Images Tupelo, MS: 2008-09

2008-09 | IMAGESTUPELO.COM | VIDEO VIGNETTES TM

OF TUPELO, MISSISSIPPI

The Wheels Are Turning Toyota suppliers make the move to Mississippi

EXCITEMENT IN STORE Regional mall attracts shoppers from three states

SEEING DOUBLE Impersonators pay tribute to Elvi Elvis

SPONSORED BY THE COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT FOUNDATION

2008-09 EDITION | VOLUME 7 TM TM

OF TUPELO, TUPELO MISSISSIPPI

CO NTE NT S F E AT U R E S 14 LIGHTING UP LIVES Day-Brite Capri Omega has been illuminating our world since 1923.

30 TRY THE EGGPLANT NAPOLEON Downtown Tupelo’s many restaurants will tempt your taste buds.

18 THE WHEELS ARE TURNING Several Toyota suppliers are making the move to Mississippi.

22 EXCITEMENT IN STORE The Mall at Barnes Crossing is expanding its presence in Tupelo.

34 TENDER CARE FOR TINY PATIENTS North Mississippi Medical Center’s Women’s Hospital expands its Neonatal Intensive Care Unit.

38 A VISION FOR SUCCESS 26 HONORING THE KING The church where Elvis Presley grew up is now a part of the Elvis Presley Birthplace.

Hawkeye Industries is one of the state’s most successful small businesses.

29 SEEING DOUBLE Elvis sightings increase dramatically during the annual Ultimate Elvis Tribute Artist Contest.

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ON THE COVER Photo by Jeff Adkins The Community Development Foundation building

I M AG E S T U P E L O . C O M

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OF TUPELO, TUPELO MISSISSIPPI

61 D E PA R TM E NT S

TUPELO BUSINESS 10 Almanac: a colorful sampling of Tupelo culture

42 Portfolio: people, places and events that define Tupelo

48 Photo Essay 83 Arts & Culture 85 Sports & Recreation 90 Health & Wellness 91 Education 93 Community Profile: facts, stats and important numbers to know

56 Truckin’ Right Along Truck Center Inc. has a track record of nearly 50 years of service.

60 A Bridge to Hope North Mississippi Hematology & Oncology Associates offer quality medical care for patients.

64 The Heart of Health Care Cardiology Associates of North Mississippi doesn’t miss a beat.

68 Biz Briefs 72 Chamber Report 75 Economic Profile

This magazine is printed entirely or in part on recycled paper containing 10% post-consumer waste.

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Almanac

Well, Well, Well Things are going swimmingly for the senior citizens who enjoy the water aerobic classes at the NMMC Wellness Center.

But besides those classes, the North Mississippi Medical Center features exercise equipment and classes, a day spa, nutrition courses, saunas and a just-for-kids program.

The center prides itself on developing lifestyle plans for individual members, with both temporary and yearly memberships.

The facility is considered the most comprehensive health and fitness complex in Lee County.

Figgie Pudding If you need a special dessert, keep IV’s Restaurant in mind.

The Tupelo dining spot offers 28 bread pudding flavors that are available by the pan. A small pan serves 15 to 20 people and sells for $20, and the large pan serves 30 to 40 people and sells for $40.

Some of the bread pudding flavors at IV’s include apple cinnamon, banana almond, blueberry white chocolate, honey walnut, fig, peach, peanut butter and jelly, pear, raisin and very berry.

The Long & Winding Road Ahh, no traffic lights or commercial vehicles.

The Natchez Trace Parkway is a 444-mile road that stretches from Natchez, Miss., to Nashville, Tenn.

The only visitors center on the long and winding road is in Tupelo at milepost 266. The visitors center is open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily.

The Natchez Trace Parkway sees more than 14 million travelers each year and was designated an All-American Road in 1995. The parkway features nearly 800 species of plants, 200 species of birds and 60 types of mammals.

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SEE MORE ONLINE | For more information, visit imagestupelo.com and search “Natchez Trace Parkway.”

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Coffee and Quiche Hot spots for gourmet coffee are abundant in downtown Tupelo.

One such place is Joe Joeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Espresso on East Main Street. Besides caffeine concoctions, the shop also serves breakfast items, soup and sandwiches and is open Monday through Saturday until 7 p.m.

Another popular destination for customers is CafĂŠ 212 & Coffee 212 on West Main Street. Breakfast items include Danish pastries, bagels and yogurt, and lunch features salads, sandwiches and quiche.

Suppertime in the South

Fast Facts

Dinner is solved whenever the Taste of Tupelo arrives in town.

The Community Development Foundation sponsors the Taste on a night in January as part of its annual Business-to-Business Connection Expo. CDF hosts the two-day expo for all its members, and the Taste of Tupelo on the first night is a fun way to begin the overall event.

A total of 2,300 people attended the second-annual Taste of Tupelo in January 2008, and 23 area restaurants participated by offering up special dishes. The Taste of Tupelo and the Business-to-Business Connection Expo take place at BancorpSouth Arena.

Q Approximately 80,000 people tour the Elvis Presley Birthplace attraction each year.

Q The Gum Tree Museum of Art is housed in a Beaux Arts-style building that is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Q The 1864 Battle of Tupelo was among the bloodiest Civil War battles in Mississippi.

Q Fishing is abundant in the Tupelo area, with popular spots such as Pickwick Lake, Enid Lake, Grenada Lake and Sardis Lake.

Q Toyota is building a $1.3 billion facility in Blue Springs that will manufacture its popular Prius Hybrid.

SEE MORE ONLINE | For more Fast Facts about Tupelo, visit imagestupelo.com.

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Almanac

Winnie, Tigger and Roo Oh, go ahead and bother with Winnie the Pooh.

BancorpSouth Arena will host a Disney Live!

Winnie the Pooh concert Sept. 26, 2008, with tickets priced from $14 to $45.

The BancorpSouth facility also has five meeting rooms that can accommodate almost any event. One of the rooms can seat 1,900 people for banquets.

The arena also hosts everything from basketball to rodeos and includes a full-size professional ice-hockey rink. The arena seats 10,000 for concerts and 8,000 for sporting events.

Howdy, Dudie When was the last time you ate a Dudie burger?

There is actually only one weekend each year when the public can have a Dudie Dough Burger, and that’s during the Dudie Burger Festival in May (where some 1,400 burgers are sold). The famous burgers are a mix of meat, flour and water and were first made during World War II, when many items were being rationed.

In 1947, resident Truman “Dudie” Christian converted an old Memphis streetcar into his Dudies Diner joint at the corner of South Gloster and Carnation streets. The retired streetcar is now parked at the Oren Dunn City Museum, which sponsors the annual Dudie Burger Festival.

Tupelo At A Glance

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NA TC H

FOR MORE INFORMATION Community Development Foundation 300 W. Main St. Tupelo, MS 38802 Phone: (662) 842-4521 Fax: (662) 841-0693 www.cdfms.org

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BEGINNINGS Tupelo was incorporated as a city in 1870, and its development was closely tied to the boom of the railroad industry.

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LOCATION Tupelo is in northeast Mississippi, 90 miles from Memphis, Tenn., and 165 miles from Jackson, Miss.

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POPULATION (2006 ESTIMATE) Tupelo: 35,930 Lee County: 80,349

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SEE VIDEO ONLINE | Take a virtual tour of Tupelo at imagestupelo.com, courtesy of our awardwinning photographers.

I M AG E S T U P E L O . C O M

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Lighting

Up Lives

DAY-BRITE CAPRI OMEGA BRIGHTENS THE WORLD AROUND US

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STORY BY SHARON H. FITZGERALD PHOTOGRAPHY BY JEFF ADKINS

O

ne of the many things we take for granted each day is light. Not the daylight that starts our mornings, but the light that illuminates our offices, our homes and our nights.

Day-Brite Capri Omega knows all about lights. The Tupelo-based company has been making lighting fixtures since 1923.

Founded in St. Louis as the Day-Brite Reflector Co., the business was one of the first companies to embrace the fluorescent lamp, which was new technology at the time.

“Actually, the city leaders of Tupelo recruited companies like Day-Brite because farming jobs were on the decline,” explains Terry Spencer, director

of marketing for Day-Brite. “The fathers of Tupelo at the time [1947] saw that for Tupelo to grow and thrive, they needed to broaden its economic base.”

It was, so to speak, a bright idea.

Today, the company employs about 700 people – 500 production workers and 200 salaried professionals – at its Tupelo headquarters location, according to Scott Williamson, human resources manager at Day-Brite.

The company’s three-word moniker, Day-Brite Capri Omega, combines its three brand names, which are jointly marketed.

Day-Brite products include fluorescent and HID (high-intensity discharge) fixtures for exterior flood lighting and illumination of huge industrial spaces.

The ubiquitous red-and-white or green-and-white EXIT lights also are Day-Brite products. Capri and Omega specialize in recessed downlighting, which are the circular fixtures in ceilings.

Omega also offers a line of decorative wall sconces and pendants that drop down from the ceiling, and the Capri product line includes track lighting.

“We primarily provide lighting products for commercial and industrial environments; to a lesser degree, residential,” Spencer explains. “About 50 percent of what we do is fluorescent, recessed products, while 26 percent falls into what we call the downlighting, recessed-can market.”

While 85 to 90 percent of DCO’s

A colorful display demonstrates how the human eye sees light at Tupelo’s Day-Brite Capri Omega Lighting Institute.

Left: An interactive model demonstrates how light is distributed by different materials with different finishes.

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customers are in the United States, Spencer says the company’s international clientele is a growing market.

That’s particularly true since Royal Philips Electronics purchased The Genlyte Group – DCO’s parent company – in January 2008.

“Phillips is the global leader in lighting, and they have tons of new lamp and ballast technology, particularly in the LED environment,” Spencer says. “We do not make lamps; we make light fixtures. The best way to get that new technology to the marketplace is through new installation. We take their lamp technology and develop lighting products around it.”

DCO’s ingenuity is on display at the company’s new Lighting Institute, a 5,000-square-foot educational facility that opened in May 2007 within the Tupelo plant.

“Lighting education has always been a key for us,” Spencer says. “We’ve never really had a state-of-the-art facility that allowed us to teach good lighting principles both to our customers and end users. Now we do.”

Architects, engineers and other pro-

fessionals who attend institute sessions receive continuing education units.

Classes cover energy-efficient design, sustainability and aesthetics, and subjects such as lighting for retail spaces, offices, educational facilities and industrial spaces.

The $2 million DCO Lighting Institute features two classrooms. In the mock-up room, the ceiling can be raised and lowered to simulate the look of an actual installation. In the technology classroom, DCO products are showcased side-by-side for comparison.

“We can show how different lights perform differently and can achieve different results, depending on what type of environment you live in or your business is in,” Spencer explains.

The institute itself is a model of energy efficiency and is certified as a LEED facility. Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design certification is awarded by the U.S. Green Building Council and recognizes buildings designed to conserve energy and water, lower operating costs and reduce landfill waste and greenhouse gas emissions.

Now that’s enlightened.

Some of the color booths and demonstration office spaces (left and bottom right) at the Day-Brite Capri Omega Lighting Institute compare different lighting sources. Bottom left: Terry Spencer, director of marketing for Day-Brite Capri Omega, says lighting education is key for the company.

Bottom center: Brandi Sears, director of specification marketing, stands in a display designed to show how light affects different types of surfaces.

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The

WHEELS Are

Turning SEVERAL TOYOTA SUPPLIERS ARE MAKING THE MOVE TO MISSISSIPPI

STORY BY SHARON H. FITZGERALD

Y

ou gotta love it when a plan comes together. In Tupelo, the plan was first to lure a major automotive manufacturer to the area and then to attract a legion of its suppliers. That strategy is working like a charm.

The proof came in July 2007, when Toyota Auto Body Co. announced its intention to build a $200 million manufacturing facility in Lee County and create about 400 jobs.

The company will operate in the state as Auto Parts Manufacturing Mississippi Inc., supplying parts for Toyota Motor Manufacturing Mississippi, the eighth North American assembly plant for the Japanese auto giant.

Under construction in nearby Blue Springs, the $1.3 billion facility will employ about 2,000 workers and will begin rolling out Toyotaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s

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The Toyota Prius, which will be built in Blue Springs, is the worldâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s first hybrid model combining a gas engine and electric motor.

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Sake, rice and salt were some of the items on hand for the prayer during the “first column standing” ceremony.

PHOTO BY JEFF ADKINS

SEE MORE ONLINE | For more information, visit the archives and search for “Toyota.”

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The Numbers APMM CHOOSES TUPELO

136 Number of acres at Baldwyn site

500,000 Number of square feet at the new plant

400 Number of jobs at APMM

$200 million Price tag on APMM facility

popular Prius vehicle in 2010.

“That’s one reason everybody works so hard to recruit an auto assembly plant, because of the benefit of all the ancillary suppliers that locate with it,” says David Rumbarger, president and CEO of the Tupelo-based Community Development Foundation, a nonprofit member organization that was instrumental in attracting Toyota to the state. “We’re just delighted that this plant is drawing so much attention from its supplier community and hope that it continues for many years to come.”

APMM chose a 136-acre site in Baldwyn, about 25 minutes from Blue Springs, for its new 500,000-square-foot facility, where the Prius front and rear bumpers, instrument panels, and body component parts will be manufactured.

The Mississippi operation represents the first U.S. location for the company, which is 56 percent owned by Toyota Motor Corp. It also represents

the company’s first collaboration on the Prius model in North America, although it has been the assembler of Toyota Prius, minivans and SUVs. APMM broke ground Dec. 10, 2007, in Baldwyn’s Harry A. Martin North Lee Industrial Complex, and the company has options on another 200 acres. The location will serve as Toyota Auto Body’s North American headquarters.

Yasuhiko Isohata, project general manager of Toyota Auto Body’s global production planning division, says the company decided to build in Mississippi for cost and time efficiency.

“Another reason is that the state of Mississippi offered incentives, and the CDF provided strong support that is a great help for us,” Isohata says.

The general manager also praises the Tupelo area’s transportation logistics, particularly its easy-to-access highway system. The APMM site is just a stone’s throw from four-lane U.S. Highway 45.

Akitsugo Ishiguro, right, president of Auto Parts Manufacturing Mississippi Inc., attends a “first column standing” ceremony to celebrate the start of the plant’s construction. The auto supplier will provide parts for the Prius assembly plant. A crane raises a large steel column during the “first column standing” ceremony for the APMM plant.

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The new APMM plant will be environmentally friendly, a model of energy efficiency, Isohata says. The company is working during construction to retain as much of the natural vegetation as possible and plans to plant trees throughout the site.

“We will introduce the most advanced injection machines with the highest energy efficiency,” Isohata says.

The company also plans to employ noise-reduction technology and sophisticated recycling policies.

The economic effects of Toyota’s decision to build its massive Blue Springs facility already are radiating across North Mississippi.

In August 2007, Toyota Boshoku American, another supplier, announced its intention to build an $80 million plant near the Dorsey community in Itawamba County. The 500 workers there will produce Prius seats, door panels and carpet.

Auto Parts Manufacturing Mississippi Inc., will supply front and rear bumpers, instrument panels and body component parts for the Toyota Prius, above, which will be manufactured in nearby Blue Springs starting in 2010.

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EXCITEMENT

STORE

IN

MALL AT BARNES CROSSING EXPANDS TO ACCOMMODATE AREA SHOPPERS

STORY BY KEVIN LITWIN PHOTOGRAPHY BY JEFF ADKINS

S

hoppers (and readers) take note: Barnes & Noble is opening at The Mall at Barnes Crossing.

The retail book giant will unveil its newest store in Tupelo in September 2008, featuring a café that serves Starbucks coffee and Cheesecake Factory desserts.

Another new store drawing customers is Dick’s Sporting Goods, which opened in May. Dick’s, Belk, J.C. Penney, Sears and Barnes & Noble will anchor the popular shopping destination, located at the intersection of U.S. Hwy. 78/Interstate 22 and U.S. Hwy. 45.

“We are the No. 2 mall in sales volume in all of Mississippi, with 12 million visitors shopping here each year,” says Jeff Snyder, general manager of The Mall at Barnes Crossing. “We are regarded as a super-regional mall because we draw people from a 75-mile radius.”

Snyder says the shopping complex is popular with consumers from northwest Alabama, Hardin and McNairy counties in southern Tennessee and cities

The Mall at Barnes Crossing has recently been renovated, adding stores such as Barnes & Noble and Dick’s Sporting Goods to its already strong lineup of retail shops. Left: The mall’s colorful carousel is a popular attraction for children.

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Dickâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Sporting Goods is one of the mallâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s newest stores. Right and top left: Colorful bead necklaces and decorative stars attract customers to Earthbound Trading Co. Top right: The mall draws customers from around the region.

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north of U.S. Hwy. 82 in northeastern Mississippi.

Birmingham or Jackson, Miss., to do their shopping at big“We bring a lot of people into Tupelo and Lee County to name, nationally known stores, so these days we keep spend money,” he says. improving our merchant mix so that customers will continue And to stay modern, the 900,000-square-foot shopping to shop with us,” says Cindy Childs, The Mall at Barnes complex has been undergoing a $13 milCrossing marketing director. “Our lion renovation since the fall of 2007. goal is to keep upgrading and “We have redone our nine-restaudiversifying our list of retailers so rant food court with upgrades such as that customers can count on us for a all-new seats, a fresh paint color scheme, good shopping experience whenever along with some fancy signage,” they visit.”

Snyder says. “In addition, our center Besides its five anchors, The Mall court area now features a large play at Barnes Crossing has stores such as area for kids. Another improvement Abercrombie & Fitch, American Eagle, that nobody will actually notice is a Bath & Body Works, Foot Locker, $2 million upgrade to our entire Gap, Radio Shack and Victoria’s heating and air conditioning system.”

Secret. It also houses restaurants The mall originally opened in such as Back Yard Burgers, ChickCINDY CHILDS 1990, at a time when Tupelo truly fil-A and Ruby Tuesday, and boasts a MARKETING DIRECTOR needed a large shopping center. Its Cinemark Movies 8.

THE MALL AT BARNES CROSSING lack of a retail venue back then was “We have a fine store lineup in a costing the city and Lee safe environment where people can County $50 million a year because customers feel at ease whenever they shop,” Childs says. “An enjoyable were doing their shopping in other markets. experience – that’s what shopping at The Mall at Barnes “Tupelo residents were traveling to Memphis, Crossing is all about.”

“We have a fine store lineup in a safe environment where people can feel at ease whenever they shop.”

Shoppers will find lots to buy at The Mall at Barnes Crossing. The mall has recently undergone a $13 million renovation.

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Honoring

Ki

the

SEE MORE ONLINE | There’s a whole lot of shakin’ going on at the Elvis Presley Birthplace. For more, check out our exclusive video at imagestupelo.com.

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CHURCH RESTORATION ADDS NEW DIMENSION TO ELVIS PRESLEY BIRTHPLACE EXPERIENCE

STORY BY JESSICA MOZO PHOTOGRAPHY BY JEFF ADKINS

A

sk anyone in Tupelo, and they’ll tell you the most fascinating site in the city is the Elvis Presley Birthplace.

“It’s our most famous attraction – people come from all over the world to see where Elvis came from,” says Linda Elliff, director of sales for the Tupelo Convention & Visitors Bureau. “It’s a one-of-a-kind place, and we’re very proud of it. The Elvis Presley Birthplace, museum, park and all the sites from his life in Tupelo mean a lot to the tourism industry here.”

More than 80,000 Presley fans trek to Tupelo each year to walk through the modest, two-room house where the King of Rock ’n’ Roll was born on Jan. 8, 1935, and to visit the adjacent museum, gift shop, park and chapel. In August 2008, Presley’s home church will become part of the attraction.

“We have purchased the church Elvis attended in the late 1930s and early 1940s, and we moved it to our property in January,” says Dick Guyton, executive director of the Elvis Presley Memorial Foundation.

Previously located on Berry Street in East Tupelo, the First Assembly of God Church played an integral role in Presley’s early life. It was where he sang regularly and learned to play chords on the guitar.

“From stories we have heard and interviews with his fellow church members, we know the church had quite an impact on his life and vastly influenced his musical career,” Guyton says.

The church, which has been a private home for the past 42 years, is being stripped down to reveal original fixtures from Presley’s time and restored to its 1930s condition.

“While it was still a church, the building had partially burned, and that part had never been repaired when it was made into a dwelling place,” Guyton says. “We had to demolish the inside to restore it. There’s about 50 percent of the original flooring left, a third of the inside paneling and about 50 percent of the outside walls.”

The restoration is being done at an estimated cost of $750,000 and is being funded by ticket sales, gift shop purchases and a donation from the E. Rhodes and Leona B. Carpenter Foundation.

The project was completed in time for the annual Elvis Elvis impersonator Bill J. Brooks of Mantachie, Miss., poses for a portrait in front of a sign welcoming visitors to Tupelo. Brooks has been an impersonator since 1978.

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The Fountain of Life traces Elvis Presleyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s life. Above left: A car similar to the 1939 green Plymouth that Presley owned is on display at the attraction. Above right: Visitors can see the two-room house where Elvis was born.

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Presley Birthplace Fan Appreciation Day on Aug. 9, 2008, when visitors were able to walk out of the memorial chapel, where Presley’s gospel music is played, directly into the church, where he learned to sing gospel music.

“It was a great experience for the fans,” Guyton says. “We had multimedia presentations going in the church that showed how the congregation worshipped in the 1930s.”

The church restoration is one of several enhancements made to the Elvis Presley Birthplace in recent years. In 2002, a statue of 13-year-old Presley clutching a guitar was unveiled and dedicated to his fans worldwide. And in 2006, the Elvis Presley Museum was completely renovated to include a new exhibit containing Tupelo artifacts, large photomurals and graphics, and two audiovisual presentations that bring Presley’s childhood in Tupelo to life.

“The museum renovation they did completes the story because it shows people what it was like for Elvis growing up here,” Elliff says. “The church restoration will be an added bonus for visitors to see what it was like to go to church in a rural town in the ’30s and ’40s. It gives an inside look at how Elvis was influenced musically.”

The First Assembly of God Church building has been restored and is now a part of the Elvis Presley Birthplace.

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Brandon Bennett of Louisiana represented Tupelo at the Ultimate Elvis Tribute Artist Contest in Memphis and was one of the top 10 finalists in the competition.

Seeing Double

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f you happened to be in downtown Tupelo in June 2007 and thought you saw Elvis, it wasn’t your imagination. In fact, you probably saw dozens of Elvis impersonators.

That’s because the first-ever Ultimate Elvis Tribute Artist Contest was held during the 10th-annual Tupelo Elvis Festival in 2007, with 35 contestants decked out as the King of Rock ’n’ Roll.

“The first year was really great,” says Debbie Brangenberg, festival director for the Tupelo Elvis Festival. “Attendance for the weekend was 9,200. We had contestants from 15 states and five foreign countries.”

Contestants were judged on vocals, appearance, performance, stage presence and overall tribute to Elvis. The first-place prize package included the opportunity to compete in the Elvis Presley Enterprises-sponsored Ultimate Elvis Tribute Artist Qualifying Rounds in Memphis, a cash prize, lodging for seven nights in Memphis during Elvis Week, a guitar from Tupelo Hardware Co. (where Elvis got his first guitar), a commemorative plaque and a library-size bronze statue of Elvis identical to the life-size statue at the Elvis Presley Birthplace.

Brandon Bennett of Ponchatoula, La., won first place and went on to make the top 10 finalists at the Memphis competition in August 2007.

The second annual Ultimate Elvis Tribute Artist Contest returned to Tupelo in June 2008.

“We feature different things each year,” Brangenberg says. “This year featured the 2007 Tupelo winner and the 2007 Ultimate Tribute Artist Winner from Elvis Presley Enterprises.”

Legendary artists who played with Elvis also appeared at the festival in 2008, including D.J. Fontana, Elvis’ drummer for 14 years; The Stamps Quartet, the gospel group Elvis worked with; and Sweet Inspirations, who sang backup for Elvis.

For information on the 2009 festival, visit www.tupeloelvisfestival.com.

– Jessica Mozo

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SEE MORE ONLINE | To learn more about Tupelo’s dining scene, visit imagestupelo.com and search “food.”

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Eggplant

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DOWNTOWN TUPELO DINING SPOTS WILL SATISFY YOUR HUNGER PANGS

STORY BY KEVIN LITWIN PHOTOGRAPHY BY JEFF ADKINS

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he best-selling dish at Boondocks Grill is the eggplant Napoleon. Executive chef Brock Robbins says the entrée’s Creole flavor has made it a favorite of many customers who visit the popular downtown Tupelo restaurant.

“The dish features pan-fried eggplant and sautéed shrimp with red bell peppers and a spicy cream sauce,” Robbins says.

“We have a lot of Creole cuisine menu items that include a mixture of Cajun spices with the flavors of the Caribbean.

We’re putting together new recipes all the time here at Boondocks. It’s a lot of fun being the chef.”

Another popular dish at the restaurant is the filet of beef Escobar, which is an 8-ounce steak with a chili and cocoa rub served with sweet potatoes and sautéed asparagus.

“If you want some good food that also makes you feel good,” Robbins says, “give us a try.”

Downtown Tupelo is lucky to have a number of excellent restaurants that

The popular eggplant Napoleon at Boondocks Grill combines sauteed shrimp, smoked pork tasso and roasted red bell peppers, which are stacked on pan-fried eggplant and topped with a spicy Cajun cream sauce.

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The spinach, strawberry and goat cheese salad is a good choice at The Bistro on Main. Right: Park Heights Restaurant in downtown Tupelo offers a creative assortment of specialties, including lamb, pork tenderloin and sea bass.

offer a variety of menu choices.

For example, The Bistro on Main features continental and European cuisine in an upscale-casual setting. Besides its many lunch and dinner selections, Bistro offers specialty pastries and Italian-style coffee.

Meanwhile, there are other downtown spots such as Benjamin’s on Main that serves contemporary Cajun cooking, while Stables Bar & Grill offers several kinds of sandwiches and grilled burgers.

Other district eateries include Café 212, Joe Joe’s Espresso and Todd’s Downtown Deli.

Then there is Park Heights Restaurant, which opened in downtown Tupelo in May 2000 but moved to the Fairpark section of the city in 2007.

“We wanted to grow our restaurant a bit, from the 80 people we could seat downtown to the 140 customers we can now accommodate at our new place,” says Blair Hughes, one of the owners of 32

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the family-run Park Heights Restaurant.

“The Fairpark area is a new community being developed in Tupelo, and we thought that our fine-dining, American cuisine restaurant would be a perfect fit for this new development.”

Hughes says a couple of the more popular dishes at Park Heights are the seared sea bass with coconut rice, and the tasty crab cakes.

“Our chef, Greg Huerkamp, has been with us for five years and is simply amazing in the kitchen,” Hughes says.

“He does seasonal changes and weekly special dishes and is just very talented with the menu.”

Hughes says her family also operates Fairpark Grill, Sweet Peppers Deli and a couple of other Tupelo restaurants.

“This city has a wide array of foods to choose from,” she says. “It’s an exciting experience dining out in Tupelo these days.”

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NMMC WOMEN’S HOSPITAL EXPANDS NEONATAL INTENSIVE CARE UNIT

STORY BY JESSICA MOZO PHOTOGRAPHY BY JEFF ADKINS

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elcoming a new baby into the family is a joyful experience, but when complications arise, it can also be extremely worrisome. Nobody knows that better than the doctors and nurses at North Mississippi Medical Center’s Women’s Hospital.

So to help comfort families whose newborns need a little extra care, the hospital is expanding and improving its Neonatal Intensive Care Unit.

“We currently have a 22-bed unit, and those beds are in three large rooms – it’s more ward-style care,” says Ellen Friloux, administrator for Women’s and Children’s Services at NMMC. “So you can imagine it’s not optimal for parent privacy and bonding with their new babies. We’re moving toward semi-private rooms where each family will have their own private space.”

The new facility, slated to open in spring 2009, is being added atop the Women’s Hospital in the form of a whole new second floor. It is designed to accommodate 34 newborns with the flexibility to accommodate 50. The NICU will have space for 18 premature or critically ill newborns, while an Intermediate Care Nursery will hold

NMMC Women’s Hospital is the area’s premier facility for obstetrical, gynecological, neonatal intensive care and routine newborn services for families.

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up to 16 less-fragile babies.

Both the NICU and Intermediate Care Nursery will also have a four-bed ward for babies who need to be in isolation or to accommodate triplets or quadruplets.

Regular rooms will hold two newborns and will feature a nurse’s workstation between the two beds. The workstation will be behind glass walls to give nurses a full view of each patient while ensuring a peaceful environment for the babies.

“The new NICU will occupy the entire second floor, and we will have public education space and classrooms on the first floor,” Friloux says. “It will enhance our philosophy of familycentered care. We will even have a family room where families can do laundry, watch television or have a snack.”

The family area will also offer showers, locker facilities, computers with Internet access and a play area for siblings.

To make sure families feel comfortable caring for their newborns after leaving the hospital, a Discharge Preparation Room will be available for parents needing special instructions before taking their newborns home.

Parents will be able to spend up to three nights in a homelike environment, where they can take care of the baby on their own with staff members nearby if needed.

Dr. Bryan Darling serves as medical director of the NICU and helped plan the expansion.

“Our goal in this expansion is to provide a more familycentered and developmentally appropriate environment for fragile premature and full-term infants in North Mississippi,” Darling says. “This state-of-the-art facility will provide space in each room for parents to spend the night with their babies, and there will be significant improvements in light, sound and temperature control that will enhance developmental outcomes.”

The NICU expansion is just one of the ways NMMC’s Women’s Hospital has made the childbirth experience more enjoyable in recent years.

“Four years ago, we expanded our labor and delivery department,” Friloux says. “It has homelike finishes, like wood flooring, cherry furnishings, nice drapes, a recliner for dad and nice bedspreads, which all make the rooms more inviting.”

The hospital’s postpartum rooms have also gotten a facelift.

“They have nice pictures on the walls, pretty drapes like you’d have in your own home and nicer furnishings,” Friloux says. “It makes a much more comfortable environment for our families with new babies.”

Eleven-year-old Alex Coggins, left, and Kaleb Coggins, 5, anxiously await the arrival of their newborn brother.

Right: North Mississippi Medical Center’s Women’s Hospital offers cozy birthing rooms and many homelike touches.

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STRUGGLING ECONOMY IS NO HURDLE FOR HAWKEYE INDUSTRIES

STORY BY LAURA HILL PHOTOGRAPHY BY JEFF ADKINS

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hen he failed to persuade his employer to invest in top-of-the-line technology in 1995, Bryan Hawkins did what any fledgling entrepreneur might: He quit a good job and invested in the technology himself.

In Hawkins’ case, that decision has paid off handsomely.

His Hawkeye Industries Inc. has enjoyed phenomenal growth in the past 13 years, supplying the commercial HVAC and lighting industries with custom precision metal products, manufactured on the latest high-tech equipment.

“We try to stay with the latest, greatest technology all the time,” says Hawkins, of what sets his company apart from others in the field. “I liken it to buying your first vehicle. If you buy a Mercedes, it sure hurts your pocketbook that first time.

But the vehicle holds its value. Our equipment is the Mercedes of equipment.”

Since opening his business in 1995 with two machines and two employees, Hawkins has expanded to a 59,000-squarefoot manufacturing facility with 28 employees. Based in Tupelo, Hawkeye is known as one of the state’s most successful small businesses, with customers around the world.

“We specialize in smaller lot sizes and production, stuff where technology really shows its wares by reducing setup

A laser cuts the profile of flat sheet-metal parts before they are formed at Hawkeye Industries Inc., a full-service sheet-metal components manufacturer in Tupelo.

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time and allowing us to make very precise parts in small quantities,” Hawkins says. “We don’t specialize in volume.

We’re more ‘gotta-have-it-right-now,’ and ‘we’re building a new prototype.’ ” Hawkins was born in Tupelo and attended the University of Mississippi in Oxford on a full ROTC scholarship. He spent four years on active duty in the Army, piloting attack helicopters, and then returned to his hometown, where he and wife Brenda are raising a family.

Hawkins earned a master’s degree, learned the engineering business and served in sales and management for other companies before his “leap of faith” into his own business.

He has twice been named Mississippi Small Business Person of the Year by the Small Business Administration and has received numerous other kudos over the years. Still, Hawkins says his team at Hawkeye Industries is the secret to the company’s success.

“Success is a one-word definition: relationships,” Hawkins says. “When you have the level of technology we have and support it with people who love to see technology work, it

creates an environment for customers where you are not just a supplier, you’re someone who can make them even better than they are.”

He is also duly proud of Hawkeye’s certification by the International Standards Organization and its participation in the highly selective Safety and Health Achievement and Recognition Program conducted by the federal Occupational Safety & Health Administration.

One of the greatest challenges to Hawkeye’s success, oddly enough, has been controlling growth, which, he says, “can start controlling you so that you go into a reactionary mode rather than a proactive mode.”

For the time being, the national economy has eased that particular challenge. But, while Hawkeye’s growth has slowed – Hawkins predicts the company’s revenues will be down somewhat from 2007’s $7.2 million – he remains bullish on the future.

“I’m an optimist – my glass is always half full,” says Hawkins. “You look for those little glimmers of opportunity and take them.”

Bryan Hawkins’ company, Hawkeye Industries Inc., has been recognized as one of Mississippi’s fastest-growing companies. The firm supplies the commercial HVAC and lighting industries with custom precision metal products.

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The Numbers A GROWING COMPANY

$2 million Hawkeye’s annual investment in technology

11 Number of machines that operate 24 hours a day at Hawkeye Industries

59,000 Number of square feet in Hawkeye Industries’ manufacturing facility

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My Big, Fat Greek Meal DINERS WILL FIND SATISFYING FARE AND GREAT MUSIC AT VANELLI’S RESTAURANT

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Offerings such as toasted ravioli, fried calamari, pizzas and Athenian lasagna are just a few examples from “a menu that is an Americanized blend of Greek and Italian cuisine,” Vanelli says.

In addition, there are appetizers, sandwiches, salads, chicken wings and a large selection of classic Italian favorites.

Vanelli’s also offers live entertainment, from concerts to comedy, and the eatery showcases all of the big sports games on direct television.

The new pavilion allows Vanelli to expand his varied entertainment offerings.

What are Tupelo’s wonders one through seven?

“Well, start at Elvis’ birthplace and work your way down,” Vanelli says with a laugh.

Vanelli’s is open daily for lunch and dinner.

For more information, visit www.vanellis.com.

PHOTOS BY JEFF ADKINS

az Vanelli unveiled what he proclaims “the eighth wonder of Tupelo” just outside his Vanelli’s Greek & Italian Restaurant in north Tupelo.

“It’s actually ‘Papa’s Pavilion,’ ” he says of the cedar-roofed dining and party area that was added to the restaurant’s patio in 2008. “It comes to a point, so when you go underneath and look up, it’s like a Swiss chalet,” Vanelli says of the new structure.

The restaurant was founded in 1975 by Demetrios Kapenekas, aka “Papa,” a native of Athens, Greece. The late Kapenekas grew up around food. His father owned a restaurant and hotel in Athens during the 1920s and ’30s.

Now son Vaz Vanelli is in charge of the restaurant and entertainment venue located at 1302 N. Gloster St. In addition to the patio and pavilion, the restaurant has 10,000 square feet under roof, made up of three dining rooms and Papa’s Place lounge.

Diners enjoy eating outdoors at Vanelli’s Greek & Italian Restaurant, a mainstay in Tupelo since 1975. The restaurant, located at 1302 N. Gloster St., also offers a wide variety of nightly entertainment at Papa’s Place lounge.

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t’s hard to blend in when you are a monkey on the lam in Mississippi.

But Oliver, the slippery, white-faced capuchin escape artist, has managed to leave the confines of the Tupelo Buffalo Park and Zoo not once, but twice in recent months.

He escaped once six years ago, but 2007’s back-to-back breakouts garnered headlines far and wide.

Zoo manager Brian Kohler, who came to the park from the zoo in Jackson, Miss., was determined to keep Oliver

from repeating his Great Escapes.

“That’s why I’m here,” Kohler says of his new position, which started in January 2008.

Oliver has become something of a marketing tool, with the zoo capitalizing by selling Oliver’s Great Escape T-shirts.

“People from all over come visit and ask about him all the time,” Kohler says.

But Kohler’s hardly just monkeying around. He’s more interested in talking about the future of the 175-acre park that draws its name from its 52 buffalo,

among the largest herds east of the Mississippi.

“The owner wants to take it [the Buffalo Park and Zoo] to the next level,” says Kohler, praising the aims of Tupelo businessman Dan Franklin, who opened the facility in 2001.

Kohler’s goals include improving the park, building new exhibits and bringing in new animals.

“I want to do more for guest relations to make the visitor experience better,” he adds.

For example, Kohler wants to improve the zoo’s Monster Bison Bus tours, which take visitors into the preserve, where the buffalo, camels, water buffalo, giraffes and other creatures roam.

Kohler also is working on adding new activities and programs that would appeal to families, such as the horse and pony rides the zoo currently offers.

“I think the park is going to take off even more than it has,” he says.

JCPENNEY • BELK • SEARS DICK’S SPORTING GOODS • BARNES & NOBLE Pamper yourself, shop for a friend ... or with a friend. Whether it’s hip

lifestyle. Shop, get a bite to eat or head to the latest movie. With over 90 stores and specialty shops, The Mall at Barnes Crossing features the largest selection in the region.

Highway 45 North • Tupelo • 844-6255 • www.barnescrossing.com

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or conservative, The Mall at Barnes Crossing is the place to fit your

Oliver’s notorious escapades have made him a popular attraction at the Tupelo Buffalo Park and Zoo.

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The Tupelo Automobile Museum features 120,000 square feet of automotive displays.

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f there’s anything that could make Allen McDaniel glad he’s no longer a history teacher, it’s the fact that he’s able to spend his days inside the Tupelo Automobile Museum.

“Oh, I loved teaching,” says the former eighth-grade American history teacher. “I’d get my check at the end of the month, and I’d say ‘I can’t believe they pay me for having so much fun.’

Working here is on the same scale with teaching.”

McDaniel says it’s a privilege to be curator of the 120,000-square-foot facility, located right off U.S. Hwy. 45.

The museum showcases the collection of the late Frank Spain, a successful local businessman who gathered more than 100 antique, classic and collectible cars and put them on display, chronologically.

“Our oldest car is an 1886 Benz, but it’s a reproduction,” McDaniel says.

“The newest is a 1994 Dodge Viper with 12 miles on it.

There is excitement in his voice when he talks about perhaps the rarest of the collection: a 1948 Tucker.

“There were only 51 of these made, and none of them were ever sold. Tucker went bankrupt, and the cars went to the creditors,” McDaniel recalls.

The car and its maker, Preston Tucker, were immortalized in Francis Ford Coppola’s 1988 movie Tucker: The Man and His Dream.

McDaniel’s enthusiasm for the car experience is spread far and wide at the annual Tupelo Blue Suede Cruise, which draws classic car enthusiasts from around the country every May. “Some come probably 700 or 800 miles,” he says of the event for which he’s the volunteer coordinator.

It’s a weekend of swapping car tales, enjoying drive-in movies and, true to native son Elvis Presley, vintage rock ’n’ roll music.

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SEE MORE ONLINE | Take a look at some of the classic cars at the Tupelo Automobile Museum in our exclusive video at imagestupelo.com.

Building Tupelo and Lee County Since 1941

2020 McCullough Blvd.

Tupelo, MS 38801 (662) 842-3240

The Largest Industrial Contractor in the South

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Fishing for Artists

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JEFF ADKINS

ina Lutz – aka “Tina Fish” – insists on one thing, repeatedly, while talking about the Gum Tree Museum of Art. “We are free of charge to the general public,” she says of the museum located in the circa-1905 Peoples Bank and Trust Co. building in downtown Tupelo.

“It’s really important that the public knows we are here and that they come in to see the quality artwork.”

In the 14 years Lutz has been running the museum, the space has been decorated by the works of Pablo Picasso, Georgia O’Keeffe, Mississippi masters and Tupelo schoolchildren.

“We do this to emphasize the importance of the arts in the schools,” she explains.

It is in those schools that Lutz is often called “Miss Fish,” because she uses the aquatic moniker as her studio name.

“It’s really corny,” she admits. “I’m a Pisces. I’m a water rat.”

She also focuses on fish in her own artwork, such as the painted fish chair that won the purchase prize in the Gum Tree Festival 14 years ago, earning her recognition and indirectly leading her from the life of an artist in Laurel, Miss., to museum operator and art educator.

“People know me as Tina Fish,” she says. “The little people know me as Miss Fish, the crazy art lady with the crazy fish life.”

She laughs at herself, but the fact that people know her by her studio name is evidence of the impact she has had since taking over operations in the Beaux Arts-style building that’s listed on the National Historic Register.

From educational programs to fine art, Lutz/Fish is dedicated to providing a platform or an easel to anyone who is interested in art.

The Gum Tree Museum of Art is a popular place to see works of art.

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STAFF PHOTO

Gearing Up for Change D

provide services should we have an occurrence like this,” she says.

That occurrence – the establishment of an automotive plant that will start producing Prius Hybrids in late 2010 – has sparked growth and development at Itawamba and its partners.

And, thanks to funding by Toyota, the community colleges’ career and technical programs are being modified to provide the training as part of regular degree work.

“They pay us to provide the training, and we invest it into the colleges’ programs,” she says.

The end result is that the consortium’s colleges will be graduating workers who already are trained for the industry well into the future.

“We also are providing the same type of training for [Toyota’s] suppliers,” she adds.

– Stories by Tim Ghianni

JEFF ADKINS

Itawamba Community College is gearing up for Toyota’s arrival.

enise Gillespie’s voice bubbles when talking about Toyota’s impact on Itawamba Community College.

“It’s an exciting time in Tupelo,” says Gillespie, who is the workforce director for the local community college.

It’s a big job to provide workforce and industrial training for area companies’ needs.

But when Toyota came calling, investing in the plant that’s under construction in Blue Springs, her role, as well as that of the community college, changed dramatically.

She became project manager for Toyota startup training for the Mississippi Corridor Consortium, an alliance of Itawamba, Northwest Mississippi, Northeast Mississippi and East Mississippi community colleges.

“These four community colleges formed a partnership to be able to

Dripping With Summertime Fun Olivia Scott, 6, and other children enjoy a dip in the water fountain located in the Fairpark District in downtown Tupelo, which is the most ambitious downtown development project the city has ever undertaken.

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Photo Essay

A Place to

Call Home THIS MISSISSIPPI CITY THRIVES ON SUCCESS

PHOTOGRAPHY BY JEFF ADKINS

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t’s a city with a small-town feel and a progressive attitude. It’s a city that honors its history while moving confidently into the 21st century. It’s a city with a quality of life that’s second to none.

Tupelo is a place to call home.

From Elvis Presley’s birthplace and the Natchez Trace Parkway to the upcoming Toyota auto manufacturing plant and the Fairpark District, Tupelo appeals to both visitor and resident alike.

With a motto that boasts, “Our Talent Is Hospitality,” it’s easy to see why this Mississippi city is prospering.

Besides the King of Rock ‘n’ Roll’s first home, travelers will find a regional mall, automobile museum, buffalo park and zoo, scenic lakes for fishing and restaurants that range from upscale Southern to Greek.

Add to that a pro-business environment, a calendar of exciting events and a dose of genuine friendliness, and Tupelo reigns as one of the South’s favorite destinations to visit and live.

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Truckin’ Right Along

TRUCK CENTER INC. HAS A TRACK RECORD OF NEARLY 50 YEARS OF SERVICE

STORY BY MELANIE HILL | PHOTOGRAPHY BY JEFF ADKINS

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upelo’s Truck Center Inc. has been putting drivers on the road since co-founder Chuck Imbler greeted his first customer in 1960. Now in its 48th year, the company has proven that it’s here for the long haul.

“We provide transportation solutions to customers,” says company president Chuck Imbler Jr. “If trucks were to stop running, the country would shut down overnight.”

That sense of urgency has helped establish Truck Center

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Inc. as a leader in the region’s truck sales and service industry.

Now located on International Drive, the second-generation business is a dealer for IC buses, Ford and International Trucks.

“We try to provide the best truck for each need,” Imbler says. “Anybody can sell customers a truck, but you’ve got to sell them a truck that will do the job best.”

Customers of Truck Center Inc. can find a wide range of new and used vehicles, from over-the-road tractors and vans TU PE LO

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A selection of international trucks are on sale at Tupelo Truck Center Inc., which has been in business nearly 50 years.

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to dump and utility trucks.

As the largest truck dealer in North Mississippi, the company has received the Circle of Excellence Award from International Trucks 28 years running – more than any other North American dealer. Truck Center Inc. also was voted the Southeast IC School Bus Dealer for 2007.

While vehicle sales account for much of the Truck Center’s business, the company also operates two maintenance shifts that provide parts and service from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily.

“We’re in the service business,” Imbler says. “ Whether it’s a concrete truck or a bread truck, it’s got to roll at a certain time, and companies don’t make money if trucks aren’t running.”

Imbler says Truck Center Inc. stocks nearly $800,000 in current parts inventory for many makes and models, with parts available 24 hours a day through the International Parts Distribution System.

Customers also find rentals and leasing through onsite sister company Idealease of Tupelo and are pleased to discover a 10-bay body shop, 18-bay maintenance area staffed by ASEcertified technicians, quick-lube bay and an onsite frame machine and paint booth. The company also is a fully licensed insurance agency.

“We’re pretty much across-the-board in trying to take care of customers’ needs,” Imbler says.

That commitment has spilled over into the Tupelo community as well. Since 1970, Truck Center Inc. has provided Santa Claus and his float for the city’s Christmas parade.

Imbler and his father, Chuck Imbler Sr., also participate in many of the city’s civic organizations.

“Tupelo’s been good to us and has allowed us to give back a lot,” Imbler says. “You reap what you sow, and when you’re involved in the community, you make it a better place to live for everyone.”

Chuck Imbler Jr., left, and his father, Chuck Imbler, stand in front of one of the massive International trucks that they sell at the Truck Center Inc., which is the largest truck dealership in North Mississippi.

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Business

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A

Bridge to

HO E

CANCER CENTER OFFERS STATE-OF-THE-ART CARE FOR PATIENTS

STORY BY MELANIE HILL | PHOTOGRAPHY BY JEFF ADKINS

A

cancer diagnosis is often an uphill battle for patients, but the physicians and staff at North Mississippi Hematology & Oncology Associates have been arming themselves against the deadly disease for nearly 30 years.

Since 1979, Tupeloâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s HOA has provided patients in North Mississippi, Northwest Alabama and Southwest Tennessee the

highest quality treatments for blood disorders, as well as clinical trials not frequently offered in this region.

In 2007, the group relocated from the North Mississippi Medical Center campus to a state-of-the-art facility on South Gloster Street.

Now known as Hematology and Oncology Associates at BridgePoint, the 51,000-square-foot facility welcomes 300

New chemotherapy bays and a soothing waterfall and pond, left, are some of the modern features of the North Mississippi Hematology & Oncology Associates state-of-the-art facility on South Gloster Street in Tupelo.

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Business

oncology patients a day.

“Because our new facility was designed around patients’ needs, we wanted to give it a name that related to a patient’s journey through treatment,” says the groups’ co-founder, Dr. Charles Montgomery. “As physicians, we also wanted to acknowledge how patients often rely on us for guidance and support as they navigate the challenges of fighting cancer.”

Situated on 9 acres and accompanied by a $10 million price tag, the modern clinic includes five waiting areas, 17 private patient rooms and 42 chemotherapy bays. Patients also enjoy the convenience of an in-house pharmacy, while a glass-front lobby, 10-foot-deep saltwater aquarium and open-air courtyard provide a tranquil escape between treatments.

Staffed by six physicians, two nurse practitioners and more than 50 employees, the facility offers patients specialized treatments, including chemotherapy and immunotherapy treatments, biological response modifiers and various supportive therapies. HOA also operates satellite facilities in nearby Columbus and Corinth, Miss.

“As our practice has developed, we have grown with the

changes,” Montgomery says. “We opened our satellite facilities as a way to take care of our patients close to home. We added research early on because cancer treatment is constantly changing, and our research department continues to grow with it. As new innovative therapies are being developed every day, we want to continue to be a frontline participant.”

HOA’s expanded research facility allows for greater involvement in clinical trials, which keeps the group’s physicians in the know on up-and-coming treatment options.

In the past five years, Hematology and Oncology Associates has worked with numerous pharmaceutical groups on cuttingedge research, including Genentech, Pfizer, Roche, GlaxoSmithKline, Ortho Biotech and Johnson & Johnson.

“We’re trying to put cancer out of business and ultimately push ourselves out of a job,” says Dr. Christopher Croot, who, along with Drs. Julian Hill, Andrew Kellum, David Morris, Charles Montgomery and Brian Walker comprise HOA’s physician team. “We want to continually expand and add services that will help our patients and their families deal with the overall cancer experience.”

A 10-foot-deep saltwater aquarium entertains visitors to the North Mississippi Hematology & Oncology Associates building.

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Business

The

Heart

of

HealthCare CARDIOLOGY ASSOCIATES OF NORTH MISSISSIPPI DON’T MISS A BEAT STORY BY MELANIE HILL | PHOTOGRAPHY BY JEFF ADKINS

F

or more than two decades, the physicians of Cardiology Associates of North Mississippi have brought unbeatable care to the heart of this growing community.

The group that originated with Internal Medicine Associates of Tupelo now consists of 17 highly trained physicians that care for patients in 23 counties in northeast Mississippi and neighboring counties in Tennessee and Alabama.

“Our practice is the most comprehensive, offering advanced techniques in cardiac imaging, interventional cardiology and electrophysiology,” says cardiologist David H. Irwin Jr., M.D., who joined CANM’s experienced physician team in 1986.

Originally based in the Heart Institute in the East Tower of North Mississippi Medical Center, CANM’s visionary physicians soon found themselves in

need of more space and opened an outpatient facility at Gloster Creek Village.

Patient volume soon created demand for additional offices in nearby Starkville, Columbus and Oxford, Miss. Each of the group’s four clinics operate certified, fully staffed echocardiography and nuclear cardiology laboratories.

“We are a full-service practice and do more cardiac procedures than anyone in the state, due to our own expertise

Dr. Jack Foster examines an image of the heart at Cardiology Associates of North Mississippi. Right: Dr. Jack Foster, left, Julie Bruce, R.N., and CT technologist Karon Crowley prepare a patient for a CT scan at the medical center.

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Business

plus the expertise of the cardiovascular surgeons at North Mississippi Medical Center,” Irwin says. “In addition, our research program is a national and world leader in enrollment of patients.”

Setting the bar in cardiac care is nothing new for the group. In 1981, CANM’s physicians brought cardiac catheterization to Tupelo and, in 1999, recruited Tupelo’s first electrophysiologist. CANM also introduced Tupelo’s first certified echocardiography lab and nuclear lab in an outpatient setting.

Among the practice’s latest offerings is the industry’s first 64-slice CT scanner, introduced in the Tupelo office in 2007.

The remarkable technique provides noninvasive, 3-D imaging of the coronary arteries and other heart structures, allowing for greater accuracy in diagnosis.

That commitment to excellence and – above all – their patients has helped distinguish CANM’s physicians, each

designed to diagnose and treat a wide range of cardiac conditions.

“We are truly a ‘group practice,’ ” Irwin says. “Not all physicians have to do the same thing, so individuals can focus on highly specialized areas. In many ways, we operate an ‘assembly line’ approach to cardiology.”

While the years have brought about tremendous changes in people, places and technology, Irwin says CANM’s physician team has remained true to its original commitment to “do the right thing.”

“We continue to focus on the needs of the patient and their primary physicians and recognize that we are a part of the service industry,” he says.

“And we recognize and respect that we are a part of the continuum of care from rural clinic or hospitals to the main campus in Tupelo.”

“Our practice is the most comprehensive, offering advance techniques in cardiac imaging, interventional cardiology and electrophysiology.”

DR. DAVID H. IRWIN JR. CARDIOLOGY ASSOCIATES OF NORTH MISSISSIPPI

with a specific area of training. Together, they make up a comprehensive team

Dr. Amit Gupta is one of the many cardiologists at CANM, which performs the most cardiac procedures in the state.

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Business | Biz Briefs

CREAM DE LA CREAM Bob Schwartz likes to think that once you taste gelato, you won’t ever forget it.

As co-owner of Southern Ice Café in the Shoppes at Barnes Crossing, Schwartz knows the hypnotic power the Italian ice cream can hold.

“Once you’ve tasted gelato, it’s something you’ll always remember,” says Schwartz, who opened Southern Ice Café in spring 2008 with his wife, Kathleen Kennedy.

Southern Ice is the first restaurant in Tupelo to offer gelato, Schwartz says, but he and Kennedy have more to offer than just this sweet treat. Southern Ice also serves homemade sandwiches, soups and salads, along with gourmet coffee and pastries.

Customers can also enjoy free Wi-Fi, a wide-screen TV and a wide range of books that line one of the walls.

“We wanted to create an environment where people can get a good sandwich and sit and talk, read or just relax,” Schwartz says.

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“Once you’ve tasted gelato, it’s something you’ll always remember.”

BOB SCHWARTZ CO-OWNER SOUTHERN ICE CAFÉ

HEAVENLY SANDWICHES Two words can describe why Heavenly Ham has been such a success since it opened in Tupelo some 13 years ago: box lunches.

“About 70-75 percent of our business is delivery or takeout,” explains Chauncey Godwin, who opened Heavenly Ham at 499 Gloster Creek Village in 1995. “We get orders from a lot of companies or organizations for our box lunches during meetings. They’re convenient, they’re

priced right and they taste good.”

Godwin says his store is especially busy with ham and turkey orders during the holidays but has recently been catering more functions.

“When we first opened, we would see a spike in business at Thanksgiving, Christmas and Easter,” he says, “and then for the rest of the year, we’d hold on for dear life. But we do good business year-round now.”

Heavenly Ham, which has seating for 24, serves 14 signature sandwiches as well as those that are made-to-order.

BOWLED OVER It truly is a family affair at Tupelo’s Midnite Pottery.

“Everybody pitches in,” says Dean Webb, who has owned the pottery studio for more than 10 years with his sister, Jennifer Hankins.

“My wife works here, and my son and daughter help out. Jennifer’s twin sons work some here, and our mom is here part-time. It’s a family business.”

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PHOTOS BY JEFF ADKINS

Catering from 10 to 1,000 C

499 Gloster Creek Village • Tupelo, MS 38801 (662) 844-4888 • Fax: (662) 844-3006 • www.heavenlyham.com

Midnite Pottery’s owners are active in the community. Above: Southern Ice Café sells tasty gelato.

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P.O. Box 1277 1126 N. Eason Blvd.

Tupelo, MS 38802-1277 Phone: (662) 842-3333 Fax: (662) 842-3664

QUALITY SERVICE SINCE 1995 CERTIFIED: ISO 9001:2000 OSHA RECOGNIZED

SOME OF THE INDUSTRIES SERVED INCLUDE: • Banking (ATM machine components) • Commercial lighting • Metal office furniture • Power tools • Commercial HVAC • Heavy equipment • Motion furniture • Commercial refrigeration • Fitness equipment

Business | Biz Briefs Webb and his sister opened Midnite Pottery in an old horse stable in 1997, and soon moved to its current location at 2004 N. Gloster St. “We’re like the Jeffersons,” Webb says, referring to the family from the popular former television show. “We moved on up.”

The business is also active in giving back to the community, particularly through the annual Empty Bowls campaign that is sponsored by the Salvation Army Women’s Auxiliary.

Midnite Pottery donates a couple of hundred bowls each year to the Salvation Army’s annual luncheon to raise money to provide meals for the needy.

GEM OF A BUSINESS Among the reasons for the longevity of Way-Fil Jewelry is the determination of its owners.

That was certainly evident after the business suffered a fire in 2005, and the owners had to rebuild at its current location at 1125 W. Main St. “We never really shut down,” says Patti Thompson, owner of Way-Fil Jewelry, which is celebrating its 60th anniversary in 2008. “That first day after the fire, we sold out of a table we had set up in front of the store.”

Thompson says the main reason Way-Fil has enjoyed such a long life is the attention the owners give to its customers.

“We take care of our customers,” she says. “That sounds like a cliché, but it really is true. We care for the people who come to see us.”

Thompson, who bought the business in 1985 from original owners Wayne Hunter and Filmore McGuire, (thus the name Way-Fil) is a certified gemologist who handles jewelry design, repair and appraisals.

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DRIVEN TO SUCCESS With 50 years of experience, Frankie Blackmon has become a fixture in the automotive industry.

In addition, he’s also a fixture in the Tupelo community.

“Anytime you can give back to the community, it means a lot,” says Blackmon, owner of Blackmon Automotive at Barnes Crossing who began his career in 1958 selling parts at a Chevrolet dealership in Meridian. “I think it’s very important to support the people that support your business.”

It was his work in the community –

along with, of course, his unbeatable service as a car dealer – that earned Blackmon a Quality Dealer Award by Time magazine in 2005. It was an honor given to only 65 of more than 19,500 eligible dealers nationwide.

Blackmon first came to Tupelo when he purchased a Chevrolet dealership in 1985.

His son, Dwayne Blackmon, is general manager of the dealership, and his daughter, Brenda Smith, works there as well. Blackmon’s son-in-law, Jeff Smith, runs his dealership in Corinth.

– John McBryde

FA MILY D E N T I S T RY Daniel H. Kellum, DDS • Thomas N. Kellum, DDS Kellum Dental Clinic, P.A. 505 Robins Street Tupelo, MS 38804 (662) 842-5080 www.kellumdental.com

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JEFF ADKINS

Business | Chamber Report

Left to right: Community Development Foundation Jack Reed Jr., past chairman; David Rumbarger, president; and Mitch Waycaster, chairman; are spearheading the Community Development Foundation in its 60th anniversary year.

Sixty Years of Tupelo Spirit COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT FOUNDATION MAKES ITS MARK ON THIS SOUTHERN CITY

I

n October of 1948, 88 Tupelo businessmen met in the Blue Room of the Hotel Tupelo with a single goal in mind: to bring together various economic and community forces under one umbrella to work together for the greater good of Tupelo and Lee County.

That group became the Community Development Foundation, which today has more than 1,100 members and a reputation to envy.

“The CDF has gained a national and international reputation,” says CDF President and CEO David Rumbarger.

“For our small town of 35,000, in a small county of 75,000, to have the largest manufacturing workforce in the state is quite a feat.”

That workforce is just one of the reasons that Tupelo/Lee County has been one of the Top Ten Most Active Micropolitan Areas for New and Expanding Industries in Site Selection magazine for three years running. Site Selection also named the CDF as one of the Top 10 Economic Development Groups in the Nation.

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So what’s the secret behind all this success?

“People call it the Tupelo Spirit,” Rumbarger says. “It’s really enlightened leadership. We’ve got a board of over 60 members, and each time they meet, they check their own hats at the door to look at the community good. That’s the unique and different thing.

“Most committees sit down and look at problems and look at someone to blame,” he continues. “But here, people say, ‘What can I do to help? Where do we want to go?’ That selflessness is the basis of the Tupelo Spirit.”

Over the past six decades, that Tupelo Spirit has helped bring many new businesses to the area. In fact, there are now more than 200 types of industries in Lee County.

Some, such as tires and furniture, are traditional industries for the region, while others are new here.

For example, Auto Parts Manufacturing Mississippi, a tier-one supplier to Toyota Motor Manufacturing Mississippi, is building its first-ever North American

headquarters in Lee County to work in tandem with the new Toyota manufacturing facility in Blue Springs.

And recently, N.E.W. Customer Service Companies, a customer service call center, opened in Tupelo, while Circadence Corp., a high-tech defense contractor, located its advanced research and development facility here.

Another of the CDF’s biggest accomplishments has been the creation of nine industrial parks located throughout the county to house all of the new businesses.

Assisting with site location, facilitating cooperation among agencies and developing a top-notch workforce are all ways that CDF members have helped to make Tupelo and Lee County the place that new businesses call home.

The men who formed the CDF 60 years ago would surely be pleased to see the countless ways that their vision has been realized but, after all, with the Tupelo Spirit at work, anything is possible.

– Kimberly Daly TU PE LO

2008-2009 Board of Directors Mike Armour Chris Berryman David Brevard Mark Burleson Tillmon Calvert Gary Carnathan Mike Clayborne V. M. Cleveland Scott Cochran David Cole David Copenhaver Billy Crews Ormella Cummings Byron Fellows Jim Fitzgerald Tom Foy Chauncey Godwin Lloyd Gray Rubye Del Harden Lisa Hawkins John Heer David Henson Dick Hill Shane Hooper David Irwin Tommie Lee Ivy Terry Judy Zell Long John Lovorn Randy McCoy Robin McGraw Hughes Milam Guy Mitchell Buzzy Mize Chuck Moffatt Mabel Murphree Ed Neelly Alan Nunnelee Larry Otis Mary Pace Greg Pirkle Jack Reed, Jr. Scott Reed Eddie Richey Cathy Robertson Tom Robinson Chris Rogers David Rumbarger Mike Scott Bobby Smith Terry Smith Jeff Snyder Jane Spain Kyle Steward Lee Tucker Patty Tucker Mitch Waycaster Mary Werner Tim Weston Markel Whittington

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Business | Economic Profile

TUPELO BUSINESS CLIMATE Tupelo is on the cutting edge of regional public power supply.

The low-cost, reliable power continues to fuel new industrial growth, which creates more jobs and improves Tupelo’s quality of life.

Waterways Nearest navigable – Tennessee-Tombigbee Channel depth 300 feet

DISTANCE TO OTHER CITIES

Port facility

TAXES Atlanta, 299 miles Chicago, 578 miles Dallas, 569 miles Jackson, Miss., 165 miles Memphis, Tenn., 90 miles Nashville, Tenn., 239 miles Birmingham, Ala., 135 miles

TRANSPORTATION

Residential (owner-occupied), 10% Industrial/Commercial (real or personal property) 15% Corporate income tax 3-5% Retail sales tax 7.25% Individual income tax 3-5%

MAJOR EMPLOYERS Company

Employees

North Mississippi Medical Center

4,286

Lane Furniture Industries

2,080

Cooper Tire & Rubber Co.

1,520

Tupelo Public School District

1,200

JESCO Inc.

1,000

Wal-Mart, Sam’s

979

BancorpSouth

800

Lee County Schools

751

Tecumseh Products Co.

670

H.M. Richards Inc.

670

Gasoline tax 18 cents per gallon

Day-Brite Capri Omega

650

Rail Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railway, (662) 844-6422

Average Millage Rate City, 27.41

City of Tupelo

575

Toyota Auto Body

400

County, 25.52

Renasant Bank

390

Kansas City Southern (662) 842-2417

Municipal School District 54.50

Lee County employees

339

Airport Tupelo Regional Airport (662) 841-6570

GROSS RETAIL SALES Type Automotive Contracting Food Furniture

January 2008

January 2007

Difference

$157,241,045

$158,779,429

($1,538,385)

$86,177,489

$69,809,109

$16,368,380

$169,875,492

$158,450,171

$11,425,321

$38,621,876

$37,411,088

$1,210,788

$231,503,997

$232,115,746

($1,538,384)

Lumber & building materials

$96,739,097

$100,360,998

($3,621,901)

Machinery, equipment, and supply

$56,403,106

$52,837,743

$3,565,363

Miscellaneous services

$47,026,526

$42,981,331

$4,045,195

Miscellaneous retail

$95,332,602

$102,617,856

($7,285,254)

Public utilities

$56,822,307

$52,428,933

$4,393,374

Recreation

$3,161,642

$3,443,197

($281,555)

Wholesale

$11,276,826

$10,180,711

$1,096,115

$1,050,182,005

$1,021,416,312

$28,765,693

General merchandise

Totals

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www.montessorischooloftupelo.com

Tupelo’s Only American Montessori Society Affiliate

office@montessorischooloftupelo.com

Montessori children are unusually adaptable. They have learned to work independently and in groups.

These children are problem-solvers who can make choices and manage their time well.

These children exchange ideas and discuss their work freely with others. Good communication skills ease the way in new settings.

Montessori programs help children develop good self-images and the confidence to face challenges and change with optimism.

1955 Mount Vernon Rd. • Tupelo, MS 38804 • (662) 840-9917

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Business | Economic Profile OCCUPATION AND INDUSTRY (2000)

AVAILABLE INDUSTRIAL PROPERTIES Harry A. Martin North Lee Industrial Complex 503 acres

Employed civilian population 16 years and over Occupation

16,382

100%

Number Employed

Percentage

Construction, extraction, and maintenance occupations

770

4.7%

71

0.4%

Management, professional, and related occupations

5,676

34.6%

Airport Industrial Park 136 acres

Production, transportation, and material moving occupations

3,285

20.1%

Tupelo Industrial Center 42 acres

Sales and office occupations

4,795

29.3%

1,785

10.9%

LABOR FORCE STATISTICS

Industry

Number Employed

Percentage

Agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting, and mining

80

0.5%

Arts, entertainment, recreation, accommodation and food services

1,161

7.1%

Construction

646

3.9%

3,457

21.1%

1,144

7.0%

365

2.2%

3,937

24.0%

Other services (except public administration)

703

4.3%

Professional, scientific, management, administrative, and waste management services

952

5.8%

Public administration

480

2.9%

2,286

14.0%

Turner Industrial Park 195 acres Tupelo Lee Industrial Park South 142 acres

(2007) Lee County Labor force 39,480

Farming, fishing, and forestry occupations

Service occupations

Employed 37,030

Educational, health and social services

Unemployed 2,240

Finance, insurance, real estate, and rental and leasing

Unemployment rate 6.1%

Information Manufacturing

MAJOR COUNTY RESOURCES Mineral produced, lime Timber type, pine Major agricultural products, soybeans, dairy, cattle, forestry and other row crops

TUPELO/ LEE COUNTY STATS Average price single family home, $115,800 Annual property tax based on a $90,000 home would be less than $950 in the city and $720 in the county Percentage, bachelorâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s degree or higher, 28.5%

Retail trade Transportation and warehousing, and utilities

472

2.9%

Wholesale trade

699

4.3%

Class of Worker

Number Employed

Percentage

1,759

10.7%

13,735

83.8%

853

5.2%

35

0.2%

Government workers Private wage and salary workers Self-employed workers in own (not incorporated) business Unpaid family workers

Households, 26,903

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Home ownership 50.5% Median household income (2007) $43,312 Per capita income (2007) $28,685

EVERYTHING IN JANITORIAL , PAPER & PACKAGING S UPPLIES

Median home value, owner-occupied $85,500

COST OF LIVING Percentage of City Composite Index National Average Tupelo Composite Index, 89.1% National Average, 10.9% Gulfport-Biloxi Composite Index, 96.8% National Average, 3.2% Huntsville, Ala. Composite Index, 94.3% National Average, 5.7% Jackson, Tenn.

Composite Index, 90.0% National Average, 10.0% Paducah, Ky. Composite Index, 92.2% National Average, 7.8%

WHOLESALE

MERCHANTS

1616 7th Ave. S. • Columbus, MS (662) 327-1467 • (800) 844-1467 www.newellpaper.com

Rock Solid “Serving North Mississippi”

National Average is 100% (Third Quarter, 2007) 86.9% Source: ACCRA

INCENTIVES Lee County Plus Plan: This plan is designed to help local industries remain competitive in today’s global environment.

The plan offers property tax exemptions, international trade zone advantages, Freeport warehousing, inventory tax exemptions and capital investment advancements. This plan is for industries establishing a single calendar year capital investment of $500,000 and/ or at least 25 full time jobs

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B & B Concrete Co., Inc. 130 N. Industrial Rd. • Tupelo (662) 842-6312

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of Urology, P.A. Paul B. Farabaugh, M.D. C. Stephen Farmer II, M.D. Jonathan R. Kalish, M.D. Wm. Hughes Milam, M.D. J. Timothy Posey, M.D. Sally Lawson, CUNP Testing and treatment for both female and male urinary incontinence Video urodynamics • Biofeedback Training and exercises • Female sexual health No Referral Necessary North Mississippi Medical Center • East Tower • 4th Floor, Suite B Tupelo, Mississippi 38802 • (662) 377-7279 www.urologypa.com

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Business | Economic Profile with wages exceeding 125% of the state average wage.

Greater Mississippi Foreign Trade Zone: As a member of the Greater Mississippi Foreign Trade Zone, Tupelo/Lee County provides FTZ benefits such as relief from inverted federal tariffs, federal duty referral, direct delivery, weekly entry and a reduction in federal merchandise processing fees and personal property taxes.

Electrical Use Credit: The Tennessee Valley Authority offers a Growth Credit Incentive on new and expanded electrical power loads over 100kw. This incentive is applicable to years one through eight.

Applications for this incentive can be made with the local TVA power distributor.

Other local incentives: Time permitting, application will be made for Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) assistance to extend utilities to the property line if any road improvements are required.

Site survey and warranty deed are provided at no cost to the client.

UROLOGY PROFESSIONAL A SSOCIATION C. Stephen Farmer II, M.D., F.A.C.S. Paul B. Farabaugh, M.D., F.A.C.S. • Jonathan R. Kalish, M.D., F.A.C.S.

FOR MORE INFORMATION Community Development Foundation 300 W. Main St. Tupelo, MS 38804 Phone: (662) 842-4521 Fax: (662) 841-0693 www.cdfms.org

Sources: www.cdfms.org, www.census.org, www.census.gov, 2002 Economic Census Mississippi Department of Employment Security, Mississippi State Tax Commission

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Wm. Hughes Milam, M.D., F.A.C.S. J. Timothy Posey, M.D. • Sally Lawson, CUNP

LITHOTRIPSY AVAILABLE SEVEN DAYS PER WEEK Minimally Invasive Treatments for Incontinence Urodynamics • Erectile Dysfunction • Infertility Laser Surgery • Laparoscopy Microwave Prostate Therapy • No Scalpel Vasectomy Cryotherapy for Prostate and Kidney Full Range of Urologic Procedures

UROLOGY P ROFESSIONAL A SSOCIATION 830 S. Gloster St. • East Tower • Fourth Floor Tupelo, MS 38801 • (662) 377-7100 • www.urologypa.com

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Bringing Safe, Reliable Natural Gas to You and Your Community

Classic Finishes

At Atmos Energy, we provide clean, efficient natural gas to the communities we serve. We are dedicated to delivering exceptional customer service and superior energy value and we are proud to work with our communities to encourage growth. We call that The Spirit of Service . Visit us SM

1181A West Main Shopping Center P.O. Box 3236 Tupelo, MS 38801

online at www.atmosenergy.com.

www.atmosenergy.com

(662) 842-0366 Fax: (662) 842-0811

We sell the best.

Paint Flooring Wallcovering Blinds

COMPUTER COLOR MATCHING

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PHOTO COURTESY OF KEITH GILBERT

Arts & Culture

Tupelo Community Theatre’s production of Annie is one of the many musicals and comedies on tap each year.

Takin’ It to the Stage LYRIC THEATRE CONTINUES TO ATTRACT AUDIENCES FOR LIVE PERFORMANCES

F

or nearly 100 years, people have been entertained inside the historic Lyric Theatre.

The downtown landmark hosted live theatrical productions from 1912 to the early 1930s, and then it was converted into a movie house during the Depression.

The Lyric stayed that way for 50 years until 1984, when the Tupelo Community Theatre purchased the historic building for $100,000.

“It took every penny we had, but we made a good purchase in ’84 because the theater building today is supposedly worth more than $2 million,” says Tom Booth, executive director of the Tupelo Community Theatre, which stages its performances at the Lyric Theatre. “The building was never shut down for any long period of time during its long history, so it has never had a chance to get run down. It is quite a place.”

The Lyric is an art deco structure with its original marquee. Booth estimates

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that nearly $2 million in renovation costs has gone into the historic theater over the past few years.

“Since 2001, the Tupelo Community Theatre has been a part of a Mississippi Arts Commission grant program called ‘Building for the Arts,’ which helps cities make improvements to their art venues,” he says. “We recently received $400,000 from the commission to make improvements to our auditorium, which included upgrading all of the 464 seats on the main floor and balcony.”

TCT also just completed a $500,000 renovation to its flyloft.

“The flyloft is a space about 60 feet above the stage where we can raise and lower curtains, drop in set pieces, use control wires that fly actors above the stage and so forth,” Booth explains.

“When we decided to tackle the flyloft renovation, the Lyric still had its original pulleys and ropes from 1912 that needed big men to pull them. It wasn’t very

safe and efficient, but we now have one of the most professional flylofts in the theater industry.”

Tupelo Community Theatre was founded in 1969 and offers an annual, five-show season that runs from September through May. There are more than 1,100 season ticket holders who support the theater, and many of the scheduled shows are musicals and comedies.

“We are a talented organization that has won several awards from the Mississippi Theatre Association, including the 2007-2008 Best Production Award for our version of the play entitled Doubt,” Booth says. “TCT also gives back to the community with youth workshops, educational events, college scholarships and much more. We enjoy being in Tupelo, and invite all Tupelo and Lee County citizens to come out and see a play during our 2008-2009 season.”

– Kevin Litwin I M AG E S T U P E L O . C O M

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Your Free Wi-Fi Access Hotspot!

Save money. Live better.

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t.

219 Nor th Mad Tupe , MS 38 8 0 4 lo (

66

2) 8 41- 9 0 27

w w w.li.lib.ms.us Milam School Jefferson Street

219 North Madison Crosstown Area Main Street

Walgreens

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I M AG E S T U P E L O . C O M

North Madison

Gloster Street

LEE COUNTY LIBRARY

2270 W. Main St. • (662) 844-4011 3929 N. Gloster St. • 840-8401 Sams – 3833 N. Gloster • 840-6459 Tupelo, MS • www.wal-mart.com

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Sports & Recreation

Hitting a Home Run BALLARD PARK ATHLETIC COMPLEX ADDS BASEBALL DIAMONDS TO ITS ROSTER

I

t’s official: Ballard Park in Tupelo is now the largest city-owned athletic complex in all of Mississippi.

The complex earned that distinction in May 2008, when nine lighted baseball diamonds were added to the existing 53-acre sports facility. Prior to the baseball diamonds, Ballard Park was already home to 16 lighted soccer fields.

“The nine diamonds are all for youth baseball, from coach-pitch (8- to 9-yearolds) up through 14-year-olds,” says Don Lewis, director of the Tupelo Department of Parks and Recreation.

“Then for younger kids who play T-ball, they will continue playing on the soccer fields that are part of the Ballard Park complex.”

Lewis says the vision for nine youth baseball diamonds began in 2006, when city officials decided to consolidate all playing fields into one location.

“For the past 20 years, kids have been playing on a multitude of fields all over Tupelo,” he says. “That was often a problem for parents who had two or more boys who played baseball at different fields, with the parents often having to choose which child to watch on a given night. That isn’t a problem anymore with all games played at Ballard Park.”

Lewis adds that the city of Tupelo also wanted to enter the market for hosting multiteam youth baseball tournaments, which always provide big economic boosts to a community.

“We can now attract 40 or 50 teams to Tupelo for a given weekend tournament, plus Ballard Park could easily host high-profile, statewide or regional events,” he says. “We have already hosted soccer tournaments at Ballard Park that attracted about 75 teams, so scheduling big baseball tournaments is the next obvious move for us. Ballard Park is a nice showpiece for the city of Tupelo.”

The nine baseball diamonds were added to the athletic complex at a cost of $4.8 million, but Lewis says the tab could have easily topped $6 million.

“We got a lot of help from city departments, individual and corporate

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sponsors, the Tupelo Convention & Visitors Bureau and the Tupelo Baseball Association,” he says. “The city tried to save money wherever it could. For example, Tupelo Water & Light installed all the energy-efficient lights to save money, and Tupelo Public Works helped in several of the construction phases.

Many people in the community helped to make this facility a first-class baseball destination.”

Lewis says the city is now looking at selling the overall naming rights to the complex to help further offset the construction costs.

“The baseball/soccer facility is known as Ballard Park for now, but probably not for much longer,” he says. “We hope that a corporate citizen steps up and purchases the rights to have their name forever affixed to this beautiful athletic complex.”

– Kevin Litwin

SEE MORE ONLINE | To learn more about Ballard Park, visit imagestupelo.com and search for “sports and recreation.”

Nine lighted baseball diamonds were added to Ballard Park in May 2008.

I M AG E S T U P E L O . C O M

85

Board Certified Physicians GREGG A. WILLIS, M.D. TERRY Y. MCMILLIN, M.D.

“Offering Comprehensive Health Care for Women in Every Season of Life.”

Gynecologic Surgery Laser Surgery Laparoscopic & Hystroscopic Surgery Routine & High-Risk Obstetric Care Infertility Evaluation & Treatment Bone Density Evaluation

Certified Nurse Practitioner MALINDA INGRAM, C.N.P.

New patients welcome Office hours by appointment only.

606 Brunson Dr. • Tupelo (662) 840-4010

Sanders Clinic for Women Gynecology • Infertility Routine & high risk obstetrics

C.K. White, M.D. Johnny F. Miles, M.D. Mark A. Ray, M.D. Clay B. Hudson, M.D. Kristen Y. Turner, M.D.

(662) 844-8754 • 1041 S. Madison St. • Tupelo, MS 38801

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I M AG E S T U P E L O . C O M

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*Charles W. Wikle, DDS *J. Leland Chrisman, DDS *F. Scott Bauer, DMD *William F. West, DMD, MD S. Bradford Roberts, DMD *Diplomates, American Board of Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery

We offer a full range of oral & maxillofacial surgery services including: Dental implants Wisdom teeth Extractions Intravenous anesthesia 1043 S. Madison, Ext. Tupelo, MS 38801 (662) 842-8200

Treating Digestive Diseases for Patients in North Mississippi Stephen T. Amann, M.D.

Colon Cancer Screening Heartburn/GERD Irritable Bowel Syndrome Crohn’s Disease/ Ulcerative Colitis Hepatitis and Liver Diseases Pancreas and Biliary Diseases Nutrition Clinical Research

John B. Averette, M.D. Barney J. Guyton, M.D. Roger L. Huey, M.D. Noel K. Hunt, M.D. Samuel C. Pace, M.D. John O. Phillips, M.D. Ernest Q. Williams, M.D. Carah W. Edgeworth, CFNP W. Carl Kellum Jr., M.D. 1952-2006

589 Garfield Street, Suite 201 • Tupelo, MS 38801

(662) 680-5565 • (877) 942-7876

Digestive Health Specialists, P.A. TU PE LO

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I like my new pearls, but I LOVE my new smile!

General dentistry including cosmetic dentistry, complex crown and bridge and orthodontics.

1763 Cliff Gookin Blvd.

Tupelo, MS 38801 (662) 842-2802 Fax: (662) 842-3371 www.drlamberth.com

NEPHROLOGY & HYPERTENSION ASSOCIATES LTD. Thomas D. Wooldridge, M.D. J. Martin Lee Jr., M.D. Tzonko V. Milev, M.D. Kenneth M. Kellum, M.D. Morris R. Hamilton, M.D. Christopher D. Miller, M.D. Jeannie Pence, CANP 1542 Medical Park Cir. Tupelo, MS 38801 (662) 844-4711 2301 S. Lamar Blvd. Suite 130 Oxford, MS 38655 (662) 236-2900

TOLL-FREE (866) 344-4711 TU PE LO

I M AG E S T U P E L O . C O M

89

Health & Wellness

Working Out Any Time of Day TUPELO FITNESS FACILITY IS OPEN 24/7 FOR ITS GROWING CUSTOMER BASE

JEFF ADKINS

F

Wilson Coleman works out at Anytime Fitness, part of a national chain of fitness centers open 24/7.

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I M AG E S T U P E L O . C O M

ive years ago, Mark Stevens was living a life like many successful men his age. Now, he’s living a life most men dream of – and helping others get healthy in the process.

Stevens is co-owner, with Susan and Kirk Presley, of Tupelo’s Anytime Fitness club, as well as other franchise locations in North Mississippi and North Alabama.

As the name implies, Anytime Fitness clubs are open 24 hours a day, seven days a week – a distinction that has made the Hastings, Minn.-based company one of the world’s leading fitness franchises.

Entrepreneur magazine has dubbed it the fastest-growing franchise in the country and one of the top 70 franchises in the world.

What makes his company stand out, Stevens says, is convenience coupled with state-of-the art equipment in smaller, scrupulously clean and well-maintained facilities.

“What also sets us apart is that we try very hard to build a culture that’s very accepting of people,” Stevens says. “Big clubs are generally occupied by people already fit, or body builders. We are for normal people who want to maintain good health or who are out of shape, needing and wanting to improve their fitness and health, maybe lose a few pounds so they look better.”

The company is so devoted to keeping that comfort level for non-jocks that they intentionally limit the amount of body-building equipment in their clubs to encourage serious weightlifters to work out elsewhere.

Anytime Fitness clubs are staffed during the day but are not staffed at night, making them far more economical to run, Stevens says. Members work out after hours in a locked facility and wear alarm necklaces in case accidents or emergencies occur – something that has never happened at Stevens’ clubs.

Among the club’s late-night customers are medical personnel, restaurant staff and other shift workers – some 40 or so most nights between 10 p.m. and 5 a.m. – who enjoy “time to wind down on the way home.”

Despite the lack of staff, the clubs are not just bare-bones rooms.

Besides top-of-the-line equipment, Tupelo’s club offers showers, tanning, drink machines, a group exercise room, classes and a child-care area. It boasts more than 1,000 members (AF clubs average 700-800 members) and is one of the most successful franchises in the company.

Stevens himself was a physically fit young father and Texas businessman when he discovered the Anytime Fitness Web site while looking for a way off the corporate treadmill. Blessed with material success, he says, he was tired of putting in long hours that kept him from his family.

“I was working 50 or 60 hours a week for a software development company and was a weekend dad,” says Stevens, who with his wife, Kristie, has four children. “The Anytime Fitness concept allows me to have a lifestyle where I don’t have to be tied to my business. In a typical small business, if an employee doesn’t show up, you’re in trouble. Having no staff allows me the flexibility to be with our family more.”

– Laura Hill TU PE LO

Education

Turning Students Into Scholars KEEPING KIDS IN SCHOOL IS THE AIM OF INNOVATIVE EDUCATIONAL PROGRAM

W

hen you’re 13 years old, the prospect of earning $13 an hour is exciting. Think of the flat-screen televisions, hot cars and cool clothes that kind of money can buy.

Or maybe not.

Courtesy of the Mississippi Scholars Program, Tupelo eighth-graders are learning that money may not go as far as they think – all the more reason to stay in school, take tougher courses and prepare for a more lucrative work life.

“We want to make children aware of the different opportunities that await them if they complete higher-rigor courses and not just the minimum to get out of high school,” says Todd Beadles, director of workforce development at the Community Development Foundation in Tupelo, which shepherds the Mississippi Scholars program locally.

The state program, part of a national State Scholars Initiative, was launched in 2003. Since then, more than 5,000 Mississippi high school students have earned the Mississippi Scholars distinction by successfully completing a beefed-up course of study.

In Lee County, Beadles says, more than 200 students in the past three years have graduated with the distinction, earning special medallions and certificates, recognition on their transcripts and, in 2007, Best Buy gift cards.

Beadles and other business professionals in the area present special PowerPoint programs in local schools, demonstrating how better education boosts earnings. Students learn what employers expect from them, what a transcript looks like and how more difficult coursework pays off.

Looking at a line-by-line budget that includes rent, taxes,

food, auto expenses, clothing, etc., the students soon learn that getting rich on $13 an hour is a fantasy.

“Kids think it’s a fortune, and that they could have everything they want,” Beadles adds. “They are flabbergasted, to be honest, to see how little money that is and how quickly it goes.”

In Tupelo, members of the Community Development Foundation’s Tupelo Young Professionals group have been important volunteers in the program, sharing the scholars’ presentation and their own experiences.

While the Mississippi Scholars program is primarily aimed at college-bound students, Beadles casts his net a bit wider in Tupelo, encouraging those who will join the working world right after high school to stay in school and work harder while they’re there.

“We want to reach out to a broader variety of students,” he says. “We’ve gotten to a point, with Toyota coming into the region, for example, where we need to advocate skilled trades, jobs that make good money and very good careers for people.”

Curbing the state’s 26.6 percent high school dropout rate was the subject of two Graduation Destination summits in January and February 2008, hosted by America’s Promise Alliance.

Held in Jackson, Miss., high school students and then adults discussed how to cut the dropout rate in half in the next seven years.

Mississippi Superintendent of Education Hank Bounds says there’s no doubt that high school dropouts suffer economically, but the state suffers, too.

“As a state, we pay a heavy price in terms of lost tax revenue, lost economic development and increased dependence on social services,” he says.

– Laura Hill

Since 2003, more than 5,000 Mississippi high school students have earned the Mississippi Scholars distinction.

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I M AG E S T U P E L O . C O M

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Community Profile

TUPELO SNAPSHOT Tupelo boasts a state-of-the-art medical center, a community college that rivals most in the state, a growing industrial base and thriving downtown, perfect for budding entrepreneurs.

TYPE OF GOVERNMENT City – Mayor/Council County – Board of Supervisors

MEDICAL FACILITIES

(Supplier: Tennessee Valley Authority)

Television

Tombigbee Electric Power Association 842-7635

WKDH (ABC)

Telephone AT&T (800) 757-6500

Women’s Hospital 377-4800

UTILITIES Cable Comcast, 842-5625 Natural Gas Atmos Energy, 842-2441 (Supplier: So. Natural Gas) Electricity Tupelo Water and Light 841-6470

WLOV (FOX) WTVA (NBC)

ATTRACTIONS

Water & Sewer Tupelo Water & Light 841-6470

BancorpSouth Arena 841-6573; tickets, 841-6528

CLIMATE

Brice’s Crossroads 365-3969

Cancer Center, 377-4077 North Mississippi Medical Center (650 beds) 377-3000

WCBI (CBS)

Average Annual Temperature 62 F January Average 40 F July Average 81 F Average Rainfall 51.9 inches

Elvis Presley Birthplace and Museum, 841-1245 Elvis Presley Lake and Campground, 840-5172 Gum Tree Museum of Art 844-2787 Oren Dunn City Museum 841-6438 Lee County Agri-Center 566-5600

MEDIA

Natchez Trace Parkway 680-4025 or (800) 305-7417

Newspapers

Tupelo Automobile Museum 842-4242

Northeast Mississippi Daily Journal (daily) 842-2611 Lee County Courier (weekly) 840-8819

Tupelo Ballet 844-1928 or 844-4352 Tupelo Buffalo Park & Zoo 844-8709 THIS SECTION IS SPONSORED BY

Chemical Products

Metal Finishes

Flow & Carpet Care Greases & Lubricants Industrial Cleaners Insecticides/Pesticides Biodegradable Cleaner

Zinc Plating Phosphate & Oil Power Coat Stripping Metal Finishing

Serving: Hotels, Health Care, Restaurants, Homes, Military, Automotive & More (662) 840-6060 • www.ritekem.com

T h e a r e a c o d e f o r Tu p e l o i s 6 6 2 .

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Town Creek Plantation

The Grove

Nan Harston Gardens

General offices in the Town Creek District

(662) 869-5150 www.dogwooddevelopmentcompany.com

Dogwood

Residential & commercial development, sales & leasing

Development Company

Community Development is our focus in Saltillo.

Experience the growth!

Over 100 classic automobiles from the 1880s-1990s!

1 Otis Blvd.

Tupelo, MS 38804 (662) 842-4242 www.tupeloauto.com

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I M AG E S T U P E L O . C O M

Hours: March-October Tues.-Sat. 10 a.m.-6 p.m.

Sun. 12 p.m.-5 p.m.

November-February Tues.-Sat. 10 a.m.-5 p.m.

Sun. 12 p.m.-5 p.m.

Closed: Mondays, New Yearâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Day, Easter, Thanksgiving and Christmas Day

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Community Profile Tupelo National Battlefield (Natchez Trace Parkway) 680-4027

EDUCATION Number

Students

Elementary Schools (K-3)

7

3,200

Intermediate Schools (4-6)

3

1,150

Private John Allen National Fish Hatchery, 842-1341

Junior High (7-8)

1

1,110

High School (9-12)

1

1,145

Tupelo Community Theatre 844-1935

Private Schools (K-12)

5

760

Vocational-Technical

1

590

Tupelo Veterans Museum 844-1515

Tupelo Symphony Orchestra 842-8433 Tombigbee State Park 842-7669 Tours – Tupelo Convention & Visitors Bureau (800) 533-0611

GENDER BREAKDOWN

47%

53%

Type

TUPELO PUBLIC SCHOOL DISTRICT www.tupeloschools.com • 841-8850 Elementary Schools Carver Elementary

841-8870

Church Street Elementary

841-8880

Joyner Elementary

841-8900

Lawhon Elementary

841-8910

Lawndale Elementary

841-8890

Milam Elementary

841-8920

Parkway Elementary

844-6303

Pierce Street Elementary

841-8940

Rankin Elementary

841-8950

Thomas Street Elementary

841-8960

Middle School Tupelo Middle School

840-8780

High School Tupelo High School

841-8970

Higher Education University of Mississippi – Tupelo Branch

844-5622

Male Female

NUMBERS TO KNOW Animal Control, 841-6500 Chancery Clerk, 841-9100 Circuit Clerk (Voter Registration) 841-9024 County Administrator 841-9130 Downtown Main Street Association 841-6598 Driver’s License, 844-2408 Emergency, 911 Lee County Board of Supervisors, 841-9110 Lee County Library 841-9027

Mississippi University for Women – School of Nursing

844-0284

Itawamba Community College – Tupelo Branch

620-5000

Private Schools Children’s House the Montessori School Grades: Pre-K – K 2225 W. Main St.

842-0220

Lakeview Baptist Academy Grades: PK - 12 830 Shumacola Trail

842-4005

Montessori School of Tupelo Grades: Pre-K – K (18 months – K) 1955 Mount Vernon Rd.

840-9917

Tupelo Christian Academy (ACSI) Grades: K – 12 1801 E. Main St. www.tcmm.org

791-7731

Tupelo Christian Preparatory School Grades: PK4 – 12 5440 Endville Rd. www.tcps.net

844-8604

Mayor’s Office, 841-6513

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I M AG E S T U P E L O . C O M

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ACTION! ADVENTURE! “IT KEPT ME ON THE EDGE OF MY LAPTOP!”

“TUPELO LIKE IT’S NEVER BEEN SEEN BEFORE!”

Images of Tupelo

THE MOVIE

STARTS TODAY!

WORLD WIDE WEB SHOWTIMES VALID MONDAY-SUNDAY 24/7

SPECIAL ENGAGEMENT ANY RESEMBLANCE TO PLACES, EVENTS OR QUALITY OF LIFE IN TUPELO IS PURELY INTENTIONAL!

AT IM AGESTUPELO.COM

Community Profile Parks & Recreation 841-6440 Public Works 841-6457 Sheriff’s Department 841-9040 Tax Assessor (homestead exemption) 841-9031 Tax Collector (car tags) 841-9034 Tupelo Fire Department (nonemergency) 841-6439 Tupelo Police Department (nonemergency) 841-6491

FAMILY INCOME STATISTICS (2000 CENSUS) Income

Number

Percentage

Less than $10,000

657

7.1%

$10,000 to $14,999

469

5.1%

$15,000 to $24,999

933

10.1%

$25,000 to $34,999

1,169

12.7%

$35,000 to $49,999

1,521

16.5%

$50,000 to $74,999

2,082

22.6%

$75,000 to $99,999

1,217

13.2%

$100,000 to $149,999

641

6.9%

$150,000 to $199,999

189

2.0%

$200,000 or more

351

3.8%

Retire in the place where you belong

EDUCATIONAL ATTAINMENT

TUPELO, MISSISSIPPI

(2000 Census)

Where a warm welcome waits for you!

Percentage of age group High school graduate or higher 25 to 34 years 87.0% 35 to 44 years 86.1% 45 to 64 years, 84.8% 65 years and over, 62.2% Bachelor’s degree or higher 25 to 34 years, 28.9% 35 to 44 years, 29.8% 45 to 64 years, 29.3% 65 years and over, 15.7%

HOUSING STATISTICS (2000 Census) Median value $92,800 Number with a mortgage 904 Not mortgaged, 239 Median contract rent $363 Median gross rent $454

T h e a r e a c o d e f o r Tu p e l o i s 6 6 2 .

A CERTIFIED MISSISSIPPI RETIREMENT CIT Y

YO U R D O L L A R S G O FA RT H E R …

• Clean, Friendly & Safe Neighborhoods • Nine Lively Festivals

TUPELO RETIREMENT LIVING – BASK

TH! IN THE WARM

• Wildlife, Fishing & Parks • Golf, Recreation & Walking Trails • Largest Non-Metropolitan Full-Service Hospital in the Nation • Continuing Education • Cultural Amenities • Affordable Housing • Low Cost of Living, 12.7% Below National Average • Great Shopping & Restaurants • Places of Worship & Civic Organizations • Convenient Airline Connections & Good Highways • Retirement Income is Exempt from State Taxes Tupelo Retirement Living

(800) 488-0739 • retirement@ci.tupelo.ms.us www.visitmississippi.org/retire/tupelo.htm

I M AG E S T U P E L O . C O M

97

Save Money.

Smell the Flowers.

COMMERCIAL REAL ESTATE SPECIALISTS “SINCE 1952” Commercial Sales, Leasing & Development Residential & Commercial Rentals

Clay Short, Barry Replogle, Ellen Short

(662) 842-8283 (800) 731-8873 402 N. Gloster • Tupelo, MS www.TRIrealestate.net

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Looking for ways to save money on gas and help the environment?

The EPA wants to share some smart driving tips that could give you more miles per gallon of gas and reduce air pollution. Tips like making sure your tires are properly inflated and replacing your air filter regularly. And where possible, accelerate and brake slowly. Be aware of your speed ... did you know that for every 5 miles you go over 65 mph, you’re spending about 20 cents more per gallon of gas? If you’re shopping for a new car, choose the cleanest, most efficient vehicle that meets your needs. If we each adopt just one of these tips, we’d get more miles for our money and it would be a little easier to smell the flowers. For more tips and to compare cleaner, more efficient vehicles, visit

www.epa.gov/greenvehicles.

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Community Profile HOUSEHOLD INCOME STATISTICS (2000 CENSUS)

RECREATIONAL FACILITIES

Income Less than $10,000

1,400 acres of city parkland, including 18 beautiful city parks and 13 walking tracks Eight state parks and four national forests within an hour’s drive

Number 1,536

Percentage 11.4%

$10,000 to $14,999

958

7.1%

$15,000 to $24,999

1,671

12.4%

$25,000 to $34,999

1,907

4.1%

$35,000 to $49,999

2,221

16.5%

$50,000 to $74,999

2,470

18.3%

Tupelo’s Sportsplex houses 16 professionally lighted soccer fields at Ballard Park.

$75,000 to $99,999

1,418

10.5%

$100,000 to $149,999

736

5.5%

$150,000 to $199,999

211

1.6%

There are 12 professionally lighted baseball fields and seven softball fields in Tupelo.

$200,000 or more

367

2.7%

Headquarters for the Natchez Trace Parkway

POPULATION PROFILE

69.4%

28.3%

2.3%

0

10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 Other

Black

Caucasian

FOR MORE INFORMATION Community Development Foundation 300 W. Main St. Tupelo, MS 38802 Phone: 842-4521 Fax: 841-0693 www.cdfms.org Tupelo Convention & Visitors Bureau P.O. Drawer 47 Tupelo, MS 38802 Phone: (800) 533-0611 Fax: 841-6521 www.tupelo.net

Sources: www.cdfms.org, www.world climate.com, www.tupelo.net, www.census.gov

T h e a r e a c o d e f o r Tu p e l o i s 6 6 2 .

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Get downtown!

For unique shopping, urban living, fine dining and cool events.

™

Dining Carry Out Catering (any size group)

LLC www.tupelomainstreet.com

www.tupeloelvisfestival.com

Downtown Tupelo Main Street Association 108 S. Broadway • Tupelo, MS 38804 • (662) 841-6598

Mon., Tue., Wed.: 10:30 a.m.-6:00 p.m.

840-8800

Thur., Fri., Sat.: 10:30 a.m.-8:00 p.m.

203 Commerce St.

We Roast ...

You Boast!

Across from Tupelo Coliseum

Compliments of:

MARTINREA FABCO AUTOMOTIVE STRUCTURES An automotive supplier of structural assemblies, proudly supports the Community Development Foundation and Tupelo area community.

Willow tree angels • Mississippi hand pottery Tapestries • Home decor Goodie baskets • And much more!

323 CDF Blvd. • Shannon, MS 38868

“Specializing in meeting your needs”

questions answers

©2002 American Cancer Society, Inc.

8 0 0 . A C S . 2 3 4 5 / c a n c e r. o r g

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I M AG E S T U P E L O . C O M

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Community Profile CALENDAR OF EVENTS

January TUPELO GIGANTIC FLEA MARKET Tupelo Furniture Market Building 842-4442

February JUNIOR AUXILIARY CHARITY BALL

March TUPELO GIGANTIC FLEA MARKET Tupelo Furniture Market Building 842-4442

April AZALEA FESTIVAL Veterans Park

TUPELO GIGANTIC FLEA MARKET

August

Tupelo Furniture Market Building 842-4442

DOWNTOWN TUPELO FARMER’S MARKET

TUPELO HOG ROAST

South Spring Street 841-6598

Tupelo VFW Post 365-7659

June DOWNTOWN TUPELO FARMER’S MARKET South Spring Street 841-6598

ELVIS PRESLEY FESTIVAL Front Street – Downtown Tupelo 841-6598

JUNETEENTH CELEBRATION Ballard Park

TUPELO GIGANTIC FLEA MARKET Tupelo Furniture Market Building 842-4442

July

PCA SANCTIONED CHAMPIONSHIP RODEO Tupelo Buffalo Park and Zoo 844-8709

TUPELO FURNITURE MARKET Tupelo Furniture Market Buildings 842-4442

September DOWNTOWN TUPELO FARMER’S MARKET South Spring Street, 841-6598

NORTH MISSISSIPPI STATE FAIR Lee County Agri-Center, 566-5600

TUPELO GIGANTIC FLEA MARKET

TUPELO GIGANTIC FLEA MARKET

ALL-AMERICA CITY PICNIC

Tupelo Furniture Market Building 842-4442

Ballard Park 841-6440

WINE DOWN MAIN STREET

DOWNTOWN TUPELO FARMER’S MARKET

TUPELO MARATHON AND 14.2 MILER

South Spring Street 841-6598

Start/Finish at Tupelo Furniture Market Building

TUPELO GIGANTIC FLEA MARKET

WHITE BUFFALO POW WOW

Tupelo Furniture Market Building 842-4442

Tupelo Buffalo Park and Zoo 844-8709

Broadway Street Downtown Tupelo 841-6598

May BLUE SUEDE CRUISE

Tupelo Furniture Market Building 842-4442

BancorpSouth Arena 534-2683

CELLULAR SOUTH GUMTREE FESTIVAL COURTHOUSE SQUARE 844-ARTS

DOWNTOWN TUPELO FARMER’S MARKET South Spring Street 841-6598

DUDIE BURGER FESTIVAL Oren Dunn City Museum 841-6438

TUPELO FILM FESTIVAL Lyric Theatre 841-6521

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Community Profile

October CELEBRATION VILLAGE Tupelo Furniture Market Building 5 844-2111

DOWNTOWN TUPELO FARMER’S MARKET South Spring Street 841-6598

FALL CHILI FEST Broadway Street Downtown Tupelo 841-6598

TUPELO GIGANTIC FLEA MARKET Tupelo Furniture Market Building 842-4442

November CHRISTMAS HOLIDAY FLEA MARKET & CRAFTS SHOW

NESCO puts power into your project.

Tupelo Furniture Market 842-4442

TUPELO GIGANTIC FLEA MARKET Tupelo Furniture Market Building 842-4442

December Since 1965, Nesco has provided innovative solutions in power and lighting for thousands of projects.

A true Mississippi company, staying true to our region with the best inventory, the best service and the most professional expertise in the state.

Leading the way, and turning the lights on as we go.

ANNUAL GALA Gum Tree Museum of Art 844-ARTS (2787)

THE NUTCRACKER BALLET Middle School Civic Auditorium 841-8850

REED’S TUPELO CHRISTMAS PARADE Downtown Tupelo 841-6598

2344 S. Green St. • Tupelo (662) 840-4750 • www.nescoelectric.com Also Amory • Columbus • Oxford • Corinth • Starkville and The Lighting Gallery, Tupelo

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TUPELO GIGANTIC FLEA MARKET Tupelo Furniture Market Building 842-4442

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OF TUPELO MANAGING EDITOR SUSAN CHAPPELL COPY EDITOR JOYCE CARUTHERS ASSOCIATE EDITORS LISA BATTLES, SARAH B. GILLIAM ONLINE CONTENT MANAGER MATT BIGELOW EDITORIAL ASSISTANT JESSY YANCEY STAFF WRITERS CAROL COWAN, KEVIN LITWIN CONTRIBUTING WRITERS KIMBERLY DALY, SHARON H. FITZGERALD, TIM GHIANNI, LAURA HILL, MELANIE HILL, JOHN McBRYDE, JESSICA MOZO DATABASE PROJECT MANAGER YANCEY TURTURICE DATA MANAGERS RANETTA SMITH INTEGRATED MEDIA MANAGER ANDREA G. JOINER SALES SUPPORT MANAGER SARA SARTIN SENIOR PHOTOGRAPHER BRIAN M CCORD STAFF PHOTOGRAPHERS JEFF ADKINS, TODD BENNETT, ANTONY BOSHIER, IAN CURCIO, KYLE KEENER, JESSE KNISH PHOTOGRAPHY ASSISTANT ANNE WHITLOW CREATIVE DIRECTOR KEITH HARRIS WEB DESIGN DIRECTOR SHAWN DANIEL PRODUCTION DIRECTOR NATASHA LORENS ASST. PRODUCTION DIRECTOR CHRISTINA CARDEN PRE-PRESS COORDINATOR HAZEL RISNER PRODUCTION PROJECT MGRS. MELISSA HOOVER, JILL WYATT SENIOR GRAPHIC DESIGNERS LAURA GALLAGHER, KRIS SEXTON, VIKKI WILLIAMS LEAD DESIGNER ALISON HUNTER GRAPHIC DESIGN JESSICA BRAGONIER, ERICA HINES, JANINE MARYLAND, AMY NELSON, MARCUS SNYDER, CANDICE SWEET WEB PROJECT MANAGERS ANDY HARTLEY, YAMEL RUIZ WEB DESIGN RYAN DUNLAP, CARL SCHULZ COLOR IMAGING TECHNICIAN TWILA ALLEN AD TRAFFIC MARCIA BANASIK, SARAH MILLER, PATRICIA MOISAN, RAVEN PETTY CHAIRMAN GREG THURMAN PRESIDENT/PUBLISHER BOB SCHWARTZMAN EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT RAY LANGEN SR. V.P./CLIENT DEVELOPMENT JEFF HEEFNER SR. V.P./SALES CARLA H. THURMAN SR. V.P./OPERATIONS CASEY E. HESTER V.P./SALES HERB HARPER V.P./SALES TODD POTTER V.P./VISUAL CONTENT MARK FORESTER V.P./TRAVEL PUBLISHING SYBIL STEWART V.P./EDITORIAL DIRECTOR TEREE CARUTHERS MANAGING EDITORS/BUSINESS MAURICE FLIESS, BILL McMEEKIN MANAGING EDITOR/COMMUNITY KIM MADLOM PHOTOGRAPHY DIRECTOR JEFFREY S. OTTO CONTROLLER CHRIS DUDLEY ACCOUNTING MORIAH DOMBY, RICHIE FITZPATRICK, DIANA GUZMAN, MARIA McFARLAND, LISA OWENS RECRUITING/TRAINING DIRECTOR SUZY WALDRIP COMMUNITY PROMOTION DIRECTOR CINDY COMPERRY DISTRIBUTION DIRECTOR GARY SMITH IT SYSTEMS DIRECTOR MATT LOCKE IT SERVICE TECHNICIAN RYAN SWEENEY HUMAN RESOURCES MANAGER PEGGY BLAKE SALES/MARKETING COORDINATOR RACHEL MATHEIS SALES COORDINATOR JENNIFER ALEXANDER EXECUTIVE SECRETARY/SALES SUPPORT KRISTY DUNCAN OFFICE MANAGER SHELLY GRISSOM RECEPTIONIST LINDA BISHOP

CU S TO M M AG A Z INE M ED I A

Images of Tupelo is published annually

by Journal Communications Inc. and is distributed through the Community Development Foundation and its member businesses.

For advertising information or to direct questions or comments about the magazine, contact Journal Communications Inc. at (615) 771-0080 or by e-mail at info@jnlcom.com.

FOR MORE INFORMATION, CONTACT: Community Development Foundation 300 W. Main St. • Tupelo, MS 38802 Phone: (662) 842-4521 • Fax: (662) 841-0693 E-mail: info@cdfms.org www.cdfms.org VISIT IMAGES OF TUPELO ONLINE AT IMAGESTUPELO.COM ©Copyright 2008 Journal Communications Inc., 725 Cool Springs Blvd., Suite 400, Franklin, TN 37067, (615) 771-0080. All rights reserved.

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Visit Our Advertisers Atmos Energy www.atmosenergy.com

Main Street Association www.tupelomainstreet.com

B&B Concrete www.bbconcrete.com

Martin Rea www.martinrea.com

Bancorp South www.bancorp.com

McCarty Company www.mccartycompany.com

BBQ by Jim LLC

Mitchell McNutt & Sams PA www.mitchellmcnutt.com

BlueCross BlueShield of Mississippi www.bcbsms.com

Montessori School of Tupelo www.montessori-tupelo.org

Cellular South www.cellularsouth.com

Nephrology & Hypertension Associates LTD

Century 21 – Sue Gardner www.suegardnerrealty.com

Newell Paper Company www.newellpaper.com

Classic Finishes

North Mississippi Hematology & Oncology

Coldwell Banker – Tommy Morgan Inc. Realtors www.tmhomes.com Comcast www.comcast.com Community Development Foundation www.cdfms.org Cook Coggin Engineers Inc. www.cookcoggin.com Cooper Tires www.coopertire.com Create Foundation www.createfoundation.com Crye-Leike, Realtors www.crye-leike.com Day-Brite Lighting www.dcolighting.com DB’s Floral Designs N’ More Digestive Health Specialists Dogwood Development Company www.dogwooddevelopment company.com Eat With Us www.eatwithus.com Engineering Solutions Inc. www.esi-ms.com Hawkeye Industries Inc. www.hawkeye.ws Heavenly Ham www.heavenlyham.com Heritage Obstetrics & Gynecology Hilton Garden Inn/Bancorp South Conference Center www.hiltongardeninn.com

North Mississippi Medical Center www.nmhs.net North Mississippi Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery Associates PA Obstetrics & Gynecology Associates Premier Dental Care www.premierdentalcareonline.com Pryor & Morrow Architects www.pryor-morrow.com Regions Bank www.regions.com Renasant Bank www.renasant.com Rite-Kem www.ritekem.com Robinson & Associates www.robinson-advertising.com Sanders Clinic for Women Tennessee Valley Authority www.tva.gov The Continence Center www.urologypa.com The Cotton Bolt www.magnoliaco.com The Mall at Barnes Crossing www.barnescrossing.com Toyota Motor Manufacturing Mississippi www.toyota.com TRI Inc. Realtors www.trirealestate.net

Hunter Douglas www.hunterdouglas.com

Tupelo Auto Museum www.tupeloauto.com

Itawamba Community College www.iccms.edu

Tupelo Church of God www.tupelocog.org

J. Guyton Group www.jguytongroup.com

Tupelo Retirement Living www.ci.tupelo.ms.us

Jesco Inc. www.jescoinc.net

University of Mississippi Tupelo www.olemiss.edu/tupelo

Johnson Bailey Henderson McNeil Architects www.jbhm.com Kellum Dental Clinic www.kellumdental.com Lee County Library www.li.lib.ms.us Lighting Gallery by Nesco www.nescoelectric.com

Urology Professional Association www.urologypa.com Wal-Mart Super Center www.walmart.com WCBI-TV-DT www.wcbi.com Woman’s Clinic

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Complete conference and meeting facilities On-site culinary experts Over 10,000 sq. ft. of flexible space

You’ve Got to Start Meeting Like This.

387 E. Main St. • Tupelo, MS 38804 (662) 718-5555 • Fax: (662) 718-5560

www.tupelomeetings.com

Everything. Right where you need it.® Located in the heart of historic downtown Tupelo, The Hilton Garden Inn is the first choice for comfortable accommodations, memorable meals and successful events.

Hotel Facilities

Guest Room Features

Full-service Great American Grill® restaurant

Microwave, mini-refrigerator and coffee brewer

Indoor pool and whirlpool

Large work desk with Herman Miller Mirra® ergonomic desk chair

24-hour fitness center and Stay Fit Kit® Complimentary newspaper Pavilion Pantry convenience market Fully equipped business center Complimentary HSIA throughout hotel Banquet and meeting space

Remote printing to the business center Phillips® 26” inch HD flat-screen television Innovative MP3 compatible clock/radio Hairdryer, iron and ironing board Two telephones with voice mail and data ports

Hilton Garden Inn Tupelo 363 E. Main St. • Tupelo, MS 38804 (662) 718-5500 • Fax: (662) 718-5550

www.tupelo.hgi.com