BROOKHAVEN MAGAZINE
LIFE IN THE TREES MARCH/APRIL $4.99
COMPLIMENTARY COPY
A ONE-OF-A-KIND TREEHOUSE TAKES SHAPE BROOKHAVEN MAGAZINE 1
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PREPARED TO CARE We are prepared to care for every patient who walks through our doors. We’ve been working around the clock to ensure you can get safe, reliable, and immediate medical care.
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MARCH/APRIL 2021 PUBLISHER Kevin Warren GENERAL MANAGER Stacy Graning EDITORIAL Brett Campbell
Gracie Byrne
CONTRIBUTING ADVERTISING Kristi Carney
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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FEATURED
march/april 2021
Page 16 SHOPPING
A WARM, WELCOMING APPROACH AT JUDY’S II 8
FOOD AND DRINK
SWEET AND SAVORY SNACKS TO TAKE OUTDOORS THIS SPRING 12
Page 30
Page 20 HISTORY
COLLECTING THE STORIES OUR GRANDPARENTS TOLD
FEATURE 20
24
BOOK REVIEW
HOME AND GARDEN
LIFE’S LOOKING UP IN THIS NEW TREEHOUSE
LOCAL SURGEON ANSWERS THE CALL IN WOODSHOP
16
DEiTRICH REFLECTS ON HIS LATEST FICTION OFFERING
30
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shopping MARCH/APRIL 21
‘WARM AND INVITING’ Mom, daughter duo find success at Judy’s II
Judy’s II strives to offer customers a warm and inviting customer experience. Mother and daughter-in-law duo Linda Magee and Lindsay Smith run Judy’s II on Hwy. 51 South. They acquired the business in 2019 after previous owner Debbie Smith sold the store. Magee was a longtime customer of the store and talked with Smith about the future of the business. “We flirted with the idea of her selling and that went on for several years,” 8 BROOKHAVEN MAGAZINE
Magee said. “She contacted me in the fall 2019 and was ready to sell.” Magee approached her daughter-in-law with the idea of running a shoe store and that was all it took before they made the jump to the shoe business. Smith was working in Jackson at the time as a radiation therapist and wanted to be closer to home and be more accessible to her family. “We both wanted to be here in town and back with people,” Magee said.
As a young mother of two, Smith wanted to be able to have her son with her and be able to pick her daughter up from school. “It just worked itself out for us to do this together,” Smith said. The two have enjoyed working together and agree the business has brought them closer together. Magee previously owned Brookhaven Honda Motorcycle and is familiar with owning a business. Her older grandchildren grew up in that
business and she’s excited to see Smith’s children do the same with Judy’s II. “I love the family element of them (my grandchildren) growing up in the business,” Magee said. “It’s fun seeing Tripp and Ruby in this business and seeing them every day and interacting with them.” Magee knew she didn’t want to go into business by herself and she prides her daughter-in-law for having an eye for fashion. “I didn’t want to do it by myself,” Magee said. “Lindsay has a great eye and wants to expand what we offer in the store.” While Magee handles the business side of the store, Smith handles merchandise and social media. “She does a lot of the buying through the store,” Magee said. “I handle the business side. She handles the growth
as far as social media and she got us automated. It works pretty good.” As for working through the pandemic, the duo said it hasn’t been easy. “We came in November of 2019 and in March we were closed,” Smith said. “It’s been hard being new and not really knowing what we were doing, but I think it’s gotten better.” Magee believes Judy’s II has survived the pandemic because of the in-person aspect of buying and selling shoes. “It has changed the way people shopped,” Magee said. “One thing we have in our favor over online shopping is that people still want to try on shoes. And people still want that customer service. You can’t order online and have someone pull 25 pairs of shoes and find something right for you.’ The two went into the shoe business for their love of shoes.
“Who doesn’t love shoes?” Magee said. “It’s fun, and I was in a man’s world in the motorcycle business. Selling shoes is a female business. I like the small atmosphere, you get to visit with people.’ Smith believes that the type of shoes she wears is important. As a mom, she’s always on the go, but she still enjoys dressing up. As for her kids and any other children, they have to try shoes on before purchasing them. The right fit is important. Smith wants Judy’s II to be a place where parents and kids alike can find the right shoes. “If we don’t have what you need, we’re going to try and help you find it,” Smith said. “We’re trying to cater to everyone. We don’t want people to say they can’t come in here because it’s too expensive. We want to have someone for everybody, kids and women.” BROOKHAVEN MAGAZINE 9
serving LINCOLN/COPIAH/FRANKLIN/LAWRENCE COUNTIES
JAN./FEB. 2018
BROOKHAVEN
MAGAZINE
A WINTER WONDERLAND FOOD
HISTORY
‘MY DEAREST JENNY’
Nurse is a ‘souper’ cook
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Why advertise in The Daily Leader’s Brookhaven Magazine?
“It’s the smart choice” GUARANTEED DISTRIBUTION Brookhaven Magazine is delivered to all Daily Leader subscribers and placed in racks, offices and retail locations throughout the area.
WHO READS BROOKHAVEN MAGAZINE? Middle-to-upper income residents who have an interest in or a love for the Brookhaven lifestyle. The magazine is targeted to homeowners in the area, particularly women.
Brookhaven Magazine is created by locals for locals. Make the SMART move and
advertise your business where it matters ... right here at home. Kristi Carney - 601.265.5300 kristi.carney@dailyleader.com
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food and drink MARCH/APRI 21
SPRINGTIME SNACKS Sweet and savory treats to enjoy this season
Spring is slowly “springing” here in Brookhaven and Lincoln County, and that has many of us turning our thoughts to sunny days, afternoons in the garden and the joys of alfresco dining. And sometimes it’s handy to have some easy, tasty snacks on hand to satisfy a quick hunger pang on those springy afternoons.
So we’ll offer one of each: a make-ahead, super easy savory dip that’s sure to please even the pickiest of eaters and super sweet, satisfying cookie bars, a favorite of the young and the young at heart. Both require minimal effort in the kitchen, allowing you maximum time to enjoy.
Springtime Snacking Dip Ingredients: 32 ounces cream cheese, softened 2/3 cup beer 2 envelopes ranch salad dressing mix 4 cups shredded cheese Instructions: In a large bowl, beat the cream cheese, beer and dressing
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A Premier Assisted Living Communiy FIVE-STAR SERVICE with a HOME-LIKE FEEL The Aspen of Brookhaven is a 44-suite assisted living community located in quaint Brookhaven, Mississippi. We offer our residents the freedom and independence of living at home, but with the added assistance of a dedicated staff of specialists in senior therapy, healthcare, food preparation and more.
AspenOfBrookhaven.com 14 BROOKHAVEN MAGAZINE
500 Silver Cross Drive, Brookhaven, MS Phone: 769-300-5380
mix until blended. Stir in cheese. Serve with pretzels or corn chips. Saturday Afternoon Cookie Bars Ingredients: 1 cup butter, softened ¾ cup brown sugar ½ cup white granulated sugar 1 large egg 2 teaspoons vanilla extract ½ teaspoon baking soda ½ teaspoon salt 2 cups all-purpose flour 1 cup chocolate chunks ½ cup chocolate covered peanuts ½ cup pretzels ¼ cup M&Ms Instructions: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a 13x9 inch pan with parchment paper. In a large bowl, cream together the softened butter and sugars until light and fluffy (approximately 3-5 minutes). Mix in one large egg and vanilla extract, mixing until egg is fully incorporated. Stir in baking soda and salt. Add in flour and chocolate chunks and mix until just combined (you don’t want to overmix the dough). Pour into prepared pan and spread evenly. Top with pretzels, peanuts and M&Ms. Bake for 35-40 minutes or until the cookies are golden brown and thoroughly cooked. Allow to cool on a cooling rack before cutting into squares to serve.
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THAT TREE LIFE
Quarantine project turns into beloved house in the trees Story By Gracie Byrne photos by Gracie Byrne
The Walkers have a home away from home in their own backyard. Chad and Laura Ann Walker of Brookhaven have something in their backyard that all of the kids in their neighborhood flock to. During the summer, they had a treehouse built for their children. Ethan, a second-grader at Mamie Martin, and Amory, a sixth-grader at Lipsey Middle School, had asked their parents for a treehouse for quite some time. In 2020, their request was granted. “We had one tree in the backyard to work with,” Walker said. “We had gotten ideas after watching Treehouse Masters.” The family didn’t have a specific vision for the tree house. After calling a family friend who worked as a carpenter, the ball began rolling. “We called him and told him what we wanted,” Walker said. “We let him 16 BROOKHAVEN MAGAZINE
have free rein with it. He came up with a plan.” Carpenter Ian Rutledge said the Walker’s project wasn’t the first time for him to build a treehouse for someone. He had help from his son Cole and Chad’s brother Tony. “It’s pretty low to the ground,” Rutledge said. “It’s awesome for the kids.” Rutledge hopes Walkers’ children enjoy the finished product. “It’s tenfold better now because they got to finish personalizing and decorating it,” Rutledge said. “I’ve never been so challenged to use pieces of wood in a house. It’s all pieces, but it’s awesome.” The treehouse was a quarantine/ summer project due to the pandemic. The project took about three weeks to complete. “This was a quarantine project,” Walker said. “We just wanted our kids
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to be outside and doing something fun.” Ethan said his favorite thing about the treehouse is the rope swing. Amory’s favorite thing is the tire swing. “He’ll stay on it for hours,” Walker said. Walker’s favorite thing about the treehouse is that her children can play outside. “We can come up with different ideas for it,” Walker said. “I love their creativity, like how they came up with the tic tac toe board and the signing walls. They’ve been free to come up with different ideas.” The Walkers have been able to recycle various products to add on to the treehouse, such as old wood from family homes and peg board pieces they’ve found. “We’ve had people donate license plates to put on the ceiling,” Walker said. “We plan to have all 50 states on the ceiling at some point.” The tree house serves as a fort during Nerf gun wars, a place to play house and even a place to catch an afternoon nap. Walker said a lot of times the neighborhood kids come over. 18 BROOKHAVEN MAGAZINE
When they have family over, it’s a place for all of the kids to go. “It’s a great way to socially distance when we have family functions,” Walker said. “We get a lot of neighborhood visitors. And we’ve enjoyed talking to the neighbors in the back yard. Even some of our teenagers like to hang out on the porch of the treehouse.” Walker hopes the treehouse grows and changes with her children as they grow up. “I hope it’s a safe place where they can hang out and have fun as the kids get older,” Walker said. “Our goal has always been for our house to be a safe house, where kids can come and hang out and where our kids can invite kids to come over and play.” She also hopes that the treehouse is utilized years down the road. “As ours grow up and go away, one day when they come back married with children our grandchildren will play here,” Walker said. “Maybe it will be here when we don’t live here anymore and the next family has this house. Hopefully kids here and in the neighborhood will still enjoy it.”
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EVENTS
in Brookhaven
2021 CALENDAR
SPRING
DOWNTOWN JAZZED UP ART WALK
FEBRUARY 20
GOIN’ TO TOWN CAR SHOW
MARCH 6
SPRING FAIR (Lincoln County Civic Center)
APRIL 1-4
SPRING MOVIE SERIES
TBA
SUMMER
10TH ANNUAL GIRLS NIGHT OUT SHOPPING EXTRAVAGANZA JUNE 24
WILDLIFE EXPO (Lincoln County Civic Center)
AUGUST 20-21
SUMMER CONCERT SERIES
TBA
FALL
FALL FAIR (Lincoln County Civic Center)
SEPTEMBER 9-12
Tired of Renting? Ask about our new HOPE Loan at Bank of Franklin where we offer hope to those who want to own their home.
48TH ANNUAL OLE BROOK FESTIVAL OCTOBER 1-2
WINTER
BROOKHAVEN’S CHRISTMAS OPEN HOUSE
NOVEMBER 6
CHRISTMAS PARADE
DECEMBER 2
The Brookhaven-Lincoln County Chamber is taking all state and local mandates under strict consideration and will thoughtfully be planning the above events to ensure the safety of our entire community. Make sure to follow us on social media & visitbrookhavenms.com for updates regarding details of these events and more! All events are subject to change due to covid-19 restraints and/or inclimate weather. Please call 601-833-1411 for more info.
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bankoffranklin.com Meadville | Bude | Brookhaven | McComb
history APRIL/MARCH 2021
THE STORIES OF OUR PAST New book compiles favorite memories Story by Brett Campbell photos from archives
The stories our grandparents told us when we were children, of people and places we didn’t know and things we didn’t yet understand, nevertheless stick with us. Maybe it’s the stories themselves — of Pawpaw chasing down a bull or getting chased by a pig, or Granny getting distracted and pouring bleach in a potted plant — that dig out a spot in our brain’s permanent filing cabinet, often pulled out and dusted off to be remembered because they’re just so good. Or maybe it’s the storytellers themselves — the way Granddad held you on his knee,
grinned and winked at you to let you know the story he was telling might not be 100% true, or the way Grandma’s eyes got misty when she talked about her childhood friends — and the memories of they way they told the tales more than the stories themselves. What we would give to have a volume of those stories preserved for us, told from their own lips in their own special way, to read over and over again, and to pass on to our children and our children’s children. The team of Tammie Santos Brewer, Sue Dorman, Joe G. Brown and Dr. Bettie Posey Bullard has pulled off that feat for
many who grew up in Lincoln County. In “Memories of Lincoln County,” nearly 40 stories are preserved for the “telling” or re-telling. Some are funny and some are heartwarming. Some may be both. Starting in 2019, members of the Lincoln County Historical and Genealogical Society began asking Lincoln Countians to share their memories. Contributing authors include Elizabeth West Wesse, Cathy Bridge, Elliot Smith, Kim Henderson, Mike Windham, Don Jacobs, George Lumsden and Jimmy Perkins. “This was a long time coming and we’re
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glad the book is finally out,” said co-editor Brewer. “We have stories from back in the Civil War, passed down in families, up to the most recent story about the first year Mississippi School of the Arts was open.” The book was put together with a two-fold purpose, Brewer said. The first part is to keep history alive. “We’d like to keep doing this. After people see it and read it, they might want to tell their stories,” she said. “Saving Lincoln County’s history by preserving individuals’ histories is a priority.” The second reason was the historical society needs money to keep going. “It is a fundraiser,” Brewer said. “We have not been able to have any events since early 2020 because of COVID, and we usually have about eight each year. Our fundraising has been curtailed because of it and we still have bills.” All of the money from book sales will go to paying the museum’s utilities, insurance, upkeep and repairs. Everyone who works for the museum does so on a volunteer basis. No one receives pay. But Brewer believes people from the area who know about the book will want to buy it, to help the museum and to hang on to some fascinating stories. Anyone from Brookhaven will recognize a lot of the names in the book, the former journalist and history enthusiast said. “There are a lot of familiar family names in the book.” One of Brewer’s favorite stories is the first one recorded in the book’s pages. Told by Elizabeth West Wesse, Bullard relates the story to the reader in a way that loses none of Wesse’s mischievous storytelling. “The Chocolate Bar” is Wesse’s recollection of growing up during World War II and just after, when German prisoners of war were encamped in Brookhaven and used to help build the city’s infrastructure. The informative and amusing account kicks off the rest of the book. Another of Brewer’s favorites is “Rocking Babies to Sleep in the Clouds,” as told by Janis Moreton Hobbs to Bullard. Though Hobbs died before the book went to print, her story of being an airplane pilot at a time when few women were is a true snapshot of extraordinary history for the county. The cover image shows displays the veined hands of a woman — Bullard — holding three photos that show members of her and storyteller/artist Sherry Slusher, who took the cover photo. Putting the book together was a challenge, a learning experience for everyone, Brewer said, but worth the work. The book sells for $27 at the Lincoln County Historical Museum on South Church Street and on Amazon, and is also available in a Kindle edition for $10. The museum is open Tuesdays, Thursdays and the first Saturday of each month from 11 a.m. until 3 p.m. Groups interested in scheduling a visit at another time can contact the museum at 601-265-2052. “If you have lived in Lincoln County at all, you will enjoy reading the stories in the book,” Brewer said. “And make sure you read probably the funniest one, (Mike Windham’s account of) ‘The Cremated Pistol.’” BROOKHAVEN MAGAZINE 23
feature MARCH/APRIL 2021
THE CALL OF THE CRAFT Surgeon’s hobby leads to creation of custom duck calls Story by Brett Campbell Photos by Brett Campbell
The call of mallard ducks can be heard most days of the year at much of the bodies of water across Mississippi. Another place the call of ducks can be heard is the Brookhaven workshop of Dr. Michael Peavey. Peavey, a general surgeon, loves to work with his hands on more than just ailing parts of the human body. He loves making wooden duck calls. 24 BROOKHAVEN MAGAZINE
A Brookhaven native, Peavey is a 1986 graduate of Brookhaven High School, a 1990 graduate of Mississippi State University and a 1994 graduate of the University of Mississippi Medical Center. He finished his residency in 2000 and returned to his hometown. Raised by his grandparents, the Homeseeker Paradise was home, and that was reason enough to return. He’s been working at Brookhaven
Surgery Clinic ever since. “I’ve always been fascinated by woodworking,” Peavey said. “When my kids were little, I needed a hobby that didn’t keep me away from home.” So about 15 years ago he began working with wood in his spare moments or when he couldn’t sleep. Then around 2017 he decided to try making duck calls. He liked to hunt with his boys and the
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idea of making his own duck call had always been “cool and interesting” to him. “So I added a lathe to my shop,” he said. Dr. Jeffrey Clark, a friend and avid duck hunter, was also friends with a retiree named Dan Wesselhoff, who made and sold “Killer Call” duck calls. The men would travel to “Duck Mecca” — otherwise known as Stuttgart, Arkansas — occasionally to sell calls and hang out. “He was a very talented man,” Peavey said. Though Peavey did not get to meet Wesselhoff before the man died, he knew the man’s wife because she worked for King’s Daughters Medical Center. Having tried his hand at making a couple of calls, Peavey showed them to Mrs. Wesselhoff to get her opinion. She was preparing to move out of the area and closer to her children, so she offered her husband’s 28 BROOKHAVEN MAGAZINE
old equipment to the budding call maker. “So now I have a lot of his equipment,” the doctor said proudly. Duck calls are not complicated when it comes to number of parts, but are complicated when it comes to building them correctly. They are basically made of two parts — the barrel and the tone board, which is similar to a reed in a woodwind instrument. “Tuning it is the hard part,” Peavey said. He uses a tone board jig to cut the material to the desired size, and adjusts the length of the reed to be able to produce different sounds. “Anybody can turn one (on a lathe),” Peavey said. “The biggest learning curve has been learning how to get it to sound right.” “Most of what I make are standard mallard calls, for big ducks,” he said. “Wigeon and wood ducks make different
sounds.” He mostly uses hardwoods from Mississippi, listening to music and sermons on tape from his pastor friends as he turns the barrels, sands, polishes, glues and tunes. Peavey holds one of his handmade creations to his lips and blows a series of calls. The sound reverberates throughout his workshop and, surprisingly, no mallards burst through the doorway. He’s the father of three boys and two girls, ranging in age from 10 to 24 years old. This past year his oldest son encouraged him to sell some of his calls. They’re now available at The Well-Dressed Man and Emmett Marine in Brookhaven. “This is mainly a hobby, but it’s also something I can talk to my patients about,” Peavey said. “Surgery is stressful for the patient. (Talking about it) helps calm them down and lets them know you’re a person, too.”
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book review MARCH/APRIL 21
‘A STORY OF HOPE’ Dietrich reflects on his latest fiction
Review By Brett Campbell Art submitted
“Winston Browne knew he was dying. He couldn’t explain how he knew. He just did.” With those words, beloved writer Sean Dietrich draws the reader into his 30 BROOKHAVEN MAGAZINE
newest fiction offering, “The Incredible Winston Browne.” There’s a little of himself and the people he’s known throughout his life in the characters that introduce themselves in the novel, especially in the title character who loves baseball and wants
to make a difference in the lives of the people of Moab, Florida, where he is the sheriff. The life-altering news Browne receives about his own failing health quickly takes a backseat to the arrival of a feisty, mute girl who suddenly shows
up in a henhouse belonging to the sheriff’s best friend. Browne becomes a hero and protector, finding romance and family along the way. For readers familiar with Dietrich’s finely woven tales, the 1950s small town life of the Florida Panhandle will be familiar, as it will be also to fans to “The Andy Griffith Show” and similar shows set in postDepression era communities. “We all suffer,” Dietrich said when asked about the ideas that led to the telling of this tale. “Everybody suffers in this life, we’re no different, and that draws us together.” The common human calamity of suffering creates a resilience and perseverance in people that little else can, Dietrich said, and rather than run from it, people need to learn from it. Browne was born from a few people the author has known, but as the character developed he reminded Dietrich of his own father and the kind of man he wanted to be. Dietrich has written extensively on his father’s suicide and the impact it had on him since he was a boy, particularly in his 2020 nonfiction offering “Will the Circle Be Unbroken?” “There was a lot of good in my dad. He worked hard. He loved baseball, and he tried to do right by other people,” Dietrich said. “And you can see that in the character of Winston.” With the struggles of a pandemic over the course of 2020, Dietrich said the spring 2021 release of this new novel seemed even more fitting. “It’s a story of hope and finding your place,” he said. “We all want to find the good in all this terrible stuff we’ve been going through.” “The Incredible Winston Browne,” published by Thomas Nelson is now available wherever you buy books and audio books. BROOKHAVEN MAGAZINE 31
social scenes MARCH/APRIL 21
Junior Auxiliary New Member Tea
The Junior Auxiliary of Brookhaven hosted a new member tea March 21 at the home of Sally Doty. Those attending include, clockwise from top, Kayla Martin, Emily Bellipanni, Rachel Powell, Jessica Malone and Madison Foster; Diane Hay, Barbara Walker and Samantha Barnett; Emily Bellipanni and Kayla Martin; Anna Crider, Ashley Mazzei, Anna Opdyke and Christy Lee; and Stephanie Henderson, Emily Bellipanni and Emily McLarty.
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