Today in Mississippi November 2020 4-County

FOR MEMBERS OF 4-COUNTY ELECTRIC POWER ASSOCIATION

OUR CO-OP

VETERANS NOVEMBER 2020

A FAMILY

BIBLE BUSINESS

DESIGNING

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2 TODAY | NOVEMBER 2020

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outdoors today

grin ‘n’ bare it

This year is one for the books When we look back at 2020, we will shake our heads and recall a time that challenged all of us in ways we couldn’t even have imagined. The COVID-19 virus, a divisive political atmosphere, an abnormally active hurricane season and storms and tornadoes that hit areas of our state hard were all touchstones for 2020 that tested our resolve, patience and endurance.

Although some might dwell on the negatives, we all know we have much to be thankful for this November, even though the holidays won’t be the same this year.

Electric cooperatives play an integral role in the communities they serve. It’s just part of an electric cooperative’s DNA. Employees of the state’s electric cooperatives live, work and play in the same communities as our members.

When storms and tornadoes roared through the state, our linemen were out and about working long hours to power customers back up. Our members lost power and our linemen restored power. For them, we are thankful.

Our linemen deployed to nearby states when hurricane damage ravaged other communities to power up those in need.

I know our neighbors are thankful. And we are thankful as well, because when we need their help, our neighbor cooperatives will be there for us.

When the coronavirus made personal customer interaction — something all of our cooperatives take immense pride in

— impossible for a time, co-ops adapted and made changes that made it easy for members to pay bills, report power outages and access the customer service they deserve. For that, we are thankful.

Of course, there are all of the day-to-day blessings we enjoy that we are thankful for — freedom, family, friends, careers and the roofs over our heads. For our friends who may not be as blessed, our communities and churches step up to help. For that, we are thankful.

And don’t forget about college football. For that, we are thankful — especially this year!

Something else we are thankful for — the men and women who have sacrificed for something bigger than any one person.

Nov. 11 is Veterans Day and that’s the time we thank our military veterans for putting on the uniform and serving this amazing country. Although we have a specific day dedicated to it, we know every day is Veterans Day in Mississippi and for those who served, we are thankful.

From all the electric cooperatives in Mississippi to you, our members, we are thankful for you. Thanks for being part of our community in the worst of times and the best of times.

by Michael Callahan Executive Vice President/CEO Electric Cooperatives of Mississippi

Mississippi is...

Dense gray delta fog, Hard to see, Covers great river bog, But always home to me.

Oh to dine on any fine dish, When no one is the least, The house special is catfish.

All allowed to join our feast.

Towers of longleaf pine, Growing quickly and so high, Covers the land that I call mine, Evergreens touching the sky.

History lessons it behooves, To be wary of the crooks, Mississippi to improve, A place of authors, poets and books.

Hounds in search of the hare, Running in fields and thickets, Howls fill the southern air, And along with sounds of crickets.

Meandering around river bends, Passing cotton bales of white, Uncertain on how it ends, Hopeful we do what is right.

by Keith Ball of Petal, a member of Dixie Electric

What’s Mississippi to you?

What do you treasure most about life in our state?

Send your brief thoughts to Today in Mississippi, news@ecm.coop or mail to P.O. Box 3300, Ridgeland, MS 39158

NOVEMBER 2020 | TODAY 3

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picture this my opinion

in this issue

5 southern gardening Release the Snapdragons

7 scene around the ‘sip A look at special people and places around Mississippi

5

11

outdoors today The kayak and the hunter

14 local news 20 feature

50 Nights of Lights is becoming a Delta holiday tradition

The Official Publication of the Electric Cooperatives of Mississippi

Vol. 73 No. 10

OFFICERS Kevin Bonds - President Eddie Howard - First Vice President Randy Carroll - Second Vice President Ron Barnes - Secretary/Treasurer Michael Callahan - Executive Vice President/CEO EDITORIAL STAFF Ron Stewart - Senior VP, Communications Steven Ward - Editor Chad Calcote - Creative Director/ Manager Elissa Fulton - Communications Specialist Rickey McMillan - Graphic Designer Kevin Wood - Graphic Designer Chris Alexander - Administrative Assistant EDITORIAL OFFICE & ADVERTISING 601-605-8600

Acceptance of advertising by Today in Mississippi does not imply endorsement of the advertised product or services by the publisher or Mississippi’s electric power associations. Product satisfaction and delivery responsibility lie solely with the advertiser.

• National advertising representative: American MainStreet Publications, 800-626-1181

Circulation of this issue: 484,297

20

the love of 25 for the game Mississippi’s MLB park creator

Non-member subscription price: $9.50 per year.

Today in Mississippi (ISSN 1052-2433) is published 12 times a year

by Electric Cooperatives of Mississippi Inc., P.O. Box 3300, Ridgeland, MS 39158-3300, or 665 Highland Colony Parkway, Ridgeland, MS 39157. Phone 601-605-8600. Periodical postage paid at Ridgeland, MS, and additional office. The publisher (and/or its agent) reserves the right to refuse or edit all advertising.

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26 on the menu

Flavors for an autumn night

31

31 mississippi seen

It’s time to visit the clock museum

www.todayinmississippi.com

On the cover Christmas lights shine and glow at a past 50 Nights of Lights in downtown Cleveland.

STATE FAIR

Share photos of your favorite memories/scenes from the Mississippi State Fair past or present.

Photos must be high-resolution JPG files of at least 1 MB in size. Each entry must be accompanied by photographer’s name, address and co-op. Attach digital photos to email and send to news@ecm.coop Deadline: Dec. 4. Select photos will appear in the January 2021 issue.

4 TODAY | NOVEMBER 2020

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by Dr. Gary Bachman Gary Bachman, Ph.D., Extension/Research Professor of Horticulture at the Mississippi State University Coastal Research and Extension Center in Biloxi. He is also host of “Southern Gardening” radio and TV programs.

He lives in Ocean Springs and is a Singing River Electric member.

NOVEMBER 2020 | TODAY 5

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orange, yellow and white colors, with others in between. The plants produce multiple, tall flower spikes, which make them a perfect choice for use indoors as cut flowers.

Snapdragons are pretty easy to grow.

Keep the landscape bed or container consistently moist, but don’t overwater. I like to feed my snaps with water-soluble 20-20-20 fertilizer once a month. You might need to deadhead fading flower spikes to keep the plants looking tidy. If you are using them for cutting arrangements, you’ve already taken care of the deadheading.

In my experience, snaps won’t tolerate any extended freezing temperatures, but they will hang on through the winter in south Mississippi and provide good color in the cool fall and spring.

In the northern half of the state, it’s probably better to consider these as annuals for fall and spring color.

Not every garden center will have every variety, so call around to find out what selections are available in your area. One tip I will stress is to buy snapdragons when the plants have tight buds and just a little color peeking out. This will give you a longer, colorful display.

Regardless of variety, all gardeners I know who grow snapdragons in their landscape are not disappointed with them, and you will not be disappointed either.

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I like growing snapdragons when the seasons shift to cool weather. The colorful flowers are like a floral kaleidoscope in the landscape.

Snaps — my nickname for them — are fantastic for the cool-season cutting garden.

The vertical flower stalks add interest as the individual flowers line up neatly in tall bundles. And if you’re really lucky, you can enjoy their soft, cinnamon fragrance on a calm, warm morning.

There are quite a few snapdragon series that are great choices for our Mississippi landscapes.

The Snapshot series features compact, full plants topped by closely spaced, crowded flower spikes. The flower spikes are big for the size of the plant, and sturdy stems support these big flowers.

These snapdragons grow to 10-inches tall and wide. The Snapshot snapdragon mix is a beautiful combination of soft pastels and bicolor flowers.

The Solstice snapdragon series is a great choice for landscape use. These plants grow up to 2-feet tall and have a good range of flower colors that includes red, rose, yellow and mixed colors.

I really like the intense yellow-and-orange color combination of Solstice Orange Tricolor.

If you are a fan of double flowers, there are even snapdragons with this feature.

The flowers of the Twinny series are sometimes called butterfly blooms. Twinny Peach, an All-America Selections winner in 2010, has flowers in soft shades of peach, yellow and light orange.

While these are all great selections, I consider the Sonnet series as probably the most visible snapdragon we see in the landscape and my personal favorite.

The wide variety of colors in the series is one reason Sonnets are so popular. They grow up to 30-inches tall and display red,

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Fans of double flowers will enjoy the Twinny series of snapdragons. The flowers are sometimes called butterfly blooms.

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The average cost of rebinding a Bible is around $125 to $150.

Once the books get bigger than 6 x 9, the price goes up, depending on the Bible.

He said people, in most cases, can’t just throw away an old Bible.

“It’s all about what that Bible means to someone individually.

They have notes in them, special inscriptions or they were given to the person by someone special. A Bible can bring special memories to people. It’s a very personal thing,” Sproles said.

Sproles said he’s had people come to the shop with missing and torn up pages in a plastic bag because their dog has destroyed their Bible.

“They are so upset. They just want to kill their dog. But we have someone who will sit down and sift through the torn up pages. They will use other pages (from other Bibles) to put it all back together again. It happens several times a year,” Sproles said.

He also said unless the Bible’s pages are super dry and brittle to the point of crumbling, they can repair the book.

He said a Bible is a “living, breathing book” that has a ”heart and soul.”

“You read it and reread it every day. It’s the only book you read every day. Everybody has a story with their Bible. Folks may have more than one Bible and they don’t mind lending others out or giving some away but everyone has that one Bible — the Bible they won’t part with,” Sproles said.

Sproles added that the work he and his employees do is very satisfying.

“Sometimes, when people first see their Bible after we’re done, they weep. They just can’t believe it. We are in the business of making people happy. It’s a highly rewarding job,” he said.

Visit norrisbookbinding.com or call 662-453-7424 for more information.

NOVEMBER 2020 | TODAY 7

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by Steven Ward It’s hard for people to just throw away a Bible.

Even when a Bible is ancient, missing pages and falling apart, most owners can’t bring themselves to just chunk their book in a trash heap.

Gib Sproles and his family know about that problem and have been helping out Bible owners for decades.

Norris Bookbinding Company in Greenwood has been rebinding and repairing Bibles since 1947. Although the original owner of the business — H.H. Norris — started his shop with primarily library and commercial rebinding work, the need and demand for Bible repair work became evident.

Norris taught his employees the craft of Bible repair and, before long, other binderies and publishers around the U.S. began sending bible restoration customers to the Mississippi Delta city business.

Today, Norris Bookbinding has an international reputation as the U.S.’s largest Bible rebinding plant. The book binding company has served customers from every state and 30 foreign countries.

Gib Sproles, 60, runs the shop today. His father, Charles Sproles, 85 and his uncle, Johnny Sproles were brought in as partners before Norris died in 1967. Charles Sproles worked at the shop since he was 15. The Norris family sold their share of the business to the Sproles family in 1994.

Sproles and his family live in Winona and are members of Delta Electric Power Association.

Sproles said the business has seven employees. All seven rebind the Bibles by hand. The employees — including Gib Sproles — rebind about 300 Bibles a month.

“It takes a few hours to rebind a Bible by hand. There are a lot of steps. Gluing, pressing, resewing — It’s a time consuming process,” Sproles said.

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by Steven Ward There’s a lot of alignment Aaron Waldron is a field engineer and Tony Wallis spent 23 years in the U.S. between the seven cooperative warehouse worker for Coahoma Electric Air Force working in ground transporprinciples and military values, Power Association. tation and logistics. Although he was which fosters a transition One of five veterans working for stationed at Keesler Air Force Base in between veterans and co-ops, Coahoma’s co-op, Waldron, of Walls, spent Biloxi for 18 of those 23 years, Wallis said Desiree Dunham, NRECA’s five years in the U.S. Air Force working in spent part of his enlistment time overmanager of talent programs. communications where he was tasked with seas in the Middle East fighting the war Veterans bring valuable skill sets maintenance of cable, antennas and radio on terror. Wallis, 47, traveled to Iraq and and are mission-focused as a transmission systems.

Kuwait to drive trucks for the U.S. Army result of their military service.

Besides providing critical installation and run equipment to multiple bases in and maintenance for 13 air combat comthose areas. mand bases, two air education and training Wallis’ military background was a bases and three air reserve and air guard perfect fit when he went to work for bases, Waldron deployed a year and a Coast Electric Power Association six half working in combat communications years ago. Wallis, of Gulfport, is a warein Afghanistan — six months during the house manager and one of 21 veterans summer 2010 and a year from fall of 2011 employed by Coast Electric. to fall 2012.

“There are some similarities between Aaron Waldron Following his time in the Air Force, the military and working at a co-op.

Waldron enlisted in the Tennessee Air Although it’s a smaller fleet, we are close Guard and worked as an electrician and at Coast. It’s like a family. And it’s like lineman. Today, he works in transportation that in the military,” Wallis said. as a truck driver for the Tennessee Army Wallis said “it’s a blessing” to be workGuard while keeping his full-time job with ing for an electric cooperative.

Coahoma Electric.

November 11 is Veterans Day, a day “I enjoy working for the co-op. It’s a to salute the men of women of the U.S, Aaron Waldron Tony Wallis great place to be,” Waldron said. who have made sacrifices to serve their NRECA’s hiring initiative — Vets Power Us — helps co-ops country. address the challenges of attracting and retaining a new workElectric cooperatives have actively sought out and hired force as the industry faces waves of retirements and increasingly veterans for years because of their transferable skills and proven complex technology. The initiative also seeks to raise awareness success in real world situations. of utility careers among veterans, 40% of whom come from rural Veterans add value to the cooperative workforce because communities. they have extensive technical, leadership and safety skills; have “Veterans bring an already matured sense of camaraderie and the ability to learn new concepts and skills; are mission driven; team work to a cooperative that has exponential impact. In a have received crisis and risk management training; have strong lineman role, specifically, the honed problem-solving disposition problem solving skills and work efficiently in high pressure and fast-paced environments, according to the National Rural Electric is invaluable,” said Gerald Gordon, vice president of safety and loss control of the Electric Cooperatives of Mississippi.

Cooperative Association.

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n a tall pine, partially hidden but visible in pieces to one who took time for close scrutiny, he sat proudly.

Eyes keen for a fish breaking the surface or simply sequestered there in solitude and wishing no disturbance, I don’t know. But he was there. Not the most common sight in these parts, but then again not terribly rare. A bald eagle.

I watched closely. He then slid from that selected limb and spread wings in a grandiose display that spoke of freedom.

Overhead now, appearing close enough to touch. The moment was filled with wonderment.

At the time, a month or so back as you read this and before the leaves turned orange, brown and gold and the skies azure, I was paddling a small kayak along a waterway that had public land open to hunting on each side. Some specific guidelines were naturally in place regarding that hunting, but it was open, waiting there for use but begging respect.

The purpose of my paddling, in addition to general sightseeing, was a scouting mission. I had in mind not the animal that claims the most attention among state hunters — the whitetail — but squirrels and perhaps the wood duck. Seasons for deer and ducks would be along directly but not before squirrels were legal. For you see, I am a squirrel hunter, have been since my dad took me when I was a 10-year-old. That has now been a couple years past six decades.

I had long considered such a vehicle for such an endeavor but had somehow never gotten around to trying it. The canoe, yes, but not the kayak. The latter is more effective in a great many situations, and this was one of them. Pull over and explore the countryside. Drag the craft to a flooded

slough for some potential fishing or duck hunting as seasons allow. The canoe will do the same, but weight and bulk can be an issue. Not so much with the kayak.

Some might ask why in regards to this entire kayak enterprise. A valid answer is the hunting territory that is available.

Streams that course through Wildlife Management Areas, National Forest lands and National Wildlife Refuges across the state afford basic access to surrounding woods, and a float may be the most expeditious means by which to reach them. Age, something with which I have become acquainted, may preclude long hikes to quiet spots seldom visited, but a small watercraft can open some productive venues that are off limits to motorized contrivances.

Simply, a kayak — or canoe but with added restrictions — can enhance hunting opportunities. Public lands are many; streams or lakes can become the means by which to explore and hunt some viable sites. And always wear a Personal Flotation Device when on the water. Oh, and you may see an eagle along the way.

by Tony Kinton Tony Kinton has been an active outdoors writer for 30 years. He lives in Carthage and is a Central Electric member. Visit www.tonykinton.com for more information.

The author paddles along a stream with public land lining each side. He dragged the kayak up the river bank and into an old river run. Wood ducks were there. Photo by Sam Valentine.

NOVEMBER 2020 | TODAY 11

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BOARD OF DIRECTORS: Johnny Johnson, President • Mike Banks, Vice President • Marty Crowder, Secretary/Treasurer • Bill Bell • Kenneth Seitz • John E. “Jay” Gilliland Jr.

is here;

Concern for Community Over the years, you’ve probably heard or read about 4-County Electric Power Association’s concern for our community. This is one of the core principles that sets cooperatives apart from other types of utilities and businesses. We’ve always taken this mission and responsibility to heart. It’s who we are as a co-op.

With that in mind, we are excited to announce the name of our new broadband subsidiary, FASTnet. We’re living up to that name.

Since announcing we would begin broadband services on an initial basis, we’ve hit the ground running. Plans are being made, equipment is being delivered and the first spools of fiber have arrived.

That’s Concern for Community.

And, beginning in November, 4-County members will see a reduction in rates (see story on page 17). That’s also Concern for Community.

It doesn’t stop there. Over the past few months, like so many of you, we’ve risen to meet new challenges and strengthen the safety net for our community, particularly for those who are most vulnerable. Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, we’ve made numerous adjustments to programs and operations to maintain business continuity while staying focused on the bigger mission of helping our consumer-members during this turbulent time. That’s Concern for Community. There’s more.

Now, with the holidays fast approaching, these recent events have made me pause and think about the role we play in our community. While our purpose is to provide safe and reliable energy to you, the members we serve, we have a greater mission — to be a catalyst for good.

You’re probably aware of the 4-County Foundation, where we take donations from generous members like you who have “rounded up” the amount due on their electric bill to help non-profit organizations within our communities. Or our Youth Tour program, where we help build on the dreams of our community’s brightest young people.

14 TODAY | NOVEMBER 2020

We also have a strong commitment to safety — not just for our employees, but for our community as well. We visit schools to teach children of all ages how to stay safe around electricity. We hold safety demonstrations at community meetings and other gatherings. We have also provided our hotline demonstration to organizations in our service area.

4-County invests in the economic development of the community through an active role in our local Chamber of Commerce. We assist in economic development projects by providing our expertise in providing electricity for set-up, maintenance and growth of incoming companies.

You’ll also see our employees serving on local boards, coaching youth sports, volunteering at charitable events and serving at area churches. Because when you work at a co-op, you understand how important a strong community is — after all, without you, the co-op wouldn’t exist.

We know that our core job is to keep the lights on; but our passion is our community. Because we live and work here too, and we want to make it a better place for all.

If there’s anything we can do to help you — whether providing energy-saving advice to help lower your monthly bill or discuss payment plan options during these difficult times — please reach out to us at 1-800-431-1544.

Concern for community is the heart and soul of who we are. And no matter what the future brings, you can count on your electric co-op to care about you.

by Brian Clark CEO/General Manager

Update

FASTnet is 4-County’s new broadband subsidiary FASTnet is the name of 4-County Electric Power Association’s subsidiary company that will bring broadband services to co-op members.

4-County unveiled the name and logo in October during a brief ceremony at the co-op’s Corporate Center in Mayhew.

“This is a historical day for 4-County and its members,” said 4-County CEO Brian Clark.

“We’re entering a new area of service. But, like always, we’re prepared to deliver.”

Fast, reliable, quality.

These three adjectives embody the FASTnet brand, according to Clark. “Our goal is to live up to the FASTnet name,” Clark said.

Supplies are coming in. Plans have been made. And the first spools of fiber are rolling in. Construction has begun.

Broadband preparations are alive and well at 4-County Electric Power Association.

“We’re already working hard to make this happen,” Clark said. “And we’re doing so with a sense of excitement, offering something new and needed to our members.”

4-County members recently voted to amend the co-op’s Certificate of Incorporation, paving the way for the utility to create a subsidiary company that can provide broadband.

The Columbus-based cooperative has received a matching grant from the recently enacted Mississippi CARES Act Grant Program that will enable the Association to launch a pilot program in areas of Choctaw, Clay and Noxubee counties.

That grant program, established by the Mississippi Legislature in July, earmarked $65 million in potential funding for state electric

cooperatives to help deploy broadband to their members. Clark says 4-County was excited to take part in the fund distribution and the groundbreaking rollout of these broadband services to the 4-County territory. “We’ve been working on an approach to broadband and this was a great way to get started. The whole point of co-ops getting into the broadband area is to make fast, affordable internet available to people who don’t currently have access to it. That’s exactly what this grant will help us do,” Clark said.

Capped at $6 million per cooperative, the grants must be matched by the cooperative and must be used in areas that are considered unserved or underserved. 4-County will put in about $7 million dollars to kick-start the three pilot programs.

The projects will cover parts of north east Choctaw, west Clay and north Noxubee counties. Not everyone in those counties, or even in the areas covered by the pilots will initially be able to get service. The grant requirements are very specific about the areas and members that can be served. The co-op hopes that these initial projects are the start to bringing broadband to all members.

Details of the projects Clark outlined (such as how much the service will cost and when it will be available to members) have yet to be determined. However, those bullet points will be announced as soon as possible.

Members with questions or comments about broadband can call 1-800-431-1544 or email broadband@4county.org.

NOVEMBER 2020 | TODAY 15

Singing weatherman hits the high notes

by Brad Barr Meteorologist Bob Swanson might not know any rain dances, but he will gladly shower you with a few songs about the weather.

Swanson, known in these parts as “the singing weatherman,” delivers his folksy weather and astronomy ballads to students in and around Mississippi. Why? “I guess there are not many professionals writing songs about their academic areas of expertise. But it works for me,” he said with a grin.

The Mississippi State University (MSU) instructor/lab coordinator teaches his students the ins and outs of physics and astronomy all to the tune of a well-worn Washburn acoustic.

There is a definite correlation between music and learning, he said. “How many songs do you remember from childhood?

Think about it. You can remember a lot of them. The melody 16 TODAY | NOVEMBER 2020

and repetition of songs enhances the learning curve.”

Students enter his second-floor classroom in MSU’s Hilbun Hall with a sense of anticipation. In the lobby outside, Swanson takes a deep breath before entering the classroom like a modern-day Elvis, complete with sequined and embroidered jacket (decorated with weather, astronomy and physics this and that) and a symphony of instruments. “Singing is my real instrument,” he stresses. However, the guitar, banjo, harmonica, mandolin and accordion accessorize Swanson’s one-man band.

After a slight pause for affect, the teaching begins. “They love it,” he said of his college physics students. “When the guitar comes out, so do their phones for a video. They’re engaged.”

But how did the singing weatherman shtick get started? Let’s start at the beginning, Swanson advised. He grew up at the top of Limestone Ridge in south central Pennsylvania, surrounded

by dairy farms and a frequent deluge of snow. As a youth, he was passionate about sports radio, and aspired to be a major league baseball play-by-play announcer. “I fell in love with radio baseball,” the Pittsburgh Pirates fan explained. However, his Uncle Richie, one of three uncles named Richie, urged him to pursue a more obtainable career. An interest in science ensued and a bachelor’s degree in physics and philosophy from the University of Scranton and a master’s degree in meteorology from Penn State University followed.

After graduation, he had stints as a television weatherman in Pennsylvania, Arkansas and Tennessee. During his early television career, Swanson received a request to speak to a preschool class about weather. “I had nothing,” he said, with regard to educational content for children. “In five minutes, they were done with me and I was done with them.”

In the search for an educational hook, Swanson thought about his love of music. He had a guitar. He liked to sing. Why not sing educational songs about the weather? Swanson was soon doing 80 to 90 interactive performances a year. “Teachers started calling the television stations asking for the guy with the guitar,” he said. “It was my calling card.”

He began writing songs, like the “Weather Riddle Song” and the “Weather Wiggle Song,” and then recorded a CD. His music can best be described as “folksy” or full of polka. But they will never be called mundane. Here is a verse from the meteorological hit, “How hot is it”: “Farmer Jones just mutters that he can’t make any butter because the udders on his cows give powdered milk.”

Swanson said he receives much support from contemporaries, friends and family. He lives in Starkville with his wife Meredith (responsible for the details of his colorful jackets) and their three sons: D.J., 13; Nate, 11 and Henry, 8. The family’s favorite kind of weather is crisp, cool and clear. “That’s the best time to look at the stars.”

When he decided to leave media and begin teaching in college, Bob discovered the “singing weatherman shtick” worked for older kids, too. “It goes over really well. I like the live performances — being in front of a classroom of students,” he said. Former student Sommer Shmulsky agrees. “Bob Swanson goes above and beyond to teach his students,” she said. “He uses very creative methods to teach. His classes were so informative and entertaining, and I looked forward to them every week.

His unique teaching methods made physics so much fun.”

Today, Swanson often travels around Mississippi with his guitar slung on his back, looking to spin a few stories about the sky and stars. He often performs at library groups and other scholastic venues. You can book him for a paid appearance by going to www.storminswanson.com. On the other hand, you can enroll in his class at MSU and hear his narrative singsong verses.

Swanson acknowledges that his teaching method may be a little unconventional. However, is the conventional way always the best way? “I think it shows the level of passion I have for my job,” he said. “Do something different. Make yourself stand out.”

When it’s all said and done, Swanson’s forecast is the same today as it is tomorrow: Bright and sunny with a chance for learning.

Rate decrease for 4-County members 4-County Electric Power Association members will enjoy a reduction in rates, beginning in November and lasting for a 12-month cycle.

Residential members should see about a $2.17 a month decrease. Commercial accounts will also see a decrease with certain variances, depending on the type of business and energy usage, according to estimates by 4-County officials.

Local power companies, like 4-County, recently received a cumulative $200 million credit from the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA). 4-County decided to use its portion of the pot to reduce its members’ rates. “We continually strive to provide the best service at the lowest possible cost. 4-County members are our priority,” said 4-County CEO Brian Clark.

TVA is reducing the price of its power through rebates or credits to utility customers like 4-County after cutting its own

debt and expenses. The reduction is associated with a special $200 million coronavirus pandemic relief credit, equal to a 2.5% discount on its base electric rates.

TVA officials say the credit is intended to help communities and businesses recover more quickly from the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and reflects the improved efficiencies and fiscal performance of TVA. 4-County officials say the cooperative strives to provide a high quality product at a good price. In 2016, thanks to cost-saving measures and fiscal prudence, 4-County absorbed a TVA rate increase and did not pass the rate increase on to its members. In total, member savings for that year alone were in excess of $1.4 million system wide and $5.66 million over a fouryear period.

NOVEMBER 2020 | TODAY 17

4-County sent crews to Florida

2020 Macon

4-County Macon line workers were recently selected as “Hometown Heroes” in a Commercial Dispatch Reader’s Poll for the Macon/Noxubee County area. Congratulations!

Bert Hadaway

Johnny Mitchener

Robbie Agnew

Derek Dawkins

Jason Sellers

Rowdy Rigdon

Isaac Carroll

Tanner Owen

Dedrick Stevenson

18 TODAY | NOVEMBER 2020

Two 4-County Electric Power Association crews recently assisted Escambia River Electric Cooperative in Florida with power restoration efforts after Hurricane Sally swept through their service area Sept. 15.

The 4-County crews (13 men total) left Sept. 17, carrying with them three bucket trucks, two digger derrick trucks and two crew trucks. They worked in the area for several days.

In the direct aftermath of the storm, nearly all of Escambia River Electric’s 11,450 members were without power.

Hurricane Sally caused widespread damage with high winds, pounding rain and storm surge, breaking poles and downing power lines.

Escambia River Electric, serving Escambia and Santa Rosa counties in the Florida panhandle, has 1,800 miles of energized line.

Rural electric cooperatives throughout the nation share a reciprocal agreement with each other to provide help to sister cooperatives in times of crisis. 4-County will send crews and equipment, if needed, to assist in the restoration of power lines, poles and substations damaged by wind, storm surge and other elements of hurricane-related weather. Two 4-County crews also recently assisted Beauregard Electric Cooperative for several days in their Hurricane Laura storm restoration efforts.

“We were glad to be in a position to send this assistance to help restore power to Escambia River Electric Cooperative and Beauregard Electric Cooperative members in need. We have been in the midst of hurricane season. Our system and members have been the recipients of assistance from other electric cooperatives in the past, and we are always glad to be able to help others when they need assistance. That’s the cooperative way,” said 4-County Manager of Operations Anthony Miller.

E S

EMPLOYEE SPOTLIGHT

Problems are no problem for Branning A wise person once said that problems are actually opportunities in disguise.

As an accounting clerk at 4-County Electric Power Association, Jima Branning likes to search for the answers to challenging questions. “I like to solve problems,” Jima said. “I enjoy working with the members. We want them to feel good about our interactions,” she said.

Jima takes her cue on customer service from her father, Ted Lewis, a 4-County retiree with a long career that included stints as district manager and safety coordinator. “As a little girl, I loved to hear what he had been doing all day at work,” she said. “I was very interested. I asked a lot of questions about power lines, poles and all the equipment. We have been blessed to be a part of 4-County.

God has a plan for me being here.”

She also remembers Ted’s middle-of-thenight phone calls, storms coming through during holidays and the long hours frequently associated with restoring power outages.

“Sometimes we would do events early, like Christmas, if we knew bad weather was coming in. He wanted to be here with us for those times, so we adjusted,” the co-op legacy explained. “One Christmas, we got up at 3 a.m. to celebrate because he knew he was going to go in to work because of an ice storm. I’ve always looked up to my dad.”

Jima Branning lives in the Morgantown community of Sturgis with her husband, Jay, and their children Ainsley, 7, and Baylor, 2.

They attend Morgan Chapel Baptist Church.

Their home site sits on about 50 acres, presided over by Onan the rooster and his subservient chicken friends.

Jima attended East Mississippi Community College where she studied liberal arts. She also attended Mississippi State University (MSU). She began working at 4-County in May 2008. “Time flies,” she said. Jima began her career as a roving cashier and advanced to her current position as accounting clerk.

Prior to 4-County, she worked in the offices of Morgan Construction Company in Starkville.

Jima describes her home community of Morgantown as a very strong, close-knit atmosphere. “My friends from childhood are still my friends today. Our kids are growing up together like we did,” she said.

Her hobbies include watching MSU sports, baking, being outside and painting with her kids. She strives to be a good wife and mother. And she enjoys being a part of a women’s prayer group. “That’s special to me. My passion is my relationship with Jesus Christ.”

Her favorite Holy Bible scriptures are 1 John 5:11: And the testimony is this, that God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son; and 1 Peter 3:15: but sanctify Christ as Lord in your hearts, always being ready to make a defense to everyone who asks you to give an account for the hope that is in you, yet with gentleness and reverence.

Day by day, Jima added, there’s always something new happening at the co-op. “We provide a valuable service to the community and we work to brighten their days.”

4-County, she said, is truly a home away from home. “I love the camaraderie with my co-workers,” Jima explained. “It’s a place of business, but it’s so much more than that.

We’re a family.”

Words to hang your hard hat on Honesty, Integrity, Service.

Those are good words to live by — and work by.

4-County Electric Power Association employees keep them close to heart. Actually, they will soon be big and bold on their shirt sleeves and vehicles.

The colorful slogan, featuring 4-County’s traditional red and blue colors and a graphic with pole with transformer, will soon be implemented on employees’ right shirt sleeves. The graphic slogan will also be displayed on each side

of co-op vehicles.

4-County’s logo will not change.

This slogan will be featured as a stand-alone graphic.

“These are the words we live by,” 4-County CEO Brian Clark said. “So we decided to emphasize them and let our members rest assured that we’re here for them and that’s the way we want to do business.”

The co-op will gradually implement the new clothing patches and vehicle decals throughout 2021.

For more information, call 1-800-431-1544.

NOVEMBER 2020 | TODAY 19

50 Nights of Lights:

by Steven Ward The tradition started in 2016 with the donation of a 40-foot Christmas tree for downtown Cleveland.

Today, the Delta city celebrates a festival of shining Christmas lights that glow for visitors from Nov. 14 to Dec 31.

50 Nights of Lights will feature more than 100,000 lights that transform downtown Cleveland into a winter wonderland.

Becky Nowell, the wife of Cleveland Mayor Billy Nowell, has been the mover and shaker behind the holiday event’s success.

“It’s definitely an event that has drawn people to Cleveland.

It’s so heartwarming to watch people experience it and to see the joy the lights bring to people’s faces. It’s a wonderful event for families and children,” Nowell said.

20 TODAY | NOVEMBER 2020

The first full-fledged 50 Nights of Lights was held in 2017 and since that time, the city has had thousands of visitors attend the opening night tree lighting ceremony and visit throughout the 50 days, Nowell said.

The origins of the event stem back to an idea for downtown business owners.

A group of Cleveland women including Jane Dunlap, Clemmie Collins and Jo Beth Janoush started the downtown holiday tradition and encouraged business owners to put white lights in their windows and had white light trees installed on the city’s green strip. They dubbed the occasion, “Light Up Your Holidays” and expanded soon after to include rooftop lighting on downtown buildings.

:

A Delta downtown Christmas Then, the Janoush family donated a beautiful, 40-foot tree downtown, along with many other lighted and animated decorations. After seeing the excitement over the new decorations, a committee was formed to expand on what had been started with the goal of making downtown Cleveland a destination place for people to come look at the downtown lights and decorations.

According to the city, the committee developed a plan to add white lights to the crepe myrtles downtown and to have a musical theme on Sharpe Street in the sections from Highway 8 to North Street as a tribute to Cleveland’s Grammy Museum, a Candy Land theme on the block of Sharpe Street from North Street to Court Street, and a train theme for The Depot and Train Museum block of Sharpe Street.

Nowell said local businesses, individuals and civic clubs were asked to purchase displays as a donation to the city.

50 Nights of Lights includes lighted Christmas trees, Santa’s elves, carolers, snowmen, candy canes, musical instruments, a train, reindeer playing sports and Santa Claus riding in airplanes, trucks and tractors, Nowell said.

There is also a gingerbread house, a tunnel of white lights and a 50-foot poinsettia wreath with lighted candles anchoring the south side of downtown.

Because of COVID-19, this year’s lighting ceremony will be virtual, Nowell said. continued page 22

NOVEMBER 2020 | TODAY 21

and a Happy New Year!

The lights will be turned on Nov. 14. Visitors will be able to watch the lighting live on the Cleveland Chamber of Commerce Facebook page, as well as the event’s website, 50nightsoflights.com. The livestream will start at 6:45 p.m. with a preshow followed by the lighting at 7 p.m.

COVID-19 will also prevent Santa Claus from visiting with children in person this year, Nowell said.

The city’s public works department, led by Public Works Director Ray Bell, is an essential part of the event’s success. Part of the department’s role includes constant maintenance of the lights throughout the 50 days.

“They have 160 displays to install. They started working in September and worked all of October to make this happen. We couldn’t do it without them,” Nowell said.

If You Go:

Downtown Cleveland Nov. 14 to Dec. 31 Lights turned on at dusk each day Admission: Free For more information: 50nightsoflights.com

Visitors can walk through downtown to experience the lights or take a driving tour.

Danny Abraham, a city alderman and owner of Abraham’s Clothing, said the traffic 50 Nights of Lights brings to the city increases sales at his store but also represents “a remarkable event” that has helped the city transform into an important Delta destination.

“You walk outside and see people walking around and talking while looking at the lights and it just looks like a Hallmark Channel movie,” Abraham, a member of Delta Electric Power Association, said.

“It gets people in the spirit of Christmas, love and peace,” he added.

and a Happy New Year!

NOVEMBER 2020 || TODAY TODAY 23 23 OCTOBER 2020

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who designs MLB parks

You may not be familiar with Janet Marie Smith, but she is in the business of connecting baseball parks to their urban surroundings.

Her dad, Thomas H. Smith, was born in Union, grew up in Laurel and graduated from high school in Ellisville. Her mom, Nell Smith, was from Rockport in Copiah County while her parental grandparents Clarence and Desma Smith lived in Richter.

Smith’s dad, a Jackson architect, was also a big baseball fan. Both of those loves were handed down to his daughter. “Dad was a big baseball fan who loved Joe DiMaggio and the Yankees,” said Smith.

Smith’s resume reads like the back of a baseball card of a major league all-star. She has worked in Baltimore, Atlanta, Boston and Los Angeles, preserving each team’s history, along with creating new fan experiences and settings that are respectful to the histories of the cities and teams.

She is the most famous ballpark architect today. It was her work on Camden Yards in Baltimore that propelled the 1981 Mississippi State University architecture graduate to fame. Her vision directed all the seats in Camden Yards to face home plate, widened the concourses and located concession stands where the fans could keep up with the games while they were in line.

She included past memories from the Orioles’ former home of Memorial Stadium. She brought the right field foul pole, home plate and a “Welcome Fans” sign to Camden Yards.

“Baltimore had beautiful historic buildings to save,” Smith said. “The best of the buildings was the 1899 Baltimore & Ohio Railroad (B&O) Warehouse. It is the longest building east of the Mississippi River and the largest brick building on the East Coast and had been abandoned for over 20 years. Today, the Orioles use it for team offices, team spaces, private clubs and restaurants and is open year-round,” Smith said. The warehouse turned out to be the signature of the new Oriole Park at Camden Yards.

“The desire in the building of Camden Yards was to respect

the urban environment that we were in, and if you think about it, it was the first ballpark that was built in an urban setting in 70 years. It brings three million people a year into the downtown. We studied the older ballparks that had character and charm. In the end, we wanted to create a traditional ballpark with modern amenities. We did not want to do a full throwback, but we did want it to be as cherished as Fenway Park or Wrigley Field,” she said.

Writer and baseball enthusiast George Will said the three most important things that have happened in baseball since World War II were Jackie Robinson taking the field in 1947, free agency being enacted in 1975 and Camden Yards being built in 1992.

What is flattering to Smith is that so many other teams chose urban settings for their ballparks. Today, 26 of the 30 teams now have parks in urban areas.

What followed Camden Yards was the conversion of Atlanta’s Olympic Stadium into Turner Field, home of the Braves. In 2002, the Boston Red Sox hired Smith to save Fenway Park. The iconic park needed a serious remodel. She added suites and added seats on top of the famous “Green Monster,” widened the concourses and made concession stand improvements. Smith, who also has a master’s degree in Urban Planning from City College in New York, just finished a $300 million remodel of Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles.

Today, the Mississippi Sports Hall of Famer lives in Baltimore with her husband and three children.

“My goal was never to work in baseball. I was aiming to change a city,” Smith said.

by Dale McKee Dale McKee is a Waynesboro native who has been writing sports in Mississippi since 1973. Contact him at ddmckee18@yahoo.com.

NOVEMBER 2020 | TODAY 25

mississippi seen

mississippi is...

events

mississippi marketplace on the menu outdoors today scene around the ‘sip picture this my opinion co-op involvement southern gardening

grin ‘n’ bare it

with Martha Hall Foose

26 TODAY | NOVEMBER 2020

Revisions Requested Approved

CHAD Date_____ Revisions Requested Approved

Heat oven to 450 degrees.

In a large bowl, combine the cheese, egg yolks, mustard, Worcestershire sauce and horseradish. Set aside.

In a medium bowl, whip the egg whites until they hold a smooth, stiff peak. Fold a third of the egg whites into the cheese. Fold in the remaining whites.

Place the toast in a baking dish and spread the cheese mixture over them. Bake for 10 minutes, or until the cheese is puffy and bubbly-brown around the edges.

STEVEN Date_____

teaspoon prepared horseradish thick slices sourdough or rustic style bread, lightly toasted

Revisions Requested

Heat oven to 300 degrees.

In a large heatproof bowl, lightly whisk the egg yolks until smooth. Set aside.

In a medium saucepan over medium high heat, combine the cream, milk and brown sugar and cook, stirring constantly, until the sugar dissolves and the mixture begins to simmer. Remove the pan from the heat, cover and keep warm.

In a medium saucepan, combine the granulated sugar with 1/4 cup water and bring to a boil over high heat. Cook without stirring until the mixture becomes dark amber, swirling the pan if hot spots develop. Whisk in the remaining cream mixture.

In a slow steady stream, whisk the cream and sugar mixture into the egg yolks. Add the vanilla and salt.

(Strain the mixture through a fine sieve, if desired, for an extra smooth pudding.)

Ladle the custard into 6 (4-ounce) custard cups.

Line a roasting pan with a dishtowel. Place the custard cups on the towel. Place the roasting pan on the middle rack in the oven. Fill the roasting pan with enough hot tap water to reach halfway up the custard cups. Cover the roasting pan with foil. Bake at 300 degrees for 45 to 50 minutes, until the custards barely jiggle when lightly shaken.

Remove the roasting pan from the oven and remove the foil. Allow the custards to cool in the water to room temperature. Transfer the custards to the refrigerator and chill for at least one hour. — Serves 6

INGREDIENTS ½ pound hoop cheese or ½ extra-sharp Cheddar, grated (2 cups) 4 3 large eggs separated 1 teaspoon wholegrain mustard 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

Approved

¾ cup granulated white sugar 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract 1 teaspoon salt

ABOUT THE AUTHOR Martha Hall Foose, the author of “Screen Doors & Sweet Tea: Recipes and Tales of a Southern Cook,” won the James Beard Award for American Cooking. Her latest collaboration is “A Good Meal is Hard to Find: Storied Recipes from the Deep South” with Amy C. Evans.

Martha makes her home in the Mississippi Delta with her husband and son. She is a member of Yazoo Valley Electric Power Association.

NOVEMBER 2020 | TODAY 27

RON Date_____

INGREDIENTS 6 large egg yolks (save whites for another use, like an egg white omelet) 2 cups heavy cream 1 cup whole milk ¼ cup dark brown sugar

It drives my husband crazy. The first hint of chill in the autumn air, I am ready to stoke the fireplace. When the days shorten, and it’s dark before you know it, whipping-up this glorified cheese toast and pairing it with a spinach salad signifies the season has changed.

Whipped egg whites elevate the sharp, red rined, hoop cheese. Whole grain mustard, Worcestershire sauce and a bit of horseradish give the puffed-up cheese topping a whollop of flavor. This is also a favorite dish with the hunters in my family when they come in from the cold.

I like to serve this with a little dollop of Major Grey chutney or a sweet and savory pepper jelly.

VERSION #______________

These little cups full of exquisitely creamy custard with the welcome Fall flavor of dark brown sugar are fancy enough for sit-down dinner in the dining room with the good china and comforting enough for snuggling up with on the couch.

This comes together pretty easily, especially if you have all of your pots, pans and utensils ready before you begin.

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Puckett Methodist Women’s Missions Market Place, Nov. 7. Puckett. Event will include vendors with handmade items, a rummage sale, raffle items and a soup lunch café for $5.

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by Walt Grayson Walt Grayson is the host of “Mississippi Roads” on Mississippi Public Broadcasting television and the author of two “Looking Around Mississippi” books and “Oh! That Reminds Me: More Mississippi Homegrown Stories.” He lives in Brandon and is a Central Electric member. Contact him at walt@waltgrayson.com.

NOVEMBER 2020 | TODAY 31

Revisions Requested Approved

STEVEN Date_____ Revisions Requested Approved

RON Date_____

in there, too. It’s one of those collections that you might take all in at a single glance. Or you might get absorbed with one clock, marveling at the mechanics of it — how it measures time in chunks as long as months, then down to weeks, days, hours, minutes, seconds — all on the same device.

The sound of 400 clocks all ticking at once is mesmerizing.

And it changes as you walk around the room and get closer to or farther away from some of the louder or softer clocks. It all blends together like water rippling over rocks in a brook or a horse galloping. Or someone walking deliberately along a path.

It occurred to me that the combined sounds of all of the clocks are movement related — going toward a destination. The brook to the sea. The horse to the finish line. The hiker toward home.

Individual, each clock just ticks — suggesting someone in a rocking chair. A lot of movement but little progress.

But that’s life. Stymied, or moving away from or toward something. Away from youth but toward maturity. But ultimately — toward next spring when we have to reset all of them again.

VERSION #______________

We had hobby shows back when I was in grade school. My best friend collected matchbooks. You remember those free packets of matches beside the cash registers at restaurants and places like that with their logo on the cover? His mom was in the military, so he had matchbooks from all over the world.

Others had stamp collections.

I can’t remember all of the hobbies anymore. I Scotch-taped my arrowheads onto poster board and showed them.

Is there a psychology to hobbies that points to some longing in our personalities? Some emptiness buried in our DNA that we try to fill by collecting or building or painting? Maybe it’s something meaningful from our childhoods that we attempt to recreate. Cooking. Or picking up old radios at flea markets. I don’t want to think about it too much or I might really figure it out and ruin the fun of hobbies.

Cullis and Gladys Wade had an interesting hobby. Finding and repairing old clocks. They donated their collection to Mississippi State University. There are about 400 of them displayed in the Cullis Wade Depot — the Mississippi State Welcome Center. The Clock Museum is free. Next “time” you are in Starkville and have some “time” on your hands, stop in and look around.

I’m glad I’m not the person in charge of all of the clocks this time of year. Changing from savings time back to standard time would mean having to reset all of them. And that would take a while to do. A lot longer than it takes just to keep them wound.

Most of the clocks in the collection are from the 1800s and 1900s. Although some go back as far as the 1700s. Most are American and some European. I think there is an Oriental clock

Revisions Requested

CHAD Date_____

Approved

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