Saturday Dec. 13,
2014
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Daily Corinthian Vol. 118, No. 291
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• Corinth, Mississippi • 18 pages • 1 section
Rebuilding the wall
Church shares hope with meal BY STEVE BEAVERS sbeavers@dailycorinthian.com
ance. In addition to the repairs, the workers are also replacing the caps on the columns between each wall segment, and the entrance gates are also being spruced up. The contractor hopes to see the work completed by late January or early February, but it depends on how rough the winter weather is. “We can only place mortar and concrete when the temperature is about 40 degrees,” said Bailey. “These cool nights aren’t helping us much.” Ward 4 Alderman J.C. Hill said the project is a real boost
A local church will be dishing out more than a meal later today. Oakland Baptist Church volunteers intend to show the love of Jesus during its annual Taste of Hope. Since starting in 2012, over 1,700 meals have been distributed by the church to those who are needy in the community. This year, the church has meals planned for 1,000 to 1,200 people. Church volunteers will begin delivering meals at 11 a.m. Pickup will be available from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. No dine-in meals are available this year. The meal will consist of lasagna, green beans, corn, roll and dessert. “We have a little cushion of extra meals if someone was overlooked,” said volunteer Michal Ann Spencer. OBC members decided to show people how much they cared instead of telling them by starting a trio of events in 2012. Garden of Hope kicked off things in May with Closet of Hope beginning a month later. Taste of Hope came about in Nov. three years ago. “It’s not a huge sacrifice,” added Spencer. “Taste of Hope is just four hours in one day to show people someone cares.” A desire to help hurting people caused Spencer and Chris Botting to come together. Their mission soon turned into Taste of Hope. “We didn’t know how it
Please see WALL | 2
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Basket fund goes to $3,650 The spirit of giving this Christmas season is alive and well in the Alcorn County area. Donations continue to arrive for the 19th Annual Corinth Rotary Club / Daily Corinthian Christmas Basket Fund. A $25,000 fund raising goal was set so 1,000 food baskets could be given to local families on Saturday, Dec. 6. Baskets were given away based upon faith the goal will be reached. So far, $3,650 has been raised. Recent donations include $50 anonymous gift in honor of the B.A.G.G.E.R.S. Group; $100 from Shelia Dotson in memory of Dr. Gent Dotson; and $25 from Jimmy H. Morris. Contributions to the Christmas Basket Fund can be made “in honor of” or “in memory of” a special person or persons. The tribute will be published in the Daily Corinthian. Donations can be brought by the newspaper office 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday or mailed to: Daily Corinthian, Attn.: Christmas Basket Fund, P.O. Box 1800, Corinth, MS 38835.
Staff photo by Jebb Johnston
Workers rebuild a section of the Corinth National Cemetery Wall Thursday afternoon near the intersection of Meigg Street and Horton Street.
Repairs underway at national cemetery here as best you can,” said Malcolm Bailey with Decatur Construction. “It’s pretty difficult to match the mortar with the identical color as well as the brick. This wall has had a couple of layers added to it over the years.” Pointing to the wall, he indicates the slight differences in some of the brick from other work in years past. Also stacked along the perimeter are piles of wall caps waiting to be placed atop the brick. With an angled top, these will no longer provide a flat surface that children can use to walk around the wall of the cemetery. Bailey said this style of cap will return the wall to its original appear-
BY JEBB JOHNSTON jjohnston@dailycorinthian.com
It’s a rare sight at Corinth National Cemetery: a whole section of wall torn out with stacks of new bricks lined up waiting to fill the gap. That has been the scene at several spots on the grounds during the past few weeks as an extensive perimeter wall remediation project that began during the summer continues. The entire length of the wall is getting some work, while about eight segments are getting total replacement, including one section where a car crashed into it. “The biggest thing in dealing with historical restorations is trying to match what’s
Winter City administration has many responsibilities Wonderland brings joy BY DAVID HUWE
For the Daily Corinthian
BY KIMBERLY SHELTON kshelton@dailycorinthian.com
Complete with a sweet shop, reindeer barn and other structures, the Crossroads arena will be transformed into a “Winter Wonderland”, as families gather today in celebration of an annual tradition. Held from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., guests will be transported to the North Pole as they walk among the glimmering trees and sparkling lights. “The kids love it,” said Executive Director Tracy Moore of the Magnolia Foundation. “The entire event is geared around them.” A collaborative effort by Magnolia Regional Health Center and the Magnolia Foundation, Winter Wonderland is organized and set up by 70 to 80 hospital employees and other volunteers. “It takes a week to get everything assembled,” said Moore. “We’ve been doing this for about 10 years as a thank you to the community for their support.” “It’s just our way of delivering a little Christmas cheer,” she Please see WONDERLAND | 2
(Editor’s Note: This is the final part of a six-part series about the progress which has been made by the City of Corinth over the past four years.) The administration of the business of the City of Corinth is delegated to a city council, consisting of a board of mayor and aldermen. The city council is tasked with the legislative and contracting powers of the city, and may make all ordinances consistent with the constitution and general laws of the State of Mississippi “…which said council may deem necessary for the good order, health, comfort and safety of its inhabitants ...” The mayor, in addition to his duties as the presiding official of the board of mayor and aldermen, also serves as the city chief official, responsible for day to day activities of the subordinate officials and city employees. The board of mayor and aldermen consists of the following elected individuals: — Tommy Irwin, Mayor — Mike Hopkins, Alderman At-Large — Andrew “Bubba” Labas, Alderman – Ward 1 — Ben Albarracin, Alderman
– Ward 2 — Adrian (“Chip”) Wood, Alderman – Ward 3 — J.C. Hill, Alderman – Ward 4 — Michael McFall, Alderman – Ward 5 and Mayor ProTem Additionally, the board of mayor and aldermen appoint individuals to carry out the many necessary day to day tasks. Some of these people serve the city full-time in paid positions ranging from equipment operators, mechanics, police officers, firefighters, clerks and accountants to supervisors and department heads. However, many of the positions of responsibility and governance are held by unpaid volunteers who are appointed by the city council. These board members serve varying lengths of service and typically meet once each month to set policies, approve contracts and payments, and provide direction for their respective organizations as determined by the charter of each organization. Some of the facilities run by these organizations are jointly owned by the City of Corinth and Alcorn County and in such case appointments are made by both governing bodies. Following is a list of these commissions and current
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board appointees.
Corinth Utilities Commission (Gas and Water Dept.)
In 1953, the City of Corinth purchased the water utility system supplying water to the citizens of Corinth and established the Corinth Utilities Commission to oversee its operation, maintenance and growth. Shortly thereafter, the Utility Commission added natural gas as one of its services and started what we today know as the Corinth Gas & Water Department. The Gas & Water Department operates under the jurisdiction of both the Public Service Commission and the Mississippi Department of Health. Each provider of public utilities has a certificated area within which it is allowed to operate. Consequently, the city cannot expand its area of operation without the expressed consent of the neighboring utility. For example, Corinth’s water system is surrounded by the Farmington Water Association, Alcorn County Water Association and the Kossuth Water Association. Corinth cannot expand into any of these areas to sell water without the expressed consent of
the water association, or the purchase of a certificated area that is agreeable to both parties and the Public Utilities Commission. In the late 1970s, one of the city’s observation wells indicated that Corinth’s groundwater supply was diminishing and was at risk of being incapable of meeting the city’s water needs for its citizens and industrial customers. Studies commissioned by the Gas & Water Department over 20 years ago led to efforts to ultimately switch the city to surface water drawn from the Tennessee-Tombigbee Waterway. Vital to this effort was the permit that was finally received from the Tennessee Valley Authority to withdraw up to 16.4 million gallons per day from the waterway. This long-term effort by many local officials and leaders of the Corinth Utilities Commission culminated in the commissioning of the Clifford G. Worsham Surface Water Treatment Facility just east of Corinth on U.S. Hwy 72. The project cost was approximately $49.1 million, the bulk of which was obtained through the low-interest Drinking Water System Improvements Re-
On this day in history 150 years ago
Weather........ 9 Obituaries........ 6 Opinion........ 4 Sports...... 12
Gen. Sherman reaches the sea. The fall of Fort McAllister on the Ogeechee River opened a communication and supply link with the Union blockading fleet. In Nashville, Thomas is held up by another storm. Grant orders Gen. John Logan to the city.
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