THE VICKSBURG POST
TOPIC SATURDAY, j anuary 8, 2011 • SE C T I O N D COMICS D0 | KIDS PAGE D0 Karen Gamble, managing editor | E-mail: newsreleases@vicksburgpost.com | Tel: 601.636.4545 ext 137
MUSIC
‘A young, fresh face’
Actor, comedian and musician Steve Martin
Martin picks, grins again on 2nd album By Sandy Cohen AP entertainment writer LOS ANGELES — Steve Martin is back behind the banjo. The 65-year-old actor, author and recent Oscar host will release his second bluegrass album in March. Martin spent months on the road performing with the Steep Canyon Rangers, and the bluegrass quintet backs him on “Rare Bird Alert,” which includes 13 new songs he wrote. The album also features some impressive guest stars: The Dixie Chicks and Sir Paul McCartney. “It’s very hard to believe,” Martin said of having the former Beatle perform on his album. “I was a kid when I first heard Paul McCartney, and if you told me one day that he’d be singing one of my tunes, I’m still flabbergasted.” McCartney gives voice to a track called “Best Love,” which Martin describes as “a love song, but it has a little humor in it.” The Dixie Chicks perform a “very emotional, heartbreaking song called ‘You,”’ Martin said, adding that they agreed to sing the tune before they’d even heard it. “I was kind of disappointed because I really wanted them to hear the song first and like it,” he said. “But they did like it, and they did a great job.” Martin wrote the album while touring with the Steep Canyon Rangers last year. He also penned a pair of tunes on the set of his forthcoming film, “The Big Year,” where he was inspired by the Canadian landscape. The film, which stars Jack Black and Owen Wilson, also inspired the album’s title. “The movie is about bird-watching,” Martin explained. He first displayed his banjo skills on “Foggy Mountain Breakdown” with Earl Scruggs. Martin’s first album of original music, “The Crow: New Songs for the FiveString Banjo,” won the Grammy for best bluegrass album in 2009. “Rare Bird Alert” will be out March 15. Martin and his band will tour beginning in May. Martin said he loves the camaraderie of making music. “You’re always with somebody, whether you’re on stage or in a recording studio, and my whole comedy career was solo,” he said.
David Jackson•The Vicksburg Post
Charlotte Seals, president of the National Association of Junior Auxiliaries, speaks during a Vicksburg chapter meeting Thursday night.
National JA leader makes stop in hometown By Ben Mackin bmackin@vicksburgpost.com What started as a way to help others grew into a leadership position, the president of the National Association of Junior Auxiliaries told members of the Vicksburg chapter during a visit to her hometown. “I joined JA because I wanted to help make a difference,” Vicksburg native Charlotte Seals told the group Thursday night.
“Obviously, I am in a profession that deals with the community, but I wanted to see another side.” Seals, who is assistant superintendent of Madison County Schools, attended grade school at St. Francis, then went to Vicksburg High School, where her father, Kermit Harness, was a band director and later a principal, and her mother, Daisy, taught biology. After graduating high school in the early 1980s, Seals went to Millsaps
College where she graduated with a degree in biology and education. She then worked her way through the Madison County school system as a high school and middle school teacher and elementary school principal before becoming assistant superintendent. At the same time she was molding young minds, she decided she could do more. So in 2000 she joined JA, a nonprofit organization founded in 1941 that encour-
ages members to perform community service with an emphasis on children. “Some people play golf or tennis,” Seals said. “My hobbies are reading, which I don’t get to do much of, and volunteer work. It is my outlet from my work.” Another draw is that she gets to interact with other women. “By nature, I’m a person who likes to be collaborative in my volunteer work,” Seals said. “I saw JA as a great
group of ladies who were enthusiastic about what they were doing, and they were making a difference in their community.” After Seals had been an active member of the Madison-Ridgeland JA chapter, she was encouraged by other members to seek a national office. She decided to serve on a national committee. When selected for national leadership, each officer does See JA, Page D3.
Caring for the Earth is trend that’s growing with the times Suzi McCoy analyzes surveys, interviews experts and looks into all sorts of data related to the gardening public. She founded the Garden Media Group, a marketing and public relations firm, and every year they predict the top upcoming gardening trends. The top trend for 2011 is gardening with a purpose. According to the Association of Professional Landscape Designers, an increasing number of homeowners want to grow more of their own food. This includes vegetables, herbs and fruit in vegetable gardens and in plots interspersed with ornamental flowers and shrubs. It is not necessarily related to food production, rather an awareness and desire to be better conservationists who can create greener and more pro-
IN THE GARDEN MIRIAM
JABOUR
ductive living spaces. Another trend identified by McCoy’s group is called eco-scaping. Nine out of 10 households surveyed by the National Gardening Association say they want to manage their lawns and gardens in a more environmentally friendly way. This means using eco-friendly products instead of toxic chemicals; all-natural repellants for pest control; and organic, compostbased soils in flower beds and containers. A move is afoot to reduce large tracks of turf in public places and to transform home lawns into
sustainable landscapes with more native plants, ornamental grasses, perennials and drought-tolerant plants that attract bees, butterflies and birds. Sustainable containers are a big trend for small garden spaces, particularly for gardeners who live in apartments or have tiny backyards. Seed catalogs are offering more options for containersuitable vegetables and ornamentals. Some are winterhardy hybrids that can extend the growing season. Herbs can be interspersed with anything from vegetables to ornamental grasses in a container. Sustainable containers can both beautify spaces and benefit the environment. Succulents continue to be popular. Whether planted in containers or permanent flower beds, there are so many from which to choose.
These low water consumers are attractive and require a minimum of maintenance. Many have showy flowers and interesting thick, fleshy foliage that can be mixed with grasses and perennials. Orchids, ferns and palms lead the indoor gardening trend. Orchids are the favorite of the day. They are chic, affordable, easy to grow and add an exotic touch to any room. These and other houseplants also help to clean indoor air and provide oxygen. Vertical-growing plants have been a trend for several years. Climbing vines, flowers, veggies and roses can be grown in the smallest spaces or containers, as long as there is a trellis or pole. A new kind of urban lifestyle is emerging as communities create more green spaces and areas where
people can socialize and enjoy the outdoors. There are more farmers markets and CSA’s or Community Supported Agriculture Associations and urban farms. Community gardening is up 60 percent over the previous year. Consumers are more aware of water as a valuable resource and are interested in composting, mulching, waterwise planting, using less turf and rainwater collection. The development of more walkable, greener urban streets and gardens with a diversity of shops, homes and apartments are designed to encourage neighbors to be better stewards of the earth. •
Miriam Jabour, a Master Gardener and Master Flower Show judge, has been active in the Openwood Plantation Garden Club for over 35 years. Write to her at 1114 Windy Lake Drive, Vicksburg, MS 39183.