DAY TRIP: HISTORY IN PORT GIBSON
A HOUSE OF LOVE FAITH LEADS FAMILY TO HOME
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DAY TRIP:
HISTORY IN PORT GIBSON
JULY/AUGUST 2020 GENERAL MANAGER Jan Griffey EDITORIAL Brett Campbell
Gracie Byrne
Donna Campbell
CONTRIBUTING Kim Henderson
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A HOUSE OF LOVE FAITH LEADS FAMILY TO HOME
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DESIGN Rob Sigler BROOKHAVEN Magazine is produced and published by The Daily Leader, 128 N. Railroad Ave., Brookhaven, MS 39601. The magazine is published six times a year. For additional information on this issue or other publications or for copies, call 601-833-6961. To inquire about story content, email donna.campbell@dailyleader.com, or to inquire about advertising, email advertising@dailyleader.com. Copyright 2020 © The Daily Leader
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ON THE COVER: Photo by Donna Campbell Marvin Jr. and Mavis Stewart share how faith led them to a home they love and feel was made just for them.
FEATURED
july/august 2020
Historic Port Gibson still holds that southern charm DAY TRIP, Page 40
Page 8 SHOPPING
FUNKY MONKEY HAS UNIQUE YARD ART AND CUSTOM SIGNS
ARTS 8
PEOPLE
LOCAL TEACHER USES WORLD TRAVELS IN TEACHING STUDENTS 12
HISTORY
THE LAST LEGAL EXECUTION IN LINCOLN COUNTY
Page 34
Page 22
LOCAL ARTIST ENJOYS BEAUTY OF IMPERFECTION
22
BOOK REVIEW
NEW BOOK ON LITTLE KNOWN BARBARY WAR
WELLNESS 20
HOME
BROOKHAVEN FAMILY FINDS HOUSE OF FAITH & LOVE
DEPARTMENTS 24
LOCAL MASSAGE THERAPIST HELPS THOSE WITH PAIN ISSUES 26
PHOTO ESSAY FOOD SOCIAL-DISTANCING SCENES GARDEN WHY I LOVE BROOKHAVEN
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shopping JULY/AUGUST 20
Getting funky
Businessowner finds happiness in yard art she sells
“
Story and Photos By Gracie Byrne
It’s my happy place. I’m just happy here. It’s a sweet place to be, and I love my customers.”
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Shay Bessonette
On the outside, Funky Monkey Yard Art and More appears to be a gas station turned yard art paradise. Appearances are often true, since the Funky Monkey is where the old Zetus Grocery was. On the inside, it’s much more than that.
As you walk onto the premises, you’ll notice a variety of decorative art pieces that will enhance the appearance of any yard. There are chickens, llamas and bicycles, all made by hand, painted in vibrant shades to catch the eye.
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If you make your way past the building and over to the side, you’ll be greeted by a sea of windmills of different colors and sizes. To the right of those, all the Mexican pottery you could have ever asked for waits to be perused. Once you’ve finished looking around outside, your eyes will only grow wider as you enter the Funky Monkey. After all, there’s a reason Shay Bessonette calls it her happy place. Bessonette had always gone to surrounding cities like Jackson and Hattiesburg each spring with her sister-in-law to find yard art. This was because there wasn’t a place that carried it in Brookhaven. “We’d go anywhere we could because we couldn’t find it here,” Bessonette said. They always searched for yard art, but sometimes they wanted to find more specific pieces. “Not just yard art, but the Mexican pottery as well,” Bessonette said. Last spring, Bessonette went looking for yard art in Jackson, searching in several different places around the area and coming up short. After that, she began thinking about the possibility of
Brookhaven having a store to find what she was looking for. “I thought to myself ‘Brookhaven needs something like this,’” Bessonette said. She made a trip to market just to see if she would like it, and she loved it more than she thought she would. “We came back with a truck full and a trailer full,” Bessonette said. “We had to rent a Uhaul to get back home.” At that time, Bessonette didn’t have a building for the art she had found, so she stored it under her carport. She began advertising on Facebook, and soon after that nearly all of it was gone. “That’s when me and my husband decided we needed to find a place,” Bessonette said. The search for a building was on. They knew they didn’t want the business to be in town, so they looked at properties on Hwy. 84 and similar areas. “It just wasn’t suitable,” Bessonette said. When their realtor showed them the property on Zetus Road, it was an endall for Bessonette. It was perfect for what she wanted, not to mention it was close to home.
“I didn’t care about anything else, I knew I wanted this building,” Bessonette said. They opened in August last year and haven’t looked back. “It’s been really good,” Bessonette said. “Fall and winter was great, with getting ready for Halloween, Thanksgiving and Christmas.” There was a lull in January, but they expected that with the winter months. February and March saw a return in business, but then the coronavirus hit. “We did have to shut down for awhile,” Bessonette said. “That was devastating to us. But we’re back on our feet and open again.” In her store, Bessonette sells all sorts art, ranging from outdoor pieces to custom made signs. “The customer tells me what they want and we draw it out,” Bessonette said. “Then we send it off to my guys in Mexico.” Bessonette discussed how the custom signs have been a major hit for her business. “At Christmas we sold so many custom made signs,” Bessonette said.
She also sells Mexican pottery, including pots, chimineas and grills. “People love it because other places just don’t sell it,” Bessonette said. The Funky Monkey also carries indoor home décor and indoor vehicle décor. They even sell vanilla brought over from Mexico. “People buy it like crazy, they love it,” Bessonette said. “Especially the bakers around here, they’ll come out here and get their vanilla.” Whenever Bessonette goes to market, she always brings back something different for her customers. “Every time I go to market, I try not to do the same thing over and over,” Bessonette said. Despite that, there are some items that she buys over and over because the demand is so high. These include the art pieces of the butterflies and dragonflies. “Butterflies and dragonflies are a reminder of people’s deaths,” Bessonette said. “I can’t keep enough of those in stock.” She makes the trip every two months or whenever her store’s stock begins to look low. The drive takes 15 hours.
“That’s when I pack up the trailer and we go off,” Bessonette said. “And I love it. It’s a great trip, a great getaway.” Her husband is a welder, and he makes some of the art she sells. This includes some of the signs and the bottle trees. “He works offshore,” Bessonette said. “When he comes home, I have a list of things for him to do.” Bessonette’s favorite thing about her business is showing up to work every day. “It’s my happy place,” Bessonette said. “I’m just happy here. It’s a sweet place to be, and I love my customers.” Her hopes for her business are to see it thrive and become better known. “I would love for it to continue to grow and for the word to get out more,” Bessonette said. She hopes people know how thankful she is to for them being her customers. “I can’t say enough about the neighborhood,” Bessonette said. “The people are wonderful. I want people to know I appreciate them.” /////
Bessonette, a native of Lincoln County, started her business last August in the former Zetus Grocery Store building. She sells an array of indoor and outdoor art, Mexican pottery, grills and chimineas. Funky Monkey Yard Art is best known for their custom-made signs.
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people JULY/AUGUST 20
A different perspective Local teacher’s well-worn passport equals perks for students Story By Kim Henderson Photos by Walt Allen
When Lincoln County school administrator Robin Case hired Walt Allen last fall, she found out they shared something in common — childhoods spent living on foreign soil. “People can use their world travels either positively or negatively,” Case says. “He’s used his positively.” Allen, 30, teaches social studies at Loyd Star Attendance Center. During a socially-distanced interview in May, I asked him how his students benefit from his first-hand knowledge of
other cultures. Here are some edited excerpts. You moved to South Korea in sixth grade. That was quite a step for a Mississippi boy. It was. My mom got a job working for the Department of Defense Education Activity, which most people have never heard of. All the military bases overseas have schools to meet the needs of their families, and they hire American teachers. It’s a competitive process
because they’re great jobs. So I was fortunate enough to go from sixth through 12th grade in Seoul on a military base. How did that mold you as a teacher? I went from living in Jackson to living in a city with some 14 million people. It threw me into the world of international relations. Spending years living outside of the United States gives you a different lens to look at the nation that we are, because you get exposure to the BROOKHAVEN MAGAZINE 13
The photos from these and other pages were taken by Walt Allen in his travels to South Korea, China, the Philippines, France and other countries, as well as travels across the United States.
reality that other countries have. I was in South Korea, with one of the largest economies in the world, but I was also really close to places like China, with its severe human rights issues, and the Philippines, which continues to struggle with incredible poverty. When did you come back to the States? I started my freshman year of college at Millsaps, but I had a lot of trouble acclimating to living back in the U.S., which is bizarre because I’m American and I’m from here, but it was sort of a reverse culture shock. I ended up in New York City because my best friend from high school was going to college there. I thought I would rather be around someone with the shared experience of growing up overseas and coming back. I went to a very small school called Marymount Manhattan College and finished with a degree in history. After that I spent a few years as a scenic carpenter, doing work for some off-Broadway shows and Lincoln Center, which was a lot of fun. I started grad school at the City University of New York and got a master’s degree in social studies. I was in New York about seven years. You did your student teaching at a public school in the Bronx. What was that 14 BROOKHAVEN MAGAZINE
like? Like what most people would assume teaching in the South Bronx would be like. Impoverished neighborhoods. A lot of gang violence. Just a really difficult situation, not only for the students, but for the tenured faculty. It can be taxing to work in an environment like that. Some of the students were recent immigrants, so we were working on English skills at the same time that I was trying to teach them eighth grade United States history. That sounds like a stretch. Can you remember an instance when that was especially difficult? It was challenging to teach the Western concepts of democracy and human rights, things we take for granted. I had two students, two girls, that had recently immigrated from Yemen. They really struggled with the concept of democracy. I tried to explain how our revolutionary forefathers were taxed to the point of war, and they just couldn’t understand that. They were like, what do you mean they rebelled against the king? These were children who were coming from a country that’s stricken by civil war, so they just couldn’t imagine that happening. You’ve traveled a lot in Europe and Asia. In 2018 you lived in Brazil for a few
months. I wanted to study Portuguese. Then you came back to Mississippi in 2019 and landed a position at Loyd Star just four days after stepping off the plane. What’s the biggest difference between teaching here and teaching in the Bronx? Class size. I had 35 kids per class when I was teaching in the Bronx, and the most I’ve had at one time down here has been 16. That was a pleasant change. Small classes are a teacher’s dream because you can be so engaged and active with the kids. You have family roots in the area? I get to see kids every day that I’m distantly related to or our families are connected somehow or other. That’s really special for me because I obviously never had that in New York. And being from Mississippi, this is the only place I could teach students who have that same experience. You know, we’re all sort of from the same place. We’re not from New York. We’re from one of the poorest states in the country, and we all have a shared experience in that. So that’s really refreshing, and it allows me to make connections with them. Are your Loyd Star students interested in hearing about your world travels?
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I get one of two responses: “Wow!” or “Why?” A student that just graduated would always ask, “Why did you go there? What made you feel like you needed to go to Brazil? Are you crazy?” As a social studies teacher, you can give them a different perspective, a different take on global politics and economics. Yes, but they know so many things just because they’ve grown up in the tech generation. I try to make them realize this knowledge they have innately can translate into personal success. Walt Allen For example, I have students that want to go into business for themselves, and they already know that they don’t necessarily need to pay tons of money for billboards and
commercials to advertise. They can just gain a big social media following for free. Some of your students may not ever leave the state, yet they globetrot online all the time. Do you think social media can increase their interest in the world in a beneficial way? Students communicate with kids who live in other districts, other states, other countries. They bond over sports or music or even over very niche topics like anime. They’re finding their own tribe of peers with similar interests, and they realize that they’re not limited
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geographically. That’s a really, really important skill to have. They already understand that we live in a global world and everybody BROOKHAVEN MAGAZINE 15
is connected, and that what happens somewhere else can affect us here. /////
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history JULY/AUGUST 20
The last execution
1902 saw the final legal hanging in Lincoln County Story By Brett Campbell, Bob Jones Art by Joe Brown
John Sasser was well known in and around Lincoln County at the dawn of the 20th century. With a reputation as a not-to-be-crossed outlaw, Sasser — born at the height of the American Civil War — cemented his place in history in 1902, as the last man — and the only white man ever — to be legally hung in Lincoln County. More than 10,000 people gathered in Brookhaven Tuesday, March 11, to witness the public execution for the murder 20 BROOKHAVEN MAGAZINE
of Thomas Lard. Rumors abounded that Sasser was innocent of the crime for which he was about to die, though far from innocent of many other crimes for which he had not paid the penalty. Some say another man later confessed to the murder on his deathbed, but no official record exists of such a confession. Newspaper clippings from 1902 describe Sasser as having “dare-devil coolness,” though he was “factious and impatient at times.”
Lard, the victim, was identified as Wesson Station Master for the railroad, and also as a saw filer for the Pearl River Lumber Company. Executed at age 38, Sasser was buried in Evans-Mount Vernon Cemetery just off Arlington Road. The following account, written by then-Brookhaven attorney Bob Jones, was published in The Daily Leader in 2003, under the headline, “Hanging made history in Lincoln County.”
A
t the February 1902 meeting of the Lincoln County Board of Supervisors, the following order was passed: “It is ordered by the Board of Supervisors of Lincoln County, in the State of Mississippi, in accordance with and by order of the Supreme Court of the State of Mississippi, as described in the mandate of said Court of date of January 23, A.D. 1902, that John Sasser, for his crime of the murder of Thomas Lard, be kept in close confinement in the jail of Lincoln County, Mississippi, by the Sheriff of said county until Tuesday, the 11th day of March, A.D. 1902, on which day, between the hours of 11 a.m. and 4 p.m. he, the said John Sasser, shall be by the sheriff of said county, within the enclosure of the said court house yard of said county, in the city of Brookhaven, Mississippi, hanged publicly by the neck until he be dead.” No white man had ever before been hanged in Lincoln County, nor has any other since. John Sasser at 38 years of age had earned a reputation of a flamboyant, violent man. He was already under indictment for one murder when he was sentenced to be hanged for another. Numerous other murders had been committed by white residents, and capital convictions obtained, but invariably the governors would honor the petitions for mercy signed by hundreds of citizens (and voters) and would issue a pardon or commute the death sentence to life imprisonment. In Sasser’s case, petitions for commutation signed by over a thousand residents were sent to Governor Longino, but four days before the execution date, the governor expressed sympathy for the family, “but, as governor, with the grave responsibility on me, I feel I must let the law take its course.” The murder for which Sasser was to pay the highest penalty was of Thomas Lard, a saw filer at the Pearl River Lumber Company and a peaceable, mild man, but a heavy drinker. Apparently, Sasser killed Lard with Lard’s own pistol with one shot in the forehead. He was found dying on North First Street on a small bridge, and two men were seen running away. Sasser disappeared the day after the murder but was soon nabbed after Governor Longino offered a $150 reward. The other party, Tom Pritchard, from Jefferson County had returned to work the next day and was arrested on the job. Pritchard was kept confined in the Hazlehurst jail until the day of the trial. He was the prosecution’s prime witness. Newspaper accounts do not give details of Pritchard’s testimony at the trial, but apparently it was damning. The jury returned a guilty verdict after a short deliberation, and the death sentence was handed down by Judge Powell. The trial and sentence withstood the scrutiny of the Mississippi Supreme Court, and March 11th was
ordered as the execution date. Incidentally, two other condemned murderers in the state had their sentences upheld at the same time — one in Jones County and one in Monroe County — and were given the same date for their rendezvous with destiny. Sheriff Applewhite tried to persuade the Board of Supervisors to rescind the “public” aspect of their order and allow the hanging to take place inside the jail yard before a restricted audience. However, the supervisors felt public exposure of the event might have a deterrent effect on the more frisky members of the county’s population, and furthermore, it wouldn’t hurt the popularity of the supervisors at the next election.
The sheriff hurriedly constructed the scaffold in the center of the courthouse lawn where it would afford a clear view from most directions. On the night before the execution, the Methodist pastor, Rev. C. W. Crisler, met with the prisoner in his cell and reported that Sasser had been converted and that he had baptized him in his cell. Sasser had been held in the Hinds County jail and was transported to Brookhaven on the day before the execution arriving at 6 a.m., heavily guarded. When the fateful day arrived, some 7,000 public spirited folks came to view the free, grisly entertainment. The scaffold was surrounded by a barbed wire fence some 60 feet square. Inside the enclosure were admitted the supervisors, Dr. Butler, county health doctor, several other physicians, ministers and members of the press while a huge throng surged against the enclosure. Sasser appeared just before two o’clock p.m. manacled, but neat and freshly shaved except for his mustache and wearing anew blue suit. The Rev. Crisler and Rev. R. Z. Germany
united in singing a stanza, “Oh, How I Love Jesus,” then Sheriff Applewhite announced that the condemned man desired to make a statement. No introduction was necessary. The crown hushed and moved closer to hear every word. Sasser spoke and rambled on for nearly an hour, praising his friends and the sheriff and others who had been kind to him. He raved against his enemies, especially the star witness, Prichard, and the editor of the paper who had lambasted him repeatedly in the paper. He seemed to soften for a moment with assurance of forgiveness and hoped he would meet the editor in “The Sweet Bye and Bye.” He expressed a strong regard for his family and boasted that he had never mistreated his wife nor struck one of his children and had never ridden his horse into the house and hitched him to the bed post, like some people do. In the crowd was Frank H. Hartman Sr., who had a running feud with Sasser, the cause of which no one seemed to know. According to an account by Oscar Hartman Jr., a grandson, as published in Gil Hoffman’s “Dummy Lines Through the Longleaf” book, Sasser spotted Hartman in the mob and called out to him, ”You better go and look after your mill, Hartman, I believe it’s burning from all four corners about now.” A thin plume of black smoke could be seen rising over the southwest horizon at the time. Undaunted, Hartman shouted back, ”Let the damn mill burn, I’m going to stay here and watch you take your last jerk!” Which he did, and his mill was destroyed by fire, undoubtedly by Sasser’s last vicious conspiracy. Then Sasser began to taper off in his remarks, magnanimously forgiving everyone in the audience. Then, as most good speakers do, he asked if there were any questions. He wasn’t prepared for the straight forward query that shot back at him loud and clear, “Did you kill Tom Lard?” Sasser appeared rattled and stammered, “I’ve already stated that. I believe that is all I want to say.” The ministers sang another hymn, “Jesus, Lover of My Soul,” and Sheriff Applewhite adjusted the noose around Sasser’s neck. Sasser then shook hands with everyone in the enclosure and bade them farewell. Applewhite adjusted the black cap over Sasser’s face, and all was ready. Sheriff Applewhite sprung the trap, and the condemned man’s body dropped suddenly seven feet through the opening. There was no visible twitch nor movement from the body. It was instant death, and he was promptly pronounced dead. His neck was broken. The crowd, subdued, slowly and silently filtered away. ///// BROOKHAVEN MAGAZINE 21
arts JULY/AUGUST 20
Reclaiming the ‘unsalvageable’ Local artist believes in beauty of imperfection Story By Brett Campbell Photos By Gracie Byrne
Brookhaven artist Rhonda Bihm Rich doesn’t remember a time in her life when she wasn’t being creative. Born and raised in Brookhaven, Rich has traveled and lived overseas with her husband of 30 years, who is in the military. They returned to the area in the mid-1990s, settling for a while in Lawrence County, before getting homesick for the Home Seekers Paradise. They’ve been back in Brookhaven for about five years. When she first got married, Rich and her husband made the decision that she would be a stay-at-home mom, and their family grew to add two sons — now ages 30 and 26 — and a daughter, age 21. “I have always been at home and I have always done art,” Rich said. “For as long as I can remember, it has been a part of my life. I don’t consider it a career as much as just something I do. It’s who I am. I’m creative. I make things. I do things. It’s like an outlet for me. “ Many artists work within one discipline like painting or sculpture, Rich said, but she sees art in other things — things that may not be considered artistic or beautiful by other people. It’s what she calls the beauty of imperfection, reclaiming what others may think is unsalvageable. “Most artists go in one area — you either paint on canvas or you do assemblage or you do metal or whatever,” she said. “I’m the kind of person (that) I can see something and I try to work it out in my head. I see something and try to make it make sense. I try to make the mundane from ordinary things into something extraordinary.” A recent project was a mushroom-shaped fairy house, made from an unusual source. “My husband had ordered some pizzas. I was looking at the boxes and I had seen something earlier that day that made me think, so I started building this crazy little mushroom house. I call it my fairy house. My husband had to go buy more pizzas so I could finish my pizza house.” Made from strips of the cardboard boxes and homemade paper clay, the fairy house has covered windows and doors, window boxes and separated panes, and a heart in its arched-top door. Rich creates from whatever she finds. People bring her odd things that she keeps in her shop until they find their way into a creative project — “some random something.” 22 BROOKHAVEN MAGAZINE
“I saw some hubcaps and I painted them to look like flowers and hung them on my shop in back,” she said. “That’s the way my brain works.” She’s also painting a mural on her back fence — large yellow and orange flowers visited by enormous bees. “I’m all over the place. I’m a very creative person and I’ve always been a very creative person,” she said. “My husband is very grounded, and I’m not. So we kinda click. We just work.” “I don’t really have a goal, as much, when I start something,” said Rich. “It more or less speaks to me as I work on it. Because I work with random objects, I see something and it clicks and I work with it and it starts to tell me stories by what it looks like. “It’s like writing a book. You think you know where it’s going when you start, but as you move along, by the time you get there it’s in a completely different place. A lot of times the objects you use have their own stories.” The story someone else sees in her art may differ from the one she sees, because it’s all about perspective, Rich said. She’s had no formal art training aside from one high school class that confused and frustrated her. Her father was an artist and focused on realism — the artist’s depiction of something must look as much like the real object as possible. She was taught that abstract art was not really “art” — people can’t just throw something together and it becomes art. So Rich did a lot of very detailed pencil drawings when she was younger, and wanted it to be perfect, very controlled. But she was frustrated if it was not perfect. That and carpal tunnel syndrome pushed her to look beyond realist drawing into something more. “Give (random items) to a creative mind and you’re going to find out it’s not garbage. It can become something,” she said. “When I started to do this, it was very freeing and the picture got bigger for me. I could do more with this than I
Artist Rhonda Bihm Rich, right, finds inspiration in objects that may not normally be seen as having artistic potential, like the concrete half wall in her backyard, opposite, or her back fence where she has begun a mural of flowers and bees, above.
could with that one little pencil. “I still paint and draw but it’s frustrating. I can do (assemblage art) and it ‘does itself.’ I’m working it, but it just has its own way of moving, without me having to put it a certain way.” Being creative with raw expression, utilizing one’s emotions and deepest inner thoughts and feelings, is a scary, painful and personal place, Rich said. “You can take imperfection and make into something creative and wonderful. You can’t teach the creative spark that makes a person see a rusty bunch of nothing and somehow make something out of it. That’s what appeals to me about abstract assemblage,” said Rich. “You’re either going to love it or hate it. But any reaction is a reaction, positive or negative. It’s an honest opinion and I love that. To be rejected completely by indifference as an artist is pretty painful, because that’s you. It becomes a part of you.” But the connection between artist and the art lover/viewer/ consumer is what Rich calls the main objective of creation. “You’re not seeking acceptance a lot of the time, or money — obviously — but we’re seeking connections with other people, or understanding.” Brookhaven is a great place for artists to do that, Rich believes.
She’s competed and won awards in competitions with Brookhaven Regional Arts Guild. She loves promoting local art and artists, and is glad so many organizations and individuals support the local arts scene. “We have a lot of talented people here in Brookhaven,” she said. “If you ever go to one of the art shows, it’s absolutely amazing. I’m floored a lot of times just looking at some of this stuff. It’s such a great creative space for creative people. You could see someone set up an easel downtown and start painting and it wouldn’t be out of place to see that.” Rich’s creativity is not done to generate income, though she does sell things occasionally. She just started a website — artistrhondabihmrich.com — and participates in art shows, but doesn’t try to promote herself or market her creations. “Artists are the bravest people because they’ll put it on a canvas or a statue or a sculpture and put it out there for everyone to look at it,” she said. “Art helps me work through things. It’s very therapeutic.” “I do my art because it is who I am,” Rich said. “I don’t know any other way to be.” /////
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book review JULY/AUGUST 20
Brian Kilmeade, co-host of “Fox & Friends” and Fox News presenter, is the co-author of “Thomas Jefferson and the Tripoli Pirates,” and other books about decisive moments and campaigns in American history.
Remembering a forgotten war
Conflict 200 years ago continues to have impact Review By Brett Campbell Art submitted
This book takes a look at the causes of the Barbary War in the early 1800s and its echoes and influences in American military policy today and the shape of international interactions across the past 200-plus years. Written by Brian Kilmeade — Fox News presenter and co-host of the “Fox & Friends” morning show — and sports journalist and New York Times best-selling author Don Yaeger, the material is presented factually, but undoubtedly from a politically conservative point of view. 24 BROOKHAVEN MAGAZINE
Kilmeade concludes his acknowledgements with the following: “This book … features historic figures of huge importance playing supporting roles to relatively unknown, unsung patriots. This book is dedicated to all those who fight our wars and never seek or receive the credit they deserve. It’s up to the next generation to tell their stories, because without the Americans fighting in the trenches and on the seas, we would not be able to enjoy life as citizens of the world’s greatest economic and military superpower.” With a stated desire to focus more on the individuals who did the fighting and dying for their ideals, rather
than just “the genius of our founding fathers,” the book looks at how a new nation emerged through war debt and desperation to establish credibility to fight back against the challenge of four Muslim powers. “Our merchant ships were captured and the crews enslaved. Despite its youth, America would do what established western powers chose not to do: stand up to intimidation and lawlessness.” The story begins in July 1785, with the capture of two ships, the Dauphin and the Maria, by Algerian pirates near Portugal. “America had not yet elected its first president, but it already had its first enemy.” Thomas Jefferson was the American minister to France. Having recently lost his wife and his youngest of three daughters to illness, he worried about the safety of his middle daughter if she were to travel to join him and her older sister in France. If captured by pirates, she might face enslavement, death or other vile misfortune. “As a father, he could feel in his bones a fear for his daughter’s safety. As an ambassador and an American, Jefferson recognized it was a fear no citizen of a free nation embarking on an oceanic voyage should have to endure.” When 42-year-old Jefferson met with his 50-year-old friend John Adams in London, where Adams served as the US’s first ambassador to Great Britain, they disagreed over how to approach the problem. Adams felt the rulers of the Barbary nations where the pirates originated might be reasoned with and a peace secured through negotiation — Jefferson argued later that war was likely the only answer, and that a brokered peace where the new nation had to keep paying bribes was going to bankrupt the nation and would not be a real peace at all. The book follows the attempts of the two men and several others to secure peace through both passageways — payment and warfare. The Battle of Tripoli in August 1804 was a decisive battle in the outcome of this international problem, but not the complete answer the US’s rulers were looking for. Now-President Jefferson was relieved when a treaty finally gained peace in September 1805, and his two greatest goals were met — prisoners would be treated as prisoners of war rather than slaves and American shipping could flow freely. “A complete victory over the Barbary pirates would come under another
“Captain Courageous” is an 1878 painting by Dennis Carter Malone depicting Capt. Stephen Decatur Jr. struggling with a pirate in action months after the loss of the U.S. ship Philadelphia.
president, but for now American had much to be grateful for. The murky ending of the Barbary War didn’t take away from the fact that America had stood up to the pirates, something that most of the more established European nations hadn’t been willing to do … the United States proved that it would not only go to war for its own interests but would do what it could for oppressed citizens of other nations.” The authors listed several points in the Barbary War’s military legacy: • The American flag was planted for the first time outside its own hemisphere. • It was the first fight in which the Navy and land forces worked together. • It has new significance in the 21st century’s confrontation between the United States and militant Islamic states. “Americans knew what it was to stand up to enemies both at home and abroad now, and they did not want to be caught unprepared ever again … The growing confidence in the nation’s military strength fueled national policy.” “The young nation gained from this chapter the courage to exercise its strength in the world, and it would remember that lesson in the future when other innocent lives were at stake.” The authors’ narrative relies heavily on “the documents — the letters, the journals, the ships’ logs, and the rest — left by the participants.” These
included the six-volume set “Naval Documents Related to the United States Wars with the Barbary Powers (19391944)”; “American State Papers,” which Kilmeade calls Congress’ diary, and which is available free online at memory. loc.gov; and the personal papers of Jefferson, John Adams and Washington, Tobias Lear and Edward Preble, William Eaton and many others. The book is fact-packed and doesn’t waste a lot of time with conjecture or pushing an agenda. It moves quickly and reads like a novel. Readers who love history and a good military story will dive into this and be glad they did. The book is available at major book retailers. Other books in Kilmeade‘s American history series are “George Washington’s Secret Six: The Spy Ring that Saved the American Revolution” (2013), “Andrew Jackson and the Miracle of New Orleans: The Battle that Shaped America’s Destiny” (2017) and “Sam Houston and the Alamo Avengers: The Texas Victory that Changed American History” (2019). “Secret Six” and “Miracle” were coauthored with Yaeger. /////
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wellness JULY/AUGUST 20
Healing through touch Touch of Healing Massage Therapy relieves pain Story By Robin Eyman Photos By Gracie Byrne
Just the idea of a massage makes most people want one. But there’s more to a massage than relaxation, and that’s where Brookhaven native Caitlin Clark comes in. Her job is relieving pain by using healing touch techniques, and seeing clients enjoy the many benefits that professionals say come from a massage. There are different types of massages, such as Swedish, hot stone, aromatherapy, 26 BROOKHAVEN MAGAZINE
sports massage, Shiatsu, Thai, pre-natal and even couples’ massages. An internet search identifies more than 50 types of massages. Clark’s healing touch specialty is a type of biofield energy massage that uses the hands in a heart-centered touch to bring about relief and a sense of well-being. Clark operates Touch of Healing Massage Therapy at Brookhill on Natchez at 605 Natchez Drive. Brookhill is a
members-only recreational and sports facility, but non-members are welcome at Clark’s office. The Daily Leader named her Brookhaven’s Best Massage Therapist of 2019. Clark has been giving massages at Brookhill for two years after graduating from the Jackson campus of the Institute of Health and Technology in Jackson. It was previously known as the Healing
Touch Career College. She sees patients with all sorts of pain and physical conditions. “Many people have low back pain because they sit at work so much, or head and neck pain from looking at cellphones a lot,” she said. “That’s probably the number one complaint of everybody — people sitting so long on their jobs.” Clark uses her hands and forearms for massages, but no outside tools. “People undress to their level of comfort and are under a sheet and a twin-
size blanket,” she said. “The only area exposed is the one I’m working on.” She uses a cream-based product for most clients, depending on what type of massage they need or how much work is needed. She has a hypoallergenic allpurpose massage cream and a lotion for use as needed. For clients who have no allergies or sensitivities to essential oils, Clark mixes individual types of essential oils in their cream. For low back pain, for instance, she will mix a calm-muscle oil and a couple of drops of lavender.
“A massage all depends on what I need to do to help a person,” Clark said. “I never do the same thing for any two clients. Whatever their issue is, I help them however best I can. I can knead with my fist and use my forearm to glide on bigger areas like the back. “It’s almost like I’m a painter with a blank canvas. I pay attention to how they feel, how they tolerate pain in certain techniques. It’s very individualized, and I can’t even do the same to the other side of the body because of differences between the left and right sides. I just go BROOKHAVEN MAGAZINE 27
Caitlin Clark uses a variety of essential oils and customizes their use for each client’s needs. She even has products for those with sensitive skin or allergies. Clark, a wife and mother of two, is a licensed massage therapist with her own private practice.
with the flow.” Unless a client prefers a specific type of music, she plays instrumental meditation type sounds. Some clients prefer rock and roll. Some prefer country and others like contemporary Christian music. “The music is there to help their relaxation,” Clark said. “Once I’m working on them, I’m in the zone, manipulating the body and muscles and stretching them.” The massage is not just about rubbing muscles, but also joints and other things that lie beneath the skin’s surface. One client began seeing her about a year after fusion of several levels of lumbar vertebrae and a nerve block on the ride side of the lower spine. “The first thing I did was start working on breaking up scar tissue, which will be there forever,” Clark said. “On the outside, it looks fine, but on the inside, scar tissue works like a root system. It spreads and holds on 28 BROOKHAVEN MAGAZINE
to whatever it reaches. If you wait too long for help, it could be very painful and there’s no range of motion, no movement.” Clark also referred the client out for dry needling, which has helped, and after two years, it has improved the client’s quality of life and she doesn’t need to see Clark as frequently. “I don’t mind recommending dry needling, a chiropractor or physical therapy if that’s what a client needs,” she said. Therapeutic professionals say massages have a myriad of benefits. Massages are reported to reduce blood pressure, anxiety and stress; increase blood flow; remove toxins from the body; promote general health and well-being; as well as help sore muscles, athletes, people with migraines and tension headaches, and low back pain. “Massages really can help with everything,” Clark said. “A lot of people don’t come to me for
relaxation, but to get work done, and when the massage does its job, there is relief.” Studies on touch therapy show it also can help wounds heal faster, improve immune system function, help nausea, fatigue and other side effects of chemotherapy, improve chronic conditions such as fibromyalgia and lupus, and improve sleep, according to healthline.com. Many people report that it helps them feel calmer and more relaxed, the health group says. Clark grew up in Brookhaven in her maiden name of Smith. After high school, she worked at LaRue’s Drugs, a locally owned pharmacy, for 7-1/2 years and attended community college for 1-1/2 years. She at first thought she wanted to become a pharmacy tech but learned about massage, “and everything fell into place like it was meant to be,” Clark said. She and her husband Erik enjoy spending time with their children, hunting
together and riding four-wheelers at Fair River. They attend Pleasant Grove Methodist Church. Aside from family, bringing relief to clients is Clark’s source of greatest pride. Her office was closed more than two months due to the coronavirus shutdown. “I’m glad to be back in business and my clients are glad they can start coming in again,” she said. Clark is not allowed to accept insurance, “which is a drawback for some people,” she said. She offers massages at $75 an hour for one session a week but frequently offers discounts and giveaways. Military and senior citizen discounts are available. “Massage really is beneficial for everybody,” Clark said. “Finding the right massage therapist is important. If you go to one and it’s not what you expected it to be, keep searching. There is one out there for you. All are different and have their own techniques, and some offer spa services.” ///// BROOKHAVEN MAGAZINE 29
home JULY/AUGUST 20
A house of love Family believes faith brought them to a home that feels it was made just for them Story and Photos By Donna Campbell
Mavis Stewart felt at home the first time she walked through the doors of the pretty brick house on Larkspur Street. She’d never been inside the three-bedroom house, but when she spied the yellow kitchen she knew she’d be cooking dinner for her family there soon. She and her husband, Marvin “Jr.” Stewart, weren’t even in 30 BROOKHAVEN MAGAZINE
the market for a new house when she drove through the quiet neighborhood off Ingram Street four years ago. The “For Sale” sign in the neatly manicured front lawn changed all that. Mavis, the bookkeeper for the City of Brookhaven, waited impatiently for her husband to get home from work as an operator technician at Westlake. She wanted
Marvin and Mavis Stewart moved into their home on Larkspur Street about four years ago. A theater room contains candy dispensers, a popcorn machine and a Pac-Man arcade game. Scripture quotations placed around the home provide inspiration for the Stewarts. At right, Cousins Karlie Henderson, left, and Jade Stewart — their MiMi’s little princesses — take time out from their busy schedules for a tea party at their grandparents’ house.
to share the big news: the Stewarts were moving. She admits now it wasn’t exactly that simple. After over two decades together, Jr. knew by his wife’s smile that she was already sold on the sale. He needed a bit more convincing, though, before he’d be ready to sign on the dotted line. Afterall, they’d be trading a life in a paid-for home in the country for a newto-them house in Brookhaven. Mavis took her husband on a drive to check it out and he understood her excitement. They made arrangements with the Realtor for a tour. Before the front door closed behind them, she was sure it was the house for them. From the living room, she saw a breakfast area extending from the kitchen. The walls were yellow, just like at her grandmother’s house. The memories were so vivid she could practically smell the biscuits baking. She knew if they bought the
house, she’d keep that color. Then she came inside further and turned back toward the front door. At the top of the wall was painted one of Stewart’s favorite scriptures: “As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord” from Joshua 24:15. “We were checking everything out and I saw that scripture and that was basically what sold the house,” she said. It had to stay. Walking through the rooms, she was reminded that God was behind her finding the perfect home for her family, which includes children Cordai, Rajavion, Rashana and Samari and grandchildren, Karlie, Jade, Carmyn, Jaylen and Jesaiah. And though all but youngest son Samari have left the nest permanently, the Stewarts still wanted a place their family could always call home.
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“I wanted to have something for them to come to and to enjoy,” she said. “This is a house of love.” The Stewarts’ faith is not left out of the design. Mavis chose verses to feature throughout the house that give inspiration to her and members of her family. Some are fancy store-bought messages propped up on mantles and hung on walls. Others are scribbled on sticky notes and strategically placed in the bathroom for morning motivation. “Faith is important. Faith is confidence. Faith is love,” she said. “It’s important that they see all this and they know who we are.” Mavis believes faith is what brought them to Larkspur to a home that feels like it was made just for them. 32 BROOKHAVEN MAGAZINE
“I didn’t really change anything. I felt like the former owners’ personality was so similar to ours,” she said. “The family that sold the house, they prayed that a good family would buy the house.” Mavis kept much of the color scheme untouched in the 1,850-square-foot home. The open floor plan features the yellow breakfast nook and a red accent wall in the cream living room, which she ties together with pops of color by way of yellow and red accessories. Vivid blue also makes surprise appearances in art pieces throughout the rooms. Some of Mavis’ favorite points of interest in the home are a deep pantry in the kitchen, a theater room off the living room, a walk-in closet in the master bedroom and a jacuzzi tub in the master bath. Jr.’s spot is
his mancave off the two-car garage. The theater room was a pleasant surprise. It served as a music room for the former owners. Mavis gussied it up with popcornthemed knick-knacks, including a 6-foot tall cardboard box of popcorn. A wall shelf of DVDs and blu-rays fill one section of wall, an arcade-size Pac Man game fills a corner and a trio of gumball machines sit at the ready for spare change from the grands. Add a comfortable couch and a big screen TV and it’s a perfect getaway for the movie buffs in the family. While it’s fun to relax in the theater room, Mavis and Jr. agree they love the backyard oasis they’ve created most of all. Surrounded with a wooden privacy fence, the yard backs up to a large wooded area that may one day become a subdivision. For
Opposite, a framed black-and-white portrait of Rashana Stewart, the couple’s only daughter, hangs above the fireplace mantle. The artwork and mantle together serve as a focal point of the living room. Above, the yellow kitchen reminded Mavis Stewart of her grandmother’s house. The Stewarts’ backyard oasis can be either a hub of activity when their four children and five grandchildren visit or a relaxing hideaway when the couple want some alone time after a long day at work. They enjoy entertaining in their backyard, which includes a grill area, a vegetable and herb garden, a fire pit for the adults and a trampoline for the grandchildren.
now, however, it’s home to birds and various wildlife that for the most part stays on their side of the fence. Ask Mavis about the snake that came to visit recently and she just shudders. It wasn’t venomous, but unwelcome just the same, she said. Except for the stray reptile, there is something for everyone in the Stewarts’ backyard. “We love our backyard,” Mavis said. “It has a country feel and it’s a breath of fresh air.” A hammack beckons from the patio, ready for an afternoon nap. A trampoline and Little Tykes cottage are favorites of the grandchildren. Mavis enjoys tending to her herb garden, growing her own rosemary, oregano, lemon thyme and sweet basil. “I like to cook with organic herbs so I decided to plant my own,” she said. Her tomato plants, strawberries and watermelon should bear fruit soon. Jr. is the grill master in the family and shows off his talent when company comes over. His grill, covered with a canopy for shade, has been known to cook ribs and burgers to perfection. Whether it’s snuggled on the couch watching a romantic comedy in the theater room, or hosting a cookout for neighborhood friends, the Stewarts are thankful for the blessings they’ve found on Larkspur. “We are thankful for our neighbors,” she said. “Everybody just looks out for each other.” /////
C A T E R I N G
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photo essay JULY/AUGUST 20
Hues Color around downtown Photos By Gracie Byrne Brookhaven’s downtown is filled with an assortment of colors to catch the eye and leave one breathless. Whether natural or man-made, there’s color to be found everywhere.
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food JULY/AUGUST 20
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New hangout in downtown Lynch opens new taste-appealing business Story & Photos By Gracie Bryne
An array of sweet treats can be found at the new Jack’s Coffee and Cream. The dark green building that once housed the old Fred’s downtown will serve as a new home to three businesses, with two being new and one moving to the downtown area. These will be Magnolia Blues BBQ Company, Serio’s Bakery and Pizza and Jack’s Coffee & Cream. Jack’s Coffee & Cream, an organic ice cream shop entering the downtown scene, is the brainchild of community developer John Lynch. Lynch, owner of The Inez and The Inn at Whitworth, is excited about opening up Jack’s in early June. While Lynch could have opened up any kind of business he wanted, he chose ice cream and coffee for a specific reason. “Everybody likes ice cream. I especially like ice cream,” Lynch said. He wanted to find another business to put in the building, and he knew it needed to make sense for the downtown area. With retail being a tough market, Lynch knew this business needed to be something service related. “I was just looking for an idea,” Lynch said. With ice cream being a seasonal treat, Lynch knew he needed to add something to the menu that could be enjoyed all year round. So then coffee was added to the menu. And with coffee, many shops only serve it in the morning. For the afternoon and evening, ice cream fits the bill. Once Lynch began developing his idea, he reached out to wholesalers online and began ordering samples to taste test. He tried samples from five different wholesalers, but there was one that stood out among the rest. Blue Marble, an organic ice cream company based in Brooklyn, New York, is where Jack’s Coffee and Cream will get their ice cream from. Lynch noted that after speaking with the representatives at Blue Marble, he found out one of the founders is from Hazlehurst. “It was a really funny call,” Lynch said. “We may be the first business outside of New York to use their products.”
John Lynch’s newest business venture, Jack’s Coffee & Cream, will serve more than a dozen flavors of organic ice cream.
Lynch said Blue Marble stuck out for all the right reasons. “It’s organic, and the taste,” Lynch said. “They make it with natural ingredients. It’s just very good.” Blue Marble has around 30 flavors, with some vegan, sorbets and lots of chocolate. Lynch said that Jack’s will have 16 flavors in house at any given time. “Everybody needs a chocolate flavor,” Lynch said. After finding the perfect ice cream, Lynch began buying equipment for the shop. He also enlisted Kim Sessums for designing the logo and the shop itself. Sessums’ design was hand painted on the building by Saul Maurer. “He does a great job,” Lynch said. “Kim’s been huge in the design process.” Lynch has also begun the hiring process for the shop. He hired Lana Patton as the shop’s manager, and she has begun hiring workers. Lynch hopes to employ around 10 people working part time. “It’s just a matter of getting everything worked out,” Lynch said. Jack’s will open in the morning and serve coffee and pastries. Around noon, smoothies and ice cream will be available up into the evening. They’ll be open seven days a week, with a short day on
Sunday. “It has gone extremely well,” Lynch said. “”We’re anticipating opening soon, and I don’t think COVID-19 will affect us at all.” Jack’s will have indoor seating for 15-20 customers, including tables and window seating. As for the name, Lynch said it was a personal touch. “I have nine grandchildren with a 10th on the way,” Lynch said. “They call me Jack. They know I like ice cream and that I like to treat them to ice cream.” With the addition of an ice cream shop, Lynch is positive about its fit into the downtown atmosphere. “I think it’ll be a great addition,” Lynch said. “Folks can come and enjoy the downtown area. It’s very family oriented, so we think it’s just gonna be a very positive thing.” Overall, Lynch is confident that the residents of Brookhaven will be well receiving to Jacks’. “It’s not a big money maker, but I think the quality of life is very important to me for downtown,” Lynch said. “It’s just one piece of the puzzle that makes living in Brookhaven special.” ///// BROOKHAVEN MAGAZINE 39
daytrip JULY/AUGUST 20
The Windsor Ruins may be the most wellknown landmark in Port Gibson, if not all of Mississippi. They are the remains of a 19th-century plantation building.
Exploring Port Gibson River town full of history and charm Story and Photos By Gracie Byrne
If you have ever wanted to get away for a few hours, but not travel too far from home, then the drive to Port Gibson may suit you. I made the trip with my mom and brother on a Sunday. It was warm, but not quite hot, not yet. The drive from Brookhaven to Port Gibson wound through back roads and little communities residing in the pines. Once we arrived, it felt like we had traveled somewhere far away. I almost felt like we had found ourselves in the Delta, even though we 40 BROOKHAVEN MAGAZINE
were only an hour away from home. There’s a reason Port Gibson was deemed “too beautiful to burn” by the Union Army. The city, still holding its Southern charm so many years later, is quite the sight. As we traveled up Hwy. 61, my mom and I spotted an array of churches, antebellum homes and even a few bed and breakfasts. We eventually found ourselves in the downtown area staring up at a tall, white building. After some digging, we found out this was city hall. A city full of history, we found markers everywhere we went, and each one had a story to tell.
One of my favorite discoveries while there was the mural on Main Street that featured African American citizens in the Port Gibson boycott. Painted in 2011, its colors appeared as vibrant as the day it was sealed. One recommendation we received more than we could count was that we visit the Windsor Ruins. Every city has something that boosts its reputation, and the Windsor Ruins serves that purpose for Port Gibson. We took the long way around, passing by Alcorn State University. On the way, we visited Bethel Presbyterian Church, whose congregation was founded
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in 1826. The building is open to visitors, and my family took the time to test the acoustics and admire the craftsmanship of the church. If only those walls could talk. Once we made it to the ruins, we were forced to admire their beauty from a distance. Over time, the pillars have deteriorated and have become unstable. We observed through a wire fence, admiring the ironwork and speculated just how big the plantation home was when it was built in 1861. As we came back into town, we knew it was time for lunch. One drawback of visiting any given city on a Sunday is not finding anything that may be open. We got lucky, though. A relative of mine who works in the area suggested a little place down from city hall. She’s got standards, so we knew it must be good if she sent us there. The name of the restaurant speaks for itself: Mississippi’s Finest Soul Food. I can certainly attest to that. We ate our lunch at a shaded picnic table and chatted with the owner like we had known each other for years. This, along with the smothered pork chop I ordered, made me feel at home. Mississippi’s Finest felt like a place where you could drop your troubles at the door and find comfort in something warm and delicious. A restaurant ran by families, for families. I know one thing — if I find myself in Port Gibson again I’ll be back to see the Coleman’s. Our visit to Port Gibson concluded with the Grand Gulf Military Park. On our way there, we spotted the smokestacks from the nuclear plant on the horizon. Every mile we got closer to the military park, evacuation signs became more and more prominent. We arrived at the park and picked up a map from the visitor’s center and then we were off. There was another church, but due to the pandemic it was a look and don’t enter event. This church had been moved from Rodney, where it had served a Catholic congregation during the Civil War era. We stuck our heads in the Scotia House, which had been built in 1768 and originally resided in Franklin County. Behind the house, a waterwheel built in 1948 is attached to a mill overlooking a pond. There were markers everywhere to read as we soaked up the history of the buildings on the property. I wanted to climb the observation tower, but the caution tape draped across the entrance was a dead giveaway that I could not. Instead, we found a cemetery to explore. Tombstones were dated as far back as the early 1800s, with grave markers set in the ground both large and small. We drove through the rest of the park and made our exit. As we began the trek home, I pondered on the kudzu vines and the rich history we had soaked up as we traveled back to Lincoln County. ///// Mississippi’s Finest Soul Food is a restaurant owned by the Coleman family. Serving up hot plate lunches with Southern staples, this eatery is sure to please everyone in your dining party.
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Many of the buildings at the Port Gibson Military Park were brought over from other counties, including this water wheel.
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Port Gibson is teeming with history, from the Military Park to the center of town.
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social distancing scenes JULY/AUG 20
Safer at Home Activities
Brantley and Blake Smith and Evan and Jannan Sauls enjoyed feeding calves at their aunt’s home in Lawrence County.
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social distancing scenes JULY/AUG 20
Safer at Home Activities
Top, Chaney Williford enjoyed some riding time with her horse Star Ben when school was closed due to the state’s Shelter In Place and Stay at Home orders. Above, Williford helps her family build a new fence on her grandparents’ property.
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social distancing scenes JULY/AUG 20
Safer at Home Activities
Top, Trudy Case Dawkins, Tammy Case Williford and Chaney Williford rest in the shade after their fence project was completed. Above, Colton Bradley and Reese DeHart set a post for the fence.
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Photo by MSU Extension/Gary Bachman
Above, Black and Bloom salvia booms from late spring to late fall, tolerating well the hot and humid Mississippi summer garden conditions. Opposite, Blue My Mind evolvulus is a prolific bloomer, a benefit as flowers are only open for one day.
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garden JULY/AUGUST 20
Bring coveted blue to home landscapes By Gary R. Bachman MSU Extension Service
Everyone has a certain color that is their absolute favorite, and I’m no different. And while I really like the entire palette of colors available for our gardens and landscape, the one color I must have is blue. Blue is the color I covet for use in the landscape, but I get disappointed every spring when I’m reading gardening catalogs for new blue offerings. What’s really interesting is the way the color descriptions stretch the definition of the color blue. Violet to purple and every hue in between is considered some form of blue. A plant that has an honored place in my landscape every year is blue butterfly plant, which has intricate flowers that actually resemble little blue butterflies in flight. The flowers are arranged in multiples on long, arching branches. Individual flowers are about an inch in diameter with several pale blue lobes and a single one of darker blue-violet. I really like the way the stamens and pistil arch out and upward and remind me of eyelashes. Blue butterfly plant should be planted in the landscape in full sun to partial shade, and it needs consistent soil
moisture during the hot summer months. This plant has an open and airy growth habit, and it flowers on the current season’s growth. It blooms from late spring to the first frost in the fall. Blue butterfly plant is a tropical species that tolerates cooler conditions, being hardy down to about 20 degrees. In my coastal garden, this plant returns from the roots like many other perennial plants. For possibly the best performance, grow it in a large container that can be protected during freezing weather. There are other plants that have blue flowers. Blue My Mind evolvulus, a 2019 Mississippi Medallion winner, is a fantastic improvement of Blue Daze evolvulus, one of the very first Mississippi Medallion plants selected in 1996. The individual flowers are funnelshaped and always form near the shoot tips. Blue My Mind is a prolific bloomer. The foliage has a downy appearance, and the 1-inch, funnel-shaped flowers are sky blue. The flowers only open for one day. In the morning, they are brilliant, but by afternoon they look quite spent, especially in west-facing planting beds
that receive quite a high heat load each afternoon. A location with a little afternoon shade is welcome, but too much shade will reduce total flowering. Blue Daze needs to be planted in welldrained soil that is consistently moist. Salvia is another great choice for blue flowers, and my favorite may be Black and Bloom, which is an improvement on the original Black and Blue. It is one of the many hybrids of Salvia guaranitica. From late spring to deep into the fall, these deep blue flowers just wow in the landscape. On top of the blue flowers, the black calyx and stems accentuate the contrast of flowers. Best of all, Black and Bloom tolerates our hot and humid summer garden conditions. So get out and visit your favorite, independent garden center and put some summertime blues in your landscape. Dr. Gary Bachman is an Extension and research professor of horticulture at the Mississippi State University Coastal Research and Extension Center in Biloxi. He is also the host of the popular Southern Gardening television and radio programs. Contact him at southerngardening@msstate.edu. /////
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voices JULY/AUGUST 20
Why I love Brookhaven When asked “Why I love Brookhaven”, my mind was flooded with reasons and I decided to use an acrostic for the letters in the word BROOKHAVEN to help organize my thoughts: B: Businesses — I absolutely love living in a town with so many unique, locally-owned businesses. I believe our many boutiques and gift shops, and our unique, delicious restaurants are second to none! I prefer small non-chain stores and restaurants, and we have many of those to enjoy and support without leaving home. Since shopping and spending time with friends and family are two of my favorite hobbies, I especially look forward to Christmas Open House and Girls’ Night Out, sponsored by our Chamber of Commerce. It is a great time for shopping, supporting our businesses, and visiting with friends. R: Revitalized Downtown — We live in such a beautiful town! It is exciting to see people take pride in creating a vibrant, active, attractive, inviting, and growing downtown area. O: Ole Brook Festival — A 45 year old tradition that I have watched grow and expand into an exciting, well anticipated event for our community each year! Two years in particular stand out as special in my mind. At the 2013 and 2014 festivals, our community friends supported and encouraged my daughter, Abby, and her friend, Gracey, as they had their first taste of creating hand made items and selling them. This experience boosted the confidence, excitement, and creativity of two young middle school girls. Now these two girls are 2020 graduates of Brookhaven High School and continue to use their creative abilities with sewing and making jewelry. O: Oneness and that “Ole Brook” spirit of community — When I think of our town, I think of unity and oneness. For the most part, when one celebrates, we rally to support and celebrate with them and when someone experiences tragedy, we gather to support and encourage. My relationship with the Lord is very important to me and my church family is a crucial part of my support system. I am thankful that our town offers many choices of church congregations for newcomers; however, I love that at many times, we do show loving kindness and respond in ministry as ONE body, as we are supposed to do. As Christians, we really are just one body of Christ. Our youth experience this ONENESS annually, as local churches unite together for county-wide youth rallies, Disciple Now, and Fields of Faith, etc. K: Kids activities — Our town provides an array of individual and team activities for our local kids. When my children were younger, I appreciated an active recreational department with ample choices of activities to fit many different personalities and interests. Other than the great, multiple sports activities, they also offer choices such as cooking camp and art camp. I even had the pleasure of teaching a sign language class there for two summers. Our new state of the art Sports Complex provides 50 BROOKHAVEN MAGAZINE
a nice place for our kids to learn and improve sports skills, team building skills, and social skills. It has also been a draw for out of town visitors, benefiting our town and economy in many ways. The Downtown Music Academy, dance studios, gyms for gymnastics and cheer, an active children’s program at the public library, and multiple children’s plays at the Little Theatre also offer enrichment and positive investments in the lives of our kids. H: The Haven (Brookhaven Little Theatre) — What a treasure for our town! Since childhood, I remember going to plays with my mom. In recent years, the topnotch renovations and the increase of participation has been very exciting! I am more and more impressed with so much local talent with each new production. I already mentioned the revitalization of downtown and our fabulous choice of restaurants, but I must say how much I enjoy having an excellent “Dinner and Theatre” experience right here in our own hometown! It makes for a great date night with my husband or a fun girls’ night with my friends. A: The Art School (MSA) — It is an amazing honor for Brookhaven to be home of the Mississippi School of the Arts. The talented students from all over the state of MS add to the culture, excitement, and activity of our town. I hope, in turn, that these students, who are seeking a home away from home, are receiving a good taste of the home feel, hospitality and blessings that Brookhaven has to offer. V: Vision & Vitality — I believe our Chamber of Commerce and other leading organizations/individuals in our town have vision to continue adding to and improving the vitality of our town. This continuously gives us more reasons to love our “Home Seekers Paradise.” E: Education — Our community is blessed with many wonderful schools. Personally, I am thankful for the role that the Brookhaven School District plays in my life and in the lives of my children. I have the pleasure of serving as a certified speechlanguage pathologist at Lipsey Middle School, Alexander Junior High, and Brookhaven High School. It is a joy to travel between schools serving a variety of ages, getting to know co-workers in three locations, and watching our students grow and mature through the years. N: Neighbors — Everything mentioned above is only important and special because of the PEOPLE (neighbors) that make up Brookhaven. As I’ve raised my children, I have said more times than I can count that “it truly takes a village to raise a child” and I am thankful for my village! I am thankful that God chose Brookhaven to be my home and the place to raise my family. Thanks to all of you, my neighbors and friends, who are using your talents and resources to help make Brookhaven a “Home Seekers Paradise.” Heather Palmer Smith is the wife of Scott Smith and mother of Logan, Landon, and Abby Smith. She is a Speech-Language Pathologist for the Brookhaven School District and interprets for the Deaf at Easthaven Baptist Church. /////
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PARTY And so do our readers.
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Bank of Brookhaven
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