricity and reliability. This is how I look outfor our members. We have to keep the cost of electricity to the lowest possible price andensure the reliability is maintained.

Looking out for you

8d � Today in Mississippi � September 2011

Did you know,with yourCo-op Connections Card...

Since offering the Co-op Connections Card program in January 2008,

our member-owners have saved over$1,143,900on more than83,200prescriptions.

It saves you money and costs you nothing.

YOU GET discounts and specialoffers on energy efficient products andservices – locally and nationally.With cooler temperatures around

the corner and daylight savings timecoming to a close, use your Co-opConnections Card to save money onheating and cooling services, compactfluorescent lighting (CFL), program-mable thermostats, water heater timersand many more energy efficiencymeasures. Whether it is a local air con-ditioning contractor, electrician orlocal and national retailers, this is youropportunity to save money now, only

to reap more savings down the road.Visit www.coastepa.com for the mostup-to-date discounts and special offers.

YOU CAN comparison shop onprescription medications to get thebest possible price — even if you haveinsurance.Several members and Coast Electric

employees have paid lower priceswhen using their Co-op ConnectionsCard than what they would have paidwith their insurance. It pays to com-parison shop before getting your pre-scriptions filled.Simply make a list of your medica-

tions, dose and frequency, then visit

www.rxpricequotes.com to look updrug prices by location. Be sure tohave your Co-op Connections Cardhandy as you will need the group andmember numbers.At www.rxpricequotes.com, you

will find frequently asked questions,savings examples, a list of participatingchains and a Drug Pricing Lookuptool. The Drug Pricing Lookup toolallows you to find the cost of yourmedications before you visit the phar-macy and look up participating loca-tions near you.If you experience any difficulties in

using the pharmacy program, pleasecall or ask the pharmacist to call NewBenefits Member Services Department

at 800-800-7616, Monday throughFriday, 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. CST, andSaturday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. CST.Coast Electric’s Co-op Connections

Card Program is just one more pro-gram that your local electric coopera-tive offers to help keep your day-to-day costs down. Be sure to carry yourCo-op Connections Card in your wal-let or on your keychain and take itwith you wherever you go. You neverknow where you’ll be able to use it forsaving on local or national products orservices.For more information, call Program

Coordinator Janell Nolan, at228-363-7259 or [email protected].


http://www.rxpricequotes.com

http://www.rxpricequotes.com



In July, Coast Electric PowerAssociation celebrated its new headquar-ters facility in Kiln with a ribbon cuttingceremony and open house. A large crowdgathered at the cooperative’s facility inHancock County to celebrate a new erafor the electric service provider.Coast Electric President and CEO

Robert Occhi stated in his remarks thatthe opening of the new facility trulybrings an end to the Katrina era for thecompany’s 250-plus employees and morethan 77,000 members. Many employeeshave worked in temporary trailers sincethe former headquarters was sold to thecity of Bay St. Louis in 2006.Why was a new facility needed?Coast Electric, the largest cooperative

in the state, has seen its membership

grow steadily over the years. The numberof employees has also increased to ensurethe cooperative continues to provideexcellent service as membership hasgrown. The company was quickly out-growing its former headquarters in BaySt. Louis when Katrina hit in 2005. Planswere already in the works to move theheadquarters north to the operations cen-ter in Kiln for some important reasons.First, Kiln is the center of the company’sthree-county service area.Secondly, and possibly most impor-

tantly, the location on Hwy. 603 is farenough north that rising waters aren’t athreat during hurricanes.What are the advantages of selling theformer headquarters?When the city of Bay St. Louis

approached Coast Electric officials afterKatrina, it became evident that sellingthe Bay St. Louis headquarters to the citywould be a win for both groups. The citywould have a great property on the cor-ner of Hwy. 90 and Main Street andCoast Electric would be able to go aheadwith its plans to consolidate its opera-tions center and headquarters.Will my bill be affected by the new build-ing?No. Another advantage for Coast

Electric was that the sale price wouldcover the majority of the buildingexpenses of the new facilities.Building for the future – for CoastElectric and the coastThe Bay St. Louis headquarters served

Coast Electric for more than 40 years and

Occhi says the new facility will serveemployees and members of Coast Electricfor decades to come. “We are proud to bepermanent members of the growing Kilnbusiness community,” Occhi said. “Wehope our building will serve as a catalystfor growth on the 603 corridor.”How will the new building serve CoastElectric members?The 36,453-square foot headquarters

building, with an additional 20,647-square foot annex building was designedby Al Usry Architects of Clinton.Members can make payments, utilize

two drive-through lanes, set up electricservice, talk to energy efficiency experts,apply for jobs, attend the cooperative’sannual meeting and more at the newfacility.

Coast Electric celebrates opening of new headquarters in Kiln

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This summerwe parked our RVnear BarnesCrossing inTupelo, our homebase. Our goal wasto visit ouryoungest daugh-ter’s family andmake a few sidetrips. I called thishalf vacation and

half trip. We had no folders, but had aplan in mind: sleep in Mississippi everynight.

Taking the car, we drove across theMississippi state line and toured theUniversity of North Alabama, ourgranddaughter Lealand’s chosen collegefor next year. Our guides were Jeanieand Max Lassiter from Huntsville. UNAwas Jeanie’s alma mater. We exploredShiloh, where a major Civil War battlewas fought—near Corinth, but just overthe line in Tennessee. My travel agent isa Civil War and World War II buff.

We crossed the Mississippi state lineagain into Ethridge, Tenn., and visitedthe largest Amish settlement in theSouth. It was awesome. Not as large asLancaster County in Pennsylvania, but itlooked the same. The horse and buggieswere all along the way. We took a ride ina buggy large enough for several people,pulled by two horses. There are 57Amish homesteads, which operate busi-nesses on their porches. They sell pro-duce, canned jellies, pickles and manyother edible choices. They also sell furni-ture, braided rugs, candles, baskets,carved bowls—just to name a few home-made items.

One Amish man became disturbed

he summer meltdownis history—school hasreopened. Schoolagersand teachers’ summerfrolic is kaput.

Ha! you say. I understand many folksdidn’t laze around or play—they workedlong hours at other jobs. Especially ifgrowing vegetables, mowing grass andentertaining house guests were in theequation.

If you go on summer vacations, hightemps and outdoor activities are rarelytolerable. I’m not tolerant. Those whoare footloose (retired) tend to schedulevacations in moderate weather—comfortmatters.

There’s another group of vacationerscalled stayhomers. We all know the falla-cy stamped on this so-called vacation.

As I pondered on my past—schooldays, teaching years and now retirementyears—a little bird landed on the win-dow sill and put forth this question,“What is a vacation?”

Well, now. I had to ponder onceagain. “Little bird,” I said, “that’s a note-worthy question.” He chirped and some-how made me aware that people are icecream with assorted flavors, so we have avariety of choices when the question isposed.

My Oxford American Dictionary gaveits answer: an extended period of recre-ation; one spent away from home. That’snot exactly what my tour guide and Isubscribe to. We leave home, yes, butour time is spent sightseeing.

Discovering places we haven’t seen orgoing back to the places we loved. Theseare called trips. We return home exhaust-ed. Taking a trip and taking a vacationare two different things at our house.

If you’ve followed this column overthe years you know we enjoy traveling.And you may remember that my travelagent/husband devises a plan, a proce-dure for trips that we follow religiously.He constructs a file folder for each dayof the trip. The folder includes a list ofsights, natural or manmade, that we’veadmired from afar and want to visit.

We’re up when the sun rises and backto the RV or hotel when the sun sets. Ican honestly say that Roy has an unusualhabit: an urgency to observe, exploreand study, then give his opinion, whichis a summary of the spectacle. Youwouldn’t call this OCD, would you?

T

because he thought my cell phone was acamera. They are strict about not havingtheir picture taken. My agent came tomy rescue. When we turned to go, theAmish man called to me, “I know youhave a camera inside your phone!”

We left Tupelo and visited Mary Louand Jack Ware near Carthage. Now that’swhat I call a vacation. She cooked a vari-ety of vegetables from their garden. Theywere delicious. The Neshoba CountyFair was only 20 miles away, and sincewe’d never been, Jack was our tour guidefor the day. You ain’t seen nothing untilyou watch a mule race and a mulepull—on a track of red mud after a rain!

To tell the truth, I have only one

vacation a year; the rest are sightseeingtrips. My driver cranks up the RV inOctober and heads to the SmokyMountains—without a schedule. I sleeplate. Shop for art. Hike on mountaintrails. Eat breakfast at the Apple Barnand sit by a mountain stream at duskwith Sugar pup in my lap while my driv-er cooks supper on the grill.

For me, that’s a real vacation. What isyours?

Grin ‘n’Bare Itby Kay Grafe

Kay Grafe is the author of “Oh My Gosh,Virginia.” To order, send name, address,phone number and $16.95 plus 3.50 S&Hto Kay Grafe, 2142 Fig Farm Road,Lucedale, MS 39452.

Vacation?What’s that?

Our buggy ride takes us past the homes and gardens of an Amish community in Ethridge, Tenn. Photo: Kay Grafe

n the middle of confu-sion or darkness orsorrow or any combi-nation of these andperhaps more,

how can the imaginationimagine or how can a dreambe dreamed? No easy answershere. And no realistic way tocategorize the above men-tioned conditions. They varywith the individual; theirdegrees vacillate from mild tosevere.

But make no mistake; theconditions do exist. Lifeassures that. Confusion relatedto economic matters, darkness that per-meates health issues, sorrow associatedwith loss. All are present at some point.

That recognition, though somewhatbeneficial in dealing with such circum-stances, still leaves behind the questionof how. September could be a solutionof sorts, a soothing balm of healing.

For instance, observe the first leafthat postures a hint of autumn. It willbe available in September—probablyon a sweet gum or black gum, maybeeven a hickory. Its promise is grand,refreshing.


Mississippi’s heat has been unrelent-ing since June. It has worn and yetwears on frayed emotions that cry outfor relief, hunger for change. That leaf

speaks of hope, helping us inits quiet and unobtrusive wayto imagine. That imaginationmay then lead to an absorp-tion in the moment thattakes away the sting of othersurrounding realities. We canbe made more resilient andbetter able to address thoserealities through this briefrespite afforded by that singleleaf, that gift of Nature.

Feel the breeze. It will notbe especially chilly in September, but itwill hold some peculiar essence that hasgone missing for months now. Imaginewhat that breeze meant during child-hood. It surely must have had someimpact on life, even if subliminal. Itcould allow the gentle recipient time toreach into the depths and extractstrength to move forward.

Stop on a September afternoon andbreath deeply, listen intently. The aro-mas are of mowed hay, pumpkins, fallgardens. The sounds are of rustlingcorn stalks, chirping insects, the drone

I

MississippiOutdoorsby Tony Kinton

Tony Kinton has been an active outdoorswriter for 30 years. His books, “Outside andOther Reflections,” “Fishing Mississippi” and hisnew Christian historical romance novel,“Summer Lightning Distant Thunder,” areavailable in bookstores and from the author atwww.tonykinton.com, or P.O. Box 88, Carthage,MS 39051.

Renew the imagination; revisit the dream

While not yet fully developed, autumn’s color show begins in September. Photo: Tony Kinton

of a distant farm implement, the rippleof a stream, the caw of a crow, the raspychatter of a woodpecker. There mayeven be the high-school band at practiceor the thud of shoulder pads on thegridiron just around the corner.

Some keen reminders of youthfulabandon and merriment. Some mentalportraits of quiet and peace. All morethan capable of generating sentiment

that spreads its medicinal qualities onbruised spirits.

And consider the sky. It is distantand clear in September. Patchy cloudsdrift gracefully in an orb of azure. Thisspace above tugs us upward, there wheredreams originate. It then becomesalmost impossible to ignore thosedreams, some of which may havebecome dormant, stagnant, waiting onlyfor such a moment as this to emergefrom the dross of neglect. And oncerekindled, these dreams may blossomwith new vitality, sufficient to promptus into making them a reality to meldwith other perhaps less kind realitiesthat have come without our welcome.

Perhaps this discourse has come fullcircle, bringing us back to that originalquestion of how we can imagine anddream. Perhaps the question is moreaccurate when we ask how can we helpbut imagine and dream, particularly inthose times of confusion, darkness,sorry.

September is the perfect time toallow that imagination to run free andconsider possibilities, to permit our-selves to dream dreams that could shapelife in days to come.

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MississippiCooksFEATURED COOKBOOK:

Showing We Care WithMore Southern Fare

Pumpkin Crunch1 (16-oz.) can pumpkin1 (12-oz.) can evaporated milk1/2 tsp. cinnamon1 cup sugar3 eggs

1 box yellow cake mix1 cup chopped walnuts2 sticks butter, melted and cooledFrozen whipped topping (optional),

thawed

Mix pumpkin, evaporated milk, cinnamon, sugar and eggs. Oil a 9-by-13-inch pan,line with wax paper and oil paper lightly. Pour pumpkin mixture into pan andsprinkle cake mix over pumpkin mixture. Pat nuts over mixture and spoon meltedbutter over evenly. Bake at 350 F for 50-60 minutes. Cool. Turn over onto plate andfrost with whipped topping.

Turkey Sausage Pizza Squares1 tsp. olive oil1 onion, sliced1 bell pepper, thinly sliced7 oz. turkey kielbasa, fully cooked,

chopped

1 tsp. garlic powder1 tsp. dried oregano1 tube (11 oz.) refrigerated thin-crust

pizza dough1/2 cup mozzarella cheese

Heat oil in skillet. Sauté onion and bell pepper until tender. Add kielbasa, garlicpowder and oregano. Allow kielbasa to heat through. Spread pizza dough on rectan-gular baking sheet. Sprinkle with sautéed ingredients and top with cheese. Bake at350 F until crust is done. Cut into squares.Note: Great with a salad.

Beef and Vegetable Rigatoni2 Tbsp. olive oil1/2 cup roughly chopped squash1/2 cup roughly chopped zucchini1/2 cup asparagus cut into 1-inch pieces1/2 cup thinly sliced baby carrots1 med. yellow onion, sliced into wedges1 lb. ground beef, browned and drained1 can diced tomatoes

2 cups tomato sauceSalt, pepper to tasteGarlic powder to taste1/2 Tbsp. dried oregano4 cups rigatoni, cooked (allow pasta to

remain a little firm)1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Heat oven to 350 F. In a large skillet over medium heat, cook vegetables in olive oiluntil cooked through but still a little firm. After meat is cooked and drained, stirinto the vegetables. Add canned tomatoes (with liquid), tomato sauce, salt, pepper,garlic powder and oregano. Put cooked rigatoni into a large casserole dish. Pourmeat and vegetable mixture over pasta. Top with cheese. Bake until cheese is lightlybrowned and the mixture bubbles around the edges.

Healthy Cabbage Slaw1 head cabbage, sliced and finely

chopped, or 1 large bag sliced cabbage1 bell pepper, finely chopped1 bunch green onions, chopped1 bag radishes, trimmed and sliced

Garlic salt1/2 cup fresh lemon juice1/2 cup olive oil or healthy vegetable oil,

such as canolaSalt, pepper to taste

In a huge bowl, combine cabbage, bell pepper, green onions and radishes. Sprinklewith garlic salt and mix. In another bowl, mix lemon juice, oil, salt and pepper tomake dressing. Pour over cabbage mixture and mix well. Refrigerate.Note:Fis makes a lot of slaw. Gets better by the day.

Mini Corn Dogs2 Tbsp. brown sugar2 eggs1 cup milk

2 (8.5-oz.) boxes Jiffy cornbread mix5 hot dogs, chopped1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Heat oven to 400 F. Place 3 mini muffin pans in oven to heat. Beat together brownsugar, eggs and milk. Add cornbread mix and stir until blended. Stir in chopped hotdogs. Spray the hot mini muffin pans with cooking spray, and pour in batter. Bakefor 14-18 minutes. Remove from oven and immediately top with shredded cheese.Makes 36 mini muffins.

Hundreds of healthy children attendMississippi camps each summer. Butthere are hundreds of kids with specialneeds who can’t.Mississippi’s Toughest Kids (MTK)

Foundation is working to build thesekids a camp designed to meet theirneeds in a fun, safe environment.Fe MTK Foundation, based in

Crystal Springs, was created for thesole purpose of building the only fullyaccessible camp for children and adultsin Mississippi with serious illness andphysical, mental and emotional chal-lenges. A nonprofit organization, thefoundation estimates the project willcost $20 million.“Camping is all about fun, making

friends, trying new things and beingaway from home,” said Mary Kitchens,one of MTK’s founders. “Childrenrequiring special assistance and medicalattention are usually excluded from thenormal camp setting.”Volunteers across the state lease

church camps, state parks or otherfacilities to improvise camps for spe-cial-needs children. Yet these makeshiftcamps lack infirmaries—a must forspecial needs—and fully handicap-accessible facilities, especially bath-rooms and walkways.“Fere is a need for one location to

be used by special-needs groups all overour state. Fe facility will be built inCopiah County in order to stay in thecenter of the state and near the Jackson

hospitals,” Kitchens said.To help raise funds for construction,

the MTK Foundation recently pub-lished its second cookbook, “ShowingWe Care With More Southern Fare.”Proceeds will help the foundationachieve its goal of a safe environmentwhere special-needs children can havefun and make new friends with othersjust like them.

For more information, call (601)892-1117 or email [email protected] order the cookbook, send a

check to the MTK Foundation, P.O.Box 520, Crystal Springs, MS 39059.Price is $15 plus $3 shipping, or twobooks for $25 plus $4 shipping.

Will &Wes’ Frozen Yogurt Pops2 cups frozen blueberries, blackberries or

strawberries2 cups plain low-fat yogurt

1/2 to 3/4 cup confectioners’ sugar

Faw frozen berries in the microwave for 1 minute. Combine fruit, yogurt andsugar in a blender and process until smooth. Pour into freezer-pop molds and freeze.

mailto:@yahoo.com


Details: (601) 483-5430, (601) 604-1664.Mississippi Gourd Festival, Sept. 17-18,Raleigh. Gourd-crafting classes and activities,supply and tool vendors, door prizes, food.Early-bird classes Sept. 16. Admission. SmithCounty Ag Complex. Details: (601) 782-9444;www.mississippigourdsociety.org.Betty Allen Festival, Sept. 18, Toccopola.Honors the woman whose 1800s lawsuitresulted in property rights for marriedwomen in Mississippi. Crafts, activities, food,entertainment. Highway 334. Details: (662)234-3355, (662) 509-8707.B&S Consignment Ladies, Juniors andMen’s Consignment Sale, Sept. 21-23,Brookhaven. Clothing, handbags, shoes,home decor, furniture. Lincoln Civic Center.Details: (601) 303-1466; www.bnsconsignment.com.Twice as Nice Children’s Consignment Sale,Sept. 22-24, Gulfport. Children’s clothing,books, toys, games; maternity items; babyequipment. Veterans Building. Details: (228)263-3012; www.2asnicekidsresale.com.Children’s Consignment Event, Sept. 22-24,Tupelo. Free admission. Tupelo FurnitureMarket Building No. 3. Details: (662) 574-0110; www.new2uconsignment.com.

German food, crafts, bands. St. John LutheranChurch. Details: (601) 583-4898; [email protected] Gun Show, Oct. 1-2, Laurel.Fairgrounds. Details: (601) 498-4235; [email protected] Peanut Festival, Oct. 1, Collins.Arts, crafts, food, tour of log homes/farm andmore. Mitchell Farms. Details: (601) 606-0762; www.mitchellfarms-ms.com.Mitchell Farms Pumpkin Patch and Maze,Oct. 1-30, Collins. Wagon ride tours, animals,log home tours, grist mill and more. Openweekends; weekdays only by appointment.Admission. Mitchell Farms. Details: (601)606-0762; www.mitchellfarms-ms.com.Swan Creek Farms and Waterfowl ParkPumpkin Patch, Oct. 1-30, Silver Creek.Wagon ride to pumpkin patch, pumpkin dec-orating, mini hay maze, hay pyramid, corncrib and more. Open weekends; weekdaysonly by appointment. Details: (601) 587-7114; www.swancreekfarms.com.Mississippi Coast Swap Meet and Drags,Oct. 5-8, Gulfport. Drag racing, vendors,Ladies’ Alley, burnout contest, music, cruisersparade. Opens 10 a.m. daily. Admission.Gulfport Dragway. Details: (228) 863-4408;www.gulfportdragway.com.Fall-de-Rah Celebration, Oct. 6 - Nov. 30,Moss Point. Displays of scarecrows, tractormade of hay, hay bale maze, pumpkins.Downtown. Details: (228) 219-0161.Mount Olive 1900 Festival on theBoulevard, Oct. 8, Mount Olive. Antiques,arts and crafts. Downtown. Details: (601)382-9425; [email protected] Strides Against Breast Cancer, Oct.8, Jackson. 5K walk to honor breast cancersurvivors, promote prevention and help fundresearch. Registration 7:30 am.; walk 9 a.m.Mississippi Capitol. Details: (601) 321-5500;makingstridesjackson.org.Mississippi Coast Jazz Society Dance, Oct. 9,Biloxi. Admission; 2-5 p.m. Hard Rock Casino.Details: (228) 392-4177.Bukka White Blues Festival, Oct. 14-15,Aberdeen. Blues music, arts, crafts, food,exotic animal show, free guitar workshop.Tenn-TomWaterway. Details: (800) 634-3838;www.aberdeenms.org.23rd Annual Mississippi Coastal Cleanup,Oct. 15, various locations. Volunteers trashpickup 8-11 a.m. Details: www.mscoastalcleanup.org.Fiber Festival at the Center, Oct. 15,Ridgeland. Fiber art fashion show (1:30p.m.), vendors, and fellowship with knitters,weavers, spinners and felters. Free admission;10 a.m. - 4 p.m. Mississippi Craft Center.Details: (601) 856-7546; [email protected].

EventsMississippi

The Trace Traditions, Sept. 10, Ridgeland.Traditional acoustic country, gospel, folkmusic; 1-4 p.m. Continues every second andfourth Saturday. Free. Log cabin, NatchezTrace Parkway. Details: (601) 898-9417.21st Annual Rice Tasting Luncheon, Sept.16, Cleveland. More than 300 different ricedishes, rice cook-off, prizes, exhibits; 10 a.m.- 1 p.m. Admission. Walter Sillers Coliseum.Details: (662) 843-8371.Dixieland Old Time Engine and AgricultureClub Fall Show, Sept. 16-17, Jackson.Mississippi Agriculture and Forestry Museum.Details: (601) 261-0929.Hernando Water Tower Festival, Sept. 16-17, Hernando. Special guest Bryan Luke, funrun, BBQ tasting, crafts, vintage car show,music, poker run, Artist Alley and more.Courthouse Square. Details: (662) 429-9055.Jag Day, Sept. 17, Southaven. Crafts, food,silent auction, inflatables, music, raffle.Rainout date is Sept. 24. DeSoto Central HighSchool. Details: www.dcspride.com.Carousel Doll Club of Meridian Doll andToy Show and Sale, Sept. 17, Meridian.Vendors, appraisals, youth doll competitionfor ages 14 and under; 10 a.m. - 3 p.m.College Park United Methodist Church.

We gladly list events of statewide interest, as space allows. Submissions should reach us at least two months prior to theevent date and must include a phone number with area code. Mail submissions to Mississippi Events, Today inMississippi, P.O. Box 3300, Ridgeland, MS 39158-3300; fax to (601) 605-8601; or e-mail to [email protected]. Allevents are subject to change. We recommend calling to confirm dates and times before traveling. For more events andstatewide tourism information, go to www.visitmississippi.org.

Pickin’ at the Lake, Sept. 23-24, Grenada.Bluegrass, country, Cajun and gospel pickers.All acoustic. Free. Grenada Lake Spillway.Details: (662) 227-1491, (662) 417-7300.21st Annual Clarke County Forestry andWildlife Festival, Sept. 23-24, Quitman. AllAmerican Lumberjack Show, entertainment,car/truck/motorcycle show, Ole Time SweetShop, children’s activities, arts, crafts, basstournament, dog show and more. ArchusaWater Park. Details: (601) 776-5701.24th Annual Mississippi Pecan Festival,Sept. 23-25, Richton. Arts, crafts, antiques,bluegrass and gospel music, mule pull, con-tests, craft demonstrations, living historyfarmstead, draft horse farming demonstra-tions, charity pecan bake-off. Admission.Wingate Road. Details: (601) 964-8201;www.mspecanfestival.com.Mid-South Fair, Sept. 23 - Oct. 2, Southaven.Rodeo, carnival games and rides, arena con-certs, petting zoo, exhibits, entertainment,senior day, expo and more. DeSoto CivicCenter. Details: (901) 274-8800.Noxapater Cotton Gin Festival and CarShow, Sept. 24, Noxapater. Vendors, food,entertainment. Details: (662) 773-8289.Jim Henson Delta Boyhood Exhibit 20thAnniversary Celebration and RainbowConnection Bridge Dedication, Sept. 24,Leland. Hands-on art stops, arts vendors, livemusic and Puppet Arts Theatre. Details: (662)686-7383; www.birthplaceofthefrog.com.Gulf Coast Family Music Festival, Sept. 30 -Oct. 1, Gulfport. Friday: car show, sock hop.Saturday: live bluegrass/country/rock music,demos, vendors, silent celebrity auction,more. Harrison County Fairgrounds. Details:(228) 539-0868.Carrollton Pilgrimage and Pioneer DayFestival, Sept. 30 - Oct. 2, Carrollton. Tourhistoric churches, homes and buildings;admission. Genealogy Expo and Pioneer DayFestival on Oct. 2; exhibits, music and tradi-tional arts/crafts. Details: (662) 237-6910;www.visitcarrolltonms.com.October Fest, Oct. 1, Vancleave. Arts, crafts,baked/canned goods, fish plates, gospelmusic, volleyball tournament and more.Community of Christ Church. Details: (228)326-0013, (228) 826-3358.Rockin’ Railroad Festival, Oct. 1, Hazlehurst.Music, classic car/bike show, art exhibit,crafts, Kidz Zone, food. Downtown. Details:(601) 894-3752; hazlechamber.com.Chickin’ Fixin’ and Fall Fest, Oct. 1, Osyka.Team cook-offs in chicken wings, chickenentrees/halves and pork ribs. Entertainment,car show, crafts and more. Free admission.Details: (601) 542-5994; [email protected], Oct. 1, Hattiesburg. Authentic

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Premium Movie Package offer ends 9/30/11. Offer value is up to $126; after 3 months then-current price applies unless you downgrade. HBO®, Cinemax® and related channels and service marks are the property of Home Box Office, Inc. Starz® and related channels and service marks are the property of Starz Entertainment, LLC. SHOWTIME and related marks are registered trademarks of Showtime Networks Inc., a CBS Company. With qualifying programming you will receive Multi-Sport Pack programming through 1/4/12. Qualifying programming packages include America’s Top 120 Plus, America’s Top 200, America’s Top 250, DishLATINO Dos; DishLATINO Max, DISH America Silver, and DISH America Gold. You will forfeit programming if you do not maintain a qualifying programming package. You must call to continue subscription at the end of promotional period. © 2010 NFL Enterprises LLC. All NFL-related trademarks are trademarks of the National Football League. Offer valid for BLOCKBUSTER By Mail “1 Disc” plan; requires activation of new qualifying DISH Network service between 8/11/11 and 1/31/12 and an online DISH Network account. BLOCKBUSTER By Mail account will require valid email address, Internet connection, and valid form of payment. You must redeem offer within 45 days following DISH Network service order. At end of 3 months you will be charged then-current price unless you cancel BLOCKBUSTER By Mail service. You can exchange online rentals for in-store movie rentals. Exchanges are valid only at participating BLOCKBUSTER stores. Existing BLOCKBUSTER By Mail customers are not eligible. This offer is not available in Puerto Rico or the US Virgin Islands. BLOCKBUSTER name, design and related marks are trademarks of Blockbuster L.L.C. © 2011 Blockbuster L.L.C. Digital Home Advantage plan requires 24-month agreement and credit qualification. Cancellation fee of $17.50/month remaining applies if service is terminated before end of agreement. After 12 months of programming credits, then-current price will apply. Free Standard Professional Installation only. All equipment is leased and must be returned to DISH Network upon cancellation or unreturned equipment fees apply. Limit 6 leased tuners per account; upfront and monthly fees may apply based on type and number of receivers. HD programming requires HD television. Prices, packages and programming subject to change without notice. Offer available for new and qualified former customers, and subject to terms of applicable Promotional and Residential Customer agreements. Additional restrictions may apply. Offer ends 1/31/12. $25 Visa® gift card requires activation and $2.95 shipping and handling fee. You will receive a claim voucher within 3-4 weeks and the voucher must be returned within 30 days. Your Visa® gift card will arrive in approximately 6-8 weeks. InfinityDISH charges a one-time $49.95 non-refundable processing fee. Indiana C.P.D. Reg. No. T.S. 10-1006. *Certain restrictions apply. Based on the availability in your area.

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Today in Mississippi Coast September 2011