Hometown Brandon - Spring 2015
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<strong>Spring</strong> <strong>2015</strong><br />
Busick Business<br />
______________________<br />
The Queen of our Hearts<br />
______________________<br />
on & off the field<br />
______________________<br />
More Than Marching
2 • <strong>Spring</strong> <strong>2015</strong>
<strong>Hometown</strong> <strong>Brandon</strong> • 3
4 • Summer 2014
Publisher & Editor<br />
Tahya Dobbs<br />
CFO<br />
Kevin Dobbs<br />
CONsultANT<br />
Mary Ann Kirby<br />
Account Executives<br />
Alicia Adams<br />
Camea Dobbs<br />
Rachel Lombardo<br />
Reese Suruvka<br />
Misty Taylor<br />
PhotogrAPhy<br />
Othel Anding Photography<br />
lAyout Design & Production<br />
Daniel Thomas • 3dt<br />
Contributing Writers<br />
Camille Anding<br />
Kyle Brown<br />
Brenda Emmons<br />
Olivia Halverson<br />
Charla Jordan<br />
Mary Ann Kirby<br />
Shelby McKenzie LeNarz<br />
Erin Williams<br />
• • •<br />
It’s hard to believe we’re embarking our second year of <strong>Hometown</strong> <strong>Brandon</strong> Magazine.<br />
The community has been so encouraging and we have cherished every new friendship made<br />
while interviewing people for the many stories we’ve covered.<br />
In this issue, we look at the life of Mary Ann Mobley, our own Miss America who did so<br />
much to put <strong>Brandon</strong> on the map. She was our queen and will be forever missed. We also<br />
introduce you to a couple of teenagers who struggle with a life-changing health issues but<br />
have found hope in the paws of some very special canines. And of course, spring is synonymous<br />
with <strong>Brandon</strong> Bulldog baseball and we meet Coach Hester who hits<br />
a home run on and off the field with his leadership and life lessons.<br />
Thank you to all the readers and advertisers that have made our<br />
first year in the <strong>Brandon</strong> market so amazing. Your feedback has been<br />
overwhelming, for which we are grateful. Please let me know if there’s<br />
ever anything that we can do to help promote our<br />
businesses, our community events and our people.<br />
Our <strong>Hometown</strong> is your <strong>Hometown</strong>. ■<br />
www.facebook.com<br />
/hometownbrandonmagazine<br />
www.htMags.com<br />
ContACt us at<br />
info@htmags.com<br />
601.706.4059<br />
• • •<br />
<strong>Hometown</strong> <strong>Brandon</strong> is published by<br />
<strong>Hometown</strong> Magazines.<br />
All rights reserved.<br />
No portion of <strong>Hometown</strong> <strong>Brandon</strong><br />
may be reproduced without written<br />
permission from the publisher.<br />
The management of <strong>Hometown</strong> <strong>Brandon</strong><br />
is not responsible for opinions expressed<br />
by its writers or editors.<br />
All communications sent to our<br />
editorial staff are subject to publication<br />
and the unrestricted right to be refused,<br />
or to be edited and/or editorially<br />
commented on.<br />
All advertisements are subject<br />
to approval by the publisher.<br />
The production of <strong>Hometown</strong> <strong>Brandon</strong><br />
is funded by advertising.<br />
On the cover:<br />
<strong>Brandon</strong> High School JROTC (L-R) <strong>Brandon</strong> Lyles, Katie Johnson, Daniel Allen, Hayden Gibbons, Tyra Jones<br />
In this issue The Way We Were .....................6<br />
Four Generations of Busick Business ... 1 1<br />
Never Far From Home ................ 15<br />
The Queen of our Hearts .......21<br />
Taking Man's Best Friend<br />
to the Next Level . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42<br />
On & Off the Field.................... 40<br />
More Than Marching ................ 50<br />
<strong>Hometown</strong> <strong>Brandon</strong> • 5
The<br />
way<br />
we<br />
were.<br />
Bobbie & John Ashley<br />
John Ashley, the new coach at Weir High<br />
School, was eating dinner at the Circle Inn in<br />
December of 1957 when Bobby Lacey and her<br />
sister, Evelyn, walked in. Evelyn, a football<br />
cheerleader, introduced Bobby, a sophomore<br />
at Mississippi College, to Coach Ashley. John<br />
was so impressed with this college beauty that<br />
he asked her out for a New Year’s Eve date.<br />
Later he heard her compete in a speaking<br />
contest where she described the home she<br />
wanted to help build. John remembers<br />
thinking that he needed to take this girl<br />
seriously, and he did.<br />
On March 31st, he asked her to marry him.<br />
Bobby didn’t hesitate. She said, “Yes,” and they<br />
set the date for August 23rd of that year. The<br />
rapid-fire plans shocked John since he felt sure<br />
she would want to wait until after college.<br />
He was concerned that he wouldn’t be able<br />
to support a wife on his meager first year<br />
coaching job, and there was no way he could<br />
pay for her to complete her college degree.<br />
Bobby added, “My parents loved John; they<br />
didn’t hesitate in giving their blessings for our<br />
marriage, and they paid for the remainder of<br />
my college tuition at Mississippi State University.”<br />
The “March Madness” was the beginning<br />
of a commitment that’s been celebrated for<br />
57 years. They were married in Weir Baptist<br />
Church on August 23rd, 1958 and honeymooned<br />
in Grenada for two days. The new<br />
coach was given one day for his honeymoon.<br />
From that first coaching job, John’s career in<br />
education spanned 34 years. He retired from<br />
his last job as counselor for HCC at Nursing<br />
Allied Health.<br />
Bobby has also had a lifetime career in<br />
education with employment in Rankin, Leflore<br />
and Pearl schools. She retired in 1997 after<br />
6 • <strong>Spring</strong> <strong>2015</strong>
working as counselor at <strong>Brandon</strong> High School<br />
for 18 years.<br />
In their 42 years of living in <strong>Brandon</strong>, they<br />
raised two daughters who now live in Texas –<br />
Amy Withers and Lacey Schmelzle. Three<br />
grandchildren add to the Ashley’s joys.<br />
Bobby’s one-word description of John is<br />
“thoughtful.” Then she added “good” and “the<br />
ability to make a wise but snap judgment.” She<br />
remembers how impressed she was with his<br />
maturity when they began dating. “He had a<br />
grasp on what he wanted to do with his life.”<br />
John is quick to applaud his wife’s qualities,<br />
too. “I respected her and still do. She’s dependable,<br />
consistent and a Christian.” With a<br />
mischievous smile, John shared his sweetheart’s<br />
nickname, Ms. Right Now.<br />
He explained that when she has a job to<br />
do, she attacks it immediately. John shared an<br />
example. One night around 9 p.m., he was<br />
relaxing in his lounge chair and she asked if<br />
he would help her upholster the dining room<br />
chairs. “When?” he asked.<br />
“Right now.” she replied.<br />
Their advice for marriages was succinct. John<br />
said, “Like one another; love is not enough.”<br />
Bobby added, “Commit to stay – ‘til death<br />
do you part.”<br />
This exemplary couple that keeps physically<br />
fit and remarkably active in church and<br />
volunteer work may have initiated their union<br />
with March madness but only as a beginning.<br />
Their joined journey has been a rich, productive<br />
relationship with a “right now” mentality that’s<br />
garnered record investments in the lives of all<br />
who know them. ■<br />
“Like one<br />
another;<br />
love is<br />
not enough.”<br />
<strong>Hometown</strong> <strong>Brandon</strong> • 7
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8 • <strong>Spring</strong> <strong>2015</strong>
Call us to schedule<br />
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(601) 825-3368<br />
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14 Woodgate Drive<br />
<strong>Brandon</strong>, Mississippi 39042<br />
<strong>Hometown</strong> <strong>Brandon</strong> • 9
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10 • <strong>Spring</strong> <strong>2015</strong>
The Busick family has<br />
been in the mercantile<br />
business dating back to<br />
1865 when Henry Anderson<br />
Busick moved from North<br />
Carolina to Mississippi and<br />
in partnership with his cousin,<br />
George Stevens, opened a<br />
general dry goods establishment. The<br />
name of the firm was Busick & Stevens.<br />
When Mr. Busick later bought out his<br />
partner the name was changed to H.A.<br />
Busick & Co.<br />
It was located on the south side of<br />
the square in downtown <strong>Brandon</strong>, a<br />
stone’s throw from the present building.<br />
In those days a store was the center of<br />
activity. Not only was food bought there<br />
but clothing, farm utensils and many<br />
necessary items to be found in the<br />
homes of that era. Customers could<br />
purchase baby buggies, wagons, even<br />
coffins and lots of things that today’s<br />
generation would not even recognize.<br />
Because of the large variety of items<br />
sold, there were several warehouses<br />
attached to the store.<br />
Farmers were furnished supplies for<br />
a year until the “crops came in”.Business<br />
flourished when the railroad came<br />
through Value, which was on the<br />
outskirts of <strong>Brandon</strong>. Mr. Busick built<br />
this business by hard work, honesty and<br />
integrity. He was highly respected in<br />
business circles throughout the state.<br />
Because of the trust that people had in<br />
him, he acted as a banker to<br />
many, as there was no bank<br />
in <strong>Brandon</strong> at that time.<br />
Money was kept in the large<br />
store safe which is still in<br />
use today. Later he and<br />
several other prominent<br />
<strong>Brandon</strong> businessmen organized the<br />
Rankin County Bank and he donated<br />
the lot on which the bank now stands.<br />
After Mr. Busick’s death in 1912,<br />
his son, Robert Richardson Busick,<br />
purchased the store. In the ‘30s, “Mr.<br />
Bob”, as he was known to everyone,<br />
became partners with his brother Henry<br />
and they operated as Busick Brothers<br />
until 1947 when Bob bought him out and<br />
became sole owner. By this time his sons,<br />
Bob, Jr. and Henry (Bubba), were grown<br />
and working with their father. The<br />
name was changed to Busick and Sons.<br />
<strong>Hometown</strong> <strong>Brandon</strong> • 11
In 1953, Mr. Bob retired and his wife,<br />
Dell, and the sons operated the store.<br />
In 1962 the family opened a second<br />
store in the McLaurin Shopping Center<br />
in Pearl known as Busick’s. When Mrs.<br />
Busick retired, Henry kept the store in<br />
Pearl and Bob, Jr. stayed with the original<br />
store. In 1968 Bob’s son, Nick, entered<br />
into partnership with his father, making<br />
the fourth generation to do business in<br />
practically the same location. After some<br />
research, done by a merchant in<br />
Pennsylvania, it was discovered that<br />
Busick’s was the second oldest<br />
continuously owned family business<br />
in the United States.<br />
In 1973, Mrs. Bob (Mildred) Busick<br />
opened a ladies shop in Town West<br />
Center known as “Mimi’s”. In 1977<br />
when the family decided to branch out<br />
into other businesses, they added “The<br />
Courtyard Shopping Center” directly<br />
behind the store. It was comprised of<br />
“Bob Busick’s Clothing for Men”, a<br />
western store named “The Hitching<br />
Post”, a children’s shop called “The<br />
Growing Tree”, and various other<br />
businesses. “Mimi’s” moved into the<br />
original store and remained there until<br />
Bob and Mildred retired and closed<br />
their stores.<br />
Nick then moved his western shop<br />
back to the original location. He has<br />
continued the family business using the<br />
same principles first practiced by his<br />
great-grandfather and passed down<br />
through his grandfather and father. The<br />
store has become a place for old friends<br />
to congregate and reminisce about the<br />
12 • Summer 2014
“good old days” or just catch up on the<br />
happenings of the day. Upon entering<br />
the store it is common to see Nick<br />
sitting behind the counter studying one<br />
of his well-worn bibles, and if given<br />
encouragement he will offer the plan<br />
of salvation to anyone who is interested<br />
in listening. On May 5, <strong>2015</strong>, the Busick<br />
family will celebrate its 150 th anniversary<br />
serving the public with quality<br />
merchandise. ■<br />
________________________________________________________________<br />
Editor’s note: Mr. Busick was diagnosed with melanoma last year. Even though the treatments have been<br />
arduous, he continues to radiate a positive attitude and still sits behind his familiar store counter most<br />
weekdays. Our prayers are with this wonderful friend and exemplary businessman.<br />
<strong>Hometown</strong> <strong>Brandon</strong> • 13
Think <strong>Spring</strong> and Shop these<br />
Local <strong>Hometown</strong> Stores!<br />
Cobo’s<br />
boutique<br />
Rankin County Chamber of Commerce ▪ 101 Service Drive ▪ <strong>Brandon</strong>, MS 39042 ▪ (601) 825-2268<br />
14 • <strong>Spring</strong> <strong>2015</strong>
BRANDON<br />
Growing Up in the Best<br />
Small Town in America<br />
Shelby McKenzie LeNarz<br />
Regarding biology and horticulture, the<br />
root of a plant serves the essential functions<br />
of anchoring and supporting the plant throughout<br />
its development and growth. Likewise,<br />
regarding anthropology and humanity,<br />
the hometown of an individual serves the<br />
essential functions of anchoring and supporting<br />
the individual throughout his or her<br />
development and growth. While I may<br />
have grown and blossomed and have now<br />
been planted in another state, <strong>Brandon</strong>,<br />
Mississippi, is more than home; it’s the roots. No matter where<br />
life takes me, part of my heart will always be rooted in <strong>Brandon</strong>,<br />
Mississippi, and the cherished childhood memories, teenage<br />
trials and triumphs, and invaluablelife lessons it provided<br />
along the way.<br />
No matter where life takes me, I will always be rooted in the<br />
faith that I found on a weekly basis under a steeple on South<br />
College Street, the education that I received under a “tradition<br />
of excellence” on Mississippi 18, and the southern values that<br />
I obtained from living under the influence and examples of all<br />
who have the privilege of residing in 39042. For <strong>Brandon</strong> is more<br />
than a hometown, it is part of us, part of me. I am rooted in<br />
summer days spent at Crossgates pool, full of cannonballs and<br />
Coppertone. I am rooted in softball tournaments at Shiloh<br />
Park and U-8 soccer games behind the old Rogers-Usry. I am<br />
rooted in <strong>Brandon</strong> Days, packed with country music concerts,<br />
mayoral campaigns, and finding the courage to ride the Zipper.<br />
I am rooted in the middle school dances, Dog Jams, and<br />
awkward junior high carpool lines. I am rooted in the proms<br />
and the powderpuff games. I am<br />
rooted in the homecoming and<br />
Christmas parades, being more than<br />
part of a float, but part of a community,<br />
part of a family. I am rooted in Friday<br />
nights at Louis Gene Strickland Field,<br />
a seven-year-old girl simply trying to<br />
grow up and be like the cheerleaders and<br />
a seventeen-year-old simply trying to go<br />
back and experience it all again.<br />
Most of all, I am rooted in the people<br />
who made this hometown the wonderful<br />
place that it was, it is, and that it will<br />
undoubtedly continue to become. The true reason that <strong>Brandon</strong><br />
is the anchor and support system that enables its residents to<br />
develop and grow is found in its people, its true roots. These are<br />
the families who have constructed their lives in this town and<br />
have in return built into the lives of those they surround, the<br />
teachers that instilled in us lessons and wisdom that far<br />
surpassed the classroom, the coaches that helped us be better<br />
individuals on and off the field, the youth ministers who guided<br />
us through the turbulence of adolescence, and most of all, the<br />
welcoming face and kind word that we consistently found in<br />
this town, reminding us of its worth, of its depth, of its roots.<br />
These memories, these people, these roots, are the reason that,<br />
despite the distance, I am never too far from home. ■<br />
Shelby McKenzie LeNarz now lives in Houston, Texas, with her husband<br />
Andrew and is in her last year of occupational therapy school.<br />
<strong>Hometown</strong> <strong>Brandon</strong> • 15
16 • <strong>Spring</strong> <strong>2015</strong>
H o m e t o w n L o v e<br />
brandon<br />
Brenda Emmons<br />
I have heard people talk about meeting their love at a young age,<br />
but I never knew that it would start for me at the age of four. Rickey<br />
and I lived down the street from each other in Pearl and spent<br />
many days playing together. After the sudden death of my father,<br />
I was abruptly resigned to the fact that I’d always be a country girl<br />
in rural Scott County. Growing up in the country, I’d soon learn that<br />
family and hard work go hand-in-hand.<br />
My mom and grandparents always expected our best—whether<br />
it was cutting that two-acre yard with the Yazoo push mower,<br />
working in the garden where the rows seemed a mile long, or<br />
making good grades in school. As I was learning these life lessons,<br />
I found myself reconnected with that person who would become<br />
the love of my life. We dated on-and-off, enjoying Sunday afternoon<br />
motorcycle rides, and finally said “I do” after I graduated from<br />
Mississippi State. That is when the “country girl” moved back to the<br />
city, moving into a house right across the street from where I lived<br />
at the age of four. I soon learned that life was different there, and<br />
that grocery stores now stayed open until midnight.<br />
I began my teaching career under the guidance of a wonderful<br />
principal, Mrs. Elinor Comfort, at <strong>Brandon</strong> Elementary. She placed<br />
me under the wings of two wonderful mentors, Mrs. Novis Jones<br />
and Mrs. Maxine Nail. During those early years of teaching, I<br />
followed the motto that Mrs. Nail had used for many years, “Learn<br />
to Listen, Listen to Learn.” Besides teaching the basics of reading,<br />
writing, and arithmetic, I tried to be an encourager to my students<br />
as I told them daily to always “Try Your Best.” I held high expectations<br />
for my students, and they learned quickly that school was a priority.<br />
As the years passed and we had two children of our own, I finally<br />
was able to convince Rickey to move to the town that I had grown<br />
to love and where my children would be educated, the town of<br />
<strong>Brandon</strong>. We have been here for the last 28 years, watching our<br />
children, and now grandchildren, grow up. I have watched former<br />
students grow up, marry, and have even taught a few of their<br />
children. Many times when I run into former students, they will tell<br />
me, “I remember when we did…” Those were the days!!! After thirty<br />
years of teaching in the <strong>Brandon</strong> Schools, I decided to retire and<br />
look for other opportunities to touch the lives of others. We are<br />
active members of Crossgates Baptist Church, where I served in the<br />
Greeter Ministry and work in Kingsingers. We are also avid<br />
supporters of our beloved <strong>Brandon</strong> Bulldogs through many<br />
activities such as band, football, and now baseball.<br />
<strong>Brandon</strong> has changed a lot over the years, but the people will<br />
always be kind, loving, and always willing to help their neighbors,<br />
as was witnessed by many during the tornadoes in 1992 and 2004.<br />
Even though I did not grow up here, I still call it my home, and<br />
love being able to say, “Once a Bulldog, Always a Bulldog!” ■<br />
<strong>Hometown</strong> <strong>Brandon</strong> • 17
18 • <strong>Spring</strong> <strong>2015</strong>
Celebration<br />
of the<br />
New Face<br />
of Healthcare<br />
February 9<br />
Merit Health Rankin<br />
<strong>Hometown</strong> <strong>Brandon</strong> • 19
20 • <strong>Spring</strong> <strong>2015</strong>
Queen<br />
The<br />
Hearts<br />
of our<br />
Mary Ann Kirby<br />
Mary Ann Mobley was easily <strong>Brandon</strong>, Mississippi’s most famous<br />
and beloved child. In 1958, she was crowned Miss Mississippi, graduated<br />
from Ole Miss and went on to win the title of Miss America.<br />
Mobley took the nation by storm as she was crowned the first Miss America, ever, from the<br />
state of Mississippi. As the story goes, she arrived in Atlantic City wearing a bracelet that was<br />
very special to her – a gift from her Sunday school teacher. It was a bracelet with an encased<br />
mustard seed to remind her that with the faith of a mustard seed, nothing would be impossible<br />
– a scripture found in the book of Matthew. Mary Ann was a devout Christian and routinely<br />
proclaimed her faith in the media.<br />
“Lona Aldridge is a member of our church and gave her that bracelet”, said Charla Jordan,<br />
a longtime resident of <strong>Brandon</strong>. “My family moved to <strong>Brandon</strong> in 1958 just before Mary Ann<br />
was crowned”, she recalls. “She was a member of <strong>Brandon</strong> First Methodist. She and Gary were<br />
actually married in that church and their daughter Clancy was baptized there.”<br />
<strong>Hometown</strong> <strong>Brandon</strong> • 21
After her reign as Miss America, Mary Ann began to catch the eyes of Hollywood television and<br />
movie execs. The beauty-queen had become a sought-after guest star in episodic television of the 1960s,<br />
appearing on many hit series of that era including, Perry Mason, Love American Style, Mission Impossible and<br />
The Virginian, just to name a few.<br />
Her most important contribution to 1960s pop culture, however, was appearing opposite Elvis Presley<br />
in two films; Harum Scarum and Girl Happy. Elvis and Mary Ann became instant friends. They shared a<br />
common bond in that they were both from Mississippi. While filming Harum Scarum, there was<br />
apparently a scene where Mobley’s angry character was to throw a vase at Elvis. She was quoted as saying,<br />
“It was one of those sugar vases that doesn’t hurt you when it breaks.” But she nailed him, by mistake.<br />
She went on to say, “He wheeled around and said, ‘Mary Ann, you’re supposed to miss me’ and I said<br />
‘Yeah, but you forget I played softball in <strong>Brandon</strong>, Mississippi’”.<br />
Her success in film led to a 1965 Golden Globe for Most Promising Newcomer.<br />
It was in 1966, on the set of Three on a Couch with Jerry Lewis, that she met her husband, a young and<br />
handsome actor by the name of Gary Collins. They were married for 45 years until his death in 2012.<br />
In the 1980s she starred in the final season of Diff ’rent Strokes as well as appeared in prime-time soap<br />
opera Falcon Crest. She continued to pop-up as a guest star on series like Hotel and Matt Houston and game<br />
shows like The Hollywood Squares. She also acted as her husband’s frequent guest co-host on his successful<br />
talk shows Hour Magazine and The Home Show, as well as frequently co-hosting Miss America Pageant<br />
with Gary.<br />
In the 1990s, she made guest appearances on the sitcoms Designing Women, Hearts Afire, Hardball, and<br />
Sabrina, The Teenage Witch along with a couple of commercial product endorsements.<br />
“I have always been so proud that Mary Ann was from <strong>Brandon</strong>. I even have a car tag that proclaims<br />
‘<strong>Brandon</strong>, Miss. Home of Miss America 1959’”, continues Jordan. I had several opportunities over the<br />
years to talk with her personally when she and Gary came back to <strong>Brandon</strong> for the annual Rankin Health<br />
Foundation’s Affair of the Heart Ball. I have such fond memories of her.”<br />
22 • <strong>Spring</strong> <strong>2015</strong>
<strong>Brandon</strong> resident Billy Foxx Swilley remembers Mary Ann, too. “She and my older sister Joycelyn<br />
were in the same class and actually hung out and went to parties together”, he said. “One time I was at<br />
the Orange Bowl parade in Miami and Mary Ann was on one of the floats. She spotted me in the crowd<br />
and started waving like crazy. She shouted ‘Hey Billy Foxx!’ I’ll never forget it. She never forgot any of us.<br />
And when she’d come back to visit, it was like she never left.”<br />
Mobley was known as much for her sweet spirit and willingness to help others as she was for her<br />
beauty. She was a tireless humanitarian, and had taken a particular interest in world hunger and children<br />
with learning disabilities. She was active participant with the March of Dimes for over 25 years. She<br />
traveled to Cambodia, Ethiopia, Mozambique, Somalia, Kenya, Zimbabwe and Sudan, documenting<br />
the plight of homeless and starving children.<br />
Mobley had Crohn’s disease and had been an activist for<br />
improvements in treatment. But in 2009, she was diagnosed<br />
and treated for Stage 3 breast cancer. She actually went into<br />
remission in 2010 – but sadly it would be short-lived and after<br />
a years-long battle, Mobley died at her home in Beverly Hills<br />
on December 9, 2014. She was 77.<br />
Back in September of 2014, we reached out to Mary Ann to set up an interview.<br />
We would feature her in an upcoming issue of <strong>Hometown</strong> <strong>Brandon</strong> Magazine. She was thrilled.<br />
So were we. Unfortunately, we were unable to fully connect due to her health issues. Her email read:<br />
Dear Tahya,<br />
I am so sorry that my treatment has slowed down our conversation. Hopefully within the next couple of weeks I will be better to visit.<br />
Just know…I really want to do this and I am so honored that you were thinking of me. I look forward to our future visits.<br />
We never got the chance. But what a beautiful and gracious woman she was, even until the very end.<br />
We couldn’t be more proud to claim her as one of our own. She will be greatly missed. ■<br />
<strong>Hometown</strong> <strong>Brandon</strong> • 23
24 • <strong>Spring</strong> <strong>2015</strong>
–engagements–<br />
LandonLeighHughes<br />
& MarkAndrewMerrill<br />
Mr. and Mrs. Roy William “Pete” Hughes III of <strong>Brandon</strong>, Miss. proudly<br />
announce the engagement of their daughter, Landon Leigh, to Mr. Mark<br />
Andrew Merrill of Nashville, Tennessee. Mark is the son of Mr. and Mrs.<br />
Wayne Andrew Merrill of Franklin, Tennessee.<br />
The bride-elect is the granddaughter of the late Mrs. and Mrs. Gordon<br />
Moore of <strong>Brandon</strong>, Mississippi and Mrs. Betty Snell Hughes and the late<br />
Mr. Roy William Hughes Jr. of Marcella, Arkansas.<br />
The prospective bridegroom is the grandson of the late Mr. and Mrs.<br />
Gene Austin and the late Mr. and Mrs. Bill Merrill all of Nashville.<br />
Miss Hughes is a 2007 honor graduate of <strong>Brandon</strong> High School. She<br />
attended Ole Miss and graduated magna cum laude with a Bachelor of<br />
Science degree in dental hygiene from the University of Mississippi Medical<br />
Center. She is presently employed at O’Bryan Dental Clinic in Puckett,<br />
Mississippi as a registered dental hygienist.<br />
Mr. Merrill is a 2007 graduate of Battle Ground Academy in Franklin,<br />
Tennessee where he was a member of the football and basketball teams.<br />
He graduated from the University of Mississippi with a degree in civil<br />
engineering. He is employed with Ragan Smith Engineering in Nashville as a<br />
civil designer.<br />
The couple will exchange vows May 2, <strong>2015</strong> at 5p.m. at First United<br />
Methodist Church in <strong>Brandon</strong> with the reception to follow at the Ice House<br />
in Jackson, Mississippi.<br />
LaurenKimberThomas<br />
& JamesWilliamNorris<br />
Dr. and Mrs. Scott Thomas of <strong>Brandon</strong> are pleased to announce the<br />
engagement of their daughter, Lauren Kimber Thomas to James William<br />
Norris, son of Rex Norris and the late Terri Norris of Pine Bluff, Arkansas.<br />
The bride-elect is the granddaughter of Dr. and Mrs. Billy R. Thomas of<br />
<strong>Brandon</strong> and the late Helen Figura of Natchez, Miss. and late Joseph Figura<br />
of Mobile, Alabama.<br />
Lauren is a 2009 graduate of <strong>Brandon</strong> High School. She is currently<br />
pursuing a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from the University of Mississippi.<br />
She is employed by William T. Sloan, Attorney at Law, in Oxford, as a<br />
receptionist.<br />
The prospective bride-groom is the grandson of the late Mr. and Mrs.<br />
James M. Norris of Pine Bluff, Arkansas and the late Mr. Reid Dice and<br />
Mrs. Ida Taylor of Pine Bluff, Arkansas.<br />
James is a 2011 graduate of Watson Chapel High School. He is<br />
currently pursuing a degree from Leavell College of New Orleans Baptist<br />
Theological Seminary. He is the youth pastor of Bethel Baptist Church of<br />
Water Valley, Mississippi.<br />
The couple will exchange vows on Saturday, April 25, <strong>2015</strong>, two o’clock in<br />
the afternoon at the chapel of First Baptist Church of Jackson, with the<br />
reception immediately following.<br />
After the honeymoon cruise, the couple will reside in Water Valley,<br />
Mississippi.<br />
To submit your engagement or wedding, contact info@htmags.com<br />
<strong>Hometown</strong> <strong>Brandon</strong> • 25
The<br />
Wardrobe<br />
Whisperer<br />
Mary Ann Kirby<br />
What’s good for the closet<br />
is good for the soul...<br />
Hooray for sunshine. As we're about to emerge from the<br />
shadows of winter into the full-on explosion of spring, it’s<br />
time to transition from warm, earthy tones of chilly days’<br />
past, into bright cheery sunlight-welcoming color. It may<br />
also be the perfect time for me to do some critical evaluations<br />
in my own closet. This might require some tough love.<br />
You see, I’m a gatherer – and I’ve decided to do some serious<br />
editing in my wardrobe. I have a generously-sized closet that<br />
literally cannot hold another piece of anything, and yet, I have<br />
a mere five pieces that I go to for nearly every occasion. I’m in<br />
need . . . of a closet cleanse.<br />
Letting go of things in your closet can be a frightening process.<br />
But when daily dressing turns into daily stressing, it’s time for<br />
an intervention. Doing a massive wardrobe therapy session<br />
is the perfect way to refresh your style and make sure your<br />
clothes are working with you – and not against you.<br />
So I’ve embarked on a wardrobe-editing tutorial and have<br />
scoured the internet for the very best tips in accomplishing<br />
the mission:<br />
1 The first thing to do is fix what’s broken. Don’t let items that<br />
need repairing or tailoring fall deeper and deeper into the<br />
closet abys. Either commit to fixing them, or get ‘em outta<br />
there. Be ruthless.<br />
2 Let go of clothes that don’t fit. (I can feel my throat tightening<br />
at the mere thought of it) You see, I have a “range” of sizes –<br />
and according to the closet doctors, I need to let them go.<br />
So here’s my take on it; if I happen to drop ten pounds and<br />
need to buy all new things, I’ll do it. I’m sure my husband<br />
will deal with it just fine. It will take this type of shopping<br />
rationalization to get me fired up.<br />
3 Let go of things that hurt – literally. I have a pair of shoes<br />
that may possibly be the best looking things I’ve ever owned<br />
in my life. I paid more for them than I care to admit and they’re<br />
excruciatingly uncomfortable. Well actually, they’re good for<br />
about an hour. So the only times I wear them is to one-hourlong<br />
events, which are few. It’s a love-hate relationship of<br />
epic proportions. I’m dreading this one – but they’ve gotta go.<br />
It’s a cold-blooded world . . .<br />
4 Let go of things that are tacky or out of trend. We’ve all<br />
made those critical buying mistakes – when the thought of<br />
a hot pink sequined fedora seemed clever at the time. Just<br />
chalk it up to a manic moment and cut your ties. Which<br />
is more valuable; the item, or the cleared space? A new<br />
smart-looking handbag could be sitting on that shelf.<br />
It’s all about managing resources.<br />
5 Think back on the last time you wore something. If there<br />
was a republican in the oval office, then it’s time to say goodbye.<br />
The general rule-of-thumb is two years. If you’ve not worn<br />
something in two years, it’s gotta go. This is tough love, people.<br />
26 • <strong>Spring</strong> <strong>2015</strong>
6 Put all your garments where you can see them. Folding<br />
them leads to forgetting them. I know this first-hand as I have<br />
been guilty of buying exact duplicates before in completely<br />
unrelated shopping excursions. (At least I’m consistent and<br />
know what I like, right?)<br />
7 Get everything you can onto hangers. And if you really<br />
want to impress, buy matching hangers. I like the look of<br />
wooden hangers – but they’re bulky and expensive. The real<br />
blessing to all closets are those felt covered slimline type<br />
hangers. You can fit twice as many clothes into your space<br />
and they’re non-slip and gentle on your clothes. I’ve seen them<br />
in some of the big box stores for $9.99 a dozen. The fashion<br />
stylists to the stars swear by them.<br />
8 So, what to do with all the items that will not be living in<br />
your closet anymore? You should decide in advance who will<br />
get your cast-offs. There are lots of choices. The Salvation<br />
Army picks up. The Second Chance Thrift Store provides them<br />
to battered women or sells them to raise money for their<br />
shelter. Dress or Success is a great organization, too. You can<br />
also sell your pieces. Facebook has yard sale sites galore right<br />
here in our local area. Ebay and Craigslist are great for selling<br />
gently worn items as well. Or put them on consignment at<br />
any of the area consignment stores. They do all the work and<br />
you pick up your check once your items have sold. And if you<br />
have items that you absolutely know that you’ll never wear,<br />
but have sentimental value, pack them carefully and put<br />
them in storage. Let your grandkids deal with ‘em one day.<br />
Change your outfit, change your outlook, right?<br />
A closet cleanse may be just what you need, too. However,<br />
it’s hard work and time-consuming. Put some music on and fix<br />
yourself a refreshing beverage. Stay focused. This is therapy,<br />
after all, and it will be more than worth it.<br />
Mary Ann Kirby<br />
is a local writer and<br />
media consultant<br />
in the Jackson<br />
Metro area.<br />
<strong>Hometown</strong> <strong>Brandon</strong> • 27
Taking<br />
“Man’s<br />
Best<br />
Friend”<br />
to the<br />
Next<br />
Level<br />
Erin Williams<br />
For those affected<br />
by Type 1 diabetes,<br />
service dogs are not<br />
only a practical use<br />
for helping manage<br />
the disease, but also<br />
a source of comfort<br />
and companionship<br />
for years to come.<br />
It’s been said before that<br />
sometimes the best medicine<br />
comes with a wet nose and<br />
four paws. For two young<br />
<strong>Brandon</strong> residents affected<br />
by Type 1 diabetes, they know<br />
this all too well. After all, their<br />
stories prove it.<br />
28 • <strong>Spring</strong> <strong>2015</strong>
McKayla’s Story<br />
McKayla Hand is the whole package.<br />
With a bubbly personality, a heart for<br />
missions and the hurting, a love for<br />
athletics and theatre, and a future with<br />
untold possibilities, McKayla is coming to<br />
the close of her senior year at <strong>Brandon</strong> High<br />
School and about to embark on a new season<br />
in her life. However, with so much in her life<br />
having changed in only a few years, McKayla knows<br />
that sometimes embarking on a new season in life is<br />
harder than it looks.<br />
McKayla’s journey with diabetes started in November of 2012.<br />
A sophomore at the time, McKayla began to notice that she was always very<br />
thirsty. “I remember camping with my grandparents and drinking a whole<br />
gallon of water they brought at one time.” McKayla said. “While I didn’t think<br />
it was that abnormal then, others did. That was the beginning for me.”<br />
On January 9, 2013, McKayla went to the doctor to get the required<br />
shots for a mission trip to Haiti that she would soon be taking. During that<br />
visit, her doctor preformed a routine physical; however, after seeing the<br />
results of her blood and urine test, McKayla realized that this visit would<br />
be anything but routine.<br />
“I found out from Dr. Roland that my body wasn’t projecting insulin and<br />
that I needed to get an appointment with an endocrinologist as soon as<br />
possible. I was critical at the time and had no idea.” McKayla said. “After<br />
praying intensely that I could get an appointment quickly, I saw an<br />
endocrinologist the next day and had to start giving myself shots<br />
immediately.”<br />
After getting weary of the four shots McKayla had to give herself daily,<br />
she now uses an insulin pump to help manage her insulin levels. Although<br />
she worked hard to compose herself, coping with the daily struggles of<br />
managing diabetes began to take its toll on McKayla – especially at night.<br />
“When you go to sleep, you can’t feel your blood sugar soar or drop.<br />
When I have a blood sugar high or low, I can go into a coma and incur<br />
serious problems really quickly.” McKayla said. “Because of that, I was<br />
actually really afraid to go to sleep. The fear<br />
handicapped me, and I knew something<br />
had to change.“<br />
After contacting a friend who had a<br />
service dog, and inquiring about the process<br />
of getting one, McKayla applied for a dog<br />
with a Kansas-based program called CARES.<br />
Although she applied in May of 2013, she wasn’t<br />
notified until August of 2014 that her turn had finally<br />
arrived. After completing a week of training, McKayla came<br />
home with Mauro, an 80-pound black lab.<br />
“The day I got Mauro, he walked up to me and licked me in the face.<br />
That did it for me.” McKayla said. “Although he’s a normal dog and loves<br />
things like treats and being petted, he’s really helped save my life. Mauro<br />
has changed everything.”<br />
With Mauro’s rigorous resume and training, he is able to detect when<br />
McKayla’s blood sugar drops below 70 or rises over 200. Because dogs have<br />
such a powerful sense of smell, they can actually smell what a sugar high or<br />
low smells like when human’s noses aren’t strong enough to detect it.<br />
As a service dog, Mauro is always suited up in his vest and with<br />
McKayla–even at school. “One time I was at school and Mauro got up and<br />
jumped in my lap. I checked my sugar and it was very high.” McKayla said.<br />
“I just hadn’t started to feel the symptoms yet because my body had<br />
somewhat adjusted to being a diabetic. Had it been 15 minutes later, I<br />
would’ve been in trouble.”<br />
When McKayla talks about Mauro, it’s obvious that, in addition to her<br />
appreciation for him alerting her when her sugar levels start to rise or fall, he’s<br />
a loyal source of companionship. Next year, McKayla and Mauro will attend<br />
Mississippi College where McKayla plans on majoring in kinesiology. While<br />
much of her future is still unknown, McKayla doesn’t have to approach it with<br />
the fear of diabetes holding her back anymore. And, that’s because of Mauro.<br />
“I didn’t pick Mauro, Mauro picked me.” McKayla said. “I owe so much to<br />
him, and I hope for others to understand how important it is to embrace<br />
service dogs for those who suffer from a variety of diseases or conditions.” n<br />
<strong>Hometown</strong> <strong>Brandon</strong> • 29
Nathan’s Story<br />
Nathan Yow is a vibrant and tall 13-<br />
year-old seventh grader at <strong>Brandon</strong> Middle<br />
School. A young man of many talents,<br />
Nathan enjoys geocaching, playing soccer,<br />
and spending time with his family and<br />
friends. Like McKayla, Nathan has the world<br />
at his (calloused) fingertips; however, their<br />
stories differ in that Nathan doesn’t know<br />
a world prior to being a diabetic. Nathan<br />
was diagnosed when he was only three.<br />
His mother, Donna, recalled how<br />
Nathan was always tired and wanted to drink<br />
a lot of liquid. She spoke of how she knew his<br />
breath had a bit of a fruity smell, but didn’t think<br />
much about it. After all, because of his young age,<br />
Nathan couldn’t really communicate how he was feeling.<br />
However, it didn’t take long for Donna’s motherly intuition to kick in and<br />
realize something just wasn’t right.<br />
“I began researching the symptoms and decided to take in Nathan’s urine<br />
sample.” Donna said. “After it came back positive, we went to Birmingham<br />
to attend trainings for a week and learn more about his diagnosis.”<br />
Donna spoke of how helpless she felt that day and how the worrying<br />
hasn’t stopped since. Right before they learned of his diagnosis, she and her<br />
husband had just potty-trained Nathan where they rewarded him each time<br />
with a tootsie roll.<br />
“It’s just this immediate sense of guilt that sets in. We had no idea we<br />
were actually hurting him by giving him tootsie rolls while potty training.”<br />
Donna said. “It wasn’t just that, we didn’t know what to feed him because<br />
even milk has sugar in it. It was such a learning curve for us.”<br />
Now, 10 years later, the Yow’s are still learning daily new ways to help<br />
manage his disease. Donna identified with McKayla’s fear of going to sleep,<br />
as the same applied to Nathan. For years, Donna and her husband have<br />
taken turns getting up at night to wake Nathan up and check his sugar.<br />
“It’s a 24/7 type of worry that doesn’t go away when he goes to sleep, but<br />
instead gets worse.” Donna said.<br />
Recently, Donna’s fear was realized again when Nathan attended the<br />
Collide weekend at his church that included him staying in the homes of<br />
host families. Donna told Nathan that she’d call his cell phone in the middle<br />
of the night to wake him up so he could check his sugar but, when she tried<br />
to call him, he wouldn’t wake up.<br />
In a frenzy, she called the host mom who<br />
then also tried to wake him up, but Nathan<br />
hardly budged. Barely coherent, Nathan’s<br />
sugar had dropped to the severely low 40s<br />
range. Although Nathan has a pump that he<br />
changes every two or three days, he can still<br />
have an unexpected sugar low or high.<br />
“It is aggravating to have to do all this<br />
stuff,” Nathan said. “I don’t remember not<br />
having diabetes, but I wish I didn’t have it.<br />
Although it doesn’t hurt as much anymore to<br />
prick my fingers, sometimes I just want to have<br />
fingers without callouses like everyone else.”<br />
While Donna had been researching service<br />
dogs with CARES for a while, she wanted to wait until<br />
Nathan was older before obtaining his own service dog so<br />
that the dog would be able to go to college with him one day. Nathan<br />
has now been on the waiting list for a year to receive his dog. But, on March<br />
23, Nathan and his family will make the trek to Kansas to finally get what<br />
they’ve been waiting so urgently for–his own service dog.<br />
Although the Yow’s don’t know what type of dog it will be, or even what<br />
gender it will be, they are just excited to get one. “It’s like we can finally see<br />
a light at the end of this tunnel,” Donna said. “I can’t hardly think about it<br />
without getting emotional because I want the same things for Nathan that<br />
other moms want for their children. I’m just so excited; we’re all so excited.”<br />
However, due to the extensive training that the dogs require, obtaining<br />
a dog is very expensive – over $3,500. To help curb those costs, Allison<br />
Palmer, a family friend and co-worker of Nathan's mom, coordinated a garage<br />
sale stocked with donated items. The family is also selling raffle tickets for<br />
an iPad Air to be given away in May. Each day, Nathan takes the $5 tickets<br />
with him to school, but Donna can also be contacted at 601-573-8448<br />
to purchase a ticket.<br />
On May 1st, on Nathan’s 14th birthday, the Yow’s will choose the winner<br />
of the raffle. However, on that day, Nathan won’t be alone. He will have his new<br />
service dog also at the raffle, which, according to Nathan, is the best gift of all.<br />
“I just want to be like other people. Diabetes is annoying because it gets<br />
in the way of everyday life for me.” Nathan said. “I’ll feel better when I have<br />
my dog here. I think about it all the time.” n<br />
30 • <strong>Spring</strong> <strong>2015</strong>
<strong>Brandon</strong><br />
Discount<br />
Drugs<br />
Waymon Tigrett, RPh<br />
Family owned and delivering<br />
fast, friendly service since 1969.<br />
______________<br />
Monday - Saturday 7:30am - 6:30pm<br />
601-825-2897 / 601-825-2898<br />
brandondrugs@gmail.com<br />
<strong>Hometown</strong> <strong>Brandon</strong> • 31
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32 • Summer <strong>Spring</strong> <strong>2015</strong> 2014
Back Around<br />
at Roundtree<br />
<strong>Brandon</strong> resident Noel Daniels is back at Roundtree<br />
and happier than ever. As someone who’s garnered<br />
respect in both the automobile industry and outside<br />
of it, Daniels recently returned to Roundtree Chrysler<br />
Dodge Jeep Ram as the executive manager. Daniels<br />
also brings with him to Roundtree, Keith Chambers,<br />
his long-time friend and successful associate to serve<br />
as the general sales manager.<br />
Noel is back with his buddy, Mort, “the dummy”.<br />
The public will remember Mort as Noel’s long-time<br />
advertising associate.<br />
Noel Daniels, we’re “absolutely!” glad you’re back.<br />
Contact Noel Daniels at ndaniels@roundtree.com<br />
“We’ll Beat Your Best Deal Absolutely!”<br />
(855) 369-5675 • 5395 I-55 North, JacksoN, Ms<br />
<strong>Hometown</strong> <strong>Brandon</strong> • 33
New Lights, New Life, New Love for<br />
If you’ve driven<br />
through Downtown<br />
<strong>Brandon</strong> recently,<br />
you probably<br />
encountered<br />
something new<br />
or that looked a<br />
bit out of place.<br />
34 • <strong>Spring</strong> <strong>2015</strong>
What you may have sensed was a much more charming<br />
evening drive along Government Street while passing the<br />
courthouses and historic square. You may have seen people<br />
jogging down Felicity Street or children scurrying across<br />
Poindexter – or you could have seen construction or moving<br />
trucks in front of what you thought was an empty building.<br />
Downtown <strong>Brandon</strong> is seeing an impressive makeover.<br />
One of the most anticipated and talked-about upgrades to<br />
the downtown area has been the lighting. The Downtown<br />
<strong>Brandon</strong> Lighting and Landscape Project is nearing completion.<br />
McInnis Electric, Guest Consultants, and the City of <strong>Brandon</strong><br />
have been working on this project for several months. The<br />
project consisted of the installation of decorative street lighting,<br />
landscaping, and sidewalk improvements along Government<br />
Street from College Street to Louis Wilson Drive and along<br />
College Street from Government to Dining Street. A majority<br />
of the funding has come from the Mississippi Department of<br />
Transportation.<br />
The final step in the project will be to remove the old, yellow<br />
burning lights attached to power poles. One of the benefits<br />
people will also see in the near future is the ability to attach<br />
decorative banners to these new lights. This project has greatly<br />
enhanced Downtown <strong>Brandon</strong>’s curb appeal.<br />
As a result of these improvements, new businesses are<br />
flocking to this area. Downtown has seen several businesses<br />
open in the past six months with other businesses relocating<br />
or opening in the coming weeks.<br />
Two new businesses opening in the coming weeks in<br />
Downtown <strong>Brandon</strong> are Bay Window Books and Presh Tots<br />
Couture.<br />
Bay Window Books will be opening in late February in the<br />
Boyce Building at 151 West Government Street. Over the past<br />
several weeks, they have been busy packing up books,<br />
separating shelves, moving shelves, putting shelves back<br />
together, unpacking books, and finally alphabetizing them<br />
to bring their dream to Downtown <strong>Brandon</strong>.<br />
Presh Tots Couture will be opening this spring next door to<br />
Bay Window Books in the Boyce Building. Presh Tots Couture is<br />
a children’s boutique for both girls and boys with sizes newborn<br />
to 10-years old. They will carry clothing and baby accessories.<br />
These two stores are located beside another business that is<br />
growing in the heart of downtown; Xpress Dance Company.<br />
Located in the historic Thompson Building, Xpress Dance offers<br />
a wide range of classes from musical theatre, contemporary,<br />
hip-hop, ballet, jazz, and tap. So the next time you see all children<br />
crossing Poindexter you will know where they are headed.<br />
One business that is relocating in downtown is Miss Priss,<br />
a women’s clothing boutique. Miss Priss is moving into her new<br />
location in Courtyard Plaza behind Busick & Sons. They have<br />
been busy painting walls, moving clothing racks, and purchasing<br />
new inventory for their new location.<br />
One of downtown’s success stories from last year was the<br />
seasonal opening of Twisted Tails. They feature fresh boiled<br />
crawfish and shrimp along with live entertainment. Starting<br />
February 28, they will be reopening for the season on Fridays<br />
and Saturdays. Visit them on Dining Street in Downtown<br />
<strong>Brandon</strong>.<br />
The people you saw running down Felicity Street are not<br />
just running, they may actually be completing their workout of<br />
the day at East <strong>Brandon</strong> Crossfit. Crossfit has been open for<br />
several months and their growth has increased as more people<br />
see and hear what’s happening.<br />
Another business that opened last fall is Interior Twist, located<br />
at 10 Overby Street. Interior Twist is much more than its name<br />
appears: they offer many unique items like pottery, candles,<br />
jewelry featuring local artist Chatham Kennedy, interior décor,<br />
and women’s apparel.<br />
The expansion of Highway 471 will greatly enhance<br />
people’s ability to get to and from Downtown <strong>Brandon</strong>, as well.<br />
The expansion ground breaking will be on February 23. This<br />
project will five-lane 471 from Downtown <strong>Brandon</strong> at West<br />
Government Street, where an upgraded traffic signal will be<br />
installed, all the way to the city limits, north of Hillcrest Drive<br />
and includes a bridge over the railroad tracks at Value. The<br />
project was awarded to Joe Magee Construction of Lake and<br />
will cost nearly 40 million dollars and will take about two years<br />
to complete.<br />
Not all of the construction will be centered on the west side<br />
of downtown because another project on the horizon will be in<br />
the area around Louis Wilson Drive. The expansion of East<br />
Government Street from Louis Wilson Drive to Trickhambridge<br />
Road will feature many upgrades including: a new traffic signal<br />
at Trickhambridge Road, the replacement of the traffic signal at<br />
Louis Wilson Drive, an enhanced bridge, and a walking path.<br />
This will greatly enhance the view as people drive west into<br />
Downtown <strong>Brandon</strong>. – Kyle Brown<br />
<strong>Hometown</strong> <strong>Brandon</strong> • 35
<strong>Hometown</strong> <strong>Brandon</strong> • 36
City of<br />
<strong>Brandon</strong><br />
<strong>2015</strong><br />
Princess<br />
Ball<br />
<strong>Hometown</strong> <strong>Brandon</strong> • 37
38 • Summer <strong>Spring</strong> <strong>2015</strong> 2014
<strong>Hometown</strong> <strong>Brandon</strong> • 39
On & Off<br />
the Field<br />
Erin Williams<br />
A strong believer that a<br />
solid work ethic makes<br />
you a productive member<br />
of society, Stacy Hester<br />
isn’t subtle about taking<br />
that philosophy to the<br />
baseball field.<br />
<strong>Brandon</strong> baseball coach Stacy<br />
Hester is out to make his mark<br />
both on and off the field. Having<br />
grown up with a love for all types<br />
of sports, Hester went to college<br />
at Delta State on basketball, baseball, and<br />
track scholarships. Although his first love was<br />
basketball, Hester played baseball at Delta<br />
State under the great David “Boo” Ferris who<br />
he claims helped pave the way for his<br />
future coaching career.<br />
Before graduating in 1982, Hester, and<br />
the rest of the baseball team at Delta State,<br />
went on to play at the College World Series.<br />
After graduation, Hester began his coaching<br />
career at Greenville before coaching at New<br />
Hope, where his team had a 43-0 record.<br />
After his time at New Hope, he traded the<br />
baseball field for the field of landscaping<br />
and ran his own landscaping business<br />
full-time for a few years.<br />
In May of 2012, however, that all<br />
changed, after Hester received a call<br />
from Brad Peterson asking him to take<br />
the position as head baseball coach at<br />
<strong>Brandon</strong>. He came on board and hasn’t<br />
looked back since.<br />
“To say that I love coaching at <strong>Brandon</strong><br />
would be an understatement,” Hester said.<br />
“I love everything about <strong>Brandon</strong>; the city’s<br />
character, the small-town atmosphere,<br />
the support the school receives from the<br />
community. I hope to get the chance to<br />
retire here.”<br />
Although Hester’s extensive 30-year<br />
coaching resume is impressive by itself, it<br />
is his character, work ethic, and coaching<br />
style that have made him an integral part<br />
of the baseball program at <strong>Brandon</strong>.<br />
“I am a big believer in taking care of<br />
the little things first,” Hester said. “I teach<br />
my guys that if they show up on time,<br />
keep their hair cut, keep their uniforms in<br />
good shape, be respectful to the umpires,<br />
and stay out of trouble on the weekends,<br />
I’ll let them play. If you can be faithful in<br />
the little things like that, I’ll give you time<br />
on the field.”<br />
Coach Hester has always been one to<br />
enjoy work, perhaps that’s why he was<br />
drawn to the landscape profession for a few<br />
years. A strong believer that a solid work<br />
ethic makes you a productive member of<br />
society, he isn’t subtle about taking that<br />
philosophy to the baseball field.<br />
“I told the parents when I started, these<br />
boys are going to work because I don’t like<br />
a lot of standing around in baseball,” Hester<br />
said. “It is a game that requires mental<br />
toughness and discipline, and if I can teach<br />
them a good work ethic on the field, I feel<br />
40 • <strong>Spring</strong> <strong>2015</strong>
confident it’ll carry off the field as well.<br />
When you’ve been coaching as long as<br />
I have, it’s less about coaching and more<br />
about teaching.”<br />
Although <strong>Brandon</strong> baseball has seen<br />
players such as Brent Leach, Barry Wesson,<br />
Shea Snowden, Bryan Leach, and Tyler<br />
White go on to play at the minor and major<br />
league levels, many more have gone on to<br />
receive college scholarships and play at<br />
the collegiate level.<br />
And while the baseball program at<br />
<strong>Brandon</strong> has produced many great<br />
players, the team hadn’t had a lot of prior<br />
success with going to state playoffs. The first<br />
season Hester took over, the team finished<br />
with a 25-5 season. The following season,<br />
the <strong>Brandon</strong> Bulldogs finished with a 27-9<br />
season winning the most games they’ve<br />
ever won at the playoff level. This year,<br />
with nine seniors and fourteen juniors<br />
on the team, Hester is excited for what’s<br />
expected to be another great season.<br />
However, when speaking about winning<br />
games, Hester is quick to say that there is<br />
no magical formula.<br />
“We win games by letting the best<br />
players play; there’s no politics here,” Hester<br />
said. “You can’t have a good winning<br />
percentage if you aren’t fair and let the<br />
best kids play, which is the same reality our<br />
high school kids will also experience if they<br />
play at the collegiate level or higher.”<br />
Framed inside the wall of the baseball<br />
building is a jersey with the number 10 on<br />
it. After inquiring about the history behind<br />
the jersey, I found out that Mark Vinson<br />
was a baseball player at <strong>Brandon</strong> who wore<br />
that number before passing away in July<br />
of 1984 with leukemia. Vinson was a<br />
catcher for the Bulldogs and was selected<br />
to play in the all-star game that summer<br />
but had to decline due to his worsening<br />
health. Now, the field is named after him<br />
and his number is retired.<br />
And despite the fact that Hester wasn’t<br />
ever able to meet Vinson, he is humbled<br />
by his legacy. “He and I were close in age<br />
and, although I never met him, I feel a<br />
strong urge to keep the field up to date to<br />
honor him and his family.” Hester said.<br />
“I feel like our field is consecrated because<br />
of Vinson and it really humbles me to work<br />
on a field that somebody like that played on.<br />
That’s who I want my players to be like.”<br />
Coach Hester, we think you’ve hit it out<br />
of the park. n<br />
<strong>Hometown</strong> <strong>Brandon</strong> • 41
42 • <strong>Spring</strong> <strong>2015</strong>
<strong>Hometown</strong> <strong>Brandon</strong> congratulates the<br />
<strong>Brandon</strong> Police Department<br />
on receiving their Certificate of Accreditation<br />
from the Mississippi Law Enforcement<br />
Accreditation Commission.<br />
<strong>Hometown</strong> <strong>Brandon</strong> • 43
serving our community<br />
Jerry King<br />
brandon Fire Department<br />
How long have you been with the<br />
<strong>Brandon</strong> Fire Department?<br />
Since March of 2006.<br />
Did you always know you wanted<br />
to be a fireman? If not, what drew<br />
you to the profession?<br />
No, I didn’t always know that I wanted to be a<br />
fireman. What drew me to the profession<br />
was that I had a couple of friends and family<br />
that were in the service. They talked me into<br />
becoming a fireman, and it was the best<br />
decision I ever made.<br />
What’s one of your favorite things<br />
about <strong>Brandon</strong>?<br />
<strong>Brandon</strong> is a very family-based community<br />
with good schools, and, of course, the fire<br />
and police departments<br />
are top notch.<br />
What’s a favorite childhood memory?<br />
Every summer my church youth group would<br />
take a trip to the mountains. We would go<br />
white-water rafting, which is a lot of fun.<br />
What’s the biggest mistake<br />
you think young people make<br />
these days?<br />
They don’t value the importance of a college<br />
education, which I think is a must-have in<br />
today’s society.<br />
What’s your favorite movie?<br />
Hands down…"Tombstone"!<br />
What are your three favorite<br />
places to eat in <strong>Brandon</strong>?<br />
I love Kismets, Remember When, and<br />
Applebee’s.<br />
Tell us a little about your family.<br />
I was very blessed with wonderful parents.<br />
I was born and raised in Pearl, Mississippi<br />
as the oldest of three siblings. My wife and<br />
I married a little over a year ago on the island<br />
of St. Lucia. We are expecting our first child<br />
in May. We love animals, and have three<br />
dogs, a cat, and a bird.<br />
Where do you see yourself in<br />
10 years?<br />
I see myself still at the <strong>Brandon</strong> Fire<br />
Department with two kids, with a house<br />
built on some land, and working towards<br />
becoming a flight medic.<br />
What’s the most stressful part<br />
of your job?<br />
Trying to always be prepared for the<br />
unknown.<br />
If you could travel anywhere,<br />
where would it be?<br />
I would either go to Hawaii or Australia.<br />
Please finish the sentence:<br />
One thing people would be surprised<br />
to know about me is…?<br />
I used to be a boxer in my early 20s. I fought<br />
twice in the MS Golden Gloves.<br />
44 • <strong>Spring</strong> <strong>2015</strong>
BRANDon's finest<br />
Jason French Investigator<br />
brandon police Department<br />
How long have you been with the<br />
<strong>Brandon</strong> Police Department?<br />
I came to the <strong>Brandon</strong> Police Department<br />
in 2013, after serving with several law<br />
enforcement agencies over the past 15 years.<br />
Did you always know you wanted<br />
to be a policeman? If not, what<br />
drew you to the profession?<br />
No. I had friends who were police officers<br />
and began to ride along with them while<br />
they were working patrol. After riding as an<br />
observer a few times, I knew law enforcement<br />
was the career path I wanted to pursue.<br />
What’s one of your favorite things<br />
about <strong>Brandon</strong>?<br />
I like the small hometown atmosphere that<br />
is unique to <strong>Brandon</strong>.<br />
What’s a favorite childhood memory?<br />
It would have to be my grandfather<br />
teaching me how to hunt and fish.<br />
We spent a lot of time together during<br />
my childhood, and he seemed to enjoy<br />
teaching me.<br />
What’s the biggest mistake<br />
you think young people make<br />
these days?<br />
I would say texting while driving.<br />
What are your three favorite<br />
places to eat in <strong>Brandon</strong>?<br />
Kismets, McAlister’s, and Azteca.<br />
Tell us a little about your family.<br />
I am married to my wife Suzannah, and<br />
we have three children together, Harper,<br />
Landon, and Lauren.<br />
Where do you see yourself in<br />
10 years?<br />
I see myself being retired from public<br />
service and working<br />
in the private sector.<br />
What’s the most stressful part<br />
of your job?<br />
I would say being able to meet the<br />
deadlines and demands during our first<br />
accreditation assessment.<br />
If you could travel anywhere,<br />
where would it be?<br />
I would go to Argentina. I traveled there<br />
years ago, and I absolutely loved the<br />
country.<br />
Please finish the sentence:<br />
One thing people would be<br />
surprised to know about me is..?<br />
That my wife and I like to make homemade<br />
salsa.<br />
What’s your favorite movie?<br />
"American Sniper"<br />
<strong>Hometown</strong> <strong>Brandon</strong> • 45
Tyler Peterson and family<br />
Welcome<br />
reception<br />
for<br />
Tyler Peterson<br />
Athletic Director & Football Coach<br />
BHS Multipurpose Center<br />
Dana Martella, Jennifer Green, Kelsa Walker<br />
Coach Hill, Col. Lynn Pippen<br />
Amanda Stinson, Krista Bishop, DeeDee Stowers, Pam Smith<br />
Chat Butcher, John Stowers, Johnny Willis II<br />
Coach O & Coach Hester<br />
Don Williams & Bradley Alexander<br />
Mike Adcox & Dr. Charles Frazier<br />
Kimberly Bates & Mary Grace Bass<br />
Gail Twiner, Ryan Herndon, Martin Keil<br />
46 • <strong>Spring</strong> <strong>2015</strong><br />
Dr. & Mrs. Mike Vinson, Onsby & Cris Vinson<br />
Phillip Nelson, Greg Robinson, Undray Scott, Randy West
Watson Purvis & Philip Adcock<br />
Ginger Jones & Shea Carter<br />
Katelyn Morrison & Dr. Richard Morrison<br />
Coach Peterson & Bulldogs<br />
Lisa Hudson, Laura Ane Marshall, Angela Nichols<br />
Justin Hogue, Chris White, Dr. Sue Townsend<br />
Mayor Lee, Coach Peterson, Buddy Bailey<br />
Brian Gaddie & Robin Haney<br />
Kelli Adcock & Tanya Crain<br />
Sherman Foster & Daniel Baxter<br />
Michael Matrick, Jon Clingen, Mia Tymes, Natalie Lindsley<br />
Mr. & Mrs. Maxey Peterson<br />
Kyle Bishop, Brian Joyner, Buddy Bailey,<br />
Tyler Cummings, Jackson Mitchell<br />
<strong>Hometown</strong> <strong>Brandon</strong> • 47
48 • Summer <strong>Spring</strong> <strong>2015</strong> 2014
<strong>Hometown</strong> <strong>Brandon</strong> • 49
What is the Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps?<br />
Without prior knowledge, one might assume that JROTC is simply a class<br />
to fill in an elective slot in a student’s curriculum, serving no greater purpose<br />
than to teach students how to march in formation. In truth, JROTC is much<br />
more than marching. It is a program dedicated to teaching students the qualities<br />
of leadership and teamwork; it is a program committed to encouraging cadets<br />
to develop skills and traits necessary to thrive in the real world. It is a home<br />
and it’s a family.<br />
The JROTC Mission Statement sums up the purpose of the program:<br />
“To motivate young people to be better citizens.” To accomplish this mission,<br />
JROTC instructors educate cadets on a wide variety of topics, ranging from<br />
the qualities of a good leader and the benefits of teamwork to more practical<br />
skills including how to use a map and compass and how to behave at formal<br />
functions. Every year, students have the opportunity to voluntarily compete<br />
More than Marching<br />
Olivia Halverson<br />
in map and compass training. Their grade is based on accuracy and speed as<br />
students must collaborate to find 5 specific points using only map, compass,<br />
intellect and stamina. Accompanying this physical test is a mental assessment<br />
of map reading. The skill base to successfully complete map and compass<br />
training is varied and requires a collaboration of diverse minds and bodies.<br />
In addition to physical and mental training, JROTC students put their<br />
etiquette training to the test at the annual Military Ball every February. Ball<br />
attendees partake in formal elements which include the use of a receiving line,<br />
the demonstration of formal greetings, and the proper use of silverware. Senior<br />
Cadet Major Sherman Foster says, “The Military Ball is a great experience for<br />
students our age as we prepare to enter adulthood. Most of us have not<br />
attended a formal event.”<br />
Experienced cadet leaders combined with just the right amount of<br />
guidance and involvement from the instructors creates the perfect environment<br />
for leadership development. The JROTC program itself is almost entirely<br />
student lead. This allows the cadets to sharpen and hone their communication<br />
and leadership skills by putting them behind the wheel and allowing them to<br />
develop these skills through everyday class projects ranging from PT sessions<br />
to planning the end of year field trip. Physical training is a weekly requirement<br />
for all JROTC members and can be attained in a variety of ways. Students<br />
will often find opportunity for physical training in competitions. In regard to<br />
physical training, Cadet Command Sergeant Major Daniel Allen says “You<br />
get out of it, what you put into it.” Comradery is the inevitable result of PT as<br />
students encourage each other throughout the trials of any and all physical<br />
tests. Their labors are rewarded at the conclusion of each year with a field trip,<br />
which is yet another learning experience, as all things are in JROTC. The<br />
field trips usually include a trip to a museum or memorial and students are<br />
50 • <strong>Spring</strong> <strong>2015</strong>
allowed the opportunity to continue their learning and development in an outsideof-school<br />
environment. For many students, the field trip is the best comraderybuilding<br />
exercise of the year. Senior Cadet Major Tyra Jones says, “We learn about<br />
our country and our military history, all the while sharing laughs and making<br />
memories with our peers.”<br />
True, the JROTC curriculum does involve learning how to march, but marching<br />
makes up only a fraction of what the JROTC program does. JROTC is a very wellrounded<br />
course, covering a wide array of topics, many of which are used by cadets<br />
for their entire lives. In short, JROTC is about more than just marching; it is about<br />
supplying cadets with tools that they can apply to every aspect of their lives in high<br />
school, college, and beyond. n<br />
<strong>Hometown</strong> <strong>Brandon</strong> • 51
Growing to meet our community’s needs.<br />
<strong>Brandon</strong> Nursing and Rehabilitation Center's new therapy gym<br />
is now open for inpatient and outpatient therapy.<br />
335 Crossgates Blvd • <strong>Brandon</strong> Ms<br />
601.825.3192 •Fax 601.825.6398<br />
52 • <strong>Spring</strong> <strong>2015</strong>
Crestview<br />
memorial<br />
gardens<br />
• 24-Month Interest-free Financing •<br />
• Discount on four or more burial spaces •<br />
• 50% Discount for Veterans with DD214 •<br />
MURPHY ADKINS • DEBBIE ALLEN • LEE BARLOW<br />
1106 Star Rd • <strong>Brandon</strong>, MS • 601-825-4240 • info@cmgardens.com<br />
<strong>Hometown</strong> <strong>Brandon</strong> • 53
HardworkingMachine<br />
Camille Anding<br />
There’s a treasure tucked away in most cities,<br />
and the majority of those city dwellers aren’t even<br />
aware of it. Those treasures are alive and living<br />
out their remaining years in retirement homes,<br />
assisted living facilities, and nursing homes. Yes,<br />
there are those living treasures that are unable to<br />
share their wisdom due to their health or waivering<br />
mental acuteness, but a rare and select group still<br />
function with an agreeable quality of life.<br />
One such octogenarian makes his home at<br />
Peach Tree Village at 6100 Old <strong>Brandon</strong> Road in<br />
<strong>Brandon</strong>. He possesses a wealth of answers to<br />
questions and situations people face every day.<br />
Mr. Walter Martin, age 83, is a retired sales and<br />
management employee. He was forced to retire<br />
two years ago from heavy farm equipment sales<br />
due to his health.<br />
He admits to being a workaholic but always<br />
found it rewarding. The harder he worked, the<br />
further he advanced in salary and promotions.<br />
Last week he earned a commission check by<br />
making two sales over the phone. Sales continue<br />
to motivate him.<br />
After Mr. Martin graduated from Riverside<br />
High School in Wayside, Mississippi, there was no<br />
money for college, so he enlisted in the Air Force<br />
for four years. That’s when he met his wife and<br />
after marriage, began a career in sales. He<br />
realized that a college degree wasn’t a part of his<br />
resume, but “hard work would make up for it.”<br />
His disciplined work ethic moved him and his<br />
family from Louisiana to Texas and back to<br />
Mississippi. His sales travels covered three to five<br />
states with four nights a week in a motel. One of<br />
54 • <strong>Spring</strong> <strong>2015</strong>
his tax accountants figured he had logged over<br />
two million miles during his employment.<br />
Family time tops his list of fondest memories.<br />
“We were close,” he said. “It was hard on my wife,<br />
Dot – raising children with me gone four nights a<br />
week.” His eyes welled with tears when he told of<br />
her lung cancer struggle that ended in 2013.<br />
He still delights in visits from his daughter,<br />
Kathy McDill, owner of the Beach Look Tanning<br />
Salon and Boutique in Pearl. His son, Neal, a<br />
dentist in Saltillo, Mississippi, still makes regular<br />
visits, too.<br />
Of all the lessons learned in his life, it was the<br />
one of adversity that proved to be the most<br />
challenging. But Walter Martin is an overcomer in<br />
that category, too. Within days of his wife being<br />
diagnosed with lung cancer, the doctors told him<br />
that he was in the early stages of Parkinson’s. The<br />
pain soon attacked his muscles and speech, but<br />
hard work would be a significant factor in the<br />
answer to that, also.<br />
The disease debilitated his body to the point<br />
he couldn’t get out of the bed without assistance,<br />
and walking across the room was next to impossible.<br />
Home Health came to his aid and helped him<br />
slowly learn to take steps with a walker.<br />
He said, “I kept pushing myself – a little more<br />
every day.” When he moved to Peach Tree,<br />
therapists Becky Reynolds and John Kimbriel,<br />
assisted him with an advanced program of<br />
exercises, and greater strides were made.<br />
A regular morning workout is two to three hours<br />
including weights, biking, and squats. He’s so<br />
disciplined in his exercise that his therapists said<br />
he needed to cut his 7-day schedule to five.<br />
Today, his doctor is astounded that he marches<br />
down the hall using only a cane. Martin is grateful<br />
for the great care he receives at his new Peach<br />
Tree home and credits the positive changes he<br />
sees in the facility to Lanette Williams, the<br />
administrator.<br />
We ask, “What’s some good advice for the<br />
younger generation, Mr. Martin?” Without a<br />
pause he answers, “Be honest and work hard.<br />
Education is wonderful, but without it, hard work<br />
can overcome. And remember, if Plan A fails,<br />
switch to Plan B.”<br />
“One more question, Mr. Martin: What have<br />
you done in your life that was really fun?”<br />
Again, no hesitation: “Work!”<br />
For those still in the labor force and needing<br />
a crash course in Business and Hard Work 101,<br />
stop by Walter Martin’s room at Peach Tree<br />
Village. He’ll work you in! n<br />
<strong>Hometown</strong> <strong>Brandon</strong> • 55
BRANDON PUBLIC LIBRARY<br />
1475 W. GOVERNMENT ST • (601) 825-2672<br />
March-April-May Events<br />
Displays for March<br />
Mardi Gras Doll Collection of Nicki Robinson<br />
Mississippi Woodworkers<br />
Black Handmade Cloth Doll Collection of Diane Fletcher<br />
Displays for April and May<br />
Pencil and Mug Collection of Betty James<br />
Magnolia Wood Turners Display<br />
Teddy Bear Collection of Kathryn Barnard<br />
Regular Weekly Events<br />
Mondays - 10:15am Toddler Time<br />
Lapsit stories, songs, and finger play for babies from birth - 2 years.<br />
Mondays - 6pm Dulcimer Group<br />
Bring your own dulcimer and let’s jam together. If you don’t have an<br />
instrument, just come and enjoy the music.<br />
Tuesdays - 9am Computer Classes Free. Pre-registration requested.<br />
3/3 Publisher How to make your own cards using Publisher.<br />
3/10 Tips and Tricks for your iPhone. Learn how to fully utilize your<br />
iPhone. Tips, tricks and apps that will make your life easier.<br />
3/17 What is the cloud? Understanding the cloud or iCloud. What is it?<br />
How do you use it? What are the costs and safety factors?<br />
3/24 eBooks and Freegal Learn how to use the CMRLS ebooks system<br />
for ebooks and audio books. Learn how to download free music from our<br />
website using Freegal.<br />
5/5 Basic 1 Parts of the computer, how to get on the internet, and how to<br />
navigate the internet.<br />
5/12 Basic 2 Email and organizing yourself with folders.<br />
5/19 Basic 3 Email with attachments and searching with a search engine.<br />
5/26 Introduction to Windows 8 You have your new computer, but it has<br />
a strange new screen. Where did everything go? How do I do this?<br />
Bring your own device that has Windows 8 installed.<br />
Tuesdays - 4pm Kid Connection<br />
(3/10, 3/24, 4/14, 4/28, 5/12) Chess Club<br />
K-6th graders join us as we practice our skills to win at chess!<br />
3/3, 3/17 - Artist/Illustrators Month<br />
4/7 - Loch Ness Monster Mystery<br />
4/21 - Piggy Bank Problems<br />
5/5 - Cinco de Mayo<br />
5/19 - School’s Out for Summer Fun<br />
Wednesdays - 10:30am Preschool Story and Craft Hour Ages 3-5.<br />
Thursdays - 10:30am Preschool Story and Craft Hour Ages 3-5.<br />
Thursdays - 1pm BYOP - Bring Your Own Project<br />
Weekly daytime crafting group.<br />
Thursdays - 6pm Creative Crocheters<br />
Join us as we learn and crochet together. All levels of crocheters welcome.<br />
Fridays through 4/10 - 10am AARP Tax Aid<br />
Help with your taxes is available at the <strong>Brandon</strong> Library.<br />
Monthly Events and Meetings<br />
First Monday of the Month<br />
<strong>Brandon</strong> Bookees - 10:30am<br />
<strong>Brandon</strong> Library’s original book club. Stop by and discuss each month’s<br />
book with a group of dedicated bookworms. Call for book titles.<br />
<strong>Brandon</strong> Quilters - 6pm<br />
Cozy up with the <strong>Brandon</strong> Quilters for their meeting.<br />
Second Monday of the month<br />
Beading Class - 4 and 6pm Call to pre-register. Bring your jewelry tools.<br />
March 9 Pellet Bangle Bracelet $5<br />
April 6 Twin Beads Bracelet $5<br />
May 11 Tree of Life Wire Pendant $5<br />
Fourth Monday of the month<br />
Sit n’ Knit - 6pm Come knit with us. All levels of knitters are welcome!<br />
Third Tuesday of the month<br />
Friends of the <strong>Brandon</strong> Library Meeting - 6pm<br />
Support the Library by designating us as your Kroger Community Rewards<br />
Recipient. Drop by and we will show you how.<br />
56 • <strong>Spring</strong> <strong>2015</strong><br />
First Wednesday of the month<br />
Gardening at Your Library - 10:30am Sponsored by the Master Gardeners.<br />
March - Dirt, Roots, Stems, Leaves, Flowers<br />
April - Medallion Plants<br />
May - Wind Chime Demonstration<br />
Second Wednesday of the month<br />
V.V.A. Meeting - 10:30am Join local veterans for their monthly meeting.<br />
Third Wednesday of the month<br />
Books and Brownies Book Club - 10:30am<br />
This year we will enjoy brownies with our books. Enjoy discussing books<br />
from different genres along with different brownies. Call for book titles.<br />
First Thursday of the month<br />
Genealogy Club - 10:30am Genealogy topics and assistance.<br />
Coin Club - 6 pm Love old and new currency? Join the Club!<br />
Fourth Thursday of the month<br />
Family Night - 6pm<br />
3/26 Mr. C.D. Hagan will perform and teach us about the clarinet.<br />
You can also join in the fun by making your own musical instrument.<br />
4/23 Oakdale Elementary Choir 5th and 6th grade students will perform<br />
<strong>Spring</strong>, Sacred, and End of the Year songs. We will also make piggy<br />
banks for Money Smart Week.<br />
5/28 End of the School Year Party! Music, games, and treats for everyone<br />
plus information about our Superhero Summer Reading Program that<br />
begins in June.<br />
Saturdays<br />
Sign Language Class - 3/21, 4/18, 5/16 - 10:30am<br />
Learn to speak with your hands! Free class. Registration suggested.<br />
Community Quilt Workdays - 3/21 - 10am Sponsored by the <strong>Brandon</strong><br />
Quilters. Come by and watch, ask questions, or help us!<br />
Gaming Day - 3/28, 4/25, 5/23 - 12-3pm Come try out new games with<br />
us. Call the library for the latest details. Yu-gi-oh in March.<br />
Special Events<br />
Chess Lessons for Adults (3/10, 3/24, 4/14, 4/28) Tuesdays - 6pm<br />
Janet Paczak will be teaching our 6 week adult class. Please pre-register.<br />
Teen Night - Mondays 3/16, 4/13, 5/4 - 5pm<br />
Ages 12-18. College Life-Hacks Course. Things you need to know before,<br />
during, and after your college experience.<br />
Rankin County Historical Society Meeting - Tuesday 3/24 - 7pm<br />
How to Make a Memory Book - Monday 3/30 - 6pm<br />
Be inspired to make a memory book depicting different events in your<br />
family’s life. Melissa Black will give us hints and suggestions to get us<br />
started on this fun family activity. Free Class.<br />
National Library Week - 4/12-18<br />
Genealogy Workshop - Thursday 4/14, 10:30am<br />
Learn the basics of the free Ancestry.com Library edition database.<br />
Learn to print, download, and get the most out of your research. Free<br />
workshop. Call the Library or email brgen@cmrls.lib.ms.us for any<br />
questions. No registration required.<br />
Genealogy Workshop-Heritage Quest - Thursday 4/14 - 1 pm<br />
Learn to use the Heritage Quest free online database, which includes<br />
federal census records, books, PERSI, Revolutionary pension records,<br />
and the U.S. Serial Set. Learn each database, how to print, download,<br />
and get the most out of your research. Free workshop. Call the Library or<br />
email brgen@cmrls.lib.ms.us for questions. No registration required.<br />
Couponing 101 - Saturday 4/25 - 10:30 am<br />
Learn the basics of couponing from the couponing guru, Stacy Berry.<br />
Free class. Pre-registration requested.<br />
Painting with Carla - Saturday 4/30 - 6 pm Enjoy a painting with Carla<br />
Nations. $6 supply fee. Call to Register.<br />
What do you know about the Constitution? - Saturday 5/2 - 1-3 pm<br />
Sponsored by the LeFleur’s Bluff Chapter, National Society Daughters of<br />
the American Revolution and features Jeremy McNinch, Ad junct Professor<br />
of Law and Attorney-At-Law. Presentation will feature historical facts in<br />
the development of this vital document as well as changes which have<br />
challenged the intent of our founding fathers.<br />
<strong>Spring</strong> Cleaning Book Sale Friday - Saturday, May 15-16, 10am - 4pm<br />
Bag Day Monday, May 18, 10 am-8 pm<br />
The library will be closed:<br />
Monday, April 27, Holiday – Monday, May 25, Memorial Day<br />
______________________________________________________<br />
<strong>Brandon</strong> Public Library is part of the Central Mississippi Regional Library System, which serves<br />
Rankin, Scott, Simpson, and Smith Counties.
<strong>Hometown</strong> <strong>Brandon</strong> • 57
Everything’s<br />
Roses<br />
Coming Up<br />
“Why do<br />
you do it?”<br />
This is the question that members of the<br />
<strong>Brandon</strong> Garden Club (BGC) are asked over and<br />
over, and there is one main answer. Although we<br />
do it for information on growing flowers, or tips<br />
on gardening and saving the environment, or<br />
the civic and community projects, or even great<br />
food, the most important reason is that we do it<br />
for the friendships.<br />
“How did you first start?” A friend asked me<br />
to a meeting. I called a contact number in a<br />
newspaper article or clicked on a link on a<br />
Facebook page or website. It looked like it might<br />
be fun, or a place to learn, or place to meet new<br />
people and make friends.<br />
“What are the members like?” BGC’s<br />
members are a diverse group. We have found<br />
that the more that they participate, the quicker<br />
they will find those who share their interests.<br />
There are those who play in the dirt and those<br />
who don’t. There are avid gardeners and<br />
beginners. Some belong to swap ideas and<br />
plants or to participate in outreach projects at<br />
nursing homes and schools. Still others enjoy<br />
working on civic development projects. There is<br />
a place for each member to use her talents. And,<br />
yes, questions and answers are always a part of<br />
meetings. If we don’t know the answer to a<br />
question, we will do our best to find it.<br />
58 • <strong>Spring</strong> <strong>2015</strong><br />
Planning programs and activities to<br />
incorporate the group’s diversity of ideas,<br />
interests, and backgrounds is the responsibility<br />
of BGC’s executive committee. Twelve elected<br />
and appointed officers guide the club to present<br />
programs that educate, entertain, and<br />
encourage members. The February agenda for<br />
the executive committee included finalizing<br />
plans for the yearly Tablescapes Luncheon<br />
fundraiser, reviewing the club’s butterfly<br />
publication for June’s National Garden Week,<br />
and reporting on the civic development project<br />
to plant 40 Natchez white crape myrtle trees in<br />
<strong>Brandon</strong> cemeteries. Just for fun, there was a<br />
spring brunch with a centerpiece of flowers and<br />
plants that attract caterpillars that by summer<br />
will metamorphosize into beautiful butterflies.<br />
To make this lovely spring centerpiece with<br />
components that can later be planted in your<br />
garden:<br />
• Gather pots of herbs, other small plants,<br />
and fresh flowers.<br />
• Line a container with plastic. A folded, clean<br />
trash bag will work really well.<br />
• Remove herbs and small plants from plastic<br />
pots and bunch them in the container.<br />
• Insert stems of fresh flowers into water picks<br />
and place flowers strategically in the midst of<br />
the plants to resemble a blooming garden.<br />
(Note: Water picks are found at stores carrying<br />
floral design products and are usually slender,<br />
2 to 3 inches long, and green.)<br />
• Cover the dirt and other areas with green<br />
sheet moss.<br />
• Complete your centerpiece by adding a<br />
hardscape element, such as a pottery rabbit.<br />
Our centerpiece included sample host<br />
plants for the caterpillar or larva stage of the<br />
butterfly such as dill or dill weed, fennel,<br />
nasturtium, and parsley. It is too early to<br />
include host nectar plants for butterflies, such<br />
as black-eyed susan, Queen Anne’s lace, and<br />
zinnias. For more information on butterflies<br />
and your garden, contact Mississippi State<br />
University Extension Service or the Rankin<br />
County Extension Office at 601 Marquette Road,<br />
<strong>Brandon</strong>, Mississippi, 601-825-1462, email<br />
rankin@ext.msstate.edu.<br />
BGC is affiliated with The Garden Clubs of<br />
Mississippi, Inc. (GCM), and National Garden<br />
Clubs, Inc. (NGC). BGC was recognized by GCM<br />
as the 2014 Outstanding Garden Club, First<br />
Place, Natchez Trace District. The outstanding<br />
garden club award is given each year based on<br />
total points scored for the club’s projects and<br />
programs. BGC was also recognized as an Honor<br />
Roll Club. There are 18 clubs in the Natchez<br />
Trace District under the direction of Natchez<br />
Trace District Director Suzanne Ross.<br />
<strong>Brandon</strong> Garden Club welcomes volunteers<br />
for both small and large projects. For more<br />
information, visit thebrandongardenclub.com<br />
______________________________________________________<br />
BGC Board members pictured above:<br />
(L-R) Lynn Mahoney, Delena Hamel,<br />
Mary-Ellen Hester, President Charla Jordan,<br />
Dixie Vance, Suzanne Ross
Chile Cheese<br />
Egg Casserole<br />
_________________________<br />
• 1 stick butter<br />
• 10 eggs<br />
• 2 egg whites<br />
• 1/2 cup flour<br />
• 1 teaspoon baking powder<br />
• 2 (4 ounce) cans diced green chiles<br />
• 1 quart (4 cups) cottage cheese<br />
• 1/2 cup mascarpone cheese<br />
• 1 pound shredded Monterey Jack cheese<br />
• 1/2 pound cooked sausage<br />
• Salt and pepper to taste<br />
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Place butter in<br />
9x13-inch baking pan. Place pan in oven until<br />
butter melts; pour 1/2 butter into small bowl<br />
and set aside.<br />
Beat eggs and egg whites slightly in large<br />
bowl; stir in flour, baking powder, chiles,<br />
all cheeses, salt and pepper, and mix well.<br />
Pour egg mixture into baking pan and pour<br />
reserved butter evenly over top.<br />
Bake 15 minutes in 400 degree oven;<br />
reduce heat to 350 degrees and bake 35 to<br />
40 minutes more or until casserole is set.<br />
Mixed Green Salad<br />
with Praline Topping<br />
__________________________<br />
• 1 (10 oz.) mixed spring greens<br />
• 8 ounces strawberries, sliced<br />
• 1 Granny Smith apple, thinly sliced*<br />
Praline Topping<br />
• 1 cup chopped pecans<br />
• 1/3 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar<br />
• 2 tablespoons butter, melted<br />
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon<br />
Mix topping ingredients. Spray a baking sheet<br />
with butter flavored cooking spray. Spread<br />
mixture on baking sheet, forming a thick<br />
covering. Bake at 325 degrees for 24 minutes,<br />
stirring every 6 minutes. Cool and crumble<br />
topping.<br />
Praline Vinaigrette<br />
Whisk together:<br />
• 1/2 cup white wine vinegar<br />
• 1/3 cup vegetable oil<br />
• 1/4 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar<br />
• 1/4 teaspoon salt<br />
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon<br />
• Freshly ground black pepper to taste.<br />
Combine greens with fruit. Drizzle with<br />
praline vinaigrette. Sprinkle with praline<br />
topping. Serve immediately.<br />
*If preparing in advance, soak apples in a<br />
mixture of lemon juice, lemon-lime flavored<br />
soft drink, and water to prevent apples from<br />
turning brown.<br />
Quick Romanoff Sauce<br />
and Strawberries<br />
___________________________<br />
• 8 ounces sour cream<br />
• 3 tablespoons brown sugar<br />
• 1 tablespoon vanilla<br />
• 3/4 cup Cool Whip<br />
• 2 tablespoons orange liqueur or<br />
1/4 cup frozen orange juice concentrate<br />
Mix sour cream, brown sugar, and vanilla<br />
in a bowl. Add whipped topping and orange<br />
liqueur or orange juice concentrate. Mix well<br />
and refrigerate for 30 minutes.<br />
Serve over hulled strawberries.<br />
Optional topping: Blue, goat, or feta cheese.<br />
Serves 8.<br />
_______________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________<br />
Charla Jordan, President, <strong>Brandon</strong> Garden Club; Public Relations Chairman and Photographer, The Garden Clubs of Mississippi, Inc., National Garden Clubs, Inc.<br />
Suzanne Ross, Chairman, <strong>Brandon</strong> Garden Club Civic Projects; Natchez Trace District Director, The Garden Clubs of Mississippi, Inc., National Garden Clubs, Inc.<br />
<strong>Hometown</strong> <strong>Brandon</strong> • 59
The CHALKBOARD<br />
<strong>Brandon</strong> Middle School<br />
Testing, testing, testing!<br />
It seems that testing is all that is talked about this time of<br />
year, but there are many other things happening at <strong>Brandon</strong><br />
Middle School. The Student Council is partnering with Mrs.<br />
Withers’ special education class to sell “candy-grams”. Students<br />
can purchase candy grams with messages to send to friends at<br />
school. The proceeds will go to benefit the Pennies for Patients<br />
campaign to raise money for the Leukemia and Lymphoma<br />
Society. A portion of the proceeds will also be used to fund<br />
field trips and other activities for the special education students.<br />
In other areas, the 8th grade class recently took a field trip to<br />
tour <strong>Brandon</strong> High School to allow our upcoming 9th graders<br />
to preview what they had to look forward to. Students were able<br />
to view several academies at the high school including health<br />
science, Ag, JROTC, design and others.<br />
Show choir competition is in full swing now! Our BMS show<br />
choir “Blitz” recently earned grand champion award at the<br />
Jackson Prep Show Choir Invitational. They faced stiff<br />
competition and came out ahead. Blitz has several competitions<br />
coming up including Jackson Academy, Homewood and Petal.<br />
We hope they “break a leg”.<br />
Many students are also preparing to tryout for various<br />
activities. Volleyball and cheer tryouts are being held the week<br />
of February 9th through the 13th. Dance team tryouts will be<br />
held the week of March 2nd through the 6th. And finally<br />
auditions for Blitz will be held the last week of March.<br />
So you can see that our students have many activities to<br />
keep them busy in addition to the dreaded testing. Many great<br />
things are happening at <strong>Brandon</strong> Middle School. ■<br />
Mrs. Withers’ special education class<br />
60 • <strong>Spring</strong> <strong>2015</strong>
The CHALKBOARD<br />
<strong>Brandon</strong> elementary school<br />
first lego<br />
Imagine a learning environment where 10- and 11-year-old<br />
students research, interview, and collaborate with entrepreneurs,<br />
scientists, engineers, and software developers from all over the<br />
country. That’s exactly what happens in the 5th Grade Venture<br />
program at <strong>Brandon</strong> Elementary each fall as students, coached<br />
by teacher Donna Mabus, prepare for and participate in the<br />
FIRST LEGO League (FLL) Competition. FIRST LEGO<br />
League is a worldwide competition that introduces students to<br />
robotics, programming, and real-world problem solving. Last<br />
year’s challenge, NATURE’S FURY, required students to<br />
study natural disasters, identify a problem, and develop a<br />
solution. This year’s challenge, WORLD CLASS, required<br />
students to reimagine the way people learn new information or<br />
new tasks. More than 260,000 children in 80 countries all<br />
work on the same challenge each year. Imagine all that collective<br />
brainpower focused on solving real-world problems!<br />
This year’s five FLL teams at <strong>Brandon</strong> Elementary spent 11<br />
weeks preparing for the first level of competition. In the<br />
beginning, teams learned how to design and build a robotic<br />
vehicle using LEGO Mindstorms NXT and EV3 kits. Then<br />
they learned how to program the robot to autonomously<br />
complete a set of missions on a 4’ X 8’ playing field. The<br />
programming requires a lot of strategy because the robot only<br />
has two and a half minutes to complete as many missions as<br />
possible during the competition. In addition to learning about<br />
the robots, students researched their topic, identified problems,<br />
created a solution, and connected with mentors who helped<br />
them work through the details of their proposed idea. Their<br />
research efforts were then turned into a creative skit to present<br />
to the judges. Teams identified themselves with costumes and<br />
names like Camo Warriors, Rockin’ Roos, LEGO Lunatics,<br />
Super Nerds, and Minecraft Minions.<br />
This year the Rockin’ Roos won first place at the school<br />
level and had numerous opportunities to share their idea and<br />
their research with authentic audiences on the federal, state,<br />
and local levels before heading to the state competition in<br />
Vicksburg. Competing against the top 30 teams in the state,<br />
they won the Research Award for their innovative idea that<br />
uses virtual reality to help students “experience” the lessons in<br />
their social studies book as opposed to only reading about<br />
them. This award embodies everything the Venture program<br />
represents: innovation, creativity, collaboration, technology,<br />
research, and 21st Century skills. The Rockin’ Roos also<br />
captured lots of attention at their booth with their Cardboard<br />
Virtual Reality goggles that allowed other teams to experience<br />
virtual reality for the first time.<br />
Besides the obvious bonding that goes on when you are part<br />
of a team, one of the things that makes the FLL experience so<br />
special is that everyone operates under the umbrella of Core<br />
Values where kids compete like crazy against the game, but<br />
show great respect for teammates, coaches, and even their<br />
competitors. By embracing the FLL Core Values, participants<br />
learn that friendly competition and mutual gain are not<br />
separate goals, and that<br />
helping one another is<br />
the foundation of<br />
teamwork. ■<br />
<strong>Hometown</strong> <strong>Brandon</strong> • 61
The CHALKBOARD<br />
brandon high school<br />
<strong>Brandon</strong> High School continues to expand the extra-curricular opportunities<br />
available for students. Among the new offerings over the past three years are<br />
the mock trial club, the <strong>Brandon</strong> High School DECA chapter, and the<br />
academic team. We are proud of these groups and their accomplishments<br />
this year.<br />
Mock Trial<br />
This year marks the first year of <strong>Brandon</strong> High School’s mock trial club,<br />
and members have represented the school and Rankin County well. The two<br />
mock trial teams, called the red and black teams, competed in the Mississippi<br />
Bar’s high school regional mock trial competition on Saturday, January 17,<br />
<strong>2015</strong>, at the Mississippi College Law School, Jackson, Mississippi. Our black<br />
team won the opportunity to advance to state.<br />
In addition, special awards were presented as follows:<br />
-Best attorney, rounds one and two: Jake Mullins, Red Team<br />
-Best attorney, round one: Hannah Nolan, Black Team<br />
-Best attorney, round two: Ben Kaminsky, Black Team<br />
-Best witness, round one: Haley Templeton, Red Team<br />
-Best witness, rounds one and two: Chase Baker, Black Team<br />
-Best witness, round two: Sarah David, Red Team<br />
BHS Mock Trial Team • Back, L to R: Caleb McClain, Chase Baker, Matt McCurley, Ben<br />
Kaminsky, Jake Mullins, Will Brown, and <strong>Brandon</strong> Norton. Front, L to R: Mrs. Sarah Printz<br />
(sponsor), Haley Templeton, Sarah David, Leann Ward, Hannah Nolan, Morgan Mundy, and<br />
Mrs. Lady Baker (sponsor).<br />
According to the co-sponsors of the mock trial teams, history teacher<br />
Sarah Printz and English teacher Lady Baker, all the team members worked<br />
diligently on the case for several months before the competition. Baker<br />
reflects: “We are appreciative of all the hours that our attorney coach, Judge<br />
Kent McDaniel, spent with our teams. He practiced with team members<br />
numerous times after school, on weekends, and during the holidays to<br />
prepare them for trial.” Regarding the recent competition she adds, “The<br />
Mississippi Bar does an excellent job of presenting the trial simulation<br />
materials and organizing the regional event. Our students had a positive<br />
experience and look forward to competing again.”<br />
This year’s simulation lawsuit addressed privacy laws and concerns for a<br />
school sponsored one-to-one computer program. Students not only learned<br />
about the rules of evidence and rules of procedure for trying a civil lawsuit,<br />
but also learned about privacy rights of students who are issued school<br />
computers to take home for assignments. Ben Kaminsky, one of the mock<br />
trial lawyers who is also on the BHS tech team notes, “This case helped me<br />
see that a school should not rush into a one-to-one computer opportunity for<br />
students without really thinking through school policy and procedures that<br />
should be followed.” ■<br />
DECA<br />
“DECA prepares emerging leaders and entrepreneurs for careers in<br />
marketing, finance, hospitality and management in high schools and colleges<br />
around the globe.” This is the mission statement of the DECA organization.<br />
The <strong>Brandon</strong> High School chapter of DECA is now in its second year, under<br />
the leadership of Brian Gaddie and Lindley Peterson. Membership in DECA<br />
has grown from fifteen<br />
students last year to<br />
over fifty this year.<br />
Through DECA,<br />
students are able to<br />
learn about all facets<br />
of business, as well as<br />
compete individually<br />
in approximately fifty<br />
different areas. At<br />
competition, DECA<br />
members take tests in<br />
L-R Chandler Permenter, Jonathan Bailey, Zach Beasley, Meg<br />
Walker, Laura Bowden, Hannah Caraway, Melanie McMillan<br />
their respective categories and complete role plays before a professional judge<br />
who works in the field they have chosen. This year, twenty-eight students<br />
went to the regional competition and twenty-six of those students qualified<br />
for the state competition in Jackson, where they will compete against 800<br />
students from all over Mississippi. This year’s DECA officers are: President-<br />
Ben Kaminsky; Vice President-Elden Robison; Secretary-CandyLee Dobbs<br />
and Historian-Jovonna Lacy. ■<br />
Academic Team<br />
The academic team is now in its third year after a hiatus of several years.<br />
The participation in and success of the team are steadily growing. In addition<br />
to fall competitions at Murrah and Madison Central high schools, the<br />
<strong>Brandon</strong> High School academic team recently competed in the Mississippi<br />
College Academic Competition. Thirty-eight teams from around the state<br />
competed in the quiz bowl competition. <strong>Brandon</strong> High’s team made it to the<br />
“Final Four”, earning scholarships for all team members. The team will<br />
travel to Oxford on February 21 for the annual University of Mississippi<br />
Academic Invitational Tournament (UMAIT). On March 20th, the team<br />
will host the second annual “Battle of the Brains”. The inaugural competition<br />
last year pitted the academic team against the principals. This year the team<br />
will face off against a team of teachers. Last year’s competition was a big hit<br />
with students and teachers alike, and we look forward to seeing who emerges<br />
victorious this year. ■<br />
62 • <strong>Spring</strong> <strong>2015</strong>
The CHALKBOARD<br />
ROUSE Elementary school<br />
Happy New Year<br />
The New Year at Rouse Elementary started off with a BANG!<br />
January 20th marked the 100th day of school with celebrations of<br />
being 100 days smarter. Kindergarten and first grade classes wrote<br />
short stories about what they will do when they are 100. Briaunna<br />
Anderson in Mrs. Boddy’s kindergarten class wrote, “I will be a<br />
grandmom and I will have grandcrldrn (grandchildren). I will be a<br />
babby (baby) siter (sitter) and I will make a fier (fire) and sit arode<br />
(around) the fier look out for my grandcrldrn.” Another kindergartner<br />
(Alondra) in Mrs. Youngblood’s class wrote that before she<br />
is 100 she would “be a mofisor (moviestar).” Many of classes had<br />
special 100th day snacks and exercised them off doing sets of 10<br />
jumping jacks, toe touches and other cardio movements.<br />
Classes also studied and learned about Dr. Martin Luther King,<br />
Jr. Students in Mrs. Busby’s kindergarten class found that his birth<br />
name was actually Michael and later changed to Martin. They also<br />
made a bubble map writing important facts about Dr. King: he was<br />
a pastor, an author, a leader, and from Atlanta, GA. One student<br />
stated that Dr. King wanted everyone to be friends. Balou Hicks<br />
wrote, “My friend is Makala. We pla(y) gams. We hav(e) fun.”<br />
We are so proud that Dr. King’s Dream is our reality!<br />
As we begin the month of February, units of study include<br />
Cowboys and the Rodeo, Valentine’s Day and President’s Day.<br />
As usual, reading, researching and writing as well as math activities<br />
are incorporated in our units. Student favorites include graphing<br />
“Cowboy Trail Mix,” making<br />
sentences and adding with<br />
conversation hearts before we eat the yummy goodness of each!<br />
We are looking forward to March and not just because of <strong>Spring</strong><br />
Break, but also because of our love of Dr. Seuss and Read across<br />
America week! Learning about Dr. Seuss and reading as many of<br />
his books as we can is so much fun! Students will write opinion<br />
pieces about their favorite Dr. Seuss books in addition to learning<br />
more about rhyming, alliteration, counting and adding.<br />
March also brings Kindergarten registration for the <strong>2015</strong><br />
– 2016 school year. Is your child ready for next fall? As you can<br />
see, this is not the same kindergarten most remember as a child.<br />
With today’s standards, what was the goal for kindergarten student’s<br />
reading levels by the end of the school year 10 years ago is now more<br />
like what was acceptable for the end of first grade. For your child to<br />
be prepared, work with him or her on not just being able to say their<br />
ABC’s but that they can recognize the letters by sight. Help them to<br />
count as high as they can. Assist them in writing their first name<br />
and recognizing what each letter is by name. Read more to them<br />
and talk about what the book is about. Let them ask questions about<br />
what you read. Rouse kindergarten registration will be March 24th<br />
from 8am to 1pm and 5pm to 7pm. Kindergarten teachers will be<br />
available to assist with registration and greet parents on this day as<br />
well as our principals. For more information on what is needed for<br />
registering your child for kindergarten check the RCSD website at<br />
www.rcsd.ms. We look forward to seeing you there! ■<br />
<strong>Hometown</strong> <strong>Brandon</strong> • 63
The CHALKBOARD<br />
stonebridge Elementary school<br />
SAMR<br />
We live in a world filled with technology and our students<br />
must know how to use technology to inspire their ingenuity,<br />
creativity, and problem solving skills. At StoneBridge Elementary<br />
our mission is to develop the knowledge and skills of students that<br />
would allow them to become the leaders of tomorrow. In order to<br />
complete this mission, technology is heavily integrated into the<br />
classrooms.<br />
The Rankin County School District and StoneBridge Elementary<br />
have implemented the SAMR model to better engage the 21st<br />
century student. The “S” in SAMR is described as substitution,<br />
which uses technology to act as a substitution for an activity that<br />
previously could have been completed through paper and pencil.<br />
The “A” in SAMR stands for augmentation, which uses technology<br />
to slightly enhance, or augment, a previous use, such as an internet<br />
search engine. Modification is the third level and provides<br />
significant task redesign. Then the final level of SAMR is redefinition,<br />
which allows the students to use technology to create new<br />
tasks that were previously inconceivable.<br />
When entering into the 2nd and 3rd grade classrooms at<br />
StoneBridge Elementary you may find students creating websites,<br />
using Tackk.com, based on the information they have found<br />
researching through Symbaloo.com. You may even see a teacher<br />
using Padlet.com in a lesson<br />
to incorporate parent<br />
responses during a lesson,<br />
which creates a more personalized<br />
lesson for the students.<br />
In addition to students writing<br />
what they learned, they might<br />
create a Voki through voki.com by creating an avatar, which can be<br />
programed to share what the students learned. With all of these<br />
new and engaging websites that teachers are using, the parents are<br />
eager to see what students are creating using technology. Therefore,<br />
teachers are creating QR codes that parents and students can scan<br />
which creates a direct link to individual student’s electronic<br />
portfolio.<br />
It is exciting to enter a classroom filled with students who are<br />
engaged, excited, and eager to learn the content through the use of<br />
innovative technology approaches. Benjamin Franklin once<br />
quoted, “Tell me and I forget. Teach me and I remember. Involve<br />
me and I learn.” By engaging and involving the students through<br />
technology using the SAMR model the students at StoneBridge<br />
Elementary will retain the content at a deeper level and remember<br />
their exciting days as a StoneBridge Bulldog. ■<br />
Miles in the<br />
Moonlight<br />
5KRun/Walk & Fun Run<br />
Saturday, March 28<br />
<strong>Brandon</strong> Educational Scholastic Team<br />
Register at msracetiming.com<br />
64 • <strong>Spring</strong> <strong>2015</strong>
Join Crossgates United Methodist Church<br />
for a 40-day Journey to the Cross to<br />
change our hearts and lives forever.<br />
WORSHIP WITH US EACH SUNDAY<br />
8:30am & 10:30am<br />
Strength for the Journey @ 6:30pm<br />
and explore weekly opportunities for<br />
more ways to grow at crossgatesumc.org<br />
join us the last week of Lent for<br />
March 29 thru April 4<br />
Experience The Last Days each night<br />
@ 6:30pm in the Sanctuary<br />
Molly<br />
Hunter<br />
Miss Teen Magnolia State<br />
Molly Hunter, a Junior at <strong>Brandon</strong> High School<br />
was recently selected from a field of 53 state wide<br />
contestants as Miss Teen Magnolia State.<br />
She represented Rankin County and the title<br />
has earned her a $1,000 prize and a seven day<br />
cruise next summer. She competed in interview,<br />
casual and evening wear. Molly is the daughter<br />
of Tommy and Tara Hunter of <strong>Brandon</strong>.<br />
A Community of Faith called to love others the way God loves us<br />
23 Crossgates Drive | <strong>Brandon</strong>, MS 39042<br />
601.825.8677 | crossgatesumc.org<br />
<strong>Hometown</strong> <strong>Brandon</strong> • 65
Camille Anding<br />
The Time Coin<br />
Mrs. Bailey was pleased that<br />
Cynthia wanted to volunteer in<br />
her class. She only had six<br />
students, but each one was challenged in<br />
mind and background. Volunteers were<br />
needed and welcomed.<br />
The special-ed class was at the end of<br />
the hall – away from the bustling classrooms<br />
of twenty-plus. Cynthia was a bit<br />
apprehensive on her first day, but even<br />
without adequate training in their needs,<br />
she was confident that love and compassion<br />
would be a compensating factor.<br />
Cynthia opened the door wearing her<br />
best smile and greeted Mrs. Bailey as she<br />
scanned the students. They were elementary young and all watched<br />
her with inquisitive eyes. “Students, I want you to meet a new friend,<br />
Ms. Cynthia. She’s going to be a regular in our room.”<br />
The children continued to stare as Cynthia pushed her purse behind<br />
the desk and waited for her first assignment. “Ms. Cynthia, I think you<br />
and Toby would make a great team. We’ve been working on colors<br />
and letters, so I’m going to let you two sit at this table and get to know<br />
one another.”<br />
Toby’s small frame stepped away from his desk, and he sat down<br />
beside Cynthia. His tiny hands were chalky and dry, and his shirt sleeves<br />
were two sizes too short on his thin arms. Toby was blind in one eye and<br />
always turned his head – like a little bird – favoring his seeing eye. His<br />
hair was matted in curls that weren’t accustomed to enjoying a comb.<br />
“Hello, Toby, can you show me a red block?” He turned his head<br />
toward the stack of blocks and picked up a yellow one. For the rest of<br />
Cynthia’s time, she played games with Toby and the blocks. She was<br />
overjoyed when he identified red and yellow colors.<br />
On Cynthia’s second visit, she wasn’t apprehensive but excited. Toby<br />
was already at their table, and they chose a game with colors. It was like<br />
Toby’s memory had been wiped clean, waiting for a transfer of new<br />
information. Before frustration won the<br />
morning, Cynthia pushed the blocks aside and<br />
pulled the A, B, C’s from the alphabet row.<br />
Toby not only was seeing and learningimpaired,<br />
his communication skills didn’t<br />
resemble skills. Cynthia wished for a magical<br />
key that would unlock his tongue but knew<br />
none. Progress with his alphabet was stalled<br />
and wouldn’t budge.<br />
Over the next weeks, Toby and Cynthia<br />
didn’t necessarily make strides in learning, but<br />
their friendship grew. Cynthia invested in a<br />
new wardrobe for Toby and found the key to<br />
making his face light up – books. Cynthia<br />
would read, pointing to colors and sounding<br />
out letters at opportune moments.<br />
Still, Toby couldn’t remember colors or letters, but he was learning<br />
friendship and trust. Over the next several weeks, they read and reread<br />
every book on the small blonde bookshelf. On Cynthia’s next visit, she<br />
planned to bring some books from her own children’s library.<br />
As she thumbed through the titles, she passed the “pineapple” book<br />
– a favorite of her children’s about a missionary discovering the key to<br />
reaching people of a primitive culture. Cynthia quickly pushed it aside<br />
– too advanced for Toby’s small intellect.<br />
Then that still small voice urged her to take the pineapple book.<br />
She argued with God briefly, but finally slid it into her satchel. “This<br />
will be a wasted read,” she told herself as she left for school.<br />
When she opened the door to the classroom, all six of the children<br />
were gathered around Mrs. Bailey. The aroma of fresh pineapple filled<br />
the room. “Come in, Ms. Cynthia, we’re studying about pineapples<br />
today, and we’re about to sample a piece.”<br />
Cynthia’s heart rejoiced, and it wasn’t about the aroma of pineapple.<br />
It was the flood of assurance that God was working. His voice is always<br />
right, and today she learned, right along with Toby. God holds the keys<br />
to all of our challenges. n<br />
66 • <strong>Spring</strong> <strong>2015</strong>
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